Chapter Text
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My close friend gave me this wonderful idea after chatting about fics. Thank you☆
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Lloyd Garmadon, cities greatest failure, and his father's greatest mistake.
Of course, he's reminded of that every single day due to the fact he goes to school publicly since his mom can't afford much for the two of them already. Lloyd never blamed her, it wasn't her fault for having him, for raising him for being a kind boy.
It was his fault for still being around.
Ever since he joined highschool, a specific group of people found him and lifted him up. He brightened up in their presence, smiled more, laughed even. His mom even smiled when he invited his friends over for the first time.
She was happy for him. And he didn't feel the wallowing guilt he's felt since he learned of his father when he was with his friends.
Kai and Nya were the ones he's the closest with, he spends a lot of nights over at their house when his mom works the usual night shift. The two were like the older siblings he never had, they made sure he was fed and always had somewhere to go if he needed a place.
Lloyd was sorrounded by people that loved him, people besides his mom.
And today was no different. The rest of the group was off on their patrol, doing what they always did and ensuring Garmadon didn't destroy a new part of the city with some new wild invention.
Cole, Jay, and Lloyd were off taking a break. Since the other three members of their group all voted on him spending a small amount of time relaxing.
"Cole... this is not what I had in mind for 'relaxing.'" Lloyd was looking at the abandoned house. It's old wood brown and moldy, years of age plastered against the ground with shrubs of grass everywhere.
"Calm down dude, we'll go in and out. A small exploration night, something to get your mind off the day. Plus, it's not like you'll go to sleep!" Jay snickered and elbowed Lloyd lightly.
"Exactly. It's not like your sleeping schedule will suffer. Mine might, but this is too cool to pass off." Lloyd sighed, shoulders dropping as he tightened his hold on his flashlight and shrugged. "Fine. I guess I'll go in with you guys." The three found a cut in the fence and went in through the front door. The floor creaked as they stepped, but the wood only dented with each step.
Definitely not a good sign, but it was meant to be a relaxing night out. So everyone ignored it.
"Gross, it smells horrible in here. I can't even explain it," Jay whined out as his nose scrunched up and he pouted. Their flashlights roamed over the walls and into rooms. The front door was connected to a hall that led straight to the kitchen, with the living room off to the right somewhere before. The hall cut off to the left to what had to be other rooms. The stairs was on the left, and to the second floor.
They walked around, at some point Jay went off to walk up the stairs and explore the second floor. Loud commentary passing through the rotting wood.
And then Cole left Lloyd. He went off to look at the backyard, to see if there was any sheds out there he could find any cds or any old videotapes.
Lloyd groaned in annoyance as he walked into another boring bedroom. The sheets were all gone and so was the mattess, the room was thrashed and the walls were spotted with black and moss. The moss looked rather green and healthy when he shined his flashlight to it, he shrugged and surveyed the room.
Pointless. This all felt pointless.
He was even more bored than before they got here, he bet patrol would've been a lot more interesting than lying back and 'relaxing.'
There was a near quiet creak behind him. He turned quickly, flashlight beaming down at the doorway he's walked away from. There was no one.
"Cole? Jay? Are you two trying to scare me or something?" There was no response. Not a snicker from Jay, or a snort from Cole.
Lloyd felt his skin prickle, his spine straightening as something settled in his stomach the wrong way. Something was wrong, and he could feel it in his bones. It wasn't danger wrong, or life worthy wrong, just wrong.
"Guys...?" His voice was a whisper. There was another creak, this time inside the room and too close to his right. Lloyd turned and nearly slipped on moss, his light shinning down onto a wall and showing no one. He was alone inside the room, and yet he heard creaking in the same room with him.
Another chill shook him, he shivered and glanced around. He felt cold, his jaw clenched to stop the chattering and his hand tightened around the flashlight to stop it from trembling in his hold. His stomach tightened and he slowly walked over to the door, he needed to get out. Something was wrong and it was making his entire body buzz with anticipation, he didn't like this feeling.
He turned and left. Walking past the several open doors and standing between the kitchen, beside the stairs, and with a door to his right. It was closed.
There was silence all around, the type of silence where his ears rang and his mind ached with the ringing. The door, he never even went inside to check what it was, another room? A closet? Maybe even a bathroom.
He needed to know what was inside.
Lloyd's hand shook as he reached for the doorknob, eyes wide and breath heavy as he twisted at the too clean doorknob. The other doorknobs were all dirty and worn, but this one looked new.
He ignored the detail, ignored the feeling in his stomach that seemed to soar as he swung the door open. His chest heaved and he coughed as dust curled in the air.
Darkness led down, stairs to a basement was what met him as his light shined down and showed the equally rotting stairs.
Without any self preservation, he made his way down the stairs and stepped onto solid concrete. With a quick sweep of his eyes he noticed a very dim light hidden behind a cloth. His flashlight was bright down here, and he could see dust particles swimming through the air as he walked. When he pulled the cloth aside, he caught sight of what looked like an altar with a single photo and several lit candles.
A chill went down his spine and he swallowed. He turned his flashlight off and shoved it into his pocket. The light from the candles was dim, but it was gentle as he released the cloth and stepped into the space where the altar resided.
The picture of a young boy he presumed. Black inky hair, a long streak of green contrasting in his hair. His eyes were a much darker shade of green, his skin was a soft hazel in the candlelight. A small smile on his face as he stared off the side, the picture taken at just the right moment.
Lloyd hunmed, the candles were all lit. This house must have been where the one in the picture use to live in. But then, why were all the candles lit.
A whisper by his ear made him tense and twirl to look at the unmoving cloth. There was no movement, everything was still and quiet, as if he himself was not even present.
Something crawled up his spine and he shivered, stumbling forward as he turned again and was met with empty space. Those had been fingers crawling up his spine, the touch so cold he'd felt it through his sweater. One of the candles at the altar dwindled before extinguishing, grey little smoke curling off of its once lit top.
Something was wrong again, the same feeling inside his stomach curled and didn't let go.
And then the candle that had been extinguished ignited with a dark green fire. Fire is not suppose to do that, not at all.
"Guys! Guys if this is a prank you all got me, haha!" His voice was strained and laced with panic and a hint of fear. He didn't know what was going on, he was lossing his senses entirely. "Hey you guys can stop now!" Another candle went out before being ignited by the same dark green flame. It began to spread, the candles were quickly overtaken by the dark green and Lloyd could only see everything in a shade of green now.
The photo at the altar was doused in green, and when Lloyd saw the eyes move he yellled. He fell back, taking the hanging cloth with him. It covered him entirely and as soon as he got it off of himself something stood in front of the altar.
A green translucent figure, with raggedy clothes and thick dark hair. Their back faced to Lloyd and staring at the altar.
Lloyd did not sign up for ghost exploration at all.
Lloyd breathed in and the figures head snapped to look at him. He stilled with a breath caught in his throat, and unwelcoming fear rolling off of him in waves. He's never felt like this, even when facing off against petty thief's who got inspired by Garmadon, or even Garmadon himself. This was not something he felt at all.
"You." Came the quivering voice. Their eyes were nearly the same dark as their hair, and the streak in their hair was evident. Lloyd blinked, glancing over at the photo at the altar before back at the ghostly looking figure. "Oh... no way," He whispered as he stayed staring up at the figure definitely not touching solid ground.
"You!" And then their voice was a lot louder. The ceiling trembled and Lloyd felt his bones tremble as the voice echoed deep inside of his very being.
"You disrupted my peace!" They were angry. Their face said it all, and their flickering figure trembled as they spoke. "I've been dead for decades, and some kid comes and bothers my home? My resting place!?" It felt as if he was being crushed by some invisible force. His muscles were tense, and his bones shuttered inside of him. His mind throbbed with the force of keeping awake through the sensations. "I was at peace!"
Hands, very cold hands shoved Lloyd down into the ground. They pressed against his shoulders and nearly burned with how cold they were.
"I was in the realm of the dead, boy. Who are you to summon me." The figure was no longer yelling, but their voice has dropped to a whisper and it felt like being stabbed in his ears. His ear drums hurt, and he couldn't even move as the pressure at his shoulders forced him down.
Never before has Lloyd thought himself to be one to believe in ghost. Not at all, he loved the science behind the world, the way everything followed some kind of chain.
This was not a part of that chain.
"I'm sorry, I didnt mean to disturb you! I-it felt like I was drawn. I'm sorry!" Lloyd’s throat burned as he spoke. All he could feel was the glaring of dark eyes boring into his, and he swore he saw a glint of life in those dark eyes. The figure lifted off into the air, hands no longer shoving him into the ground and nearly breaking his collarbone.
Lloyd got up onto his feet, rubbing his shoulders and rolling them in their sockets.
"You speak the truth. If you did not intend to summon me, then why am I here." Lloyd could only shrug. Five minutes ago, he would have laughed at the idea of ghost being real.
Now though, he stares at the confused ghost. Looking down at their hands, flipping them over only to see the exact same color and pattern. There was nothing different in their color, or the way they gently floated off the ground mere inches.
"I no longer have a purpose. So why would a kid being here summon me." Lloyd just stood there, listening as the stranger spoke to himself. It was weird, to just stare because he could see the altar behind them as if he was looking through some distorted image.
"Lloyd? Lloyd where are you!" It was Cole, and he sounded extremely worried.
The figure stilled and looked at the stairs, eyes steeling into a glare. Lloyd turned his head, confused as to what to do at all.
"Uh- Cole? I'm in the basement!" He turned back to look at the ghost. Their eyes were narrowed, but they didn't say a word as they simply floated there. Lloyd turned fully, facing the stairs and pulling his flashlight out and turning it on. Cole came came down the stairs followed by Jay holding a phone in his hand and a worried lip between his teeth.
Cole saw him first exhaling in relief before walking over and pulling Lloyd into a very tight hug.
"Okay- okay, you can let go." Lloyd breathed in as he was released, and he tensed up when he realized the situation he's put himself into.
The ghost. The altar. The abnormal colored candles.
"Okay- so... I can explain," Lloyd glanced back. To stare at the altar that had dragged him down here somehow. But there was nothing, not even a table from where the candles and picture had been set upon. There was only concrete walls.
"Lloyd, dude you scared us both. When I came inside and couldn't find you I asked Jay, he didn't know either and so we both got worried." Lloyd nodded along, barely keeping up as his mind reeled.
The evidence was gone, the ghost was gone, and if he said something he would appear more of a freak.
He couldn't do that, these were the only friends he had in his life.
"What were you even doing down here? We only found you because you called for us," Called minutes ago he did, and from Cole's story that had happened seconds ago.
Lloyd discovered something ground breaking, and he's being told it's only even been a few minutes. Five at most.
"I was... exploring, I got intrigued by this last door and so I came down here." When he turned and flashed a light at the other half of the basement there was nothing but concrete walls. "But there was nothing..." He was confused. Had the ghost dissapeared?
Was Lloyd actually officially insane?
Would he run down the same path as his father?
Lloyd took a shaky breath in before turning back and looking up at Cole. "Can we go now? This whole exploring thing got me a little tired." Jay hummed, yawning before checking his phone again. "Yeah dude, it's like one in the morning. The other guys are even probably heading home now, and I'm tired." And with that the three of them left.
Lloyd didn't even glance back to see if the ghost peeked through a window.
His room was cold, and the apartment was once again empty. His mom pulling yet another night shift at her museum job. Money had gotten tight again, and so she worked more and more and wouldn't stop until she was satisfied. Until she made sure Lloyd had enough.
He did have enough, he had a bed and a blanket. Clothes and school. Friends and a mom. That was more than enough, he never asked for more because he was afraid he'd be the reason they get kicked out into the street.
He already causes enough problems, he could keep quiet and leave them with a home. A very quiet, cold home.
Lloyd closed his eyes and sighed, turning over and glancing at his clock. It was nearing three in the morning, he got home close to two in the morning. And even if he felt tired, exhausted even, it wasnt the kind of exhaustion sleep could take away. His body wasn't tired, his soul was.
Movement at his door caught his eye, and he tensed when he saw the same translucent green figure, the ghost simply standing at the door and looking around the room.
"Your room is boring." Lloyd blinked, the figure suddenly had feet and walked through the small space before standing at the windkw covered with a blind. "At least the view isn't... as bad as I imagined." The figure looked over, eyes dark even with no malice behind their look.
"What are you even— I thought you dissapeared? I turned around and you were suddenly gone." The ghost shrugged, crossing their arms and letting out something akin to a sigh. "I was not gone. I was just not visible to the human eye." He spoke as if he did it all the time, casual and cool.
Lloyd decided he could relax enough to rest onto his stomach and twist his head to look at the ghost.
"If you're just gonna be here, or I don't know what your gonna do. My names Lloyd, and yours?" The figure didn't make a move to answer. Instead they stared out the open blinds, looking at the building across because that was all Lloyd had for a view.
"Morro." Lloyd smiled, he's met a ghost, has spoken to a ghost, and has learned his name.
"Happy to meet you, Morro."
Lloyd somehow fell asleep with Morro simply lingering in his room. The two had made short talk, but neither knew what to truly say. Morro had been dead for decades and therefore has basically lost his ability to communicate. Lloyd hasn't met someone knew in three years, so he didn't really know anything besides giving his name and offering to know the ghost.
That ended with Lloyd falling asleep at some point.
And then him waking up, at exactly an hour to spare. If he was gonna have a ghost lingering around... he might as well place grounds rules. Or else everything will go wrong, and Lloyd being alive was enough.
"Morro, are you just going to follow me around everywhere?" Morro had been following him, he was in the elevator heading down to meet up with Kai and Nya at the bus stop. "Dont ask me, kid. I just cant be far from you for some reason, I won't bother much." Lloyd didnt react, the doors opened and he walked out before he could look at the secretaries nasty glare.
Walking down the skdewalk was a lot worse.
There was nasty comments, looks, and shoulders shoving into him.
"Kid. Did you murder someone? Are you some kind of public enemy?" Morro sounded confused, but there was a small hint of anger as he spoke. Lloyd shook his head, he was staring at the ground and trying his best not to accidentally run into anyone. That would be bad, really bad for a first impression on Morro.
When he got to the bus stop, Kai nor Nya were there yet. So he just stood beside the pole signaling it was a bus spot.
"Kid. Why is everyone looking at you?" Lloyd swallowed. The familiar sensation in his throat closed it, his stomach rolled uncomfortably, and he glued his eyes to the ground even if he wanted to look up. To see everyone's eyes, to see their mouths moving and hidden behind hands to hide what they whispered about him.
It wasn't new, and it was something that would stay for as long as he lives.
"It's nothing, just ignore." And the whispering increased. He could pick up the names they called him, the ones they've been using on him for years. The ones that have become second nature for him to hear.
"Look at him..."
"He looks worse today,"
"Does he even brush his hair?"
"Why does he look filthy."
"He's such a freak."
"Can't believe we go to school with a monster."
"He shouldn't even exist."
Lloyd breathed in, a heavy deep breath that filled the entirety of his lungs.
"Hey Lloyd! Sorry, Nya found some cute dogs and so she held me back to..." Lloyd looked up, to look at Kai's and Nya's faces. They looked surprised, but then their brows quickly furrowed and they wore matching faces filled with anger. Kai stomped over first, standing in front of Lloyd and facing the people that had been staring and commenting. "You got something to say? Come on, say it! I dare you!" Lloyd flinched when a hand touched his shoulder, when he realized it was Nya he leaned into her side hug.
The comfort was still something he's yet to grow accustomed to.
"W-we're sorry, we swear we weren't saying anything!" Kai got closer to the small group of people. They all knew it was a lie, everyone knew everything was a lie.
"No, fess up or I'm going to punch you so hard you're gonna lose some teeth!" Lloyd swallowed, even if it burned in his throat and caused him to inhale sharply.
"Kai!" The hand on his other shoulder tightened. Lloyd felt guilt wash over him as Kai turned, eyes wide as if he had done something wrong. "Kai... just drop it. It's okay, I'm okay." Kai's shoulders slowly fell, and his brows furrowed further into a look of concern. He walked over, putting a hand over to the one already at his shoulder. "Lloyd? What's wrong." Ouch. They knew he wasn't at a hundred percent, that's how good these two were to him.
They cared enough to realize he's wasn't okay.
"Nothing really, just didn't sleep well." Kai hummed, Nya left his side to stand beside Kai with her hands on her hips. She looked nearly like Lloyd's mom... when was the last time he saw her...?
"Was it because Cole and Jay took you to that supposedly haunted house? I swear, I am going to punch Cole and Jay for you if they did something." Lloyd shook his head, a small smile on his face as he shook his head. "It wasnt them, I just couldn't sleep is all. I promise I'm telling the truth."
The conversation was dropped as the bus rolled up. Everyone got on, and Lloyd sat at the front with Kai and Nya across from him. With a glance over, Lloyd could see Morro sitting beside him, arms crossed over his chest and a look he couldn't decipher.
It was strange. To be able to see a ghost, to being more of a freak.
"Shut up, kid. You're starting to piss me off." Lloyd blinked, focusing on the ghost beside him. Morro looked mad, that's what it was, his brow was barely furrowed but the clenched jaw and fingers digging into his arm he could tell it was anger.
"Sorry." A whisper from his mouth, but audible between the two. Lloyd doesn't really know if Morro hates him, despises him, or tolerates him. Their chatting in the middle of the night had been of just history, and what has changed since Morro died forty four years ago.
The drive was quiet, to Lloyd it was. There was nothing being thrown at him, nothing being yelled at him, even the bus driver kept their eyes on the road and not glaring at him. This day could be a good one, as long as he keeps his head down and receeds into himself no harm will come.
Lloyd waved Kai and Nya goodbye, as he made his way down the long hall crowded with people. Heads turned and looked at him, the comments were meaner, they stung and burrowed deeper into his skin.
"Hey, look at who it is. Didn’t think you'd show your face again after the last time." Lloyd ignored the pain in his shoulder as he was shoved against a locker. A hand pressed against his chest, forcing him to still and stopping him from running away. Lloyd ignored Morro, who looked alert and angrier than ever before. "Wasn't the last time enough? Or do you need another beat down, I think so... with the destruction of the harbor, you deserve it."
Lloyd was shoved down onto the floor. A kick hitting him in the ribs and he rolled onto his side. A hand grabbed at the collar of his sweater and a fist pulled back, he couldn't react in time as a punch landed square in his face. His eyes burned as blood ran down his nose.
"Pathetic, for being the son of such an evil man you are so pathetic." Lloyd was forced down onto the ground, and he pushed against the body on top of him. For the first time in years, he fought back even as another punch slammed his head back onto the floor.
He could see his red blood staining the bullies fist. "Ha! You think you can fight back against your punishment!?" Lloyd felt hands grab his wrist, fingers dug into his skin even through his sweater. He winced, the familiar sensation of something ripping open reminded him of his situation.
With a glance around he could see phones and people laughing at him.
His situation was hilarious to them. Lloyd bloodied and beat, was a joke to all of them. He was a joke.
"Keep him down, there isn't enough blood." Lloyd grunted as another punch knocked his head back. His nose felt numb, the tears in his eyes burned harshly and his arms throbbed with pain.
The pain was familiar, yet distant from grounding.
"I can't believe they let a freak like you here!" Lloyd felt his head roll to the side, and a hand gripped his face and forced him to look up. Voices were distant, colors were blurry, sensations were overwhelming.
"You're the reason Garmadon keeps coming back to attack our city!" The grip around his wrists tightened.
"Everything is you're fault, all our lives are miserable because of you!"
"Let him go!" And in within a second Lloyd had control over his arms and his body again. But his strenght was weak, he felt weak, even as he was pulled into someone's arms and covered. He buried his face into the warmth, hearing a fast beating heart.
"Come on, fight me you—" There was sounds of struggle, fighting perhaps. The crowd was gasping and reacting as whatever happened outside of Lloyd's cover got intense. "Let me at him, let me make you bleed the same way you made him bleed!!" It was Kai, he was so mad.
Lloyd was sorry. He didn't mean to make everything bad again.
He just wanted to breath and walk... but even sometimes he knew that was too much to ask for.
"Kai Smith, Jay Walker, and Cole Steel! To my office, now!" Lloyd held onto whoever held him. Fear filled him.
He didn't want to go. He didn't want to be taken away.
He's sorry.
He swears.
Lloyd winces as a swab cleans off the blood that had stopped running down his nose. He was sat under some stairs, where Nya and Zane both worked on cleaning up his bloody face. It was pathetic.
"Are you hurt anywhere else?" Lloyd shook his head, ignoring the numbing sensation all over his arms. He was lucky he didn't bleed through his sweater, he would have ruined something else. "There, you're lucky your nose didn't break." Lloyd nods and sniffles, he avoided touching his nose even when an itch grew. He knew it would be sore if he dared touching it, so he would just steel himself.
Nya sighed, her face was sad, and her jacket was zipped up to hide the blood stains on her dark blue shirt.
"Lloyd... you said you'd be with Jay." Lloyd looks away, rubbing his thumb over his palm to ignore the guilt. "But at least we found you, and that's all that matters." Lloyd tensed when arms wrapped around him, pulling into a too warm body and holding him close.
Lloyd blinked, his vision blurred and he closed his eyes to stop them from falling. He didnt make a sound as the tears spilled down his face, his choked hiccups was the only visible sign besides his tears.
The video of him getting beat went around fast. And before he knew it, the snarky comments were about how pathetic he looked being beat.
Lloyd stared down at his phone. No news of any attack yet, meaning that he might have a whole school day uninterrupted.
What a joy.
"You've been staring at that screen for the past five minutes. What are waiting for?" Lloyd glanced over to the empty seat to his right. Morro sat in it, leaning back as he was bored of whatever lesson was happening on the board at the moment. "Nothing. Just the news." When he refreshed the news channels again, there was nothing that included Garmadon's name anywhere.
He sighed, and quickly opened a mindless game he has installed.
There was silence between the two, filled by the teachers lecture over the lesson.
"Are you going to explain what happened in the morning? Or are we going to ignore the fact I watched my tether get punched in the face several times in the face." Lloyd didnt respond, he stayed quiet as he kept playing his game. More minutes passed, and the silence between the two stretched and grew thick.
"Why do you let them do that. I could feel your anger in the moment, you were going to save yourself." His screen went dark all of a sudden. Lloyd frowned, looking up at Morro who was leveling him with a look Kai and Nya would give him when he made a dumb decision during battle. "So why did you not fight back. You are stronger than them, so why not defend yourself." Lloyd swallowed.
Because of guilt. Fear. Anger. He was afraid of what he could actually do if he tried hurting someone, tried defending himself against classmates. He's afraid of what he could do because he doesn't even know who he is.
Morro blinked, his form gained the tiniest amount of color in that moment.
"You aren't a kid anymore. I doubt you ever were one." And then Morro was gone in a thin cloud of green smoke.
The words never left his mind even after the bell rang and he slowly made his way to the front of the school to meet with his friends.