Ninjago: Amplified 【 Midnight Masquerade 】

【1】 - Just Another Mission

But it didn't hurt to have another energy boost, did it? Was disliking fancy clothes a fair excuse to punch a crime boss? Aurora certainly thought so.

Aurora was contemplating that question when an audible knocking sounded on the bathroom door.

"Aura?" Gold's voice raised from the opposite side. "It's almost time."

Aurora narrowed her eyes at her reflection before promptly hurrying to unlock the door.

"Sorry, Gold." She apologized, stepping into the living room of their rented apartment. "This just feels so surreal."

"Dressing up is surreal, but infiltrating a party to find a crime boss isn't?" Gold echoed her words with a smirk before taking notice of her crooked tie. They reached for it, fixing it in place. "If only this would stay put..."

"See, I'm just not cut out for this." Aurora huffed a laugh. "Even my tie keeps getting loose."

"Don't say that!" The android disapproved, observing their work with a satisfied nod. "For the record, I think you look great."

"Thanks, Gold." Aurora smiled gratefully. "But you're the one who made this possible. You did great with our outfits."

"Thanks, Aura," Gold thanked her in turn. "I'm just glad these talents can be of use this time around."

"They always are," Aurora assured. "Especially tonight. Are the others ready yet?"

Before Gold even had the chance to respond, a swift blur of green shot from the ceiling. Gold startled at the sudden movement, jolting backwards on unsteady feet. Aurora had fortunately moved just as fast, catching their arm before they could trip and fall.

Both Gold and Aurora sighed as Eris phased into the room, with Gold's sigh being slightly more exasperated. Yet Aurora couldn't help but grin at the ghost's antics– it hadn't been long since she'd joined their team, and yet she was already proving to be a more than interesting addition.

"ERIS." Gold scolded as they regained their composure. "PLEASE give a warning next time you do that!"

"SORRY!!" Eris apologized, floating down to face them. "I'm just so hyped!"

"This is gonna be the GREATEST mission EVER." She declared. "It hasn't even started and I'm ALREADY having fun!"

"By fun, she means messing around, by the way!" Onyx's voice echoed from atop the stairwell.

The three shifted their attention to the merlopian's entrance. Onyx was also in formal attire that night, wearing a tux of her own. Unlike Aurora, she actually seemed to enjoy it. She descended the stairs with a confident stride, as though she'd worn formal clothes far more times than Aurora could count.

"Everything fits well?" Gold examined the merlopian's tux as she joined them.

"Like a charm," Onyx grinned. She turned to Aurora, nudging her side. "You don't look too bad yourself."

"Thanks," Aurora smiled sheepishly. "But this feels weird on me, to say the least."

Aurora wished she had the merlopian's level of confidence. While she did feel much more comfortable wearing a suit than a dress, she still felt like she didn't fit into it– as though it didn't really belong on her.

Her friends, however, seemed to think otherwise.

"WRONG ANSWER!" Eris corrected, zipping through the air to circle her. "You gotta OWN it, Aura!!" She gestured towards her suit with outstretched hands, stressing her point.

"Maybe you're right." Aurora chuckled. "At least for this mission, anyways. We're all going to have to play the part if we're going to catch this guy."

"We'll go over everything one last time before you go." Gold reminded them. "Are Akiri and Yuri ready?"