Chapter 3: Snakebit

The Ninja are sleeping when a ringing wakes them up.


"Evil doesn't sleep and neither should you!" Wu shouts as he bangs a cymbal


All Ninja groan.


"In order to reach your full potential, we must greet each day as an opportunity" Wu said


Kai gets up "Okay okay, we're up. But if you want us to reach full potential, shouldn't we at least get a full night of rest?"


Cole stretches his back "You call that a rest? I think my back had more lumps than the mattress"


"We were up so late, talking about how cool it is to have a new headquarters, I guess we lost track of time. Since the Serpentine burned down our monastery, I'm just glad we have a roof over our head" Jay says as he starts to brush his teeth


Zane stood up "What is our lesson today, Sensei? Mastering the strike of the Scorpion? Or perhaps the grace of—"


"I think today's lesson would be chores" Wu said quickly


"Chores?!" the ninja shouted


"Ninja fight, Sensei. They do not clean" Cole argued


"In order to respect ourselves, we must respect our new home and where we are from. And this place is a long way from becoming a Ninja headquarters. I expect things to be spotless when I return. And put your backs into it" Wu bangs the cymbal again


By the time Master Wu and Nya return to the ship, it is looking much cleaner and tidier than before.


Suddenly, the Ninja receive a surprise visit from Jay's parents, Ed and Edna. Although the others quickly take a shine to the Blue Ninja's parents, Jay rapidly grows frustrated: Ed and Edna reveal several embarrassing facts about his past, gush over Nya as the perfect match for their son, and ask Jay to visit their junkyard sometime.


After several hours of this, Jay ushers his parents back to their junkyard, hastily promising to visit them soon. As the jalopy rolls down the road, Ed sadly tells Edna that their son is growing past the need for parents.


-


The next morning Jay is working on a button. Kai and Zane pass by.


"Sure got a lot of junk piling up. If only there was a place we could get rid of it..." Kai said


"If you don't mind, I'm trying to focus" Jay said annoyed


Cole then passes by pretending to be on the phone "Hi, mom and dad. Of course, I'd love to visit. What kind of son would I be if I didn't want to?"


Jay rolled his eyes "Heheheheh. I know what you're trying to do. Okay, look, I might have promised to visit my parents, but there's a lot of stuff on my plate"


Nya comes in "You gonna visit your parents, today?"


"Uh, sure am. Just about to leave" Jay replied


"Tell them I say hi" Nya said as she walked away


The other ninjas gave Jay a look


"What? So my plate's not that full" Jay said


Jay is outside getting Wisp, but he won't budge "Come on, Wisp. It'll be a quick visit. Just in and out, nothing more"


"Hm, it is as I suspected. The Dragons are molting. They're shedding their scales" Wu said


"What does that mean?" Jay questioned


"Every adolescent Dragon goes through a transformation before it becomes an adult. They migrate east to the Spirit Coves for their transformation" Wu explained


"Will we see them again?" Jay asked


"It is hard to say. But we need to allow them to follow their path" Wu replied


The other ninjas pet their dragons.


Jay walks over to Nya who's with Kai and Flame "Well, I guess I gotta go on this long walk all by myself. Sure be nice to have company..."


"Of course we'll go, buddy" Kai said


"I could use a break" Cole added


"All you had to do was ask" Zane smiled


Jay sighs in annoyance. Wu also tags along as the Dragons fly away. Wu plays the Sacred Flute while they walk. Jay stops walking after approaching the Junkyard.


"What is it?" Nya asked


"It's quiet. My family's never quiet" Jay runs and hears Ed and Edna's mumbled grunts in a locked fridge. He kicks it open.


"What happened? Who did this?" Jay rips the tape off Edna's mouth then rips the tape off Ed's mouth.


They have developed small fangs and forked tongues.


"The bite of the Fangpyre! Once they sink their teeth, their venom can turn anything into a serpent. It's only a matter of time before the full transformation is complete" Wu explained


A Fangpyre-infected wrecking ball appears, along with a horde of Fangpyre, Lloyd and his friend.


"...how did we even get to this point?" Lloyd's friend asks herself


"Lloyd!" Wu shouts


"Hello, uncle. Looks like we're not the only family reunion. I'm glad you brought the Ninja. I could use some help taking out the trash. Muahaha!" Lloyd evilly laughed stupidly


"Lloyd even your laugh is stupid" his friend comments "it needs to be evil but not over the top evil"


"We need the antivenom in the staff" Wu said


"To the dirt!" Cole shouts and everyone plunges to the ground as the wrecking ball attacks.


The Ninja engage the snakes in battle, dodging the attacks of the wrecking ball in the process. With Nya covering him, Master Wu uses the Sacred Flute against several Fangpyre, only for Lloyd to counter with loud music from a Serpentine boombox.


"Young nephew, must I teach you whose side you should be on?" Wu questioned


Lloyd turns the volume up "Sorry, uncle. Can't hear you!"


The Ninja pursue a trio of Fangpyre around a pile of junk. Unfortunately, this allows the snakes to bite a large ninja statue and transform it into a giant battle robot. Unable to compete with such a large foe, Jay commandeers the Fangpyre's wrecking ball, using it to bring down the robot.


"Retreat!" Lloyd shouts, his friend, him and Fantom escape on a Rattlecopter.


"He's getting away with the staff!" Nya shouts


Jay sighs "Right now would be a good time to have those Dragons"


"There is still a way. Part of reaching your own full potential is understanding your weapon's potential. Once it is in tune with a focused heart, its secrets and powers can be unlocked." Wu said


"Oh, this is not the time to be cryptic!" Jay shouted


"He's saying our weapons are vehicles themselves" Zane explained


"Jay concentrate on unlocking your Golden Weapon. Let your heart guide you. Imagine you're taking flight" Wu said


Jay successfully turned his Nunchucks into the Storm Fighter. Kai turned his into the Blade Cycle, Zane's into the Snowmobile, and Cole's into the Tread Assault. Everyone chases after Lloyd with Jay cheering.


"Does your flute turn into anything?" Nya asked


Wu looks at his flute "I wish"


-


The ninja return to the bounty with the staff, where Wu and Nya were. As Nya creates tea from the staff's anti-venom and cures Ed and Edna with it, Jay desperately tries to activate the "defense system" he installed into the ship. As the Fangpyre close in, Ed takes a look at the controls and repairs it, allowing Jay to activate the ship's new flight modifications.


With a roar of engines, the Destiny's Bounty soars out of the desert, leaving Lloyd coughing on the dust stirred up by its flight. Unfortunately, Nya accidentally drops the Fangpyre Staff out of the back of the ship, allowing Fangtom to retrieve it after it knocks out one of his soldiers.


"We'll get you back to the Junkyard just as soon as we see the coast is clear. But stay as long as you'd like. It's nice having you here" Jay said


"Oh, take a note Edna of all our inventions, this one is our greatest!" Ed said happily


"I already know, dear" Edna tosses the notepad away. The trio embraces each other

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