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Being a student in the ninjago high school is something for Shade. Especially when he’s in the same school as the notorious Lloyd Garmadon. The son of an infamous villain and bad guy named, Lord Garmadon, not to mention that he knows that because he worked for that said man. He is Shade Fantasma, supposed to have the power of shadow. Also another resident student in Ninjago high, he’s in the senior year which only needs one more year for him to be free from the school. Shade was just glad he wasn’t in the same year as Lloyd and his other sophomore years friends. But unfortunately he’s instead stuck here while part working as one of the biggest villains.
“So I was wondering, will the ninja need a helping hand since some of us have powers too?” Shade could hear a conversation from his seat that he saw behind him was Ash and also Griffin Turner. To be truth Shade never interacted with them other than in class, not like he was close with any of them anyway, “depend? I mean do the ninjas even know there’s other people that have any other elemental powers than just them?” Ash asked as that made sense, since none of the ninjas even knew if there were other people outside themselves that had any power.
Well skip after school, Shade was apparently busy again with Lord Garmadon orders as always. So he decides to go to his part time job with a big wage at least, that is until he bumped into Neuro. The quiet students in the school, a friend of his little sister and that mayor girl’s daughter's bodyguard. “Watch where you’re going, Fantasma….” the smaller one grumbled as he glared at Shade who's also annoyed at him. He didn't even know why this midget hated his ass when he didn't do shit to him in the first place!
“Maybe you're the one who should watch where you're going, midget” he sneered back as Neuro then glared at him and was about to unleash something bad on him. Until Killow came to break the two of them back, “okay you two don't start a fight here” he said, already shielding Neuro from Shade first. “This will not start if Fantasma here could just own up on his wrong doing!” Neuro sneered again, clearly making Shade angry.
He rolled his eyes at the stupid reason, truly he never did anything that has been wrong doing or making Neuro get into trouble. Well he has, once. It was back when they were both still freshman and apparently at that time Shade was Neuro’s project lab partner and he kinda forgot to bring some kind of crucial ingredients for their projects and ended up blowing up their own project and other people’s own.
Safe to say it did make both him and Neuro go into detention for a week and Neuro got suspended, Shade dodged that one. But now apparently he still holds a grudge on him. It was deserve to say at least. “Are you seriously still mad at me for all those years?! It was an accident!” he tried to justify himself but it only made Neuro even angrier at him. When Shade said that, Neuro's body shook in anger, “only an accident?! You literally ruined our project!! AND I’M THE ONE WHO GETS SUSPENDED?!” he screamed at Shade and was about to attack him, thankfully Killow already took him away from there.
“Come on, Neuro! Harumi is going to be mad if you had a fight in here” Killow said as he dragged him away from the scene.
After both Killow and Neuro were gone, the master of shadow couldn’t help but feel a little bit guilty. He swears he didn’t mean it, just as he was about to send a message to Violet he already got another message from Garmadon to go work now. “Ughh… fine. I’ll handle the message later” he grumbled on his way to the lair, while thinking about some shit he needs to do.
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Well that was shitty work he had to do. A stupid mission involving his shadow power to trap the ninjas in some shadow labyrinth full of dark magic and sharks, somehow turned him and captain Olivia in a lot of bruises and burn marks. He didn’t know that the red clad fire ninja could immediately make his power dying because he could easily end his shadow manipulation with just a fire ball. And here he was covered in bruises and some burn marks on his arm, “damn those ninjas… how am I supposed to tell mom about this?” he pant as his burn mark throbbing and itching.
Just as he was about to call Ultra Violet, instead he hears Neuro answer his call. “What do you want? Violet’s busy with our current hostage” he scoffed when he had to answer Shade on the side of the phone call. “Tell her that I need a ride now.” Shade grunt as his burn and pain was being more sharp now.
“Where are you now?” Neuro asks, there’s still a pause between them for a moment, making Shade retake what he just heard. He didn’t know what to say but Neuro was already getting impatient on the other side, "I'm hanging up if you don’t tell me where your sorry ass is right now.”
And well a few minutes later Neuro did, picking him up and seeing him up and down at how bruised and burned he was. So there’s going to be patching up to do, and also getting scolded by Violet too. Between the two, Neuro being quietest since well he’s still mad at Shade and maybe even still holds grudges. And also because he works for the mayor's daughter's bodyguard in her own group or something. “You’re kinda stupid for taking that part time job for lord Garmadon….” Neuro said to cut the awkwardness between the two.
“Wow thanks for the concern… really needed that” Shade answer back with more sarcasm in it. The mind master only scoffed after he reads Shade’s own mind, "I'm not envious of you if you are wondering that in your mind” Neuro replied that instantly made Shade shocked and looking at him. As if he was growing a second head or something.
“Are you a mind reader?!” he asked incredulously, surprised, and the guy was just smirking.
“Elemental master of mind. The same as you, master of shadow” Neuro answered as they parked the car near the gang meeting. “Come on, Killow and Violet will pat you up” he said. The two of them finally went inside, and Violet was already pissed seeing her older brother was battered with the bruises and the burn scar. She immediately stomped forwards and dragged Shade to sit with the med kit already there.
Shade just winces as Violet patching up his burn scar with a soothing cream and even slap a bandaid on his cheek and giving him some ice pack for his purpled eye. “You are really obnoxiously stubborn and annoying! I already told you that you don’t have to work for that old man if it ends up with you this battered up!!” she said while holding her tears, that made Shade guilty. “You know it’s also to help our mom, UV… i can’t just let you work alone and not help with our family…” he said quietly as Violet let out a shaky sigh.
“Whatever, just… don’t make me worry sick like that again. And I mean it.” Violet stood up and went to her original post as it only left Shade with Neuro alone now. Neuro didn’t say anything as he went to bandage up his left arm and even cleaned up the cuts and the dirty blood. “You're lucky you didn’t die… the news everywhere anyway… that was really stupid of you” he said sternly which Shade scoffed already had enough with another scolding.
“I don’t need another pity scolding–”
“Shut up. Just glad you didn’t die just now. Making me and Violet worry for nothing…”
He winces when Neuro tightens the bandage on his arm with a small pout and also a small blush appears on his cheek. Which made Shade surprised as perhaps it was some other expression that he just saw on Neuro, “Oh? Did you… blushing just now? Are you worried for me?” he teased as he admits it was adorable seeing the cold and poker face of Neuro now him being this worry and blushing over him. “I did not.” he insisted on it and that made Shade smile.
