Pythor scowled. But, suddenly, the toothpick in his hand began to glow.
“Adjusting thermodynamic range for opti-mal conditions,” it announced from a microscopic speaker. “Heating in three, two, one …”
Pythor yelped as the toothpick glowed red-hot! It let out a heat blast that melted Zane’s ice!
Everyone blinked.
“It can do that?” asked Cole.
“Apparently,” said Zane.
Pythor’s scowl turned to a triumphant sneer. “Nifty little gadget. If you’ll excuse me, I have a crowd to share this with.”
“No!” cried the ninja as Pythor zipped up and out of the manhole into the streets above.
“Come on, guys!” yelled Lloyd. “We can’t let him reach the fans!”
One by one, the ninja leaped out of the manhole and into the streets of Ninjago City. The crowd outside the BorgStore had grown even larger during the time they’d been underground.
“Where did Pythor go?” Kai asked, scanning the crowd.
“There!” Jay pointed to the snake, who was scaling a lamppost. “Come on!”
As the ninja scrambled to catch up, Pythor reached the top of the lamppost and yelled as loudly as he could. “Citizens of Ninjago City! I have here in my possession a sneak peek of the BorgWatch!”
“Who is that guy?” a woman asked.
Her companion rolled his eyes. “Just another loony looking for attention. The city is swimming with ’em these days. Just last night, I saw some crackpot dressed like a stone warrior outside the museum. I’m tellin’ ya, they’re comin’ out of the woodwork.”
The woman shook her head. “A shame what this city is coming to.”
But Pythor wasn’t deterred. “If you’ll please all just listen to me for one moment, you’ll see that I have the exact thing you’re waiting for — a piece of the BorgWatch itself.”
“Yeah right, buddy,” called a man in a ball cap. “And I’m the Golden Master.”
People in the crowd laughed.
“It isn’t working,” Jay whispered to his friends. “They don’t believe him.”
But a glint came to Pythor’s eye. “Who here reads the BorgWatch Watch Blog?” he asked loudly.
Almost every hand in the audience went up.
“Then I’m sure you’ve all read the rumors of the BorgWatch Thermodynamic Temperature Gauge,” said Pythor. “Well, allow me, Pythor P. Chumsworth, to present you with proof that the rumors are true, and I do indeed have the very first sneak peek of that revolutionary BorgWatch component. Observe!”
Pythor held the metal toothpick up to his forehead.
“Internal body temperature within optimal levels,” the toothpick said loudly through its microscopic speaker.
That got people’s attention.
“The BorgWatch Watch Blog did say the temperature gauge would be incredibly small,” a man in a suit commented to his friend. “As small as a toothpick.”
“I saw in Tech Times magazine that Borg was tinkering with microscopic speakers,” another fan said. He was dressed up like Cyrus Borg, wheelchair and all.
“If that toothpick is part of the BorgWatch, then how did you get hold of it?” someone called.
Pythor’s eyes flashed. “Let’s just say I have my sources.”
Members of the crowd began to murmur.
“If it’s real, let us see it!” a woman with a small dog yelled.
“Arf, arf!” barked her dog.
“Uh-oh,” Kai whispered to his friends. “This is turning on us. We’ve got to do something.”
“But what?” asked Cole. “We can’t stop thousands of BorgWatch groupies. Not as long as they believe him.”
A determined look crossed Lloyd’s face. “Then let’s give them a reason to doubt,” he said. “Come on! Zane, I’m going to need your help.”
Meanwhile, Pythor was busy soaking in the attention of the fans.
“Now, now, not all at once,” he said as the people drew closer. “Folks with cameras are allowed to take selfies with me first. Perhaps someone with a BorgPad might be so kind as to allow me to demonstrate the sheer power of this BorgWatch temperature gauge.”
But just then, everyone’s attention was diverted to a loud voice from another lamppost.
“Check it out!” Lloyd bellowed. “A sneak peek of the first BorgWatch component leaked to the public — the BorgWatch Thermodynamic Temperature Gauge!”
Lloyd held up a small microchip for everyone to see. Then he winked at Zane, who was standing below. Using his own speaker system, Zane projected a loud message.
“Internal body temperature within optimal levels,” Zane’s speaker said.
“Hey, I thought the guy in the snake costume had the BorgWatch Thermodynamic Temperature Gauge,” a woman called.
“Yeah, what’s going on?” asked the business suit guy.
Pythor waved his hands wildly. “Never mind them! They are simply copycats. Mine is the real thing!”
Suddenly, Nya was atop another lamppost. “Hey, Borg fanatics, get a load of this!” she cried. “The first ever sneak peek of the new BorgWatch InstaMusic Party Starter! Check it out!”
Nya held up a plain metal ring. Again, Zane used his speakers to make it sound like the ring was playing funky party music loud enough for the whole crowd to hear.
Now people were extremely confused.
“Why are all these people saying they have pieces of the BorgWatch?” a guy asked.
“You haven’t heard?” Kai replied innocently. “Some con artist over on Main Street is selling fake BorgWatch pieces and telling people they’re real. And these bozos think they can get their fifteen minutes of fame by showing them off. Unbelievable. I even heard that that girl with the ‘party speaker’ didn’t even know what a Cyrus PDA was until this morning.”
Pythor looked around in alarm as the crowd began to turn on him and the ninja.
“No, no, mine is real!” Pythor screamed. “It’s the others who are lying to you!”
But the fans had made up their minds. They roughly shoved Pythor, Lloyd, and Nya out of the crowd.
“Don’t waste our time with fake leaks,” the man in the ball cap said.
“Yeah — Fluffy here doesn’t take kindly to misinformation!” the woman with the dog snapped.
“Grrrrrrrrrrrr!” Fluffy growled.
In all the commotion, it was tough to see who ended up where. But after a few moments, Nya, Zane, and Lloyd came tumbling out of the crowd.
Kai, Cole, and Jay ran up to them.
“Guys, that was awesome!” cried Cole. “Now people will never buy Pythor’s story.”
“Indeed,” said Zane. “The chances of his success are now extremely small, barring unforeseen conditions.”
“Good job, team,” said Lloyd. “Now, all that’s left is to get the temperature gauge and head to Dr. Saunders …”
The ninja all suddenly looked around.
“Oh, no!” moaned Nya. “Where did that snake slither off to this time?”
In the excitement, the ninja had lost track of Pythor. He had escaped again!
Back on board the Destiny’s Bounty, the ninja paced back and forth along the bridge. Jay flipped through television channels, pulling up the afternoon programs.
“There’s got to be a way to track that snake down,” said Kai angrily.
“Without information on his next plan, we have no way of calculating where he will go,” said Zane.
“Tell me again what he has that’s so important?” Misako asked the ninja. She and Master Wu had joined them on the bridge.
“Pythor has the BorgWatch Thermodynamic Temperature Gauge,” said Zane.
Nya sighed. “It’s a toothpick. It’s literally a metal toothpick.”
“That we all signed contracts to protect,” groaned Cole.
“I believe you mean nondisclosure agreements,” Zane observed.
Lloyd shook his head. “Now’s not the time, buddy. And it’s not about the contracts, anyway.
It’s about keeping our promise.”
“You’re forgetting something, Lloyd,” Kai said. “It’s also about not letting that sneaky snake get the better of us!”
Meanwhile, the television blared in the background. “This just in, the BorgWatch crowd grows ever larger,” a reporter was saying. “Campers are being asked to please bring their own restroom facilities, as it looks like the campout may last well into the week.”
“Jay, could you turn that down?” asked Kai, annoyed.
Jay didn’t answer. He was completely focused on the screen, flipping from news channel to news channel.
Kai sighed and looked to the others. “Maybe the problem will resolve itself. Once the BorgWatch is unveiled, no one will care about Pythor’s stupid thermo-gizmo.”
“But we don’t know if the watch is even being revealed this week,” said Nya. “That gives Pythor a lot of time to shop around.”
“Well, there’s got to be a way to track him —” Cole started. But he was interrupted by an annoying jingle promoting Gayle Gossip’s evening talk show.
“For the gossip that’s the juiciest you’ll ever find, watch the Gayle Gossip show, every weekday night at nine!”
“Jay, seriously, SHUT IT OFF!” yelled Cole.
But Jay jumped to his feet. “There!” he cried. “Got him!”
Sure enough, Gayle Gossip came on the screen. And beside her was Pythor!
“Join me for what may be the biggest gossip we’ve ever spilled,” Gayle Gossip gushed. “For the first time ever, we have exclusively obtained a sneak peek of … the BorgWatch! Coming up on my show tonight at nine.”
The ninja gasped.
“Jay, you’re a genius!” cried Nya. “How’d you know to search for Pythor on the news?”
Jay grinned. “When you’re as big a Borg gadget fan as I am, you know where the rumor leaks are going to be.”
“Come on!” said Lloyd. “We’ve got to get down to the studio and steal back that temperature gauge before the show goes live!”
Six shadows crept along the back alleyway of Gayle Gossip’s studio building. A security guard passed by, and one by one the shadows disappeared behind a pile of crates.
“There it is,” Kai whispered, lowering his mask. “The backstage doors.”
The ninja eyed the security guard as he stood watch over the entrance.
“We need to get in there unseen,” said Jay. “Shouldn’t be too hard for six trained ninja.”
Suddenly, Cole’s cell phone buzzed loudly. Cole scrambled to silence it.
“Cole, could you please shut that off?” Kai snapped.
“It’s not my fault!” Cole complained. “I keep getting automated calls from Borg’s legal team asking about the temperature gauge leak. Listen!”
Cole played the message quietly for his friends to hear.
“This is an automated message from Cyrus Borg’s Legal Advantage team. Please be advised that you have signed a binding nondisclosure agreement pertaining to sensitive Borg Industries materials. Recent reports indicate a potential breach in agreement. Any breach will result in fines, penalties, and jail time. Press ‘one’ to confirm receipt of this message. Press ‘two’ if you are actively ignoring our attempts to contact you.”
“See?!” Cole hissed. “They’ve left me seven messages already!”
“Well, turn it off, then,” said Lloyd. “Let’s take care of this once and for all.”
The ninja nodded and raised their hoods. “Ninja-GO!” they whispered.
The friends slipped up alongside the building. Just then, the security guard’s walkie-talkie buzzed.
“You there, Dan?” a voice came through. “Think I forgot my socks at home again. Can I borrow your backup pair?”
Jay quietly zapped a tiny jolt of electricity at the walkie-talkie.
Dan the security guard went to respond. “Yeah, sure, they’re in my locker, over.”
But the walkie-talkie buzzed with static. “Yo — ere —an?” the speaker garbled. “Really — eed —ocks.”
Dan sighed. “All right. I’m on my way.”
The ninja watched as Dan headed though the double doors to backstage. Quickly, Kai used a small burst of fire to melt the door’s lock before it closed. The six ninja slipped into the studio unseen.
Inside, television crew members were hurrying this way and that preparing for the evening’s show. Beyond the stage curtains, the ninja could see the studio audience already seated, eagerly awaiting the BorgWatch “sneak peek.”
“Now, you’re sure what you’re telling me is legit?” The voice belonged to Gayle Gossip. The ninja watched her walk by with Pythor.
“Trust me,” Pythor said smoothly. “I proved it to your producers myself. The Borg Industries seal. Its capabilities are obvious once it’s plugged into a BorgPad. It’s all there. There’s no denying the BorgWatch Thermodynamic Temperature Gauge is authentic.”
Gayle nodded. “Normally I check these things out myself, but there’s no time. Not with the unveiling happening any day now. And Fred Finley is absolutely killing me in the ratings. We need this promotional boost if we’re going to stay in the game.”
Pythor smiled charmingly. “Not to worry. Tonight’s reveal will put me — I mean, you — back in the spotlight.”
Just then, an assistant rushed up to apply fresh powder to Gayle’s face.
“Tell the team I want the Thermodynamic Temperature Gauge on my desk in five,” Gayle instructed her.
“Right!” chirped the assistant. “I’ll have them bring it from the safe.”
The six ninja watched Gayle’s assistant scamper off.
“That’s our cue,” said Lloyd. “It’s showtime!”
The ninja followed Gayle’s assistant down the hall.
“Quick, put these on!” Nya whispered, snatching several stagehand uniforms from a rack.
Dressed like the crew, the ninja had no problem blending in. In fact, no one seemed to notice them at all. Everyone was too busy getting ready for the show.
Outside the storage room, Gayle’s assistant spoke to a prop guard. “Gayle wants the thermo-thingo,” she said. “I need it from the safe.”
The guard nodded and went back into the storage room.
In a flash, Nya zipped up alongside the assistant.
“There you are!” she said in a haughty voice. “We’ve been looking everywhere. Gayle needs you — NOW!”
The assistant looked flustered.
“But … but I just saw her. She told me to go get the —”
“Do you really think that’s what she wants you to get right now?” Nya huffed. “That’s the prop guy’s job. Your job is to make sure she has what she needs.”
“But I — I …” the assistant stammered.
“Go, go, GO!” Nya shouted, propelling her down the hallway.
Confused, the assistant hurried off.
Just then, the prop guard returned, holding a small box.
“Where’d Gayle’s assistant go?” he asked. “She needed this.”
“There was an emergency,” said Nya. “She asked us to take it for her.”
Without waiting for a reply, Nya snagged the box from the guard. “Thanks!” she said brightly. Then she joined the others around the corner.
“That was awesome!” Jay said proudly.
Nya winked and carefully opened the box. The Thermodynamic Temperature Gauge was inside!
“I don’t believe it,” Kai whispered. “That was … easy!”
Lloyd took the temperature gauge from the box and examined it quickly. “Let’s just be glad it was that easy and get out of here,” he said. “Before —”
“YOU!!!”
The ninja whipped around to find an enraged Pythor staring them down.
“I knew I couldn’t trust you to stay away!” Pythor hissed angrily. “Never send an assistant to do a snake’s job!”
“Yeah, well this time, the show’s over,” said Lloyd, snapping the box shut.
“Indeed,
” hissed Pythor. “It’s curtains for you!”
Pythor lashed out with his staff and whacked the box from Lloyd’s hands. But this time, Jay was ready. He used a well-aimed jolt of electricity to zap the box back toward him. Jay grabbed it!
“Let’s Spinjitzu out of here!” exclaimed Kai.
“Negative,” said Zane. “There are too many bystanders. Someone could get hurt.”
“Plus, they’ll know it’s us and we’ll get arrested for stealing back the stupid thing we’ll get arrested for losing in the first place,” exclaimed Cole.
“Then it looks like we’re escaping the old-fashioned way,” said Lloyd. “Run!”
The ninja turned and hightailed it down the hallway. Pythor slithered after them. They sped past startled assistants, sending refreshment trays flying.
“Excuse us! Coming through!” Cole yelled. “Pardon us. Sorry ’bout that. Ooh — a donut!”
That gave him an idea. “We may not be able to use Spinjitzu, but we can have a … FOOD FIGHT!”
Cole nabbed a plate of fruit and chucked it back behind them. Apples, peaches, and bananas went flying.
Pythor was moving too quickly to avoid it — he slipped on the banana peels and went sailing through the air.
“Good thinking, Cole!” said Lloyd. “We’re almost — whoa!!”
At that moment, an oversized prop gurney crossed the hall right in front of the ninja. They careened headlong into it! Heavy props scattered everywhere.
“Ugh!” groaned Jay, pushing a planter box off his legs. He shook his head and held up the temperature gauge box. It was undamaged. “That was close,” he said. “Is everyone okay?”
“Heh, heh, heh.” came a voice from behind the ninja.
They turned to discover Pythor holding the rope to a heavy bunch of sandbags hanging from the ceiling. He had them poised to fall right on top of Zane, who was pinned under a heavy prop!
“Hand over the goods,” Pythor sneered. “Or the Titanium Ninja goes crunch.”
“Lloyd, quick!” yelled Jay. “Use your power to stop the sandbags!”
Lloyd shook his head. “I can’t. It’s not safe. We have no choice. Give him the temperature gauge.”
“What are you talking about?” cried Jay. “Desperate times call for — just use your power!”
Pythor's Revenge Page 3
