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“You’re sure you’ll be okay on your own?”
“Pix, I’m a trained ninja. I think I can handle being on my own for a couple of weeks.”
Although Pixal’s voice was coming from the computer and not an actual body, Lloyd could still picture the look she was giving him.
“What? I’m fine, I promise! Go be with your boyfriend. ”
“I’m not going because of that, ” Pixal snapped a little too quickly, and Lloyd smirked. “We just don’t know how long Zane’s going to be on this mission for, and with everything going on, it would be good to have me there to help him with any complicated technology systems, and since it’s so far away, my reception won’t be able to reach here to you-”
“Pixal, it’s fine! I literally have no problem with you leaving, you don’t need to make excuses.”
“Okay, but if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me or any of the others. Oh, and if you need someone quickly, I’ve talked to the neighbors here, they seem nice enough. I’ve left you a good chunk of money, it should be enough, but if not, let me know, and make sure not to let anyone know you have it. Oh, and also make sure you’re eating and drinking enough- and not just junk food, Lloyd- and don’t go fighting anything more than minor street thugs while I’m gone, okay? And-”
“Geez, Pixal! Chill out, you act like I’ve never been alone before!”
She sighed. “I’m sorry, I just get worried. I really wish the Bounty was not currently undergoing repairs so you could stay there instead of at some… dingy little apartment.”
“Hey, now! This place isn’t that bad! It’s a thousand times better than Darkley’s, or the cage in the Serpentine tomb, or Chen’s Island, or in Morro’s cage-”
“Alright, I get the point! You’ve lived in a lot of terrible places. And that’s really not helping, Lloyd.”
“Look, what I’m saying is, with just a little work, this place could be really homey. And besides, it’s only for a few weeks. I can deal with an apartment, thanks . ”
“Lloyd. We had to get one of the others to sign a form for you because you’re too young to own an estate.”
“Hey! Technically, thanks to the Tomorrow’s Tea, we don’t actually know how old I am, so I could be eighteen and you wouldn’t even know!”
Pixal laughed. “I doubt it.” Ignoring Lloyd’s huff of indignation, she added, “Just take care of yourself. Don’t do anything foolish, and I’ll see you in a couple of weeks. Call us, okay?”
After promising her he would be fine for what felt like the twentieth time, he helped move her communications into one of their vehicles and set the course for south of Ninjago City, where Zane currently was.
Despite his reassurances, he couldn’t help feeling a pang in his chest as he watched her drive away.
He truly was alone now.
But it was fine, no big deal. It was only for a couple of weeks. Before long, she would be back, bombarding him with questions and bugging him to take care of himself, and Lloyd would miss the peace and quiet.
He inhaled shakily. I’m the green ninja. I’ve got this.
Naturally, it only took a few days for things to turn disastrous.
It was okay at first. Too quiet for his liking, but his apartment was nice, and it felt good having some independence for once. He actually made an effort to cook food too, not just grabbing the easy stuff, and although his end product paled in comparison to what Zane could do, Lloyd didn’t think it was half bad.
Then, about the fourth day after Pixal had left, he caught wind of the uprising of a violent gang who were mugging people in the city.
Lloyd tried to stay out of it. He really did. He was pretty sure this exceeded Pixal’s boundaries of “minor street thugs,” and, if he was being perfectly honest, taking down a group of dangerous criminals all by himself didn’t sound particularly appealing.
But Lloyd was the green ninja. And, as of right now, he was the city’s sole protector. They were looking up to him, and every time Lloyd heard the news about another person injured, he felt an awful twist of guilt in his chest.
After the third person had been hospitalized, Lloyd couldn’t take it anymore.
In his defense, he held his own admirably at first.
The gang was unorganized and chaotic, his entrance catching them by surprise. It was an uphill battle, but Lloyd’s powers, which had been growing increasingly more powerful, seemed to have even more strength than usual. At one point, there was a sharp burst of light that sent his attackers to the ground and left Lloyd blinking spots from his vision. There was a weird tingling sensation in his eyes, and for a moment he wondered if the light had damaged them.
Later, he would find out that the deep red of his irises had begun shifting to green.
The battle was won, and with minimal injuries. He wasn’t able to capture any of the gang members, but he hoped his victory would be enough to scare them off, at least for a little while.
By this point, it was well past sunset, and Lloyd was exhausted. He fumbled back into his apartment, heading straight towards his bedroom-
Lloyd paused. The balcony door was open.
Had it been open before he had left? He couldn’t remember, but he wasn’t usually that careless.
Lloyd peered out into the dark night, breathless.
He was just overthinking this. He had simply forgotten to shut the door, that was-
There was a shove from behind, sending him toppling out onto the balcony, and before Lloyd could scream, a gag was being tied over his mouth.
He couldn’t see much from the angle he was positioned at, but he caught sight of his attacker’s jacket, briefly- the same one as the gang he had fought earlier.
He followed me home!
Lloyd thrashed wildly, kicking the man in the shin. The criminal cried out in pain, and Lloyd raised a hand, powering up an energy sphere-
There was suddenly an excruciating pain shooting through his gut, and he fell the rest of the way down, his head hitting against the concrete, his screams muffled by the gag.
Holy shit. Holy shit, he stabbed me.
Lloyd couldn’t put up any sort of resistance, just watching through hazy vision as the man tied Lloyd’s hands around a rung on the balcony railing and vaulted over the edge, leaving him there with blood staining his shirt.
Lloyd burned through the rope with his powers easily, and yanked the gag off, gasping for breath. Grabbing the railing for support, he dragged himself to his feet, his legs shaking. His gut screamed in pain at every movement.
Hobbling back into the apartment- making sure to shut and firmly lock the balcony doors this time- he made a beeline for the bathroom, a growing dread building in him, as he knew very well he hadn’t stocked up on all the proper medical supplies.
Rooting through the drawer, all he could find was a small roll of bandages, a couple packs of antiseptic wipes, tweezers, a thermometer, and a small bottle of tylenol.
Lloyd groaned. Great, like that’s going to do much for a stab wound. Why didn’t I at least buy ibuprofen?
Well, he was in no state to go to the store, so this would have to do for now.
He tried the best he could to wash his hands, then lifted his shirt. He nearly gagged at the raw red gash, blood pooling and crusting around the edges. Yeah, he was definitely going to need a few stitches.
He didn’t have a needle, though, so he tore open the antiseptic wipes and gently pressed it against his wound.
It was all he could do to not scream out in pain. The wipe dropped from his hand, looking significantly redder, and Lloyd slumped against the wall, panting.
He was shaking. He couldn’t do this on his own. Pixal still isn’t coming back for over a week. What am I supposed to do?
His eyes darted down to his phone, which had fallen out of his pocket when he had been fussing over his wound.
If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me or any of the others.
That’s what Pixal had told him before she had left. Picking up his phone, he opened the contacts app, his finger hovering over Kai’s number.
Should I call him? He always knows what to do.
But what can he do over the phone? Will he come back to me? Lloyd’s breath hitched. He hadn’t hung out with Kai in months. He had been longing to see him again, just… not like this.
He wondered how far away Kai was right now, anyway. It could take him days to get here. Lloyd tried to remember the patrol schedule they had taken, but his brain felt too fuzzy right now.
All he knew was that he was scared and didn’t want to be alone.
Lloyd clicked the FaceTime button.
The moment the screen came up with “FaceTiming Kai Smith,” Lloyd was already regretting it. Staring at his reflection on the phone screen, he was suddenly painfully aware of the blood staining his shirt and splattered on his face, the disarray of his hair, and the dark circles under his eyes.
What am I doing, he’s going to freak out the second he sees me.
Lloyd quickly jabbed the end call button, tossing his phone across the room. There was no way he could talk to Kai now. He could handle this himself.
Lloyd tried the best he could to clean the wound and wrap it with bandages, although it was difficult when he didn’t have the proper supplies, and his abdomen was burning in agony. By the time he finally managed to sloppily dress the wound to a point where he at least wasn’t bleeding out all over the floor, Lloyd was half-conscious, barely able to keep his eyes open. Which was probably concerning, considering how much blood he had lost. But even the thought of getting up and dragging himself over to the couch felt daunting.
I’m really not okay, am I?
At some point, Lloyd must’ve passed out, because the next thing he remembered was being jerked awake by the sound of sharp knocking on his front door.
Lloyd froze. Is the criminal back? Did more people follow me? Do they want to mug me again?
Don’t be ridiculous, Lloyd, criminals don’t knock.
“Lloyd, are you home? It’s me, Jay!”
Lloyd’s head shot up so fast he nearly banged it against the wall. Jay? What the hell is he doing here?
Lloyd jerked to his feet, his stomach protesting painfully, and stumbled out the bathroom door, darting into his room to grab another shirt, which he quickly swapped out for the blood-stained one. Rubbing his face, he tried to smooth his hair into some semblance of neatness, and plastered a smile on his face that he hoped looked more convincing than it felt, before pulling open the front door.
Sure enough, the lightning ninja stood there, bouncing on the balls of his feet, a brown paper bag in hand, as he grinned dazzlingly at Lloyd. Jay started forward, and Lloyd quickly stepped to the side, making as if to pull the door back for him, but also avoiding his hug. At any other moment, Lloyd would’ve tackled Jay with the same vigor, but right now he knew a hug would probably result in him screaming in pain.
“Jay! What… why are you here?”
“Kai was worried. He said he missed your call, but then you didn’t answer any of his messages. I was in the area, so he told me to come check on you.”
“Oh. Um…” Lloyd scratched the back of his head. “I’m fine. My… um, my phone just died.”
Jay snorted. “I told him he was just being a worrywart. That’s okay, though. At least I get to see you! Gosh, you don’t know how much I miss actually talking with you!” Jay said, waving his arms around dramatically. He held up the paper bag. “And I got us donuts! I got you the chocolate one with all the sprinkles, your favorite! Hey, Lloyd, you okay?”
“What?” Lloyd’s focus snapped back to Jay, flinching slightly as he shifted towards him. “Oh, sorry, I’m fine, just tired.”
Jay laughed. “Dude, it’s 3 pm! You been staying up late again, squirt?”
Lloyd gaped at him. 3 pm? How long did I sleep?
“Hey, you have a bathroom in here? I should wash my hands.” Jay started towards the bathroom, and Lloyd’s body kicked into panic.
I haven’t cleaned up the blood yet! No, no, he’s gonna know-
“You can’t go in there!” Lloyd insisted, scrambling after Jay. “It’s- I’m- wait, Jay, don’t-”
Lloyd stopped dead behind him. Jay stood in the doorway, frozen. Slowly, he turned, his face pale.
“Lloyd. What happened?”
“Jay, don’t worry about it, it’s not what you think, I can explain-”
“Did you murder someone?” Jay snapped. “Because I don’t know what excuse other than the one we’re both thinking you could possibly have to explain why the white floor tiles of your bathroom are now red!”
“Jay, really, I’m fine-”
“Show it to me!” There was a sudden fire in the blue ninja’s voice, and Lloyd actually took a step back.
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about-”
“Lloyd, show me where your wound is or so help me, I will tear your shirt off of you myself.”
“Jay, I promise I’m fine, it’s just a scratch-”
“‘Just a scratch’ caused you to bleed out everywhere? Yeah, no. Sit down, Lloyd.”
“Jay, I swear-”
“Sit. Down.”
Lloyd relented, lowering himself onto the couch. “Okay. You happy?”
Jay leaned forward, pulling up his shirt, and Lloyd recoiled with a yelp.
Jay sucked in his breath. “ Lloyd! What did you do? ”
“Hey! I didn’t do anything, for once! Blame the guy who knifed me.”
Jay looked like he was about to faint, digging his fingers into his hair. “The guy who what? Lloyd, we said not to get involved in anything over your head!”
“I had it under control,” Lloyd grumbled. “I scared them off, it was just one guy.”
“Yeah, one guy who stabbed you!”
“It’s not my fault!”
“I’m not saying it was, but you should’ve called us!”
“I didn’t want to worry you.”
“Well, mission failed!”
“Look, I didn’t know you were nearby, okay? There was nothing you could do.”
“We would've found a way. And you could’ve at least admitted yourself to the hospital. Dude, basically you should’ve done anything except what you did. Why didn’t you ask for help, you stubborn jerk!”
“It’s not that bad,” he whined. “I don’t need to go to the hospital.”
“What part of ‘stab wound’ do you not understand?” Jay had started fussing with the wound, his eyes widening. “Shit, Lloyd! You’re going to need stitches for sure!”
“I’m not going to the hospital!” Lloyd snapped. “I slept for like, fifteen hours, I’m already feeling a lot better.”
Jay poked him in the stomach, and he cried out in pain. Jay raised an eyebrow. “If this is ‘much better,’ I’m glad I didn’t see what you were like last night.”
“I survived, didn’t I? My powers can take care of the rest.”
“Lloyd, can you please cooperate?”
“I’ll let you fix me up and I won’t complain if you promise not to bring me to the hospital.”
Jay stared at him for a long moment. “Fine. Where are your medical supplies?”
Lloyd started to get up, but something in his face must’ve shown, because Jay pushed him back down. “I’ll get it. Where is it?”
“There’s a bin under the sink with some stuff.”
Jay returned quickly. “Well, I found a few things in here, but couldn’t find the rest.”
“No, that’s all of it.”
“Seriously?” Jay spluttered. “This is all you have? Lloyd, what the heck, I can’t stitch a wound with any of this! You’re so unprepared.”
“Hey, I didn’t exactly have time to stock up on supplies, and it’s not like I was planning for this to happen.”
“Whatever. I have some stuff in my travel bag that should work. I have meds, but without the proper sedatives like you’d have at the hospital, it’s going to hurt a lot… were you being serious when you said you thought your powers were healing you-”
Jay’s words faded, covered by the ringing in Lloyd’s ears. Suddenly, he felt lightheaded, and he didn’t even realize he was falling off of the couch until Jay had caught him by the shoulder.
“-oyd, bud, you okay?”
Lloyd blinked. “S-sorry.”
Jay’s voice was a lot gentler now. “You’re looking really pale. Here, eat something. Keep your strength up.” He handed him some crackers, and Lloyd slowly nibbled on them.
Jay pulled out the cloth and the sewing kit from his bag, and Lloyd watched him nervously. Jay noticed him looking.
“Are you sure you want me to do this?”
Lloyd nodded. “I feel safe with you. I… I trust you.”
Jay smiled sadly. “Okay. Don’t worry bud, I’m going to take care of you.”
“I know.”