Tick Tock
Gears and cogs moved together perfectly as the stopwatch Kai held ticked past ten minutes.
"Ten minutes?" Kai gasped as Jay and Cole looked over his shoulder to see if he was reading it right. "Zane just broke his own record, the guy's inhuman!" He exclaimed to the others in shock.
They all looked down at the frigid ocean they were floating in as bubbles rose from where Zane was meditating. While holding his breath, he smiled as a fish swam by and petted it before swimming back to the surface, and once he breached, the others praised him.
"Amazing!" Cole announced as the others laughed in amazement.
"We're not worthy," Jay said as he gave Zane a bow.
"I broke the record?" Zane asked his friends.
"Broke it? You destroyed it," Kai pointed out as he showed him the stopwatch. "Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, can stay underwater that long, not even at the bottom of the ocean."
"OK, OK," Jay spoke up as Cole leaped back and did some moves. "Is anyone else thinking what I'm thinking? We've been training for so long, I don't think we can get any better, just think about all that we have accomplished."
They remembered the time Kai was running across five miles of hot coal and made it to the end without flinching; they remembered the time Jay was balancing himself on the tip of one of the tallest buildings in a thunderstorm with ease; finally, they remembered the time Cole lifted both Jay and Nya while they held weights.
"Well, the question should be raised, perhaps we have reached our full potential?" Zane asked.
"Well, let's find out," Cole suggested as they walked to Wu's quarters.
Below deck, in Wu's room, Wu was putting a katana in a scabbard wrapped in cloth and looked at it as Melissa was talking to him.
"Please, Sensei Wu, give me a chance," Melissa begged him. "This means a lot to, not just me, but to Lloyd too. Just, please, give me a chance and I promise I'll do my best and surprise you."
"Are you sure you want to do this, Melissa?" Wu asked while still looking at the katana. "It will be difficult and dangerous."
"I've never been more sure about anything else," Melissa said with determination.
Wu then thought about it as he put the katana down and then he looked at Melissa, and before he was about to speak, he saw his students entering the room.
"Well, every morning, I do five hundred push-ups," Zane told the others before they entered the room.
"Five hundred? Hah, try a thousand," Kai bragged.
"Ha! Ha! I do a thousand and one," Jay said.
"What is this, amateur hour?" Cole asked them. "Sounds like a warm-up to me. Sensei, what does true potential look like if..." he asked before they realized Wu was focused on something.
"Our apologies, Sensei," Zane said as they bowed. "We've interrupted you."
"I'm sorry if I've been distant lately," Wu told his students. "My mind has been elsewhere since Lloyd has gone missing. Also, I was having a small talk with Melissa."
"About what?" Cole asked.
"I was asking Sensei Wu if I can become a ninja," Melissa told them.
"You what?" They all asked in unison before Kai spoke. "Why do you wanna be a ninja?"
"Does this have something to do with Lloyd?" Jay asked.
"No, it does not," Melissa sternly told them. "Maybe, a little, but after what happened at that Snake City, I felt helpless and weak like I couldn't do anything, so I wanna be a ninja so I don't feel helpless anymore, and I can protect my friends so I don't lose anyone else in my life."
"Very well then, Melissa," Wu said with a nod. "If you are sure you can handle it, then you can learn to be a ninja."
"Oh, thank you so much, Sensei," Melissa thanked him with a smile. "I promise that I won't let you down."
"I know that you won't," Wu said before he turned to his students. "Now, what can I help you with, my students?"
"Sensei, what if we've done enough training?" Cole asked. "What if we reached our true potential? What if we're ready?"
"Heh, you might've reached peak physical condition, but you have yet to reach your inner potential," Wu assured them. "In each and every one of us there are obstacles that hold us back. Only when you conquer that fear, will your heart be free. Only then will you reach your true potential and only then, will we have the fighting chance to stop the Serpentine from releasing the Great Devourer."
"There's more to the Great Devourer than you've led on, isn't there, Sensei?" Zane asked.
"I too have an obstacle within my own heart," Wu told them. "There's a story I've never told you."
Wu was a boy with blond hair and Garmadon was one without his black skin and red eyes, instead, he also had blue eyes and light brown hair. They had their backs to each other before they started sparring with katanas in the monastery long ago.
"Long ago, as a young boy, Garmadon and I were more than brothers," Wu told his pupils. "We were the best of friends."
"Wait a minute!" Jay interrupted. "Now, I know that you two were brothers, but really, the King of Cruelty, the Doer of Destruction, the Captain of Chaos, and you two were friends?"
"Shut up, Jay! I'm trying to listen," Melissa told him.
"Please, no interruptions," Wu requested before he continued.
They then saw a man with a rice hat and two dragons on his back. One was white with a black eye and the other was black with a white eye. The man was the first Spinjitzu master and he was looking over the Golden Weapons as his sons were sparring.
"You see, my brother did not always have a dark heart," Wu told them.
Wu and Garmadon both continued to spar before Wu lost his grip and his katana was thrown over the wall.
"One day, I lost this very katana," Wu explained.
Wu and Garmadon looked at their father who was still inspecting the Golden Weapons with concerned looks on their faces.
"Knowing that our father would be mad, my brother told me to go retrieve it," Wu explained, "But I refused, and he told me not to put off tomorrow what can be done today and went to get it himself."
The young Garmadon then ran up the wall and jumped over it before landing on the other side. He looked around before he saw the katana on the ground near the bushes. When he reached down to pick it up, a snake quickly bit his hand.
The young Garmadon pulled his hand back when he felt the bite for he saw the snake that bit him. It was a bright green snake with red glowing eyes and a frail on its head. Garmadon felt woozy as his vision was becoming fuzzy.
The snake hissed before it slithered away and Garmadon fell to the ground. We then saw the first Spinjitzu master rush over to Garmadon, worried about him.
"When my father found him, he was very ill," Wu explained, "For he was bitten by a legendary snake that would grow forever as long as it consumes."
The young Garmadon was then brought back inside and into his room. Young Wu stood by the door as it was open, and he looked inside and saw his father mending Garmadon.
"A great evil has fallen into my brother's heart," Wu said in a grim tone, "For the snake's venom can turn even the purest of hearts wicked."
"Leave it! Leave me alone!" Young Garmadon told his father. "I don't need you. I hate you!" He yelled as Young Wu was shocked to see his brother act like that.
"The snake that bit my brother is the same one Pythor and the Serpentine want to reawaken today," Wu told them.
"Ahh! it hurts! it's all Wu's fault!" Young Garmadon shouted as he looked at the door with glowing red eyes and frightened Young Wu as he ran.
"It was the snake that took my brother away from me," Wu told them as the ninjas and Melissa were shocked by the news.
"So, the Great Devourer turned your brother into the Dark Lord?" Kai asked.
"It was all my fault," Wu said in guilt.
"So, that's why Garmadon's evil," Melissa said in shock. "I thought that it was because he was jealous because you might be the favorite child or something."
"My father loved me and my brother equally. He never played favorites," Wu told her as he closed the case with the katana in it and picked it up, "You four have finished your training, you must now focus on not just training Melissa, but stopping Pythor from collecting the four Fang Blades." He said as he pointed the case at them, "But never lose focus on the obstacles that lie within each of your hearts that hold you back from true greatness. Unlock your true potential."
"But, how are we supposed to do that, Sensei?" Zane asked.
"It's up to each of you to discover," Wu answered as he began to leave the room. "Now, I must go on a personal journey of my own."
"Where are you going?" Jay asked.
"To a place you cannot follow," Wu answered.
"If you're going for Lloyd, the City of Ouroboros is filled with hundreds of Serpentine," Cole said to him. "You'll never do it alone."
"I'm going to find someone who can be of aid," Wu told them. "The Serpentine have united and have grown stronger, and we'll need all the help we can get."
"Who are you gonna look for?" Kai asked.
"Someone who despises the Serpentine as much as we do," Wu simply said as the Destiny's Bounty landed on a mountaintop to let Wu off, "And I will return with them to aid in our battle in our darkest hour."
Wu then walked off the Bounty and went down the mountain as the ninjas and Nya waved him goodbye as he went on his quest to find this someone.
Meanwhile, back in the Constrictai Tomb, all the Serpentine have gathered there as Pythor and the generals inspected the drawings on the wall.
"Uncle, it doesn't ssssay anything about where the Fang Bladesssss are hidden," Rattalia told her uncle. "Face it, our ancestorsssss have left ussss nothing."
"No, thissss here, this mussst be a clue," Pythor said as they made their way to the stone in the center. "When five fangs unite as one, the path towards the Devourer has begun." He read the inscription.
"Yessss, when the five tribesssss unite, we've done all that and it doesn't mean anything," Rattalia stated before gesturing towards the other Serpentine, "And I think the otherssss are beginning to ask questionssss, and they are wondering if you know what you're doing."
"I know what I'm doing you, little brat!" Pythor snapped at Rattalia which caused her to flinch fearfully. "I'm trying to unleash the Great Devourer. Legend sssspoke of a map showing exactly where the Fang Bladesssss have been buried. There must be ssssomething around here, keep looking."
Rattalia nodded before she began to look for any signs of the map, but then Skales and Selma moved away from the other generals to speak with each other.
"Skalesssss, I don't like thissss," Selma admitted.
"Yeah, no kidding," Skales said in agreement. "Frankly, in my opinion, I think releasssing the Great Devourer issss a bad idea, because if what Rattalia ssssaid is true, then that means it might conssssume the Serpentine as well."
"Not only that, but I don't think Pythor issss all there. I mean, look at him," Selma said as she and Skales looked at Pythor who was desperately looking for the map. "He's clearly losssst it. I think being locked up for sssso long really messed with hissss mind."
"And, did you ssssee how he treats hissss niece?" Skales asked as he shook his head in disgust. "I find it ssssickening to treat a child like that, and if I ever have a kid, I would never treat them like that."
"Yeah, ssssame here," Selma agreed while slightly blushing at the thought of her and Skales having a kid and then she shook off the thought. "Anyway, what are we gonna do about all thissss?"
"Well, let's jusssst hope Pythor doesn't find the map," Skales told her. "If he doesn't, then he will lose control of the Ssssserpentine, and then one of ussss will be the true leader of the Ssssserpentine like Arcturus wassss."
"But, what if he doessss find the map?" Selma asked.
"Then, we'll jusssst try our best to convince everyone that thissss is a bad idea and that Pythor is inssssane," Skales said as he looked back at the crazy Anacondrai, "Because if Pythor'ssss plan succeedsssss, then it'll not just be the end of Ninjago, but the entire Ssssserpentine as well."
Meanwhile, the ninjas, Nya, and Melissa were in Jamanakai Village putting up flyers for the Fang Blades and if they have, they must report it to the ninjas immediately.
"OK, why are we doing this again?" Melissa asked bored out of her mind.
"Because we need to find the Fang Blades before the Serpentine do," Nya told her.
"I get that, but why are we doing this?" Melissa asked again while holding up the flyers. "You guys are ninjas, you have a flying ship and weapons that can turn into awesome vehicles, yet instead of basically hunting for these Fang Blades with those things, you instead wanna do it the lazy way and put up flyers like we lost a pet? This is so stupid."
"Well, do you have any better ideas, Melissa?" Cole asked.
"Hey, maybe Sensei is going to get the samurai for help," Jay suggested.
"The samurai? I'm sure she's...I mean he's busy looking for the Fang Blades as well," Kai said nervously.
"Uh, is everything OK?" Cole asked.
"Yeah, yeah, why wouldn't it be?" Kai asked as Nya walked up next to him.
"One hundred percent we're not hiding anything," Nya said with a nervous smile.
"Oh, brother," Melissa muttered to herself as she rolled her eyes already knowing.
Zane was about to put up another flyer on a store window when he sensed something calling out to him.
"Hey, weirdo!" The store owner called out, but Zane gave no response. "You're making a mess of my storefront. Yoo-hoo! You got a problem, maybe I should teach you a lesson in manners." Zane dropped the rest of the flyers and walked around the building as the others quickly walked up to the owner.
"I'm sorry, sir, sometimes our friend is in another world," Kai told the owner sheepishly.
"He's littering all over the place," the owner complained.
"We'll pick it up. So sorry, sir," Cole told the owner before he went back inside as the others picked up the flyers.
"Zane, what the heck?" Jay asked before they walked up to him and they saw what he was seeing. It was the falcon flying around in circles. "Ah! It's the falcon! Oh, my gosh, every time we follow it, it leads us to good fortune." He said before everyone but Kai, Melissa, and Nya started to follow it.
"Head back to the Bounty and wait for us, girls," Kai said to them.
"Wait, I can't go with you?" Melissa asked in shock and annoyance. "Come on, I thought this would be my first lesson."
"Sorry, kid, it's too dangerous," Kai told her before looking at his sister. "Keep an eye on her. Will ya, sis?"
"I will, but where are you guys going?" Nya asked.
"We're gonna follow the bird. Who knows, it could lead us to the first Fang Blade," Kai explained as he ran ahead with the others.
"You can't go, it's too dangerous," Melissa mocked Kai before she scoffed. "Oh, please, they are just following a stupid bird. What's so dangerous about that?"
"You'd be surprised," Nya told her before she and Melissa headed back to the Bounty.
The boys followed the falcon for miles, through scorching deserts to snowy mountains.
"I guess, good fortune is really far away," Kai said as they continued to follow the falcon. They began to climb a mountain before they noticed Jay was resting against the side of it.
"Keep going I'll… I'll catch up later," Jay panted as they continued.
They soon managed to walk across a fallen tree over a gap. Once they made it on the other side, they noticed Cole taking a breather on the tree.
"I'm good just...Just taking a breather," Cole told them. "Uh, I'll meet up with you shortly."
The others continued on their way as they followed the falcon to a large snowy area. Kai took a second to catch his breath as Zane went on ahead.
"Good thing we're in peak physical condition," Kai said before he continued following. They soon entered a snowy forest as the falcon continued. They soon stopped to catch their breath once again.
"Gosh, that bird just keeps going," Kai panted before he saw a sign. "Hey, what do you make of this?" He asked Zane.
Zane looked at the sign Kai was looking at and it said 'Beware of Treehorns'.
"I am not familiar with a Treehorn," Zane said.
"It's probably just some wild squirrels, heh," Kai said before they heard the falcon squawking as it flew around in a circle. "Well, don't lose him. I'll wait for the other guys to catch up," he told Zane before the ice ninja continued to follow the falcon.
Zane followed the falcon deeper and deeper into the snowy forest.
"Where are we going, my mysterious friend?" Zane asked the falcon.
Zane continued to follow it before it started to spin in midair, before falling to the ground. Zane took off his hood and went over to the falcon, fearing that it was injured or collapsed from exhaustion. When he got close, however, he saw sparks fly off it and realized that this was no ordinary falcon.
"You're a robot!" Zane exclaimed in shock.
Zane carefully picked up the robotic falcon and looked around. He then walked over to a tree and gently placed it down before hearing footsteps approaching. He looked around as the footsteps were getting closer. He took a defensive position as he stayed alert.
Zane turned around and saw a large, bronze robot with shoulder cannons and it seemed to be scanning the area, as Zane quickly put on his hood when the robot scanned him.
"Intruder! Intruder! Prepare to be terminated!" The robot said as it fired its shoulder cannon at Zane.
Zane quickly dodged each blast being fired at him as he had his shurikens out before he summoned his Spinjitzu vehicle. He then drove away from the robot before turning around and launching off a hill, as the robot continued to fire at him in the air. Once his vehicle vanished, he threw one of his shurikens into the canon of the robot before dodging an attack from it while in the air.
Zane then saw its motherboard on its back as he was coming down. Once he landed on the ground, one of the shurikens came back, before he turned to face it. He then taunted the robot to come at him before the robot took his shoulder cannon and aimed right at him. Zane then quickly climbed up a tree and its motherboard on its back again, and knew he had to destroy it.
"NINJA, GO!" He shouted as he flipped off the tree and did Spinjitzu to create a pile of snow in front of the robot.
Zane then pulled back when it fired at him a few feet away before he tuck-and-rolled to one side, before charging at the robot. He used the pile of snow to jump over it and got onto its back.
Zane then took out his shuriken and started to destroy the motherboard on its back. As he damaged it, the robot started to malfunction and did a little silly dance before it saluted and fell to the ground. Zane then saw a strange symbol below the destroyed motherboard.
"The same symbol," Zane said as he examined it.
Zane walked over to where the falcon was and picked it up to see the same symbol on its back. He then noticed a large tree, bigger than the others, not far from where he was.
"Where have you brought me, my falcon friend?" Zane asked as he walked towards the tree.
Zane then noticed the same symbol on the tree, except the symbol was on an oval-shaped edge, a door of some kind. He then opened the door and discovered the tree was made of metal and was a home base of some kind. He walked down the spiral staircase to the bottom and took off his hood.
At the bottom, he found some tools, a small stove, and blueprints that looked like they had not been touched in ages. He walked over to a workbench and found the blueprints for the falcon.
"So, this is your home, my mysterious friend?" Zane asked as he sat down, the falcon on the table.
Zane then looked over at the blueprints of the falcon before he followed the instructions to repair it. Once he was done, the falcon started up and flew around the room before landing in Zane's hands.
"You brought me here, but why?" Zane asked it before the falcon flew around the room, as he turned back to the workbench.
He then noticed another set of blueprints underneath the falcon's and pulled it out to see them, only to be shocked and horrified at what he saw.
"No! It can't be!" Zane denied as he dropped the blueprints which were for a robot that frighteningly resembled him as he gripped his chest. "No! NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOO!" He shouted as he fell to his knees.
Back at Destiny's Bounty, Melissa was looking over the deck and watching the scenery, and she gave a sad sigh because she still missed having Lloyd by her side, and she hoped that he was OK.
"Are you feeling OK?" Melissa turned around and saw Nya approaching her.
"I don't know anymore, Nya," Melissa admitted with a sad sigh.
"You thinking about Lloyd?" Nya asked.
"I just hope that he's OK," Melissa said as she looked over the deck again. "it just feels weird not having him by my side like we always were, and I know I'm gonna start my training so I can be strong enough to save him but... I still miss him."
"You and Lloyd have a really strong friendship, huh?" Nys asked to which Melissa gave her a nod.
"Yeah, me and Lloyd were the best of friends," Melissa said with a smile before she made a frown, "And if the ninjas weren't too distracted with their stupid bet with trying to figure out who you were, Lloyd wouldn't have been captured."
Melissa then kicked a rock out of frustration as she thought about what happened. Nya understood how she was feeling, and she also felt like she was to blame for this.
"I'm so sorry, Melissa," Nya apologized in a guilty tone. "I feel like this whole thing is my fault for showboating as the samurai and causing the others to lose focus on the Serpentine, and it's my fault that Pythor had taken Lloyd hostage."
"I don't blame you, Nya," Melissa told her. "You just wanted to help the ninjas in your own way, so don't beat yourself up over it."
Nya smiled at that and gave Melissa a side hug. "Thanks, Melissa, you're pretty wise for a kid and I promise that we will save Lloyd."
"Thanks, Nya," Melissa said with a smile. "You know, you're kinda like the big sister that I never had."
"Well, if you ever need a big sister figure to talk to, my door is always open for you," Nya told her which made Melissa smile, and then Nya gave her a teasing smirk. "You're gonna need it if you want Lloyd to be your boyfriend." She teased making Melissa's face go as red as a tomato.
"I don't... He's... Lloyd's my... SHUT UP!" Melissa stammered as she ran back to her room and Nya chuckled at her reaction.
Meanwhile, Wu was walking down a town street to a tea shop as he was passing by an alleyway, he saw the tree skeletons Wyplash, Kruncha, and Nuckal just leaning against the wall playing Rock, Paper, Scissors before they saw him.
"Gah! Retreat!" Nuckal cried as he and Kruncha ran away from the master and Wyplash just rolled his eyes before going after the two boneheads.
Wu just shook his head and entered the tea shop, once inside, he walked up to the front desk and rang the bell.
"I would like to purchase some traveler's tea," Wu requested an old lady with gray hair wearing a rice hat.
"Never heard of it," the lady said before Wu placed some bits on the counter. The lady went into the back and came back with a teapot, and picked up a small jar on the top shelf filled with tea leaves. "You know, those who drink this never return." She said as she poured the leaves into the pot.
"Then, I will not bother you again," Wu told her as he took the pot and walked out of the shop.
The others soon caught up with one another before they came to the tree base where Zane was.
"Zane?" Kai called out as they walked down the steps.
"Wow! Would you look at this place?" Jay asked before they saw Zane at the bottom. "Zane, what's wrong?" He asked as they all rushed to him.
"Are you hurt?" Kai asked in concern.
"You OK?" Cole asked next.
Zane sighed as he looked back at the blueprints, which were revealed to be blueprints of him, as he looked at it to find something and he put it down, lifting his shirt and grabbing a handle on his chest.
"Hey, what…?" Cole tried to ask as Zane opened his chest completely.
The three all screamed in horrified shock as they saw in place of organs and flesh were gears, cogs, wires, and switches.
"Zane, you're a robot?" Kai asked in shock.
"All this time and I never knew," Zane honestly said.
"Uh, guess this explains why you're always acting so weird," Jay said trying to lighten the mood. "Right? Heh-heh," He chuckled but this only made things awkward.
"Now, all of a sudden, your strange behavior makes sense," Cole said before he realized something. "Wait, Zane, how could you have never known about being a robot?"
"I am still trying to figure that out," Zane said with a shrug, "But I did learn that the reason I never had a sense of humor was because my funny switch wasn't on."
Zane then flipped a switch in his chest. Before it closed, goofy music started to play as Zane was acting more funny and silly, and then he began singing a silly song.
Zane:
Hello my baby
Hello my honey
Hello my ragtime gal
Send me a kiss by wire...
When he finished, the three were surprised by this and Jay started laughing hard. Zane then opened his chest again and turned off his funny switch before he fell to his knees.
"Uh, it just makes you special," Cole tried to assure his friend. "You're still the same Zane, just more, uh, gears."
Kai then approached Zane. "No matter what you're made of, you're still our brother."
"Really?" Zane asked as he looked up at him.
"In fact, I bet it even makes you a better ninja," Cole added with a smile.
"Yeah, and how cool is it that I can honestly say 'my brother is a Nindroid.'?" Jay said.
"A Nindroid?" Zane and the others asked in confusion.
"Cross ninja with android, and you get Nindroid," Jay explained.
"Fine, whatever, but come on," Cole said turning back to Zane. "The Serpentine are still out there looking for the first Fang Blade and we need you."
"You'll have to go on without me," Zane told them. "I just don't feel right."
The others looked at each other with concern before obeying Zane's wishes and left the base.
"We just have to give Zane time," Kai said to them. "He's a bit shaken up about learning this kind of discovery. I mean, I don't know how I would feel if I found out I was secretly a robot."
"You mean a Ninjdroid," Jay corrected.
"Yeah, whatever," Kai dismissed as they looked at the maze of trees.
"How the heck do we get out of this place?" Cole asked as they looked around before they heard something growling. "What was that?" He asked in concern.
"Cute tiny birds?" Jay said nervously.
They all put on their masks and looked around to see if they could see anything, but then Cole noticed some of the trees moving.
"Did you see that?" Cole asked them.
"I don't see anything," Jay said.
"I just saw it too," Kai said before a group of tree-like creatures surrounded them, "Treehorns!"
They drew their weapons before they saw the malfunctioning robot Zane had taken out earlier.
"Oh, great, I think that thing was supposed to protect this place. Guys, it's up to us," Kai told his friends.
Jay charged at one of the Treehorns and swung his nunchucks at its legs to knock it over. He swung his nunchucks again to knock another one over before another used its legs to hold him. Kai charged at one of them with his sword in hand.
"NINJA, G...Unh!" He was knocked back by one of them before he could do Spinjitzu before another pushed him back with its leg.
Cole grabbed one by the leg and spun it around to knock a few others down, but before he could pull out his scythe, one tripped him and the others pinned them down with their legs.
"There's just too many of them!" Cole shouted as they were getting overwhelmed by the Treehorns.
Meanwhile, back in the tree base, Zane was looking over the blueprints of himself and found something of interest.
"Uh, a memory switch?" He asked before he opened up his chest and thought that, that switch was turned off. When he flipped it back on, a flood of memories came back to him.
Inside his mind, his memories rewound to the point where he first activated, and he saw a man with a white coat, ice blue eyes, light brown hair, and wearing glasses.
"Hello, Zane," the man said while putting on his glasses.
Zane looked down at his feet as he took his first steps with a little help from the man. His memories jumped forward to when he kicked a ball and it hit him when it came back and knocked him over as the man rushed over to him to see if he was all right.
His memories then showed him and the man in front of a bowl and cooking utensils as he was teaching him how to cook. Zane put some ingredients and spices into the bowl before tasting it and it was good.
His memories went forward again and the man looked a bit older as his hair had turned a bit grayish. Zane was holding and petting a little robot as if it were a pet, which gave the man an idea to help with his loneliness. His memories jumped forward to where he was building and finishing the falcon. When it activated, it flew up and around the room.
His memories jumped forward again to where the falcon was resting on his hand, and he was moving a toy car on the ground. The man's hair had turned white as he had an old camera set up as he called him over, and the three took a picture together.
His memory jumped forward to where he was sitting on a bed and Zane was holding a small butterfly.
"You were built to protect those who cannot protect themselves," he told Zane as he let the small butterfly go.
His memories went forward again, and this time, the man was very old and weak, lying on the bed as Zane was concerned for him.
"You were always the son I never had," he told him in a weak voice. "It's time you begin your next stage in life, and the only reason I'm about to do this is because I love you." He told him as he took off his glasses and gave a weak smile, and Zane gave one back.
Zane's chest opened up as he weakly rose and turned off his memory switch, which made Zane give a blank look as his glasses fell to the floor. When his chest closed and he turned around, Zane found himself in an unfamiliar place and didn't remember anything, not even his robotic nature.
In the present day, Zane had his eyes closed as a single tear ran down his cheek at his memory of his father, and how he cared for him. He then noticed a picture frame on the desk covered in cloth, and when he removed it, it was a picture of him, his father, and the falcon together.
The falcon then flew down and rested on his hoof, as Zane smiled at his old friend. He then made his way up the stairs to join the rest of his friends.
"Hey, guys wait up!" Zane called out when he came out of the tree to find his friends being beaten to a pulp by the Treehorns. He put on his hood and charged at them. "Leave my friends alone! NINJA-GO!"
Zane did Spinjitzu and knocked a few of the Treehorns back. He then threw his shurikens at a couple of them before he jumped and hit one in the face. The others got up and saw Zane holding his own against them as he knocked down a few of them.
"What's gotten into Zane?" Cole asked as they all stood.
"I don't know, but I like it," Kai said as each ninja joined each other back-to-back.
"NINJA, GO!" All five ninjas shouted before they did Spinjitzu and knocked a few of the Treehorns down.
Cole then slammed his scythe down to cause a quake and make the Treehorns lose their balance. They all worked together to knock them down or pick each other up when they were knocked back. As Jay spun around his nunchucks, he noticed they stopped and moved out of the way for something.
"Are they re-grouping?" Jay asked before they saw a bigger Treehorn with nine red eyes. "Who's that?"
"Their queen," Zane said with a glare as the queen roared as he stepped. "You will not hurt my friends!" He shouted as he took out his shurikens. "There is nothing that will hold me back!" His shurikens glowed as his eyes started to glow bright. "I know who I am!" Then, a beam of light shot up into the sky as his whole body began to glow and it lifted in the air.
"What's happening to him?" Kai asked in surprise. "Was he programmed to do that?"
"I've never seen a robot do that," Jay commenced.
"You mean, Nindroid," Cole corrected.
"Yeah, whatever," Jay repeated still in awe as the queen of the Treehorns roared at him.
"Zane's unlocked his true potential," Cole said in awe.
Zane then threw his shurikens around the queen before he did Spinjitzu around her. His Spinjitzu was faster than before with his true potential now unlocked, he soon floated back up in the air and caught his shurikens before firing a beam of ice at the queen, freezing her solid.
With their queen defeated, the rest of the Treehorns ran away as Zane fell to the ground. When the glow stopped, his friends ran over to him just as he was getting to his feet.
"What happened?" Zane asked.
"That was awesome!" Jay cheered.
"You should've seen yourself," Kai said excitedly as he placed a hand on Zane's shoulder.
"I've never seen anything like it," Cole said in amazement.
"This must be what Sensei meant about unlocking our hearts," Zane said as he figured it out, "I remember now. I remember everything. I remember my father and how he cared for me. I remember where I came from, and I feel stronger for knowing."
"I'm so jealous," Cole said in awe. "His powers are so cool."
"We have our very own Nindroid!" Jay exclaimed as they all cheered with excitement.
"Watch out, Pythor, we're coming to get you," Zane said determinedly.
Back in the Constrictai Tomb, Pythor was still inspecting the stone and trying to figure out where the map was, but the generals were getting impatient and began to question if Pythor even knew what he was doing.
"Where are the four Fang Blades?" Fangtom asked.
"What if there isss no map?" Acidicus questioned.
"Or, what if thessse Fang Bladesssss don't even exissst?" Skalidor questioned.
"Do you even know for certain they are real?" Skales demanded.
"I know, I know!" Pythor shouted in frustration, "But I don't know where to look."
"Then, I'm taking my ssstaff back," Skales said as he picked up his staff.
"Me too," Fangtom agreed, taking his staff as well.
"Me, three," Acidicus said as he did the same.
"Me, four," Skalidor said as he picked up his and hit Acidicus by accident.
"Watch it, rock for brainsss!" Acidicus exclaimed as he started hitting Skalidor on the head with his staff.
"You watch it, slime-breath!" Skalidor insulted as he knocked his and Acidicus's staffs away, and the two started slap-fighting.
Rattalia, who was watching this, sighed in relief knowing that her uncle's plan failed, but then Pythor noticed the venom leaking out from the staff. He then pushed away the two generals and then saw the venom mixing.
"That's it!" Pythor said in realization as he picked up the two staff.
"Uhh, what's it, Uncle?" Rattalia asked as Pythor took his, Skales, and Fangtom's staff.
"The Map of Fangsss," Pythor answered as he placed each staff on top of the rock. "The answer'sss been in our handsss this whole time. When the five fangsss unite as one, the path towards the Devourer has begun." The venom from each staff started to leak out on the rock as Pythor placed a piece of paper underneath them. "It's not ssspeaking of the five tribesss, it's the anti-venom in the five staffsss!"
The venoms created a picture of Ninjago, showing them four red, fang-shaped emblems in four different locations. Pythor beamed at the map as he pulled it out for all to see.
"Behold, the locationsss of the four sssilver Fang Bladesssss!" Pythor announced as every Serpentine cheered as now they had the locations of the four keys to unleash the Great Devourer. "Sssoon, the Great Devourer will be unleashed, and Ninjago will be oursss!"
Rattalia looked worried seeing this, fearing what would happen if her uncle did succeed in releasing the Great Devourer, while Skales and Selma looked at each other with concern about the same thing, and they needed to find a way to convince the rest of the Serpentine that releasing the Great Devourer was a bad idea.
On top of a mountain, Sensei Wu meditated in front of a fire with the teapot. Once the teapot was ready, Wu picked up the pot and poured the tea around the fire. Once he was done, the flames turned blue before a portal opened up in front of him. Wu picked up his staff and the case the katana was in before he walked into the portal and it closed behind him.
Wu traveled through the portal and opened on a different end and a completely different place. Once he made it through he found himself in a very dark place, a place unknown and filled with darkness.
"Hello, brother," a familiar voice called out to him as Wu saw a figure in a black cloak standing a few feet away from him. He knew who this figure was the Lord of Darkness, the bringer of chaos, and his brother and Lloyd's father: Lord Garmadon.
"What took you so long?" Garmadon asked as his evil laugh echoed throughout the area, as lightning crashed and thunder rumbled.
To be continued...
A/N: And that's Tick Tock and a lot of stuff happened. We now know how Garmadon turned evil and the origins of the Great Devourer. Melissa now sees a sister figure within Nya. Zane learned about his past, and the Serpentine have found the map to the Fang Blades, and so, the hunt begins. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review and tell us what you think.
Up next: Jay has finally gotten a date with Nya but unfortunately there's a small problem during the date
Here's the Cast list:
Tara Strong as Melissa; Vincent Tong as Kai; Michael Adamthwaite as Jay and Store Owner; Andrew Francis as Cole; Brent Miller as Zane; Kelly Metzger as Nya; Paul Dobson as Wu and Acidicus; Mark Oliver as Garmadon and Zane's Dad; Michael Dobson as Pythor; Tabitha St. Germain as Rattalia; Ian James Corlett as Skales; Jillian Michaels as Selma; Mackenzie Gray as Fangtom; and John Novak as Skalidor.