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When Wu calls the meeting a short two hours after the ninja return from the First Spinjitzu Master’s tomb, no one is surprised. Morro has the realm crystal now, and no one needs to be told what that means. They’re out of time to rest, or do anything but figure out how to stop the coming disaster.
Kai is the last of the ninja to arrive, sending a worried glance back through the doorway before parking himself a scant few feet away. Everyone else is already in the room, sitting on various pieces of furniture and waiting.
“Kai!” Nya says, hopping down from the table she’s perched herself on. “How are you? Is everything alright?”
“I’m fine,” Kai says, scanning the room quickly. “Where’s Wu? I really don’t want to leave Lloyd alone for too long.”
“I am right here, Kai,” Wu says from the doorway. He quickly moves to the center of the room. “I’m glad you are all here. As you know, the situation has grown much more urgent now that Morro has the realm crystal, and we must use what time we have left wisely. I trust you are all prepared to do whatever it takes to stop Morro?”
There’s a chorus of yes and of course and one just tell me what to do, Master from Cole.
Wu nods, accepting their responses and moving on. “And how is Lloyd?” he asks.
“He’s asleep,” Kai says.
“Good,” Wu says. “He will need his strength for what is coming.”
There’s a moment of silence where they all process that, broken by Jay laughing nervously.
“I'm sorry, what?” he says. His voice has that slightly hysterical tinge that everyone knows to look out for, the one that means he’s about two seconds from losing any semblance of cool. “When you say ‘what is coming’, I hope you mean like, the awesome party we’re gonna throw for saving the world again when this is all over, and not that you’re gonna make Lloyd fight while we try to save the world. Because that would be totally insane!”
Jay and the rest of the team look to Wu, but his silence in the face of Jay’s outburst is answer enough.
“Master Wu, no,” Cole says, horrified. “He can’t. Not after we just got him back. There’s no way.”
Wu sighs, looking grave. “Morro has the realm crystal now, and if we want to have any hope of stopping him from summoning the Preeminent, we are going to need Lloyd’s help. I understand that this is unfair to him, but there is no other way”—
“No, you don't understand!” Kai snaps. “He was nearly dead when we got him back, Master! I’m not letting you send him out just so Morro can finish the job!”
“Kai,” Wu interjects. “Please, give me a moment to explain.” His gaze roves over the rest of his students. “To all of you.”
Once they are quiet, he continues. “Once again, I understand that what Lloyd needs right now is to recover. Ideally, I would let him, and keep him far from the fight, but we are not in an ideal situation right now. The only way to prevent disaster is to destroy the realm crystal before the Preeminent arrives, and Lloyd’s power is the only thing that can do that.”
Jay frowns. “Okay, but are we sure about that?” he asks. “I mean, we’ve got a room full of elemental masters here. I think that maybe we should try hitting it with some of our own stuff, or even just like, a hammer! I bet a big hammer would do the job!”
“I can assure you that when my father made the realm crystal, he made it to withstand more than a ‘big hammer’, or any of your elements, for that matter,” Wu says grimly. “It has to be Lloyd.”
An unhappy stillness falls over the room; Kai, still next to the doorway and doing his best to listen for Lloyd several rooms down, crosses his arms and scowls. Next to him, Nya shakes her head.
“Yeah, I’m still not okay with this,” she says. “We all saw what kind of condition Lloyd was in earlier. It doesn't matter if he’s the only one who can destroy the crystal, there’s no way he’s going to be able to fight.”
“Agreed,” Zane says. “We need another plan, Master. Surely we can think of something that doesn’t rely on him.”
“I’m aware of all of this, and I have no intentions of sending Lloyd to the front lines,” Wu says. “The rest of you are going to serve as a distraction while he destroys the crystal. Ideally, he’ll be able to slip in and out before anyone knows he’s there.”
“Okay,” Cole says skeptically, “but when has any plan of ours ever gone ideally?”
“You are my students,” Wu says simply. “I believe in you. You will not fail.”
Another uneasy silence falls, and Wu sighs. “We will discuss this more later, once you all have had time to rest and Lloyd is awake. For now, please trust that I do not wish any of you to come to harm. Are we understood?”
There’s a beat of silence, then the room fills with uncertain mumbles of assent, yeahs and fine and we’re talking about this more later, until the only person left is Kai, still standing by the doorway and giving Wu a smoldering glower.
“No,” he says. Next to him, Nya winces. He shakes his head, and takes a step forward. “I'm not agreeing to this.”
Wu lets out a slow exhale. “Kai, I understand that this is a difficult decision, but you need to consider the greater good”—
“I don't care about the greater good!” Kai snaps. “I care that my little brother is hurt and exhausted, and you want to send him back into the reach of the same person who’s spent the last two weeks hurting him! I won't let it happen!”
“I don’t enjoy sending you into danger. But there is no other option”—
“No!” Kai interrupts. “This isn't the only option, we have time before Morro summons the Preeminent, and we need to use it, so we can come up with a plan that doesn't involve sacrificing Lloyd”—
“Kai”—
“You aren’t listening!” Kai takes another step forward. “I’m not arguing for the fun of it!” He turns to face Jay, Cole, and Zane. “You guys were there when we got Lloyd out of the river, you saw what kind of condition he was in. He’s not okay. Zane, you gave him a medical scan an hour ago. You know this isn’t a good idea. Are you all seriously okay with this?”
No one says anything, but the guilty looks on the team's faces give Kai all the answer he needs.
Kai nods sharply. “Yeah,” he says. “That’s what I thought. I’m not arguing that we have to stop Morro, but you need to leave Lloyd out of this.”
The quiet that follows is ringing; when it breaks, it’s with a sigh from Wu. “This is a complicated situation, Kai, but you are right. We don’t have much time, but there is enough for us to try and find another solution.”
Kai nods, eyes hard, but everyone can see the way something in him untenses. “Okay,” he says.
Then—
“I'm fighting.”
Lloyd stands in the doorway, dressed in an old green hoodie and pajama pants. He still looks pale, and tired, and there are all manner of cuts and bruises on his visible skin, but he stands straight and sure, and when he looks across the room, his eyes are lit with a determined heat.
“You don't need to come up with another plan,” he says, chin lifted up stubbornly. “I can do it. I can destroy the realm crystal.”
Kai instantly moves back towards Lloyd, anger slipping away in place of concern. “Lloyd,” he says softly, angling them both away from the others, “no. You don't have to do this. You shouldn’t. You need to recover.”
“So do all of you,” Lloyd says, and turns back towards the room, looking over everyone else. He’s not wrong. The entire team has an exhausted air to them. They’ve all been pushing themselves to their limits for weeks, and no one has gotten away completely unscathed in the many encounters they’ve had with Morro and his ghosts. Still, no one looks sold by Lloyd’s argument.
“I'm serious,” he insists. “I can do it. Look.” And then he summons a small glowing orb of green energy. It bounces in his hand for a few moments, illuminating the room in shades of green and casting wavering light over the look of concentration on his face, and then disappears. He looks up, determined. “See? I’ll be fine.”
“Lloyd,” Kai starts. At the same time, Cole says, hesitantly, “Yeah, no, this is definitely a bad idea, guys.” He squints at Lloyd. “You look like you’re about to pass out, kid. Maybe you should go back to bed.”
“I will,” Lloyd says. “But I’m not letting you leave me behind when it’s time to fight.” His voice changes, to something softer, more desperate. “Morro thinks he’s won. He thinks he’s beaten me. But he hasn’t, and I’m going to prove it. I'm going to show him that the green ninja doesn’t go down that easily. I'm still here. He hasn't won.” He hesitates, then looks back towards Kai. “So I’m fighting,” he says, quieter this time, but still sure. “Okay?”
Kai looks back at Lloyd, and a complicated mix of emotions rushes over his face: frustration, pride, worry. Finally, he seems to land on acceptance. “Okay,” he says softly.
The relief Lloyd feels at his words is visible; his shoulders relax, and he lets out a tight exhale. Then, he turns back to the team. “Right,” he says. “So, what’s the plan?”
Wu steps forward. “I'm glad you asked, Lloyd,” he says. “And I’m glad you are ready to help us. However, you won’t be going into this fight as the green ninja.” With that, he turns towards the newest member of their team.
“Nya will.”