The Students of Garmadon

Chapter 5: Never Trust A Snake

"No free time and no video games. The rest of the day can be used for training. And tomorrow, for that matter" Wu commands

"Training? For how long?" Kai asks

"Until you can answer this simple riddle: what is the best way to defeat an enemy?" Wu replies

"Easy, with a sword" Kai answers

"Your fists" Jay answers

"Spinjitzu" Cole answers

"Tornado of Creation?" Zane answers questionably

Wu sighs "Pace yourselves. You have a lot of training ahead of you. Make sure you sharpen your mind as well as your Spinjitzu" He walks away.

-

Wu walks into a room where Aria is reading scrolls.

"How is it going?" Wu asks

"Bad," Aria replies with a sigh "I don't know what they mean."

"Don't think too much about it." Wu says closing the door behind him "Your time just hasn't come yet."

"Will it ever come?" Aria asks

"It eventually will." Wu pats her head "Don't rush to grow up, enjoy it while you can."

"I want to be useful Sensei," Aria tells him "What if I end up hurting someone?"

"You won't" Wu assures her

"But what if I do?!" Aria asks frustrated "We don't know what will happen, we can only prepare for it, but I don't know how to!"

"..unfortunately.." Wu sighs "Neither do I."

"Sensei Garmadon did.." Aria says before looking up at Wu "Not that you're not trying, that's not what I mean!"

"I know, Aria," Wu bends down to her "you don't need to worry.. I will find a solution."

-

Aria is awoken by the alarm blaring. She ran into the bridge where the others were.

"Break it down for me, sis" Kai says

"Lloyd and a Serpentine have overtaken Darkley's Boarding School for Bad Boys" Nya informs them

"That place is cesspool for the crooked and the misbehaved" Jay says

Aria looks at him "but it doesn't mean that they don't need our help"

Zane pushes the button to fly.

"Ninja, go!" the 5 ninja shout

The Ninja arrive, they look down at Darkley's.

"Looks quiet down there. Should we infiltrate using stealth?" Zane questions

"Ah, we've done that. What about using our Golden Weapons that turn into our vehicles?" Kai suggests

"I'm still working out the kinks on that. Anyone have any other good ideas?" Cole asks

"Go through the front door" Aria suggests, which was ignored

"Hmm. Well, I have one idea, but you guys gotta trust me" Jay says

"I trust you" Aria tells him "...but not with my life"

-

The Ninja stand on the anchor.

"I said not with my life!" Aria shouts

"Yeah, isn't it bad if we endanger the princess?" Kai questions

"Just hold on tight!" Jay signals Nya to drop the anchor.

Everyone screams as the anchor falls. Lloyd and Pythor dodge the descending anchor as it crashes through the roof all the way down to the ground floor. The ninja cough once they reached the ground.

"Let's never do that again" Aria coughs as she pats the dust off her

Cole lifts his Scythe up at the students, making them whimper. Fortunately, he only cuts their rope "Stay out of school, kids. Well, well, well. Kruncha and Nuckal. Substitute teachers, eh? If we cut you down, we better not catch you hang around Ninjago again. Or else." they nod and he frees them and they run off.

Kai looks up to see Lloyd "He's on the top floor. Let's get him."

Zane and Kai Spinjitzu up the stairs, Cole climbs on the anchor chain, and Jay takes the elevator.

"What happened to ninja sticking together?" Aria questions while standing in the classroom alone.

Meanwhile Zane and Kai gets stuck in slime-like object. Pythor and Lloyd laughs. Lloyd sees Cole coming after him, while Jay is trying to keep himself awake in the elevator.

"Prepare to eat dust" Cole says before Pythor pulls on a rope, making dust fly everywhere and Cole coughs. Jay finds him in his condition "He's got a Serpentine with him. Watch out for booby traps!"

Lloyd runs around in a circle "They're coming. They're coming. They're coming!"

Pythor barricades the door but Jay manages to break it open "Shocked to see me?"

"Do something!" Lloyd shouts and Pythor takes the map. "Wh-what are you doing? I thought you were my friend."

"All you wanted was to make the Serpentine your slave. Well, sorry, my dear boy, I have other plans" Pythor disappears.

Lloyd tries to escape but can't. He gulps after seeing how high he is from the ground. Wu and Nya arrive on the Destiny's Bounty as Aria and the rest of the ninja arrive atop the school.

"Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, you come here right now" Wu commands

"I got him" Jay throws Lloyd on his shoulder and brings him to Wu

"Whoa! Hey, let me go! This is humiliating!" Lloyd shouts

"What should we do with him? Wash his mouth out with soap for a year?" Cole suggests

"Ground him indefinitely?" Kai questions

"Have him sit in a corner for a century?" Zane jokes

"I know exactly what we must do" Wu says and Lloyd gulps.

-

It is now nighttime. Everyone is back at the Destiny's Bounty. Master Wu is reading a story to Lloyd, who is lying on Master Wu's bed. Kai, Jay, and Cole stand in the doorway, watching the scene with angry looks on their faces.

"And that is why Jack the Rabbit never trusts a snake. The end." Wu finishes the story

"Oh, if my dad had read me that book, I would never have made that mistake. I'm sorry, uncle" Lloyd apologizes

"Oh, you do not need to apologize. I am sure that if your father was still here, it would be the first book he'd read. Good night, nephew. Sweet dreams." Wu says as he gets up

"Good night, uncle" Lloyd replies, closing his eyes as Wu closed the door

"I don't get it, Sensei" Kai says

"Why isn't the little brat getting punished?" Jay questions

"Yeah, we had to train all day and he gets read a bedtime story? It's not fair" Cole complains

"I nearly forgot. Why are you not still training? Did you find the answer to the riddle?" Wu asks

Kai sighs "No, Sensei. We still don't know what the best way to defeat your enemy is"

The Ninja slowly walk away whilst hanging their heads.

"It's to make them your friend" Wu smiles

"Oh" the ninja all smile watching Lloyd sleep peacefully

"Sleep well.." Aria mutters "Lloydie"