Ninjago: The Wishing Arc (6)

Chapter 106: Ninja Versus Pirates, Round Two

Jay approached the large, iron gates, the key clutched tightly in his hand. His heart pounded with a mixture of excitement and nervousness as he unlocked the gates and pushed them open. Before him stood a grand, slightly eerie mansion, a world away from the junkyard he'd called home.

"Whoa! Is this where my birth father lived?" he murmured, taking in the lavish surroundings. "Whoa! Wow."

As he wandered further inside the mansion, a sudden voice made him jump. "Fear isn't a word where I come from," came a deep, gritty tone. Jay turned to see a Fritz Donnegan animatronic, staring blankly forward.

"Would you look at that?" Jay chuckled, momentarily amused. "Heh. My father was a fan of Fritz Donnegan too. Heh. Cool." His gaze moved around the room, spotting walls lined with trophies and achievements. "Wow. He had so many trophies."

Jay tired to grab another trophy but couldn't lift it, instead, it tilted forward and revealed a hidden room, filled with costumes, props, and old scripts. Jay's jaw dropped as he scanned the memorabilia. "My father wasn't just a fan of Fritz Donnegan," he realized, eyes widening. "He was Fritz Donnegan!" His fingers brushed across a dusty book titled, Cliff Gordon's Handbook to Wooing Women.

"That must be his real name... Cliff Gordon," Jay muttered, piecing things together. "That means my real name is Jay Gordon?" He smirked, the idea sounding surreal. "Ha! 'Chapter One: Women love mystery. When talking to them, less is more—"

Before he could finish reading, Nadakhan appeared out of nowhere.

"Aah!" Jay yelped, stumbling back in surprise.

Nadakhan gave a sly smile. "Are you ready for your second wish? Hmm?"

Jay frantically grabbed a nearby prop raygun and aimed it at the djinn, squeezing the trigger. Nothing happened. "Huh?"

Nadakhan chuckled. "Adorable."

Frustrated and wary, Jay demanded, "What did you do? Did you change the past?"

Nadakhan crossed his arms, smirking. "Hmm. I wish. I merely revealed a truth about your life that you were unaware of."

Jay scowled, shaking his head. "Then I don't wanna make another wish."

Nadakhan raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by Jay's resistance. "Everyone wants a second wish. A second chance to make things right."

"No," Jay said firmly.

"Don't resist me. Tell me what you want. More power? More prestige? Maybe a raygun that works?" Nadakhan's eyes glinted with mischief.

Jay took a deep breath, his determination solidifying. "No. I don't want anything. I just wish I wasn't alone with you."

Just then, the sound of a doorbell ringing broke the tension. "Dang it. Ah, I did it again."

"Nya?" came the voice from outside, echoing his thoughts. "Hello? Jay? Are you here?"

"Don't forget you have a third wish," Nadakhan hissed before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Ah! Phew." Jay sighed in relief, the weight of Nadakhan's presence lifting, if only for a moment.

"Nya, you're here. How did you get here?" he called out, trying to sound casual as he tucked the book away.

"After you split, I got worried. I called your dad, who said you'd be here. Speaking of which, why are you here?" Nya stepped into the room, glancing around curiously.

Jay hesitated, his mind racing as he remembered the words from the book. "Women love mystery. When talking to them, less is more." "Uh...uh..."

The animatronic voice chimed in again, "Fear isn't a word where I come from," adding a surreal touch to the moment.