RandomDragon: Ha, glad you caught that! To answer your question, yes, eventually our main cast will become vigilantes. :)
casualcandy: I can understand why. Thanks for the review! :)
Alright, Chapter 4 is here! Hope you all enjoy this!
Chapter 4: Going Fast Forward
"I think it is about time we put together a team."
The Walker meant what he said. He knew the individuals he wanted on this team, as the wave of crime had gone up in the streets recently. Something that he and Ronin, pretty soon, would not be able to stop. And their other two accomplices were also struggling, so an extra set of eight vigilantes would be helpful.
"And... who exactly are you going up against again?" Principal Wu asked.
"We have reason to believe it is ex-military general, Justin Cryptor," Ronin said. "He's been running suspicious deals with suspicious people for a while now."
"And, why exactly would General Cryptor be doing these deals?" Wu said.
"It might be something to do with a falling out between him and D.A. Borg," The Walker suggested. "It's just a hunch."
"I see," Wu muttered. "Well, who did you have in mind?"
Ronin then handed him a clipboard, and it had eleven names on it: Kai Smith, Nya Smith, Zane Julien, Jay Walker-Gordon, Cole Stone, Lloyd Garmadon, Skylor Chen, Morro Preeminent, Patricia "Pixal" Borg, and Chamille Rhedden.
"We already have Pixal on our team, she's tech support," Ronin said. "The rest... I'll let you conclude on that yourself."
Principal Wu looked at the list carefully, but turned to face the vigilantes in a way that could melt steel.
"You all are asking teenagers you barely know, Walker, to risk their lives!" Wu exclaimed.
"I figured you, of all people, would understand why I chose these students instead of someone who actually has muscle," The Walker said. "Take another look at their names."
"Walker, I know them," Wu began, "I just don't get why-"
Then, he took a look again.
All of their last names...
They matched all of the last names of former elemental masters (minus Pixal. But she has gifts of her own.).
"My god..." Wu whispered.
"Now you see my point," The Walker said. "They all have abilities unlike any other. They are all-"
"Elemental descendants," Wu finished. "A few of them have gone on to new families since the original fights, but yes, they... wow."
"And now, we only ask one thing of you: that you will train them," Ronin said. "We want them to be in top notch."
"When and if I get a hold of them, I promise I will," Wu said. "Thank you both for your time. I suggest you both best be getting home by now."
"True," The Walker said. "Thank you Principal Wu."
"I'm glad I stayed behind," Wu commented. "I may not have heard other wise. These streets need more individuals like you two."
"Well, it will soon," Ronin said, smiling. "We shall see you soon."
Then, Ronin closed his eye, and used his eye cover once again to generate a vortex. And then, just as quickly as they had entered, they were gone.
Principal Wu sighed, and then looked at a drawer underneath his desk.
When he opened it, there lay his father's staff. He sighed as he picked it up.
"I will not let you down, father," Wu sighed. "They will be just as good as your own pupils..."
A man in a full black suit, and gelled back black hair was walking through a warehouse. His left eye was white as snow, with a hint of gray. However, this man had been through much worse.
It was Justin Cryptor.
And he was in the center of the warehouse, just standing around.
"I know your there!" General Cryptor called out. "Come on outta your hiding spot."
Then, a figure jumped down from the roof, sending Cryptor into a bit of shock. He was clothed in a dark gray hoodie, jeans, and regular tennis shoes. The hood was over his head, disguising his identity. And there was something colored green and bronze sticking out of a belt holster.
"You're late," the hooded man growled ominously.
"What can I say? Tough job I'm running here," General Cryptor replied.
"You promised me something," the man growled, extending his hand. "Now hand the fragment over."
"I need more time," General Cryptor said. "You should know about that issue yourself."
"You're right, I should," the masked man said. "But... that's the thing. I don't."
The man then began to reach for the contraption in his belt holster, but General Cryptor thought otherwise.
"Don't use that man, please," he begged, raising his hands. "There's no need."
"Needs and requirements are two completely separate entities to me," the man growled. "What's your reason for begging?"
"I'm running a good business here," General Cryptor said. "Robotics for good use, stuff D.A. Borg could never even dream of. I'm selling some tonight, actually."
Suddenly, an arrow buried itself into the concrete flooring.
The two looked up, and there, on top of a stack of crates...
Was Samurai VXL.
"Ah, finally," Samurai VXL said, clenching his crossbow. "I'll make it quick, just like how your pal does, Justin."
"Like how you intended for that woman?" the masked man shot back.
"I was only going to try to talk to her," Samurai VXL spat. "I never intended to lay a finger on her!"
"So why the crossbow then?" General Cryptor asked.
"She had a weapon on me, and this suit was brand new!" Samurai VXL said. "I a test run, and got one. It wasn't going to be slow, it was going to be simple!"
"Are you trying to get me to end you? I can do it before your next thought," the man said.
"Tell Justin that this was his first, and final warning," Samurai VXL hissed. "There won't be a second."
Then, Samurai VXL made his grand exit.
"You have 24 hours before I come for you," the man hissed. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.
"Damn," General Cryptor whispered. "Was really hoping for The Walker and The Ronin would show up..."
There was a small pause.
"I can't wait to tell The Walker his name to his face."
Kai was currently lying down on the couch after a long day of classes. And on his chest was a cuddled up Skylor, sleeping peacefully. Her hair was down, and her snores were ever so soft. He was relaxed whenever he was around her... he truly felt at peace.
And one day, Kai hoped that they would be doing this exact same thing.
Except, when that happened, there would be a diamond ring on Skylor's ring finger.
When this thought entered his head, he couldn't help but smile wholeheartedly.
Then, a few moments later, he drifted off to sleep with his lovely girlfriend.
But when he began to dream, things felt... off. It didn't feel like a dream. It felt real.
"Ah, hey bro!"
Suddenly, a voice echoed. Kai shot backward and turned to face where the voice came from. It was Ronin.
But he was clothed in the vigilante suit of The Ronin.
"R-RONIN?!" Kai exclaimed. "Y-Y-YOU'RE-"
"The Ronin?" Ronin asked, chuckling lightly. "Yeah... as I've told The Walker, my name works well as a code name too."
"Wow..." Kai couldn't believe it. But this was a dream... right?
"Just so you know, this is a dream I'm controlling," said Ronin. "My powers are kinda weird... I'm still discovering new things I can do."
"Is this real?" Kai asked abruptly.
"Sorta," Ronin said. "We are currently inside your head. And actually, we've been in here for almost fifty minutes, according to real world time."
Kai rubbed his forehead, fully confused by now.
"I can understand your confusion," Ronin said. "I've been trying to master my powers for about five years now. But..."
"But what?" Kai asked.
"I need to get out of here," Ronin said. "But... Kai. Listen. All you need to do is feel the fire within you. Also, meet me in the gym tomorrow."
Before Kai could ask Ronin another question, he slowly began to awaken from his slumber. Next to him, on the floor, was Skylor, vigorously shaking him.
"Kai! Kai! Wake up!" she said loudly.
"W-wha..."
"KAI!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. "Thank God you're okay!"
It was only now that he noticed that Cole and Nya were also there behind Skylor.
"What happened man?" Cole asked.
Kai then took a deep breath.
"I know who The Ronin is."
Ronin and The Walker were currently hiding behind a huge stack of crates, waiting for the proper moment to strike. General Cryptor was apparently meeting with an unnamed crime gang, but The Walker had reason to believe they were known as "The Serpentine", supposedly followers of the original serpentine generals.
"Here they come," Ronin whispered, gesturing to beyond the crates. "Pixal, you got eyes on em?"
"Yes I do," Pixal said into his earpiece. "They are going to be negotiating something, by the looks of it. Wait for my cue, then strike. And only after my signal."
"Got it," Ronin responded. But then, he looked at The Walker, who looked a bit down.
"You okay there buddy?" Ronin asked.
"Just thinking," The Walker responded. "We need to be ready at a moments notice."
Ronin nodded, and turned his ear back to the place where General Cryptor was standing.
"Ah, The Serpentine," General Cryptor said. "Skales, Fangdam, Acidicus, and Skalidor. How you boys been?"
"Just cut to the chase, Cryptor," said Skales. "We have business here."
"Right, right," said Cryptor, setting down his briefcase. When he opened it, there was a weird staff with an odd handle.
"The techno blade," Fangdam said, extending his hand. "Hand it over."
"Not until I see my payment," General Cryptor said, activating the techno blade. It's blade turned bright blue. "We shall exchange."
Acidicus handed Skales a case, and very briefly, there was a glow in his eyes. The two then exchanged their cargo, and General Cryptor eagerly opened his case.
However, what was inside was not a million dollars, as he had expected.
It was a piece of paper that read, "NICE TRY".
"You double crossed me," General Cryptor growled.
"Well, we needed this," Skalidor growled. "And you definitely do not need a million dollars."
"NOW!" Pixal yelled into the earpiece.
The Walker then fired an arrow on the ground, and it let out a thick cloud of smoke. It didn't take long for The Serpentine to retreat, somehow dropping the techno blade in the process. When the smoke cleared, the two vigilantes stared dead on at the ex-military general.
"You all can't stop this," General Cryptor said, smirking for whatever reason. "I am gonna kill you both."
"You're right, we can't stop you from being evil," The Walker said. "But what we can do is stop your terror spree."
The Walker then drew his sword, and Ronin pulled out his aeroblade. General Cryptor's smile just grew even bigger.
"Yeah right," he muttered.
Then, the vigilantes raced at the ex-general, every bit of malice they could muster clear in Ronin's eye, and even under The Walker's mask, you could detect hatred a mile away.
And considering Justin was 65 years old, and in a three piece suit, the man could use his fists well. The techno blade dd a lot of work though.
However, somehow, the techno blade wasn't able to beat The Walker's skills with a sword.
And pretty soon, the techno blade was out of Cryptor's hands and onto the pavement. And a sword was at his neck.
"Come on! DO IT!" General Cryptor yelled. "Or have you got the guts to do it?"
The Walker hesitated.
His job was intended to rid the scum off the streets, and Justin Cryptor was near the top.
But still, he couldn't do it... he settled on knocking him out.
"Pixal has already contacted the authorities," Ronin said. "Let's get outta here."
"Yes, lets," The Walker responded, before running off into the night with Ronin.
After General Cryptor had been arrested and transferred to an official transport, he was now on his way to Kryptarium Prison: home of Ninjago's worst.
Every few seconds, he would look out of the window, his teeth lightly chattering.
"What's so spooky about tonight?" the officer, who was guarding him, asked.
"You all shouldn't be transferring me on road," General Cryptor said shakily. "You should have flown me to Kryptarium."
"Too bad, sunshine," the officer said, smirking. General Cryptor sighed, continuing to look around the winding streets and passing scenery.
Suddenly...
There was a flash of green that flew around the van, and all of the police cars and bikes were suddenly crashed or turned in several directions. The officers had all been tied back to back, and hooked to a sturdy tree trunk. The officer in the back with Cryptor grabbed his gun, and began to make his way to the door.
"Please, don't do that," General Cryptor pleaded.
"Why? So your ass is safe in here?" the officer spat back.
"So you get another moment to live!" General Cryptor exclaimed.
"News flash: I'm going," the officer said.
The moment he stepped outside, a hooded man stepped forward and knocked him out.
The same hooded man from the warehouse.
"Man, please, I'm begging-"
General Cryptor looked down, and his handcuffs were removed.
"Come," the masked man said. "I'm not done with you yet."
General Cryptor then followed the masked man outside the van, and looked around in gratefulness that he wasn't dead.
"So, where to?" General Cryptor asked eagerly. "I've been thinking-"
"Wait," the masked man said. "Listen."
General Cryptor paused, listening along with his strange friend.
"I don't hear a thing," General Cryptor said.
"The sound of the ages rolling on," the masked man said. "Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Yeah," General Cryptor began, "I don't-"
He was cut short by something glowing green sticking out of the masked man's belt holster.
"No, no-"
"Sorry bout this buddy," the masked man said. However, he was smirking.
And in a flash of green, and a punch of wrath, General Cryptor ended up back in the police van.
But his body began to grow weary. He felt weaker...
He felt...
Older.
"I am truly sorry it had to end this way," the masked man said, watching as Cryptor continued to age. "But... now, I am done with you."
Less than a minute later, General Cryptor slouched over, not making a move.
The masked man took the green and bronze gauntlet he used to kill Cryptor, and used it to etch something in the flooring of the van.
And as he exited, there would be only two things the investigators would find in that van.
General Cryptor, slouched over...
And a carved-out clock.
I hope this chapter was worth the wait, and I also hope it was okay that it focused on something other than the students. I promise they'll be back next chapter!
See you guys then!