{Location: New Ninjago city's meatpacking district}(Morro's POV)[1 week after the sons of garmadon gained control of the contrary]

I duck form Sensei's swing, cartwheeling away from Katara's daggers, "I thought this was just practice."

Sensei stricks again, yanking my staff away, "Kenneth and Harumi will not go easy on you. Neither will we." He nods to Katara.

She spins around, close to spinjutzu but not quite. I pull my head to the left as she bearly cuts my ears.

Ever since I got my haircut to help avoid detection, my head's felt lighter.

I kick her knives out, grabbing her hands. Using all my werewolf might to hold her.

She hums, slipping her hands out before a smack and a push to Sensei comes, "Not all weapons are made of metal. Those that aren't are more dangerous."

I get a staff smack to the chest. I fall back only to kick up. I slip under Sensei, he poses as I breathe heavily. I think it's back. My wind. I rise my hands, hoping the blasting air will come out. I push forward to nothing.

I thought I had it.

I try again before giving that up.

Sensei spins around, trading hands with the staff before whipping out a chain tying me up.

I fall, looking like an idiot. I can't do it. I'm worthless. "Let me go."

"No. You must be strong if you are to lead a revolution. Be stronger then what holds you back. Be stronger than the chains."

"I said let me go." The chain loosens around me. I get to my feet and pout, "I don't think I can do this. How can I lead a revolution when everyone running around scared? Why should I even lead? I'm only known as a villain. Katara would be better at this."

Sensei holds my shoulder, "Katara isn't a ninja. And while she's capable, this is your fight. Your cause. The people will see that. They will rise and you'll protect Ninjago."

I pull back, the sound of the Bounty getting crushed rings in my head alongside my broken promise. To keep the girls safe, "How can I do that when I can't even protect my friends?"

Katara puts her daggers away, coming to hold me, "I know it's hard. But it's just us, me, Sensei, Misako, and you. You know Kenneth the best out of all of us. I've dealt with dark evil fathers myself. I wasn't strong enough to fight him and I regret everything I did in his name. Even the things when I was hiding from him." She holds my hand, "I don't want the same to happen to you. Ninjago is in ruins, my sister, brother and their team are in another dimension, the elemental masters are nowhere to be found and the others are dead. Who else is going to save the world other than us?"

I huff, trying to pull away.

"I lost all my friends too. And a day doesn't pass when I don't think of them. But I won't let a dark empire cast a shadow over my life. I know you won't either. Not as long as there's air in our lungs and fire in our spirits."

I manage to pull my hands out. I hold my arms, "Nice speech. Very inspiring. Mabey you should lead." I hide out in a corner, wishing I could hide under a blanket or something. I look at my reflection. My hair is much shorter, more fluffy I guess. And my uniform is now dark grey sleeveless with grey fingerless gloves. But it's my eyes that are the most notable, instead of their dark steel color, they're pale. Like I'm sick.

Misako looks over as Sensei and Katara nibble on food. She stares at me with owl-like eyes.

"What?"

Misako's smeared makeup and kind smile somehow stayed when the apocalypse rolled around, "I'm trying to understand, you've lead an army before, you've obeyed Wu before and you've fought people just as powerful as you before. Why is this different?"

I sigh, "You didn't watch the Bounty go down. Just like that." I snap my fingers as I flip my hair, "I promised my brothers that I'd keep them safe. And now," I feel tears swell up, "Seliel, Skylor, Nya, Pixal, and Kit are dead. And I did nothing."

I run my hands through my newly cut hair. The kind that Kai would be proud of. I failed them. How will the ever trust me when they find out?

"Breck's over," Sensei nods me over, "Back to training."

I get up, still feeling useless as I pull up my mask.

Misako heads to the door only to quickly open then shut it, "We need to leave. The sons of garmadon are sweeping the block."

Katara pulls up a black and red mask of her own, "Just follow me." She tip toes out, venturing forward to a dumpster. She makes a wait motion than a hideaway motion.

Sensei and Misako hide behind some rubble. I change into my wolf form, looking like a dog searching for food. Katara stays behind the dumpster.

Killow and Mr. E come around the corner. Mr. E drives much slower as he scans around.

"Mr. E," Killow folds his arms as others pass me, "Lord Garmadon expects results soon. You better find something."

I nose at a trash bag, holding in bail before twitching. Growling while guarding a half open bag.

"Ha," Killow rolls his eyes as he mosses forward, "What a cute puppy." Mr. E makes a series of hand motions. Killow nods, "ok men, we need a 5 block perimeter. Let's catch that ninja before the quiet one's training is done."

One guess, her training to control her transformation. I back off as they ride away.

As soon as they are gone, the others come out.

Misako sighs as I shift back, my eye catchs something, "That was close."

"Come on," Katara brushes off her dress as I pick up a picture, "They'll be back."

I linger, staring at a picture of my brothers at Lloyd's birthday, holding the girls tight as Kit has a lot of cake on her face, I brush over Seliel's face, "This is where the Bounty was destroyed."

Sensei steps on something, looking at the picture before turning it over, "A tea leaf. Not one of my brew."

Katara takes it, "Didn't Misaké give them some tea to go?"

"Traveler's tea." Sensei gasps.

Misako scrambles around, "There's one engine. One anchor, no rotor."

I drop the picture as I climb up half the mast, "There's a sail but no lookout." I smile for the first time in a week, "This is only half the ship! They can still be alive. Somewhere else."

HOCK!

Killow appears on one end of the ally with Mr. E behind us, "Too easy."

Katara fires up, "There's too many."

Sensei glares, "Where there is a will, there's a way. We fight together. We get out of this together."

Mr. E gets off his bike pulling on his mask as he almost chops Sensei' head off. Mr. E goes flying into the wall from a metal fist.

The master of medal smiles, "Back in metlonina, it is not nice to scare old men."

Katara calms down her flames as a dump truck backs in, "Karlof?"

The master of shadow appears in her shadow. Wiggling his eyebrows, "Hello gorgeous."

The master of speed zips around, punching out bikers, "We thought you needed a hand. Get on."

Sensei helps Misako on. I glare at the master of shadow before helping Katara up.

A brown hair, beach-tanned, brown-eyed man leans out the window, "We got everyone?"

I step aside as the masters get on, "Clover?"

"At your service." He drives off as a cover is pulled over us, "Sorry about the wait."

I quite down as we drive off. Can't help but smile. My friends are alive.

Now I just have to get them back from who knows where.

{Location: The first realm/half of the Bounty's wreckage} (Seliel's POV)

"Come on!" I punch at the doorway. Our stupid makeshift radio won't connect to anything. It's been a week and we're already low on food and out of options.

Pixal and Nya hold up tools and steady the makeshift antenna. Poor Kit, her leg is ok but flares up a lot.

The only person that can and should be helping is Skylor. But I think she's losing it. She wears a pair of Kai's sunglasses while sipping iced water, "Sel, relax. It'll be easier if you just give up and accept the facts. It could be worse."

Nya throws down her wrench in frustration, "A strange tea lady marooned us in the realm of Oni and Dragons. A realm mind you, we know nothing about. How could it be worse?"

Skylor smirks, "That we'll never get back to Ninjago, see our boyfriends or husbands again and there is no rescue party that knows where we are or how to get us out." She sighs as the radio only plays static, "Eh."

I growl, rolling up my sleeve to knock some sense into her.

Pixal stops me, "Let's not all lose our minds."

"But she-"

"This is likely a temporary mental break caused by the stress and earlier determination this week. She should go back to normal once we get good news."

"In other words." I fold my arms. Missing my armor. Most of which is used in the radio.

"For now, she's lost it."

"Nope," Skylor makes more ice in her drink, "I've totally found it. My inner peace."

I moan. It's been tough, most of our clothes got ripped up in the crash, even the uniforms we have on are pretty much shredded. Nya's once vibrant teal uniform is now faded from dust and sun. And it doesn't quite help that it look like a tiger ripped into it.

Skylor's gone full beach mode, ripping off her sleeves and lower pants. Twisting her shirt and gi into a bikini.

Pixal's ok. Just a few missing parts we're trying to use in the radio.

Kit is stuck in her hello kitty PJs shirt and jean shorts. I gave her my hoodie to help keep her warm.

And me, I have more armor back in Ninjago but this set was my first ever. All I really got left is my helmet and kama holsters. I wear a thin, pink shirt, purple shorts. Neither really with sleeves.

Kit moans, clutching her stomach as I grab my helmet, heading down to her, "I'm hungry."

"I know Kit. We all are." I flop down next to her, letting my hot feet warm against the fire, "But we have to ration our food."

Kit stocks the flames with her sword, "can't we go get some?"

"We almost got that stupid thing working. Mabey in a bit, together." I pull my helmet on, using the zoom function to scan for danger, "Anything coming our way?"

Kit shrugs, "And for today's first realm weather report, fog. The kind we can't see danger in."

I pull my helmet off as I see it rolling in, "Perfect." I help her up, she can move on her own but since we ran out of aspirin her leg flares up a lot, "Skylor. Can you put out the fire?"

She bobs to a dead phone, pointing to the earbuds in her ears.

"SKYLOR!"

"What? I was listing to my new audiobook."

"I know you're faking, we took that battery out for the radio." I point to the fire, "Fire. Now."

She freezes it without much looking, "It's called imagination."

It's called getting on my nerves.

"Mark....ship," The radio cracks with garbled speech instead of static.

Nya smile, "Skylor check it out."

"Ain't no everlasting audiobook. Quiet down, I'm finally catching up on Harry Potter."

Kit shakes her head while playing with the tuning fork, "Is it from Ninjago?"

I step closer as the fog rolls in, "I think we caught a frequency from here."

The radio cracks, "Commencing way-lay."

I scoop up Kit, jumping over the side of the Bounty, "An ambush. We need to get out of here."

Nya kicks Skylor up, running with me and Pixal.

I wish I didn't ditch my helmet. Even though the heat-seeking function is offline.

Skylor catches up as Kit's color changing eyes reflect on the fog, "How do you know what a way-lay is?"

"I was friends with a cop." I splash in a puddle I didn't and can't see, "Kit, see anything?"

"Just stupid fog."

"Pixal?"

Pixal touches the side of her helmet, "I-" She's roped up by a chain, only to be dragged away like in a horror movie.

Kit wimpers, "Pixal?"

"She'll catch up, we need to run." Nya dashes off, disappearing from view before crying out from another chain surprise attack.

I set Kit down, "Skylor, Take her. You have a better job of protecting her with-"

Skylor too is snatched away, screaming in terror and clawing at the sand.

"Nevermind." I look around, someone planned this well. I have no weapons and Kit is injured. I do the only thing I can. I shoot my hands up, "My friend is injured. If you help her we'll go with you."

Nothing but eerie quite.

Until a chain shoots out, wrapping me and Kit tightly together. We're thrown to the back of some kind of mad max dumpster truck.

Someone tosses me and Kit in, seeing our friends before closing the door and driving off.

I manage to loosen my chains, "Let's never say it could be worse ever again. How we doing Skylor?"

She shrugs, "Eh. We just lost our home, what's left to complain about?"

Pixal shrugs as the guy driving this thing hit potholes, "Where do you think we are going?"

Kit winces from her injury, "Their camp."

"Do you think they're Oni?" Nya crawls over, unwraps Kit's bandage and cleans it out, "Please tell me you're feeling an overwhelming desire to destroy them."

I shake my head as sunlight peeks through the holey roof, "Nope. Not Oni." The truck stops. That was quick. Someone with red eyes and super pale skin comes in, cuffing us with vengstone then putting bags over our heads.

We're pushed forward, close together before being pushed down to our knees. The guy pushing me has a spiky mohawk hair and a clunky pair of wings, "All rise for the Iron Baron's judgment. The man to who fought firstborn and leader of the dragon hunters."

An old guy hobbles out. He holds a black rod with a face on it. He has a peg leg, medal arm made out of a flamethrower and a cut up face, "Take their bags off." He is equally as pale and red-eyed as the people pulling off our bags. He smiles with yellow teeth, "Quite the catch. Let's see what the divining rod has to say about this. We'll need power to catch power." He walks over to Nya, waving it around her head, "A master of water. Good bait for our hunt and the pit." He repeats it with Skylor, "A master of amber. A jack of all trades no? More bait." He's over Pixal now, "A pial of scrap. You'll be useful...when one of our machines needs your parts. We'll take her along, for entertainment." He's over Kit now, "A time elemental and a seer of fate's will? Mabey I should save her for firstborn. Bait." He's over me now.

I look up. Putting on my best warrior face.

He chuckles, "You're quite fierce. But you don't look powerful. You'll probably join Slab in the pit. Maybe, just maybe you have more usefulness in you." He waves the stick over my head. His face drops from smug to shock, "Sh- she's a Dragonborn."

I don't break my stare. If I'm lucky, my look tells him to let me and my team go.

"I've never seen one so pure," He cackles, not missing a beat, "You have a power in you. A ferocity. A ferocity that I will tame. A power that I'll control. Mark them. I don't care to learn names today."

I kick and fight as I'm dragged away first to a hut, "FIGHT ME YOU OVERGROWN WEASEL! HEY!" the guy dragging me has my helmet. He looks so proud that he's wearing it wrong. I try pulling out of my chains, "THAT'S MINE. Give it BACK!"

Someone pushes my hair out of the way. I'm stuck with some needle from behind. A female dragon hunter holds a yellow syringe while making a tsking sound, "Just give in Dragonborn. You're lucky the Baron didn't decide to eat you."

I glare are my muscles freeze up in a relaxed position, "What'd you put in me?"

She takes me, dragging me to a machine that she places me face down on then spreads my arms out. She cuts the back of my shirt, tucking the cloth around my chest before sanitizing it, "A cocktail of my own. Madnewt, tree sap," she locks down some kind of cuffs on my ankles and hands, pulling out tattoo inks, "And a drop of Oni blood. Hard to get but worth it."

"Who are you? What is this place?" I try to move as she lowers some matching onto my shoulders.

"I'm Stella, the marker." She looks through sheets of dragon designs, "And we call this place dead end. Who's your clan?"

"Ryūjin and Quivu."

Her eyes widen before grabbing pink, purple and black inks, "Two dragons. No wonder you're so pure." She locks the cans into something before offering me a black mouthpiece, "You might want to bite down on this."

I glare.

She shrugs, "Fine." She grabs a dangling control panel, "Now you'll feel a quick pinch." She smiles while hovering her thumb over a black button, "I've always wanted to use this design."

"Stella, I'm not sure what going on but there's a mix- GAHHHH!" I scream from the hundreds of tattoo needles pushing ink under my skin.

I want to run. Or fight.

But I can't.

I'm just lucky that it's only a tattoo.

Just lucky.

Stella presses off, pulling up the needle rack, "Perfect. You're going to love it."

"Are we done?" I nearly cry from the searing lingering pain. What was in that ink?

"Can you move?"

"No."

Stella grabs an ink jar and a handheld tattoo needle, "I've got time." She wipes down the outside of my thighs, "Hope my dragon tongue isn't too rusty."

I scream, trying to tolerate each slowpoke into my legs.