(A/N: Yes, I'm back to this story, since The News Never Sleeps is over)
Many hours had passed, but they were unsure how long it was. Jay had spent the time reading Hageman's copy of Clutch's book with Gewuji peeking at it since she was next to him. "That Clutch Powers guy might have run off to save himself, stranding us here, but I have to admit, his book is pretty good." Jay said as an explosion soon occurred outside the room. What they were unaware of is that the lava had started to come down to the sand. Back inside, Jay turns to the others. "It has a section for everything. Even, 'What to Do When All is Lost.'" Tiles soon came down in front of them, shaking the room a little. "He recommends vocal exercises, like, #Bro, bro, goo, goo! Bro, bro, goo, goo!#"
"Sometimes, I wish your father took my left arm, Lloyd." Blake said, annoyed by the vocal exercise. "That way, I could get us all out."
"How is saying a bunch of nonsense possibly gonna help us?" Lloyd asked Jay.
"It says it keeps you calm by relaxing your face." He replied.
"Really?" Gewuji asked.
"#Bro, bro, goo, goo!#" Jay sang in a goofy voice.
"#Bro, bro, goo, goo!#" Gewuji sang.
"#Bro, bro, goo, goo!#" Jay and Gewuji sang.
"Perhaps Clutch didn't abandon us." Zane said as Nya starts to pull on her cuff. "Perhaps he went to seek help."
"Sure." Nya sarcastically replied.
"And maybe the evil snake queen we just accidentally released from an ancient tomb is heading to Ninjago City for some sightseeing." Maggie sarcastically said.
"I find that highly unlikely." Zane replied, not understanding what she said.
"We need to update your sarcasm circuits, Zane." Nya said.
"If we get out of here." Geoff replied.
"We wouldn't even be hanging here if Jay hadn't open that crypt." Cole said, trying to pull on his cuff.
"Me?" Jay asked. "Zane's the one who didn't warn us in time." He soon sighed. "#Bro, bro, goo, goo#"
"How can you blame Zane?" Lloyd asked. "Who opens a possibly cursed tomb without checking it out first?"
"Opening a tomb is how you check it out." He pulls on the chain to bring him and Gewuji close.
"This is your fault, too, Nya." Blake said, pointing at her. "You helped him out."
"Oh, shut up!" She replied.
"And what about Kai, hmm?" Gewuji asked, looking at the still unconscious Kai. "He's the one who let her steal his powers." She moved the chain, making Kai spin over.
"Hey, watch it, you bitch!"
"Don't you call my sister a bitch, you slut!" Geoff yelled.
"Hey, don't call my wife a slut, you zombie." Jay replied.
"Don't you call my husband a zombie, you-!" Maggie was immediately cut off when they were all soon lifted up high, having pulled on the chain.
"SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU!" Blake yelled before looking at Zane. "How's he doing, Zane?"
Zane turns to Kai to check him out. "His vitals are stable." He replied. "He should recover shortly."
"Good." Lloyd said. "Now we just have to figure a way out of here. Any ideas?"
"Zane, can you reach my left pocket?" Geoff asked.
"Of course." He replied as he puts his hand in Geoff's pocket. "What am I to look for?"
"My lucky charm." He sarcastically spoke.
Zane soon became surprised at what he soon held. "Feels like a cigarette lighter."
Zane soon gets it out and looked at it. "Try and heat the chain as best as you can." Zane opens the top before flicking it, igniting the lighter.
He moves it to the support spike, but it slips out of his hand and lands on the ground. "Sorry."
"Forget about it. I needed to kick the habit, anyway."
"Any other ideas?" Lloyd asked.
"Maybe there's something in Clutch's book." Gewuji said, grabbing the book from Jay. "I think he had a chapter entitled, Escaping from Close Calls.'" She raises her knees to use her legs as a desk and opens the book.
"Really?" Cole asked her. "What does it say?"
"Uh, let me check." Suddenly, one by one, all of the torches go out, making the entire room completely dark. "Aw, damn it. Now I can't see." A slight glow suddenly appears. "Oh, that's better."
"Uh, Gewuji." Geoff said before pointing to where the glowing was coming from. "Not better."
The glow was from lava, pouring in from the crypt. "Incoming lava." Jay said. "Don't panic! Clutch has a whole chapter on rising lava." He makes a grab for the book. "I just have to find that page." The book suddenly slips out of his hand and falls to the ground. The book landed in the middle of the lava, immediately becoming alight and burns as the lighter was soon caught in it, and a spark goes off. "Ah, shit! Oh, that book was our only hope!"
Lloyd moves to place his feet on the wall. "Everyone, we need to get out of this room." He said before he started to pull on the chain, and Maggie and Blake join in. "Follow our lead!" Jay, Zane, Cole, Nya, Geoff and Gewuji turn to place their feet on the wall, and start pulling on the chain as best as they can.
Soon, Jay's chain breaks free from the support spikes and he moves back as the others see it. "Whoa!" He yelled before he suddenly stopped with Nya holding onto a chain at the top. "Oh, thank you, Nya. I love you."
She starts to swing the chain. "Just... hold... on!" She said as she struggled swing it before letting go, and they all swing over to the entrance.
Everyone groaned as they slowly get up. "Nice work, Nya." Lloyd said. "Now let's get out of here and save Ninjago City from Aspheera. What do you say, Ninja?" They all soon cheer before suddenly going in different directions, but are pulled back and bang their heads into each other since they were still chained together.
"Ow." Cole said as he rubbed his head.
"Did anyone get the license plate off that hardhead?" Gewuji asked.
Lloyd soon pointed at the direction he was heading. "That's how we came in." He told them. "How about we all go that way, together?" He holds his hand out to Jay, who takes it. They start to head for the entrance with Zane, Cole, Nya and Blake dragging Kai along as the lava was slowly rising.
They run along the pathway until they reach the fallen pillar. "All right, Cole, do your thing."
Cole comes up to the pillar while bringing his fists together to activate his Earth Punch, and lifts the pillar. Jay and Blake soon turn around to see the lava coming and gasp. Cole manages to lift the pillar high enough for them to get under, but Jay and Blake quickly ran, dragging the others along. Once Nya, Geoff and Zane went through, Blake, Lloyd, Gewuji and Jay went through on the other side of Cole, pulling him along while dragging Kai. The pillar soon falls and almost lands on Kai's head, but they had managed to get him past it, only for his hood to slip off. "Cole, you could've smashed Kai." Jay said.
"Me?" Cole asked. "You and Blake yanked me out!"
"Oh, now I'm Mr. Blame-It-All-On-Me again?" Blake asked. "There was lava coming."
"Lava, my ass. You're the ones who-"
"Guys!" Lloyd cuts them off. "We need to stop fighting and work together." They all look at each other. "Look, it's time we faced it. Master Wu was right. We've gone soft. Not just individually, but as a team. We have to put aside our differences and-"
The lava's glow soon appeared. "Uh, Lloyd?" Cole points to it.
"No, let me finish."
"Lloyd." Geoff said, pointing to it.
"No interruptions. We have to work together or Ninjago will fall before-" The lava starts to pour through the gap between the pillar and entrance.
"Lava!" Zane cuts him off, pointing to it.
"No, not lava." Lloyd doesn't listen. "I was talking about Aspheera."
"No, lava." Nya repeated, pointing to it.
"Lava is not our priority!"
"TURN THE **** AROUND!" They all yelled, pointing to the lava. Lloyd scoffs before he does so before they quickly start running while Blake picks up Kai and puts him over his shoulder as they ran.
(A/N: When I wrote this, I thought Bragi should've added how Lloyd was more concentrated on debating them about Aspheera, instead of realising the flowing lava, until they all tell him)
They come across the room with sarcophaguses, run down the stairs and were about to pass one that was hanging in front of them, but Nya, Geoff, Zane and Maggie went left while Cole, Lloyd, Gewuji and Jay went right, unintentionally making Blake crash into the sarcophagus, knocking him down, and dropping Kai at the same time, as the others followed. "Oh, man, I hope Kai's not gonna remember any of this." Blake said as he got up.
The sarcophagus soon opened, revealing a mummified Serpentine, which falls in front of Cole and Blake as they all move back. "Whoa." Lloyd said.
"A serpent mummy." Geoff said.
"That's two things I don't like in one." Jay replied.
"I don't think you have to worry." Cole said as he stood up. "Ancient dried up snakes aren't much of a threat." He nudges it with his hand.
The lava soon started to come in. "No, but that is." Maggie replied, looking at it.
They quickly move to the left of the sarcophagus as they ran with Zane holding Kai by his left arm while Geoff had his legs. When the lava passes by each sarcophagus, they start to glow. The lava then touches the mummified Serpentine, which soon started to rise up. "So... I'm starting to think maybe this isn't your ordinary garden variety lava." Nya said as they back away.
"What gave you that idea?" Jay asked. The sarcophaguses soon open, revealing more mummified Serpentine, whose eyes glow, and they step out into the lava. They start to advance to the Ninja, snarling and hissing as they do so while they back away.
The mummified Serpentine started to charge at them. "Uh, aren't mummies supposed to be slow?" Blake asked.
"Don't worry." Jay replied. "I'll just open up a can of Spinjitzu on their bandaged asses." They all soon poise. "Ninjago!"
"Wait!" Lloyd yelled, but it was too late as they were all now dragged into Jay's Spinjitzu tornado.
"No, no, no, no!" Cole yelled.
"I'm gonna be sick!" Maggie yelled.
The Spinjitzu tornado charges at the mummified Serpentine, striking them all back as the other Ninja were yelling. Once Jay had dispersed, they all now completely chained together while the still unconscious Kai was upside down. "Okay, I'm willing to admit that was a terrible idea." Jay said.
The mummified Serpentine started to get up. "Come on." Lloyd replied. "Let's get out of here." An explosion soon occurred with tiles coming down. They all start bouncing together, until they reach the entrance where Cole and Geoff kick the support columns, making cracks in them that spread and tiles come down, completely blocking the entrance.
"Ha!" Cole said as they kept bouncing. "That should slow 'em down."