Chapter 2 of the day!


Morro silently fumed from the corner of the room as Lloyd explained his grand plan. Getting Nya to unlock her true potential would be trickier than the green ninja was letting on to his friends… Ha! Friends. That term applied losely to these pathetic morons.

Despite the rocky beginnings, Morro couldn't lie that the struggles endured under elite training was tempering their friendships; and that didn't bode well for Morro. Even if Lloyd couldn't get Nya trained in time, there were still a few other begrudging allies to pose a problem.

You see, Morro wasn't trapped. He could come and go at will, but Lloyd was. And if Morro took over, then he'd be just as trapped as they were. His plan had initially been to infiltrate some weaker minds among the bases's rabble.

Ironically, elementals had some of the hardest minds to infiltrate, even if they hadn't practiced like Lloyd had. Taking over the janitor or a few guards and rigging an escape would have been astoundingly simple, but now Garmadon was aware of his presence. That had been the wrench tossed in the works.

Suddenly only elites were on guard around the pit, making somewhat lighter security; but of course… elementals were harder to crack in the mind department. He didn't want to exert the energy required to take over another ellie's mind. Unlike other ghosts, becoming tangible was impossibly difficult. He had never touched the cursed realm. He was just undead, his purpose in life never having been fulfilled. How he had begged and pleaded to be allowed on, but no. He still had far too much unfinished business. It just couldn't be overlooked by the powers above.

By Lloyd's freaking grandfather no less. That was another sore spot. Lloyd's family had only ever done him injustice. Why would Lloyd be any different? Why should Morro give Lloyd's grandfather the satisfaction of watching the kid he'd rejected from a better life aid his flesh and blood in defeating more of his flesh and blood?

Bah. Whatever.

Morro owed no one anything. It was uncanny the way that robot occasionally glanced at him. He didn't see recognition of sight, no evidence that Zane was actually laying eyes on him; but nevertheless, he was aware Morro existed and was presence. This was a fact that he quickly pointed out to Lloyd.

"Lloyd you are aware that-"

"Morro's present?" Lloyd guessed, his eyes narrowed at the chalky white floor. "Yeah. He makes the back of my neck tingle whenever he's hanging around. I just hope he'll make the right choice."

Oh that was the final straw. Morro was done hanging around this dump. He was gonna go find some fresh air and hope it wasn't raining.

{7:56 AM}

No one had gotten a wink of sleep that night. Lloyd had laid out his battle plan, more for himself than for the others. Honestly, he was a bundle of frayed and raw nerves. He hadn't been as attentive towards his team in the last few days. Their training was improving, but Lloyd's ability to lead it was slipping. Kai had a natural aptitude for it, picking things up faster than any of the others…. Well aside from Cole, but Lloyd suspected he would 'get really good really fast.'

Garmadon beat them down. This was a daily occurrence all of them had grown to dread. His absence was no more. Garmadon wiped the training mats with every last one of them. Lloyd managed to stay standing the longest, but eventually a well aimed kick to the chin sent him flying into a wall.

"Now." Garmadon drawled, walking amongst the battered trainees. "What was Kai's mistake?"

Jay groaned, lifting one hand into the air from his sprawled position on the floor. It swayed heavily, flopping to his chest.

"Yes, Ellie number three." Pet nicknames. Oh how Nya hated them. This however was a new one. It seemed Garmadon used whatever means he could to amuse himself. Now they were just ellie number 'insert here.'

Jay figured out pretty quickly that he was Ellie number three… because everyone including Kai lifted their heads from the floor to look at him. Oh if looks could kill, Kai would be melting Jay to a puddle of goo.

"He… got his butt kicked?"

he dark lord halted his pacing, towering over Jay with a highly unamused look plastered on his wrinkled old face.

"His form was off, hands too low, leaving me an opening. What about Jay?" Garmadon continued.

This time Nya spoke up. "He moved too slow."

"Thank you, Nya. Now what was your fault?" The dark lord actually reached down, grabbing her wrist to pull her up.

"I had my feet too close together, making my base too unsteady."

Garmadon nodded. "Indeed. You seem to be having trouble with this fighting style."

Nya flustered, rubbing her wrist like it had been burned by hellfire itself. "I- uh."

"Stay after class. I may have an alternative for you."

Jay gulped, clambering to his feet as Kai looked genuinely concerned for his sister's wellbeing. Taking the initiative, Kai brushed an invisible speck of dust off his trousers and frowned.

"Can I learn too?"

The dark lord leveled a stare rivaling that of the supposedly deceased serpentine and scowled at Kai. "No."

{9:23 AM}

"Who are you and what happened to etiquette class?" Jay demanded. "I was finally getting things figured out!"

"Jay, you totally flunked it." Kai deadpanned.

"I am Neuro and this is Karlof. Your etiquette class has hereby been absolved, and I am the instructor for Emperical Law. Karlof here is retaking the class for a refresher…. By order of the Empress."

Neuro gestured to the sulking master of metal before studying his class. Unlike the others, he and Karlof weren't kids when they were culled. The smaller ones had clung to them like lifelines, and while those children matured into teenagers, Karlof and Neuro became adults. Neuro still felt obligated to defend these younger elementals, perhaps reminiscent of the old days when he recited passages of literature at bed time.

Of course these kids wouldn't want bed time stories read to them. They were mid to late teens, but Neuro could still make his class as inviting as possible. He could glean most recent memories, but even those didn't do Garmadon's war path as much justice as the bruises and bleeding noses or fat lips. He was inwardly appalled, but examples had been made of those who spoke up… So Neuro just pursed his lips.

Most of them seemed at ease, clearly relieved to be out of Garmadon's class; but one was still exuding high amounts of stress mingled with underlying fear. That would have been Lloyd. A quick glimpse revealed the presence of a ghost, but Neuro quickly crossed that out of the list of factors. No, Lloyd was keeping an evidently fair amount of distance between himself and Karlof, casting furtive and anxious gazes at the master of metal.

What was that about?

Neuro couldn't figure it out, and there wasn't time. Class had realistically started five minutes ago.

"You'll find your text books at your desks." Neuro stated, walking towards the speaker's podium and adjusting his suit by tugging the hem down.

{BREAK}

Nya stood alone facing Garmadon, beads of nervous sweat forming on her temple. The others had left just moments ago, and now she was alone with this… this monster. Who knew what he had planned for her. Despite the civality he had demonstrated, she was anxious as to what he had planned.

"You have the know-how, but Spinjitzu does not seem to be your style." Garmadon declared, not a question. "So from this point on, you will attend both Spinjitzu and a private class with me. It may even give you an advantage."

"What is it you're teaching me?" Nya demanded.

"The way of the Samurai."

{10:33 AM}

Neuro ended his class. Even he knew it was boring, but somehow it was Jay who wound up asking the most questions. He hadn't pegged Jay as the learning type. Patiently, Neuro answered every question, slightly amused by the agonized eye rolls of his allies.

When class let out, he finally embraced his curiosity, and held Lloyd back.

"Lloyd, a moment."

His friends stopped to wait, but Neuro stiffened his back and nodded at them. "I won't be long. I just had a question."

The hesitancy was practically tangible, but the immovable look on the mind master's face got them moving along. As soon as he had tugged the doors shut, Neuro poured Lloyd a cup of tea and offered it to him.

"Thanks." Neuro noticed the tension drain from the kid's shoulders as he accepted the steaming earle gray.

"Lloyd… I will not beat around the bush here. I noticed you were rather wary of Karlof, yet not the man who could read minds. May I ask why?"

It was clearly the wrong question to ask, because Lloyd's eyes flashed with both fear and fury… That was new? Perhaps it had just been buried before, but there was certainly anger hidden there too.

For a moment, Neuro debated the probability of his question being answered at all.

"It's a long story."

But Lloyd dredging up the memory was enough for Neuro. He could see the memory flashing through the kid's mind, like a rampant flood tearing through a valley, deterred by nothing.

{THREE MONTHS AGO}

"Agent Donegan, come in." Pixal's voice chirped brightly into Lloyd's comm link. He was perched on the ruins of Borg's tower, watching the moving people bellow.

"This is Donegan." Lloyd replied, "I think the Empress has every elite out today. Are you sure this can't wait?"

"I'm positive." Pixal replied grimly. "The heart must be delivered to agent Maya today. Otherwise her chance of survival will dip to the negatives."

Lloyd subconsciously shifted the transplant container in his pack to make sure it was stable. Time was of the utmost importance. This heart would expire in three hours, and it needed to be at Borg's medical base before that. Biting his lip, Lloyd tapped the electronic visor built into his green Gi. Instantly blue highlights flickered into vision, directing him along the best possible route.

"Copy that. I'm moving out. Tell Borg I'm en route."

"Affirmative. Pixal out."

Lloyd launched off. He was no stranger to parkour. No he was adept of traversing deadly landscape in record setting speeds.

Now he just had to dodge a bunch of elementals with a grudge.

It took him the better part of an hour, but evading Harumi's forces took more time than skill. At one point, he had to take a ground route, and that's what tripped him up.

It wasn't for lack of stealth, but rather luck.

"Hey mommy, look, a ninja!"

Lloyd froze, fingers clutching the pipe running vertical along the wall. He was about six feet off the ground, traveling up; but some kid chose that point to look out the open window.

He wasn't really sure what hit him next, but it was hard and heavy. A metallic thud made Lloyd's ears ring, something heavily throwing his balance off.

The pipe slipped from his fingers, and Lloyd shifted his weight to avoid crushing the box on his back, hitting the ground with his shoulder.

A metallic fist balled up in the front of his Gi, hoisting him up and throwing him into a brick wall.

"Agent Donegan!" Pixal cried. "The integrity of the transport container is at seventy-three percent!"

Lloyd didn't reply, just coughing weakly and trying to drag air back into his lungs. He hopped back to his feet.

"Hello, little traitor." Karlof drawled. "We were never introduced. I am Karlof."

"Donegan." Lloyd replied. "Fritz Donegan."

"You... You cause lots of problems for my friends! You will pay!" Karlof huffed. "Surrender Fitz, or get pounded to tiny pulp... very painfully."

"Surrender? Never." Lloyd shot back, cracking his knuckles and getting ready to move. He was nervous, but not enough to give up.

"Pounded to tiny pulp it is then!"

With a roar, Karlof slammed his fists together, turning to pure metal before he charged, fist raised. He sent a haymaker at Lloyd's jaw, but the teen adeptly sidestepped. Statistically speaking, Lloyd stood no chance, meaning he had only one option.

Run.

Lloyd darted past Karlof, running full speed ahead, but apparently the older elemental was ready for it. A searing pain tore through Lloyd's calf, and one quick look revealed a dagger jutting out of it.

"Gah!" Lloyd faltered, reaching down to rip it out. It was all the time Karlof needed to grab him by the arm and slam him into a dumpster.

"Where you think you're going?" Karlof demanded.

Karlof didn't give him a chance to recover, slamming him face first into the brick wall of a random apartment building. Whatever this building did to deserve a dent of his body in its wall... well only the FSM knew.

Lloyd hadn't felt this much pain in... well ever. Sure he'd broken things, but at least the pain from that was localized. His face hurt, his chest hurt, his back hurt, his arm hurt... his everything bone cried out in utter agony. He bit back a whimper. He was totally off his game with this heavy pack, not to mention not being able to slip free.

Dropping the his knees, right arm still clutched in Karlof's meaty metal fist, Lloyd spat a tooth out and groaned. He tried yanking his fist free, but then used leverage and pulled against the weakspot in Karlof's grip... oh right. Metal fingers didn't budge.

Karlof yanked him up and squeezed his wrist tight enough to snap it, ramming a metal fist into Lloyd's stomach.

"Agh!" Lloyd howled, vision flashing black as ribs snapped. Karlof dropped him before driving a footing into chest and kicking him into yet another wall.

"Agent Donegan, you must get out of there! Your vitals are in the red, and the transplant container cannot take any more damage."

"I know." Lloyd wheezed, only concerning Pixal more.

Karlof frowned. "Know what?" He demanded.

"I wasn't." Lloyd could taste the bitter tang of blood in his mouth, spitting it out to the ground and trying to stagger to his feet.

"talkin' to you." He slurred.

His only good hand reached for a smoke pellet, barely cooperating fingers letting it slide free.

To activate it, he crunched it beneath his heel suddenly.

Thirty minutes later, Borg heard gasps coming from the main lobby of his medical complex. He'd been waiting for agent Donegan too long now. Sure, the heart still had time, but unfortunately complications had arisen.

As he charged into the lobby, he saw a bloodied Lloyd staggering in. The kid was ghastly white and barely upright, looking more or less like he'd lost a fight to a land slide. his right wrist was twisted awkwardly and his left hand wrapping around his waist. Blood was trickling down his chin at an alarming rate.

Several nurses had rushed to meet him, partially supporting him as his last reserves of strength gave out.

"I... I got..." He winced, face contorting to a grimace. "the...agh... heart."

"Get a crash cart!" Someone called.

"That's all well and good!" Borg stated dryly, worry clear on his face. "But...What happened to you?" Better question- How was he still standing? Borg guessed it was the stubborn gene most Garmadons tended to have.

Lloyd closed his eyes. He could barely see his secondary general. Thanks to the short yet brutal pounding, his vision was going double, triple, possible even quadruple. He felt careful hands keeping him upright.

Good cause I don't think I can do it myself.

"A really... ticked off elemental." Lloyd muttered, sucking in a breath. It was fine. He told himself. Injuries happen. But he was in too much pain to really think about mortality right now. He knew he was dying... hoped to Wu's father he didn't... but all he could focus on was the sweet oblivion begging to claim him.

Mission done, Lloyd gave in.

{PRESENT}

Neuro wrinkled his nose at the memory. Lloyd's fears were very justified. No one walked away from that unscathed mentally. Something had prompted Karlof to take obscenely drastic measures. Sure, Karlof had anger issues, but that was unheard of from the master of metal... Even his reasoning seemed strangely askew. Their orders were always to capture members of the resistance as unharmed as possible, yet for no apparent reason, Karlof was compelled to beat Lloyd to a pulp.

"Very well. Tell me another time then." Neuro commanded, folding his hands behind his back.

He was determined to get to the bottom of it... If nothing, then just for curiosity's sake.


Okay, I know, Two chapters. I just had some spare time. I hope you all enjoyed! it. Stay tuned for even more.


LouTheStarSpeaker: Ah, glad you liked my finishing line. I love dramatics, so... The dangerbuff line was pretty spontaneous... I was like 'oh let's add this!' It's awesome that I made you laugh... Oh, and yes, you spy Misako correctly.


Northern Goshawk: Yup, Lloyd basically gave Morro the verbal smack down XD.


Morro's choice will be interesting to write. Let me say that.


Bookkeeper2004: Glad you enjoyed the chapter!