Kai is fighting in a local slither pit, when Lloyd finds him, much to his irritation. Since Zane sacrificed himself, the team broke apart. Jay and Cole were always at each others throats, and Kai just felt lost. He took care of Zane's Falcon, visited the memorial day after day, continued to work at Skylor's bar, even after she had to return to her father. But things kept building up. Kai began to forge away on a project that Wu and Cyrus gave him, but it didn't help alleviate the build up.
Drinking away his sorrows never worked, as Kai was practically unable to get drunk now, his body adapting faster than the norm due to his powers. The build up of emotions continued to grow, so he found a way to release them, by fighting in slither pits when it became too much. He always found himself at peace in a fight. He felt like he was doing something he was born for, no matter how messed up it may be.
"Was wondering when you would find me." Kai admits solemnly, downing another shot between matches.
"Took a while. You covered your tracks well, but you forget, that we are connected by the Null." Lloyd reminds him.
"Yeah." Kai affirms. "What do you need?"
"The team could do with your return." Lloyd answers.
"The team?" Kai questions with a scoff. "The team's falling apart. There's nothing I can do about the team. But you, Lloyd, I can return to help you. I fear that no one else will." He sighs.
"Thank you, Kai. It means a lot." Lloyd thanks, before disappearing like the ninja he was. Kai sighs again, making his way over to the fight coordinator.
"I'm heading home for the night." He advises simply, before leaving the bar.
Kai returns to Skylor's bar, taking a seat with Lloyd, who had managed to bring Jay and Cole with him. He sighs audibly, already foreseeing the arguments to come.
"I'm impressed that you got these two to come along." Kai admits.
"Brat tricked us." Jay grumbles. Before long, they manage to get talking. Lloyd sharing his thoughts about moving on, not letting the past hold them down. But it's what he proposes that frustrates the others.
"I think we should try and find someone new to add to our team." Lloyd proposes, earning disbelieving shrieks and protests, before Kai whacks the two to shut them up.
"While he's right, that we should find a new member, I feel that it's too soon. We can prepare, search for new members, but advise them that they will not be added immediately." Kai counters. "We do need to move on. It's what Zane would have wanted. But we need to do this carefully, methodically. We need to bond with this person enough that, while he won't replace Zane in our hearts, he can be the substitute."
Before they can agree or argue, a trio of heavily tattooed men waltz in and begin harassing the cashier, taking the cash from him, before demanding more that he doesn't have. Kai sighs, before using his Null powers to slam them into the roof, before tossing them to the other side of the bar.
"You wanna harm my employees, you deal with me." Kai warns, his eyes glowing for a split second before returning to normal.
"So you're the one who owns this place?" One of the men asks, with crooked teeth bared in a grin.
"No. I'm looking after it for a friend, who was running the place themselves. I hired some extra hands." Kai retorts.
"Well then, we've got a message to give you." The man declares, taking an envelope out of nowhere, and sending it to the ground. "We'll show ourselves out." With that, they leave. Kai goes and picks up the letter, tearing it open to reveal two parchments. The first one, Kai unfolds, to reveal a poster of Zane. As he scans through it, he walks back to the others and slams it on the bench.
"Is that?" Jay asks.
"If it's true, they just pissed off the wrong person, let alone team." Cole answers, taking note of the embers igniting across Kai. Lloyd quickly takes the other parchment from Kai, skimming over it, and reading the important pieces aloud.
"Master Chen has personally invited you to his Tournament of the Elements. Secrecy is of the utmost importance. Tell no one, or suffer the consequences. If you wish to see your friend again, meet on the pier at midnight tonight, and leave your weapons behind." He recites. Kai simply chuckles darkly.
"While this may very well be a trap, this Master Chen has just signed his death. I'm going through with this." He explains.
"Not alone you're not." Lloyd warns, with Jay and Cole nodding in affirmation.
"Then be prepared. Gather what you need, and I'll put it in my pocket dimension before we meet them at the pier." Kai orders.
The man that meets the Elemental Masters is sketchy at best. His voice is calm, calculating, but also reeks of arrogance. He guides everyone on board. Lloyd is stopped as his father calls to him, warning him of the dangers of Chen, but knowing he can't stop Lloyd, he goes to board as well.
"Sorry." Clouse, as Garmadon had revealed his name to be, apologizes with a smirk. "No more room on the barge."
"No room?" Garmadon asks, looking around, before he leaps onto the plank that two deck hands were pulling in, using it to unbalance one of them, before he lands and kicks them over-board.
"Oh, I stand corrected. There's room now." Clouse corrects himself, a dark gleam shining in his eyes.
"Don't worry. I'm not here to compete. Only to look out for my interests." Garmadon assures, placing a hand on Lloyd's shoulder. As the barge departs, the ninja look around, watching as some of the Masters show of their elements.
"You know him. Clouse, you said his name was?" Lloyd asks.
"Don't be fooled by his attire. He is a master of the Dark Arts, and Chen's number two." Garmadon explains.
"Huh, I thought Master Chen's number two was egg rolled in fried rice." Cole retorts.
"While I always assumed there were others, even did my research, and found out about them, I want to know why neither you nor Wu told us there were others." Kai states.
"Because there are some things we do not want you to know." Garmadon answers darkly. "You were lead to believe you were special, yet you never questioned where your powers came from."
"Are you implying that I'm not special?" Jay asks sarcastically.
"Everyone on this ship is the descendant of an Original Elemental Master." Garmadon furthers.
"Original Elemental Masters? Who are they?" Lloyd asks.
"They were the First Spinjitzu Master's endowed with a power that is passed down through generations." Garmadon answers.
"So the likelihood my sister has dormant powers…" Kai trails off.
"Are greater than you believe." Garmadon finishes. "The fighters here serve no Master, and have managed to unlock their own True Potentials. For instance, that Pale Man, a distant relative to the Master of Light. If you watch closely, you will see how he has stayed hidden all these years." The man in question disappears, having used the reflections of light to hide himself. A man speeds by them.
"Then there's Griffin Turner. Grandson to the Master of Speed." Garmadon adds.
"You can't lay a hand on me." Griffin declares, speeding around the barge. "I'm faster than fast. Swifter than swift." Kai notices a familiar figure, one that is cloaked and hooded, keeping her identity a secret. He doesn't point her out, or bring her up. As a man wearing heavy metal gauntlets walks up to her, trying to take her cloak, Kai merely scoffs. Unfortunately, he hears him.
"Something funny, ninja?" The heavy Russian accent of the man menacing in its own right to some.
"Just wouldn't recommend messing with her. Take it from someone who learned from experience." Kai retorts with a knowing smile. The man, however, doesn't take the warning kindly.
"You think Karloff weak? Think mere girl can prove dangerous?" He questions in anger.
"I don't believe you to be weak. But strength isn't everything. While it can win many battles, someone can use it against you." Kai elaborates. "In pure strength, I would say you top us all." Kai turns his back to Karloff, watching the horizon as an island appears in the distance. "Seems we're almost there."
With the barge docked, and the Elemental Masters departing, Garmadon finally reveals some of the history between himself and Chen.
"Chen used to be a friend, but now. Now he is a traitor." Garmadon begins. "During the Serpentine Wars, Chen turned against his own kind, siding with the treacherous snakes."
"The battle you and Uncle Wu fought in? Chen was an enemy through that?" Lloyd questions.
"He used deception to divide the Elemental Masters. We barely defeated the Serpentine. And in a deal for his surrender, Chen was to never leave this island. But this island was all he needed to begin building his own criminal empire." Garmadon further explains.
"He may have divided our ancestors, but he won't divide us." Lloyd assures, as Kai turns to look back, as the female figure from before trails behind them. He tilts his head in a silent question, only to receive a solemn shake of the head in return, before he turns back to the path.
"Master Chen lives like a king." Jay notes.
"He does. Here, he is totally self sufficient. The only way on or off this island is with his permission, which you have to earn." Garmadon adds.
"You never told me about this place. How do you know so much about this island?" Lloyd asks.
"Before Chen was an enemy, he was my teacher." Garmadon reveals, showing a tattoo of a purple snake on his back. With that, the ninja are silent. As they continue inside, they all sit around in a near complete circle, leaving an opening. "When I was your age, after having been bitten by the Devourer, I sought a darker means of guidance. This is where I ended up." Music begins to play, as Clouse stands before everyone.
"All rise for Master Chen." He orders. As the lift lowers, revealing the throne that Chen sat on, the Elemental Masters all stand.
"Welcome to the Tournament of the Elements!" Chen greets, his voice overly animated and high pitched, excited. "Now everyone can die-" The doors close, before Chen giggles. "-Rect your attention to me!"
"You forgot to mention his love for theatrics." Kai notes, as Garmadon sighs.
"So I did." He admits.
"Never before have so many Elemental fighters been under one roof!" Chen declares as he walks to the center of the circle. "I see Fire, Earth, Shadow, Speed, even a prophesized Green Saviour. And, a former pupil has returned." He glances to everyone, before continuing. "This symbol before you is for the Anacondrai, fiercest Serpentine Warrior to ever roam this land. It's Creed; Only one can remain." A servant hits a gong that holds the symbol. The result is the gong sliding away to reveal four brackets of fights, each ninja in a separate one.
"We'll have to find Zane before we are made to fight each other." Lloyd whispers.
"Behold, a Jade Blade." Chen reveals, as Clouse holds the item up high. "Here, it represents life. Obtain it, move on. Allow you're opponent to take it? Loser. The rules are simple. Every match will be different. No two fights will be the same. Your powers will keep you in the tournament. Use it or lose it."
"What does Karloff win?" Karloff asks, his question the same as every other person.
"Win and stay on the island. Win it all? And you'll receive fortunes beyond your wildest dreams. And, lifetime supply of Master Chen Noodles." Chen answers. "But no one is here because of noodles. You want the glory of being the greatest fighter in all of Ninjago!" His manipulative words seem to spur others, but the ninja all watch with hidden disgust.
"And what happens if they lose?" Garmadon asks.
"Lose? Who here likes to lose?" Chen asks, with the other masters laughing, not realizing that they just kept their own futures a hidden secret. "Now, please enjoy my island. It is a super fun happy place!"
"You'll now each be shown to your rooms." Clouse explains, clapping his hands, as the door by him opens, revealing heavily painted women, moving with finesse and enticing movements as they led the Elemental Masters to their own areas.
As everyone began to settle into their rooms, with Kai and Skylor next to each other, Chen's voice echoes through the intercom. His words pushed the egos of most Elemental Masters, and even Kai feels the urge of motivation from how he used to be before Vex helped him control himself, revealing the true mastery that Chen had in deception.
"Hidden around my island are enough Jade Blades for every participant except for one! The participant who returns to the palace arena empty handed, loses. The Tournament begins, now!" As the intercom dies out, music and all fading away, Kai and Skylor both look to each other. With a simple gesture, after a quick feel of the surrounding energies, two Jade Blades fly into Kai's hands, before he tosses one to Skylor.
"First one's on me." Kai remarks. "Let's see if your father is as immune to deception as he is at dealing it." He then walks inside, before slowly making his way to the arena, easily side stepping charges, ducking and rolling from overhead attacks, before he reaches the arena, completely unscathed. As the other Elemental Masters filter in, Karloff returns empty handed, complaining of his loss, before stating he never wanted to be there. With the activation of a button, he is dropped somewhere below.
"Now, tell me, Master of Fire, why I shouldn't do the same to you." Chen asks dangerously, a screen showing how Kai summoned two Jade Blades to his hands. "It looks to me, as though you cheated."
"The question is, Chen, do you plan on listening to me, or will you just drop me anyway, like you did with Karloff?" Kai bites back.
"I suppose I can entertain the notion." Chen affirms cautiously.
"This is a Tournament of the Elements, no? What I used, was an Element, therefore, no rules were broken." Kai explains, raising his hand, as a doorway appears behind the Elemental Masters. "Besides, it wouldn't take much to send this Island to the depths of the ocean. It's been done before." His threat, and warning is clear. Chen moves to say something, as though to fight back, but holds himself, making Kai smile.
"I suppose, that as long as you don't use those specific powers to win again, there won't be a problem." Chen sighs subtly.
"I can do that." Kai assures with a dark grin.
"The Tournament will continue tomorrow." Chen declares, as a servant bangs a smaller gong, signaling for the Masters to leave, with Chen watching Kai closely, a snarl plastered across his features while no one else could see it.
That night, Kai couldn't get to sleep. The energies of the island were running rampant, and seemed to scream out. Kai groans as he sits up.
"May as well figure out what the fuck is happening." He mumbles, before his body disperses into particles of darkness, scattering through every corner of the palace, seeping through the cracks of each hiding place, before a single particle finds it's quarry.
Deep below, Chen, holding an ancient staff, stands before dozens of chanting cultists, as Karloff, is dragged in.
"Get hands off of Karloff!" The Master of Metal struggles, but with his gauntlets held in the current position, his strength is useless, his Metal form doing nothing. "What is chanting for?" He then asks, concern, and fear in his voice.
"They chant, that only one can remain." Chen assures darkly. "It's like I said before. Use it, or lose it." Chen aims his staff towards Karloff, as a beam of Ice-like energy is shot at Karloff, as his Metal form is stripped off his body, his powers being channeled into the staff. As Karloff stops himself from collapsing, he looks at Chen in absolute fear.
"What happened to my Metal?" He questions.
"Your Metal? Oh, it's mine now!" Chen cackles. "But now I will let you go."
"Really?" Karloff perks up slightly.
"To the factory." Chen declares, as the two guards drag Karloff away. The dark particle returns to Kai's room, where the other particles had gathered, before they reformed into Kai, who has a look of pure rage.
"I see what you're doing, Chen. You will not get away with it." He vows.