Nova learns, the hard way, to never mess with Lloyd and his comics.
What's this! Nova is making a move!?
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*The ninja dash around in the Monastery, packing up for their quest.*
"Has anyone seen my sunscreen?" Cole asked.
"No." said Kai.
"Where's my sword?" Lloyd asked.
"Here idiot, next time try and check the living room better." said Nova, giving him the sword, while she went on to just watch the chaos in front of her as she had already packed her stuff.
"Thanks Ocea." said Lloyd smiling.
"Are you bringing sneakers or boots?" Nya asked.
Zane runs past her. "Sneakers."
Kai passes her other side. "Boots." Nya sighs. Kai and Lloyd almost crash into each other and spin around. "Whoa!"
"Ahh!" Lloyd sees Kai holding his Starfarer comic. "Uh, hey, is that my Starfarer comic?"
"You lent it to me, remember?" said Kai.
"Like a year ago." said Lloyd.
"Ugh, take it." said Kai handing it over. Lloyd smiles and takes the comic. Only for it to be taken by Nova.
"Hey!"
"Sorry greenbean, but I'll be borrowing it, as I haven't read any comics for months. Since I came back from the Dark Island." Nova said with a giggle.
"You could have just asked." said Lloyd, raising an eyebrow.
"True, I could have, but then I wouldn't have gotten that funny reaction out of you." said Nova with a soft laugh, leaning against a wall and began reading the comic.
"Oh really now." said Lloyd with a growing smirk on his face, and began walking towards her.
"Yeah, you should have seen your face, it was so fu—" Nova looked up from the comic as she spoke, only to stop when she noticed him leaning over her. With both of his hands against the wall behind her, trapping her, and leaving no space to escape.
Lloyd had a smirk on his face, as he raised an eyebrow while looking down at her. "Come on now, what were you about to say?" He asked, leaning closer.
Nova felt herself growing shy, along with her face slowly turning red, as she tried covering her face with the comic. "I-I well.....that.....you see....it was ummm.....f-ful I-I mean...it be...no we....no what I-I m-m-mean was f-f-funny." She stuttered as she tried avoiding looking at him.
Lloyd let out a laugh watching her reaction, as it was rare for Nova to ever get all shy and flustered, but somehow he was always able to get her like this.
"Now see, that is a funny reaction." said Lloyd, taking back his comic from her.
".....That wasn't funny Lloyd." said Nova, still red in the face as she crossed her arms not looking at him.
Lloyd chuckled a little. "Well now you know how I felt." He said with a soft smile, before gently moving her face with his hand as to face him. "But that doesn't mean, I want you all upset with me while we are on this quest, Ocea." He leaned closer towards her and kissed her on the lips.
Nova's red face grew an even deeper red by the kiss, but she slowly returned it before they broke it. ".....Fine, I'm letting this slip this time.....jackass." She said, turning her head with a huff.
Lloyd just chuckles at her, still seeming a bit shy but was trying to act like she wasn't. "Seeing this rare side of you, is very cute. Maybe you should show it some more."
Nova didn't say anything to that comment, but she seemed a little more relaxed. "....Whatever, greenbean, now get back to your stupid packing." She said, giving a small smile.
For a moment, Lloyd thought he might have hit a nerve, or said something he shouldn't, but seeing the smile on her face made him think otherwise. "Oh yeah, you're right, better get back to that." He said before walking away to pack the rest of his stuff.
Nova watched him walk away before letting out a sigh. "Heh, that side of me...I thought that side died the day I lost my dad." She thought with a sad expression on her face, but shook her head not wanting to think about it.
Zane sees Cole with his guzzler hat. "You're not bringing that, are you?"
"My soda guzzler? You bet!" said Cole.
"I thought we were supposed to pack essential items." said Zane.
"This is essential! How am I supposed to quest and stay hydrated at the same time, Zane?" Cole slurps from his hat.
"Lazy ass bastard, Wu is so right about them being lazy.....mostly Cole, at the moment." Nova thought with a sigh.
Chicken clucks.
Jay takes his travel pillow from the Chicken. "Anyone have room for my travel pillow?"
"No!" shouted everyone as the Chicken sticks its head through the pillow, but Jay keeps it out.
Lloyd throws the luggage into the pile. Sighs. "That's the last of it!"
"...Why a pile, this is like throwing my used clothes into a corner of my room, or on a single chair waiting to be cleaned up." mumbled Nova thinking back to her old world.
Wu comes up to them, with Pixal behind. "What is the meaning of this?"
"We're off on our quest, remember? To hone our ninja skills." said Lloyd.
"How long are you going for?" Wu asked.
"I dunno. Day or two?" said Jay.
"Just like you always say: Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it." said Cole.
"He never said that." said Nova.
"I never said that." said Wu.
Jay sticks his head in Wu's face. "Ha! And you say we never listen!"
"I never said that either." said Wu.
"Master Wu, perhaps this is an opportunity to field test the new joint tactical vehicles." said Pixal.
"Oh! What new joint tac-wha?" said Kai.
*Pixal opens the shoji doors to the living room. The ninja watches as she produces three throwing stars and throws them at a target. The target lifts up, revealing a button. Pixal presses it and the TV. moves down to reveal a hidden door.*
"Wow!"
*Pixal scans her hand to start the elevator.*
"Did anyone know this was here?" Lloyd asked.
"No." said Cole.
"I did." said Nova, humming softly.
"Ugh. Nobody tells me anything." said Kai.
"We've been working on it for the past six months." said Pixal.
"I didn't even notice any construction!" said Jay.
Nova and Pixal stares at Jay disapprovingly. "You were playing video games."
"Eh?" A memory is shown with Pixal and Nova working while Jay is playing video games. "Huh."
"Whoa!"
"Wow! You should see that!" said Jay.
"Hohohoho!" said Cole and Kai.
Jay grabs Lloyd and shakes him. "We have a secret base!"
"Whoa!"
"No way!" said Cole.
"Wow!"
"I can't believe it!" said Zane.
"Whoa!"
Kai laughs. "Hahahaha!"
Lloyd turned to Nova, who was standing and watching while giggling at their reactions. "Is this one of the projects you've been working on?"
"It was Pixal's idea, and since I always make my own stuff, I thought that I could maybe help out, and give you guys a few of my builds with some help from Pixal." Nova explained, blushing a little with a shy smile, rubbing the back of her neck.
"Thanks Ocea, that was very thoughtful of you. That at least explains why we haven't spent much time together." said Lloyd, smiling.
"I-it's no problem." said Nova, still blushing. "So ummm Lloyd...after we are d-done with this quest I was wondering.....i-if...if you would...." She started growing a bit shy again as her face was turning more red.
Lloyd looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "If I would what?" He asked, wondering what she was gonna say to him that was making her go all shy.
Nova grew more shy than she had ever been, as she mumbled the words, but her voice was too low for Lloyd to hear it.
"Sorry, I didn't catch that, could you say it again a little louder?" Lloyd asked.
Nova, at this point, was red as a tomato and tried again. But ended up saying it too fast, along with stumbling with the words.
"Okay Ocea, try again, but a little more slow and not so nervous." said Lloyd while wondering why she was acting this way now. "Was I teasing her too much earlier with the comic?"
Nova bit her lip, taking a deep breath, before looking at him, still a little shy. "...If you would go on a date with me?"
Lloyd looked at her a little surprised, with a small blush, before a big smile grew on his face. "I would love going on a date with you, Ocea." He said, pulling her into a hug and kissing her cheek.
Nova smiled happy while having a red face from blushing. "I'm happy to hear that." She said, returning the hug and kiss.
Nya points to the Land Bounty. "What's that?"
Lloyd and Nova breaks out of the hug and turn their attention back to the others.
"It is a heavily armored, six-wheeled mobile command vehicle. I call it the Land Bounty." said Pixal.
"Dibs on the cycle!" said Cole.
"Hmmm..." said Jay.
"Wait six? but we are seven." said Lloyd looking over at Nova confused.
"I can stay in the shadows, that's the best way that I can take along. And I don't mind it, as I can easily move around each vehicle." said Nova, smiling.
"I got the red one!" said Kai.
"Aww." said Jay.
"Each vehicle is equipped with an operations manual. Please be sure to thoroughly read—" Pixal went on to explain until the ninja zoom out on their vehicles, with Nova hiding in the shadows.
"Yeeehaa!"
"Epic quest, here we come!" shouted Jay.
"Did they even bring the luggage?" Pixal questioned.
"Woohoohoo! This is awesome!" shouted Cole.
Kai drives his buggy over a rock and does a flip. "Last one down the mountain is a rotten egg! Hahaha!"
Nova smiled in the shadows, forgetting her com was on as she went on to sing the song of dragons rising through the ride.
*They compete each other and soon arrive at a desert, while at some point joined into Nova's song.*
Jay stretches. "Ah, yes. I miss this life. The open road, life on the go, adventure around every turn."
"Whatcha reading, Zane?" Nya asked.
"A travel book about the region we're entering. It is called the Desert of Doom. My data files are incomplete on this subject." said Zane.
"That name does not sound good." said Nova, coming out of Lloyd's shadow.
"Really? Why do they call it that?" Lloyd asked.
"According to ancient legend, local tribes once worshiped a giant thousand-year-old beetle, named Beohernie." Zane went on to explain as Cole slurps from his hat. "One day, for no apparent reason, Beohernie became displeased with their prayers, and destroyed their village."
Nova glared over at Cole. "I'm gonna turn his hat into dust if he keeps going with that."
"Really?" Lloyd asked.
"I have so many questions about that. I don't know where to start." said Nya.
"Well, it's clearly a typo. Beohernie isn't even a name. They obviously named it Bernie." said Jay while Zane and Lloyd looked at each other significantly.
"Hey, guys? Anyone else starting to get hungry? Because I see a cool, little oasis coming up." Cole zooms off to the oasis.
"Good idea. Let's break, everyone." said Lloyd.
Jay pops food in his mouth. "Oh, yeah." Lies down. "That hit the spot." The basket and cooler sink, slightly.
"Umm, guys." said Nova, noticing the cooler slowly sinking into the sand.
Zane examines the items, then goes back to reading. "Hmm. Listen to this. Another interesting anecdote. Travelers entering the Desert of Doom should be wary of encountering mirages."
"Uh, mirages?" Jay asked.
"An optical illusion. Often seen at sea or in the desert." said Zane.
"Guys." said Nova, trying to get their attention.
"Cool! I want to see a mirage." said Kai.
"Uh, is there another PB & J?" Cole asked.
"Check the cooler!" Nya drinks a soda.
"Guys!" said Nova a little louder.
Cole walks over to the cooler, only to see the basket and cooler disappear under the sand. "Whoa! Did you guys see that?"
"I saw it. Unless it was a mirage?" said Kai.
"Mirages do not eat coolers." said Zane as Beohernie rises out of the sand. "Oh, no!"
"It's..." said Nya.
"What? What is it?" Cole asked.
"It's Bernie!" shouted Jay.
"I've been trying to tell you idiots! Now run already!" shouted Nova, getting into the shadows.
The ninja throws their hoods on.
"Aww, why did we park so far away?" Jay asked.
*Lloyd, Jay, Nya, and Zane get into the Land Bounty. Zane jumps on the driver's chair.*
Kai jumps into his buggy. "Huh-unh." Drives back.
*Beohernie dives a bit in the sand and starts coming towards the ninja.*
Cole looks back at Beohernie, stumbles over a rock and falls. "Woah!"
"Cole!" shouted Jay.
"Oh-oh. My guzzler!" shouted Cole.
"Forget it! Run!" shouted Lloyd and Nova.
*Cole gets up and starts running.*
"Woah!" shouted Cole as the soda guzzler disappears into Beohernie's mouth.
"Don't look back, Cole! Trust me! Just run!" shouted Lloyd as Cole jumps on his motorcycle.
"Go! Go! Go!" shouted Nova from the shadows.
"Eh, where is it? Where did it go?" Jay asked while Kai stops the buggy and looks out. Beohernie appears behind the Land Bounty.
"It's... under us. Get us out of here, Zane!" said Lloyd.
"Hold on, everyone!" Zane starts up the engine.
"Give it more gas!" shouted Lloyd.
"The engine is at maximum acceleration." said Zane as Beohernie starts dragging the Land Bounty backwards.
"This is fucking why I don't make anything for you guys!" shouted Nova.
Lloyd wails. "Hooolddd onnn."
"To whaaat?" Jay asked.
"Eh. Uh, Cole. Kai! We need help!" shouted Nya.
"On my way!" Kai drives his buggy up a rock and pushes a lever for the shuriken slicer to cut a rock, landing on the other side of the beetle. Beohernie topples over. Pants. Beohernie leaps into the air back onto its feet. "Haha... Oh, I think he's angryyy..." Beohernie gets ready to charge at Kai.
"It's gonna charge. Get out of there!" shouted Lloyd as Kai pulls the lever to move backwards, with Beohernie pursuing him. "Hang on, Kai!"
"Man, this thing is fast!" shouted Kai.
"I'll try distracting it." Cole drives up to the beetle's side and bounces on top of it. "Woohoohoohoo! Haha! Haha!" Beohernie tosses him off. "Woah! Whaa-oh."
"What kind of weapons do we have? Didn't anyone read the manual?!" shouted Nya.
"Only idiots wouldn't read the manual!" shouted Nova.
"Uhh, I was gonna read it." said Jay.
"Okay, we are down to one less idiot here." said Nova.
"Nova, you read the manual! Why aren't you helping us!?" shouted Kai.
"I'm not fucking messing with the motherfucking bullshit of a timeline! Just because of a manual!" shouted Nova.
"Ugh, never mind." Nya opens the door and jumps on to the seat for the cannon. She hits the button to release the spring, latching on to Beohernie. "Ha-yah! Pull the brakes!" Beohernie is slightly pulled back.
"Ha! You got him!" cheered Jay.
"Nice shot!" shouted Lloyd only for Beohernie to start drag the Land Bounty.
Jay slides around. "Whoa!"
"I think he's... got... us." said Zane.
Engine starts beeping. "The engine's overheating!" shouted Lloyd.
"Again, this is fucking why! I'm never making anything for you guys!" shouted Nova.
"We have a problem!" shouted Nya.
"We have to slow down!" shouted Lloyd.
"I'm... trying." Zane pulls the brakes harder. Beohernie continues to drag them as the engine continues overheating.
Lloyd gets out and cuts the rope. "Yah!" Beohernie dives into the sand. Everyone stops and looks for Beohernie.
"What's he doing now?" Kai asked.
"What do we do?" Jay asked.
"We need to get off the sand." Lloyd points. "Zane, what is that?"
Zane examines what Lloyd is pointing out. "It is a cluster of rocks."
"If we can make it to those rocks, we might have a chance." said Lloyd.
Nya nods. It's worth a shot, if the engine holds out." Calls on her radio to Cole and Kai. "Guys, there's some rocks due north. Head for those, okay?" Cole signals her, letting her know. "On three. One, two, three!" Beohernie leaps out of the sand and chases them. "Here he comes!"
"Oh, he's chasing us!" shouted Jay.
"Punch it, Zane!" shouted Lloyd.
"Huh." The rocks disappear.
"What the—"
"It's a mirage!" said Zane.
"Now I've seen everything." Kai rubs his eyes. "Or nothing."
Nya points. "Over there!"
"Arc left!" The rocks disappear.
"Another mirage?" said Zane.
"Oh, man!" The ninja steers right, Beohernie runs straight through, then backtracks to chase the ninja down. Lloyd points to another set of rocks.
"Please be real, please be real, please be real!" Beohernie catches up to the Land Bounty and latches on to it. Jay screams and grabs his travel pillow. "Ahh!" Beohernie rips off apart from the Bounty. Kai and Cole gasp and look back. The Land Bounty wobbles.
"This have better work, though I've never tried it with big objects." mumbled Nova, as she focused her powers into having the shadows spreed out, and began covering everyone, even Beohernie somehow.
"What is happening!?" shouted Jay.
"I can't see anything!" said Kai even when trying to use his fire.
"I get the same cold feeling, like back with the Oni!" said Cole.
"Guys, I think Nova pulled us into the shadows." said Lloyd.
"I didn't know she could do that with other objects or even people." said Nya.
"But she must be using a lot of energy to keep this up." said Zane.
Nova let on a small growl in the shadows as she pushed Beohernie out of the shadows, and into the sand again. While letting the others out on the platform of the rock they had been heading to.
"Everyone okay?" Lloyd asked, looking around at everyone.
"Yeah." said Nya.
"Uh-huh." replied Jay.
Zane sighs. "Extremely."
"This is the worst quest ever!" shouted Jay.
Lloyd goes over to check the back of the Land Bounty, and hears a distant roar. He climbs up and sees three beetles circling their rock. The other ninja joins up with Lloyd. "This is not good. This is really, really not good."
"You don't say....so, greenie." said Nova, panting while laying on the Land Bounty exhausted with her hood off.
"Nova, are you okay?" Lloyd asked, going over to check on her.
"Peachy...just need to *pants* catch my breath *pants* I'm.....never gonna try that again.....with such.....big *pants* objects I'm just gonna stick to people." said Nova closing her eyes.
"Why did you even risk trying that?" Lloyd asked, sitting down beside her.
"Back with the Great Devourer attacking the Bounty...I didn't do anything to help, and I was scared....but this time watching you guys, doing your best to get away while I just stayed in the shadows only watching...I didn't want to sit and do nothing. Even though knowing it could mess a bit with the timeline.....I'm part of the team, and so I can't think about myself....like the old time greenie, I have your back, and you have my back." Nova explained, opening her eyes with a big grin on her face.