(The Time Twins and Vermillion bring Wu to their Vermillion Dome of Doom.)
Krux: Such balance. Such power. When Ninjago is finally under our rule, they will sing songs about our triumph today, brother, and—
Acronix: Oh, you're so right, brother. How you doing back there, Wu? Perhaps he's gone deaf with old age.
Wu: Unfortunately, no. I can hear every one of your attempts at humor. (Acronix laughs at his misfortune.)
Machia: Move it, old man.
Blunck: This stinks. She got the Time Blade back. Totally made us look bad with Krux and Acronix.
Raggmunk: I wouldn't worry about it. They still need us.
Krux: Commander Blunck. Commander Raggmunk. We need you!
Raggmunk: See? Coming.
Krux: As you know, my brother and I had been worried about the leadership of the Vermillion warriors. And this mission certainly did not go as planned. The idea was simply to obtain the Time Blade. But now we are carrying a prisoner.
Blunck: Here it comes.
Raggmunk: Someone's in trouble.
Acronix: Commander Machia, your initiative in capturing the ninja's Master impressed us. You are promoted to the rank of Supreme Commander of the Vermillion Army. (It was your idea to take Wu, Acronix.)
Machia: I am honored.
Krux: Commanders Blunck and Raggmunk will report directly to you.
Raggmunk: What? Undeserved.
Blunck: So unfair.
Machia: Did you say something?
Raggmunk: Well deserved.
Blunck: So unfair... that it took so long!
Wu: Isn't all this celebrating and promoting a bit premature? My ninja are still out there.
Krux: Seven of them against all this? (He points to the egg filled swamp.)
Acronix: They have no leader. They have no Time Blades. They have no chance. One can only imagine how helpless they must feel. I almost feel sorry for them. Almost. (The Army laughs. Acronix's BorgWatch beeps.)
Krux: What are you doing?
Acronix: Sharing this with all my Instabook followers. "Achieved... total... victory."
Krux: Why must you ruin every good moment with your modern techno-garbage?
Acronix: And why must you be so stubborn about staying in the ancient past?
(Back at the Temple of Airjitzu, Lloyd is giving a speech to the team.)
Lloyd: Hey. This fight is as far from over. I know we had a setback, but—
Kai: It's always darkest before the dawn. Blah, blah, blah. Come on, let's get going already, okay?
Nya: Kai—
Kai: We don't need a pep talk. We need action.
Lloyd: I agree. They actually gave us a break by taking the Time Blade.
Cole: How is that a break?
Lloyd: If any of you captured something that powerful, what would you do?
Jay: Um, immediately haul it back home to show off to you guys?
Lloyd: Right! And unless I miss my guess, that's exactly where the Hands of Time are headed as we speak. Their home.
Cole: So if we can find the Time Blade...
Zane: ...we can find Acronix and Krux's base.
Coral: Genius!
Lloyd: Hey. Think you can locate the Blade with your temporal scanner?
Zane: Attempting access. Hmm. I am afraid it was damaged when we fought the Vermillion warriors. (Jay laughs.) I fail to see the humor, Jay.
Jay: I still think Vermillion warriors is a stupid name.
Nya: I could see if the scanner on the Destiny's Bounty still works.
Lloyd: Yes. Good thinking, Nya.
Izzy: But what about the rest of us? Where do we go?
Coral: (Her phone pings, and she takes it out of her pocket.) Hmm.
Jay: What are you doing? We're supposed to silence phones during meetings like this.
Coral: Well, guess who's been updating his Instabook posts about achieving victory for the Time Blade?
All: Acronix?!
Coral: Correct!
Lloyd: Can you trace the posts?
Coral: Sure give me one second. (She works on her phone and traces the post.) It says the post came from somewhere near the museum.
Nya: Then the rest of you should go to the museum. Krux also hid in plain sight there as Dr. Saunders for forty years. I'll bet there's a clue where their secret headquarters is.
Lloyd: Okay, let's split up.
Kai: Uh, I'll help you, sis.
Cole: Well, one question: How are we supposed to get to the museum? Our vehicles got trashed by the snakes.
Lloyd: Uh, we have the Supersonic Raider Jet.
Jay: Uh, actually, hehe, my dad's still kind of working on that.
(Ed is shown tinkering with the Supersonic Raider Jet, but a butterfly lands on it and it falls apart.)
Jay: We can take the Lightning Bike.
Nya: Kai and I have our old bikes.
Coral: I would use my bike, but I punctured the fuel tank when I crashed in the desert.
Lloyd: So what about me, Coral, and Zane?
Misako: Well, me and Amythest were saving these for your birthday, but... (She reveals a ship.) The Destiny's Shadow.
Amethyst: And...(She reveals a sleeker bike.) The Purple Panther.
Coral: Aw, heck yeah!
Kai: Oh, come on! First Jay, now Lloyd and Coral? Does everyone get a new ride for their birthday!? (The rest of the ninja stare at him.) Uh, I said that out loud, didn't I?
Lloyd: I love it!
Coral: (Hugging her mom.) So do I!
Misako: I wish Wu could have seen this.
Lloyd: Oh, he will. We'll get him back sooner or later.
Misako: Hmm, it's the "later" I worry about.
Jay: Huh? Uh...what does that mean?
Misako: I can't. He made me promise not to tell you.
Amethyst: Both of us.
Lloyd: Mom, we're a team. We don't keep secrets from each other,
Coral: What's going on?
Misako: When Wu fought Acronix alone at the monestary, he was struck with a punch powered by the Time Blade.
Amethyst: The hit unleashed the forward energy of time onto him, and the effect is...
Zane: Master Wu is rapidly aging. Of course. That explains his recent fatigue and the rambling.
Jay: (Gasps.) And the super-long old-guy beard.
Misako: I don't even know if the effect can be reversed.
Lloyd: Then we better get moving.
Misako: Good hunting, son. Stay safe.
Lloyd: I will.
Coral: Let's see what these babies can do!
Zane: Any time now.
Lloyd: It's a lot of buttons. (Lloyd hits buttons for the horn and the radio before finally getting the engine started and flies away while the rest travel on the ground.)
(Kai and Nya are inspecting the Bounty.)
Kai: Pretty lucky, Lloyd agreeing to let you split from the group. Almost like you had something in mind.
Nya: I don't know what you're talking about.
Kai: You still wanna find out who's got your Samurai X suit, don't you?
Nya: After we fix the scanners, of course.
Kai: Oh, yes, of course. You're fixated, sis.
Nya: Says the guy still carrying around the snake helmet. What is it, Kai? Something's been bothering you. Is everything okay?
Kai: (Sighs.) When I was fighting Dr. Saunders—Krux—He told me something. Something you need to know. (He shows her the helmet's symbol.) This stamp. Do you know who it belongs to?
Nya: No.
Kai: Our father.
(In the city, Lloyd is struggling to control his ship.)
Lloyd: Whoa! Ugh! I have no idea what any of these buttons do. And it doesn't come with a user's manual.
Zane: On it. P.I.X.A.L., please do a vehicular spec analysis. Oh, right, she's still offline. I'll do it myself. The Destiny's Shadow has four offensive weapons, seven defensive systems, five transformative reconfigurations, and one mini-fridge. (He pulls out a juice box.) Beverage?
Lloyd: Uh, maybe later. (They arrive at the museum.)
(Kai explains the symbol.)
Kai: A blacksmith puts his stamp on everything he makes. And our father's mark is on every Vermillion Warrior helmet we found.
Nya: So...?
Kai: So it means that our father must have once worked for the Hands of Time.
Nya: Kai, that doesn't make any sense.
Kai: Sure it does. Krux told me our parents were traitors. What better way to betray the Elemental Masters than to forge armor for their enemies?
Nya: And you believe Krux?
Kai: What about the painting at the museum? Where the Elemental Masters were fighting the Hands of Time?
Nya: Yeah?
Kai: Mom and Dad were the only ones not in it.
Nya: No. I refuse to believe our parents were villains without real proof! (Kai hits the Bounty and it turns on.) What do you know? I thought that only worked in cartoons. Fire it up! (The machines go out again.) I can still work with that. (It sets on fire.)
Kai: Face it. The scanners are toast.
Nya: What do we do now?
Kai: Join up with the others at the museum, I guess. (They get on their bikes.) Ready?
Nya: Yes. Although...I might make a quick detour along the way. Before you say it, no. I am not obsessed with the Samurai X suit. I just need to know. (Sighs.) Okay, I am obsessed. Just—You gotta cover for me with the guys.
Kai: All right. We'll split up. Because I need to take a side trip of my own.
(The ninja look for clues.)
Lloyd: Nothing.
Zane: Negative.
Coral: Nope, not a thing.
Jay: Argh. This is a waste of time. There's nothing here but old junk. (He almost breaks the displays but Zane catches them.)
Lloyd: Jay! You wanna take it easy? I know that's Krux's stuff, but some of it is priceless.
Jay: Bill me. That guy went after my parents! If he was here, I'd be breaking more than his pottery. (He throws a large bowl, which Zane dives and catches.)
Lloyd: Looks like you're fully functional again.
Zane: Except for my inability to interface with P.I.X.A.L., yes. It is highly frustrating.
Lloyd: How about you, Cole? Earth Punch under control?
Cole: Oh, yeah. I am totally dialed in. (He accidentally breaks the wall.) Oh, uh, okay. Mostly totally dialed in.
Lloyd: Guys! There's a secret room.
Cole: Yeah! Heh. 'Cause obviously I meant to do that.
(Kai enters the Four Weapons Blacksmith.)
Kai: Home.
(Nya goes back to her Samurai X Cave.)
Nya: The Vermillion warriors are totally picking up the bill for my cleaning service. (All the ninja gasp.)
Kai: I knew it. (He sees the blacksmith symbol.)
Nya: I knew it. (She sees Samurai X.)
Lloyd: I don't believe it. (They see the incubator.)
(Kai reaches for the gong with the same symbol.)
Kai: What does this mean? What does this mean!? (He bangs it and a trapdoor opens. He sees the Dragon Blade.) What else were you making down here, Father? (He finds another helmet.)
(Nya confronts the Samurai X.)
Nya: Returned to the scene of the crime, huh? Maybe you're one of the Vermillion warriors after all.
Samurai X: (As Ronin.) Those snake samurai are no friends of mine.
Nya: Ronin? Can't be. Ronin's leg is—
Samurai X: (As Ronin) —Broken. Right. Forgot. (As Dareth) Maybe I'm Dareth. The Brown Ninja.
Nya: Wait, what? Okay, fine, Dareth. I want my suit back. (She attacks them.)
Samurai X: (As Dareth) Chill, Nya. I don't wanna fight.
Nya: Impressive. But that pretty much rules out you being Dareth.
Samurai X: (As Misako) Good point. Perhaps I'm Misako.
Nya: Liar! Ugh! You're not Misako! She has too much honor to steal my armor. Ugh!
Samurai X: (As Garmadon) Garmadon had a nasty side. Maybe that's who I am.
Nya: Garmadon sacrificed himself for good! Now he's gone forever. Just like my patience. Reveal yourself!
Samurai X: (As Kai) Sorry, sis. I can't do that.
Nya: I know you're not my brother!
Samurai X: (As Kai) Nor am I your enemy.
Nya: Ugh! But I'm yours, you thief!
(Lloyd and Zane walk up to a tank of Vermillion Eggs.)
Lloyd: What's this?
Zane: It appears to be a breeding tank for snake eggs.
Jay: Look! Plans for armor, weapons, and a bunch of I-don't-know-what.
Zane: What's interesting is what is not here. No computer. No modern equipment of any kind.
Cole: Got something. (He opens a door to the sewer system.)
Lloyd: Whoa. A hidden door inside a hidden lab? This must lead to someplace important.
Jay: Hee hee. Hopefully not to a bathroom that Krux really didn't like to share.
Cole: We're going down there, aren't we? It looks pretty gross.
Lloyd: What other choice do we have? (They go in.)
Kai: (Kai compares both helmets.) Old, new. How did I not put it together? There's only one person who could possibly understand what I'm going through.
(Nya and Samurai X continue fighting. She almost falls, but the Samurai catches her.)
Nya: Not bad. You've clearly mastered several different fighting styles.
Samurai X: (As Wu) High praise coming from the former Samurai X.
Nya: You're right. I'm not Samurai X anymore. I'm the Master of Water! (She sprays them.) It's over. Reveal your identity.
Samurai X: (As Cole) I can't.
Nya: You must!
Samurai X: (As Nya) Never. I hide my identity to protect the innocent. My friends and allies would be at risk if my enemies knew who I really was. You were me once. You know this.
Nya: Yes. Yes I do.
(The ninja continue their journey in the sewers.)
Jay: Oh, maybe Nya and Kai got the scanners back online.
Lloyd: Nah, we'd have heard from them by now.
Cole: (Cole's suit gets dirty.) Aw, I just had my suit cleaned. (They see something above them and run away.)
Jay: Um, hehe. You wouldn't happen to have a reconfigurable amphibious vehicle with you, would you?
Lloyd: No.
Zane: Actually, we might. Let me access those specs again. Reconfiguration three of the Destiny's Shadow is the Experimental Amphibious Multi-Terrain Assault Vehicle, XAMTAV.
Izzy: Nice.
Jay: Ha! What a catchy name. XAMTAV. Heh. Sounds like a laxative. No wonder Kai was so jealous. (They see the Destiny's Shadow approaching them.)
Zane: I took the liberty of using the museum Wi-Fi to interface the Destiny's Shadow and bring it here.
Lloyd: Uh, beats walking.
(Nya and Samurai X stop fighting.)
Nya: Whoever you are, you have proven that you are worthy to become the new Samurai X.
Samurai X: (As Nya.) Thank you.
Nya: But stop using my voice. It's creeping me out. Okay?
Samurai X: Okay.
Nya: I guess all of this is yours now.
Samurai X: Thanks.
Nya: Oh, the Vermillion warriors didn't wreck everything. (She shows them the Samurai VXL.)
Samurai X: Aw. Nice.
Nya: (Her phone beeps.) Hmm. Guess the phones are back up. Gotta go. It's my brother. Needs to meet right away. One more thing. Red's my thing. You gotta find a new color, Skylor.
Samurai X: (As Skylor.) Hmm. A girl's gotta have her secrets, right?
Nya: Knew it. (She drives away.)
Samurai X: (As Skylor) Hmm. New color.
(The ninja ride the Destiny's Shadow.)
Jay: Argh! Does anyone have any idea where we are going?
Lloyd: Not really.
Zane: I am trying to track our progress, but these tunnels are confusing.
Cole: What is it with villains and their total lack of signage?
Lloyd: Zane, any chance the Destiny's Shadow has a temporal scanner?
Zane: Unfortunately not. But it does have a collision avoidance system that indicates multiple targets ahead.
Cole: It's an ambush!
Jay: Haha! Finally, some payback. (Jay and Cole attack them.)
Lloyd: Lights, lights, lights! (They see them fighting the Serpentine.) Wait! Jay, Cole, let them go! That's Skales.
Skales: And my son, Skales Jr.
Jay: Ha! Imaginative name. Take you long to come up with that?
Skales Jr.: Out of my way, Blue Boy.
Izzy: I'm sorry, who are they again?
Coral: Right. Forgot you guys haven't officially met yet. Izzy, this is Skales. Skales, this is Izzy.
Skales: A pleasure.
Izzy: Pleasures all mine.
Lloyd: What are you two doing down here?
Jay: Don't you know, Lloyd? They're sewage experts.
Lloyd: I meant what are you doing down here, now?
Skales: Tracking the Vermillion warriors along with these Constrictai.
Jay: Why? Looking to join them?
Skales Jr.: No. To avoid them. (He shoves Jay.)
Skales: Son, no. They don't understand.
Lloyd: We don't understand what?
Skales: You don't know what you're dealing with, do you? The Vermillion warriors are the pure first generation progeny of the Great Devourer.
Zane: I have never heard of them.
Skales: Because we do not speak of them. They have the same singular drive as the Great Devourer: to consume everything in their path.
Jay: We fought them. They aren't so tough.
Skales: In small numbers, no. But if Krux and Acronix are able to raise and equip enough of them, they will be an unstoppable horde. A swarm of Vermillion that no one can stop.
Zane: We did see breeding tanks in Krux's lab...
Skales: That's sufficient to start the growth process for a few warriors, but creating a large army requires a very specific environment. A swamp. They are using a swamp.
Lloyd: Can you tell us where it is?
Skales: I can.
Lloyd: Can you take us there?
Skales: I cannot. I have a family to protect. But I can give you a map. The Constrictai are reconnaissance experts. I must warn you, there's more going on there than just raising eggs. They're readying them for war. They have your Master with them.
Lloyd: We know. Thank you, Skales.
Jay: Uh, sorry if I jumped to conclusions, Junior. Heh.
Skales Jr.: Don't call me "Junior."
Jay: Haha. I kind of like that kid.
Skales Jr.: Don't call me "kid" either!
Jay: Hahaha! Now I know I like him. (They drive away.)
Skales: Good luck, ninja! Heh. They're going to need it.
Skales Jr.: Sure. Just as long as they keep out of my way.
(Kai talks to Skylor in the Noodle House.)
Kai: It's just so shocking to find out that your father, someone you idolized your entire life, turns out to be...There's no other word for it. Evil. It makes you question everything you know. Everything you are. Which is why I came to you. Because you went through the same thing, and I—(The doors open and Nya walks in.) Nya! Over here!
Nya: I did it. I figured out the identity of Samurai X. It's Skylor!
Skylor: (Chuckles.) I am? Oh. I had no idea. Does that mean I get that cool armor?
Nya: Uh? It has to be you. Everything fits. The skills, the different fighting styles. The voices.
Skylor: Sorry to disappoint.
Nya: I don't suppose she just got here seconds before I did. (Kai shakes his head.) Then I still don't know who Samurai X is. I don't believe it.
Kai: We can solve that riddle later. Nya, I have news for you. And it's not good. You better sit down.
Skylor: I'm gonna get some noodles. (She leaves.)
Kai: I went back to the blacksmith shop. What Krux told me is true. Our parents were indeed traitors.
Nya: No. They couldn't have been.
Kai: They were. And still are. Nya. Our parents...they're alive.
Nya: But...that's impossible. (Kai picks up a helmet.) A rusty old helmet. So?
Kai: So this one is new. Our dad is still making them. Which can only mean...
Nya: Our father is still alive.
Kai: And working for the Hands of Time. But here's the worst part. What does that mean for us? Are we destined to turn evil?
Skylor: (She comes back.) Of course not. Our parents leave behind their legacies, not our destinies. We choose who we become. Noodles? Nice and hot. They always cheer me up.
Kai: No thanks. I lost my appetite.
Skylor: Kai, you can't let this news get you down. We find our own paths.
Nya: Skylor's right. Look at her. She could have inherited her father Chen's evil empire and rule the world, but instead dedicated her life to spending her day bent over a hot stove to provide low-cost, quality noodles to the people of Ninjago City.
Skylor: Huh. Gee, when you put it like that...(Sighs.) Let me get some of those. (She takes Kai's noodles.)
(Acronix shows Cyrus a Time Blade.)
Acronix: Here. For the apparatus.
Cyrus: I-I-I'm not ready for that. You-You cannot rush good design.
Krux: Says the man who released three updates to the BorgPad in one year. Stop stalling!
Machia: Or your time may run out.
Cyrus: Uh. Yes, ma'am.
Acronix: That's better. (The twins laugh.)
(The ninja make it to the swamp.)
Cole: That's a lot of eggs.
Jay: And a lot of armors. Er. Ers?
Lloyd: Wu's gotta be down there somewhere.
Zane: And Cyrus Borg.
Lloyd: One thing's for sure. We're gonna need the whole team. (He calls Nya.)
Nya: It's Lloyd. Lloyd? Sorry, we couldn't, um—Uh...get the scanners working, but—You found it? Where? We'll be there right away.
Kai: What is it?
Nya: They found Acronix and Krux's base.
Kai: Let's roll.
Skylor: Guys, if you need any he—
Nya: To-go bags? Heh. No thanks. Finding out about my parents killed my appetite. (They leave.)
Skylor: Oh. I guess quality noodles is all I'm good for. (She tries some.) Mm.
Kai: Nya, something just occurred to me.
Nya: What?
Kai: If the guys found Krux and Acronix...
Nya: Then they found our father!