Darkness from Within #3: Bound for Evil (A Ninjago Fanfiction)

Prologue

Crash!

"Hey! Get back here, you little scoundrel!"

In the midst of the rotten town of Baddie Bend, a man was laughing to himself as he leaped from a roof, catching the frame of a half-broken building and swinging to the ground. "Pleasure doing business with ya!" he shouted back as he slipped into the shadows of the street. He looked down as he went on his way and opened up the sack he had stolen, revealing a supply of nuts. He raised an eyebrow. Nuts? Again? he thought with frustration. One day, I'll get that shopkeeper for tricking me into stealing these useless nuts. Shrugging, he threw a handful of the nuts into his mouth.

The wind carried a deep chill as it whistled through the town, creaking the broken windows and doors. When he reached one specific broken door, the man halted and slipped inside. Weaving around a hanging piece of the ceiling, he began to head up the creaking stairs.

When he reached the floor he wanted, he hopped across a missing floorboard and sighed in content as he trudged down the hall.

As he reached the end of the hall, he found someone standing near the open doorframe of a room. Smirking, he headed over to her.

She turned her head as he stopped beside her and rested her gaze on the sack in his hands. "Out stealing nuts again, Joseph?" she inquired.

"Look, that shopkeeper's sneakier than he looks, Katy," Joseph scowled.

Katy rolled her eyes. "Got fooled by Joel again, huh?"

Angry, Joseph only threw more nuts into his mouth and turned toward the room. "So, what's going on?" he asked.

Katy crossed her arms as she followed his gaze. "She's in one of her moods again," she sighed.

Joseph looked into the room and found Ariana, the Overlord's second-in-command, pacing the floor inside, her curly red hair let loose from her braid and frizzing up on all sides. Her eyes blazed furiously and she barely noticed Joseph and Katy were there.

Joseph let out a faint scoff. "She always looks great when she's angry, doesn't she?" he murmured.

Katy glared sideways at him and gave him a tough nudge. Joseph hit into the doorframe, chuckling. "I'm kidding!" he exclaimed. Then he leaned against the doorframe and gazed at Ariana again. "Hey!" he called, trying to get her attention.

Ariana didn't turn her gaze from the floor. "I'm not in the mood, Joseph," she snapped.

"It's no use," Katy said. "You know how she is when she gets like this."

Scoffing, Joseph turned back to his partner. "So, what's it about this time?"

"What do you think?" Katy snorted. "She's still upset we lost the green ninja."

"Ah, of course she is," Joseph muttered. "She's a little obsessed, eh?"

"You know how much she hates the ninja," Katy went on. "Especially the green one. She finally had him where she wanted him, but then he got away."

"I'm not surprised," Joseph commented. "I knew he couldn't be trusted the moment I laid my eyes on him."

The two's attention snapped back to Ariana as she let out a frustrated groan. "You guys aren't helping!" she snarled, finally going over to them. She pointed a finger at Joseph. "I would've had him! I would've! If it wasn't for... for..." She gave a hiss. "That Overlord!"

"Jeez, chill, Miss Feisty-pants!" Joseph breathed.

Snarling, Ariana pushed herself through the two others and stalked down the hall, twiddling with her hair in stress. "Stupid green ninja," she muttered to herself as she stomped down the stairs. "I'll show him who's boss."

She grunted as she flung the door open and trudged onto the muddy streets, her head low. Pulling out a thick string, she began threading her hair back into its usual messy braid. Over the weeks since Lloyd had escaped from Baddie Bend, her frustration had only grown. Just thinking about the green ninja sent hatred boiling inside of her. That goody-goody with his foolish optimism, she thought angrily. His innocent friendliness and that—that cheeky smile...! Her heart skipped a beat as she thought about the way Lloyd had looked at her.

With a shake of her head, she pushed the thought away. I'll teach him not everyone is his best friend. Somehow, I'll show him kindness gets you nowhere.

As she reached the right building, she burst through the doors and stalked inside. "Master!" she shouted as she made her way into his quarters.

She found the Overlord standing near his desk. "What is so important you had to disturb my thoughts?" he growled as he turned around.

Ariana crossed her arms. "How could you let this happen?" she demanded. "We had him in our clutches, but then you and that—that Mechanic had to go and—"

"You think I just let him go?" the Overlord interrupted. He clicked his tongue. "Ariana, you still have a lot to learn about me."

Ariana furrowed her eyebrows, anger boiling inside of her, but she held her tongue.

"I told him I could do worse things than steal his powers," the Overlord went on. "So, I did. I gave him something that will change his life forever."

"Change how?" Ariana hissed. "'Cause it's been weeks and nothing has changed."

"That's what you think," the Overlord retorted. "But trust me, things are happening over in that monastery of theirs. Things that will benefit our team."

Ariana scoffed. "And how, exactly?"

"Through the green ninja," the Overlord said simply.

Ariana stared at him, clearly not understanding. The Overlord smirked. "Let me just put it this way," he murmured. He leaned closer to her, eyes glittering with intensity. "How would you like to have a new partner?"