Onyx and the Tournament of Elements

Empty Ream

Ori froze as the violet snake entered the room, even bigger than she'd initially thought it would be. It circled around the three, growing closer and closer to them. It lifted its head, tongue flicking out to brush Ori's face. She whimpered slightly and pulled back as far as her bindings would allow. The serpent reared back, about to plunge down and swallow her whole. Ori squeezed her eyes shut in terrified anticipation.

And then, just as she was about to be swallowed whole, the wall behind the serpent practically exploded as a colossal vehicle busted through it, sending rocks falling from the ceiling and crushing the serpent's head. "Whoo-hoo! We did it!" Ori's eyes flew open at Cole's voice. Garmadon laughed. "Well hello, Master of Earth!" He exclaimed, relief evident in his voice. "Uh-uh. Don't forget Master of Lightning!" Jay called, waving at Nya.

Ori was distracted by a teenager made of metal bending down and undoing her bonds. She rolled over and looked up at him, eyes widening as she recognized his face. Well, sort of, at least. "Z...Zane? You're Zane, right?" She asked. He nodded. "That is correct. And you are Ori? Cole and Jay mentioned you," he said. Ori nodded, sitting up. "Yeah! Is Onyx with you?" She asked, looking around.

Zane's metallic eyebrows furrowed. "No, she is not. Did something happen?" He asked. Ori nodded. "Yeah, Chen took her," she said, eyes flicking around anxiously. Ori's breath caught as she realized Lloyd wasn't with the other masters either. She had a feeling Chen had something especially cruel planned.

Nya suddenly came out of nowhere, grappling Zane in an aggressive hug. "Zane, you're back!" She cried. Zane's head spun almost completely around. "What? What is on my back?" He asked. Ori giggled at his confusion. Cole crossed over to the large vehicle they'd built. "Karlof, why isn't this thing off the ground yet?" He asked. "Two hands can only work so fast," Karlof said. A man with frizzy pinkish hair stuck his head out of the cockpit. "And technology takes time! It's my element, and even I can't do it that fast," he remarked.

Cole seemed to bite back a little frustration. "Yeah, you keep saying that, Whitney. But you and Karlof are gonna fix it. You know why?" Cole trailed off and pointed at the other masters, who thrust their hands into the air. "Positive thinking!" They cried in tandem. Ori couldn't help but grin at their optimism, nearly forgetting her worry for a moment.

(=^･ｪ･^=)(=^･ｪ･^=)(=^･ｪ･^=)(=^･ｪ･^=)

Lloyd returned to consciousness in the same room that he and the other ninja had infiltrated earlier in the tournament. He opened his eyes in a crack, peering through his eyelashes at his surroundings. Chen was in the process of stealing Skylor's element, and Lloyd himself was chained with his hands behind his back, two cultists holding onto his arms. Lloyd kept his head down, biding his time for the perfect moment to attack.

And then, when Chen glanced over at Kai, Lloyd opened his eyes, kicking the legs out from under the cultists holding him, breaking their grips and knocking them to the ground. He spun towards Chen, aiming to kick the staff from his hands. Chen reacted faster than Lloyd expected, slashing the staff and encasing Lloyd's legs in ice. He grinned widely. "I wouldn't do that if I were you!" He said with a smile. Lloyd narrowed his eyes, struggling to yank his feet free as Chen backed out of range. "Why not?" He spat. Chen simply spun his finger in a circle, signaling Lloyd to look behind him.

He hesitantly obliged, eyes widening when he saw Clouse and, with a flare of anger, Kai standing at the base of the steps leading down into the room. What enraged him the most though, was that Kai was holding Onyx's hands behind her back, hand over her mouth as she struggled. "Let her go!" Lloyd ordered, practically spitting at Chen, who merely snickered. "No, I don't think so. I do think, though, that I maybe will if you stop fighting and let me have your element. It's hard to find extra staff," he said, glancing at the bleeding cultists on the floor with an over-exaggerated pout.