Hey there, FanFiction fellas! Boy, have I had a crazy week! We changed our school schedule so it's Monday through Thursday instead of Tuesday through Friday, which kinda stinks, especially since I had to waste my one extra day of the year on school, a dentist appointment, and taxes. Boring . . . .
But on Tuesday, something really cool happened! We were going roller-skating with my brother and sister's best friends, and at the rink, we could request songs. So, I gave it a shot, and asked if they played any Ninjago songs. I was totally expecting them to say no, but I was wrong! They had an entire playlist full of Ninjago songs! Is that too cool or what?! I requested "The Ghost Whip" and "Spinning Out in Color", and even though I'm a horrible skater (not as bad as Kai, but still bad), I got to hear my favorite tunes at the roller rink!
Anyhoo, about my story. I was originally planning for this to just be one story, inspired by a spy-related Adventures in Odyssey episode called "A Name, Not A Number," but then, when I was writing this chapter, I thought, "Wait a minute, this seems a lot like Season Two of Ninjago." So then, I thinks to myself, "Why don't I write the Ninjago seasons in a spy/secret agent/evil terrorist-type format?"
So, voila! The Agents of D.R.A.G.O.N. series was born! For my own reasons, I skipped Season One, but I'm gonna do all the other seasons secret-agent style, and I hope you enjoy this! It took me an Overlord of a long time to write, and this might be the longest chapter in the book, but who knows?
Don't forget to check my profile to see if I've added new stuff!
I hope you likey!
Log 0.01: Right Before My Eyes
(ten years ago)
Agent Monty Garmadon, codename "Lord", pressed himself up against the brick wall. "Keep quiet, Scribe," he said in an undertone. "The truck's coming in our direction."
Agent Misako "Scribe" Garmadon squeezed her husband's arm nervously. "Are you sure it's from Dark Serpent?" she whispered anxiously.
"It's not what I think matters, Scribe," Monty said quietly. "Primal has a lead on Dark Serpent Activity, and this is where it ended up: a deserted shipyard, with a lone truck with the same symbol we found on those crates on that infiltrated shipment from Dark Serpent."
Misako shivered, wrapping and unwrapping her dark braid around her hand. "I don't like this," she murmured. "It seems too easy. This could be a trap."
Monty put an arm reassuringly around his wife. "If it is, we'll be prepared," he said.
"It's not us I'm worried about, Monty." Misako shivered again as a gust of cold wind whipped the two agents as it went by. "If we die, who'll protect Lloyd?"
"You don't trust Wu?" Monty's brow furrowed into a slight scowl.
"No, no, of course I trust him!" Misako protested in a whisper. "It's just . . . even though Lloyd's ten years old, he's still so vulnerable to attack."
"With my brother and my father in charge?" Monty raised a dark eyebrow. "Lloyd's more protected than any of the most important agents in D.R.A.G.O.N.. He's the agency's most defended secret. He's safe from any Dark Serpent influence . . . or harm."
"I wish I had your trust," Misako murmured.
Monty squeezed her arm. "More like faith, Misako," he gently corrected her. "Even if he wasn't guarded by D.R.A.G.O.N., he's still shielded by the Almighty. He is, and always will be, in the shelter of God's protection."
Misako smiled weakly. "You're right, of course." She tugged on his sleeve. "Shouldn't we be keeping an eye on that truck?"
"Right," Monty muttered. His bold green eyes were barely visible beyond the edge of the wall, his anti-mirror super-strength sunglasses allowing him to look right into the glaring headlights of the Dark Serpent truck without flinching.
Lifting his radio wristwatch up to his mouth, he said quietly, "Agents Lord and Scribe requesting immediate hookup to Primal, directive Alpha Ouroboros."
"Lord and Scribe, this is Primal." The familiar deep voice of Monty's father, the First Spinjitzu Master and head of D.R.A.G.O.N., sounded from the deeply muffled watch.
"We're in Sector 7-82, Zone 5, Primal," Misako reported. "The directive is coming our way. We'll call in everything we find."
"Copy that, Scribe. And, Monty, Misako . . . be careful."
"We will, Dad," Monty promised. "10-4." He shut the radio off.
"Quick, hide!" Seizing Misako's wrist, Monty dove behind a tall pile of crates as the truck rumbled into the dockyard.
"We can't keep hiding like this for long!" Misako hissed. "We're not here for a game of hide and seek!"
"Then how about a game of cat and mouse?" Monty suggested coyly.
"That depends on who's the cat, and who's the mouse," Misako replied.
"Why, I believe that you two are the mice!"
The two agents whirled around, reaching for silver-blasters that were no longer there.
Skales, one of Dark Serpent's leaders, cackled with delight at the startled agents. He was one of the four Serpentine Generals who, under the command of first Pythor the Anacondrai General, then under a mysterious terrorist called simply "the Overlord", founded Dark Serpent.
The Serpentine resembled humanoid snakes, and they were the powerful and dangerous products of experimental serums tested on previously harmless snakes, developed by the predecessors of Dark Serpent: a group of biological terrorists known as the Skulkin. The five different serums resulted with the five tribes, each gifted with a special weapon only fellow snakes injected with the same serum shared.
Skales was the General of the blue-and-white-scaled Hypnobrai, who were granted the power of hypnosis. The red-and-white-scaled Fangpyre had a poisonous bite that mutated the genetic codes and programming of both living and nonliving things, thus turning them into snakes. The green-and-yellow-scaled Venomari's venom, when spat into the eyes of their foes, caused hallucinations of the victim's worst fear. The black-gray-and-orange-scaled Constrictai had a suffocating squeeze, and could tunnel through nearly any solid substance.
The Anacondrai serum was so powerful that after one injection, the vial of serum exploded. So there is only one Anacondrai, a cunning purple-and-white-scaled Serpentine named Pythor. The unofficial leader of the five tribes, he could swallow a man whole without flinching. But unfortunately for him, he was swallowed himself by another mutation, a grossly enlarged snake christened "the Great Devourer" for its ravenous appetite.
Dark Serpent almost conquered Ninjago with this gargantuan beast, but Agent Monty Garmadon slew the Devourer and D.R.A.G.O.N., now making its second appearance in public, forced the terrorist group back into hiding. Skales, now the second-in-command to the Overlord, still nursed a heavy grudge against Monty, and was delighted to have cornered the elusive agent at last.
"Well, well, well," he sneered, "what do we have here? Two little children up past their bedtime?" His Serpentine henchmen bellowed with laughter.
"We don't want to fight, Skales," Monty said, betraying no sign of fear or anger. "Let us leave in peace."
"Oh, I don't think so-" a second General, the two-headed Fangpyre chief Fangtom, hissed. He spoke by alternating between his two heads, and his first head left his sentence hanging for its counterpart to finish. "-Agent Monty Garmadon!" the second head finished triumphantly.
A third General, Acidicus of the Venomari, grinned a smile with fangs that dripped green venom at Misako, who cringed inwardly. "And you must be his lovely wife, Agent Misako Garmadon," he purred, his hiss smooth as velvet. "A pleasure to meet the two of you at last."
"Let's just skip the chit-chat, Skales," Monty said, ignoring the other Generals and pulling Misako closer to him. A scowl was fixed on his handsome face. "We're just gonna leave now, and you'll let us go peacefully." He made a small motion with his hand toward Skales' head as he spoke.
The Hypnobrai General burst into raucous laughter. "You really think Jedi mind tricks work, you absurd agent?"
"It was worth a try," Monty shot back, though Misako could tell he was a little disappointed.
The Serpentine circling around the two agents were growing restless, gnashing their fangs and anxiously waiting to spring. The fourth General, Skalidor of the Constrictai, asked, "What should we do with them, Skales?"
"What do you think we should do with them, O Boulder-Brains?" Skales retorted sarcastically. His long tail began to rattle dangerously, a sign that his hypnosis was about to come into effect.
"Look away, Misako!" Monty cried, but it was too late. Misako crumpled to the ground in an unconscious heap. "What did you do to her, Skales?!" he yelled, furiously trying to address the smirking General while still avoiding his gaze.
"I didn't do anything," Skales replied innocently. Then, Monty felt a sudden stabbing pain in his right foot, followed by a numbing sensation dancing up his spine. Before he knew it, he too collapsed into an inert form beside his wife.
"Excellent work with the darts, Lasha, Spitta," Acidicus commended the two Venomari.
Instead of giving approval to the two Serpentine, Skales ordered, "Mezmo, Slithraa, bind our two guests and load them into the truck. The Overlord will want to speak with them personally."
Misako woke to someone gently rocking her awake. "Misako, wake up!"
She blinked groggily and yawned. "What happened?" she murmured sleepily. Then, her forehead seared with sudden pain. "Argh!" She tried to move her hands to feel her forehead, but her arms refused to move.
The pain made her more alert, and she realized she was tied to a chair, her ankles bound to the chair legs and her arms pinned to her sides with black coils of rope. "The headache must be an aftereffect of that knockout serum," a familiar voice from behind her said.
Monty had also been tied up, and the back of his chair pressed against Misako's. "Where are we?" she asked, unable to restrain a note of fear in her voice.
"No idea," Monty replied, sighing. "All I can remember is a pain in my foot where the dart hit me, then I must have passed out."
"Ah, yes, slight memory loss is another minor aftereffect of the Venomari knockout dart." A new voice, dark and sinister, entered the agents' ears.
A tall, thin man, dressed in robes of a gelatinous black and purple substance unknown to science, stood on a hovering platform just above the two captured agents. His face was masked by a obsidian black helmet, but they could see a pair of glowing purple eyes staring back at them, and his yellowing teeth bared in a horrific grin as he gazed down at them from his perch. "So kind of you to join me, agents," he purred, his voice even more sibilant than a Serpentine's. How can a voice be so harsh and raspy, yet so smooth at the same time.
He flicked his hand, and a bright light shone down on Monty and Misako. Forced to blink in the harsh light, Monty glared up at the shadowy figure. "Overlord."
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance at last, Agent Montgomery Garmadon," the Overlord replied coolly.
"I wish I could say the same," Monty growled, voice dripping with sarcasm. "But as we are a little tied up at the moment, I'm in a bit of a hurry to leave."
"Oh, take your time," the Overlord said, and his wicked smile broadened. "Those are Constrictai coil ropes holding you back. If you even try to free yourself, they will tighten until you suffocate. And I don't think that pretty wife of yours would want to die from her husband's struggles."
"Leave Misako out of this," Monty snarled. "It's me you want, isn't it?"
The Overlord looked like he was raising his eyebrows under his helmet, but Monty didn't want to get any closer to find out. The terrorist leader sighed. "Skales mentioned that you were a straight-talker. Too stiff for ordinary conversation with your friendly neighborhood terrorist, hm?"
"Friendly neighborhood terrorist, my eye," Monty said, with a roll of his own emerald irises. "Stop changing the subject and tell us what you want."
The Overlord heaved another sigh. "If you insist." With another flick of his wrist, a series of floating black stairs materialized out of the darkness, and he casually stepped down them until he was just slightly higher than Monty. "Since you D.R.A.G.O.N. agents have forced us underground, we have been very busy. Instating me as the leader was one such step of progress, and another step was taking more of a scientific interest in the venom of the failed mutation, the Devourer."
Monty didn't reveal that D.R.A.G.O.N. had also been analyzing the Devourer's venom, which had yielded some . . . interesting results. "But the crown jewel of our several years in hiding is this." The Overlord took out a vial from under his cloak, which pulsated even more violently with the sudden movement.
The vial, about the same size and shape as a test tube, contained the same gelatinous substance that the Overlord's cloak was made of. The black and purple matter undulated gently, as if it were breathing. The Overlord flicked his free hand a third time, and as if by magic, the two chairs that Monty and Misako were tied to broke away from each other, so both agents, still bound to their separate chairs, could see the substance.
"This is Dark Matter," the Overlord said, not bothering to hide his pride in his creation. "Devourer venom infused with the darkest chemicals known to science. This is, literally, pure, solid evil."
Misako's eyes widened in horror behind her glasses. Monty's expression remained stoic, though Misako could tell he was seething with anger, just by the quick, short breaths he was taking.
"It has made me stronger," the Overlord continued, taking a fold of his cloak and toying with it with long bony fingers. "And as for its corrupting effects . . . well, that remains to be seen. You see, I have only tested Dark Matter upon myself, and it would not affect me."
"Because you're as corrupt as corrupt can get," Monty growled.
"Precisely," the Overlord agreed, yellow fangs bared in a sinister smile. "Being wholly evil, I cannot be corrupted further, which provides a setback for testing its true power." His malevolent violet eyes gleamed with hostile intent as they rested upon Monty. "A setback I need a volunteer to overcome."
He snapped his fingers, and two Constrictai bodyguards entered the room. "Untie Agent Garmadon, and make sure he doesn't escape," he ordered.
One Constrictai sliced the ropes binding Monty away, and the other quickly seized the agent's shoulders. They forced him to his feet, and held him in place, despite Monty's struggles to break their grip.
The Overlord snapped his fingers again, and a Venomari dressed in a spattered lab coat and clear protective lab glasses came in, an empty syringe in one scaly hand. "The syringe, if you please, Dr. Lizaru," the Overlord said, holding out his hand.
Misako cried, "No!" She tried to break free, but the Constrictai ropes coiled more tightly around her chest.
Dr. Lizaru hesitated. Misako's terrified cry and pleading green eyes had brought from the depths of his mind an old memory, one he hadn't thought of since . . .
"The syringe, Dr. Lizaru," the Overlord repeated, more firmly.
Not looking the Overlord or Misako in the eye, the Venomari scientist handed the terrorist the syringe. Then he stepped back into the shadows, puzzling over this peculiar recollection now jumping about in his reptilian brain.
One of the Constrictai rolled up Monty's right sleeve, leaving his forearm pale and bare in the harsh lamplight. The Overlord approached Monty, the syringe in one hand, and the vial of Dark Matter in the other.
He tipped the contents of the vial into the syringe and sealed it tight. Two more Constrictai held Misako back in her chair as she desperately tried to get up. The Overlord turned his hideous face toward her, and his leering yellow grimace was the most hated thing Misako had seen in her time as a D.R.A.G.O.N. agent. "Watch, my dear," he purred, as one Constrictai tightly gripped Monty's elbow, "and witness the power of Dark Matter, and soon, Dark Serpent."
"You're a monster!" Misako screamed. "A foul, wretched, slimy, wicked monster!"
The Overlord merely chuckled at Misako's outburst. "You are quite right, my dear," he concurred, "and since you have summed up my existence so perfectly, I will allow your darling husband to say some last words before my little experiment."
Monty, who had been struggling fiercely against his Constrictai captors for the past three minutes, finally broke free, and ran to his wife, falling to his knees and wrapping his arms around her for what he knew would be the last time. "Whatever happens to me, Misako," he said, in a voice only she could hear, "I'll always love you."
Then, he gently kissed her on the lips. Misako inhaled his fresh, clean scent of spring jasmine as she fervently kissed him back. "I'll always love you, Monty," she replied, tears filling her soft green eyes.
The Constrictai pulled Monty away from Misako, and the Overlord rolled his eyes. "What a touching scene," he said sardonically. "Pity it had to be cut so short."
With that, he took Monty's exposed forearm, and stabbed the syringe needle into it. The Dark Matter flowed through the needle into Monty's bloodstream, and the agent, suddenly drained of energy, fell to the floor, gasping for breath.
"MONTY!" Misako's wail was choked with sobs.
Lying on the ground in front of her, Monty's physical appearance began to change. His windswept dark brown hair deepened to a midnight black. His skin darkened as the pure evil coursed through his veins. The beginnings of two extra arms began to force their way out of his sides.
But his face . . . His ivory teeth pointed into fangs, and dragon-like whiskers began to curve around his mouth. His eyes were the most terrifying change to Misako. No longer a beautiful emerald green, they now glowed blood-red, glittering with malice, hatred, and most of all, untainted evil.
This was no long Monty Garmadon, husband of Misako Organa, father of Lloyd Garmadon, brother of Wu Garmadon, oldest son of the First Spinjitzu Master, and agent of D.R.A.G.O.N. He was, like the Overlord, a monster, bent on evil.
When he spoke, his voice was deeper and more menacing. He stood up, bowing before the Overlord. "What do you want of me, Overlord?" he asked.
The Overlord cackled with villainous delight. "My new second-in-command, Lord Garmadon, I ask nothing of you except that you obey me." His eyes glinted with triumph.
Lord Garmadon's fanged mouth curved into a wicked smile. "I shall, most loyally, Overlord."
Silent tears poured down Misako's face. Her husband had been corrupted, right before her eyes. And she could do nothing to stop it.
Wu Garmadon paced the main meeting hall of D.R.A.G.O.N. headquarters, desperately trying to communicate to his brother, or sister-in-law. "Agent Staff to Agent Lord, do you copy?" he kept repeating into his radio watch. "Monty? Misako? Are either of you there? Where are you? Do you copy? Where are you?"
He anxiously ran his free hand through his short blond hair. Where in Ninjago could they be? Why hadn't they reported back to headquarters? It was well over three hours since they left, and only an hour ago had Primal sent a search for them. They could be anywhere by now.
Suddenly, another voice came in through Wu's radio watch. "Staff, this is Falcon, do you read me?"
Agent Peregrine "Falcon" Turner was one of the three agents sent to look for Monty and Misako. "I read you, Falcon. What is it?"
"You better come up to the roof, Wu. We're landing with Scribe, and she's in bad shape."
"I'm on my way!" Wu shut his radio off and dashed for the nearest stairway to the roof. A black helicopter with muffled blades had made its touchdown on the landing pad of the roof. Three agents jumped out, supporting a limp figure between them.
The three on the search team: Peregrine Turner, Esau Pevsner, and Melissa Darknight, were carrying an unconscious Misako between them.
"Misako!" Wu ran forward to help.
"Don't try to help, Wu," Peregrine said gruffly. "She was in a deep state of shock when we found her, and as we were helping her back to the chopper, someone hit her over the head and she was knocked unconscious. We're trying to get her to medicare."
Melissa added quickly, "Tell Dr. Sorcaren to prepare an examination room. She's only barely breathing."
"Misako . . . please, wake up!" Misako blearily opened her eyes to meet a concerned pair of gray irises gazing down at her. She felt a soft comforter under her back, and a cool new set of clothes on her body. Her muscles, although relaxed and clean, were tired and sore.
She recognized the soft blond hair, gray eyes, and serious face looking at her hopefully. " . . . Wu?" she asked weakly. She tried to sit up, but she winced as her head throbbed with a dull ache.
Wu gently pushed her back into her pillows. "Don't try to sit up, Misako," he said softly. "What you need to do right now is rest. You were hit over the head, and was unconscious and in shock for several hours."
"What-" She blinked again. "Where am I?"
"Medicare ward. Dr. Sorcaren examined you, and said you'll be all right with a couple of days' bed rest." Wu looked at her anxiously. "What happened to you?" he asked.
Misako's eyes glittered with tears as the memories came back to her in a tidal wave of recollections. "He corrupted him," she whispered hoarsely.
Wu's brow creased into a puzzled frown. "Who corrupted whom?"
"Monty," Misako said, and her voice caught in her throat.
Wu's eyes widened. "Oh, Misako." He gently placed a hand on her shoulder as Misako began to sob, finally letting her tears pour down her cheeks.
Wu left the medicare ward and met his father out in the hallway interconnecting the medi-floor with the stairway leading to the main communal floor.
"How is she?" Father Garmadon asked quietly.
"She's sleeping, for now," Wu replied.
He told his father what Misako had witnessed that night. "She was devastated," he said, scrubbing at his own red-rimmed eyes. "And the rest of the agency will be equally so when they hear the news. Monty was one of our best agents, and a good friend to us all."
Father Garmadon nodded, looking thoughtful. Finally, after several minutes' pause, he spoke. "Wu, I think it's time we contact an old friend of mine."
Wu couldn't suppress a rueful smile. "Who is this mysterious compatriot this time?"
"Miss Catherine S. Lewis, the matron of Ninjago City Orphanage," Father Garmadon answered.
Wu frowned. "Why on earth would we need to contact her?" he asked.
"She's been the ten-year mother of several orphans I've been keeping an eye on," Father Garmadon said simply.
Wu raised an eyebrow. "Are you considering adoption?" he asked dryly.
"Something like that." Father Garmadon raised his eyebrow in return. "They are not any ordinary orphans, my skeptical son. They are the children of eight of our greatest agents. The son and daughter of Agents Blaze and River, the son of Agents Scrap and Junk, the son of Agents Tinker and Icicle, and the son of Agents Dance and Songbird."
Wu's eyes widened for the second time that evening. "You mean Francisco and Selena Fiero, Ed and Edna Walker, Benjamin and Susan Julien, and Lou and Evangeline Brookstone? They died in the field ten years ago! I didn't know they had children!"
"Yes, my son, and they're . . . different from the children of most of our agents. They're more like the children of Agents Hawk, Wave, and Shade. They have . . . inner sources."
Wu's pupils dilated further. "Elemental sources?"
"Yes, but even more powerful than those of Griffin Turner, Jacob Pevsner, and Shade Darknight," Father Garmadon said. "I believe that they are the five Elemental agents destined to protect Monty and Misako's son. We will begin their training tomorrow, once we have collected them from Miss Lewis's care."
"But they're only children!" Wu protested. "We never train agents until they're at least eighteen!"
"But by the time they're eighteen, they'll need to be highly experienced agents if they are to fulfill their duty to protect Lloyd," Father Garmadon said smoothly. "And they shall be training to become part of our Ninja department by the time they turn fifteen. Five years training and another five years in the field should give them plenty of experience."
Wu sighed. "I have a lot of doubts about your judgement, Father, but I'll trust you. Let's call up Miss Lewis."
I hope you enjoyed that, and stay tuned for Chapter Two . . . in probably another couple of weeks. TMOAL OUT!
(Hey, I'm also introducing a new hashtag, something I came up with about a year ago. See if you can catch both references!)
#Fear Isn't A Word Where I Come From! Perfect Love Casts Out ALL Fear!
#God's Not Dead!