Partners In Crime

Chapter 70: The Gilded Path

The Resistance stared at Lloyd until Reika spoke.

"Oh right," Reika turns to Misako "you still have it right?"

"Of course I do," Misako replies before whispering to her "But i thought you said it wasn't safe to give it to him."

"Well, he looks more pissed about not having it," Reika replies.

Misako turns to Mistake who sighs before pulling Lloyd's sword from behind her. Lloyd snatches it out of her hands and inspected it closely.

"It's the real thing, promise." Reika tells him.

Lloyd looks between the resistance before looking down and rubbing his finger over the initials carved into the handle.

"You're right, it is." Lloyd sheaths it "Thank you."

The resistance looks at each other confused before shrugging.

"Back to what we were talking about, even if we were to get them alone, none of us stand a chance against his power." Reika sighs "We can't risk an all-out assault. Garmadon is too powerful."

Dareth runs in "It's an ambush!"

The resistance and the white knights stand at attention as the Sons of Garmadon rush in and they fight.

"And welcome to my foot!" Nya kicks them.

"Take the student alive!" Harumi shouts

Skylor runs to Reika "There's too many, we need to get you out of here."

Lloyd jumped in front of Harumi, sweeping her feet out from under her.

"Get Mistaké" Killow orders.

Harumi looks up at Lloyd "You-"

"Miss me?" Lloyd raises his sword.

"And you'll miss him again!" Reika shouts as she went between them, kicking Harumi in the face "Nya! We need to leave!"

"You want to leave everyone behind?!" Lloyd questions. "I thought that wasn't part of being a ninja or some crap?"

"Normally yes," Reika sighs.

Lloyd shakes his head as Nya grabs Reika's arm.

"Come on!" Nya leads Reika to an armored vehicle with Lloyd protecting their back.

In the Realm of the Oni and the dragon, the crowd of Oni were cheering as Aria easily avoided all of Suromi's attacks. Suromi stopped to catch his breath as Aria cockily stood, leaning against a poll.

"Tired already?" Aria mocks.

"I- hold on." Suromi stood up straight "You haven't beaten me, you've only avoided all my attacks."

"Well, yes." Aria replies as she looks at her nails "Have you ever heard the term the bigger they are the harder they fall? Well, the same goes in this circumstance. You're big and strong, but your movements are slow. Against me, an opponent that is much smaller than you, my greatest strength would be my speed."

"Huh?" Suromi questions.

"As my sensei once told me, let your opponent tire themselves, let them be their own opponent." Aria smirks "And then-"

Aria created an energy ball in her hand that made the Oni mutter amongst themselves, before shooting it at him. Suromi went to dodge but was smacked in the chest by it, sending him out of the ring.

"Strike," Aria smiles as her eyes change back to green.

The tribe of Oni cheered as the Omega laughed.

"Looks like we have a new champion!" the Omega stood up and the tribe cheered louder.

Aria turned to face the Oni as they cheered and chanted. The Omega walked up to her as Suromi got up from the ground with a smile.

"You have the intelligence of your mother," the Omega tells Aria "I see she lives within you child."

"That I do," Aria replies with a light smile "but she can't get all the credit. A very wise man taught me that."

"That in which... what my child?" the Omega asks.

"The art of the Silent fist," Aria replies as she looks off into the distance.

Back in Ninjago, Reika, Lloyd and Nya head into their new hideout where only Skylor and Dareth resided.

Gayle is on TV "What, by all accounts, looks like a devastating blow to the Resistance. The Green Ninja's secret headquarters has been raided with numerous arrests made."

"Who's hungry?" Skylor and Dareth approach them with food.

"You didn't steal that, did you?" Nya questions "We don't have any money."

Dareth points to Skylor "Oh, you're forgetting that she owns a noodle empire."

Skylor shrugs "Eh. And there are still a few kind souls who are watching over us."

"This place is kinda sketchy. Are you sure we're safe here?" Dareth asks.

"For the time being" Nya replies.

Lloyd walked around inspecting the place as they continued to talk.

"What about our friends?" Reika asks.

"The word on the street is that they were all taken to Kryptarium Prison." Skylor tells them.

"Out of all of them, why is he still here?" Dareth whispers to Reika, gesturing to Lloyd.

"For now, he's an ally Dareth." Reika replies.

Lloyd takes a small crystal ball out of his hand, catching the other's attention.

"Hanabusa," Lloyd speaks "If you idiots got caught, I'm docking your pay."

"...we don't get paid sir." came Hanabusa's late reply from the crystal ball.

"Then I'll take a finger from each of you," Lloyd says.

"Now now, we're fine captain." Hanabusa replies quickly "we can't make our way through the city with the amount of people they have on watch. Unfortunately, the remaining resistance was hauled off to prison somewhere. We were only able to escape by going into the shadows."

"That's fine, is my mother ok?" Lloyd asks.

"Misako was taken with them," Rima's voice was heard "Mistake is-"

"Ah! Rat, rat, rat, rat. Rat, rat, rat, rat, rat, rat, rat, rat, rat, rat, rat, rat, rat, rat, rat, rat, rat, rat, rat, rat, rat " Dareth freaks out as he grabs a mop.

"Wait! Stop! Don't!" the rat shouts.

"Uh, is that rat talking to us?" Nya questions.

"Yes. I believe it is." Lloyd replies before turning back to the ball in his hand "I know where she is, stay in the shadows and report to me what's going on out there."

"You got it!" Hanabusa replies.

Lloyd puts the crystal ball back into his pocket before joining the group.

"Oh. I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget how unnerving this can be" the rat laughs "Uh, how about this?" it transforms into Mistaké "Ah. Much better"

"Mistaké?" Skylor looks confused.

"...crazy old lady," Reika mutters

Nya blinked "Y-you were just—"

"How did you do that?" Reika asks, having an idea of the answer.

"Ooh, food. Ha-ha. I'm famished" Mistaké grabs the bag from Dareth.

"Maybe it's time you told them mother," Lloyd crosses his arms.

"Yes, you're right, perhaps now is the time to tell them all who I really am." Mistake chuckles "Or maybe after I eat."