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The first time Kai meets Lloyd Garmadon, he does not even know of him. Hell, he didn’t know that the young man currently looking over his inventory was the son of Garmadon, as he and his sister live in Ignacia, away from the chaos that has plunged Ninjago City into. He was thankful that at the very least his parents left him to his own devices in a mostly quiet, ordinary village, away from the noisiness that is urban life. He doesn’t think he could fit right in, with his ragged clothes sewn by himself, and his suspicious glares. Kai most definitely does not fit within the city life, knowing of the rot that grows within.
It is his constant warnings to his sister, who still chooses to attend school in Ninjago City; beware of the rot that can afflict anyone that has touched it, for it will kill us all and rid us of our inhibitions to do well.
He gets his first customer outside of well-meaning yet pitying villagers who are only interested in giving him money so he and his sister can continue to stay in their homes, and not the quality of his work, a day when he decides to finally stop procrastinating and clean his tools. It is not one of his least favorite chores to do, but because of the fact he has to keep this house clean and tidy, whilst making more supplies to drum their business and then cook for his only family member, it always slips his mind. It was a slow day, anyways; Nya is not here to assist him in making machines that can sell, so he only has his thoughts to himself.
What a lovely day indeed.
Kai hums a song he has once cherished from his mother as he wipes the metal tools clean of anything susceptible to rust until it regains its bright, familiar sheen. He heats up the forge as well, wanting to do something other than calculate their expenses for this month; the chore that he actually loathes doing.
Since it is such a quiet, peaceful day, he can hear the light sounds of footsteps coming, and he perks his head up quickly, on high alert. It was an honest reaction if he was being honest— years of being a defenseless, young boy has embittered and hardened him. He may not be a good fighter, but he can punch and kick as hard as he can if need be.
The teenager doesn’t let his guard down even when he takes a closer view of the visitor. His hair was blonde, falling below his shoulders, his stance meek and timid, green eyes darting across the place in anxiety. But he does not fall for those tricks any longer; becoming the surrogate parent of his sister and himself made him immune to deception. For all he knows, he can be another one of the bullies Nya often complains about— his physique may be short and skinny, but he was the same age, or younger than his sister.
The boy skids to a stop quickly when he sees that Kai is giving him a questioning glare.
He crosses his arms, wanting to intimidate the boy into answering his questions truthfully. “May I help you?”
“Oh,” he says scholarly, his eyes avoiding Kai’s dark gaze as he wraps one of his hands around his arms. “I’m not going to do anything to harm you.”
“You aren’t,” Kai interrupts harshly, his red eyes darting upon the sword that his father — a coward that he is — has left him when they departed, without even saying goodbye. It was both a bitter trophy and a memorial of the man he had once idolized as a child back then. “I’ll have to kick you out of my property if you don’t answer my question. Who are you?”
“A…” Lloyd gulps, and Kai silently applauds himself. Is this how intimidation tactics work? On young, vulnerable boys who might ask him permission to take his sister out on a date? “I’m here to talk to you about something you might be interested in?”
Kai groans, rolling his eyes. “It’s Festival day already? That isn’t even going to happen in like, two weeks dude! And besides, I don’t have money for you!” He doesn’t have enough money for himself or Nya either.
He flushes, as the mere thought of being offered money offends him. “What? I’m not here for your money!”
Kai gives him a look of disbelief. “Then what are you doing here, trying to drum up my business?”
“I’m here to give you a job in the city!” The boy then realizes the volume of his voice and softens it. “... Courtesy of my uncle.”
Now Kai has full reason to find suspicion about this boy; what would he need to do to work for his uncle? Why does he know that he is in need of a better-paying job? Do they keep track of young, impressionable orphans to sell opportunities to? "Whatever you're doing, I'm not interested in it. Especially if it's something illegal." He pauses slightly, "Is it something illegal? I'm not going to do dirty work for your good-for-nothing uncle!"
The young boy lifts both his arms in a symbol of good faith, "Okay, okay, chill out! The name's Lloyd, and I'm here to help you!"
Kai’s eyes flare with a passionate wildfire. “I don’t need any help. Now scram, kid.”
The boy squeaks like he is a cornered animal, yet instead of running back to where he came from, tail between high legs — Kai notices his urban accent too late — he stands his ground, baffling the teenager that definitely has the higher ground.
“I’m not leaving until you accept the job,” he says with courage that has Kai baring his teeth.
“I told you, kid— I ain’t joining your weird, mafia shit!” Besides, how and why did some elder men manage to find their households? Has his coward of a father died and his traitorous mother bequeathed their location to their revengers? He hopes not; his respect for them will lower even more, and he already thinks it has hit rock bottom.
“It isn’t about the mafia! I’m not even in them; I’m fighting against them!”
Kai laughs in disbelief. “How can I believe that you would be fighting those strong men?” He can barely lift a hammer, even after a decade of holding it without an older man guiding his arms to the correct position. He has not needed assistance for a long time, to the point that turning for help or actively seeking it is like non-existent smoke. It is gone from his mind, exorcised, and a taboo thing for him to consider thinking about.
The blonde grins proudly like he has anything to be proud of with his twig arms and skinny stature. He is fresh meat for the bullies out there; Kai feels pity for him. “You can be strong enough if you just accept the job I give you; you don’t want to go back to school, don’t you?”
The brown-haired teen frowns; why did he know that he hasn’t sought higher education, and hasn’t seen a desk and a blackboard since the age of seven? The only things he can understand now, with his limited learning and self-teaching, are how to clean and handle the house, count money, and do common maths. His literacy is abysmal if he can say so himself, and so avoids the more literary materials around his house, which are all Nya’s possessions. He has no interest in picking up a book, for everything reads like gibberish to him.
“How much does the job make?” He asks. No, he is not considering taking the job; he is fine and content with being inside the peaceful, albeit boring atmosphere of Ignacia. Yes, he does yearn for excitement and freedom in his life, but things are much safer and better in a dull town than in a rambunctious city. He leans on the counter as Lloyd mulls over his ill-faceted lie.
“A thousand dollars, give or take,” he says nonchalantly as if that is the calmest way to tell him that whatever job he takes, he will be loaded. He decides that Lloyd is a conceited rich boy that is heir to whatever his uncle is doing. Probably some illegal stuff. Lloyd seems to have read his still suspects, so he shakes his head. “No, don’t worry, it’s a legit business. You can finally pay your debts and bills with the salary you can have.”
And now, with narrowed eyes and brows pinched together in thought, Kai is beginning to consider such a tremendously timed deal for him. For years he has struggled to make a single penny, able to keep himself and his sister afloat. Now, while the offer is sketchy at best, it is his best chance to give his sister a better life. No more dilapidated houses, no more rusty equipment, no more dripping floors, and no more having to haggle with the vendors around the market because they sell at a remarkably high price. It is a satisfactory, lavish salary for someone that has worked in the rust and gutters without any chance to stop.
“There’s a catch,” he assumes, and Lloyd nods, carefully. He should have expected this. “What, you made your uncle pity my sad sorry lifestyle so now I’m bound to him for life?”
Lloyd shakes his head, a frown centering on his face. What shocks Kai the most is the lack of pity, but of empathy, like he knows what it is like to be abandoned and start providing for your beloved family member. “There’s no catch. But… you do have to start living in the city.”
Kai stares at him, eyes slightly twitching.
“Are you kidding me?”
Contrary to his suspicion and inability to trust new people, he ends up accepting the offer.
Turns out that living in the city was worse than all the rumors and stories of travelers and merchants told him. He listens to their babble and talks about their very unpleasant time in the city, bemoaning all the horrors and atrocities they have come across. As he is working on various projects (most of which are of mediocre quality, although they do not object), he hardly makes any conversation and if he is required to respond, would occasionally answer in grunts and non-committal shrugs before brusquely charging them for their money. It was a simple lifestyle; he did not need the complications of a rotting city to make his life difficult.
It makes him slightly miss the docile environment that Ignacia has given him.
Almost.
He is a teen bridled by energy and stamina; not even Ignacia and his own paranoia of a world unknown to him can ever make him sit still and continue his work, which was, honestly, getting repetitive each passing day. It is known to himself that he seeks adventure and amusement, in a life where he always plays the adult and has to act serious for the sake of looking authoritative. Nothing can last forever, and after ten years trapped in a land that seems frozen in time, he packs his bags, convinces Nya to do the same, and travels to Ninjago City.
Even the first day here was wild and untameable, making his usually unflappable nature flustered and shocked. Despite the directions and photos Lloyd has taken to ensure they will have safe travels beyond the village, they still got lost. It is not his fault that the entire city resembles the complicated mazes Nya opts to solve when she gets bored. (Then again, Nya had told him to give the map to her so they could navigate themselves out of the loop he has landed the two of them in.) Kai has seen unspeakable things in the city slowly filling with rot: the noisy cars, people shouting at each other, the sense of being unashamed to be caught in a moment of affection…
FSM, Kai thinks he’s about to faint. A village boy such as he needs to get used to this bubble of cacophony that makes his ears ring. He laments that he would perhaps get tinnitus.
When he starts his job a day after settling in the city that people consider a dream and a nightmare (he’d rather begin his job so that he can get used to working in loud urban areas), it is immediately attacked by Garmadon’s generals.
Kai wonders why he has been chosen by Lloyd to man this small business. It is a metallurgy shop, almost acting like a forging shop, but instead of offering weapons and promises of victory, he is enchained to create recreational, indulgent materials, such as enamel pins or rings. It was honestly more pleasing work than having to be hunched, fingers cramping over the hammer and anvil, as he makes another unsatisfactory weapon. These materials were simple to shape, and so were simple to make.
He met Lloyd’s uncle once when he first came to work. He was a man that looks so old he is shocked he still hasn’t dropped dead yet, studying his artifacts. It makes him tense; it has been the first time since he has seen someone inspect his work and critique it— years of pity made the others take an agreement of silence.
He turns to him, golden eyes shining like the sun. “Your work is as malleable as gold. You have strong hands, and strong fingers to meld these breakable parts into something worth selling.”
Kai, not knowing if he was reciting an anecdote or saying something else but in an ancient filter, smiles awkwardly and says, “Uh… thanks?”
Then again, at least he was civil with how he makes his work. Other people have no reservations as they call his works less flattering names. Then again, Kai doesn’t tolerate them; his fragile ego can’t handle insults against his flawed work, and he gets into arguments with them. He always wins them, so it’s no big deal, either.
Lloyd comes in to see him work sometimes. It’s honestly a surreal experience since he is alone and without any companions when he enters the shop. It makes Kai’s hardened eyes soften every time he sees his savior comes in, looking so exhausted to the point he feels as if he should concern himself with what is going on in his head. They would talk about school, or how business is going for Kai, and if Nya is alright. He does not talk of the eye bags, the bruises, the cuts, and the tears in his jacket as he rattles on about his day. Talking to Lloyd is quite enjoyable, and helps him ease his mind off his workload. He’s a pleasant distraction, one he would like to have a lot more.
“Have you met the Green Ninja and the Golden Dragon yet?” Lloyd had inquired on the second day of his new work, as he was busily creating enamel pins for catty girls who tipped him a large amount of money. He assumed that they were there to ask him on a date; he will have to make his appearance look more handsome when they return then, so he can actually score.
“The protectors of the city?” He verifies. He’s heard about them, through the stories and tales that his customers often tell. A Green Ninja, younger than even Nya, coming from the light shone upon by a giant, Golden Dragon whose body is the size of a serpent, yet with a lion’s heart. They fight against Garmadon with vigor and unrest, vowing to protect this city from their worst enemy possible.
“Yep.”
He pauses and then shrugs. “Nope. To be fair, I’m not interested in meeting them either. That would mean trouble is bound to come, right?”
The corners of Lloyd’s mouth quirk up, “Oh, you have no idea.”
He meets the Green Ninja three days after that conversation; the Garmadon alarm that he had heard during his orientation welcoming his residency in the city had started blaring, startling him from his work. Cursing Garmadon for ruining a good batch of rings — which has now melted — and frustrated at the displeasure of one of his customers.
“Don’t come back!” Kai yells at the customer after a shark goon had intruded inside his shop, smashing glasses and throwing mini shark bullets at his beloved inventory. He was honestly too tired to actually defend the small establishment he has.
But now, he is alone with a murderous, villainous maniac that thinks wearing a shark’s head is a fashion sentence. Why did he come to this city again? Is a salary of a thousand dollars from a benefactor with a shady past worth it for chaos?
He puts his hands up, signifying his surrender and understanding that, no matter how much his ego inflates and conflates with his confidence in taking down a trained general, he will lose. He keeps his expression as calm as possible, not wanting to incite more damage on property he doesn't even own. “Look mister, I don't have anything with me right now. Can you leave me and this poor shop alone?” He hates playing the damsel, but hey, this is a job he just really needs so he's gotta protect it.
The general, instead, simply snarls and then starts to advance on him with a knife. Kai struck at the mere thought that he may kill him just like that, eyes anything in the shop that could be used as a weapon to fight back against homicidal shark people. He wants to pray to his sister that if it is the end of his life, he will give her all of the little inheritance they both have left so she can have a good life outside of him. He could at least owe it to her; she's not the one who squandered her future into becoming the sole breadwinner of the family.
Then, before he could close his eyes and pray for an even safer death and passage to the Departed Realm, a flash of green lands a kick on the shark general, knocking him unconscious. Kai opens his eyes, promptly regaining his composure at the sight of the Green Ninja.
He brushes off imaginary dust from his apron and clothing, trying to look as if he has tried his damnedest to survive and fight off the weirdo. He must have failed, since the Green Ninja pants, looking at Kai with an unreadable look. Probably because most of his face is covered by a hood, and now Kai imagines what he looks like underneath it.
He has vibrant green eyes; eyes that look so familiar, something he has seen before in someone else's eyes. He cannot identify where.
Kai is not a fan of the Green Ninja; not because he is a critic judging their every action (if you wanted someone to protect the city why don't you do it yourself) but simply the fact he has only heard them through stories and rumors. He has not met them personally, so their heroics are largely disconnected from him. So, he has a more neutral perception of the Green Ninja and the Golden Dragon for now.
He waves at the Green Ninja, hoping his face can show him the gratitude he feels. "Hi, thanks for saving me."
The Green Ninja shrugs, and his eyes dart across the room, and starts looking skittish. It is a trait he thinks only Lloyd has, and to find such a revered hero averting his gaze makes Kai puzzled. "Um, it's no problem. It's part of the job, after all."
"I know, but you saved me back there." Kai looks around, frowning at the broken glass and molten metal. "But it seems like I'll have to close down my business for a few days to fix everything."
The Green Ninja looks around as if processing the damage one general did and wincing. "Yeah, don't worry about this and your salary. I can ask your boss to restock everything."
Kai tilts his head, a look of genuine confusion on his face. "Look, you're a good kid—" He knows he is a kid with his small stature and the way he handles himself, "You don't need to ask my boss about this."
The Green Ninja shrugs, "Don't worry, I always do this to disgruntled employees who need the financial help they need. Anyways, I'm going to have to go back to the battle now, I'll see you when I see you!"
Kai opens his mouth to reply back with a farewell before smoke covers his peripherals and when it clears, the boy clad in the Green gi is gone.
The teenager scoffs, crossing his arms. "Ninjas."