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Unexpected

By: Mad Betrayal

"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out…"—Walter Winchell

Chapter 13 ~ Awakening

The first things that Brad saw upon awakening were rubies—dark, twin rubies that gleamed bewitchingly in the cascading light. A prolonged moan escaped him as his eyelashes fluttered, and everything tried to come into clearer perspective. The rubies swirled until they settled rightfully onto a face—a handsome yet fretful face.

Wha…? Who…?

"Brad…?" The stranger said, unsure and gentle and the aforementioned blinked in recognition of his own name. "Kaa—Jay, come here."

It didn't take long for another stranger to enter Brad's view. "His eyes seem to be focusing…and he looks coherent…" Brad's eyes shifted from the first, and he nearly flinched when he met another pair of exquisite gemstones—sapphires. He quickly swallowed the clotting saliva in the back of his throat. He couldn't see much passed the two men—"Ruby" and "Sapphire" he dubbed them—just the slow slicing blades of a rotating fan overhead.

This…isn't right… Where am I…?

Fear slowly permeated Brad's mind like a poisonous fog, but there were a few things he could register from his new surroundings: 1) He was lying down on very comfortable bed with fluffy pillows supporting his head. And 2) His arms were free, and not bound by steel restraints as they usually were.

No…Clouse…did he…?

Chen's right hand and star pupil…the one that…murdered Brad's parents, and took him from his home… did he…? Brad remembered. Brad remembered Clouse. A secret, sickening smirk would twist the wicked man's lips every time he would come down into the lab…ever since his body was forcefully changed by Chen's dreadful experiments. At first, it was different. At first, there was nothing on Clouse's face but cold detachment when Brad was thrown over his shoulder as a kid, kicking and screaming. But when his body aged, a feral, hungry glint entered his eyes…and that damnable smirk followed.

Brad could see it. Brad could see it now. And it churned his stomach as well as added to his mounting fear. So the question remained? Did he…did Clouse finally manage to get Brad into his bed unbeknownst to Chen? And were these strange men here to prep him for the unimaginable? Or were they here for…

Brad's fear skyrocketed into full-blown terror. He opened his mouth to scream, but the only sound that crackled up from his dry throat was his quick and strangled breathing. Foam soon gathered in his mouth and dribbled from the corners as his eyes rolled back in his head, showing nothing but petrified whites.

"Brad? Brad!?"

"Lloyd, move!"

Brad could sense it—an electrical surge coming towards him. Coming to do him more harm. Cause him more pain.

No! I—I won't let them do this! I can't! I can't take anymore!

A palpable vein suddenly protruded in his throat as he forcefully clenched his teeth in a pained, manic growl. The whites disappeared, and wild and crazed aquamarine eyes focused sharply on the man emitting the electric magnetic pulse.

"Jay!"

"Kaasan!"

"Sapphire" was suddenly pulled away and "Ruby" unwittingly took his place. Brad lunged at the blonde like a wounded animal on his last leg and sunk his teeth viciously into a muscled forearm. Grabbing onto the man, he tumbled off the bed with him in a flurry of sheets and limbs onto the floor.

"Lloyd!"

The familiar name was like a flicker of light down in the dark void that had become Brad's mind, but he knew not to falter in his attack. He bit down with all his might, and felt more than a little satisfied when his incisors broke through the skin and the metallic tang of fresh blood trickled into his mouth.

"Shit! That's it!"

"No Kai! Don't do anything! No one do anything!"

That voice again. The first one meant nothing to Brad, but the second… His black mind came face-to-face with that strangely familiar flicker of light. Brad bit down harder—if that was possible, his eyes wide, wild, and blind.

No! No! Not right! Not right! Not him! Not him!

"Brad…"

The voice struck a deep, penetrating nerve from within him and touched his heart. It was familiar but wrong. Too deep. Too soothing. Too…

"Brad…"

Brad gripped the arm in his hands tight, suddenly realizing that he was the only one attacking. He was the only one struggling. While the other—while his supposed "enemy"…stroked his hair? Where were the metal rods? Where was the pain? Brad growled, unrelenting, unwilling to be tricked. He breathed heavy and rough through his nostrils, disturbing the mussed strands of black in his eyes.

But the hand also didn't stop, and the body below him was totally relaxed and not rigid in defense. Gloved fingers gently pushed away his messy hair, and tucked the wayward locks behind his ear. He could see the man's face again. He could see it very clearly.

"Hey…" A soft smile. "…you're gonna be alright. Everything's gonna be okay. You're not alone anymore, Brad. I'm here. I'm back. I'm right here."

Brad blinked. He took in that smile—that familiar smile with just the edge of a smirk in it. He took in that blonde hair—that familiar yet rare shade of blonde hair that looked almost white. Then finally, he took in those eyes—those strikingly familiar dark ruby depths. No one he had every met had eyes like this.

No one…no one but one…

…Lloyd…?

At once, Brad felt his jaw loosening, but the impracticality that the man below him was actually his long-lost best friend from Darkley's made him strengthen his bite again.

No… Lloyd's not this age—not freakish like me! He's normal… He's a kid…

"Yanno…without the biting…this kinda reminds me of that time you saved me from getting caught when we pranked the principle—Mr. Angrimob. You remember?" A quick, light laugh. "I wanted to put three wolverines in his office, but you had the bright idea to put…oh what were those things called…?"

Ba-dum…ba-dum…ba-dum…

"Skunks…"

Brad's voice sounded cracked, but he spoke clearly. His mouth had unhinged itself from the blonde's arm as he spoke of their precious childhood. Of which had connected them. And he had released his grip of it to place his hands on either side of the blonde's—no, Lloyd's head. Brad's long raven locks fell like a waterfall of ink over his shoulders as he peered down with blurry eyes at his friend—his best friend.

"Skunks would be better because…his first name was "Linky", so…*sniff*…I was thinking he'd have a "stinky, angry mob" parade through his office." Large, soulful tears fell from glistening aquas and landed on Lloyd's face, but the latter only continued to stare up at him. "Our teacher…*gasp*…always appreciated irony…*sniff*…"

"Brad…"

That same gloved-hand that had touched his hair now cradled his cheek, and Brad leaned into Lloyd's warm palm helplessly.

"Lloyd…haa…Lloyd…"

Brad gradually lowered himself onto the welcoming body below him and buried his face into the crook of his former classmate's neck.

"Lloyd…Lloyd…Lloyd…"

He couldn't say it enough. He had missed his friend dearly. And now by some God-gracious-miracle he was here. No more darkness. No more pain. No more Chen. And no more Clouse.

Brad cried and sobbed Lloyd's name, unable to say or do much else. And warm arms embraced him. "It's okay… It's okay, Brad. I'm here."

Brad vaguely registered himself being moved and then lifted. The warmth of Lloyd's arms was still around him, and that's all that mattered. He was placed gently back on the bed, but refused to relinquish his hold on Lloyd when the other tried to pull away.

He shook his head once. "Stay. Please."

And Lloyd's answer came without hesitation. "Yeah, of course."

It was surreal. Although Brad knew other people were in the room with him and Lloyd, he didn't care. All he cared about was the one holding him close. It was the very first time—in a long time that he felt safe and secure. At the moment, nothing else mattered.

"Let us give them some privacy," Garmadon suggested. He smiled as he eyed his son snuggling with his long-lost friend. "Our questions can come later, when Brad is feeling up to it."

"Yes," his brother agreed softly. He lowered his hat some to obscure his small smile. "Now is not the time." He then turned and led the way out of Lloyd's room with Garmadon and the others trailing behind him.

However, Jay did not move. He simply continued to observe the pair on the bed—watched as Brad closed his eyes and clutched Lloyd tightly around the middle; as if afraid he would disappear if he let go. And Lloyd—one hand ran through Brad's hair with pure affection while the other held him firmly to his side by the hip.

Jay stood there and wondered… Was this the way he looked when his mother came up to the observatory and saw him sleeping with Cole? Did he resemble Brad in that way? Did he look so…at peace…?

A warm hand on his shoulder roused him from his musings and he turned to see the one he had thought about. "You okay?" Cole questioned softly, and Jay mentally shook himself.

He gave Cole an assuring grin before letting his eyes drift back to Lloyd and Brad again. His smile widened just a bit more. "I just think it's amazing that they found each other, yanno? What were the odds of this moment ever happening? It was so unpredictable. So unexpected… I'm happy…that's all."

Cole, too, observed the couple of reunited friends, and a content smile wandered onto his lips also. "Yeah… It's great," he breathed. "I'm happy for them."

Jay exhaled slowly. The longer he stayed, the more he felt like he was intruding on something private. Thus, he decided to leave and let Lloyd and Brad have their moment alone. He nudged Cole purposefully and nodded towards the door. And understanding, Cole followed him out.

"Lloyd…Lloyd…" Brad muttered into the folds of his friend's soft tunic, and Lloyd called quietly to him.

"Brad…we can get you back home. You're parents must be worried, right?"

At the mention of the tragedy that had befallen his life, Brad stiffened and shook his head. "No…Clouse he…" More hot tears gathered behind his closed eyelids as he gritted his teeth and fisted Lloyd's sash. "They're gone…dead… Clouse killed them…when—when they tried to protect me…"

"What?! Oh Brad… God, I'm sorry…" Lloyd hugged his friend tighter as more of Brad's tears were shed. "Is there anyone else?" He bit his lip. "Do you have any other family?"

Brad didn't answer. His mind was engulfed with the images of his parents' broken and bloodied bodies lying on the living room floor. Clouse had come in the dark of night like a classic demon. He had been sleeping soundly when his mother suddenly shook him awake…and had been instantly afraid, for even in the darkness of his room his mother's eyes were alight with fear and urgency. She had told him to hide and be quiet, and he readily obeyed. Clambering up to his secret hiding spot located through the ceiling of his room, he waited with bated breath for the crisis to pass. However, it felt like only a few minutes ticked by when a dark hand abruptly smashed through the ceiling tile and grabbed his ankle. He had screamed when another followed and seized him around the middle. He was pulled down—exposed and then deposited across Clouse's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. His tiny fists could do nothing against the broad, muscled back of his abductor. And it was only when they made it down the stairs did he see them—his parents.

A new form of rage swathed Brad then. A vengeful beast that had been slowly feeding off the pain and terror he had gone through ever since that night. His body began to shake and his eyes shot open into violent focus. "Lloyd…do you know him…? Do you know Clouse?" Brad's words were almost incomprehensible he had spoken so low and broken, but Lloyd had heard and deciphered.

He frowned. "Yeah…he was with Chen when we defeated him…but…"

"Is he dead?" Brad's voice was shrill. "Is Chen and that bastard, Clouse, dead?"

Lloyd felt he had no choice but to answer his friend, though he was growing increasingly worried. "…Chen is gone, but…Clouse…managed to escape…" He focused on the hands gripping him, their strength building on his body. "Brad…"

And there it was. A reason—a purpose to be alive. He would have his vengeance. "I want to kill him, Lloyd." The vehemence and hate in Brad's voice could not be mistaken. "I want to kill that bastard Clouse with my own two hands."

Author's Note: Kind of short, yeah, but the next chapter is where everything really starts to pick up and move forward. I promise! Also, I just want to point out that I love the fact that the creators did absolutely nothing with Brad other than give him a kick-ass name and a hint of a personality. Which means, I can pretty much do whatever I want with him without having him appear OOC! I love it when this rarity happens! Please leave your thoughts!