Enter The Ninjaverse

CHAPTER 11

"Just admit you stole everything, give it back, and this can all go home!" Cole's ghostly voice sounded across the grass.

REX and the Bounty were landed opposite one another, guns trained on the other's cockpits. Ronin, a Monty possessed security drone, Harumi, Lloyd and Lulloyd stood in front of REX, while the full ninja team, sans Sensei Wu, stood across from them. The area was a small cleaning amongst the various trees on the outskirts of the jungle that housed Hiroshi's labyrinth, with overgrown trees surrounding them with a thick underbrush. The Bounty had crushed down a number of smaller trees when it landed. REX remained hovering just slightly above the ground, with a ladder extended down. Given the state that the Bounty had been in earlier, it was a miracle they had somehow gotten it flying so quickly.

"Wait, isn't that drone one of ours?" Jay whispered hastily to Morro.

"It's possessed, genius," Monty replied using the robot's voice, "You should know that by now. You have a ghost on your side for crying out loud!"

"Return the drones and the artifacts you stole from us," Zane spoke calmly, "Or else we will be required to take them by force."

"Fellas," Ronin shook his head, "Didn't we just get through one gigantic life-altering adventure together? You know, with Soul Archer and that? Come on, Morro, you should remember that most of all!"

Morro was completely silent. The only sign he heard what Ronin said was his eyes moving to look at Ronin as he talked. When he didn't say anything, Monty let out a sigh and raised his rifle at Morro, the energy charge commencing.

"Why are you guys on his side?" Nya asked pointedly to Lloyd, "Were you just Ronin's agents all along?"

"What? No!" Lloyd shouted indignantly, "We went to Ronin to buy some things and... apparently he didn't tell us the job description he hired us for until it was too late."

"That's just how we roll," Monty aimed down his sights at Morro. Morro slowly raised his hands, charging a green energy shield he sent in front of him. Monty scoffed as he mirrored the action by charging up the jets in the drone's feet.

"Wait!" Harumi shouted, "Do we have to fight? Do you even know what Ronin stole?"

Ronin gave Harumi a harsh groan, but Kai answered, "No?"

"It was only the Serpentine Staffs," Harumi lied, "Really! Nothing of value! The Serpentine tribes are... uhm, Underground now, right? They don't have any need for them anymore. Why can't we just go ahead and let that all go?"

A small bit of silence descended over the two tense groups. Harumi prayed for a moment that perhaps there would be some peaceful resolution to this. There seemed to be a calm still over the potential battlefield as the ninja took what Harumi said to mind.

Then Morro spoke up, shattering hopes for that: "That does not change the fact that he stole from us," Morro stated dryly, "Return what you have stolen, or we will be forced to attack."

Ronin responded to this by drawing two blue pistols from his armor, the barrels extending outwards until they were small hand cannons. In response, the ninja each drew their weapons fully, holding them out towards the group menacingly. Morro, not holding a sword, dropped his shield and instead concentrated energy into his fists, drawing them backwards ready to fire directly at Monty, who adjusted his rifle. Lulloyd, Lloyd and Harumi instinctively drew their hood over their faces.

"I...I think we're going to have the fight..." Lulloyd sighed, "This, feels kinda weird..."

"Don't hurt them!" Lloyd stated firmly, "Just immobilize them if you have to! We can't risk interfering with this world because of this!"