"Maybe we should..." Jay trailed off, gnawing his lower lip to a pulp. "Uh..."

"I can't believe you got us lost!" Nya whisper yelled, waving her arms frantically. "It was like a three minute walk! We've been wandering for twenty!"

"I know!I know! Just..." He gripped her shoulders tightly to stop her from flailing like a madwoman. "I wasn't expecting a group of heavily armed nutcases to be lounging around in our hallway!"

"There was literally a lounge there, Jay! We need to get back!"

"We could ask for directions!" There was a floundering hopefulness in Jay's voice that made Nya face palm. She was so angry, that crushing Jay's hope actually felt slightly justified.

These top secret labs! What do you think they'll do if we're found poking around down here!?"

That made Jay pause, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Good point. Maybe they have a directory?"

Both had eyes trained ahead, but Skylor would have been sorely disappointed in their lack of attentiveness towards the rear. Neither teen noticed a gray haired woman emerge from one of the labs behind them…. Until the door creaked. Nya's heart took an elevator trip to her throat, chest clenching in panic as she saw the woman freeze in her steps to look them both dead in the eyes.

She was older, gray haired, with metal square frame glasses, yet very few wrinkles on her face. Jay couldn't help but think of her as somewhat familiar… Though not from any memories he had.

"Um..." The woman straightened, smoothing out her crinkled lab coat and tugging the clip board against her chest. "These labs are restricted access."

"We were uh… delivering a message to Dr… Dangerbuff?" Dangerbuff was a fictional character from one of Cole's many tall tales of his lumber mill life. Neither knew he actually used that identity as agent Yang from time to time, per Cole's design.

The woman narrowed her eyes. "Then you want to go through those two doors back behind me. Take two lefts, and a right. His office should be the third door on the left."

Both Nya and Jay blinked as the woman took a long sip of water from the pristinely cleaned water fountain and ducked back into her office.

"This must be a trap." Jay stated firmly. "Unless some poor soul actually goes by the name Dangerbuff."

"You know, those instructions seem kinda aimed towards the pit." Jay's beautiful angel took a step in that direction. "It's the best lead we got."

{11:28 PM}

"They should be back by now." Kai fumed, pacing back and forth on the threshold of the dorm room floor. Cole was getting dizzy just watching him, but insisted on being a semi-good friend and being there for him.

"Perhaps they have decided to spend the ni-"

"Zane-"

"Yes Kai?"

"Shut up."

Cole raised an amused eyebrow at that. Zane, always logical, tended to think towards the basic actions of humanity. Personally, he could tell Nya wasn't as in to Jay as Jay was into her. He wasn't about to voice that though.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Lloyd dozing fitfully. The kid was tossing and turning every thirty seconds or so, like his dreams were in a constant state of turmoil. For some reason, this ghost seemed dead set on making him suffer, and there wasn't much anyone else could do about it.

Zane seemed half focused on Lloyd as well, eyes narrowing at him every couple of minutes. No one really had the heart to wake him up though. Even if it was troubled sleep, at least it was sleep.

"He's really not sleeping well is he?" Cole finally voiced. That got Kai to focus on something other than his own worries.

"Is he dreaming?"

Zane nodded. "Yes. Perhaps it would be better to wake him up."

"But, he needs at least some sleep." Cole protested. "I mean, I hate that he's dreaming first spinjitzu master knows what, but is it really a good idea to wake him up?"

"I am unsure." Zane admitted. "But is he really resting?"

No one had an answer to that.

{BREAK}

Dark shrubbery tugged at Lloyd's recruit fatigues, the occasional thorn scraping across his skin. He was in a quagmire of a swamp, every footstep sinking into thick mud and gritty sand. Fog swirled and snaked across the ground, obscuring his view and the inky black sky above.

Unlike most dreams one might be subjected to, he was completely and utterly aware… And he couldn't wake up. There was a building sense of urgency that tipped him off to the less than innocent nature of this dream or vision… Whatever it was.

He knew he wasn't alone. He could feel someone's breath on the back of his neck, spinning around to find only more darkness. A strange chill prickled his skin. A darkness lurked in the air.

"Who's there?" Lloyd demanded sharply. He was terrified, but never would he show it. Ninja didn't get scared… okay they did, but fear never ruled their motives. Fear wasn't a word where Lloyd was from.

A soft whisper rustled the leaves, and Lloyd's ears itched. He shook his head and frowned.

"Morro, right?"

He prodded, and the whispers vanished.

"So you were smart enough to figure out my name." A voiced hissed from nowhere and everywhere. "Congratulations."

A thick sarcasm dripped from Morro's lips, anger hiding behind it like a fiery inferno waiting to be unleashed.

"It wasn't that hard." Lloyd admitted, shoving his fear aside. "What I want to know is why you've been trying to drive me insane."

Morro guffawed darkly. "Is that what I was doing?" The ghost appeared in front of him as a patch of shrubbery uncovered the gaping entrance to a small courtyard. Morro was leaning against a tree, cleaning under his finger nails with an old pocket knife.

"One might assume." Lloyd stepped into the clearing. "My father probably deserves it more than I do…"

"You both deserve it equally." Morro replied, casting the knife aside casually as he tossed both hands up in a shrug. "I mean, you did steal my destiny after all."

"Your destiny?" Lloyd deadpanned. "I didn't steal your destiny."

"I was supposed to be the green ninja!"

"Really. Says who?" Of course, Lloyd never meant it to come out as bitingly as it did, but Morro's presumptuous nature was mildly miffing. The question caused Morro to pause and think it over.

"Your father wronged me. He killed my parents!"

"He's wronged a lot of people." Countered Lloyd wisely, his eyes flashing angrily. "Does that mean they're all destined to be the green ninja too?" The true green ninja paused. "See, you have it all turned around! you're trying to steal my destiny!"

Oh that did it. Morro was visibly shaking in anger, fists balled at his sides as he took a step closer to Lloyd. The green ninja didn't flinch, just stared him down.

"look, I'm sorry." Lloyd raised a hand and shook his head. "I'm not trying to make light of your tragedy. What my father did to you was horrible, and I'm sorry it happened to you. Honestly, I wish you were the green ninja, because I sure don't want to be… but I am. Nothing either of us say will change that"

"It will if I possess you." Morro stated dryly.

"If you were going to possess me, you would have by now. You're too weak to take over my mind right now… Which is why you're haunting me. You're getting more power over me, right?"

"Very astute." Morro drawled, taking a step back almost smugly.

"Right. So what's the point?' Lloyd asked. "Why do you want my crappy life?"

"Are you dense?" Morro snapped. "The only way I can defeat your father is by taking control of you!"

"Well you could always just help me."

"What?"

"Help me." Lloyd deadpanned. "You want my father gone, I want my father gone. It doesn't matter what color you're wearing when it happens."

"You'd really offer that to me after I threatened bodily harm and tried to drive you crazy."

"Sure."

Morro was taken aback by Lloyd's simple one word answer. Was this guy stupid? He had all this power, and it was almost as if the blonde living kid didn't care. Morro wasn't really in Lloyd's head, but from what he'd observed, this kid was one of a kind.

"You can't be serious." Dubious was the only word that aptly described the ghosts' expression.

"Can't I? Look, your ghostliness is just what my squad needs to get the upper hand. You'd be more useful as yourself then you'd ever be as me."

"I- I-… You're insane."

"Eh. I'm a Garmadon. Kinda comes with the name."

"There's no way I'm-." Morro wrinkled his nose. "I would never-"

Lloyd crossed his arms. "Keep haunting me, and I'll know your answer." For the duration of the conversation, Lloyd had been searching for an out. Every dream had a lifeline to reality, and it was only a matter of time until Lloyd figured out where the lifeline in this dream was. Finally he found it, delivering his ultimatum.

"I have a contingency should you try possessing me. It won't be pleasant for you; so I really hope you choose to work with me rather than against me."

And with that, Lloyd focused… and awoke.

{BREAK}

Cole shook Lloyd. "Zane, he's still not waking up!"

The blonde android reached down to check the green ninja's pulse. It was strong, if not a bit fast. Lloyd had stopped stirring a while ago; but they couldn't seem to arouse him from slumber's mighty grip.

"Is he okay?" Kai asked worriedly, peering in from the bottom of the bunk bed.

"He appears to be unhurt, his vitals strong, but…" Zane shook his head. "His mind appears to be-"

With a mighty gasp, Lloyd shot awake, eyes wide.

His forehead collided with Cole's nose, eliciting a pained howl from the black haired master. "Oh FSM! Ow ow ow… Agh!"

"F...s…m…?" Jay dragged it out, trying to figure out what it meant.

"Don't worry about it. Inside joke at the uh...' Resistance… Yeah not like he could say that. "Lumber mill.'

"Lloyd-"

"I just had a chat with our ghost." The blonde cut Zane off sharply, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"What did he have to say?" A new voice asked. All eyes flickered up to see Jay and Nya in the doorway. Relief flooded over Kai as he bounded to his feet.

"Nya!" He cried, charging his sister and wrapping her in a hug. She tensed up, but eventually reciprocated.

"Sorry, Kai. We got lost."

"You got lost, or Jay got you lost?"

"Hey!" Jay yelped defensively. That's not fair! I was trying to get us not caught!"

"Guys. The ghost?" Interjected Cole from his spot by Lloyd. He was still massaging his nose, which made him sound a tad bit nasally. Jay snickered.

"Basically he wants to posses me." Lloyd deadpanned. "I gave him an ultimatum though. He could possess me and face my contingency plan, or join me. If I got the right impression,he may choose to try taking over."

"Well then what's your contingency?" Nya asked.

"Actually Nya… You are."


{AUTHOR'S NOTE}

So. Morro's grand ultimatum. We shall see what he chooses (Well I happen to know... But no spoilers). Stay tuned to see what all happens next!

{SHOUTOUT- LouTheStarSpeaker}

Oh no! That's horrible. I'm glad you had no regrets regarding my chapters. I definitely surprised a whole lot of people with Cole's background. I mean, if you haven't noticed, I tend to go crazy with plot twists. I'll have to agree with you about Yang being petty, but apparently he doesn't like Cole too much, and since I'm probably not having Cole turn into a ghost, I figured I needed to toss him in there. Writing every other day is a hard habit to keep up, but I give it my best. :) Thanks for the kind words.

{SHOUTOUT- Bookkeeper2004}

Thanks. I just had to throw Yang in there.

{SHOUTOUT- Steampunk Wilson}

Yup, you've reviewed stuff under my former account. I sent you info regarding that via PM (It was too much to put here). Cole's past does indeed go deep with the resistance, and I plan on doing a backstory one of these days.

{SHOUTOUT- Northern Goshawk}

Perhaps it is the calm before the storm. We shall see. And thanks! You're awesome too.

{SHOUTOUT- Ama (Guest)}

Thanks, Ama! I like Jaya too... And we can't forget about Yang! Okay, we can... but I doubt Cole ever will. XD