Onyx and Skybound

Hostage Identities

"He isn't here." Onyx groaned when Zane confirmed what all of them had already realized when they'd begun searching. "He could be long gone by now," Cole said. Kai suddenly jumped up, holding something in his hand. "But look what I found. A Kai action figure. Some fan probably lost it. No way anyone threw this out. Practically priceless," he said, shaking it. Onyx rolled her eyes and looked out over the wreckage of Stiix with a bittersweet sigh.

Lloyd hopped down next to her. "No sign of Clouse," he said, returning from where he'd been poking around a pile of wood. Misako's voice came through their intercoms. "Better keep looking. Wu's at the Domu Library researching what Clouse could be looking for. If I hear anything, you'll be the first to know," she said before signing off. Lloyd rolled his shoulders. "Come on, guys. Let's keep our eyes peeled," he said, turning back to his search. Onyx sighed. "It doesn't even smell the same," she said. Lloyd gave her a sympathetic glance.

Jay kicked some driftwood aside, revealing several action figures. "Look, another Kai doll. There's dozens," he said, tilting his head. Kai groaned.

(=^･ｪ･^=)(=^･ｪ･^=)(=^･ｪ･^=)(=^･ｪ･^=)

A few hours later, Onyx and the others were sitting at a table in one of the the only parts of Stiix that was still standing. It was the same table where she'd explained her story to the others, a fact that only she seemed to be aware of. Then again, she did know Stiix like the back of her hand. Or, she did before it was destroyed.

"Ugh, still no sign of Clouse," Lloyd groaned, rubbing his eyes. Onyx gave him a condoling pat on the arm. "I don't get it. You'd think they'd remember seeing another ghost," Cole said. "Maybe they didn't see him at all," Onyx murmured. "I know. I haven't even been asked to give a single autograph. Not that I want the attention!" Kai responded to Cole, raising his voice on the last sentence. Onyx quirked an eyebrow at him, but something else soon caught her attention.

"Dove sono i ninja? Questo giornalista ha la risposta." Onyx looked over at the tiny TV perched on a stack of boxes. "Hey, can you turn it up?" Lloyd asked the Stiixians sitting at a table across from them. They looked at each other, confused. Onyx stepped in. "Può alzarlo?" She translated. One of the Stiixians scoffed and crossed his arms. "Ehi. Nessuno qui si preoccupa di loro ninja color fruttato," He snapped.

"Hey. No one here cares for them fruit-colored ninja," Lloyd said off of the others' confused looks. Onyx kept forgetting that he'd picked up on the language from when Morro was in his head. It was something he tried to avoid. "Excuse me. What fruit is black?" Cole asked, affronted. "Uh, blackberries?" Jay said. Cole rolled his eyes. "Shut it, Jay," he sighed. "What's going on?" Nya asked. "They're talking about us. It sounds serious," Onyx explained, frowning.

"All'inizio di oggi, il Green Ninja Lloyd Garmadon è stato catturato su nastro mentre rapinava la banca della città," the reporter said, the poor Stiixian voiceover not matching up with his mouth at all. "Whoa! That looks like, um, me," Lloyd exclaimed, camera footage of him appearing on the screen. "E non è tutto. Al Mega Monster Amusement Park, Zane era in furia di vandalismo e caos," The reporter continued. "What? My memory has no recollection of that," Zane said when footage of him vandalizing the place appeared. The others didn't need a translation to understand what was being reported.

Jay gritted his teeth as other crimes appeared on the screen. "Someone's pretending to be us," he growled. "But why?" Nya asked. "And how?" Cole added. Interviews appeared, but Onyx wasn't paying attention. She was more focused on the grumblings of the Stiixians across from them. "Ci credi? Hanno distrutto il nostro villaggio, si comportano come se avessero salvato il posto, e poi vanno in giro facendo come vogliono," One said, crossing his arms. Then he glanced at Onyx. "Non credi?"