Work Text:
"Kai."
...
"Hey, Kai."
....
"Kai, wake up!"
"Hm?"
"You know what would be awesome right now?"
"What?"
"So there's this awesome arcade I've been meaning to go to for a while now, and do you think they're—"
"—Lloyd, you just defeated the Overlord."
"Okay?"
"The city is in shambles."
"Not like that's the first time that happened. So, do you think they're open? It's on the other side of the city."
"Go alone."
"Kaaai."
"I want to sleep."
"I almost died."
"Then rest."
"We haven't seen each other in a year."
"Yeah, it was like a vacation to me."
"Are you really going to deny me this awesome experience with you after a traumatic event because you want to sleep?"
Kai groans.
He hates this kid.
In hindsight, hate is a strong word.
Is he annoyed by him most of the time? Sure thing, but who wouldn't be annoyed by a little gremlin who occasionally swaps his hair gel with glitter glue or puts a hundred small rubber salamanders in his bed because he knows Kai is batshit scared of the amphibians?
Was he hurt by the fact that said gremlin left after the death of their sister without a word, so instead of losing one sibling (as if that wasn't enough already), he had to grieve a second as well? Yeah, he'll admit his heart still hasn't forgiven him fully for that, but hate? Never.
Lloyd crawled himself into Kai's heart like a parasite and apparently liked his stay there because he hasn't left ever since.
No matter the circumstances, he will always be ready to drop anything and everything for his little brother because, at the end of the day, they're family, and family stays together (even if not all seem to share that sentiment, and Kai is ready to kick Lloyd's parents in the face for it any day; he just needs to ask).
The blonde could probably burn the world down, and Kai will still defend him. Not that Lloyd will ever do something of the sort — just hypothetically speaking, of course.
The year he spent without his brother was an empty one. He felt lonelier than ever before. He didn't even have Nya anymore. He went from two siblings to zero in the span of about two weeks, and that was probably the worst thing to ever happen to him so far; his parent's abduction didn't even come close to it.
Naturally, he left the monastery not long after Lloyd did. He assumes he would have gone either way, though, and Lloyd leaving was just the icing on the cake that engraved his decision in stone.
He couldn't stand to be in any of the rooms any longer; every little thing reminded him of what he once had and what he had lost.
The monastery was the first place Kai and Nya were able to call home, where they were looked after and had a family, and perhaps that is why staying in it after his baby sister passed hurt so much.
Needless to say, the rest is history, and a few tears, sleepless nights, cooperation with an evil snake queen, and defeating the ultimate evil once more later, his family comes out whole and alright, but getting there was anything but easy. Losing Zane the first time and then losing Lloyd and Nya the second time was definitely enough. Anyone saying 'third's the charm' doesn't know what they are talking about.
"D'you think we could stop at the froyo shop?"
"Lloyd, you—"
"I swear, it's just on the way! It's like only 5 minutes from the arcade!"
Kai murmurs something quietly, to the point where Lloyd can't make out what he's saying. He hears the words "annoying" and "demon-spawn" fall through, though, and supposes it might not be so bad that he didn't hear the rest of the sentence.
"So?" the younger asks anticipatingly.
Kai can only roll his eyes, but there's a tiny glimpse of affection in the act. "Lead the way."
Lloyd beams.
As it turns out, Lloyd has probably failed math class in Darkley's because what he called a "5-minute detour" turns out to be closer to 30 minutes in the end, but seeing his brother with his sugar bomb of a frozen yoghurt that was carefully decorated with gummy bears, Smarties, and chocolate syrup made it all worth it.
"Now, please tell me we don't have a long way to go."
He sees Lloyd make a slight face before he puts on a smile again.
"Yeaaah. Not that long, no no."
Kai sighs heavily. "You're a horrible liar, you know? I thought I raised you better than this," he says in a lighthearted voice, ruffling his blonde locks slightly.
"Hey!" Lloyd yelps and pushes Kai away as he huffs. "I'm taller than you now, you know? I would be careful with the hair ruffling from now on."
Ouch, he thinks. He obviously knows Lloyd has grown up since they took him in years ago, back when he was still a small child, wearing a cape in dramatic fashion, and wanting to be just like his father. And he also knows how much Lloyd has grown in that single year they were apart alone, but— the reminder still hurts, okay?
Everything has changed since they started their adventures all those years ago, but it seems like his little brother only ever decides to grow up whenever Kai isn't looking. He almost didn't recognise the blonde when he saw him again for the first time.
To his credit, it was unusual to see Lloyd out of his famous Gi (which is a terrifying realisation to come to in itself, but he will have to throw this one out the window for now or he might actually have a breakdown), so when he saw Lloyd in his window-cleaner work clothes, it didn't quite register that this was the same boy he helped train and raise for all those years.
And yeah, there are some physical changes to him that are obvious to anyone who's ever actually looked at him, like his hair being longer and him appearing to be a tad bit more on the scrawny side, but those aren't even the worst of the changes.
No, the changes that hurt him the most are the ones you can't see at first glance. The changes he has picked up on over time as they reunited.
And listen, Kai knows what temper issues are like, and he is never ever going to judge anyone for them. It's a complex issue and hard to fix; it takes time— Hell, it took him almost his entire lifetime to sort his own out, but—
Sometimes Lloyd gets angry or irritated (or both), and sometimes is sadly, most of the time, and Kai gets it. He really gets it.
Sure, it seems to have gotten better since the defeat of the Crystal King and him (sort of) making up with Garmadon and Harumi (even if he himself still doesn't trust the two with something as harmless as a pillow), but Lloyd has gone through so much that Kai would be surprised if he would be emotionally alright.
It's just that it breaks his heart to see Lloyd lashing out the way he does because he knows what it felt like when he behaved like that. He knows that he's hurting, but he doesn't know how to help him. He's unable to get through to him.
He's not quite sure when his little brother changed from being bubbly, outgoing, and trusting to being quiet, suspicious, and angry most of the time.
No matter when it happened, it happened, and it makes Kai's heart twist uncomfortably because it means that he didn't protect him as he should have, and he failed at the one thing he is—
He comes back to the present as a hand is waving in front of his face.
"Gee, Kai, did I say something? Are you okay?" His baby brother asks, eyes wide, and Kai can't help but pull him into a hug, feelings rushing over him like a flood. He wants to hold him and never let go. To protect him like he failed to in the past.
Lloyd tenses for a second until he eventually relaxes and squeezes his shoulder slightly; it's a gesture that makes him feel warmer inside. He is here. Lloyd is here with him, and he's not leaving anytime soon—
"Uh, are you okay?"
Kai nods silently, his throat closing up in emotion as he presses his face into the crook of Lloyd's neck. He still smells like vanilla and sugar. At least that hasn't changed.
"Yeah," he croaks while letting go and pushes him away gently. "Just a bit sentimental." His voice is soft as he looks the blonde up and down.
If only he could stay happy like this forever, Kai would do anything for it, even if it meant burning the whole world down just to make sure no one can hurt him ever again.
"Okay, sap," he jokes lightheartedly, punching his shoulder slightly, but the shimmer in his eyes doesn't go unnoticed. "Sooo," he sings. "We can turn around if you're not feeling up to it, really. We can watch a movie with the others or something—"
"Actually," Kai interrupts him, holding a hand in front of him to stop him from going deeper into his rambling. "I would like to go to the arcade if you still want to go, but I mean, if you don't want to, then that's fine too. We might make it for dinner; I think Cole's cooking today."
Lloyd looks at him as if he has grown a second head before turning on his heel and beginning to walk to, presumably, the arcade.
Oh, how he has missed this.
The arcade is, to his astonishment, fully intact and running. It almost has him disappointed; sure, he told Lloyd he had no problem going with him, but in honesty, he would prefer laying on Ronin's surprisingly comfy couch over this.
But if Lloyd wants to go to the arcade, going to the arcade is what he is going to get. The kid had enough of his dreams and wishes crushed; the least he can do is let him have something as silly as this, even if he's not feeling completely up to it.
At least it's empty.
"Nice, there are no queues!" Lloyd beams, and Kai raises an eyebrow.
"Of course there aren't. Which lunatic would go to the arcade after an almost world-ending threat?" He asks while Lloyd is walking towards one of the game machines, turning around and pointing at himself, grinning. "Except for you." Lloyd responds by pointing at the (ex?) Master of Fire this time, and Kai groans. Menace.
"Oh Kai, look," Lloyd points on the screen of the game he's playing with a smug grin on his face. "That mushroom looks like you when your hair is wet—"
"I'm going to turn you into a mushroom, you ungrateful, little—"
"You know I think I'm kinda getting the hang of this!"
"Kai?"
"Yeah?"
"You're holding the controller upside down."
"Now Kai, step left— 'Left', I said! Who gave you your sense of rhythm?"
"Oh, you're one to talk Elemental Master of Off-Beat Dancing!"
"Take that back! I'm the Master of Ninja Dance Revolution!"
"Is that why my score is higher than yours?"
"That's not your score, we're playing together!"
"Oh, shi—"
To everyone's astonishment, the arcade remains whole, and they probably have to thank Cloud Kingdom or even the First Spinjitzu Master himself for that wonder. Even if it did come close to being burned down multiple times.
This time, however, that's no thanks to Kai's elemental power, or rather, lack there-of. He winces.
One day they'll be back; he's sure of it. They're just in... hibernation? That's all.
His powers have to come back because he doesn't know what he will do if they don't. Everything is so cold without them. If this continues for much longer, he might even have to start sleeping with a blanket. Disgusting.
"It's chilly, isn't it?" He asks on the way back, as if to reassure himself that it isn't just all in his head. The look Lloyd shoots him tells him enough, though.
Despite nodding at his question, Lloyd ends up giving him his jacket after shiver number 38.
They're left sitting in the park on a bench. watching as the sun slowly sets above the few buildings that are still standing. He hears Lloyd sigh beside him.
"You know, I didn't think we would be left saving the world again," he says out of the blue, "I thought I was done with this— being a Ninja and all, I guess this family too by extension."
Kai bites his lips and sucks in a breath. He's not sure how to deal with the amount of emotion in Lloyd's voice. Should he place a hand on his shoulder? Hug him? Nya is better at this kind of stuff. Where is she when you need her?
"I never stopped thinking about you guys though, I just— If I'm not a Ninja how can I be part of this family, you know?" He continues and Kai's mind comes to a scratching halt. He turns his head to his menace of a brother with what is probably murder in his eyes by the way Lloyd winces under his gaze.
" Who told you that? I'm going to beat them up, just give me the na—"
"—No no, Kai, no one told me that but it's clear isn't it? You took me in cause I'm the Green Ninja, if I'm not the Green Ninja anymore why would you still want me?"
He breathes out exasperatedly. He thought they were done with these conversations, where Lloyd would feel self-conscious about his identity and place in the world and Kai in return would comfort him and assure him that no matter what, they were his family and would always be by his side.
Seemingly, that assumption was wrong.
"Lloyd, I—," he sighs. FSM, He's so bad at this. "We've talked about this."
"I know, I know but—"
"No buts. Butts are for sitting. We are more than your team, we are your f amily , capiche? We would be here for you no matter what title you use or what you do. The Green Ninja isn't my little annoying brat of a brother; that's you. Lloyd."
"Just Lloyd?"
"Just Lloyd," Kai nods and watches as Lloyd's face crumples into an expression that looks like he's close to— Oh no . No tears, no tears, please —
"It doesn't feel right," he sniffles into his sleeve and Kai's sure he's not going to like the words that are about to leave the blonde's mouth next. "You guys accepting me when it's my fault that— That Nya—"
"Stop," is all Kai says. His jaw clenches and Lloyd quiets. "It wasn't your fault. It was no one's fault."
"But I'm the Green Ninja— The leader— "
"Oh, First Spinjitzu Masters sake, to the Cursed Realm with these thoughts," he swears gaining him a shocked look from his brother. He almost laughs. "You know Nya. If she sets her mind on something she's gonna do it regardless of what anyone says. She's stoic like that. I don't know where she got it from, honestly."
He doesn't miss how the corners of his mouth quirk up silently. He'll count it as a victory.
"Besides," he finishes. "She's back. Just like always we made it out alive and our family is whole. It's no use to be hung up on the past. Live in the present, you know? Or whatever it is that Wu always says.
"Oh, I didn't know you actually listen to him—"
Kai smacks him over the head. "Dork."
Lloyd chuckles and Kai can practically see the weight of his guilt leave his shoulders. It makes him feel slightly less useless.
"Thank you, Kai. Really I-," whatever his little brother was about to say dies in his throat as he stares with wide green eyes past him. "Kai. Turn around."
He does as he's told and is met by a pair of shining red eyes, staring at them from the bushes.
"What the—"
"This is horrible; I can't believe you made me come with you!"
"So, you'd rather have me run from a rabid serpentine by myself? Nice!"
Kai winces. "Okay, fair, but— What's the plan?"
"Plan? The plan is to run home ASAP!"
"Oh wow, thank you for your wisdom, great Ninja Leader!"
"The Golden Master shall not rissse!" He hears the venomari yell and can't help but roll his eyes. Really? The Golden Master? That's so 2014— "Don't fight it, Ninja!"
He shares a glance at Lloyd and almost laughs at the portrayal of annoyance on his little brother's face. It would be funny if only there wasn't a crazy person running behind them with a knife.
"I just wanted to go to the arcade!"
This time, Kai laughs wholeheartedly. Nothing can ever go to plan with Lloyd, can it? No, there always has to be someone ready to attack right around the corner.
Kai's eyes widen slightly. "Lloyd, I think this is—"
"—a dead end," his brother finishes breathlessly as they come to a halt in front of a collapsed building that is cutting off the alley.
Great. To the Cursed Realm with the damn Overlord and his obsession with levelling cities and blocking off perfectly good streets.
Kai pants, turning around to face the grinning serpentine, and suddenly his blood runs cold. They should have taken the comms with them. How could they have been so stupid—
The serpentine thrashes at them with the knife, and he manages to dodge just in time.
Focus, Kai, focus.
He watches as Lloyd grabs the Venomari's arm, trying to wrestle the knife out of her hand. He feels useless.
"You will destroy Ninjago!"
"Yeah, right," the blonde huffs sarcastically, twisting her arm and successfully making her drop the knife with a shriek, and Kai hurries to grab it before the serpentine can get to it once more.
He watches as the serpentine tries to get out of his brother's grip, in vain.
"Let me go, you murderoussss—"
"Oh, I'm murderous?"
Kai laughs, pulling out his phone to call the authorities when he hears the sickening and sadly all too familiar sound of metal piercing flesh and a gasp.
He looks up, and everything seems to go so slowly and fast at the same time.
He feels lightheaded at the sight that greets him. This can't be happening.
He watches as the venomari holds what seems to be the handle of a knife at Lloyd's abdomen. Him slightly crunched, gripping the venomari's shoulders until his knuckles turn white. The sound of a blade being pulled out of his baby brother.
He sees the serpentine raise the knife once more, ready to deliver the final blow, as Lloyd seems to stand paralysed, and hurries to push her to the ground. He's suddenly all too aware of the absence of his elemental power, but he doesn't care, still making sure to put himself between his hurt brother and the crazy snake.
He pulls out the knife that he just grabbed from the floor. His heart skips a few beats. He needs to get them out of here; he needs to get them away from her and get Lloyd medical help, because if he doesn't, then the terrible year he spent without him might just be a sample of what his entire life could be like. And on the FSM, there is no way in the sixteen realms that he will let that happen.
The serpentine laughs manically, and behind him he can hear the sound of a body tumbling to the ground. He wants to turn around and tend to the blonde so bad, but he can't risk taking his eyes off of their attacker for even a second.
"You won't usssse the knife; you're one of the good guysss," she hisses, but she has miscalculated, because if she really thinks he will just let her go after she stabbed his brother, then she will be in for a surprise.
Rage boils beneath his skin; it's almost like his fire has returned to him and is now flowing through his veins. "You hurt my family; all rules are off the table," he says matter-of-factly, and can't help but feel surprised at how calm he is sounding. The serpentine's scales seem to go a few shades lighter, nonetheless. "I can't promise what's going to happen from now on."
She steps back, reassessing the situation, and seems to be satisfied with her achieved outcome — the smug grin, which Kai would love to punch out of her face, tells him that much, but he knows that picking a fight would mean compromising valuable time. Lloyd needs help now, not in 20 minutes after his brother is done beating up his attacker. As satisfying as it would be.
The serpentine runs down the street where she had come from, and internally, Kai is screaming at himself for letting her go so easily. But he has to.
Regardless, he can always track her down and beat her up with the others once Lloyd is okay.
Right, the others. Oh, FSM, they're going to freak out. He pulls out his phone again, quickly dialling Pixal's number and pressing his phone against his ear with his shoulder as he turns around.
His breath gets caught in his throat.
He knew it was going to be bad, but this— This is—
He's pretty sure he's had a nightmare just like this.
"Hey, bud," he says softly while he kneels to the ground, pulling the blonde's head into his lap and pressing down on the wound that's still gushing blood. So much blood— "You're fine. You're going to be fine."
He's not sure who he is trying to reassure here.
Lloyd whines under the pressure, but despite it all, he manages to nod. "'Course. Won't die 'cuz of some crazy serpentine," he grits out with a determination that makes Kai admire his strength even more than before, but at the same time, it makes him want to cry.
He shouldn't have to be so strong. He shouldn't have to be so used to pain to the point where a stab wound barely faces him. He shouldn't be spotting a stab wound because some people believed he would turn evil based on a stupid prophecy, at all.
Hasn't he done enough to prove that he's good? He's saved Ninjago countless times, and yet— Yet—
They're sitting in an alley, with Kai pressing down on a gaping hole in his brother's abdomen and him barely holding onto consciousness. His blood is all over his hands— His baby brother's blood is on his hands—
This is the thanks they get for everything they have done.
"Kai? Kai? Are you alright?" He hears Pixal call from his speaker and comes back to reality.
Freaking out: later. Getting help: now.
"Hey Pixal, yeah, I'm fine, but Lloyd, he's—" His voice apparently sounds exasperated enough because he can already hear Pixal's steps echoing on the other side of the line and the familiar humming of the Samurai X mech starting. "They stabbed him, Pixal. They hurt Lloyd. They—"
"Kai, try to breathe in and out for me, okay? I am already on my way to you. How is Lloyd holding up?"
He looks down to find Lloyd's face ten shades paler than it had been mere minutes ago and green eyes staring aimlessly up at him. It might just be the most terrifying thing he has ever seen.
He places his hand on his forehead and hisses slightly; his skin is clammy to his touch, and he internally curses at himself for smearing blood on his forehead, as though it would make a difference. "He's burning up, and— It's not looking good. Pixal, there's blood everywhere."
"I will be there in approximately five minutes. Put pressure on the wound and try to keep him awake, okay?"
He nods foolishly, as if Pixal can see the gesture.
"Hey buddy, help is on the way, okay? Stay awake for me, please."
Lloyd doesn't react.
It takes Pixal six minutes to get to them, and those six minutes are probably the longest of his entire life.
Sitting in that alley, trying to shake Lloyd awake once his eyes fluttered shut, the sickening warm feeling of fresh blood covering his entire hands and painting them red.
He looks down at his palms, and though he washed the blood off in the hospital bathroom already, he can swear he can still feel and see it.
He thinks he's going to need a break from the colour red for some time.
"Is he awake? Is he okay?" He can hear Nya yell from down the hallway, indicating that the others have now arrived too, but he can't find the strength to look up from the eerily white and clean hospital floor — the same floor the nurses and doctors had just rushed down to bring his brother into surgery.
He can't look up and face the disappointment and anger that they probably hold in their eyes. They should hate him.
His ears are ringing. He wants to scream.
He just got him back. This was the first time he and Lloyd hung out in over a year, the first time they had a proper conversation that wasn't battle-related, and this happens.
He let this happen. He didn't protect him like he should have, once again.
Kai places his elbows on his knees and buries his hands in his hair, not caring how he ruins his hairstyle with the gesture.
If Lloyd doesn't make it, that will be on him. It will be his fault, and he will never forgive himself if he doesn't return to them.
He already deserves to suffer for allowing him to get hurt — but if Lloyd dies?
Then he will deserve to rot in the Cursed Realm for that.
He can feel a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly in a way only Cole could. Without looking up he leans against him.
"This is my fault."
"It's not, bud," his arms wrap around him and Kai thinks he might just start sobbing at the spot. How can he not be angry at him? Why do they still care— "You know how things are with Lloyd, lil gremlin can't go two seconds without getting hurt but he'll be fine," he says with a certainty that makes Kai almost jealous and despite himself, a wet laugh escapes him.
"You can yell at him all you want when he wakes up. That sound good?"
"Yeah," he sighs. "Yeah, it does."
"You look like death. You come to take me?"
Kai almost feels his soul jump out of his body as he jolts up, startled, from where he had laid with his head on Lloyd's hospital bed, just starting to doze off.
"Lloyd!"
"Oh great, you still know my name, so—" His remark is interrupted by the body weight of his older brother crushing him. "—Oof."
"You're so stupid."
"Thank you, but— Ouch, could you stop—," he hisses. "This hurts like hell:"
He retreats immediately, looking at his brother apologetically. Stupid Kai, how could he be so inconsiderate— "Sorry, I just— I'm so happy you're awake."
"Sap."
He hits the blonde's shoulder lightly, frustrated. "Can you stay serious? You almost died in my arms!"
"You'd think you'd be used to it by now."
"I hate you"
"No you don't."
He shuts his eyes, sighing. It's true, he knows it, Lloyd knows it, and everyone knows it. Still, though, he's allowed to be mad. "No, I don't. But I'm angry."
Lloyd laughs. "You act like I stabbed myself."
"Lloyd."
His smile drops immediately, eyes falling on his hands and he starts nervously fiddling with his fingers. It's comforting in a way. A reminder that those familiarities didn't cease to exist all because of some stupid baseless "prophecy".
"Sorry. That was kinda scary, wasn't it? I'm laughing because else I might cry—," he starts scratching his wrists and Kai takes his hands in his, stopping him from doing any further harm.
"Yes it was scary but you're okay now. That's what matters most."
Silence falls between them and Kai allows himself to shut his eyes and focus on the warmth of his little brother's hands. Warm. Not cold. Not dead. Lloyd is still here.
But he was so close to losing him.
"I didn't even know anybody still believed the whole 'Golden Master' thing," Lloyd whispers, his voice small in a matter that is unusual to him and makes something in his chest ache.
"What if I— What if it's true and I'll turn evil?"
"Nah," he replies nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.
The blonde looks at him like he's crazy. "'Nah'?"
"Nah," he nods. "You're many things Lloyd: You're annoying, a pain in the butt and stupid. But you're not evil."
"Wow. Thanks."
"I'm serious. You'll never be evil. What villain drags their brother out to go to an arcade after the world just almost ended? Or cries when a dog in a movie dies? Or when Jay eats their favourite snack? Or when—"
"Okay, okay, I get it, I'm not gonna be evil. I don't have it in me."
"Good."
"I'm glad you were there though. WIth me, I mean," Lloyd squeezes his hands slightly, looking up to him with an emotion that could only be described as thankfulness. His stomach twists at his. Lloyd shouldn't be thankful with him, he should be angry for letting it happen. For breaking his promise again.
"It was my fault anyways. I just stood around all useless because I'm powerless and let you get stabbed. Like an idiot."
"You didn't stab me. It wasn't your fault. It's entirely that serpentines'. And power doesn't make a ninja, trust me. Conversation ended." Kai just hums. He knows Lloyd's right but somehow he can't stop feeling this crippling guilt that rips him apart inside. The curse of being the older sibling, he supposes. "Now stop sulking and find out how we can turn on the TV. This silence is suffocating me."
Kai laughs lightly, grabbing the remote and handing it to Lloyd, who flicks on the TV immediately.
A news channel turns on.
"We are standing outside Kryptarium watching as the criminal Serpentine who attacked the Green Ninja two days ago, is being brought into custody. Her attempt on the Green Ninja's life was unsuccessful and she is facing charges of up to 25 years in prison. The Green Ninja is currently—"
The channel changes the latest episode of Starfarer starts playing. He doesn't miss the smug grin on the blonde's face.
"Justice."
He chuckles. "You know, I don't think we should go to an arcade again. Something always goes wrong."
"Why not? We had fun didn't we?"
"We did, and then we didn't."
"That's just life. Everything's dangerous, especially for us, but you still gotta have fun, right?"
Kai supposes he's right and as long as he has his family by his side he'll be alright with taking some risks.
He watches as Lloyd suddenly points to the screen, ranting about a character from the show. "You see him? He's so annoying! He keeps messing up Fritz Donnegan's plans every time! He has to be some sort of evil double agent because—" He stops listening just nodding along, not understanding a single word of what he's saying.
Yeah, it might be worth it.