Onyx and the Rise of the Snakes

Antivenin

Onyx and Nya stayed hidden in the alleyway, watching the snakes slither through the village. Onyx gasped as one of them rattled his tail and glared into the eyes of a villager, the snake's eyes glowing a vibrant red. A moment passed, then the villager's eyes turned a light red, and he whipped around, turning against his neighbors. "They can hypnotize!" Nya exclaimed. "How is that possible?" Onyx asked. Nya shook her head. "I don't know," she answered.

Lloyd started laughing, overly hyper from all the sugar in his system. "Woo hoo! I'm never coming down from this sugar high!" He yelled, waving his arms around, pulling a red wagon full of candy behind him. Suddenly the male ninja dropped in front of him. "Sorry to bust your buzz, little Garmadon, but it's past your bedtime," Cole said.

"Get them!" Lloyd shouted to the Serpentine, a giggle that made no sense considering the statement escaping his chocolate-smeared mouth. The only Serpentine with a tail rather than legs shook his rattle. "Sssseize them!" He ordered, pointing his golden snake shaped staff at the visible ninja. Kai's jaw dropped visibly through his hood. "The Serpentine? They're... real?" He breathed.

"Yeah. Real and dangerous," Onyx said, slipping up beside him. She glared at Lloyd. "Really? I even gave you some candy! You were supposed to leave!" She shouted at him. Lloyd snickered and ignored her, waving his hand at the snakes. The Serpentine and the hypnotized villagers surrounded the ninja. "The Serpentine aren't the only thing we have to worry about. The whole village has been hypnotized," Cole said.

Jay whipped out his golden Nunchuks, but Zane grabbed his arm. "No, our weapons are too unstable. We would do more harm than good," He said. "I guess that leaves us with run!" Kai shouted, taking off. The five ducked into the alleyway Nya was in. "Nya, you're okay!" Jay cried. Onyx elbowed him, making a frantic shushing motion. "Barely; They've gotten everyone in town," Nya said.

"Mind control. How is that even possible?" Jay wondered aloud. "Maybe their eyes mess with the villagers' brains somehow?" Onyx suggested. "Interesting notion. Perhaps there's a way to undo it?" Zane murmured. "When they rattle their tails, don't look into their eyes. The antivenin is in the staff. Get that, and we can undo it without any extra planning," Nya said pointedly. "We can't use our weapons, and now we've got to fight with our eyes closed? Ha, perfect!" Jay said sarcastically.

Nya rolled her eyes. "The snake with the staff is the general. He gives the orders, so target him," she ordered. Kai nodded. "Look, everyone forget about the Green Ninja thing. Let's make Sensei proud. We're a team," he said. Cole grinned. "Now you're talking," he said. "Let's do this!" Onyx said. Jay turned to Nya. "Oh, and Nya, you can be our honorary member," he said. Nya gave him a withering look. "Gee, thanks," she said dryly. "I think that's a good thing," Onyx murmured to her. "Let's go!" Cole ordered.

The six ran at the Serpentine, launching into a full scale battle. Kai twirled into Spinjitzu, but wobbled and fell over. "Okay, we're really out of shape." Jay said. "I'm not! I've actually been training," Onyx refuted. "Yeah? Well good for you," Kai huffed.

Lloyd grabbed the wagon full of candy and ran, heading for the village entrance. Onyx leapt in front of him, blocking his path. "You're not getting away that easily. You still have to pay for that candy!" She cried. Zane jumped down next to her. "I agree. Sensei was right; do not put off until tomorrow what can be done today. We should've dealt with you the first time around," he said. Lloyd backed away nervously. "Retreat!" He shrieked. The Serpentine general passed the command around. "Retreat!" They began to back away from the ninja.

Before the General could escape, however, Cole stepped in front of him, kicking the staff from his hand, knocking him down and holding the sharp fangs over the fallen snake's heart. "Go ahead. Give me a reason," Cole said. The Serpentine swallowed hard. Then he smirked, revealing shimmering fangs. He looked into Cole's eyes. His tail rattled dangerously. "I control you..." He said seductively. Cole's eyes flashed red. "You... control..." Nya suddenly appeared, kicking the General in the jaw. He slithered away quickly. Cole's eyes returned to normal, and he turned to chase the remaining Serpentine from the village, forgetting that he held the antivenin.

"Cole, you have the staff!" Nya said. Cole started and looked at the golden rod. "By golly, you're right!" He said, surprised. "Put it in the fountain!" Onyx shouted, fending off the still-hypnotized villagers. Cole nodded and dashed to the fountain, shoving the staff into it. The blue antivenin laced the water, a soft turquoise fog spilling out over the sides. The moment the villagers breathed it in, their eyes returned to normal, and they shook their heads, confused at how they had gone from peacefully going about their everyday routine to standing in the square, crowding a couple of teenagers.

Onyx sighed in relief. "Well that's one problem taken care of," she said. Kai gave her a look. "What do you mean, one?" He asked. Onyx glanced at him. "We didn't stop them. And there are still more Serpentine tribes out there," she replied. Onyx frowned at where Lloyd and the Serpentine had escaped. "Before this is over, we're going to be seeing a lot of snakes," she murmured.