Legends of Ninjago: Book 2: Rise of the Serpentine: Chapter 27 — Never Trust a Snake

Ann stared at the floor while the medic checked up on her. She swallowed hard once or twice, but she didn’t know why. There were things she remembered—like getting check-ups—but this time it felt different. Something… something… something wasn’t right. Or at least, it was… something… but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t find the right word to describe it, and it left a sour feeling in her gut.

The medic, a snake by the name of Hiss, treated her head injury and cleaned her up, but his motions didn’t feel… familiar. A person who was close to you would be unafraid to get a little rough sometimes. Hiss was being as gentle as humanly possible, as if… but she was raised by Scales, so he was probably being gentle for some other reason. Yeah, that—that—that was it.

“You’re very lucky,” said Hiss, putting his things away. “A cave-in is-s-s no laughing matter. She’s-s-s fine, Admiral—physically, at least.”

“Mmm… s-s-so are you s-s-saying there could be s-s-something wrong mentally?” Scales asked, widening his eyes and scratching his chin.

“There could be,” Hiss replied, and as he turned back to Ann, she felt another lump form in her throat. Mental? Like, brain damage? She would still be able to fight, right? Hiss pulled out a clipboard and started, “Let us-s-s begin with a s-s-simple memory tes-s-st. What is-s-s your name?”

After a moment of thinking, she said, “Ann Jing.” Good. At least she still remembered the basics.

“What is-s-s your power?” Hiss continued.

“My power…” Ann repeated. “Oh, you mean my elemental power? It’s water.”

“Very good… now, uh, where were you this-s-s morning?”

“I was…” but Ann stopped. Where had she been this morning? She—she—she had to have been with the legion, logically speaking, but no—nothing—not—no memory… blank… she was drawing a blank… there was… nothing besides an endless white haze. She clutched her forehead and winced.

“Oh dear…” said the doctor, clicking his tongue. “Oh dear, oh dear, this-s-s is-s-s not good at all.”

“What is-s-s it?” Scales asked, seemingly very worried.

“She has-s-s amnes-s-sia!” Hiss cried. “And a terrible cas-s-se, at that!”

What? Amnesia? Memory loss? That certainly would explain everything, but exactly how much had she forgotten?

“Ann, tell me you remember me,” said Scales, coming closer.

She looked up at him and gave a weak smile. “Of course I do, you’re Admiral Scales. You raised me like one of your own and trained me in the art of combat. I could never forget you.” Yes, this she remembered. It was so clear in her head—a fact more solid than a boulder. Something so engraved in her head was definitely a—a—a real memory. Scales smiled too, and asked,

“Do you remember the firs-s-st time we fought in the s-s-slither pit?”

Ann had been ready to agree with him, but the moment she opened her mouth, the white haze came back and her smile faded. Slither pit… slither pit… slither pit… she had no picture to associate the words with, no frame of reference for what it was or the memory Scales was trying to evoke—the words just felt foreign to her.

“Oh no, it’s-s-s wors-s-se than I could have imagined!” The doctor declared, reaching both hands to his face in shock. “If she can’t remember s-s-something as important as-s-s that, then who knows-s-s how much els-s-she she’s-s-s forgotten.”

Ann thought deeply for a moment. She tried to remember being young—being raised by Scales—and the white haze returned again, blocking everything. Then, an image of herself standing in front of a mirror appeared, maybe when she was eight years old. There was someone behind her brushing her hair. The person—she knew somehow—was much older than her and was her primary caregiver. It had to be Scales. Just like that, her brain inserted the snake into the picture, and she blurted out, “I remember something.” Scales and Hiss both stared at her intensely. “I remember... when you used to brush my hair... in front of the mirror.”

Scales gave a quick smile. “I... remember, too. But, you must be mis-remembering. We didn’t have mirrors in the tomb, we had ice walls.”

“Oh. Of course,” Ann said quietly. Then, she hadn’t just made a major breakthrough. The more she thought about it, though, the more the mirror kind of looked like ice. It was an old memory, after all, it was sure to be somewhat fuzzy and garbled, even before the head injury.

“Well, Hiss-s-s, what can be done for her?” Scales said to the medic while Ann went back to staring at the floor.

“Maybe showing her s-s-some familiar things-s-s and places-s-s would help,” Hiss suggested.

Scales was nodding his approval when Ann interjected. “Actually... I think I might want to rest a little, if that’s okay with you, Sir?” Scales seemed a little disappointed and Ann knew that he was probably hoping to spend some time with her—her—her—regain memories. But she had a terrible headache coming on, and needed some time alone.

“Very well. We’ll prepare a place for you,” Scales said and he slithered out of the room.

“Keep in mind what I s-s-said,” Hiss went on after they were alone. “Revis-s-siting a few familiar places-s-s may help.”

He left then, and Ann sat in the small room by herself for a few minutes hoping that she would still be strong enough to help fight with the Hypnobrai. After all, she hated the Emperor, and she was fiercely loyal to her clan. They were her fam—fam—family, and she would do anything to protect her family. That was something no head injury could ever take away from her. She just wished her headache would stop spiking and hurting so much.

Scales came back a few minutes later and brought her to another little cave where she could rest in peace and quiet. There was a sleeping bag on the swept floor, as well as a pillow for her aching head, and she gladly reclined there, hoping to get a quick nap in before she was needed again.

She was now completely alone in the dark, accompanied by a single candle. The ceiling was all angles and shadows, creating odd and interesting patterns. As she stared at them, she thought back to the times she had spent—spent—spent with Scales. There had to be at least one more memory she could pull out. A training session? The slither pit? A mission? Something?

Then, as gentle as a wisp of smoke, something glided over her mind. It was a tune.

“Little wave... upon the sand... mmm hmm mmm... and take my hand...” she mumbled, hoping no one could hear her. This was definitely a real, strong memory. Now, how did the next part go? “Um... clothed... in foam and born of light... the heavens glow... with pride... tonight.” This must be a lullaby from many, many years ago, but who had sung it to her? The voice which instantly came to mind belonged to a woman, not Scales. “Mmm hmmm, lay your head... sleeping, dreaming, in your bed... rest, hmm mmm, in waters deep... and hmm mmm mmm hmmm back to me.” What did it mean? Little wave... waters deep... there was definitely a link to her in all of it, and her powers, but—but—but who had sung it? How did she know it? Could it be... some long forgotten memory of her—her—her mother?

All this memory digging was only worsening her headache, so she was forced to forget about it for the moment. Oddly enough, as she drifted off to sleep, the lullaby was forgotten. Completely forgotten.

* * *

Stupid Slithraa. Stupid mission. Stupid Scales. What a lame day this had turned out to be. Lloyd had wanted to stay in Greta Junction and relish his victory. Now he was trudging with a dozen of his snakes through the scorching wilderness that was the Sea of Sand, searching for the Anacondrai tomb. It was late in the day, so the sun was at its hottest, and everybody was desperate to find shade. Lloyd was just glad that there was a breeze to help ease the heat and put all the sweat on his bear chest to good use.

“How much further?” he asked, spitting out a stray piece of sand that was grinding between his teeth.

The snake on his left pulled out the map and said, “Roughly... two more miles-s-s.” Everyone in the platoon groaned.

“This-s-s is-s-s a fine s-s-spot we’re in,” someone grumbled. “Why’re we even helping the Anacondrai, anyway? Those lowlifes-s-s are the ones-s-s who got us-s-s all banished in the firs-s-st place.”

“We’re going because I said we are!” Lloyd yelled back at him. “Feel like being insubordinate? Then you can stay here in the desert and die for all I care!”

After that bombshell of a comment, there was a pause and everyone had their eyes glued to the ground.

“You know, you’re a lot s-s-stronger than Admiral S-s-scales-s-s gives-s-s you credit for,” the Serpentine with the map said.

Lloyd looked up and squinted. “Really? Scales’ been talking about me behind my back?”

The snake hesitated. “Well… truthfully… yes-s-s.”

“Pffft… figures,” Lloyd muttered.

“He’s-s-s very committed to the old ways-s-s, you s-s-see. His-s-s great-great-grandfather was-s-s once chief of our tribe,” the snake explained.

“Wait, his grandfather?” Lloyd asked. “Wouldn’t that make him, like, a prince?”

“Not in our culture, no,” said the Hypnobrai. “You s-s-see, the chief Hypnobrai is-s-s not like a king or queen. There is-s-s no royal line or family or heir to the throne. Our leader is-s-s chos-s-sen in the s-s-slither pit.”

“Slither pit?” Lloyd repeated, stumbling a bit as they crossed another sand dune.

“An ancient tradition pas-s-sed down for generations-s-s. It is-s-s a fighting ritual us-s-sed for all manner of important ceremonies-s-s. Coming of age, dealing with trouble makers-s-s, and mos-s-st importantly, electing a new chief.”

“Soooo…” Lloyd said, frowning. “The strongest guy wins? That’s all it takes?”

“Hardly,” said the snake. “If you hope to even get into the s-s-slither pit, you mus-s-st rally support from members-s-s of the tribe.”

Lloyd thought for a moment. “But does the slither pit only happen once the chief is dead?”

“Oh no, many chiefs-s-s have been challenged during their reign.” The snake seemed to realize something. “But don’t go getting any ideas-s-s, Mas-s-ster Lloyd. Only Hypnobrai are allowed.”

“No no, I would never wanna do that,” Lloyd said quickly. He had probably never said anything more sincere in his life. “I was just thinking about a certain snake who might.”

The Hypnobrai beside him “hmm-ed” a bit. “I wouldn’t put it pas-s-st him, but you may jus-s-st be right.”

Scales had never liked Lloyd, and he took every opportunity to show it, especially in front of the chief. He was always showing everybody else up, too. He was arrogant, and selfish, and would totally do something like that, which made Lloyd wonder… for how much longer would the Hypnobrai be friendly?

“Look there!” someone shouted, and Lloyd instantly swiveled his head, trying to find whatever it was the snake had seen. There! Down below them, they could just make out what looked like a giant fang just sitting in the middle of the desert.

Everyone started running toward it, glad that they were finally at the end of their journey. Lloyd was the slowest—his feet dipping into the sand and slowing him down, while the Serpentine glided over the shifty surface—but when they all finally did get to the tomb, their legs and tails were completely dirty.

“This is it?” Lloyd asked, bending over and squinting up at the strange object. Everyone was huddling underneath it and sighing in relief, but Lloyd was inching closer to what looked like a cellar door squished underneath the giant fang.

“We can always-s-s turn around and find a different giant fang in the middle of the des-s-sert,” one of the snakes quipped, which garnered a round of chuckles.

Lloyd ignored him and kept walking toward the cellar door. Much like with the Fangpyres, this tomb was nowhere near as ornate as the Hypnobrai tomb. He turned around for a second and noticed that all the other snakes were standing away from the door, watching him.

“Are you guys coming?” he asked. Slowly, they started shuffling over.

He reached for the old handles... and accidentally ripped them off the rotting wood. Lloyd threw them to the ground and used his dark energy instead, turning the wood of the door into dust. Inside, there was musty, dry darkness and more stairs. Lloyd went first, naturally, and all the scared Hypnobrai slithered in after him. Lloyd wasn’t scared, though. He didn’t fear the Anacondrai.

In the Hypnobrai’s case, there had been spiral stairs. Here, the steps went straight down. Well, the very least, there was little chance of falling. Lloyd touched the wall for support all the way down to the bottom room. The light shining through the door was enough to light up the three solid, stone walls in front of them. A dead end.

“Oh well. We tried,” said one snake.

“Hold your horses,” Lloyd warned, glancing back at him. He stepped closer to the wall in front of him and noticed something different about it. All the other walls were made with bricks and mortar—there was a lot of attention given to them—but this wall was made up of a handful of large rocks smushed together. There was no rhyme or reason to it, and there was dry mortar globs all over the place. “This way,” he said, reaching out a hand. The stone crumbled a lot slower than the door, but once it was gone—reduced to sand on the floor—they found an empty, black room. There was not a sound, or voice, or sign of movement beyond the threshold.

“Hey, um, Mas-s-ster Lloyd? Can’t you make a torch, or s-s-something?” one of the snakes said shyly.

Lloyd scrunched up his nose. They really did need light, didn’t they? He gritted his teeth and pulled up his right hand, allowing the golden light to glow. His breathing became sporadic as he tried keep in the cries of pain, and mercifully it didn’t take too long to make the stupid torch. It wasn’t like its glow reached very far, but it was better than nothing.

“Hello?” Lloyd called, looking around. “We’re looking for the Anacondrai! Hello?” He walked on, further and further into the sandy cave, and still, nothing. Lloyd was just about suggest turning back, when he felt something crunch under his feet. He stepped away quickly when he saw ivory bones laying there, unmoving. One would think that he had been desensitised to the sight of skeletons, but a dead body is still a dead body. He gulped and looked back at the other Hypnobrai, who were still standing by the door. “Maybe they’re all gone. Maybe... maybe we should head back.”

All of a sudden, he got the distinct feeling that there was something behind him, and the shocked faces of his snakes confirmed it. Before he even got the chance to look around, he saw two pink eyes connected to a long, purple neck creeping over his shoulder.

“Ah!” he screamed, and he dropped his torch as he whipped around in a panic.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, dear boy,” said the snake as he bent over and picked up the light source. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Here you go,” and he handed it back to Lloyd with a wide, toothy grin.

“Uh... thanks,” Lloyd said slowly. “And you must be...?”

“Pythor P. Chumsworth, at your service,” he said with a bow. Now that Lloyd had a better look at him, he could see the extent of his freakishly long neck and tail, which were decorated in a very complicated black and blue pattern. He could tower over Lloyd if he so chose, but instead, his head was held at eye-level with him. “And who might you be?”

“My name is Lloyd Garmadon. Son of Lord Garmadon,” he said proudly.

“My, my, my, THE Lord Garmadon, you say? Very prestigious... very prestigious...” Pythor mumbled to himself.

“So, umm, where is everyone else?” Lloyd asked, half expected another Anacondrai to pop out of thin air.

“My tribe?” Pythor asked. “Oh, the poor fellows. Starved to death, I’m afraid, until they were nothing but scales and bone. I’m... the last one, you see.”

The last? They came all this way... to get one snake? Oh, Slithraa wouldn’t be happy about this. Lloyd wasn’t happy with it either! He could see Scales’ smug face right now! “Oh, one snake, I guess I’ll go tell the humans to surrender right now.”

“You seem troubled, young man,” Pythor said, leaning a little closer. “What’s the matter?”

Lloyd put his free hand through his hair and grumbled some more. “There were supposed to be more! We needed the Anacondrai’s help!”

“Help with what?” Pythor leaned in closer still.

“I’m raising an army. We’re taking over Ninjago,” Lloyd said, feeling more pride well up as he looked back on all that he had accomplished.

“Really? How deliciously evil! But, who might ‘we’ be?” Pythor asked, grinning just a bit.

“The mighty Hypnobrai tribe. That’s-s-s who,” said one of Lloyd’s snakes, coming forward. Pythor suddenly seemed a little less eager to make friends.

“Ah. I see...” he paused for a moment. “You know, I may still be of use to you.”

“Oh yeah? Can you multiply yourself or shoot lasers out of your eyes?” Lloyd asked sarcastically.

“No. But I was one of the smartest strategists in the whole Anacondrai tribe. I may not have the brawn for the battle field, but I do have the brains for war. I could be a very useful ally.” Lloyd looked up at the purple snake and squinted. “Not to mention, since you freed me, I am eternally in your debt.”

“All right, let’s go,” Lloyd said reluctantly. “Slithraa will be waiting for us.”

“Wonderful,” said Pythor, grinning again.

* * *

Ann suddenly found herself being shaken awake. She sat up suddenly and saw Cole standing over her. She would have gotten to her feet and attacked if it hadn’t been for his... swirling... strangely... soothing... eyes. Her brain quickly turned to mush and suddenly she couldn’t remember where she was or what was up or down or left or right... was she dreaming? Was she dead? Did it matter? She kind of enjoyed just floating through space.

Then, a figure came from behind Cole. A scaly, fanged figure.

“Get up, Ann. I have a job for you. And you will forget all about it when you wake up.”

“...yes, Sir...”

* * *

Keaton gripped the branch tighter as the wind picked up again and she adjusted her footing. Ninjago was anything but peaceful tonight. There were smoke stacks rising in the dark, and scattered flames lit the ground with a devilish eeriness. At the very least, the one nugget of good news to come from all of this was that the IBI was putting less effort into finding her and the others. The bad news was that Ninjago didn’t have enough effort left in it to fight the Serpentine.

“Keaton! Come down! Dinner’s ready!” Jay yelled at the top of his lungs.

Keaton looked over her home one last time. “I’m coming for you, Ann,” she whispered, and then she floated down to the ground.

The last two days had been devoted to prepping for their rescue mission; studying maps, brushing up on fighting, checking the news radio station for any scraps of information on the developing situation with the Serpentine, etc. Everyone was rusty, to say the least, with their fighting skills, especially Kai who was very stiff. Even though she was a good few inches shorter than him, Keaton managed to take him down several times. Meanwhile, Jay’s reflexes were sharp as ever, and getting sharper.

As far as intel went, it was practically embarrassing how little they actually knew. Before Wu was unhonorably discharged from his former position as an advisor, and stripped of his medals, honours and whatnot, he was able to find out that Lloyd was leading the Serpentine South, and not much else. It wasn’t until today when they heard, over the radio, that the Prince of Darkness’s campaign had truly begun, starting with a town named Greta Junction. It was strategically chosen for its defensiveness and close proximity to natural resources, such as a freshwater lake. They took the town in a matter of hours and the army was at a loss for what to do next. Then came Kairi’s Landing, Eagle Rock, Vista Point, and Kuro Village. Each town fell faster than the last, especially after the valley evacuation order, and still the army was helpless. Until someone did something about it, who knew how many other homes, businesses, and people would be lost.

Their mission was simple: avoiding military detection from both Ninjago and the Serpentine, they would sneak across enemy lines and extract Ann, Cole, and Lloyd. Although Keaton wasn’t very optimistic about retrieving Lloyd, Wu was adamant that he be brought in. He was still the old man’s nephew, after all, and sooner or later, he would loose control of the Serpentine and be turned into a pawn, or worse, executed.

They would be going in three teams. Keaton and Zane: Team Beta. They would be responsible for keeping an eye on all the high ranking officers and any other major threats, as well as covering their tracks and creating a buffer between them and the enemy, should they be discovered.

Kai and Jay: Team Gamma. Their goal: to locate and extract Cole and Ann at all costs, using whatever means necessary.

Finally, Wu and Nya: Team Alpha; the eyes in the skies. They would be watching from a safe distance and coordinating between the other two teams using the ear pieces which Wu had created for them. Then, after the first two targets were secure, and Teams Gamma and Beta were safe, Wu would head in to find Lloyd alone. Then, they would all regroup at their hidden cove, assuming everything went according to plan, that is.

They had all their gear prepped and waiting, and they were already wearing their special shozoku: dark, navy blue stealth suits—perfect for a night time mission. Embark time: one hour, twenty-seven minutes. The last thing on their checklist was dinner and a power nap to make sure they were in tip top shape before this very dangerous adventure.

The campfire was blazing at the center of their temporary hideaway, and as she approached, Keaton could just make out the battered tree trunks they had been using to train. There were no tents pitched anywhere (thankfully, it hadn’t rained) just sleeping mats and thick blankets, courtesy of Wu, who had also created dinner for everyone; pork dumplings. She sat down next to Nya and grabbed a bowl, trying not to let her hands shake. All she could think about was the blazing inferno they would be heading into, and whatever state Ann would be in, if she was even still alive.

No one spoke as they ate, their eyes fixed on the fire, the ground, or their bowls, and their stomachs too uneasy to really eat much. Keaton had two dumplings and then set the bowl down, listening for the slightest disturbance in the bushes or grass around them. You could never be too careful on the night of a mission.

Sensei Wu cleared his throat just then and everyone looked up at him. “Ideally, I would have liked to have Ann and Cole with us... however, given all you have endured and all the training you’ve received, I feel that it’s appropriate I give you these.” He turned around and grabbed a big bundle of what looked like weapons and everyone stood up. “For the sturdy and reliable ninja who requires a strong weapon to match his personality: the katana.” He handed Kai the beautiful blade wrapped neatly it its sheath. Kai nodded and then the Sensei reached into the bundle again.

“This,” he said, holding up what looked like a small scythe with a ball and chain attached, “is called the kusarigama. Difficult to learn, far more difficult to master. It requires much discipline and skill, but in the hands of a master, it is a most formidable weapon.” He handed it to Jay, of course, because he was totally the right person to be given the difficult weird weapon. “It will take you many years before you are ready to wield it well, so until then, I urge you to use your lightning and daggers.” Jay nodded uncomfortably.

Wu moved to retrieve the third weapon and pulled out two short swords. “The tanto,” he said, moving toward Zane. “Steady, precise, and ruthless. For a ninja of balance and inner strength. Use it well.”

“Thank you, Sensei,” said Zane.

“Little one, I do believe these belong to you,” said Wu, pulling out a brand new pair of metal lined tessen, or war fans, decorated cheerfully with purple flowers.

“Thank you, Sensei Wu,” Keaton replied, wishing she could smile about it. As the keeper of the tessen, it was also Keaton’s job to help send signals across the battlefield and coordinate between teams when all other forms of communication have failed. It was a great responsibility.

“And finally—” Wu said, walking over to Nya, who was also wearing a dark blue shozoku. “Although you may not need to use it—for the novice warrior, a steadfast and loyal companion: the naginata.” He pulled out what looked like a long staff with a short sword attached to one end, resembling a long spear. She took it in both hands and weighed it gently, admiring the craftsmanship of the blade.

“Thank you... Sensei,” she replied, bowing slightly.

“Use these weapons well. They are your allies and closest defence after your powers. Now, sleep well. I will wake you all in one hour.” With that, Wu left to meditate somewhere beyond the firelight.

Keaton took in a deep, shaky breath as she looked over her new fans again. One hour. No pressure. She slipped them onto the thin belt around her waist and and sat back down, looking at the fire, while everyone else found their sleeping mats and hunkered down. Keaton wanted to sleep, but she also wanted to run somewhere. Fly somewhere. Do something. She felt positively twitchy.

“Can’t sleep?” Jay asked after a few minutes, rolling over to look at her.

“...no,” said Keaton, staring at the ground and feeling her eyes grow weary in the dim light.

Jay turned onto his stomach and crossed his arms under his chin. “Me neither.”

“It feels... almost unreal,” Nya noted, not too far away. “I’m glad I’m just providing support.”

“And I’m sure it’ll be the best support ever,” said Jay, smiling.

“Dude, I just ate,” Kai said, turning to look at them all with a sassy expression.

“You are worried about Ann?” Zane asked Keaton after a few minutes. She gave a shallow nod, still staring at the ground.

“This is the first time she’s ever been captured,” she mumbled. “Do... do you think they’ve got her, too? Hypnotised, I mean?” She swallowed hard and tried not to imagine what the ensuing fight might look like.

“It’s best not to dwell on these things. Conserve your energy and rest,” said Zane, and he made himself comfortable again.

Keaton remained by the fire just a little bit longer before finally giving in and laying down on her mat, holding the blanket close to her face and squeezing her eyes shut tight, to keep the tears from spilling out.

* * *

“Wake up. It’s time to leave.”

This was it. The camp fire was extinguished, their weapons and gear were loaded and ready to go, and the earpieces were equipped.

“Remember,” said Wu as they all slipped on their glider packs. “The earpieces only have three hours of battery. Let’s use those hours wisely.”

“Right!” everyone agreed.

Each buckle and belt was put into place, then tightened and adjusted. Each of them felt the weight of their new weapons either on their back or by their side and remembered the promises those blades carried. In the dark and lonely woods, they took off flying on a gust of wind, aiming their wings toward the burning villages many miles away.

Keaton and Wu rode together since Keaton was the smallest and therefore the lightest, but other than that, they flew the same way they had when first escaping Ninjago City. They sure were lucky that Jay was an inventor, or else they might be stuck walking to Greta Junction.

In the distance, sirens wailed—from police cars to ambulances, fire trucks, and evacuation blare horns—and they made such a melancholy sound that it was hard not to imagine what terrible things were going on down there.

Ten minutes in the air, and most of them were wishing they’d brought warmer clothes. With the moon covered by clouds, it was so dark that Jay couldn’t even see his own hand in front of his face, but the lights below were still crystal clear.

“Coms test. chrrrrrrrrr! Is everyone still in formation?” Wu’s voice crackled over the com links.

A golden orb lit up somewhere up ahead and Jay realised that he had been drifting slightly of course. As he corrected himself, he said, “This is Jay, in position.”

“This is Nya, in position.”

“Kai, in position.”

“This is Zane, in position.”

Twenty minutes. Roughly twenty more to go until they reached the landing zone. They were now at the halfway point.

The flames and smoke were getting close now. So close that Jay could smell and taste it in his system. He was glad he brought a mask.

Thirteen minutes left. He could feel his heart rate climbing.

Eleven minutes. The landing zone was in sight.

Eight minutes. He was having second thoughts now.

Five minutes.

“Prepare for landing,” said Wu.

The landing zone was one mile outside of Greta Junction, hidden in the hills and mountains. It was also mostly smoke-free, as the wind would be blowing away from them.

They began to drop, flying in circles, getting closer and closer to the ground.

One minute left.

Touchdown.

Jay braced himself this time and landed on his feet. He wished that his old model glider could fold in on itself, but unfortunately, he hadn’t thought of that particular design feature until recently. Nya’s pack was the only one which could fold.

“Move. Quickly,” Wu ordered.

Jay took a deep breath and followed his master through the dark. The packs wore away at his neck and back, but they still had to press on or else they would loose their com links. By the time they had reached a safe vantage point from the town, it had officially been over an hour. Two hours left.

As instructed, Teams Beta and Gamma left their gliders with Team Alpha and scurried the rest of the way down the mountain. Knowing that Nya would be watching him with a pair of binoculars normally would have made him feel all fluttery on the inside, but not tonight. Tonight, he was more concerned about not messing things up.

The town was surrounded by a thing blanket of trees, and they couldn’t follow any of the roads. The four of them got within ten yards of the outermost house in the suburban district when they stopped and hid in the trees. Jay peeked out around the trunk of a cedar and scanned the houses and fences. It was quiet here, which made it all too easy to get over confident.

“You’re clear,” Nya said through the ear pieces.

They bolted from their hiding spot and climbed over the nearest fence, landing in a manicured backyard, then they crept up to the gate and Keaton checked to make sure the front yard was Serpentine-free. Jay watched her give the “all clear” signal and they gingerly leapt over the fence. Now where do they go?

“There’s a car coming your way. A truck, I think,” said Nya.

Jay looked up the street and saw the headlights shining already. It was a truck alright. A strange, scaly green, monster truck with bulbous wheels. There was a snake in the bed who was shining a light at the dark houses, doing a sweep of the neighbourhood.

Suddenly, Jay felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Keaton frantically trying to signal to him. She wanted Team Gamma to hitch a ride on the truck. Jay only had a second to panic before the truck was already in front of them and Keaton was shoving the two boys forward. While the light was shining on the other side of the street, Kai and Jay dashed to the truck and rolled underneath it, grabbing hold of literally anything and clinging to it for dear life. The undercarriage felt like it hadn’t been cleaned since... well, ever, and Jay’s fingers felt dry and dirty because of it.

He dropped his upside-down head and tried to make out where they were being taken. The road was quiet for a solid minute, but then they turned a corner and were greeted by flames and smoke. There were other Serpentine, too—hundreds of them—cackling, looting, and generally just being awful. Jay even spotted a few hypnotised civilians being rounded up like cattle before the truck moved too far away and he couldn’t see them anymore, but there was nothing around here that seemed remotely important to their mission, and even though the blood was rushing to his head, Jay was pretty sure he hadn’t seen Cole or Ann.

On the truck went, until it started turning back into the suburbs and Kai and Jay looked at each other knowingly.

Go, Kai signed.

They waited until the truck went past a house with a good, thick tree in the front yard and let themselves fall the asphalt. While still trying to be as quiet as possible, they scrambled out of the road and swung up into the tree in a matter of seconds. Jay was having a hard time controlling his breathing as he looked up the street and followed the truck until it disappeared. It would seem that they made a clean getaway.

“Team Gamma, status update,” Wu asked.

“Approaching Main Street,” Kai whispered as he spotted the green street sign up ahead.

“Team Beta, status update.”

For a moment, there was silence, and then Zane’s voice came online. “Also approaching Main Street,” he said.

Jay breathed a bit easier and then dropped from the tree. He and Kai ducked into the shadows as they crept over the lawn of this last house. Beyond lay the financial district—the shops and business and restaurants—most of which were two stories or more.

Follow me, Jay signed to Kai.

There was a car in the driveway, so he jumped on the hood and from there, he climbed onto the roof. Kai was right behind him and the black tiled roof hid them well. From up here, they had a much better view of the town. City Hall was at the very end of the street, they just needed to pass a horde of snakes and hypnotised soldiers to get to it. There also happened to be lookouts and snipers along all of the rooftops, most of whom were humans.

Jay reached up to his com link and whispered, “Uuhh... requesting assistance?”

“Where are you?” Nya asked calmly.

“On top of the house on the left-bottom corner of Main Street,” Kai said, keeping his eyes on the Serpentine around and below him.

“I see you,” said Nya. “You need to get to the hall, right? Try the sewers?”

Both boys looked down at the nearest manhole and inwardly grimaced, but it was hard to argue with the logic. They slid down the roof and waited in the bushes for the perfect time to rush out into the street. Kai started going for it, maybe just a little early, and Jay was forced to follow him. The red ninja reached down and pried the metal lid off of the hole as quickly as possible and Jay jumped down, feet first. His feet hit cold, running water and he instantly fell over, getting his lower half completely soaked. Kai didn’t jump down, thankfully, he just stood on the built-in ladder and closed the cover behind them while Jay stood up and shook the water from his hands.

Once Kai was down, he lit a flame and they could see the small, smelly sewer system stretch out all along the street. Nya had been right, this was a practical idea, just not a completely clean one.

Hunched over, they ran through the tunnel, hearing more unusual sounds coming from up top with every manhole they passed. Jay counted their steps and stopped when they reached one dozen too many.

“Here,” he said, pointing to the nearest sewer lid.

“Are you sure?” Kai asked.

“Pretty sure.”

“Pretty sure, or all sure?”

“Well now I don’t know! You’re making me nervous!” Jay cried as loudly as he dared.

With that, Kai climbed up to a gutter drain and peered out into the street. If he was remembering correctly, then the City Hall should be right behind them, and a loud explosion somewhere out of his sight had gotten everyone’s attention, so he quickly dragged himself out and turned back to pull Jay up too when a truck came barrelling down the road. Kai barley got out of sight before the headlights hit him, and he had to drop Jay to do it, who was now laying on the filthy ground of the sewer, even more soaking wet.

“Thanks, Mr. Butterfingers,” Jay quipped when Kai returned and started pulling him up again.

“Cork it, and move,” Kai whispered, shoving his teammate into the shadows of the nearest alleyway.

Fortunately for them, one of the walls of this particular alley just so happened to be connected to City Hall. They looked up at all the window cills and intricate mouldings and they both knew what they had to do next.

They scaled the west side of the building, peeking into any nearby windows to see if there was someone inside. Most of the rooms were empty and pitch black, but every so often there’d be a light on and they’d catch a Serpentine eating decorative flowers or something. Nothing important yet.

“We have eyes on the chief,” Keaton said on coms. Kai and Jay froze in place and listened. “He’s not alone. There’s a second chief here.”

“What does he look like?” Wu asked.

“Red and white. Two heads,” said Keaton.

“The Fangpyres have been awoken. Lloyd’s moving faster than I thought. Listen, children, whatever you do, do not let yourselves get bitten,” Wu warned them.

“What happens if they bite you?” Jay asked, removing a hand from the wall and touching his ear piece.

“You become one of them.”

Kai and Jay stared at each other for a moment.

“Yup, okay. Duly noted,” Jay said, his voice pitched up a little.

“Do you see Ann or Cole?” Nya asked.

“Negative,” Keaton replied, and Jay could hear the stiffness in her voice.

“Keep looking,” Wu ordered them, and Kai and Jay got back to climbing.

Eventually, the boys made it to the roof where they found a big, glass dome ceiling high above the main foyer. They made sure the coast was clear, and then stepped up to the glass.

The foyer was filled to the brim with Serpentine and human soldiers, and in the centre of the room sat a big, wooden table draped with a sprawling map of Ninjago. They could see a snake with a golden sceptre—probably the chief—talking to someone. Kai quickly clicked open one of the glass panels so that they could hear.

“What?” the chief Hypnobrai was saying. “He’s-s-s here? Now?”

“Yes-s-s, My Lord,” the other snake said. “He s-s-said that he has-s-s s-s-something to show you.”

The chief sighed loudly. “Well, fine then, s-s-send him in.”

“Actually, My Lord, he’s-s-s... waiting outs-s-side,” the soldier said sheepishly.

The chief stopped for a moment and then proceeded to the door. Kai and Jay following him, moving over to the edge of the building and looking down at the outside stairs, only for Jay to spot something out of the corner of his eye; three vehicles parked in the middle of the street. Someone was exiting the passenger side door of the middle car, and everyone on Main Street seemed to stop what they were doing and watch. He slithered onto the hood of the car and cleared his throat.

“My chief,” he said loudly. “My brothers-s-s!” The crowd of Hypnobrai all around him cheered and whooped. “I come bearing great news-s-s! For too long, the Elemental Mas-s-sters-s-s have been a thorn in our s-s-side!” The crowd cheered again and Kai and Jay exchanged worried glances. “For too long, they have put us-s-s down and laughed at our great hypnotic powers-s-s!” More cheering erupted from all around, and more snakes had started to gather. “Well, no longer! No longer will they be s-s-safe from us-s-s!” Jay was getting a very bad feeling about this. “No longer will they be able to res-s-sis-s-st! For I have surpassed the skills of generations passed!”

“Keaton, Zane, are you seeing this?” Kai asked into his ear piece.

“Seeing what?” Wu responded, sounding worried.

“I pres-s-sent to you, Chief S-s-slithraa,” the snake quickly turned around and said something to one of the other passengers in the car. “TWO ELEMENTAL MAS-S-STERS-S-S UNDER ONE S-S-SNAKE’S-S-S CONTROL!!!”

Two car doors opened to the sound of more deafening cheers. The first person came out quickly and stood up on the left car. The second seemingly sleepwalked onto the hood of the right car, and Jay thought that his eyes might just pop out of their sockets. Those people down there... they were Ann and Cole.