(A/N: Now, this story takes place after Chapter 11 of Aspheera's Revenge, so read it before reading this, if you wish to avoid confusion. Also, in case you forgot, I have a poll vote on my account about my Ninja OCs of which two will have their greatest fear shown. Anyway, hope you enjoy this)
Inside a house in a small village just outside of Ninjago City, it was currently 6:29 a.m. in someone's bedroom before their alarm clock, in the shape of Lloyd, soon turned to 6:30 and goes off. The person in bed, revealing to be Nelson, now in his early teens, gets out, throws his bed covers aside, revealing to be wearing a purple sweatshirt and blue jeans, tapped his clock off, knocking it aside in the process. Quickly stretching, Nelson jumps off the bed, excited about something. "This is it." He said to himself while bouncing. "This is it!" He soon rushed out of his bedroom.
He makes his way to the bathroom where he brushed his teeth, returned to his room to grab a green backpack, ran over to a stairwell, jumps onto the railing, and slides down it, passing by some photos of himself, along with some injuries.
He made his way to the kitchen where he ate cornflakes for breakfast, completely scowled the milk in the bowl, wiped his mouth, made a sandwich and puts it in his bag.
Down in the hallway, Nelson's mother exits a room, very tired before she yawns, stretches herself, and rubs her eyes as she came up to the stairwell. "Honey!" She called out from the bottom of the stairwell. "Time to wake up!"
"I'm up, mom."
She turned to see Nelson, wearing the backpack while putting on his purple Ninja Runners. "Nelson? Why are you-?"
"I'm starting today, remember? As a paperboy." He finishes tying his shoes, comes up to his mother and hugs her. "I gotta run. See ya, mom."
He starts to head for the door. "Wait, wait. I'll make you a sandwich."
"I already did. It's in my bag. I gotta get my bike ready." He heads for the door.
Outside, Nelson uses a bicycle pump to inflate the back wheel of his bike until it reaches the right pressure before he throws the pump aside and gets on his bike. "Hey, forget something?" Nelson turned to see his mother come up to him with a helmet, causing him to pout. "Don't want that officer confiscating your bike again." She puts it on him and kisses his cheek.
"Mom, please, I'm gonna be late."
"What do you do when you get to an intersection?"
"Look both directions. I'm not 6 anymore, mom."
She moves aside. "I know, I know. Just be careful." Nelson starts cycling away. "We don't want any more boo-boos, right?" She waves him goodbye before giggling.
"I will, I promise." He turns his bike, but too early as he nearly crashes into some rocks, shocking his mother. But he managed to turn to avoid them and keeps moving toward Ninjago City.
By the outskirts, James was busy doing his garden when he notices Nelson pass by. "Hey, Nelson." He called out. "Good luck today."
"Thanks, Mr. Debitum!"
Nelson had made his way into the city and rode along the streets before making a right into a nearby alleyway where several other paperboys and papergirls were waiting. When some of them notice him, they immediately huddle. One of them chuckles. "Fresh meat, huh?" He asked.
"How long you think he's gonna last?" Another paperboy asked.
A papergirl then turned to Nelson. "Eh, don't listen, kid." She said.
"You'll be fine." A paperboy told him.
"A buck says he doesn't make it to the end of the day." The first paperboy tells another one nearby.
"Come on, leave him alone." He replied. "You were like that on your first day."
"Hey, on your first day, you wet your pants."
"He did not." The papergirl said. "It was the water fountain, okay."
Pretty soon, the steel shutter door in front of them opens up and a teenaged boy comes out with a clipboard. "Hey, listen up, announcements." He called out, and they all turn to him. He clears his throat before looking at the clipboard. "Routes 7 and 9 are closed due to hostile conditions. And Route 23 is designated quadruple black diamond." Another papergirl arrives, stopping next to Nelson. "Avoid with extreme prejudice. Got it?" They all mutter in reply. "Ten-Speed and Spokes are out with injuries, Louie and Oddjob had their bikes confiscated by the police, Knuckles, uh, quit." The announcement got them to groan. "And it seems that Sylvester..." Another paperboy soon arrived. It was Sylvester, who wore a gold and grey striped shirt, red sweatpants and red trainers. "...is late again."
"Ooh, low blow, dude." The papergirl next to Nelson said.
"That leaves us short, but we'll manage, right?" No one answers. "Right?! Does the news sleep?"
"The news never sleeps!" All the paperboys and papergirls call out, except for Nelson.
"Oh, yeah, one more thing. Uh, we got a new paperboy." He points to Nelson and everyone turns to him. "What's your name again, kid?"
"Uh, N... Nelson." He said.
"N... Nelson, you're with Antonia. Sylvester will also be with you two."
"Babysitting the new kid?" He asked before looking at Nelson, who nervously smiles before turning back to face the main paperboy. "That's rather a negative action, sir."
"You only got this job because the Yellow Ninja put in a good word for you, after you stole his van and he chose not to press charges. Now, either you choose to be at this spot on time from this day forward and do as your told, or you choose to find yourself another job, or in jail. Do I make myself clear?"
Sylvester pouts a bit. "Yes, Sammy, perfectly clear."
"Then show him the ropes, you two, bring him back alive." Antonia, the papergirl next to Nelson, salutes. "All right, then. Kick the tires! Light the fires! Let's go!" They all get off their bikes to grab their share of newspapers to spread while Sylvester grabs two, throws one on the back of Nelson's bike, gets back on his and puts his share at the front as the paperboys and papergirls start taking off to start their duties.
Antonia soon came up to the two boys. "Ready, kid?" Antonia asked Nelson.
"What-" Nelson stuttered. "What did he mean, bring me back alive?"
"Hey, relax." Sylvester replied. "Do what we say, when we say, and you'll make it."
"Make it? Why wouldn't I make it? What do you mean, make it?"
Antonia shrugs her shoulders. "It's Ninjago City." She said before she takes off.
"Try to keep up." Sylvester said as he takes off as well.
"What?" Nelson asked, referring to what Antonia said. "Wait." He turns his bike around. "Wait for me." He starts to cycle to catch up to the two.
(A/N: If you're wondering who Sylvester is, he's the boy that tried to steal Kai's wallet in Return of the Wind)