Chapter 17: Tangled
Quietness clung into the empty museum as two large vehicles halted at the entrance. Six individuals climbed out of the vehicles to blink in amazement and in fear to what their eyes laid upon. Thick overgrowth of plants grew out of the museum windows, even the sun roofs, and doors. It was almost a jungle within a building. They had to wonder where and how this can happen. Not like a person can do such a thing. It had to be something else though.
Cole glanced at his teammates to see them feel frozen to move to agree with them as he felt the same. But he drew out his scythe slowly. "Well. . ." he stammered to see them draw their weapons out. "Let's see if we can. . .do something about this." He drew in a deep breath and slowly ventured in.
Darkness surrounded the six ninjas after Cole and Lucas used their weapons to cut through the thick plants to create a path for everyone to advance into the leafy musuem as if they were in a real jungle. But their path was soon lit up from the moss underneath their feet and the brushes around them. Lloyd couldn't help but gasp to the soft light around them to cautiously wander off a bit to inspect a plant that glowed to slowly reach out to poke it. But he felt his hand being grabbed to look up to see his sister shake her head at him and released his hand and motioned him to stay with everyone and met back with the group. All seemed quiet as they stopped in the lobby.
"So. . .what are we here for exactly?" Lucas wondered to the jungle-like museum. "This seems unnatural."
"Indeed it is." Zane agreed and stood back up after analyzing the moss that glowed their path. "And from the results of the moss, it has traces of bioluminscent to which it has given us light. But the unnatural part is that the moss and the plants grew within under an hour than when it would take naturally."
"So you're saying that something or someone grew all of this before we came here?" Laurie wondered to gaze at a tree that stood in a corridor. It convinced her that something grew this quickly.
"Precisely." the white ninja nodded. "And I wouldn't say a person could do such a thing because it would be remotely impossible. So something had to do this that someone wanted. I should try scanning for anyone else in the area that we can ask for. Or the one who caused this."
"Kind of wish Nya was here also," Cole said to sheathe his scythe. "With her exo-suit, it should be able to tear this stuff down to clear our way more. But I'm sure she's visiting her brother for the night. Can't believe he's finally coming home tomorrow." He watched them in agreement; but not from Jay though. He had to raise a bushy brow.
Jay, hearing this, turned his glare away as he didn't want to think about her. She betrayed him for being Catwoman to be a criminal and now could be robbing another jewelry store while they're here. But yet, regret clung onto him after he told her to leave and never come back. He had to do what had to be done. He felt a hard nudge to lift his head to see the concern of Cole and shrugged it away. "Oh well, I can't wait to see them both home." he lied. The hairs on the back of his neck stood rigid for a moment to the sound of something rustling around them to have him scan around carefully to see something move in the darkness. "Uh guys?"
Dark blue eyes snapped open to Jay's voice, but his sixth sense was buzzing crazily to quickly draw out his shurikens. The Ninja saw his reaction to stand back to back in a circle to brace themselves. But Zane kept darting his eyes everywhere his senses guided him to make him cautious. The buzzing stopped as he felt the presence closer than he thought. "Run!" he shouted. Everyone looked at him confused. "I said run!" A wild vine wrapped around his legs to lift him above the Ninja to have them frozen in fear.
Adrenaline kicked into everyones' veins to quickly saw the other vines sprout out of nowhere to turn and run from separate directions. Jay glanced over his shoulder to let out a scream as a couple of vines nearly tried to grab for him and leaped over the one that tried to trip him and ducked into another corridor to let them pass him. Cole, however, turned on the corner of the hallway that Jay was in to get sideswiped from the leafy tendrils and soon felt them wrapping around him tightly. He tried to rip them off, but the remaining vines tied his hands and dragged him to where Zane was. The lightning ninja gulped to himself to feel guilty for getting the black ninja caught as such. But he failed to sense of a vine sneaking up to his legs to gasp as he soon realized and felt himself being dragged and hung upside down with the other two.
In another corridor, Lloyd rode on the back of his cousin to feel fear grip his stomach as the vines followed after them and his sister. Never in his life he would see something like this happening; almost a nightmare to him. One he wished he could wake up from. The trio stopped as they found themselves at a dead end to turn and saw the wall of vines cornering them. The Ninja of Water nudged his little cousin off his back and drew his sai's out to slash at a vine that lunged for them. But it quickly grew back from the cut end to make them petrified. The orange ninja had to turn to her brother. "L-Lloyd. . ." Laurie stammered. "Use your fire and burn them to a crisp. I know you can do it!"
The green ninja stared at his sister with wide eyes and back at the vines as the grey ninja continued to slash at the ones attacking. He had to collect himself for a moment to nod to himself and held his hands out in front of him to close his eyes. His hands slowly felt warm as he continued to concentrate to open his emerald eyes with a glare to feel control and his hands sprung into green fiery orbs. Laurie had to smile for her brother's rescue, but it disappeared as she felt something wrapped around her waist. Lloyd turned his head at his sister to gasp to watch her being carried away. "Laurie!" he screamed and felt his hands being grabbed by the vines to gasp as he was alone to realize Lucas too was caught and felt himself being pulled closer. He dug his feet into the floor as he tried to pull away from the plants to feel the tendrils wrap around each leg and easily lifted him up to carry him back into the lobby to regroup with the others. He tried to free his bound hands, but sighed as it was over.
The six ninja felt their hearts racing, in Zane's case humming loudly, as they wondered what was happening. They heard something rustling in front of them to see a large flower sprouting from the floor to feel their hearting beating more rapidly as the petals opened to reveal a green skinned woman with bright red hair. Ivy glanced at the six ninja to smirk. "Well well. . ." she mused. "My darlings have caught me six trespassers, being the Ninja. . ." She paused to realize there was one missing. "And where is the red one? He must be near then."
"He's long gone from here and you won't be anywhere near you, whoever you are." Cole growled.
The meta-human snorted to the earth ninja to turn on her heels. She really wished they haven't come here when she gotten the seed freed from the glass prison it was in. "No matter, it's still great to see you all then." she continued to see the orange and green ninja. "My name is Ivy and welcome to my domain."
"Y-You created all of this?" Lloyd had had asked. "H-How?"
"I've got my secrets. Such as this."
The bulb plant on her right arm grew to hiss to the sight of the Ninja. Zane scanned the plant to feel tense at it. "It's a Venomous Poison Barb!" he exclaimed. "Don't let it near you, it can kill a person in under five minutes."
"Oh my darling could never do such a thing." Ivy cooed to gently stroke it. The Ninja felt scared that it might hurt her, but the plant nuzzled her hand gently. They soon realize she had control of it to see it was her that created the jungle in the museum. "It only attacks when threatened or when I say so. But I won't do such a thing, with you in my lair, I can do better for you all. As for the green and orange ninja, I know there is a certain bounty on your heads for a Lord Garmadon." Laurie and Lloyd's eyes went wide to the mention of their father.
Lucas couldn't help but glare at her. "There is no way you're giving them to him!" he shouted at her. "I won't allow it and when we get out of this, you're finished."
Ivy smirked to his protest. "On the contrary, it is you that is finished." She held out her left hand and gently blew across it to have pink mist emitted in the air.
The mist hung in the air for a moment but it gently wafted to the noses of the male ninjas, except for Lloyd. Cole, Zane, Jay, and Lucas tried to move their heads away from the mist, thinking it was a knock out drug to have the sweetly scent inhaled through their noses. It smelled sweet, like an earthy aroma of freshly cut grass and lilacs. The more they breathed in, the more their eyes felt heavy to have their pupils wide. Ivy smirked as her pheromones have them in her grasp, but noticed something wasn't right. The blue ninja only looked like he wasn't dazed or under her spell and continued to try and squirm free. She blew across her hand again to give him an extra dose to make him weak on his knees. But Jay remained. . .normal. "How is this possible?" she wondered, angered. "My pheromones should have you in my control and yet you remain normal. I should have control over your heart. . .unless your heart is set to someone you love. One you know that is unbreakable."
Jay had to glance away as it felt true to him. The way he treated to Nya, he still had feelings for the samurai and felt loyal to her. "You don't know the pain I'm feeling right now, but I'm loyal to the girl I laid my eyes on." he hissed.
Ivy grumbled to turn away from him. "Fine." she murmured. "I can always use a servant that will take time to control." She turned to Laurie and Lloyd to turn away from them and waved her hand. "I'll deal with you two later once I dealt with my work and can deliver you to the dark lord." The orange and green ninja glared at her to watch a leaf sprout near their faces, which Lloyd recognized as to scream and struggle away from, but felt it break near their faces and felt the odorless gas enter their noses and slowly passed out. Jay had to gasp as it was a Knock-Out Leaf she used on them. The vines soon cradled the two ninja and carried them to a nearby tree to tie them tightly to it.
Ivy stared her marvelous work of capturing the Ninja, other than Jay, and turned back to the seed that stood on the pedestal. She held her hand out to have a vine bring her the green vial she created and turned to the bulb on her arm. "Are you ready?" she asked to see the plant nod and held her arm out to it. The bulb responded to burrow into seed and it shook as the two plants connected. The meta-human smiled to uncork the bottle and held it over the seed. But she felt something wrap around her wrist to have her arm being jerked and the vial was wretched from her hand and shattered on the floor. She screamed in anger to stare at the whip that was attached to her wrist and followed it that lead to the ceiling.
A slender figure moved in the darkness of the hanging plants to leap from the tree and landed in a crouch. The figure lifted her head to stare at the green skinned girl through the eyes of her cat mask to crack a small smirk on her red painted lips. Ivy had to growl and glare at the girl in the black uniform. Jay had to glance over his shoulder to see who it was, to feel his heart leap to who it was. Nya. "Happy to see me again?" she mused. "I am for you."