The ninjas grumbled among themselves as they walked through the streets holding the chosen magazine Wu left them with.

"There's no way she could be a ninja," Kai told his friends. "She's... her."

"Maybe Sensei made a mistake," Jay spoke up.

The remaining four paused and stared at him funny.

"What? What'd I say?"

"Dude, don't be stupid," Cole insulted once they continued walking. "Sensei never makes a mistake."

"Besides, you guys are being misogynistic," Lloyd added with a slight shrug.

"Oh yeah right," the ninja in blue retorted. "You're telling me you can see a girl as The Dragon Ninja?"

"I can see a girl being a ninja... just didn't expect someone like her." The leader shook his head. "Let's just have a five-on-one chat and see what she's really like. Maybe we're wrong about her."

"Well..." Zane muttered as the five stopped in front of a tall edifice. "We've arrived."

Kai quickly glanced down at the piece of paper in his hand. "The only place with every kind of studio in the city. Music, photo... if she's not on one of these floors, then there's no hope."

As they opened the doors and strutted in, Jay asked among them, "Did we ever even try to find out if she worked today?"

After a second of realization, they all groaned.

However, that's when a teenage girl walked right past them and out of the edifice, gossiping on the phone. "Excuse me. But yeah, girl. Dump him already, he's not worth it. There are so many other guys just in the city that have way better personalities... and look better, too."

The ninjas spun around in unison and simply stared at Scarlett, who didn't even bat an eye. She was too engulfed in her conversation.

It took them all a few seconds to come to the realization that they'd have to chase her outside. Kai was the first one out the door.

"Wait, hold on!"

The other four followed suit. Jay was the last one out.

The front desk secretary just stared at them with a nervous smile. She didn't even get the chance to greet them.

"Well, they wouldn't be the first men who have run after her."

The teen stopped at the crosswalk. "Okay, well let me know how it goes. Text me later. Bye, love."

Kai recognized the slightly immodest bodysuit over those tights. He skidded to a stop in front of her before she began walking again.

She jumped, placing a hand on her chest. "Oh, hi again. You scared me."

"Sorry about that..." He smiled warmly. "Uh, you got a few minutes? My friends and I kinda wanna talk to you."

Scarlett turned her head to see the four trailing behind. She glanced back up at him. "Sure! But if it's about the whole event situation again, I don't have any new updates."

Zane caught up next. "Well... it actually has very little to do with that."

She blinked. "Oh? Okay..."

The group of six leaned back against a restaurant building to evade being in the way of walking pedestrians. Their news was also not something they wanted the general public to really hear.

She scanned all five ninjas in front of her with a concerned look in her eyes. "Is everything okay?"

Jay rubbed the side of his head, conflicted. "How do we even start?"

The teen smiled. "I'm a great listener, I like to think. Go on, what is it?"

That was all Zane needed to hear. "Our Sensei has enlightened us on the fact that you are to join us to become a ninja."

She stood there in silence. "... huh?"

Kai let out a short huff. "Way to ease into it."

Seeing how confused she already appeared, Cole tried to make it better. "We were told you're gonna become the Dragon Ninja. It actually sounds pretty cool."

This just made Scarlett smile. "Oh, I get it. If you guys wanted to like, hang out or something, you could've just asked me. I know Mia might be a little unapproachable, but you can find me literally anywhere."

"No, no, that's not it." Lloyd frowned. "Look, I know this completely came out of left field. But it's true. Crime in the city has gone down until the attack at the plaza building."

"Only someone with the strength of the same beast can be the one to destroy him," Kai added, trying to sound convincing.

But it all confused her even more. She frowned. "Beast...? Destroy who?"

Zane thought it was a good idea to explain. "The night of the attack, we've come to discover that the ball of fire came from a dragon. And riding that dragon, causing chaos, was a being known as the Dragon King."

Scarlett placed a hand on her head and closed her eyes. "Okay, slow down. Seriously, this sounds so weird. So you're telling me that some douchebag named the Dragon King brought a real dragon here to Ninjago and blasted the plaza building that night?"

"Mhmm," all five hummed in unison with a single nod of their head.

"And you're saying that only another dragon can be the one to defeat him?"

They were optimistic now. "Mhmm."

"And you're saying that person... dragon, is me?"

"Mhmm!"

The teen sighed. "Well... I'm sorry guys. I can't really help you."

The ninjas all sighed in exasperation.

"Why not?" Jay questioned.

"I'm flattered, really, but you got the wrong girl. I can't fight to save my life, first of all," the black-haired model started, "and not only that, but I have a life, no offense. Though it's mostly leisurely, I have my career. I live in my own apartment with Mia... which brings me to that, too. I'm not just gonna up and leave her to join something that isn't worth it."

She then smiled softly. "I would say you have a better shot with Mia, but she hates you guys more than I hate raspberries. And I despise those abominations."

Kai didn't like that at all. "Wait, why?"

Lloyd dismissed him. "That's not the point. Scarlett... please think about it, at least. Ninjago's in danger, and we need you in order to stop it."

Very hesitantly, she nodded. "Okay. I'll think about it."

"Thank you. If you make a decision, you'll know where to find us."

He turned, waving the others to follow him. Slowly and confused, they did.

Scarlett blinked. "I do?"

Once they were a decent distance away, Cole placed a hand on their leader's shoulder. "Uh, Lloyd? What the hell was that?"

"Yeah, I thought we were supposed to bring her back with us!" Jay commented.

"We tried. We can't drag somebody against their will to the Bounty. Then we'll look like the bad guys," the ninja in green calmly explained. "You heard her. There are things that she doesn't wanna leave behind, which I understand. Sensei never makes a mistake on these kinds of things; if it's meant to be, she'll find her way back to us."

The four all looked at each other for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Okay."

Well, there was a reason he was the leader.

And his words rang true. If destiny truly wanted Scarlett to be the supposed Dragon Ninja, it would come to fruition sooner or later.

Though sooner would be nice.

¤ ¤

After the strange encounter with the heroes, Scarlett returned to her shared apartment.

Inside, she found her friend opening the oven. With a gloved hand, she placed a batch of chocolate chip cookies on top of the stove.

The model beamed. God, she couldn't have found a better roommate.

Mia turned around upon hearing the door open and close. She softly smiled. "Hey. I thought you finished at four today?"

"Yeah, I did... you'll never believe what just happened, though." The dark-haired teen dropped both her purse and herself on the couch. "The ninjas came and talked to me."

The redhead blinked, her eyebrows furrowing into a slight glare. "They did? What the hell did they want?"

"Well..." Scarlett began, "they wanted me to go with them. According to them, I'm destined to be a ninja."

Mia nearly choked on her own saliva. "You? God, no offense, but..."

The former laughed. "No, I literally said the same thing. I would've suspected you over me. And get this. They said I have the power to become a dragon."

It was silent in the room. After about a minute or so, both girls busted out laughing.

"Oh my god." Mia had to wipe her eyes before containing herself. "This is why I hate those assholes. Of all the bullshit to make up..."

"I thought I was going insane." The older teen rose to her feet to walk over to her. "I asked them if all they wanted was to hang out or something, but apparently they were serious. If they are being for real, I think they got the wrong girl."

The redhead rolled her eyes. "Please. There's no way they're saying that to anybody else. I think it's just 'cuz you're the Scarlett Dragonfire."

That made her chuckle. "I told them if they should be asking anyone to join them in being a ninja, they should ask you."

Mia nearly whacked her with the hot tray. "No the hell you didn't."

Scarlett now laughed. "Yeah, but they didn't pay much attention to it. Don't worry. You know that between the two of us, you're the fighter."

"Yeah, well..." She silently sighed through her nose. "That doesn't mean I'd wanna fight for them."

¤ ¤

The ninjas returned to the Bounty, dejected at their failed mission.

"Man, I can't believe she said no," Jay spoke with a sigh.

"I know, right? Who would wanna say no to this?" Kai seriously questioned, staring down at himself.

Cole blinked. "I would."

"I didn't ask you."

"I would too," Zane agreed.

His left eye twitched.

"Yeah, I get you have a crush on her, Kai, but you gotta forget about it. She's literally a model," the ninja in blue commented. "You're... you."

The fire master raised his hands in defense. "Okay, hold on, when did this become a fucking roast competition? Chill out."

"Guys," Lloyd cut in on their casual banter.

As the five stood on deck, their sensei walked up the stairs to meet them. They all stopped speaking about their previous nonsense.

"Why the sad looks?" Wu asked, genuinely confused.

"Well..." Cole held his hands out as a metaphor. "You can see we came back empty handed."

"I see. And you expected a different outcome?"

Even Lloyd was lost, now. "Wait... huh?"

"A girl of only seventeen years, with a soaring career and a friend to always rely on in the worst of times," he began to monologue. "You expected her to give all that up? To leave and come aboard with, although infamous, a group of strangers?"

The boys all looked at each other. The ninja in green had said something along those lines, and so nodded.

The other four, however, now understood her point of view from the wise words of their teacher. As always.

"But wait a minute," Kai paused, "if you knew she wouldn't come with us, how come you made us go after her in the first place?"

"Yeah, Sensei," Jay agreed, "that doesn't make any sense."

Wu turned his back to his pupils, walking over to the rail edge and staring out at the sky. "Truthfully... I wanted it to be a warning."

Zane tilted his head. "A warning?"

"I fear something will happen to her specifically. She may not want to join you now, but she will in due time. But I wanted her to hear the invitation from you all first. It will give her time to think about it."

"Does it have to do with the Dragon King?" Lloyd asked.

"That... I do not know. I was only given so much information."

He then faced his students once again. "Go on and rest. Tomorrow, you will resume your casual training. You have completed your mission for the day. I am sure we will see Scarlett again."