Chapter Text
He opened his eyes only to be met with more darkness. He was in a dark alley surrounded by trash. Echo blinked a few times processing what had happened and wondering where he was, not to mention how he got here. He was just in the lighthouse and now he was somewhere else. A place he had never seen before.
Echo tried to stand up but noticed his left leg wasn’t attached to the rest of his body anymore. He was lucky enough both his arms were still where they were supposed to be. Echo did his best to connect his leg again. He was never that good with this as he was. Just then Echo remembered one thing that could help him remember. The memory switch.
Echo hated he had it. Why would he need a way to forget everything. Hopefully it could help him now. Echo carefully opened his chest plate and flipped the switch.
Memories flooded his brain. Memories of people coming to the lighthouse asking for help, memories of the same people taking him from the lighthouse. Them doing something to him that send shivers down his spine. They had used Echo and made him into something he never thought would have been possible. They had scraped Echo from existence and created Mr. E.
He gained the memories of Mr. E. The memories of fighting people that were doing the right thing scared Echo. These people, ninja his mind supplied, were doing what was right, while Echo had done the opposite. He was hurting them and the innocent people.
Then the last memory of Mr. E hit him. A man, Garmadon, destroying his body for failing to complete his mission.
Echo stared at the wall ahead of him. He had done all of that. He had hurt these people. It scared Echo. Was this why his father left him? Echo knew he was never enough for the man. He had only been created to replace Zane. The perfect son, not the cheap copy.
As the memories started to set on more, Echo recalled one thing in particular, Zane. The Zane that Echo was supposed to replace was the white ninja. One of the heroes that Mr. E had fought and more importantly almost destroyed. Of course, father would prefer a hero over what Echo was. All Echo had ever wanted was to meet his big brother and have their fathers love as well.
Zane knew it was a stupid idea. Pixal had gotten a signal of what they could assume was Mr. E. Everyone wanted to make sure he was thrown into Kryptarium, everyone but Zane. Zane asked them to let him check it out alone first.
It was good thing he did. Zane did not find Mr. E but a scared nindroid that looked just like him.
It wasn’t like looking at the nindroid Borg had made all those years ago. He never gave them a face, let alone one as detailed as Zane’s, or the face of the droid before him. Not to mention that this one displayed emotions, just like Zane and Pixal. He wasn’t just a droid built to fight. He was made to be a person. Why would the Sons of Garmadon bother to go that far?
“Hello.”, Zane greeted him.
Echo’s head shot up when he heard the voice. He didn’t notice anyone coming closer, something had been to be wrong with his sensors. When Echo looked up it was like looking into a mirror, well almost they had their differences. He was looking at the one he was built after, the original Zane.
“He-llo.”, great his voice box was busted too.
Echo didn’t expect the older to look at him with such kind eyes and offer him a hand. He had to know who Echo was, that he was Mr. E. Would his own brother send Echo to prison? Did Zane even know about Echo? Would knowing make it better or worse? Echo didn’t know if he should take his hand. He took it anyway.
As soon as Zane pulled Echo to his feet, Echo stumbled. His leg wasn’t the only thing busted; Echo knew already that much of his interior was busted but Echo had no way to repair it. He didn’t have the tools to do any of that, let alone the skill to fix himself. Luckily for Echo, Zane caught him before he could fall. Echo noticed the older nindroid looking at Echo’s chest. His jacket was still opened from when he opened his chest panel. Echo knew what he was looking at. The symbol their father placed on all of his creations. The Sons of Garmadon had an odd sense of humor in letting it stay where it always had been.
“Father built you.”, Zane stated.
Echo could only nod as he looked away from the older. Echo didn’t know how Zane would react, but it wasn’t with a hug. The hug was cold, but not in the way it had been in the alley. Somehow that hug was welcoming despite the cold. Echo wasn’t sure when he last hugged someone or if he ever hugged someone.
Everything after happened faster than Echo was ready for. Zane brought Echo to his car and they started driving towards the Monastery, all while talking about something. Echo wasn’t really listening. He was processing what was going on. But Echo had to admit, listening to Zane was nice.
After who knows how long – great his internal clock was broken too – they reached the monastery. Inside he was at first greeted by glares, he should have expected that, but then two of the ninja froze as they looked at him. The water ninja and the blue one. Echo really had to learn their names.
“Echo?”, the woman asked.
How did she know his name?
“Is that your name?”, Zane asked as gentle as he had been the whole time.
Echo nodded unsure how that revelation seemed to calm everyone down. Something in the atmosphere shifted but Echo couldn’t pin point it.
“You are in desperate need for repairs.”, said someone from his left. Echo jumped a little in surprise and lost his balance, but Zane caught him easy enough. Echo then looked at the one that spoke. She was a nindroid too.
She prompted the rest of the ninja to let him get fixed up first. After a rather quick repair, she – Pixal – was really good!
“Thank you.”, Echo said.
She smiled at him as they walked to where the rest of the group was, Pixal said they were in the living room.
When they entered Zane quickly ushered Echo to sit next to him as the two of the ninja, Jay and Nya, pulled out a whiteboard. They explained everything that had happened a few years ago.
Turns out a Djinn named Nadakhan had tried taking over Ninjago, which led them to hide at the lighthouse where they found Echo. Echo helped them. In the end they had to rewind time and Echo was back at the lighthouse without memories.
“Did you remember me?”, Echo asked. The ninja were surprised how young his voice sounded. Like he was closer to Lloyd in age than them. He probably was.
“Not at first. Everything was pretty messy after we rewound time. Eventually we did and we told everyone the second we did. Zane flew to the lighthouse that day but you were gone.”, Nya explained.
“The Sons of Garmadon showed up and well, made me into Mr. E.”, Echo admitted. Echo looked up at them, “I’m sorry for what I did.”
Zane was close to hug him again. “You didn’t have a choice. We were created to protect those who cannot protect themselves. And someone abused that for their own gain.” Echo leaned into the hug more than he had the first time around. He was really growing to enjoy the cold hugs.
Zane eventually led Echo to his new room. Apparently, Lloyd had prepared one of the spare bedrooms while Echo was with Pixal. It was plain but Zane promised he had all the time to decorate it like he wanted. Just before Zane left to let Echo got some rest after a undoubtably stressful day he said one more thing.
“We know who Mr. E was, but we’d love to get to know Echo.”, Zane smiled, “I would love to get to know my little brother.”
Echo smiled at his big brother – he had a big brother now! He may not be sure who he was yet, but something told him he’d have all the time in the world to figure that out.