Wu furiously jotted down notes as he thought of a solution of some kind for his brother.
He had begun working on this self-assigned task about two years ago, and in that time he had read almost every book in the library, scouring them for any information that might be helpful. Along with that he used any knowledge he already had and many connections and calculations to come up with something. The notebook he was using was mostly filled with countless notes from the books, and other random papers stuck out from it.
It was a mess.
Between the notes, his own thoughts and those papers, only he would have any luck of making sense of it.
Wu closed the book he had just been looking at and stood up to find another one. He browsed the shelves until he found the one he wanted. He pulled it out and began flipping though the pages as he walked back to his seat. Placing the book on the desk, he continued reading intently, standing there.
He paused and began writing down something, his eyes quickly darting back and forth between the two books. He finished writing and gave what he'd just written down one last look over, checking to make sure it was correct.
"So," he said to himself as he began writing down yet another note. "If these ingredients were put together, say in a tea, then it would most likely have a calming effect on the mind and body. In this case-"
The library doors violently slid open, hitting the end hard.
Startled, Wu looked up to see Garmadon standing in the doorway.
"Can I help you?" Wu asked hesitantly, trying to keep his voice calm and steady.
"What are you doing in here?" Garmadon asked accusingly, striding across the floor to his brother.
Wu hurriedly shut his notebooks and the other open texts surrounding him. "Nothing," he said.
Garmadon scoffed at the response. "No one spends hours on end reading books, day after day after day, and calls it "nothing". Everyday, for the past who knows how long, you've come in here, sat down and just read. You do nothing else all day; just read! I'd hardly call that "nothing". What are you doing?"
Garmadon stood across from his brother on the other side of the desk. Wu stood clutching his notebook to his chest and stared Garmadon in the eye.
"It's just a bit of research," he replied. "It's really nothing."
"Which explains why you are being so secretive and holding onto that notebook like it's your life source," the older brother said dryly. "Give it to me."
Garmadon thrust out his hand and Wu took a step back. "No…I won't…I don't want to," the younger boy said in a shaky voice. "It's none of your business!"
"Well then I'll make it my business!" Garmadon lunged across the desk and tackled his brother. He knocked over the chair and scattered the books across the floor.
"Brother!" Wu shouted, exasperation present and noticeable, despite the fact that he was slightly winded.
Garmadon easily pinned his brother to the ground and began to wrestle the notebook from him. Wu fought back, but his brother had the vantage point that gave him the upper hand. As easily as he had pinned Wu, Garmadon gained the notebook. He stood up and stepped away from his brother who was lying on the ground trying to catch his breath.
Garmadon began to flip through the pages of the notes Wu had compiled. He skimmed it at first, turning it sometimes to read strange side notes in the margins, but never stayed focused on one page.
Wu stood up and glared at Garmadon. "Give it back. Please," he said through clenched teeth.
Garmadon didn't even bother to look up. "No, I don't think I will. If you're that desperate, it must be important." The other boy then began to read the notes more thoroughly. After that, it didn't take him long to realize what they were.
Wu watched Garmadon's face change from satisfied with victory to serious to annoyed to angry, his eyes slowly becoming a darker red. Wu took a deep breath, bracing himself for what would be coming next.
"This is what you've been doing?" Garmadon said looking up and glaring at his brother. "This is your idea of "help"?"
He began to wave the notebook in the air. "This is your research? This is your brilliant plan? You plan to heal me with some tea? Is that it?" he shouted.
Wu felt tears begin to rise. "Please don't get mad! Don't shout! I didn't think it was a cure, just a way to help, make it less bad, hurtful. I was only trying-"
"Only trying to what?" Garmadon shouted, cutting him off. "Only trying to help? Well," he scoffed. "I have news for you! You can't help! You've wasted your time! There is nothing you can do! This," he said waving the notebook. "This is a fool's errand! Nothing can be done! It's hopeless! You should learn to mind your own business," he hissed. "And as for this," he said hitting the notebook. "It is useless!"
The next thing Wu knew, Garmadon had ripped the book clean in half.
Wu stared in horror at the sight before him. "Brother!"
"What does it matter?" Garmadon shouted. "It is worthless!" His eyes began to glow even brighter and a purple glow started to spread from his hands.
"Garmadon, don't!" Wu pleaded with him. But he knew it was pointless. There was nothing that could stop Garmadon from destroying the notebook.
Wu stood and stared helplessly as his older brother tore the book apart into thousands of piece. Wu felt tears streaming down his face as quiet pleas of "Brother, stop, please," crossed his lips. But it was of no use.
Soon, the notebook lay in a pile of blackened bits, irreparable.
Wu collapsed on the ground, kneeling next to the destroyed notebook. He ran his hands through it, picking up a piece every now and then to see if he could read anything. But any trace of his two years worth of research was gone.
Wu, horror-stricken and tears pouring from his eyes, looked up at his brother. "How could you?" he breathed. "I can't believe you…how can you come in here and tell me to mind my own business, when you yourself are asking about what I am doing? Poking your nose in my affairs? You open my personal research book then proceed to destroy it! Maybe I'll mind my own business when you learn to mind yours, you little hypocrite!" he shouted.
"I worked so hard on my research!" he continued. "You had absolutely no right to do what you just did! You're such a monster!"
The last exclamation slipped out of Wu's mouth accidentally. It had been in his mind, but he had no intention of saying it. He knew saying it could make things worse, but in his anger he was losing control.
Garmadon laughed bitterly. "So, you are finally accepting of the truth. Finally willing to see what your brother has become! You've tried to hide from the truth, tried to believe I can be helped. But you're wrong! There is nothing that can be done!" he yelled.
"That's not true!" Wu shouted back at his brother.
"Yes it is!" Garmadon cried. "And you know it. Not only that, you have admitted it!"
"I have not!" Wu had tears coming as flood as he stood to be level with his brother. "I didn't mean what I said!"
"Oh, I'm sure you didn't," the older boy replied sarcastically. "We all know it's true. I'm a monster, and nothing can be done about that!" He was shouting in anger, but tears were beginning to form in his eyes.
Wu bit his tongue. He was tired of hearing this, but at the same time, he wanted to agree. Trying to argue against his brother had grown exhausting, a useless battle every time. And he was still angry at him for what he'd done.
"Fine! You are!" Wu eventually yelled back. "You are a monster and no brother of mine! My brother would not have done this!"
With that, Wu lifted his leg and planted a kick on his brother's chest.
Garmadon, despite being caught off guard, kept his balance. "If that's how you want to settle this, then very well!"
Garmadon shifted his stance, and with one swift movement swung a leg and knocked his brother down. Wu scowled, but was back up in his feet in a second, attempting to land another blow on his brother. But the two sparred so often, so much, they knew each other so well, it was hard to be unpredictable.
And so, the brothers fought in the library, practically at a stalemate, neither able to gain an advantage over the other. Both were furious with the other, unwilling to backdown, putting their all into the fight.
Until a voice echoed through the room.
"Boys!" The First Spinjitzu Master's voice rang throughout the library. "That is enough."
The two brothers froze in their actions and stepped away from each other. But neither apologized to either their father or each other.
Their father came and stood before the two teenagers, who both had tears coming from their eyes like rivers. "What is the meaning of this, children?"
"Garmadon came in here and tore up my research notebook!" Wu blurted out.
The man raised an eyebrow. "So, am I to understand that you started the fight, Wu?"
"Yes," the younger boy said through clenched teeth. "But Garmadon had no right to do what he did!"
"True," their father said calmly. He turned to his older son. "And may I ask what provoked your behavior, Garmadon?"
Garmadon sighed. "I have no excuse. I'm sorry."
For the first time in weeks Garmadon was calm, almost submissive even. His eyes had no red tinge whatsoever, and he even appeared more relaxed.
"Very well then," their father said. "And Wu? What do you have to say?"
Wu looked up at his father, then glared at his brother. He knew he should apologize, but he was so angry! He had worked so long and hard on his research, and now it was all gone. All gone, thanks to Garmadon.
His older brother looked at him, hoping to find forgiveness, but it was almost as though their roles had been reversed.
Wu kept a steady glare on his brother and took a deep breath. "I have nothing to say."
Garmadon was taken aback. "Brother!" he exclaimed at the same time their father warningly said, "Wu."
But the younger boy had no interest in sticking around and stormed passed his father and out of the library.