A/N: Well, I said I was changing to Thursday (NOTE: this was mentioned in the notes for Forged in Fire. For those of you not reading that story I simply said that I would be changing my update day to Thursdays to make posting easier.) and look! It's Thursday! We're on time for once! Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

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xxXTryMeXxx: Thank you! Honestly, I live for little trauma details like that (I mean, fearing a worse punishment than what most would consider standard? Kind of a big red flag for either anxiety, trauma, or both!) And thank you for always reviewing, or trying to, it really helps brighten my day!

Lloyd flinched as Wu's fingers gently curled around his shoulder. The old man gently guided him onto the ship.

"Are you hungry?" Lloyd shook his head at the old man's query, despite the grumblings of his stomach.

Wu narrowed his eyes slightly and a frown crossed his face. "Are you sure?" His brows furrowed further as the boy nodded.

Lloyd gave one last glance at the sunset as Wu brought him below deck. He knew from experience that fighting would only make his punishment worse, and he had no chance of making an escape at the moment. To escape he'd have to do what he always did: endure and look for an opening.

Much to Lloyd's surprise, Wu led him to a large and cozy room with a cot tucked into the corner. Wu sat next to the cot, gesturing Lloyd toward it. Lloyd hesitantly sat down. Wu gently pushed him back so his head rested on the pillow (Lloyd ensured his hood still covered his face as much as it could) and tugged a blanket over the child. He pulled out an old picture book once written by a kid who had a way with words and personal experience with a certain race of snakes. "Jack the Rabbit."

Lloyd was left rather confused about the story. It made it sound like all snakes were the same: cruel and ruthless. But the serpentine were nice, or at least most of them. Was this supposed to be some sort of psychological punishment? Get him to feel bad about seeking out the serpentine or make him scared of them? Maybe Wu wanted an apology before the actual punishments started. "I'm sorry, sir."

"Oh, there's no need to apologize; you didn't know any better. And there's no need for formality, nephew." Wu ruffled the boy's hair as he stood, striding out of the room. Before he left he gave one last glance back. "Good night, Lloyd."

Lloyd stared in confusion at where Wu had just been. He recovered when the voices outside started talking.

"We train all day and he gets read a bedtime story? It's not fair!"

Training? These ninja had to train too?

"You're right, I almost forgot, why are you not still training? Did you find the answer to the riddle?"

Several sighs made their way to his ears. "No, Sensei, we still don't know what the best way to defeat one's enemy is."

"It is to make them your friend."

Several 'oh's were the only reply.

Lloyd curled up, clenching his eyes shut. He didn't know what that conversation was about, but it couldn't be good. The footsteps of the ninja faded away as the four headed off to bed themselves.

Lloyd waited an hour after sweet silence descended before daring to open his eyes, glancing around to ensure he was alone. Slipping out from under the blanket, he approached the hall cautiously. Slipping up the stairs and into the open air, Lloyd approached the edge of the deck. Peering down, he felt his heart plummet into his stomach at the sight of the drop. He could barely see the ground through cloud bottoms that brushed the deck, and there was no sign of any way down. Not even with Gren's help.

But maybe, even if he couldn't jump off, he could make the ninja think he did. They would go looking for him down there, and he could escape and make his way to... Somewhere. Allowing himself the slightest glimmer of hope, he scrambled up to the crows nest.

*In the morning*

"Lloyd?!"

"Do you think he fell?"

"From this height? There's no way he would survive!"

Why are they talking like that? Why aren't they mad I got away? Listening to the commotion below, Lloyd tried to make sense of the ninjas' strange behavior.

"There you are!" Lloyd jumped as Nya climbed into the crows nest alongside him. "What are you doing up here?"

"No- nothing, sir." Lloyd pressed himself against the far side of the nest, clutching his hood with one hand.

"'Sir'?" She scoffed, and Lloyd was already tensed for the worst. "Do you call everyone that?"

"Yes, sir."

She stared at him a second, trying to find the right words. "O-kay… So, um, should I stay here, or did you come up here to be alone?"

Lloyd knew this trick, when he said his choice she'd go with the opposite. A lot of the younger students would pull this trick on him.

... Although, these guys were really different from everyone back at Darkly's. He hadn't even been punished yet. Maybe, just maybe, she would be different. "Um, alone, please, sir." The words were so difficult to get out, and when they came out they were a barely audible squeak.

"Alright, just come down when you're ready, okay?"

He blinked as she climbed out, he'd enjoyed the thought of her actually adhering to his request, but he hadn't thought she would. Maybe some of his fellow humans - if he even was human - were a little like the serpentine. Maybe it was the girl humans or something.

"Calm down, boys," Nya's voice echoed from below, "I found him." Lloyd criticized himself for not having seen this coming. Of course she would immediately rat him out.

"Really? Where is he?"

"Up in the crows' nest. He wants to be alone, he's probably a bit overwhelmed." Lloyd had a very, very hard time trying to comprehend what was going on down there, but he didn't dare look.

"I guess as long as Wu's not gonna kill us for losing him." Cole's voice was nonchalant, but Lloyd was stuck on that k-word. Was Wu a killer?

Would these guys try to force him to be a killer?

Alright ya'll. We have one of our first big hints (but by far not the biggest) for the title hidden in this chapter! Even if you're not actually guessing the title, if you have a theory which line feel free to check if you're right, there may even be more than one right answer! ;)

Please review if you have the time, your responses are the fuel for the fires of creativity.