April 7, 2023
ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ ▬ 10220

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BREAKING NEWS: Serpentine Ice Planet Robbery

"I'm Gayle Gossip, and this is Zenjago TV News. Today, the popular dessert parlor Ice Planet was robbed.

"That's right—located on the ground floor between Titanium Boulevard and Antonia Street, patrons and staff in the Ice Planet: Cream and Confectionery were threatened by a group of three strange humanoid creatures armed with dangerous weapons. The criminals destroyed the self-serve machines and stole the cash register. Five patrons and staff were wounded in the attack and are recovering quickly.

"Both security footage and bystanders captured photos of the criminals, which have since spread across the internet like wildfire. Many people speculate that the attackers are the ancient Serpentine, a race of snake-people that formerly ruled Zenjago. Others believe they are a group of reckless teenagers in elaborate costume—most people assume that the Serpentine were merely a children's story, fabricated to teach lessons of morality.

"Within hours, Zenjago's top historians and anthropologists have studied the camera footage and concluded that the criminals are indeed the Serpentine. Security crews are working to locate what may have caused their sudden reappearance, and looking for the answer to the crucial question: What does this mean for the future of Zenjago? Will the police and Ninja team be enough to stop them, as they did with the Skulkin Army? We'll dive deeper into this right back after this break."

Gayle visibly slumped where she stood once the cameras stopped rolling. Vinny, the cameraman, patted her shoulder awkwardly and led her to the director's chair. In the newsroom, the director was running around, instructing the camera crew and reporters and overall looking quite frazzled. They wouldn't be using the chair for a while.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Vinny chuckled nervously.

The reporter sat down heavily and sighed, pressing her temples delicately to avoid ruining her makeup. "It was fine. I'm more concerned about the new things-" she gestured at her earpiece- "the crew was finding while we were on air. I suppose I'll have to discuss that once we start again."

Vinny knit his brow. "What did they find?"

"Morro Smith is found unconscious outside of City Hall. Doctors rushed him to the hospital and have since discovered he is in a coma. Officials have failed to find the assailant. Whoever did this was skilled, for they remain undetected thus far."

"At least he's not dead."

"Yeah, it could be worse."

"Suit yourself," Morro grumbled. "Personally, I would prefer the sweet release of death over a coma."

"You're not allowed to talk!" Ally hissed.

Zap nodded. "Yeah, you're supposed to be in a coma!"

Skylar leaned forward, pressing his fingertips together. "Did the guardian angel save him?" he asked Harper.

The narrator of the game shook their head. "They protected the wrong person."

Ally let out an audible sigh at that. "How are we supposed to figure this out, then? Did the detective at least find anything?"

Again, Harper confirmed the negative.

The little girl turned to the dark-haired team leader. "Realm, what did you see?" she demanded. "Your eyes were open! You saw!"

"I'm out," Realm whispered loudly to Ally. "I can't help you, it's part of the rules."

Morro let out a groan he had been suppressing. "I think we should be allowed to talk to the dead," he complained. "People can do that in real life."

"Since when could people do that?" Skylar asked.

"Since, like, four years ago."

The white Ninja narrowed her eyes. "Can you talk to the dead?"

Morro dramatically posed. "Yes," he said, miming a hair flip. "I can. Get on my level."

"Of course he can talk to the dead," Ally grumbled. "He fucking died."

Zap corrected, "He's in a coma, actually, so he's not dead yet. I vote Skylar, she's been deflecting this whole time."

Skylar gasped. "What? How dare you! Do you think I'd kill Morro?"

"Yes," everyone said.

"I literally would not and you all know it, you filthy little-" Their voice trailed off and they stood up abruptly. "Hey, does anyone else smell that?"

"Smell what?" Zap asked.

"Smoke," Harper and Realm said in unison.

Ally's face paled. "Uh, I'll be right back," she spluttered and ran out of the room. The game of Mafia was pulled to a halt as the rest of the Ninja, evidently suspicious, followed her as she darted to the kitchen.

Smoke billowed from the oven as the young Garmadon opened the door, pulling out a blackened cake. "Awh," she sighed. "It had the potential to be such a good cake. May it forever rest in peace."

With that, she opened the blinds and threw it out the open window.

Realm stared in horror as the burnt cake landed pathetically on the deck of the Bounty with a sickening splat. The only sound that came from her mouth was a stunned, "What?"

"What, 'what'?" Ally retorted.

"What was that for?! You wasted an entire cake!"

The little girl huffed irritably. "It was a shit cake anyway. You have fun cleaning up this mess," she said, patting Morro's arm degradingly. "It's your turn to clean the kitchen, isn't it?"

"It literally is not, you little piece of–" Morro trailed off as he spotted plastic gallon bottles next to the baking materials. "Why's there bleach next to the flour?" he asked, picking up the emptied jug.

"Did you put bleach in the cake?" Zap asked, putting two and two together. The little girl averted her gaze. "Ally! Were you actually trying to poison us?"

She shrugged.

"Good lord." Harper pinched the bridge of her nose and turned to Wu. "Sensei, did you know she was baking?"

Ignoring Harper, Wu let out a deep sigh. "Ally, you said you were cleaning."

Ally nodded. "I was. Bleach pound cake: Darkley's best recipe to clean out the people you don't like."

"Yeah, cleaning us out by killing us!" Zap exclaimed. "Maybe it's for the best that it burned."

It had been over a week since Ally had moved in. Since then, the Ninja did their best to make the child feel at home, but she wasn't enjoying it. As the team had scrambled to help fight the Serpentine attacks around Zenjago, the young Garmadon had been playing mild pranks on the Ninja team the entire time.

A loud siren interrupted the scolding of the young Garmadon. "Serpentine!" Morro yelled, running out of the room. "That's the alarm for the Serpentine!"

The Ninja and Ally followed the boy, gathering on the bridge in front of the large screen. Morro scanned the screen's contents, quickly deciphering the words and charts across the map, then turned to the Ninja with a mildly irritated expression. "What's the current status on Pythor, again?"

Harper recited, "If I recall correctly, he stole the Map of Dens from Ally-" the girl mentioned letting out a groan- "and is likely on his way to open the last two Serpentine tombs."

Realm nodded. "Pythor's our most dangerous threat. If he finds those tombs before we do, there's no telling what he'll do. He's not stupid, he must have some ulterior motive, and the best we can do is stop him before he reaches that goal."

"But those tombs could be anywhere," Skylar said, staring at the massive map on the screen. "Zenjago is massive. Without the Map of Dens, we might as well just throw darts at the screen, or something."

"Okay, we can do that." Before they could blink, two loud thunks sounded, and two arrows pierced the screen. Morro used the bow in his hand to gesture at the arrows' locations. "I think these are the two locations of the Hypnobrai and Fangpyre tombs."

Ally stared at the boy in awe, while Harper rolled her eyes. "Show-off."

Morro lifted the bow again, squinting as he aimed carefully. Another arrow landed on the western edge of the Sea of Sand. "This was Pythor's tomb. I don't think there's any more Anacondrai left. Survival of the fittest, or whatever." He slung the bow over his shoulder. "I couldn't figure out a pattern, though."

"I remember where the others were," Ally said. She grabbed one of the arrows from Morro's quiver and approached the board, using it as a pointer. "I think there was one here... and another one here?" She struggled to point high enough, even on her tip-toes, and she threw the arrow back at Morro.

He caught it and returned it to the quiver easily. "You don't sound very sure about that."

"I'm not."

Zap eyed the map. "If those are roughly where the others are, together they kind of make a circle. Maybe a pentagon. And not to speculate or anything, but if you draw a line from each one, the center is smack-dab in the middle of the Sea of Sand. There's isn't anything there, right?"

"Not that I recall," Harper said. "Recent digital archives likely have little information, so we can always check the Library of Domu, but we are strict on time."

Wu tapped his staff against the floorboards. "Exactly. Skylar and Zap, you head to the Venomari Tomb. Realm and Harper, you take the Constrictai Tomb. And take this." He handed the Sacred Flute to the team leader. "You might need it if you run into Pythor. Good luck, Ninja."

"Wait, hang on," Morro said, narrowing his eyes. "What am I gonna do?"

"Yeah! What are we going to do?" Ally piped up eagerly, which caused Morro to frown and cross his arms.

Wu glanced at his niece, then turned to the blond. "Morro, I need you here to make sure Ally doesn't get into any more trouble."

"What!?" Morro cried. "Wait, I'm being put on babysitting duty?!"

"If you actually play with her, rather than sitting on your phone, maybe it won't be so awful," Harper suggested.

"I'd like to see you try," he retorted. Morro then whipped around to face Wu, his bow smacking Ally square across the face as he did so. "Sensei, are you absolutely, positively sure there isn't anything else I can do?"

"Well, it's either that or you may join me in my meditation-" at this, Morro perked up- "which will take place atop the highest mast for five hours."

He stared at the old man for a solid ten seconds, before dejectedly grumbling, "I'll watch the little demon instead."

Realm clapped her hands, catching the attention of the Ninja team. "Time to roll, guys! Let's beat some snake butt!"

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"Our vehicles won't be able to traverse the steps," Realm buzzed, lifting her eyes off the land to make sure Harper's bike was still caught up. "We have to get up the mountain on foot."

Harper didn't say anything into her comm, but the microphone picked up on her exasperated sigh. Almost in perfect sync, both the black and red Ninja disabled their vehicles in a flash of light, and they landed gracefully on their feet with the Golden Weapons bared.

The blonde sheathed the Sword of Fire on her back. "This is the Mountain of a Million Steps. With all due respect, neither of us have the physical capacity to travel these steps promptly, and Zap is not with us to lend their jet. Aren't we pressed for time?"

Realm rolled up her sleeves, strapping the Scythe of Quakes to her back, peeling off her gloves, and then dusting her hands in the sand. "Oh, I know. We'll be taking a shortcut."

When Realm said 'shortcut', Harper assumed she meant they would drill through the mountain, use grappling hooks, hitch a ride with a vulture, harness the Scythe's power to raise stone from the earth, or something equally similar; the list goes on. Very low on their list was the possibility of Realm carrying Harper on her back and rock-climbing their way up.

No harness. No support. Nothing but Harper's nervous absolute faith in the team leader.

"Are you sure I'm not too heavy, or holding on too tight?" they asked, gripping onto their teammate's shoulders carefully. "If we need to take a break, we can. We're making great time."

"Nope!" Realm grunted, a strained whine slipping as she pulled them higher. "Light as a feather, Harp. We're almost there."

When they reached the top, Harper hopped over the rim and dragged Realm over as well. "Well, we made it," they congratulated her. "Good work. That was impressive. I had no idea you were capable of that."

Harper patted Realm on the shoulder, causing her to instantly crumple and collapse to the ground. The black Ninja offered a weak thumbs-up, wincing through a smile.

The mountaintop was flat, as if the peak had been worn down. The engraved metal entryway intended to seal off the tomb seemed to have been dragged aside, exposing a large hole that dropped into darkness. A rope, tied to the lone tree atop the mountain, led into the tomb.

Harper noticed the wavy lines of a Serpentine General's tail surrounding the tomb entrance. "Seems like Pythor beat us to this location. Perhaps we should investigate?" they suggested.

"Yeah, just- give me a second, I'll-" Realm tried to laugh, but it only made her cough and pant harder. "Actually, just- go on and start without me, I need a minute to- catch my breath."

The red Ninja scanned the area, peering over the sides of the mountain as well. Once she was sure that Realm would be safe—as safe as it gets, being a ninja—she tugged on the rope and, deeming it stable, wrapped their gloved hands around the coarse rope and dropped into the darkness.

After falling for some time, her feet found stone, and she tentatively let go of the rope. Harper used the Sword of Fire as a torch, illuminating her surroundings. She had landed in a relatively large circular room carved from stone, the arched ceiling extending far above her head, and every wall intricately decorated. The hole she had entered from cast a blurred circle of light in the center of the room, illuminating an intricate pattern carved into the ground below. Harper ran her fingers along the carvings and felt around the floor for traps, but found solid stone.

Along the walls were more of the designs. As much as Harper knew the Serpentine were a dangerous enemy, she did admire the decorations that beautified the cave-like tomb entrance. Some of the art was carved, others were painted, and some had a mix of the two, but they seemed to tell some sort of story.

The soft sound of padded shoes hitting the stone nearly startled the red Ninja. "Woah," Realm whispered, standing beside Harper and marveling at the designs on the walls. "What is this?"

"A story whose illustration must have taken decades to complete," Harper informed her, also keeping their voice hushed. "If you look up, it extends towards the ceiling, too. I just can't find where the story begins."

Realm picked up a large dead branch off the dusty floor and lit it with the Sword. She began walking around to the other side of the room, illuminating the walls. "I still can't see any distinct beginning. Can you decode anything from what we're given?"

Harper hummed as she scanned the wall before her. The inscriptions were packed with symbols and a mixture of traditional Zenjagian and Serpentine, Harper assumed, and it took her several minutes to translate the small section of her wall.

"It's telling a story- perhaps a legend- about one tribe uniting everyone," they finally said. Realm came to stop by them, stomping out the ashes of the branch she had held. "Once they unite, they can combine their antitheses that will unleash the Great Devourer, an evil that will consume all of the land, turning day into night."

The black Ninja frowned at the art. "But these tribes were at war for centuries. How old is this legend?"

"Extremely old. The paint is rather faded. But Pythor has already come here, and he has inevitably seen this message. If he unites all the tribes together before Sky and Zap find him, we're fucked."

"Language," Realm scolded. "And besides, we don't know if it's true. For all we know, it might be just a fairy tale, and the others are working to stop him, too."

Harper tore their eyes away from the murals. "Maybe. Did you find anything?"

"Nope. It's perfectly spherical, with no clear entryways or exits, either. These Constrictai are tricky," Realm said, her voice echoing.

Harper's blood ran cold, and she frantically gestured at Realm to quiet down. "If there's no entrances or exits," she hissed, "and this is the tomb of the Constrictai, then they must be coming from-"

The ground rumbled, like an earthquake rippled below their feet.

"There's something in the ground," Realm whispered. "Don't move."

Rocks should not be able to move like a fluid, yet as the intricate stone floors rumbled and cracked, dread began to grow in Harper's gut. The domed room was silent other than for the Ninja's tentative breaths and the crumbling of rock. Realm unsheathed the Scythe, and Harper lifted the Sword higher.

And then the ground exploded, shooting chunks of stone in the air as something burst from the floor. Harper gasped as something scaly grabbed her around the chest, squeezing her ribs and lifting her off the floor.

"I've been waiting for you," a deep voice snarled. "Pythor sssendsss hisss regardsss."

Realm lunged at Harper's captor—a black and orange Serpentine General, given the muscular tail squeezing the breath from their lungs. Realm missed, and swung again, this time scratching the side of the serpent's tail. "Did you stay behind just to tell us that? You didn't have to," she retorted. "He could have sent one of his other boys after us."

"Boy?" The General snarled, tightening her grip angrily. "I am Ssssskalidor, Queen and General of the Conssstrictai Tribe. And I would love the honor of ssseeing the light die in your eyesss."

Harper gasped dramatically. It was getting harder to breathe, but she figured that if she exaggerated Skalidor's effect on her, the pressure would stop sooner. Of course, Realm took this to be a sign of danger and jumped to her next choice: Spinjitzu.

Realm's tornado, spinning stone amid the amber glow, crashed into the Constrictai's side. Caught off-guard, the General released her grip just enough for Harper to free herself. They jumped out of the way, hitting the ground and rolling away from the serpent, who had begun to chase Realm around the domed room. Brandishing the Sword of Fire, the blade roaring to ignition upon her touch, Harper swung the flaming weapon towards the snake and stopped her before she could reach the black Ninja.

"Realm, get to the rope!" they shouted, eyes locked on the snake. The black Ninja sprinted to the rope and began to scale it, getting out of the Constrictai's reach.

The red Ninja looked away for a split second, making sure Realm was safe, but the snake took advantage of their divided attention and ducked underground again. Harper turned around and found the wall before her empty—and then she was grabbed again, as the Constrictai general yanked her into the stone tunnels below.

"Harp!" Realm's shouts faded in and out as Harper was dragged through the weaving tunnels, smacking against loose dirt and hitting chunks of stone. Her legs and arms were tightly constrained by the Constrictai General's tail alone, and the Sword of Fire was also pinned to her side uncomfortably, the blade digging into her skin occasionally. Every time they struggled or tried to breathe, the snake's grip on her seemed to only strengthen. Skalidor seemed to be enjoying her suffering, and Harper had the sneaking suspicion that she was merely driving them in circles until they either passed out or gave up.

But Ninja never quit, and Harper was not giving up. And luckily, neither did Realm.

The sound of inexperienced flute-playing pierced through the ground. The Constrictai let out a strained hiss and nearly immediately loosened her grip, racing to the surface to stop the source of the sound. When they burst through the surface, Harper twisted away again and raced to the rope, strapping the Sword to a holster on her belt and scaling it as fast as possible. Dust fell from their hair as they climbed, and everything ached from being slammed and crushed, but adrenaline masked the worst of the pain.

Suddenly the rope yanked taut, and Harper whirled around to see Skalidor beginning to scale the rope. "She's getting up!" Realm shouted in a panic. The red Ninja twisted the rope around her wrist, and in one smooth motion with her other hand, she unsheathed the Sword and sliced the rope, cutting it off.

Realm hauled Harper over the edge, pulling them onto the top of the mountain. The General roared from below, far out of reach. "That was so intense," she gasped. "You okay?"

"Nothing broken. I'll be fine." The red Ninja clutched her ribs, stopping to catch her breath. Their ribcage ached, and the small scrapes from her unpleasant drag through the tunnels stung in the wind. "But if Pythor was expecting us, I think Sky and Zap are walking into a trap."

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In a flash of bright light, the Lightning Jet vanished, dropping Zap into a free fall. Right as they nearly hit the ground, Skylar's motorcycle roared past, catching them in time.

"Well, hello there," Skylar giggled.

Zap laughed and readjusted their position; the white Ninja had caught her bridal-style, and she now had maneuvered to the back seat, awkwardly holding onto Skylar's waist. "That was really good. Perfect timing!"

"I know, right? Thank the First Master we got that catch right because I'm pretty sure the stuff around here is corrosive in every way." Skylar took a deep breath, only to gag on the sulfuric air. "Yep. We're definitely in the Toxic Bogs, now. You have your seatbelt on?"

Zap furrowed her brow. "Of course. Why do you ask?"

He briefly looked away from the road to glance at Zap's face, then her arms wrapped around their waist. "...No reason," they said lightly. "You know, I've heard about this place only in rumors. Apparently, daredevils love this place."

They drove for some time longer, traveling through the seemingly radioactive landscape precariously. Tall, spindly, leafless trees stretched to the murky sky, and a faint green fog hung low to the ground. Fallen trees and the barren landmasses allowed Skylar's snow bike to easily traverse the flat terrain, but both Ninja held their breath every time they crept near the bubbling acidic waters.

Skylar pulled the bike to a stop before a particularly large tree. "This looks like it," she said, deactivating the vehicle and storing away the Shurikens. "Is that the entrance?"

The tree looked like it had died decades ago, but when it was alive, it had grown over the thick engraved metal door. The frame was made of tarnished metal, welded in a giant circle, and embedded in the oak's trunk. If the door had been shut, the Ninja would have seen the slightly corroded engravings of serpents, blades, and vines intricately decorating the entrance. But the door was swung wide open, a dark gaping maw into a pit below.

The Venomari tomb had already been opened.

"Dang it, they beat us to it," Zap groaned. "Do we have to go in?"

Skylar peered inside hesitantly. "I don't think anyone is left here. No Serpentine in their right mind would stay in the tomb they've been trapped in for centuries. Besides, you can see all the footprints and tail impressions in the dust—they're all gone. We came here for nothing."

"Maybe not nothing, but we should look around," Zap suggested. "Just in case."

Weapons brandished, the duo began inspecting the area for evidence. Zap swung between trees using a grappling hook, merely a blue blur in the haze, while Skylar tiptoed through the muddy underbrush. The white Ninja's face tingled as she walked through the mist; everything about the bog felt radioactive, and she kept a safe distance away from branches, cutting them down with her swords.

A frog's croak sounded loudly from behind Skylar, causing the Ninja to whirl around and nearly slice the amphibian in half. The frog watched her with mild disinterest, perched on a mossy log and ribbiting much quieter. "First Master," she gasped, lowering her weapons and laughing nervously. "Gods, you shouldn't sneak up on people like that! I thought you were a snake!"

The frog jumped off the log and onto a slimy lilypad— which shot out of the water, for it wasn't a lilypad. It was a Serpentine's head, dark green scales adorned with yellow and lime patterning, four eyes, and two large fangs. A Venomari warrior.

Faster than the Ninja could react, the Serpentine spat acidic venom right at her eyes, instantly blinding her. Skylar let out a sharp cry, hands instinctively flying to her face and trying to wipe off the venom. It stung like hell and felt as if it was burning into her flesh. "ZAP, IT'S AN AMBUSH- IT'S A TRAP, GET OUT OF HERE!"

Deep in the canopies of the Toxic Bogs, Zap didn't hear Skylar's screams at first. A particularly guttural shriek pierced the fog and seemed to strike a chord in the blue Ninja's bones— she swore a censored curse under her breath and turned around immediately, swinging through the trees in a frenzied panic.

Skylar couldn't see. Everything ached and burned, and she could hear the leering snarls of Venomari warriors surrounding her as she writhed in pain on the ground. Acid burned through her gi and sizzled on her skin, and her eyes- First Master, she felt like she wouldn't be able to see again.

But her Ninja instincts took over the second the flat of a blade smacked her on the back. Skylar leaped up, snatched shurikens from her belt, and as painful as it was, opened her eyes to survey her surroundings—

But there weren't Serpentine circling her. There were spiders. Giant spiders, the size of a large dog, spitting venom at her and swiping at her with hairy, thorny legs. The world seemed to swirl and tilt, and the colors were too bright. The spiders seemed to multiply, and everything blurred.

"Oh, shit, shit," she gasped, rubbing her eyes and blinking. Skylar could hear the snake hisses, but they weren't seeing snakes, only giant spiders. Everything felt blurry and woozy. "This is not good. Zap! Zap! Help! There's spiders everywhere!"

As if summoned, the blue Ninja dropped down from above and knocked out three of the spiders— Venomari, Skylar reminded himself— and landed back-to-back with the redhead. Zap glanced over at the white Ninja worriedly.

"Spiders?" she asked, puzzled, and cut down one of the advancing spiders. "Sky, there's no spiders, only Venomari everywh- aah!"

The sizzle of venom on the fabric indicated that Zap had been hit by one of the warriors' spit. Skylar turned and saw that her friend's face was scaly and reptilian and she swallowed thickly, hoping it was just another illusion from the venom. She turned back around just in time to kick away a spider that came too close, but she still got knocked down from the impact. "Are you fucking crazy? Do you not see them?" she gasped. "Even you, you're-"

"Duck!" Zap shouted; he complied, and the blue Ninja swung over Skylar's back, striking a warrior that leaped at the duo. "No! Sky, I don't know what you're seeing, but this is not the time to lose yourself! I need you! Ninja never quit!"

"Right! Right. I got this." Skylar grabbed one of her fallen swords, only for it to transform into a snake. She dropped it with a scream, and the world seemed to tilt on its axis. "Shit, I can't do this!"

A new voice shouted, "But maybe we can!"

Zap, Skylar, and the Venomari-spiders all looked up. A flashy red motorcycle roared into view, spinning to a stop and knocking down the ring of Serpentine encircling the Ninja.

"Anyone order a little kick-butt?" Realm called.

In a flash of light, the bike deactivated, and the black and red Ninja landed on the mossy ground. Harper pulled off her hood and Skylar felt nearly every muscle in her body relax; amid the blurriness and churning colors, the blonde's familiar scarred face was grounding.

Realm kept her hood on, and she surveyed the battlegrounds. She sliced down a couple of spiders with the Scythe as she made her way to the others, and extended a hand to help Skylar up. "You okay?"

As the adrenaline started to die down, Skylar realized how much every part of her body stung and burned from the venom. Her white gi was fried, holes burnt into the fabric and her leather armor peeling. She missed Realm's hand the first time, then hauled herself up on the second try. "Everything fucking hurts. I thought I was gonna go blind for a while."

Harper stabbed the last warrior through the chest with the Sword of Fire, then turned to her teammates. Snake blood clung to the blade, splattered on her face, and tangled in her hair, and even with the kaleidoscope vision, Skylar thought she looked pretty badass. (Badass and worried— the red Ninja's face was lined with worry, and her brows were knit.) "Shit, you got hit in the eyes, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but it'll wear off!" she laughed nervously, shivering as pain stabbed into his face. "It's not going to leave permanent damage or anything, surely. Right?"

The Ninja watched Skylar with worry, like doctors observing a sick patient. The silence hurt more than the acid.

"We don't know," Zap said, and the world seemed to tilt even more violently. "It might. But it might not, too! We'll... just have to see."

A cold presence raced up her back- not a breeze, but more like the feeling of chilled scales against searing skin.

"Boo."

Zap let out a scream and lifted the Nunchucks, but didn't strike. The invisible cold presence materialized into a deep violet-colored serpent, curled around Skylar's body and incapacitating the Ninja, her swords pinned against her back. A purple tail curled around her neck and flicked her cheek; Pythor, the last Anacondrai in Zenjago, observed the white Ninja like a mildly interesting dinner. The other Ninja glared at the serpent, tense and poised to attack, yet they hesitated as their target was practically wrapped around Skylar. If he dodged, or if they missed just slightly, their teammate would face the brunt of the strike.

"Oh, the beauty of Venomari acid," Pythor said, his voice as smooth as silk, yet laced with something deadly. "No matter how clever, strong, or stable you may be, it will never fail to blind and burn you to the core. You may have killed the first warriors in my ambush, but their damage has been done."

A note of a flute pierced the tense silence. Realm held the Sacred Flute to her lips, playing a lilting melody, and Pythor snarled and twitched at the sound.

"Oh, let's not let music ruin things, shall we?" He lunged at Realm and knocked it out of her hands with his tail, then struck the back of her knees. The Ninja team leader crumpled to the ground with a shout, and he slammed her chest with his tail, striking the wind from her lungs. "That's a cheater's move, and you Ninja are far too noble for that."

"Venom is a cheater's move," Skylar growled, and slammed her elbow into Pythor's throat. His grip released just enough for her to stumble away, and once she hurled a Shuriken of Ice at the General, the battle began.

Though the fight was extremely unbalanced, the armed team of four versus one unarmed General, Pythor still was an even match for the synchronized team. Skylar was hardly able to fight back, and she went down first, thrown to the side like a ragdoll. Harper and Zap were fighting just fine, but Realm seemed exhausted and she, too, struggled to match the Serpentine. Pythor had the unfair advantage of invisibility, for he would frequently go invisible and reappear behind an unsuspecting Ninja. While the team fought at their maximum ability, the Anacondrai General seemed to see the battle as a game— a game that he won.

The Ninja, all gasping for breath, had been violently thrown onto a log that was rapidly floating away from the shore. Pythor's forked tongue tasted the air and he smiled crudely at the exhausted team, clearly relishing in his victory; tauntingly, he waved the Sacred Flute in the air.

"Oh, dear. I've got a sinking feeling this may be the last I see of you four," he sneered. "Send your dearest Sensei my best wishes— that is, if you survive."

Realm glared at the purple snake, who eventually slithered away and vanished in the fog. "That's it. I officially hate snakes."

"Damn right," Harper groaned. "How did he beat all of us? We outnumbered him!"

"Wait, do you see that?" The whole team turned to look at Skylar, who stared intensely at some invisible thing and started to reach forward, nearly falling off the log. "A magic floating rope. We can climb to safety!"

Zap yanked the white Ninja back, one arm pinning down her arms and the other around her waist. "Yeah... there's no rope, Sky. That Venomari Venom is some powerful stuff."

Realm used the Scythe as a staff and hauled herself to her feet, though her legs shook as she did so. "There are other smaller landmasses nearby. We won't be drifting forever."

"But the acidic waters are eating away at the log Pythor threw us on," Harper pointed out. "We're going under in approximately five minutes unless some magic rope comes down to save-"

A rope dropped down right before the red Ninja's face.

"Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me," Harper groaned.

"The magic rope!" Skylar cheered.

Zap glanced up at the source, but couldn't see it through the fog. "Let's hope it's friendly. Hurry, everyone, climb up!"

The team sheathed their weapons and gladly scaled the rope. It remained steady as they climbed, and when Skylar reached the source of the rope, she nearly fell off in surprise.

The rope was tied around a giant mechanical claw, which was further connected to a giant mech plated in dark blue, accented with glowing green trims. Razor-sharp blades lined the mech, giving the impression of a silver skeleton encasing the body. Giant rocket boosters roaring with orange flames kept the ur mom robotic suit upright, and retractable aerodynamic fins only seemed to enhance the supernatural nature of the mech. From a distance, the entire mech and its pilot seemed to fade into the mist, almost like it was only partially corporeal— almost as if it was a ghost.

"Holy shit, it's the Ghost Ninja," Skylar gasped.

In the cockpit (modeled slightly like an angular skull) sat the pilot themselves. The Ghost Ninja turned to look at the white Ninja, who clung to the mechanical claw for dear life. Beneath their dark green and blue hood, their face was entirely covered with a black mask. Two sharp, glowing green lenses stared her down, and a deep, metallic voice rumbled, "Climb up the arm."

"Oh- shit, yeah." The redhead blinked out of her stupor (was she hallucinating again, or was it real?) and crawled up the arm, settling on one of the shoulders at the back of the mech. Hand and footholds were built into the structure, and she even found a retractable seatbelt of sorts to tie around her waist. The Ghost Ninja anticipated carrying survivors on their vehicle, and though out of place, Skylar felt slightly jealous. Why hadn't the Ninja thought of that first?

Realm, Zap, and finally Harper climbed onto the mech. The Ghost Ninja waited for them to get settled, and the very moment Harper strapped on her seatbelt (albeit with suspicion), the mech rocketed away.

Yet instead of heading towards the city, or even the monastery, the Ghost Ninja stayed in the canopy of the Toxic Bogs. "Hey, uh, where are you taking us?" Zap asked. "We killed the Venomari left behind—"

Purple scales flashed in the brush, the Ghost Ninja dived, and Zap cut herself off with a surprised shriek.

"Pythor target confirmed. Tagging mechanism activated." Faster than the Ninja could blink, they shot a dart in the direction Pythor had fled. A pained hiss-like snarl came from where the dart had landed. The Ghost Ninja's voice- warbling and mechanical, evidently spoken through a filter- came again. "Target tagged."

And with that, the robotic suit pulled up and out of the suffocating scene. The Ninja tried to talk to the Ghost Ninja as they traveled, but either they ignored or couldn't hear their questions. After flying for some time, the mech landed down at the edge of the Wildwood Forest, facing the mountain ridge that the monastery was built upon.

The mech stood still for a moment, then the Ghost Ninja said, "You can get off now."

"Oh, right," Zap stuttered. They hopped down first, then extended a hand to the disoriented white Ninja. "Is everything still weird shapes and colors, my lady?"

Skylar snorted and swatted the blue Ninja's arm affectionately. "Always have been."

Harper and Realm joined the pair in front of the Ghost Ninja's mech. "Who are you?" the team leader asked in awe.

"Pretty damn cool," Skylar suggested, taking a step forward only to topple over. Zap caught them before they hit the ground, then added, "Yeah, honestly this- you- is about the coolest thing I've ever seen!"

Harper bowed shallowly to the Ghost Ninja, who watched the team apathetically from their mech. "Thank you, mysterious warrior. We owe you one for saving us."

The Ghost Ninja continued to stare silently, their head moving slightly as they looked between each Ninja. Without warning, they lifted a mechanical arm and blew a fine, sweet-smelling mist over the group. One breath was all it took, and one by one the Ninja team fell to the ground, passed out cold.

In the distance, they saw the Bounty flying towards their location, as they predicted. After taking one last look at the scene, the Ghost Ninja returned to the skies, just as quietly as when they first arrived.

« 🐍 📜 ⛩️ 📜 🐍 »

For such a chaotic day, it was a beautiful night. The air was warm and a comfortable breeze washed through the bridge of the Bounty, and several lanterns cast a warm glow about the ship.

Zap's dinner sat untouched before them as they excitedly recounted the events in the Toxic Bogs. "So then, just when we were about to dissolve into the acid, this huge mechanical robot exoskeleton thing—"

"The 'Ghost Ninja'," Harper corrected. "They've been in the news rather frequently as of late. It was the Ghost Ninja."

Ally squinted. "There's another Ninja?"

"Other than the Green Ninja, no." Harper took a bite of her food before continuing. "The Ghost Ninja is an independent crime-fighter who has recently been defending Zenjago City, a role that we were formerly known for. That is until the Serpentine began wreaking havoc, and we had to redirect our goals."

The young Garmadon flicked a string bean at Realm. "Say that again, but in normal-people language."

Realm launched the string bean back at Ally. "What Harp meant is that the Ghost Ninja has been kind of taking up our old role— defending Zenjago City. Which is a job that's only open because we've been working on defending the entire world."

Harper sighed. "It's just... irritating because people don't realize we're working on a greater scale. A lot of news anchors speculate that we've gone soft, we're abandoning citizens, or we're being lazy. So people are turning to the Ghost Ninja now."

"The mech was a hundred feet high, with weapons coming out every part. And it even glowed," Skylar recounted in awe, evidently not listening to the conversation. "Like a glowstick."

"It doesn't always glow," Morro corrected. "That'd be counter-productive."

Harper glanced at her brother. "Do enlighten me, Mister Ghost-Ninja-expert."

The blond boy leaned forward. "It's controlled by a switch that allows the glowing trims to be seen when needed. It's helpful when the police or civilians need to locate the mech for safety or to identify a location. And when it turns off, it can travel undercover, especially because it's painted with these dark blues and greens that help it blend into shadows or the night."

He realized the Ninja and Sensei Wu were all staring at him, and he added sheepishly, "I've been... watching the news a lot."

Skylar snorted, nudging Zap's side. "The hyperfixation got the best of him."

"'The news'. You mean TikTok?" Harper asked smugly.

"It's not just TikTok! I wasn't even on my phone today!" Morro turned to the child next to him. "Ally, tell Harp that I wasn't on my phone today."

To the other Ninja's surprise, Ally nodded. "He wasn't really on his phone."

Skylar tried to scoop fried rice onto his plate but missed, instead dumping rice directly onto the table. After several failed attempts to move it onto his plate, he nudged Zap for help, then turned to Morro. "What were you guys doing all day, then?"

"We trained!" Ally cheered.

Morro groaned. "Literally all day."

Harper didn't believe him. "Oh yeah? What's your screen time, then- Morro Smith, don't you dare dump your plate of green beans on my head, I just spent an hour washing blood out of my hair and I'd like to keep it clean."

The boy ignored his sister's irritation, evidently poised to throw his plate of green beans at Harper's head. But seeing Wu's displeased expression, he regretfully set it back down. "I'm sparing you for Sensei, and Sensei only. And for Zap, because she has to mop the floors tonight."

Skylar nodded sagely, as if she were a part of the conversation, then whispered loudly into Zap's ear, "Is it just me or is Morro's green hair a bunch of vines?"

Morro's hair did not look like vines, and Skylar's eyes were still clouded with venom, but the boy self-consciously patted it down nonetheless. The blue Ninja nodded along, evidently confused.

"Okay, don't let this mysterious Ghost Ninja cloud what's really important," Realm interrupted, bringing everyone's attention back to her. "All the Serpentine are out, and if Pythor can unite them— which it seems like he's been succeeding at— the legend states some 'Great Devourer' can rise to consume the land."

Ally scrunched up her face. "Oh, please, not the Great Devourer."

Realm raised an eyebrow. "You've heard of it?"

"You haven't? What, do you live under a fucking mountain?"

"Language. I climb them, thank you very much," Realm replied calmly. "Whatever it is, it's a can of worms I'd like to not see open."

"Well, not to point fingers, but I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened in the first place if Ally hadn't opened the first Tomb," Morro interjected. The little girl hurled a potsticker at the boy's face and he caught it, throwing it right back at her. It smacked her in the shoulder, and she muttered something about all Ninja being the same.

Wu smacked his staff against the ground. "We cannot change the past, but we can affect the future. At least we have the Sacred Flute in our possession."

Silence crawled uncomfortably throughout the room. Zap coughed awkwardly. "Yeah, ah, about that..."

Harper broke the news. "Pythor stole it in our skirmish."

Their sensei stood suddenly, nearly upending the table. "What? The last Sacred Flute is gone?"

Hesitantly, the four Ninja nodded.

Wu sighed, rubbing his temples. "You four truly are Zenjago's last hope, and you have just lost an ancient artifact that is our only advantage over the Serpentine!"

A siren interrupted their scolding. Morro jumped on the opportunity. "The radar must have detected the Serpentine nearby," he exclaimed.

He beat the team to the bridge and immediately began hitting buttons and switches on the interface. A map of the city was projected onto the screen, showing hundreds of colored dots moving in masses toward each other.

"Shit," Harper swore. "What are they doing in Zenjago City?"

Zap chewed her lip. "Nothing good. How many are there?"

"Looks like all of them," Realm sighed. "Pythor must be trying to bring them together and raise the Great Devourer."

Wu nodded at the team leader. "Go! We mustn't let the five tribes unite."

A solemn spirit hung over the Ninja as they ran out of the bridge and into the locker hall, quickly pulling armor over their simple gis, gearing up with their weapons, and wedging their comms around their ears.

Skylar went to follow Harper and Realm out the door but missed, instead smacking into the wall. Zap winced at the impact and helped her up. "Hopefully this venom wears off soon," she sighed and wrapped her arms around the white Ninja's waist. "For now, you're coming with me."

Zap and Skylar jumped first, and after she heard Harper and Realm follow, the blue Ninja let go of Skylar with one hand to activate the Lightning Jet. The sleek vehicle materialized around the pair and with a whoop, Zap dove downwards.

Realm, still free-falling, shouted over her shoulder, "Don't you just love the smell of land hurtling towards you in the middle of the night?"

Harper did not share that sentiment, as her eyes were squeezed tight. She peeled her eyes open for a split second and shut them again. Her words were whipped away in the wind, but she retorted something along the lines of, "No, I really don't!"

Their vehicles could only be activated when they neared the ground, so they continued to fall for some time. Realm seemed to enjoy the cloudy view of Zenjago City, while Harper was absolutely hating it. The black Ninja reminded herself to check in with them about heights; they had never seemed worried about it before.

The Ninja broke the cloud layer and Zenjago City, in all its glory, grew much closer. Harper activated her motorcycle just in time to drive vertically down a skyscraper, landing hard yet smoothly in an empty alleyway. Realm's vehicle slammed down behind them moments after, and Zap's jet flew near. Harper deactivated her motorcycle in a flash of light and when her vision readjusted, Realm, Zap, and Skylar were there. The cloudy look in Skylar's eyes had faded significantly; hopefully, most of the venom had worn off.

Together, the team left the alleyway, walking right into the bustling streets of Zenjago City, lit with red lanterns and glowing signs. Traditional, older buildings lined the streets, with newer additions built on top of them. The roads were packed with cars, and the wide sidewalks flowed with people like a river; the Ninja stayed away from the crowds, somewhat hidden in the shadows.

"Wow," Harper marveled. "Every time I see Zenjago City, it looks just as breathtaking as it was last I saw it."

Morro buzzed in on the comms. "You've never been to Zenjago City?"

"I have, actually," Harper retorted. "We mostly work on the outskirts, rather than specifically within Zenjago City. That job is for the police. Additionally, our enemies haven't really touched this place, and I can see why. It's hard to get around."

Morro's snickers were punctuated with static. "You sound like a tourist. I've been here plenty of times, you know."

"But flying under the cloud layer and watching the city from above? Bet you haven't done that!" Zap teased.

The boy laughed. "Right, yeah. Um, you guys should be standing right in the middle of a massive Serpentine gathering. Are you not seeing anything?"

Harper spotted a sewer grate and narrowed her eyes. It was slightly askew, with smoke wafting out from the crack, and if she listened hard enough, they heard hissed chatter.

"We're standing on top of them," she realized. "They're under the city."

« 🐍 📜 ⛩️ 📜 🐍 »

Hundreds of Hypnobrai, Fangpyre, Constrictai, and Venomari gathered in an abandoned subway hub. Colorful scales rippled in the dim lighting, yet none of those colors were purple.

"You'll have to ussse more than wordsss to bring the Ssserpentine together," Skales said. Pythor, eyeing his reflection in a dusty subway car window, turned to face the Hypnobrai General. The Anacondrai now held his tribe's staff, retrieved from his tomb. Despite the minimal light, the golden staff and its amethyst jewel gleamed. Skales' staff and its sapphire stone were much less appealing now, in comparison to his own.

"I don't need to use words," he said smoothly. "All I have to do is show them the way."

Fangtom, the two-headed Fangpyre General, and Skalidor, the heavy-set Constrictai General approached them. Beside them was a dark green Venomari, with a crown of white horns, four eyes, and pincer-like fangs enhancing the intimidating features of his tribe. All three Generals held their golden staffs, each adorned with different antivenom gems matching their tribe: ruby, amber, and emerald.

Acidicus, the Venomari General, tapped his staff against the ground to catch the Anacondrai's attention. "They're ready for you, Pythor."

"Ah. Showtime," he said, flashing a sly look at Skales.

Flanked by the four Serpentine Generals, Pythor slithered onto a subway car's roof, gaining a significant height over the flood of snakes below. He tasted the air with his tongue; in the crowd before him, he smelled fear, anger, excitement, worry, but most significantly, interest.

"Friends, enemies. And enemies who pretend to be friends." As he expected, the Serpentine laughed. A smile split his fanged face. "I welcome you all. I guarantee that when we are finished, all of Zenjago City will be ours once more."

"That's a lot of snakes," Zap whispered, as jeers and hisses erupted from the crowd below.

Skylar swallowed nervously. "What are we gonna do? The Hypnobrai controlled Realm's mind, the Fangpyre turned Zap's family into snakes, the Constrictai almost strangled Harper, and the Venomari made me hallucinate. There's so many of them, we'll be overpowered instantly!"

Realm surveyed the Serpentine gathering from their spot. The Ninja were hidden in maintenance catwalks, close to the ceiling and slightly obscured by old boxes and rusted machinery. They could easily get down to the ground level unnoticed, but successfully defeating every Serpentine warrior gathered would be much more difficult.

As Pythor spoke to the crowd, it was as if a lightbulb went off over Realm's head. "I have an idea," she whispered to the team. "Follow my lead."

"-And what is with the Constrictai and their vice-like grudges? Let it go already!"

The crowd erupted into laughter, including the Constrictai themselves. Fangtom's two heads both snickered at the joke; Skalidor rolled her eyes, but let out a chuckle under her breath.

"But in all seriousness, the reason why I called this gathering is because we have been trapped— imprisoned!— in those insidious tombs by none other than the good people of Zenjago." Angry snarls echoed from the crowd, and Pythor slammed his tail into the car roof, immediately quieting the furious outbursts. "So I want to return them the favor now that we are free. And I need your help."

The crowd erupted into noise once more, but instead of anger, their voices were full of excitement. The Serpentine warriors cheered their agreement, and Pythor felt a surge of pride. It worked, as he predicted, and he grinned smugly at Skales.

"That sssoundsss like a great plan, but you know the Hypnobrai will ssscrew it up."

One of the Hypnobrai warriors whirled around, glaring at the Constrictai warrior standing behind them. "Hey! Who sssaid that?"

"Thossse buck teeth can bite my rear end!"

A Fangpyre snarled at the Venomari nearby. "Hypocritesss! How dare you!"

"What?" A Venomari retorted. "I didn't sssay anything!"

The Fangypre glared at them. "Your mammoth teeth are worssse than my fangsss! You have no groundsss to talk!"

"I bet they're drinking their own venom."

"Thisss isss true, the Venomari always messss thingsss up," A Constrictai commented.

"All that digging mussst have given them dirt for brains."

"Well, the Hypnobrai are too busssy looking at their reflectionsss to get anything done!"

"Did you hear what sssshe sssssaid? She called usss Fangpyre foul ssscavengerss!"

"They insssulted Queen Ssskalidor, how dare you!"

Arguments started breaking out between the tribes as warriors turned on each other, fighting with insults, fangs, and fists. Spite between the tribes had built up over decades, passed down through stories and rumors, and the frail peace between tribes finally shattered. Infighting erupted throughout the crowd.

"STOP!" Pythor roared, but none of them listened. He spun around to face the Generals. "Why am I losing them? What have you done?"

"We have done nothing! I told you it wouldn't work!" Skales hissed. "We are all too divided."

Skalidor turned to the Hypnobrai General. "Did you do thisss?" she growled. "My warriorsss would never insssult you lot!"

Acidicus glared at Pythor. "My warriorsss died for your cause. Make thisss worth my time and their livesss, or elssse you will pay."

"You may be an Anacondrai," Fangtom's left head threatened. The right continued, "But we outnumber you in every way, and your heritage will not ssstop usss from revenge."

"Please, please! One insult and you all start pointing fingers!" Pythor exclaimed. He was losing his power, and he needed to repair it, fast. "All of your warriors are noble. I am sure this is the work of-"

"NINJA!"

A shout pierced over the din of the fighting. Attention drew to the Constrictai warrior standing on the shoulders of another Constrictai; the Serpentine on top shrieked once more. "Look! The Ninja!"

Four dashes of color raced along the edges of the walls, almost hidden amid the shadows and broken machinery. Skalidor glared at Pythor irritably. "I'll take care of it," she growled, and slithered off the platform.

The Ninja got split up as they ran. Realm was thrown off first, only to get dragged underground; Skylar was next, ambushed by a group of Constrictai warriors. Zap and Harper were left last, and as cracks in the ground cut towards them, they began sprinting down an abandoned subway line.

The ground opened up under Zap and she screamed, dragged under. Harper spun around, but she was too late— the blue Ninja was gone. Her voice echoed out from the pit.

"Harper, run!"

Under her feet, Harper felt the ground rumble once more, and they began sprinting. At a fork in the tracks, she darted down a darker tube line cast in shadow. The sound of the Constrictai's heavy steps chasing them were not far behind, and up ahead, they spotted a dead end. Thinking fast, they jumped off a stack of boxes and clung to pipes on the ceiling, crawling into a small space behind an air vent.

The orange and grey Serpentine ran down the tube, passing Harper's hiding spot. Even when their footsteps were gone, they held their breath, and soon enough the group came running back, having found a dead end and no Ninja in sight.

"It'sss as if they disssappeared," ne remarked.

Another groaned. "Queen Skalidor isss gonna kill usss."

Harper counted the seconds until they would rejoin the rest of their group. Once they were certainly gone, they peeled out of their hiding spot, and began a plan to rescue the rest of their team.

"Well? Did you take care of them?" Pythor scrutinized the Constrictai General, who scoffed.

"You underessstimate usss. We have captured all but the red one," she said. One of her warriors opened a door to a fallen subway car, showing three Ninja gagged, bound, and struggling inside. "But we expect the lassst to join them very sssoon."

The Anacondrai towered over her. "Have your warriors search every nook and cranny. If they're a ninja, you'll never find them in plain sight."

A Venomari warrior's voice raised over the fighting. "Look, a Ninja!"

Sure enough, a Ninja clad in red robes swung on a cable over the gathering. Skales laughed. "Perhapsss you can find them in plain sss-AGH!"

In one sweeping kick, Skales and Pythor went flying off the train, slamming into one of the walls behind. Harper swung the flaming Sword at the other Generals to fend them off, and lit one of the fallen trains on fire, blocking off the Serpentine crowd.

"Let's get out of here," they said, slicing open the Ninja's rope bindings and handing them each a cable. "Follow my lead."

The Serpentine warriors managed to pass the fiery wall just as the Ninja swung away, landing on a catwalk overhead and vanishing into the tunnels. Harper swung the Sword at a pair of Constrictai that had caught up; the fire raced down the tunnel, and with a scream, the Serpentine fell back.

"Shit, these tunnels go up for a while," Skylar said, gripping her Shurikens tightly. "We can't run all the way up, can we?"

Zap quickly glanced behind them, the sounds of angry Serpentine growing louder. "What other choice have we got?"

"There's another way. Get behind me, now, and start running," Harper ordered. They obeyed without a word, and once the footsteps of the Ninja were out of earshot, she jumped into Spinjitzu.

When they stopped their spin, it was exactly as they predicted. The floor and walls of the tunnel ahead of her were blazing; fire roared down the tunnels, spreading rapidly towards the Serpentine's gathering.

As the fire burned downwards, it also began to spread up— and towards the Ninja. Harper turned tail and ran as it sparked and chased after her, faster than any Serpentine. The flames licked their heels and lit their gi on fire; with a panicked swat of her hands, she put out the fire.

Harper glanced back and saw the abandoned subway alight with fire behind them. Embers crackled against their back, and while their clothes smoldered, their skin felt entirely unburned. Satisfaction grew with the flames, and with a grin, she began running after the team, vaulting off of railings and swinging on doorframes to get a boost. With a flash of light, they transformed the Sword of Fire into their fiery motorcycle, and quickly caught up to the others.

"Get on!" they yelled, yanking down their hood to shout louder. "We have to go!"

Realm jumped onto the bike and glanced over her shoulder, seeing the orange firelight growing brighter in the tunnels. "Harper, what did you do?!" she gasped.

"No time to talk," they responded pridefully. The motor roared, and in a cloud of smoke, the Ninja took off, deserting the Serpentine in the flames.

« 🐍 📜 ⛩️ 📜 🐍 »

"You know, if high school taught me anything, it's that rumors have a lot of destructive power," Realm said.

The Ninja sat at the dinner table back on the Bounty. As it had been Morro's (and Ally's, it seemed) night to cook, and a massive pot of boxed mac-and-cheese sat on the table.

Ally shoveled a spoonful of macaroni into her mouth, talking as she chewed. "I've never been to high school, but some of the older guys at Darkley's said it was just as bad." Realm nudged the child, scolding her for talking while eating; she stuck her tongue out at the team leader, but complied.

"You know, now that I think about it, Realm? I think you're the only person here who went to high school," Skylar said. "Unless you count movies."

Realm shrugged. She didn't look like a Ninja right now; none of them did. They wore pajamas, sweatshirts, and fuzzy socks, which hid the muscles and scars that defined them apart from typical teenagers. "It's close enough. I went to a private high school and First Master, the amount of petty drama was off the charts. I never thought I'd be intentionally spreading rumors, but I guess it's a bit different with the Serpentine."

"Private school?" Morro echoed. "You're rich?!"

"No no no, I got a full-ride scholarship in because my dad's a famous singer," Realm said, as if that didn't prompt more questions.

"Wait, your dad's a famous singer?!" Skylar exclaimed.

Zap gasped, "Maybe he knew my biological dad! He's a famous actor!"

"PRIVATE SCHOOL?" Ally screeched.

Wu pointed out, "Darkley's is a private school in itself. Misako- I mean, your mother. She paid for your enrollment and tuition."

"Fucked up. Darkley's isn't cool enough to be a private school."

Skylar scooped macaroni into her bowl, this time making it in. The cloudiness in her eyes was entirely gone, the venom finally worn off. "Forget private school. Who knew the Serpentine would fall so easily under some catty teenager insults?"

"First Master, yeah." Zap pushed Ally's cup of water away from where it teetered at the edge of the table. "I don't think they're very... united. They don't seem to agree on anything, other than they'll listen to their General."

"It works in our favor," Realm said. "The Serpentine are further away than ever from getting their act together, which means we have more time to stop them."

Morro picked at a chunk of cheese in his bowl. "Okay, is anyone going to explain why Harp's gi was scorched all the way through, or do I have to ask it myself?"

Six pairs of eyes found Harper's face. The blonde shrugged. "It was simple, really. The Serpentine were using the abandoned portion of Zenjago City's subway system as a meeting place. It's been cut off from public access for decades. As we infiltrated their meeting, I noticed that the tunnels are coated with dust, which is highly flammable."

All of the Ninja stared at Harper in awe for a moment before Ally exclaimed, "So you fucking burnt all of them up?"

The red Ninja laughed. "That would have been nice. There's several exits through the sewers, which is how they got in the first place. Additionally, the Constrictai can dig underground. Most of them likely slithered away to regroup. They won't stop until the Great Devourer is unleashed— whatever that is."

Wu shook his head. "There is no use dwelling on that now. You have honorably defeated the Serpentine for today, and when they return, we will fight that battle when the day comes." He stood from the table. "For now, you shall rest. Tomorrow, we will train, and prepare for the battles yet to come."