Chapter Seven | Snakebit

                                    

                                          

*I  DO NOT OWN THE NINJAGO UNIVERSE AND ITS PAST, PRESENT AND EMERGING CHARACTERS. AND THE PLOT OF THE SHOW.  I ONLY OWN MY CURRENT CHARACTER | SAMUEL JASON HOLLAND. *

The first rays of dawn cast a soft glow over the sleeping quarters aboard Destiny's Bounty. The room had six neatly arranged bunk beds. Cole and Jay shared a bunk, with Jay on the top and Cole on the bottom. Sam's bunk was nearby, with the top bunk empty above him. Kai and Zane had beds just behind Sam's, with Zane on the upper bunk and Kai on the lower.
The peaceful quiet was abruptly shattered by a sudden, resounding bang throughout the room, followed by the unmistakable sound of a gong being stuck with purpose. 
"Evil doesn't sleep, and neither should you!" announced Wu, his voice carrying urgency and determination as he stood before them, the gong in hand. 
The ninjas and Sam groan collectively, their slumber interrupted by Wu's early-morning summons. Sam, still half-buried under his blanket, grumbled in protest. "Dammit Wu, I'm retired," Sam muttered, his voice muffled by the fabric as he shielded his eyes from the invading light. 
Wu approached Sam's bunk, his gaze unwavering. "To reach your full potential, we must greet each day as an opportunity," he remarked sagely, his tone gentle yet firm. 
Sam peeked out from under the covers, meeting Wu's earnest gaze with a hint of reluctance. "Easier said than done," he retorted lightly, his voice tinged with sleepiness and playful defiance. 
Kai sensing the need to diffuse the tension and rouse the group, swung his legs over the edge of the bunk and sat up. "Okay, okay, we're up," he conceded with a yawn, rubbing his eyes to shake off the remnants of sleep. "But if you want us to reach our full potential, shouldn't we at least get a full night's rest?"
Cole stretched his arms and arched his back to work out the kinks of an uncomfortable night's sleep, chimed in with a good-natured complaint. "Yeah, my back feels like it's got more lumps than the mattress," he remarked wryly, eliciting a chuckle from Jay. 

Jay, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes, yawned and said, "We were up so late, talking about how cool it is to have a new headquarters. I guess we lost track of time" 
From his bunk, Sam groaned and, with a half-hearted effort, chucked his remaining pillow at Jay's head. "Not all of us, Jaybird," he muttered, his voice muffled by the blankets he had pulled over his head. 
Jay retaliated instantly, smacking Sam with the pillow. Sam tried to get Jay again but ended up hitting Cole instead. 
"Oi!" Cole exclaimed, caught off guard as he rubbed his head where the pillow had landed. Without missing a beat, he jumped into Sam's bunk, and the two began roughhousing in a playful scuffle. 
Jay was now brushing his teeth with dirt. Jay was still speaking between pauses to spit out dirt that had somehow replaced his toothpaste. "Ever since the Serpentine burned down our monastery, I'm just glad we have a roof over our heads." 
Zane, ever the diligent, addressed Wu with curiosity. "What is our lesson today, Sensei? Mastering the Scorpion? Or perhaps the grace of–" His words were cut short as the ground beneath him shifted, a plume of sand and dust caused Zane to start coughing. 
Cole and Sam were locked in their playful roughhousing, with Kai joining in to help Cole against Sam. They were mostly tickling Sam, who was laughing breathlessly, trying to fend them off. 
Wu cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the ninjas. "I think today's lesson would be chores."
The mention of chores instantly sobered the atmosphere. Cole and Kai ceased their tickling assault on Sam, who lay breathless and laughing on his bunk. However, they remained on either side of him, unwilling to let go of the moment.