Ninjago: Just Another Mission

Just a normal day

Dark clouds hung low in the sky, painted in myriad shades of grey. The streets outside the bar were now empty, the only sound was that of the rain crashing against the only car in the parking lot.

Ronin was sitting quietly in the corner of the bar. He sipped a glass filled with amber liquid as he watched one of the lights above flicker. The only movement in the bar was the bartender, who wiped down the counter with a cloth on the other side of the building. Suddenly, a figure appeared in the doorway. He was tall and bedraggled, dressed in plain, inexpensive clothing. He spotted Ronin almost immediately and rushed over to him. The samurai froze, startled by the sudden attention.

"Are you the one they call Ronin?" the man asked, desperation evident in his voice.

Ronin knew to be cautious with this kind of thing, but this man looked to be on the verge of tears. He sighed and nodded. "Yeah, that's me."

The man clenched his hands tightly. "My daughter is in trouble. I need your help. I heard you were the best bounty hunter around, and I can't afford to hire anyone else. Please, help me save my daughter... She's only 8, and she's been with those thugs for over 2 days!"

Ronin looked at the man; sensing his fragile mental state. "I'll help you, no need to worry. But it will cost you. Money only."

The man nodded in understanding. "Yes, of course. Name your price and it will be paid! Just please help me."

The samurai waved his hand and motioned for the man to sit. And they proceeded to explain the details of the mission. Apparently, he'd been falling on some hard times and needed a little extra money to help support his daughter. Unfortunately, he messed with the wrong crew, and now the poor only father had his baby kidnapped for ransom. Of course, it was nothing new for the bounty hunter. He'd seen plenty of cases like this one. Though, they never turn out well for anyone involved- But he already had several people who wanted his head on a silver platter, so what was another gang? Worst case scenario, he has to change his name and move..... again.
But hey, if 'Smith Johnson' or 'Carter Ford' had to die a fake death again then so be it. Everyone assumed 'Ronin' was an undercover name anyway. Inside, the two made deal. Outside, the torrent of rain continued, filling the empty streets with a chaotic melody.

The next morning, Ronin had began to gear up for the mission. Every corner of him had some sort of weapon strapped on; from fully loaded guns to daggers. His eye piece was originally intended for spotting paranormal activity, but the thermal sensors was perfect for other purposes; it could work as almost an x-ray vision. He finished packing up and headed out of his base. He had several places he considered his bases- An underground bunker type structure in the desert, an apartment that he never really pays the rent for, and several little hideaways scattered all across Ninjago. The one he was currently bunking in was a cave just large enough to fit his aircraft, R.E.X. vines hung over the entrance, making it disappear completely into the surrounding cliff face. He promptly pulled a lever and flew the airship out of the cave and into the sky. He had been given a general idea of where the gang was hiding away, but the exact location would have to be discovered himself. The plan was to use R.E.X to locate the approximate area, then travel on foot to find where the girl was being held. After a few hours of flying, he found what he was looking for and parked in a hidden, but accessible area. Slowly, he made his way through the forest to a sketchy looking town. It almost looked abandoned, like a ghost town; with streets cracked, buildings overgrown and falling apart... But it couldn't have been completely abandoned, there were still small signs of life, like fresh trash bags being in the front of houses and clothes on the line. It reminded him heavily of a scene he'd see in zombie apocalypse movie. His emotions may have been steeled, but it still sent a chill down his spine. Scanning the surroundings, he spotted a wear house at the back of the town. An irritated groan escaped his lips. It was like the mission he was on he'd seen several times over, and was getting bored with how repetitive it was becoming. The man slowly crept through the shadows, making sure nobody spotted him. Although this place looked entirely abandoned, he knew that probably wasn't the case. While in the shadows, he caught glimpses of movement in certain windows. People were here- just hiding away, waiting. They knew that someone was gonna come to save the girl, they just didn't know who. And that was gonna be their downfall. He approached the warehouse and quietly made his way inside. A dank, musty smell welcomed him as he stepped inside. He cautiously examined the dimly lit interior of the building, searching for any sign of the little girl. Ronin crept through the crumbling remnants of the warehouse that had obviously seen better days. He felt the rough edges of bricks beneath his feet as he walked through the shadows, eyeing the darkness with trepidation. Every creak in the floorboards sent a chill down his spine, and he knew he had to be as quiet and as careful as possible. He wasn't sure what he was going to find, but whatever it was, he had to keep his nerves steady. He shook his head and took a few deep breaths to keep his focus. Admittedly, he'd been in this kind of situation before. Plenty of times actually- one particular one still burned in his memory, though. He'd been paid to reclaim a hostage, just like this one- but he was told too late- by the time he got there, they were already dead. It was never something he wanted to see, or be involved in again... Yet here he was.