Hey, guys, so this story is now a collab with Skylor Chan. We put both our OCs in, but Belinda is only mentioned in this chapter. Also something we forgot to include in the last chapter and this one is Kai's appearance. Kai didn't reach his true potential in the volcano. He is badly burned and struggled with pyrophobia with a while but soon got over it. Enjoy the story.
Harumi entered the scene of the crime. "Where were you?" Samurai X demanded. "I was in the shower and didn't hear the alarm," Harumi said with a slight roll of her eyes. "You seem extremely calm for someone who just got called to a scene of the crime they could have prevented," the other hero commented. Harumi took a deep breath through her nose, then out through her mouth. "It seems more professional not be running around the scene off a crime when there is a chance of ruining evidence," she explained. "That is a different perspective than the one you had when you investigated at the museum," the samurai noted. Harumi froze, she swallowed a lump in her throat, "Yeah, and if I remember I was possessed by a ghost for a week and a half after that. I've learned to be a bit more cautious since then," she faked a smile.
Harumi looked at the footage, those idiots. They didn't even bother with taking out the cameras, now it was obvious they were after the Oni masks and that they were Sons of Garmadon. "Who is that?" she asked. There was a vigilante who tried to stop them, they were fairly good too. "They never bothered with introducing themselves, no fake name or civilian name that I have found. They do a good job though. Perhaps I can see if there is a way to contact them and ask what they know about the crime," an officer offered. Harumi smiled, "That would be a good idea," she told him sweetly. "Would you like me to call the other ninja, Harumi?" P.I.X.A.L. asked. "After they finish their missions, you and I both know they won't pick up unless they are done anyways," she replied. "Understood," P.I.X.A.L. said.
"Which one of you idiotic scum were supposed to turn off the cameras?" The Quiet One asked as they paced back and forth. "It was the rookie, they had to cancel because of a bad case of the stomach bug. They said that they would end up puking on the mask or something if they went," one of the lower down men explained. "The rookie?" The Quiet One asked, "I don't think I've met them," the man freezed. "She is really good at what she does, and, and you wouldn't have been willing to consider her unless, unless," he gulped. "Why wouldn't I consider her?" his leader asked with poisonous sweetness. "She's half serpentine," the man grimaced when The Quiet One pointed their katana at them. "Kill her or be killed, understand?" the man nodded and ran off.
"Hey, Harumi… So?" Kai looked at her expectantly. "What?" she asked, eyebrows furrowed. "You accidentally sent me the text for Nya… Do you need us to buy you anything?" he asked trying to help. "What? Ooh, no, no. I'm fine now," she said a deep shade of red. "Any boys we need to threaten?" he joked. Harumi smacked his arm, "I have more important things to worry about than boys unless Cole is cooking again,"
"Hey, I am not that bad," Cole defended. "You're just saying that because you got Jay to shut up that one time," Kai argued. "How is that a bad thing!?" Cole threw his hands up in the air. "Hey, I happen to like talking," Jay shouted. "We know," Nya said with a fond roll of her eyes. "You all are very chaotic, no wonder Wu has white hair," a female voice said, mirth laced in her tone. The ninja turned around, "Captain Koko, Hutchins," Harumi greeted the two. "Harumi, I thought we agreed you wouldn't refer to me by my title," Koko wrinkled her nose at the green ninja. "For Sensei's sake, besides this is strictly business," Harumi put a hand on her hip. Koko rolled her eyes at the youngest ninja. "The Green Ninja does have a point, it is of most urgency that we discuss the possible motives of the Sons of Garmadon," Harumi grimaced, "They want a mask thing for something," Jay said with a shrug. "It is not just any mask, it is an Oni mask. There are three of them and we believe that the Sons of Garmadon plan on going after the others," Hutchins glared at Jay. Jay just frowned in confusion, "But if it is the only mask, why are there three of them?" Kai smacked his forehead. "Oni not only," Cole told him with a slight shake of his head. "Oohh," Jay's eyes wide at the clarification. "What are Oni?" everybody groaned in frustration. "What?"
Harumi sighed from her post, "I don't think anything is going to happen!" she whispered shouted into her comm. "We were asked to watch the royal family while they make a speech, not be showoffs in battle," said Zane, laughing to himself. "I guess you're right, Zane. But still… I'm really bored." whispered Harumi, exaggerating her voice comedically, so she sounded like she was dying from the boredom. "All hail Harumi, the queen of drama." teased Jay, earning giggles from the other ninja. "Ha Ha… real funny, Jay." Answered Harumi, "And another thing, Zaptrap. I'm not that dramatic… compared to you," Harumi grinned at the familiar banter. "Oh… burn," said Nya. "Thanks for the girlfriend support, Nya…" snapped Jay. "You're welcome. I like supporting you," answered Nya, teasingly. "It wasn't meant as a compliment!" said Jay, annoyed. "I'm determined to take it as one." retorted Nya, earning shouts of "burn" and "oh snap" from some of the other ninja. Harumi sighed. "Guys, I think we're getting off track…" she said, a little annoyed. "Harumi is right, we are supposed to be focusing on the royal family… speaking of which the little brat has really grown up, don't you think so Rumi?" Kai teased. "Last time I checked, you were the bratty one, Kai. Also, Harumi, do you hate seeing us have fun or something?" teased Jay. "No- I don't hate seeing you have fun, I just don't want to fail this mission," answered Harumi, her anger spiking. "Oh… she wants to impress Prince Lloyd," Jay singsonged. "You littl-," Harumi was cut off by a gunshot and people panicking. "Guys… there's trouble!" shouted Zane, and ninja leaped out of their hiding spots. The crowd cleared away to reveal a balloon, with the biker gang symbol, floating up into the air. "False alarm," Cole said over the comm.
Captain Koko met the Ninja outside of the Palace with Garmadon. "Sensei," they all bowed while Harumi hugged him. "Hello, my former pupils. Kai, Skylor demands that you visit her," Kai chuckled nervously and nodded. "She's like that. I'd better. Or else she might kill me!" joked Kai, pretending to fall onto the ground and die. "I take back what I said about Harumi being a drama queen. Kai's a drama king." Jay said. Kai got up and stuck his tongue out at Jay. "The Royal Family welcomes you all, but unfortunately Prince Lloyd will be in the medical bay. His best friend was injured by the Sons of Garmadon," Koko said, a grimace marred her face. "The Sons of Garmadon never actually harmed anyone physically," Harumi said in confusion. "Depends whether you count Serpentine as people or not, Harumi. Now come on in the Emperor and Empress wish to meet you all," Koko said, and the ninja walked into the throne room.
"This place is beautiful." whispered Cole."Naw… to much gold. It gives me a headache." replied Nya."I could get used to living here" said Harumi, smiling. "You're not alone I'm feeling that…" answered Kai."Guys, let's be on our best behavior when we're around the royalty. Alright?" said Harumi."Of course… why wouldn't we be?" asked Kai. Harumi looked at him, he grinned innocently. "I know you all way to well to believe that!" Harumi muttered. "She is right, you know." murmured Zane.
"Welcome, Ninja, and Mr. Garmadon," the Empress said his name as if it was killing her to welcome him into her home. "Thank you for allowing us to be here, but I sense that you have invited us for more than pleasantries," Zane said with a bow. The rulers grimaced at the nindroid's intuition. "I'm afraid you are correct, we are the owners of the Mask of Deception," the Emperor said. Jay groaned, Garmadon smacked the back of his head. "Show respect," he hissed at the blue ninja of lightning. "Sorry." said Jay, (more to please Garmadon then they royal family.) "and let me guess… you want us to make sure the Sons of Garmadon don't get their hands on it?" asked Kai. "You are correct…" the Empress said with a nod of her head. "Can we please find something else to call them? Last I checked I wasn't related to any gang members. Unless you count the ninja," Garmadon said with a wry grin. "That is not our name for them, but their self-proclaimed title," said Zane, not understanding Garmadon. "Yes, but I am not one of them. It has caused confusion more than a few times," Garmadon answered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yeah… I can understand why…" Harumi said. "Back to the topic at hand…" the Emperor said, the ninja all turned their attention to him. "We believe that the Sons of Garmadon wish to steal it, and we worry for our lives because we are the ones who kept the mask from them." The Empress touched his shoulder reassuringly. "It is an honor to help protect the mask and your family, Your Majesty," Harumi bowed.
Hutchins and Koko gave them a tour of the palace, "And here we have the buffet the prince had set up as an apology for him not appearing earlier," Hutchins showed them a buffet filled with sugary sweets and hardly any vegetables. "Although I think he had the servants stock it with his favorites," Koko chuckled. "I'm sorry, but I don't eat cake or sweets anymore… my body is a temple." said Cole, who was quickly hit with a playful punch from jay. "Really Cole?" asked the master of lighting with a raised eyebrow. "Not even Double Chocolate Death?" Cole glanced at the cake and grimaced as his mouth started to water. "No, my body is a temple," he started repeating his mantra. "How long do you think he'll last?" asked Harumi, whispering into Nya's ear. "Not a day." laughed the master of water. Harumi grinned, "I give him an hour," she grinned, giving Nya a small amount of money. "Hey, you guys made it to the snack bar. I believe that I got the candy you guys bought after hanging me off a roof," all the male ninja cringed at the memory. "You did what?" Nya glared at her brother. "We really shouldn't be trusted with kids," Kai said with a sheepish smile. "He was twelve!" Nya snarled at him. Lloyd chuckled and approached them till he was standing next to Koko. "Hey… Dad," Lloyd said looking down awkwardly not really sure on how to react after so many years. "Hello, son." answered Garmadon, equally awkward. "Wait, he was actually your son!?" Jay asked in confusion. "What did you think I was? Some crazy admirer that wanted to bring him back to life so he can take over Ninjago?" Lloyd asked sarcastically. "How's Belinda?" Koko said quickly sensing that a change of topic was needed. "Fine, turns out she let the guy beat her because he was willing to be a double agent in exchange for his life, he just had to make it look like he finished her off," Lloyd said in fond exasperation. Harumi frowned, "Belinda… Isn't she the brat that kicked me in the shin?" Kai asked. "Kai, everyone is a brat if they are a brat and were able to make you look like an insensitive jerk," Nya said annoyed with her brother. Harumi looked around, laughing, and saw a shadowy figure, hiding in the rafters. She kept closer to Zane, tapped him on the shoulder, and made a slight motion in the direction of the figure. Zane stopped laughing, once the shadow was caught in his gaze. He walked over to Koko and leaned close to her ear. "Don't look now, but there is a woman hiding the rafters. She could be part of the Sons of Garmadon." Zane whispered. Koko's eyes traveled upwards, and she saw the girl. Her hand slowly traveled to a sword sheathed at her hip. She gestured to Garmadon he glanced up and frowned. Harumi slipped away into the shadows, the woman's attention was locked on the rest of the ninja. She quietly climbed a display shelf to reach the rafters, and creep up behind the woman. She was only a few steps away when she heard the board creak. She winced, and the woman whirled around to face her. "Harumi," she sneered. "Oh it's you," Harumi said, dropping down onto the ground without much concern. "What's that supposed to mean!? I got away, you should be worried about me!" Harumi shrugged. "I mean I would, except you just drew attention to yourself and we are in a palace full of highly trained guards. Not to mention the Captain and the Master of Arms are present. So yeah, not really worried about you," Harumi said looking at her nails. "Harumi, Who is it?" said Garmadon, looking up at the two girls. "It's only Ashen." answered Harumi, Garmadon looked at her, confused. "Who's that again?" He asked. "That bounty hunter girl, you know the one whose arm I nearly cut off?" Harumi replied, and the girl, Ashen, scoffed. "I wouldn't say that. Your sword barely skimmed my arm." Ashen snapped. "That's not how I remember it," Harumi said with a wrinkle of her nose. "Oh, so you mean you were purposefully trying to cut my limb off!?" Ashen asked. "Maybe I was… you started the fight anyway…" answered Harumi, "Now, how about you get down from there before you fall." she demanded. "Fine, I was hired to make sure you didn't get yourself killed. I still don't like though," Ashen growled. "Really? You're not with the Sons of Garmadon? Or here to assassinate the prince?" Harumi Asked. "Why would she do that? We've worked together a few times," Lloyd asked in confusion. "What!?" Koko yelled at him. "Why wasn't I informed of this? You get to do vigilante work if you take someone from the palace or we have a full background check of who you're with!" Koko glared at the prince. "Well… he paid me, so don't worry. He was safe." Ashen said, leaping down from the rafters, a smug look on her face. "Lloyd! She's a bounty hunter! She can't be trusted." Koko said, increasingly annoyed. "I agree with Koko." Hutchins said. "Relax, Belinda was with us," Lloyd said. "Oh yeah, that makes everything better. The daughter of the Great Devourer totally wouldn't have a reason to hate you after all this time," Koko replied sarcastically. "That snake had a kid!?" Jay exclaimed in surprise. "You are friends with the daughter of the FLIPPING GREAT DEVOURER?!" yelled Garmadon. "Is that a problem?" Lloyd asked his voice small and on a slightly higher octave from surprise. "No, it's not. How didn't you know that yet!" exclaimed Ashen. "This conversation doesn't include you bounty hunter." snapped Garmadon. "Says the father whose son never met him until now," she snapped. "Okay, everybody, let's calm down. We should get a good night's rest, I'll watch the over the Oni mask. Nya can you keep an eye on Ashen?" Cole asked. "What?!" shouted Ashen, at the same time Nya said, "Yes." Ashen glared at Cole. "There is no way I am going to be treated like a prisoner!" she Said, growling. "Too late," Harumi snapped handcuffs on her. "Take these off of me!" shouted Ashen, trying to remove the handcuffs with no avail.
Harumi sighed, as she dragged herself out of bed when she saw herself in a mirror, she realized her hair had turned into a white rat's nest, and that she had forgotten to pack a comb or brush. She would have to borrow Nya's. "Now, mission make it to Nya's room without causing widespread panic is underway…" Harumi said to herself after she changed out of lime green pajamas and into her green ninja gi. She quickly crept down the hallway when she heard a clattering noise in a room she remembered as Lloyd's. Let him see me with a rat's nest on my head or hope that nobody is attacking him…. Dang it stupid morals she thought as she quickly finger combed her hair to tame it into a ponytail. She knocked on his door… silence. She waited a few more minutes before peeking into his room. Harumi pushed the door open all the way and saw the immaculate area. "There is no way a teenage boy lives in here," she muttered. Her mind jumped around to possible and irrational conclusions. What if he was kidnapped and they cleaned his room to get rid of evidence! I bet it was that no-good bounty hunter's friends- or she got away from Nya! Harumi glanced around wildly noticing that the window was open and there was a figure running away with a sack. She jumped out the window and started moving as quickly and quietly as possible to catch her targets by surprise. And then she slipped, and was saved by… the not kidnapped prince. "Harumi? What are you doing out here and not at the palace?" he asked her. "I could ask you the same thing!" she glared at him. "I always give the leftovers to people on the street. It makes me feel a little more in touch with my people," he answered. "But, I thought, you were… Your room was so…" Harumi grasped for an explanation. "What about it?" Lloyd asked. "Immaculate, seemed to perfect," she blushed realizing how stupid that was. He had maids and servants that were paid to keep it like that. "I have OCD, big deal," he said with a shrug. "Must be pretty bad to keep your room that clean," she muttered under her breath. "Hey! You try being adopted and forced into a role where you have zero freedom. I can't choose who I marry, what I eat, what I wear, heck, sometimes I'm forbidden from talking to my best friend. You try living that life and not control what you can," he crossed his arms in a pout. "I understand… I feel like that sometimes." Harumi answered. "You know, someone going think something's wrong. Put on a disguise. And why does your hair look like it was attacked by a deranged giant cat?" asked Lloyd, handing Harumi a hoodie, which she slipped on and over her messy hair. "I took a shower and fell asleep before brushing and braiding my hair," she blushed with embarrassment. "It's fine. Let's go!" Lloyd said, laughing. He grabbed her hand and the bag and pulled her along. They drop down from the rooftops in the more run-down areas of the city and Lloyd opened the bag. Harumi watched in shock as kids and adults came and thanked him. She never saw this area before, not even when she was fighting some of the many attackers of Ninjago. "I never saw this area before," she said to Lloyd. "Most people haven't, areas like this are some of the best-kept secrets," he explained. "I understand. Places like this, that are in such bad condition often aren't advertised to the public." Harumi said. "Not just that, politics I've met and discussed these ghettos always suggest evicting everyone and building something nicer. They never want to actually to deal with these areas, just push farther away," he said. They finished handing the food out and went on a walk around the area. "If it was better looking, I would actually think this place would be great for a midnight stroll," Harumi said with a smile. Lloyd furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "This is a midnight stroll," he told her. They looked each other in the eyes, and laughed, only to be cut off by Koko and Garmadon. "What are you two doing out here so late?" Koko asked sharply. "You said I couldn't leave unaccompanied, Harumi is the green ninja. Surely you trust her without a background check," Lloyd smirked thinking he was safe from punishment this time. "I trust Harumi, I don't trust you," Koko said grabbing him by the ear and pulling him off to the palace. Harumi started to creep away. "Don't think you've escaped consequences of your little adventure, young lady," Garmadon said rooting her to the spot.
Harumi's punishment could have been worse. For the most part, she had been let off with a warning and taking the longest shift of watching the mask. Oh well, she gets more time to herself. She was thinking when she saw Hutchins. "Well, he's acting suspicious," she mumbled to herself. She followed him, and he descended into some tunnels under the castle. She grinned, this could be useful information for later. She should tell the guys… but first, she had to figure out how to escape. After two hours, and one call to Zane later, she was out, and back with the ninja. "How did you get so lost, Rumi?" asked Kai, laughing. "It's not funny, hotshot, and it's like a maze down there!" snapped Harumi, "Worse then Chen's, instead I had to wonder if there was anything that would eat. Not to mention some of the sewers go through the tunnels," she gagged. "It's worse than you guys' socks!" she exclaimed. "Nya, weren't you supposed to be guarding Ashen?" asked Harumi. "It's no problem. Koko is questioning her," Nya said stretching, "Now who wants to spar with me?" "I guess I will," Cole said, smiling. Later that day. "Moonlight strolls by the canal? Sounds like a date!" teased Cole. "It was not," she said her face red with embarrassment that she tried to convince herself was just exertion. "Did you guys hold hands?" Kai asked amusement sparkling in his eyes. "Well, yes but it doesn't count," she said blasting some energy in his direction. "Look each other in the eye?" Jay asked with a wide grin. "That's a normal thing to do! I'm looking you in the eye right now," she snapped. Harumi promptly was knocked into a wall of ice. "Perhaps you shouldn't have been," Jay laughed. "Ow! I think you broke my skull!" snapped Harumi, rubbing her aching head. "Medical analysis… you have merely bruised Your head." Zane said. "Can someone help me up? Everything is spinning," she said. "Rumi, if you were really hurt, you'd know it, and you'd probably be unconscious," Kai said, grinning. Harumi proceeded to fall onto her stomach, acting like she was dying. "Hey, that's my move," Kai said with a kind of, not really gentle kick to the side. "Ow, stop it!" she shouted as he continued to nudge her with his foot. "Kai, leave her alone," Nya said, grabbing Kai, and dragging him a short way. "But Nya…" started Kai. "No "but Nya-ing" me!" His sister snapped, earning giggles from the other ninja. Harumi got up and sent a small blast knocking Kai onto the ground. "Hey!" he shouted. She stuck her tongue out childishly at him. He returned the childish gestured, she helped him up and then punched him on the shoulder. "Fine, I kind of deserved that," he said with a pout. Harumi was about to deliver a snappy comeback when the ground seemed to shake. "What's going on?" She shouted, looking at Cole. "It wasn't me!" he shouted, And that's when they saw the fire.
Have a good day/night, depending on where you live. Don't forget to comment so we know what you think of the story. It really does help give motivation to write things faster.