Pythor worked his jaw, sore from being stretched open for so long. The two frauds that Chen left him with had finally milked him dry. It had only taken them the better part of a couple hours since they had no idea what they were doing. They had nearly choked him on more than one occasion, and they talked endlessly. It was all "Master Chen this," and "Master Chen that" and "moving up the ranks" until Pythor was ready to bit their heads off for more than just man-handling – make that snake-handling.
Pythor shook his head to loosen his neck. He would surely be stiff for days. The two idiots were high-fiving each other proudly for having extracted a full jar of venom. But it would take far more than that to sustain Chen's entire army. Pythor didn't intend to stick around that long.
Casting another look around the underground hideout, Pythor identified the tunnel through which he had seen Chen lead his troops. Now the hideout was abandoned, save for Pythor and his two moronic captors. Only a few of the gaudy vehicles remained, but that was it. Pythor turned his attention back to the two men who were still gloating to each other.
"Check us out!" one of them was saying. "A whole jar of venom. We'll be heroes!"
"First we got to guard Master Chen's daughter, and now the last living Anacondrai! He totally trusts us!"
"Or he just wanted to get you out of the way," Pythor mumbled to himself.
He must have spoken louder than he intended, because the two idiots turned to him. "What was that?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing." Pythor smiled amiably. "This all must be so exciting for you two. I don't suppose you've ever come across any other Serpentine before?"
"Eh, not until we did the spell." The one idiot turned to his friend. "Dude, you were the first Serpentine I ever saw!"
"And you were the first Serpentine I ever saw!"
Pythor refrained from mentioning that he meant real Serpentine. The fools probably thought all Serpentine looked alike. Instead he said, "You know Ninjago has changed so much since I last saw it. I'm doubtful Master Chen will really be able to conquer it all."
The one holding the jar waved it carelessly in the air. "Pfft, he practically already has. Who's gonna stop him, the ninja?" They both snickered.
"Yes, Garmadon's spirited little troupe. I had an encounter with them in the desert. Now there's something that hasn't changed. Their dreadful alliance is just as irritating as ever."
"Heh, not much of an alliance if you ask me," declared one imbecile.
"You said it," the other agreed.
"Oh?" Pythor asked curiously. "Fragile tensions perhaps?"
"Mainly between Wu and Garmadon's ninja. They're only working together because they don't like Master Chen."
"I bet they'll go back to trying to kill each other first chance they get."
"I bet they're already at each other's throats!"
Now this was news to Pythor. It seemed that Garmadon and Wu had butted heads enough times that they finally split ways. Most likely due to the younger brother's corruption by the venom of the Great Devourer. The Serpentine had long considered it a victory when word spread that the First Spinjitzu Master's son had been bitten. However, it still remained to be seen whether it was really to their advantage or not.
But two groups of ninja? Just one was already too many. Clearly there was much about the modern age that Pythor had yet to uncover.
For now, he would return his attention to the problem at hand. "I didn't realize that Master Chen had become quite so powerful. Especially with such esteemed fighters as yourselves, no ninja or Serpentine could stand a chance."
One of the men shrugged. "Well, I wouldn't say –"
The other elbowed him sharply. "Of course we are! That's why Master Chen asked us to watch you. So don't even think about trying to escape."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Pythor said, flashing his most charming and genuine smile. "Such great warriors as yourselves must have had no difficulty adjusting to your new abilities as Anacondrai."
"Course not, we're pros!"
"Super strength, super speed, invisibility – we've got it all mastered."
"We've even figured out some awesome new moves of our own. Check this one out – I call it, 'Fangs of Fury!" He proceeded to thrash his head about snarling like a rabid dog.
Pythor had to resist the urge to shudder in disgust. His ancestors would surely be rolling over in their graves. "Yes, very nice. And I'm sure you must have also mastered the ancient Anacondrai art of . . . hmm, let's see . . . Oh yes, Fang-kwondo!"
The two imbociles exchanged a glance.
"Fang-kwondo?"
"We've never heard of that."
"You haven't?" Pythor gasped. "You must be joking! Why, Fang-kwondo is only the most sacred and powerful martial art in all of Serpentine history!"
They both gasped, then turned away to confer for a moment. When they turned back to him they asked in unison, "Will you teach us?"
"Well . . ." Pythor pretended to think it over.
"Please!"
"Oh, I suppose. But only because you've proven yourselves to be such strong warriors. Not just anyone can pull it off, you know."
"Sweet!" they both cheered. "What do we do?"
"It's simple enough. Your hand, please."
One of the idiots held out his hand, practically jumping up and down like a giddy child.
"Yes, now just make a fist. Very good, very good. Now I just . . . wind my tail around like so . . . and then . . ." With his tail wrapped tightly around the idiot's wrist, Pythor jerked his fist up and into his face.
"Hey!" The other idiot caught on quicker than expected and moved to attack, but Pythor swept him off balance with his tail. The jar of venom clattered to the floor. Pythor then threw the first idiot into the second, and they both landed in a heap on the ground, knocked out cold.
"Now that that's taken care of –" Pythor threw a glance around, wondering what kind of supplies they would have left lying around. There wasn't much, and after a brief search, Pythor found nothing of any value to him. Even Clouse had taken that spellbook with him. Although Pythor had little use for sorcery, he could only imagine what kind of knowledge it contained.
The question remained then, what Pythor would do. Speaking for the short-term, of course. Long-term he knew exactly what he wanted: revenge.
But how to get his revenge would be a challenge in itself. He had no army, no allies, not even a weapon with which to defend himself. If he could speak with the other tribes, he could possibly convince them to work together long enough to get rid of the humans. But he didn't know where they were all locked up, or even if any of them had survived like he had.
He was completely on his own. But then, that was hardly any different than usual.
Oh, he would have his vengeance, to be sure. It was just a matter of patience and careful planning. He had waited so long already.
Pythor turned to look down the wide, gaping tunnel that led deep into darkness. It looked like it was time for him to head into yet another tomb. He had thought he would finally be free now, but it seemed as if he had simply traded one prison for another. This time, however, it was merely a prison of ignorance, and that could be amended much more easily.
If Chen was still around when Pythor was ready to strike, he would be the first to go down. But it didn't matter much to Pythor either way. He hated humans all the same, it didn't matter which ones he had to tear down in order to bring humanity to its knees. Although he would particularly enjoy disposing of Chen if given the chance.
But that was all a very long ways off.
For now, Pythor still had much to learn about this strange new world he had found himself in, as well as the split between Garmadona and Wu, and their individual teams of ninja.
Yes, there was much work to be done . . . but Pythor was a very patient snake.
. . .
After Master Wu left to talk with Chen, the boys were left to stand in silence, contemplating the sudden turn of events. They had retreated a little ways from the edge of town, but Chen's soldiers still watched them with hostility. The wind blew cold over the snow-covered mountainside, sounding hollow in the cliffs. It was quiet, but Zane could guess what the others were thinking. Their thoughts were as plain as if they voiced them out loud: no one wanted to fight the Alliance. After all they had gone through, the other Elemental Masters no longer felt like enemies. But Master Wu had made up his mind, and they had no choice in the matter.
Zane glanced down at his arm. The gash was almost completely healed. It didn't even look like there would be a scar left. He never seemed to get scars, and now he understood why.
Master Wu still didn't know about his secret. Zane didn't think this would be the best time to tell him, but he was also anxious about what Master Wu would say. Although Zane's brothers may have accepted the news, would Wu still consider him worthy of being a ninja?
There were so many questions, so much confusion, and Zane didn't even know where he fit into all of it. He didn't even know why he had been chosen as the Master of Ice. Did he deserve to be here? Did he deserve to wield the golden shuriken?
Perhaps the worst thing of all was that Zane didn't have anyone he could ask these questions of. He was too worried about what Master Wu might say, and neither he nor Zane's brothers would understand his feelings anyway. His brothers may have taken the news well, but Zane still had doubts about his significance. He felt purposeless, isolated, confused . . . and more alone than he could remember being in a long time.
Zane looked up at the sound of footsteps and saw Master Wu being escorted back down the main street. Kai, Jay, and Cole perked up when they saw him as well. But Master Wu was silent as he led the ninja away from the town and further down the mountain path. It wasn't until they were some distance away that he paused and turned to them.
"Everything is now in order," Master Wu said. "Chen has a plan to move forward, and it is only a matter of time before we encounter Garmadon and his so-called Alliance."
"But Master Wu, we can't really be helping Chen, can we?" Jay asked. "He betrayed us, and he's trying to take over the world. Just look at him!"
"We will remove Chen after we defeat Garmadon's army. It's simply a matter of picking off our enemies until there is no one left to threaten us. We will need Chen's help in order to get rid of my brother, but Chen himself will be easy enough to defeat on our own. And once the world is rid of both of them, then Ninjago will be safe, and each of you will have everything you desire."
"Defeating Garmadon is all well and good," Cole said, "But what about the rest of them? The truth is, we don't want to hurt these guys. We've fought alongside them and gotten to know them. They're not bad people. Even Garmadon's ninja are good at heart."
Zane looked between them, wondering how Wu would respond.
"We know what's at stake, but we also don't want to hurt them when we know that they're not the real threat."
At least someone had said something. They had all been thinking it, but Zane hadn't known how to say it himself. He couldn't deny that he was most concerned for Pixal, but Cole was right. Zane wasn't keen on fighting any of the other masters, either.
He was almost surprised when Master Wu slowly nodded. "I'm not surprised. Garmadon's influence is strong." He heaved a sigh. "I left you boys for too long. I didn't realize that you might be drawn in by his lies as well."
"That's not it!" Cole protested. "But I don't think the others understand what Garmadon really is."
"I can't say I'm surprised that he would be able to drag these people into his schemes as well. No, Garmadon, as you can see, is a far bigger threat than Chen. If he can make so many others believe in his lies, he can't be allowed to keep rallying more people to his side." Master Wu took a few paces forward, deep in thought. "The fate of Ninjago is important. Our plans, everything we've worked so hard for, cannot be destroyed. However . . . I understand your hesitation."
"You do?" Jay asked.
"More than you know. And rest assured, those who are truly innocent will be spared. But my brother is the true enemy, and his ninja will do whatever they can to protect him. They may end up getting hurt, if they get in the way, but they don't need to suffer the same fate as Garmadon. They, however, are not your responsibility. He's the one who brought them into this, and whatever may happen is on his conscience."
Wu paused by Cole and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You must remember the end goal. Or, perhaps, more importantly, the alternative. If we do not defeat Garmadon, he will continue to twist their minds and lead them to their own destruction. We must defeat him – and to some extent, his ninja and their allies – if they are ever to be free."
Zane clenched his fist. He didn't want to hurt Pixal. But he would fight to win, and hope to see her on the right side of the battle some day. "Then what is our plan, Master?"
"As I told you, Garmadon's son will one day become very dangerous, as well. I had expected you four to capture him, but it seems that with this new Elemental Alliance, it will not be as easy as I hoped. However, if we can get rid of Garmadon first, then the problem may fix itself.
Wu looked each of them in the eye. "I've told you before that we would forge Ninjago into a new world we've always dreamed of. But that dream won't be possible as long as men like Garmadon and Chen stand in our way." He turned to look out over the peaks on the horizon "When the world is ours, men like them will never threaten us again. The world will be under our protection. No one will dare threaten us once they see what we're capable of."
He looked back at his students again. "I've taught you four how to fight to win, that power earns you respect, that when you hit hard enough your enemies will think twice about attacking again. So consider this a demonstration: first we will obliterate my brother's army, and then Chen's little cult. Once the world sees that we won't stand for this kind of injustice, no one will dare oppose us ever again."
Zane nodded. Master Wu had never led them astray before. And if his words were enough to reassure Cole, Kai, and Jay, then they were enough for Zane, too. They were the only people who had ever made him feel like he belonged. And now more than ever, without knowing who or what he really was, Zane needed his family's support. So he would follow them. Wherever they would go.