OK, my first request! Thanks to Demon Guest, who I'm pretty sure is a guest, but I'll still drop in your name :)
Where is it, where is it? I don't have the time to look forever!
Eventually I remember that my parachute is in my cupboard, and throw open the doors. There it is. I throw it on over my back. There are plenty of weapons in there, but I don't take one. I don't need it. My father would never hurt me, I'm sure of it. Right?
Right. No time for doubt.
I'm about to leave, when I feel the photo digging into my side. I take it out and briefly examine it. Taken the week after I fought the Overlord, all those years ago. When father had just bought the dojo where he trained kids to fight without fighting. Took a vow of peace. Became a proper father to me.
He's still in there, I know it!
He must be.
He has to be. I run to the edge of the bounty's deck and take one look back, just one, remembering my friends, who I locked in our bedroom. They'll be OK. So will I. It'll all be OK. I'm trying to reassure myself as much as I can, because that tiny part of me, that tiny little part says, no Lloyd, it is not going to be OK, your father is now the monster that unleashed the overlord on Ninjago.
But even then he loved me. Even then he wouldn't hurt me. It'll all be OK.
But if it'll all be OK, what are you doing?
As I leap off the bounty and free-fall through the air, I ponder that question. What is it that I'm doing? Do I want to fight, or make peace? Do I want to see my father again, or avoid him? Do I want to hurt him, or myself? I'm not so sure anymore, but I pull the chord on my parachute and land neatly in the car.
Speeding. Way over the limit, but who needs rules. I wouldn't care if the entire police force were shooting at me from the front, I'd keep my foot on that accelerator. I've got to get there, to see for myself.
To know for sure my father isn't in there somewhere.
"Lloyd!" I hear from the little intercom in the dashboard. Nya. They got out. I scowl down at her anxious face, even though she's trying to help. Nya, who destroyed the Preeminent, killing my father. Starting this mess.
"I'm not in the mood to talk!" I snap, which is true, I'm still trying to work out what I'll do when I get there. "This ends now!"
"No Lloyd, it doesn't end now, it's a two way frequency!" Jay comes forward, making some joke, I'm sure. Always joking, the little idiot never knows when to SHUT THE HELL UP! I feel anger starting to bubble up inside, like a volcano that's been dormant for years, biding it's time. "Come on buddy!"
The volcano explodes.
I punch the screen with his stupid face on it again, and again, until it disappears. Why can't they stay away and let me go! Why do they have to make such a big deal out of it!
"Can't get rid of us that easy." I hear Kai, my best friend, who let me get possessed, who probably doesn't care. No one does. I'm alone except for my father, he understands me. I need him.
I lash out at the whole communications screen, shattering the glass, almost cutting my hand. Finally it goes silent. They shut up. I'm alone.
The prison looms up ahead of me, like a big ugly castle from a big ugly nightmare. Only then, I could just wake up. I blow down the doors with little missiles, not stealthy, but I'm not in the mood to be a ninja. Right now I'm Lloyd Garmadon, and Lloyd Garmadon alone.
I jump out of the car. It's deserted, but he's here somewhere, watching me. My inner volcano bubbles up again. I have to see him, I know he's watching me.
"Father!" He yell. "Come out and face me!"
He doesn't. Nothing moves, so I angrily move on. Through the darkened corridors of the building that once took care of problems for us. No one's here either, so I move right on, into the main area. I was a prisoner here once, with many others, but now it's deserted and I'm alone.
At least, I think I'm alone. Something tells me this is the perfect place for a battle, the best place in the building for it. And Harumi's one to plan carefully. He's here.
Just to confirm my suspicions, the door slams shut behind me and I hear it. Hear him. For the first time in years, it's his voice, he's somewhere here.
"It was foolish to come here!"
Maybe it was, I don't care. I have to know.
"Show yourself father!" I shout, bringing up my hands, already flaming with green light. I look around, and then I see him. Emerging from the shadows, all in black, gleaming red eyes. I gasp in shock, then bring up my hands, my energy pouring out in a flare of my green essence.
"You've changed." He exclaims, like a father would at a family reunion, only this time, he sounds surprised, like he expected me to still be a child.
Well I'm not.
"So have you." I tell him, which is the truth. I lower my hands. "I don't want to have to fight you." This is it, if I can just get to him, prove to everyone that my father is still in there somewhere...
He springs, soaring through the air, and crashing down towards me, knocking me down. I roll over, at least my reflexes can save my life. I wield my energy power once more, trying to gather myself, think of something to say, but he's too fast, coming at me again, so I jump up and cling desperately to the bars of a cell.
"Please!" I beg, he must still be in there, he must listen, I'm his son! "This isn't you!"
"This is the new me!" He shouts up, and I feel a pain deep down, like I haven't felt since I abandoned him back in the Preeminent. If I'd just pulled on those chains a little harder...
Before I can react, he raises his own hands and I see an orb of deep purple light form in his hands. This shocks me more.
"You have power!" I gasp, this is new, he never had power before. Was it the Oni masks or...
I don't even have time to wonder, because his power orb flies my way and I have to jump, and again, and again, as more orbs fly towards me. I leap away from the cells and land on the floor in the middle of the prison.
"I didn't come to fight you!" I say, reasoning again, though the part of me that doubts it will work is growing stronger and stronger...
"My father is somewhere in there." I tell him, he wouldn't hurt me, he loves me, right? "I saved you once, I'll save you again."
"There is nothing left to save!" He screams at me, and I'm stunned, surely, not...
He runs at me, another attack. I wield my power again, ready, but I have to jump away, I'm not ready to fight him, I'm not even armed! I was a fool to come here, he's right, there is nothing left to save.
I try to get up, but I feel something digging into my ribs, I can hardly breathe. I need to go, but I can barely get to my feet...
"I've played many roles." He growls, and hits me with an orb of purple light. It knocks the breath out of me all over again, and I tumble backwards, before landing unsteadily on my feet again. "Worn many masks." Just like Harumi.
"Father!"
I see him, human again, climbing out of the rubble, blinking in the sunlight. Alive. I run to hug him...
He throws another orb at my chest, which I manage to deflect with my power, but my strength is fading.
"Husband!"
Sheesh, the first time I walk in on my parents kissing, slightly disgusting, but relieving as well, my father can love!
An orb hits me, I'm knocked down, struggling to draw breath, and he doesn't even care!
"Brother!"
Two sensei's for us ninja, cool, I'll be close to both of them, forever!
For the first time in ages, an orb misses me, cracking the wall to my right. I struggle onto my feet.
"Teacher!"
"Remember students, violence is not the only way to solve a dispute." The once evil overlord is preaching Morales to children, I'm so proud and happy!
An orb hits my busted ribcage and I cry out in pain.
He advances towards me. "But only one was summoned back!"
I run, I can't help it, I can't face him! An orb flies at me and hits me, hard, just where the pain is, sending me flying so I hit my back hard on the metal prison bed. I give another cry of pain, it's agony.
"Destroyer!"
Harumi has destroyed him. I feel tears pricking my eyes, not just from the physical pain. I blink hem away as my inner volcano flares up once more and I race towards him. Destroyer? I'm his son. This is my responsibility. If I can't reason with him, I'll destroy him.
As we fight, he glows, purple fire burning over his shoulders. It scalds as I get near, burning with evil. Evil I thought was gone forever.
"Listen to me!" I beg. "You don't have to do this!" I know it's useless, but ninja never quit, even though I'm scared and hurt. "Harumi's using you as a pawn!"
He shrugs me off him and points at me, disgust in his eyes, the sort a boy never wants to see in his father. "You are the pawn!" He shouts, then attacks me again. "A pawn to your own foolishness!"
It's true, I should have listened to Nya and Kai and everyone else. I am a fool, because I'm losing the fight, and there's nothing I can do. I try, but he picks me up and hurls me towards a wall. I fly through the air, panicking, trying to brace myself for the pain, but as I hit the wall, I feel something else in my ribcage snap, and I can barely gasp for air. I cough, trying to clear my lungs, but it's useless, I can hardly breathe, hardly think. My father is going to kill me, after he promised to love and protect me always.
Well, ninja never quit.
He advances, glowing purple again, and I groan as I summon my green energy and hurl it at him, but miss, because I'm in so much pain and I can't think straight, no, this can't be my father...
He grabs me and I struggle, but he hits me with an orb so powerful and close range I'm thrown into another wall, and feel my ankle shatter. I can barely walk, barely breathe, all because of my father.
He's coming, and for a moment I want to give up, give in...
No. What would Wu do?
I summon my power again. I may be going down, but not without a fight!
He summons his energy and we charge into another fight, it's the most furious fight of my life, even though I've fought for my life before. I'm no pawn, I'm the green ninja. I may be alone, but I can fight a battle alone, any day.
My power's fading, but I fight on as he slaps me and we tussle, only he's stronger, he's going to win.
No. Ninja never quit. Even as he throws me across the room and hurls bricks at my face, my volcano is burning with vengeance and determination. I've fought before, now he's just another enemy. He has to be, or I won't be able to do it.
I'm knocked over, but get straight back up, but he's gone. Where-
Out of nowhere, he leaps and seizes me by the throat. I look into my eyes, I remember this face, this man, holding me close, just before I discovered my destiny as the green ninja.
"You wouldn't hurt me." I tell him earnestly, stripped bare of everything else. "I'm your son."
He pulls me close, like a hug, but filled with hatred.
"I have no son." He whispers, and my whole heart breaks. I don't do anything as he hurls me, across the room, into a wall, into another, breaking more ribs, bruising, more and more pain, but still not enough to match my emotions, and suddenly, I'm out, in the air, my green light is all I can see, and I hear myself scream as I fall and land, hard on my face.
I can't stay here. I have to go, run. But I can't, all I can see is his face before me, his eyes looking deep into my soul, his words. I have no son.
I crawl away, coughing, I can barely move, I can't breathe, but still, I see his face, his hatred, for me.
My father hates me.
But I still love him, and that's what hurts most of all. I feel tears pouring out of my eyes as I lay my aching head down and limply draw out the photo. The man on that photo used to love his son.
He doesn't now.
"Father..." He whisper, as I lose my grip on the photo and it flies through the air, away, the last thing I had to remember him by.
The father I want to know is dead. I have no father.
I am alone.