A/N: Ugh, writer's block is a bitch.

I have lots planned, I assure you, but it's near the END. UGH. MY BRAIN HATES ME. UGGGGH.

The only reason I started writing this is because I listened to some songs (Bruises and Bitemarks, Monster, Where the Lonely Ones Roam and several others, in Nightcore. Most of them are on my playlist called Eh. If you're interested, tell me, you probably won't though) and they gave me inspiration - especially Bruises and Bitemarks.

I promise, I will try to not kill people in this chapter. Clancee's design is finally showed! Whoo!

I found out that KaiNeuro is Fevershipping so yeah. FEVERSHIPPING.

I found two pieces of fanart for it. Damn it Neuro why you so sexy? XD

According to a Tumblr user, Neuro looks, quote, 'like an evil Disney character', end quote. You got to admit, he does.

Yes, I searched up on Tumblr 'ninjago neuro'. Yes, I found a de-aged Neuro picture. No, I loved it. It was cute. LISTEN TO ME RAMBLE!

The reason I took so long updating will be at the end, promise.

Anyway, thanks for the reviews (ponygirl009, I have this to say to you: Why you no care?! [about Ezekiel and Beatrix's death] Joking, please, don't kill me) and enjoy this shitty chapter!

Zane looked up slowly as his captor entered, he feared the smirk that they wore, the click of their shoes tap-tap-tapping the floor slowly (three seconds between each), the chuckle that echoed and hurt his ears and the hands that gripped his collar, pulled him toward his captor's face.

Their breath was cold and uninviting on his face, he felt his heartbeat and breath quicken. They hushed his breaths by placing their lips on his and pushed his chest down. They straddled him and continued sucking the life out of him and Zane tried to get him off but then their hands curled around his neck and strangled him.

They pulled their lips off of his own and throttled him, eyes widening with insane glee and a grin that showed off his madness appearing on his face as Zane choked in agony and begged him to stop.

The Nindroid reached up, grabbed his captor's head and pulled it toward him and began to passionately kissing him, the only way they'd understand that he was begging for his life and that they could do what they wished. The hands on his neck faded and came onto his face and tightly gripped his cheeks.

He wanted Shadow... He lusted for Shadow... He pretended it was Shadow... Anything to take the guilt away... Why was this happening, and to him?

He murmured for them to stop, hoping it was too quiet.

The hands appeared at his neck, anxiety rushed through him, and in a cold and chilling voice that sent shivers down his spine, they whispered, "Do you want me to stop? Because I can." With emphasis on 'can', the hands tightened.

He whimpered out, "No." A grin spread across the terrifying face of them.

"That's what I thought..." They continued on and Zane felt like he was a traitor.

Shadow...

Shadow stifled a sigh. Why was no one trying to look for Zane? Weren't they worried or scared for his life, or had they already given up?

Who even knew of his disappearance?

He sat up in his old bed that night and, after getting up but not bothering to turn the light on, collected his and some of Karloff's weapons, some food and an old, worn picture of life prior the apocalypse and his eyes watered.

Griffin had Neuro on his shoulders, but the telepath was looking somewhat amused at this, Shadow was recording it and Karloff (who'd gotten a nice stranger to take the photo) was laughing. They'd been in a certain position, but Griffin had swept Neuro up onto his shoulders and Shadow really couldn't resist.

He remembered the day clearly - it was five days before the first apocalypse...

A year before Griffin died.

He stood frozen as he gazed wistfully but then the lights switched on and Karloff was there in an instant.

"What Shadow d-" He gazed at the picture, and Shadow knew he shared the pain of losing two little brothers, and one was never coming back.

What if he'd died on the search for his boyfriend? Karloff would be alone again and the wounds would be opened. Karloff needed him and Neuro, despite the telepath living with Kai, alive. He allowed Karloff to pull him into a hug, burying his head into Karloff's chest. He squeezed his eyes shut in a futile attempt to at least put off the tears building up in them, but they dribbled down his cheeks nonetheless.

"Why Shadow up?" Karloff whispered quietly, making the Master of Shadow open his eyes and look up.

"I... Zane... He's uh... Zane's been gone for a while... He just disappeared and no one seems to care! I was going to see if I could find him..."

"Why Zane matter to you so much? When you first met, you not like him much. Why now?"

"He's..." He bit his lip. "He's kind of my boyfriend."

Karloff looked down at Shadow, face void of emotion, and Shadow'd be lying if he said he wasn't scared of how Karloff would react.

"What?"

With a slight stammer, he repeated the sentence, and Karloff smiled and nodded understandingly. "That fine with Karloff."

"What?" Shadow stared up, slightly confused but relieved at the acceptance.

"Karloff fine with that. Shadow happy, Karloff happy." He beamed at Shadow who smiled softly back. "Karloff would help but..." He gestured to the weapons and kitchen. "Karloff would ask Ezekiel and Beatrix but..."

It had been a week since Beatrix's death and Ezekiel's suicide and it was still hurting Kai and Neuro.

Neuro had been good friends with them and now they were gone.

Kai, after the incident, was affected greatly by death, even strangers'.

In a way, it was calming to know they were possibly happier - but Karloff had become friends with them, but Beatrix could lose her temper frequently, like she did when Neuro and Kai met them.

"Anyway, Karloff got to make weapon for Neuro." Karloff released Shadow and, despite the dark sky and the shining stars, he looked at the design, hummed in thought and began to adjust it to make it possible to design and perhaps even a smidge easier or harder. He wanted the weapon to be perfect for his youngest brother.

"I was thinking about getting Ronin and Ash and maybe some of the other Elemental Masters to come help me."

"You think Zane captured by... you know?" Karloff paused and turned to look to at his younger brother.

Shadow looked at the ground. "I can't think of anyone else." He shook his head. "Karloff, why didn't you design and make Neuro's weapon before?"

"Too much business, no time, too tired, someone died... Many reasons."

"Oh." He thought of a question but discarded it in his mind and forced a smile. "What do you think Griffin would say if he were here?"

Karloff sported a sad smile as he worked. "Griffin probably joke and make Karloff laugh... He fight robots without fear and laugh at death..." He choked down a sob.

Shadow apologised for bringing it up and hugged the taller man.

"Shadow no worry." Karloff forced a painful smile and tapped Shadow's nose. "Shadow worry about Zane, not Karloff." His grin was forced and pained and tears appeared at his eyes but he tried to hide them.

"... Okay..." Shadow sadly agreed, packing clothes, food, water, weapons but leaving the photograph with Karloff. "I'll be back soon, try not to die." There was no joking in the last four words, just utter seriousness, Shadow was almost begging him to stay alive.

Karloff nodded. "Try stay alive too." He said that in a serious tone as well.

He wasn't heard as the door shut before he could finish the sentence. He heard the footsteps on the stairs and he watched from the window, a smile gracing his features before falling into a frown as he set to work on the weapon.

"I hope Shadow succeeds..."

"You weren't able to save them."

Kai was standing outside a field, the sun shining, birds tweeting and flowers dancing in the cherry scented wind. He breathed it in, a sigh fluttering from his mouth, and he stepped into the field, Neuro standing, waiting, on the other side.

"You're never able to save them."

The sun shot down, the sky becoming as dark as Kai's thoughts, the birds screeching in pain and fear as they fell dead, the flowers wilting and everything in the field going to shit.

His father, his mother, everyone he'd known and died and everyone he'd tried to save and died, they were all there.

So was the leader.

And Neuro was standing at the front of them, just out of reach.

"You'll never live to get him."

Kai shot up from his sleeping bag in a cold sweat and it took him a second to gather his breath. He yawned and looked at the time.

"Only four am? Fuck." He sighed and got out of bed, careful not to disturb Neuro or Clancee. He made himself some food and ate it, skimming through the recently made newspaper. "Blah, blah, blah... All of it's shit..."

He slammed it down and ran a hand through his hair. He went to the bathroom to brush his teeth, to see a note in Neuro's handwriting.

It read:

Kai, I found some hair gel! It's in the cupboard, top shelf, third along from the left! - Neuro x

A... kiss at the end? Kai's face burned red at the end, but absentmindedly ripped off the note and opened the cupboard. Like the note said, there was the hair gel, and a small smile appeared on his face as he picked up the container and gazed down at it.

The image of him holding their dying leader flashed into his mind, he dropped the bottle and stumbled back, falling into the bath tub with a yell, hitting his head on the wall. He struggled to stand up, the headache dizzying him and making it hard to do so. He heard someone running in and felt arms help him up. Once the dizziness faded, he saw Clancee, looking up worried.

"Are you okay? I heard the thud. Neuro woke up to, but I made him go back to sleep by telling him I'll see."

"I'm fine Clancee... Just stumbled." Kai stood up, mumbling, "Where's the hair gel...?"

Clancee forced him to sit down like a child and picked up the hair gel and gently placed it into his hand silently. He allowed Kai to gel his hair into the typical spikes and made sure he didn't stumble or fall or get hurt, holding the bottle when Kai asked him and squirted gel into his hand when asked, all with no complain and a happy smile on his face as he remembered the happy times he spent with his crew.

He remembered his mission and then knew it was impossible because two were dead...

The other two were Nadakhan knows where.

He sighed and looked at Kai, who was finishing up gelling his hair, and he smiled softly. He was about to say something but the door opened and Neuro was standing at the door. "What are you doing?"

"I couldn't sleep. Why's Kai up?"

"Couldn't sleep either, nugget."

"Don't call me nugget." Neuro huffed and puffed his cheeks out, though he couldn't resist a small smile. "I see you've gelled your hair into spikes."

"Yeah, my old hairstyle. Nya, before the apocalypse, used to help me when we were younger. Course, I can do it myself now."

"Where is she now?"

"... I don't know." Kai admitted, standing up to wash his hands. "I didn't see much of her for a while after the incident. Must have been trying to get her head around it. She was really shaken up, she didn't even bid me farewell when I left." Kai sighed. "I mean it was her-"

Their hands on his neck, throttling him, tears running down both his own and their cheeks as they both tried to cope but both failed, and he could feel the others' hands on his hips trying to pull him away from them and them away from him.

He stumbled back, nearly falling over again and only staying upright by Clancee catching him. Neuro was concerned, but the snake told him to go downstairs, protect the door and to grab his sword. With great reluctance, the Master of the Mind agreed and hurried downstairs to do as he'd been asked.

"Kai, you okay?"

The Fire Master didn't reply, balancing him self, admiring the spikes in his hair and walking out after Neuro with not so much as a sad glance.

The snake followed him out and looked down at his artifical leg with a thoughtful look on his face.

What was once a peg leg was now an apparatus of wire and metal. It was cool - it shot out a sword a handle shorter than his leg from the side so he could grab it (he had practice) and from the sole bullets could be shot.

Cleverly made, it was similar to Skylor's, not that he knew that, but it worked as a prosthetic too, whereas hers were mere boots she could remove when she pleased.

He had picked up Ezekiel's beret and his weapon and Beatrix's weapon and sunglasses. The snake had discovered little compartments in the beret, little slits that circled the hat and held little knives in each one. He discovered you could either take them out and stab at the enemy or pull on the thread atop the beret which would cause the knives to poke out and throw it or thrust it into their weak points.

It was a clever little contraption, he had to admit that, but it seemed weak and perhaps a last resort. Who knew how long the late Sky Pirate had owned it, and where had it come from before - if he didn't make it, who did?

It was clear Beatrix's handbag was newly made, as was Ezekiel's weapon, since they used more recent guns in them and were very complex. They were at least a similar style of where his own weapon came from, and even had a little signature in the form of a K, with curls on the ends.

This was definitely the work of Karloff. That wasn't cheap.

Hopefully they wouldn't mind him raiding their base at a later time.

"I think it's clear." Neuro broke into his thoughts, and the snake looked up with a noise of confusion. "The coast's clear."

"Why do you say that?"

"Kai wants to go find Garmadon and Clouse."

"Who?"

There was a quick description of the two, Clouse's including 'fucking ponytail man with no greys due to shitty sorcery' and 'the fucktard who gives more shits than he appears to'. Neuro rolled his eyes at that remark.

"Shut up, Spikey."

"... You didn't."

"I did."

"You gave me a nickname." Kai chuckled and picked Neuro up and swung him around. "Aw, little Neuro's growing up!"

"Kai!" Neuro yelled with slight amusement and started thumping Kai's chest.

Clancee smiled as Kai smiled and set the younger teen down before the Fire Master ruffled his hair and hugged him.

He didn't know much about either of the humans, but he was pretty sure Kai had feelings for Neuro.

Neuro was really missing out on something amazing.

"Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Come in, quick, don't let anyone see you. He'll have my head off if he sees you."

"You mean your boss?"

"Shut it." He pressed his lips against his lover's, hands creeping around his head and pulling him in, his lover doing the same thing. They danced around the room, lips never pulling apart, until they collapsed onto his bed.

He looked down into the flint grey eyes of his boyfriend, and he smiled and let his worries go.

"See Ronin... I knew you'd loosen up." His boyfriend cooed, pulling the covers over them.

Ronin watched his boyfriend pull off his own shirt, he was a little tentative at first, but he was assured it was only the shirts, they weren't going anything past kissing, and then he was more compliant.

His boyfriend's chest was so smooth against his own, and as they made out, he found his hands rubbing his boyfriend's back and he breathed in the aroma of his boyfriend's deodrant, it was spicy like curry yet somehow spelt like cherry blossoms, and it reminded him of he-

He pulled away immediately, making a groan of pleaing him to stop.

"What's wrong? Have I hurt you?"

"No... You haven't. It's just... you know."

"Her? Sweetie, I'm sorry about her but you're happy now."

Ronin sat up and ran his hands over his face with a depressed sigh.

She was there, blood-soaked, and although it never happened, it felt so real as he held her, and she was drowning in blood and he pressed his lips onto hers; he was giving her a beautiful final moment which she would never truly have.

"Ronin? Baby, you okay?"

He was resting in his boyfriend's arms, and from the looks (and sounds) of it, he'd just suffered from a panic attack upon merely imagining it, and he flopped against his boyfriend's chest, closing his eyes in weariness.

Ronin allowed his boyfriend to run his hands through his hair.

"Ash?"

"Hm?"

"Don't die on me..."

"I promise." Ash kissed Ronin' head gently as the slightly older male fell asleep.

She looked up with terror in her eyes as he opened the door, light creeping into the room as the room was lacking light - she'd been in the darkness for an hour - and she squinted and struggled against her binds and gags, tears in her eyes.

He just laughed at her patheticness, pushing her onto the bed roughly and forcing her to lay down. "I don't think you know what kind of trouble you've got yourself into..." His mouth was bent into a one-sided smirking smile, his teeth glinting in the new light as his eyes boasted insanity. "I suppose I'll have to show you."

He pulled the covers over them both.

An hour passed, she was no longer bound or gagged and he slept beside her. She was lying in shock, hands open on her mildly developed chest and tears in her eyes. She turned onto her side to face away from him and began crying into her pillow.

In mere seconds, an arm was around her and she was forced to be near him. "Oh, don't cry. That'll only make the pain worse for you... and make me more insane."

He forced her onto her back, laid himself atop her and wiped her eyes, his chest pressing harshly against hers and she could feel herself being crushed. She let out a little whimper as he wiped her tears away, a mockingly insane smile on his face. A minute passed and he flopped beside her and he fell asleep, softly murmuring a name that was not hers.

She turned onto her side and fell asleep, the sight of both their clothes, every item, on the floor in sight, and she fell asleep in emotional pain.

"I know you like him." Clancee slithered up to Kai and said it loudly but not so loudly that Neuro could hear.

Kai yelped and then glared at him. "Don't fucking do that!" A blush then gathered on his face at the snake's correct assumption. "No I don't..."

"You do. You really do."

"... Is it that obvious?"

"Yep." Clancee smiled teasingly. "Why don't you just ask him?"

"He's probably not interested in me." Kai sighed, but Clancee rolled his eyes.

"Whatcha talking about?" Neuro walked over, curious.

"Nothing you'd care about." Kai tapped his nose teasingly. "Now shoo."

Neuro huffed and walked away, lying down on the floor, humming to himself. He could hear Clancee and Kai muttering quietly, and could feel their eyes burning into his forehead, and he huffed.

He closed his eyes and let his mind wander, subconsciously listening to their conversation without hearing the words and wondering what was going through their heads.

... can't tell Neuro...

Bloody idiot, he...

I'm so sorry...

... Kai should just...

He opened his eyes in a flash, frowning.

Did he just...

No. He can't of.

He read their minds... Three words, yes, but still he read Kai and Clancee's minds.

He relaxed again and did the same as before.

Leave me alone...

He doesn't know...

I miss them...

... least they're happier...
He groaned in pain and this brought him out of his state; he sat up and looked around. Kai and Clancee were still talking but it was as if he'd become deaf and the only noise he could hear was a continuous ringing in his ears. It faded once he stood though and he stumbled over to the table and he made a sandwich for himself.

He ate silently, each time he moved his jaw down onto the sandwich he felt it and it was as if concentrating on it exaggerated each chomp.

He absent-mindedly gazed at the conversing Kai and Clancee, head nodding gently with each chew.

He finished his food with a large gulp, and at that moment, the other two went quiet.

At that moment, the door knocked. Neuro stood up to answer it but Kai beat him to it and opened it.

Shadow was standing at the door, his weapons on his hand. Kai eyed them jealously.

Shadow's weapon was claws on a fingerless metal glove that were bent slightly at the end, and they were detachable.

He was wearing a porpoise grey jacket and pewter grey tracksuit trousers with flint trainers. He wore a belt with a pistol and dagger in it, and upon his face was a mask covering his mouth and nose. He pulled it down to smile at the ex Fire Ninja and nodded a greeting to his younger brother and the snake. "I'm gonna be outta town for a while, Karloff's gonna be manning the store and maybe you guys should shoot around and offer him a hand." He leant toward Kai and whispered, "He's making nugget's weapon so you better not go too soon." He pulled away.

"Where are you going?" Neuro asked, pushing Kai away gently and leaning on the door frame.

"I'm going to find your Nindroid pal. Let's just say we're close pals." He winked at Neuro. "Oh, and baby bro?"

Neuro scowled and growled at the nickname but nodded for him to continue nevertheless.

"We already lost a brother. Don't die on us, capiché?"

"Only if you promise not to either." Neuro smiled at the older one.

"All right, nugget. I promise, do you promise?"

"I promise." Shadow ruffled Neuro's hair. He then hugged Neuro, then took hold of his cheeks and kissed his forehead.

"Stay safe."

Neuro didn't respond, he just watched Shadow leave silently without moving. He stood still until Kai shut the door and then only looked up.

"What do we do now?" Neuro asked, looking to the older one, respect in his eyes as he smirked up at him.

"Neuro... we need to talk." Kai took Neuro's hand and gripped it tightly. He pulled Neuro away from the door and into a secluded area upstairs.

"Oh? About what?"

"Neuro..."

"Yes Kai?"

"I..."

He dragged his demons along the floor, nearly void of emotion, pain and terror and depression weighing him down like a ball and chain.

Their leader held the key, and they were lost, and until he found them, he'd never be free.

Or that's what he'd at first thought.

And then, like an angel from Hell, the assassin was attacked - he knew who it was who'd attacked him but refused to mention that accidental monster's name - and then months passed before he worked up the courage to offer him a place to stay.

The assassin accepted and he moved in a mere week later and now they were here.

But the assassin had caused so much pain and now he was the healer of his emotional pain and trauma.

The very day the assassin came to stay, Kai'd sworn to never let him know the truth.

Why hurt someone by being honest when you could sugarcoat it and save them from a fate you'd only let yourself face?

He wasn't able to save their leader.

But he can sure as hell save Neuro.

Silence had fallen upon them as they stared at each other, and it was as if you'd reunited brothers who despised each other.

She stared on at the man on the other male's side, and she saw the emptiness that had fallen upon him after his departure in his eyes, and he saw the fear that surviving out on the road had brought on, and all four of them were twitching and silent, the two males emotionless and she and the other male emotional.

"It's been so long."

"You've become killers, just like him." He, the younger, taller male, stated, emptily glaring at the even younger male.

"You've become monsters, like him too." The younger, slightly shorter male retorted, glaring at the other, clenching his fists.

She released the sigh she'd suppressed for a long time and stepped out. "We're all monsters, but don't any of you remember where we began? We began together, a family, and we lost and it tore us apart. We've become distorted version of ourselves and only a reunion can heal us."

The elder male nodded gravely, but said nothing. He looked to his student.

"I'm not sure if we can just reunite and everything will be fine. Think of how many people have died and all the pain, all the trauma, the depression and the anxiety people are avoiding by trying to survive. Yes, if we stop the apocalypse, no more people will be killed but they may kill themselves due to their losses." The student pointed out.

Silence fell upon them but then the student picked up his bag. "I don't see why we even bothered to meet, we can never go back to the way we were. I've accepted that, you should too." He walked away, and his master walked off with him.

When the two were out of sight, she began crying softly, and he allowed a tear from his eye.

"Let's go to the city, see if we can't find the others." He offered her a small smile and she accepted it tearfully.

They walked from the spot they'd stood on, and when he looked back, he swore he could see the ghost of their leader.

That hurt. That really hurt.

"I... I love you."

A/N: So yeah. Hopefully some feels, and you can guess what happened to Skylor.

Zane has not been forgotten, Shadow's gone to find him and he's getting some chums to help it.

Yes, Kai has confessed his feelings for him to little Nerdo, let's see if they're mutual, eh?

Anyway, life rant below, I'll say when life rant is over:

If you've kept up with To Those Who Care, you'll know I tried to kill myself twice.

Today it's been two weeks since Dad and I argued and that led to me almost killing myself.

In two days it'll be a week since my most recent attempt.

Joy, eh?

My mother's parents are ill, as I write this Mum is visiting them but is due to come back today.

My friends and family don't seem to know or understand and my best and I... we've sort of been drifting all over the place. One minute we'll be sitting in silence as we think of what to do and the next we'll be messing around, laughing our asses off. It's hard because she says I'm boring now.

My father's mother is in a home, she sort of became abusive. She hit me twice, hit Mum a couple of times and she... well, it's not my business about

Dad's past.

It's been hard since now I'm having so many dark moments, on Friday I fell into a really deep one where I could barely feel anything and it lasted forty five of the one hour lesson, and was only pulled out by a story which was funny.

I feel less in touch with the world and nearly everything triggers me; I can barely listen to my favourite songs due to them being depressing.

Life rant over.

This is a question I really want answers for:

Which character am I writing best and how can I improve?

I've been listening to This is War by 30 Seconds to Mars for a little while (near the end) and it sort of explains the situation in a weird way.

I have the exact end in mind. Talking about the end, When the Darkness Comes will have a minimum of twenty chapters and a maximum of thirty and that's not including the tribute chapter. Just thought you might like to know.

Shadow's weapons are from... Dynasty Warriors. They're from Zhang He of Wei (He - his name is He, guys - actually existed!). If you want to get an idea of them, search up 'Dynasty Warriors Seven Zhang He weapons', and imagine black gloves.

Shadow's weren't made by Karloff, they were made by another blacksmith who will come into this later on.

I actually started designing the hierarchy and I have a journal with two pages of scenes for this. I'd show you but it would ruin a lot and I don't think I can.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, please review and if you have friends in this fandom, could you suggest this to them? This is arguably my best fanfiction and this fandom is one of the more popular of my fandoms, if that makes sense.

A week and five days. Damn.

I took my sweet time with this. Well, about four of those days were me trying to gather ideas for this, so tell me if it feels forced.

I guess this is a temporary goodbye.

Bye.