Pythor's Revenge Read online

  “And by ‘we,’ he means Dareth,” said Nya.

  “Ah, I see,” said Borg. He tapped his fingers together pensively. “My, my, that is a coincidence. The BorgWatch is one thing, but surely this would be permitted? Should I … do I dare … ? Oh, my, I just can’t resist! I know after all I just said, I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I believe I have exactly what you are looking for.”

  “Really?” Lloyd asked hopefully.

  “Yes,” said Dr. Borg. “A precise temperature gauge just happens to be one of the many revolutionary components of the BorgWatch.”

  “The BorgWatch has a temperature gauge?!” Jay squealed. “Awesome!”

  “Why would a watch need that?” Nya asked, confused.

  “To regulate optimal body temperature!” cried the doctor. “It’s another example of how this device will change the way we live. Now, I can’t show you the watch itself. But I can help you with your temperature problem.”

  Borg wheeled behind a locked case completely shrouded in velvet. He ducked behind it and began punching in a code. Every so often, he’d peek up to make sure no one was watching. When he was done, he closed the case door and wheeled back out.

  “Behold, ninja, the revolution of modern-day living,” he declared.

  The ninja caught their breath as the doctor held up what looked like …

  … a metal toothpick.

  “Is … is that …” said Jay. “Uh, what is that?”

  “The BorgWatch Thermodynamic Temperature Gauge, of course!” cried Borg. “Able to monitor and advise precise temperature conditions for optimal performance.”

  “Huh,” said Jay, looking at it closely. “Does it also promote dental hygiene?”

  “No, no.” Borg laughed. “That would just be silly.” Then his face grew serious. “Now, I am bending the rules by giving this to you ahead of time. I do have you to thank for the continued existence of Borg Industries. And, well, let it never be said that Cyrus Borg doesn’t understand the social convention of a ‘return favor.’ ”

  The doctor clapped his hands, and a half dozen assistants appeared behind him, all carrying paperwork.

  “So, if you six will please just sign these nondisclosure agreements guaranteeing you won’t reveal anything to the general public about the BorgWatch Thermodynamic Temperature Gauge ahead of the unveiling, we’ll be all set.”

  “You need us to sign contracts?” Lloyd asked, flipping through the sixty-page document.

  “No, no,” Borg assured them. “Just a few short nondisclosure agreements.”

  “All for a toothpick?” asked Jay.

  Cyrus Borg adjusted his glasses. “Well, it’s a pretty life-changing ‘toothpick.’ ”

  I still don’t get why we had to sign all those papers,” Kai complained as they headed back to the museum. He held the BorgWatch Thermodynamic Temperature Gauge up toward the sky, allowing the sun to glint off of it. “I mean, it’s not like anyone would even know what this was if they saw it.”

  Just then, Kai stumbled on a crack in the sidewalk. The temperature gauge flew from his fingers.

  “Hey, careful with that!” cried Jay, catching it. “I’m pretty sure I just signed away my family inheritance to protect this thing. Plus, it’s cool.”

  “But what does it do?” Kai asked.

  “The BorgWatch Thermodynamic Temperature Gauge is actually extraordinarily advanced,” said Zane, scanning the metal toothpick. “It is currently calculating all our internal body temperatures and determining adjustments needed for optimal performance.”

  “Seriously?” asked Kai. “What’s it say about me?”

  Zane processed the readings. “It says you are too hot.”

  “That sounds about right.” Nya giggled.

  “Whatever.” Kai slicked back his hair. “I don’t need a fancy BorgWatch thermo-gizmo to tell me I’m on fi-ya. Come on, let’s get this over to Dr. Saunders so we can take the rest of the day off —”

  Suddenly, his path was blocked by a cloaked figure.

  “Ninjaaaaaa …” the figure hissed.

  “Uh, guys,” said Jay. “Did any of you order a super-creepy escort to walk us back to the museum?”

  “Who are you?” demanded Lloyd.

  The figure laughed. “Please, Lloyd, don’t say you’ve already forgotten me.”

  The figure lowered his hood to reveal … Pythor!

  “Pythor?!” the ninja all cried together.

  “You want to fight us again?” asked Lloyd. Pythor was the only true surviving Anacondrai, and a longtime enemy of the ninja. They had already defeated him on at least three occasions.

  “Like father, like son,” hissed Pythor. “Don’t you ever learn, boy? A true enemy grows from his mistakes and changes his tactics. No, I don’t have any intention of fighting you.”

  “Then what is your intention?” asked Zane.

  Pythor smiled an impossibly large, toothy smile. “I simply want the recognition that is mine. That I deserve.”

  “By taking over the world?” Lloyd challenged. “We’re not going to let you do that.”

  “But that’s what I’ve learned,” said Pythor. “I don’t need to take over the world in order to command its attention.”

  Pythor lashed out with his staff at an unsuspecting Jay. Startled, Jay stumbled back, dropping the BorgWatch temperature gauge.

  Pythor whipped his long snake tail out to catch the device before it hit the pavement. “Why battle for recognition when I can simply steal it?” he said triumphantly.

  “Hey!” yelled Jay. “Give that back! We promised Cyrus Borg we wouldn’t let anyone see that!”

  Pythor laughed. “Well, that’s the icing on the cake. Of course, when I overheard your discussion outside the museum, I was hoping for an actual BorgWatch. But I suppose this little gem of technology will have to do. Soon, I will have the whole world’s attention — as the snake who revealed the first BorgWatch secret to the masses! And then I will have influence throughout the realms …”

  “Pythor, I do not believe you have thought this through,” said Zane matter-of-factly. “If your intention is to gain fame from the temperature gauge, there is a 97.8 percent chance of failure based upon my mathematical calculations.”

  “What he means,” said Kai, “is that no one cares about a metal toothpick.”

  Pythor sneered. “Then you won’t try and stop me.”

  Quickly, the Anacondrai slithered into a side alley and out of sight.

  “Guys, we have to stop him!” exclaimed Jay.

  “Is it really that big a deal?” asked Cole. “I mean, sure, we can’t fix Dr. Saunders’s thermostat now. But what harm can Pythor do with that ?”

  “We made a promise to Cyrus Borg,” said Lloyd. “We can’t let him down.”

  “Lloyd’s right,” said Nya.

  Zane nodded solemnly. “Yes, we must keep our promise. And there is something else, too. If that temperature gauge is revealed to the public before the unveiling, we could face fines, punishment, and even jail time.”

  “You’re telling me we could go to jail if a metal toothpick got revealed to the public?!” Cole exclaimed.

  Zane nodded. “Yes.”

  The ninja all looked at one another.

  “We have to stop him!” they cried at the same time. “Ninja-GO!”

  The ninja raced after Pythor. But the sneaky snake had a good head start. Pythor slithered down a narrow alleyway and around a corner.

  “He may have the advantage in tight spaces,” said Kai. “But he can’t do this. Ninja-GO!”

  In a red whirlwind, Kai used Airjitzu to fly up and over the buildings lining the alleyway. He landed on the other side—right in front of Pythor!

  “Sorry to burst your bubble,” Kai said to Pythor. “But your fifteen minutes of fame are already up.”

  “That’s what you think.” Pythor sneered. He lashed out with his tail, knocking over a nearby stack of water barrels. The tower teetered … and fell straight toward Kai!<
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  “Kai — look out!” cried Nya. Fortunately for Kai, his friends had followed him.

  Using her elemental power, Nya made the water inside the barrels surge, shattering the barrels before they could crush Kai. Instead of being smashed, Kai just got drenched in a wave of water.

  “Thanks, sis,” said Kai. “But next time, maybe wave the water away from me instead of over me.”

  Nya shrugged. “Zane said you needed to cool down.”

  “Enough chitchat,” Lloyd interrupted. “Where did Pythor go?”

  The ninja looked around. Pythor had vanished!

  “How did he sneak away without us seeing?” Cole asked in disbelief.

  “Look — there!” cried Jay. He pointed to a barrel, still intact, rolling away. The ninja caught just a glimpse of Pythor’s tail poking out through the lid before it rolled around another corner.

  “That snake’s not getting away so easily,” Cole said. “Come on!”

  The ninja used Airjitzu to spin up and over the building again. But this time, when they landed, they had a new problem.

  “Whoa — hey, watch it!” Jay cried as several people shoved him away from the spot where he’d landed.

  “No cutting!” the people yelled back.

  “If you’re here for the BorgWatch, you have to get in line like everyone else,” a woman yelled at them.

  The ninja looked at one another, worried. They’d landed right in the middle of the BorgWatch fans!

  That meant Pythor had the secret BorgWatch Thermodynamic Temperature Gauge in his possession — and he was smack in the heart of the crowd that would want to see it most.

  Pythor chuckled as his barrel rolled to a stop among the crowd of eager BorgWatch fans.

  “That was too easy,” he said to himself. “Why have I been fighting the ninja all this time when all I needed to do was steal the spotlight from some hotshot tech guru with low-grade security standards?”

  Pythor slipped out of the crowd and looked back. There was a sea of people between him and the Borg Store — all waiting anxiously on the chance Cyrus Borg might unveil the watch today.

  “I could just show them my treasure now and claim my rightful recognition,” Pythor mused. He paused. “But I am an Anacondrai. And a snake is true to his own kind. The first ones I will reveal this technological delight to will be my own brethren — the Serpentine!”

  Pythor laughed and flipped up a manhole cover. He slithered down into the tunnels beneath Ninjago City, where the Serpentine lived.

  Pythor disappeared just as the ninja came rushing out of the crowd.

  “Dareth!” Kai exclaimed, spotting the Brown Ninja nearby in the line. “Have you seen Pythor?”

  “Pythor?” Dareth asked. “Sorry, little ninja, but this Borg Industries fan has eyes for only one thing right now — the BorgWatch reveal.”

  “I heard it can walk your dog using a remote-controlled leash,” said a nearby fan sitting in a foldout chair. “Can you imagine? Never having to walk your dog again!”

  “Well, I heard that it can clean your house and cook your dinner, all while playing smooth jazz,” another woman gushed.

  Nya rolled her eyes. “Don’t you guys think you’re setting your expectations a little too high? It’s just a watch.”

  At that, every fan in earshot gasped. “JUST A WATCH?!” they cried.

  A man glared at her. “If by ‘just a watch’ you mean ‘the greatest thing to happen EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE REALMS, then yeah, I suppose it’s just a watch.”

  “Look, ninja pals,” Dareth whispered. “I love that you stopped by to visit, but I think you’d better keep it moving. These fans are rabid, and there’s only so much I, the Brown Ninja, can do to protect you.”

  Then he turned back to the crowd. “She was just kidding! She’s a newbie to the Borg-Tech world.” He lowered his voice. “I don’t think she even knows what a Cyrus PDA is.”

  “Ohh,” the crowd sighed sympathetically.

  Nya was about to retort when Jay quickly took her arm.

  “Come on,” he said. “For once I think Dareth’s right. We should keep moving.”

  As soon as they were safely away from the crowd, Zane got his friends’ attention. “I’m afraid these recent developments are concerning,” he said. “Based on the fans’ enthusiasm, I now calculate a 77 percent chance that revealing the BorgWatch Thermodynamic Temperature Gauge would bring Pythor unrivalled attention and popularity.”

  “We’ve got to find him,” said Lloyd. “If he didn’t show it to the fans outside the store, who is he planning to show it to?”

  Cole eyed a nearby manhole cover that had shifted slightly out of place. “Maybe he wanted to start a little closer to home.”

  The doors to the Serpentine village opened slowly.

  “Skales, my long-lost friend,” crooned Pythor. “How good to see you.”

  Pythor stood at the entrance to the underground tunnel home of the Serpentine. After the battle with the stone warriors, all the snakes lived a peaceful life down here, far away from the surface dwellers.

  “What do you want, Pythor?” Skales hissed. “We’re not accusssstomed to visssitors.”

  “My, my, is that any way to treat a guest?” Pythor slid past him and into the village. “Especially one who comes bearing gifts?”

  “I didn’t think we’d be ssseeing you again.” Skales followed him. “Not after Massster Chen and his Anacondrai warriors attacked Ninjago City.”

  “Pish-posh.” Pythor waved away the comment. “Those were fake Anacondrai. I am the only real Anacondrai left. And when I happened to come across a rather unique commodity, I said to myself, ‘Pythor P. Chumsworth, who should you show this rare treasure to first?’ Naturally, I decided my fellow snakes should have the honor.”

  “We’re no longer interested in the riches of the ssssssurface dwellers,” said Skales. “We live as a peaceful society now.”

  “Really?” Pythor flashed a toothy smile. “You wouldn’t be interested in, say, a sneak peek of the BorgWatch?”

  “Did someone say ‘BorgWatch?’ ” a little voice cried out from behind them.

  A young snake approached them. He bore a striking resemblance to Skales.

  “Skales Junior!” Skales yelled at his son. “You sssshould be home with your mother.”

  “But Daddy, I’ve been reading about the BorgWatch.” Skales Junior whipped out a copy of Tech Times magazine. “This article says the BorgWatch is going to have a built-in video game application that lets you play Snake Attack in 3-D!”

  “Smart kid you’ve got there,” said Pythor. “He clearly understands the importance of what I’m offering you.”

  More and more snakes began slithering over. They surrounded Pythor, Skales, and Skales Junior.

  “If he hassss something to sssshow us, let him ssssshow us,” hissed a Hypnobrai.

  “Yesssssss,” a Venomari added. “I, too, would like a sssssssneak peek of the BorgWatch.”

  “All right,” Skales finally said to Pythor. “What is it you have that is ssssssso important?”

  Pythor slid up onto a nearby stone wall, clearly relishing the attention. “Ladies and gentle-snakes, I present to you the first-ever, never-before-seen, I-am-definitely-the-first-one-to-be-revealing-this, look at … the BorgWatch Thermodynamic Temperature Gauge!”

  With a flourish, Pythor held up the temperature gauge high for all to see.

  The crowd murmured.

  “It’ssssssss a toothpick,” called out the Hypnobrai.

  “No, no,” insisted Pythor. “I assure you, you snakes are the FIRST to see this exclusive look at the BorgWatch Thermodynamic Temperature Gauge. Courtesy of me, Pythor P. Chumsworth.”

  The murmurs turned to confused rumbles.

  “But what doessssss it do?” a snake asked.

  “Ah, an astute question,” Pythor said. “Allow me to demonstrate the power of this amazing body temperature control system. Observe.” Pythor turned his attention to the metal to
othpick. He looked at the top. He looked at the bottom. He tapped it.

  “Hmmmmm,” he said. “Well, if it had a display screen, I’m sure it would be easier to understand.”

  Unimpressed, the snakes began slithering away.

  “Wait, wait!” cried Pythor. “Don’t you see? This will revolutionize the way we live! Look, it’s reading my internal temperature now. At least, I think it is …”

  “I knew you could be desssssperate, Pythor,” said Skales. “But thisssss is ridiculousssss.”

  “Hang on,” said Skales Junior, coming closer for a better look. “It does look like something I saw on the BorgWatch Watch Blog. It was only a rumor. But maybe if we plug it into my BorgPad, it will work.”

  Just then, the doors to the snake village swung open, and the ninja burst in on a wave of Spinjitzu!

  “NINJA-GO!” Their voices echoed through the caverns.

  “Ahhhhh!” all the snakes cried, scattering. “We’re under attack from the surface dwellers!”

  “No — no, this isn’t an attack!” Lloyd assured them. “There’s only one snake we’re after.”

  “And it’s that con artist right there!” yelled Jay, pointing at Pythor.

  “Rats.” Pythor groaned as the ninja spotted him. “Time to hightail it out of here.”

  In a whirlwind of Spinjitzu, the ninja chased Pythor around the village. They flew across the marketplace, up over rooftops, and back through the tunnels up toward the surface.

  Skales shook his head as he watched them go.

  “Daddy?” asked Skales Junior. “Can I go up to the surface now to wait for the BorgWatch reveal?”

  “No, ssssssson,” Skales said. “Trusssssst me. They’re crazy up there.”

  Give it up, Pythor!” yelled Lloyd as they chased him up the ladder to the surface.

  “Never!” cried Pythor. “I will reveal this to the masses!”

  Lloyd looked over at Zane. “Let’s put him on ice.”

  Zane nodded. “Agreed!” He quickly targeted the manhole cover and shot an ice blast around the rim. The manhole was sealed shut!

  “Hah! That’ll cool him off!” cheered Jay.