"Lady Irondragon!" exclaimed the receptionist the moment Koko walked through the door. The young man in scrubs hurried around the desk to shake her hand. "It is an honor! Truly! How can I help you? Anything at all!"
Koko was used to such greetings, even in her civilian clothes like right now. Though she wondered how much longer the pleasantness would last after she made her request.
"I would like a copy of my son's medical records, please. He was a patient here a few years ago, I understand."
"Of course, my lady! I did not even know you had a son!" And neither did the couple dozen or so people very obviously listening in. So much for patient confidentiality. "His name, Lady Irondragon? Since he surely doesn't go by Irondragon - we would've remembered that!"
"Lloyd Garmadon."
Dead silence. Everyone froze and stared at her in complete disbelief.
Koko had expected this. She sighed and pulled out a legal copy of Lloyd's birth certificate and her own identification papers, including her marriage certificate to Garmadon and a sworn affidavit signed by Master Wu and the mayor that she was authorized for Ninja work in Ninjago City.
The man glanced over her papers, but took Lloyd's in trembling hands. His eyes fell on the line for mother.
Misako Irondragon-Garmadon.
"How?" The man practically whimpered.
"Lord Garmadon was not evil twenty years ago, young man. Nor is he truly evil now, but that is besides the point. My son's medical records?"
"Of, of course, Lady Irondragon!"
The man typed rapidly into his computer. Frowned. Typed rapidly some more. Froze, eyes bewildered.
"The records are locked, my lady."
Koko folded her arms. "What does that mean and how can I get access?"
"It... it usually means the files are needed for a court case or some other type of investigation. There are different flags, depending on the type of lock and reason for it."
Normally he wouldn't do this, but this was the Lady Irondragon herself. Asking about her son.
He spun the monitor around and pointed to the black label and codes beneath that popped up when he tried to access the files.
"Ongoing Ninja investigation. Attempted murder. Medical miracle. Last updated four years ago."
Koko choked, grabbing at the monitor. "Murder?! Miracle - are you saying he should have died?! Four years... He would've just been twelve!"
The entire foyer of the hospital was silent. Someone had even turned off the soft music that usually played in the background. Even other patients and visitors had heard loud and clear and were staring.
Koko was taking deep breaths, trying to tell herself she'd expected something like this. Why else would Lloyd have been in a hospital? But truly, she'd been hoping it had just been some terrible accident or illness. That he'd just been patched up and sent home. She finally found her voice again and gestured for the keyboard.
"I have full Ninja authorization. My code should work," she said, trying to pretend no one could hear the trembling in her voice.
The man still stared in shock, but a great deal of it now was pity. He passed over the keyboard.
Koko typed in her blanket authorization and the screen opened on Lloyd's records.
Poisoning. Internal and external bleeding. Broken bones. Massive trauma. Stab wound. Signs of near drowning.
Someone had, not just tried to kill, but beaten and tortured her son. And apparently gotten away with it.
There were photos and scans and reports. How Koko didn't throw up right there, she didn't know. She barely managed to hit the print all button before she had to lean on the counter to keep herself from fainting.
The printer was right there next to the computer, so as soon as it stopped humming and churning out Lloyd's files - all this was from one night?! - she took them in hand, relocked the digital files with her code, and passed the keyboard back to the young man with a sincere if shaky thank you.
"I'm sorry!" blurted out the young man, eyes still wide. "I didn't know -!"
Koko had a pretty good idea what he was talking about, but it was hardly worth being upset about when it seemed the vast majority of the city was guilty.
She just nodded and left, carrying the disturbingly large stack of printouts.
~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~
Comments under a viral video of Lady Irondragon visiting the hospital:
[FSM LADY IRONDRAGON IS LLOYD'S MOM?!]
[I'm more shocked that she's married to Lord Garmadon! Was he really not evil twenty years ago?]
[Historical records actually list him as a hero twenty years ago! (Link to public archive website.)]
[Then why'd she leave him? Why didn't she get a divorce?]
[Duh! He went insane and evil!]
[She said he's not truly evil. I wonder what that means. Seems pretty evil to me. She also seemed devastated that Lloyd was injured four years ago, must have almost died for that reaction!]
[Good riddance evil demon spawn.]
[How can you say that?! He would've just been twelve! Someone tried to murder a twelve year old in our city and got away with it! They said 'ongoing Ninja investigation' - so the Ninja took it seriously!]
[seriosuly ppl? it's LG, everyone hates LG]
[Well, maybe we shouldn't. What has he actually done? I can't find a single public record of criminal action. Heck, I can't find any proof the kid ever had detention or skipped out on homework!]
[fsm we're bullies I am so sorry]
[you know he's kinda cute...]
[lol hes a cinamon roll !]
[Why didn't she say something sooner?! I never would have... Yeah, I wasn't to nice to the kid. Who I sort of just realized is younger than my own daughter.]
[Twelve?! No wonder Garmadon went full on psycho that night! I always wondered why the Ninja didn't just kill him or something after whatever he did to the Fire and Water Ninjas...]
[Damn. He was just a kid. He's still just a kid. And now that I think about it, he kind of has a lot more in common with Lady Irondragon than Garmadon.]
[I feel sick. If that was my kid I don't know what I'd do. Poor Lady IronD.]
~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~
Cole's home was pretty neat. An apartment on top of an old theatre, both in pretty good condition. They must have been around for over fifty years - quite an achievement in this particular city, but then it wasn't located anywhere near Ninjago Tower. I understood Cole's fascination with my dad's theatre room a little more after seeing his home, plus remembering his dad was a performer.
And his mom was Earth.
Cole was nice enough to mostly ignore my fidgeting as he took out his key and unlocked the door. It was a separate entrance from the theatre, up a little staircase attached to the outside.
Earth was special. Well, all my ninja had been, were, special. Fire and Water had always been there with comfort and cuddles. Lightning has provided the candy and made me laugh. Ice had always given me good counsel and advice. Earth...
Like Cole, she'd never really spoken much, but when she had she'd always sliced right to the heart of the issue. She didn't just listen, but she really thought about everything I said and helped me out in small and super practical ways. She'd given me my uncle's book. Taught me basic first aid. Sung soft nursery rhymes when I just felt like screaming. Helped me with an essay I'd been in tears over, since it basically was supposed to be about my dad and how evil he was.
"We're home," called out Cole, not shouting at all but somehow projecting his voice so whoever was home would hear him. The inside of their little home was exactly what you'd expect, with photos and music sheets and awards decorating the walls, various instruments along or on the walls, ranging from drums and guitars to flutes and violins. A piano had the place of honor in the family room, scribbled on music sheets atop it. It was a little cluttered, but I liked it. Very homey and somehow very Cole.
A delicious smell I didn't recognize floated in from the kitchen.
"In the kitchen," called out a pleasant voice I instantly recognized. "Just finishing up the onion butter."
Cole smiled. "Awesome. Pierogis."
I didn't know what those were, but the small was amazing. We dropped our backpacks off in the family room next to the piano and entered the kitchen.
Earth was there, smiling and washing her hands in the sink. She was wearing an apron dusted with flour and with patches of dough and stains of oil or something on the front. I was relieved to see she looked much better than she had when picking up Cole after our sleepover. She dried her hands, gave Cole a hug, and stroked my hair.
It was far from the exuberant welcome of Liberty, or the raw joy and relief of Auntie Maya and Uncle Ray, but no less of value to me. She wasn't one for big gestures, but her eyes were warm and fond as she looked me over, lifting my chin with one hand as she appraised me.
"You have grown, Lloyd," she said softly, in that low, musical voice I'd always adored. "I have missed you."
"Can I call you Aunt Sarah?" I asked, kind of blurting it out before I lost my nerves.
She smiled and nodded.
Dinner couldn't have been more different from Jay's, or even any of the others. It was pretty quiet, for one, but not uncomfortable. And the meal was simple. Just pierogis, which are these yummy dumplings with a potato/cheese filling and onion butter on top. Surprisingly satisfying.
Aunt Sarah hummed as she cleaned up the dishes and leftovers, setting aside a plate for Cole's dad when he got home. He was working in the theatre below, practicing for their next show and making sure everything was coming along. He was a performer in the show as well as the manager and producer, so he put in a tremendous amount of hours. Cole helped him out when he could, usually with the sound system and lighting.
Cole played the piano after dinner, and when she finished cleaning up, Aunt Sarah came in and sang for a bit. Nothing strenuous, just some simple pieces, but her voice was lovely. They actually roped me into singing along with them for a few songs until Lou (Uncle Lou?) came home.
It was really nice.
When Uncle Lou came home, he spent some time with us singing and dancing until it was time for homework and bed for Cole and me.
I was just finishing up our math set for the night when I noticed Cole watching me.
"It's good you made up with Master Wu," he said simply.
I smiled, remembering earlier. It was nice to have my dad's brother in my life again.
Cole played with his pencil for a moment before abruptly stating, "He saved me from ending up like your dad."
And THAT was quite the conversation starter. Practically a conversation stopper, with the way my heart dropped. Cole? Like my dad?!
Cole sighed and leaned back in his chair, balancing it on two legs as he stared up at the ceiling.
"The guys don't know how bad it got. Like, they know my mom's sick. That we started training to replace our parents after she was hospitalized, but... she wasn't supposed to make it. The doctors said she wouldn't."
My heart twisted. I'd had no idea.
"I lost it," confessed Cole. "Even before I could use my powers, I could always..." He gestured to the weights in the corner. There was at least four hundred pounds on that bar.
"What happened?" I asked, gently. He obviously wanted to talk to me about this, but he was never one to talk so much. Especially about himself.
"I was ripping trees out of the ground," he answered after a couple minutes of silence. "In the forest. Didn't even know I could do that. Big old trees, couldn't even get my arms all the way around the trunks. It was easy. Must have ripped out around twenty when he stopped me. Clonked me over the head with his staff and pinned me to the ground."
That sounded about right for what I knew about my uncle. I said as much. Cole chuckled.
"Yeah. Asked me what the hell I thought I was doing. How it helped anyone, my mom or me. What she would think of me doing this. I... couldn't answer. Didn't know. Started crying."
I just waited. Cole just needed a short break between every few lines.
"Total mess. Master took me back to the Bounty. Gave me tea. Told me stories about Garmadon. How his first crash was after their mom died. Destroyed a village. Second time was after their father died. That's when he went on a rampage until he met your mom. Third time, when he decided to conquer Ninjago City..."
"When my mom left us," I whispered.
"Master told me to think about Garmadon. Was he happier for giving in to the need to destroy? Did it make the pain go away? It made others hurt, but did it help them understand him? Or push them away?"
Cole dropped his chair back to all fours. Hands in fists, staring at them. "Master Wu started my training that same day. Jay and Zane joined us the next week."
I set a hand over one of his fists. Not knowing why, I pried it open so I could hold it normally.
"Have you ever felt that?" he asked, softly. "What your dad and I have felt? Feel?"
"The need to destroy?" I asked. "To make others hurt? Of course. Why else do you think I wanted an army of my own when I was eight?"
Cole blinked, startled. Did he really think I was some sort of perfect little sweetheart? With my dad?
"An army?"
I chuckled and squeezed his hand before letting go. "I never did tell you that story, did I. Of course not - FSM, it's embarrassing. But it's how I met the Ninja. See, I was a terror. A nasty little brat, and I knew it, wanted it. Thought I could be just like my dad, that it didn't matter that everyone hated me. Couldn't figure out why I was so miserable. Got this weird idea that what I needed was an army, that I could have my own minions and help my dad conquer Ninjago City. Started doing research, and came across these ancient texts in the volcano's library about the Serpentine."
Soon the whole story had spilled out. The weeks of research. Being so easily charmed by Pythor after I released him, so easily calling him my best friend, my own general number one. Figuring out they had their own plans, that they were keeping me around to use as a hostage against my dad. That they were planning to release a legendary monster my dad hated more than anything in the world. That week trapped in a cage, followed by another week on the run for my life after I escaped. No way to contact my dad, no one that would help me. Pythor finally catching me, about to actually eat me. Getting snatched up by the Ninja, spared from being swallowed but so sure they were going to punish me, torture me, lock me up and throw away the key.
"It was all so stupid. I don't know how I could've been so stupid," I confessed, feeling eight years old all over again. "I just... I hated everyone. Or, I thought I did."
"I was twelve. What was my excuse?" commented Cole, shrugging. "Same thing. Stupid kid. Wanting others to hurt because they were."
"I don't ever want to feel like that again."
"Me either."
We both fell silent. Returned to our homework.
"I'll stop you if you stop me," Cole randomly offered, about half an hour later as we were putting our books away.
I smiled sadly, knowing exactly what he was talking about. Neither of us wanted to end up like my dad.
"Deal."
~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~
Author's Notes: And there we have it! Koko's reaction to the hospital incident, her relationship to Lloyd becoming public knowledge, as well as Lloyd's sleepover at Cole's and their bonding moment! Hope you enjoyed, and you can bet there will be fallout from a certain viral video! We'll actually get to see a bit of it next chapter, which will actually be mostly comedy for once – so you guys will get a bit of a break from all the drama!
Credit and special thanks to Sunny Lighter for many of the ideas about Cole's family and home! If you see any parallels when she posts her oneshot introducing her Greener-verse versions of Cole's family, know they were her ideas first but she's graciously shared them! The ideas that especially come to mind are that they live above a theater, that his mom almost died in the past, and that his dad operates the theater downstairs and Cole helps out with the sound system.
Shout-outs to: Watcher321, EMPFangirl02, Beaner97, Pitch'snieceanddaughterofMew, Lea1985, Dyphen, Sunny Lighter, MasterOfMusic139, Carrie2sky, Kifo Entiegon, Silvermags, Bookkeeper2004, and mariagotsi2004! Thanks so much for reviewing last chapter for me, all of you! I've PMed you all with thanks and replied to your comments and questions!