Once Lloyd had fled and the echo of the heavy door he'd ran out through faded, the Ninja removed their hoods.

"We - we never saved Lloyd," muttered Cole in confusion mixed with guilt. "Though now I'm thinking we should have."

"Your predecessors did. You should ask them some time," replied Wu.

"Lloyd's been able to fight all this time," exploded Jay. "And he's good! All this time - he could be the strongest of all of us!"

"The Green Ninja is foretold to be the most skilled of the Ninja," confirmed Wu with a nod. "He is supposed to be your leader, your strength, your guide."

"And... you're his mom?" asked Kai, frowning defensively as he looked over the woman. This was the woman that had abandoned his new friend. She could pass for an archaeologist or something, though there was no doubt she'd once been a warrior of some sort after seeing her jump Lloyd during the fight.

"Ah, yes!" Wu seemed to suddenly remember. "Students, the Lady Misako Irondragon. Also known as Koko Garmadon."

"Lady Irondragon?" gasped Nya, not sure whether to be giddy with excitement, shocked into disbelief, or simply horrified. "My idol is Lloyd's mom!"

"I will be in the city for a while. There's some relics at the museum I need to look over," said Koko. "I will also assist in your training while I'm here. Even if Lloyd does not come around. For now though..." She frowned.

"Shouldn't you lot be in school?"

One second. Two. On the third, five cries went up as the teenagers checked their phones and realized it was already third period. And their parents had already been notified of their absences and had been trying to call them.

Koko had to stop herself from crying at what might have been as she saw these wonderful young people immediately call their parents back, apologizing and explaining frantically that it was Ninja stuff and no, nobody was hurt, and they were so so sorry for making them worry.

Lloyd would never apologize for making her worry. He didn't even have her phone number. Even if he did, why would he call her? He hated her.

And she couldn't blame him.

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

I ran and ran. Not even paying attention to where I was going. If anyone had stopped to ask, I wouldn't have had an answer. Of course, I probably wouldn't have been able to listen to them, let alone form any sort of response.

Before I knew it, I was back at the shark mech, already in the cockpit with my hand above the ignition button. Apparently my subconscious had decided on the volcano.

What was I doing? If I ran home now, Dad would know. He'd already been suspicious that m- Koko and Wu would try to kidnap me. And they had!

Good night! Forgot firing - he was going to slaughter General Number 16!

I groaned and slunk to the floor of the cockpit. There was enough room for maybe eight plus the pilot, so plenty of room to sulk.

Frowning, I took out my phone. Slowly I opened up a text to my dad, drumming my fingers on the floor of the cockpit as I thought over what to say. The school would have already informed him I was truant, like they were legally required to do for every student. And General Number 16 may or may not have informed him of me missing.

I finally settled on, [Ditched your General with spinjitzu. Hah! I bet she thinks I'm still at school!]

I wasn't particularly surprised by the returned, [Well done, son! And kudos on ditching school as well!]

Though that was quickly followed by a, [If you can ditch General #16 you should be fine. Be safe and practice being evil!]

I had to laugh to myself. Oh, Dad. [Why did you pick #16 anyway?]

[I like the number 16. She's 16, you're 16.]

[So when I'm 17 you'll send General #17?]

[No! I like 16.]

[You're crazy.]

[Koko adored me for it!]

He said her name? Was he feeling better about her?

[I mean your mom.]

Guess not.

[Ok. Love you, Dad. I'll see how long I can string along General #16. Maybe I can get her to think I was at school all day! See you at dinner, bye.]

[Sure thing, my little evil lord in the making! I'll make pizza bagels!]

Yes. That's my terrifying evil father destined to one day destroy Ninjago. And, hopefully, one less general shot out of a volcano today.

I frowned, staring at my phone. I was forgetting something.

Oh, yeah! Kai and Nya were there when Wu snatched me! They must be frantic!

I quickly dashed off a group text to the whole gang. [Sorry not at school today. Weird dad stuff, please don't ask. See you guys tomorrow.]

Okay, friendship obligations that I'm only familiar with through tv shows, check.

After a few minutes, I received a short string of ok's and can do's from my friends. I didn't expect any more - going off the time, they really shouldn't be on their phones right now anyway. And I had asked them not to ask.

But now what?

I groaned. There were still hours left before it was time to find General #16 and head home in the shark mech. I couldn't wander the city without getting arrested for truancy - there's no way anyone would ignore Lloyd Garmadon ditching school, probably plotting something evil.

Maybe lunch, for starters? Where was my bag? I must have dropped it when Wu kidnapped me earlier. Hopefully not at the Ninja warehouse...

I stood up and looked over the edge of the shark mech. Ah ha! Right there on the ground! Where I'd been greeting Kai and Nya!

It was a simple matter to jump down and grab my bag. I climbed back up into the mech and opened it, ready for lunch.

The green gi was inside.

"No!" I shouted, way overreacting and flinging my bag back over the edge of the shark mech. It landed in almost exactly the same spot and now I had to decide between retrieving it, again, or going hungry.

I groaned and eventually decided on retrieving it. Now that I was thinking about food my stomach was making its opinion known.

My dad had made a toasted ham and swiss sandwich for my lunch, along with a carton of chocolate milk and a couple of cookies. It was delicious and made me want to cry as I kept looking between it and the green gi I'd thrown aside when I dug it out of my bag.

A poisonous thought began to take root. No one would ever know. One time, just to see what it was like.

"No. Nope. Bad idea."

All my friends were at school. My dad wasn't planning to invade today. I could stick to the shadows and rooftops with my spinjitzu. Even if someone saw, even if someone posted a photo, all anyone would see would be another Ninja.

"Bad idea," I whispered again, even as I reached for the gi.

No one would be upset. The Ninja already knew Wu gave it to me. It's not like I was impersonating anyone, anything. Just, just one time. One afternoon to not be Lloyd Garmadon.

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

The Ninja decided to just spend the rest of the day at the warehouse, training and hanging out. Their parents had already made their excuses for them to the school, so it'd be weird to show up now.

Master Wu made them study his book for a while, and then Lady Irondragon lectured them on the history of Ninjago and Spinjitzu. (It was almost impossible for them to call her Mrs. Garmadon, and even Lloyd's Mom felt like a weird title after seeing their interaction.) She talked about a lot of stuff they'd certainly never heard at school, like legendary serpents, elemental dragons, and sacred gold weapons. It was pretty cool - she told the stories through a series of ninja moves that together were almost a dance. Zane recorded the whole presentation for them.

They asked her about this Legend of the Green Ninja, but she sighed and said she didn't think they were quite ready for that. That they would have to master spinjitzu and unlock their elements before anything could really be done about the prophecy.

The rest of the afternoon they were allowed to spend on video games and just hanging out. They took full advantage.

Around 4pm, Master Wu commandeered the television to turn on the news. Just in time to see a special on the Green Ninja - Ninjago's newest hero.

He blinked as everyone gaped at the screen, showing a very distinctly green eyed and green garbed Ninja leaping over a semi cradling a baby.

"Even I didn't think he'd cave that fast," commented Master Wu. "Maybe too fast?"

"Two sets of gi? One in his backpack?" asked Misako, smiling sadly at the figure on the screen.

"Old Ninja trick," replied Wu with a smirk that was mostly hidden by his beard.

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

I swear, the first person I saved was on accident.

How was I to know there were actual uses for Ninja outside of fighting my dad? I had fully intended to stick to rooftops and shadows the entire afternoon.

But then that baby wandered right into traffic. Seriously, a brat that couldn't be more than maybe three just unbuckled their own stroller while their mom was chatting to a shopkeeper, climbed down, and walked right into the street!

And no. One. Noticed.

What was I supposed to do? Of course I leaped off the rooftop and snatched the baby just as a semi's horn started blaring. And once I was in the street, of course I had to get out of there before I got hit! Which meant a leap and flip over said semi back onto the sidewalk.

And, like, the mom was right there, so of course I handed the baby back, getting ready to stutter a normal Lloyd Garmadon excuse that no, I wasn't stealing her baby to turn him evil... when the applause started.

"There's a new Ninja!"

"You're a hero!"

"A green Ninja!"

"Is your element nature?"

"He saved that baby!"

"No! I bet it's wind! It's wind, right?!"

"Thank you, Green Ninja!"

And... just... wow.

"You're welcome," I told the mom, softly. She smiled through tears as she continued mouthing "thank you, thank you, thank you," and kissing her baby.

So, that was the first. The second I guess I have no excuses for. But someone had to get those people out of that burning building, and the firemen were never going to make it in time.

And then that kitty was stuck in a drainpipe.

That little girl was lost.

There was an old lady, struggling with her groceries.

A tourist couldn't figure out how to purchase tickets for the skytram.

And how do you say no to a kid that no one wants to play ball with? I mean, I can relate.

In short, best. Day. Of. My life.

People actually smiled and cheered when they saw me! And they didn't even know me, not really! They immediately trusted and respected me, and it seems every little thing I did made them like me more. I couldn't stop smiling beneath my hood. It was amazing. Was this how the Ninja felt all the time? Is this what it was like to not be Lloyd Garmadon? Was this what I had so emphatically rejected?

It was such a different face to the citizens of Ninjago City. They weren't a nasty group of bullies and cowards, but normal people, with everyday struggles and everyday worries. That needed a helping hand from a stranger once in a while.

When I came on the owner of a pilates studio sadly sorting through the rubble of his smashed building, it came as a blow to realize my dad did this.

"Can... can I help?" I awkwardly asked.

The man nodded, his eyes deep and exhausted, his face and hands streaked with dirt. "I'm trying to find a filing cabinet. It had all my paperwork in it, all my certificates and the numbers I need for the insurance and my bank and everything. I had it all on my computer, but..." He gestured to the wreckage of a large, old desktop.

I got to work, helping the guy who I remembered cursing me, Lloyd Garmadon, just yesterday. We moved aside chunks of wall and pieces of roof and ruined pilates equipment and eventually found the filing cabinet.

"Thank you, Green Ninja," the man said, relieved and completely sincere.

I realized something. Or, rather, I felt it punch me in the gut. Something that I thought I knew, but never really "knew", you know?

The people of Ninjago aren't bad.

My dad is.

"You're welcome," I softly told the man. And with a dash and a leap I returned to the shadows and rooftops.

My best day ever was ruined. I couldn't stop wondering about next time my dad invaded. Next time he came to crush buildings and endanger civilians. Would I really be able to do nothing?

But could I fight my dad?

No. I couldn't. I wouldn't. My dad was worth more than any of these people.

I headed home. Home to casual questions about how my evil day went, homemade pizza bagels, and maybe a stupid movie. Home to a Dad that never abandoned me, that never hurt me, that tucked me in every single night no matter how much I complained that I was too old.

How could I ever abandon all that?