Wu's Teas - The Aftermath

The Aftermath - Episode 2 - Spinny Sign

Heya, everybody! Yes, I'm still alive, no, I'm not abandoning the collection. I intend on doing an Aftermath episode for every one of Ninjago's shorts, so you just stick around. I may be a bit slow, admittedly, because I also do art, have another Ninjago One-Shots Collection (Called Human - One-Shots Collection, on Fanfiction.net) as well as another One-shots collection in an entirely different fandom, then let's not even get started on my part-time job, piano practice, non-fan-fiction writing, and my incomplete dreams of becoming an actress in all three fields of voice-over, stage, and film. Oh! Did I mention that I'm in high school, filling out college applications, and I have three younger siblings and two parents who both work more than they sleep? Yeah... Basically, I'm doing what I can, and I actually have a surprising amount of free time for all of this, but I won't be able to update every single day unless I decide to gear up a notch and do a little more organization for my own life, which I still need to figure out as I grow out of childhood... Anyway, this Aftermath episode should be... interesting. Mostly random, if you ask me, and plenty of goofiness, but hopefully still on-track enough to be good. Hope you enjoy!

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The Aftermath - Episode 2 - Spinny Sign

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"Doesn't anyone else find this suspicious?!?" Jay exclaimed. He, along with the other ninja, was walking back to the shop after the spinny-sign-off.

"Find what suspicious, Jay?" Cole rolled his eyes.

"Do we really have to go over this again?" Jay pouted.

"Yes." Everyone else, excluding Wu, said in union.

"Urrrgggggg... Fine. Look, after Robot Manager put out the fire with the sign, which makes no sense, by the way, she put out the fire on Sensei's beard with tea." Jay explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yeah, okay, what's so significant about that?" Kai asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"The significance? Kai, she used TEA." Jay threw his hands up exasperatedly.

"SO WHAT?" Kai mimicked Jay's movements and turned around, jogging backwards into the shop.

"Tea, guys, she used tea!" Jay reiterated once more. When all he was given in response was a bunch of confused expressions, he facepalmed.

"She used tea instead of coffee. Where did she get the tea? Hm?" He asked pointedly.

"Oh. Well, okay, I guess I see where you're coming from, but what does it matter? And how do you know that it was tea and not water or something?" Cole argued.

"Okay, okay, point made, but it wouldn't have to be tea... The actual point is that the cup is from our shop, not hers. How'd she get it?" Jay stopped, resting his chin on his hand. Zane, who was walking behind him, stopped and watched him amusedly. The whole matter was ridiculous to him. Jay could be such a drama queen king when he wanted, and honestly, Robot Manager probably just picked up the cup from inside their shop, or on the curb side, or just from a customer who happened to be holding one of their cups. There was a number of reasonable explanations.

"Give it a rest, Jay." Cole sighed, walking into the shop.

"Why? Maybe she's spying on us! Maybe she stole it!" Jay listed, slapping his palms together with each point he made. He stopped suddenly and gasped loudly.

"What if she's STEALING our DESIGNS?!?! Then everyone will think we're copying her! She'll improve upon the design and make us look like cheap copy-cats, and anyone who remembers our designs will think it's her and not us and then they'll switch loyalties and we'll lose all our customers and our popularity and stop making money and be totally DUPED!" Jay rambled on, growing increasingly louder before throwing himself dramatically to the ground.

Zane, still watching Jay, chuckled lightly.

"Jay, I'm certain it won't grow that bad. We have more immediate matters at hand to deal with." He said, offering Jay a hand. Jay sighed loudly and glanced over at Zane, pouting somewhat. After a moment, he sighed again before extending an arm and accepting Zane's outstretched hand.

"Thanks." He mumbled. As he got back to his feet, he started grumbling to himself about how no one was taking him seriously. All too suddenly, he stopped again, perking up completely.

"You know what's really got me? The fire didn't do any damage to the shop!" He said, pointing to the wood on the outside of said shop.

"Really?" Zane paused, looking curiously to where Jay was pointing. He was right, though. There was no damage whatsoever, not so much as a scorch mark. Even the fabric on the large shade over the front of the store remained untarnished.

"You've got me on that one." Kai stuck his head back out the door, looking up at where the fire used to be.

"How does that even make sense?" Jay asked, creasing his eyebrows.

"Hey, I'm gonna go get my chores done real quick and hit-the-hay a bit early. The sign-spin-off was totally exhausting. Just a heads up for you guys." Kai said before walking back in. Jay watched him walk back inside, stifling a laugh when Kai bumped into a table and had to steady himself so he didn't fall over.

"Shut up!" Kai called over his shoulder, at which point Jay burst into laughter. In the background, Cole started laughing too.

Jay looked over at Zane, the situation suddenly awkward. After a moment, he snapped his fingers.

"Ha! I got it! The fire was just a set up!" He exclaimed.

"Oh, no, not this again, Jay!" This time Cole stuck his head through the door, giving Jay a very pointed glare.

"No, no, no, hear me out! I got it, I got it!"

"Here we go again..." Zane said quietly. Cole rested his forehead in his hand.

"No, really, guys! She's a robot, so she's basically like, a walking, talking computer, right? And it's common knowledge that Kai is the ninja of fire, and definitely the most competent of us, right?"

"Hey! I resent that!" Kai called from inside the shop. Cole rolled his eyes before glancing back at Jay, only half interested.

"Obviously, she would have known that Kai would take her sign-spinning as a challenge! She must have put some kind of a fire-resistant coating on our shop so that she could show off her skills and put the fire out!"

Four, not three, but four exasperated groans sounded, followed by multiple slaps of hands on faces.

"How about we call it a night? Yeah, Jay?" Cole laughed cautiously and grabbed onto Jay's arm, dragging him in the door as he continued theorizing.

"Wait! No, wait, wait, wait, I'm serious, Cole!"

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Heh, that one's short, but that's kinda the goal for most of these. I think it's good! Humorous and short, it works. You guys like it? Maybe? I hope so... Anyway, I'll have the next one up as soon as I can! See ya!

-LizzyLucky