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Chapter Text

Kai, Nya, and Lloyd had a mission that one of them despised and another anticipated.

For while Nya found her strength in water, Kai only felt agitation for the salty liquid splashing against the wooden pier below his feet.

Lloyd, on the other hand, crept down the wooden dock with complete indifference towards the cold ocean water. He only paid mind to the icy biting wind that reminded him of Morro; the constant cold pressing in from all sides, the way it wanted to claim him for itself. But the young leader kept his thoughts to himself as he motioned for his brother and sister to hide behind him.

He peered around the edge of a wooden box labeled in a foreign language to observe their targets. The Ninja had already snuck up a good ways on the four thieves with ski masks dressed in black and dark purple, as the pier was riddled with the strange crates to conceal their approach. It set the Green Ninja on edge; something was off about the crates. He stored his suspicion in the back of his mind, clearing his thoughts in preparation for the inevitable fight.

He could already see the weapons glinting in the moonlight. Each thief boasted at least one ray gun and one shortsword, but other weapons could easily be hidden in their long coats or where the Ninja couldn’t see. He knew they’d have to disable the weapons before they could do much else, and not being able to see all of them frustrated the young Ninja. No matter; nothing a little spinjitzu couldn’t fix.

Lloyd turned back to the two silent elementals next to him. “At least one gun and sword each,” he whispered. Kai and Nya nodded with grim determination, and all three pulled on their hoods. Time to put aside all other conflicts and distractions; the only thing that mattered now was defeating the four masked threats.

“On three,” Nya hissed out, her voice barely audible over the wind. The others gripped their newly gifted swords; Lloyd’s golden dao glinted in the moonlight, the emerald in the blade shimmering ethereally. Kai’s similarly golden katana flashed as he twisted the hilt in his hand to adjust his grip, the red decoration perfectly matching the Fire Ninja’s gi. Nya drew forth her trident, but since it was mostly covered in leather and cloth, only the tip was noticeable. The rest faded into her gi like a ghost.

The Water Ninja counted down on her fingers. At three, she sprang over the crate while Lloyd jerked left and Kai darted right.

Lloyd’s blade came crashing down onto his opponent’s own weapon, the thief responding with lightning-fast reflexes that Jay would be jealous of. But despite their quick reaction, the thief was caught off guard when Lloyd spun around to barrel into the one behind him, shoving his dao close to the thief’s face.

As both the leader and (although he wasn’t comfortable with the title) the most powerful Ninja, Lloyd had volunteered to fight two of the opponents while Kai and Nya each went after one. His smaller form could dodge both attacks at the same time, darting between the figures as if fighting two separate battles at the same time instead of one. The thieves stumbled around in confusion, but Lloyd became a blur of green and gold as he fluidly maneuvered between two swords aimed to kill.

One of the thieves yelled something frantically in another language, and immediately, Lloyd found himself without an opponent. He whirled around, confused, as the four assailants huddled back-to-back in the middle of a triangle created by the three Ninja. Kai stood on the right, two boxes next to him, and Nya planted herself on Lloyd’s left. The thief who had called out — by the sound of it, a middle-aged man — barked orders at his subordinates. Lloyd caught a word that sounded an awful lot like bomb .

“Ready to call it quits?” Kai hissed, holding his katana in front of him, eyes narrowed. His glare was cold enough to send shivers through Lloyd — and he was Kai’s leader. “No one has to get hurt, here.”

Well, at least the Fire Ninja was attempting diplomacy. Beneath his green mask, Lloyd grinned. His brother never would have given anyone a second chance years ago.

“You’re outmatched,” Nya added, trident leveled at one of the thieves, perfectly steady despite the cold Nya must feel from the wind. “We haven’t even used our powers yet.”

Two of the criminals exchanged slightly worried glances, but the leader and the other maintained their fierce glares. “You know you won’t win,” Lloyd piped up, and although his voice came out quiet, it had an underlying venom that made the already-nervous thieves squirm uncomfortably. “Give up now, and we can end this peacefully.”

The leader grunted in irritation. “Listen, Ninja,” he spat in a heavily accented voice. “We not…how you say? We not quit .”

So he thought he was clever by using their own motto against them? Lloyd rolled his eyes. He’d heard that many times before, and none of the threats came to pass. “Yeah, okay, man,” he sighed. “Whatever you say.” He hefted his sword, prepared to continue the fight.

The boss had the audacity to grin as he held up a small device. “You are fool,” he gloated, and his finger slid to a tiny red button.

The realization struck before the weapon.

Bomb.

Lloyd swore he could hear the little click of the remote detonator a split second before every crate on the pier exploded.

The Green Ninja yelped as the force sent him flying towards the thieves, all of whom split up two and two. His ears rang, all other sounds fading away, and for a moment his vision blurred and swam. The leader and one of the scared thieves lunged at Lloyd before he could recover, pointing a sword and ray gun at him respectively. He lay on his stomach, propping himself up with an elbow, and blinked hard to regain his bearings.

His hearing came back in a rush. Nya was shouting his name, her arms straining as she held up the trident that had just barely blocked an attack. Her wide eyes locked onto Lloyd’s, sending a silent message for help.

The Green Ninja sucked in a breath and glanced back up at the thieves above him, both with smug expressions. “I say you fool,” the leader grinned, his sword lowering inches away from Lloyd’s face.

He raised a brow and used one finger to push the blade to the right, at the same time leaning slightly to the left as if teasing a child. “And I say you’ve underestimated me.”

Before the leader could process his words, Lloyd rolled to the left and leaped to his feet in one smooth motion, jerking to the side as green light flickered up from the ground before whooshing around him in his spinjitzu tornado. The familiar hum of energy in his body excited the Ninja as he launched himself at the thieves, sending them reeling backwards in the face of his elemental power.

As Lloyd came out of the tornado, crouched slightly in a stable position, he saw Nya out of the corner of his eye. She’d incapacitated one of the thieves, but seemed overly worried about fighting one opponent. The younger Ninja frowned, but just as Nya’s words reached his ears, he noticed something.

Something he should’ve seen the moment the bombs went off.

“Where’s Kai?!”

Lloyd’s heart leaped into his throat as he frantically twisted around, searching for the familiar flash of Kai’s red gi. His gaze locked onto his brother’s color a little ways down from him on the burned pier: Kai’s red-hilted katana, lying ownerless by the edge of the dock.

Furious, Lloyd used his spinjitzu to smash into the thieves closest to him, perhaps a little too harshly. At that moment, though, he didn’t care — they’d hurt his brother.

“Lloyd, get Kai!” Nya cried. “I’ve got this!” The Green Ninja blinked at her, then snarled in a very non-human way at his enemies, before turning and throwing himself headfirst into the freezing water.

The shock of the ice-cold sea made his muscles lock up on impact. Lloyd forced his eyes open despite the sting of saltwater that immediately assaulted him, and gave himself a shake. This was not the time to lose control. He swam deeper and deeper, the temperature only decreasing, until his eyes locked onto red fabric.

Lloyd’s lungs screamed for air, but he pushed himself deeper. His feet landed on the sand and kicked up a haze that would have blocked his sight to Kai if he hadn’t already locked onto his target. He grabbed Kai off the ground and jumped upwards, frantically kicking and pulling himself up with one hand while the other wrapped securely around his brother’s limp form.

He couldn’t be too late. He couldn’t.

The surface seemed so far away. He needed to breathe. He no longer felt the cold.

Just when Lloyd thought he wouldn’t make it, the water seemed to condense around him, then lifted out of the ocean before splashing apart on the pier. Nya ran over to the soaked duo, the thieves tied up behind her.

Despite internally panicking at the sight of his waterlogged brother, Lloyd kept a straight face and an aura of calm, for Nya’s sake. Lloyd gently placed Kai on his side, not needing to see to know that his fiery brother wasn’t breathing. Trying not to hurt him, Lloyd carefully pounded on Kai’s back, trying to make him cough. Nya’s gaze became distressed when she realized the water in Kai’s lungs wasn’t responding to her elemental powers, but Lloyd continued.

After what felt like ages, Kai’s eyes flew open and water spilled from his mouth, and he immediately started coughing.

Nya let out a cry of joy, gently pulling Kai up so he could sit and brushing a loose strand of hair out of his eyes. His clouded gaze locked onto Lloyd’s, who grinned with pure relief.

“We got ‘em, bro,” Nya whispered, wrapping her arms around her brother despite him being thoroughly soaked. “We got ‘em.” he blinked slowly but otherwise didn’t respond, his eyes glassy.

Lloyd gently tapped Nya’s shoulder. “I’ll get him back to the Monastery,” he said softly, his tone hiding how nervous he truly felt. “You get these guys—” he jerked his thumb back at the thieves “—to the police.”

The Water Ninja nodded once and reluctantly separated from Kai, letting Lloyd lift the Fire Ninja into his arms. Despite being younger and smaller, Lloyd had no difficulty holding the older Ninja as he headed for his car parked a few streets away. Credit to his hybrid side, he supposed.

Once at the vehicle, Lloyd strapped his still-dazed brother in the back before sliding in his own seat and turning the heat on full blast. “Hang on, Kai,” he murmured, then revved the engine. “We’ll be back in no time.”

***

Thankfully, with the heat working overtime, Kai had regained some alertness by the time the car entered the vehicle elevator in the base of the mountain. With Pixal’s upgrades the past summer, the nindroid made sure to add an easy-access port for the Ninja’s plethora of vehicles. After all, why have a secret garage bunker without a way to use the mechs stored within? The elevator was hidden behind an illusion at the bottom and took them straight into the bunker.

“Ugh,” Kai groaned, drawing Lloyd’s attention to his passenger. He smiled over his shoulder, relieved to see his brother in a better state, as Kai shivered. “Never thought the Master of Fire would have a problem with being cold.”

Lloyd laughed. “Maybe now you know what it’s like to be human,” he teased. Even though a distant part of him questioned his authority to say those words, he shrugged it off. He was mostly human, after all.

Kai huffed, apparently having the same thought. “You’re one to talk,” he grumbled.

Lloyd shrugged innocently and turned back to the steering as the elevator reached the top. “Well, I’m just glad you’re feeling better.”

A rustle of fabric was all the warning Lloyd had before Kai reached up to ruffle his hair. The Green Ninja yelped in alarm and ducked forward, barely managing to keep his car from smashing into Cole’s bike. “Hey!” He protested, straightening the vehicle and parking it in its correct place.

Kai’s grin was contagious, and Lloyd felt a smile creep across his face. “Thanks for the save, green bean.”

“No one messes with my big brother,” Lloyd stated as he hopped out of the car.

The Fire Ninja’s smile softened and he draped an arm over Lloyd’s shoulder. “Look who’s dragon instincts are kicking in,” he mused light-heartedly.

Lloyd gasped in mock offense, attempting to mess up Kai’s already-gel-free hair, but his brother grinned and pranced away. “Get back here!” Lloyd cried, chasing after the Fire Ninja.

By the time he caught up, both had trouble breathing from laughter and newfound warmth burned away any lingering cold.

Chapter Text

Nya took pride in her thoroughness.

Inventions and machines needed to be carefully planned and organized so everything functioned as intended. The Bounty had to be fixed and repaired more times than she’d like to admit, and she had to fix it precisely each time so their flying home wouldn’t suddenly malfunction and plummet to the ground. Her Samurai X mech had little wires and specific measurements to make sure it could move fluidly and with as little energy as possible.

Given this, Nya decided to check up on the security status of Kryptarium Prison.

She’d informed Lloyd of her little side mission, reassuring her young leader that he had no reason to worry and she’d be back in an hour. After all, the last time one of them had gone to Kryptarium alone hadn’t worked out well for them.

The Commissioner let her in with a warm smile and an understanding of her concern. After storing her weapon in a secure cabinet, he showed the Water Ninja the upgraded security features, the newest model of Borg video cameras, and stronger cell bars. The inmates did not seem pleased with her visit; the banging on the bars and furious shouting said everything. Nya kept an indifferent expression and barely spared the inmates a second glance as she examined the security within the main room of the prison. Most of them were former members of the Sons of Garmadon, and she had no sympathy for their situation.

“Thank you, Commissioner,” Nya said as she headed through the hall towards the main entrance.

“Of course,” he replied. “Let me know if you ever have anyone else who needs a new home here.” He chuckled good-naturedly and Nya smiled.

“I know of a new cell looking for an occupant.”

The Commissioner looked impressed. “Really? Who is it?”

Nya frowned. “I didn’t say anything.”

The Commissioner’s brow furrowed. “Then who—”

The air right next to Nya’s ear whistled softly as something flew past.

The Ninja immediately ducked and vaulted away, twisting mid-air to turn back to where she’d been standing seconds before. Five scraggly-looking men fanned out from behind the Commissioner, one holding a jagged dagger to his neck while the others approached Nya. Each held two small vengestone daggers, except for one, who was missing a weapon. Nya’s eyes flicked to the wall beside her, where the weapon had lodged after missing her.

“Shoulda watched your back, Ninja,” one of them spat. “It’s easy to get in when the security is down for maintenance .”

Nya reached for her trident, but her fingers grasped air.

The Ninja hissed in frustration. She’d forgotten that the Commissioner had to temporarily confiscate her weapon for safety purposes. Now, though, she found herself without her trident facing against five strangers with daggers, one who held the Commissioner at knifepoint.

She could probably take them on herself if it wasn’t for the hostage. Nya quickly assessed her situation and seized up her opponents, her mind whirling as she processed the information.

She’d have to free the Commissioner first, but the intruder might make a move with the weapon as soon as she attacked. Well, she’d have to be faster.

After she took down her first opponent, the other four would immediately attack her. She’d have to defend both herself and the Commissioner simultaneously while also preventing them from getting inside the prison and setting anyone free.

And with the vengestone present, her powers were out the window.

“What do you want?” She demanded, subtly shifting her weight back to prepare to lunge at the criminal holding the Commissioner hostage.

“You’ve got some friends of ours,” one of them replied. “We’ve come to get them.”

His voice gave him away. “So you’re looking for the SoG?” Nya guessed. By the startled looks in their eyes, she’d say she got it right. “Sorry, can’t let you get past.”

Without any warning, the Ninja leaped forward, grabbed the knife next to the Commissioner’s neck, and yanked it free. Now holding a blade of her own, she placed herself in front of the Commissioner and held the dagger in front of her, her eyes daring the first criminal to attack her.

And they did. Nya kicked one away and punched the next, blocking weapons with her arm cuffs and deflecting others with her stolen dagger. Her attacks were calm and calculated; precise in their execution and effortless in their performance. She kept the Commissioner behind her until he was able to slip free and retrieve her trident. With that, she’d have no problem defeating the criminals even though they outnumbered her.

But before he could return, everything went wrong.

Nya wasn’t sure when it happened, but she’d lost her stolen dagger. She was forced to use her limited cloth armor to stop the blades from striking a more vulnerable part of her body, but they started slicing through and cutting her arms. Her face hardened with pain and determination; she just had to hold off for a minute.

Then the attacks became more relentless, and Nya grew tired. The attackers took turns fighting her, preserving their energy, but Nya didn’t have that luxury. Eventually, one of them managed to slip a weapon through her guard and strike her right — her fighting — shoulder.

The Ninja cried out in pain, left hand flying to the injury. Her eyes widened as the attacker withdrew his blade and something warm leaked into her gi. Every movement she made with her stronger arm felt like she was burning.

After that, the attacks became more relentless and brutal. The Commissioner didn’t return in time.

***

When Nya regained consciousness, she wasn’t sure what hurt more: the pain in her shoulder, the intense heat, or her pride.

She stayed still and quiet, examining her situation. She was wrapped in vengestone chains, dangling sideways over a pit of bubbling lava.

Of course they would have access to a lava pit.

Nya remembered with dry amusement at the last time she’d been chained over lava. The heat reminded her of the Temple of Fire when she’d first learned her brother was a Ninja. Then, at least, he’d known she was kidnapped and needed rescue. Now, though, no one knew she was in a precarious situation.

The heat from the lava made the Water Ninja light-headed and immediately dried out her mouth, and her shoulder screamed in pain. Nya squinted through the haze to find anything that looked like an escape, but the only light came from the lava and faint glowing of the vengestone, and everything on the walls looked inconspicuous.

“Well, this is just great,” she grumbled, wiggling her body to try and loosen up the chains. When nothing happened, she sighed and went still. The vengestone chains rattled softly.

“Hey boss,” a rough voice whispered. “She’s awake.”

Nya glared at the source of the noise. Above her, almost hidden in the smoke, was a small platform and a door. Three figures stood staring at her, arms crossed, looking unimpressed.

“So this is your master plan?” Nya spat. “Capture me to free the prisoners?”

The leader snorted. “In part.”

“Then what do you want?” Nya demanded.

The leader shifted forward, revealing his gloating face in the light of the lava. “Why, dear, you’re bait.”

Nya wrinkled her nose at the name. “You won’t get away with this,” she hissed, but even she could tell how weak her voice came out. Curse the blood loss.

The leader laughed. “We shall see, Water Ninja. We’ll see.” He motioned to his two followers and left her stifling hot cell.

Now alone, Nya squirmed uncomfortably. The heat was unbearable, and even without the vengestone she doubted her powers would work. The Ninja panted slightly and blinked rapidly to make her eyes wet.

The chains suddenly jolted.

Nya yelped as she was suddenly loose, free from restraints, and plunged towards the lava.

***

“I’ll be back in an hour.”

The thought kept replaying in Lloyd’s mind as he paced the deck of the Bounty .

She’d said that two hours ago.

His mind whirled with all the possibilities that could have happened. Someone might have attacked her, or she was caught somewhere, or — what if his father came back? After all, the prison is where Garmadon had beaten Lloyd within an inch of his life. He shivered at the thought.

Eventually, his worry got the better of him. “I’m going after her,” he blurted, summoning his car on autopilot.

“She probably just got distracted,” Kai assured him with a frown.

Lloyd tugged on his sleeve. “Yeah, but I’d rather know for sure.” Call it his leader’s instinct, but he had this feeling that something was wrong.

His brother gave him a concerned look. “Are you sure you’ll be okay by yourself?”

He left the rest unspoken. Because of last time.

Lloyd gave Kai a tight smile. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” The Bounty ’s computer chimed, letting him know his car had arrived. “It’s just in and out.”

Even though Kai still looked skeptical, he said nothing more as Lloyd used the anchor to lower himself into his car.

As he raced towards the prison, Lloyd’s nervousness grew.

The shadowed walls made him shiver, forbidden memories unwillingly playing in his mind.

“Show yourself, Father!”

“You are foolish to come here!”

“There is nothing left to save!”

“I have no son.”

Lloyd shuddered and gripped the steering wheel tightly. His father had vanished, the Sons of Garmadon were locked up, Nya could take care of herself.

Yet his skin tingled at the what-ifs .

The first thing that showed him something was wrong: the main entrance stood wide open.

Lloyd’s heart pounded as he drove through, parked the car, and jumped out. The silence was oppressive and all the security features were inactive.

The Green Ninja beelined for the controls room, slamming the door open with his hood drawn and weapon held in front of him.

Whatever he was expecting, seeing the Commissioner tied to a chair with an armed criminal in front of him was not it.

“Hey!” Lloyd shouted, holding his sword forward.

To his astonishment, the criminal immediately dropped his dagger and held up his hands. “No, wait!”

Lloyd hesitated in confusion before shaking himself out of his stupor. “No. Where’s Nya?”

The criminal went silent, glaring at the Green Ninja.

In a flash, Lloyd lunged forward and wrapped his arm around the older man’s neck, sword hovering inches away. “Where. Is. Nya.”

The intruder gulped and nodded shakily. “Right this way,” he blurted, guiding Lloyd forward.

They passed one more intruder, who seemed to be fussing over the locked bedrock door that led to the prison itself. Lloyd forced his eyes away from the door, unable to stop the memory of an explosion as his car’s missiles blasted that very door off its hinges. The intruder looked up as they approached, but Lloyd’s glare and the frightened gaze of their compatriot stopped them from attacking.

Lloyd’s hostage led him to a secret hall, much like the one they used for Aspheera. He fumbled with the lock before the door silently swung open, revealing a dark chamber.

“Thanks,” Lloyd told his hostage, then shoved him away. As silently as he could, Lloyd slid into the room and found footholds on the wall, taking him away from the platform, where three of the intruders stood obliviously taking to—

Nya.

Lloyd’s gut twisted. She looked worse for wear with a dark stain on her shoulder, bruises on her face, and cuts all over her arms. Somehow, despite being trapped within vengestone, she managed to maintain her fierce expression.

A wave of heat blew past Lloyd, and he frowned. Now that he was paying attention, the whole room had a faint orange glow and a smokey smell. Swallowing thickly, Lloyd peered over the edge of the platform and froze.

It couldn’t be enough that his sister was hurt and trapped. No, she had to be held over a giant pit of lava. It was like the intruders were trying to use all of Lloyd’s fears to their advantage.

Lloyd shook himself. Nya needed him now. He couldn’t get lost in the past.

He used the tiniest of handholds to scale his way over to the chains. Just as he grabbed them, making them rattle slightly, Nya let out a growl of annoyance.

He went still as she exchanged words with the intruders. Despite the heat from the lava, he felt cold at the mention of her as bait. Too late , he thought grimly. I’m already here.

Finally, though, the intruders left them alone.

Lloyd wasted no time using his sword to cut the lock on the chains. They immediately loosened, allowing Nya to slip free with a yelp.

The Green Ninja gasped and shot downwards, wrapping the chain securely around his leg while grabbing Nya’s wrist at the same time. Nya’s head snapped up and locked onto his form, her eyes widening.

“Lloyd?!” She cried in a mixture of surprise, relief, and alarm.

The Green Ninja wrapped his other hand around her wrist, hanging upside-down. “Hang on!” He called, and pulled back, then forward.

She might not like it, but the fastest and probably safest way for him to get her to the platform was to swing her across.

“Lloyd, what are you—” He jerked back again, this time harder.

“On three,” Lloyd called, not giving her time to think. If she did, she’d probably realize what a terrible plan this was, and he couldn’t back out now. “One!”

“Wait, I don’t think—”

A third pass back. “Two!”

Just as they reached the height of the next swing over, Lloyd released Nya’s hand with a “three!” and she went flying.

The Ninja had trained for this, of course. They had all used ropes and chains to climb on.

So Lloyd decided to ignore the small scream that escaped his sister when he let go of her wrist.

Lloyd scrambled back the way he’d come, not bothering to be quiet this time, and reached for Nya just as she began to slide over the edge. He pulled her upwards to safety, eyes rounding with concern when he had a better look at the wound on her shoulder.

Nya let out a gasp of relief, but as soon as her feet planted on the surface, her knees buckled and she fell straight into Lloyd. He grunted in surprise but caught her, alarmed at how hot her skin felt.

“Are you okay?” He demanded, immediately regretting his words. She was obviously not okay with the wounds and probably dehydration. “Y’know what? Nevermind. Let’s get out of here.” He draped Nya’s arm over his shoulder and held his sword with the other hand.

The coolness of the clean air washed over him as soon as they left the room, and he heard Nya sigh with relief. Unsurprisingly, the intruders were waiting for him with weapons drawn; five opponents with two vengestone daggers each.

But Lloyd was done with their games. His powers, although dampened from the stone, flowed down his arm and over his sword, coating it in a bright green glow. With a slash outwards, his powers exploded outward in a wave of green, smashing into the intruders. They went flying backward, allowing Lloyd and Nya to head straight to his car.

With the Water Ninja securely in the passenger seat, Lloyd sped away. The Commissioner and his guards could take care of the intruders now that they were incapacitated. His concern was solely focused on Nya now.

“How did you know?” Nya questioned when they started driving.

“You weren’t back in an hour,” Lloyd replied quietly. “And I had a bad feeling. So I went looking.”

Even though he wasn’t looking back, he could tell Nya was smiling at him. “And that’s why you’re our leader, green bean,” she said warmly, and ruffled his hair.

Lloyd swatted her hand away but grinned. “Yeah, well, next time don’t let them gang up on you.”

Nya let out a gasp of mock offense. “‘Let them’?” She echoed. “How dare you!”

The Green Ninja laughed. “Losing some of your charm, Nya?” He teased.

She gaped at him. “Ooh, I’ll get you back for that,” she threatened.

“You forgot that I’m the master of pranks, not you,” Lloyd chuckled.

Once again, Nya tried to mess up his hair, and they both laughed the rest of the way to the waiting Bounty.

Chapter Text

Flying in the Bounty in and around Ninjago City; fighting crime and avoiding the press; was relaxing. No world-ending villains to fight, no evil parents trying to conquer the city, no overly angry sorceresses to burn everything to the ground to find one person.

It was also incredibly boring.

Especially for an elemental like Jay.

The Lightning Ninja reflected the attributes of his element in many ways. He fidgeted constantly, he was always doing something, and whenever he spoke he had to say everything in quick bursts. So being stuck on the flying ship was not on his list of favorite activities.

It made sense, he knew. The Ninja took turns every week traveling on the Bounty and maintaining order where the police could not, ensuring no little groups could up and become a major gang. The Sons of Garmadon had taught them that without discipline, an underground cult could quickly spring into a huge city-wide crisis. Jay knew they couldn’t take that chance, not after what it did to them. What it did to Lloyd .

Jay might not be the quickest to pick up on such things, but he wasn’t blind. He’d seen how Harumi’s betrayal destroyed Lloyd’s trust in others. He’d seen how devastated his leader was by Garmadon’s return and the nature of his rebirth. He’d seen how exhausted the Green Ninja looked when they returned from the First Realm, after hiding and trying to simply stay alive for weeks until they could defeat his father. Lloyd hadn’t quite been the same after that, and it was all because of the shadowed gang that grew in numbers until it could pull off something as big as they did.

As Lloyd’s protector, Jay wouldn’t let anything like that happen again.

It didn’t change the fact that when there wasn’t anything to do, he was bored.

This week, it was he, Lloyd, and Cole on the Bounty, as assigned by their leader.

Jay for his lightning-quick reflexes and creativity. Cole for his steadiness and reliability. Lloyd for his strategy and power.

(Don’t ever play chess with Lloyd. It won’t go well.)

Luckily, Jay had managed to convince Lloyd to let him bring one of his newest inventions along with him, so he had something to fiddle with.

He was trying to create a small mech that fit rather snugly for one person to use to quickly fly to a location. It had no weapons and used half electricity and half liquid fuel, propelled out of the feet and stabilized in the hands. It stood about a foot taller than a person and the inside could be adjusted for height differences by retracting or expanding the arms and legs, and the torso had a little flexibility. The head contained pressure diffusion, so if it flew quickly the force of air pushing against the person inside would distribute along the whole mech and not just the headpiece. Since the sole purpose was transport, not fighting, it was pretty different from most of Jay’s inventions.

He had the mech standing in front of him on the deck of the Bounty. Sunlight glinted off the blue and silver paint, charging the little solar panels on the back and tops of the arms. Jay circled the machine with a sharp eye, scanning for anything that might be amiss before he tested it. He’d checked and double-checked already yet still, a third time never hurt anyone. He’d even waited until they were between the city and smaller villages to test the mech in case something went wrong so he wouldn’t hurt a civilian.

“Are you sure about this?”

Jay jumped slightly but relaxed when he saw his leader watching him with concern.

“Yeah,” the Lightning Ninja replied, tugging on one of the arms. Why? He had no idea. Maybe because it reassured him that it wouldn’t fall off — which was stupid, he knew; he’d screwed it in pretty tightly. “I’m just a little nervous ‘cause it’s a completely new style and it has new features and I’m not sure how easy it will be to control and—” He paused suddenly. “Sorry. I’m rambling.”

Lloyd smiled and stood next to him, gazing up at the sleek metal plating with a hand on Jay’s shoulder. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, Jay.”

“Thanks,” Jay breathed, but still felt skeptical about the mech. “Time to test it.”

Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Jay backed closer to the mech. The panels slid open to allow him to step inside, then closed around him with little clicks. A holographic menu popped up in front of him, showing him everything around him even though the mech itself only had two little eye slits. A model of the mech appeared in the lower left, showing the machine in a T-pose while slowly spinning, showing all functions as green.

When Jay tested all the limbs, they moved effortlessly with the only restraints being what Jay himself couldn’t reach. It felt rather lightweight; tribute to the aluminum plating and electric pistons pushing the armor in the direction Jay wanted to move.

He turned back to the Green Ninja. On his display, Lloyd’s form flashed and an identifier in the upper left showed who Jay was looking at. That feature was thanks to Zane before he’d left, by putting an ID scanner in the circuits so Jay wouldn’t be surprised by anyone lying about who they were — useful if trying to catch a criminal. Lloyd watched with interest and Jay gave him a thumbs-up.

“Remember, just to Ignacia and back, got it?”

Jay nodded. “Don’t worry.” His voice went straight to the comms instead of projecting from the mech for some added secrecy; though there was a little switch Jay could flip if he wanted to change that.

“Don’t crash,” Cole supported from the doorway, leading against the wooden frame with a smirk.

“Thanks,” Jay replied dryly, then approached the edge of the ship.

Just before the Lightning Ninja leaped off, he tested the flight flaps again and experimentally activated the engine. He felt his weight lessen as the force pushed him upwards, then increase when he stopped it.

Lloyd appeared at his side. “You’ve got this,” he encouraged.

Right. It was now or never. Jay steeled himself, looked back at the Bounty once, and then stepped over the edge.

The first moment made his heart leap into his throat as he plummeted in a free-fall towards the ground. But he moved instinctively and activated his jet boosters. His fall immediately stopped and he ascended into the air, turning as he rose over the edge of the deck.

“See you in a minute,” Jay grinned, then spun around and shot towards Ignacia, about three miles away.

***

Lloyd watched Jay shoot off like a rocket, a smile creeping onto his face.

He knew Jay was nervous about a completely new style of mech, but he had faith in his sparky brother. He’d looked at the mech himself, and although he didn’t know nearly as much about mechanics as Jay or Nya or Zane, he hadn’t seen anything amiss. And if the mech worked, it could provide a convenient method for one of them to scout ahead or act as a messenger if their comms didn’t work. Perhaps they could even make it collapsible or use nanotech to collapse it into an arm cuff or something.

Lloyd shook his head, smiling to himself at the crazy thought. That was way too advanced for them right now.

According to Jay’s calculations, he should make it to Ignacia and back in a minute or less despite the large distance. But at the speed he’d left with, Lloyd wouldn’t be surprised if that was true.

He leaned on the railing, eyes pinned on the small town in the distance. It seemed like an awfully long minute.

There was that feeling again.

When he, Kai, and Nya had their turn for the weekly patrol (Lloyd kept himself on all of them), he’d felt like something was wrong, and as it turned out, Nya had been in danger. Lloyd had the same feeling as he waited for Jay to return.

But while Kai hadn’t believed him the last time, Cole voiced his thoughts. “Shouldn’t he be back by now?”

Lloyd straightened and hurried over to the controls. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

As he turned the wheel in the right direction and withdrew the anchor, his comms screeched to life. “Lloyd! Cole! Problem!”

Lloyd’s eyes widened and he pressed his earpiece. “Jay? What’s going on?”

He heard a grunt of exertion and a sound scarily similar to a gunshot. “There’s—” Static filled the sound coming through.

“Jay!” Cole yelled into the comms. No response.

Lloyd smashed the booster and the Bounty shot forward. His adrenaline spiked and he felt electrified.

(Was this what Jay felt like all the time?)

The few minutes it took to reach the small town felt like ages.

But finally, when the Bounty neared Ignacia, Lloyd dropped the anchor and slid down, Cole on his heels, both throwing their masks on as they went.

It wasn’t hard to find their electric brother. A large column of smoke rose from the town center, lit occasionally by a bright flare of fire or the blue glow of lightning. Lloyd drew his golden dao and he heard Cole swing his hammer in front of him, his heart pounding in anticipation.

The duo paused at the edge of the battle for a just moment, analyzing. Or, well, Lloyd was planning and Cole was waiting for an order or an opening.

Several armored figures with flamethrowers surrounded Jay’s mech, which moved in a blue and silver whirl as it darted between enemies and fought them back, sparks flying from its metal fingers. Even with Jay’s fighting prowess, the flamethrowers outnumbered him greatly.

“Disable the weapons and take the pressure off of Jay,” Lloyd instructed Cole, who nodded and hefted his hammer, eyes hard with determination.

“Ninja, go!” They both cried, twisting into spinjitzu and careening toward the enemies.

Lloyd’s powers sprang into action as he blasted the opponents away, the heat of the flamethrowers barely affecting him as he darted between the figures attacking him. Their armored suits made them taller than him, the same height as Jay’s mech, but it also slowed them down and allowed Lloyd to dart between them like a speedy little dragon.

“Jay, are you okay?” Lloyd shouted over the noise of battle. He sliced a flamethrower in half as he slid between Jay and another armored figure, blocking the attack with his blade.

“I am now,” the Lightning Ninja panted, punching an attacker away and using his lightning to short-circuit another. “But this mech’s not made for battle!”

In other words, Jay wasn’t going to last much longer.

Lloyd glared at his opponents, taking out his frustrations in his eyes. A small glow shone from the armor reflecting from the Green Ninja, and only after he received strange looks from both the enemies and his brothers that Lloyd realized the glow was from him.

At the same time, his powers flared. Lloyd wasn’t about to allow these random villain-wannabes to destroy Jay’s newest invention or any of the Ninja. His protectiveness flared with the green glow, his hands alit with his power.

The flamethrowers backed away, suddenly nervous. In a daze, Lloyd became a green blur as he flashed between the armor, disabling them with a single hit from his sword. His movements became automatic; his mind faded into the background as he let instinct take control. He only stopped when he felt a steady hand on his shoulder, halting his movements.

And suddenly Lloyd felt exhausted.

He stumbled sideways, but didn’t get far when Cole supported him by grabbing his arms. His head spun as his powers faded, leaving him drained. All of the flamethrowers were destroyed and the enemies in the armor abandoned their protection in favor of running — but they hadn’t gotten far before Lloyd had taken them down.

“Easy, bud,” Cole soothed. “They’re done. We’re good.”

Lloyd shook his head to clear it, blinking hard to restore his vision. He caught sight of Cole’s slightly alarmed expression before the Earth Ninja adjusted it to be more neutral. “Thanks,” Lloyd grimaced, straightening himself and looking at Jay. “How’s the mech?”

Outwardly, the once-pristine paint was not burned and scratched, but Lloyd knew Jay’s machines were stronger than they looked. “I should make it back to the Bounty, at least,” the Lightning Ninja replied with an air of defeat. “But it’ll need some repairs.”

Lloyd nodded. “Let’s get back, then. We’re finished here.” He glanced back to the disabled enemies as the local police put them in chains. He frowned slightly with worry; he hadn’t remembered anything after seeing the glow in their armor, least of all himself attacking them.

“You guys go, I need to adjust something first,” Jay told them, opening the mech to fiddle with the controls on the inside.

The two other Ninja nodded and headed back to the Bounty, one with concern for the other, who tried and failed to hide his lingering exhaustion. Cole made sure Lloyd climbed up before himself just in case he had to catch the younger Ninja if he slipped. Thankfully, though, Lloyd made it to the top without a hitch, although maybe slower than normal.

Even though Lloyd knew they’d just defeated the threat, he still felt like something was off. So as soon as he scrambled to the top of the Bounty, he ran over to the edge to watch for Jay.

After a minute, Jay’s mech glinted in the sunlight as it lifted off the ground.

It flew closer to the Bounty.

Lloyd told himself not to worry; Jay would be fine, he always was.

It came closer.

Several feet away from the ship, the mech shuddered as the engine suddenly spluttered out with a plume of smoke and plummeted.

“Jay!” Lloyd cried.

Even though the Bounty wasn’t very high off the ground, a fall from that high would still do some damage.

So, without giving himself time to second-guess his crazy idea, Lloyd launched himself towards Jay’s mech, ignoring Cole’s cry for him to stop.

After falling headfirst like a green dart, Lloyd latched himself onto the mech and scrambled to the back panel where the controls were.

“Lloyd, what are you doing?!” Jay shrieked.

“Hang on!” Was all Lloyd said as he ripped off the panel with inhuman strength.

Just as he figured, the main wires to the engine were fried. Lloyd bent them to the side, hardly feeling the electrical buzz they gave him upon contact, and reached for the main electrical wires. They were connected to other wires that Lloyd didn’t recognize, but he ignored them, simply attaching the two big wires together.

And presto — the engine hummed to life.

“Go, go, go!” Lloyd shouted, clinging onto the mech with everything he had as Jay yanked the controls upward.

The mech’s once-downward descent began to level out.

The ground was still close. Too close.

Just before the mech’s trajectory could flatten out, it crashed into the ground and sent Lloyd flying off, both tumbling a distance before coming to a stop.

Lloyd groaned as he pushed himself to his feet, but his concern overtook him when he saw Jay’s mech unmoving.

The Green Ninja ran over to his brother. “Jay? Jay, are you okay?”

Relief swamped over the younger Ninja when the mech’s panels slid open, though some of them stuck from bending after the crash. Lloyd let out a breathless laugh and offered a hand to Jay, who took it.

“Too bad for the mech,” he sighed wearily, then turned an accusing gaze to his leader. “What were you thinking?”

Lloyd blinked, taken aback. “Saving you?” He tried.

Jay’s expression softened. “Lloyd, you know we’re supposed to protect you , not the other way around, right?”

The Green Ninja crossed his arms. “What, I can’t save you if it comes to it?”

“No, not entirely,” Jay corrected nervously. “I meant you can’t just put yourself in danger like that for one of us.”

Lloyd frowned. “It’s my responsibility.”

Jay just sighed and shook his head, his expression becoming curious. “How did you do that, anyway?”

Choosing to dismiss Jay’s concern, Lloyd grinned. “You think spending a few years at Darkley’s wouldn’t teach me how to hotwire a vehicle?”

Jay gaped at him. “Uh, no,” he returned. “If anything, a car, not a mech!”

“Same idea.” Lloyd shrugged and looked up as the Bounty approached them, its anchor landing on the ground not far away. “Let’s get the mech back and you can fix it up.”

“Or get rid of it,” Jay grumbled, but between him and Lloyd, they lifted the broken metal to the deck of the Bounty .

As Lloyd took up his position at the steering, Cole gave him a sigh. “You’re going to get hurt one of these times,” he grumbled.

Lloyd chose not to mention how he already felt completely drained from the fight and bruised from the fall, instead giving the concerned older Ninja a sheepish grin. “Sorry, next time I won’t go after my brother’s mech that’s falling to its doom.”

Cole rolled his eyes but said nothing in return.

Lloyd ended up putting the ship on autopilot and wandering belowdecks, where he caught sight of Jay staring forlornly at the broken mech.

“Hey,” he called softly.

“Hi,” Jay replied glumly.

Lloyd sat next to his brother on the workbench. “It was cool when it worked, though, right?”

The corners of Jay’s mouth twitched upwards. “Yeah, it was.”

“Then mission success,” Lloyd determined.

“But now it’s toast,” Jay sighed,

Lloyd shrugged. “Then you can rebuild. That’s what we always do.”

Now Jay had a fond smile on his face. “Yeah. Yeah, we do.”

Chapter Text

Ever since the Staff of Forbidden Spinjitzu, Zane felt…strange.

He was bothered by how easily the staff had changed him after Vex…corrupted him. He shuddered to think about what he did while in the dark haze of the Ice Emperor.

He knew the images would stay with him forever. The way he’d stared coldly at anyone who protested his action; how he’d created an elemental dragon to terrorize the natives; the force with which he’d ruled. The Never-Realm was a lovely place until he arrived — and it was all thanks to that witch Aspheera.

His conflicting emotions confused him. He felt anger towards the Serpentine sorceress and something stronger at Vex, horror for his actions, and even some shame of having been so easily corrupted. He was the Master of Ice, the first nindroid, protector of those who cannot protect themselves — yet he caused more pain and suffering in those years than he ever wanted to see in his life. He should be better than that.

The nindroid was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost ran straight into Lloyd.

“My apologies,” Zane said quickly, side-stepping to avoid the Green Ninja, who looked up at him with a dazed expression.

Zane’s eyes narrowed as he subconsciously scanned his leader. While it was not unusual for Lloyd to be in the basement of the Monastery, he was normally quicker to see and avoid someone. Luckily for both of them, Zane’s proximity alarm triggered right before they would have collided. But Lloyd’s distant expression worried the older Ninja.

“Lloyd, are you feeling alright?” He questioned.

“Hm?” Lloyd blinked, his brow furrowing a little. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine.” He shook his head. “Just came to check on…” he hesitated. “To see if the sentry cannons are fixed.”

Zane frowned. “Lloyd, those are outside.”

The Green Ninja frowned. “Right.” Without another word, he turned and headed back to the elevator.

Zane let him leave, his concerned gaze lingering on his leader. The nindroid hadn’t been the only one affected by the Staff of Forbidden Spinjitzu.

Out of all of the Ninja except Zane, Lloyd had used it the most. When they’d first found it in the museum, Lloyd appeared overwhelmed by the Scroll and couldn’t let go until Nya slapped it out of his hands. Then he’d used it to fight Aspheera, Scroll to Scroll, and lasted longer than anyone else in the fight. Zane’s sensors had picked up how much energy was coming off the two huge spinjitzu tornadoes, and knew it must have affected Lloyd in some way with his element and his heritage.

After that, Lloyd had acted strange. He was jumpy around his or Kai’s element, though he hid his alarm very well for Kai’s sake; but Zane’s sensors detected Lloyd’s increased heartbeat and breathing rate and the way his eyes flicked from side to side as if waiting for something to jump out at him. He avoided using his powers when he could, but when he did, it appeared souped up or almost out of Lloyd’s control.

Zane recounted the recent times the others expressed their concern for their leader. Nya spoke of when Kai had fallen into the ocean, and Lloyd seemed to lose control of himself before she told him to find Kai. Then when he had to rescue her from Kryptarium, he’d used his powers in a way she’d never seen by channeling them through his sword and instantly knocking out the criminals.

Last time, when the Green Ninja had returned from his weekly patrol, Cole pulled Zane aside and quietly told him how he’d seen Lloyd ‘go haywire’ when he used his powers. Green energy had surrounded the Ninja in a bright glow, alighting his eyes, and he’d attacked with more force and power than was necessary to defeat their enemy. Lloyd had lost control of his body when he saw Jay almost get overwhelmed and lose his new mech; his anger — and protectiveness, Zane believed — propelled his powers in a way that wasn’t possible before the Staff of Forbidden Spinjitzu.

Zane knew he might be overthinking, but he couldn’t stop his concern for his young leader from seeping into his thoughts. Especially when he’d come to the basement for the sentry cannons.

Well, he wasn’t currently working on a project, so might as well start one. He could create a device to measure Lloyd’s elemental powers or contain them, with his leader’s permission of course. He immediately began thinking of a blueprint.

One problem became clear very quickly.

A major component he’d need — something strong enough to contain the raw power of Lloyd’s element — could only be found in one place in all of Ninjago.

The Mechanic’s lair.

Zane tried to find another solution; he wanted to avoid the Mechanic for all the trouble he’d caused. He could try to make a different one, but the chance of breaking was too high. He could not continue with his project, but his concern for Lloyd ran too deep for him to simply abandon the idea. He could see if Jay’s parents had any, but that would take too long and the chance was too small.

With no other options, Zane knew he had to obtain it from the Mechanic.

Two methods presented themselves. One: he could sneak in and find the part before the Mechanic knew he was there and get out quickly. Or two: he could ask the Mechanic for a trade.

Yeah, he’ll go with the first option.

Nodding once to himself, Zane ran over to his car.

***

Well, that didn’t go well.

Lloyd scurried back from where he’d come, relieved when Zane didn’t follow.

He’d been lost in thought again — or no, rather, a fuzzy haze of nothingness when his mind was either too busy to focus on anything or completely empty.

In this case, he believed it was the former.

In the last few weeks, something felt off — and it kept getting stronger, especially when he’d sensed his family in danger.

It was like a pressure building under his skin, only increasing when someone’s life was at risk. It made him restless and agitated, but he’d learned enough over the last few years of being a Ninja to hide his emotions in a little bottle and maintain his professional aura.

He was the Green Ninja, grandson of the First Spinjitzu Master. He couldn’t afford to show Ninjago and especially his family that he was weak and unable to control himself.

But the last few nights, he had barely gotten any sleep, despite the fiasco with Jay that drained his energy. Somehow he’d maintained his outward appearance, but when he’d tried to go back on the weekly patrol, Nya, Kai, and Jay had stopped him, volunteering to go instead.

He’d protested, but they insisted, claiming he was ‘pushing himself’ or ‘putting too much weight on his shoulders’ and needed to take a break. As much as he’d stubbornly tried to go, he hadn’t made it past Kai’s ‘big brother glare.’

So he was stuck alone with his thoughts in the quiet Monastery.

His family didn’t understand. He didn’t go because he wanted to make sure that everything was okay — he trusted the Ninja to do that. No, he wanted to stay busy so his thoughts couldn’t overwhelm him like they threatened to do before he’d run into Zane. His brother’s calming presence always brought him back to reality in one way or another.

He hoped Zane hadn’t noticed. Though being a nindroid he probably did.

Lloyd sighed and sat on the Monastery porch, enjoying the relative quiet, before he heard a whisper and his powers suddenly flared up.

He yelped and clenched his hand, where green energy shot from his fist. He knew his eyes must be glowing too, so he squeezed his eyes shut and bent over his hand to hide it.

This was happening more frequently and it was becoming harder to hide.

His powers first went out of his control about a week after they’d defeated the Oni and saved the realms. He’d heard a small voice in his mind, and his powers burst to life the instant it happened. Alarmed, he’d squashed it quickly (though not before getting a massive headache), and he’d told his uncle as soon as he could. Wu reasoned it must have something to do with his walk in the Oni cloud and the Tornado of Creation, where something awakened his mixed heritage. Since Oni and dragons fought whenever they were even close to one another, the two sides fought within Lloyd’s mind because of his heritage.

If that wasn’t just lovely.

Once, he’d been alone in his room after Aspheera sent Zane to the Never-Realm and they hadn’t figured out he was alive. His Oni subconsciously told him to turn his grief into anger and destroy that thorn of a snake. In retaliation, his dragon roared to life in the form of his powers.

He’d covered up the scorch marks on his wall with pictures.

After that, the situation happened whenever it wanted, and grew in strength where he could even hear the two voices in his mind. But it was getting harder to hide it from the others.

Stop, Lloyd thought desperately, his head pounding as the two sides battled. Leave me alone.

Couldn’t stop the robot from finding out, the Oni snarled.

So now he can help, the dragon argued.

Help is for the weak, the Oni scoffed.

Help shows you’re strong, returned the dragon.

“Both of you shut up,” Lloyd hissed aloud, and the voices went quiet.

Relieved, the Green Ninja sighed and sat up, slowly relaxing, his powers once again dormant. He just had to keep his emotions dialed down and he’d be fine.

Just another day in Ninjago, right? Stupid dragon/Oni/human blood.

It was a normal day until he knew Zane was in trouble.

***

Lloyd burst into the basement, breezing past a surprised Cole and beelining for the computer.

“Lloyd?” Cole called, chasing after his leader. “What’s going on?”

“Zane’s in trouble,” Lloyd replied distractedly, fingers flying over the keyboard as he locked onto Zane’s beacon — Ninjago City. Since when had he left for the city? It blinked from downtown, a rather sketchy jumble of houses. His eyes bored into the screen, taking in every detail of the block. “Wait here for backup.”

“Uh…” Cole looked like he wanted to say something, but trailed off with a confused blink as Lloyd rushed past and shot out of the base in his car.

Lloyd sped down the roads, minding other vehicles on the road, but slowed down when he entered the city limits. Not that he was worried about the police — he was a Ninja responding to an emergency, he had special permission — but because he was paranoid of someone walking out onto the road without looking and hitting him.

It took way too long to find the house on his GPS, and once he arrived, it was easy to tell.

Large spikes of ice littered the street and protruded from the house, steaming softly in the sun, a white car parked not far away. Lloyd jumped out of his vehicle and yelled for curious bystanders to leave before turning towards the run-down building.

A growl built in his throat.

He knew this place.

Lloyd kicked the door open, ears straining for any noise. The lair was dead silent.

The Green Ninja cautiously stepped in, feet sliding noiselessly over the messy floor. He prowled to the back, squinting in the dark to see where his brother could be.

A tug in his gut told him to look left.

And right there, carved faintly into the stone wall that should not have been visible in the low light, was a small symbol. It looked like a V with a line on top of it.

Lloyd pressed the icon and jerked back when the wall slid open to reveal a staircase covered in ice.

Sighing, Lloyd ran up the steps, eyeing where he put his feet, and burst into the other room.

He immediately ducked under a blast of fire.

“You!”

Lloyd straightened with a snarl, fists held out in front of him as he took in the scene.

The Mechanic squared off against him, flamethrower arm attached.

Four metal claw arms spread around the room.

Zane pinned in one of them, holding something in his hand, a sharp tool inches from his face.

Ice and scorch marks covered the walls.

“Can’t stay out of our way, can you?” Lloyd spat.

The Mechanic looked offended. “Me?” He burst out. “You Ninja invaded my home.”

Lloyd immediately looked at Zane, whose expression remained neutral.

“Well, then,” Lloyd tried tightly, “you just let Zane go and we’ll leave.”

The Mechanic frowned. “I’m not letting you leave with my stuff.” Without another word, he sent a blast of fire at Lloyd’s head.

The Ninja rolled to the side and sprang forward, barreling into the Mechanic, who grunted in surprise. He glared at the Ninja and pressed a button on his metal arm, summoning three of his arms, one of which slammed into Lloyd and sent him flying.

A ringing filled the Ninja’s ears as he groaned, rolling to his side from where he lay beneath a window. Cracks spread from his place of impact and little flecks of stone fell onto his head and his head spun with pain.

“Lloyd!” Zane cried, breaking free from the arm and sliding under another, rushing over to his younger brother. He grabbed Lloyd’s arm and pulled up, dragging the Green Ninja to his feet. “Are you okay?”

Lloyd hissed softly at the soreness all over his body but nodded.

As if waiting for the worst time ever, Lloyd’s Oni roared for him to attack the Mechanic.

He hurt us, the Oni snarled. Take him down!

In response, the dragon flared its nonexistent wings and let out a plume of power — and Lloyd’s hands glowed brightly, a wave of energy shooting from his fingers and slamming into the Mechanic.

He wanted to fight his inner voices. But he couldn’t argue that the Mechanic was a threat that had to be neutralized.

He felt like he was falling into a fuzzy comatose state of mind; his muscles went lax and he wanted to collapse.

Except he didn’t, because the Oni and dragon took control.

His Oni moved his body, wrestling away from Zane and striking the Mechanic, dodging attacks and sending some of his own, while the dragon activated his powers with a roar. The light emitting from his body became blinding.

Well, not for a nindroid with heat vision.

Lloyd suddenly went rigid, letting out a cry as pain spiked from his wrists. His consciousness slammed back into him and he collapsed in the middle of the room, soot tracing out from him in strange patterns.

Zane crouched in front of him, gently grasping his glowing hands. “Lloyd, it’s okay. Stop using your powers.”

The Green Ninja winced as he wrestled control back from the dragon, painstakingly withdrawing his powers. The light in the room dimmed with at the action and the pain in his wrists faded away.

“What is this?” He rasped, turning his hand over to look at the strange devices on his arms. They were two thin bracelet cuffs that latched on without a clasp, a green gem in the middle that glowed faintly. “What did you do?”

“It will help you control those bursts of your elemental energy,” Zane replied calmly. “I will explain more to you when we leave this place.” He rose to his feet, pulling Lloyd up with him, the latter leaning heavily against his older brother. The Mechanic backed away, his metal arm gone, a hearty scowl on his face.

“Just leave me alone,” he spat.

Lloyd blinked tiredly but said nothing, instead shrugging away from Zane as they headed back to their cars. He numbly flipped the controls to power his car on, his motions on autopilot from habit. He flexed his wrists uncomfortably, frowning at the cuffs and how little green lightning flickered in the gem.

“Hey, Zane?” He called through the comms, trying desperately to keep the weariness out of his voice. “Should it be flickering?”

Static bussed in the comms for a moment before Zane replied. “I would need to see it and analyze the energy, but I believe it means the cuff is working as intended.”

Lloyd frowned as he turned his car away, much slower this time. Quietly, he asked, “How did you know?”

Zane waited until they had reached the city limits before answering. “I have detected strange energy levels coming from you,” he admitted softly. “After comparing the scans to recent events to understand what triggered it, I believe it relates to the Oni.”

No! Lloyd’s Oni shrieked.

As usual, his powers flared at the thought — but this time, the green gem on the cuffs glowed brightly and pain stabbed into his wrists.

The Ninja unwillingly let out a cry, his fists tightening in response. His car swerved slightly before he could correct it, and the pain died down.

“Lloyd?”

Pale, Lloyd shakily pressed his earpiece to turn it off.

His Oni came out when Zane discovered its presence, but instead of his powers reacting, the cuffs stopped them.

Clever nindroid.

The pain would get him to control the outbursts better, and in the meantime prevent anyone from getting hurt because he couldn’t control his element. Lloyd managed a smile, and after a while of driving in silence, he turned his radio on.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized sheepishly. “I had to figure something out.”

“It is alright,” Zane replied instantly. “I predict you understand why I made the cuffs?”

Lloyd nodded, then remembered Zane couldn’t see him. “Yeah. Is that why you were at the Mechanic’s?”

“Affirmative,” Zane said. “He had the crystals and no one else in Ninjago possesses one. According to my calculations, the benefit you gain from having the cuffs soon outweighed the risk of me obtaining the crystals from the Mechanic.”

Lloyd chuckled lightly. “Well, I dunno about that, but thank you.” He paused, remembering how he’d found his brother in the Mechanic’s place. “He didn’t do anything to you, right? Did I get there in time?”

“Yes, Lloyd,” Zane answered softly. “I am fine. Do not worry about me.” Worry about yourself went unspoken.

“Well hopefully we won’t have to worry about him for a while,” Lloyd muttered, snorting with dry amusement.

The Mechanic would definitely come back. Just not today.

Chapter Text

Another week, another patrol.

Cole leaned against the railing of the Bounty, enjoying the breeze brushing past his face and gently ruffling his long hair. The setting sun cast a brilliant mix of orange and red across the sky like a sea of fiery clouds. The Bounty drifted lazily over the desert near some canyons, the shadows in the ravines darkening in the sunset.

This week, the Master of Earth watched over Ninjago with Lloyd and Zane. Originally, Kai had insisted he come with, but Lloyd told him that he needed a break from the previous week’s traveling, and Lloyd seemed to want Zane on board anyway. Cole supposed that had something to do with the two metal cuffs around Lloyd’s wrists.

The elemental frowned with thought. Ever since Lloyd returned from finding Zane a few days ago, he’d worn the cuffs nonstop, though often picked at them or twisted them uncomfortably. Cole hadn’t said anything, but he’d heard Lloyd make a quiet pained noise one night when he walked past the younger’s room. That hadn’t happened before the cuffs. He’d asked Zane about it, and the nindroid told him it was something Lloyd was going through and he’d have to hear it from the Green Ninja himself so Zane didn’t overstep his trust.

Sure, that was fine. Cole respected Lloyd’s privacy.

So long as he wasn’t suffering alone.

Cole would make sure of that.

He sighed as he left the railing, gaze lingering on the striking sunset before he trudged belowdecks. It wasn’t hard to find Lloyd from the faint gasps coming from his leader’s bedroom.

Concern washed over the older Ninja and his pace quickened, bringing him to Lloyd’s door. His presence went unnoticed for a minute, giving him time to take in the Green Ninja’s state.

He crouched on the floor, holding his ungloved wrists to his chest, shuddering visible even from a few feet away. His usually neat hair was disheveled and tangled around his face, which was hidden in shadows. The fact that he hadn’t heard Cole’s footsteps hinted at his distress.

Cole slowly moved in, crouching next to Lloyd and gently grabbing his wrists, tugging them away from the Ninja’s body. He supported them with his palms turned towards the ceiling, eyes widening at the angry red marks spreading from the metal, especially around the glowing green gem on top.

“Lloyd?” Cole questioned softly. The Green Ninja’s gaze remained downcast and unfocused, staring into nothing but filled with pain and torment. “What’s going on, bud?” His fingers gingerly traced over the red marks, but as soon as they touched the metal, a green spark shocked his hand.

He recoiled in surprise, his sharp gaze locking onto how Lloyd’s eyes widened slightly with alarm. “No, it’s okay,” Cole said quickly, grasping his brother’s wrists again. “I’m fine. Are you?”

Lloyd let out a sound between a cough and a choked sob, bending forward so Cole couldn’t see his face.

The older Ninja immediately pulled the younger into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around Lloyd’s shoulders and shifting closer so they were seated right in front of the other, albeit a little to the side so they could both fit comfortably in the small room.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Cole soothed as he felt Lloyd bury his face into the Earth Master’s shoulder, shaking.

After a moment, Lloyd let out a shaky breath. “Sorry,” he mumbled, his voice muffled by Cole’s gi.

A surge of protectiveness overcame the older Ninja. Lloyd looked so…young, the way he bent towards the earth elemental and shivered slightly even in his warm grasp. With one simple word his leader, the oh-so-powerful Green Ninja with the weight of the world thrust upon him, looked like the kid he really was. Cole hated how Lloyd had to deal with so much at such a young age.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” Cole reassured with a gentle squeeze.

Lloyd shrugged meekly. “I’m sorry you had to see me like this.”

Even though he knew what Lloyd was going to say, Cole asked anyway. “Like what?”

His brother pulled away and Cole let him, but he kept his tired eyes on the floor. “Weak. Unable to protect anyone. Can’t even stop my own—” he broke off, gaze boring into the wood underneath him.

Irritation sparked in Cole’s mind. That’s how Lloyd thought of himself right now? He shouldn’t be surprised, given his brother’s state, but he still hated it.

“Oh, buddy,” Cole breathed. “You’re not weak.” He gently tilted Lloyd’s chin upwards to meet his eyes, his brow furrowed slightly with concern at the utter exhaustion in his leader’s green gaze. “Being upset doesn’t make you a bad Ninja. It just makes you human.”

Lloyd withdrew with a bitter scoff. “I’m not human, Cole.” He thrust his wrists forward with a surprisingly angry glare. “ This proves that.”

“And those are…?” Cole prompted.

“These stop the Oni—my Oni—” his voice caught on the words “—and the dragon from controlling me.” He flinched and closed his eyes, and at the same time, the green gems glowed brighter. In a quieter voice, he muttered, “They stop anyone from getting hurt.”

Cole was silent while he processed the words. He recalled when Lloyd’s powers had gone berserk when the Green Ninja saw Jay in imminent danger, making the Ninja’s whole body glow, and his eyes — they’d shone with pure energy, a wispy green fire trailing from the corners when Lloyd moved. It was terrifying to see his younger brother lose control like that when he could destroy a city with one wrong step. If what Lloyd said about the Oni and dragon controlling him was true, the bracelets must be helping him control his powers so a similar outburst wouldn’t happen.

After the mess with the Oni, Lloyd admitted to the Ninja his heritage as part Oni and part dragon. Cole remembered how the Oni craved destruction and the dragon, where their powers came from, controlled the elements. If they were both present in Lloyd’s mind, it was no wonder he looked overwhelmed.

“They — you can hear them, can’t you?” Cole guessed.

Lloyd nodded numbly. “They don’t like the bracelets,” he rasped, his hands lying limply on his knees and revealing the red markings well in the dim light. A moment of silence passed before: “It hurts.”

Barely a whisper, but Cole heard loud and clear.

Lloyd was in pain, suffering silently while the others went oblivious.

Cole couldn’t be angry at Zane for creating the cuffs; his brother meant well, and he was likely rushed in the process and missed a small detail that made the cuffs hurt. No, he was mad at something he couldn’t fight.

Fate had thrown Lloyd around like a ragdoll; like a plaything for a sadistic divine force, only made to receive pain and torment. From Misako abandoning Lloyd when he was a kid to his hybrid blood, Fate would not give the kid a break.

Cole shoved his thoughts to the back of his mind when he heard Lloyd grimace in pain. The gem pulsed with light.

“It’s happening now?” He predicted. Lloyd nodded sharply and hissed softly, pulling his wrists close to his body. “Can you take them off?”

Lloyd frantically shook his head. “No, don’t!” He cried, jerking to his feet and stumbling into the wall, face pale.

Cole rose slowly, holding his hands up innocently. “I wasn’t going to,” he soothed. “But this clearly isn’t working.”

The Green Ninja closed his eyes, breathing heavily and unevenly. “It’s better, trust me,” he said tightly.

“This was never a problem before,” Cole realized. “And it’s happened three times since I’ve been in here. Lloyd, is this getting worse?” Silence spoke louder than words.

That was the last straw. Cole would not allow Lloyd to suffer in silence anymore. He brushed Lloyd’s hair back, pretending he didn’t see the way his brother flinched, and gently pulled Lloyd close once more.

“You’re not alone,” Cole murmured. “Don’t hold this all in, okay?”

After a long moment, he felt Lloyd nod faintly.

They stayed motionless until the Bounty jerked with an explosion.

***

Lloyd wanted to stay like that forever.

Wrapped in his older brother’s embrace, feeling protected from the world, safe. Cole had that effect on him. While he loved his family and he knew they all would protect him, he really felt it in Cole’s hug.

The Oni constantly snarled at him to remove the cuffs, and they stung horribly when his dragon retaliated. His head ached constantly with the fights, even after he took painkillers, and his wrists hurt with just a slight touch like a sensitive bruise. Not that he would tell Cole after the Earth Ninja held his hands with surprisingly gentle care.

And as grateful as he was for Cole’s promise to be with him, he knew he was the only one who could fight his battles. The Oni and dragon were part of him; he had to learn to live with them. No one could help him with that.

Even so, he felt safe and warm in his older brother’s tight hug.

So when the Bounty shook with an explosion, Lloyd was less than happy.

No! the Oni cried. What was that? Who dares to disturb?

In another situation, he may have found it funny that even the destructive Oni wanted to stay with Cole. Now, though, it only irritated him as the pain in his wrists made him not even want to bend them.

“Zane!” Lloyd gasped, slipping free from the embrace, grabbing his weapon from the wall rack, and rushing to the bridge where the nindroid piloted the ship. Smoke filled the air but Zane appeared unfazed, as if not upset at the development.

Before Lloyd could even ask, Zane spoke. “Multiple war vehicles with canons aimed at the Bounty. Several dozen enemies armed with swords.” Lloyd’s fingers tightened around the hilt of his golden dao.

“Who are they?”

“I am uncertain.”

Lloyd sighed. “Alright. Lower the Bounty and let’s show them not to mess with Ninja.” His eyes flashed with anger, but he quickly suppressed it when his wrists flared with pain.

Zane nodded and the ship lowered steadily, emerging beneath the smoke. Lloyd’s eyes widened at the sheer number of people, all wearing black and purple.

“They look like the criminals I fought a few weeks ago!” Lloyd gasped.

“Any tips on how to defeat them?” Cole asked urgently, hefting his hammer.

“Avoid any weird crates,” Lloyd replied, scanning the field for the bombs. He didn’t see any, but they could be hidden away. “The last ones had guns and swords, so be careful.”

Cole nodded, and as soon as the ship lowered to a safe distance, he leaped from the deck and slammed his hammer into the ground. A glowing orange crack spread from the impact and wove underneath one of the vehicles, a spire of earth impaling the tank before anyone could move. “Ninja, go!”

Lloyd plunged into the fray, using his momentum and spinjitzu to blast the criminals away. Now that he was closer, he could see a strange symbol printed onto their cloaks and weapons, similar to a snake head.

“What do you want?” He demanded, clashing his sword against another’s. “Who are you?”

The criminal looked offended under their mask. “We are the Anacultists! We will be the fiercest force in the city! Everyone will know our names when we defeat the Ninja!” They spoke with a heavy accent, as if unused to Ninjargon.

“‘Anacultists’?” Lloyd repeated incredulously. “Like Anacondrai?”

The cultist grinned, and that was answer enough.

Lloyd’s attacks became more forceful and aggressive. Oh how he despised the Anacondrai — or rather, one in particular, who caused the worst suffering in his life.

After all, it was Pythor who released the Great Devourer; it was Pythor who caused Harumi’s death; it was Pythor who abandoned him as a kid.

The cultists soon grew wary of the sting of Lloyd’s glare and the bite of his sword. He cut a swathe through their ranks, using spinjitzu to destroy their tanks, and never used his powers to do so. His Oni and dragon both protested at his little rebellion against them.

After several minutes of fighting in the moon-soaked desert, Lloyd found himself alone.

He’d simply kept going, unaware of how the cultists made his fight too easy and led him away from the Bounty. He only realized when the force letting him through suddenly toughened up and pushed back, trapping him in a sea of enemies.

***

These guys go down so easy!

Cole swung his hammer into the side of a tank, making the machine burst apart with an explosion. He grinned and whirled into spinjitzu to barrel into a cluster of criminals, leaving an empty path behind him.

From the way Lloyd had spoken about the enemy, Cole expected them to be tougher. But no one had landed a hit on him and he’d easily blasted his way through their ranks while barely lifting a finger.

Of course he had to jinx it.

A blast from a laser gun nailed his side, sending him skidding. He glared at the criminal who shot at him, the figure immediately turning and running from his withering stare.

But before he could give chase, dozens of cultists surrounded him with heavy fire and surprisingly good swordsmanship.

“Could use some help over here!” He shouted into his comms.

Static.

Great. No more Mister Nice Ninja.

As Cole fought with renewed vigor, he saw the Bounty lift into the air.

Wait, what?

The ship’s spotlight shone down onto the other side of the battle and a plume of ice rained down from the deck. The anchor lowered for a moment, and when it lifted, a figure stood on the metal. The ship turned away.

“Hey, guys!” Cole yelled frantically, grunting when the flat of a sword slammed into his ribs. “Where are you going?” His voice became strained and his heart pounded.

His attacks became sloppy and he failed to avoid getting hit.

He couldn’t be left behind. Not again.

Cole’s vision narrowed with fear and his movements turned desperate and uncoordinated.

Unbidden, flashbacks of the fall played in his mind.

He felt the raw fear of no one coming back for him.

He saw the oppressive darkness surrounding him in the radio station, slowly closing in from all sides.

He heard the sinister laugh of the Oni.

And then there was a green whirl in front of him.

“—le! Cole, snap out of it!”

The Earth Ninja blinked and shook his head, only then realizing he was crouched helplessly on the ground with his hammer lying a few feet to the side. Lloyd grimaced as his sword blocked another from slicing into Cole, his arms shaking slightly and his eyes shone with pain.

“Lloyd?” Cole managed. “You came back?”

The Green Ninja’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Cole, we never left. Are you okay?”

The older Ninja took a steadying breath and lunged for his hammer, standing with a roll and smashing it into the fray. “I’m okay now.” Relief washed over his previous fear and he felt like laughing at how stupid and irrational he’d been.

They’d never leave him on purpose.

Zane soon joined them on the ground, and together, they dealt with the rest of the cultists. A sea of fallen bodies covered the desert sand, the three panting Ninja being the only people standing.

“That’ll…teach ya,” Cole managed.

Then the black sky filled his vision and he collapsed.

***

Cole jerked awake with a gasp.

“Hey.”

The elemental squinted, his eyes adjusting to the dim light of the Bounty’s hull. He first focused on the faintly glowing green gems, then the owner’s face.

“Lloyd?” Cole slowly sat up, wincing at the pain all over his body. “What happened?”

“Those guys did more to you than you realized,” Lloyds replied quietly, nodding to the bandages on his arms and ribs.

Despite the injuries, Cole swung his legs over the side of the bed — his bed. He must’ve been out a while if he was no longer in the infirmary. “Thanks for coming back,” he blurted before he could stop himself.

Lloyd looked faintly concerned. “You know we’d never leave you like that, right?”

Cole let out a faint laugh and nodded. “Yeah, I know. It was a silly lapse in judgment, that’s all.”

His brother frowned, unconvinced, and Cole smiled gently. No one could hide things from Lloyd for long; that’s one of the things that made him a great leader. He saw through their lies but never pushed them to say more, simply listening.

“Really,” Cole promised, resting a hand on Lloyd’s arm. “I’ll be fine.” His fingers twitched toward Lloyd’s wrists. “How’s the…” He trailed off, knowing Lloyd understood.

The Green Ninja sighed wearily. “They’re not happy,” he admitted quietly, rubbing one of the cuffs absent-mindedly. “They don’t like me fighting without my powers.”

Cole nodded sympathetically. “Do you think you can tell them to stop bothering you?”

“I’m not sure.” The Ninja stared dejectedly at his hands. “I hate that I can’t even use my powers without hurting anyone.”

Cole gently pulled Lloyd’s hands apart, preventing him from teasing the cuffs and making the skin even more tender. “I know, bud. But you just gotta get in there and say ‘Hey, I’m the Green Ninja, and you suck’.”

A small smile found its way onto Lloyd’s face. “I don’t think they’ll listen to that.”

The Earth Elemental grinned mischievously. “Then how about they ignore this!” Without warning he lunged forward and playfully drew Lloyd into a headlock, ruffling his hair. The younger Ninja yelped before bursting into laughter, trying to escape even though they both knew he couldn’t.

“No! Stop!” He cried breathlessly, still laughing.

“Never,” Cole grinned, dragging a struggling Lloyd away from the door. “You tell that beast to leave you alone, or I won’t.”

Lloyd huffed. “Fine! I will! Nowlemmego!”

Cole did as told, abruptly opening his arms for Lloyd to escape. The sudden loss of pressure, however, sent the Ninja staggering forward until he caught himself on the bed, smiling all the same. The gems on the cuffs did not glow. Perfect.

“Now remember,” Cole added sternly, a mocking serious expression on his face as he pointed accusingly at his younger brother. “No hiding this anymore, m’kay?”

Lloyd bowed dramatically. “Yes, Lord Cole. As you command.”

Straightening, Cole gazed down at the smaller Ninja with a haughty expression. With a horrible accent, he replied, “Very good, young sir. You are dismissed.”

Lloyd saluted and marched towards the door.

Dropping the act, Cole placed a hand on Lloyd’s shoulder. “Seriously. No more suffering alone. We’ll get through this together.”

The Green Ninja smiled warmly, placing his hand on top of Cole’s. “Together.”

Chapter Text

They say true family is the people who stick by your side through thick and thin.

The people who don’t care how you look.

The people who listen to your feelings and fears.

The people who hold on even when you’re slipping.

And those who put everything on the line for you are the purest family one could ask for.

When Lloyd found himself hovering, slipping, fading; power exploding from his body in waves, he reached for the hand calling to him.

***

One hour earlier

Lloyd was tired.

Tired of fighting, tired of his Oni and dragon tearing him apart from the inside, tired of fighting his heritage. All he wanted, more than almost anything, was silence and peace so he could curl up and sleep for a week.

But no. The voices in his head squabbled constantly, and while the cuffs clamped around his wrists prevented his powers from exploding out of him, they burned with his unused powers and the voices just would not stop talking.

Ever since the others found out about his…confliction, they pestered him to take it easy and tell them when it was overwhelming or if he simply needed space. He constantly felt worried eyes on him but pretended not to notice, instead staring numbly at the floor, expression blank, as voices only he could hear roared in his ears.

The Oni demanded he take the cuffs off and tear the Monastery to the ground, to unleash his powers to his fullest potential and rain devastation. It snarled at the cuffs, forcing Lloyd to try and take them off — but either the dragon, he, or his family stopped him before it could get out of control.

The dragon, for its part, simply seemed to argue everything the Oni said instead of coming up with its own ideas. It sometimes stopped Lloyd from removing the cuffs, or it would shout back at the Oni for stupid ideas. Neither seemed to want to win anything (except the Oni, who wanted destruction), merely to fight the other.

And Lloyd found himself caught in the middle, the vessel for an eternal war, conflict swimming and twisting beneath his skin. The few times he’d tried to stop the fighting, both the Oni and dragon turned on him and gave him a splitting headache, rendering him down for the count while he recovered. He’d been lucky no one was there for that.

On top of being mentally worn out, Lloyd was physically exhausted. The yelling in his head rarely let him sleep at night, and when he did, all he saw was nightmares. Just last night he’d dreamed of a certain Anacondrai with a tail around his neck, dangling him over the roof of Darkley’s. He’d woken in a cold sweat, the dream momentarily silencing the dragon and Oni while he recovered. All too quickly, though, the Oni snarled at him to get revenge for that snake who ruined his life.

Now, Lloyd sat curled on his bed, face buried in his knees, which drew up to his chest, and hugged himself for the little warmth he could scrounge up. Normally his body ran warm, a tribute to his powers, but with those snuffed out he found himself without a heat source and he was cold.

As usual, the voices resonated in his skull. The Oni complained loudly about the cold while the dragon spat back that it wasn’t actually that cold; the Oni was just upset about restraints on Lloyd’s power. The Green Ninja, for his part, squeezed his eyes shut and shivered.

So what if the room was at a normal temperature? Lloyd felt awful. Why shouldn’t he be cold? It seemed fitting given he could never have anything nice anymore.

If he was honest, right then all he wanted was to train with his family and forget everything that happened over the last few weeks. He knew the others were outside sparring, with the whole team taking a break from patrol, and he felt his absence like a thorn in the side.

But Lloyd felt too tired and — loathe as he was to admit — weak to even get out of his bed.

He must’ve made some kind of noise, because he heard a new, soft voice calling his name.

But the sound echoed uselessly around the Oni and dragon’s fight, unable to register as words.

No, the Oni hissed. No intruders.

It’s not, the dragon growled back. Let him in.

NO, the Oni shouted, and Lloyd flinched with a faint gasp as his head pounded.

Half a second later, he felt warm.

Hmm, the Oni actually settled back. This is not so bad.

Told you, the dragon scoffed, and the Oni spluttered indignantly.

Lloyd still shivered, but he felt a warm hand run through his hair. He relaxed on instinct, pressing closer to the warmth. It was so much nicer than his cold room.

It took a few moments for him to collect his thoughts enough to crack open an eye to greet his visitor. “Kai,” he rasped gratefully, relaxing into his older brother’s gentle touch. His eyes slid shut again and the voices retreated into the back of his mind as he felt Kai shift closer, wrapping his arms around Lloyd’s smaller frame. Lloyd’s face pressed into Kai’s shoulder, catching the faint campfire smell that always accompanied the Fire Ninja. Lloyd focused on the steady thumping of his brother’s heartbeat, the sound soothing his frayed nerves.

To Lloyd’s relief, Kai said nothing for several minutes, simply played with Lloyd’s hair and gave him the elemental fire he was missing, the one that heated up his body and he took for granted.

Finally, Lloyd’s shivering lessened, and the younger Ninja broke the silence. “I thought you were training,” he muttered dully.

Kai hummed. “We did. I wanted to check up on you.” He rested the back of his hand on Lloyd’s forehead. “You’re burning up.”

“Doesn’t feel like it,” Lloyd grumbled, pressing closer to Kai’s warmth.

Though he couldn’t see it, Kai frowned with worry, gazing down at his small (He shouldn’t be this skinny, Kai thought) brother. He wasn’t blind to Lloyd’s sleepless nights or the exhaustion etched onto his features. It was unfortunately not a surprise he was sick, too.

“You should get something to eat. It’ll make you feel better.” Kai carefully allowed some of his element to heat his body, and Lloyd sighed contentedly. He felt awful for disturbing his brother, but Lloyd really needed to eat.

“‘M not hungry,” the Green Ninja protested, his words slurring slightly with fatigue.

In truth, his stomach twisted with hunger pains, but the last time he’d eaten, his Oni didn’t like the food but his dragon did, leading to him almost losing his lunch and driving him back into the solitude of his room. That was two days ago.

“Lloyd,” Kai sighed. “It’s the best way to get your strength back, you know that.”

The Ninja shrugged weakly but said nothing.

“Alright,” Kai huffed, sitting up abruptly, wincing when Lloyd let out a whimper of protest. He all but dragged his brother out of his bed, hefting Lloyd to his feet and catching his arm when he swayed. His heart panged to see the glassiness over Lloyd’s eyes or his too-pale face. “You will eat whether you like it or not.”

He didn’t know whether or not to be concerned when Lloyd didn’t put up a fight, instead letting Kai lead him to the kitchen.

In a haze, Lloyd fought the urge to run back to his bed and lock the door behind him so he could no longer be interrupted. He clung to Kai’s arm, trusting his brother to not let him slam into any walls, his own eyesight too fuzzy to make out anything clearly except Kai’s bright red gi. His head swam in protest and he felt nauseous.

“Kai,” he mumbled, halting their progress in the hallway. “I don’t think I can eat.”

The older Ninja gently squeezed the hand gripping his arm, probably too tight, though Kai didn’t complain. “You gotta try. We’ll get some soup, how about that?”

Knowing he wasn’t going to win this fight, Lloyd nodded once, and they kept walking.

Kai made him sit in one of the dining table’s chairs and he rested his head in his hands, too tired to lift it and watch what his brother was doing. The Oni and dragon resumed their bickering, this time arguing about what soup they wanted and if they wanted it at all.

Over the clutter, he heard two voices.

A moment later, he felt the steam from a bowl of soup waft up into his face. It smelled like chicken noodle soup but had a strange scent he couldn’t place underneath it. Whatever; it wasn’t like his brother was going to serve him poisoned food.

Lloyd was not oblivious to the two pairs of eyes watching as he cautiously sipped the broth. After neither of the voices in his mind protested, he ate with renewed vigor, his head clearing up somewhat by the end of the meal.

A little warmth spread through his body at the hot meal and his senses sharpened somewhat. He finally made out Kai and Zane standing together, watching him with concern.

“You can stop staring,” he sighed, pushing the empty bowl away and leaning back in the chair. “I’m done.”

“Thank you, bud,” Kai said softly. Lloyd frowned, feeling somewhat babied, but didn’t have the heart to protest when Kai removed his bowl to clean. Instead, he turned his attention to Zane.

“How’s the replacement coming along?” He not-so-subtly switched the conversation.

Zane frowned. “It is frustratingly slow. I cannot find a suitable replacement for the gems, and if my calculations are correct, they are key to both containing your elemental energy and reducing the pain it may inflict.” His glowing eyes drifted down to Lloyd’s wrists, which rested limply on the table, the skin raw and red.

Lloyd blanched at the thought that without the gems, it would be more painful.

“And…there’s nothing else we can do?”

Zane sighed. “I am afraid not. I have not found a way to limit the influence of your Oni and dragon. They are a part of you, and separating them could be very dangerous.”

For a split second, Lloyd actually considered it. The pain that removing the voices may cause seemed worth the consequence of inaction. He quickly dismissed the idea when two very angry voices screamed at him that no, he would not take them away.

“Well…” Lloyd hesitated, gazing down at the cuffs. “What if you took these ones?”

Zane looked alarmed, and Kai returned at the right moment to catch on. “No,” the Fire Ninja immediately shot.

“I have to agree,” Zane added. “We cannot risk you getting hurt while I would have to analyze the gems and tune them for the new cuffs.”

Lloyd frowned, standing shakily. “Look. If we don’t, what’re you gonna do? You already said you couldn’t find a replacement, so you need these — which you risked your life for. Why can’t I do the same if it means they won’t hurt anymore?”

Both of his brothers went silent, unable to deny his claims.

Zane’s project of making upgraded cuffs should help with the pain he felt when they worked, and eventually heal his arms from the damage already done over the last two weeks of wearing the cuffs. Lloyd wanted those new ones more than he cared to express, given how he hid the pain the current cuffs actually caused him. He was willing to put everything into containing his powers for a few minutes while Zane worked.

“Please,” he added quietly, his fingers curling slightly. “I want to do this.”

Still unhappy, Zane dipped his head and headed for his workshop in the garage.

Lloyd trailed after, surprising himself at the quick recovery from his state that morning, while Kai went to fetch the others. A few minutes later, they gathered in the basement in front of the screens and work table, where the otherwise finished cuffs lay innocently.

“While I remove these, you are likely to experience an elemental whiplash,” Zane warned. “It is probable that your powers want to be free and they will not like you holding back. But you must contain them as much as possible.”

Lloyd nodded grimly.

The other Ninja backed away and Lloyd took a deep breath, holding out his wrists.

With one smooth motion, Zane removed the cuffs.

YES! His Oni screamed, and his powers surged to life.

The force sent Lloyd onto his knees with a cry of pain. He drew his hands into his body, curling around them to stop the green missiles shooting from his fists. He felt his powers writhing in protest, like holding back a cracking dam filled with water. If he let go of control, he’d be swept away, and everyone with him.

Hold on, he clenched his teeth with determination, his head buzzing at the extreme surge of energy. Just a few minutes.

He panted with excretion, forehead beaded with sweat. His dragon flared its wings and released a plume of green fire, and a shockwave emitted from Lloyd’s hands. The Oni snarled and tried to scratch its way into control, but Lloyd shoved it away. He was tired already, fighting the Oni and fighting his powers.

A burning pain spread up from his hands at the restraint he gave his powers, which only wanted to be freed.

His arms shook as it became harder and harder to contain his element.

He could only hear a high-pitched ringing in his ears, even louder than the voices.

His head pounded with a First Master-forsaken headache.

Then…nothing.

Complete silence.

Lloyd froze, afraid that any motion would cause the chaos and pain to rush back.

He felt himself still trembling slightly, he heard his raspy, uneven panting. It was so quiet.

“Lloyd?”

The Ninja flinched in alarm and cracked open one eye, the other quickly following suit in awe.

Clamped onto his wrists rested a brand-new pair of sleek silver cuffs, the green gem on top glowing brightly. But no pain.

Slowly, Lloyd lifted his face to see the concerned expressions of the other Ninja, Zane by his side and the others cautiously approaching. “How do you feel?”

Lloyd gingerly rotated his wrists. They still felt sore from the previous injuries, but otherwise, nothing hurt.

A single thought — his thought, not the Oni or dragon — crossed his mind.

He was free.

A breathless, almost giddy laugh escaped the youngest Ninja and he shot to his feet, catching Zane off-guard when he tightly embraced his brother.

“Thank you,” he breathed. Zane smiled and patted his back, glancing up as the others joined in.

Lloyd heard them. He heard their footsteps approach; he heard the rustle of fabric as they ran over; he heard them exclaim in joy at Zane’s accomplishment. No Oni or dragon to drown them out. No pain to dampen his grin.

“Sorry to interrupt,” came an accented voice, and Lloyd went deathly still, his laugh dying in his throat as his nightmare from the previous night flashed across his mind’s eye. “That seemed like a lovely moment.”

Before Lloyd could force himself to turn around, the other Ninja shoved him into the center of a tightly packed circle, their elemental powers sparking to life in their hands. Lloyd slowly lifted his shocked green gaze and locked onto the sinister red one.

Pythor.

“Unfortunately for you, I don’t care all that much,” Pythor added nonchalantly, crossing his arms, holding a naginata in one. “So I’m not really sorry.”

“How did you get in here?” Nya snapped.

Pythor chuckled. “Quick to the chase, aren’t you?” He said almost disapprovingly. “I don’t think you need to know.”

Zane’s cold expression sent chills through Lloyd. “He used the secret elevator.”

Pythor frowned. “Party pooper,” he muttered.

“What do you want?” Kai hissed, his flames casting flickering shadows onto the floor and walls.

The snake’s grin returned. “Well, I can’t leave my followers hanging,” he returned, spreading his arms wide.

At that moment, the garage filled with hooded warriors.

Lloyd tensed, and he saw Cole do the same.

“You know,” the Earth Ninja growled, hiding his fear well, “you gave them a pretty awful name.”

“The work of one of the lackeys,” Pythor dismissed. “The Anacultists will destroy you. I will take control of Ninjago and have my revenge for the humans who imprisoned my kind for decades. We will be the most feared force in the city.” His glare hardened. “And what better place to fight you than your own home?”

Lloyd’s fingers curled into fists. “He’s mine,” he announced coldly. No one argued; he doubted they would when he used that tone. Louder, he cried, “Ninja, go!”

His team rushed into battle.

***

It went well for a while.

Lloyd battled Pythor, his rage fueling every punch and kick. His keen battle senses sharpened, observing his team fighting the Anacultists — though he noted Cole never let himself be alone. They seemed to hold their own against the swords and guns.

Lloyd, however, became frustrated.

Pythor often slipped into invisibility, reappearing moments later behind him and slamming him into the ground. Lloyd always bounced back to his feet, but he was growing tired and Pythor only seemed mildly strained.

“This is the Green Ninja?” Pythor taunted, easily dodging Lloyd’s fist. “Ninjago’s savior? Pathetic.”

“Shut up,” Lloyd hissed, feigning his move and landing a kick to Pythor’s chest. The snake reeled back, tongue flicking angrily, and vanished.

“You’re just a kid,” Pythor said from somewhere to his left. Lloyd lunged in that direction, having left his sword in his room, but only struck air. “You don’t deserve the honor bestowed upon you.”

Lloyd strained his ears to listen for the soft scraping of scales against metal. He heard it a second before Pythor smacked him away with his naginata, and he skidded across the floor. Before the snake’s followers could pounce on him, he shot to his feet, panting. “Shut up!”

When the invisible Anacondrai didn’t attack, Lloyd let himself look around.

His heart plummeted.

His friends were separated, disarmed, and desperately fighting with just their elemental powers. But even that wasn’t enough, and one by one, the Anacultists managed to tie them up.

They’d lost.

The remaining cultists turned towards Lloyd and Pythor, surrounding them, swords drawn.

Pythor reappeared in front of him, unimpressed. “You’ve lost, Lloyd.” The snake’s tone remained mocking.

A combination of the Ninja’s defeat and Pythor speaking Lloyd’s name stirred anger inside the Green Ninja.

Something inside Lloyd snapped.

He gave a battle cry, protective cuffs falling off his wrists and shattering on the ground, their gems turned to dust. Green light wafted over Lloyd as his powers rejoiced at their freedom — and he let them out, even called for more. Pure energy wafted off his body and he began to hover a few feet off the ground, eyes glowing so bright they were almost white.

Each wave of power that shot out of the Ninja blasted the Anacultists back and made the garage shudder. Dust rained down from the rafters, flickering prettily in the light emitting from Lloyd. Pythor shielded his face, but not even the Anacondrai was immune to Lloyd’s rage. The Green Ninja shot towards his nemesis, catching him by the neck, and flinging him to the other end of the garage.

“Get out!” Lloyd screeched, his voice echoing mystically. His Oni and dragon roared with shared delight as he stepped back, letting them take control. His world blurred and faded away.

He was aware of his body moving. He felt the sting of metal when he punched the cultists away with his bare hands, one hit sending them flying. He zipped between them, freeing the other Ninja, and beelined for Pythor.

The dragon spoke through Lloyd’s mouth. “This is our home,” it said calmly, the words a mixture of Lloyd’s voice and its own smooth one. “You are not welcome here.”

The dragon beckoned for the Oni to have a turn. “Leave or I will destroy you.”

The strongest wave of energy blasted out of him, and Lloyd blearily noticed how he no longer felt the pressure of his powers trying to be free. He shrugged and faded back into his half-consciousness, his mind fuzzy like a warm blanket. It was so nice to feel warm.

His personal fire felt similar to Kai’s, but more familiar. It was warm, not hot, its fire bending towards him lovingly while Kai’s simply grew in size. It didn’t burn when he reached for it; in fact, it almost tickled.

“—yd.”

His dragon and Oni no longer fought, a common goal in sight. Keep Lloyd warm, and neutralize Pythor and his followers. Take out the threat.

“—oyd!”

Maybe he didn’t need to fight the two supernatural forces in his mind. Perhaps it would be better to let them take care of things; after all, they created his powers, not him.

“Lloyd!”

Someone was calling for him? Why? He was useless. It was the Oni and dragon that stopped the Anacultists and saved his friends, not him. They’d rendered him useless for days, swallowed up in a pool of his own misery.

“Lloyd, I know you can hear me. It’s Kai.”

Kai. The…Fire Ninja. Right. Dressed in red, weird hair, short temper — but he was working on that. Maybe? Lloyd couldn’t remember.

“Hey, kid, you gotta calm down. It’s Nya. Remember?”

Nya, Water Ninja. Samurai X, younger sister to Kai, the first one to warm up to Lloyd when he first joined. He knew her voice, but…he was so tired.

“C’mon, bud, you did it. This is Jay. Your gaming guru.”

Jay, who commanded…thunder? No, that wasn’t right. Lightning! That was it. Blue-clad, notched eyebrow, freckles. Jay had the most volatile element, yet kept it under command like the expert he was. Lloyd thought he admired Jay for that, but he couldn’t remember.

“I agree. You have defeated everyone. Now, Lloyd, reduce your powers…this is Zane.”

Zane. The first nindroid…he thinks. Control over ice. Didn’t he spend time as an evil dictator? That didn’t make sense. Zane was the nicest person he’d met…right?

“Lloyd, buddy, you know us. I’m Cole.”

Cole, rock-steady like his element. Long hair like Lloyd’s, soft brown eyes, scar next to his left eye…why did Lloyd feel a pang of sadness and guilt when he looked at that scar?

The memories and names slowly separated into coherent piles in Lloyd’s mind as he fought back for control. His Oni and dragon held on with sharp claws, but Lloyd grew desperate.

He did know them. His friends. His team. His family. He had to get back to them.

Lloyd managed to see his surroundings.

Bodies scattered around, Pythor gone. The Ninja approaching him, shielding their faces from the power that continued to explode out of his body. Kai in the lead, reaching for his brother.

The Oni snarled and yanked him back into the darkness.

You’ve done enough, it spat, and the dragon hummed in agreement.

But despite that, Lloyd saw Kai clearly.

The desperation on his face. The way he beckoned for Lloyd almost pleadingly.

He felt his consciousness fade; his control slip away.

Lloyd reached for Kai’s hand.

Agony shot through his body.

***

Kai’s body shook as he neared his volatile younger brother, who hovered above a defeated Pythor, fists clenched and eyes glaring at the snake. If looks could kill, Pythor would be a pile of ashes.

They called out to him. He didn’t move an inch, even when Pythor recovered enough to escape the way he’d arrived. The Ninja let him go; their focus remained on Lloyd.

He glowed almost too brightly to look at, green energy wafting off his body. Whenever it passed through Kai, the red Ninja shuddered as his element reacted and lit his hands on fire. He quickly snuffed it out, hope blooming when Lloyd finally turned to face them.

His hope flickered out with his element.

Lloyd’s face had gone slack, his glowing eyes flickering white, green, gold, and purple. His arms hung limply by his sides and…parts of him became transparent green when his power pulsed over it.

The team’s calls became more frantic.

Kai reached towards his brother, gaze pleading. “Come back to us,” he whispered, too quiet for anyone to hear.

A flicker of recognition passed over his face.

Lloyd slowly slid his limp hand into Kai’s.

He breathed a sigh of relief as Lloyd’s power began to fade—

Lloyd screamed.

Kai felt cold.

There shouldn’t — there was Lloyd, hovering, yet coming back to them — and the barely-alive Anacultist behind him — with a sword—

A sword that should not be sticking out the front of Lloyd’s gi.

Everything happened in an instant.

Lloyd dropped to the ground like a stone, his powers vanishing and leaving them in sudden darkness. The force yanked the sword out of the Anacultist’s grip and the figure stumbled forward, sword dropping to their side, the end stained red— red. Kai lunged, his fists on fire. Jay and Cole held him back and attacked at the same time. Zane rushed towards Lloyd. Nya gave the cultist a piece of her mind. Panicked and furious shouting filled the previously quiet space.

The next moment, Kai found himself on the ground, cradling Lloyd’s head, hot tears streaming down his face, but he didn’t care. Lloyd’s eyes had already closed, but Kai couldn’t bring himself to hope that it was due to his power boost. There was a puddle steadily forming around them, staining Lloyd’s gi. Zane, outwardly the calmest, instructed them to roll Lloyd to the side, and as soon as they did, he pressed his hand to the wound and coated it in ice.

The nindroid spoke, and Kai felt himself nod. Carefully, Zane lifted their brother off the ground. Nya and Jay rushed ahead, summoning the elevator before Zane arrived. Cole squeezed Kai’s shoulder; grounding, reassuring, familiar. They both sped after the white Ninja.

Jay and Zane stitched up the wound in the infirmary, their expressions grim. Nya grabbed Kai’s hand and held on like a lifeline, and he gripped hers in return, knuckles white with the strength. In hindsight, he probably should’ve eased up, but Nya gave no sign of distress; if anything, her hand was tighter than his. Cole paced frantically, relieved when Jay instructed him to find water, lots of water.

They took turns watching over their brother. Checked his vitals. Forced him to drink. Changed the bandages.

Distantly, Kai noticed the lack of cuffs on Lloyd’s wrists.

***

Pain.

Burning, fiery pain that wouldn’t stop, wouldn’t go away.

It resonated from his gut, especially in the back, stabbing him like a hot stick every time he moved.

The Oni and dragon had exhausted themselves, and he felt their small presence in the back of his mind.

Everything was dark. It was warm. It was a soft blanket.

He wanted to fall asleep in that blanket.

***

He felt warm.

Faint light pressed in on his cloud of darkness.

A soft, very quiet noise wormed its way into his mind.

Was someone crying? Why? Lloyd felt worry twist in his stomach. Something must be wrong.

Well, only one way to find out.

With no small effort, Lloyd cracked his eyes open.

He saw a red gi lying next to him.

As if his arm was made of lead, Lloyd slid his hand over enough to poke his brother.

Poke was generous. Lloyd’s finger so much as touched the red Ninja’s arm before it fell limp again, exhausted. But it was enough.

Kai shot upright, wide eyes locking onto Lloyd’s half-lidded ones, but his surprise quickly gave way to joy, concern, and relief.

“Lloyd.”

Said Ninja’s brow furrowed. Why did his brother sound so broken and so happy at the same time?”

And why was the younger Ninja so tired?

He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

“Don’t try to talk,” Kai whispered, gently taking Lloyd’s hand in his own. His eyes looked wet. “I’m so…I’m so happy you’re awake.”

Despite Kai’s request, Lloyd spoke, though it came out extremely slurred. “Wha’ ha’en’?” he managed.

Kai frowned slightly, his finger absent-mindedly stroking Lloyd’s. “Don’t worry about that right now.”

A faint, almost nonexistent memory flickered across Lloyd’s mind. “Heard you yell,” he said on an exhale, his eyes feeling heavy. So tired.

“That’s cause no one messes with my little brother,” Kai whispered, a stray tear leaking down his face despite his shaky smile. He rubbed his eyes with his free hand, the other gently squeezing Lloyd’s. “Get some sleep, bud. You need it.”

Despite the urge to demand everything that had happened from his brother, Lloyd found his eyes forcing themselves shut and he he fell asleep in moments to Kai still running his fingers on Lloyd’s hand.

***

The next time Lloyd woke, he felt too warm.

Before, it was a nice, pleasant flame. Now it felt like a raging forest fire, making him pale and damp.

He subconsciously let out a whimper. A presence by his side he hadn’t noticed until it moved left, returning moments later. A cold cloth pressed to his forehead.

After a moment, Lloyd regained enough bearings to open his eyes and recognize Nya.

“Oh, Lloyd,” she murmured shakily. “You’re such a sacrificial idiot.”

Lloyd managed a tiny smile and she laughed wetly, swiping her eyes. “Sorry,” he muttered, voice a little clearer.

She shook her head disbelievingly. “Should’ve just fought like a Ninja, not a god. You wouldn’t’ve let them beat you that way.”

Lloyd’s face twisted slightly as he tried to give his sister a playful glare, but it was hard with his face half-smushed into the pillow as he lay on his side. “Didn’t let them,” he grumbled.

Nya giggled and brushed a stray lock of hair out of his eyes. “Tomato to-mah-toe.” Her eyes flashed to his gut and her expression fell. “How do you feel?” She asked quietly.

Lloyd frowned at her strange behavior. “Hot,” he muttered, trying to push the blanket that someone put over him away, but his arm flopped uselessly to the side. Nya gently flipped it away and he cast her a grateful look. “Sore.”

A dull pain resonated from his gut, but really, it wasn’t so bad. He tried rolling onto his back and discovered very quickly that it was that bad. He yelped as a fiery agony shot through him and immediately turned back to his side with Nya’s help, panting.

“Okay,” he hissed, shaking. Why hadn’t he noticed that? Now it made sense why Nya and Kai acted so strangely. He was hurt — bad.

Why didn’t he remember?

“Just lie still,” Nya whispered, her face a shade paler. “Please.”

“Yeah,” Lloyd agreed immediately. “I’m not going anywhere. Just…” he hesitated, not knowing if he wanted the answer. “Please tell me what happened.”

Nya’s face tightened and she dropped her gaze. “Are you sure?”

Lloyd nodded with determination.

The Water Ninja sighed and sat next to him. “Pythor attacked. You fought him for a while, and we attacked his followers. They overpowered us — they had like a hundred people to us five — you saw and got angry, and your powers took over. It was…impressively damaging.” She met Lloyd’s gaze, but he wasn’t listening anymore.

He’d let his powers take over.

He’d lost control.

What kind of leader does that?

“I’m sorry,” he rasped, shaking as the memories flooded back. Anger. Determination. Horror. Then…nothing. Just black fuzziness.

“It’s not your fault,” Nya whispered, carefully turning the towel on his forehead to expose it to a cooler side. “You saved us.”

“You…saved me,” Lloyd countered softly, a smile forming on his lips despite the earlier confusion. “All of you.”

He remembered how they called out to him. How they reached for him despite the power that exploded out of him. He remembered their undying determination to bring their little brother back.

He felt something hot and wet fall down his face, and Nya gently brushed it away. “Thank you,” he breathed, letting his eyes slide shut.

He was still so tired.

***

Before Lloyd even knew he’d regained consciousness, he felt pain.

It was similar to the pain he’d experienced when he moved, and he quickly realized why. Regaining his sight revealed Jay and Zane changing the bandages on his abdomen. He quickly averted his gaze to avoid looking at the wound.

“Ouch,” he muttered tightly, instantly gaining their attention.

Jay visibly flinched and hesitated, but Zane kept going with a neutral expression. It lasted only a second more, but Lloyd’s gut twisted uncomfortably.

“Sorry about that,” Jay muttered, safely disposing of the old bandages and reappearing in Lloyd’s vision. His eyes flicked to Zane for a second before down to Lloyd’s face, his expression softening. “Your fever’s gone. How do you feel now?”

“Better,” Lloyd admitted. “Still don’t know if I can move.” He felt shame heat his face.

The all-powerful Green Ninja, down for the count because he couldn’t keep his powers in check.

“Oh, no,” Jay warned. “No making that face. This isn’t your fault.”

How is it not? Lloyd wanted to retort, but didn’t have the heart to make his brother any more upset than he already was.

Instead, he quietly asked, “How bad is the damage?”

Jay shrugged, trying to look unbothered but failing. “It’s…extensive,” he gave in after a moment. “Cracks in the walls and broken lighting and soot in these spiral patterns and stuff’s burned and I’m sorry—”

Before Lloyd could question why Jay would be sorry aside from the rambling, his abdomen burned with pain.

He let out a startled hiss, flinching back — which only made it hurt more — before Jay grabbed his arm and held him still. Careful not to see the wound, Lloyd looked down at Zane gingerly rubbing an antibacterial on the slash.

Lloyd let out a half-frustrated half-pained groan. “Thanks for the warning,” he grumbled, lacking the energy to be angry.

“It was better if you did not know,” Zane returned evenly.

The younger Ninja let his head fall back to the pillow, hands clenching with both pain and irritation, turning his attention back to Jay. “That sounds like a lot,” he said sheepishly.

Jay shrugged with a half-hearted grin. “We’ll rebuild like always, right?”

Lloyd smiled, his own words shot back at him. “Yeah, we will,” he breathed with a sigh, glancing back to Zane.

Jay patted his shoulder and drifted away, no doubt to find Nya, leaving Lloyd in comfortable silence with the white Ninja as he finished cleaning the wound and replacing the bandages.

“What happened to him?” Lloyd asked suddenly.

Zane paused. “Pythor?” When Lloyd nodded, expression hard, he shook his head. “I am unsure. He disappeared when we had our attention on you.” He tied off the last bandage and created a block of ice to rest on either side of the wound — which apparently had gone through him. Yeah, he’d prefer not to look.

“Oh.” So his childhood tormentor was still on the loose. Not ideal.

“I estimate he will not try to attack soon,” Zane reassured. “You need not worry about him for a while.”

“I hope so,” Lloyd sighed, glancing up as Zane handed him a cup of tea. He drank with difficulty in his sideways position, nose wrinkling at the familiar but bitter taste of healing tea. “Thanks.”

Zane dipped his head and took the cup, placing it on the counter behind him. “You are healing remarkably fast,” he told Lloyd, sounding somewhat impressed.

“Sounds about right,” Lloyd mumbled, his eyelids growing heavy, and he recognized the feeling. “Oh…you sneaky Ninja.”

Zane cracked a smile at the irony. “Yes, well, I predicted you would protest if I added a sleeping agent to the tea.” He tugged the blanket up around Lloyd’s body. “Rest is the best part of the healing process.”

“Whatever you say,” Lloyd hummed, pressing deeper into the pillow.

He never heard Zane leave, wrapped in his comfortable warmth.

***

The infirmary was dark, save a small nightlight, when Lloyd woke again.

He lay still at first, unsure why he’d left his peaceful sleep. It was a blessing to not have the Oni and dragon screaming in his head, allowing him to actually fall asleep, and he relished the soft floating feeling of dreamlessness. While he was a light sleeper, when he was injured like this he rarely woke for anything.

So why—?

“Sorry,” came a whisper next to him. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”

Ah. His slightly-glowing green eyes must have shone in the darkness. “It’s fine,” he replied softly, his sharp eyesight making out Cole’s figure standing next to him, fidgeting with his hands. “What’s up?”

Cole shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Just came to watch over you,” he replied quickly. “Ack, no, that sounds like a creep. Uh, I meant—”

“Cole,” Lloyd interrupted with a smile. He tested his motion, allowing himself to shift to the edge of the bed with relatively low pain. “It’s okay.”

Cole immediately lay next to him, and Lloyd leaned towards his warmth, smiling to himself when he felt Cole’s arms wrap around his shoulders and he shifted up a little, resting his head on the taller Ninja’s chest, calming at his steady heartbeat.

“Thanks, green bean,” Cole murmured.

Lloyd’s brow furrowed. Wasn’t he supposed to be the grateful one here? He was the injured Ninja, not Cole.

A thought crossed his mind. His family must have lost their minds with worry when he’d gone down from a stab wound, unconscious and feverish. He tensed, feeling Cole’s arm shift slightly in response. “How long has it been?” He asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer.

Cole was silent for a while, making Lloyd almost think he’d fallen asleep, when he replied. “A week.”

“What?” Lloyd burst, propping himself upright and staring in shock at his brother. His gut twisted painfully, but not nearly as bad as before. “A week?” No wonder Cole was so stressed — he’d been practically dead for a week!

The Earth Ninja gazed at him with concern, gently tugging him down before he could hurt himself more. “What matters now is that you’re okay,” he whispered, fingering Lloyd’s hair in a way he knew the Green Ninja would relax — which he did. “You’re gonna be okay.” He sounded more like he was convincing himself rather than Lloyd.

“But a week—”

“Lloyd,” Cole interrupted. “It’s okay now. You’ll rest and recover and heal, then be back before you know it. It’s not like anything else is happening right now.” He gently squeezed Lloyd’s shoulders. “We’ll get through this together, alright?”

Lloyd melted a little in defeat. There was no point trying to argue against his older brother when he was in no shape to fight or even stay awake for more than a few minutes at a time. Sleep already called to him. “Alright,” he sighed, eyes sliding shut. “Together.”

***

Lloyd regained his normal sleep schedule within a few days and recovered enough to limp around the Monastery, albeit not quickly and he always had someone with him in case he collapsed (which happened the first time, his legs unused to movement after his ten-day incapacitation). Zane didn’t let him eat solid foods until another full week after he started walking, but he couldn’t argue against milkshakes and smoothies for his meals.

His training resumed as soon as he was able to sneak out by himself at night, much to Kai’s dismay, and he sparred with the Ninja only when Zane gave him the medical all-clear. He could use his powers freely now, with no trace of the exhausted Oni or dragon, and he trained with all his old vigor — though he noticed his partner was always a little jumpy around blades when fighting him. He called them out on going easy on him, but they simply said it was caution for his injury reopening (lies, he knew, because it was completely healed — they were just skittish around him with swords, and he understood).

The Ninja sat on the Monastery steps, absent-mindedly tracing a finger along the scar on his front, staring out into the vibrant red and orange sunset. He was warm, he was safe, his family was safe.

Ninjago was at peace. He no longer heard voices screaming in his head. He was no longer in pain.

For the first time in a long time, Lloyd, alone, closed his eyes against the fading light and gentle breeze, and smiled.

Today, he decided, was a good day.