(Lloyd's POV)
I feel a sharp shiver run down my spine as two of the school security guards grab hold of my arms, pulling me away from Claire, who is still lying injured on the ground. I struggle against their hold, but I force myself to let it go shortly after. I've done more harm than good. Or have I? Either way, I know that the entire school will be on Gene's side, not my own.
"Settle down, son!" One of the guards mutters between gritted teeth as his grip tightens around my arm. "Let's settle down now..."
Dozens upon dozens of students are staring at me in shock, frozen as if their feet were glued to the floor. I notice from the corner of my eye the other ninja pushing through the crowd, attempting to get a good look.
Nya let's out a gasp and buries her face into the crook of her brother's neck. Zane shows a light frown as Cole and Jay look afraid to say or do anything. They just...stand there.
I want to call to them for help - want to at least get in a position where I can help Claire. But I can't. I feel a deep hurt in my stomach and a rage in my heart as I realize that no one is helping her.
"She needs help!" I shout at the top of my lungs, once again struggling under the pressure and grip. "You're letting her bleed on the floor!" As few students flinch, but no movement or even word is spoken. They just...stand there. "What is wrong with you people?"
By now, I realize that Cole and Jay have been taken hold of as well, and then Kai and Nya, and finally Zane. Why are they doing this?
I manage to push one of the guards off of me, just before the other one pins me down, and my head slams against the hard floor. My vision begins to blur, and I extend my arm weakly towards the other figure on the floor. Everything turns black.
"Claire..."
"Wakey, wakey, Mr. Garmadon."
I groan in pain as my eyes slowly open, and I take in my surroundings. I'm in a...hospital room? It sure looks like one, but it's the doctor who concerns me.
"You've been asleep for a very long time," he says, his mouth forming a crooked smile. He has several gold teeth and scars all over his face, and his entire body smells like smoke.
Ew.
"Where am I?" I feel like shouting, but it only comes out as a whisper.
The doctor laughs darkly, and I begin to feel more and more that this isn't a normal hospital room. Several people dressed in lab coats slip into the room, taking measurements of my leg.
"Hey!" I tell them. "Watch what you're doing!"
It is now that I notice the tag on each of their lab coats.
GIT
Oh no...
"General number fourty-seven!" A loud voice calls from outside the room. "How is our patient?" He walks in, and I can only widen my eyes in fear of the man who I haven't seen outside of my ninja role since I was a baby.
"Garmadon!" I shout, and he gives me a dark smirk.
"Ah, my son, good to see that you're awake." He walks closer to my bed. "I was beginning to think you went into a coma!"
"What's this about honeycomb, sir?" One of the GIT technicians questions.
"I said coma, you goon!" Garmadon shouts in a wild rage. The technician shakingly nods his head and sprints out of the room before Garmadon can fire him.
"Anyway," Garmadon continues, turning back to me. "What's new, kid? We have so much to catch up on!"
"You seriously kidnapped me?" I shout at him. "I always hoped my father would someday notice me, but this isn't what I had in mind!"
"Kidnap you?" Garmadon gasps. "Good heavens, no! I saved you from those terrible school people!"
It was then that I realized that those people restraining my friends and me were Garmadon's thugs. I had the impression that they were school security guards!
"Yes," Garmadon continues. "I had my generals dress up as school security guards so they could grab you for me. Thank goodness for my amazing intellect!"
"Grab me for you?" I ask with a raised brow. "Why are you suddenly now wanting to see me? Huh? What changed?"
"Is it so wrong that I want to see my only son every so often? Just once in a while? Ah, I knew your mother wouldn't let me see you, so I figured that looking for you at your school was the only way to do it without anyone standing against it!"
"There's something more, Garmadon," I grit my teeth. "What do you want from me?"
"Why do you call your own dad by his first name? That's just disrespectful, if you ask me."
"Garmadon..."
"Okay, okay! Fine!" He slouches in the chair he sat himself in earlier. "I saw on the news that you've been dating and all that, and everyone hates you and-"
"You're just finding out now that everyone hates me?" I shout, furling my eyebrows. And then I catch on to the first statement. "And I'm not dating anyone."
"Well, the internet says so," Garmadon shrugs. "The internet doesn't lie, Lah-Lloyd."
"You probably saw one of Gene's gossip pages," I groan. "He's one of the biggest bullies in school, and probably hates me more than anyone." I force myself to look at Garmadon. "You know, I probably wouldn't have ever been put in this situation had it not been for a certain evil warlord who bears the same last name."
"Hmm," Garmadon shrugs. "To be honest, it would never have been an issue if you just changed your last name or something, Lah-Lloyd."
I narrow my eyes, never pulling away from my stare. "That's not my name. And if you'll excuse me, I need to get home before Mom finds out you kidnapped me." I sit up, slipping out of bed and approaching the door, pushing past the four-armed warlord. "Thanks for the save, Garmadon, but I can settle my own problems."
(Garmadon's POV)
As Lah-Lloyd leaves the room, I hurry after him, surprised to find that he's really fast. "Wait!" He doesn't stop, so I continue. "Just how do you expect to get back to your dopey apartment? You do realize that you're in my volcano lair, right? On the ocean?"
He turns to me slowly. "Yeah well...I knew that!" He rolls his eyes. "I can...swim back to the- wait, no..."
"Just admit it, Lah-Lloyd," I snicker," walking up to him. "You need a ride home."
"Like on your stupid shark mech?" He groans. "No thank you. The minute people see me marching into Ninjago City on a shark mech with Lord Garmadon, then everyone will think that I really am in cahoots with you. So thanks for the offer, but I can get back on my own...somehow."
"Shark mech? Are you mad?" I shout, furling my eyebrows. "I'll just take you on one of my shark speedboats! We can pull up all stealthily into Ninjago harbor, drop you off, I can go back to my lair, and no one will even notice that I am ever there! Sound fun?"
He sighs, turning away from me and staring off into the distance at Ninjago City across the water. "Fine..."
"Great decision!" I exclaim, putting an arm around him, but he shrugs it off. Eh, he'll come around. "Follow me, Lah-Lloyd!"
I lead him to one of my speedboats, and I hop in, turning on the ignition. He hesitantly slides in as well, slipping into one of the seats. "Hold on to your Legos, Lah-Lloyd!" I laugh as the motor starts. "It's gonna get wild!"
The boat speeds out onto the water, and I erupt into a fury of laughter. "Yes! Isn't this great, Lah-Lloyd?"
"Yeah, it's great," he grumbles. "Now can you please stop trying to make a speedboat drift around a bunch of seagulls and just drive?"
"Give it a break, man! You have to relax every once in a while! You know, enjoy life!"
He sighs, staring out into the water. "Sometimes it's not as easy for some people to enjoy life as you may think. Sometimes life just decides to give you lemons, but you don't have the stuff to make it into lemonade."
"Well yeah dude, that sucks!" I exclaim. "I mean, if you can't make lemonade, then what's the point of having any lemons? I mean, who's just gonna eat a lemon by itself, just like that? That's disgusting!"
"Hey, look, we're almost there," he mutters.
"Alright, now...I'm gonna park the boat underneath this one dock here, see? Then all you have to do is jump up and get a hold on that one structure, swing yourself over to that board, and pull yourself up. Then you can walk home or take the bus or something. Here, have a bus token, kid," I toss him a token, and he grabs it.
I park the boat, and he hesitates before following my instructions and swinging himself up on top of the dock. He seems very good at this...
"Well, Lah-Lloyd, see ya around! And tell your mother I said hey, if ya know what I mean."
Done! Yes, there wasn't much Claire in this chapter, but I promise, next chapter will explain what happened to her, and how this will all play out. Also, have I ever mentioned how fun it is to write Garmadon? I can't find the words! XD
As for reviews:
Rainbowaly03: Yes, I seem to get my update laziness from a friend I know. Thanks as always for your sweet feedback.
rbrill345: Thanks so much!
Scream Queen: I wouldn't call my work perfection, but thanks! XD
Amaro: Thanks so much for your wonderful feedback! Means a lot! :)
Chic: Jasper will definitely be ticked, and that anger will be explored next chapter ;) Thanks so much!
CCDD: Hmmm we shall see.
LEB: Thanks!
JadeBlue: Oh trust me, the cliffhangers just get larger...
Script18: Wow! Thanks so much, and make sure to thank your friend for me!
Mariah: Hmm good theories...we shall all soon see...
SpitfirewaterNinja: I am very glad to have written something that touched you in such a way, friend. I'm always glad to make my readers happy or even sad, in a good way of course. I'm very sorry to hear about what happened, and I hope you know that you have friends even online that would have stood up for you if they could :)
sunny: Wow, thanks! And yes, I have watched Brent Miller's videos! He is a very talented guy! Also, I hope you didn't have to wait too long, haha.
Until the next chapter,
~EB