Lloyd POV: After Mercy's vanishing act I went through everything she did leave behind, which wasn't much. Just a few food boxes and blank pieces of paper. I sighed, but kept looking. There has to be something that will lead us to them.
Wait.
Food boxes.
That's it!
I picked them and looked at the logos. They were from a place outside of Ninjago City. They were closer than I thought.
I checked the clock that hung on the wall. Nearly 3:30. Still too early for the others, but maybe not for this place. It came from a place called Food Paradise. I took out my phone and looked it up, and as luck would have it, they were opening in 15 minutes.
I went back to the Bounty, quietly grabbed my bike, and rode out there. I drove at my top so I could get there before they had customers. When I got there a single car was parked behind the small building. A guy was just unlocking the door and stepped in, leaving the door slightly opened. Not worried about being attacked, are you?
I slipped in and waited for him to turn. He dropped his coat and put on an apron before he did. He jumped and said, "How the heck did you get in?"
"I'm a ninja and you left the door open." Closing it, making my point.
"Ah, right. I remember seeing you in the papers. I haven't done anything wrong here." he said, holding his hands up. He did seem scared, but not of me. He kept looking to another room and nodding towards the kitchen.
"I'm not here for you, just for what you know." I said and crossed my arms.
"What I know?" He asked, and lowered his hands.
I took out one of the boxes I took with me, showed him, and asked, "This is one of yours, correct?"
"Yes."
"Do you remember who bought this?"
"No, we use the same boxes for everything." he didn't sound certain with that answer.
"You sure?" I didn't want to be the bad guy, but I really needed this lead.
He didn't answer and fumbled with something. Right before I could say anything else, someone in the back room sighed and said, "It's alright Tony. I know him."
The guy came out and I had a hard time trying not to gasp in relief. It was Kai.
He also didn't have the mask or the black ash-like stuff, but he did have slight bags under his eyes. Mercy came out from the kitchen and leaned on the doorway.
"I thought I told you-"
"To stop trying to find you. But you know all too well that, Kai, that ninja never quit." I couldn't control the emotion in my voice very well.
"Lloyd, I know. You really think I would forget." he wasn't facing me.
"Then, why? Why are you fighting us so hard?"
"It was my idea to work alone." Mercy said.
"Um… I'm not gonna lie, that doesn't surprise me." I said, relaxing a little.
"So, now you know. You can leave with no worries." she said, coming closer.
"As if." I said, standing my ground.
"Lloyd there is nothing any of you can do to help us. We have to handle this by ourselves." Kai said. He didn't even seem like himself.
"Not until you give me a real reason why you really are running." I said, still not standing down.
He sighed and said, "You're just as stubborn as ever."
"Learned that from you." I said. He smiled a little. I had a deep feeling that he hasn't smiled in the years since the last time we saw each other.
But before any of us could say anything else something flew through the window, breaking it, and hit Tony in the forehead. He went down as we all duck. Mercy hid behind the counter and Kai and I were on the walls under the windows.
"What the heck was that?!" Mercy said, peaking at us.
"Bullet. Tony's out." I said, looking at the body. Damn, he seemed nice.
"If it's them and they found this place." Mercy said. Sounded like she was talking more to herself though.
They looked at me, then each other. They nodded like they just agreed on something.
"Come on." Kai said, grabbing my arm and started to drag me.
"Where?" I asked. I didn't get an answer.
They pulled me into the back room where a dark, swirling circle was hovering in the middle.
"What is that?" I asked as Kai let me go.
"You wanted your answers. Guess you're going to get them now." Mercy said, then pushed me in.