Chapter Text
“You need to lay off Mr. Frohicky! He’s already bending over backwards for you!” rang throughout the monastery, loud enough for Rogue to break his facade of indifference and visibly wince, pausing Rogue’s Prime Empire save to glare at the intruder. If only there were more people in the monastery other than Zane and the frog to yell at her to quiet down. The other ninja had left on an ‘extended mission’ for the week. Really, it was likely they were going on vacation, but Rogue wasn’t going to complain. It was more time alone to frustrate his two least favorite people.
He yelled back, despite her standing not five feet away, “Well he isn’t bending hard enough! I need my suits pressed!”
“He pressed them all yesterday, Jay!” the water ninja shot back.
Rogue suddenly sat up to stare coldly at her, “Look lady, I have been kidnapped by weirdos that constantly claim to know me. If you know me as well as you claim, then you should remember I like all my suits neatly pressed, and that bumbling frog can’t even get that right. Weren’t we close enough for you to remember that?” he asked, placing his hand mockingly over his heart as he pouted at her, before getting serious again. “And my name is Rogue, you’d do well to remember it!”
Rogue turned back to the TV as the water ninja made a final frustrated yell before she stormed out of the room in a huff. That woman was absolutely infuriating to be around, Rogue thought. He couldn’t wait to be rid of her. She had so many expectations. If she just dropped them, she’d be tolerable to be around. He’s not, nor has ever been, the guy she wants. From what the other ninja had told him on the flight from the First Realm, the most he and her imaginary Jay shared were their stunning looks, shocking powers, and impeccable humor. Rogue briefly shook his head and muttered, “Crazy lady.” before turning back to his save before he remembered. Smirking in front of one of many ninja nanny cameras set up to ‘supervise’ him, Rogue briefly hesitated to listen for her telltale soft footfalls. Hearing none, he yelled out, “Hey! Frog butler! I want all my suits pressed by tonight! And don’t forget to fold them the way I showed you!” Satisfied after hearing a muffled groan through the walls of the monastery, Rogue resumed his game.
Just as Rogue began the boss fight against the Red Dragon, Zane stuck his head through the door. “Rogue, there has been mail for you. It appears urgent,” the nindroid said promptly, holding out the aforementioned envelope. Rogue ignored him for the next few seconds, annoyed that the nindroid had interrupted his precious ‘Rogue time’, before giving in to curiosity. Pausing the game, Rogue turned towards Zane to beckon him into the room, pointing to his ‘injured’ leg at Zane’s raised eyebrow. Crossing to him quickly, Zane held out the envelope, which Rogue quickly snatched, before retreating out of the room Rogue had made his home.
Rogue examined the decorated wax seal and baby blue bow of the envelope. If this was some sort of tactic from that ninja to get him to like her, he’d short out the monastery’s power. She’d defeated him, humiliated him, caused him to lose the only family he’d had since waking up after the Merge and then claimed to love him, and that he worshiped the ground she walked on? What a stupid notion, he could never love a goody two-shoes like her. Even the way she fought was weak, prioritizing protecting the weak and fighting with honor. Granted, she’d held her own against the Dragonians, but that way of thinking would get her killed sooner than later.
Roughly tearing open the paper, he left the key in the envelope and pulled out the brown paper, murmuring aloud, “I’m sorry to inform you, but your father has passed.” He scoffed. He had no father, only deep resentment for the man that abandoned him at the Administration as a child. As Rogue prepared to throw the letter to the floor, forgotten, his eyes widened in interest on the next line. “You have inherited his estate and lots and lots and lots of money,” he read aloud. “Ok father, you are forgiven,” Rogue muttered as he swiveled on the couch looking for any sign of the sniveling frog, the nindroid, or the girl. “Hey frog guy, bring me a cup of tea! And not that swamp garbage!” Hearing nothing, he tried again. “Robot! The TV is on the fritz, sparking everywhere! What kind of a modern monk-less monastery do you live in, that doesn’t have a working TV!” There was still no response, and he couldn’t hear the water ninja rapidly approaching to scold him for yelling. “Lad- Nya? Can you come in here please?” he yelled, bracing himself for her arrival. After waiting yet another thirty seconds and hearing no movement, he slipped out of his room and made his way through the monastery courtyard towards the absurd amount of steps that led down to civilization.
“Seriously, an elevator. Just think about it”, Rogue thought to himself halfway down the steep stairs. At least he believed he was halfway. These ‘ninja’ are crazy for building this place. No wonder they have a hideout hidden deep in the monastery’s basement. Though he’d never seen it, he had heard the ninja going into the now abandoned baby ninjas' room and disappearing to who knows where.
After another hour descending, slightly out of breath, Rogue made his way into the Crossroads to find his business ‘acquaintance’ Fedulian to verify the letter. Finding his way to Fedulian’s shop, Rogue grabbed one of his traditional ‘I want to talk’ golden shuriken from his pockets and embedded it in the Merlopian’s door, before settling in on the roof of his shop to wait. Not much later, the sound of muttered cursing floated upwards to Rogue. Peering over the edge, he found the serpent Merlopian staring at his door. At least Fedulian was more easily annoyed than the ninja. Feeling mischievous, Rogue dropped down directly behind Fedulian. Before the serpent could react, Rogue spoke, “Fedulian. I need you to verify something for me.”
Fedulian let out a sharp shout of surprise before turning around, sneering derisively, “Look, I don’t have time to answer any enquiries from bums on the street right now. I’m an upstanding entrepreneur. Come back tomorrow, I have someone I need to meet.” At Rogue’s raised eyebrow, Fedulian took a closer look, recognizing his suit. Immediately, his black scales took on a slightly paler hue before he began damage control. “Ah, my apologies. I didn’t recognise you what with the…uh…” Fedulian’s eyes darted around his face to find something to comment on that wouldn’t cause more trouble, settling on, “…your ponytail?”
Rogue, taking pity on him, shrugged before saying, “Just make sure this letter looks legit, I have a client that’s paying me handsomely to forge this.”
Fedulian took one look at the letter before eying him with suspicion, “I didn’t know you were in the forgery business.”
Narrowing his eyes, Rogue replied, “I’m a man of many talents.”
Shrugging, Fedulian returned to examining the letter. “Clearly. Call me surprised. I mean, this looks like it came straight from Tuffbutt & Alleged Law.” he admired. “Practically identical to a real letter of condolences.” Rogue resisted the urge to smirk. “Perhaps I may contract your services in the future?” Fedulian simpered.
“You wouldn’t be able to afford me.” Rogue smiled, before patting Fedulian on the shoulder. “Thank you my good friend.” He said, swinging around. As he departed, Rogue called over his shoulder, “Send me the bill for the door – actually, double it. I’ll be by again later,” delighting in yet more muttered cursing leaving the mouth of the Merlopian.
He looked back at the envelope in his hands thinking, “Now - to find where the address is after the Merge.” He quickly found the address inscribed on the key. It appeared Ninjagan, and in one of the richest suburbs by the look of it. It wouldn’t hurt to stop by to check for the property. Even if he couldn’t find it, sightseeing was better than going back to the monastery where he would have to endure N- the water ninja’s long looks full of pain and sadness, followed by her temper when she remembered that he wasn’t the man she wanted. It has been a while since he last visited Ninjago City from the Crossroads, but he knew his bearings. He set off towards the city, more intrigued than ever about the apparent validity of the letter, and the apparent fortune he was to inherit.