A/N: Lloyd and Misako's conversation in the beginning here is taken, once again, from dialogue in Episode 23, "Island of Darkness". Everything else is just me having fun.
The big drill was almost done, just a few plates short of covering the spindle. Lloyd kept an eye on his surroundings, but mostly focused on his job when Wu dropped off what looked like an old printer, several gears, and a lightning rod by the vehicle's front tires.
Lloyd had no idea what use any of that could have in a combat vehicle, but the doc had surprised him with his creativity more than once, so he kept his mouth shut.
Dr. Julien was on the ground, pounding in a guard around the drill. "Thank you, Wu," he said, turning to the old sensei. "If you could fetch some more creek water, that should pretty much do it."
Uncle Wu said nothing, just nodded with a small smile hidden under his beard and picked up the two tin buckets nearby.
Lloyd looked up to make a note of which way he was going.
But Uncle Wu just...stopped. He and Misako shared a look for a second, then smiled at each other before Uncle Wu continued on towards the forest. Misako watched him go.
Lloyd felt his jaw going slack. He jumped down from on top of the vehicle, ignoring the loud clanking and whirring he left behind him.
"So," he began slowly, standing beside his mom—who to be honest, he didn't know very well either—and asked, "How did you meet him?"
"Who?" she answered, eyes and voice still faraway. "Sensei Wu?"
Lloyd couldn't look her in the eye. "No. My father."
Misako turned to Lloyd and sighed. She took one of his hands in her own and put her other arm around his shoulders. "You know," she said quietly, "he wasn't always the way he is today. It took years for his poisoned heart to turn him evil."
Lloyd wished he could take comfort in that. He also wished he could have known his dad then. But Misako went on.
"There was a time when I loved him very much," she said with a chuckle, "and he was very proud."
Lloyd could hardly believe it. "When was that?" he asked, looking her in the eye.
She pulled him close. "When we had you."
Lloyd let himself enjoy it for a moment. His smile didn't last as long as he wanted it to. "And now it all comes down to me...fighting him," he murmured.
Misako's smile fell.
She pressed a kiss to his forehead—why in the world did he have to stoop down so she could do that?—and released his shoulder. "I'm going to go see if Nya needs any help in the Bridge."
"All right," Lloyd nodded, putting on his bravest smile.
She squeezed his hand and left for the little dune that concealed their ship.
Lloyd sighed as soon as her back was turned.
Acting brave was so much work. It was so hard to imagine his dad being as good as Misako said he was. Lloyd had known that his dad was evil ever since he was a kid, and he'd almost been proud of that once.
But he had caught glimpses of a good person under that black skin and those four arms when Garmadon had come to stay on the Bounty. Boy, Lloyd had still had a kid's body back then. It seemed like so long ago.
That just made it hurt more. The man who still had a little kindness in him was the one that Lloyd would have to battle for Ninjago's future.
He had to wonder what life would have been like if it wasn't for the Great Devourer's venom or destiny.
Maybe they could have had a normal family...whatever that looked like.
The end of a tube brushed the ends of Lloyd's hair and someone blew a loud raspberry right into his ear.
Lloyd jumped five feet in the air and howled, "What the-?!" before his feet hit the sand.
Dr. Julien sat cross-legged on the ground, almost rolling over himself in laughter, with a clean pipe clutched in his hands. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't help myself," he chortled. "You looked so serious!"
Serious? Lloyd's eyebrows pressed together. If he had looked serious, that was because...
"I'm going to have to fight my dad soon," he explained.
Dr. Julien's laugher was squashed by a look of surprise and concern.
Lloyd shrugged. "You know. The whole lord of evil thing? I don't want it to happen, but it's destiny."
Dr. Julien's frown had deepened, and he couldn't meet Lloyd's eyes. "Ah." He let the pipe fall into the sand. "I'm...very sorry. I didn't know."
"It's okay," sighed Lloyd. It wasn't okay, really, but it wasn't the old doctor's fault. He wished he had pockets in his gi to stick his hands into them.
Dr. Julien had busied himself with a screwdriver and gears again, looking guilty and sad.
Lloyd couldn't help but notice the tube lying untouched beside him. Using all of his best ninja skills, he swiped it off the ground without making a sound. The doc didn't seem to notice.
Lloyd dusted the sand off of the tube, turned it just so, and lifted one end to his lips and the other to the old doc's ear...
Dr. Julien looked up from his work. He turned a split second too late.
Lloyd accidentally blew the raspberry right in his face.
Dr. Julien staggered back, eyes wide behind his glasses. Lloyd burst into whooping, shocked laughter. What had he just done?
Dr. Julien sputtered as he struggled to sit up again. He looked like he was trying to keep from laughing. "What on earth?" he wheezed.
"You looked so serious!" exclaimed Lloyd, trying to imitate the way the old doc had said it, but failing.
Dr. Julien shook his head, full-on wheeze-laughing until he doubled over.
Lloyd was going too fast to stop now. He tucked the tube under his arm and made glasses out of his hands, teasing him with, "Oh, dearie me, I'm Dr. Julien, and I just can't leave anyone to think alone."
Dr. Julien growled through his laughter. "Oh, give me that!" he cried, getting up on his knees to swipe at the tube.
Lloyd dodged him like an expert ninja and ran off, cackling like mad with the pipe over his head. He stopped about twenty feet away, just under cover of the trees, when he realized the doc was still sitting by the vehicle.
"You can't get this!" hollered Lloyd, jumping and waving the tube in the air.
"I'm not running after you," the old guy shouted back with a grin. "You're young. I'm old."
Oh, now it was on. "You're gonna have to catch me," Lloyd challenged.
"No, no, bring it here."
Lloyd burst out laughing. "No!"
"I need that!" insisted Julien.
"No you don't!" Lloyd howled back.
"I need it for the engine. It's important!" The old doc pointed to the open hood of the vehicle beside him. But he was still wearing a cheshire grin, and Lloyd couldn't tell if he was lying or not.
"There's no way I'm going over there," called Lloyd.
"Bring it here!" demanded Dr. Julien.
Lloyd could hardly breathe through his laughter. "Nooo!"
"Lloyd!"
That was a new voice. His mom sounded panicked as she ran out towards them. Lloyd forgot the game, and even Dr. Julien got to his feet.
"Come quick," she cried as she reached Lloyd. "I heard a commotion in the woods. The stone warriors are there. Wu might be in danger."
Now Lloyd was really paying attention. "Sensei Wu?" he asked, eyes wide.
By this time the old doc had gotten close enough to put a wrinkled hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "You'd better go," he said gently, worry on his face.
"Yeah. Here you go," Lloyd answered, handing him the pipe, before he turned and followed his mom's green scarf deep into the forest.
A/N: If Lloyd seems OOC here, I imagine that this is his little kid side coming out in full. He's stressed, and these emotions are a lot to deal with. If a game with a tube will let him relax a little, he'll jump on the opportunity.
Also, that entire prank is one of my dad's favorite tricks. Props to you for the idea, Dad.
Reviews are stupid kid games played on beaches.