I apologize that I was away longer than I hoped I would be. I just didn't know how I wanted to start this next story. After a lot of thinking, I managed to come up with something that works for it so I hope you enjoy.

A month had passed and everything was destroyed. Buildings had been turned into rubble, streets that still existed were cracked, unmaintained and coated in grass and weeds, windows were replaced with wooden boards while doors were boarded from the outside. Everything was quiet, other than the odd guard standing their post on the streets. They were normal people, wearing all black with masks covering their faces and holding a gun in their hands.

In a dark alleyway, one man slid through a small crack in the wall, pulling a mask down. His hand brushed his hood down the reveal his shaggy black hair and chocolate brown eyes. He looked around the room, seeing four others looking up at him.

"Anything?" a feminine voice asked.

"Nothing," he replied, sitting next to one of the people.

"Do you think they'll even be alive when we find them?" another asked.

"Don't think like that Nya," the first said. "Kai and Jay are strong."

"I know, Dash," Nya replied. "I know they can handle themselves, but it's been almost a month since we saw them, so how do we even know if they're alive anymore?"

"We don't," he replied. "But we can't give up. We have to keep fighting."
"For what?" Dash asked. "Everything is either destroyed or has been taken, Cole."

"The people of Ninjago," Cole replied.

"Anyone who is still alive is either being held captive in a dungeon or prison, or is being forced into slavery," Nya said. "That alone is very few. And from what we know, there hasn't been any signs of a rebellion either."

"Would the others want us to just give up?" Cole asked. "They would want us to keep going and keep trying to free everyone until we physically can't."
"You say that as if they were gone," Ali's soft voice came in.

Cole went silent, not responding to her. He didn't know how the respond to her. He really had no clue to where the rest of his team was. Lloyd was dead yet supposably alive, Zane was in his hands, Kai and Jay were missing and no one knew anything about the other elemental masters. As far as he knew, he, Dash, Nya and Ali were the only ones left with some freedom. And it wasn't much. They were luck to have a roof over their heads that wasn't provided by him. Everyday when he came back from scavenging for food for the ladies, he would be bombarded by questions of why they kept pushing forwards like they did. Everytime, Cole couldn't stop the images of the last day he saw Kai and Jay. The terror on their faces when they were separated from them. Nya's terrified, heartwrenching screams as she lost not only her boyfriend, but her brother. The day they realized everything.

Only moments too late.

*One Month Prior*

"Alright, we know Zane's in trouble," Cole said.
"But he said not to come for him," Nya responded.

"He sounded very distressed and upset," Dash added.

Cole and Jay helped the frightened Kai into a chair. He was beginning to overcome his trance, returning to his normal self.

"Are we 100% positive that was the Overlord?" Jay asked. "I mean, it could have easily been anyone else with a raspy voice. Right?"

"That was him, Jay," Ali sighed. "There was no doubt about it."

"We have to do something," Kai spoke. "We can't just sit here and let him do anything he wants to with Zane."

"Well, hold on," Nya said. "Let's look at everything else Zane told us in the message."
"He said something about them wanting to resurrect someone," Ali said.

"You don't think he could mean Lloyd, do you?" Dash asked.

"Why would the Overlord want to resurrect the one person who was destined to defeat him?" Cole questioned.

"Wait, Lloyd wasn't the only one who defeated the Overlord," Kai said. "Zane did too."
"Right," Nya sighed. "And if he resurrects Lloyd, he'll have both of them."

"What else do we know?" Cole asked.

"He really made it clear he didn't want us coming for him," Dash said.

"Probably because he was after two of us ninja," Jay's eyes widened.

Everyone looked at each other.

"Well, we can take Ali, Dash and Zack off that list," Cole said. "That leaves Kai, Jay, Nya and myself."
"And Zane, we don't know if he was one of the targets," Nya commented.

"What if Lloyd was one of the targets?" Kai asked. "Then he would have a reason to resurrect him."
"Only to kill him again? That wouldn't make sense," Cole shook his head.

"Unless he doesn't want to kill them, but do something else with them," Jay suggested.

"That's a fair point," Cole sighed. "There are just too many options."
As Cole sighed, an explosion shook the Temple. They all stumbled, terrified.

"What was that!" Cole shouted.

"Is everyone alright?" Ali asked.

"I'm good," Zack called out.

"All good," Dash called.

"I'm fine," Cole said.

"I'm Ok," Kai answered.

"Where's Jay!" Nya shrieked.

The dust from the explosion died down, and revealed a large, gaping hole in the wall. They all turned to where the blue ninja once sat beside Kai, but he was gone. Cole was about to speak when an ear piercing scream cut him off.

"Jay!" Nya screamed.

She ran towards the opening, scrambling out it in search for the blue ninja. Kai shot to his feet, scrambling after her. It took the rest of the team a moment to collect themselves before they were follow the red ninja out the opening. They stopped in the daylight, seeing several darkly coloured dragons soaring above them. One of said dragons held a terrified and clearly now injured blue ninja in its claws.

"Jay!" Nya screamed.

Cole could see Jay struggling to call back, but he reached for them with a hopeless effort.

"Watch out!" Ali screamed.

In seconds, Cole found himself on the ground with Ali on top of him. Another dragon came dangerously close, its claws tearing a rip in Ali's top.

"What are these things!" Kai shouted.

"Creatures of the Dark Island," Dash answered. "They belong to the Overlord."
"More proof that he's behind this," Cole muttered.

He looked up as Kai ran towards his sister, glancing off to his left every couple seconds. Cole looked to his left and saw why Kai was running towards his sister. A dragon was coming right at her.

"Nya! Watch out!" Cole shouted.

Nya spun around, turning and looking at him. She turned and saw the dragon as Kai jumped at her. Kai pushed her out of the way as the dragon latched its claws into him. Kai scream, either from pain or terror, possibly both, Cole didn't know. All he knew is that he had to get everyone out of there.

"Come on, we're running out of time!" Cole shouted. "We have to get out of here!"
Cole ran and grabbed Nya, picking her up off the ground and throwing her over his shoulder.

"Nicki, Roy, take Zack and go! Ali, grab Dash and follow me!" Cole ordered.

"I'm stay with Zack!" Dash cried.

"Don't argue with me and just follow me! Come on!" Cole snapped.

Dash looked down at Zack, worried. Ali grabbed her before she could say anything to him and they ran. Dash glanced over her shoulder, seeing the little boy she called her family with Nicki and Roy, disappearing in the distance. Go a completely different way than her.

Cole dealt with Nya screams and cries for her brother and boyfriend. He looked back at the Temple as he circled around in the sky. He stopped in the air, hovering as Ali caught up to him with Dash. By then, Nya was sobbing into his back as the dragons took the red and blue ninjas away.

"Where to?" Ali asked.

"Anywhere but there," Cole pointed back to the Temple. "It's not safe anymore."

Ali nodded as Cole turned his dragon and lead them away from their old home.