Enter The Ninjaverse

by Bionic Stars

The Time Twins have returned, and with it they have brought a new threat: the loss of Lloyd's elemental powers. With Lloyd's powers taken, the Twins escape. Not the Time Vortex, however, but instead a rip in the very fabric of the universe itself. Lloyd's quest to stop the Twins leads him to new worlds, new faces, and new revelations into himself.

36. Chapter 36

"That's… that's the thing I fought!" Mage turned to Lulloyd, "What's going on, why is it all beaten up?!"

"I don't know…" Lulloyd gripped the railing, "But… this is bad."

"You said the Emperor did this, right?" Monty turned to Sun, "Right?!"

"Yes," Sun remained unphased by Monty's harsh tone and angry look, "The Emperor fought this beast and disposed of it himself. He is an incredibly powerful being. He did not conquer Ninjago without showing how powerful he truly is."

"I have never seen that before," Garmadon looked down to the machine, "If you know something about it, tell us now. If we are in danger from just its scraps, we must know."

"If, it's empty you don't have anything to worry about," Lloyd gulped, "That thing is called the Iron Doom. It's the vessel that my Time Twins were using to travel from world to world. It used to be filled with thousands of snakes to make it move but, it's empty now. The… The Emperor must have just destroyed it."

"Yes," Garmadon eyed Lloyd, then turned around, "Nya, lower anchor! Kai, Cole, Jay, without the Shadow we'll have to do this by hand. Get the tools you need and take the anchor down. Zane, get the list of what we need and have it ready. We must do this quickly before they realize that we're here. The Bounty's cloak will only protect us for so long."

"Yes sir!" The ninja shouted, then collectively dispersed.

"Do you want us to help?" Mage turned around, "I can use some elemental power!" His eyes turned gunmetal as his arm turned metal, "I can easily rip metal off that thing!" In response, Garmadon eyed Mage, the worry of sending a child clearly showing on his face.

"That could be very useful for us," Sun turned to Garmadon, "I have seen him in battle. He was able to take on an entire fleet of Nindroids on his own. It was an amazing feat."

"He may go," Garmadon turned to him, "Mage, was it? The others will direct you to what they need. I would like to keep the rest of you back. I have several questions I would like to ask you."

"Uhm… sure," Lloyd agreed awkwardly, "We're glad to answer anything you have to ask."

"Sun, you stay behind as well," Garmadon turned to him, "I can already sense they have many questions about you."

"Indeed they should," Sun chuckled, "They asked if you were my father."

"Oh?" Garmadon gave a small smile, one that not even Monty could read, "Then perhaps we should see more of what... 'misconceptions' that they have."

With that, the other ninja began to get to work. Nya dropped anchor, and Mage leapt over by Kai, Cole and Jay, giving them a giggle and letting them start climbing down before floating down with gravity instead, earning him their shocked gazes. Zane picked up a tablet and began typing in things quickly, pulling up a list and radioing down to the team at the Iron Doom. Garmadon took them down into what was normally the dining room just underneath the cockpit, which they all found was instead filled with massive racks of armor, weapons, and various tools for the group. Sun guided them to a small table and allowed them to all take a seat. Once they all had, Sun stood behind Garmadon as he leaned towards the group.

"Let us work here on the assumption that what you say is true," Garmadon narrowed his eyes, "Explain to me everything about your quest."

"Is that necessary?" Monty yawned, "It's a waste of time."

"It is indeed the opposite," Sun shook his head at Monty, "As much as I trust you after fighting alongside you, your appearances and abilities have left us confused. I would like to know more about you."

After the four shared a moment to compose themselves, Lloyd began with the explanation. The four rotated one after the other, going in order in which they'd met Lloyd and explaining as briefly as they could their journey, showing their shards of the Realm Crystal as proof. They did their best not to mention Monty's Chi, and to explain Mage and Lulloyd's worlds as best they could. Lloyd could tell by looking at Sun their tale was hard to buy.

"This… is rather hard for us to grasp," Sun rubbed his head, "While the idea of other worlds beyond our own is not out of the question, it is certainly… hard to comprehend, even when they claim to be right in front of you."

"Indeed it is," Garmadon shook his head, "This must mean you have no knowledge of our world, do you?"

"No," Lloyd shook his head, "It would help if you could give us a brief history of how this all came to be."

"I… suppose that we should discuss the day that the Emperor rose to power then, yes?" Sun looked to Garmadon. Garmadon nodded his approval, and Sun began to speak.

"None of us know where the Emperor came from, nor what his goal was," Sun shook his head, "When I was just a child, my father had a vision in the Spirit Smoke. He saw a dark figure, rising to power from a place none could reach. Months before the day that the Emperor rose to his power, he had yet another vision, this one showing him that the date of the approach was soon. He assembled myself and my team, and together we collected the Golden Weapons for the day that they would be needed. It was four years ago to month's last that he rose to his power he stands at today. That was the day that the Dark Matter consumed the land."

"Dark matter?" Lloyd sat up, "That's what the Overlord used to corrupt Ninjago."

"Indeed," Garmadon affirmed, "But the Emperor wishes not to enslave by that force. The rocks you see grow in concentration at the tower, his palace. As they are in the city, they merely make citizens stay away from them. Direct contact with those out in the streets is kept to low levels to keep the people pure… if submissive by the haze it puts on their mind."

"So the Dark Matter is an intimidation factor," Monty sighed, "Instead of just using it to corrupt everyone outright."

"Tell us about the Emperor," Harumi leaned in, "What happened when he invaded Ninjago?"

"The day he rose… it was a dark day," Sun gripped his sword hilt, "Father gathered myself and my friends together to help train to protect Ninjago. Yet… we were unable to do anything. He batted us aside like we were mere insects to him. And we learned of a truth that is more horrifying than anything else..."

"Yes?" Monty groaned, leaning his head back, "Just tell us, don't pause for dramatic effect. You're telling a story, not writing a novel."

"That thing, that Emperor… you called him Overlord," Sun gripped his sword tight enough he had to let go to stop hurting his hand, "His powers and armies evoke the image of the Overlord in legend, yet he refused that title and declared himself the Emperor instead. Speaking to him… he did not seem to be as the legends described the Overlord. Yet he is undoubtedly what the legends describe. Somehow, the Overlord was able to leave the Dark Island prison and bring with him this… this infusion of Dark Matter into our land."

"I…. I felt the Dark Matter as soon as we arrived… I was hoping I was wrong," Harumi spoke up, her voice low as she gripped her arm to stop it from shaking, "There's no doubt… the Emperor has to be the Overlord."

"Someone other than Garmadon let him walk around in his body though," Lloyd pointed out, "Who would do that?"

"We do not know," Sun looked down, "Yet that question is one we have sought to answer."

"How'd you, figure all this stuff out about the Emperor?" Lulloyd asked.

"The Emperor… has some perverted interest in me," Sun placed a hand to his chest, "He declared that day was for me, and me alone. To watch the sunlight fade from this world, to see Ninjago taken over… to take away my parents from me, he claimed it was all to show me my fate. I have no idea what he meant by that, nor have I figured it out."

"So… four years ago, this, Emperor randomly decided to take over Ninjago City by using this Dark Matter stuff, kidnapped your parents, and says it's to teach you a lesson about your fate?" Lulloyd blinked, "I'm, not the only one that's feeling weird about this, right?"

"Let's confirm something else here," Monty placed his hands behind his head and leaned back in the air, "We saw the Stone Army around that palace-tower-thing and Nindroids. Serpentine, Skullkin, Time Twins, Chen, what happened to all of them?"

Garmadon sat up, "Those are names that few truly know. Why do you ask?"

"Because we're building our knowledge here, and you already said that Krux was gone," Harumi picked up on what Monty was saying, "Can you tell us?"

"The Serpentine have been missing since the day the Emperor arose," Sun shook his head, "Their tombs were found cracked apart and emptied down to the last scale. The Skullkin were sealed away in the Underworld, sans for a select few. Chen and all of his followers… they were lost when their island was completely destroyed. The Emperor razed their island off the map the day he rose to power."

"Both Krux and Acronix were killed," Garmadon added, "Our Monastery was destroyed down to the last stone. Acronix had nowhere to return to when he emerged from the vortex. When we attempted to interfere, the Emperor drove us off. Krux was found dead in the museum the same day that Chen's island was destroyed. We had no idea that he'd returned until we saw the body."

The four were silent for a few moments. There was far too much there for them to take in. An Emperor that was the Overlord, yet didn't call himself the Overlord, had corrupted Ninjago with Dark Matter yet not done so in a way to enslave the people like normal. Sun was the son of Wu and Misako -both captured by the Emperor- and was a knight instead of a ninja. Borg was a supervillain leading a Nindroid army as Cryptor, calling himself apart of the Emperor's Hand. The ninja weren't the same as before, and the situation was bleak as if the Overlord had won in Lloyd's tworld.

"You all speak about us in a way like you know more about our lives than we do," Sun smiled awkwardly, "It is, rather strange, I will admit."

"Yeah, get used to feeling that way, pretty boy," Monty scoffed, "For once, you're not the center of attention here."

"Forgive me," Sun bowed, "I simply wish to tell you what you must know, and to give you whatever else it is that you do not have."

"...I don't like him," Monty turned around, "Do we have to take him along with us when we leave? We took the kid."

"What?" Harumi grimaced, "We can't leave! The Iron Doom is here, that means we have a chance to take out the Twins once and for all!"

"I don't think the Twins are the problem here," Lloyd looked towards the darkness outside, "If… the Emperor took them out in less than a day after everything we've done, doesn't that mean we have a really powerful enemy?"

"I think we need to get back to our discussion," Garmadon knocked the table, "Our time is short, and if you continue to ramble like that, my patience will be shorter."

"Good, let's get this exposition train rolling," Monty yawned, "Go ahead, let's get some more information."

"...I just realized something," Lloyd turned to Harumi.

"I see it too," Harumi turned. When Lulloyd gave her a blank look, she smiled apologetically to him and then turned to Garmadon, "Were you ever bitten by a snake known as the Great Devourer, Garmadon?"

"The Great Devourer… another victim of the Emperor's wrath," Garmadon shook his head, "The beast was found murdered where it slept in the sands. What is it you know of the beast?"

"That you should have been bitten by it," Lloyd frowned, "And, I know what it looks like when the Devourer bites someone, and this isn't it."

Garmadon looked truly silent for a few moments, as though trying to figure out what to say, "Very well. In my youth, I was nearly bitten by a snake. A curious young man shoved me out of the way before it could. He told me that day he was saving me from destiny. My father later said it was the Devourer itself. Was that snake the one you wish to know of?"

"Exactly the one," Harumi affirmed, "But… something about that story doesn't add up."

"Nobody was there for Garmadon in our worlds," Monty sighed, "Great. We got a mystery man in the past. This world just gets better and better."

"Well, my dad was bitten by a snake, which was bitten by a spider, which made him all, you know," Lulloyd added, "But, uh, it's not exactly the same." The four realized that the information that they had just gotten was something they couldn't explain, and thus, they needed to take more time to think this through.

"Sun's sword," Lloyd gestured to it, "We've never seen anything like it. What is it?"

"What is it?" Sun turned, his robes trailing behind him as he walked forth and formed his sword of light from the wooden hilt, "It is my Weapon. Everyone has the ability to make one. I suppose you desire a more thorough explanation?"

When the group nodded, Sun continued, "All of us have a fighting spirit within our souls. To bring it out and use it to defend yourself, you must bind that spirit to an object. It can be anything. Of course, the obvious answer is to bind it to an actual weapon, but that has its drawbacks," Sun laid his hilt down, the light fading to just have the hilt present, "By finding an object and willing your spirit into it, you will create your basis for one."

Garmadon drew a dagger he'd been carrying, "Any object can be made into a weapon, but those with an attachment to you will bond more readily. This dagger I made from the fang of a sand serpent I killed as a child. If you are a user of elemental energy, your weapon will be linked to it. I assume this makes sense to you on some level."

"Yeah, it's like Spinjitzu or Rhotatae," Harumi nodded, "Anyone can do it, but you need time to hone it, and it'll reflect any standing you have, elemental or otherwise."

"By drawing a weapon's form to its full potential, you unlock its ability!" Sun declared, raising his hilt up high, "I have named my ability Kinetic Overload. I am able to store my speed and force in beams of light as long as I continue to build them up. Once I stop, I am able to release them in a burst of power, a shower of light to illuminate whatever darkness the foul Emperor thrusts upon us!."

Garmadon slid his dagger away, "Revealing any information, even to allies, is dangerous in these times, Sun."

"A knight should allow those he protects to know what he will use to save them," Sun countered, "They should know of his feats, so he may strive to grow further and beyond them."

"If your weapon is linked to elements, does that mean you're using Golden Power?" Lloyd asked curiously.

"A valid guess for such knowledgeable friends," Sun frowned, "But… it is only partially correct. As part of the rampage the Emperor wrought upon the world before he rose to power, he broke through the seals at the Temple of Light and destroyed the Bell. I was able to strike only a half of it… and thus, the ceremony for me to awaken that power in full was incomplete. I am at perhaps only a third of the power that I would need to call myself the Ultimate Weapon Master. It is why my power reflects light, but does not allow me the powers that I need to make it shine brightly."

"What about the ninja, do they have abilities?" Harumi asked. Garmadon paused for a long moment, forcing Sun to nudge him to speak. The two shared a look, with Sun silently telling Garmadon to tell them.

"No," Garmadon frowned, "They used the Golden Weapons to train with, which meant they couldn't use abilities other than their elemental ones. Only Nya has grown to the point she can use both weapon and elemental powers. The ninja have managed to create elemental weapons, yet have no ability in them yet."

"I got a question," Lulloyd leaned in, "Why were you having Dareth make a tunnel into the grounds?"

"Because," Sun turned to Garmadon, who went silent for several seconds before giving a very small nod, "First, I must ask, and this is something I would not ask if I did not need to… are we able to trust you?"

"What?" Lloyd nodded, "Of course you can. We fought together with you and we've told you everything, what reason would you have not to trust us?"

"There are a few," Garmadon shook his head, "Your ghost ally is the first."

"What, you don't know about the Cursed Realm?" Monty scoffed.

"Do not think I haven't noticed you carrying around that sword, Monty," Garmadon narrowed his eyes, "Where did you get your hands on the Sword of Sanctuary? That blade is reserved for times of need, and guarded fiercely in the Cloud Kingdom."

"For one, those dumb guys at Cloud Kingdom couldn't guard a toothpick," Monty drew the blade, "And I didn't get my hands on it. They stole it for me."

Almost immediately, the other three gave Monty an immediate glare of confusion. Garmadon's eyes narrowed, while Sun raised his eyebrow in confusion. Quickly, Lloyd turned forward and rapidly went to explain himself.

"It, we had a deal at the time! We would steal him the sword, he'd help us out with our quest! It was our way of making him into our ally. Heh... " He leaned back to Monty, hissing, "Why would say it like that?!"

"Because," Monty spoke at a normal voice, "This way they know we aren't lying. Garmadon clearly thinks we're not trustworthy."

"While I do not fully agree with Sensei Garmadon's line of thought, I do understand where he is coming from," Sun frowned deeply, "It is rather convenient that you have arrived not only after we gain word the Emperor has felled such a foul beast, but you force Dareth to put our plan to infiltrate the grounds in jeopardy by potentially exposing our entry point. I do not share these feelings, but it is something we must consider."

"Is how Mage and Lulloyd look not enough to show you we're not from your world?" Harumi shook her head, "You've been to Cloud Kingdom, right?"

"I have never been to any other realm," Sun admitted, "The Emperor destroyed the Realm Crystal, and razed the mountains to access the Blind Man's Eye."

"You haven't been?" Lloyd blinked, "Wait a minute… Sun, how long ago were the Serpentine Wars?"

"The Serpentine Wars… they'd be roughly… 42 or so years ago?" Sun offered, "History is not my strongest subject, I admit."

"And you've only ever fought the Emperor, Sun?" Harumi asked.

"Yes, the other foes we worried I may one day faced were taken down by the Emperor," Sun grimaced, "As evil as they were… it is still sad to see so many lives taken without a thought."

"Allow me to state this so you don't misunderstand me," Garmadon stood up, "You five showed up right when we were about to make a move. Then, you demonstrate abilities we have never seen, claiming them from other worlds. You ask us questions about ourselves and press for information on everything we know, while showing knowledge of things only ones that knew this world intimately. Knowledge that the Emperor has restricted."

"Are you, you think we're with the Emperor?" Harumi shook her head, "We were fleeing from the Emperor's weird tower when Sun found us!"

"It would not be hard for you to fake being chased out to Dareth," Garmadon countered, "Let us not forget, you recognized the beast as well."

"Because that's the one we've been chasing!" Lloyd leaned forward, "We're not with the Emperor! We just want to find the twins we've been chasing!"

"Which might be harder now," Lulloyd pointed out, "Since, we don't really know, where they are."

"If they were in that thing, and survived the assault, they were likely taken prisoner in the palace," Sun declared, "That is where all of the prisoners that the Emperor finds dangerous are kept. It is a miracle that you managed to escape from it yourself."

"Which would mean the twins are either inside that tower with their battery," Monty groaned, "Or they're running out in the wild terrified about having just lost their big one-upper."

"And there are you again, speaking of things we don't know," Garmadon shook his head, "Your actions, while questionable, give us no reason to doubt that you are not working for the Emperor aside from the words you give to us. The darkness that the Emperor wields can change the soul."

"Alright, then let me throw this at you," Monty turned to Garmadon, "We have no reason to then believe that you're not just some massive ploy to help capture people that escaped. If the Emperor can change people, he could just as easily make you all into his slaves. He could orchestrate that entire battle just to make us trust you," Monty leaned back, "That sounds silly when you put it like that, doesn't it?"

"Silly, but something that we can't rule out the possibility of," Garmadon narrowed his eyes, "We live in confusing times. Such changes could not have been seen before they happened, and now here they are. We have to consider that."

There was an uneasy tension in the room. Sun stood between the group of universal travelers and the suspicious Sensei that regarded them warily. Monty stood facing Garmadon's glare directly, challenging him in a sense to see what he truly thought.

"Let us test them, then," Sun raised his hand, "I fought alongside them. I tested my blade along with Monty's arms, and his friends gave me the chance to fight. I believe we owe them at least one chance to prove themselves to us."

"And what would that be, Sun?" Garmadon asked calmly.

"If they are truly with the Emperor, they would be hesitant to strike at him in any form," Sun proposed, "And perhaps we can try that. I will place my trust in them on the line. Let them aid us in the attack. If they do so and help us as anyone else would, we can deem them trustworthy enough to proceed. If not, we can leave them and continue our mission with them only knowing a single piece of it. Either way, they will only know of that one part of the mission. They would gain nothing giving that to the Emperor. I believe that is fair, Sensei."

"You wish for us to trust them enough to go into battle with them?" Garmadon eyed Sun curiously, "On what grounds do you propose this, Sun?"

"On my honor as a knight and savior of the people," Sun bowed his head, "And on my desire to see that the light of people in Ninjago has not been corrupted by the dark hand of the Emperor."

Garmadon gave a long pause to what Sun was saying, "You are willing to place that on your honor, Sun? You would accept the responsibility if they were to be working with the Emperor?"

"I would have it no other way," Sun fully bowed.

"Very well then," Garmadon said to the group, "Sun's honor is something he holds dear to him. For him to place it on the line for you means more than I believe any of you can understand. You best work to ensure you are worthy of it."

With that, Garmadon left the room. Sun raised himself up as soon as he had, turning to the group and giving them an apologetic smile, "Allow me to apologize for his rude behavior. We have not had the best success recruiting allies. Even I find it hard to fully grasp what you all are to this world."

"Why do you trust us so much?" Lulloyd stood up, "I'm, not really sure why. We're, like, just strangers to you, aren't we?"

"Indeed, but I believe that when you have fought alongside someone, you cease to be a stranger to them," Sun declared, "The true character of a warrior is shown by the way they conduct themselves on the battlefield. As savage as you are, Monty, I could sense that you would fight alongside me for as long as you were able to. That, to me, is all of the proof I need as to where you stand."

"Well, I'm glad you feel that way," Lloyd paused, "Why are you a knight, Sun? It looks like the rest of your team are ninja. Why not train with them?"

Sun shook his head, "A ninja, by their nature, shy from conflict. They seek to end the battle before it begins. The people would never know of them. I, however, cannot work that way. The people have been swallowed by darkness. I must be a shining ray of light to pierce their minds and into their hearts. They may have lost hope, but I have not. The Emperor brings with him ruin and darkness. I will bring to this world light and hope. It is my duty to do so, and it is on my honor as a person, as a knight, that I will uphold my honor and use it to make my sword shine for all those who need to see it!" Sun thrust his sword out, the beam nearly doubling in length as light crackled and shone from its blade, illuminating the cabin and making the group turn away from it.

"That's… uh, wow, big," Lulloyd waited for the light to die down to look up, "I'm uh… I guess I'm glad that you're like, a knight then. Seems like you suit it. Uh… the way you talk, is that…?"

Sun gave a small grin, "I wished to have my speech match my image."

"Well good for you, he's a knight and we're in a world overtaken by the Overlord," Monty rolled his eyes, "Tell us more about this plan."

"Once we finish collecting what we need, I shall," Sun affirmed, "Until then, take this time to ready yourselves. If any of you can use a tool, I would appreciate your help fixing the Shadow."

"I can," Harumi nodded, "I'm not the best at it, but I can at least help out."

"I should probably help with the scrap," Lulloyd stood up, "I'm used to picking through heaps of downed vehicles after all."

"Then I'll help Harumi," Lloyd nodded, "And Monty can… do what he wants," Monty gave a nod, "If we're going to help, then we'll do it right. Let's be ready for when the time comes."

---

After nearly five hours of work, Harumi and Lloyd together had started to get the Shadow into a working shape. While neither of them were mechanics, they had both been on enough broken vehicles to know how to get something working again. Harumi's watch helped as, after scanning the entire Shadow, the two were able to produce a rough schematic to work on rewriting the system from. While Harumi worked on the wiring, Lloyd used his green power to start welding back together the wings and plates.

"Hey… Lloyd," Harumi spoke up as she finished mending two wires, "Do you feel… sick?"

"Sick?" Lloyd asked, raising his welder's helmet from his face, "Now that you mention it, I do feel that a little bit."

"It's our green power, I'm pretty sure," Harumi grimaced, "This place is saturated in darkness, right? I felt it the minute we got here. It's… it's really bad for us."

"Yeah…" Lloyd thought for a moment, then slid down from atop the Shadow and down to where Harumi was, "Are you doing… okay?" Harumi didn't answer for along time, instead just working on the bit of the Shadow she had her hands in.

"No… not, really," Harumi pulled her work gloves off and clutched her stomach, "This place, that Tower, the dark sky… it's all reminding me of… of him."

"We're not there, you know," Lloyd reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, "You've accepted your past. You don't have to worry about it."

"I can't help it," Harumi looked down, "I know you feel it too. We're… we're the opposite of the darkness. Our green power is meant to shine a light into it. Sun has to feel it too. I… I just can't stop thinking about… about that day when… when my Ninjago looked like this. I was able to put it off with how fast we were forced to flee but… but…"

"It's alright to feel that way," Lloyd assured her, "But you shouldn't dwell on it. Feeling sadness and fear is what makes us the way we are. It's gonna be okay."

"Yeah… yeah, I know it is," Harumi sighed, "I… thanks, Lloyd. I'm… I'm just not sure how, good I'm gonna feel through all this. I don't know how much this is gonna hit me. If I start to… get, unraveled, do you think you could… slap me?"

"Slap you?" Lloyd cocked his head, "Why that?"

"Cause… whenever, I'd get really depressed, Mizuno would come up and say something like, 'You shouldn't be depressed right now, your friends are here!' and then she'd slap me and drag me off to do something until I got out of that funk," Harumi smiled faintly, "And I just, wanna think about that a little bit. I can remember that."

"I mean… if you want me to, sure, I trust you enough to know that's what you want," Lloyd chuckled, "But, uh, if I do you gotta explain it to everyone else. Monty will have a field day with the fact I slapped a girl."

"I'm pretty sure he'd do the same without a reason, but I will," Harumi reached out, gripping his wrist and using it to pull herself up, "Thanks, Lloyd. Really… thank you. I'm, glad that I got a chance to meet you."

"You say that like we're about to do something dangerous," Lloyd pointed out, "We've made it this far. We'll make it to the end."

"I know, but I mean it," Harumi rubbed her arm, "I just wanted to say it. So you knew. I know I wasn't the nicest to you at first, so, I want you to know that you really have helped me."

"Well then," Lloyd smiled back at her, "I'll remember that."

The door to the large hanger opened, and from it Sun entered, "Harumi! Lloyd! How go the repairs on the Shadow?"

"It should fly now," Harumi called back to him, "I wouldn't go trying anything crazy just yet… but I think we should be good now."

"Perfect," Sun gestured to the ship, "Board it and make sure she starts up. The others that will be coming with us will be here soon."

Lloyd and Harumi finished putting any miscellaneous covers back onto the ship, then climbed up onto the thing. Lloyd had taken some time to raise the railings on either side up, making standing a bit less of a dangerous task. Harumi took the second seat, tapping away at the screens to bring up the full interface. A few moments later, Sun, Garmadon, Mage, Zane and Nya entered. They all rapidly boarded the ship, with Sun sliding into the first cockpit seat.

"Hey guys!" Mage grinned, "How'd doing all the fixing go?"

"I'd hope it went well," Lloyd pointed out, "We're gonna be riding it."

"The seven of us will be going on this mission," Garmadon explained once everyone was situated, "Your other friends will be staying behind in case the Bounty is attacked. Your ghost friend also said something about checking the guns on the ship."

"Yeah… guns are his thing," Harumi sighed, "Where are we heading? I'll put the coordinates in for us."

"We will be heading to the Emperor's Security Tower," Sun explained, "We will tell you our mission when we arrive."

Harumi began to search through the Shadow's data logs for a source of the location. While she did, the others got situated on the Shadow. Both Nya and Zane said nothing, looking towards Lloyd with a rather harsh look. Garmadon placed his hands behind his back to hold the railing. Mage began to do several stretches, contorting his back so far that Sun began to worry he was about to snap himself. Lloyd simply stood, observing the group.

"Didn't get your names," Nya spoke up, startling Lloyd, "Mind repeating them?"

"Oh, I'm Lloyd, that's Harumi and you can call him Mage," Lloyd gestured to each of them in order.

"You are well met," Zane stated plainly, "It appears you already know of our names."

"Yeah, we do. Other worlds, and all that," Lloyd smiled awkwardly. By this point, it was getting difficult to keep track of all of the ninja from their worlds. It did help that this Zane was still wearing his pre-titanium skin, which made it at least slightly easier. Then again, so had the Zane from the Summit…

"There," Harumi interrupted Lloyd from his thoughts, "I think we should have a route through the sewers to get us most of the way there."

"Excellent," Sun traded Harumi for her spot in the cockpit, forming the energy shield around himself once more, "Then I believe it is in our best interests to get going."

"Yes," Garmadon nodded, "We shall."

With a loud whirl, the bottom of the Destiny's Bounty opened. The claw that had hold of the Shadow slowly began to lower it. Zane climbed up into the back-mounted turret, while Nya stood at the front of the Shadow. Once the ship was suspended in the air, the small wings extended out the sides, and in turn the engine began to quietly hum in the air. The Shadow was released, and instantly, Sun took them into a hard dive straight towards the ground.

The Bounty was on the outskirts of Ninjago City, and once the doors to the Bounty were closed again, the cloak was perfect enough that Lloyd only knew the Bounty was there due to them having left from it. He wasn't given much time to look at it, as instead the Shadow was flying straight towards a patch of the road that seemed to be solid.

"H-Hey, wait a minute!" Lloyd turned to Sun, "Are you taking us into the ground?!"

"Yes," Sun hit a button, calmly tightening his core so as not to fall forward, "Just wait and see."

With a tiny whirl, the street itself seemed to open up, as two circular panels split the pavement open. Underneath, Lloyd could see none other than the sewers he had become so familiar with. Sun began to gently level them out as they came up on it, flying through the opening and then jerking to a stop so they were horizontal once more. Lloyd sighed in relief, while Sun just smirked to him.

"We have had to find ways for us to move in this city undetected," Sun looked to Nya, "It is thanks to her genius that we have been able to do so in this way."

"Yeah, yeah, let's just get going," Nya waved her hand, "We have a mission to complete."

Sun turned away from Nya with only his normal grin. He began to guide the ship through the sewers, the only light visible being from the headlights the Shadow gave without the sun above to illuminate their path. The computer readout on the Shadow showed they were moving towards the inner part of the city, and in turn what seemed to be a more dangerous area.

The further along they went, the more Lloyd felt a deep chill in his body. He looked to Harumi, seeing she, too, was shaking. Lloyd recalled Garmadon had said that the closer they went to the heart of the city, the greater the concentration of darkness. When they had fled from Dareth, they must have been too terrified to fully feel it.

After a long series of windings, the Shadow stopped. The group was underneath a small sewer hatch. Sun dropped the energy bubble, standing up and looking to his allies, "We should be directly underneath the block the Security Tower is on. We must move quickly if we are to get what we need."

"And what do we need?" Mage asked, having remained silent out of a feeling he shouldn't speak, "Are we rescuing someone?"

"No, we didn't bring enough of us for that," Sun shook his head, "Now that we are here, I am able to tell you," Sun inhaled, "I have heard rumor that the Emperor plans to transfer my mother to a prison in the furthest depths of Ninjago. If this is true, this building would have the information on it. Our goal is get inside and to obtain the records of all upcoming prisoner transfers."

"Wouldn't he be expecting that, then?" Mage cocked his head, "Sounds like bait to me!"

"It most certainly is," Sun sighed, "But… even if it may be, that is why I have you, my friends. We will go on together."

"Zane and I shall remain here, in case we are needed," Garmadon shook his head, "Sun has a habit of requiring a quick getaway."

"I cannot help it if our missions are often missing information we need to remain hidden," Sun replied back with a grin, "All the better the Emperor knows we are coming for him!"

"Be that as it may," Zane replied calmly, "This mission requires stealth. Do not engage enemies if you are able to avoid it."

"Don't worry!" Mage raised his hand, "I know a ton of elements that are good for that! I can just turn us all into shadows if we need to!"

"Save your strength, Mage," Harumi warned him, "We might need it."

"Get going," Garmadon hissed, pointing upwards, "The Emperor may be searching for us right now. Each minute we spend here is another minute he has to find us."

Sun nodded his head, looking to his new allies, "I will trust you, friends, no matter what happens. I ask that you will trust me as I do you."

Sun raised his wooden hilt above his head, focusing until his glowing broadsword reformed once more. He focused, causing a small beam of light to fire out towards the ceiling of the sewer. Like a laser, it began to sizzle and melt the surface. Sun rotated his arms in a circle, slowly cutting a hole in the roof. When he was finished, Nya crouched down to leap up and kick the piece open. Instead, Mage raised his hand and called upon gravity, weighing the section down until it had ripped open a hole and dropped the chunk onto the Shadow. Sun gave Mage a look of pride before he leapt up into the air to crawl through the hole.

One by one, the group slowly emerged from the hole. They were in the middle of a strange room that was filled with chairs, each of which having strange shackles on the armrests. Sun helped up Nya, then Mage, Harumi and Lloyd. As they all looked around, Lloyd saw that one wall of the room was complete glass. The chairs were lined up to be looking at the glass. Across the glass looked like some sort of interrogation room… with devices inside that Harumi quickly turned Mage away from looking at.

"This tower functions also as a small prisoner holding area," Sun stated solemnly, "To determine where to transport a prisoner, interrogation can be used to see how much they know. The answer is almost always 'too much.'"

"The Emperor really keeps a tight grip on everyone," Lloyd muttered, "What sort of person would do that?"

"A person that we need to focus on taking down by getting our friends back," Nya replied coldly, "Come on, we need to get moving."

The group was unable to argue with Nya. Sun sheathed his sword, Lloyd doing the same. Nya reached down and drew a sash out from around her armor and instead wrapped it around one of her hands. Lloyd blinked in confusion at that, but didn't say anything. Nya walked over to the door in the room, peering into the hallway beyond. After confirming none were there, she waved for them to follow.

As Lloyd quickly found out, the tower was designed to have one massive central area, similar to how Kryptarium was designed, with hallways that branched out to lead to other rooms. Once they emerged into the hallway, Lloyd could already see the massive open space down the hall. Sun looked to Nya, who nodded as she pulled out a small device that unfolded into a tablet. Once that was completed, Sun looked back to Mage.

"Mage," Sun nodded his head, "You must stay here and guard our escape. I can tell you have more power than you let on. If we require a fast getaway, you will know."

"Really?" Mage frowned, "I can help! I can literally turn into shadows!" To prove his point, he vanished into his own shadow and reformed a second later.

"Then you will be our trump card," Sun told him calmly, "This is an important task. Do you think you can do it?"

Mage looked down in disappointment for a moment, but nodded his head regardless. Sun gave him a nod of thanks, then handed Mage a comm from his pocket. Seeing him staring blankly at it, Harumi reached out and put it in Mage's ear for him. Once Mage got it to sit comfortably, Harumi showed him how to touch it to speak to them.

"I… I can hear you! Without using mind!" Mage gasped, "Is this using mind?!"

"Sure…" Lloyd knew they didn't have time to explain it now, "If you need us, hold down that button and talk to us. We'll be able to hear you then."

Once Mage had figured out how to use it, Sun distributed comms to the others. Lloyd and Harumi slid them on, nodding to each other to acknowledge what they were about to do. Sun and Nya did the same, and once more Nya took point. Nya held the tablet out in front of them, and Lloyd saw a massive amount of data code scrolling across the screen.

"I'm deciphering the terminal we'll need to access," Nya muttered, "The security here is stronger than last time."

"Terminal?" Lloyd asked. Nya gave him an annoyed look before slinking forward along the hallway, making her way towards the large opening. Once the group was close enough to see what Nya meant, Lloyd's eyes widened.

It turned out that this was indeed a tower. The massive space, rather than holding cells, was filled with what looked like computer towers that were blinking and pulsing. The entire room felt warm, likely from all the heat they were giving off. The computers stretched almost three stories up, only accessible by catwalks that ran rings around the inside of the tower. In the middle of the tower was a large guard post, and the two guards that sat in lawn chairs overlooking everything.

"Is that... ?" Lloyd blinked, "Kruncha…?"

"And Nuckal?" Harumi smirked, "Okay, those guys will be easy. Just leave it to Lloyd and I, we'll handle them in-"

As soon as Harumi went to take a step forward, Sun drew his hilt and slammed Harumi's gut to push her back into the wall. The action caused the two Skulkin to stand up, both of them looking around in confusion. While their lifeless faces were just how the two remembered them, they no longer wore the barebones skulkin armor. Instead, they were wearing deep black and purple armor that was fashioned to fit around their empty bones, creating a perfect seal around their bodies.

"Uh, who's there?!" Kruncha growled out, reaching out to draw a large bone axe.

"Y-Yeah!" Nuckal shouted out, "Don't think we won't find you! The Emperor won't be pleased somebody is sneaking around his tower!"

"Are you attempting to get us killed?!" Sun sputtered out, "I do not know what they are like in your world, but I could not defeat them before they sounded the alarm!"

"What are you talking about?" Lloyd hissed to Sun, "Those guys are just skeletons! We beat them every other week!"

"Then clearly we have a difference in our worlds beyond just what you have told us!" Sun growled, slowly removing his arm from Harumi, "My apologies, I did not mean to strike a lady. I cannot risk us being caught, however. Forgive me?"

"Yeah... " Harumi groaned, "Let's listen to Sun for now," She turned to Nya, "Nya, where exactly is this terminal we need to get to?"

Nya looked down at the tablet, then pointed upwards. She held the tablet in the air until it was in a direct line of sight of the computer. It just so happened the computer was at the very top of the tower, with a blinking red light that Lloyd could only just barely see from the bottom. It was quickly lost among the barrage of other lights.

"This is going to complicate things…" Sun mumbled, "We must draw those two away from the tower if we are to get what we came for."

"I'll handle that," Harumi summoned two Rhotatae discs in hand, "You guys worry about getting that data."

"Good," Sun nodded his head, "It will take only a minute if I climb."

"I'll handle that," Lloyd nodded. "I know a thing called Airjitzu, it'll help me get up there quietly."

"Then we have our plan," Sun turned to Nya, "Be ready to move as soon as Harumi begins her diversion."

Harumi waited until the two Skulkin were laying back down on their lawn chairs, both of them reading some sort of magazine. She took a breath, then she ran straight across the floor and rolled until she was up against the bottom of the tower that the two were standing on. With her summoned discs, she extended her hands and fired. The two discs arced off as she guided them to strike random computers on the wall. As they impacted, they briefly cut through the chassis before the internals were struck, causing them to spark and hiss.

"Whdawha?" Nuckal sat up, turning his head around until he saw the source of the issue. Harumi slowly crawled around so she was up against the other side of the pillar. She waited quietly, waving for the group to be ready.

Suddenly, there was a massive bang. Harumi froze in shock as she turned to see the two skulkin… having just jumped off the tower. The two left a dent in the floor from where they'd landed. Harumi's eyes were wide with confusion as they walked forward towards the source of her damage.

"Did you damage the computers again?!" Kruncha growled, "You know the Emperor wouldn't want us to do that again!"

"Oohhh shut up and let me look at it!" Nuckal whined, dragging the damaged computer from the wall, "How do you know you didn't break this one?!"

"Because I don't BREAK THINGS!" Kruncha shouted, striking Nuckal's skull. The force sent Nuckal's head rapidly spinning around. At that moment, Sun waved for the group to make their move. Lloyd, Sun and Nya quickly raced their way across the open floor behind the two skulkin towards a ladder that would take them up to each of the catwalks.

Just standing this close to the computers was hot enough that Lloyd felt like he was getting boiled. Sun gestured for him to climb first, and so Lloyd did. Sun followed, then Nya at the rear. Sun continually glanced down to the two skulkin, watching them try to fix the damaged device. Lloyd had seen them leap down two stories, but other than that the fear that Sun displayed at them was something he was confused about.

"What are all these computers even for?" Lloyd hissed as they climbed.

"To spy on everyone," Nya hissed back, "This is a security tower. As in, the Emperor uses it to find anyone that would threaten his security as ruler."

Lloyd didn't respond after that. Instead, he kept climbing, and indeed he soon felt sweat on his forehead. Harumi watched them climb up towards the highest catwalk, still on the ground level and waiting for the two skulkin to notice. They continued to fumble around with the destroyed computer, arguing over who broke it. Harumi just silently willed them to keep going.

Soon, they were at the highest catwalk, with the computer they needed still a long ways up again. Once the three were at the top, Lloyd heard a loud ringing in his ear. The pain it caused him came from his earpiece. Nya and Sun, judging by their expressions, could feel it too. Whatever was coming from the computers this high up was causing them painful interference. The three switched their comms off as Lloyd looked up.

"Here," Nya handed Lloyd a small chip, "Stick that inside and it'll download everything on the terminal. It should take ten seconds. Can you handle that?"

"Sure can," Lloyd affirmed her, then he focused. He twisted up into Airjitzu, flying up into the air silently as he reached out for the computer. Sun stared at the display in awe, while Nya instead looked down as nervously as Harumi at the two guards. The success of this mission depended on how well they could keep those two occupied.

Lloyd soon reached the terminal, plugging the chip inside and cancelling the Airjitzu. He instead grabbed the computer and tightened his core, planting himself against it and holding on by the tiniest lip. He heard the chip beep once, then begin to flash. He panted heavily, breathing through his nose and out through his mouth to keep himself steady. He waited in tension as the chip downloaded the data. Down below, Harumi looked on to the display and summoned another disc, getting ready to blast the two Skulkin if they turned around.

"You broke it!" Nuckal shouted.

"No, YOU broke it!" Krnncha spat back. The two stared each other down, then developed into rapidly slapping one another. Harumi watched the display with some mild amusement.

The chip beeped again. Lloyd, taking that to mean it was done, grabbed it and yanked it from the computer, then leapt down. Just before he hit the catwalk, he summoned Airjitzu for a brief moment to cancel his momentum. Sun and Nya looked at him expectantly, and Lloyd handed them the chip. Nya quickly plugged it into her tablet, then nodded at Sun.

"We must climb down now," Sun turned to the ladder. Lloyd, however, suddenly saw Harumi waving her hand. Kruncha and Nuckal were turning around.

"No time!" Lloyd reached out and grabbed hold of Sun and Nya's arms. Before the two could protest, he jumped forward off the catwalk, dragging them down. It took all they had not to immediately cry out in shock. Lloyd let them fall at a massive speed, twisting into Airjitzu just as they were about twenty feet off the ground. The twister force and gravity met each other, allowing the three to land softly. Before they could say anything, Harumi had already fired off two Rhotatae discs, causing the skulkin to blink at the sound of them striking more computers.

"Go!" Harumi mouthed. The four quickly darted back towards the hallway. Just as they cleared the distance and were inside, Kruncha turned around to see them just as they were gone. He shrugged his shoulders, then grabbed hold of Nuckal's had and pounded him seeing another damaged computer.

"W-We made it," Sun panted, "We must make it back to the others, quickly!"

As soon as they turned to leave, they were met with a curios sight. Sensei Garmadon, Zane and Mage were all standing in front of them, having come from the room they made their entrance from. A pang of confusion went through the group as they saw the sight in front of them.

"Sensei?" Sun asked in shock, "What are you doing here?"

"You called for us, Sun," Zane replied, "We heard over the comm that you required our services."

"I did not!" Sun protested, "We deactivate our comms due to the interference."

"Who was it that called us then, Sun?" Garmadon asked with his eyes narrowed, "Was it one of your new friends?"

"Yes, Sun, why don't you introduce us to your friends?"

A deep, imposing voice cut through the stillness of the tower. Harumi and Lloyd felt a cold chill going straight through them, and Harumi took in a tiny gasp as her breath seemed to suddenly unwilling to enter her lungs. Sun froze for a moment, then he placed his hand on his hilt. Garmadon drew his dagger slowly, while both Zane and Nya remained completely rooted in place. Mage blinked, turning around and then immediately turning right back around.

"Emperor…" Sun growled.

Slowly, the group turned around. Standing with four arms all elegantly placed behind his back, was a man that looked like nothing more than shadow. His body was inky mirth, with no distinguishing features present on it. The only thing that the group could see was a set of glowing purple eyes, and a massive jaw filled with sharp teeth. The figure raised one hand into the air.

"I'm certain you didn't believe I would let you free my most important prisoner without a fight, did you?" The Emperor declared, a massive blade forming out of the raised hand, "I'm certain you didn't think I was that idiotic at all."