Thundersnow

The Great Serpentine War: Escort

Ice.

Ice was cold and distant.

That's why everyone was shocked when for the first time they saw him look truly afraid.

Everyone was scared, no one wanted to go on the mission that they'd been presented with.

The Serpentine were after a new town to claim. One that had, like Ignacia, been moderately unprotected just because there was no real reason to go after it.

The place was wild, dangerous, and despite all that, overly populated. Large buildings were piled on top of each other and even alleyways had planks over them and tents on rooftops.

The entire village was considered "dirty" by some. Others found that it has its own culture about it. Either way it was an extremely important village for many as it provided most of the power to the eastern side of Ninjago. Often praised as the terrain of the masters of lightning.

Thundertown.

A town plagued by a near constant, neverending, electrical storm. Almost anyone that lived in the oversized slum had been struck by lightning at least once. Those who hadn't had been feeling the buzz of electricity their whole lives.

Ice had brought Libber here a few times once at her request and two others spontaneously.

It was where she was born after all.

A small apartment where she had lived in her early years with her mother and father. It was where the Wilson family grew, and laughed, and loved up until they were torn apart by a teenager going fifty over the speed limit.

And now, the remaining member was going to tear it all down.

Or so they thought.

They heard about the movements yes, but the thing was, no matter the scout the serpentine still hadn't shown up.

There wasn't any sign of trouble in the city.

...Not yet at least.

So Ice was sent out to help on another mission, and by the master had he wanted to go alone. He refused help and it had worked up until this point but then, then Wu insisted.

He wanted to come along with Ice for some reason he couldn't possibly fathom. He never held conversation with the man, never went out of his way to interact or blatantly avoid, and yet somehow...

"Ice? Are you ready?"

He shifted his head over to the master slowly, clearly annoyed by his presence.

"Yes."

Wu looked like he wanted to smile but nodded stoically instead.

"This is just a simple escort mission, just getting one convoy of people out of Thundertown and into a different city."

"I am aware."

"Then I'm sure you know we're also walking there?"

"Yes."

Wu looked his attire up and down before getting the hint and simply walking out of the room.

. . .

It was halfway down the stairs and Ice was already nearing the point of sending the young master back to meet his father.

"How have you been doing?" He asked genuinely.

"Why?"

Not a response a lot of people expected.

Also the one that got him silence.