Zane is tending to the Land Bounty while the Ninja are stranded on the rock.
Jay looks up "Ugh, vultures. That's never a good sign"
"It's a sign we're going to be eaten" Aria comments, she's sitting down
Jay turns to her "Oh, thanks, Aria. Way to boost morale"
"Can you guys keep it down? I'm trying to reach P.I.X.A.L. on the radio" Nya says from inside the land bounty, she then turns back to what she's doing "Come in. P.I.X.A.L.? Can you hear me? Mayday, mayday! Come in, P.I.X.A.L"
Lloyd walks inside "Any luck?"
"Nothing. There's something wrong with the long-range transmitter, but I can't figure out what" Nya replies
"Okay, well... don't give up" Lloyd sighs and joins Cole and Kai outside, carrying supplies "And that's the last of it"
Kai shakes his head "That's not good. Less than a day's supply of water"
"And the ATV and the Dune Bounty are wrecked. And the Rock Cycle isn't fast enough to outrun those beetles!" Cole shouts
Kai sighs "Well, even if it could, it would only carry one of us.
"Maybe Nya could draw some water out of the air?" Lloyd suggests
"In this heat? Low humidity? I don't think so" Cole says
They turn to the sound of Jay hammering a rock.
"Jay, what are you doing?" Kai questions
"Carving a message on this rock, so people know who we are when they find our bones" Jay replies
Lloyd sighs "Can we try to be a little more optimistic, please?"
"Sure sweetheart" Aria lays down "We're all soon going to be feeling like we're floating away into the clouds where you all will live comfortably for all of eternity while I return from which i came... I rule the underworld!"
"Alright calm down" Lloyd says "Nobody's dying Aria"
"that's a shame" Aria says as she closes her eyes
Zane sighs "I'm afraid our situation is dire. The Bounty's engine will not start without the thermal kinetic inverter"
"Well, what's wrong with it?" Kai asks
"It is missing. I believe Beohernie ripped through the hull" Zane answers "He tore that component out and swallowed it"
"Ugh. Well, that's just great! First, a giant beetle tries to eat us alive. Then, we smash into a pile of rocks" Jay storms off, complaining "Or have any water!"
Aria tunes them out and falls asleep.
(Also known as your author is too lazy to write out every boring thing they say)
-
At nightfall, the Ninja are sitting around a fire.
"I see only one option: The digestive system of a beetle is very slow. There is a good chance the thermal kinetic inverter is still intact inside Beohernie's stomach" Zane says
Jay speaks up "Bernie"
Nya ignores him "What good does that do?"
"If one of us were to be ingested, we might be able to retrieve the device" Zane explains
"not me I'm injured" Aria says
Cole: Ingested?
Kai looks at Zane "Uhh, are you kidding?"
"If we can get inside Beohernie's stomach—"
"Bernie" Jay inturrupts
"shut it Jay" Aria hits him over the head
"Even without a staff it hurts" Jay whined
"We should in theory be able to retrieve the inverter and exit again" Zane finishes and Jay stares at him in horror "Either through the creature's mouth, or through the other end of the digestive—"
Jay shakes his head vigorously "Lalalalalala, I don't wanna hear this!"
"Yeah. Of all the bad ideas I've ever heard, and I've heard a few. Lookin' at you, Kai, this takes the cake!" Cole shouts
Nya nods "I agree. It sounds nuts"
"The facts are indisputable. We need the inverter. The inverter is inside the beetle. Ergo, one of us must enter the beetle and retrieve it" Zane explains like it's common
Lloyd thinks "Hmm"
"Don't tell me you're considering this!" Jay shouts
"We're doing it" Aria says
"Hey who put you in charge?!" Kai shouts
"the white master's gi" Aria replies smugly
"Right" the ninja whine
Nya looks at Aria "So how do we decide? Who gets to... you know, be—"
"It was my idea. The responsibility is mine" Zane volunteers
Lloyd shakes his head "No. I'm the responsible one"
"too bad I'm not losing a fiancé" Aria says pulling him back
Kai sighs "Guys, guys, it should be someone expendable, like Jay"
Jay snaps his head up immediately "WHAT?!"
"Well, look who's talking!" Cole shouts
Kai, Nya, Jay, and Cole start arguing
"Boys!" Aria shouts and they all look at her "You're going to settle this like adults"
The Ninja face each other with Rock, Paper, Clamp. Jay and Kai face off each other. Cole bursts into laughter at Kai when Jay wins. Lloyd wins against Cole, Nya beats Lloyd, Zane beats Jay, and Kai and Cole play for fun. Zane ends up competing with Nya and loses.
Zane sighs "I believe paper beats rock. Do not worry, my friends. Logically, I am the best choice. Being a Nindroid, I am more difficult to digest and can survive longer inside a stomach"
Jay leaps and hugs Zane "So long, buddy.
Zane pushes Jay off "I have every intention of surviving, Jay"
"Sure you do, pal" Jay turns away dramatically, patting Zane's face "Sure, you do"
Aria gets Zane ready for his trip.
Lloyd sighs "Let's run through the plan again"
"I bang the pot, drawing the creature's attention. He eats me. When I am in his stomach, I locate the inverter, radio back, and you pull me out" Zane recites
"Right" Aria says finishing the spell on Zane's rope "This should give it some extra strength"
Jay laughs nervously "What could possibly go wrong?"
-
Zane walks out on the sand and bangs the pot. He turns back and shrugs at the Ninja. Beohernie soon rises out of the sand. Zane tosses the pot away and allows Beohernie to eat him up.
"Zane!"
"Oh no!"
"It ate him! It actually ate him!"
Aria stares at the ninja "yeah it ate him.. that was the plan"
Nya freaks out "Zane! Zane, can you hear me?"
"Hang on, Zane!" Cole shouts
Nya hits the radio "Zane, come in!"
"Maybe the sand is blocking the signal" Lloyd suggests hopefully
"Or he's being dissolved in stomach acid!" Jay shouts
"What do we do?" The rope on Cole's cycle stops extending
Aria sighs and rubs her head "I'm surrounded by idiots"
-
The Ninja are sitting around, waiting for Zane to respond
Jay throws off his hood "This is crazy! How long has he been in there?"
"Almost an hour" Aria responds
"We gotta pull him out! Before it's too late" Cole says freaking out
"What if he needs more time to find the inverter?" Lloyd questions
"Lloyd's right. We gotta stick to the plan and wait for the signal" Kai agrees
Jay throws on his hood, and everyone listens to the radio.
"Hello? Can anyone hear me? Are you there?!"
"Zane!" The Ninja cheer
"You're alive!"
"Yeah, you're alive!"
"Good job, Zane!"
"Quiet, everyone!" Aria shouts "Zane, we hear you. What's your situation?"
"I have retrieved the inverter" Zane replies
"That's great! Hang tight. We'll get you out of there" Aria says "go get him boys"
Cole starts up his bike
"Give it some gas! Nice and easy!" Lloyd instructs
Cole starts reeling the rope. The rope slows down, resisting
"Keep going! Reel him in!" Lloyd shouts
"I'm trying, but Bernie's not making it easy. Come on. Come on!" Cole shouts
"Just like reeling in a thousand-pound tuna!" Jay encourages
Beohernie starts to resist
"We're going to burn out the engine! We're going to lose him- Whoa!" Bernie starts tugging on Cole's bike
"Cole!" The ninja jump on the cycle and hold it down.
"He's too strong!" Cole shouts
"Then let's hope he likes the taste of dragon" Aria says before turning into her dragon form
"Aria don't!" Lloyd shouts "You're still injured!"
Aria flys over and blasts fire at it. Beohernie opens up, throwing out Zane, the Teapot of Tyrahn, Cole's Guzzler hat, and slime on Jay. Lloyd chuckles at Jay, while he glares at Lloyd.
Aria dodges Beohernie and flys back to the ninja, landing near them and turning back to her human form. She sits on the ground immediately.
"Zane! Are you okay?" Kai shouts
"Say something" Nya says worriedly
Zane opens his eyes and produces the inverter.
The ninja laugh "Aw, Zane!"
"How are you Aria? Did you get bit again?" Jay asks her
"I'm good" Aria replies "can't stand though"
Lloyd runs over and picks up Aria as Zane puts back the inverter, the Ninja load up Cole's bike and Kai's buggy into the Land Bounty and get in. The beetles rise out of the sand again.
"Everyone ready?" Nya questions
"Get us out of here" Lloyd replies
Nya takes off, with the three beetles following close behind
"Hold on, everyone. Here goes" Nya pushes the handles in, producing the thrusters. The radar beeps constantly as the Ninja continue to go out of range away from the beetles,
"We made it!" Jay shouts happily
"Good job. Home free" Kai says
"That was one doozy of a mirage!" Jay shouts
Aria looks annoyed "you idiots were freaking out the entire time"
"Yeah yeah" Lloyd places her down on a chair "whatever you say master"
"coming from you Lloyd.. I imaged that sentence differently" Aria says playfully
Lloyd blushes "damn it Aria stop thinking like that!"
The ninja laugh.