Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Wu sat in his rocking chair, drinking the cup of tea he’d made for himself, when he heard a cry from the nursery. His nephew was awake. With a sigh, Wu began walking towards the room. He opened the door, only to be greeted with the sight of three men in black robes-and one of them was holding his nephew.

“Who are you? And what do you want?” Wu demanded furiously. How dare these men try to take his brother’s precious child! His blood boiled with rage, and he didn't even know what was going on. The men simply snickered. “Oh, you know what we want, Wu.” The one holding the boy said with a smirk. “At least, what he wants.”

Wu’s brow became arched. “He who?” Wu asked, fearing the answer.

The man holding the baby boy shook his head and sighed. “You know, Wu, you're a really bad babysitter.”

And with that, the three men dove out the window and into their vehicle, escaping before the old man could even blink, relishing in Wu’s anguished screams.

“Lloyd! Nooo!”

Wu fell to his knees, defeated. His brother, Garmadon, had given him one job—one job—and he had failed. Miserably.

What was Garmadon and Misako to say when they realized that their two year old son had been kidnapped when Wu was supposed to be watching him? Tears filled his eyes but he wiped them away. Wu then heard the front door slam and Misako call out, “Wu, we’re home!”
A feeling of dread filled the elderly man. Wu walked down the stairs as silently as possible, his staff thumping on every step, and faced his brother and sister-in-law. “Wu? What’s wrong?” Garmadon had picked up on his brother’s distress almost immediately. “What happened?”
Wu looked up at the couple with tears in his eyes and choked out, “I have some really bad news…”

Chapter Text

RENEGADE BREATHED IN the cool, night air as he scanned the streets, looking for his target. He’d been waiting on this very rooftop since midday, and his target still hadn't shown up. Renegade was beginning to feel impatient. At that moment, his communicator buzzed, and he clicked it on. His best friend, (who was more like a sister to him, they had known each other forever), had called and was waiting for the guards to pass before speaking.
“So…any luck?”
Renegade groaned. “Nothing. The target hasn't shown up yet. I'm beginning to think that the boss just sent me here so I'd be out of his hair for a while.” G simply chuckled. “I'm sure that's not true,” G argued. “Your target is just running late, that's all.”
“It's the middle of the night, G!” Renegade hissed. He had to whisper so the guards wouldn't hear his voice and walk in to find G awake--that would get her in trouble. G sighed and said, “Well, I'm going to bed. See you tomorrow. Tell me if you failed your mission or not. Good night!” G whispered as she clicked off the comm. “Night, G.” Renegade muttered as he flopped down on the rooftop.
And then he heard it. A faint ringing sound, playing a catchy tune. Renegade looked up and around, searching for the noise. He jumped to his feet and began searching, jumping from roof to roof. Roof-hopping was one of his favorite things to do in his free time, or while on patrol. His excitement grew as he neared the noise. The song was still playing.
Jump up, kick back, whip around and spin,
And then we jump back, do it again…
Ninja-go! Ninja-come on, come on, we gonna do it again, just jump up, kick back, whip around and spin…
Renegade was captivated by the song for a couple moments before reaching over and picking up the rectangular object. He didn't know what it was, but he was intrigued. The screen lit up suddenly, and a girl’s face showed up on the screen. He stared at the girl for a couple seconds before the screen went dark. His comm buzzed, and muscle memory took over, causing him to slide the object in his pocket without thinking. He pulled out his comm, clicked it on, and said, “I thought you were going to bed.”
G’s voice came out, staticky. “I'm testing something,” was all Renegade could understand before the comm clicked off. He sighed, and then noticed something, squinting at the person who was-
It hit him. It was his target!
Renegade took off, roof hopping as he gained on the red-clad figure. Not the best color to wear right now. You're unlucky today, Red Ninja. Renegade thought as jumped from balcony to balcony as he continued the chase, getting closer and closer to the ground. Suddenly the Red Ninja spun around and threw something at him, snagging the edge of his clothes, pinning him to the wall nearby, as the knife he had thrown lodged itself into the dirty brick wall. Luckily, by this time, Renegade had reached the ground, for his feet were touching the floor. Renegade gasped as the Red Ninja walked over to him, pulling off his hood, revealing a smirk on his face. Renegade pulled out the knife from his clothes and pointed it at the Red Ninja. “Momentary distraction.” Renegade said simply. “It's going to take more than that to defeat me.”
“So that's what you thought was going to happen,” the Red Ninja said just as calmly. “Well, you're wrong. This was planned to be something a little different.”
Planned? They knew I was coming! But how is this possible? I covered all my tracks… it’s just impossible. I need backup--and fast. But they'll notice if I pull out my comm… I need to distract them. I'm not the only one in combat training for nothing!
As Renegade pondered, the other three Ninjas jumped down from other balconies and surrounded him, weapons at the ready. For the first time, Renegade was grateful for his black clothing and the mask on his face. It hid who he really was. What if they recognized him?
Renegade knew one thing, and that was that he had to run. As the Red, Blue, Black, and White Ninja circled him, Renegade made the decision to leap over the Blue Ninja and bolted. He ran, the words of what the Boss said to him about the mission still fresh in his mind.
If you fail, Renegade…
I will not hesitate to punish you the same way you were supposed to punish your target.
“Blue! You were supposed to stop him!” Red exclaimed. “Great, now he got away.” Red shot an annoyed look at Blue. “Now what?”
“I’m sorry!” Blue groaned. “But I didn't see it coming. It’s like in gym class, when the basketball just sails over your head and your finger just manages to touch it, but sometimes you don’t even know the ball is gonna come sailing over your head so you don’t do anything and just watch, so it's kinda like that and—”
“We get it, Blue,” Black sighed, interrupting one of Blue’s common and constant rambles.
“Okay, now what? We failed the mission--what do we tell Wu?” Red asked.
“The truth?” White suggested. Red sighed. “He’s gonna be mad, but okay. Let’s go, guys.”
With that, the four boys headed down the road.

“I TOLD YOU WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU FAILED, RENEGADE.” The Overlord’s voice echoed throughout the chamber, making the 14-year-old boy shiver with fear.
“I-I’m sorry…” Renegade’s voice shook. “They ambushed me… they knew I was coming… I had to run, I couldn't fight all four of them at once…”
“ENOUGH WITH YOUR EXCUSES! I TOLD YOU WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU FAILED, RENEGADE… BUT DUE TO THESE INTERESTING TURN OF EVENTS, I WILL SPARE YOU.”
“Really?” Renegade gasped. “Thank you!”
“BUT… THESE FAVORS DO NOT COME WITHOUT A PRICE. I WILL SPARE YOU, BUT I WILL MAKE SURE YOU FEEL THE PAINS OF YOUR FAILURE. NOW, COME CLOSER. GUARD, COME HERE—YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO.”
The guard approached, and Renegade gave a loud scream, unable to hold it in, and then everything went black.

Chapter Text

“HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?” G asked as she dabbed a cloth at his wounds. Renegade winced. “It happened during the mission. They ambushed me, but I got away.”
There. Not a total lie, but how was Renegade supposed to tell his best friend who has really beat him up? It was just easier to tell her that the Ninja had done it. And besides, the Ninja had ambushed him. Only a half lie.
But still a lie, you're lying to your best friend, his traitorous brain whispered. Renegade blocked the voice. He didn't need this right now.
“Okaaay…” G didn't look convinced at his lie--no, half-truth. It was pretty hard to lie to someone you've known since you were six. “Anyway,” G continued, “These injuries are bad. I might have to use my you-know-what.”
The you-know-what was a secret between Renegade and G. G somehow had a power that allowed her to control water. Even better, the powers also allowed her to heal people! Renegade had sworn to secrecy. The Overlord would be livid if he found out. They'd been keeping this secret for many years now.
It made Renegade think about how many things he’d hidden from the Overlord over the years. How many times he’d been beaten. How many times he and G had huddled in corners of different areas when the guards had come by, hoping they wouldn't get punished with no food. Was this life really what Renegade wanted for himself and G?
“Hello? Earth to Renegade?” G’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “G,” Renegade said, hoping he wouldn't alarm his friend with the question, “Do you think I should try this again?”
“What? You got beat up by them, so no. Not yet. Why?”
“No reason,” Renegade said, once again lying through his teeth.

That night, Renegade slipped on his combat outfit and mask and quietly snuck out through the vents. Once outside, he began running across the streets, searching for his target, clutching his knife tightly in his hand.
“Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, Black… what if he doesn't come but then there’s a mission in the morning and we've wasted a whole night and fail the mission in the morning because we didn't get any sleep and--”
“Zip it, Motormouth,” Black said with a groan. “This is important. He might come.”
“And if he doesn't? Then what?” Blue’s voice penetrated the thick silence that had grown around them. Suddenly, Blue felt chills go up his spine.
Someone was here.
“Black?” Blue asked, sounding nervous. “I think--”
Before the Blue Ninja could finish his sentence, Renegade leapt out and jumped at the two, causing them both to exclaim--and then fight back.
“It's two against one. You're dead, League Boy!” Blue exclaimed.
Renegade bit back the urge to retort, No, you are, or will be soon. But one thing stuck. League boy? What did that mean?
The two Ninja must've sensed his confusion, because Black snapped, “Don’t act so clueless. Do you guys realize what you're doing? All these missing people--it’s all your doing. You guys… you guys are monsters!”
The words slammed into Renegade like a truck. Him? A monster? And what did he mean by the missing people being their doing? Renegade couldn't take the questions, but knowing that the Ninja weren’t the type to sit and chat with their enemies, he ran.
But not fast enough.
The Black Ninja leapt onto him, causing him to fall to the ground, leaving the wind knocked out of him. Within seconds, the Blue Ninja had cuffed his hands together. The Black Ninja was seemingly smirking, but Renegade couldn't tell due to his mask. “You're coming with us. Let's see what Master Wu wants to do with you at the monastery. Let's go, Blue.”
“I can't wait to see the look on Red’s face when he sees that we got the league boy! He's going to be so jealous!” Blue cheered as Black held Renegade by his arms. The boys continued to walk until finally they approached the monastery, which was huge.
“Why are there so many stairs?” Renegade asked, out of curiosity.
“What's wrong,” Blue taunted. “Can't handle it? Wow. Now that is not something that I would've expected.”
“Shut up,” Renegade growled angrily.
“Or what? You'll beat me up? Says the guy who’s handcuffed.” Blue continued to taunt him.
“Shut up!” Renegade yelled, sweeping Blue off his feet with one swift kick.
Black shoved him to the stairs roughly. “Do that again to any of my friends and I will end you,” Black growled.
Renegade could do nothing but keep silent. He didn't want to be killed, and he was fairly certain that the Black Ninja was much stronger than he looked.
The three approached the monastery and pushed the heavy doors open. A courtyard stood before them, seemingly empty. Black and Blue shoved him forward, and after a bit, they entered the monastery.
The place was quite homey, with some sort of giant black screen in the middle of the wall, with blue couches and yellow armchairs surrounding it. The couches seemed big enough to fit three people. There was a small table with seven brown chairs (yes, he counted) with shiny white plates set up in front of every chair. Colorful doors lined the walls as they made a right turn and walked past the counter and into a small room after opening the sliding doors.
“Master Wu? We have something to show you.” Black spoke up first. “No-someone!” Blue piped up, correcting his friend. “We kidnapped that league boy!”
“Why do you keep calling me that? I don't know what's going on, but you have no right to kidnap me! Also, can you please tell me what the heck is going on here?” Renegade snapped, still extremely confused.
“Like I said, don't act so clueless. We both know you're lying to us.” Black glared at him. “I'm not acting! I really don't know!” Renegade yelled. He was debating whether or not to sweep Black off his feet like he'd done with Blue, but decided against it.
The elderly man stood and quieted the three arguing boys with a bonk on their heads with his staff, and then gave Renegade an apologetic look. “Force of habit,” the man whispered. Renegade couldn't help but snicker. Blue and Black were rubbing their heads from the hit. “Call the others,” the man said, “And all of us shall decide what to do with him.”
The man led him to a large table, where White and Red were joking and laughing with one another. “Guess who we got! Red! Look!” Blue cheered. Just as predicted, Red didn't look very happy.
It was only then that Renegade realized that their masks were off.
Renegade began to analyze everyone for future reference. The Red Ninja had hair that looked like fire, with brownish hair, a small scar on his left eyebrow and brown eyes. The loose clothing made him unable to see the build of the four teens. Well, maybe he could tell with Black.
The White Ninja was a robot, with metal gray skin and bright blue eyes, with silver-like hair that stood up straight that any human might not have been able to do without hours in front of the mirror.
The Black Ninja, on the other hand, had messy jet black hair with dark eyes and seemed to have a muscled build, but due to the clothing, he couldn't quite tell. But then again, Black did seem the type.
The Blue Ninja looked the most normal out of all of them with light brown curly hair and a million freckles splashed over his face, plus bright blue eyes, but not as prominent as White’s eyes. Renegade didn't recognize any of them, which was understandable. He didn't even know what he had expected. They looked like normal teens--minus White, of course, who wasn't even human, but still. Renegade turned his gaze to the man with the staff. The elderly man had a long white beard that reached to his waist and a straw hat that cast shadows over his face. Renegade could tell that his bamboo staff wasn't just a walking stick, it was his weapon. His white clothing with black lettering was the symbol of a Master martial artist. Renegade's eyes widened. No wonder these Ninja were so good! They were being taught by a Master! Renegade swallowed hard.
Oh, great. I’m dead, aren’t I?

Chapter Text

RENEGADE HATED THIS. Period. He was a guest according to Wu, but at the same time, a prisoner. But Renegade would be lying if he said that he didn’t discover the most wonderful things—like candy, for instance. There were different types, but Renegade’s favorite was the one that was called a mint. There were different types of mint too, but Renegade hadn’t tasted any other types other than the one that White—Zane, he had learned his name was—had given him to taste at dinner yesterday. At this point, he'd learned all their names. Red was named Kai, Blue was called Jay, Black’s name was Cole, and White was Zane. So far, he had been treated decently, but he knew the Ninja didn't trust him. Master Wu, on the other hand, seemed ready to accept Renegade as part of the family. It was creepy.

Later that evening, Wu took Renegade to a park, telling the ninja he would be back in an hour. Renegade happily agreed. This foolish man, he thought. the second he looks away I’ll be running out of here. Away from this horrible, horrible place. I'll finally be back, back with G. 

1. He hadn’t even considered that G must be worried sick. He didn’t even tell her that he would be leaving that night he was kidnapped. Suddenly, guilt began to swallow him whole. G was always there for him, whenever he was wounded, or just unhappy, and she was always willing to help him. She was basically his sister. And he left her.  She probably thought that he ran away without her, and that he was a horrible friend. Shaking his head, he shoved those thoughts out of his mind.

Wu walked with his hands behind his back, and his eyes closed--not paying the slightest attention to Renegade.

This is my chance, Renegade thought. All I have to do is run. But where? I have no idea where I am, and no idea where to go. If I leave now, I’ll be helpless. Renegade told himself this was the reason he hadn’t yet escaped, but deep down, he didn’t want to leave Wu. He seemed--safe, as if Renegade had known him his entire life. “Boy,” Wu finally said. “Why have you chosen not to run?” Renegade stopped. Apparently this old man knew his plan! He felt as if he couldn't even breathe. “Very well,” Wu said, breaking the silence. “Come along, let us have some tea.” He sat down and offered Renegade some. Renegade sipped cautiously, wondering what to do. Wu smiled, but then he noticed Renegade’s downcast expression. “What is wrong, my dear boy? What is troubling you?” The elderly man asked the young boy, snapping Renegade out of his thoughts, which had drifted back to G. She must be so worried. Or she’s mad, I don't know. I wish I could call her, tell her I'm okay, explain everything--she must be freaking out right now…

“Renegade?”

“Huh? Oh, sorry… What were you saying?” Renegade asked, a touch of redness creeping onto his cheeks out of embarrassment. 

“I was just thinking about my sis-” He stopped himself. “friend back at the league. I call her G, but only when the guards aren't listening, because we all go by numbers. Hers is 33. Mine is 55, but nobody really calls me that because the boss calls me Renegade. For some reason, I'm special and important in the boss’s eyes, and I don't know why.” Renegade finished, and then realized how much he’d revealed. When he looked up at the man, he saw him staring with wide eyes. “I don't know why, but you look familiar…” Wu said. “I just can't place it…what is your name, my dear boy?”

“I already told you. Renegade.”

“My dear boy, that cannot be your name. That would be silly. What is your name, the one you were born with? The one your parents gave you?” 

Renegade’s mind was spinning. Parents? Names? What was he asking? Renegade managed out three words as bile rose to his throat.

“I… I don't know.”

“What do you mean?”

“That's what I mean. I don't know. I don't think I have whatever it is you're asking for.”

Wu looked shocked. “But Renegade, everyone has a name. To not have a name is simply unheard of. This is impossible, my dear boy. To not have a name…” Wu began muttering to himself. Renegade just stared at the man in confusion as the muttering continued. Renegade’s thoughts drifted to G again. She must be so worried about me…

Wu’s phone rang suddenly. Renegade’s eyebrows shot up in surprise--he didn't even know Wu owned a phone. 

“What?! How? When did it arrive? Hold on, I'm coming--also, do you mind if I bring a guest?” Wu gasped, his words rushed. “Let’s go,” he told Renegade. “We have to take a visit to my brother--there’s an emergency!”

Chapter Text

THE GIRL’S FOOTSTEPS were masked by the heavy footfalls of the guards nearby--not that her footsteps needed any masking anyway. She slipped through the vents and, for the first time, went outside.

The raven-haired girl quickly began roof-hopping, searching for four dots of color on the city streets. Or three. The Black Ninja’s color gave him an advantage. 

“Why are we here again?” A voice called. “Shut up! You know we’re here to find the league boy’s hideout!” Another voice groaned. “Hey! How was I supposed to know that? You said, and I quote, ‘I’ll explain on the way’ and you're not being very nice about it! It’s not like we’re ever even gonna find-” The voices gradually became louder, and louder. . 

“Maybe this will finally be a real fight,” the girl whispered to herself. G made her way towards the two arguing ninja. The Red and Blue Ninja stood there arguing about something. G crept closer, hoping that she wouldn’t startle them. Just a couple more seconds and…

Suddenly, the Red Ninja whirled around and locked eyes with her. “Hey!” he yelled. “Just what do you think you're doing?” The Blue Ninja turned as well, just as the Red Ninja tackled G to the ground. “Just as dumb as your friend, who tried to sneak up on us. He paid the price.” G shivered--partly out of fear and partly due to the cold. Then an idea struck her. Summoning her power, she took a deep breath…

And blasted the red-clad boy with two twin jet streams, sending him flying through the air, yelling as he hit the ground, now sopping wet. G couldn't help but grin. Unfortunately the Blue Ninja came up to her for an attack, the tips of his fingers sparking with electricity. G gasped. So the Ninja had these kinds of powers too! She’d never learned this in history class. 

summoning more water, she blasted the Blue Ninja into hopefully oblivion before turning to face the Red Ninja, who looked really mad. “There’s something you should know about me,” he said, “and it’s that I hate water!” 

“Good to know,” was G’s response. “Now I know that I have the upper hand here!”

“Oh no you don't!” The Blue Ninja jumped at her, but G sidestepped, sending him crashing to the floor at the Red Ninja’s feet. “Alright, so tell me,” she said, making her voice threatening, a feat she’d perfected after years of speech class, “Where is Renegade? If you hurt one hair on his head I swear I will--”

“Oh, relax. Your friend is fine. He’s with us, and unharmed. But that’s only because Master Wu wants him safe for some reason, otherwise I'd beat that little rat to a pulp.” The Red Ninja growled as the Blue Ninja rose to his feet. “Come on, Red, he’s not that bad. He’s basically brainwashed, remember?” The Blue Ninja said. G sighed audibly, but her mind was spinning. Brainwashed? Her gaze drifted towards the Blue Ninja. Then there was a sudden emotion washing over her--a feeling she’d never experienced before in her life. It was soft and sweet and she felt her cheeks go red. But it also felt slightly embarrassing. She finally tore her gaze away from the blue-clad boy and turned to leave. They weren't going to tell her anything. She had realized that much. But just as she began to walk away, a voice called after her. “Wait!”

G stopped and turned around. “What?” Were they actually going to tell her something?

“Do you like blue?” was the question that popped out of the Blue Ninja’s mouth. G stared at him for a couple seconds before responding.

“It’s my favorite color,” she replied as she fingered the blue streak in her long hair. She turned away again, oblivious to the fact that the Blue Ninja was pumping his fist in the air and whispering a quiet “Yes!” before he and the Red Ninja turned and headed back to the monastery. “Was that question even necessary, Blue?” Red asked as they walked.

Blue gave an exaggerated sigh. “You wouldn't understand,” he said wistfully. “And that’s because you don't know what love means.”

Chapter Text

OK, I've got a lot of stories that are WIP's that I'm willing to post, but I can't decide and therefore want you all to do it for me.

Here's what I have.

1: Gone.
Jay and Nya wake up in their respective cities to find the rest of the population gone. The two band together to find out what happened to all the missing people.

2: The Tales of the Living (and the Dead)
This is an AU where Lloyd is a ghost and Nya decides to help him solve his own murder mystery along with Jay.

3: Ninjago Next Generation
The title says it all--must I elaborate further?

4: Hidden Identities
An AU that is a little similar to the movie because Lloyd is the most hated kid in the city, but when he becomes the Green Ninja his identity is not only secret from the public but from his teammates as well. This also doubles as an awareness fic.

Comment on this chapter so I can see your preference! Tysm!

-Hijabiwriter

Chapter Text

THE FORBIDDEN ROOM. Garmadon’s office, full to the brim with stacks of info and clues that led to their missing son. Sure, the league hadn't taught him much about the outside world, but that didn't mean that Renegade didn't know that to take someone away from their family was wrong. 

As Garmadon continued the tour of his home, Renegade quietly snuck into the office. As he moved around the room, Renegade accidentally bumped into a cabinet, causing something to slip out. Upon closer inspection, Renegade realized it was a photograph. On the right side of the photograph was the image of a much younger looking Misako, Garmadon’s wife. A younger Wu was on the left, leaving the young Garmadon in the middle of the photo. Renegade stared at the photo for a couple more seconds, suddenly noticing how Garmadon’s hair and eyes looked so much like his own. Renegade gasped upon seeing the sudden resemblance between him and Garmadon. Quickly stuffing the photo in his pocket, Renegade caught up to the group, where Garmadon was explaining how the house had been built in the middle of a war. “He tells this story every time. It's not true.” Misako whispered in Renegade’s ear. She winked and managed to convince Garmadon to stop his storytelling and help her to serve food. Wu tried to protest, but the couple was having none of it. Reluctantly, the duo wandered to the sitting room where Renegade fell onto the plush couch. A few minutes later, Misako and Garmadon arrived with a tray of tea, cookies, and a stack of papers. “This is what we wanted to show you.” He handed Wu the stack. Wu began rifling through the papers. Then he gasped. “Is this…” “A lead.” Garmadon finished for him. “It says that he might be at this location. Police say that they spotted a boy around his age. We have to check this out. Will you come with us?” Garmadon’s eyes and voice were pleading with Wu to say yes. Wu looked at Renegade. “Will you be okay with the boys and without me?” He asked. Renegade suddenly blurted, “Can I come with you guys?” The adults stared at him. Renegade groaned mentally. Why'd I have to say that? But Garmadon broke into a huge smile. “Of course!” He cheered, practically giddy. “The more the merrier!”

“You heard the man.” Misako said. But Renegade noticed that throughout the rest of the time, she was throwing him suspicious looks. 

When Wu and Renegade returned, it was to Kai standing at the door, tapping his foot impatiently. 

“Where have you guys been? Master, you said an hour. Did you even check the time? It's been three hours! ” Kai practically yelled. “Kai, calm down. We're fine. Renegade, go up to your room, please.” Renegade nodded and headed towards the room that had been given to him. 

A couple of hours later, he heard arguing outside his door.

“You tell him!”

“No, you tell him!”

“Don't look at me . I wasn't even there .”

“Affirmative. You and Jay should be the ones to tell him.”

“Jay, you tell him.”

“I already told you, no . If you want it to happen, do it yourself .”

“Fine, I'll do it myself.”

“Thank you!”

“Oh, zip it, Jay.”

The door opened, and Kai stepped into the room. “Hi,” Renegade said dryly. “Need something, or have you just come here to annoy me?”

“I came to tell you something.”

“Well, fire away.”

“Was that a pun?”

“What?”

“Never mind.”

“Get on with it, Kai. What did you want to tell me?” Kai sighed and said, “Jay and I ran into your friend from the league last night.”

Renegade’s eyes widened. “ What?! And you're only telling me this now?! Is she okay? What happened? What did she say? Did she--”

Kai cut him off. “ Relax. She’s fine. She tried to threaten us, but she wasn't very good at it. And one more thing--why didn't you say anything?”

“About what?” Renegade asked.

“About your friend being an Elemental Master! You could have said something!” Kai hollered. “She’s like us! She has powers! Why didn't you tell us?”

“Because I don't trust you guys! Why would I tell you my best friend’s biggest secret?” Renegade yelled. As he stood up to leave this conversation, the photo fell out of his pocket and fluttered to the floor. Renegade made a grab for it, but Kai got to it first and stared at it. “Aren’t these people Wu, Misako, and Garmadon?” Kai asked. Renegade gave a mute nod. “Hey, wait a minute…” the red-clad boy said slowly. His eyes went from photo Garmadon to Renegade and back again, multiple times, before Kai spoke, saying, “Why do you look so much like Garmadon? It's like you're related to him or something.” Renegade’s eyes widened. He hadn't even considered the possibility of him and Garmadon being related. Kai looked at the younger boy for a long moment before breaking the heavy silence that had grown around them. 

“So… Do you want to ask him or something?” Kai asked. Renegade shook his head. “I can't be his missing son. They found a lead and are making plans to investigate. They know where he is. It can't be me.” Renegade finished, a little sadly. He didn't know how families interacted, or what a family meant or was, but he wanted one already. He wanted one so bad . Kai looked at Renegade and then turned, sniffing the air. “Is something burning?” Kai muttered to himself. Then the two boys heard a shout from Jay.

“Fire! FIRE!! HELP! FIRE!”

Chapter Text

“I’M AFRAID THERE HAS been a change of plans, Wu. We can't take Renegade--or you--on this investigation. This is something my wife and I have to do alone. I’m sorry. I hope you understand. Give Renegade my most sincere apologies.”

No matter how many times Garmadon rehearsed and recorded himself saying these words, it was very difficult to send the voice message. Finally, Misako walked over and clicked the ‘send’ button on his phone, sending the completed message.

“Hey! I wasn't ready,” Garmadon complained. Misako just smiled as the couple made their way into the abandoned apartment.

“I just don't get why our son would be here , of all places.” Misako sighed. “It doesn't look like anyone’s lived here for ages!”

It was true. The old apartment had layers and layers of dust on its doors, walls, railings, stairs, and elevators. The elevators were broken and some were bent so that the elevator could never open or close again. The paint upon the walls, which used to be a deep red color, was peeling off the sides and bits had fallen on the floor, making walking near the wall hazardous. The stairs were worn and creaky, and the nails that held them together seemed ready to let loose as it held the couple’s weight. 

The rooms were just as bad. The paint was peeling, the dust coated the walls and ceiling, the beds seemed as stiff as a board, and the lamps on the bedside table, which looked like it was going to fall, would probably never turn on again. Not without a new battery, at least. Even the pictures that had been hung up by the former residents were hard to make out due to the dim lights and dust coatings. As the two continued walking, Misako stumbled slightly. As she turned to see what she had hit, she locked eyes with it and let out a scream.

It was a body.

A teenager’s body. He had silky black hair and wore a ripped gray hoodie. His shoes were worn out, and his pants were torn. He had slash marks on the brown shirt he was wearing underneath the hoodie. Dried blood was all over his shirt and the inside of his hoodie. The boy was lying on his back, on the cracked floor that had his blood all over it.

The boy was dead--there was no doubt about it. His eyes were open but lifeless, his body motionless, and when Garmadon grabbed his wrist, the man realized that the boy had no pulse, along with the slash marks and blood. He was really, truly, dead. Tears rolled down Misako’s face. “Is it him? Is our son dead? Garmadon, is it him?!” Misako’s cries turned hysterically, all while screaming, “Is he dead?! Is our son dead ?!” Finally, Garmadon rose. 

“I’m not sure, but there doesn't appear to be anyone else here. We've checked all the floors.” This only made Misako cry even harder, if that was possible. Garmadon took his wife’s hand, and, without any hesitation, led them out of the apartment while Misako continued to scream and cry, “He’s dead! My son is dead! My baby ! He’s dead! He’s dead !”

“Misako, get a hold of yourself! We're going to the police--we’ll get justice for our boy, do you hear me ?” Garmadon’s tone wasn't angry, but Misako knew it was the most logical thing to do. But before anything else could happen, a voice startled them.

“You're not going anywhere.”

Suddenly, ropes bound them and they were dragged back into the apartment. The door slammed.

“It's nice to finally meet the parents of the master assassin. Oh--what’s wrong, Garmadon? Misako? Oh come on, don't be like that. Aren't you happy to see an old friend?”

Chapter Text

“FIRST THE KID, AND NOW the parents. Typical.” The Commissioner muttered, taking a swig of coffee as he struggled to perfect the brush strokes on his model boat. The door burst open and, caught by surprise, the paint went everywhere . “Oh, dang it, Jimmy! Haven't I always told you to knock?” Commissioner groaned, looking at what seemed like the millionth attempt to finish the model boat. “What is it, Jimmy? Hurry up.”

“Sir, we found a clue to where the parents might be. Can we send a team to explore this apartment?” Jimmy asked.

“If you've got the required amount of info needed, go for it.”

“Thank you, sir! I won't let you down, sir! I mean, we won't let you down, sir! We’ll find them and bring them home, sir! We--”

“Just GO already!” Commissioner sighed. The door slammed shut. The phone rang, and the brush jumped out of the man’s hand. With a frustrated sigh, the Commissioner picked up the phone. “Hello, this is the police Commissioner speaking. How may I assist you?”

The reply was bizarre.

…

NINJAGO CITY WAS IN A panic. The large group of missing children had been bad enough, but now two parents of a missing child had gone missing as well. And to make matters worse, the police force was dropping like flies--one by one, officer after officer would receive a strange phone call. They’d trace the location, arrive at the area, and mysteriously disappear. For some reason, they wouldn't tell anyone where they were going. And then it would be too late.

And Renegade had a feeling about who was behind this. He was also the only one who could get into the room--he had a key. 

And with that, he ran to Wu, explained everything, and put his plan into motion.

“This isn't a good idea. I can tell, Master.” Cole said. “And I thought Zane was the one with sixth sense,” Renegade said with a humorless laugh. Cole shot him a dirty look, and continued. “We could get caught. Also, how are we supposed to get in?”

“I have a key,” Renegade snapped, holding it up. As the Bounty-- they had a flying pirate ship!! --got closer to the league’s building, Renegade felt sick. What would G say when she saw him with their sworn enemies? The breeze and the thought made him shiver. 

He couldn't face her.

Or… no. Best not to think about it. How all this had started. There was no need. He could keep a secret.

Probably.

Maybe.

Okay, so maybe he wasn't entirely certain. But it's not like they’d ever find out the truth, right? But…how would G react?

But maybe this was a sign. He would stop the Overlord with whatever he could. This would get the Ninja to trust him. Then he could tell them.

Maybe.

Just maybe . 

Renegade led the Ninja inside through the vent system. Thank goodness the boys all landed softly. Kai then crept over and tapped a guard on his shoulder--and then knocked him out. Swift, silent, but also deadly.

Renegade had to learn that trick.

As quietly as possible, the 14-year-old crept toward the room where, the last time he’d been there, had been beaten. He unlocked the door and motioned for the Ninja to follow as he began to creep inside. But then--

“Renegade?”

Said boy gasped and turned around. 49 was standing there, staring with her mouth wide open.

“They said you were dead,” she breathed. “Dead for committing treason. How…how are you even here?” 49’s gaze was piercing. How many times, as a child, had he wished --no, yearned , for the brown-haired girl to look at him in this manner? With admiration and not disgust like it always was?

Had his childhood crush grown so much to the point that he couldn't even speak in front of her? 

“Renegade,” Kai’s quiet voice broke him out of his thoughts. “Who is this girl?”

My childhood crush , he wanted to say, but instead said, “One of my roommates, 49.”

“Ooh, someone’s in love !” Jay whisper-squealed. “ Shut up !” Renegade hissed. How did he know? Renegade wondered. “Do you want her to hear?”

“Oh, wow . I knew G was hiding something. Wait till I tell her! I can't wait to rub it in her face!” 49 cheered.

“Why do you always try to prove that you're better than G in front of me? It's annoyed me my whole life!” Renegade yelled, only to clap a hand over his mouth. His voice echoed throughout the halls. The Ninja gave him looks that could probably kill. 

49 glared at him. “He was right!” she cried. “You are a traitor! And to think I used to…” her voice trailed off. Renegade was shocked. “What did he tell you all?” He asked.

“Nothing much, only that you're a traitor and you should be kidnapped and brought to him… on sight .” 49 snapped her fingers, and two dozen guards burst into the room, weapons drawn. 

“Capture Renegade and kill the intruders,” she said calmly, shooting Renegade a look. The guards surrounded the boys, swords pointed at their throats, but then--

“STOP! She’s lying!”

G burst into the room, panting, sweat beading her body. “She’s lying. Renegade isn't a traitor--the boss is. And so is 49. Everyone here has been brainwashed by the Overlord! Don't believe anything this girl says, because the truth is, we've all been taken from our families! We've all been kidnapped! We--”

“Enough! Shut up , 33.” 49 walked up to G, waited a couple seconds, and then her fist swung under G’s chin, as she tried to upper-cut her--but G blocked it, sweeping 49 off her feet, and then placed her foot on 49’s chest. Then she grinned and said, “Pinned.” 49 looked scandalized.

“I taught her that,” Renegade whispered, grinning. But there was one more question at the back of his mind. He opened his mouth, when Cole interrupted. 

“Okay, question. How did you and G meet?” Cole asked, interrupting his thoughts. Renegade smiled at the memory. “It's a long story.”

“I think we have time.” Kai said with a grin as their hands were cuffed and they were all walked to a cell. Jay gave him an encouraging nod.

Renegade took a last look at G and, as the door slammed, leaving the boys in darkness, Renegade began his tale.

No.

Their tale.

Chapter Text

8 years ago…

“MOVE IT, KID. COME on.” The guard shoved Renegade roughly into the room and shut the door. Renegade looked around and saw three beds on the left side. Three kids were already there. Renegade didn't need to be a genius to realize that he wasn't sleeping there. On the right side, however, there were two beds stacked on top of each other--and a girl was at the top of it. Hesitantly, Renegade sat down on the bottom bed and set his bag down. Then a voice spoke, startling him.

“Are you new? I've never seen you before.” The girl said as half of her body dangled from the bed. 

“Um… I've been here for a while, actually,” Renegade said. “I didn't realize there were other people my age.” 

“What's your number?” She asked. “I'm 33.”

Renegade had to think. What was the number that had been printed in black letters on his tag? He dug through his bag and pulled out his tag. “Um, 55.”

“You haven't memorized your number? That's weird, ‘cause everyone has memorized their number. How come you don't know it? Oh, wait-- I'm sorry, I'm asking way too many questions.” The girl paused. “It's ok. But the thing is, they never called me by a number. They always called me Renegade.”

The girl let out a loud gasp. “You're Renegade? The Renegade? Oh my gosh! Guys! Guys! The Renegade is our roommate! Can you believe it!” She squealed.

“Oh shut up, 33. That's obviously not true.” A girl said. Her number tag read 49 . “I'm not lying!” 33 yelled. 

“Fine, then prove it.” 49 walked up towards Renegade, and he felt something… strange . He couldn't explain it. So to prove it, he walked over and swept his leg underneath her legs. She shrieked as she went down. 33 grinned. “See? He can fight. Now do you believe me?” 49 just glared at 33. “Oh shut up, you big baby,” she said as she walked over and pulled on 33’s hair, making the raven-haired girl scream in pain. 33 lunged, but 49 jumped back. Renegade intervened, separating the fighting girls as they continued to struggle against his grip like two wild animals. Suddenly, they heard an unfamiliar sound. Something hit the walls at a constant speed, and when they turned to the window, water was falling from the sky and onto the window. 33 looked drained as she collapsed on the lower bed, breathing heavily. 49 whispered, loud enough for only Renegade to hear, “ Weakling baby .” Renegade sat down next to 33. “Are you okay?” He asked. 33 sniffed and wiped away a tear. “Yeah… I just really hate when 49 does this kind of stuff to me. She's mean.” 

“How about we get back at her? Everyone hates spiders, right? We can get some from that old closet.” It was risky, but 33 agreed nevertheless.

So that night, 33 and Renegade snuck into the room with the closet. “Shh,” Renegade whispered. “What did you call me?” 33 asked, mishearing. “G?”

Renegade just stared, and then grinned. “Why not?” He asked, as 33 smiled and said, “You're calling me that from now on--when it's just us, of course.”

Renegade’s grin became wider. “Deal.” 

As the two partners in crime lay in their bed, they relished in 49’s screams as she yelled at 22 and 23 to get the spiders off her. 22 and 23, who were twins but looked the exact opposite, struggled as they began picking up the creepy crawlies. The black-haired boy yelled, “22, get help!” The girl wasted no time in running out of the room. Renegade and G, as he called her now, had to stifle their giggles. “This was awesome . Thanks, Renegade.” There was a small silence, and G continued with, “You're a great friend.”

“You're welcome, and thanks.”

“You're welcome.”

With that, both rolled over and fell asleep, smiling at their new friendship that had just been created.

Chapter Text

“SO HOW DID THE fire start?” Renegade asked as the boys sat in their cell.

“Well… I might've… it was an accident , I swear!--forgot to turn the stove off when Zane asked me to,” Jay said sheepishly.

“That was not a suggestion, Jay.” Zane said. 

“Ok, ok, I’m sorry!” Jay said, his cheeks turning red from embarrassment. Renegade couldn't help but laugh.

“Oh, by the way. Do you know who’s phone this is?” Renegade asked as he pulled out the rectangular object out of his pocket. 

Kai gave him a look that he couldn't decipher. “Why did you steal someone’s phone?”

“I didn't. I just found it.” 

“I don't know who it belongs to.” Kai clicked the little button at the bottom. “And, it's dead.”

Renegade sighed. He’d had this thing for so long but still didn't know how to return it. It was a little annoying.

It had been 2 hours since they had been in the cell. Kai and Cole were trying to find a way to escape.

“So...” Jay said, trying to change the subject. “How is the escape plan going?”

“Vengestone,” said Cole. “It always has to be vengestone.”

“Bummer,” Jay replied. 

“According to my calculations,” Zane said, “We cannot escape these bars unless we are let out, so there is no use wasting your energy.” 

“ Really? ” Kai exclaimed. “You couldn't have told us before we started looking?!” he groaned. “My apologies, I assumed you knew,” Zane replied.

Renegade sighed--and then noticed the keyhole. A half finished plan began forming, and he picked up the key and, without another thought, slid it in and turned. There was a satisfying click as the lock opened, and Renegade pushed open the door. When he turned, he saw the Ninja staring at him with their mouths open like fish. Renegade grinned and held up the key. “Guess he never thought what would happen if he shoved me in a cage,” Renegade said with a grin as he strolled out--

Only to be met by more than a dozen guards glaring at him.

The instinct was instant. Somehow Renegade had the time to bellow, “RUN!” as he took off, checking to see if the others were behind him, which they were. And then somehow, Renegade was in the zone as he gave directions to where to go. He led the Ninjas through different areas, only to lead right back where they had started--the boss’s office. The teens raced inside and Renegade locked the door, panting.

“Hey.”

Renegade looked up to see Cole looking down at him. “Nice job back there.”

“What do you mean?”

“You led us. You gave directions and everything, and the guys--they listened . They trust you. And as a matter of fact, so do I.”

Renegade’s heart swelled at the Black Ninja’s words. Suddenly, Renegade began thinking. These Ninja weren't as bad as he had been taught. Maybe, just maybe, the Ninja were right? Had he been on the wrong side this whole time?

“Hey, guys? I think I found something,” Jay said. “Look. There’s a button on the floor. Wanna press it?” He asked.

“I'm not so sure that's a good idea,” Kai advised him. “We always get bad luck from push--”

Too late. Jay had clicked the button with his foot and jumped back, but the entire floor opened, causing them all to fall into the strange cellar. Kai looked at Jay and groaned, “I told you not to, and what did you do? The exact opposite of what I said!” Jay stuck his tongue out at Kai. 

“Guys, look.” Cole said as he and Zane got up to investigate the area. What Renegade saw made his fists clench and his blood run cold.

Bodies .

And they were all people Renegade recognized.

He had memorized their numbers. 43, 27, 82, 79, and even one of his former roommates, 22. Renegade gasped audibly. The guards had told them that she had been moved to another room! But they had lied, because here she was, in a cage, her eyes open and lifeless.

Renegade breathed hard. 

The last thing he wanted was to end up like them. “Guys,” he said, “How are we going to get out of here?” 

“I… don’t know.” Zane replied. 

The room was silent. It seemed as if everyone were thinking, “If Zane doesn’t know, we’re doomed.”

Even Jay did not dare to say a word. 

“Pssst,” a voice called. “What was that?” Cole asked. “Show yourself!”

“Pssst,” the sound came again. This time, everyone came into a circle position, shoulders together, ready for anything. “Psssst…”

Suddenly, a little girl with white hair emerged from the shadows. She appeared to be holding a ninja-doll. 

She turned to Renegade. “The Overlord…” She paused, her face forming into a smirk. “He knows you’re here.” She chuckled. “He’s coming… the real him. He wanted you to know he’s going to personally end you.” Renegade froze in fear. Kai, looking at his friend as realizing what was going on, questioned, “Who do you think you are?!” 

“My name…” She paused. 

“Is Harumi.” 

Chapter Text

HARUMI DISAPPEARED. Renegade was still frozen in shock, as well as fear. The real him? I’ve never even seen him before! Renegade didn’t know what to expect, and the more he thought about it, the faster his heart beat.

“Ok, let's forget about that creepy kid and return to the escape plan,” Jay suggested. “No, let's not think about that kid and get back to the plan,” Cole corrected. “Yeah, good idea Cole,” Kai agreed. “Hey! How come it’s a good idea when he says it but not when I do!” Jay accused. “It just is,” Kai responded. 

“Guys, enough! Harumi said the Overlord– of all people–is coming, so instead of squabbling we should prepare for our–hmm, I don’t know– complete destruction! ” Renegade snapped. “ Your destruction…” Jay mumbled, as Cole nudged his shoulder. “He’s right,” Cole said. “But first we have to get out of this place.”    

“Hey, guys! Over here!” A familiar sound called. The voice called from behind a pile of bodies. The ninja immediately leaped over there, but Renegade followed slowly, examining each body, hoping for even the smallest sign of life. There wasn’t any. 

As the  boys reached the voice, Renegade realized it was none other than… 

“49,” Renegade stated. To the left of her was a door. She opened it. “You… helped us? Why?” 

“I… I just don’t get it. All my life I was told the ninja were bad people, and everyone like them were the same. But looking back at the past, the only thing that seemed evil was… the Overlord. I know because I swiped a rectangular object from someone and saw all the videos about the Ninja, but they were helping people, not hurting them.. Not the way we've been taught. G was right--we've been brainwashed.”

“Th-thank you.” Renegade said, as the Ninja ran out the door.
“I hope I won’t regret this.”

“You won't. Trust me.” 49 smiled at him, making his heart race and his cheeks go pink.

“Wait,” he called to her before he too left out the door. “Where is G?”                          

“Pray you never find out,” she said coldly.             

Confused, surprised, and a little fearful for G, Renegade thanked her once more and left. 

The boys walked through the door and entered into a large room that Renegade had never seen before. All of a sudden, large tentacles appeared and grabbed the boys. 

“ YOU REALLY THOUGHT YOU WOULD WIN THIS?! WELL, UNFORTUNATELY FOR YOU, YOU WON’T. ” The Overlord’s voice echoed through the room. “ WHAT BATTLE ARE YOU TRYING TO WIN HERE ANYWAY? ”

“You've brainwashed all these people! They deserve to be freed! Like I was!” Renegade yelled. The tentacle squeezed him harder. Then, a voice yelled, “STOP!” 

It was Garmadon! He and Misako stood there, weapons in hand, and seemed very angry . 

“Let. Our. Son. Go .” Garmadon growled through gritted teeth. He was already mad enough about getting captured by that idiot boy. Escaping Morro had been the least of his worries. He and Misako had simply slipped out the front door.

Renegade’s mind swirled. Son? Who did they mean? The guys aren't his sons, so…

It hit him. Renegade couldn't believe he hadn't considered it before! Garmadon and him did share a striking resemblance, but he hadn't expected this!

As the Overlord grabbed the couple with one of his many tentacles, he turned to Renegade and said, “ YOU HAVE A CHOICE NOW. YOU CAN SAVE YOUR FAMILY, OR YOU CAN SAVE YOUR FRIEND. YOUR CHOICE. ”

Renegade resisted the urge to scream, They're all my family! But instead said nothing. He only shook his head.

“ LOOKS LIKE YOU’VE CHOSEN. ”

Wait. What?

Renegade’s head snapped upwards. But before he could protest, the Overlord slipped Renegade’s knife out of his pocket and two large doors opened simultaneously. G was pulled inside, struggling and putting up quite a good fight, but was still held down. The Overlord grinned.

“ OH, THIS WILL BE FUN. ”

And then, the Overlord threw the knife, and everyone in the room could only watch as the weapon flew towards the girl.

“ NO!” Renegade screamed.

At the sound, G looked up--but not quick enough. She gasped--with relief, because the knife had landed at her feet.

He had missed.

G picked up the knife--and instantly dropped it as she collapsed onto the guards, who made no move to catch her as she fell to the ground. The boys could only watch in horror as what they could only call dark magic consumed G completely, killing her--for good.

After reading those books on dark magic, he knew she was dead.

Anger surged through Renegade. This was supposed to be his happy ending, with his parents and G being his best friend forever, but it wasn't going to happen, was it? All of a sudden, green energy sparked on his fingertips as he grew angrier and angrier.

“ You killed her. ”

The Overlord looked up from his masterpiece and towards the boy. “ YES. I DID. BUT WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? YOU CAN’T KILL ME--I’M TOO POWERFUL, AND BESIDES, YOU’RE TOO WEAK TO KILL ANYONE. ”

“That’s a good thing!” Kai yelled, but a tentacle wrapped around his mouth.

Renegade opened his mouth to respond, but what came out was a scream as he closed his eyes--and if he had opened them, he would've seen the Overlord’s look of panic flashing across his face, he would've seen the look of shock and knowing in the Ninja and the couple’s eyes, he would've seen Wu entering the cavern, he would've seen the Overlord slowly growing weaker from the power that Renegade didn't even know he was unleashing, he would've seen the Overlord becoming nothing but dust as the guards ran away in terror, but it wasn't the noise that made him open his eyes, it was the fact that he hit the floor after the tentacles vanished, and then the events flowed into his head like a river, and he remembered what had happened and he got to his feet and ran, right towards his sister.

As he approached, he knew, without even checking, that G was dead. The gaping wound in her chest and the blood loss and the fact that her eyes were open and lifeless were all the clues Renegade needed. He didn't even have the strength in him to cry.

“He’s in shock,” Wu whispered as the boys approached. Cole placed a gentle hand on the youngest boy’s shoulder and said softly, “I’m so sorry. And I think I speak for all of us when I say that.” 

Renegade said nothing. Kai spoke up and said, “We should head back to the Bounty.”

The ride back to the monastery was silent with grief. Kai had finally had enough of it. He pulled out the papers and after a silent debate, dragged Renegade down to the lower deck. 

“What are you doing?” Renegade asked as he watched. Kai looked at the two papers and then handed one to him. “Here. Take a look at this.”

Renegade scanned the paper. The name at the top said, Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon .

“Who…who is this?” Renegade asked, his throat dry.

“It's you.” Kai responded. “Well, your real name and legal info and all that, like who your parents are and if you have any biological siblings or something… oh dang it, I'm starting to ramble like Jay. Sorry.” Kai fell silent as Renegade read over the paper. He didn't have any siblings, his parents were Garmadon and Misako, his uncle was Wu-- how had he not made the connection !-- and he was fourteen years old. His hands shook. So he was Garmadon and Misako’s missing son. Renegade then noticed the other paper in Kai’s hand. “What’s that?”

“Huh? Oh, that’s G’s, if you wanna see it…” the red-clad boy’s voice trailed off. Renegade took the paper from him and began reading.

Name: Nya Smith

DOB: Aug 23, 2006

Parents: Ray Smith (father) and Maya Smith (mother)

Siblings: 1 

Name of Siblings, if any: Kai Smith

Other relatives: Madison (aunt)

Renegade stopped reading midway through. “You're G--sorry, Nya’s brother?” Renegade’s mind was a whirlwind.

“Yep.” Kai said simply. “At least I got to meet her once before she… you know.” Kai began to leave.

“Wait!”

Kai turned.

“Thank you. Also, where did you get these?”

Kai grinned and leaned in like he was about to tell the boy a big secret. Maybe he was.

“Nicked ‘em from 49. She had these in her pocket. I snatched ‘em when she wasn't looking. And you're welcome.” Kai winked and walked up the stairs back to the upper deck. “We’ll see you when you're ready to talk to us.”

“Okay,” Renegade said quietly as Kai left him alone in the room. 

The whole gang finally reached the monastery. Thank goodness they left Renegade alone. He didn't think he could handle anyone feeling sorry for him right now. Everyone headed inside, shooting worried looks at Renegade as they passed. When everyone had finally gone inside and the sound of their footsteps had disappeared completely, Renegade finally sat down on the steps and let himself cry.

Chapter Text

“HEY, LLOYD!” A VOICE called. “Wanna play video games with us?”

Renegade looked up. He was still getting used to the fact that his name was Lloyd , and not Renegade . Everything was so surreal. He saw Jay waving over to him.

“Some other time, maybe. Thanks!” Renegade called back as he raced out the door.

As he raced to the park he’d gone with Wu all those weeks ago, he thought about how this had all started and felt a shiver run down his spine. 

And then he happened to smash right into his father.

“Sorry,” Renegade mumbled as he looked up at the gray-haired man, who smiled kindly. “It’s all right. Do you mind if we walk together? I've been meaning to speak to you.”

“Sure.” Renegade said as they began walking. “When do you plan to start going by your real name?” Garmadon asked. Renegade shrugged. “Whenever it appeals to me.”

“Well, I guess that makes sense. Also, Lloyd, a couple more things. Can you explain the green energy?”

Renegade blinked in surprise. “I only saw it for a couple seconds. I know it sounds silly, but I was a little too busy screaming to see what was going on.” 

Garmadon sighed. “You really don't know?”

The boy shook his head. “Nope,” he said, popping the ‘p’. “Sorry I couldn't be of more help.”

“It's alright. But I am still curious. Perhaps we could solve this little mystery together?”

As father and son were the words left unsaid. “Sure,” Renegade said, smiling. “Let's do it.”

The police Commissioner woke with a start in the middle of the city, his eyes wide with fear. He stood up and gathered himself, watching as other officers got to their feet and looked around, all asking the same question.

“What just happened?”

As time passed, Renegade found himself coping. He talked more, he hung out and played games more, and on the outside it seemed like he had forgotten about G's death altogether. But he hadn't. Every night, he’d be haunted with dreams of how it had happened. Sometimes he woke up feeling like that black tentacle was still wrapped around him, making it hard to breathe. 

After waking up from a horrifying version of his daily nightmare, it hit him--the only way to stop these nightmares was to accept it . Which meant he’d have to accept his name, too.

So the next morning when Cole called him for breakfast, Renegade told him, “Call me Lloyd from now on.”

The Ninja were shocked, and so were his parents and uncle. Lloyd smiled, knowing that G--no, Nya , would have been proud.

The next morning, he was awoken by another nightmare. He sat up, shaking, his heart pounding. This dream has been different. After the normal nightmare, a bright blue diamond had appeared in front of him…

And then exploded, right onto his face. Lloyd had to feel his face to make sure it wasn't cut or anything. It wasn't. He sighed and looked out onto the thunderstorm that had settled during the middle of the night. For a couple of moments, Lloyd thought he heard a voice whispering in the wind, telling him that something bad was going to happen. Lloyd ignored it. It made no sense.

An alarm blared suddenly, startling the other boys out of their sleep. Cole somehow managed to yell, “Whoever’s closest, shut it off!” And Kai obliged, hitting the alarm with such force Lloyd wouldn't have been surprised if it had broken.

(Spoiler: it didn't.)

“Alright, let's go. Up and at 'em, boys! I know Monday is the worst day of the week and probably the planet too. I hate it just as much as you do, but the sooner we get this over with, the better.”

“You're not helping. You realize we still have to go there for four more days after that, right?” Jay asked Cole, who had been giving the pep talk.

Lloyd looked at them. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Oh, we're just going to school,” Zane said, like it was the most normal thing in the world. It probably was.

“Do you want to come with us?” Kai asked. Lloyd shook his head. “Alright,” he said. The others walked out, talking amongst themselves.

Lloyd pulled out his biography paper and began reading it, even though he'd memorized it. It said:

Name: Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon 

DOB: Sep 16, 2007

Parents: Garmadon (father) and Misako (mother)

Siblings: None

Other relatives: Wu (uncle)

Lloyd sighed and exited the room just in time to see the Ninja run out the door with backpacks on, yelling something about a bus. And with that, they had left.

As the day progressed, Lloyd found himself becoming extremely bored. So bored, in fact, he was starting to wish he had gone with them to school, whatever that was. Lloyd stared outside the window at the pouring rain, mesmerized by the drops that splattered against the glass. It reminded Lloyd of when Nya had first realized that she had powers. It had started like this--nothing but drops on glass.

Finally, Lloyd tore his gaze away from the window and went to find his mother.

“When will the Ninja get back?” Lloyd asked as he wandered into the kitchen, where Misako was reading a book. She checked her watch. “In an hour, sweetie.” Lloyd sighed. Misako then said, “And be careful calling them the Ninja when you're out in public. They have secret identities, so no one knows who they are and they can try to lead normal lives. It's more like a double life, but they still get their education and that’s what matters.”

Lloyd nodded, absorbing all the new information. Suddenly, he caught sight of the book his mother was reading. He walked over and saw the picture on the page.

It was a bright blue diamond.

The same one he'd seen in his nightmare.

Lloyd’s eyes widened as he recalled his dream. “So,” he said, “What is that gem supposed to be?” 

Misako looked up from her book and smiled. “Well, it’s very interesting. It is said that this very gem was a very prized item by many important people. It seems to have special powers, but since no one has used it, no one knows what those are, therefore making it all the more precious and rare.”

I know… Lloyd thought. Though he urged to, he didn’t dare to tell her about his dream.  

Later, the ninja returned from school, all arguing about something. “No, x wasn’t 12, it was 13 you knucklehead!” Jay exclaimed. “Then why didn’t you tell that to Mr. Mcfarland?” Kai protested. “Why me? Why do I always have to do all the work?” Jay whined. “Because you are the only one who seems the least bit concerned!” 

“ Ahem, ” Misako gestured to the ninja to sit at the table. “I hope your studies are going well,” She said, pouring everyone some tea. “They are for some of us,” Cole said, who was failing in science. “I’m doing pretty good,” Jay lied, who was really failing in math. (And by the way, x was 12.) “My scores are higher than the moon!” Kai exclaimed, who was actually failing in ELA. “Yes, we are all doing exceptionally well.” said Zane, who had A’s in every subject. 

Lloyd was much too confused to pay attention. He was too focused on that gem. 

What is it? Is it dangerous? How did it end up in my dream and in reality? Lloyd had so many questions, but not any answers. 

“Hey, Lloyd! Llooooyd? Are you listening? !” Kai called, making him lose his line of thoughts. “Guess who just got accepted to our school! You! You’re going to our school now!”

Lloyd couldn't help it. A wide grin stretched over his face. Finally, maybe he could belong!

As night fell, Lloyd realized he couldn't sleep. Throwing off the covers, he walked outside. A few minutes later, he was surprised when Kai, Jay, Zane and Cole joined him on the steps. They sat in silence for a while, occupied with their thoughts, but finally Kai broke the silence.

“So… I hope everyone’s doing okay…” It was a lame attempt to break the ice. Lloyd smiled. “I’m okay,” he said with a smile. “I mean, I’m coping, so yeah.”

The four smiled reassuringly at him. “You’ll be fine, buddy. We've all gone through this. My mom died when I was a kid, Kai lost his parents and sister, Zane has no idea where his dad is, and Jay’s adopted and knows zilch about his birth parents.”

 Kai, Zane, and Jay glared at Cole, giving him the most obvious bruh look, probably for revealing personal information. Cole smiled apologetically.

“I guess what I'm trying to say is, we’re here for you. Things will be okay.” Cole said, assuringly. 

Lloyd felt a wide grin tugging on his lips. He had never expected this to happen. To be friends with the people he’d been taught to hate. 

“Yeah,” Lloyd said with a smile. “Things will be okay.”

Chapter Text

THE OVERLORD WAS not dead. Not yet. He was just hanging on. He struggled to piece himself back together. He couldn't believe it. He had almost fallen at the hands of one of his soldiers. A child!  

But wait. He had almost fallen. Almost. 

And that little word made all the difference.

The Overlord spotted the dead girl’s body lying to the side.

Perfect. 

The Overlord made his way forward, and once he reached, he put himself into the girl. The way he saw it, it was a win–win. The girl would live again, and he would carry out his plan. He could hear the girl, screaming at him to release her, but the Overlord blocked out her voice. Then he stood and began walking, the dark magic from earlier only fueling him. He grinned. His revenge was so close. He could smell it.

“ Finally. ”