(A/N) Hello again! Here's chapter 3 (finally)! I am so glad I finally got this out for you guys! This chapter, things are taking a darker turn. Agent I just gets worse and worse.

Wow. NO ONE guessed the right person to be kidnapped. I got some pretty wild guesses, I'll tell you that. I guess it's a good thing that you all are stumped. That means I'm getting better at hiding things from you all! If you read Neverender, you may have figured stuff out way before it was supposed to be revealed.

In this chapter, as promised, Agent I will take his next prisoner. Also, we get to explore the sibling relationship between Reed and Emma, as well as see the return of a character from Neverender, and lastly we get the first interaction between Agent I and the Ninja (however indirect it may be)! Read on!

Chapter 3

One Kidnapping, One Suspect, Ten Clues

"Pass the butter."

"Excuse me, young man?"

"Pass the butter please."

"That's better."

Nick rolled his eyes at Emma's and Reed's antics. Even in the middle of a kidnapping crisis, they were still bickering. He supposed they were just restless. It had been two weeks since Lex was taken, and still no one had any idea where he was. Zane finally deciphered the coded message, but it hadn't been able to tell them much besides the fact that the kidnapper was someone called Agent I, and that he was working with a very much alive Vladomir. Still, that was some valuable information, and they were still figuring out what they could do with that.

Drew, however, was a different story. Nick hadn't heard him say a single word since the kidnapping. He had fallen into an angry silence. He never ate much either; he seemed to have lost his appetite. Nick glanced over in the new fire master's direction. Drew was staring intently into space, his eyebrows furrowed, lunch untouched. Nick could only imagine what thoughts of vengeance could be going through his mind right now.

"So how's life without the little squirt?" sneered a familiar voice behind Nick. The four former agents looked up to see a towering figure smirking down at them.

"Xavier, go away," Emma snarled. "I took you down once, and I'm not afraid to do it again." Nick knew what she was talking about: a year before, when Team Nightprowler was still evil, Xavier had made the mistake of calling Emma "cute" and as a result had suffered an attack on the pressure point in his neck. Surprisingly, that hadn't taught him anything. It was common knowledge amongst the students that Xavier had a crush on Emma, because not only was she quite attractive, but was also very tough. Emma, on the other hand, clearly had no interest in him.

"Whoa, Snowflake, I don't mean any harm," Xavier said, throwing up his hands. "Besides, we all got in pretty big trouble after that, didn't we? You want to go through that again?"

Emma stood up from her seat. "I'm not afraid of getting in trouble, Xavier. What do you want?"

"I just wanted to see how you're doing, that's all."

"Oh really?"

"Really. You must be really upset after the kidnapping."

"You're not making it any better."

"How can I help?"

"Leave my sister alone!" Reed demanded, standing up too.

Xavier looked surprised. "You are standing up to me? You think you can win a fight against me?"

"I can," Emma said defiantly. "We'll make a bet. If I win a fight with you, you won't ever bother us again."

Xavier smirked. "Okay then. But if I win this fight, you'll have to be my girlfriend. Deal?" He held out his hand to shake.

Without hesitation, Emma accepted the gesture. With that, Xavier walked away.

Nick, Reed, and Drew all looked at their female teammate in disbelief. "Sis, are you sure about this?" Reed asked, deeply concerned for his sister. "He won't make this easy. If you lose this bet, you'll be stuck with that hunk of meat for who knows how long!"

Emma however, stared resentfully at the bully returning to his seat next to his cronies. "Oh, I'm sure. Xavier's had this coming for him for a long time. It's time someone shows him that he's not the boss of this place."

Just then, Ivan walked up to them with a curious look on his face. "I saw Xavier over here. Is everything alright?" he asked concernedly.

"Yes, Ivan, we're fine," Nick assured him.

Drew, however, wasn't feeling so friendly. "What are you doing here, Ivan?" he spat bitterly.

Ivan raised his eyebrows at the hostile tone with which he was addressed, but didn't comment about it. Instead, he said, "I was just wondering where Violet was. She must be upset, since it was her little brother who was kidnapped. I would have thought you'd be consoling her, since, you know, you're supposed to be her boyfriend."

Drew stood up at that. "Are you questioning my relationship with my girlfriend? For your information, I was looking for her earlier, but couldn't find her. My guess is she wants to be alone right now. That's how she deals with grief at first. Now beat it!"

Ivan backed off. "Touchy today, huh? Alright, I'll leave." And with that, he walked away.

The fight was kept a secret, so that the teachers wouldn't find out and there wouldn't be so much of a fuss with the other students. If word got out that Emma and Xavier were going to get in a fight again, Sensei Lloyd would put a stop to it at once. It was decided that in order to avoid the possibility of the teachers stopping them, the fight would have to be held far from the palace, in the arena with the giant cherry blossom at sunset. Only Team Nightprowler and Xavier's closest friends were allowed to attend. No weapons were allowed, only powers were to be used.

Emma was meditating in her room before the fight, trying to focus herself. She felt at peace within her room. It was designed to match her element, ice, but to still make it easy for meditation. The walls were painted white with little glittering light blue snowflakes here and there. She had winter-themed furniture, like her bedcovers being decorated with snowflakes and the mirror's edges looking frosted. The air was cool, but she liked it that way. There were gingerbread-scented candles in the meditation corner, where she now sat cross-legged, deep inside her own mind. Suddenly she felt a strange sensation. Then she was sucked into the depths of her mind's eye...

She was in a dark room, lying on the ground next to a small boy. Out of the darkness four figures approached. They were finally here. After what seemed like forever, they had been found. They were going to get out of this prison! Then, suddenly, a long shadow with glowing red eyes rose up in front of them. It chuckled darkly. There was the sound of glass breaking, and a purple cloud rose up and swirled around them like a hurricane. Emma could feel her whole body in agonizing pain. She screamed...

"Emma! Sis! Snap out of it!"

Emma awoke with a start, gasping for breath. She could feel sweat beads running down her forehead. She looked around. She was back in her room. Reed, Nick, and Drew were gathered around her, all looking worriedly at her.

"Emma, what happened?" Nick asked, his voice full of concern. Emma just burst into tears.

"I-I don't kn-know!" she sobbed. "I had a vision, it was awful, I couldn't do anything, we all were tricked-"

"Sis! Get a hold of yourself! We can't understand you when you're crying!" Reed lectured.

"I'll go get Sensei Zane," Drew offered. "If you had another vision, he'll know what's best." Once he had closed the door behind him, Nick turned to his teammates.

"We have to call off the fight," he told them.

"But Xavier will try to treat that as a forfeit! He'll think he's won! I'm not letting that guy anywhere near my sister," Reed protested.

"We won't let him try anything funny," Nick tried to ease the younger boy's fears. "I'll try to explain to him what happened. Hopefully he'll understand."

"Yeah, and I have trouble hacking into the world's most secure networks," Reed countered sarcastically, obviously referencing his feat of hacking into the Black Dragons' network when he decided to rebel against the Agency last year.

Just then the door slid open, but instead of a nindroid walking in, it was the last person they needed. "I arrived at the cherry blossom, but no one was there! Hey, what's the matter?" Xavier asked, seeing Emma on the ground crying.

"None of your business, Xavier!" Reed spat.

"Whoa, slow down, Lightning bolt!"

"What did you just call me?!"

"Xavier, we have to call off the fight," Nick interrupted before things could get messy.

"What? Why?"

"Emma's in no state to fight now."

"So you're forfeiting the match? Excellent!"

"NO! We're not! We're cancelling it!" Reed argued.

"Not fair! We made a deal!"

Just then Sensei Lloyd's voice butted in. "I hear shouting. Xavier? What are you doing here?"

Everyone turned around to see Drew and Senseis Lloyd and Zane staring perplexedly at the scene before them: Emma crying on the floor, Nick crouching next to her, Xavier looking down at them angrily, and Reed standing protectively between his friends and the bully.

"Xavier, out," Lloyd commanded. "This doesn't concern you."

Reluctantly, Xavier walked out. But as he was leaving, Reed saw him mouthing three words:

"Watch your back."

"Emma," Zane began, "Drew told us you had another vision. What did you see?"

Emma took a few deep breaths. "Okay," she said in a wavering voice. She explained to them what she had seen, from the shadow with red eyes to the purple smoke. The others sat in complete silence as she told the tale. When she had finished, everyone turned to Zane. He closed his glowing blue eyes for a long while. Finally, Zane opened his eyes and spoke his verdict.

"Emma, it seems you may be in danger. If, as I believe, this vision is a premonition of the future, and if in your vision you felt like you were free from some type of prison, then it is possible that you could be in danger of being taken."

"By who?" Nick asked.

"Agent I, maybe?" Reed guessed. "He took Lex. Maybe he's going to strike again!"

"We must put the island on high alert," Sensei Lloyd resolved. "Zane, get Cole and come up with a defense plan."

"If it's okay, I can help with that," Nick offered. "I'm an expert planner. I was known for my battle strategies in the Black Dragon Agency."

Sensei Lloyd nodded. "Very well. Go with Zane. Reed, go work on the security system. Emma, you need to stay here. We'll set up a guard by your door to protect you." With that, they all left, and Emma was alone.

This sixth sense is becoming more of a curse than a gift, Emma thought. If it's supposed to help people, why does it hurt so much? And what good is all this security when I can't shake the feeling that it's not going to work?

That night, the entire island had tightened its securities. Doors were locked, guards were set, cameras were rolling. Senior students trained in Samurai arts by Sensei Nya were patrolling the hallways and outdoors. Little did they know, they were being watched from the edge of the jungle.

So they've set up defenses, Agent I mused, stroking his chin. Oh well. I could use a challenge. Might have to kill someone if they're not smart enough to move out of my way... but I suppose that's all part of the job when you're a double agent.

Using his powers, Agent I conjured a shadow of a human and sent it running past the guards at the front gate. Predictably, they ran off after it. Too easy, Agent I thought to himself, and he snuck up to the gate. He passed his hand in front of the padlock, and it crumbled apart, allowing him entry.

Once he was inside the palace, he took out a knife. This was the part where things might get messy. He crept down the hallway, silent as a shadow. Suddenly, two senior students turned around the corner, both clad in Samurai armor. "Halt!" they shouted.

"Oh sure," Agent I said calmly, "just as soon as you defeat me." The two raised their hands, most certainly to fire their elemental powers, but Agent I merely raised his own hand and clenched his fist. Immediately, the student's own shadows jumped off the wall and grabbed them, trapping them. They struggled to no avail. Agent I simply walked on by.

He climbed two staircases before he came to another obstacle: lasers. The red beams criss-crossed and zig-zagged the hallway so that no one could pass without setting off the alarm. Agent I thought for a moment, then disappeared. He had the ability to turn himself into a shadow. He passed through the laser field without setting off a single alarm. Once he was safely on the other side of the hallway, he continued on his way. He was almost to the target's room. Then he saw the guards at the door. Should he use his shadow tricks? He could, but he was eager to use his weapon at least once.

Agent I stepped into the guards' view. "Halt!" they ordered. Agent I, however, took out his knife.

"Step aside," he advised, "or only one of you will be alive to tell the ninja what happened to the other."

"We are ninja! We are sworn to our duty! We will fight to the death if we must!"

"Suit yourself," Agent I shrugged, and he threw the knife. It hit the guard on the right in the chest, penetrating the armor easily, and she crumpled to the floor. The other guard stared at Agent I in shock.

"Poison-dipped knives," he explained. "My own formula. It works instantly. I've got another one, but I really don't want to use it. I'll just be nice and immobilize you, okay?" The guard tried to run at the double agent, but he was too late. His shadow leapt out from behind him and held him so tightly that he couldn't move a muscle. Agent I let out a small chuckle, and slid open the door to the room that held his quarry.

Five minutes later, Reed, Drew, and Nick had arrived at the door to Emma's room with the Senseis. Nick crouched to the ground next to a fallen guard. He let out a sigh. "It's Kathleen," he told the others sorrowfully. "I knew her from battle planning class. Good soldier."

"She used to draw pictures for us to hang up in our offices when she was in the younger classes," Nya choked. The group held a moment of silence for the girl. Then they slid open the door to find a disaster area. Tables were turned over, the lamp was on the ground. Papers were scattered all over the floor, and the covers were strewn over the side of the bed. Reed let out an angry roar, and Jay had to rush over to restrain him.

"THAT DIRTY TRAITOR! I'LL KILL HIM!" Reed screeched, arms and legs flailing as Jay held him back.

"Reed! Control yourself!" the former lightning master pleaded.

"IT WAS XAVIER! IT HAS TO BE!"

"Whoa, Reed! Calm down! What makes you think that?"

"When he left the room, THIS ROOM, he mouthed 'watch your back!' 'WATCH YOUR BACK!' THAT DIRTY TRAITOR!"

"Reed! Listen to me! You need to calm down! I promise you we'll look into it! But you have to calm down!" At last, the young lightning master heeded his adoptive father's words. He still breathed heavily, though.

Nya stepped in and rested a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Reed, as your and your sister's adoptive parents, Jay and I are both upset too. But you mustn't lose yourself to anger. It is not the Ninja way. Don't worry. Whoever did this will not get away with this." With that, Reed relaxed a bit.

"Hey, look," Nick said suddenly, pointing at the bed. On it was a black envelope. Nick picked it up and studied it. It was sealed with red wax, and the stamp read, "Regina Draconis, Aeternissima." Wonder what that means, Nick thought. He looked at the others as if to silently ask permission to open it.

"Go ahead, Nick," Lloyd permitted. Nick ripped the envelope open and took out the letter inside. Slowly, with shaking hands, he unfolded it, and began to read.

"Greetings, Ninja. I have observed that my actions have caused quite a stir in the last few weeks. It's quite interesting to watch, I'll tell you that.

"I believe you may already know, but you may call me Agent I. My true name is classified, I am afraid. You must be intent upon bringing me to justice for my actions. You may try. I highly doubt you will succeed. After all, the Black Dragons control the government, and that includes the justice system. You will not be able to take your case to court. You would be arrested on sight if you tried.

"I am afraid I will not be making any more friendly visits to your island, however enjoyable our time together has been. Instead, I am inviting you to come to my place. Yes, you read that right. This is an official invitation to meet me face to face. It is your only opprotunnity to get back your friends. Pass it up, and they die. I hope you make the right choice. Enclosed are clues to my location. You have seven days to arrive here before I kill your friends. Happy hunting!"

"I swear, whoever this guy is-"

"Reed-"

"I know, Nick! I am calm!"

"Doesn't sound like it."

"Let's just take a look at the clues," Drew suggested impatiently. And he was right. They needed to figure this out before time was up. He looked in the envelope and found a smaller folded piece of paper. He opened it up and began to read.

1. I am deep in the woods.

2. The woods are crawling with ferocious beasts at night.

3. Two of your number lived here.

4. Someone they knew died here.

5. The two original inhabitants are both dead.

6. One of your number hid from fate here.

7. Three of your number have been here.

8. Of the three in clue 7, one was not welcome here.

9. Three people fled from here.

10. A tragedy began here.

Where am I?

At first, no one said anything. Then Sensei Lloyd let out a long, tired sigh.

"I know exactly where he is," he said sadly.

(A/N) Wow. That was my darkest chapter yet. Someone died. In The Mayor of Ninjago City's words, "Agent I is one evil dude." If you've read Shattered by Destiny, you'll know exactly where Agent I is too.

Well, I finally decided what Nya teaches: Samurai arts to the older students. I probably need to specify what all the Senseis teach: Zane does meditation classes, Lloyd does advanced combat training including Spinjitzu, Kai does basic combat training, Jay teaches robotics and mechanics, Skylor teaches elemental power theory and is in charge of Initiations (determining elemental powers in a student), Cole teaches battle planning, and Nya teaches Samurai arts.

So what do you all think? Is Reed right? Is Xavier Agent I? What exactly was Emma's vision showing her? Sadly, you won't find out next chapter, or the chapter after that... What we do have next chapter is REAL SCIENCE! Plus we get to see Lex and Emma in their prison, and Lex will TALK.

OH OH! Did anyone get the translation of that foreign language on the seal on the letter? It's Latin, and it reads: Queen of Dragons, Most Eternal. That's foreshadowing, so keep that in mind!

Thank you to The Mayor of Ninjago City, SnowflakeShard, Kairocksrainbow, DragonWhisperer762, TitaniumMasterOfAquaLightning, AveXCninja11, JayFan67, Late OC Guest, and ebony umbreon for your reviews last chapter!

The Mayor of Ninjago City: Yes. Yes he is.

SnowflakeShard: Thank you! I guess I'm getting more unpredictable with my writing! Yay!

Kairocksrainbow: Thank you!

TitaniumMasterOfAquaLightning: No problem! I'm sure there's a lot of people who haven't read the prequel! The characters are much better explained in Part 1: Neverender, but I didn't really have time to catch everyone up on the whole thing since I'm trying to move this along without dragging everyone behind on backstory stuff. I try to explain things where it fits, but I think my readers might get bored if I ramble on about that stuff. I'm REALLY bad at compressing explanations. I'd have whole paragraphs of explaining. I have descriptions of my OCs and their roles on my profile though, so you can look at that for easy reference. I might explain things in chapter 5, since I've got almost nothing else to put in there...

DragonWhisperer762: You're welcome! And thanks for the sweets!

AveXCninja11: Now ya know!

JayFan67: Congratulations on guessing right! Thank you!

ebony umbreon: Oh yes... Beware ye Chapter 6: Travels, Traitors, and Tea...

Late OC guest: Oooooh, I'm sorry, but I'm no longer accepting OCs. I hope you continue to enjoy this fic anyways!

See ya next time! Review please!