Chapter Text
Lloyd
Life is oddly normal now, whatever that means.
The Merge happened almost two years ago, Sora and Arin live with me full time and train under me. Sure, sometimes we deal with some bad people and some issues. But since we took down the Forbidden Five and Chaos, the world has been quiet.
I still do my best to keep my identity on the down low, meaning all of Ninjago—and other realms—still think us Ninja are dead. And I will let them think that until I no longer can hold up the facade.
Wyldefyre has gone off with Roby, doing god knows what.
Pixal and Zane have gone off to find out more about the Merge, but they said I can reach out for help if I need it. Kai and Nya are likely still asleep right now, same with Sora and Arin. Cole is either with Geo or meditating right now. And Jay… I try not to think about that situation in the mornings.
Currently, I am in the library with coffee and the news on, much like I do every morning now. I need to know what’s going on in the world at all times now, especially now that there is so much more world to cover and keep safe.
The sun rises behind my back, glaring on the TV screen.
Someone knocks on the library door.
“Come in,” I call out.
Arin pops his head in, seeing me he gives a quick smile.
“Good morning, Arin. You’re up early.”
He leaves the door cracked behind him. “Has anything new happened in Ninjago?”
I sigh and sip my coffee. “Nope, still quiet. Which I know should be nice but…”
“It’s kinda boring here. These last few months of quiet, that is.”
“You’re not wrong. But the quiet has been nice.”
I haven’t had quiet like this—or maybe any at all—for as long as I can remember. Since the day the title of the Green Ninja was bestowed on me, I haven’t known a day of quiet or peace. Until now. But it does drive me a little insane sometimes.
I sigh and push myself up from my chair. “Let’s–” the intercom alert cuts me off, “nevermind. I guess today might be interesting,” I send Arin a quick wink before I passed him on my way out the door.
I get to the Sam-X cave at the same time as Nya and Kai. Sora and Arin come in moments after I get the alert pulled up. Just before Pix and Zane left, Pixal created and installed a system that alerts us—it sounds a little like a national disaster allarm—when someone in all of the Merged world reports a problem. Or when a scanner or camera picks up something problematic. It's linked to police scanners, radios, and live feed.
“Good morning,” Nya mutters.
“Hell of a way to wake up, huh?” I tease.
Nya glares at me. Kai sits on the edge of our table, watching me stand at the monitors and figure out how the hell this system works. I'm still getting the hang of it, mainly because we haven't had to use it yet. So… all we knew about was the theory of how it works.
“By the time you get that bitch working they'll be dead,” Kai's voice has a tired edge to it. “And if this was for nothing I'm gonna be pissed.”
“Language,” I murmur.
“Sora and Arin are both sixteen, we don't have to be careful anymore.” He whispers under his breath, “damn.”
“Right,” I shake my head, “force of habit.”
“But,” Nya rubs her eyes, “we all know you hardly curse anyway,” Nya adds with a yawn.
“Not true,” I shoot back.
“Thats a shock to me.”
I glance at her over my shoulder. “You’re asleep ninety percent of the time, what the hell do you know about my habits?”
Nya snorts. She comes up next to me, placing her hands on the edge of the table while I mess around with the mouse in my hand. She taps my arm, holding her hand out for the mouse, I don't hand it over.
Then an image of our alert pops up on the screen. Hell yeah!
“Someone is…” I back up to get a better look at the screens, “reporting some tech stolen from the…”
“Junkyard?” Sora finishes. “Why the hell would someone care if they're stealing from the junkyard?”
I shrug. “No clue. Maybe it's a tax thing? Either way, we could check it out, or we could move on with our–”
“–very boring–” Arin cuts in.
I shake my head, a smile crossing my face, “–lives.”
“Can we check it out?” Sora and Arin ask at, seemingly, the same time.
Sora clasps her hands behind her back, “please?”
Nya tosses her hands in the air. “Im going back to bed.”
I nod.
Kai follows her, “ditto!”
Sora rolls her eyes. “I know it's nothing… exciting, but it's the most exciting thing we've had in months. And I'm bored as fu–”
“Okay!” I laugh softly, “language, Sora. But yeah, sure, let's go check it out. Arin, you coming with us?”
He nods his head vigorously, nearly bouncing on his feet.
“Alright,” I crack my knuckles, “pile into my car.” I unlock the car Sora made—a sedan of some kind—and the kids pile into the back. Not only does this car look normal as hell, but it’s fast as hell. I thank the First Master every day that Sora gets bored easily and builds shit like this car.
Upon our arrival at the junkyard, I pull up my hood and plan to let Sora and Arin do most of the talking.
Arin shakes hands with the manager of the junkyard. “I heard some talk that there are some issues here?”
The man nods, “you heard right, there was a thief here last night. The little bitch took an exhaust muffler and a handful o’ wires for something.”
Sora takes a quick look at the piles in the junkyard, “they managed to find… anything in this junkyard?”
The man shoots Sora a severe look. “Now I know this place don't look too organized, but it has a system. And she seems to have figured it out.”
“I wonder why she took those things then,” Sora mutters under her breath.
“We could stake it out here tonight if you'd like,” Arin offers, holding his hand out, “we’d be happy to do it.”
The man sighs, “how much would it cost?”
“Free of cost.”
He takes Arin’s hand, “alrighty then. You've got yourself a deal.”
As he starts to walk away Sora speaks up, “oh, sir, one more thing! How do you know if it's a female?”
“I seen her shadow on my cameras, no man has a body like that.”
I clear my throat.
Sora nods. “Got it… thanks.” She looks over at me, “that was kinda gross right?”
“More than a little,” I confirm.
Sora runs her hands through her hair, letting her head drop back for a second, with a sigh. “So do we come back around sunset? Or are we just going to sit here all day?”
I look at Arin, brows raised. “Ive done worse stakeouts, this is up to you two.”
“Lets make a day out of it!” Arin is nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet.
“Alright,” I clap my hands together, “I'll follow you two.”