{Location: Crystal Pass' Cemetery}(Seliel's POV)

How'd I get here? I know how, I dressed in a black dress, black tights, and black glove for this moment. But is it really happening? It is. It's as real as the part of the coffin I'm carrying. Me, Dad, Mom's assistant named Jenny, a few doctor friends from close by towns walk down the red carpet with a white casket on our shoulders. Soon we're at where she'll be buried. We set her down in unison as Marci loudly blows her nose.

I back off as my eyes water. I can't believe this turnout. Literally, everyone I know is here. Mrs. Glad has personally bought hundreds of tissue boxes for the occasion. Even those I know of the Yellow tiger gang are here. Not a speck of yellow on them.

The pastor from the near by church is here and has a black shirt and dark blue jeans. "My name is Pastor John." He has slightly darker skin and brown eyes with a brown book. "Dawn came to me when she was twenty-one and asked me a question, what if I can't lose my sin? I didn't have an answer for her then. I do now and I wish she could hear it." The pastor takes a deep breath as it lightly rains, "I think we are free from the ultimate price of sin. The consequences will still be made in our lives. I believe for a long time that Dawn was forgiven. But I don't know if she ever forgave herself. Sometimes, it's harder to give yourself grace than others. Everyone loved Dawn Janet Quartzstone in one way or another. I don't know if the sins she spoke of still linger with her all I know is, this town will be a little less brighter without her." He bows his head.

I know him, when I was much younger he asked my Mom to run the emergency medical in the building. He has a lot of lollipops on his desk. "I believe that her friends and family have a few words for her."

Before I know it, I'm standing on the podium. I look left. There she is, in her jeans, white shirt with midnight blue stripes. Her hair spread out like a halo. Whatever mask I wear is broken as looking at the picture of me, her and Dad in her hands, "My Mother...to a lot of people she was the town doctor the lowered bills on purpose to help families who needed it. To some she was the person I always looked up to, the one I made my pre-school paper about. But to everyone, she was a part of us. To me, she was everything. She was the kind doctor that worked as hard as she could to help without hurting. She was the person who fed and helped dress me. But most of all, she was my hero." I'm choking on my tears, "To me she was the ultimate mom. But now that she's gone..." I pause. What could I say? What could anyone say? "Well, I just hope that she knows we all loved her dearly." I practically run off the stand and into Dad's arms.

Marci keeps the tissues coming steady. A lot of people actually go up, eather to share a memory or say a few words. Marci tries herself at some point but can barely talk through her tears. Even Victor goes up even though he looks like he rolled out of bed and jumped into a tux.

Before I know it, the casket goes down and small things of dirt cover the pearly white lid.

The rain turns a tad thicker now and now we head to my house for the wake.

I can't tell how horrible it was.

I mean it was great.

But I half wanted to send everyone off and just cry with my dad. But no. I let people stay and say, 'I'm sorry for your loss. She will be missed. I loved you mother like my own sister. Are you ok?'

It soon becomes a mindless cycle of yes, and I'm fine. People leave one by one or in pairs. Some stay and help clean.

Once everyone leave thought. I bite my lips. Dad is passed out on the couch and Marci left with her family. I write Dad a note and head up stair to change. The moon has come up, mostly empty. That's good, means I will have a harder time of getting caught.

I slip on all armor and grab my kama, a sword and a few throwing stars. I blend into the shadows as I head to the caves. Death may make life pause but something tells me that the Yellow tiger gang are still hard at work.

I find two boys with brown hair, one with brown eyes and the other with blue eyes and a black pack back, head into the cave. They have thick leather jackets with a yellow streak on it. Perfect.

Brown eyes holds up a lantern, "Is this the right way?"

Blue eyes swallows hard, "I think so. The is the way the Leader showed us right?"

"Dude, I just asked you if you thought this was the way. You can't answer a question with a question."

"Can too."

"Can't."

"Can."

The two bicker like little kids as I stay about forty feet away from them. I start making a mental map of where I'm heading. So far, simple, straight. Then the boys stop in front of a grey rocky wall with a closed off mine rail. They step through it while arguing still.

Seriously, with recruits like these the gang may as well turn themselves in. I walk slower now as there are now mouse traps on the floor. Then the boys do something different, they turn right.

"Ahh," Another much older voice splashes something, "Glad you two showed up."

Another voice chuckles, "Did anyone follow you, kittens?"

I think blue eyes growls a tad, "No. We're not stupid."

Sure. And I can turn invisible. I inch my way and spot a flipped over mine cart that I can hide in. It's not too far but I'll have to be fast. Here gose nothing. I sprint and nearly ram into the cart.

The older voice comes back as wiggle out my first grade periscope, "I feel like someone else is here."

"Well," the second voice belongs to a dude, maybe 17 or 18 short buzz cut black hair, black leather jacket with a tiger on the back, "We are missing someone. I thought he'd be here."

The boy with the backpack pulls it off as I study them, "He said he had work elsewhere. Something about not wanting to spy here."

Brown eyes folds his arms, "I don't even know why we bother with this place if our enemy lives on an island."

The oldest voice is of a brown haired, grey eyed man. I know him. Mr. Nom from the next mining town. How is he caught up in this mess? The dark skin around his lips pulls up, "As far as Ninjago know, Chen doesn't exist. Did our missing partner send anything?"

"Yeah." Brown eyes pulls out a tape with the number 12 on it. "I know...here." He pulls out a black tape player and pushes the tape in, "He's got more but some are missing."

Click. The tape rolls, "So there. All twelve." Mom? Who took Mom's tapes? When? During the attack? "I regret everything about going to that island, trusting snakes, and joining them. I was a little girl who didn't know better but I should have seen everything wrong with the situation."

Mr. Nom holds his hand up and the tape is paused, "I've heard enough. We need the rest of those tapes. Who knows what kind of information is on there."

Information? Stealing? How does this loop back to my Mom? Most of her mistakes are centred around the island.

The leather jacket boy grabs the bag to take a closer look, "Let me guess, our buddy is running through the other tapes first."

Mr. Nom sighs, "We must be careful about this. In a town like this, any quiet movment that is know is soon known by all once the evening hours come."

Leather jacket sighs, definitely a teenager, "So? I say we get out of here and hit Chen hard."

"That's a fight we can not win. The first battle maybe but Chen is rich. He'll destroy us. We need to first ready our men and upgrade our arsenal. Speaking of which, where so be some 'special' trucks coming in soon to the factory." Mr. Nom raises an eyebrow. "Unless you like to hit Chen on your own, Jordan, I think you should expand your patients."

Jordan rolls his eyes, "Fine. You're the boss."

Mr. Nom smirks, "Good. The truck are coming in next week at 4:30 A.M. Nicky, Alex, I need you two to spread the word to the other members. Not everyone needs to come but half a dozen will do."

The blue eyed boy swipes the bag back, "Oh come on. When will we get off of messenger duty?"

The brown eyed boy turns to leave, "You want to wake up at 3 in the morning? I'm fine with being a verbal postboy."

The two leave and instantly get into another fight. Mr. Nom and Jardan look at each other, the tape player still in Jordan's hands, "And what if the cops catch wind of this?"

Mr. Nom folds his arms, "Are you suggesting we have a squealer somewhere?"

"No. But I'd prefer to be outside of jail when I can vote."

"I think we'll be ok. Don't worry about things that aren't there." Mr. Nom holds his hand out and Jardan gives it to him, "We need the rest of the tapes. Search the clinic and tell our pal to give over the rest."

Jardan hums a little, "The thing is, he told me he was going dark for a while. We won't hear from him in a while."

"Fine." Mr. Nom starts walking out and will see me. I tuck away my periscope and slowly twist the cart around, "The shipment is just phase one. Once we've secured more weapons and people we can attack our sworn enemy."

"And what about everyone associated with Chen?" Jordan is in the hall way first as Mr. Nom rests his hand on a small rock, "Not everyone stayed in his cult."

Mr. Nom glares then massages his fore head, "I don't care for their lives. Anyone with the mark of the anacondrai or related to one should die."

"I know I'm poking the bear, but why do we hate Chen?"

"A small knife in the back can cause much damage." Mr. Nom walks into the hallway and I sneak out and hide around the corner, "Why? Any myths around the topic?"

"Some of the boys believe...well, the younger crowd thinks something mystical crap."

"And you?" Mr. Nom heads left, "What do you believe?"

"You've never steered me wrong, Dad. But I know that something are better left unheard."

"Good boy." They step over the casting lines and talk about football.

So, I have a target. And a spy. Think Seliel, who would know to look for that tapes, who would take them....Who just came back into my life. I freeze. Victor's my spy. How'd I didn't I see that? He took the tapes and if Mr. Nom needs those tapes to launch his whatever, it'd be a shame if they went missing.

I walk again as Mr. Nom and Jardon part ways. I know where Victor's hose is, 983 Coal path. But should I go as Seliel or as the Phantom ninja? I run in the shadows of the trees then jump over a fence and bounce on a trampoline, I get to the lowest point of the roof and grab it then flip on. If I go as Seliel, he may suspect me of him being a spy. If I go as the Phantom ninja, I'll start making a name for myself. I smirk under my mask, a name wouldn't entirely be a bad thing.

I'm have to jump across a small alley to the next house, I really need more equipment. I jump and crack a rain gutter. Eather I need wings or a grabbing gun.

I get to the roof of Victor's house, black and dark grey paint with a sunroof where I am. I pick it open and look for an easy landing. The halfway point on the stairs takes a turn and is the closest to me. I jump and fall with cat like grace in my armor. I press a black button on the wall and the sunroof closes.

Where to look first? I tiptoe up stairs, dozens of legos are on the ground, at least I have shoes. There's a small play room on my left and the master bedroom on my right. The play room has all kinds of tapes. I lightly pat through it when the lights click on.

I turn slowly to see a six year old girl with pony pjs and a blue blanket she's holding. Her brown eyes slowly open as dose her mouth.

So much for being a not know viglianti. I pull of my helmet and her surprised look softens, "Hey, Julia."

"Seliel!" She hush exclaims and runs to hug me. "Are you babysitting me?"

"No." Julia is such a cutie but I can't have her blaboring to her cousin, "I just remembered that I left something last time I was here. I think it's in Victor's room."

"You haven't been here for a few years." Julia frowns then sucks her thumb, "Are you sure it's here?"

"Yes. Can you help me not wake up your cosain?"

"Oh, he's not here. He's in the basement." Julia takes her thumb out to talk the stares at my belt.

"Basement? What Basement?" I frown, there isn't a basement in this house. Unless it's new.

"Follow me." Julia walks down stairs and turns to the office. She opens the door for me then kneels down and pushes a floor borde. It sinks, then so does the next one. Soon there's a wooden staircase leading down. "See, basement."

"Julia," I kneel down so I'm closer to her hight, "We're going to play a game, k?" I smile as her thumb gravitates to her mouth, "It's called, how long can you go without letting anyone knowing I'm here."

She snickers then yawns, "Five bucks could keep me quiet." She holds out her non-blanket holding hand.

I pull on my helmet, "Kid, you're really gonna make a living when you get older," I hold down a snicker of my own and pay her.

"What?" She looks around wildly, "Who said that?"

"Good girl." I step over and unlock the front door and disarm the alarm. And seriously, the code is still 12348? "Now go to bed."

Julia walks into the kitchen and rummages around in there. Oh well, they can blame what ever noise I make on her. I walk down stair. I need a flashlight. I make a small mental list of what I'll need.

Close to twenty paces down, there's a small room with a small sole light bulb. I stop by the fresh wooden railing. Victor is facing a wall with pictures. "Julia? Are you getting a snack?"

Julia crunches on something and I climb the walls and pretend to be part of the ceiling. "Just some cookies."

"No sugar after 11." Victor walks around then up, right under me, "Get some milk."

"Ok, fine." She crunches on something else and draws Victor up.

"I'm serious." Victor gets to the top and I drop down.

I own you Julia. I walk around, the walls have a few pictures of me. Eather leftovers from his stalker days or fresh. Next to the stair is an oak desk. I open drawers, so he does have the tapes. Numbers 7-11 are there lazily tossed in. I open a pocket on my belt and start taking them. This is perfect, I've almost got the rest of the tapes and Victor has no idea.

Naturally when one's luck is this good, something bad is about to happen. The bad thing is heavy footsteps come back down.

Crap, no place to hide. I collect all the tapes, take out a kama stick and place one in there. My hands look through the rest of the drawer and find a small bag of black balls. Why not? I grab it but the string, hold the bag in the same hand as my kama and pick one out.

Victor turns the corner and stares at me, "Who..how'd you find this place?"

I deepen my voice and throw the ball at him, a huge smoke bomb gets everywhere and I run up stair. He's coughing from the smoke as I slip past him, "It's easy when you're the Phantom Ninja." I make my get away, pull open the door and run as fast as I can.

I find lamp pole. I really need more pockets. I place the bag around my wrist and climb up like Mulan except with my kama. I get to the top as Victor comes out, "What do you want?"

I dig around for another bomb and throw it, this is fun, "I just want to do right by my city." I slide down the pole and run again.

I make it two blocks before I'm out of breath. Now that was fun. But that took a lot of energy and my armor is already heavy. I look for my cell phone, finding it in the slim of my boot I daile Marci and pull up my helmet.

She picks up, "Hello?" She's sipping something. Coffee with enough sugar to kill a water buffalo I'm guessing.

"Hey, Marci. Remember how you said you wanted to do more then carry my weapons around?"

"Yeah."

"I need a pick up."

She sighs a little, "Where are you?"

"Coal path and Dancing wind way." Small pause, I sigh and roll my eyes a little, "I'm down the street from Clare's."

"Gotch ya. See you soon." Marci hangs up.

I smirk as I put my phone away. Night one was a success.