Hey, everyone. I know, it's been a long time since I posted anything, and this particular chapter is way over due. And I procrastinated...and procrastinated...and procrastinated...until I got sick of it and just decided to plug in some Nightcore and write a rather sucky chapter. But at least said sucky chapter is finally done after a good year and several months. Stick with me, guys, and the future chapters will be better.

I do not own Ninjago, just my OCs.

I made sure that I was decently armed with several knives, including one shoved down each of my combat boots and one in a sheath strapped to my left forearm. I drew the hood of my cloak up (in Ninjago City, cloaks aren't seen as suspicious or old-fashioned, so that helps me out a lot) over my head, concealing my face in shadows. I had pinned my long braid up using multiple clips, so it was out of my way.

I made my way to my main exit, climbing up the metal ladder and carefully pushing the manhole cover up so that I could see out, and then I swiftly moved it out of the way before pulling myself up and then returning the cover to its home.

No one noticed the small cloaked figure emerge into the crowd, and this boosted my confidence. Ooh, today was gonna be so good, I could sense it. I had to maintain a straight face, but with my head inclined the way it was with the cowl of my cloak pulled down over top of it, I allowed myself a small smirk before my face relaxed and became neutral once more.

A business lady too busy yapping on her fancy cell phone to even notice me wasn't paying attention, and so her tote-of-a-purse hit my arm. My hand quickly snatched her wallet, and she continued on walking, not even noticing what I had just done.

It became harder for me to hide a broad grin from breaking out onto my face, but I bit my lower lip and forced myself to stay relaxed. At last, I reached my destination.

Crap, I said as I surveyed the guards standing at all the entrances and exits and all along the perimeter of the festival square. Security was much tighter than I had originally thought, so I was going to have to be extra careful now.

German shepherds stood on alert, ears pricked and black noses glistening in the sunlight. Their muscles were tense under their beautiful and well-groomed brown-and-black thick fur. Under normal circumstances, German shepherds are rather gorgeous dogs, but this was not a normal circumstance.

Now what am I going to do? I wondered as I carefully analyzed the festival square. If I'm caught, I'm screwed; no doubt about it. Ugh, I hate complications. I scowled and thought about Plan B, Plan C, Plan D, and just in case, Plan E. But hopefully I wouldn't get to Plan C, let alone Plan E. If I get to Plan E, then I just might as well as turn myself in. Ha! Like that's ever gonna happen, I thought as I peered once more around the corner of the wall where I was hiding.

My face contorted into a look of concentration, and I finally got an idea. Game on, doggies.

I retreated a little deeper into the alcove and did a swift change. I turned my cloak into a type of wrap and flipped my shirt inside out. I swirled my braid up into a very nice bun. There was just so conveniently a really pretty flower right there, so I plucked it and added it to my bun for a nice little extra something. Since I didn't have any makeup with me (not to mention I hate the stuff), I pinched my cheeks hard and nibbled on my lips so that there was at least some color in them, but then I remembered I had a light lip gloss with me, so I put a little on my lips and then added just ever so lightly a very thin layer to my fingertips and then added it at the corners of my eyes. There, much better. With one final check, I rejoined the crowd and held my breath as I past security...and let it out once I was inside.

But now there was a problem: I would have to find a way so swipe a few things without being obvious (of course), but now that everyone could get a clear look at me, I had to be extra careful now.

I walked around, searching for something that would be easy for me to snatch and hide in my satchel. But for fifteen minutes, I found nothing good enough. This was starting to worry me. But finally, I saw it. Of course, why not?

"Very nice variety," I said in a smooth voice as I admired the wide selection of gold and precious stone jewelry. I noted the sign and continued with "Is it really all homemade?" The vendor smiled.

"It is, and thank you," he replied. "Looking for anything in particular?"

I shook my head. "No, just browsing. It's a perfect day, isn't it?"

"Very nice, indeed. Excuse me." He went off to converse with a young couple, who were looking on the other side.

It was hard for me not to smirk as I quickly snatched earrings and necklaces, rings and bracelets. I slid them into my satchel, and I turned and wandered off, forcing myself to look neutral.

I had gone thirty feet when there was a loud shout. A glance over my shoulder and I started running. Above me there was the sound of a helicopter, and there were more shouts. I spun around, quickly taking in what was happening.

Four people were running towards me, each reaching for their piece (oh, great), and dogs were being unclasped from their leashes. Aww, crap. At this, I turned and took off running to the exit.

A shot rang out, and a bullet flew past, skimming my shoulder. Fire raced through my arm and neck, and I hissed under my breath. They must have been told this morning that if I made an appearance that it was okay to shoot to wound. Yeah, I am exactly just that wanted. Up ahead, they were closing the entrances, but I grabbed a flexible wooden pole. Hopefully this thing wouldn't break with what I was about to do.

I was headed straight for the gates, and I had dogs on my heels. I narrowed my eyes and smacked one that had gotten too close to me in the face with the pole that I had grabbed before tripping another. Then, once I was close enough to the gate, I buried the butt of the pole in the ground and hurled myself into the air. I narrowly missed the top of the gate, and I landed on the ground, the hard impact jarring my feet.

I took off running again, and I fished around in my satchel, groping for something. My fingers brushed against a thin rectangle, and I pulled the mirror out. I held it up and angled it just so. An image of the dogs getting closer was reflected to me, and I gritted my teeth.

I turned a sharp right, skidding slightly before vanishing into the alley. Clattering nails and scrabbling paws reached my ears, and I didn't dare pull out the mirror again. What's the point, anyways?

I leaped over a huge puddle from the previous night's rain and then swerved out onto the main street. My heart pounded in my chest while the wind rushed past my face; it was when I was running I felt free, even if I was being chased.

I pushed past people, shoving them aside if they were in my way. Soon, I heard sirens behind me, and I knew at that point I had to get off the streets. Get off the streets, get rid of the dogs, get under the city; that was my plan.

My shoulder kept bleeding and hurting, made worse by me pumping my arms as I ran. I finally got to a decent alleyway and skidded around the corner. Judging by the sound of thundering paws behind me, the dogs were close. Very, very close.

I weaved in and out of a maze of boxes and garbage containers. I used the mirror again and bit out a sharp curse as I realized I only had a few feet between me and the lead dog. And upcoming was a metal link fence. Locked, naturally. I gritted my teeth and weighed the odds of me being able to scale the fence without getting ripped down and torn to shreds. I decided to test my luck and I booked it, ignoring the screaming in my legs and side as I used up the rest of my running reserves. I judged the distance in a hurry and then sprang at the fence, my fingers curling around the metal links. I climbed it just enough so that I was out of their reach.

The dogs slid to a halt and began barking at me from where I was clinging to the fence for literal dear life. My chest heaved and my limbs burned, and I struggled slightly to climb up to the top of the fence and swing myself over it and then work my way down the other side.

Fortunately for me, there was a manhole right there, and I pried it open and slid down into it and then pulled the cover back over the opening. I climbed down the rungs mounted into the side and landed on a stone walkway next to rushing water.

I pulled my tiny flashlight out and clicked it on, letting it guide me down to where I made my camp, feeling confident that no one could ever find me down here, beneath Ninjago City. I was perhaps a little too confident, but I was sure that I was perfectly safe down in my underground home.

"…on the other side of the fence," one of the trainers in charge of the dogs was saying to Officer Downs.

"They know her scent, so take them around to the other side," he said. "Let them pick up her trail and follow her."

"Sir!" Downs turned and saw fellow officer Katelyn Lennon darting over to him. "An investigation team has found her hideout." Downs stared at her as she continued, "It's been under the city the whole time. We unlocked the fence she lost the dogs at, and they rushed over to the manhole covering just a few feet away from it."

"What are you waiting for?" Downs demanded, "Get down there!"

I was going through the stash of jewelry that I had scored today whenever I heard a clattering sound to my left. I turned my head towards that direction, ears pricked and eyes scanning the shadows. Whenever I saw nothing, I dropped my attention back down to the jewelry. A few moments later, I heard it again. This time I rose to my feet as four figures wearing the NCPD uniform, guns out and pointed at me.

I backed up a few paces and turned to go down the right side, but another four officers approached me, their weapons out and aimed at me as well. I swallowed and glanced across to the other side. Two more officers were on the opposite side, and my breathing turned heavy.

There was nowhere for me to run, and for once in my life I was trapped in a position that I couldn't escape from. Despair rolled over me as I thought, What do I do now?

There. This painful chapter is finally done. And I will start working on the next chapter.

Tell me what you thought of it, have a good day/night and a good week, and until next time this is Gray.