(Wu and Misako are taking a stroll outside.)
Wu: (Sighs.) Oh, Misako. All the time we have known each other...
Misako: Someone wise once said "We do not go forward by looking back."
Wu: When did I say that?
Misako: Never. I did. (They both share a laugh but hear screaming. The Vermillion and the time twins approach them.)
Wu: Stay by my side, Misako. Misako? (He looks next to him but Misako disintegrates.)
(Wu wakes up, revealing it to be a dream.)
Wu: Misako! At my side.
Misako: Of course. As I always will be. And as you always will be for me. What is it, Wu?
Wu: I haven't told anyone, but when I fought Acronix at the Monastery, something...happened. Something bad.
(Nya looks after Zane in the Samurai X cave.)
Nya: This is bad. I told everyone to go back to the Airjitzu Temple while I got you back online and still nothing. All I got left is trying a total system reboot.
Styx: Then lets do it. Ready when you are. (Nya does the reboot and Zane twitches and stands up.)
Zane: Nya! Styx!
Nya: Oh, I'm so glad you're—
Zane: (He walks away from his table.) That potato was a flange. 41, 824. A narwhal horn is too red as weather is greater than pudding. Fifty sheet auto doc feeder.
Styx: Oh no.
Nya: (She brings Zane back to the table.) Okay, Zane. Take it easy. That's it.
Zane: Banana curtain nine.
Nya: Oh, come on! I've tried everything. What is going on in there?
Styx: Maybe he's lost it?
Pixal: What is going on is I'm trying to unscramble Zane's neural pathways so we can go rescue Cyrus Borg. And you haven't tried everything. You need to realign Zane's neural inputs. Can you hear me? Hello—
Zane: Hello? Hot dog rainy day in seven. (Styx facepalms)
Nya: Okay, maybe what you need is...
P.I.X.A.L.: Don't say a new binary power core.
Nya: ...a new binary power core! I'll be right back. (She leaves with Styx)
P.I.X.A.L.: Wait, no! Don't leave!
Zane: Plate! Show! Clipboard!
(Wu finishes explaining his fight.)
Wu: And at the monastery, Acronix hit me with what he called the "Time Punch." Now I'm rapidly aging. I would estimate one day every hour. The effect is accelerating and will continue to do so until—
Lloyd: (In another room) Master Wu?
Wu: Say nothing. The ninja must not be distracted at this crucial time.
Misako: They might be able to help you.
Lloyd: (Knocks.) May I enter?
Wu: My fate is inevitable, Misako. Like the sun rising in the east, like fall turning into winter...
Misako: Wu—
Lloyd: (Coming in) Master Wu?
Wu: (He gasps and whispers.) You must keep my secret. (Misako nods.)
Lloyd: How is he?
Misako: Still recovering.
Wu: So little time, so many lessons! Fight with your back to the sun. Eight cups of water a day is a myth. You should have been there when I fought Acronix. But I-I—
Lloyd: He's right. I should have been at his side. I failed my Master. I will not make that mistake again.
(Kai fights the sparring bots while Cole and Jay train together with Crystal focusing on her incantation control close to Jay and Cole.)
Cole: Zane is down. Folks disappearing all over town, and we can't do a thing to help! If we just knew why Acronix and Krux are taking people
Jay: You know, my theory—
Cole: For the last time, they are not hostages.
Jay: How can you be sure?
Crystal: No ransom note for one.
Jay: Ok. Maybe they're gonna hypnotize them into being an army?
Cole: Krux and Acronix already have an army. Of Samurai snakes.
Crystal: Vermillion to be exact.
Jay: Well, you both know my other theories—
Cole: Do not say alien abductions again, or dimensional rifts, or elven magic portals! (He uses his earth punch on Jay, hurling him in the air.)
Jay: Ahhhh! (Crystal gets up and helps Jay off the gorund)
Cole: Sorry. It's just...I'm tired of speculating. We need to take action! Right, Kai? Kai?
Crystal: You okay? You haven't been the same since that fight against Krux. Did...did he do something?
Kai: (Mutters) More like said something. (At the ninja) No, Nothing. I'm fine.
Cole: Good, 'cause I was just saying it's time to stop guessing and to start fighting!
Kai: So you're saying we capture one of those snake guys and bring them back here for Wu to question?
Cole: I just want to fight somebody. But okay, we could do that too.
Lloyd: That plan won't work.
Crystal: Why not?
Lloyd: Because Master Wu still hasn't recovered from his battle with Acronix. He rambles. He passes out. I think he's a lot more hurt than he lets on.
Jay: Oh, great! All this and now we have no leader, either?
Lloyd: Uh, that's not exactly true. Ahem! With Wu out of commission, the, um...logical successor would be, uh...
Cole: The Green Ninja.
Lloyd: Correct.
Crystal: Uh, Master Lloyd? Has a ring to it, kind of.
Kai: "Temporary Master Lloyd," you mean.
Jay: "...in Training."
Crystal: Okay, Temporary Master Lloyd in Training, we mere ninja await your words of wisdom. Hehe.
Cole: Which I assume involve kicking some butt till we get a few answers. Right? (The ninja except Crystal cheer and run.)
Lloyd: Wrong. Too random. We need a plan. (Cole, Kai, and Jay stop)
Crystal: Lloyd's got a point there.
Kai: We have one. Go kick some butt.
Lloyd: Really? Who's butt? Where?
Kai: We'll work it out down there.
Lloyd: No. We'll work it out here first. That's what Wu would do. Come on! (Lloyd and Crystal go into the temple)
Kai: Oh, yay, I just love sitting around and talking instead of doing.
Cole: Cut him some slack, guys. He's doing the best he can.
(Meanwhile, all the metal in Ninjago is disappearing.)
Garbage Man: Huh? (He tries to look for his trash can lid. He turns around and sees the trash can is gone.) Aw, come on. Jimmy! You ain't gonna believe—(His truck disappears.) Jimmy?
(Dareth looks at his trophy shelf, but there aren't any trophies.)
Dareth: Aah! My trophies! Why would someone steal them? Why? Why!?
(Raggmunk and Blunck watch over Ninjago.)
Raggmunk: Yes! Soon we will have all the metal we need courtesy of the Vermillion warriors.
Blunck: Really?
Raggmunk: What?
Blunck: All the metal? Like, that's it? Finito?
Raggmunk: Yeah, why?
Blunck: Nothing. Nothing. It's...fine. Acronix and Krux signed off on it?
Raggmunk: Oh, who cares? Now let me concentrate! Increase Operation Heavy Metal!
Blunck: Really? That's the name you're—
Raggmunk: Oh, it doesn't matter!
(Dareth screams as he made his way to Ronin's shop.)
Dareth: Someone stole my trophies!
Ronin: I have an alibi! Wait. Why would anyone steal your fake trophies?
Dareth: I know! They were irreplaceable. Which is why I'm here to buy replacements.
Ronin: You want world championships this time or just intercontinental?
Dareth: Uh, um, let's mix and match.
Ronin: One sec. (He went to get a trophy but see two Vermillion rummaging in his shop.)
Dareth: Uh, they're not with me.
Ronin: Fellas, we have a very strict store policy against shoplifting. (Dareth sees more Vermillion outside.)
Dareth: Hey, those are my trophies! Give them back! (He tries to take them, but Ronin uses his vehicle and escaped with him.)
(Lloyd tries to explain his plan, but was Jay kept interrupting him.)
Lloyd: So I think we can safely rule out—(Jay slurps his drink but stops when Lloyd turns around) these places as hiding spots for the missing people. (He does it again.) These are too small. These are to public. And these are too obvious. (Jay slurps his drink again.)
Crystal: Do you mind Jay.
Jay: Yes. (To Lloyd) Or are they so obvious that they're actually the perfect hiding spot?
Lloyd: Hm. Interesting. (Jay slurps again.)
Cole: What are you doing?
Jay: (Whispering) I'm bored. So I'm messing with him.
Kai: But now Lloyd's starting over! He's gonna take even longer.
Crystal: No messing with Lloyd, Jay.
Jay: But-
Crystal: No buts! (Jay sighs and Ronin and Dareth comes in.)
Ronin: Sorry to interrupt what looks to be the most boring party game ever, but the city's under attack down there.
Jay, Cole, and Kai: Yes!
Crystal: Guys. (She warns)
Jay: Oh, I mean, that's horrible.
Kai: Terrible.
Cole: The worst.
Ronin: There's a bunch of Samurai and snakes stealing every piece of metal they can find.
Dareth: They took my trophies. My trophies!
Crystal: Any sign of Krux or Acronix?
Ronin: Who?
Crystal: The Masters of Time-
Cole: Doesn't matter. Let's go!
Lloyd: W-wait. This doesn't make sense. Why are they after metal?
Jay: We can ask as we pummel them.
Lloyd: No. It might be a diversion to draw us away from the Temple so they can finish off Master Wu.
Crystal: That is a possibility guys.
Cole: We can't just ignore the damage they're doing.
Dareth: Nor that they have my trophies.
Lloyd: I'm not leaving Master Wu unprotected again.
Kai: But we're going.
Lloyd: I'm ordering you to stay.
Kai: And we're ignoring that order. (Kai, Cole, and Jay leave)
Ronin: So...
Lloyd: Just go. (Ronin and Dareth leave. Leaving Crystal and Lloyd.)
Crystal: They'll come around eveutaully.
Lloyd: I wish.
Crystal: I'm going to go check on Master Wu. You wanna come?
Lloyd: Sure.
Nya: Okay, Zane, I—(She sees him surrounded by Vermillion.) Zane!
Styx: Vermillion!
Zane: Nineteen! Gargle my pudding! My pudding!
Nya: Get off my friend! C'mon, Zane. Let's do this!
Zane: Executive cucumber! (He clumsily attacks them.)
Styx: Or...maybe he should sit this one out.
Nya: Yea.
Zane: Fiber zinc taco! Fiber zinc taco!
P.I.X.A.L.: Brace yourself, Zane. I'm rerouting all existing power to your chest. In three, two, one. (Zane electrocutes the Vermillion)
Nya: Aw, total electrical overload!
Styx: Nice move, buddy.
Nya: Totally. I knew you were in there somewhere! Of course, now I have to reboot you again, but that—(She sees her Samurai gear is gone.) They stole my Samurai X Gear! (Groans.) I hate not having tines on the ride, but the USB port is the only way to power you back up. Those snakes stole from the wrong girl.
Styx: Yea!
(The Vermillion travel in sewers.)
Acronix: All these tunnels under the city look the same, huh? Pretty confused, I'll bet.
Krux: It's a secret lair. It's supposed to be hard to find.
Acronix: Yeah, but not for us.
Krux: I'll figure it out in a second.
Acronix: Oh, get with the time, brother. My new BorgWatch has built-in GPS, the, uh...
Krux: What's wrong?
Acronix: Um...nothing. Just respecting your feelings about tradition and—
Krux: (He looks at his BorgWatch.) No service. That's why I don't get with the times. The old ways are still superior. Follow me!
Acronix: I hope things are going this well topside.
(Raggmunk and Blunck watches as more metal are being stolen.)
Raggmunk: Yes! Operation Heavy Metal's so good the ninja don't even know what's up. Nothing will stop us! (They see the ninja.)
Blunck: Way to jinx it.
Jay: Last one up is a rotten ninja.
Kai: Clear off as many snakes as you can!
Dareth: Wow! Total snake invasion!
Kai: (He defeats some snakes.) Why am I so good? It's a curse, really. (The snakes regenerated.) Oh, great. (He falls, but Nya catches him.) Nya, what are you doing here?
Nya: I came to warn you about the metal-stealing snakes, but it looks like you already know.
Kai: How's Zane?
Styx: He's, uh...
Zane: Avocados are not vegetables! Fifty three, eleven!
Nya: Uh, we're still working out some kinks.
Styx: A lot of kinks to be exact. (The Vermillion regenerated into an even larger snake.)
Zane: Spleen sauce, cow box!
Ronin: That's right, bring it on. (He see's his trap situation) Oh, boy. Feel free to jump in, Dareth.
Dareth: Sorry. My back's totally jacked again.
Ronin: These guys took your trophies.
Dareth: Brown Ninja vengeance! (He fights them and kicks Ronin.)
Ronin: Aah, my leg! I think you broke it!
Dareth: Gotta get more snakes!
Kai: Nya, where you going?
Nya: Come on!
Styx: You might wanna follow us!
Kai: Jay, Cole, let's go!
Jay: So, does anyone have a plan?
Nya: Welcome to Ninjago! (He finishes off the rest of the Vermillion)
Blunck: No! They failed! And we haven't collected nearly enough metal yet.
Machia: No, you haven't.
Raggmunk: Uh, was she here the whole time?
Machia: Your plan didn't just have a stupid name. It was also a stupid idea. So now, it's my turn. Commence with Operation Blackout. That should buy the time you'll need to collect more metal. Assuming you don't mess that up as you did this.
Blunck: Operation Blackout. Good name.
(Lloyd paces around with Wu sleeping, Misako watching, and Crystal looking at her scroll incantation.)
Misako: You're worried?
Lloyd: Yes. Master Wu looks pale.
Crystal: I doubt she was talking about that Lloyd. (She says while her eyes still fixed at the scroll)
Misako: Crystal is right. I mean you are worried about Cole, Jay, and Kai.
Lloyd: No, I'm mad at them. I gave them an order and they disobeyed me. Only Crystal stayed back for me.
Misako: So not worried at all?
Lloyd: Okay, fine. But you heard Master Wu. He wished I was there for him when he fought Acronix. I won't leave and disappoint him again.
Wu: (He wakes up) You did not disappoint me, Lloyd.
Lloyd and Crystal: Master!
Wu: When I said I wished you were there, I was speaking of you, the team. If I had brought the entire group, perhaps things would be different. You still appear concerned. What is it?
Lloyd: My first time in charge and I blew it. The guys ignored my orders. Master, what do I do now? I'm no leader. All I do is make mistakes. (Wu falls asleep.)
Misako: May I tell you a secret? Master Wu makes mistakes too. A lot of them. The true measure of a leader is not whether he makes mistakes. It is whether he learns from them.
Crystal: (She gets up and goes beside Lloyd) She's right Lloyd. Leadership is not a position or a title, it's an action or example. So what do you want to do?
Lloyd: Wu's mistake was going in alone. So was mine. I'm supposed to be fighting alongside my friends.
Misako: Yes. Even if the rest of the team aren't ready to follow you yet, they will be.
Lloyd: But we don't know where they are. (The power goes out.)
Crystal: Okay, that's a pretty big clue.
Lloyd: Thanks, Mom. (He and Crystal leave.) You too Crystal.
Crystal: No problem.
Misako: You can stop pretending now.
Wu: (He wakes up.) Lloyd must learn to make his own decisions. He will be a real Master soon enough. And by the way, I do not make a lot of mistakes.
Misako: No. Just one big one.
(Lloyd and Crystal meet up with the rest of the ninja.)
Crystal: What took you so long?
Jay: We were—Hey, how'd you 2 know those whatever-they-ares would be coming here?
Lloyd: When all the power went out, we assumed they must be at the source.
Crystal: Don't look at me. It was all Lloyd.
Kai: You figured that out yourself? Nice. We had to follow them.
Lloyd: I should have been following them with you guys from the beginning with Crystal. I'm sorry.
Jay: Yeah, yeah, so are we. So what's the plan, Temporary Master Lloyd?
Kai: In training.
Lloyd: Hehe. We go in there and kick some snake butt. Or whatever passes for a snake's butt. Like it?
Jay: I love it!
Cole: Yeah. That's a great plan.
Zane: The treadmill was invented in 1818.
Crystal: Uh...
Nya: Don't ask.
Styx: Yea.
Jay: All right, snakes, time to—(They go inside to find the place empty) where are they? The place looks empty.
Lloyd: Zane, you detecting any snakes?
Zane: Cranberries. Corkscrew. Squab.
Nya: Multiple contacts. Six meters in. (The ninja stare at her) Uh, after a while, you start to pick up on the meaning. (They see the Vermillion.)
Jay: That's a bunch of Office Warriors! Literally!
Lloyd: Okay, let's do this! All of us!
Styx: All of us? (He points to Zane walking into a wall.)
Lloyd: Oh, right. Zane, stay here.
Zane: Newt.
Ninja: Ninja, go!
Cole: You don't look so big. (The Vermillion snakes turn bigger) And now you do.
Nya: A desk is no good without a chair. Have a seat!
Lloyd: I hate not having a full team. We could really use Zane's help.
Nya: Right now he basically has one move: short himself out with a massive blast of power. It creates a magnetic field that yanks off their armor.
Lloyd: Those turbines. They're basically big rotating electromagnets, right?
Nya: Yeah. Basically.
Lloyd: So if Zane were to hook in directly and super charge one of them, all this metal armor the snakes have—
Nya: I'm on it. Zane, I need you!
Zane: Hog knock!
Lloyd: We have to buy Nya and Zane a little time!
Crystal: Got it.
Jay: Ninja, go!
Nya: Got it! Now, Zane. Now!
Zane: Gargle my pudding! Gargle my pudding!
Nya: We need more juice!
Lloyd: Jay!
Jay: On it! (It attracted all the armor leaving the the warriors as little snakes.)
Kai: Boo! (The snakes slither away.) That's right. Slither away! Hahaha! Way to go, Nya!
Nya: It was Lloyd's plan.
Jay: Way to go, Master Lloyd!
Lloyd: Yeah, you forgot the "temporary in training" part.
Jay: I know. Don't let it go to your head.
Cole: Uh, not to ruin the feel-goods, but maybe we should save the celebrating for after we get the power and Zane back on?
Nya: One more switch and...(The power goes back on.)
Jay: Well, we know civilization has been restored. The TV is working again.
Zane: Hello, everyone. What have I missed?
Crystal: Not a lot. Jay can fill you in though.
Jay: Yea. Missing people and snakes trying to steal your metal skin. But we kicked their butts, if in fact they have butts. It's still an open question.
Styx: But for now it's game over.
Kai: Uh, I'm not so sure about that.
Gayle: (On TV) Snakes are attacking Mega Monster Amusement Park. They appear to be after anything metal that isn't nailed down, including the nails themselves!
Lloyd: Ninja, we're leaving.
Kai: Nya, when this is all over, there's something I need to tell you. Something important.
Nya: Okay, big brother.
Cole: An amusement park, really? Do these guys hate fun?
Crystal: Nah. More like they love metal.
Zane: Agreed. I cannot think of a better place to steal it from. I'm sure you concur, P.I.X.A.L.. P.I.X.A.L.?
Styx: Let's roll! (Still on Nya's shoulder)
Nya: You said it. I've got a Samurai X suit to get back.
Jay: Wait! (They already left but Crystal stops.)
Crystal: What is it?
Jay: There's a better place then a Amusement Park. A Junkyard. Like the one that belongs...to my parents!
Crystal: Lets go! (Jay and Crystal drives toward Jay's parents junkyard.)