~Chapter 5~

Nya's pov

This morning we received a package. The whole gang (minus the twins) met up in the control room to inspect it, the most obvious thing about the package was that it was small and had the symbol for serpentine on the back.

As everyone gathered around me, I opened it cautiously. It held a small plastic rectangular piece that resembled a cassette, and we managed to play it. It was a video made by Skales, and it involved him needing some common household objects, or we'd have to say bye-bye to our 'groupies'. It also showed them holding Danni and Tara captive.

So, after we got over the whole 'You suck' thing Danni came up with, everyone was quiet.

Cole seemed to be brooding a plan, Zane looked contemplative, Kai looked determined to get them back and Jay, well, he was still laughing… yeah…

So, after Jay got over that terrible joke, Cole then shared his plan with us. Do what the Serpentine said, with a twist. I mean, what bad things could they do with flour, bleach, a pot plant and other random things?

After we collected the said items, we went to the address they so kindly provided.

I flew The Bounty to the edge of Ninjago City, to an empty field, then over a hill. On top of the hill was a building that, considering it was placed right next to Gija River, must have been used to collect the water, and possibly clean it before pumping it into Ninjago City.

It looked large and menacing almost from the outside, and the only windows I could see were small slits next to the main entrance. It was about the size of the new Bounty, but wasn't wooden, it was concrete and metal.

I landed The Bounty so the guys could easily get out and complete the transaction. After they got out and walked to the door, I saw them look at each for a second, then Cole bust the door down with a solid kick.

They filed inside the building, and I lost visual contact with them.

Danni's pov

Wow, I'm feeling dizzy… I thing I'm going to be sick…

They took me out of my cage again, pushing me back into the main warehouse room. I looked around it a bit more intensely, noting almost everything about it. I scanned the tall and intimidating concrete walls that were about ten metres in height, then looked at the vast collection of boxes. They were about 1m cubes each, stacked in piles of three, with an unsurprising thick coating of dust surrounding each one.

Continuing to scan the area, I saw them guiding Tara to a human-sized container. It was promptly filled with ice and water, while others kept Tara surrounded, ensuring she didn't make a hasty escape.

While I was looking around, guessing there had to be at least fifty of the creatures in the facility; I was being lead through it, being toured through a maze of boxes. And when they stopped walking, I saw it. The tallest diving board I'd ever seen! There were only two metres between the diving board and the ceiling, which was about ten metres high. Did I mention I'm afraid of heights?

Now, don't ask me how or why there was a diving board in an abandoned warehouse, but let me just say, there was no pool underneath it. There was just an open are at its base. A clear fall to the hard, cold concrete ground underneath.

Gulp.

"Go on, princcesss!" An overly creepy lizard told me, gesturing to the ladder up to the diving board. I could see where this was going. I certainly didn't know they would be this cruel, sending me, and possibly Tara, to our early graves.

"Uh, nah. I-I think I'm good, thanks." I said, taking a step back from the ladder. I wanted nothing to do with their diving board inclusive plan. I wanted nothing to do with their diving board, period.

The lizard's face turned harsh. It grabbed my forearm, dragged me up to it and pushed me into the ladder. "Start climbing."

3rd person

As Danni was sweetly taking her time climbing up the tall ladder, hopelessly trying to stall the inevitable, a ruckus emerged from the next room over.

"No, stop! Please! Get off me! Please!" Some feminine calls could be heard getting closer. Soon enough, some serpentine marched in, holding a young woman, as they continued through the area, making their way to another door, with another room behind it. Danni could vaguely make out her appearance: shoulder-length dirty blonde hair, kind of short (but that could just be her awkward viewing point) and was that a nurses uniform?

"Keep it moving, big-rear" The serpentine branded Danni, not knowing or caring what her name was.

Although this made Danni suddenly conscious of her surroundings, it didn't stop her looking down, but this time she no longer looked at the blonde, she searched for her twin.

She found what she was looking for.

Tara had been pushed into the crate filled to the brim with ice water, some escaping over the sides.

As Danni was about to call out, she reached for the next rung, and came short-handed. Her head bolted up in surprise, and she saw that she was at the top of the diving board.

Fear was sucked into Danni's lungs each time she panted in panic. She would have trouble stalling them from up here. She began to panic as she fumbled about, trying to stand up on the ever-moving actual board she was to jump off in a matter of moments. If not, though, there were loads of applicants willing to push her off, instead.

A forceful shove came from below her, making her jump in shock.

A small thud came from the ceiling, but Danni was too blinded with her own fear to speculate what creepy little animals lived in the ceiling. If fact, black splotches had begun to appear at the edge of her vision, making her blink repeatedly.

Ignoring 'big-rear's folly, Danni's 'escort' forced her further down the board, and just at that moment a thunderous crack came from somewhere off to her right, and all the serpentine turned to the sound, where the ninjas strode casually through the main door.

"Sorry, the doorbell wasn't working."

Danni's pov

"Sorry, the doorbell wasn't working." explained Cole with a slight smirk, obviously feeling good about himself after kicking the door down. The other ninjas walked in next him, Zane to his right, Kai and Jay to his left. He held out a brown bag that was obviously full, and threw it to the closest reptile, not really caring if it even caught it. Which it didn't. "So, where are our ninjas?" He asked, before making eye contact with me, and noticing that I was about to be pushed to my demise. "Not going back on our deal, are we?" Cole questioned "Because that wouldn't work out too well for you."

They all sprang into action faster than I could say 'Ninja-Go'!

The lizards put the lid back on Tara's full tub, with her inside and locked it. Having gotten what they wanted, they then ran like there was a 50% discount on the new Chanel line on the other side of Ninjago. Leaving the ninja to clean up their mess.

The only one left within sight was the one that was so desperate to have me make a pancake out of myself. Just as he was going to give me the final nudge to get me over the edge, for me to plummet to my untimely demise, Zane appeared behind him.

"Take a step away from her!" He warned, somehow already knowing what the lizard was planning to do. It only hesitated for a second, and then I was in air.

I felt a little cheated. When you're falling to your death, it's supposed to go in slow motion, with your life flashing before my eyes. That didn't happen.

As fast as I was in the air, I was out.

Luckily for me, someone spinjitzued under me, catching me bridal style at the last second. As I landed the sudden jolt caused all of the air in my lungs vacate the area, and with it, the fear.

I timidly squeezed my eyes open to meet his.

As I pushed air into my lungs, I swear I looked like a fish drowning in air.

Kai just stared into my eyes, not seeming to mind how undignified I looked. His eyes seemed relieved that I was back, out of harm's way for the moment. There was also a different emotion gleaming in his eyes, one I couldn't quite put my finger on.

After I finished my little show, I was promptly put down, which was followed by a question of concern from Kai, but I wasn't listening. I'd have to thank him for catching me at a later time.

As I swiftly made my way over to where Tara was, I saw that Cole and Jay had just gotten Tara out of the tub. She wasn't conscious, just wet and she looked absolutely freezing!

"I can perform CPR" Declared Zane, who moved over to where Cole was holding Tara's seemingly lifeless body, but I stopped him by putting my arm out in front of him. I had other ideas for him.

"No, Cole you do it" I told him then turned to a slightly confused Zane. "I saw the serpentine take an innocent girl into that room" I pointed in the direction I remember them pushing her in.

I then turned around and joined Jay in enjoyed the spectacle.

Cole was pushing down on Tara's chest, frowning with concern, concentrating on the task at hand too much to enjoy the opportunity, and then dipped his head to give her mouth-to-mouth.

Just before he reached her, she came to, and started coughing water violently. Right in Cole's face! Ah, and they were so close! Oh, well. Next time.

Cole's face contorted in disgust, yet he still helped her sit up and even lightly hit her back in order to help her cough all of the water out.

"Over here!"

Zane's pov

"Sorry, the doorbell wasn't working."

I could hear the smirk in the male's voice as he presented his quip. Standing to his right, I scanned the situation we had interrupted. All of the serpentine were staring in our direction, halting their various activities in our presence.

"So, where are our ninjas?" He inquired casually, subtly getting to the point of the transaction after throwing our end of the deal at the closest snake, which just so happened to be a particularly weak one. "Not going back on our deal, are we?" Cole continued to have a one-side converse "Because that wouldn't work out too well for you."

Then we all seemed to spring into action. I sprinted to a couple of piles of boxes that littered the concrete ground. I quickly scanned them to make sure that my weight would be held securely. My processors told me they were indeed full of iron piping. I jumped atop them, then continued, using my momentum to spinjitzu to the top of the diving board, where Danni was dangerously close to the edge of the said board.

"Take a step away from her!" I demanded of the reptile, knowing what he was planning.

He only hesitated for a moment before he continued to push her over the edge. My arm stretched out by instinct, even though I was far out of reach. I was relieved to see a red tornado spin underneath the board, where Kai caught her, the manoeuvre looking almost professional.

Considering that all the serpentine had left, I didn't make haste climbing down to meet up with my team.

"I can perform CPR" I clearly announced after seeing Tara's unconscious state, thinking we should act fast in order to save her. As I walked closer to Cole who was holding Tara, I made eye contact with Jay and Kai whom were looking on at the situation, keeping quiet, knowing nothing they can say will help. They simply watched me until an arm came out and stopped me in my tracks.

"No, Cole you do it" Danni turned to me. "I saw the serpentine take an innocent girl into that room" she pointed in my opposite direction as she informed me.

After being instructed in which direction to move in, I jogged through a set of doors to find a pile of rocks, but upon closer inspection, saw an arm from underneath it.

"Over here!" I called out, before crouching down and pushing as many rocks aside as possible.

Soon Kai, Jay and Danni came running in, and helped me move the larger stones behind us.

As soon as the young lady's body was uncovered, I picked her up and scanned her for injuries, she had a broken leg, but nothing else major, I then took her back to the main area of the warehouse. Tara seemed alright, she had a towel wrapped around her that I'm guessing came from one of the boxes. Cole's arms were also wrapped around her, providing her both warmth and general comfort. We then made our way to The Bounty.

When we get back, I have a feeling a lot of speculation will follow.