content warning for: dehumanization, attempted murder, misgendering, and vague homophobia

The fangpyre loomed in the doorway as Cyrus worked, watching him intently with it's golden eyes.

He tried to ignore it, focusing on the time machine in the hopes that if it saw he was busy, it'd leave, but he had no such luck.

Acronix entered the workshop regardless, tail swishing lazily behind it as it watched.

Cyrus hunkered down, trying to communicate without words that he did not want to be bothered, but Acronix didn't seem to care, leaning over the work desk to get a better look.

a"What do you want?" Cyrus half squeaked, tone somewhere between annoyance and fear.

Acronix turned his attention from the time machine to the inventor, "Nothing, jussst curious" it said, the distinctive, rasping tone of a serpentine dragging icy claws down Cyrus's spine. "What can I say, all thissss... future tech is fascinating"

"Your brother doesn't seem to agree" Cyrus snapped.

Acronix waved a hand dismissively, "Krux is all talk, he doesn't mean anything by it"

Cyrus snorted, "right" he muttered. If the serpentine heard him, it didn't comment.

"Honessstly, if I could ssstay here, in the future" said Acronix "I think I'd be happy"

"And, why don't you?" asked Cyrus, seeing an opening, "You don't have to do this"

Acronix's expression fell, "you don't know what I have to do" he said simply.

Cyrus felt a burst of anger rise in his chest "Do you? Look at the harm you're brother has done, Ray and Maya had young children, when he took them, Krux left those children without a family"

"I know about Kai and Nya, I don't care" Acronix snapped "their parents got what was coming to them, and frankly, if they knew what those two put me through? They'd probably agree"

"How could you say that?" gasped Cyrus.

"They tried to kill me!"

"OF COURSE they tried to kill you, YOU betrayed the alliance! I bet you would've done the same!"

Acronix slammed a hand down on the desk, and Cyrus flinched, "THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!"

Cyrus went quiet, realizing he'd pushed the beast too far.

"When I wasss... turned, it was just them and my brother with me, when they realized I wasss to far gone, that antivenom couldn't sssave me, they" his voice hitched "they tried to kill me" there was genuine shock in his voice, and, despite the position he'd been put in by the man, Cyrus felt the same.

"What about Wu and Garmadon, didn't they put a stop to that?" Cyrus asked.

Acronix sneered, "Wu agreed with them. I fought for him, won the damn war for him, and he tried to fucking kill me"

There was a shocked silence.

Acronix backed off, inhaling through his mouth and exhaling through his nose.

"I'm leaving" he said, "goodbye!"

"Acronix told me some... things" said Cyrus, "I'm sure they aren't true, but, umm... I did want to confirm that. Too clear things up"

"What did it say, exactly?" asked Ray.

"He said you tried to kill him when he first turned" said Cyrus, "I'm sure it's completely untrue, a lie to get me on his side, no doubt"

There was a heavy silence

"Cyrus" started Maya, "I know what he said sounds bad, but you have to understand- when a fangpyre bites, their victim isn't themselves anymore. The kindest thing is to put them out of their misery."

Cyrus felt a chill run down his spine

"It was inevitable" Ray cut in, "Acronix wasn't who he led us to believe, he had... desires"

"What? What does that mean?" Cyrus asked.

"He slept with a serpentine" Maya elaborated, "a male serpentine, I'm sure Wu would've kicked him out, if his brother hadn't threatened to leave over it"

"shoulda kicked them both out" muttered Ray.

Maya snorted, "Wu said that he'd been 'seduced by the insidious words of a serpentine', as if there's anything seductive about a filthy snake, I think Acronix was sick. It just took him getting bitten for Wu to realize that"