Only One Can Remain ► Ninjago [REWRITING]

| I | Regrouping

   *No POV*

     Lloyd knew his plan might not succeed, but he had to try. Getting the entire team back together was important—they couldn't be apart like this forever. He figured he would target them one by one and by himself. If he went for them all as a group, surely they'd decline.

     So Jay was his first.

     He waited until Jay's current show was over and he was in his room backstage. He had one more show to run before he could head off into his own home.

     Lloyd watched from the ceiling as Jay frowned at himself in the mirror. The lightning ninja picked up the photo of his group posing for a picture—making Lloyd himself frown as well.

     "Ninja never quit, huh Zane?"

     Jay sighed, grabbing a small pad of makeup and applying some on his cheeks. Lloyd took this moment to jump down with a smug grin. "The team needs you now more than ever."

     The lightning ninja let out a squeal at the sudden appearance of his old friend. "Wha—? How'd you get in here?"

     "I'm a ninja." Lloyd smirked,. pointing to his face. "And you... are wearing makeup."

     "Hey, hey, it's concealer! A time-honored tool of the ninja," Jay corrected. "And what do you mean team? I refuse to fight beside Cole! There's nothing you can say that will get me back with that girl-stealing, black-hearted, rockbound—!"

     "Jay..." Lloyd put a hand on his shoulder, cutting him off. "She still speaks of you." When Jay stepped to the side, frowning, the green ninja tried something else. "You don't belong here, Jay, this isn't you. You're the Master of Lightning, not the Master of Lighting. You know where I'll be if you change your mind."

     And with that, he disappeared, leaving Jay alone once more. He grabbed the concealer brush, applying some to his cheek—and then he threw it at the mirror in anger.

     While chopping branches from the tree he was in, Cole heard a shifting noise. One only someone with advanced hearing like him would notice.

     When he looked up, the green ninja appeared in his eyes, hanging from a branch above Cole. "The team needs you now more than ever."

     "I thought I was good with a scythe," Cole dismissed him, continuing his work on the branch. "Turns out, I'm even better with an axe!" With one last grunt, he chopped the branch and kept the axe stuck in the tree.

     "Look, I'm tired of fighting, Lloyd. Tired of serpentine, tired of nindroids, tired of... Jay. Out here, no one knows who you are. No one expects anything of you."

     "But what would Zane expect?" Lloyd countered. "You're the Master of Earth, Cole, you don't belong in trees! Your feet should be on the ground. You can't hide who you are."

     "Sorry, Green Machine. This is my life now."

     A loud rumble was heard from below the two. A log that was collected had been added to the large pile, but incorrectly. Soon, every single one began to roll off, making everyone run in fear.

     Cole saw this, his eyes wide. With a swift jump, he landed on the ground and ran for the logs. He slammed his fists into the ground, a fence of the ground rising and stopping the logs from moving further.

     Breathing heavily, he stood up to see cheering behind him. Cole put a hand to his forehead, sighing. Now everyone would know who he was.

     Ignoring all the people in front of him, Cole walked back to the same tree he was on earlier. From the ground, he heard Lloyd shout, "If you change your mind, Cole, you know where I'll be." And with that, he pulled out a smoke bomb and disappeared.