Chapter Text
He's finally back from his banishment?
Then, then Lloyd didn't need the condemned warehouse anymore! And who cared if his hoodie was covered in snake goo! Or the that the snake ate everything he didn't carry around himself! Dad's back!
Lloyd hurried to the park in the city center. Depending on how fast the news went to print, he might still be there!
But no one's there. He waved his newspaper in the faces of the few scant passerby, asking if anyone had seen Garmadon.
The last person he caught told him Garmadon swore to destroy the green ninja, and ran off after, to who knew where.
"Green Ninja? Who's that?" Lloyd had seen four ninja about, and none of them green.
"I dunno. Some girl?" The passerby shrugged.
Lloyd would have to watch out for this green ninja. If she's dad's enemy, she's Lloyd's enemy too!
It didn't take long until he heard more about the Green Ninja. He's dodging two policemen (because police cared about unaccompanied kids now, for some reason) and dodged into a thick crowd along the city streets. Dome race or other. Ninja blitz run? something like that.
The crowd yelled in anticipation, but Lloyd couldn't see the track through the people (he is, unfortunately, still nine years old)
But he saw the airship. The dark, flying airship helmed by his father. He sucked in a breath.
He tried to squeeze through the crowd. It's too thick, though, too many people cheering for the Ninja racing by. Someone shoved him back. He scraped his hands open on the asphalt.
His dad was so close. Lloyd didn't cry, though, because bad guys never cry.
Lloyd's next attempt to get through also ends in failure. At least he crawled close enough to hear his father's voice for the first time in years. He yelled about cheaters, and the airship, and not a word about Lloyd.
Why couldn't dad see him? Lloyd jumped and waved. He screamed. "Dad! Over here!"
It all blurred together. The Ninja stole the airship. Nobody stopped Garmadon from hopping in a bus and ditching.
Lloyd still didn't cry. Dad must've not seen him. lloyd wasn't loud enough. Wasn't visible enough. Wasn't bad enough.
All Loyd needed to do is something big.
His opportunity arrived with a literal bang. A festival and parade, all in honor of the imperial family. All heavily televised.
Their float was gigantic. A palaquin like a miniature palace, just not carried by actual people, because they’d collapse from the weight. In the middle of it, the imperial couple sat on their thrones and waved to the people. Did they need this to remind Ninjago they’re still alive? How many sweaters could he buy with the money for this?
He had the knife in his pocket, clutched tightly in his hand. Nobody was looking at him. Lloyd was ten now, but he’s still short. Cameras surrounded the emperor and empress at a full three hundred and sixty degrees.
Lloyd was better now. He squeezed through the crowd. He eyed the guards. They didn’t expect anything bad to happen, what with Garmadon keeping quiet together with the Serpentine.
If Lloyd just got up there and. If lloyd showed off how bad he was once and for all!
The knife’s handle was sweaty in his grip. Nobody was looking at him, not even the cop who chased him last week.
Lloyd ran when the fireworks went off. They made his ears ring, but everybody else’s ears rang, too, and everyone was looking up and up except for Lloyd looking down and straight.
He sprinted as they ooh-ed and aah-ed and he latched onto the golden dragon on the side of the float. Under his hands it was spray painted plastic. He heaved himself up, knife returned from his pocket to his hand. Nobody was looking at him.
The empress laughed at a comment her husband made. Not like Lloyd could hear it right now. He couldn’t even hear his own thoughts.
He had to show everyone. Then dad would find him. Then dad would want to find him and everything would be good again.
The knife’s handle is sweaty. It slipped, clattered to the floor, and the empress turned around with a fan over her face to hide her shock.
Someone grabbed Lloyd's still outstretched arm and twisted it behind his back. He bit his lip and tasted blood. There's cold metal on his exposed skin and he couldn’t hear the yelling over the fireworks.
The guard who appeared before Lloyd’s cell had an eyepatch. With a little fantasy, Lloyd wasn’t in the local police station, but rather an airship soaring through the sky under the scrutiny of pirates. No way that guy’s a cop with armor like that. If he stayed still enough, he’d be written off as a statue on the parade float.
The guard asked why Lloyd did it. Lloyd remained silent. The guard asked where Lloyd’s parents were. Lloyd remained silent.
"You're a quiet one, aren't you," the guard sighed.
At least one of the cameras had to have caught Lloyd. And the event was live, too. He heard people talking about that.
So dad's got to show up any second now!
"Attempted assasination isn't your only charge. There's a warrant out for you. Petty thievery. A couple of public disturbancey. Two break-ins." The guard slid Lloyd a glass of water. Lloyd tried collecting rain water last month and washed his hair with it. But he got sick when he drank it after, so he didn't do that again.
Lloyd took the glass. Dad's coming any minute now.
"You're a minor, right?" As if that wasn't obvious. "You won't get a life sentence. You won't get Kryptarium. We don't need a confession when you're on TV. We just want to know why."
Lloyd emptied the glass and slid it back. The guard grabbed the water bottle on the table and refilled it. Lloyd emptied the glass again.
Dad's showing up any hour now.
"We're holding you here for today, but... think about it, alright? Everything will be better if you talk. Did somebody put you up to this?"
Lloyd shook his head. This was all his idea! His alone!
The guard rubbed a hand across his face. "Let's talk more tomorrow."
Despite the trajectory of Lloyd's life, this was his first time behind bars. Lloyd was very good at running. His back hurt from the uncomfortable cot though. And the blanket's too thin. And it's too drafty. Lloyd has slept on more comfortable pavement.
He woke when keys unlock his cell. It's not the guard holding them, though. It's the empress. The one Lloyd failed to stab.
Her dress dragged along the floor. Lloyd bet she'll have to throw it out. She probably only wore each dress once, because she could buy every dress ever- tailored too! Meanwhile, Lloyd's hoodie reached his knees. He had snagged it from an upperclassman before he got expelled.
"Hello there." Her voice was smooth, like her silk clothing. She had both hands in the air. The key jangles. As if she had the skills to even think about concealing a weapon.
Lloyd didn’t cower. He kicked the blanket off and jumped to his feet. He bared his fangs. People tended to get intimidated by that. Nobody expected Lloyd to have fangs. Was it weird to have fangs? Everyone had canines, but how big was too big? Could everyone bite through bone?
The empress did not back down, instead stepping into the cell proper. "Can you tell me your name?"
Lloyd balled his hands into fists.
"I won't hurt you. And you won't hurt me, either. I apologize if Hutchins intimidated you yesterday." She sounded so sure. But Lloyd saw Hutchins behind her and he remembered her face when he had dropped the knife.
What was visible behind the fan, anyway. She didn’t have the fan now.
"Do you want to talk somewhere more comfortable?" She went back out again and beckoned him to follow. After a second of hesitation, Lloyd did.
Dad'll be dropping by any day now, anyway, so there's no harm Lloyd can see.
She lead him out of the station's cell block, and into a lounge. With a couch and a table and a water cooler and everything. You could commandeer break rooms if you’re the empress. Who knew? She took a seat on the very not royal couch. Lloyd plopped down in the arm chair opposite her. Hutchins didn’t sit.
"You don't have to be scared. I'm not sending you to jail." She's been smiling this whole time. Lloyd didn’t like it.
He licked the scab on his lip. "You're not?"
"Of course not! I'm sure you had your reasons."
If she's the empress, she's got to have some.. juidical? was that the word? she's got to have some juidcal sway. If anyone could make lloyd not go to jail, it had to be her. "I tried to stab you."
"But you didn't. Can you tell me why?"
Fireworks exploding in his ears. "You looked scared."
His stomach growled. He didn’t curl up, just hunched over.
"And you look hungry! Hutchins, be a dear and fetch us something to eat, won't you?"
"Your majesty, I can't leave you-"
"Our friend here won't hurt me. Just something quick, alright? No need to be fancy."
Hutchins hurried out of the room. Lloyd released tension he hadn't known he was holding.
"Listen, my dear-"
"It's Lloyd."
"Listen, Lloyd. You're not going to jail. You're not going to be hurt. All I want to know is why someone your age would try to hurt me."
Lloyd rolled it over in his head. He hadn’t eaten in two days. Garmadon had caused so much trouble that people hated him again, even if he blew up the snake.
"If I get on TV then my dad can find me." Lloyd's never actually voiced his thought before. Now it sounded... ridiculous. Lloyd showed up on TV for a second and then what? Big evil Lord Garmadon drops everything to come rushing over? And stops plotting against the green ninja?
Lloyd's not childish. He's mature for his age! He's mature enough to see the empress pitying him!
"And your father... where is he?"
"I dunno! That's why he has to find me first. Which he will! Because he loves me!" It rang defensive even to Lloyd's own ears and he crossed his arm and his lip bleed again. Maybe Lloyd can't bring himself to brag about being Lord Garmadon's son anymore but that won't change that his dad still loves him. He has to.
"And what about your mother?"
"I dunno who she is, and I don't care."
He didn’t even know why he's talking to the empress. Maybe because she's getting him food. And it's warm in here. Outside, autumn's slowly turning to winter. Lloyd's been out in the snow before, and he hated it.
The empress remained silent, lost in thought. Then, Hutchins returned with a bowl of noodle soup. Not the instant stuff; he had to have gone to a restaurant with how many vegetables were in there.
"Do you want to stay with me until your father comes?"
"But what if he can't find me?" It's warm, going down his throat, and he stopped himself from gagging.
"He'll find you if he's searching. I'll make sure of it."
"Alright."
(She's lying. Lloyd only realizes five years later.)
Lloyd was twelve when the Overlord was defeated. He saw darkness overtaking the sky and the hulking dragon atop the city's tallest tower. He saw the radiant golden light striking his father's twisted form.
Lloyd just turned thirteen when the Golden Master was defeated. Everyone in the city felt the drop in temperature and the goosebumps on their skin as the Ice Ninja vanished
Lloyd was fourteen when he learns about the imperial family's prized mask.
Lloyd is seventeen when he meets the Green Ninja.