Chapter 20: Two Face

His finger was wrapped around the trigger. His glare bore into Joker's eyes. His heart screamed for vengeance, to end it all. His mother's killer was ensnared and Lucas only had to pull the trigger. Joker had taken his mother and he wasn't going to let him take Lloyd too.

Joker snickered at Lucas' glare as the gun was pressed against his temples. The more he waited, the more he wondered why the gun hadn't been fired. "What's wrong, Bats?" Joker laughed. "Don't have the guts to end it all? I took your mother and your little sidekick." Lucas didn't reply as he smacked Joker across the face with the stock of the gun. The man only chuckled.

The barrel of the gun went back against his temple. Lucas could end it all now, but something inside him begged him to stop. Of course, it was yielding to his anger. Vengeance was overpowering him and he was. . . liking it. His eyes shifted to milky white and then pitch black as thunder rumbled over the entire city. Lucas understood the hatred and evil that had consumed his uncle: it was powerful.

"I don't care what you say," he said darkly. "I'm going to savor this and finally end the pain I've been suffering for years. This will end your reign of crime and your life."

"Oh, I've hit a nerve, haven't I?" Joker laughed. "Well, go on. End it. Show me your true colors. I've turned Ninjago's shining knight into a dark knight, all because I killed his poor mommy dearest."

Lucas' brows stitched themselves together and the thunder crashed loudly as the storm raged not only in the sky, but in his heart. His anger kept begging him to just squeeze the trigger. "Lucas, no!" a voice begged him. The water ninja stopped and turned to see Laurie, alone, racing toward him. There was fear in her blue eyes and her hair was drenched from rain. "Don't do it."

Lucas' breathing was deep and quick, his hand shook as he looked into his cousin's begging eyes. The pitch black hue slowly faded and revealed his hazel grey irises. He swallowed a lump in his throat, feeling the pain and tears. "I can't," he said to her quietly as he turned to Joker. "This man took someone from me and I'm going to end the pain. My father and I can finally be relieved knowing that my mother's death is avenged." He placed the gun back against Joker's head.

"But this isn't you!" Laurie said. She rushed over to Lucas and pushed his arm down, grabbing his face in her hands and forcing him to look into her eyes. The water ninja noticed she'd been crying. "The Lucas I know would never do something like that. You're acting like my father. Anger. Hatred. Evil. The Lucas I know is strong-willed and kind-hearted, not a murderer. If you kill him you'll be no different than he is. Don't let this consume you. He wants you to this, for his games."

Her words dug deep and burned his heart. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat again, holding back tears as he turned to see Joker's smug grin. Lucas gazed at the gun in his hand and felt it shaking. Laurie was right. Part of Joker's game was to make him like him. "If I let him live he'll haunt me forever." Lucas choked on his tears. "He'll do it again and again. He'll hurt me, Lloyd, you, and everyone else I care about. I have to do this."

"He may have hurt you in the past," Laurie explained, "but this won't resolve anything. Your mother and father would be ashamed of you." The wind ninja gently took Lucas' hand and carefully pried the gun from his grip. "You already won. He'll get a trial, be convicted, and then the police will deal with him. You can't be the judge, jury, and executioner. You can't be so. . . two-faced." Laurie smiled at Lucas softly. "Now go get your cowl and save Lloyd. I'm sure he's ready to be untied and saved by a true hero." Lucas turned from Laurie's smile to the Joker's grin, back and forth. His heart raced as he played different scenarios through his mind, snatching the gun from Laurie and aiming it at Joker's head. "No!"

"Yes! Do it!" Joker laughed. "End all the pain pent up inside you. After all, I killed her. And I'll probably do the same to the boy."

"Don't listen to him!" Laurie begged. "He's taunting you! Trying to make you become like him. Batman doesn't kill, and neither do you."

"Don't listen to her," Joker said. "She doesn't understand the feelings we share. Strike me down. It's been your destiny to get revenge for your mother's death."

"It's not your destiny! Your true destiny is to be a ninja, a guardian to Lloyd. I know he killed your mother, but please don't be like my father. . ."

The words from each person struck him one after the other, leaving the gun shaking in his grip. If he killed Joker, the pain would vanish, but he was a ninja. He fought for the greater good. He could end this all, but his family would look down on him for such a cruel deed. Of course, if he didn't kill Joker, the man would continue to do anything he could to hurt him or his family. The more he thought about it all, the more he heard the echo of his mother's scream.

The gun fired.

Joker had his eyes closed, a blissful smile playing on his lips, but he opened his eyes after a long pause and saw that Lucas had purposefully missed, shooting the floor. Lucas sighed and unloaded the weapon, disassembling it to pieces and tossing them onto the floor. Joker's green eyes burned like fire, but Laurie smiled in relief. "I'm not like you," Lucas said to Joker. "I won't ever be." He grabbed his cowl from the floor and slipped it onto his face. "I know who I truly am: the Ninja of Water. You will face trial, with thousands watching, and see your true fate." Lucas turned to Laurie. "Let's get Lloyd and leave. Batman is finished here." He started his way to the crane.

A chuckle escaped the ensnared man, slowly growing to a cackle. The water and wind ninja stopped, slowly turning to see Joker laughing harder and harder. Lucas glared at him. "You think you've won just because you decided not to kill me?" Joker asked. "You're wrong. This is only the beginning. You have a long way to go."

Confused, Lucas turned to Laurie, but she looked just as puzzled as he did. The start of what? "What are you talking about?" Lucas said. He pulled Laurie behind him in case Joker pulled out a concealed weapon.

Another laugh came from the green haired man. "Back how it all started," he replied. "I was once afraid of this city, afraid of people, even my own shadow." Joker scowled. "Then one night, he came to me. He took away my fear and allowed me to create my own. I was reborn."

Lucas was even more confused, but he heard a sharp inhale behind him. Laurie's eyes were focused on the ground, fear evident in them. It was almost as if she knew who Joker was referring to. Was it Garmadon? Or someone else? "Who is he?" Lucas demanded.

Joker just laughed again. Suddenly, a dark purple flame engulfed him and he laughed harder. Both elemental masters jumped and Lucas conjured his water in an effort to extinguish the flames, but the fire repelled the water. "He will rise one day, boy!" Joker laughed. "He will be unstoppable! Not even the little one will be able to stop his reign of terror, evil, and fear." He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a device. "And I will go out with a bang." Joker pressed the button.

Small explosions rocked Lucas and Laurie off balance as Joker rushed to the ledge. The man laughed as he fell, disintegrating into ashes. Laurie and Lucas were shocked, but they watched as the crane broke apart and the green ninja fell past them. "Lloyd!" they shouted. Lucas ran off the ledge and dove after him. Laurie watched them from the ledge, but then hurried and ran down the stairs.

The wind howled around Lucas as he went for his falling cousin. It was worse than the first time, the explosive vest around Lloyd. Lucas was determined to reach him as he held out his hand, Lloyd reaching for him. Time seemed to slow as the tips of their fingers barely touched.

The two rolled in the air once Lucas finally grabbed Lloyd. The grey ninja managed to stabilize them and grabbed his cape. The static energy ran through the fabric and air caught underneath it, allowing them to glide through the city. Lloyd kept his arms wrapped tightly around his cousin's neck, his eyes shut tightly. Lucas tried to ignore the pain in his broken arm as he spotted a building to land on.

His feet made contact with the tarred rooftop and he lost his balance. Lucas fell down, wrapping his arms around Lloyd as they rolled. They stopped when Lucas' back made contact with the building ledge and he slumped in pain and exhaustion. Lloyd kept his arms around his cousin while slowly opening his eyes. A black cape was over him again and he saw Lucas' tired smile. Lloyd smiled back and buried his face into Lucas' neck, happy to be alive and safe.

The brunet laid there for a few moments before slowly pulling himself to his knees. He kept his arms around Lloyd as they both knelt. "You okay?" he asked while inspecting the vest. He decided to leave it for the police rather than risking their lives by trying to disarm it himself.

Lloyd sniffed and nodded. "Ye-Yeah. . . I'm okay now," he replied. He watched Lucas study the vest and sigh. Lloyd wanted it off badly, but neither of them knew anything about bomb defusal. Something bothered Lloyd as he looked into Lucas' hazel grey eyes. "Were you really going to kill him?" he asked.

A look of sorrow crossed his face as he looked away from Lloyd and sighed. Like Laurie, the green ninja had seen everything. Though Lucas was relieved Joker was gone, especially since he hadn't done it with his own hands. It horrified him to think that he'd almost become the monster he'd been trying to stop, but he knew where his heart truly was. "Batman doesn't kill," he answered. "Neither do I. Joker may have hurt me in the past, but he's gone now and another important person in my life is safe."

A smile formed on Lloyd's face and he embraced his cousin softly. They were a family that protected each other and he was glad that Lucas was there when he needed him. "So what happens now?" he asked.

The grey ninja looked at Lloyd and sighed. He turned toward the building they'd fallen from, watching as it burned. What does happen now? Batman was a vigilante created to stop Joker, and the police had been calling him a criminal for interfering. Gordon and his teammates knew his identity now. "Ninjago City doesn't need me anymore," he replied. "I'm an entity to them, striking terror to stop crime. Police will hunt me down, hunt Batman down. I've brought nothing but fear, pain, and danger to those around me. Ninjago may thank me, but there's no place for Batman. Batman will hide, but the water ninja will remain." He and Lloyd smiled. The two heard a helicopter loom overheard, a light shining down. "It's time for me to leave," Lucas said, taking out his grappling gun. "I'll meet you back home." He fired the gun and left.

Lloyd smiled as he watched Batman glide away. He didn't bother to move as officers carefully surrounded him, the bomb squad diffusing the vest. Once he was finally freed, he sighed in relief as his sister smothered him in a hug. His emerald green eyes traced through the darkness and found a figure perched on a building ledge in the distance, until it disappeared into the city.

Batman was gone, but Lloyd knew he'd see Lucas again soon.