Imagine Dragons - Natural 

That's the price you pay

Leave behind your heart and cast away

Just another product of today

Rather be the hunter than the prey

And you're standing on the edge, face up 'cause you're a...

Natural

A beating heart of stone

You gotta be so cold

To make it in this world

Yeah, you're a natural

------

Cole grunted as he scaled the palace's roof, getting closer to the top.

It felt familiar to him like he was scaling a mountain to reach the top, to view the world from a giant's height. 

He could still remember the cold winds lashing at his skin, how the rock felt under his calloused fingertips as he climbed the mountain without a harness. 

He reached the top, only to see an old man beside a teapot there to greet him. 

''Hello there.'' The old man said, turning his eyes to Cole, he held a cup of hot tea in his hand.

Cole was utterly confused. How did he get to the top of the mountain before him? Did the guy have some sort of superpower or something?

''How did you-- Who are you?'' Cole asked, struggling to understand.

''Maybe that is a question for me to ask.'' The old man replied cryptically. ''But first, why did you climb the mountain?'' 

''I...'' Cole struggled to find the right words. ''just lost someone. My father should be sad or angry, but he's just, he's--''

''Yes?'' The old man said, wanting him to go on. 

''He spends all his time with his group, singing and dancing,'' Cole replied, looking down. ''He's never home, leaving all the chores for me. With her gone, I guess it's up to me to be the responsible one. He acts like nothing happened. How can he sing and dance at a time like this?'' 

The old man sighed, before saying: ''Grief takes many shapes and forms. Some sing and dance, some climb mountains.'' 

''Why did you climb the mountain?'' Cole asked, curious.

''To find you, Cole.'' The old man replied cryptically. 

Cole found himself back on the roofs of the palace, and he had reached the top. 

''And I'll find you, Master,'' Cole promised. 

----

''Our informant's intel has paid off,'' Zane said, hiding his face behind a newspaper. ''Two high ranking Sons of Garmadon just arrived. The one they call UltraViolet, and the mysterious man with the swords.''

''Good. Then we're one step closer to finding out who's in charge.'' Cole replied, hiding in a dumpster. 

A can rattles as Cole climbed out of the dumpster, Zane looked confused.

''It's me Zane... Cole. Or should I say my alias... Rocky Dangerbuff.'' Zane still looked confused. ''If we wanna infiltrate their gang and earn their trust, they can't know we're Ninja.'' Cole dug around in the dumpster, before bringing out a tin can lid and a can of shaving cream. ''I even scrounged up a disguise for you!'' 

''A tin can lid and a can of shaving cream?'' Zane said, already seemingly doubtful about Cole's plan.

''Don't forget, you have to sell it.'' Cole reminded him.

''Hm. That won't be necessary.''  Zane informed him, transforming his appearance to look more like the biker gang. ''But if you wanna use the trash lid yourself...'' He said, smiling. 

''No, Zane, it's okay,'' Cole replied, throwing the tin can lid and the can of shaving cream away. ''But you still need a cover. Something tough, something that says, ''I'm bad.''''

''In my estimation, Rocky Dangerbuff is pretty bad,'' Zane said.

''Ugh! Do I have to do everything?'' Cole said, getting frustrated. ''Fine. You're... Snake Jaguar.'' 

''Snake Jaguar. Hm... You were always much better at this than I was.'' Zane replied, complimenting Cole.

''You ready, Snake Jaguar?'' Cole asked.

''I am, Rocky Dangerbuff.'' 

---

Cole stood by the bars of his cell. He activated his Magma Fists and punched the bars, only to recoil in pain. ''Ah! Vengestone.'' 

''Careful.'' Said a biker.

''What do you think I'm doing?'' Asked another.

''So, what's in the box?'' Said the first.

''You haven't heard? The boss found the key for the last mask.'' Replied the second.

''If they get the last mask, then they'll have all three,'' Cole said to himself.

''Heh. It's all coming together. It'll be good to see Lord Garmadon again.'' 

''You mean it'll be bad.'' 

The two bikers laughed.

''Lord Garmadon?'' Cole said.

One of the bikers walked up to the bars, looking at Cole. 

''Hey! You always talk to yourself this much? Shut it!'' The biker said to Cole, before walking away. 

''I don't talk to myself that much. I mean, sometimes, but not that much. I mean, it's only when I just kind of-- Ugh.'' He rambled to himself.

----

Cole looked through the window of the door.

A box was in there, along with a person. 

Cole opened the door, walking towards the box when he heard the person stir.

He turned, seeing a person with familiar (h/l) (h/c) hair. 

''Where am I?'' The person asked, raising their head.

Cole gasped, it was (Y/n)! 

''Are you okay?'' Cole asked, checking her for any injuries.

''Yeah, but I have a constant throbbing in my head, the last thing I remember is...'' (Y/n) said, before turning her gaze towards the box in the middle of the room.

Cole approached the box with caution, and gently pulled back the red blanket that covered the box. A baby's face stared back at him, making him panic and kick the box. 

''And... that's not a key.'' Cole said.

He pulled back the blanket again, to be met with the baby's face once more.

''I think he's cute.'' (Y/n) said, smiling weakly. 

''Sorry, baby, but I'm looking for a key. I gotta go, you understand.'' Cole said to the baby, before turning around. (Y/n) looked back at the baby, hesitant. 

''You can't just leave the baby.'' (Y/n) said as the baby began to cry.

Cole turned around, giving in to the cries of the distressed baby. ''Oh, fine.'' He huffed.

The baby stopped crying and looked at him.

''But for the record, I'm no longer talking to myself,'' Cole said, smiling. He picked up the baby, and (Y/n) smiled at him as he finished. ''I'm talking to you.'' 

UltraViolet came in, interrupting their moment. She went forward to grab the baby, only for the two to tussle with the baby in the middle. 

(Y/n) went out the door, not wanting to make it worse. UltraViolet kicked Cole, making him land beside the door. UltraViolet ran forward, before (Y/n) swiftly shut the door on UltraViolet, making her slam into it. 

The baby laughed, and (Y/n) chuckled. The three made their way out of the base.

----

The Ninja searched for Zane, and they were worried. Finally, the searchlight landed on Zane, who looked dull and lifeless.

P.I.X.A.L lowered the gurney, the Ninja placing Zane on it and lifting it back up to the Bounty.

(Y/n) watched with worry in her eyes, concerned for Zane.

--

The heart monitor beeped as (Y/n), Cole, Lloyd, Kai, Harumi, Jay and Nya stood around Zane, waiting. 

''How bad is it?'' Lloyd asked P.I.X.A.L, worried. 

''He has extensive damage to all systems. His neural net and cognitive cores suffered severe failures.'' P.I.X.A.L replied.

''Can you save him?'' Nya asked, looking at Zane.

''I've diverted power to critical life functions. But Zane will have to do most of the work. He must reconfigure his system and reboot himself.'' 

''Isn't there anything we can do?'' Harumi asked, holding her hands together.

''We have to keep moving, or the Sons of Garmadon will find us.'' Lloyd replied, ''They'll do anything to get their hands on the child.'' 

Kai spoke up. '' I just don't get how a baby can be a key.'' 

''I don't either, but that's what they said,'' Cole replied with a frown. ''They called him the key to the third mask.'' 

''The key to the third mask?'' (Y/n) said, furrowing her eyebrows.

''If Cole's right, we need to disappear,'' Lloyd informed his team. ''Get as far away from Ninjago City as we can.'' 

''Hm. Doesn't seem right. Abandoning Ninjago City.'' Jay said.

''We're not abandoning. There are others who will protect her.'' Lloyd replied.

''There's always Samurai X, whoever that is,'' Nya spoke. 

''Whoever it is they're going to have to cover for us until we get a handle on things. P.I.X.A.L set a new course. Anywhere but here.''

----

The baby slept peacefully while Cole and (Y/n) watched over him. The baby yawned, before making the ''face''. 

''Huh? Oh, no. Don't make that face.'' Cole said, noticing the baby was about to cry. ''Don't cry. Oh, I can't take it anymore! Hey. Look at me. Heh, heh.'' He said, trying to get the baby's attention. ''I'm not sad. Ha, ha. I'm not crying.'' 

The baby looked him in the face before he cried. 

Cole glanced around, checking no one else except for Him, the baby and (Y/n) were around. 

''Oh, fine. But this is between you, (Y/n) and me.'' He said, getting the baby's attention before singing.

Shine little glowworm

Glimmer, Glimmer,

Hey there, don't get

Dimmer, dimmer.

The baby laughed, enjoying the song. (Y/n) chuckled softly, smiling.

''You like that, huh? Well, there's more where that came from.'' 

Glow little glowworm

Glow and Glimmer-

Cole gasped, looking at the blanket the baby was wrapped in. (Y/n) walked over and looked, before she gasped too. They both looked at each other, before running to Control

---

''We go there!'' Cole said as he held up the map that led to the third and final mask. 

Wow, it included some episodes because I want this fanfic to focus on Cole and (Y/n). 

Cole doesn't have a season that focuses on him, a full one at least (DOTD doesn't count) 

So, I'm stealing the spotlight from Lloyd and focusing it on Cole. 

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!

Remember to vote, comment and place this in your library if you love it.

So, that's it for today folks!

WriterAgreste over & out!