Ninjago Bruise One Shots

Mission of Hearts

Jay and Cole crept through the shadows, their ninja suits blending in seamlessly with the darkness around them. The silence was loud, trying not to make any sudden movements as to give away their whereabouts. Who knew how far the Chimera was from them now?

These two were an unlikely pairing for separated missions. Although it wasn't by choice, partnering the two loudest ninja on the quietest quest wasn't the best idea. Not only were they unsure on where the rest of the team were, who they were unwillingly compound with, after being torn apart almost 30 minutes ago, they were also unaware of the danger they would have to face while hunting down the missing artefact. They barely even knew what it looked like. All they were told was that it was a heart-shaped ruby and golden treasure founded by the First Spinjitzu Master while creating Ninjago. It was precious.

The ninja had basically started the mission with nothing except a faint idea of what they were doing and what they were going against. The Chimera, a monstrous creature with the head of a lion, body of a goat and tail of a serpent, had spawned from an unknown realm - one they were still sceptical about. The monster's best known for its sharp teeth and razor claws, which the ninja had barely escaped just days before. It had shortly gone missing, with small sightings all over the city, which the team hadn't been able to use to locate it properly. They knew it was, too, after the artefact, for reasons unbeknownst to them, which was why they needed to find it before the Chimera does itself.

The ninja were already weak enough, with the team leader, Lloyd, already missing from a separate quest with Misako, Cole being a ghost and Nya still only training to be the water ninja, they had to do their best at both fighting the creature they knew nothing about and tracking down this relic they had never seen before.

The group of five had landed themselves in a dark, mysterious maze deep underground. After hearing a thunderous, distant grumble and being continuously shot at with piercing arrows from various traps, they were forced to split. Now, Jay and Cole had found themselves sneaking down an empty corridor, seeming endless, trying not to make a sound. They hadn't heard anything for a long while, which should've calmed them but only made them more wary. They have moments of brief communication, trying to decide what to do next.

"Do you really think the artefact is down here?" Jay whispers, glancing at Cole.

Cole shrugs, "I'm honestly not sure. The fact it's not even guarded by some strange beast is worrying me though."

"Right," Jay nods, "it's too empty and eerie. You think there may be something worse down here?"

"Potentially."

"And what happens when we do find the artefact? What do we do with it?" Jay questions, trying his best to keep his voice down.

Cole remains silent, focusing on the path ahead - or rather what he can see of it. His breath is short and heavy, his jaw clenched. Whatever was down here, artefact or not, it was making him feel uneasy. Jay could sense it too.

They continue in silence for a minute, hoping to come across more than a deserted corridor. Cole's pale eyes scanned the shadows for any sign of movement while Jay gave quick, short glances in his direction occasionally. He trusted Cole to have his back no matter what happened, much like other missions they'd been on together, but he couldn't help but focus on the strange, tense feeling he had in his chest. After another brief look over his friend, his thoughts drifted back to the task at hand.

Where was this artefact?

"Once we get what we're looking for, we can work out the details afterwards. We just need to focus on one thing at a time," Cole speaks after a while.

"We can't just bring it back to the Bounty; what if the Chimera follows us?" Jay mutters.

Cole opens his mouth to respond, no doubt with something that he'd be unsure of, when a loud, bone-chilling roar echoes through the corridor. They freeze in their tracks, their heads whipping around to the direction they'd just come from, shivers making their spines quake. They quickly exchange a worried glance, their minds racing as they tried to make sense of what to do.