I'm back! And I'm introducing a new character. Spoiler: This character is going to become very important to my story. Let the next chapter begin!
000
The next morning, the ninja were enjoying their rest as they slumbered in their new beds of their new home; that is, until somebody forgot that teenagers thrive on sleep.
Gong! Gong! Gong!
"Evil doesn't sleep and neither should you!" their mentor announced, bang a gong he had found on the ship.
The four teens in the room groaned and pulled their blankets or pillows over their heads.
"If you want to reach your full potential, you must treat each day as an opportunity!" Sensei Wu told them as he finished up his gonging.
"Okay, okay, we're up," Kai said as he slid out of his bed and hopped to the floor, like the other three boys.
Kai walked to the window on the other side of the room and asked their mentor, "If you want us to reach our full potential, shouldn't we get a full night of rest?"
He pulled on the cord for the window blinds but they just fell to the floor.
Cole stretched and cracked his back, moaning, "You call that rest? I think my back has more lumps than the mattress!"
Jay walked to the sink and took out his toothbrush.
"We were up so late, talking about how cool it is to have a new headquarters, I guess we lost track of time," He was saying as he turned on the faucet.
Sand leaked out, instead of water, onto the toothpaste, but Jay was too busy talking to notice.
"Ever since the Serpentine burned down the monastery, I'm just glad we have a roof over our heads..."
He started to brush his teeth, but tasted the sand and immediately spat it out.
Zane, who was more awake than the others, turned to Sensei Wu and asked, "What is our lesson today, Sensei: Mastering the strike of the scorpion? Or perhaps the great… Oh!"
He crashed through the floor, sending up wood splinters and dust, making him cough. The other boys gathered in behind him.
"I think today's lesson will be... chores," the elder said.
"Chores!?" The four cried in unison.
"Ninja fight, Sensei," Cole protested, "They do not clean."
"In order to respect ourselves, we must respect our new home, and where we are from. And this place is a long way from becoming a ninja headquarters. I expect things to be spotless when I return," Sensei Wu turned to leave, but turned when he was in the doorway, added, "And put your backs into it."
Gong!
Cole helped Zane out of the hole in the floor.
"Ugh, this place is gonna take forever to clean and fix up," Kai groaned.
"Unless we put more than our backs into it," Jay suggested, a mischievous smile on his face, "Huh?"
All the ninjas smiled in realization.
(Line break)
"Ninjaaaaa-Go!"
Cole, now in uniform, began to whip around the room, picking everything up as he passed.
He spun out of the room and off the ship, and deposited the junk with a sign labeled: Garage Sale.
(Line break)
Kai kicked open a door and he and Zane jumped in. The two looked around, and then Zane took out his shurikens and threw them to the wall farthest from them. The shurikens stuck in the wood and ice formed around them, freezing the room in seconds. Kai pulled his sword from his back. The gold caught on fire and Kai touched the sword to the icy walls. The frost melted instantly.
The two ninjas yelled, "Ninjaaaaa-Go!" and spun around the room, melting the ice and cleaning up the room.
(Line break)
Jay walked up to a large sheet covering a wall of machinery. Cole and Kai sat behind him, working to fix a smaller machine. The blue ninja ripped off the sheet, then took his nun-chucks out and spun them around. He struck the giant machine with his nun-chucks, and it whirred to life. Lights turned on in every room. The two behind Jay noticed this and high-fived each other, apparently thinking they had turned the electricity on.
(Line break)
Out on the deck, Zane, Kai, and Cole were struggling to open the sails. Jay stood behind them, watching their progress.
"Ninjaaaaa-Go!" he yelled and spun into a tornado of blue electric energy and blew the all of the dust away.
(Line break)
Sensei Wu and Nya walked into the room that had the most noise coming from behind it. Four figures were in the room, playing their videogame.
"What took ya so long?" Kai turned away from the screen with a grin.
"Wow!" Nya marveled, "This place looks... amazing! You guys did all this?"
"Ninja don't just fight, Nya," Cole said, "We clean!"
"You have exceeded my expectations," Sensei Wu complimented, "But, can you keep it?"
Nya walked to one of the windows and looked out. A broken-looking car was driving its way towards the ship.
"It looks like we're about to have some visitors," she observed, "And loud ones at that!"
Jay turned to her with a frown on his face.
"Oh, it's my parents!" he moaned, then warned, "Please, if they start yapping, just don't get 'em going, okay, they don't know when to quit! And if you start talking, then they'll start talking, and suddenly, half the day is gone before you know it, and it's not even…"
"We get it! They talk a lot!" Kai interrupted and then muttered, "Cherry doesn't fall far from its blossom..."
Jay just stared at him blankly.
(Line break)
Outside, the car stopped in front of the ship, bumping into the junk pile Cole had put outside.
The driver said to the lady sitting next to him, "Take a note, Edna: either better brakes or a better bumper."
He looked to the front of the car and took off his cap and goggles.
"Oh! Would ya look at all this great stuff!" the man exclaimed, "They can't just get rid of it! Heh, we should've brought the trailer, Edna!"
Edna took off her cap as well and scolded him, "This ain't a flea market, Ed! We're here for Jay!"
Ed closed his eyes and put a hand to his ear asking, "What was that? Didja take the note?"
"I'm writing it down, Ed."
"Mom! Dad!" The two turned to the ship and saw a teenager dressed in blue was walking down a ramp on the side of it.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, hoping they didn't notice his please don't embarrass me tone.
"Oh look, it's my baby boy!" Edna cried as she stood up, joy on her face, "It's been so long since we heard from you!"
"Ma, I called you two days ago!" Jay frowned.
The five others on the ship gathered behind him.
"Well, it's not soon enough, son!" Ed said as he and Edna got out of the car and walked to the lad, "When are ya coming out to the junkyard? Ya say you're comin' and… and ya don't."
"Dad, do we have to talk about the junkyard in front of my friends?" Jay moaned, embarrassed.
"He hates when we tell people he was born in a junkyard," Edna smiled.
Just after they spoke, a someone yawned from behind the front seats, then a pair of arms stretched and pulled up a male figure just a year older than the ninjas with short, spiked up brown hair, light colored skin (an extreme rarity in Ninjago and often considered an indicator that there was something wrong with the individual) and dark colored clothes. The figure jumped out of the car, rubbing his eyes as he walked towards the older couple.
"Is this the trading post?" the newcomer asked in tired tone.
"Does this place look like a trading post?" Cole asked gruffly.
Jay was a bit more concerned about something else, "Ah, Mom… Dad… who's this guy?"
"Oh, silly me, I almost forgot," Ed chuckled and then cleared his throat before saying, "Jay, this is… ah, this is… ah-ah…"
Ed started snapping his fingers, trying to remember what he wanted to say, but then gave the newcomer a defeated look.
"Glen Marcus," the figure introduced himself, holding out a hand to Jay.
Jay looked at the outstretched hand and then at its owner, not sure what to make of him.
"Yeah, that's it," Ed remembered, "Anyway, Edna and I saw him wandering the desert and agreed to drop him off at the nearest town, you know, after we stopped by here to…"
"Oh, okay," Jay paused him, looking a bit relieved, "No needed to explain."
Edna then spotted Nya and forgot all about Glen.
"Oooh, and who are you?" the woman asked, "You are so cute! You're just my son's type."
Jay groaned, "Mom!"
"It's a pleasure meeting you," Nya said, "I'm sure if you want, Jay can give you the tour. He worked very hard on it."
"We'd love a tour!" Ed and Edna cried in unison.
Jay put a hand to his head and sighed.
(Line break)
After showing the lower deck, the nine entered the bridge. Jay had added more since the last time anyone had been in there, which was only yesterday.
"And this is the bridge," Jay announced as the group of nine stepped in.
"This extends into a periscope," He hopped to something sticking out of the ceiling and pulled it down, "This tells us what's going on in Ninjago."
"Remind me again, why you're hangin' out with our friend's parents?" Cole lightly interrogated Glen, ignoring the tour.
"How many times do I to…" Glen angrily muttered under his breath, then explained in an upset tone, "I got on my way to a trading post I've never been to before and I was lucky the Walkers found me."
"Wait," Kai tried to suppress his laughter, "Jay's full name is 'Jay Walker'?"
"Anyways, why were you going to someplace you never been before?" Cole continued.
"I'm looking for someone," Glen glared, "Someone to help me."
"Help you do what?" Zane asked.
Glen stared at the white ninja and calmly answered, "That's none of your concern."
"No," came Jay's reply, bringing the others back to the tour, "A cappuccino machine."
He put a cup under the spout and pushed it down, making coffee come out.
"Amazing, son!" Ed smiled, "We're so proud of you."
"Why don'tcha tell 'em about the button?" Cole walked to a button on a pedestal and pointed it out.
"Heh-heh-heh," Jay pushed Cole's hand away and whispered, "It's not ready, yet."
"Oh, what's the button?" Edna looked excited.
"He's working on a special defense system," Zane said.
"Something every ninja headquarters needs," Kai added.
"A self-destruct switch?" Glen asked.
"NO!" Jay snapped; Glen backed away a bit.
"Really?" Ed walked to the pedestal, "What is it really? Oh, can I help?"
"No!" Jay pushed his father away gently, "It's okay! I don't need your help, Dad. Let's just leave it alone."
Then, he raised his wrist to his face and said, "Hey, look at the time!"
Glen raised an eyebrow. He was going with that?
"You need to get back before its dark," Jay continued, pushing his folks towards the entrance of the bridge, "I told you, there's dangerous Serpentine out there."
Ed sighed, "I... suppose we could get back. Hey Glen, you still wanna lift?"
"Thank you, no," Glen answered, "I think I'll be fine on my own from here."
"Really?" Kai raised an eyebrow, "The nearest town is like thirty mile from here."
"Oh, c'mon Glen," Edna put a hand on his shoulder, "At least let us take you to the junkyard. We can set up a cozy spot for ya 'till tomorrow."
"Oh, alright," Glen caved, though his face betrayed a feeling of regret.
"Edna, it was a pleasure hearing about Jay's first potty time," Cole smirked and walked over to them, putting a hand on Jay's shoulder.
"Oh, if you thought that was good, wait till you hear the story about the time I caught him kissing his pillow!" Edna replied as she reached up to pinch her son's cheek, but he pushed her hand away.
"Snakes, Ma!" he said, "Snakes!"
"Okay, we're going, we're going."
Glen, Ed, and Edna walked out the entrance, the rest of the group following.
(Line break)
Ed started up the engine for the car.
"So, you promise to come to the junkyard and visit your mother and father?" Edna asked quickly.
"Yes, I promise," Jay said exasperatedly, "But only if you leave. I don't want you to get hurt. It's getting dark. Ah... your headlights are working, right?"
Two intensely bright beams of light came from the front of the car, making everyone groan and cover their eyes.
"Eh heh," Ed leaned back against the leather upholstery. "Like 'em? I used a little extra juice!"
The lights flicked off and Ed pulled away saying, "Bye son! I couldn't be more proud!"
"And bring Nya, with you, will ya?" Edna turned and shouted to her son, "I can see why ya like her!"
"Mom!" Jay moaned.
"Now that they have left," Sensei Wu said, turning to Jay, "perhaps Jay can teach us the art of... kissing pillows."
It was enough to make everyone but Jay laugh. He just groaned and walked onto the ship.
(Line break)
Ed and Edna sped along on the road. They were unusually quiet.
"I don't think he's coming, dear," Ed sighed, breaking the silence.
"Stop it, Ed," Edna smiled, "He's coming."
"Ah... he doesn't need us anymore. I just have to... remember that. Eh, write it down for me would ya?"
"Oh..." Edna cooed as she wrote down the new note.
Glen laid on his side, his back to the couple. The boy kept his thoughts silent, this was none of his business.
"Lights, dear. It's getting dark," He heard the woman say.
"Right!" The road in front of the car grew bright, "Thanks, sugarplum."
(Line break)
Deep in the woods a few miles away, Lloyd trampled through grass, dead, leaves and rocks, Alexis right behind him. He held an unrolled map in one hand, and a flashlight in the other. They came to a cemetery-like place and, without a second thought, walked through the entrance. Alexis sensed that Lloyd had conflicting feelings over what they were doing, not because of any moral judgement, but for the eeriness of their surroundings that gave them a sense of dreariness. Alexis felt a little nauseous, this place reeked of fear and dread.
"It's not scary," he mumbled, trying to make himself seem braver, "Um... maybe just a little... But, I like scary! Yeah... That's it... I'm the son of the Dark Lord! I love the dark!"
"Oh really?" Alexis sarcastically asked, seeing through the weak deception.
"Yeah," he answered, "Really."
As Lloyd talked, he walked deeper into the cemetery, turning around occasionally.
"Why, I eat this stuff for breakfast!"
Something snapped. Lloyd looked up and yelled. He jumped behind Alexis, frantically shining his flashlight in front of them, and felt his heart calm down. It was just a tree, nothing else.
"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say your mother wasn't a Dark Lady," Alexis commented, though she too shared his fears.
Lloyd ignored her and resumed his walking.
"Remind me again why we're here in the first place?"
"We're gonna make those Hypnobrai pay for betraying us. We have to find the Fangpyres."
"Why the heck do you think they would help us?"
"Because if there's anything a snake doesn't like, it's another snake. Hey, you think you could use your powers and find the entrance to their tomb?"
"I don't know, can I?"
"You can't?"
"'Course I can, I just didn't like that you assumed I could. Stand back and shut up."
(Author's Notes: Cue the first 34 seconds of "Tales of a Jedi Knight" from A New Hope, it's the piece where Old Ben reveals he's a Jedi and Luke's dad was too)
Alexis closed her eyes, letting her powers find what she was looking for. The world around her seemed to hum and vibrate as she started walking slowly, following a particularly strong and dark vibration, similar to the one the last Serpentine tribe gave off. She stopped in front of a giant twisted and warped tree growing from a strange circle of stone in the center of the cemetery.
(A/N: end music)
"Here! By the mutated tree! I found it!"
Lloyd ran up to where she was pointing, knelt down and swiped his hand through the dust and mist, waving it away. The mist cleared, revealing a stone floor with many designs, the largest being a snake with two heads.
"Soon, the Serpentine will know who their master is!" he said, "And it will be I, Lloyd Garmadon! ..."
Thunder rumbled the entire place, and the twosome cowered and screamed. They opened their eyes and Lloyd pushed a button on the floor. The double-headed snake design fell into the floor, and many red and white things popped out. Lloyd yelled for the third time and tried swatting them away, with Alexis pressing herself against his back, covering her head. The flashlight went out. Hissing rang in the children's ears and they turned around sharply. A two-headed Serpentine holding a golden staff like Skales' own hissed and shook his head.
"And who…" the first head said.
"…May I say released us…" the second said.
"…From our captivity?" the first finished.
Lloyd cowered yet again and said, "Ll-Lloyd...
Alexis gulped and added, "A-Alexis…"
Lloyd summoned up whatever courage he had and started talking turkey, "We r-released you to make the Hypnobrai pay for betraying us."
He picked up the map and held it up so the snake could see it.
"Hypnobrai?" the second mused.
"Those hypnotizing deceivers," the first hissed.
"It will be…"
"…Our pleasure!"
"Oh... good!" Alexis smiled weakly, all traces of fear dissolving now that everything was going good, "We'll lead the way. And after that, there's some ninja we need dealt with."
"Sounds like…" the first head murmured.
"You two know…"
"…What you want!"
"But, the Hypnobrai are strong…"
"… And we are few in numbers."
"We need…"
"…Reinforcements!"
"What'd you have in mind?" Lloyd asked.
The snake heads hissed gleefully.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Alexis whispered into her partner's ear.
Lloyd whispered back, "You and me both."
(Line break)
Ed and Edna pulled up to their junkyard, which was named Ed and Edna's Scrap 'n Junk though the second "s" temporarily shorted out. Ed parked the car next to their trailer and turned on the lights.
"Home sweet home," Ed said as he and Edna pulled off their caps.
They and Glen climbed out of the car and Ed picked up a toolbox, walking to a large robot-like machine.
"And, back to the grind," the older male added.
"Oh sweetie, you've been working on that thing day and night!"
"Well, ya never know when Jay may show up!"
"Oh, you're right. Ya never know!"
Edna walked into the trailer and Ed began working on the robot, Glen following her. She opened the door of the trailer, revealing the inside of a standard trailer set up: a small living room with a secondhand couch and small foldable chair at the entrance, a good sided kitchenette in the middle with a sink overflowing with dirty pots, pans, and dishes, and "master suite" consisting of an old queen sized bed squeezing against a 2 by 4 foot bathroom at the back end. Edna went to the bed, picked up a blanket, walked back to the couch and spread the blanket across it, fluffing a pillow laying against one of the arms.
Glen could stay silent no longer, "Um, Mrs. Walker… I know you and your husband are trying to be nice and you're both good people… but I… I… I just feel like I'd be taking advantage of your hospitality and…"
"Oh, don't be silly," the elder woman dismissed, her smile forever on her face, "We love helping people. And it's only for one night."
Glen got tense for a moment then said, "I… Is it… I mean, would it be alright if I take a late night stroll before bed? It's been a very stressful week for me."
"Oh, of course ya can," the lady confirmed, "Ooh, ya want somethin' to eat before you sleep."
"No, that's okay," Glen replied as he exited, "Th-thank you for-for everything."
(A/N: start playing the first 25 seconds of The Tusken Camp/The Homestead from "Attack of the Clones")
Glen came outside, quickly and quietly made his way to back end of the junkyard, careful not to step on anything sharp. He looked left then right, that was when something caught his attention. The young man slowly walked up to a broken piece of machinery, trying and slowly failing to keep itself going. It took only seconds for Glen to come to the horrible realization that this was a power generator and soon the couple would lose it.
"I gotta warn…" Glen never got the chance to finish after a rock made a thud sound against his head, knocking him out.
Up on a large pile just behind Glen, two children (Lloyd and Alexis) looked down at the fallen figure.
"Nice throw," Lloyd said to his female companion, making her smirk a bit.
000
Suddenly, Ed heard something whistle past him. He stopped welding the metal and pushed up his mask.
"Uh, Edna?!" he called to his wife, "Was that you?!"
Edna opened the trailer door and shouted, "What, Ed?! Are you hearing things again?!"
"You turned on the security alarm before ya left, didn'tcha, Hon?!" Ed asked as he became worried.
Edna frowned and walked to the power grid. She flicked on a few buttons but nothing happened.
"Must be broken!" she called back.
And everything turned off. The entire junkyard went dark.
"Whoever's there," Ed warned and then cupped his hands around his mouth, "My son knows Spinjitzu!"
Something hissed behind one of the junk piles and a shadow appeared on the wall behind it.
Ed dropped his things and ran to Edna, who cried, "What is it? Why are the lights out? And Glen's gone missin'!"
"Call Jay, Hon!" Ed said frantically, "Someone's broken in!"
"How 'bout we wait 'til he calls you!" The couple turned and looked up to the voice of a young boy.
Said small boy dressed in black on the roof held up their phone, the twisted cord split. A double-headed, red snake holding a golden staff stood next to him on one side and a girl in purple on the other.
"Oh wait, you can't," the girl smirked, "You've been disconnected."
"Muah-ha-ha-ha-ha!" The boy laughed.
"Ed!" Edna cried worriedly.
"Be strong, Edna!" Ed held her close, "I won't let them hurt you!"
"If we plan…" the first head said to the children.
"…To attack…" the second head continued.
"…The Hypnobrai…"
"…We must grow…"
"…Our army!"
"And, uh, how do we do that?" the girl nervously asked the snake.
"Let's just say..."
The snake's four white eyes glittered evilly.
"…We Fangpyre bite off more…"
"…Than we can chew."
"Have at it boys!" The first head yelled.
With vicious hisses, more red and white snakes, this time with legs, poured out from behind the junk piles. They crawled onto various broken vehicles and sank their over-sized fangs into the metal. Green venom spread from the puncture marks, and with many blasts of venomous smoke, the vehicles became alive, with fangs, eyes, and tails.
"My creations," Ed gasped, "They're turning them into…"
"An army?" the first head finished, having come down from his perch while the couple watched the lower ranking snakes do their dirty work.
The couple gasped and turned again.
"You are correct," the second head said, "But we can also…Turn people, too."
Ed and Edna held each other in fear as Fangtom drew his fangs nearer and nearer.
(Line break)
Back on the ship, Jay was working on the button.
"Sure got a lotta junk piling up," Kai said as he and Zane walked past Jay, "If only there was a place where we could get rid of it."
"If you don't mind, I'm trying to focus," Jay snapped.
"Hi, Mom and Dad," Cole spoke behind Jay, holding a phone to his ear, "Of course, I'd love to visit, what kind of son would I be if I didn't want…"
Jay interrupted him, "Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha. I know what you're trying to do."
He stood up and faced the threesome, "Okay, okay, look, I might have promised to visit my parents but, there's a lot of stuff on my plate!"
Nya suddenly opened the door to the bridge and walked through it.
Jay noticed her, then wiped the oil and grease off his face and said shyly, "H-hi, Nya."
"Hey Jay. You gonna visit your parents today?" Nya asked as she stopped walking by the ninjas.
"Oh! Uh, s-sure am!" Jay stuttered, "Just about to leave!"
"Okay, tell them I said hi!" Nya requested and left.
Kai, Zane, and Cole gave Jay a look. Of course he would do anything for Nya.
"What?" Jay spread his arms, "So my plate's not that full."
"I'm actually a little more concerned that knowing Glen is with your parents isn't your motivation," Zane interjected, "For all we know Glen may be planning to do something very… unkind."
"Yeah Dude," Cole agreed, "Haven't you seen every horror movie ever?! The baddie's always the quiet, clean-cut stranger when it ain't the butler, handyman, or the old dude."
Jay chuckled nervously before quickly leaving the bridge with an unconvincing "yeah right."
(Line break)
Jay tugged on Wisp's chains, "Agh... uhn... come on, Wisp! It'll be a quick visit!"
But the dragon refused, looking a bit under the weather.
Jay noticed and ceased tugging, saying, "Just in and out, nothing more."
Then Sensei Wu walked up to Jay, holding a large thermometer in his hands.
"Hmm... It's just as I suspected. The dragons are molting," the old man was saying, making Jay drop Wisp's chains, "They are shedding their scales."
"What does that mean?" Jay asked.
"Every adolescent dragon goes through a transformation before it becomes an adult..."
Wisp snorted in agreement.
"…We must allow them to migrate east to the Spirit Coves, for their transformation," Sensei Wu continued, as the rest of the ninjas, and Nya came over to the two, having heard part of the conversation.
"Will we see them again?" Jay asked.
"It is hard to say," the elder answered and looked up at Wisp, "But we need to allow them to follow their path."
"Rocky's going east?" Cole asked; he stopped walking and let the other four keep going, then walked to his dragon.
He hugged the dragon's muzzle and begged, "Say it isn't so, Rocky."
Zane fondly patted Shard's nose. Kai and Nya walked to Flame, petting him fondly and sadly.
"Well…" Jay rubbed the back of his head and came to Nya, "I guess I gotta go on this long walk all by myself. Sure would be nice to have company."
Nya nodded.
"Of course we'll go, buddy!" Kai looked over Flame's muzzle.
"I could use a break!" Cole joined them.
"All you had to do was ask," Zane smiled.
Jay, for the second time in as many days, put a hand to his head and sighed.
(Line break)
After dropping the group off, Flame, Wisp, Shard, and Rocky flew past the group of six trudging along the road. Sensei Wu was playing his flute; Cole looked up at the rapidly fading shapes of their dragons and frowned. He had finally gotten over his fear of them and made a close bond with Rocky, losing him was the hardest thing he had ever done.
"Hah..." Jay sighed, "Of all the days to lose our ride."
"At least they got us halfway," Kai shrugged.
"That flute," Zane interjected as he appeared at the old man's side, "You never told us why it's so special."
The sensei stopped playing and lectured, "Long ago, there were many flutes, created to combat the powers of the Serpentine and drive them underground. But, over time, Ninjago's forgotten its ancestors' wisdom..."
As he spoke, two birds flew above the six.
"…And now, this is the only one."
Suddenly, Sensei Wu whipped around and began playing it again, startling Jay for a moment. The two birds landed on a nearby rock.
"I get the lesson," the blue ninja said, brushing past him, "Respect your elders or suffer the consequences. Boy, you guys are layin' it on thick."
Sensei Wu chuckled, "Perhaps you are only hearing what you need to hear."
Jay stopped walking. In front of him, the entrance to Ed and Edna's Scrap 'n Junk stood dimly. But something was wrong, very wrong. Most people wouldn't notice but Jay lived here most of his life, he knew something was up.
"What is it?" Nya asked and halted beside Jay.
"It's quiet..." Jay pulled on his hood, "My family's never quiet!"
He began running to the junkyard, everyone following him.
They gathered in a little section of the junkyard where the ground wasn't covered in junk. The six were absolutely silent. Jay heard faint muffled sounds coming from... the broken down fridge! The blue ninja ran to said fridge and kicked upward at the metal pole blocking the door and opened it. Inside, his parents were chained and duct-taped.
"What happened?" Jay asked frantically, "Did Glen do this?"
He took the tape off his mother's mouth. Small fangs protruded from her gums.
"Oh sssssweetheart," Edna smiled, "Ya came!"
Jay then took the tape from his father, who also had little fangs.
"Oh, ya gotta get outta here!" Ed warned, "It's the sssssnakes!"
"The bite of the Fangpyre!" Sensei Wu exclaimed, "Once they sink their teeth, their venom can turn anything into a Serpentine!"
Ed and Edna hopped out of the fridge.
The elder then added, "It's only a matter of time before the full transformation is complete!"
Ed and his wife looked behind them, both feeling a tail trying to pop out.
A sharp hissing sound suddenly rang in everyone's ears. They turned to see a large wrecking ball... with a snake-like face. The Fangpyre were walking by it, letting out hisses of glee. The ninjas got into their fighting positions.
"Uh, is that wrecking-ball staring at me?" the black ninja asked.
The wrecking ball promptly swung around, headed straight for the eight humans.
"Duck!" Jay yelled.
He pushed his parents out of the way as everyone else dove in different directions. A large cloud of dust came up at the wrecking ball hit the ground.
"Thanksssss, son," Ed said when the dust had cleared.
"Lloyd!" Sensei Wu exclaimed.
Everyone turned around at the sound of the boy's name. They looked up and saw him smiling evilly and standing next to a two-headed snake and a girl in purple.
"Hello, Uncle," Lloyd sneered, "Looks like we're not the only family reunion. I'm glad you brought the ninja. We could use some help taking out the trash."
"Good thing this place is a dump," Alexis looked at him, "Cuz that joke stunk."
He looked back at her and grumbled, "Way to kill the moment, Alexis."
"If we want to turn your parents back," Nya said to Jay, "we need the anti-venom from the staff!"
The wrecking ball swung around again.
"Second dose!" Cole yelled, "To the dirt!"
They scattered again.
"Easier said than done, sis," Kai said, putting a hand on his sword, "We're a bit outnumbered."
The red ninja took his sword out.
"Nobody messes with my family!" Jay took out his nun-chucks and rushed towards one of the Fangpyre.
He leaped in the air and brought the nun-chucks down, forcing the snakes back a bit.
"Ninjaaaaa-Go!" Jay spun into his lightning tornado and rammed into the Fangpyre, blowing them away.
The wrecking ball once again came towards him, but the ninja ducked under it and kept going.
Three more cries of "Ninjaaaaa-Go!" were heard as the wrecking ball got caught in a pile of junk. Kai, Cole, and Zane scattered the Fangpyre like Jay had done.
Nya kept the Serpentine away from Sensei Wu, who was playing the flute and causing the Fangpyre to halt and cover their ears in pain. Nya was fighting much like the ninja, but with a few of her own moves.
"How'd it go, Sensei?" Nya asked, running toward the old man, "I think we make a pretty good duet."
A sudden blast of rock music caused the three to look up. Alexis was now standing next to a boom-box, which drowned out the flute with the volume of the music.
"Young nephew and lady!" Sensei Wu yelled, pointing his walking stick at the two, "Must I teach you whose side you two should be on?!"
Lloyd just turned up the volume even more, and yelled back, "Sorry, Uncle! Can't hear you!"
Unbeknownst to the two, a Fangpyre quietly crept up to the elder. Clang! The snake was knocked out by a frying pan wielded by Edna.
"Ha!" Ed shouted, "Way to go, Edna!"
"Ninjaaaaa-Go!" The four ninjas cried as they whirled into their tornadoes and scared off a little group of Serpentine behind a junk pile.
While the ninjas followed them, the snakes jumped onto a large robot and sank their fangs into the metal. As quickly as the ninjas turned the corner, they stopped. A large rumbling shook their feet. They looked up, just as a large, green robot appeared behind the junk pile. Its ruby eyes glowed menacingly.
"Gah!" Jay raised his nun-chucks, "What is that thing?"
"It was, uh, supposed to be in your honor, son," Ed fiddled with his hands, "Uh, do ya like it?"
The robot lurched forward.
"Thanks!" Jay yelled, "But, no thanks!"
The four turned and ran as the robot swung its log-nun-chucks down, sending up a dust cloud. They looked back, and then saw where they were running. The wrecking ball had gotten out of the junk pile and now looked at them; a glowing green, venomous aura surrounded it.
"Oh, why'd you have to be born in a junkyard?" Cole shouted.
"I know!" Jay replied, "Tell me about it!"
The wrecking ball swung towards them yet again. Three shapes flew out of the dust and landed safely on the ground.
Kai looked around and commented, "Uh, wasn't there four of us?"
Jay was busy swinging on the wrecking ball. He stood on the ball of metal, then jumped in a graceful arc and landed on the roof of the control area. He swung down and kicked out the Fangpyre who was controlling it, then took hold of the joysticks. He looked down and scratched his head. A snake face with yellow eyes hissed at him.
"Let's see if I can work this," Jay said as he began to control the wrecking ball.
Cole blocked a blow from the robot with his scythe.
"Don't worry! I've got it!" He yelled as he struggled to keep his scythe up.
Jay suddenly swung the wrecking ball at the robot. It flew into the walking metal, which crashed in another pile of junk. He then got down from the machine and joined the other ninjas.
"I told you I had it!" Cole said, irritated.
Lloyd peered down at the downed robot, and then at the ninjas, who took out their weapons and brandished them threateningly.
"Retreat!" he yelled.
A Rattle-copter flew up to the boy and the double-headed snake. All the Fangpyre and mutated machines ran or hopped away.
"He's getting away with the staff!" Nya cried.
"Right now would be a good time to have those dragons," Jay sighed.
"Eh... eh..." Ed panted as he put a hand on his son's shoulder, turning green, "Eh... It'sssss okay, ssssson."
"There is still a way," Sensei Wu said.
"How?" Jay asked.
"Part of reaching your own full potential is understanding your weapons' potential! Once it is in tune with the focused heart, its secrets and powers can be unlocked."
"Oh! This is not the time to be cryptic!" Jay snapped.
"He's saying our weapons are vehicles themselves," Zane translated.
"Don't tell me I have to ride this like a broomstick," Kai frowned, looking down at his sword.
"Jay, concentrate on unlocking your Golden Weapon. Let your heart guide you!" the sensei explained quickly, "Imagine you're taking flight."
Jay looked down at his nun-chucks. He closed his eyes, then began swing the nun-chucks around. Lightning flashed down, and the ninja was engulfed in a pale blue bubble. Everything went white for a moment, and then it just as quickly disappeared. In place of the bubble was a blue and silver jet.
"Whoa!" Jay yelled, "Ha-hah! Did I just do that?"
Kai looked at his sword, then closed his eyes and began swinging it around. Flames spread along the length of the sword and Kai threw it into the air. He rose on a small hill of earth and there was an explosion. When the smoke cleared, Kai was sitting on a large motorcycle-type vehicle.
Zane lashed out into thin air with his shuriken. The small pieces of metal shot out ice that formed around Zane, making a similar shape to Kai's motorcycle. The ice glowed, and with the rev of an engine, it broke away. Zane now sat on his own snowmobile.
Cole whipped his scythe around him. The scythe rose into the air and tendrils of rocks swirled around Cole and his weapon. A large hill of dirt covered the two and with a flash of golden light, Cole's scythe transformed into his vehicle: a high-tech cross between an ATV and a race car.
"Ha!" he shouted, "I'd hate to hurt Rocky's feelings, but I think he's just been replaced!"
Ed, Edna, Sensei Wu, and Nya watched in awe as the four took off on their vehicles, leaving them behind.
"Does your flute turn into anything?" Nya asked the old man.
The elder looked at his flute and deadpanned, "I wish."
(Line break)
Something blue shot past the Rattle-copter carrying Lloyd, Alexis, and Fangtom.
"Whoa! What the heck was that?!" Lloyd cried.
"Ninja," Alexis answered.
000
"Whoops!" Jay chuckled, "Overshot that a little."
He turned around and headed for the Rattle-copter again.
He lined up the Rattle-copter with the center of the screen and said, "Let's see what this baby can do."
He pressed a button and the jet began to bounce out of control. Fangtom, Alexis, and Lloyd ducked as the jet hurtled over them. Fangtom shook it off, and then looked at his hand.
"The staff!" his second head yelled.
000
"I got it?" Jay looked at the staff in a daze, "Ha! I got it! Ha-ha-ha!"
Suddenly, the jet gave a mighty shake and transformed back into nun-chucks. With an "Uh-oh." and a yell, Jay began to fall towards the sandy ground.
"Jay! You have to concentrate!" Kai shouted.
"I caaaaan't!" Jay shouted back.
"I think we're gonna have to catch him," Cole said, "I got him."
"No, I got him!" Kai swerved.
"He's mine!" Zane zoomed ahead.
The vehicles all collided and disappeared, sending the ninjas up into the air.
"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!" Jay then landed in his parents' car.
He tumbled into a seat next to Nya, who was sitting next to the driver: Glen. Behind them sat his teacher and his parents, the latter two now completely green, scaly, and equipped with tails.
Getting over a mild panic episode, Jay exploded at Glen, "You! Where were you when all this happened?!"
"Sightseeing," Glen sarcastically said before explaining, "Looking for you and your pals after those walking snakes knocked me out. But by the time I got to your ship, you were gone."
"Glen's been up all night," Nya corroborated, "And he's a surprisingly good driver at high speeds."
"Oh, Ehe-he..." Jay said nervously, "Nice catch."
"Ooh," Edna said, "I knew I liked thisssssh boy."
"Everyone…" Fangtom's second head shouted to his army.
"… Attack!" yelled his first head.
With loud revs and angry hissing, the mutated vehicles and Fangpyre surged forward. Zane, Kai, and Cole picked up their weapons, but nothing happened. Kai shook his sword as the car stopped behind the ninjas.
"Why isn't it working?" he shrieked.
"Your weapon is merely an extension of your mind!" Sensei Wu called from the car, "If your mind is immobile, so is your weapon."
"Oh boy," Ed hissed, "Oh gosssssh, oh golly, oh darn. Get in boysssssh!"
"We need to get back to headquarters!" Jay told Glen as the three other ninjas climbed aboard the car.
He nodded and slammed his foot on the accelerator, the Fangpyre in pursuit.
"Look!" Lloyd yelled, "They're getting away!"
"Move it or lose it, weirdos!" Alexis ordered.
(Line break)
The ninjas, Sensei Wu, Nya, Glen, Ed, and Edna ran up the ship's ramp.
"Come with me," Nya said to Ed and Edna, "Once we reverse the venom, we can fix you."
The three ran into a lower room while the ninjas, Glen, and Sensei Wu ran into the bridge.
"Man your stations!" Jay ordered, "Everyone!"
He ran to the button. Kai and Glen looked out a window. The Fangpyre were getting rapidly closer.
"Here they come!" Glen warned.
"Jay! We better hurry!" Kai called.
"I've been waiting for this moment," Jay said as he rubbed his hands, then he slammed his hand down on the button but nothing happened.
The other three ninja looked around.
Glen yelled, "They're gaining on us!"
(Line break)
Ed and Edna each took a cup held out by Nya.
"Bottomsssssh up," Ed said before downing the anti-venom.
A pale golden light shimmered over the couple, turning them back to normal.
(Line break)
"Agh!" Jay groaned, repeatedly hitting the pedestal over and over again, "I don't get what's wrong! I spent forever on this, it's supposed to work!"
Ed walked up behind him and said, "Ah, son? Maybe I can help."
"Dad!" Jay exclaimed, "Y-you're okay!"
"Heh, darn tootin'," his father replied, bending over and working on some of the wires.
"Oh, let's have a look... Ah-hah!" Ed stood up after a few seconds, "That should do it! Now try it!"
Jay nodded and pushed the button. Everyone heard a loud whistling sound. The ship shook and the roar of a rocket reached her ears. Glen stumbled forward into Nya as the ship somehow flew into the sky.
"No! No! No!" Lloyd cried, only to choke on the ship's exhaust fumes.
Nya stumbled as well and accidentally let go of the staff. It bounced out the room and over the ship's railing and conked a Fangpyre on the ground below. With another roar, the ship blasted off. The Rattle-copter flew low to the ground and Fangtom picked up the staff from where it had fallen.
"These ninja…" Fangtom's second head hissed.
"…They must be stopped!" the first finished.
"Oh, you have no idea," Alexis stated.
Lloyd shook his head, "Tell me about it..."
(Line break)
The ninjas' ship, the Destiny's Bounty, flew gracefully over the clouds.
"We'll get you back to the junkyard just as soon as the coast is clear," Jay told his parents as they entered the deck, "But... stay as long as you like. It's nice, having you here."
"Oh, take a note, Edna," Ed said, putting his arm around Jay's shoulders, "Of all our inventions, this one is our greatest."
Edna threw her notepad behind her and replied, "I already know, dear."
The family then hugged. The old man watched them from a distance then looked at Glen who was leaning over on the railings, watching the sunset.
The old man walked up to the lad, saying, "I must thank you for your help. If you hadn't, I would have only three ninjas as of today."
"Just wish I could've come here sooner, could've saved you all a lot of trouble," Glen replied, not looking at the elder, sighed and added, "I'm not going back to the Walker's junkyard. Not that I'm ungrateful for all they've done, it's just… I don't want to take advantage of their kindness."
Wu raised an eyebrow and commented, "I take it you don't have much experience of others offering you a helping hand."
"Usually get the opposite. Or have to repay it."
The old man was silent for a moment before saying, "Zane said you were looking for someone to help you with something."
Glen just looked at the man, sighed and replied, "Yes, I… had a master… of sorts. He's gone and last I heard, someone similar to my old master was residing at the desert trading post. If you could get me there, I'd appreciate it."
"We could," the elder smiled, "Or, you could stay here and train with the other ninja."
Glen's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as his mouth dropped. He shook his head and tried to protest, but the older man stopped him,
"Listen, Glen, I know we aren't your first choice, but the 'snake people', the serpentine, are very dangerous and are currently being led by two children, one who may have a sixth sense and the other who is desperately trying to be like his father. They do not understand the damage they are knowingly and unknowingly causing. They must be stopped and we could use all the help we can find."
Glen looked away for a moment, breathing deeply, letting the elder's words sink in, "Alright, I'll help."
000
And scene. Well, what do ya think? Comment, review, analyze, or whatever me and sooner or later (hopefully not too later) read the next chapter.