• 𝓓𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷𝔂 • {Ninjago}

•S2 E1: Darkness Shall Rise (1)•

Mere days after the Great Devourer was defeated, Ninjago City was already on the road to recovery. Since there were so many people, the building efforts were fast and efficient. The ninja played their parts too in helping to clean up the city, with people praising them at every corner.

"Ah, finally," Cole huffed, shoving the sign into its final place. The Falcon landed on top, watching the ninja closely. "All fixed up and Serpentine free."

Kai stood off to the side, trying as hard as he could to conjure a giant flame like he used to. Yet all that he could muster was a few sparks. He glared at his hand in disgust. "Ugh, this is frustrating," he groaned. "Our weapons are gone and most of our elemental powers are gone. I mean, we can still do Spinjitzu, but—" Kai tried again, getting even fewer sparks than last time. "I just feel so, I don't know, limited. And thanks to the Devourer, our tank's out of commission, our dragon's hurt, and now that the Bounty's destroyed, we don't even have a place to sleep."

Zane pulled away from his job welding the pole into place to pull up his mask and look wistfully at his brother in arms. "No one ever said being a hero is easy," the nindroid remarked. "Though our good deeds may never make us rich, they make us rich in other ways."

"Yeah, well, I don't feel rich," Kai grumbled.

"I for one enjoy pitching in," Jay grunted as he picked up a scrapped TV. "I've always wanted to feel part of a community. Uh, speaking of which, anyone seen Nya? She said she was gonna help."

"And I have." The ninja turned to see Nya riding in on a makeshift motorbike, Wu at her side. There was a faint but confident smile on her face as she held up something in her hand. "I may have found us a place to live."

Jay, impressed as always with his girlfriend, asked, "Really? But there's a waiting list a mile long to live in Ninjago City. How'd you do that?"

"I know a guy who knows a girl," the Samurai winked. "And she knows this girl who knows a guy. Well, this guy knows a girl who's a real estate agent, and she can help you find a place, if you catch my drift."

The blue ninja took the card from Nya, saying, "And where are you off to?"

"We have to find a couple of components to fix the Ninja Tank," Wu piped up, "and my Dragon Ointment has finally arrived. It's a day's trip, but once we get back, he'll be flying once again. Also, I love scenic drives. Punch it, Nya."

"Aye aye, Sensei," she grinned, pumping on the gas and peeling out of the ninja's sight.

Jay watched her go for a moment before turning his attention to the card. "'Patty Keys, Real Estate Queen.' Hah, this is exactly what we need. Once we get a rood over our head, we start properly training (Y/N) and Lloyd."

"Good," Cole chirped, "because if we know Lord Garmadon, he's not gonna be taking any breaks. And let's not forget, the Serpentine are still at large." Although the snakes had been missing for a good while, there was no way they were all just gone. As evidenced by the events that had led up to the release of the Great Devourer itself, the snakes didn't forgive so easily.

Serpentine knew how to hold a grudge. They knew it well.

:):

"Serpentine," Skales cried to his small army, "we've been exiled for the last time. Fear not. I will lead you."

"Lead us?" A Hypnobrai soldier called from the crowd. Exposure to the outside world for a few months had taken its toll, and their vocal hissing was almost completely dissipated. "To where? The City of Ouroboros has been destroyed. We have no home."