Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Part One
Lithium

It wasn’t that Kai didn’t notice the man in the suit. He was hard to miss. People that visit Yang Tavern and people that wear suits isn’t a Venn diagram that overlaps. He stuck out in a Slither Pit.

It wasn’t like Kai had much concern to spare though. There was enough occupying him. He flat out didn’t care enough to be surprised by a strange character. Buying him a drink though? That was personal enough to surprise him, just a bit.

“Hello Red Ninja… or is it Shogun now?” the man asked, standing over Kai as he accepted the drink.

“It’s Kai.” He responded curtly.

“Right.”

The man sat down in the stool to Kai’s left. It creaked like a stool in a seedy bar naturally should. The man gave a distrustful look at it, furthering the theory that he didn’t belong at Yang Tavern. There was no shortage of proof for that though, his hair well kept, his suit worth more than Kai’s childhood home, and cuff links polished to an annoying shine. Kai noted them bitterly as they flashed in his vision for the third time.

“I would like to talk to you about a job offer.”

“Ok, talk.” Kai said, downing the rest of his drink.

He was open to trying something new. The Slither Pits had been getting dull and weren’t paying as much. But if those stupid cuff links blinded him one more time he was leaving. He wasn’t that bored with the Slither Pit and he didn’t have an excess of patience these days.

“My name is Kobayashi, and I represent a very high-profile client, he values his privacy, so he has requested that I do not disclose his name, unless you accept of course.”

Kai gave him a flat look. To his credit he seemed to understand that Kai was not someone whose time you should waste and was trying to get to the point.

“My client has exceedingly high standards. He is in need of a bodyguard for his daughter, and he is adamant that no one short of a trained ninja will do. He is prepared to offer you any salary you wish, and of course room and board since it’s a live-in position.” Kobayashi explained.

Kai cocked his head. Color him intrigued. That was a pretty high opening bid. Kai knew better than to accept offers like that before he knew the catch, so he fished for some more information.

“How old is his daughter?”

“About your age. That’s part of why he wants you so badly. He doesn’t trust his daughter with the general public, but he feels as if having someone her own age to talk to would be good for her. Surely a ninja would be the ideal friend.”

Kai cringed. He hadn’t been a great friend as of late. Couldn’t protect Zane, couldn’t keep Jay and Cole from fighting, and then there was Lloyd…

Kai shook his head clear. No need to think about that mess. That was half the reason he was at Yang Tavern, it was somewhere he wasn’t likely to run into Lloyd.

“Not to mention, well, she is a rather avid fan of yours.” Kobayashi shyly mentioned.

Kai’s eyes snapped up to focus on Kobayashi. That was interesting.

“As you can see, there are many reasons why you’re just the only fit for this job. My client is prepared to negotiate, whatever it takes to get you on board.”

Kai pouted in thought.

It did feel kind of nice that whoever this guy was wanted Kai so much. Kai wasn’t really used to much flattery. He didn’t get much raising a sister that beat him at everything and the other ninja weren’t the most supportive of his pride. Kai had long since resigned himself to the sole inflator of his ego. If he didn’t compliment himself, he didn’t get much of anything.

Well Zane would give everyone the occasional praise but…

Skepticism kicked in. Kai couldn’t have been the first choice. He was just the only ninja they could get. Lloyd was the Green Ninja and wasn’t going to take a glorified babysitting gig, Jay had just gotten that new game show, and who knows where Cole was. No, Kai was easiest, not best.

“So, did you ask any of the others?” Kai asked, his face sour.

“No. My client only wanted you. He was very specific.”

Kai’s face must’ve betrayed how disbelieving he was because Kobayashi nodded to further confirm his words.

“I….um….I need some more info.” Kai settled on.

Kai stepped off the boat and stared at the estate around him. Mr. C had some serious money. The staff ran around, and Kai recognized a few regulars from Yang Tavern. (It was pretty easy with the purple face tattoos).

“Good afternoon. Kai Smith, I presume?” said a dreary voice.

Kai turned towards the sound and saw a man dressed in fine robes with hair that was so slick and tight on his head it had to be greased.

“My name is Clouse.” He reached out a hand to shake.

Kai took it and shook hands with Clouse. Next thing he knew he was on the grand tour, getting the run down of the estate from the man.

“Mr. C has a very public image that he doesn’t like diluting with his personal affairs. So, you will have to sign a non-disclosure agreement, which would mean refraining from mentioning his name to anyone not under his employment. We’d hate for something to get back to the press.”

Kai nodded. Mr. C seemed like the paranoid type if you asked him.

“Mr. C’s daughter has no public image. Largely, she is kept a secret from the public.”

“Why?” Kai couldn’t help but asking. It had been bothering him since he got the job offer. Although, living on a private island explained why she didn’t have many friends.

“Mr. C lost his wife several years ago. Ever since he’s become overprotective of his daughter. She’s all he has left.” Clouse explained.

Kai nodded in sympathy. He knew more than anyone what that was like. Had he the resources, he might’ve been the same way with Nya.

“Of course, you’d be required to live on the island, but room and board would be provided free of charge, meals as well. Would you like to meet Skylor?”

“Is that Mr. C’s daughter?”

“Yes.”

“Sure?”

Clouse led him through the large mansion. How he knew where he was going Kai couldn’t tell. They came to a set of decorative wood doors and Clouse knocked.

“Yes?” Came a voice from inside.

“I have the Red Ninja with me.” Clouse said flatly.

The was suddenly a lot of noise coming from the room, almost like someone was throwing and shoving things. Kai almost snickered a the thought of her frantically trying to straighten her room for him.

“Just a minute!”

Clouse impatiently tapped his foot as the commotion continued. A quiet swear was let out and something fell. A loud thumping noise, another swear, a single pop of lips, and finally a very proper sounding “Come in.” Kai actually did laugh a little under his breath.

Clouse opened the door and Kai felt his heart stop.

Skylor was probably the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. Her eyes looked like sunlight filtering through stained glass. Her lips, freshly glossed (that was what that popping noise was.) held his eyes in an invisible grip. The blush warming her face made his heart twist in ways he’d never known. Kai just then realized that he had a thing for red hair.

She seemed pleased with his smitten expression, bashfully looking at the ground and smiling.

He was in trouble.

“Does this seem a bit rushed?” Nya asked.

Kai ignored her and kept packing. She’d been more paranoid than Mr. Chen when he’d told her about the job and that he’d taken it.

“I mean, this seems like a lot of secrecy for whoever this ‘Mr. C’ is.” Nya crossed her arms.

Kai rolled his eyes. Of course, he knew that it was only Mr. Chen from Mr. Chen’s Noodle House. He knew that Chen had to be careful about his own reputation because he was the mascot of his brand. But he had signed the non-disclosure and promised not to go around telling people that, so he had to deal with his sister’s unanswered questions.

He smiled when he thought of Skylor though. Kai couldn’t wait to get to know her better.

She had actually been impressed to meet him. Plus she made his heat stutter and everything good in his head buzz. Spending every day with her seemed like the best job ever.

“What’s with the dopey smile?” Nya asked, suspicion and curiosity dripping from her tone.

Kai blushed. He didn’t have the thought process to think of a lie, so the truth just stumbled out of his mouth.

“Nothing just….Mr. C’s daughter….she’s…” Kai was at a loss for a way to describe her.

His burning face must’ve done it for him.

“You like her!” Nya accused.

Kai didn’t even have the ability to deny it. He just went back to packing while Nya had an entirely new topic to lecture him about.

Kai’s bag was heavy, but his emotions were heavier. He didn’t like the idea of leaving his sister. They’d never been apart for very long and now he was running off to the end of Ninjago and leaving her alone.

Her pout was painful.

“Do you want me to stay?” He asked.

He would. If she asked him.

Nya smiled and laughed.

“No. I’ll be fine. Go on! It’s really good money and plus, we could use the space. We won’t live with each other forever, right?” she said, pushing his arm playfully.

Kai didn’t like how much that statement stung. He had never been great with independence. He knew Nya had stifled herself for his sake, no matter how much she denied it. Kai knew, she would’ve left him a long time ago if he hadn’t been so emotionally dependent.

That was why he had to go. Even if things felt a little rushed or Nya didn’t fully trust Mr. Chen. Kai needed to learn how to live without his little sister.

Not to mention it would be nice to be somewhere completely new. With no reminders of Zane to hurt him when his guard was down, maybe Kai could start to heal. He really needed space to do that.

This job would be good for him.

“I promise to be back for your birthday, alright?” Kai said.

“I’m holding you to that!” she said “And you better bring me the best gift ever to make up for not being here until then!”

Kai laughed with her before they were interrupted by the boat horn.

“Gotta go.” Kai said, starting to walk away.

Nya reached out and stopped him before he could take a full step.

“Wait!” she said.

Kai obeyed and let the awkward silence grow.

Nya bit her lip and looked around before finally speaking in a quiet voice.

“Lloyd should be here any minute.” she said hopefully.

Kai gently pulled himself free from her grip.

“Nya….He’s not coming.” Kai said sadly.

Nya tried to keep her emotions about that in check while the boat honked again.

“I love you, ok? See you on your birthday!” Kai said, walking away.

“Don’t forget to write!” she yelled as he boarded the boat.

He flashed her a confident smile over his shoulder.

Kai blinked at the massive room he had just been led to, dropping his bag, completely overwhelmed. The room was bigger than some houses he’d seen.

The whole thing was done is reds with flame decals everywhere.

Was that a personal bathroom?

That bed was large enough to practically eat him.

With how many blankets and pillows were on it, it just might.

“Impressed?” Skylor asked coyly, dragging Kai’s randomize thoughts back.

Kai blushed and composed himself.

“It’s a lot more than I’m used to.” He admitted.

Skylor laughed and Kai heard bells.

“My room is right next door, that way if any baddies come for me in the night, you’ll be right here to save me.”

Oh, the tone she used had Kai’s head going places it shouldn’t.

No. No. Stay professional!

“Anyway, you should get cleaned up before dinner. My father wants to meet you in person.” Skylor said.

Kai nodded, still pulling his mind back from the brink.

“Try not to get lost in here, ok?” She joked.

Kai laughed and was rewarded with a graceful smile.

When she finally disappeared, Kai went to the task of getting himself and his things in order. His clothes didn’t take up even a fourth of his dresser and closet. He felt a bit self-conscious about it. He’d never know what to do with so much space.

The bathroom was fully stocked with multiple options for Kai to use, very high-end brands in every scent Kai could imagine. The lotions and oils were impressive too, though Kai steered clear in favor of hurrying to get himself cleaned up for dinner, he’d browse what was in his room later.

After he finished in the bathroom, there was the dilemma of what to wear. Was he supposed to dress up?

He decided he was probably over thinking it and just wore casual clothes.

Sitting on the massive bed while he waited for Skylor to come get him since he couldn’t find his way around the estate yet. Kai felt very out of place. He’d never been around so much money. He worked for his money since he was a child and gave most of that money to his sister through his entire life. Any excess he had after necessities where either spent on the shop or his sister.

He was really out of his depth on this.

Before he could psych himself out anymore though, Skylor knocked on his door.

“There he is!” Mr. Chen called out in glee.

He looked just like the cartoony mascot Kai had always seen, only somehow real, and with an Anacondrai head dress?

“Ah look at you, the fire burns so bright in you!” Chen remarked.

Kai was about to comment on the strange compliment, but Chen kept talking.

“Come! Come! Sit! Sit! You must be hungry after your travel! Please, sit down! Food will be here soon.”

Kai obeyed and sat opposite of Skylor; her father next to him at the table’s head. Clouse was sitting on the far end of the table, seemingly having little to no interest in them for the moment.

Before Kai could speak, Chen steamrolled him again.

“I am really so happy you decided to join us here! I know Skylor has been so excited, haven’t you?”

Skylor blushed and nodded.

“Just let me know if you need anything, anything at all. I mean it. Just say the word and I’ll get it for you.”

Kai processed his boss’s fast speech for a moment and Chen was back at it. He was worse than Jay!

The thought of his friend made Kai’s stomach flip, but he didn’t have much time to dwell because Chen started asking him questions.

“So how is everything? Is your room to your liking? Just let me know if you need anything. I tried to get you everything you’d need. I really am just so glad you’re here! Are you settled in? Do you need any help unpacking? I’d be more than happy to send someone to help.”

“I’m good.” Kai laughed at the rapid-fire questions.

Chen was the excited kind.

“And the room’s great. Probably more space than I know what to do with.” Kai joked.

“Oh! I see! Well just let me know if you need anything. Ooh! Food’s here!”

Kai wasn’t really a big fan of the creepy make-up the girls were wearing, but he could easily distract himself with the food they were bringing, steaming, hot, fresh, and cooked perfectly. Kai’s mouth watered. He hadn’t had a meal like this since….

And then Kai’s appetite left.

Chen noticed.

“Is everything alright? I can have the chefs make you something else?” Mr. Chen looked at him with innocent concern.

Kai swallowed his grief.

“No, it’s fine. Let’s eat.”

Chen clapped his hands in glee.

Kai looked at Skylor who looked pretty embarrassed, but used to her father’s antics.

It wasn’t Zane’s cooking, but it was good. Kai had eaten far too much. Chen had talked his ear off about a lot of things and nothing all at once. There were clearly things he wasn’t telling Kai, but Chen had proven to be pretty paranoid and protective despite his cheerful demeanor, so Kai figured Chen just didn’t fully trust him yet.

He came into his room as he’d left it with one change.

A tray on the nightstand with a glass of water, a bottle of pills, and a note.

“Thought you might have trouble sleeping, so I had these brought.

-Chen”

Kai chuckled and picked up the bottle. The pills were generic sleeping meds, nothing too strong. He decided to take one before crawling into the giant bed and pulling blankets on top of himself.

He was out in moments.

“You need to eat, boy!” Mr. Chen demanded, shoving a muffin into Kai’s face.

Kai took the muffin and started to do as he was asked, laughing a bit to himself at how Mr. Chen was mothering him.

“Skylor has her morning training first, you’re welcome to join or use my equipment, I know you probably want to stay in top condition, of course it would be good for Skylor to have a sparring partner, but I won’t ask that of you, you’re not my student!” Chen prattled on.

“Wait, what do you mean sparing? And student? Are you a sensei?” Kai asked.

“Oh yes! I am a master, though ‘Master Chen’s Noodle House’ doesn’t sound as inviting does it?” Chen laughed to himself “As for Skylor’s training, of course she’s my best student! What kind of father would I be if I didn’t teach her all I know?”

“I had no idea you were a master.” Kai commented.

“Of course! No doubt you’re seen my followers around the estate tending to things.”

Kai had wondered why most of the ‘staff’ had matching face tattoos. It being a community following the same teachings made sense.

“After Skylor’s morning training she has her studies, you’re welcome to join her for those as well, or simply entertain yourself. After that is lunch, then Skylor has some….private training with me. Sadly, since you are not my student, you can’t sit in on those sessions, you’ll have a few hours of free time to do as you please, then, depending on how it goes, Skylor will join you for free time before dinner or simply meet you there. The two of you are free to do as you wish after dinner, any questions?”

Kai opened his mouth, but Chen started talking over him again.

“Of course, Skylor can tell you which rooms are off limits, like Clouse’s study, my room, the catacombs, that’s where Clouse keeps his pet and I’d hate for you to get hurt. You shouldn’t be in the factory without supervision, dangerous machines and sanitation concerns and all that. Skylor can fill you in on the rest.”

“Pet?”

“Ani is a good guard, though she tends to be a bit overzealous when she doesn’t recognize someone.”

Kai started to ask more, but Chen was already answering.

“Of course, she’ll get used to you eventually, but I don’t want you down there until she knows you’re friendly.”

Kai nodded.

“Why aren’t you eating!?” Chen yelled, shoving another muffin under Kai’s nose.

Kai took it, still reeling from the sudden change of subject.

Kai was almost relieved to have Chen forcing him to eat. He hadn’t been eating well for a while. No Zane to make food he wanted when he noticed Kai going too long without eating a proper meal. It would be good from him to have someone make him take care of himself again.

Plus, Skylor was a blast to hang out with. Kai had been pretty lonely since Zane….since the team split up.

Speaking of the girl, she then sat down across from him.

Kai’s jaw dropped and he found himself wondering why in the world Skylor needed a bodyguard. She was amazing. Kai wound up staring at her for the entire training session. She was so powerful, yet graceful. Kai had always been the agile one on the team, but Skylor could probably give him a challenge for that title.

The idea of sparing with her sounded like the most fun he’d had in a long time. Though Chen had said something about not doing that because he wasn’t his student.

Watching Skylor made Kai kind of want to train under Chen. Obviously, he was a capable master, and it wouldn’t hurt to learn some new techniques. Kai wondered what Chen expected from his students. Would he teach Kai is he asked?

He sat thinking about it until Skylor finished her training. She ran straight up to him, her face beautifully flushed.

“Why do you even need a bodyguard?” Kai joked “You’re kind of amazing.”

“You think so?” she said.

She was going to have to stop looking at him like that if Kai was going to ever stay professional around her.

“I’m kind of just excessive, don’t you think?” Kai said, looking away and distracting himself.

She laughed and Kai just about lost control of himself.

“You know my father, completely over the top and paranoid.”

“That he is.” Kai agreed, a grin infecting his face.

Skylor was in her private lessons with her father, so Kai had free time to finally explore. He stayed away from all the rooms and doors Skylor had pointed out as “off limits”.

He found himself outside looking at all the different arenas Chen had. There was even a giant derby rink, Kai shuddered. He was bad on skates.

He decided to go back inside and look around his room. It took him a bit to find his way, but he was starting to get a mental map of the place.

Kai came into the room and saw something new. Three brand new gaming systems sat next to the TV, already hooked up with three piles of games.

Kai stared at them for a while before finally seeing the note.

“Don’t want you to get too bored.

-Chen”

Kai put the note back and tried to process. Chen had just spent what probably amounted to a small fortune, just for Kai’s entertainment.

Maybe they were for Skylor too?

That made sense. Part of Kai’s whole job was to be her friend and having video games to play together fit into that.

With that mystery solved, Kai decided to revisit all the expensive items in the bathroom he didn’t have time for before and take a nice hot bath.

Kai was starting to get used to the routine. Every morning he’d get a wake-up call from one of Chen’s followers, and go to the dining room. Chen would make sure he ate, and Skylor would join them. They’d go out to one of the arenas and Skylor would train, sometimes with her father, sometimes one of his underlings, while Kai would train independently nearby. They’d go to the library for Skylor’s tutoring, which Kai got involved in. He didn’t have the best schooling in Ignacia, so he took advantage of the opportunity. They’d go back to the dining room and have lunch; Chen would be there to make sure they ate. Then Skylor would go to her private sessions while Kai wandered around or played video games, they’d meet up and have dinner, Chen not letting them leave unless they ate enough. Finally, he’d hang out with Skylor until it was time for bed.

The only breaks in the routine so far had been Kai discovering Chen’s endless gifts. He’d tried to turn him down, but Chen never let him, either sneaking it into his room while he was out or talking over him when he tried to refuse until Kai forgot about it entirely.

Kai had come into his room to find all the empty space left in his wardrobe suddenly filled. He’d had stupidly expensive swords put into his hands. He was a blacksmith, he knew exactly how nice they were. Not to mention the ever restocking bathroom.

Chen never did answer why he was giving him all these gifts. Skylor said he was just “like that” and that there was no stopping him when he got excited. Kai tried but couldn’t find a way to say no to Chen, so he eventually just accepted it.

“There’s our firebrand!”

Kai wasn’t sure when Chen started using the nickname, but he liked it.

“Sit! Sit! Eat!”

Kai rolled his eyes but did as he was told. Skylor came in the room and he couldn’t help but stare at her lovingly while he ate.

Chen cleared his throat.

Busted.

Kai glued his eyes to his plate, beyond embarrassed.

“Father, do you think I could spare with Kai today?” Skylor asked hopefully.

Kai’s gaze snapped up. He’d actually been wanting to ask that himself.

“Oh no sweetie, I couldn’t ask him to do that. He isn’t my student, he’s Wu’s student, it would be awfully inappropriate.”

“But you could teach him so much about his powers! The things Wu won’t tell him!”

Chen slammed his hands on the table to silence her. It was the first time Kai had seen the man choose to not use words.

“What things Wu won’t tell me?” Kai asked.

Chen sighed and rubbed his face before looking Kai in the eye.

“That is his decision to make. You are his student. If he chooses to keep secrets from you, then he is in his right to do so. I will not interfere with his teaching.” Chen explained.

Secrets? Wu was keeping secrets? About his powers?

Well, he did keep the green ninja prophecy a secret until they found it. And he also never told them about the Overlord until Misako brought it up. He didn’t even tell them that he was the First Spinjitsu Master’s son, it wasn’t until Garmadon called him “brother”.

It wasn’t exactly out of character for Wu to keep secrets.

But none of those were secrets about them. There was a difference, right? Wu won’t keep things from them when it was about them, right?

And what did Chen know about it anyways.

Kai pouted in thought.

“I hate you.” Kai said.

Skylor just laughed.

He’d mentioned that he was terrible at skating and Skylor, the heinous girl she was, decided to teach him. Thus, he was now falling on his face in front of her while she skated circles around him.

“Come on, you’re not doing that badly.”

“I beg to differ!”

She laughed and Kai couldn’t stay sour. Her laugh made him smile when he heard it, no matter what was happening.

“Come on Firebrand! Let’s try again! Hold onto me this time.” She said, grabbing his hands and helping him back up.

She was too close. Kai’s face started to burn. He could almost smell the smoke.

Wait…

Kai’s hands had lit on fire, while he was holding Skylor’s hands!!!!

Kai screamed and pulled back, putting his hands out in an instant. He burned her. He burned her and he was so fired. Oh, the irony! She probably hated him. How could he burn her!? How could he be that stupid!?

“OH MY GOSH! I’M SO SORRY! ARE YOU OK!?”

“Kai I’m fine.”

“I’M SO SORRY. LET ME HELP!”

She was laughing.

Kai stopped. Her hands were perfectly unburned. She was laughing and covering her mouth with her completely untouched hands.

“Wha-“

“You want to hear a secret?”

She looked so playful and serious at the same time. Kai nodded dumbly. Honestly he was doing good staying upright while wearing those stupid wheels.

“I’m an elemental master like you. That’s why my dad is so protective, he’s afraid someone will try to use me for my powers.”

“What?”

“I’m the Master of Amber, like my mother. I have powers of absorption.”

Kai stared at her stupidly, trying to process what she had told him. She lit her own hands on fire to demonstrate.

“I’m ok because I absorbed your powers.”

Kai watched her for a minute before finally finding his voice.

“I didn’t know there were more elements.” He said, looking at the polished wood floor.

“Wu didn’t tell you?” she asked while she put out her own fire.

“I thought it was just the five.” Kai said while he carefully nudged himself towards a support beam.

Ironically he was planning on using it to support himself. Skylor had caught on and was helping him balance while he rolled.

“Didn’t he tell you about the elemental alliance? Your father?” Skylor asked gently.

Kai looked away very suddenly. Skylor was looking at him in concern while he bit his lip.

“Wu never told me anything about my father.” Kai said bitterly.

All Wu had ever said was that he gave his father the map to the four golden weapons, he never did tell Kai why he did or how he knew his father.

Skylor put a soft hand on his back while it started to shake.

“I’m sorry. I just assumed he would’ve told you.”

Kai always assumed that there simply wasn’t anything for Wu to tell. That he had only known the man well enough to give him the map. But Chen and Skylor had revealed that there was more. More that Wu had been keeping from him. Wu had answers that he could’ve given him at any point and not once did he decide to do that. How could Wu keep that kind of information from him!? About his own father? Did Kai not have a right to know!? What kind of a sensei, no, what kind of a man, kept that from someone!?

Kai swallowed the tears that wanted to escape. He did not want to fall apart in front of Skylor.

Then something occurred to him and he turned his head sharply to her.

“Do you know about my father?”

Her beautiful caramel eyes went wide. She did.

She did and he didn’t.

How could he know less than her about his own father!? What kind of sick joke was that! She had no connection to the man. As far as Kai knew anyways, it wasn’t like he could say for certain. It only enraged him more. He knew nothing!

Kai punched the support beam next to him, leaving a smoldering hole in it. The tears won their fight and leaked from his eyes. Skylor just rubbed soothing circles on his back.

“Tell me about my father!” Kai demanded, slamming the door to Chen’s room open.

He didn’t see Chen’s sly smile. Kai only saw his shocked face when he turned around. The boy had no idea that this was not only expected, but that Chen had been the one to tell Skylor to find a way to “accidentally” mention his father and set this into motion.

“Firebrand, what are you talking about?” Chen asked, feigning absolute innocence.

“Skylor told me you know about my father.” Kai said, his fist starting to smoke slightly.

“You don’t? Did Wu not even tell you something so basic?” Chen asked in a scandalized tone.

Kai only responded with an angry glare. Chen avoided it.

This was a critical, and unfortunately volatile, part. If Chen messed up here, he could ruin his entire plan.

It took skill to twist a mind after all. One had to hide their suggestions behind a smokescreen of emotions and double-talk. If the victim loses even the slightest amount of trust in you, it can shatter an otherwise perfect strategy.

Manipulation was the only game where your opponent shouldn’t know that they are a player, or at least should be playing on the wrong table with the wrong pieces. The misdirection was a challenge in itself, one many failed at while trying to play the larger game.

On top of laying your traps and spinning your tales, you had to avoid being caught with your hands on the board. To win the game without appearing to play at all. Best way to do that was to admit to playing, but for a different team, to furthering a different goal. Play the Devil’s Advocate, but play it straight. Object to things in your favor to obscure what you were truly trying to do.

“I shouldn’t. If Wu chose not to tell you…”

A step back to take two steps forward.

“IT’S MY FATHER!” Kai screamed.

Boiling someone in their own emotions was another useful tool. Drag it out and wait for their feelings to cloud their judgment completely before you made your move.

“Kai.” Chen said patiently.

The boy was unraveling. One more push and he’d be far too emotional to resist suggestions. He had so much passion and feeling, it was almost too easy to work him into a blinded state, ready for Chen to pull his strings.

“I’m sorry, but you are Wu’s student, if he feels the need to keep things from you, I have to respect how he teaches his students. I don’t know why he wouldn’t tell you something so important, but regardless, it would be very disrespectful of me to go against him like that.”

Kai picked up a chair and smashed it, screaming in rage. His eyes were blazing.

Too much feeling. All too strong. There was no room for thinking in his head. Chen could put anything in there. It was time to finally move his piece.

“If you were my student I could….no. No! I shouldn’t even suggest that!” Chen said, earning Kai’s very keen attention.

The scorching fury was quickly burning out, being replace with desperation. The warrior making way for the lost child inside.

“I have to know!” Kai pleaded. “Please! Tell me!”

He was so weak. A little reverse psychology and a subtle ultimatum would be enough to crack him.

“Kai, I can’t just ask you to abandon your teachings with Wu!” Chen scolded.

Kai’s eager expression only faltered a little bit. He didn’t reject the idea. That was a green light for Chen to push again.

“If you were one of my students that would be one thing, but you’re not Kai.”

“But if I was, you could tell me, right?” Kai asked.

Chen stayed quiet. Let him come to the conclusion himself, make it feel like his own idea. Like it was his choice. Kai’s foot was practically in the snare.

“If I became your student, you could tell me about my father, my powers? I could train with Skylor, you could tell me what Wu won’t!” Kai’s tone got more insistent as he talked.

The tension in the room was so tight, it was only a light breath away from snapping. Kai was only a light breath away from snapping.

“Kai.” Chen said slowly. “I know you’re upset but think about what you’re saying.”

Kai blinked his wet eyes. He was too upset to think about what he was saying. A fact Chen was gleefully exploiting.

But there was more to be gained by establishing himself as the voice of reason. Trust was invaluable in this process, and time was something Chen could spare.

“You should get some sleep. We’ll talk about this tomorrow.” Chen suggested in a caring tone. “I don’t want you to rush into a decision like this.”

Kai was trembling with emotion, reduced to the abandoned little boy left at Four Weapons without so much as a note. And children fell victim to shows of comfort so easily.

“It’s ok.” Chen said, pulling Kai into a warm hug. “It’s ok to be mad.”

Kai broke down sobbing, clinging onto Chen for dear life. It had been so long since somebody had held him, and he was overflowing with too many emotions. He was overwhelmed by it. He was grieving his friend, missing his other friends, feeling betrayed by someone he trusted and most importantly was longing for the father he’d barely known. Chen allowed himself to effortlessly slide into that empty space while Kai was too confused and upset to notice.

“That’s it, just let it all out Firebrand.” Chen said softly.

Kai cried his eyes out while Chen held him.

The next morning, things fell right into place.

“I want to be your student.” Kai said it as soon as he saw Chen.

“Kai, please, think about this.” Chen warned.

“I have!” Kai yelled. “Wu won’t tell me anything! I need you to teach me!”

Chen internally preened at the use of the word “need” but showed Kai nothing. Even if he had displayed a tell, Kai was too emotional to read it.

“I’m tired of Wu keeping secrets!”

“Are you saying you want to abandon your studies under Wu and become my student?” Chen asked, his eyes burrowing straight through to Kai’s vulnerable soul.

“You’ll tell me about my father, right?”

“Yes or no, Kai.”

Kai shivered under Chen’s unusually serious gaze. He felt like there was more weight behind this decision then he thought there was. Chen was looking for something more than an answer, what it was Kai didn’t know, but a part of him screamed in alarm. Sirens blared in the back of his mind telling him something was “Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!”.

Chen sensed the hesitation.

“It’s alright Kai, I’m sure Wu will tell you eventually… or not. But that’s none of my business.” Chen said, taking a slow drink of his tea.

Kai forced the frightened part down. He needed to know, and Chen was the only one that could tell him.

“Yes.” Kai said after winning his mental battle against caution.

“Yes, what?” Chen asked.

“Yes, I want to be your student.”

“That would require you not be Wu’s anymore; do you want to do that?”

Kai ground his teeth.

“Yes.”

Chen’s grin filled his face as he clapped his hands.

Kai felt like he maybe shouldn’t have done that.

Skylor was so excited to hear that they’d be training together, Kai forgot how worried he was. He was finally going to get that sparing match he’d been wanting since he’d seen how skilled she was. Chen was watching, coaching them both this time.

She fought like a viper, striking quick and twisting out of his range before he could get her back. Kai let her go at him for a bit before he really started to fight back. She was fast, but Jay was faster, and Kai could keep up.

She clearly wasn’t prepared for an opponent that could handle her speed, and definitely wasn’t ready for someone that matched her in agility. She was happy to accept the challenge and delighted to finally have it.

Kai and Skylor danced around each other, not staying in the same spot for a full second. Kai couldn’t help but grin. Neither of them was waiting to see the other’s moves, they both were all in, not giving the other time to think. All instincts, all movement, all passion.

Kai had no idea how long they seemed to be under each other’s spell, but they both had forgotten that there was a world around them, too enchanted by their dance. They probably would’ve gone until they both passed out from exhaustion if Chen hadn’t interrupted.

They both gasped for air with wide, satisfied smiles on their faces.

Kai hadn’t had such a good work out since before the final battle. He had missed it.

Kai practiced holding a fire. He’d never held it for so long, he was going on an hour. Sweat soaked his skin and his arms were trembling form the strain, but Chen wouldn’t let him quit. He’d make it a full hour, or he’d pass out trying and try again until he did.

Skylor was next to him struggling to do the same as him, but fire was a new element to her. She was shaking more than him and her flame was only half the size of his.

Chen watched them and snapped when their stances slipped. He was a strict teacher.

“That’s an hour, Skylor, you can stop.” Chen said, looking at his watch.

Skylor crumbled to the floor in exhaustion. Kai moved to put his fire out and do the same, but Chen slammed his staff on the ground.

“I did not say you could stop, Kai.” He said in a harsh tone.

“But-“

“Don’t question me! You wanted to be my student; I don’t accept less than excellence from my students.”

Kai’s legs were shaking now.

“I want to see how long you can go.” Chen said, almost a demented look in his eyes.

“That’s-“

“That’s what you’ll show me!” Chen yelled, interrupting Kai once again.

Kai gulped.

Skylor pulled herself off the ground and went for some water while Kai focused. He could do this. Just a little longer.

At some point Skylor was dismissed, but Kai remained. Arms burning, vision tilting, he was more gasping than breathing.

“I can’t.” he said “I can’t anymore I-“

“How can I trust you with anything if you’re just going to quit on me?” Chen said in a disapproving voice.

Kai winced. He didn’t want to fail Chen so soon. His muscles strained and shook, but he forced himself to keep going. Tears pricked at his eyes, but he couldn’t waste the energy it would take to fight them.

“Give me your all Kai, I can’t help you if you give me less.”

He was trembling with black infecting his sight. Wasn’t this his all already?

“Don’t you want to do your father proud?”

Yes, he did. He’d do anything when it came to his father. If this is what it took, he’d do it.

How long had it been? How much longer could he do it? It felt like days had passed in his agony. He couldn’t see anymore; all his eyes saw was black and pain. Was breathing supposed to hurt? He couldn’t remember.

Suddenly it all stopped, Kai felt like he was falling, where was the floor?

Kai woke up feeling sick, sore and weak. Almost crying right there in bed, just from the pain of waking up. The agony drowned out near everything but his hunger. He had skipped dinner the night before as his stomach helpfully reminded him with a pang.

Kai whimpered. He felt too awful to get out of bed. He wanted to spend the whole day asleep so he could hide from it all. He really tried for a bit, but his hunger refused to be ignored and Chen was probably waiting for him.

Slowly, Kai managed to limp himself down to breakfast, where Chen was waiting for him.

“There’s our Firebrand! That wasn’t bad, almost four hours!”

Kai winced as Chen clapped, his head hurt so much. Training with Wu never left him feeling so miserable, like he had somehow replaced his blood with the sensation of pain. Maybe he shouldn’t have accepted Chen’s offer.

“You need food, I got you soup! It should help re-hydrate you.”

Chen had gotten up and was helping Kai into his seat, it felt a little more like he was being forced into it though. Not that Kai had the strength to fight it. So he just settled down into it.

“Is that what it’s always like?’ Kai asked, his voice scratchy and slurring a bit.

He couldn’t find the energy to be embarrassed.

“Oh well the first time is always the worst. You’ll have to get used to the regimen, but it’ll happen in no time!” Chen explained happily.

Kai shivered at the thought of pushing himself like that again.

“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.” He said.

Chen looked angry and Kai couldn’t help but flinch as he squeezed his sore arm.

“Are you quitting?” Chen asked harshly.

Ninja never quit.

Kai immediately tried to backtrack, deny it, but Chen was still talking.

“Why would you do that to me, Firebrand? You made a commitment to me!” Chen lamented loudly.

Chen’s voice was smashing into Kai’s headache without mercy. Nails digging into Kai’s arm, Chen’s hand was squeezing him like a constrictor. Between the pain, the hunger, and the weakness, Kai found himself too dizzy.

He tried to pull himself away, he needed space to breathe, Chen was too close, too angry. The warning bells started ringing again. Something was wrong. There was too much happening and his head wasn’t clear enough to deal with it. Kai needed an out that wasn’t coming.

“I know, and I’m sorry. It’s just not what I was expecting.” Kai excused, hoping to buy a little breathing room.

“You were expecting to learn all the things Wu won’t tell you, and you won’t if you quit on me!” Chen said in a smooth voice “This is what it takes to get there.”

Kai looked at the floor. He hurt terribly, maybe it wasn’t worth it. Maybe he needed to go home.

“Do you want to know about your father? If it’s not that important to you Kai-“

“It is important!” Kai shouted on reflex.

“Then act like it!” Chen yelled with finality, sitting back down.

“Fine.” Kai said, turning to his soup.

Chen smiled. The first attempt to dissent was always the hardest to shut down, so he was pleased it went so smoothly. Just a little redirection, and of course the threat to withhold, worked like a charm.

“There are many elements, Skylor is the Element of Amber, with the power of absorption, a very strong element.”

Skylor preened at the praise.

“You are the Master of Fire, Lloyd is the Master of Energy, the Blue Ninja master of lightning, the Black Ninja of earth and the White……” Chen trailed off, watching Kai for his reaction.

“Zane.” Kai corrected, otherwise the picture of control.

Chen smiled.

“Zane the Master of Ice.” Chen avoided using any tense for Kai’s sake, unsure if the use present or past tense would upset him.

“There are also the elements of water, gravity, smoke, speed, form, sound, poison, light, shadow, wind, metal, time, nature, and mind. Though a few of those elements have been lost.”

“What do you mean lost?” Kai asked with wide eyes.

He was eagerly soaking up all the information he could. Completely riveted and unsuspecting of any ulterior motives.

“Well let’s see….the last Master of Wind was a student of Wu’s.” Chen said, thinking back on what he knew.

“Really? Wu never talked about any other students.”

Honestly, Chen had been amazed at how easy this was turning out to be. Wu had told his students nothing. Chen had complete freedom to fill in the blanks with any bias he wanted, sowing seeds of distrust and anger. He got to chose how the stories got told because Wu refused to tell them.

Not that it was hard to spin this one. The truth was bitter enough on it’s own. The man had made his lofty mistakes and only made himself look worse by hiding from them.

“I imagine he didn’t want to tell you what a failure it was.” Chen said with a hint of disapproval.

“What do you mean?”

With an air of reserved judgment, Chen revealed Wu’s past for Kai to judge.

“Morro was Wu’s student from childhood. I don’t know what all transpired when he reached a mature age, but I know Wu chased him away. The boy ran away and got himself killed when he was no older than you.”

Kai blinked and tried to process what he’d just been told. Why had Wu never told them? It couldn’t have been because he didn’t want them to know he’d failed. It was probably just too painful, and it’s not like they asked.

But what could Wu have done to drive Morro away like that?

“That’s enough for today.” Chen said, snapping Kai out of his thoughts.

“Come on!” Skylor said with a wide smile as she pulled him up. “You have skating lessons!”

Kai groaned, though he was glad to have a distraction. He didn’t want to think about the fact that Wu had gotten a previous student killed and what his feelings about that were.

“You’re too soft!” Chen yelled.

Kai sighed. That was the fifth time Chen had said that. Sparing with some of Chen’s other followers was his assignment for the day, and Kai had been winning every time. But that wasn’t enough for Chen.

“Kai, you’re better than this! You are the Master of Fire! Where is the fire!? Stop holding back!”

“I don’t want to burn them.” Kai explained, unhappy with how much he sounded like he was whining.

“Why not?” Chen asked stubbornly.

“Because it would be cruel.” Kai exasperatedly explained.

“Kai.” Chen said slowly, standing up and walking over “You’ll never achieve all you can if you’re concerned with how your opponent feels! Only one can remain! Do. What. It. Takes.”

Chen was in Kai’s face now, furious.

“That’s….That’s not right.” Kai said, looking him in the eye, trying to stand strong.

“That’s how I teach, if you don’t like it, you can go back to Wu.” Chen snapped.

Kai didn’t break eye contact. He wasn’t going to back down.

“If Wu’s methods are so precious to you, then go back to living in ignorance! I have nothing to teach you if you won’t listen!” Chen yelled.

Kai didn’t want to fold, he really didn’t. But Chen had told him so much, he couldn’t just walk away! He’d have to tolerate Chen’s methods if he wanted to know more. Kai dropped his defiant gaze. It was just a little compromise.

“Good choice, Firebrand.” Chen said “Do it again! And I want to see a full effort this time!”

Kai clenched his fist. The fight started again, and he took his anger out on Chen’s men, no holding back. Full flames and full force.

Chen cheered and clapped from his seat.

As much as it felt wrong, Kai started to grin. It felt so good to let loose and recklessly attack. The free head space he normally would devote to controlling himself was nice.

Chen just kept cheering him on, and his spine tingled with excitement as he just kept hitting. Skylor’s impressed eyes were burning on him. Her admiration and Chen’s encouragement just kept pushing him. He knew he should stop, but Skylor was looking at him like he could conquer the world and Chen was praising him. His muscles hurt in such a good way, and the adrenaline was making him dizzy, and Kai may’ve just found a new drug.

And he may’ve just developed an addiction.

Kai stared at the wall. His head was swimming and he felt like he might faint.

He’d found out about Chen’s dungeon. The skeleton’s in Ani’s chambers. The prisoners working in the factory. He was so mad, he felt so lied to. He had tried to march straight to Chen’s room and demand answers, but Skylor had stopped him before he got there.

“Kai! What’s wrong!? Talk to me!”

“Did you know!?”

Skylor’s beautiful eyes blinked.

“Did you know about the dungeons? The prisoners? The people Clouse has fed to his snake!?”

“It’s not that simple.”

Kai had felt so betrayed. So angry. So confused.

He couldn’t remember what reasoning she gave. He said he was going to leave. She had cried.

And she had kissed him.

His back hit the wall as her lovely lips pushed him into submission. Her hands found their way to his most sensitives spots and tightened their grip, causing Kai’s mind fell out from under him. Her lips roamed from his mouth onto his neck. His spine tingled and he was having trouble feeling anything but Skylor’s hands and lips and body and….

He had completely blanked.

He would blame the shock, but he knew the truth, there was more to it than that. Skylor had possessed the ability to take his entire focus away for a while, she just hadn’t used it until that moment.

When she finally pulled back Kai briefly wondered if she’d drugged him. It felt like she did.

“I love you.” She confessed.

Kai stared at her for a moment before pushing past her and running.

So, there he was, processing. Why was he so messed up over this?

She loved him.

He threatened to leave, and she told him she was in love with him.

His thoughts just looped over and over until one of Chen’s other followers found him and dragged him, dazed and silent, to Chen.

Skylor was there. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t do this with her staring at him. He couldn’t confront Chen with her looking at him with her watery eyes.

“Firebrand, what’s wrong?” Chen said in a concerned tone.

“I….” Kai couldn’t get the accusations he’d had so ready to come back.

“Skylor told me you found the dungeons. I’m so sorry you had to find those like that Kai, I wanted to wait until you were more ready before I told you.” Chen was getting up and walking towards him.

“Run!” screamed one part of Kai, but another voice screamed to “Listen!”

“You must be very shaken.” Chen said soothingly, reaching his arms out to pull Kai into a hug.

This was it. Kai could feel himself on the edge. If he took that hug, he was going to believe whatever Chen told him, if he ran now, he’d never come back.

He’d break Skylor’s heart.

Was that really his most pressing concern?

“Come here.” Chen said, he sounded so caring.

He’d always taken care of Kai, given him so much. Why should he distrust him? Because he saw something that looked bad? He owed the man the chance to explain himself. He owed Skylor that.

Chen’s arms closed on him like shackles and Kai didn’t fight it.

Kai was finally in the catacombs, where some of Chen’s “ceremonies” took place. He said Kai would understand things if he joined them.

The whole place screamed sinister, but Skylor was there holding his hand. Any time he started to get flighty, she’d rub his arm and calm him down.

“It’s ok. I know it looks scary, but it’s fine, really!”

Kai nodded to her. He was trying to believe her, but the whole place looked plain evil. Alarm bells rang in his head still and no amount of logic silenced them.

The drums started and Kai grimaced. Did they have to be so loud? Chen was speaking, but Kai couldn’t make the words out. Too far away from the platform and too close to the very loud drums. Kai was debating if he could get away with breaking one or two, just to quiet it a little. The way Skylor was watching him said no.

A shiver slowly worked its way through Kai’s spine. He felt eyes on him and his mental alarms were still screeching. Sure enough, he caught sight of Clouse watching him like he was prey. It was unnerving. Kai turned to tell Skylor that her sort-of-uncle was weirding him out, but he wasn’t heard over all the noise.

Chen’s followers started chanting and Kai gave up on trying to talk to Skylor with a huff. He didn’t recognize the language. To him it just sounded like strangled vowels that they were almost singing. Skylor was joining in, giving him a nod. Kai tentatively started to repeat the strange words he heard them say, matching the beating of the drums.

Oh-ah Tu-ay. Oh-ah Tu-ay. Oh-ah Tu-ay.

The voices were starting to sound like a single monotone voice, one Kai’s voice was merging into. It was mesmerizing to listen to.

Oh-ah Tu-ay. Oh-ah Tu-ay. Oh-ah Tu-ay.

Kai started swaying with the rhythm. The drums were still pounding in his head, but it was almost pleasant at that point.

Oh-ah Tu-ay. Oh-ah Tu-ay. Oh-ah Tu-ay.

He didn’t know when he spaced out, but he kept chanting.

Oh-ah Tu-ay. Oh-ah Tu-ay. Oh-ah Tu-ay.

Suddenly Clouse was too close. Kai felt frightened and trapped, his instincts screaming danger. He needed to get away from that man.

Oh-ah Tu-ay. Oh-ah Tu-ay. Oh-ah Tu-ay.

Why was he still chanting? Why couldn’t he stop?

Oh-ah Tu-ay. Oh-ah Tu-ay. Oh-ah Tu-ay.

Something was wrong, very wrong. Kai tried to wake himself up, but it wasn’t working. Clouse started whispering in his ear and it all drained away.

Oh-ah Tu-ay. Oh-ah Tu-ay. Oh-ah Tu-ay.

Finally, the drums and the chanting stopped, Kai felt dizzy and tired, but relaxed. He was glad he did it. He felt like he had a satisfying explanation. I made him wonder why he ever doubted Master Chen in the first place, he must’ve been overreacting.

“Better?” Skylor asked.

Kai gave her a sleepy nod. He hadn’t felt so relaxed in his whole life. It was nice after how stressed he’d been finding out all that he had without the context. He’d almost left them over it.

It didn’t matter anymore. It was explained, and everything was fine.

Kai gulped while knocking on Master Chen’s door. He had a feeling he knew what this was about and was not looking forward to the conversation.

“Come in.” Chen’s cheery voice yelled.

He gulped one more time and went in.

“Ah! Firebrand!” Chen said warmly.

That was a good sign. Maybe Kai would be surviving after all? He doubted it

“You wanted to see me Master Chen?” Kai asked.

“Ah yes, sit down!” Chen said, animatedly pointing at the plush chairs next to a large portrait of himself, his deceased wife, and Skylor as a toddler.

Kai did as he was told and Chen sat in the chair next to him, facing him and looking straight into his eyes. Shifting in the chair, Kai tried to lessen the intensity he was feeling with little success.

“So Skylor tells me you two have developed a… let’s say ‘more than professional’ relationship?” His voice gave nothing away.

“Well, um….Yes Sir.” Kai stammered.

“Uh huh.” Chen said, still not reacting.

Kai was pretty sure he was about to die at the hands of a paranoid father.

“She instigated it!” Kai defended. “I mean, I’ve liked her, but I’d never take advantage of her! Honest! I was fine with letting things stay platonic between us but she…. She….”

Oh, where were his words!?

Chen finally nodded and sat back.

“Of course! Skylor has always gotten what she wants. She takes after me that way. Very motivated, that girl. You can’t stop her when she sets her mind to something.” Chen said with a fond smile on his face, looking warmly at the portrait.

“What…Are you….” Kai asked.

“Saying that that I guessed that this would happen? Yes I am.” Master Chen laughed. “If I thought you would hurt her, you would’ve been out the door a long time ago.”

“You knew?”

“Oh, I was impressed that you kept yourself under control for so long. She can be very persuasive when she wants something. You have remarkable self-control.” Chen praised in a light tone.

He stood up and put a tender hand on Kai’s shoulder.

“I asked you here today so I could tell you that I approve. Truth be told, I already see you as a son I never knew I wanted.” Chen said in a loving voice.

Something in Kai’s chest fluttered.

“You do?”

“I couldn’t have picked better myself.”

Tears started leaking out of his eyes slowly. Kai didn’t really want to cry, but his eyes weren’t asking for his opinion at that moment.

“You two go well together, and I’m so happy to have you both in my life.” Chen whispered, softly wiping the tears from Kai’s cheeks.

Kai subtly pinched himself just to make sure. It felt like Chen had just handed him to moon, something grand and impossible. Something he would never dare wish for.

He had craved it so hard it ached, an ache that had long since become background to him. So to have it soothed, to feel such a balm on it, to finally have the need addressed, it was too much to process.

Kai finally had a father’s approval, and it was melting him into putty.

“I’m sorry you two, but I can’t afford anyone to train with you today.” Chen said.

“What about you?” Kai asked.

“I’m far too busy.” Chen waved him off.

Skylor pouted but stayed quiet.

“What’s got everyone so busy?” Kai asked.

Chen gave a pitying smile. Kai knew he wasn’t going to like the answer.

“Well, we’re a bit short staffed since I had to send some men out to deliver your letters to the mainland.” Chen explained.

“Oh.” Kai said quietly.

“It’s alright firebrand, we’ll manage.” Chen said.

Kai nodded and quietly walked out of the room with his girlfriend holding his hand tightly. He wondered how much extra work he’d made for everybody because he wanted to send letters to his sister.

“It’s fine Kai, it’s just a few more trips to the mainland, they have to go over for supplies every few weeks anyways.” Skylor said, rubbing his back.

“Maybe I should save my letters for days they’re already doing supply runs?” Kai suggested.

Skylor bite her lip.

“Well, it would make things easier.” She said quietly. “But doesn’t your sister need you?”

Kai thought about it.

“I don’t need you to protect me anymore!”

“Give me some space!”

“Kai I can handle myself! you don’t have to smother me!”

“Let me do things for myself.”

The truth was that he was probably only sending letters for his own sake. Nya hadn’t needed him to baby or take care of her for a long time, he only did it out of habit, and because he didn’t know what to do with himself if he wasn’t.

But he had Skylor and Master Chen now, he had other people and things to focus on. Nya would probably be relieved to not have him suffocating her.

“She’s a big girl. Besides, she’s probably been annoyed with me anyways. She has her own life to live.” Kai said, shrugging.

Nya didn’t need him breathing down her neck and he didn’t want to be a burden on Chen and his other followers. It was best for everyone if he stopped fixating so much on his sister.

“If you’re sure.” Skylor said.

Kai nodded.

“Ok, well now that that’s settled, I think we have a few video games to beat each other in.” she said with that suggestive grin that Kai couldn’t say no to.

“YOU’RE WEAK!” Chen yelled as he slapped Kai to the other side of the room.

Kai tried to get up but fell back to the ground.

“Let me help you Kai! Let me make you strong!” Chen insisted.

Master Chen was right. Wu had made him so weak. He could barely handle Chen’s training. It was pathetic, just like he was.

“Do you want my help of not, Kai?” Chen asked.

“Yes.” Kai said through his bloody lip.

“I can’t hear you!” Chen yelled.

“YES!” Kai screamed.

“Ask me for it, Firebrand.”

Kai shook. This didn’t feel right. This felt more like torture than training, like Master Chen was trying to break him.

“Ask me to make you strong!” Chen demanded, giving Kai another kick.

Kai bit his lip and held back his tears. Master Chen just wanted to help him, right? He just wanted what was best for him. Master Chen always told him how much potential he had. Kai just had to suffer if he wanted to be powerful.

“I’m waiting Kai!” Chen yelled, pulling him up by the hair on the back of his head.

He wanted that, right? He wanted to be powerful? To be Master Chen’s student and follower? He had said he wanted it. He’d committed to it. He couldn’t just back out! He’d promised Master Chen.

“I want you to make me strong.” Kai said.

Chen put him back on the ground and Kai curled into himself. He flinched when he felt Chen touch him, but all he was doing was petting his hair affectionately.

“I just want the best for you Firebrand. All I do is to make you stronger.” Chen explained calmly.

Kai nodded, relaxing into his touch, feeling silly for the jolt of fear he’d felt.

He needed to stop doubting Master Chen. He had no reason to. Just because he was rough and strict didn’t mean he was trying to hurt Kai. He wanted what was best for him! He did everything he could to give Kai what he wanted, no matter what he asked. Master Chen really cared about him.

And Skylor.

Skylor loved him too. They both had taken Kai right into their family. Master Chen had practically all but announced Kai as his Son-in-Law. Kai was so lucky to have them both, they deserved better from him. Kai had no reason to be afraid of Master Chen, he needed to stop being to irrational.

“Why do you want to leave me?” Master Chen cried.

Kai cringed at the sound.

“It’s her birthday! And I promised!” he protested.

“You promised me! We need you here, Firebrand! Big things are coming, we can’t have you run off on us!” Master Chen begged.

“Kai please.” Skylor added.

Why were they looking at him like that? They were acting like he was leaving forever. All he wanted was to visit his sister! It wasn’t like he wasn’t giving them amble notice. Kai was asking weeks in advance.

“I thought you said that your sister could handle herself! Besides, she hasn’t written you back in weeks!” Skylor pointed out.

“I know, but-”

“You’re really going to run off like this!? You’re going to leave us!?” Skylor was taking a page form his fathers book and steamrolling Kai with her words.

“But-“

“I don’t want to be alone!” Skylor blurted out tearfully. “Please Kai, I can’t do that again! Don’t leave me here by myself!”

Her eyes were sparkling with tears. Maybe he was being selfish. And she did have a point about Nya not writing back in so long. Maybe she’d forgotten about him. Maybe she’d made other plans.

“It’s fine Skylor! I mean, I’ll have to reschedule everything, but if it’s so important then I’m sure we can make the sacrifices.” Chen said dramatically.

Kai bit his lip.

“Well, I’ll need to redo your training schedule, and my own plans will have to be completely postponed.” Chen started listing.

Kai bite down harder. He didn’t want to be such a burden, but he also hadn’t seen his sister in so long.

“And of course, your studies. Oh, I’ll have to take a whole day to rework your entire lesson plans! And we were just about to get you caught up to Skylor! Oh well, I suppose it won’t be too hard to keep you on a remedial course for a little while longer.”

Kai shrank at every word. How could he forget that Master Chen had taken great pains to give Kai the education he never got as a child, and here Kai was, spitting in the face of that gift.

“And of course, the plans we’ve had set in motion for years can wait a little while longer, I’m sure it won’t be too much trouble to postpone it.” Chen continued.

“I don’t...” Kai mumbled.

“What was that?” Chen asked loudly.

“I can maybe…” Kai tried to say in a quiet voice.

“Yes?” Chen asked.

“Maybe….maybe I don’t have to go.” Kai mumbled, defeated.

Chen clapped and made gleeful noises.

“Oh, thank you Kai! You’re such a good student!” Chen praised loudly “Everyone look at Kai! Look at what a good team player he is! He deserves a treat! Such a selfless boy!”

Chen was petting his head and telling him what a good student he was. It almost blocked out the guilt he felt for breaking his promise and abandoning his sister.

It was probably for the best. This way she could go do whatever she wanted instead of worrying about him, and Master Chen clearly needed him.

Skylor quietly kissed him gently on the cheek.

“Thank-you.” She whispered tenderly in his ear.

Kai knew he’d made the right call. This was where he belonged. This was where he was needed.

Kai cried. He didn’t know why he was doing it, but he was bawling. His emotions were confusing and loud, demanding he feel them and feel them intensely. He couldn’t sleep. All he could do was sob, a slave to whatever feelings had his heart in their grips.

Maybe he was sad he wasn’t going to see his sister for her birthday? That hardly seemed like enough to cause him so much heartache though. Besides, he’d decided it was the right call to skip it.

It felt like more. He felt helpless and sacred and he didn’t know what of.

Was it Master Chen?

Why did thinking that make him feel worse?

Even more so, it panicked him. How dare he be afraid of Master Chen. What and insult that was!

He should be grateful. Master Chen had done everything to make him feel welcomed and loved, he was well within his right to ask Kai for some loyalty. He should be happy! He had a girlfriend who he loved and who loved him back, and Master Chen practically treated him as a son. This was everything he’d ever wanted.

So why did it hurt?

The routine was broken. Instead of one of Master Chen’s followers coming to call him for breakfast, Kai woke up to Skylor jumping on top of him.

“Guess what!?” she asked in an excited voice.

Kai rubbed sleep from his eyes and tried to look at her straight.

“Everything has been going so smoothly, Father has some extra time today. He though we should all go out this afternoon.” Skylor was practically bouncing as she talked.

“Really?” Kai asked.

Skylor nodded happily then hopped off of him.

“Get dressed! We’re going out right after morning training!” and she skipped off.

Kai smiled. He knew Skylor didn’t get to spend much time with her dad outside of training. He was so busy with his business and running things on the island. He was happy for her.

He got dressed and heading to the dining room for breakfast. Skylor was already at the table, talking to her father about how excited she was.

Kai sat down and Chen switched focus.

“Firebrand! There you are!” he chirped, waving to a servant to bring his food.

A plate was set in front of him, but before Kai could stab anything with his fork, Master Chen pulled the plate away.

“I was thinking we could go out for a picnic out in the jungle, it’s such a nice day for it.” Chen explained.

Kai nodded. That sounded like a great plan. It would be nice to take a break from the routine, probably do them all some good.

“I’m just going to finish some things up, you two go do your morning training and then get changed, then we’ll meet up here and head out.”

Typical Master Chen, having the whole plan ready.

Finally Chen pushed the plate back into Kai’s reach.

“Now eat don’t eat too much, we won’t want to spoil lunch would we?” Chen said.

Kai nodded again.

“Good boy. Now go ahead and eat!”

Breakfast finished quickly without much excitement and they went their separate ways. Kai and Skylor met back up for morning training and got right to their stretches.

Skylor was over the moon and full of energy while they spared. She kept sneaking kisses as they fought and every time it distracted him long enough for her to win. He’d almost accuse her of cheating if it wasn’t so fun.

He decided to try to turn the tables and kiss her.

He wasn’t ready for her to passionately deepen the kiss. She took the control almost instantly and Kai’s brain took a moment to catch up when she pushed him onto the floor.

And there she was, legs straddling him, hands pushing on his chest, her hair escaping her ponytail like a halo. His breath stopped. His hands were resting on her thighs and he couldn’t move them. He couldn’t move anything but his trembling lip.

She looked at him like he was her hard-caught prey and Kai’s chest fluttered. She slowly, at an agonizing pace, leaned forward, bringing her lips right up to his ear.

“I win.” She whispered and Kai shuddered.

She did. She always did.

She quickly kissed his neck and then hopped up.

Kai was redder than her hair and he didn’t mind. This girl was going to be the death of him.

Kai had picked some of the nicer clothes Master Chen had given him and Skylor was even wearing a dress. Kai was actively keeping his eyes off her legs. Death. Of. Him.

She was so happy, swinging her arm while holding Kai’s hand and smiling so brightly. Master Chen look at them with so much pride and Kai felt something swell in his chest.

Something familiar tingled in his brain. He’d done this before. A long time ago, before he and Nya were on their own.

They’d climbed to the top of the tallest hill in the whole village, He and Nya tried to run up the whole thing in one go and their parents had been laughing. His dad had put him on his shoulders and his mom taught him how to roll down the hill on his side.

Kai smiled at the precious memories. He had so few of them.

They reached the clearing Master Chen had picked out and started to set up.

Skylor spread the blanket out in a single graceful swoop and Kai couldn’t help but see his mother doing the same. She’d always had such elegant hands, Kai remembered watching her do just about anything and being amazed by how lithely her hands did things.

Master Chen set the basket down and told them where to sit. He took charge, just like Kai remembered his dad doing. Whenever he was confused or scared, his dad seemed to know what was going on.

Kai sat down and Master Chen put his hand on his head.

His dad had done the same so long ago. Ruffled his hair and told him that he was loved. Kai felt all that love again, something he thought he’d lost forever when his parents disappeared. Master Chen had given it back to him.

Master Chen had given Kai so much; he didn’t know if he’d ever be able to repay the man. He’d given Kai things he’d never be able to afford on his own, the education he missed out on, the training and answers he needed, and most importantly, a loving home he was welcomed into.

Skylor put her head on his shoulder and Kai sighed contently. He was happy. It had felt like so long since he was just plainly happy. It was something else Master Chen had given back to him.

Kai woke up crying again. He still didn’t know why he was doing it. He had everything he could possibly want. Was he just so maladjusted that happiness hurt? That was his leading theory. Nothing else made any sense.

There was also nagging feeling that it was Master Chen he was afraid of, but that made no sense.

Kai sighed, a hiccup interrupting him as he did. He was crying in the dark like a scared little kid and he couldn’t even figure out why. He felt crazy.

He decided to get up and get a glass of water. The cool liquid soothed his throat, but not his heart or head. Another fun side effect of crying your eyes out every night for unknown reasons was the frequent headaches it caused.

At least his breathing was back to normal. Kai climbed back into his bed and tried to force himself to calm down and sleep again. He very much did not want to be awake. Maybe he should ask Master Chen for some sleeping pills.

Why was he such a mess?

Kai lazily skated passed Skylor.

“How dare you be faster than me!” Skylor yelled in mock fury.

Kai snickered. With Skylor’s help and a lot of time, he’d master the skill of skating and started to surpass his teacher. To Skylor’s dismay, he’d just won three races straight.

“I created a monster!” She scoffed “I miss it when you were hanging off of me!”

Kai laughed and skated back up to her, draping himself on her shoulders. She adjusted her balance to accommodate his weight.

“All you had to do was ask, Babe.” He said in a suggestive tone.

She laughed and grabbed his hand. The two started skating together, leaning on each other in silence for a while. They made the same trip around the rink a few times.

“This is nice.” Skylor commented.

Kai hummed in agreement.

The rhythm of their skates hitting the ground synced first, then came the breathing, Kai was sure they were sharing a heartbeat after a while. Gliding along with his girlfriend attached to his side, he closed his eyes. He actually really liked skating, after Skylor had gotten him to not fall on his face. It felt right to him to smoothly glide along, not stopped by the need for steps.

As fun as it was though, everything gets boring after you do it near constantly for a few weeks. Skylor and him had played all their video games to death and Skylor had gotten Kai from an idiot to a master on skates. They’d already trained and sparred and didn’t feel like doing it another time that day.

“I’m bored.” Skylor voiced what Kai was thinking.

They really needed something new to do.

“Hey!” Skylor said, pulling away.

Kai slightly mourned the warmth that wasn’t on his side anymore and raise his eyebrow curiously.

“When I was little, I always wanted to play hide and seek with someone. This place is so perfect for it, but I never had anybody that knew it as well as I did that would play with me.” Skylor explained, pulling Kai off to the bench to remove their skates.

“Sounds less boring.” Kai agreed, sitting down to take his skates off.

It was a good idea. Practice hiding, practice searching, and a good way to further cement the estate lay out in his mind. Plus, it was something they hadn’t done to death yet.

“Ok, you count first!” Skylor yelled, her shoes already back on.

“Ok.” Kai agreed, an airy laugh in his voice.

“Count to……Thirty!” Skylor decided.

Kai nodded, close his eyes, and started. He heard Skylor run off and he blindly changed back into his shoes while he continued to count up. When he got to thirty and opened his eyes Skylor was gone.

Hopping up and yelling out a warning, Kai began to search.

Hide and seek was certainly better than boredom, but the novelty was running out after about twelve rounds. Kai slowly trudged about the estate, looking for Skylor’s latest hiding spot.

He sighed. Good practice or not, it was starting to get dull. Kai wondered what they could try to do next while he continued to poke around.

Then an open door caught his eye.

It was normally closed and locked up tight, but the door to Clouse’s study was slightly a jar. Kai’s curiosity started to climb as he started to walk past.

What did Clouse keep in there?

No, no! He wasn’t supposed to go in there.

But he’d never even seen it. He wondered what it looked like in there. Was it full of dusty old books? Were there bottles of potions? Did he keep weird ingredients and teas in there like Wu? What in Ninjago did a “Sorcerer’s Sanctum” look like? What all did he do in there anyways?

A small peak wouldn’t hurt, right? Just a look around. He wouldn’t touch anything.

Kai’s scalp hurt from Clouse pulling him along by his hair. He really shouldn’t have done that. Master Chen looked furious.

“Was I unclear about the rules!?” Master Chen yelled.

“No.” Kai muttered.

“So, you deliberately disobeyed me!?”

“I’m sorry.”

“You will be!” Master Chen yelled, slamming his staff down.

Kai flinched. Why did Clouse have to be holding his arm so tight, he wasn’t going to run away. Master Chen being angry was bad enough.

“Firebrand, I have reasons for my rules! Think of what could’ve gone wrong! Do you know the kind of things Clouse keeps in there!?”

No, he didn’t. That’s why he wanted to see.

“After all I’ve given you! All I’ve done to try to help you, keep you safe! This is how you repay me? By spitting on my rules!?” Master Chen ranted. “This is unacceptable Kai, you are my student, that means you obey me!”

Kai stared at the floor to avoid looking at Master Chen’s fuming eyes.

“I’m disappointed in you, Kai.” Master Chen sighed, running a hand down his face.

Kai bit his lip. It had become a habit at some point, he’s not sure when though.

“I have to punish you, you realize that?”

Kai nodded. He’d figured that much out already, but he wondered what punishment Master Chen could have in store. He’d never gotten in this kind of trouble with Wu, and it wasn’t like he’d had any parents to disappoint like this before, so his frame of reference was nonexistent.

“You’re grounded. No leaving your room until I allow it. Maybe some time alone will teach you to respect me and my rules.”

Grounding. That was a normal parental punishment, right? Kai thinks he may’ve even grounded Nya once or twice, though it wouldn’t have happened often.

As soon as Master Chen finished his sentencing, Clouse started dragging Kai away. The sudden jerk made him trip, but Clouse didn’t care, he just kept dragging him along the ground. The carpet burned Kai’s skin raw. He was trying to get his feet back under himself, but Clouse was moving too fast, all Kai could do was stumble.

The pain and shame he was feeling starting to build behind his eyes. The pressure kept pushing until tears began to leak out. He’d really upset Master Chen and Clouse hadn’t he? What if they sent him away? What if he lost everything and he was alone again? Kai wanted to calm down and think rationally, but he’d been having so much trouble with that recently.

It didn’t escape him that he was crying again. It felt almost weird to have a reason for it.

They very suddenly reached Kai’s room. Clouse threw him inside with no words or ceremony. Kai, hitting the ground roughly, caught one more look at Clouse’s furious face before he slammed the door shut and Kai could hear it lock closed.

Then silence. Just his hiccuping, nothing else.

Kai listened to the roaring static in his ears while he hung upside down. He wondered what Skylor was doing without him. Probably training…maybe. Was it still morning?

There wasn’t any way to tell time. The door was sealed shut from the outside and so was the balcony, probably by Clouse’s magic. Kai also hadn’t heard anything from outside his room at all, he wondered if that was Clouse’s doing as well.

He would’ve tried playing his video games, bored of them as he was, but they’d been taken away. He had nothing to do but sit in silence.

Still hadn’t heard anything.

His stomach growled. He hadn’t eaten the night before, and he hadn’t gotten breakfast. It wasn’t hard to guess that no food was a part of the whole “grounded” thing too. Was that normal?

It was too quiet.

Master Chen had been really mad. Kai hated that he upset him so much. Did he really have to see Clouse’s study that much? He could’ve gotten hurt, Chen just wanted to protect him. Why did Kai have to mess things up so much?

He missed Skylor.

He was getting a headache, so he sat up. It didn’t help much, he needed food.

Kai didn’t like the quiet.

He started humming, hoping to cut the silence. It was getting oppressive.

His stomach hurt.

What time was it? How long had he been sitting there? How much longer until he was done?

He got a drink of water. He couldn’t think of anything else to hum.

It was so quiet. He was so lonely.

He went to bed. He woke up.

How long had it been? He was hungry. It was too quiet. He hadn’t heard anyone speak. He really wished he could hear something other than his own breathing and slamming heartbeat.

His stomach hurt, he tried to drown it. Maybe some water would silence it?

No. He didn’t want silence.

He wanted Master Chen to come back and tell him he was forgiven. It had been so long.

Had it?

How long had it been?

He needed some water.

He needed someone.

It felt like days since he last talked to anybody. He was hungry. He was lonely. He started to cry again. He missed them so much. It was so silent. He wanted to hold Skylor’s hand, he wanted Chen to hug him.

He wanted his sister.

Was it her birthday yet?

What time was it? How long had it been? Master Chen hadn’t forgotten him, had he?

He….

He hadn’t abandoned him, right?

Kai’s breathing sped up, the only sound he had to cling to.

It was happening all over again. He screwed up. He chased him away. He was a bad kid.

He shouldn’t have touched the sword. HE SHOULDN’T HAVE TOUCHED IT!! Dad told him not to, but he did anyways.

He couldn’t see. He couldn’t hear.

Now his dad left him and his sister because he was such a disobedient child, and they were alone and please come back please come back please come back please come back please come back

“Kai?”

Kai’s wet eyes snapped to attention.

He was there. In the doorway. Master Chen was there. He’d come back! Even though Kai had been bad and disobedient. He’d forgiven him!

Kai cried and ran straight into a hug.

“Shhh….it’s alright Firebrand. It’s over now. Let’s get you some food.” Master Chen said as he pet Kai’s hair.

Chen’s voice washed away all the suffocating silence and Kai felt grounded for the first time since he’d entered the silent room. He clung to Master Chen’s words like a lifeline. They’d come and saved him from all the quiet that had been drowning him. Master Chen had come and saved him.

Kai was so grateful for it.

Master Chen had sat with Kai the entire time he ate, making sure he ate enough.

“I hope you learned your lesson. I don’t want to have to do that again!” Master Chen chastised.

Kai nodded as he chewed. Master Chen smiled at him.

Kai had suffered from a slight panic attack when Master Chen had been coming to get him. He was a mess when he walked in on him, but he helped Kai calm down, gotten him some food, and talked to him. He’d been so gentle and reassuring the whole time. Kai felt like he’d found reality again by the time he finished eating.

Master Chen was so good to him.

Next, he went upstairs to look for Skylor, and she found him.

He felt her before he saw her. Lips were on his mouth, blocking any protest. Not that he had any. Her hands wandered and snatched his wrists up, slamming them above his head while her leg pushed him high up the wall she had him pinned to. She traced his jawline with her tongue and Kai shivered. Then she lightly bit down on his earlobe and he gasped in pleasant surprise. Suddenly, his wrists were released, and his shoulders were now in clamps as she yanked him.

“You have no idea how much I missed you.” Skylor said breathlessly and she pulled him into her room.

Kai tried to tell her that he had felt the same, but all he could get out was an unintelligible moan. How was he supposed to speak when she kept doing….that?

Skylor slammed the door behind them as she pushed him backwards further into the room. His hips hit her mattress and she shoved him onto it, her lips on his the whole way down.

She started to play with the hem of his shirt while he helped her on top of him. When her hands found their way under his shirt they started to roam around his chest, tracing the lines of his abs while she bit down on his lips. She moved to chewing on his neck while his shirt just kept slipping further and further up.

“Wha…” He stammered.

He was interrupted by her yanking his head back by his hair and he gasped again. Before his eyes focused again, she’d already gotten his shirt off and was going at his chest. Following her lead, he started to gently place his hand on her waist under her shirt, she let out a delighted noise and ripped her own shirt off.

They carried on like that for awhile. Kai took a few turns on top, but Skylor kept most the control. He let her. He’d been alone too long to deny all the physical contact she was giving him. After everything that had happened Kai would've let her do whatever she wanted to keep the comfort of having someone on his skin.

Eventually, their fervor cooled down. Slowly, they stopped clawing at each other like starving animals. Instead, they settled into gentle touches while their breathing caught back up to them.

Kai still felt hazy and happy as they laid down next to each other. It had been overwhelming to go from nothing and silence straight into that. Like flooding a desert. It was taking him a bit to readjust. Not that he’d ever complain, he had needed it. Skylor had finished what Chen started and now Kai felt firmly grounded back in reality.

And what a pleasant reality it was. His skin was still tingling from where Skylor had nicked and scratched him. He could still feel a phantom burning everywhere she had kissed him. He was the Master of Fire and no stranger to heat, but this was probably his favorite kind.

“Don’t do that again, ok?” Skylor said between pants.

Kai looked at her curiously, haven’t she been the one to start the make-out session?

“I mean don’t get punished again.” Skylor clarified. “Do you know how lonely I’ve been without you?”

“I’m sorry.” Kai said, reaching out and grabbing her hand.

She scooted over to him and put her head on his shirtless chest. Kai soaked up the heat like he was feeling the sun for the first time.

“I need you. Don’t make me be alone again.” Skylor whined.

Guilt thumped in his chest like a second heartbeat. He hadn’t even thought about what him getting in trouble would do to her. He could only imagine how lonely she must’ve been. He knew he was in agony without her, alone and isolated. It had to be so much worse for her. How many times had she told Kai how lonely she was without him? How much he’d changed things for her. How she couldn’t go back to being without him. It must’ve been torture for her, to be alone again like that.

And here Kai was licking his own wounds. How dare he feel so sorry for himself.

“I won’t.” Kai promised.

He wouldn’t put her through that ever again. She deserved better.

“Good.”

“Although, if that’s the kind of greeting I get when I do….” Kai joked.

Skylor laughed and playfully hit him.

“You jerk!”

Kai just snickered until Skylor gave up and went back to laying on him.

“So….taking the shirts off is new.” Kai mentioned, trying not to blush.

“Good new?” Skylor asked.

He lost his fight against blushing and nodded.

“Yeah.”

Skylor just smiled and snuggled into his bare chest. Making him burn with an ecstatic fire. She was going to destroy him, and he was going to let her.

Kai was getting used to being held by the back of his neck while Clouse whispered in his ear. It was normal. He’d listen to Master Chen while Clouse said…things in his ear.

It felt strange at first, but it was normal. There wasn’t any reason to fight it. Sometimes Kai made out what Clouse was saying, when he wasn’t speaking in bizarre and magic languages.

“Obey.” “You want this.” “Don’t ask questions.”

Sometimes those words made him a little uncomfortable, but Skylor would grab his hand and calm him down. Reminding him that it was all normal.

Master Chen asking him to kneel was normal. Forgetting what happened was normal. Feeling confused was normal. He just had to trust Master Chen, that’s all.

The drums were normal. The chanting was normal. Compliance was normal.

Kai woke up to a loud noise. For a moment he thought he imagined it, but another thump confirmed its legitimacy, then a muffled scream.

He flew out of bed and tore out his door. He had a job to do and his heart was in his throat. That was Skylor screaming, the noise was coming for her room. Someone was attacking her.

As soon as he got into the hallway Kai’s eye met with a man dressed in all black. He had a sedated Skylor slung over his shoulder and appeared to be on his way out with her in tow. Kai didn’t need to see any more before he charged.

“Wha-” the man was cut off by a punch to the face.

Kai’s first priority was to get Skylor out of his hands, so he was at the man’s arms with flames. It didn’t take long for him to let go of her, Kai snatched her up and put her safely out of the way.

“You’re…you’re the Red Ninja!” The man exclaimed in shock.

“And you’re in for it!” Kai threatened as he jumped back into the fight.

“Why are you… why are you here!?” the man asked in a panicked voice.

“So, I can stop you!” Kai retorted, his fist coming relentlessly.

“but you’re not…. You shouldn’t be here!”

Kai rolled his eyes as he tackled the man to the ground. He held him there as Master Chen and some men on guard duty arrived.

“Oh my! What do we have here!?” Master Chen asked

“Chen!” the man said with a venomous voice.

“Oh, it’s you.” Master Chen did not sound happy to see the man.

“What did you do to him!?” he accused, nodding his head towards Kai.

Kai tilted his head. What was that supposed to mean?

“Oh! Firebrand! Thank-you so much! We can take it from here, why don’t you go check on Skylor? I’m sure she could use some company.”

Kai nodded and handed the man over to Eyezor.

“Whatever he’s told you is a lie!” the man yelled “You don’t belong here! Chen is a villain!”

Kai stopped and looked curiously at Master Chen for an explanation. Chen sighed.

“This is an ex-follower of mine; we didn’t part on the best terms. He appears to still be terribly angry at me for exiling him.”

The man started to say something, but his mouth was covered, and his wrist were bound.

Kai stared for another moment. The man looked pissed at Chen, but he was staring at Kai with some kind of concern. It didn’t quite make sense. Somewhere, in the back of Kai’s mind, his old ninja instincts told him he was missing something important.

“Don’t worry about it, Firebrand.” Master Chen assured him quietly with a hand on his shoulder. “Besides, Skylor is going to be awfully scared when she wakes up, better you’re there for her.”

Kai nodded. Master Chen could handle the would-be kidnapper without him, Kai trusted him. Skylor needed him more anyways. So, he left to help with Skylor. Whatever he was missing didn’t matter. Master Chen would handle it.

Skylor was starting to stir when he got to her. Shooing off Chen’s other followers, he picked her up bridal style and took her to his room. She didn’t need to be overcrowded. He laid her on the bed, gently.

Her beautiful eyes fluttered open. She took a gasp of breath and sat up in a panic. Kai held her and quietly shushed and assured her.

“It’s alright, I got you. Everything’s ok. It all over.”

“He almost….” Skylor said in disbelief, clinging to Kai’s shirt in a vice.

“He didn’t.” Kai said, hugging her close.

“Kai, you saved my life!” Skylor said.

Kai didn’t respond.

“Kai?” she asked.

It was then she noticed that he was crying.

“Kai, what’s wrong? You saved me, everything’s ok!” she said in a comforting voice, cupping his cheek in a tender hold.

That was when Kai noticed that he was crying. Again.

He sobbed. Skylor decided to not push and wait for him to find his words. Which he did after a few hiccups.

It took him a while to sort through his own feelings and find the cause. He’d been crying over a lot of mystery feelings lately, so he was relieved to figure out what was setting him off that time.

“I just….” Kai took a breath “Did I ever tell you that my sister was kidnapped?”

Skylor silently shook her head.

“It was the whole reason I became a ninja. I had to…. She was my only family, and I watched her get taken from me.”

“So, this mess reminded you?” she guessed gently.

Kai looked away, pained. He hated the remembering those feelings of helplessness and panic. It was like he was right back at Four Weapons, a scared orphan losing his entire world. He hated it.

At least it made sense. At least he knew why he was crying. At least he knew where his feelings came from.

It didn’t make it much better.

“Sorry, it’s stupid. I just… I felt like such a failure because I couldn’t keep her safe.” He said after collecting himself.

Skylor forced him to look her in the eyes.

“You saved me.” she said in a stern voice. “I didn’t get taken away. You didn’t fail at anything.”

Kai sniffled and nodded.

“You’re my hero Kai!” Skylor reminded him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.

Kai melted into it. Skylor’s heartbeat comforted and grounded him.

“I’m so glad you’re ok.” Kai said into her shoulder.

She laughed.

“Thanks to you, Firebrand.”

It was quiet while she pet his hair and he held her. Kai wrangled the last of his wayward emotions and composed himself. It was a good amount easier to get himself under control when he knew what he was feeling.

“I was so scared he’d hurt you.” Skylor admitted after the long pause.

“What? Never!” Kai bragged.

Skylor laughed, but still clung to him.

“I woke up to him…above me.” she shivered “and all I could think of was if he’d done anything to you first.”

“I’m touched.”

Skylor laughed once again and burrowed her head into his chest, taking in his warmth like a drug.

“I don’t want to be alone.” She quietly admitted.

“Never.” Kai promised, wrapping the two of them in his covers so they could sleep.

“I love you.” Skylor said, kissing him softly.

“I love you too.” Kai said back, pulling her tight against himself.

They didn’t do anything more as they fell asleep. It wasn’t as passionate as they’re usual displays, but it was just as intimate. Both of them protecting and comforting the other in the night.

Kai chose to sit next to Skylor instead of across from her at breakfast. Chen was watching their food intake like a hawk. It was how he showed that he cared.

“You two probably have questions about last night.”

They nodded. Master Chen sighed.

“Vito was once a student of mine. He was unfortunately kicked out after he broke my rules. He was terribly angry about it. He swore vengeance, but at the time I didn’t take his threats seriously.”

“What did he do?” Kai asked, eating a muffin Chen had put onto his plate for him.

“Oh, he made trouble. Disobeyed me, argued, went places he wasn’t supposed to and did things I told him not to do. He wasn’t a team player, unlike our Firebrand here, who knows how to make sacrifices.”

“Well, that explains why he called you a ‘villain’.” Kai said, ignoring the weird feeling in his guts from Master Chen’s statement.

Chen nodded as he took a drink.

“So, what did he want with Skylor?”

“What do you think? Her power! She’s an elemental master. Likely he would have tried to take you too if he knew you were here as well.” Master Chen explained.

Skylor looked upset. Kai reached out and rubbed her arm to comfort her. It seemed to work a bit.

“It’s good that you were too, Firebrand. You not only rescued Skylor and prevented her abduction, you likely saved everyone’s life last night.”

“What do you mean?”

“Vito had explosives rigged all over the palace. He was planning on setting them all off after he took Skylor.”

Kai stopped breathing for a moment. He had come so close to losing someone else. He needed a moment to process that.

“Luckily, you were able to apprehend him before he could do any damage. You did so well Firebrand!” Master Chen praised.

Kai just barely found his breath again before Master Chen mentioned something that took it away again.

“Imagine what would’ve happened if you’d been off visiting your sister this week.”

Kai choked. He had intended to not be there. It was indeed his sister’s birthday. How could he have forgotten?

Kai’s stomach seized up with guilt and horror. If he hadn’t been there….

“This is why we need you here, Firebrand!” Master Chen said, reaching over and holding Kai’s hand. “We need you. You belong right here, with us!”

Kai nodded. He couldn’t believe he had almost abandoned them like that. He’d almost failed another family. It was enough to kill his appetite, but Master Chen forced him to eat anyways.

Vito cursed himself. He cursed Chen. He even cursed Clouse and his stupid “pet”.

How had he ever followed that man? Back then he’d been so devoted, so convinced Chen knew better. He was blind!

He’d been vulnerable and Chen had scooped him up and taken him in. Promised him power, family, love, security, and more. He’d been a young fool. Chen brought him in and slowly boiled him like a frog.

Chen was a cult leader. There was no two ways about it. He had a cult. His followers all worshiping him, swearing loyalty, doing his bidding. Vito had been one of them. Before he woke up and realized what Chen really was, an evil and greedy manipulator that only loved power.

Vito had gotten out, but he hadn’t been able to live with himself. He knew Chen was planning on taking over Ninjago. He couldn’t just sit by and let him.

He had no doubt Chen had spun some twisted tail of what he wanted with Skylor. Truth was, he wanted to save her. She was a child. She’d grown up here, she didn’t know any better. When he’d first seen her, she still had baby fat on her cheeks. He thought long and hard, but couldn’t bring himself to hurt her, even for the greater good.

So, he was going to get her out before he blew Chen’s blasted empire to the departed realm.

Looking back, a full assault was maybe not the best plan.

It would’ve worked though, if the Red Ninja hadn’t stopped him!

Vito screamed in frustration. Thinking about that stung more than the rope burns on his wrists. One of the ninja, working for someone like Chen.

He could be mad at the so called “hero” for working with the bad guy, but seeing the boy had reminded him of something most of Ninjago forgot.

The ninja were children.

Just like Skylor, Kai was still a boy. A vulnerable, all too naïve boy. Vito wept for the child. Chen had found him, grieving from the loss of his friend, taken him in, and slowly boiled him the same as he’d done Vito all those years ago.

Vito wished he’d had his head about him before Chen’s flunkies had gagged him, and the boy left his sight. He would’ve screamed. He would’ve ranted his voice raw warning him about Chen, begging him not to trust the man.

But he didn’t. He only got out half warning before his chance was gone.

Vito didn’t know much about the ninja, but he remembered hearing that the Red Ninja was an orphan. The tender way the Chen addressed him, the gentle touch, and the searching look in the boy’s face, desperate for Chen to explain away everything and praise him. Chen had clearly exploited that empty parental position. It was sick.

And the way he treated Skylor! So gentle and caring as he took her away. He’d fallen in love, and Chen had one more thing to hold him with. Vito didn’t get to see if Skylor actually liked him back or if it was all and act to keep the Red Ninja under control. Either way Chen was exploiting her.

The worst part was that they had no idea. At that moment, the Red Ninja was likely getting praised and cherished. The boy was probably so happy. That was what was the most demented. He didn’t know that he should be upset and angry!

Both of them were just children. Children that Chen had dug his claws into, and Vito’s heart broke at the thought. If he could just do one thing, just one, he’d warn the other ninja. He’d tell them what had happened to their friend and explain to them that he needed help desperately. He needed to be saved before it was too late…it might’ve already been so. Explain to them that he was lost and confused and needed them more than ever. That an evil man had him so tangled in his web that he had become a puppet with strings.

But it didn’t matter what Vito would do, he was going to die before he could.

Any moment Clouse’s pet was going to wake up and he’d join the piles of skeletons that surrounded him. He was going to die in vain.

He spent his last moments in the realm of the living mourning for the wayward children Chen had tangled in his web.

Chen couldn’t be happier with things. Kai’s indoctrination had been even easier than he’d thought it would be! Chen had assumed Wu had given his students at least a vague warning, but no. The man hadn’t told them more than he absolutely had to about anything. And Chen hadn’t become a problem for them yet.

That negligence would cost him. Kai was shaping up to be Chen’s greatest success. With the hard lessons he’d learned from his failure with Garmadon, Chen was prepared for every snarl and stall. Not that there was much.

At every turn, when Kai struggled against it, Chen coaxed him back down into his control. It was startlingly easy to do. Kai was so damaged with unresolved trauma that he took to the manipulation like a fish to water. If anyone had taken note of all his inner struggles, had tried to address his issues and strengthened his mental defenses, then Chen might’ve had more trouble. But the fact was no one did. There was nothing stopping Chen from playing with Kai’s mind.

If he’d known it would be so easy, Chen might’ve tried his hand at brainwashing two or three ninja. Oh well.

Chen had known he was in for a cake walk as soon as he saw how Kai reacted to the slightest hint of praise. The years dropped off his face and for just a moment, the boy turned back into a naive child. So easy to please, and even easier to reshape.

Wu’s secrets proved to be more useful still. What had he been thinking? Keeping the boy’s father a secret? What could he have possibly had to gain from that?

But Chen knew Wu hadn’t done it with the idea of gaining anything. He’d done it purely out of cowardice. Wu always did have trouble being honest, keeping secrets he had no reason to keep because speaking them was painful. It was a fatal flaw that Garmadon had ranted about many times.

Information. It had to be the simplest thing Chen had ever used to lure someone in. It was so easy to tease with. To give little bits of and keep the big picture out of reach. And so easy to withhold too. Not something that could be taken away though, so Chen had to improvise with that one.

Luckily Kai had such a crushing desire for a family. For a father to be specific. Chen already knew how to keep his own child in check, so it wasn't hard to become what Kai wanted. And paternal affection could easily be ripped away. His abandonment issues only made that a heavier punishment to fear.

Said abandonment issues and his deep loyalty made it an effortless affair to weight him down with doubt and guilt until he drowned in Chen’s influence. Like thick chains, Chen knew guilt could keep even the biggest flight risk grounded in place. Destroying his confidence made it all the more potent.

Made even more fragile by the strain, Kai’s emotions become weak and volatile. So easy to hurt him with, and even easier to reward him with.

So afraid of the punishments, and so addicted to the rewards, Kai would do anything Chen asked. More than that; Kai, too afraid of disobeying, would only do what Chen asked. His actions were barely more autonomous than a puppet at this point.

After convincing Kai to cut off his last outside contact and stop writing his sister, Chen had unchecked control. Kai didn’t leave the island so Chen could tailor his environment and routine as he saw fit. Kai didn’t hear or see anything Chen didn’t approve for him. Kai only knew what Chen allowed him to know.

Kai responded to it well. Even tattling on himself when he started to think freely again. Kai regarded his own thoughts as treacherous and would reject them in favor of Chen’s words. A perfect follower. Of course Clouse’s magic had made such submission much easier to achieve and maintain.

Even if Kai somehow broke free from it, there was no where to run. He was trapped in Chen’s domain. There was no way off the island without Chen’s approval and as long as Kai stayed where Chen could reach him, Chen could always bring him back in.

Kai had come so far and sunk so deep. It was time to make the final push. It was time to make his final claim on the boys mind and start his grand plans.

“A scale from the great devourer!” Master Chen pointed out.

Kai cringed. That thing had not been a fun fight. He continued to follow Master Chen down the hallway.

“Caption Soto’s peg leg!” He said.

Kai snickered a bit.

“How did you get that? Doesn’t he need it?”

“Oh, I have my ways.” Chen said in a cheeky way, moving on and not answering.

Kai shook his head and smiled one more time at the thought of the pirate hopping around on one foot. Then jogged up to Master Chen and continued his tour.

“A cog from the celestial clock!” Chen announced.

“Oh wow!” Kai remarked.

That had to be hard to get. It was an impressive piece in the collection.

“Zane’s pink gi”

“What!?”

“Oh, it’s just something I came across. Always looking out for important items you know?”

Kai blinked, and then stared at it.

He could faintly see his own reflection in the glass. The pink fabric that had once been on his now gone friend. He remembered the day Lloyd had done it. Zane had been forced to use the gi on their mission that night, it wound up working out, but Zane never lived it down.

Well until….

Kai turned away very suddenly. Master Chen had an arm around him before he knew it.

“Oh, I know you miss your friend.” Master Chen said while rubbing Kai’s back “But come look at this!”

He led Kai to the other wall and took a sword off its display.

“This is my favorite in the entire collection! An Anacondrai sword! The sharpest blade in existence!”

Master Chen swung the sword to illustrate his point, slicing a banner.

“Look! See how it cuts! So sharp there’s no fraying.” Chen pointed to the cut he made.

Kai looked at it and hummed in appreciation. The blade had cut with barely any pressure, Chen wasn’t lying, it was sharper than anything Kai had ever seen.

“Would you like to hold it?” Master Chen asked.

Kai practically had stars in his eyes.

Master Chen handed the blade over and Kai immediately started drooling over the craftsmanship. The edging material was certainly not any he’d worked with before. It almost looked like Colored glass, and the beveling was unreal. He wondered if the material was naturally that flawless or if it had been polished for what had to have been weeks. The core was made of what seemed to be bone. Was it Anacondrai bones? It seemed to be a stabilized lower half of the spine. Kai wondered what method they used to form it into a core and tang.

He gave it a test swing and let out a long and impressed breath of air. The thing handled like a dream! The bones had enough flexibility to allow for some give, and obviously whatever edging they used was hard enough to hold a wicked edge.

And oh, the edge. The serrations were so unique and would’ve taken a master to recreate. The tip came to a fine striking point that made Kai cringe in sympathy. Getting stabbed head on with the curves in the blade would leave a jagged wound that wouldn’t be easily patched up, if at all.

Kai took his attention to the handle. The pummel was awfully plain, but he supposed it didn’t need much decoration with how beautiful the blade was on it’s own. The sword appeared to be a hand-and-a-half style, though with how large serpentine could get, it may’ve been intended as a standard arming sword.

He swung it once more and grinned at the way it sliced through the air.

“What’s it made of?”

“The Anacondrai never let a fallen warrior go to waste. They’d take the spine and scales of their strongest and make them into weapons for the next generation to use. It was the highest honor.”

Kai looked away from the blade, not sure if that made him uncomfortable or not.

“Master swordsmiths would melt the scales down to forge it to the bone and spend what could be months polishing it.” Master Chen explained

Kai whistled. He could appreciate the dedication it took to polish a blade like that. It took a lot of work and devotion from the swordsmith. You didn’t do it without falling in love with the blade you were working on.

The blade being made of a previous warrior added to that process. Kai imagined it could be a good way to work through the grief of losing a friend, to dedicate so much time working with their essence and shaping it into something new. Preparing them for a second life of sorts.

A sword made from a warrior would probably be happy as a weapon. Probably the most willing material there could be. When Kai was little his dad told him that all metals had emotions and personalities. Being a blacksmith was about listening to it and working with the material, not against it. Each bit of material had something to tell you, and it was only by letting them speak you that you could turn it into a real blade. A weapon made from unhappy metal will never swing as true as a blade that chose its path.

His father also told him the legends about how a weapon would choose its welder. Ideally, the blade and the warrior should work together; respect one another. They should be friends. If they couldn’t work together the strain would break the blade. The sword would never yield to a warrior that it didn’t respect, and the balance would never be right. Kai had always silently asked for his weapon’s support whenever he used one. He liked to think that was why the Scythe of Quakes let him wield it’s power in the Caves of Despair. Why the Sword of Fire had chosen him to wield and protect it.

“Seeing you wield that blade just makes me so proud.” Master Chen said, interrupting Kai’s thoughts.

Kai smiled. Speaking of his father….did he consider Master Chen a father? He’d certainly satisfied the duties. He kept Kai safe and protected, guided him, provided for him, punished him when he misbehaved, etc.

But did all of that really mean that Master Chen could be considered a parent?

“Kai, I brought you here to ask you something.” Master Chen said in a serious voice.

Kai set the sword down back on its display and looked at Master Chen curiously. He couldn’t think of what he could possibly need to ask him. He told Master Chen everything. It was one of his rules, “No keeping secrets from your Master”, Master Chen needed to know everything if he was going to teach Kai anything.

“Kai, I brought you here to show you my collection because I wanted you to know what I meant when I said that one day, you will inherit it all.”

Kai stopped and stared. What did that mean?

“Firebrand, you’re like a son to me. You and Skylor are my legacy and I couldn’t be prouder of that. Kai, I want you to agree to be my heir alongside Skylor. I want both of you by my side!” Master Chen explained.

Kai blinked.

And blinked.

And blinked again.

There was no way. Chen was….Master Chen had….

“Oh, please say you will, Firebrand! I don’t know what I’ll do if you don’t!”

Kai forced himself to breathe. In and out. In and out. Was he crying again? Yes. Of course, he was! Chen wanted him to stay. He wanted him to be by his side. He really loved him.

Kai couldn’t force the words out; he was doing good just breathing.

Master Chen… He really was his father. He saw Kai as his own, this just confirmed it. He wasn’t going to abandon him. Kai had a family that needed him.

He sobbed violently as he nodded his head.

Master Chen jumped and clapped his hands in glee, then scooped Kai up into a hug.

“Oh! I’m so happy! We must celebrate! I’m so happy to have you Firebrand!”

Kai sunk into Chen’s arms and smiled. He felt like he belonged.

Kai had slowly stopped crying in the middle of the night. He guessed it was just fear that Chen was going to cast him out, and now that Chen had declared Kai his own, there was no more doubt where he belonged. At least, that was what made the most sense to Kai.

Kai just wanted to hurry up and make it official.

“When am I going to get my tattoo?” Kai whined.

“Patience, Firebrand!” Master Chen scolded playfully.

“But Skylor has hers! If I’m going to be your heir, I should have one too, right?”

“You aren’t ready yet Firebrand.” Master Chen explained carefully.

“But Master Chen-“

Master Chen cut him off with a tender hand on his shoulder.

“Soon, Firebrand.”

Kai pouted. He just wanted Master Chen to trust him.

“I promise, you’ll be one of us before my plans begin. We’ll need you; you know!” Master Chen said affectionately.

Kai sighed, but let the matter go. Master Chen always had reasons for what he did and didn’t do. So, he’d just have to trust him.

Master Chen squeezed his shoulder roughly. Oh, he needed Kai to confirm that he understood.

“I trust you.” Kai assured him.

Master Chen smiled at him and let go. Kai smiled back.

“Now, I think Skylor should be finished by now. You should go spar. I’ll need you both in top condition when things start happening.”

Kai nodded happily while Master Chen ruffled his hair.

“I’m so proud of you.” Master Chen said warmly.

“I’d do anything to make you proud!” Kai promised.

Master Chen looked surprised for a moment, taking a step back in shock. Then his face turned into delight as he rubbed Kai’s shoulder.

“That’s my Firebrand! So Loyal!” Master Chen praised.

Kai preened. It wasn’t the first time he was told he was a model follower. He made sacrifices for his family, he did everything his Master asked, and never questioned him. He had a lot to be proud of. There was a reason Master Chen relied on him.

“Never change!” Master Chen said cheerfully as he left to go attend to his other business.

Kai was happy to participate in one of the ceremonies. Master Chen said it was an important one too. He was in charge of one of the drums.

He really loved the drums. They were so loud and soothing. It felt like they beat the bad thoughts out of his head some days. When he felt weird, he’d trying to drum on his leg to feel better. It wasn’t the same, but it helped him force treacherous thoughts out when he had them. And of course, he always told Chen when they became a problem so that he could help get rid of them. It was a rule after all.

Kai had no bad thoughts while the drums pounded though, so he just focused on keeping the steady rhythm. Someone was brought in and Kai heard chains rattle. He didn’t look up though, he had to keep the drums going. Whoever it was, Master Chen had a good reason for them to be in chains, he always did. No need to question anything. No matter what the little voice in the back of his head screamed. He’d just drown it out with the comforting sound of the drums.

Just listen to the drums. Not the chains, not the struggling, not the prisoner talking, just the drums.

“Let go of me!”

No. Don’t Listen. Even if the voice does sound just like…

“Zane!?” Kai yelled.

He couldn’t help himself; he had looked.

“Kai?” Zane asked in disbelief.

Kai dropped his jaw and the drumsticks.

What was Zane doing there? Why was he in chains? How was he there? Wasn’t he dead? What was going on?

“Kai, what are you doing? Why are you here? Did he kidnap you too?” Zane asked in concern.

Kai’s head spun.

The drums stopped, when did they stop?

Skylor was next to him but seemed hesitant to touch him.

“Kai…What did he do to you?” Zane asked, staring at Kai’s clothes and face paint.

Everybody was silent. Why wasn’t anybody saying anything? They were all staring at him. Kai hated the silence. Silence was bad. Silence made him think bad thoughts and work himself into a panic.

Chen….Master Chen had to have an answer. He always had one! Right, Master Chen would be able to explain this.

“M….Master Chen? What’s going on?” Kai asked in a tight voice.

“Why do you call him ‘Master’, Brother? He’s the villain! He’s kidnapped me and Pixal!”

“He….has a good reason….Right?” Kai looked at Chen, desperate for an answer.

“Firebrand, I need you to trust me right now, alright.” Chen’s voice sounded too sweet.

Kai’s breathing picked up. It was too much. He couldn’t think! He had to do something, but what? His brain was on fire and his chest was filled with rocks.

“I….I need to know what’s happening!” Kai begged.

“Kai, he’s lying to you!”

“Firebrand, you know I have reasons for everything I do. I can’t tell you right now, but you trust me, right?”

“Kai!”

“Firebrand!”

Chen wasn’t explaining. Zane was back from the dead and chained up yelling about Master Chen being the villain. It didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense! His thoughts were too loud. Why couldn’t the drums come back and take them away?

“Stop!” Kai yelled.

They didn’t stop. They kept yelling. Skylor reached for him and he shoved her off.

He had to….had to…

Zane. He had to help Zane.

He made his decision. In the haze of panic and confusion, he’d finally found himself. He squared his shoulders and prepared to go help his brother and demand Chen explain what in the world was happening. Before he could move past the drum, Clouse had him by back of his neck. Kai suddenly felt all his strength spill out onto the floor. His legs gave out as Clouse pulled him away.

Master Chen looked so mad and Skylor so concerned. Kai knew he messed up big time. Why did he do that? Why did he think he could just stand up to Master Chen like that? He should’ve known better! Now he was going to be punished.

Ears ringing, hands bound, Kai’s world was spinning when Master Chen threw him across the floor. He groaned in pain. He really messed up this time. This was so much worse than going somewhere he wasn’t supposed to. There was no telling what Master Chen was going to do to him.

Whatever it would be, it started with a beating.

“How could you do that to me, Firebrand?” Chen yelled. “I though you trusted me!”

“I do!” Kai said, he earned another kick in the gut.

“You made a fool of me Firebrand! You undermined me in front of everyone! How can I ask anyone to follow me if even my own heir can’t follow orders!?”

“I didn’t mean to-” Kai was interrupted when Master Chen yanked him back by his hair.

“I don’t care what you meant, Firebrand, I care what you did.” Master Chen hissed in his face “You made a fool out of me! You embarrassed me!”

He dropped Kai to the floor again. Kai tried to force himself up, the chains around his wrist clinking and adding to the terror.

“But it was Zane!”

“And I am your master!” Master Chen screamed, pushing Kai’s face into the ground with his foot. "And you betrayed me! After everything I've given you. Everything I've promised you!? You spit on all my gifts!”

“No!” Kai protested.

“Yes! Yes, you did!” Master Chen screamed, hitting Kai again. “You promised to follow me Kai! You said you’d make me proud! I told you I wanted you to be my heir and I meant it!"

“I’m sorry!” Kai cried.

The world flashed white and there was a cracking sound that rang louder than it should’ve. Kai couldn’t even figure out where he had been hurt. The pain was turning so intense it frayed his senses to the point of failure. He couldn’t tell what he was feeling, physically or mentally. Though he could venture a pretty good guess at why he was crying this time at least.

“And more than that, you promised me you wouldn’t make me punish you again! Do you know how much this hurts me?”

Kai started to shake in fear and shame.

“You’re supposed to be an example, Firebrand! I can’t have you doing things like this without punishment!”

Kai was ripped off the ground and slammed down again. He was fairly sure his rib cracked. How could he have messed up this badly?

His bones rattled and his muscles tore apart with every strike while Kai could do nothing to stop the hurt but hope his master would show mercy soon and comply as best he could until then.

“I don’t ask for much. Do I? Am I being unreasonable!?”

“No.” Kai muttered.

He had to give the right answers. He couldn’t afford to upset Chen anymore than he already had. It was already so bad.

“I didn’t think so! I just need you to work with me, Firebrand! I want the best from you! I can’t do anything with you if you don’t give me that.”

Master Chen ripped him off the ground again and the world tilted back and forth for a moment. Kai moaned as Master Chen dragged him away.

“I’m only doing this because I love you!” Master Chen told him.

Kai’s head hurt too much to think. He didn’t know what was going to happen to him now. They weren’t going to his room; Chen was taking him outside and into the jungle.

“I’m sorry.” Kai slurred, hoping to soften whatever was coming.

“I don’t want to hear it until after your punishment.” Master Chen said emotionlessly.

Kai whimpered.

They arrived at a waterfall, not the big scenic one. This one was colder, hidden out of sight. Less of a monument and more of an oubliette. Kai shivered from the cold air pouring off it while Chen dragged him to a small cave just off to it’s left. There was a wooden pole just close enough to the waterfall to be damp.

Chen looped his cuffs onto the pole above his head and Kai was hung just low enough for his feet to catch the ground. The waterfall was lightly misting him with icy water. He cringed and tried to pull away from the cold as the it washed away his face paint.

Kai didn’t dare say anything else. He let his head hang submissively, accepting his punishment.

Master Chen said nothing. Only giving Kai one last look of disappointment before leaving. No word on how long it would be, and no promise of return.

Kai shivered. The sun was almost gone already, and he wasn’t wearing a shirt. The cuffs were vengestone so he could use his powers to warm himself up. Cold, sore, hungry, and repentant, Kai had nothing to do but wallow in his own suffering.

He was brought out of his miserable thoughts by the quiet hissing sounds coming from the shadows. He whined and tried to pull away, but he only swung and pulled at his tender arms.

Snakes started to slither out of the shadows, towards him and his warmth.

The first bite was a burning agony he wasn’t prepared for. It was followed with many painful encores, each bite as sharp as the last. The venom was burning his skin worse than the cold. It almost beat the guilt too.

Did Master Chen know about the snakes? Were they part of his punishment, or something unexpected? Where they deadly? Would they kill him? Was he about to die having disappointed another father with no chance to fix it?

Kai sobbed in pain and grief.

His mouth tasted like blood and his body throbbed in torture. Kai wasn’t sure he still existed. His head felt like it was filled with hot mud while his body was submerged in frigid agony. He was so cold and sore and tired and sick and hungry and…. He was a lot of things.

The snakes had thankfully left him to go lay in the sunshine that Kai couldn’t reach. They left their painful souvenirs on him though.

Between the beating and the snake bites, the pain was deafeningly loud, drowning out every other sense and feeling… almost.

The only thing louder than the pain was the unbearable shame that lived in ever vein and nerve. What didn’t ache like a crime, stung like a sin. It was agony and Kai knew he deserved it.

He hung from his cuffs, having surrendered to his suffering long ago. He broke the rules. He had upset his master and was being punished for it. This was the only way he could repent for being so disobedient.

Kai started crying again. He wanted Master Chen to come back, more than anything. He just wanted Master Chen to come back and forgive him. He was stupid for freaking out over Zane. He should know to trust Master Chen by now. It was immature and selfish of him to throw a tantrum like that. Master Chen always has good reasons for everything he does, how could he forget that? He needed to let Chen tell him what to think because he only had idiotic ideas on his own. He was stupid, impulsive, and useless on his own.

Master Chen always knew best. He had to remember that and stop fighting his help.

Kai’s sad musing was interrupted. A sound, like someone approaching, maybe his salvation. He could’ve been hallucinating though. He wasn’t even sure how much time had passed and there was no telling what kind of venom those snakes had.

“Oh, you poor thing.”

Kai’s heart rate spiked.

“Master Chen?” Kai asked blindly.

He’d been so lost in his pain and sorrow that he hadn’t realized that he couldn’t actually see. Tears blocked out a good amount of his surroundings, but the dizziness in his head is what made the world too blurry to make out beyond them.

“I’m here, Firebrand.”

Kai started to cried in relief. Even if it wasn’t real, Kai would take it. It was too nice to hear Master Chen’s voice speaking to him kindly.

“Master Chen! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry for no trusting you! I was stupid. I’ll never do it again! Please, please forgive me, Master!” Kai pleaded, desperate for absolution.

Master Chen hummed happily as he helped Kai off the pole he was chained to. So he was real.

“I’m so sorry.” Kai sobbed, throwing himself into Chen’s arms.

“Don’t do it again, Firebrand. You know I hate punishing you.”

Kai nodded while Master Chen wrapped a blanket around him. Kai was so weak from everything he’d been through that Master Chen practically carried him from there. He was so warm and safe; Kai was having trouble not falling asleep in his arms.

“I’m sorry.” Kai mumbled as his consciousness drifted out of his reach.

“And poor Skylor! You promised her too. You let her down, Firebrand! She’s been so lonely without you.” Master Chen explained.

“I was stupid. I won’t do it ever again.” Kai said, he couldn’t keep his eyes open. “Never.”

Master Chen gently carded his hand through Kai’s hair, and he was out like a light, still mumbling apologies in his sleep.

Kai stared at his shoes. He felt weird. He promised Master Chen he wouldn’t question him again, but he still had so many. Master Chen wanted to take over Ninjago. Was that what Kai wanted? He felt like it wasn’t. And what about Zane?

Kai knew exactly where he was, if he wanted to, he could go to him right then and free him and they’d go….

Home?

What was that? Did Kai even have one? He knew he had one at Master Chen’s side, that meant he cared, right?

The thought felt sour. Master Chen loved him. Why did that feel so wrong to think? Maybe he just didn’t know how to be loved. It’s not like he had a father to love him like Master Chen had, so how would he know?

But sometimes Master Chen seemed like he was….a villain. That was what Zane called him. Zane who was his friend. Zane who would never lie to him. Zane who he should trust.

No. No. Bad.

Kai started to thump on his thigh, trying to drown out the thought.

Zane didn’t understand anything. He was the one that left Kai. Master Chen was the one that found him and took him in. Master Chen was the one he was supposed to trust. He was happy here.

He kept thumping.

He wanted this.

He was happy with this.

He belonged here.

He didn’t want to fight back or ask questions.

He trusted Master Chen.

Master Chen was always right.

Chen was his master and he had to obey him.

Kai would obey.

Obey.

Obey.

Stop thinking.

Stop fighting.

OBEY!

Kai blinked his hazy eyes. What was he thinking about? It was something bad, right? That’s why he started drumming on his thigh. No point trying to remember it, he forced it out for a reason.

Why was he such a mess? How had he ever functioned before Master Chen? He was a disaster and needed all the guidance he could get. Why wasn’t he more grateful for it?

Kai sighed and rubbed the spot over his aching heart. He didn’t know what to feel.

Was this really what he wanted? To be here? To be this!? He thought it was. So why wasn’t he happy?

“Hey Firebrand!” Skylor said from the doorway.

Kai didn’t respond. He wanted his sister. He felt so lonely without her. Did she feel the same? Probably not. Why would she miss him?

“Hey…” Skylor repeated quieter, sitting next to him “What’s with the long face?”

Kai didn’t look at her, so she gently cupped his cheek and forced him to look at her.

“What is it?” she whispered.

Kai shuddered under her tender gaze.

“I…I feel so worthless and stupid.” Kai admitted, her shining eyes forcing honesty out of him.

“Well, you are far from that.” She laughed airily “You are worth everything to me.”

Blush started to dance on Kai’s cheeks. He tried to look away to avoid her eyes, but Skylor’s hand was still stopping his head from moving away.

“Kai.” She said in a whisper, yet it felt like she’d yelled it.

Kai stared right into her eyes.

“You are a wonderful boyfriend and a great follower. You have your issues, but we love you. I love you! Every broken little bit!” Skylor said firmly. “You’re beautiful to me.”

Kai’s breathing stopped for a minute. His heart was fluttering from the heat of her hand on his cheek. He would look away, but he was stuck in her eyes, counting every gold fleck as she stared into his soul without flinching.

“That’s why you belong right here, with us, with me.” she said.

Kai was speechless while Skylor rubbed away his tears.

“I….I’ve never been enough.” Kai said.

“You are for us.” Skylor whispered. “You’re enough for me.”

Kai shuddered but leaned into her touch. He let his eyes close and Skylor pulled him close. Their faces touched, but she didn’t kiss him. She just held him in quiet intimacy.

“This is where you belong Kai. Trust us.”

Kai nodded against her.

Kai didn’t know why he was nervous. He wasn’t scared. Why would he be? It was a good thing. He was finally getting his tattoo and fully accepted as Master Chen’s follower. The entire ceremony was all for him. They were celebrating his achievement.

Kai thumped on his thigh. He needed to stop over thinking things. He just confused himself when he did that. All he needed to do was listen to Master Chen. Even when he felt strange about it, his master knew best.

Someone came to get him, it was time.

Kai took a deep breath and followed after them obediently. He held his head high and tried to look confident and proud.

He relaxed when he heard the drums. They were a familiar comfort. He couldn’t think bad thoughts when he had the drums to take them away. He came into the room and swayed as the scent hit him, it was always so sweet and fuzzy. He couldn’t overthink if he couldn’t think at all, so it was a good thing that it made him so dizzy. Master Chen would tell him if he had to think about anything important.

Speaking of the man, his face brightened when he saw Kai.

“Firebrand!” Master Chen greeted cheerfully.

Kai smiled while he made his way onto the stage. He’d finally made Master Chen proud and earned his mark. He was beaming when Chen pulled him in for a hug. Kai relaxed even more.

Chen turned to everyone else.

“Our Firebrand has made a lot of progress and I couldn’t imagine where we’d all be without him. Today he officially joins you all!”

The applause further drowned out any creeping thoughts Kai had. He was happy. This was what he wanted. This was where he belonged.

“Now, Firebrand.” Master Chen said, turning to address Kai “I know you know what a big responsibility this is.”

Kai nodded and Master Chen smiled.

“This is a commitment Kai. You’re promising to follow my rules and teaching. You can’t take this back. I’m accepting you as one of my own. I’m trusting you to not let me down.”

“I promise to obey Master Chen.” Kai said.

His head still felt a little too fuzzy to make promises, but it was what he was supposed to do. It’s what he was supposed to want to do.

Was that normal? Why did that sound…so bad? Should he be thinking more?

The drums started and Kai remembered to stop thinking. Master Chen told him what to think. He ignored how uncomfortable that felt in his head and accepted it. He didn’t need to be thinking.

Chen helped him into position while Clouse stood by with the supplies. He muttered something and Kai felt himself relax again. Even if Clouse’s eyes seemed to glow for a moment there, Kai let his head fill with cotton while he listened to the drums and the chanting. It was soothing to listen and obey.

“Now I don’t personally do tattoos usually, so I hope you know what and honor this is, Firebrand.”

Kai hummed, too relaxed to form words, and Chen started.

The pain woke him up just a bit and Kai felt worry again. Did he really want this? This was permanent. Did he really want to let Master Chen mark him like this? This meant Kai was committing to Master Chen and….he was giving up everything else. He was giving up on the other ninja, on Wu, and….was he giving up Nya? Did he want to do that? Why would he-

The drums and chanting got louder, and Kai couldn’t think through the haze.

Of course, this is what he wanted. He was committing to his Master and in exchange his master was committing to him. Master Chen was giving him a permanent connection. No matter what happened he’d still belong to him. No matter how bad Kai messed up, Master Chen was promising to not give up on him, and Kai was promising to not screw up. It was comforting. It was good. It was what he wanted.

Even if it wasn’t, he couldn’t change his mind at that point. He belonged to Master Chen.

Kai shuddered. That was a comforting thought, why did it feel scary?

“And done!” Master Chen announced.

Kai was so relieved. It was over, so he could stop worrying about it and thinking things he didn’t want to think.

The skin on his shoulder stung and itched. Most of Chen’s followers went shirtless to show off their tattoos, so Kai wasn’t out of place when he forwent his to let the healing skin air out. It provided some relief. Skylor also seemed to appreciate the view, so that was a bonus.

Kai had spent so much time staring at it in the mirror while he rubbed in the lotion Master Chen gave him. Master Chen said he wanted Kai’s tattoo to be special. So Kai’s was different from everyone else’s. The disconnected shapes that formed a complete snake were red with purple outlines.

It made Kai beam with pride.

He had something physical to remind himself of how much Master Chen loved him. Even if it was a little painful. A lot of good things were painful. Kai would get used to it and it would heal over. Just like how Master Chen was harsh and strict with him. It was something Kai had to get used to, but it meant that he was loved. It was a good thing, even though it hurt.

The face of his sister flashed in his mind and Kai cringed.

He hadn’t exactly said goodbye. She might’ve been worried, with no idea if he was ok.

But her letters had slowed down to a stop. Kai could only guess she had gotten busy doing all the things she wanted to do now that he wasn’t holding her back. Jay was probably doing great with his show, Cole was probably having a great time traveling or whatever he was doing, and Lloyd was probably happy to have time to spend with his parents.

Kai was being selfish and wishful, thinking that they’d be worried or miss him. Nya was his sister and she barely noticed that he was gone, why would they care?

No, Kai belonged with Master Chen. He didn’t need to worry about old connections. He had a new life and a new purpose. His tattoo was proof of that.

He very stubbornly pushed the guilt and sadness away. He didn’t care. He shouldn’t care. He was just being stupid again.

Maybe he should go tell Master Chen that he’s missing his old life again so he could talk some sense into him. Remind Kai of why he was happier now, or beat the feelings out of him if he had to. Kai didn’t much care. He just wanted it to go away. He wanted to be better, be focused. He couldn’t do that if he let himself think such bad thoughts.

He was a mess, and he was lucky Master Chen was willing to put up with it. Kai really wanted to be worthy of that. Master Chen had been so good to him, he deserved better commitment from Kai.

Kai decided he was going to go seek out Master Chen’s counsel. He was feeling conflicted and needed the help. Hopefully he could get his head on straight before the big plans started. His Master needed him to be thinking clearly.

Kai was happy. It was almost time for Master Chen’s plans to start and he knew he had a place in them. The tattoo on his shoulder still stung, but it felt good now. It reminded him that he belonged to Master Chen now. He was never going to be alone again.

Skylor was holding his hand and Kai just smiled. Everything was so pleasant. He was excited for Master Chen to tell him what he had to do. Soon they’d rule all of Ninjago.

That sounded bad.

But it was good. Kai wanted that. Master Chen wanted it, and Kai wanted what Master Chen wanted.

“What are you thinking about?” Skylor asked.

Kai smiled.

“How happy I am. I’m so excited to rule Ninjago with you guys.”

Skylor smiled back.

“I wouldn’t have anyone else at my side.” She hummed, while leaning into his shoulder.

Kai let his head fill with a pleasant fog. He didn’t need to be thinking anyway. He just had to obey and be happy. He was so glad he’d talked to Master Chen about the feelings he was having. He’d been so concerned, but was proud of Kai for recognizing that he needed help and asking for it.

Master Chen had Clouse use his magic to treat Kai and it fixed everything. His priorities were back in order. Kai was so relieved to be rid of all that awful doubt that had been making him so confused. Now he was focused on being a good follower again. His mind was completely clear.

“Speaking of which, I think it’s about time.” Skylor said, leading Kai off to Clouse’s study.

Master Chen had told them to meet him there. Kai figured whatever he needed to do; Clouse would be helping somehow.

The room smelled strange as they walked in, but Kai ignored it, Clouse’s spells usually smelled strange. He had his spell book out and ingredients on the table in the center of the room with Master Chen standing next to him waving Skylor and Kai over.

“Firebrand! Are you ready for your first mission?” Master Chen asked.

Kai smiled brightly and nodded. He was so happy he could finally be useful.

Master Chen clapped.

“Excellent!” He cheered. “Clouse, if would you please?”

Skylor let go of him and stepped back while Clouse doused him in smoke. Kai cringed and coughed but didn’t move away. It smelled….distracting….and sweet...and dangerous. But that was ridiculous, Master Chen would never do anything like that to him.

Clouse started to chant and mutter things in his strange magic language. Kai felt himself getting drowsy as he swayed in place. He almost didn’t hear Master Chen through the haze.

“Now your job is very very simple, Firebrand. I just need you to sleep for a while.” Master Chen said soothingly.

Kai almost started to question it, but then realized he had no reason to. It’s not like he was supposed to question his master anyways. He just had to obey.

“When you wake up, I’ll have more for you to do, but for now, Skylor is going to help you.” Master Chen explained.

Kai nodded absently. Trying to think was like trying to swim through honey. It was easier to just trust Master Chen. Let his Master think for him like a good follower.

He felt Skylor kiss him and the last threads he had of consciousness snapped. He plunged straight into the darkness.

Skylor caught Kai before his limp body could hit the ground.

Her father laughed gleefully.

“Now we just have to tuck him out of the way until phase two.” He said.

Skylor handed her boyfriend over to Clouse, who had already opened a secret closet out of the wall. A tiny nook hidden in the wall with only one feature inside; a bed. Kai was set gently on it and the room was hidden away again. Skylor watched with a sour taste in her mouth.

“Oh, Skylor baby!” her father said, wrapping around her “I know it’s hard, but it’s only temporary. Don’t forget, the sooner we take the power from all the elemental masters, the sooner you’ll get him back. But for now, we need to keep him out of the way, safe and sound. He’ll be right here when we’ve gotten what we need.”

Skylor nodded.

“We’re so close. I’m so excited, aren’t you excited?” Chen yelled.

Skylor smiled.

“Yes I am.”

What was not to be excited about? She was about to become an all-powerful evil princess with a well-trained boyfriend by her side.

They laughed.

Chapter Text

Part Two (Act 1)
Hey, Johnny Park!

Nya felt a pang of regret as she watched the boat leave with her brother. She had never really been apart from him for any notable amount of time. At least not any time that wasn’t traumatic. Her kidnapping was the longest they’d ever been away from one another.

Now he was moving in with the strange Mr. C and she wouldn’t see him for so long. He promised to come back for her birthday, but that seemed so far away as she watched him disappear into the horizon.

She shoved the thought down. This would be good for him. A job where he was needed and had structure was much healthier for him then fighting in a Slither Pit. He promised to write, and Nya knew she needed to give him space to be his own person. He had spent his whole life taking care of her, he deserved a life of his own. She couldn’t be selfish.

It wasn’t like she was helpless without him. It just hurt. She could live without him for a while. It wouldn’t be forever. He’d be back before she knew it. This was a growing experience for them both and deep down she knew they needed it.

She wished Kai would’ve said goodbye to the guys, but she supposed it would be awkward to have both Jay and Cole be there with her.

Lloyd should’ve been there though. The fight was silly. She didn’t really blame Kai for walking away, Jay and Cole were a nightmare to deal with. But he still could’ve been less harsh about it to Lloyd. They were both grieving, and both said things they shouldn’t have.

But they were both boys and neither was willing to be the first to apologize.

“It was really rushed, but I hope it’s going to be good for him.” Nya explained over dinner.

She’d been over at the Garmadon’s a few times since Jay and Cole left. Lloyd was grateful for the friend and his parents were always happy to see her. It was nice to have since she couldn’t have dinner with her brother.

“He needs a chance to figure himself out, you know?” she added.

Lloyd gave her a sad look. She really wished Kai had made up with him before leaving.

“Well, I think it’s great. You know Jay got has his own TV show now. Maybe all of you just needed a break to try something else.” Misako said, lightly pointing her fork with her words.

“Are you sure about it? I mean, all the secrets and with how fast it happened? I would be asking a few more questions.” Garmadon said in concern.

“Kai can take care of himself. He’s been taking care of both of us since he was five, I’m sure he can handle it if anything goes wrong.” Nya huffed.

“If you’re sure.” Garmadon said, staring at his food, his eyebrows furrowed.

He didn’t seem to believe her but was determined to not comment on it anymore. Nya appreciated his restraint. The last thing she needed was another adult doubting her and her brother. Kai had been more than capable of taking care of them, and she hated it when people underestimated him because his age. She’d heard enough snide comments from gossipy villagers or judgey travelers growing up.

Kai wasn’t fragile. He’d withstood hardships that would’ve broken many others. He was always as sturdy and strong as the fire in their furnace growing up, the one he kept going all winter long. The last time Nya had doubted him was when she eight, and not a single time since.

“So, you said he was a bodyguard?” Lloyd asked timidly, aggressively trying to look casual.

As much as he tried to pretend he was still mad, or that he didn’t care, Lloyd couldn’t hide how desperate he was for information about Kai. He clearly missed him, and it made Nya sad to see.

If Kai wasn’t ready to make up with him by her birthday, she was going to force them to talk it out.

“So how is Kai doing?” Lloyd asked as he passed a wrench over to Nya.

She bit back a snide grin from under the car she was working on. Lloyd had only gotten worse about hiding how much he cared. It was kind of adorable with some slight frustration. Lloyd was still pretending that he was mad, but he hadn’t stopped fishing her for info about Kai every time they hung out. He wasn’t subtle at all.

And speaking of not being subtle.

“Oh, wait until you hear this!” Nya laughed as she turned the wrench “He’s got a thing for his boss’s daughter!”

“Wait, isn’t that who he’s supposed to be guarding!?” Lloyd asked, leaning down to look at Nya under the carriage.

“Yup.” Nya said, popping the p.

Lloyd laughed. Nya was happy to hear the sound.

“He’s gonna get fired!” Lloyd said, holding his stomach, and trying to not fall all the way over.

“He’s trying to stay professional about it. He’s not planning on making any moves, but you should see the letter, he just goes on about her for like a whole page!” Nya snickered, pushing herself out into the open and blinking at the bright lights outside her shade.

“So, what’s she like?” Lloyd asked when he finally caught his breath again.

Smiling brightly, he held out a hand for her to take. Any pretense of being mad or not caring had been dropped. Lloyd had forgotten to keep up his act and Nya wasn’t going to remind him. She liked him better when he wasn’t pretending to be bitter. It reminded her too much of how he used to act in that cape and hoodie. All. Wrong.

She took his hand and continued to gossip.

“That’s the thing.” Nya snickered as she yanked herself up with Lloyd’s help “For how much he sung her praises, he didn’t really say much about her. Just that she was ‘amazing and pretty’.”

“Sounds like him!’ Lloyd said, laughing again, nearly dropping Nya before she got fully upright.

Luckily she managed to get her weight under herself properly before Lloyd dropped her. She waited patently for his giggling to die down. When it did, the smile fell off his face.

“I miss him.” Lloyd admitted.

And there it was. He finally broke. He hadn’t forgotten his charade, he’d gotten tired of it.

“I do too.” Nya admitted, reaching out a hand to Lloyd’s shoulder.

She could see how much their fight bothered him. Kai’s leaving the city was just an extra sting. Lloyd had been trying too hard to play the part of the slighted, but he was never really angry, just sad. Nya knew him well enough to see how it weighted his shoulders down with sorrow. She was glad he was finally admitting it out loud.

“I just…. I feel bad about everything I said. I shouldn’t have blamed him like that.” Lloyd sighed.

Admitting regret was one thing, but Nya didn’t want him to start rehashing all the awful things they’d said. She only had the cliff notes, but it was enough to know nothing good would come from revisiting it.

“Yeah, well... He can be an annoying idiot sometimes. Makes it hard to think straight!” Nya joked, lightly pushing Lloyd’s arm.

She earned a smile for her efforts and Nya was glad.

“Any other updates?” Lloyd asked hopefully, taking the segue to change the subject.

Nya thought about it for a minute while she walked over to the tool cart

“Well…. apparently, Mr. C has been letting Kai use his daughter’s private tutors to catch up on all the school he never got.” Nya said, picking up a dry rag and wiping off as much of the grease as she could with it.

“That’s awesome!” Lloyd beamed.

“Yeah. It’s already doing a lot for his confidence.” Nya said with a calm smile on her face, focusing on a stubborn spot on her thumb.

“He’s going to come home and be able to do math!” Lloyd joked.

“We won’t recognize him!” Nya laughed along, giving up on her thumb and throwing the rag over her shoulder.

She couldn’t wait for her birthday. She was excited to see all the ways Kai would change and grow.

Nya reread the letter in her hands. She smiled at her brother’s words about how his boss kept forcing gifts on him. He went on about how he’d tried everything to turn him down, but the man seemed dead set on giving Kai things. Nya guessed that since Kai was the same age as his daughter, Mr. C was feeling a little parental.

She laughed.

She frowned.

That was the last letter she got from him. It had been a while. He was probably just busy. He had a life to live and a job to do. So he forgot to write for a while! No big deal. Nya would live. She could give him space. He didn’t need his baby sister pestering him. She could take care of herself for a while.

Didn’t mean she didn’t miss him though.

She got a disappointingly short letter after waiting so long. Kai was learning to skate. Mr. C’s daughter was teaching him. Other than that, he apologized for the short letter, saying he didn’t have anything to update her on other than him being busy.

Nya cried. She hated herself for doing it, but she missed him. She was glad he was busy and having fun, but she felt so lonely without him there. Then the guilt ate at her. She shouldn’t be thinking of her own feelings. Kai didn’t need to worry about her anymore. She wasn’t a baby.

Kai had been taking care of her before her memories started, making every sacrifice in the world for her. She was not going to allow herself to burden him anymore. She was tough and grown. It was high time Kai focused on himself.

She sent him a short letter in response, updating him on all her little projects and wishing him well. She took great pains to sound put together, not wanting him to worry. No matter how much she wanted to beg for him to come home, she held herself together. He didn’t need his kid sister pestering him because she was lonely and childish. Besides, he was coming home for her birthday. She could wait.

The wait was agonizingly long before she got another letter. It was longer which made her happy.

She laughed loudly as she read that Mr. C’s daughter had apparently made a move on Kai. Mr. C found out and told Kai how impressed he was with him for holding out as long as he had but had known things were going there for a long time.

Kai said was tired, but very happy. Nya was glad to hear it.

She felt embarrassed when she thought about how uneventful her own life had gotten. Kai was taking his chance to grow and come into himself, experiencing all sort so things without her holding him down.

Meanwhile, Nya seemed to have put her life on hold without him.

Her first taste of freedom she had discovered so much about herself and her abilities. To build. To analyze. To fight. She learned how to build vehicles, how to read maps and strategize, how to track enemies. She created her Samurai X persona.

But now that she had no limits, she found herself without any desire to test them. Was she that dependent on Kai’s presence? Did she need him at her back like a safety net? Was she only great if she stood on his shoulders and leaned on his support? Who was she without him?

Nya couldn’t let herself be that. She couldn’t exist only as a burden to her brother. She wanted him to be proud of her.

No, he was always proud of her. He was a good brother like that.

What Nya wanted, was to be worthy of it.

She wanted to be deserving of all the sacrifices he had made for her. She desperately wanted it to be for something worthwhile. She wanted to show the world that Kai had made the right choice when he clipped his wings to provide for her.

Because without her, he was finally living. He was finally getting all the things Nya had kept him from having for so long.

He didn’t need her to sit at home with a candle. He needed her to build her own supports now so he could keep living. Nya needed to figure out how to function without that safety net. He deserved to exist as something other than Nya’s support.

Nya tried to embellish how independent she was without him in her letter back; tried to make it seem like she was thriving. The last thing she wanted was for him to throw away his own happiness to save her again. He’d done enough of that for one life time.

Nya waited patiently for another letter. She started to get worried but told herself she was overreacting.

It got close to her birthday. Maybe Kai was just waiting to talk to her in person? She just needed to wait. She could wait. So she waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Pretty soon her birthday was only a day away and he still hadn’t shown. She was nervous about how close he was cutting it. She was sure he would’ve come early enough for them to make plans.

“I’m sure he’s just running late. He’ll be here on the day, just wait and see.” Misako assured her over dinner.

The day came. Nya was ready for whatever surprise or excuse he’d bring. She sat by the door the whole day and she waited.

And waited.

And waited.

When the bell finally rang and she just about ripped the door off its hinges.

“WHERE HAVE YOU-” Nya cut herself off.

It wasn’t Kai.

It was Lloyd. He had a present in his hand and a stunned look on his face.

“Um…. I dropped by to say hi.” He said lamely.

Nya’s shoulders sank. It wasn’t Kai.

“I mean, I know you probably want some time with your brother, but I figured you could share him for a minute so I could say hello.” He nervously joked.

He wanted to make-up. Lloyd had also been waiting impatiently for Kai’s visit so he could fix things.

“He’s not here.” Nya mumbled, hugging herself tightly.

“He’s not?” Lloyd asked, almost dropping the gift.

“No.” she confirmed.

She sounded miserable. Which was only fitting because she was. She had been holding herself together for weeks with the promise that she’d see him soon. She wasn’t sure how she was going to keep it up without his arrive.

“Oh…. well….I’m sure he’s just running late. He’ll probably have a great story when he gets here!” Lloyd tried.

It wasn’t like Kai to break a promise. Something had to be keeping him, and Lloyd was trying to believe it was something mundane.

Nya nodded halfheartedly. She wanted to believe it too. The alternatives were too much for her to stand to even think about, let alone face.

“Here.” Lloyd gave her the present he’d brought.

Nya took it sadly. She didn’t feel much like opening it. Not until Kai came home and he could watch her. She had never opened a birthday gift without him watching her and she wasn’t about to start.

“How about we have a late birthday dinner for you tomorrow at my place, so my mom and dad can say hi to him too?” Lloyd suggested, trying his best to stay positive.

He was masking his own hurt and worry. He had been hanging himself on the promise of a reconciliation, having gotten so sick of holding his grudge that he was ready to either talk it out or act like they never had a fight in the first place. He needed some scrap of normal back and he missed his best friend.

“Yeah.” Nya said, forcing a smile for him.

“Let’s wait together so we can team up and kick Kai’s butt for worrying us as soon as he gets here.” Lloyd suggested, letting himself in.

“Yeah, ok.” Nya laughed, finally giving Lloyd a real smile.

Nya let him pass her and walk through the doorway. She didn’t want to be alone anyways.

They spend hours finding nonsense to keep themselves busy with. Every board game they could find was played. They binged every episode of Jay’s silly game show and made ruthless fun of it. They ordered pizza and tried to keep laughing.

But with every hour the undercurrent of worry got stronger. The later it got the tighter their smiles got. The shakier their voices got.

“We should sleep.” Nya said reluctantly, staring a the empty street.

“He’s probably stuck somewhere for the night.” Lloyd said, not sounding convinced himself “He’ll be here in the morning.”

Nya nodded, but her lip was pinched between her teeth.

Lloyd woke up late to find Nya with a mug of coffee, staring at the street again.

“Any word?” he asked, wondering if he wanted to try to make himself a cup.

He decided there was no way Nya had enough sugar for him to take it.

She wordlessly shook her head and he sat down next to her. They stared out the window for a few more hours in silence before Nya broke it with a strangled sob in the afternoon.

“Something is wrong!” she cried.

Lloyd decided to bring her home.

They spent the next week and a half trying everything they could think of to get in contact with Kai, but everything was a dead end.

The address Nya had been sending her letters to was just a middleman. Mr. C’s people picked up the letters and brought them to Kai, they delivered Kai’s letters there as well, and they were sent to her from there.

Only Mr. C’s men had stopped coming. The owner of the small post office had no more information than that. Mr. C hadn’t put his full name on any of the documentation there, and the bill for the mailbox rent was squared up a week before Nya’s birthday.

Kai had been warned that cell reception on the island was almost nonexistent, so phone calls weren’t a reliable method of communication. Nya tried it anyways and got nothing.

Because of the nondisclosure, Kai hadn’t told them anything they could use to even figure out who Mr. C was. It was all a bunch of dead ends.

Nya got increasingly upset with every failure. Misako fussed over her constantly as she became a bigger and bigger mess of worry and regret. She had been holding herself together under the assumption that her brother was flourishing and on his way home soon.

Garmadon did everything he could to find Kai, even calling in contacts he swore he’d never speak to again. He was cursing himself under his breath the entire time. He should’ve known something wasn’t right.

Lloyd decided that they’d already lost one ninja, they were not going to lose another. He had something he had to do.

Jay sighed. As mad as he was at Cole, he still missed the team. After Kai left it just seemed like going their separate ways was unavoidable. Without Zane to keep the peace, everything just boiled over. There was no one to cool thing down and keep them all from hurting each other. Feeling just got too hot and they all got burned.

He wondered if Nya missed him. He had noted when her birthday passed and considered reaching out, but decided against it. It was too painful. And she probably didn’t want to hear from him anyways. It was such a difficult contrast to how much time he spend with her when they were dating.

Jay tried to think of other things, like the episode they just finished filming.

“Ninja never quit!”

Cathy had cited that old line. Jay couldn’t remember who said it first, but Zane had always embodied it, right up to the end.

They’d really messed that one up, hadn’t they? They had all quit on each other. He’d even quit being a ninja. He was such a rotten quitter.

Jay looked at the photo he kept on his desk for nostalgia’s sake and ruefully repeated the line to Zane’s smiling face, hoping for some kind of answer.

“You have to come back.”

Jay jumped and turned to see a familiar face. Older than the one in the picture he had been staring at, but unmistakable.

“How did you get in here!?” Jay demanded.

Didn’t he have security?

“I’m a ninja.” Lloyd answered flatly. “How do you think?”

Ok, he admittedly did walk into that one. Jay avoided addressing his blunder by switching his focus to Lloyd’s earlier words.

“I’m not coming back.” Jay said firmly “There’s nothing you can say to get me to fight beside Cole, that girl-stealing, black-hearted, rock-“

“Kai is missing.” Lloyd said sharply.

Jay stopped talking and gaped at him.

“What….what do you mean?”

“I mean” Lloyd snapped, stepping forward and jabbing a finger into Jay’s chest “That Kai is gone, and we don’t know what happened to him.”

For once in his life, Jay didn’t have anything to say.

“If you don’t feel like failing another friend, you know where to find me.” Lloyd said before disappearing.

Jay reeled back from the sting the words left. He wasn’t delusional, he knew he was the real reason the team fell apart. He ruined everything with his stupid messy break up. He had actually thought Kai was the one person he hadn’t personally failed, but maybe that was naive of him.

Jay turned and looked at himself in the mirror. He didn’t look anything like a ninja, and felt even less like one.

Cole wasn’t going to say anything. He wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. If Lloyd was going to just show up and glare at him, he could at least do the courtesy of explaining himself and not expect Cole to roll out the carpet. He was just going to keep chopping wood and Lloyd could just watch him.

Lloyd did watch. He stood behind Cole silently with an intense stare for almost ten silent minutes. Cole didn’t know where he got that kind of patience, he was almost proud.

He tried to act normally while he felt green eyes burn his back. He was sweating from the manual labor and not the heat of Lloyd’s intense glare, he told himself.

First Master! Kai had taught the brat too well. He might as well have been the Master of Fire himself with all the heat in that stare!

Screw it! The kid won! Cole finally broke and turned to look Lloyd in the eye.

“What do you want?” He asked, half annoyed, half exhausted.

“Kai is missing.”

Cole took a step back. It was such a simple statement, but the implications were anything but. And the way Lloyd had ground each word out; Cole thought the fire in his eyes was intense. It seemed like a dim candle next to the scorching fury in Lloyd’s voice.

Cole nervously gulped before speaking.

“How….How long?” Cole finally decided to ask.

“We haven’t heard from him in weeks.” Lloyd answered plainly.

If a voice could burn Cole would be sporting a few third degrees.

“I….” Cole blubbered.

He’d really wanted to leave the whole ninja thing behind him. He had thought he had earned that, a little time to himself.

But if Kai was in trouble, could he really turn his back on that?

“I can’t….” Cole muttered.

“Can’t what, Cole?” Lloyd snarled. “Can’t be bothered to care?”

“I didn’t mean…” Cole stumbled over his words, unsure what he did mean.

“Save it.” Lloyd harshly said, giving a silencing gesture with his hands “If you decide to shape up, you know where I’ll be.”

And with that, Lloyd was gone.

Cole sat down and put his face into his hands.

The little kid he helped train had never been so scathing, so mean. Lloyd had always been the nicest of them. But Cole supposed everyone had their limits. One team member dead, another missing, he must’ve been pretty upset.

And here Cole was, putting his foot in his mouth. Who was he, Jay!?

Maybe Lloyd wasn’t the only one of them that had gotten mean.

Jay saw Nya and didn’t think twice, he just ran straight to her. She looked like a mess, and considering her brother was missing, it was understandable.

It wasn’t until he reached the table that he realized there was someone else there.

“Cole?” Jay asked, a slightly icy tone.

“Not any happier about it than you are, Zap-trap.” Cole said petulantly, staring at the passing food.

“Don’t you two start!” Nya said, despite the tears on her face, she sounded as fierce as ever.

Lloyd gestured for Jay to sit, next to Cole of all things. Jay made a face but did so. It was the only open seat after all, and besides, they had bigger things to worry about. Cole seemed to mirror his attitude.

“Right, so now that we’re all here, let’s review what we know.” Lloyd said, already taking his role of leader.

Nya told them everything she knew. About Mr. C and Kai’s job. The non-disclosure, the island. She told them how his letters slowed down, but he didn’t seem to be in any distress before they stopped. She debated keeping the whole “dating the boss’s daughter” thing to herself, but decided to be thorough with it.

When she finished Jay and Cole already looked frustrated.

“So basically, we know nothing.” Jay said loudly, tossing his hands up and throwing his body onto the back of the booth.

“Well, if we knew where he was, we’d be there rescuing him instead of here talking about it.” Lloyd huffed.

He was beginning to remember why they split up in the first place, and his mood had only been souring more since he found out he wouldn’t get to make-up with Kai.

“Can you please try to be nice?” Cole hissed at Jay.

“Oh, that’s rich, coming from you!” Jay said

“Stop it!” Lloyd yelled.

Nya was about to butt in herself but the argument was interrupted by the yelping of the cashier at the front of the store. Apparently, they had missed the start of a mugging while they were yelling at each other.

“Oh, for the love of-!” Lloyd yelled, standing up with enough force to shake the table.

Impressive, given the fact it was bolted to the floor.

The other’s followed Lloyd’s lead and marched over to face the thugs with their own frustration building.

“We’re kind of in the middle of something important, so could you maybe just not do this right now!?” Cole yelled, getting their attention.

“Yeah, none of us are in the mood today!” Jay added.

Rather than heed the warning, the thugs decided to start a fight. Nya and the boys were out of practice, but still trained well. The fight was very one sided. It wasn’t long until the thugs were retreating out the back door.

The group followed them out back, but by the time they caught up the thugs were gone.

Nya was about to yell some choice words before Lloyd noticed something pinned to the wall above what appeared to be a shrine of some kind.

“Is that…” Cole started.

“Zane?” Jay finished for him.

“What does it say?” Cole asked.

Lloyd raced over and pulled the poster off the wall.

“It says…he’s alive!” he gasped.

“What!?” Jay yelled, snatching the paper from Lloyd.

“I think those thugs weren’t here just to rob the place.” Nya speculated.

“Oh! Cookies!” Cole said, reaching out to the platter on the shrine.

The other three stared while he shoved the entire cookie he’d grabbed into his mouth.

“What?” Cole asked with his mouth full, then swallowed before continuing “Lloyd didn’t let me eat until after we talked. I’m hungry.”

“Aside from the fact that you just ate a cookie off a suspicious plate in a back alley that was under a message about our dead friend, you also just ate a fortune cookie whole.” Nya said, wondering how in the world she ever found him attractive.

“And?” Cole asked, “You’ve seen me eat bigger things in one bite.”

“You do know there are fortunes inside fortune cookies, right?” Jay asked quietly, reaching for one of the three cookies himself and breaking it open to demonstrate.

Cole blinked.

“That’s why they’re called that!” he realized.

Nya further questioned her taste in men while Lloyd took the last cookie.

“Hey, listen to this!” he said, then started reading from the fortune “Master Chen has personally invited you to participate in his tournament of elements?”

“Master Chen?” Cole asked.

“Secrecy is of the upmost importance. Tell no one or suffer the consequences.” Jay continued, ignoring Cole “If you ever want to see your friend again, meet on the pier at midnight and leave your weapons behind.”

“Oh, because that doesn’t sound like a trap at all!” Nya said in a sarcastic tone.

Then the papers in Lloyd and Jay’s hands popped into a cloud of smoke. They all stared at Cole in concern while he lurched over, a muffled popping noise coming from his stomach.

“You ok?” Nya asked, placing a hand on his back while he hunched over in pain.

“Yeah. Least I know I got the same one you guys did.” Cole said, a hiccup of smoke escaping while he stood back up.

There was a silence. The thought was crossing all their minds, but no one wanted to voice it.

“Guys….What if….Zane’s alive?” Jay asked quietly.

Lloyd was so relived to not have to be the one to say it. He knew what was coming next.

“No.” Nya said in a rigid voice. “No. We came here to look for Kai! We are not going to abandon him to chase after false hope that Zane’s alive.”

“But Nya-” Jay started.

“ZANE IS DEAD!” Nya yelled “Kai needs us right now and we aren’t going to just, abandon him!”

“Nya, we have no leads for Kai.” Cole reasoned, but it fell on deaf ears.

“And that makes it ok to give up on him? Leave him to suffer whatever is happening to him!?” Nya yelled.

“Maybe if we find Zane, he could help us find Kai?” Jay tired.

“How dare you!” Nya snapped, pointing an angry finger in his face. “If you loved me at all, you would be focusing on my missing brother! Not lies about Zane!”

“But what if it’s not a lie, Nya?” Jay asked painfully.

“I DON’T CARE!” Nya yelled.

Nya’s declaration rang out, bringing a heavy silence behind it.

Somehow, they’d shuffled positions in the argument. Jay and Cole were next to each other, and Nya was on the other side of the alley. Lloyd stood between the two sides physically and metaphorically.

“I don’t care if Zane is alive. He’s not important right now!” Nya said firmly “If he’s managed this long, he can wait a little longer. We don’t know where Kai is or what’s happening to him!”

“Nya, this isn’t an easy choice. But we don’t have anything to go off of to find Kai, at least we have a lead for Zane.” Lloyd finally said, carefully.

All his tact was for nothing though.

“I can’t believe you all. My brother is missing, and you can’t be bothered to help me find him!” Nya said, hands tangling through her hair.

“Nya, we’re not giving up on Kai, we just have to make a hard choice right now.” Lloyd said, trying to calm her down.

“Besides, we don’t even have an evidence that Kai’s in trouble. You said yourself he wasn’t in any distress in his letters!” Jay said. “Maybe he’s just ignoring you.”

Nya’s glare made him regret it. He never feared her more than he did in that moment. Lloyd was sending him his own glare, but it paled next to hers. Jay was trying to remember if he ever got around to writing that will because he feared he would need it soon.

Then all of a sudden, all the heat drained from her eyes. Her glare plunged into an icy judgment.

“I don’t know why I expected you all to care. You all have family’s you can go home to. Well, I don’t. And I’m going to do whatever it takes to find my brother.” Nya said in a frigid tone.

“Nya that’s not-” Lloyd stared, still shivering from the coldness in her gaze.

“Do what you want.” Nya interrupted him, bitter and frosty “He’s not your brother.”

Lloyd flinched back at the jab while Nya walked over to the shrine and threw the whole set up to the ground to punctuate her point.

With that point made, Nya stormed away.

Lloyd made a small heartbroken whine as he watched her leave.

Nya had been a visible growing mess of worry and sadness for almost two weeks. So when she seemed to abruptly be overtaken by a mysterious anger and pushed away their help in finding Kai, Garmadon knew something had changed. The question was what.

All Garmadon knew was that Lloyd had tried to get Jay and Cole back on board. He was guessing something went wrong there. Not surprising, the two had been acting poorly and letting their silly squabble get away from them. Kai had honestly made the right call to distance himself from it, although Garmadon wished he hadn’t walked away from Lloyd as well. Then again, their fight was rather explosive. Garmadon had half a mind to scold Lloyd for the things he said, but the boy was remorseful enough without the help, so Garmadon let it lay.

He did hope Kai was equally as introspective about his own inappropriate words, but if he wasn’t, Garmadon would hold his tongue on the matter. Kai was neither his son, nor was he his student. He had no right to tell Kai what to do. As much as it made Garmadon’s heart ache to stand by and watch a child he cared for suffer, it would be inappropriate of him to parent a boy that didn’t belong to him in any way. Not to mention a boy he had been the enemy of for a considerable amount of time.

Nya was the same. Not his kid. Not his student. He couldn’t force her to talk to him, and he would only be rude if he continued to pester her. She clearly didn’t want to talk to him, so if he wanted answers he’d have to ask the kid he did have a right to.

That was how Garmadon found himself in Lloyd’s room. He deciding to ignore the packing for the moment.

“Son, why is Nya so upset?” Garmadon asked from the door frame.

Lloyd jumped slightly, but relaxed quickly when he saw it was his dad that had walked in on him. He did that a lot, jumping and tensing when someone snuck up on him. It squeezed Garmadon’s heart every time he thought about where those quirks had come from. Years of not trusting surprises.

“Oh! Um…We just had a disagreement about what to do.” Lloyd mumbled.

“What sort of disagreement?” Garmadon asked, crossing his arms.

He may’ve had no right to guide and parent Nya, but he could absolutely help his son through his problems.

Lloyd mumbled something that could almost be words.

“What?” Garmadon asked.

He knew he was getting older, but his hearing couldn’t be that bad.

“Nevermind.” Lloyd said, waving it off “Hey Dad, are there other people with elemental powers like us?”

Garmadon stood up straight and narrowed his eyes. That was a very strange segue. And a suspicious question to have.

“What makes you ask that?”

A million worst case scenarios were running through his head. Had Lloyd run into another Elemental Master? Had they threatened him? After the Alliance fell apart quite a few of the other masters had fallen into some unsavory places. And Garmadon knew nothing of their children. It was entirely possible an Elemental Master was trying their hand at villainy while the Ninja were at their lowest.

“No reason! Just wondering!” Lloyd said too quickly. “Well, gotta get going!”

Lloyd forced his way passed his father while Garmadon watched him with concern. Something more than a fight with Nya had happened, but Lloyd wasn’t explaining. Garmadon knew he was going to get an excuse before he even bothered to ask Lloyd where he was going with his packed bag. Garmadon would have to figure out what was happening with his son through other means.

Looking around his son’s room for clues, Garmadon’s heart skipped a beat. On a takeout package was a cartoony, tamed down version of a symbol he knew too well. A symbol he was so afraid of he would cover the mirror when he undressed. A brand that he had been manipulated into accepting when he had been young and vulnerable.

“Chen.” Garmadon muttered to himself with a malice he thought he was no longer capable of.

The man that had done that manipulating. The monster who’s damage Garmadon was still nursing well into his old age. The snide laughter that still echoed in the background of Garmadon’s nightmares.

If he was involved with his son, it made sense why fights were starting and secrets were being kept. It also meant Lloyd was in grim danger.

Garmadon would rather his father’s realm burn than let Chen sink his teeth into another generation, and he’d burn it himself to keep the man away from his child.

They stuck out like sore thumbs.

“I told you we shouldn’t have worn them!” Jay ranted, referring to the gis.

“So, this is supposed to be a tournament of elements, right?” Cole asked, ignoring Jay “You think all of them have powers?”

“I asked my dad about it, and he got really weird. It was almost like he was hiding something.” Lloyd explained.

“Did you miss the part where the cookie said, ‘Tell no one’?” Jay asked in a panic.

“I’m not an idiot Jay! I just asked if he knew anything about any other elemental masters.” Lloyd snapped.

The fighting was coming back, and Lloyd remembered why they fell apart in the first place. The stress that had led up to Kai’s leaving. It had probably contributed a lot more to their cruel words than they realized at the time.

But before a full on argument could start again, a ship appeared. Sailing gracefully to the dock, it was the perfect distraction from their bad blood.

Lloyd did a doubletake at the face tattoos on the… henchmen he guessed? It was certainly distinctive. Wait, weren’t those the same tattoos that the thugs that tried to rob the noodle house had? So things were planned! Nya had been right.

Before Lloyd could think any more on that, someone that was clearly in charge walked onto the dock. He was wearing fine robes and had slicked back hair. He walked with an air of self assurance that set all three of them on edge.

As everyone lined up to board the boat Lloyd leaned in and whispered.

“We still don’t know if this is a trap. Whatever happens, we can’t get separated. We have to stay focused and stay together.”

Jay and Cole nodded. Lloyd took what comfort he could from it.

“Master Chen will be charmed to see you’re accepted his offer.” The man said with a dreary voice. “A Master of Spinjitsu shall fare favorably in his tournament.”

He had a smarmy grin on his face that had Lloyd caught between punching him and cowering from him. Luckily, Jay never seemed to lose his words, no matter the situation.

“We’re not here to fight.” Jay said sternly. “We’re only here to save a friend.”

“Don’t be so petty Master Jay” he said, leaning in to Jay’s space.

Jay hated that the man knew his name, almost as much as he hated the way he said it.

“Everyone here has something to fight for.” He said, pulling out the nunchucks Jay had hoped he could sneak in.

Jay didn’t even bother trying to excuse them. The man just threw them into the water and let Jay pass. He supposed it was worth a shot.

Cole boarded behind him without problem, but before Lloyd could step onto the boat his father called his name.

“Don’t get on that boat.” He said, “If you do, you may never return.”

“Dad, what are you doing here?” Lloyd said, almost sounding embarrassed.

He could see the other competitors giving him amused looks. Like he was little kid getting dropped off at first grade, being forced to give their parent one more hug. So much for being the mighty Green Ninja.

“Master Chen is a dangerous man who should never be trusted. I mean it Lloyd. Whatever he promised you, you can’t believe him.” Garmadon begged.

“Lord Garmadon. It’s been a while.” The man on the boat said smugly. “It’s Sensei now, correct? I can’t remember.”

“Clouse.” Garmadon said with disdain. “I see Master Chen still has you running his errands.”

Ok, so their was clearly some history there. Lloyd was curious, but he didn’t have time to unpack it. He opted for the short answer on his part, hoping his dad would take it.

“It’s Zane, Dad!” Lloyd pleaded. “I have to go!”

Garmadon frantically looked between his son and the boat, looking more like a paranoid parent than a great sensei.

“Last call.” Clouse said. “Are you in, or out?”

Lloyd pushed forward and boarded the boat. Garmadon felt his heart squeeze. He would not allow Chen to take his son. He would not.

“Then I’m coming.” Garmadon said, trying to board.

“Sorry. No more room on the ship.” Clouse said, walking away.

A few other men blocked Garmadon with disgusting smiles, lifting away the plank and cutting him off from the boat.

Garmadon narrowed his eyes and felt a hot rush of anger. He leaped off the dock and onto the ship’s deck, lifting the nearest one of Chen’s followers above his head, and heaving him into the water with all his might. He didn’t even pause to take a breath before turning to glare at Clouse.

“Oh look.” he said in a challenging tone “Now there’s room.”

“My mistake.” Clouse mumbled, walking off without a care.

Garmadon didn’t know if he was covering for his shock and fear, or if he had honestly expected such and action from him. Either way, Garmadon didn’t care to puzzle out Clouse’s true feelings. He knew the man well enough to do it, but his focus was elsewhere.

Namely, the children in front of him.

The ninjas’ jaws dropped. They hadn’t seen Garmadon be so ruthless since he was still a lord.

“I’m not going to let Chen do anything to your three.” Garmadon said sternly.

Jay and Cole visibly gulped. They felt more afraid of him then protected, but it didn’t matter. Garmadon was going to protect them. Chen had gone too far.

“You know that guy. You said his name was Clouse.” Lloyd said, recovering first.

He had seen his father’s protective anger before.

“Don’t let his attire fool you. Clouse is a master of the dark arts. And Chen’s trusted second in command.” Garmadon explained, straightening himself.

“How do you know that?”

“There are many things you haven’t been told.”

“Why?”

The three boys stared at him. Garmadon had to admit, that was a very good question. He’d never felt like it was his place to mentor his brother’s students or, his instincts be forgotten, attempt to parent them. He knew they had parents of their own, and he trusted Wu to guide them.

Maybe that was a mistake. Garmadon had assumed his brother had reasons for the secrets he kept from them, but perhaps he was giving Wu too much credit. He’d always been secretive, even when it wasn’t necessary.

His son had almost walked straight into a trap set by one of the most dangerous men in Ninjago because he didn’t know not to trust him. The only reason Wu’s remaining students weren’t worse off is because Garmadon realized something was wrong and followed them. If he hadn’t noticed Chen’s symbol and put the pieces together, his son and his friends could be gone without a trace, disappeared into the clutches of someone they should’ve known not to trust.

Perhaps that’s what happened to Kai? He went somewhere and got into trouble he couldn’t get out of because Wu wasn’t watching him. When was the last time Garmadon had seen his brother supervise his own students?

The thought enraged him.

His students were struggling with the loss of one of their own, fighting over petty things, and tearing themselves apart in grief and anger. Wu hadn’t lifted a finger to help guide them through that storm. Wu hadn’t done his job as their Sensei.

Perhaps Garmadon wasn’t doing anybody any favors by keeping his hands off his brother’s students. He’d let Wu have his space to do things, and he’d done nothing with it. Garmadon had three hurt and lost children in front of him. They were in danger and didn’t have the experience or maturity to face it on their own.

Garmadon had kept himself back long enough. These children needed guidance and support, and Wu not only wasn’t present to give it, but seemed to be refusing to do so anyways. Garmadon was done respecting his brother’s authority. There were children’s lives at stake! Maybe if Wu had kept a better eye on his wards, Kai wouldn’t have gone missing.

“I don’t know why Wu made the choices he did. I had resigned myself to letting him have them, but perhaps that was a mistake. No more secrets. I’ll tell you about the Elemental Alliance.” Garmadon finally said, squaring his shoulders.

It was time he started to take the responsibility his brother had left. Garmadon would have words with his brother when they returned, but for the time being, he had students to protect and teach.

And when they found Kai, he would make sure he was never left so unattended again.

First thing was first, it was time he started arming his students with the knowledge they needed.

“Everyone on this ship is a descendant of an original elemental master…”

Lloyd’s head was reeling with all the new information his father had just dumped on them. About Chen, the Serpentine war, the Elemental Alliance, its downfall, and more. They were just barely caught up by the time Chen made his entrance.

For all the ominous warnings he’d just been given about the man, Lloyd wasn’t expecting someone quite so…cartoonish.

“I forgot to mention” Garmadon whispered “He also has a penchant for theatrics.”

No kidding.

The man briefly acknowledged them before he had already launch himself into a speech about the Anacondrai warriors. Even Garmadon, the former student who had betrayed him, was barely a footnote to him.

Finally, the full roster was revealed. There was an odd number, so they weren’t separated into brackets yet. If he had to guess, Lloyd would say round one would be a free for all. Once the competitors dropped to an even number they’d probably make a proper bracket. Lloyd hoped he wouldn’t be facing Jay or Cole for a good while. Optimistically, they’d find Zane and be out of there before they got to that point.

As Chen further explained the game, Garmadon raised the question Lloyd was afraid of.

“And what happens if they lose?”

“Lose? Who here likes to lose!?”

The way he avoided answering didn’t fill Lloyd with much confidence in their safety.

“You will now each be shown to your rooms.” Clouse said, summoning a parade of girls in heavy make-up.

Next thing Lloyd knew, one of the girls had his wrist and was pulling him along, away from his remaining friends.

So much for staying together. They’d have to meet back up later.

After being shown his room Lloyd had enough time to change clothes before Chen’s voice came over the PA system accompanied with some cheesy music that sounded like the recording hadn’t been updated since the Serpentine war.

“Fellow fighters! Hidden around my island are enough Jade Blades for every participant except for one!”

Lloyd, after uncovering his ears from the sudden loud noise, figured the first round must been about to begin. Of course, Chen waited just long enough for everyone to get half settled in their rooms to start things off!

His dad had warned him how underhanded Chen could be.

“The one who returns to the palace arena empty-handed loses!” Chen continued. “The tournament begins…”

Lloyd had already figured out what the next word was going to be and started his hunt for one of those Jade Blades.

“NOW! May the best fighter win!”

Lloyd found a blade quickly, but he also found a fight to go with it.

He was outnumbered, but all his opponents were fighting each other as well, plus he’d had formal training since he was little. It wasn’t hard to come out of top.

Just when Lloyd was about to snag the blade, something soft wrapped around his ankle. Somehow, the pattern on the carpet had come to life and was restraining him!

The Master of Mind, whatever his name was, had already gotten up to take advantage of Lloyd’s problem. It was hard to fight with his leg incapacitated, but Lloyd had fought the Overlord with a cast on, so he knew he wasn’t in too much trouble. Especially when he heard his father grunt as he tackled Clouse.

Like magic, the carpet pattern let him go and went back to the way it was meant to be. Lloyd didn’t need to be a genius to figure out that Clouse had just used some of that dark sorcery his father had warned them about.

“Hurry Lloyd! You must not lose!”

Now that he wasn’t fighting with one leg tied behind his back, Lloyd had no issues knocking his opponents back and grabbing the blade for himself. All he had left to do was get it to the arena without letting anyone take it.

Plenty of other masters tried to get it from him, but Lloyd had been the Keep-Away-King back at Darkley’s for a reason. There was nothing any of them could do that Gene hadn’t tried twice before.

He was almost the first one back. The master of speed beat him, but only because his travel time was seconds, Lloyd had still been the first to secure a blade.

He just hoped Jay and Cole managed to get some for themselves.

Jay was pretty cranky to have his bath interrupted. You don’t mess with a man while he’s having a bubble bath!

He may’ve been a bit too heavy handed shocking the guy, but in Jay’s defense: He was attacked. IN. THE. BATH. He deserved a few electrical burns for that!

He once he got the blade (and his revenge) Jay was quick make it to the arena. Lloyd was there already, and a few others. Jay was glad he wasn’t last and was really hoping that Cole wouldn’t be either.

After placing his blade in position, Jay got permission to go put his clothes on. He came back, his hair still dripping onto the carpet, and saw more contestants had made it by then. About half the group was present. The few that had seen Jay’s first entrance were eyeing him curiously, wondering about it.

They could keep wondering. Jay immediately placed himself next to Lloyd.

Lloyd also had questions, but he was a friend and polite about it. So, Jay explained and very loudly complained about his very rude bath interruption. Lloyd in turn quietly told Jay about his encounter with Clouse.

When the Master of Nature finally did get a blade and showed up, Lloyd had to remind Jay to not shock everyone in the room.

Jay wasn’t going to lie; he was really hoping that guy would be the one out.

Things stayed quiet as one by one masters showed up triumphantly with blades in hand. Jay got nervous as the number of blades dwindled and Cole didn’t show.

A stomachache.

Of all the stupid things to cost him the first round! He really should’ve paced himself, or at least known better than to do something so reckless in enemy territory! Cole regretfully had to admit that his father was right all those years ago, he did have a problem with food.

He’d gotten his hands on three separate blades only to have them stolen from him! Good news was that his competition was thinning, bad news was, so were the tickets to a victory.

A glimmer caught his eye. There! Under the couch!

Cole didn’t push himself. There was no one obviously around, but Cole couldn’t be sure. Best to not tip his hand. He slowly walked to the couch, acting like he was in more pain than he really was and was planning on sitting down. No one watching him would think he was a threat, let alone that he’d spotted a blade.

At the last second Cole reached under and took the blade. His grip was strong as stone. No way was he losing another one.

Nobody came at him, Cole figured he might be the last one as he started to the arena.

No, if he really were last, he wouldn’t have a blade. That meant there was at least one more person he had to worry about.

He got to the hall leading to the arena before he ran into trouble.

A strong tug on the blade. Were Cole any less of a climber, he could’ve lost it there. But he’s used that grip to hang for his life on cliff sides for fun enough times, there was no way it was going to give without more of a fight than that.

There was no visible opponent, but Cole had already seen that one of the competitors could turn invisible. He took a good guess and punched the air in the direction of the pulling.

Bingo. The invisible man showed his face (or everything but) as he fell to the ground. He was clearly more accustomed to stealth than combat.

“Sorry buddy.” Cole said, dashing the rest of the way to the arena.

“I GOT ONE! I GOT ONE!” he yelled out.

Lloyd and Jay were already there, along with just about everyone else.

“One blade remains!” Chen declared after taking Cole’s.

“Wow, I was so sure I must’ve been the last one.” Cole said in amazement.

That meant the invisible guy still had one more shot. Who was left?

Before Cole could try to force himself to remember who was missing the answer got announced.

“KARLOFF WINS!!!” the brute shouted while making the final stretch to them.

Before he could get through the doorway however, the blade flew from his hand and into the room ahead of him.

“I’ll take that, thank you!” said the invisible man, reappearing as he ran across the room to give Chen the blade.

Cole realized the guy had probably been waiting by the doorway to grab a blade from someone at the last minute for a while. The plan only had to work once, and he got as many tries as there were opponents left. It was smart. Underhanded, but smart.

“We have a loser!” Chen yelled out.

“That’s not fair!” Karloff whined “He cheated!”

“I don’t recall any rule against that.” The invisible guy said in a mocking tone.

“Fine, I lose!” he huffed “Karloff never wanted to be on stinking island!”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear you did not enjoy your stay.” Chen said in fake sympathy. “I guess this worked out for the best. This is GOODBYE!”

The ground under Karloff opened and he fell into a mysterious hole. It was deep, judging by the echoing of his scream. The thought sent shivers up Cole’s spine.

“As you can see: Lose and you are out!” Chen explained “Break any rule, you are out!”

A henchman took Karloff’s picture off the roster and crushed it. Cole didn’t care for the implications behind the action.

“Never bite the hand that feeds you,” Chen continued “Master Chen’s delicious noodles! Now rest up! Tomorrow the tournament will recommence!”

The sound of a gong dismissed them.

“At least the chow’s good.” Cole commented with his mouth full.

“How can you eat at I time like this!” Jay snapped “It’s killing me! What’s under the trap door!? WHAT HAPPENS TO THE LOSERS!?!?!?”

“Jay, calm down and eat.” Lloyd said, already too tired to put up with any more yelling.

“Don’t think about that.” Garmadon advised, knowing Jay psyching himself out would only hinder them.

“It’s all I can think about!” Jay yelled. “I moved on! I feel guilt!”

Cole lifted his plate off the table as Jay shook it.

“These are not good feelings!!!” He yelled.

“Stop being dramatic!” Cole said, setting his plate back down.

“I’m being dramatic!? For all we know he could be dead! I don’t know what I was expecting though, it’s not like you consider other people’s feelings!” Jay sniped.

Cole slammed down his chopsticks.

“And it’s so like you to make your feelings everybody else’s problem! We have bigger things to worry about than how you’ll face yourself in the mirror!” Cole yelled back.

“Stop yelling!” Lloyd yelled without any thought to the irony.

“Stay out of this!” Cole and Jay yelled at the same time.

“Ugh, and you wonder why Kai left!? You two are insufferable!” Lloyd said.

“ENOUGH!” Garmadon yelled.

All three boys quieted down and stared. Garmadon took the opportunity. If he was going to guide and care for these boys like he’d promised himself he would, stopping petty squabbles was something he’d have to do until they could grow passed them. It was one of many examples of the things that Wu had neglected for some reason.

He honestly couldn’t decide what was the worst answer. That his brother didn’t notice, didn’t care, or that he expected grieving children to have enough emotional maturity to solve their own interpersonal problems.

Regardless, it still fell to Garmadon to teach them better at that moment.

“We are all stressed and worried. While we are all doing our best to cope with these feelings, we must be mindful that it won’t look the same for all of us and not let it wear at us like this.” He explained calmly. “We have a mission to accomplish! Let us focus on that.”

“Right, we need to find Zane.” Cole agreed

“And then get out of here!” Jay said, shivering and looking over his shoulder “I feel like this place is corrupting me.”

“The sooner we do that, the sooner we can get back to looking for Kai.” Lloyd added.

“So, what’s the plan? We can’t exactly roam around. You heard Chen, break a rule and we’re out!” Cole asked.

“You three are ninja, correct?” Garmadon asked humorously.

“Right. We’ll have to be sneaky.” Lloyd said, “Meet in my room at midnight.”

“Mind if I join you?” came a meek and nasally voice.

It was the master of light that had borderline cheated earlier.

Jay wasn’t having it.

“Disappear pal! We don’t need any underhanded jerks butting in here!” Jay snapped.

He was still upset about how Karloff went out.

The pale man did exactly as Jay asked.

Jay sighed.

“I know you’re still here. Unless you think we’re dumb enough to think lunch trays float on their own!”

He reappeared only to storm off.

“You didn’t have to be so mean!” Cole snapped.

“You saw what he did today! How can we trust him!? YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN ABOUT CORRUPTING!?!?! THIS HAS TO STOP!”

“Calm down.” Cole said.

Jay slammed his chopsticks down and glared, but once Garmadon cleared his throat the two decided not to start again.

Lloyd was grateful for it.

Nya’s fury fueled her hunt. She was going to find her brother, no “if” about it. The only question was what other people were going to make her do to find him.

She started with the Slither Pits Kai frequented before Mr. C took him away. Even though every seedy thug quickly learned she had no patience for secrets, none of them had any relevant info.

Not that they had nothing to say. She learned plenty from them. Things she would normally follow up on. Samurai X now had a very long list of leads for unrelated crimes, but Nya didn’t care about any of it. She only cared about what was related to her brother.

She growled at the memory of how her friends had turned their backs.

They didn’t get it. They all had parents to go home to. Kai had raised Nya by himself. She owed him everything! The thought of leaving him, abandoning him; it burned her. He hadn’t left her when their parents did. He didn’t leave her when she was kidnapped and in trouble.

There was no mother’s home cooking, no father’s strong hugs. There was only Kai. Kai, making every sacrifice and always doing his best for her. Kai who had only ever done anything with someone else in mind. How could they just spit in the face of that? Turn their backs?

So Zane may’ve been alive? Whatever. Kai was more important. He should’ve taken priority!

There was no more family to run to. There was no comfort for Nya. Kai was all she had, and now that he was gone she was completely alone. They didn’t understand that. They didn’t understand that it wasn’t just her brother she lost, it was her entire family that was missing. The only person that had ever felt like home had been taken away. She couldn’t just ignore that. The void in her was too large for her to find any forgiveness for them. Perhaps it would be there when her brother was safe and sound, but she knew her missing family would leave room for only rage until she had him back.

Nya was brought out of her thoughts by her phone ringing. She rejected yet another call from Wu and finally decided to turn the thing off. She didn’t want to hear from him or Misako. Both of them had been calling non-stop. She had no answers for them, so she ignored them.

Besides, she may’ve finally found a useful lead.

The bar tender at Yang Tavern had seen Kai talking to a lawyer the night of his last fight. He only had a few clues for her, but Nya would search every law office in the city until she found the right guy if she had to.

When she found the guy, she was going to drag answers out of him until she knew exactly who and where Mr. C was. Then she was going to hunt the man down and force him to give her brother back.

First Master help anyone in her way.

If Jay didn’t show up soon, Lloyd was going to strangle Cole. He wouldn’t shut up about how Lloyd’s bed was better than the rock bed he’d been given. It was taking all of Lloyd’s restraint not to leap across the room and start shaking him.

Just when Lloyd was about to snap, Jay finally slipped in from the balcony.

“Ok, it was almost impossible to get here!” He complained loudly. “This place is swarming with guards! How are we supposed to search the island!?”

“Maybe keep your voice down?” Lloyd asked pretty gently considering his mood.

“Right.” Jay said in a quiet voice. “This place is massive! We’ll have to split up.”

“NO!” Lloyd yelled.

Jay and Cole gave him startled looks.

“We stick together. We’re divided enough as it is.” Lloyd explained in a calmer voice.

He couldn’t help the panic that had shot through his blood at the thought of splitting up. He could be forgiven for being a bit sensitive, given their situation and the childhood he had.

Luckily Jay and Cole let it go.

“That still doesn’t solve how we’re going to search the place! It was hard enough not getting spotted sneaking around here on our own.” Cole said, sitting on the end of the bed.

“I think I have an idea about that.” Lloyd said.

“We’re all ears.” Cole said.

“Given what my dad told us about Chen, I can pretty much guarantee that this place is full of secret passages.” Lloyd explained.

There was no way a villain that eccentric and image conscious would skip out of the secret passages. Not to mention the trap door Karloff had fallen through couldn’t be the only one of its kind in the palace.

“What makes you so sure?” Jay asked

Lloyd smiled deviously.

“Trust me. I know my traps and secret passages.”

They raised their eyebrows in silent doubt.

“Let me see what I can remember….” Lloyd muttered as he called back on his old memories of school. “There are five basic types of passageways. Buttons, Latches, Loose Doors…...”

Lloyd stretched his memory to remember which ones he was forgetting. The answer came to him when he thought about the trap door Chen had used to dispose of Karloff.

“…Remote, and Combination!” he finished.

Cole and Jay both sat in front of a standing Lloyd while he explained

“Buttons are self-explanatory. You press something and the passage opens. Though sometimes it’s a switch or a lever, they all count as Button style.”

Lloyd hadn’t had to recite the knowledge in so long, he was shocked at how easily it was coming back to him.

“Latches are usually knobs of some kind, but it basically means the door is latched closed and you have to unlock it somehow. Sometimes actual keys are involved. Loose Doors are just hidden doors that aren’t protected by anything except secrecy. Basically, all you need to open it is to know that it’s there. Not at all secure and the easiest for someone to find accidentally.”

He couldn’t help but go on a small tangent about the inferiority of Loose Door secret passages. His teacher had drilled it into them. Lloyd could almost hear the man’s voice.

“Loose Doors aren’t any better than an open door.”

“Remote means it has to be triggered remotely and the trigger can be taken away. Best used for booby traps. And finally, Combination requires some kind of password or specific series of actions. The most secure, but bad for getting away in a hurry.”

Cole and Jay stared at him in awe.

“Jay, you’re going to try pushing on everything, that’ll find any Push Buttons or Loose Doors that swing in. And Cole, you’re going to try pulling and twisting everything. That’ll find any Pull Buttons, Loose Doors that swing out, or standard Latches. If either of you find something that moves but doesn’t do anything, let me know, it might be part of a combination. I’ll check for the weird stuff like sliding pieces, locks, or markings.” Lloyd explained.

They didn’t move. Had he freaked them out?

“Any questions?” Lloyd asked nervously.

Jay raised his hand.

“What was that!?”

“What do you mean?” Lloyd asked.

“He means since when were you such an expert on this?” Cole said.

“I had a whole semester on ‘this stuff’!” Lloyd snapped. “I got the second highest grade in the class!”

He was still a little proud of that A-. He didn’t make many good grades back then, so he had treasured the ones he did.

They continued to look baffled.

“I was a Darkley's kid?” Lloyd reminded them.

He saw it click.

“OOOOOOHHHHH right!” they both said.

Of course they forgot. Everyone forgot. Sometimes it annoyed Lloyd, but he supposed it was easy to forget. He was a far cry from that evil brat he once was. Even he forgot his background every so often.

“So….” Lloyd said openly, gesturing to the room.

“OH!” Jay said

“Right!” Cole said

Both of them hopped up and started to push, pull, and twist everything they could find.

Lloyd smiled and nodded in approval before setting about his own job. If there were any secret passages in his room, they’d find it.

He carefully scanned over the room and choose a corner to start in. He started to check each board in the floor, checking to see if any slid or depressed. He was methodical about it. Each board the same. Push, left, right, next. Push, left, right, next. Push, left, right, next.

“I think I found a button!” Jay yelled.

Lloyd jumped up and ran over to the shelf Jay was inspecting. Jay pointed to the book he’d pushed further into the shelf. Lloyd didn’t know if he should be amused or angry, he settled on flat and cynical.

“Jay, that’s just a short book.” Lloyd said as he pulled the thing off the shelf.

It was a nice hardback, bound with cloth. The kind of book that felt important. It wasn’t important to their search though. It had been placed at the edge of the shelf, so its spine lined up with all the other books on the shelf, library style.

“Oh.” Jay said sheepishly as Lloyd put the book back on the shelf.

Back to the floor. After a minute, Lloyd had already finished checking the floor and was crawling along the wall.

He traced a picture frame with his fingers while checking its connection to the wall. Not installed, so not connected to any mechanisms. Lloyd was pushing it aside to check the wall behind it when he heard a click and something heavy scrapping on the floor.

“Found it!” Cole announced, looking triumphant next to a lamp.

“Way to go Cole!” Lloyd said, giving his friend a high five as he walked over.

Jay and Cole started to walk in.

“This is so cool!” Jay said in excitement, his voice echoing slightly.

“Wait!” Lloyd said, turning back to the room and grabbing something.

“What?” Cole asked, turning back to watch him.

Lloyd didn’t answer him, he just came back and used his marker to mark the wall.

“A place as big as this is going to have a maze of secret passages. We’ll get lost if we don’t mark our trail.”

“Smart!” Jay said.

Lloyd lit up his hand with green energy and the three started to venture deeper into the labyrinth, Lloyd marking the wall every so often. They found that there were plenty of peepholes along the way, which Jay was excited over, but they weren’t too helpful. Mostly all they saw were the other competitors training or relaxing.

They did find one empty room had magic symbols drawn all over the opposite side of the walls. Knowing what they did about Clouse, none of them liked the look of them. They investigated for a moment, but the red room didn’t have anyone or anything in it so they moved on.

It lingered in their minds like it was important somehow, but none of them really knew how, so they ignored it.

After a while they found themselves in a set of stone caverns. Lloyd reached out and aggressively pulled Cole and Jay back.

“Everyone stop!” He yelled.

Before Jay and Cole could start asking, Lloyd pointed out the trip wire he’d spotted. Another gift from Darkley’s.

“Booby traps.” He explained grimly.

“Booby traps! Even cooler!” Jay laughed in excitement.

Cole reached out and hit him on the back of the head.

“HEY!” Jay yelled.

“Don’t get excited over things that could kill us!” Cole said.

“You know next time you can use your words!” Jay snapped.

Lloyd took a calming breath before interrupting the budding fight.

“From here on out, we have to watch our step.”

It had the desired effect, they shut up. Lloyd stepped over the wire carefully and the others followed.

“Do you hear that?” he said as a distant sound started to approach.

All three hid behind a rock while the sound approached. Around the corner came a group of Chen’s goons, all chanting menacingly. Definitely evil.

Lloyd looked down the hall and saw another group approaching. He considered taking their clothes and sneaking into wherever it was that they were going, but there were four of them, and Lloyd, Jay, and Cole only made three. It was possible no one would notice, but it was also possible the number in each group were important. So, he let them pass and instead decided to silently follow.

They came to a wide-open cavern with a stage like platform on the opposite side of them. Lloyd quietly marked the one they came from before the three made for the shadows under a large snake statue. Thankfully all the attention was to the front of the room, so it was easy to sneak behind the group without being noticed.

They got out of sight just in time for Chen to come out onto the stage. Ever the showboat, he silently made his way down the stairs, taking in his follower’s chanting. Once he reached the edge of the stage, he slammed his staff down, and his followers all fell into obedient bows, each one perfectly trained.

Creepy wasn’t even a starting place for describing it.

“Bring out the loser!” Chen yelled, projecting his voice well.

Since Lloyd had already started thinking about his school days, it reminded him of some of his lessons. His vocal teacher had preached voice projection.

“No one will ever take a villain seriously if they are mush-mouthed or mumbling! Make sure every little worm hiding in the dirt can still hear you.”

To be perfectly honest, Lloyd still used what he learned in that class. Mostly for inspirational speeches instead of ominous threats, but they were still skills he learned there. He was a decent monologue, but he never did get a passing grade on his evil laugh.

The sounds of a struggle brought Lloyd back to his surroundings.

Two tattooed men were dragging a very irritated Karloff towards the stage.

“Get hands off Karloff!” he ranted “Karloff wishes he never signed up for this!”

Jay winced next to him in sympathy when Karloff was thrown to the ground in front of Chen.

“What is chanting for?” he asked nervously.

“They’re saying… ‘Only one can remain’!” Chen answered, chipper as ever.

That didn’t sound good.

There was a dreadful silence for a moment. Clouse appearing at some point, the sneaky little rat he was.

“Like I said” Chen said, somehow not touching the tension, despite breaking the silence “Use it or lose it!”

The two goons on either side of Karloff grabbed his arms. Chen secured him with an icy blast from his staff. Once he was firmly in place, the staff switched from pushing out ice, to pulling the metal off Karloff’s skin. Once Karloff seemed completely drained, the goons let go and he fainted in exhaustion.

They were so far passed creepy a this point.

“Did he just?” Jay asked.

“He stole Karloff’s power.” Lloyd confirmed.

“And he used ice!” Cole added “That means he must have already stolen Zane’s power too!”

“What happened to my metal?” Karloff pleaded as he weakly got up from the floor.

“Your metal? Oh, it’s mine now!” Chen said before dissolving into a fit of laughter.

It wasn’t a proper evil laugh, but it was devious enough Lloyd would give it a pass.

“But now I will let you go.” He said.

His tone was hard to read. It was light and happy, but that hadn’t meant mercy before.

“Really?” Karloff asked, falling right for it.

“TO THE FACTORY!” Chen dramatically yelled.

No surprises there. The man was a real fan of sentences that dramatically changed meaning halfway through.

Karloff raged and struggled while they pulled him away, but Lloyd was too busy thinking to care. What and where was “the factory”? Was that where Zane was? Could they follow Karloff and his escorts to it?

Before that plan had any more thought put into it, Cole sneezed.

The thing about Cole is, he is a particularly loud sneezer. Always had been. It was practically a shout when he sneezed. Lloyd had yet to hear it’s equal. Cole had somehow managed to pick the worst possible time to display the talent and gotten the attention of Chen and all his followers.

Right next to Lloyd’s ear too.

“Really!?” Lloyd snapped.

“It’s dusty in here!” Cole yelled back.

Jay made a move to hit Cole, but before he could land it Chen started to yell.

“INTRUDERS! STOP THEM!”

The bickering was put on pause while the three of them bolted for the doorway Lloyd had marked. Shadowed closely by Chen’s followers, they could hear his “THEY MUST NOT ESCAPE!” echoing behind them.

Luckily, Lloyd had marked their way back, though they’d need to either lose their tails before they got back to the room or find another route.

Lloyd was trying to figure out how to best do that while he jumped over the trip wire. Jay followed his lead without issue. Cole wasn’t as graceful.

The wire pulled around his ankle and he fell forward.

There was a split second where they all braced for whatever trap would snap on them. It was disbelieving relief to see the trap work in their favor. The door slammed close and shut off the hall they had just come from, leaving their pursuers trapped on the other side.

There wasn’t enough time to cheer before the axes started to come down though.

They ran, ignoring Lloyd’s markings in favor of getting away from the trap. They barely made their way to a path ending in a drop off that had no axes in it.

“You want to stop sabotaging us, dirt brains!?” Jay yelled.

Lloyd shoved himself between the two. A deep hissing interrupted the fight before it began.

“That sound…” Jay said, calling it out.

They looked down to see what was, improbably, only the second biggest snake they’d ever seen.

“RUN!” Lloyd yelled.

With the hall of sharp axes behind them, and the snake below them, the only direction to flee was up. They started to climb as the snake’s gargantuan jaws closed below them with deep, loud, thumps, rivaled only by their heartbeats.

They found a small opening and piled in. It was tiny and they were not at all packed in efficiently. Jay was laying on top of the pile and the most exposed as the snake shoved its massive head into the space. It snapped its teeth in a frenzy, trying to reach in and get to them.

Lloyd and Cole tried to make enough room for Jay to hide further in while he screamed. The snake’s fangs were close enough to snag a piece of cloth from Jay’s pants. Even an inch more and Jay would be snake food.

Pushing against the back wall, Cole felt something give. The ground opened up. Cole’s heart had enough time to reach his throat and drop back down to his stomach before the three landed on something soft and padded.

The roof closed back behind them, the snake making its anger vocally clear before it did.

There was a quiet moment while they all caught their frantic breaths.

At first Lloyd wasn’t sure if he was seeing red from the stress or if he was somehow injured. After a moment he discovered that it was just the color of the room. They were in the red room from before, the one that had all the symbols on the backs of all the walls.

The color made Lloyd’s heart hurt to see. It was even the same shade.

Lloyd tried to think back to the last time he had heard Kai speak and realized it was the fight.

Lloyd had been so angry. Zane had just died, Jay and Cole were fighting, and everything was so broken. Then Kai said he was leaving and Lloyd lost it.

He said some awful things. He called Kai a coward and a failure. Kai turned those words right back on him.

If Lloyd had just beaten the Overlord properly the first time.

If he’d told Kai that he needed him and begged him to stay instead of getting angry.

If. If. If.

So many places Lloyd should’ve done something else, but the one he regretted the most was not going to see Kai off before he left. Nya had invited him, but he didn’t go.

If he had only been brave enough to face Kai sooner and make-up before he left. Maybe he could’ve convinced Kai not to go, and he’d still be with them. Maybe he’d be on Chen’s island with them, helping to find Zane. Nya wouldn’t be mad at them, and things would be some amount of ok.

But Lloyd had let his big brother disappear without even the slightest attempt to stop it. He hadn’t realized how bad a brother he’d been until it was too late. Maybe Nya was right and he didn’t deserve Kai as a brother.

He was grateful for Jay speaking up and pulling him out of his rueful thoughts.

“No more sneaking around!” Jay moaned as he pulled himself upright and off the pile “From now on, let’s just follow the rules.”

“So, the tournament is just a cover up so Chen can steal our elemental powers.” Cole said.

“But why?” Lloyd asked, coming fully back to the present. “What is he planning?”

“Who knows, but Jay’s right. If we’re going to find out and find Zane, we have to play by his rules.” Cole said.

Right. Zane.

It was a different brother they were here for. Even if the room they landed in did have a very melancholy color for them. Lloyd had already made his choice. Zane first.

“That was way too close.” Jay remarked, looking at the hole left in his pants.

“Let’s just get back to our rooms.” Lloyd said.

He wanted to go to sleep and not think about anything anymore.

Lloyd snuck out the balcony while Cole decided to slip out through the door. Jay lingered.

Lloyd wasn’t the only one who had noticed the color of the room. Something was bothering Jay, and he had never been one to ignore his curiosity.

There was a thin layer of dust. Nothing to suggest that the room had been abandoned, but enough to suggest it was being left alone. Jay found it odd that this room was right in the middle of the others but wasn’t being used to house anyone. Why not use it? Maybe this room was for someone that wasn’t there? And why was this the only room with symbols on the outside?

Jay continued to look for clues. Most the personal flourishes looked like they were taken down or out. The strange part was that it felt temporary. Like the owner of the room would be back soon.

The only clues would be in the more permanent fixtures and quirks. Things that made a room belong to someone. Like how Cole abused his bed, or how you can find traces of sticky sugar residue in whatever space Lloyd called his own.

Of course, only someone that knew the person could recognize such things. In all likelihood, Jay had never met the random follower of Chen that the room usually belonged to, but he just had a feeling.

Maybe it was just the red of the room?

A loose hot water facet in the sink and shower. A path of flattened carpet that someone had paced over too many times. The wooden furniture had quite a few nicks and cuts. Nothing that painted a clear picture.

But the red bothered him.

The lay out just pulled at his brain. The bed that can see all the doors and windows seemed like something he knew.

And the red was bothering him.

Red with gold accents. So familiar. All warm colors and soft light. Something was screaming at him. Jay poked around the room until his eyes went cross. It felt like the harder he tried to nail down what the thought was, the blurrier it got.

Finally, he left to go to his own room and get some sleep.

He dreamed of red.

Lloyd woke up angry. He was angry at Chen for the lies and kidnapping his friend. He was mad at his other friends for their constant bickering. He was made at Kai for disappearing. He was mad at Nya for making him choose. He was made at himself for not being able to fix any of it.

Small victory was that it looked like none of his friends were in the same bracket. Lloyd made sure to check before breakfast. Jay was going to face the Master of Shadow, which was just an ominous sounding title by itself. Cole was set to fight the Master of Poison; a fight Lloyd didn’t envy. Lloyd himself was up against the Master of Form.

Even the good news wasn’t enough to brighten Lloyd’s spirits though. There was too much weighting on him. Honestly if it weren’t for his father’s patient presence, Lloyd might’ve just given in to the dark mood fully. He hadn’t felt so bitter since he was small. What was that Jay had said about feeling like the place was corrupting him? Maybe Lloyd should’ve given that thought more credit.

When they refused his father dessert, Lloyd almost blew a gasket, but Garmadon took it in good humor.

“There’s a valuable lesson here, Son. If you turn your back on your first evil sensei in an effort to go straight, you may not be served creamy biscuits.”

If Lloyd hadn’t been so tired, he might’ve laughed out loud at the way his father strutted off.

It was short lived however, Jay and Cole were already back at it.

“And here I thought ninja never quit.”

“And I used to think a ninja wouldn’t steal your girlfriend.”

Lloyd was about to throw something at them. There was no telling what had set them off this time, not that they needed a reason, but they were setting him off now.

Before he could though, his father stepped in.

“Whatever you have to say to each other, say it now.” Garmadon said firmly after planting himself in their path. “Because harboring grudges hurts no one but yourselves.”

“He’s right.” Lloyd said, already feeling a little more leveled out “We should be preparing to fight our next opponents, not each other. Infighting isn’t helping.”

“What grudge? I already dropped it!” Cole declared.

Liar.

“I dropped it first!” Jay snapped.

Even worse lie.

“Did not!” Cole yelled, pushing his tray against Jay’s

“Did too!” Jay yelled, shoving his own tray back.

Now they were just being childish. The tray jousting ended with their breakfasts on the floor and Lloyd groaning.

“Are we going to have a productive conversation or are you two just going to squawk like feuding chickens?” Garmadon asked.

He quickly silenced the “he started it” debate before it could gain any momentum. Their poor behavior was done being tolerated. Garmadon would be the sensei they needed and fix what Wu had left broken. He would be getting them to end their fight and make up.

But first he needed them to grasp the concept of putting it aside long enough to function.

“Sit. Eat. Then we’ll try again later.” He ordered. “This rivalry needs to be put to rest one way or another, least it follow you two forever.”

Finally, the two pulled apart and settled on silent glares. Lloyd thanked his grandfather for the silent part.

As they sat down to eat Chen announced the fights that were lined up for the day. Luckily, it didn’t include any of them, so they had time to sit and talk.

“We know that Chen is stealing elemental powers, but why?” Lloyd asked.

“Maybe destroy New Ninjago City? That seems like a pretty common target.” Jay suggested.

Cole shook his head.

“No. Something tells me that it’s bigger.”

“Knowing Chen, you may be right there.” Garmadon agreed.

“We still don’t know where Zane is either.” Jay added.

“Well Chen mentioned something about a factory last night. Maybe we should check there?” Lloyd asked.

“Man, I’m still having trouble believing that Mr. Chen from Mr. Chen’s Noodle House turned out to be an evil warlord. I mean, who sees that sort of thing coming? How were we never told about this?” Cole said

“I know! How many times did we eat there!?” Jay asked, “I don’t even want to think about how bad things could’ve turned out.”

“There are quite a few things that we should’ve told you long before now. I am sorry.” Garmadon admitted

Lloyd and Garmadon continued to discuss, but Jay was too busy picturing the bullet they had unknowingly dodged.

At any point Chen could’ve used his underworld connections and public name to get to them, and none of them would’ve had a clue. To them he was the silly man on the sign of a noodle house, not somebody to distrust. It begged the question, what would’ve happened if ‘Mr. Chen’ had approached them as the business owner they thought he was, and not the master he truly was?

Wait….

Mr. Chen.

Mr. C.

Jay dropped his fork and all the food in his mouth.

“You good spark-plug?” Cole asked in a mostly friendly tone.

It seemed that Garmadon’s lectures were getting through. It was the least hostile he’d sounded to Jay since the funeral.

It was lost on Jay though. He was still reeling from his discovery.

The red room. The empty red room.

“Guys….” Jay said in a shaking voice.

“What is it?” Lloyd asked, getting nervous himself.

Jay gulped, not at all happy about what he was about to point out.

“Chen….Chen’s name starts with a C.”

Cole and Lloyd raised an eyebrow each.

“And yours starts with a J.” Cole remarked sarcastically again.

Baby steps.

Jay shook his head, face still white as a sheet.

“What is it, Jay?” Garmadon asked gently.

“Chen has a private island and a big house and a whole noodle business.” Jay explained, breathing hard.

“Your point?” Cole asked, losing what little patience he had.

“You don’t think Chen is the Mr. C Kai went to work for?”

The rest of the table dropped their silverware.

Garmadon barely forced his breakfast back down his throat.

The rest of the speculation turned to static in the man’s ears. He could only think one word.

No.

Garmadon’s blood was running cold. It made too much sense. Chen’s entire MO fit.

Kai had no reason to doubt him. Chen took in a damaged child with an absent father and low self-esteem and manipulated him. Same as he’d done to Garmadon.

Chen had wrapped him up in honeyed words until he couldn’t see the venom behind them. Carefully wove his stings around every insecurity and hang up before pulling them taught. Twisting and pulling at his mind and emotions until he was easy to shape.

No. No. It couldn’t be. Besides, if it were, then they would’ve seen Kai by now.

It had to be just a coincidence. It had to be.

Garmadon would never forgive himself if it wasn’t. If he let Chen sink his claws into one of his students. If Garmadon had failed to protect them from something so obvious. If the same horrible fate befell another child because he didn’t see it coming…

Garmadon was going to tear himself, and Wu, apart.

Dareth had been a blessing. Nya hadn’t wanted to involve him at first, but he was good with people and had a large social network. Once Nya gave him a description, he’d found someone that knew the lawyer she was looking for within a day and a half. Nya had an address by that evening.

She got there a little after hours. Most employees had gone home, leaving only the top dogs that owned the firm. Even they were packing up to go home as the sun was setting.

She didn’t waste any time crashing through the window. Stealth was her brother’s specialty, and he wasn’t here. Until he was returned, she would be doing things her own ruthlessly direct way.

Kobayashi barely had time to stammer out half a question before she had his throat in her hands.

“I hear you work for someone I’m trying to find.”

He tried to sputter out words, but Nya wasn’t ready to let him speak yet, so her hand stayed clamped down on his windpipe.

“A Mr. C was the last person to see my brother before he went missing. So, you’re going to tell me exactly who he is and where to find him.”

Finally, Nya loosened her hold enough to let air pass.

“Please, he’ll kill me!”

Wrong answer.

Nya clamped back down on his throat and slammed his head against the wall behind his desk. She didn’t have time for excuses.

“NOW!” she shouted.

Perhaps she was being too violent, but she honestly couldn’t bring herself to care about the man’s well being. Not while her brother was in danger. Not while she was alone.

Jay didn’t want to keep thinking about how Kai could’ve been tricked by Chen, but his mind rarely listened to him about what to fixate on. The fight between the Masters of Gravity and Speed wasn’t nearly dynamic enough to pull him from his spiraling thoughts.

Jay reviewed what he knew with the new context.

Kai was working in various Slither Pits.

Kai left the team and started fighting for money in shady bars for the entertainment of thugs and their ilk. It stung Jay a little bit. That Kai would’ve rather be and do that then stay with them. Then again, Cole and he had been pretty hard to live with. Maybe, as sketchy as it was, Kai still found it better than listening to the fighting.

If they weren’t fighting so much would Kai still be with them?

Jay shook the guilt of that question off. Focus.

Kai was fighting in Slither Pits, and someone approached him with a job offer. One of Chen’s lackeys? Who could tell!

Kai had assumed he was only working for a noodle house entrepreneur. Body guarding his sheltered daughter. Wait daughter? Did that mean Chen had a daughter? Or was that a lie? Did that even matter?

Kai started dating Chen's daughter, or at least the girl he was claiming as his daughter. Gross, but unhelpful.

At some point Kai must’ve realized the truth and Chen had to deal with him.

Jay gulped. He had hopped Kai had just disappeared down one of those trap doors and come out on the other side. The alternative was too hard to think about. He’d never be able to face Nya again if so.

Jay looked up at the announcement of a winner. It looked like the Master of Speed won.

Lloyd was bantering with his father over the fight. Cole wondered if Chen pitted the masters of Mind and Nature against each other just for thematic reasons. He seemed like the type.

Had Kai been with this man the whole time? Nya said he sounded fine in his letters, but what if he wasn’t? What if Chen had made him write those to throw them off? What if Kai had been tortured the whole time?

Cole needed to stop driving himself crazy with those thoughts.

Did Kai know that Zane might’ve been alive? Where they together? Cole hoped so.

Maybe they’d rescue them both at the same time and be able to come home to Nya with her brother safe and sound.

“And maybe the moon is made a cheese!” as his father used to say. Nothing is that rosy, especially in their line of work. Most likely this was only going to make things harder, not simpler.

The master of Mind pulled out a last-minute victory.

Lloyd could barely keep track of the fight.

It was in a volcano, and if that didn’t give Lloyd a swirling mess of feelings! He had a complicated relationship with volcanoes. It was the backdrop for one of the most important moments of his life.

Lloyd tried to watch the fight, but it was no use. All he could see was the bright red lava.

Red. Red. Red.

Red like his father’s eyes when they reunited. Red like the hot hot hot magma creeping onto his raft. Red like Kai. Red like danger and fury. Red like warmth and love.

He was so scared and lost when Kai found him in every sense. His innocence died in there, burned away by his destiny, but so did his loneliness. That was burned away by his big brother.

Kai had saved Lloyd from that volcano.

He wanted Kai to come save him again.

Lloyd wanted Kai to show up out of the red again so he could hug him and cry like he had back then. He wanted to apologize for everything he’d said. He wanted to hear Kai apologize for what he’d said. He just wanted Kai to come back and fix everything.

It took too long for his father to notice how on edge he was. He reached over and comforted him, but it wasn’t the same as Kai.

Kai who may’ve been dealing with a monster alone because Lloyd was too stubborn to reach out.

The Master of Smoke lost, and the Master of Light won.

Lloyd had to be pulled away. His legs refused to carry him away from the red. Some part of him was waiting for Kai.

“Master, it was the ninja that snuck into our ceremony. I beg you let me put an end to this. I could do so much more!” Clouse said, magic dancing on his hand to make his point.

“Oh, but where is the fun in that Clouse? Skipping all the buildup and just killing them is so unsatisfying. Using you magic to aggravate them and letting them take their anger out on one another? Priceless!” Chen laughed, bouncing his legs as he did.

“Still, with Garmadon here to guide them, we may need to be taking a more active role in their destruction.” Clouse argued.

“Patience Clouse. Not everything can be done with violence. Besides, I want them all to be alive to see when we wake up our sleeping beauty!” Chen sung.

He was practically vibrating with excitement over just the thought. He could hardly wait to see the looks on their faces when they realize one of their own has turned against them. It was a look Chen had seen many times, but it never got old. It seemed to only get better with every new face he brought it to.

Not to mention how deep it would stab Garmadon. Sad Chen couldn’t get his true son, but Kai made for an acceptable standin. Not to mention that he was much more suited for what Chen needed anyways. Chen had even grown fond of the boy. The same way he’d grown fond of Garmadon all those years ago.

Clouse never did have that neediness. Chen preferred his followers to have an emotional dependence on him. Aside from it being a convenient method of control, Chen loved to be surrounded by people desperate for his attention and praise. It was his drug of choice. Garmadon gave him a plump supply of it, but he left. Skylor was a decent source for a long time, but it was fading as she grew older and more independent. Kai was a goldmine of it. If Chen played his cards right, he could keep that supply for the rest of his days.

“But what shall we do for the time being?” Clouse asked, bringing Chen back to the conversation.

“You do have a point Clouse. We can’t be too hands-off. We must do more to whittle them down.” Chen said in thought “Perhaps it’s time to switch things up?”

Garmadon was suspicious to say the least. He had been expecting Chen to either have all three of his students fight on day one, spread them out to stretch the entertainment, or pit them against each other. Granted there was nothing stopping him from doing the third later down the line, but Chen wasn’t known for his patience.

So why hadn’t he done any of those things from the start?

It didn’t make sense. Chen loved his drama, but the tournament had been lacking in that department. At least by his standards.

Garmadon knew better than to assume the best out of the man. Chen being calm and reasonable was usually your only warning before he revealed his most awful tricks. Garmadon knew from far too much experience.

He was on edge. Waiting for the axe to drop like a skittish cat.

The boys were too preoccupied with the news that Kai may’ve been in Chen’s clutches with Zane for him to bother them with his concerns, but he was keeping a sharp eye out. He wouldn’t be caught off guard. He wasn’t Wu. He wouldn’t ignore threats.

Every nerve pricked when he saw the crowd gathered around the bracket board. Chen had done something.

The ninja pushed their way up front to find that Chen had gone option three. The delay was probably just to give them a false security. It was very in character for Chen to enjoy ripping that away.

“He can’t do this!” Cole yelled in disbelief.

“He already did.” Lloyd said solemnly.

Garmadon seethed. He knew it was coming. He didn’t expect any better from Chen. Still, he felt enraged.

His stress was not lessened when Cole and Jay started bickering. A headache was quickly overtaking him. Those two needed a more stern talking to than Garmadon had been willing to give them at the moment.

“Is there a problem, Ninja?” Clouse said in a smugly smooth tone.

Garmadon had to take deep breaths to stop himself from strangling the man.

“You cheated! You changed the brackets!” Cole snapped.

“Oopsie” Clouse said with a shrug, not even denying it.

With a laugh from Chen’s other lackey standing nearby, they left.

Were it not for his boys needing his guidance, Garmadon might’ve followed him and done something undignified.

“What do we do? They can’t fight each other!” Lloyd asked in despair “We need to find our brothers, not fall further apart”

“You can’t undo what’s been done” Garmadon said angrily.

As awful as Chen was, as unfair as it may be, there was nothing they could do to make it untrue. All they could do is not let Chen win the battle of wills and keep moving forward.

“My only advice is to be at peace with it.” He added.

It was all they could do. Short of Garmadon starting an unproductive fistfight. Which wouldn’t help a thing, but how satisfying it would be!

“Peace!? One of us has to lose!” Jay shouted, beginning to panic and ramble. “Oh my gosh! It’s totally gonna be me. He’s got super strength and what do I have? Quick! Tell me! WHAT DO I HAVE!?!?”

Garmadon winced and tried not to cover his ears.

“It’s ok, Jay! We only came here to find Zane. If we can do that before your fight tonight, then none of us have to battle! We still have time to figure out what Chen is up to and stop this.” Lloyd said.

“And what about Kai?” Cole asked.

A heartbroken look crossed Lloyd’s face before he smoothed over it with determination.

“If Kai is here, then Chen’s bound to be keeping him either with Zane or near him. If we find Zane, we should find Kai.”

Misako was pacing with worry. Nya’s phone rolled to voice mail yet again. No one was answering. Not even her husband.

Her worried hands worked their way into her braided hair. She yanked them back out again, not wanting to think about the snarled mess her braid had become. It was what she got from sleeping in her braids for days at a time. It was a lazy habit, but taking it out to brush it took time she didn’t want to give it. She often got too busy to be bothered with the thing.

The nasty quirk was only made worse with worry.

Her son was missing. All his friends were missing. Her husband was missing. Even Dareth couldn’t be reached! Misako could only hope they were all together.

“You should brush that.” Wu said gently. “I always did like your hair better down.”

Wu was the only one that she got a hold of. He came right over to comfort her. Like he always did. First, did she love him for that. Her life often drifted into rough uncertainty, but Wu was a safety net she could count on.

“I can’t waste time on that!” Misako said firmly, throwing her phone onto the couch.

Wu frowned, but kept his mouth shut. Like he always did. He never told her no. Even when he really should. Misako was fine with that.

She charged to the computer, ready to ignore more than her hair as she plunged into a new research binge. It was her primary coping mechanism when things got hard.

Focus on the goal, not your feelings. Do the research. Find the solution. Fix the problem. Ignore the rest.

Misako couldn’t claim it was a healthy practice, but it was all she knew. Garmadon had tried many times to stop her, but it really couldn’t be helped. Somethings were stronger than even him, and Misako’s tunnel vision was one of them. It never stopped Garmadon from trying, but he wasn’t around to even try to stop her this time.

And she could always rely on Wu to keep his mouth shut and enable her.

While the boys went to ask Neuro for help finding out what Chen was up to, Garmadon had some time to himself.

The idea that Kai had been taken in by Chen was still spiraling in his head. The fear and panic were almost too loud to think through. It reminded him of when the venom used to act up when he was a younger man.

Garmadon punched a nearby tree to try and clear his head, but it only brought him back to a time long passed when he’d done the very same thing on the very same dirt he stood on once again. Heck, it might've even been the same tree!

He’d been disgusted with himself when he won his lordship. He’d cheated and was ashamed of what he had done, but he still felt strangely proud. Which made him feel confused. It all turned into a wrathful mush of feelings in his gut. He’d taken it all out on the trees and his poor knuckles.

Here he was, an old man, in the very same place. For all his wisdom and growth, he’d ended up exactly where he had started. Like a perfect, awful, cycle he couldn’t escape.

Speaking of cycles, Garmadon’s thoughts came back to Kai.

Oh, how easy it would’ve been for Chen. Kai reacted so strongly to the words of mentors. He’d nearly gotten himself killed trying to prove himself to Wu after a particularly hurtful comment. Instead, the boy had rescued Garmadon’s son, and he’d forever be grateful for it.

That incident was another thing he should’ve talked to Wu about. Something else he let slide, assuming his brother had better reasons for it. The way he dismissed his vulnerable student the same as he had Morro. Did Wu not remember how that fiasco ended!? And Garmadon witnessed him do it all over again to another sensitive student with so little self worth of his own that he was looking to a grand destiny to take it’s place.

Kai was a damaged kid looking for approval.

Chen would only have had to imply disappointment and Kai would’ve bent himself in half to fix it. Sprinkle in that addictive praise Chen was so good at and Kai stood no chance.

Garmadon shivered as he remembered his own bouts with Chen’s sugary words. It felt like sunshine on your skin. Chen spoke with such authority and pride that you believed he truly loved you. That love felt like a drug, dipping your mind in bliss. Sweet enough to mask the most bitter and vile commands.

Chen was very good at pushing people into things. The praise and bliss short circuited any arguments and before you knew it, you’d done what he asked. Afterwards, Chen was very good at convincing you that it meant you had wanted it too.

The only thing that could cut through the euphoria Chen created, was his harsh punishments. His sharp words hit you in every weak spot. The way he wielded his praise was a double-edged sword. The understanding he had of people made him able to destroy them with just a few words just as easily as he could intoxicate them.

Every insecurity was a weapon used to sooth and hurt you alike. Chen knew how to trick people into not thinking. And worse, he knew how to convince them that they didn’t want to.

Highs and lows, the man was a drug.

Like any drug, Chen had a withdrawal.

Garmadon remembered the weeks he’d spent feeling lost and off-kilter. The hollow feeling. How it felt like he’d lost the only person who truly loved and understood him, even when surrounded by true friends and family. Their love felt empty when compared to how potent and choking Chen’s was.

It took so long for Garmadon to remember how to be himself and not what Chen trained him to be. Some days he still struggled.

If Kai had truly been lured into Chen’s clutches, there was no telling how extensive the damage done would be.

Perhaps he had fought Chen’s manipulation. Maybe he was simply being kept prisoner and everything would be alright. After all, Kai hadn’t been seen anywhere.

Heck, maybe Kai wasn’t even here! Chen was not the only name that started with a C. It was possible Kai was nowhere so dangerous.

But Garmadon couldn’t help but fear. Fear the worst-case scenario. Fear that Kai had been truly taken in by Chen. Fear that Kai would fight their help when they tried to free him.

Garmadon sighed. There was nothing to be done until they knew. When they found Kai and learned exactly what Chen had managed to do (if Chen indeed had him), they’d have to figure out how best to help.

Until then, punching trees did nothing to help anyone.

Garmadon took one more deep breath and made his peace with it before returning to his remaining children, grateful they knew too much of Chen’s true nature for him to fully take them in.

Though, Chen was a man of many talents and his ability to spark infighting was another danger to watch out for. One he hoped Jay and Cole were strong enough to overcome.

Lloyd was about to explode.

He got Neuro to help, but at what cost? Jay and Cole were at each other’s throats worse than before! The fight was about to start and all he’d gotten was a spell on page 149 on Clouse’s spell book. Nothing concrete enough to stop the fight.

Aside from the stress of having to lose someone else and the threat of being alone that hung over him, Lloyd was ready to throw himself into the ring just to satisfy his growing urge to maim Jay and Cole, who were yelling again.

“SAY THAT AGAIN!”

“LEAST! VALUABLE! NINJA!”

“OOOOH I am so looking forward to the PEACE AND QUIET we’ll all get when you’re out!”

“Oh yeah!?”

“YEAH!”

The fighting was too loud, and it was overwhelming him. Tears started to prick at Lloyd’s eyes, and he knew he was about to crack open like an egg and something ugly was going to leak out of him.

“STOP IT!” he screamed, tears streaming down his face “STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!”

Jay and Cole finally quieted in shock

“I hate you! Both of you! I hate you!” Lloyd snapped.

Both of their hearts stopped at the use of the word “hate”. Lloyd hadn’t even said that when him and Kai had been having their fallout. They weren’t sure if Lloyd had ever used that word.

“Lloyd...” Cole said gently, reaching for him.

Lloyd was too angry for it. He slapped Cole’s hand away as hard as he could.

“You’re fighting has torn this team apart. YOU WANT TO FINISH THE JOB!?” he screamed “GO AHEAD! RIP WHAT’S LEFT TO SHREDS! KILL EACH OTHER FOR ALL I CARE!!”

“Lloyd, you need to breathe.” Jay begged.

“NO! I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!” Lloyd yelled, panting hard. “I keep losing people and you two can’t stop fighting long enough to do anything!”

Cole and Jay stopped trying to comfort Lloyd. Instead, they stared at the ground in shame.

“I’ve lost too much already.” Lloyd said, finally quieting down. “I can’t keep doing this, ok? You two have to stop. Please.”

Lloyd continued to sob loudly.

“Zane, then Kai, then Nya and now you guys. I need some stability here!”

“I’m sorry.” Cole whispered.

“You are supposed to be my guardians! You four were supposed to protect and teach me! I don’t feel very protected right now!”

They cringed at the mention of the Green Ninja prophecy. And the unspoken accusation none of them could quite word.

Kai was the one Lloyd leaned on the most, because Kai was the only one that seemed willing to take up the job. Kai was the only one of them that had ever raised a kid, the only practiced older sibling in the group. The other were awkward and clumsy with Lloyd and his fears. So, they let Kai do it. They relied on him to do the most of the “protecting” and “teaching” that was supposed to be all their jobs.

But Kai wasn’t around anymore. They couldn’t pass the buck to him anymore. Instead of picking it up themselves, they let it drop. Lloyd may’ve technically still had two guardians around him, but he felt like he had none.

“I’m so sorry, Lloyd.” Jay said.

“I can’t do this anymore. I’m done. Kai and Nya had the right idea. If this doesn’t end here… Then I DON’T WANT TO SEE EITHER OF YOU EVER AGAIN!” Lloyd screeched before turning to run away.

Jay and Cole’s stomachs dropped. They believed him. Lloyd meant those words.

Before turning the corner, Lloyd looked over his shoulder and added one more thing with tears glistening in his eyes.

“Whatever happens in that ring, remember; Chen is the enemy.”

With that Lloyd disappeared.

Jay and Cole were both too ashamed to look at each other.

They’d hurt Lloyd so much. They were supposed to be his support, but instead they only added more stress and chaos to his life.

Their stupid fight. They let it have too much power. Lloyd’s entire life had been destroyed in the crossfire and both of them were too absorbed in it to notice.

“Sensei Garmadon was wrong. Grudges don’t just hurt us.” Jay muttered. “They hurt our loved ones too.”

“Jay, I-”

Before Cole could say the apology on the tip of his tongue, they were interrupted.

“Master of Earth and Master of Lightning please report to the Colosseum!” Chen’s voice rang over the loudspeaker.

They both gulped.

Chen had noticed the shift. He had been so careful in picking the right time and was sure he was about to watch the two rip each other to shreds. The stress and panic were at a boiling point in all of them, which only served to exacerbate the existing cracks in their friendship.

It was all set to be a glorious fight between two best friends. The kind that would end the friendship for good, and may end with a dead body if all went well. Chen had been so excited to see it. He’d even picked the most spectacular arena he had for it. He rarely used the Colosseum. It was reserved for the biggest more entertaining fights.

With Garmadon being hassled and kept away until the fight, Chen had thought he had eliminated the possibility of someone talking some sense into the two. He had underestimated Lloyd Garmadon.

Somehow, Lloyd had gotten through to them and reminded them that they were dealing with anger and not hate. A line Chen had to blur again if he was going to get anything of value out of this fight.

“May I use my sorcery?” Clouse asked hopefully.

Chen thought for a moment. Garmadon had been keeping such a careful eye on Clouse’s dark magic. If he saw anything he’d point it out. Chen didn’t want to give them any reason to think their feelings weren’t their own.

“Continue to sour their moods, but nothing more.” Chen decided. “I think this needs to be done the old-fashioned way.”

“Very well.” Clouse said, clearly disappointed.

Chen stood and stretched. He had some work to do before he could enjoy the fight.

Wu had once said the best way to defeat your enemy, is to make him your friend, but how was Cole supposed to defeat a friend?

He didn’t really want Jay out of the tournament. Just like how he didn’t really want to hurt Jay over Nya. He really should’ve left well enough alone in the first place, but Jay had just…

Cole had felt so angry and attacked. The way Jay jumped to blaming him made Cole want to go after Nya just to spite Jay for trying to tell him what to do.

Then it was in for a penny, in for a pound.

Then they lost Zane and there was just too much hurt to focus on making amends. It felt better to scream and yell at Jay then to cry about Zane. And Jay certainly wasn’t shying away from the fight.

Now they had just gotten so stuck in it that stopping felt like admitting defeat.

Why was he fighting a battle he didn’t care about winning though?

“Hello!” Chen’s bright and loud voice grated against Cole’s thoughts.

What in Ninjago was he doing here?

“Just wanted to check in on you before the fight. It’s set to be a good one. I bet this is such a relief.” Chen said in his usual overly cheerful tone.

Cole narrowed his gaze, but Chen didn’t seem to react to the hostile expression.

“I do so admire your patience.” Chen said “Many find your friend grating when he’s in a good mood. I can only imagine how hard it must be to deal with him while he’s angry.”

Cole had to admit it was at least a little true. Jay had a tendency to take things too far, especially when it came to his emotions.

“Was it tremendously hard to keep your temper in check while he goaded you into fight after fight? I can’t decide if it was amusing or torture to watch. I must admit, I would’ve reached the end of my patience with him a long time ago. I don’t know how you’ve managed as long as you have!” Chen chattered.

Cole bite down on his tongue.

“I can only imagine what that was like to live through! The constant anger. You would think he’d give it a rest every once and awhile, but I guess not. It must’ve been so grating!” Chen said.

It had been very frustrating. Jay never seemed to drop it. Even when Cole tried to be quiet and civil Jay took the opportunity to make snide comments and start it up again.

Which was what was bothering Lloyd wasn’t it?

Cole had to take a deep breath to cool his own blood.

Jay was the reason Lloyd hated both of them! If that glorified bug zapper had learned to keep his mouth shut for five minutes and not make his feelings the biggest problem in the room, Lloyd could’ve had the break he needed. But Jay always was always over dramatic, wasn’t he? Even to the detriment of his own relationship. With him acting like that, is it any wonder why Nya wanted out?

“Well, I suppose it will be nice to get it all out of your systems, won’t it? I can tell the Master of Lightning has been itching for this fight since you two got here.”

“Whatever.” Cole snapped.

He didn’t want to show Chen how angry he was. Garmadon had warned them how manipulative Chen could be.

Chen smiled. Cole got the feeling that he hadn’t hidden his anger that well.

“Well good luck! Remember: Only one can remain!” Chen added as he left.

Cole decided he was going to beat Jay into a pulp.

He was the one who started the whole feud anyways. It was about time he finally got some due comeuppance for it.

Jay was devastated to see Lloyd break down like that. He let his fight with Cole take over everything. No wonder Kai left, what other choice was there?

Not to mention, was Cole even who Jay was really mad at?

Things fell apart with Nya. Jay was mad at himself for that.

It was easier to blame Cole for it then to admit he ruined his own relationship by being too clingy. How many times had Nya begged for space?

Instead of heeding her, he just kept at it. He had gone overboard, again. Jay knew he had a bad habit of letting his emotions get the better of him.

Cole had been a very convenient outlet for all of it. The pain and guilt of messing things up with Nya, the sadness and regret of losing Zane, the rejection and uncertainty of Kai leaving, and now the stress and fear of Chen’s tournament.

Jay should’ve known better than to use someone he considered a friend as an emotional punching bag.

“Hi! Hello!” Chen said loudly entering the room.

“What do you want?” Jay asked harshly.

Chen didn’t react, much to his disappointment.

“I just wanted to wish you luck in the fight!” Chen said with a bright smile that sold noodles to the masses. “I do hope it’s a good one. And I hope your friend takes it seriously.”

Jay felt an uncomfortable shiver run down his back.

“It would be just dreadful if the fight ended too quickly because he underestimated you.” Chen prattled on, not even looking at Jay “Of course I suppose he would know you better than I would, so perhaps going easy is the right call? Oh well! Whatever makes for a better fight to watch!”

Jay clenched his fist. He didn’t need anyone to go easy on him!

“Oh! I’m so sorry, that was so rude of me!” Chen said in clear mock shame “I’m sure you’re more capable than I’ve been told!”

“Who told you I was incapable?” Jay said, somewhat squeaking in anger.

“Oh, it doesn’t matter! Who cares if someone called you an overrated joy-buzzer? What matters is that you do your best!” Chen said, still smiling “Good luck in there!”

Chen left and Jay had a moment to think.

Had Cole said that? It sounded on par with everything else he’d said.

Cole never took him seriously. Never saw him as a competent ally and now not even a worthy opponent. Swooping in while him and Nya were on the rocks like he knew Jay couldn’t do anything about it.

Won’t last long in a fight his foot. Jay wasn’t going to give Cole anymore easy wins.

The coffee was a godsend. In Misako’s professional life she had learned to love the stuff and all it’s benefits. The community it offered when you shared, the warmth it could bring to frigid dig sites, and most importantly how it could keep her feeble mortal body going well past her limits.

Ha. Funny. Mortal body. That was the problem wasn’t it?

Her husband and son were marching off into a dangerous unknown and she was sitting at a computer, drinking coffee and failing to find a way to help them. Yet again, the demigods she had made her family were waging battles too grand for her. She was just a helpless mortal woman; aging and cowardly.

With any other man; with any other son, she’d be considered a wild and brave woman. She would be the one charging ahead at a pace too fast for most to keep.

But she had settled with a man that had destiny's eyes trained on him from childhood, and then gave birth to fate’s literal golden child. They made history just by breathing, while she struggled to find any way to be a fraction of useful.

Chugging the last, too bitter, sip of her drink, Misako was thrown back into another time. Sleep deprived and desperate to help, running on stale coffee and tenacity alone, just like now. She had poured over ancient scrolls, unearthed lost secrets with her bare bleeding hands, and become an expert in fields so obscure she practically invented them.

And she still failed.

All she ever had was dead end research binges that amounted to nothing. No cure for the poison in her husbands blood. No escape for her son from his fate. No warning on the next threat that took something from them. What good was she?

She could never provide for the people she loved. They were all too far above her.

She had no leads for Kai. Nya still wouldn’t accept her calls. Her husband and son were out who knows where. She was a failure as a wife and mother with barely any meaningful acclaim as an archaeologist thanks to the rampant sexism her colleges practically flaunted. It was suffocating, being so helpless! She couldn’t even be a hint of useful.

“Are you ok?” Wu asked, breaking her from her musings.

He was holding a tray of tea, clearly wanting to make her feel better. He was always sweet like that.

Sweet and slow.

Wu hesitated in all he did. He held his breath when things got personal. It was a vice Misako had always found comfort in. With Wu, she was the ambitious one again. She felt like she had some scrap of power he didn’t, being the one pushing and pulling him forward. He put her in charge and she felt needed, if not just for motivation.

There were times she still indulged the feelings, and Wu never refused her when she did. A small bit of emotional infidelity. Not the worst vice she could chose when coping with being a helpless mortal woman in a family of world changing demigods.

But it was a crutch. Nothing more than a comforting dream she ran to when the life she chose got too hard to face.

Not that she’d really chose any different given the chance. Misako, as painful as it was, wanted to reach forward, not back. Despite making a career of digging up the past, Misako didn’t revel in it. Misako hated sitting still and that was all Wu ever wanted in life. A life with him would be a constant fight to drag him along. More a ball and chain than a partner.

“I’ll feel better when we find my husband and son.” Misako settled on saying, grabbing her empty mug and walking over to her coffee machine.

He wilted at the rebuke of his tea, but she wasn’t sleeping enough to care about anyone’s feelings.

The machine chugged away, filling her mug back up with fresh warm darkness as Wu carefully sipped his tea.

That was why they’d never really work. He was tea, and she was coffee. He was patiently steeped and delicate in all he did, she was made of something more strong and pushy. Even when she failed, it wasn’t for lack of trying.

And First Master, had she done a lot of failing.

It was weird to put faces to the names Kai had told her about. Skylor thought about it as she found her seat to watch the coming cage match.

Cole looked exactly how Kai described him. All muscles and tough-guy glares that broke randomly into teddy bear grins you weren’t expecting. Skylor recognized him at first sight. The contrast was distinctive.

Jay was better looking than Kai had described him as, though his hair could stand a lot more attention. He was still a twiggy thing though. Kai had been right about that. Also about how loud Jay was, but Skylor still hadn’t been prepared for it. No words could do it justice. ‘Master of Mouth’ was right.

Lloyd had her looking twice. The way Kai talked about Lloyd she had been expecting a lost little kid. True Lloyd was on the smaller side with a round and young looking face, but he carried himself with authority and power. He didn’t look anything like what Kai described. Skylor saw The Green Ninja she heard stories about, not the Lloyd Garmadon Kai had described. The closest she saw, was his embarrassment when his dad had shown, but even then, he sounded more like a sullen teen than a wayward child.

Maybe Kai just couldn’t stop seeing the little brat in a cape he had first met? It was probably a difficult adjustment to see him as an angry teen, let alone a fearless hero.

But Kai didn’t describe his sister like that, and he had raised her! Nya was described as a bold young woman, not a child Kai couldn’t unsee.

Lloyd was a puzzle piece. Was Kai just be nostalgic, or was there was something she wasn’t seeing? Who could say!

Besides It didn’t matter. None of them where sticking around. They didn’t need to make sense. One of them would be gone by the time this next fight ended and they all would follow soon after. It wouldn’t be too long before it would go back to just being her and Kai.

Just how she liked it. She was an only child. She never did like the idea of sharing her toys.

Jay and Cole were running at each other before Chen could finish announcing the fight.

Jay got the first move in, flinging a bolt of lightning. But Cole, the dancer he was, double flipped over the thing, landing in a crouch and, wasting no time, activated his own element.

Jay was no slob himself and did a back handspring away.

“Ha ha! That’s all you got?” He taunted. “Least valuable Ninja!”

The truth was he was still panicking over the fight. Jay wasn’t actually sure he could match Cole’s strength. But he couldn’t back down. If he did, he’d never prove himself. He barely trusted his abilities in a fight himself, he couldn’t have everyone else doubting him too.

“Eat dirt, Blue bell!” Cole snapped

It seemed to him that Jay truly didn’t have any off switch. He couldn’t even let the fight be a normal one, he had to bring the feud into it. Had to antagonize Cole. Had to push his buttons and make him angry.

Cole was frustrated to see Jay flip over his attack and respond with his own, Cole made himself a shield, but Jay kept on the aggressive. Cole started to lose ground.

“Stronger than you thought, eh?” Jay asked.

Cole grunted. It was never that he thought Jay wasn’t capable, he just never thought he’d be so intense. As badly as the “won’t last long in a fight” idea had been interpreted, it was never about Jay’s ability. Cole just didn’t think Jay would have the stomach to really hurt anyone.

Jay seemed to be proving him wrong though. Turns out his stupid grudge was enough to overcome any sort of gentle nature Cole thought he had.

It was all so frustrating! Cole pushed hard and Jay hit the ground from the force. Why couldn’t Jay just let it go? Why couldn’t he just drop it and let them be friends again?

Friends again…

Oh.

“What am I even doing!?” Cole yelled “I don’t want to hurt you! You’re not my enemy! You’re my friend! How could I forget that!?”

Cole wasn’t mad at Jay, he was mad that they were still fighting. The solution to that wasn’t mindlessly attacking him! Cole didn’t want to win this, he wanted to fix this. How was attacking Jay supposed to fix anything?

“Don’t try to lower my guard by pretending to be my friend!” Jay snapped, lighting up his hands.

Cole called on his own power, but it was more a defensive move. He may’ve been trying to apologize but getting electrocuted was still off the table if he could help it.

“I’m not pretending. I…I’m sorry. I never meant for things to go this way! I didn’t want to hurt you! If I’d known it would go this far, if I’d known it would destroy our friendship, I would’ve taken it all back.” Cole pleaded “I miss you!”

Jay seemed to pause for a moment.

“Well….If we’re being honest. I never should’ve blamed you for what happened with Nya. That was my own fault. I miss you too. We used to be good friends!” Jay said in a painfully raw voice.

“The best!” Cole agreed “We should’ve talked this out a long time ago instead of...”

“Squawking like feuding chickens?” Jay finished.

Cole laughed. Sensei Garmadon had been right.

Jay pouted though.

“You don’t think I’m incompetent, right?”

“What!? No! Of course not! The only reason I thought you ‘wouldn’t last long’ was because I know you’re too nice to really hurt me.” Cole explained.

Jay had tears in his eyes.

Cole could somewhat trace that line of thought back, but…something was missing. Jay hadn’t seemed this bothered at the time. He didn’t even seem bothered before the fight. So, something had to have happened after they split up and before the fight began. The only thing that could’ve happened would be…

Chen.

Cole almost smacked himself. He’d been ready to apologize before the fight! How could he forget that!? He had already figured out that he didn’t want to hurt Jay! Then Chen had come in and made him so mad again. Wound him up like tinker toy and pointed him at Jay. It wasn’t a stretch to assume he’d done the same to Jay.

He’d been warned! Garmadon had warned them! He warned him and Cole still let Chen play him for a fool!

“We really let Chen get into our heads, didn’t we?” Cole said darkly.

Jay seemed to put the pieces together himself at the same time, and he look livid.

“How do we stop this fight and get back at Chen?” Jay asked in a venomous whisper.

“We can’t both win.” Cole said “But maybe we can draw it out until they call a tie?”

“Worth a shot.” Jay agreed.

“Alright, attack me, but not hard.” Cole said.

They switched from blasting each other with elements to a comfortable spare.

Chen didn’t take long to see through them and add some “interest” to the fight. Three large snake themed vehicles started circling them.

Well, that scheme didn’t last long.

“I’ve got your back.” Cole said.

There was no point in faking their fight anymore. Chen had clearly figured them out. Plus, Cole had just learned a very hard lesson about how important words could be.

“And I’ve got yours!” Jay yelled back.

It filled Cole with warmth to hear Jay’s kindness again.

It didn’t take them long to take the goons down, now that they were working as a team again.

“ENOUGH!” Chen yelled, clearly unhappy. “I know what you’re trying to do.”

“Yeah, well we know what you did too. And despite your best efforts, Jay and I still made up!” Cole snapped back. “You aren’t going to tear us apart that easily!”

“Perhaps you’re right.” Chen said in a dramatic voice.

Jay and Cole both tensed. They may’ve only known Chen a short time, but they knew that tone meant something drastic was about to happen.

“If I can’t separate you, then I suppose you will both have to lose!” He yelled.

The ground began to fall away as Chen punched every button he could reach. No regard was given to his own lackeys, still in their cars.

Jay and Cole started to flip and jump, but the ground was falling away too fast for them to keep it up. The Jade blade gleamed, still waiting to be claimed.

“We can’t both lose!” Cole yelled. “As much as I hate it, Chen’s right, there can only be one!”

“It should be you.” Jay said.

Cole didn’t want to play the self-sacrifice game with Jay. There simply wasn’t time. Cole was ready to just accept Jay’s forfeit and take the blade for himself, but Jay kept talking.

“You and I both know I’m lucky to have even made it this far.”

What!?

That wasn’t something Cole could leave as is.

“What are you talking about!?” He yelled.

“Come on Cole! You may not think it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true! I’m the weakest on the team. I’ll only slow you guys down. Now go! Take the Jade Blade!” Jay said with a very melancholy tone.

Chen really had gotten into his head bad, hadn’t he?

The ground kept falling away from them. They were running out of places to stand. Cole didn’t have time to convince Jay of his own worth and there wouldn’t be another chance until they beat Chen.

Cole bitterly went for the Jade Blade. He didn’t have time to convince Jay to go for it, and if he didn’t, then they’d both be out, and Lloyd would be alone. And they had let Lloyd down too much already.

Still, he hated leaving Jay like this! Cole’s stomach twisted at the thought alone as he climbed the pole to the Jade Blade. He didn’t want to do this, but there wasn’t time! There was no way he could convince Jay that he trusted him with his life.

At least not with words.

Cole plucked the Jade Blade off its holder as an idea came to him.

He threw it to Jay with all his might.

Jay caught it with a confused look while Chen announced his victory. Before Jay could find his words, Cole was declared the loser.

Jay looked terrified. Cole only had seconds before a trap door opened and he’d probably have his element taken from him.

“Don’t sell yourself short. Ever. You’re a good ninja Jay.” Cole said, forcing as much sincerity into his words as he could “Win this thing!”

Cole then disappeared into the dark underground.

Kobayashi had to take a week off work to recover from the beating Nya gave him. She didn’t care. He had helped take her brother away, he was lucky she stopped where she did.

Good news was Nya got her answer about where to start looking. Bad news, it was exactly where the others were.

She still stood by her choices. It was just luck they ended up in the right place. They still chose Zane over Kai. Nya still couldn’t forgive them for them, at least not until Kai was safe.

But her rage at her so-called friends wasn’t what she needed to tap into. She had stalked one of Chen’s delivery goons and was waiting for the right moment to ambush him. She already decided on a longer hospital stay for this one.

Dareth was waiting for her in the car. He had been a large help, but Nya didn’t need him for this part, and he’d only get in her way.

In all honesty, she probably didn’t have to take out one of the drivers, she doubted anyone counted the trucks. Even if they did, who would have the time and energy to question an extra truck. A missing truck, that’s a problem, but an extra truck usually means somebody just didn’t fill something out right. Still, why risk it? And she was enjoying taking her anger out on people related to her brother’s disappearance.

Her target finally walked into a lonely alleyway.

Jay felt so small.

Despite how awful Jay had been to him lately, Cole still sacrificed himself for him. Jay hadn’t had any time to rebuttal before Cole was gone. The glares he was getting form the other competitors weren’t helping him feel any more confident.

He briefly considered that presenting such a united front only made them bigger targets.

Then he looked at Lloyd’s big watery eyes.

The poor kid had lost almost everybody and wasn’t coping too well. He ate dinner one handed because he refused to let go of Jay’s shirt. If Lloyd gluing himself to Jay’s side wasn’t going to convince him that splitting apart was a bad idea, then the panic attack he’d nearly had when Jay asked to go to the bathroom was enough.

It reminded Jay of the early days in Lloyd’s training. After his dad had disappeared with the golden weapons, Lloyd had attached himself to Kai and thrown a tearful fit when they tried to force him to let go. Kai had made them stop trying and let Lloyd sleep with him for two nights before Lloyd decided he was ok with sleeping alone. While it wasn’t always so obvious, every time Lloyd had a bad or anxious day, he stuck close to Kai.

Kai had explained to them that Lloyd had had enough people betray and leave him, and that sometimes he just wanted a sense of security. It was natural for a kid in his situation. Nya had done the same thing for two weeks after their parents disappeared, terrified Kai was going to leave as soon as she wasn’t holding onto him.

Kai had always been better with Lloyd when he was little. Even when Lloyd got older, he’d seek Kai out when he felt more like the little kid he technically still was. Kai was good with him when he got scared or anxious.

But Kai was gone.

So was Cole and Zane and Nya. Jay was the one left, so Lloyd hung off his arm like an accessory.

At least they had Sensei Garmadon.

“Cole may be gone, but he did not lose. He fought like a true ninja.” Garmadon said sagely. “But more importantly, Jay, remember that he believed in you above all else. Even if you don’t agree, he thinks you’re more than capable of winning Chen’s game. Don’t let his faith in you be wasted.”

“But what if he was wrong?” Jay asked, choking back his own sobs.

“He’s only wrong if you let him be. He did what he did to force you to believe in yourself as much as he believes in you.”

Lloyd had barely held himself back from throwing another tearful fit when he was told he and Jay had to sleep alone in their own rooms.

Luckily, the kid had grown up some.

“You’re letting me go?” Cole asked after Clouse just barged into his cell.

“Of course not.” He said, voice as dreary as ever “Your presence is required in the factory.”

Cole had a sharp rely on his tongue, but he held it back.

The factory was where they thought Zane might’ve been held. And possibly Kai if their theory about Mr. C was right.

Cole let himself get dragged away. Maybe it was a good thing he got eliminated. Now he could look for Zane where Chen kept his prisoners.

He shouldn’t have been too surprised to find out it was a noodle factory. Chen did have to run his business somehow.

Before leaving, Clouse made sure to tell him he wasn’t allowed to eat anything, the jerk! Cole was going to figure out how to sneak some of the food before he busted out, just out of spite.

First thing was first, Cole had to look for his friends. He found some of the other eliminated competitors. It seemed that the Master of Sound must’ve lost his fight that morning.

“Don’t worry. After while, not so bad.” Karloff said warmly. “Since you new, I show you how to chop noodles.”

Cole fumbled a bit before figuring it out. Karloff’s broken speech wasn’t helping with the instructions.

“See? Chop.” He said when Cole finally got it “Now don’t make trouble.”

“Well, I for one don’t like following rules.” Said the Master of Sound. “The minute you tell me the coast is clear, I’m busting out of here.”

It sounded so much like something Kai would say. Cole couldn’t decide if it was painful or welcome. He supposed it was both.

“Even if you get past the guards, Mr. Blind Guy, there’s still the labyrinth guarded by big snake.” Karloff explained.

Had he already tried?

“My name’s not Mr. Blind Guy. It’s Jacob. And you may’ve lost hope, but not me and not my buddy Cole here. Am I right?” Jacob said, facing the wrong way.

“Actually, I’m on your left.” Cole timidly corrected.

“Oh, heh. You moved on me. Heh. Sneaky ninja.”

Cole didn’t have the most faith that this guy was going to get too far.

Nya drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. Dareth watched her huff more than breathe as they waited for their turn to board the boat.

She had been on edge since she came to Dareth for help finding Kobayashi and probably before. Dareth was happy to help, but she’d nearly took his head off when he asked about the other ninja. Afterwards he got the bare bones explanation of where they were. He got the full story when Nya found out Mr. C was the same man the ninja had gone to. She wasn’t happy about that.

Since that news, she’d been even more strung out. She was a ball of rage barely held back by the thinnest threads of self-control.

“You good?” Dareth said hesitantly.

On the one hand, poking the beast that was Nya’s anger could end painfully for him. But he hated seeing her so upset. She was still a young teen, and he felt a little….well not parental exactly, he wasn’t quite old enough for that. Dareth wouldn’t dare call himself an older brother, she already had an amazing one of those. Maybe more like an older cousin or a young uncle or something.

Or he could just call it what it was. He was an adult, and she was a child. No amount of life experience, power, or responsibility on her part changed that. With how few normal adults the ninja had in their life, it was even more important Dareth be a good influence. Or at the very least an example of maturity. Kids needed to see as many examples of adulthood as they could since one size didn’t fit all. Dareth wasn’t the most distinguished adult, but he was an adult. A happy and healthy adult.

“I’ll be fine when I find my brother.” Nya said through grinding teeth.

Dareth hummed and looked ahead. Wondering how he should proceed. He started to stare at the cartoonish depiction of the man they were probably on their way to fight drawn on the back of the van in front of them.

“I just….I can’t believe they just abandoned Kai like that.” Nya said, unprompted.

Since the silence had seemed to work well already, so Dareth continued the technique.

“I mean, I get that Zane was involved, and it’s not like I don’t want him back too, but…” Nya sighed deeply, slumping into her seat.

Dareth debated reaching over and putting a hand on her shoulder. He decided against it, Nya was rarely the type to appreciate blatant comfort unless it came from her brother. She actively rejected it usually.

“Kai is all I have. I don’t think they realize that.” She said, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. “If I don’t get him back, I’m alone. And after how hard he’s worked to stay with me, to keep us together, I can’t accept that. He fought so hard for me so many times, and he deserves the same.”

Dareth kept his silence for a few moments before he started to debate if he needed to change his approach.

“I can see why it bothers you so much.” He settled on saying.

Nya nodded, forcing her tears to disperse unshed as she drove the car up a few more inches. She seemed to be done talking for the moment. Dareth had to keep going. A dangerous game since one wrong move could set her off.

“I bet it was pretty hard for them to choose. Two friends missing. One of them they’d already had a funeral for. That’s gotta be a tough choice, no matter what you end up doing. Probably feels like your turning you back on someone no matter what you do.”

Nya sighed, looking angry again, but not volatile.

“I guess I’m more upset that Kai got taken right from under me and I didn’t do anything. Chen took my brother, and we didn’t even know anything was wrong until it was too late. I feel like I failed him, and I want to make it right.” Nya explained.

“That makes sense. It’s only natural to favor your brother. He’s family. The choice was practically made for you. The others have their own reasons for doing things the way they did.” Dareth explained as they crawled forward again.

Nya huffed and blew a strand of hair out of her face.

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” She griped.

“No, it doesn’t.” Dareth said.

“And I’m still mad. As far as I’m concerned, they still made the wrong choice.” She added angrily.

“But you can forgive people for making a wrong choice.” Dareth pointed out.

“I guess…” Nya relented.

It was finally their turn to board the boat.

The rain canceled most the fights for the day after they lost Cole, leaving only the indoor fight between Skylor and Jacob. Skylor won and Chen pulled a jerk move to cast more hate onto the ninja, now dwindled down to just Jay and Lloyd, forcing everyone to sleep in the chow house together.

At least Lloyd didn’t have to sleep alone again.

Jay briefly thought to complain about any number of discomforts that came from Lloyd in his cot. The crowding, the lack of blanket, the breathing on his neck, but Jay couldn’t bring himself to mention any of it. Especially with Lloyd’s fight being in the morning.

“Alright, I don’t think either of us are going to sleep, are we?” Jay whispered.

“Probably a good time to snoop. Do you think they others will notice if we sneak out?” Lloyd asked quietly.

Before Jay could answer, the lights came on and gongs started to sound.

“Good morning fighters!” Clouse yelled “Oh, that’s right, it’s the middle of the night.”

Before Lloyd could gets his feet under himself, one of Chen’s lackeys was doing something to them. When he could finally get himself free, there were roller skates tied tightly on his feet. He saw the same on Jay’s feet as well.

Looking around the room, it seemed everyone had gotten a pair. Lloyd shouldn’t have been surprised by anything Chen threw at them at that point.

Jay was jumping with excitement though.

“I love roller skates!” he yelled “Did I even mention I once placed first in the Mother-Son Skate-Off?” Jay said, laughing and twirling around.

Lloyd shook his head. At least Jay could find something to be happy about.

“I should have never admitted that.” Jay realized, still too excited to be too concerned though.

“Weirdo.” The Master of Light spat.

He clearly hadn’t forgotten Jay’s rude first impression.

“Master Chen wants everyone in the Royal Arena. I wouldn’t be late if I were you.” Clouse said menacingly.

One of the other masters, the Master of Amber, spoke.

“If most of us have already fought, why are we all in skates?” she asked.

A good question.

“Only two of you will be fighting, but the rest of you will have a chance to affect the outcome.” Clouse answered.

That didn’t sound good. Lloyd was pretty sure this was his fight, and that Chen was stacking the deck however he could.

“Who’s fighting!? Tell us now!” The Master of Speed begged.

“The Green Ninja versus the Master of Form.” Clouse said, almost proudly.

Yup. Lloyd called it.

Everyone started to chatter amongst themselves. Lloyd looked nervously for Jay.

With how much he had been skating around, it would’ve been easy to lose him in the crowd. But Lloyd had been nearly glued to him since Cole was eliminated. Since he was petrified of losing him too, Lloyd had made sure to keep his attention on where Jay was.

Which is the only reason he noticed that there were two of him.

Master of Form. Probably meant shape shifting. Which meant one of the Jays was his opponent.

One Jay was zipping around, the other approached Lloyd.

Lloyd had no way of knowing for certain which Jay was which, but he knew the fake would be fishing for something, and he was going to give them something alright.

“Hey.” Lloyd said. “You know anything about this Master of Form?”

“Oh, I hear she can look like anyone! She’d be right under your nose, and by the time you figure it out, she’s already discovered all your weaknesses!” ‘Jay’ explained.

Yeah, that wasn’t subtle. Lloyd had a few critiques on her performance.

“But you’re the Green Ninja! What weaknesses could you have?”

Well, she wasn’t the only one capable of performing.

“Just as long as no one mentions the ‘G’ word, I think I’ll be fine. Now if she found out about that, that could mess me up.” Lloyd said, working very hard to keep himself from smiling.

“Right, the ‘G’ word.” ‘Jay’ said, clearly trying to get Lloyd to say it.

“I don’t even want to say it. You know how I get!” Lloyd added.

“Thanks.” ‘Jay’ said, before skating away.

The real Jay then skated up next to him from the other direction.

“Sorry for ditching you, I got a little excited over…huh?” Jay said, seeing himself looking back wickedly.

She then shifted back into her original, or at least preferred, form.

“Better be careful. Wouldn’t want anyone to upset you, Green Ninja.” She sneered.

Lloyd shook his head.

“What was that about?” Jay asked.

“She tried to get something she could use against me by pretending to be you, and I gave her something.” Lloyd explained.

He whispered the rest of the explanation to Jay, who reached over and hit Lloyd on his arm.

“I don’t suppose you’ve seen either of my friends, have you? The White and Red Ninja.” Cole asked while he chopped noodles.

“I haven’t heard anything.” Jacob corrected.

“I’m not asking you! You’ve been here for less time than me!” Cole snapped back.

“I thought White Ninja was dead.” Karloff asked, grunting from the work.

“No. He’s the whole reason we’re on this stupid island. He’s alive and Chen has him. We only entered the tournament to find and rescue him.” Cole explained, giving up on the noodles for the moment.

“Karloff hasn’t seen any ninja in factory. Just Cole.” Karloff said, pointedly focusing on his own work.

Cole sagged in disappointment.

“If you came here to rescue the White Ninja, why are you looking for the Red one too?” Jacob asked.

“He disappeared a little while ago and we think Chen might’ve been behind that too.” Cole explained.

One of Chen’s guards noticed them not working and swung a staff at them. Cole turned back to the conveyor belt and started to chop noodles again.

“Karloff hasn’t seen any Red Ninja Either.” Karloff added in a huff. “Karloff make noodle, not trouble.”

“Then I guess Chen is keeping Zane somewhere else. And maybe Kai is with him.” Cole reasoned out loud.

He’d have to figure out how to continue to look for them somehow.

Not a moment later, Cole heard a guard belch and abandon his post. Jacob heard as well and was on the move immediately. Cole moved to join him, wanting to go look around for Zane and Kai, but Karloff’s large hand stopped him.

“Make noodles, not trouble.” He repeated.

Cole was sick of that phrase.

They both watched Jacob make it to the door. Cole was hopeful he would make it all the way, but unfortunately as he swung the door open, Clouse appeared on the other side.

Cole tried to yell out a warning, but Karloff stopped that too. His rough hand stayed over Cole’s mouth even as Jacob hurled an angry “Not one of you could’ve warned me?” at them.

“Make an example of him. Take him to feed my serpent.” Clouse ordered.

Karloff finally let go of Cole while Jacob was dragged out of sight.

“’Feed his serpent’? He doesn’t mean…?” Cole asked in horror.

“Karloff not make trouble. Karloff make noodle.” Karloff repeated yet again.

He finished his point by dumping flour on Cole’s head.

Great! He was no closer to finding Zane, he just might’ve seen a man taken to his death by giant snake, and now he was covered in flour.

Still, it could’ve been worse. If Cole had been caught up in Jacob’s escape attempt, he may’ve been on his way to face that snake as well. Karloff had, despite the fact it wasn’t welcome, saved him.

Cole had no idea why he would do that. They barely knew one another. Maybe it was because their elements were so similar? Whatever it was, Karloff had clearly taken a shine to Cole, and Cole was not in a position to turn away new friends.

Plus, he still stung from the way things went with him and Jay. Missing Zane, worried about Kai, and having no way to check on Jay and Lloyd, Cole probably needed the friend anyways.

“Did I ever introduce myself?” Cole asked.

Karloff looked at him skeptically.

“I guess I forgot to do that. I’m Cole.” Cole said, proudly sticking his hand out for Karloff to shake.

Karloff hesitantly took it.

“At the very least, it’s good to have a friend down here.” Cole said with a smile.

“Yeah. Karloff glad to have a friend.” Karloff agreed, smiling back.

Lloyd was clinging tightly to Jay while they skated to the arena. He didn’t like it, but he was nervous. Chen was making sure he had every disadvantage. It was going to be an uphill battle and Lloyd was on skates.

Meanwhile Jay was keeping a strong grip on Lloyd himself. He knew Chen was fighting dirty and wasn’t going to have it. Jay may not have been the strongest ninja, but he was the ninja Lloyd had. If it was him and Lloyd against the world, then so be it.

Chen didn’t take long explaining the rules. It seemed simple.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! What about us?” asked the Master of Speed. “Are we supposed to just stand here?”

Jay groaned. Wasn’t it obvious? They were all wearing skates. They were all in the arena. Clouse had already said they could “affect the outcome”. Chen was giving them ample opportunity to sabotage Lloyd.

“You get to help anyone you wish.” Chen explained.

Yeah, right. Helping was what they were going to do.

“Or hurt for that matter.”

That was more like it.

“You’re free to choose sides. I’m not a dictator.” Chen said cheerfully.

“But you are a manipulative jerk that will trick people into doing what you want them to do anyways.” Jay thought bitterly.

Lloyd’s grip on his arm tightened as everyone went for orange helmets. It really was the two of them against the world.

As much as Jay’s pessimism was dying to be voiced, he knew Lloyd didn’t need to be reminded of harsh realities.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got your back. You’re not alone.” he said instead.

Lloyd whimpered slightly. Jay sounded so much like Kai for a second there. It stung.

Steeling his nerves, Lloyd moved to the starting line. He’d fought the overlord with no weapons on a broken ankle. He wasn’t a stranger to unfair fights. He could do this.

Chen started the match with another passive aggressive comment to remind Lloyd about how overwhelmingly against him everything was.

“Good luck to everyone! But mostly Camille because we all want the Green Ninja out. Now go!”

Lloyd blocked it out. Chen wasn’t going to get in his head. All he had to focus on was surviving. He had Jay with him and his father was standing next to Chen, ready to prevent any sabotage from Clouse, but he wouldn’t be any help against all the other masters and Jay was only one person.

Lloyd was, for the most part, on his own.

He tried to draw strength from the memory of the final battle without letting it hurt too much. He missed Kai so much. What he wouldn’t give to lean on him again.

Jay shoved his way through. He had no time for mercy. Lloyd needed him. If Kai were there he wouldn’t hesitate, so Jay wouldn’t either. The goal was to protect Lloyd at all costs.

Jay tried not to dwell on how badly he’d lost sight of that goal while fighting with his best friend over something stupid.

One of the other masters, the Master of Amber, came up next to him. Jay briefly remembered her name was Skylor.

“Lloyd’s your greatest competition.” She hissed “If he loses today, what’s left to stand in your way from winning it all?”

“Assuming I even want that!” Jay snapped, shoving her aside.

She did not just try to turn him against Lloyd. Not now. Not after everything that had happened.

She yelped as she hit the ground. Jay didn’t even look back at her as he used his powers to zap Lloyd an opening.

“Thunderblade never fails to deliver.” Chen smiled wistfully.

He knew he made the right choice putting Lloyd in the event.

“Did you know I hold the record with a hundred points?” Chen bragged to nobody. “Clouse can attest, tell them Clouse!”

“You were born with skates on, Master.” Clouse sighed.

“True story!” Chen added for good measure.

Garmadon huffed. There wasn’t even anyone listening, and Chen was still so eager to brag. How had he ever looked up to such a pathetic man?

“’True story’” Garmadon mocked “Just like all his far-fetched endeavors.”

Garmadon was more chastising himself for ever listening to Chen.

“There was once a time when you were quite comfortable with lying.” Clouse teased “It worked on Misako, didn’t it?”

Garmadon had to restrain himself from punching the man. How dare he remind him of the lie he started his marriage on. How dare he try to get a rise out of him while his children were fighting with all they had.

“Yes well, I also was once quite comfortable with eating glue, but we all must grow up sometime, right Clouse?” Garmadon sneered back.

He would not let Clouse dig up such an old regret and use it to call him a hypocrite.

Clouse huffed and turned away.

Garmadon smiled smugly. It had been so long since their little bouts, but he still remembered what a defeated Clouse looked like.

Chen decided to start playing with the arena while Garmadon just sighed. The man had such a short attention span.

Lloyd meanwhile was taking things as they came, working hard to tune out all the hate that was drilling into his back. Chen, of course, started to mess with things, but Lloyd had learned how to adapt by now. With the speed he learned from Jay, the agility he learned from Kai, the self-centering he learned from Zane, and the endurance he learned from Cole, Lloyd was holding his own against all the odds.

It pissed Camille off. She decided it was time to start fighting dirty.

Tricking Jay into whipping her forward was child’s play but it wasn’t going to work more than once or twice. It was time to break out her secret weapon.

Lloyd may not have told her what the word was, but she had some guesses.

“Are you keeping up, Garmadon?” she taunted.

Surely it was his family name.

Lloyd looked a little surprised. Not at all devastated like she hoped. Then he actually smiled, almost laughing at her.

“Wrong word, try again!” he teased, pushing past her.

“Green!” she yelled after.

Ok that was a dumb guess. How many times had Chen called him “Green Ninja” since the tournament began? Obviously, that wasn’t it.

Lloyd couldn’t continue the grin on his face. He reached Jay’s side.

“She’d trying to guess the ‘G’ word.” Lloyd said in delight.

Honestly, it was such a morale boaster.

“I told you that was mean.” Jay pouted.

They had taught Lloyd better than that.

“Yeah well, I think I earned a little bit of mean today.” Lloyd said, not letting Jay ruin his mood “And you have to admit, it is pretty funny.”

Jay let himself have one little snicker.

“Ok, it kind of is.”

The Master of Shadow snuck up on them and knocked Lloyd’s blade out of his hands. Before Lloyd could grab it, the Master of Light had snatched it up.

Jay was furious though. He electrocuted the poor guy and shoved him off the arena. There was a good chance Jay was making a life long enemy out of the guy this way, but what could you do?

“What were you saying about me being mean?” Lloyd sassed while Jay handed him the blade back.

Jay reluctantly had to admit he was being a hypocrite. But Lloyd was younger, and Jay wanted him to be better. Was that a crime?

“Just keep skating!” Jay said, pushing Lloyd forward.

Camille reached them.

“Its ‘gold’ isn’t it?” she taunted. “The Golden Master?”

Lloyd would’ve loved to laugh more, but he was too busy.

The obstacles kept coming, and Jay kept up to keep Lloyd safe. Tripping the Master of Speed. Pushing Lloyd out of the way of the poison cloud. Pulling him out of the way of the stupid buggy Chen released.

Camille waved at them from her spot behind it.

“She gets a lift!? I know Chen wants me out, but this is getting ridiculous!” Lloyd yelled.

Despite how hard it was getting, they pushed on. Ninja never quit.

Finally, the other masters caught wise to the fact that Jay was the thing keeping them from Lloyd. Suddenly, instead of aiming for Lloyd, they refocused on taking out his protector.

Jay would be waking up with a painting of bruises for it. And worse, they managed to separate him from Lloyd. Jay yelled in frustration.

Skylor finally got a moment next to him again.

“What do you mean you don’t want to win?” she asked, referring to their earlier conversation.

“I mean that this has nothing to do with winning. This has to do with rescuing our friends and stopping Chen.” Jay explained.

“Stopping Chen from what?” The Master of Light asked, having made it back onto the track.

“From stealing all our elemental powers and using them for some kind of spell.” Jay snapped.

“And why are you telling us this now?” the Master of Speed asked.

“Because she just now asked.” Jay answered surprisingly honest.

“And how do we know you’re not lying?” the Master of Speed, Did Jay ever learn that guy’s name? He must’ve heard Chen announce it when he fought the Master of Gravity.

“He’s not.” Neuro said.

Jay really didn’t care about the rest of the conversation; he had a job to do.

The next time Camille came around Jay pounced. He might’ve caused some minor nerve damage, but he got her jade blade from her.

Jay started to let himself have a little bit of fun while he started a possibly deadly game of keep away if her face was anything to go by.

Lloyd was glad to have a little bit of reprieve from Camille. He still braced himself when the Master of Speed came up next to him.

“What’s this I hear about a spell?” he asked, surprising Lloyd.

“We don’t know much, Neuro just found out what page it was on in Clouse spell book, but we did see Chen steal Karloff’s powers after he lost.” Lloyd said.

He guessed Jay had decided to let everyone else in on what they knew.

“How did you see that?” Tox asked.

“We were sneaking around to look for our friend.” Lloyd said.

Camille raced passed with her blade, having gotten it from Jay.

“Won’t be long until you’re gone too!” she tried.

Lloyd shook his head in amusement.

“But Cole wasn’t out until well after Karloff.” Griffin, Lloyd remembered, said.

“No, Cole was with us. We were looking for Zane. Chen only got us here because he said we had to win his tournament to see him again.” Lloyd said.

“Wait, Chen has your dead friend?” Tox asked.

Before Lloyd could respond, the buggy pulled up next to him. With how things had been going he expected to see Camille in the driver’s seat, but instead he saw Jay and Skylor.

“You took the buggy!” Lloyd yelled.

“We both did, now come on!” Jay said, pulling Lloyd up into the thing and trading places with him.

Lloyd took off. Now it was time to use the skills Nya taught him. How to drive.

No matter what Chen threw at him, Lloyd maneuvered around or through. Nya hadn’t just taught him traffic laws after all, she taught him how to drive in combat. If he had to, he knew how to flip the car around by pulling the hand brake.

Camille looked frustrated and Lloyd felt a tinge of guilt. He hadn’t exactly been nice to her.

“You know we don’t have to fight like this.” He said. “We can all win.”

“All of us?” she asked.

“United!” Lloyd said, reaching a hand out to her.

She took it and ripped him to the ground.

“Only one can remain, Goober.”

The sting of the betrayal was softened by the satisfaction Lloyd was getting from Camille’s silly attempt to figure out what the “G” word was.

The race was on again, but this time Lloyd didn’t have the entire world working against him.

Chen was livid and Clouse started to cast a spell in response. Before Clouse could do anything, Garmadon tackled him. The two locked in a familiar position. It was just like old times for them.

Chen shook his head. This was why he told Clouse to keep the dark magic to a minimum.

Lloyd pushed against Camille while they struggled.

“Guy. Guts. Gun!?” she yelled.

She was had exactly one last trick play and she was determined to figure out how to use it.

Lloyd couldn’t help but smile at her frantic guesses. She was never going to get the right answer at this rate.

“Giraffe!” she yelled.

Lloyd burst out into a full fit of laughter at that attempt.

She was on the verge of hysteria.

“Grudge! Government! Grief! Grow! Ghost! Grave! Garbage! Gift! Genetic! Guest!” she screamed rapid fire.

The other masters were staring at her. Lloyd was focusing on not letting his laughter slow him down.

“Clouse, what is she doing?” Chen asked.

Even Garmadon and Clouse had paused their wrestling to watch the Master of Form seemingly lose her mind.

“I…” Clouse had no answers.

Garmadon had a feeling that Lloyd had done something to cause this, judging by how ecstatic he looked about the affair. He might need to have a talk with Lloyd about not letting his past at Darkley’s control his actions.

Lloyd, despite his giggles, pulled out ahead and passed the finish line right as the bell rang. He had won.

And now that he didn’t have a match to win, he was free to laugh himself silly over Camille trying to guess what the “G” word was.

He was doubled over when Jay caught up to him.

“Guardian! Glue!? GUMDROP!?!?!?” she screeched.

Lloyd was wailing with tears in his eyes. He didn’t expect it to go so far or work so well.

“Lloyd cheated!” Chen yelled.

Lloyd was too busy laughing to notice the accusation.

“No way, Lloyd won fair and square! You were the one that cheated!” Griffin accused.

“My tournament, my rules.” Chen said petulantly.

“And what rules are those? If Lloyd’s out, so am I!” the Master of Light yelled.

“Me too!” Jay yelled.

Lloyd managed to wipe the tears out of his eyes by the time Skylor started speaking.

“If you kick us all out, what kind of tournament will you have then?”

Chen was pouting.

“Besides, I’m pretty sure the Master of Form has ‘fallen off her rocker’ so to speak.” Garmadon added snidely.

Even Clouse had to laugh at that, though he covered it well with a cough. Only Garmadon knew him well enough to see through it.

“I am not crazy!” Camille snapped.

She turned to Lloyd.

“I have to know! I have to!” she begged “What is the ‘G’ word!?”

Lloyd’s face split into one of the biggest grins. Jay recognized it, though it had been ages since he’d seen it. That was the brat’s “I just pulled of the best prank!” face!

Chen was waiting for Lloyd’s answer before he hit the trap door. At the very least he could salvage some entertainment from the debacle.

After a few attempts to get his laughter under enough control to speak, Lloyd finally gave the devastating answer.

He leaned in and said in an agonizingly clear voice.

“Gullible.”

Even Chen had to admit how funny that was. Camille’s murderous scream of fury was cut off by him dropping her down a trap door. He was a little glad Lloyd won, just for the chance to witness the punchline to the joke.

The other masters were in various stages of shock and amusement. Garmadon was struggling to keep a straight face, he did not want to encourage this. Clouse seemed to be having a coughing fit. Lloyd had broken back into giggles.

“Green Ninja wins.” Chen said, barely keeping a level voice.

He had to hand it to Garmadon, he had a kid he could respect. A part of him wished he could’ve stolen Lloyd too, but Chen would have to settle for the ninja he did get.

Chen smiled remembering his own prank. He was going to save it for the grand finale and it would be the delicious cherry on top of his victory, or at the very least be his last devastating jab before he went down.

He was looking forward to seeing their faces. It might make up for the lack of falling out between the Blue and Black ninja.

Cole dragged his tired feet along. He was at the end of this chain of misery and covered in flour. Not a great look. Plus, he hadn’t gotten any clues about where Zane was. Karloff had tried to improve his mood, but it was no good.

Cole was so upset he could almost hear Zane speaking.

“I don’t know Pixal, but I sense these chains are unbreakable.”

Wait. That wasn’t his imagination! It was coming from the cell they were passing!

Cole glanced ahead. He needed to look into the cell and see, but he’d only have a few seconds before they noticed he stopped moving. He chanced it and quickly shuffled over to the door.

If he was right, he’d finally get to see Zane again! After everything, it was a sight Cole was willing to risk just about anything for.

Karloff noticed and immediately tried to mother hen him.

“What are you doing? Don’t make trouble!” he whispered

Cole ignored him. He was so close!

“Zane. Is that you?” Cole asked into the cell.

Cole’s seconds just about ran out. He had brought the whole chain to a stop and the guard was not pleased.

“What the hold up?” he snapped.

Cole anxiously waiting for Zane to answer.

“Come on! Just prove you’re alive! That’s all I need! I don’t have long!” he thought.

Karloff sighed and knelled down. Making an excuse and buy Cole a few more seconds. It was touching.

He nodded back to Cole who started into the cell.

“Please be here. Please be here” he chanted in his head.

Finally, after far too long, a silver face came up to the window. Though it was metallic now, and he hadn’t seen it in so long, Cole knew the features of that face.

“You’re alive!” he cheered.

The nagging fear that Chen had lied about Zane was finally squashed and Cole felt drunk on relief.

“And you’re silver?” Cole added.

Chen didn’t do that, did he?

“Titanium.” Zane answered in an electronic voice.

A bit of an adjustment sure, but Cole was just happy to have Zane back. He could’ve come back with antlers and Cole still would’ve accepted it.

“Cole, you look…white.” Zane added.

Cole laughed.

“It’s flour. Boy is it great to see you!” he said with a wide smile. “Look at you, you look brand new!”

The guard started to see through Karloff’s distraction and was approaching. Cole had seconds. There was no time for any more pleasantries.

“Zane, listen. Have you seen Kai? Is he with you?” Cole asked.

Something vague tickled Zane’s memory. Something very fuzzy from when he had first gotten captured.

He had mostly remembered everything at this point. His friends, his death, etc, but there were still holes. Pixal helped with what she could. She filled him in about Chen and how he’d stolen his elemental powers. Which was helpful since Zane particularly couldn’t remember his capture or the aftermath. The last thing he had remembered was being excited to show his friends his new body and then he woke up with no memories (Again!) in Chen’s cell.

Zane sensed that this was one of those things. Something happened when Chen took his element, something Pixal didn’t see, something important. Try as he might, Zane couldn’t grasp it. He wasn’t even sure if it was related to Cole’s question, so he decided to figure it out another time.

“No. I have not. Why?”

Cole pouted. Maybe Kai wasn’t being held by Chen after all.

“He’s missing too. We thought Chen might’ve had him but…shoot.” The guard was steps away! “I’ll be back, hold tight lugnut!”

“Where is Cole?” The guard asked gruffly.

Cole stepped back into place just in time.

“Right here!” he said loudly. “Keep it real, big guy. Looks like you’ve seen a ghost!”

He didn’t even let Cole finish his joke before walking away in disinterest. Crisis averted. Zane located. Breakout being planned.

Cole figured he should at least warn his new friend before things got complicated.

“From here on out, Karloff, I’m making more than noodles. I’m making trouble.” Cole said in a giddy voice.

He couldn’t help but be in a good mood. He’d found Zane!

Karloff shook his head as the chain of prisoners started moving again.

“Chen can try his best to split up our team, but he’s about to find out what happens when we put ourselves back together.” Cole added.

Things were finally looking up

Lloyd couldn’t be sure, but he was inclined to believe his prank had earned some favor from Chen. They all got their rooms back and Chen was throwing some banquet for them after the fight between the Master of Shadow and the Master of Poison.

That all may’ve been unrelated though, since it was all for the group. Chen wasn’t going to cause any more infighting by blaming Lloyd and Jay for punishments he inflicted, so his best bet was to work on endearing himself to everyone instead.

It was the fact that they let Lloyd sleep in Jay’s room that made Lloyd think Chen was impressed. A small favor in exchange for the small show Lloyd had given. Lloyd almost felt gross about it, if Camille hadn’t reminded him so much of the kids at Darkley’s that taught him tricks like that in the first place.

That didn’t stop his dad from giving him a lecture over dinner and another over breakfast. Between him and Jay, Lloyd had enough “Don’t be a jerk” lecture to hold him over for a few lifetimes by the time Shade and Tox had to fight.

He still didn’t regret it.

Nya wanted to go in weapons blazing. The method had gotten her as far as she was. Dareth stopped her though.

“How bout we try a more subtle approach?” He said.

Nya growled at him.

“Come on, I have an idea.” He said as he confidently led her back to the mobile base.

“Look, I get that you want to help, but I got this!” Nya snapped, ripping her hand out of his grip.

“Nya, we don’t know what’s happening in there. If you go barging in, you could put the others at risk. Not to mention we don’t know why Chen only baited the guys with Zane if he had Kai too. We need more information!”

Nya almost started to yell at him. Dareth even cowered from her.

But he was right.

There were too many variables. This wasn’t an office building; this was enemy territory. An enemy she knew next to nothing about. Chen was holding nearly all the cards and Nya would need to know where they were on the table before she made any plays.

She took a deep breath to calm herself.

“What did you have in mind?” she asked.

Cole couldn’t help but whistle happily. The harsh work or the rude guards couldn’t dampen his spirits. Karloff staring at him in confusion couldn’t bring him down. Even Camille, who had apparently lost to Lloyd (thank goodness!) and was angrily picking cookies off the belt and throwing them to the side, couldn’t sour Cole’s mood.

Karloff looked at the cookies in thought for a moment before working himself up to ask his question.

“Why you whistle?” He asked “Yesterday Cole was sad. Not today. What changed?”

Cole smirked back. In those brief seconds he’d made contact with Zane, everything had changed.

“Things are looking up, Karloff. I told you we came here to find our friend, right?”

Karloff nodded.

“Well, I found him!” Cole said proudly. “All I gotta do now, is get Zane and bust him out!”

Karloff scoffed.

“Not so easy.” He said in subtle despair “Chen’s made it nearly impossible to escape this place.”

As tired as Cole was with Karloff’s pessimism, he tried to ignore it.

“I’m still working out the details.” He admitted “But Zane is a nindroid! A walking computer! If I can get to him, he’ll solve anything Chen throws at us in no time!”

Karloff just frowned.

“Karloff wish he had friend like that.” He sighed.

Cole pouted for a moment. He wasn’t about to leave Karloff feeling like he was alone. Cole was done doing things like that. He’d hurt too many friends already.

“You do, Karloff. Right here.” Cole offered.

“Really?” Karloff asked in disbelief.

“You bet. A ninja doesn’t just save himself. He protects others and remembers his friends.” Cole felt a little like a hypocrite, but he was working on fixing that.

“But Cole can’t take all of us with him. And Karloff not very sneaky. Karloff have heavy footsteps. You be better off leaving Karloff behind.”

Cole hated that idea, but Karloff did have a valid point. Cole was trained in stealth long before he even knew about his true potential. Karloff had probably always relied on his powers.

“I meant it when I said Zane could figure something out. If I can just get to him, we can make a plan and hopefully get everyone out of here.” Cole decided.

“There still is big ‘if’ you can get to your friend.” Karloff pointed out.

“I’ll figure something out, but first, I gotta let the others know I’m busting Zane out!” Cole said, picking up a cookie.

A fortune he’d made some alterations to was slipped out of his pocket, and into the cookie. He dropped it on top of the pile they were setting aside for the big banquet.

“You put message in cookie!?” Karloff asked in astonishment.

“I know right!?” Cole said in excitement. “That’s why it’s called a fortune cookie!”

Who would’ve thought that would be useful info for him to learn right before leaving for Chen’s island?

Cole handed the tray over to the guard while Karloff leaned over his shoulder in suspense.

“I hope you have the good fortune for it to end up in the right hands.” He pointed out, again with his endless pessimism.

“You and me both, Karloff.” Cole agreed.

He’d be lying if he said his fingers weren’t crossed.

Chen was having a blast. Sure, there were a few hiccups here and there, but the tournament was turning out to be a fantastic show. A show with a killer encore planned, if Chen did say so.

Chen was in a great mood while everyone ate. He especially enjoyed Lloyd’s face of disgust when he was offered a plate of Horned Wasps’ Eggs.

The fortune cookies arrived, and Chen called the servant over.

“But they are for your captured- I mean, honored guest.” Clouse reminded him.

Chen rolled his eyes.

“I’m not going to eat them, Clousey Clouse!” Chen said, shoving his cookie into Clouse’s face “Just read the fortunes. They’re my favorite part!”

“Might I warn you” Clouse said, snatching the cookie from Chen’s hand “Our guests are fond of whispering, and I don’t think it’s about your food.”

Chen frowned.

“I heard word they have allied themselves. The ninja have told them about our secret ceremony.” Clouse explained, keeping the cookie out of reach until he was done.

“Do they know about the spell? What about you know who?” Chen asked, snatching the cookie back.

He was going to be irate if his finale was spoiled.

“They know we plan to use a spell, but nothing of its contents. As for our special guest, they undoubtedly have their suspicions, but they don’t seem to know anything yet. Regardless we must get ahead of this.” Clouse explained.

Chen set the cookie back down on the platter. He sat in thought for a moment. He had the time to think through his options, only a fool wouldn’t use it.

The ninja knew he was up to something grander than stealing elemental powers. No big loss there. They didn’t trust him to begin with and with Garmadon keeping them informed and grounded, Chen didn’t have any room to start playing with them. He was able to push it when two of them were already fighting, but Lloyd wasn’t going to let go of his human security blanket, and Jay’s resolve had only been hardened by the adversity.

Cole was alone in the factory though. Chen gave that a brief thought. The isolation would make him easier to manipulate. Chen could actually make some traction with him.

Chen tabled the idea. While it did sound fun, it didn’t solve his problem.

He still had his fiery little ace up his sleeve. He could bring that into play, but ruining that finale would have to be a last resort. Chen was too excited for it. It would be a waste to use such a good reveal on something so trivial. Not to mention, Firebrand would be extremely fragile when he woke up and require a lot of attention.

The only big loss was the other masters learning that he had evil plans. The ninja only had so many details to tell, so Chen shouldn’t have too hard a time twisting them into a different narrative. He just had to present an alternative answer, then allow doubt and competitive natures do the rest of his work.

All Chen had to do was sell it, and he was nothing if not showy.

The other Kabuki servants gossiped like trashy tabloids when they weren’t performing. It was useful to say the least. Nya was doing her best to stay invisible and listen in, silently thanking Dareth for his genius idea of posing as one.

“I don’t know about you, but I am having a blast!” said on of the Kabuki servants “This tournament is better than cable!”

Nya was only partially sure she was named ‘Blossom’. She had been referred to by that name, but there was something about the way she wore it that made Nya think is was wrong somehow. She responded to it without a problem, but it wasn’t instinctual. She seemed to like it, but it wasn’t normal and a little forced. Like she was wearing formal wear.

Not that Nya really cared to figure it out. She was just gathering info in case it was important later.

“I just wish the fight between the Blue and Black Ninjas didn’t turn out so lame.” another girl, Petal, complained.

Nya was sure about that name. Petal carried her name with the confidence that only came from carrying such a name for your whole life. Petal wore her name like a favorite hoodie, a signature she was confident in.

“I don’t know, I found the whole thing very emotionally moving.” one of the few male servants said, wiping a tear away as he did. “Both of them tried to sacrifice themselves to let the other move on.”

Nya also sure about that name too. Arnit was one of very few males in this group, he was distinctive and impossible to get confused.

Those three seemed to be the top clique among the Kabuki servants. Nya never went to a big school, but it reminded her of the movies she’d seen on countless movie nights. Jay loved those trashy dramas set in highschools.

“Yeah, but it was supposed to be a blood bath! I wanted to see them rip each other to shreds, not make up!” ‘Blossom’ said.

Nya noted that Cole and Jay had at least gotten over their stupid feud, finally!

“You’re just saying that because you had money on the blue one!” Petal laughed.

“I also wanted to see drama!” ‘Blossom’ whined.

“Honey, you just wait! The real drama is still coming!” Arnit said with a sassy swish of his hips.

“I can’t wait for that surprise. The ninja still don’t know about him, right?” Petal asked.

“According to our spy, no. They still don’t know about Firebrand.” ‘Blossom’ said.

So there was a spy? That was useful info. Dareth deserved some major credit for this idea. Listening to Kabuki gossip had gotten Nya a near perfect picture of what she was dealing with.

Nya did have questions about this “Firebrand” guy. He kept coming up. It sounded like he was going to be some kind of secret weapon, but whatever his deal was, it was too juicy and old. Everyone had already heard it, so no one explained it. Nya wished she could ask, but that would just peg her as new and bring unwanted suspicion onto herself.

She’d just have to let that one be a mystery for now and hope it wasn’t too bad.

“I’m excited! Master Chen is always so theatrical! I just know he’s going to reveal it in a big show!” Arnit said, almost bouncing on his feet.

Another Kabuki servant came in to interrupt. Nya didn’t know her name.

“Master Chen needs the staff of elements.” she explained “Since the ninja have told the other masters about the ceremony they saw, Chen’s going to tell them that the staff is intended to be a prize in order to counter the story.”

“Oh! See that’s why I love Master Chen! He’s so creative and smart! First Master, the first time I saw him I told myself ‘that man can dance his way out of anything’ and I was right!” ‘Blossom’ said cheerfully “Mom always said charisma is the most powerful weapon in this world. That’s why I went into performing arts!”

The others all seemed to agree. Nya tagged along as they all entered the room and she felt just a little sick while she watched Chen turn the whole room against Lloyd and Jay.

“So much for the alliance” Garmadon said, listening to the sounds of quiet bickering and doubt.

Chen had gotten ahead of the accusations and temped them all back into fighting with the promise of power. Nevermind that not mentioning any of this upfront is a huge red flag that everyone should be paying attention to. Chen always was good at making you forget to ask those kinds of questions.

Garmadon really should’ve seen that coming. Chen was a skilled manipulator. He could turn a group of lifelong friends so against each other they never spoke again. What made him think he couldn’t do the same to a group of loosely acquainted strangers?

“They believe him over us!?” Lloyd asked in angry disbelief.

Garmadon just put his arm around his son. Chen’s influence was a force to be reckoned with.

Jay had just started to talk about needing proof when one of the other masters walked over. Skylor, the one that had tried to convince Jay to turn on Lloyd. She hadn’t known what was really at stake at the time, so maybe Jay could forgive her.

“Here.” She said, slipping a fortune into Lloyd’s hand “My fortune tells me Cole and your friend Zane will be breaking out. You’re lucky this didn’t end up in the wrong hands.”

Yeah. He could forgive her.

Lloyd read over the scrap of paper. Sure enough, it was from Cole.

“He found Zane.” Lloyd said happily, passing the fortune to Jay for him to read.

Skylor walked back to her seat with a polite smile.

“Thank you.” Lloyd whispered.

It was nice to know that there was at least someone smart enough to see through Chen.

“This is great!” Jay said.

“It doesn’t say anything about Kai though.” Lloyd pointed out sadly.

Garmadon pulled Lloyd against him in a side hug.

As disappointed as Lloyd and Jay were to not find their friend, Garmadon felt nothing but relief. They could rescue Kai from whatever villain had taken him and it would be fine as long as it was anyone but Chen. The sooner they stopped him, the sooner Garmadon could put the awful chapter of his past to bed and leave it there.

He could hardly wait to get some rest without having to worry about his former master hurting his kids in awful ways that lingered. The way he’d hurt Garmadon. The way he’d hurt so many of his friends.

But for the moment, they were still in Chen’s territory. All the odds were against them. They needed to be vigilant, least they fall into one of his many traps. Chen had many weapons and even more eyes. Each and every one of them were trained right on their backs. The mental exhaustion Garmadon was feeling from trying to stay ahead of it was starting to get to him, but he would be cursed before he let that stop him from protecting his kids.

Garmadon tripped on that thought. He knew when he had decided to claim them as his students, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly when they changed from “his students” to “his kids”. Of course he wasn’t planning on taking the place of any existing parents in Jay and Cole’s cases, but he had to admit, at some point Garmadon had started to think of them as his own.

It only made sense. Lloyd called them his brothers so that would naturally make them his, right? He had a claim.

Even if he didn’t, Garmadon was well past caring for such things. He loved the boys and Nya enough to call them his own and they certainly needed the care. Kai and Nya especially.

For goodness’s sake, half the mess they were in could’ve been avoided if Garmadon had stepped in and told Kai “no” like a parent. If he had pressed a little harder when he sensed danger in that job offer. If he had watched out for Kai instead of standing by and letting the tragedy unfold because he was afraid of overstepping.

And that’s what it was really, Garmadon was simply afraid of making himself look worse than the venom had already done. So afraid of causing damage, he let worse happen.

Garmadon should’ve started arranging adoption paperwork as soon as he learned Kai and Nya were on their own. He owed Ray and Maya that much! Whatever happened to them, they deserved better for their children.

But instead Garmadon had been overly cautious, terrified of encroaching. He had tried to kill them when he was still infected with that infernal venom and the guilt halted any action. His hand stalled and he did nothing.

And evil triumphs when good men do nothing.

No more of it. Garmadon would watch over all his children, biological or not. He’d keep Chen’s noxious claws off of them and shield them from every danger he could see. Nevermind how appropriate it was or if it was within his rights to.

Jay fidgeted with the scrap of paper, unsure of what to do with it now that it had been read. Garmadon knew it was a dangerous thread to leave untied. Chen had so many eyes.

“You should get rid of that before one of Chen’s men finds it.” Garmadon warned.

“I think I know what to do.” Jay laughed “This one’s for you Cole.”

Jay then ate the thing. Lloyd laughed quietly, getting the joke. Garmadon just blinked twice in confusion before letting it go and returning to his food.

Jay was about to go back to his own when one of the kabuki servants started to flutter her fan in his face, the paper scrapping his nose.

He pushed her away, but she persisted.

He grabbed the thing right from her and was just about to break it in frustration. He had been dealing with too much stress to add a handsy member of Chen’s staff to it. Since getting his show and entering the world of a minor celebrity, Jay had come to understand that being gentle with these things only invited more of it. If you wanted them to go away, you had to be a little harsh.

Before he could snap it, she spoke.

“Jay. It’s me.” Nya whispered.

“Nya!?” Jay asked.

Nya cringed. At least he didn’t yell...barely.

“What are you wearing?” he asked.

He looked her over and saw a dress that matched all the other Kabuki. It really wasn’t Nya’s style, and the make-up was less so. Still, it wasn’t like he knew her as well as he thought he did, their damaged relationship being prime evidence of that.

“A disguise. I’m undercover.” Nya answered shortly, snatching her fan back from Jay. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t blow that cover”

“I thought you were looking for Kai.” Lloyd asked tentatively.

He was happy to see her, and almost as happy to ignore their fight. But he was too worried about Kai for that. He’d risk setting her off for the chance to hear that his brother was safe and sound. He had chosen to go after Zane first as a strictly tactical decision, but he was still beside himself over Kai and their unresolved fight was weighting on him still.

Nya huffed and threw the edge of her skirt.

“I am. Turns out Chen is Mr. C. Ironically, Zane and Kai need rescued from the same place.” Nya was clearly angry with that fact.

Jay and Lloyd exchanged a worried look.

“We were starting to think that, but we weren’t sure.” Jay admitted.

It would be awfully convenient to be able to rescue them both at the same time, but there were too many uncomfortable questions to be happy with the news.

“But Cole didn’t find Kai. He only found Zane.” Lloyd said, fighting with his tears.

He didn’t want to cry. He wanted to be strong and proud like the Green Ninja, not crying and desperate like a little kid, but the stress and fear was starting to pull him apart. He wanted his brothers back.

“Chen must be keeping him somewhere else.” Jay reasoned.

“But why?” Lloyd asked.

Garmadon’s veins had flooded with terror.

Not only did Chen have Kai, but he wasn’t keeping Kai with his other prisoners. He’d coaxed Kai into his domain under friendly pretenses. He wasn’t flaunting Kai or using him as a bargaining chip. There was only one conclusion that could be reached. The thought turned everything in Garmadon’s stomach sour as spoiled milk.

They hadn’t seen Kai in his ranks, but Chen was known for loving his dramatic reveals.

“Chen isn’t keeping Kai with Zane because he has other plans for him.” Garmadon said in a dread drenched voice.

All three kids stared at him. Garmadon wasn’t usually a fearful man, or even one to let his voice shake. The gravity of the situation was becoming clear.

“What other plans could he have?” Lloyd asked in a small voice.

First Master he was so small. Too small to hear about these things. Garmadon didn’t want to explain this to his son. He didn’t want to think about it. He most of all didn’t want it to be true, but the facts were as clear as a knife to the heart.

“Son….Chen is….A very charismatic man.” He said painfully “He is very fond of finding the young, vulnerable, and preferably powerful, and….”

“And what? Hurting them?” Lloyd asked, frustrated with the lack of a clear point.

It just broke Garmadon’s heart all the more to be reminded of how young his son was.

“No, son. Well…technically, but no.” Garmadon wished he had simple answers “Sometimes, when people are lost, people like Chen will take advantage of them. Like he…did with me.”

“Dad, what are you saying?” Lloyd asked.

The worst news of his life. That’s what. Was this how Wu must’ve felt telling Misako that her husband and father to her son had been trapped in the underworld?

“Kai may not realize how much trouble he’s in.” Garmadon tried.

He wanted to be a gentle as he could. He didn’t want to hurt Lloyd anymore than the situation already would.

“What does that mean? Like he doesn’t know Chen’s evil?” Lloyd asked, so innocently.

First Master Garmadon wanted to persevere that. But the world had a way of devouring innocence.

“In a way.” Garmadon sighed “Lloyd, I want you kids to be prepared for the worst.”

“What’s ‘the worst’?” Jay asked in a small voice of his own.

It didn’t sound right in his normally boisterous mouth. It did sound right coming from his young scared face though. Nya’s face matched him with a similar look. Garmadon’s heart broke further realizing he was shattering something for all three of these kids.

Garmadon sighed and ran a hand over his face. He was starting to feel his age.

“Chen is a master manipulator. After being here alone with him for so long, there’s no telling what he’s managed to do to Kai’s mind. Especially with how vulnerable he was when he first came here…”

Garmadon was picturing the worst.

“Are you saying he might’ve turned Kai against us?” Jay asked nervously.

Garmadon didn’t want to answer that question. He wanted to tell Jay that it was an irrational fear and nothing more. But avoidance was his brother’s vice. Garmadon had sworn that he would arm his kids with all the information he had to give. The alternative had only served to make them easy targets for Chen in the first place.

“Yes, Jay. Chen has done it before. There is a very real chance we may find Kai unwilling to leave Chen’s side.” Garmadon said with his shoulders sagging in defeat.

Jay and Nya looked disgusted.

Lloyd sat quietly for a moment before speaking.

“No.” he whispered.

“Lloyd.” Garmadon said, trying to hug him again.

Lloyd threw him off.

“No!” he was nearly shouting. “No! He wouldn’t do that!”

“Lloyd, Chen has ways to get into people’s heads.” Garmadon tried to explain.

He needed Lloyd to understand.

“I don’t care. You’re wrong! Kai would never do that!” Lloyd snapped.

He stood up from the table, launching everyone’s eyes onto himself.

“I’m done. I’m going back to my room.” He announced, glaring daggers at Chen.

He then stormed off. Garmadon sighed. It seemed that his son had picked up a few bad habits from his uncle.

Garmadon hoped with his entire being that he was wrong, and that Lloyd wouldn’t have to face the heartbreak of seeing a loved one being ensnared by a man like Chen.

Everyone soon turned back to their own food.

“You really think…?” Jay whispered.

“I don’t know. It’s possible, and if it comes to that, you’ll need to be prepared.” Garmadon said sadly “But first thing is first. We must find him.”

“On it.” Nya said, starting to walk away.

“Wait!” Jay yelled, reaching after her.

He yelled loud enough to get everyone to look at him. Chen’s sharp eyes were digging into his skin and his men were eyeing Jay up and down with suspicion.

Nya froze, hoping Jay didn’t just blow her cover. So many eyes on him and no script. Jay didn’t have time to panic. He had to say something. He had to maintain Nya’s cover.

He just had to improv. Just like had plenty of times when some piece of equipment went down, or the contestant had an issue, or someone in the live audience was trying to be funny. He knew how to do this. He had just never done it with such high stakes.

Oh small breath to steel his nerves, and he went for the first thing he thought of.

“I um…wanted some more of those!” Jay said meekly, pointing to the egg roll platter next to Nya.

Nya quickly grabbed it and brought it over. Her cover was a servant after all, it didn’t look weird for Jay to make a request. No one blinked at him, they all just went back to what they were doing. Even Chen shrugged and lost interest within a second.

Crisis averted.

Nya was looking at him expectantly as he grabbed two egg rolls off the platter to maintain his excuse for calling her back.

“Clouse has a spell on page 149 of his spell book. We don’t know much about it, just that it’s important to Chen’s plan.” Jay explained in a low voice.

“Got it. Meanwhile, you need to find the spy in your alliance.” Nya explained.

“Spy?” Jay asked.

“I heard some of the other Kabuki gossiping about it. Someone you trust is giving information to Chen.” Nya said, acting like she was adjusting her grip on the heavy platter to buy her a few more suspicion free seconds.

“Good to know.” Jay said, holding his hand over the plate like he was debating grabbing one more.

“You find your spy while I go spell hunting, and hopefully figure out where Kai is.” she said.

“Got it” Jay said

He gave her a dismissive gesture to continue to charade of her just doing her job. Nya danced away to hide in with the group of legitimate kabuki servants.

Cole waited until he was sure that the banquet was over and done with. He wanted to give his message the best chance to get to Jay and Lloyd.

The guard that came back with “left overs” confirmed when it was.

Cole had his eye on the guard stuffing his face with egg rolls. He was the one with the keys. Cole just had to get close enough to him to grab them. His best bet was to cause a scene. It would likely get him thrown back in his cell and left alone, which would give him time to escape.

Plus Cole made a promise to himself.

“It’s time.” he said, a quick warning to Karloff.

“If you get out, don’t forget about Karloff.” he said wistfully.

“Promise.” Cole said “Now, I’ve been waiting to do this for a long time!”

Cole leaped over the conveyor belt and ran for the noodles. He told himself he was going to eat the food before he escaped to spite Clouse, and he meant it.

Cole laughed as he ducked, dodged and rolled around the factory, eating and taunting the guards as he did. He would let himself get grabbed when his target got close enough to do it, but until that moment, Cole was enjoying being a nuisance.

First Master, how long had it been since he did anything fun?

For his finale, Cole decided to swing from a rope of noodles across the room right into his target’s arms...And burp in his face. And ask for cake. Just because it was funny.

Of course he was very roughly dragged back to his cell and tossed in, but Cole had no regrets. He’d gotten what he needed and had blast doing it. Now all he had to do was get back to Zane.

He barely even waited for the guards to leave before pulling out the ring of keys. They were heavy, making a deep clanking noise as he picked through them to unlock his cell door.

Once he got out into the open hall, Cole switched to holding the keys themselves instead of the ring to stop the sound from possibly giving him away. Walking towards Zane’s cell silently, he resisting the urge to start whistling again.

He was almost home free. He was almost with Zane again. Then they just had to get out and they could go find Kai.

Speaking of the hothead, Cole was still keeping an eye out for him, just in case. If Chen was keeping Zane in his own cell away from the others, Kai could be somewhere in the maze of corridors too.

Boy, would Kai be happy to find out that they found Zane. Plus he and Jay had finally buried the hatchet. No more of the fighting that had driven Kai away in the first place. There was nothing left keeping him from coming back. They could all go back to being a team.

Cole finally reached Zane’s cell and let the keys jingle again while he fought with the old hinges.

Zane was asleep? Powered off? Cole wasn’t exactly sure how that worked, but he did know he was so happy to see the guy again.

“Zane!” he yelled in delight as he crossed the cell.

Zane was cuffed to the wall. Luckily, it seemed that Cole’s keys worked on those locks too. He didn’t wait for Zane to say anything before he got to work on them.

“Cole?” Zane asked in near disbelief “You’ve returned.”

Oh no. Cole wasn't letting anymore friends doubt their value. No more of that, ever.

“Of course I did!” Cole said “I made a promise, and I missed you so much! Come here you you shiny new tin can!”

Cole wished he still had his super strength, but a standard bear hug would have to do. Cole put all his feelings into it and was so happy to see Zane smile.

“Can you feel the love?” he asked.

“No.” Zane said bluntly.

Ok, ouch.

“But the longer we stand here, the shorter time we have to escape.” Zane explained, already on the move.

Oh right, Cole supposed it was only a matter of time before the guard noticed that his keys were missing and put the pieces together.

“You know you were always the smart one!” Cole said.

He was going to make sure all of his friends knew how much they meant to him. Cole would shout all their praises from mountain tops if he had to. He wasn’t going to let someone like Chen prey on his friends insecurities ever again.

“Let’s go!” he said cheerfully, barely looking both ways before running ahead.

Zane looked at Cole carefully for a moment, trying to decide if the chipper attitude was out of character enough to be worth mentioning.

He decided not and followed along without a word. Even if Cole was different, it could easily be explained as a result of Zane’s death. He had exploded right in front of all his friends and that was a pretty traumatic thing for them to experience. It was bound to make some changes.

Zane wondered how else his friends would be different and found himself very sad. He actually hated the idea that someone he loves could’ve been changed in his absence. That he would be meeting someone new and not the friend he parted with. It was even more distressing to think that his departure could’ve played a part in doing it to them.

Zane loved his brothers exactly how they were. He loved the family he had given his life to protect and the thought of them being different made him surprisingly upset.

But wasn’t that hypocritical? After all, he was different; his titanium body shiny like a new car. Why was he allowed to change, but they weren’t?

Maybe he feared not changing enough to keep up. His brothers would age and grow and change in irreversible ways while he stayed relatively preserved. He would remain recognizably the same and they would distort until they didn’t even resemble the people he had first meet them as.

The thought of watching it happen was dreadful enough, but the idea of any of it happening without him? There was something about it that churned a stomach Zane didn’t have.

But before he could dissect his fear any more, an alarm sounded. Their head start had officially ended.

It took a bit of work to ask were Clouse’s study was without sounding suspicious, but once Nya figured that out it wasn’t hard to get the answer from someone, along with some extra gossip and a warning to stay out of it.

One more reason she didn’t want to get caught.

She waited until the hallway was good and abandoned before she tried the door. Luck on her side, it was unlocked.

She carefully tip toed in. Clouse’s spell book was in the middle of the room and not hidden away, so another point of luck for Nya.

She turned through the pages until she got to page 149, finding a spell to turn a group of people into Anacondrai like beings.

Nya gasped. So that was Chen’s plan. The Serpentine war all over again.

Before she could finish processing the information, Nya heard footsteps confidently approaching. She would be so busted if she was found in Clouse’s study. She had learned that it was a strict rule that no one was to go in without Clouse’s explicit permission. According to the gossip, the last time someone went in without permission, he had been starved and tortured with sensory deprivation for three days.

Speaking of thirds, luck found her a third time. Another set of fast footsteps came from the other direction and bought her a few seconds to hide.

“There’s been a breach in the factory!” someone said “Master Cole has gone missing!”

So Cole had made his move. Lloyd had mentioned that he’d found Zane. Nya wished them the same luck she’d been having and ripped the page out of the book. Jay and Lloyd would need hard proof if they wanted to out maneuver Chen. Chen may’ve been a master with his words, but no tongue, no matter how silver, could dispute physical evidence.

Next, Nya had to hide. She had been blessed with a few more seconds, but it wasn’t going to last.

Closing the book, she ducked behind a bookcase and hoped that Clouse didn’t need anything from the one she chose.

“Release my pet!” Clouse ordered “She’ll make sure he doesn’t escape.”

That didn’t sound good. Nya wished Cole and Zane luck another time before the doors opened.

“Now where were we?” Clouse asked.

“We were just checking on our Firebrand.” Chen said, following behind.

Nya’s ears perked up a the name.

“Right.” Clouse moaned as he crossed the room “As I was saying, your prize is safe. I assure you, even if the ninja discovered we have him in the first place, and even if they somehow also learned that we were keeping him in my study and not the dungeons like the other Elemental Masters, they still would have no way to break my sleeping spell.”

Clouse pressed a hidden button on the wall. A hidden compartment opened next to it, it was just big enough for the bed they had in there, and the sleeping person on it.

Nya bit down to stop herself from saying anything. Kai was laying there helplessly. She hadn’t seen her brother in so long and he was just a few feet from her, but she couldn’t do anything. All she could do was look him over for any signs of injury and note that he was, in fact, breathing.

Overall he looked no worse than he usually did. A few bruises and healing scraps dotting him, it wasn’t alarming to see. It looked like Chen hadn’t hurt him much, if at all. Which was already making Nya want to cry form relief. At least one nightmare; of finding Kai being tortured in a dark cell, was put to bed.

Still, when Chen reached a hand towards Kai’s face, Nya stifled a noise of anger and alarm.

All he did was gently stroke the side of Kai’s face. That was almost worse.

“Clousey, you don’t get to be where I am by underestimating your enemies!” Chen explained in a sing song. “I just wanted to make sure that he was where he was supposed to be.”

“I assure you, Master, he is secure. Even if the ninja find him, they won’t get far. Your daughter is the only one that has the ability to wake him.” Clouse said.

So Chen hadn’t lied to Kai about his daughter.

Nya almost gagged as she remembered that Kai had started a romantic relationship with her. That meant he was dating Chen’s daughter. That wasn’t going to be fun to deal with. Emotions were going to get sticky when everything was said and done.

Nya did note that Chen’s daughter, whoever she was, would be the only one that could wake Kai up. They’d have to figure out who and where she was before they could get Kai back.

“I know. I trust your magic, Clouse. I just want to be sure that everything is in place for act three. Things won’t be nearly as fun without our Firebrand here.” Chen laughed, still petting Kai’s face.

The sight was making Nya sick. She was certain that if Kai were awake, he’d be demanding Chen not touch him.

But Kai wasn’t awake. He was completely vulnerable and Chen could do as he pleased.

There was a deep pit in her guts that was violently rejecting the idea. A part of Nya that had always seen Kai as untouchable. He was a pillar of strength for her since she was tiny. She’d seen him take every responsibility with squared shoulders and never falter. When things got hard, Kai fought.

When their parents disappeared, Kai had fought to take care of her. When money got tight, Kai fought to keep them afloat. When she was taken by super natural forces, Kai had fought those too.

And the important thing was, that he always won.

Even when he was fighting uphill and everything was against him, he still pushed on. Nya had never seen Kai so vulnerable. Hurt? Yes. Weakened? Sure. Losing? Even that. But never helpless.

Seeing Chen do something so invasive, even something benign, was going in the face of everything she’d ever known her brother to be. It rocked her world view in a way she wasn’t ready to contend with.

“Well I’m satisfied!” Chen announced, finally letting go of Kai’s face. “I don’t want to leave anything to chance here. Let’s go back now.”

Clouse pressed the button on the wall and Kai was hidden behind the wall again.

“Of course, Master.” Clouse said, following Chen out the door.

He paused at his spell book though, looking over it and frowning. He picked the thing up and left.

Nya breathed a sigh in relief and carefully stepped out of her hiding spot. She could just barely hear Chen’s words as he walked down the hallway. She didn’t catch all of it, but she did catch the important back.

“Firebrand.”

Kai. Kai was Firebrand. Kai was Chen’s nasty surprise. Kai was the juicy piece of gossip the kubuki were all snickering about. Nya shook from rage, but she shoved it away. She had something more important.

She crept over to the button on the wall and pressed it. He brother was revealed once again.

Finally alone, Nya allowed herself to choke out a small sob. Kai was so motionless. It didn’t suit him. Kai normally fussed in his sleep, turning and twitching. Nya could always tell when he was pretending to be asleep because he was too still.

She reached down and very gently touched his face. It was more tender than Chen had done, not even hard enough to leave any of her body paint behind. Where Chen had done it out of possessiveness, Nya was doing it out of love and longing.

She had missed Kai so much. When he left she had told herself not to be selfish, but she wasn’t used to being away from him. They’d never been so far away for so long. His absence had stung every time she had wanted to tell him some dumb joke or rant about her day.

Where as Zane’s death had been all the pain at once, Kai’s absence was death by a thousand cuts. Nya could deal with Zane’s death and move on. It was the mounting sorrow and yearning that hurt more each day that got her. Instead of getting easier, it got harder.

Nya had finally reunited with Kai, but he wasn’t really there to meet her. He was still trapped. Nya felt useless, standing there with nothing to do but stroke his face.

The warmth of his skin comforted her. He wasn’t gone forever, just out of reach. She just had to do a little more work before she could rescue him, but she was close. She knew where he was and what she needed.

“I’ll come back for you.” Nya whispered. “I promise. I’m not going to abandon you.”

A part of her always blamed her parents for everything. Kai swears that they were good people that loved them, but Nya sometimes couldn’t find it in herself to forgive them. They left, and while it hadn’t hurt too much for her, the scars it left on Kai were something that Nya hated them for. She would never abandon him like they had. She had sworn it to herself the first time she saw the look of pain on his face when she mentioned moving out someday.

As much as she hated, hated, tethering herself like that, giving up her freedom, it was a sacrifice she was willing to make over and over again for her brother, and only her brother. Kai had given up so much for her. What sort of sister would she be if she couldn’t do the same in return?

Nya gave him a quick kiss on the forehead and reluctantly hid him again.

Opening communications with Dareth, she updated him on what she had found while she headed out of the room, carefully making sure she wasn’t seen. Her next move was getting Clouse’s spell to the others so they could put an end to Chen’s tournament.

Then she was rescuing her brother.

Chapter Text

Part Two (Act 2)
Stacked Actors

Garmadon was back to punching trees.

He didn't know what else to do with himself. Chen, in all likelihood, had taken Kai in, a child, and twisted him to fit his design. Knowing what he did of the man, Garmadon guessed Kai would be his grand finale.

Lloyd wasn’t handling even the hypothetical of it well, one could only imagine the pain the reality would cause. There was no way Garmadon could protect him from that.

It made him ache to be so helpless. He was a failure. He should’ve seen this coming. He should’ve dealt with Chen long ago instead of letting him scheme in his private little corner. He should’ve pushed, fought for Kai. Stepped in and forbid him from taking that job and dragged him back to his monastery if he argued.

He was so afraid of overstepping, of doing too much, that he turned into his brother. Wu’s flaw had always been his passiveness, allowing things to happen while he resisted getting involved. Where as Garmadon’s passion and drive had always been his undoing. He should’ve known better than to swing the pendulum so far in the other direction.

He knew the whole thing sounded shady. He’d known better. Plain and simple. He could’ve saved Kai from all of this, and if he had the ability to go back he would.

But he couldn’t go back. Time moved only one way. He only had forward to go. Best to take stock of what he could and try to make a game plan.

There was no way of knowing how deep Kai was, but there were ways of guessing. Teeth grit in pain, Garmadon recalled his own time under Chen, hoping to find insight that could help him.

It had started with high praise and gifts.

“A gift for my favorite student.”

“If Clouse hears that he’ll skin me alive.”

“I don’t think he would be able, would he, Lord Garmadon?”

The way Chen had said his title was something Garmadon remembered loving, but looking back, it made him uncomfortable. Chen had been the one to give it to him and loved to say it. It finally clicked for Garmadon what it was.

It was Chen’s way of saying “mine”.

At the time, it felt comforting to be wanted like that. After all the fights with his father and brother, all the isolation he suffered as the venom pushed everyone away, he craved it. He twisted into it like a plant growing sideways into the sunlight. And Chen, like the sick gardener he was, took full advantage.

The comfort had been such a strong influence over him. A young boy, just barely a man, missing his father, but feeling too unlovable to go to home.

“It can be so hard to have a father that doesn’t understand you.”

So many pleasant things had been said with ulterior motives. Where Garmadon had first heard a statement of understanding, he now saw it for what it was: Chen convincing Garmadon that his father didn’t love him. And more importantly, that Chen did.

Garmadon could only imagine what lies Chen had fed to Kai, hidden in shows of affection and consoling words.

No doubt he preyed on Kai’s survivor's guilt and Zane’s death. Probably convinced Kai that the others weren’t waiting for him to come back. Like how he’d almost convinced Garmadon that his brother hated him, when in fact, his brother cried tears of joy to see him again.

That was the first of many reality checks Garmadon got after leaving Chen’s influence. That would be easy to do again. If that was as far as Kai had gotten, it wouldn’t been too hard to show him that Chen’s lies had no merit.

But that was only the start of Chen’s tricks. Knowing his old Garmadon luck, Kai was much deeper in the web.

When the love and praise started to lose their potency, Chen used the promise of power. The whole reason Garmadon had chosen to train under him to begin with.

“Watch your tongue Lord Garmadon! We’re well on our way to world domination and if you want to be here for it you would do well to follow directions!”

Anytime Garmadon would start to doubt Chen, anytime any reservations reared, Chen would threaten to leave Garmadon behind.

Garmadon couldn’t fathom how Chen could convince Kai to sign up for world domination or evil tutelage. He was skilled at making people think that they wanted things they really didn’t, but not that good. He had to start with something they did want, something they did feel. He twisted existing thoughts. Creating completely new motivations from nothing was impossible.

Unless Chen was capable of proper mind control, but if he could do something so bold, he would’ve been making better use of it.

So there had to have been something Chen had that Kai wanted. Something he could use to essentially blackmail Kai into ignoring his better judgment. If not, no amount of praise would keep the boy in his clutches. Kai was too stubborn to compromise his beliefs for nothing!

Maybe Chen was using Zane? The promise of bringing his dead friend back would be a powerful motivator. If they were that lucky, Zane being with them would be a devastating blow to that motivation. If it was something else, things could be more difficult. They’d have to convince Kai he didn’t need whatever Chen was offering, or at the very least convince him Chen can’t or won’t give it to him.

There was one more step Garmadon could remember.

The guilt. The shame. The painful lack of confidence Chen fostered.

“You would doubt me? Who took you in after your own father cast you out? You wound me Lord Garmadon! After all I have given you! Your training! Your title! How could you?”

It felt like ripping his own heart to sheds to disappoint Chen. It was punishment enough that Chen rarely had to resort to any real discipline.

Though perhaps that was because Garmadon never got that far. He certainly saw many repentant followers of Chen being beaten or tortured for misbehavior.

Finally, the end. The moment the lights came on brighter than ever before and Garmadon could see everything with clarity. The smoke cleared and Garmadon was left looking at himself in the mirrors.

Garmadon got out because Chen pushed him a little too far, expecting the venom to be a stronger factor. But once Garmadon saw through the curtain, there was no bringing him back.

“Why am I hearing about this now!? Why not before!?”

“You didn’t need to know, Lord Garmadon. Now to the war plans.”

“No!”

“No?”

“I don’t want to do this! Not like this!”

“Lord Garmadon.” Chen said in a warning tone.

It sent shivers down Garmadon’s spine, but he stood firm.

“I’m not fighting against my brother.”

“I thought you hated your brother. The way he always acted like he was better than you. How he stole your father’s love. Why, you have every reason to want to take your revenge on the one who did this to you!” Chen gestured to Garmadon’s whole frame.

How had he not heard it before?

“None of that was Wu’s fault!” Garmadon snapped “He is my little brother and I refuse to fight him for you!”

“He will cast you out. You know he will.”

Garmadon bit down on his lip. It had become a nervous habit for him at some point. It hurt so much to turn on the man that had given him all the fatherly affection he craved.

The decision was hard, but no matter how much venom he had pushing him to make the selfish call, there was only one choice Garmadon could make.

“Then I suppose I will just live with the consequences of protecting him, as I always have.”

Despite how firm Garmadon had been in his choice, he still looked back before leaving his sensei forever.

There was a chance Chen would make the same mistake, overestimate how much sway he had over Kai and force him to choose between Chen and his family too soon. Garmadon doubted it though. Chen wasn’t the type to make the same mistake twice.

Most likely, Kai would be kept far from any actual conflict with them and allowed to warm up to the idea of them being the enemy before Chen asked him to do anything.

If Kai was that far gone, it would be near impossible to get through to him.

Garmadon punched another tree. He was going to rip Chen’s insides out and show them to the man. It would have to wait until he got his kids to safety, but Chen wasn’t escaping his wrath this time. No getting off with just an exile!

Having calmed himself down some, Garmadon made his way back inside to help his kids route out Chen’s spy. When said spy was found, Garmadon wasn’t exactly sure what his plan was for keeping his rage in check, but he would figure it out.

Zane was letting Cole lead and not paying much attention, too deep in thought.

The idea of his friends changing was still settling in. Cole wasn’t too much different, but he was different and he didn’t seem to even realize it. How much context was Cole taking for granted? How much catching up would Zane have to do?

And what was truly bothering him about this?

Further introspection had Zane at a loss.

He did fear being left out or behind by his friends because of his biology, or lack thereof, but not enough to warrant the world tilting panic he was feeling. It didn’t explain how his absence factored into it either. Why did he hate the idea of his friends changing without him there to watch?

Pixal warned him that Cole was about to make a wrong turn, which Zane warned him about in turn.

Cole stopped suddenly and had a brief look of thankful frustration. They had been wandering around aimlessly for a few hours now and starting over might’ve pushed his sanity over the edge.

Zane was glad Pixal caught it before then. He himself hadn’t been paying nearly enough attention. With his thoughts and feelings so tangled, he could’ve kept walking in the same circle for days without noticing.

“Maybe you should be leading.” Cole suggested.

“Or Pixal should be.” Zane thought.

But he wasn’t ready to explain her yet, so he stayed silent.

They slowed down to reassess where they were going, but were cut off by a terrible roar. Cole went pale, trying to figure out which way it was coming from.

“I am not familiar with that sound.” Zane said nervously.

Pixal couldn’t match it to any animal she knew.

“I am.” Cole assured him “We need to move!”

He wasn’t even done speaking before he took off in the opposite direction from where the sound was coming from. Zane stalled for a moment.

“I thought I was leading?” He asked nervously.

“Trust me, you’ll wanna keep up!” Cole yelled over his shoulder as he continued to run.

Zane pouted. There was something about this that he was missing. Another item to the list he supposed. He decided that whatever was making that noise was best to run from before any more self reflection.

Sprinting up on Cole’s right, Zane overtook him and they continued to run down the corridor before hitting a purple dead-end.

Curiously, Zane reached out to touch it a few times. Instead of stone however, he noticed he was touching scales.

“This isn’t a wall.” he said “It’s the body of a large serpent.”

Cole had a good guess what serpent it was, but they didn’t have time for that. Cole looked over his shoulder to confirm that they weren’t cornered yet.

“Come on, we have to find another way!”

He grabbed Zane by the arm and started down another path.

All they found were more dead ends. Every possible route they could take was blocked by a massive purple body. Turning a full circle confirmed that there was nowhere left to run.

“The serpent’s strategy appears to be to surround us and coil inwards.” Zane speculated “Very clever.”

Cole tried to not be annoyed by the praise of their doom.

“Yeah, well, my strategy is to not be eaten!” Cole said.

The snake decided it had objections to that plan and made them known, snapping its fangs at Zane and Cole. They just scrambled away, finding themselves at a dead end of stone this time.

“It was nice knowing you Zane.” Cole said “I think this really is our dead end.”

It was a shame Jay wasn’t around to hear what an awful joke Cole was going to go out on. He felt like the Lightning Ninja would’ve appreciated it.

The snake lunged. Out of instinct, Cole and Zane dodged, causing the thing to headbutt the stone wall.

“I don’t suppose you could freeze him?” Cole asked, hoping for a hail-Mary.

“Chen took my powers like everyone else.” Zane unfortunately confirmed.

Although he still couldn’t remember the event, Zane had tried to summon his element many times since he woke up. After all the failures and overhearing that Chen was taking elemental powers, it wasn’t a difficult leap in logic for him and Pixal to assume.

Speaking of Pixal, perhaps she had an idea.

“Pixal! Calculate escape scenarios!” Zane said.

He’d just have to explain her sooner than he’d like. It was still preferable to dying.

Again.

And missing more.

Why was that so upsetting to think about?

“Pixal!? You got a girl stuck in your head!?” Cole asked.

Cole was still rolling with the bad jokes. Apparently being near death made him a bad comedian.

It was barely a second of thought before Zane was firing shurikens from his wrist and blowing the ground beneath them away.

With a scream of alarm, they both fell safely into the tunnel below them.

Cole quickly realized, with delight, that Zane’s upgrade meant he had new gadgets!

“I’m gonna like the new you!” Cole decided out loud as he peeled himself off the ground.

“We must move quickly!” Zane said.

He didn’t want to touch his feelings on the phrase “new you”.

“Lead the way!” Cole prompted.

Pixal didn’t wait to be asked before she told Zane which direction he needed to choose. Zane took off confidently with Cole following close behind.

Jay and Lloyd had agreed to just not discuss the Kai situation for the time being. Garmadon wasn’t happy with that, but he allowed it while they had more important things to attend to. Perhaps time would soften the thought enough for Lloyd to have a proper talk about it. For now they had a spy to find.

With everybody left in the tournament gathered in Lloyd’s room and the knowledge that a spy was there with them, it was a situation ripe for distrust. The bickering was predictable and honestly Jay should’ve expected it.

Lloyd made no secret of his suspicion of Shade who was taking the invitation to take his frustrations out on someone. Neuro tried to use his powers and Skylor immediately shot her suspicion at him. Griffin decided to point out that Paleman wasn’t inspiring much trust by staying invisible which set him off worse than Jay had managed to the entire tournament. Which was impressive since Jay had been a jerk to him! The comment must’ve hit a nerve.

It naturally dissolved into childish insults.

“I’d like to see you try it, power hoarder!”

“Oh you want to go!?”

Jay sighed.

“What sort of a coward won’t show his face!?”

“You’re one to talk, Mr. Sunglasses-Indoors!”

He supposed it was only karma after what he and Cole had put everyone through.

“Take a picture Greenie! It’ll last you long!”

“Only my friends get to call me that!”

“With the way things are going, that’s getting to be an endangered species, isn’t it?”

Jay actually had to hold Lloyd back after that remark, making a mental note to talk to Sensei Garmadon about getting him therapy or something after they dealt with Chen. Lloyd wasn’t coping well and it was getting to be a problem. Not ideal for someone with powers that could level building in a blink.

Garmadon thankfully took control of the room, slamming a loud fist against the wall and taking everyone’s attention by force.

“That is enough squabbling.” He ordered. “I have run out of patience and we will be doing things my way.”

Jay dropped Lloyd and shrank back. Garmadon looked like a monster holding a human form. Jay had known Sensei Garmadon to be a gentle man once he was purged of all the venom, but gentle men were often the scariest to see break. Garmadon was such a man pushed beyond his limits and it showed. Jay wasn’t the only one cowering.

Suddenly everyone was reminded that this was the man that had conquered the entire underworld within a minute of being banished to it.

“All of you line up. Everyone that has ever worked for Chen has the Anacondrai tattoo on their back. Whoever has the tattoo, is our spy.”

There was a pause. Space given to Garmadon’s words out of respect. The respect he forced out of you with just the authority of his voice. He was the eldest son of the First Spinjitzu Master and his wrath was not to be taken lightly.

“Alright.” Lloyd said, perhaps the only one qualified to follow it up “We just have to check everyone’s backs then. Any objections?”

Neuro didn’t say anything, he undid his shirt and showed off his bare back. Garmadon nodded at him.

“No one leaves this room until we know who I should be directing my anger toward.” he said before anyone could take a step towards the door he was guarding.

Skylor gulped. She had the power of form, and she was thanking every lucky star in the sky for it. Garmadon looked ready to shed blood and she didn’t want to test his vow of non-violence.

She couldn’t help but give it a passing thought; what he would do to her if he saw the tattoo. The thought alone twisted her stomach. Best she didn’t fixate on it.

Garmadon’s own son followed direction and let his father check his back first. Probably not wanting to ask anyone to do anything he himself wasn’t willing to do. It was a smart move. Made him look very reasonable. The difference between him and Skylor was that he came by it honestly. She was analyzing her moves to be sure she made people think what she wanted of her.

Which is why she gave something as mundane as her place in line so much thought.

She instinctively wanted to be in the back of the line and put it off due to the sensible fear for her life she had, but that could be suspicious. Besides, she was going to unravel herself from the stress if she put it off too long. Best to get it over with. She chose third in line, trying to not look too eager and close to the front either. That was also suspicious.

Her turn came all too soon. Garmadon gestured for her to lower her sleeve and she prayed silently as she complied.

She tried to keep a calm look as he checked her back, but the seconds stretched. Surely he was looking too long. Surely he had seen something off about it.

She forced herself to remain calm. There was nothing to worry about. He couldn’t see it. He couldn’t see it. He couldn’t see it.

Oh First! He could see it, couldn’t he? He was staring at it in disbelief or maybe in rage, wondering how she thought she could hide it from him. He was saying nothing, but maybe he was just playing with her. Maybe he was giving her the chance to admit it. Maybe he wanted her to grovel and beg for mercy before he ripped the life out of her with his bare hands. Maybe he was mocking her, laughing at her while she squirmed under him like a bug under his thumb.

She was caught. This was it. There was no doubt about it. She had seconds to live. She had failed. She would never see the sun again. She would never see Kai again. Any moment now Garmadon would tire of whatever power play this long silence was and call her out.

Skylor was so sure of her imminent death, she could feel tears start to push through her eyes. She wondered if she would have time to shed them before Garmadon-

“Clear.” Garmadon said.

It had felt like hours, but Skylor realized Garmadon had looked at her back for the same four seconds he had everyone else. He saw nothing. She was safe.

She successfully suppressed a sigh of relief as she pulled her shirt back up. If she rushed, no one questioned it. She was far from the only one terrified of the reformed Dark Lord snarling at them all with distrust.

Besides, Shade’s fidgeting was capturing most of the attention in the room. Another blessing Skylor was thanking the First for.

Nya was nervous. The page with the spell was burning a hole in her pocket while she teetered around, trying to look like she was supposed to be there.

She kept her resolve steady by thinking of her brother, still unconscious and waiting on her to rescue him. She had to get the page to Lloyd and Jay, and then her next task was to find Chen’s daughter and force her to wake Kai up. Then she’d meet back up with the boys, probably accept their apology, and they’d all go home. Simple.

Clouse was talking to Chen, holding his spell book and gesturing to it. That didn’t look good.

Nya tried to look like she didn’t care or notice. She couldn’t afford to be suspicious. Especially if this was about what she thought it was.

“Do you need the page to do the spell!?” Chen asked loudly.

Yep. Nya was right. Clouse noticed the missing page.

Unlike Chen, Clouse didn’t speak loudly enough for Nya to make out what he was saying. Nya was only really getting Chen’s side of the conversation.

“We must find that page!” Chen yelled. “Argh! Kabuki paint! Ugh, It gets everywhere!”

Speaking of said paint, Nya hoped she wasn’t sweating through hers. She still had the page on her and she was only a few feet from Chen. If she gave him any reason to check her, it would all be over before she could get away.

“Guard!” Clouse yelled “Search every servant in this room!”

Nya almost cursed out loud. She knew her luck couldn’t be good forever, but this was some serious back pay.

She had seconds. They were closing in on her. She could try running, but she wasn’t likely to make it very far and it would blow her cover for sure. It was all she had left protecting her. There was no Kai to hide behind. Her big brother wasn’t going to come save her. He couldn’t.

She couldn’t fail him! She had to save him! She had to make it back to him! She had to come back! If she didn’t come back…

Then she was the same as her parents.

Nya stopped breathing as someone grabbed her arm. She was too horrified to fight them. All her best efforts and she’d be forced to abandon Kai anyways. She couldn’t keep her oldest promise. The first oath she’d ever taken, long before she understood what an oath was. She swore to herself to never leave her brother, to always come back.

Sick fate, having her forced to repeat her parents’ crime. The thing she fought her whole life to avoid was coming true and she could do nothing to stop it.

Nya silently begged the forces that be to give her a chance, any chance to fight it. She had a promise to keep and if she was going to break it, she wanted to at least do it on her own terms!

Then came the sound of a miracle.

It sounded like old rock ‘n roll music and careless singing. A voice Nya recognized. A voice Nya was so grateful she had brought with her.

Dareth.

Nya was very worried for his well being, but had to thank her luck that he had saved her. She had another chance to save her brother, and that was the most important gift anyone could’ve given her.

After a long time walking in silence, Zane decided to start asking questions and hopefully fill in some of the gaps that were making him so uncomfortable. No matter how much he was dreading the answers, he needed to know.

“You said you knew what that snake was?” Zane asked, choosing a relatively neutral starting place.

Cole sighed.

“Yeah, it’s Clouse’s pet. Jay, Lloyd, and I got chased by it when we went snooping around looking for you. It tore up Jay’s pants. We barely got away.”

“Clouse?” Zane asked.

He’d heard the name in passing, but the guards didn’t talk too much about him.

“Chen’s right hand guy? He uses dark magic.” Cole explained.

“Forgive me, I did not see much of anything outside of my cell.” Zane said stiffly.

He didn’t mean to sound that haughty, but it had been a long...Well Zane didn’t even know exactly how long he had been on Chen’s island. Zane couldn’t remember anything before the current week and Pixal didn’t know how long she was out of commission when they disassembled her. They’d need to ask Cole for the date at some point.

Pixal told him to take a right.

“Yeah well that’s a good thing, trust me. This whole island is a nightmare. Kai’s lucky he’s missing this adventure.” Cole complained, following closely.

That was another thing bothering him.

“You mentioned him being missing.” Zane said, rocks stacking in his belly.

Zane walked forward, but soon noticed that Cole was no longer next to him. Cole had stopped walking for some reason. Turning around to face him, Zane saw Cole standing still, looking uncomfortable and staring at his shoes in guilt.

A jolt of fear and revulsion shot through Zane. He had missed something big, something big enough to give Cole such a pained expression.

“We sort of had to choose between looking for him or coming to save you.” Cole admitted.

Zane just stared. He hoped that was all, but he sensed more.

“Nya was pretty mad at us.” Cole said, scrapping some dirt to the side with his shoe.

There it was. One brother missing, and a sister understandably angry with them. No wonder Cole looked guilty.

“You thought he was with me?” Zane asked.

Cole had asked him about Kai first thing, and Zane still felt like there was something he needed to remember about that. Maybe some more information could help Zane figure it out.

“It was a possibility.” Cole admitted, sounding smaller than he should “Kai took a job from someone named ‘Mr. C’ before he disappeared. Jay thought it could’ve been Chen.”

“I see.” Zane said slowly.

Nothing. There was still a distant feeling of urgency, but it was buried under so much more anxiety, it was hard not to write it off.

Zane decided it was best to keep moving. Cole wordlessly agreed and continued to follow him.

“How long has Kai been missing?” Zane asked numbly.

It could’ve been mistaken for calm.

“Nya last saw him several months ago, but they were sending letters back and forth until a month and a half ago.” Cole explained “He promised to visit for her birthday, but he never showed. We were trying to figure out what to do when we got Chen’s message about you.”

“He wasn’t sending letters to anyone else?” Zane asked.

That didn’t sound right. Kai wouldn’t shut them out for no reason.

“Oh.” Cole said.

First Master! That tone was worse than a horror novel. Zane wasn’t sure how, but something was worse! He hated this. He didn’t want to have this conversation anymore.

But he needed to know.

So, he braced for Cole’s next words.

“We….weren’t on speaking terms.” Cole admitted.

Zane wanted to be sick!

“Why not?”

“Because….well….” Cole sighed and looked at the wall opposite of Zane “The team might’ve….split up after you died.”

Zane stopped in his tracks. He had no powers, or even skin, but somehow, he suddenly felt very cold.

“What?”

Cole tried to keep walking, but Zane snatched his wrist and forced him to turn around and meet his eyes. Cole looked guarded and defensive. It wasn’t right. None of this was right.

“We….” Cole started.

He sighed and slumped. Resignation flooded his face, panic flooded Zane’s.

“It was hard.” Cole admitted, snatching his arm back and holding it like he was cold too.

Zane hated that tone more than the last.

“Everything was so broken and none of us had the energy to face it. It was easier to just let it fall apart.” Cole sighed remorsefully. “Kai left first. He had a fight with Lloyd about it. Jay and I just... couldn’t get it under control. I’m sorry.”

Zane couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The team had self-destructed without him. His family had come undone in his absence.

“It was our fault. If Jay and I hadn’t been fighting so much and making everyone miserable, Kai wouldn’t have left!” Cole said in a shaking voice, tears breaking from his eyes like wild horses “I’m so sorry. I should’ve been a better friend!”

Zane wanted to scream. The team had fallen apart while he wasn’t there! Kai had gone missing and was still in danger. Cole and the others had nearly been eaten by a giant snake for First Master’s sake! These were the kinds of things he missed.

They had all pushed one another away in grief and nearly died because Zane wasn’t there to protect them! Kai could still die because Zane was so far away and didn’t even know where he was or how he was hurt!

He couldn’t protect them if he wasn’t there!

Oh.

That was it.

Zane wasn’t upset his friends had changed without him. He was upset his friends had been hurt without him! He was burning with the thought of the battles they fought alone. Everything he missed, every way they changed, it was all things he should’ve protected them from.

If he was there, if he saw, then he knew what he could and couldn’t have done. He knew he protected them from the worst of it.

But not being there? Finding out that they had been maimed physically, mentally, and emotionally, in his absence? That was what twisted his insides up. Worse yet, knowing he had been the cause of it, of a pain so great it changed them. Zane would rather blow himself up again in slow motion.

He had hurt them and left them unprotected. It felt worse than a failure. It felt like a downright betrayal.

“It’s ok though!” Cole said, wiping his face dry “It’s ok. Jay and I made up! Once we deal with Chen we’ll find Nya and help her rescue Kai. With you back and all that fixed, we can all go back to being a team.”

Zane stayed quiet.

“It’s ok. We can fix it. We’ve already fixed most of it. It should be easy from here on out.” Cole promised.

Zane remembered sensed that it would be harder than that, but that was a bridge he would wait to cross.

Right now they needed to find their way out of Chen’s labyrinth.

Garmadon was out of patience and no one had the Anacondrai tattoo. Back to punching trees it was. As unproductive as it was, it did provide a much needed outlet from him.

For a moment they were sure Shade was the spy when he refused to show his back at first. But Garmadon didn’t have to voice his threats out loud before Shade was reluctantly showing them his back. There were some very personal reasons he wanted to keep his back hidden and Garmadon had sworn everyone to secrecy for him with the same threatening glare that got him to show it in the first place. That was none of their business, they only needed to concern themselves with the lack of the tattoo.

But that left them with no definitive spy. Chen must’ve known Garmadon would know about the tattoo and skipped it for his spy.

With no real answers, things dissolved right back to bickering in circles. Garmadon called it a night and sent everyone to bed before coming outside to unwind. The tension and distrust was getting hard to stand.

Alone now, Garmadon was trying to not let his thoughts start to cycle again, but it was a losing battle.

His children were in danger.

Once he had finally come to grips with his horror, Garmadon settled into an anger; the depths of which almost frightened him.

Cole and Zane were out of his reach and to search for them would only put them in more danger, so Garmadon could do nothing for them. He was completely helpless, unable to even confirm their safety, let alone ensure it. They were left to fight on their own and the thought burned him. His children, alone and fighting for their lives. He should be there! Protecting them! Guiding them! Comforting them! Anything!

Kai was missing. The more time passed, the worse Garmadon’s anxiety about his mental state grew. There was no telling how bad it would be, but the longer he went without knowing, the worse Garmadon imagined. That child, taken and twisted into whatever Chen wanted. The question was what that would be. Would he be angry and violent; turned into a weapon for Chen to point? Or would he be confused and submissive; made into a decorative lapdog for Chen to show off? Perhaps he’d be quiet and broken; a corpse of his former self Chen could throw at them to mourn? With Chen, there was no telling. In many ways you could rely on Chen to be himself, but in other regards his actions were predictable as a dice roll.

Nya was somewhere, risking her own life to get them what they needed. She had been so patient and careful, like Garmadon. And like Garmadon, she was cursing herself for it. He could sympathize with her anger. Someone had taken her family from her. Kai was all she had that she felt she could truly give that title to. When they got home, Garmadon would correct that. Nya and Kai would not be going back to living alone. They would be brought where he could keep them close and protected. He was a fool for not doing it sooner. They would be getting a father, if they wanted him or not.

Jay, the poor boy, was shouldering half the weight of the world, trying to keep Lloyd grounded and keep up the fight against Chen with nearly no support to lean on. Garmadon’s heart swelled with pride at his adaptation. Jay was a strong boy. With every blow he took he buckled down, forcing himself to take it and continue on. Garmadon would be sitting him down and giving him a very long talk about it all. Somebody had to hammer how amazing he was into his skull.

Finally there was Lloyd. He was hanging on with a white grip. Everything that had been bothering Garmadon, was hitting Lloyd just as hard. But Lloyd was a child, and he was only capable of holding so much hurt before he started to crack. It was all Garmadon could do to keep him together. Lloyd would need a lot of time to recover when they got through this. Garmadon was debating the pros and cons of locking him and Kai in a bubble wrapped room for a while.

A therapist, Garmadon decided. A therapist for all of them. And then a physical exam, First Master knows when their last physical was. And then an eye exam, just to be thorough! Garmadon was going to take them to all the doctors.

Wu should’ve done more.

That was a can of worms Garmadon wasn’t sure if he should open before they got home. He loved his little brother, but this was ridiculous. The mess they were in had been made while Wu put off until tomorrow and tomorrow what could’ve been done any day.

It was yet another challenge Wu was too afraid to face head on. Garmadon was all too used to the behavior, but this time was different. This time the price was unacceptable. This time children were suffering as a consequence.

Garmadon had stepped back and let Wu make the calls, even when he disagreed with them.

“You can’t control your team”

“Have faith, Brother.”

And he did have faith. He had faith when Wu told him not to talk about the other elemental masters. He had faith when Jay, Cole, and Nya were left to figure their own issues out. He had it when the team split apart. Even when Kai left and took on unsavory jobs, Garmadon had faith that Wu knew what he was doing. He had faith that there was a method to the inaction.

Once upon a time he had faith in Chen too. He had faith he was where he belonged. Faith that Chen knew what was best. Faith he deserved no better.

That faith had been a mistake.

It was time for Garmadon to have faith in himself. In his own instincts and his own judgment. It was time he stopped doubting himself and started to doubt those around him that he had been trusting to be doing the right thing.

He was done standing by and letting his children be hurt because of misplaced faith. From now on, people would have to earn that from him.

But for now, as much as he wanted to scorn the world for all its misdeeds, Garmadon had children to focus on. They needed protection and guidance, not wrath and vengeance.

So the anger went into a tiny box in the back of his mind, waiting to be unpacked at a more appropriate time. Like when he finally got his chance to wring Chen’s neck for all he’d done.

The overflow was pounded into soft bark and left for the trees to deal with.

Skylor leaned against the wall and took deep breaths. She almost died. She almost died! Lord Garmadon almost killed her! If she hadn’t had the power of Form he would’ve painted the walls with her.

It was fine. She pulled through. It was fine! She was no more suspicious than any of the others, maybe less so since she gave Lloyd the message from Cole. She just needed a moment to catch her breath and slow her heart back down.

Speaking of which she probably needed to go tell her father that Cole had Zane.

This was a lot more to juggle.

Manipulating Kai had been so easy, and even fun at times. All she had to do was make sure his grooming went smoothly and distract him from any rebellious thoughts. Mention a few things on “accident” or plant an idea or two into his head so that it didn’t come from her father. Other than that she was free to just hang out with him.

She missed him.

It was like when he got himself punished. She had to wait. She had to be alone.

Being alone was so much harder for her after he came into her life. Like she’d finally seen sunlight for the first time only for it to start raining. She felt off balance without him, painfully aware of the missing piece.

Just like when Kai had been away from her for punishment, she was going to kiss him stupid the second she got him back. He was so much fun to tease and Skylor loved how he let her. There was something attractive about having such a normally outgoing guy turn to mush for her, the power she had over him was her own personal addiction.

She was her father’s daughter in a lot of ways she supposed. What she could remember of her mother had clear enough parallels, she didn’t need a therapist to tell her about them. Kai looked at her with the same trust and adoration she’d seen in her mother. She was sure if she didn’t have the exact possessively pleased look she remembered from her father, she had one strikingly similar. Kai meant a lot to her after all.

That was something her father had noticed and Skylor wasn’t foolish enough to think he wouldn’t use it. The second she stepped out of line, her father would take Kai away from her like a toy from a misbehaving child. But when she succeeded, Kai was going to be gift wrapped for her to do with as she pleased. Not that she’d ever do anything needlessly cruel to him, she did love him.

That word brought up some interesting emotions in her. She had used the word “love” before. It was too powerful to not use. It was the weapon she used to keep Kai from leaving after he found some of the less moral practices that happened in the dungeons. And Kai had certainly used the word, he was in too deep not to.

But Skylor wasn’t sure when she started to mean it.

Kai, even though he started as an assignment, had captured her heart. Which was quite the feat given that he was actively being broken down and remade when he did so. Maybe it was just a testament to how cute he was, or maybe Skylor just loved to be in control of him. Who could tell?

All Skylor knew was that she felt victory when she saw him blush. Making him squirm and laugh made her buzz in delight. When he cried she felt such a sharp sting that she wanted to attack the problem immediately. Not to mention how comforting it was to have him at her side, banishing her loneliness like a bright flame lighting up the dark.

He was very good at that; being comforting. He had such a warm aura about him, like a campfire in the night. He was a place to hide when the darkness and cold started to latch on. Someone you could sit with until it passed. Just by being there, he somehow made everything feel ok for a little while.

It wasn’t something Skylor could take credit for training into him. He had been that way since he first arrived, so passionate, yet gentle. He burned so hot and bright everything felt lacking compared to him.

How could his friends have ever let that go? Did they not realize how precious he was? What were they thinking to just reject that kind of loyalty? How in the world could they have been so careless as to leave him so alone and vulnerable?

More importantly, how could they not expect no one else would see his value? Did they really think he wouldn’t be snatched up the second their back was turned!?

Honestly they were lucky he was in the clutches of someone that actually cared for him! It could’ve been worse. They deserved whatever they were getting. Kai had been in so much pain and so terribly lonely when they found him. If his so-called “friends” hadn’t left him in such a state to begin with, then maybe they wouldn’t be in the situation they were in! It’s what they got for being so careless with something so precious.

Their loss.

Kai was hers now, and Skylor wasn’t giving him back. She wasn’t going to make the same mistakes they did. He wasn’t ever going to be left alone again and she would be sure to keep him firmly in her sight and influence. No one was going to take him from her. Finder’s keeper’s.

No matter how sad the Green Ninja looked.

Or how terrifying his father was.

Dareth’s desperate distress message gave her away, but Nya couldn’t be angry about it. Instead of blowing her cover surrounded by too many guards and Kabuki to push through, only Chen was close enough to grab her. Aside from him and Clouse, there was only a single guard to deal with. The rest were looking for Cole or out dealing with Dareth.

Dareth hadn’t completely saved her, but he got her into a position where she could actually pull through. Which was a gift she was indebted to him for. She could forgive this blunder easily.

It was plain enough to kick Chen off her, tell him off (seriously, he needed to get that foot odor checked out or something.) and then maneuver her way to the door. Chen grabbed his staff and used Zane’s element, but she squeaked out of range with just some frost clinging to the hem of her skirt.

It took too long for them to reorganize their manpower. Nya had a head start and was in a much better position. Even when she did have a few run ins, she wasn’t outnumbered and she wasn’t cornered. She could take them, or at least get away.

The problem was that Chen’s estate was massive and no hiding spot worked for long. Nya tried to get to Jay or Lloyd to give them the spell, but Chen knew that if she did that, it was game over. He wasn’t foolish enough to let her. He had to have at least half his men guarding the competitors’ quarters. Made it easier for Nya to avoid their cut numbers, but it blocked her from the goal.

By sun down she figured her only option was to get out and into the jungle. Either Chen would have to deploy all his men to sweep the jungle for her, leaving her a chance to get to Jay and Lloyd, or he’d have to call off the search for her and she could hide out until she got another chance to get to them.

Cole and Zane had wordlessly agreed to stop talking about how messed up things had gotten and focus on the good news. They were almost out, just waiting on a couple of guards to pass them by.

Zane listened in on what they were saying. He’d spent who knows how long doing it from his cell, so it was a habit at this point.

“They’ve ordered everyone after some Kabuki girl!” the first said.

A kabuki girl? Chen had some Kabuki that worked for him, Zane had heard enough complaining from the guards about them to know (apparently they were awful gossips), but what had one done to warrant everyone to go after her?

“What about the escaped factory worker?” asked the second.

Good question.

“Forget him!” the first said in exasperation “Chen will make sure the other workers pay for his actions!”

Not a good answer.

The second guard sighed.

“Poor saps.” he said.

Cole and Zane peaked around the corner to see the goons finally leave.

“Oh no!” Cole whispered “Karlof!”

Zane wondered what that meant for a moment, but decided he’d rather get himself and his friend to safety before asking anymore questions.

“The exit is just around this bend! We must hurry!”

Zane started to lead the way again, but Cole stopped him.

“You go. I can’t.” he said.

Zane turned. Looks like he was getting his answer before safety then. He just hoped this would be less upsetting.

“I made a promise. I made a friend! And I’m done abandoning my friends!” Cole said.

Zane noted how firm his eyes were. Like his namesake burning in determination. There was more backstory to this but Zane wasn’t too eager to ask for any more explanations.

“What’s more, a ninja protects those that can’t protect themselves.” Cole said “I have to go back and save them.”

He didn’t wait for Zane to respond before marching straight down the tunnel.

Zane had to jog to catch up with his friend, stopping him with a gentle hand on his arm.

“And a ninja never leaves another ninja’s side.” Zane explained.

As much as Zane desperately wanted to be out and far away from the place, Cole would be crazy if he thought Zane was going to leave his friend. After how long Zane had spent alone, leaving his friend was worse than staying in that wretched place. Zane wasn’t going to leave Cole unprotected again. The only thing that could possibly convince him to leave Cole’s side would be the rest of his friends needing him more.

Until that happened, Zane was sticking to Cole like his life depended on it. He would be there to protect Cole from threats this time.

“We’ll get off this island one day, Zane.” Cole said, reaching over embracing Zane in another hug “But it’s either all of us or none of us.”

They started walking back together.

Jay was choking on the tension.

Shade was prickly about everyone seeing his back, Paleman was being a creep to Skylor, Neuro was twitching like an addict, and Griffin (Jay had finally learned his name) was eyeing him like a piece of meat.

The plane was a worse powder keg than Lloyd’s room had been the night before.

“You want to go!?” Jay yelled at Griffin’s stupid grinning face.

“Jay.” Lloyd said softly, pressing himself into Jay’s arm.

“Worried you’re going to lose your teddy bear?” Shade teased.

Lloyd growled and Garmadon put a hand on his leg.

“I have a boyfriend!” Skylor snapped from her seat.

“Do you want a new one?” Paleman asked.

Smoke rose from Skylor’s tight grip on the seat under her. Jay didn’t see her take Ash’s power, but he hadn’t been watching her that closely at the start of the tournament so it wasn't too weird. What was weird is that Jay didn’t think it was the type of element to react like that to anger. It seemed more in line with Kai’s element, but what did he know?

Neuro’s fidgeting was increasing.

“I hate heights. I hate heights. I hate heights.” he chanted.

He had Jay’s pity.

“I’d be more worried about sitting nearby Greenie right there. He seems like a bad luck charm to me.” Shade teased. “What’s the tally now? Three friends down?”

It was technically four, but he didn’t need to know about Nya.

“That is enough!” Garmadon growled lowly.

Shade shut his mouth and pushed himself to the back of his seat, too afraid of Lord Garmadon to continue to harass his son. A wise decision.

“I’ll tell you what I’ve had enough of, it’s this plane! Where’s Chen!? I need off!” Neuro said, getting up and stumbling to the cockpit.

To his horror, he found no pilot.

Instead they all crowded around a screen where Chen was babbling to himself. After a moment, he started to get to the point.

“Hello final seven! I see you are all eager for the tournament to commence so one of you can win my Staff of Elements!” Chen said with a bounce.

Lloyd rolled his eyes. How anyone couldn’t see that for the blatant lie it was, was beyond him.

“Instead of fighting for a Jade Blade, today you will be fighting for something different.”

Chen switched the feed to an aerial view of someone making their way through the jungle. The camera zoomed in and revealed a familiar face.

“Nya” Jay whispered in horror.

Lloyd’s grip on his arm tightened. Jay tried to not double over in pain from it.

“She must have found the spell.” Lloyd pointed out.

Jay carefully started to try to loosen Lloyd’s grip.

“We have an uninvited guest on the island” Chen continued “Find her and you will automatically move on to the final round!”

“He wants us all to hunt her down? She won’t stand a chance!” Jay said in a worried tone, working some feeling back into his lower arm.

“Then we have to find her before anyone else does!” Lloyd said firmly, thankfully not clamping down again.

“In ten seconds the bottom will drop.” Chen warned.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?” Lloyd yelled over everyone’s gasps.

He threw his hands up. He was fed up with Chen’s repeating motifs.

“But to show you I’m not a bad man, I’ve given you seven parachutes! Lucky number!” Chen said in glee, prompting them to drop from the ceiling.

The ground started opening and they all leaped for a chute.

Garmadon caught on to what Chen had done and didn’t bother going for one. He would not be sacrificing someone else for his sake.

“Sensei Garmadon is there?” Chen said in mock surprise “Shoot! That makes eight! Oh well! I was never too good at math. Toodle-oo!”

Garmadon would not admit to the things he said under his breath in that moment. There were apparently still some lessons from Chen he couldn’t fully shake.

“That guy’s love for trap doors is seriously getting on my nerves!” Lloyd yelled.

His sentiment was shared while the floor finished opening and chaos was unleashed. Everyone scrambled for a parachute in the free fall.

“Try using your dragon!” Jay yelled over the wind before he got separated from Lloyd.

It was a good plan. If Lloyd used his own landing strategy then there would still be a parachute left for his dad. The problem was that his elemental dragon wasn’t working! Lloyd tried, but nothing sparked. He went for a nearby parachute in the meantime getting it snatched away by the Master of Light.

“Your powers aren’t working because you’re afraid! You have to control your fear, Lloyd! Focus!” Garmadon yelled helpfully.

Of course Lloyd was afraid! What wasn’t there to be afraid of! He was free falling from who knows how high up, the parachutes were dwindling, his father might be about to die, he had lost sight of Jay, Nya was about to be hunted for sport, and the entire week had been an emotional wrecking ball on him.

He lost all his friends. One by one he’d lost them all, The second he let go of Jay, he lost him! Lloyd was about to be alone in the world again if he didn’t get his stupid dragon to form! He was out of people to lose!

“Control your fear! Don’t let it control you!” Garmadon yelled “Center yourself!”

Lloyd felt like crying. How could he center himself like this? He hadn’t felt this scared and lost since he was little.

It was the volcano all over again, but there was no Kai to save him this time. Because Kai needed the saving, and Lloyd was failing at that. For all he knew, his father was right and Kai had been turned against him. It wasn’t like they parted on the best terms.

Lloyd managed to reach the last parachute with his father.

“Can we share it?” he asked, tears in his eyes.

“They’re only built for one. This is an easy choice.” Garmadon said.

Before he could give the chute to him, Lloyd deployed it and shoved it into his father’s hands. He wasn’t going to lose anyone else. He’d rather meet his own end than suffer another loss.

Garmadon yelled things after him, but Lloyd was trying to summon his dragon one more time.

As the ground came towards him like an incoming train, Lloyd started to sob. He couldn’t do it. He was just a kid. How was he supposed to not be afraid? To control a monster as large as his fear was?

“I believe in you, Green Bean!”

Lloyd blinked his teary eyes.

“I know it’s tough, but you’re tougher, alright? You can do difficult things!”

Even if it was in his head, Lloyd relaxed at the sound of Kai’s voice.

“You’re as strong as you let yourself be!”

His fear was big and unruly, but Lloyd was stronger. Just because it was hard, didn’t mean he couldn’t do it. He’d fought the final battle on one leg for crying out loud!

“Control my fear.” he whispered to himself.

He had people depending on him. He could win this. He wasn’t helpless.

There was a brilliant flash of green right before his body hit the ground.

Cole was starting to envy Zane’s new body as his legs cramped beneath him. Hiding in barrels had seemed like a good idea to start with, but the longer time stretched, the more Cole was considering just letting the guards catch him to end it. They were standing around and talking endlessly about his and Zane’s escape.

Cole thought the Kabuki were supposed to be the gossips!

Apparently Chen had come up with a different plan for that “kabuki girl” that he had everyone chasing the previous night and now the guards were back to looking for Zane and him.

Finally, after Cole started to wonder if he’d ever move his legs again, Karlof called out “All clear!”

Cole and Zane popped out, though Cole had gotten himself covered in flour again. When they made it home, he was probably going to stay out of the kitchen for a good while. Which worked out just fine since they had Zane back to do most the cooking.

All they needed to do was find Kai and the team would be complete again. Cole was looking forward to having a heart-to-heart with him too. He’d learned a lot of lessons and wanted to put them to good use. Cole was going to be a better friend.

But first thing was first.

“Ok, back to our plan to all of us getting out of here.” Cole said as Zane jumped out of his barrel and projected a hologram of the sewer system.

Cole tried to not be bitter when he noticed Zane didn’t have a speck of flour on him. Somehow he’d gotten the barrel with no flour in it, lucky nindroid!

“Now, if we all tried to tackle the labyrinth, some of us would be sure to get lost. So that’s not an option.” Cole explained.

The other Elemental Masters had already gathered around him, with the other miscellaneous prisoners filing in curiously.

“But Zane here, he analyzed the sewer network” Cole continued,

“Karlof can’t go down there! Karlof hates sewers! They smell like poo gas!”

“Hey I’d blast my way out if I could, but all our powers are gone.” Cole said patiently, trying to remember his vow of watching his words and being a better friend.

“The Sewer network is old and can only sustain so much weight. But after adding up our combined masses, the pipes will hold by the slimmest of margins.” Zane said, moving on from Karlof’s interruption.

“Did anyone else understand that?” Karlof asked timidly.

“He means it’ll work.” Cole said, trying to keep any hints of exasperation out of his voice.

Everyone cheered.

Cole’s heart leaped into his throat as he heard the door open. Both him and Zane were out in the open with nothing to hide behind except luck. It had been mostly on their side so far, but luck was a fragile thing.

Someone was thrown in, told to “get to work” without any fanfare.

The guards left without looking up. Their fragile luck had held.

At least when it came to not being discovered. With another member of their group to get out, their sewer escape plan wasn’t going to work anymore. Cole wasn’t looking forward to explaining that.

Still, it wasn’t this new person’s fault for getting captured, and Cole meant it when he said no one left behind and when he promised to be aware of his words. He approached the person intent on introducing himself and working on a new escape plan.

A familiar face stared at him from the ground.

“COLE! You’re here!” Dareth yelled, jumping off the ground “And Zane!? Is that you? Boy, have you changed.”

Zane tried to not cringe at that word. He was going to have to get used to it sooner or later.

“Dareth!?” Cole yelled in disbelief “What are you doing here? How did you get here!?”

“I came with Nya.” Dareth answered “Are you guys ok?”

“Wait, did she find Kai?” Cole asked in excitement.

If Nya came to help them she must’ve already finished her own mission. Which meant that everything was going to work out and go back to normal soon! He had made up with Jay, Zane was back from the dead, and Kai was safe and found, and Nya was here so she must’ve forgiven them.

“She did.” Dareth said in a strangely grim voice.

Dareth was normally a very upbeat person, so when his voice got stern, it meant things were too serious for even him to be jovial about. It worried Cole.

“Kai is on the island.” Dareth explained.

“Helping Nya?” Cole asked, clinging to a shred of denial.

Maybe everything was still working out? Maybe he was overreacting? Maybe he was misreading Dareth’s tone?

“No. He’s in Clouse’s study. Nya overheard him and Chen talking, They put a sleeping spell on him and only Chen’s daughter can wake him up. He’s been here the whole time.”

Cole stumbled back.

So Jay had been right. Chen was Mr. C. (Honestly Cole needed to tell him how smart he was, having figured that out on his own.) Kai had been the prisoner of a mad man since he took that job months ago.

“The whole time?” Cole asked in disbelief.

Dareth nodded solemnly.

Cole was glad he was covered in flour, it hid how pale he was. He had come to learn what a monster Chen was, and if Kai had been here that long, Cole shuddered to think of it.

“Why would he be kept in Clouse’s study instead of the cells?” Zane asked.

“Good question.” Cole said, turning to Dareth with an inquisitive look.

Dareth shrugged.

That nagging feeling was back for Zane. The feeling that something had happened. Had he seen Kai? Did he have the answer to his own question?

“Firebrand, I need you to trust me right now, alright?”

Whatever it was, it wasn’t clicking into place, and they still had an escape to plan. Zane tabled it yet again.

“Nevermind. We’ll deal with that problem when we come to it.” Zane said, refocusing the group “Our sewer system plan won’t work with Dareth here now.”

“Right.” Cole said, shoving his own anxiety aside “Back to the drawing board.”

“LLOYD!” Jay screamed.

“SON!” Garmadon yelled.

Lloyd had disappeared into the tree line with only a short flash of his powers. It was impossible to tell if he had saved himself in time.

“He’s fine, right? RIGHT!?” Jay yelled.

Why couldn’t he speed up his descent? His stupid parachute only had one speed and it was far too slow. Jay needed to get down there. He needed to check on Lloyd.

“My son!” Garmadon said in horror.

“He’s fine. He used his powers.” Jay said, trying to convince himself. “Sure he was pretty close to the ground and there’s a chance it was too late, but he’s the Green Ninja! He’s fine! HE HAS TO BE FINE!”

“Calm down.” Garmadon said, taking a deep breath himself. “We won’t know until we get down there. For now let’s use this time to make a plan.”

He was compartmentalizing like he never had before, but Garmadon had one kid freaking out and another about to be hunted for sport. He couldn’t do anything for Lloyd until he touched down, so his focus was better spent on the kids he could help.

“I will try to land where Lloyd did and check on him. You try to find Nya and we’ll meet back up somehow. Can you do that?”

Jay was staring at the ground with wet eyes.

“JAY!” Garmadon snapped.

Jay finally looked away from the spot Lloyd landed, blinking away small tears.

“I need you to be just a little stronger for just a little longer, ok?” Garmadon said “I know a lot is happening, but you’ve been doing so well. Nya probably has the spell, once we meet up with her we’ll have the proof we need to unravel Chen’s lies. Lloyd is a strong boy, I don’t doubt that he is alive and well.”

If Garmadon was lying about that last part, it was of no concern to Jay. Jay, for all the stability he’d been managing, was still a child. There were limits and Jay was getting dangerously close to them.

This is what it meant to be a sensei, or a father for that matter. It was Garmadon’s job to ground Jay and help him find the strength to continue.

“It’s ok, Jay. It’ll be ok.” he said.

Jay’s wet eyes started to dry up. He sniffled the last of his tears away and hardened his resolve with a nod. He was a ninja. Ninja never quit. Cole and Garmadon trusted him. Kai and Zane needed him. Lloyd and Nya were counting on him. He could do this. He had to.

“Right.” he said, finding his voice. “I’ll find Nya, you find Lloyd, then we’ll meet back up and make a plan.”

Garmadon gave him a proud nod.

“That’s the spirit! You’re a good ninja Jay. You can do this.”

With that last piece of encouragement, Jay switched his focus to not landing in a tree. No more panicking, he had a mission to focus on.

“Is he dead!? Did he hit the ground!? Did you see!?” Chen asked frantically in her ear piece.

Skylor rolled her eyes.

“I don’t know. He activated his powers before he hit the ground, but I don’t know if it stopped his fall. I really couldn’t tell you one way or the other.” she answered, careful to be sure no one else saw her using a comm link.

Luckily they were all too preoccupied staring at the jungle in horror, right at the spot where Lloyd’s tiny frame disappeared into the thick canopy.

“I will be very upset if he died. I needed him alive for the spell.” Skylor could hear her father pouting “We’ll assume he survived until someone finds a body for now.”

Garmadon and Jay were yelling at one another, trying to decide if Lloyd was alive or dead. She stayed out of the debate. It served her no purpose. What was done was done. She had a mission to finish.

It was the beginning of the end. She was almost done with the entire charade, and so close to her reward.

Skylor smiled, thinking of how groggy and confused Kai would be when he woke up. How cute he’d be when he asked about what had happened.

The smile slipped off her face when she thought about answering those questions.

She might have to tell him that Lloyd was dead.

That was going to be fun and not. Not fun to hurt him, but fun in how pliable that fresh wave of grief would make him. Since Chen had gotten Kai to a point he was happy with, any further conditioning would be at Skylor’s discretion. Her reward for a job well done. She was allowed to fine tune him as she saw fit, and having him mourning another friend would make that so simple.

She still didn’t like the idea of hurting him though. Even if Lloyd was alive, she was still going to have to tell him his friends were now the enemy. It would strain him. Her father was planning to keep Kai away from them so they didn’t risk his old bonds pulling him out of their control.

Nothing to worry about though. It would take some more time, and maybe some more of Clouse’s influence, but eventually they’d have him completely turned against them. There was nothing that could stop them now. Skylor was about to rule Ninjago under her father. She just had to get through this mission, and then she could have Kai back.

Skylor landed and unclipped her parachute. Starting towards where she had seen Jay land, she tried not to think about how he was Kai’s friend.

Misako was holding her consciousness up with a single caffeinated thread. She was shaking as she took a small burning sip, not willing to wait for her drink to cool.

“Maybe let’s try drinking something else?” Wu said, holding another tray of tea in a wordless offer.

“My son and husband are in danger and all you can do is brew tea?” she snapped.

She was bottomed out on patience.

“As are my brother and pupils.” Wu pointed out as set his tray down “But we must not let fear cloud our thinking. Or excessive amounts of chemical stimulates.”

His hand came towards her mug and Misako snatched it away from his reach so fast it splashed all over her sleeve. He was taking it over her dead body.

“You have your vices, I have mine.” she said, ignoring how hot and itchy her arm felt.

That was a burn. Not serious. It would probably heal in a day or so. It wasn’t a pressing concern of hers. Another thing for her to ignore.

“What vices are you referring to, exactly?” Wu asked, giving up on taking the mug from her for now.

Misako sighed. She hadn’t meant to open this can of worms right now. It was a discussion someone needed to have with him, but she was too jittery and distracted to have it right.

She took a large gulp of her liquid stamina and pressed ahead. Call her petty, but she didn’t want to back down like he always did. She had started this, she might as well commit to it.

“You say that they’re your pupils, but when was the last time you did any actual teaching?” she asked.

“What do you mean?” He asked.

She hated that she had to spell it out for him. Hated that he wasn’t even self aware enough to know what she was talking about.

“They split apart on your watch.”

“They needed time to grieve.”

“Jay and Cole’s feud got out of hand a long time ago.”

“I wanted to stay out of such personal matters.”

“Kai was fighting in Slither Pits!”

“I cannot control how he spends his free time.”

Misako threw her mug onto the desk. The mug was still upright, but there were casualties to the action. She only took two sips and already needed a refill.

“First Master’s sake Wu, don’t ask me to show you a forest and start chopping down trees!” she snapped.

She knew a couple proverbs too.

“These are children. Grieving children! What in Ninjago made you think they should be left to their own devices!?” Misako yelled, snatching up her mug and taking another long drink.

She wanted to get to drink some of it before she ended up throwing it at him.

“I wanted to give them room to grow.” Wu snapped back.

That old excuse. Misako was having none of it.

“No, you just didn’t want to deal with it.” she said in a scathingly quiet voice.

She enjoyed another drink while he scrambled for his words.

“I trusted them to-”

“Like you trusted Morro?”

Wu ripped her drink from her hand. She gave him a flat look as he tried to decide if he wanted to break the mug, dump the remaining contents on her, or set the thing down gently and back out.

She wasn’t going to let that last one happen.

“This is why I refused to leave Lloyd with you.”.

Shattering the mug it was.

“And I suppose you’re so perfect?” Wu snapped

Misako was not going to let Wu call her a hypocrite. She may’ve been one in many ways, but not like this.

“My faults do not negate your own, Wu. And while I may have made poor choices, at least I made them!” She stood up and looked him in the eye “Ignoring problems doesn't solve them! When are you going to learn that lesson!?”

The two glared at each other for a condensed eternity.

This was the opposing edge of the sword. As much as Misako enjoyed Wu’s calm hesitation when he enabled her, that avoidance had its ugly underbelly. He didn’t fix problems. He just walked away until it got too big to ignore.

Misako was guilty of similar sins, but she only ignored problems as a consequence of hyper-focusing on what problem she was trying to fix. At the end of the day, it was different. Barely, but it was.

“Get some sleep.” Wu finally said, straightening himself “You’re a very hostile person when you’re sleep deprived.”

Misako had half a mind to call him out on trying to avoid things yet again.

But she was tired, and Wu’s negligence wasn’t the problem she was staying awake to fix. If he was going to keep indulging his avoidant tendencies, then why should she resist hers?

“I’ll sleep when they’re safe.”

She’d need to get another mug to have her coffee in, but she would let Wu clean up his own mess for once and leave the shattered remains of her last mug where they landed.

It was like sitting at the top of the first hill on a roller coaster, waiting for the drop. The whole tournament had been a blast. Sure there were a few hiccups and hitches, but that just added to the excitement! Now they were finally moving into the endgame and Chen was ecstatic.

He fussed over the controls of his brand new mobile base. It had so many buttons! His favorite! There was nothing better than a good button. Pushing it was such a simple action that had grandiose consequences.

Chen loved buttons of all kinds, but his favorite were the emotional, bending others into doing things. There was such a deep satisfaction to it that could only be imitated, but never reproduced. Such a shame, because if there were a way to bottle the feeling, Chen would bathe in it every day and night.

Chen announced the presence of the toys and weapons he left for the contestants to play with. They were unaware that they were the real playthings. The ninja would suspect the trinkets, but the other pawns would pick up the trackers without a thought.

Which meant he could watch them from his own new toy. The novelty of it was the icing on the cake that was was his day. With Skylor tracking the remaining ninja down, Chen was preparing himself for the finale. Everything was falling into place.

The orchestra was swelling and the toys were all lined up. It was almost time for the fireworks.

Speaking of which. Chen was so excited to take his favorite toy out of storage. It was going to be so much fun to watch him break all over again. Chen could’ve done more work to properly turn Kai against his friends, but stretching it out was more fun. Of course he’d have to be careful, pushing too far too fast was how he lost Garmadon. A mistake he would not be repeating. He’d push Kai just enough to hurt the boy, but not enough to cause any real strain. The frog boils slowly after all. It would take time before Kai’s conditioning could be trusted to hold under pressure from his family.

Chen was going to have to keep him close for awhile, just to be sure nothing undermined his influence over the boy. Not that it was a problem, Chen was looking forward to it in fact. Kai would be fragile and desperate for affection, just what Chen loved. Was there any high quite like it? Having someone follow you like a lost puppy, tripping over themselves for something so simple as praise? It went a level above feeling wanted. Chen could only compare it to the feeling of being a god. His drug of choice, honestly.

Chen almost didn’t want to share, but he did promise Skylor she could shape Kai as she wished after the tournament was finished. A job well done deserved a reward, just as rebelling warranted punishment. It was one of the most basic principles of maintaining a functioning cult. Unhappy as he was, he would share his toy just this once.

The sacrifices he made as a parent!

He almost died.

He almost died. He almost died. He almost died. He almost died. He almost died. He almost died. He almost died. He almost died. He almost died. He almost died. He almost died. He almost died. He almost died.

But he didn’t.

It had been close. He hadn’t actually gotten his dragon to appear. He just barely managed to activate his powers in time and slow himself down from a lethal fall to a light bruising fall.

But he didn’t die.

Lloyd was alive, but he was also rattled. The physical pain was nothing he hadn’t powered through before. It was his mental injury that he needed to nurse for a moment.

He carefully dragged his body against a tree and tried to force his lungs to function the way they were supposed to. His heart hadn’t gotten the memo that it was out of danger and was still trying to fight for his life. It felt like it was about to punch a hole out of his chest and run away from him.

One forced breath after the other. He couldn’t stick around. He had to get back up and fight.

He tried to steel himself enough to stand back up. Bringing his knees up to his chest he focused on manually unwinding each muscle. It reminded him of when the game controllers used to tangle back on the bounty. He’d have to sit still and follow each wire, tugging it through loop after loop until it came free; a slow process.

Staying true to the metaphor, calming down was slow going too. Forcing the tension to release one tiny increment at a time happened at a crawl. And that was to say nothing of his mind, a flood he was trying to pour into the tiny task of relaxing.

“C….Control my fear.” Lloyd whispered.

It was as loud as he could be. His vocal cords were stiff and unusable.

“Control my fear.” he whispered again, rocking back and forth slightly. “Control my fear. Control my fear.”

He blinked and found tears squeezing out between his eyelids when he did.

“Fear isn’t a word where I’m from.” he whispered.

It helped. Focusing on Fritz Donnegan, borrowing strength from a fictional character when he lacked it. Probably not the mature way to handle it, but it worked. Slowly, Lloyd felt the ball in his chest unwind itself and his voice loosen.

“I am in control.” he told himself, despite the tears running down his cheeks.

He wasn’t in control of everything! Sue him! He got his voice behaving, that was a victory darn it! Even if he didn’t think he could get his legs to accept standing yet, at least he could breathe evenly. And that was stupidly hard to do.

He just needed another minute to force his fear back all the way. He was stronger than it. This was something he could do. He just needed another minute. His lungs were still trying to remember how to breathe without him telling them to and his heart was just now starting to slow back down and accept that it was going to stay in his chest.

He didn’t die. He was strong. He was in control. He could do this.

He had to.

Darrel was leaning on his spear, wondering how much hotter it was going to get. Not that he minded. Darrel loved the heat. He loved the feeling of it. He loved going shirtless and having no one care.

He grew up in a hot and dry town in the middle of nowhere, going shirtless was normalized for him long before he came to Chen’s island.

Darrel loved the heat, but he hated that town.

He could live with the way the leaves of the trees all drooped in the sun, the way the grass cooked until it crunched under your feet, the way everything smelled a little like sweat. Other people could easily complain about all of it, but he found it all a bit endearing.

It was the way nothing ever happened. The way everyone was so bored and unhappy with their world that they turned bitter. The way grudges got held through generations because no one had anything better to do. That was what choked him.

It felt like growing up in a pit no one could escape; no one wanted to let you! A true bucket of crabs. No one wanted you to succeed. He grew up around angry, lonely people drowning in regret that only craved more company in their misery.

People only had kids because they were bored. Because it was the only thing they could add to their empty lives, not because they wanted any better for them. They inflicted the same miserable life on them, and in turn, they’d do the same to their own children. They all enforced the awful cycle.

By the end of high-school, most kids found some menial slot to live their misery out in. A job that would never take them anywhere new or better.

Darrel always feared that, becoming like them. He feared getting stuck, them pulling him down when he tried to climb out.

But he never hated the heat. Nothing could make him hate the heat.

Because the heat is what got him out of there.

He thought proudly back on that scorching summer day when the local mechanic got in an overheated delivery truck that had been passing through when it broke down. Darrel didn’t even know what company the truck belonged to at the time, but he didn’t care. They were something big enough to warrant cross country deliveries! That meant they were big enough to have opportunities.

Darrel knew that the stuffy waiting room was something the town mechanic never bothered to make habitable. The locals all went home to wait for their vehicles, and there were never enough non-locals in the shop to warrant doing anything for them. Not to mention there was that stubborn spite everyone had that prevented them from ever doing anything nice for the sake of it.

So Darrel got a case of cold drinks and drove over, because no one wanted to walk in that heat if they could avoid it. He offered to let the delivery driver wait in his air conditioned trailer and gave him plenty to drink. All the niceties he had learned came with strings and expectations. He was a product of his upbringing in that way.

Darrel pleaded his case and convinced the man to take him back to his boss to recommend they hire him. It wasn’t as hard a sell as he thought. The man said Mr. Chen liked his charity cases and would likely be overjoyed to have him. He even said he’d probably get a promotion for finding such a dedicated worker if Darrel proved himself.

That sounded like a place with the kind of opportunities Darrel was looking for.

By the time the truck was ready, Darrel was packed. He had planned to come back for the rest, but when that time came, he decided nothing he left behind was worth it. And maybe a part of him feared that if he ever set foot back in that nowhere cesspit, he’d be dragged back into it.

He told his mother she could just have whatever was inside when he gave her the trailer, and signed all the papers through the mail.

She said something about “selling the junk”, but he never did find out what she did with it all. It wasn’t like he cared. He stopped talking to her when it was done. She was mad he left. Everyone was mad he left. They were always mad when someone left. He imagined they still gossiped about him, like they did everyone that left.

He honestly didn’t care what a bunch of bitter nobodies thought about him. He had found an actual community working under Chen. He met his best friend, Tarou.

Tarou’s sister had been the one to get him his first job in one of the noodle houses. Most people got on with recommendations.

Darrel didn’t meet him until they both got their first big promotion, the one you get when you prove you can keep your mouth shut: driving the trucks. It was a quickly formed friendship. They came from different backgrounds, but had the same temperament and shared a lot of interest. They killed a lot of time bantering back and forth.

From the trucks, you have to prove that you’re willing to commit. Then you get some of the shadier, better paying jobs. The time they spent doing that flashed by, but they did fully establish themselves as a duo in those days. Even if no one remembered their names, they remembered them as a set.

If you do good there, you get put on the boats. From there, if Master Chen sees potential in you, he personally invites you to live and work on the island. Chen had thought Darrel and Tarou’s “Dynamic duo” bit was entertaining and promoted them from the boats within a week.

That was the standard career path. The Kabuki were almost always scouted from the school Master Chen funded, which was how Tarou’s sister Sakura got on. Darrel didn’t know too much about how that worked.

Then there were people like Eyezor, who Chen plucked up personally and brought straight to the island. Firebrand was like that too.

Speaking of which, Darrel kind of missed that kid. Not that Darrel and Tarou were really allowed to talk to him. They’d gotten their butts kicked by him in a few training sessions; some of those burns were still healing, but that was the most personal interaction anyone really got with the kid outside of his wake-up calls. Master Chen was pretty strict about the when, where, and who when it came to his family.

Master Chen was strict about a lot of things. They sometimes seemed silly, but then again, Darrel grew up in a pitiful little hole. What could he possibly know that Master Chen didn’t? He knew it was best to keep his mouth shut and listen to the master.

Mostly, Darrel just missed seeing Firebrand running around with Skylor. Those two were cute. Skylor looked the happiest Darrel had ever seen her when she was hanging out with him. Probably because he was the only person her own age she’d really been allowed to hang out with, and the only person that was allowed to hang out with her unsupervised.

Speaking of Skylor, it was weird watching their resident princess have to act like a stranger. Like she was some guest and not the rightful heir to the entire island around here.

Stranger still, was treating her that way. Acting like he didn’t know that chocolate covered strawberries were her favorite, or that she never slept without a blanket, or that she liked to skate so long she didn’t walk right for hours afterwards. He had to pretend she was no different than the other competitors, like she was a nobody to him.

She didn’t seem happy. It was a harsh contrast to how she had been with Firebrand. She seemed more stressed now. Darrel guessed she missed him. Not that Darrel fully understood why he had to be benched in the first place, but he wasn’t crazy enough to question Master Chen.

Tarou said it was because he had a “conflict of interest” with the ninja, Sakura said it was because Master Chen didn’t want to stress him out with it.

Firebrand was supposed to be awake and helping them conquer Ninjago when the tournament ended and they became Anacondrai warriors, so Darrel supposed it didn’t matter much. It wasn’t like he was high ranking enough to expect explanations. He was just a foot-solider still.

Maybe when he moved up the ranks again he would get more answers.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Find Nya. Focus on the task, not the stakes. It was all Jay could do to keep himself grounded. He had a job to do. Break down later. Break down later. Just kick the can. He could manage it for a little longer.

When this was all over, Jay was probably going to treat himself to the biggest meltdown Ninjago has ever seen, but it had to wait.

Even if it felt like he was holding a flood back with a screen of cracking glass. Every moment gave another sharp warning that it wasn’t going to hold for much longer. Jay could feel the panic buzzing under every muscle.

His hands were spasming and he couldn’t make them stop. Why were they doing that? Should he be worried about that? Did he have time to be?

Nope. Focus. Find Nya.

The panic in him was pushing out so hard it felt like seams were popping. All he could do was hastily stitch himself back up. He didn’t have time. It was impressive how ahead of it he was staying. It was shoddy work, and it wasn’t going to hold much longer, but it was holding for now, and that was something.

“You’re doing so good.” Jay said “You’re a good ninja. You can do this. It’s only a little longer. It’s only a little further.”

Talking himself through was another patchwork fix for his much larger problem that he couldn't properly address.

With how much his brain was screaming at him, Jay was desperately trying to find little ways to vent some of the pressure. He needed to keep his lid on tight and the worms in the can. He could do it.

Find Nya.

That’s all he had to do. Find Nya, and then find Lloyd and Sensei Garmadon, then show the spell to the other Elemental Masters, then team up to take Chen down, then rescue Zane, Cole, and Kai, then go home, have his mother bake him some cookies, and scream directly into a sand dune. Good plan Jay.

He held onto that promise. Just the thought of screaming his problems into a collection of sand and going inside for some warm cookies and ice cream calmed him. He’d be there soon enough. It was going to be a nice reward for all his hard work.

Seeing Zane again was another prize he was willing to suffer for. And the smiles everyone would have, that sounded like a pretty picture.

A proper talk with Cole. They both needed that.

Seeing Kai with his own eyes and knowing that his friend was safe was another thing to look forward to.

Jay held on to all of it in his heart like a good luck charm in a snug fist, squeezing tighter as he got nervous or faltered. He allowed it to ground him.

There was an other side, and he was going to see it.

Honestly Clouse could do without spending the day in a stuffy metal box. The air was like strangle weed and his clothes were starting to stick to his back, but Clouse wasn’t about to show any weakness in front of the lower ranks. He was strictly above shirtlessness. End of discussion. It was unbecoming of a sorcerer of his stature, and besides.

It was the type of thing Chen would pounce on.

Clouse naturally knew better than to give his master the opening. He had to remain distinguished and composed at all times. Chen loved to exploit weakness. His favorite passtime was conflict, and no better way to spark it than to hurt people. A comment about Clouse’s physic was low hanging fruit for a bored master.

Things had been easier since Kai had joined them though. Clouse could appreciate the boy for that at the very least. He was everything Chen loved to play with. A toy almost tailor made for the man. Chen had most his fun poking and prodding Kai for months, unraveling every emotional issue and wrapping them back up for later use. It was actually a morbidly beautiful sight to see how Kai leaned into the knife at times.

Since Kai got put away, Chen had been focusing on the competitors of the tournament for his entertainment. Which may’ve been getting to be an issue.

“Master, if our men couldn’t find her, why do you think they’ll fare much better?” Clouse phrased carefully. “If the girl gets that spell to the ninja, all our plans will be jeopardized.”

He didn’t want to set Chen off and be punished himself, but he did want to make sure the man was on task and not getting distracted by his games. They had a world to conquer and Clouse wanted to stick to that plan.

“Oh Clousey-Clouse. There’s a reason I’m the master and you’re my pupil!” Chen said with a smile, turning from his screen to face his second in command.

Clouse bit his tongue at the condescending tone. It was hardly something to be upset over and he knew better than to react to such tiny insults. He was the second in command for crying out loud, letting a tiny amount of verbal berating affect him was beneath him.

Not to mention it would be another show of weakness that Chen could and would target next time his scorn landed on Clouse. If the mere act of taking offense didn’t displease the Master enough to begin right then and there.

It was better to keep his mouth shut and let Chen speak. Clouse was smart enough to know that.

“Why should I worry about the remaining fighters rising up against me, when after today there’ll be no more fighters remaining!?” Chen announced gleefully

He turned back to his screen and pointed. Clouse curiously leaned in to see the dots blinking all over it.

“The little treats I gave them are tracking their every move!” Chen explained with a maniacal pride. “This little game isn’t about hunting the girl, it’s about hunting them!”

Chen dissolved into a fit of giggles and claps.

“Master, you are a devious one.” Clouse mused out loud in total awe.

Ending the tournament early was just the sort of unpredictable that set Chen apart from others. As much as Clouse liked to think he understood what no one else did about Chen’s mind, there were times when even he couldn’t keep up with the man’s genius.

Clouse should’ve known better than to doubt Master Chen. He operated far beyond what Clouse could conceive. The condescending from earlier had been entirely deserved. Chen played more games than any other mortal man could keep track of. He played on so many different levels at once, sometimes even sacrificing his victory on one level to advance on another.

You could call Chen a betting man, except he rarely gambled so openly as to place money. Chen would wager his reputation and social standing when he made a risky move. He’d put plenty on the line, but Chen didn’t play without prizes. He wasn’t picky about what prizes he played for. Fun, profit, or power, Chen would play for them all. If he saw value, he wanted it.

And Chen got what he wanted.

Garmadon was unclipping his parachute and dropping into a roll maybe a little higher than was strictly safe, but he had a kid to find. He had tried to land as close as he could to where he’d last seen Lloyd, but there was no telling just how close he was, or what condition Lloyd was in. He could be on a time limit and every moment Garmadon wasted was inching his son closer to death.

So Garmadon was willing to ignore caution. He’d had enough of his brother’s virtue and vice anyways. It was time for action; Reckless, unhesitating action. There were times when such an approach only caused more problems, a lesson Garmadon had learned in his old age. But there were just as many places where fear and caution could choke you worse. A lesson perhaps Wu needed to be taught.

Garmadon shook his head clear. That was something he needed to keep shelved. Wu was not present, for better and worse, so this was not the time or place to give him attention. What happened had happened and they were where they were.

Garmadon was trying to stay optimistic, but he had no real leads on where his son could be. He could try calling Lloyd’s name, but that could pose some unwelcome risks to both their safety. So he was stuck silently tracking what little evidence he could find of Lloyd’s location. Which was slower than he’d like it to be, and far too quiet for his frayed nerves.

Garmadon moved quickly through the insultingly peaceful scenery. Were things different, had he no ill memories tied to it, the warm jungle would be pleasant. He could remember being a young man, desperate for some outer peace to counter his inner chaos, and finding it in the jungle many times, even when he wasn’t disturbing it by punching trees.

With the birds chirping, it made for a lovely scene. That did nothing for Garmadon’s nerves though. In his life, he’d always found birds to sing most right before storms.

He just hoped that the storm coming was Chen’s undoing and not more danger to his children.

Ignoring the blithe atmosphere Garmadon closed in to Lloyd’s landing sight, holding onto his breath and hope.

He almost missed him, just a tiny green blob on the base of a tree, camouflaged like a true ninja.

Lloyd had his head tucked into his knees, making himself small. A perfect position to hide an injury. Garmadon worried what he’d find when Lloyd uncurled. Still, he took what comfort he could in the fact his son’s shoulders were moving, proving breath and life.

“Lloyd!” Garmadon yelled, running up to him.

He braced for what he was about to see. He hoped Lloyd was just curled up in fear and not pain. Not that he hoped his son was scared. Then again, maybe it would be more concerning if Lloyd wasn’t upset. The boy had almost died! Lloyd already had a laundry list of things he needed to see a therapist about, what was one more?

Thankfully, Lloyd lifted his head, revealing puffy red eyes, smudged cheeks, and no blood.

Garmadon hadn’t realized how dirty Lloyd had gotten, but the lines his tears had drawn down his face made it unmistakable. Looking closer, he could also see Lloyd’s normally bright blonde hair was greasy, flat, and dull. First Master, when was the last time Lloyd had taken a shower!? Garmadon knew Chen had provided bathrooms to all the contestants, had Lloyd felt too unsafe to use it? Or had he just been a distracted child and refused to? Either way, Garmadon added a bath to the list of things he would be forcing onto Lloyd.

Priorities, Garmadon!

“Are you ok, Son?” he asked.

“NO!” Lloyd yelled, launching himself into his father’s chest.

Garmadon hugged Lloyd close while he wailed.

“I’m so scared and I almost died! I keep loosing everybody and I can’t...I can’t….I can’t keep….I can’t” Lloyd couldn’t speak through his wracking sobs

“It’s alright. I’m right here.”

They were wasting time they really didn’t have, but as Garmadon stroked Lloyd’s hair, noting how right he was about the grease and grime, he couldn’t bring himself to rush Lloyd. A breaking point had been reached, and there needed to be some relief before they pressed any further. Even if shoddy work was all they had time for.

Lloyd was making noises akin to a wounded animal and it made Garmadon’s heart crack.

“It’s alright. We’re almost done, ok? We just have to find Nya, and then we can take Chen down and go home, ok? That doesn’t sound like too much, right? We’ve already done so much more than that.” Garmadon said.

He was oversimplifying it, but realism wasn’t going to help Lloyd with anything.

“I want Kai.” Lloyd said, finally calm enough to form words again.

Garmadon cringed. He was pretty sure that finding Kai was going to destroy all of them. Garmadon still hadn’t shaken the sick feeling that had settled in his stomach since he first got confirmation that Chen had Kai separate from his other prisoners. He knew it was only going to get worse when he saw what Chen had done to him.

There wasn’t much he could do to sugar coat that for Lloyd. He wanted Lloyd prepared, but he also didn’t want to dash hope.

“We’ll find him soon.” Garmadon settled on. “And when we do, we’ll do everything to help him.”

Garmadon’s conscience couldn’t touch him for that one, it was complete honesty. He was not going to abandon Kai. He would spend the next twenty years trying to get through to him if he had to. Garmadon was going to rescue Kai from Chen’s influence.

Even if he had to kill the man himself.

Garmadon had already decided that protecting his child circumvented his oath. Now that he had decided to take in the others, that grace extended to them too. If it was going to protect or free Kai, Garmadon would gleefully decorate his hands with Chen’s blood.

For now, he had his youngest crying in his lap. Priorities.

“It’ll be ok. I’m right here. You’re not alone. We’ll get everyone back. Safe and sound. I promise you. I’ll protect you. All of you. I’m going to protect you. We can do this.” Garmadon said as he rocked Lloyd. “We can do this. We’re almost there.”

“What if Kai….What if you’re right and Chen…” Lloyd was starting a fresh wave of tears, unable to even find the words for it.

“No. None of that.” Garmadon said, taking Lloyd’s face into his hands “Even if, then we’ll fix it. It’ll be fine. All we have to do is find him, ok? We can take it from there and fix everything. But we have to get moving to do that, ok? We have to meet up with Nya and take Chen down first.”

Lloyd gulped, but nodded his head. He scrubbed his dirty cheeks, smearing his face even more.

“And when this is over, you will be taking a bath.” Garmadon said firmly as he helped Lloyd stand.

Lloyd didn’t argue, just nodded.

“Good. Now let’s get moving.” Garmadon said, taking Lloyd’s hand and leading him forward.

Jay was trying to not jump at every noise he heard, but knowing that Chen was probably planning some nasty surprise was making him leap in constant fear.

Jay had already refused the stupid “treat” Chen had offered. As cool as that mech had looked, Jay wasn’t dumb or desperate. He didn’t need Chen’s poisoned handouts. Even if it wasn’t a physical trap, it could very well be a mental one, and Jay didn’t need to let that happen to him this late in the game.

Another noise that was probably a bird set Jay on his toes.

Wait….no. That wasn’t a bird.

“Nya?” Jay asked.

Could he be blamed for trying to be optimistic!? Maybe the universe sent him a scrap of luck?

No response. Nya would’ve come out as soon as she heard a familiar voice. (or she was still too mad at them to cooperate, but Jay had more faith in her than to think she’d be that petty.)

“Who’s there!?” Jay demanded, sparking his hand up threateningly. “Come out now! I’m charged up and too grumpy to be reasoned with!”

“Grumpy” didn’t even begin to cover it, but Jay wasn’t going to admit to his barely contained terror to a potential threat.

“It’s just me!” Skylor said, coming out with her hands up in surrender “I didn’t mean to scare you!”

Jay scanned her carefully before dissipating his lightning and letting her approach.

“You didn’t pick up any of Chen’s ‘offerings’ did you?” he asked, just to be thorough.

Skylor shook her head and sent her ponytail whipping back and forth behind her.

“Of course not! Like I’d ever trust him!”

Skylor was very proud of her acting. She actually sounded like she seriously resented her father. Which she didn’t. Sure she might doubt him sometimes, and maybe a few of his plans made her feel sticky on the inside, but she didn’t hate him.

Speaking of plans that made her feel gross…

“But I do trust you. I want to help you stop Chen.”

Jay looked too relieved.

“That’s good. Cause to be honest, I’m a little desperate for the help.” he laughed in a shaking voice

Skylor reminded herself he didn't know and couldn’t possibly be piling on the guilt intentionally. There was no way he could be making himself look so pathetic on purpose.

But maybe that made it worse?

Urgh, it didn’t matter! Focus Skylor!

“That rough, huh? You know this girl we’re supposed to be finding?”

Skylor was carefully keeping herself casual as she approached him. She needed him to think she wasn’t worried about everything, portray faith in his abilities. It had been a sticking point for him, so coddling it was going to gain her a lot of cheap trust.

Of course it wasn’t a substitute for solid groundwork, but it would keep her foot in the door, and she had laid a good chunk when she handed over Cole’s note. Just because they were entering the endgame, didn’t mean she needed to start slacking. It was probably the easiest point to spoil the entire plan. Dropping the ball here meant no recovery. And that meant no reward.

Who knew what her father would do; to her or to Kai.

Thinking about that was just psyching her out. She needed to stop. Don’t worry about feelings, just do your job.

She didn’t approach too closely. Jay was still jittery and could easily interpret that as a threat; the opposite of what she needed. She had to find a way to put him at ease with her so that she could complete her mission.

“I heard you and Lloyd talking about her by name. Nya, was it?” she continued, hoping to prompt Jay into talking. “Who is she?”

He had been a pretty obvious talker for the entire tournament. It was hard not to notice that about him. Even when he was twitching from stress, his mouth only worked harder. It was a safe bet, Skylor figured, to get him talking.

Plus, Skylor knew from Kai that Jay was obsessed with the girl, or at least had been for a significant time. It was going to be the easiest subject to get him going on. Once he started talking Skylor only had to react correctly. A much easier feat than making the right conversation.

“My ex.” Jay answered, seemingly surprised to hear his own response.

Things had gotten crazy. He was probably trying to remember how to function. His coping mechanisms were rebooting after he’d gone into survival mode. Skylor patiently made room for it and forced herself to have what she hoped was a believable reaction.

Of course she knew all about Jay and Nya’s nasty break-up, Kai had told her. But she wasn’t supposed to know. It was all performative, like asking who Nya was. Skylor knew exactly who she was, had read every letter she’d sent, and helped her father make small edits to them when needed. Skylor needed to appear to be hearing new information.

Jay was too distracted with his own issues to notice any flaws in her mask. Which Skylor was grateful for. She knew she was tired and not performing her best, but with his nerves so frayed she had ample room to slip up. The only saving grace for a tired performer is a tired audience.

Or better yet, a tired audience that takes the stage for her. Hence why she got him talking to begin with.

“I really screwed things up with her. And Cole too.” Jay said with a sigh, seizing the outlet Skylor had given him “Cole...well you saw what happened there.”

Skylor nodded sympathetically, but she got the feeling like he wasn’t watching her for social cues. Which was fine by her.

“I guess I just got too excited to have a girlfriend since I grew up so lonely, you know? You don’t know. Anyway, I grew up in the Sea of Sands. Only child, home schooled. I talked to my parents and the occasional wildlife growing up.” Jay started to rant, panting already from the speed.

Skylor hummed that she was listening, but started to walk ahead. She didn't want to stand still for this entire conversation, and it would do good to look like she cared about finding Nya. Even if Jay was too distracted to notice her actions now, who knew how long it would take for retrospect to kick in.

Luckily he started walking with her, though his speech didn’t even stall as he started to push plant life out of his way.

“When I became a ninja, Cole was already there. He was the first kid my own age I’d ever really gotten a chance to hang out with and we were best friends in no time! Then Zane showed up and things were great! Just the three of us! But then Kai came and….things changed.”

Skylor consciously did not perk up at the mention of her boyfriend. Jay didn’t know she had even met Kai, so any reaction to him would be clocked as suspicious.

She tried to not show interest in hearing Jay’s version of the story. She knew how Kai saw it, and all the little insecurities he had over it. She’d picked at them like healing scabs, reopening every little cut they had made before they knew him well enough to watch their words. Last to join a reluctant team, only there to accomplish his own goals and trained separately from them. Kai had on some level always felt like he was an uninvited addition to the friend group. Which only made it easier to take an axe to those fences.

Skylor wondered if Jay knew how much his comments about three being a “good number” helped her father take Kai away from them.

“Man, there’s something else I screwed up! You know Kai is half the reason we’re here? Chen has him too. Which wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been fighting with Cole so much he left! And now Nya is mad at us, not that I blame her!”

Jay’s steps sputtered to a stop.

Skylor paused and looked back at him, seeing his shoulders drop.

“I failed him.” Jay admitted, looking at the twisting roots covering the ground. “I failed a lot of people, but I think I feel the worst about him. Because I didn’t even try!”

There were sticky looking tears gathering in his eyes and Skylor’s stomach started to churn.

“When Kai first joined the team he was so closed off. He didn’t trust us at all. And I guess we didn’t trust him either.” Jay hugged himself despite the warm air that felt too heavy in his lungs “Kai was always hard. Hard to read, hard to please, hard to help.”

Jay shuddered and just the sight of it made Skylor long for Kai’s warmth herself. She could only imagine what Jay was feeling.

“I guess, after Zane died, I gave up. I couldn’t even help myself, so why bother helping anyone else, right? He took it the worst and I had already made a mess of my other relationships. He was beyond what I could fix, so I just...let it happen. I looked away and didn’t think about it.”

Jay sighed and dropped his arms down like dead things before he started moving again.

“I didn’t even know he was missing for months! Lloyd had to come get me!” Jay yelled, shoving a plant out of his way and nearly hitting Skylor with it as she followed him.

She hoped he wasn’t going to notice how practiced she was hiking over and around the local flora.

“I mean he’s not the only person I let down, heck, three days alone with Lloyd and I think the kid might be dead!”

Jay stopped talking for a moment as his own words sunk in for him.

“Oh First Master, he could be dead.” he whispered in horror.

Skylor wondered if it would be too forward to reach out and comfort him. He looked like he really needed it, but it might be off putting coming from her.

“I’m doing my best.” Jay said with a wet voice “I wasn’t before. I should’ve been, but I am now. Everyone keeps telling me that I can do this, but I feel like I’m drowning! I drove my girlfriend away, I blamed my best friend for it, I abandoned one friend and might’ve just let another one die in front of me….again.”

He continued to vent and Skylor felt her heart squeeze. Jay sounded so sad, but she had no idea how to go about comforting him.

If she felt stupid she could remind him of his value by confessing how she used his intelligence and creativity to make Kai feel dumb and simple by comparison. She could even thank him for how useful that was.

That made her heart hurt worse.

Skylor had herself convinced Kai’s friends didn’t deserve such a sweet boy; that she was doing him a favor ultimately. But hearing how remorseful Jay was, how much he missed his friend and wanted to apologize for the mistakes he made while he was hurting, it nurtured the seed of doubt in Skylor’s soul, growing it into a small sapling of guilt.

Jay was never going to get to apologize. Kai would never be allowed to hear him out. It posed too much of a risk to their plans. Skylor was beginning to feel ashamed of her part in that.

No. Focus Skylor. Cut through all the distraction and stay on target. She had a mission, and Jay’s sob story was not important.

That was right. None of this mattered. Jay’s feelings or well being was completely inconsequential to her. All she had to do was keep track of him, decide when it was best to end her ruse, and take him in for her father to steal his powers. Then she’d get Kai back, sweet and pliable for her.

Jay wasn’t her friend. He wasn’t even Kai’s friend anymore. No, they had severed that tie and were about to make sure of its permanency.

Jay didn’t see a trace of her inner conflict or its resolution.

Cole had made a vow to watch his words and be a better friend. He swore to never let his own petty anger or people like Chen get the best of him or hurt his loved ones again. He made a promise and was doing his absolute best to stick to it and never hurt another friend.

He was being tested.

He hadn’t been getting nearly enough sleep and was stressed out of his mind. His patience was stretching thinner by the minute and his fellow prisoners were running nails through it.

“What if we unionize!?”

“Yeah! Seize the means of production!”

Cole was sitting on a deactivated conveyor belt with his head in his hands. His head hurt and his eyes wouldn’t stay open right from lack of sleep. It was so tempting to throw his hands up and walk away. He was beginning to question his previously strong dedication of not abandoning these morons.

“Something tells me withholding our labor will only make Chen more violent.” Zane explained patiently.

Cole didn’t know if Zane just had a higher tolerance for nonsense or if he just had gotten to skip all the challenges of the last week and was fresher. Either way, his patience was putting Cole’s to shame.

They had been listening to a parade of miserable ideas that only improved on how stupid they got. It was taking all Cole’s brain power to remain civil about it. There was nothing left to think of a practical escape plan.

It was only encouraging more nonsense.

“We could switch clothes and confuse them?”

“Yeah! They won’t know who’s who!”

“We’re all wearing the same prison jumpsuit.” Cole deadpanned into his palms.

“What if we made a rope of noodles and used it to climb out the window?”

Cole felt his patience crack so hard he could practically hear it.

“WHAT WINDOW!? WE’RE UNDERGROUND!!!” Cole yelled, shooting his head up.

Zane was giving him a weird look that was probably judgmental.

Ok. Ok. So Cole slipped up and lost his cool. It happens. He was still trying to be better. He was going to be better.

“Sorry. Sorry.” he said, putting his hands up in a passive show. “What else we got?

Now Dareth was giving him a weird look.

“What if we sabotaged the noodles? Make them taste bad so Chen’s restaurant gets bad reviews and business drops, so he has to focus on a new ad campaign to fix it. Then we break out while he’s distracted approving billboards!” Tox explained animatedly.

Cole bit down on his remark. He’d already yelled once. He wasn’t going to lose his temper again! Deep breath Cole.

“Good idea, but that might take too long.” he settled on, trying to force a smile to hold.

“It’s a very poor idea.” Zane finally chimed in, eyeing Cole suspiciously.

Cole didn’t know if he wanted to thank Zane for voicing his thoughts, or shake him in rage over the hurt look Tox now had.

“We could walk out the front door.” Camille said, dripping sarcasm.

“I don’t think that would work.” Zane said earnestly.

“I was joking!” she snapped back.

“We could walk out the front door.” Jacob said.

“I just said that!” Camille huffed

“Yeah, but you were joking. I felt the idea deserved more serious consideration.” Jacob explained.

Cole resisted the urge to rip some hair out.

“Look the obvious solution is to have me seduce Chen.” Ash said like it wasn’t the deepest glimpse of true insanity Cole had ever been graced with.

And with how his day was going, that was impressive.

Most the other prisoners recoiled a little and Cole took a few seconds to force the bitterness back down his throat.

“First of all, gross!!” he shrieked.

“Second, Chen doesn’t come here personally.” Zane helpfully provided.

“Then I’ll just work my way up from the guards!” Ash said suggestively “I only need a few minutes to ‘tame that snake’”

Cole struck his chest in an effort to keep the vomit down.

“Back to point one then!” Cole snapped. “Gross!”

A few of the other prisoners nodded at his point, all looking pale and uncomfortable. Cole didn’t blame them, he was probably white as a ghost for the third time. No flour on him now though, he was pale with disgust this time.

“I french kiss whoever I want!” Ash defended.

Cole started round three with his stomach over where its contents belonged.

“What? I like men with power!” Ash confessed “And I bet Chen has a huge-”

“Does anyone else have any ideas?” Zane loudly interrupted.

Cole was grateful. He was too busy beating his nausea back to handle the end of that sentence.

“We could roll ourselves into giant egg rolls!”

“How….would that work?” Cole asked, coughing the taste of bile out of the back of his throat.

Cole didn’t have much faith in the plan, but he was willing to give it entirely too much effort if it kept the conversation off of Ash’s disturbing ideas.

Clouse took a moment to compose himself. Luckily, he was bringing good news to Chen, but he still couldn’t afford to look disheveled. Eyezor didn’t complain about the delay, which Clouse was pleased with. The young man was patient and compliant, on top of being a skilled fighter. There were good reasons for his high status in the cult.

Clouse couldn’t even remember what the man’s name had originally been. Chen always nicknamed his favorites and he had taken an immediate shine to the runaway teen when they found him; bleeding from an empty eye socket and refusing to explain what had happened to the eye that was supposed to be there. Eyezor had been on the island for years. He had grown up under Chen.

The young man had been an excellent prototype for Skylor’s upbringing and even Kai’s indoctrination, though the goals were different for all three. Skylor was being prepped as an heir to ensure Chen’s empire outlived him. Kai was being made into a combat ready teddy bear for Skylor’s protection and comfort, on top of being a pincushion for Chen’s entertainment.

Eyezor had been made into a perfect general for Chen to rely on. He was the highest ranked follower under Clouse and had the second most responsibilities. Chen not only trusted him to stay in line without supervision; Chen trusted him to do the supervising to those he didn’t.

There were good reasons why Chen, and Clouse, trusted the man. Which was why Clouse didn’t think twice about having him hold the prisoner while he straightened himself and his thoughts out. Eyezor had been in the cult far too long to question one of his superiors.

The Master of Light was still struggling as Clouse pushed his hair back down, which was annoying. This was going to be his whole day, wasn’t it? Tracking down each of the Elemental Masters and dragging their fussing bodies back to base. Clouse couldn’t decide if the new Mobile Base was making things easier, or more difficult.

At least this one’s powers weren’t too combative. Him and the Master of Shadow’s powers were best suited for escapes. Being on an island made that a temporary fix.

The Master of Mind would be difficult to surprise, but shouldn’t be too hard to overpower. Probably best to knock him out until they got him in the vengestone cage they had on the mobile base.

The Master of Speed would have to be tricked. They didn’t have all day to wear him out. Luckily he had grabbed some blow darts they could track him with. Clouse really needed to have the vengestone cuffs ready for him.

The Master of Lightning could be a problem, but he was Skylor’s problem to deal with, and she knew the price of failure. Clouse wasn’t too worried about her securing him.

Speaking of which, Clouse just checked his messages and saw Skylor confirm that she was with him, and waiting for the right moment to take him out.

Finally that left Garmadon’s brat. He and his father would be the biggest problem. Clouse didn’t like that he had no good news to give Chen on that front.

It was only one liability, but it bothered Clouse to suffer less than perfection. He hated leaving things to chance. It was something he admired about Master Chen. The man had so much control over everything he touched. And control was power. Power that Clouse coveted.

Still, tardiness was another imperfection, so it was best that Clouse wrapped it up and brought the Master of Light to the Master of Ceremonies.

He grabbed the arm that Eyezor wordlessly let go of. The Master of Light tried to turn invisible again, but that was fine. He didn’t have to be seen to be dragged into a cage. Clouse marched him into the mobile base with Eyezor to find Chen gushing over the control board like a child on a holiday.

“Two down. Four fighters, one spy, and a sensei remain.” Clouse listed as he entered the base.

A particularly strong buck from the Master of Light almost saw Clouse lose his grip, but he shoved the master back.

“And this one was a bit hard to find.” Clouse sneered as his prisoner became visible again

“You’ll never get away with this, Chen!”

Clouse rolled his eyes. When has that ever worked?

“Never get a...Are you serious!?” Chen asked, almost offended “Where have you been!? I’ve been getting away with it time and time again!”

Chen’s face soured. Clouse didn’t know if he was about to start beating their prisoner or…

“Oh take him away! He’s boring!” Chen dismissed, turning back towards the monitor.

Clouse shoved the “boring” elemental master back towards Eyezor, trusting him to take care of it on his own.

Chen was muttering complaints about the lack of trap doors in the mobile base under his breath.

Sensing a sour mode coming on, and not wanting to give his report around it, Clouse decided to speak freely.

“Master, Skylor is with Jay.” Clouse reported.

“Good!” Chen cheered, his smile returning.

Clouse kept his composure, not leaving any weaknesses for Chen to attack, but internally he was cringing when he gave the less pleasing news. Likely Chen was too distracted with their final round to react too violently, but bringing Master Chen bad news was always a gamble.

“But we still don’t know where Lloyd and Garmadon are.”

“BAD!” Chen yelled childishly.

Clouse didn’t let his relief show either. Chen was only playfully upset. No real danger. Yet.

“Find them Clouse!” Chen ordered.

“Of course, Master.” Clouse said with a bow.

“I want to finish this game by sundown.” Chen said darkly “I’m too excited for the next part!”

Clouse was glad Chen’s laugh was not at his suffering.

Garmadon was thankful Nya had the foresight to leave a trail, more so that she made it one only her allies understood to follow. It made the task of finding her much simpler. A blessing when everything else on their To-Do list was so big and difficult.

They drank in the calm while they could. The scent of wildflowers and rich dirt filled the air. Moss and said dirt gave under their feet, softening their footfalls to silence. The only sounds were the insistently cheerful songbirds and Lloyd’s sniffling hiccups.

Garmadon’s heart hurt. His son was suffering. All his children were. Because he and Wu hadn’t dealt with Chen properly. How many of their sins would their children pay for? How many messes had they left to be cleaned by younger, more innocent hands?

Wu had always justified it as experience; adversity to help them grow stronger. But what child needed to be so strong? Lloyd was about as “strong” as a kid could get, more scars than skin metaphorically speaking. He was fraying at the seams and Garmadon was doing all he could to keep him together.

And he wasn’t even the worst off.

“Son….about Kai.” Garmadon said somberly.

Watching Lloyd stiffen, he sighed.

“We need to talk about it.” he said, hoping Lloyd would hear him this time.

“I know.” Lloyd said in a voice so small you could lose it in a thimble.

Finally getting permission, Garmadon screwed his courage up and started.

“There are things from my past I am not proud of.” he said “Chen convinced me to do things I knew were wrong, things I am deeply ashamed of to this day.”

He might as well kill two of those infernal songbirds with one stone. There was another conversation he needed to have with Lloyd.

“After the Devourer bit me when I was a child, it took years for all the evil to fully consume me.” He explained, coming very close to tripping over a gnarled root. “It was slow, but by the time I grew into a young man, I went looking for more power to sate it. And if there is one thing Chen has always had, it’s power.”

As much as Garmadon hated to praise that snake of a man, he could admit when something was an unfortunate fact.

“Chen’s power was gained through depraved means, and I wanted to learn them. Clouse and I both studied under him together.” Garmadon sighed, remembering how he had been pitted against the other young man “Chen taught us through whatever means yielded the results he wanted. I was awarded my lordship as a reward for cheating in a spar against Clouse. Chen would say it was for winning, but time has given me the wisdom to know it was the cheating he was truly proud of.”

Garmadon turned around to catch Lloyd. Another gnarled root had claimed Lloyd’s balance. His fatherly instincts warned him before the ground made any similar claims on his son.

Lloyd blushed in embarrassment as Garmadon helped him right himself, but Garmadon continued his story without acknowledging it.

“You have to understand. My relationship with my father was….strained to say the least, and Wu and I had only been finding more reasons to fight. I was desperate for the approval, and Chen knew it.” Garmadon explained angrily.

Lloyd looked at him with big green eyes. Garmadon wanted to tell him any other story.

“First Master, Lloyd, it was like basking in the sun when he praised you.” Garmadon painfully explained “Chen always had a way of knowing what you needed to hear, and figuring out how to make it serve him. A talent that worked both ways. He also knew what hurt the most to hear. He kept all of us vacillating between the two so we stayed off balance and confused. He could talk in circles and avoid answering questions so long that you forgot you had one.”

He paused, scanning the area for Nya’s next symbol. He was definitely not stalling.

“It’s scarily easy to listen to that man, and Kai was in a worse place than I was when I fell into Chen’s clutches. Between the guilt and grief of losing Zane the way we did, to the isolation he was suffering.”

Garmadon decided Lloyd didn’t need to hear how much Kai’s childhood was probably factoring in, or the insecurity Garmadon had witnessed when Kai was desperate to prove himself the Green Ninja. That was not a story Lloyd ever needed to hear about. Lloyd knew the ending, how Kai had unlocked his true potential and saved them both from the volcano. Lloyd didn’t need to know how close to the edge Kai was before that moment, especially not with everything else he had to face.

It was also another thing Garmadon needed to talk to Wu about. Wasn’t that exactly how he had lost Morro? Being harsh on what was clearly a cry for help? Did Wu learn nothing!?

“But you left!” Lloyd pointed out “You figured out Chen was bad news and fought by Wu’s side during the Serpentine Wars!”

Garmadon put the issue of his brother to the side and came back to his present conversation.

“Not before I made terrible mistakes.” Garmadon countered.

Lloyd paled.

“What mistakes?”

Garmadon needed to pause and take a deep breath before he answered. Now he was stalling.

“As the war escalated, we all hoped for a truce. Chen had other desires.”

“Peace is so boring! But conflict and turmoil is so unpredictable and exciting!”

Garmadon shivered at the memory. It was terrifying how Chen could justify tragedies as entertainment. As if the whole world was his own personal puppet show.

“I was questioning him a lot in those days. Starting to push back. As a distraction, Chen had his men intercept a letter from Wu...to your mother.” Garmadon admitted shamefully “It was a love letter. A letter I should not have read, but did. Hardly my worst offense though.”

Garmadon placed a hand on a nearby tree and paused again. Trying to keep the shame in his stomach while he revealed his most painful secret to his son.

“Wu was always a better writer than me, and Chen had noticed he forgot to sign the letter. His name was only on the envelope.”

He tried to will away the memories of Chen pushing the ink bottle towards him.

“I didn’t write this! I shouldn’t be reading it!”

“Didn’t you?”

“No.” Lloyd whispered.

“At Chen’s suggestion, and the venom’s demand, I signed the letter with my own name, and sent it in a new envelope as if they were my own words.”

Lloyd let out a horrified gasp.

“Mom thought that letter was from you!” he said in disbelief.

So Misako had told him the story. Well, her version at least.

“As I’ve told you, there are things in my past I’m not proud of.” Garmadon said, charging ahead. “But I have no regrets.”

He stopped, and turned to face his son with his head held high.

“You won’t be here otherwise.” he explained “And as wrong as it was, I can’t bring myself to regret a single choice that led to your birth.”

Lloyd smiled weakly.

“You should still tell Mom.” he pointed out. “She deserves to know.”

Garmadon sighed heavily.

“That is fair.” he agreed “You’re right, I should come clean. When this is over, you have my word. I will set this right.”

Lloyd beamed at him and any hesitation Garmadon felt was evaporated in the brightness. Everyday Lloyd made Garmadon want to be a better person, to be worthy of that smile and the admiration that it came from.

But first thing was first.

“I let Chen use my fears and insecurities to lead me down a dangerous path. I fear he’s doing the same with Kai.”

They started to walk again. Lloyd jumping on top of a fallen tree trunk. Garmadon bit his tongue, deciding to ignore it rather than lecture Lloyd about being safe. He was only a child after all, any warnings about rotted centers and falling in would likely be scoffed at and ignored.

“But you figured Chen out eventually, maybe Kai will do the same. Plus he doesn't have any evil in his blood for Chen to use!” Lloyd reasoned, helping his father on to the log.

Garmadon shook his head.

“It was because of the venom I figured Chen out!”

“What do you mean?”

“After the truce fell apart, the elemental alliance was struggling to hold back the Anacondrai Warriors. They were bigger, smarter, natural leaders on the battlefield. The Anacondrai were a proud tribe who fought with every ounce of venom. There was no greater warrior in the land! With them in command, the alliance couldn’t keep up.”

Garmadon looked up to see an impatient look on Lloyd’s face.

“What does that have to do with getting Kai away from Chen?” he asked, pouting.

Garmadon didn’t know if he was endeared or frustrated. Lloyd was simply acting his age after all, the good and bad of it. It would be wise of him to get to the point.

“Chen stood to gain more if he sided with the snakes, and he wanted me to help him. Though the evil in my blood tempted me, like he planned, I would not fight a war for him, which he did not plan on.” Garmadon said, grunting and he picked Lloyd up over a tricky area.

Lloyd gave him another age appropriate glare at being babied, but said nothing.

“I was not so far gone that I would turn on my own kind and fight against my brother.”

Lloyd raised his eyebrows in a silent challenge.

“Yet!” Garmadon amended.

They shared a noise of amusement.

“Chen miscalculated.” Garmadon explained “He thought the evil in my blood was stronger and tipped his hand too far relying on it. It was the wake-up call I needed to realize that I needed to get out, and a mistake Chen is not likely to repeat.”

Lloyd’s shoulders sagged.

“After I left Chen I joined the elemental alliance and fought with Wu in the Serpentine War. With both sons of the First Spinjitzu Master, the Alliance finally started to gain ground.” Garmadon continued.

“If you and Wu were so close with the other previous Elemental Masters, how come you never talk about them? Why haven’t I met any of them? Why was Uncle Wu alone in his monastery? Did you guys just stop talking to each other after the war?” Lloyd asked.

“My brother’s tendency to self isolate is its own issue that I can’t speak to, but as for why such good friends didn’t keep contact, you can blame Chen for that as well.” Garmadon said.

He was clenching his fist and resisting the urge to punch another tree. It was not the kind of thing Garmadon wanted to demonstrate with his son watching.

“I may’ve left to help the alliance, but Chen almost destroyed us still.” Garmadon hissed “When it seemed like the end of the war was within reach, the infighting started. At first none of us could figure out what had gone wrong. The Alliance had been such a well functioning group, but suddenly we were tearing ourselves apart! We went from near victory, to barely holding our own again.”

“Chen did all that?” Lloyd asked in horror.

Garmadon nodded.

“His poisoned words turned the Alliance against one another and destroyed many friendships. If we hadn’t found weapons like the sacred flutes we would’ve been wiped out.” he explained.

Lloyd looked far too pale.

“If Chen has done what I suspect he’s done, we may have our work cut out for us getting through to Kai.” Garmadon said solemnly

“But we’re his friends! He’ll listen to us!” Lloyd insisted.

“And Chen is his Master.” Garmadon countered.

Lloyd looked disgusted with those words.

“Lloyd, please listen to me. Chen is a dangerous man with a dangerous talent. Underestimating him will do us no favors.”

“I’m not underestimating him! You’re underestimating Kai!” Lloyd snapped.

Garmadon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Lloyd-”

“Wu always says to have faith! Well I have faith in Kai!” Lloyd said stubbornly.

Garmadon hoped Wu felt Garmadon shaking him in rage on the astral plane somewhere.

“Do not let that faith blind you to the threats you may have to face!” Garmadon lectured.

“What do you know!? You barely knew Kai!” Lloyd yelled, scaring some nearby birds into flight.

“And you know Chen so well?” Garmadon challenged

“I’ve been here almost a week, I haven’t seen anything to make me doubt Kai.”

Garmadon resisted the urge to yank on his hair.

“Lloyd, you’re not listening!”

“All I’m hearing is that you think Kai was so easy to turn against us!” Lloyd raise his hands in a mocking gesture as he spoke.

“Easy!? First Master, I never said it was easy!” Garmadon yelled indignantly “I’m telling you that Chen had months to pick at Kai’s every insecurity and warp his perceptions. Chen convinces people that he’s saving them from themselves, and then exploits the loyalty they give him for it.”

“Kai isn’t stupid!” Lloyd said, stamping his foot like a child throwing a tantrum.

“But he is insecure and hurting.” Garmadon said sadly.

The green of Lloyd’s eyes deepened with tears.

He knew he was partially to blame for that hurting. The fight was ringing in the back of his skull, all the awful things they said to one another.

And here he was; doing it again. Acting like a petulant child and refusing to acknowledge the things someone was trying to explain to him. Lloyd was being stubborn and childish. Talking over someone; whining. He was falling into all the same traps. He was repeating every mistake that chased Kai away!

Lloyd wanted to start sobbing again, but swallowed it this time. He needed to stop being such a baby.

“Can we help him?” Lloyd asked, his voice strained from holding his cries back.

Garmadon opened his arms and gestured to Lloyd to come in for a hug. Lloyd allowed it for himself.

“We’ll do what we can.” Garmadon said, holding Lloyd to his chest.

Garmadon wished to every writer in the Cloud Kingdom for a better answer.

After trying to figure out the logistics of 20 people rolling themselves into giant egg rolls for almost two hours, Cole was calling it a wash. He had really tried to make it work, if for nothing else than to spare himself from hearing more awful suggestions, but it was hopeless.

“Ok, so maybe rolling ourselves into giant egg rolls isn’t the best plan.” he said hesitantly, tossing his paper aside “Anyone else have another idea?”

“Karlof used to be aeronautic engineer back in Metalonia. Work on Roto jets! Just one could take out entire army!” Karlof said proudly.

Cole just about had a flashback to the window idea.

“We. Are. UNDER! GROUND!” Cole snapped.

Maybe because he was the master of earth? Was that why he was the only one that remembered where they were? Or maybe everyone else had found some brain bleach to use after Ash’s plan and selfishly refused to share it with Cole.

Either way, he was gearing up to start strangling people.

Dareth decided that he’d seen enough of Cole’s forehead veins for one day.

He sighed. It wasn't like he had any good plans. Dareth was never a “practical ideas” guy. Everything he’d ever done successfully, was something he had stumbled into. Meeting the ninja, picking up The Helmet of Shadows, even his getting dojo had been happenstance. A confusing series of accidents and luck had landed a deed in Dareth’s name. A deed he almost lost to Garmadon’s scheme, but had kept through the luck of having made the space indispensable to the ninja.

It wasn’t that Dareth didn’t try to be worthy of his luck. He learned whatever he could fit into his brain and used his one and only marketable skill of being a people person to help where he could. But it seemed like the only real help he provided was his happy accidents rubbing off on the people around him.

Since he was a young teen, Dareth had been warned about how lucky he was. He had nothing of value, but was rewarded regardless because the world didn’t care if he was good or bad. Although Dareth liked to think part of his good fortune was the universe recognizing the honest want to do right by everyone, but then he would think of all the good and kind people that still suffered and knew it wasn’t anything so altruistic.

No, the universe just liked him. For whatever reason, Dareth was smiled on.

He knew he wasn’t smart. All the real thinkers in the room didn't have any promising ideas. What could Dareth possibly offer that they didn’t already think of and dismiss?

Well if Dareth couldn’t rely on smart ideas, then he would lean on his dumb luck yet again. Dareth had never tried to invoke his power on purpose, out of guilt and other similarly sticky feelings. But there was a first time for everything! And if Dareth could just get his one valuable feature to kick in, then he could help them get out.

So how to go about trying to force it to happen?

Normally he’s doing something unrelated and maybe even mundane. Something that shouldn’t help in the slightest, yet always did for him specifically. His current plan was to get distracted and hope he stumbled right into the day-saving answer again.

Dareth’s stomach growled.

Food was a good enough distraction. He was at Mr. Chen’s noodle factory. He should go looking for his favorites.

“Hey, where is the machine that makes the Puffy Pot Stickers?” he asked.

Cole’s sharp and annoyed eyes landed on him, but Dareth tried to just ignore it. He was helping after all, even if it was the most unconventional method ever concocted.

“They discontinued those like a month ago.” one of the older prisoners said.

Dareth sagged. His favorite menu item was gone now. That was pretty disappointing. But, silver lining, it was something else to focus on.

“We kind of have more important things to think about here!” Cole snapped.

“I’m hungry.” Dareth said with a shrug, then turned to the prisoner that previously spoke “What did they do with the machine?”

Cole huffed and gave the ceiling a pinched glare.

“They disassembled it and repurposed the parts.”

“That’s it!” Zane exclaimed. “Dareth you solved it!”

“What?” Cole’s voice cracked “What are pot stickers going to do to help us?”

“Not that! Repurposing parts!” Zane exclaimed excitedly “We’ll use the machine parts and build our way out of here! Karlof, do you remember the schematics for your roto jet?”

“Of course!” Karlof said proudly.

“Then it’s set.” Zane said, starting to take charge “Karlof and I will create a blueprint. Everyone else, find parts.”

“But, we’re underground!” Cole started to argue.

“We could always let Ash try to seduce Chen.” Zane warned.

“Alright people! Parts won’t find themselves!” Cole said, snapping to attention.

Dareth smiled. He had done it. He had gotten his gift to work and been useful. Maybe he needed to deal with his own emotional issues on that matter, but he supposed he wasn’t the most in need of therapy in the room.

Still, he was the adult and he needed to demonstrate good habits for the kids that existed around him. If he was open and willing to seek treatment, it might help them accept it for themselves.

When they got done dealing with Chen, Dareth decided he would find a therapist and start normalizing it for the ninja so that they can do the same. First knows they needed it.

Jay was still talking about his entire life’s story while Skylor carefully stepped over each twisting root of the jungle floor. She couldn’t help but compare herself to the trees. They grew from twisted, gnarly roots. An ugly base of roots tangled over one another like snakes in a pit, ready to trip the vulnerable.

Such a pit is where Skylor sprouted. Her identity was forged by those surroundings; a twisted gnarly nest of spider webs she learned to walk on without tripping.

All she had ever known was the feel of puppet strings curled around her fingers, even when they were pudgy and stiff. Her father gave her power. She didn’t ask for it, but what else could she be?

Skylor was a snake. A dangerous mamba calculating when to best to lash out.

Jay was none the wiser to her dangerous intentions. He had given her plenty to work with.

For example, he had mentioned something about Nya “not needing him”, and if that didn’t give her pause. She had heard almost the same words from Kai’s mouth. Even used them against him quite a few times. What an interesting picture it painted of the girl. That was two boys who loved her dearly, completely convinced they were only burdens to her.

It was certainly something Skylor wouldn’t mind exploring later. Either to give her more leverage on Kai, or just to sate her own curiosity.

But back to her current mission. Interesting and useful information aside, Skylor had to decide when to strike. Now or later?

With Jay so antsy and desperate to prove himself Skylor could only see a few options if she waited.

One, they found Lloyd first.

Alive: Jay would be grounded and refocused on protecting him. Skylor would lose the emotional smoke screen she was using with him. Plus there was no telling if Lloyd would be sharper witted and see through her tired act.

Dead: Jay would be devastated. That might make him malleable, but there was also a chance such a shock could put him on a one-track mission for revenge.

And none of this was factoring in Sensei Garmadon, who Skylor didn’t think she could fool in close proximity like that. She didn’t want to see what he would do to her when he figured out where her true allegiances lay.

Two, they found Nya first.

Skylor’s best guess was that her loner habit was probably more an aversion to what she perceived as help or pity than anything. That and Jay’s earlier admission of her being “mad” at him could translate to a rough truce. Add in Jay’s current emotional instability, that might be more chaos than Skylor could handle.

In almost no scenario did waiting benefit her. Sooner was going to be better than later for this, and if she was careful about it, she could even salvage the trust she had earned. Just in case she needed it again. At the very least, it would make her father’s finale more fun if she kept it.

Jay was conveniently facing away from her. She posed herself to strike, coiled like a cobra.

She yelled out a warning just after she began her swing. If he didn’t catch a glimpse of her in that split second, she was absolved.

“LOOK OUT!”

Jay’s head didn’t have enough time to turn his head before the tree branch knocked the consciousness out of it.

Spell page in one white knuckled grip, carving knife in the other, Nya pressed on. The sun was setting yet again and Nya hadn’t slept since before the big dinner Chen threw, the one she had snuck into to talk to Jay and Lloyd.

It felt like long, hard, days ago, when it was only one. Nya could easily blame that on stress though. Which she suspected was also the culprit of his shaking hands.

She cursed under her breath yet again as her unsteady hand botched her design yet again. Her Samurai X symbols were getting sloppy, but all she could do about that was hope Lloyd, Jay, and Garmadon could still recognize them.

Nya swiped sweat from her forehead, slightly regretting her decision to circle back for her armor, and thankful for the sunset. She had been overheating all day in her stuffy gear.

The heat just annoyed her more. It reminded her of her brother and how helpless he looked.

Her eyebrows pushed down and her lips buckled as she aggressively stabbed the last line in her symbol. She was not at all happy with any of this. She was angry; at the ninja, at Chen, at her parents, even at Kai. But mostly at herself. She should've figured it out sooner! She should’ve been a better sister! How did she not see something like this coming?

She was stupid. Leaving Kai alone. She had wanted to “let him grow” or whatever. It was a dumb idea. They took care of each other. That was how it always worked. Ever since they were children, they had been everything for each other. They had always done all their “growing” side by side. Why did that have to change?

Nya sighed and leaned on the tree, giving herself a small break to breathe.

On some level she could feel how unhealthy that kind of thinking was. Kai did need space to figure out who he was without her. She had gotten it and became Samurai X, but Kai never forged a thing for himself.

The realization caused Nya to stand up straight.

Kai had never forged anything for himself.

Even in a literal sense; he never did make anything for his own use, not truly. His creations were gifts or products exclusively. Every weapon and tool he ever did allow himself to have was kept with the expectation that it would service others in the long run.

That wasn’t healthy.

Kai wasn’t healthy.

Maybe Nya wasn’t either. Then again, why would either of them be healthy? What part of their lives wasn’t crazy and traumatic? Was there anything? Who would be well adjusted coming from their roots?

The truth was that they were both very unwell. Maybe that was how they ended up in such a mess. They were two broken kids that Chen knew how to push in the directions he wanted. And those directions were apart and into danger.

Nya felt more helplessness than Kai had looked, wondering where her puppet strings ended and began. Because she wasn’t foolish enough to think she had none at this point. Chen was too skilled for her to ignore what he could do. He had proven how gifted he was at finding a weak spot to push, even without any trust to abuse. And had he ever found one in Nya.

This weakness, this blind spot, it had put her brother in danger. Nya was having trouble forgiving herself for that. If she had thought things through a little more, made better decisions, all the pain could’ve been avoided. It was enough to make Nya want to rip her hair out and scream until she gave her position away.

Speaking of giving her position away, the sound of Garmadon’s quiet gravelly voice drifted up through the trees as Nya suddenly noticed the darkness that had settled around her. It seemed her little pause had gotten away from her and allowed one of her tails to catch up. Luckily it was the tail she was trying to keep.

Nya gave the spell one last squeeze before climbing down gracefully and greeting Garmadon and Lloyd, ready to explain Chen’s bizarre plan to relive the Serpentine War and ignore any further musing on her dismal family situation.

Clouse wasn’t a stranger to anxiety. He knew the sensation that was bubbling in his insides.

Garmadon and his spawn were a looming threat, not to mention the girl, but all the other elemental masters were captured. That meant it was almost time for his very crucible part of their plan.

There was no greater opportunity to mess up.

If Clouse failed in any capacity, he had no doubt that his Master’s fury would be legendary. He could see a week on The Pole as a warm up, and it sent a shiver down his spine.

Clouse always shuddered when he thought of what his master could and would do to him if he showed any weakness, or worse, if he proved to be ineffective. Clouse hadn’t failed at a task since before Skylor’s birth, but there was true terror in imagining what would happen if he started now and with Garmadon’s lack of capture, it was a pressing concern.

The fear leaned far into the pressure of the responsibilities Chen trusted him with. Clouse strove for perfection in all of it, to please his master. Some days it wore on him, the little tasks he had to perform to make sure things went the way Chen needed them to.

But despite it all, Clouse was happy with his life. He loved serving Chen, because the man provided the only thing Clouse truly craved.

Power.

Since he was a child, Clouse wanted nothing more than power. It was why he learned dark magic in the first place. It was the wild power that made it his path of choice. The prices Clouse would pay for power were exorbitant. Anything was worth it if he stood to gain power.

That was what led him to serving Master Chen. The man offered power no one else could compare with.

The only problem was that it came at a rather inconsistent price.

Chen was more unpredictable than the dark magic Clouse had mastered. He could be as cruel as he could be generous and it was near impossible to know which way he would jump. For every moment of peace, a challenge with steep consequences pounced out of nowhere. It quickly weeded out the weak.

But Clouse wasn’t weak.

At this point, he could usually map out Chen’s mood swings and avoid getting caught up in them with ease. He was seasoned in that art as he was his dark arts. He knew good and well when to keep his mouth shut and when he needed to speak. Where others may be confused, Clouse understood through strenuous trial and error. Clouse had done his time and served his punishments to earn what he had. He was the only one who could hope to follow Chen’s twisting and keep pace. A skill he had suffered to gain.

And he had been richly rewarded for it! He was oh so powerful, and only about to be more so. Barring any catastrophes, he was lined up to be the right hand to Ninjago’s new Emperor by Conquest.

And right hand suited him just fine. Powerful as his magic was, even the sharpest blade was pointless in the wrong hands. Master Chen was the one with the vision to use it, and to not to use it as Clouse had been taught recently. Chen knew exactly when and where Clouse needed to hit to bring their foes down.

Master Chen had said it best. There was a reason he was the Master between the two of them.

Clouse was never much of a performer. He was never going to inspire an army to follow him. Chen however, had the stage presence to lead! He could spin an act so splendid, people tripped over themselves to be used by him. It was a magic Clouse could never quite master; to dazzle and fool. Chen could trick anyone into serving him and being grateful for the opportunity. Awe inspiring how he fooled even his enemies into working towards his goals.

Where others saw threats, Chen saw tools. Case and point: Vito. Anyone else would’ve stopped his sabotage attempt before it started. When Chen got word however, he instead saw an opportunity. Having someone leak what day would be “best to strike” he let Vito crush the last of Kai’s desire to return to his sister. It was beautifully efficient. Even if Kai had failed to stop Vito and the other men had to step in, the guilt they could smother Kai in over that failure would’ve been just as toxic as the praise they ended up using.

Chen was a master of his craft, weaving puppet strings over and through each other so that all the moving pieces fell where he wanted when he tugged.

Clouse could never be that people smart. He knew his spells; a master of his own trade. That made him useful, but Clouse needed Chen more than Chen would ever need him. Chen had all the real power and they both knew it.

Things were looking up, Zane was tentatively believing that.

The Roto jet was coming along. Karlof was a quick worker, and everyone was eager to help him. Ash’s awful ideas turned out to be the perfect motivator to keep everyone on task. All Zane had to do was remind them what Plan B was and they did whatever they had to to make Plan A work.

Cole gave him a passing explanation about what happened with Jay and how it got resolved. He was eager to wrap that up and officially put the feud to bed. Zane was relieved to have missed the brunt of it, it sounded ugly.

He was still adjusting to Cole’s new quirks, but progress was being made. Zane found himself much less distressed. It was normalizing much faster than Zane feared it would.

Jay would probably be different too. That was something Zane would have to face soon, but he felt less panicked by the idea now. Cole had come out strong, Jay would surely be the same. A few more scars and scrapes than Zane would like, bruising on his heart and ego, but he’d be the same person. Zane could handle that.

Kai was another matter, but Zane was optimistic. Everything was shaky, but sound. Nothing was broken beyond repair. Why would Kai be different?

There was something in the back of his mind, jumping up and down and screaming at him, but try as Zane might, he couldn’t make out what it was trying to tell him. It was getting frustrating. There was something missing and he wanted it back. It was clearly important.

Hopefully not too important.

By the time Jay came to, he was already in chains. Time blurred into a moment before he was lined up with most the remaining masters in the place they’d seen Karlof lose his powers not too long ago. His head hurt, but not as much as his pride.

How had he gotten ambushed so thoroughly? He was supposed to be trained better than that! He was a ninja for First’s sake!

It was embarrassing to say the least of it. He had been so busy spilling his guts to Skylor that he hadn’t sensed any danger at all. Jay had to wonder what Cole had seen in him that made him so confident in Jay’s nonexistent ability.

Whatever it was, Jay wished it would stop lying on his behalf.

His brain never content to sit on one subject for too long, Jay began to crane his neck around to see if Skylor had been caught with him. He hoped she had gotten away. Maybe he could at least be happy that his capture worked as a distraction for her. That would make him feel better.

Jay was pleased to see she wasn’t anywhere in the group. So he could count one victory among his defeats. Which were plentiful.

Jay was dipping his toes back into his self loathing when he was interrupted by the loudest drums in existence. He glared, but was ignored in favor of Chen’s grand entrance.

Everyone cheered when Chen came down from the ceiling, showing off the elemental power of gravity. The whole scene was like something from a rock concert, complete with a fake out fall to keep the audience engaged before settling down on stage.

It made Jay gag.

“Just got distracted by how awesome this place looks!” Chen said with a smile “Well done Clouse, you’ve really set the mood!”

Clouse smiled and bowed graciously at the praise. Suck up.

Jay was already mouthing off before he could register that he was doing it.

“Mouth of Lightning” indeed. Jay really needed to get a better handle on that.

And his temper! That was a recent revelation for him. And maybe he could stand to do better about his tendency to panic. And his mind going on a tangent while he was still talking! What had he just said!?

Oh ok, just that Skylor got away and that he still didn’t have Lloyd. Nothing embarrassing. Good.

“Ah yes! I bet right now he’ll swoop down to save you at the very last moment and teach me a valuable lesson.” Chen mocked.

Jay shrunk. Was that what he was reduced for? Hoping a child was coming to save him? He was supposed to be Lloyd’s guardian, not the other way around! This was pathetic. Poor kid from a junkyard pathetic!

“Well, I’ll wait. I love lessons” Chen said viciously, sitting back down and making a show of waiting.

Jay heard a few of Chen’s cultists snickering. It was salt in his wound. He did not need the extra emphasis on how pathetic he was.

Even the other Elemental Masters were looking at him with pity. Though some of that could be shame that they didn’t believe him and Lloyd about Chen’s evil plans until it was exceptionally too late. Jay wished he could at least appreciate the satisfaction of being proven right, but he was a little busy being publicly humiliated by Chen.

Chen’s commitment to his bit didn’t last long, and honestly Jay was grateful for that. The joke was pretty painful, rivaled only by the pain of his element being ripped out of him the next moment, which hurt!

Jay’s vision was still tilting back and forth when Chen ordered them all taken to the factory. His chains were tugged and they all were pulled upright before any of their legs felt strong enough to hold them.

It was nothing new. Feeling weak was a theme for Jay lately.

He had failed everyone that was counting on or believed in him.

He had failed Lloyd, failed Kai, failed Cole, failed Nya, failed Garmadon, and mostly?

He’d failed himself.

The setting sun was bathing the world in gold. It reminded Lloyd of a different uphill battle and the power he used in it. Which only led him to thoughts of how he gave up that power and their promise to stay together. A bitter memory at the moment.

He couldn’t help but relive the terrifying climb in the Final Battle, where he’d lost everyone one by one. It was like he was back on those stairs watching each brother slip away as the stakes rose faster than he did. Except now it was in painful slow motion. Lloyd had been stressed at the fast pace at the time, but now that he had experienced the alternative he found himself grateful that he’d had no time to process his losses. It would’ve only made the battle harder to face. He knew that now.

He honestly wasn’t sure if there was a fire in his belly or if he was just nauseous at the idea of the fight ahead of him. He wanted it over with. Sitting around waiting for the sun to turn in for the day was agony! Nya seemed just as twitchy. It was only Garmadon's calm wisdom that kept them waiting for the cover of night.

Against his better judgment, Lloyd couldn’t help but think about Kai. About the fight. About the things they said to each other.

The way Lloyd kept repeating “ninja never quit” over and over like a child, talking over Kai and his grief. His temper kicking in and blaming Kai for things out of anyone’s control. The sting of Kai accusing him of causing the whole mess by failing to defeat the Overlord the first time. Said sting paling next to Kai’s next words, dragging up Lloyd’s ugly past as a villain wannabe. Granted Lloyd was the first to go for that kind of emotional low blow, Kai was only responding to the jab Lloyd had made at his parents.

It wasn’t a pretty fight and they both walked away more ashamed of themselves than mad at one another.

He should’ve sucked it up and said goodbye. He should’ve gone to the docks and apologized before Kai left! Maybe if he’d swallowed his shame sooner and been brave enough to face Kai then, Kai would’ve stayed and they’d be fighting Chen together.

Lloyd hoped they still would. It wasn’t guaranteed that Chen had turned Kai. Lloyd tried to keep his hope going, tried to fan it back into a flame.

His father made very good arguments, but Lloyd wanted to have faith. Kai may’ve been mad, but he’d never betray them. And as for brainwashing, the Kai Lloyd knew was too stubborn for that! He was too fiery and wild to be made into a puppet!

That was it! Chen must’ve been trying to get into Kai’s head, but realized he couldn’t! That was why the letters stopped, because Kai was too wise to Chen and had to be locked up. He was probably unconscious in Clouse’s study because he put up too much of a fight to be left in a normal cell.

But why not gloat? Why hide it? What part of that sounded like Chen?

Lloyd sighed. It was a nice thought. And that was why Lloyd knew it was a lie. That wasn’t how his life worked. He had learned that lesson a dozen times over. Lloyd Garmadon suffered. That was the way of the world. It was a natural fact. He had long since accepted it. Lloyd needed to brace for the worst case scenario.

He was going to have to fight Kai.

Rebellion started in his stomach the moment he had the thought. He could feel every part of him, down to his core, screaming protests. His heart, soul, gut, and more were presenting his mind with a petition to change that thought.

But it wasn’t a thought, it was a reality he may be about to face. Lloyd couldn’t change it, despite how much he wanted to reject it. It was enough to make him want to cry again, but he shoved that urge down and tucked it snugly next to his disgust. The bottle where he kept these things was getting awfully full. Much more of this, and Lloyd was going to have to cap and store it like a fine wine.

Garmadon reached over and put a comforting hand on Lloyd’s arm, sensing his son’s distress.

“Are you ok?” he asked gently

Lloyd pushed another urge to cry down into the bottle.

“Every minute we’re out here, Chen grows more powerful.” Lloyd said.

“Chen grows strong by taking from others, but real power does the opposite. It empowers those around you!” Garmadon said encouragingly.

“I don’t feel like I’ve really empowered anybody.” Lloyd sighed.

“That’s not true. You’re empowered me!” Garmadon said. “You’ve given me the courage to own up to my past and confess the truth to Misako.”

Nya raised an eyebrow. He’d fill her in later.

“You empowered Jay and Cole. Your words were what finally got them to see reason and end their feud. And I’ve watched you empower Jay to overcome his self doubts time and time again in this tournament.”

Lloyd weakly smiled.

“Do you think it’ll be enough to help Kai?” he asked.

Nya tensed, suddenly reminded of her anger. Garmadon noted it, not wanting to set that powder keg off.

“We can only hope.” he said carefully.

Between Lloyd working his own nerves up and down and the pressure of Nya’s anger, Garmadon was starting to sweat. He had his own fear and rage he was managing on top of keeping the balance.

Nightfall couldn’t come fast enough.

Tarou was frustrated to say the least. He was getting hot, his feet hurt, he was hungry, and over all he was just sick of being a grunt. He could do much more than babysit a rarely used door. He had spent all day standing there doing nothing but chatting with Darrel. Tarou hated the monotony of it. He had more to give and he wanted to give it.

When his sister first got him on in the kitchen, Tarou had worked eagerly for his promotions. He wanted to grow and move up in the company. They gave him a purpose, a direction, a path forward.

That was what he loved about working for Chen. Unlike many other entry level jobs Tarou had worked for too long, Chen rewarded dedication. There was always a path forward; a next step to strive for. If you wanted to work for it, there was a way to move up.

Tarou felt so proud of himself when he got his first promotion. His sister told him how proud she was of him for making good, and that felt better.

Their mother had never been too fond of him. The woman valued poise and status above all else. Tarou never had much of the first, and he had struggled to seize any of the later. Sakura had always been the one that earned their mother’s approval and mercy, and then extended it to him. He wanted to pay her back for all the protection and leeway she’d given him.

Neither of them spoke much to their mother anymore. She was distantly proud of them for securing good jobs working for a powerful man like Master Chen, and finding more love for Tarou with every promotion. They were just both busy, and letters to the mainland took special trips. It wasn’t like they were particularly close to the woman anyways. They were doing her proud and that was all she really had ever asked of them. They had her approval, and that was all they really needed from her in the end.

Tarou knew he was lucky for it. So many others in Master Chen’s ranks didn’t have such a positive relationship with their families. Darrel stopped talking to his mother before he’d even met Tarou. Eyezor‘s story was kept pretty guarded, but the whispers weren’t pretty. Arnit was kicked out of his childhood home for being, well Tarou still hasn’t gotten a clear answer on what Arnit’s labels are. Pronouns he/him, but he practiced Onna Kabuki, so something wasn’t straight there. Other Darrel, (there were three people on the island with the name) wasn’t shy about telling people that he watched his brother kill his father, though he did shy away from taking a side on the matter.

All of this just made Tarou more proud of the family they had in each other. Master Chen knew what all of them needed and provided. Master Chen had built a new family for them all, and given Tarou the opportunities he needed to become something his mother could love, and more importantly, to give meaning to Sakura’s hard work.

Tarou was antsy to move on again. He wanted to be a better disciple. He wanted Master Chen to see that he had potential. Tarou wanted to be trained to do bigger and better things. He was desperate to be made more useful! Tarou just needed the chance and he would rise to the occasion. He had worked his way up from the kitchens to where he was, and he was not done rising.

What Tarou needed was noticed.

It was times like this he wished he had his sister’s charisma. She never had a problem getting eyes, and the minds tended to follow. That talent, combined with her ambition, saw Sakura scraping the stars. She was gunning for the position of Master Chen’s top Kabuki and Tarou didn’t doubt she’d get it within the year.

While she was making progress on that, Tarou was still a grunt. It wasn’t for lack of ambition, Tarou just had trouble being seen as a serious asset instead of just a minion. He felt like he was at the end of the line, like there was no more next step for him to strive for.

That was crazy though. Master Chen always had a way to better yourself and climb the ladder. Tarou just hadn’t figured out what he needed to do to grab that next rung yet.

As Tarou thought about it, he saw Eyezor strut by. His grey glass eye reflected a sunbeam into Darrel and Tarou’s eyes for a moment. Eyezor looked smug today, and Tarou hated it.

Eyezor was in charge and it was practically handed to him. He started in Master Chen’s good graces and moved up from there. Tarou didn’t have the luxury of his master’s attention.

He scoffed.

“Would you look at that? If a foot soldier like Eyezor can move up the chain of command, why can’t we?” Tarou complained.

Darrel eyes him skeptically. He had been dying for a chance to move up as much as Tarou had. But respected Eyezor, so Tarou felt the need to justify his logic.

“I mean, the guys’ only got one good eye, and we each got two.” Tarou explained “We could spot a ninja twice as fast as he could!”

“But he’s got a mohawk” Darrel said, giving Eyezor an admiring look while he reprimanded a newer recruit.

Forget Arnit, Tarou wasn't sure Darrel was straight.

“And his name: Eyezor.” Darrel said the name with too much reverence “It’s got a real ring to it and it’s practical. You know, with his creepy sore eye and all”

Eyezor was now thoroughly taking the new guy to task for dozing off. Tarou was thinking about how lucky the guy was that Eyezor wasn’t taking him to Master Chen and Clouse to be disciplined when Darrel’s words clicked.

The names!

“That’s it! That’s it! We need names! We need something that’ll make us, you know, stand out.” Tarou yelped out in excitement.

That was the answer! That was how they were going to get noticed enough to earn respect. Darrel was one of three, and Tarou had the most run of the mill name he could think of, they were too forgettable to advance!

All the higher ranks had nicknames: Eyezor, Krait, Firebrand, Copperhead, Dagger, Ox.

The top Kabuki had stage names. The grunts that Tarou had seen advance all went by something snappy and memorable. The only people around Master Chen that didn’t have nicknames either had unique names to begin with like Zugu and Petal, or were family like Skylor and Clouse.

Tarou thought for a moment. He needed something that made an impact.

“I got it. Call me, Kapow!” He settled on, striking a pose to complete the effect.

Ok, so he took the term “make an impact” a little too literal, but he stood by his choice. Maybe he’d workshop the spelling though. “Kapow” didn’t look much like a name when written, and spelling it in a cool way would add depth.

Darrel seemed to approve of it.

“Oh that’s good! What should I be?” Darrel asked, taking a moment to think for himself.

Tarou...no Kapow….no….Kapau? Yeah! Kapau smiled proudly while he waited for his friend to come up with his own new identity.

He had doubts though, Darrel had a flare for being overly dramatic. A self admitted hang-up from growing up where nothing interesting happened.

Maybe he’d surprise Kapau though. Maybe his new self would be better. Maybe that would stay a Darrel thing.

“Oh I know!” Darrel said, dramatically building up to it “Hey, who’s that? It’s Maleficium!”

Kapau stepped back from Darrel’s very loud, very overdone, performance announcing a horribly garish name

As his friend, Kapau couldn’t in good conscience let that happen.

“Malefici….?” Kapau said skeptically, hoping hearing it again would make it better.

It did not.

“That’s a horrible name! I can hardly pronounce it!” Kapau snapped.

Darrel went back to his thoughts

“Then, how about….” Darrel said in thought.

He gasped quietly, having gotten another idea. Kapau braced for another awful name he’d have to shut down.

“Chope!” Darrel said, bright as a puppy

He kept justifying it, but Kapau was too busy thinking about it.

“Chope? Yeah, I’m not gonna judge. Wait a minute, yes I am! That is awesome!” Kapau yelled

Maybe he was overselling it, but hey, he’d been harsh on Darrel...Chope’s first suggestion, so Chope deserved a little extra praise for his improved second attempt.

“Look out world, Kapau and Chope, moving up the ranks!” Chope said proudly.

“YEAH!” Kapau agreed. They were sure to get noticed now! There was no stopping them. They weren’t just “one of the Darrels” and “boring Tarou who’s sister is important I think?”, they were Chope and Kapau!

Speaking of getting noticed.

“No talking on duty, minions!” Eyezor yelled, getting into their personal space.

They backed away in fear, but Kapau felt a little emboldened by their new names.

“Uh, it’s actually Chope and Kapa-” He said nervously, testing the new names out loud.

“I SAID NO TALKING!” Eyezor roared.

They both nodded fearfully, and Eyezor was off. He was probably going to make sure the people around the corner were on task as well. Eyezor really took the supervision part of his job seriously.

Chope and Kapau stayed silent as they watched him stomp around the corner, giving it a few extra minutes to be sure he was gone before they went back to gushing about their new names.

It wasn't like that was an actual rule.

Skylor was getting into position for Lloyd’s attack and Chen was so so proud of her. She had been skilled enough to capture the Master of Lightning without compromising her cover. The boy had confirmed as much when he cited her absence as if it were a problem for him.She was shaping up to be Chen’s perfect successor, and Kai, a suitable right hand for her.

Skylor was even showing promise in learning the basics of dark magic that Clouse was showing her. She was still on the basics, but Clouse won’t be around forever and dark magic was so useful. She could maybe employ a dark sorcerer someday, but Chen wasn’t going to rely on that panning out.

But proud of her as he was, Chen did miss it when she was a dependent little girl. She’d fed a need for him when she so desperately tried to please him. Maybe he’d miss it less if her mother was still around.

Amaryllis’s death was something Chen didn’t plan for.

Granted, he didn’t plan for her to enter his life either, so it was probably the most fitting thing for her to leave it just as suddenly. She was always surprising him, good and bad. That was why he loved having her. She was so entertaining by nature.

She entered his life like a wrecking ball and made such a mess of herself in the process that Chen couldn’t turn her away. He hadn’t even known she was the Master of Amber until she’d already planted her roots in him. Willfully dependent woman that she was, Chen barely had a say in the whole affair.

Amaryllis had found herself enamored with the first bad boy to promise her the world. Her pirate said he was going to take care of her every need, if she only helped him. She stole from her father for him, burned her bridges for him, and ran away from the only home she’d ever known for him.

In exchange, he left her stranded on the first island he found. The very island Chen had been banished to after the Serpentine war.

She wept and wandered until she found Chen’s estate. Most rational people would knock on the front door and beg to be helped back to the mainland. A sensible woman in Amaryllis’s place would probably return to her father and apologize for her naivety.

Amaryllis was her own type of woman though. She entered through a window, found the kitchen, turned the place upside down, found a box of cookies, and settled on the floor to ride out her misery with them.

Chen was still nursing his ego after his failures of the Serpentine War at the time. He’d lost his prize pupil and gotten himself banished. So, hearing word of a break in saw him beside himself with rage. Gathering all of his remaining forces, Chen was preparing to take his anger out on his unfortunate guest.

He’d come bursting into the room with a couple dozen men and weapons enough for three armies. Amaryllis barely looked up with her tear stained face. She had spears pointing in her face, and yet Chen was the one who’s jaw dropped.

She asked for milk.

She wasn’t phased in the slightest at the clear threat of death and Chen couldn’t help but stare at her. Long reddish hair half back in a messy crown braid and soft caramel eyes without a hint of fear. She had crumbs all over her flushed cheeks like this was a normal place for her to be. It was a strange sight, and not one he had any idea how to react to.

Somehow, his short circuited brain landed on something so insane, it matched her perfectly. He turned to the closest goon he had, and ordered them to get her the milk. As if it were an obvious thing they should’ve known to do without him asking!

In that insane moment, with his mind so thoroughly lost, Chen’s heart decided to take the liberty of falling in love.

She never started to make any more sense. She was her own kind of crazy, and Chen adored it. She was just as spontaneous as he was, maybe more so.

So many things upset her. Chen never could fully work out the list. Though it didn’t help that the context was impossible to track from one instance to the next. Some days something would be fine, but the next: devastation. She was a fragile person.

Chen never minded it. It was just as well, because he thoroughly enjoyed comforting her when she was upset. His favorite look to see on her was a bright blissful smile while her face was still red and puffy from crying, especially if he did it fast enough to see wet tears still in her eyes.

He liked her happy too. She was fun when she was happy. It was her idea to put trap doors in every room so they could banish someone to the dungeons on a whim. She dragged him, and all his men, outside to dance in the rain many times, just as often as she screamed at them. She chopped all her hair off one day and kept cutting it impulsively so often it never grew out again. (Chen suspected her father had been the one keeping her from doing that before she ran away. He never minded her short hair enough to stop her though.)

She kept life interesting.

Sad or happy, Amaryllis was never boring. That was why Chen believed she was his soulmate. He detested being bored, and she detested being boring. He wanted to feel powerful and in control, she wanted nothing more than to be told what to do. They both filled a need for one another.

Chen had laughed the hardest he had in his life the night Amaryllis dropped that she was the Master of Amber in the middle of a conversation. After what he’d done to the other Elemental Masters, it seemed absurd for so much power had plopped itself happily in his lap by complete chance.

Never one to let an opportunity go to waste, Chen proposed right there, without a ring. She said yes before he finished asking. They were always spontaneous like that.

Chen still wanted to claim her though. He wanted proof she belonged to him. He’d get a ring at some point, but he wanted something more immediate and permanent. He wanted to mark her.

He gave everyone a tattoo, but he wanted her to have something unique. He didn’t want to mar her skin too much, so a larger design wouldn’t work. He settled on giving her a two tone design. Instead of solid purple, he chose his other favorite color: red, and outlined it in the classic purple to keep it on brand.

A design he nostalgically repeated on Kai, since he would be taking Amaryllis’s role for Skylor.

Chen had been ecstatic to see the depth of Kai’s emotional damage. He wasn’t the same as Amaryllis; no one could ever copy her personal insanity, but he was comparable. His issues, while different, laid the same in many ways. Kai was like a new actor taking on an old role. Serving the same purpose in the story, hitting the same cues, and speaking the same lines, but doing it all as a new character in a way.

It wasn’t like Skylor was a perfect copy of Chen either. She was her own person, and had her own preferences. Chen could respect that.

Together, they would be his legacy. Chen was always the kind of person that thought ahead like that. Having heirs to maintain things when he got old and bored would ensure that his empire would outlive him. His name would be remembered for ages.

He was just sad Amaryllis wouldn’t get to be his official queen. She would’ve liked that.

Or maybe not. She really was unpredictable.

Jay was miserable. Lloyd was alone now, the one thing he had stressed to Jay that he didn’t want to happen.

And he still might be dead, that was a thing.

Jay had been trying to avoid that line of thought, but he was running out of alternatives to focus on. Being captured wasn’t going to help. The last thing he needed was to sit in a dark cell. That would force him to confront everything he had been shoving into the vibrating bag of bees that was his anxiety.

He did not want to do that. As soon as he opened that bag, there would be no getting those bees back under control. They would fly everywhere; sting everyone. It would be a disaster.

The metaphor got away from him, but the point was that doing nothing was going to do bad things to him.

He visibly relaxed when he was taken to a factory and told to work instead. It got him some odd looks, but manual labor was exactly what he needed. Jay was counting his few blessings.

“Oh, thank First Master.” Jay muttered in relief, turning to the conveyor belt and setting himself to task.

“Not the reaction I’d expect.”

Jay whirled around and found two faces more welcome than the work.

“Cole? Zane!? Is that you!?” Jay asked.

He picked up on Zane’s appearance after he spoke. Somehow Jay had seen Zane before he saw the metal. He could chalk that up to missing the guy.

“You look-”

“Different. I know.” Zane finished for him.

Oh Jay didn’t like how he said that. It was very un-Zane and concerning.

“I was going to say amazing!” He corrected enthusiastically.

“Not so loud!” Cole frantically shushed.

“The sentiment is appreciated though.” Zane added quietly “I am still….adjusting.”

Jay and Cole both gifted Zane with matching looks of concern. The thought was touching, but something they largely didn’t have time for. So Zane ignored it.

Never one to sit in silence when there were questions to ask, Jay soon spoke.

“Why are we being quiet?” he asked in a whisper.

“They think we’ve escaped and don’t know we’re here.” Cole explained.

“And you came back here?” Jay asked.

Before Cole’s mouth opened fully, Jay was washed with a flood of anger.

“And was there a reason you didn’t think to come find me and Lloyd!? Cause the kid has been a mess and it would’ve been nice to know that you guys were ok! Oh and by the way, he might be dead for your information. Which is just...another mess. And I’m trying very hard to not think too hard about that possibility. Chen is still hunting Nya down, and I don’t know if she found Kai or the spell. Skylor is still out there, but she’s alone. I have been trying so hard to keep it together and I really could’ve used some help!” Jay shouted.

Zane and Cole made shushing motions through the entire rant, though Cole paled hearing about Lloyd. It was likely Zane would’ve too if he still had skin.

Luckily the guards were too busy harassing Karlof to notice Jay’s tirade.

“We came back to bust everyone out.” Cole explained “What do you mean Lloyd might be dead!?”

“Chen dropped us from a plane.” Jay said in a flat voice, too tired to muster up the appropriate emotions “Garmadon included, but one parachute short. Lloyd gave his dad his parachute and tried to use his dragon, which he couldn’t because of how messed up everything is. He did something before he hit the ground, but no one could tell if it worked.”

Cole and Zane were looking at Jay in horror. Zane particularly looked sick, impossible as that was.

“What else happened?” Cole asked.

“Someone in the tournament is a spy for Chen, but no one had the tattoo all of Chen’s goons have. We checked. And Kai….we were avoiding that subject.”

“Dareth mentioned something about that.” Zane said.

“Heard my name?” Dareth said.

Ever the living coincidence, he appeared behind Zane with a box of parts in his arms right when he was brought up.

“Dareth? How did you get here?” Jay asked.

“I came with Nya. Did she not tell you?” Dareth asked

“We didn’t get to talk much.” Jay admitted “Did she find anything?”

“Yeah.” Dareth said, setting his box on the ground. “She found the spell. It’s a transformation spell. Chen’s plan is to turn himself and all his followers into Anacondrai warriors and start a new Serpentine war.”

“What!?” Jay, Cole, and Zane said, barely restraining their yelling.

“You didn’t want to lead with that!?” Cole asked, wondering why Dareth hadn’t told them this already.

“You didn’t ask.” Dareth mumbled in guilt.

He honestly didn’t remember until Jay asked. Before he could spiral into any unhealthy thoughts, Jay asked another question.

“Did she find Kai?” Jay asked hopefully.

Maybe that mess was at least sorted. Maybe they had a scrap of luck to spare.

“She did. He’s in Clouse’s study under a sleeping spell. She overheard that Chen’s daughter is the only person that can wake him up.”

“Huh, so he really does have a daughter.” Jay thought as he nodded

There was no telling how much of what Kai had been told were lies. They didn’t know how much they could trust the information in his letters. So, it was nice to get confirmation of something.

“Urgh. If I’m remembering Nya’s story right, Kai is dating her.” Cole moaned. “Not looking forward to breaking that up.”

Zane was about to ask for more information on that, but Jay spoke first.

“Cole, that’s probably the least of our worries.” he said in a tight voice.

“Don’t worry, we’ve got a plan to bust out of here.” Cole assured him.

Jay didn’t relax though. That wasn’t the worry he was talking about.

Sensing the end of his usefulness and an imminently awkward conversion, Dareth slowly picked his box back up and walked away as quietly as he could.

“Cole. Kai has been here. With Chen. For months.” Jay stressed.

“And?” Cole asked impatiently.

After the words left his mouth he realized he was messing up again. He was being short with Jay. He needed to stop that. He promised himself.

He wasn’t going to blame Jay for overreacting. He was going to listen empathically like a good friend. He was going to do better.

“Cole, we’ve seen first hand how much damage Chen can do to someone, and that was with each other’s support and only during this tournament! We knew Chen was trying to get to us and still couldn’t avoid it. How do you think Kai fared? All alone? For that long?” Jay explained.

Cole paled again. He’d lost count of how many times he’d turned white on this island. He knew what Jay was saying. He himself had been tricked into hurting Jay, and Chen had broken Jay’s self worth with a single conversation. It wasn’t hard to picture a worst case scenario.

“What are you referring to?” Zane asked, giving the middle distance a fragile look.

Cole didn’t want to talk about it, didn’t want to admit to it. If Jay’s expression was anything to go off of, he felt the same.

“Let’s just say Chen took advantage of our fight.” Cole settled on.

Zane didn’t look satisfied with that answer.

“Anyways, Lloyd was not comfortable talking about the possibility, but Sensei Garmadon was pretty sure about it.” Jay explained, cutting Zane’s interrogation off. “It’s the only reason Chen would keep Kai separate from his other prisoners. And according to Garmadon, it’s exactly his style.”

“What exactly are you saying?” Cole asked.

“Chen might’ve turned Kai against us.” Jay said bluntly.

Cole had been, on some level, expecting that. But that didn’t mean he was braced for it. Hearing Jay spit those words out almost physically hurt.

Zane looked like a kicked puppy as well.

“That’s….that’s impossible.” Cole said, digging a nice head-sized hole in the sand.

“Please don’t.” Jay begged “Lloyd did this enough. It’s not just possible, it’s likely, Cole!”

“But…” Cole mumbled.

“We should have more faith in Kai.” Zane said firmly.

Denial was the trend, who was Zane to buck it?

Jay was too tired and stressed to have this argument. He threw his hands up in frustration. They would cross that bridge when they got there.

“Fine! Whatever! Believe what you want!” Jay relented “You said you had a plan to bust out of here?”

Cole ignored the uncertainty surrounding Kai, and nodded towards Karlof.

“We’re building our way out!” Zane said proudly.

Jay followed Cole’s line of sight to Karlof working hard on some kind of machine hidden by a cloth.

“They think we’re fixing the noodle machine, but we’re fixing a roto jet!” Cole explained.

“A roto jet? But aren’t we underground?” Jay asked in confusion.

“This is better than plan B, trust me.” Cole said in a harrowed tone.

“What’s plan-”

“You don’t want to know!” Cole forcibly assured him.

Jay chose to believe him.

The violence came more naturally than Garmadon was expecting. He didn’t think he’d even be able to fight again, but here he was, brawling like he was a young man again with evil thumping through his veins like a second heartbeat.

Ever since he’d been freed of that curse, such actions had made him physically sick and panicky. Just the feeling of a weapon sitting in his hand forced him to relive the experience of having no control, of doing things he didn’t want to do to sate the burning in his blood. It was traumatic enough that for the first few months that Garmadon couldn’t so much as look at a weapon without feeling the sweat and fear build up on his skin.

Misako had been very accommodating of that, enforcing his “no weapons on the property” rule.

Now however, Garmadon didn’t feel a speck of it. It surprised him, but he wasn’t pondering the reason. He knew good and well why he wasn’t feeling the usual way.

Nya accidentally kicked a pebble, alerting a nearby guard. Before the goon could take so much as step towards her Garmadon had already slammed his skull into the brick of the building he was guarding.

If it was in defense of his kids: “All bets were off” as he once told Pythor.

The only thing preserving these men’s lives was that Garmadon knew they were likely only misled by Chen’s evil. There were a number of them too rotten to be saved, but those kinds of calls couldn’t be made in the heat of a battle. So Garmadon would save his lethal rage for the two men he knew deserved it.

Garmadon watched Lloyd silently take out another of Chen’s followers with pride. Nya Took down two more with barely a grunt. So far everything was going smoothly. He had never believed in luck, but for the first time in his life, he crossed his fingers.

Scaling the wall of the main building like ghosts, the trio silently slipped in the window. The plush carpet muffled their footssteps as they made it through the threshold and took a moment to regroup.

“Remember, Chen is probably expecting us.” Garmadon whispered “And he loves his traps. Stay on guard.”

Nya and Lloyd nodded back before starting to silently make their way down the hall.

Garmadon was proud of them, but he was still terrified. He was pushing his senses to their limits to make sure they weren’t surprised. He saw the trip wire half a second before Lloyd, who thankfully stopped before Garmadon needed to warn him.

Lloyd pointed it out for Nya to see.

She nodded and jumped over it before Garmadon could tell her not to be so reckless. He picked Lloyd up and carried him over the thing before he received any more scares.

“I can step over a trip wire, Dad. I grew up at Darkley’s!” Lloyd hissed as Garmadon set him down.

Garmadon didn’t bother to excuse himself and his fathering. He was done doing that. He just looked ahead for the next obstacle. Lloyd huffed quietly while Nya looked the slightest bit amused.

Carefully they made their way down the hall from there. The silence was as comforting as it was nerve wracking. On the one hand, it meant nothing was happening yet, on the other hand, that yet was a sword of Damocles hanging over them.

It was years of living and breathing battle and conflict that raised Garmadon’s hackles and warned him of a danger he didn’t fully sense yet. Something gave him the gift of fear, and he understood to push Nya to the ground and pull his son close to the wall. Only when he watched the purple smoke of a dark magic blast pass them did he know why he did such a thing.

Clouse had found them.

“You’ve kept your skills sharp.” He said, the snarky tone couldn’t quite hide how genuinely impressed he was.

Or maybe Garmadon just knew him too well.

“Perhaps you’ve just gotten rusty” Garmadon snapped, stepping away from the wall, quickly noting where his kids were and gesturing for them to stay where they were.

Clouse did not like the insinuation. Not that Garmadon knew, but he hit the mark. Clouse hadn’t had a decent sparring partner since Garmadon left and his skills had suffered for it. Clouse’s face twisted into something ugly.

The angry look was Garmadon's only warning, but it was warning enough. He leaned to his right while a blast sailed over his left shoulder, a few inches in front of Lloyd. Garmadon thanked the forces of the world that his son had listened to him and stayed still. It wouldn’t be long before Clouse tried again though. Garmadon needed to get his kids out of danger.

He snatched Nya off the ground by the back of her shirt and placed her upright. The second she was properly on her feet, Garmadon gave his order.

“RUN!”

He shoved Lloyd after her and they ran the other direction while he rushed Clouse. Keeping him from aiming anything at Lloyd and Nya was his only thought. He had no more plan than that.

When he reached Clouse he ungracefully took them both to the ground. With a wrist in each grip, Garmadon rolled Clouse over him until he hit the wall, slamming him on it as many times as he could get away with before Clouse got his knees under him and started to stand, half dragging Garmadon with him.

In an effort to free himself, Clouse ended up flinging Garmadon across the hallway. He slammed on the wall with his feet above him, taking a tapestry to the ground with him as gravity took hold. Instincts kept him from snapping his neck when he came to the ground head first in a tangle of fabric.

It was a bad position to be in, but surprisingly Clouse let Garmadon sort himself out and stand instead of taking the cheap shot. Garmadon had one good guess why.

“Just like old times.” Clouse said with a fond snarl.

Clouse wanted to prove something. He wanted to feel like a victor against Garmadon. Even after all this time, his ego was still nursing the wound. It would be pathetic if it wasn’t so dangerous.

Garmadon was nowhere near as nostalgic. He was tired and enraged at a level he thought was no longer possible. Such a rage rendered his vocabulary a bit...restricted.

Even in the height of the venom’s influence, Garmadon had never resorted to crude language. Clouse knew that. Garmadon was always a well spoken man who used his words carefully. So when the foulest swear Garmadon had ever known launched over his tongue, Clouse was thrown off his rhythm.

It provided Garmadon with the perfect opportunity to leap towards him with a kick and send him into the other wall. The decor clattered from the impact, but Garmadon was not done. Taking Clouse’s face in his grip, Garmadon slammed his skull on the wall again, hard enough to rattle teeth loose.

A knee to his stomach sent him backwards enough for Clouse to get free.

“I will not lose to you again!” he declared, launching attacks of dark magic in rage.

Garmadon avoided them all with little effort. Clouse always had a habit of putting more focus into the power than he did the aim, especially when he was angry. Garmadon however, had always been excellent at dodging and defense. It was just like the training yard, Clouse’s embarrassment included.

The wayward shots hit the walls, destroying the trinkets all along it. Chen’s toys were getting ruined in the fight. Garmadon tutted disapprovingly.

“So destructive. What would your Master think?” Garmadon said, almost parentally.

Clouse snarled, his nostrils flaring like a beast. He hated that Garmadon was right. Chen would be furious if he knew Clouse was breaking his things.

On the other hand, Garmadon calling attention to their surroundings reminded Clouse of Chen’s favorite thing to collect. He barely needed to scan before he found a weapon display to use, only one step away.

Clouse grabbed two swords. He threw one and charged with the second in a proper hold.

Garmadon couldn’t dodge them both in time. In the split second he had, Garmadon made the choice to avoid the thrown sword, and step in the path of the other. The deciding factor in it being that there was an Anacondrai sword two steps in that direction. He had always wanted to use the thing, and now seemed to be the time.

Garmadon only took one nasty slash down his left arm before he had the superior weapon. He slashed through the metal of Clouse’s traditional Metalonian scimitar. A sturdy weapon in any other regard, but brittle compared to the blade of an Anacondrai Fallen Sword.

Clouse did his best to use what remained to try and knock Garmadon’s weapon out of his hands, but it was a futile effort. Clouse ended up throwing the useless handle to the side while he backed away from Garmadon.

Finally, Garmadon had weapon and opportunity. Clouse would pay for everything he had done and threaten to do. Garmadon slashed without mercy, feeling bones nick and crack as the blade slid through flesh. The blood was dropping into the carpet in globs and disappearing into the color. They would reveal themselves as a gross brown when they dried. Droplets were being thrown onto the walls with every violent swing, the red was angry against the cool grey.

With a furious slash across his face, Clouse fell to the ground, covered in lines of blood.

“So much for the peaceful Sensei Garmadon.” Clouse said in dark humor, holding blood back with a hand to his face “How is it you’re more merciless now than you ever were with evil in your blood?”

Garmadon shook with his rage while Clouse took stock of his many new holes. Surely he knew. Surely he wasn’t that ignorant. No, this was an insult. One that could rattle Garmadon’s bones with its gall.

“BECAUSE YOU THREATENED MY CHILDREN!” he roared.

Clouse paused.

“Plural?” he asked calmly.

Garmadon continued to shake like a scared purse dog, though he was anything but.

“They’re all mine.” Garmadon confirmed.

He had no hesitation in that thought anymore. He would admit it with pride.

Clouse chuckled.

“Still a thief in love, are you?” Clouse accused.

He, of course, was referring to the letter. He was implying Garmadon was stealing these children, like this was pure selfishness. As if Garmadon had no right to them. The very fear that had stopped him before.

Garmadon knew better now. He knew he truly cared for those children and required nothing from them. Protection was all he forced on them; all he ever would. He wanted them safe and happy above all else. Clouse had no ground to stand on.

“Your judgments on morality are moot at best.” Garmadon said, almost laughing himself.

Clouse smiled back and for a moment, Garmadon remembered the moments they had been friends.

Few, far between, and getting more so the longer they trained under Chen. But they were there. They did exist.

The more things change, the more they stay the same though. Chen never wanted them to be close, and was still preventing it. Even if he wasn’t there physically, his presence still was. Clouse, well trained as he was, would plunge the knife in the pleasant moment himself.

“Unfortunately, you’re a little late on Kai. Master Chen has already claimed the boy as his own.” Clouse announced gleefully.

Garmadon felt his blood ignite like oil.

“What.” he said in a deceptively level voice.

He was calm, but dangerously so. The uncontrolled fury was stalled only in its intensity; the flood kept back by its own weight. Clouse just confirmed Garmadon’s worst fears, and he was bragging about it.

Clouse laughed again, enjoying the pain he was inflicting.

“Surely you suspected it?” Clouse taunted “It was such a sight to watch him break. He didn’t resist for long. It was so simple to-”

Garmadon didn’t let Clouse finish. He should’ve. Clouse was in a talking mood and bound to say something useful, something that could help. But Garmadon knew enough about Chen, and about Kai, that he could fill in most of what he needed to know. Kai, the poor child, had endured all the torture and manipulation Garmadon had, and more. He had been broken and totally ensnared by Chen.

Every painful memory flashing through his mind, every scar and injury throbbing anew, Garmadon relived the entirety of Chen in a moment. All the fear and pain of it, Kai now matched. Chen had done it again, and succeeded.

The fiery little orphan that tried to fight Lord Garmadon by himself in a desperate bid to feel like he had a purpose. The brother Lloyd had needed those days Garmadon couldn’t be with him. The passionate boy that gave until he ached. Chen had stolen him, extinguished that flame, and stuffed him with lies like cotton in a doll.

Feeling the shatter of every speck of restraint he had ever had, Garmadon moved. The fire in his blood was stronger than the venom ever thought about being. He had no control of his actions, of his thoughts. The fury took the wheel from him, and he was content to let it.

Clouse’s nails dug into Garmadon's hands, leaving red lines of blood. His legs kicked and struggled, but they weren’t strong enough to save him. Mouth opening in silent screams, his tongue wildly trying to form last words of some kind, Clouse was helpless.

Spit was dripping out of Clouse’s mouth, but Garmadon was too far gone to feel disgust. Everything was blotted out with a sharp white rage. His nails dug into the soft skin of Clouse’s neck, drawing the most delicate droplets of blood.

In between some impressive curses, Garmadon heard the words “Not my kid! Not my kid!” coming from his own lips. Aside from that, and a string of words that could make a Skulkin blush, it was enraged nonsense. Garmadon was too far gone to consider his actions, let alone his words.

In his righteous passion, Garmadon made out cracks of purple growing out of his grip on Clouse’s neck. Glowing, and noxious in color, Garmadon recognized it. The power of destruction was rotting Clouse’s skin. Spiderweb like cracks crawled further and further towards Clouse’s face, dissolving his jawline and reaching towards his eyes like claws of death. Said eyes started to blind as Garmadon’s powers consumed the tissue. They became milky voids while the spit falling out of his mouth became an awful mixture of purple and red. Ironically Chen’s two favorite colors.

Clouse twitched one last time before life finally rejected him, not wanting to claim such a withered thing. His neck hung limp in Garmadon’s grip and his skin flaked away in paper like scraps of white as Garmadon removed his hands, not a single cell still clinging to the skirt of life.

Garmadon had rarely used his powers in his life and certainly never planned to use it on a person. But the thought of what Clouse had done to Kai had reached far enough into his heart and squeezed so hard that Garmadon’s powers acted without thought or restraint.

Clouse looked like death and decay had ripped the breath out of his throat, but Garmadon supposed that was exactly what happened. The element of Destruction itself had been so furious on behalf of its master, that it had done its job in the cruelest fashion.

Staring at the ghastly scene, Garmadon almost regretted it. He almost felt sick.

But then he thought of what had been done to Kai, and only felt satisfied.

Absolute Chaos.

Lloyd was losing it. He got separated from his dad and everything went wrong. Chen’s men flooded the hallway. He and Nya were trying to fight their way through, but the crowd was starting to close in on him.

Or maybe he was panicking. That was a very real possibility.

Nya yelled something out and Lloyd whipped his head around to find her. He needed to see her. He needed to know where she was.

Shirtless men with tattoos and face paint where all he could see, all of them hostile. Not a glimpse of Samurai armor to ground him. Not one friend left.

He had finally lost everyone.

He was alone.

He was alone. He was alone. He was alone. He was alone. He was alone. He was alone. He was alone. He was alone. He was alone. He was alone. He was alone. He was alone. He was alone.

Lloyd took a hit to the face and his head cracked backwards.

Right, he couldn’t panic. He had to fight. He always had to fight.

Lloyd screamed in frustration as he pushed people back and blasted them with his element. He hated this. He hated his life. All that training and work and where was he? Back where he started! A lonely little brat with no friends and no father. All he gained was more issues and a heavier heart.

The goons were closing in further. Lloyd felt his lungs squeeze shut and refuse to open again.

This was too much. How was he supposed to fight like this!? He couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe, and he was alone. His element was responding to his panic, pushing Chen’s men back with violent explosions. That was probably a good thing. No one could kill him while he was freaking out.

He needed space. He needed his family. These people weren’t his family. He needed them away!

They were regrouping. They were coming for him. They took them all way. Zane. Kai. Cole. Jay. His dad. Nya.

The air was gone. The world was blurry. Lloyd was alone.

He was running. When did he start running?

He was falling. Where did he fall from?

He was running again. Did he even land?

He turned a sharp corner to avoid the giant snake. When did that start chasing him?

Where was he? Why did he stop running? Why did he start? How did he get in the catacombs? Where was Clouse’s snake? Chen’s men? Where was he? When did he start crying? Why was he alone?

He didn’t want to be alone.

Lloyd sat down and started to sob earnestly.

Skylor steeled her nerves and focused on her role of escapee. She had to sell it one last time and convince Lloyd that she was on his side long enough to get him into her father’s trap. Then she was done. She could have Kai back and move on with her life.

She could finally stop putting faces to Kai’s stories. She hadn’t expected to find herself caring at all, let alone enough to cause guilt. But the ugly people she had pictured were not who she was facing. She wasn’t protecting Kai from the unworthy, she was taking him away from the people that loved him. Imperfect as they were, they never wanted to hurt him. They weren’t monsters and they wanted to apologize.

Skylor found herself softening to them, and that was bad for her. They were kind like Kai was. All goodwill and upstanding morals.

Their sweetness was nothing but bitter for her. She was abusing every inch of trust they gave her.

Same as she had done to Kai.

She couldn’t help but think about it. She knew she had abused Kai’s trust. In exchange for his commitment, he’d been made into a puppet. They poisoned him, like dirty snakes.

Then again he was happy, wasn’t he?

He’d been given the father figure he needed and she was certain their relationship was something he enjoyed. He would be given all of life’s luxuries when they conquered Ninjago. He had his needs taken care of and more, fed fine food and clothed in expensive fabric. He got everything he could have ever wanted.

And she got him.

Skylor had to remind herself of that. The alternative is she hand him over and give up on everything she had with him. She wasn’t going to do that, so her guilt was pointless. She was the future princess of Ninjago, and she was certain that if the current Jade Princess wanted a boy when she came of age, no one would even consider what destruction was left when they plucked him out of his life and brought him to her. Why should she be any different? She wanted Kai. She got Kai.

Besides, she quite liked being the center of his world. She didn’t want to share him with all these others.

Skylor worked herself up and down in such a fashion the entire time she waited for Lloyd. She was just starting to feel another bubble of guilt gurgling when she got word that Lloyd had fallen down a trapdoor and was now in the catacombs. They told her his general location so she could find him.

He fell alone, so he was away from Nya, who Skylor was quite honestly not ready to face yet. There was a lot of nerves she had to settle first. Stories of her temper aside, it was natural for her to be nervous to meet her boyfriend’s sister and only family. Family Skylor had helped disconnect him with.

There was that pesky guilt again. Skylor needed to focus! She needed to be ready when she found Lloyd.

She had her lies laying ready on her tongue, but they fell down her throat when she saw him. No amount of preparation would have her ready for what she found.

He was so small.

Just a tiny boy in green curled up against the wall, sobbing his eyes out.

She understood now.

He finally looked like the child Kai had described. The one she had been surprised to not see at the start of the tournament. Just when she was ready to call Kai a sentimental liar, this happens.

Lloyd hid it well, very well. He had to. He was the Green Ninja. He was expected to be a symbol of hope and courage. Lloyd had to hide the fact that he truly was what Kai saw: a kid.

She didn’t sign up to lie to a kid.

“But you did sign up to keep Kai.” she silently reminded herself.

No matter how fragile he looked, Lloyd was competition and a threat. For Kai’s attention, and to her father’s plans. She had to deal with him. She had made her father a promise. She had a mission.

Skylor didn’t fail missions.

One more deep breath, and Skylor went about comforting him like she was a friend. Her teeth could’ve rotten and fallen out from all the lies she was pushing through them.

He was having a panic attack, she deduced that quickly. Her body tensed when he launched himself into a desperate hug, which nearly crumpled her resolve. He was so scared and hurt. So much like Kai after he was tortured, desperate for contact and reassurance.

She bit her lip and rode the wave of sympathy until it passed, just like she had been trained to. She was Master Chen’s daughter. She would get her mission done and be rewarded. That was the way of the world.

A million bitter lies passed her lips like poison into Lloyd’s ears before he finally calmed down and asked her for help. That was her cue. It was time to sink the knife in. This was the last play of the game. Then she could finally make-out with her boyfriend again.

She led him straight into her fathers trap without a word of goodbye.

Lloyd didn’t say a word either, he just cried. His panic attack returned in full force while Chen started to brutalize him with almost every element there was.

It was another form of torture altogether to listen to it. Anguished cries pulled Skylor back to the times she had done wrong. She had been on that same floor, suffering at the hands of the same man, and praying to the same gods for mercy. It had been years since she’d needed that kind of discipline, but the sound of it was like quicksand, dragging her into her memories.

“Better him than me.” she reminded herself.

She still ran to hide in her room before the fight was finished. It was too hard to listen to.

She hid under the covers of her bed and longed for Kai. Lonely, frustratingly guilty, and craving his comfort, she was counting down the seconds until she had him back.

That was the only thing making all of this worth it.

Jay had taken over working on the Roto jet. He was used to building with improvised parts, and needed something to blindly focus on. Ideally something that would clear his head, but leave his emotions in the bottle for now. The pressure in that bottle was getting impressive.

There was a long list of things Jay was trying to not think too much about. Lloyd’s possible death. Kai’s possible betrayal. The empty feeling under his skin where he knew his lightning should be buzzing.

It was only a matter of time before he blew up, but Jay did not have the time to address it. It would wait. It would all wait. Right now, he had his work.

The screwdriver was shaking in his grip, but he got it seated on the screw. He technically needed a shorter screw, but long was all he had to work with, so it would stick out a little. No big deal. It would work. Better too long than too short.

There was a gap he needed to cover. Karlof looked sad when he asked for a decent sized piece of scrap metal. Jay figured he’d look the same way if somebody asked him to plug their phone in to charge.

Cole and Zane were on look out, standing behind him. Not at all increasing his anxiety. They didn’t want to accept that Kai was taking orders from Chen now. Jay couldn’t convince them. So he didn’t try. That was another thought he was avoiding.

He could fix a roto jet. He would fix a roto jet.

He couldn’t fix his team. He wouldn’t fix his team.

Karlof whistled a warning. Jay covered his work and hid, not bothering to check on Zane and Cole. They could hide themselves just fine without him. They were hiding from the truth well enough.

Karlof started to try and stall the guards, but they weren’t checking on the noodle machine today. Instead, they had a new “prisoner with a job” to bring in.

They dragged the unconscious person in and Jay was too shocked to scream. It was a very bruised Nya they had with them. They dropped her on the ground like a sack of flour and walked away. Jay burned with silent anger while they turned to the other workers.

“When she wakes, make her work.” they announced. “Master Chen wants a feast to celebrate his defeat of the Green Ninja!”

They turned and coldly left Nya on the ground.

Jay had a new distraction.

Good thing too, because he did not want to unpack any part of “defeat of the Green Ninja”.

Fate had decided to grace all his enemies today. Garmadon kept suffering lucky hits. After leaving Clouse to be found, he could almost call it punishment.

Taking stock of all his injuries, Garmadon kept looking for his children.

The blood dripped down his arm from where Clouse had slashed him, not that Garmadon hadn’t gotten adequate retribution for it. There was a good chance that grunt with a spear had cracked a rib when he tripped over his friend. There was no exaggeration in calling them lucky hits. His ankle was swelling, but Garmadon didn’t even remember how he could’ve injured it. Granted, that could have been in part due to the concussion he picked up at some point. Really no way to narrow down which blow to the head did that.

He wasn’t standing as tall as he normally did, but he still had the Fallen Sword with him and he wasn’t going to stop until his children were safe. Signs of struggle were everywhere, but it was impossible to tell who had been where and he had a sinking feeling that Lloyd and Nya got separated.

He was slowing down and needed to find them fast, before he received too much more damage.

If Lloyd was still fighting Chen in the main house, it would be loud, yet Garmadon heard nothing like that. So the fight was over, or it had moved. There was no sign of their fight moving, and if Lloyd had lost, he’d be taken to the catacombs.

Garmadon still remembered where the secret passage he needed was. Still behind the gold serpentine sarcophagus. He never did figure out if it was a replica Chen had made, or an authentic one he repurposed into a door. It was tacky either way, but his archaeologist wife would be more upset with the second. She was probably not going to be thrilled with him using the antique sword either, but at least he wasn’t damaging it.

It was strange, the things that came to one’s mind during stressful events.

Leaping down the stairs five at a time, he wondered what he was going to say to her when he returned. She had always shared his concern over Kai and Nya, so she should be alright with the arrangement Garmadon had in mind. Kai would need his guidance if they were ever going to pull Chen’s roots out of him. Garmadon was the only mentor around that understood both what it was like to be Chen’s puppet and how to recover from it.

A sharp right corner, Garmadon remembered how to get to the dungeons.

He hadn’t been down in the tunnels since before he left with the intention to never return. The sight of the rough stone reminded him of red tinted vision and burning blood. He jumped over the uneven floor before he remembered it was there. This was a well worn path for him, it shocked him how much muscle memory was overtaking him.

The crack was still in the wall from where he had thrown a rock at it in rage. At the time he was surprised and delighted to see the stone explode into fragments.

That was where Clouse tripped and broke his nose, right? They had been running late and Clouse didn’t see the loose stone Garmadon had kicked into his path.

This was the alcove he’d eat in when he was trying to avoid everyone. In retrospect, it was because it was the only hiding place Chen didn’t know about. If Garmadon hid anywhere else, he’d be found and bothered.

Was that spider web still there!?

The purple wall of scales was new.

Oh….that was Ani. She had gotten bigger.

Garmadon tried to outmaneuver her, but she knew the tunnels better than even he did and was also a giant man-eating snake.

“It’s karma.” Garmadon declared to himself, barely dodging her fangs.

He still got a nasty scrape on his right arm. Good, he needed it to match the one Clouse gave him on his left.

“After personally destroying the biggest snake Ninjago has ever seen, it’s only reasonable the second biggest would exact its revenge on me.” Garmadon grunted, pushing himself back up and twirling away from her next attempt.

She could also want revenge for what he did to her master, but he wasn’t inclined to bring that up. She might not know yet.

She came at him with fangs bared, but in dodging that, Garmadon left himself open to her tail. He had enough skill to jump over that too, but unfortunately Ani was in the perfect position to headbutt him.

He hit the wall much harder than he had when Clouse had thrown him. He just about bit his tongue off, but that wasn’t the only reason he spit blood.

“That was a rib.” Garmadon lamented.

He just upgraded from cracked, to broken. And his concussion wasn’t getting better. And his ankle was really starting to protest its lack of care.

No time. He had to roll away from Ani’s next strike.

A fang still managed to tear his side open, pouring more blood out. Blood loss was going to be a problem soon.

Good news, Ani wasn’t venomous. Bad news, her mouth wasn’t exactly sterile. Infection was added to the lists of concerns that had to wait.

A swing of his sword, and Ani was down an eye. If her spit wasn’t enough to infect his wound, the gushing blood and fluid that now coated him was certainly going to do it. Garmadon groaned.

Ani did not like losing an eye, as is typical of most living things that have them. She raged, throwing her head back and forth madly. Garmadon got thrown back into the wall in the chaos.

It could almost be called gentle after what he’d already suffered. Using his sword as a crutch, Garmadon stood back up and approached Ani from her blind side.

She roared and snapped her jaws blindly, closing them over his leg and biting down with all her fury. Garmadon heard and awful crunching noise and saw nothing but white for a moment.

Gasping as his lungs gave him back his ability to breathe, well as much as the broken rib would allow, Garmadon stabbed his sword in again at the joint of her jaw while she lifted him in the air.

It worked, Ani released him. Now to problem number two. His falling.

That problem did not get solved and turned into the new problem of his dislocated arm letting go of his weapon.

And the blood loss was creeping up the priority list.

And the concussion wasn’t improving. Garmadon’s vomit proved that.

Of course there was blood in that too. Why wouldn’t Garmadon have that problem? He had all the other problems!

A particularly pressing one was the angry snake coming at him and sinking a fang into his shoulder. The located one. Because he needed to be balanced in all things of course.

He wasn’t able to hold a sword, and dodging was going to be a bit late. So Garmadon balanced things himself. Or maybe it was just poetic.

The power that had ended her master, was now poisoning Ani. She pulled away in pain, but Garmadon wasn’t done. He knew how many lives the snake had ended, and had run fresh out of mercy. One angry hurl of his powers to the roof and the tunnel caved in on her.

Poetic he decided.

His past was destroyed and buried. The worn path he’d taken daily was now a closed off pile of rubble with a dead snake at the bottom. Nothing that could haunt him.

Plus, Garmadon had just killed the largest snake in Ninjago, again. He laid on the ground and laughed to himself.

Or maybe that was the blood loss.

Probably the blood loss.

He was starting to get cold and couldn’t stop shaking, so definitely the blood loss. That wasn’t going to wait any longer.

He didn’t want to stop. His kids needed him. He needed to get up.

He barely pulled himself away from the mess he’d made of the stone tunnel before his working arm stopped moving. His broken body wouldn’t respond. No amount of will power could overcome his injuries at this point.

It was against that will that his eyes shut.

It was disappointing really. Lloyd had tired himself out with the battle and subsequent panic attack. So, there wasn’t much fight left in him while he was escorted to Chen to lose his powers. With eyes hiding behind a greasy curtain of blonde hair; two shades too dark. He looked small. Head hung, feet dragging, the picture was nothing like the grand hero Ninjago knew him as.

Chen felt nostalgic.

It was a decent mirror to how Kai had looked after his last punishment. The one that broke him and gave Chen total control. Control he was about to test.

He could jump in a circle with how excited he was. Things had been bumpy in parts, but all and all it had gone to plan. Which meant it was almost time for his finale.

Chen excitedly planned how he wanted to do the reveal and who he wanted to send to collect the remaining ninja.

He could have Chope and Kapau escort them, they seemed to be doing alright with the Green Ninja. Granted he wasn’t them fighting much, but they would need to give them more responsibility if he was going to grow them.

Funny. He didn’t remember giving them those nicknames, but he only gave nicknames to the followers he had plans for. It was a powerful tool in remaking a person, so Chen used it on followers he was grooming for a certain job.

Like his current favorite Kabuki girl. The one he was grooming to take a leadership position. Her name was a common flower name for her home region, so Chen had started calling her Blossom instead; a much less common name. It was something to make her feel special, and more importantly, reborn. Sakura was an existing person, Chen could only make so many changes. But Blossom was a work in progress and Chen could draft the plans.

Wasn’t she Kapau’s sister? That could’ve been it. Maybe Chen thought promoting her brother and his boyfriend (Was that his boyfriend? Chen couldn’t tell.) would give him more power over her or something.

Or maybe it was something else entirely. Whatever. He’d figure it out later. He must’ve had something in mind for them. Why else would he give them nicknames?

For now he had a puppy to kick.

That was exactly what it felt like witnessing Lloyd being chained down into position. Eyes downcast, hair unkempt, he looked like an unwashed orphan. Thankfully, he lacked the odor of one as Chen had to get awfully close to steal his powers.

He wasn’t sure if he was more proud of his handiwork, or annoyed at how boring Lloyd was now. He looked nothing like the proud Green Ninja that had started the tournament. His demeanor screamed only defeat now.

Curiously, Chen used the top of his staff to shove Lloyd’s chin up, wanting to see if the defeat was reflected in his eyes. Chen was satisfied to see fresh tracks of tears beneath the dull green irises, but more so to see just a hint of defiance behind it and the smallest pout of anger on Lloyd’s lips.

So there was a scrap of fight left. Good. The finale wouldn’t be nearly as fun without it.

Nya’s pulse was strong and she was breathing evenly. She seemed fine, but there was no way of knowing for sure until she woke up.

Jay was thoroughly distracted from working on the Roto Jet. Karlof had taken over while he was busy fussing over Nya, but the Metaloian was not as used to working with repurposed scrap. He was significantly slower than Jay was and it was pushing their escape back.

Dareth didn’t say a word about it. Jay wasn’t in any condition to work anyways. He understood that. He just wished he could get the others to understand that too.

Most of them didn’t know Nya in the slightest and no one liked having their escape postponed because of a stranger. Cole had to threaten a few of them to get them to back off of Jay. Dareth was desperately trying to play “good cop” and balance it out, but the peace was fragile and Cole wasn’t being gentle with it.

He wasn’t being gentle with Jay either to be honest. Him and Zane were concerned about Nya, but they were also both anxious about their delayed escape plan. Jay was slowing them down a lot by refusing to leave Nya’s side. So they were both hovering over him and Nya, trying not to say anything.

The situation was a powder keg and that was before factoring in the elephants in the room.

The guards had confirmed that Lloyd was defeated. Whether that meant “dead” or not was a question no one wanted to ask. The Kai issue was a sleeping beast none of them were poking. It was going to be bad, they all knew that on some level.

Dareth was worried about these kids. He was attentively watching them while he did his best to assist Karlof.

Poor guy was really trying to match Jay’s pace, but he just couldn’t. Dareth could always relate to inadequacy, but he didn’t dare offer his clumsy words of consolation. He was self aware enough to know he would do more harm than good.

From across the room, Dareth could see Zane start to nervously fidget. It wasn’t something Zane had ever been known to do. Just another sign of how stressful things had gotten.

Jay and Nya hadn’t moved. Dareth didn’t think he’d ever seen the Blue Ninja so quiet. It was not a good sign.

Cole looked like he was about to explode again. Dareth checked to be sure Karlof wouldn’t need him for a moment or two, pushed off the crate he had been leaning on, and started to casually walk over. He just wanted to be nearby in case he had to smooth out Cole’s ill temper again.

He was interrupted before he got there though.

About three steps into his journey and a dozen guards came storming in with no warning. Cole and Zane didn’t have time to hide, though none of Chen’s men looked shocked to see them.

Dareth watched in horror as all the ninja were grabbed. Two guards for each. Even Nya, who was still unconscious, was yanked up with an arm in each goon’s grip.

Cole kicked and struggled, the guards responded in kind and Cole doubled over after taking three hard hits to the stomach. Jay tried to fight, but he seemed too tired to give them as much trouble as Cole. Zane simply asked questions that were not being answered.

Karlof made a move to try and help them, but Dareth’s panicked eyes jumped to the Roto Jet. Their escape; almost finished, but not quite done.

Dareth wasn’t a smart man. He didn’t like to rely on his own brain. He didn’t trust himself to not make a mess. He did well when he didn’t think. His luck didn’t work when he tried to be smart about things. Dareth accepted that. He lived his life like that and it worked out best that way.

But his brain demanded he think this one through. Some instinct screamed at him to be smart instead of standing by this time.

Against every rule Dareth had, he stopped Karlof.

“Don’t.” Dareth said.

“But Cole-” Karlof started.

“The jet!” Dareth countered.

Karlof paled and looked back at their escape plan. He gave Dareth a resigned nod, and turned around to cover it back up with the sheet.

Dareth turned back around and saw that the Ninja were being taken out of the factory to some unknown destination.

He should’ve let Karlof help them! Why did he think he knew better? Surely that was a bad idea! It was his idea! He didn’t have good ideas! Ever.

Dareth felt sick. He wanted to faint. He just messed up his luck and jinxed them all be trying to be rational and smart.

Forget trying to be useful, Dareth couldn’t even manage to not be a hindrance!

The groan came before awareness for Nya. Everything was sore and she might be concussed still.

She was also being dragged by her arms.

Fighting her way out of the grip wasn’t happening so she tried to ask where she was instead. In place of words, only a rasping sound came out of her. Did they really have to hit her in the throat four times?

“NYA!” Jay chirped “Are you ok?”

Nya strained to see Jay being dragged behind her by two other guards, and possibly Cole behind him. And something? Someone? silver behind him.

She croaked out something that sounded close enough to “I’m ok” to pacify Jay’s panicking. That was one problem solved, but she still had her question unanswered.

What was happening?

“You guys wouldn’t happen to be in an evil monologue kind of mood, would you?” Cole asked, hoping to get an answer for himself.

“That’s for Master Chen to do.” someone answered.

It was hard to tell them apart.

“Wait, do you mean we’re getting brought to Chen so he can brag!?” Jay screeched.

It was a perfect insult to add to the injury. Taking time out of everyone’s day to drag them all before the lunatic just so he could jeer at them. If Nya didn’t already hate the man, this would do it.

As they approached the room, Nya tried her best to push her legs against the doorway and stop the whole progression, but it didn’t work. All of them were brought onto the dumb stone stage with a packed house of Chen worshiping morons standing audience to their ridicule.

Lloyd was already on stage, hanging his head. He was being held on his knees and didn’t look to be struggling much.

But he was alive and breathing. Nya heard everyone call out to him in relief.

He didn’t look up. Getting closer Nya could see he had clearly been crying, and it looked like he could start again any moment. Alive was a low bar for “ok”.

Even if Nya could speak, she was forced onto her knees next to him before she could offer any support. They were all roughly placed into a line like circus animals while Nya tried to will her voice to work. She had some choice words to share.

Bright side, she could see Zane now. He was silver for some reason, but she’d ask about that when her voice recovered and they weren’t being made to indulge a mad man’s ego.

Chen’s followers were loudly cheering while the snake of a man came down the steps. He walked down step by step, like it was a gaudy stage production. Nya rolled her eyes.

“Yes! Yes! I am awesome! Settle down!” Chen said with the smile of a game show host.

The audience calmed down at Chen’s words. While Nya visibly gagged at them. Chen only gave her one sour look, before moving on.

“My, how the mighty have fallen.” Chen grinned smugly.

“How did you know about our presence in the factory? As far as you knew, we had escape!” Zane asked.

“Oh please. Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?” Chen smacked Zane with his staff “Hello!? This is my island! Nothing happens here without my knowing! I am the master! I control everything here!”

Cole and Zane looked shell-shocked.

“Don’t be so sad!” Chen said in fake sympathy “You were all quite entertaining! I enjoyed playing with you!”

Cole was actually growling. Nya was guessing that there was some baggage there.

Chen turned to his followers.

“We sadly, are not without our losses.” Chen sighed “I just received word that Clouse has been murdered. I suspect Garmadon.”

Lloyd’s head tilted up almost imperceptibly at the mention of his dad.

“So we unfortunately can’t do the spell.” Chen whined.

The crowd erupted in distress.

“BUT! BUT!” Chen yelled, bringing their attention back to him.

He paused dramatically, before lifting his staff up.

“We still have all the elemental powers!”

There were cheers. Nya wondered if Chen was close enough for her to spit on him.

“And I promised you a grand finale to the Tournament of Elements!” Chen yelled excitedly.

The drums started while Zane silently nursed a sense of deja vu. That nagging feeling was back and he didn’t think he could ignore it anymore.

“You all know what’s coming!” Chen said playfully.

His followers started to stamp their feet and drum on their thighs in anticipation.

Nya didn’t like this. Jay was starting to twitch and look around. Cole was shaking his head. Lloyd was curling in on himself. Zane looked like someone just told him the monsters under his bed were real. She just felt sick.

The air felt thick and difficult to push it in and out of her lungs. Her ears were underwater while Chen played with the elements he’d stolen like they were gimmicks.

“no no no no no no” Lloyd was mumbling under his breath “please no please please no no no not this please.”

“That’s enough build up!” Chen announced. “Daughter!”

Skylor emerged from the crowd and stepped up onto the stage. Jay’s jaw dropped and he gave an indignant squeak.

“YOU!?” he roared. “YOU WERE THE SPY!?!?

Nya hadn’t heard Jay that mad since he found out about the “perfect match” thing with Cole. She was almost afraid.

“I CAN’T BELIEVE I TRUSTED YOU!” Jay ranted.

Skylor was very pointedly not looking at them. Good. She should feel ashamed of lying to Jay.

“You’re Chen’s daughter!?” Cole asked.

Wait, if Skylor was Chen’s daughter, that meant Kai and she…

Nya tried to murder the girl with her eyes. Suddenly she understood all the hazing Kai had put Jay through. Jay was a good person though, and had eventually earned Kai’s trust. Skylor was a snake and Nya wanted to skin her and make a purse.

“Now!” Chen said, clapping his hands “Bring out our Firebrand!”

Nya wished she had never heard that name, that she didn't know who it was. She wanted the last few blissful seconds of denial the others had.

Two men came in carrying someone on a decorative palanquin. Nya tried to look away. She didn’t want to see him there. She didn’t want to see this!

But like watching a car crash, she couldn’t tear her eyes off the brown spikes she could see. The red sleeve. The feeling deep in her bones that she knew exactly who that was.

All five of them watched in horror as Chen gave Skylor the go ahead to wake Kai from the sleeping spell.

Skylor was kissing him again, though he never fully registered that the first kiss ended. There was no pause, but somehow an infinity had passed.

He’d been deeper than “asleep”. He had been nowhere and he had been nothing. Completely removed from the world, from himself, he had no thoughts, no feeling, and no existence. He wasn’t real, just static. Feeling time pass, but suspended in the same moment with no break or transition.

Sensation fanned out from that one point of contact. Kai body came back online. Inch by inch, he existed again. His brain had to remember how to wake up before he could even begin to do it.

It was a slow process.

Eventually, he peeled open his eyes to see Skylor smiling at him. Her face was like a guide back to reality. It reminded him of when she had grounded him after his panic attack. Something trustworthy he could follow back to the real world.

Once he adjusted to consciousness and looked behind his guiding light, Kai started to take stock of his surroundings.

He was in the catacombs, the ceremony room specifically. The comforting sound of the drums made him smile while Skylor helped him sit up. Kai rubbed his eyes out of habit while he looked for Master Chen. Clearly, whatever he had been supposed to do was done. He wanted to know what he was supposed to do next.

“Master Chen…..” Kai trailed off.

Behind his master, to Kai’s horror, he saw all his former teammates. His siblings were all held on their knees like prisoners. They all looked appalled.

“Kai?” Lloyd asked in the most broken voice anyone had ever produced.

Lloyd looked half broken himself. Dirt on his face. Bright green eyes dull with emotion and shiny with tears. His hair limp and sad against his head. He had the most crestfallen expression Kai had ever seen. Somehow he looked worse than he had on the Dark Island, when they thought they’d lost all of Ninjago. He looked like something you’d rescue from a cardboard box.

This wasn’t the reunion Kai had thought he’d have. He had imagined Lloyd the same as he had left him; angry and spewing venom. Kai expected judgment and some kind of a guilt trip. Not this. Not Lloyd looking at him the same way he had in the volcano. The same pleading desperation for Kai to rescue him and hopeless resignation that he probably wouldn’t.

Nya was next to him, opening and closing her mouth like she couldn’t get her words out. Kai could relate, his words were stuck in his chest as well.

She matched Lloyd in devastation. Like someone had just taken her entire world from her. Like she was three and their parents had disappeared all over again. It hurt Kai to see. He had spent most his life trying to keep that expression off of her face.

Kai didn’t need to look at the others. He’d seen enough.

He started looking for his master to explain the awful scene. Kai started to pant as the air around him got thin. The rocks reappeared in his chest and the fire was consuming his mind once more as panic started to devour him.

It was Zane all over again. Kai was watching something horrible happen with no explanation. He had to stop this! He had to help! Nya and Lloyd looked so scared!

A violent memory of cold water and sharp fangs flashed through Kai’s mind.

He gulped. He couldn’t afford to throw a tantrum. He couldn’t be selfish and impulsive. He had to let Master Chen explain.

And Kai needed him to explain. He needed Master Chen to make it ok. He was edging on doing something reckless.

He looked to his master with pleading eyes, waiting to be told what to think.

Chen was smiling. Kai’s world was being ripped in half, but Master Chen was happy.

Kai let out an unsteady sigh of relief at that. The smile was a comfort. It meant this was planned. This was ok. Kai didn’t need to ask any questions. He just needed to accept that this was happening. His master was in control.

Kai took a nervous gulp, and put his eyes solely on his master. He ignored his old friends. They weren’t important until his Master said they were. He knew how to be a good follower.

Master Chen’s smile widened.

“Welcome back Firebrand.” he said warmly.

“Happy to be back, Master.” Kai said pleasantly while bowing.

“Why do you call him ‘Master’, Broth-” Zane started, before his eyes went wide in realization. “No.”

He continued to speak, but Kai couldn’t hear him over Cole.

“YOU SNAKE!” Cole’s voice boomed.

It was deafeningly loud. For someone that mostly stuck to the “strong and silent type” image, Cole could be loud when he wanted. Kai turned to look at him on instinct and immediately took a step back in fear.

Cole was thrashing against the men holding him, like he was trying to attack. He looked like he wanted to rip Kai apart. It was the most rage Kai had ever seen from him, topping even the fights with Jay that had driven Kai away in the first place.

He didn’t understand how Cole could be so mad. He had only done what he was supposed to do. He’d been a good follower. How was he a “snake”?

“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’D DO THIS! HOW COULD YOU!?”

“I don’t-” Kai muttered.

Was this because he left the team? Was Cole that angry over it? Had Kai done something else to him and not even noticed?

Nya was trying to speak, but it was all drowned out by Cole’s ranting. Jay was shockingly silent. Lloyd was crying.

Kai covered his ears. Too loud. Too much. First, this was worse than Zane.

It was awful. It hurt like barbs in his heart. But Kai wasn’t going to repeat the mistakes he made last time. He wasn’t going to act impulsively. He wasn’t going to be stupid and selfish. He wasn’t going to throw another tantrum. Kai had promised to be better. He had promised not to question Master Chen again. It wasn’t Kai’s place to question his master and he was going to keep that promise. There was a mark of his loyalty inked into his back as proof. If this was what Master Chen was doing, then this was what was best.

Even if his heart was shredding and his brain was looping the sound of crunching metal.

Kai bit his lip as hard as he could and very carefully forced his body to turn back to Master Chen. His breathing was unsteady and tears were sneaking out of the corners of his eyes, but he looked directly at his master and waited for instructions.

Master Chen gave him a proud smile, and it suddenly got easier to breathe. Chen nodded to his men and all Kai’s old friends were gagged. Silence finally. Kai couldn’t help but sigh in relief as he slowly took his hands off his ears.

“I know this must be awfully difficult for you, Firebrand.” Chen said, putting a comforting hand on Kai’s shoulder.

Kai melted into it, desperate for the acceptance.

“But as you can see, your ex-teammates are now our enemies. I’m so sorry, Firebrand. I wish it wasn’t so, but there’s no changing it.” Chen said regretfully.

Kai was shaking. They were all trying to yell through their gags, and he very stubbornly ignored them. He didn’t need any more doubts put into his head. He was having a hard enough time keeping himself under control. He squeezed his eyes shut, tears falling from the corner of both eyes.

He nodded.

“I understand.” he said.

The words were lead, but he pushed them out.

“Good boy.” Master Chen said, fondly putting a hand in Kai’s hair.

The touch relaxed him almost against his will.

His ex-friends were taken away, but before Kai could be tempted to look at them again, Skylor took his face in her hands and kissed him like he was life itself. He went slack in her arms. He was safe now. He had nothing to worry about.

He tasted tears on her lips for some reason.

Pixal could see everything before her. Now that Zane remembered what he had forgotten, she could see that too. From her silent vantage point she could see what no one else could: the writing on the wall.

Operative word being “silent”.

She had no voice of her own and Zane was ignoring her in favor of his own mediation, trying to make sense of what he had seen and remembered. He wouldn’t hear Pixal try to explain it to him, but she had his answer.

She hadn’t felt so invisible since the Overlord was using her as a pretty-faced drone. She had only just barely gained her independence in a mental sense, just to lose it in a physical sense. A different setting, but the same old cage. The familiar role of an accessory.

She was nothing more than an assistant. To her father. To the Overlord. Now to Zane.

And that stung. After all the work he had put in to build her sense of self, to lose it to him of all people was painful.

Pixal supposed she might’ve found comfort in the familiarity of such a position after her traumatic disassembling. It was a role she knew how to fill and there was no anxiety in it. She was secure in who and what to be. She knew how to be an assistant. There was no uncertain future for her to fear. She hadn’t had the chance to think much about that before she and Zane had been kidnapped, but her next steps had been a terrifying concept. She had admittedly been avoiding it.

She could, in theory, be content with what had happened and where she ended up. At least for awhile.

But that changed when the Kai situation unfolded. Now it was only frustrating. She had so much to say, but Zane wasn’t listening and there was literally no one else she could talk to. She was stuck until he stopped meditating. She had to listen to the others argue without her input like she was invisible.

“I can’t believe him! That traitor! What a snake!” Cole ranted, pacing back and forth and pulling at his hair.

“That’s my brother!” Nya snapped, her voice still rough but usable again

Her body language was threatening violence. Pixal predicted a 57% chance Nya swung a fist at Cole’s face in a moment.

“And I thought he was mine!” Cole countered, stomping his foot in anger.

Nya snarled. Actually snarled, like an animal. 62%.

Pixal wanted to tell Cole to calm down. He was giving Nya an all too convenient outlet to divert her anger onto. Nya needed to be focused on the problem, not Cole. And Cole certainly didn’t need the black eye.

“There has to be a good reason Kai did this! Maybe this is just a secret elaborate plan to….Lure Chen into a false sense of confidence?” Dareth was trying.

Pixal appreciated the distraction he was providing. Even if he was getting chewed out for it at every turn, it was helping. Nya was down to a 48% chance of attacking her teammate.

Lloyd was just crying in the corner. Jay awkwardly stood near him, seeming to want to comfort Lloyd, but hesitating to do so. Pixal wanted to shake him. He was being stupid. Lloyd needed the emotional support and there was no way Jay could make things worse!

When they first met, when Pixal had still been tentative in her sense of self, she had idolized the ninja. She saw them as these untouchable heroes that could conquer anything. They had defeated the Overlord when it seemed impossible. Zane had ripped out his heart and given her half. They spoke to her like she was a person and helped her believe she was, something even her father hadn’t managed. They worked miracles and she thought they were all but divine.

Now she realized that they were squabbling children. In pain, panicking, and doing their best. Far from the idealized versions she had built up. They needed help. A fair bit of therapy too, but one problem at a time.

“Kai was different this time.” Zane said to himself.

Pixal tried to not be bitter that he spoke out loud before he spoke to her. He was much more emotional than she was. This was devastating to him, and he was going to react illogically.

“No duh he was different!” Nya snapped.

42% chance of hitting Cole, 33% on Zane.

“No, I had seen him before! Kai was there when Chen took my powers!” Zane said, finally coming out of his own thoughts and engaging.

Great, except he still wasn’t listening to Pixal!

“I asked you if you’d seen Kai!” Cole yelled, pivoting to glare at Zane.

There was a 73% chance Zane was about to get hit by Cole, Nya, or both.

“I had forgotten it. Chen scrambled my memory drive when he took my powers. Seeing it again jogged my memory.” Zane explained calmly. “He was different this time though. Last time he attempted to help me after a very obvious conflict.”

Pixal could tell him why. IF HE WOULD LISTEN!

“You mean he could’ve rescued you before this whole mess even started!?” Cole snapped.

“No. He couldn’t.” Lloyd said quietly.

Everyone turned to stare at him. Pixal was hopeful Lloyd had figured it out, at least somewhat.

“Chen got into Kai’s head. My dad tried to warn me that this was going to happen.” Lloyd said, hugging himself tighter.

Jay gave him a pitying look, but didn’t move. Pixal wanted to shake him.

“Chen is a manipulator and Kai has been here for months. What did we think was going to happen?” Lloyd asked ruefully.

Pixal would’ve clapped if she had her own hands. Lloyd understood.

“Well I sure didn't think he’d completely betray us!” Cole yelled.

“He didn’t betray us!” Lloyd snapped, his knees dropping and revealing his face “Kai isn’t making any of his own choices! Chen is pulling his strings!”

“Kai isn’t stupid!” Cole snapped.

Lloyd took a shaking breath.

“But he is insecure and hurting.” Lloyd said, parroting his father. “And that’s all Chen needs.”

There was a long beat of silence while everyone processed what Lloyd said.

“Needs for what?” Zane asked tentatively

“To turn him against us.” Jay filled in with a solemn tone.

Jay was the only one that didn’t reach for denial when Sensei Garmadon explained it. He was glad Lloyd had come around, but there was little else to be happy about. The sad truth was that they messed up and lost Kai.

Why hadn’t he just reached out? It wasn’t even like he was fighting with Kai! Jay could at least forgive himself and Cole for avoiding each other, but why did they leave Lloyd and Kai to flounder!?

Lloyd had his father to turn to, thank the First, but Kai didn’t trust people. Like Lloyd said, what did they think was going to happen? Obviously Kai was going to withdraw and let his pain fester until it started to consume him! Obviously it would become a bigger problem. Obviously he would eventually fall down, and be at the mercy of whoever happened to be close to him when he did. It wasn’t like this was hard to see this coming!

They just assumed it would be someone less opportunistic than Chen.

Lloyd continued.

“That’s how it works! Kai was isolated and grieving. That made him vulnerable. Chen had everything he needed to make Kai into a puppet.” Lloyd swallowed “Chen made Kai feel like no one else wanted him. Like he needed Chen.”

“And I’m just sure that Cole calling him ‘a snake’ helped with that!” Nya snapped.

Cole turned pale again.

“First Master, he probably thinks we hate him. He thinks I hate him! He probably thinks…” Nya’s voice caught in her throat and cracked “….that we abandoned him.”

Nya’s hands fisted her hair. She could see exactly how this had happened. She had grown up watching Kai’s fragile relationship with his self worth and failure. He was always paranoid he’d mess up and lose people. Nya still cursed her parents for doing such a thing to him.

If someone managed to convince him that his worst fear had come true, of course he’d fall right in line for whoever promised to make it better.

“But….we didn’t…..we...” Cole floundered.

He’d messed up. The most important test of his new “watching his words” philosophy and he’d flunked it. Cole hadn’t felt like such a failure since he cracked his nose on the wooden floor of a stage at age seven. Only now there was no father assuring him he would get another chance, and definitely no mom to take him out for ice-cream.

“I didn’t mean…” Cole whispered in horror. “He knew I would say that!”

He had let Chen use his anger against his friends again. He should’ve known better. How did he fall for it a second time!? It hadn’t even been a week!

Of course Chen got to Kai! Cole had every protection and still got manipulated. Twice! Kai was alone and off guard. Lloyd was right. What did they think was going to happen? Kai didn’t stand a chance.

Zane meanwhile was shaking. The fear of change and damage he couldn’t stop was already suffocating before this. He had tried to brace for the worse case scenario. He had spent days imagining one nightmare after another to prepare. This was worse than all of them. It never occurred to him that something like this was possible. Kai was in so much pain from Zane’s sacrifice that he fell right into the hands of a dangerous-

“Cult leader.” Pixal finished for him.

“What?” Zane asked.

Oh, he finally heard her.

“Chen is a cult leader. Kai is in a cult.” she stated plainly.

She wasn’t sure if he was going to let her finish or not, but to her relief he let her continue.

“He was socially isolated, experiencing a major change in every facet of his life, grieving a close friend, suffering from survivor’s guilt, recently lost his sense of purpose, suffered a traumatic childhood, has a history of self destructive tendencies and recklessness, a strong sense of right and wrong, and the weakest sense of self I have ever seen in a human being.” Pixal explained calmly “That is a non-exhaustive list. Kai was clearly targeted and manipulated by Chen. He was an ideal target for cult recruitment.”

Zane remained silent still, completely stunned. Pixal took it as permission to continue.

“I suspect the memory you uncovered was his last attempt to resist Chen. One I’m sure he was harshly punished for if his body language this time is anything to go off of.” Pixal continued “And will you please tell your friends of my existence! Maybe they’ll remember to include me more than you have!”

She really couldn’t stop the bitter note from dripping into her voice.

“Oh! I’m sorry.” Zane said.

In his defense, there was a lot happening. Pixal understood that, and that was why he would be easily forgiven.

He was about to try and interrupt the bickering so he could bring her up, but a timid Dareth interrupted first. Pixal scraped up some more patience and resigned herself. There wasn’t much else she could do. She was still a helpless extension to Zane.

That was going to change the second she got in contact with her father though. This had gotten old much faster than it would’ve normally.

“So what are we going to do about the plan?” Dareth asked hesitantly once he’d gotten their attention.

The ninja looked up to see all the other prisoners gathered around and staring. They had all respectfully given them space to have their initial reactions, since they had all come back in various states of hysterics. But the issue of the escape plan needed to be talked about.

The Roto jet was still there. Karlof had finished it. Chen may’ve known about Zane and Cole, but despite what he asserted, he didn’t know everything. They’re escape plan was ready to go. If they were.

“I’m not staying here.” Shade announced.

He got a few glares for being tactless, but largely everyone agreed with him. The news about Kai didn’t affect them, and none of them wanted to skip their escape plan over it.

The ninja all looked at each other. Lloyd stood and carefully put himself near Nya. He knew what was coming next.

Cole and Jay took one look at each other and positioned themselves opposite her. They knew what was about to happen too; an encore performance.

Zane watched them quizzically. He wasn’t there. He didn’t know, and none of them felt it needed to tell him. He was left in the same boat as Pixal; a helpless spectator to the argument.

“I’m not leaving my brother.” Nya said firmly.

Lloyd whimpered slightly as the jab.

“I came here to look for Kai, I am not going to abandon him again.” she continued.

“Nya-” Jay started.

“Don’t start!” Nya snapped.

He shrunk backwards. He wasn’t going to repeat putting his foot in his mouth like he did last time.

“Nya, we can’t stay here.” Cole reasoned on deaf ears.

“I don’t care!” Nya said firmly.

Lloyd sighed. They all knew what was happening. He was in the middle, again. And his heart was ripping in two, again.

“Well?” Nay asked, pulling Lloyd’s attention “What’s it going to be this time?”

Lloyd gulped.

He knew what his heart needed him to do, but he wasn’t sure how he could pull it off. There was only one thing he could think of.

“I…” Lloyd stammered “I….I need my dad.”

Nya scoffed, hearing a kid asking for a parent to fix things.

“We need my dad.” Lloyd corrected. “He’s the only one we know that escaped Chen. He’ll know how to help Kai.”

Nya’s glare softened. Lloyd’s logic was sound. Garmadon was the only one that really knew what they were facing. He had been Chen’s pawn once, and healed from it. If anyone knew what they needed to do, it was him. They would need his expertise if they were going to get through to Kai.

“There might be a problem with that plan.” Dareth said in a squeaky voice.

All eyes landed on the Brown Ninja. He shuffled his feet uncomfortably. He normally loved attention, but for once in his life, he’d do anything to be rid of it. This was not the kind of news he wanted to break. Dareth didn’t want to take a hammer to what Lloyd had left, but the truth wasn’t getting any brighter with procrastination and lying to the poor kid was worse.

“Well...just...while you guys were gone….the guards were gossiping…. about Garmadon.” Dareth explained.

“What did they say?” Lloyd said, with eyes like saucers.

This was going to hurt. Dareth cringed in preparation. He wasn’t tactfully enough to soften it, so the point was going to be brutal.

Maybe not the worst thing though; ripping bandages quick and all that.

“He might...be….a little….mostly...dead?” Dareth said, wincing at his own words.

Lloyd just blinked.

And blinked.

And blinked again.

Then it processed.

He crumpled to the ground with an anguished cry that gutted everyone around. It was unmistakably the sound of ultimate suffering. The last support Lloyd was leaning on snapped and he fell into his own grief for a moment. It could be heard on the other side of the island, sending a shiver down spines all over.

Everyone back in the factory stepped back from Lloyd in discomfort. He sounded like a child in the thralls of a nightmare meant for an adult. In a way, that was exactly what they were witnessing. The only difference was that Lloyd could not wake up from reality.

There was nothing to say to that. There was no fixing it. There were no consoling words. They just stood by while Lloyd sobbed for a long, awful moment.

The seconds could be counted as Lloyd slowly quieted, until he was a small whimpering pile on the ground.

“I need to go home.” Lloyd whispered to the ground. “I need to tell my mom. I….I need my mom.”

Nya couldn’t bring herself to be mad at him this time. She stepped forward and quietly offered her condolences while Lloyd cried. This was too much.

“If I may.” Zane said, stepping into the minefield of a situation. “While this isn’t an easy choice, we are at a disadvantage, it would be wise to make our escape and regroup.”

“I’m not leaving.” Nya said, tearing up herself.

“We are not giving up on Kai.” Zane assured her

“We just have to make a hard choice right now.” Lloyd said softly to himself, wiping his tears away.

He had said it at the start of this mess; When they were choosing between Zane and Kai.

Lloyd straightened himself and stood up. He couldn’t cry on the ground anymore. He just couldn’t. He felt something slide out of, or maybe into place.

The underside of his skin started to buzz and all of his feelings took a short trip through wonderland and came back changed.

He had no idea what had just happened. Just that he wasn’t crying anymore. He didn’t feel better. He just felt….weird.

It wasn’t wholly unwelcome. It did mean Lloyd could stand up straight and make a plan. He could think clearly, despite the fact it felt like he was thinking through a mirror.

He wasn’t in a position to question it.

He had to be strong and efficient. Kai needed him to function. Lloyd needed to be clear headed. He had to do this right and win. He couldn’t afford not to. He needed Kai back too much.

Once it was all done, Lloyd could mourn and be weak. He could break down when he had his big brother to hold his hand through it. Kai would hug him and make him feel safe without his father. Lloyd didn’t know how he would survive the absurd grief otherwise.

It was probably for the best it filed itself away somehow. At least for the moment.

On the outside, Lloyd made a terrifying shift from unimaginable grief and pain, to pragmatic ninja. It was even more uncomfortable to witness than the crying had been. At least that made sense to an outside observer. That was normal.

But Lloyd wasn’t normal. He wasn’t by birthright and his life had only gotten more complicated from there. He spoke with a confident voice and most of the group took a small step back from him.

“We need back-up. We need supplies and rest. We have to help ourselves before we can help Kai.” Lloyd declared. “We need to leave.”

“I can’t.” Nya said firmly.

She and Lloyd locked eyes. He could read everything there. He understood. He deeply understood. She didn’t need to say a word. He knew.

He wasn’t moving her. He knew he wasn’t and he knew why. He could feel all of it through her eyes, and he understood. First Master he understood.

“I won’t.” She reaffirmed.

Lloyd hated this. He hated leaving her in Chen’s clutches. But it was another hard choice he had to make. He accepted it and moved on with only a few tears sneaking through the cracks. He still felt removed from the feeling.

“Ok.” he said with a nod.

Nya’s eyes continued to speak for her. Lloyd saw a relieved “thank-you for understanding” in them.

“Nya…” Jay tried.

Lloyd shook his head. Jay didn’t understand, and neither of them had a fraction of the time it would take to explain. It could take a lifetime.

“Nya stays. We go.” Lloyd announced to everyone, leaving no room for argument.

And once he had everything he needed, Lloyd vowed to return and rescue his brother.

Garmadon tasted blood. It was the first thing he noticed; blood in his mouth.

Second thing, his arms were shackled above his head. Wasn’t the first time that had happened, but he did think he was passed that point in his life.

Third thing that he realized was that he was alive. In retrospect that should’ve been higher on the list.

Fourth thing was just the second thing repeated. Garmadon tried to run off to find his kids and realized that he could not do that. Because his arms were still very much shackled above his head.

Fifth thing he figured out was that he very likely had a concussion.

The counting wasn’t helping with that.

His head hurt. It hurt like it hadn’t in over a decade. The only time he had hurt so much was his last fight to resist the venom in his blood. The one he’d lost. The one that led to his banishment and caused him to miss his son’s entire short childhood.

Now his heart hurt too.

“Well well well.” Chen’s dramatic voice said, grinding sand into Garmadon's headache.

Light from the opening cell door did its own damage as well. Garmadon growled, but he didn’t thrash. He was calm in his rage, wound up like a twisted rubber band. Garmadon wouldn’t release it until he had a clear shot.

When that finally happened, what befell Chen would make Clouse’s fate look idyllic.

“Nothing to say?” Chen asked in a mocking way. “I know what will make you talk!”

Garmadon knew Chen well enough to brace for a nightmare.

“Come on in, Firebrand!” Chen chirped.

Kai came in and, prepared or not, Garmadon’s breath hitched at the sight. Kai looked awful.

Kai’s frame, while not unhealthy, was still underfed enough for Garmadon to notice. Chen obviously wanted Kai in good health, but not top form. Kai could fight if Chen needed him to, but that wasn’t Chen’s design.

The side of his bottom lip was in his mouth and his eyes were stuck on the stone floor. He was nervous, confused, scared, and worse of all, guilty. It was at the bottom of the ocean of abuse Chen had put him through, but some part of Kai knew Chen was bad and that he shouldn’t be helping him. Sadly the sick feeling just made him more pliable for Chen.

His hands were on his arms, like he was cold, or trying to keep them occupied. It broke Garmadon's heart to realize Kai was physically stopping himself from helping. Kai didn’t trust himself not to disobey Chen and do the right thing, even through all the conditioning. Garmadon’s heart swelled slightly at the thought. Kai was such a good boy, that even Chen’s worst wasn’t enough to stamp out the instinct to help people.

Kai looked like the vulnerable teen he always was. The one Garmadon, even in his worst venom infected mind, refused to exploit.

The thought had crossed his mind. Of course it did! Chen had trained him well, and Garmadon saw the exploitable weaknesses clearly during those few days on the Bounty. It wouldn’t have been hard to pick at Kai’s insecurities until he broke. But then he saved Lloyd and Garmadon told himself it was a line he never wanted to cross anyways.

He should’ve done more about it when he was in a position to. He shouldn’t have left it to Wu. He should’ve stepped up before it became life and death. He should’ve put his foot down and not let Kai leave his monastery.

He should’ve been better.

He had every opportunity to stop this. Garmadon hated himself almost as much as he hated the monster putting a reassuring hand on Kai’s shoulder.

Kai turned his head away awkwardly and Garmadon saw Chen’s grip tighten painfully.

“Don’t be like that!” Chen chided playfully.

There was an underlying threat to it. Garmadon could hear it. Kai could too, but he didn’t consciously recognize it.

“Sorry.” Kai said, quickly correcting himself

He straightened and lifted his eyes. Garmadon could see how broken and hollow they looked now. They had once shone with passion and drive, but now they looked dull and forgotten. Staring at the wall behind Garmadon's head to avoid unnecessary eye contact, Kai looked so unnaturally submissive.

It was a painful sight.

“Say hello, Firebrand!” Chen said, roughly poking Kai in the side.

Kai shrunk. Garmadon studied the interaction and came to an awful conclusion.

This was Kai’s job. This was what Chen wanted Kai for. Kai was an insult to rub in people’s faces. Kai was a plaything to torture. Kai was entertainment.

Chen was ready to use Kai as a weapon if he needed to, but Kai’s primary job was this.

“Hello Garmadon.” Kai said in a shaking voice.

Garmadon fought back tears. This was worse than he feared. This was worse than a nightmare.

“I just thought you might want to look at the man that murdered Clouse.” Chen said.

Kai’s head snapped to the side to stare at Chen.

“He what!?” Kai asked, a spark of his fire showing.

Garmadon grit his teeth. He knew where Chen was going with this and how dare he use Garmadon’s protective rage for Kai as a tool to control him!

But there was nothing he could do to stop it from happening.

“Oh yes. Our entire plan has been derailed. I’ll have to start from near scratch, and what a loss it is to lose my most trusted companion!” Chen lamented.

Kai’s fiery eyes hit Garmadon, and there was nothing he could say that Chen wouldn’t twist.

“How could you!?” Kai accused.

“Whatever I say, Chen won’t let you believe it.” Garmadon said in a sigh.

“What is that supposed to mean!?” Kai asked, taking an angry step forward.

Chen put an arm out, holding him back.

“Now, now, Firebrand. We will punish him, don’t worry. You trust me, right?” Chen said.

Garmadon watched Kai fall right back into his conditioned state. All the fury left, and he turned back into a loyal puppet.

“Yes, Master Chen. Of course!”

Chen had his teeth deep in Kai’s throat.

Chen nodded with a smile.

“Go, get some rest, Firebrand.” Chen said, waving Kai off.

Kai gave a bow before leaving. Garmadon growled under his breath.

“Now, wasn’t that exciting!?” Chen said, with a clap of his hands.

Garmadon didn’t dignify him with a response.

Chen’s face soured in disappointment, then perked back up.

“Even if killing Clouse was rather incontinent for me, I should thank you for the state you left him in. When I show Kai and Skylor it’s sure to give them nightmares!” Chen said in excitement “You do realize he’ll never trust you again, right? He’s going to see what you did and think you’re a monster.”

Garmadon paled.

He didn’t want his kid to see that. It was far too gruesome. And Chen was planning on using the trauma to further manipulate him! Did Chen get worse, or did Garmadon never realize just how abhorrent he truly was?

“He’ll never listen to you when you try to turn him against me. He’s mine, and he’ll stay that way forever!” Chen laughed

Garmadon lost control again and lurched forward, only stopped by the chains. He’d actually been aiming to bite Chen.

The snake just laughed, out of Garmadon’s reach, and lucky for it.

“I may have lost Clouse, but I got everything I could ever want in exchange!” Chen gloated. “An unfortunate setback in my plans, but I can just make a new one!”

Garmadon growled again, like an angry predator.

Before Chen left, Garmadon made a vow. Spoken with all the power and weight he had to give it. A threat that even Chen seemed to understand the severity of. He trembled the smallest amount before making his exit. Garmadon saw it though.

“I swear on the founding of my father’s realm, on the wings of my grandmother, on the horns of my grandfather, and the deepest pits of the cursed realm, that I will see you writhing in agony before I rip the last ragged breath out of your squirming, mortal lungs.”

Chen knew he meant every word.

Chapter Text

Part Three (Act 1)
Use Once & Destroy

Neuro really regretted messing with the ninja. At the time, it seemed so trivial. Fuel their infighting so he could take the win. Simple.

Except they had never wanted to win in the first place. They were right about the whole tournament being a facade, and Chen was doing a lovely job of tearing them apart already. So, it was a thoroughly pointless endeavor. Not only had Neuro wasted his time, but he’d also done something terrible.

The guilt of it ate at the inside of his chest. He shifted his weight on the railing to try to accommodate it. The discomfort was familiar at least.

Neuro looked out at the water while he tried to force himself to stop looping his mistake and the regret he felt about it. It was always so hard to get his brain to stop harping on things like this.

You did bad. You did bad. You did bad.

The regret was now infecting every memory tied to to the tournament. It always happened. All roads lead straight back to the bad he did. How he failed.

It felt like he couldn’t have normal memories. Even things that should be happy filled him with shame and embarrassment. To Neuro, the past was mortifying. Every mistake he’d ever made jumped out from behind corners to haunt him every so often. No matter how small or forgivable, they weighed inordinately on him.

He never should’ve talked to anybody.

But he did help the ninja eventually. They never would’ve convinced everyone they were telling the truth if he hadn’t vouched for them. The alliance wouldn’t have formed.

Then again, it’s not like that alliance lasted long.

No one blamed him. No one hated him. He was fine. It was fine. He was fine. It was fine. Stop. Stop. Stop.

Neuro cleared his throat and tried to focus on his surroundings instead of his messy brain.

The mood on the ship they’d stolen from Chen was probably not helping Neuro’s neuritic quirks. Everyone was stressed, angry, sad, and scared. Even without his powers, Neuro was picking up on everyone’s nerves. It was impossible not to. Everyone, even the people with no connection to Kai, was stressed and coping with uncertainty.

Chen still had all their powers.

The ninja said they intended to reclaim them, but their friend was taking a righteous priority. So, still a big unknown for everyone else that no one wanted to push. Some elemental masters were quietly trying to adjust to the idea that they may never get their powers back. Neuro wasn’t sure if he felt ready to mourn.

Then there was the ninja themselves. Neuro was a tad grateful to not have his powers on that one. He was getting a headache just from watching them.

Cole was a puddle of shame and shock. Poor guy was devastated. Karloff seemed to be trying to comfort him, but Cole was pushing him away now. Going off the cliff notes he got from the argument they had all started the second they were brought back to the factory, he guessed Cole didn’t behave well in front of Kai and is nursing some substantial guilt over it.

Neuro could relate.

Standing next to Jay felt like smelling ozone and everyone was glad he didn’t have any lightning to go with it. There was so much tension knotted up in his shoulders as he gave clipped answers. He had a twitching eye too and it was mentioned once. Jay laughed it off like the rattling of a snake tail, so no one wanted to acknowledge it again. Even his voice sounded like cracking glass. The boy was one giant warning sign.

Neuro was taking the popular approach of avoiding him.

Zane was the least distressed of the group. Neuro had a short conversation with him and was introduced to what he was assured was a very real girlfriend living in his head. It raised questions, but Neuro decided there were more important worries to have.

Zane had questions of his own. Most of the conversation was Neuro being interviewed on everything Zane had missed. From his own funeral to the majority of the tournament. It was not a conversation anyone else in their group had the emotional capacity to have with him, so it landed on a virtual stranger. Neuro didn’t mind doing it. It was a relatively minor duty and everything else was beyond his capacity.

It wasn’t easy though. Zane choked up a few times, his voice cracking on several questions he didn’t want to ask. It hurt to watch.

Lloyd was...horrifying. There was something very inhuman about him. No one should be able to bottle the kind of grief that he had in him. The gut wrenching agony they had witnessed couldn’t have disappeared. Lloyd should be springing leaks left and right. He should be crying and screaming. He should be wailing a mourning song.

Instead he was almost normal. Not quite though. There was this uncanniness about him. Like a black-eyed fae or something. There was nothing explicitly wrong or off about him aside from his lack of a breakdown, but Neuro kept seeing him turn or twitch his head in a way that made Neuro’s blood raise it’s hackles. Which didn’t make any sense, but how else to describe the feeling? Some deep instinctual distrust of him.

Everyone appeared to share the unnamed feeling. Lloyd didn’t seem to notice.

Speaking of concerning behavior; Nya. She had stayed behind with Chen. Willingly. And Lloyd had insisted on letting her. Neuro felt less like Lloyd was doing something unnatural on that one and more like there was context no one else had for that choice. Whatever it may be, Neuro would be chasing the wind if he tried to figure it out.

A shiver brought Neuro out of his own thoughts and back to the physical world. He really needed to be pulled out of his own head sometimes. Standing on deck and staring into nothing was not an ideal pastime.

Besides, they would be making it to shore soon, and that was going to be a dramatic affair.

Kai was scrubbing grease out of his hair.

Clouse’s magic had made sure nothing fell out of health, but he still felt gross. Magic stasis was not the same as upkeep. He didn’t need to do things like brush his teeth while under, but his breath was still stale and his mouth tasted foul. It was unpleasant and he wanted clean.

Master Chen had needed him to help with Garmadon first, but Kai’s priority the second he was free to go to his room was a shower.

Priority two was his bed. He was almost dead on his feet. It was funny how tired he was, considering that he had spent the last few weeks unconscious. How much sleep did Kai need? He felt guilty about it.

He also felt gross.

Kai couldn’t think of a time he ever let his hair get so greasy. He always took such careful care of it.

It made him mad.

Mostly at his “friends”.

He wasn’t awake for a full minute before they were insulting him. He didn’t have a chance to even figure out what was going on before they were yelling at him and calling him a snake.

Kai stopped scrubbing and leaned forward, forehead and forearms against the wall, letting the water run down his back. He tried to focus on the warmth instead of his thoughts with little luck.

They hated him.

Cole had tried to attack him! Nya was devastated. Lloyd was crying. They all looked so upset with him.

They all hated him.

How? Why?

He could never go back.

Why did he want to? He had Master Chen and Skylor now. He didn’t need to go back! He didn’t want to!

But they hated him.

It hurt. It hurt so much. They were his family, and now they hated him.

And then there was the news that Clouse had been murdered. Kai’s breath hitched as he remembered the body Chen had shown him. He didn’t want to remember it, but it was burned into him. It was the most horrific thing he’d ever seen. Violent cracks oozing unnatural purple. Darkening red splotches on paper white skin. Said skin shredding like dry tissue. Wide milky eyes still staring at death’s claws.

Garmadon had done that. Kai had never realized what a monster he truly was. It was putrid and unforgivable.

And yet, Kai’s friends had condoned that. Kai never would have thought they could allow something like that, but there it was. If they could surprise him like that, maybe he never did know them.

Maybe they were never his friends.

They had disavowed him pretty clearly.

Kai sobbed.

He missed them so much, but they hated him now. What had he done? How did he make everyone hate him?

His parents, now them.

Kai was poison. No one wanted him. No one stayed. Everyone he had ever loved had decided they wanted nothing to do with him. He was just destined to chase everyone off, wasn’t he?

Kai frantically reached over his shoulder and pawed at his tattoo. Master Chen promised not to abandon him. Master Chen had sealed that promise. It was permanent. There was proof. He could prove that Master Chen intended to stay.

His heart was hammering now. Kai left the shower and dashed to the mirror, desperate to see his tattoo and soak in some comfort from it. He wanted it to start hurting again so he could feel it. He liked it when it stung and reminded him of it’s presence. He needed the reminder.

It was hard to angle himself to look at his back in the mirror, but Kai was desperate. Seeing the precious thing was still painted on his back, Kai managed to calm down.

He had a place. It doesn’t matter if everyone else leaves him, because Master Chen wouldn’t. Kai didn’t need the others. They could hate him if they wanted. It didn’t hurt. He had better things. He had his Master.

Kai went back to finish his shower and tried to stop crying.

It didn’t work in the slightest, but Kai was very used to crying himself to sleep at this point.

Misako just about strangled the phone when she saw her son’s name appear on it. Tears poured out of her eyes as she spoke.

“Are you ok? Where have you been? Do you need me to pick you up? What’s happened? Is your dad with you?” Misako screamed.

She was already searching for her car keys, shoving aside the books and print outs that had all been dead ends.

Dead ends. Dead ends. All she ever produced were dead ends.

“Hey mom.” Lloyd said in a tiny voice, violently pulling Misako from her self pity.

She felt her heart break. He sounded so hurt. Something had happened to him that she couldn’t protect him from. She had failed again. Her baby was in pain and she wasted her efforts. Why could she never be what he needed?

And she was back to self pity. It was just like the blasted dead ends. She always found her way back. No matter what direction she took, her inadequacy taunted her like a brick wall.

“We’re all at the docks.” Lloyd said “Yeah, I probably need you to- to pick me up.”

His voice cracked and warbled. By all warnings he was about to cry. The resilient hero of Ninjago was about to cry and Misako raged at the writers in the Cloud Kingdom for pushing him this far. The least they could’ve done was give him a mother that could actually help him instead of living her life at dead ends.

“Dad…..” Lloyd whimpered “Dad is….he’s gone.”

Misako felt something tear. Her insides ripping themselves up into bloody ribbons, her lungs refusing air like she was refusing the reality, it was all Misako could do to stay standing as the room spun.

“Mom….Mommy please come get me.” Lloyd mewled.

Misako swallowed her grief. Her baby needed her and she was going to jump off a building if she failed him now of all times. He had never once called her “Mommy”. He was too old and hardened by the time she reentered his life, and far too young to speak when she had left it.

“I’m on my way, Baby.”

She found her keys quickly after that and barely remembered to grab her purse before jogging to her car.

To call Wu or not?

“Who else is with you?” Misako asked, unlocking and opening the door.

“Jay, Cole, Zane, Dareth and a bunch of elemental masters we met.” Lloyd explained, his tone slipping into something foreign.

Misako had heard it before. She could place it immediately. Calling his mother had been a very human moment for him, but it had ended. Misako realized what she would be facing and prepared herself to have that discussion with her son.

She sat down heavy in the driver’s seat.

“Can you have someone call Wu so I can stay on the phone with you?” Misako added.

“Ok.” Lloyd said.

He turned away from the microphone, but Misako could hear him as she started her car.

“Cole, call Wu and tell him where we are.”

“You said Zane was with you. A lot must’ve happened. Where were you?” Misako said, switching her phone to speaker so she could drive.

“We found Kai.” Lloyd said, voice catching on his emotions again.

So he was doing both. That was going to be a balancing act. Misako just hoped from the depths of her heart she was actually helpful. She felt like she knew what she was doing, but she’d felt that way before and still found herself staring at those proverbial bricks.

“He’s not with us. We still have to rescue him. Nya was with us, but she stayed behind.” Lloyd said, his voice going back to that uncanny pitch.

“I see.” Misako said, easing down the break pedal to accommodate the red light “Where is he then?”

“Chen’s island.” Lloyd said.

Misako was glad she was at a red light. There was a very real chance she could have crashed over that news.

“Master Chen? As in-”

“Dad’s old sensei? Yeah. He explained his past.” Lloyd said.

The light was green, but Misako took an extra moment to have a deep breath. No one was behind her, so there were no consequences.

“Ok.” she finally said as she pressed the gas again.

She wasn’t looking forward to sorting through more fallout from that monster. He’d ruined enough lives already. He should’ve been cursed with the Anacondrai he aligned himself with. Misako hadn’t questioned it at the time, but the more she looked back, the more she saw a double standard. The generals were cursed over the peace talk ambush. Chen was found to be culpable in it too, but he was merely banished.

But the past was the past.

“Ok” she repeated “Start at the beginning.”

Street lamp. Full moon. Empty street. Broken glass. Closed coffee stand.

Green Ninja on the phone with his mother. Lapping waves. Distant traffic. Footsteps in gravel.

Crunching under his feet. Glasses on his face. The fabric of his pants.

Sea salt on the wind. Garbage from a nearby dumpster.

Mouth?

Griffin always had trouble with the last one. One thing he tasted. He could lick his hand and say sweat, but he’d just settle for saying he tasted his unbrushed teeth and call it good. Having finished that exercise he continued to pace.

He was always pretty impatient and fidgety, but without his powers Griffin was downright anxious. He could normally run away from anything he didn’t like and it was honestly bothering him to have that security taken away. If things went south, he was stuck. How much of his confidence was just the knowledge that he could always escape?

Was this why his mom always treated him like a ball and chain? Because his birth took her speed away? Was this how she felt when she couldn’t run anymore? Was this why she looked at his track trophies with a sneer sometimes when she thought he couldn’t see?

And now he was unpacking mommy issues. He wondered if everyone else was having such a hard time.

With nothing better to do, Griffin decided to people watch. Hopefully, someone else was visibly upset. Griffin was craving some schadenfreude to soothe himself.

Lloyd was chatting with his mom on the phone. Griffin felt uncomfortable for some reason and moved on quickly. Camille looked to be plotting. That was hopefully going to be minimal drama. Bolobo and Jacob both looked depressed. Good to know someone was taking it harder than him. Shade, Ash, and Tox were making small talk. Ash was being gross again if Shade and Tox’s expressions were anything to go off of. Karloff was trying and failing to get Cole to talk to him.

Cole hadn’t made a noise more than necessary since the escape and it was nothing like the open affection he had been displaying in the factory, or even the spite he had showcased in the tournament. Jay was taking deep breaths and standing away from everyone. Griffin was glad he didn’t have his lighting. Surely someone would’ve been zapped on accident by now if he did. Zane was quietly talking to himself. Griffin barely knew the guy and wasn’t sure if he wanted to.

Looking at the ninja might’ve been too much schadenfreude. They had a lot on their plates and Griffin didn’t envy them. He’d never been particularly close to anyone; the mommy issues probably factored in that. He could only imagine how the betrayal felt, especially given the dubious circumstances of it and the question of how much choice Kai had in it. It was a mess Griffin didn’t want to step in.

A quick headcount revealed that Griffin missed somebody. Brows furrowed, he slid his eyes all over and took a mental attendance. Lloyd, Camille, Bolobo, Jacob, Shade, Ash, Tox, Neuro, Karloff, Cole, Jay, and Zane. That left…

Paleman. Griffin finally saw him almost hiding between a couple crates. Griffin noted that his face still wasn’t visible. None of them had their powers, so that had bad implications. Did he not have control over it? Griffin suddenly felt like a jerk for implying he was untrustworthy because of it.

Paleman was shaking like a nervous wreck and Griffin saw himself; lost and powerless. He was having a hard time coming to grips with not having his powers and it looked like Paleman was a kindred spirit on that front. Griffin couldn’t run, and he couldn’t hide. Both of them were used to disappearing on a whim. Perhaps Paleman felt the same anxiety; losing his safety net too.

Griffin walked over to him.

Too slow. Too slow.

He ignored the feeling of wrongness and tried for a friendly face.

“Hey, you ok?” Griffin asked.

Despite not being able to see it, Griffin could feel the flat look he got. He rubbed the back of his neck and laughed nervously.

“Sorry, standard question.” he excused

Paleman didn't respond to him. There was a harsh silence while Griffin rolled back and forth on his heels.

It was awkward. It was the kind of situation Griffin would love to run out of. It was also something he wanted to stay and fix.

“Listen, I wanted to apologize for what I said about your face. I shouldn’t have called you a coward.” Griffin said earnestly.

Paleman finally seemed to meet his eye. Not that Griffin could really tell though.

“You know most people wear sunglasses to hide.” He said cryptically.

Griffin didn’t say anything, he just looked confused. Paleman gestured to his red sunglasses.

“They’re your shield right? No one gets a clear look of your eyes. So, no one really sees you.” Paleman said “You get to hide behind them. They hide parts of you.”

Griffin self consciously pushed his glasses further up on his face and coughed. They clearly weren’t doing a good enough job if Paleman could see all of that.

Paleman tilted his head.

“The funny thing is, I’m the opposite.” he explained, gesturing to his own glasses “I wear sunglasses to be seen.”

Griffin gasped in understanding.

“It must be hard.” Griffin said.

“I probably don’t have it nearly as rough as some people on this dock.” Paleman said, tilting his head to the boy in green still on the phone with his surviving parent.

Griffin sucked a breath in through his teeth. He felt so much pity for the boy. It was hard to look at someone with that much tragedy on his shoulders. Griffin was doing his best to ignore how uncomfortable Lloyd made him.

“Kind of crazy to see under the Green Ninja mask, right? I never really realized…” Griffin let his sentence trail off.

“We all hide in our own ways.” Paleman said sagely “but it never changes what’s underneath.”

Griffin let out a long breath and pursed his lips. He couldn’t argue with that.

The hard part was over. She should be fine now. Why wasn’t she fine?

Skylor couldn’t get Lloyd’s face out of her head. She kept seeing Nya’s protective fury when she closed her eyes. Jay’s accusations rung in her ears.

Her hands started to pull hair from her ponytail. She hated this. She hated how guilty she still felt. She had Kai back now, it should all be better now.

She sank to the ground and listened to nothing. Kai would start to have a breakdown soon, if he wasn’t having one already. They’d just forced him to confront all sorts of fears and emotions and he was going to spiral the moment he thought too hard about it.

So they let him go to his room alone to think about it.

Skylor was waiting until she felt like he had plenty of time to start. She wanted to walk in while he was in the thralls of it. The more upset he was, the easier it would be to hijack his emotions. It was the perfect opportunity to fine tune him and cement his loyalty to her. What she had worked so hard for. Her prize.

He was just in the other room, losing the last threads of conflicting interest. Skylor was the most and only important person in his life now. She had him to herself. She had done what she had to and gotten what she wanted. She won.

Skylor should feel victory, but she didn’t. Why was Kai’s fragile confusion not as cute as it was before? Why wasn’t Jay’s betrayal satisfying? Why did Lloyd’s cries haunt her?

Where did all this guilt come from?

She was the daughter of Master Chen. She shouldn’t feel bad about anything. Remorse was never a part of her world before now.

Had Kai changed her?

That was scary to think about. So she stopped.

It was about time enough to go interrupt Kai anyway. To guide his grief in the directions she wanted it to go. Skylor got up and carefully walked to his room.

She glanced at the hidden passage that accessed the opposite side of his walls and thought about the magic runes Clouse had put there. He had taught her how to use them. It was lucky Clouse had taught her some magic before he died. Skylor was not a master sorcerer, but she could manage a few of the smaller spells her father relied on. Placing any runes was far beyond her, but she could activate the ones Clouse had already placed.

Not that it mattered, Kai wouldn’t need to be punished to that extent again. He was well trained, and emotionally dependent. The silent treatment from her should cut deep enough to manage whatever missteps he made.

Skylor was confident when she gently knocked on his door. Her earlier guilt forgotten.

He didn’t really answer her, but she knew he was probably crying his eyes out and likely to pretend he was asleep.

Or maybe he was actually asleep. Magic sleep was not the same as actually sleeping. Clouse had informed them that Kai would be legitimately exhausted when he woke up. His body would need real sleep, and a lot of it. With how long he spend under the spell, Kai would be recovering for what could easily be a month or two.

Not that they’d explained that to him. A mysterious fatigue was great guilt fodder and letting him spend a few weeks chronically sleep deprived could only make things easier with him.

Skylor went ahead and let herself in, hoping Kai was awake and crying.

Her wish was granted. Kai was on his bed hugging his knees, hair a wild mess and eyes red rimmed. He had tried to sleep and the emotions had taken over. It was cute, in a demented way that was only cute to a manipulator.

“Couldn’t sleep either?” Skylor asked, giving herself an excuse to be there.

Make him feel camaraderie with her. Like she was suffering at his side, rather than talking down to him. Skylor was starting out strong for someone that needed sleep herself.

Kai didn’t say anything or lift his head. He only made a small whimper. Her timing was perfect.

“Oh come here, Firebrand.” Skylor said in sympathy, sitting on his bed and scooting close to him.

She pulled his head down onto her lap and he limply let her, his legs unfolding to make room. She smiled and mindlessly started carding her hands through his hair. Kai was soaking up the comfort as best he could.

“I know that was hard.” she said sweetly “I know you’re hurting.”

Kai sobbed for a second, not ready to use his voice yet.

“I thought...” Kai started through a fresh wave of tears “I thought they were my friends!”

He sounded so broken. It was time for Skylor to start dripping her venom in his ear.

“I know.” Skylor said, kind as a cobra “I know. But you still have us. I’m right here. We’re never going to leave you, Firebrand.”

Kai shook.

“Everyone abandons me.” he said painfully

Oh he was worse than she thought he’d be. Skylor supposed it was expected. Nya and the ninja were Kai’s only family after his parents left him with a luggage set of abandonment issues. Things happened pretty traumatically too.

“Sit up.” Skylor ordered “Take your shirt off and face the wall.”

Kai’s face was confused, but he was too conditioned not to do what he was told. Skylor smirked in satisfaction as he complied.

His breathing was shaking as he sat completely exposed from the waist up, waiting for her to explain. The “No questions” rule was something he had been punished enough for, so he stayed silent while Skylor admired the view.

His muscles were less defined than they had been when he’d first arrived. Sad, but the pay off of keeping his just slightly underfed was worth the diminished aesthetic. At some point, perhaps he’d get to a point where he could be trusted to be in complete health and Skylor could truly have it all.

Until that day, Skylor would count her blessings and enjoy the way his skin fluttered with every breath. Every ripple of his muscles twitched his shoulder blade and the ornate red and purple snake inked into it. Skylor reached out and lightly began to trace it.

Kai shuddered from the feathery touch. She could see his muscles melt as she did it. It made her feel powerful to relax him like that.

“Do you know what this means?” she asked, whispering in a husky voice.

Kai gulped.

“It means I belong to Master Chen.” He answered.

Skylor hummed. Kai closed his eyes and focused on the sound of her voice and the feeling of her tracing his skin.

“And do you know what belonging to him means?” Skylor asked in a leading tone.

Kai couldn’t string any sentences together, so he just moaned vaguely. Skylor made a noise of her own amusement.

“It’s a promise” she said slowly, trailing her fingers up Kai’s neck and stroking his hair now “Between you and him. You belong to him. Even if you wanted to, you can’t undo it. You’ll always belong to him. This is where you belong. We’ll never abandon you."

Kai felt his skin buzz over the tattoo Skylor had been tracing while he leaned back into her touch. He was getting sleepy now. Once the torrent of emotions had been settled, his body and mind were drained.

“I’m lost without you guys.” Kai said in a sleepy voice while Skylor guided his head back onto her lap.

He hummed happily while she played with his hair.

“I’d never say such hurtful things to you.” she said “And Father would never mistreat you like that. Even when you make mistakes.”

“He takes the time to punish and teach me. He doesn’t give up on me no matter how many times I screw up.” Kai happily mused back, almost dozing off.

Skylor paused her hands. She could hardly believe how well trained Kai was, even finding his punishments fulfilling. They had really done a number on him.

Skylor grit her teeth and tried to not think about the boy Jay had told her about. The one the ninja had lost, and the one her father and her had stolen. She was forcing herself to not think about all the ways they had changed him, or the ways they had hurt him.

What mattered was that he had been crying. He was vulnerable and malleable. Skylor had free reign to do what she wanted and here was her chance.

“I don’t think you’re a snake.” she said, kissing him on his temple “I think you’re a great guy that’s done everything right. They just don’t know you like I do. They don’t understand anything. I love you. I’m all you need.”

Kai’s breathing was evening out as sleep claimed him. Skylor continued to stroke him like a pet while he slept. He looked stunning, all slack and calm in her hands. But frustratingly, it didn’t banish any of the stubborn guilt. She was going to have to do something about it before it consumed her.

“Does anyone want me to pick up food?” Dareth asked, “Anything but Mr. Chen’s noodles.”

A few people snorted at the joke and Dareth let himself feel proud of it. At least he broke some tension.

“Do we even know where we’re all going to stay?” Tox asked.

She could’ve gone home, but Chen still had her powers and she felt obligated to stick around until he was dealt with. A sentiment shared with the other Elemental Masters. But the prisoner’s that had been Chen’s “guest” for a substantial amount of time had no idea where they could go.

It left quite a few people awkwardly standing around with no plan.

Lloyd, still on the phone, addressed them over his shoulder.

“You guys can stay at my Dad’s monastery. He’s not….” Lloyd choked up for a moment, but swallowed it “He’s not going to be running any classes, so we have room.”

Dareth stared at him, but Lloyd went back to chatting with his mom about the weather predicted for the week. It was unnatural enough how unphased Lloyd sounded, but the random moments of emotion mid-sentence made it even creepier. The contrast just highlighted how insane Lloyd’s demeanor was.

The kid had just lost his father, after a horrific week and discovering that his best friend had been manipulated into working for the enemy. Dareth would expect more tears and less chatting about the weather.

It wasn’t even like he was being overly pragmatic and burying himself in the mission. No, Lloyd was just….there was no words for it other than “Wrong”. Far be it from Dareth to accuse someone of grieving the “wrong way”, but there was no other word for how not normal Lloyd was about it. Dareth was worried about the kid.

Maybe it wasn’t smart to have so many people around him.

“I can also take some people at my place!” Dareth said cheerfully “I can help reintroduce some of you guys to society!”

The non-Elemental Masters looked at him in relief. None of them were ready to reenter the world on their own, but they still didn't want to deal with all the elemental powered nonsense that would be happening at Lloyd’s place. They wanted to recover, not make battle plans. Dareth had just solved their problems by offering himself up.

Dareth meanwhile, was trying not to shrink under the unintended weight of his words. He wasn’t sure if he could handle the responsibility of that task. How much help had he been lately anyways? He couldn’t help but feel like he’d messed everything up with Nya. Was it his fault she hadn’t come home? He was blaming himself either way. He was supposed to be a stable adult figure for her. He couldn’t even do that. How could he help a bunch of disadvantaged adults?

Then again what choice was there? He was the least traumatized person present. Everyone else needed to focus on the fight. Stopping Chen, saving Kai; all that good hero stuff Dareth wished he was skilled enough for. He’d give all his trophies to swoop in and fix everything for everyone, but all he had were the false credentials they gave him.

“Mi casa es su casa” Dareth said with a forced smile.

It was like pointing at his shelf of lies and telling little kids they didn’t have to be afraid of anything. He’d done it so many times. He’d seen that relieved smile so often, but he never thought he’d see it on an adult.

First Master, what a mess he had found himself in. Yet again he was underqualified, but standing in the right place. He had a job he shouldn’t and all he could do about it was his best. It wasn’t like he could back down. Firstly, ninja never quit. Second, there was no one else coming. If he walked away that was the end of it. These people needed support.

He wasn’t the right person for the job. He never was. He was just the person that was there when it needed done.

Screw it, band-aids were better than nothing.

Kapau was having a hard time enjoying his drink. Chope was nudging his arm.

“Hey come on! We did it! We’re moving up! The names worked! I’ve even heard some murmurs that you might be up for a promotion soon.” Chope said, sloshing some of his drink as he gestured wildly.

He was a little drunk.

“Where did you hear that?” Kapau asked.

Chope giggled.

“Your sister. Since Clouse is out, ranks are getting shifted around. Sak...er...Blossom thinks there’s going to be an opening and you’re the most likely to get it.” Chope ended his speech by hugging Kapau uncomfortably tight.

“And why did she tell you instead of me?” Kapau asked as he shoved his friend off of his shoulder.

Chope shrugged.

“I was there and she knew I’d pass the message along.”

He took another large drink and laughed when a loud burp bubbled out of him.

Kapau knew he should be laughing and celebrating too. Everything was going pretty well for him. He had every reason to drink and be merry.

He just couldn’t get Firebrand’s heartbroken eyes out of his head. The poor kid looked like the world was crashing around his ears. It was hard to convince himself it was for the best. It felt wrong.

And that wasn’t even touching on the Green Ninja. It wasn’t satisfying to see him cry. It was just uncomfortable. Remembering how bright he seemed at the start and thinking about how dead his eyes were at the end made things slither in Kapau’s stomach.

The whole thing was weird. Kapau just wanted things to go back to normal.

“Speaking of promotions, you heard that your sister got the head kabuki position, right? Whoo!” Chope cheered.

“Yeah. She did tell me that one.” Kapau said, forcing himself to take a sip of his drink.

Chope stared at him with a dopey grin. Kapau sighed and asked.

“What?”

“You know, before the names, we would be down in the factory bricking a new wall.” Chope said.

Kapau did feel like drinking to that idea. He raised his glass for Chope to toast.

“To promotions!” Kapau said

“TO PROMOTIONS!!!” Chope repeated much louder.

“TO PROMOTIONS!” Kapau matched.

The two chugged their drinks.

The Green Ninja’s mom arrived to pick up her son and no one even entertained the idea of riding with them, all more than happy to wait longer in the chilly air for a different ride. Lloyd and his mom had a heavy air of grief around them, and if that wasn’t enough of a deterrent Lloyd’s weird vibes had everyone instinctively avoiding him. Everyone let out a sigh of relief when he got in the passenger side and the dusty car drove off. Camille was pretty sure most of them didn’t realize they were holding that breath, but she sure did. Her instincts screamed at her that he was To Be Avoided and Camille didn’t survive as long as she had on her own by ignoring her instincts. There was something viscerally uncanny about that boy and Camille wanted far away from it.

When the less distressing ride options arrived, Camille could easily slip away.

The nobodies of the group shuffled onto the bus Dareth had procured with a favor of some kind. There was a strange story behind the whole friendship and apparent “life-debt” the driver owed him that Dareth admitted to forgetting about. Whatever, Camille really didn’t care.

The rest of the Elemental Masters hitched a ride with Sensei Wu and Camille slinked off. Everyone was paying too much attention to their own business to realize she was heading for the hills. She’d be shocked if they noticed her absence before breakfast the next day.

There was thought given to the idea of staying and helping to take Chen down with the others. She could’ve even made some useful connections, but Camille dismissed it. It was too much risk. Better to cut her losses and get out of dodge.

Of course her powers were a pretty big loss to cut, but she had no intentions of struggling in any uphill battles. She would make do. She always did.

It was three blocks away that reality finally hit her full force. When she made eye contact with her reflection in a store window. She was startled seeing her own naked face. She hadn’t seen such a thing in years. The hypothetical finally became a reality for her.

She had lost her powers.

She had lost her identity.

She had lost all her identities. Every mask and facade she had, was gone. The whole filing cabinet went up in smoke. He whole life. All her lives.

Camille started to pant and panic. Who was she now? She’d never had to ask. The answer was always a cheeky “whoever I want to be” and the question was avoided. Camille never had to define herself, so she never did. Now that ability was ripped away. There was a lifetime’s worth of existential questions she had to make up in the matter of minutes.

Camille fearfully walked towards the dirty shop window and inspected the face she was now. Were there any answers for her in these eyes? The way the nose curved? The point of this chin?

Her eyes. Her nose. Her chin.

Tears eagerly sprung forth. Camille now had a face. It was hers and she was it. She was locked in now. This was who she was now, and she had no choice in it.

Choice. She had fought her whole life for that ideal. She had given up so much so many times to prove that her hand could not be forced. She was the Master of Form and the Master of Her Own Fate. Every road she’d ever taken was in the interest of her unlimited choices.

Choices that had just been ripped away from her.

Camille openly wept as she combed over every last detail of her face. She poke and pulled at the skin and features, trying to force it all to be familiar. To force a satisfying identity from it. But there was no forcing comfort.

Camille was very used to looking in the mirror and seeing a stranger, but this was the first time it wasn’t her own doing.

Lloyd could tell something was wrong with him. He wasn’t feeling things right.

There were moments when he did feel normal and the weight of it crashed over him in a painful comfort. He felt normal when he first heard that his father was gone. His heart scraped itself hollow. There was a deep clawing anguish in his soul at that moment.

And then with no warning, it was gone; replaced by something...strange.

There were no words for it. It was still pain, but it was sideways, upside down, and backwards. Lloyd could compare it to the moments he felt genuine normal grief, but he still couldn’t put it into words. It was like trying to describe sight to the blind. A numb burning that slipped almost comfortably under his skin instead of the raging knives he should be feeling in his chest. The pain was very much still present. It was just taking a form he couldn’t translate.

Lloyd felt so disconnected from his entire mind, body, and soul. Like something peeled him out of himself. He was acting normal and he didn’t know how. There would be a moment where he felt a tightness in his lungs; pressure behind his eyes and shards of glass in his throat. He would think he was back to normal, having regular emotions. Then it was gone and he was watching himself make decisions and hold conversations as if there was nothing wrong.

He was honestly freaking himself out. Acting normal wasn’t a normal thing to be doing. He should be throwing a fit and any nearby objects. He should be melting into sobs, going into hysterics, losing his mind.

He was sitting in his mother’s car and casually making dinner plans.

Maybe he had lost his mind. Maybe his father’s death had just finally been the straw on the camel’s back that was his sanity. Could he be blamed?

“I know a 24 hour pizza place.” Misako said helpfully.

Lloyd didn’t know why she wasn’t giving him the same worried glances everyone else had been. It would be normal. Normal like the wobble in her voice and the shaking in her hands. Normal like deepening wrinkles on her face. Normal like the grief she was feeling that Lloyd couldn’t keep a grip on.

“That would be a good idea since we have so many people to feed.” he said calmly.

Why did he sound so nonchalant about this!? Was this shock? He didn’t think so, but what other explanation was there? This wasn’t normal.

His mom sighed and Lloyd tensed. He braced for her to finally start yelling at him for being insensitive and weird. A negative reaction to him was well overdue.

“We should talk.” she said over the clicking sound of her turn signal.

A genuine feeling of guilt and fear leaked into his chest and Lloyd embraced it greedily, if only to prove that he was feeling something. She would be more forgiving if she saw that he could actually be upset.

“I’m sorry.” Lloyd said, tears appearing from nothing.

First Master his dad was dead!

His dad was dead and Lloyd couldn’t be bothered to mourn the man. Garmadon was only on that island trying to protect his ungrateful son. Lloyd put his hands on his face and tried to breathe through the guilt threatening to drown him. Misako eyed him in alarm, but Lloyd was busy riding a fresh wave of grief.

His dad. The man that plowed a line through an army for him. The kind and patient teacher that had guided him through Hiroshi’s labyrinth. The father that broke a sacred oath because Lloyd’s life was more important. Gone. All of him, gone.

“Oh, Baby.” Misako said, reaching an arm over and squeezing his knee. “It’s ok. You’re ok. I don’t know what you think you’re apologizing for, but we’re not going to entertain that.”

Lloyd sniffled and nodded. He was still confused though.

Misako took her eyes off the road for a moment to give him a soft reassuring smile. It was the smile Lloyd had wished for so many dark nights at Darkley’s. Sometimes he could just barely convince himself that he remembered his real mother’s smile, but more often he resigned himself to the belief he was imagining it whole cloth.

Lloyd sobbed again. Even if he had lost everything, he had a mom. It counted for something that he got a smile like that and a squeeze on the knee. Someone called him “Baby” with love in her voice, and that was a blessing Lloyd was counting.

And he was happy to know he had never imagined his mother’s smile. That was absolutely the image he had comforted himself with during the cold lonely nights in Darkley’s. His mom had been with him, at least in spirit.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, eyes back on the road.

Another sniffle for Lloyd to get his voice back, and click. It was all weird again. All the raw raging grief was...off tilt.

Lloyd pouted in frustration. He was still hurting, but it felt wrong. He almost punched the car door. Why couldn’t he just be normal about this? Why did he have to be so weird? None of it made a lick of sense.

“I’m sad.” Lloyd lied.

Misako clicked her tongue, almost disappointed sounding.

Lloyd remembered hearing about how moms always know when you’re lying. He had thought it was superstition, but maybe his mom could actually see through to his weird and fractured soul.

“You want to tell me the rest of it?” she said.

Lloyd’s eyes got wide with guilt and shock. Brad had been right. Mom’s were magic. She knew and the jig was up. He had to come clean.

But that left the problem of explaining it.

Lloyd sighed.

“I don’t know what I’m feeling.” he admitted, fingering the material of his gi as if he were bored.

Misako hummed in an approving way. Taking the cue, Lloyd continued.

“I’m devastated, but I’m not….I’m not feeling it the right way. It hurts, but I don’t know what’s happening.” Lloyd tried.

Misako stayed quiet for a second. Lloyd would fill the silence with more explanation, but he didn’t have much else to say.

“Your father said it was like grieving in a foreign language.” She finally said.

Lloyd’s gaze snapped to her.

“How did you…?”

Magic. Moms were magic.

“I don’t want to freak you out with the entire explanation right now, but your father felt the same things when his father died.” Misako said

“What is it?” Lloyd asked, hoping his mom had words for him.

She just sighed.

“Complicated.” she settled on saying. “More so for you than him. You’re still feeling normal about it too, aren’t you?”

Lloyd nodded.

“It comes and goes.” he admitted.

Another sigh. Lloyd felt strangely guilty.

“Alright.” Misako said simply.

Lloyd bit his lip and watched the blurs and lines of lights in the night pass out the window. The full moon hung in the sky like a witness to all. Lloyd felt so small and exposed.

“Is that a bad thing?” he asked in a small, childish voice.

“No Baby.” Misako said with a humorless laugh as she stopped at a red light “It’s probably what we should’ve expected.”

She reached an affectionate hand to his face and thumbed his cheek.

“You are very special, and I am very sorry about that.”

Lloyd decided to accept the comfort rather than dissect her words.

“Ok.” he said.

Chen was pouting, as one does when they lose a round in a game. He thought he had all the cards, but he’d missed one. A big one too. How does someone not see an entire rotojet!?!? Chen wanted to punish or kill someone over this, but unfortunately without his prisoners, he was short staffed. Plus, Ani was dead so he’d have to come up with an entirely new execution method and that was too much work for him at the moment.

It was a mess. He was down a factory’s worth of prisoners, a handful of fresh playthings, and a few walls. All on top of the loses Garmadon had already dealt. Ani and Clouse were losses Chen could’ve handled on their own, but with everything else that had just happened, he was starting to feel the strain.

One problem at a time.

Walls could be fixed. Grunt work for the grunts. Chen kept enough pinons around for this kind of thing. A quick order or two and that issue was sorting itself out. Zugu was put in charge of the affair, since he had no more prisoners to supervise. Chen was quietly thinking about what he would do to the failure as soon as he had the resources to do it. Maybe he’d give Zugu’s job to that Kapau.

Was that what he was thinking? Keeping a spare around to fill in for anyone that got removed? Chen was frustrated with his inability to remember what his plan for him was, but it really didn’t matter. The spare idea was probably better in the long run.

Problem two, lack of involuntary factory workers. Chen audibly groaned thinking about his new supply chain issues. He usually liked to ignore his business and enjoy the passive income. It made for a good source of new recruits, but it wasn’t very interesting to him beyond that. Chen needed the revenue stream too much to fully ignore it though. He had to be somewhat business savvy to get where he was.

He had built it from nothing, all remotely from his banishment. It was the hardest thing Chen had ever done. People made sense. They could easily be nudged and influenced. Economics was made up nonsense that responded to money alone. There was nothing satisfying about it beyond the wealth it provided. Chen abdicated the responsibility wherever he could.

This was not one of those times.

A new factory would have to be staffed. Chen could have some grunts fill in so production didn’t fall too far behind, but there would be a drop in quality and quantity both. Customers will complain if he doesn’t come up with an explanation.

He could blame it on a factory accident, which wasn’t very far from the truth. Chen had to spend much longer than he wanted on a press release that sounded sympathetic, but not too tragic. He wanted grace given to his product, not attention on his production methods. He made sure as little as possible was known to the public. If people wanted to send aid, there would be too many questions about where and how. Best to underplay it, say no one was hurt.

He’d have to come up with a better plan eventually, but for now it would do. Chen was in the middle of drafting the thing when Zugu interrupted him.

“What!? What!?” Chen asked in a sour voice.

Chen had little patience. It was already a bad day for him.

Zugu was a man of few words, but he got the point across. Chen needed to go see something in the factory and it couldn’t wait. Begrudgingly, Chen made his way down. Whatever waited for him was going to regret it if it wasn’t important enough to justify the interruption.

Chen barely gave a second glance to the pile of rubble they put Clouse under. Chen felt like putting him with Ani was only right. There were plans to seal the tunnel off with a marker. It would be too much work to clear it out and Clouse deserved a tomb. Plus, Chen was never a wasteful man. Extravagant, but never wasteful.

Finally Chen reached the half destroyed factory. All the followers were looking at him nervously. Whatever was happening was something they felt under qualified for. Chen braced himself for more bad news.

A sharp pair of feminine eyes met his gaze and Chen stalled.

Glaring at him defiantly, she stood out in the middle of the open floor with no protection. There wasn’t so much as a twitch of fear as he approached.

It was the spy. The false kabuki. Kai’s sister. Nya.

Chen was at a loss for words. A rare occurrence for him, but this was truly bizarre. Chen could normally predict people, or at least understand them. This, was like opening a chess match with a dumb move to ensure the variation would be original. It felt like a trap, and Chen didn’t like being on the opposite side of those.

“Is there a reason you didn’t leave with your friends?” Chen asked in what could be called a dry tone for him.

“Kai.” Nya said plainly.

Chen raised a brow.

“I’m staying for Kai.” she explained “I’d rather stay your prisoner than abandon him again.”

Chen choked on his breath. Whatever he’d been expecting, it wasn’t that. It defied all conventional logic.

“You are willingly staying... to be my prisoner?” he asked in shock.

Nya nodded confidently.

“If I’m not leaving with my brother, then I’m not leaving.” she explained.

Ah. Now that made sense.

Chen was really off his game. He should’ve seen this possibility. Nya was raised by the boy. Fiercely independent or not, he was her whole family. People did completely wild things when their entire family was on the line. He should know, he’d exploited the phenomenon enough. Nya was still here because he had the ultimate emotional leverage on her.

Now that her move made sense, Chen could switch gears to planning his.

Looking her up and down, she looked far more capable in her armor than she did dressed as a false kabuki servant. Her track record matched. Only counting her recent endeavors, she had managed to infiltrate his estate, evade his men plus the other elemental masters, and take down quite a few guards before finally getting caught during the siege attempt. She was nothing to be taken lightly.

At the same time, she had a round face; pretty and delicately young. She was willing to leave herself as Chen’s only prisoner in devotion to her brother. A brother Chen already had a strong hold of. He was holding all the cards in this match. She only had her cooperation to bargain with, and she’d practically already surrendered that.

His next move was obvious. He was not a wasteful man after all.

Misako wasn’t usually one for tea, but what else was there for times like this? She started to boil the water the moment she arrived home to the empty monastery.

It was going to stay empty with Garmadon gone. Misako felt a pang of kinship with the empty building. They were the same in a way. Garmadon had left them both empty and useless. First Master, they only had tea in the cabinet because he drank it. It was his teapot she was using!

Strong feelings began to boil in her like the water on the stove, but before she could squeal with steam, her son entered the kitchen and reminded her why she couldn’t.

The soft moonlight no longer hid the dirt dusting him. His hair was greasy and flat. His nails needed scrubbing. Misako could see streaky marks of gray around his face like war paint gone wrong. He looked like an orphan. In a way he was one now, but he didn’t need to look the part.

“Go clean up and get changed.” she told him, somehow sounding like a proper mother.

What right did she have to use that voice? She had barely changed this boy’s diapers and she’d never tied his shoes or kissed a bruised knee better. She was a loathsome fake. She had no right to wear the costume she was donning. She may’ve been a wife, but she was never a mother.

Lloyd didn’t know the difference though. He went to his room to shower and change like he was told.

Misako watched him go and noted how his footsteps were that of a soldier. Someone that knew less would chalk that up to his history and training, but Misako knew those steps. The march of a grieving oni.

She cursed under her breath. If she could have Garmadon back for just one thing, it would be this. How was she supposed to tell Lloyd what he was? Another mortal problem. She was going to give a lackluster explanation and it was going to be full of holes. She didn’t know what Lloyd was feeling or going to feel. She just knew what it all looked like.

Wu would have some answers, but he leaned more dragon than he did oni. And would he actually explain it? This was the sort of thing he liked to avoid. Honestly Misako couldn’t blame him since she had avoided it too. Heck, even her husband had avoided it.

How do you tell your kid that he’s not human?

Misako put her head in her hands and sighed. She was in over her head again, a tiny ship caught in the swirling storm destiny sent, her knuckles white on the steering wheel. Her husband was dead. There was a mad man with powers gunning for them all. There was a troop of powerless and scared Elemental Masters on their way.

The kettle screamed and Misako felt envy.

She had a cup of hot tea waiting for Lloyd when he returned. He looked less like a grieving creature and more like a child in his green striped pajamas. He probably felt it too. He gave a tight smile and quiet thank you when handed the mug. He had cried in the shower, Misako would put good money on it.

“So I owe you some explanations.” Misako said, sitting down at the table with all her weight.

Lloyd didn’t sit. He didn't say a word. He just looked at her like the child she knew she’d never deserve with an untouched drink cooling in his hands.

“There’s a lot of things we should’ve told you, but there aren’t good times to have conversations like these. So, they get put off until something comes up.” Misako said guiltily.

“Leaving you was the hardest thing I ever had to do. But faced with saving you and the world, I had no other choice.”

Excuses. It was all excuses. Why couldn’t she just be a good mother!? Why couldn’t fate just leave her baby alone!? Why did his best friend have to get tangled up in a twisted man’s games!? Why was nothing fair for him!? Why couldn’t she make any of it right!?

Lloyd finally sat down across from her and took a drink of his tea. Misako signed. It was time to rip the band-aid off.

“You aren’t human.” she said bluntly.

He froze, mid sip. Blessings counted he didn’t spit it back out all over the table.

“You are part human though.” she assured him.

She didn’t want to panic him. He deserved some easing into it.

Lloyd slowly lowed his cup and set it on the table. His eyes rose to her in fear as he swallowed his drink.

“What else am I?” he asked hesitatingly, like he didn’t really want an answer.

“Oni.” Misako said plainly “And Dragon too, but I think your oni blood is what’s giving you problems. Oni feel loss differently than we do. Your father went through the same confusion long before you were born.”

Lloyd looked pale enough that she stopped speaking out of fear he’d faint.

“Drink some more tea. It’ll help.” she said.

Lloyd downed the entire cup. That wasn’t what she had meant, but he did look steadier when he set the thing back down.

“You’re grandfather, the First Spinjitsu Master, was a child born of an oni and a dragon. I never did get much information out of your father about how exactly he and Wu came about, but I have the feeling a mother wasn’t involved. So, I’m not sure how human they are, if they are at all. But you’re my son and I’m a full blooded mortal. So you’re at least one half human.” Misako said with a hesitate smile

Was that comforting? She didn’t know.

“So how exactly do oni grieve?” Lloyd said, glaring out the window.

It was too dark to see the garden outside, so he was only scowling at his own reflection in the black glass. Misako sighed.

“That’s a question I wish you could ask your father.” she said, barely managing to finish before the tears came.

Lloyd was standing by her side in a blink. His arms looped over her before she could sob a second time.

She was hissing curses at herself. She wasn’t supposed to break down yet. She had to keep it together. Lloyd shouldn’t be comforting her! It wasn’t his job to take care of a mother that never managed to take care of him!

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid Misako!

“You’re not stupid! Stop saying that!” Lloyd begged.

Just like her tears, her self loathing had spilled out. Now Lloyd was looking at her with the fear of a child seeing a parent crumple. She could see the need to fix it spread on his face. Then the panic of a child that didn’t know how.

No. She refused. Lloyd had too many burdens. She could fix herself for one single moment. When Lloyd was in bed she could cry until her eyes turned raw as a burn, but right now he didn’t need to know how much of a mess she was.

He didn’t need to know that she was in over her head. He needed to feel like she could help.

“I’m sorry.” she said as she scrubbed her tears away.

Her glasses were nearly thrown off her face in her effort. She couldn’t erase the evidence off her face fast enough. She wanted to take back the moment of weakness.

“I’m ok. I just miss him-”

Another sob broke containment. She needed to stop talking before she started to remember.

Remember that it wasn’t just Lloyd’s father that was dead. Her husband was gone. The man that got on one knee and nearly sank in the mud because he didn’t pay attention to where he was standing when he did it. The man that cut their wedding cake with the sword he insisted on having through the ceremony. The man that wrote her that beautiful letter in the heart of a war. How she wondered how much time that took him, how much help he asked for to get it so right.

If it had come from Wu, Misako would’ve dismissed it. Such words were easy for Wu. It would’ve taken him no effort at all to create something like that and send it off for her to read without having to face her.

But Garmadon was a different man, and it meant something different from him. It was a gesture from him. He wasn’t the type to patiently wait for a reply, so to do it through letter had to be difficult. At least as difficult as writing something so poetic had to be. Misako always had the suspicion that he had plagiarized pieces of it, but shortcuts or not he proved that he was willing to do difficult things for her. When all was said and done, that was what moved her heart into a decision. Not the words, the action behind them.

But he would never do another difficult thing for her or their child again. He was gone. He would be gone for every moment she would now live. His absence was a throbbing pain she was trying to distract herself from, but the task was impossible. There were so many small thoughts that led home to him. He wouldn’t see the new bloom on his orchid. Classes would never be held again. The tea bags in the pantry won’t be used.

His son was beginning to cry with concern over her.

Get it together Misako!

She took a few calming breaths.

“It’s ok, Mom.” Lloyd said. “You’re not stupid for crying. He was a good man.”

No, not for crying. She was stupid for making her son comfort her. Misako carefully wound her grieve and shame back up like a ball of yarn and shoved it away to be returned to. Or forgotten. She was considering taking a page from Wu’s book and pretending it wasn’t real.

“I’m ok.” she said.

And no more. Saying one more word on the subject would break her again. She was trying to force herself to believe her own lie so that Lloyd could take her cue.

Lloyd studied her, trying to decide if he really bought it or not. He didn’t find any cracks in the mask and deemed it true.

“Ok.” he said softly, still unsure.

He sat back down and Misako got him more tea. She wanted to get rid of the stuff as soon as she could.

“So, since Dad can’t answer, would Uncle Wu know?” Lloyd asked, picking at the string of the tea bag.

“Parts of it, probably.” Misako sighed as she sat back down. “But he didn’t inherit like Garmadon did.”

He always said he leaned more dragon, but Misako wasn’t sure. She knew a lot about dragons. They weren’t uncommon in Ninjago. Wu just seemed more human. Sometimes she wondered if Wu had been conceived differently than Garmadon and had different blood. If it was true, she doubted even Wu would know. Their father didn’t like to answer questions any more than Wu did.

She did remember something useful though.

“I wish I could remember, but I think your father told me there was another oni in Ninjago that helped explain things to him. Wu might know who it was.” Misako said, eyes following the grain of the wooden table. “If they’re still around, they might be able to help.”

“There’s another oni!?” Lloyd asked, locking into one piece at a time.

“There was.” Misako corrected “I don’t know if they’re still in the realm.”

She didn’t want to get his hopes up on something that could be a dead end. She’d done that to herself too many times. By all means, she should have an acquired taste for failure at this point, but it never got any less bitter.

“We’ll ask Wu as soon as he gets back!” Lloyd announced, a determined gleam to him.

And Misako’s breath stuttered.

She had always seen Garmadon in Lloyd. The relation to The First Spinjitsu Master, and even at times Wu, wasn’t hard to see either. Lloyd was a Garmadon, uncontested. But that was the first time Misako saw any of herself in the beautiful boy she had given birth to. The excitement over a thread to pull, it mirrored her youthful passion for knowledge. Lloyd’s wide eyes were the same Misako had seen in pictures fawned over by her mother.

And for the first time in her life, Misako understood why Garmadon and Wu had called her beautiful.

Because Lloyd was. He was gorgeous. He was a beacon of light she didn’t deserve, and he looked like her somehow. His voice hit the same pitch. His eyes sparkled like hers did when an answer was close enough to kiss. The freckles you’d never notice if you weren’t looking for them danced on his cheeks in a way she used to hate. How did she ever think poorly of such a thing?

Lloyd was every beautiful part of the good man Garmadon was, but somehow he had found some beauty from her too.

He was an oni. He was a dragon.

He was a human.

She had given him that much.

When someone came to wake him up, Kai had to peel himself out of bed. It took a lot more effort than it should, but he forced himself up. He’d spent enough time sleeping and he was probably needed.

He was mourning his warm bed the entire walk to breakfast. It was a nice distraction from his complicated feelings though. He didn’t even remember what had happened the night before until he sat down. Luckily by then he had a new distraction.

“Good morning!” Chen yelled.

The volume woke Kai up a bit more. Chen always had a way of bringing more energy into the room.

“Good morning, Master Chen.” Kai said, smiling.

He was relieved to still have a reason to smile.

“How are you holding up? I know what happened must’ve been so hard. I am so sorry you had to wake up to that. I did everything I could to prevent it, but it was unavoidable. I can only imagine how painful it is for you.” Master Chen said

Kai bit down on his shaking lip. He was used to the rapid questions, but this wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have. He wanted to forget the whole thing and focus on being a good follower. He didn’t want to give himself any time to think about how hurt he was.

“Oh poor, Firebrand.” Chen said, yanking Kai into a restrictive hug and petting his head. “Such a trooper. It hurts to learn who people truly are. It never does get easier does it? I know you trusted them. It’s just so awful what they did!”

Kai’s eyebrows dipped in confusion. What did they do? He never did get an explanation on what had happened when he was out.

Kai wiggled himself out of Master Chen’s arms and looked at him. A skeptical look crossed his face and Chen tensed. There was outrage in his eyes, but he didn’t say a word. Some part of Kai saw those warning signs. Danger ahead. Do not proceed. Stop. Turn back.

It was killing him though! They had been his family and now they were his enemy. He wanted, needed to know what could’ve possibly changed. He needed to know how he drove them away. He needed to avoid doing it again.

And maybe, just maybe, he could still find a way to fix it.

But Kai still didn’t want to ask. He couldn’t. He wasn’t supposed to ask questions. If it was important he’d be told. He had to wait to be told what he needed to know. Even if this seemed like the kind of thing he certainly needed to know. It felt like flames under his tongue to keep his mouth shut.

“What is it Firebrand?” Chen asked in a low growling voice.

Kai winced at the tone. Master Chen was getting impatient and he was walking a dangerous tightrope, he knew. He couldn’t ask the question himself, but Master Chen had asked him a question and Kai was supposed to answer, right? He wasn’t supposed to keep secrets from his master. Perhaps it would be ok under these circumstances to admit his curiosity.

Kai swallowed some spit to relieve his suddenly dry mouth.

“I was just wondering...” Kai said, quiet as a mouse.

If his voice was small, maybe the repercussions would be too. He was hoping there wouldn’t be any, but on some level he knew he was breaking the rules.

“What did they do? Why are they enemies now?” Kai asked, pleading for an answer with his eyes.

There was barely a beat of time before the consequences came.

Master Chen’s face turned a terrifying red and Kai was shoved backwards onto the chair. He felt the sharp corners bruise his skin while he made his clumsy way to the ground. The sound of the chair scratching the floor bounced in his ears as he scrambled to right himself.

Still trying to rise, he was grabbed and pulled. His feet left the ground and the pressure grew on the collar of his shirt. Kai was so close to Master Chen’s snarl, he could almost taste the rage in his voice as he spoke.

“How dare you! I offer you comfort and you immediately insult me!?” Master Chen roared.

Kai turned pale. He meant nothing by it, but he must’ve truly butchered the delivery if Master Chen was taking it as such an insult. Shame flooded his chest at what he had done, sloshing around and sticking like syrup.

“I’m sorry!” Kai yelped. “I’m so sorry! I spoke out of turn!”

Master Chen shook him and threw him to the floor. A sharp copper taste filled Kai’s mouth as warm blood oozed out of his bitten lip. He didn’t dare raise his head. Staying on the floor, exactly where he’d landed, Kai began to tremble.

A sob cracked out of his throat. He was messing it up again. At this rate Master Chen would leave him like everyone else. He thought he was over this. He thought he had gotten better. Why was he so unlovable?

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Please. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I am so sorry. Please. Please. Please. I’m so sorry.”

Kai could only keep chanting it. They were the only words he had. There was no excuse for it. After all the work he’d done to be worthy, and he’d still ruined it. There was something rotten in him and he couldn’t fix it. He could only hope Master Chen would accept his repentance.

Chen stared coldly at the boy, prone on the ground and sobbing apologies. It was a gut wrenching sight for most, but not enough for Chen.

“You broke your promise.” Master Chen announced “Should I break mine?”

Kai made a shattered sound. He knew exactly what promise Master Chen was referring to.

“NO!” Kai yelled, crawling across the floor like a whimpering dog.

He was at Master Chen’s feet, pawing at the ground and not daring to touch his master without permission. A pathetic display from a damaged child.

“No! No! Please! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Please forgive me! Please! Please! I’m so sorry, Master!” Kai blubbered, desperate and broken.

Chen took a step backwards and listened to Kai breakdown at the perception that his apology was rejected. He howled; frantic and destitute. He was a pathetic mess, begging for Chen’s forgiveness.

“PLEASE! PLEASE! I’M SORRY! PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME!! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY I’M SUCH A BAD SON! PLEASE!” Kai wailed.

He used the word “son”. That was a first. Chen felt satisfaction settle in his chest.

It was delightful how much pain Chen could inflict on him. He didn’t even have to raise a hand to do it. All he did was take one step backwards and the boy was in hysterics. The emotional pain was so great that Kai would do anything to relieve it.

This would do nicely.

“What am I going to do with you?” Master Chen sighed dramatically.

Kai quieted down his sobs, relieved to be addressed. He was so sensitive to silence and neglect. So much so he’d find comfort in a scolding. So long as you were speaking to him, he accepted it as affection.

“Please don’t abandon me.” he whimpered, placing himself submissively on his knees.

A sad, broken sound it was. Chen had once again turned Kai into the little boy left alone at Four Weapons. It was rewarding to see how vulnerable he could get. Chen enjoyed the feeling of being in absolute control of him.

“If you won’t keep your promises, why should I?” Master Chen asked, barely containing his glee.

Kai was too distraught to hear it. All he knew was the blinding desperation to make amends before he lost everything he had left.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. Please forgive me.” Kai begged, hiccuping from sobs.

He placed his forehead on the ground in front of him in a bowing position, giving the appearance of a worshiper. Chen paused to bask in it. He didn’t have to do it, but he couldn’t resist the chance to put Kai through another horrible silence and watch the fear build in his taut shoulders.

He had gone the entire tournament without playing with Kai. After all the work he’d put into molding Kai, Chen wanted to enjoy it. He yanked on the puppet strings he had spent so long carefully winding around every corner of Kai’s mind. The boy helplessly danced to Chen’s taste with every push and pull.

But all games get boring when they go on too long and Chen had other things on his agenda. After Kai had stewed for a moment, Chen moved on.

“Firebrand, look at me.” Master Chen said gently.

Kai raised his eyes as fast as he could without breaking his meek demeanor. There was a very real hesitance in them at daring to meet his Master’s eyes, even at request. Chen wished he could put such a delicious flavor in a bottle.

“I’m frustrated with you.” he said, pausing for Kai to react.

Kai winced and nearly broke eye contact to sob again. There was the push, now it was time to pull.

“But I realize that you are in a bad place. Seeing all those old bad influences caused you to relapse.” Master Chen explained.

He stooped down to put a soft hand on Kai’s shoulder. He could feel Kai shiver in fear and confusion. Perfect. It was just the way Chen wanted him.

“Re...relapse?” Kai asked, sniffling a little.

Master Chen nodded. While Kai was reeling from the whiplash of fear to relief, Chen could start to nudge his world view.

“You’re self destructive. I tried to teach you better, but your old friends dug up bad old habits. You acted out because you were trying to sabotage yourself and your place here.” Master Chen said slowly.

Kai’s eyes were wide as a child’s, soaking up Master Chen’s explanation without a thought out of line.

“I was?” Kai asked.

Chen nodded again, enthusiastically.

“It’s a nasty habit we worked so hard to help you break, but sadly it looks like we’ve lost some progress.” Master Chen lamented, with every appearance that he meant it.

Then, on a dime, Chen raised his smile. He stood up quickly and left Kai fumbling for balance when he removed his hand. A little more whiplash would keep him from realizing Chen had introduced a new thought.

“But not to worry!” Master Chen chirped “We’re here to help you through it! Aren’t you so lucky to have us?”

Kai stood up and nodded, crying tears of relief.

“We love you, Firebrand! We love you enough to fix you. I’m not like all those others that left you when it got hard. You belong here. We’re your family now and we won’t abandon you. You don’t need any of those other bad influences. You just need to listen to me and let me help you. I’ll fix it. I promise.” Master Chen said inviting Kai to hug him.

Kai sobbed into Chen’s chest, still nodding. Master Chen pet his hair possessively and smiled in satisfaction.

“Unfortunately Firebrand, part of fixing you requires punishment.” Chen said, still hugging his favored victim.

“I understand, Master.” Kai said in a shaking voice.

There wasn’t any hesitation. Kai was fearful, yes, but he was more relieved to receive punishment. Aside from his well established need to be acknowledged at any cost, Chen had successfully built it up to be a favor Kai should be grateful for.

“Good.” Master Chen said cheerfully,

He forced Kai out of the hug so he could get a good look at him and truly drink in his success.

Kai was sucking on his bleeding lip, the perfect image of submissiveness. It was as delightful as it was satisfying. Kai was truly under his thumb. His puppet strings would sooner choke him than come undone.

Chen was proud of himself.

“Hurry along to your room. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll be done.” Master Chen said with enthusiasm.

Kai’s head dipped.

“Can you tell Skylor I’m sorry?” He requested quietly.

Chen cooed. Kai was such a good little puppet to Skylor too. There was no end to the pay offs. He was perfect. Chen knew exactly what he was doing when he chose him.

“Of course, Firebrand.” Chen promised “Hopefully you’ll learn quickly and we won’t need much more of this.”

Kai nodded and sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve before walking back to his room. Chen watched him leave with a smile. There was a moment of silence for Chen to drink the moment in.

Seeing his old friends was a shock and could’ve very easily undone a lot of the work done on Kai. Chen was pleased to see how little it changed. They had done good work on their Firebrand.

“What happened?” Skylor asked in concern, shattering the silence.

She walked into the room hugging her arm like a nervous child.

“How much did you hear?” Chen asked, barely giving her a glance.

“I’ve been around the corner since he started screaming.” Skylor admitted, looking to the side and squeezing the fabric of her sleeve. “I didn’t know what had happened, so I let you handle it.”

It had been so hard to listen to Kai plead like his life was at stake and do nothing. She claimed to love this boy and she let him endure that alone. It made her sick with herself. Which was annoying! She had thought having Kai back would shrink her guilt, not feed it!

“Good girl.” Chen said, patting her head affectionately. “I’ll also need you to go activate those magic doohickies on Firebrand’s room for me. Such a pain to lose Clouse, but so lucky to have you!”

Chen gave her one last affectionate touch before sitting down to eat his breakfast.

Skylor stared at him though. Whatever happened must’ve been serious if her father wanted to subject Kai to sensory deprivation again. It was one of the harsher punishments.

That left Skylor wracking her brain for an explanation. She had been predicting that they would never need it again just the night prior. Kai showed no signs of resistance when she had talked to him. It didn’t seem possible to undo his conditioning that fast.

“Did he really relapse that much? He seemed on track with me last night.” Skylor finally asked.

“What? Oh no. He just barely asked a question. Hardly anything to fret over. He’s still under control.” Chen said dismissively, with a flourish of his hand.

Skylor stared at her father with even wider eyes, waiting for the rest of his sentence.

After a few long moments she realized in horror that there was no more coming. That was the complete explanation.

“FATHER!” Skylor yelled indignantly.

“WHAT!?” Chen yelled back.

Skylor stopped and cleared her throat. She was losing control of her tone and it would get her in trouble in a minute if she wasn’t careful.

“If he wasn’t rebelling, why are we resorting to something so extreme?” she asked in a polite tone.

“Baby.” Chen said in patronizing sympathy, with an expression to match “I thought you understood?”

Skylor pouted. She got a very pointed feeling that she was not going to like this conversation, but she let her father speak.

“Our Firebrand is fragile right now. This is a crucial point. Seeing his friends as enemies surely filled him with doubts. We have to be merciless and kill those thoughts before they have a chance to grow.” Chen said carefully.

“But-”

“We need to make sure his training sticks. We can’t allow him to step a toe out of line. Do you want him to leave? For him to go back to the ninja and never speak to you again? We could have that happen, Skylor! You know how important preemptive measures are for these matters!”

Skylor shrunk with every word.

A small part of her shifted uncomfortably when he mentioned the possibility of Kai going home to his friends. A tiny voice shouting with all it’s microscopic might that he belonged with those friends and they should let him go.

The guilt was getting bold.

Skylor shook it off, shot it like a lame horse, and buried it behind more pressing thoughts. It was getting in her way and she hoped it would stay dead this time. Though, she had the suspicion that an unpleasant ghost would come back and haunt her again.

She needed a more permanent solution, but for now she had other things to do.

“I’ll go activate the silencing spell.” Skylor conceited with a dip of her head.

Chen gave her a large smile.

“And the insomnia one please. Oh, I knew it was a good idea to have Clouse put that there!” Chen said sweetly.

Skylor almost rolled her eyes. Of course they couldn’t let Kai catch up on the sleep he needed while they punished him over nothing.

“How long do you think this will be?” she asked, barely containing a sigh.

Chen put a finger on his chin and thought for a moment.

“At least enough time for me to sort out the other pressing matter.” He said.

“What ‘other matter’?” Skylor asked, placing a hand on her hip.

Zane had taken a head count when they boarded the ship. He had taken another midway through the ride back to the mainland. Another was taken the moment they docked. Then again when Dareth’s bus driver friend came. Yet again when they got into the Ultra Sonic Raider and Wu drove them back to Garmadon’s monastery. Then again as they arrived and Misako forced tea on everyone. Then again as they found corners to sleep in. He counted again before he made breakfast for everyone. Then a final time as he served it.

There had been twenty-eight people in the factory. Twenty-seven people boarded the boat. Twenty-seven people got off the boat. Eleven people had gone with Dareth. Thirteen people got on the Ultra Sonic Raider. Zane was making breakfast for fifteen. There were fifteen humans. There were sixteen bodies. There were currently seventeen people.

Pixal counted. Pixal counted.

Lloyd had taken a shower and looked significantly healthier for it. Everyone had various bruises, but Lloyd had the most. Cole had a pulled muscle at some point, but it was healing. Jay still had a tender bump on the back of his head. Karloff had cut his hand at some point but didn’t want to make a big deal out of it while they were escaping. It was now cleaned and wrapped. Camille had run away between Dareth and the non-Elemental Masters boarding the retired city bus (that may or may not have been bitten by a fangpyre, Zane couldn’t tell.) and the rest of them boarding the Ultra Sonic Raider. Shade and Ash had both attempted to leave as well, but Tox talked them both into staying. Pixal was still not properly introduced to anyone except Neuro.

Nya willingly stayed behind as Chen’s prisoner. Skylor was Chen’s daughter. Kai was, coerced or not, working for Chen.

Misako was trying not to let anyone see her cry. Wu hadn’t said more than strictly necessary. Karloff was following Cole like a lost puppy. Cole was trying to avoid Karloff. Jay was a shoe about to drop and everyone knew it. Lloyd was acting strangely and Zane was subtly disturbed by it. Pixal wanted to be introduced and her father called before any more conversations happened.

Zane could’ve spent all day making objective lists; observing the state of things and taking stock. It soothed him to know. Zane almost didn’t hear Cole commenting on his cooking because he’d been so distracted taking another head count.

“It’s good to have you back.” Cole had said.

It had been the only real crack in his stubborn silence since the roto jet, but Zane was too busy making another list to acknowledge it. It was a shame because that could’ve been his only chance for a while. But Zane just kept running over everything with a fine tooth comb.

Who had eaten? Who needed more food? What else needed to be done? Were there any more injuries he had missed? How many? Did anyone else leave? Where was Lloyd? Was Misako still here or had she gone to the store like she said she might? Should he go with her or stay? Stay. He should stay. He could keep counting that way; make sure everyone was still safe. How many people were there? Had anyone left? Was everyone safe? They were all still safe, right? Zane hadn’t blinked and missed something important, right? No one had aged horrible in the few seconds he wasn’t watching. No one had been injured since he last checked.

“ZANE!” Pixal snapped.

Zane jumped in shock. He earned a few raised eyebrows from the people around him that couldn’t hear Pixal, but it was easily dismissed. Zane was far from the only one jumping over nothing.

“This looping is going to stop. It is not healthy for you, and frankly it is driving me insane.” Pixal said firmly.

“I am sorry Pixal. I was just-”

“Indulging in an anxious tick.” Pixal finished for him. “I understand that you have been through a lot, but this coping mechanism is distracting you.”

She was right. Zane was like a dog chewing the same spot; trying to scratch and itch he would never satisfy and hurting himself in the process. Zane wasn’t actually helping or protecting anyone by doing this. He was just driving himself into madness.

“You are right. Besides, I believe I promised to do something for you.” Zane said, smiling at last.

Heavy steel toed boots stomped across the wooden dock and onto the path to the estate. He knew the way, though it had been a year or two.

Normally he was allowed to mostly do as he pleased on the mainland, but every once and a while Chen wanted him back on the island. He liked to play dangerous games with Chen’s patience and the occasional “professional development” did him good. He could admit that. He had a habit of getting himself in trouble when no one reigned him in.

Of course there were also good reasons he avoided coming back to the island for as long as he could. Taking his hat off and swiping the sweat off his brow, he cursed the tropic heat and decided to leave the hat off his head for now. Attached to it as he was, it was too hot.

He would’ve preferred to be back on the mainland working on his personal projects, but Master Chen was pulling ranks left and right. It was a safe bet that the snake plan was a bust and that meant instability while Chen reworked his plans. It was made worse by the news that Clouse was dead and the business was facing difficulties. It was all hands on deck. Master Chen was bringing everyone in to help.

Even though he wasn’t usually a feature on the island, he was included in the round up. There was a long list of new responsibilities to manage and it made his head spin. He wasn’t sure if he was up to the task, but he was less sure if he was willing to risk what would be done to him if he refused.

Let it not be said Chen wasn’t a demanding boss.

The mechanics he could manage. Fixing some broken factory equipment wasn’t exactly in his comfort zone; he preferred his vehicles, but his nickname was ‘The Mechanic’ for a good reason. Uncreative as it might seem, it was a very fitting name that he had fully adopted. No one had called him anything else in over a decade.

It was his second, less tangible task that made him nervous.

“Mechanic!” a kabuki called as he entered the main gates.

She caught up to him and gestured to his bag. He handed it over and tried to decide if he should know her and how little small talk he could get away with. He wanted a meal and a shower before he had to deal with any of the in-house servants.

“It’s good to see you again.” she said with a graceful smile.

Shoot. He had no idea who she was. But he couldn’t admit that! The Kabuki got petty when slighted. He’d seen how nasty things could get. Not wanting his foreseeable future to be a living nightmare, he was combing his brain for a tactful excuse when she spoke again.

“You probably don’t remember me.” she said in a polite voice.

He just stopped just short of sighing in relief.

“I was still in training last time I saw you. You were with Master Chen when he came to observe our final exams.” she explained with her back straight as a pole.

Ah. Of course. Most of Chen’s kabuki came from the academy he funded. The head mistress let him recruit her graduates in exchange for the donations and stellar numbers. Every dancer he brought to the island counted as immediate employment. She had the best job placement rate in the country because of him. It made her more than happy to look the other way on how shady he was.

“My name is Blossom.” she said “I’m the head Kabuki.”

He gave her a nod and progressed to the estate, hoping his room was in the same place. Something must’ve happened to Aisha. 50/50 if she retired over an injury or finally ran her mouth in a direction she shouldn’t have.

Now that he thought about it, it was more 30/70.

Mechanic and Blossom entered the main building. Another Kabuki raced towards them the second they stepped over the threshold. She was impressively graceful in her steps, but it was still easy to see why Blossom outranked her.

“Blossom! You’ll never believe what I just heard!” She said, carefully keeping the hem of her dress out from under her dainty steps.

Blossom dropped her professionalism and responded to what was clearly her friend. Mechanic braced for a long, high pitched, discussion.

He rolled his eyes. The other thing about Master Chen’s kabuki servants, was that they gossiped like school girls. It was a culture Chen almost encouraged. Maybe because it encouraged the girls to tattle on one another, or perhaps just because Master Chen liked his petty drama. First knew the kabuki were never in short supply of that.

Annoying as it got, it wasn’t wise to dismiss them. First, because of the pettiness and a bored penchant for vengeance they all shared. Second, because not all their gossip was meaningless. When something was going down, the Kabuki were your first warning. And he who heeds the first warning is he who escapes trouble.

Anyone’s guess if the conversation was going to be vapid or useful, but it was a guarantee to be a long minute of his time either way. His meal and shower would have to wait. Mechanic made his peace with that as best as he could.

“First Master, what?” Blossom gushed like an excited teen.

Mechanic coughed. If he had to be an audience, the least they could do was give him a playbill.

“OH!” Blossom squeaked, realizing her error “This is Petal.”

Blossom and Petal both bowed, remembering themselves. It soothed a bit of his agitation, but he had one more matter to sort before he could let them chatter about the latest goings on.

“Is this something I should be hearing?” he asked.

You could never be too careful with Master Chen. Or the kabuki for that matter. Better to cover his bases.

“I believe you already heard.” Petal said with a knowing grin and a pop of her hip.

He raised an eyebrow. There wasn’t much gossip he got to hear, being stationed off island. He knew about Clouse’s death and the incident in the factory, but those stories should’ve been old news by now. He was curious now and Blossom looked like she was going to explode if she didn’t get filled in. So, he said nothing and finally let the conversation continue.

“So I heard from Arnit, who was talking to some of the guys that work under Zugu and they were freaking out right after the breakout.” Petal explained.

“Obviously. We lost like everyone, right?” Blossom said.

Petal had a manic look in her eyes.

“Almost!” she said with an evil smirk “Turns out one of the prisoners stayed behind. Willingly!”

“FIRST MASTER OF SPINJITSU!” Blossom exclaimed “Who!? Why!?”

“Ah!” Mechanic said.

He did know this gossip. It was the task he was worried about performing. The job he played one of his dangerous games over and demanded extra compensation for. Master Chen had agreed to it since he was so understaffed without Clouse. Demanding or not, the man knew his business. When you’re suffering, you have to pony up to fix it. Mechanic had always respected him for that.

“She’s the one I’m here to mentor, right?” Mechanic asked.

“Yeah. I heard she’s pretty gifted with her tools.” Petal explained.

Blossom was looking between them in confusion, puppy dog eyes pleading for an answer. She would have to wait until he got his. If she was going to be Chen’s top kabuki she’d have to get used to waiting her turn anyways.

“I guess it makes sense why he called me instead of having someone in house handle her then.” Mechanic said thoughtfully, “Good to know I’m not teaching a novice how to hold a wrench.”

Mostly because that made his job harder. He had a feeling he knew what Master Chen really wanted done and it was way out of his skill set. He wondered why he wasn’t having his little cobra do it. Wasn’t this her expertise?

“Hello!? Am I seriously the last one to know!?” Blossom said, stomping her foot.

She was young. She wasn’t fully trained. She would learn the hard way soon enough. But that was way out of Mechanic’s wheelhouse, so he let it slide.

“Ok ok ok.” Petal said, shaking her hands “So get this. The prisoner that stayed, is Firebrand’s sister!”

Blossom’s jaw dropped. Mechanic guessed that was relevant, but he didn’t really know who the heck Firebrand was. It was clearly someone important enough to get a nickname, Master Chen was particular with those. That meant it also had to be someone new; Mechanic would’ve met someone that important if they’d been on the island the last time he was.

“What!?” Blossom said in a scandalized tone “No way! No way! You’re kidding! For real?”

Petal nodded.

“First Master! NO! You’re kidding! You have to be kidding! Are you serious!? No. Noo!” Blossom prattled.

Mechanic sighed. He’d have to bite the bullet and ask. Whoever Firebrand was, they were a big deal. Plus, Mechanic was there to deal with their sister apparently, so the extra context for her would be nice.

That meant that he was standing in a hallway gossiping with the kabuki servants whether he liked it or not.

First, he hated being back on the island.

“Alright, you’re going to have to fill me in on that one.” Mechanic said reluctantly. “Who is Firebrand?”

Blossom looked at him in unrestrained delight and gave an evil giggle. He took a step back in fear and remembered that being a gossipy performer didn’t mean Blossom was harmless. Master Chen did promote this girl. That meant she was particularly useful to him. Pretty faces weren’t in short supply. If Chen found her so useful, there was a real chance she was dangerous.

A good chance the information she had was too.

“Firebrand is the former Red Ninja. Master Chen took him in and now the Master of Fire is working for us!” Blossom bragged.

Eyes widening, it was his turn to drop his jaw. He hadn’t personally dealt with the ninja before; he was too small scale to warrant their attention. He had heard and seen plenty though. Those ninja had fought the overlord, twice. They were the big obstetrical Master Chen had to plan around when he was planning his conquest. Mechanic had thought his Master was simply going to use brute force after becoming an Anacondrai, but maybe that just showed how simple he was. Of course Master Chen, the brilliant man he was, had a plan more clever than that.

“Oh you should’ve seen it when Master Chen woke him up and rubbed all his former friends’ faces in it!” Blossom continued with a grin “The Green Ninja looked like he was going to curl up and die!”

“What a show.” Petal mused.

Blossom was cackling and Mechanic remembered his number one reason for avoiding the island: He was rightly afraid of everyone Chen kept close.

“The Green Ninja was here?” he asked, stopping himself from gulping in dread.

“Yeah.” Blossom said in disappointment. “He was one of the prisoners that escaped.”

“Good news is that Master Chen still has all the Elemental powers!” Petal sang

Mechanic ran a claw through his hair and blew out a long breath. He was glad he indulged their gossip. He was woefully under prepared for how major things were. Working on his little cars on the mainland, he often forgot how ambitious Master Chen was. Being so far away from the big thinkers and movers in Chen’s ranks made it easy to forget the true scale of Chen’s intentions.

“So I’m mentoring the Red Ninja’s sister!?” He realized out loud, his voice almost cracking.

“I guess.” Petal said with a shrug.

“She’s Samurai X!” Mechanic yelled in alarm.

“I know right!? And if you do your job right, she’ll be working for us!” Blossom said with a threatening smile. “How about we get you settled then?”

He did gulp this time.

Lloyd took a deep breath and tried to connect with his sane half. Lloyd had been raised as a human, so it felt much more natural to think and feel like one. It made sense. His human half was the one he trusted.

What was hard was half his mind wanting to slip into “oni grief”. Which Lloyd still didn’t understand in the slightest, but he could name it now and that gave him some power.

Even if it didn’t make sense to anyone else, Lloyd could at least talk to himself about it. He could conceptualize that his brain was trying to be an oni and script his inner monologue around it.

He was tempted to let himself drop. His oni grief was more disembodied than his human grief. He was calmer about it. Even though it hurt the same, it was an easier hurt. Like the difference between a sharp stabbing pain and a bone deep ache.

But Lloyd wanted to talk to his uncle as a human. He wasn’t sure if Wu would be as uncomfortable with his oni half as he was. Best not to risk anything. He would just have to ask his questions with his stabbing human pain sitting like hot iron in his throat and chest.

Lloyd took another deep breath and focused on his humanity. His oni blood wasn’t going anywhere, but he successfully negotiated with it to wait. He would have to give it it’s turn later. Hopefully Lloyd had a few more answers before then.

Finally feeling like a person, albeit a person with a ghost sitting on his shoulders, Lloyd left his room and sought out his uncle. The other Elemental Masters subtly avoided his gaze as he passed them. It took Lloyd a while to notice, his thoughts were pretty consumed when he thought he was losing his mind, but Lloyd finally did notice how uncomfortable everyone was with him.

Was being an oni that repulsive? Lloyd supposed he could ask Wu about it.

Finally Lloyd spied the sensei meditating in the garden that his dad loved so much. The pain of realizing that his father was no longer around to tend to it, teetered. Lloyd shoved it towards a human reaction to avoid dealing with his inhuman half.

Unfortunately, Lloyd forgot that meant a more torrent reaction. The sharp molten pain of a human poured down his insides. A sob broke loose like someone chiseled a piece of his soul off.

Wu looked up and saw Lloyd covering his mouth and crying. For a moment, Lloyd thought Wu was going to hug him like his father would, but all Wu did was stare at him with fear in his eyes. Like Lloyd crying was some kind of monster about to eat him whole.

Suddenly Lloyd got the idea that Wu might’ve preferred to talk to the oni.

After a painfully long moment where Wu began to feel awkward about his fear, Lloyd pulled himself together. Wu never did ask if he was ok. Lloyd didn’t know if he was grateful for that or not. Wu just waited for Lloyd to say something.

“My mom told me about being part oni.” Lloyd opened with.

Wu’s face sunk.

“I had hoped you would never need to know about that.” Wu said, gripping his staff anxiously.

“Like you thought we didn’t need to know about Chen? Or the Overlord? Or the prophecy of The Golden Master!?” Lloyd snapped “You really thought it would be better for me to discover this while grieving my father and trying to figure out how to rescue my brother!?”

Lloyd almost tempered himself. He almost called Kai his “best friend” just to be safe and deny himself the title Nya had revoked from him. Or that he had revoked himself when Kai left and they had their fight. Kai hadn’t been his brother then, why did Lloyd get to reclaim it now?

“Because I’m going to fix it and save him.” he thought.

“It was not my intention to-” Wu began to excuse.

“To what!? Leave us out in the cold!?” Lloyd yelled angrily.

Wu wilted like a pansy in the summer heat. Lloyd sighed and scrubbed his face. He hadn’t come here looking to fight with his Uncle. He just wanted answers.

“I am sorry.” Wu said, wringing his hands.

He raised his gaze and met Lloyd’s eyes, conveying sincerity Lloyd would’ve otherwise doubted.

“Your mother brought up similar concerns and I have been thinking. You’re right.” Wu admitted “I have been afraid. I see so many terrible things that could happen, I have seen so many terrible things that did happen, and they scare me. I am so afraid of taking the wrong action, that I take none. My brother is dead and my student is in the hands of a madman because of that fear.”

Wu looked to the ground in shame. Even the mossy stepping stones looked lonely without Garmadon. Wu could barely stand the shame he felt looking at something so insignificant. To look at his nephew was like trying to breathe with a mountain pinned to his chest.

Lloyd seemed to take the apology. Wu could leave it there and answer the questions Lloyd had. He could be done and call it progress.

But that would be a coward’s choice.

Wu looked in himself, and he pushed.

“I had a student before any of you. His name was Morro and he was the Elemental Master of Wind.” Wu explained, forcing himself to look his nephew in the eye.

Lloyd looked at him in surprise. This was a lot for Wu to volunteer without being asked.

“Morro was….he was my son in all but blood.” Wu said, feeling an old urge to cry “He was a prodigy in all things and I had assumed he would be the Green Ninja. I had told him as much as I raised him.”

Lloyd’s face grew pale. Wu looked away, allowing himself a brief moment of cowardice.

“When we discovered that it was not his destiny, Moro did not take it well. I regretted ever speaking of the prophecy. Morro became reckless and rebellious; trying to prove himself and insisting that fate was wrong. It was my ill thought words that drove him.” Wu painfully explained “I tried to temper him, but it was too late. I had created an ambitious monster. Morro blamed me for denying him what was never mine to promise him and ran away. I never saw him again.”

“So you didn’t want the guys to know about the Green Ninja prophecy…?”

“Because I feared being responsible for another student’s downfall.” Wu said “Perhaps I overcompensated.”

Wu thought back to the harsh words he had used on Kai during what was one of the most vulnerable moments of his life. All Wu could see was Morro. All Wu could think was “It’s happening again”. Honestly Wu was lucky his words didn’t have more immediate repercussions. He could probably thank Lloyd for that, giving Kai something to pivot his focus onto so soon had most likely helped to heal the wounds Wu left.

Lloyd swallowed, processing what Wu had just told him. Lloyd’s grief was just as frightening as anything for Wu. There were too many ways he could make it worse. Too many ways he could damage Lloyd further. Wu didn’t think he could live with himself if he hurt his nephew while the boy was grieving for his father.

For a long moment, Wu worried that all his fears had been warranted and that Lloyd would react horribly to the news. He was scripting the apologies he’d give his departed brother the entire time he spent waiting for Lloyd to break.

But Lloyd eventually straightened his back.

“Ok.” he said.

Wu almost collapsed with relief. It was not the end of all of Ninjago. Lloyd accepted the news. No fears were realized.

“You do realize you have to tell the guys this, right?” Lloyd said, just the lightest sprinkling of anger in his tone.

Nowhere near what it had been. Just enough to insure Wu didn’t back out.

“Of course.” Wu said.

If he were given the choice of telling them and putting knives into his eyes, he’d take the knives. But he wasn’t given the choice. So he’d had to survive with telling them.

“So about the whole ‘oni thing’” Lloyd said, tilting his head to the side like he was trying to point.

“Right. I take it that something has come up.” Wu said sagely.

Lloyd let out a long breath.

“I thought I was going crazy, but it turns out I’m just violently switching back and forth from grieving like a human and grieving like an oni. Mom says Dad went through something like it too.” Lloyd said.

The mention of his father made the underside of his skin itch. The deep ache of his oni grief clawing at him. So much for staying human.

“Ah.” Wu said with all the awkwardness of a parent being asked to give a birds and bees talk.

Lloyd had gotten a pretty blunt one of those at Darkley’s.

“I have never had a very strong connection to my oni blood. I grieved our father’s death more human than anything else, but there was someone that helped Garmadon before he left to study under Chen.” Wu explained.

Lloyd’s eyes lit up in a way that fondly reminded Wu of Misako.

“Mom said there was another oni! Who are they!?” Lloyd asked, sounding somewhere between a curious child and the woman that gave him his human blood.

“Her name is Mystake. I buy tea from her often. I will introduce you, but I must warn you. Mystake can be...surly.” Wu said

“Surly?” Lloyd asked skeptically.

It wasn’t exactly a common adjective.

Wu nodded firmly. Lloyd shrugged. He would just have to put up with a “surly” oni. He’d survived Chen. How much more trouble could this Mystake be?

Chen paced, turning things over in his mind and deciding how best to put things together. Kai was going to stay in his room for a few days minimum, preferably more. He’d probably need food though. Magic induced stasis was great for many things, but it had it’s price. Chen would have to give him food soon unless he wanted to do physical damage, but how could he do that without giving Kai too much human contact?

Simple. Leave a tray in the room while he slept. Shouldn’t be too hard to concoct that. He could just have Skylor lift the insomnia spell for a minute. Without that, Kai would pass out where he stood and sleep like a stone while they placed the food for him. Then they could turn it back on to wake him. Added bonus of making Kai look unreliable to himself; sleeping through his fleeting chance for contact and then unable to sleep again.

Under that system, there wasn’t much limit on how long he could keep Kai there. There was some thought given to leaving him long enough to fracture his psyche, but Chen did make Skylor certain promises and what kind of father would he be if he went around breaking his daughter’s toys?

No more than a week then.

Second there was the question of what the new plan was. He had all the elemental powers, but without Clouse to do the spell; it wasn’t enough to conquer Ninjago. He would just have someone else read the spell for him, but the page Nya had taken was never recovered. It hadn’t been a problem when Clouse could recite it from memory, but it was a problem now. Chen needed another weapon, something powerful enough to make up for an army of Anacondrai Warriors.

Clouse kept tabs on all sorts of magical weapons and objects of power. Surely he would’ve had a few ideas for a back up, but Chen had never asked him! He wanted to tear his hair out. Clouse had been such a handy right hand and Chen was starting to miss his expertise.

Garmadon would feel Chen’s frustration as soon as he got the time to spend in the dungeons.

For the time being, Clouse didn’t leave him completely. There was still an extensive library of reference material. Thank First for Clouse’s love of books. He had long since memorized most of what was in there, but kept it out of preference. In all likelihood, Chen’s answer was somewhere in those books.

It would take days to sort through all of it though. Chen was short of time with all the pieces he was juggling.

Solve one problem with another then. Skylor would need a task to occupy her while Kai was under lock and key. The girl was already taking his punishment personally. It was the downside of giving her a boy toy to play with; she got attached. If Chen did nothing, a tantrum was imminent. He needed to keep her busy if he wanted any peace.

Skylor would be in charge of finding Plan B then. Issues two and three sorted.

Fourth order of business: The noodle business. Lawyers were approving the press statement and the grunts were filling in for the missing workers. Unfortunate as the whole thing was, there was nothing more to be done. Everything that could be done had been done. It was a waiting game now.

Chen just hoped no one asked for an interview. He hated making the island presentable for the press on a good day. It would be so annoying to do it with all the extra things he’d have to clean and cover up.

Namely, his fifth pressing matter. Nya Smith was sitting in a cell like a golden egg. Chen had to start making more serious plans regarding her. He had already called for the follower he felt would be best to distract and befriend her.

Skylor had done a good job using her wiles on Kai, but Chen knew enough background on Nya to know she wasn’t going to be swayed by that kind of affection. Her previous relationship sank because she didn’t care half as much as the boy did about it.

Granted, Jay seemed like the clingy type. A mix like that; Chen was honestly shocked they lasted more than a month. There was probably some genuine love somewhere in it, but the whole thing would be doomed unless they both did some major growing.

Nya also wouldn’t respond quite as quickly to a father figure. Unlike Kai, she didn’t want for a parent. Her brother raised her. On some level the desire was probably there, but it would take time and a lot of opening up before Chen could get a hook in that.

Chen needed to play on the dynamic she was raised on, and the missing piece she was fighting for. An older man, but not a man old enough to be a proper father figure, to comfortably fill the brotherly absence Kai was leaving. She seemed touchy about unwelcome family, so having him engage her in a vocational sense would do wonders to slip past those defenses.

The girl was the daughter of a blacksmith and a master with vehicles and weapons. The Mechanic’s relevant mentorship would be desired enough to smooth over any remaining bumps.

The question was if Chen trusted that idiot to handle it.

Zane had been expecting more of a reaction. That was clear. He had just announced that his girlfriend was now living rent free in his head, in a literal sense. Jay had half a mind to make the joke out loud.

“Having your girlfriend on the mind all the time isn’t very good for relationships, Zane. I would know.”

He could’ve said it. It might’ve even made him feel better. He hadn’t really gotten around to joking about the Nya thing; too busy being mad at Cole for it. It was probably concerning coming from him. Or not coming really.

But Jay just gave Zane a weak “Ok. Cool.” and let a silence follow.

Maybe he was still bitter they didn’t believe him about Kai. First knew he was avoiding Cole.

But the truth was Jay was just avoiding everything in general. He still hadn’t had his meltdown and he felt like something came loose in the strain to keep it inside for so long. He could feel his eye twitching for one thing.

“Are you alright?” Zane asked.

Jay’s first urge was to hit Zane for asking such a thing, but contrary to popular belief Jay did in fact have some impulse control. Though it did take a second to suppress the instinct and think of what he should actually do instead. It left Zane looking at him with increasing worry. Which was annoying more than anything.

“I’m fine.” Jay snapped “I just want some space. So, go talk to your girlfriend or something!”

Jay noticed the bitter tone in his voice before he noticed the jealousy that had apparently been sitting in his chest.

So that was another issue.

Fun.

Jay might as well have gone with his first instinct from the way Zane recoiled from him. It probably would’ve hurt him less. Great, more guilt and awkwardness to throw on the pile. Just what Jay needed!

He could’ve said he was sorry. It would’ve made them both feel better. He could’ve confided how stressed and scared he’s been and Zane would’ve been understanding.

“I’m going to visit my parents for a while.” he said instead.

Zane nodded, looking wounded. Teary eyes wouldn’t have been out of place on him in that moment. Jay wondered if Zane even could cry anymore and another mouthful of guilt went down like sour milk.

Jay sighed and walked away before he could mess it up any more than he already had.

He didn’t have anything to pack, so Jay ended up walking out the door without saying goodbye to anyone. Zane knew where he was if anyone asked.

The deja vu was not lost on Jay as he left the monastery grounds and pulled out his phone to call his parents. It was the same thing he had done after Kai had left; walking out without a goodbye and a vague announcement to Wu about where he was going. At the time Jay had been so proud of himself for not making a fight out of it like Kai had. Now Jay just felt shame. This was a coward’s move.

With a deep breath, Jay promised himself he would just stay with his parents long enough to stabilize, then come right back. He was not going to make Lloyd have to come after him again.

The phone stopped ringing and Ed Walker’s happy voice greeted him.

That was it. Jay began to finally fall apart. He had wanted to wait until he got back to the Scrap N Junk, but hearing his father’s voice had finally knocked his defenses loose. The shoddy patches he had placed tore like paper while he blubbered a summary of events for his parents.

Ed and Edna Walker ignored every traffic law in the land to come pick up their distressed son.

Skylor wasn’t pouting. She truly wasn’t. She would go to her grave swearing it.

But she was admittedly a little grumpy.

She had spent her entire day drowning in ancient tomes and magic scrolls while her boyfriend was getting “softened up” to be sure that he didn’t start to put up a fight. Not that he had shown any signs of it or anything.

Skylor took a deep breath and reminded herself that her father knew what he was doing. He was just doing preventative work. Just because Kai didn’t have any immediate problems, didn’t mean there weren’t any festering under the surface. It was better safe than to let those stew for weeks before Kai felt bold enough to show his hand. By then the damage could be beyond intervention.

It was better for Kai in the long run. No matter what that stupid little imp in her head said, it was! With reason restored, Skylor turned back to her task.

Her father needed a new plan. He had all the elemental powers except for hers and Kai’s. He had no real reason to take them now that the spell couldn’t be done. The Elemental powers were great, but that alone wasn’t enough to conquer Ninjago. He needed something else. Something that could replace an Anacondrai Army.

Skylor was tasked with combing through Clouse’s library to research other possibilities. She had found a few promising options, but nothing that would be easy to get. At this rate it could take her weeks!

There was a strong chance her father planned on withholding Kai until she produced results. She always knew that was on the table, but she had foolishly thought that once the tournament was over there wouldn’t be a need to. They were supposed to have conquered Ninjago by now, but because Garmadon killed Clouse she was stuck in a stuffy library losing her mind and Kai was being tortured for the foreseeable future.

She had half a mind to go down to his cell and get a few licks in.

The scent was strong, boarding on unpleasant. Lloyd resisted the urge to sneeze as they walked into the tea shop. The bell had barely run when a cranky voice shouted out.

“What do you want!?” asked a surly woman standing on a ladder.

She turned away from stocking shelves and addressed them without coming off the ladder. Lloyd couldn’t help but stare. Her face was aged with wrinkles, but they were still only accents. It reminded him of how his father had looked. She didn’t look half as kind though. She had a grumpy look, like the teachers at Darkley's that assigned extra homework when kids talked too much.

This woman was supposedly another oni.

“I was wondering if you could help my nephew out?” Wu asked gently.

“I don’t do charity!” she snapped, turning back to stocking the shelves.

Lloyd had never seen anyone talk to his uncle that way. He almost wanted to laugh at the put out look on Wu’s face. Not enough to fight back the burning need Lloyd had to know about himself and his father though. A new sympathy for Kai rushed through him as Loyd stepped forward.

“My mom said you helped my dad? Wu says you’re an oni, like me?” he said in a childish voice that he hated himself for.

She stopped stocking her shelves and turned her head to face him like an owl spotting prey. It made Lloyd feel very nervous, especially since she was hanging above him. He squirmed and tried to speak again.

“Can you-”

“Are you the son of Garmadon?” she asked.

Lloyd gulped, and nodded. He braced for impact after that. Every instinct he earned from a childhood at Darkley’s told him this woman was about to attack him.

Something stranger happened. Her face changed completely, melting into a warm smile that reminded Lloyd of Edna Walker as she jumped off the ladder. Suddenly Lloyd feared having his cheeks pinched more than he did an attack.

“I’m so sorry sweetheart! If I had known you were coming I would’ve had tea waiting for you! Come! I’ll brew some right now. I also have some cookies left over from the other day, would you like one?” she said kindly as she wrapped a comforting arm around Lloyd and led him to her backroom.

“Um….I guess?” Lloyd said, not sure if he needed to note the exit or not.

When in doubt, a ninja knows where his exits are.

“I would like some cookies.” Wu said timidly, following behind them like a lost stray.

“NONE FOR YOU!” Mystake snarled, her voice like a ruler on the desk of a sleeping student.

Wu jumped. One chuckle snuck out of Lloyd before he stopped himself from laughing. Mystake whipped her head back towards Lloyd and morphed back into the granny smile.

“Where is your father, Dear?” she asked

Lloyd swallowed a lump.

“That’s why I’m here,” he said.

He had half a mind to wish away the rocks in his chest. The other half were relieved to feel something so human.

Mystake gave him a patient look as they reached the back room. She was silent as she set the water to boil and Wu followed them in.

“My brother-”

“I DIDN’T ASK YOU!” Mystake yelled.

Wu shrunk back. Her smile returned to Lloyd.

“Take you time, sweetie.” she said.

Wu shot Lloyd a betrayed look. If things were a little different, Lloyd would’ve stuck his tongue out.

The whole situation was absurd; completely backwards. This woman was treating Garmadon like he was a school boy that swept her floors for extra spending money and Wu like he had spray painted the side of her shop. Maybe that was what had happened. Lloyd didn’t know much about their childhood. Who was to say Wu didn’t have a wild phase?

Which led back to why they were there. Lloyd didn’t know hardly anything about his own family and it was too late to ask his father.

With a gulp, Lloyd answered the question.

“My dad is gone.”

His fingers twitched and scratched at his clothes.

“Mom says I’m grieving like an oni.” Lloyd said, feeling the weird distorted emotions welling up “She said Dad did the same thing and you helped him.”

“What kind of tea?” Mystake interrupted.

“Something harsh.” Lloyd said without thinking.

Now that was something he had never asked for in his life.

“Thought so.” Mytake hummed, taking a jar off the shelf “Dragontail Thicket should work. Very good for a distressed oni.”

Lloyd let out a sigh of relief. Mystake understood this. Lloyd didn’t, but it didn’t matter because she did and she could help.

“Let me guess, you normally like the sweet stuff?” Mystake asked, carefully steeping the tea and grabbing two cups.

Two, Lloyd noted. Either she didn’t want any, or she was petty enough to deny Wu tea. He was curious to know which it would be.

“Is that an oni thing?” Lloyd asked.

“It can be, yes. For the young ones.” Mystake said as she carefully poured the tea.

Once both mugs were filled, she served. One mug was placed in front of Lloyd. The other remained in her hand. Wu reached for it only for her to take a long, loud slurp. She made eye contact with Wu as she did it too.

Lloyd finally laughed. Wu glared at him, but Mystake had a devious glint in her eye that Lloyd saw in his dad sometimes. Laughing felt too good for Lloyd to stop himself, so he continued for a good minute.

“With all due respect, we came for more than tea.” Wu finally said with an offended pout.

Mystake made another spectral of meeting his eye as she took a drink. She even finished it off with a loud sigh of enjoyment.

Wu sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“If the young Garmadon wants his questions answered, he will have to ask them himself. You can wait outside.” Mystake finally said.

Wu gave her a disbelieving look.

“But-”

“OUTSIDE!”

And he went. Lloyd snickered again. He felt like a malicious little kid again, but in a good way. Mystake laughed a small laugh after the bell confirmed Wu’s exit.

“Now. I believe I offered you cookies?” Mystake said, already going to get them.

Lloyd updated his definition of the word “surly”.

Mechanic’s arm made a satisfying clunk when he attached it. He didn’t like to sleep in the thing if he could help it, but that meant he had to put it back on first thing in the morning. One inconvenience for another he supposed.

A quick stretch, and he checked his mechanical eye. It needed to be calibrated. The humidity of the island did numbers on the delicate system, but it would have to wait. He had a meeting.

Honestly he should be grateful Master Chen let him have his meal and shower, let alone a full night’s sleep. When he learned how important his job really was, Mechanic thought he would be thrown into it and set up to fail. He had a real fear that the whole thing was designed to be impossible.

He still had that fear, but it was dulled with the existence of the meeting. If Master Chen was taking the time to brief him, it was probably because he wanted it to go well. Which also meant it was a bad idea to keep him waiting.

Deciding he was put together enough, Mechanic made his way to Master Chen’s study. The walk there was filled with trinkets and trophies on the walls. The footfalls of his boots were soft and foreign on the plush carpet, completing the air of expense.

The atmosphere was harshly broken as he turned the corner. This hallway was trashed. Broken pieces of metal swords and porcelain pots, dark purple scorch marks all over, and an entire tapestry crumpled on the floor like a dirty shirt. All of it, shocking as it was, didn’t hold a candle to the crusted brown.

Slashed on the wall, spotted on the floor, splattered on items left and right, and unmistakable: dried blood. Someone bleed like a pig and was thrown up, down, and sideways while doing it.

Mechanic was as certain this was the site of a murder as he was that the large purple and brown stain with scrapes of white stuck in it was the place of death. The feeling permeated from it like a rotten scent. Whatever deed had been committed went past murder, it was grotesque.

Mechanic shuddered and took the long way around, no longer concerned with being late.

Cole didn’t trust himself anymore. The fight with Jay had been bad enough, but at least that could be fixed. What happened with Kai might never be ok again.

After all that work and all those promises, Cole had blown it. He had hurt his friend at a crucial moment.

What kind of a ninja was he?

He was no better than a bully, using words to hurt the people around him. He had promised his mom to always stand up to people like that. When did he become one?

It felt like every promise he had ever made was as good as dust.

“I promise no more fighting”

Let his dad down on that one.

“I promise to always stand up to tyrants”

Sorry Mom.

“I promise to protect the Green Ninja.”

He failed Lloyd pretty spectacularly.

“I promise to watch my words and be a better friend.”

That lasted what? Five minutes!?

Cole groaned and pushed his head into the brick wall he was hiding behind.

Watch your words. Watch. Your. Words. It couldn’t have been any simpler! How did he mess that up!? How hard is it to not say something!? He’s always been a quiet guy! Since when did he had so much to say that he couldn’t keep a lid on it!?

Cole stood up straight at the sound of approaching footsteps.

“Cole? Coooole! Cole?” Karloff called.

Cole’s shoulder’s dropped and his stomach twisted. He thought he had been doing a good job of avoiding Karloff, but the guy was tenacious.

“There you are!” Karloff said

Cole cursed himself in his head. He meant to run away again, but he was just a few seconds too slow to react.

Why does he always run away?

“What do you want, Karloff?” Cole asked.

“Karloff wanted to check on you. You seem upset.”

Cole scrubbed his face in frustration. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about his feelings with Karloff. He felt ugly enough without someone looking at it.

“No, really? Gee I wonder what could possibly be upsetting me!?” He snapped.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Karloff asked.

Cole slammed his head on the brick wall. The guy could not take a cursed hint!

“No!” Cole yelled. “Just leave me alone! Why do you even care!?”

Karloff looked a little hurt.

“Because we are friends.”

“We’re not.”

Karloff frowned in confusion, but he didn’t speak. Cole thought that would be the end of it and Karloff would leave. Karloff seemed to find something to say after a moment though.

“I thought….”

Cole wished he had something to throw.

“Thought what!? That one week made us best buds!? That you can follow me all over the monastery despite the fact that I’m clearly avoiding you!? That for some reason I’d want to talk to you out of all the people in Ninjago I could be talking to!? How many times are you going to make me repeat myself before I have to learn how to say it in Metalonian!? Leave. Me. Alone.”

Cole regretted his words as soon as they passed his tongue. He didn’t need to see Karloff’s hurt face or hear the broken little “oh”. That just stacked more guilt onto his generous supply.

Cole opened his mouth to apologize and take it all back, but a panicked thought stopped him.

“First Master! Stop talking before you make it worse again!”

Cole snapped his mouth shut so fast he heard his teeth click.

He gave Karloff one last terrified look before he tucked his tail and ran away.

He always ran away. He was good at running away. Running away always worked out ok for him. First Master, why did he try to actually speak? He should’ve run away the second Karloff saw him.

Cole ended up scaling an exterior wall and curling into a ball on the roof. It wasn’t a mountain, but it would do. He needed to be where there was no one around to let down or hurt.

He could now add Karloff to the list of friends he hurt with his stupid stupid words. Why did he keep doing this!? Was he broken!? How much more damage was he going to do!?

Cole’s breaths were coming out in pants as he panicked and mentally berated himself.

It wasn’t helping.

Cole forced his heart and breathing to slow. He didn’t need to beat himself up, he need to fix it.

He couldn’t risk apologizing, not with his current track record. That didn’t leave a lot of options. Cole had exactly one more idea.

He decided to give promises one more go and make a vow of silence to himself. If he was going to keep hurting people with his words, then he just wouldn’t speak.

Nya didn’t know what she had been expecting when she told Chen she was going to remain his prisoner, especially with the factory trashed. It hadn’t been much the first day after her surrender. Chen just had her taken back to a cell while he “had time to think”.

It was day two and Nya was expecting work, torture, or at least some more gloating. She woke up and braced herself for something along those lines and didn’t move. Sitting on her cot like that for hours, she stayed tense and ready. She wanted to relax, assuming they would ignore her for another day, but she couldn’t convince herself that Chen or his goons weren’t coming any moment.

She tensed tenfold when she heard authoritative footsteps make their way towards her cell. She shot up and stood at attention when she heard the iron keys clank against the lock. Chen entered with a sweep of his cape. It was a very grand display, meant to impress. Nya’s fist shook, ready to fight if she needed.

“What a tough girl, such a spark in you.” Chen praised “Calm down.”

Nya felt patronized and her face burned.

“What do you want!?” she snapped.

Chen took a step back and covered his chest in a wounded gesture. His point made, he straightened back up with a candy grin.

“No need for such hostilities.” he said coolly “Don’t forget, you chose to be here. You are a guest now.”

Nya’s face burned hotter. Gloating it was. He was rubbing it in that she was a prisoner of her own choices. She failed so spectacularly the only option she had left was to remain captive. He knew it. She knew it. He was mocking her over it.

What a jerk.

“In light of that, I don’t think the whole dingy dungeon performance is really necessary. It seems quite excessive for a guest, does it not?”

Nya’s angry pout cracked with confusion. Chen saw hot iron and struck with glee.

“Come! Come! Let’s talk upstairs! You’re probably starving. How long has it been since you even had a proper meal? Oh, that breaks my heart to think about. Well what are you waiting for? The dead to rise? I don’t have all day to waste down here, and neither do you! Let’s go!”

Chen was already walking away, leaving the implication that she had to follow. Perhaps a gambit. After all she could wander in whatever direction she wished while his back was turned. But Chen was confident in his leverage, and the appearance of trusting her would do wonders.

Nya shook off her surprise and jogged to catch up. She was already off to a good start.

“We can talk about your living arrangements while we eat. I’m having a proper room made up for you now. So sorry you had to spend so long down in the dungeons, but I simply had nowhere else to put you while we cleaned up from the tournament.”

“I’m not staying in a cell?” Nya asked, baffled.

Why on earth would Chen be giving her a room? She had agreed to be his prisoner. It went without saying she would stay in a cell.

“Oh goodness no! That’s hardly a proper way to treat a guest!” Chen said in a scandalized tone.

Nya stared at him with that promising expression, the one that betrayed how confused someone was. Her head was probably spinning as she struggled to make up the steps she missed. Chen wanted to keep it that way. Rushed thoughts were clumsy thoughts.

“I’ve also arranged for a mentor for you. If you are planning on staying it wouldn’t do well to have you doing nothing, would it? He’s my mechanic. I understand you do machines, yes? I thought he would make a suitable guide for you too. He can show you around the island, tell you what’s off limits. Although with Clouse not in his sanctum anymore and the factory in ruins, there’s not much trouble you can get into.” Chen broke his monologue to laugh at his own joke.

Nya opened her mouth, trying to get a word in during the brief pause, but Chen wouldn’t let it happen.

“Still, it would be best for you to know your way around. You’ll meet him after you eat. He’s usually on the mainland, but I had to call everyone back to help out after the mess your friends made of everything. He’s not exactly the most friendly guy, but I have told him to be on his best behavior. So, you just let me know if he gets too rude. If you give him a chance he is quite skilled with his tools. Something I believe you can appreciate, right? You’re going to help him fix some of the machines down in the factory so we can start production again. The people of Ninjago are a hungry bunch and we all rely on that business.” Chen said, too fast to question.

Just when Chen feared that he had run out of things to say, they arrived at the table and he had a perfect segue.

“Here we are! Sit! Sit! The kabuki will bring food. You can experience what it’s like to be on the other side.” Chen said, laughing at his own joke again and guiding Nya to the chair Kai normally sat in.

Her hands reached towards the edge of the table and twitched. She gulped timidly and Chen knew he had hit the mark. She was starving. She probably hadn’t eaten a proper meal in the few days she’d been on the island, maybe even since her birthday when she certainly discovered Kai’s disappearance. That suited Chen’s purposes just fine. It meant she wasn’t going to think clearly in the presence of food. Probably a good time to start endearing himself as he eased into the next step.

“I swear Firebrand ate enough for three boys his size his first night here. It made me wonder if he was getting any food at all. It worried me so much.”

Nya was now focused entirely on Chen’s words. The mention of her brother had all her attention. Good thing Chen adored the spotlight.

“Worried you?” Nya asked, a hint of disbelief and a lot of accusation in the words.

Chen laughed it off. It was an expected response. Once he got to training her, such tones would be forbidden, but for now he wanted to appear unconcerned with the insult.

“I know you have an awful impression of me, but did you consider how things looked from my perspective? One of my kabuki servants steals a valuable item, only for it to be revealed that it was an impostor posing as one of my employees. Said impostor attacks me and half my men, then runs away into the jungle, only to return with my disgruntled former student and attacks even more of my men. Surely you can understand why I reacted strongly.”

Nya chewed the inside of her cheek. Before she could come up with a retort, Chen spoke again.

“But then you stayed behind, and what’s more, I find out you’re the sister Firebrand has said so much about. I think we both misjudged each other. How about we start over? I’d like to get to know my pupil’s sister, and I’m sure you’d like to know why your brother calls us family.”

“FAMILY!?” Nya shouted, standing so abruptly the chair flew.

Chen barely kept himself from physically cringing. He should’ve been more careful with that word. He chided himself for forgetting which sibling he was dealing with. He must’ve been more worn out than he thought; making armature mistakes like that.

“Yes.” Chen said calmly, trying to salvage the situation.

He couldn’t show any hesitations or weakness. He had to play this hand through. To fold was to admit to the game, and to admit to playing was to start over at a disadvantage.

The conviction in his words had the intended effect, thank First. Nya stared at him, caught between insult and morbid curiosity. It was workable. Chen waited for her to speak again, refusing to reveal anything. He wanted her to show more of her hand before he decided what play to make.

“I’m his family!” Nya said firmly.

With that gauge of her emotions, Chen sighed and looked to the side theatrically. He was getting a little out of order, but he had started in a strange position so it couldn’t be helped. He would just have to make it work.

“You are. You’re being here is proof enough of that. But…” Chen said, carefully slow.

The out of character line delivery did its job. Nya was taking this conversation very seriously. She was hanging on his words, his syllables, his breath. Hook.

“Did it ever occur to you how much you took him for granted?” Chen asked, flicking his eyes back to her.

He pinned her to the spot with his own accusatory glare. He could see a kabuki approaching from the doorway in the corner of his vision, but he didn’t dare blink. The kabuki had the good sense to wait. This was why he put Blossom in charge. She could read a room.

“W….What do you mean?” Nya asked after an expected pause.

Despite her clear efforts, her voice still shook and betrayed her. Line.

“Firebrand grew up so fast for you. He had no parents to care for him the way he cared for you. His eating wasn’t the only thing that worried me.” Chen said, painting himself and the situation with deliberate brushstrokes.

Nya hadn’t seen Kai in a few months. She had no idea what his time on the island was like. Chen had room to play. Whatever he said he could retroactively convince Kai it had always been so. His Firebrand was oh so malleable.

“Kai needed us. He made the choice to avoid your birthday because he didn’t feel strong enough. He had spent his whole life supporting you, to finally find support for himself and be asked to leave it? He couldn’t bring himself to.” Chen waxed, hammering guilt in like nails in a coffin.

Nya pulled into herself and hugged her arms. Sinker.

Chen was almost patting himself on the back for a job well done, but then she spoke.

“He….He really…” she mumbled, tears gathering.

Oh First, Chen did too much damage. With how unneeded Kai felt, the last thing Chen expected from her was a raw vein of insecurity. Unknowingly, Chen had just gouged into that vulnerability and caused far more pain than he intended. He meant to wound, not maim! He couldn’t use her if he broke her! Backtrack! Backtrack!

Fortunately, Chen believed in double edged weapons. Pain and comfort were sides of the same coin. If you knew one, you knew the other. Chen was perfectly capable of soothing the same traumas he agitated.

“I know it’s hard to hear the truth sometimes, but that’s why I want to make amends with you. You were a child as well and it couldn’t be helped. I’m sure you suffered being cared for by another hurting child instead of a parent. It was far from what it should’ve been.” Chen said kindly “Your brother cares deeply for you and speaks highly of you. My intention was not to take him from you, just to care for him.”

He decided to leave the “like a son to me” out of his spiel for now. There was a good risk another familial word would set Nya off again and Chen wasn’t ready to position himself as a father figure to her yet. Due time. For now, he would settle and calm her down.

Nya nodded, sniffling the last of her unshed tears back into her face. She was now starving and emotionally exhausted. Somehow Chen had pulled out of that tail spin with more than he entered it with. Now that he no longer had a potential crisis on his hands, he could be proud of himself for that.

Blossom sensed that the moment was over and entered as if she had just conveniently arrived, leading the other servants by example. Chen was also proud of how well that project was shaping up too.

Attention back to Nya, Chen began to calculate.

He always liked to start with food. The enjoyment of it made a good bribe; It was easy to silence most of the complaints someone had when you fed them. The necessity of it made it a good show; Seizure of control could be masked in concern over diet. The community of it made it effortless to insert himself; Chen’s presence was never a question at meal tables.

It was a perfect place to start breaking and building.

“Now eat. You must be famished!” Chen said warmly, reaching across the table.

He didn’t wait for her to respond. He began to load her plate for her, carefully taking control one inch at a time. Nya let him choose her food while she froze in indecision at the many choices he’d placed in front of her, the same as her brother reliably did. The variety Chen could put on the table made it an easy thing to cause. He wasn’t in the restaurant business for nothing. Food was the springboard of all good indoctrination.

There were a few bumps, but Chen felt confident he could get two for the price of one on Kai and Nya. Even if it turned out to be more of a hassle than Chen expected, it would be well worth his time. No one knew what happened when two Elemental Masters had kids; Kai and Nya were the first of the kind. It was equally likely that Kai had both his father’s and mother’s elements; as the first born child of a single Elemental Master always inherits. But there was always the chance Nya took after her mother. Chen wouldn’t be unhappy covering his bases. Plus, she wasn’t entirely useless in other matters.

Nya began to slowly eat the food he’d placed in front of her and Chen smiled like a cat with canary feathers between each tooth.

Misako sighed. She didn’t want to do this, but the day was hot and she would never forgive herself if she let anything die. Not when Garmadon was….

She shook her head clear and gathered her courage. The garden needed watering and Garmadon wasn’t around to tend to it anymore. It fell to her.

Just like their son. Their very special, one of a kind, son.

She would figure it out. She just had to put water in the dirt. It was much easier than navigating the feelings of a human-oni-dragon hybrid elementless elemental master, going through Tomorrow's Tea induced puberty, grieving his father, and coping with two close friends living on a cult compound.

So why couldn’t she pick up the watering can?

She was a little worried she would mess things up and kill Garmadon’s precious garden, but wasn’t she also worried about messing up with Lloyd? Was this because she had already failed with Lloyd?

Or because the plants couldn’t forgive her when she ruined them?

It was ridiculous. Doing nothing would hurt them for sure! She had to try.

And try. And try. And try. And try. And try. And try. And try. And try. And try. And try. And try. And try. And try. And try. And try. And try. And try. And try. And try. And fail. And fail. And fail. And fail. And fail. fail. And fail. And fail. And fail. And fail. And fail. And fail. And fail. And fail. And fail. And fail. AND FAIL!

It was more of a hiccup then it was a sob. Misako was just thankful it was quiet. She didn’t want to bother anyone. It was a good thing Lloyd was at Mystake’s with Wu again. Misako would hate for him to feel like he have to comfort her anymore than he already had.

It was just a stupid watering can and a stupid garden and a stupid dead husband and a stupid chosen one son and a stupid long list of failures on her part.

She was making proper sobs now. She needed to pick up the can and water the stupid plants her husband spend so much time growing. She had to keep some part of him alive in the monastery he had built with so much love. Her hands were shaking too much to grab the handle. There was probably a metaphor in that.

“May I?” came a gruff voice behind her right shoulder.

Misako jumped a foot in the air and scuffed her face furiously, hoping the low light of the shed hid the puffiness in her eyes. She must’ve been pretty out of it not to notice the door opening. It was embarrassing.

“I’m sorry, I was just…” Misako tried to excuse.

To be fair, she couldn’t see the pity on his face through the darkness and facial hair. She just felt it.

“You should go back inside.” she said, loosely crossing her arms.

She was so angry with herself. She didn’t even know this man and he caught her crying. Pathetic.

“Those plants need a good soak.” he said, pointing over his shoulder.

Misako felt shame on her face.

“My husband usually tended to them. My expertise with trees comes after they’re dead and pulped into paper.” Misako said, salvaging some pride.

“You’re husband. Sensei Garmadon, right?” he asked.

Instead of confirming, Misako sobbed.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m such a mess.” she cried.

She doubled over and tried to stop her tears by pressing on her eyes until she saw stars. Rough hands pulled hers off her face. She met his eyes and saw concern without pity. It stunned the speech out of her. They waited in silence for her sobs to simmer down into hiccups.

Finally he reached past her and plunked up the watering can.

“Let’s fix the plants,” he said.

Misako sucked her lips into her mouth before speaking.

“What if we can’t fix it?” she whispered.

She wasn’t talking about plants.

“You’d be surprised what a plant can fix for themselves if you give them what they need.” he said confidently.

Watering can in hand, he charged ahead to fill it. Misako just followed him quietly. She listened to the sound of water hitting metal until he shut the faucet off. The silence got to her as he began to walk to the first orchid.

“Do you garden much?” she asked, awkwardly holding herself.

He laughed.

“Probably won’t be doing as much of it for awhile.”

Misako looked at him and waited for the rest of it as he moved on to the second orchid. He finished watering it before setting the can down and offering her his hand.

“Bolobo. Ex-Master of Nature.”

Misako took his hand and shook it.

“Misako Garmadon.” she said.

She had no title to add to that name, but he took it the same. Turning back to the table, he smoothly picked up the can and went back to watering the peace lilies.

“These are annuals.” he said over his shoulder. “They’ll die off after the flowers drop. They might reseed and come back, they might not. But they will die.”

Misako stared at the white flowers.

“It doesn’t mean you failed them. It means they’re done. You can do everything right and it’ll still happen. I’ve seen a lot of people do crazy things to save them and get real upset when it doesn’t work, but there’s no changing nature.”

“Or destiny.” Misako muttered.

“That too.” Bolobo agreed as he finished with the lilies.

He tipped the empty can upside down to confirm that he needed more water.

“Why don’t you grab those clippers and snip all the dead branches off that jasmine while I get a refill?” he said, pointing to the plant in question.

Misako did as she was asked. Bolobo came back and started on the hedges. They worked in silence. The hedges took more water than Bolobo could carry in the can, so he ended up taking multiple trips back and forth while Misako pruned every brown and yellow leaf she could find.

His eighth time coming back from the faucet. Misako spoke.

“Why are you helping me?” she asked. “You’re a guest. I shouldn’t be having you do all this work!”

Bolobo laughed. To him it was obvious.

“What else is the Master of Nature to do without his powers? Repair radios? This is for me as much as it is for you. Neither of us should be alone.”

He glared at the rose bush next to him and reached a hand out behind him.

“This needs deadheaded. Give me those clippers.” he said.

“What’s that?” Misako asked, handing the clippers over.

She carefully watched over Bolobo’s shoulder as he worked, gasping as he started cutting all the flowers off.

“Roses don’t drop their dead blooms on their own. If you want the plant to keep blooming you have to cut off all the spent blooms.”

He spoke as he worked. Misako noticed he wasn’t chopping all the flowers off, just the browning and floppy ones. After a few minutes, all the dying flowers were cut and Bolobo was standing up.

“Thank you.” Misako said.

“You needed a gardener. I needed a garden. We traded.” Bolobo said, stretching his back.

Misako took the clippers from him and he picked up the watering can. She felt light walking back to the shed with Bolobo.

Once they closed everything back up is when he finally looked directly at her again.

“You have my condolences. Your loss was great.”

Misako broke down and allowed herself to cry in Bolobo’s arms.

Kai rocked back and forth. He didn’t know how long he had been locked in his room. Had it been a day yet? He hadn’t slept at all.

He felt dizzy with exhaustion though. Everything was blurring and smearing in his vision and his thoughts didn’t make sense. He felt like he was stuck looping the moment before sleep took hold. Still, sleep refused his willing body.

He hadn’t felt so beside himself since the snake pit. It would probably be best to use his time to reflect on what he did. This was a punishment after all.

What was that again?

He’d thrown a tantrum over Zane.

No.

That was last time.

What had he done?

His friends...Ex friends...Did he….He did everything he was supposed to, right? He couldn’t remember messing that up.

Kai threw his stupid head back and hit the wall, hoping he could force the thing to work right. What did he do!? He had to figure it out so he didn’t do it again! Stupid Kai! This is why you keep getting abandoned!

Didn’t Master Chen tell him why he was being punished? Of course he did. Kai was just too stupid to remember it.

Maybe he could still learn his lesson without remembering what it was supposed to be?

…

WHAT DID HE DO!?!

His stomach felt like it was taking bites out of his other organs. He never did eat breakfast.

Breakfast. That was it. He said something wrong at breakfast.

No. No. He asked something wrong!

No Questions. It was a rule. No questioning your master. That was the same rule he broke when he blew up over Zane.

He really had an awful temper, didn’t he?

Did he actually get angry though?

No. No. Of course he did. He’s always had anger issues. It made sense. Stop confusing yourself!

Kai whacked his head on the wall again. His brain protested, but he did it again and relished the feeling of things moving in his skull. He wondered if he’d given himself a concussion already? Maybe that was why his brain was so soupy.

He wanted to sleep. He wanted to eat. He wanted to sleep. He wanted to eat. He wanted to go home.

Stupid. He was home. He was in his own room.

Skylor. He wanted Skylor.

She would be able to fix him and tell him what to think. Kai had no idea what to think. He wanted to stop.

He wanted to sleep.

Kai overflowed with discomfort. He thrashed about to relieve it, but it did nothing. Tears returned to his eyes as his skin turned inside out on him.

How long had it been?

Kai got up and began to throw himself at the wall, hoping to knock himself unconscious. He did it again and again. The sight of blood didn’t warrant a single thought. Not until until Kai’s body refused to stand did he see the red mess he’d made on the wall. He’d have to crawl to the bathroom and clean up at some point, but his body wouldn’t move. His arm might’ve been broken, but Kai was too numb and staticy to feel anything,

That was dumb.

He was dumb.

He wanted to sleep.

Kai laid there for a while and watched his blood dry. The only sound her heard was his own breathing. He stayed on the floor for who knows how long until, out of nowhere, sleep hit him like a truck. One moment he was numbly staring at the wall. The next he was yanked into unconsciousness.

He didn’t feel very rested when he came to, but the wall was cleaned and his arm was wrapped in a cast. It was tapped to his chest to prevent him from moving it too. That made it hard for Kai to get up off the floor and get to the bowl of rice that had been placed on his nightstand.

It took all of Pixal’s nagging to get Zane to leave the monastery. She sympathized with him. He had been through some pretty traumatic stuff lately.

But so had she.

She wanted to be useful to Zane. It was the only way she really knew how to show that she loved him. Originally she was built as an assistant and she could never fully escape that. She didn’t think she really wanted to though. Not completely. It was fulfilling to help someone you loved.

Maybe that was why she and Zane made such a good pair. They both were built to serve people. To be useful. Be what was needed.

And right now Pixal needed a body. She needed a voice. She needed hands. She wanted a face. She wanted legs.

She wanted to see her father.

She had been violently ripped apart. She had accepted sacrificing herself for the greater good. She had suffered being a prisoner in her boyfriend’s head.

That last one might not have been such a nightmare had things worked out better. It would’ve been all too easy to fall back into the role of assistant and hide inside Zane for awhile. Licking her wounds and slowly processing her dissembling at a crawl while she piggybacked on Zane’s life.

But it wasn’t useful.

Zane didn’t need an assistant, he needed a girlfriend. The ninja needed someone level headed that could advise. Ninjago needed another pair of hands on this deck. It was more useful to everyone, herself included, for her to have a body.

And she wanted to hug her father.

Her father who had just welcomed Zane into his office. Pixal was fighting back cries of joy. Her father wouldn’t hear her anyways.

“Alright, I understand you took Pixal’s neural drive and inputted it into your own possessor?” he asked, wheeling back and letting Zane further into the office. “Very clever by the way.”

“Yes Thank you. I believe she would like to ask you for a new body.” Zane paused and added another thought “And I suppose I should apologize for using your facilities to make mine without permission.”

Grated he had been dead and courtesy had been the last thing on his mind when he’d done that. Zane could be forgiven for the lapse. That was no reason not to correct it though. He did still pride himself on his manners.

Borg smiled warmly.

“Oh, never mind that. You’re practically family and you’re using it well. It’s the least I can do to make sure one of Ninjago’s saviors is still standing.”

Zane sighed in relief and returned the smile. He hadn’t exactly been afraid of Dr. Borg being upset with him, but it was still reassuring to know without doubt that he wasn’t.

“It is appreciated.”

Borg’s smile dropped into a pout. Zane tensed slightly, trying to figure out what he had missed.

“I do wish you would’ve let me help you design it though. It was rather rude of you not to let me help.” Borg huffed.

Zane sensed humor in the tone though. He relaxed, knowing the complaint was made mostly in jest.

“My apologies.” Zane offered.

Borg was back to smiling.

“Well, at least I get to help Pixal design hers. With more input from her this time I hope.” He said excitedly.

Borg rolled up to the large console that took up a wall in his office, pressed a few buttons, and a port opened.

“If you would please?” he prompted, gesturing to the thing.

The unspoken instruction that Pixal’s neural drive was meant to go in was obvious, but Zane hesitated. A strange jolt of fear shot through him and he backed away from the port nervously.

“Zane?” Pixal asked.

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Pixal deserved an answer as to why he was delaying her. He knew that. But he simply didn’t have one for her. His actions were defying logic. Even he couldn’t deduce his reasons.

He had to say something to her though!

“I-I...I….” he stammered.

“Zane?” she said gently.

Zane shook his head.

“Are you alright, son?” Borg asked, wheeling closer “Is Pixal alright?”

That was something he could answer.

“Pixal is perfectly fine.” Zane said “I am the one that appears to be malfunctioning.”

“Oh Zane.” Pixal sighed with pity.

Borg came close and reached for Zane’s hands. Zane let him take them.

“How so?” he asked.

Zane shook his head again.

“I do not know. I….I seemed to be afraid. I do not know why.”

Borg smiled knowingly.

“I only got the cliffnotes, but it sounds like a lot happened to you.” he said, squeezing Zane’s hands.

Zane was panting. It was silly. He didn’t need to breathe. Why was he panting?

“Not to me.” Zane corrected.

“Ah.” Borg said, lifting his chin. “We did have a lot of drama around her when we thought you had died. It must be hard to catch up.”

Zane nodded his head.

“Zane.” Pixal prodded gently again.

“Yes Pixal?” Zane said.

It alerted Borg to let her talk, since he couldn’t hear her.

“If I may hypothesize; I believe your fear reaction has something to do with you being unable to monitor me once I leave you systems. You fear something else will happen to me that you will not be able to prevent if I am elsewhere. Am I correct?”

As soon as Pixal said it, it made sense.

After so much had happened. It felt like every time he blinked or turned his back, someone he loved got hurt. He had almost lost Pixal because he couldn’t see into the cell next him. The idea of taking her out of his protection was the source of the fear.

“I can’t protect you in there.” he finally said.

Borg nodded, but let Pixal continue.

“Zane. I promise I will be ok. This is my father’s computer in my father’s office. He will not let anything happen to me. I’m safer here than anywhere else. It will be ok.”

Zane tried to hear her logic and accept it, but he still needed more reassurance.

“Don’t leave me. Promise me you will come back.” Zane asked.

It felt selfish to do so, but he it was what he needed.

“Better than before.” Pixal assured him “Now please let me talk to my father.”

Zane’s heart hurt now. After how much pain the loss of his father had caused him, and Zane was denying Pixal time with hers. It got him moving towards the console.

“Ok.” he said once, as an answer for Pixal

“Ok.” he said again, as a comfort for himself.

“Ok” He said one last time, steeling his nerves.

Before a second wave of fear could well up, Zane quickly ejected Pixal and plugged her into her father’s console.

“Pixal? Can you hear me?” Borg asked, wheeling back to the controls.

“I’m here!” Pixal said, a laugh bubbling out of the console. “I’m here! I’m here, Father! I’m right here!”

Borg’s face smoothed over with shock. He leaned backwards and his wheels took him backwards an inch. He was silent and pale for a moment.

“Is something wrong?” Pixal asked timidly.

Borg gaped for another second or two before clearing his head with a shake.

“You’ve never called me ‘Father’ before.” he pointed out.

Once the surprise faded, the happy tears started down the man’s face.

“Oh.” Pixal said thoughtfully.

“When did this happen!?” Borg asked with a wide smile “When did...I never wanted to push you, but this is…”

He was blubbering.

Pixal thought.

“I am unsure when. Perhaps being wired into Zane-”

Pixal cut herself off as she remembered the moment.

“Scratch that. I remember the cause. It was unpleasant.”

Borg deflated. He fiddled with the armrest of his chair with a frown.

“Oh. If it makes you uncomfortable-”

Pixal cut him off with a correction. She would rather speak about the unspeakable than let her father one more second with those thoughts.

“That is not it.” Pixal said firmly “It was….When I was disassembled. I kept looping back to the same thought. I was scared, and it hurt so much more than I ever imagined I was capable of feeling. I just kept thinking that I wanted my father. That was the moment I finally understood.”

A loud sob escaped Borg.

Zane too felt uncomfortable hearing the details, sparse as they were. His other half had gone through that alone. He couldn’t protect her.

“I am so sorry, Pixal! I’m so sorry that happened!” Borg said.

Zane felt like he was speaking for both of them.

There were a few more minutes of quiet tears from the only person in the room capable of crying. The discomfort was mounting until Pixal finally spoke.

“We should build my new body quickly so that I may hug you.”

Borg sniffled and wiped his tears with a smile.

“Right. Of course. You will help me this time, correct?”

The smile could be heard in Pixal’s voice.

“Of course, Father.”

Borg was beaming again.

Nya didn’t know what to think. Chen was a weird guy.

She thought she was used to fast speech, given Jay’s motormouth. But Chen put her ex boyfriend to shame. Try as she might, Nya couldn’t squeeze more than a word or two at a time.

After an overwhelming breakfast, Nya was shown to the room she would be staying in. It was a large room in the servant house. Chen seemed apologetic about the arrangement.

“I would have you in the main building, but we still need to clean those rooms. That might take awhile given how frantic things are getting around here. Honestly, it will be so helpful when we get our factory machines repaired. Can’t stress that enough. You are still willing to help with that right? I mean its better than being bored in a locked room doing nothing, right? Besides, I’m excited to see all this natural ability Firebrand bragged about! He sang high praises on you, you know!” Chen prattled.

Nya almost interjected that she technically hadn’t agreed to help with the machines, but she figured it was a moot point. What was she going to do? Demand to be thrown into a cell!? Besides, if she played her cards right she’ll be able to see Kai this way.

And then she could get answers from him. No more speculation. No more accusations. No more questions or worries. She would see and hear for herself and know.

Nya was given a quick tour of her new room. It was one of the larger in the building, with it’s own personal bathroom. Nya didn’t know why it was vacant unless something happened to the previous occupant.

That sober thought reminded her of Sensei Garmadon’s warning. She could practically hear him in her head.

Chen is a manipulator.

She couldn’t discount everything she knew about the man just because he was nice to her. It was his specialty to trick people. She had to be on guard.

She also had to play along to get anywhere near Kai.

She didn’t say anything about the room.

They moved on to Chen’s study where she was supposed to meet whoever Chen had assigned to keep an eye on her. Nya wasn’t foolish, she knew Chen didn’t trust her not to try to run. He may’ve had her brother, but a man like that didn’t underestimate people. This “mentor” was a babysitter.

She wondered what he’d be like. Whatever flavor he was, he would probably be way too interested in her personal life, searching for vulnerabilities for Chen to exploit. The thought already grossed Nya out. She valued her personal space and the privacy that implied. She was in sole control of who and what she was and she loathed to share it on any terms but her own.

Which was why Jay was smothering.

He wanted to share everything. He wanted uninhibited access to every part of her and she couldn’t stand it! The more he pried and tunneled into her defenses, the more she locked up. To the point Cole seemed like a refreshing escape for a few minutes there.

It wasn’t like it wasn’t fair though. Jay offered her free reign of his life, mind, and soul. Which was maybe a little bit overwhelming and intimidating on top of everything already going wrong. She could destroy him with a flick of her wrist and some part of her twisted guiltily at the thought. It was too unsettling having that kind of power. Nya didn’t like it.

At the end of the day; the issue was that Nya wanted walls and Jay didn’t. She still wasn’t sure which one was the problem.

Before Nya could find yet another reason to think about her ex, Chen opened the door for her and announced that they’d arrived. He had been talking the entire time, but Nya had tuned him out completely. He didn’t say much of any importance and it was probably a good idea not to listen to someone with a reputation for doing malicious things with his words.

“This is The Mechanic. Mechanic, this is Nya Smith.” Chen said with a flourish.

The man Chen was introducing wasn’t anything what Nya had pictured at all. He looked vaguely out of place, and certainly overdressed for the tropic temperatures. A few accents caught her eyes, such as he mechanical arm and eye argumentation. The biggest shock however was his expression. Like he would rather just ignore her and get back to work. Not quite dismissive, but very disinterested.

Nya raised a brow.

“Does ‘The Mechanic’ have a name?” she asked openly to both men.

The pseudonym was a red flag for her.

“Not that I use.” he answered gruffly.

An offended tone touched the edges of his voice as he crossed his arms. Nya noticed how his gravelly voice contrasted against Chen’s softer trill.

“I don’t think anybody even remembers what his name used to be.” Chen chimed in, “He’s been going by that nickname for so long.”

Nya gave them a suspicious look. She was not a fan of Chen’s name avoidance. She glared at the nameless man, silently demanding a name.

“Mechanic suits me just fine. Don’t go calling me nothing else!” he said firmly.

She didn’t like being denied, but this wasn’t a fight she really wanted to pick. If “Mechanic” was this serious about his weird nickname, then fine. He could be weird. It wasn’t her problem. Nya just nodded and was done with it.

“You can work with tools, right? Wasn’t lied to about that?” Mechanic asked.

“I build tactical vehicles for fun.” Nya deadpanned

“Feisty, aren’t you?” Mechanic grinned.

There was a glimpse of regard coming from him, but it was like catching sight of sea glass in the surf. A blink and it washed away. Mechanic was back to disinterest. It wasn’t a solid wall though. It was entirely possible to earn his respect.

“I don’t have time to flap gums all day. So if you can handle it, I’d like to get to work.” he said, already walking out the door.

“Oh, don’t mind him.” Chen said playfully “What he lacks in people skills, he makes up for in other areas!”

Nya opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted.

“Am I going to have to stop and wait for you a lot, or is it just a first time jitters thing?” Mechanic called out from the hall.

“But he certainly lacks, doesn't he?” Chen added with a playfully wink.

A laugh snuck out of Nya before she could remember to distrust her host and his good humor.

Wu was frustrated. Not just because Mystake was temperamental and held grudges for lifetimes, but that was certainly factoring in it.

You spray paint one building as a dumb kid and it’s a life sentence.

To be fair, it wasn’t the graffiti that upset Mystake. It was letting his brother try to take the blame for it.

Wu never asked Garmadon to do things like that. It was just something his brother did. The “evil brother” took the fall for everything and more often than not Wu got off scott-free. Garmadon shielded Wu from every consequence to prove he was still a loving brother despite the venom. He was always so paranoid about balancing out those evil tendencies. He boarded on over correcting at points.

On the other hand, Wu never outright asked Garmadon to stop doing things like that either. Deep down Wu treasured those broken gestures of love. They made him feel close to his brother and gave him proof that Garmadon didn’t truly hate or blame him.

And a child rarely says no to avoiding punishment.

Wu had spray painted Mystake’s building and Garmadon came down the next day to take credit. Mystake was smarter though. She knew Garmadon was protecting Wu from the second he showed up. Once the lie had failed, Garmadon had negotiated his own free labor to keep Wu out of trouble.

Garmadon was the darling brother to her from then on, and Wu was scum.

Once an oni makes up their mind, it’s hard to change.

Still Wu was just grateful Mystake. Garmadon had once place in all of Ninjago where he was considered the “good” brother between them. Wu was glad Mystake had been so good for his brother and was currently so good for his nephew. It didn’t matter that she held a grudge against him. Wu would endure a million glares and rude rebukes if it meant his family was cared for. He’d learned that from Garmadon.

Mystake’s attitude, while grating, was not what Wu was really frustrated with. The real frustration was his pupils.

Lloyd had just gotten Wu to see the need to be more open and honest with them, and they practically disappear! Kai was obviously otherwise engaged. Nya too. Jay had taken his leave. Zane was at Borg’s sorting something out. And Cole was flat out hiding!

There was a strong temptation to throw out the entire idea and blame the circumstances.

Lloyd would never forgive him though. And Wu wasn’t very keen on the idea of another grudge-holding oni in his life.

He’d have to make a plan. Starting with finding a time to talk to them and at some point…

“You say that they’re your pupils, but when was the last time you did any actual teaching?”

He was going to do some actual teaching.

Skylor’s head was in her hands. She was so tired. Days of reading and worrying about Kai had wrecked her.

She had a few leads to bring to her father, but she just couldn’t find it in herself to do that. Sighing and scrubbing her face, she tried to make herself stand.

She missed Kai.

He would make her task fun with snarky comments on everything they read and giving her lovesick looks until she couldn’t take it anymore and kissed him. Somehow, he always knew just what would make her laugh. It was a superpower how he could bring light into every situation.

She would kill to have him back.

Which she would get as soon as she brought her father what she had found. So, why wasn’t she doing that? What wasn’t she rushing down the hall to talk to him?

Maybe she just didn’t want to start another long drawn out plan so soon after the last one failed. She wanted some quiet time to enjoy Kai’s company.

She wanted to stop thinking about the ninja and their sad eyes. She wanted to not think about her father’s plans and conquering. She wanted Kai to hold her and comfort her. She wanted to be told that she wasn’t hurting him.

On some level, Skylor was scared that he would blame her for his unjust punishment. She didn’t think she could take it if Kai rejected her. Which he would if he ever realized how much she had been using him.

The simple answer was to never ever let him realize it.

Was that really as simple as that? It sounded simple to say, but to do it was a messy ordeal that would never end. It felt like the complicated answer. Skylor wasn’t sure if she could do it.

“Daughter?” Chen’s voice came from the doorway.

Skylor jumped and slammed her book shut, almost screaming and flinging a fireball at her father’s head.

Chen let her catch her breath and waited for her to properly acknowledge him. She took a few slow breaths through her mouth and smoothed her hair out before she looked at him again.

“Hello Father.” she said.

Chen smiled.

“I was just wondering if you had made any progress. Have you found anything exciting?” Chen asked with a bloodthirsty gleam in his eye.

Skylor gulped and reached for her notes.

“I found a few options.” she croaked.

Why was she so nervous?

Chen pouted and Skylor felt very small under his stare.

“What is wrong?” Chen demanded.

She sighed. She knew she couldn’t lie to him. Not when he used that tone. It would just be worse for her later.

“I just…” Skylor struggled for words. “I hate this.”

Chen’s eyebrow raised.

Skylor hugged herself. She was already past the point of no return.

“I don’t think I want to rule Ninjago.” she admitted in a breathy voice “Everything feels wrong and I hate myself.”

Chen said nothing. Skylor continued as she began to pace and pull at her own hair.

“I hate hurting Kai. I hate feeling this way. I hate that his friends were just trying to do the right thing and we destroyed their lives! I hate the idea of doing that to anyone else!” Skylor ranted.

She had started crying and her father still hadn’t spoken.

“I don’t know if I’m cut out for this! I can’t do it! How am I supposed to do this when my insides feel like they’re rotting!?” Skylor screamed.

She wanted to puke. Saying it all out loud had finally unraveled the thread and laid it all out in a clean picture. She was dying. The guilt she kept killing was killing her back. Every time she shot it down it coiled another rotten branch around her throat and squeezed. She was choking on tar and decay.

She turned her pleading eyes to her father and silently begged. She wanted him to make sense of it all. She needed him to give her an answer, to prove that there was one. He had to know how to fix her. He always knew what she needed to do.

Chen took a long moment to collect his thoughts. He stared at Skylor crying and shaking; looked her up and down and soaked in every detail of her outburst.

Then his diagnosis came.

“Oh Babydoll.” he said with a hand on his heart “I’m sorry. I should’ve known you were too young.”

He reached over and hugged her. Skylor melted into it as he stroked her hair and smoothed out the mess she had made.

“You’re so skilled that I forget that you are still a child. Of course you still have immature feelings! This is my fault for forgetting that.”

Skylor sobbed and her father continued to rub circles on her back.

“But!” he chriped “You’ll get there in no time! You just need a little more time to blossom into the beautiful mercenary I know you’ll grow into. You’ll have everything you could ever want.”

Skylor pulled back from the hug and looked at her father.

“But...how do I deal with the guilt?” she asked.

“With practice!” Chen assured her. “This is your first time dealing with strangers. Of course it hit you hard. It’ll get easier with time. For now, just focus on how much fun you’ll have with Firebrand when things are secure for us.”

Chen gave her a bright smile.

“Have I ever denied you happiness? I want the world for you Skylor. When we’re done, you will have everything! Everything Skylor! Who could say no to that? Don’t you want that!? A life in luxury with untold power at your fingertips and a dotting Firebrand at your side, doing everything you ask with a smile?”

Skylor still looked unconvinced.

“If you hate hurting him now, think of what you’ll be giving him later! He will be there by your side with every want and need tended to. That sounds like a favor, doesn’t it? So what if we push him a little now? It’s all in service to your happily ever after!” Chen explained with sweeping hand gestures “He’ll be happier than he ever thought possible when we’re done with him.”

Skylor still didn’t feel very reassured. None of this felt like they were making Kai happy. Everything felt so bad and broken and she couldn’t picture how it could ever be made ok again. They had punished Kai over practically nothing! It was cruel.

She didn’t want to do this anymore.

But she could never tell her father that. He would lose it and she would really deserve her own punishment then. It would make what Kai was going through look like a vacation.

So she slowly returned her father’s smile. She was always a great little actress.

“That’s my girl!” Chen said, an affectionate hand on her head, none the wiser to how much of it was fake.

After a seemingly tender moment, Chen straightened back up.

“Soooo….What have you found!?” he asked.

Skylor reached for her notes, relieved to have some options to present. Hopefully she would get Kai out of punishment soon. It was the only thing she truly cared about anymore.

Jay had been a slug for almost a week. A lot of sleeping, some tinkering on old projects, and eating loads of his Ma’s cooking.

He also finally got to lay face down on a sand dune and scream.

He had forgotten how much sand got in his mouth when he did that. He was still finding grains in his toothbrush. Still, it was what he needed. It was how Jay used to deal with stress when he was little. The texture was familiar and grounding. Being around the dry sand, even regrettably tasting it, it all helped.

His mom’s cookies finished up the job. Jay ate until his stomach threatened revolution. After a few days, Jay was good as new.

Ok maybe not “good as new”, but he was able to breathe again. So, it was a massive improvement.

He was stable and he was ready to go back.

His mom looked up from her quilt square. Some kind of maternal cue must’ve happened because the next words out of her mouth were exactly what Jay was about to ask for.

“Do you need a ride back, Dearie?” she asked, packing up her supplies.

Jay gave her a grateful smile.

“That would be great.”

She was shouting for Ed Walker to start the jalopy; Screaming across the junk yard at the top of her lungs over something mundane like she always did. Jay found it obnoxious sometimes, but he felt nothing but love for the woman that had just let him do nothing but lay in bed and brought him cookies for days just because he felt bad.

“Thanks for letting me recharge here.” he said.

He mentally noted that he needed to find his nunchucks before he left. Actually, did he bring them with him? Oh right! Clouse threw them into the ocean! Oily snake. Jay didn't need to find them, he needed to replace them.

“Of course, Dearie.” Edna said sweetly, getting up and walking passed him.

She decided not to comment on how he should’ve done it this way in the first place and not run off to do his silly show before he was done grieving. She firmly believed that just a week longer at the junkyard could’ve saved months of Jay avoiding his friends.

And whatever it was that Jay tried to explain to them. All she gathered was that Kai got into some major trouble and Nya stayed behind somewhere. There rest of it was too much for her and Ed to keep track of, even with notes.

What they could figure out was what they’d never need to be told. Their boy was hurting over it.

“You had us awfully worried.” Edna admitted.

From the sobbing phone call to pick him up, the sand-dune-therapy, and the inhuman amount of comfort food he consumed, it was obvious that things had been serious.

“Yeah, it was...a lot.” Jay acknowledged, dropping his shoulders “And it’s not done.”

Edna just hummed as she entered the kitchen. She didn’t like hearing that, but Jay didn’t sound scared when he said it. She decided to trust him.

“I still have a lot to work through, but the guys still need me.” Jay explained.

Edna said nothing. She didn’t ask Jay to justify himself and he didn’t have to. It was obvious he was talking for his own benefit. She let her son speak while she worked diligently.

“I don’t want to do what I did last time. We’re stronger as a team. We need to be together.” Jay continued to rant.

He was working himself up and moving around in a passion.

Edna just continued her task. By her count, she needed at least five. Six couldn’t hurt. Heck, seven is a lucky number after all! It did sound like they needed all the luck that could be given.

“No ninja left behind. We’re going to figure this out. We’ll stop Chen and save Kai and we’ll be a stronger team for it! I made up with Cole and escaped a noodle prison! What could be harder than that!? No more quitting! I can do this!” Jay finished his rant by standing on the table and striking a pose.

He held it for exactly three seconds before the table broke and the ground greeted him.

“Oh my!” his dad said from the door he had just walked through.

“Jay Honey, what have I told you about being a ninja on the furniture!?” Edna nagged as she entered the room.

Jay almost laughed hearing her say that. He hadn’t felt like a ninja in so long. He may have broken the table, but he felt better for it. For the first time in a long time, Jay believed he wasn’t in over his head.

Jay got an upside-down look at his mom as she fondly shook her head and smiled. Before he could return her smile, he saw something else. He righted himself to get a better look.

“Uhhh….Ma?” Jay asked “Whacha got there?”

Edna had a stack of plastic containers under each arm.

“You didn’t think I wasn’t sending you back without anything for your friends, did you? From the sounds of it, everyone there could use some homemade cookies!”

“Are you feeding an army there, Edna?” Ed asked, keys jingling as he gestured.

“Yes.” Jay answered for her as he stood up. “She is.”

Chen may have messed up. Just a bit.

He might’ve pushed Kai just a teeny tiny bit too far.

The boy was sitting at the table and ignoring the food in front of him. Chen didn’t know if he was waiting for permission to eat, or if he honestly didn’t see the plate. He looked like someone fresh off a warfront with his shell shocked eyes. His right arm was still in a cast and he was a painting of self inflicted bruises. That wasn’t even mentioning the state of the room! Kai had truly lost his mind in there.

It was fascinating.

“Firebrand, you need to eat.” Chen quietly ordered.

“Wha?” Kai said, his eyes coming back from their thousand yard stare “Oh...Sorry Master.”

He was quieter than ever and even more adverse to eye contact. He just kept his head down while he robotically ate his food. Chen thought it was funny to compare him to the bombastic ninja they had recruited.

As entertaining as Chen found this version of Firebrand, he did need to do some damage control and build some personality back up. Skylor didn’t want him broken completely.

Chen reached over and grabbed Kai’s hand. Kai stopped eating. His eyes didn’t lift high enough to make eye contact, but he did look in the right direction. Chen loved it.

“Are you ok? I know that was awfully difficult. You know I love you, right? I hate doing things like that to you, but it’s for your own good. I just want the best for you.” Chen happily chirped.

“I understand, Master.” Kai said timidly.

Chen snatched his chin and forced his face upwards.

“Oh you poor thing. It hurts me so much to see you like this! This is why I hate punishing you! How long until we get our happy Firebrand back? I hate seeing you mope like this. You know I punish you so you don’t have to think about what you did wrong, right? You just let me worry about that. I know when you need corrected and I do that correcting. You don’t need to worry about it unless I tell you to. So relax!”

Chen watched Kai’s muscles go slightly slack. He really couldn’t stop himself from following orders at this point.

“Yes, Master.” Kai said.

Chen cooed. Kai was just too cute all obedient like that. He couldn’t help but pinch Kai’s cheeks.

“Oh Firebrand. Such a sweet boy. So emotional!” Chen lectured as Kai let him play with his face. “It’s such a shame those emotions get you in so much trouble. It breaks my heart!”

Chen finally dropped Kai’s face. Kai’s hands started to play with the hem of his shirt nervously.

“I know you’re upset about your ex-friends, but you and I both know, I know what’s best for you.” Chen reminded him.

Kai nodded meekly.

It wasn’t enough for Chen. He wanted this point to stick.

“Firebrand, I want to hear you say it, ok? Say I know best.” he ordered.

“You know best, Master.” Kai obeyed.

Chen could listen to that in place of music, but he wasn’t done.

“You just need to listen to me.” Chen added.

He wondered if Kai would pick up on the implied order or if he needed it spelled out again.

To his delight, Kai caught on immediately.

“I just need to listen to you.” he repeated, dropping his gaze to the floor.

Chen smiled. Just one more.

“This is your home. We are your family. You don’t need anyone else.”

Kai hesitated more than Chen wanted, but the words still came.

“This is my home. You guys are my family. I don’t…” Kai squeezed his eyes shut and a single tear rolled down his cheek “I don’t need anyone else.”

He was shaking. Chen saw too much discomfort to let it stand. Kai was roughly hugged.

“Aww, my poor little Firebrand. So confused and hurt.” Chen tutted “All those emotions cloud your judgment. You get so mixed up and hurt yourself. It just breaks my heart!”

Kai started to relax in Chen’s arms.

“Don’t worry, I’m right here to help you. You don’t have to think about anything. Your master is here to make all the choices you can’t be trusted with.”

“Thank you, Master.” Kai said.

Chen hummed in a low voice.

“I think you earned some rest.” he said slowly.

Kai turned into putty at the suggestion. The boy was out of his mind with exhaustion and his injuries were going to need time to heal. Chen had the power to get Kai to ignore all of that if he wanted, but it didn’t serve any purpose anymore. Kai had been hammered back into his proper place and Chen needed to keep him away from Nya anyways.

There was also Skylor. She was starting to think too independently and having some concerning thoughts. Chen was glad she spoke up and gave him a chance to deal with it. He kicked the can, but it wouldn’t last. She had too many doubts. If he was going to keep her under his control she needed her distracted, pronto. Chen would let her have some quality time with her recovering boy toy and call it a reward for her hard work. She’ll feel heard and respected.

Chen had been planning on assigning Eyezor to befriend the two for a while. Now seemed like a good time. Eyezor would keep both of them behaving while Chen focused his attention on the dozens of other matters he was juggling.

Wu was about to have a heart attack. The coffee consumption was it’s own beast, but Misako drinking energy drinks was a new monster! The brightly colored cans were scattered around the trash can like decor. She must’ve been chugging the stuff the entire time Wu was taking Lloyd to Mystake’s.

“Misako!” Wu called out.

He wasn’t heard over the rock music she was blasting. He watched in horror as she threw her head back and slurped down the rest of her current can. She fluidly tossed the can towards the trash, grabbed another off the table next to her, and opened the tab with one hand. It was practiced, graceful, and terrifying.

Wu had seen her on research binges before, but this was a new level. She had a book on her lap, a notebook under her right hand, and a computer screen in front of her. He had no idea what she could even be researching. He strained his eyes to read the titles on the books she had dumped around her feet, but it was too hard to focus over her music. It wasn’t like her to not have any scrolls, but that just raised more questions.

As the rock song ended, a loud orchestra replaced it. Sighing, Wu rubbed his temples. He had always hated her chaotic taste in music and it had only gotten worse since Borg’s new devices introduced the dreaded “shuffle” function into the world.

Regardless, he needed Misako to at least acknowledge him. If he was to be heard over the shrieking strings, he’d need to shout.

“MISAKO!!” he yelled, slamming his staff on the floor and shaking the room.

She shot another gulp back, turned the page in her book with her pinky, and shut the music off, all without looking up from her work.

“Wu.” she said, still focusing on her notes.

She was acknowledging him, but barely. Wu saw a younger woman burying herself in every scroll that so much as implied The Great Devourer. He shook his vision clear of the memory and spoke.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Another swig of poison before she answered.

“Research.” she said, preoccupied with her book.

Wu sighed. He’d never seen her this bad.

A can loudly rolled across the floor after his staff brushed it. Wu watched it roll sadly, wondering if this was beyond his abilities to help.

“What happened to coffee?” he asked gently.

“I needed something stronger.” she said, taking another long drink.

Wu feared for her health.

“Misako….”

He was trying to be tactful, really not wanting to start another fight with her. Especially since she had been the one in the right the last time.

“Are you sure you want Lloyd to see you this way?” Wu tried.

Appealing to the mother in her was the only thing he could think to do. He had watched Garmadon try and fail every other approach throughout the years. None of them ever worked. Even threatening divorce once didn’t faze her.

Misako, for her credit, did hesitate at the mention of Lloyd. It seemed like Wu had finally found an angle that could work.

“I was hoping to have what he needed before he came home.” she admitted.

Wu’s shoulder's sank. He should’ve known. Misako only got this dysfunctional when she was trying to help someone she loves.

“Mystake is more than capable of answering all his questions regarding his heritage.” Wu assured her.

Misako finally turned her chair around to face him with her drink still in hand.

“I’m not researching that!” she corrected, taking another drink.

She held up her notebook and gave Wu an eyeful of messy chicken scratch. Once she saw his confused expression, she realized her mistake and set the notebook down. Wu was instead handed the book out of her lap.

“Untangling The Mental Snare?” Wu read.

He flipped the book over and read the back.

“How to help a loved one recover from the destructive influence of a cult.”

“Are you trying to help Kai?” Wu asked, handing the book back.

“If Lloyd is going to take that man on, he needs to know everything. What he’s going to do, what he’s already done, and how to undo it.” Misako said, taking the book and turning back to her notebook. “I’m putting all the relevant information together for him. Hopefully this will protect him from Chen’s tricks and help him restore Kai’s authentic self.”

Wu watched her chug the last of her energy drink before tossing it towards the trash. It bounced off the pile and rolled on the floor, but that wasn’t a pressing problem.

“Misako…” Wu said, astonished.

Misako didn’t care. She would not strike out a third time. She was finally going to find useful information and succeed at doing something for her family.

Wu sensed her conviction, and decided to work around it instead of against it.

“Lloyd is coming home tonight. I believe Mystake has told him enough and he wants to start making a plan.” he said.

Misako nodded.

“I’ll take a nap and a shower then.” she said “If you would be so kind as to clean my research nest up?”

She was timid when she asked, almost ashamed of the mess she had made in her manic state. Wu couldn’t refuse her.

“Of course.” he said with a nod.

“Thank you.” she said, sagging with relief. “You’re right that I don’t want Lloyd to see this side of me.”

“As any good mother would.” Wu agreed.

“I’m not a good mother.” Misako corrected him, hugging her arms.

Wu didn’t want to let that comment stand.

“We could spend a lifetime measuring your performance. But in the metrics of effort, you have never failed.” Wu said sagely “And I know which scale Lloyd grades on.”

Misako sniffled back a few stray tears.

“Thank you.” she said.

Wu stepped away from the door.

“Go. Lloyd will be here in a few hours and you will need to be clean and rested to present your findings.”

Misako nodded. She already looked much healthier. Wu watched her with a smile as she passed him and left the room.

Wu was now alone. In a very messy room. That he promised to clean before Lloyd returned.

Decades had passed and Wu was still suckering for her!

At least he was better than Garmadon. His brother would’ve offered to cook dinner too. Wu laughed at the thought. It was nice to remember Garmadon positively for a moment.

Wu began to Spinjitsu the mess.

“5/8” Mechanic demanded.

Nya plucked the socket wrench from the box and passed it to him. Her eyes carefully watching his work.

“Shouldn’t you weld that?” she asked.

Mechanic tightened the bolt and grunted with effort before answering her.

He pointed to a space behind the panel they were placing.

“That section needs frequent cleaning. It needs to stay accessible.” he explained impatiently.

Nya huffed, not liking his tone.

“It just seems like a high stress area. I feel like the bolt will come loose.” she sharply explained.

Mechanic laughed. Nya felt her face turning red.

“You’re right. It does. All the time.” he said.

Nya waited for the rest. Mechanic just moved on to the second bolt.

“And!?” she asked expectantly.

“And what!?” he shot back.

“You just let that happen!?” she snapped.

He laughed again.

“It’s a compromise, Spark-plug.” He explained, grunting again as he finished tightening the second bolt “There really isn’t anything that’ll stay put and give access to the area behind it.”

Nya was too focused on the problem to notice the nickname.

“Then put the access panel in a different location!” she said.

Mechanic pulled himself away from the panel.

“Where.”

It wasn’t a question. It wasn’t an order. It was a challenge. He knew she had an idea and he wanted to hear it.

“Right there.” Nya said, pointing to an ideal spot.

Mechanic made a grating alarm sound like she had lost a game show.

“There’s a support in the way.” he told her.

Nya smirked.

“Which you wouldn’t need if we reinforced this panel and put support on this side instead.” she said smugly.

This time he stayed silent. He looked her down for a moment, scanning for any doubt. When he found none, he turned. His eyes ran back over the machine a few times before he turned back.

“Well I’ll be.” he finally admitted “That’s not a crazy thought.”

Nya couldn’t help but puff her chest out.

“Not bad, Spark-plug. I’ll put in an order and we’ll fix it. Looks like Chen didn’t oversell you.” he said with the smallest trace of a smile.

Nya frowned. She caught the nickname this time and it struck an uncomfortable chord with her. She couldn’t put her finger on why, but it didn’t feel benign.

“Don’t call me that.” she said.

He tilted his head and looked at her with a mix of confusion and annoyance.

“Why not?” he asked, hands on his hips.

Nya scrambled for a rational answer. The longer she took, the more annoyed with herself she became. She wasn’t the type of girl to have fickle feelings.

Taking her silence as an invitation to present his own argument, the Mechanic continued.

“I think it fits. Your brother has all those fire powers and you’re a spitfire yourself. Then you work with vehicles all the time; why not Spark-plug?” he said “A little part that the whole engine relies on. What part of that doesn’t sound like you?”

Nya felt her face heat up. She was embarrassed first, but also flattered at the profile Mechanic had made of her.

Mechanic for his part, was sweating. Master Chen had very violently trained him to ensure he would deliver that line correctly. It was a critical point. The first of many. Manipulation was very stressful.

It sounded easy when Master Chen explained it, but it was like building a complex machine. Things needed to be timed right and made well. One tiny flaw would have rippling effects on the entire final product. He should feel honored that Master Chen trusted him so much, but the fear of failure was louder.

Anxiety shortening each breath, Mechanic tried not to think about the consequences he would face if he botched this job. He wasn’t Skylor, but Master Chen needed him to be on par with her. Even with Master Chen’s coaching, he felt inadequate. He did machines, how was he supposed to manage this?

“I just prefer you call me by my name.” Nya finally said, interrupting Mechanic’s panic

He laughed, remembering the line Master Chen fed him.

“Everyone gets a nickname around here. You can pick a flattering name we use to your face, or the kabuki will pick an unflattering one to use behind your back.”

Nya scowled. Mechanic shrugged.

“Just trying to keep you out of their drama.” he said casually, easily speaking from a place of truth “Those kabuki get vicious, and you’re currently the new meat.”

“I don’t like Spark-plug.” Nya said, preserving some pride.

“Eh, Master Chen usually comes up with the nicknames anyways.” he said with another nonchalant shrug.

Slowly; one line at a time, he would manage this. It was that or death.

Cole had been ready to avoid Zane, but he didn’t expect the Walkers to drive up and drop Jay off at the exact spot he had chosen to hide.

“Cole!” Jay said, running in for a hug.

Cole stepped back and put his arms up in defense. He didn’t feel up to a hug.

Jay shrank back, but his smile remained. A little more subdued, but still hanging there.

“I guess we still aren’t back to bro hugs.” he chuckled.

Cole felt his insides twist. He hated to let Jay think the distance was because of the stupid feud, but what choice did he have? The alternative was to open his mouth and explain, and Cole still didn’t trust his own words. Not after what happened with Karloff.

Cursed if he did, cursed if he didn’t.

Jay glossed right over the awkwardness as if it weren’t there. He was always good at that. He ran back to his parents’ car, and after only a short conversation, ran back with seven plastic containers precariously balanced in his arms.

“How is everyone?” Jay asked as he approached

Even if Cole was speaking, he still wouldn’t have an answer for Jay. He had been avoiding everyone so much, he had no idea what was happening with anyone. Just that Zane and Lloyd had been leaving frequently.

Luckily, Jay seemed content not to notice that Cole hadn’t spoken. He just shoved some of the boxes into Cole’s arms and led him back towards the monastery while he continued to talk.

“I know I left kind of suddenly, but I really needed to reset.” Jay laughed “You’d be surprised how therapeutic it can be to lay face down in a pile of sand and scream. Fixes you right up, don’t cha know.”

Jay sputtered and almost tripped. Shoulders hiked up and face flushed a shade or two darker, he awkwardly laughed.

“Heh, sorry. Too much time around my folks.” he said sheepishly, righting the boxes in his own arms.

Cole almost laughed. He almost teased Jay about falling too close to the tree.

But he made a vow to himself and if he couldn’t keep a promise to himself, there was truly no hope for him.

They arrived at the main entrance where Zane and Lloyd were both waiting for them.

“Jay!” Lloyd said happily.

“Hi Lloyd!” Jay said, trying to wave with his arms full “My mom sent cookies!”

So that was what the boxes were.

“How were your parents, my friend?” Zane asked politely, reaching forward to relieve Jay of some cookies.

“Fantastic!” Jay said brightly “Exactly what I needed. I’m back and ready to kick butt! Do we have a plan yet?”

“We-” Zane began.

“Actually.” Lloyd interrupted “About that….”

All eyes landed on the Green Ninja. He coughed awkwardly before finding his bearings.

“I might have a….very bad idea.”

Chen took a sip of his whiskey and sighed. The ice clinked loudly and staved off the silence as he worked.

On the business front, he had been handed a miracle. A ship got stuck in the Stix Canal causing a shipping crisis for all of Ninjago. There was no longer anything unusual about Mr Chen’s Noodle House having supply chain issues and the “factory incident” was considered old news not worth looking into.

In fact, the PR was splendid! So much sympathy for the poor business that was just starting to recover from another disaster before this hit. Chen made sure he put some of his prettiest faces in front of news cameras to talk extensively about how the Evergave situation was affecting business.

That left him time to deal with the other irons he had in the fire.

Mechanic had updated that Nya rejected her nickname. That was what Chen got for trusting someone else to do it. He should've known better. Nicknames usually went over better if there was a pleasant memory tied to them, and Mechanic wasn’t skilled enough to create those moments. It was frustrating, but still very salvageable. Chen would just have to pick his moment carefully and come up with something more personal.

It would have to be soon though, he didn’t want her getting too used to using her own name on the island.

He grabbed his pen and made a note to visit Nya in the morning, shaking his head that he had resorted to writing things down. It was a good thing that his plans had reached such a scale, but he missed the days when everything fit in his head.

He took another sip of his drink as he set aside his plans for Nya and glanced at the options Skylor had gotten him.

Before he could do much more than read through, there was a knock at his door. Chen took a small sip before speaking.

“Come in.”

A timid Eyezor carefully stepped in.

Chen set his drink down and stood.

“Eyezor! My boy! How are you?” Chen asked, opening his arms for a hug.

Eyezor took it.

“My, you have gotten so tall, haven’t you!? When did you become such a man!? Huh? Where is the scrawny little preteen I found?” Chen said, affectionately shaking Eyezor.

There was a nostalgic part of Chen that missed the angry boy in a make-shift eyepatch his men had found eating out of the dumpster behind one of his restaurants. A larger part of him was proud of intimidating young man he got out of it though.

“I know things have been a little hectic lately. So many things needed my attention I didn’t have any time to chat with you! Come! Come! Have a drink!” Chen said, leading Eyezor over to his liquor cabinet.

“Thank you, Master Chen.” Eyezor said in his damaged voice.

It was a wonder how he could still talk with the damage his father had done to his vocal chords. Chen was always amazed at how well the boy had recovered from the attempt on his life.

Eyezor motioned to Chen’s glass as he poured his own. Chen brought his over to be topped off and the two clinked their glasses together.

After taking a sip, Eyezor made a small noise. It hurt to speak when he didn’t have to, and there was really only one possible question for him to need to ask.

“I wanted to talk about a new assignment for you.” Chen said, spinning his drink and making the ice click.

Eyezor raise an eyebrow as he took a larger swig.

“Firebrand and Skylor have had such a hard time lately. I’m worried about them both. Seeing his friends triggered a nasty relapse in Firebrand. He’s hurt himself and will need to recover. It has just been a horrible thing for Skylor to witness and I’m afraid the stress is getting to her! She is having concerning thoughts. She has the good mind to tell me such things and ask for help, thank the First, but it is concerning to hear these things from her.” Chen explained.

Eyezor nodded along, taking another small sip of his drink.

“I’m far too busy to keep an eye on them. So I was hoping you could keep them company while Firebrand recovers. I think they could benefit from some guidance in this trying time.” Chen said, reaching a hand out to hold Eyezor’s shoulder.

Eyezor studied Chen’s eyes for a moment before nodding.

“You can count on me.” he said.

Chen smiled.

The two of them talked a bit more about things going on on the island. Eyezor finished his drink not long after that and left Chen to get back to his work.

Chen made a few more notes in his plans for Kai, then returned to the options Skylor had gotten him. He still fully intended to conquer Ninjago. He just needed something to boaster his forces a little more. With the staff he was personally powerful, but that wasn’t enough to conquer a world!

Looking at the notes Skylor had given him; Chen continued to nurse his drink while he strategized. He had a few options. Skylor had found three artifacts that could help.

The Teapot of Tyrahn.

Well three wishes sounded tempting, but too vague. There could be rules he wasn’t prepared for. How could he guarantee that his enemies wouldn't gain wishes themselves? To say nothing of this Djinn’s motivations! If it was sentient, it could be tricked, but it could also trick. Chen simply didn’t know enough to make any contingency plans. It would be a risky move. He would consider it for a last resort though.

The Realm Crystal.

The power to travel between realms was interesting, but what good would it be if Chen’s army wasn’t large enough to invade his own realm? It was certainly something he would keep in mind for the future, but prophecy said only the Green Ninja was supposed to be able to find it. Chen had seen enough of Garmadon’s family disaster to know Destiny doesn’t like to change it’s plans.

The Oni Masks.

That intrigued Chen. There didn’t appear to be any restrictions to using them. If he had his staff and three trusted lieutenants wearing those masks, he could easily over power anyone in his way.

The only hiccup was that Clouse’s research heavily implied that the Mask of Hatred was hidden in an oni temple. According to legend, it could only be retrieved by someone with oni blood.

Chen leaned back and groaned. He only knew one family with oni blood in all of Ninjago. It was a good thing he had decided not to kill him immediately, but it was still going to be a huge pain to get Garmadon to cooperate!

Chen finished his drink and counted the blessing that he at least had Garmadon.

It wasn’t like anyone else with oni blood was going to just walk into his hands!

“So, I’m pretty much going to just walk into Chen’s hands.” Lloyd summarized.

Cole was silently eating cookies and trying to decide if he got to be angry about this or not. Jay had reached his own conclusions and was loudly protesting.

“Lloyd, I don’t know how to explain how extremely stupid it is to use yourself as bait!” Jay screeched.

Lloyd didn’t flinch. He finally looked like the legendary Green Ninja again after so long of being a scared kid. Cole was pleased with that development at least.

“Jay, I’m the perfect bait! Chen may have my elemental powers, but I’m still The Green Ninja. Plus Chen would never pass up the opportunity to spite my dad by abusing me. He’ll let me just walk back onto the island!” Lloyd patiently explained.

“And what happens when he starts to manipulate you? You said yourself his goal would be to emotionally abuse you.” Zane asked.

It was a gentle tone by most standards, but coming from Zane it was practically a snarl.

“That’s where this might be a bad idea.” Lloyd said, deflating a little.

Cole had half a mind to remind Lloyd what Chen had done to him and Jay. From day one they distrusted him, but he didn’t need their trust to make them dance like stupid little puppets. Physically speaking, Chen wasn’t the hardest foe they’ve had to fight, but he was deadly with his words.

Lloyd spoke before Cole could decide to break his silence.

“Look, I’m aware of how dangerous this is! But it’s the only way any of us are going to get close enough to Kai to deprogram him!”

“The correct term would be to ‘restore Kai’s authentic self’.” Misako said from the doorway. “’Deprogramming’ has crude connotations.”

Lloyd stepped aside and let his mom join him at the head of the room.

“I’ve been researching how best to help Kai, and Nya for that matter.” she added

Lloyd nodded.

“Mom’s told me what to look out for; how people like Chen do the things they do, and how it’s been undone. If I can get on the island and let Chen think he’s….” Lloyd had to stop and gag “...turning me, then I can get close enough to Kai to bring him home.”

“The difficult thing, is that even knowing the tricks being used on you doesn’t make you completely immune to them. Lloyd would be taking a huge risk.” Misako explained.

Lloyd seemed to shrink at the reminder of how reckless he was being.

“But we don’t have any other options to rescue Kai and Nya.” he said, trying to be confident.

“Or find out what Chen is planning.” Shade said.

Jay screamed and fell on his face. The room ignored him and focused on the newcomer. Apparently Shade didn’t rely completely on his powers and could sneak around just fine without them.

“How long have you been listening?” Lloyd asked with a glare.

Shade shrugged.

“Long enough.” he said.

Lloyd’s glare deepened and Shade shivered. Lloyd had stopped making everyone feel so uneasy after Wu took him to see someone about his dad, but it all came rushing back into the room in a moment. Shade didn’t understand it, but he wanted it to stop. He had felt safer when Lord Garmadon was glaring at him!

He threw his hands up in surrender.

“Look I’m sorry, ok!? The whole tournament was messed up and stressful! I spent the whole time feeling like I was hangry or something! I really don’t know why I got so vicious with you.”

“Funny you should say that!” Jay said, popping back up from the floor. “I felt the same way! It was freaking me out!”

Cole just nodded.

“I felt on edge the whole time too.” Lloyd admitted while running a hand through his hair.

Zane looked at everyone’s faces before he spoke.

“Chen had a sorcerer working for him, correct? Could dark magic cause something to that effect?” he asked curiously.

“Absolutely.” Misako confirmed.

Shade let out a long puff of breath.

“So there was a reason I was my worst self?” he almost whispered “That’s actually kind of relieving.”

“Well that’s one heck of a mystery no one thought was a mystery and didn’t even really need solving.” Lloyd sassed with an eye-roll “Now why are you here!?”

Shade shook his embarrassment off.

“Chen isn’t going to stop just because Plan A fell apart, and he still has our elemental powers. He didn’t really lose just because we escaped.” Shade said. “We need to know what his Plan B is going to be if we’re going to stop him. A man on the inside would help.”

Lloyd shook his head.

“No good. Communication off the island is restricted to letters delivered by Chen’s boat. There’s no way he won’t intercept! And that’s assuming he lets me write any letters in the first place.”

“So you’re going to be an extraction team of one while the rest of us do the actual fighting.” Shade guessed.

Lloyd nodded once. His eyes landed on Jay’s panicked irises.

“I’m counting on you guys!”

Jay wanted to puke. He was back in the deep-end.

“What if we can’t do it?” he asked with a nervous laugh.

“Then we lose Kai.” Lloyd said plainly. “And potentially Nya.”

Jay gulped. He really doubted he would be able to live with himself if they suffered either loss.

“You can count on us!” Zane said.

“Yeah. Me too.” Jay added with a shaky smile.

He was grateful to borrow his friend’s confidence.

Cole shoved another cookie in his mouth before Lloyd could turn and ask him. His mouth being full gave him the perfect excuse to reply with a silent nod and thumbs up.

Sooner or later he was going to run out of diversions and his friends would notice he had stopped speaking, but Cole would deal with that when it became a problem and not before.

“Alright.” Lloyd said. “I guess I’m going to go join a cult.”