Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Lloyd groaned as he walked into the shared bathroom of the monastery.

" Another day, another headache," he moaned, grabbing his toothbrush. Today was just one of those days where there were metaphorical chains dragging him down, but as the Green Ninja, Lloyd couldn't allow himself to slow down.

' At least, there isn't much to do today. There's training, breakfast and then going through some fan letters, then going to a school in New Ninjago city to give a lesson on self defense to the kids there,' he listed in his head.

" Shouldn't be so hard," he said before washing his mouth.

Standing before the mirror, he bore his teeth out, slightly examining them, particularly the sharp canines that he had inherited from his father.

" Are they getting sharper now?" he questioned, "Weird," he breathed.

He chalked it up to him comparing himself to his father again. Some days it was his mother but most of the time it was his father, considering how Lloyd was basically a blond version of his father's human form. And he used to be immensely proud of that. Before, it had been like a reminder, an assurance of his father's presence. It still was but the sentiment between Lloyd and him had changed. 

" Just when I have finally been able to move on from his death," Lloyd sighed, "Now he's out there and …..….not him," he said in a whisper, staring back at the reflection of his eyes in the mirror. They were green now, just as they had been for the past two years or so……more than half the time. Before that, they had been red, the bloody, slightly glowy kind that could easily make people feel unnerved, just like his father. Lloyd sometimes felt uneasy with the fact that his eye colour had changed. 

 He kinda missed the red eyes to be honest. Okay he kinda missed them a lot. They had always been one of the few things that younger him used to cherish simply because it reminded people of Lord Garmadon and actually convinced people that he was his son. That and also Lloyd really wanted to subtly creep his pseudo siblings out again.

"If I still had them most of the time, I could send Jay into more heart attacks," he smiled, recalling the time the lightning ninja nearly met Lloyd's grandfather after catching a glimpse of Lloyd's eyes in a dimly lit kitchen as the blond was trying to steal a couple of cookies.

" Whatever, I need to train now. I must always be prepared, even if Nya is always saying I'm "pushing myself too hard"," he pitched his voice high to imitate Nya's voice while making air quotes, "Yeah right, if I had even pushed myself enough, what happened a few months ago wouldn't have happened," he rolled his eyes, knowing well that he was mumbling to himself again, "Stupid Harumi and her manipulation skills. And stupid me for falling for those cheap crappy tricks. So damn stupid"

In another universe

" Lloyd," Koko said with a smile, "It's time to wake up now, sweetie."

" Five….more…minutes," Lloyd groaned, pulling the pillow over his head.

" You're gonna be late for school, dear." 

" As if they would even want me there," Lloyd responded, burying himself further into his blanket, "They'll probably be glad that I skip school today."

Koko's eyes looked down towards the floor. Even she couldn't convince her son that it wasn't true. But still, she needed to keep her son's spirit up.

" Well, staying in bed like a little potato isn't gonna fix that," she said, putting on an optimistic smile.

" Argggg, okay, mom," Lloyd groaned, finally agreeing to get out of the bed, albeit reluctantly.

" That's my boy," Koko smiled, kissing her son's cheek.

" MOOM!!" Lloyd whined, rubbing his cheek, "I'm fifteen already."

" Still my baby boy," Koko teased, "Anyway, breakfast's ready. It's your favourite, dumplings."

" Thanks, mom," Lloyd said, rubbing his tired eyes.

During lunch time

After enduring a whole morning of dirty glances and death stares, Lloyd finally felt relieved that he was able to get some peace and quiet as he enjoyed his lunch on the school's rooftop. Most people never went here, which was good as he didn't have to deal with people's judgment and disdain of him simply because of who his father was.

" I really hate you, dad," he mumbled as he bit into his sandwich. He never got why he had to be the punching bag for everyone's dislike and hatred of his father. 

" I haven't even seen him in a while, besides the times that he goes here to conquer the city and I have to beat him up."

Honestly, since becoming part of the Secret Ninja Force, being able to defeat his father and ruin his evil scheme were probably some of the best parts of it. There was also of course him having actual friends and getting training to have cool skills.

" Maybe things are finally looking up for me," 

Just after that, an explosion was heard, sending the lid of a metal garbage can flying backwards and nearly hitting Lloyd straight in the face.

" You've got to be kidding me," Lloyd breathed before stuffing the last of his sandwich into his mouth. Walking back down, he could see storms of students evacuating the premises.

" Beat it, Garmadork!" one of the older students snarled as they shoved Lloyd out of the way.

' Jerk,' Lloyd thought in his head, as his back bumped against his locker. He could see his reflection in the metallic surface of the locker. 

' Can't believe I'm his son. I don't even have red eyes or fangs,' he thought, staring back at the green eyes he had inherited from his mom.

' Whatever, let's get this over with,' he shook his head just as his friends arrived.

" Let's go kick some massive butts, team!!" Nya exclaimed.

" Hey, no fair, I was gonna say that first," Kai whined.

" You snooze, you lose," Nya shrugged as she rushed down the secret slide in her locker.

" Ninjago!!" They all chanted before suiting up.

Back in the show universe.

Lloyd stretched his neck after finishing his training session, a towel wrapped around his neck. He sat down on the front porch to go through a few of the fan letters and then other business letters such as water bills and taxes. 

' Well, look at you now, being a full-fledged adult,' Lloyd congratulated himself, despite feeling a bit melancholic that he was now an adult and thus had to act mature and in control, 'At least, the tallness makes up for it…somewhat.'

" Need a shower," he said, wincing at his body odor once he was finished with all the letters, "Maybe I can steal a bit of Jay's special shampoo he usually keeps for when Nya and he go on a date," a devilish smirk crept up on his face. 

Guess Darkley's influence was still there.

"Phew, that hit the spot," he exclaimed, walking out of the shower, feeling refreshed, "Now I just need to pick out an outfit to wear. The Legendary Green Ninja can't just show up wearing sweatpants."

Opening his closet, Lloyd rummaged through his array of clothes.

" Too casual. No."

" Too dark for today."

" This one is too…….Kai," he said, pulling a red shirt with fire patterns on it, "Oh wait ,this is Kai's. Must have forgotten to give it back to him. Eh, I'll do it later …or maybe not."

Five minutes passed and yet Lloyd still hadn't found anything decent to wear. Honestly, he was feeling like Jay when the brunet had to pick which foundation matched his skin colour the best or Kai when he had to select the best kind of hair gel. Finally after rummaging through his entire closet, Lloyd found something that would be appropriate. The only thing was that this article of clothing brought back some conflicted feelings.

Holding the gi he inherited from his dad, Lloyd felt its fabric. It was still relatively new, despite sitting in his closet for more than four years now. He remembered vividly the day he and Garmadon went out to buy it. 

" How about this one, dad?" Lloyd chirped cheerfully, showing Garmadon a master gi that was mostly black with gold and purple accents, "Goes well with your eyes," he added, gesturing to Garmadon's now violet eyes.

Garmadon looked at the gi intensively, a hmm emitting from his throat as he considered.

" No, no too youthful for my age now," the now Sensei concluded.

" Oh come on, dad. We're literally shopping in the old man section," Lloyd insisted.

" I think, " Garmadon responded as he pulled out another gi, "Now this would suit me much better."

Lloyd gave his dad a look.

" Really, dad?" the blond questioned, "A green belt? Doesn't really seem like your style."

" Well, at least people will know what team I'm on," Garmadon smiled as he ruffled Lloyd's hair.

" Daaaad," Lloyd whined, his voice still hilariously child-like despite his appearance that was starting to look very teen-like. 

" Oh, come on, it's not my fault your hair is so out in the open and vulnerable," Garmadon rolled his eyes, "Now where's the check-out area?"

" It's over there," Lloyd pointed, "old man," he added.

" Already at your rebellious phrase there, boy?" 

" Well, you do look old," Lloyd protested, "Don't get so shocked when people think we're grandfather and grandson."

" Don't worry, "Garmadon replied, "I won't. Instead, I'll just tell them you're the little rascal that turned all my hair grey."

"Daaad!!"

Emerging from memory lane, Lloyd took one last look at the gi before putting it on. The gi was a perfect fit, which surprised Lloyd as the last time he wore it, it was practically slipping off of him like a loose banana peel. It was rather surreal, given how back then, Lloyd actually dreaded that he would never fit into the gi, especially when standing next to his father who was rather tall, even when in his human form.

" Puberty really hit me hard," Lloyd breathed, tightening the green belt around his waist, "Still not as hard as my father throwing me through countless walls of concrete," he rolled his eyes. It was a miracle that he didn't have too many scars. Being magically resurrected really did have its pros.

" Should look about alright," he muttered as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. He looked so much like his dad, the Sensei one who died atoning for his wrongdoings, the one who despite the little time Lloyd got to spend with him, which was ironic given how Lloyd had actually spent the longest time with Sensei Garmadon, never made him doubt for a second the fact that his dad loved him. 

Movie Universe

" GARMADON!!" Lloyd shouted in the heat of battle as he launched missile after missile at the dark lord who barely managed to dodge them.

" Ohhhhhh, am I getting on your nerves,Green Ninja?" Garmadon teased, still acting nonchalantly, despite his army being once again defeated.

Lloyd merely rolled his eyes as he used his robot dragon to fire a ball of flame at Garmadon, effectively lighting the dark lord's cape on fire.

" AAAAAHHHHH!!" Garmadon exclaimed, frantically stomping his foot on his cape to eliminate the growing flame, "Why you do that?? This cape is made from pure silk. It's more expensive than……whatever money those horrible ninja outfits cost. Like seriously, those outfits make you all look like a bunch of fruits."

" Just go away, Garmadon, " Lloyd said, not sure if he was saying this as the Green Ninja or as Lloyd Garmadon who was very done with all the harassment that came with being Lord Garmadon's son.

" Oh, I'll be back, Green Ninja," Garmadon promised, " with an even more powerful army and mecha suits. Just you wait, Green Ninja. Ninjago will be mine!! Just you wait." 

Then of course came the maniacal and evil crackles as Garmadon and his army rode off into the sunset, their malfunctioning mecha shark vehicles emitting smoke along the way.

" Oh, I'll be waiting," Lloyd breathed, narrowing his eyes, "father."

Later

" GUYS," Jay exclaimed rather loudly, " Did you see how awesome we were back then? They were like "Oh please don't hurt us" and we were like all cool and all in our mecha suits," he continued, gesturing wildly with his hands, "And Nya? You- uh- You," he stammered, awkwardly avoiding eye contact with Nya, "You were so cool."

" Aw, thanks Jay," Nya responded, making the blue ninja blush.

' He's obviously smitten,' Lloyd thought, a bit amused.

" Jay, my friend," Zane barged in the conversation, "Based on my observation of your breathing pattern and overall behaviour, I diagnose you with—"

As swift as lightning, Jay covered Zane's mouth before the android could spill anything more.

" Oh, would you look at the time?" the freckled one exclaimed, "Hey Zane, do you know that at this time social media is at its peak with all the latest gossip."

" Really?"

" Yep," Jay chirped, " All the newest and most relevant things about teenage life."

" Neatto," Zane replied as he quickly whipped out his phone.

Jay let out a sign of relief.

Lloyd hid his snicker as he removed his mask.

" Already going home, Lloyd?" Kai asked, "What's the rush, man? It's only like what….—"

" 3:30 pm, my dear friend Kai," Zane answered before gluing his eyes back to the screen, "oh, cat memes."

" Yeah, it's not even that late. And besides, school's canceled due to well…. your dad," Kai said, which prompted him to get elbowed by Nya.

" What? It's true," he hissed at his sister who shot him a death glare.

" No, it's fine," Lloyd insisted, "My dad can be a major jerk, what with him being so hellbent on taking over Ninjago city. Anyway, I gotta go, guys. Mom will be worried sick about me if I don't go home now," he said, packing up his things.

" Okay, bye Lloyd," the gang bid him farewell.

Once he was out of their view, Lloyd slowed down his steps. In truth, he lied. His mom wouldn't exactly be worried about him as long as he got back home before 5pm. 

' I've already texted her and all that.'

Lloyd just wanted to get some time for himself to think. It wasn't easy being the number one most hated person in the city. He couldn't even walk around without being the target of many many death glares. 

Pulling up his hoodie to cover his face, Lloyd made a few turns and stopped near a comic book store. He had always wanted to go in there and buy some comic books but of course, he was the son of Lord Garmadon so it was a major no-no. 

" Whatever, I can't be wasting money anyway. We're on a tight budget this month," he muttered, recalling the fact that his mother wasn't exactly warmly welcomed by many people here. Sure there were some people who knew her before she got with Garmadon and were still actually pretty nice to her.

' If only they could do the same for me. But I'm Lord Garmadon's son.'

Even if his mom were treated well by some people, from what Lloyd had seen, she still got her fair share of crap from this lousy city.

" So much for their saying that everyone will be welcomed here," Lloyd rolled his eyes as he finally made it to the nearby woods of the city where he could be by himself and without any judgemental stares from anyone.

Chapter Text

The woods was always a good place for Lloyd to relax and not have to worry about whether or not he would be ambushed by some angry teenagers who were seeking to get some praise for punishing the son of Lord Garmadon or just wanted to have some twisted fun by tormenting him.

Sitting down underneath a tree, Lloyd looked up at the sky. It was around 4pm now and the sky was still bright with white almost stationary clouds. 

" Why did father just have to choose such a nice day to launch an attack?" he groaned, "Like does he not know how stressed mom is nowadays with trying to make ends meet? He just had to add even more stress to that by planning an invasion, specifically near my school."

Taking a deep breath, Lloyd let out a piercing scream at the unjustness of it all. 

" And on top of that, he doesn't even pay child support," he hissed, voice getting hoarse from all the screaming, "Like does he even know how expensive it is to raise a kid all on your own? Ha of course not," Lloyd laughed, letting his body fall onto the bed of soft grass below.

"This feels nice," he remarked, feeling the cold refreshing blades of grass beneath his palms and the serenade of the nearby birds, "Really wish I could just live here. Maybe even become one with nature. Who knows, maybe the birds will accept me as one of their own…… But mom would be worried about my safety and then give me an hour-long lecture," he smiled, thankful that in this lousy city, at least there would always be one person who cared about him.

"If only I could help her more," he muttered, staring at the abundant amount of leaves hanging off the trees, "Can't even get a part-time job here because of being the spawn of a demon," he rolled his eyes.

Sometimes, Lloyd dreamt of a day where he and Koko could just get away from Ninjago and start somewhere anew where they wouldn't be judged for their association with Garmadon.

" Might have to change our name when that day comes," he chuckled, his mind in the clouds, preoccupied with imagining the day he could get out of this crappy city and not just be known as the son of Lord Garmadon.

He would be a bit sad with having to leave his new friends.

' Maybe we could keep in touch via emails?' he considered, though he was not that optimistic with the possibility of them being friends forever. 

Show universe, at the yard of some middle school.

" And that concludes our lesson today, kids," Lloyd announced to which all the children there let out a sigh of relief. Some even went as far as to drop down on their butts.

' Did I push them too far?' Lloyd thought, scratching his head nervously as he bore witness to the crowd of exhausted children.

" Mr Green Ninja," one of the eleven-year-old boys began, "Do ninjas have to do this everyday?"

" Well,.....yes," Lloyd answered.

Cue the groan of nearly all the children present there. The small remaining number of students were either too exhausted to even groan, with some even doing the dramatic fair of gracefully falling down or were just trying to come off as cool.

" Oh come on, guys," one of the more cocky students exclaimed, "This is nothing," he said, despite being clearly out of breath.

" Well excellently said there, child," Lloyd clapped his hands, faking being the wise and stoic Green Ninja.

"Really!!" the kid exclaimed, stars practically shining in his eyes.

" Yep," Lloyd smiled, "And since you're so talented, you can do the whole session again so that your fellow peers can learn from you."

A look of despair got plastered onto the young boy's face.

Lloyd had to stop himself from laughing out loud because that would not be good for his image.

" I'm just joking, kid," he said, "And for real, don't push yourself too hard. Wouldn't want you pulling any muscles. Anyway, who wants some candy?" he said, opening up the first of several bags of lollipops he bought beforehand. 

After distributing all the candies, Lloyd saved one for himself to enjoy later.

" So after this lesson, do you have any questions?" he asked. 

" How old are you?" a boy with the orange shirt asked, waving his right hand up high and proud.

" Okay, I was kinda expecting questions about the lesson," Lloyd muttered.

"Well, you said to ask questions and he is asking you questions," one of the girls retaliated.

" Fair point," Lloyd admitted, "And to answer your question, I'm…," he paused for a bit, "eighteen."

'Thank god Pixal did a health scan on me or else I wouldn't even know my physical age.'

" You're….old," a girl wearing a green bow blurted out.

" Okay, guess I am," Lloyd said

' Dear my grandfather, if they know that I'm not actually not much older than them, they'll probably flip their shit.'

"Oh,oh," another girl raised her hand up, "Do you really have fangs, Mr Green Ninja?" 

" Yes," Lloyd answered, grinning wide to showcase his sharp teeth, most prominently his four canines.

A couple of wows were heard, with a particularly loud "Like a vampire" echoing in the further rows of students.

' Heh, kids,' Lloyd smiled, a bit used to children being curious about his peculiar set of chompers.

'Definitely better than the adults who just stare and make hushed comments,' the blond recalled, 'Or the kids at Darkley's who used to insult and try to pull my teeth out with a piler to see if they were actually real.'

All in all, the kids here weren't even half the hellions that Lloyd thought they would be.

'Okay, maybe I shouldn't have thought that every kid would be like the ones at Darkley's,' Lloyd considered, 'After all, that school was a school for evil kids. And yet the legendary Green Ninja, symbol of peace and good, actually came from that school,' he bit down a laugh at the irony of fate.

After leaving the school, Lloyd summoned his elemental dragon to fly home. He had made sure that he was quite far away from the school when he did so.

' If the kids see this, they will probably want to go on a ride,' he thought, recalling how younger him had begged the ninjas many times to ride Ultra, even going as far as to sneak out with Ultra and fly across the sky.

"Ultra," Lloyd mumbled under his breath in a low voice.

He really missed him.

Movie Universe

Feeling a leaf land on his face, Lloyd opened his eyes to greet the darkening sky. And the first thought on his mind was "Oh shoot" as he bounced up and checked his phone. 

It read 5:30pm

' Mom's gonna kill me,' Lloyd dreaded as he started to sprint. 

Unfortunately, before he could even take step number ten, Lloyd's feet sunk through the ground and he fell into a ditch.

Or at least what he thought was a ditch.

Upon opening his eyes, a wince came from Lloyd's mouth as he saw stars across his vision.

" Is that a green dragon?" he blurted as he saw a green blur in the sky, "I must have hit my head too hard. Hope this doesn't come with a concussion. And has the woods always had this many trees and bushes?"

Show universe

Landing near the forest near the monastery, Lloyd hopped off his elemental dragon, waving goodbye at it before it slowly faded away. 

' I know the guy's basically just a representation of my power but it's hard not to get attached,' he thought, 'Now maybe time to go shopping for groceries. Heard there would be a big discount at the nearby supermarket today,' Lloyd recalled, 'Oh look at me, being a fully functional adult. I might as well make dinner for myself tonight since Zane and Pixal are staying over at Borg's place,' Lloyd contained a giggle as he recalled how proud Brog looked when his creation/daughter finally introduced him to her boyfriend officially.

' Let's just hope Zane doesn't get the "Treat her right or you'll pay" treatment,' Lloyd smirked.

' Cole probably won't be home tonight. He is staying over at his dad's place. Kai said he would be coming home late. Something about wanting to test out this cool new design for a sword he's been wanting to make. And Nya and Jay? Yeah those two lovebirds be out till midnight,' Lloyd rolled his eyes.

" Well, guess it's up to Lloyd Garmadon, the Legendary Green Ninja, son of Lord Garmadon to take up the mighty task of groceries shopping," he laughed at his own silliness.

Then he heard a loud scream coming from the forest.

"Or…….I could go to check that out first," he decided before rushing into the forest.

Entering into the darkening forest, Lloyd looked around to locate the source of the scream. He had always been better at seeing in the dark than the majority of people. This feature had often creeped people out or at least puzzled them. Jay had once compared Lloyd to a feral demon street cat, which wasn't exactly untrue.

' I'm not nearly as feral as when I was young. Besides, this is probably just because of my convoluted hybrid genes.'

Spotting a silhouette of a person laying down on the ground, Lloyd walked closer, silently preparing himself to release a ball of energy should this mysterious figure prove to be a threat. 

' Damn, I'm getting paranoid. Damn you Harumi for ruining my trust in people.'

Reaching mere inches of the figure, Lloyd let out a curious "Hello??"

The figure in front of him immediately let out a yap and scrambled to get up, only to fail and fall back down with their back on the ground.

" Hey, hey there, I won't hurt ya," Lloyd reassured the figure.

Narrowing his eyes, Lloyd could make out that the figure was most likely a teenager. They wore a green hoodie covering their head and a pair of worn jeans.

' Uh, I have that exact kind of hoodie,' Lloyd recalled, 'Guess this one has some taste then.'

" You won't??" the figure responded, sounding surprised.

" No, unless you're trying to, uh I don't know, take over the whole world or something," Lloyd shrugged, attempting to make a joke.

The figure, upon hearing that, seemed to recoil further away from Lloyd.

' Okay, either this one knows something about an impending enemy or they're connected to that impending enemy in some way,' Lloyd theorized, 'Just please don't be Harumi 2.0.'

Because FSM knew he didn't currently have the necessary sanity to deal with that.

' If that happens, it may just tip me back to the dark side. Alright, getting a bit off track now. Need to get back to business first. Currently I have a most likely male teenager in a forest and it's getting dark and cold.'

" Do you need any help?" Lloyd asked the obvious.

" Um, no, no, no," the figure insisted, "Doing just fine hereq!! No help needed here," he said, attempting to get up only to disastrously fall down yet again.

' Okay, almost as bad at lying as I was before I started taking acting classes.'

" Well, it doesn't exactly seem like no help is needed here," Lloyd said, rolling up his sleeve so as not to get his gi dirty. This was after all the only thing he had left of his dad's good form. 

' Oh just great,' the figure thought, unaware of Lloyd's incoming action, 'I'm stuck in the woods with an injured leg. I can't walk. And this guy who looks like he wants to help me will probably drop me down a hole somewhere when he sees my face and recognizes that I'm the son of the enemy. Maybe I can send mom one last message saying that I love her.' 

Before he could move on to thoughts about writing his will and testament, he felt himself being lifted up.

' This is it. I'm going to get buried alive,' he dreaded.

" Okay, there," Lloyd started, "Could you stop squirming a bit? It's a bit hard getting us out of this forest if you do that," he elaborated, "And thank FSM that I found you before any big animal could."

" Animal?" the figure repeated, "There isn't any big animal in this woods."

' And who is this FSM?' he thought.

Lloyd gave the teenager a look.

" Ya sure? Because trust me, living near here, I can guarantee there are dangerous animals here. Now hold on tight," he warned before speeding up.

' Does this guy own a dojo or something?' the teenager in Lloyd's arms wondered, squinting his eyes to see the vague outline of Lloyd's gi, 'So dark, can't even see this guy's face.'

Approximately one minute later, they got out of the forest.

" We're finally out, kid," Lloyd announced, looking down to see the face of the kid he just helped, only to see his own face staring back at him.

As expected from someone who just saw their doppelganger, both of them let out a scream, with Lloyd being so surprised that he accidentally threw his look-alike up.......... fifteen feet in the air.

Chapter Text

' Oh FSM!!' Lloyd thought as he eyed his doppelganger being flung up high into the sky by none other than himself.

' Shit, shit, gonna catch him,' he panicked, not wanting a death hung over his head as he rushed to catch his look-alike before the teenager hit the ground. 

" Phew, gotcha," Lloyd smiled to help remediate the situation.

Unfortunately for him, his look-alike still kept screaming rather p understandably so.

' Do I really look like that when I scream?' Lloyd thought, feeling strange to see someone who looked identical to him. Honestly if it wasn't for the scared, panicked expression on his other self's face, Lloyd would be convinced that he had been cloned and was getting replaced by another version of him.

'Really gonna stop binge reading comics late at night,' he reminded himself.

" Hey, " he began, trying to reassure the other blond.

The other him kept screaming to high heaven.

"Okay, can we stop screaming for a second now?" he kindly requested, slowly putting the teen down.

" WHAT? HOW? WHY," the other him exclaimed, spinning his head around like a fan before finally settling on a proper sentence, "WHO ARE YOU?"

" I CAN ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION!!" Lloyd retorted, feeling just as confused as the other blond, "Okay, stop screaming, let's try to sort this out," he reassured the younger-looking teen.

' This situation desperately needs an adult and I need to fulfill that role,' Lloyd thought, 'After all, this kid looks barely fifteen.'

He pushed back the nagging voice at the back of his head reminding him that he was even younger than the other him chronologically.

' I look like an adult, I need to act like an adult,' Lloyd insisted.

"So," he began, making sure that his look-alike had calmed down relatively, "First thing first, just you know, I'm as confused as you are so let's start off with something easy okay? What is your name ?"

The other blond seemed to understand what his doppelganger was getting at so he decided to take a deep breath before answering.

"I'm…Lloyd Garmadon," he said.

' Jeez, it feels weird having to introduce myself,' he thought, gripping at the grass underneath, ' Usually people just know who I am and avoid me like the plague.'

" Well, that's the first thing we have in common," Lloyd sighed, " Name's also Lloyd Garmadon."

' Great, I have a doppelganger now. Let's hope this isn't my father's doing like those bizarre evil clones of the ninja,' he felt a sense of deja vu, 'I wouldn't appreciate being suddenly attacked and kidnapped again. It would break my record of how long I can stay without getting thrown into a cage,' he took a look at the teen in front of him, 'Dear my grandfather, he looks so much like me.'

" Well that confirms it," the other Lloyd breathed, "I'm not in Ninjago city anymore," he cradled his head, knowing well that he was the only Lloyd in his entire city. It was funny how the entire city just decided to change the names of every kid that had been named Lloyd before him and also not name any more kids Lloyd like ever. He wanted to laugh at how extra the city was at trying to torment him, "I'm the only one named Lloyd in that city after all."

Lloyd looked at his doppelganger in worry and confusion. 

' Why wouldn't the Ninjago city he lives in have no other kids named Lloyd?' he pondered, 'My name isn't that rare or exotic. And also I never lived in Ninjago city for long, only for a short while when the ninja were training me to defeat my father.'

" Well I guess we can cross time traveling off the list of possible theories, seeing how I don't remember ever being the only Lloyd in Ninjago City.Plus we're not even in Ninjago city. ", Lloyd muttered the last part under his breath 

But before Lloyd could interrogate his doppelganger anymore further. a pained hiss coming from the other blond caught his attention. 

" Shit, forgot about your injury," Lloyd exclaimed, immediately adjusting his other self's position so that his injured leg didn't get further agitated. 

He then propped the other's leg up to examine it easier.

"Thank goodness, you only pulled the muscles in your ankle a bit," he analyzed, "Just bear with me," he added, as he started to massage the swollen area.

Biting down his hisses and winces, the younger blond tried to to think of other things to distract him from the pain.

' Wait, did this guy just swear?' he thought. Ever since he could remember, he had never been allowed to use heavy swear words, at least out loud.

' Courtesy of my mom,' he recalled.

Eyeing his look-alike, he noticed some differences between the two of them, mostly their height. His doppelganger was noticeably taller.

' Is he actually older?'

He then noticed Lloyd's master gi and a sense of jealousy struck him. Like here he was in a pair of old worn jeans and a hoodie while this guy was dressed up like a real martial art master who had years of experience on his belt. 

'Not to mention how he lifted me up so easily,' he recalled, 'And threw me fifteen feet up in the air.'

A few minutes ago, he thought he was done for.

' God, I want to disappear.'

Out of embarrassment, he pulled the hood of his hoodie over his head.

" All done," Lloyd announced, breaking the shorter blond from his trance, "It's gonna hurt a little when walking but you'll live, Lloyd," he suddenly paused, " Wow, this is weird."

" You don't have to tell me, man," the other Lloyd responded, shifting his weight so that he could actually pass for someone that wasn't panicking and about to wet his pants.

' How am I gonna get home now?' 

That question echoed in his mind like an annoying siren.

'Oh my god, mom's gonna be worried sick if her only son just suddenly disappears without a trace.'

" So, um," Lloyd started as soon as his other self stopped looking like he was still in a trance, "How exactly did you get here? Because last time I checked, people can't travel between realms very easily."

' Realms??' the other blond squinted his eyes in confusion.

" Well, I…….. don't know. I fell asleep in the woods. When I woke up, it was dark and I accidentally slipped, fell. Then bam, here I am," he answered, vaguely gesturing to the landscape surrounding him.

Hearing this, Lloyd with the gi took a deep breath.

" Oookay, that's not much to go off of," he said, already coming up with plans to take care of the situation, "Like seriously where are you gonna stay, kid?"

' Okay, so he definitely needs a place to stay for the night. But where? I can sneak him into the monastery. Master Wu hasn't been home in a while. And the other probably wouldn't mind, right?'

Looking up, Lloyd noticed the daunting realization slowly setting in for his doppelganger. 

' Do I also have those sad puppy dog eyes when I'm sad?' he thought, feeling a bit sorry for his look-alike, even if in his mind there was a chance that this doppelganger of his wasn't actually harmless and showing kindness to him would only come back to bite Lloyd in the ass later.

' My bed is probably big enough for two people,' he decided to give the other the benefit of the doubt, 'If it isn't, I can always sleep on the floor.'

He couldn't help but remember the days he spent on the street after being kicked out of Darkley's and before being taken in by the ninja. The time spent sleeping either in the woods or in some alleyways was definitely not nice, especially when you had to spend an entire winter living like that.

' This is it,' the other Lloyd thought, 'I'm gonna be stranded here in this alternative universe thing and never get to see my family again,' he could already envision himself as a homeless teen living on the street.

' I know my life sucks but it can't possibly suck this bad right?'

" Hey, it's okay," Lloyd reassured his look-alike before the poor teen went paralysed from overthinking, "You're coming with me. My room is big enough for the two of us."

The shorter of the two blinked his eyes a few times in confusion.

"Really?" he exclaimed in disbelief, " Wouldn't your mom be worried about there being two of you now ?", he asked, not even wanting to let his mom see this supposedly alternative version of him. And how was she going to have enough food for two Lloyds? His own mom had to work three jobs to keep two of them housed, clothed and fed. And they were barely scraping by.

' She might actually have a heart attack if she saw that there's two of me now.', he dreaded.

" My what now? ", Lloyd raised his eyebrow, absolutely baffled why his other self would think that his mother would care about such a thing. Lloyd never lived with her for long and he honestly didn't even know where she was at now. That and he was quite sure she wouldn't be paying a visit for quite a while, what with her being busy with unearthing the ancient secrets of Ninjago and all that.

 " Oh don't worry. She won't mind, given how I don't exactly live with her. I never did….for long", he answered, " Speaking of which, we probably need to go now."

" Go where now?" the other Lloyd asked, still in the midst of processing the fact that this other him didn't live with his mom, and at least hadn't lived with her for quite some time now.

" Well, before discovering you, I was intending to go grocery shopping," the taller Lloyd disclosed, "Can't exactly make dinner without the necessary things, ya know," he eyed the shorter one's leg, "You…… can walk now, right?"

"Uh…yeah," the other blond answered, taking a few steps to prove it.

He suppressed the urge to let out a wince when his leg still stung a little. It didn't hurt much but it still was making it a bit hard for him to walk.

' A couple of battles with my father and yet still get defeated by some pulled muscles,' he thought, frustrated, 'Guess I still have a long way to go. I've only been in the Secret Ninja Force for barely five months.'

Lloyd of course noticed that his doppelganger was faking being completely fine, considering how Lloyd himself also did that. But he let it slide for now. After all, he knew exactly how stubborn he and possibly his doppelganger could be.

" Okay, then," he said, smiling, "Let's go, the supermarket shouldn't be too far from here."

Arriving at the supermarket, Lloyd was about to go in.

" Can we actually go in there?" the other him asked, looking he was ready to pull his hood over his head and hide.

" Um," Lloyd stared in confusion, "of course we can go. The supermarket kinda ……. needs people coming in order to survive."

" So they don't ban you because you're the son of Lord Garmadon," shorter Lloyd summarized, his hands gesturing vaguely, "Or at least stare at you… judgingly."

" What???" Lloyd exclaimed.

' Just what is this kid's life like?' 

" Of course not," he added, before recalling the fact that there were some extreme people who did hate him and his team for really unreasonable reasons, "At least 95% of the time," he corrected, "But usually I ignore them. They're too cowardly to do anything besides throwing insults."

Lloyd with an injured leg couldn't help but stare in amazement at his other self's answer. For a second there, he felt jealous. 

The supermarket wasn't exactly that much different from the ones they had in Ninjago city, besides a couple of items Lloyd couldn't recognise. He wondered if it was just because his family usually couldn't afford them or because they were unique to this place in general. 

" Okay, need this and this and this and also this," the taller Lloyd of the two mumbled as he loaded the shopping cart with household necessities, trays of meat, noodles, bags of vegetables, and rice.

" Still have some spices left at the monastery so probably don't need them now. Better get some carrots too since they're on sale," he continued to mumble as the pile in the shopping cart kept growing before the other Lloyd's paling face. In his mind, Lloyd could picture Zane's proud face at how good at grocery shopping he was.

' Learnt from the best after all,' he smiled.

' Can we actually afford all that?' the younger teen thought. He never remembered his mom buying this much even when they had extra money to spare. His eyes trailed down towards the pile of discounted candies his counterpart had dropped into the cart. His mouth started watering.  

" Okay, that should be enough."

" H-how many people do you live with?" 

" Well, more than the average I guess."

" Wow."

Lloyd with a green hoodie spent the rest of the shopping trip following his doppelganger around like a duckling. When it was time to check out their purchases, he still felt weird with how everyone was so ….nonchalant around him. 

' One hour in and there hasn't been a single glare or any mother covering her child's eyes at the sight of me.'

He wanted to think this was because of the fact that he was half-covering his face with his hood but before his widened eyes, people were actually being….. nice to the other him. Even the elderly cashier at the cash register seemed to smile kindly at them.

'Is this real?' he thought. 

Being distracted, he accidentally agitated the strained muscle in his leg.

' Okay, definitely real,' he winced internally, 'Ouch.'

After leaving the supermarket

" Soooooo," the shorter Lloyd began, "Ya sure I can't help carrying a few of the bags?" he offered, feeling guilty at the sight of his other self with heavy bags of groceries dangling from his arms.

" Um," the other Lloyd said before staring down at the sight of himself, "Oh, don't worry. They're actually lighter than they look."

" Oh, okaay," he responded, having to pause his response to keep himself from wincing from the sting coming from his leg, " then," he continued.

Lloyd's eyes narrowed as he eyed his counterpart's slight limp.

" Okay," he stopped, "We're almost there. Hop on," he crouched down and signaled for the other Lloyd to get on his back.

" Hey" ,the younger teen shouted, " I can walk on my own. I don't need another me to carry me. It's …....weird", he added.

….

…..

….

…….

……..

" Okay, I have to agree with that ", Lloyd said, now realizing how awkward it was for his other self whereas Lloyd was just used to carrying distressed citizens to safety that he hadn't even paid any attention to how weird it would be to get carried by……well your own self.

" But", Lloyd continued, " It's either I carry you or both of us walk up this staircase", he added, gesturing to the immensely long and big staircase leading to the Monastery on top of the Mountains of Impossible Height.

Lloyd grinned as his other self gulped down his own saliva and his face paled. The other Lloyd looked at the amount of walking he needed to do and then at his tired legs with wide eyes..

" Carry me, please ", he pleaded, turning to Lloyd and immediately hopping on Lloyd's back. He didn't care how embarrassing this was. He wasn't risking dying of exhaustion.

" Yeah I thought so too. And also mind your shoes, I don't want my gi getting dirty."

Chapter Text

It was weird and awkward to be carried by someone who looked exactly like you and was also kinda you. Lloyd was honestly expecting all of this to end up being a dream that he had while dozing off in the woods. He looked up at his other self, who was concentrating on walking up the endless mountain.

' Just who in their right mind would live on such a high mountain? Uncle Wu? Seems like a pain walking up and down everyday,' he thought, ' Also why is this other me so strong ?' he questioned, looking at his doppelganger who was breathing a bit heavily due to walking up the long stairs but was still holding on just fine, even when burdened with the task of holding up his clone and multiple bags of groceries in his two hands.

Lloyd himself had been training as a ninja for close to a few months now .And he wasn't that strong yet. Not to mention that this other him seemed older too. And what he said about his mom just made Lloyd feel suspicious. Lloyd loved his mom. Why wouldn't he? She was the parent who was there for him and worked hard to raise him as a single parent. 

'Unlike a certain someone,' he frowned, just praying to whoever was up there that he wouldn't have to meet Garmadon of this place.

' Just what is my father- no- my other self's father like?' he wondered, a bit curious to find out how different he and his counterpart were.

" Alright we're here," taller Lloyd announced as they finally reached the monastery.

" Wow," the other Lloyd exclaimed, admiring the big temple-like building that was so unlike the small cramped apartment that he and his mom lived in. He was starting to get jealous.

" My siblings aren't home yet and Master Wu is nowhere to be found so I practically have the place all to myself for the night," Lloyd explained, letting slip the fact that he kinda considered his team as his siblings by now. They kinda were since they had done a better job raising him than his mother could.

' Well, I don't think she can do a good job parenting, what with always having to travel and be involved in archeological excavation,' he thought, not really too upset, 'Even if she did leave me behind at Darkley's when I was hardly old enough to even remember her, she only did it to make sure that dad and I wouldn't end up fighting to the death,' he further excused Misako's actions, 'I really just wish she could make some time for me. But I'm all grown up now anyway. Can't be clinging to my mother all day.'

Even so, he couldn't help but feel ever so slightly bitter about the fact that he couldn't exactly complain.

' All in the name of fate, destiny or whatever it is that Master Wu keeps talking about,' he rolled his eyes.

'Wait, I have siblings,' the other Lloyd's eyes widened, unable to ask as his other self opened the door and carried him to what appeared to be a living room

" Easy there okay, kid," Lloyd said as he helped his other self get down.

" I'm not a kid," Lloyd's shorter look-alike protested, "I'm already fifteen."

" Wow, really?" Lloyd raised an eyebrow, his voice filled with surprise, "I wonder if I was that short when I was your age."

He blocked out the voice in his head adding the word "physically." In reality, Lloyd was quite sure that he wasn't even chronologically as old as his other self.

' Eh, he doesn't have to know that,' he internally shrugged, 'It doesn't matter that much anyway,' he convinced himself.

The younger Lloyd's face lit up in embarrassment at being called short by…. himself above all people.

" Jeez, didn't know the other me is such a jerk," he countered, "And I'm not short. I'm still growing."

" And so am I, kid," Lloyd replied, a grin on his face, "Hope ya can keep up."

The two of them then burst out laughing, finding this situation to be beyond hilarious and ridiculous as far as arguing with another version of yourself went.

Walking around, Lloyd with the hoodie stared in amazement at the monastery.

" So just wait here okay,......Lloyd," Lloyd with the gi said awkwardly, "And don't put too much weight on your injured leg. An ambulance won't be able to reach this place so easily," he joked before disappearing along the hallway, leaving his counterpart to wait out while sitting on the sofa in the living room.

Of course most of Lloyd's lines fell on deaf ears as the other Lloyd was now more fixated on the part that apparently this other him actually had siblings. 

' Mom can't have possibly decided to have more children with my father right ?' he thought, already feeling his stomach drop  

As he sat there, internally screaming at this newly acquired, quite possibly cursed piece of knowledge, Lloyd came back five minutes later, a tube of some kind of ointment in his hands. 

" This should help the inflammation of your ankle," Lloyd explained, waving the tube of ointment around, "Thank goodness that I have experience with injuries like this," he added.

As Lloyd proceeded to massage the inflamed area, his doppelganger was silently thankful that he didn't need to go to the hospital for the injury.

'The people there will probably just glare me like I'm some kind of murderer,' he thought, recalling how his health check-up had always been uncomfortable, ' especially that one time the doctor was so scared of me inheriting any biological uniqueness from my father that she literally wore a protective suit.'

To be honest, he thought that encounter was kinda funny. Unfortunately, during most of the other times, the doctors would just give him disdainful looks and harsh remarks. Sometimes, he wondered why he even bothered to go outside. After all, all he got was hate or dislike or indifference.

' They're just words anyway,' he reasoned, 'They shouldn't hurt me this much....... And honestly, what's the attire for anyway ?', he wondered, taking in Lloyd's traditional gi. Somehow the sight of another him wearing something like that seemed uncanny, considering how he had never exactly worn anything similar, aside from his ninja outfit and yet his counterpart here was wearing his clothes like he was a martial art master who owned his own dojo.

' Then again I also don't live in a spacious place like this monastery.'

" You're……really good at this?" he blurted out, trying to spark a conversation.

" Well when you're basically a full-time protector of peace, you learn things sooner or later," Lloyd casually mentioned, putting the tube of ointment away.

'Wait,' he realized, 'Is…… this guy even a ninja?'

" Nice," the other Lloyd remarked, "Wish my school taught stuff like this."

' Instead of headache-inducing equations and formulas.' 

" You actually go to school??" Lloyd asked, quite surprised.

" Well, yeah…. Wait, you don't?"

Hearing this statement, Lloyd let out a spontaneous laugh that lasted a little longer than necessary.

The other blond couldn't help but hear a faint echo of his own father's maniacal laugh. Nevertheless, he shook that thought away.

' Yeah, what's next? Other me's gonna have red eyes and sharp fangs.'

After finishing laughing, Lloyd wiped off the small tears in his left eye.

" No," he simply answered, "Being a ninja is a full time job. But I still have to have some education," he mentioned, still thankful that Zane was willing to help him catch up on his education, even if Lloyd kinda felt like passing out during their learning sessions.

" Well as long as you don't have algebra, I'm seriously jealous," shorter Lloyd muttered, still getting shivers down his spine at the thought of his next week algebra exam.

' Maybe if I am struck here permanently, I won't have to take that test,' he thought, 'At least there will be one plus to this crappy situation.'

Before he could continue to look on the bright side of things, a rather loud grumble came from his stomach. 

"Want to help me cook dinner?" the older teen offered.

" Y-yeah."

Later

"Soooooo," Lloyd with the hoodie began as he boiled the noodles while his other self peeled and cut various vegetables into small sizes to fit in the oven , "You know how to cook?" he asked, a bit embarrassed about his own limited cooking skills since his mom usually hogged the cooking as a way to de-stress.

'I should have helped her with the cooking more,' he regretted, now not even sure if he could go back home.

" Yeah, Zane has been adamant on me learning how to cook since I was like 8," the other Lloyd casually answered before pausing, "You do know a Zane in your place, right?"

"Well, yes, kind of," the younger teen scratched his head and bit his bottom lip.

'Wow, he really is me,' the older teen thought.

" But I haven't seen him cook yet so I don't know if he's the same as your Zane," the younger blond continued.

" Guess unless I come to your place, I'll never know," Lloyd smiled, a bit glad that at least there was a chance that this other him had the other version of his team by his side, even if they might be a bit different from the team of rambunctious, silly and trigger-happy ninja that he knew and loved. 

It wasn't long before they had dinner, which was just a huge pot of spaghetti and a plate of roasted caramelized carrot sticks, ready. After filling two plates with the food, Lloyd walked towards the fridge.

" Want some cheese to go with your spaghetti?" he smiled.

"Oh boy, would I!!"

So as the two Lloyds sat there on the sofa eating spaghetti, the older one couldn't help but let out a laugh. The other Lloyd gave him a look.

"Sorry," Lloyd said, "but this is just too much like one of those "Meet another you" plotline that I've read in dozens of comics," he explained, "Really gonna stop reading them late at night," he said the last part quietly under his breath.

"You read comics?" the other Lloyd asked, almost choking on his spaghetti, "Like actual physical comic books that you can hold and not digital versions downloaded from the internet?" 

" Um…yes," said the confused blond before the processing area of his brain finally went ding, "Don't……. tell me you have never owned a single comic book before?" he uttered every single word in the question with a sense of petrified horror. 

Finally he heard the dreadful answer.

"Eh…….No," the shorter blond answered sheepishly, completely unaware of the full blown mental crisis his other self was having in his head, "All the stores wouldn't let me in," he explained, "Son of Lord Garmadon and all that," he chuckled nervously.

" Blasphemy," Lloyd hissed, "Complete blasphemy I tell you," he repeated, his eyes narrowing and his eyebrows knitting together, "This is simply unacceptable. Oh you poor soul. Come to my room now. I have to show you this," he declared, before lifting his counterpart who was still eating his spaghetti up with one hand and carrying his own plate of half-finished food in his other hand.

' Is this other me on steroids?' the poor Lloyd being manhandled seriously considered that possibility as he resigned himself to being carried off like a life-sized statue.

Kicking open the door to his room, Lloyd hastily deposited his look-alike onto the bed, with the latter almost spilling his food. Almost. Lloyd then approached his bedside cabinet and produced a key out of seemingly nowhere. Opening the cabinet's lower compartment, he pulled out not one, not two, but three stacks of comic books.

"Now this beauty here," he introduced, patting the pile of comics, "is all of my Starfarer comics."

Chapter Text

" Wow!!" Lloyd said in sheer amazement, his eyes wide as dinner plates at the massive collection of his counterpart.

" Impressive if I do say so myself," the taller blond smiled proudly, "Now if you really want an experience of the Starfarer series, you need to start from this issue," he handed his other self an old but still in good condition comic book, "Now, many would think it's best to start from the very beginning but trust me, the series had a bit of a rough beginning. Let's just say the writers needed a bit of rethinking to get things right," he said, making an "ok" gesture like one of those chefs when they finally found some delicious decadent food, "And boy did they get things right!!"

The other Lloyd looked at the comic book with curious eyes.

" Starfarer? At my place, we also have this comic series," he revealed, having read a few issues of it online, "Though I don't remember some of the characters looking like this before." 

" Well, then I hope the one at your place is as good as this one. Trust me, kid, every comic book lover reads this as a rite of passage," Lloyd said, a proud look on his face, "And also, I worked hard to keep these babies in tip top shape so be careful."

Needless to say, the other teen nodded in a rather vigorous manner. Thankfully, the worried expression on his face soon melted when he got so immersed in the comic that he didn't even notice that he was dangling the tip of his tongue out 

'Huh, a forked tongue?' Lloyd noticed, narrowing his eyes at the slightly slim appendage, 'Well that definitely something I don't have. Does that mean that the other me's father also has a forked tongue?' he wondered but decided that it was best to deal with it later.

 'Honestly, the kid kinda reminds me of me when I was young,' Lloyd thought while pushing back the voice in his head reminding him that he was still in fact quite young, maybe even too young, 'Why do I always have to overthink about unnecessary things?' he pondered, a bit annoyed at his brain for not getting over things as quickly as he would like it to.

' Probably something to do with mental age not catching up with physical age' he concluded, 'Whatever, I have more important things to think of first,' he then turned to his doppelganger whose eyes were still glued to the comic book, ' Probably need to get him some clothes first…. Wait, clothes. OH NO, THE LAUNDRY!!!'

Immediately, he got up and dashed out of the room as if it was on fire.

" SORRY, GOTTA DO STUFF," he hastily explained before exiting the room, leaving the younger teen in the room. 

' What's gotten into him?' the shorter Lloyd thought as he blinked in confusion. It wasn't long before he discovered that his tongue was sticking out.

"Shit," he cursed, his tongue recoiling back as he turned around to see if anyone saw that.

' Good thing mom isn't here to hear me curse,' he thought, 'I really hope the other me didn't see my tongue.'

He knew this was silly for him to think that. After all, this guy was him…well maybe the two of them were slightly different but they were still Lloyd Garmadon, son of Lord Garmadon. Nevertheless, he still felt a bit self-conscious about the more unique features he had.

Putting the comic book down, Lloyd looked around to examine the room of his counterpart. The room was in all honesty, a bit messy.

' He's so definitely me,' the blond thought.

The next thing he noticed was a pillow fort in the corner of the room.

' Strange, I haven't made a pillow fort since I was 11,' he recalled, 'After all, aren't pillow forts supposed to be for little kids? I'm a teenager already.'

Turning his head to the nightstand to retrieve the comic book, Lloyd found something more interesting. A picture frame.

"..........Sorry other me," he quietly apologized, having let curiosity take over.

The wooden picture frame had a few areas where its wooden part was chipped off and the glass was cracked but Lloyd could still make out the content of the photo framed inside it. 

It was a picture of him- well the other him and a man with grey hair who was wearing a traditional black and green gi with gold lettering. The other him in the photo looked younger and shorter than the one he was interacting with now. He was smiling so happily, almost childishly, standing next to the man who wore a reassuring and kind smile. 

Just who was this person who was standing next to Lloyd's counterpart? 

' That gi,' he noticed, taking a closer look at the gi in the photo, ' It's the exact same one that my other self is wearing now so they must be close right? And this guy looks eerily similar to the other me and by connection, me. Maybe he's a family member? Though I don't remember ever meeting any relative that looks like this guy. Honestly if I didn't know better, I would assume this guy is the other me's dad. Oh well, one could always dream.'

Still Lloyd couldn't help but smile. It was nice that this other him actually had someone to look up to. And the fact that he actually put this particular picture on his nightstand meant that this old guy was important to him.

' I only put a picture of me and my mom on my nightstand after all,' Lloyd thought , looking back at the picture amusingly. The other him's hair in the picture was shorter and looked like an exact copy of the old guy's hairstyle. It was endearing in a way, like trying to copy and emulate your role model . Almost made Lloyd jealous to be honest.

" How silly am I to be jealous of myself !"Lloyd chuckled at the hilarity of the situation.

Not long after, it became like a little game of "Spot the differences " as Lloyd gazed at the photo and tried to decipher the dissimilarities between the other him in the photo and the one who helped him and made sure that he at least had a roof to sleep under for the time being.

' Shorter hair, shorter height, thinner eyebrows. Wow this guy looked like a total baby,' he snickered. 

' Let's see what's next,' he excitedly zoned around his counterpart's face. His amused expression fell when his eyes laid on something that he didn't expect to be different.

Bright red eyes, reminding him of his father.

Gasping, Lloyd dropped the photo. Thankfully it landed on the bed and not the cold hard floor.

Hesitantly, he reached out for the photo once again. Rubbing his eyes to get rid of any tiredness induced hallucination, Lloyd focused his sight once again on the face of his other self. And to his horror, the eyes were still red. But it wasn't possible. His other self's eyes were green, just like his. He had seen them himself.

" Probably just lighting problems or something. I mean it can't be,.. right? I never inherited anything too noticeable from my dad," Lloyd said, shaking his head while his hand placed the picture back in place and picked up the long forgotten comic book.

He had some time to kill and it was rare for him to get his hands on good comic books given his reputation in his city. And who was he to refuse the chance of enjoying a good comic book?

'I may not get the best grades in class but I'm definitely not a fool.'

Outside the monastery

"Phew that's the last of it," Lloyd breathed a sigh of relief as he carried the comedically large basket of clothes into the building.

" Who knew that six or seven people living in the same household would require doing so much laundry?' he muttered, "Maybe we should really invest in a laundry dryer." 

Walking into the kitchen, he put the rest of spaghetti left in the pot onto a plate and wrapped it in plastic wrap. He then proceeded to put it on the counter next to a bottle of extreme hot sauce and chili flakes. A little sticky note was then placed on the plastic-wrapped plate of spaghetti.

It read:

Have fun burning your taste buds, flame-for-brain.

                                  — The Legendary Green Ninja 

At the bottom was a doodle of a cartoony Kai breathing fire out of his mouth.

"Nailed it," Lloyd smiled at his artistic accomplishment. 

Meanwhile, in the movie universe

" Yes, he hasn't been home," Koko exclaimed while on the phone, trying to make her voice clear in the face of the heavy rain outside, "And no, he definitely hasn't sided with his father. Garmadon hasn't contacted Lloyd in ages," she clarified.

The other side hung up on her.

"Why you little —" she hissed before deciding not to finish her sentence.

That was the twentieth person that had hung up on her just right after they knew that her son wasn't going to be a threat towards them.

" Like they don't even care about my baby's safety," she muttered, putting her phone down on the table with a thud.

She knew that part of that was true but seriously, she expected better of this city. 

"He's never been this late before," she recalled, now fearing for the worst. 

' I just hope he's safe wherever he is now,' she prayed, looking out of the window for any signs of her son returning home. Currently the sky was already dark and the rain was pouring down as if the rain droplets were in a race of who could get to the ground first.

'What if he gets sick from the cold and rain?' she worried, 'I gotta do something,' she decided as she grabbed her rain boots and raincoat.

' For god's sake, Lloyd, please be safe.'

Show universe

"Achoo!!" Lloyd sneezed rather loudly.

" Careful there, kid," his older counterpart chided as he entered the room, "I don't want snot all over my precious comic." 

" Wow, thanks so much for the concern there," he bit back, "And when will you stop calling me kid?"

" Eh, whenever your growth spurt hits," the other blond shrugged, "And you're welcome, I'm known for being a kind and brave hero after all."

' Might as well have some fun,' he thought, 'After all, I didn't wait like.. forever to get a growth spurt for nothing.'

" Anyway, scoot over, I want to read too," he said, nonchalantly falling onto the bed and disturbing his other self's reading.

" HEY," the shorter blond protested, " no fair ,you've already read this anyway."

" Well, a little recollection usually doesn't hurt anyone," the older Lloyd replied, "Besides, I'm making sure that my prized possession would stay intact."

" Jeez, you can't even trust your own self, can you?" the younger teen muttered under his breath.

For a brief moment, Lloyd recalled all the stupid things he had done because he simply trusted too much, from letting his guard down around Harumi, locking the ninja up so he could go face his resurrected father alone to almost dying because of his stupid trust.

" Nope," he answered, smiling.

Chapter Text

The two Lloyds were at their second read when the younger one's excited expression started to fall.

" Hey, what's the matter?" Lloyd asked, his left hand on his doppelganger's shoulder.

'Maybe this other me doesn't like Starfarer?' he thought of the truly impossible, 'It'…… okay I can work with this.'

" Hey, if Starfarer isn't your thing, we can check out the rest of my other comics," he offered.

The other Lloyd turned around to face Lloyd.

" O-oh, it's nothing really," the shorter blond said, scratching his head.

'Lies,' Lloyd analyzed.

He then raised an accusing eyebrow at his look-alike, as if daring the younger one to continue lying.

" No, I'm really fine," the younger blond protested.

Lloyd raised the intensity of his eyebrow raise as well as the judginess of it because he knew a liar lying about their own well-being when he saw one.

' Take one to know one after all,' his mind chided him but he dismissed it, locking it away in a chamber deep inside his mind.

A grimace appeared on the other Lloyd's face.

"Jeez, what are you? My mom?" he muttered, honestly feeling uncomfortable to see his own face wearing the same expression that his mom usually wore when she was onto him.

" Your what now?" Lloyd blurted out, a bit surprised that the mention of mom had come up. Lloyd always thought he got his stare from Garmadon just like how he got almost everything from his dad.

After a few seconds, Lloyd was just about to give up on his so-called interrogation.

"I- I," the other Lloyd began, " just want to go home. That's all," he discovered, eyes starting to get that shiny watery pre-cry quality.

"O-oh," Lloyd muttered.

Somehow, he couldn't help but see the sad small Darkley's boy that he once was in his other self, which was a bit ridiculous given how this other him wasn't even that young. He was 15 after all. Lloyd had just been barely 8 when he got kicked out of Darkley's and onto the street for being "the embarrassing disappointment of the school" and "a disgrace as the son of Lord Garmadon''.

Lloyd curled his fingers together. He couldn't just sit here and watch his other self start to cry. Hell, he might start crying too.

Then an idea struck him.

"Hey kid," Lloyd promoted, "You know what would make this reading session even better?" he asked, a grin in his eyes.

"Um, what is it?" the younger blond replied, "And stop calling me kid. I'm not that young."

Of course, the young teen's request fell on deaf ears.

" Oh, just wait here," he said, quickly getting up and heading out the room.

Moments, he came back with a few of the grocery bags from earlier.

" Um grocery bags?" the other Lloyd questioned, a puzzled look on his face.

" Oh, it's the inside that counts, buddy," Lloyd smiled, pulling out a bag of gummy worms and a bag of chocolate pellets.

" No way," Lloyd with the hoodie gasped, " Candy at night?"

" What can I say? I'm a rebel, kid," the taller blond said, tossing the bag of gummy worms towards his counterpart and popping a chocolate pellet into his mouth.

' So yummy!!' 

For a moment, Lloyd felt like a kid again. 

If only. 

Lloyd with the hoodie looked incredulously at the package of gummy worms before ripping it open and popping one into his mouth. A sound of absolute delight came from him as the tip of his tongue touched the heavenly sugary chewy delicacy with just enough hint of fruity sourness.

' Nailed it!!' the taller Lloyd internally rejoiced yet again as he was able to help his other self somewhat.

To celebrate this, he took another chocolate pellet. Oh, victory always made things taste so much sweeter!! Smiling to himself, Lloyd walked towards his closet and opened it, to the confusion of his other self who noticed that he was carrying like three grocery bags full of candies.

'Okay, I know I'm a candy addict, but there's no way that even two of me can finish that much candy in one sitting,' the younger teen acknowledged. 

And before his wide eyes, his older counterpart proceeded to walk into his closet and pull up a loose floorboard, revealing a secret compartment underneath.

Lloyd was quite grateful that he managed to make use of the space underneath the floorboards as his secret place for candy.

" Don't tell anyone, okay," he said , winking to his other self, " The guys would probably ransack this place if they knew I still have a secret candy stash. You know, the con of having to live with so many people," he joked, depositing the bags of candy into the space, " Though I don't think that Jay has enough courage and audacity to steal my candy again after I bit him multiple times," he casually mentioned, recalling how high-pitched Jay's scream was when Lloyd's younger gremlin self had his sharp teeth deeply embedded into the talkative ninja's forearm. He chuckled at the amusing memory, particularly how Jay practically balled his eyes out worrying about getting rabies. So absorbed in the amusing memory was he that he didn't even notice how the other Lloyd's eyes widened.

" Y-you bit him?" the other Lloyd asked.

' Isn't biting people considered a bad thing to do?' he thought, remembering how his mom would always remind him about how to treat people properly. Honestly he wished that more people would follow her advice or just be more like her in general. At least then his life wouldn't suck as much as it did now. 

" Well let's just say that he had it coming to him," Lloyd rolled his eyes amusingly, a sly smile on his face as he closed his secret candy compartment, " And honestly, who was he to steal candy from someone younger than him?" he scoffed, " Besides, he lived and still got a cool scar to show off to this very day." 

" Okay then," the other Lloyd replied, physically swallowing the candy in his mouth while metaphorically gulping down the questions he had stuck in his throat. Some of which were:

' Why is the other me younger than Jay? Jay and I are the same age'

' Is this the same Jay we're talking about ? The Jay I know can't be that audacious.'

The final one:

' Why is this other me…so casual about doing things like biting people?' he pondered, simply shuddering at the thought of how he would be perceived by his city if he did anything like that. That was unfortunately one of the things that came with being the son of evil warlord Garmadon. Anything you do will be seen as something evil.

" Hey ... Lloyd, "he started, still finding it weird to talk to someone with the same name as his, let alone the same face.

The older Lloyd hummed, still with the chocolate in his mouth as he turned towards his counterpart.

" Who are your siblings anyway?" the younger blond asked, quite frankly dying to know, "I don't have any siblings where I'm from," he whispered.

Hearing that, Lloyd made a — shape with his mouth before clearing his throat, preventing himself from choking on a piece of chocolate. Hey, he had overcome death at the hands of the evil resurrected husk of his father so there was no way he was going to be defeated and betrayed by his beloved candy.

" Oh...um..well," he stuttered around," They're not actually my blood related siblings but we're close like family so we call each other siblings. It started out as a teasing joke at first but I guess it just stuck." 

'Okay, now I want to meet them even more,' the other Lloyd thought ,looking at Lloyd in a sort of amazement. He had just managed to make a few friends and this other version of him already had like a found family. What was his secret?

" That's really nice. Wish I had that too," he whispered, suddenly finding the candy in his mouth turning sour and not the kind of delicious sourness found in fruit-flavored gummy that he loved and also a hint of bitterness.

A confused expression got painted across Lloyd's face as he put down the bag of chocolate. Didn't the other him have his own Nya, Jay, Kai ,Cole and Zane as well? And what about the other honorary members of his found family like Pixal and Skylor? 

' He did say something about his mother so maybe he lives with her,' Lloyd concluded, finding even the thought of an alternate version of his mother being able to stay in one place quite unbelievable, like something straight out of a fairy tale. 

' Oh shit!!' he cursed in his head, realizing how long he remained silent and how his younger self's hands were clutching at the bed sheets, a sign that he was getting frustrated and sad. It was a sign that Lloyd knew instantly as the teen sitting beside him was also kinda him in a way. 

Slowly, Lloyd put his hand on his counterpart's back, patting it like how Kai always did when the brunet comforted him. 

The other Lloyd's eyes looked up when his older counterpart's hand made contact with his back. It felt like how his mom would comfort him after a particularly bad day at school. He wondered what the other him's mom was like? Was she as nice and great as his mom or was she entirely different? He honestly didn't want to consider the latter.

" Hey," Lloyd's voice called out softly. The other Lloyd couldn't help but notice that it was a little different than his own voice. 

" You're okay there, bud?", Lloyd said, despite knowing clearly well that his counterpart likely wasn't. 

' He's me after all,' he thought sadly, aware that his other self would just pretend that everything was fine, just like him, ' It would take time for him to open up,' he concluded. Time he probably wouldn't have because Lloyd needed to get his other self back to his own place as soon as possible.

" Um, yeah," the other Lloyd said, eyes looking down at the floor once again, " I'm ..just confused. That's all. This whole other alternate universe thing is……… " he said, gesturing his hands in the air, unsure of how to phrase it.

" Baffling? Confusing? Headache inducing?" Lloyd suggested, suddenly feeling like Zane.

" Y-yeah, that's it," the other Lloyd laughed nervously, " That and I sorta have a lot of homework I need to get done before Monday," he mumbled.

Lloyd raised his eyebrow in surprise.

" Do schools really give students that much homework?" he asked, remembering the fact that when he was at Darkley's, all he ever got for homework was the history of evil or an assignment on how to best break into a building, how to inflict the most painful suffering on your enemies or how to do an evil laugh. 

To this day, Lloyd was still a bit salty about the fact that he had never gotten a good grade on the evil laugh test.

" Well," the other Lloyd began, "It's not like that. I just get more homework due to…… being the son of Lord Garmadon."

"....and?" Lloyd asked, expecting more explanation than that. Even when he was at Darkley's, he only got extra homework and assignments purely because he wasn't able to do well in being evil.

" Just that really," the younger teen replied.

" Wow, your school sucks."

" Yeah, I know."

" Please don't tell me that your whole city hates you just because of something you can't control?" 

" Yeeeeah, I hate to break it to you but yes ,they kinda do."

' Is it okay for the Green Ninja to exact revenge on bullies?' Lloyd thought as he learnt of how crappy his counterpart was being treated, 'I am supposed to protect people against injustice and prejudice.'

" Okay, your city sucks as a whole," he corrected himself.

" Yeah, I know," the other Lloyd responded rather casually.

" Care to drown it out with some chocolate pellets?" Lloyd offered, shaking his bags of chocolate, "They have bits of cookie and cream in them."

"Thanks. Gummy worms then?" the shorter Lloyd offered the bag of gummy worms in his hands.

" Sure."

So they switched candy bags.

Chapter Text

Say," Lloyd began, "your school wouldn't happen to be named Darkley's right?", he asked, narrowing his eyes.

" Um...No. It's Ninjago high," other Lloyd replied, rather hesitantly.

'Oh, he really does have a different background from mine,' Lloyd acknowledged, still a bit unsure if this really was a different alternative version of him or just an evil clone sent here to say some choreographed lines to gain his sympathy, then backstab him Harumi-style and leave him to die a painful death.

Hey, call him paranoid and every other synonym of that word but in his defense, he had just had a couple of new traumatic experiences all in a course of less than two months. That wasn't even counting his other previous experiences.

And considering how crazy his life was and how many times he had had people trying to assassinate him with a few being people he unfortunately cared about, Lloyd wouldn't be surprised if the "evil clone trying to replace him" speculation was true.

'Who knows, maybe after killing me, my evil clone can somehow morph and grow taller to look exactly like me,' he chuckled a bit, 'At least then I can rest assured that the guys wouldn't be fooled and would probably kick my evil clone's ass.'

" Was Darkley's the school you went to……. previously?" the other him asked, curiosity lacing his tone. 

" Yep," Lloyd said, throwing a piece of gummy worm up in the air and catching it with his mouth, " Darkley's boarding school for bad boys," he added nonchalantly, "Wasn't the greatest school ever honestly."

' Might as well answer his questions so that he may answer mine later on,' he thought, unaware of the fact that his counterpart's mind was fixated on the words "bad boys" as he stared down at the ground.

' Bad boys? Boarding school? ' other Lloyd contemplated, already getting a shiver at the idea of having to live at his own school, let alone a school for bad boys. Just what had his other self done to get sent to such a school?

' He can't be ...evil, right?'

That thought came into mind but he quickly pushed it to the back of his brain, either for his own sake or to give his other self the benefits of the doubt. 

' He wouldn't have treated my injury and let me have a place to stay if he was evil,' he rationalized,' He even offered to help before knowing who I am. That's not the sign of a villain. Besides, I shouldn't judge him before I have enough information. I don't want to end up like my lousy judgmental city.' 

Not long after, it was already time for bed.

' I should probably change my clothes and also get the other Lloyd some clothes too,' he thought, heading towards his wardrobe.

" Think fast, kid," he grinned, tossing his other self a pair of pajamas which the other blond almost tumbled backwards in his endeavor to catch it.

" Is it really okay for me to wear this? ", Lloyd's counterpart said, holding one of Lloyd's black pajamas with the green stars.

" Yeah sure. Don't worry. Not like that's the only clothes I have," he responded with a dismissive wave of his hand while grabbing his own change of clothes, a pair of dark forest green pajamas with light green skulls and bones that he bought simply because it reminded him of his old sweater that he painted white bones over.

Almost absent-mindedly, Lloyd proceeded to undo his cloth belt and then the top part of his gi. He was positively shirtless when he realized that 

' Oh shit, you're not supposed to undress in front of strangers.'

Sucking in a breath, he turned around to face his younger counterpart, hoping that he hadn't completely scarred the kid yet, what with all his scars and all.

" Sorry, force of habit," he apologized, biting his bottom lip, "I'll ……just go change somewhere else. You should probably also change too. Your clothes are dirty," he said before marching out of the room, with his clothes in hands and still shirtless.

Meanwhile Lloyd's other self was still sitting on the bed, a pair of pajamas in hands and still in the middle of processing the scene that had just unfolded.

His mind flashed back to the image of his counterpart's bare torso.

' He's got muscle,' he thought, immensely impressed. Like if that was what he was going to look like when he was older then sign him the hell up.

' If I look like that, there's no way Chen is gonna have the guts to bully me anymore,' he hoped, 'Maybe I can ask the other me what his workout regimen is. But ..why does he have so many scars?' he started to question, recalling the numerous scars on his other self's back, 'Is being a ninja that dangerous?'

Somehow, the younger teen was starting to get worried for himself.

'How will I hide that many scars from mom?'

He couldn't help but think.

'Mom….. I wonder how she is now back in Ninjago city.'

Shaking his head, Lloyd decided to stop thinking too much about it. Crying about it wouldn't help him get back home.

Looking at the pair of pajamas in his hands, he couldn't help but notice how dark it was. And the green stars kinda made a good contrast against the pitch black base colour of the pajamas.

'I don't remember having this kind of pajamas at home.'

Nevertheless, he slipped the outfit on. Once he had the pajamas on, it was obvious that there was a physical difference between the two Lloyds. The older him was taller and bigger so the pajamas were a little oversized for him. He couldn't help but feel a little self conscious about that.

" Arg what am I thinking? He's just older. That's all," he groaned, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt and pants.  

In the hallway

Lloyd stood in the hallway, already putting on his pajamas. He leaned against the wall, deep in thought. He knew that he probably had his perception of people twisted by the rather recent event with Harumi but in his defense, he had just gotten most of his family back after thinking that they were dead and gone and it was all his fault for being so trusting and thinking that he could actually confide in someone without it coming back to bite him in the ass. So yeah, being paranoid and having troubles trusting people weren't completely out of the blue.

" I probably had it coming, always trusting people and all", he muttered to himself, determined to never be fooled again. He was already doing much better than he thought. He didn't cry anymore about these things. He didn't even get sad or feel any pity towards Harumi now. All that was left was just this weird sense of anger. At himself, at Harumi, at his father, at everything? He didn't know if he was experiencing this anger now or if this feeling was just what he had buried inside him for so long about events and actions that he should have gotten over by now. And yet, no matter how hard he tried, those memories just kept coming back to haunt him and reminding that he was only here now because of his so-called legendary and awesome destiny. And if it wasn't for his destiny, he could have easily still remained a street rat trying desperately to be like his father and constantly failing or worse, he could have ended up dead and forgotten or merely remembered as a foolish child who was apparently too stupid for his own good.

Sometimes, Lloyd tried to imagine how things would be if he wasn't the legendary Green Ninja. Maybe his mother wouldn't have left him at Darkley's when he was barely old enough to stand? Maybe she might have actually tried to raise him and be there for him? Maybe he wouldn't have had to stay wide awake at night while at Darkley's, wondering just why neither of his parents never seemed to show up despite the fact that he was one of the few kids there who still had living parents.

' Okay, no time for that today,' he decided, pushing all the rather unpleasant thoughts to the back of his mind, 'I need some rest for tomorrow.'

Grabbing one of the many daggers that this household just so happened to own, he rolled up the sleeve of his pajama pants. He chose one that was still cloaked in its sheath.

' Better be safe than sorry', he concluded, before proceeding to strap the dagger to his right calf just like he had done for the last few months before he went to bed. He knew that if anything happened, he could just use his energy blast to knock the other Lloyd unconscious and also maybe give the teen some bruises and slight burns if he actually went overboard with the aggression. And there was some comfort to be found in the fact that his counterpart couldn't exactly walk properly due to his injury.

Nevertheless, it was nice to have a weapon around to remind himself that should he be stripped of his power again, he could always resort to good old traditional non-elemental fighting tactics. After all, Lloyd did promise himself that he could never let his guard down and put his family in danger again.

"I'm back," he announced to his other self as he re-entered the room, "We'll find a way to get you back home tomorrow, other me. For now, let's just get some sleep first," he said, tossing the other Lloyd a spare pillow from his pillow fort.

" O-okay," the shorter teen responded, barely managing to stop the pillow from hitting his face.

'At least, he looks more like me now,' the younger blond thought, still a bit weirded out by the fact that his other self could look so mature, even if he was older than him.

That night, it was difficult for both Lloyds to fall asleep, more so for the younger one than the older one as he already had plenty of experience of sharing a bed with his found brothers so he was more occupied with coming up with ideas on how to solve this dilemma they were in and also how to tell his siblings that there was somehow another him who was younger and had a different background. And the other Lloyd was still having troubles with sharing a bed with another person. After all, he hadn't done so ever since he stopped being a kid who would get nightmares and then knock on his mom's room, asking to let him sleep with her for the night. Besides that, he was also concerned with what was going to happen to him now that he was in an unknown place and with an older version of him whose past he had some interest in knowing so that he could confirm that yes, even in an alternate universe, he wouldn't end up evil like his father. 

Yet despite all that, both managed to fall asleep sooner or later, with the older of the two using his pillow as a make-shift teddy bear to cling to.

Movie universe, near midnight

Koko arrived back at her apartment after the rain had stopped, exhaustion heavily present in each of her footsteps. Her rain boots were absolutely filled with rain water but thankfully most of her was still dry. That wasn't gonna last long, given how she was close to letting out tears. 

" Lloyd, where could you possibly be?" she mumbled under her breath as she cradled her head. She had searched for hours on end and still nothing came up. In fact, some of those people even scoffed at her for being reasonably panicked over the disappearance of her son.

"Maybe Lloyd was right," she muttered to herself, "This place is full of fucking jerks," she allowed himself to swear for once.

She felt her eyelids getting heavy with each subsequent second. 

'Can't sleep now. Need to find Lloyd,' she thought, looking out towards the window, 'Maybe just a ten minutes break,' she decided, dropping down on a nearby chair, ' still need to find Lloyd.'

Unfortunately, she clocked out right just as her tired head made contact with the table due to heavy exhaustion and the impact of the rain.

Chapter Text

In the morning

Lloyd woke up early as per usual. He usually had to do his training early. 

'Oh, I'm still alive,' he thought, a bit surprised at the fact that the other him hadn't tried to kill him in his sleep or steal his power or snoop around to find any potential secrets that Wu still by some fuckery decided to keep under the rug.

'Wow, I am getting paranoid. All thanks to Harumi,' he frowned. Like he knew that as the Green Ninja, he needed to be all-forgiving and kind but sometimes Lloyd really was kinda glad that Harumi died, even if on some days he would lament over the fact that he couldn't get through with her in time. After all, he really once thought that she actually liked him.

' Eh whatever, not like her tragic story excuses what she did anyway,' he thought, recalling all the lives that had been lost that day and all the poor children who were left parentless, just like Harumi. 

'Maybe this was her real plan after all,' Lloyd speculated, 'Let everyone know what she felt. As if I hadn't already known what it's like to grow up without parents,' he chuckled bitterly, 'Welp, wherever she is now in the departed realm, I hope her parents are severely disappointed in her. That's the fucking least she deserves.' 

It was weird because some parts of Lloyd stil wished he could have saved her and possibly many other lives. Maybe if he had done better, he could have convinced Harumi or maybe he could have taken her down first before all the horrible things happened.

Turning around, he spotted the other him still sound asleep. 

'I wonder if his universe has a Harumi. If it does, hope she isn't anything like the one I knew.'

" Hey wake up," Lloyd said, shaking the younger teen awake.

" Five..more minutes, mom," other Lloyd groaned, covering his head with the blanket

Lloyd raised one of his eyebrows as a devious smirk made its way onto his face. Gingerly, he grabbed two handfuls of the fluffy warm blanket and yanked hard, essentially unrolling his other self onto the floor.

The younger blond hit the floor with a loud rather painful thud. He understandably let out an annoyed groan. 

"MOOOM, it's too early for th-"

The blond paused as soon as he saw his own face staring at him with a devilish smile, his face giving off this uncanny sense of childish glee.

" Well, guess sleepyhead is finally up.", Lloyd said, chuckling childishly, "And sorry that I'm not your mom," he shrugged, "But I can still make you breakfast if you hurry and get out of bed."

"Oh, shut up," the other Lloyd groaned, face going red from embarrassment.

'Darn it, so it wasn't a dream,' he thought, honestly now wanting to hide in a hole.

'Honestly, why is this other me so childish sometimes despite being older?' he thought, a bit annoyed that Lloyd made him roll out of the warm comfortable bed with such a dirty trick.

The other Lloyd rubbed his eyes before yawning.

" Why are we up so early? It's like 4am out there," he complained, gesturing to the window that gave them a clear view of the still dark sky out there.

" Actually it's 4:30 am," Lloyd corrected.

'Okay, I'm starting to become like Zane now.'

 " And we had better get up anyway. I really don't want the others up. They needed some rest after the mission we completed a few days ago," he said, handing his other self a plastic travelling toothbrush, "Sorry, I couldn't find the normal kind. Anyway, just put these clothes on," he said, handing his other self a dark forest shirt and a pair of black jeans, " your hoodie is still wearable but the other clothes are dirty. When you're done and also when I'm done, just follow me so we can both brush our teeth and then have some breakfast", he finished, while walking out of the room with his change of clothes, just a simple lime green shirt, a black jacket and a pair of black trousers, so that his other self could change in privacy.

As expected, after putting on the clothes, the younger blond rolled his eyes as he found that they were also a bit oversized for him.

' Well, at least they fit better than the pajamas,' he thought, rolling up the sleeves of the shirt, 'Like when am I gonna get as tall as the other me?'

Later

After both of them had changed clothes, Lloyd led his other self to the one of the shared bathrooms of the monastery to brush their teeth. 

'Maybe I should really start using a file for my fangs like dad,' Lloyd thought, recalling how even after taking on a more human form, Garmadon still occasionally used a metal file to sharpen and maintain his teeth. 

'He did say something about it helping to keep the teeth nice and healthy, though I should only do it once a week or once every two weeks.'

Meanwhile, the other Lloyd, who didn't have the sharp chompers, was more concerned with making sure that his forked snake-like tongue didn't stick out. He never exactly liked using toothpaste in his mouth much. The more sensitive receptors at the roof of his mouth always picked up too much of the toothpaste smell.

'Part of being the son of Garmadon I guess,' he thought, ' Wonder if the other me has it too?' he thought, glancing his eyes over to the taller blond who had just finished brushing his teeth and washing his mouth and whose tongue was sticking out slightly.

'His tongue……is normal.'

He couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious. 

'Maybe this other me here is treated better by the people because he doesn't take after his father much,' he couldn't help but think. 

'Oh what am I thinking? He looks exactly like me, just older and taller. That's all. But then why isn't he hated by the people here?' he questioned, 'Maybe the people actually have common sense to not hate on someone just because of their heritage.'

Goodness, wouldn't that be the best thing in the world??

After that, the two Lloyds headed towards the kitchen. On the way there, they passed through a couple of other rooms.

"Be quiet, okay? My team is still sleeping," Lloyd warned.

"Okay," other Lloyd responded, glancing at the various bedroom doors. Through the small gap between them, he could vaguely make out how the bedrooms of the other him's teammates/pseudo siblings would look like.

"So, ready for breakfast, me?" Lloyd asked.

"Y-yeah," the younger teen answered, trying to make it seem like he was definitely not trying to snoop around.

"Good, because today, we're making some breakfast burritos….. and some veggies too for the nutrients and all that," Lloyd chirped cheerfully, before walking towards the counter and pulling out a cookbook from one of the drawers, all while humming, his head bobbing up and down to the tune.

'What a nice day!!' Lloyd thought, 'Just one more day and I'll set a new record for how long I can go without getting kidnapped……. or assassinated or tortured. Whatever the villains are into these days.'

Meanwhile, the Lloyd, who wasn't currently in his original universe, looked at his duplicate with a questioning stare.

'Why do I feel like this guy is a bit child-like sometimes?'

Nonetheless, he also couldn't help but see some of his mom's optimism in his older-looking self, as weird as that might sound.

"Um,.... what kind of cookbook is that?" he asked, pointing at the cookbook in his older self's hands.

" Oh, it's none other than Zane's cookbook he wrote himself," Lloyd smiled, "But I did do the decorating for this bad boy. See?" he said, showcasing the various little drawings and cutouts in the cookbook. There were even commentary ratings of each dish.

"Um…. neat."

"Yep"

Later

"Um, why are you making so many burritos?" the shorter Lloyd asked.

' We can't possibly eat that much right?'

"Kid, there are a lot of mouths to feed in this household," Lloyd simply disclosed, "And I can't let Zane be the only cook around here. He might just short-circuit his wires from the work."

Just as Lloyd was finished with the burritos and the roasted caramelized veggies, he quickly wrote a little note for the ninja to read when they woke up or came home.

It read: 

Gone out to do stuff. Don't worry, I'm not kidnapped or anything.

          -Lloyd

At the bottom of the note was a doodle of Lloyd in a cage with a big large X drawn across it. 

"Hope you're hungry, me because breakfast is served," Lloyd smiled.

The two Lloyds sat at the table, enjoying their breakfast.

"Ahhhhh," the younger Lloyd yawned, "Do you always get up this early?" he asked.

" Well, more than half the time anyway to train."

" Arrrrrrrrrrrrrgh."

"Come on, it's not that bad. Besides, keeping in shape is important," Lloyd insisted.

"Urg, guess you're right," the other Lloyd reluctantly agreed as he stuffed a piece of broccoli into his mouth, "I mean if I actually look like you—"

"You and I look like identical twins, kid."

"I mean like really look like you 100%," shorter Lloyd said exasperatedly, "like strong and have muscle and all that."

"You know that you have to work for all this right?" Lloyd said, slight amused as he gave his other self an eyebrow raise.

"Well, YES," the younger blond exclaimed, slightly embarrassed by the fact that he was even saying this at all… to another version of him nonetheless, "It's just that if I look strong and taller, maybe the other students at my school won't give me such a hard time."

Hearing this, the older Lloyd's eyebrows furrowed together.

" Is that so?" he simply said, somehow recalling his mean classmates at Darkley's that used to pick on him and play cruel pranks on him. It felt a bit wrong to still be bitter over that, given how Lloyd was now physically older than his former classmates by a few years but then again, any Darkley's kid was bitter and petty by default.

' Just what happens when you take a bunch of abandoned and/or orphaned children or children of villains and put them in a school meant to make them into future villains and criminals,' Lloyd bit into a piece of roasted carrot. It had a satisfying crunch to it.

'At least the other me here didn't have to go through that, though his life still sounds like it sucks majorly.'

After breakfast, the two Lloyds began to discuss what to do next.

" So you woke up in a forest?"

"Yeah."

" And then you fell into a ditch while running?"

" Unfortunately so."

" But it turned out not to be a ditch right?"

" Yeah, it was weird. It was almost like I just fell but I could have sworn the height was much greater."

" And do you remember anything different after you fell?"

" You know now that you mentioned it, I definitely noticed that there were more trees and bushes."

" And that was when you screamed?" 

" I DIDN'T SCREAM. I was…. just taken aback by my injury. That's all."

"Ooooookay then, looks like we're starting our search in the forest where I found you."

In the forest

The two Lloyds searched around for anything that could be deemed suspicious.

"Hey… the thing you said last night about there being big dangerous animals," the shorter Lloyd began, "Is that true?"

The older teen turned his head around to give his counterpart a look that said "Really??"

"Of course it's true," he said, "Besides, getting lost is also a big concern. Good thing I found you or the chances of you getting lost forever and not being found due to nobody here knowing about your existence is pretty high."

"Could you …. please," the younger blond emphasized, "not say that?" 

Lloyd simply shrugged.

"Well it's true, kid. And don't worry, you can live off the land just fine for a few weeks. I mean I did once when I was a kid," he mentioned offhand.

"W-wait what??"

But before this could be elaborated on, something shiny caught the older teen's eye.

Nimbly, Lloyd dashed towards the source. Upon closing in on the distance, he felt a strange sense of power emitting from the strange thing. 

'It's…… a portal on the ground,' he realized, simply mesmerized by the golden portal that was giving off a faint gold aura and gold swirls. Landing on the ground, it looked like a circle made of pure gold or a really fancy gold-plated music disk, just bigger.

"Wow!" the other Lloyd exclaimed as soon as he caught up with Lloyd.

"Honestly, that was quicker than I thought," Lloyd blurted, "Usually it takes a lot more drama …..and also injuries to get this far."

"How," the younger Lloyd began, squinting his eyes, "many times—."

But without any warning, Lloyd knelt down and plunged his head into the portal much to the horror of his other counterpart, who couldn't stop thinking about a scene where the portal abruptly closed, thus decapitating Lloyd in the process.

Fortunately for other Lloyd's heart, the portal didn't abruptly close and his older duplicate was able to get his head out fully intact.

"There's trees on the other side," Lloyd said, "And you're right, it is a wood there, not a forest."

"Soo, my……. universe is on the side??" 

"Check for yourself, kid," Lloyd stood up and directed his other self towards the portal, "I don't know what your home looks like."

Hesitantly, the younger teen also tested the waters by plunging his head into the portal. He didn't know why but he kinda expected it to be a bit hard to breathe.

'What am I thinking? This isn't like the time Chen dunked my head into a nearby water fountain.'

Thankfully, it wasn't hard to breathe and soon enough, his head emerged and he opened his eyes to see the familiar surroundings of the wood of his city.

Retracting his head back through the portal, now back at the other universe, he stared in shock at the portal.

"I- I can go back home now," he whispered, eyes getting a bit teary, "I can go back home," he repeated in a mix of happiness and dread.

He could see his mom again but he would have to go back to being the most hated person in the city. Even if he had only had a bit of a taste of not being treated differently because of who his father was, Lloyd was gonna miss not having to worry about school and people in the city whispering judgemental remarks behind his back.

"Well what are you waiting for? Don't you want to go home?"

The voice of his older doppelganger snapped him out of his trance. Right now, it sounded both familiar and yet different.

"I- I well, yes," he stammered, "But…..um if I pass through the portal and it doesn't close indefinitely," he began, scratching his head, trying hard not to bite his freakishly long snake-like tongue, "Can I go back here again? You know…… to visit."

Hearing this, the older Lloyd considered for a moment about the implications of letting a portal that connected two universes together remain open. 

'This never ends well in all comics I read,' he recalled, 'But then again the comics dictate that if you and your alternative self interact, it will cause some catastrophic events. And that sure hasn't happened at all.'

And not to mention, he kinda wanted to know more about the life of his other self.

"Sure, kid," he smiled, giving his other self a head pat like how Kai or Zane or Jay or Cole or Nya would do to younger him before the Tomorrow's Tea accident. Okay they still did that to him, much to Lloyd's dismay, considering how he was now significantly taller and couldn't exactly be considered a pipsqueak anymore, especially by Jay of all people.

"Sooooo—"

The voice of his other self brought him back to reality.

" How does tomorrow evening sound? If time flows the way in your world as it does in mine, I should have some spare time then," the younger blond said.

" Yeah, sure, sounds great," Lloyd responded, "kid."

" I'm not a kid."

'Believe me, you're still a kid' was what Lloyd wanted to say but he decided not to, considering how hypocritical that statement was.

Instead, he decided on.

" Whatever, off you go now," Lloyd playfully shoved his other self forward, "Don't want to make your mother worried sick, do you?"

After that, Lloyd watched as his shorter counterpart passed through the portal.

The portal still remained open.

" Well, guess I'd better start camouflaging and hiding it," Lloyd decided, grabbing a bunch of tree branches and absurdly large leaves.

Even if the forest usually didn't have many people going in it, he still didn't want anything or anyone to accidentally fall through the portal.

Movie universe

"Ouch," Lloyd exclaimed as he landed on the ground, "Good thing I didn't injure my leg this time. Man, whatever that other me used to heal my leg, it worked like a charm."

Turning back, he stared back at the golden portal, his own little ticket to see another world and experience what it would be like to not be the most hated person in Ninjago city.

He definitely was going to visit that other universe again and try to find out more about the other him.

Chapter Text

Still movie universe

'I should probably hide this portal thing first,' Lloyd thought as he grabbed a few of the tree branches and leaves to cover the portal up. 

He knew that barely anyone came to this wood anyway. After all, he wouldn't have chosen this place if other people actually had decided this wood was a good place to hang out. 

'My sanity can only take so much,' he rolled his eyes as he was finally done with hiding the portal.

"That should do it," he smiled. 

Looking up at the sky, he realized that it was actually still quite early. The sky wasn't as clear as the one in the other universe but he chalked it up to his other self's home being located on an absurdly high mountain.

'Just how does the other me manage to climb up that mountain daily?' Lloyd questioned but decided to save it for another day.

"I'd better get home," he said, pulling up his hood, "Mom's probably worried sick about me."

The walk home was surprisingly uneventful, just the usual hateful glares and rude whispered remarks. 

"Here comes the son of Garmadon," one of the citizens said, "Why doesn't he leave town and save us the trouble?"

" He should have stayed inside," another one added, "indefinitely."

" That rascal is destined to become a delinquent or worse, exactly like his father."

One particularly cocky teenager, presumably from Lloyd's school, even went so far as to shout.

"GUYS, LOOK, it's Garmadork. You think he's up early to cause more trouble for us like his father? Maybe I should get life insurance first before something bad happens?"

It didn't even require Lloyd to flick his snake tongue out and take a whip of the air to know that there wasn't any fear. There was just hatred and annoyance. People liked to reason that it was because they were afraid of him but in reality, they were just annoyed or hateful of him. He hated how people could use this excuse so that they could be jerks to him and his mom.

It was these moments that Lloyd really considered just running away from this crappy, lousy and judgemental city.

'But mom will be left alone if I do so,' Lloyd tried to be reasonable. He was a teenager with no official qualifications yet so even if he did run away, he wouldn't survive out there.

Compared to how he had been so casually treated by the people of the other universe, with some even going as far to smile at him when he had accompanied his other self on the shopping trip, this kind of judgemental treatment just felt like a cruel slap to Lloyd's face.

'Just ignore them,' he told himself, 'Like mom always says. Besides, not like they know I get to travel to a whole different universe,' he thought, thinking that must count for something, 'Yeah, not anybody gets to say they can travel to an alternate universe so suck on that, jerks.'

One rather long walk later.

Finally, Lloyd arrived back at his home. Entering the rather small yet cozily decorated apartment that he and Koko lived in, Lloyd looked for any signs of his mom. It didn't take him long because as soon as he entered the kitchen, he was greeted by the sight of Koko with her face slammed down on the table. Sobbing noises were coming from the normally cheerful redhead.

"M-mom??" Lloyd hesitantly greeted.

Koko slowly looked up, her red puffy eyes squinting as they adjusted to the light.

"LLOYD!!!" she screamed in joy, trapping her son, who she thought had disappeared or been kidnapped or even worse, in a tight, almost choking embrace, "MY BABY!!" she cried into Lloyd's shoulders, her tears staining his hoodie.

Nevertheless, Lloyd didn't mind. His snake tongue stuck out and caught a whip of the air and Lloyd nearly choked on his own spit. 

The smell of fear was prominent in the air. 

He felt so guilty for letting Koko get so worried. 

"W-where," Koko continued, her voice still hoarse from crying, "were you?"

Uh oh

Safe to say Lloyd was panicking on the inside.

"I-um," he started.

"And *hic* your clothes," Koko interrupted, "they're….. different from when I last saw you."

Oh if Lloyd could his own fear right now, he sure would be choking on the smell.

In the end, he decided to mix the truth with a little bit of white lies.

"I- well, got my leg injured," he began, pointing at his ankle that was still a bit swollen, "And a nice guy," he internally cringed at the act of calling his other self a "nice guy", probably due to how the meaning of that term had changed for some people, "..... decided to help me."

" Then," Koko paused to let out another hiccup, "why didn't he just help you get back home?"

"He…. didn't know who I was," Lloyd lied through his teeth, "And I didn't tell him for fear of……. you know."

"O-oh," Koko sounded a little defeated, probably because it got her holes up about the people in the city finally seeing her son for who he really was, just a good kid who meant no harm.

"Yeah," Lloyd was feeling increasingly guilty for doing his other self this dirty, "But that guy did treat my leg injury," he added, showing Koko his injured leg, "It's still a bit swollen but it'll heal just fine."

Koko's eyes widened as soon as the sight of the swollen appendage came into view.

"Oh dear," she exclaimed.

"Mom, don't worry. It's not as bad as it looks," Lloyd insisted.

Koko seemed to take her son's words at face value.

"And the clothes?" she asked, remembering the fact that Lloyd currently didn't own any clothes that nice-looking unfortunately due to their limited budget these days. Not to mention the fact that besides the hoodie, the clothes on Lloyd were a bit loose for his size.

'I should probably consider working overtime,' Koko thought.

"O-oh…..um….," Lloyd stammered, "I ….got water dumped on me again at school yesterday and had to change," he lied again, thinking that was enough to sound convincing. After all, the students at his school could very much be major assholes. 

"But I don't remember buying you these clothes?" Koko questioned, though she was a bit inclined to believe this was her occasionally forgetting things. After all, the clothes were indeed her son's style, just a bit baggy for him.

"Mom, don't you remember?" Lloyd tried fooling Koko, "You got them for me at that thrift sale a few months ago."

"Is that so?" Koko replied, "Must be my old age getting to me then," she finally gave up, eventually just chalking it up to her forgetting things. 

The only thing that mattered was that her precious son was safe and sound.

"Don't ever scare me like that again, Lloyd," she said, pulling her son closer to her, "I was so worried that you would get sick with the heavy rain last night."

Lloyd smiled as he returned his mom's strong embrace.

"Well, I'm home in one piece now, am I not?" he replied, " And wait, it was raining last night?"

Lloyd blinked in confusion. In the other universe, there wasn't any rain at all last night. 

'No wonder the grass in the woods was wet.'

"Yeah, it was raining cats and dogs last night, Lloyd," Koko informed, "You didn't know?"

"Ummmm, no," Lloyd smiled sheepishly, "But it's probably just because the room the guy who helped me let me stay in was a bit sound-proof," he kept pulling lie after lie out of nowhere.

"Sound-proof??" Koko questioned, a weird look in her eyes.

" Y-yeah, that guy apparently doesn't like loud noises that are out of his control."

'Forgive me, other me.'

"Is that so? What a weird fellow," Koko uttered with her hand placed on her chin, "But he's a nice one to help you and even let you stay the night," she smiled, "Really wish I could go and thank him properly." 

'Yeah how about let not?' Lloyd internally pleaded, not really wanting his mom to faint at the sight of another him. That and Lloyd didn't think Koko would take kindly to the fact that apparently the other Lloyd's mom wasn't around much.

' Dear god, she might even go full-on mama bear mode.'

"I……. don't think we should," Lloyd began, "He doesn't know who I am so it might not be the best idea."

"Well that's a shame," Koko sighed, "Anyway you must be hungry now, sweetie. Let me just whip something up for you really quickly."

"Actually, mom, I've already eaten," Lloyd said, scratching his head.

Koko whipped her head around to look at Lloyd incredulously.

"Yeah, that guy was also very hospitable too."

"O-oh, well then I guess there's no need to fire up the grill then," Koko smiled, turning off the stove.

'Just who is it that helped Lloyd?' she questioned.

Show universe

"Oh Zane," Lloyd exclaimed as soon as he entered the kitchen of the monastery, " You're back."

"Indeed," Zane smiled.

"So how was the stay?" Lloyd grinned, raising one of his eyebrows, "You didn't get any threat from the soon-to-be father-in-law, did you?" he teased, nudging Zane with his right elbow.

"Of course not," Zane replied, his voice sounding a bit offended, "I simply told Mr Borg that I would treat Pixal with the utmost respect and affection."

"So you got his blessing then?" Lloyd asked smugly.

"I-um," Zane stammered, not always prepared for Lloyd to unleash his teases, "Well yes."

"Oh nindroid and nin-wife," Lloyd exclaimed, pretending to wipe away a tear, "What a magnificent sight!!"

Zane's cheeks obtained a light blueish blush.

"Lloyd, one more word and there won't be any dessert for the rest of the weekend."

Lloyd shot the nindroid an offended look.

"Arrgh, you're no fun," he crossed his arms, "and not to mention heartless," he mumbled.

Zane only rolled his eyes at Lloyd's antics. Oh if people knew that the very serious Green Ninja was a sugar addict with a tendency to be such a little shit!!

"Lloyd," Zane began as he spotted the burritos on the counter, "Did you make these?"

"Well…… yeah," Lloyd nonchalantly answered, "And don't give me that look, they're safe to eat. I'm not Cole, Zane."

Zane paused to think for a moment.

"Fair enough," he shrugged before taking a bite of one of the burritos.

"Soooooooooo," Lloyd began, "How is it? I followed your recipe to a T."

Zane chewed for a moment before swallowing.

"Accuracy is about 90%," he analyzed, "It's good but the eggs are a bit overcooked and you need to cut back down on the sauce a bit.

" You couldn't have just said that I did a good job," Lloyd said, narrowing his eyes.

" I prefer to be a little more specific."

Lloyd sighed.

"Whatever, at least it's better than the 70% accuracy last time or the negative 60% accuracy that Cole got last month."

Hearing that, Zane let out a small smile as he put a hand on Lloyd's right shoulder.

"Lloyd, you are infinitely better than Cole at cooking," he said, a haunted look in his glowing robotics eyes as he recalled what happened the last time Cole cooked, what with all the fire and nauseating fumes that even he felt like fainting, despite being a nindroid.

"Yeah, I don't think beating Cole at cooking is that much of an accomplishment," Lloyd replied.

"Do not worry, Lloyd. As my apprentice in the art of cooking, in time you'll improve…... But that also means not sneaking behind my back to sneak anything into the brownie batter like last time."

"Oh," Lloyd whined, "it was just that one time. I thought gummy bears would taste great with brownies."

" Separately as two different things eaten at the same, yes but only to you. Together in the batter that's put into a hot oven," Zane paused for dramatic effect, "no."

Chapter Text

Movie universe, the next day

Lloyd opened his eyes as the sun's light hit his eyes and the ringtone coming from his phone started to annoy his ears.

He picked up his phone.

"H-hello," he began.

"GENERAL NUMBER ONE!! I WANT YOU IN MY OFFICE RIGHT NOW."

That sudden increase in loudness made Lloyd roll out of his bed.

'Not again,' he rolled his eyes, finally seeing who was calling him.

"Dad, wrong number. It's me."

There was a pause on the other line.

"Yeah, who is this exactly?"

Lloyd heaved out a long sigh. Dear lord did he want to just hang up and go back to sleep!

"Lloyd Garmadon, your son," he hissed out, subconsciously sticking his snake tongue out, "Ring any bells?"

Another pause

"Wait, my son still has no teeth. You can't be him."

Once again, Lloyd resisted the urge to slam his phone down on his night stand, mostly because he knew he couldn't afford to fix a cracked phone screen.

"Surprise, surprise, dad, I'm not a toddler anymore. I'm fifteen."

"Well, …….glad to see that the teeth grew in. And if they get too sharp, remember to use a metal file for that."

"W-wait, why would I use.—"

"Anyway, daddy's busy. Gotta catch that pesky Green Ninja. Oh I can imagine the look of terror on his face when I reveal my newest scheme," Garmadon said, a giant smirk on his face that was so apparent that Lloyd didn't even need to see it to know that it was there, " preferably on next Tuesday or Wednesday. I do have a self-care day scheduled on Monday. Anyway, bye bye, Luh-loyd. Again, glad to see that the teeth grew in."

And with that, the dark lord hanged up. 

"It's………. Lloyd," Lloyd whispered before proceeding to groan into his pillow.

"Can schedule a self-care day yet can't schedule a day to meet your own son. It doesn't even have to be face-to-face. But then again, I might get too mad and frustrated to even talk to him,," Lloyd mumbled under his breath as he contained the urge to scream.

He wondered if his other self's dad was anything like this. 

5am

Lloyd's alarm read.

'Guess I have some time to kill before going to meet the other me. It's Sunday after all,' the blond thought as he currently didn't feel like sleeping more.

'Mom's gonna wake up in 30 minutes,' he thought.

Somehow, his mind flashed the scene of his other self cooking breakfast for all his "siblings"/ teammates.

'There were about five more plates left when we were done,' Lloyd recalled, 'Five plates, five people. That's the same number of people on my team, minus me of course.'

He then recalled his counterpart's happy smile when the taller blond cooked for his found family.

Pressing his lips together, Lloyd springed up from his bed and walked into the kitchen carefully so as not to disturb Koko.

'I remember there being a cookbook sometimes,' he thought to himself as he rummaged through the drawers.

Finally he found the cookbook his mom used to follow before deciding to just make whatever dishes she could come up with.

Flipping through the pages of the cookbook, Lloyd decided on making two servings of omelette with cheese and broccoli filling.

'It should be easy enough.'

Twenty minutes later

Koko forced her eyes to open as soon she detected noise coming from the kitchen. The smell of smoke urged her to get up as soon as possible and make a mad dash to the kitchen.

And to her surprise, the kitchen wasn't on fire upon her arrival.

Lloyd turned to stare awkwardly at his mother who was still sporting some heavy bed hair.

"Ummmmm, hey mom," he greeted sheepishly while standing in front of the kitchen counter "I….um..made us breakfast," he said, gesturing towards the two plates of omelette on the table with both his hands.

"O-oh," Koko exclaimed as she took a seat at the table, " Um thank you, sweetie. What's the occasion? You normally don't get up this early on the weekends." she asked as she was usually the one who did the cooking as Lloyd always seemed to be busy with the extra school work his school gave him specifically because he was the son of Garmadon and also other stuff.

"I….. just wanted to cook something for you today," Lloyd said, scratching the back of his head, "And who needs a special occasion to do that?" he smiled, trying to act casual, "Anyway, we'd better start eating before the food gets cold."

Koko couldn't help but smile wide as she reached out to pinch Lloyd's cheeks.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you, my little baby boy," she cooed.

Lloyd instantly gained some red on his cheeks.

"Moooom!!" he whined, "Quit it, quit it, pleeeease!"

"Nope," Koko grinned.

Show universe

"Lloyd," Nya started as she stood at the porch of the monastery, rubbing her tired, still sleepy eyes, "Don't you think you're training too much? We don't have any missions currently."

The sound of several shurikens being thrown and landing right at the dead center of a few dart boards cut through the air. 

'Show-off,' Nya rolled her eyes. Still she had to acknowledge that Lloyd was getting increasingly good at hand-to-hand combat.

'Just really wish the kid would take it easy.'

Lloyd wiped off the sweats on his brows before turning his head towards Nya.

"What do you mean, Nya?" he smiled sheepishly, "It's just some daily training. We all do that. You know, part of our job and all."

Nya gave Lloyd a thoroughly unimpressed look.

"Yeah, but not like you, the rest of us don't start at the crack of dawn and train for two hours non stop," she countered, gesturing to the battlefield Lloyd had left during his midst of training, complete with shurikens laying around as well as a couple of burn marks that Nya identified to be leftover from Lloyd practicing his energy blast.

"Oh come on, Nya," Lloyd whined, "This is nothing compared to what you guys gave me when I had to defeat my father," he said it with such a nonchalant voice that Nya felt a pang of guilt strike through her heart.

It was true. The schedule they had given Lloyd at that time was rough, even for adults, let alone Lloyd who had been a mere child at that time.

"Besides," Lloyd continued, "I'm done for the day now. Tomorrow, I need to train my elemental power. I can create green flames, green lightning now. Maybe with enough training and practice, I can create green ice or something like that," he rambled, thrilled by the thought of discovering more about his power. After all, he needed to be stronger in order to protect those he loved.

"Though I don't think I can create green earth. That would be weird."

"Ummmmm yeah, it kinda would," Nya scratched her head awkwardly, "Anyway, I came here to tell you that Zane's cooking breakfast now. You should come inside."

Hearing this, Lloyd's face lit up.

"Yesss," he rejoiced, throwing his fists in the air before dashing inside, "Nothing's like eating Zane's cooking after a hard training session."

"Well, you've got that right, kid," Nya grinned.

"Hey, I'm physically the same age as you now, Nya," Lloyd argued, almost colliding with the door due to him turning his head around to retaliate. Thankfully, he managed to steer himself away from a painful experience before successfully going inside the monastery.

"Yeah sure, whatever you say, greenie," Nya rolled her eyes to hide the rather melancholic look in them when Lloyd said he was the same age as Nya. This really shouldn't be the case. Lloyd was supposed to be younger than Nya.

Movie universe

At around 4pm

"Yes, mom," Lloyd said to Koko as he wedged his phone between his cheek and shoulder, "I'm just going to um…… a friend's place. I'll be back home by around 8," he informed Koko who was on the other line.

"Well, okay, sweetie. Just remember to be careful when you're coming home that late at night. And you have enough money with you right?"

"Yes, mom. You gave me enough this morning," Lloyd insisted, a bit red in the face as he recalled Koko being excited about the fact that Lloyd was visiting a friend's house to hang out and then proceeding to hand him some money so that he could enjoy himself.

Oh if only she knew her son was actually visiting an alternative version of himself in another universe. 

Lloyd felt kinda bad for lying to his mom but he reasoned that a little white lie wouldn't hurt anyone. And not like he was outright lying. He was visiting a friend's house. It was just that his friend was also an older-looking alternative version of him who had way more experience at being a ninja than him.

'Not to mention he's clearly taller and stronger than me,' Lloyd recalled, somehow feeling self-conscious. He kinda, maybe just a tiny bit, hoped he would grow up to look like that in a few years.

"Yes mom, I'll be careful. Yes, I love you too, mom," Lloyd said before finishing his call and exiting the apartment, always remembering to lock the door.

The first thing he did after that was to pull the hood of his hoodie up so he could hide his face, lest he risk the chance of receiving twice or thrice the amount of death glares and insults he usually received.

This only spurred him to walk quicker so he could reach the wood faster and jumped into a universe where he wasn't hated for merely existing.

It wasn't long before he reached the woods.

"Well here goes nothing," Lloyd whispered, standing in front of the mesmerizing yellow portal.

Taking a deep breath, he jumped in.

Show universe

Thankfully, this time the blond didn't injure his leg when landing. 

"Thank goodness," he sighed, "I would hate to bother the other me two times in a row. Soooo now, I guess I have to wait then," he said the last part to himself.

He stood there for a whole minute before a small tap on the shoulder made him jump up a little and instantly head behind a nearby tree. The rather cowardly action was the result of him having to dodge many of Chen, a cheerleader in his school, 's rather awful bullying tactics because it wasn't like he could fight back and not get in trouble.

"Wow" 

A voice made him snap open his eyes.

"You're more jumpy than I thought," the Lloyd of this universe grinned, a mischievous look on his face.

The younger blond swore he could see the glint of something sharp in his older counterpart's mouth but he chalked it up to the lighting or something like that.

"Just how did you—"

"Ninja," older Lloyd simply answered, pointing to himself, "ring any bells?" he said with a hint of smugness in his voice.

"Oh," the other Lloyd responded, face going a bit red from being tricked by his other self again, "Shut up. I'm a ninja too."

"Well clearly you aren't as experienced as I am," Lloyd smirked, "Anyway, since you did tell me to shut up, I guess I won't be telling you about these cookies I brought with me."

"Wait, cookies?"

"Yep, triple chocolate fudge cookies," Lloyd hummed as he brought out a zip-lock bag filled with a couple of cookies, "Zane baked them just a few hours ago," he added as he watched his other self's eyes expand like that of a cat's.

'He really is me,' he thought, 'Guess it's a good thing I know exactly what I like.'

"Gimme," the other Lloyd urged, almost letting out a hiss with his snake tongue. 

He instantly regretted it, his hands reaching up to cover his mouth.

'Crap,' he thought.

To his surprise, the taller Lloyd only let out a laugh and it wasn't even mean-spirited.

"I have to be honest, kid," Lloyd began, "Your snake tongue is a bit funny and cool to look at," he said before tossing his counterpart a cookie, "Anyway, you'd better enjoy that cookie quickly. There's still a few more," he said, waving the bag of cookies with one arm while taking a bite of the cookie in his other, "And if you aren't quick enough, I might eat them all."

Chapter Text

"Hmmmm," the younger Lloyd let out a noise of satisfaction as he bit into the delicious chewy and chocolatey cookie,"Your Zane seriously made this?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yep," the older Lloyd responded, grinning, "Zane's the best cook I've ever seen," he said as he stuffed a cookie into his mouth, "His cookies are to die for and so are the other desserts he can make."

Hearing this, the shorter blond raised one of his eyebrows, wondering if the Zane of this world was just that different from his Zane.

'I've never seen the Zane I know cook before,' he recalled how his Zane would try so hard to be a wild normal teenager, 'And apparently, wild normal teenagers don't cook,' he rolled his eyes, recalling how badly his Zane wanted to look like a typical, maybe even stereotypical, teenager.

"Hmmmm, this tastes so good," he practically melted while gobbling up the cookie before reaching into the bag to get another one, "Mom will probably be sad to hear this but this tastes even better than her cookies," he mentioned offhand.

This made the taller Lloyd cock his head to the side a bit.

"Your mother bakes?" he asked, voice laced with surprise.

"Well, yeah she does. Yours doesn't?" shorter Lloyd asked before mentally slapping himself in the mouth.

'Crap, I forgot his mom isn't like mine.'

Lloyd let out a laugh to mask a weird look in his green eyes as he reached for another cookie and promptly chomped down on it.

"Nope," he answered, "Or maybe she does bake and cook but I just don't know because she's never been around for very long," he added, shrugging his shoulders.

"That's," his counterpart began, "…….. kinda sad."

'More like really really sad. Jeez, has this other me ever even eaten his mom's cooking?'

"Eh," Lloyd continued shrugging, "It's not that bad. I do get to enjoy Zane's cooking on a daily basis, though I have to help him often, which I don't exactly mind."

"Jeez, what is he? Your mom?" the other Lloyd blurted out.

"Well, he is the mom of the group. Like Jay once gave him a gag gift that was basically a pink apron with the words "Home is wherever mom is". And boy did Zane take it in stride and wear it like a champ."

Hearing this, the shorter blond couldn't help but burst out laughing as he imagined his Zane doing that.

He stopped just in time before his laugh started to sound like his dad's evil one.

"Sorry," he apologized, "but just imagining my Zane doing that is just….," he let out a snorty laugh.

The older Lloyd only cocked one of his eyebrows.

"Is your Zane really that different from mine?" the blond asked, slight amusement and curiosity in his tone. 

"Well yeah," his shorter counterpart answered, "I don't think I can imagine anyone my age having the balls to do that, being teenagers and all that. Not to mention how your Zane sounds like he's older than mine. It also makes sense since you're...... you know...also older than me."

Lloyd only let out a hum in response to his other self. 

'Am I still considered barely a teen or am I an adult?' he pondered, 'Well I can't act like a child. I'm the Green Ninja for goodness's sake……… Adult it is then.'

"So how's your leg doing, kid?" Lloyd asked, trying to steer the topic of the conversation away from himself. He didn't want to talk about his misfortune in the parent department.

"Oh, it's all fine now," other Lloyd answered, illustrating his point by tapping his injured leg onto the ground…….before biting down on an "ouch"

The subsequent winces coming from his counterpart did not convince Lloyd.

"You know you're not supposed to walk on an injured leg," he teased, suddenly finding himself to sound exactly like the ninja whenever they tried to lecture him on the fact that he was "pushing himself too hard". 

'It's not the same,' he reasoned, 'I have responsibilities. Pushing myself is a given if I want to be.. enough.'

" Oh come on," his younger(?) counterpart groaned, "It was just a slip-up. It doesn't even hurt most of the time," other Lloyd insisted as he sat back up on the ground and reached out for the last cookie in the bag. 

Unfortunately, Lloyd managed to swipe it before his duplicate could.

"H-HEY," the shorter blond exclaimed as he lunged at Lloyd but got stopped by Lloyd holding him off with a hand pressed against his chest, "No fair, I reached for it first," he complained as he tried to take the cookie from Lloyd's hand. 

Unfortunately, he wasn't tall enough.

"Fair?" Lloyd cocked his head, "Fair isn't a word where I come from," he said, pushing his other self back with one hand.

Hey at least there was a benefit to being physically aged up by a few years.

"Really? That sounds like such a cheesy quote," the other blond retaliated.

Lloyd only stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry in response.

"Y-you you jerk," Lloyd's counterpart spat out.

'Honestly why is he like this?' the shorter blond pondered exasperatedly in his head, 'How can he act mature one second and immature the next?'

The shorter blond was positively close to fuming when something got tossed into his hands.

It was half a cookie.

He then stared at his taller counterpart.

"Oh come on, you know I'm not that cruel," Lloyd grinned as he shoved the other half of the cookie into his mouth, "Besides, it was kinda my fault for not bringing an even number of cookies," he said, his voice slightly muffled,"We sugar addicts need to keep our blood sugar levels up."

Other Lloyd only stared before slowly nibbling on his half of the cookie, his mind still fixated on how the two of them, despite being technically the same person, had certain differences in personality.

'He seems so……… confident.'

"Wow," he replied, trying to mask the weird tone in his voice, "Guess you should be awarded with the "Not so much of a jerk" medal."

"As long as it's made from gold and I can trade it for money, I'll accept it.

Later

"So is there anything to do here?" Other Lloyd asked as he looked around.

Currently they were on a cliff that oversaw the village underneath it. The view was beautiful and it was rather tranquil to see the people in the village just going on with their lives but admittedly, it was getting a bit boring. 

Lloyd let out a thoughtful hum as he considered his counterpart's question. Sure Jamanakai village had been recently modernized but there still wasn't any arcades or places of entertainment. 

'There isn't even a comic book store,' Lloyd shuddered, 'Like what were they thinking?'

The two of them certainly couldn't just play games at the monastery. 

'Everyone else is still there. And I don't want to freak them out with there being another me,' he distinctly remembered Jay once saying that one demonspawn was enough for them to handle. Anything more and he would go grey.

Lloyd mentally snickered at the thought of Jay with grey hair before he finally came up with a solution so that this hangout wouldn't end up being plain boring. 

"Why don't we go to New Ninjago city?" Lloyd suggested, "There's lots of cool things to do there. It's probably like my world's version of your city."

"S-sure," other Lloyd responded, a bit excited and also anxious to visit this version of his home city.

He mentally kicked himself for being this much of a coward.

'Stop it, it's not like I'm gonna get judgmental death glares and insults thrown at me while I'm here.'

Then a thought came into his head.

"W-wait," he began, "How far away are we from the city?"

"Oh should take us like twenty minute or so," Lloyd answered as he walked towards the edge of the cliff. 

Other Lloyd narrowed his eyes as he watched his counterpart slowly get closer and closer to the cliff, the cliff that should you fall off of it, then there was a 90% percent chance of dying due to landing on the hard cold ground beneath.

Other Lloyd flicked his snake tongue out slightly, trying to sense any fear from his other self because surely his counterpart should be smart enough to be aware and scared of falling off a cliff.

He couldn't sense anything. Unknowingly, he moved closer and closer until he too was also quite close to the cliff.

Suddenly, Lloyd turned his head towards his duplicate and fell backwards…… off the cliff, a grin still visible on his face and his eyes a bright unnatural green.

'WHAT THE FUCK!!'

The other teen couldn't even verbally scream as he practically sprinted towards the edge and fell down on his stomach to look down. But instead of seeing a bloody and mangle mess, he saw a green aura surround his duplicate and then a bright flash.

A green dragon appeared.

If he was being honest, he nearly had a heart attack.

In sharp contrast, Lloyd only let out a breathy laugh as his elemental dragon used its mouth to lift the Lloyd from the other universe up by his hoodie and then fling the poor teen onto its back. 

At this point, the shorter teen felt like his heart was close to stopping for good.

"Haha, I always love doing these things," Lloyd smiled before looking at his counterpart, "Wow, you looked like you saw a ghost or something," he remarked as he steadied his elemental dragon. 

Other Lloyd only let out a strangled squeak in response. For a moment, he serious thought his other self was suicidal and wanted to end it all.

'That or he's absolutely insane.'

And honestly, he was starting to believe the latter.

"H-how?" he managed to stammer out after gaining back his voice. The pupils of his eyes were wide and fully dilated. 

Lloyd cocked his head to the side, his eyes scanning his other self's expression.

"What?" he blurted, confused, "It's just my elemental dragon."

The shocked expression on the other blond's face remained.

"Elemental….. dragon?"

"Yeah, manifestation of one's elemental power…… Does your world have people with elemental power?"

"I…. don't know," the shorter Lloyd muttered as he rubbed his right hand against the scales of the energy dragon.

'Holy crap, this feels like actual scales,' he realized, a bit mortified to say the least. Sure he had his mech dragon but again, his was 100% machine. This, however, was a freaking living (?) dragon that was made out of some supernatural power.

"This…. is weird," he blurted, "and a bit cool."

Hearing this, Lloyd pondered if the other universe had elemental masters and all the other spiritual things like his world.

'Either it doesn't or my other self hasn't found out about them yet,' he concluded, curiosity taking over, 'I'll find out about it later.'

"Yeah, be careful there, kid. If you touch this one spot on my dragon's back, it will fling you up high into the clouds."

Lloyd grinned as his counterpart's hand quickly froze before hastily retracting. Something told him that the other him hadn't had as many near-death experiences as he had. 

"Haha, I'm just kidding, other me," he laughed, "Anyway, let's get going. You can tell me how your world works after we land."

With that, Lloyd's elemental dragon quickly gained speed and soared across the sky. The wind felt refreshing against the two blonds' hair.

Chapter Text

As the two blonds flew across the sky, the shorter Lloyd couldn't help but be intrigued by the glowy exterior of the dragon. 

"Wow," he muttered as swirls of green aura were being emitted from the dragon's torso.

Currently, he was sitting behind his counterpart who was more focused on gazing around the sky than steadying his dragon. Nevertheless, the dragon was still flying normally, with no sign of going astray. 

"Cool right?" Lloyd said, turning his head around.

The other Lloyd's throat felt dry as soon he noticed his duplicate's eyes.

'Have his eyes always been like this?' the younger teen thought, seeing how ….. unnatural Lloyd's green eyes were. 

"Y-yeah," he managed to stammer out, feeling a pang of jealousy.

Like how couldn't he? This other him not only was stronger, taller and more confident but he also had sick power. 

'And he isn't hated just because of who his dad is.'

But before he could spiral deeper into self-pity, he heard his other self say.

"Hold on tight, kid. It's gonna get bumpy."

"Wait wHHHHHAT!?"

He let out a scream as the dragon suddenly shot through the clouds, forcing him to latch onto Lloyd in hope of not falling to his untimely demise. 

It wasn't long before they broke through the clouds.

"Haha, wasn't that fun?" Lloyd asked, his hair looking like that of a mad scientist.

He looked over to the shorter teen whose hair wasn't exactly in better shape itself.

"That was…. awesome," other Lloyd muttered before beaming up, "Holy moly, this is even faster than my mech dragon," he exclaimed, looking around to admire the beautiful sky and the shimmering clouds beneath them.

The excited expression on his face kinda fell when he realized that he was kinda latching onto his other self like how a koala would latch onto its mother. 

Of course, for a teenager, this was utterly embarrassing so he quickly detached his arms from his other self's waist, as if merely touching his counterpart would result in his skin burning.

"Wow, you're pretty shy," Lloyd remarked, cocking one of his eyebrows. 

"N-no I'm not," other Lloyd quickly retaliated because dear lord, he had had his share of being embarrassed by his other self. He personally wondered when the tables would turn. "And besides, it's just weird."

"Ohhhh, sure you definitely aren't shy," Lloyd teased, his voice distinctively taking on the "little shit of a younger brother" tone and particularly shit-eating grin on his face, making him look like a smug-as-hell cat, "And you're sure you're not the one making it weird?"

Other Lloyd simply couldn't believe this person was him.

But of course, he wasn't going down without having the last word.

"Well, how would you feel if you had to hug another version of you?"

Lloyd gave his shorter self a look, a glint in his bright green eyes.

"Kid, I literally carried you tightly in my arms when we first met. That can probably count as a hug…sort of."

"IT'S NOT THE SAME," the other blond exclaimed.

"Why?" Lloyd questioned, a ridiculously innocent look on his face. 

'Dear god, is this guy really me?' other Lloyd thought.

"I-it's….just…..you don't hug just about anyone."

"Well if you hadn't held onto me, you would have fallen off and died," Lloyd said in a matter-of-fact manner, eyes gesturing towards the very high distance between them and the nearest ground, which was a rocky mountain with jaded points "quite painfully too."

"WELL………—"

The shorter blond paused as he couldn't come up with any good comeback. 

Instead, he only let a frustrated groan as he was once again being teased by his counterpart.

'Maybe if I try hard enough, I can melt into a puddle and disappear for good,' he thought as he lay down on his back and used his hands to cover his face.

Lloyd only smiled at the sight of his other self being red in the face. Hey, he spent his early years at Darkley's so being a demon brat was basically second nature to him. And besides, it was fun to mess with someone who clearly had no immunity against teases. 

"There, there," he comforted the other Lloyd by giving the teen a head pat, which earned him a death glare and a hiss from the shorter teen, "Hey, hey don't bite okay," he ushered, booping other Lloyd on the nose, "I'm just messing with you, kiddo. Jeez, you teenagers sure are easy to provoke."

"HEY—"

"It really reminds me of the teens I scared off when I was young and homeless," he revealed nonchalantly.

'It was also hilarious how they ran away after seeing my red eyes and fangs,' Lloyd recalled their horrified faces after they had caught him in the middle of the night, 'though they did smell a bit funny. Oh well, at least they dropped their wallets before taking off.'

Other Lloyd blinked as he heard what his duplicate had just said.

'He was HOMELESS??'

"Wait what you mean by—"

But of course, as if this universe had a grudge against him for not originally being from here, they landed.

"And thank you for choosing Energy Dragon Airlines" Lloyd announced, voice sounding like one of those commentators, "Now please watch your step as you hop off our faithful and trusty energy dragon and be careful so as not to trip and face-plant onto the ground," he said the last part with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

"Oh shut up, jerk."

"No, I don't think I will."

Later

Again, Lloyd from the other universe could never get used to the fact that he wasn't the subject of death glares and whispered insults. 

'This is just so surreal,' the blond thought, feeling the subconscious need to pull his hood up.

But he didn't need to do that here. He didn't need to hide his face as if he was a mutant that had just escaped their cage. 

A hand reached out to grab his hand and guide him forward.

"C-can you not?" he snapped at Lloyd who was holding his hand. 

'God, I feel like such a kid,' the shorter teen blushed, recalling the many times he had had to hold his mom's hand so as not to get lost. 

And here he was, holding his older-looking counterpart like a little duckling. 

"Why should I not?" Lloyd asked, his head cocking to the side in confusion.

For a moment, it looked like he was the younger one. 

Other Lloyd almost felt like there was something more to his counterpart's childish behaviour.

"You're gonna get lost otherwise," Lloyd continued, "And I probably won't be able to find you with your height."

'Okay, he's a jerk.'

"Hey, I'm not that short!" Other Lloyd protested, throwing his hand that wasn't holding Lloyd's up in the air. 

"You're shorter than me by nearly a head," Lloyd informed, his lips curved into a devilish grin, "or maybe a whole head. I don't know if you're wearing any height boosters."

"Jerk!" Other Lloyd hissed out, trying to hide the fact that he nearly flinched due to the fact that he was reminded of his own father's evil grin. 

"Oh I know I am," Lloyd merely cooed before he tugged at his duplicate's arm, "Now let's go, I'll play tour guide and show you the good parts of this city," he gave his other self a sincere smile, "Just don't go into the bad parts. The old guys there can be really creepy and weird. I learnt that well when I was eight."

"W-wait what??"

Lloyd simply chose not to elaborate further, much to the frustration and slight horror of his duplicate.

Back at the monastery

"Hey guys," Kai started as he peeked into the living room, "Anyone seen greenie anywhere?"

"Ummm…have you checked the training ground?" Jay suggested as he tried to beat the video game level that he had been stuck on for the past two hours.

The big red "Game over" letters made him twitch his eyes in annoyance.

"OH COME ON!!" 

"Already checked, no sign of our hellspawn anywhere," Kai shrugged, as he stared at Jay rage-quitting, a bit amused. 

Unfortunately, the amusement died out pretty quickly when Nya put Jay's head on her lap in order to smooth her boyfriend.

"Urrgh, I am turning my head the other way," Kai loudly announced.

Hey, he was okay with Nya and Jay dating but he would be lying if he said that he wasn't bothered by how much PDA these two displayed on a daily basis. After all, that was his sister that he raised for crying out loud. 

"You know, Kai, I do remember Lloyd saying he would be out till night," Nya recalled.

Kai shot her a "WAIT? WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP HIM??" look, which she retaliated with a "Really" raise of her eyebrow.

"Kai, Lloyd can take care of himself. We've already taught him everything about Stranger Danger, especially you and Zane."

"Well……yeah, but what if something happens? Lloyd is like a trouble-magnet."

"Kai, most of the citizens don't even recognize him when he's in civilian clothes," Cole butted in as he emerged from the kitchen, an entire cake in his hands, "Besides, have you seen the way our green bean handled the enemies in the latest mission? That kid almost went feral."

"Oh when isn't he feral?" Jay rolled his eyes as he glared daggers at the "Game over" screen on the TV.

"You know, you guys are making it seem like I'm an overprotective parent or something," Kai crossed his arms, fumes already coming from his ears.

"Well," Nya drew out the word unnecessarily long, "it wouldn't be wrong. Remember the talk you had with Jay when the relationship between us was made official?"

"HEY, I just wanted to chat with Jay a little."

Then came an indignant scream

"DUDE, YOU LITERALLY THREATENED TO BARBECUE ME ALIVE."

"AND I'LL STILL DO IT IF YOU DON'T TREAT NYA RIGHT," Kai shouted back as he summoned fire in each of his hands.

Nya remediated the situation by splashing water onto Kai'a hands, successfully putting out his flames. 

"No burning down the monastery, Kai," Zane chided as he poked his head out from the kitchen.

"Yeah, what he said, hothead," Jay cheered, his arms up in the air. 

Kai only let out a frustrated groan. 

"Kai, while I do see why you're concerned about Lloyd's safety, after what has happened, I do think it's good that he's going out for once. If my memory serves, he has been quite fixated on training lately," Zane disclosed.

"That's why it's weird," Kai countered, raising his hands up to his chest level to empathize his point, "Lloyd's been obsessed with training and now he's actually loosening up."

"No, he's definitely still obsessed with training," Nya shook her head, "This morning alone, he woke up at 4am to train."

"That's beside the point, Nya. Just what do you think he's hiding?" Kai squinted his eyes in suspicion.

"This is why Lloyd once labeled you as "overprotective parent ascending from the underworld itself"," Cole sighed as he resumed enjoying his cake. 

Kai shot the earth ninja a death glare.

"His words, not mine, buddy," Cole defended, trying to make sure this day next year would not be his death anniversary, "It's not like Lloyd's having any bad influences around. We're literally the only influences in his life."

At a comic book store in New Ninjago city

Lloyd from the other universe stared at the piles of Starfarer comics, trying to contain his excitement.

'Just breathe in, breathe out, Lloyd. Just walk up there and take a comic. Act casual and cool.'

"IS THAT THE NEWEST VOLUME??" Lloyd exclaimed, beaming with excitement as he made a mad dash towards the comics,..... subsequently dragging his counterpart along with him.

"Oh my goodness, this volume even includes a limited edition keychain," the taller blond beamed, pressing the comic volume against his chest excitedly.

He then turned his head towards his duplicate only to see the shorter blond stare at him as if he had grown a second head.

"What?" he blurted out, tilting his head to the side.

Did the other him find his over-excitement to be weird? It couldn't be. 

"Umm…nothing," other Lloyd stammered out as he grabbed his own copy, "Ummm do you think they accept this currency?" he asked as he showed Lloyd the money that Koko had given him earlier.

'Crap, what if they don't accept this kind of currency?'

Lloyd gave a thoughtful hum as he inspected the money.

"Looks good to me. They're exactly like the one we use here," the blond concluded.

Chapter Text

Look, Lloyd from the other universe knew that supporting your local economy was the better thing to do but right now holding his first comic book and also several other comic books in his hands, he seriously couldn't care less.

"This is so cool. It's been ten minutes and I haven't been told to leave the premises yet."

Lloyd paused his admiring the comic books to turn and stare at his counterpart.

"Seriously?" he exclaimed.

"Well…..yeah, you know, son of Garmadon and all that. It's kind of a given, dude. But don't worry, I'm kinda used to it. "

'Damn, this other me's life sounds like it sucks,' Lloyd thought, deliberately ignoring the voice in his head reminding him that whereas the other him still had a mother around, he didn't even know where his own parents were currently at and not to mention that he spent his early childhood at Darkley's, school for future villains and criminals.

'Yeah, let's not remember them now. It doesn't even matter now.'

".....Does your father still have four arms and charcoal skin?" he said after a long pause. The younger blond seriously thought that Lloyd had logged out of the mortal realm.

"Ummmm……yes," the shorter blond answered, a bit perplexed by his older counterpart's question.

'Doesn't he always?' he thought in his head.

Lloyd thought for a moment.

"Wait, then how do they even know you're……well ….," he scratched his head, "your father's son?" he asked again, "Like in that form, you two don't exactly look alike. You don't even have the fangs. And even if your father also has a snake tongue like yours," Lloyd continued as he stuck out his normal-looking tongue briefly to illustrate his point, "it isn't visible most of the time to …..um…. scream that you two are father and son."

Other Lloyd pressed his lips together until they were a thin line, unsure of how he should answer his duplicate.

"Well, we …..don't exactly have to look alike for people to know that. The fact that I'm his son has been common knowledge ever since my birth."

"..... Just how?" Lloyd squinted his eyes, disbelief present in his voice, "When I was young, people never believed that I was Lloyd Garmadon, son of Lord Garmadon," he elaborated, a hint of frustration in his voice, "Hell, they didn't believe that the oh so powerful Lord Garmadon had a son. Like wow, thank you sooooo much for not believing in my existence……. But anyway, kid, trust me, you don't have to worry about getting kicked out of these places if you act appropriately."

'Is it me or does he actually sound like he's angry that people didn't believe that he's the son of Garmadon,' other Lloyd considered as his hands traced over the smooth cover of the comic book, 'Like why would he want people to believe that? I would give anything for people to not believe that.'

"That also includes no disturbing the peace and of course stealing," Lloyd added while rolling his eyes as if reciting the lecture that he had received many times, much to the confusion of his other self, "Anyway, let's go see what other things they have here?"

"Um, s-sure."

"Oh and I need to introduce you to other comic series too."

So the two Lloyds spent the next thirty minutes browsing comic after comic with the taller one rambling on and on about the different series and their premises while the shorter listened with his utmost attention.

"How do you even manage to read that much?" the shorter blond asked, clearly impressed by how much of a comic book nerd his other self was. 

'Sure I love comic books but I have only ever been able to read them onlines. And I don't usually browse for merchandise,' he thought, '..... I would just feel sorry for myself because I can't buy them all.'

"Well I need hobbies to keep me entertained," the taller Lloyd responded.

'That and everyone needs something to drown out the noises in your head at night that keep telling you all the ways you could have made things better, all the ways you could have done better and also to kinda get back that sense of carefreeness where the only thing that matters is just what will happen in the next issues…… Just normal stuff.:

Of course, he wasn't going to say anything of that. It wasn't that important.

Five minutes later.

"Hey, weren't you going to buy that?" Lloyd asked as he eyed his shorter self who was standing in front the shelves of comic books, looking like he wanted to put back some of the comics.

"Oh…um," other Lloyd stammered, "It's nothing. I just don't want most of them anymore."

Lloyd proceeded to give his counterpart a very judgmental look.

"Yeah sure, kid?" he began, rolling his eyes, "I literally just saw you gawking at the comics as if they were giant chocolate bars," he said, giving his other self a hard stare.

Finally, other Lloyd succumbed.

"Urrghh, fine," the other blond groaned, finally fessing up, "I…um….just realized how much this would cost.."

"And?" Lloyd raised his eyebrow in confusion, "You have enough nincoins, don't you?"

"OH, COME ON! Do I have to spell it out for you?" other Lloyd said in frustration, "My mom gave me this money and even though she told me that I should enjoy myself, I can't let myself spend this much in one sitting. She's already working three jobs to keep us afloat. And I just feel really really guilty if I spend too much. Like I know mom wants me to enjoy the joy of being a teenager and do stuff that teenagers usually do," he ranted to the older blond who was increasingly getting flashback of the times when he and the ninja still had to live in a small cramped apartment and the ninja had to work various part-time jobs in order to pay for their living expenses. Somehow, knowing that his other self's mother was also doing something similar to what the ninja had done for him made him feel both relieved and a bit jealous.

'Then again, he doesn't seem to have that close a bond that I have with my team.'

"Oh crap," the shorter teen realized, "I must have been rambling.. Crap, I'm sorry for that—"

"Kid," Lloyd raised a hand up to silence his counterpart, "It's okay. Your mom works hard to earn that money and you feel guilty about spending too much. I get it. How about this? You pay for the first comic you picked and I'll pay for the rest," he offered, pointing at four comic books that his counterpart was holding, "That way you'll only have to pay for one and yet you'll get like …four. It's a great deal, a four for one basically." he smiled for the extra charm. 

After all, he had more than enough money for that. 

'Thank goodness that you can earn money or... be rewarded money through saving the world. At least all the trauma is worth something.'

"Really?" other Lloyd raised his voice in surprise, "You.. would do that?"

"Kid, I'm an adult with my own money. I can definitely afford to do that."

And with that, he took the comic books from his duplicate with a swift movement.

"Now, let's go to the cash register," he said, "We don't have all day." 

At the cash register, Lloyd noticed that the other him was acting a bit fidgety and also making significantly less eye contact with him.

'Damn, he looks awkward,' Lloyd quickly identified. He always had the ability to read expressions rather well. After all, at Darkley's, one wrong move could get you shoved into a locker or have countless pranks pulled on you or get you into a fight or earn you a punishment from the teachers or….

'Not right now,' he shook his head imperceptibly.

He tried finding a way to distract himself.

"Why are you looking so down, kid?" Lloyd asked his other self, "Are you disappointed that you didn't pick more comics that I would later pay for ?" he teased, a sly smile on his face as he leant down a bit to poke the bridge of his other self's nose. 

The shorter blond's face instantly lit up in flame.

"H-HEY," he said indignantly, reaching his hand up to swat his counterpart's finger away, "It's not that."

"Then what is it, kiddo?" Lloyd asked as he received two bag filled with their purchases from the cashier before they began walking out of the comic book store, "Look, if you're still feeling guilty for letting me pay for like…. 75% of your stuff, you can just…..Oh I don't know…buy me an ice cream from this little shop I know," he suggested, "They sell really good and cheap ice cream there. Only one nincoin for a cone with two scoops," he mentioned, knowing that there was a possibility that his other self was thinking of some expensive ice cream shop, "Their mint chocolate chip ice cream and raspberry cheesecake one taste the best," he said, licking his lips, "Oh yeah, and here's your bag, kid," he said, tossing other Lloyd his bag of purchases.

And as soon as they were finally out of the store.

"Sooo....um....Where's that ice cream shop at?" the shorter teen averted his eyes while asking.

"Awww, kid," Lloyd smiled, putting his hand up to his chest to show that he was touched.

"D-don't get the wrong idea," the blond said exasperatedly, "I'm ....just curious about what's so special about this shop."

Hearing this, Lloyd smiled widely.

"Oh, trust me, you won't be disappointed, kid," he said, before proceeding to drag his duplicate along.

"Would you mind not calling me kid?" other Lloyd groaned, "And stop manhandling me like I'm a sack of potatoes."

"Well then kid, would you like it more if I carried you like last time?"

Almost immediately, the other teen jumped away from Lloyd as if he was legit on fire.

"Oh come on, you're that embarrassed?"

"Y-yeah, as if you wouldn't be too if you were carried around like a little kid."

Flashback of countless times he had been carried by Kai, Cole, Zane and even Jay out of all people when he had still been a pipsqueak came back to Lloyd like a raging tide.

"........ Nope, no I wouldn't."

Chapter Text

"Wow," the shorter blond exclaimed as soon as he received their two cones of ice cream, "Did you see that?"

"See what?" the remaining blond asked as he swiped his serving of delicious, cold, sweet and creamy goodness from his counterpart's hand, "You being absolutely awkward and temporarily forgetting how to speak?" he said the last part with a sly smile, his pupils narrowing into slight splits.

Other Lloyd couldn't help but be reminded of how his own odd eyes worked.

"..... I hate you," the shorter blond hissed out, his tongue rolling out slightly before he hastily rolled it back in, all the while wiping his head left and right, making sure that no one saw that.

"Hey, self-hatred is a major no-no, kiddo," Lloyd countered as he patted his duplicate on the head, internally pushing down the voice in his head telling him that maybe he should follow his own advice and not just give it to his alternative counterpart.

Other Lloyd gave him a death glare. He knew that his pupils were probably like splits now. He just hoped that no one besides his other self saw that. 

Lloyd simply countered his duplicate's attitude by giving the shorter blond an innocent smile.

"Is this really what I would be like if the whole city didn't all hate me?" other Lloyd muttered to himself.

"Eh, probably," Lloyd shrugged, "It would definitely do wonders for your social skills. And seriously, kid, your city is full major jerks," he said the last part with a completely different and serious tone, "Like why haven't you tried moving out yet? You know, get away from it all and start anew im a place where people actually mind their own business and don't judge you based on how your family is as if you're nothing but a copy-and-paste of them," he said a last part with a bit too much disdain as he recalled some of his titles like "Son of Lord Garmadon", "Grandson of the First Spiritual Master". 

"Oh don't I dream about that all the time," the other Lloyd sighed as he took a lick of his ice cream.

He hated to admit it, especially to his smug older-looking counterpart, but the raspberry cheesecake flavor, with even chunks of cheesecake in it, was heavenly delightful. 

'I'm so freaking so jealous,' he thought.

Before he knew it, he had his snake tongue fully out and all over the ice cream cone. As soon as he realized what he was doing, he retracted his tongue hastily, to the point of it slapping it right across the face before going back into his mouth.

"Ha," Lloyd snorted out softly.

Other Lloyd still flinched at the noise, even if there was no visible malice in Lloyd's tone. 

"That was really gross," Lloyd continued, "but also pretty cool I guess. I mean you get to have the maximum surface area to enjoy ice cream," he smiled, "Not to mention it definitely comes in handy when the ice cream starts melting."

The shorter teen still couldn't believe his ears that someone, let alone his other self who didn't seem like he had any peculiar features, would think this feature of his as cool.

"Why are you….," he began, "so cool with this?"

"Cool with you being socially unskilled?"

"NO," the blond's face lit up in flame again, " I'm not socially unskilled. And stop that," he pointed an accusing finger at Lloyd.

"So what?" Lloyd smiled smugly.

"You know exactly what I mean."

Lloyd only let out a small chuckle in response.

"Kid, I have seen some really weird things in my life," he began, "You having a snake tongue isn't exactly going to send me running for the hills. And besides, I don't think many here will judge you for that feature alone. After all, there are serpentines living around here too."

After a moment of being genuinely touched, other Lloyd blinked his eyes in confusion.

"Serpentine?" he let out, a puzzled expression on his face.

"Yeah," Lloyd responded, "You know, snake people. We're trying to improve the whole situation between us and them, but hey at least they haven't tried plotting anything to kill us and take revenge.To be honest, all the kids seem to be quite calm and more cooperative than their parents. " he joked before laughing a bit, "And like, their first plan to dominate the land and destroy us all severely backfired. Now we're on a rather mutual agreement I guess. They don't destroy us, we don't imprison them and in return, they can go to the surface freely and be allowed all the simple rights and all that. I mean, the younger generation has got to have access to things so that another war won't repeat itself," Lloyd ranted on, already making plans in his head to prevent another serpentine war. 

Meanwhile, the shorter blond felt like he had a bombshell thrown at him. 

Just how different were their respective universes?

"I….I need to lie down a bit," he said, already feeling like fainting.

"Sure thing. There's an empty bench over there. Let me just hold on to your ice cream for you."

Five minutes later.

"Soooooooo," Lloyd of this universe dragged out his words, "Feeling any better yet?" he asked as he held the ice cream close to his counterpart, who was lying on the bench,'s face so that the younger teen could at least enjoy his sweet treat before it melted away into a puddle of despair.

Lloyd's other self let out a groan as if he was having the headache of his life.

"Okay, then,..... I'll take that as a no,.... Lloyd…… Okay seriously, we need to come up with a way to call each other. Me calling you Lloyd or vice versa is just weird."

"Then what do you suggest, Mr I have cool powers and can do cool tricks," other Lloyd rolled his eyes as his snake tongue stuck out to take another lick of his ice cream.

"Welllll," Lloyd started, "How about code names? And for starters, I get to call dibs on the cooler one."

Okay, now other Lloyd had the pleasure of dealing with both a headache and an urge to laugh until his stomach hurt.

"Hahahahaha," he laughed until tears came up, "Code names? Seriously?"

"What? It makes it sound like we're on a super secret mission or at least it sounds cool," Lloyd shrugged his shoulders.

"Honestly, what are you? A kid?"

"Well, on the inside I guess," Lloyd answered, unknowingly making a rather double-meaning statement.

"Oh my god, I can't believe you're me," other Lloyd continued laughing.

Lloyd, feeling a bit annoyed, decided to jam his other self's ice cream cone right into his mouth, effectively stopping his laughing.

"Yeah and I seriously can't believe that other me would be such a jerk to laugh at my idea. Like…kinda hurt over here," Lloyd frowned as he dusted his hands. 

The other blond gave a few muffled noises before he managed to swallow the ice cream. 

"Haha, sorry, sorry," he apologized, his hands clutching his head as he experienced one hell of a brain freeze. 

"Serves you right," Lloyd said as he stuck his tongue out in a childish manner.

"Oh hardy har har," other Lloyd responded, "I get it, I get it, so what's your idea for codenames, Mr I sure know how to hold a grudge?"

"......," Lloyd stopped to think of something, "How about Monty?"

"Monty?" an eyebrow was definitely raised.

"Yeah, like you know from our middle name, Montgomery," Lloyd's head did a little tilt, "One of us can go by Monty and the other can go by ….um… Forest."

Okay, the laughter officially couldn't be contained any longer..

"OH, cOme On," Lloyd whined, "it wasn't that bad."

"Hahaha, just..haha how are you older than me?" other Lloyd snorted, still clutching his head and still experiencing a massive brain freeze. 

Lloyd rolled his eyes.

"Yeah sure, keep laughing and you're walking back to where we started with your own two feet," he vaguely threatened, "If I'm not wrong, it takes more than two hours to go back. And that's by motorbike."

"Wait, okay, I'm sorry," the shorter blond pulled on Lloyd's shirt, a sense of panic in his voice, "You wouldn't leave a poor innocent person with a still healing leg to walk hours on end, right?"

Lloyd couldn't help but roll his eyes once again.

"Unfortunately no," he responded, "but you're seriously pushing your luck, kiddo. Just be glad that I'm a hero now and didn't manage to graduate Darkly's boarding school for bad boys, which is a bummer in a way—,"

Hearing this, the other blond's eyes widened and he flinched. 

"—Usually the very best of the top graduates of Darkley's would get this really cool stained glass made in their image. But then again, I guess I shouldn't be too salty about it since I do have several statues made in my image."

"You have statues made in your image?"

Oh the jealousy was back on.

"I mean— I guess so, after saving the world countless times, I guess each of us having statues of our own is to be expected. And come to think of it, I have got to make sure that Zane's first statue gets cleaned up soon. I can't let it be covered in gunk and other things like before. The other statues of Kai, Nya and Jay also need some cleaning and restoration after the recent events. Might need to do that next. And one of Cole's statues has already been repaired."

".... Can we please exchange life?" 

"Nah, I'm not dealing with the mess that is high school, kid," Lloyd responded, "And from what you have told me, the people in your school are just crappy as hell."

"Yeah," the shorter blond laughed halfheartedly, "Most of them are anyway. But hey on a good day, they wouldn't bother me as much, and I can even eat in the cafeteria without getting things thrown at me or being shoveled out of the cafeteria or having my lunch be destroyed or…or," he slowly grew silent. 

Lloyd gave his shorter counterpart a look of sympathy.

"They shouldn't be doing any of that to you on any day whatsoever," he said through clenched teeth, not much disbelief left in his tone, as he suddenly got a metaphorical punch in the guts that brought him back to his days at Darkley's, "Honestly, just tell me the names of those punks so I can give them a piece of my mind and kick their butts to next Monday," he found himself sounding a bit too much like Kai.

'Damn, he's really rubbed off on me.'

"Ehh, I don't think that would be necessary," the other blond scratched his head, "Besides, you just randomly showing up and beating them up would just make them think that I'm the one who beats them up, since we basically look the same and are the same person. It would just cause the city to hate me even more and make them more sure that I'm just like my dad. Also, it would make things harder for mom. Mom is already on thin ice with people at her job at the museum. Not to mention how if you try beating them up, they will probably end up dead. And then people would think it's me who has done it because we look basically like twins. Heck, we basically are one and the same. If they try testing DNA, they will trace it back to me. And I'll either end up in jail or have to run away. If either of that happens, mom will be sad and devastated. I can't do that to her. I just can't," he rambled at Mach 3 speed.

"Okay, okay, it's okay, kiddo, I understand," Lloyd reassured his counterpart, "I won't do anything reckless. Sorry for worrying ya. It's just… not fair for you to be judged on something that isn't even your doing. And it's just cowardly of them to shit on you and your mother. I mean, why don't they do that to the one who directly causes things in the first place?"

"Because they can't do that," other Lloyd responded, looking down at the ground, "and they're angry about that, so they settle for someone else, aka yours truly right here," he pointed to himself.

Lloyd gave a disgruntled huff. 

"Well, maybe they should consider what it feels to be the son of Lord Garmadon," he snarled, green sparks coming from his fingertips. 

His counterpart widened his eyes in concern and…. fear, if Lloyd wasn't wrong. 

He needed to fix that. 

"Sorry about that, kid," he apologized, calming down his power, "It happens sometimes, but don't worry, I have got it all under control."

"O-oh, it's okay," the other blond said, "I wasn't scared," he squeaked, "I was just startled. That's all," he averted his eyes away, " It's not everyday that I get to meet someone with superpower, let alone if that someone is myself nonetheless."

"Haha, I guess you're right, kid," Lloyd smiled, though on the inside he was still pissed about how his other self was being treated. 

'It's like fucking Darkley's all over again,' he cursed in his head, 'except damn worse because these are teenagers,' he thought back to his own experience at Darkley's, 'Shit, what if the people at his school try to lock him in a closet for a whole day? What if when the teachers finally find him, they wouldn't only not punish the perpetrators but would congratulate them? What if this has already happened to him?'

So lost in thoughts was he that he couldn't hear what his other self was saying.

"Hey, hey, hey, you there?..... LLOYD!!"

"Um, yeah I'm completely fine. Nothing's wrong," Lloyd said automatically, almost as if those were lines rehearsed countless times in front of the mirror, "What is it, kiddo?"

"Well, you just started to space out and I got worried," other Lloyd began, "Like dude, you literally didn't blink for the past five minutes. I had to shout your, well our, name to get your attention. And it's just weird to call someone who looks exactly like me by my name."

Lloyd chuckled slightly.

"I guess now you understand why I want to use code names."

"Y-yeah, kind of."

Lloyd wrapped one of his arms around his counterpart's neck.

"What about this, kiddo? I go by Monty and you go by Forest. I am being quite generous with giving you the cooler name."

The shorter blond snorted but didn't find it in himself to protest. 

"Okay, fine," he rolled his eyes, "Monty."

"That's the spirit, Forest. Besides, the name kinda fits, given how I basically found you in a forest and had to pick you up from the ground like a potato."

"..... HEY!!"

Later

"Well, that was a fun trip, wasn't it," Lloyd of this universe said as he landed his dragon back down, "Too bad I couldn't show you more of New Ninjago city, but hey, there's always next time."

"Yeah," the shorter blond smiled, "anyway, it's getting late, I'd better go home. Mom will be worried sick about me if I come home late."

"Haha, yeah, you'd better go, Forest," Lloyd said, a smile perfectly hiding away his conflicting feelings about how his other self's mom was very present in her son's life, "Make sure not to trip and injure your leg. I ain't playing doctor to you anytime soon."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

With that, the two Lloyds bid each other farewell.

After his shorter counterpart had safely returned to his own universe, Lloyd let out a chuckle, albeit a slightly bitter one.

"I know what the other me's mother is like," he said to himself, "Oh well, better not think too much about these things. Maybe I'll find out when I go to his universe."

He checked the watch on his hand. 

"Oh, I still have some time left. Guess it's enough for a short visit," he said as he summoned his Energy Dragon and hopped on it.

A while later

"Sorry for not seeing you for a while, dad," he said fondly to the statue made in the image of his father's human form. 

Sure the statue was a pale comparison to what his dad had been when the man had still been himself and still regarded Lloyd as his beloved son but eh, Lloyd needed an outlet to rant to. And that outlet needed to have a sense of familiarity to him.

And the statue of his father, which had been built after the man had made the ultimate sacrifice to save the day and Ninjago, was a good enough substitute for him.

Besides, not like he was going crazy or anything and seeing the statue as his real dad. It was just nice to pretend. That's all. 

"I've been a bit busy lately," Lloyd revealed, "A few ceremonies that I had to attend here and there, some more training. I'm really starting to find out what my power can really do. I have to get stronger to make sure that I won't get beat to near death by evil resurrected zombie you again," he laughed, "the others are doing okay too. It's nice to see them relaxing and enjoying life. Cole is finally mending his relationship with his dad properly. I don't know much about Kai and Nya and their parents but they seem to be on good terms. Jay's parents are beginning to be less overbearing and they're really proud of him. He and his dad actually spent like an entire day geeking out about the various inventions Jay has in store. Zane has been trying more recipes. He seems to be very determined on making the perfect macarons. Pixal's been considering installing a program that would allow her to taste food as she's been curious about what things taste like for a while. I don't know what Master Wu's been up to lately though. And also oh boy, you won't believe what happened to me yesterday and today."

Sure the inanimate giant statue couldn't answer him but the recreation of his dad's wa smile on the statue was enough for Lloyd to keep rambling on and on about recent events in his life. 

Chapter Text

"Soooo now, I kinda am friends with another me," Lloyd finally finished his story after a full half hour of ranting, "Which is just crazy, you know, dad. And his mother seems to care about him a lot," he smiled as he leaned against the base of his father's statue, "I'm really happy that the kid has a good mother. I don't know where mine is currently. Maybe she's out there, doing archeological stuff or something? You probably know better than me, considering how she's your wife, dad, even though you two probably aren't considered husband and wife in the eyes of the law or whatever anymore. Zane taught me a few more things about laws last week. Apparently the "Till death do we part" also applies in the eyes of marriage law. And you kinda died and the evil resurrected you isn't exactly, well, you so yeah kinda a bummer I guess. You guys seemed so happy when we were finally a family again," he remembered all the happy memories.

Too bad it only lasted barely a year before his dad was once again snatched away from him.

"But, it could be that my memories are a bit like rose-coloured glasses. Hey dad, has Mother ever visited you here?" He asked the soulless statue, not really expecting an answer.

He just wanted to talk, to pretend like he was venting to his dad like before. 

"You know, since this is technically also your grave, even though there's no corpse underneath the dirt, I just figure that it would be nice for you to get visitors other than me here," he reached one of his arms up to touch the statue's right leg, "wow, you're covered in dirt and grime. And is that moss growing on you, dad?" Lloyd used Airjitzu to fly up the statue. 

"Hum, guess it really is moss," he said, "How come I didn't notice that when I last visited you? Okay that's it, I'm bringing some cleaning supplies with me next time I come here. I might be able to come here tomorrow or maybe the day after tomorrow. I did promise Kai that I would help him out with his blacksmith thing tomorrow. And the Green Ninja can't be going around breaking promises, so sorry dad, but I guess you have to wait a bit before you finally get a good wash," he laughed as he sat on the statue's left shoulder, "The sunset today looks nice, doesn't it, dad?" he asked rhetorically as the sun slowly descended, cascading the sky with shades of red, orange and yellow, " I wonder if there's anything similar to this in the Underworld. Too bad, I never got to ask you about that. And also what it was like to be the king of the Underworld," he looked sadly at the recreation of his dad's face on the statue, "I don't know if that makes me a prince of the Underworld or something."

He had to admit that the sculptors had done a great job recreating Garmadon's looks, especially considering how they only had references from the photos Lloyd had taken of him and his dad together.

 "Oh and did I tell you about the mess Cole made last week when he tried cooking curry? You won't believe how many times the fire alarm went off."

Movie universe

Lloyd had a cheerful energy in his every step as he walked back home, clutching his new comics to his chest. Not even the hateful looks he got from passersby managed to sour his mood.

He… actually had fun today. And it was just so… refreshing to be able to go out and not be greeted with hateful looks and whispers. 

"Look at that, the son of Garmadon is smiling. What do you think he's plotting?"

Lloyd almost felt like he got splashed by a bucket of not only ice cold water but also huge chunks of freezing ice. 

'It's okay, Lloyd. Just ignore them. Besides, not like they get to hang out with an alternative version of them in an alternative universe,' he thought to himself.

Sure his other self was a bit immature at times and honestly took a bit too much fun in teasing him and making his face turn into a giant tomato, but he was also nice and seemed to understand Lloyd extremely.

'Well, he is kinda me after all,' Lloyd thought, 'Just stronger, with cool power and also doesn't get hated everywhere he goes,' he frowned, 'But he doesn't seem to have a good relationship with his mom. And I don't see him mentioning his dad at all. He also has so many scars all over his body,' his frown loosened.

Later

"Mom," Lloyd said in surprise, "You're back early."

Koko smiled as she came over to ruffle her son's blond hair.

"Lloyd, sweetie, I may be working three jobs right now but even I can manage to have Sunday off," she said, "I won't allow for my skin to turn dry and wrinkly due to overworking," she lightly joked as she patted her face, "I'm still too young to be mistaken as an old woman."

Lloyd laughed.

"Mom, you're well in your late thirties already. That's quite old if you ask me."

"Oh, just wait until you're all grown up and then you'll understand," Koko increased the speed with which she ruffled Lloyd's hair

"HAHA, STOP IT, Mom. I yield, I yield," the blond said through laughter. 

"Victory is all mine," Koko grinned as she finally released Lloyd from her tight hold, "Now what do you have there with you, sweetie? I see someone has been doing a bit of shopping with his friend," she smiled in a teasing manner.

Lloyd couldn't get the thought of how similar the teasing was to his other self's out of his head.

"Um, yeah," he awkwardly laughed, "I got a few comics I really wanted" he disclosed, " But don't worry, mom, I didn't spend all of the money," he started as he handed back the remaining money, which was still a lot, to Koko.

"Wait," Koko squinted her eyes, "Then how did you—"

"My friend," Lloyd answered, "He was quite the generous fellow."

'Though I genuinely worry about what has happened to him,' this part Lloyd kept to himself, 'For goodness sake, he even said that he was homeless for a while as a kid.'

"Oh," Koko let out, "Well, in that case, I'm so proud of my little baby for having such a wonderful friend," she pinched Lloyd's cheeks, "When can I meet this wonderful boy who sees my little precious son for who he is on the inside and not just who his father is," Koko smiled wide, absolutely overjoyed to see her son making friends. 

"Yeah, maybe one day," Lloyd lied, "I'll see if he's free any time soon. He's really nice."

Koko's smile got impossibly wider.

"Anyone, who manages to see past all the nasty rumors and see my son for who he really is, gets a pass in my book," she said, "Now is this the same guy that helped you the night you injured your leg?"

Lloyd instantly froze as soon as the words left Koko's mouth.

"He is, isn't he?" Koko grinned, her mom senses working way too well for Lloyd's liking. 

"Um…uh..I..he," Lloyd suddenly lost the ability to speak, "ummm….no."

"Lloyd, what did I tell you about lying to your own mother?" Koko gave Lloyd a well-deserved noogie, "Besides, it's a good thing. You were fearing that this guy would hate you, but now he's your friend."

"Um, yeah," Lloyd shyly said.

He had to admit. It was nice to hang out with someone and not have people stare daggers at him. He never had enough courage to go out with his teammates because he was always too afraid of them getting into trouble because of him.

Show universe

"Greenie," Kai greeted Lloyd with a hair ruffle as soon as the latter hopped off his elemental dragon.

"WHOA, KAI, watch the hair," Lloyd half whined, half laughed.

"Oh please, as if your hair will ever be neat and pristine," Kai joked, "And tell me, Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, where have you been the past six hours?" the master of fire asked, his tone of voice turning from friendly to overprotective brother in an instance.

"Okay, why are you going all overprotective on me now, Kai?" Lloyd squinted his eyes as he slowly backed away from the master of fire. 

"Dude, you've been basically obsessed with training these few weeks—," Kai pointed out.

"Kai, it's not bad. It's just the normal regular amount of training. Not like I ever collapsed from exhaustion while training.

"Hey, I'm not done speaking yet, grasshopper. Listen to your elder when he's speaking," Kai countered.

"You may be older, but I'm taller now," Lloyd reminded the older male of the fact that he had surpassed Kai's height quite a while ago.

Kai frowned as he reached up and pushed down on Lloyd's shoulders, as if doing so could somehow stop the blond from growing any taller.

"As I was saying," Kai continued, "you have been all about training recently, and today you just suddenly snuck off after doing two hours of training, not the usual four or five. And you didn't even have any major events to attend today. And also, don't you dare exhaust yourself to the point of passing out while training. Not on my watch!!"

'Oh jeez, there's the overprotective mode,' Lloyd thought in his head.

"Kaaaaiii," Lloyd whined, "I'm not a kid anymore. Remember? I can take care of myself. Besides, I just thought it would be nice to have a day off today, considering how you guys have been nagging me to take it easy."

Kai narrowed his eyes on Lloyd.

"For real?"

"Yes, of course, it is," Lloyd insisted.

Kai sighed.

"Well, I'm glad that you're finally decided to take it easy, green machine," the master of fire patted the blond on the back, "You deserve it after everything, demon spawn."

"Wow, demon spawn? Haven't heard that one for months now," Lloyd rolled his eyes, "I even thought that you had forgotten about that one."

Kai gave him a look of disbelief.

"Okay, now how can I ever forget the first nickname we ever gave you?"

"Yeah sure, it was definitely a nickname that absolutely didn't come to be just because Jay shouted that as soon as he saw my red eyes," Lloyd said sarcastically, his eyes flashing red for a couple of moments before going back to green.

"Okay…. I still don't know how you can do that," Kai started.

"Me neither honestly," Lloyd shrugged his shoulders.

"Whatever, just remember not to do it while Jay is getting something from the kitchen in the dark. You might just give him a heart attack," Kai said ,"And as much as I don't like admitting it, I don't want my soon-to-be brother-in-law to be admitted to the hospital for any more stupid reasons."

"Not gonna make any promises," Lloyd grinned, "And besides, it's not like you have any rights to say anything, considering how you once tried placing your hand on the stove to test if you could withstand the heat."

"HEY," Kai countered, "I had a reasonable excuse to do so. Like hello, master of fire here, if I can withstand the heat of my own flames, then why can't I withstand the heat of flames in general."

"Yeah right," Lloyd stuck out his tongue in a childish manner, "You should be glad that your hypothesis turned out to be right."

Chapter Text

"Oh ha ha," Kai rolled his eyes, "Very mature, Lloyd," he stopped immediately after remembering that Lloyd was in fact younger than he looked. 

Lloyd blew a raspberry at Kai.

"Okay, you can stop it now. Zane baked some more macaroons today," Kai revealed, "Apparently the new flavor today is pandan with ube," Kai grinned, " with delicious creamy and rich chocolate ganache in the middle. There's even a special one with a piece of salty chewy caramel in the middle," he whispered into Lloyd's ear, "It would be a shame if someone whose name isn't Lloyd Garmadon got to it first."

Immediately, Lloyd grabbed Kai by his shoulders.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS SOONER?" the blond shrieked, before rushing into the monastery. 

"SORRY, GREEN BEAN," Kai shouted to the now running Lloyd, obviously having a good chuckle along the way as he took a leisure stroll to the monastery.

"YEAH RIGHT, AS IF YOU'RE ACTUALLY SORRY," the master of energy shouted back. 

Movie universe

"Dude," Cole's voice came out loud and clear through Lloyd's phone as soon as the blond joined the group chat, "Where have you been today? The team and I have been trying to contact you for hours."

"Sorry, Cole," Lloyd apologized as he witnessed the frown on his friend's face through the phone. 

"Like seriously, Lloyd, what were you doing?"

"Ummm," Lloyd hesitated, "I just went out a bit, you know. That place I went to must have had a bad cell phone connection."

"Dude, you actually went out today," Kai butted in, obviously surprised, "and are those new comics I'm seeing? Who are you and what have you done to Lloyd Garmadon?" 

"KAI!!" Nya chided her brother.

"Hahahaha, very funny, Kai," Lloyd rolled his eyes, "For your information, I'm not a shut-in so obviously I can bear going out in public."

'Just don't really like doing so for obvious reasons.'

That part Lloyd kept to himself.

"Hello fellow humans," Zane greeted as he joined the group chat.

"Oh..um hey, Zane," Lloyd said awkwardly.

"Have you all studied for the upcoming math test?" Zane asked, "I have to admit the teacher is seriously getting on my case. He has no rights to hold back my wild teen spirit," he said in a failed attempt to appear like a normal human teen.

"Couldn't agree more with ya, Zane," Cole replied in spite of the awkwardness, "And also, Lloyd, can you try to not lose contact with us next time. What if Garmadon decides to attack the city anytime soon?"

"Oh that," Lloyd replied, "Don't worry guy, he isn't doing so until Tuesday or Wednesday, from what he said."

"Wait, how did you?" Nya questioned.

"Son of Lord Garmadon, here," Lloyd pointed to himself, "ring any bells?"

"Oh yeah," Nya replied, "Sorry."

"Eh, don't sweat it, Nya," Lloyd shrugged his shoulders, "Besides, my dad is kinda a massive dickhead anyway," he allowed himself to curse. 

"But still, he's kinda your dad, Lloyd," Jay intercepted.

Lloyd lowered his eyes to his ground.

"Yeah, I guess so," he said just to preserve the peace.

'A dad that is hellbent on taking over the city and having zero clue on how it affects his son's social life,' he thought to himself, 'Wonder how he manages to sleep at night.'

Show universe

"Oh fuck," Lloyd muffled out a curse, a macaroon still in his mouth, as he picked up a green hoodie and a pair of worn out jeans, "The other me totally forgot to bring his clothes back with him. And I kinda forgot to remind him to do that," he then looked at the clock, "Well, it isn't exactly that late right now," he looked at the photo of him and his dad that was on the bedside table, "Guess, I'll be taking a little dimension-crossing trip, dad," he grinned, "I'll talk to you about it when I get back."

Besides, Lloyd could use this as an excuse to see what his other self's universe was like.

"Hey guys," Lloyd said to his teammates who were sitting in the living room. Kai and Jay were having a competition on who could beat the high score on the latest zombie shooting game they had gotten. Zane was chatting with Pixal via the communication feature located in his head while Nya was pestering Zane to put Pixal on speaker so that she could talk to her about the latest upgrades on their gears and equipment, especially their vehicles. And Cole was off the kitchen, enjoying some delicious cake while nobody was looking.

"I'm going to do some stuff, okay," Lloyd announced.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kai turned his head towards Lloyd at such a speed that you would think his neck would be broken by now, "It's late, Lloyd."

"Well," Zane added in, "It is quite late right now. Should you want to go outside, I would advise you to wear a coat."

"Seriously, Zane," Kai chimed in, "That's all you have to say."

The following "Game over" announced Kai's defeat to Jay in the game… rather loudly.

"HA!!" Jay cheered, "Master of lightning one, master of fire,zero."

"HEY, NO FAIR," Kai shouted, "I was distracted."

"Which was why you lost," Jay grinned. 

"Well, excuse me for worrying about the youngest member of the team," Kai rolled his eyes.

"Pff, overprotective much," Jay huffed.

"Am not."

"Said the man who threatened to barbecue me alive when he knew that Nya and I were official."

"Um, guys," Nya butted in, "Hate to break it to ya two doofuses, but Lloyd kinda left a minute ago."

"WHAT?" Kai let out, "Why didn't any of you tell me?"

"You were quite occupied with your argument with Jay," Zane pointed out.

"That and you had your back turned towards Lloyd," Pixal added as she appeared through a holographic screen, "which conveniently made it easier for Lloyd to leave without you noticing."

Kai shot his whole team an unimpressed glare.

"Oh come on, Flames for brains," Nya rolled her eyes, "It's not like Lloyd's gonna get himself into any troubles. Let the kid have some freedom, oh dear great overprotective brother of mine," she said the last part with utmost sarcasm.

"For the last time, I'm not that overprotective," Kai protested, "Also have you all just conveniently forgotten the sheer number of times Greenie has been kidnapped by some villain who wants to steal his energy for some evil plans? I swear, he is like some trouble magnet or something."

"Kai," Cole popped out from the kitchen, "you do know that the last villain who tried to do that last month got his ass kicked to prison by our little demon spawn, right? Rumour has it, that guy is still recovering right now. I think Lloyd's gonna be fine," he took another bite of his cake, "Besides, he can call us for help with his communication device should anything happen."

"Why do I feel like you all are ganging up on me?" Kai growled.

"Because if we don't, you're gonna worry yourself to the point of gray hair in the next year or so," Nya patted her brother on the shoulders, her smile only increasing when Kai gave her a murderous glare, "Besides, Lloyd always carries some kind of weapons on him nowadays so the kid isn't gonna be unprepared for a battle."

Movie universe.

Lloyd looked around after emerging from the golden portal.

'Uh, looks more like a small wood,' he thought as he turned his head left and right to survey the area, 'And I guess that must be the Ninjago city of this world,' he concluded as ahead of him, he could see the path to a city. 

It took Lloyd a few minutes to get out of the woods and into the city. 

Instantly, Lloyd realized why his counterpart seemed to be so socially anxious most of the time. 

'Dear FSM, why are you people staring at me like that?' Lloyd thought to himself as he made his way through the street, 'Note to self, I am so wearing a disguise next time.'

Lloyd stumbled a bit when a passerby bumped into him…. quite harshly.

"Beat it, Garmadon," the passerby snarled at Lloyd before walking off. 

'Jeeze, what fun crowd you are,' Lloyd thought sarcastically in his head, 'No wonder Forest is so jumpy. These people look like they want me dead and would dance happily on my grave while singing some cherry songs.'

RIt was around five minutes in that Lloyd realized that maybe he should have made sure that he actually knew where his counterpart lived to begin with. 

'Oh shit,' he thought to himself as he ducked into an alleyway to get away from the stares.

But of course, considering his luck, Lloyd immediately got grabbed by his shirt collar.

"Stick them up, Garmadon," the thug in front of him pulled out a switchblade.

Lloyd only gave an unimpressed look.

"Really?" the blond let out while raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," the thug responded, "And don't think you can just make a run for it to your little rundown apartment."

"My.. apartment?" Lloyd asked.

"Yeah, your little apartment over here," the thug pointed towards an apartment building.

"Okay then," Lloyd said, "So by any chance, do you also know exactly where I live?"

"Well duh," the thug scoffed, "Floor 5, the apartment with the only window that isn't the same color as the rest."

Lloyd noted the information down in his head.

"Oh I see," he said dryly, not freaking out at all about the switchblade near his throat. 

"Don't act like you're not scared shitless right now," the thug snarled back at him, "Because your dear daddy wouldn't come to help you," the switchblade got closer to Lloyd's throat.

'Well duh, of course my dad isn't gonna come to help me,' Lloyd rolled his eyes as he grabbed the thug's arm that was holding the blade and flung the thug over his shoulders, 'He's kinda dead and gone.'

The thug came tumbling on the ground rather unceremoniously.

"You know," Lloyd began as he held the thug's switchblade in his hand, pointing the tip of the blade dangerously close to his own face as his mouth formed into a grin, "you have some pretty," he emphasized on the word "pretty", "bad form," he continued as he leaned down to get a closer look at the thug who had landed on his ass and was still too shocked to get up, "Honestly, how can you even intimidate me with this?" Lloyd smiled widely, showing his fangs and his eyes glowing unnaturally in the dark alleyway. 

"AHHHHHH," the thug screamed as he leaped to his feet and fled, "MONSTER!!!"

Lloyd tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"Wow, what a coward!! All bark and no bite," he looked down at the switchblade in his hands, "Guess I'll add you to my collection. You do look particularly shiny," he grinned, "And jeez, what a lousy assassination attempt that was!! I could take on someone more threatening than a thug like that guy."

Lloyd then set his eyes on the apartment building that the thug had pointed at. 

"Well, at least my luck isn't all that bad."

The thug was right, one of the windows of the apartment wasn't like the rest, with black frames instead of the white ones that the rest seemed to have. Squinting his eyes, Lloyd could see that there was a silhouette behind the window, one with the same blond hair as him.

Grinning, Lloyd started his ascent up the building. One good thing about being a ninja was that he had basically a whole arsenal of skills, which also included climbing up buildings without the use of special tools. Reaching his destination, he gently knocked on the glass. 

His other self, whose eyes had been glued to his phone screen, turned to look at him. And his jaw immediately dropped, eyes the size of dinner plates.

Lloyd found that low-key hilarious. 

"Hey kid," he grinned, "Special delivery~," he cooed as he fetched the clothes from his little bag and waved them around, while still perched on the window, 5 stories from the ground. 

Chapter Text

"Hey Forest~," Monty greeted, still waving the clothes in front of the window. 

"Forest" would be screaming in confusion had he not been stunned in shock. 

A little click was heard as Monty opened the window and invited himself in. 

"Pardon for the intrusion," Monty said as he stepped inside Forest's room. 

"H-how did you? The window was locked," the shorter blond's eyes were still wide, his mouth open wide. 

The grin on Monty's face remained as he pulled out the switchblade he had obtained earlier.

"Oh I have a little trick up my sleeves," he simply answered, "It was quite easy to open the latch of your window from the outside. That thing is probably old now," he toyed with the tip of the switchblade, "You really need to tell whoever your landlord is to examine the window. What if someone sneaks in and tries to kill you in your sleep?"

"What??" Forest backed further on his bed until his back touched the wall, "What the heck, dude? Are you trying to jinx me or something? And also, please me you didn't just walk around with that blade on full display, especially when we basically share the same face."

'Dear good, I don't want my PR to be ruined forever,' he dreaded. Like his reputation here wasn't that good to begin with but he sure wasn't up for being labeled as a potential serial killer. 

"What?" Monty shrugged his shoulders, "Mind you, I was greeted with an assassination attempt within the first fifteen minutes of being in your world," he pointed an accusatory finger, "Like wow, what a bunch of nice folks the people here are! Besides, I'm not dumb enough to walk around with weapons on full display. I'm a ninja and ninjas have to be sneaky."

"YOU GOT ASSASSINATED??"

Came a loud shriek from the shorter blond. 

"Hey, nearly assassinated would be more correct," Monty corrected, being scarily nonchalant, "I'm still alive and well, you know. And also, you act like you yourself haven't gotten the occasional one or two assassination attempts made on you."

"That because I actually haven't," Forest countered, "What do I look like? A high-profile target for snipers?? Do I have a magical "kill me" note stuck on my back??"/"

"Wweelll," Monty drew his word out, "Technically, you are me soooo… Yes," the blond smiled widely, looking like a smug cat.

"Dear god, you're unbelievable!!" "Which also means that you're just as unbelievable," Monty's grin didn't waver, "And besides, if what you're saying is true, then congrats on still being alive and not having been assassinated yet. It's a big feat, considering how you have no assassination attempts made on you despite living here for years while I've already got a knife near my throat within fifteen minutes here."

"Okay… you're starting to scare me," Forest muttered, his eyes looking to the side, trying not to look his counterpart in the eyes, especially when the taller blond's eyes held a sense of nonchalance in them. 

A knock on the door alerted the two of them. Monty quickly jumped and situated himself on the ceiling like a spider. 

"Lloyd dear, is everything alright?" Koko's voice came from outside.

"um..YeAh," Forest's voice cracked, "I'm fine, mom. Perfectly fine."

"Really? I could have sworn that I heard a scream," Koko said, being reasonably worried.

"It's nothing, it's….," Forest spun the wheel of excuses in his head, "I just saw a large spider while getting into bed. That's all."

"Really, Lloyd? Jeez, don't scare me like that. I got worried for a minute there, sweetie," Koko responded, "Make sure to rest soon, okay. You have school tomorrow."

"Yeah, okay mom," Forest responded.

He let out a sigh of utter relief as Koko's footsteps grew fainter and fainter. 

Monty came back down from the ceiling, his movement causing little to no sound at all.

"Your mother seems nice," the taller blond remarked, "She kinda sounds different from mine though. Don't know if she actually looks exactly like mine?"

Forest looked over to his other self.

"Yeah, she is nice. She's my mom after all," he sighed, "And come to think of it, what does your mom look like?"

"Eh, gray hair, lots of wrinkles, basically she looks her age," Monty shrugged.

"Grey hair??? But my mom has red hair," Forest scratched his head, confused as to why their respective moms would look different.

"Red hair, huh? Well at least that would explain the blond hair better than my case of two brunette parents," Monty recalled the lessons Zane had taught him on biology, specifically genetics. 

'They sound cool….until you get to all the complex calculations of possibility and matching scenarios.'

 "I see," Forest replied, honestly having some troubles picturing his mom with brown hair, "But seriously, dude, how the heck did you manage to stay there on the ceiling?"

"Duh, ninja over here," Monty grinned.

"Wow, didn't know that ninjas go around breaking into people's homes," Forest rolled his eyes, "And please tell me that you haven't caused a scene while you're here. Otherwise my reputation here would be down the gutter."

"Ha, with what you have told me, I'm surprised it's not in the gutter yet."

"..... Alright, fair enough," Forest admitted, "Still I would like not to be mistaken as a potential serial killer. The people can't know about me being a ninja. They would freak the heck out."

"Oh, don't worry, your secret is safe with me, kiddo," Monty smiled, doing the "zipping one's mouth shut" gesture, "Anyway, here's your clothes," he handed his other self the neatly folded clothes, "with even free shipping."

"Jeeze, what are you? A delivery boy?" Forest rolled his eyes. 

"Well, I would make for a pretty good-looking one," he flipped his shoulder-length hair, "Might get a good amount of tip for the good service."

"Narcissistic much?" Forest rolled his eyes. 

"When your own mom isn't around to call you a handsome boy, you gotta do it yourself," Monty joked, patting himself on the chest.

Despite the taller blond meaning it as a funny joke, Forest didn't find it very funny. 

"Just… What is your mom like?" He asked abruptly, which made Monty stop his laughter. 

"My mom?"

"Yeah, your mom."

Monty curled a lock of his hair onto his right pointer finger.

"Well," he began, "she's smart. That's for sure, given how she's an archaeologist who knows many ancient languages. Too bad, I only have a basic understanding of those languages," he smiled sadly, reminiscing on the rare times he got to hang out with his mom privately. 

Lloyd always admired her passion for archeology. She even tried to teach him the ancient languages. Lloyd even learnt them on his own so that he could surprise her and get to see her proud smile. 

He didn't know when he would be able to do that or if he could be happy when he received the "I'm so proud of you" smile. 

"Archeologist?" Forest repeated.

"Yeah, your mother isn't one?" Monty raised an eyebrow.

"Well," Forest scratched his head, "no, she isn't, but she does work in the city's museum for one of her jobs. She does like history and all that ancient stuff."

"He, guess guess there's something in common after all," Monty remarked, "Anyways, it's getting late. I will take my leave."

"W-wait, I have to check if my mom is truly asleep so I can sneak you out," Forest said as he pressed his ear against the door to listen for any signs of Koko still being awake. 

"Yeah," Monty began, "I don't think it's necessary," he said as he walked towards the window, "it's better to take this exit."

"Wait, like you sure?" Forest asked, honestly a bit wary of the possibility of his doppelganger slipping and falling down five stories and becoming a splash on the ground beneath. 

'I can already imagine the people's joy when they discover the body and then their disappointment when they realize that there's still one Lloyd Garmadon left.' 

"Dude," Monty began, "I'm honestly offended that you would think that the legendary green ninja can't handle a mere five-story descent."

"Okay, okay," Forest rolled his eyes, "I get it, Mr Confidence. Now can you please go or does someone as great as you need a farewell party?" 

"Ha," Monty laughed as he opened the window and propped one leg out, "No need, this hero does have some humility," he continued as he climbed out of the window, "Oh yeah ,good luck on school tomorrow, kid, considering how you're still in school."

"Are you seriously rubbing in the fact that I have to suffer through school and you don't?"

"Yep," Monty grinned.

Forest could have sworn he caught the glint of something sharp in his counterpart's mouth before the taller blond descended down the apartment building. 

Chapter Text

Show universe

"So, you're finally back?" Kai said as he spun in his chair as soon as Lloyd stepped foot inside the monastery. 

"Well, don't you look like a classic villain?" Lloyd rolled his eyes, "An A plus for perfectly recreating the atmosphere, "Overprotective brother from hell"."

"Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon," Kai said his full name.

"At your service, Mr Kai Smith sir," Lloyd said back, doing a little bow.

Kai narrowed his eyes at this behavior while Lloyd gave him a wide grin, fully showing his fangs.

"Where were you for the last two hours and a half?" 

"At the place that I went to two and a half hours ago," the blond answered cheekily.

"Okay," Kai pinched the bridge of his nose, "just how in the underworld did we manage to bring up such a snarky and cheeky kid?"

"I would be surprised if you guys hadn't," Lloyd talked back, "Considering how you guys are."

"What do you mean by that, Greenie?"

"Exactly what I meant," Lloyd crossed his arms.

Nya popped out from the kitchen, holding a cup of coffee.

"I told ya the dramatic entrance was a dumb idea," she said as she took a sip of her cup of black coffee.

"Oh zip it, Nya," Kai rolled his eyes, "In the middle of something over here."

"Then, I'll leave you two to it. Lloyd, you poor soul, after Kai's done being a paranoid overprotective brother, you can help yourself to some leftover cake in the fridge. By some miracle, Cole didn't finish the whole thing today and is actually open to someone finishing it up for him."

"Wow," Lloyd muttered as he clapped his hands together in a praying position, "This is truly a once in a lifetime phenomenon. Maybe my grandfather is finally looking out for his destiny's punching bag grandson."

"Indeed, it is, our little demon spawn," Nya raised her cup of coffee towards Lloyd, "Cheer."

Lloyd also raised his hand, pretending like he was also holding a cup.

"Cheer," he smiled 

"Why do I get the feeling that your guys are ignoring me?" Kai frowned as he leaned back into his chair.

"That's because we are," Nya grinned. 

Kai shot his two younger siblings a look that basically said "Why you little—?"

"Hey, dad, I'm back," Lloyd said as he stepped inside his room.

Of course he didn't expect a response, given how a picture is an inanimate object. 

"Guess who just got another near assassination attempt made on him?" He grinned as he did a graceful bow in front of the inanimate picture, "Like jeez, that guy couldn't have had the courtesy to give a suspenseful and evil monologue or better, strike me from behind and get the job finished quickly. What an amateur, wasn't he? Definitely got a massive F in Villainy 101."

Lloyd laughed, his tone slightly maniacal. 

"Honestly, dad, did you and Master Wu get this much attention when you were my age?" he asked nobody in particular, "Like dear my grandfather, if that's the case, I feel so sorry for you."

There was no response.

"Eh, maybe I will get to ask you when I die, if the old you is still there in the Departed Realm. I mean you kinda got resurrected as an evil jerk version so there's always a chance that I won't get to see you again…. Like ever……. Well, ain't that a bitch!!!" 

He started laughing, as if someone had told him a hilarious joke.

"Hahahaha, I guess I'd better cherish the short memories we made together, dad. Honestly, sometimes it's kinda hard for me to remember your voice, especially when you were still you and not an evil resurrected zombie. I know that the resurrected you has the same voice but it just doesn't feel like it," Lloyd wiping a tear caused from laughing too much, "Maybe I can ask Pixal to help me immortalize your voice and image in a hologram or something. I mean technology is advancing quickly……. Hey," he smiled, "What if I can clone you, dad? I mean, first we need your DNA, maybe from a lock of hair. I should be able to find that in your box of stuff. I mean, you did have this specific brush you used to brush your hair. Maybe then, I can actually hear you call me son again," the blond chuckled,maybe a little too excited and happy at this thought than socially acceptable. 

Lloyd fumbled his new switchblade out of his pocket.

"Oh, and I got a new knife today, dad. Wanna look?"

The green ninja gleefully showcased his trophy of today, aka the switchblade, to the picture as if the picture had actually been a real person.

In the lighting of the room, the switchblade glowed a cool blue hue.

"Pretty cool right? It must be worth something," Lloyd toyed with the tip of the blade, "The material seems strong and not cheap like regular switchblades. And the handle is just perfect for gripping. And it's sooo shiny," he grinned a grin so casually that you would think he was actually talking to another person instead of just an inanimate picture. 

The next day

Movie universe

Lloyd woke up to the sound of his phone receiving a call.

The blond groaned as he reached for his phone.

"Hello??" 

"Hey, how's my first born doing?" 

Lloyd snapped his eyes wide open and then unfortunately proceeded to roll out of his bed, causing a loud thud.

"D-DAD???" the blond practically shrieked.

"Well, duh," Garmadon said on the other line, a grin obviously on his face. 

"Wait, wait, why are you calling me? And at this time?"

"Oh, you know," a sip of coffee could be heard, "Just checking up on my spawn. Didn't even know I had your number until yesterday."

"Dad, you called me a few times before ….and didn't recognise me."

"Wow really? I really gotta organize my contacts more…. Or make one of my minions do it for me."

Lloyd rolled his eyes so hard that he was surprised that they didn't roll back into his skull. 

"Jeez, dad, you're unbelievable," he groaned as he got himself up from the cold hard unforgiving floor, "Also who the heck is up this early?" 

"Well, me," Garmadon answered nonchalantly, "And also a couple of minions. Can't start my day without a cup of coffee brewed meticulously by one of my minions. Seriously, minion 59 sure knows how to make a mean cup of Joe. You should come and try it out sometimes."

"Yeeeeaah," Lloyd drew out his words, "No thanks, dad. Kinda don't like the thought of going into a volcano. Kinda screams unsafe."

"Oh please, Luh-loyd. As if I, Lord Garmadon, would dare to make my lair that unsafe. Like sure there can be the occasional lava leak here and there but not that serious. And the hot springs here are to die for, okay? Luh-loyd, you're missing out big time on not visiting your old man."

'Like how you're missing out big time on actually being a dad,' Lloyd thought in his head as he frowned. 

"Yeah sure, bye, dad."

"And remember to call your old man some—"

Lloyd hung up. 

"Dear god, it's not like I need him and mom to get back together or for him to suddenly change his way and stop being a warlord. He just needs to pay child support and maybe try not to make my reputation here worse somehow."

Okay he knew that the last one was a bit hard for even Garmadon to do since you know, it's virtually impossible to make everyone in a whole city not think badly of you. 

"Okay, not gonna think of that just yet. Gotta deal with school first."

Later

Lloyd hated school. 

He truly did. 

After a mentally exhausting math exam and a surprise pop quiz on physics, he was quite sure that his soul was on the verge of leaving his body. 

"Sit up straight, Mr Garmadon," his geography teacher, Miss…. Something that he didn't bother to remember, chided him and only him, even though there were at least five more students doing the exact same "I'm… done, man. Just let the earth reclaim me" position of collapsing on their desks. Additionally, there was even a student who was straight up taking a nap just two seats away from Lloyd on the left. 

"Yes, miss," Lloyd obediently responded, sitting up properly now.

He honestly was used to this already. 

'Is it bad for me to want to go to the other universe right now?' he thought, halfheartedly listening to the lecture that was going on, 'I wonder what other me is doing right now.'

Show universe

"Well this is a bit boring," Lloyd pouted.

"Hey, I didn't say it would be as exciting as fighting villains," Kai grinned as he worked away at a piece of metal, his fire resistance coming handy in this type of work. 

"You also didn't tell me that it would be this mind-numbing," Lloyd groaned as he hammered up and down on his own piece of metal, his pace not as steady and his work not as precise as Kai's. 

But that was a given, especially since Lloyd was just a novice and was doing this for fun after he had helped Kai come up with designs for metal decorative pieces that were going to be hung on their team members' doors. 

"Urg, you would think that a letter opener would be easy to make," the master of energy huffed as he slammed down his hammer, "I mean all I'm doing right now is flattening the metal—"

Before Lloyd could finish his sentence, he accidentally mis-slammed his hammer and managed to give the table he was using as a working surface a good old dent.

Kai slowly turned away from his handy work and then stared at Lloyd's own handy work, all the while making a face as he brought his work to a halt. 

"Dear spirits, the table didn't do anything to you," Kai breathed out, hiding a giggle in his throat.

"Yeah, sorry," Lloyd scratched his head in slight embarrassment, "Still a bit of a novice at these things?" 

Kai chuckled.

"Don't worry, grasshopper. It's okay that you're a bit green at this."

"Oh knock it out with the pun, will you?" Lloyd rolled his eyes in amusement. 

"Nope, not a chance in all the realms."

Chapter Text

Movie universe

During school

"Dude, what's up with you today?" Kai nudged Lloyd in the stomach as they walked out of the class.

"Huh," Lloyd blurted out, "What do you mean, man? I'm just like usual."

"Nuh-uh," Kai retorted, "You were totally distracted today. Like sure, I only shared the last morning period with you but dude, you totally had this "nope, in daydreaming land right now. Don't disturb" look on your face."

".... Was it that bad?" 

"Well..yeah, you know how the teachers can get."

"Oh," Lloyd groaned, "Don't I know it," he said, especially considering how the teachers were especially strict with him for one very special reason. Can you guess??? Yep, it was for being the son of Lord Garmadon. 

'For being the son of someone who is universally feared here, I sure get the bad end of the stick a lot.'

Not like he wanted to be feared like his father, but sometimes, he genuinely thought that being feared was better than being hated and given the stink-eye basically everywhere he went. 

Once again he wondered if his other self would act in this situation. 

'Is he even…. me?' Lloyd wondered. 

Sure they shared the same face and were the same person but Monty, if he were to call his other self by the code name they had agreed on, was seemingly stronger than him and undoubtedly had loads of confidence. 

'He doesn't even have his mom beside him,' Lloyd frowned.

It was less than a second later that he bumped into the wall.

"Ouch!!" He exclaimed, clutching his nose.

"Okay," Kai let out, "Now you're worrying me, buddy."

“D-don’t worry, Kai. I’m fine,” Lloyd defended himself, “Just got distracted. That's all.”

He ignored the mocking laughter coming from the other students as best as he could. 

It was so different than when he was in the other world

“I’m just gonna go right now.”

“But what about lunch—?”

Lloyd was gone.

“What's gotten into him? Wait, doesn't he have no afternoon classes today?”

Kai furrowed his eyebrows. He just hoped that if Garmadon decided to attack the city, he would be able to contact Lloyd.

Show universe

"Red eyes day again, grasshopper?" Kai asked as he put on even more hot sauce on his plate of fries.

"Pretty much," Lloyd said, blinking his red eyes, "guess vampire mode is back on. I still don't know how this works"

"Either that or ankle-biting demon mode," Jay butted in from where he was tinkering with his communication device.

"Are you seriously still hung up on that, Jay?" Lloyd pouted, fakely.

"I still got the bite scar as proof, demon boy," Jay rebutted. 

"Ya want another one so it doesn't get lonely then," Lloyd grinned widely, showing off his sharp canines and incisors. 

Lloyd may have conflicted feelings about his heritage and all but he never was self-conscious about his sharp teeth. 

"OH, YOU AIN'T, DEMON SPAWN," Jay quite impossibly scotted himself even closer to the wall now.

"Oh come on~," Lloyd smirked, "It would make for a good scar."

"AND a good opportunity for rabies to fester in my blood," Jay narrowed his eyes.

"For the last time, Jay, I don't have rabies.”

“Nuh-uh, I refuse to die before my and Nya's wedding.”

“Yeah and you’d better stay alive after it as well,” Nya’s voice came from another room where she was tinkering on something. 

“Of course, Nya,” Jay smiled goofily. 

Lloyd decided between rolling his eyes and faking a gag while Kai just sighed “Oh you two lovebirds!”

It was a normal day for the protectors of Ninjago. Sure Lloyd had the horror of Zane dragging him to yet another lesson on mathematics and then other things in the morning to help him prepare for college, which he can probably attend online or pull some loops to get a degree that he was interested in, but aside from that, he had a good day so far. Lloyd briefly entertained the thought of telling them about the portal to another world, with possibly different versions of them, but he didn't want to drop a bombshell on such a nice day, especially when Zane was baking his famous brownies and Lloyd sure didn’t want them to be ruined by any potential burning or dropping to the floor.

‘Might be the start of my villain origin,’ he internally joked, ‘But I don't want to disappoint everyone and… dad.’

For a flash, he recalled being thrown against prison wall after wall. 

‘Okay, not that one. Come on, brain, just recall the other memories.’

He remembered the short time he spent with Garmadon after he turned good. He wanted to laugh at how he had thought this was their happy ending now.

Oh how much he wanted to slap himself in the face. 

Returning to his room, Lloyd stared back at the photo of him and his dad. 

“Hey again, dad. Just got back. Rather peaceful day today. And guess what? Red eyes today,” he pointed to his pair of red eyes, “Maybe had things been different, I would have inherited your violet eyes. Maybe I would have inherited mother’ brown eyes….. Come to think of it, didn't she say that she would give me a call soon? Don't know if she remembers. But then again, it's not like I won't be fine with that. Nope, I am definitely fine with that. All fine and everything.”

Lloyd picked the photo frame up and chatted with it as if it was a real person. He was glad that no one was here to see this, he didn't want the headline of tomorrow newspaper to be “LATEST NEWS: THE GREEN NINJA, PROTECTOR OF NINJAGO, DIAGNOSED WITH INSANITY AND CURRENTLY IN TREATMENT IN AN ASYLUM.”

Exaggerated? Probably.

“Also why are you so dusty today, dad?” Lloyd wiped away the dust, careful not to cut himself with the cracks in the photo frame. He really should go out and buy a new photo frame soon. 

Wait???

“Shit, I forgot to clean your statue,” he realized.

Did he still have time?

“Oh who am I kidding? Today is a day off. I can do it. Besides, what son would I be if I just let my dad's statue to gather dust and dirt?”

Sure cleaning the statue would be hard since it was in a remote place. But there was a lake with water nearby so he probably just needed to use more of his power to use that water. He could create a sort of telekinesis bubble to gather the water. Sure he could ask Nya for help but then again, he didn't want to bother her or anyone when they were having a good and peaceful time. 

‘I just need some cleaning tools..’

He quickly grabbed some sponges and scrubs.

“Bye guys, gonna go clean my dad's statue. Don't worry, if I come home late. I’m not kidnapped or anything. I have my communication device with me so call me if there's anything, okay? Bye.”

He said at lightning speed and was out the door. 

Jay squinted his eyes.

“Guys, I know it's good that our demon spawn is not obsessed with training anymore. But he's gonna go clean the statue of the person who kinda almost killed him? I know that's his dad but…..”

“I really don't know, Jay,” Kai considered, “It's probably complicated for him. The Garmadon that we know now is different from Sensei Garmadon.”

Zane peeked out from the kitchen.

“It wouldn't be inaccurate to propose the idea that Lloyd perhaps sees Sensei Garmadon and current Garmadon as different people,” the nindroid suggested.

The team fell into collective contemplation. 

Lloyd was just out of the door and a few meters away when he spotted a figure in a green hoodie. 

“Forest!!” He exclaimed at his alternative counterpart, nearly dropping his equipment.

“Hey Monty,” Forest smiled sheepishly, “Sorry for the surprise visit.”

Forest’s eyes widened and he took a step back when he finally saw the change in Monty’s eyes.

“What-what,” he stuttered, “happened to your eyes?”

Red eyes blinked once and then twice as Monty cocked his head to the side. 

“What's the matter, Forest?” He said, “Is there something in my eyes?” 

He brought a hand to his eyes. 

“YOUR EYES, THEY'RE— THEY'RE… RED,” Forest finally managed to get some words out of his mouth. 

Monty was puzzled for a second. 

“Dude, are you alright? Of course they're red.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY “OF COURSE THEY'RE RED”,” Forest exclaimed. 

Monty had to quickly slap his hand on Forest's mouth to make sure that his loud voice wasn't heard by his teammates. Monty dragged his counterpart away, almost halfway down the seemingly endless staircase. Then, he released Forest. 

“WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR!!??”

“Well duh, if you had been any louder, my team would have noticed,” Monty explained, “And I don't think that finding out a whole new universe exists with different versions of themselves would be a great addition to a day-off.”

Forest opened his mouth, then paused and then opened his mouth again. 

“... Alright fine,” he gave in, “I guess that makes sense. But you still haven't told me what's with your eyes. They're red. RED, like….like….”

“Like our dad,” Monty finished his counterpart’s sentence for him. 

“Well YES but also no, but kinda yes. What I mean is don't say our dad. Dear god, it makes it sound like we're long lost twins or something.”

Okay, Monty had to snort out an ugly laugh at that one. 

“Yeah, and I reckon I would be the evil twin with the red eyes and sharp fangs,” he joked, a wide grin on his face, showcasing his peculiar set of teeth. 

If Forest hadn't known otherwise, he would have thought this was an evil clone of his that truly fitted the title of son of Garmadon. 

Monty’s eyes widened in worry when he realized that Forest was being quiet for a bit too long.

“Oh, hey kid, it's just a joke,” he clarified.

“Y-yeah, I know,” Forest stuttered. 

Monty circled an arm around Forest’s shoulders and brought the shorter closer. 

“Okay, okay, kiddo,” he smiled, “Sorry about that a bit. Kinda forgot that people don't typically think red eyes and fangs are normal.”

Forest looked at Monty with narrowed eyes.

“ So…,” he started, “Are they….. the eyes and….uh…. Teeth—”

“Eh, I was born with them all. Well, red eyes to be more specific. The fangs didn't come until later obviously. 

“Then….. why were your eyes green the other times?”

“..... It happens, you know,” Monty nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders, “Something to do with my genes as well as my power being very green-coded,” he made an illustration by conjuring up a green glowy flow around his right hand, “Sometimes red, sometimes green. Sometimes both at the same time. My eyes practically look like a watermelon in the third case.”

As Monty laughed at his own joke, Forest made a relatively minor but still impactful realization.

‘Oh my god, that means there wasn't anything wrong with the photo.’

Forest really needed a second to process all of this. 

‘Okay, so other me was born with red eyes and got the fangs. Frick, he really does fit the evil twin trope. God, this is ironic as heck. He's better at hero-ing than me.’

“You didn't inherit our… your mom's green eyes?” 

Yes, it was a kinda stupid question. Forrest definitely knew that. 

“Mom?”

Now it was Monty’s turn to be confused. 

“She doesn't have green eyes,” he pointed out, “My mother has brown eyes,” he informed. 

“Your mom has brown eyes?”

“Yeah,” Monty said, “Dad used to correct me, saying it was more like the color of a freshly brewed cup of coffee in the morning or the color of warm caramel,” he mentioned while making a face, clearly showing how he felt about the almost diabetes-giving sweetness.

This simply sounded surreal to Forest as he didn't know exactly what the relationship between his dad and his mom was like now ever since they divorced. 

“But of course, that's all in the past now,” Monty concluded, “No use getting stuck in it. Really no use….. Anyway, want to join me on my errand of the day?”

“...... Um sure,” Forest agreed, despite noticing the very quick change of topic, “What are we gonna do?”

“Oh, just gonna go clean the giant statue made in my dad's image.”

“WHAT!? YOUR DAD HAS A STATUE OF HIMSELF??”

Chapter Text

“You're sure your dad didn't force any sculptors to make the statue?” Forest asked as they flew through the sky on Monty’s elemental dragon. 

“Haha, no way,” Monty laughed, “He was too….. gone to force anyone. Besides, it was my idea. I kinda wish I chose a better location for this. But hey it's quiet and peaceful and doesn't have many annoying tourists. There's even a field of green and flowers not far from here. And there's a clear lake nearby. He would have loved it. And it's better than placing it in some busy city….. since, you know, people still have complicated viewpoints around my dad. “

Just when Forest thought this couldn't be more surreal. 

“I actually oversaw the whole construction process. They did an amazing job recreating his image and all. There were a couple of mistakes here and there but they all got fixed in the end,” Monty rambled on.

Meanwhile, Forest gripped on tighter to his other counterpart for fear of being thrown off the elemental dragon as well as passing out due to sheer confusion and information overload. 

‘Okay, so the other me's dad here is still called Lord Garmadon, therefore he still must bear some resemblance to my dad…. who is kinda a jerk. But Monty seems to have some good memories with his dad and his dad seems like he's in love with his mom. Wait, wait, are these two still divorced like mine? Or is it a bit different? Monty said that his mom didn't visit often and she was an archeologist. Is this a reverse thing where Monty actually prefers his dad to his mom?’

“You know, it’s definitely a good way to remember him. Thank FSM that I got some good pictures for them to take references from, especially when the person isn't here anymore.”

‘FRICK, Monty’s dad is dead,’ Forest concluded, ‘No wonder dude is…. like this.’

Forest couldn't even bear the thought of losing his mom and yet the older-looking version of him here already lost his dad and didn't seem to be close to his mom. 

‘How the hell has he not had a mental breakdown?’

Being a hero was stressful and being a hero with parental issues was even worse. 

“We're here,” Monty announced as they came to a stop, with Forest nearly tumbling down the elemental dragon and onto the ground below. 

Nearly. 

Getting down, Forest marveled at the size of the statue. 

“Holy moly,” he exclaimed.

“Yeah, impressive huh?” 

“It…. doesn't look like him,” Forest visibly paled. 

Monty looked at the shorter blond with a bemused expression. 

“What? Of course it looks like him, Forest. That's my dad.”

“But-but where are the extra arms? And the statue looks way too normal-looking to be him? It…. It looks like the man in your photo.”

“Kiddo,” Monty started, “That is my dad. The man in the photo on my nightstand is my dad, aka Lord Garmadon. He just looked like his old self after I saved him. That's all.”

“But he has gray hair. He looks more like your grandpa.”

Okay, Monty had to chuckle a bit at that one. 

“Haha, yep, definitely.”

“No, I'm serious here. How can that,” Forest pointed at the statue, “be what your dad looks like?” 

“Yeah….,” Monty hissed through his teeth, “It's probably too much to tell you in one sitting so I'll make it short. Basically, my dad started out very normal-looking, got bit by an evil snake that turned him evil, got banished to another realm where he gained the four-armed, charcoal look. I saved him once and turned him back. Later on, he sacrificed himself to make atonement for everything and then got banished to another realm. And some more stuff happened. But now,... He's gone for good.” 

Sure Monty was skipping over a lot of things but he didn't exactly want to let his other self know that his evil resurrected dad disowned him, tried to kill him, succeeded in killing him and now was just in FSM-knows-where. 

Sometimes he wondered if he should have just ended him right then and there. The guild would definitely stay with him for a long time but not like he wasn't used to that by now. 

“Anyway,” he chirped up, “Come on, the statue ain't gonna clean itself. Hold on tight, I'll get both of us up there.”

He grinned as he grabbed Forest and spinjitzu-ed the two of them up to the head of the statue. Once they reached the top, Forest struggled a bit in maintaining his balance. 

“Ugh, do you ever get dizzy with all that spinning?”

“Eh, it disappears once you get used to it. And it's kinda fun to turn yourself into a mini tornado and launch yourself at enemies.”

“...... Okay that's cool,” Forest admitted, “You really have to teach me that someday.”

Hearing this, Monty considered. Teaching spinjitzu, a technique that could make one more powerful, to anyone was a choice that needed consideration. 

“Haha, I'll consider it, kiddo. Now how about you help me clean the head first? Be careful, there's some rather slippery moss around.”

“Why do I feel like I'm doing unpaid labor?” Forest rolled his eyes, even though he still complied. 

“Hey,” Monty shrugged his shoulders, “You agreed to help me.”

“Oh shut up, please”

Another eye roll came from Forest. 

“Tehe,” Monty purposefully giggled annoyingly as he got started on his part of the task. 

Spotting a lake that was a couple of dozens meters away from their spot, Monty smirked as he concentrated his energy element to form a sort of bubble to entrap the water. 

It worked. 

‘Just like telekinesis,’ he smiled triumphantly, ‘Maybe not that accurate but still.’

He then carefully brought the water back. Nya would have done this much quicker, considering her water elemental power, but again, Monty didn't want to bother Nya. 

“Okay, steady, steady,” he told himself as he pulled the bubble of water towards them. 

“Alright, now just a bit of—,” he grinned as he manipulated his power to turn the energy bubble into a water hose system of some sort. 

“Okay, just need a bit of pressure—”

A strong ray of water got rejected from the contraption. 

“WHOA,” Monty took a step back while Forest tried to grab onto something for cover. 

“Wow,” the shorter blond said, “You can do that?” 

“Yep,” Monty smiled, “Just a little trick I came up with during my spare time. My power is the energy element so I got into some books about what energy is and all that. As much as I hate Zane's daily personal tutoring and lectures, I have to owe it to him for making sure that I didn't end up illiterate and uneducated. Darkley’s school for bad boys didn't exactly do much for me.”

At the mention of Monty’s old school, Forest kinda flinched for a second. 

He nearly forgot that his other self had gone to a school for making future villains and seemingly inherited more from his dad, Lord Garmadon. 

‘And yet, he's still a hero.’

He couldn't help but admire that. 

‘Heck, no wonder he's so much cooler than me.’

Forest recoiled slightly at the thought of Monty facing the same treatment he had back in his universe, but definitely worse. The city already hated a Lloyd Garmadon who inherited his mother's green eyes and only got his father's snake tongue to show for everything. They would absolutely make life a living hell for a Lloyd Garmadon with red eyes and sharp fangs. 

The two of them continued with the task. Monty occasionally made small chats as well as teases about Forest’s lack of social skills, which earned him a sponge to his face, which then earned Forest a spray of water to the face. 

After a while, they were finally done with cleaning the statue.

“Holy moly, the sculptors were amazing with the job,” Forest remarked now that he was finally able to get a good look at the statue. 

A part of him felt a bit somber upon recognising how similar the statue’s features were compared to Monty’s… compared to him. If his logic was correct, that would mean that he also would look a lot like his own dad, had Garmadon remained in his more human form. 

“Hey Monty,” he said, “It's true that your dad wasn't…. born with charcoal skin and four arms, right?”

“Well, yeah,” Monty answered nonchalantly, “Why you ask?”

“....... I.. I thought that my dad always looks like he does now. Four arms and everything. I mean, he's been trying to conquer Ninjago city for as long as I can remember. And I've been fighting him for a while now, probably not as long as you. My mom doesn't mention anything about him looking different from what he does now. And I kinda don't wanna ask since she is already doing so much like working three jobs, managing to get by on a budget. Asking things like that might bring more stress onto her. Basically, I think it doesn't seem like my dad is anything like yours.”

Monty was interested. He knew that Forest’s father was still alive and not a resurrected zombie like his and his mom wasn't anything like his mother. Also It seemed like his other self wasn't exactly as financially capable as he and his team were, which he definitely empathized with, seeing how he and his team had had to go through some rough time of making ends meet. Still, it was a bummer that Forest’s dad was still evil. 

‘I swear if he tries to kill his son, I'll—’

“And your mom, dear god where do I even begin? She sounds NOTHING LIKE MINE.”

“Huh?”

“Your mom? She sounds….. so distant. It's like we have completely different sets of parents.”

“Haha…. I guess that's why it's called alternative universes. Things are bound to be different, kid.”

“But still, it's weird.”

“.... Eh, I honestly have seen too many weird things,” Monty disclosed, “Also, catch kid,” he threw an object at Forest. 

The latter managed to catch it. 

“Cream bread,” he read the label.

“Yep, saw some of them at the store and decided to pick some up,” Monty informed, “They're great. You should try one,” he said as he was already in the middle of opening up his own packet, “They’re absolutely filled to the brim with cream,” he said, voice muffled as he shoved the round bread into his mouth, biting down on it and enjoying the creamy and sweet sensation.

Forest thought his other self looked like an overly excited kid. But he had to admit the bread bun was outrageously good. 

“It's a good thing we still have the same taste,” Monty smiled as he licked the cream that got around his mouth. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Forest rolled his eyes, “ Sure, this tastes good. What brand is this? Looks like the fancy kind my mom can't buy due to our budget,” he mentioned, “Also, you got a little something there.” 

“Wait, where?”

“A little up,” he said, “okay, now down a bit.”

As the sunset made its appearance, the two blonds sat on top of the statue, enjoying some snacks and drinks that Monty had somehow brought. 

Forest sometimes couldn't understand his alternative counterpart. But then again, he was just glad for a sense of connection with someone who understood him. 

After making sure the statue was clean and spotless, they rode back on Monty's elemental dragon, their clothes a little dirty and still a bit wet.

But all in all, it was still fun. 

Movie universe

“Where have you been, young man?” Koko asked with a frown as Lloyd sheepishly entered the apartment, “And look at your clothes. What happened to you? Did someone push you or something?” 

“Sorry, mom,” he apologized, “I um…. forgot the time. And no, I…. Didn't get pushed by anyone. I just… met up with a friend and we had some fun.”

Hearing this, Koko’s expression turned from concerned to curious. 

“A friend of yours? Sweetie, why didn't you tell me sooner?” 

She was happy that her son was making new friends but something seemed kinda off. 

“I… just kinda forgot, mom. Sorry about that.”

“Oh, sweetie, I'm not mad. Just a bit concerned. I’m glad you're making new friends but next time, please, don't come home so late. I thought you would be home sooner as you didn't have afternoon classes today. Also I've called you for ages, Lloyd. Didn't you notice?”

Lloyd tapped his foot nervously on the floor.

“Huh, yeah, I….um… must have put it on silent mode.”

‘Crap, guess that cell phone signal don't work when you cross into another universe’

“Okay.. then, Sweetie.”

Koko knew something was off. But Lloyd was home safe and that's all that mattered. She would find out more about this later, especially about Lloyd's new friend. 

‘He started acting weird ever since he went missing for a night,’ she noted. 

Show universe

“Seriously Greenie,” Kai started as they enjoyed a dinner of steak and fries, “Next time, invite me if you're going to clean your dad's statue. I would get it done in no time.”

“Yeah right,” Cole laughed, “Like how you burned our table today.”

“Hey,” Kai retorted, “That was an accident.”

“Kai, you saw a cockroach and literally freaked out,” Jay butted in, which resulted in Nya nearly snorting out the soda she was drinking. 

“HEY, I didn't freak out,” Kai defended, “I … just decided to act fast and take care of the cockroach.”

“Hum,” Zane hummed, “If memory serves, I noticed that the fire extinguisher labeled “For Kai-related fire emergencies only” got used today.”

“Yeah,” Jay confirmed, “And it was definitely nice having to put out the fire. My hair almost got caught on fire.”

“Don't worry, Jay,” Nye smiled, “I would still love you with a bald head.”

Lloyd made a face at this open display of affection. 

Nya giggled at Lloyd’s rather childish reaction as she blew a kiss at Jay, who graciously accepted it. 

“Seriously, guys,” Kai groaned, “Right in front of the steak and fries??”

“Want some cheese powder on your fries, Lloyd?” Zane, the ever loving mom friend, offered. 

“Hell yeah!!”

After dinner and some video game sessions with his team, all of them retired for the night. 

“Finally got your statue cleaned and spotless, dad,” Lloyd smiled as he picked up the photo from his bedside drawer, “Welp, gotta hit the hay now. The tea

m and I have a mission tomorrow. Love you, dad. Hope I don't have to kill the evil resurrected you anytime soon.”

Chapter Text

“Hey dad, what do you think I should pick for today?” Lloyd pulled out two seemingly identical uniforms. 

Hey, they needed extra in case one got torn or destroyed, which was more often than they would like to admit. 

The picture of Garmadon and younger Lloyd stood silent.

“I mean, they practically look the same, but this one seems more….. fresh. Meanwhile this one was actually the one I wore on the last mission where I nearly fell a couple of hundred meters to the ground. Nearly Of course. And I mean, yeah I got a little into the battle and may have done a little bit too much on the enemies. One of them nearly stabbed me, and when they almost threw me to my untimely demise, I threw an energy blast and they were the one who got an untimely demise. …… I wonder how high my body count is. How many enemies have I taken down? Oh don't worry, dad, I ended up fine, just a couple bruises. Nothing new. They healed in less than a day. And besides, if I had fallen, I would just have needed to create an energy bubble around myself to break my fall. I am getting quite good at controlling my power,” He grinned cockily, “ What wonder else I can do?”

The photo didn't say anything back.

Lloyd’s expression soon turned from cocky to pouty. 

“Kai nearly went ballistic on me for not taking my life more seriously. Zane ended up giving me a lecture. Jay, who saved me from my doom, somehow managed to lengthen Zane’s lecture by offhandedly mentioning how many bones I could have broken. Like wow,” he rolled his eyes, “Thank you very much, Jay!!”

Lloyd did a dramatic gesture with his hands, while still handling his uniforms. 

“Thankfully Nya and Cole didn't give me a hard time, though they were still worried by the looks on their faces. I mean, sure, I kinda actually died that one time when evil resurrected you killed me. But seriously, my death record is nothing compared to Zane’s. If anything, he should be the one protected at all times. Because I swear,” his voice suddenly got deeper, a low growl coming from his throat, “if he sacrifices himself for us again, I’ll probably fucking lose it.”

Lloyd dragged one of his hands across the wall, the uniform he was previously holding dropping to the floor. 

“That’s why I really hope no one in the team dies anytime soon,” he instantly snapped back into a cheery smile, “Already lost you and my psyche probably can't take anymore. I can't lose Kai, Nya, Jay, Cole, Zane and Pixal. I’ll get stronger so that will never happen.”

Lloyd's voice deepened at the last part, sounding less human. 

“Anyway, I think I'll choose the fresher-looking one.”

He snapped back into a cheerful demeanor. 

He quickly got changed, fixed his hair and made sure that his smile was presentable and nice to look at. 

“Gotta look presentable, am I right? Anyway, thanks for helping me choose, dad.”

He walked up to hug the photo close. 

“See you later, dad. Your son is off to save the world. Haha, just kidding, I'm just off to a normal mission. If all goes well, the team and I will be back before lunch. Take care, dad. I’ll make sure to buy a new photo frame this time. Don't wanna cut myself with the shattered glass while hugging you. Haha. Anyway, love you, dad.”

And off he went, not even noticing how he had left a claw mark on the wall, one that looked distinctively inhuman. 

With the others

“I’m serious, guys,” Jay said in a whisper, “I saw him talking to the photo just yesterday. ”

The team all hesitated to respond for a bit. 

“Guys,” Jay exclaimed, “Say something. Don't you think it's… concerning?”

Nya was the first to say something.

“Well, Lloyd has been through some stuff,” she started, “I honestly think it's actually quite…. tame, at least compared to all the things he could possibly do.”

“NYA??” Kai exclaimed, a bit scandalized even.

“I actually agree with Nya, Kai,” Cole added his input, “I mean, not gonna lie, Sensei Garmadon was a great guy and Lloyd practically adores his dad. They were attached at the hip.” 

“But still,” Kai butted in, “The guy killed Lloyd. Sure sensei Garm was great but he's gone.”

“Kai, like I suggested before,” Zane responded, “Lloyd most likely considers Sensei Garmadon and Emperor Garmadon to be different people.”

“And?? What if Garmadon returns one day, all evil and everything, and Lloyd still trusts him? I don't wanna carry his lifeless body again,” Kai disclosed, “And I’m sure as hell that you guys don't want to do that as well.”

A silence of universal agreement came about. 

“Yeah, you're right, Kai,” Cole began, “No way we’re letting that happen again.”

“But that leads to the question of how we should break this to Lloyd,” Zane brought this to attention. 

“We can host an intervention,” Jay suggested.

“Then Lloyd will just insist that he's fine,” Nya shook her head, “ We should have a plan in case he does anything….. rash.”

A brief silence indicated that they all knew what Nya implied. 

Their discussion was cut short by the sound of Lloyd's footsteps. 

“Hey guys,” the master of energy greeted with a smile, “Sorry I took a while. Let's go kick some arse today!!” 

“Sure Lloyd!!” The team said, all silently agreeing that they would discuss this more later. 

“Also, Zane, no self-sacrificing today, okay!!” Lloyd light-heartedly joked, patting the master of ice on the back. 

He was getting closer to Zane's height. Soon, he might even be the tallest in the group. 

‘You had better not, I'll lose my shit if any of you get hurt because I’m pathetic, weak and not strong enough.’

“I will try my best,” Zane responded, not making any promises, “I do have to come back in one piece to teach you our next physics lesson today.”

Lloyd shot him a glare while still smiling wide, looking like one of those children in horror movies despite being around 190cm now. 

The nindroid simply smiled back.  

Movie universe

Lloyd groaned as he entered his first period, already feeling like he should just melt away and disappear. If it wasn't for his mom convincing him about the importance of an education, he probably wouldn't even bother going to school. 

‘Why does Monty not have to do this? SO UNFAIR!!’ he thought in his head, resting his head on the table.

He sighed. 

‘Darn it, no more self-pity. If the other me can go through some seriously messed up stuff and be as confident as he is, I can do it too. We’re both Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon.’

He gave himself a few light slaps on the face with both his hands to wake himself up. For now, he should first strive in his academic studies. 

Lloyd was really glad that at the very least, his grade was actually one of the better ones. He would probably jump off the school’s roof if the teachers decided to indiscriminately give him F’s. 

‘But then mom would be sad,’ he reasoned to himself.

Lloyd straightened his posture, filled with determination. He just had to survive school today. And he was gonna do it!!!

He got through his first period with his sanity intact. There was a pop quiz but Lloyd did it with flying colors. A small win but still a win indeed. 

‘A step closer to Monty's level,’ he thought, ‘Maybe I should ask him about his workout regime. Man, I wanna get some more muscles on these bones and some abs as well.’

Hey, he had to do something to lift up the old self-esteem. 

Of course, just as Lloyd was savoring his small victory, something just had to pop up to sour his mood. 

‘Oh crap!!’ he thought as he entered the second period and realized that some of the students who arrived to join the class included Chen, aka the bully that had been giving him a hard time ever since he entered this school as well as some of his friends. 

‘FRICK!!!’ 

A while later 

Lloyd positively dashed out of the classroom as soon as possible, not wanting to spend another second in there with the jerks who tormented him nearly everyday. 

It pissed him off that these were the people he was protecting. 

‘At least, Monty gets some respect from the people he and his team save.’

He took a big breath. He could do this. He had been doing this for years already. 

‘Monty’s a hero. I’m also a hero. I can do it.’

The next subject was P.E, which wasn't very difficult for Lloyd. Thanks to his secret ninja training, he was more flexible than he had been a year ago. 

‘I should definitely ask Monty what spinjitzu is,’ he thought as he took a seat. 

The other people surrounding instantly moved away from the plague that was Lloyd Garmadon, son of lord Garmadon but for one, Lloyd couldn't care less, especially when his mind was preoccupied with all the ways he could spend his time in the other universe. 

Maybe he could ask Monty to show him some other places of the universe. 

‘Monty’s elemental dragon is so cool! I wonder if I should add some stuff to my own dragon mech.’

P.E went by pretty fast. 

When it was lunch time, Lloyd was considering eating alone when he was grabbed by Kai.

“Oh, hey Kai,” he said. 

“Seriously, dude? That's all you have to say. Jeez, thought I was your friend.”

“Huh, what do you mean, Kai?”

“Lloyd, the team and I looked for you yesterday…. again,” Kai rolled his eyes, “You should be thankful that Garmadon didn't attack the city yesterday. Come on Lloyd, as a member of the secret ninja force, you have to play your part.”

“....... Yeah sorry about that,” Lloyd meekly said, “I just got…. caught up.”

“Well, you still have to do your part, Lloyd,” Kai insisted, “Besides, it's your dad who's causing all the destruction.”

“........ Yeah, sorry,” Lloyd uncomfortably responded. 

Kai was his friend, why was he feeling uncomfortable with this conversation?

“Just try not to get distracted, Lloyd. Being the secret ninja force is what makes us special. We can't let the city down,” Kai smiled. 

Lloyd nodded to hide away his discomfort. 

‘Well, the city has already let me down a lot of times,’ he thought. 

“Anyway, let's lead to lunch,” Kai said, “The team is waiting for us,” he smiled. 

Lloyd honestly lost his appetite. 

Show universe

The Ninja team laughed as they returned home after their mission, just in time for lunch. 

“We absolutely nailed it, guys,” Jay excitedly exclaimed. 

“I quite agree,” Zane nodded.

“It was quite a spectacular fight,” Pixal, who was appearing as a hologram, remarked, “It’s quite a shame I couldn't technically be there.”

“Oh don't sweat it, Pixal,” Kai insisted, “You can come with us on our next mission. Besides, for not technically being with us, your tech absolutely saved our asses back then. I still don't get how you managed to control them all remotely so well.”

Pixal giggled at the compliment. 

“I do have high faith in my technological skills, Kai. Maybe I'll go on a mission with you guys next time, though Zane remind me to install an emergency protocol to call in reinforcement if anything happens to us.”

“A bit too cautious much, Pix?” Cole narrowed his eyes. 

“Yeah, usually we can handle these things,” Nya added. 

“I think it's quite understandable, Cole and Nya” Zane defended his girlfriend's point, “It's always better to save than sorry.”

“What Zane said,” Pixal smiled, “After all, I am responsible for the extra cautions of the team.”

“You worry too much, Pixal,” Jay rolled his eyes.

“For this team of Ninjas, I think it's the right amount of worry,” Pixal insisted while smiling. 

“HEY!!” Kai, Cole, Nya and Jay said in unison. 

“Haha, I love your sense of humour, Pixal,” Zane said, sending her a digital heart, which Pixal gladly received. 

Lloyd quietly made a face. After his whole ordeal with Harumi, Lloyd basically felt like romance wasn't for him for at least another 10 years or so. 

“Hey, you okay, grasshopper?” Kai suddenly asked, “You’ve been a bit quiet? Sure you’re not up to something, little hellspawn?”

“Oh please,” Lloyd dismissed, “Nothing besides…. maybe hiding your stash of hair gel.”

“Ha, touch my hair gel and I'm making sure you go candy-less for at least a week.”

“Demon,” Lloyd stuck out his tongue.

“Take one to know one,” Kai retorted, “But seriously, little bro, you’ve been weird these few days. You're sure you're okay?”

“Kai,” Lloyd whined, “I’m fine, besides not like I'm ignoring my duties or slacking in anything.”

“Lloyd,” Kai frowned, “It's not just about the performance rate or whatever you call it, it's also about you.”

“Yeah, I'm fine. Seriously, you’ve kept fussing ever since we took care of the Oni,” the master of energy rolled his eyes again, “It's been months and I’m fine, Kai. If you keep worrying, you’ll get gray hair.”

Nya brought up a hand to Kai’s right shoulder.

“Kai, you have to know that asking him directly wouldn't work,” she quietly said so they Lloyd wouldn't hear. 

Kai groaned.

“Jeez, sis, I know,” he replied, “I’m just worried. That's all. You know how our latest big event took a toll on Greenie.”

Chapter Text

At night, in the show universe

“Monty!!” Forest exclaimed as he spotted the taller blond leaning against a tree, already waiting for him.

“Hey ya, kiddo!!” Monty waved, his eyes still vividly red. 

Forest honestly needed some more time to get used to that. 

Monty pulled him in for a rough head ruffle.

“And how was your time at school, little buddy? Was it shit?” He casually asked, subconsciously adopting some of Kai's techniques.

“HEY!! Stop treating me like a kid,” Forest whined, a blush already on his face. 

“You are a kid,” Monty smirked, “And besides, it's fun teasing you.”

“Yeah right,” Forest groaned, “You're sure you're not the kid with how immature you are.”

“Oh please, I'm already the magical legal adult age of 18,” Monty smiled, ignoring the voice in his head muttering “minus 5”, “Able to do cool adult things like buy alcohol and have sex.”

Of course he hadn't done any of that. 

“Hey, that doesn't mean anything,” Forest retorted, “Some people in my high school already do those things.”

“.... How is the teen pregnancy rate in your school then?” Monty let out a wide disturbing smile, his red eyes almost glowing. 

“Dude, what the heck?” 

“What, it's just a small joke. Besides, the team taught me about teen pregnancy and pregnancy and sex in general a while back. Jay got too nervous to explain much, Kai censored things a bit too much while Nya insisted that I need to know about this. Honestly, only Cole, Pixal and Zane managed to explain things clearly enough for me amidst the chaos,” he laughed at the memory of his chaotic family.

Forest couldn't help but pale. He hadn't even received the talk from his own mom and he would probably die out of embarrassment if his team, a bunch of teenagers his age, had to explain it to him. 

“ThAt’s So wEird!” His voice cracked. 

“The only thing weird is your voice,” Monty teased. 

“God, kill me,” Forest said melodramatically. 

“Sorry, buddy, I don't support suicide,” Monty said…. hypocritically, “Now come on, I found a nice cat cafe I want to visit. There's a little meow meow named Fei Fei there,” he grinned, holding one of his hands up to mimic a cat paw, "If this place turns out to be cool. I'll bring my team there next time."

Forest sent a stare at Monty’s direction.

“Seriously?” He said, wondering why Monty could be cool one second and childish the next, "Am i just your test guest to this cafe?"

“Hey since it's my treat and my ride, I get to pick the place.”

Later

“Pspspsps,” Monty said as he lured a small Calico cat into his arms, “Hello there, you cute little shit,” he grinned, “Who's a chubby kitty? You are,” he cooed, smooching his cheek into the cat’s chubby belly. 

The cat climbed onto Monty’s head. 

“Awww, you little rascal!!” he cooed, a giant smile on his eyes, making him look ridiculously innocent and child-like. 

Forest watched as he held a cat toy in front of a fluffy black cat. Somehow, he was having trouble recognising who was the older Lloyd out of the two of them. 

“Meow,” the black cat let out and Forest’s heart melted. 

He figured it would be a shame to let Monty’s good gesture of dragging him here go to waste. Besides, he liked being able to go out and not have people hate him. 

It was around half an hour later when Forest got tapped on the shoulder. Turning around, he saw a girl. She looked slightly older than him, with curly hair reaching her waist and blue eyes. 

“Hey there, I…. Um,” she stuttered, “noticed you and your brother.”

‘Brother?’ Forest turned to Monty who was now building his army of loyal cats using cat treats. 

Oh. 

“And… um… I think your brother's really cute,” she said with a blush “Here's my number, he can call me if he’d like.”

And with that, she quickly scurried off, clearly embarrassed, leaving Forest with a piece of paper with a phone number on it. 

‘What the??’ he sat there, absolutely puzzled. 

He looked back at his other self who was passing out cat treats to the kittens and was cradling one in his arms like a baby. 

‘Is this really all it takes to get people interested in you?’

He couldn't believe it. Forest observed Monty. Like he sure, he could understand why girls like guys who are tall and strong. He had to admit that the sight of someone tall and strong caring for a small creature like a cat would pull on some heartstrings. He had read it many times on the internet. But that rule would never ever apply to him back in his world. The son of Garmadon actually being good and caring????? The city would never believe it. 

But this wasn't his world. 

A girl just showed interest in Monty, the alternative version of him. 

‘OH MY GOD, DOES THAT MEAN I TECHNICALLY ALSO HAVE A CHANCE?’ 

For a teenager who had lived under the impression that everyone hated him, this was big news to Forest. And here he was, ready to give up on romance and losing his virginity. 

“Can I come live with you, please?” Forest whined as he hugged Monty from behind while the taller blond was being assaulted by kittens at the front. 

“Maybe if your mom agrees,” Monty replied, “You do still live with her. Oh,” he grinned, “And who said that hugging was weird again?” 

“Oh shut up,” Forest lightly snapped, “Seriously, why are you so popular with girls?” 

“Eh??” 

“A girl asked me to hand you her phone number.”

“Again??”

Forest’s eyes shot open wide. 

“What do you mean “Again”??”

He was shocked yet again.

“What?” Monty furrowed his eyebrows, a ridiculously innocent look on his face.

Forest shot a glare at his counterpart which would have been more effective had he not had a cat trying to claw up his torso from where he was sitting. 

“DUDE,” Forest exclaimed, “Seriously, a girl is interested in you. And you didn't even have to fake anything. Do you realize how big of a deal this is?”

“Huh?”

“This is a big big deal, man. In my high school, you would be respected if you managed to get a boyfriend or a girlfriend. For boys, it's bonus points if it's a hot girl.”

“Sounds a bit shallow,” Monty remarked as his arms began petting another cat who was clinging to him. 

“It's high school, dude. Of course, it is.”

“Honestly, why are you getting so riled up?”

“The fact that you have girls coming onto you maybe?!!”

“So what? I kinda don't want to get into those romance things right now.”

Forest got increasingly more frustrated. 

“Why would you not want to get into that, huh?”

“Because I don't want to,” Monty frowned, “End. Of. Story,” he growled, eyes flashing red and.. purple.

Forest flinched a bit. It was his first time seeing Monty like that. It seemed like the taller blond still managed to keep his volume low enough so that other customers of the cafe couldn't hear it. 

“... Sorry about that,” Forest lowered his head in shame, “p-please, don't hate me.”

“Hey kid,” Monty called down, his eyes going back to just regular red, “It's no big deal. Sorry for losing my temper a bit. I don't hate you.”

“R-really?” 

God, Forest hated how shy and timid he sounded compared to Monty. 

“Of course, not,” Monty smiled, patting the blond on the head, “Unlike your shitty and awful city, I’m not damn stupid and heartless. But seriously, no more talking about this getting into relationship thing, okay?”

“T-then what about the girl’s phone number?”

“Eh,” Monty shrugged his shoulders, “I don't want to get a poor girl's hope up. I have… troubles letting new people in right now.”

‘Wait, is it pedophila if someone my physical age were to date me, someone who was aged up a couple years?’

That was another question for him to ponder and theorize about in his free time. 

Disturbing but hey, if it gave him a valid excuse to not date for the next couple of years, then sign him up. 

“Hey,” Forest said as they were on Monty's elemental dragon. 

“Again, you don't have to say sorry,” Monty rolled his eyes, “I’m not mad at you. If anyway, I'm mad at your fucking shitty city for crushing your confidence ever since you opened your eyes. Honestly, why don't you stand up for yourself? You're a ninja too. And you help stop your father from invading Ninjago city. Why aren't they giving you any respect you deserve?” 

“..... hehe,” Forest laughed sadly, “You're saying as if it's easy to do that. The people hate me. They need someone to blame. But they love the green ninja because they don't know I'm the green ninja. If I, Lloyd Garmadon, do anything besides staying out of trouble, they will think I'm just like my dad and then they will chase me out of town.”

“Then screw them,” Monty growled, his eyes flashing red and purple, though Forest couldn't notice as the blond's back was facing him. 

However, he did notice how other self’s growl sounded… off.

“If those bastards are this dense and stubborn, why help them then? Let them experience the consequences of their actions.”

Had Monty been the him of a year ago, he would have said something along the lines of “Oh come on, if they know how you do for them, they'll surely change their mind”. But he wasn't now. 

‘And I thought my team had to deal with annoying haters,’ he bared his teeth, his elemental dragon letting out a growl and green mist in accordance with his emotions. 

“But uncle Wu says it's my responsibility as the green ninja to stop my dad.”

“So what?” Monty snapped, “Wu may say it but it doesn't mean that you have to put up with this shit. Why be a child soldier to people who won't even appreciate it?”

Sure he was being a hypocrite, considering his situation but at least he got appreciation from the citizens of the entirety of Ninjago land. Hell, he and his team basically each got enough money to not work for the next couple decades. 

“Uncle Wu said that,” he scoffed, “Yeah right, did he also mention something about a prophecy where you had to defeat your father for the greater good, implying that you had to kill him, even though you just wanted him to be there for you and have control of his fate. And then you didn't kill him and you saved him instead. And you had him back. And then he was gone again. And then you found him. Then shortly after, he died. And a couple of things happened after that. And bahbahbah…”

“What? Dude, what the heck have you been through?” 

Forest was quite frankly terrified. Forget about his own daddy issues, Monty’s were of a different kind and of a whole new level. 

“Seriously, Forest, one day you'll snap and if you keep doing this, the event won't be in your control. You should at least have control over your own snapping.”

“Then I'll ruin my life, Monty,” Forest rationalized.

“What's left of your life,” Monty corrected, “Yours sounds already ruined enough by the shitty city and your father.”

“I….” 

Forest's voice got stuck in his throat. 

Monty took a deep breath and looked back at Forest. The taller blond’s eyes were back to regular green.

“Just be more considerate of yourself for hell’s sake. If anything happens, I'll help you out.”

Chapter Text

Movie universe

As Lloyd returned to his own world, the words of his other self rang in his head. 

Be more considerate of yourself

Hearing it come from his other self somehow made it harder to ignore. If it had been anyone else, he would have excuses like “It's not that easy” or “I can't, dude.”

As Lloyd walked back home, he got the usual treatment such as people avoiding him like the plague or taking one look at him and scoffing before typing away something on their phones, most likely something about how he was just like his father. 

Just like his father. 

Lloyd frowned as he thought back on the human appearance of his other self’s dad. 

‘Monty does look like his dad.’

He walked past a couple of teenagers who all went “Oh look it's Garmadon.”, “The father or the son?” “Ha, does it matter?”

Lloyd let out an angry hiss under his breath, his slim fork tongue sliding out slightly. 

Thankfully nobody saw that.

The fact that Monty was basically a blond carbon copy of his respective dad in the other world bothered Lloyd. 

Lloyd didn't look like what his dad looked like now and he was already getting so much hate from the city. If there were similarities between him and his dad, he wouldn't hear the end of it from the city. 

‘Does that mean my dad also has or had a human appearance?’

He couldn't even begin to imagine his dad looking like Monty’s, especially when Monty had good memories of his dad whereas he didn't. 

Lloyd walked faster, quick on his feet in order to get away from the hate. 

All of this was making it harder for him to think.

When he returned to his home, he was a bit relieved to find out that his mom wasn't home yet, on account of her having to work late. 

‘I really don't wanna bother mom too much,’ he thought as he got to his room. 

He checked his phone. 

A couple of messages from his team. 

Lloyd frowned a bit as he remembered today's interaction with Kai. 

He knew that he had only known his friends for 5 months as long as he had been a secret ninja. And he really shouldn't ask for too much. It was a miracle that he had friends, especially when his friends were called the Dork Squad when they were with him. 

Kai’s words about how he should play his part in the team and how it was his dad who was causing the weekly destruction emotionally stung a bit. 

It sounded like Kai implied that he should be responsible for his dad's bad decisions. 

‘That can't be right,’ he thought, ‘Kai and the others are my friends. Friends don't do that…… right? And Monty's friends are basically his older siblings so shouldn't that mean that my team and I are supposed to be close?’

He opened the text messages.

One of them was “Yo, got any info on when your dad's gonna attack the city again?”, one was “Training tomorrow. Remember to come” and another one was “Hello, Lloyd, I didn't see you after school today.”

Lloyd smiled a bit at the texts. At least his friends did care about him. 

‘Yeah, they do. Maybe I just need to give it some time and effort and my team and I can be a family, just like Monty's case.’

With a new surge of motivation, Lloyd took the chance to do his homework while his mood was up. It was better than doing it while your mind was filled with worries about your life in a city that hated you for something you couldn't control. 

He was almost done with his homework when he heard a knock. 

It wasn't coming from his bedroom door. 

Another knock came again

Lloyd looked for the source of the noise. 

His window.

Glowy purple eyes looked at him. 

Lloyd screamed. 

“AHHHH?!” He flinched out of his seat and into a fighting stance, now wishing he had taken Monty’s suggestion about being more wary of potential assassination, “Who are you? WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?” 

“Relax, kid,” the shadowy figure with purple eyes grinned as he easily opened the window and climbed in. 

‘That voice—.’

“MONTY??” 

“Yep,” Monty smiled. 

He was sporting violet eyes and short brown hair. He was wearing a crop black leather jacket with neon green dragon and skull patterns on top of a sleeveless black tight top with a high purple collar, paired with slightly baggy trousers with green accents and a holster for weapons strapped to one of his thighs. The outfit was completed with the addition of a black choker and black fingerless gloves.

Basically clothes that screamed bad-boy run-away models for teens his age and bad gangster influence for parents. In addition to that, Forest personally could never afford these clothes. 

“What the heck is with your get-up, dude?” Forest couldn't help but ask. 

Like sure he had seen Monty wear a black leather jacket and a pair of black fingerless gloves before. But this was just a very blatant slap to the face on how truly different they were to each other despite both being Lloyd Garmadon.

“Dress to impress, kid,” Monty shrugged his shoulders, “That's what Kai always says. And also I kinda want to put on a disguise when coming to your place,” he pointed to his purple eyes and short brown hair, “Kinda don't want another assassination attempt made on me,” he joked, “The outfit is just something I put together when I want to look good. I didn't get my dad's face for nothing.”

“So what? You just put on a wig and contact lenses?”

Monty spontaneously let out a longer-than-necessary laugh. 

“No no no,” he replied, “I’m only wearing a wig. I’m not wearing any contact lenses.”

“Huh. Then how are your eyes purple?” 

Monty purposefully avoided looking Forest in the eyes. 

“Basically, after you went home, I sat in my room, pondered some things, got a bit emotional, eyes turned purple and then I thought “Ha, add a brown wig and I look like my dad in his younger human form”,” he grinned, flopping down on Forest’s bed, his knees drawn up to his chest, which made him look like a hyperactive child bouncing back and forth, “So I rummaged through my team’s box of old things for disguises, found a wig that looks similar enough, styled it a bit and tried it on,” he moved his fake brown hair a bit to prove that it was a wig, “ I even used an eyebrow pencil I stole from Jay to make sure people won't suspect I'm a blondie. The outfit is just one I usually wear.”

Forest looked Monty up and down. 

‘This was what his dad looked like when young.’

He didn't know if he should be confused, panicked, or just concerned about how strange his other self was. 

“How many eye colors do you even have?”

Hearing this, Monty cocked his head to the side, looking strangely innocent. 

He started counting, his expression one of deep thought. 

“Four I guess,” he replied, giving Forest a sheepish smile, “There's red, obviously, then gold that one time, then green, and now purple,” he pointed at his eyes, “I have quite the selection. They should go back to normal soon…… hopefully,” he said the last part in a weak voice. 

‘Just gotta keep things under control. So what if my Oni inheritance is showing, there are good Onis like Mystake,’ he thought, ‘And my dad had violet eyes when he was born, had them for the majority of his life, and had them when he turned good again.’

That at least made Monty a bit less conflicted. He would figure a way to break this to his team but right now, why not spend some time in a world where people couldn't recognize him when in disguise and spend some time with his counterpart?

Forest's voice got stuck in his throat. He didn't know what to say first. Monty in disguise could very well be what his dad had looked before everything. Now that he thought about it, there was no way that he would look this normal if Lord Garmadon was his dad unless Garmadon didn't originally look like this. 

“Anyway, is your mom home?” Monty asked nonchalantly. 

“WHAT? I mean not yet. What are you gonna do?” Forest frantically asked. 

“Don't worry, kid, it's just a question. Anyway, you hungry?”

“What?”

Now that Monty mentioned it, Forest had yet to eat dinner. 

Monty grinned as he produced a few things out of thin air and then promptly dragged Forest out of the room. Looking around, he quickly found the kitchen in the relatively small apartment. 

“Come on, I'll teach you how to make one-pot chicken and mushroom pasta. Zane taught me the recipe when I was a kid.”

Forest didn't even have the time to protest as he was tasked with the duty of cutting the chicken meat and the mushrooms. 

Koko finally got off her shift at the museum. The job was a bit troublesome but it was the one that paid the most out of 3 three jobs, consisting of 1 main and 2 side jobs. She stretched a bit as she walked into the apartment complex and went into the elevator. 

‘I hope Lloyd's doing okay. He must be home by now,’ she thought as she pressed the button for her floor, ‘I wonder what's up with him lately.’

Lloyd was her only son so Koko considered it a mother's duty to be worried. She knew that the city didn't have the best opinion on her son. What she wouldn't do for a chance to move somewhere, but right now she couldn't do that for her son. 

She just hoped that Lloyd wouldn't be led astray. 

Opening the door to her home, she noticed two voices coming from the kitchen along with several other noises. 

‘Did Lloyd bring a friend over?’ 

That would be a first. She smiled a bit before peeking into the kitchen. 

What she didn't expect was to see a tall boy next to Lloyd.

“Hey, careful. You're gonna burn it,” the tall teen warned Lloyd 

“No, I'm not.”

“Yes, you're gonna. And I'm not letting you waste the ingredients I brought. Now, let me take charge,” the tall teen insisted, “And don't make a face at the mushrooms. You need variety in your diet.”

The teen then grinned.

“Unless you wanna stay Shortie Mc Shortie Pants forever.”

A blush appeared on Lloyd. 

“Oh, you're such a jerk.”

“Yea and this jerk helped you out with your leg and is helping you make dinner for you and your mom.”

Koko was a little shocked at the casual and quite close conversation the two boys were having. 

‘Is this the one that helped Lloyd out that night?’

Koko scanned him up and down. He looked older than her son. Koko narrowed her eyes a bit at his clothes. A bit too edgy for her taste but then again she didn't quite know what kids were into these days. If she wasn't mistaken, the style was along the lines of “bad boy” or “biker” from what she could remember from mindlessly flipping through youth magazines during her free time. 

She watched a bit more, essentially observing how the two boys were finishing up their cooking, before making herself known.

“I didn’t know you were bringing a friend over, sweetie,” she began

Forest looked like a deer caught in headlights while Monty simply blinked his eyes as he realized that his mom and Forest’s mom looked nothing alike. 

“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” he greeted Koko politely with a handshake, “You look so young,” he said truthfully, giving an award-winning smile.

Koko paused a bit with how familiar the smile was.

Forest silently gave his counterpart a look that said “What the heck!” because dear lord, it was weird hearing your other self call your mom ma’am. 

Koko, not knowing anything, blushed a bit at the compliment.

“Well, aren’t you a sweet talker, young man?” Koko gave a smile, “You can call me Koko”

“Okay, miss Coco,” Monty replied, offering a toothy smile in response, his sharp teeth visible.

Koko noticed how peculiar her son’s friend’s teeth looked. She couldn’t help but feel like they were a bit familiar. 

“Coco as in coconut, right miss?”

“Oh no, it’s Koko with Ks instead of Cs, dear,” Koko clarified.

“Oh okay then, Miss Koko. You can call me Monty

Meanwhile, Forest felt like he was about to implode. Here he was low-key panicking about his mom meeting his other self meanwhile Monty was taking things in stride and even managed to butter Koko up. 

‘What the heck happened to my portion of self-confidence? Why does he get to hog it all?’

“We made some chicken and mushroom pasta for you, Miss Koko,” Monty informed Koko, “Show her, Lloyd.”

Koko noticed the scars peeking out from under Monty’s leather jacket. They were too many for a normal teen.

‘That’s just his arms,’ Koko thought to herself, slightly horrified, all the possible scenarios and explanations swirling in her head.

But she pretended nothing was wrong. She didn't want to make her son’s new friend self-conscious. Anyone who was a good friend to her son was always welcome by her.

“Also, here's some things I brought as well,” Monty smiled as he produced a bag of groceries seemingly out of thin air. 

‘What the heck??’ Forest stared, wide-eyed, wondering if the other version of him also had some sort of magical pocket dimension. 

“Think of it as a gift,” Monty smiled, “Figure I would help since Lloyd told me a bit about your guys’ situation.”

Chapter Text

Koko smiled at the kind gesture, obviously touched by it. 

“Aren't you a nice one, young man?” She accepted the gift, all her suspicions melting away at the joy of her son having such a good friend, despite Monty being rather eccentric, “Oh have a seat, Monty dear. Let me get you two drinks. Do you want cola or pepsi? Maybe even some snacks?”

“Mooooom!!” Forest whined, already feeling the embarrassment heating up his face. 

 It was so unfair that he was the only one internally panicking. 

“Maybe apple juice?” Koko suggested. 

Monty’s face lit up. 

“That would be great, miss Koko,” he smiled. 

Koko couldn't shake off the strange feeling she had when she examined Monty’s face. Something was too familiar to her. Nevertheless, she could figure that out later. 

‘Why?’ Forest asked whoever was up there in the sky as he sat at the dinner table, having dinner with his mom and Monty. 

While the two were getting along extremely well, Forest felt like it would be a wonderful time for his dad to launch an attack. 

“So how did you and Lloyd meet?” 

“In the forest,” Monty grinned, “Little guy hurt his leg. And I always try to help people if I can, regardless of whether or not he’s the son of an evil warlord.”

Koko noted as Monty definitely just got more brownie points from her. 

“Besides, you would think he's evil when he's just an anxious fella.”

“DUDE!!”

“What? You basically looked like a gust of wind could knock you over that night.”

“Shut up, shut up!!”

“Never,” Monty gave a wide grin, complete with his fangs showing. 

Koko couldn't help but wonder about the sharp fangs. 

‘Does he have any dental issues?’ was the most logical question. Her mom instinct was going off right now regarding Monty. And she always trusted her guts. Koko knew that her son always faced unfair treatment in this city. Anyone who saw her son for himself and not the son of Garmadon had all her respect and love. 

“Just what are you doing?” Forest whispered to Monty, who was in the middle of eating his plate of food, “That's my mom.”

“Yeah and I'm showing her respect and having a conversation with her,” Monty whispered back, “Would be rude not to.”

“It's weird.”

“What is??”

“You treating her like she's a newly-met stranger.”

“She is.”

“.... Oh right.”

Forest's voice got caught in his throat. Dear god, he was still not used to this alternative universe and an alternative version of him. 

Meanwhile, Monty sipped away at his apple juice nonchalantly. 

“Want more apple juice, Monty?” 

“Thanks, Miss Koko.”

‘So this is what Forest’s mom is like,’ Monty thought to himself, quite impressed with how Koko was. 

It did kinda remind him of the bond he used to have with his dad when Garmadon had turned good again. During that time, it had been like he had his mom and dad back. Sure his mom still went on archeological trips often and wasn't home often but he had his dad so he hadn't minded. 

‘Oh well,’ he dismissed the feeling of longing and sadness, ‘At least I still have my team. They're my family.’

And he would make sure that they wouldn't get hurt anytime soon. 

‘If I could control and harvest my Oni and dragon power, I would be stronger and more useful.’

That made him feel better about the fact that his inhuman side was showing more and more. 

‘Miss Koko is nice. I hope she doesn't leave Forest like my dad did.’

After dinner, Forest and Monty hung out for a while, while Koko was quite overjoyed that her son had a good friend. 

“Your mom is really nice,” Monty commented, “I quite like her.”

Forest gave him a weird look.

“What? You're making it weird again, man. I’m just saying that she's nice and a good mom.”

Forest slowly nodded, his discomfort still visible.

“Oh come on, just because I look like you, aka her son, doesn't mean that she will see me as a son if she finds out. Your position as an only child is safety secured.”

“..... That's not what I'm worried about.”

“Then what is it about anyway? I’m in disguise, kiddo. Not like she would just come into your room and yank my wig off. Besides, even if we still have the same face, the height and personality differences make up for it.”

“What I mean is it's weird how you're not panicking or jealous. I have a mom who is there for me and my dad at least isn't gone.”

“Your dad is constantly ruining your life, Lloyd.”

Monty’s face turned serious and he frowned, his purple eyes glowing. 

“Well…… yeah…kinda, but he's my dad.”

“... You should try not to set such high expectations. I don't know about your dad, Forest,” Monty sighed, “But my dad was initially good. He helped save the world a lot of times. He was a hero and a ninja alongside his brother. I went through so many historical scrolls to find out about his life. There were a lot.”

Forest's interest was piqued. He wasn't gonna let this chance to get to know more about his other self go to waste.

“But that's just the reality when you have someone who has lived for more than a thousand years at the least.”

Forest widened his eyes. 

His other self's dad was that old?

“The funny thing is that…. he only succumbed to evil shortly after I was born.” Monty shared, “And I'm not even half a century old yet. I wonder sometimes if I am the thing that caused his evil era,” he laughed, his eyes flashing red for a moment before going purple again, “I saved him once. He was back. I finally had a chance to get to know him after years.”

Silence came. And Forest felt like he would suffocate under it. 

“But he's gone now. And the only way I am seeing him again is if I go and die. Haha”

“..... Please don't,” Forest managed to squeak out.

“Kid, I am not intending on a vacation. I have responsibilities and my family to be there for. Anyway, I don't think you should hope for much. It makes sure that you don't get your heart crushed and cry unnecessary tears. Sometimes life isn't fair.”

“...... Yeah,” Forest muttered weakly. 

He knew that being the son of Garmadon wasn't the easiest thing in the world but Monty’s experience just sounded like an absolute Train Wreck to go through. 

‘How is he sane? What? Is he even sane?’

Monty circled an arm around Forest's shoulders and pulled him closer. 

“And remember, you can always ask me for help when life isn't fair. If any of your bullies come onto you, just tell me the name and I will beat their arses to a bloody pulp for you.”

“ You're not gonna kill them right?”

“....... Maybe,” Monty shrugged, “I don't exactly know the limits of my strength much.”

Forest gulped. 

“Oh don't worry, kid. I will be in disguise and everything and won't leave anything incriminating evidence behind. They would never trace it back to you. I’m here to help you, not get you into prison.”

“How are you even a hero when you're openly considering murder?”

“Because I still haven't lost my sanity entirely and still have some fucks to give,” Monty grinned as he put Forest into a headlock and began ruffling the shorter blond’s hair. 

Monty bid Forest and Koko goodbye. 

“Please get back to your world safely. It's dangerous when it's this late.” Forest whispered to him. 

“Don't worry. I know my way back.”

As he made his way out of the apartment, he noticed a couple of the other residents of this apartment building peeking out of their apartments and giving him odd looks. 

He rolled his eyes at them. 

‘Can’t a guy get some privacy here please?’

He made his way out of the apartment building and onto the roads. Some of the teens looked at his outfit and gave impressed stares. He couldn't help but think it was hypocritical how his other self was hated while he in disguise and in a good outfit could easily pass as a run-away model. 

‘People of this world love the green ninja but hate Lloyd Garmadon,’ he summarized.

He stepped on a newspaper. 

Picking it up, Monty scanned it before focusing on a part that was apparently dedicated to Lloyd Garmadon, son of Lord Garmadon. 

There were things such as:

Get lost, Garmadon

The little troublemaker should just leave the city. 

Nobody loves Lloyd. 

Unpopular with the population. 

“Urggh!!” He groaned, not really liking this. 

He waited until no one was looking to destroy the newspaper with his energy power. It wasn't difficult to create a green energy version of Kai’s fire to burn it away. 

Monty continued his way home. He had to beat up a random thug who tried to mug him along the way but honestly, it wasn't eventful. 

“You should be glad that your blood didn't get on my outfit,” he said coldly, blood on his knuckles and face. 

He figured he should restrain from using his power. 

‘I shouldn't rely on it too much. And dear my grandfather, this city has a high crime rate.’

The thug ran away like a coward. 

Lloyd found himself licking away the blood. It tasted almost sweet to him. 

He looked at himself with wide eyes as soon as he was finished. 

‘Must be the Oni-dragon genes again,’ he figured.

A year ago, this would have made him freak out because he didn't want to be evil. But now, Lloyd was just a bit too desensitized. 

‘Okay then, I'm turning more into a vampire,’ he rolled his eyes, ‘No wonder Jay called me an ankle-biting demon who would feast on his blood back then,’ he laughed, ‘Oh well, as long as I don't lose anyone, I should be fine and not go batshit insane.’

Show universe

Lloyd made it to his home safely, successfully sneaking back into his room. The others thought he was still in his room the whole time. 

Lloyd sighed as he changed his outfit, hanging it up for tomorrow. He did like the outfit. He had even worn it once during one of the modeling gigs he got. 

“Guess I have to thank you for the good looks, dad,” Lloyd snickered as he picked up the photo of him and Garmadon, “How are you liking the new photo frame, dad? New and fresh, isn't it?”

He let out a childish and wide smile. 

“Also, look like I do inherit your purple eyes, sort of.”

He looked at himself in the mirror. 

“Is this Oni-dragon hybrid puberty or something? I just hope I am not turning evil. No offense, dad, but I don't wanna have a son and then just leave him for years and then come back for a year or so and then be gone again and not be there for my son, which gives him massive daddy issues, and then come back as an evil resurrected husk and disown him and then succeed in killing him and finally just go off to who knows where, which further traumatize my son and might bring him on the verge of insanity”

Lloyd let out a maniacal laugh. 

“That and I don't think I'm ready to be a dad yet. I know I'm supposed to be an adult because my physical age is an adult age but…. How should I say this?? I don't wanna get into relationships or have sex like an adult. Maybe I'll just wait a decade or so. I should still look handsome by then. I got your genes after all.”

Lloyd smiled at the photo after he finally got his eyes to go back to red and then green. 

“Finally,” he said, “Guess all's good then, dad. Sorry, the purple eyes work for you but for me, they're still kinda new. That and I don't want my team to be suspicious. They have already been through enough. I can do it on my own. I should let them have it easy. They don't need more drama from me. Maybe I should go read more ancient scrolls tomorrow. Seriously, I can't believe how many times you and Master Wu saved Ninjago. That’s more than me and my team. And yet people always think of you as a villain. You only turned evil shortly after my birth, dad.”

The photo remained inanimate.

Lloyd chuckled. 

“I’m glad that I can talk this out with you a bit, dad. Talking to a photo of you is definitely better. No worries about being betrayed, being fooled by the resurrected husk of you, no worries about when I would lose you again. I mean, I already lost you forever. And definitely no being thrown through wall after wall.”

Lloyd giggled. 

“Oh well, it's getting late. I’m going to bed. Night, dad. Love you.”

He gave the photo one last hug before setting it back on his nightstand. 

Chapter Text

In the dead of night, Lloyd was awakened by loud noises, one of which he could identify as Jay’s scream and then Kai’s yelling. 

“YOU'RE NOT COMING ANYWHERE CLOSE TO LLOYD.”

“K-kai?” Lloyd rubbed his eyes as he got out of his bed, “What is all the damn ruckus about? Is someone trying to kidnap me and steal my power again?”

He muttered to himself, eyes opening wide as he dashed out of his room and to where the sound was. 

If there was an intruder, no way was that fucker going to hurt his family. 

Lloyd was holding an energy ball in his arms when he finally made it out of the door and onto the front land of the monastery. 

“Alright,” he growled, “Who's the fucker that came at this damn hour?” 

Darting his eyes around, he could spot Nya and Jay looking concerned and Zane frowning. Pixal was in holographic form and had a shocked expression. Cole was next to Kai who already had a ball of flame against the intruder. 

Lloyd looked at the intruder.

It was his father— his dad, in human form. 

“No,” he let out, “No, no this isn't possible. He's dead. Long gone. This isn't him.”

The energy ball in Lloyd’s hands got bigger.

“L-lloyd,” Garmadon spotted his son standing behind the other ninjas, “son!!”

Hearing this, Lloyd instinctively shot the energy ball at Garmadon before running back inside the monastery. 

Instead of sending Garmadon ten meters back and giving him some burn marks, the ball turned into a bubble that trapped the former sensei/ dark lord in. 

“He can do that?” 

Jay was the first to regain his voice. 

“Who cares about that right now, Jay?” Nya was the next, “We have to deal with…. this first.”

They all looked at human Garmadon who was banging his fists against the bubble in order to get out and go to his son's side. 

“Kai, Cole!!” He began, voice sounding more like Sensei Garmadon and less like Emperor Garmadon, “You have to help me.”

Kai narrowed his eyes, a fireball still in his hands. 

“Guys, bring him in,” he commanded his team, “And remember not to burst the bubble. We don't know which Garmadon this truly is. Or what he wants with Lloyd.”

He said the last part in a barely contained whisper to his team. 

“Pixal,” Zane started as he and Jay rolled the energy bubble containing Garmadon into the monastery, “I think you should also come here. We need as much help as possible.”

“I am already on my way, Zane,” Pixal replied, sending her coordination to Zane, which told him that she would be there in no time. 

Later 

Pixal landed in front of the monastery, putting away her flying equipment that she had installed at the sole of her feet. She could have gotten her samurai X mech but that would have been too clunky and not time efficient. 

Right now, her team needed her.

“I hope I'm not too late,” she announced her presence as she walked into the monastery’s living room where the others minus Lloyd were. 

“Do not worry, Pixal,” Zane turned to her, “You're on time.”

“I take it that the situation has been—”

She examined the others. 

Kai was glaring daggers at Garmadon who was still trapped in the energy bubble. Cole, Jay and Nya were doing their best to make sure Kai didn't burn the entire building down with his rage alone. 

“— troublesome,” she finished her sentence. 

She focused her stare on Garmadon, who was now in his human Sensei form, and she could spot some differences. 

His hair was slightly longer, resembling Lloyd's current hairstyle but with a bit more length. The color was a light gray, compared to the medium gray he had once sported. His skin tone was rather pale and he had slight eye bags under his purple eyes. The most bewildering detail was the fact that he still had a gaping wound that exposed one of his ribs like his undead Emperor Garmadon form. The difference was that the wound was actually covered by a layer of bandage, which was stained with red and purple blood.

Garmadon was wearing a tattered black robe and remains of the armor he had worn as Emperor Garmadon. 

“Got any information, Pixal?” Zane inquired, “I tried scanning but nothing useful was discovered. I thought perhaps your more advanced scanner would find something.”

“Yeah,” Kai butted in, “Tell us the truth, Pix. That his maniac here is trying one of his schemes again to get to Lloyd and kill him again. Or that he's trying to take over Ninjago. Either way, he isn't Sensei Garmadon. He's dead,” the master of fire accused, both of his arms now on flame just as much as his heart was dead set on protecting his little brother. 

Not even the combined strength of Nyw, Cole, and Jay could compare to that of an overprotective brother ready to raise hell. 

Pixal snuck a look at Garmadon, who looked….. remorseful.

“Unfortunately,.... Nothing much,” Pixal started, “My scanner only found that he shows signs of abnormalities such as fatigue and supposed lethal injuries. But his vitals show that he's fine and does not require medical treatment.”

“Oh of course, he’s basically a zombie now, Pix,” Jay pointed out, “What if he's here to eat Lloyd's brain and flesh? Kai, barbecue him now.” 

Great, there was now one fewer person to stop Kai and one more who sided with him.

“Could someone please let me explain myself?” Garmadon pleaded, his voice hoarse, “Just let me see my son.”

Nya thought it also sounded weak. 

“Wait,” she gathered the attention of the team, “Guys, let's hear Garmadon out.”

“WHAT!?” Kai and Jay let out in unison. 

Cole looked conflicted. 

“Nya, are you sure?” The master of earth inquired.

“NYA, ARE YOU CRAZY, SIS?” Kai exclaimed, “He killed Lloyd once.”

The master of fire shot a dark glare at Garmadon. 

“I know that he kinda helped us during the fight with Oni. But let's remember that Harumi only brought back his evil side. He isn't Sensei Garmadon.”

Zane looked at Garmadon who was looking increasingly paler despite it almost being impossible. 

“Kai, wait,” the nindroid stopped his friend, “Perhaps, we should let Garmadon talk first.”

“Zane, what the hell—”

“It would bring us no harm, Kai,” the master of ice insisted, “He hasn't been able to break out of Lloyd's energy bubble—”

“What if he's faking it?”

“—And from Pixal’s scan, the bubble shows no signs of cracking anytime soon. If it eases your mind, we will all be prepared to strike in case anything happens,” he turned to his girlfriend, “Pixal, please keep an eye on the state of the energy bubble.”

“Already on it, Zane,” Pixal nodded determinedly, glad that she had installed a Samurai x suit mode on herself. 

“.... Fine,” Kai finally gave in. 

He turned to Garmadon. 

“Alright, speak.”

Garmadon thought this was disrespectful but then again he definitely deserves this after everything. 

This was going to be difficult and mentally exhausting, but he accepted that to be the case when he returned. However, he didn't expect that Lloyd's power would include this. 

‘Impressive,’ he thought to himself. 

“I know this must be confusing to all of you,” he started. 

“Cut the bullshit and get straight to the point,” Kai snapped, his eyes glowing bright reddish orange as the fire in one of his hands went ablaze, “What do you want with Lloyd, Garmadon? Also, how the hell are you even human again?”

“I just want to see Lloyd again,” Garmadon finally blurted out, “My memories are blurry. I woke up, finally feeling like myself. I remember what I did to my son.”

The man before them pressed his hands against the energy bubble. 

“Please, just let me see Lloyd.”

A moment of silence washed over the monastery. 

Cole made a gesture for them all to hurdle together in a circle for a discussion. 

“Guys, opinions?” Cole began, positioning himself so that he could keep an eye on Garmadon, who seemingly did not attempt to escape. 

“We can't trust him,” Kai stood his ground, “What if he hurts Lloyd again, directly or otherwise?”

“I have to go with Kai, you guys,” Jay added in, “I mean, it took the guy months to come back to his son who he kinda…. disowned when he was an evil resurrected zombie. Kinda suspicious if you ask me.”

“It does seem odd,” Zane added, “I feel like we should select the option that is the best for our safety and especially Lloyd's.”

“I don't feel like Garmadon has a high chance of lying,” Pixal added her opinion, “My scanner concluded that the emotions he’s currently having are anxiety, guilt and sadness.”

“Well, what if he's faking it really well?” Kai argued, “The guy's a wild card. We don't know what would happen to him next to turn him against us. You guys saw the 180-degree change in him when he got brought back. He isn't Sensei Garmadon.”

“But Kai,” Nya began, “He used to be Sensei Garmadon, our sensei.”

“Yeah, and the true Sensei Garmadon would understand what kind of hell he has put Lloyd through.”

“But if we kick him out, there's no knowing what he will do when he's out in public,” Cole put out a good point.

“It would be more strategic for us to keep an eye on him,” Pixal agreed. 

“Great, we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place,” Jay groaned, “Maybe we should ask Lloyd for his opinion? It's unfair not to include him in this.”

“We could always get him back to his prison cell,” Kai suggested, “I mean, it's always open for him. We just need Lloyd's opinion on this.”

As they were discussing, the door to Lloyd's room opened. Lloyd stepped out of his room, his head hung low as he slowly walked towards Garmadon who was still trapped in the energy bubble. 

“Son?” Garmadon let out, a small smile escaping his lips. 

His son had grown taller since the last time he, as emperor Garmadon, had seen him. 

With a wave of his hand, Lloyd made the energy bubble disappear. 

Something was off. 

Garmadon could sense it. It was still his son but something was wrong. 

In an instant, Lloyd grasped Garmadon’s two hands with his own. 

“What the—” Kai let out as the team were too late to stop what was happening. 

Green and purple energy came from Lloyd's hands, forming a chain around each of Garmadon's wrists. The master of destruction stood still in horror, despite not feeling any pain. 

“Guys, this hasn't happened before!!” Jay’s voice shrieked in panic.

When Lloyd finally lifted his head to look at Garmadon, his eyes were a glowing purple color, accompanied by a mist of green and red around the eyes. Starting from his neck, Garmadon could see black veins going up, spreading a dark midnight color across Lloyd's peachy skin. The master of energy’s hands had a dark gradient starting from the tip of his fingers and bore more resemblance to claws. 

“With this,” Lloyd spoke, his voice deep and inhuman, a slight growl in it, “You won't hurt me ever again,” he finished, baring his teeth that were sharper than ever. 

Garmadon's eyes widened as the chains around his wrists now were connected to Lloyd. 

Finishing this, Lloyd suddenly went limp, collapsing onto the floor. 

Garmadon managed to catch him in time, the chains around his wrists fading away. 

“LLOYD, LLOYD,” the master of fire called out, “Not again, not again.”

“Son,” Garmadon whispered, looking for any signs of life. 

He was relieved when Lloyd was breathing and well alive. The dark veins on his neck and face and the dark gradient on his hands were fading. His teeth went back to normal. 

“His vitals are stable,” Pixal announced her diagnosis, much to the relief of everyone in the room, “He’s simply exhausted.”

Kai nearly collapsed on the floor beside Lloyd out of relief. Jay had already done so. Nya was looking at the analysis Pixal was showcasing in hologram form. Zane and Cole both looked at Garmadon. 

“Where’s his room?” Garmadon asked, intending to carry Lloyd to somewhere he could rest. 

“As if we're gonna let you get close to him,” Kai snapped back, “GIVE HIM TO ME.”

The master of fire snatched the unconscious Lloyd from Garmadon’s hands. 

“What happened to him?” Jay asked anyone who would be able to answer, “He’s never done anything like this before. And what with the chains on Garmadon back then?”

Garmadon looked down at both of his hands. 

“He…. He put a restraint on me.”

Chapter Text

“Wait, wait,” Jay began, “What do you mean he put a restraining order on you?” 

The master of lighting was clearly asking what was on everyone's mind. 

“It’s a Restraint, Jay,” Garmadon corrected, “It’s a magical bind that Oni uses,” he began the very much-needed explanation, “One will have control over the other. In the realm of dragon and Oni, the more powerful Oni uses it to ensure no betrayals. The restraint makes sure that the person tied down will not benefit from going against the one who tied them down.”

The team collectively went pale. 

All eyes, including those of Garmadon's, all shifted towards the former lord’s hands, all vividly remembering how just moments ago, there were chains around Garmadon’s wrists. 

‘Lloyd was powerful enough to do that!’

It was a thought that all of them had. 

Kai observed with wide eyes as he shifted his vision toward the unconscious Lloyd in his arms. 

Others followed, all staring in disbelief at the blond who was peacefully sleeping. 

“It must have taken a lot from him,” Garmadon looked at his son, his purple eyes holding a sense of endearment, “Most Oni would have difficulties with placing a Restraint, let alone one who hasn't gotten his Oni form yet.”

The former lord reached out one of his hands towards Lloyd’s face. But as soon as his hand made contact with his son's face, Kai quickly swatted his hand away. 

“Hands off, Garmadon,” Kai nearly hissed, “Just because you now look like Sensei Garmadon doesn't mean that we trust you,” he pointed out, pulling Lloyd closer to him protectively. It almost looked comical, especially with how Lloyd was now taller and bigger than Kai was. 

Garmadon didn't make any objections. He knew this would happen. He knew the weight of his sins. 

What he didn't anticipate was Lloyd unlocking his Oni heritage and even managing to put a Restraint on him. 

You won't hurt me ever again

That line was going to echo in Garmadon's head for a while. 

“What are we gonna do with him now?” Jay asked his whole team, “I mean, with the Restraint thing, it means that he won't cause any harm to Lloyd or do anything destructive by extension, right?” 

“It certainly seems so,” Pixal added her input, “I do think that further research on this should be done. I’ll need to look more into this concept of Restraint.”

“I’ll help, Pixal,” Zane offered, “In the meanwhile, I propose we give Garmadon the benefit of the doubt..”

Kai opened his mouth.

“Kai, before you worry,” Pixal interrupted him, “I will install an alert system on Lloyd. This is a new technology I have developed.”

She pulled out a small, almost microscopic, nanochip and planted it onto Lloyd’s clothes. 

“I have connected it to my system. If anyone besides us disturbs Lloyd, we will all be alerted through the communication devices or straight into our systems like Zane and me.”

She then turned to look at Garmadon.

“In addition to that, a powerful and paralyzing electric shock will be administered if someone unauthorized gets too close,” she stared straight into the man’s soul, her glowing robotic eyes looking extra bright, “Unless Lloyd initiates the contact first, of course. It's only built to zap the unauthorized person. It won't harm the wearer.”

Jay instinctively gulped. 

“Your girlfriend can be scary, Zane,” he whispered to the master of ice. 

“Shush,” Zane hushed up his fellow brother-in-arm, “Let her have her moment, Jay.”

And boy, was Zane proud of Pixal!

“Now that we got everything semi-done. You guys go and rest,” Pixal told her team, “I can stay up and guard to make things extra sure. And Zane too, please rest, you had a mission today. Garmadon, I think you know that you should behave yourself.”

Garmadon simply nodded. 

Kai carried Lloyd back to his room. Even though Lloyd was taller than him by quite a bit, Kai couldn't help but still see the young blond pipsqueak who was a candy addict. 

‘Oh, what the hell!? He's still a candy addict.’

Garmadon followed closely behind Kai, his eyes never leaving Lloyd. Consequently, the whole team also followed to make sure Garmadon wasn't going to pull any tricks. 

This more or less led to the current sight of a bunch of people standing inside Lloyd’s room, with Garmadon begrudgingly standing outside despite this being the opposite of what he wanted. 

“Kai,” Nya started after her brother had tucked their little brother to bed, “Lloyd’s gonna be okay. You should get some rest. It's late.”

“I don't trust him, Nya,” Kai stood his ground, “I don't know why, but fate is always against us. Before, there was this whole drama about our parents, Nya. Before that event, Lloyd got possessed, Cole was turned into a ghost. And in between that, Jay found out about his true heritage. Zane technically died once or maybe twice during the whole Oni thing. You and Lloyd thought Cole, Jay, Zane, and I all died. Lloyd did die. And don't get me started on when Zane died for the first time and Pixal rebuilt himself somewhat and then she got dismantled and then Zane had to install her conscience into his head. And right now, it's Greenie’s turn yet again with this shit,” he gestured to their mentally youngest member currently lying unconscious on the bed.

“And worrying yourself out won't do any good, Kai,” Cole reasoned, “Right now, we have to take Garmadon's words at face value while still putting up security and precautions. You heard Pixal. She's got everything under control.”

“And if anything happens, we will face it as a team,” Jay joined, “Maybe all the hair gel is getting to your brain, Flames-for-brains but we're a team.”

“ I know the situation is not ideal, Kai,” Zane added his input, “But after everything we have overcome together, I’m certain we can do it again.”

Kei was touched. 

“..... Yeah, you guys are right,” he smiled, “Pix, thanks for being on guard duty tonight.”

“It’s truly no problem, Kai,” Pixal smiled in return, “We’re a team. Now please, you guys, go and rest, I can handle this.”

As the ninja left the room, Kai didn't forget to give Garmadon one last warning for good measures. 

“We have our eyes on you, Garmadon. Don't pull anything funny.”

“I assure you, Kai, that I have no ill intentions,” Garmadon replied. 

His sins were already heavy enough. He wasn't keen on adding more.

‘Lloyd,’ he turned to his unconscious son.

The young blond looked like he was in deep sleep. 

Later

Pixal’s eyes narrowed as she observed Garmadon. She had her suspicions like the others. After all, it wasn't very easy to forget when she, Lloyd, and Nya had to lead a resistance while believing that Cole, Jay, Zane, and Kai had been killed. 

She still shuddered at the thought of it.

‘This is peculiar,’ she thought, ‘He hasn't moved for a while now.’

And indeed, Garmadon hadn't moved from his spot, which was in front of Lloyd's bed. 

From Pixal's knowledge of acceptable behavior, this would be considered creepy, especially with how his eyes hadn't even blinked once. But then again, he was also kinda an undead reanimated corpse so Pixal didn't exactly think that human rules probably applied to him. 

‘Magic,’ she rolled her eyes.

It was harder to understand than technology but still definitely worth looking into. 

She quickly did a quick scan of Lloyd once again, activating the feature in her eyes that would allow for scanning things from a distance while also making it unknown that she was doing a scan. 

‘Um, all normal,’ she noted, ‘His vitals are all fine and his breathing is calm. Brain waves seem to indicate that he's sleeping peacefully. Nothing seems to be wrong.’

Pixal thought back on Lloyd’s moment earlier. One would assume that wasn't actually Lloyd and just the Oni part acting out. But again, the Oni part was also part of Lloyd, therefore, what Lloyd had said back then more or less had some truth about how Lloyd felt. 

‘Maybe I should research more into the psychology branch as well,’ she considered. 

Her team was dear to her and she wasn't gonna not make an effort to understand what one of her team members was going through. 

Meanwhile, Garmadon practically didn't register Pixal's presence as he was too preoccupied with….. watching his son sleep. Yes, it was undoubtedly creepy. 

‘How much taller has he grown?’ Garmadon squinted his eyes to make some estimation. 

From what he could see from their little interaction earlier, Lloyd was probably taller than Garmadon in his human form by now. He had also grown more powerful if the Oni curse his son had put on him was anything to go by. The blond had grown so much ever since the day he, as Sensei Garmadon, left him when Lloyd needed him the most. He had missed out on so much and hurt his son so much. 

Garmadon could vaguely remember the moment he was fully back, and it wasn't just his evil side that was brought back. It was strange to just be whole again. The subsequent mental crisis of “What have I done?” that came after that was not pleasant at all. Neither was the next sequence of “What do I do now?”

Lloyd stirred in his sleep, groaning slightly as he shifted his position slightly. He unconsciously grabbed a pillow to hug before going limp again, letting out small, inaudible-to-the-human-ears snoring sounds. Had Garmadon not had enhanced hearing due to his genetics, he wouldn't even hear them. 

A while later

After three hours of seeing how Garmadon hadn't even moved, Pixal decided to leave the room to do some research of her own. Of course, she still periodically checked up on Garmadon and Lloyd as well as accessing the nanochip on Lloyd’s clothes that was giving her information on his condition. The nanochip seemed to be doing its job just fine. 

Pixal was glad for that. If this device worked wonderfully, she could utilize it to make sure her team could be extra safe. The support she got from Borg, her creator/ dad, definitely helped motivate her to continue after the first several rounds of trials and errors. 

‘Alright,’ she thought to herself in determination, ‘I should start getting more information about Oni.’

Even later

Lloyd opened his eyes, feeling a bit out of it more than usual. 

‘Did I oversleep? Do I still have time for morning training?’ He thought as he turned over to his alarm clock. 

5:30am

Okay, a bit later than he would like but he still had enough time. 

‘Why do I feel like I just had a bad dream?’

“Son.”

Lloyd immediately turned to the source of the voice.

Green eyes met purple ones.

“Fa— wait, Dad,” he exclaimed in surprise as he hopped out of bed. 

This couldn't be real. 

“Why do you look so….,” Lloyd struggled to find the right words as he reached a hand out towards Garmadon, “tired?” 

He poked at Garmadon's face, expecting to wake up from this weird dream. 

It didn't happen. 

‘Is this one of those lucid dream things?’

Lloyd chuckled. 

“I’m dreaming, aren't I? You can't really be here,.... not after everything,” he said with a wide smile on his face. 

His eyes stayed dry.

“L-Lloyd—”

“Honestly, dream dad,” Lloyd interrupted him, “You should take care of your appearance more. Don't let the good looks go to waste.”

‘Might as well talk a bit with dream dad before waking up,’ Lloyd thought to himself.

“I’ll let you know that thanks to your looks, I’m able to do some modeling gigs,” he laughed, “Right now, apparently men with their long hair tied up are considered attractive so you should take notes.”

Lloyd threw a hair tie on his nightstand towards a stunned Garmadon. 

“Yours is a bit longer than mine so it should work.”

He went to his closet. 

“You know, if you keep being quiet like that, it honestly isn't that different from talking to a photo of you.”

He grabbed the master gi that once belonged to Sensei Garmadon. 

“I believe this is yours,” Lloyd handed the master gi to Garmadon with a slightly playful bow, “I kinda made some modifications to the gi after my growth spurt. Sorry about that, Dad. But this is the dream world so eh, maybe it still fits,” he shrugged nonchalantly, "Oh, and here's some new bandages for your wound there," Lloyd winced a bit at the sight, "I seriously need to imagine a better look for you next time i dream."

“Lloyd, son, this isn't a dream. This is—”

“Anyway, dream Definitely-Not-real Dad, you should take care of yourself more, I'll talk to you more later.”

Lloyd hopped onto the bed again and closed his eyes. 

“What the—?” 

When he opened them again, Garmadon in human form was still there, holding the master gi, his expression of confusion and horror.

“Son,” the former lord began, a worried and horrified expression on his face, “I’m telling you. This isn't a dream.”

“Great,” Lloyd rolled his eyes, “Probably just need a little something to wake up.”

Lloyd pulled out a dagger that he had strapped to himself before he went to bed last night. 

“This should do it,” he said with a blank face and empty eyes as he held the dagger in his hand and aimed it at his other one which was spread out on the nightstand.

“LLOYD!!” Garmadon sprung into action, stopping his son from hurting himself. 

The electric shock he received from the nanochip on Lloyd's clothes didn't deter him from making Lloyd drop the dagger and then kicking it far away from the blond’s reach. 

Chapter Text

Movie universe

Koko woke up as she had an early work shift today. Walking into the kitchen, she pulled out the bag of gifts her son's new friend Monty had given them yesterday. 

‘Such a nice young man,’ she smiled, even though she still had doubts. 

On one hand, she wanted to scream with joy at the fact that Lloyd had such a good friend. On the other hand, this seemed so sudden. If she was right, Lloyd had only known Monty for less than a week. It wasn't long enough for Lloyd to possibly open up about their family financial situation. 

‘He has so many scars,’ she recalled, ‘Gang activities are coming up more and more in this city.’

She pulled out some vegetables, ham, canned goods and a couple of other goods. It was enough for two people for a week. And there was still more at the bottom. Just the items she had pulled out would have cost quite a dent in a typical teenager’s allowance. There were even several trays of ribeye steaks, chicken breast and ground beef.

This was truly out of the affordability of a regular teen.

‘Monty looks to be around 18,’ she thought, ‘He would be 3 years older than Lloyd.’

Somehow the supposed age gag worried Koko. Lloyd never had friends older than friends or friends in general sadly, at least to her knowledge so this was the first time for Koko to worry about the quality of her son’s friend. She knew that Lloyd mentioned his friends once or twice but Monty was the first to be brought over and by default the first to be so close to Lloyd.

For a second, Koko wondered if her son had made friends with an eccentric rebellious rich kid or extremely dangerous and rich member of the shadier part of the city. 

Her breath nearly stopped when she reached a large bottle of high quality moisturizer. 

‘Oh my god!!’

It looked expensive. 

Koko noticed there was a little post-it note attached to it. 

It read:

Got you a little something, miss Koko. Since you work 3 jobs, it's important to keep your face moisturized. Stress can really age you. Still, you should make sure to sleep enough. No moisturizer can overcome sleep deprivation. 

At the end of the note, there was a small peace sign drawn with a marker.  

Koko stared at the bottle of moisturizer in astonishment. She felt both touched and also a bit unnerved. Because this was getting a bit too above the level of the average friendship that started less than a week ago. 

‘Monty has only known Lloyd for less than a week. How did Lloyd manage to tell him about the fact that I work 3 jobs?’

She knew her son. And Lloyd was quite shy and self-conscious about their financial situation. He would never admit this to someone he wasn't especially close with. 

Her eyes lowered in sadness and shame at her inability to provide more as a mother. 

As much as Koko wanted to give her son a better life, this was the best she could do for now. Jobs were hard to come by when you were Garmadon's ex-wife. Koko had to lie to her own son whenever people would fire her and she had to scramble to find a new job. 

Just who was Monty that Lloyd would trust him so much?

Pulling out the rest of the items and putting some away in the fridge, Koko noticed a few more things. 

There were a few bags of candy that looked extra nice, like the kinds in specialty shops that Koko could never afford.

Lloyd loved sweet things. 

‘He even knows about that.!’

They were all placed inside a plastic bag, that had a note saying “These are for Lloyd''

Before the word “Lloyd”, there was another word that was crossed out to the point of being illegible. 

Try as she might, Koko couldn't make out what the crossed-out word was. 

Next, there was another small bag with packages of… cream bread. At least that was what was written on the label. There was also another note that said “These are also for Lloyd. He likes them very much. Just make sure he doesn't eat them all for breakfast in one sitting. He might get a tummy ache”

Koko couldn't help but smile despite the huge doubt growing inside her. This was just too sweet for her even though she was reasonably unnerved. 

Lloyd’s new friend, Monty, was an enigma. 

Show universe

Nya bolted out of her bed as soon as her communication devices went off. Not even bothering to tie up her hair, she dashed out of her room, a weapon in hands. 

Had she been wrong to suggest that they should hear Garmadon out?

Narrowing her eyes, she made a beeline for Lloyd’s room. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could spot her brother Kai already charging full speed, his whole body possible on fire. 

Pixal got to the room first. Next was Kai, Nya and Zane. Jay and Cole came in at the same time.

Cole used his earth elemental power to create a rock barrier blocking the windows from the outside so that Garmadon couldn't escape as well as using his own body to barricade the door, his eyes glowing amber. 

Pixal activated her Samurai X suit, her right arm changing into a gun, robotic eyes calculating the most vulnerable area to hit.

The two fireballs in Kai’s hand shone brightly as his eyes glowed a fierce fiery orange. 

Nya stood ready to engulf Garmadon in his watery grave, eyes piercing cyan. 

Zane was similar but more in an ice coffin as his robotic eyes glowed icy blue.

Jay’s hair stood up as he charged his lightning elemental power, his eyes electric blue. 

“Guys!!” Lloyd managed to let out as he looked at his surroundings. 

His found siblings were in battle/ “Ready to kill” mode. 

“D-dad,” he looked down at Garmadon who was getting up after the intense electric shock, white smoke coming out of his mouth. He kicked the dagger far far away from Lloyd for extra good measures.

The dagger made a metal clanking sound as the ninja briefly paid attention to the sharp weapon. It was for a mere brief moment but somehow, the team felt like the case wasn't the black and white scenario of “Garmadon goes evil again and tries to kill Lloyd… again”.

“S-son, are you alright?” He said, panting a bit. 

The electric shock was a bit more than he expected. 

A droplet of Lloyd’s blood dropped to the floor. 

The dagger must have scraped him when he dropped it earlier.

“Son?” Garmadon spoke again when he found Lloyd’s silence lasting longer than he would like. 

He reached his hand out, despite knowing the consequences. 

In that moment, all Lloyd could see was midnight hands grabbing him by the throat and all he could hear was a cold and heartless “I have no son”

“DON'T TOUCH ME,” he backed away, eyes glowing purple. 

“Argh!?”

Garmadon let out a groan as chains cuffed his wrists and more came out from a mist of purple to wrap around his torso, effectively tying him down and causing him to kneel on the floor. 

Lloyd's eyes opened wide as he took in the sight in front of him. 

Did he do that?

He could do that?

‘Why didn't that happen before he disowned me and killed me?’

He couldn't help but think that.

Garmadon resigned to his fate as he looked up at his son's conflicted expression. 

Just how bad was his son doing mentally? And how could he even help when he was part of the cause, if not the sole reason why Lloyd’s Oni side had decided to take such drastic measures?

Taking a deep breath, Lloyd turned to his found siblings. 

“Guys, what happened?” He began, “This isn't a dream,” he looked down at his bleeding finger, “So much for trying to wake myself up,” he whispered in a low growl. 

Unfortunately, he forgot to consider the fact that all of his siblings basically had enhanced hearing compared to the average person. 

‘What the hell?!’ 

They all collectively thought.

“Is anyone gonna explain to me what's going on?” Lloyd looked for any sort of explanation, “Why is my father and why is he in human form again? Did someone clone him and send the clone here?”

Silence, more specifically horrified silence. 

“Guys, talk to me!!”

“Zane and I will take it from here,” Pixal offered, “You guys watch Garmadon.”

The team nodded. At least they had a sort of a plan. 

So, Lloyd was guided to another room. 

The chains around Garmadon still didn't disappear. 

‘I’m a horrible father,’ Garmadon lowered his head in shame as the chains, a literal representation of his son's distrust, kept him from moving. 

“So,” Lloyd massaged his temples, already feeling a headache coming, as he sat on the couch in the living room, “You're saying I put a curse on my father? And I unlocked my Oni side?” 

As he said this, his eyes went back to being their regular green. 

“It would appear so,” Zane replied, “Garmadon revealed that you put a Restraint curse on him.”

“From what I have researched, it's a curse Oni uses to exert control,” Pixal continued, “Hence the chains and everything. Apparently, the degree of influence can change depending on the individual Oni’s familiarity with it. Currently, there's no way to break it.”

“So he can't hurt me anymore, right?” Lloyd wanted clarification, “He won't be able to cause any trouble if he does go rogue?”

“Technically speaking, he physically can't go against you, Lloyd,” Zane confirmed, “You did chain him down with ease back then.”

The corners of Lloyd’s mouth curled up slightly.

“This is fantastic,” a wide smile stretched across his face, “Now we won't have to worry about him being up to something.”

Pixal and Zane both exchanged a look that could be summarized into “Okay, this wasn't the reaction we expected.”

Both androids expected Lloyd to be more conflicted or simply more panicky than this, not…. happy.

“What's the matter, guys?” Lloyd inquired after noticing the silence from the android couple. 

“Well, Lloyd, it's just that,” Pixal started, “We…um…we..um”

“We expected a different kind of reaction from you,” Zane helped her finish, “considering how this is coming from your Oni heritage.”

Lloyd cocked his head to the side.

“Seriously, what do you guys mean?” He laughed, “This is obviously a good thing. He can't hurt me or kill me again like that time. And since he did call me son, there's a chance that he's back to being my dad, right? Is that right?”

“.... He did seem determined to reunite with you,” Pixal revealed, feeling increasingly freaked out by how well Lloyd was taking the news. 

“HA,” Lloyd laughed victoriously, standing up from the couch, “Yesss, and with Harumi being dead, there's no other child he would be referring to,..... unless he is secretly trying to resurrect her, which means this curse is a hell of a good thing to make sure he doesn't cause the next Ninjago apocalypse. He can't cause anymore trouble.”

“Technically speaking,.... Yes,” Zane replied.

Lloyd thought for a moment. 

“Okay, so basically he's gonna live with us for the time being,” the blond said, a wide smile on his face, “ No one recognizes him in human form and Garmadon as far as people know has been declared dead and hasn't been sighted by civilians. We can keep an eye on him while also giving him the benefit of the doubt. Let's see if this is him truly wanting to be a dad again or if he's just another person I should take out. Either way, he should act accordingly if he cares about his own survival," he said the last part in a slightly dark tone, remembering how Emperor Garmadon always yapped about survival this and survival that. 

He grinned, his sharp white fangs reflecting the light in the living room. His eyes turned red, the very eye colour that he was born with. 

“At least, my mother's room in the monastery would come in handy. She hasn't even used that room. Why did I bother making it in the first place?”

Pixal and Zane were simply too stunned to speak. 

“Anyway, guys, thanks for the explanation, gonna go now,” Lloyd stood up and rushed back to his room, “Gotta put the plan into motion.”

Chapter Text

Movie universe

“Hey Mom,” Lloyd greeted as he sat down on the kitchen table. 

“Lloyd sweetie,” Koko started, “Your friend, Monty, actually included some gifts for you yesterday,” she said as she handed him the two plastic bags filled with sweet goodies. 

Lloyd's eyes immediately lit up.

“Sweet!!” He smiled as he grabbed a cream bread and opened the package, “Monty really has the good stuff. Dude’s so cool.”

The blond did the little bouncing back and forth that he always did when happy. 

‘Monty must be an excellent friend to him then,’ Koko thought, even though she couldn't shake off her suspicion.

Everything seemed too sudden. And there was something about Monty that she found to be disturbingly familiar. Somehow, she couldn’t help but fixate on the fact that Monty’s teeth were quite sharp, with the canines looking more like fangs than human teeth. 

Show universe

Garmadon was taking note of the strange claw mark on the walls of Lloyd’s room. It was just in the corner of the room, obscured enough that people who were so used to the room wouldn't notice. He couldn't tell if it was more Oni or dragon as the two species left similar claw marks, merely often in different sizes.

Did his son struggle with his heritage? 

Garmadon remembered how confused he was when the traits started showing. It didn't help that his own father, the First Spinjitzu Master, hadn't bothered to help him. But then again, he was never the favorite one so not like it hadn't been unexpected. 

He quite frankly refused to let his son go through the same thing as he had done. He was sure that he was quite a shit of a father, the absolute worst of them all, but no way he would let deal with what was essentially Oni-dragon hybrid puberty alone. 

‘He might get himself hurt.’

Garmadon remembered the first time he used his Oni-dragon power. It hadn't been pretty to say the least. 

As Lloyd walked into the bedroom, the chains around Garmadon loosened ever so slightly. 

“Zane and Pixal told me everything. He's staying with us for a while, guys,” his son announced. 

Garmadon could have sworn that Kai’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets at this decision. 

“I know what I'm doing, Kai,” Lloyd said to his brother figure, “He’s basically harmless right now. See,” he pointed out the current state of Garmadon which was being chained and forced to kneel on the floor. 

This would deal a massive blow to one’s dignity but honestly, the guilt was eating him alive too much for him to care. 

“Lloyd,” Nya spoke up as she gestured him to come closer and then whispered something into his ear. 

“It's alright, Nya,” Lloyd assured his sister figure, “I know what I'm doing… yes you guys can put up the necessary cautions. Just please don't overdo it. And please don't drown him, Nya.”

On one hand, Garmadon couldn't blame the ninja for being overly cautious. He had to admit that he was quite glad that Lloyd had people looking out for him. On the other hand, this was just a slap to his face, painfully reminding him of what he had done, as if the chains on him weren't enough of a “See what you did to him? To your own son who you swore to never hurt again?” reminder. 

“After all, he can't hurt me again,” Lloyd said to his teammates before releasing the chains. 

It almost felt too easy, like second nature. 

Everyone in the room except Lloyd got a collective shrivel up their spines.

Garmadon stood up, almost surprised by how much of a natural Lloyd was at commanding the curse. 

“Welcome back, dad,” Lloyd smiled as he embraced Garmadon in a hug. 

The boy was taller than his dad, even if just barely. 

Garmadon brought up a hand, patting Lloyd on the back. 

If the curse was able to assure Lloyd that he wouldn't be able to hurt him ever again, then it wasn't such a bad thing in Garmadon's opinion. 

Later

“Come on, dad,” Lloyd rushed as Garmadon was getting dressed in his old master gi. 

It felt like such a long time ago since he last wore this. 

The former evil lord combed his hair using the comb that his son had provided for him. His hair in human form wasn't the pure white like in his Oni form but it was quite close, being a light gray. His hair was in a similar style to his son's, albeit a bit longer. 

He adjusted the fresh bandage around the wound that exposed one of his ribs. He didn't know if it would heal, seeing how he was a resurrected man, but at least it wasn't bleeding and wouldn't be staining his clothes. His pale skin was also another side effect of resurrection but he supposed that in this get-up, he didn't look that strange and would blend in much better. More importantly, it would make it easier for him to accompany his son outside. Despite being what was essentially a zombie, he had the brains to know that the sight of Emperor Garmadon with his midnight skin and four arms would arouse suspicion and fear. 

Garmadon looked into the mirror with satisfaction as he tied his hair into a low ponytail with the hair tie Lloyd had given him when the boy still thought this was all a dream. 

You know, if you keep being quiet like that, it honestly isn't that different from talking to a photo of you.

Garmadon turned to look at the picture on Lloyd’s nightstand, a frown on his face. 

‘It’s a new picture frame,’ he realized before coming out of the room. 

“I’m coming, son,” the former lord replied. 

As he reached the living room, he spotted Lloyd who was wearing a slightly baggy black long sleeve t-shirt with a name of a band that Garmadon wasn't familiar with, black jeans with a white skull in green fire near the left pocket area. The outfit was completed with black boots with green laces, green leather fingerless gloves and a black choker. 

“Took ya long enough, dad. You sure your back’s doing alright?” Lloyd teased, a playful smile on his face, proudly showing off his fangs and sharp incisors, “Let's go! We have to get things for you.”

Movie universe

Lloyd lowered his head as he walked through the halls of his high school.

“Hey look, it's Garmadork,” Chen, Lloyd’s main bully, mocked him, “Where's your Dork Squad, Garmaboy?” 

Lloyd tried his best to ignore the taunting about how he should leave the city, about how his daddy wasn't gonna help him, about he was given the “uglies” by his dad. 

The other students either avoided him like the plague or whispered behind his back. 

That's that kid I told you about. His dad ruins everything. 

Look at him.

Such a loser!

Why doesn't he just leave?

You think he's a spy for his dad?

When he reached his locker, he was more saddened than surprised to find a message scratched onto his locker, possibly by a screwdriver. 

It read:

Get lost, Garmaboy. 

There went his locker for the rest of the school years. 

Lloyd's mood darkened as he opened his locker.

‘At least, everything's still there,’ he assured himself. 

He couldn't report it to the teachers. They would defend whoever had done this by saying how Garmadon's last attack had had an impact on the students’ psyche. He had had this told to him more than he could count.

‘Why am I the one getting the hatred because of his actions?’ 

It took all of Lloyd’s willpower to not slam the door to his locker shut in anger. 

He recalled how normal people of the other universe treated and how nice Monty treated him despite knowing him for less than a week. 

“Heya Lloyd,” Nya called out.

Lloyd turned around to see her. Her face was decked out with a nice layer of make-up and lipstick. Lloyd could almost taste the perfume she used with his snake tongue. One thing when you have a snake tongue is the fact that you can taste the air around you. 

“Hey Nya,” he greeted, closing his locker door with a sad look on his face.

“Wow, that's a new look,” Nya remarked, clearly hinting at the new state of his locker. 

“Y-yeah,” Lloyd replied, head lowering, “I just don't get why people do this.”

“Well,” Nya looked around, “Your dad did cause a lot of destruction the last time he was here.”

Those words felt like a bucket of cold water was suddenly dumped on Lloyd. 

“Y-yeah, I guess so. But still,” he stopped a moment to prevent his voice from cracking and sounding like he was crying, “It's unfair.”

Nya gave him a sympathetic look as she brought a hand to his shoulder.

“Nobody's parent is perfect, Lloyd,” she said, “And unfortunately you are his son. And besides, your locker still works. It's probably nothing. Try to shrug off those bullies. It works for me. They're just losers. If you ignore them enough times, they will get bored. Who needs their approval when you have us, Lloyd!"

Lloyd really wanted to appreciate the advice. He really did. He didn't need their approval but he figured that he should at least be respected and not blamed for something he didn't. It wasn't like this was the first time his friends had advised him to ignore the bullies and that they were just losers. But it just didn't work because it never ceased. The fact that those people treated him like everything was his fault didn't help either. And the time he spent with Monty in the other universe just acted like a sweet treat that consequently enhanced the bitterness and sourness of this moment. 

God, what Lloyd wouldn't give to be able to live with Monty in the other universe!

“Y-yeah,” Lloyd forced himself to say, “I’ll try.”

Nya smiled

“That's the spirit. Now come on, let’s get to class. And after school, it's training time. We gotta improve our ninja skills.”

Lloyd forced himself to smile back. 

It was around the third period that the “Garmadon's attacking the city” alarm went off.

“Thanks Lloyd!”

The whole class unanimously groaned. 

Lloyd and his team snuck out during the evacuation to get geared up. 

“Ready, team?” Lloyd said, trying to sound optimistic.

“Yep,” they all replied.

“Let's go!!” 

Show universe 

“Son, is this really necessary?” Garmadon asked as they got off Lloyd’s elemental dragon. 

“Well duh, yes,” Lloyd rolled his eyes, “Come on, dad, we have to buy you some things if you're going to live with me and the team. Firstly, we need to buy you some clothes. Sure I can find you your old clothes. They should be somewhere in my closet but it doesn't hurt to get you some new things.”

Garmadon was quite stunned at this development. He had anticipated more distrust but then again, the curse placed on him by his son probably helped take the fear of being hurt and betrayed out of the equation. 

Lloyd's happiness at this still horrified him nevertheless. 

‘How can I help him?’ the former dark lord thought as he followed his son to the shopping mall. 

In the clothing store, Garmadon did manage to pick out a few things such as a few shirts, t-shirts, underwear and a few pairs of trousers. He initially hesitated to choose a gray waistcoat that caught his eyes but Lloyd, who spotted that, insisted that they add it to the cart. 

“It’s okay, dad,” Lloyd waved his hand dismissively, “Money isn't a problem here, you know,” he shrugged his shoulders.

As they walked around the store and added a few things to their cart, Garmadon spotted a magazine. At first, he thought the person on the cover was familiar but on closer inspection, it was Lloyd. 

“Um, son,” he said as he showed Lloyd the magazine. 

The blond’s eyes lit up. 

“Oh, they released this one already,” he said casually, “Wow, I do look good in this biker inspired outfit. Glad that I got to keep the outfit.”

“You work as a model now, son?” Garmadon asked as he examined the magazine. He recalled Lloyd mentioning this earlier in the morning but seeing it was different from hearing it. 

On the cover, Lloyd was wearing a most likely customized leather jacket with green and silver accents, a green dragon at the front paired with a matching slightly baggy trouser that had the same green and silver accent as well as a sleeveless black top with a purple collar. The black combat boots, black belt with purple accent, black fingerless gloves and black choker really brought the look together. The blond had a confident smile on his face, showcasing his fangs. His eyes were red in the picture. The magazine said something about the "Bad Boy Biker" style. 

“ Eh, only part time,” Lloyd answered, “Hey, some agencies like to recruit the protectors of Ninjago for our looks. I wonder when the ones for Jay, Nya and Kai will be released. Cole got his one released two weeks ago. Zane’s was around last week. The last agency paid pretty well if you ask me,” he smiled, “Right now, the team and I have another gig coming up in maybe a week or two. I wonder what style they want this time.”

Garmadon didn't know that he should be proud or slightly worried about Lloyd doing this kind of gig as the boy was actually younger than he physically looked. But then again, his son had to learn to fight and defeat his father when he was just an 8-year-old child so he supposed this wasn't exactly very concerning as long as the agency treated his son right. 

‘At least, the agency wouldn't try to throw him through multiple prison walls, disown him, replace him with the girl who betrayed him and then kill him.’

Garmadon's mind chided him. And he couldn't argue against that. 

As they walked towards the check-out, Lloyd handed him a card.

“Use this to pay, dad,” he said, “Just hand it to the cashier and remember to get it back, okay? Also remember to get the receipt. I’m just gonna get some stuff. I'll be right back.”

And off the blond went.

As Garmadon approached the cash register, he couldn't help but grab for one of the magazines that had Lloyd on the cover. 

It was his son that was on the cover of a magazine after all. 

As the cashier scanned the items, Garmadon couldn't help but feel this sense of normality to be strange. From an outsider’s view, they looked like a dad and son out buying clothes, with the son paying as a kind gesture to repay the dad for the years of parenting and providing love. But that wasn't the case here. Garmadon didn't raise Lloyd the number of years he would have liked to. He didn't even know what his own son’s first word was because before Lloyd could speak, he had already been banished to the underworld. The measly one year he had spent with the boy was nothing in the face of the numerous years he had left him, the number of times he had hurt him and the fact that he killed him. 

He truly didn't deserve this. 

Chapter Text

“Son, I was wondering,” Garmadon began as they finished paying for their purchases, “What did you apply on your eyelids?”

“Huh” Lloyd responded as he put away his card into his wallet, “Oh, it's just eyeliner, dad,” he closed one of his eyes to give Garmadon a better look at the perfect winged eyeliner, “Jay bought me an eyeliner pen because I kept borrowing his without permission. It still doesn't stop me from mooching off his deluxe shampoo and hair conditioner though,” the blond grinned. 

Now that he mentioned it, Garmadon noticed that Lloyd also had eyeliner in his picture on the magazine cover. 

‘It does compliment his looks,’ Garmadon admitted, ‘Perhaps I should catch up with what is considered fashionable these days.’

Having lived for so long meant that he was no stranger to the fact that fashion could change fast. He remembered a time when men and women would wear what could be seen as eyeliner of that time. Of course, it was only for special occasions like coming-of-age ceremonies. 

‘Choker,’ he glanced at the black choker on Lloyd’s neck, ‘Worn on and off for hundreds of years. Some for ceremonial purposes. It was once brought back by those who wore it to pay tribute to those who had lost their lives to the guillotine and other executions that involve head decapitation.’

A scene flashed before Garmadon's eyes. 

His hand, resembling claws, wrapped around Lloyd’s neck as the boy struggled to breathe while saying that he wouldn't hurt his own son. 

“Hey dad, dad!”

Lloyd’s voice brought him back to reality. 

“I’m fine, blossom,” Garmadon reassured Lloyd, the pet name sliding out of his mouth like second nature. 

Yeah he was fine.

‘Just look, Garmadon, he's still alive and doesn't have any scars around his neck.’

‘No thanks to you.’

His mind chided at him. 

“You sure, dad?” Lloyd narrowed his eyes, “Are you sure you're not lacking blood? You look pale. Or is it because you're kinda a zombie?”

‘Or because you're plotting against me and trying to do something to hurt me again like resurrecting Harumi, the one you took in after disowning me and then killing me? And afterwards, you would kill me again and call me an idiot for being so sentimental while Harumi is by your side, grinning like the insane obsessed-with-Garmadon witch that she was?’ 

Lloyd kept the latter part to himself. Sometimes he couldn't believe that he once fancied Harumi, but then again he had been naive, stupid, far too trusting, gullible and stupid. Did he mention stupid? Now with more wisdom and probably more paranoia, it helped not to show his suspicion openly. He needed to see Garmadon's true intentions and acting obliviously, all giddy and joyful, was a good way to do it.

‘Either he’s back to being my dad or he's bullshitting me. Either way, there's no fucking chance he's hurting me again. Don't even fucking think about hurting my family.’

Other than that, Lloyd had to admit that he was enjoying their time together very much. It felt nice to buy his dad things like a good son. This was like a wonderful dream come true. One that Lloyd would either realize was true or one he would wake up from. 

“Anyway,” Lloyd smiled, eyes bright and child-like, making him truly look his real age, “Why don't we go check out a few more stores before heading to lunch? Do we have to get a metal file for your sharp teeth?”

It felt nice to have put the Restraint curse on Garmadon. 

The blond made an illustrative point by showing his own set of sharp teeth that he clearly inherited from Garmadon. 

Garmadon considered for a moment. 

‘Both Oni and Dragon have continuously growing teeth, especially once puberty hits and when adulthood is reached.’

“Better make it two, blossom,” Garmadon replied, patting Lloyd on the head, the almost similar height between them making for a rather different experience compared to when Lloyd was smaller both in stature and height. 

The lack of chains coming out at least informed him that Lloyd didn't mind that touch. That and the blond’s slight blush at this gesture of affection managed to make the nagging voice at the back of Garmadon's head quiet down a bit. 

“Ew,” Kai, who was watching from a distance, a hat on his head and a facemask to cover his face, let out “Why did he gotta call Lloyd “blossom”?”

He physically recoiled at that. 

“Yeah, kinda weird, and he said it twice,” Jay, who was also donning a hat and a facemask, agreed, “Like the guy kinda disowned our demon spawn and killed him. Cute pet name and all but still…. Yike!!”

“Guys,” Nya, also wearing a hat and a facemask, said, “Quiet down. They're gonna discover us. And besides, remember, we’re here to observe, not judge.”

“Still doesn't negate the weirdness, Nya,” Cole, who was also wearing a hat and a facemask to cover his face, shared, “It's sweet and all but the way Lloyd is so casual and happy really scares me.”

Nya thought for a moment. 

It was true. This was kind of creepy to see.

“And,” Jay added, “ the fact that he's happy that Garmadon is under his control…Double Yikes!!. Wait, does the curse include mind control? Because if it does, then it's even more fucked up.”

“Jay,” Nya chided, “A bit more quiet, please. Or else they're gonna hear us. It was hard enough following them with our elemental dragons. Lloyd practically has the best hearing out of all of us. And I don't think the curse includes mind control. Or else Pixal would have mentioned it.”

“Still,” Jay insisted, “Pixal and Zane are researching more into it. They still haven't found out everything yet. You can't tell me that it isn't a possibility.”

“Imagine if it includes mind control,” Cole butted in, “Would be pretty disturbing. Also, is Lloyd wearing my band t-shirt that I've been looking for the past week?”

“Focus, Cole,” Kai chided, “We can't lose sight of them. Who knows what Garmadon will do to Lloyd if he's left alone with him?”

“Kai, remember the curse,” Nya reminded, “Lloyd basically controls him now. Whether it's morally justified or not, at least it means he won't cause much trouble.”

And honestly, Nya couldn't exactly blame Lloyd for anything. 

“Yeah for the public. What about Lloyd’s physical, mental and emotional well-being!?? Garmadon has many tricks up his sleeves, Nya,” Kai stood his ground, “Hell, the guy was destined for evil back then. Even if he wants to be good and be with Lloyd again, he still is likely to go evil again, against his will or not. Until we can make sure of things, I'm keeping an eye on that bastard. I don't care if he's the son of a god. I'm barbecuing him alive before he can hurt Lloyd.”

“You act like you're the only one, Kai,” Cole replied, “Rest your mind, please. If he acts up, we will all strike. That's guaranteed. Nya would drown him. Jay would electrocute him. Or you two could make a little deadly water and electricity trap. Personally, I’m burying him alive under a mountain if he breaks Lloyd’s heart again,” the master of earth muttered in a low growl.

He was usually the more level-headed one of the group but he wasn't gonna let destiny have a laugh at Lloyd's misfortune. That was their demon spawn.

‘Kid’s issues were already bad enough without the Harumi and evil resurrected Emperor Garmadon shit.’

“Oh shit, they've moving fast. Guys, we need to get a move on. Quick! We need to protect our demon spawn!!” Jay urged them. 

And so, four ninja continued their stalking/ spying. 

Movie universe 

Lloyd breathed heavily as he faced Garmadon. Sure he was fighting in a mech and not actually breaking any bones or gaining any bruises but he could feel his blood boil and his blood pressure rising by just remembering the event of this morning.

“GET LOST, GARMADON!!”

He fired another missile at the conqueror. 

Surely, getting him not to conquer Ninjago city couldn't be that hard. But nope, he kept coming back again and again. A few more missiles and disses at the evil lord that definitely didn't have a pinch of severe underlying daddy issues, Lloyd and his team won. 

The people of the city cheered in joy, with the citizens near him giving praise especially for him. 

“We love you, Green Ninja!!”

“You're so awesome!”

“I wanna be just like you, Mr Green Ninja!”

“You're the best, Green Ninja!”

“You saved us, Green Ninja!”

“Way to beat Garmadon away, Green Ninja dude!”

Lloyd smiled at the praise. Not far away from him, his teammates were also getting similar treatment. 

“When are you gonna chase his son, Lloyd Garmadon, away too?”

“Yeah!!”

And all those good feelings were gone in an instant. 

Lloyd started breathing heavily. 

“Yeah, chase that troublemaker away too!”

“He doesn't deserve to be here.”

“What if he's a spy for his father or just as evil as he is?”

Lloyd activated his green dragon mech and flew back to the Secret Ninja Force headquarters.

It was a miracle how he was able to hide his emotions, but then again he mainly had his ninja mask to thank for that. 

‘Why did they have to mention me as Lloyd Garmadon?’ 

He gritted his teeth. 

Being the Green Ninja was his escape from his life as the number one hated figure in Ninjago city. The gratitude and compliments of the people helped keep him sane and going. It was the closest thing he had to people seeing him for him instead of just the son of the evil warlord Garmadon.

‘Why? Why? Why did they have to say that?’

Lloyd pulled on his blond hair, nearly pulling out a few strands. 

He was such an idiot. 

Of course, he wasn't being himself when he was the Green Ninja. The Green Ninja was fearless, confident and powerful. 

He right now was frankly none of that. 

‘What would Monty do as the Green Ninja?’ 

He pictured his other self with a confident smile as he boldly unmasked himself, staring down at the masses with a cunning glint in his eyes. 

‘What color would his eyes be? Red… Yeah red sounds about right.’

There was something different in those red eyes compared to the eyes of Lloyd's dad. 

Taking a deep breath, Lloyd managed to calm down for now, his anxiety just barely contained for the time being. 

“DUDE!! WE WERE AWESOME!!” 

He heard Kai and the others enter the headquarters with their own mech. 

“Yep,” Cole replied as he tucked away his music discs. He rolled his eyes at the overenthusiastic nature of Kai. 

“You were amazing out there, N-Nya,” Jay said, clearly awestruck. 

“Thanks, Jay,” Nya smiled, “You weren't too bad yourself, pal.”

Lloyd thought about how it just needed a few more times for Jay to be able to have a full conversation with Nya without stuttering. 

‘I wonder what Jay in Monty’s universe is like,’ he found himself pondering. 

“We were absolutely lit out there,” Zane popped up, a stiff smile on his face. 

“Yeah, we sure were,” Lloyd added just to feel like he was part of the conversation. 

‘Is the Zane of Monty’s universe like this?’

He then recalled the cookies Monty’s Zane had baked for the taller blond. 

‘Okay, definitely not.’

“Hey there, Lloyd,” Kai greeted the blond as Lloyd got out of his dragon mech, “You came back the earliest. What happened? The crowd back there was cheering for you.”

“Yeah,” Cole agreed, “You returned to the headquarters rather quickly, dude.”

“Indeed, Lloyd,” Zane added in, “What’s troubling you, friend?”

“It's really nothing, guys,” Lloyd replied, “It's just…. Some people back then made comments about me as Lloyd Garmadon and I overheard them.”

“Don't you hear those things all the time, dude?” Cole questioned, raising an eyebrow. 

“Yeah,” Lloyd replied, subconsciously wanting to shrink in on himself. 

“Then technically shouldn't you be….. desensitized to it by now?”

Cole was bringing a decent enough point but Lloyd honestly didn't want to bring this up any longer. 

“Yeah, you're right, Cole,” Lloyd responded, “Anyway, let's get to training, guys. School is off for the rest of the day because of my dad.”

“Dude,” Kai whispered to Cole, elbowing him, “Kinda a not okay thing to say back there.”

“Yeah,” Nya agreed.

“I-i agree,” Jay stuttered, “even though it's true that Lloyd’s still Garmadon's son.”

“It's kinda true, guys,” Cole defended his point, “Lloyd is a great guy and everything but his reputation as son of Lord Garmadon taints that. Not to mention how much of a downer his dad is…. It's still nice that he helps us with dealing with his dad, though.”

“Come on, Cole,” Kai rolled his eyes, “Lloyd is doing his best, I’m sure. We all have to play our parts in this team. The Secret Ninja Force is what makes us special and awesome.”

Zane observed the back and forth conversation between his teammates. He then turned toward Lloyd who was getting the training area set up. 

This type of situation was unexpected in his programming. 

‘What would a normal average real teenager say in this?’ 

He found asking and getting no answer, so he walked toward Lloyd to help the blond set up the area. 

Chapter Text

“Hey Lloyd,” Cole said, getting the attention of Lloyd who just finished setting up the training area and was giving Zane a thump-up for finishing his part as well. 

“Yeah, cole??”

“Sorry for bringing you down under the weather back then,” he apologized, “It was a bit too brutally honest back then. You're a good guy, despite being the son of Garmadon. It's a shame that people other than us can't see that.”

‘Yeah what a shame,’ Lloyd thought. 

Yeah he shouldn't have high expectations that his friends could do anything to stop this or make it better. They were just a bunch of 15-year-old teenagers. 

‘Beside, I don't want them to get a bad reputation because of me.’

“It's alright, Cole.”

Lloyd didn't believe in what he himself was saying. This wasn't alright. 

“But at least, you have us now, Lloyd,” Cole offered a fist bump. 

“Yeah, I guess so,” Lloyd forced a smile. 

He was barely keeping his anxiety under the surface right now. 

“Let's get some lunch before we start training,” Cole suggested, “There's still some cake that I put in the fridge. You can have some of it, but don't eat all of it, okay?”

Show universe

The shopping mall was crowded so Nya, Jay, Kai and Cole had to be careful not to lose track of Garmadon and Lloyd. 

“See anything yet, guys?” Cole inquired.

“Garmadon’s looking at Lloyd again,” Jay informed, “Think he's planning something?”

“Maybe how to betray him, kill him and then rule over Ninjago,” Kai narrowed his eyes, eyes burning reddish orange, a representation of the fire blazing inside him.  

“Kai, control yourself or you’ll catch on fire like last time,” Nya reminded her older brother, “And I would have to splash water on you again.”

Looking at all the items Lloyd was buying for Garmadon, Nya couldn't help but remember the period of time when she, Lloyd and Pixal thought Cole, Jay, Kai and Zane were dead and they had to deal with Emperor Garmadon with their own hands. 

“He remembers me, Nya. But he doesn't care anymore,” Lloyd choked out as he wrapped his arms around himself, eyes filled with tears. 

Her eyes twitched. 

“Jay” she turned to her boyfriend, “If I lose it, hold me back, okay?”

“On it, babe,” Jay nodded determinedly, putting a hand on his girl’s shoulder reassuringly. 

They did have to minimize any collateral and property damage, especially when in public. 

“Guess I'm taking care of Kai then,” Cole decided as the master of fire beside him was seriously using a binocular to stalk Lloyd and Garmadon. 

Cole wondered where Kai got that. 

‘Dear First Master, I hope we don't get kicked out for suspicious behavior,’ the master of earth prayed as some weird looks were being directed at them.

Later, at the cafe

Lloyd smiled as he gave his order to the waitress at the cafe. 

“I’ll have a hamburger and spaghetti combo. Oh and a side of chili fries, please!”

Garmadon, who was holding the menu with his two hands, narrowed his violet eyes at how the waitress blushed when making eye contact with his son and how the girl bit her lower lip. 

‘Suspicious,’ he thought. 

“Hey dad, what would you like?” Lloyd turned to Garmadon.

“.... The same as you, son,” the former dark lord replied, putting the menu down. 

A few tables from them, tucked away in an unassuming corner, Nya, Cole, Kai and Jay continued their stalking/ spying mission. 

“First Master, even now older, Lloyd still looks exactly like Garmadon,” Jay whispered under his breath, “Just blond.”

“Yeah tell me something I don't know,” Cole replied as he ordered a cheesecake slice. 

The three other ninjas looked at him with a look that said “Really, bro?”

“You're at a cafe now. And as it's gonna be a while, I'm gonna order,” the master of earth defended himself, “Also, guys, if you don't order, it's gonna be weird. We might get kicked out.”

Nya, Kai and Jay looked at each other. 

So, they each ordered something for themselves.

Jay ordered a sundae ice cream with pop rock and sprinkles as the topping, Nya got a cookie and cream milkshake and Kai went for something more savory which was a steak sandwich. 

It wasn't long before Lloyd and Garmadon's orders were brought out. 

Garmadon noticed that the waitress was the same one as before. 

“Here's your order,” the waitress gave Lloyd a wink, complete with the fluttering of her lashes, “Extra cheese on the house. Call me if you need anything else,” she cooed, placing a hand on his shoulder before leaving. 

Garmadon watched as Lloyd just gave a polite thank, seemingly not aware of the flirting. 

“Son, did you notice how the waitress acted around you?”

Lloyd looked up at his dad, his eyes ridiculously innocent.

“Was there anything weird?” The blond asked, twirling a forkful of spaghetti, “Wait, could she be an undercover spy for some unknown threat we haven't known about? You know, master Wu being master Wu and not telling us shit about things.”

‘Dear my father!!’ Garmadon thought as he wondered just how much being forced to defeat evil since young had messed up Lloyd’s perception. 

“I don't think she is, flower,” he tried to reassure Lloyd, “But she was flirting with you, Lloyd.”

“Well, I do have your genes,” Lloyd grinned, his fangs giving off a glint under the light. 

“Lloyd, my son,” Garmadon took a deep breath, “You shouldn't get into a romantic relationship this early in your life. You're younger than you look. It would create an imbalanced power dynamic if you were to date someone who seemingly looks your age.”

“Hahaha,” Lloyd bursted out laughing, the sound getting distorted the more it lasted, “hahahahaha, said the man who's several thousand years old. Wasn't child marriage a thing back then? And so was the fact that parents chose their child’s partner without said child’s opinion.”

Yeah Lloyd probably read too many historical books and scrolls in his attempt to find out more about his dad’s life before he had him. 

“Well yes,” Garmadon replied, “It was a different era back then, filled with many outdated practices. And for your record, son, your mother and I did go through something similar to dating— URGH!!”

Garmadon was cut off by a forkful of spaghetti being shoved into his mouth. The former dark lord’s eyes widened, his pupils narrowing into thin splits. 

Lloyd pulled his fork back, a smile never leaving his face and his eyes a deep vibrant red color, the same color Garmadon had had many times during many outbursts in his youth. 

“Haha,” the master of energy chuckled lightly, “Hey dad, can we not talk about mother right now?”

He requested with a light voice, as if he was just asking Garmadon to pass the bottle of hot sauce. 

“I don't really wanna hear about it—”

‘About her.’

“— right now.”

A frown appeared on Lloyd's face for a brief second. 

“And besides, your food is getting cold,” the smile reappeared, “You sure look like you need some food in you. Did you eat anything when you were out who-knows-where for months. You went from a dark towering Oni with a gaping wound on your chest to a seemingly normal old man with pale skin,....still with a wound on your chest. Huh, is that thing gonna heal or not honestly? Might need to stock up on bandages in case you need to keep it wrapped daily.”

Lloyd's face fell into that of deep thought. 

Anything to get the topic of Misako away. 

“But I'll prepare that when we get back,” he grinned, “Now eat up, dad.”

As Garmadon chewed the spaghetti Lloyd had forcefully shoved in his mouth, he reached for his own fork and finally touched his plate of food. He couldn't remember exactly the last time he had consumed anything. His memories were still blurry in some parts. As the former lord enjoyed his food, he couldn't help but be unnerved by the smile on his own son's face. 

The worst part was that he couldn't exactly tell if it was forced in order to hide some hidden emotions or if it was genuine as it looked like a mixture of both. 

They ended lunch with ice cream. 

Later

“I’d like to pay,” Lloyd said as he pulled out his card, “Oh and can you do this for me, please?”

He whispered to the waiter’s ear. 

After the payment was done, he and Garmadon grabbed the bags of stuff they had bought for the former lord and walked out. 

“Quick, quick,” Kai urged his team, “We have to get a move on.”

“Let me pay first, Kai,” Cole hissed as he frantically called for a server. 

“Oh,” the server responded, “Sir and ma’am, your table has already been paid for by the blond gentleman who just walked out.”

“Wait, what?” Nya let out. 

“Yes, the blond gentleman who was with an elderly man with gray hair who looked similar to him.”

The four ninjas looked at each other with wide eyes. 

Lloyd knew about them following him and Garmadon. 

“He also instructed me to give you this,” the server handed them a piece of note. 

It read:

I appreciate the concern, guys. 

Ps: I'm glad you guys made sure Kai didn't catch on fire. 

At the end of the note, there was a small cartoon rendition of Lloyd smiling, with tiny fangs poking out of his mouth. 

“We're terrible ninjas,” Jay bemoaned to his team. 

Movie universe

The team chatted as they finished training. 

“You apologized to Lloyd yet?” Kai inquired.

“Kai,” Nya chided at her brother. 

“Yes, I did,” Cole replied, rolling his eyes, “Have to admit, I was a bit insensitive back then. It's just that…. Garmadon causes so much trouble on a weekly basis. Sometimes it's a bit annoying. One time, my favorite band had to cancel their trip to Ninjago city because of a Garmadon attack. And the other time, my favorite cake shop closed down for a month after an attack. But those things aren't Lloyd’s fault.”

“Affirmative,” Zane agreed, “From my memories, Lloyd hasn't done anything wrong for the last 5 months I have known him.”

“Y-yeah,” Jay agreed, though he did wonder how Lloyd could be Garmadon's son. 

A distance away, Lloyd stood there after changing into his normal clothes, looking at the exit of their headquarters. 

He couldn't wait to go to the other universe and hang out with Monty. 

“Hello there Lloyd, the gang and I are wondering if you would like to play video games with us now that training’s over?” Zane offered, his eyes a glowing icy blue. 

“Uh?” Lloyd let out as he packed his stuff, “Um…. Thanks for the invite, Zane, but I have plans for later. Sorry.”

He turned toward his team.

“Sorry, guys,” he apologized, “I gotta go,” he said before heading off.

“Weird,” Nya remarked, “You guys think that Lloyd’s been acting off these past days?”

“Yeah,” Cole agreed, “Not to mention how sometimes, there's no way to contact him at all.”

“I hope he isn't slacking off on our duty,” Kai shared, “We’re the protectors of the city. Or maybe something's bothering him? He looked down when we got back.”

“Maybe he has other friends and is going to hang out with them?” Jay suggested. 

The team thought long and hard for a moment. 

That notion sounded impossible. 

They were Lloyd’s only friends. 

“Sounds rather not probable,” Zane calculated, “However, I would be glad if Lloyd did.”

“As long as they're not fake friends,” Cole shrugged, “They’re the worst.”

"It still sounds impossible," Nya added, "Before us, Lloyd didn't even have any friends."

Chapter Text

Show universe

As the dad and son duo landed near the monastery, they hopped off Lloyd's elemental dragon. 

“That was fun, wasn't it?” Lloyd grinned before feeling a bit light-headed.

He took one or two steps before wobbling a bit, the bags of stuff they had purchased dangling from his arms.

Garmadon reached his hands out to help his son steady himself. 

“Well this is weird,” Lloyd still managed to keep a smile, “I usually don't get exhausted this fast. You don't think I am getting senile like you, right dad?” 

He joked, chuckling a bit at his own sense of humor, eyes a bit hazy and unfocused. 

“LLOYD!!” 

A shout came. 

Garmadon turned his head around to see Kai racing towards them with his own fire elemental dragon. 

The master of fire jumped off the dragon, who quickly faded away, and slided himself near Lloyd and Garmadon.

Nya, Jay and Cole followed behind. 

The master of fire turned to look at Garmadon, a fire in his eyes. 

“Guys,” Lloyd let out, “Please, he didn't do anything. I’m just a bit dizzy.”

Lloyd slowly steadied himself.

But his imbalance soon took over, leading to him having to lean against Garmadon to support.

“Son,” Garmadon began, “Let's get you inside. Here, let me take the bags.”

As Garmadon helped Lloyd get inside, he could feel the stares from the ninja metaphorically burning a hole through his skull.

But he didn't have anything to worry about. He didn't have any intentions to hurt Lloyd ever again. If anything, he was quite reassured. 

‘At least if I did go evil again, Lloyd would be protected from me.’

Garmadon was quite sure that right away the four ninjas were just mere inches behind him, observing his every movement. 

With Zane and Pixal inside the monastery, the former lord was quite sure that his son had the best protection squad in the whole land of Ninjago. 

‘In addition to that, the curse he put on me ensures my complete eradication should I try to hurt him.’

That honestly sounded significantly better than him hurting his boy again. 

“What happened?” Pixal and Zane asked as they saw the sight before them, which was Garmadon dragging a dazed half-unconscious Lloyd into the monastery while Kai gave the former dark lord a stare that could be compared to daggers coated in venom and on fire. 

After getting Lloyd inside and onto the nearby couch, Garmadon pressed a hand to Lloyd’s forehead to check his temperature. 

Normal, at least from what he could remember about normal body temperature. Or maybe Lloyd’s temperature would be different because of his genetic make-up. 

‘Maybe it's because he used too much energy when he placed the curse on me,’ Garmadon theorized, ‘Perhaps his Oni-dragon nature is emerging more and more.’

There was really one way to test it out safely. 

“I know we're not on the best of terms,” he turned to the ninjas, “But do you perhaps have any….um…. blood in the monastery?”

“Blood!?” Jay let out in surprise, “Why do you want blood right now? Ya trying to do a blood ritual or something?” 

“It’s for Lloyd.”

“YA TRYING TO DO A BLOOD RITUAL USING LLOYD?”

Jay was quite close to blasting a lightning bolt. 

“It doesn't have to be human,” Garmadon calmly elaborated, “though human would be preferable. The thickness is easier to get down and all.” 

“Elaborate more on the last part,” Pixal requested, her eyes narrowing as she shuffled through her knowledge on Oni and Dragon that she had downloaded. 

“Yeah, why would you ask for human blood?” Nya furrowed her eyebrows. 

“Oni sees blood as a delicacy, even more than fresh raw meat,” Garmadon plainly explained, “Blood basically acts as an energy boost for Oni. It also doesn't help that Dragon has a strictly carnivorous diet. He probably used too much energy when he put the curse on me and still hasn't recovered.”

“So,” Cole started, “You're saying that Lloyd here can drink blood?”

Just how unusual could their green bean get?

“It's a feasible theory,” Garmadon shared, “I know I can.”

“And how do we make sure that this isn't some trick for you,” Kai emphasized the “you”, “to turn Lloyd evil.”

“Because what would I accomplish if I did that?” Garmadon spoke, no anger in his voice. 

Kai’s reaction was justifiable. 

“Harumi used Lloyd’s blood to bring you back,” Kai snapped, “How can I be sure that you're not using the blood for some sinister purpose?”

Garmadon sucked in a breath. Kai was always the overprotective one, which was something that he was both glad and semi-frustrated about. 

“You may not believe me now but I assure you that I’m also looking out for Lloyd. . And might I remind you about the curse?”

“You showed up out of nowhere after more than 4 months,” Cole pointed out, “It’s suspicious. How can we be sure that you're the Garmadon who loved Lloyd as a son and not Emperor Garmadon pulling some sick deception? Out of all of us, you're the one who knows the most about the curse.” he continued, crossing his arms, “Why did you wait so long, huh?”

Garmadon couldn't answer that. Why did it take him so long to be fully himself again? Why did he decide to leave after defeating the Oni? Why did he, as resurrected husk of himself, kill his own son after everything his boy had done for him?

Why?

Why?

Why?

“Here’s a blood bag.”

Zane's voice brought him back to reality.

Before the others could open their mouths to protest, the nindroid continued. 

“I temporarily have faith in you, Sensei Garmadon,” the master of ice used the title that had been once thought to be long-gone, “Just please be aware of the consequences of betrayal.”

Garmadon could feel the cold icy air emitting from Zane as he accepted the blood bag. 

He had almost forgotten how advanced the act of preserving blood was now. Back when he was young, fresh blood needed to be taken from the source shortly before consumption. 

Lloyd came out of his half unconscious state as he felt something thick sliding down his throat. It was sweet, kinda rich and kinda savory.

Lloyd gulped down more of the liquid. 

Was the team giving him some kind of nutritious concoction to boost his energy?

‘Why do I smell blood though? Wait.’

His blurry vision faded away to make way for a crystal-clear view of his siblings staying around him. His dad was also there, confirming to him once again that it wasn't a dream. Garmadon was holding a blood bag in his hands, which Lloyd was sipping from through a straw.

‘Oh.’

His brain finally realized what he was drinking. 

“This was your idea, wasn't it, dad?” He said, knowing how Garmadon probably knew more about the Oni-dragon genes than anyone. 

He sat up a bit, taking the blood bag into his hands. 

He didn't throw it to the trash like Garmadon had semi-anticipated. From what he could remember from his time as Emperor Garmadon, Lloyd didn't exactly show much positivity towards his heritage, especially the Oni part. 

Instead, Lloyd continued sipping the blood. 

“So….. did I cause any destruction?” Lloyd inquired, “Did the Oni side take over or maybe it was the dragon one this time?” 

“Dude,” Jay said, “Nothing that bad happened. You just half fainted. That's all.”

Lloyd raised an eyebrow. 

“You sure, Sparky?”

“Of course I'm sure, you ankle-biting demon. You didn't do anything.” Jay replied, “Guys, back me up.”

Lloyd looked around and his team were all nodding their heads to confirm this. 

“Oh thank fuck,” he let out, “Thought I somehow caused an disaster or something. Like father, like son.”

Garmadon felt like an arrow pierced through his heart, despite it being the truth. 

“That or I may create a Harumi 2.0.”

He looked over to Garmadon.

“You're not getting another child anytime soon, dad.” 

It sounded more like a threat than it needed to. 

‘And I'm not getting a second disownment.’

That part Lloyd kept to himself. 

Lloyd attempted to stand up.

“Whoa, whoa,” Cole let out, “Take it easy, Lloyd.”

“Cole, please,” Lloyd rolled his eyes, standing right up, “I’m fine. Also, little question time,” he grinned cheekily, “Is the blood drinking from the Oni or Dragon side? Or is it from both species? Is it a nutritional requirement or like a little sweet treat thing? I don't want to get any nutritional deficiency right now.”

He chuckled.

“I’m still growing. Imagine if improper nutrition stunted my promising growth. I gotta reach my full potential.” he turned to Cole and Zane, “I’m coming to overthrow you guys soon. You had better not build yourself taller, Zane.Haha. Also if it's a requirement thing, how many should I have? And if I'm deprived, will I go all vampire and start biting people and sucking their blood?” 

Lloyd bit down on nothing to illustrate his point, showing off his sharp fangs and incisors. 

“Don’t worry, Jay, I won't give you another bite scar… Yet.”

Usually, if this was during their banter time after a successful mission or just when they weren't dealing with villains or potential catastrophes, it would be quite normal of Lloyd to act this time. But when combined with what happened last night and just this morning, everyone, including Garmadon, was getting unnerved. 

Lloyd stopped laughing when he realized that no one else was. 

“Anyway, that's all the questions I have. Soooo….. can I have the answers, please?”

He smiled sincerely, big red puppy eyes looking at them. 

“...... Oni do drink blood,” Garmadon began explaining, “It's quite the source of nutrients for them so they all have a liking for it. Dragons do it too but they have no particular preference. Anything that is meat is alright for them. Blood is usually not a requirement but it can be enjoyed as part of the diet.”

“So… Oni and Dragon can eat bloody raw things?” Lloyd summarized, taking another sip from the blood bag. 

“Dude!” Jay physically recoiled.

“Oh please, Jay, just imagine this as one of those Halloween pomegranate juice packages”

“Pomegranate juice ain’t that thick and pigmented, Lloyd,” Jay retorted. 

Lloyd simply shrugged. 

“Do you feel dizzy anymore, Lloyd?” Zane inquired.

“Actually, not at all, Zane,” Lloyd replied, genuinely surprised by how energetic he felt now, “Guess I have to thank you for that, dad,” he turned to Garmadon, who to his surprise looked even impossibly paler than before he fainted. To specify, Lloyd was the one who fainted. 

“Pss, Zane,” he whispered to the nindroid, “Can we give my dad some blood as well? He's looking paler than a ghoul.”

“We do still have bags in stock, courtesy of Pixal,” Zane informed. 

They did have a special place for storing blood and other medical necessities. In Pixal's words when she came to the monastery carrying boxes of blood bags and blood transfusion equipment, “You never know when someone would need a blood transfusion here. The nearest hospital is too far away. And I'm not dealing with the anticipation of whether we will make it in time….. I’ll make sure to equip you guys with these too when on mission.”

“Great,” Lloyd smiled, “Love ya, Pixal,” he showed his gratitude to her.

Later

Garmadon took a sip from his own blood bag.

It had been a long time since he last drank blood. When he was cured of the Great Devourer Venom, he had thought that it would be best to follow a human lifestyle so that he could be a role model for Lloyd. 

But he supposed that burying his inhuman heritage wasn't the best choice. After all, he had no percentage of human in him, despite being able to pass as one when in human form. 

The team seemed to nod in silent agreement as they saw that nothing bad was happening to their green bean or themselves. They decided to relax for now. Jay was doing his list of chores as it was his day today. Nya and Kai were having a back and forth about what to do with the new… living arrangement, Pixal and Zane took note of the new knowledge on Oni dietary habit and tried to look for either confirmation or objection through research, Cole decided to tidy up the video games set-up they had left out last night as the First spinjitzu Master would know that Jay would forget to do that due to it technically not being on his chore list. 

Of course, Garmadon could still feel all their eyes on him. 

Meanwhile, Lloyd was enjoying the rest of his blood bag in his room. 

‘Guess the blood of the thug yesterday night really was sweet to me,’ he recalled how he beat up that thug without using his power, ‘Welp, I'm officially a vampire now. Let's hope that Oni doesn't have sensitivity to the sun….. I wonder if I can shapeshift like Mystake could or if I can grow wings like a dragon.’

His mind was filled with endless possibilities. 

Of course, he had enough wisdom in him to know not to over-rely on his power. But the thought of what he was capable of was entertaining and fascinating. 

After he was done, he put the blood bag in a plastic bag and put it down first, reminding himself to dispose of it properly later. 

No sooner had he completed that task did he hear a knock on his window. 

“Forest,” he let out in surprise at the sight of his other self knocking on the window and waving at him, clearly out of breath from walking up the mountain. 

Chapter Text

“Hey guys,” Lloyd called out, “I’m going out for a bit. I'll be back in a few hours. I won't be kidnapped or anything.”

And he proceeded to jump out of the window, lifted Forest, slung the teen over his shoulder and made a run for it until they were all the way down the staircase to the mountain of Impossible Height and into the nearby forest. 

“Lloyd, what do you mean?” Kai entered the master of energy’s room to find it empty, and with a wide open window. 

No Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon in sight. 

“Oh goddamn it, Lloyd,” Kai facepalmed himself, “Where the hell did you go?” 

“Kai, calm down,” Cole replied, “He sure can't be far away.”

“I don't think he wants us to know,” Garmadon called out to the team who were all huddled around Lloyd’s room. 

“Oh and why are you so sure, oh evil lord?” Jay asked sarcastically. 

“Because of this,” Garmadon said in a deadpanned voice as he pointed at the chains, glowing with purple energy, cuffed around his legs, preventing him from moving, “The Restraint curse is rather interesting. It acts according to the conscious and the subconscious mind,” he explained, “Intentionally or not, the curse acts out on Lloyd’s behalf.”

“Oh,” Nya let out, feeling a chill up her spine. 

Dear First Master, first Garmadon came back in his human Sensei form, then Lloyd lost control and put a curse on his own father by unlocking his Oni heritage and now this casual reveal that Lloyd basically officially had control over Garmadon. 

Either they had to have a talk with their little not-quite-as-little-anymore demon of a little brother or there may be another apocalypse waiting on the horizon. 

After a few moments, the chains loosened and then broke off, fading away into purple mist. 

“He must have gotten far away enough,” Garmadon remarked, his face a complicated mix of emotions as he finished his blood bag. 

There was a gloomy and heavy air around him, one you would find in a helpless single parent or a depressed one wondering “What happened to my child?” as well as “I FAILED MY CHILD!”, along with “I truly have no worth.”

Pixal was now seriously considering downloading the necessary knowledge on how to be a therapist.

“Zane, could you help me with the installation of a new software I'll be working on?”

“Of course, Pixal.”

“Zane,” Garmadon quietly asked the nindroid, “Does Lloyd keep many sharp objects in his room?”

“Yes, why the question, Sensei Garmadon?” Zane raised an eyebrow as all of them had some sort of weapons in their respective rooms in case of an intruder. 

Knives, daggers, swords, nun-chucks, crossbows and arrows, sledgehammers and firearms. 

A crowbar that Lloyd collected after a solo mission facing off with an assassin. 

Couple of high-tech guns Pixal sponsored them with. 

The flame thrower that Cole, Jay and Kai somehow got after their joined mission that one time.

Garmadon had a look of unease after hearing Zane's answer. 

Zane narrowed his eyes. He had his own doubts but he was going to give Garmadon a chance. He knew how much Garmadon meant to Lloyd. 

“..... I just want to make sure,” Garmadon eyed the dagger he had kicked away earlier. It was now under Lloyd's bed, the tiniest glimpse of its pointy tip sticking out, accompanied with a slight red stain. 

The former evil lord stared at the dagger with such intensity that one would think that it successfully killed his son rather than merely made him shed one or two drops of blood. 

Garmadon lightly kicked it into the dark depth of the bed. He refrained from using more of his strength because the others probably wouldn't appreciate having a new hole in the room caused by a dagger flying at high speed, fueled by fatherly rage.

With the Lloyds

“WHAT THE HECK, DUDE?” 

Forest's eyes widened as he once again got easily picked up by his alternative counterpart, like he weighed nothing. 

All he did was knock on the window and wave. He didn't even get caught by anyone. 

Why was Monty running like they were gonna get caught and be sent to prison?

That and also the scratch he got on his face due to falling while sprinting up the staircase (Yes, he was just that excited and impatient) was starting to sting a bit. 

“Phew,” Monty let out, “I guess we're far enough now.”

He unceremoniously flopped his other self down. 

“Okay, so what's up, little buddy?” Monty ruffled his other self's blond hair, “You're here early. You're not skipping school, are you?” He teased his doppelganger. 

Monty’s tone changed when he spotted how tired Forest looked. 

“Holy hell, you alright?”

He placed both his hands on either side of Forest's face. 

“Did you fall while going up the staircase? You should be more careful.”

For some reasons, this reminded Forest of his own mom’s moments of being a worrywart. 

His eyes started getting wet. 

“Or did one of your bullies do this?” Monty’s red eyes glowed ominously, his pupils turning into thin splits, “Tell me the name and location.”

Okay, maybe that was a bit different from what his mom would do.

“No, no, I just fell while walking up the rock staircase.”

“You should be more careful, Forest. That rock staircase has been there for millennia. It probably has some sharp rock shards here and here ready to gouge your eyes out,” the taller blond made a point by literally pointing at Forest’s green eyes accompanied by eye bags, “And your eyes, damn, why do you have such deep eyebags? Hold on, let me see if I have my tube of cream for scratches,” Monty reached his hand into his left pocket, “It makes healing faster.”

He himself was quite clumsy at times of course. 

“I should have it here in this poc—”

The tall blond was cut off by a surprise hug from Forest, tackling him to the ground with a thud. 

“MONTY~~~!” Forest started sobbing, wrapping his arms around his alternative self’s torso and clinging to the taller blond. 

“Ummm,” Monty let out, a bit surprised at this development, “There there, Lloyd,” he decided to real-name his doppelganger for extra sincerity, “Everything will be fine.”

He tried using the technique his siblings used when they comforted him. He pulled the smaller blond close to him, one hand cradling the other’s head and the other on his back, rubbing in soothing small circular motions. 

Forest continued crying his eyes out, which honestly concerned Monty. 

‘Did his dad try killing him?’ he theorized, already feeling his blood boil. 

Yeah, he probably was easier to anger than before the whole Harumi event but honestly there were worse things he could do than this. 

‘Did his city turn against him and kick him out? Or did everyone he loves turn against him because of some shit he doesn't have control over and he now has nowhere to go to?’

Monty was racking his brains to figure out why Forest was crying so much. 

‘It must be something equal to “Resurrected father now evil disowned me and succeeded in killing me. And now he gives less than a shit about me, thus giving me more layers to my daddy issues, tainting a ton of good memories and possibly bestowing me with more insanity”. But Forest prefers his mom more so…. Could Miss Koko have hurt him? She couldn't have killed him like my father did. He wouldn't be here otherwise. Maybe she kicked him out? Disowned him? Got another teen to replace him? Said she had no son? What could it be? Maybe like my mother, she's banging master Wu of his universe?’

“It’s okay, buddy. I’m here for you,” he said to his other self reassuringly, letting Forest cry until his heart was content, “Just let it all out. I’m here.” he reassured, even though his long sleeved t-shirt was getting soaked in tears, “You're gonna be fine,” he hugged Forest close, letting the teen nuzzle his entire face into his chest and locking his legs around his hips. 

Forest continued crying. Through the sobbing, he could pick up hints of iron-rich blood in the air coming from Monty.

Either his senses were messed up due to the crying or his mind was playing tricks on him. 

Probably both, Forest hoped. Because if he had just tackled Monty who currently had a bloody wound, he might as well as never forgive himself and dig a hole for himself. 

Monty’s mouth formed into a thin line as they stayed in this position for a while, with Forest clinging to him like his life depended on him. The lingering rich and sweet taste of blood in his mouth was a reminder of the peace prior to this. 

Just what happened to Forest between here and last night?

“There, there,” he cradled the smaller blond’s head in his arms. 

“H-how,” Forest finally managed to choke out some words. 

“Huh, yeah, what is it?” Monty gave a gentle smile, his eyes a warm red color. 

“H-how are *hic* you *hic* like this?” Forest managed to say between hiccups. 

“heh??”

“ Like *hic* seriously, why are you *hic* this nice to me?”

“Um, where is this going again?”

“Like seriously, why *hic* are you so much better than *hic* my entire city? Sure, *hic* you can be a *hic* jerk sometimes and *hic* you definitely *hic* have a couple of screws loose *hic* in there.”

“Okay, I didn't sign up for a roast session today,” Monty said through his teeth, wondering if he should shut Forest up before he started hiccuping himself to the point of throwing up. 

‘That would feel like shit,’ Monty acknowledged.

“But you're *hic* strong and nice. And darn *hic* it, why are you so freaking *hic* confident and cool?”

At this point, Forest was starting to hiccup so much that he couldn't speak coherently anymore. 

“Alright, alright,” Monty reassured, “Breathe in, breathe out, kiddo. I'm not having you barf on my outfit.”

And… Forest started crying out loud again. 

“Why *hic* do you have *hic* such good clothes?”

“Well,” Monty said awkwardly, “I have only ever seen you wear black pants and green hoodies.”

Forest continued sobbing. 

Monty lifted the other blond’s face with his two hands. 

‘Wow,’ he thought as he saw Forest’s red face stained with tears, ‘Okay, maybe raising my temperature to be warm and comforting like Kai is a no-go. His face is all red and hot. Maybe I should—’

He placed his hands on Forest's cheeks, concentrating his green energy to focus exclusively on the ice element out of the four elements of creation. 

Forest’s eyes widened as he witnessed his other self's eyes slowly go from red to green. He knew Monty could change his eye color but watching it happen was a different experience. 

Forest felt a cool air and sensation being emitted from Monty. 

“You know, if you keep crying,” Money started, “Your face will get all red and puffy, not to mention getting a sore throat.”

He placed his two thumbs just under Forest's puffy eyes, letting the ice elemental aspect of his energy cool the skin there. 

“It's not exactly an ice pack,” he lightly smiled, “or even a cold compress. But hey it's just puffy eyes, not bruised and swollen ones, so it should suffice.”

More tears rolled out of Forest’s eyes and onto Monty’s hands as the latter was once again assaulted with a crushing embrace.

Chapter Text

“Can I please come live with you, please?” Forest said with his face still nuzzled against Monty’s chest. 

“I’ll see what I can do, kiddo,” Monty smiled. 

“Also why do you have such a nice body? Like for god's sake, you have literal abs!!”

Monty instantly paused.

“Alright, now you're creeping me out,” the taller blond narrowed his eyes. 

Forest finally realized how what he had just said could be heavily misinterpreted. 

“Ew,” he let out, “no, no, dear god, not that, anything but that.” 

“Yep,” Monty patted Forest on the back, “you say as your face is all nuzzled up against my chest. Enjoying catching a feel there?”

Forest pulled away so fast you would have thought he broke his spine in the process. 

“Hahahaha,” Monty laughed maniacally, his voice dark and deep with amusement, his fangs giving off a sharp glint among the shade of the forest, “No need to be shy. I’m just kidding. You should have taken a look at your own face. Hilarious.”

“That… That wasn't funny,” Forest protested, his face heating up with embarrassment, “It was just gross and morbid.”

“And completely not true,.... Which is why it is hilarious,” Monty argued, a wide grin on his face. 

Forest wondered why his counterpart could be grinning so much. 

“Your humor is dark as heck,” Forest frowned. 

“And you basically never curse, Mr Goody-two-shoes,” Monty retorted, “Some of us over here had the opportunity of learning every swear word there is at the age of 6 when we started learning Evil Spelling. One of the very few things I appreciate about the evil school my mother put me in,” Monty rolled his eyes, a grin still on his face, as if he was telling a hilarious and light-hearted joke. 

“Wait what?” Forest let out, his eyes widened. 

“Yeah, it was for the greater good as she said. Hehe, it wasn't exactly fun there, to be honest,” Monty continued on, not seeing the horrified look in Forest's green eyes, “That place was basically an orphanage built for training evil prodigies. The kids there hated me for having living parents and maybe for being the son of the evil lord Garmadon and yet not really living up to the name. I was such a disappointing failure to them,” he rambled, his voice going inhumanly deep before turning back to normal, “Hahaha, it's funny how I never felt like I was a kid with parents when I was there.”

Monty didn't know if he had ever felt like a kid with parents. He couldn't remember the last time he did, at least not without being plagued with a cruel and heartless “I have no son”

“Hahahaha,” he continued laughing like crazy, as if the laughter would somehow transform this morbid revelation of information into a simple joke told for shock value, “I definitely would not recommend that school. Hahaha.”

His eyes remained dry, devoid of tears, in contrast to Forest’s still slightly teary ones. 

“Come here, kid,” Monty smiled sincerely as he pulled Forest’s face closer with his two hands, “let me help you get rid of those puffy eyes. Your temperature is still high. Keep crying and you might end up with a stress fever.”

Monty wiped away a tear from Forest's eyes as he used the ice aspect of his energy elemental to cool down Forest’s burning face caused by too much crying. 

“That should be enough,” he said after a while, “Coldness helps a lot after a hardcore crying session. And a cooling sensation can feel great.”

He remembered how comforting Zane’s natural lower temperature could feel, especially during a hot day or alternatively, after a night of nightmares, tossing and sweating in the bed. 

Monty was glad that he could replicate the four elements of creation to some extent alongside having his own element. He still needed to tap more into the earth element though. He couldn't cause nearly as great of an earthquake as Cole could. 

‘I also need to train more in hand-to-hand combat as well as with weapons. If I excel in both fighting with and without power, nothing can catch me by surprise. If I become stronger, I can make sure I don't lose anyone in my family again. I already lost dad. What if I tap more into my Oni and Dragon power and control it well? I can protect everyone.’

That was definitely going onto Monty’s to-do list.

“Oh yeah almost forgot,” Monty pulled out a tube of cream, “This should help with the scratch on your face. Not trying to sound narcissistic here but your face has potential, seeing how it's basically identical to mine," he said he applied the cream on Forest's scratch, "Here, you can have the tube. I have plenty at home. Make sure to use it regularly to speed up the healing process."

Forest squeezed Monty in a hug. 

“Okay,” Monty chuckled, “Didn't think you were that clingy.”

“Oh shut up,” Forest huffed, wrapping both arms around Monty and pulling him close. 

“Hahaha, look at you, entering your rebellious phase,” Monty laughed, ruffling Forest’s hair. 

Meanwhile, Forest was thinking about giving Monty’s mom a piece of his mind. 

Who would put their child in a school for creating evil kids?

‘If only I could find her,’ Forest thought as he pulled Monty impossibly closer. 

“Haha, you’re making my eyeliner smear with all this touching,” Monty joked as he touched his own face, realizing that his winged eyeliners weren't as impeccable as before. 

He didn't exactly mind though. 

“You wear eyeliner?” Forest asked in surprise. 

“Well, duh,” Monty rolled his eyes, “Even with a face like this, you need something to enhance the looks. I have mastered the art of getting the perfect winged eyeliner every time. Courtesy of the big overprotective brother from hell himself, Kai.”

“Wait!? KAI!?” Forest was surprised yet again. 

The Kai he knew didn't know anything about makeup. Forest could swear that the guy could name more than 20 brands of hair gel before remembering the names of makeup products. 

“Yep,” Monty said fondly, wiping off the smeared eyeliner with the long sleeve of his black t-shirt, “He taught the art himself. He's the true master.”

Monty pulled out a pocket knife and proceeded to redraw his impeccable winged eyeliners with the aid of the knife’s sharp edge and his eyeliner pen.

“Kai discovered the best way to do this after some trials and errors. The team thought he was crazy but he finally got it right. He then taught me how to do this with any knives,” the blond smiled fondly at the mention of his hot-headed big brother, “Truly a hero. He walked so we could run.”

Forest looked at Monty like he had grown two heads. 

“Teach me,” the smaller blond looked at his counterpart with sparkling eyes. 

“Oh should I?”

“YES, YOU HAVE TO.”

“Well, maybe if you stop pouting like right now,” Monty chuckled darkly.

“I don't pout,” Forest insisted. 

“Yes, you do,” Monty smiled, “You're me.”

And Monty knew that he himself pouted, either out of habit or whenever he had to pull the cute puppy eyes on his siblings. He may be taller than more than half of them but that didn't mean he had to give up his status as the youngest one. 

Considering how he had to give up his childhood to save the world, this was the least he could get. 

“Now, where should we start?” Monty asked, “Want to practice immediately?” 

He held pointy tips of the knife close to Forest. 

This wasn't the first or the last time Forest would be so so so glad that this was in Monty’s universe and not his own universe. Because god knows that the people of his universe would flip their shit at Monty’s behavior and call the blond all sorts of cruel names, especially if they thought he was actually Forest, the Lloyd Garmadon of that universe.

“Um,” Forest gulped, now kinda having second thoughts, “Maybe not that hands-on right now?”

“Oh yeah,” Monty realized, “You could seriously poke your eye out with this one. Sorry, forgot about that tiny detail. Wouldn't want your mom worrying about you losing an eye. Alright, hold still for me, I’m gonna be your makeup artist for today.”

Forest stood still for Monty to do his work. 

“Tada, all done,” Monty cheered, “Here, take a look,” he handed Forest a pocket mirror that he may or may not have gotten from Nya’s room. 

In his defense, for someone who didn't use much makeup, she sure had a lot of pocket mirrors. 

“Whoa,” Forest let out as he looked at his reflection in the pocket mirror. 

No wonder Monty was always way more confident than him!

“Hold on, let me add the finishing touch,” Monty said as he unclasped his black choker and wrapped it around Forest's neck, “Now it’s done.”

Forest lifted his head up a bit to get a good look at the black choker now around his neck. 

It actually suited him. 

“The choker’s all yours. Welcome to the chocker club, kid,” Monty grinned, “Your corruption starts now,” he said jokingly. 

“You’re giving this to me?!”

“Well duh,” Monty rolled his eyes, “Don't sweat it, kiddo. I have a replacement right here,” he pulled out an identical choker and proceeded to put it on, “Now we’re twinning,” he smiled genuinely, “though we're already identical to begin with.”

He was surprised by yet another crushing hug. 

“Haha, you sure you're not a clingy cat?”

“Oh shut up, jerk!”

At the monastery

Garmadon wandered around the area, memorizing the various sections of the monastery. He really needed to figure out the layout of the building or else he wouldn't know which room was which. 

“I know you're there, Kai and Cole,” he said, not even turning around.

Silence. Pure utter silence. 

The former lord sighed as he continued walking. 

The ninja had definitely improved from last time. 

When discovered, panic wasn't allowed. 

Garmadon couldn't help but give a nod of approval. At least, he could be sure that Lloyd was in good hands. After all, Garmadon's hands were tainted with blood, even that of his own son. 

“Quick, Cole,” Kai whispered to the master of earth as they were both hidden on the ceiling, behind the curtains, “He’s heading towards the kitchen.”

“Okay, Kai, I have eyes too, you know,” Cole rolled his eyes, “But why is he going there?”

“Who cares? At least there he would be easier to monitor. Nya and Jay are in the kitchen too.” 

With the Lloyds

“Here,” Monty tossed Forest a bottle of water, “Drink up. You need to replenish the water you lost from crying.”

“Thanks,” Forest muttered as he opened the bottle. 

It was such a luxury for him to be able to stand in front of an arcade, watching people after people pass by without being given any glares or dirty looks. 

“No probs, pal,” Monty smiled, “Anything let's go inside. They installed some new music on the Dance Dance Revolution machine.”

“Coming,” Forest smiled in return. 

He really enjoyed hanging out with Monty. 

Later

Forest breathed heavily as they finally completed the song. 

“YES! We broke the record, kiddo,” Monty cheered as he rushed over to collect the ticket. 

“Holy…. god,” Forest panted, “I really thought my lungs were gonna collapse.”

“Haha, no they weren't gonna. You're tougher than that. I should know,” Monty smiled, “But your core strength is a bit… lacking. Maybe I should start teaching you some tricks,” he considered.

“Promise?” Forest said with renewed strength as he rushed closer to Monty.

Look, if he was gonna get a personal trainer as well as a source of emotional support out of Monty, then sign him up. 

“Eager, aren't we now?” Monty snickered, “If you can keep up, then sure. Also before that, let’s try out one more game. They installed a new game called the Punching Bag challenge. Apparently no one has gotten a high enough score to get the most tickets out of it yet.”

A mischievous grin appeared on Monty's face. 

He knew that he basically had the most unfair advantage with his abnormal strength and everything, but in his defense, the challenge was labeled as “open to everyone”

At the monastery

“Hm, guys,” Nya said to her team, “Got any ideas on what Garmadon's doing?”

“He seems,” Pixal narrowed her eyes, “...to be peeling fruits.”

“Why would he do that?” Jay questioned, “Just eat them as they are. You guys think he's doing some evil experiments with the fruits? Maybe he's trying to poison us?”

“Jay, I know we're all suspicious of him but there's no need to add more paranoia into this, my friend,” Zane advised, “Maybe he likes them peeled,” the master of ice suggested, “This does seem like a normal activity for anyone to engage in.”

“Which is why it's weird,” Kai insisted, “this is Garmadon we’re talking about. Just because he looks like how he was when he was our sensei doesn't mean he is. Harumi literally bragged about how she only brought back the evil side, the side that she idolized and was interested in.”

What Kai wouldn't give to have a chance to burn Harumi to ashes. 

“I don't know, Kai,” Cole replied, “He hasn't done anything suspicious yet. Honestly to me, he looks kinda depressed and tired.”

“He actually didn't sleep at all last night,” Pixal revealed, “He didn't even blink from what i recall.”

“Wait, if he didn't sleep, what did he do?” Nya raised an eyebrow.

“He….. watched Lloyd sleep.”

The team all shared a collective look of “Seriously??!! Dear First Master, that's creepy!!”

Chapter Text

“YES!” Monty cheered as the little measuring thing on the “Punching Bag challenge “ machine went all the way to the top, “Thank my grandfather I got to play this before Cole, though he would probably have pulverized the machine. Last time, he busted a machine at the arcade. Oh boy, if Zane knew about this, Cole would be toast,” the blond smiled as he recalled the offering of candies and cake that Cole had used to convince him to keep this a secret from Zane. And well, the green ninja was always happy to help a brother in need. 

He rushed over to grab the long string of token tickets.

“Here, Forest, hold them for me,” he called out and tossed the tickets to Forest, who was still recovering from shock. 

The guy before Monty was over 210cm tall and got biceps as big as Forest's head and he didn't even make it halfway there. The blond even thought the game was so heavily rigged.

Just how strong was his other self compared to the average person?

‘And his Cole is even stronger,’ Forest gulped.

He had better remind himself never to get on Monty’s bad side for real or the bad side of his ninja team if he wanted to live past teenhood and into adulthood. 

“You wanna give this a try, Forest,” Monty offered. 

“nO tHaNks,” Forest squeaked.

Monty cocked his head to the side. 

“You sure your voice ain't cracking?” He asked, “Has your voice finished changing yet?”

“IT ISN'T VOICE CRACK,” Forest insisted, now finding his voice again, a faint blush on his face because of embarrassment.

“Yeah sure, kiddo,” Monty grinned, “It's nothing to be embarrassed about. Trust me.”

“Say,” Forest’s snake tongue slipped out a bit, “ the guy who is all grown, tall and muscular,” he muttered under his breath. 

Was it just him or did Monty somehow look ever so slightly taller than yesterday?

“Technically I am still growing,” Monty reminded his counterpart, fangs showing, “ You’d better start catching up before I leave you even more in the dust.”

He stuck out his tongue childishly as he patted Forest on the head.  

“Jerk!” Forest mumbled.

“And yet, you still hang out with me,” Monty shrugged his shoulders, “Either you're very desperate or,” his expression snapped into a scowl, “ your city just sucks that much.” 

“Come on, Monty. It's not always that bad. They just….. don't like my presence.”

“Biggest fucking understatement of the damn millennium, Forest” Monty rolled his eyes, “Honestly you're giving them too much patience. The only possible way these idiots will realize their error is when a certain someone jumps off from a high building.”

Forest widened his eyes, his pupils constricting into slits. 

His mouth went dry as a desert. 

“Or alternatively by using a rope,” the taller blond made an illustration by pretending he was choking on some invisible not-there noose, “Though,” Monty continued, “that probably still wouldn't be enough. Some people can be hella stubborn. They cling to their belief no matter what,” he informed, “Honestly, I’m kinda surprised that someone hasn't tried to assassinate you yet or you know, kidnap you, trap you in a cage and broadcast you being beaten up, tortured and dying on television for all to watch as some sort of twisted celebration.”

Monty turned to Forest with a genuine and warm smile on his face. 

“Congratulations on still being alive, buddy!”

He patted Forest, who was seriously wondering if his other self should be put on suicide watch, on the head. 

‘He definitely should be,’ Forest realized. 

“Now come on, let's exchange the tickets for gifts. I think the money we spent on games is probably less than the value of these gifts,” Monty grinned, “Aren't we lucky, Forest? We’re making a profit.”

“Um…yeah,” Forest replied, recalling the numerous scars Monty had in his body, as he held Monty’s hand tightly.

He so dearly prayed that they were all from battles and not self-inflicted. 

At the monastery

“Nya,” Garmadon called out to the water ninja, his voice deep, calm and composed, eyes an unnatural purple, “If you don't mind, can you kindly tell me where Wu is?”

It seriously creeped her out how Garmadon was acting so much like when he was Sensei Garmadon. 

“Master Wu is,” Nya struggled to look into those tired purple eyes, “um. He's on a trip and hasn't been home for a while.”

Garmadon let out a low hum.

“I see,” he said, “Thank you, Nya.”

The former lord returned to his task at hand.

“You guys think it's too late to put him back in his prison cell?” Kai said darkly. 

“Kai,” Nya rolled her eyes, “Again, for the last time, we agreed not to do anything hasty. Don't make me splash a bucket of water on you again, Flame head!”

“I’m just saying, sis,” Kai narrowed his eyes, “We can technically still do that.”

“Yeah and Lloyd made me promise to make sure that you wouldn't do that unless necessary,” Nya retorted. 

“He what??”

“Honestly, I don't blame him for that,” Nya mumbled, “Kai, for real, we’re not gonna let Lloyd get hurt by him again.”

“I don't know, Nya. Destiny always has a bone to pick with our demon spawn.”

“And we’ll fight destiny if we have to,” Nya said adamantly, “But for now, this is a complicated matter, especially for Lloyd. We shouldn't rush. And if Garmadon actually is like his old self again aka Sensei Garmadon, then it's gonna be even more complicated. We all know how much Lloyd meant to him back then.”

Nya looked over at Garmadon who was still working on something. 

Honestly, a part of her still wondered why he picked this time to return. It would have been better if he returned just after they defeated the Oni. 

‘At least then, our little brother wouldn't be as big of a mess as he is now,’ she thought. 

But again, destiny liked to screw them over. 

“Um, Jay, who are you calling?” She turned to her boyfriend who was frantically calling someone. 

“My parents,” he quickly replied, “Look, since this is kinda also an issue between parent and child, I was thinking maybe my folks would be able to give some insight into a parent’s mind since clearly none of us has reached that stage yet, except maybe for Kai.”

“Hey!”

“You raised Nya and you're basically kinda like a big brother/ father figure to Lloyd,” Jay rambled, his chatterbox characteristic shining through like an ultraplus deluxe light, “But Zane is also like the mom friend. And Cole kinda has some dad potential, seeing how he took care of master Wu when he got dragged into a baby and had to gradually grow back up,” the master of lighting ranted. 

Nya considered Jay’s suggestion for a moment. On the surface, it sounded like a good idea. And it wasn't like Jay’s parents were any strangers to the weirdness of their adventures. 

“But that aside, my parents should be able to give some insights or something. Unless this isn't a parent and child thing and Garmadon is just pretending to be the dad of the past aka Sensei G and will turn on us anytime soon. Oni can shapeshift and do a lot of things. And honestly, emperor Garmadon cares more about the backstabbing lying Harumi than his own son. Sensei G would never do that,” Jay started panicking , “We can't go through that experience again. I don't want to be transported to another realm and get lost in the middle of nowhere. What if next time we don't make it together?” he feared as he would much much much rather be alive, “ARGHH! Why isn't the phone working!?”

And there was the chatterbox and paranoia of her boyfriend that she knew very much. 

“Take a deep breath, Jay,” she patted him on the back, “You know you zap things when you get nervous. We already have had to get you more than 5 phones now,” she smiled. 

“Oh yeah,” Jay realized how he was pretty much vibrating, “I forgot about that.”

“Well, until the two of us can figure out how to make a phone immune to your lightning and still perfectly functional,” Nya grinned, “ We’re still on attempt number 7. Come on, let me dial the phone,” she took the phone in her hands, “Gotta have a chance to talk with my future parents-in-law.”

She turned to Kai.

“Kai, you wanna join? You're technically part of the family.”

Kai spared Garmadon, who was still doing his own thing and not even minding them stalking him, a glance. 

“Yeah sure,” he said, scooting closer to Nya and Jay, “though don't put the volume up too much. I don't want Garmadon to hear.”

“Yeah sure. Also, guys,” Nya added, “We’d better not mention the whole Oni curse thing right now.”

“Honestly,” Jay replied, “I think my mom and dad are probably used to the weirdness that is Ninjago by now. Them having a heart attack is basically impossible.”

“I’m more worried about them being overly concerned about us and especially Lloyd though,” Nya disclosed.

Kai and Jay gave each other a look before nodding

Yep definitely.

With the Lloyds

“Ohhh, I am sooooo getting this,” Monty smiled as he picked up a large cat plushie that was a little more than half his size. 

The way Monty was smiling reminded Forest of a little kid. 

“A giant stuffed animal?” Forest questioned, narrowing his eyes, “Really? Aren't you a bit too old for this?”

“Nope,” Monty answered without any hesitation, “Never,” he hugged the stuffed animal, “This is being added to my collection.”

Forest’s mind seriously couldn't imagine himself being able to do that. The other teens would have taunted him and made his life even more of a living nightmare. 

“How are you even this confident anyway?” 

He accidentally said it out loud. 

‘Frick!!’ he thought. 

“Hm,” Monty hummed, “Welp, it's easy when you can whoop anyone's ass,” he smirked, pupils widening like a cat’s.

It amazed Forest how similar their eyes worked,... if you took away the fact that Monty could change his eye color and make his eyes glow. Forest himself usually tried not to make his pupils change into slits or widening into almost big round circles. 

Forest spotted a medium-sized green dragon plush nearby. 

It looked familiar. 

“Oh I forgot they still make them,” Monty smiled as he looked at the dragon plush, “It's a bit too cute and round compared to my elemental dragon but hey, it's a cute marketable plushie.”

Forest blinked his eyes. 

“They make merchs of you?” He asked, “Are you some kind of celebrity?”

Monty shrugged his shoulders, a nonchalant smile on his face. 

“Kinda, I guess. And actually, my entire team gets merch of their own. Last month, a limited edition merch of Nya really took the public by storm. Apparently, Nya herself got hold of it and she convinced Pixal to help her to auction it or something. I have to hand it to the two of them. It was pretty smart. They split the money 50/50.”

He smiled at the fond memories. Oh he still had so much to learn from his older siblings!

‘Who is Pixal?’ Forest wondered as he continued looking at the green dragon plush, which did resemble his own green dragon mech but not quite at the same time. 

Sure the Secret Ninja Force had fans, especially fangirls, but no merchs of them had been made. What he was essentially holding was merchandise of his other self's hero identity. 

“Oh you're picking that one,” Monty noticed, “Aw, don't tell me you’re becoming a fanboy?”

Forest blushed bright red. 

“Oh, shut up!”

“Haha, it's nothing to be ashamed of… as long as you're not one of those crazy ones,” Monty grinned, “Because trust me, I have zero hesitation in dealing with them.”

The blond’s eyes flashed red and purple before returning back to green.

“Now come on, I'll find a good place for me to train you. The first lesson should be only around one hour. I don't want you to break so early. But first thing first, let's exchange the tickets for our rewards.”

An hour later

Forest faceplanted on the ground. 

“ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?” 

“What?” Monty raised an eyebrow, “Of course, I'm not, kiddo. Remember, I don't support suicide, Forest. Didn't you say you wanted to learn spinjitzu?” 

“Well yeah,” Forest replied, “But I don't want to die trying.”

“That would be terribly tragic,” Monty smiled, “And a bit funny. But don't worry, you’re not gonna die from this. Now one more time, try again. This time, you should maintain your balance more, remember don't get your legs twisted. And also, keep your eyes open. You seriously don't want to slam into things. Believe me,” Monty remembered how many failed attempts he had had back then, “Besides, you're doing better than me when I first started. To be honest, the guys weren't top-notch at teaching me but I wouldn't have it any other way,” he smiled fondly.

Forest stared at the soft look in Monty’s eyes that just showed how much he cared about his loved ones. 

“How old were you exactly when you started?” He questioned. 

“Eh, eight,” Monty shrugged, “I was so small back then.”

Forest did some mental calculations. 

‘Oh god, he's been a ninja for 10 years,’ Forest realized, ‘Monty’s 18 now.’

“Is that even okay?” 

“Probably not,” Monty replied with no hesitation, “But a prophecy is a prophecy. Someone had to defeat lord Garmadon. And that someone that someone just happened to be his son who really didn't want to do and just wanted his dad back,” Monty’s eyes shifted to the side, not looking directly at Forest, “But it's in the past. I have good memories with him,” he smiled, “He's…….”

Monty paused. 

Should he mention that his dad was technically now back and seemingly loved him again. He didn't want to add salt to Forest’s wound of “Having an absent dad who is also ruining his life because said dad is an evil warlord who is constantly terrorizing Ninjago city.”

Monty hit his lower lip. 

“But everything's alright now,” he turned back to Forest, “Now again, please, one more time. Look closely at me.”

Monty demonstrated how to do Spinjitzu one more time.

“Remember, don't get your legs twisted, don't close your eyes and focus on your breathing and your rhythm.”

Chapter Text

Forest landed on the ground as he once again was too dizzy to continue. 

“How,” he let out, “are you able to do this?”

“Practice,” Monty replied, “Clearly you're still lacking. Maybe we should focus on core strength first. You do need that for maintaining the balance or else you would go out of control or slam into things,” he analyzed, “Imagine if you spinjitzu yourself off a cliff accidentally.”

He started giggling before breaking out in a full laughter that sounded more and more distorted by the second. 

Forest couldn't help but flinch a bit. It wasn't even like the evil laugh Forest's dad had. This was more insane and maniacal.

“Dude, do you even realize how maniacal you sound when you laugh like that?”

Monty turned to Forest with a wide grin on his face. 

“Oh I know,” he shrugged his shoulders, “This laugh would have gotten me an A+ in Evil laughter class back in Darkley's. But,” he pouted like a kid, “Too bad back then I absolutely sucked at evil laughter and a bunch of other stuff. Probably one of the reasons why they kicked me out onto the streets. Ahahaha!”

Forest’s pupils narrowed. 

“That's so messed up,” he let out. 

“It is what it is,” Monty laughed, “For the greater good like my mother and master Wu would say. Hahahaha,” his voice then deepened a couple notes, “For the greater good.”

It came out almost like a growl. 

Forest gulped. 

He could almost taste his own fear as his heart nearly jumped out of his mouth. 

Just what the hell were Monty’s mom and uncle thinking?

“But,” Monty’s voice returned to normal, “I got cool power, status, my found siblings and a couple other perks in the end. Honestly staying at Darkley's would have done no good for my future. I was one of the worst students there aka not evil enough for their standards.But I got stronger in the end, so I guess things got canceled out.”

Monty went over to pat Forest on the head. 

“And I'm hoping to get you stronger as well, without all the whole emotional baggage thing of course. Haha, that would absolutely suck,” Monty giggled, “Now come on, let me teach you a couple of ways to defend yourself. You mentioned a couple of bullies bothering you, right?” He cracked his knuckles, “You wanna learn some lethal moves?”

Forest gulped. 

“Um,” he started, “How about something kinda safe but still effective first?”

“You sure, kid?”

“Yes, I'm quite sure,” Forest insisted, “Yeah sure, they can suck…. a lot, especially with how they scratched “Get lost ,Garmaboy” onto my locker’s door this morning. I’m gonna have that message on there until the end of high school And… and…. it also sucked when I saved the day today by chasing my dad away from the city, the people who were cheering me on as the secret green ninja told me that I should take care of Lloyd Garmadon, son of the evil lord Garmadon as well.”

Monty’s smile grew dark and unnaturally wide. 

“I see, so that's why you were so down in the dump,” he said, “Say, do you think the security of those fuckers’ homes is up to date?”

“Please, please, don't kill them. I’m begging you, Monty!”

Forest’s heart was quite close to jumping out of his mouth. 

“What, I didn't mention anything about killing?” Monty replied, “There's worse things than death though.”

“HOW ARE YOU A HERO?”

“Because I don't go around killing innocent civilians or currently have any evil schemes to take over the whole realm and potentially other neighbouring realms as well,” Monty shrugged, “But to be fair, your bullies and the people of your city need a brain change or something because theirs must be made of burnt plastic or dirt mixed with pebbles. Hating someone just because of who his father is,” he scoffed, “Fucking ridiculous if you ask me. Hate on the direct cause aka the evil lord himself, not some kid with severely low self-confidence.”

“Hey, I don't have that low of self-confidence,” Forest insisted, “And also isn't said evil lord technically also your dad?”

“Kid, I had good times and memories with my dad and my dad cared back then,” Monty argued, “It isn’t the same with your universe from what I have seen. Stand up for yourself, Lloyd,” Monty real-named his counterpart.

Forest got the same chill in his spine as when his mom used his full name which was Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon. 

“If you need back-up, call me. Some people ain't gonna have a reality check until it hits them in the face, and possibly sends them through multiple prison walls” the taller blond hissed, remembering how stupid and naive he had been back then.

‘Thank my grandfather, it was only me who died.’

 “That reminds me. Here, kiddo.”

Monty handed Forest a round communication device. 

“It's one of the couple of devices Jay and I made last week. I figured that my team should have back-up communication devices just in case. I still have to help him make a couple more.”

“But,” Forest butted in, “Why are you giving me one? Don't these devices not work when you travel across universes? My phone doesn't receive any messages or calls until I'm back in my own universe.”

“Oh yeah, I discovered this little fact the first time I went into your universe. Apparently, my team's communication devices can handle universe crossing. I got a call from Cole shortly after leaving your place. He was kinda worried because I suddenly disappeared from my room. The team probably thought I got kidnapped again. Haha.”

“Cole?” Forest said, his tone surprised. The Cole he knew was rather indifferent and whatever about things. He was very passionate about music and being a DJ though. 

Suppressing his inner anxiety about Monty’s scary nonchalance about being kidnapped, Forest looked down at the device in his palm. It looked high tech. He was quite interested in knowing its inner mechanism. 

“Don't try dismantling it, Forest,” Monty put a hand on his other self's shoulder, a knowing smile on his face, “Just because you have books on robotics on your shelves doesn't mean you get to dismantle new technology. I’m so not gonna help you put it back if it's broken.”

“What- how do you even know about my books?”

Monty smiled as he raised an eyebrow. 

Oh right, ninja. 

“Dear god,” Forest put his hands over his face, “You sound like my mom mixed with a teasing jerk.”

“Aww,” Monty let out, “You see me as a parental figure now,” he said as he pinched Forest's right cheek, “Didn't know I would be a teen dad so soon.”

“You're the worst,” Forest muttered, swatting Monty’s hand away. 

“Still better than your city, buddy,” Monty said in a slight singing voice, “Now for the communication device, I had it reset to be separate from my own. Just press this button to access the contact list. From here, you can easily contact me from anywhere, your universe or mine.”

Forest thought for a moment. 

“The reverse can be done right?” He asked, “You can also call me.”

“Hm, true,” Monty nodded, “Communication in communication device is a two-way thing.” 

“So if anything happens, will you call me for help?” Forest prompted the question. 

Monty cocked his head to the side. 

“Um, kid, are you sure you can handle the villains my team and I handle?”

“I’m not talking about just that… aspect, Lloyd.”

Monty blinked his eyes. 

“Oh so you're real-naming me now.”

You could just hear the amusement in Monty's voice. 

“Yeah, so what if I am?” Forest protested, “You do that to me too.”

“Eh, fair enough, kiddo,” Monty shrugged, a smile still on his face, “What goes around comes around I guess.”

While saying that, Monty had a mental image of him killing Emperor Garmadon in a fit of righteous rage and insanity. 

‘What do you call the act of killing your father? Patricide?’ he thought to himself. 

Monty shelved that image for another day. His brain was being a bit funny today or…. had been for a while. 

“Now come on, Forest,” he smiled brightly, “I’ll teach you some more non-lethal moves and then we can visit this cake shop Cole has been going on and on about recently. He hasn't gotten the chance to go there yet so I'm thinking of being a good little demon spawn and getting something for the whole gang, though I wonder what Pixal would like, she hasn't tried anything like this yet.”

“Um… okay then.”

And immediately, Forest was dragged along like a sack of weightless potatoes. 

‘Why did he call himself a demon spawn?’ the shorter blond wondered. 

He personally never liked the sound of “demon spawn”.

At the monastery

“So yes, dad, I decided it would be best if I stayed at the monastery for a while to help out the team,” Pixal concluded as she summarized everything that had happened to Borg, aka the current head of Borg Industries, aka her dad/creator. 

The “dad” thing was still quite new to her, as not many would usually find a daughter in the android you initially made to be an assistant, but she quite liked it. It really showed how far she had come from being an android assistant as well as how the relationship between her and Borg had developed. 

“I understand your reason, Pixal,” Borg responded through the communication device installed in Pixal, “However, do you think you need some reinforcement? Perhaps some defense robots or special gadgets or maybe I could —”

“Dad, I think I'll be fine,” Pixal replied, “I already got my samurai suit mode installed as well as several weapons installments we made together last week. You even insisted I add the latest model of a gun you made.”

“Which is a good idea considering the current situation,” Doctor Cyrus Borg defended his point, “After seeing the latest apocalypse of Ninjago, this is a complicated situation.”

“Well, you don't have to tell me that, dad.”

“It's just… I can't believe it. The good Garmadon is supposedly back. What are the chances?” 

“Quite low honestly,” Pixal replied, “Last time I calculated, there was a 0.0000000000001% chance.”

Of course she never could find the metaphorical heart to tell Lloyd that. 

“Well you know how people always say it, as long as the likelihood isn't a certified zero, it is still considered a viable possibility.”

“ I do not think people always say it that way, dad.”

“Then it's how I say it,” Borg said, “But with all seriousness, do be careful, Pixal. After seeing what Emperor Garmadon is capable of, it's hard to see him as the nice old man you once had a couple of pleasant chats with. And Lloyd is letting him live with them at the monastery!!??”

“Yes, I certainly understand the worries.”

“Our land owes the ninjas a lot for saving us many times,” Borg expressed, “But sometimes I wonder if they're truly okay after so much has happened to them, especially with Lloyd, considering the most recent major events.”

“Well, I do have an idea on a software installment on myself that I can use to help them,” Pixal shared, “They do not seem to be willing to share these things with civilians.”

“Really?” Borg smiled, beaming with pride at his daughter, “Oh, send me the idea and things and I'll help you with that right away!”

“Thank you very much, dad,” Pixal also smiled, “I’ll do that before midnight tonight. I’ll also keep you updated on any changes in the current situation. Also…. Can you delay the lessons on becoming the new head of the Borg Industries?”

“Certainly!!”

With the Lloyds

“Hmmm,” Monty contemplated as he stared at the numerous types of cakes in the cake shop, “So Cole would definitely like the Triple Chocolate Ultra Deluxe one with extra dark chocolate shavings, Oreo crumbs and some tart raspberry jam to cut down on the sweetness. Better make it two slices for him. He deserves that.”

Choosing what cake Cole would like was easy enough.

“With Jay, he likes blueberries so blueberry swirl cheesecake with peanut butter chocolate cups would be suitable. With Nya, she likes fruits more so a fruit chiffon cake with extra fruits and sweet and tart syrup would make her happy. It does look nice. Oh yeah Forest, have you picked out yours yet and also one for miss Koko as well?”

“Um…. Not yet,” Forest replied, “Also how do you remember all of that?”

He averted his eyes away.

“You must be very close with your team then.”

The look in Forest's green eyes had Monty furrowed his brows. 

“They basically took care of me when I was a fatherless 8-year-old, Forest. It's the least I can do. From what I have heard, your team are all the same age as you but with mine, I'm technically the youngest. Pixal's case is a bit complicated but she's definitely mentally older than me. It's nice to do something for them. Now,” he focused, “With Zane, maybe some chocolate mint ice cream cake. He likes cold desserts more. Also the shop has a special sweet salty caramel and chocolate sauce. He would definitely enjoy deciphering the secret recipe.”

Monty smiled softly, his eyes bright and cheerful. 

“With Pixal, what does she even like? She hasn't tried this yet. Maybe I should get her the same thing as Zane. Come on, Lloyd, think, think. The layered matcha one with buttercream and pistachios seems like a good option. The color does kinda look like the color of her eyes.”

Forest stood there in silence as Monty crouched in front of the viewing glass.

‘He’s putting way too much thought into this,’ Forest considered, ‘Just how many people does he live with. Sure the monastery is huge but he can't be living with this many people.’

“Now with Kai, the sweet and savory one with ham floss, cream cheese, salted duck egg and a savory mayo-like sauce would be good. They also have a limited spicy edition with extra spicy shredded beef jerky. Yeah, Kai would definitely like this. Now what would I like? A layered cheesecake with oreo fudge, green apple jam topped with KitKat and nougat candies would be so nice.”

Monty could feel himself salivating.

“Oh right,” he reminded himself. 

He still needed to pick one for his dad. Call it a little celebration of him being back and supposedly himself again 

Monty didn't know how long this would last but he wouldn't waste the chance to make some memories. 

He didn't have many high expectations. He just hoped that this wouldn't end with him being thrown multiple prison walls again or one of his loved ones getting hurt. 

“A black forest cake would be nice. This one has some booze in it so it must be adult enough. And the colour of the cherry juice is kinda close to purple, not to mention how the frosting is also purple.”

This part Monty said a low volume. Forest could only hear part of it. 

The shorter blond wondered who the black forest cake slice was for. 

‘Uncle Wu?’ he theorized, ‘Monty did mention that Uncle Wu is also one of the people living in the monastery, but he mentioned that he was on a trip or something. Also, Uncle Wu doesn't like purple.’

“You picked out the slice for you and miss Koko yet?” Monty turned to Forest with a smile of accomplishment on his face. 

“Um,... I'll take the same option as you…. And a strawberry and cream sponge cake for my mom,” Forest replied.

“Sure thing, pal,” Monty gave his other self a thumb-up before he told the shop employee the order. 

Chapter Text

Movie universe

Lloyd returned to his universe with a green dragon plushie and a box of two cake slices, feeling a whole lot better than when he had entered the portal earlier. 

“Remember to get home safely,” his other self said as he poked his head through the portal, “Don't go into dark shady alleys. You're still not able to beat a couple of thugs at once. Make sure to practice your reflex more, Forest.”

“Alright,” Lloyd rolled his eyes, “God, you sound like my mom now,” he complained, a small blush on his face. 

“Haha, as long as you don't accidentally call me mom or dad. That would be embarrassing… for you, wouldn't it, sweetie~?”

You could even hear and feel the teasing in his voice. 

Lloyd instantly got a shiver up his spine as he shot his other self a glare. 

“Haha, okay bye then, Forest,” his counterpart said as he stuck out his tongue childishly before retracting his head, “Also, if you get in danger, remember to always aim for the crotch. There's a lot of nerves there.”

Lloyd started covering up the portal. He was immensely glad that this was a place that practically no one ever came to. This was his little escape from his life. In his opinion, it sure was way way better than just daydreaming about a better life. 

As he walked out of the abandoned woods and into the city, he could definitely feel the change in the air. The smell of disgust was in the air as he walked home. 

He clicked his tongue. 

‘Whatever, not like any of you gets to travel to a different universe, meet up with a cooler version of you with power who treats you to fun things like the comic book, a cat cafe and the arcade to cheer you up or a counterpart who agrees to be your personal fitness trainer to make you stronger and more powerful. Yeah you people don't even have that.’

Lloyd wondered when he would be able to go back to Monty’s universe. It wasn't even a minute after his departure and he already missed being there. 

‘I really have Monty to blame for this,’ he thought.

He then thought back on his comment on Monty sometimes sounding like Koko. 

A noticeable blush appeared on his face. 

Dear god, he even picked a green dragon plushie made in the image of Monty’s elemental dragon. He was really becoming a fanboy….. of his other self nonetheless. 

And he really compared his other self to his mom of all people. And Monty technically didn't have an alternative version that was similar to Koko as his mom. 

‘Come to think of it, what is Monty’s mom called? It's probably not Koko because he initially thought my mom's name was Coco for coconut.’

Later

Lloyd was about to enter the elevator to go up to his apartment when he saw a familiar face.

“Mom??!”

“Lloyd?!” Koko said in return, “Sweetie, why aren't you home yet? It's 8pm.”

“I thought you were having a late shift today, mom.”

“I got allowed to leave early,” Koko explained, “Just why are you coming home this late, Lloyd? Your school got canceled today because of a Garmadon attack.”

“Um… yeah,” Lloyd scratched his head, “I …um… I hung out with Monty today and lost track of time.”

“Your face, sweetie!!?” Koko reached her hands towards the scratch on her son's face, “What happened to you?”

“Mom, I just fell on the ground. That's all. It's okay. Monty gave me this ointment cream to help with the scratch,” Lloyd showed Koko the tube of cream.

“Oh,” she let out. 

Koko then looked down at what her son was holding in his hands.

“Where did you get that dragon plush and…. Cake?”

“Yeah…um… Monty and I hit up the arcade,” he began explaining, only telling half-truth, “He insisted that it be his treat. We won some prizes, though it was mainly Monty doing the heavy lifting, so I guess in a way, Monty gifted me this plushie.”

Koko listened intently to this, the gears in her head spinning. Monty must have been well-off to get them a huge bag of grocery goods and pay for his and Lloyd’s hang-out trip. 

Somehow, she couldn't help but remember his many scars and the strangeness surrounding him. 

“After that, we…um…,” Lloyd tried to come up with a way to lie around the fact that Monty was basically teaching him martial art moves and a secret technique called spinjitzu, “Monty wanted to visit a cake shop to buy some for his..um.. family. He told me to pick out what you and I would like.”

Koko looked at the stuff Lloyd got after his hang-out with Monty and then she noticed something different about her son. 

“Wait, where did you get that choker, sweetheart?” She asked as they both stepped into the elevator. 

Also, was Lloyd wearing eyeliner?

“Oh..um… Monty gave it to me,” Lloyd said as he scratched his head nervously again, *He’s a pretty cool dude.”

Koko was about to open her mouth to ask more questions about Monty’s background such as “How could he afford all this?”, “Why is he this close with you?”, “Is he from this city?”, “Who are his parents?”, “How old is he?”, “What school or college does he go to?”, “Why does he have so many scars on just his arms?”, “WHAT IS HIS INTENTION WITH YOU?”. 

Of course all of that came to a halt when she saw Lloyd smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling a bit. It wasn't like the nervous smile he would make a lot of time from what Koko knew. This was a genuine happy smile.

Koko felt her stomach drop. Her son got someone who treated him well and was extremely close with him but Monty was just so suspicious from what she had seen. 

But maybe, just maybe, she was overreacting. 

“That's nice, sweetie,” Koko tried to smile, “Said, about your friend Monty, who are his parents? It's getting late and I don't think he should be out by now. Suspicious activities have been on the rise recently. He looks a bit older than you but still. Oh dear, what if he gets targeted? Your friend wears kinda flashy clothes, dear”

Koko tried not to mention Monty’s scars, but those were also a cause of concern, especially when they were on someone so young. And from her knowledge as a former warrior, some of those scars looked like those left behind after slash attacks from sharp weapons like knives or swords. 

“Oh,” Lloyd bit his lower lip* “Yeah about that, Monty…. doesn't have any parents around. They're kinda not there.”

When the elevator door opened, Koko was shock-frozen nearly enough to miss it. 

Thankfully she didn't. 

“So who does he live with then? He looks 18 at most. He isn't even done being a teen yet. His face still looks like a baby face,” Koko rambled. 

Sure Monty was suspicious all things considered but she wasn't keen on the idea of someone who was so young and treated her son so well to get hurt. 

“He manages just fine, mom,” Lloyd answered, getting increasingly nervous, “He has his team with him.”

As they entered their small yet cozy apartment, Lloyd set the cake box down. 

“I picked out your favorite cake, mom,” Lloyd smiled, praying that Koko would stop asking more about Monty, “We can have them after dinner. Hey, let me help you with dinner. Monty taught me some skills.”

‘Crap,’ Lloyd thought. 

For not wanting his mom to ask him more about Monty, he really should stop mentioning him right now. 

As Koko took a closer look at the two nice cake slices Monty had once again generously given then, she truly wondered about who Monty was. 

‘His teeth also look strange,’ Koko thought, ‘He looks like he has carnivorous fangs and incisors,’ she recalled Monty’s smile. There was something ridiculously familiar with that smile. 

Show universe

“Guys, I'm back,” Lloyd announced his presence as he entered the living room. 

“Lloyd, why did you suddenly run off?” Cole said as he crossed his arms. Thankfully unlike Kai, he still had an air of calmness around him. 

“Well,” Lloyd tilted his head to the side, “I got an emergency call from one of the potential agencies who want the green ninja to be in their campaign,” he quickly lied. 

In truth, he did have a couple of agencies who were doing exactly that. It's just that they didn't actually give him a call today. 

“Really?” Kai raised an eyebrow, his eyes glowing reddish orange. 

“Yep,” Lloyd smiled, “They really want this handsome face on their stuff. I gotta give thanks to the all mighty master of fire for forcing me to do skincare.”

“Oh, flattery will get you nowhere, green boogie,” Kai narrowed his eyes, “Now what about the stuff you're carrying?”

“I tried the latest game in an arcade, won tons of tickets and got this as a trophy,” Lloyd showed off his giant cat plushie, “And as a peace offering, you got you all some cake.”

Cole’s eyes widened. 

“They're from the cake shop you've been mentioning about, Cole,” Lloyd grinned. 

“You're forgiven….. for now,” Cole decided, which earned him a look from Kai, “But for the love of the First Master, just don't try to get into trouble okay, you damn trouble magnet? I was actually considering building an earth safe room to put you in.”

“I’ll try my best,” Lloyd replied, “No promises though.”

“Dude, just saying that means you're jinxing it,” Jay butted in. 

“With his ability, I don't think him not getting into trouble from here to the end of his life is possible,” Nya rolled her eyes before she patted Lloyd on the shoulder.

“Still glad you're back, little demon. That means we can call off the search for you.”

“You guys were seriously considering starting a search for me?” Lloyd asked with amusement in his voice. 

“Oh trust me, we were all about to search all over Ninjago. You're not getting away from us anytime soon.”

Nya lightly kicked Lloyd in the back of his ankle to make him bend down enough for her to ruffle his hair. 

“Was that really necessary, Nya?” Lloyd said while half-laughing. 

The master of energy and the master of water giggled before settling down.

“Yes,” Nya confirmed, “We’ll look over Ninjago and the other realms just to find you,” she said in a dead serious tone. 

Garmadon emerged from the kitchen, where Zane was cooking dinner, with Pixal helping him while also simultaneously getting her first experience with cooking. He had changed his outfit from the master gi into a simple black and purple one. 

“Son, you're back,” the former evil lord said, “Did you encounter any trouble, blossom?”

Kai and Cole still physically recoiled at the pet name. 

Garmadon's nose twitched as he registered a strange smell on his son. Strangely enough, the smell of this person was quite similar to his son's smell, just a tiny bit different enough to be distinctive from his son's actual smell. 

Just who was Lloyd meeting up with?

From how much the unfamiliar smell was on his son's body, that person must have made a lot of close contact with Lloyd during these past hours. 

“Oh, I was fine, dad,” Lloyd gave a sweet smile, “I also got you some cake as well. Didn't know what you would like best so I got a black forest cake. It has some booze in it so it must be adult enough for you. You're pretty much a living fossil by now.”

Garmadon positively rolled his eyes at this. 

“Very funny, son,” the former evil lord patted his boy on the head. 

He remembered doing this when Lloyd was considerably shorter. The slight blush his son had while leaning into the touch made him not pay any attention at all to the glares of the others in the room, basically warning him “One wrong move, Garmadon and back to the Departed Realm you go.”

“Dinner’s ready, guys,” Pixal announced as she and Zane walked out of the kitchen. 

“Yay!!” Lloyd exclaimed, “What is it today, Zane?”

“ Rice with fried fish,” the nindroid answered, “Pixal did an excellent job cooking the fish.”

“Oh, stop it, Zane,” Pixal rolled her eyes. 

“I am simply reaffirming the truth,” Zane smiled.

Nya, Kai and Lloyd looked at Zane expectantly. 

The master of ice sighed.

“And yes, it's paired with semi ripe shredded mango and fish sauce mixture dipped. I made an extra spicy dip for you guys separately. Cole and Jay, you guys can enjoy the normal fish sauce dip with me and Pixal.”

Cole and Jay both let out a sigh of utter relief. 

“This is so great,” Lloyd grinned, “I bought cake slices for you all. We can have that for desserts.”

“Oh really,” Pixal let out, her eyes scanning the boxes set on the table, “Well actually, Garmadon actually cut up some fruits for us.”

The ninjas, except Lloyd and Zane, gave Pixal a look. 

“I have checked, my friends. They're not poisoned or in any way tampered with.” 

‘Alright fair enough,’ Garmadon thought as he examined their expression went from “Wait what did you say?” to “Okay… then.”

He had to admit it. He was a little proud of how they were aware of their surroundings and how they had mastered their powers. 

“This is for you, son,” Garmadon handed Lloyd a plate. 

On it, there were two oranges made into little cat fruit bowls filled with pieces of various fruits. Around them were kiwis cut into flowers and some heart-shaped strawberries. 

Lloyd froze for a bit. 

“Um,” he said, clearly surprised, before faking a smile on his face, “Wow, thanks dad,” he grinned, inside of him a mix of emotions.

He was glad but the doubts in him were quite loud. 

‘What is he up to?’ 

A part of him couldn't help but think. After all, he wasn't exactly up for a second disownment and being thrown through multiple prison walls again. 

Dinner was nice. The others were pleasantly surprised when they didn't die from eating the fruits Garmadon had prepared. The fruit pieces were cut into various little shapes like stars, hearts and flowers. They weren't as fancy as the ones on Lloyd’s plate but the fact that this came from the supposedly “former” evil lord himself was already enough of a surprise. 

‘So that's where Lloyd got the arts and crafts talent from.’

They all concluded. 

Later

“Well, it's getting late,” Lloyd stretched his body, “I think I'm gonna go catch some Z’s. Dad, ya coming?”

“Wait, what did you just say, Lloyd?” Pixal asked, clearly confused. 

Didn't they have a spare room available for Garmadon to theoretically use for the time being?

“Oh, dad’s staying in my room with me for the time being. I,” Lloyd smiled sheepishly, looking slightly guilty, “…. kinda forgot where I put the key to the spare room I built for my mother.”

Everyone looked at him and then Garmadon. 

“Cole,” Nya turned to the master of earth with a serious expression. 

“Already on it, Nya.”

“Wait, guys, what are you doing?” Lloyd asked, before his eyes widened, “COLE, PLEASE, DON'T BREAK DOWN THE DOOR!!!”

Chapter Text

After a lot of efforts, Lloyd finally managed to convince Cole or the others to please not knock down the door to the room he had built for his mother. 

“Jay, what are you doing?” he asked his hyperactive and talkative found brother. 

“Installing a security camera,” the master of lighting said plainly. 

Behind him, Pixal nodded in agreement as she carried some extra equipment as well. 

“What you have in stock, Pix?” Jay inquired. 

“The latest sensing system,” she replied, “it can detect movement and recognize whether there's intention to harm.”

“How high is its success rate?” Nya asked, obviously intrigued, “And how fast does it send the message?”

“Almost guaranteed. I have been working on it for a while. And it sends out signals almost instantaneously. It takes less than a millisecond.”

Nya and Jay nodded, impressed by Pixal's preparedness. 

“So you guys are just gonna watch me and dad sleep?” Lloyd asked, raising one of his eyebrows. 

“We technically won't, the device will,” Pixal corrected, “You guys all need your sleep. And Zane and I need our resting period.”

“I feel like I’m under house arrest with this camera around,” Lloyd remarked. 

“It’s for your safety, Lloyd,” Cole mentioned, “He can't be trusted. He literally has the shit end of destiny.”

“We just don't want you to get hurt again, Lloyd,” Nya disclosed,  “Garmadon…. has been through a lot of changes, most of them not really his choice but he hurt people. It's hard to see him as someone you can interact with well, despite him technically being doomed by destiny since young.”

“We’re definitely not letting you die again,” Jay blurted out, “Same goes to Zane.”

“Jeez, guys, you're worrying too much. if anything happens, I can just chain him down and off him myself.”

The entire team paused as worry took over their expression, with the exception of Kai who couldn't hear this as he was outside the room, guarding it from Garmadon. Had the master of fire heard this, he would be having the same expression as his teammates. 

“Lloyd,” Zane let out, “Are you sure about what you just said?”

His tone was more concerned than horrified. 

“What’s the matter, guys?” Lloyd widened his eyes in confusion, his facial expression horrifyingly nonchalant and innocent, “It is what the stupid heartless prophecy foretold anyway. You know, me defeating my father, with the slight implication of me killing him despite not wanting to,” Lloyd shared, his expression rather indifferent, “Yeah sure I love my dad as in my real dad and definitely not the whole “I have no son” thing. Or maybe they're technically the same. I don't know, honestly. But that aside, I’m not dumb, guys. And I already mourned and grieved my dad's death around 3 years ago.”

Lloyd laughed nervously, his laughter sounding a bit maniacal. 

“Have been getting used to being fatherless and everything,” he joked, “Being disowned and thrown across multiple prison walls isn't fun, you know, haha. It feels better to have a little plan for a worst case scenario. In the meantime, at least I can make him feel comfortable.”

The ninja looked at each other. On the one hand, they were glad that Lloyd did have some doubts and wasn't completely trusting of Garmadon. On the other hand, Lloyd’s attitude sounded both semi-reasonable and mentally not sound at all. 

“Well that's the plan for now. Now can you guys at least let my dad in? Don't wanna keep him waiting. He looks like he really needs sleep. He has massive eyebags. Did I tire him too much today with the shopping trip? He's pretty old.”

As Lloyd began making some mental notes for what to do to at least make his dad comfortable in the monastery, the team all looked at each other with side eyes. Pixal vividly remembered the sight of Garmadon watching Lloyd sleep for hours with unblinking eyes. 

Garmadon kept a straight face as he waited outside the room. How should he reveal the fact that he could hear them perfectly fine due to his heightened sense?

Yeah sure I love my dad

Garmadon's heart stung. After everything he had done, his choice or not, his boy still loved him. Sure Lloyd didn't trust him as much anymore, but that at least meant Garmadon had a chance to make things right with one of his loved ones. 

He looked at his hands. 

The Restraint curse unnerved him quite a bit. 

‘This curse is specifically used for enslavement.’

It technically wasn't limited to just that extreme. But depending on the Oni’s strength, it very well could.

He couldn't bear saying that fact to his own child. He was quite frankly the absolute worst father there was, seeing how his beloved child could only feel comfortable and safe enough to interact with him when it was made sure that he couldn't hurt him again. But he wasn't going to let his son know that he technically enslaved him. 

Garmadon considered his circumstances. 

The curse’s concept of Restraint depended on the user’s mentality. Lloyd only restrained him in the sense of not allowing him to hurt him. The other factors that caused the chain to appear could vary depending on Lloyd’s mood, and only then it would like he would simply get chained down and not be harmed at all. The curse could do much much worse, especially if the user had only hatred in their heart. It at least meant that Garmadon had a decent chance of achieving what he had set out to do after waking up with his soul whole again. 

Still, it terrified Garmadon just how much his own son didn't trust him subconsciously or consciously. He couldn't even get angry like when people whispered behind his back about him being destined for evil. 

Lloyd had valid reasons not to trust him. 

As Kai allowed Garmadon to enter the room, the former evil lord gave him a nod of appreciation. As much as Kai gave him the stare of disapproval, he couldn't blame the master of fire for wanting to protect Lloyd. Kai was always the particularly overprotective one. And when it came to someone to blame this on, Garmadon very much wanted to curse his fate that was decided by destiny and partly by his father. But alas, his father had died and he himself wasn't exactly keen on just dying again and leaving Lloyd behind, especially when the boy’s inhuman side was showing up more and especially after he noticed a new scent of someone unknown on Lloyd. 

‘It smells like a male,’ Garmadon analyzed, curling his right hand into a fist, ‘Lloyd absolutely reeks of the smell.’

He had to control his temper a bit or else his claws would show up. 

Just why would that person’s scent be so apparent on his son?

‘A lot of….close contact must have happened,’ Garmadon narrowed his eyes which turned briefly into a vibrant red before returning to purple. 

The others left to let Garmadon and Lloyd get ready for bed. They were all quite civil, all things considered, despite the extremely skeptical attitude.

“Hey dad, you wanna change into pajamas?” Lloyd asked while yawning as he picked out his own pajamas, “You did choose a couple of them this morning. Oh, maybe we should start decorating your room, well after I find the key to the guest room I built for my mother. Or maybe I can just pick the locks. What do you want for the wallpaper?”

Lloyd smiled brightly, excited to see what his dad would choose to decorate his room. 

Garmadon narrowed his eyes. 

“You know how to pick locks?”

“Yeah of course I do,” Lloyd shrugged before finally having a realization, “... Oh yeah I refrained from showing that back then.”

Wow, Lloyd forgot that back then he refrained from doing anything that could be seen as bad or evil because he wanted to give his dad less worry about him. They were supposed to be a happy family at that point. 

“Anyway, dad,” Lloyd changed the subject, a fake smile on his face, “You wanna pick out a sleeping mask? I accidentally bought a few last week because they were too cute.”

For a moment, Garmadon could see the small child whose eyes were filled with admiration and adoration as he looked up at him figuratively and literally. 

‘He’s still just a child.’

Instead of reaching for one of the sleeping masks Lloyd was offering, his hands situated themselves on either side of Lloyd’s face. 

Warm, like someone alive. 

Not dead. 

“Um, dad,” Lloyd called out, a bit confused. 

He wondered if this was a side effect of being resurrected. But it was better than being disowned a second time so he wasn't gonna complain. 

“Dad, you know my face isn't a squishmallow, right?”

Garmadon scrunched up his face. 

“What's a…. squishmallow, son?”

“Well,” Lloyd began, “I’ll show some of the squishmallows in my plush collection later. In the meantime, it's getting late. Could ya let go of my face, please?”

“Oh.”

Garmadon let go of his son's face. 

“Thanks, dad,” Lloyd said, “Anyway, let's get to bed. You have massive eye bags.”

Garmadon didn't say anything when he noticed Lloyd strapping a sheathed dagger to his lower calf as well as the abundance of scars on his back. The man’s eyes looked down as he recalled how Lloyd had also pulled out a dagger when he wanted to stab himself in the hand to wake up from the “dream”

Garmadon wondered where he kept all these weapons. 

‘In the closet? Or perhaps the wardrobe?’

He wasn't keen on having a repeat of this morning's event. 

“Well good night, dad,” Lloyd smiled as he walked away from the bed.

“Son, where are you going?”

“You can have the bed all to yourself, dad,” Lloyd shrugged, “I can sleep in my blanket fort. After all, I don't really want you to get a kick to the back in the middle of the night,” he said with a smile on his face, “You're like…. a couple thousand years old now.”

Garmadon grabbed his son's arm.

Lloyd flinched.

“You're not sleeping on the floor, Lloyd.”

“..... Technically, I did put down a mattress before building up the fort.”

“You’re still not sleeping in it. It's cramped and small.”

“Well, kinda, that's mainly I haven't built it up all mighty again these two weeks,” Lloyd scratched his head, “Jeez, alright, fine, I’ll sleep on the bed with you. But don't complain when I move in my sleep sometimes.”

“Son, you didn't even move a lot in your sleep,” Garmadon replied, referring to Lloyd's sleeping habit last night. 

“Lots of things can change in a couple of years, dad,” Lloyd rolled his eyes, thinking that Garmadon was referring to the time when they had lived together, “Now come on, let’s get to bed.”

“Before that…. Could you release the chains?”

Garmadon pointed towards the chains cuffed around his legs and one chain wrapped around his torso. 

“When did those even—??” Lloyd let out in confusion, his eyes widening “Hold on, let me just—..um”

Lloyd snapped his fingers and the chains retracted and faded into purple mist. 

Garmadon silently winced at the situation. It was still better than the Great Devourer Venom and its intrusive thoughts of evil but nevertheless it was disturbing to be so easily overpowered by your own son. 

‘Your own child doesn't even trust you to not kill him. What kind of dad are you?’

“Here's some extra pillows and a blanket for you, dad.”

Lloyd’s bright smile made his heart break even more. 

Garmadon couldn't sleep for the first couple hours. He was undead so it was reasonable that he wouldn't need as much sleep. Meanwhile Lloyd, who was resurrected not long after time of death, was still sleeping soundly, hugging the giant cat plushie he got earlier.

Garmadon brushed away the hair that had fallen astray down Lloyd’s face. He watched the boy sleep, feeling a sense of calmness with each time Lloyd breathed in and out. It was around two or three hours after Lloyd fell asleep that Garmadon felt two arms wrap around his torso and Lloyd letting out a soft sound similar to a purr.For the first time in a few hours, Garmadon blinked. As he raked a hand through Lloyd’s blond hair, he couldn't help but compare the sight to a kitten purring. 

It was honestly quite adorable and reminded him of when Lloyd had been a newborn baby. 

His baby

Chapter Text

Movie universe

Koko dug into her cake slice with hesitation. It was definitely good. Whatever cake shop Lloyd had gone to must have been one that knew what it was doing. 

Koko narrowed her green eyes as she thought about how this technically was also one of Monty’s gifts. 

Was it normal for a regular friend to give one this many gifts in such a short period?

From what she recalled, Monty had been the one to help Lloyd with his leg injury and the one to let him stay the night at his place. If that was the first time they met, then Monty and Lloyd had only known each other less than a week. 

How were they this close?

‘Monty looks older than Lloyd,’ she recalled, seeing how the teen was a head taller than her son and had no shyness of an early teen, ‘If he’s 18 then he's 3 years older than Lloyd. 3 whole years.’

For adults, that gap wasn't even anything but for teens, it could be whole different worlds apart. 

Koko almost choked on her cake when she spotted Lloyd staring at his phone, a big goofy smile on his face and a light blush as he stared at what was likely a photo. He wasn't scrolling his phone so it could be that he was watching a picture or a video. 

Koko swallowed the cake in her mouth. 

“Um… Lloyd,” she called out, “Sweetie.”

Lloyd didn't hear her. Sometimes, her son seemed to be in his own head too much.

“Lloyd,” she called out again. 

“HUH!!??” Lloyd let out, jumping a bit in his seat, “Uh, yeah, yes, mom what is it? Do you want me to pass you anything?”

He looked like a deer caught in headlights. 

“Um, no, not that, sweetheart,” Koko tried to act casual, “It's just you’ve been staring at your phone for a while now. Is there anything interesting about it?”

“um…. ,” Lloyd hesitated, “It's nothing, mom. It's just a photo taken of me and Monty on our hang-out today.”

‘Crap,’ Lloyd thought in his head, ‘That just sounds so off. Who would even stare for ten minutes straight at a picture of yourself and your other cooler taller and stronger self, who is training you to be stronger and also is your kinda emotional support keeping you sane in this life of being the number 1 most hated person in the city?’

Oh, yeah, him, of course Lloyd Garmadon, son of the evil lord Garmadon, number 1 most hated teen in the city and also the expert of being socially awkward. 

“Really? Sweetie, you mind letting me see that pho—”

Before Koko could finish her question, Lloyd closed his phone, grabbed his plate of cheesecake and made a beeline for his room.

“Anyway, mom, I have some homework to do so I am just gonna go to my room and finish it and then head to bed. Okay,? Love you, sleep tight, mom.”

Lloyd said it all in one breath before closing the door to his room, leaving Koko alone with her cake slice and her running thoughts. Not to mention the big floating anxiety-filled question of “WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY BABY BOY?”

With Lloyd

The blond let out a breath of relief as he slumped down after closing his door. 

That was a close one. 

‘Thank god, mom probably doesn't suspect anything,’ Lloyd thought, ‘God, she would have a heart attack if he knew that I’m hanging out with my alternative self who is taller and stronger. And he's cool as heck.’

Lloyd looked at the green dragon plush his other self got him at the arcade. He smiled as he picked up the plush up. The stuffed animal was so round and chubby compared to Monty’s cool and slightly intimidating elemental dragon. 

He gave the plush a tight hug, nuzzling his face against the soft material and making happy noises as a light blush dusted his face. He normally didn't like plushies that much, seeing how they were considered kiddie things but Monty technically gifted him this so he was gonna treasure it. He couldn't believe that he was idolizing an alternative version of himself.

“He's soooo cool!!!” He squealed as he jumped on his bed, the sound echoing in his room as he was unable to contain his post-hangout high and joy. 

Again, Lloyd couldn't believe that Monty was technically a seemingly older and alternative version of him. 

‘So cool!!’ he continued squealing. 

Lloyd couldn't believe that a couple hours ago, he was quite convinced that this was the worst day of his life. 

“Meeting Monty is the best thing ever!” He cheered to himself loudly as he lifted up his new green dragon plushie, his slim snake tongue sticking out. 

He squeezed the dragon plushie tightly, barely containing his excitement and joy. He rolled on his bed as he imagined how many fun hang-out trips he could have with Monty. 

Monty actually understood him

Sure he met Monty a couple days ago already but today proved that Monty could understand him and his struggles. 

‘He’s still a bit too trigger-happy for a hero though,’ Lloyd thought as he recalled Monty’s sometimes unsettling grin. 

He hugged the plushie close to his chest. 

Monty understood him so much and had helped him ever since they met. 

‘I can't let him be the one helping all the time,’ Forest thought, one hand grasping at his bedsheets, ‘His mom left him at an evil school for god’s sake.’

He was so glad that Monty at least confirmed that his mom looked nothing like Koko. Lloyd would be having such a crisis if someone who looked exactly like his mom was the mom who left poor baby other him at a school for making future villains. 

Lloyd gritted his teeth. That wasn't what a mom would do and he actually had a good mom whom he loved with all his heart. 

‘But Monty…. had a dad who cared for him,’ Lloyd thought, just feeling a sense of discomfort knowing that Monty’s dad, aka the other version of his own dad, Lord Garmadon, was dead. 

And Monty’s dad was actually the good parent.

‘It’s so unfair,’ Lloyd frowned as he kicked his pillow off the bed, ‘Why does Monty have to deal with the prophecy crap and everything?’

He groaned in frustration, being a bit overprotective, before slumping back on his bed. 

“So not fair,” he muttered, “Why did Monty’s dad have to die anyway?”

He thought back to them cleaning Monty’s dad’s statue. 

‘He even made a statue of his dad to honor him. Monty must really love his dad then’

Lloyd felt bad that he couldn't feel the same for his own dad. But beyond that, he felt frustrated why Monty got dealt with such a bad hand in the parent department. It was even worse than his luck. 

‘Monty doesn't deserve all this crap.’

Lloyd sighed.

‘Also where is uncle Wu in that universe?’ 

He pondered. 

‘Monty said he has been on a trip.’

That was weird. His uncle Wu also went on trips sometimes on his boat the Destiny Bounty but he never was gone for too long.

‘Come to think of it, uncle Wu will probably come back tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.’

He wondered what kind of souvenir his uncle would get him. Uncle Wu always made sure to get him a souvenir when going on his trips. 

‘Does Monty’s uncle do that?’

Lloyd sure hoped so. Monty needed a good uncle, even more than him, especially now that one of his parents was dead and gone and the other was on archeological trips all the time. 

As he thought more about how different Monty’s background could be compared to him and what he could be able to help the taller blond with, Koko was standing outside his room, worrying as she chewed on her nails. 

She knew that a mom should let her child have his own space but the fact that Lloyd had been staring at a picture of him and Monty hanging out for more than ten minutes was rather concerning and also telling, not to mention how she overheard Lloyd squealing about how cool Monty was and shouting that meeting Monty was the best thing ever.

Koko stilled for a while. 

Did her son swing that way? Maybe she didn't notice that. She worked late night shifts often recently. And her son was 15 now. Having feelings for someone was to be expected.

Koko felt a knock being dealt to her pride as a mother for not noticing this sooner. 

‘Is Monty suitable?’ 

Koko was worried. 

The teen’s behavior seemed polite and he was actually the first to treat Lloyd so nicely from what Koko had seen. But was this too nice? Expensive gifts? Enthusiastic attitude? And also the frequent hang-out trip?

Not to mention the scars Monty had and she hadn't even seen him take off his jacket. Just how many scars were there on that young teen’s body? Not to mention the clothes he wore. There was nothing inappropriate about it. But can a teen his age even afford clothes that nice?

Koko gulped. She really didn't want to come to the conclusion her brain was thinking right now. 

‘Monty doesn't even have his parents around. What kind of parents would just up and go like that? Monty looks 18 at most…… But he's still three years older than Lloyd and can be considered an adult.’

Was this situation even okay? 

Monty could be considered as an adult legally. 

‘The moisturizer he gave me cost more than 100 nincoins at the very least.’

As Koko paced around in worry outside, in his room, Lloyd placed his new green dragon plushie on one of his empty shelves where he placed the comic books Monty got for him. Of course, not before, he did the daily dusting off the dust of that particular shelf. After all, this was the shelf that had Monty’s gifts. Lloyd adjusted everything a bit, making sure that everything looked good. 

He couldn't wait to go back to Monty’s universe and spend more time with the other him. He was giddy just imagining how much fun they would have or what cool moves and techniques Monty would teach him. 

Maybe he could even learn more about Monty and understand the taller blond more?

Lloyd was so happy about the fact that he tripped and injured his leg in the woods that fateful day. 

Show universe 

Garmadon scowled

The smell was still there. Lloyd still absolutely reeked of it. 

He hated how this smell was kind of similar to his own son's smell. 

‘Just who could he be meeting?’ the former evil lord questioned internally as he patted his sleeping son on the head. 

Lloyd continued purring in his sleep, his face ridiculously innocent and like the child he was supposed to be, not someone who was aged up several years to fulfill a prophecy. 

Garmadon pulled his son closer, despite knowing that he would have to sense that wretched stranger's smell even more. Earlier, he had overheard conversations between the ninjas and Pixal about how Lloyd had been acting strange lately and had been going out more after a long period of focusing on training and aiming to be stronger. The former evil lord caressed his son’s face which still bore some resemblance to the young child he was supposed to be. 

Garmadon felt his entire eyes turn red, not just the color of his irises. He was quite sure that even the white of his eyes were also dyed blood red at this point. Thankfully, his claws hadn't showed up yet. After all, he would hate himself even more if he accidentally scratched his boy’s face. He would find out who this stranger was and when he did do that,—

Garmadon let out a twisted grin, one way more darker than even when he had been evil Lord Garmadon or Emperor Garmadon. 

Well, Garmadon was glad that he hadn't made any oath of nonviolence this time around. 

Chapter Text

Movie Universe

Lloyd stayed up a while longer to immerse himself in the high and joy of having someone besides his mom and uncle caring for him so much. 

‘The communication device,’ he remembered as he pulled it out. 

It functioned similarly enough to a phone for him, except being round. 

He so badly wanted to dismantle it to view its inner mechanism but he seriously didn't want to disappoint Monty. He would jump off a cliff if he somehow messed up this bond he had formed with Monty, the alternative version of him who was taller, stronger, and so kind to him despite presumably having an absolute traumatizing life since birth. ‘His mom abandoned him at a school for making future villains.’

Lloyd couldn't possibly get over that fact. 

‘And his dad never had a choice in becoming evil. And just when he got his dad back for a short while, his dad had to sacrifice himself again. And for what? Atonement?’

Lloyd frowned, feeling the need to tackle Monty to the ground with a big hug while telling the blond how he didn't deserve all of this. Somehow, he got the feeling that there wasn't even all there was to Monty’s backstory.

Come to think of it, he never knew the details of how his own dad became evil. His uncle Wu mentioned a couple of details here and there but the old man always had a look of regret and somber in his eyes whenever he spoke about his brother's past so Lloyd never tried to press his poor uncle about this.

‘Maybe I should ask uncle Wu about my own dad's past? He's gonna come back soon tomorrow or the day after. But I don't want to sadden uncle Wu. Maybe if I'm very subtle about it, I can pull it off.’

Lloyd thought and thought as he toyed with the black choker Monty gifted him. A smile crept up his face as he recalled Monty joking about them twinning. 

Lloyd didn't get why he was smiling so much. They were basically both Lloyd Garmadon, of course they would be twinning. But that confirmation of him and Monty being similar just put a smile on his face. He couldn't wait to become stronger under Monty's training. 

‘Still feel like he should have gone a bit easier on me,’ Lloyd winced as he could already feel the soreness of today's lesson. 

Fumbling with the communication device, Lloyd stumbled upon the texting feature. 

He got a text from Monty. 

It was sent two hours ago and it read:

Good job with the training today, kiddo. Keep it up

Lloyd smiled even impossibly wider. 

He really needed to calm down or else he probably was gonna stay up all night. 

Show universe

‘Well, this is compromising,’ Garmadon thought as he lay there, being cuddled by his son and also chained down by the chains that were cuffed around his ankles and one long chain wrapped around his torso. 

The chains appeared shortly after he noticed Lloyd moving in his sleep and mumbling something incomprehensible. 

Was his son having a nightmare? Did it involve him?

Garmadon frowned. 

Of course it would involve him, the person who disowned, killed and replaced his own son, and then just went off somewhere for months. It would have been downright strange if Lloyd hadn't had any nightmares revolving around this. And not to mention how he was basically actually in his son’s life for less than 5% of his life. He couldn't be there for Lloyd when his boy had been younger and he quickly had to leave him again after spending such a short time together as dad and son. 

‘How does he even cope with all of this after the Oni event?’

Garmadon wondered.

Turning his head to the side, Garmadon found his answer. 

The photo of him and Lloyd that they took during one of their trips. The photo, the frame of which he smashed when he had been Emperor Garmadon. 

Lloyd mentioned how he would talk to the photo of him. Garmadon’s heart felt like it could shatter. For being resentful of his father's parenting technique, he couldn't even call himself a better parent than his own father who could only be described as “emotionally unavailable”

‘At least, he didn't disown, kill and replace me or Wu.’

As he slowly drifted to sleep, he wondered if there was a chance for him to fix their broken relationship 

The next morning

Lloyd stirred before waking up with a yawn, stretching his arms out. He rubbed his eyes. 

Why was he hugging his dad?

‘Oh, must have grabbed dad when I thought I grabbed the cat plushie,’ Lloyd looked at the poor cat plushie that had rolled down onto the floor. 

“Come on, let me get you up,” Lloyd smiled as he was about to reach for his new stuffed animal. 

Garmadon's eyes snapped open as he slowly sat up.

Lloyd likened the sight to a vampire rising up from his coffin as he tried not to laugh. He found it funny how they both could be mistaken as vampires, especially with Garmadon's now paler complexion post-resurrection. But then again, Lloyd was basically a blond carbon copy of his dad.

“Good morning, son,” Garmadon said.

“Morning, dad,” Lloyd greeted, a smile on his face.

He reached down to grab his cat plushie, prompting it upright on his bed.

“Morning to you, too, photo dad,” Lloyd said to the photo on his nightstand, wiping off whatever dust on the frame with the sleeve of his pajamas.

Garmadon frowned at the fact that his assumption was indeed correct. Lloyd was talking to a photographic imitation of him as a coping mechanism. 

It seemed harmless but the fact that Lloyd had to resort to an inanimate object for some resemblance of fatherly affection and love just proved how much Garmadon had failed his duties as a father. If that was one of Lloyd’s coping mechanisms, then could sneaking out to presumably see someone also be another coping mechanism for the daddy issues?

“Son,” Garmadon called out, which caught the attention of Lloyd who was putting the photo back in its place.

“Yeah, dad? Your back needs some help or something?” the blond said with a mischievous smile. 

“Flower, I'm ancient, not senile,” Garmadon retorted with a raise of one of his eyebrows, “I noticed that with your appearance, you probably catch the attention of many people.”

“Thanks to your genes, daddy dearest,” Lloyd grinned, giving his dad the finger guns. 

Garmadon narrowed his eyes as he wondered about the sanity of his boy. 

“Son, you're not seeing anyone, are you?”

“Nope,” Lloyd answered immediately before he started laughing, “hahahaha, I gotta say, hahahaha. You really got me laughing this early, dad. After the event with Harumi—”

The way Lloyd emphasized the name of the girl made Garmadon feel like he was crushed by a mountain called guilt. 

“— I really don't wanna see any girls soon.”

Garmadon turned his head rather quickly at how Lloyd only mentioned girls and not boys.

‘Suspicious,’ he thought, taking note. 

“Hey dad,” Lloyd cocked his head to the side, “Did you remember to change your bandages last night?”

Garmadon paused before checking. 

True enough, the bandages were soaked with red and purple blood. 

Lloyd silently offered him a roll of bandages. 

“Thank you, son.”

Later 

“Pss guys,” Jay whispered to his team who, except for Zane who was in the kitchen preparing breakfast, were watching Garmadon who was sitting on the porch and watching Lloyd train on the training ground, “Not trying to be paranoid here but what if he's trying to pinpoint Lloyd's weak points?”

“We need to inform greenie about this,” Kai said, determined as he was about to stand up. 

“Kai!!” The team called out to him but to no avail.

“Oh, great job, Jay,” Nya rolled her eyes. 

“Hey, I was just saying, Nya.”

Quickly, Kai went to convince Lloyd to stop his morning training session for the day.

“Kai,” Lloyd whined, “I haven't even finished yet. I still have an hour of my three hour training to go.”

“Lloyd, I'm just saying, Garmadon is most likely over there watching you and trying to find your weak points to strike again.”

“Yeah and?” Lloyd raised an eyebrow, “That’s why I chained both of his legs over there since the beginning.”

Kai turned back to see that Garmadon was indeed chained down, with the former evil lord showing no protest and simply sipping his cup of tea.

“Come to think of it, do you think I can make a chain with a cuff large enough to click around his eyes to kinda blindfold him? He still can technically see me train. But that would be uncomfortable for dad,” Lloyd considered, “Maybe I'll think of something else.”

Kai looked at his baby brother with wide eyes. On one hand, it was good for Lloyd to be skeptical as well and not take any offense at Kai’s cautious behavior, but on the other hand, seeing Lloyd this nonchalantly caution and calculating towards the dad the boy had loved and cried over many times was a whole new surreal experience. 

“Buddy,” Kai found his voice again, “Could you at least then cut the training short a bit? You literally train morning and afternoon today. Kinda hypocritical how you say we should take it easy with the training, green boogie”

“It's a precaution, Kai,” Lloyd insisted, “If I excel in both elemental and non-elemental fighting, I can be prepared for anything,” he grinned, showing off his fangs, “Besides, I am already getting the hang of making a green version of Zane’s ice.”

Lloyd made sure that his dad wasn't watching them first. 

“Check this out,” Lloyd smiled as he summoned a couple of green ice cubes onto his palms, “I can even determine their shapes.”

He proceeded to make a small green ice figurine of Kai, a beaming smile of accomplishment on his face as he placed the figurine in Kai’s hands. 

“As awesome as you, right? Too bad, I can still get frostbite, ....unlike Zane,” Lloyd pouted, looking like the child he was supposed to be, “But hey, that's the perks of being a nindroid I guess.”

As the coldness of the green ice figurine seeped into Kai's hands, the master of fire was seriously concerned about his little brother. 

Movie universe

Lloyd yawned as the first period was about 15 minutes from beginning. He wondered why his school had to start the first period at 7:30am. 

‘I shouldn't have stayed up late last night.’

“YO, LLOYD!!” Kai exclaimed as he rushed into the classroom, followed by Nya. 

“Hey guys,” Lloyd greeted. 

“Cool that we have the same morning periods today, right?” Nya smiled, fistbumping Lloyd. 

“Yeah,” the blond smiled nervously as he yawned, “Sorry, was up a bit late last night.”

“Whoa, whoa, stop right there, is that a choker?” Kai pointed at the black choker around Lloyd’s neck.

“Y-yeah,” Lloyd couldn't hide the slight blush on his face, “Got it yesterday” he hid the detail of him getting it from an alternative version of himself who he was kinda now a fanboy of.

“Ya getting into the emo phrase or something, Lloyd?” Nya asked, amused. 

Chapter Text

Movie universe 

“Emo?” Lloyd blinked his eyes, “Nya, it's not that. Please, I just wanted to try out something new.”

“That something new being emo,” Nya continued teasing, “I didn't know you had it in you, Lloyd.”

“Guys, please,” Lloyd rolled his eyes.

“Hey, it looks nice on you, Lloyd,” Kai complimented. 

Not even a moment later, a couple of rather mocking snickers were heard from the other students around them.

Lloyd glanced his eyes to a few female students nearby who were side-eyeing him and mockingly laughing. He could make out something about him trying too hard to “look cool when he's just a useless dork whose dad ruins everything. Just with a try-hard stupid choker now.”

Lloyd balled his hands into fists. 

‘Monty gave me this choker,’ he gritted his teeth, having grown used to people mocking him but not when it involved other people. 

“...Just ignore those losers, Lloyd,” Kai put a hand on the blond’s shoulder. 

“Yeah, I'm trying over here,” Lloyd replied, “Why do they have to do this so early in the morning?”

Kai and Nya looked at each other. 

“It's a rhetorical question, guys. I know it's because of my dad.”

Show universe

“Guys,” Lloyd said as he and Kai walked in, “Why are you all staring into the kitchen?”

Kai who immediately knew what this meant instantly joined in on the stalking while Lloyd still stood there confused at the behavior of his older siblings. 

“Just look,” Cole gestured to the master of energy. 

Lloyd took a look. 

“Guys, it's just my dad,” Lloyd said, “And also, he still got the chains I conjured up earlier on. He's not gonna do anything, you know. Also, he's just helping Zane with the food.”

“Yeah and it's creepy,” Jay remarked, “Look at him.”

“What's so creepy about dad now anyway? I mean, he looks practically like a normal human, minus the whole bleeding wound on his chest but that's covered with bandages.”

The whole team turned to look at Lloyd with wide eyes. 

“Lloyd, he literally doesn't blink as often as humans should. In fact, I think he hasn't blinked since he woke up today,” Nya pointed out, “Also, did you know that he watched you sleep the first night he came back? He. Watched. You. Sleep literally during the first night he came back.”

“Really?” Lloyd raised an eyebrow, “That's strange.”

“Just strange???” Kai asked, almost scandalized, “no, no, hell no!! It's downright creepy,” he said through his teeth.

“I still have the footage saved, Lloyd,” Pixal added. 

Lloyd crossed his arms as he thought for a moment. 

Was Garmadon trying to kill him again? Kill him in sleep while he was unaware? If so, why hadn't Garmadon killed him last night? That would have been the perfect chance to mock, ridicule him for his naivety before ending him once and for all and taking over Ninjago, though it would be rather…. too ordinary for someone like evil emperor/ lord Garmadon 

‘I’ve always thought he likes it in a more dramatic way,’ Lloyd thought, rolling his eyes, ‘He can be such a theater kid sometimes. A grand battle would be more fitting.’

Lloyd grinned as he used a hand to conceal it. 

‘Would be quite funny if this charade of fatherly love lasted not even two days…. A shame honestly. I have so much more I want to do with dad. Oh well, it is what it is. Guess I have to speed things up a bit to make some memories,’ he made a mental note to himself. 

Lloyd looked at his siblings who were all observing Garmadon's every move. The blond smiled gently at this sight. He had to admit that he appreciated the worry and concern.

‘But they honestly shouldn't be worrying too much. Worst possible scenario is just me dying because of my naivety and stupidity after all.’

Meanwhile 

“Is this how Lloyd likes it?” Garmadon inquired as he handed Zane the seasoning and chopped up ingredients.

Did the nindroid build himself taller since the last time he was in human form?

“Correct,” Zane answered as he smiled.

The master of ice’s eyes did a quick scan of what Garmadon handed him to ensure the safety of the dish

“Must you always do that?”

“You took over Ninjago and were genocidal not even a year ago, Sensei Garmadon,” Zane said matter-of-factly, “Forgive me for the extra precautions in case of Emperor Garmadon suddenly emerging.”

For a brief moment, Zane looked down at the cursed chains around Garmadon's legs. He appreciated the extra reassurance that another apocalypse caused by Garmadon wasn't gonna happen anytime soon but this was unnerving, not to mention telling of Lloyd’s mental state 

“Fair enough. I deserve that.” Garmadon rolled his eyes, “At least you're not giving me the death stare like Kai. That boy really got his parents’ temper. I must admit his technique has improved tremendously since last time.”

“That is true,” Zane acknowledged, “Kai can be like that sometimes.”

“..... Zane, I wish you to ask something,” Garmadon averted his eyes, crossing his arms, “Do you think that I can prove myself to be trust-worthy again?”

“....,” the nindroid thought for a moment, “I can't say for certain, Sensei Garmadon. As it has been proven, destiny always likes to make you the villain and I can't be sure that your current supposed belief, identity and sense of what's important will remain or even what role you will take.”

“I… see.”

It sounded like Garmadon was a puppet in a show with the puppeteer being destiny writing up whatever script to torment the protectors of Ninjago. The former evil lord had to admit. It wasn't far from the truth. He hadn't had much choice and freedom because of the Great Devourer Venom back then. Thousands of years of bearing the poison and yet it had just taken one slip-up of his temper for him to be banished to the underworld and to leave his newborn child. Good for thousands of years, bad for not even a decade, good again for a short while, brought back as pure evil and genocidal. 

Reasonably speaking, the time he had been good far outweighed the time he had been evil. But his own son only personally knew the bad time, the short good again time and the pure evil emperor time. Overall, that didn't paint Garmadon as stable at all and made him seem more like a ticking time bomb with a huge “DON'T TRUST HIM. EVEN HE CAN'T DECIDE WHAT HE IS OR WILL BE” label written in giant red letters. 

‘What child would want a father like that?’ he thought to himself. 

“Lloyd probably isn't even sure who you are,” Zane continued, “Or what he means to you.”

Garmadon's mouth went dry as a desert as he dreaded that thought. It didn't help that at this moment, he could vividly recall the cold “I have no son” ringing in his head. 

“What have I done?” He breathed. 

“Lots of bad things unfortunately, both on a large scale to the people of ninjago and small one to your loved ones,” Zane said, a sympathetic look in his icy glowing eyes, “But from what I know, you have also done a tremendous number of good things as well before my team’s generation took over.”

“Well, my boy only personally knows of my era of instability and evilness.”

“You were back to good for a while, Sensei Garmadon.”

“What's a year compared to the thirteen years I couldn't have been there for my cub?”

Zane raised an eyebrow slightly at the usage of “cub” but he let it slide. After all, this was the same man who watched his own sleep with unblinking eyes. The master of ice charted it up to the man being inhuman. 

“Perhaps,” Zane didn't deny it, “But you’re here, aren't you? As suspicious as I am of your sudden arrival, you have my trust for now. It's Lloyd’s trust that should be the hardest to earn back.”

“I’m aware of that, Zane.”

Zane still found it weird to see Garmadon in this form again though. He had to admit that everyone had basically given up the hope of bringing back Garmadon in his entirety of good and bad. It's hard to believe that this man beside him was also the same one who disowned, killed and replaced Lloyd but then again, destiny was quite a sadistic being to them all. 

“Thank you, Zane,....for trusting me after everything I’ve done. And should I do anything…. out of line, can you—”

Zane smiled. 

“Oh we won't hesitate to deliver you back to your prison cell or the Departed Realm”

“... Well, I’m slightly glad about your preparedness. My brother has trained you all well.”

“Kai and Nya have already called dibs on drowning and then barbecuing you,” Zane informed as he turned off the stove. 

“Of course, they have,” Garmadon rolled his eyes. 

“And Cole offered to bury your remains by crushing it under an enormous mountain to prevent further resurfacing. Jay and Pixal offered to find a remote and deserted mountain for Cole to do his job. ”

“Very effective, though may I suggest scattering the remains?” Garmadon said dryly, “The remains may still be considered whole and easier to resurrect when buried in the same place.”

“Noted,” Zane nodded, “Anyway, breakfast’s ready. I figured a warm stew would be nice on this cold morning. Can you go grab the plates and bowls for me, sensei Garmadon?”

“Alright then,” Garmadon replied, “And… thank you, Zane.”

“My pleasure, Sensei Garmadon.”

Garmadon didn't know if he still deserved the title of Sensei but he didn't bother correcting Zane, “Oh yeah, do you mind carrying this chip? Extra precaution.”

“Well, as long as it's not the one that shocked me like last time. I admire Pixal for her ingenuity but that shock quite frankly nearly fried my entrails.”

After breakfast, Lloyd insisted on taking Garmadon to get the ancient man his own phone. 

“Come on, dad,” Lloyd smiled, “You never got a phone back then. It's very convenient. You can do lots of things with it now, even pay via money transfer.”

“Should we…um… you know?” Cole looked at the others as they witnessed the sight of Garmadon being dragged outside by Lloyd who was like an overexcited child. 

“Well, last time, you guys went to spy on them, nothing happened,” Pixal recalled, “Also I made some adjustments to Lloyd’s communication device last night. As long as he has it on him, it would immediately alarm us should something happen to him.”

“What if it malfunctions?” Kai suggested, “No offense to you, Pix. Your tech is absolutely sick but this is Garmadon we’re talking about. The guy has no choice in his actions.”

“I still can't get over the fact that he watched Lloyd sleep that night,” Nya added, wondering if she had made a mistake in advocating to give Garmadon a chance. 

“Oh, I already put a chip on him for extra precautions,” Zane checked the chip’s activation, “Everything's working just fine.”

Everyone looked at the android couple with a look of surprise before nodding approvingly. 

“Good call, Pixane!” Jay nodded, giving them two thumbs up. 

He would give more but his invention of extra mechanical arms wasn't ready yet. 

With Lloyd and Garmadon 

“Smile at the camera, dad!” Lloyd grinned as he took a photo of him and Garmadon before the massive electronics store. 

“Is this really necessary, son?” Garmadon asked as he smiled awkwardly, showing the fangs that Lloyd inherited from him. 

“What? It's fun,” Lloyd grinned, eyes bright, “And it immortalises memories.”

‘Especially for when this charade finally ends.’

That part Lloyd kept to himself. 

Chapter Text

Show universe 

“Oh what about this one, dad?” Lloyd smiled as he held up a phone model towards Garmadon, “It has a lot of features and from what Jay has been rambling to me lately, it's the most durable model.”

“Um,” Garmadon hesitated, feeling unsure of the technology. In his opinion, technology advanced way too fast. 

“Are you sure it's durable, son? It’s so.. thin.”

He recalled the first ever phone being much thicker than this. That phone was quite the recent invention, at least in his eyes. 

“Oh please dad,” Lloyd rolled his eyes, “Mine has survived several drops ranging from one meter to…. whatever height your average cliff is. That's durable enough for me,” he shrugged. 

Garmadon narrowed his eyes. 

“Do elaborate more on the cliff events, please.”

“Long story short, dad, I lived,” Lloyd grinned, “More come on, the store assistant is gonna walk you through some of the models. Pick whatever you like. After that, you wanna hit up the nearby milk tea shop? It's a pretty good one.”

“Son, again, please elaborate on the cliff part.”

Lloyd made a clicking sound with his tongue. 

“So… you want the “just short enough to make sense” summary or the whole story?”

Garmadon raised one eyebrow. 

“Welp, the whole story it is then,” Lloyd rolled his eyes. 

Movie universe

“Hey, Lloyd,” Kai started as they were all bored as hell during the long English literature period about whatever piece of literature that was being dissected to the molecular level, “I’ve been wondering, how come ya have been wandering off as soon as school ends these days?”

“Well,” Lloyd hissed between his teeth, “It's… nothing much really.”

“Nothing my ass,” Nya rolled her eyes as she absentmindedly took note on her paper. 

“Amen to that,” Kai agreed. 

“Guys,” Lloyd whined. 

“Just spill the beans with us, Lloyd,” Kai insisted, “We promise to keep it hush-hush”

Lloyd struggled internally for a minute.

“Well,” the blond opened his mouth, “I kinda…. made a new friend and he's kinda very cool and we have been hanging out”

God, Lloyd felt like digging a hole for himself. Was he really admitting to other beings that his other self was cool? 

‘Monty is but why do I sound so much like a fanboy???’ Lloyd internally agonized. 

“Ha!! I was right. Pay up, Nya!!” Kai spread open his hand. 

“Urgh!! Fine,” Nya rolled her eyes before handing Kai the money…begrudgingly. 

“ What? You guys betted on that?”

“Yep,” Kai grinned, “And I gotta collect the money from the others. None of them other than me betted on the possibility of a new friend that you made.”

For a second, Lloyd wondered if he should feel offended and hurt or not. On the one hand, did his friends think so little of his friend-making skills? On the other hand, they kinda weren't wrong. Because of his dad, Lloyd never could make friends. 

‘They’re my friends because of uncle Wu after all,’ Lloyd felt slightly melancholic but he tried to reassure himself that they were his friends, no matter the circumstances of their initial meeting. 

Lunch break

“So what is your new friend like?” Kai prodded.

“Well,” Lloyd opened his mouth, “He's older than me a bit…. Three years to be exact.”

“What's his name?” Nya asked, equally intrigued.

She actually thought that Lloyd's new friend would be their age, not someone who could be in college. 

“His name is Monty. And he's really really cool. He actually helped me out the other day with my leg when I fell down a ditch. He's really really strong too. He literally can pick me up like I weigh nothing to him. He’s also good at cooking. And he seems to…. get me, you know.”

‘God why do I sound like a fanboy so much?’

Nya and Kai exchanged a glance.

Soon after the others joined them for lunch. 

Lloyd jumped up a bit from his seat when he felt the communication device his counterpart gave him. 

“Shoot! I got a call,” he said, “Give me a moment, guys.”

“Um guys,” Cole started as he stopped in the middle of eating his spaghetti,“since when does Lloyd get calls out of nowhere in the middle of school day? I thought his mom is busy at work this time.”

“Perhaps Master Wu is giving him a call before he returns?” Zane suggested as he took a sip of water but ultimately let the liquid drip down his shirt. 

“Ahem,” Kai, with a smirk on his face, brought everyone's attention to him and his sister, “we think we know the answer to why our green ninja is acting like this.”

Nya nodded, a matching grin on her face as well. 

“Really now?” Cole raised one of his eyebrows, “And what conclusion did you two Einsteins come to?”

The two siblings gestured the gang to huddle together so that the juicy information wouldn't leak out. 

“Lloyd has a crush.”

“What!!??”

With Forest

The blond ignored the hateful glares of other students as he made his way to one of the bathroom stalls and locked the door. 

“Monty,” he called out, still not quite believing that this device could somehow deliver calls across two universes. 

“Heya,” his doppelganger gleefully replied, “Say, do you like a black and green skull jacket like the one I wore that night?”

“Wait, what??” 

“Well, duh, Forest—”

God, he could literally hear and feel Monty eyes roll. 

“Since you were clearly staring a damn hole into my outfits the other night, I just thought you would like one similar. This one isn't exactly like mine 100% but it's similar enough.”

“Like for real!!???”

“Well,” Monty grinned, “If you don't want it, I can always not buy it.”

“What??!!” Forest let out a groan when he hit the wall of the toilet stall. 

He silently cursed whoever designed this place to be so ridiculously small. 

“NO, NO,NO,” he shook his head viciously, “I didn't say I didn't want it, Monty.”

“Well ya haven't said you do want it,’ Monty twirled the jacket around by its coat hanger, “So what's your answer, pal?”

Forest groaned with all his teenaged indignation as if he was preparing to throw away his pride. 

“Yes, I do want it, Monty.”

“Um,” Monty hummed, which Forest thought was weirdly similar to a purr, “I didn't hear a please.”

Forest ever so slightly regretted all the moments of him calling Monty cool and every other synonym of the word. 

“Please,” Forest finally said the magic word. 

“Alright, consider the purchase confirmed,” Monty seemed satisfied, “Anyway, hope ya having a good school day, Forest. See ya. Leave your window open tonight okay. Maybe around 6pm.”

“Who are you talking to, son?”

There was a couple of noises before the call ended. 

Forest stood there a bit confused. 

Did he just hear someone calling Monty son?

‘It can't be his mom,’ he deduced, ‘The voice sounds like a man. But Monty’s dad is dead. Does Monty have a parental figure outside of his mom and dad?’

Forest couldn't think of anyone suitable to be such a figure. His best guess was his uncle Wu but with all honesty, Forest considered the old man too cryptic to be such a figure even to his alternative counterpart.

‘Why is this guy such an enigma?’ Forest thought in frustration before exiting the stall. 

He wondered if it would be stalkerish and creepy to snoop around next time to find out more about his other self because by god, his brain was rotting with curiosity. 

“Hey guys, I'm back,” Lloyd smiled as he sat back down to finish his lunch. At least, he had something good to look forward to tonight, “Sorry, the call lasted a bit long. Anyway, I'm starving,” he took a huge bite off his sandwich, his mood definitely brighter than before taking the phone. 

The rest of the gang witnessed this with suspicion. Under the desk, Nya discreetly handed Kai a five-nincoin bill. 

Show universe

“Lloyd, who were you talking to?” Garmadon questioned for the third time as they each held a bubble tea in their hand. 

As much as the former dark lord enjoyed the sweet milky beverage with tea aroma, chewy tapioca pearls and various other toppings, he was more invested in whoever his son had called. From what he could hear due to his enhanced senses, his son intended to buy something for someone. And this someone was most likely the person whose scent was all over his son last night.

“Oh, just Kai, dad,” the blond replied swiftly, “He was rambling on and on about precaution this and that.”

Garmadon had to admit. His boy had gotten good at lying. Unfortunately, the person right in front of him was a former evil lord who had thousands of years of experience under his belt. 

“Is that so?” Garmadon said dryly. 

A part of him wanted answers right now but he knew that waiting it out a bit would have a higher chance of meeting whoever was trying to seduce his son face to face. And he personally would prefer a 1 on 1 “chat” with the fella more. 

Movie universe

“Christ, did someone turn on the AC?” Lloyd shivered as he zipped up the hoodie. 

“Bro, what do you mean? It's at most room temperature in this place,” Cole reminded him. 

Chapter Text

Movie universe 

I got the goods. 

The message was sent alongside a photo of a shopping bag. 

Lloyd read his other self’s message as he sneakily opened up the communication device during class, a giant smile on his face. For once, he was thankful that his Geography teacher placed him at the very back of the class. He obviously knew this had something to do with him being the son of Lord Garmadon but for once, he didn't mind this and he was going to keep it that way. 

Just a row up, Cole looked at the blond with narrowed eyes. Not only did he lose 20 nincoins to Kai because of the bet, he also had to get unceremoniously informed by Kai that the leader of their team got a crush on some guy he just met a week ago. 

Cole breathed in. 

Of course, he was happy for Lloyd by all means, even if he still hadn't recovered from this news. In all honesty and in his opinion, Lloyd getting a new friend and gaining a crush on this new friend so quickly sounded like something out of a highschool romance movie. 

What was gonna be next? His crush being a bad boy with dark secrets???

‘Wait did Kai and Nya mention what Lloyd's crush looks like?’ Cole racked his brain, ‘Yeah they didn't mention anything. Honestly, I never thought Lloyd would swing that way.’

Cole thought back on how socially anxious the blond was and how fidgety he used to be when Wu first introduced the team to him. 

‘How did a guy like that manage to make a new friend in under a week?’

Not able to contain his curiosity, he discreetly threw a crumpled piece of paper onto Lloyd's desk as he seriously didn't want to risk the teacher confiscating his phone. His seat location still has a high chance of being spotted by the teacher. 

Lloyd tossed the crumpled piece of paper back to Cole swiftly, avoiding the detection of the teacher. 

The reply was written in pencil and there were signs of something being erased before Lloyd wrote “Purple eyes, brown head, pretty tall, 18 years old.”

Squinting his eyes, Cole could vaguely make out that two of the words Lloyd had erased were cool and strong. 

Okay, it was surprisingly tame and even lame for someone who was supposed to be crushing on this new guy, at least in Cole’s opinion. 

‘Purple eyes? Does this guy wear eye contacts or is that his actual eye color? Alright, he's already sounding weird. Does Lloyd have strange tastes?’

If he hadn't been Lloyd’s friend, he would have thought that the blond was lying. But then again, Cole didn't think Lloyd was lonely enough to lie about having a new friend/ possible boyfriend.

Cole didn't exactly have anything against the blond having a taste of teenage crushes but he really wondered how this would affect their hero-ing, seeing how Lloyd already acted strange for more than a whole week now, which was coincidentally the length of time he had known this new guy. 

‘Christ, that's some fast love at first sight,’ he thought. 

With Koko

Koko took deep breaths in and out to make sure that she didn't end up messing up anything in the Ninjago city museum. As much as she was panicking on the inside, she wasn't going to screw this up and end up with a lawsuit that could ruin her and Lloyd’s life. 

‘Oh my god, what if his life is already ruined??’ the dreadful thought crept its way into her head. 

What if even with everything she had done, she couldn't make sure her son would have a decent future? Lloyd started acting strange just a week ago, around the same time he had met…. Monty. 

Koko contained her urge to scream. She knew that logically Monty wasn't exactly that much older than her son, which was probably the only thing keeping her from having a breakdown but the fact that her son could have possibly got himself a sugar daddy in little more than a week was making her hair go grey early. 

Show universe, at a bank

“And everything's done, sir,” the bank assistant handed Garmadon the debit card. 

The former evil lord wondered how she and the other citizens would react if they knew this seemingly normal man in his fifties with a case of pale vampire-like skin was the evil Lord Garmadon who commited genocide not even a year ago. 

‘They would most definitely crucify me,’ Garmadon supposed, already imagining images of the various crucifixions he has unfortunately witnessed throughout the centuries, ‘Fair enough, I can't exactly blame them.’

As much as he knew the massive weight of his sins, he simply accepted the card and muttered a thank you to the assistant who looked to be in her forties. 

“Thank you very much, ma’am,” he thanked. 

“Anything for ya, silver fox!” She smiled with a wink. 

Garmadon simply nodded as a gesture of acknowledgement. 

‘I suppose out of everything, I at least still haven't lost my looks, though I do wonder if they would notice my not very lively eyes,’ the ancient man recalled how back then, he had been the more flirty one out of him and his brother. Oh how time flies!!

“Nice,” Lloyd grinned, “Finally we’re done. Okay dad so remember how they taught you how to use this card back there.”

“Yes, sweetie,” Garmadon rolled his eyes as he smiled softly, “Again, I'm ancient, not senile.”

“Yep, and you’d better keep it that way, dad,” Lloyd’s grin grew wider. 

Out of everything that had happened to him, Garmadon was at least glad that he could have these little moments. 

“Of course, I'll try my best,” he smiled dryly, patting Loyd on the head. 

'After all, I suppose I will get a chance to see if my fighting skills have deteriorated when I finally catch whoever's trying to get with you, my son,' the former evil lord's smile persisted, 'Though I doubt I will need to show much. The ninjas will understand this. Knowing them, this act of violence might as well count as an exception'

6pm, movie universe 

“Heya, kiddo,” Monty made himself known as he swiftly jumped into Forest's room with ond smooth swing. 

The taller blond was donning the same brown wig and purple eyes to match his identity of Monty in this universe. Tonight, he decided on a pure black outfit with black leather jacket, black t-shirt with an X on the middle and black ripped jeans. And of course, he was sporting a black choker and black eyeliner. 

“Jeez, couldn't you have just gone through the door like a normal person?” Forest rolled his eyes but no annoyance could be found in his voice, “You look like a vampire today,” he crossed his arms.

“And missed a chance on letting you see that I have great climbing skills,” Monty grinned, turning his eyes briefly red before returning to purple to showcase his vampire-ness, “Fat chance, pal. And besides, your neighbors are a bunch of peepers. I walked out of there the other night and they stared at me like I was number 1 in some kind of freak show.”

Forest let out a sigh as Monty’s comparison wasn't even that far off 

“Yeaaahhhh, they kinda do that,” the smaller blond scratched his head, “ Imagine if they saw your red eyes. People would think I got a vampire or demon for a friend.”

Monty silently thought that it wasn't exactly far from the truth but he didn't want to reveal it too soon due to the slight possibility of making his counterpart pass out. 

He wasn't going to explain that to Koko when she returned. 

“Wait,” Forest turned his head towards Monty, who had made himself comfortable on Forest’s bed, “they didn't openly call you a freak right?”

Forest said as he furrowed his eyebrows, his mood darkening. It was one thing for them to call him that but it was going to be a whole other thing if they decided to rope Monty into this. 

“Eh,” Monty shrugged, arms hugging a pillow. 

This action honestly made him look younger in Forest’s opinion. He always thought that Monty more often than not acted rather childish. 

“They just kinda stared at me. But it sure felt like they did. Honestly, they should spend their time doing something better, Anyway,” Monty reached for the bag he brought along with him, “Here's what I promised ya. And also a couple extra things as well,” he handed the bag, which contained the promised jacket and some other clothes to Forest. 

The smaller blond’s eyes instantly lit up as he pulled out the jacket Monty had showed him. 

It really did look like the one Monty had worn. 

‘Wait how much does this even cost??’ 

That thought came crashing on Forest. He couldn't help but feel some guilt for mooching off on Monty, even though technically he couldn't work part time if he wanted to because of who his dad was. 

“Try it on!!” Monty suggested while smiling, his fangs once again being very visible. 

Forest rolled his eyes as he pushed down the guilt. 

“Okay, okay, you wanna-be vampire!”

Maybe one day he would be able to repay Monty in some ways?

The jacket was a bit loose on Forest, but it wasn't very noticeable from afar. 

“Strange,” Monty crooked his head to the side, “I thought I had your size down. I was around this size when I was your size.”

Physically at least, Monty added in his mind. 

“It's alright, Monty,” Forest insisted, “It's not even that noticeable.”

He didn't want Monty to feel bad after all the trouble the other blond had gone through. 

“Maybe you should build some muscle?” 

Monty suggest which broke Forest out of his thinking trance.

“What?”

“I mean, you do have potential since you’re kinda me after all. And I can help you along the way,” Monty’s eyes lit up, “I’m confident in my instructor skills. It would be a waste if all the clothes I bought you end up being slightly loose.”

“Monty, i-i don't think… this is…um..—”, Forest was about to refuse but the sparkle in Monty’s eyes effectively shut him up. 

‘Is this guy really older than me?’

He could have sworn that Monty was using puppy eyes on him. 

“Anyway, you're free tonight?”

“Um,” Forest hesitated, “yeah, wait, what's on your mind?”

“Well, I was just thinking that you show me around your city and maybe enjoy ourselves a bit. I did see some pretty good stores around here.”

“Monty, are you sure? The city might hate your alter ego if you're seen with Lloyd Garmadon.”

Forest vaguely gestured to his entire self. 

“And??” Monty raised an eyebrow, “I practically don't care about that. I don't live here, buddy. Besides, you always say that comic book stores don't let you in. Come on,” Monty grabbed Forest’s hand and directed him towards the door, “And don’t ya wanna show off your new jacket?”

Forest couldn't tell if he was out of his own mind or not when he actually let Monty dragged him out of the apartment, what with the other residents widening their eyes at the sight of Lloyd Garmadon being dragged out of his apartment by a brown-haired older teen who looked like he was a casually dressed vampire or the night. 

Chapter Text

Movie universe 

“Where do you want to go, buddy? What's our starting point?” Monty smiled, not even noticing how he was attracting the attention of everyone on the street. 

“Yeah, before that,” Forest said before he pulled Monty into an alleyway, “Let's go this way, please.”

“What? Why?”

“Well, this way has way way fewer people, which means less attention.”

Finally, the gears clicked in Monty’s head. 

“Dear my grandfather, kiddo,” Monty punched the bridge of his nose, his eyes glowing a bit before settling down, “This city really hates you 24/7. Where do they even find the energy for that?”

“Because I'm kinda the sole offspring of the madman who is terrorizing them all,” Forest answered, scratching his head as he led Monty down a series of alleyways and abandoned roads to reach the main road.

“And??” Monty insisted, still swiftly following Forest, “You're not responsible for the terrorism of this city. I said it once and I will continue saying it. Hell, you even save it,” he rolled his eyes, “Which is something they don't know about because of the secret identity. But that aside, this kind of treatment is still not okay.”

“Well yeah,” Forest responded, “But I'm still kinda his son so….,” he maneuvered his way through the cramped space, making sure not to accidentally step into the backyard of someone's house.

He really wasn't up for a newspaper headline that read “ LLOYD GARMADON, SON OF THE EVIL LORD GARMADON GOT CAUGHT TRESPASSING!!”

He tripped on a rock. 

“Woa, be careful, pal!” Monty warmed, his hand speeding to grab Forest by his new jacket. 

“.... Thanks,” Forest said as he slowly balanced himself again.

“No probs, kiddo!”

“Again I'm not a kid. I’m 15.”

“And I'm 18,” Monty bit back, “and legally considered as an adult.” 

‘At least on my accepted document which was altered in order to prevent the people of Ninjago from finding out that I'm barely an early teen and freaking out. Not like they haven't seen worse, but seeing how many apocalypses Ninjago has been through, I doubt the poor civilians need to know the fact that one of their regular saviors is more underaged than they thought.’

“Urg!! Jerk,” Forest spat, with absolutely zero annoyance and venom. 

“Love ya too, buddy,” Monty grinned while easily patting Forest on the head due to their height difference. 

Forest tried to escape this by speeding up and hopefully outrunning his counterpart. The keyword of this was tried as Monty easily caught up. 

“Anyway, what directions do we take next?” Monty smiled. 

Forest gulped down his saliva.

“The bus,” he gloomily answered, “I really hope there's not many people on it”

Monty frowned. 

“Oh don't worry, I won't let anything to ya,” the taller blond who was disguised as a brunet smiled.

Forest let out a weak smile, still appreciative of Monty’s care towards him. 

On the bus

As expected, the other passengers quickly moved to the side of the bus that he wasn't sitting in an attempt to avoid him. 

Forest noted that they were even more wide-eyed than usual, meanwhile Monty was wondering why people had this much energy to be this spiteful towards someone who had no control over this whole situation.

‘Are these people really the alternate version of the citizens of my Ninjago city?’ Monty wondered, as he took a seat right next to Forest. 

He was about to play a game of “See if I can recognize any of these people as alternative versions of Ninjago citizens from my realm that I know of”, but not even a second later, from behind him, he could catch a glimpse of 2 teenage boys snickering as he qwere about to throw crushed soda cans in his and Forest's direction. 

Monty smiled wide as he casually turned his head in the teens’ direction, his eyes flashing bright red as he bore out his sharp fangs and let out a mix between a hiss and a growl. 

The two teens instantly stopped their actions, went pale and ducked under their seats. 

Monty grinned as the two teens ended up petrified with fear while the rest of the bus passengers were unaware of his inhuman nature. 

“What was that, Monty?” Forest, who was busy hiding his face behind his new jacket and wondering why he hadn't thought of wearing his hoodie to better conceal his face earlier, spoke up. 

“Oh, it's nothing,” Monty smiled, patting Forest on the head, “Don't ya worry about it,” he revealed his fangs, “Just two bastards being cowards,” he whispered. 

“What did you say?”

“Oh nothing, pal.” Monty lied through his teeth.

“Well if you say so,” Forest replied, internally wishing the bus would go quicker. 

Later

“Oh, I remember passing this place before earlier,” Monty smiled excitedly like a kid as they stood in front of candy shop, “Come on, Forest, let’s go.”

“Wait, Monty, I have to make sure if—”

And before Forest could finish his talk about how he needed to make sure if the shop was at least Lloyd-Garmadon-tolerant, he was unceremoniously dragged inside. 

“Come on, pick whatever you like. My treat,” Monty smiled brightly, absolutely unaware of the eyes that were on them.

‘God, please don't throw us out!’ Forest thought as he skittishly walked over to pick out a couple of candies. 

In contrast, Monty was absolutely beaming as he scouted the selection, noting some unfamiliar kinds of candies that he couldn't find in his own place. He always adored specialized candy shops. 

“Come on, Lloyd,” Monty said to Forest’s ear as he appeared next to Forest causing the shorter blond to jump a bit, “You can pick out more. I know you want to,” he grinned, ruffling Forest’s hair

Monty had half a mind to resist from adding “We’re kinda the same person”

“Would you please knock it off?” Forest said in slight annoyance, despite doing nothing to stop Monty. 

“Love ya too, pal.”

The smugness in Monty’s voice was incredibly noticeable. 

The onlookers looked as if they were witnessing Armageddon right in this quaint candy shop. 

Now, the candy shop owner would be happy for such enthusiastic patronage but the fact that it was the infamous Lloyd Garmadon and some eccentric “bad boy” teen who looked like a vampire made her a bit shaken.

Why was this teen treating Lloyd Garmadon of all people so well? Did he bribe this stranger? Or was it something else. 

“Hello, we’d like to pay, please,” Monty smiled brightly, effectively contrasting with his all black outfit completed with black choker. 

The cashier squinted her eyes incredulously as she noticed the same two identical black chokers on Lloyd Garmadon and this purple-eyed bad boy. 

Monty’s bright smile stayed as he noticed that the cashier wasn't making any attempts at harassing Forest like the two young teens on the bus earlier. 

‘Is it really this hard to be civil to a kid out of all people?’ 

“Here ya go, kiddo,” Monty handed Forest his bag of candies goodness. 

“Thanks Monty,” Forest said shyly, “but seriously, you don't have to do all of this”

“Except I want to do this,” Monty quickly refuted, “Besides, aren't you kinda broke?”

Forest felt like a boulder was dropped on him in a split second. 

“Ya know,” the shorter blond weakly spoke up, “You don't have to be so blunt.”

Monty patted Forest on the back

“Oh come on, buddy. It's nothing to be ashamed of…. Well at least in the case of you not being the direct cause of such broke-ness like maybe… racking up enormous debt by borrowing money from a shady loan shark and then trying to kill off your spouse or loved ones who have some life insurance inorder to get some quick money”

Forest raised an eyebrow.

“That's oddly specific.”

“Eh?” Monty shrugged, “It happens kiddo. Actually saw it once while doing a mission. Sometimes, the sad reality lies in normal lives rather than in beating up the supervillain of the week.”

Forest got a shiver just thinking about himself being in such a situation. 

Was he being way to pessimistic by seeming this a possibility, at least the borrowing money from loan shark part? It wasn't like people here would be keen on hiring him for any jobs when he became an adult. The only hope he had would be moving out of this city and getting his name changed. 

Chapter Text

Forest enjoyed his new sweets with Monty who was making some kind of fictional food death scene with his gummy bears and snakes. 

“Check it,” Monty grinned widely, “Gummy bear strangled to death by a giant snake.”

The taller blond proudly showed off his masterpiece. 

Forest couldn't help but snicker, risking dropping the popping candy in his mouth. 

“Dude,” he laughed, “You're sooooo childish.”

“It keeps me young, kiddo,” Monty smiled as he chopped down on his creation, “There, body disposal completed,” he licked his fingers, “No one would find out about this.”

Forest rolled his eyes. 

“Monty, you sound like a mob boss,” the shorter blond sighed as he continued enjoying his combination of chocolate and butter biscuits. 

He was so glad that he convinced Monty to go to the dock for some privacy. 

‘ I honestly felt like a hole was gonna be burned at the back of my skull from all the people’s staring,’ Forest thought with a shiver through his spine. 

Was it the new leather jacket he had on or the fact that he was with a taller teen who was undeniably stronger and cooler than him which screamed “Bad Boy”?

‘Well if they're jealous, then serve them right,’ he huffed as he bit off the head of one of the gingerman-looking chocolates.

It even had bits of cookie dough in it. 

He would share Monty with maybe a select few but honestly he didn't like the thought of doing so, seeing how he was kinda public enemy number one here 24/7. 

‘He’s my only friend outside of my team.’

He looked over to Monty who was trying to guess if a local dockman was gonna fall down from carrying a large wooden fox full of fish. 

“If he falls and the fish follow, people are gonna be thinking he is fishy, Forest. Hahaha,” Monty laughed more to himself. 

Forest let out a small smile.

‘Yeah, Monty would definitely not want to mingle with those people,’ the teen thought before going back to mindlessly enjoying the peace and quiet. 

They chatted about some more nonsense. Monty even helped him with some of the math assignments Forest was complaining about. 

“Dude, how do you know about this?”

“Zane taught me about it a while ago,” Monty admitted, “I’m surprised that I still remember. But then again, Zane practically drilled it into my brain because it's apparently really good for calculating money and things.”

“Wow, your Zane sounds like a full-on professor,” Forest responded, “Well one that loves his job.”

“Haha, pal, I think he has a Phd degree or something. Or several?” Monty questioned himself, “Basically, he's smart. Pixal is also very smart. Last week, she created some new techs that the team and I got to try.”

Not wanting to miss out on a chance to find out about the people of Monty’s university that weren't counterparts of his team, Forest jumped at the chance. 

“Speaking of Pixal, I…. don't personally know any Pixal in my universe. What's she like?”

Monty looked confused for a moment before starting again. 

“Well, she initially was an android assistant of Borg. He’s the head of Borg Industries aka the big shot of technologies in my place. Pixel quickly became like a daughter to him and she proved to be ….well like us. She and Zane hit it off very well at the beginning,” he gave a wink-wink to insinuate, “Sure there were some bumps and stuff because you know there is always some shit going down for the saviors of Ninjago. But she's cool now. Very cool actually. And she and Zane are a POWER COUPLE.”

Monty grinned like a proud parent, well more like a child imitating a proud parent. 

Forest thought it was weird how frequently he compared Monty to a child when the latter was obviously older than him. 

“I’m so hyped for their wedding,” Monty grinned, “I even got some ideas to suggest to them when it happens.”

A more-than-20-page list to be exact which was still being updated. 

“Hahaha,” Forest laughed out loud for the first time today, “Jeez, who let you be an adult, Mr Manchild?”

“The passage of time and fate, buddy,” Monty grinned, even though he would very much like to answer “The tomorrow tea that I threw in order to save my team and the day which made me 5 years older than I actually am and ended my childhood.”

But he wasn't cruel enough to throw his other self into a hole of traumas. 

‘Wait can you get traumas by simply listening to other people's traumas?’

He needed to look that up when he got home, which probably would make his search history weirder than it already was. 

With Movie Zane.

Zane finally finished doing a check-up on his auto-generative battery which turned the food he ate into energy for his system. He nodded to himself, something he had learned recently, on a job well done today on being a real totally relatable teen. 

“Oh a message,” he added an “oh” to effectively express his surprise, “Shocked face emoji.”

He was getting there. But there was still a long way to go. 

It was a message from their chat group, the one that didn't include Lloyd. Zane always wondered why they didn't add the blond in after Lloyd had proved himself many times to be not like his father at all. Logically, he understood the purpose of this at first when they were still a bunch of people stuffed into a team rather than a real team. However, it had been months and this chat group was still regularly used. 

‘Why?’

He wondered that a lot. From what he had researched and concluded, shouldn't this be rather…. upsetting for Lloyd if he found out?

Zane opened up the group chat.

It was Cole.

Cole: Hey guys, remember how Lloyd, frequent wearer of green hoodie, is dating this weird mysterious “Monty” stranger?

“Oh, of course I remember,” Zane said to himself, “Teen romance for the win!!”

He repeated some phrase he heard on the internet. 

He continued reading. 

Kai: Yep, because I was the one who found out about it. Bright future as a detective right away!!! I AM ON FIYAH!!

Nya: more like a detective who steals the thunder from others. I contributed 50%, jerk. 

Jay: yeah, what Nya said. 

Kai: jeez guys, can't a guy have his moment?

Nya: no :). Credit me, bastard. 

Not wanting to be left out, Zane texted back.

Zane: heya friends, from the choker which was gifted to Lloyd by his suspected boyfriend, there's a possibility that Lloyd's boo carries massive goth energies.

Nya:.... Zane, please never use words like boo and goth energies ever again. 

Kai: yeah I'm gonna have to agree with my annoying sis this time. 

Jay: Zane that was quite cringe honestly. No offense to ya of course. 

Cole: guys, I think this is getting a bit off track now. I’m steering this back to the main road. I was out to do some errands for my dad. And guess who I saw?

Cole sent a photo to the group chat. 

The photo was Lloyd who was walking alongside and holding hands with a taller brown-haired teen dressed in all black.

In an instant, the group all sent shocked emoji faces. Zane, in particular, was spamming a string of emojis that all conveyed “What!!???”. 

Kai: guys, could that be? No way Cole!!!

Cole: yep, there is definitely the Monty guy he's been talking about. 

Nya: Wow, he's tall and kinda dark and mysterious. 

Jay: Nya, he isn't that tall.

Zane examined the picture. “Monty” was actually quite young and good-looking. The outfit was all black but it fitted him well. Zane thought the style was similar to the “gothic vampire boyfriend” thing he had seen on ASMR channels. 

In normal situations, a totally relatable teen should congratulate his friend on “scoring big time”

Zane: he and Lloyd seem to get along well. Lloyd is lucky. 

Cole: Duh, this Monty guy is Lloyd’s boyfriend. 

Jay: Guys, how did Lloyd even get a date before any of us?

Oh, Zane forgot how important “getting some” was for teens at large. He needed to make note of that. He had to agree with Jay. Lloyd seemed quite unsocial at times, probably a product of the treatment he got in Ninjago City. All of them had been quite confident that Lloyd didn't have any friends outside of them for obvious reasons. 

Cole: HOLY HELL, GUYS, THEY EVEN HAVE MATCHING CHOKERS!!

Cole resent the picture, now with red circles circling Lloyd and Monty’s necks, drawing attention to the black choker. 

Jay: Is it that official??? 

Cole: could be. Also, don't ya all think Monty looks kinda….. I don't know… suspicious?

Zane tilted his head to the side as he observed how the others replied. 

Nya: now that you mentioned it. Monty does seem a bit….. rebellious.

Kai: kinda looks like he's one of those punk rock dudes. 

Jay: yeah, but usually the punk rock folks don't even look at Lloyd. 

Zane: I don't quite understand. Monty's fashion sense seems quite typical of some parts of teens in this city. 

Kai: yeah, but he’s friendly around Lloyd. He's literally going out with the guy. And we know quite well about our green leader's reputation around here. 

Cole: I know right, it's kinda odd. 

Zane: but we are Lloyd's friends. By logics, shouldn't we also be suspicious?

Nya: Zane, we became his friends because Wu introduced us to him, which changed our minds about the son of Garmadon. 

Zane: I'm aware,

Nya. But..

Jay: guys, also, doesn't Monty look like he has scars? Like a lot

Chapter Text

Movie universe 

Zane observed the back and forth text conversation of his team. 

Cole: I’m just saying. Lloyd getting a boyfriend and the guy is somehow good-looking?? I’m not saying that Lloyd doesn't deserve a hot date but guys, have you seen his reputation in this city.

Jay: Yeah, it's weird. Also HOW IS HE THE FIRST ONE OF US TO GET A DATE?

Kai: Hey, he isn't. You're forgetting me. 

Jay: Your one encounter with that cheerleader doesn't count, man. 

Nya: Yeah, remember how you chickened out, Kai. 

Kai: No I didn't. I just suddenly realized that she wasn't for me. That's all. Really. 

Zane: friends, I think we are getting off track slightly. Regarding Lloyd’s sudden boyfriend, perhaps he isn't from Ninjago city. 

Cole: so you're telling me that Lloyd somehow got someone from outside of the city to get into a romantic relationship with him within like one or two weeks? Either I have severely underestimated Greenie or something's up. 

Zane: However, Cole, it would be rather antagonistic of us to assume that Lloyd is lying. Also I am wondering, how can you be sure that this is Monty? Lloyd never gave us a description of what he looked like. 

Jay: besides cool and strong, which is kinda suspicious, man. 

Cole: okay, sooo… I kinda asked him during class and he said that Monty had brown hair and purple eyes. 

Kai: purple eyes? You sure Lloyd ain't getting it on with a cosplayer.

Nya: or a vampire?

Kai: Nya, stop reading too much of those vampire romance things. 

Cole re-sent the photo of Lloyd with “Monty” but zoomed in on his face. 

Cole: check it, he actually has purple eyes. 

Jay: I don't know. They could be eye contacts. 

Zane stayed silent as he scanned the image. His scanner showed that Monty indeed wasn't wearing eye contacts. He would reveal this info but he needed to keep pretending to be a totally real relatable teenager. 

How can he reveal this info discreetly?

Zane: Jay, Monty isn't wearing eye contacts from what I am seeing. 

Yeah that was probably enough. It was normal to share observations. He just didn't have to add in the fact that this was the conclusion his mechanical scanner had come to. 

Jay: Okay then. But is it me or does Monty have fangs?

Kai: Really? Ya think he's one of those vampire goth guys. 

Zane: ah yes, it's similar to the craze about goth girlfriends, correct? 

Nya: Zane, please, do not continue about goth girlfriends. I beg you. 

Kai: Come on, Nya. Give us some insights here, sis. You're the one here who also likes guys. 

Nya: wow, and you think I would ogle my friend’s boyfriend like that. 

Jay: But you're not right, Nya? Right?

Nya: JAY NO!! Of course not.

Zane paused his texting as his scanner came to another result. 

Face likeness: 100% identical 

It was strange. His scanner showed that Monty and Lloyd had the exact same face, minus the hair and eye color. Usually faces didn't match so perfectly like this. Was this like the concept of doppelgangers he had heard of?

How strange!

Zane didn't exactly think that many would pick a romantic partner who shared the same face as them. 

‘Did Lloyd not see the identical facial features?’ Zane thought to himself, unsure of what his friend’s taste in partner was like. His processors were coming to several conclusions. 

Kai: So are you like following Lloyd and his boyfriend right now, Cole?

Cole: umm..no. I kinda lost track of them. They were strangely fast. 

Nya: wow boo!! Lame!

Zane: Nya, from what I remember, that would be stalking which is kinda illegal. 

With the Lloyds

“Oh shoot,” Forest exclaimed, “I need to go home now. Mom’s gonna be worried about me,” he said as he stumbled to stand up. 

“Heh, momma’s boy,” Monty snickered warmheartedly as he took a sip from his bottle of milk tea with jelly pearls topping. 

He really needed to get more of those for his team. Maybe he should get the other flavours too.

“Oh shut in,” Forest rolled his eyes, cheeks blushing slightly. 

“Momma’s boy,” Monty doubled down on the teasing, “Clingy cuddlebug,” he continued, grinning like a Cheshire cat, his white fangs giving a sharp glint in the semi-dark atmosphere. 

Forest's face quickly went red. 

“Urgh, you're such a jerk,” the shorter blond whined in protest, “I’m not a cuddlebug. I’ve only ever hugged like…. my mom.. and Uncle Wu.”

To Forest’s horror, this only made Monty’s grin inhumanly wider. 

“Awww, so you see me as like a parental figure now,” the taller blond cooed.

If Forest was red in the face before, he was now practically glowing beet red from embarrassment. 

“WHAT!!?? NO, NO, NO,NO!!!”

“It's okay, buddy,” Monty smiled, “You can freely call me Mom-ty hahahaha.”

Monty opened his arms up for a hug which Forest promptly pushed away while fake gagging. 

“EW, NO,NO,” Forest protested.

“Accept the inevitable, Forest,” Monty persisted, tackling his counterpart to the ground with a tickling attack. 

“MONTY ,hahahaha,” Forest choked out a forced laugh from the tickling attack, “GET OFF ME hahahaha—”

The tickling assault continued. 

“— YOU'RE DARN HEAVY, MONTY.”

“It comes with being taller than you by a head, kiddo,” Monty grinned as he finally stopped his gruesome attack. 

Forest finally could catch his breath, his lungs burning from laughing too much. 

“You're a darn monster, you know that,” Forest swung a kick to Monty which the taller swiftly dodged while still grinning. 

“Too slow,” Monty smirked, showing his fangs. 

“You're really the son of Garmadon,” Forest rolled his eyes.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately second-guessed himself 

‘Crap, crap, why did I say that?’

Fortunately, Monty didn't take any offense. 

“Hahaha, guilty as charged,” Monty simply laughed, his sheer confidence truly something that Forest envied, “Also, the offer still stands. You can still call me Mom-ty.”

Forest felt his face burning once again. 

“You just can't leave it behind, huh?” He said as he hid his face behind his hands. 

“Well, I’m not missing out on a chance to be a parent,” Monty said smugly, “especially on being a mom,” the mischief in his purple eyes was clear, “You don't get that chance everyday.”

“God, you're unbelievable!” Forest groaned. 

“And I'm you, so what does that say about you, pal?”

Forest groaned as he became unable to come up with any smart comebacks. 

“There, there, it's okay,” Monty smiled, patting him on the back like how a mother would comfort her child. 

Forest couldn't believe that he was making this comparison. 

“I hate you,” Forest rolled his eyes, swatting Monty’s hand away as he stood up. 

“Love ya too, buddy,” the grin on Monty didn't face. 

After all, he had smiled through worse. Honestly, he was just amused by this. His counterpart was a goldmine for teasing. 

“Don't forget your bag of treats, sweetie~,” Monty threw Forest his respective bag of treats, “I added some strawberry ones for Ms Koko as well. You said she liked strawberries right?”

Forest couldn't believe how fast Monty could switch from being a teasing jerk to being a caring sweetheart. 

“Thanks,” Forest said, his face still slightly blushing from Monty’s teasing, “Mom-ty.”

Monty’s face instantly lit up. 

“D-don’t get the wrong idea OKAY!!” Forest felt his face get hotter and redder.

“Oh I'm not,” Monty smiled reassuringly, “Trust me, Forest.”

Once again, Forest couldn't quite believe that confident teasing yet caring jerk Monty was actually just him with a different upbringing and in a different world. 

“Have a safe trip home, Forest!!” Monty waved cheerfully, “Make sure to aim for the crotch of any bastard looking to jump you in the dark,” the taller blond advised, “Or you can put them in a chokehold,” he did a little demonstration with his arms, looking like he was putting an invisible person in a chokehold, “Make sure to cut off their circulation nicely. Don't go easy.”

Forest's eyes widened in nervousness 

“What are you? A sadist?” He retorted while sweating slightly. 

If he acted like Monty, his reputation in the city would be even more underground than it was currently. 

Forest could already imagine the sight of Monty laughing maniacally as he easily put his dad, Lord Garmadon, ‘s army to shame. He didn't know if this would mark the good ending or bad ending for the city.

“Only sometimes, pal,” Monty smiled as he answered back, “you’re not gonna give your Mom-ty a hug before you leave you, dearie!”

Forest swore that the hair on the back of his neck was standing on ends. 

“Never call that ever again,” the shorter blond threatened (as much as he could try to do with his current statue) as he begrudgingly hugged his counterpart. 

Monty simply found this amusing. 

“That’s a good Lloyd!!” He patted Forest's head, his face gaining this sense of childish joy.

Forest stepped on Monty's foot as retaliation.

“Hahaha, okay okay I'll stop.”

“Jeez, you're incredibly enthusiastic to be a mom for a guy.”

“Well,” Monty’s eyes lit up in glee, “I can always change Mom-ty to Dad-ty.”

Forest’s eyes went wide. 

“NO,” Forest grabbed Monty’s shoulders and shook the taller blond, “DON'T YOU DARE DO THAT!! PLEASE DON'T!!”

“Eh”

Monty had no right to look that innocent and unaware. 

“What's the problem with Dad-ty? It works well as a pun for Daddy.”

Forest looked up at Monty with wide, horrified eyes. 

“Which is why I'm telling you to stop,” he half-said half-hissed, flashbacks flooding his brain, “It's for your own good.”

“Eh, what do you mean by that?”

Forest contemplated the horrifying task of explaining to someone who was 3 years older than him.

“You don't need to know,” Forest let go of Monty who still looked ridiculously and innocently confused, “You can be Mom-ty or whatever. BUT NOT DAD-TY.”

Dear god, Forest couldn't believe that he had just said that. 

“Okay, okay then,” Monty confusedly agreed, still not getting why Forest was getting so worked up. He was just trying to make a silly pun. 

‘Dad-ty and Daddy….. still work right? It's not the worst pun I have made.’

To his confusion, Forest refused to elaborate further and just started to sprint home after bidding him goodbye. 

“IT'S NOTHING REALLY,” Forest insisted, “Anyway, I have to get home now. Thanks for the jacket again, Mom-ty.. I MEAN MONTY. MONTY, THAT'S WHAT I MEANT."

With Movie Wu 

Wu arrived at the dock on the Destiny Bounty and stepped down to enjoy the night air and atmosphere. At this time tonight, there were few to no people at the dock now, except for a bunch of dockmen working late night in the distance. Wu saw the usual scene of working-aged men and the occasional women working the late night shift, trying to get through the day. 

His trip took a few days longer than he expected. 

‘I wonder how my students are doing?’ he thought as he walked around a bit. 

By sheer happenstance, he stumbled down on someone who seemed a bit out of place. The person looked like a teen albeit taller than the average one. With the pure black outfit, he almost didn't notice him at first glance.

“Young man, it's terribly late now,” he spoke up, catching the tall teen’s attention, “why are you still out here so late?”

Monty turned around, a bit surprised to find the other alternative version of his uncle. 

‘Weird, he’s considerably shorter than my uncle,’ Monty observed, already having mentally prepared himself for meeting alternative versions of people he knew and said versions being different from those he knew. 

Wu felt his heart nearly stop once he finally got a better look at the teen. 

‘Garmadon’ was what he wanted to utter but ended up saying nothing of the sort. 

Never in his life would he have thought that he would see that familiar brown hair and purple eyes again. 

“Hey there, is there anything I can do for you, sir?” Monty asked, a kind smile on his face as he approached Wu, a bit glad that he was wearing a disguise. 

‘I wonder if he is sleeping with Ms Koko.’

Wu’s eyes widened even more as the sight of Monty’s fangs. 

Regular humans don't have those. 

Wu quickly gained back his composure. He couldn't jump to conclusions right now because his brother couldn't have done what he was thinking. 

“Like I said, young man, it's getting awfully late. Your mother would be worried about you?”

“Mother?” Monty couldn't help but let out a small laugh as he didn't quite think that his mother would care about him staying out late. His dad probably would at the current moment seeing how he was currently good and not an evil lord anymore. 

Wu’s expression shifted as he took in Monty’s reaction. 

“Oh don't worry, sir,” Monty responded, still snickering a little bit, “I don't need permission from my mother. I have a hunch that she wouldn't care.”

The hair on Wu’s neck stood up. Even if this teen’s voice wasn't exactly like his brother, the attitude scarily reminded him of Garmadon before the venom took over. 

“Still, young man, what about your father? He might be upset.”

“Oh don't worry, sir,” Monty reassured his alternative uncle, “It's fine. I can handle myself just okay when my dad finds out. After all, the worst is being disowned and thrown against walls anyway. Been there done that,” he waved dismissively. 

Wu narrowed his eyes as he took in the information. A certain conclusion was screaming to be noticed at the back of his mind. 

“But enough about me,” Monty quickly changed the subject, “Like you said, it's getting late. You probably should retire for the night or your old creaky bones might hate you very soon,” he lightheartedly joked. 

Wu’s heart stung from the weird familiarity. 

“Young man, I’m quite confident in my bone strength,” Wu retorted, “You young people these days,” he shook his head, “Anyway, I didn't catch your name then, young man.”

“Monty,” Monty introduced with a gentle smile.

Wu was somehow relieved that the name wasn't something that rhymed with Garmadon. 

“It's short for Montgomery.”

Wu’s eyes stared straight at Monty. 

Wasn't that his nephew's middle name?

“Um…,” Wu stammered, “Any… last name?”

“Nope,” Monty cheerfully answered, not very keen on revealing that his last name was Garmadon, “Just Monty. Didn't get disowned for nothing*” he added. 

While the disownment didn't exactly take away his last name and also his dad was kinda back and himself, Monty didn't want to admit it to his uncle- well an alternative version of his uncle. It would make things seem too…solid and permanent when everything could just change in a heartbeat. 

‘Who’s to say that my dad won't try to disown me a second time and try to resurrect Harumi tomorrow?’

Suspicion was crawling at Wu’s mind but he held back, not wanting to scare Monty in the case that he wasn't what Wu thought he was. 

“Well, it was nice meeting you, sir,” Monty changed the subject again, wanting to end the conversation.

“Um… yes, it was nice meeting you too, Monty. Please take care. The city can get dangerous at night.”

“Will do, Master Wu. Bye bye.”

And with that, he was gone, leaving Wu behind at the dock in bewilderment. 

‘Wait, but I didn't tell him my name at all.’

Chapter Text

‘He called me Master Wu,’ Wu’s breath quickened as he stood there at the dock. 

His bamboo flute dropped to the ground, his hands visibly shaking. 

‘He looks so much like my brother…. when he was still himself.’

Wu couldn't even convince himself that it was just a mere coincidence as from what he had seen in his longer than average lifespan, humans didn't naturally have such pristine fangs or vibrant violet eyes. 

With Monty

‘Oh shit, I accidentally said Master Wu,’ Monty realized as he walked out of the dock area, ‘Oh well, probably nothing serious,’ he shrugged, continuing his way home, ‘Other Master Wu probably didn’t notice. It's getting late, I should probably go buy those drinks for my family and head back soon.’

And so he did. Getting to the store was quite easy. A couple of strangers did try to spark a conversation with him but Monty handled it well enough with a kind smile and a few short answers. 

‘You know, this city would be decent if it didn't hate on someone simply for who his father is,’ Monty thought to himself as he bought a couple more drinks. 

‘Probably should get some alcohol for the others as well. Kai particularly likes those cocktails,’ Monty considered, ‘Honestly, I still think mocktails are better but eh. Can't believe I once thought that what he was drinking was regular juice. Also, does dad drink? He is a living fossil so probably yes.’

So in went a couple of bottles of fine wine. Monty did remember seeing Garmadon sipping wine here and then when he was younger and had just gotten his dad back from the Overlord. 

‘Red wine is probably good. This one looks like blood. Dad and I can drink blood. Perfect Logic.’

He was probably way too nonchalant with the fact that apparently he and Garmadon enjoyed drinking blood. But honestly, with how life was, Monty wasn't exactly surprised.

‘Eh, we are doing it ethically so no biggie. I really don't have the energy for any internal conflicts within myself. I need to get enough sleep to protect the people. Can't be going genocidal. Too many innocent lives would be lost…..I wonder if wine mixed with blood would make a good evening drink for dad….. It would look pretty cool to drink wine mixed with blood while dressed fancy…Wow, we’re really like vampires.’

Monty brought all his items to the cash register and paid for it. 

“Thank you,” he smiled at the cashier before walking out. 

Show universe

Garmadon walked back and forth Lloyd’s bedroom which he was temporarily staying in until everything was settled. He had his hands behind his back and was pacing around in the stereotypical old man way. 

It was late, nearly 10:00pm and his son still hadn't returned from whatever business he half-hazardly said he would be on. The team weren't as worried as him. They probably worried less about Lloyd when he was away from Garmadon who was still regarded as the most likely person to hurt the blond next. 

How should Garmadon talk to them about his suspicions of his son’s frequent outings?

But the longer he didn't act, the more likely for this to be harder to resolve. 

“If only I could find out who this,” the master of destruction growled, “vermin that is trying to get to my boy is.” 

Perhaps he should spy on Lloyd to get to the bottom of this. At least now he wouldn't be immediately suspected and executed. The ninja had been a little bit ever so slightly less suspicious of him, except for Kai whose glare probably could burn a hole in Garmadon’s skull if the master of fire tried hard enough.

‘I suppose he could channel his element like that,’ Garmadon considered, ‘The bodies of elemental masters have specifically adapted to their element. I should give them suggestions on how to improve their mastery of the elements. Strength must be continuously harnessed and maintained.’

Garmadon wasn't exactly thrilled at the thought of his son and his team sustaining any major damage due to not being prepared. After all, he himself had been the challenge they had had to overcome in the most recent event…. the one where he disowned his own son while dare taking in the one who broke his boy’s heart as a “daughter”, threw his son through multiple prison walls and ultimately killed his own baby boy. It made him no different, if not tremendously worse, than animals that would cannibalize their own young. 

“Oh what are you looking at,” the former evil lord narrowed his violet eyes and snarled at the picture of him and Lloyd when they had thought they would stay together as a family, “you soulless imitation!’

The venom in his voice was clear as he swiftly yet gently (the picture still held major sentimental values for his son) pushed the picture frame to lay on its front, thus giving him some peace from looking at the cracks and smiles in the picture, almost as if that inanimate object was taunting him. 

The master of destruction sighed as he took a deep breath. 

Was it just his disdain kicking into overdrive or was the smell of the scum that was getting with his son actually present in Lloyd’s very bedroom?

Garmadon let out a feral growl, his fingers turning purplish black as his claws made their presence known. 

He supposed that the ninja would make an exception for his little upcoming plan of most likely violence. From what he observed, Lloyd did the outing almost regularly so following him when the right time came wouldn't be an issue. The Restraint Curse wouldn't activate if Lloyd himself wasn't subconsciously or consciously aware of him following the blond. And Garmadon was quite confident in his stealth skills. 

“Oh dear,” Garmadon glanced at the mirror, vibrant red eyes looking back at him, "I need to calm down.”

His Oni marks were showing up. 

‘I can't be going around horrifying the kids. That and I’m not quite keen on the thought of becoming “roasted old ass BBQ Oni meat” as Kai put it.’

The former evil lord created a mental list of objectives to complete as he grabbed the air freshener bottle and sprayed around the room. At least the lavender smell of the spray at least covered up the unfamiliar smell enough. 

Lloyd returned to his universe relatively uneventfully. He smiled as he pulled off his brown wig, his eyes color turning back to green. He cheerfully walked up the Mountain of Impossible Height, his body already used to a high level of exercise, as the bags of things he bought for his family jiggled around. 

“You’re home late, son,” Garmadon greeted Lloyd as he sat on the front porch, a cup of tea in hand and his outfit now a light purple pajamas.

“Hey Dad,” Lloyd said cheerily, much to Garmadon's un-amusement, “You're still up? Still not used to the regular sleeping schedule of us living folks, huh?”

“Very funny, dear,” Garmadon rolled his eyes, “I’m simply worried. That's all.”

“Oh come on, dad,” Lloyd responded, putting one hand on his hips, “Not like I haven't done any night missions on my own. Besides, I still have my longest streak of NOT getting kidnapped. And also, you don't see any of the team acting like a worrywart like you at this time, do you, dad?”

Lloyd gestured to his surroundings. 

Garmadon looked at his son with unimpressed eyes and calmly pointed to the inside of the monastery, where a portion of spiky brown hair from a certain master of fire was sticking out and an aura of fiery barely-kept in contempt could be sensed. 

Lloyd blinked his eyes. 

In an instant, the spiky brown hair was pulled back by another entity saying something along the lines of “Kai, I swear to FSM!!”

“Oh,” Lloyd let out. 

“You have great protection there, son,” the former lord took a sip of his tea, his voice eerily similar to a serial killer’s, “Do you want a cup?”

Garmadon held up the pot of tea. 

“Sure dad.”

“Also, son,” Garmadon handed the tea to Lloyd, “You mentioned having built a room for your mother. I just want to ask. Is she here often?”

“No, not really,” Lloyd casually answered, blowing on his tea, “it's been a while since I sent her any letters,” the blond shrugged, “But I guess it's hard to keep sending them when I don't get any responses haha,” he joked as he chugged down on the tea.

“.... I see,” Garmadon replied dryly.

Lloyd smiled in response. 

“Eh, she's probably busy with other more important stuff. Who knows??”

As they entered the monastery, Lloyd figured that he could convert the room he had made for his mother into one for his dad tomorrow. He did kinda miss out on the years of going to his parents for nightmares.

Feeling a vibration, Lloyd pulled out his communication device. 

Can I please please hang out in your place tomorrow, please? 🥺 

Lloyd grinned widely. 

Sure, let's meet in our regular in the forest.

Still smiling, Lloyd put away his device. 

‘Interesting,’ Garmadon contemplated as he silently took in the information. 

He did have enhanced senses, one of which being enhanced sense of sight. 

‘The foolish prey has revealed itself in front of Death’s door.’

The former lord’s eyes flashed red before returning to purple. 

“Hey dad, I'm getting some late night snacks. Can you help me say which would go well with the tea you made?”

Lloyd stood by the pantry, a childish smile on his face. 

“Why of course, sweetie,” Garmadon smiled gently. 

Chapter Text

As Lloyd rummaged through the pantry, Garmadon put the things his son had bought in the fridge. 

“Son, don't you tell me you're drinking at this age?” Garmadon narrowed his eyes. 

“Oh of course not, dad,” Lloyd answered with sincerity, “They're for you. I also bought some good roasted chicken. The gang also said that chicken and beer is a heavenly masterpiece for adults.”

Garmadon looked at the bag. True, there were a few cans of beer and non-alcoholic apple cider. 

“The apple cider is for me, okay,” Lloyd grinned, “I’ll go grab Kai and Nya out. They love roasted chicken. Let's see if the others are still up for some munchies.”

Movie universe 

Lloyd posed in front of the mirror as he admired his new leather jacket. He never had such a nice jacket before.

‘I look so cool,’ he squealed, a goofy smile on his face. 

Meeting Monty was the coolest thing to happen to him…. Not that he would admit that to Monty himself. 

‘Dear god, if I say that, he is gonna pester me to call him Momty indefinitely,’ Lloyd could already feel his cheeks burning up with embarrassment, ‘urgh, at least Momty still sounds like Monty. Dadty on the other hand…..’

Lloyd felt a shiver up his back. 

Just how did Monty not realize how it sounded? The guy was 18 years old as he proudly claimed every time.

‘Did he not go online even once in his 18 year old life.’

Lloyd didn't know whether to feel horrified or somehow relieved at Monty’s innocence. 

‘Oh my god, does this mean I'm the younger yet more dirty-minded one???’

Lloyd unceremoniously dropped himself on the bed, hands covering his face. 

‘And I’ve let Monty carry me for god knows how many times.’

Lloyd comforted himself through the embarrassment by telling himself that he at least got a cool leather jacket and a cool badass friend…. who was kinda his alternative self in the process.

‘When is tomorrow gonna come? I wanna go and hang out with Monty in his universe,’ he thought before closing his eyes and dozing off, not even bothering to change into his pajamas. 

The door clicked as Koko opened it and walked into the apartment. Her shift ended a little late today but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. Stretching her tired back, Koko set her stuff on the table. To her surprise, there was a rather sizable box already on the table, accompanied by a sticky note. 

It read: 

Got you a little something nice to munch on, Ms Koko. 

Under it was a little silly doodle of a smiling Monty with chibi-like vampire fangs. 

For some reason, Koko felt kinda unversed. As she opened the box, it was revealed to be a whole lemongrass roasted chicken wrapped in aluminum foil. The other things such as the ginger fish sauce and the pickled veggies to go with the chicken sat neatly in smaller containers next to the wrapped chicken. 

Koko found that there was also writing at the back of the sticky note. 

Lloyd told me you liked roasted chicken so enjoy miss Koko. 

Ps: beers in the fridge. Chicken and beer are delish for adults, right?

There was also a small doodle of a pondering Monty with a question mark above his head. 

It was weirdly endearing and also kinda unnerving if Koko was honest. 

‘Did Monty come here to hang out with Lloyd today again? The chicken is still kinda warm so he must have left not long ago. It's late right now. What kind of parents would even allow—... Oh right, he doesn't live with his parents from what Lloyd told me.’ 

Koko went to her son's room. She opened the door slightly to take a peek inside. Lloyd was already sound asleep, still with his new leather jacket on. 

‘That leather jacket, I don't remember ever buying him that,’ she realized. 

Was this another one of Monty’s gifts?

Koko counted the number of Monty’s gifts on her two hands. Her face paled when she realized that the frequency and total cost of the gifts indicated a much more close relationship than just friends who met over a week ago. And she really didn't know what to make of this. On the one hand, Monty was nice and friendly. And she really didn't want to be like the parent who rushed to the conclusion that the bad boy was the ultimate bad influence like some strict parents she had encountered. On the other hand, Koko didn't know him pretty well and logically neither did Lloyd because he had only known him for a short while, unless Lloyd had lied to her about certain details. 

And there was also the detail of Lloyd being 15 years old and Monty being supposedly 18 years old, which was arguably college age. 

‘Was this appropriate? Back in my time, this was probably seen as acceptable but still a 15 year old and an 18 year old are vastly different developmentally.’

Koko rubbed the bridge of her nose. Look like she really was gonna need the beer and chicken Monty gifted. 

“Hmp!!” Koko’s eyes opened wide as she bit into the juicy tender chicken. 

Why did Monty know such a good chicken place?

Tomorrow, at school 

“I’m off to school, Mom,” Lloyd bid his mom goodbye.

“Have fun, sweetheart,” Koko said back, with some hesitation in her voice as she noticed that her son was still wearing the new leather jacket and black choker instead of his familiar green hoodie. 

The changes made her uncomfortable. 

At school 

“Wow, who are you and what have you done to Lloyd Garmadon?” Kai grinned as he wrapped an arm over Lloyd’s shoulders, “A little gift from your boy Monty?”

“Y-yeah,” Lloyd said, his face going slightly red, “Monty’s really cool. You guys should meet him one day. Yesterday, he and I went to a candy shop. And…and with him around, the people there didn't seem to give me such a hard time. After that, we went to the harbor.”

Lloyd pulled out a couple candies from his bag.

“ Here, I got some for you guys,” he shoved the candies into Kai and Nya’s hands. 

“Jeez, thanks Lloyd,” Nya smiled, “Also about Monty, you really like him, huh?”

“Well yeah,” Lloyd smiled goofily, “He just gets me, you know. And he's so cool.”

As the trio walked into the hallway, they could hear whispers going on, mainly about Lloyd’s sudden change in style from ordinary green hoodie to an actually cool looking leather jacket. 

“You don't seem bothered by the whispering as much today, Lloyd?” Nya noticed. 

When Lloyd didn't answer, she nudged him with her elbow.

“Huh wait what was that?” Lloyd turned his head to her. 

“Okay, now you're officially acting weird,” Kai added. 

“Oh sorry, it's just,” Lloyd scratched his head, “after school today, I'm gonna hang out with Monty again. I’m just excited about what we’ll be up to.”

Lloyd smiled from ear to ear, not even paying attention to the cheerleader girls in the back who were gossiping about how Lloyd Garmadon, son of evil lord Garmadon, was smiling today instead of timidly hiding his head behind his green hoodie. 

Kai and Nya looked at each other, as if silently saying “Oh boy, Monty’s got him absolutely whipped.”

During literature class

“Wait, so Lloyd’s absolutely smitten with this Monty guy?” Cole summarized the information the Smith siblings provided. 

“Oh definitely,” Nya confirmed, “You should have seen the smile on Greenie’s face.”

“Absolutely smitten.”

“So Lloyd’s type is edgy goth vampire dudes,” Jay whispered. 

“Jay, Monty is possibly Lloyd’s first ever romantic interest,” Zane pointed, “It would be unfair to conclude that gothic vampire dudes are his type just because Monty is one.”

“Yeah, I think that's a bit irrelevant right now,” Cole tried to direct the conversation back on the track, “Monty gave Lloyd a leather jacket yesterday right? The one that he’s wearing today which was also coincidentally the one in the pictures I took.”

“Basically, and that jacket doesn't look cheap,” Nya added, “And I should know. Took me like a month of extra chores to save up for mine.”

“Do you think the relationship is that serious?” Kai prompted. 

“It's possible,” Zane added, “Or perhaps Monty simply has the extra spending money to dote on his boyfriend. We have no evidence of his personality. And from my observation, goth vampires with a soft caring side are totally in right now. They're quite the bomb,” he added in some slang in an attempt to sound relatable but the others just silently cringed, not wanting to hurt their friend’s feelings. 

“Alright, so say Monty is a good dude,” Cole said, “He still looks kinda shady to me honestly. I mean, he got with Lloyd for god's sake. What if he thinks getting with the son of Garmadon would give him some intimidation perks or something? Things just seem to be moving way too fast and we’re left in the dark. What if Lloyd starts ignoring his hero duties? He's our leader.”

The others thought for a moment. 

“I-i mean, Lloyd has been skipping training,” Jay noted. 

“And he seems to zone out sometimes,” Nya also added. 

“Friends,” Zane chimed in, “I think the information of Lloyd’s unfortunate reputation is getting in the way of our judgment. While Monty does have rather alternative taste in fashion and most notably many scars, he might just be the only person aside from us, Master Wu and Lloyd’s mom that cares for him. I do not think that it's fair for us to make such quick judgment. We might be emulating the city more than we think.”

The others fell into contemplation. Not even the lecture of the literature teacher could get their attention. 

Were they really like the rest of the city who hated Lloyd? They couldn't be. They were the awesome protectors of this city and Lloyd’s only friends. 

“Yeah, you're kinda right, Zane,” Kai was the first to speak up, “I guess we just gotta congratulate Greenie on getting some. I honestly thought he wouldn't be able to get a girl in high school but look at him now with a goth vamp as his bf.”

“Technically, you are still right, Kai. Lloyd hasn't gotten a girl,” Zane pointed out, “Though it would be mad stigma male of him to get a totally hot goth girlfriend.”

“Zane, I beg you,” Cole shook his head, “Please, never use stigma male again.”

The others silently and unanimously agreed. 

“What is the matter, Cole? I have been informed that big-tid—”

Nya slapped her hand over her clearly not human friend. 

“Zane, for our sanity here, I'm just gonna stop you right there.”

Lunchtime

Lloyd left the classroom last to avoid any glares and whispers. The hallways were empty which was a relief for him. Lunchtime was always so crowded and a total opportunity for people to gossip behind his back. He was on his way to the cafeteria when he heard a familiar and annoying voice. 

“Hey GARMA-DORK! What's with the new outfit?”

‘Oh god, why does it have to be this guy of all people to be present in this empty hallway?’

Lloyd sucked in a breath as he turned his head around to face the oh so annoying male cheerleader. 

“What do you want, Chen?”

“Oh nothing much,” the cocky teen quickly approached Lloyd, his finger on the collar of Lloyd's new leather jacket, “Nice jacket you got there. Did Daddy give you that?”

“Urgh, none of your business,” the blond snarled, “And get your greasy fingers off of my jacket,” he swatted Chen’s hand away, clearly not in the mood for being on the receiving end of some schoolyard bullying. 

On other days, he would tolerate it but he got a hangout session with Monty later and he did not want some jerk to dirty the gift Monty had so thoughtfully given him. 

“Aw, is Garmadork mad?” Chen mocked, standing all proud and tall even though he wasn't even that much taller than Lloyd himself. 

As another gesture of mockery, Chen casually picked his nose and smeared the booger on the front of Lloyd’s jacket. 

Instantly, Lloyd saw red. 

A bang against a locker could be heard as Chen tried to struggle his way out of the dead grip of a furious Lloyd Garmadon. 

Keyword was tried. 

Chen’s cheek stung in pain when a punch was delivered squarely at his face, knocking him off balance. 

“Garmadon, what the hell?”

“Apologize. Now.”

“Huh?”

Lloyd pulled Chen up by the collar of his T-shirt. 

“I SAID APOLOGIZE NOW OR ELSE,” Lloyd shouted at the male cheerleader, “Monty gave me this because he saw how much I liked his leather jacket. He even went through the troubles to buy one similar to his so we can match. And you just had to be a jerk.”

And just before Lloyd’shand could land another punch on Chen’s very punchable face, a scream “GARMADON ATTACK” could be heard. 

Chapter Text

The Garmadon attack bells rang and every student started running for their lives, except for the secret Ninjago force. Kai and nya sprung into action and already headed towards the secret lockers. Zane discreetly or rather indiscreetly popped up heelers from his feet to roll more efficiently, thinking that no one would notice how non-average-teenaged-boy he was. Cole, with his comically large music speaker on one arm and the other one dragging a slightly choking Jay along by the scarf, hurriedly followed…. Of course not without making sure to put on a good jam for the team. 

Lloyd tched his tongue as Chen slipped from his grasp and ran away screaming. 

‘Well, at least Monty’s confidence is rubbing off on me,’ Lloyd thought with some satisfaction as he dusted off his new leather jacket, making sure it wasn't damaged, even if it was alongside a major main course of annoyance at the Garmadon Attack.

“At this time,” he growled as he ran towards his locker to also get ready for the attack. 

He really wondered if it would be dickish of him to ask his other self to come here and beat up his father for him. 

Was that technically out of line

“Ready team?!” He said before they all descended down the secret passage to the secret hideout of the secret ninja force. 

Chen ran out of the school, all sense of overmasculinity lost as he screamed in a high-pitch tone that would make even glass window panels shatter. The bruise mark on his face told a great tale of collision with Lloyd’s fist. 

‘That damn nerd dare to punch me,’ he scowled, holding his left cheek, ‘I’ll show him’

Meanwhile the culprit of the Great Punch was busy dealing with a very egotistical warlord to pay attention to that trivial event. 

The Ninja suited up and went straight to where Garmadon and his army were wreaking havoc onto the city. 

“He really wants this city doesn't he?” Jay remarked through the communication device.

“Yeah, who would have this much dedication to attack weekly or more?” Cole rolled his eyes as he leveled the armies that were blocking his way. 

“Well whatever his deal is, we’ll kick their butts!” Kai grinned as he literally ignited the flamethrower in his mech and burn the suit off some of the soldiers. 

Nya’s face came up onto the communication scene. 

“KAI! Don't go overboard. There're civilians still evacuating,” she reminded. 

Steam came up as the water from her mech extinguished the fire. 

Kai gave a sheepish smile as he operated his mech to punch some crustacea-themed minions. 

“Yeah, yeah sorry, but hey….. I did make some roasted crabs.”

A semi-robotic voice came out 

“Well technically, you would need significant more heating to deliver more damage to the crab-themed soldiers to consider them as roasted,” Zane remarked, “Though I do believe that such an action would be rather questionable as their lives would likely be in jeopardy.”

“Okay, okay, Zane,” Kai replied, rolling his eyes, “I get it already, pal.”

“Um, guys” Cole appeared on the screen, “A little help downtown. I’m running out of jams to play while I deal with these guys.”

“Alright, friend,” Zane replied, a rather familiar notification ding sound being heard, “I’ll be on my way. Also, Lloyd, my friend, are you handling things on your end well?”

Lloyd finally came up on the screen, a scowl visible on his face.

“Yeah, Jay's handling the ones in the sky. I just need to deal with my dad and then we'll be done. Here's hoping I can make it to the meeting with Monty today.”

“O la la~,” Kai and Nya responded in unison. 

Lloyd heard it but thought it was just them being teasing friends. 

Show universe 

Garmadon was going to do a very reasonable plan today. 

Find out who his son had been seeing and eradicate that vermin….. preferably in some cruelsome ways if he could. 

“I wonder,” the ancient man rested his chin on a fist as he sat on the floor of his son's bedroom.

He vaguely remembered moments of summoning up swords from his Oni or destruction power shortly after being resurrected. Other memories within the same period? He would rather ignore them for now with a view of not wanting his mental energy spent entirely battling guilt. He experimentally flicked his wrist. 

A small shadowy purple dagger materializes between his calloused fingers. 

‘Well then, I suppose I won't have to carry around any ... equipment then for this task,’ he mused as a low dark chuckle came from his throat. 

His ears twitched as they registered the sounds of footsteps. The former darklord dematerialized the dagger as he sat up and dusted off some nonexistent specks from his robes. 

“Garmadon,” Kai greeted as he opened the door and leaned against it, “Your own room is ready, so you’d better get up and ready to move your things or whatever.”

Garmadon mustered a smile. After all, he didn't want to worry the young ones of the potential plan he had later today. 

Kai internally recoiled at how genuinely sweet that smile looked in his opinion, his brain not really computing it as natural despite clear memories of Sensei Garmadon.

“Thank you, Kai. I quite appreciate it, young man.”

Okay, the weirdness level was up more for Kai now.

“Yeah, yeah sure,” he brushed it off, “I'm not the one to open the spare room though so don't thank me, Mr Darklord. Thank your son and his ungodly lockpicking skills. Cole was this close to pulling out the bolt cutter…..or his fists.”

Kai pressed his pointer finger and thumb dangerously close together. 

“Well, my boy does have many talents apparently—”

Now the smile has finally reached the former darklord’s eyes, to which Kai disrespectfully cringed more at, his facial expression doing nothing at all to hide it. 

Garmadon personally found it rather entertaining, just as much as the first time he had messed with Kai years ago.

“— though I do wonder where he got the lock-picking skills from. Did one of you young ones teach him that?”

Garmadon continued the conversation.

Kai squinted his eyes even more, which made the few wrinkles he had around his eyes more pronounced. Garmadon would be sure to take note of that for future teasings. 

Now that he was back and fully in control of himself, what was the harm in finding enjoyment here and there?

“What do you mean, garmadon?” Kai rubbed his temples, “The kid learnt that from Darkley’s, the school for future villains your wife…or ex wife—”

Garmadon pretended to not let the “ex-wife” part sink in.

“—put him there.”

The calm smiling expression on the grey-haired man dissipated in an instance as he blinked…. which was rare now for him, considering his state now.

“Misako put him there?” He asked for clarification. 

Kai’s eyes softened for the dark lord for the first time since Garmadon came back.

“Well yeah, we all thought you knew….. you three did have this whole,” he brought his arms for gesture purposes, “ happy family ending once.”

Garmadon deliberately averted his gaze from Kai’s, his unblinking glassy purple eyes still eerie as they stared at the corner of the room

“Misako never mentioned it to me before when we lived together…. She didn't tell me much about what she did while I was away.”

“O-oh”

“I simply thought Lloyd got into Darkley's because he wanted to be like….me.”

“Well, greenie did want to be like you once,” Kai scratched his head, “But seriously, man, how did you think a kid can enroll himself into a school like that?”

Garmadon squinted his eyes.

“I thought it used a front of a being a school for re-educating bad boys. That way, the name Darkley's school for bad boys wouldn't be too bad as people would think it's a reformation institution. The name would simply imply a reformation institution.”

“....”

“But on the inside, it collected orphans or children who were easily indoctrinated. They would have most likely wanted the child of,” the former darklord raised both his hands to his chest level and pointed at himself for gesture purposes, “the evil Darklord Garmadon who got banished to the Underworld by the very Golden Weapons.”

Kai opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, his pointer finger up in the air. Finally, the master of fire just facepalmed. 

“Oh first spinjitzu master, that does make so much more sense than what actually happened.”

Kai didn't know if this meant that Garmadon when sane (as much as he could be now) was somehow better at deducing or coming up with evil plans than when the man had been evil and insane. 

“Anyway,” Garmadon stood up, his height surpassing Kai’s, something the master of fire internally cursed, “I’ll get to moving to my new room, young man.”

The former darklord patted Kai on the shoulder before walking out of the room to go to his new one. 

Kai mustered all his strength to not make an ugly face (which he failed) as his hand practically dusted the place garmadon patted. 

Of course, Nya, who was just outside all this time to do damage control if necessary, shook her head as she peeked in. 

“Kai, no offence, but you look like you swallow a pitcher of straight lemon juice…...mixed with vinegar.”

“Hey, no I do not,” Kai protested as he side-glanced at the nearby mirror to check….just to make sure. 

“Yeah, yeah keep making those faces and you might get stuck with one of them forever,” Nya teased before joining Cole and Zane in watching Lloyd and Jay have the ultimate video game showdown. Hey, she did promise Jay that should he be in a pickle, she would “accidentally” bump into Lloyd to cause a distraction. Like they say, teamwork makes the dream work. 

Kai rolled his eyes. 

Movie universe

The Secret Ninja Force celebrated another victory against Lord Garmadon in the cheers of the citizens. Well most of them did. 

“Hey ya good, Lloyd?” Jay asked through the communication screen. 

“Um, yeah, I'm fine,” Lloyd answered, maneuvering his green dragon mech to leave the cheering crowd, especially the teenagers who all wanted his info. 

Lloyd was pretty sure that if he squinted, he could probably recognise some of them as his schoolmates or even classmates. 

And speaking of people who went to the same school as him. 

“Urgh!!” Lloyd groaned as he shut off the communication screen and made a beeline to the headquarters, pulling off his green ninja go and putting on the leather jacket his other self had gifted him. 

Right. He had punched Chen earlier right before the Garmadon Attack Bell rang. How poetic!!

‘Please, please, don't let this get me into trouble at school!’ he prayed as he exited his mech, ‘Oh god, what would I do if it did? Maybe I can lay down in Monty's universe but that's a dick move on my mom. Yeah very good son of me to suddenly go missing without a trace in the face of suspension’

Lloyd bumped his head against the nearby wall before shaking his head hard enough to give himself some neck pain. 

“Okay, whatever, let's just see how things will play out. Maybe some time with Monty will clear my head”

So he decided to give his other self a text.