(A/N: I thought I'd put up this one-shot of how Geoff and Cole got together as The Deserters. This is also a dedication of Cole's voice actor, Kirby Morrow)
It had just been a month since Zane had passed and the Ninja had announced their disbandment. Despite Dragon and Lloyd's multiple attempts at reuniting them, the Ninja outright refused, mostly because Jay was against Nya now dating Cole since he still loved her. Kai decided to write a book in memory of Zane, Jay was chosen to replace Fred Finely as host of Most Ultimate Extreme Ninja Challenge Ever after a contestant got his suit dirty, but Geoff was given the opportunity of a lifetime. Since his retirement, Geoff returned to working at the restaurant as a waiter and singer where he was soon discovered by the producer of a most famous recording company and wanted to sign him up. He accepted and was told he can have someone else with him, and he knew who.
Geoff had called his future band mate and was currently waiting for him in Master Chen's Noodle House, which just opened not long after Zane's death. On opening night, Jay and Cole caused a food fight over Nya that got them all, but Geoff, thrown out. As he waited, Geoff was writing on a piece of paper before hearing the footsteps of someone approaching him. "Hello, Geoff." It was Cole.
Geoff looked up to see him before pointing to the seat opposite his, and he goes to sit down. "Thank you for coming, Cole." He replied. "I wasn't expecting you to come here at all."
"Well, I am here. What's up?"
"You ever heard of 'New Ninjago Records'?"
"Uh, yeah. My dad and his band are signed up with them. Why is that?"
"One of the producers approached me at the restaurant, impressed with voice, as well as my lack of nervousness in a crowd. He wants me to do some songs, and recommend I bring someone else."
"Why did you ask me?"
"Well, you're the son of a Royal Blacksmith, I heard you sing a few times, and I accidentally came across some songs you wrote."
"I'm not sure if it will happen."
"Cole, you can chose to or not. I'm not forcing you, this is just a suggestion."
Cole thinks for a bit before nodding. "Deal." They both soon shook their hands. "But we're gonna need a name if we're a duo."
"I've been spending 10 minutes trying to think about it. But, all the suggestions I come up with are either dumb or sound horrible." He shows him the paper, which showed a list of names, all crossed out.
Cole looks at one in particular. "'The Deserters.'" He looks up at Geoff. "That's not a bad name. I mean, you have Sand, I have Earth, which are in a desert, and we're no longer Ninja."
"You make a good point. The Deserters, it is."