A/N: So yeah. This chapter.
I got four or something reviews from the same person, Kairocksrainbows, and while the first one was a review about the fanfiction, the other two were not. I would just like to note that if you could refrain from either flaming, giving me a short one-shot or anything else that has nothing to do with the story or ideas for it, then I would be extremely grateful. This isn't saying I didn't like the story, but I would prefer, if possible, you send it by PM.
Anyway, thank you for the reviews, NerdyJD and Kairocksrainbows, I am very pleased to hear you liked it, and hope this chapter is just as satisfactory as the previous.
Oh, and by the way, when I said 'little less than a month ago' in the bit where Kai explains to Neuro about what happened in the apocalypse, I meant 'a little less than a year ago'. I don't know how I mis-typed it.
I'm listening to songs that are mostly depressing so yeah.
Listen to RWBY's Red Like Roses Part 1 and 2 and you'll get an idea of what Kai feels like after the leader died. Listen to RWBY's Mirror, Mirror and you get an idea of how Kai feels on a daily basis.
This is more of a Kai chapter, or the first part is anyways.
"Didn't you have any other friends aside Nya before you joined the Ninja team?" He looked up from his meal at the Sensei before shrugging.
"Probably."
"Where are they now?" Kai turned to Cole, the speaker.
"Dunno. Probably became scarce when our father died when I was eleven."
Cole frowned. "Why's that?"
There was a deadly silence, Kai's gaze returning to his food and digging his knife into his meal just that little more harshly after the question. He felt their eyes on him so he elbowed Nya and gave a small nod, not looking up, but the smallest of sparkling in his eyes as he threatened to cry.
"After our dad died since our mother died giving birth to me, Kai became somewhat... abusive."
"You make me sound like a monster."
"He was severely depressed and he got into a gang and convinced them to give him some cigarettes. He drank for a longer period of time and he would attack anyone who tried to calm him down, even me. One day, the gang thought it would be a laugh for him to take some drugs, but they gave him too much and he almost died. He quit the gang, took him months to get off the alcohol and cigarettes and dedicated his life to becoming a humble blacksmith."
"You make it sound so dramatic. I went through a hard time, that's all."
"You smoked, Kai. That's extreme."
"Why did you even asked about if I had some friends before life as a Ninja?"
"Just wondering."
"You all were so happy, Kai. Then you ruined it."
"That's not true!"
"YOU LET THEM DIE, KAI! YOU WERE THE LAST ONE TO TALK TO YOUR LEADER, YOU MADE NO ATTEMPT TO PREVENT THE DEATH!"
"THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA YOU EXPECT THEM TO BELIEVE THAT?!"
"..."
"DO YOU?!"
"..."
"DO YOU?!"
"No."
Kai huffed as he walked through the city of Ninjago, hands in his pockets. He then thudded into a smaller being, and looked down.
"Neuro! I haven't seen you since I was eleven*! How've you been? You haven't changed a bit!"
The young teen opened his mouth to speak before a taller being rushed forward, followed by two other teens. "Neuro! Don't run off like that!" The darked hair teen, presumably sixteen, exclaimed, grabbing his wrist.
"Hey!" Kai yelled, stepping forward.
"Who're you?" The same teen stepped forward, huffing.
"Who are you to grab his wrist like that?"
"Guys... people are staring..." Neuro muttered, staring at the ground blushing as people stared.
"I won't repeat it again - who are you?"
"The name's Kai Smith - one of the Ninja!"
"What, the ones apparently meant to be protecting the city?"
"Apparently?!"
"Shadow! Leave Kai alone!" The tallest of them all demanded, pulling the stone coloured teen away. "Sorry."
"It's cool. So, who're you?"
"Oh, these are my roommates - or brothers as we seem to be - and this is Kai."
"Hmph. The name's Shadow."
"Name Karloff." The tallest teen smiled.
"And the one on his phone is Griffin."
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Kai smiled fakly, not truly in the mood for greetings.
"Kai was my friend since I was about two. I haven't seen him much since I was ten though..."
"Why?"
"Enough about me. Tell about you."
"I bet everyone in the team hates you. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone you used to love hates you!"
"No... NO!"
"Yes, Kai! You made so many mistakes and people will come to hate you! Even he will hate you once he finds out your secrets, and you will once again be alone! No one loves you anymore Kai. You wanted independence, and now it's being served on a silver platter for you with the wine of betrayal! But now you've got a taste of dependence, trust and friendship and you don't want to be forced to eat the meal that's so inferior to the one you've just sampled!"
The one who began this crept up to him, holding a spoon holding blood, crazed smile.
"So I suppose I'll have to force feed you."
Kai awoke from the daydream, looking around the basement. He stifled a sigh and tried to recall what he was doing when...
"Ha!" Neuro leapt upon him, wrapping his legs around his stomach and hugged his neck tightly. "Ah it's coooooold!"
Kai almost jumped in fear but rebalanced himself and laughed. "Funny, haha. Off, so I can make lunch."
"I'll do it." Neuro insisted as he jumped off Kai's back.
"You just don't want to keep watch again, do you?"
Neuro rolled his eyes. "I just want to let you relax."
Kai frowned and turned around. "Neuro, in the two months you've known me, you haven't learnt that I don't relax?"
"I just thought maybe you should try for a little while. Maybe write or draw or even sleep. You need the sleep."
"You need to sleep more Kai."
"No I don't."
"Fine. Have it your way." Neuro lifted a hand to wave off the protests and took out his gun and sword. "But I won't be the one looking in a mirror, asking who's the loneliest of all."
Kai watched him depart upstairs and frowned. He made the lunch, falling back into the unwanted memories.
"You're not as bad at cooking as I expected!" Jay chuckled, biting into the bacon, which, to his request, had the fat stripped off (Cole'd taken it of course). "Not as good as Zane though, but that's impossible."
"Yeah!" Lloyd agreed, the child nomming happily on the meal. "This is great!"
"After Dad died, Kai took up cookery classes. He was so good when they had to bake cakes!"
"N-Nya!"
"I'm only telling them the truth!"
Kai grumbled, a faint blush on his face. He soon cracked a smile and laughed along with the others. Zane ruffled his hair and he playfully swatted his hand away.
He was certain it would be this way forever.
"How wrong you were."
"No..."
"You watched your leader die. You did nothing. You are as evil as the one who started this. You caused the one who began this to begin it. Their deaths are your fault. Their lost memories are your fault. Your loneliness is a consequence of your actions. And of course, you refuse to take the blame because that's your personality! You see your strengths, when they are outnumbered by your flaws!"
"No..."
"Yes, Kai!"
"..."
"Kai... You can escape this."
"No I can't."
"I know you can't."
Neuro drew his knees to his chest, absent-mindedly stroking the trigger, holding it loosely so it pointed down to his leg.
He was lost in thought.
He was trying to remember.
His head was in agony, it burned, and he almost screamed in pain as it worsened.
He gave up, the pain too much and thudded back against the wall, panting and groaning. He looked at his gun and back at the window.
He wanted to know more about himself, about his past life, about the people he might have met, the people he'd meet later on, about his mother, the problems his Element caused.
He wanted to know what happened to Kai. What had happened to make him so distant, so angry, so depressed?
What had happened?
His thoughts trailed off his memories to Kai, considering whether he should attempt to read that protected mind - he could sense the barrier Kai'd built around his mind and heart, but Neuro's Element was similar to a wrecking ball and he could break that barrier with ease. Many would ask why he hadn't already, it was clear Kai was holding back a lot from him, so why wouldn't he just read his mind to find out?
Neuro didn't want to.
What if he didn't like what he saw? What if it hurt him? What if it made him insane? What if-
What if it made him hate Kai?
That's why he refrained from reading Kai's mind - he was scared of what he saw.
Kai was right - he was as young as he looked.
A scream echoed from outside, catching him by surprise. His finger accidentally pulled back on the trigger and he shot himself in the leg (he had been on watch, remember, so he'd had it loaded) and he screamed in pain.
"NEURO?!" Kai ran up, eyes reflecting the blood Neuro was currently shedding in his leg. "Oh Spinjitzu Master what happened?!"
"I wasn't focused... I heard a scream... I shot myself." Neuro stammered, the pain blinding him with tears.
Kai hugged him to his chest, reassuring him. "I'll go get the bandages, okay?"
"Don't leave me!"
"Don't worry, I'll be gone for a few seconds, no more." Kai soothed, running down the stairs to get the bandages and first aid kit. True to his word, he was back within ten seconds and used the necessary items on the wound before bandaging it. "We'll see if we can find the hidden infirmary."
"Huh?"
Kai sighed slightly. "Neuro, we aren't the only survivors. Somewhere, the Ninja - or my old brothers, as I used to be one of them - are out there. In the year that's passed without seeing them, I don't know where they are, but there are citizens that survived, including some Elemental Masters. I think one was converted into a drone, but I think they got through to him."
"That's a bit cheesy." Neuro frowned.
Kai shrugged and simply replied that there had to be some elements of happiness and hope in the world, even in the state it was currently in.
He picked Neuro up in his arms and grabbed some ammo and his gun and sword. "C'mon, let's go." With that, he kicked the door open and ran down the streets, wind whipping their faces and rain pelting down. Now and then, they'd see either cyborgs or drones or surviving citizens.
They ran into a bomb shelter from the Elemental War which had been fashioned into an infirmary. Some of the doctors had not a single piece of metal on them while a couple of them had so much it was a wonder why they weren't the enemy. A male doctor rushed over, way too much worry in his eyes to be normal (then again, Neuro held no recollection of previous pharmacy or hospital visits so how could he know - and maybe the worry was because due to them being one of the few survivors and if he died then they'd lose a potentially great fighter) and he asked Kai some questions which passed right by Neuro's ears as he fell into a great slumber.
Kai watched in agony as Neuro was stripped out of his arms and taken away. He placed a hand on the doctor's shoulder and yanked gently.
The doctor turned to meet his eyes, dark grey settling onto red amber.
"Shadow, please, don't let him die. He's all I have left."
Shadow only responded with a nod, the look in his eyes promising to save the one he'd once called younger brother.
The eyes bore into him, icy blue settling into dark grey ones with icy blue hints.
Neuro might have met his father.
Clouse smiled wryly as Neuro backed away, Karloff at his side. "Won't you make the metal man leave?" The ghost asked, a smug smile settling on his ghostly green features.
"Karloff no let Neuro face ghost alone!"
"Karloff, just go."
"Wha-"
"Just go!"
With great reluctance, the Metal Master left the two to their own devices.
"So tell me, what's stopping me from splashing you with water?"
"You care for me really? And why would you kill your father?"
"You're no father to me!"
"I'm the only father you'll ever get!"
Neuro turned away from Clouse. "Ugh! I wish I never knew you!"
"Be careful what you wish for, Neuro." And in that moment, his voice sounded so weary, so old, so tired, so dead.
But wasn't he dead if he was a ghost?
When was someone truly dead? Was it when they didn't need to breathe, when their heart stopped beating, when their blood stopped running?
Or was it when they stopped living?
"That's what happened to you, isn't it?"
At first, he'd refused to believe it. A month he'd lived in denial, refusing to believe their leader had died, whereas they were suffering with the pain and that's when it had happened.
The one who had begun the state of the world hit and hurt and strangled and tried to kill him. Then, they ran after they'd been pulled off.
It was that moment he'd realised the leader was gone and dead and nothing but a corpse.
And that he'd done nothing.
Dying wasn't always when you no longer needed to breathe, when your heart stopped beating, when your blood no longer ran.
For Kai, it was when he stopped living.
When he stopped burning.
In the time it took for the doctors to treat Neuro, Kai found a comfort in talking to Shadow, his own voice a quiet murmur, but refrained from telling how he'd been over the year or what had happened to the leader.
"Kai Smith? Neuro's ready to go." They didn't care keep patients for more than a day if it wasn't necessary because, according to Shadow, the Patient Massacre had occurred in the very building little less than six months ago and they were very careful. The Master of Shadow was very sure that, if the world ever pulled itself out of this state, the massacre would make it into the history books. "Kai?"
Kai had been in deep thought about the massacre when he felt someone shake his shoulder gently. "Uh?"
"It was a success - Neuro's leg is pretty much healed."
"You didn't use metal, did you?" Kai frowned, ready to slap them if they made any gesture or said any word that meant yes.
"No, of course not, using metal to heal wounds that are not fatal like yours was is a banned practice and hasn't been used since the early days of the start of this apocalypse. I thought you would have learnt from the newspaper. You were a vivid newspaper reader, Kai, and Jay would joi-"
At the sound of the name, Kai stood and fiercely grumbled, "I'll go get Neuro."
The speaker, a nurse, looked astounded and looked at Shadow to defend her case. Instead of an argument, she received a sigh and a shake of the now doctor's head. "What's his problem?"
"Jay... uh..." Shadow trailed off as Kai came with Neuro in tow.
"Well, we'll be off." Kai's otherwise happy and oddly sweet voice held notable hints of anger, pain and animosity toward her. "Goodbye Shadow, goodbye Skylor." With that, he marched off, almost dragging Neuro behind him.
"Kai, who were they?"
"Kai. Kai, are you listening?"
"Who were they, are they enemies?"
"Do I know them well, Kai?"
"Kai, Kai, Kai, Kai, Kai, Kai."
Kai growled and looked at the vertically challenged telepath. "Shut up, or I'll shoot your skull."
"But-"
"Butts are for sitting." Kai responded with a snap, eyes widening as he realised his choice of phrase.
"Uh?"
"Don't worry."
Neuro gave a small frown as Kai walked on ahead, leaving him to limp. He looked at the makeshift crutch they'd given him and frowned. He looked back at Kai, who'd stopped and turned around slightly so his side faced him but had turned his head to stare. He was also tapping his foot impatiently and gestured for Neuro to hurry up. The younger teen gave a frown and gestured to his leg. The older teen rolled his eyes and turned to walk away. The younger one quickened his pace and grumbled.
Although Neuro didn't see it, the older one smiled and wished he'd never become like him.
"But you never get what you want, Kai. You should know that by now. You wanted everyone to remain happy, you wanted the leader to survive, you wanted to finally have a family who was other than your sister..."
"Stop, please."
"But then you ruined it. Of course, arrogant, selfish, dependent Kai ruined it all by not getting out the way and letting the leader take the blow."
"I..."
"You became too dependent on them Kai. Why didn't you leave as soon as Nya was safe?"
"I..."
"Because you started to depend on them, to trust them, to love them. And you know what happens to everyone you love."
"Don't remind me."
"You loved your parents, and now they're dead. You loved your brothers and sister, and now they're missing or dead. You loved the one who'd been the leader, and you let them die."
"I didn't mean to!"
"You're not just a waste of space,"
The grin on their face was so cruel and it stung him.
"You're a curse."
Kai watched as his sister and Jay kissed passionately out of thin air - there was absolutely no reason for them to even have feelings for each other that were no less than platonic! Yet, here they were, snogging the heck out of each other. It was kinda cute, he had to admit, but for the sake of being funny, he turned away and exclaimed, "Gross!"
He couldn't help but smile slightly as they continued despite the cameras upon them and their faces on the TV. He doubted that they even knew, and he was glad his little sister was finally with the one he shipped her with.
Yes, Kai was a Jaya shipper, Lloyd was a Ronya shipping and Zane cared not. Wu and Misako did not dare meddle in teen love.
It didn't just make him smile, it made him jealous and annoyed as well - so close he'd come, to having that, but Skylor had decided that she had to uphold the family business (whatever family was; when their parents were alive, they weren't as perfect and happy as Nya and everyone else thought) instead of being with him.
Between continuing her insane, power-hungry father's business and starting anew with the team, she'd chosen the family business because they weren't her family and perhaps they should have nothing to do with each other.
It was then Kai decided he hated Skylor, he never wanted to see her face again and Garmadon forbid if he so much as saw her face.
But for now, he would celebrate the couple which had sprung from nothing with the others, and forget Skylor's existence.
Love was stupid.
But Jaya was not.
"Their love died in the apocalypse, did it not? They were forced apart and you held the knife that severed the bond. You were so jealous of their love that you played Cupid and ripped them apart. I'm surprised they don't hate you."
"Oh they do."
"Oh they do, don't they? I suppose they'd laugh at your state and there would be no sympathy. You didn't sympathise for her when they broke up and they knew that it was your fault and they hated you so, so, so much. You were so close to leaving the team at that point, but Lloyd, oh he begged, he begged so much, and you gave him and you promised him you'd never let anything happen to him or the team. Now look! You're no longer part of the team! I doubt they even noticed your disappearance!"
"SHUT UP!"
And this time, it shut up.
He was left alone with himself.
Himself, his memories and his depression.
"Sir! A new batch of corpses ready to be made into robots!"
"Great, great! Just prepare them!"
"There are a couple of live ones, should we kill them?"
"Nah, let them know the pain of being perfected. Let them know the pain of their ties to life being severed before their eyes. Let them know the emotional pain I went through."
"Of course sir."
With that, the lieutenant left swiftly, and he was left alone. He licked his lips slowly, chuckling just that little bit as he thought.
He wasn't ashamed of what he'd done, but proud. He was so very proud of the chaos he'd brought down on the city, he didn't care about their lives.
He just wanted them to fear him like he feared himself.
He was batshit insane.
Not only did it excite him, it scared him.
Help him.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
He didn't need help!
Fists of fury!" Lloyd boasted, punching the oven gloves Kai currently wore on his hands, smiling and having fun as Kai smirked. "You can't even see em move I'm so fast!"
Pulling his pain-free hands to his side, Kai lectured, "Save the gloating, it can only be used against you by the enemy." In the background, Jay exchanged a glance with Zane, presumably holding back a snigger.
"Oh please, I'm ready to face whatever you throw at me!" He kicked Kai as he jumped up, the Fire Master's head hitting the pots and pans. He felt no pain - the training had left him numb to most pain the kid threw at him - and smirked.
"Whoa, grasshopper, you're not even ready to face my pinkie toe."
Wu sipped his cup of tea calmly. "I see the student has become the teacher. You will learn fast Lloyd, with lessons from the four Ninja."
"Great," Cole interrupted, adjusting a pot on his head. "Now that that lesson is over, how about some target practice? On KAI?!" Kai gulped - the Green Ninja was just a kid, and hadn't mastered his powers yet. However, his brothers...
"You'll each get your turn, but first I don't want you to be late for your next lesson with Nya."
Lloyd groaned. "Aw, but when will I learn Spinjitzu?!"
Wu sighed with a small smile. "Ah, patience, it will only be unlocked when the key is ready to be found."
Lloyd groaned and walked off, sulking.
Cole sniggered. "Sound familar?"
"I wasn't that whiny!" Kai insisted, finding himself next to Jay.
"No," Zane stated. "You were worse."
Jay chuckled as the younger Master frowned, pouting just that little bit.
"At first you were the second youngest before Lloyd joined, then you were the middle 'child' after Lloyd joined, then third oldest when your sister became a Ninja. Now you're the oldest one because you're alone besides Neuro. You say how childish he acts, how he acts how he looks, but you were so dependent on them, it's a wonder how you weren't babied by them."
Kai was silent this time.
Maybe if he ignored it, the voice would go away.
"Aw, Kai, don't ignore me. As long as you live, you'll never see the back end of me."
Kai clenched his fists, willing it away.
"So you want the pain to stop?"
He nodded.
"So you want the saddness to go away?"
He nodded.
"So you want me to shut up?"
He nodded.
And in a dark whisper, the voice hissed, "Kill yourself."
A pause.
He refused.
"Fine then."
When violet eyes get brighter,
And heavy wings grow lighter,
I'll taste the sky and feel alive again.
And I'll forget the world that I knew,
But I swear I won't forget you,
Oh if my voice could reach back through the past,
I'd whisper in your ear:
"Oh darling, I wish you were here."
Mirror, tell me something.
Tell me who's the loneliest, of all?
Mirror, tell me something, tell me who's the loneliest of all?
Fear of whats inside of me; tell me can a heart be turned to stone?
Mirror mirror, what's behind you? Save me from the things I see.
I can keep it from the world, why won't you let me hide from me?
Mirror mirror, tell me something- who's the loneliest of all?
I'm the loneliest of all.
I know you're broken down by anger and by sadness,
You feel I left you in a world that's full of madness,
Wish I could talk to you, if only for a minute,
Make you understand the reasons why I did it.
I wanna tell you that you're all that ever mattered,
Want you to know that, for eternity, I'm shattered,
I tried so hard just to protect you, but I failed to,
And in a prison of abandonment I've jailed you!
"You left me in this world."
"I'll never forgive myself."
"I watched you bleed."
"And I did nothing."
"A man of mistakes."
"A child in a man."
"I watched you bleed."
"I could have done anything."
"..."
"But I did nothing."
"And I will never do anything..."
"Right."
A/N: So yeah.
This will probably be the last time I use songs. Maybe not.
1st song - Vanilla Twilight - Owl City
2nd song - Mirror, Mirror - RWBY
3rd song - Red Like Roses, Part 2 - RWBY
If you guys want to send in memories (via PM or review) for either Neuro or Kai, you may. If you want to guess who the leader might have been or who the antagonist is, you may.
* - The memories may go from Season 1 to Season 6 and might not even been canon.
So yeah.
See ya.
I suck at outros.