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Chapter Text

"I am betting two hundred on this game!" a well known call is announced to the bar. A group of men in their late twenty's and early thirty's are standing around the pool table, huffing out laughter as they hear what the old man had to say. "If anyone can beat my son in a game of pool, I will personally write a check for two hundred dollars. But, if my son wins, you owe us the money." The man hissed. 

Another man, around the age of twenty eight cracked a grin, "Alright, I'll play your game." he said to the man, "Hope you have that kind of cash. I haven't lost a game in over a year." 

"Oh my," The old man shook his head, "However will my son beat you?" He turned around gesturing for a young boy to step forward. 

This boy had a mop of blonde hair on his head. He did not stand much higher than 5'5 and had dull green eyes. He looked like a kid, like he might be too young to be in a bar. The old man clasped a hand over his sons shoulder, "This is my boy, Lynn. Beat him and I will pay you." Lynn looked to the man, reaching out a hand to shake. 

The man let out a full blown laugh, the rest of the bar chiming in, "This? This kid right here is going to beat me?" He asked, amused. Lynn dropped his hand immediately, his eyes hardening. The man caught his breath, reaching for a pool stick, "Okay then. Let's play some pool." 

The old man pulled his son closer to him, whispering in his ear, "Win this for me Lloyd, and we will be set for the rest of the week." He said it so quietly that no one else could hear him. Lynn- aka Lloyd, slightly turned his chin downwards, showing he understood. He could not let his father down. He was going to win. 

~

Detective Walker sighed, rubbing the side of his head. Dark circles were staring to form right under his eyes. He  was beyond tired at this point. He had been taking extra hours to try and solve this case that the force has been on for months now, and nothing was making sense. He leaned back in the chair, blankly staring at the pictures in front of him. The same ones he had been looking at for hours. None of them added up. Stolen wallets, missing eight balls from pool tables at the local bars, random strangers that were never seen again after those nights, and lastly, a crime scene where a recent murder had taken place. 

It was a local banker who had gone to the bar one night. Whiteness say that he challenged a younger man, who almost appeared like a kid to a game of pool. However, the banker had a lot to drink that night. When he lost the game and refused to pay the boy for the bet, an older man took him for a walk outside. The older man and the kid were never seen again. The only proof of them even existing was a picture from the security footage that was rather blurry. The kid had dark brown hair, and looked rather short. The bar tenders swear his ID said twenty one, and promised they would never let an actual kid in. The police force believed them, but when they asked about the older man, they didn't know much on him. Only that he had ordered a corona about every hour.    

Detective Walker, aka Jay, looked away from the pictures, and turned to his partner, Detective Julian. "Hey Zane? Do you got anything?" He asked. 

Zane sighed, shaking his head, "I am afraid not. I have been reviewing the answers that the people from the bar that night said, and nothing is adding up. They said that the boys name was Layton, but never gave a last time. The older man was said to be Layton's father who was betting on his sons pool game. No one knew the mans first name. He never gave a name to anyone for that matter. I have been looking through every file, every record, everything we have access to about all the Ninjago citizens and no Layton matches the description of the one saw that night." He explained.

Jay leaned his head back, "And no one has seen anyone that looks like the older man, or Layton's dad. It is as if they never existed." He chimed in.

Just after Jay was done with his thought, officers Smith and Brookestone knocked on the door, letting themselves in, "Mind is we interrupt?" Officer Smith asked. 

"Like how you interrupted my honeymoon?" Jay joked since he was married to Officer Smiths sister, "Whats up?"

"We got some news about this weird case," Kai  started, "This is the first time someone was reported dead from one of these incidents, but this isn't the first time this situation has happened. Apparently there has been this younger guy, probably a kid lying about his age coming into bars and betting on pool games. He has never lost a game and keeps winning." He said. 

Cole nodded his head, "Yeah, I was talking to one of my buddies who works at the bar on the other street, he said this twenty one year old cleared everyone of their cash and that a man who claimed to be his father was setting the bets." he explained, "Its been going on at almost every bar in the city! It sounds almost identical to this case. However, the names never match up to the ones before."

Jay shrugged, "Okay? So they change their names, what's so weird about that?"

"The weird part is that they look different too. Not just hair color or eye color, but their faces look different too."

~

"You look rather young to be in a bar, Lynn." The man said, rubbing some more chalk on his stick, "Did you lie? Get a fake ID?"

Lloyd shrugged, "Maybe I just look young," He snapped, hitting the five ball into a pocket, "Not all of us lose our hair before we are thirty."

The mans amused look on his face dropped, "So, you think your smart huh?"

"Yeah actually," Lloyd said, "And I think you are dumb. No offense. How long is your winning streak again?" He looked up to the man for a split second before planning his next move.

As another ball sunk into another pocket, the man folded his arms across his chest, ready to defend himself, "A year and a half."

Lloyd huffed, "Really? A whole eighteen months?" He striked again, this time the ball not falling into a pocket, "Your parents must be super proud of you."

The man lined up his pool stick with the ball, hitting it. He made only one more ball, smirking, "It seems like your old man is very proud of you. Betting a little over a weeks worth of groceries for a family of four on his sons game of pool." He looked back over to Lloyds father who was sitting in the corner with an open bottle of corona, watching carefully. 

Two two of them were at it for a bit longer, people circling around to watch the game. When it was Lloyds last turn, and the eight ball landed in the side-wall just as planned, the man about threw a fit. He dropped his stick, gasping, "What? How?" He cried. 

Lloyd reached into the pocket, pulling out the eight ball, "You said you haven't lost in a year and a half? Well I haven't lost my entire life."

Lloyd's father ran over to him, patting his son on the back, "Thats my boy!" He cheered, "Time to pay up!" He eyed the man. The man was hesitant at first, but pulled out his wallet, handing over a wad of cash. Lloyd's father let out a cheer again, flipping through the money, "Come on son! Dinner is on you tonight!" He slung his arm around Lloyd's neck, leading him out of the bar. 

Once the two of them had walked far enough away from the bar, Lloyd relaxed. His hair turned a darker shade of blonde, his green eyes turning to their natural red. His face softened back to its normal look. His fathers disguise had dissolved as well, going back to his old oni looking self. He was still cheering about the money they had just won. Lloyd was not cheering. He wins every game of pool that his father had made him play. This was not new. But another two hundred meant more beer for Garmadon, so that was something for his father to cheer about. They entered their run down apartment. Trash was all over the floor and half drank beers on every surface. Lloyd kicked an empty pizza box aside, allowing them to enter their home. 

Lloyd sat on the couch, pulling the eight ball he took from out of his pocket. He looked it over, then opening a drawer to an end table by the couch and stuffing it in there with the others. 

"I am thinking we bet five next time, "garmadon said, pulling out another beer and plopping next to his son, "The more money the better! Am I right!"

"Yeah," Lloyd nodded his head, "And you did not have to kill anyone for it this time."

Garmadon swatted Lloyd on the side of his head, "You know darn well that wasn't what was supposed to happen. The man was drunk, it was not my fault."

"You still killed him," Lloyd pointed out, "And it still makes me feel sick to think about."

"Well you better man up then," His father said, "Because that's life. You do what you gotta do to survive. You are lucky I kept you after your mother ran off like that. You could have died but I took you in, and I taught you how to use your oni abilities." 

Lloyd nodded his head, "I know." He was grateful for everything his father has done for him. He got him a roof over his head, food, water, he was alive because of him. 

"So, tomorrow night, we will bet five. You better come up with a new name and look." His father patted his shoulder, chugging down the bottle of corona. 

Lloyd nodded his head, "Will do."

Chapter Text

"I will bet five hundred on a round of pool! Anyone who can beat my son, I will write them a check! But if my son wins, you owe us!" A voice arose in the somewhat crowded bar. Officer Smith and Officer Brookestone's gaszes turned directly to the man. They had planned to go to every bar in the area tonight to try and spot the suspects, but luckily for them, they found them at the first bar. 

However, they could not go in and arrest them on the spot. They have no proof that these people are the same ones from the night of the murder. So, they were undercover. "Ill play him!" Kai offered, stepping up to the older looking man. "I will play your son."

The older man cracked a grin, "Good luck! Lyian! Come win some pool for your old man!" He called out to his son. 

The boy- Lyian, looked around 5'5, and had dark brown hair and green eyes. He looked pretty young, but he could pass as a newly twenty one year old. That's probably how they were getting in here. He might just been a teen with a more matured face, Kai thought. Kai held out his hand, "Nice to meet you Lyian, Im Kai." 

Lyian was a little taken aback at first when Kai offered to shake his hand, but he  reached out anyways and shook it, "Nice to meet you sir. How long have you been playing pool?" He asked, reaching for a pool stick. 

Kai shrugged, "I have known the game since high school, but I haven't played too much of it. I didn't know many people bet on pool games." He said, glancing back at Cole for a second, who was keeping an eye on Lyian's every move. "How about you? You must be pretty good if your father is willing to bet half a thousand dollars on this one game." He pointed out. 

After chalking the stick, Lyain shrugged, "I'm not bad. My father just likes to drink and see if he can win any money," He said simply, "I am shocked you took the bet. You just have five hundred in your pocket?" He glanced up at the disguised police officer. 

"It was my birthday the other week. My grandma sure likes to spoil her grandchildren." Kai lied. Even if he lost, he was not going to pay this boy any money. But how could he lose against a teenager? There is no way he could be that good? "You want to break?"

Lyian shrugged, "I can if you want me to, but you may regret it." He shot him a look. 

Kai nodded his head, "You break. Let's see how you do." He offered. 

The game went on for a while. Lyian's dad was watching in the corner of the bar, downing beer after beer. Kai decided that he could try to get information out of the kid while they played, so he began to ask questions. "So, how old are you? You look pretty young." 

"I turned twenty one last month. Im not a fan of drinking, but I get to play pool against other people than just my dad." He explained, "How about you? Let me guess, thirty?" he cocked an eyebrow, then hitting a ball into a pocket. 

Kai felt a little offended at first when being called thirty, but he shoved it aside, keeping his disguise strong, "I am actually twenty five," he corrected, "But you were close enough." He mumbled. 

Lyian snorted, shaking his head, "Sorry dude. I guessed pretty off." He missed the pocket, standing back so that Kai could get a good aim. 

Kai lined up his stick, trying to figure out where he was wanting to aim. "So, Lyian, you play pool at bars often?" he asked, hitting the ball.

Lyian shrugged, "Sometimes."

"Did you hear about that guy who died last week after a game of pool?" Kai hit the next ball, it landed right into the pocket. Kai stood up straight, looking right into Lyian's eyes. 

Lyain swallowed, his green eyes turning a slight shade of blue before the normal green they had been . Kai took note of this. "Oh.. someone died? I don't think I heard of that. That's terrible though. I feel bad for whoever that was, and the family." He said, glancing at the pool table and not at Kai's eyes. 

Kai hummed, "It was on the news. Don't you watch the news?" he asked, lining up the stick again, this time missing the pocket. 

Lyain shook his head, "No.. I don't like the news." his words began to bunch together. Kai watched as his hands began to shake. He had him.

Kai also had him in the game. He was about to win against this kid, and maybe be the first person to. Getting him all nervous about the whole murder must mess with his game, right? 

Wrong.

Lyain got every single one of his balls in, and won the entire game. There was a cheer coming from the corner of the bar where Lyian's dad was sitting. "Hold on bud! Im coming!" He called to his son, trying to get off of the chair he had been relaxing in.

Lyain started to look at little sick. His hands were shaking like crazy. He reached into the pocket where the eight ball had just landed. He pulled it out, squeezing the ball slightly. Then, he looked up at Kai, "Goof game, sir." He said.

"Mind if I talk to you outside?" Kai asked, putting his hand on Lyian's shoulder. He just wanted to talk to the kid. He could see he was nervous. Maybe this kids father was putting him in this situation, and he didn't want to be in it. Kai could help him. Kai could save him, "Just for a moment? And then I will pay your father." He gave him a smile, tilting his head slightly. This gave a signal to Cole about what he was planning to do. 

Lyain only started to shake more, "Wh..what?" he breathed. 

"I just want to talk to you outside. Its pretty loud in here, and I just want to ask you a couple of questions." He explained. 

Lyain's head began to shake back and forth, "Uh.. no.. no sir." He said, trying to step away from Kai. 

Suddenly, Lyian's father was at his side. "What are you doing without your hand on my son?" He asked, his excitement had been dropped. 

Kai retracted his hand, "Sorry, sir, I was just congratulating your son on his win." he lied. He looked from the dad to the son, "Here, let me pay you." He dug into his coat pocket, pulling out a check. 

Lyain's dad shook his head, "Dont you have cash?" 

"I left all my cash at home, this is the best I can do for now," he looked from the check book to the father and son, "Is that okay?" he tilted his head again. 

The father coughed, "Uh.. cash would have been better but uh.. sure. Make it out to my son." he patted his sons back. 

Kai nodded his head, "Of course. How do you spell your name?" he grabbed a pen, clicking it. 

The boy coughed, "Uh.. L-Y-I-A-N." he spelled. 

"Ok thank you! And a last name?"

There were quiet for a moment. Kai new these were the people they had been looking for. 

"Grayson. I think you know how to spell that." His father cocked an eyebrow. 

Kai nodded his head, "Yes! Sorry!" He jotted down the name. He handed them the check. He then held out his hand to shake Lyain's again, "Good game."

Lyain was hesitant, but shook his hand, "You too."

He watched as the two of them left the bar. Cole came up to his coworker, looking at him funny, "So? What was all that about? I thought you were going to drag them outside so we could arrest them. You just let a murder go." He pointed out. 

Kaisighed, "I think its worse than we fear. That's not an adult, that is a child. And his father is using his talent at pool to get money. He acted all nervous when I brought up the murder, acted like he never heard of it. But, there is something else," He took a breath, pausing for a moment before saying: "I think they are both oni."

Chapter Text

When Cole and Kai barged into the office room back at the police force asking if they knew anything about Oni's, Jay and Zane were shocked. Oni were a myth in Ninjago. Well, not exactly a myth, but they were really rare to come across. 

"An Oni?" Zane repeated, turning into his laptop to Google the term, "I remember learning the basics of them in school, but I never knew too much about them." He said. 

"Why are we looking up stuff about Oni?" Jay questioned, crossing his arms and cocking an eyebrow at the two police officers, "We asked you to go undercover for a murder case, not to find a research project." He remarked. 

"Because I have reason to believe that these suspects are Oni, or at least part Oni. I also think we have a child in danger and we need to approach this differently than we originally thought," Kai explained, "Zane? What did you find?"

Zane began to read our loud: "It says here that Oni are demon like creatures who have the powers of destruction. They are also known for shape shifting."

Kai snapped his fingers as soon as Zane read out the word: shape shifting. "That. The kids eyes changed colors as soon as I started to question him for knowing anything about the murder. He got nervous. His eyes changed from green to blue. What human has eyes they change colors?" He questioned the room, obviously getting no answer. 

"But Oni are so rare," Cole pointed out, "How are we to be sure that this kid and his dad are actually Oni?"

Kai shrugged, "Because we cant find traces of a Layton anywhere, but can we find traces of a Lyain Grayson?" He asked, looking to Zane. 

Zane turned back to his computer, typing up the name, "This will take me a while to search through, but I will let you know once I find something."

~

"Damn check," Garmadon grumbled as he shoved it down in his pocket, "What a waste." Obviously, the two of them could not take it to the bank under the name of someone who doesn't even exist. It was obvious that Garmadon was more than mad about the situation. He had been cursing and kicking trash and stones the entire way home. 

Lloyd was in his head, however. His hands were shaking and his mind was racing. Who was that guy that he played against today? And why was he asking so much about the murder? Was it stupid of Lloyd to act like he hadn't even heard of the murder? Sure, it was on the news, but not everyone watches the news, right? 

Garmadon sighed, swinging open the door to the apartment, "Looks like we need to see the cash before we place our bets. Ill do two tomorrow." He grumbled, plopping down non the sofa. 

Lloyd pulled out the eight ball he stole. He looked at it, gulping. "Hey, uh. Maybe we don't go out tomorrow?" He suggested. 

Garmadon rose in his seat, sending a glare to his son from across the room, "What?" His voice was low. 

"Yeah uh.. That guy I was playing against was talking a lot about the guy you killed the other night and was being all weird. What if the police are onto us?" He explained his worries. His fingers were brushing over the eight ball and his voice was shaking as he spoke, "Maybe it would be best to lay low for a little. You know?"

Gramdon got to his feet, striding over to Lloyd. "If the police were onto us, it would be your fault. And do you know why?" He asked. His voice was very low. He was looming over his son. 

Lloyd began to shake a little again, "Y..yes sir." He managed to get out. 

"It's because you cant change your face," Garmadon spat, "You should have been able to change your face by now!"

"I-im sorry," Lloyd spoke, "I can make myself look a little older,-"

"That is not enough!" Garmadon snapped, "if the police recognize your features they will suspect us. It's the part human in you, isn't it? Another reason your mother was no good. She made you weak."

Lloyd head lowered. He nodded his head, "I am sorry. I will try and work on changing my face. I promise."

Garmadon took a step back, going to his spot on the couch, "You better, or they will come and arrest us. And it will be all your fault."

~

"There are no results for a Lyain Grayson anywhere in Ninjago," Zane announced, "No one with that name exists."

Kai turned his chin down, "So I was right," He breathed, "If they are Oni or not, these people use aliases for sure. We need to go find them again tomorrow night, but we need to get the kid alone." 

Jay leaned back into his chair, "And how do you plan on doing that? He would not come with you today, and as you said the dad keeps a good eye on him. They place a bet, he wins, they get paid, and then they leave." He reminded, "Its not like he is every truly alone." Jay pointed out. 

"What if we don't find him at the bar then,"Cole spoke up, "What if we find him somewhere else? Like at the store or at the park? Somewhere where his dad is not keeping a close eye on him," He suggested. 

"That could work," Zane agreed, "But we will need to find him again first is the problem. What did you say he looked like again?"  

"That's the problem. His appearance changes," Kai sighed, "We just need to think of a plan.."
The room was silent for a moment, before Cole spoke up. "I may have an idea.."

Chapter Text

Lloyd sighed, slamming the door behind him. He shifted his eyes into a deep brown and his hair into a darker shade. He closed his eyes, rubbing his face. He was being forced to go on another shopping errand. His father always handed him a crumbled twenty dollar bill and made him go find something for dinner. He was tired of the yelling. He told his dad that twenty was not enough for a cook meal, but Garmadon refused to spend any more than twenty dollars on food. 

Lloyd was sick of cheap meals. He wanted something healthy. He felt like crap. He rubbed his cheek, then using this Oni abilities to make it look like the bruise his father gave him had never been there in the first place. 

He pulled himself together, walking down the staircase. He made his way outside, pulling a hood over his head. He couldn't change his face, only if there was a mark on him. His face could be recognized by someone from the bar, or even that one guy he played the other night who gave them the check. He wasn't looking for any trouble. He just needed some food. He walked down the street, jay walking across the road. He would have cooked some spaghetti or made a quick dinner, but Garamdon would not like that. It would be a waste of money in his opinion. So, that left take out. 

The young Oni walked down the street some more until he came across a burger fast food place. He came here often, knowing his fathers order like the back of his hand. He walked into the restaurant, standing in line. Once it was his turn to order, he simply said, : "Two number fours please."

The lady at the desk gave him a smile, "Of course hon! How anything else?" She asked. 

"Yeah, a coke and a sweet tea please." He said, pulling out the twenty dollars. 

"Okay! And a name for that order?"

Lloyd gulped, "Uh.. Luke."

The lady took the money, giving him the five dollars and twenty cents in change back to him. He shoved it into his pocket, taking the number and waiting at a table. He was sitting by himself, until a man sat across from him, "Mind if I wait with you?" He asked. 

Lloyd blinked, a little taken aback that his random man wanted to sit with him. He nodded his head, "Sure."

The man scooted into his seat. He looked a little on the older side. Maybe not as old as his dad, but he had to be more than twice his age. 

"So," The  man coughed, "have you ever had this place before?"

Was he really trying to strike conversation with Lloyd right now? Lloyd assumed they would wait in silence, but maybe not. "Uh.. yeah. I have." He rested his head in his hand, looking away from the man. 

The man leaned a little closer to Lloyd, "Is it any good?" He questioned. 

Lloyd leaned back, trying to get further away from this man, "Uhm, yeah its.. its fine." he quickly answered. 

Suddenly, he heard his fake name be called. He got to his feet, "Sorry, that's me." He went to grab his order. He grabbed the bag and drink carrier. He began to walk out of the building, but the guy started to follow him. He would not go home now. He sighed, knowing this guy wanted him. "Pedo.." Lloyd whispered under his breath. 

Lloyd decided to try an close him in an alleyway, but once he walked in there he knew It was a mistake. It was a dead end. His heart rate started to spike. "Damn it." He whispered. He turned around to see the man from the burger place. "What do you want?"

"You are a very nice looking young man." The man grumbled. 

"Ew." Lloyd said. 

"Excuse me sir," A voice appeared from behind the man, "Do we have a problem here?"

The man turned around to face a cop. Not just any cop, this cop was buff. Lloyd's eyes widened. This cop may save him from this creepy old guy, but if he found out that his father was the one who killed that man, he was so done for. 

The older man shook his head, "No sir, I was just making sure this kid got home safely." he lied. 

The cop hummed, "Sure, but I think I have that handled, you can go now." He crossed his arms. 

The older man huffed before leaving. Lloyd looked at the cop. He studied his face, knowing he had seen this guy before somewhere, he just did not know where. "The..thanks." Lloyd said. 

The cop nodded his head, "Sure thing kid. It's not safe to be out without an adult. Where are your parents?" He asked. 

"I went to go pick up some dinner since my dad isnt feeling too well, and my mom isn't in the picture." Lloyd lied easily. Sure, the part about his mom was true, but his dad was more than capable of getting food himself. 

The cop shrugged, "Alright. I hate to do this, but do you mind if I gave you a ride home? I cant leave a kid on the streets like this."

~

Cole stood across from the young boy. He knew this was the same boy that Kai had played pool against the other night. His hair and eyes may be different, but his face was the same. Originally, Cole was going to go follow him home after pool tonight, but after going to try and get a quick lunch, he couldnt pass up this opportunity. 

The kid shook his head, "No its okay, I live not too far away. Plus, I wouldn't want you to catch what my dad has." The kid said, starting to try and walk around Cole.

However, Cole got in his way, "Okay, enough beating around the bush," He sighed, "I have seen you at the bar recently, and I need to take you in for questioning about the man who was murdered the other night." He crossed his arms. 

The boys face began to pale. "Uh.. I-I don't know what you are talking about, I am too young for a bar. Sorry sir, you have the wrong guy." The boy tried to walk by again. 

Cole stepped in his way once again, "Either way, I need you to come with me okay?"  The kid looked scared, and Cole could tell. He didn't want to scare the kid, he wanted to help him. "You are not in trouble, I promise. I just need to speak with you."

"My dad wont be happy if I don't get this food to him soon." 

Cole nodded his head, "I get it, but i am sure he will understand if you are a little late." He opened the back door of his car, showing the kid inside. 

The kid looked from Cole to the backseat. He began to shake as he got inside the car. 

Cole may have been seeing things but he swore that the kids brown eyes turned red. 

Chapter Text

"You can eat your food back there," Cole assured the kid as he adjusted his mirror, "Worse things besides crumbs have been in that back seat."

The kid made a face, "Gross." He whispered, then taking a sip from one of the drinks. 

Cole continued down the street, glancing back at the kid every once in a while. Every time he looked back, he swore the kid looked a little different each time. His brown eyes would be lighter or darker. Maybe it was just the light reflecting off of his eyes, Cole guessed. However, when he looked back and saw a bit of green in his eyes, he knew that he wasn't crazy. What was worse was he couldn't tell if a bruise kept forming and disappearing on his cheek.

Cole took note of what he was seeing. He needed to talk to the others as soon as possible. He pulled into the station, letting the kid out. He noticed that he had not taken even a bite of his food. "Are you not hungry?" he asked. 

The kid shrugged, "I mean, I am a little nervous. A pedo followed me and now a cop is taking me in for questioning about a murder case I have nothing to do with." He pointed out. 

"Well, we just want to ask you some questions. We promise you are not in trouble." He assured him, leading him inside the station. He walked him through the hallway, almost colliding with Kai when the two of them turned a corner. 

"Whoops!" Kai dodged, "Sorry. I was just looking for you," His gaze then turned to the kid who was still holding his take out food. His eyes drifted back up to Cole, "Uh.. mind if I talk to you for a bit?" he asked. 

Cole nodded his head, "Sure," He placed his hand on the kids shoulder, the kid jolting a little, "Wait out here for us, we wont be that long."

Cole and Kai walked into the same  room where Jay and Zane had been in for hours, empty bottles of iced coffee everywhere. Jay hissed when the light came in through the door, "Hey! Close that door! My eyes only like the light of screens!"

"That's called ruining your vision," Kai retorted, "Anyways, Cole found the kid."

Zane and Jay both looked up at the cop who had his arms folded across his chest. Zane had gasped, "How did you find him? You were supposed to go to the bars later and follow him home." He reminded. 

"Yeah, that was the plan," Cole rubbed the back of his neck, "But then I saw him when trying to get some lunch. Some creepy old man was trying to follow him. Who knows what that man would have done to that kid. So I took my chance and now he is here." He explained. 

"What do we do now?" Jay asked, leaning back in his chair, putting a mug filled with room temp coffee to his lips. 

"We question him," Cole said, "I told him we had some questions for him. I thought Kai would do the honors since he played him in pool the other night."

Kai looked down, sighing, "Sure," He shrugged, "But I want you  to  surveillance the entire conversation. See if you notice anything I don't."

~

Lloyd was shown to a room where the only thing in it was a table and two chairs. He still had his food, which was no doubt getting cold. Garmadon must be pretty pissed since he had not come back yet. How was he supposed to explain this to his father? His hands were shaking. He could be caught right now. They would send hi to jail for life. 

Suddenly, the door opened and the cop that he and the other cop ran into earlier came into the room. Kai had recognized him when he saw him earlier, but he could not quite place it. It was not until he sat down in front of him, looking into his eyes. This was the man he played in pool the other night. Lloyd swallowed, then chewing on his cheek from being anxious. 

"Hey kid, my name is officer Smith, but feel free to call me Kai," He leaned forward, "Whats your name?" He asked. 

Names started to run through his brain. Should he use the same name he used the other night? No, he looked different from the other night, he needed a new name. Did he recognize him? Lloyd gulped, "Uh.. Liam, sir." He managed. 

Kai's eyebrows raised slightly, "Nice to meet you Liam. I am sorry my friend dragged you in here like this, I know this was the least of what you were expecting today." He leaned back in his seat. He then looked at the bag of food, "You can eat while we chat, it wont bother me."

"I'm not hungry," Lloyd lied, "My stomach hurts."

"Do you need any medicine?" Kai questioned. 

Lloyd shook his head, "No, I think its nerves. It's not every day you are dragged into a police station." He pointed out. 

Kai nodded his head, "I get that. It's perfectly fine to feel nervous. But, if you do start to feel hungry, feel free to have some of your food." 

Kai then pulled out a pad of notebook paper and a pen, placing it on the table. He then looked from it to Lloyd, "So, Liam. Have you ever played pool?" he asked. 

Lloyd waited before his shoulders shrugged slightly, "I have before. Not often." He lied. 

"Have you heard of the murder?" Kai asked, scribbling some notes on his pad, "The one of that guy who died outside of a bar after he played a game of pool?" He cocked an eyebrow at him. 

Lloyd thought back to the first time Kai asked him this question. Apparently the murder had been on the news. Lyian might not have heard of the murder, but Liam sure had. "It was on the news, but I didn't pay too much attention to it," He said, "Im not into the news and that kind of stuff."

Kai started to write some more, "Alright. Have you ever been in a bar? You wont get in trouble, we just need to know."

Lloyd shook his head faster than a cheetah could run, "No sir. I am under aged. I have never been in a bar." He answered, his words jumbling together. 

Kai blinked, then writing down a couple more things on his notes, "Thank you for answering my questions, Lyian."

"You're welcome sir." Lloyd nodded his head. 

"Just one more thing," Kai let go of his pen, clasping his hands together, looking Lloyd dead in the eye, "I thought your name was Liam." He cocked his head. 

Lloyds heart stopped. His entire body went numb. 

"Now," Kai leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing, "Lets talk for real this time."

Chapter Text

The last thing Lloyd expected was for Officer Smith- Kai - to take him to the break room. In the break room was none other than a pool table. Why in the name of the first master was he bringing him here? The officer held out a pool stick to him. Lloyd stared at the pool stick, cocking an eyebrow. "What's this for?" He asked. 

"We are going to play some pool." Kai started, holding the stick out further. 

'Well no crap,' Lloyd thought in his mind, but keeping it to himself. He took the stick from Kai, watching as the officer grabbed his own. 

Kai looked over the pool stick, then at the kid. "I think I want to break this time? You cool with that?" He questioned. 

Lloyd's eyebrows furrowed. What in Ninjago was going on? Why were they playing pool? This guy just discovered he had been using an alias, and he wants to  play pool with him? "Sure.." 

Kai walked over to the table, lining up the pool stick with the ball. He broke, then hitting a ball into a pocket, claiming solids. He missed the next one, and gestured for it to be Lloyds turn. Lloyd went up to the table, thinking about what he could do. He bent down, aiming. 

"So tell me, Liam," Kai coughed, "Or.. I'm sorry. What's your real name?" 

Lloyd's heart rate began to spike again. He hit the ball wonky, not his best work. Still, the ball fell in the pocket. "I told you my name-" Suddenly he felt a shock. It wasn't painful, but it was not pleasant. "What the hell..." He whispered. 

Kai sighed, "So you are choosing the hard way," He shook his head, "Every time you lie, you get a small shock. It cant hurt you, but it doesn't feel all that nice, right?" Kai cocked an eyebrow. He then strides closer to the kid, "So lets try this again. What is your name? Your real name."

Sweat started to prick at the sides of Lloyd's face. He gulped, knowing how much trouble he would be in later with his father, "Its.. Its Lloyd." There was no shock. 

Kai raised his chin, glancing back at the pool table. "Still your turn, Lloyd."

Lloyd aimed for another shot, but missed. His palms were sweaty, his heart was racing. His hands were shaking like crazy. These cops were about to find out everything. He's so dead. 

Kai came over, knocking a ball into the pocket, "So, Lloyd," He started again, "Is brown your natural hair color?"

"Wh.. what?"

"Is brown your-"

"No, I heard you," Lloyd cut him off, "Im just confused. What kind of question is that?"

Kai missed his next shot, then turning to face him again. "You want real questions? Fine. How come your eyes keep changing color?"

Lloyd felt his stomach tightening. He felt nauseous. He was so done for. Did they also suspect him as an Oni? "I.. Light can uh.. you know, make some eye colors look different." He pointed out, and since that was not a lie, he was not zapped. How on earth did they get him to feel shocked. He looked at his hands, then his shirt. 

"Cole planted the device on you when he first found you," Kai explained, "And it didn't go off. Which means you are telling the truth. But also, you just stated a fact. So explain to me how brown eyes change to blue?"

"I dont-" Shock

Lloyd jumped, rubbing his arm where he felt it the most. "What do you want from me?" He questioned, "Im just a kid!"

"A kid involved with a murder case."

Chapter Text

Kai was breaking down this kid, and he knew it. Lloyd was starting to show obvious signs of worry, and while Kai had no intentions on hurting or upsetting the kid, he needed answers that he had. 

Lloyd was starting to hold onto his pool stick tighter than he had before. Kai took note of this. 

"So, is brown your natural hair color? Or is it something else?" Kai questioned again, repeating himself. 

Lloyd's fingers began to tremble at the mention of his hair again. He gulped, "Uh... no-no.." he finally admitted. 

Kai cocked an eyebrow, hitting another ball into a pocket, "Whats your natural hair color then?" He asked. Lloyd was avoiding eye contact, and it was more than obvious. Kai sighed, "Let me ask you another question. Do you know what Oni's are?"

Lloyd's eyes suddenly met Kai's. Suddenly a voice started talking to Kai in his ear through his comm, "You may have him." Cole spoke, but be a bit more gentle." he instructed. Kai turned slightly to cast a look to his partner. He then looked back to Lloyd, tilting his head slightly. "You might have heard of them from your history class or something."

Lloyd blinked a couple of times, "I-i.." His breaths were starting to become out of sorts. His fingers began to loosen from their grip on the pool stick. He dropped it, taking a few steps back. 

Kai started to notice the kid was slipping into a state of panic. He quickly set down the pool stick and walked up to the kid. Lloyd's hair began to turn to a shade of blonde, and his eyes were turning green. Kai was right. This kid was an oni. He reached his hand out and set it on Lloyd's should. He hushed the kid, who was breathing very loudly, and beginning to cry. "Hey, kid. I'm sorry. Take deep breaths, its okay." He said calmly. 

Lloyd shut his eyes tightly, shaking his head, "Dont let him know. Dont let him know. Please..Please!" He was rambling. 

Kai pulled the kid in for a hug, rubbing his back and hushing him, "Hey, its okay." He said, quietly, "You are safe here." He tried to assure him. When that did not work, he placed his finger down on the comm, "Cole, get Zane in here to remove the device. And get Nya on the phone."

~

Cole was staring into his cup of water. He, Jay, and Zane had watched the entire thing go down. Whatever was going on with the kid- lloyd- was not good. He had definitely been through something, maybe worse than being involved in a murder case. Kai had taken him to his office. He had some blankets and a pillow in there for the times Kai had spent over night at the station. He had also asked for them to call Nya. 

Thankfully, Nya was a child psychologist, this was her job. She has helped many children before, maybe she could help get through to Lloyd. 

Jay sighed, walking over to Cole who was by the water cooler. The detective poured himself a cup of water, rubbing his eyes as he did so. He looked up to Cole, "Crazy." He sighed.

"Excuse me?" Cole cocked an eyebrow at the shorter man. 

Jay shrugged, "We thought we were just dealing with a murder case, but now we have my wife on the way to help out a traumatized teenager." He elaborated, putting the cup to his lips, taking a sip. 

Cole also sighed, "Yeah..it is crazy. And Nya was okay with leaving the twins?" He asked. 

"My parents came to watch them. Nya is still on her break from work, but once I told her about this, she really felt like she needed to come help." Jay said. Only a couple months ago, Nya gave birth to her and Jay's twin babies. One a girl, and one a boy. Nya hasn't been to work since before she gave birth, so it did shock some that she was coming. It did not shock Jay or Kai though. They knew Nya was always ready to help out. 

"When will she get here" Cole questioned. 

Jay looked down at his watch, "Who knows," He hissed, "Could be another five minutes. She really sounded determined to be here." He casted a look down the hallway where Kai's office was. 

Cole followed where his eyes had landed. He was worried for the kid. They all were.

~

Kai had not left Lloyd's side. He did not plan to. Lloyd obviously had been through something, and he did not want that kid to feel like he was alone. Lloyd was laying on the ground, curled up in a blanket. He was awake, but very tired. Kai was at his desk, texting his sister about the situation. However, no matter what he did, he could not get Lloyd's words our of his head. "Don't let him know." The kids voice rang through the officer's head.

Kai sighed, looking down at him once more. There was do doubt in his mind. This kid had been abused. 

Chapter Text

Lloyd woke up on the floor. This wasn’t unusual for him. If he wasn’t sleeping on the floor at home, he was on the couch. His father was too cheap to buy beds. Correction, he was too cheap to buy Lloyd a bed.

A voice started to catch his attention. He kept his eyes shut, eves-dropping on the conversation.

“So he is linked to a murder case?” a female voice said. Yeah, they were definitely talking about him.

“Yeah,” another voice sighed. Lloyd assumed that voice belonged to officer Smith. It sounded like him. “I was interrogating him, but I think we took it a little too far..”

Suddenly, the female voice sounded ticked off, “Too far? Kai! You shocked the poor kid!”

A sudden slap sound passed through the walls, a: “Hey!” following. “What was that for?” Kai hissed.

“You are stupid,” the female voice sighed again, “There is a reason you aren’t married, let alone have a girlfriend.”

Even though he was pretending to be asleep, Lloyd couldn’t help but let his eyebrows furrow. These two sure acted like they were close. He wondered what their relation was. Or maybe they didn’t have one, and this girl was just pissed that Officer Smith sucked. Lloyd had to agree.

“Want to go check on him?” Kai asked. Lloyd suddenly relaxed his entire body, seeming more calm, as if he were really asleep.

The door knob began to turn. Lloyd listened as the two sets of foot steps walked into the room. He could feel the two of them standing over him. He decided to fake fidget in his sleep. He turned so that his face was in the pillow.

The girl bent down to look at him. He felt her gaze on him as she examined. She hummed, “You told me he had brown hair,” she stated, “this is blonde.” she observed.

Lloyd felt a sudden spike in his chest. He swallowed, then biting at his inner lip. He forgot that when he’s stressed his appearance tends to change. He scolded himself in his head, telling himself he should be better at controlling his abilities. That voice in his head sounded like his father’s.

“Well that’s the other thing,” Kai mumbled , “We think he may be an oni.”

‘Crap,’ Lloyd thought. They knew. They really were onto him and his father. Should he still pretend to be asleep? Should he pretend to wake up?

The girl then reached down, trying to adjust the sleeve of Lloyd’s hoodie. He was confused as to why. He didn’t notice it was bunched up. He heard her sigh again, “This poor kid..”

Poor kid? No one has ever seen Lloyd like that before.

“We think that his father is hurting him. He isn’t just using his son to get him money, but also beating him. Take a look at his cheek.” Kai explained.

That was it. Lloyd made a groaning sound, pretending to wake up. He rubbed his eyes, and pushing himself up with his arms. He looked over to finally see the girl who was looking at him.

This girl had dark raven colored hair that was pulled into a pony tail. Her eyes were brown, and she had a mole on her cheek. Her face looked somewhat like Kai’s, but she made it work better than he did. They had to be siblings. Lloyd blinked, pretending to act confused.

The lady smiled, her voice was soft as she said: “Hi there. My name is Nya, or you can call me Mrs. Walker. How are you?”

Lloyd blinked again. What? Why was she so nice to him? “Uh.. my name is-“ he paused, remembering they knew his real name, he couldn’t lie this time, “My name is Lloyd.”

“Nice to meet you Lloyd!” She said, “Don’t be alarmed, no one is here to hurt you, we only want to help. I am Officer Smith’s sister,” she looked back at Kai and then to Lloyd again, “but I am way nicer.” She promised.

Kai shot her a glare, “Haha,” he said dryly, “I will leave you two.” He rolled his eyes, walking back out the door, shutting it behind him.

“Don’t mind him, he’s weird.” Nya told Lloyd, “Want to sit on the chairs?”

Lloyd looked at the two chairs just beside them. He nodded his head. Nya stood up, offering her hand to help him. Lloyd took the help. He sat down in one of the chairs, and Nya sat in the one across from him.

Nya adjusted her long black skirt so it wasn’t bunched up. Lloyd looked at how she was dressed. She had on a light blue blouse, and had on some combat boots. She looked really pretty, Lloyd observed.

“I am sorry again for my brother,” she shook his head, “He may be a good cop, but he doesn’t have kids and doesn’t really work with them, he doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

Lloyd cocked an eyebrow, “You have kids?” He questioned. He knew Kai was still in his twenties, and he assumed that Nya was the younger sibling. How old could her kids possibly be?”

She nodded her head, “Yes! I have twins, a son and a daughter. They are only two and half months, but I am also a child physiologist,” she stated, “I have been working with kids for years.”

Lloyd’s gaze narrowed, “I am not a kid.” he said.

Nya nodded her head, “I also work with young adults such as yourself. You don’t have to give me the answers that the boys are looking for, I just want to make sure you are okay.”

Lloyd’s eyebrows furrowed again, “What? I’m fine. I just want to go home. Your stupid brother and his dumb friend dragged me here and tortured me!”

“Which friend? I’ll give him a talk.” Nya said.

Lloyd shrugged, “The big one.”

“Cole,” Nya grumbled, “Guess what, he also doesn’t have kids.” she said.

Lloyd couldn’t help the corners of his lips turning upwards slightly. He liked her, she was funny. “Do any of the people here know how to talk to younger people?” he asked.

“Maybe my husband, but he has only been a dad for two and half months,” she giggled, “speaking of parents. Who are your parents? Would you like for me to alert them and let you know that you are safe?” she offered.

Lloyd’s face went pale. His dad can never know that he was at the police station. she would kill him. “Uh.. I have a dad.. but he’s out of town right now, visiting my uncle.” he lied.

“I see,” Nya noted in her mind, “Does he have a phone?”

Lloyd shook his head, “We are broke. You saw our dinner, didn’t you?” he cocked his head to the side.

Nya appeared puzzled, “You don’t have a phone either?” Lloyd shook his head. “Huh..” she hummed.

“Uhm.. can.. can I go home?” Lloyd asked, “I know there’s a murder case or whatever, but I didn’t do it. I just want to go home.”

Nya nodded her head, “You will go home, I just want to ask you something.”

Lloyd sighed, “what is it?”

“You see,” she leaned forward in her chair, “I talked to Cole and Kai before coming in here. You told Cole that the food you got was for you and your dad. So how could you be bringing your sick father food if he is biding his brother?” she cocked her head to the side.

Lloyd’s eyes widened. His hair began to change from his natural blonde to an auburn color. He gulped. This really was Kai’s sister.

Chapter Text

Nya had caught him. She caught Lloyd in his own lie. She watched his hair change color too. She saw the panic look on his face, something she had said had made him panic. That wasn't her intention. She softened her voice leaning a little more forward, “Hey Lloyd,’ She started, “I promise that no one here wants to hurt you, we only want to help. We can tell you aren't in a safe situation.”

Lloyd’s gaze flickered up to her. He shook his head, “Please, please don't tell him  I was here.” His voice began to shake. 

Nya tilted her head, “Who is ‘he’ Lloyd? You can tell me. I promise, I am just here to help.” She tried to assure him. 

He only continued to shake his head, his hair getting darker, “Please..” His voice was weak, “Please…”

Nya has seen many things in her field. She has seen kids who have grown up with bad home lives, mental disorders, and so many other things. However, something about this kid and everything she has learned about him had her feeling different than any other kid she had worked with. 

Nya stood up, walking over to the kid. She wrapped her arms around him, “Hey, it's okay. I promise. Just tell me who he is. I won't let him know, I swear.”

Lloyd sniffed, resting his head on her shoulder, “Promise?” He asked. 

“I promise.”

~

“Nya has been with the kid for a while.” Jay noted. The four of them were back in his and Zane’s office. They were taking a coffee break while Nya was working with Lloyd. They didn't bother to keep an eye on the conversation. 

Cole cracked a grin at his friend, “Are you jealous Zaptrap?” He joked. 

Jay sent him a look of his own. “Oh shut it,” He rolled his eyes, “I’m just wondering what she is getting out of him. If he has admitted to murdering that banker.” 

Kai then injected himself into the conversation, his knuckles turning a little white as he tightened his hold around the coffee cup, “He wasn't the one to kill him,” He stated, “He knows something, but he did not kill him.” 

“How do you know?” Jay questioned, “He didn't tell you.”

Kai shook his head, “Seriously, it has me stumped on how you ever became a detective,” He sighed, “I can just tell. He is being forced for everything he has had to do. He is scared of something, or someone.” 

“Maybe his father?” Zane guessed, trying to search through the files in the system. They were trying to search for a Lloyd, to see if they knew anything about him. 

Kai shrugged, "That's my best guess. I wonder if we can find anything about his mother.” He mumbled to himself, but he also meant for Zane to hear. 

Zane finally found a file for Lloyd. It had no picture, only the date of birth and the name of the parents. “This may be our best bet,” Zane said, “For  a Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon. Father is Garmadon and mother is Misako Montgomery.”

Kai walked over to be behind Zane. He watched the screen, “Can you look into the father? See if we have anything on  him?” He asked. 

Zane clicked onto Garmadon’s file. There wasn't much, only that they had arrested him around ten years ago for shop lifting. “Huh.. doesn't his name sound familiar?” Zane questioned, “What was the name of the prince who was kicked out of the royal family?”

Cole furrowed his eyebrows, “You mean Wu’s lost brother? The other son of the First Spinjitzu Master?” he clarified, “That could make sense. The family does come from oni and dragon heritage.” 

“Do we really want to go ask the kid if he is from royalty? We couldn't even get him to say his parents name without him breaking down.” Jay pointed out. 

“Maybe he doesn't know,” Kai suggested the thought, “But also, maybe he isn't this Lloyd. There are other Oni in the Ninjago, they just aren't as common.” He said. 

“Maybe we could blood test him?” Cole suggested, “See if he is dragon and oni?” 

Kai shook his head, "That's not a great idea,” Kai said, “He is already fragile enough, we don't need to scare him anymore.” 

Jay sighed, “I just hope that Nya can get some info out of the kid.” 

Chapter Text

Nya felt nauseous whenever the kid admitted his secret. She has seen many cases in her life. She has heard of abusive parents before, and has dealt with children who have suffered through the abuse. However, when Lloyd revealed everything, she felt sick to her stomach. 

He told her how his mother left him with his father when he was barely a couple weeks old. He told her how his father used him to get money because of his unique talent. He told her how when the banker claimed he would not pay how his father took him behind the bar and argued with him until he launched at his father. 

“It was self defense,” Lloyd said, “If that matters,” he avoided eye contact, “My dad shoved him off of himself and he hit the wall. My father has a stronger force than he realizes..” His fingers grazed over his cheek where a bit of purple peaked through the color of his skin, “Anyways, the guy fell to the ground and hit his head. He started to bleed out. That's when my dad snatched his wallet and dragged me all the way home. I guess the police found the guy the next day. That did not stop my dad from making me play more pool.” 

Nya watched as Lloyd kept his focus off of her. It looked as if he was holding something in his pocket; he was fidgeting with it. “Whats that?” She asked, “In your pocket.”

Lloyd pulled out a scratched up eightball from his pocket. “Just an eightball.”

Nya back tracked her thoughts. She remembered her brother breaking down the case for her, but nothing about eightballs was mentioned. However, she remembers her husband's late night crash outs about the case. “I mean who steals an eightball! Why is it such a big deal!” She could clearly hear Jay Walker complaining. 

“Do you get them from the places you play pool in?” she furthered the question. 

Lloyd nodded his head, “Yeah..”

“How come?”

The kid shrugged. “Not sure. I guess I am keeping a record of how many times I win.” He guessed. 

Nya tilted her head, “How many do you have?”

“I had a drawer full, but it wasn't able to shut anymore. I kinda have them all over the apartment.” He admitted. He paused for a moment, finally meeting her eyes, “Am I going to go to jail?” He asked. 

Nya gave him a confused look, “Of course not! You are just a kid, and you are being forced into this. This is not your choice. If anything, we are going to put you in a better environment.” She attempted to assure him. 

Suddenly, the currently blue eyes shifted to an amber shade, “Yo..you are going to take me from my father?” Nya assumed that he would be thrilled about this, but instead he sounded worried. 

“Well, Lloyd hes hurting you-”

“But he's my dad,” he cut her off, “He has taken care of me my entire life!” His voice started to rise a bit. 

Nya noticed the shades of amber in his eyes were changing rapidly. She correctly inferred that stress caused his appearance to change. It had to be an oni thing. “Hey, nothing has been set on stone. Let's take a deep breath.” She reached out and placed a hand on his hand. When his eyes settled on a dark amber shade, she decided to spark up another question. “Can I see your natural eyes and hair?”

“Are you going to like, put it in the system or something?” He sneered. 

Nya shook her head, “No, I just want to get to know you better. Your shapeshifting is very impressive. I would like to know how the real Lloyd looks.”

Lloyd’s eyes lowered, “My dad says I need to work on it more. I can't change my face that well.”

“Let me be the judge of that,” Nya said, “Show me how you really look.”

There was a beat of silence between the two. Finally, Lloyd let out a sigh. Nya watched his shoulder relax and his currently brown hair blended into a blonde color. His once amber eyes turned into a dull red. Nya noticed his lips changed slightly too. He had grown a pair of fangs. His skin tone turned a bit more pale, making the bruise on his cheek more visible now. Her heart sank as she watched the purple mark grow bigger than it originally seemed. 

“My dad says society thinks of us as monsters,” the kid said, “He might be right. I don't see any humans with red eyes or fangs.”

“You are not a monster,” Nya assured him, “You are anything but that.”

Lloyd was still looking down. He waited a little again. Nya allowed the quiet. Suddenly, Lloyd said something that she was not expecting. “I.. I’m not going home tonight.. Am I?” He questioned. 

The child psychologist let out a sigh. She knew this poor kid wanted to go home, but there was no way they could send him back into the care of a murderer and an abuser. “Not tonight, I’m sorry.”

“Where am I going then? With you?” he asked. 

Nya wished this poor kid could stay with her tonight, but she had her new born babies to care for. “I’m sorry, I just don't have the room,” She paused. However, a spark then went off in her mind, “But, I know someone who does.”

~

Kai choked on his water as Nya broke the news to him. After catching his breath he finally got to snap at her, “You invited the kid to stay at my house without even asking me?” He quietly yelled at her. 

Nya crossed her arms across her stomach, cocking an eyebrow at her brother, “I did, do you have a problem with that?” She asked, her tone was cold and sharp. 

Kai wanted to be mad at her. She basically handed him a child and said good luck. However, he felt bad for the poor kid. Especially after everything his sister told him, he wanted nothing more than to help him. He just was not expecting for Lloyd to be his responsibility. “Why me?” He questioned. 

“You have a two bedroom apartment and you live alone,” She said, “Allow me to repeat that last word, ALONE.” She emphasized. 

Kai averted his eyes from hers, huffing out a bit of air. He was frustrated because she had a point. Plus, he has had the most contact with the kid. It made the most sense. He sighed, looking at his sister again, “You owe me.”

“I will set you up on a date next week.”

Kai’s eyebrows dropped and so did his lips, “No. You owe me a coffee every day this week. The stuff we have here is disgusting.” He said. 

Nya smiled, seeming proud of herself. She held out her hand, “Deal!” Kai rolled his eyes, shaking her hand. 

~

When the teenager got into Kai’s car, the air felt weird. In fact, there was a heaviness to it. Lloyd was in the passenger seat, playing with the seatbelt. Kai wanted to instruct him not to do that, but he didn't. He was starting to catch on that maybe this kid hasn't really been in a car before. Sure, Cole brought him to the station in his car, but the kid must have been so scared. 

“Ever been in a police car before?” Kai asked, trying to spark a conversation. 

“I was literally in one like three hours ago.” The kid stated the obvious. 

Kai rolled his eyes, but still kept watch on the road, “I meant before today.” He elaborated. 

The kid waited a second before shaking his head, “Nope, I have never done anything worth being in one before.” He then turned his head to look at the officer, “I bet you have.”

Kai gave him a quick glare, “What do you have against me?”

Lloyd looked away from the cop, shrugging his shoulders, “I don't know, maybe shocking me just for talking.”

Kai sighed, “That was not my idea. Our detectives planned that,” He explained, “Plus, it wasn't even me who shocked you! It was my idiot brother-in-law. Get mad at him all you want, I don't care. Just don't be mad at me for something I didn't do.”

“You brought me in and questioned me for something I did not do.” Lloyd quickly snapped back. 

The cop took a deep breath, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. This kid sure knows how to push his buttons. This was going to be a long night. “You were associated with it,” Kai pointed out, “I am sorry that the guys and I were a little harsh, please don't stay mad.”

Lloyd hummed, “I will try. Your sister is the only good one out of all of you.” He stated, confidently. 

“I hear that a lot.” Kai mumbled. 

After what felt like the longest car ride of his life, Kai pulled up to the apartment complex. He and Lloyd got out of the car and started to walk inside. They walked up a flight of stairs before turning down a hallway and finding themselves in front of a door. Kai pulled out his key from his pocket, shoving it into the lock. He turned it and opened the door. 

He held the door open for Lloyd to walk through. Once the kid was inside, he followed him, shutting and locking the door behind him. He flipped on the light switch. “Welcome to my home sweet home.”

For a guy living on his own, it looked very nicely decorated. Maybe it was because Nya insisted on decorating the place herself. He walked over to the fridge, pulling out a can of coke, “Do you want anything to drink? Keep it pg.”

“I am always pg,” Lloyd claimed, “Got any tea?”

Kai pulled out a jug of sweet tea. He reached for a glass in the cabinet just right next to the fridge. He poured the kid a glass, then handed it to him. Lloyd took a sip, then set the cup back down. He took a minute to observe his surroundings. It looked way nicer than where he and his father lived. The first thing he noticed was a tv. Like a new tv, not the beat up old one at his home. 

“Do you have cable?” He questioned. 

“Uh… I have Netflix.” Kai said. 

Lloyd scrunched his face, "What's Netflix?"

Kai’s eyes widened, “You don't know what Netflix is?”

Lloyd shook his head no. Kai was then determined to show this kid the wondrous world of picking what you wanted to watch. 

Chapter Text

Lloyd watched as the officer took the cushions off of the couch and pulled out the inside. He was beyond confused. He has never seen a couch do such a thing. Kai sat the other half of the couch on the ground, revealing…something.

Kai sighed, patting the cushion, “Here you go.” He said.

Lloyd cocked an eyebrow at him, “What is that?” He questioned.

Kai returned the kid's confused look with one of his own. “It's a pull out bed,” He said as if it were obvious, “You don't know what that is?” Lloyd shook his head. “Do you know what a bed is?” Kai asked, now very concerned for the kid.

Lloyd shot him an offended look, "I'm not dumb, I know what a bed is.”

“Do you know what it is like to sleep on one?”

The kid was silent. He looked to the ground, fidgeting with his fingers. Kai felt absolutely terrible. This kid doesn't sleep on a bed. He thought with his dad betting hundreds on him every night (and winning) he could afford his son a bed. Kai glanced over to the door to his bedroom. “Hey uh…I will sleep out here, you can take my bed.”
Lloyd’s eyebrows furrowed, “What?” He sounded as if he could not believe what he just heard.

“Yeah, follow me.” Kai said, gesturing for the kid to follow. Lloyd did as he was told and followed the police officer to the room.

Kai opened the door revealing his bedroom. Lloyd gasped when he saw something he could not believe. “You have two TVs?!”

The kids' excitement shocked Kai, causing him to jump. When his soul returned to his body, Kai said, “Yeah, and you can watch it, if you keep it kid friendly.” he instructed. He walked over to the bed, taking one of the pillows and a blanket, leaving the comforter and two pillows for Lloyd. “You can sleep here.”

Lloyd cocked an eyebrow, “Wait.. really?”

Kai nodded his head, “Yeah. Do you want to take a shower too?”

Lloyd then fell silent. Kai noticed this and started to internally panic. Did he say something wrong? The kid looked upset. Kai reached out his arm to try and comfort him. “Uh.. hey, are you alright?” he asked.

Lloyd still averted looking at Kai’s eyes. He quietly asked: “Why are you being so nice to me?”

Kai tilted his head, “What do you mean?”

“You brought me in because my dad killed a guy. You should have put me in jail,” Lloyd wiped his runny nose with his sleeve, “But instead you are letting me stay with you, watch your TV, take a shower. Why?”

Kai almost said it was because he felt sorry for him, but he chose not to. He does feel sorry, but he assumed Lloyd would hate to be a pity case. He instead said: “Because I care.” He said it without processing what he was saying, but he didn't regret it. In fact, he meant it. “You deserve a place to sleep, food, a shower, even a TV to watch something.” He cracked a slight grin.

Lloyd shook his head, “No I don't. I cheat people out of their money because I am too good and they don't even have a shot. Like you.”

A shocked striked Kai when Lloyd slid in that insult. He narrowed his eyes at the Oni, “Did you do all that just to insult me?” He asked for clarification.

A small chuckle came from Lloyd, “No,” He shook his head, “I just saw the opportunity and I took it.”

Kai could not help but smile and roll his eyes. “Alright, go take a shower, use whatever products. I'm going to make some dinner. Take some of my clothes for tonight, I will wash your clothes tonight so you have something to wear tomorrow.” He said. He showed Lloyd to the bathroom, then left him to shower.

Kai went back to his kitchen-living room. He opened his fridge, trying to see what he could make the kid. He started to feel guilty that he didn't have anything too good to make him. All he had was leftover chicken pot pie that Nya had made him the other day. That had to be good enough, at least for tonight. Right? He pulled out the meal, putting it on two separate plates to heat up the food. While the food was re-heating, he walked over to the pull out bed where he had dropped off his blanket and pillow. He turned on the tv, searching for something the kid might be interested in watching.He heard the beep of the microwave and rushed over to pull out the plates. He hissed as the hot dishes burned his fingers. He quickly set it down, shaking his hands.

After another minute or so, the door to his bedroom opened and revealed Lloyd in one of Kai’s T-shirts and pajama pants. Both were way too big for him, but they worked for tonight. Lloyd walked over to him and handed him his dirty clothes.

“Thanks kid. There's some chicken pot pie on the counter. I would give it a minute, it's still kind of hot.” He said, walking over to his washing machine. As he was setting Lloyd’s jeans and hoodie into the machine, he took note of how worn out and torn up the clothes were. He decided that he would help get this kid a new wardrobe.

Kai froze. Why was he out of nowhere determined to take care of this kid?

He shook his head, starting the machine. He walked back to see Lloyd staring at the food. Kai furrowed his eyebrows, “Uh, is everything okay?”

“What is this?” Lloyd asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

“I already told you, chicken pot pie,” Kai explained, reaching into one of his drawers to pull out two forks, one of each of them, “It's good, Nya made it.”

A sudden mood change hit Lloyd the second Kai told him it was Nya who made the food. He took the fork Kai had handed to him and started to scoop up some of the food. “Well, if Nya made it, I am sure it would be good.” he sounded determined.

“What do you like so much about Nya?” Kai questioned, taking a bite of his slice of pie.

Lloyd shrugged, “Maybe because she is actually nice to me.” He said, an attitude in his voice.

“Hey, you literally were just telling me about how I am being so nice to you.” The officer reminded.
“Yeah, but she didn't shock me.”

Lloyd then put the food in his mouth. Kai swears he could see Lloyd’s pupils grow. He then proceeded to gobble up the rest of it at the speed of light, leaving nothing on the plate, not even a crumb.

Kai raised his eyebrows, “Someone was hungry.” He noted.

“Do you have any more?” Lloyd asked, pushing his plate towards Kai.

Kai couldn't help the smile that was growing on his face. He took the kids plate and walked back over to the fridge to get him some more food. He scooped up the last of it onto the plate, popping it in the microwave. “You better savor it, there's no more after this.” He told him, taking a bite of his own food. Lloyd nodded his head, turning his attention to the tv. Kai noticed his action and asked, “Would you like to watch something?”

Lloyd’s eyes lit up again as he rapidly nodded his head, “There is this one show I saw one time on cable. It was really funny. It was a reality tv show about dramatic moms.”

Kai looked dumbfounded. This kid didn't know what chicken pot pie was but he knew dance moms? “I think I know what show you are talking about.” He said, grabbing the remote to switch it to the show. He then heard the microwave beep, so he went over to pull out the plate of food. “Careful, it's hot.” He warned.
Lloyd did not seem to care how hot the food or the plate was. He still continued to eat up as much as he could. Kai just shook his head and smiled.

When the both of them were done eating, they decided to finish the episode. Lloyd was oddly really invested, and Kai had to admit, he was too. Once it was over, Kai looked over at the time on the microwave. It was starting to get late. He sighed, “We should probably call it a night.” He suggested.

“Can I have the TV in your room on?” Lloyd asked.

“Sure, let me help you get to the show.” Kai said, showing him back to the room.

Lloyd practically jumped on the bed, waiting eagerly for the TV to be on. Kai set it to the show, looking back at the kid once more. “Okay, I am going to sleep out on the couch. If you need anything just wake me.”

Lloyd nodded his head, “Okay.. also.. Thank you.”

Kai smiled, “Of course.”

After that, Kai shut the door and walked back out to the living room. He sat on the pull out bed, pulling out his phone from his pocket. He noticed he had some texts from Nya. She was asking how Lloyd was doing.

Nya: How is Lloyd? Were you nice to him?

Kai: I am always nice. And he is good, he likes your cooking. I actually think he likes you more than me

Nya: Everybody does, it's not just him

Kai: haha. He's never slept on a bed by the way, he also didn't know what Netflix is. That dad of his is worse than we thought

Nya: Poor kid, you better be taking good care of him

Kai: I am. I am washing his clothes as we speak

Nya:Good. I will stop by the station tomorrow when I get the chance, love you idiot

Kai: Love you too

The washing machine then beeped, signalling that the cycle was done. Kai sat down his phone and walked over to turn it over to the dryer. He started the dryer, then plopped back onto the bed.

Chapter Text

Kai woke up to Lloyd hovering over him. His eyes flickered open, then being met with the kid's face. He gasped, trying to catch his breath. Once his heart was back to pumping at a normal pace, he asked: “Why?”

“I was waiting for you to wake up,” Lloyd said as if it were obvious, “I’m hungry.”

“Good morning to you too.” Kai grumbled. He pushed himself up, waving his hand to signal for Lloyd to get out of his face. He got out of the pull out bed, walking over to the fridge. Lloyd was on his heels, following him like a puppy. Kai peeked into the fridge, making a mental note to go buy some more food. He pulled out two things of yogurt, “I have this.”

He passed the cup over to the kid, handing him a spoon. Lloyd dug in right away, scarfing down the food. ‘Did his dad ever feed him?’ Kai wondered to himself. “Did you sleep well?” He asked, opening his own thing of yogurt.

Lloyd nodded his head, “Yeah! Beds are very soft, no wonder people sleep on them.”

After they were done eating, Kai walked over to the dryer and pulled out the kid’s clothes. He handed them to Lloyd, “We can get you some new clothes if you want, these seem pretty worn out. No offense."

“None taken,” Lloyd mumbled, “How would we get new clothes though?” He asked.

Kai didn't mean to be rude, but he was so confused with this kid. Was he dumb? “Uhm..the store.”

“Ohh.” Lloyd gasped.

Kai shook his head, “We can go after my shift. You are coming with me.” He said.

Lloyd groaned, “I have to go back there?” he sighed from annoyance.

“Someone has to keep an eye on you.” Kai pointed out, walking into his closet, finding a clean set of his uniform. Lloyd was still trailing behind him, not leaving his side. Kai could clearly tell that this kid was clingy. He grabbed his uniform, turning to see the kid still behind him. “Ive gotta change. Mind if I have some privacy?”

“Oh yeah.” Lloyd walked out, going back into the living room.

Once Kai was done changing and getting ready for the day, he walked back into the living room where Lloyd had learned to use the remote. Of course, Dance Moms. Kai couldn't help but grin at the sight. Kai clipped his badge on and grabbed his keys, “Okay, you ready to go?” He asked Loyd.

Lloyd looked over, a little upset, “We have to go now?” He asked.

“Well…yeah.”

“But the moms are about to get into a fight!” Lloyd pointed at the screen.

Kai sighed, “If you get up, change into your clothes, and get your butt out the door then I will let you watch it on my phone while I work.” He struck a bargain.

Lloyd's eyes widened, “You can watch it on a phone! No way!” He jumped off the couch. Kai swore the kid teleported to the bathroom. He really was excited over a TV show. Within less than a minute, Lloyd was back in the living room, but this time in his own clothes. “Okay lets go!” He cheered.

On the ride over Lloyd didn't know how to stop yapping. He was talking about that darn TV show, and anything else that could come to his mind. Most people would probably find it annoying, but Kai honestly didn't mind. This was a completely different Lloyd from the first time they had met. He remembers how cold and distant Lloyd was the night they played pool, and now he was rambling on about moms who argue about their kids dancing.

When they arrived at the station, Kai led Lloyd through the hallways. They walked into the room where Jay and Zane were already at work. “Morning everybody.” Kai said, making sure Lloyd was staying at his side.

“Morning.”

“Good morning Kai!”

Lloyd started to seem different. He wasn't as lively as he was in the car. Kai figured it was due to not knowing either Jay or Zane. He placed a hand on Lloyd's back, “Guys, this is Llooyd. Lloyd, this is Zane and Jay. Jay is actually Nya’s husband.”

Jay nodded his head at the kid, “Hey Lloyd, nice to meet you!”

Lloyd’s eyes narrowed, “You shocked me.” His eyes started to turn a brighter shade of red.

Jay went pale, turning his gaze to Kai, “You told him I did that?” he hissed between his teeth.

Kai rubbed the back of his neck, averting eye contact with his brother-in-law. Lloyd crossed his arms, “If you weren't Nya’s husband, I would kick you.”

Cole walked into the room, just in time to hear most of the conversation. “Well buddy, assaulting an officer can get you in quite some trouble.” He warned.

“But he's just a detective.” Lloyd stated.

Jay cursed under his breath due to annoyance from this kid. He then grabbed a cup of coffee and held it out to Kai, “This is from Nya, she said she will stop by around lunch when the twins are down for a nap.” He said.

Kai took the cup, smiling, "Finally, good coffee.” He brought the cup to his lips, taking a sip. Lloyd tugged on Kai’s sleeve, attempting to get his attention. Kai looked over at him, “You need something kid?” He asked.

“Can I watch the show now?” He asked.

Kai almost forgot. “I am going to let him hang out in my office for the day while we continue on the case.” He explained to the group. He showed Lloyd to his office. He let him sit on his chair. “I'm gonna put it on the computer for you okay? If you need anything, don't be afraid to come and get me.” Lloyd nodded his head, showing he understood. Kai signed in on the computer and started the show from where Lloyd had left off. He left the kid to watch the show, walking back into Jay and Zane’s office.

Cole was first to ask: “How was spending the night with murder junior?”

“Dont call him that. He admitted to me last night that his dad had killed the guy he had to watch. I can't even imagine being fifteen and watching my dad kill someone in front of me.” Kai shuttered slightly.

“Wow,” Jay hummed, “Someone got attached fast.”

Kai rolled his eyes, “Okay. Let's focus on the real topic. How do we catch this kid’s father?” He pointed out.

“Hear me out,” Cole started, “We use the kid. And before you start yelling at me, just listen, I have a plan.”

Chapter Text

“Why do I have to write it?” Lloyd questioned, sounding very annoyed with the whole situation. He was sitting at Kai’s desk, a sheet of paper and a pen in front of him.

“Because it will make him more likely to come if it's from you. Plus we can't fake a fifteen year old's hand writing." Kai explained to the kid. Kai had somehow got Lloyd on board with Cole’s plan.

The plan was to get Garmadon to meet Lloyd at one of the local bars, claiming he found someone willing to bid a grand on a game of pool. Garmadon would most likely come since he is money hungry, and would do anything for even five dollars. Lloyd would meet him at the bar and that's when Officers Smith and Brookestone will detain him. It was simple enough, they just needed it to work.

“You promise you won't hurt my dad, right?” Lloyd had asked as soon as the plan was explained to him.

Kai will never understand why this kid still defended his father. He abused him, used him, and treated him so poorly. Why did he still want his dad to be treated better than the kid has ever been treated his entire life? “Yeah, we won't hurt him, but if he starts to hurt us I can't promise anything.” Kai explained.

Lloyd looked down, “Okay…” His voice softened, “What do you want this letter to say?” He asked.

Kai looked at Cole. It was his plan, he should decide what it says. The other officer sat on it for a minute before saying: “Maybe something like: I almost got into some trouble, but I met this guy who likes to bet on pool. He says he is willing to bet a thousand on a game against me. Meet me at Joe’s hangout tonight around nine.” He summed up.

“That doesn't sound like me at all.” Lloyd snapped at him.

Cole sighed, turning his attention to Kai, giving him a look that pleaded for help. Kai placed a hand on the kid’s shoulder, “How about you give the same information Cole just said, but make it sound like you came up with it,” He suggested, “Can you do that?”

Lloyd shrugged, looking at the sheet of paper again, “I can try.”

Kai patted his shoulder, “Thanks kid.”

A knock appeared on the door to Officer Smith’s office. Kai went over to open the door to see none other than his sister. He smiled, reaching his arms out for a hug, “Hey sis!”

“Lloyd!” She squealed, running past her brother and up to the kid. She wrapped her arms around him, “How are you? How was your night? Did Kai treat you right?” She bombarded him with questions.

Lloyd did not seem to mind the affection. In fact, he leaned into her touch, “Hi,” He gave her a small smile, “Last night was alright. Kai let me sleep on his bed. Also you make good food.” He said.

Nya looked over to her brother, “Awe,” She walked up to him, ruffling his hair, “You do have a heart!” She joked.

Kai swatted her hand away, “Oh stop,” He sighed, trying to fix his hair, “My hair looked great until you messed it up.”

“It looked good?” Lloyd cocked an eyebrow, “You really think that?”

Cole could not help but let out a loud laugh. He held his stomach as he attempted to catch his breath, “Okay, this kid is starting to grow on me.”

Kai crossed his arms, “Oh shut up. You guys are so mean to me. I fed him, and gave him a roof over his head. I even offered to get him new clothes after my shift, but now I’m thinking about taking back my offer.”

Lloyd shut his mouth, looking down to the paper. He grabbed the pen and started to write. Kai noticed his sudden quiet behavior. He watched as the young Oni started to scribble some poorly spelled words onto the note. He narrowed his eyes, seeing one of the only words he spelled correctly was his name. Kai took note of this, and assumed that this kid has never gone to school before. It would make sense after hearing about his crappy father.

Kai wondered if he had said something to upset him since he got quiet so quickly. “You alright Lloyd?” He questioned.

Lloyd looked up from the paper and nodded his head, “Yeah, fine. I wrote the note. When are we taking it to my dad?” He asked.

Kai looked over to Cole, “When would you like to?”

Cole looked over to the clock on the wall and hummed, “The sooner the better. I can take it by now. What's your address Lloyd?” Lloyd just shrugged. Cole’s eyebrows furrowed, “What? How do you not know your address?” He questioned.

“I just don't," Lloyd's tone got serious, “You know that apartment complex over by where you found me? It's apartment 21.” He said.

Cole nodded his head, “Okay, I can work with that. I'll go ahead and deliver the note.” He reached out for the note. Lloyd picked it up, folding it in half so Cole could not see his poor spelling. Kai assumed he might be insecure about it. He handed it to the officer. “Alright, I will be back.” He announced, leaving the office.

Kai looked at the time. 3:30. They still had plenty of time before they had to go to Joe’s hangout. “Hey Lloyd,” He started, “Would you like to go to the store with me and look at some clothes for you?” he offered.

Lloyd looked at him and then immediately looked away, “It's fine, I am alright.” he mumbled.

Kai sighed. He definitely did something to upset him. He was about to go try and see what he did wrong, but Nya stepped in first, “Hey Kai, leave us for a bit.”

Kai gave her a look, “You do know that this is my office?” He reminded.

“Yes, and I am asking you to leave,” she pointed to the door, “Please.” She then lowered her voice into a whisper, "I'm going to see what is going on with him. If you care for this kid please give the two of us some space so I can help him.”

Kai whispered back, “I do care for him and I can help him too.” He offered.

“Kai..”

“I know you guys are whispering about me,” Lloyd interrupted the conversation, “I am not dumb. If you have something to say about me you can say it to my face.”

“We aren't necessarily talking about you,” Kai clarified, “We are just trying to figure out how to cheer you up.”

“All I said was that you did not have to get me any new clothes.” Lloyd pointed out.

Kai shrugged, “Yeah but you got quiet when earlier you were so open to the idea. What happened between then and now? I know that it has to do with something I said, so tell me how I can fix it.”

Lloyd looked down to his feet, “You just sounded like you didn't want to take me, and that I was being a burden.” He mumbled.

Kai felt his heart shatter in his chest. “Oh kid, that is not true, “ he placed a hand on his shoulder, “If I did not want to take you to get new clothes why would I invite you to? I do care for you kid, I was just messing with you.” He then crouched down lower than Lloyd. He did this so that Lloyd could look at him, “You are not a burden. I promise. I am sorry I made you feel that way.”

A glossy look started to take over Lloyd’s red eyes. He blinked, trying to get them to go away. He sniffed, “Thanks, Kai.” Kai then returned to his normal height and gave him a hug. Lloyd surprisingly hugged back.

Nya squealed slightly, “Awe! You two are so cute!” Kai broke the hug so he could walk up to his sister and yank the hair tie out of her pony tail. Nya gasped, “What was that for?”

“Pay back. My hair has been avenged.” Kai smiled proudly. He heard Lloyd chuckling beside him, which made his smile grow even more. “Okay kid, let's go get you some new clothes.”

Chapter Text

The tile of the bathroom floor was freezing to the touch. Lloyd was slouched up against the door. His chest was rising as his breathing became more and more uneven with every breath he took. His entire body was shaking, his hair turning every color imaginable. First it was black, then it went to red. It kept changing over and over as his tears began to well up with tears. Never did Lloyd imagined that he would be scrunched up on the family bathroom floor of a police station before while having an anxiety attack, but here he was. He brought his hands to his head, covering his ears. The very sound of the humming of the AC was becoming to unbearable for him. 

Why was he losing his mind like this? Why could he not get better control? Usually Lloyd is rather good at controlling when his mind was running a thousand miles, but for some reason, he just couldn't this time. He tried to take slow and steady breaths, but nothing was working. He decided to back track his thoughts a little. What had triggered this attack? What last happened?

Oh, that's right. They were planning on arresting Garmadon, his father. 

Lloyd had to admit, his father was not the perfect dad. He was far from it! But still, he was his father. He has been taking care of him for fifteen years. He was the one who taught him out to play pool. He was his father. He could not let them arrest him. However, Lloyd thought back to how wonderful he slept last night. He was on a real bed and not on the couch. His father always promised him a real bed one day, once they won enough money, but they day never came. 

He could not help but remember his night with Kai. Kai had let him sleep in his bed. He gave up the bed for him. He fed him multiple times and let him watch TV. He even put on the show at the station so he could continue it while he was working. He also washed his clothes, let him take a shower and he offered to go buy him new clothes. Kai had been kinder to him in one day that his father had been in his entire life. However, that meant nothing. Lloyd was sure that once they arrested his father, the would put Lloyd straight into child protective services and not care what happened to him next. They didn't truly care for him. 

A sudden knock at the door shook Lloyd back into reality. "Hey Lloyd? You alright in there?" It was Kai. Why did he care? Lloyd was just a pawn in plan to arrest Garmadon. 

"Y-yeah.. I'm uh.. I'm fine." He managed between his shaky voice. 

"You don't sound fine. Mind if I come in?" He asked. 

The voice in his head was saying: don't trust him, he does not care. But, his heart was saying: let him in. Lloyd got to his feet, bracing himself against the wall. He unlocked the door and opened it. Kai stood before him, studying the young Oni. "Your hair is red, and your eyes are brown." He stated. 

Lloyd looked back at his reflection in the mirror. He changed it back to normal, "Sorry."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for," Kai assured him, "I just know that when your appearance changes it means something is going on. So, are you alright?" He restarted his question. 

Lloyd considered the the possibility of lying and saying he is okay, but something came over him. His eyes started to well up again as he asked  in a broken voice: "Do you really have to arrest my dad?"

~

Kai looked at the broken kid before him. The kid that was on the brink of tears, his blonde hair already turning a shade of brown after he turned it to blonde. As soon as the words left his mouth, Kai knew that this was taking a bigger toll on him than he realized. 

Kai took a couple steps forward and pulled him into a hug. Lloyd's face was in Kai's shoulder as he cried into his shoulder. Kai decided in that moment that he would do whatever he could to help this kid. 

Chapter Text

Going to the mall was an entirely new experience for Lloyd. He had never been before in his life. He had heard of it, but it was nothing compared to what he had visioned. Kai had shown him a couple of stores he personally shopped from, and helped him with picking out clothes. Nya decided to tag along for fun, and to give a female perspective on the outfits.

“If you want a girl one day you gotta dress with some style,” Nya tried to explain, “Girls like it when a boy dresses nice.”

“You obviously don't. Have you seen your husband?” Kai remarked, giving his little sister a wide grin. Nya shot him a glare, and his grin immediately fell. “I kid!” He held his hands up in defense.

Lloyd was in one of the dressing rooms, trying on a pair of jeans that Kai had picked for him. He was struggling to pull them up. That might be because he hasn't worn a pair of jeans in years. He forgot how tight they can feel. “Are you sure you got me the right size?” He asked through the door, “These feel a little suffocating.”

“Let us see them first!” Nya said, “If you like how they look we can go get you a bigger size.” She offered.

Lloyd opened the door, then reached to try and adjust the jeans. He looked up at the Smith siblings, “Are jeans supposed to be tight?”

“They can be sometimes,” Kai answered, “But yeah, those do look small. Do you like how they look?” He tilted his head.

Lloyd nodded, "Yeah, they look nice I just wish they didn't make me feel like destroying everything I see.” he huffed.

Nya was already heading back to the jeans section, “I got it!” She announced.

That left just Kai and Lloyd. Kai told him to go ahead and change into the next pair of pants they picked out for him. Lloyd did just so, this time coming out in a pair of black sweat pants. Kai could tell that he looked way more comfortable than he did in the jeans. “Like those better?” He questioned.

Lloyd nodded his head, “Yeah, these are not killing my legs and feel so much softer.” Lloyd said, looking down at his legs. He noticed the price tag attached to the left pocket. He grabbed it, turning it around to see just how much they cost. His eyes widened, “Oh.. these are a bit much. You don't have to get them for me.”

Kai furrowed his eyebrows, “How much are they?” He asked. He walked over and looked at the tag. “Oh, they are only twenty, that's not so bad.”
Lloyd looked absolutely shocked, “What? That is like two nights worth of dinner!”

Kai tilted his head, “Kid, that's not a lot for pants. I promise I do not mind.” He tried to assure him.

“No way,” Lloyd said, "That's a lot of money!”

The cop then realized just how much this kid's father hid from him. He made him believe that spending more than a normal price was a waste. Kai placed a hand on his shoulder, “Look, I make a lot of money, not to brag,” He shrugged, “I promised you new clothes and that's what I am going to get you. Please.”

Lloyd sighed, “Okay, but I owe you.”

Kai shook his head, “Do not sweat it kid.”

That was when Nya came back to the dressing room with the new size of jeans. “I found the next size up! And I found out they are on sale! I'll get you a pair too if you want.” she offered.

“Why are you guys so nice to me?” Lloyd questioned, looking down at his feet, “I mean, my dad killed a guy the other day and you guys are buying me new clothes. Why?”

“You are not your father,” Kai said without a beat, “You had nothing to do with that murder. You have been in an unhealthy and toxic environment your whole life. We want to help you and make your life better.” He explained.

Lloyd could not help the smile that began to form on his face, “Thank you. Thank you for everything. For buying me clothes, feeding me, and for letting me crash at your place for now.”

When Lloyd said ‘for now’ something inside of Kai shattered. He was right. When this was over he was going to be placed in a foster system, an orphanage, something. He would most likely not see or hear from him again since the kid did not have a phone either. No. Kai was going to do everything in his power to make sure that he would still get to see Lloyd.

~

Lloyd was standing by the pool table at Joe’s hangout. His hair was a dark brown color and his eyes blue. His ears were a normal shape, and he was wearing the same clothes he had left his dingy apartment in. He checked the time, looking over at the clock on the wall. There were only a couple minutes left until his father was supposed to show up. He was clutching a pool stick in his hand, trying to keep his hands from shaking. He took a deep breath, trying to calm down his nerves.

“You alright there kid?” Cole asked, coming to stand next to him. He was disguised, trying to blend in with the crowd.

Lloyd nodded his head, “Yeah, uh.. Just a little nervous, you know.” He tried to keep his gaze off of the disguised cop.

Cole hummed, “Okay, let me know if you start to feel bad. I am here to help.” He said, walking off.

Lloyd looked down at the pool table, turning the pool stick around in his hand. Suddenly, he heard the door open. He glanced behind him, noticing a familiar sight. A grown man walked up from behind him. Lloyd’s breath hitched as his body tensed.

The man stood next to him, then clapping a hand on his shoulder, a little harder than Lloyd was expecting. “My boy,” Garmadon grumbled, “Where have you been?” His voice was low.

Lloyd gulped, scared. He knew what kind of trouble he would be in if the officers were not here to protect him. “I- i ran into some trouble,” Lloyd squeaked out, “The police recognized me and started to follow me,” He lied, “I managed to lose them but I ran into this guy. He asked if I played pool and was willing to bet a lot on a game.” He managed to get out.

Garmadon’s grip on his shoulder began to tighten. Lloyd gulped, scared out of his mind. “Boy, it's that face.” He pointed his finger at Lloyd’s nose, his eyes starting to change to a shade of green, “You need to learn how to change that damn face.”

~

Kai listened from across the room. He noticed how his eyes had changed color. He realized Lloyd was upset. He was scared. His hand balled into a fist, his teeth clenching together. He was ready to rip the arm off of this guy's body and get him off of Lloyd. He pulled out his badge and marched up to the man.

“Sir, remove your hand from the minor.” Kai said, coldly.

Garmadon glared over to Kai, “This is my son, I am not hurting him in any way,” He looked over at Lloyd, shooting him a different glare he gave to Kai, “Tell him Lloyd.” he gritted through his teeth.

Kai looked to Lloyd, and noticed the fear in his eyes. Kai was determined to protect the kid. He whipped out his badge and showed it to the man, “NCPD, hands off.” He demanded.

Garmadon’s eyes widened. He sent a glare to Lloyd and Kai swore he heard him whisper: “I will deal with you later.” Garmadon let go of Lloyd and faced Kai, “How can I help you officer?” He asked in a more relaxed tone.
“I would like to bring you in for some questioning regarding Peter Tomb’s murder.” Kai told him, getting looks from the other customers in the bar.

“I do not know anyone of that name. I think you have the wrong guy.” Garmadon said.

Kai sighed, “Actually, I am sure that you are the person I am looking for, Mr. Garmadon.” He watched as the man’s eyes grew wide. He noticed the sudden movement in his jaw, showing how he was clenching it. Kai had caught him. “If you do not choose to come peacefully then we will have to use force, and we would prefer not to.”

Garmadon grumbled. He looked like he was trying to come up with some excuse to get him out of this. “If you take me in, who will watch after my son?” he gestured to Lloyd.

“It's not like you were doing much to look after him in the first place. No bed, bad food, old dirty clothes. In fact he had a better time at my place in just one night than he has had his entire life with you.” Kai stated, leaning in to get close with Garmadon.

Garmadon gasped, looking at Lloyd, “You ratted us out?” Lloyd glanced at his father for a split second before looking down at his feet again. He was fidgeting with his fingers and his body was shaking.

“Sir, you are under arrest,” Kai said, grabbing onto his arm, “Come peacefully or we will use force.”

Chapter Text

Kai had Lloyd ride back to the station with Cole since Garmadon was in the back seat of his car. Kai wanted to have a chat with this guy alone. He glanced at the Oni in the back seat, using the mirror. He already despised this mans guts. Man... like he had a right to be called that. 

"What ever that little rat told you is a lie," Garmadin grumbled, yanking on the cuffs on his wrists, "He is not right in the brain." 

Kai's grip on his steering wheel tightened, feeling more pissed than he already was. "You should watch what you say while being in a cop car," Kai warned, "You have already ticked me off enough, you don't want to do so any more."

Garmadon scoffed, "So you are going to take the word of a child over the word of a grown adult." he rolled his eye, "Some cop you are."

Kai hit the breaks as soon as they came upon a red light. He turned  around so he could look him in the eye,"Listen," His voice got low, "You better shut up before I lose it. You have treated your son like shit. He is a kid. He deserves a place to live that isn't a dump. He deserves a bed to sleep on, not the floor, not a couch. He deserves new and clean clothes, not some torn up old ones you probably stole from a garage sale. He deserves a father who loves him." He gritted the last bit between his teeth, narrowing his eyes, "You are the worst excuse for a person I have ever met."

Garmadon just stared at him, having no answer. Kai turned back around as the light turned green and drove off to the station. 

~

Lloyd was sitting in the front seat of Cole's car. He was still shaken up from the interaction with his father. He could still feel his father's fingers digging into his shoulder. He swore there were bruise marks left from how tight of a hold he had on him. 

Cole took a quick glance at Lloyd, noticing how down he was. "Hey buddy, you alright?" He asked. 

Lloyd nodded his head, "Yes I'm fine." He lied. 

"You sure?" Cole continued on, "I mean, that was intense back there. Is your father usually like that?" He questioned. 

Lloyd shook his head. Cole saw this, taking a sigh of relief. "He is usually worse.." Lloyd mumbled. He said it so loud, Cole almost did not understand what he said. His heart sunk into his stomach. 

~

Garmadon was in a room for questioning, his wrists chained together. Kai had gotten back before Cole and Lloyd did. The first thing he did was go straight to Zane and Jay's office. He threw open the door and marched in. 

Zane turned to look at him, "Did you get him?" He questioned. 

Kai nodded, huffing out a: "Yes."

Jay's eyebrows furrowed, watching his brother-in-law's actions. He had known Kai long enough to tell when something was on his mind. "What happened?" He asked, "Is everything okay?"

"How do you get custody of someone?" Kai blurted out. He was all fidgety. His foot was tapping and he was popping his knuckles. He swore he would have punched something if he wasn't good at controlling his anger. 

Jay raised his eyebrows at him, "You want custody of Lloyd." He correctly assumed. 

Kai nodded his head, "Yes! His father is the biggest piece of shit I have ever seen in my life, and Lloyd is not a bad kid. He deserves a home where he is safe and treated correctly. Who knows what will happen if he goes into a foster system? They don't always adopt teens. I might as well adopt him knowing where he is going." Kai ranted on. 

"I can help you with that Kai, I know some people who know how to do it." Zane offered. 

Kai smiled at him, "Thank you, Zane."

Chapter Text

Lloyd was sitting in Kai’s office. He was on the rolling chair, moving it back and forth. His hands were still shaking, and he was still breathing differently. His brain was still flooded with the images of his father’s glare. His stare burned, his grip on Lloyd’s shoulder was tight. Lloyd placed his hand on his shoulder lightly. It still felt sore. Carefully he pulled off his jacket, then tugged at the sleeve of his shirt. He looked at his shoulder to see the bruise marks his father had left.

Lloyd’s eyes widened. He quickly pulled his sleeve back up, putting his jacket back on. He tried to erase the vision from his mind. Suddenly, it hit him. His father was in this building, and he knew his father. He would try to escape and take Lloyd with him. He was not safe here. He needed to get out.

Swiftly, he got to his feet. He swung open the door, looking both ways in the hallway. How did he get out of here again? He started to speed walk one way down the hallway, looking for a way out of here.

He was stopped by a cop that he did not recognize. “Hey, you're that criminal’s kid right?” Lloyd did not answer. His breathing started to become very fast, not one breath matching the next. The cop continued on, “You are supposed to be waiting in Smith’s office.”

Lloyd pushed past him. He did not care what this man had to say. He had to get out of here. He heard the cop call out for him, but he just kept on going. His pace started to change into a run. He ran throughout the hallway until he bumped into someone.

“Whoa! Lloyd! You alright?” Mr. Walker asked, reaching out to try and put a hand on his shoulder. Lloyd jolted his shoulder out of the way. Lloyd appeared scared, and Jay could tell. “Hey, just breathe. Want me to call for Kai? Maybe Nya?” He asked.

Lloyd’s head just shook, the shaking from his hands had spread to his entire body, “N-no I.. I uh… I need to get out of here.” He managed to get out.

“Okay buddy, just take a deep breath okay? Come with me.” Jay instructed. Lloyd followed as Jay led him down the hallway and to a door. He opened it to reveal Mr. Julien and Kai looking at a computer screen. Lloyd had to admit, he was happy to see them, but he needed out of here. He could not be in the same building as his father.

Kai looked up from the screen. He watched as Lloyd’s red eyes changed to a shade of green. He immediately knew something was wrong. He walked up to him, “Hey, you alright? What is going on?”

Jay spoke up: “I found him in the hallway. He is shaking like crazy. He said he needs to get out of here.” He explained.

Kai looked to Lloyd again, “Did something happen? Why do you want to leave.”
Lloyd gulped, and managed to mumble: “I- I uh.. I can't.. I can't be here if he is.. Is here..” He stumbled over every word.

Even though it was hard to hear, Kai understood exactly what Lloyd had said. “Okay,” He nodded his head, then he looked back to Zane, “Hey, do you mind finishing that up for me? I am going to take him to get some fresh air.” He asked.

“Of course! I will let you know what they say!” Zane said, going back to the computer.

Kai then looked at his brother-in-law, “I’ll see you tomorrow," He nodded, then opened the door, showing Lloyd out.

Kai guided Lloyd throughout the maze of hallways. He showed him to the exit. As soon as the outside air hit Lloyd’s face, he felt a bit of calm rush over him. Kai led him to his car. Lloyd got in the passenger’s seat. Kai buckled his seat belt, then looked over to the kid. Kai sighed, he needed to somehow cheer him up. “Do you want to get any food?” He asked, “We can go through a drive through.” He offered.

“Uh.. can.. Can we get something to drink?” Lloyd asked. Kai noticed that he was starting to see Lloyd was calming down a little bit.

Kai nodded his head, “Sure, let's just keep it pg.” He joked.

“I want boba.” Lloyd said.

Kai blinked, a little shocked by his statement. This kid liked the most random things, but also did not know some very common things. However, Kai smiled and let out a breathy chuckle, “Of course kid.” He started the car and backed out of the parking spot.

Kai stopped at the first boba place he saw. He went through the drive through. He got Lloyd and himself each a drink. Lloyd’s eyes had turned back to red and lit up. He took a sip of his drink and started to feel better. Kai drove them back to his apartment. Lloyd was on the couch before Kai could even close the door behind him. He held the remote to Kai and asked: “Can you turn on Dance Moms?” He asked.

Kai only smiled and turned the show on for the kid. “I’m going to change real quick and then I will be out and watch with you okay?” He said. Loyd nodded his head at the cop and then turned his attention back to the TV.

Kai quickly changed out of his uniform and threw on some pajamas. When he came back into the living room he saw that Lloyd was laying down on the pull out mattress. His cup was on the ground and so was his jacket. He was getting comfortable. However, he was in jeans. “Want to change?” Kai offered, “Your new clothes are in my closet.”

Lloyd nodded his head. He got up and went to change. While he was doing that Kai redid the blankets on the pull out bed so that Lloyd would feel more comfortable. He then went to the kitchen to get a bag of chips. He grabbed it and went back to the couch. Just as he did, Lloyd came back wearing pajamas.

“Did the moms crash out yet?” He questioned, looking over to the TV.

Kai shook his head, “Not yet, the girls are just dancing.” He answered. Lloyd hummed, then came to sit on the couch next to Kai. Kai could tell that Lloyd was back to his normal self. His eyes were his normal red and his hair blonde. He looked like himself. “Can I ask you a question?”

Lloyd looked down, “Is it about how I was acting earlier?” He answered for him, “I’m sorry, I just.. I just started worrying because I was in the same building as him. It was too much for me.” He explained.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Kai told him, “You’re alright. I understand, I promise that he cannot get you anymore, and I promise to not ever allow him to get to you anymore.”

Lloyd looked up and his eyes met Kai’s. A small smile grew on his face, “Thank you.” He said. He then relaxed on the couch. They stayed quiet for a bit, just watching the show. After a bit, Lloyd spoke up again, “Hey, what was that thing that you and Mr. Julien were looking at earlier?" He asked.

Kai’s eyes widened a little, “Oh, uh.. It was nothing,” He said, “just some work stuff. I was helping with some paperwork.” He explained.

Lloyd nodded his head, “Okay.” and he did not question it any further.

Kai felt a little relieved. He did not lie. He was working on paperwork, but it was not for work, it was for the adoption process. He did not want to bring it up to Lloyd yet, just in case it did not work out. Kai shook his head. No. he will make it work. He made that promise to himself, and to Lloyd. He will gain custody of Lloyd and protect him.

Chapter Text

Wrists were cuffed together, but still being tugged at in an attempt to be free. Garmadon was sitting in an interrogation room, ready to be bombarded with question after question. He huffed out a breath of air, staring at the door, waiting for it to open. Suddenly- just like he assumed- the door swung open. A couple men walked into the room. The shorter one sat in the chair across from him, the other leaned up against the wall, arms crossed.

Garmadon cocked an eyebrow, “I guess I am in some big trouble.” He cracked a grin.

The man in the chair leaned forward, “This isn't the best time to be joking," He warned, “You are here for multiple reasons.”

“Reasons I am not guilty for.” Garmadon answered right away. He was lying straight through his teeth.

“We have spent the past day with your son sir,” The man sighed, “My wife and brother-in-law have been taking care of him. I can safely assume you have no clue on how to do that.”

Garmadon narrowed his eyebrows, “How dare you-”

He was cut off, “Your son does not have a bed, clean clothes, and he doesn't eat good food. I'm convinced you have been feeding him trash his entire life.” The man in the chair snapped.

Garmadon sighed, “Look, officer..”

“Walker. Detective Walker.” Detective Walker answered for him.

“Detective Walker,” Garmadon cleared his throat, “I am sure that you have the wrong guy. You see, the poor boy’s mother ditched us when he was just a baby. I have been taking care of him his entire life. Am I the best father ever? No. But who is?” he asked, “Do you have any kids, detective?”

Garmadon watched as Detective Walker’s jaw clenched, “Yes, I do. And I am already a better father in a couple months than you have been in fifteen years.” He scolded him.

Garmadon sighed, then looking at the other man in the back, “Who is this?” He questioned, “My parole officer?” He tilted his head.

“This is Officer Brookestone,” Detective Walker said, “He is here in case you try anything.” He explained.

“What makes you think I am going to try anything?” He asked, “My hands are cuffed.” He lifted his wrists to point out the obvious.

Detective Walker shrugged, “We have never had an Oni custody before. Besides shapeshifting, we don't know what you are capable of.”

Garmadon’s eyes widened. He scoffed, then forced a small chuckle, “Oni? Those are a myth!” He attempted to throw them off. Too bad for him, they are one step ahead.

“Funny,” Detective Walker hummed, “Then how come your son has been able to change his eye and hair color?” He stood up from his chair, slamming his hands down on the table, “Do you find us dumb?” He asked harshly, “We know everything. All we need to know is why.”

Garmadon sighed, leaning back in his chair, “You are foolish. Do you not know your history?”

Detective Walker looked back at Officer Brookestone behind him. Brookestone pushed himself off the wall and strided over. “We know you were kicked out of the royal family. We know your father was the first spinjitzu master. We know you are also part dragon, but I assume you don't know how to act with the kindness of dragons.”

Garmadon hummed, “So, you know some of your history, but you are still.. How did you put it Walker? Dumb?”

Detective Walker balled his hands into a fist, but Officer Brookestone placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. “Tell us then. What are we missing? What are we missing from history?”

Garmadon dryly chuckled, “All of it. You have all been lied to.”

~

Lloyd woke up where he did not fall asleep. He pushed himself up, looking around. He was in Kai’s bed, tucked in. He looked around, and did not see Kai. He got up and walked out of the room to see Kai on the couch, eating a bowl of cereal.

Kai looked over and waved him over, “Morning kid! How did you sleep?” He asked.

Lloyd walked over, sitting down next to him on the couch, “I thought I fell asleep out here.” he said, looking at the officer.

Kai nodded, “You did,” He said, “I moved you to the bed so you could sleep well.” he explained.

“But why didn't you just sleep there? It is your bed.” Lloyd questioned, furrowing his eyebrows.

“You deserve a good place to sleep,” Kai said, “I have slept in a bed my entire life, you haven't. I can sleep on the couch until you have your own bed, I truly don't mind.” he explained, shrugging.
“My own bed?” Lloyd repeated what the officer said, “What do you mean by my own bed?”

Kai rubbed the back of his neck, “Well, since you are free from your father you will now be able to live a better life. You will have a bed, clean clothes, and a safe place to live.”

Lloyd looked down, “Uh.. can I ask a favor? It's okay if not.”

“Of course kid! What is it?” Kai asked.

Lloyd was still looking away, almost like he was embarrassed, “Do you mind driving me back to my old apartment? I want to get some stuff before I.. I guess go into foster care or something.” he mumbled the last part.

Kai felt his heart drop into his stomach when he heard the kid say that. He was scared of foster care. He did not want to go somewhere where he did not know the people. Kai didn't bring up the adoption process he was trying to do. He was not looking to get the kid’s hopes up if it did not work out. “Of course. Why don't you go get ready and I will take you real quick.” he offered.

Lloyd shot him a small smile, “Thanks..” He got up from the couch, walking back into the bedroom so he could change.

Lloyd had shut the door behind him, so Kai pulled out his phone. He dialed Zane’s number, putting the phone to his ear. “Hey Zane? Have you heard anything from your friend?” He asked.

“He did!” Zane answered, then paused, “Oh! Pix says hello.”

Kai smiled, “Tell her I say hello too. What did he say?” He asked.

“He said that they need to do home study,” Zane continued on, “Basically you need to apply first, which we did earlier. So now you will need to do an interview or two. They will ask about our life, background, family, all that kind of stuff. Then they will inspect your apartment, see if it's safe for Lloyd to live in. If the social worker approves of you so far they will recommend you for court. Then at court you will get full custody of Lloyd.” he explained.

Kai nodded his head, “Okay, I think I can do all of that. Tell them I am ready for an interview whenever they want to interview me. Thank you again Zane. This means a lot to me.”

“Of course!” Zame said through this phone, “Anytime!”

The bedroom door then opened, revealing Lloyd. Kai then finished up the phone call, “Thanks again! I will talk to you later.” He hung up.

Lloyd walked out to Kai, “Who was that?” He asked.

Kai turned off his phone and sat it in his pocket, “Just Zane. We were discussing work stuff. I won't bore you with it.” He lied. He then pushed himself up, “Let me go get ready and we can go.” he said.

~

Lloyd looked out the window, watching as everything went by. “You turn right at this light.” he instructed Kai. Today was one of Kai’s days off, so they were not on a time limit. Kai was driving Lloyd to his old apartment to get his belongings. Kai turned left just as he said, then noticed the apartment complex. “This is it.” Lloyd said.

Kai parked right outside of it. The two of them got out and walked up to the apartment. Lloyd grabbed the key from under the mat. He put it in the lock and began to unlock it. Before pushing open the door he said: “Sorry for the mess.”

The door was pushed open and it was not what Kai was expecting. It was worse. It was a complete landfill. There was trash everywhere. The couch looked moldy, and there was an awful stench to the place. Lloyd walked in, then walked up to an end table.

Kai observed the place, but the couch could not leave his brain. That was where Lloyd had been sleeping his entire life. It was stained, rotten, and moldy. It was not safe for anyone to even be near. He made a mental note to take Lloyd to get a check up to make sure he wasn't sick or anything.

Lloyd opened the drawer and pulled out an eight ball. Kai walked over to the drawer that was full of eight balls. He remembered the story that Lloyd had told him. How after every single one of his wins he would take the eight ball back with him; and there were tons of eight balls in this drawer.

“What's special about this one?” Kai asked, looking at the ball Lloyd had in his hand.

“This is the first one I won.” Lloyd explained. He then picked up another one. This one looked in better condition than the other one. “I won this one playing against..against my..dad..” He mumbled, shoving both of them into his pocket. He then closed the drawer. “When the health department comes to burn this place down, tell them they can donate the rest.” He said.

Kai nodded his head, putting on a playful smile, “I will make sure to do that,” he joked along, “Is there anything else you need?”

Lloyd nodded his head. He walked down the hallway. Kai followed and watched as Lloyd opened a door. The door belonged to a closet. Inside was more trash, but also towels and clothes. Lloyd reached out and grabbed a small worn out stuffed animal. It was of a green dragon. He wrapped his arm around it, then closed the door. “Okay, we can go.”

“There is nothing else you wanna grab?” Kai asked for clarification.

Lloyd shook his head, “No, this is all that I need.” he answered.

“Okay then.” Kai said, letting Lloyd walk in front of him, out of the apartment. They got back into the car and Kai asked, “Would you like to go get some food?” He asked.

Lloyd shrugged, “Sure. You can pick, I am okay with anything.” He said.

Kai drove off. He decided to take Lloyd to a proper restaurant, not some fast food place. He took him to a ramen place, parking right outside. Kai and Lloyd entered the place. Lloyd was taking it all in, admiring how nice the inside was. They walked up to the host who greeted them, “Hello there! How many will be dining with us today!”

“Just two!” Kai answered. The host grabbed two menus and led them to their table. The two of them sat down. Lloyd was looking at the menu, confused. “Have you ever had ramen before?” Kai asked.

Lloyd shrugged, “Dollar store ramen.”

“Well this will be way better,” Kai promised, “One day I will make you my family's ramen recipe. Nya and I learned it from our kaa-chan when we were little.” he said.

Lloyd blinked, “Who is kaa-chan?” he questioned, tilting his head.

Kai rubbed the back of his neck, “My mom.” He explained, “You should meet her one day. She is one of the sweetest ladies ever. She would love you.”

Lloyd nodded, “Alright.” Then looking back to his menu.

Suddenly, Kai’s phone started to buzz. He looked down to see Cole was trying to call him. Cole never calls him without shooting him a text first. This has to be serious. “Hey, I am gonna take this call real quick okay? Get whatever you want to eat and drink. I will order when I get back.” He said, getting up.

He walked out of the restaurant and answered the phone. “Hey, is everything okay?” He asked.

“You are not going to believe this..”

Chapter Text

Kai rushed himself down the hallway of the station. He was searching for Cole. After receiving the phone call during lunch he didn't waste any time. He felt bad though. He had taken Lloyd to go get food and had to cancel the moment they had gotten there.

He told Lloyd something had come up and they needed to rush to the station. Lloyd didn't seem too happy, however he got up and followed him to the car. Kai had rushed there, still driving safely. Lloyd had asked him what was going on, but Kai did not want to worry him. He told him it was just a work thing and once they were done he would take him to go get a proper meal.

Once at the station he told Lloyd to wait for him in his office. He would only be a minute, he said. He was dashing down the hallways until he found himself in front of Jay and Zane’s door. He threw it open, meeting eyes with his coworkers.

Kai’s eyebrows furrowed, looking straight at Cole, “Let me speak with him.” He demanded.

Cole carefully walked up to his partner, holding out his hands in an attempt to calm him down, “Hold on there buddy. Lets take a deep breath-”

“I want to speak to Garmadon. I know he is here.” Kai repeated, his voice lowering. “I want to hear it all from him.”

Cole looked back to Zane and Jay. They have all seen Kai worked up before. Kai was a hot-head, but over the years he has learned to keep his cool. However, he hasn't been this upset in a while. Zane shrugged his shoulders slightly as Jay nodded his head. Cole sighed, facing Kai again, “Listen, you need to approach the situation carefully, alright?”

Kai looked down, huffing out a breath of air, “Fine. Just let me see him.”

Cole showed Kai out the room and across the hall to the interrogation room where they had Garmadon held. He opened the door to see Garmadon picking at his nails. The criminal looked up, a sudden grin forming on his face, “Oh, welcome back Brookestone,” He changed his gaze to look at Kai, “Is this my parole officer? It can't be. He is dressed like a tired youth pastor, not a cop.” He joked.

Cole could already Garmadon would easily get a rise out of Kai. He placed a hand on Kai’s shoulder, trying to keep him calm, “This is Officer Smith. It was his day off but he wants to hear what you told me and Detective Walker.” he explained.

Garmadon’s eyebrows rose, “Huh. Why does he care so much?” he tilted his head, examining the off duty cop. His eyes widened as he said, “Ohh! You are the cop who arrested me, that's where I have seen you before.”

Kai folded his arms across his chest, “You already forgot who I am?”

“I don't really care to remember people's faces. I have seen too many in my lifetime and they are all useless and boring,” Garamdon pretended to sigh, “So yes. I do not care who you are. But it seems you have an interest in who I am and what I have to say.” He shot Kai a grin.

Kai marched up to Garmadon, placing his hands on the table, “I want to know what you told my partner here. All of it. Word for word.” He demanded, his voice lowering again.

Gamadon looked from Cole to Kai, “You want to know about how my father and brother kicked me and my son out of the royal family?”

“I want to know what you did to make them do so.” Kai clarified.

“What makes you think I would have done something?” Garmadon attempted to play an innocent act, “I did nothing wrong. I blame it all on my ex-wife,” He scoffed, “That back stabber.” He mumbled under his breath.

Ex-wife? Lloyd’s mother. “What about your ex-wife?” He asked.

“Get this,” Garmadon started, “The year is something-somewhat. Who knows who cares, it was a long time ago. My brother and I were going around the city as one does,” He looked Kai in the eye, “This was way before your time. No phones, old TVs, all that kind of jazz,” He said, “I convinced my brother to sneak into a bar with me, we were underaged, and I went to go play a game of pool. I am actually where Lloyd gets his talents from-”

Kai slammed his hands on the table, “Enough with the side comments. Go on with your story.”

Garmadon rolled his eyes, “Fine,” He huffed, “I was playing a game of pool when this girl was admiring me and my brother. We introduced ourselves and offered her to have a meal with us,” He paused, as if he was reminiscing the memory, “Misako was a beautiful woman. If only she didn't leave me like she did,” He sighed, “Turns out my brother and I both had eyes for her. We fought over her, and it wasn't pleasant.”

Garmadon leaned back in his chair, “I have to admit, this part was my fault. My brother had written her this love letter, and I sort of stole it and replaced it with my name. I gave it to Misako and boom, she was in love. We got married and I never spoke a word of what I did to my family or my new wife. I lived a lie for many many years.”

“What does this have to do with the history of Ninjago?” Kai questioned.

“I am getting there,” Garmadon said, sitting up again, “As you know, my family are Dragons and Oni. I inherited the Oni genes from my father while my brother inherited the Dragon. While I do have some Dragon in me, I have a better control on my Oni abilities. Same would go for Lloyd. Although, he is part human as well, so he isn't as good at his Oni abilities.” he explained.

Kai crossed his arms across his chest, “I don't think you give Lloyd enough credit for his shapeshifting." he said.

Garmadon chuckled, “He can only change his eyes and his hair, while I can change my entire appearance.”

Kai cocked an eyebrow, “So how do you usually look?” He questioned.

“You would not like to see that, trust me.” Garmadon said. He then continued on, “Many years went by and Ninjago was going to war with Ginjago. Some rebel Gins were trying to sneak into Ninjago and terrorize our city. So, as heir to the throne, I did what anyone would do,” He leaned forward, “I used my Oni powers and destroyed Ginjago.”

Kai’s eyes widened, his heart skipped a beat. This man destroyed an entire kingdom? They were told that Ginjago was a peaceful city and that Garmadon was a madman who destroyed it for no reason.

“My father was not too pleased with it. He was more of a peace guy and what-not. My father was so pissed he threw me and my wife out of the castle. Misako didn't leave me though. She thought what I did was wrong but she claimed that she wanted to change me or something like that. When she was pregnant with Lloyd, my father offered us back into the castle. We moved back in, and my wife found the letter Wu had written for her. That's when everyone found out what I did. Misako left and I was kicked out once again. Misako wanted nothing to do with my family anymore. When Lloyd was only a month or so old, Misako left him at my place. I never saw her again.”

Kai felt even more mad than he was earlier. Both of Lloyd’s parents were horrible.

“So, as you can see, I am not the bad guy here-”

“Are you stupid?” Kai gritted out between his teeth, “Are you actually stupid? You are at fault here. You still destroyed a kingdom, you lied to the royal family, and you have been hurting your child for years!” He yelled.

“Lloyd is happy-”

“NO HE IS NOT!” Kai cut him off. “If you truly think your son is happy, then you are insane. Insane doesn't even fit it. You are the most sorry excuse for a father I have ever seen.” Kai took a couple steps back, then looked to Cole, “Get him locked up.” He ordered.

Kai walked over to the door and opened it. To his surprise, Lloyd was standing right there. He had heard the whole thing. Kai gulped.

Lloyd looked down, “I would like to leave please.” He whispered.
Kai nodded his head, placing a hand on the kid’s shoulder. He looked back to Garmadon one last time, giving him a cold glare. He looked back to Lloyd again, “Okay kid. Let's go home.”

Chapter Text

Home?

Kai had said home?

It kept ringing in Lloyd’s mind, over and over again. Did Kai mean their home? As in, the place both of them live? Or did he mean just where he lives? It was his home. Lloyd shook his head, trying his best to forget about it. It did not matter anyways. It’s not like he had a real home.

He was watching the cars pass out of the passenger's side window. His head was leaned up against the window, and a sigh slipped past his lips. Not only was what Kai said going through his mind but also what Garmadon said. Lloyd did not want to ‘stay put’ in Kai’s office, so he ventured out. He didn't expect to find a conversation he did not want to hear.

So he wasn't just Oni, but also Dragon? He also was part of the royal family, but they never came to find him? Everyone around him really sucked. That was besides Kai and Nya. Cole, Jay, and Zane weren't bad either. However, it wasn't like he would be with them soon. He would most likely go in some form of foster care. He didn't expect to be adopted. It's not like someone was looking to adopt a fifteen-year-old Dragon Oni Human hybrid. Maybe he could run away and live on the streets? No, he would not be able to watch Dance Moms then.

Nothing sounded good to him. His life only felt like one big mess. He wanted out, but there was no escape.

“Are you doing alright?” Kai spoke up, snapping Lloyd from his train of thought.

Lloyd looked over, nodding his head, “I’m fine.” He lied.

Lloyd could tell that Kai felt worried for him. Did Kai truly care for him? He did snap at Garmadon, multiple times. Plus he has been letting him stay at his house and sleep on his bed. Not the couch, the bed. But it is part of his job. He has probably done this before with other misfit children born into a life of crime.

“If you say so,” Kai said, “When we get back you can watch your show some more. I got some work to do though.”

Lloyd furrowed his eyebrows, looking over at the police officer, “I thought it was your day off?” He pointed out, "What kind of work do you have to do?”

“Zane filled me in on it when I got there. It shouldn't take too long. When I am done we can do whatever you want!” He assured the teen, flashing him a certain smile.

“Okay..” Lloyd mumbled, going back to watching the cars.

~

“Hi, my name is Kai Smith. I was told to ask for Ms. Harting.” Kai said into the phone. He was standing outside the apartment, Lloyd watching TV inside just like he had offered earlier. Zane had given him the phone number to one of his friend’s coworkers who could help him out with the adoption process.

“Hi! I am Grace Harting, is this Kai Smith?” A woman’s voice arose from the other side of the phone.

Kai perked up slightly and answered almost immediately, “Yes this is! I am looking to adopt this young teenager that my team and I found. His father has been sentenced to life in prison and his mother hasn't been around since he was born. It doesn't sound like he is aware of any other relatives. I have been taking care of him the past couple of days and I truly want to give him a better life. My friend said you might be able to help me with that.” Kai blurted it all out. He almost didn't give himself any time to breathe between sentences.

The lady responded: “Yes! I heard about you! I would love to help you out! It seems you have already filled out the application. I just need to have an interview with you as soon as possible and have someone come inspect your house and see if it is safe for someone his age.” She explained.

Kai could not help the smile that grew on his face. “Thank you so much! When are you able to do the interview? I can do so whenever it works best for you!” he offered.

Grace Harting hummed, “Let me look at my calendar..” She trailed off. After a beat of silence, she spoke again, “It looks like I actually have some free time around four. Can you come in then?” She asked.

“Today?” Kai questioned. It was already two, and he did promise Lloyd he would spend some time with him. However, if this worked out, he could spend time with him whenever. “Yes, I can do that!”

“Great!” Grace exclaimed, “I will see you then!”

Kai ended the call, putting his phone in his pocket. He pumped his fists by his side, excited. He might just win custody of Lloyd!

He walked over to the door, opening it. Lloyd was standing on the other side, an eyebrow cocked. “What was that about?” He asked.

Kai’s eyes widened. He should have learned by now that this kid liked to eavesdrop. “Like I told you, just a work call,” He closed the door behind him, “We started to move on to a new case. I gotta go to the station around four. Do you mind hanging out with Nya around then?” He asked.

Lloyd shrugged, “Sure. She is more fun than you are.” He teased, walking back to the couch to continue his show.

Kai faked gasping, playing along, “How dare you! I am obviously the superior sibling!”

Chapter Text

“Hi, I am here to see Ms. Harting.” Kai told the lady sitting at the front desk. He was about to do his interview to see if he can go to court to get full custody of Lloyd. He had dropped Lloyd off with Nya, hoping the kid would not question his actions. He was very worried this whole plan would fail, but he still had to try.

The lady gave him a smile, “Yes! Wait here, I will call her over.” she said.

Kai nodded his head, returning her smile, “Thank you.” He took a couple steps back, leaning up against the wall. He pulled out his phone, opening his texts with Nya.

Kai: How is he doing?

Nya: Better how that he is with me

Kai rolled his eyes. Sometimes his sister was annoying. Still, he loved her.

Kai: haha. Is he doing okay? I did kinda ditch him

Nya: He is confused why you left, but I told him it was a work thing. I think you should tell him what you are up to.

Kai: No, if it doesn't work I don't want to disappoint him.

“Kai?” Kai looked up, seeing another lady standing in front of him. She gave him a smile, “Hi! I am Grade Harting. We spoke over the phone.” She held out her hand for him to shake.

Kai turned off his phone, Nya already leaving his mind. He took her hand in his and shook it. He smiled back, saying: “Hi! It's nice to meet you. Thank you for helping me out.”

“Of course!” Grace nodded her head, retracting her hand, “Wanna follow me to my office? We will do the interview there.” she explained. She waved him over, signaling for him to follow her. Kai did so. They walked into her office. Grace took a seat behind the desk, and Kai sat in front of it. She typed something up on the computer, then turned to look at Kai again. “So, I have heard the story, but not in much detail. Do you mind repeating it to me?” She questioned.

“Yes,” Kai said, “So about a week ago my team got word of a murder. We tracked it down and found a kid and father scamming people out of money..” He then paused, thinking about it, “Well.. I guess it wasn't as much scamming since Lloyd did win fair and square, but they would make sure they would win the money,” He shrugged, “By playing pool.”

Grace nodded her head, “I see..”

“So Lloyd’s dad killed this guy who didn't pay him. We found Lloyd and we got him to open up,” He sighed, “This poor kid’s father was abusive. He hit him, didn't feed him real food and made him sleep on a couch with mold. I plan to take him to the doctor as soon as I get a chance.” He went on. “His dad is now in jail for a life sentence. His mom left when he was only a baby and he doesn't have any relatives that he is aware of.” Kai then thought back on it.

The royal family.

“Well..” He mumbled, “Turns out he is related to the royal family. But, they have never reached out to him. They threw his father out of the family years ago.”

Grace’s eyes widened, “oh..” She sat up straight, “I was not expecting that,” She admitted, “Well, unfortunately we need to contact the royal family first before we hand him over to you,” She said, “But, since they never reached out, there is still a good possibility that you can have full custody. I would still like to interview you, I just have to alert the family about Lloyd’s situation.”

Kai felt his heart drop into his stomach. He did not even think of the possibility that the royal family might want to take Lloyd in. But wouldn't that be good? Lloyd would be with someone of his own species and be in a safe and loving home. Still, he nodded his head, “Uh.. yeah. Sure.” He cleared his throat.

Grace turned back to the computer, “Your full name?” She asked.

“Just Kai Smith,” He said, “I don't have a middle name.”

Grace typed it up, humming as she did so. She looked back to him, “And you are a police officer,” She reminded herself, “What kind of living situation are you in?”

“I have a two bedroom apartment. I currently only have one bed and a pull out couch, but I am willing to buy a bed the second I get custody,” ‘if I get custody,’ he thought, "It's actually just five minutes from here.” He added.

“Okay,” She typed it up, “What about a wife? Are you married by chance?” she questioned.

Kai shook his head, “No ma’am I am not married.”

She looked at him, “So what do you do when you have to leave Lloyd with someone?” She asked, “Who will keep an eye on him?”

She had said it with a bit of force, which caught Kai a little off guard. “Uh.. well if it's just for an hour or so I can trust him alone at home. I would make sure he knows to keep the doors locked, not to open them for anyone, and that he can't leave. However, if it's for a longer period of time, my sister and her husband live just a couple minutes from me. I could also call up my parents.”

She hummed again, typing something up on the computer. “Where did you grow up?” She asked, “Are you from around here?”

Kai nodded his head, “Yes ma’am. My family grew up here. My parents moved to this part of the city before I was born.” He answered.

“When you got in trouble as a kid, what did your parents do to discipline you?” She asked.

Kai blinked. He felt like instead of doing an interrogation that he was being interrogated. He gulped, but answered, “Well, I did not get in much trouble as a kid. When I did get in trouble though I wasn't allowed to watch TV or play with friends for the amount of time my parents set. I also had to apologize for my actions.” He explained.

“Alright,” she typed on the computer some more, “What about for Lloyd. Lets say he got suspended for school because he got in a fight. What do you do?” she asked.

Kai was starting to feel more and more worried with each question. “W-well… he's not currently in school. That will be one of my first things on my list if I get custody. But, if that were to happen, I would not let suspension be a break. He would not be allowed to do any fun activities like hanging out with friends.”

“What about his phone?” Grace questioned, “Would you take that away from him?”

“Oh.. Lloyd also does not have a phone. I would get him one. But, I don't think I would take away the phone. I would put parietal controls on it so all he could do is text and call me or my sister or someone. The only reason I say that is because I want to always have a way to contact him just in case. Once the punishment is over I would take it off and he can have games back.” he explained.

“Okay,” She nodded, “Do you smoke? Drink? Anything like that?”

Kai shook his head, “No ma’am. I am a police officer. I have seen what that kind of stuff does to people. I don't want to be associated with it.”

“Okay, next question…”

~

When Kai picked up Lloyd from Nya’s house, Lloyd could tell that Kai seemed a bit off. He did not bother to question though. He was suspicious of it though. He felt as though Kai was keeping something from him.

“How were the twins?” Kai asked.

“They are good.” Lloyd answered. They were talking about Jay and Nya’s newborn twins, Maya and Adrien. They were barely a month old, and Kai was the proudest uncle there could ever be.

Kai smiled at hearing that, “Good.” He was driving them back to his apartment. Kai did have to admit that all the questions that Grace had thrown at him earlier had drained him. If they hadn't he would take Lloyd to get his own phone. That's right. He decided that would be a tomorrow thing. “Hey, how do you feel about getting a phone?”

Lloyd’s eyes widened. His head snapped to look at Kai, “Are you being serious?” He asked.

For a split second, Kai glazed over to Lloyd, nodding his head. He then quickly looked back to the road, making sure he was driving safe.

A smile began to grow on Lloyd’s face. “No way! Like a real phone? Like with a screen?”

Kai could not help but snicker, happy for the kid, “Yeah! I'll get you the same model I have so I can help show you how to work it.” He offered.

“You’re the best Kai!” Lloyd announced, “Thank you!” He smiled, “And thank you for taking care of me and feeding me. And for.. Well, all you have done for me.”

Kai’s smile only grew, “Of course kid. Anything for you.”

Chapter Text

Lloyd was more than fascinated by the line up of phones presented to him at the Borg Store. Kai swore his eyes had lit up more than they ever have before. Kai was actually surprised that Lloyd never had a phone before. He might have had a house phone or something like that, but now he could get an iphone.

Lloyd examined the phones, holding the models. He turned them around to see the backs. Kai swore he saw more excitement grow on the kid’s face, “They have different colors you can pick from?” He asked.

Kai nodded his head,pulling his phone out of his pocket. He took off his case to show the back of his phone, “Yeah. Mine is red. What color are you wanting?” He asked.

Lloyd looked at the color selections, bouncing on his toes a bit. He pointed to the mint green color. “Can I get this one?” He asked.

Lloyd was so excited, how in the name of the first spinijtzu master could he say no? Not that he was planning on it anyways. “Of course buddy! Let’s go tell one of the workers.” He said.

Kai looked around for an employee. Once he found one he waved the guy over to the. As the employee was on his way over, Kai noticed out of the corner of his eye that Lloyd had changed the shape of his ears to appear human-like and changed his eyes from red to green. Kai noted in his mind to ask Lloyd about it later.

“Hi there! What can I do for you?” The employee asked with all smiles.

“Hi, I would like to buy this model Borg phone in the green color.” Kai answered, pointing to the phone Lloyd was looking at.

The employee nodded his head, “Of course sir! Let me go get one for you from the back.”

While the employee headed to go grab the phone, Kai turned to face the kid. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

Lloyd shrugged, “Is it about why I changed my ears, eyes, and fangs?” He asked for him. Kai was shocked how the kid was easily able to predict what was on his mind. Kai did not even notice that he had changed his fangs as well. Kai nodded his head. Lloyd said, “I just don't want people to view me as weird or something.” He explained

Something about that statement broke Kai’s heart. Have people told Lloyd he looked weird before. Kai did not think Lloyd looked weird. He looked different from others, but not in a bad way. “You know, I don't think there is anything wrong with how you look. How you really look.” Kai said.

The corner of Lloyds lips turned upwards slightly, “Thanks,” He mumbled, “But if you are okay with it, can I stay looking like this out in public? At least for now?”

“Why would you need my permission for how you looked?” Kai questioned, his eyebrows furrowing.

Lloyd shrugged again, “I don't know,” he looked down, “I was just wondering.”

“Well, you can look however you want,” Kai assured, “Anything is fine by me as long as you are dressed appropriately. You will not leave my house dressed in something revealing and too tight.” he crossed his arms.

Lloyd rolled his eyes with a smile, “Well, since you know my entire wardrobe, I am sure that won't be a problem.” he joked along.

The employee had come back with a small box containing the phone along with a charger and a pair of wired earbuds. “Here we are! Would you like help transferring your Borg ID? I also forgot to ask if you are trading in your old phone.”

Kai shook his head, “No thanks. This is for the kid, it's his first phone.” Kai explained, placing a hand on Lloyd's shoulder, “Could you help us with setting up his own Borg ID?” He asked.

“Of course!”

~

Once they got the ID set up, Kai put in his number, along with Nya’s, Jay’s, Zane’s, and Cole’s. He wanted to make sure that he had multiple people to contact in case of an emergency. Kai was driving the both of them to finally get lunch since the last time they were interrupted. Lloyd was looking at his new phone, eyes wide and a smile plastered on his face. Since Lloyd liked the color so much, Kai got him a clear phone case so he could still see it.

Lloyd opened the camera up, gasping, “No way! This is such good quality!” He exclaimed.

Kai smiled, “Yeah, it is pretty good.” He agreed with the kid.

Lloyd exited the camera app, then went to the app store, “So I can download any app I want and it will just appear on my screen? And if I don't like it can I just delete it?” He asked, looking over at Kai.

Kai nodded his head, “Yes, but before you go downloading any apps I want to talk to you about the dangers of it first.” he said.

“Dangers?” Lloyd repeated, his eyebrows scrunching.
“Yes. Apps are cool and fun, but sometimes they can be dangerous. Like some kinds of social media, and chatting apps. I don't want you talking to someone you don't know, they may try to kidnap you or something.” Kai gave a basic rundown.

Lloyd had a shocked expression on his face, “Why would anyone care to kidnap me?” He asked, not in a mean way, he was actually curious.

“Well, some people are just weird, buddy,” Kai sighed, "Don't worry, I will be giving you freedom, but I just want to keep you safe.”

“Thank you.” Lloyd nodded his head. He then held up his phone and pointed it in the direction of Kai . He took a quick picture.

Kai chuckled, “What was that for?”

“So I can remind you how sappy you can get.” Lloyd answered, reviewing the picture.

Kai rolled his eyes, “Haha. Wanna get some ramen? We will actually eat some this time.” he assured him.

“Yes!”

~

Watching Lloyd try real ramen for the first time was almost as enjoyable as watching him pick out what color phone he wanted. It was still so crazy to Kai how much this kid has missed out on in his life so far. He was glad he was able to help him make life more fun than what he had been used to.

Lloyd pulled the new phone out of his pocket and snapped a picture of the bowl. Kai tilted his head, joking with him as he said: “Are you going to take pictures of everything you see?”

“Just the cool stuff.” Lloyd answered, putting the phone back into his pocket.

“I guess that makes me cool.” Kai smiled, remembering back to how the first picture taken on Lloyd’s phone was of him.

Lloyd rolled his eyes, “Keep telling yourself that.” He cracked a grin.

Suddenly Kai’s phone was ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket to see that Grace Harting was trying to call him. Kai sighed, “Hey, I need to answer this okay? Wait right here alright?” He said, getting up.

Lloyd nodded his head, “I’ll be here.”

Kai left the restaurant just like he had done when Cole had called him. He answered the phone and put it to his ear. “Hello?” Kai said.

“Hi Officer Smith, how are you doing?” Grace asked.

“I’m good, thank you. How are you?” He returned the question.

Grace answered: “I am doing good. I am calling to let you know I had a talk with Lloyd’s uncle, Wu. He is Garmadon's younger brother. He and his son want to meet with Lloyd.”

Kai stumbled back. His heart sunk into his stomach. “O-oh..” he managed to choke out.

“Tomorrow at noon,” Grace continued on, “At the monastery, they want to see you and Lloyd.”

“M-me too”? Kai asked, stumbling over his words.

“Yes. They want to meet you since you have been taking care of Lloyd. I gave Wu your number so he can get in contact with you,” Grace explained, “If you have any more questions feel free to ask! Have a good day Mr. Smith!” He said, then hung up the phone.

Kai took the phone off of his ear. He took a deep breath, trying to control himself. Wu might want to take Lloyd. But that would be a good thing for Lloyd. He would be with other Dragonians, and have a better life than Kai could provide. Lloyd could have anything and everything he wanted. He might one day inherit the city. He would live in a monastery, not an apartment. He would have a good life. That was what Kai wanted for Lloyd. He wanted for him to have the best life that he could. Even if that means he will no longer be part of it one day.

Kai sighed, squeezing his fists. He took another deep breath, finally getting himself under control. He walked back into the restaurant, seeing Lloyd on his phone, looking through all the pictures he had taken.

He sat down in front of Lloyd, taking another deep breath. Lloyd looked up, seeing that Kai was a little off. “You alright? Who were you talking to?”

“I-,” Kai paused, taking another deep breath, “Wu, your father’s brother, wants to meet you tomorrow.”

Chapter Text

Kai was not ready for when noon rolled around the following day. In fact, he even considered having Nya or Cole take Lloyd to meet his uncle rather than him doing it himself. However, he pulled himself together and got ready.

Lloyd was a little slow to get ready as well. Kai had noticed his demeanor being off since he broke the news to him. When they both were in the car on the way to the monastery, Kai brought it up to him. “Hey, you doing alright?” He asked, “You seem a little off.”

“So do you.” Lloyd pointed out. He paused, sighing before he continued on, “I guess I am just nervous to meet my uncle and cousin. I know nothing about them, and they know nothing about me. I mean, they knew of me but never bothered to try and come find me.”

“You don't know that,” Kai said, “Maybe they did come looking for you but they just never found you. I guess I just beat them at it.” Kai joked.

“If they did not find me it means they did not look hard enough,” Lloyd responded, “Also, it was Cole who found me. You just let me sleep at your place.” He reminded him.

Kai could feel the snappy behavior coming from the young teenager. He tried to excuse it. He knew the kid was going through so many emotions at once. He did not know how to feel. “I also bought you a phone, got you new clothes, and I have been taking care of you.” He pointed out.

Lloyd nodded his head, “I know,” He looked down at his hands which were messing with the hem of one of his new shirts, “I just… I am scared, I guess.” he mumbled.

“I get it,” Kai answered, “But don’t worry. I will also be there. If you need anything, just let me know.”

“Thank you Kai,” Lloyd said, “Thank you for everything. I know I keep saying that a lot, but I feel like it is all I can say. It's not like I have the money to pay you back for all you have done for me.”

“You do not ever have to pay me back. You being safe, healthy, and happy is enough for me.” Kai assured him.

Not too much longer later, Kai pulled up to the monastery. The nerves began to kick in for both him and Lloyd. He parked the car by many steps. Guards were standing by the entrance, waiting for them. Kai sighed, looking over to Lloyd, “Are you ready.”

Lloyd shrugged, “I guess. Let's do this.”

The two of them got out of the car and began to climb to the front door of the monastery. Lloyd was already starting to get out of breath before they reached the top. Kai noticed the deeper breaths the kid was taking. He looked over and asked: “Are you doing okay?”

“Do they really need this many stairs?” Lloyd took a deep breath, “There has to be a better way up here.”

They continued until they were at the very top. A guard stepped out and greeted them. “Hello, I have been informed to check that you are really Kai Smith.” He said. Kai reached into his pocket searching for his wallet. Once he found it, he pulled out his ID for the guard. The guard looked over, then nodded his head, “Follow me.” He instructed.

Kai and Lloyd walked through the front gate, keeping close behind the guard. Kai noticed out of the corner of his eye that Lloyd had changed his eyes and ears again. His eyes were now green and his ears looked like a human's. Kai could only assume he had retracted his fangs also.

They followed the guard into the actual building. It was nice on the inside. Kai had assumed it would be fancy like a palace, but instead it looked well put together and like an average home if an average home was huge. The guard showed them to a sitting room. He told them that they could wait there while he went to fetch Wu and his son.

Kai and Lloyd sat on one of the couches. Kai looked over to Lloyd, noticing his fingers fidgeting with each other. “Are you doing okay?” He asked.

Lloyd nodded his head, “So far, yeah.”

Before Kai could question him about the change in his appearance, the door had opened. In came an older looking man and a boy who looked to be a little younger than Kai. Kai was about to rise to bow, but the older man held out his hand, stopping him, “There is no need to bow.” He explained.

The older man and the boy sat down on the couch that was opposite Kai and Lloyd. The older man cleared his throat, then spoke, “I am Wu, son of the first spinjitzu master and current ruler of Ninjago. You are Kai correct?” He looked at Kai.

Kai nodded his head, “Yes sir. I am Kai. It is an honor to meet you.”

Wu smiled, “It is an honor to meet you too,” He then looked over at Lloyd, “And you must be Lloyd. I am very excited to finally meet you.” Lloyd did not say anything in response, he just nodded his head and scooted a little closer to Kai. Wu placed a hand on the back of the boy who was sitting next to him, “This is my son, Morro.”

Lloyd’s eyebrows furrowed. He was a little confused considering the fact that Morro looked nothing like Wu. He actually looked nothing like the family at all. He might just be using his Oni abilities to look different, Lloyd guessed.

“I adopted him when he was the age of ten,” Wu continued, “If he would brighten up, he would say that it is an honor to meet his cousin.” He made a little jab at Morro.
Morro sighed, “It is nice to meet both of you.” He flashed a quick and uncertain smile.

“Morro, go show Lloyd around the monastery. I would like to speak with Kai,” He moved his hand from Morro’s back to his shoulder, “And please, be nice.” Morro nodded his head standing up.

Lloyd looked at Kai, a little scared. “It’s okay, go walk with your cousin. I will be here when you get back.” He assured him. Lloyd looked down, then stood up. He followed Morro out the door, leaving just Wu and Kai.

Wu leaned forward slightly, “I have to say, I am very thankful that you have been taking care of my nephew. I have to admit I thought that he was dead,” He sighed, “I am sure Garmadon told you the story. My father and I wanted Misako, Lloyd’s mother, to stay here with us so we could help take care of him, but she wanted nothing to do with our family after finding out what my brother had done." He sighed.

“Of course. It has been my pleasure. Lloyd is a really great kid, he has just been through quite a bit.”

Wu nodded his head, “I was told the whole story from the lady that I spoke with over the phone. If I had known Lloyd was alive I would have personally gone to get him. When misako left I sent out people to go find her, but it was like she had disappeared. Every time we thought we were getting close to finding her it was just another dead end. I cannot thank you enough for all you have done for my nephew.”

“Seriously, you do not have to thank me,” Kai said, “I just hope now he can be given a better, safer life.”

“I was told over the phone that you were trying to adopt him,” Wu said, catching Kai a little off guard, “Is that true?”

Kai felt a sudden wave of embarrassment come over him. He was not embarrassed for wanting to take care of Lloyd, he was embarrassed that Wu had found out. He reached to rub the back of his neck, “Oh, yeah. That was before we had found out that he was part of the royal family. While watching him the two of us have started to grow a little close I have to admit. He seemed scared to enter the foster system. Since I live alone and have enough room, I thought maybe I could be his legal guardian.” he explained. “But, I know he could probably have a better life here.”

“Do you want custody of Lloyd?” Wu asked.

Kai nodded his head.

“Then you should have custody of Lloyd.”
Kai’s eyes lit up, “What?”

“Even though he is an adult, raising Morro has been a handful. Not saying Lloyd is difficult. I just know that Morro needs my undivided attention at the moment. I like you Kai. I think you would do well raising Lloyd. I only ask that I would still get to see him and be in his life,”Wu explained.

Kai smiled, nodding his head, “Yes of course!”

Wu smiled back, “I know you will take great care of my nephew.”

Chapter Text

He was told to dress nice. Lloyd did not understand why nor was he told the reason behind dressing nice. All he knew was that he was given a black collared shirt and khaki pants. He looked at them, confused. Still, he put them on like he was instructed to.

“How does anyone wear this kind of stuff?” Lloyd asked, pulling at the pant legs that were suffocating his legs. He felt very uncomfortable. He would much rather prefer to be in sweatpants and a hoodie.

“Don’t worry, once we get home you can change into pajamas,” Kai assured the teen. Kai himself was in a suit. He looked nice, nicer than Lloyd.

Lloyd was even more confused at this point. What was going on? Why were they dressing up so nice? “Did someone die?” Lloyd asked, a little bit of fear in his voice.

Kai looked shocked, turning to face him, “What? No! Why would you ask that?”

“You are wearing a suit,” Lloyd stated the obvious, “You only ever wear your uniform or dress like a tired youth pastor.” he said.

Kai’s head whipped around to look at the teen. His eyes widened. He shook his head, “You know, your dad told me the same thing when I went to go talk to him.” Kai said, fixing his tie.

“Oh, then I changed my mind. You dress like a sleep deprived youth pastor.” Lloyd said instead.

“How is that any better?” Kai asked.

“I nerve said that it was better, I just said that I changed my mind.” Lloyd said, “Anyways, stop changing the subject. Where are we going all dressed up? Did someone get married?” he popped another question.

“For the love,” Kai breathed out, “No, no one died or is getting married, it is nothing like that. You will see when we get there okay?” He said, “Stop asking questions you are going to make me lose my mind.”

A grin crawled onto Lloyd’s face as he said: “You can’t lose what you don’t have.”

Lloyd received a look from Kai, rolled his eyes again, “Okay, no need to be mean.” he retorted.

~

The car ride was even more weird for Lloyd. Not only did he have no idea where they were going, but he had no idea where in town they were. The furthest into town Lloyd had gone before was to the station. His father barely took him to the bars that were deep into the city. He claimed that the cops would most likely be there rather than the more sketchy ones.

Lloyd looked out the window, noticing that the buildings started to look nicer. Not that the apartment complex that Kai lived at was bad, but this place looked like someone will a million bucks lived in this part of town.

“Can I know where we are going now?” He asked, “I am beyond confused.” He admitted, looking back over to Kai.

Kai shook his head, keeping his eyes on the road, “Not yet kid. We will be there soon though, be patient.”

Lloyd looked at what he was wearing, and he mentally began to cross off ideas he knew they would not be going to. Kai said no wedding, no funeral, probably not a bar. “Did you get a girlfriend or something?” Lloyd asked.

Kai’s eyes widened, “For the love of the first spinjitzu master! No! You can’t be patient can you?” He rhetorically asked. Lloyd shook his head, causing Kai to sigh, “Okay, if I tell you where we are going will you promise not to ask why?” He struck him a deal.

Lloyd perked up, nodding his head, “Yes! Deal!”

“We are going to town hall. We are going to court.” Kai answered.

Kai was expecting maybe a million more questions to come from the kid. He was waiting for the gasps and for him to say something along the lines of: ‘you lied we are going to a wedding!’ However, Lloyd’s whole mood shifted. Kai could tell. He was no longer perked up and trying to eagerly figure out their destination. Instead, he leaned back into the car seat and looked out the window.

Kai started to panic. Did he do something wrong? Did he say something wrong? “Hey, buddy? Are you alright?” He asked.

“You said I can’t ask anymore questions so I wont.” Lloyd mumbled, not even looking back to see Kai.

Kai knew he did something wrong the moment he noticed the blonde hair on his head start to change into a soft brunette. “Did I say something wrong?” He asked, “You can tell me. I did not mean to hurt your feelings.”

Lloyd shook his head, “No, you did not hurt my feelings. I think I just figured out why we are going to court.”

Kai’s face scrunched. He knew that Lloyd had the wrong idea in his head. “I think you got it wrong,” Kai admitted, “Do you mind telling me why you think we are going?”

“My father. He is going to go to jail isn't he? We are going to watch his trial?” Lloyd answered.

Kai’s eyes widened. He now understood why the kid was so upset. “Oh! Buddy no! I would never make you have to watch that,” He tried to assure the kid, “Your father has already gone to jail, you will not have to watch anything like that, I promise.”

Lloyd finally looked back over to Kai, “Really? Then why are we going to court?” He asked.

A smirk grew onto Kai’s face, “I thought we promised no more questions.” He joked with the kid.

“Oh my..” Lloyd groaned, “You are so annoying!”

Chapter Text

Kai was shaking. He was beyond nervous. He was beyond anxious. No, neither of those words worked. No word was fitting enough to describe how he was feeling. He was about to get legal guardianship of Lloyd, and he still has not told him. In fact, he thinks that Lloyd has no idea at all about what he has been up to.

Kai and Lloyd were sitting outside of the office where the papers would be signed and it would all be made official. His leg was bouncing up and down, his hands fidgeting with each other. He took a deep breath, then leaned back in the chair he was in.

Lloyd looked over from his phone to see Kai. His face scrunched as he asked: “What is up with you today? You have been acting so weird.” He pointed out.

Kai forced a puzzled look onto his face, “What are you talking about?” He asked. However, his voice had squeaked and he sounded weird as he talked. He was not doing a good job of masking his nervousness.

Before Lloyd could continue on, Nya had rushed down the hallway to see them. Now Lloyd was even more confused. What was Nya doing here? She looked a little out of breath, “I am here! Did I miss it?” She asked.

“No,” Kai shook his head, “You are just in time! Where is Jay?” Kai asked.

“Parking the car,” Nya answered, “I wanted to make sure that I was here just in time to witness this!” She sounded excited, still catching her breath.

That was when Lloyd had enough. “Okay! Will someone please tell me what is going on?” He demanded, “What is happening?”

Before anyone could answer him, Jay was running down the hallway too, “I made it!” He called. Lloyd looked at him then to Nya. They were dressed up too. They all looked like they had just come from church or something.

Lloyd sighed, irritably, “Please! For the love of the First Spinjizu Master-”

He was then cut off by the lady in the office walking out, calling the name: “Smith?”

Kai stood up, turning to reach out to shake the lady’s hand, “Hi! That’s me. I’m Kai Smith. It is nice to meet you.” he gave her a smile.

The lady returned the smile, shaking his hand as well, “It is nice to meet you too.” She then looked to see Nya and Jay. Jay had his arm around Nya, looking like a cute happy couple. “You must be his sister and brother-in-law,” Then she looked at Lloyd, “And you have to me Lloyd!”

Lloyd nodded his head, “Yes, can I ask what is going on?” He stated his question again for the millionth time.

The lady turned back to Kai, “You chose to surprise him?” She asked. Kai only shrugged, giving her another smile. She rolled her eyes, “I will never understand why people do that.” She placed her hands on her hips, then waved for all of them to come into her office.

Still, Lloyd had no answer. So, he followed Kai into this lady’s office, where she was pulling out some forms. She sat them in front of Kai and Lloyd on her desk, then looked at Kai once more, “Do you want to tell him or shall I?” She asked.

“I will do it,” Kai cleared his throat. He turned to face Lloyd. “So, I know how you have been worried about what will happen now that your father is in jail..” He paused, taking a deep breath, “And when we went to the monastery the other day I had a chat with your uncle while you and your cousin walked around.”

“Am I going to live with them?” Lloyd asked, “Is that what this is about?”

Kai shook his head, “No actually, uh.. If you are wanting to, I would like to become your legal guardian.” Finally, after who knows how long, Kai finally told Lloyd what he had been planning. “If you are okay with it, I would like to adopt you.”

Lloyd’s eyes widened. This was a dream. There was no way this was real. “You..you are kidding.” he stuttered.

Kai shook his head, “Nope, I am not. I have been in contact with so many people trying to get all this to work out. The reason I never told you was because I was scared of crushing your hope if it did not work. But, here we are.” A beat passed, then Kai spoke again, “You can say no and go to live with your uncle and cousin if you would like, I just thought I could offer to be your legal guardian.”

Lloyd was too stunned to answer. He still felt as if he were dreaming. “So?” Kai coughed, “What do you say?”

Lloyd nodded his head, “Yeah!” He smiled, “Yeah! I would like that!”

Nya was bouncing on her toes beside Jay. Jay himself was smiling ear to ear. Everyone was more than thrilled. Lloyd was beyond happy. He had been secretly hoping that Kai would offer him a permanent home, and here he was.

They finished signing all the paperwork. Lloyd Garmadon had entered the building, but it was Lloyd Smith who had left it. After they were done, they went and picked out a bed and furniture for the spare room of Kai’s apartment. Kai had already enrolled him for the nearby high school, and he was supposed to start next week. They had gotten everything Lloyd would ever need.

After they spent all they could, Kai and Lloyd returned to Kai’s apartment. They returned to their home. Lloyd was waiting for Kai on the couch as his new legal guardian changed into pajamas. Lloyd was holding one of the eight balls he had stolen from the bar. When Kai walked into the room, he noticed Lloyd was holding the eight ball. He noticed that this was the newer one. “That is the one you played against Garmadon? Right?” He asked.

Lloyd shook his head, “Nope.”

Kai’s eyebrows furrowed, “But you brought home two. The older one was from you winning your first game and you said the newer one was from you winning against your dad.” He restated what Lloyd had said.

“I did say that.” Lloyd nodded his head, “But I never said Garmadon was who I had played.”

“Then who did you play?” Kai asked.

“You.”