Promises (Ninjago's Kai x Reader)

Episode 3 - Night's Assassin Returns

"He isn't here," says Zane after his eyes stop glowing green.

"He could be long gone by now," says Cole, kicking the ground in frustration.

"But look what I found," shouts Kai from a few feet away. "A Kai action figure. Some fan probably lost it. No way anyone threw this out. Practically priceless."

"Sometimes I hate how big your head is," I say, smacking him playfully on the head.

"No sign of Clouse," Lloyd says, pressing his finger to his ear. He's silent for a moment as Mom gives him further instruction. "Come on, guys. Let's keep our eyes peeled."

"Look, another Kai doll," says Jay as we round a corner into the market area. "There's dozens!"

Kai groans, dropping the doll he still had in his hands.

"Keep searching," I order.

The seven of us split off into pairs: Lloyd and I together, Kai and Nya, Cole and Jay, and Zane technically has Pixal in his head. Half an hour later, we still haven't found him, nor has any citizen spotted anyone that looks like him. The seven of us regroup outside a small restaurant, taking a seat at one of the picnic benches.

"No sign of Clouse?" Lloyd asks the rest, though he already knows the answer.

"I don't get it. You'd think they'd remember seeing another ghost," says Cole.

"I know. I haven't even been asked to sign a single autograph," Kai complains. He makes amends when he spots me glaring at him. "Not that I want the attention."

"Hey, can you turn it up?" Lloyd asks the restaurant owner, apparently taking interest in whatever was on t.v.

"Hey. No one here cares for them fruit-colored Ninja," says a burly man with a beard sitting at the table across from us.

"Excuse me. What fruit is black?" Cole grumbles.

"Uh, blackberries?"

"Shut it, Jay."

"Guys, listen!" Nya scolds.

They fall silent and all attention is turned to the t.v.

"Earlier today, Green Ninja Lloyd Garmadon was caught on tape robbing the city bank," the reporter says as a video clip of what appears to be my little brother hauling a stolen bag of gold appears on the screen.

"Woah! That looks like, um, me!"

"And that's not all. At Mega Monster Amusement Park, Zane was on a rampage of vandalism and mayhem."

"Hey, wait. My memory has no recollection of that."

"Someone's pretending to be us!" Jay shouts, smacking his hand on the table.

"But why?"

"And how?"

"I am ashamed I ever wore their underwear. Oh, uh, I mean T-shirts," says the guy from the comic book store.

"Any comment on your son's offenses?" a reporter asks, approaching a heartbroken Ed and Edna.

"Jay would never do this," Ed declares. "And if he did, he had good reason. I hope."

"You hope!? It wasn't me, Dad! It wasn't me!"

"Jay, shh!"

"You believe them?" growls the burly guy from before. "They destroyed our village, act like they saved the place, and then go around doing as they please."

"Yeah. You're right. Ninja, ugh, hate 'em," Kai says, rolling his eyes dramatically. Then he lowers his voice significantly and says, "Maybe now is a good time to leave."