This story contains depictions of mental, physical, and emotional abuse.
The warehouse stood atop a hill outside the limits of New Ninjago City, the sun having set behind it hours earlier. Six hooded figures — the famed Ninja — made their way through the dense trees surrounding it, slipping around to the back and climbing onto the roof. They flattened themselves against it, enough so onlookers would not be able to see them, but enough so they could keep watch.
Another person crept out from the woods, sneaking around and hopping onto the roof easily. He settled himself beside the Ninja, looking out across the cityscape below.
"So," he murmured. "they show up yet?"
"Nope," replied Cole, not turning his attention away from the road leading up the hill. "Chances are they're waiting until the coast is clear."
"PIXAL hasn't alerted me to anything, either," Zane added, his eyes thankfully dim in the darkness. "The last sign of them that she saw was back in the city square."
"Mr. Sterling did say they'd be here tonight, though, right?" Kai asked.
"Apparently," Nya said, crouching next to her brother. "But it's hard to trust when a thief will strike." She sent a smirk in the man's direction. "Right, Ronin?"
Lloyd shifted as he turned to look at him, a grateful smile on his face. "Thanks for showing up, though. I didn't think you'd accept our request."
He laughed, rolling his eye. "Did you really think I'd let you guys have all the fun? Besides, if you need to catch a thief, let alone a group of 'em, you're gonna need someone who knows how they work."
Kai was about to respond with a witty retort, when Zane suddenly hushed them. "They're approaching. Everyone, get into your positions."
They hid themselves as best as they could, just barely peeking over the roof. At least ten figures crept up from the bottom of the hill, all of them keeping to the edges of the surrounding woods. The group all wore either black or navy, but didn't blend in with their surroundings too well, their outlines standing out against the trees. If Ronin had to guess, they were probably new to the thieving business; he'd made the same mistakes starting out.
Another approached from the middle, their face obscured by a black hood and mask. They disappeared around the edge of the warehouse, their group following them, and a faint creaking noise was heard. Their rustling grew faint, until it was silent.
"They're in," Lloyd whispered. He stood up, tiptoeing to the skylight. "Time for us to follow." The Ninja nodded, staying close behind him, but Ronin remained where he was; they would bring too much attention if they all went in at once.
Zane easily carved out a panel of the skylight, allowing them just enough room to squeeze through. They carefully landed on high stacks of cardboard boxes, which were tightly taped together and offered stable support.
Lloyd motioned for each Ninja to go a certain way: Zane was to stay near the entrance to keep an eye out for more intruders and alert the authorities once they caught them, Cole and Nya were to go further in, while Kai and Jay would stay between them to catch any stragglers.
Ronin finally hopped down from the skylight entrance, exchanging a quick glance with Lloyd. Thanks to his being a thief, he had given the strategy orders for this mission, and was pleased to see Lloyd following through with them. Of course, while he was down with the others, Ronin would head to the upper level and see what he could snag for himself.
Just because he was working with the Ninja for a mission didn't mean he could let some newbie thieves show him up, right? Besides, there could be some nice stuff there.
Thankfully, he had come up with the perfect excuse to break from the group. "I'll head upstairs to see if they're up there, too," he whispered.
"I'll come with you."
He smirked, pushing Lloyd away. "You need to keep an eye on your team. Don't screw anything up, got it?"
Lloyd groaned quietly, nodding. "Just as long as you don't leave us behind when we need you."
"Not a problem."
Ronin silently leapt across the enormous shelves and stacks, watching below as the amateurs cut away the tape on the boxes, taking anything from spare phone and computer parts to the completed products themselves. He fought the urge to laugh. Either they wanted to get caught, or they didn't have a clue about how to cover their tracks. They wore no gloves, so anyone could get their fingerprints from the tape itself.
He made it to the stairway, and went up to the second floor, careful not to step on an uneven or creaky floorboard. He looked around, grinning when he saw that none of the Ninja were paying attention to him, but rather on the intruders, positioning themselves above them.
Once he was upstairs, he was met with more rows of boxes and shelves, with a door at the end that was presumably an office of some sort. He was about to start looting, when he heard footsteps. He rolled his eye, and headed in the direction of the noise.
In the middle of the rows of shelves was the same person from before, in the black hood and mask, who he guessed was the head of the raid. They hadn't noticed him approach, so he simply snuck up behind them.
"So are you the reason this raid sucks?" They jumped at the sound of his voice, whipping around and glaring at him. He noticed they only had one good eye; their left eye was clouded over and half-shut. "I mean, I'm not one to criticize another person's thieving, but there's a lot here that you could do better."
They said nothing, simply glaring at Ronin. So he continued. "For starters, you brought a ton of people here. None of them are gonna get off clean, especially since they made no effort to disguise or camouflage themselves. Not to mention none of you are wearing gloves, so your fingerprints are gonna be all over everything, and since this is the third instance of so-called thieves breaking and entering, it won't be long before you're caught. Either you're inexperienced, or you're planning on escaping while they take the fall."
The person snorted. "Sounds like you're well-versed." They had a feminine voice, so Ronin assumed they were a woman.
"I don't mean to brag, but I've been getting away with thieving for a while now," Ronin gloated. "Too bad your career's over before it even started."
"You sure about that, babe?"
Though he was certain it was semi-playful banter, Ronin couldn't help but stiffen at the word…and the way it was said. "What?"
She shook her head, and pulled down her hood and mask. What lied underneath was a fair-skinned woman, her bright ginger hair held in a scraggly bun. She was not only blind in her left eye, but along the left side of her face and neck was a hideous burn scar, the bubbled tissue along her cheekbone and jaw distorting her facial features, cleaving her eyebrow in half.
The name came to Ronin as easily as if it were his own. "Scarlet?"
"Took you long enough," she taunted, jabbing him in the chest with one finger. "So why haven't you kept in contact with me, huh? Am I not a good enough thief for you anymore?"
His brow furrowed. "You didn't exactly leave me anything to go by. Besides, you told me we were done."
"That was a test, you idiot," she hissed. "I was trying to see if you were gonna man up and actually stay with me. Clearly that was a wasted effort."
Ronin frowned, folding his arms across his chest. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?"
Scarlet shrugged, her smirk looking even more monstrous than he remembered, thanks to her scar. "You certainly have." She grabbed his robotic arm, making him wrench it from her grasp. "Where'd you get this? Is it some kind of armour or something?"
"None of your business."
"Aww, little Rei's all flustered, is he? Where'd all your bravado go?"
Ronin shook his head. "I don't go by that name anymore. I'm Ronin now."
She laughed, loudly enough for everyone downstairs to hear. "How edgy. Then again, I never expected any less from you." She then sighed, stepping closer to him. "Look at us, having fun like we always used to. Don't you miss this?"
"Not in the slightest."
Scarlet elbowed him in the stomach, hard enough to make him wince but not enough to leave a mark. "Come on, lighten up babe. We should go back to how we used to be. You know, partners in crime? I bet it's been a while since you've had any help."
Ronin narrowed his eye, his arms slowly uncrossing. "You're not wrong about that."
She smiled sweetly up at him, reaching for his hand. "I could stay with you. We can plan heists, and be lovers in crime again. I'll show you just how much we can do together. It'll be just like old times."
He looked down, watching as she tried to hold his hand. He gradually gave in, taking it. "Yeah?"
Nodding, she leaned in, her emerald eye gleaming in the dim light from the windows. "Yeah. Trust me, it'll be just like I never left…"
He smiled, and withdrew his hand from her grip. "In that case…" He sucked in a breath, and swiftly punched her in the nose, making her screech and stumble back into the shelves, her hand cupping her face. "I think I'd prefer staying alone."
Scarlet growled, wiping the drops of blood from her nose, her mangled face twisted into a mask of rage. "You'll pay for that…!" She kicked his legs out from under him, the wind knocked out of him once he hit the floor. She was about to stomp on his throat, when he grabbed her by the ankle, grunting against the force.
"I don't pay for anything."
Ronin pulled her down, springing to his feet before she could recover. She gritted her teeth, and kicked him in the stomach, making him fall back into the shelf. It teetered, before two rows of boxes fell and thudded to the floor, making so much noise Ronin was surprised the floor didn't give out beneath them.
Thinking quickly, he grabbed a smaller box and threw it as hard as he could at Scarlet, hitting her in the forehead. She yelped, and looked up to see Ronin turning tail and heading for the stairs. Smirking, she grabbed his robotic arm, giving it a harsh tug, making him choke out a wince.
"You aren't going anywhere! We're finishing what you started!" She yanked on his arm harder to hold him against her chest, grabbing a handful of his hair and pulling as hard as she could to keep him in place. He bit his lip hard, the base of his prosthetic tugging against his skin so hard he thought it would tear.
Trying not to let her see his grimace of pain, he brought his heel down hard on her foot, spinning around and throwing her against a shelf while she was stunned. This time, the entire rack tilted and fell to the floor, making it shake beneath them.
"Someone's being a little try-hard…!" she panted, the blood from her nose now dripping down her chin.
"Wonder why that is…!" Ronin hissed, his chest heaving for air. She aimed a punch for his face, but he quickly moved his head to the side and grabbed her arm as it whizzed past. After an exchange of struggle, he managed to get her arm behind her, pressing her elbow hard against her back. She screeched as she was forced to the floor, Ronin's knee on the back of hers.
A rush of footsteps was heard coming up the stairs. "Ronin?!"
He turned at the sound of Nya's voice, distracted from his hold on Scarlet. "Nya! Help me out here—!"
Scarlet reared up, throwing him off onto the floor. He yelled out as his head scraped against the wood. "Who's this supposed to be? She looks like a lost toy!"
Nya scrunched up her nose at the remark, helping Ronin up. "You're no supermodel yourself!" She sprayed a stream of water from her hands at Scarlet, blowing her back a few feet. She sputtered a bit, wiping the water away from her eyes before glaring ferociously at her.
"Really? Is that all you've got?!"
Before the fight could continue, Ronin pulled out an electric rope, throwing it at Scarlet. She screamed as she was electrocuted, falling to the floor. She struggled against it, her arms tightly secured to her sides.
Grinning triumphantly, Ronin marched over. "Unfortunately, it's non-lethal." Then he slouched, the exhaustion finally getting to him. Nya came to his side, supporting him with one arm, and he nodded his thanks.
Sirens sounded faintly from outside, growing louder as the red and blue lights flashed from outside the windows. Nya chuckled. "Sounds like her ride's here."
~o~o~o~o~
The police filed out of the warehouse, each one leading a handcuffed thief towards the vans gathered outside. The Ninja stood on either side of the door, smiling triumphantly in response to the glares and downcast glances they received from the thieves. Scarlet was the last one to emerge, struggling in the hands of two officers.
A sleek, silver car pulled up to the warehouse. Four well-dressed people, two women and two men, came out, and made their way to the Ninja, who respectfully bowed their heads. The man in the grey suit laughed, and shook his head.
"No need to be so formal," he said, holding out a red-gloved hand. "I'm grateful that you all came to my aid. I didn't expect you to be so punctual, though!"
Lloyd smiled, shaking his hand. "We would do the same for anyone, Mr. Sterling. If you ever need us again, you know where to call."
"Oh, please! Call me Alejandro, and consider me a friend."
As the Ninja spoke with Alejandro, his three workers respectfully staying behind to observe, Nya noticed that Ronin was not with them. She looked around, noticing the police commissioner speaking with him as he leaned against the side of the warehouse. She narrowed her eyes, and carefully approached, not wanting to interrupt whatever conversation they were having.
"…what she told us was that you struck first," the commissioner said. "As much legroom as I'm willing to give you, her wounds seem to tell the truth. You'll need to come with us, Ronin."
"Commish, it was self-defence," Ronin protested. "You really think she was gonna let me get out alive? I've got wounds too, you know!"
"She has a broken nose, you have a scrape on your forehead," he replied, shaking his head. "Your injuries are nowhere near as severe as hers. I understand that you're a thief first and foremost, but I'm not willing to risk a case of assault."
Nya frowned, and came up beside Ronin. "I was there, too," she spoke up. "She was more violent than she's telling you, trust me."
The commissioner glanced briefly at Nya, but turned his attention back to Ronin. "I'm not saying I don't believe you, Ronin, but we've had enough run-ins for me to know that…you're much more capable in a fight than someone else."
"He's not lying!" Nya insisted, getting between them. "In fact, she's the reason that the whole robbery fell apart! All the noise they were making on the second floor messed the group up! When I saw them, she had overpowered him, and I had to help. Do you really think Ronin would admit she was stronger if it wasn't serious?"
At last, he made eye contact with Nya, and for a moment he was silent. Nya stood her ground, folding her arms across her chest as she straightened up. The commissioner sighed.
"Alright, if one of the Ninja says you're innocent, then I guess I'll let it slide. For now."
Ronin wordlessly nodded, and watched as the commissioner turned and headed towards the vans, helping the other officers get the culprits inside. Nya turned and gave a smile to Ronin, but was surprised to see he wasn't as grateful as she thought he would be.
"Yeah, tell him I can't handle myself," Ronin snorted. "That'll do wonders for my reputation."
Nya huffed. "You're welcome, by the way. If it hadn't been for me, you'd be arrested by now."
"I know, and that's the problem." He turned and grabbed the edge of the roof, hoisting himself up to the top. Not wanting to be left behind with such a sour remark, Nya spun into her Airjitzu, gracefully flying up to the rooftop, landing beside Ronin.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Why am I supposed to rely on you guys to solve my problems?" Ronin snapped, glaring at her. "Would it kill you to just let me handle things? I don't need you or anyone else to help me with anything! So go back to the Ninja, and let me be the weird failure that drops in from time to time whenever you screw up!"
Nya was about to shoot back a retort, but there was something in Ronin's expression that made her stop. It was the same one she'd seen in Cole's eyes when he'd lamented his being a ghost the previous year. She took a deep breath, mostly to keep herself from lashing out at Ronin, and sat down beside him.
"Spill it."
"What?"
"Tell me what's really on your mind," she said. He opened his mouth, but Nya interrupted him before he said anything. "You don't get this upset when we help you. You always say things about how you're a failure, but it's only ever a joke. What happened tonight?"
He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't affect you."
"Yeah, it does. You once told me that I cared too much. Maybe I do, but right now you need someone who cares." She scooted closer to him, gazing up at him earnestly. "As much as I sometimes hate admitting it, you're our friend, Ronin. I won't judge you if you tell me what's wrong."
He looked over at her, meeting her eyes, and sighed. "Fine." He leaned back on his hands, looking up at the stars beginning to shine in the sky. "…I knew her. The leader of those thieves, I mean." His next breath came out harsher, ragged and tired. "Her name's Scarlet Monroe, and…she was my ex-partner. And ex-girlfriend."
Surprise! Here's the story outlining Ronin's past, Catharsis! I've been working hard on this story for quite a while, and hopefully you'll all enjoy it!
If you have any predictions, theories, etc., then feel free to share them! I enjoy reading the reviews you all leave :3
Stay tuned!