(A/N: Extremely disappointed in those not voting for what name I should choose for Pixal and Zane's son, which (spoiler alert) is going to be born in the next chapter, even the Spider-Man wrestling costume choice, who (spoiler alert again) will appear in a few chapters time. All it just is is one comment, please)
The following morning, the Ninjago Force were out doing regular things. Cole decided to return to the battleground where he saw a group of people, watching what appeared to be a construction crew, all in orange jumpsuits, cleaning up the debris. Their digger had a logo of a bulldog with the words, 'Damage Control' beside it. "Watch where you put the debris!" One person with metal arms called out as he carried a heavy amount of scrap.
"Sorry!" Another person sarcastically replied.
Cole was amazed at how they were cleaning up his and the Ninjago Force's mess due to having super strength like him before noticing a support beam hanging from a building about to come off, over one of the worker, and quickly ran down it, ignoring the barrier. "Hey, you, stop!" One officer yelled.
The support beam soon came off, causing the worker to look up, too late to move, until he is knocked down, and the beam was caught by someone. The cleanup crew turn to notice Cole, arms glowing orange, holding the beam before he threw it aside, and held his hand out to the worker. "You okay?" He asked.
The worker took it and was helped up before recognising him. "Cole Brookstone?" He asked.
"It's Cole Hence."
"No matter. You were part of Rocking Earth, the band."
"I was."
"My daughter has been begging me for your autograph when she bought your group's first album."
"Hey, back to work!" The worker with the metal arms called out. "Unless dirt ninja like to help."
"Uh, I'd be happy to." Cole called out.
"We got spare coverall and boots, come over."
"Be right there." Cole and the worker started heading over to the others.
Within minutes, Cole was in Damage Control coveralls and boots. "They look good on you. If you want job, I'd be happy to speak to Ms Hoag on your behalf."
"Uh, sure thing. Where do you want me to start?" The man with the metal arms points to a couple of workers near the news van that Cole had used before he nods, heads over to them, and helps move the van away.
Around a different part of New York, Kai was bombarded by some fans, who either take photos or film him. "Make a fire!" A fan said.
"Okay, then." Kai replied before holding out his hand, emitting a small flame, amusing the fans.
Around another part, Jay was eating a candy bar before he threw the empty wrapper in a nearby bin, and came across a newsstand where he noticed the headline on the Daily Bugle's paper. 'Ninjago Force Cause Devestation.' "What?" He asked as he took a copy.
"Can you believe that?" The vendor asked him about the newspaper. "All the other newspapers praise you while the Bugle doesn't."
"That Jameson is gonna get it." He immediately took off with the copy.
"Wait! You didn't pay for it!" The vendor thinks for a bit before looking back up. "Uh... it's on the house!"
As soon as he got there and forced security out of the way with a threat of zapping them, he notices Nya was already inside, and apparently attracted a crowd. "Think this is funny, Jameson?" She asked, holding up the paper. "We save the city, and this is how you repay us?"
"You guys obviously hired that Vulture guy." Jameson replied as Jay moved through the crowd of employees as one was recording the argument on their phone. "After all, I heard from a source that he is Freeze-Bot's grandfather."
"Now that is bullshit, old man. Oh, wait. Maybe this is payback for me and John breaking up when it was obviously John who dumped me just so he can go to space."
"Hey, leave my son out of this."
"I don't care. The other newspaper companies praise us. They love us. You're just a money grubbing bastard. And I hope you go to hell!" She throws the newspaper at him and leaves his office.
Nya forced her way through the crowd as Jay immediately ran after Nya. "Nya, wait up." He said.
At OsCorp, Zane was working on something as Blake and Otto came up to him. "What you up to?" Blake asked.
"Just something for us, just in case." He replied, holding up what appeared to be a piece of a katana, but in completely dull grey. "Hopefully by channeling our powers, we might take down villains or criminals faster since my grandfather was tough."
"You need some help?" Otto asked.
"Go ahead." Blake and Otto come up to the work bench as Blake picked up a handle while Otto pick up a spearhead.
"We interrupt this program with breaking news." A nearby TV spoke aloud.
At a diner, Lloyd was reading the Daily Bugle newspaper before throwing it away, angered at the article of him and the Ninjago Force being blamed for the Vulture's attack. "Daily Bugle publisher, J. Jonah Jameson, is now under fire by the public for pining the Vulture's destruction of Bleaker on the Ninjago Force." A news presenter on a nearby TV said. "As soon as the story broke out online, the website was immediately filled with negative comments, some even saying that the Bugle is traducing our young heroes for no apparent reason, one even threatening to burn down the entire building."
"Turn that off!" Lloyd said to a nearby barista, who grabs a remote.
"In a statement, Mr. Jameson refused to remove the story unless there is proof. Even after being confronted by two of its members just half an hour before this broadcast." The TV was suddenly turned off as a waitress came up to Lloyd with two coffees before placing them down.
"Uh, excuse me, I ordered only one."
"A gentleman will be coming in." She said. "And he has already paid the bill, Mr. Garmadon."
The waitress soon walked away as the gentleman in question soon showed up a few seconds later. He was a middle aged African-American man with a bald head, a goatee, a prosthetic right arm, and an eyepatch over where his left eye should be. "Good afternoon, Green Bean." He said before sitting down to have a sip of one of the coffees. "We met before, you and I. When you were... well, way younger."
"How ever could I ever forget a face like that... Nick Fury?" Lloyd asked, sipping the other coffee. "What do you want?"
"Good job taking down the Vulture last night."
"Thank you. Though, I take it you're not here to just compliment me."
"Always to the point, just like your parents. The thing is, you and your friends are too young to be this involved with the big boys. There will be plenty of time and opportunity for you here later."
"What do you mean?"
"You have no choice, kid. You and the Ninjago Force are illegal, unnatural genetic mutations. When you and each of your friends turn 18, they belong to me." He soon gets out a phone. "And, uh, Mr. Kai Smith will be the first one. He turns 18 in a few months time after all." He puts his phone back. "That's the way it is. Unless you all turn yourselves into menaces of society... there's nothing we can do about you all now. But you, you're chronically 10 years old, so I can not touch you for another 8 years. But in time, your friends, who are minors-" He notices Lloyd's blank expression. "Kinda figured you figured that out already. Just... try to enjoy your youth."
"If you think I should be working for S.H.I.E.L.D., or even the Avengers, you're wrong." He gets up, gets out some money, and places it in front of Nick. "What I owe you for the coffees." Nick looked at the money as Lloyd walked out of the cafe.
"Really?" Was what Jay said when Lloyd asked everyone to his place to talk about his meeting with Nick Fury. "The Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., wants us all in custody when we reach 18?"
"And he said that we have no choice. Apparently, we are illegal, unnatural genetic mutations."
"Did you tell your mother about this?" Zane asked.
"Not yet. Even if I do tell her, she'll probably lose her position as mayor."
"Even so, she'd probably wouldn't want her son to work for a government task force director with an eyepatch." Cole said.
"Well, that leaves us screwed." Kai said. "We're both 17. And I'll be first."
"I'll see if I can speak to my lawyer, maybe get us at least a few more years if we want to attend college." Lloyd replied. "Believe me, he is one of the best in New York, and might personally know Fury himself."
"I hope so. I'm all Nya's got."
"No, Kai." Nya said. "I don't just have you... I have everyone. They're our new family." This got everyone to smile in appreciation.
(A/N: Until further notice, this story will be on hold. Please give me some votes or comments on what should Spider-Man's wrestling costume would look like, and Pixal and Zane's son's name)
