If I got locked away, and we lost it all today, tell me honestly, would you still love me the same~ Number two out of three epilogue chapters; Locked Away. The Llorumi centric chapter that I realized 8k words in wasn't as Llorumi centric as I wanted.
The courtroom scene of this chapter was really hard to write, which is why this chapter took so long. I tried my best to capture them correctly, but it's probably a little inaccurate, heh. Now we can start.
In all honesty, Lloyd should've expected this.
"This way!" Harumi shouts, yanking him into an alley as the group of policemen run past them.
Lloyd watches them run past, leaning back against the brick wall, Harumi does the same across from him, her hands on her knees. Lloyd's been chased by people before, by bad guys who want to kidnap him and civilians who just want an autograph, but never by the police.
"I think we've lost 'em for now." He says, peering down the street. "We should get back to the monastery before they find us."
Harumi just nods, not meeting his gaze as she scowls at the ground. It's hard not to feel angry like her, and Lloyd's beginning to wonder if he should be. He wasn't surprised when Liv set up a date for them, just a casual lunch at a small restaurant that hadn't been destroyed, what surprised him was the amount of policemen that ended up chasing them from the restaurant.
He should've expected this, Harumi was responsible for the destruction of the palace and death of the emperor and empress, and while he doesn't really blame her anymore, the people might. After all, they don't know Harumi like he does.
"Liv's apartment is near here, right?" Harumi says, quietly. "We could go there."
Lloyd nods, and the two sneak out from the alley and towards Liv's apartment, heads down and hoods up. They look suspicious at best, but Lloyd hopes they can get to Liv's apartment before anyone notices them.
"Liv?" Harumi says, knocking on the door to Liv's apartment. The door swings open moments later, the blond in question standing in the doorway.
Liv takes one look at Harumi and Lloyd, taking in their almost desperate faces and windswept hair before pulling them into her apartment. Locking the door behind her. "I take it the date went well?" Liv says, slowly.
"Define well." Harumi mutters, dramatically plopping down on the couch.
Liv shares a look with Lloyd. "The police chased us from the restaurant." He explains, sitting down next to Harumi.
"I know." Liv says, picking up the remote and turning on the TV. It immediately switches to the news, playing the newest report.
"–Gayle Gossip, reporting live from the restaurant where the Green Ninja and former Jade Princess of Ninjago were spotted." The news footage switches to a video of Harumi and Lloyd running down the street, the two look away from the screen. "It appears that the Green Ninja is aiding the Princess, and could possibly be harboring the mysterious girl that was also involved with the Sons of Garmadon known as "Tempest". The two were last spotted on Fourth and Main, if you see any of them, please inform the NCPD."
"Fourth and Main? That's not too far from here…" Harumi says, they all look towards the door as if it would burst open and policemen would file in at any minute.
"Don't worry about it." Liv insists, turning off the TV and opening up her fridge, pulling out a pack of strawberries. "We need to find a way to clear our names, Rumi."
"What I did can't be excused." Harumi says. "I'm a murderer…"
Lloyd wraps his arm around Harumi's shoulders, and she leans into him, sighing. "If your a murderer...then I am too." Liv states, stubbornly.
"Liv, no–"
"Who knows how many people died while my father was in control." Liv continues, getting up from the chair she was sitting at to stand in front of Harumi, taking her by the shoulders. "If you're a criminal, then so am I. We're in this together, you hear me?"
Harumi nods slowly, before launching herself at Liv, pulling the blond girl into a hug. "Thank you." She mutters.
"No problem," Liv smiles, "But we need a plan."
"What if...we went to court or something?" Lloyd suggests.
"That could work, but it might take awhile," Liv says, "And time is something that is not–"
There's a loud banging on the door, and the three of them go silent. "Ninjago City Police! Open up!" Someone shouts from beyond the door, and another round of knocking rings through the apartment.
"What d'we do?" Harumi hisses, her nails digging into Lloyds arm.
Liv stands up, slowly walking towards the door when Lloyd grabs her. "No, Liv." He says.
"If we don't let them in, it'll make things worse." She says, firmly. "There's a balcony in my room, get out and go to the monastery."
"No way, we can all go." Lloyd continues, his eyes pleading with Liv.
Liv gently takes his hand, holding it close to her chest. "I'll be fine. Now go!" She demands, pushing them towards her room before she goes to the door. Her hands hover over the knob, and Livs eyes drift towards her room. Lloyd helps Harumi climb over the rails, lowering her down into the balcony below them.
Lloyd meets her gaze, before Liv shoos him away. She opens the door once Lloyd disappears from her balcony, staring up at the three police officers in her doorway. "Hello, officers." She says with forced politeness. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Sorry to be a bother, miss, but the Green Ninja and Jade Princess were spotted coming into this building, have you seen them?" One of the officers says.
Livs eyes float back into her apartment, "No, I haven't…" she says, slowly beginning to close the door when one of the officers places his foot in the way.
"I'm sorry, miss, but we have a few more questions for you." He says, "You wouldn't mind letting us search your apartment?"
"No no, that's fine…" Liv says, opening the door wider and glancing around her apartment, making sure that Lloyd and Harumi were gone. "Please, come in."
The officers nod, stepping into Liv's apartment. They immediately begin searching her home, and she tensely closes the door after them, sitting down at the counter and popping a strawberry into her mouth. An officer sits next to her, a calm expression on his face.
From the corner of her eye, Liv sees a flash of green and a mop of blond hair poking out from her balcony, and she glares.
'I told you to leave!'
'Since when do I ever listen to you?'
'This isn't a game, Lloyd, get out of here!'
"–Seen this person, miss?"
Liv shakes her head, turning away from The balcony and back to the officer next to her. "Huh?"
"Have you seen this person, miss?" The officer says again, holding up a blurry, black and white picture of what Liv can only assume is herself.
"...no." Liv says through gritted teeth.
"Are you sure?" The officer says, putting down the picture and picking up another one. A much clearer picture of her. "Have a closer look.."
Liv looks away from the photo, biting her lip. She instead focuses on the officer entering her room, and she tenses up. Her journal is in there. Her journal full of notes on the SoG from before she joined the ninja to help stop them, along with her gi and a ton of weapons under her bed. All key evidence that she's not telling the truth.
Not to mention Lloyd is still somewhere on the balcony, probably hanging from the rails. Listening in without being seen. 'Lloyd, please get out of here.'
"Sir, we found this." Says one of the officers, coming out of her room with Livs silver dagger and journal. "This journal contains pages of notes on the Sons of Garmadon, along with a photo."
The officer holds up a photo, one that Liv immediately recognizes. It's a blurry picture of her, Harumi, Lloyd, her friends, and the other elemental masters. Along with her mother and uncle. On the rooftop of her apartment building after she'd gotten out of the hospital, when they threw her that surprise party a few weeks ago.
Liv looks down, glaring at the floor. "I'm sorry, miss, but you are under arrest for gang involvement, lying to officials, and harboring wanted criminals." The officer turns Liv around, and she sighs as the handcuffs click around her wrist. They're not vengestone, and Liv could easily escape, but that'll just make more trouble for her.
She can feel Lloyds eyes on her, and she looks back towards the balcony. 'Don't do anything stupid.' Liv says in her head.
'I'm supposed to just sit here while they lock you up?'
'Yes, you are. Now get out of here, now.'
The officers push Liv towards the door, and she stumbles, turning to glare at the officer. They walk her down the stairs and into the main lobby, pushing her into the back of the police van. Liv stares resolutely out the window, and she can see Harumi and Lloyd climbing back atop the balcony, she can feel their eyes burning into the back of the car. Liv stares back at them before tearing her gaze from the window, letting her head fall back on the seat.
She squeezes her eyes shut against the burning tears.
Lloyd and Harumi all but threw open the doors of the newly rebuilt monastery, startling the others in the courtyard.
"Oh, you're back already?" Nya says, tossing her spear to the ground and walking over to them. "How was it?"
"It was going great until the cops showed up." Harumi grumbles, walking over to a training dummy that Cole had been practicing with and sending a sharp kick into the dummies side.
"Oh boy," Kai sighs, placing a hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "What happened?"
"They tried to arrest Rumi, so we ran to Liv's place and then they got her too!" Lloyd shouts, as Harumi punches the dummy in anger.
"Wait, they got Liv? As in, she's in jail?!" Jay says, incredulous. Lloyd just sighs, nodding.
"Lloyd...running from the police will only make things worse…" Zane says, slowly.
"I just panicked okay!?" Lloyd snaps, running a hand through his hair. "I just panicked."
The ninja share a look of concern. "Let's continue this inside." Cole says, leading the group inside the monastery, Lloyd nods, placing a hand on Harumi's shoulder. She pauses in her attacks to place her hand over his, their finger entwined.
"C'mon." Lloyd says, leading Harumi towards the monastery.
The ninja all crowd into the newly finished living room, Zane turning on the TV. It flips to the newest news report, Lloyd bawls his hands into fists as it shows Liv being escorted into the police station. A crowd of reporters waiting with notepads and microphones in their hands.
"Gayle Gossip live from the Ninjago City Police Department where officials have recently apprehended a known member of the Sons of Garmadon; "Tempest." Tempest has refused to answer to the press and is being taken into federal custody as we speak." The camera footage switches the a closer image of Liv as she enters the police department, her face a blank mask of calm.
"Is it true that you're related to the Green Ninja?"
"Were the Ninja involved with the SOG attacks?"
"Do you know the location of The Quiet One?"
"Was Lord Garmadon really trapped in your head or was it just an excuse to get out of trouble?"
Liv's eyes flash, and the reporters back away as the police push them away from the door, leading Liv inside. "No more questions." One of the buffer officers says, trying to disperse the crowd.
"We've gotta go get her." Harumi says, glaring at the TV screen as she stands. "We've gotta go get her out now."
"Woah woah, I wanna get Liv out too but we can't just go break into the police station." Cole says, as Harumi slowly sits back down. "Besides, it's not her first time in jail, she'll be fine until we can figure out a plan."
The room is silent for a moment, before Cole's eyes widen and he rubs the back of his neck, sheepish. "Sorry."
"Oka-ay…" Jay says, clapping his hands together. "We need a plan to clear your name," he gestures towards Harumi then the onscreen Liv, "and her name. So! Ideas, anyone care to share?"
"Well, we could try court?" Lloyd suggests.
"Or we could bust out Liv, change her name and we could all move to metalonia?" Harumi mumbles. After a moment of silence, Kai laughs.
"We'll...keep that in mind." Cole says.
"Going to court would be the best decision." Zane says, rubbing his chin. "Well, the best legal decision."
Lloyd nods, "well what do we do in the meantime? Just let them keep Liv locked up?"
Nya places a sympathetic hand on Lloyd's shoulder, and Harumi entwines her fingers with his, giving Lloyd's hand a squeeze. "For the meantime, yes, Liv has to stay at the police station." Zane confirms.
"Well then I'm going to look for evidence pointing away from Liv while we wait." Lloyd says, standing up from the couch. "Anyone else wanna come?"
Jay stands up, along with Cole and Zane. "Actually, Lloyd, It's probably best if you and Harumi stay at the monastery, just in case." Jay says, carefully.
Lloyd sinks back down onto the couch, huffing. "Fine." He mumbles, as Jay, Cole, and Zane head out of the living room, there's a soft creak of wood as the monastery's gates open and close.
Kai and Nya sandwich Lloyd and Harumi between them, Kai next to Lloyd and Nya next to Harumi. They wrap their arms around the blonds in a tight half hug. "Don't worry, guys, I'm sure we'll work this all out." Kai says, somewhat confidently.
"Let's hope so…" Harumi sighs.
If Liv had a dollar for every time she ended up in a police interrogation room, she'd have two dollars. It's not a lot, but it's kinda weird that it's happened not once, but twice within the time span of a month or two.
Now, if Liv had a dollar for every time she felt the inexplicable urge to start kicking in peoples kneecaps, she'd be rich.
"I told you, I had nothing to do with the break in at Borg Tower on New Years, or the fake explosions at the Emperor's speech, or the bombing of the palace, or their deaths!" She shouts at the two cops in front of her, she tried to play like Harumi and sit silently, unphazed, but it's not as easy as she made it seem.
One of the two police officers in charge of her interrogation, a young man with short brown hair and warm dark eyes, the name Owen Wood embedded into the golden nametag, looks down at the little device that's apparently supposed to tell if Liv's lying or not. The lines stay perfectly straight, and she cracks a smile. Liv has nothing to hide, she knows what she did was wrong, even if it didn't feel that way in the heat of the moment.
"But you were, however, involved with the resurrection of your father Lord Garmadon, correct?" The other officer says, her black hair tied in a tight bun, blue eyes sharp. Rose Miller on her golden nametag.
Liv leans forwards, her hands flat on the table. "Lord Garmadon is not my father." She says, firmly. The little lines falter at that, as if to call her out on the lie and highlight that all too painful truth that Garmadon, twisted, evil, self absorbed Garmadon, will always be her father. He'll always be in the back of her head, a ghost unseen to anyone but herself, haunting her thoughts and actions.
"Right. But you did help resurrect him, along with the Quiet One." Officer Miller states, matter of factly.
Liv's hands ball into fists, looking away. "Yes," she bites out. "I did."
"Do you know the Quiet One's whereabouts?"
"...no."
The lines falter again.
"Do you know the location of the Quiet One?" Miller asks, a bit louder and with an air of authority that sends a shiver down Liv's spine.
Normally, Liv wouldn't be intimidated by a police officer, but they got vengestone cuffs on her once they figured out she was an elemental and the sensation of being abruptly cut off from her powers feels an awful lot like when she was trapped in her head. When she couldn't control her own body or powers.
It's a feeling Liv never wants to experience again...she never wants to feel that weak again. Like she doesn't have any control..
"Hey!" Liv blinks as Officer Wood snaps in her face. "My partner asked you a question."
Liv glances at the officer. "I asked If you knew the location of the Quiet One." She says.
Liv bites her lip, she can't just rat out her friend, but she can't lie either. Officer Wood taps his foot impatiently. While Miller leans forwards with an air of calm, her expression isn't really impatient, but not patient either.
"Withholding the information from us will not make things better for you, Miss Tempest." The blue eyed officer says, her voice low. "Just tell us where the Quiet One is and spare yourself the trouble, or we'll-"
"Or you'll what?" Liv snaps, startling the officers. "In case you didn't know, I was trapped in my own head for weeks. Forced to do terrible things against my will. So go ahead and try your best to break me, but I already broke." She shudders remembering the few weeks she spent alone, the few hours she spent thinking she killed Lloyd at Kryptarium. The false realization that the Ninja were dead and she'd never be able to apologize for being an idiot. "And I rebuilt myself stronger than before, so good luck."
The officers share a glance, before Officer Miller sighs heavily and stands up from the chair, nodding to Officer Wood, who takes Liv by the shoulder, pulling her up from her chair with a surprisingly gentle touch.
"Since you've proven to be uncooperative, there is no point in continuing the interrogation." Officer Miller says, striding from the interrogation room. Officer Wood right behind her with Liv in front of him. "Wood, drop her off at Kryptarium please?"
Officer Wood nods, taking Liv by the shoulder again and leading her towards his police car. Opening the door for her, Liv climbs into the back seat before Wood closes the door and slips into the front. Liv slumps in the seat, leaning her head on the window.
She tugs at her cuffs again, huffing in annoyance when they, once again, don't budge.
"Those cuffs aren't coming off anytime soon, Miss Tempest." Officer Wood says, peeking at her through the rear view mirror.
"I don't go by "Tempest" anymore." Liv says, sitting up.
"Sure." The officer says with an amused chuckle. The blond shoots him an irritated side eye, but doesn't say anything more on the matter.
The two are thrust back into awkward silence, the cities scenery flashing past them as they drive towards the outskirts, the road has a lot more bumps, some of the buildings not fully rebuilt. But it's better than it's been in a while, and that's enough for Liv.
A shiver runs down her spine as the road shifts from cracked asphalt to gritty sand. She hasn't been to Kryptarium since...well, since she fought Lloyd. And to be honest, Liv never expected to be back.
"So," Wood draws, drumming his fingers on the wheel. "How'd a young girl like yourself fall in with the SoG?" He asks.
"How'd you end up with the police?" Liv counters. "You don't look much older than me."
Wood smiles, "I've got a baby face." He says, making Liv laugh. She claps a hand over her mouth, a slight blush tinting her cheeks. "And if you must know, I'm eighteen, and I've wanted to be a police officer since forever I guess. Like my father."
"Mmm." Liv hums, a bitter smile gracing her features for a split second.
"But for now I'm just Miller's sidekick…" Wood continues, "now what about you?"
Liv shifts in her seat, biting down on her lip. "I...It's a long story." She says, softly.
"Well, we've got a while till we get to Kryptarium." Wood chirps, "I think we've got the time."
The blond girl sighs heavily, sitting up in her seat and leaning forwards a bit. "I - Well, I was stupid, really. Something happened between me and my dad when I was little and I never forgave him for it…" Liv says, her voice carrying a touch of self-hatred and the reminder that if she'd just forgiven her father ages ago, none of this would've happened. If only she took the time to talk to her father before he was banished to the cursed realm. "He died before I could tell him that I wasn't mad at him anymore. And when Haru - the Quiet One told me about her plan to bring him back…" A humorless chuckle. "I took it."
"So...Lord Garmadon is your dad?" Wood asks, slowly. Liv sighs, nodding silently. "I...I'm sorry." There's no pity in his voice, no judgement, just sympathy and understanding...like he just knows how much Liv hates herself for resurrecting her father. Like he knows the little part of her that's angry with Harumi for dragging her into this.
Like he knows the little part of her that would've brought back her father even if Harumi hadn't suggested it first.
"Don't be." Liv says, pushing back the storm of emotion inside her. "It was a bad decision on my part and the Quiet Ones. And we both know that, Officer Wood."
Wood nods to himself, thoughtfully. "Owen."
"What?"
"My name's Owen." He says, smiling back at her through the rearview mirror.
Liv is quiet for a beat, processing this. "...Liv."
"That's a nice name." Owen says.
"Thanks…"
It's evening by the time Owen and Liv arrive at Kryptarium prison, and Liv seems to grow more fidgety with every passing second.
"Here we are." Owen says, trying to lighten the mood.
"Hooray." Liv mumbles from the back seat, tossing her cuffed hands in the air without much enthusiasm. Owen comes around the car and opens the door for her, Liv gets out slowly, her gaze fixed somewhere behind him. On a far wall to be exact, the one that was recently repaired because of the-
Oh, crap.
"Why don't we get going," Owen says, taking Liv by the shoulders and turning her towards the prison. The smile she flashes him is only half forced.
Owen doesn't know much about Liv, but he managed to pick up a lot in the car ride to the prison. One) she doesn't go by Tempest anymore, "It was just a one time thing." She had said. "It should be a no time thing." Owen had laughed, the glare Liv had sent him was more or less just to hide that beautiful smile of hers. Two) she was apparently Garmadon's daughter and had powers. And three) she was close friends with the ninja, the Quiet One, and was related to the Green Ninja. Just to name a few.
Owen hadn't pressed the whole "related to the Green Ninja" thing. He could see the resemblance between them, so they were probably brother or sister. He would've guessed twins at first, but the Green Ninja was probably a few solid years older than Liv.
Which is why he all but drags Liv into Kryptarium. The entire city saw the fight that raged inside the prison, Owen included. He doesn't know what could've possibly led to such a brutal battle between siblings, but he knows it's not something that Liv is proud of or would even like to remember.
Two guards stop them as they approach the entrance to the prison. "State your business." One of the guards says.
"Just a drop off." Owen explains, his eyes flicking towards Liv. The guards share a quick glance with each other before stepping aside, letting Liv and Owen into the prison. The blond girl inches closer to him as they venture deeper into the prison, her eyes closed and her muscles tense.
He hasn't been an officer for very long (A few months to be exact), and he's more of a cadet slash sidekick to Officer Miller than anything, but this isn't his first time attending a drop of, even if the one's he's done have always been with his partner slash teacher.
Nevertheless, this isn't the first drop off Owens done. But it is the first one he's done where the criminal was a fifteen year old girl.
It felt weird, Liv wearing black sweatpants and a purple shirt, her hands shackled in vengestone, and Owen escorting her through the most fortified prison in the world. The prison full of the baddest of the bad. She was just a kid, and what weirded him out more was that she wasn't even fighting. Hadn't resisted them once, well, except for the interagation. And on top of that, Liv has elemental powers and could've used them to escape yet she didn't. And from their conversations on the ride to the prison, it seemed like Liv knew what she did was wrong and wanted to be put to justice. She wanted to be punished for her crimes and regretted them very much.
It was strange, because Liv seems like a nice girl with a good heart, but made a bad decision. It physically pains Owen to walk her through the prison like she's some...some deranged criminal.
They meet with the Warden, he tries to escort Liv away from Owen while he signs in and removes his firearm, but she wasn't having it. "It's okay, Warden." Owen says, placing a hand on Liv's shoulder. To the Warden, it would look like he was just keeping the girl in check with the gesture, but to Liv, it was grounding. A little bit of reassurance. "I've got her."
The Warden just shrugs, leading the two over to another room where two officers wait inside, one holding a metal detector and the other a bright orange prison jumpsuit. The officer holding the metal detector steps forwards, nodding towards the vengestone cuffs. Owen slips the key from his pocket, unlocking the cuffs. If she's gonna try something it'd be now.
"Don't try anything." Owen smiles, he already knows she won't.
Liv grins, "I wouldn't dream of it,"
The other officers share a glance before the one holding the metal detector waves it around Liv, once the officer's done she pats down Liv, making sure she's not hiding anything. Although Owen knows that the girl has nothing to hide.
"Change into these and then we'll show you to your cell." The officer holding the orange prison jumpsuit thrust them into Liv's hands, the blond scowls at the jumpsuit before nodding, walking over towards a small bathroom in the corner of the room. She closes the door slowly, coming out a few minutes later with her previous outfit in her hands and wearing the jumpsuit.
She hands the clothes over to the officer, who walks away with the officer who's holding the metal detector. Most likely to put Liv's old clothes into a locker. Liv tugs at the sleeves of the jumpsuit, huffing.
"Come with me and I'll take you to your cell." The Warden says, leading the two out of the room and down the hall towards where all the other criminals are kept. Liv takes a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly before following the Warden.
"Hey, it's gonna be alright. I promise." Owen whispers, his hand hoovers over her shoulder before it falls at his side.
"Yeah, okay." Liv scoffs, rolling her eyes. "The last time I was here it wasn't really on good terms."
"Okay, uh, well." Owen mumbles. She's not wrong, per say, but he's trying to lighten the mood and make her feel better. Well, as best as she can get while she's about to get thrown in a cell. Owen just sighs, lowering his head. "True, true."
The criminals sneer at Liv as her, Owen, and the Warden pass by, most of them recently apprehended members of the Sons of Garmadon. The blond girl holds her head high, carrying herself without an ounce of fear as she follows the Warden. Owen walks a bit closer towards her, sandwiching Liv between the Warden and himself.
"Traitor!" Ultra Violet screams at Liv, banging on her cell's bars. The blond doesn't even spare her a glance, following the Warden closely. But for some reason, she pauses as they walk past Mr. E's cell.
The robot's bright red eyes lock onto Liv's jade one's, the two stare at each other for a beat, before Owen grabs Liv's shoulders, gently easing her past the bot. The Warden leads them to the far end of the main area, typing in a few numbers into a device on the wall, a steel door slides open, and the three of them step inside, the door slamming shut after them. The sound echoing down the hall.
The muffled shouts of the prisoners still echo outside the door, along with the shouts of officers trying to calm them down. "Welcome to the Elemental Wing." The Warden says, leading them down a much darker hall. A few guards stand in the hall, guarding separate doors. Their faces firm and eyes hard as stone. "Follow me."
"I thought you were taking her to her cell…" Owen says, eyeing the guards.
"I am." The Warden answers, "but seeing as she is an elemental, I have a...special cell for her."
Liv glares at the back of the man's head, and Owen places a calming hand on her shoulder. At the end of the dark hall, two heavily armed officers guard a large steel door. They nod towards the Warden, stepping aside and allowing him to type in yet another code into a device embedded into the wall. The device chirps, and the Warden leans in for an eye scan. Once that's done, one of the buffer officers faces the Warden, nodding as the door opens.
The door opens to reveal a large laser grid, Liv yelps, stepping back from the door when the lasers suddenly disappear, one of the officers removing his hand from a button.
A giant glass ball sits in the center of the room, hanging from a thick cord reaching up to the ceiling with seemingly no way to get to it. The Warden steps forwards onto a large platform. Walking over towards a metal box with a small lever sticking out of it. He pulls the lever, and a long walkway stretches out towards the glass ball in the center of the room. The older man steps onto the walkway, letting it carry him towards the glass dome, he motions for Owen and Liv to follow.
The two share a hesitant glance before stepping onto the walkway. "All of this for little ol' me?" Liv whispers, grinning. "I'm flattered."
Owen snorts, shoving her lightly. Liv stumbles a bit, almost tumbling over the side of the walkway when Owen snatches her wrist, pulling her upright. The two stifle their laughter as they approach the Warden, still smiling at each other.
The Warden nods to the officer a few dozen feet away, who opens up the cell. A panel of glass slides away with a hiss. "This is Cell One." the Warden explains. "The glass is built with vengestone, so your powers are useless in there. Once a day, for exactly two hours, you will be let out for meal and recreational time. During this period you will be able to converse with the other elementals in the wing and eat. You will be supplied with a book, one pencil and a notepad for writing to family."
Liv nods, eyeing the bare glass cell. A small metal cot sits in the left corner of the cell, with nothing but a small pillow. A metal desk with the notepad, book, and pencil that the Warden mentioned sitting on top of it in a neat stack, and a small toilet/sink facing the back wall.
"You mentioned other elementals?" Liv asks.
"Yes, believe it or not you and your little ninja friends aren't the only elementals out there. And a few of them have been causing a lot of trouble." The Warden says with a sigh, running his hands through graying hair. Liv nods, satisfied with his answer.
The Warden claps his hands together, the sound echoing across the giant room. He motions Liv towards the cell, and she sighs, looking back towards the door. Owen tenses up, she's not in the cell right now, she has no vengestone cuffs on her. She could easily take them both out right now and make a run for it…
Liv steps into the cell, slow and hesitant. She looks over it, taking in the cell before sitting down on the metal cot, the Warden nods to the officers by the entrance, who close the cell doors. The glass panel slides back into place, Liv tenses as the vengestone takes effect, staring at Owen through the glass.
The Warden eyes the two of them before turning on his heel and striding back towards the platform a few feet away. Owen looks back at Liv, she waves a bit, a soft smile on her face. He waves back to her before following the Warden.
Once the Warden and Owen are back at the platform, the older man pulls the lever again and the walkway slides away. Disappearing into a slot in the wall. He steps through the large steel door and into the hall with the two officers, who activate the laser grid again and slam the steel door shut.
"So," The Warden starts, placing a heavy hand on Owen's shoulder as he guides the young officer down the dark hall. "I don't think I need to remind you that she is a criminal, right, officer Wood?"
Owen stiffens, opening his mouth to defend Liv, because she doesn't seem like a criminal to him, more like a girl who made a bad choice, but a stern look from the older man cuts him off. "No, sir." Owen sighs.
"Good." The Warden says. "I'd hate for you to fall in with her...criminal ways."
Owen's fists clench, he takes a deep breath and blows it out. He's not gonna fall in with Liv's "criminal ways" because she's not really a criminal. And she's not like that. Owen doesn't know why he believes this so wholeheartedly, they shared one car ride together, but he just knows. He knows that Liv isn't a bad person. Although she did make a few really bad choices, that doesn't mean she herself is a bad person.
So he'll stand by that belief until he's proven wrong.
He hopes he's not proven wrong...
Jay, Cole, and Zane step back into the monastery with dull expressions, explaining that Liv's apartment was blocked off and they couldn't get into it. The monastery is quiet that night. The weight of their situation draped over them like a wet blanket.
Harumi slips out of her room, tiptoeing down the hall and out into the courtyard. She runs up to the wall circling the courtyard, kicking off the stone and swinging her legs over it, she grunts as she pulls herself up atop the wall, sitting on it's edge and looking up at the night sky.
She feels like crying, Harumi can feel the tears waiting to fall, but they just don't. She can't cry.
So instead, she sits in silence, in the wake of the stars and the stars only. Anger and self-hatred flaming like a fire in her heart. Liv, her best friend, her first friend, is probably sitting alone in a cold cell in Kryptarium. A cell that Harumi basically put her in by recruiting her to join the Sons of Garmadon, by pressuring Liv to help her. To help bring back Lord Garmadon. And for what? So Harumi could get revenge on the boy that she's in love with? So she could make Lloyd pay for releasing the serpentine that led to her parents death, when Lloyd himself was just a boy who wanted the approval of a father that was never there for him?
It was selfish. Harumi's parents died for her, they gave their life for her's, so she could have her best shot at life. And Harumi threw it away and replaced it with anger and bitterness.
Harumi should be the one in prison, not Liv.
With that thought in her head, Harumi slides down from the monastery's wall, her feet landing gently on the stone of the courtyard. She quietly walks back to her room, slipping off her pajamas and throwing on her dark green kimono, the one she wore when her and Lloyd snuck out. Back when he was just the Green Ninja and her the Jade Princess with a deadly secret and a bitter heart. She fingers her long pale hair, hesitating on tying it up before leaving it down, letting the long white strands hang loose at her shoulders. She grabs her shoes and steps out of her room, quiet steps echoing through the halls once more before she's in the courtyard.
Harumi tugs on her shoes, sprinting across the stone, the gates open with a loud creak, she cringes at the sound, glancing back at the monastery. No one comes rushing out, so Harumi steps through the gate, closing it behind her carefully.
She takes a breath, looking back at the closed gate behind her before taking off down the stairs. She should be in prison. Harumi reminds herself as she runs down the mountain. Not Liv.
Each step seems to bring back a memory, a moment from the past that made Harumi who she is. The moments she was angry, the moments she was happy, the moments she was sad and bitter.
The moment she was in love.
Harumi runs faster down the stone steps as the memories come faster, the emotions speeding up with her running feet. A part of her wonders what Lloyd and Liv even saw in her. What did Liv see in her that was worth her compassion? What did Lloyd see that was worth his kind smile, his bright eyes, his gentle touch and warm laugh?
Because Harumi doesn't see what she ever did to deserve them.
There's a scuffle of feet behind her, Harumi's head whips around, catching sight of the green blob behind her. "Rumi!" Lloyd shouts, racing after her.
"Lloyd-?" Harumi's sentence is cut off as she misses a step in her dash down the stone stairs, the ground rushes up to meet her when there's a tug on her wrist and then a sudden yank.
She sucks in a breath as Lloyd yanks her upright, pulling her close to him. "You okay?" Lloyd asks, scanning her for any injuries.
"I'm fine." Harumi sighs, trying to pull away. Lloyd lets her, but grabs a hold of her wrist when she turns away.
"What are you doing out here?" Lloyd says. Harumi doesn't answer him, instead pulling her wrist from his grasp and striding back down the mountain. "Harumi?"
She walks down the mountain a little faster now, resuming her jog. She can see the last dozen or so steps and she's so close to turning herself over so Liv can hopefully go free that she can't stop now.
"...You're going to turn yourself in, aren't you?" When silence is the only answer Lloyd gets, he races after her. Harumi in turn sprints down the steps, taking them two at a time while Lloyd practically leaps down them, he stumbles after each jump, but regains his footing and resumes his run soon after. But it's too late, Harumi's too far ahead. "Harumi, wait! Don't do this!"
"I have too!" Harumi shouts back, "I have to do this!" She skids to a stop, looking around for a vehicle, she knows that Nya and Pixal have been building something into the mountain, and without the bounty the Ninja must have some way of getting around.
There's a yell, then a soft thud! as Lloyd comes tumbling towards her, Harumi rushes towards him, glancing back up at the stone steps then back down at Lloyd, who was sitting on the ground, a hand massaging his ankle.
"Did you - did you jump down here?!" Harumi says, incredulously looking between Lloyd and the steps. He was at least a dozen steps behind her!
"Had to get you to come back somehow." Lloyd grimaces, his face pinched.
"You moron." Harumi grumbles, kneeling next to Lloyd and holding his ankle, she taps around the bruise blossuming on it. Lloyd sucks in a sharp breath when she twists his ankle a bit. "Sorry."
"Your fine, that ankle's been messed up for years." Lloyd huffs, glaring at his foot as if disappointed. Harumi just nods.
The two sit in silence, Harumi poking and prodding at Lloyd's ankle until she's satisfied it's not broken. "Be more careful next time." She says, her eyes sparkling with concern and irritation. Harumi moves to stand and continue her goal to turn herself in when Lloyd grabs her arm and yanks her back down.
"We need to talk." He says, urgently.
"There's nothing to talk about, Lloyd."
"That's a lie and you know it."
Harumi huffs, tugging her arm from Lloyd and digging her palms into her eyes. "Why won't you just let me go?" She groans, irritated. "What could you possibly see in a criminal like me?"
Lloyd grabs both her arms again, pulling her close to him. His emerald eyes are firm and determined. "Why can't you just see what I see?!" He asks, his eyes radiating with determination to make Harumi see what he sees and the love he has for her shining just as bright as the stars. "We talked about this, Rumi. I...I love you just the way you are. Faults and all."
Harumi's eyes water as she bites her lip, slowly shaking her head. "Really?" She says, her voice breaking. Lloyd pulls her into a hug, carding a hand through her white hair.
"I see pain and anger in your eyes." Lloyd starts, Harumi chuckles humorlessly. "But I also see joy and compassion in them too." He presses a hand to her heart, feeling the steady beat. "I see a heart filled with love but covered in bitter ice." Lloyd pulls her back, holding Harumi by the shoulders, his green eyes locked with her's. "I see a person worth loving, worth saving, worth the world. Harumi, I see you."
"You - you do?" Harumi sniffles, swiping at her eyes.
"Yeah, I do." Lloyd smiles, and Harumi launches herself at him. The tears that refused to fall before now coming down like a waterfall. Soaking Lloyds shoulder. The two sit on the ground, Lloyd holding Harumi close and rubbing comforting circles into her back as she cries into his shoulder.
Lloyd's never seen Harumi break down like this and it pains him to watch it. To see that she's been hurting in silence all this time. It's another reminder just how alike they are. Just how much of himself he sees in her.
Once he's sure that Harumi's not going to run off again, Lloyd stands, hoping to his feet and his injured ankle hovering just above the ground. Harumi stands, looping her arm under Lloyd's armpit and shouldering half his weight. They hobble back up the stone steps and back into the courtyard, tiptoeing into the monastery and down the hall. Harumi and Lloyd stop in front of the latter's room, pushing open the door.
"Night, Rumi." Lloyd says, softly. He hops over to his bed and plops down into it, Harumi leaning in the doorway.
"Night." She mumbles, more to herself than Lloyd.
"...See you in the morning?" Lloyd asks, the silent question tied to the sentence. You won't run off?
Harumi is quiet for a beat, biting her lip. Honestly, she's still considering turning herself in anyways. "Yeah…" She sighs, "see you in the morning."
Lloyd smiles, he's asleep the moment his head hits the pillow. Harumi turns, closing the door behind herself and walking into her own room down the hall. She can't turn herself in. Not when Lloyd needs her.
As it turns out, the Elemental Wing of Kryptarium prison isn't as bad as Liv had thought.
Sure the metal cot is a terrible, sorry excuse for a bed and should be destroyed, but the food was okay and at least they gave her a book to read and a notepad to write in. Liv huffs as she tugs at the sleeve of her prison jumpsuit, not only does she hate the color, but it's itchy and rough and should also be destroyed.
The two officers who usually guard her door are now leading her towards what looks like a common room. Liv has yet to meet the other elemental masters that had been imprisoned here along with her, she could've met them a few days ago when she first arrived at the prison, but backed out of going at the last second. The officers didn't care, if she wanted to sit in her glass ball of a cell all day then they weren't gonna stop her.
Today however, Liv had felt a burst of confidence and decided to leave her cell for once.
That confidence was thoroughly crushed when the common room door slid open.
Two pairs of eyes flick over to Liv, and the blond girl gives a small little half smile. "Chamille, master of form." One of the officers says, gesturing towards a girl with bright purple hair who eyes Liv suspiciously, then to a boy with black hair and pale blue eyes. "Oliver, master of clones." Then the officer points to Liv. "Liv, master of dark energy."
The three elementals stare at each other, an air of tension and curiosity surrounding them. "Have fun." The officer says, unlocking Liv's handcuffs and turning to leave. "Oh and this room is also made of vengestone, so don't try anything." He reminds them before closing the common room door.
There's a moment of silence before the master of form - Chamille - laughs. "I thought he'd never leave." She says.
Liv snorts, the master of clones - Oliver - waves her over, patting the seat next to him on the floor. The blond walks over, taking a seat next to the teen and rubbing her wrists. "So, Liv, was it?" Oliver says, causally. "Nice to meet you, uh, I'm Oliver." He draws, flicking his eyes towards Chamille, sprawled out on a small couch. "And that lady over there is dumbass - ow! Hey!"
Oliver yelps as Chamille chucks a throw pillow at him, glaring. "Shut up, asshole." She says.
"Anyways," Liv laughs, she's starting to like these two. "How'd you too end up here?"
"Ah, right to the fun stuff I see." Oliver says, resting his elbows on the pillow Chamille tossed at him. "Well, I met this crazy lady on a uh...job, if you know what I mean," he grins, and Liv nods. A not so legal job, she would assume. "We became partners, may or may not have robbed a few banks, committed some breaking and entering-"
"It would've just been entering if you hadn't been an idiot and knocked over that lamp." Chamille grumbles, her eyes flick over to Liv. She studies the blond girl briefly before looking away.
"-And then we got caught trying to rob the emperor and empress!" Oliver claps his hands together, steamrolling over Chamille's comment. Liv winces at the name of the late rulers of Ninjago, but nods as she takes in this information. So they were thieves. Not that bad. Still bad, but at least she's not locked in here with, like, murderers or something. And she's already got one criminal friend, so why not make some more sense she's probably gonna be here for a while?
"What about you?" Chamille asks from the couch where she's fiddling with a strand of her purple hair.
Liv shrugs, debating how much she should really tell them before sighing, heck. No point in hiding it, the whole city practically knows. "You ever heard of the Sons of Garmadon?" She asks.
"Yeah. Some guards were fussing about it a few weeks ago, talkin' about how many of the members they'd arrested." Oliver says, his head resting in his hands.
"Well, um, then I'm sure you've heard about the whole take over thing." Liv continues.
"Yep." Chamille says with an eye roll, sounding bored. "No one knew about the wing down here except for the Warden and the guards he stations down here, so we just sat down here and waited it out."
"Wait, no one else knows about this?" Liv asks, incredulous.
"Nope." Oliver huffs.
Liv looks between the two in disbelief. "So the Warden just has a secret prison wing for elementals?" Chamille and Oliver nod again. "That's crazy! My friends have been looking for elementals since the tournament of elements and you've just been here?!"
"Actually, I wasn't in the tournament of elements." Oliver says. "I'm not that stupid to attend some random fight club hosted by a psychopath noodle lord."
"You and me both." Liv mutters.
"How do you know about the tournament of elements?" Chamille asks, her eyes narrowing. "I didn't see you there."
"That's because I wasn't." Liv says, leaning back on the carpeted floor, feeling the vengestone suppressing her powers. She pays it little mind, she's used to it. "My friends were, though. You probably know them. They're pretty big around here."
It takes a minute for her words to sink in, but when they do, Chamille and Oliver look at her in surprise. "You know the ninja?!" Oliver exclaims. "How'd you end up in prison if your friends with the ninja?"
"I fell in with the Sons of Garmadon, made some mistakes, some bigger than others, and in the end they landed me here." Liv explains with a sigh, staring up at the ceiling.
"You remind me of someone…" Chamille says, breaking the silence.
"The Green Ninja comes to mind, don't yea think?" Liv says, with a casual shrug.
"Oh my god you're related to the Green Ninja!?" Oliver shouts.
"I never would've pegged you as a fanboy." Liv snorts, still staring at the ceiling with an amused smirk on her face.
"I fought your brother? Cousin? Dad-?" Chamille starts, shifting so she's sitting crossed legged on the couch.
"Ew, no!" Liv shoots up, swiping the pillow from Oliver and chucking it at Chamille. "He's my twin, not my dad!"
"Alright well I fought your twin in the tournament of elements." Chamille says, rolling her eyes as she catches the pillow and throws it back at Liv. "Annoying, optimistic ball of positivity and friendship."
Liv huffs out a laugh, placing the pillow behind her head. "That sounds like him."
The three fall into silence, it's surprisingly comfortable, seeing as they just met. A smile graces Liv's face as she crosses her arms over her chest, straightening her legs out in front of her and closing her eyes, sighing in content.
Oliver leans against the couch, his arms crossed over his chest with Chamille's arms folded atop his head, her own head resting in her arms.
Liv sighs as she sits up. "Hey, Chamille?"
"Hmm." The purple haired girl hums, peaking open her dark brown eyes.
Liv bites her lip, sitting up so she can sit cross legged on the floor, fidgeting with her hands. "You were in the tournament of elements...with my friends, my brother…" She says, quietly.
"Yes I was, but I already told you that." Chamille huffs.
"...My...Garmadon was there, too." Liv continues. "With Lloyd and the others while they were looking for Zane…"
"Well yeah he was, but he was human. A boring old man who had some beef with Chen…" Chamille says. She remembers the old man. Always following the ninja around, keeping them safe and focused. "Just get to the point already."
"What was he like?"
"What?"
Liv digs the palm of her hand into her eyes. "Garmadon, my dad...my real one...what was he like?"
Chamille is quiet for a moment, and Liv wonders if she's ignoring her stupid question. She should be asking Lloyd this, or Wu or her mom. But Liv's spent a lot of time ignoring her father and then she missed her chance…but she wants to know now. She wants to know the human side of her father.
"I dunno, he was always hanging around the ninja. Never really talked to anyone else." Chamille says, slowly. "But he was always calm...and kind. He cared a lot about others...and even more about the ninja, the green one especially."
Liv nods at this, then Chamille continues. "He wasn't all serious though, he had a sense of humor. Whenever I saw him he was always laughing with the ninja or planning to take down Chen….he was a good man." She says, flashing Liv a smile. "Hope this helped."
Liv allows a small smile to grace her lips, swiping at her eyes before the tears can fall. "It did...thanks."
"No problem." Chamille sighs, closing her eyes and falling to sleep, her head resting on Oliver's.
Liv leans back down, her head resting on the pillow as she stares up at the ceiling. Her eyes flick over to the small clock on the wall, they've got another hour before the guards come back to take them back to their cells, so she might as well sleep on this carpet for as long as she can.
A few weeks went by, Liv, Oliver, and Chamille grow closer, as do Liv and Owen. All while the ninja plan a court case for Liv and Harumi. They planned it all out, gathered as much evidence as they could, talked it over with lawyers and Zane and Pixal. They told them it would be easier to clear Liv's name, but it would be nearly impossible to clear Harumi's.
Lloyd refused to give up hope, so he didn't. Not even when they were walking into the courthouse. Reporters and citizens lined up outside, trying to stick their noses as far as they could into the Ninjas personal lives.
They ignore all the reporters begging for an interview or a comment on the situation, Harumi squeezes Lloyd's hand as they push past the crowd and into the courthouse, walking down the vast hallway towards the courtroom. Kai places a reassuring hand on Lloyd's shoulder and the blond forces a shaky smile.
Liv stands near the front of the courtroom, two police officers on either side of her and vengestone cuffs on her hands. She smiles widely as her eyes meet Lloyds, and he runs towards her, the officers let him sweep Liv into a hug.
"I missed you." He says into her hair, hugging Liv as tight as he can. Liv buries her head into the crook of his neck.
"I missed you too." Liv says, wetly. She pulls away from Lloyd, and Harumi runs up towards her, wrapping Liv in a tight hug.
"Good to see you." Liv laughs, she wishes she could hug Harumi back, but with her hands cuffed behind her, she can't.
"Right back at you." Harumi smiles, pulling back and standing next to Lloyd. A few more people file into the room, Skylor, Wu, Misako, and Pixal included. Along with a few other people. The ninja take seats on the right side of the room while everyone else takes seats on the left. Harumi and Lloyd sit at the Defendants Table in front of the rows of seats, Liv standing near the front of the courtroom with one officer to her left. The other officer who had been guarding her turns to escort the judge in.
The judge is a middle aged woman, her dark skin glowing in the sunlight that filters in through the window. Her hair slicked back into a neat bun. She takes her place at the Judges Bench, while the officer hands her a folder of papers.
"All rise for judge Erika Thomas." The officer says, and everyone in the room stands up. Paying their respects to the judge before sitting back down.
"Harumi Xi'an, please stand and place your right over your heart." Judge Thomas says. Harumi stands, placing her hand over her heart. "Now, while you are in this courtroom, do you swear to tell the truth and only the truth?"
"Yes, your honor." Harumi breaths, nodding her head. "I swear to tell the truth and only the truth."
"You may be seated." The judge says, Harumi sits back down, while the judge looks through the papers in her hand, occasionally glancing at Harumi then to Liv. "Now, Harumi Xi'an, age sixteen, born on May twenty-first, you were the Jade Princess of Ninjago, correct?"
"Yes your honor." Harumi confirms, fidgeting slightly.
"And you were adopted by the late Emperor and Empress after the Great Devourer attack when you were ten, correct?"
"Yes your honor."
Judge Thomas pauses, looking back at the papers then to Harumi, her eyes narrowed. "And you were also the leader of the Sons of Garmadon, organizing their meets and attacks, working under the name "The Quiet One," correct?"
Harumi's looks down, guilt rolling off her in waves, her leg bounces under the table as she bites her lip. "Yes your honor." She sighs.
"It says here you were also involved with the robbery at Borg Tower on New Years, the resurrection of Lord Garmadon, and the bombing of the palace, which killed the Emperor, Empress, and their advisor Lee Hutchins."
"Yes I was, your honor." Harumi says, her voice strained. Lloyd squeezes her hand reassuringly. Harumi wishes he wouldn't. Things aren't looking good for her.
"Hmm." Judge Thomas hums, placing down Harumi's papers and picking up another stack, most likely Liv's papers. "Liv Harlow Garmadon, please place your right hand over your heart." Liv nods, placing a hand over her heart. "While you are in this courtroom, do you swear to tell the truth and only the truth?"
"Yes your honor." Liv nods, a bit shakily. "I swear to tell the truth and only the truth."
"Now, Liv Garmadon, age fifteen, born on December thirtieth, formerly possessed by Lord Garmadon and second in command of the Sons of Garmadon, working under the name "Tempest," correct?"
"That is correct, your honor."
"Here it states that you helped Harumi Xi'an resurrect Lord Garmadon, were you involved with the Sons of Garmadon before this?" Judge Thomas asks, her eyes hard.
"No your honor." Liv says.
"Explain to me, when did you join the Sons of Garmadon and why?"
Liv hesitates, biting her lip. Her eyes flick over towards Harumi. The white haired girl smiles slightly, nodding. "I joined the Sons of Garmadon after our ship went down in the jungle, when me and Harumi found the oni mask of hatred. I joined because I wanted my dad back...your honor." Liv says quietly. She remembers the day she found out the truth. The day that changed her life. And now she can't tell if it was for better or for worse.
"Who else was with you when you found this oni mask of hatred?"
"No one. It was just me and Harumi." Liv sighs, with every word she says, every thought she confirms, it's only making things worse for her friend.
"Were you forced into joining the Sons of Garmadon? Did you feel like you had no other choice?"
"No!" Liv shouts, glaring at the judge. The older woman eyes Liv, and the blond girl winces. "No, your honor. I joined on my own free will." Liv says, her head low.
The room is quiet, Judge Erika Thomas writing down what Liv had said before looking up at her again. "You were possessed by your father, correct?"
Liv shudders at the memory. "I-I was, your honor."
"And it was your father, Lord Garmadon, that was in control of your body after you and Harumi Xi'an resurrected him, correct?"
Liv nods, and the judge hums again, waving Liv away before putting up the blonds papers. "I call witness Misako Garmadon to the front." Judge Thomas says. Misako stands, pushing up her small, silver rimmed glasses up as she stands. "While you are in this courtroom, do you swear to tell the truth and only the truth?"
"I swear." Misako says, a hand over her heart.
The judge nods. "You are the mother of Lloyd and Liv Garmadon, sister-in-law to Wu, and husband to Lord Garmadon, correct?"
"Yes I am, your honor."
"Has your daughter ever gotten into trouble with the law before?"
"No your honor."
The judge nods, "you may be seated." She says, as Misako nods and sits back down beside Wu.
This went on for another hour, Judge Erika Thomas asking each of the ninja questions about Liv, Harumi, and just the entire ordeal with the SoG in general. They weren't really a lot of help, seeing as they were off in the First Realm for the better part of the crisis.
While the judge is questioning Zane, he projected clips of the fight in Kryptarium, no one liked to watch it, but "It was important evidence" judge Thomas had said, as she watched the clips with narrowed brown eyes, jotting down notes and glancing at papers.
Throughout the trial, things seemed to get better for Liv, and worse for Harumi. They'd all known that there was a slim chance of clearing her name with all she had done, but they would still try.
Now, everyone was on pins and needles waiting for Judge Thomas to make her statement. Liv closes her eyes, muttering to herself. Lloyd entwines his fingers with Harumi, squeezing tightly.
"Liv Harlow Garmadon, you are…" Judge Thomas pauses, her eyes locked with Livs. The entire courtroom was on edge, waiting for the judge's statement. "Not guilty of the following crimes: the Borg Tower Heist nor the bombing of the palace," before the judge could continue, the ninja burst from their seats, cheering and smiling. The judge levels them with a firm look before they settle down and allow her to continue. "However, you are guilty of resurrecting Lord Garmadon, and will serve two months of house arrest, followed by another month of probation." Judge Thomas picks up the gavel, before swiftly banging it down on the judged bench, shuffling up Liv's papers as she nods to the guards.
Liv practically beams as the guards unlock her cuffs and hands her the sweat pants and t-shirt she'd worn to the prison after she was arrested, she rubs her wrists a few times, pulling at the sleeves of her orange prison jumpsuit before dashing over to Lloyd. She jumps into his open arms, her hands tangled in his hair as she holds back tears. She pulls herself from Lloyd's grasp and goes over to Harumi, hugging the white haired girl tightly before Harumi pulls back, ushering Liv towards the Ninja.
Jay scopes Liv into a hug, muttering something that makes her laugh before turning the blond over to her Misako, who hugs her tightly, carding a hand through her hair. They all sit back down a few minutes later, waiting for the judge to give Harumi her statement.
"Harumi Xi'an…" The judge begins, slowly. "You are guilty of the following crimes: the Borg Tower Heist, the bombing of the palace, and the resurrection of Garmadon." A pause, letting everyone take in the information, then - "I am sorry to say but you will be serving ten years in prison, followed by a month of probation…"
Harumi gasps, and Liv leans into Jay, who wraps an arm around her, pulling her into a tight half hug. Lloyd squeezes Harumi's hand tighter, his eyes watering. Harumi herself just nods her head in acceptance. She knew that it'd be a long shot to clear her name, and she's ready to face the consequences.
"But," Everyone's eyes snap back to Judge Thomas. She was looking through a few papers, glancing at the notes she'd taken during the trial. "Seeing as Harumi Xi'an did however, aid in stopping Lord Garmadon, I am willing to show mercy and lower the sentence." The ninja shoot hopeful looks at each other as Judge Thomas continues. "Five years in Kryptarium prison, followed by one year of house arrest, this is as much mercy as I can allow." The judge banged the gavel on the bench, signaling the end of the trial.
Five years is a long time, but it's certainly better than the alternative, so they would make it work.
They have to.
The officers slip the cuffs on Harumi, who flashes the others a reassuring smile before the cops lead her away. Liv pulls herself away from Jay, going to stand by Lloyd. She rests her head on his shoulder, looking up at him.
"She's gonna be okay, Lloyd." She mutters, stuffing the clothes the officers had given her back under her arm as the Ninja turn to leave the courtroom.
"It feels like I just got her back…" Lloyd says, softly.
"You did, moron. But I'm telling you, she's tough, and she'll be fine." Liv continues. swatting Lloyd's cheek. "So get that look off your face, and we can visit her tomorrow, okay?"
Lloyd huffs, glancing back at the courtroom before nodding. "Okay."
I've cut Harumi as much slack as I could, and I couldn't sweep it all under the rug. On the Brightside, Liv is just going to be under house arrest, which basically means she can't leave her apartment. And we also got two new characters that I did not want to have any major role in this story but the more I wrote the more it made sense so yeah, Owen and Oliver will play big roles in the future. Oh, and let's not forget Chamille too!
Next up, the Jay and Liv centric chapter. Where mountains are now their new arch nemesis.