Sorry about the later than usual update. I've been doing school work all morning and then I saw what time it was. Funny story before we start. I went to EPCOT yesterday with my younger sister and we were waiting in line for a ride, I don't remember which one, and I saw this little kid holding the cutest Simba stuffed animal. When the line wound around and stopped we were practically next to the little kid. That's when I noticed he had a Kai shirt on. I said "That is the coolest Kai shirt I've ever seen" and the little boy smiled really wide and said "thanks". His mom however looked at me like I was a creep for knowing what was on her child's t-shirt and pushed him in front of her. What, a college student isn't allowed to know what Ninjago is? Sheesh...
Chapter Nine: Dangerous Altercations
Lead them closer to Ouroboros. We have set up a net to catch them near the northern border of the city. You will not fail me, ninja.
"I will not fail you" Kai murmured, his attention seemingly miles away. Cole eyed him suspiciously as the troop climbed over a nearby dune. "Come, ninja, the city is close by". The red ninja swayed slightly, his eyes growing even darker.
"Kai, something's wrong with you" Nya stated plainly, grabbing her brother's shoulder and turning him around. Deep maroon eyes greeted his companions. "Skales is controlling you, isn't he?"
I am releasing you a little more from my control to avoid suspicion, ninja. Do not get any funny ideas.
Kai's eyes grew lighter, only a slightly darker brown than his real eye color. He groaned, rubbing his temples. "You're right Nya" he said quickly. "I'm supposed to lead you guys to a trap at the border of the city. They told me if I obeyed, allowed Skales to control me, they would give Lloyd the anti-venom". Suddenly, he stopped talking, his eyes glowed a bright red.
"Skales must have assumed full control" Zane observed, tackling his friend to the ground. "Do not worry, Kai. We will bring you to the city and fulfill your desires."
"We'll do what now!?" Jay blurted out. "You expect us to walk into a trap and be caught by snakes that will probably refuse to keep their end of the bargain anyways!"
"Precisely" the nindroid smiled, grabbing Kai and throwing him over his shoulder. "I suggest that we hurry. Who knows how far Lloyd has transformed."
The heroes ran down the hill, Kai flailing against Zane's strong grip. As the city approached, Zane scanned the ground for any abnormalities. "I can see a net up ahead. Let us trigger that trap". Reluctantly, everyone followed and the net snapped up around them, entrapping them in twine.
"Itchy" complained Cole.
"My hostage managed to fight my control and blew his cover, but you still came" hissed Skales, dragging the net towards the center of the city. His glowing eyes ceased and Kai coughed. "He is released, for now. To truly cure him though, you must use the anti-venom."
"Or we can use our friend here" grinned Cole, grabbing Zane's forearm and opening a compartment. With a quick finger, he pushed a small blue button. A melody filled the air and Kai passed out. The Hypnobrai howled in pain, his hands on his head. Smirking, the white ninja closed his forearm and the music ceased.
"A recording of the Sacred Flute" cried Skales, continuing to drag the captives towards the looming statue. "Of course, that won't help your sick friend."
As the snake dragged them closer, Cole could see two figures sprawled on the floor of an iron cage. "That must be Laurie and Lloyd" he announced. "I bet Lloyd is in pain, but why would Laurie be out?"
"The flute must have completely broken her trance too" smiled Jay.
The dark blue snake threw the five individuals into a larger cage that sat on the opposite side of Laurie and Lloyd. "Laurie, please wake up" Nya begged. "We need to know how Lloyd is doing".
Moaning, the red-haired girl propped herself up on her elbows. "What's going on?" Her eyes rested on the three conscious ninja and Nya, leaning on the bars of their prison. She noticed Kai, lying on the ground. "He really did it, didn't he? Kai led you here because Pythor told him to."
"That's not important right now" prompted the black ninja. "How is your brother doing?"
As if noticing him for the first time, Laurie gasped. "Lloyd, what's happening to you?" She touched the side of his pale green face which was rough with scales. He shivered at her touch, his eyes closed. Laurie turned back to the ninja. "Did Fangtom do this to him? I blacked out after he grabbed Lloyd. I was trying to stop him…"
"He has not grown a tail yet, so he still has some more time before the transformation is complete" Zane noted, trying to comfort the green ninja's distraught sister.
"Lord Garmadon!" shouted Pythor to a shimmering orb hovering above the sand. "I wish to speak with you!"
Skales made his way over to Laurie, placing her back in a trance. "This has to be perfect, girl, so don't ruin it" he hissed. She knelt on the cage, sitting back on her feet, eyes glowing red.
A black figure appeared on the shimmering circle, his red eyes angry. "Do you have any idea what time of night this is!?" Lord Garmadon exclaimed. "This had better be important, Pythor".
"Oh, it is, sir" the Anacondrai hissed, stepping away from the orb to reveal the two cages. "You see we have met your family and they're simply wonderful"
"Laurie, Lloyd! What have you done to them!?" the evil Lord demanded, worry plain on his face.
"Your daughter is only in a trance" explained Skales, laughing. "Your boy on the other hand may wake up a Serpentine any time now."
Lord Garmadon growled, banging his fists on a table. "Release them at once!" he ordered, his red eyes full of hatred and malice.
"That can be arranged" started the snake, "we do have the anti-venom. However, we wish for you to renounce your leadership position over the other Serpentine". Pythor slithered closer to the siblings. "You wouldn't want something to happen to your children now, would you?"
The image wavered slightly. "The underlings chose to follow me. They may come and go as they wish, I have no power over that" pleaded Lord Garmadon. The ninja looked on, surprised by this new side to one of their greatest enemies. "Please, release my children back to me. They have nothing to do with your grudge!"
Kai sat up, holding his head. "What's going on?" he asked, slightly out of focus. "Everyone's talking so loud that I couldn't sleep!" Suddenly, he stopped and saw his sister staring at him. "Wait, when did I fall asleep!?" Kai realized as the other three ninja stared at him.
"That's not important right now, Kai" Cole answered, turning away from his friend, "because we need to figure out how to help Laurie and Lloyd."
"How can we help them when we can't even help ourselves?" asked Jay, crossing his arms. "I still don't understand why we needed to play along and get trapped in here."
"Your offspring are part of our grudge now" Pythor snapped, acting as if the two siblings were nothing more than an object in a window display. "I'm afraid that we make the rules while we have them".
Lord Garmadon sucked in a breath and gave a smile. "Then go ahead, Pythor. You're right, I am an evil lord and my children should mean nothing to me. Do what you will with them, but I will not have my son become one of your kind. Please give him the anti-venom."
"Yeah" interrupted Kai, "you promised me you would give him the anti-venom when I brought the rest of the ninja and the samurai. I have kept my word and it's time to keep yours, Pythor!"
The purple Anacondrai slithered over to the red ninja, his fangs pulled up in a dreadful smile. "There is more than one way to stop the spread of the Fangpyre venom". He gripped a shining dagger in one of his hands, the golden metal reflecting the early morning rays of sunshine. "Skales" he called, turning to his second in command, "please give this weapon to the girl".
"Of course, sir" Skales smiled, reaching to take the dagger from Pythor. Within seconds he slithered over to the Garmadon siblings, placing the sharp metal in Laurie's hand. "Laurie Garmadon" he announced proudly. "I command you to kill your brother".
"No!" Kai called out, pushing his way past Cole and gripping the bars of the large cage. "You can't make her do that!"
With a bored expression on her face, Laurie gripped the dagger's hilt with both hands and knelt over her brother. "As you wish, Skales" she said, entranced, bringing the dagger up in a high arc.
"Pythor, I order you to stop this madness!" yelled Lord Garmadon, his face full of panic. "I will do whatever you want: give you riches, the Mega Weapon, or even do your bidding. Please, just please, let my son live!" He looked as if he were trying to reach through the communication orb and grab his children.
"I am only doing what you wished, freeing your son from the venom's grip. In a way, death is anti-venom" the purple snake laughed manically. "Skales, do it now!"
"Zane" Nya sputtered, grabbing the white ninja's arm. "You have to play the Sacred Flute recording right now! We can't allow Lloyd to be killed!" Zane nodded, opening the cavity in his arm.
"Laurie Garmadon, kill your brother now" commanded Skales.
With a deep breath, Laurie brought the dagger down quickly, aiming for her younger brother's chest. Lloyd lay motionless in front of her, breathing labored and eyes closed, when a soothing melody filled the air. Laurie stopped her attack, the tip of the weapon bringing blood to the surface of the green ninja's chest. Slowly, her eyes returned to their ice blue color and she fell over on her side, the dagger clattering to the ground.
"You blasted ninja!" Pythor shouted, grabbing Zane's arm through the cage. The recording stopped and a collective sigh of relief was audible. "Keep this up and I will swallow you all whole!"
"Then why did you want us here in the first place?" Jay asked, a smug look on his face, as he brought his fist down on the snake's scaly arm. "We'll keep fighting until we are victorious."
Pythor released the white ninja and slithered away, using his staff to close off communications with Lord Garmadon. "Mark my words, ninja" he threatened, heading towards the underground cave where he slept during the day, "come tonight, you will be defeated."
"What am I, chopped liver?" Nya asked sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest as the Anacondrai disappeared into the darkness.
"Well, one catastrophe has been averted" Cole sighed, sliding his back down the bars of the cage until he rested on the ground. "Now we just have to figure out how to get that anti-venom for Lloyd." Reluctantly, he turned his head to see the green ninja turning green. As he flipped to his side, a small tail was visible below his lower back. "We're running out of time. I don't think he'll make it through the rest of the day".
The sun peeked over the distant mountains, flooding the desert with light. "Not to mention how hot it gets out here during the day" Jay whined, taking his mask off. "We're all gonna die!"
"Calm yourself" Zane smiled, "I believe that I have just figured out a way to escape." Holding his shurikens steadily, the ninja closed his eyes and spun around in a neat circle. All the bars of the cage were frozen solid, sunlight refracting off the ice. "Cole, perhaps you can break them with your scythe?"
"It's worth a try" Cole sighed, trying to raise his scythe as high as he could in the limited space. He brought it down on the floor of the cage, the metal splitting in half and the few bars in front of him shattering. "Look at that" he smiled, pulling his mask off, "it actually worked". One by one, they all exited their prison and hurried to the one that held the Garmadon siblings.
"Laurie is still out cold" noted Jay, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.
"Who's there?" hissed a scared voice. Lloyd sat up slowly, shivering in the growing heat. Immediately, he recognized his friends and attempted to give a smile, baring fangs. "Guys, you shouldn't have come. It's a trap".
"We know, Lloyd" Nya reassured him, studying the latch on the cage door. "This one's easy, just lift and pull…"
The door swung open and Lloyd leaped out, tackling the samurai. "I'm so happy to see you guys" he squealed, trembling. Nya felt his scaly forehead which was feverish. Lloyd frowned as he looked at his own hand, just a shade lighter than the uniform that adorned his frame. "Guys, am I a Serpentine now?" he hissed sadly.
"Not yet, Lloyd" answered Kai, ducking inside the cage and picking up Laurie. Her bō staff caught in between two of the bars and slipped out from her belt. "She feels heavier than before" he grunted, handing the unconscious girl to Cole before going to retrieve her weapon.
"Hey, I'm bleeding!" yelled Lloyd, looking down at the small spot of blood on his chest. "Why am I bleeding guys?"
"Calm down" replied Zane. "Your sister almost plunged a dagger through your heart, but we stopped her before she did."
"Laurie almost killed me!?" Lloyd gasped. His eyes rested solely on his unconscious sibling, limp in the black ninja's arms. He felt betrayed by the one person he had always trusted. The cold that continued to grip his body intensified and Lloyd gave a horrible shudder. "Why would she do that?"
"Lloyd, Skales was controlling her" Cole sighed shaking his head slowly. "Do you honestly think she would have traveled with Kai to Ouroboros just to kill you?"
"Cole is right" chipped in Zane. "If Laurie truly wanted to kill you she would have done so when you first found her in the dojo. You two were alone before I arrived if I recall correctly". The white ninja placed a hand on Lloyd's shoulder which was constantly shivering. "Are you alright, Lloyd? This shivering cannot be normal."
"I'm just so cold" the boy replied. "It feels like I'm in the arctic, not the desert."
"Snakes are cold blooded" said Jay, sweating.
Nya turned towards the statue of the Great Devourer. "I think the Generals are catching up on their sleep" she stated. "Now would be the perfect opportunity to sneak down and find the Fangpyre Staff."
"What if we're ambushed?" Cole asked, frowning. "We have five powerful snakes down there, each with their own special skill set". He gazed down at Laurie whose chest was raising and falling slowly. "We could be captured again and Laurie doesn't look like she's waking up anytime soon".
"We have to take that risk, Cole" started Kai, determination in his light brown eyes. "Lloyd could potentially become the enemy if we don't find the staff in time". His gaze, too, landed on the sleeping form of Lord Garmadon's daughter. His heart ached at how much she had been put through over the past day. "I'll take Laurie if you want" he addressed the leader. "You guys go down and look for the anti-venom".
Shrugging, Cole handed Laurie over to Kai. "Alright, but stay safe."
"I'm not the one going into a cave full of snakes" Kai smirked.
"Please, let me come too" hissed Lloyd. "I want the anti-venom in my system as soon as possible". Cole nodded, and led the others to the entrance of the cave. "I can't see anything" Lloyd complained, "and I feel even worse here in the shade".
"I will go first to make sure the coast is clear" whispered Zane, his body emitting a faint glow of light. The white ninja rounded the corner quietly and found four snakes curled up on the damp cave floor. "Strange" he muttered, "but I thought there were five snake generals".
"There are!" hissed a snake off to the right.
Zane turned, standing face to face with Acidicus, the Venomari General. Before he could properly react to his unexpected visitor, the snake spit a green liquid at the ninja's face. Grunting in pain, Zane blinked rapidly, attempting to rid his eyes of the hallucinatory venom. The walls surrounding him appeared to close in, another prison. "No!" he yelled, blindly trying to push the mirage back.
The commotion bounced off the rock, echoing. "I think Zane is in trouble" Jay stated, sprinting farther into the darkness before anyone could protest. "Hello?" the blue ninja called out softly, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the lack of light. Zane stumbled around in front of him, tripping on a rock. "Zane" Jay breathed, relieved, "its okay. I'm here for you, buddy".
A strong tail wrapped around Jay's throat, pulling him off the ground. Choking and sputtering the ninja kicked his legs wildly, his right hand flying to his belt. With a quick tug, his nun chucks were released and he swung them in a circular motion, building up an electrical charge. Trying to take a breath, Jay flicked a ball of energy behind him. Skalidor released the ninja and stumbled backwards. Jay fell to the ground, nun chucks skittering out of his hand. Once more, the Constrictai wrapped his powerful tail around the blue ninja's throat. Trying to loosen the grip made breathing all the more difficult. Jay lost consciousness and fell to the floor.
"I don't think everything is going well" Nya said, rolling her eyes. "Why don't we all go down together and see what's taking Zane and Jay so long". The samurai led Cole and Lloyd into the cave, scanning the area as she went. Every shadow looked menacing. The winding passageway opened up into a large chamber where Zane sat, tied to his unconscious friend.
"You must leave now!" he shouted, trying to free his arms. "The Serpentine were expecting us. This was a set up!"
Turning on her heel, Nya bumped into Skales. He pointed a katana at her throat. "Surrender, samurai" he commanded, "we already have your other friends." Nya looked around the Hypnobrai and saw Cole struggling against Pythor, a dagger up against his throat. Fangtom was carrying a convulsing Lloyd who had, once more, lost consciousness. "Fine" Nya sighed, raising her arms up, "you got us."
"Where is the red ninja?" Skales asked, his katana unwavering.
"Probably halfway to Ninjago City by now" she lied. "He decided to take Laurie back to Sensei Wu in order to keep her safe."
"Quickly" ordered Pythor, shoving Cole past Skales "subdue the captives and search for the remaining two. Young Lloyd's transformation will be complete in a matter of hours and we won't have anyone ruining the last chance we have of blackmailing Lord Garmadon".
Oh no, captured once again. Can Kai and Laurie save everyone before Lloyd fully transforms into a Serpentine? Well everyone can find tomorrow after my Chemistry class. Now back to my school work while enjoying the wonderful atmosphere that is Barnes & Noble. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for all the feedback on this story. :)