Chapter Text
Lloyd hit the ground, his body drenched in his sweat, trembling. Muscles now sore from the hours and hours of training forced apon his tiny, meek frame. Leaving him in an exhausted state. He panted uncontrollably, gasping for air. He let his legs crumble to the ground, allowing his body to finally relax after the day of hard work. Steadying his breathing.
He crawled into his bed an rested himself. Letting his body sink into the thin bed covers. Ignoring the fact that there was not even a matress on the bed. Only a plank of wood, a blanket and a pillow. You can't even call it a bed.
Yet, Lloyd had no energy to care. He laid himself on the bed like it was a big, soft and spongey pillow. Filling him with warmth and closure that people refused to give him his whole godamn life.
He rested his head on his pillow and frowned when he noticed a not-so-vague stiffness in the shape of a rectangle underneath his pillow. He sat up and moved the light sponge away to see his iPad placed on his bed.
He left it there a week ago.
The poor boy had just been too exhausted and busy to notice the unusual stiffness on his head. Well either that or the bed has made his body used to stiff surfaces. Either way, it ended up with him neglecting his iPad for a whole entire week.
He picked it up and turned it on to see that it was on 36%. He was about to go further when he remembered he had hardcore training the next day. He thought for a second. He could rest a for a little while, right? They would let him be a kid, for once.
He turned on the iPad and decided to go on it for a little while. He searched up a new, recent show that he had been hyperfixating on lately and found a whole series of videos to watch. He clicked on the particular series and sat to enjoy himself.
One episode turned into another.
Lloyd could still feel his eyelids begging to drop down and rest. It hurt to keep them open. Staying awake seemed to take away his whole energy. Lloyd was unsure of whether or not he would be able to do anything.
Yet, here he was, fighting against two highly trained ninja -- who, by the way, were the people that trained him -- as a lone, ten year old boy. He knew it was not fair at all. But he didn't complain this time. When were things ever fair?
Unfortunately, his sleep-deprived state wasn't the only thing hacking his game. He just couldn't stop thinking about the show he was watching last night. The only thing running on his mind was one person. One that wasn't even real. (Lloyd is so real for this)
His name was Ash kaito. He was a fiery, hot-headed character with the burning energy to protect those who matter to him. He was one of the most coolest people Lloyd had ever seen. His fighting styles were the smoothest he had every seen (minus the ninja, of course). What Lloyd loved most about him was how he saved people. Who he saved.
Ash was one to save the ones in need, the ones stamped down by destiny, the poor ones. He didn't let the ignored become unnoticed. He didn't let the stereotyped get hated. He won the hearts of everyone. Oh how much Lloyd wanted to be him.
So that's why, during training, he tried to mimick one of his famous moves to take down jay. Only to fail miserably, falling down to the floor and hurting his toe. Adding to the pain and annoyance, Lloyd was suffering today.
"Lloyd, what the hell was that?" Cole choked out. Despite the statement, there was not hostility in his voice but in fact, fondness. Lloyd swore cole was choking on his words from trying not to laugh.
Well Jay sure was.
"Pfft-- why- WHY DId hE fall like that?" Jay held one hand on his stomach, crouching down while he choked on laughter.
"Shut up!" Lloyd yelled at the blue ninja who just laughed even harder.
"Yea--" That was all Cole could say before he joined Jay in his laughing fest. Both laughing harder when Lloyd told them to stop.
"I don't see anything funny about this." Zane sighed. Lloyd snapped his head to him but frowned when seeing even his mouth was twitching a little bit. Zane carried on. "We should check whether or not Lloyd is okay from that harsh fall."
"Hmph! Yeah! Zane's right." Lloyd stuck his tongue at the laughing ninjas. "And Zane is always right. He's the smart one."
"He's more then just a smart one greenbean." Kai came into the room, with glasses in his hand, smiling and Lloyd. He then stopped when his eyes travelled to Jay and Cole. "Why the hell are these two laughing like flipping donkeys instead of teaching you?"
"Becuase they're bad teachers." Lloyd summed up.
"Yeah. I know that!" Kai rolled his eyes dramatically. "But why are they laughing so hard. They sound so funny and it is taking up all my strength not to laugh at this and film to show nya."
"WHAT!" Jay immediately stopped laughing. Coughing horrendously as soon as he screamed that out. Causing the harsh laughter of Cole to grow.
Kai eyed his teammate in disgust before shaking his head and facing Lloyd. "C'mon, green bean. Let's go train."
"You might want to check out his ankle, first." Zane walked toward lloyd and kai. Kneeling, downwards, towards the ten year old boy.
"What? Why?" Kai frowned.
"He hurt himself, trying to do some move or something" Jay explained, voice horse from all that coughing and laughter.
"It was why we were laughing." Cole sums up.
"Wow, real smooth." Kai rolled his eyes and turned to face Lloyd. "Hey. You okay?"
Lloyd snapped his head to kai and nodded. He instantly regretted that. He could feel the head ache growing. He shouldn't of stayed awake that long. But he could handle it, right?