I'm back guys! So, new chapter. I'm amazed by how far this story has come, and by how many reviews it has. It's all thanks to you guys, so thank you all so much for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing this story, it means the world to me. I'd love to be an author, so to know that people enjoy my stories means a whole lot to me. So thank you all.

Replies to reviews:

Dyphen: first off, I doubt you understand how hard I laughed when I read your comment. Honestly, that comment made my day! XD I don't want to give too much away, but I would be lying if I said that Claire stayed in that cage for the rest of her life like the ninja had planned. Also, of course I'm gonna make emo band references, what did you think my first dream job was when I was a kid?! XD Besides, I did warn y'all that there were gonna be references in my profile description, so don't say I didn't warn ya!

Anyway, onto chapter... SEVENTEEN?! FIRST SPINJITZU MASTER, THAT'S A LOT OF CHAPTERS!!! And to think I had planned for this story to only be twenty chapters at the most! And I still have loads to write...!

(Just keep breathing and breathing and breathing and breathing. I know I gotta keep, keep on breathing...)

Chapter 17

Skylor couldn't remember ever hoping for something more than she does now. If Steven really has hacked Zane's system, the team is in risk of losing everything. Literally, everything. If Zane's database really has been exposed to the enemy and his team, the survival of the whole of Ninjago has been jeopardised.

Skylor can remember the last time Ninjago was threatened with destruction. In fact, much of Ninjago was, once again, in ruins after Garmadon had been defeated and locked up. He's still locked up, as far as Skylor's aware, and Skylor hopes that he, like Claire, will be behind bars for the rest of his life. She hopes that that time was the last time that Ninjago would face demolition, but Skylor knew that wasn't to be. Steven, Claire and their 'traitors' would make sure of that, not to mention any other opponents the ninja and their team would face in the future.

Skylor is shaken from her memories as a knock sounds against her wooden door. She grants them entry, and Kai pushes her door open, stepping into her room.

"What's up?" Skylor asks as Kai sits next to her on her bed.

"Does something have to be up for me to want to see you?" Kai smirks, looking at his girlfriend through the side of his eye. Skylor smiles in response. "But, yeah, there is something. Zane needs everyone in the screen room now."

"The screen room?" This can't be good. If Zane's calling the meeting, something has got to be bad.

"Yeah, the room with the screen." Kai replies, laughing. "The one that's got Claire's cage in it."

"Oh, right." Skylor couldn't help but chuckle at Kai's reasoning behind this name, and she stands and follows him out of the room.

The two enter the screen room to find the rest of the team there, crowding around the screen on the far wall. Zane is plugged into the screen, and his Falcon-vision shows what the mechanical bird is seeing as it flies around over Ninjago. The footage being shown is now a few hours old, meaning that it is from that morning. Jay asks about why they are watching the video now instead of when it was live, and Zane explains how no one was in the screen room for a few hours after the time the Falcon had sent that feed in. So now Jay is blushing while Cole gives him that look that says 'I bet you feel stupid now' while Nya elbows him. Everyone looks towards Kai and Skylor as they walk in, and Zane smiles slightly. He then clicks on the screen and the feedback from the Falcon starts. The bird is shown flying over New Ninjago City, following a man. The man does rather look like Steven, and everyone looks over to Skylor for confirmation. However, the master of Amber is unable to tell if the man truly is Steven without a good angle to see his face from.

"Does the Falcon see him from a different angle? Because I can't see the dude's face, and his defining burn scar is the only real way for me to be able to tell if it's him or not." Zane nods even as the Falcon flies over the man it's watching, and Skylor peers at the large screen. Zane pauses the playing video as the man's face comes into view, and he uses the snipping tool to take a photo of it. He then pulls the image up onto the screen. It's a lot larger than the feedback image, but Skylor still can't tell. Zane zooms into the image until Skylor can clearly see the man's face.

"It's him." Skylor announces confidently as she stares into the face of her ex-boyfriend. He glares into the distance, past the Falcon, and Skylor can easily recognise the large scar across his face. She can feel the usual flash of pride as she remembers how he got that scar, but she tries to stop it from showing on her face. He had been asking for it though. He had it coming. Zane nods and unpauses the footage. Steven runs through the alleys of Ninjago City, making a break for the outskirts. The Falcon soars over his head, remaining out of sight. Steven is very close to the end of the city, but instead of escaping the alley he's in, he climbs a ladder that's attaches to the side of a house, pulling himself onto the roof of the building. He then leaps between the buildings, and stops in the heart of a cluster of houses. This part of the city has been constructed in a different manner to the rest, do the houses are in a tight circle. The Falcon struggles to keep its glowing eyes on Steven as he sprints between the houses, running at his top speed to the end of another alleyway. He stops at the end of the alley and glances around quickly before hauling himself over the wall. He lands and stops. The Falcon rests on the roof of the house next to him, zooming in to allow the ninja and team to look over his shoulder as he types something into a panel in the wall. The Falcon hops along the roof, positioning itself behind Steven. It's a number pad beneath a screen, which reads 5824. A hole opens in the ground against the wall Steven just climbed over, and he drops down. Seconds later, the hole closes up, sealing Steven in the ground.

"So that's where his hideout is!" Kai exclaims, grinning. "Finally, we have the upper hand again!" Someone else clears their throat.

"Actually," the voice continues, "I'd say you've had the upper hand since you captured me." Skylor groans.

"Shut up, please. For once in your pathetic life!" Skylor is on her last straw, but tries to keep it together. Snapping would not be good now. You must keep it together.

The team has finished gearing up and now stands in the courtyard waiting for Lloyd to emerge from the monastery. So far, no one has any idea on how they will get to the city soon enough, but Lloyd had claimed to have a plan. After the destruction of the Destiny's Bounty, the ninja and team have been left without a method of transportation and a great feeling of sorrow on their shoulders. They all miss the flying pirate ship, but know that they must move on. Lloyd soon exits the monastery, and he leads the team through the front gates. Lloyd leads the team down the steps of the mountain in silence. No one has the energy to talk, and the only sounds that are audible are their feet pounding against the rocks and their heavy breathing as they run. Lloyd reaches the bottom of the steps and stops, waiting for everyone to arrive beside him. The entire team stops and stares at him for a minute before he pulls something from a pocket in his ninja suit. It's a small metal contraption with a circular green light, and Cole immediately gasps upon seeing it.

"The Earth Driller! Of course!" He grins, but it soon drops. "But it can only hold seven of us. We're a team of eight."

"I will go in the Samurai X mech." PIXAL responds, and she summons the mech to her side. It drops through the sky and it's blue-and-gold weight shakes the ground as it lands. PIXAL leaps into it, pulling her Samurai X helmet on, as the rest of the squad get in the Earth Driller. Lloyd steers the Driller into the city as PIXAL soars off into the air. This is it. This is the time I finally get to see my evil adopted younger sister's evil base which is apparently full of people who have betrayed others. What could possibly go wrong?

A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long to release. I normally post these during the night/early morning, and I've been sooooo tired recently. Honestly, I'm surprised I haven't passed out yet XD. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I'll try to get the next one out soon, but no promises at the moment, sorry everyone. I've just been so tired and busy recently. However, right now, this story and 'We Aren't Heroes' are my top priorities. Anyway, I'll see you all soon, but I need to sleep now. Bye y'all!

-LunaPikazard