"No!" Garmadon shouted at Lloyd, "I refuse to risk my ninja in a suicide mission!"
"It's not a suicide mission!" Lloyd shouted back, leaning forward, "Lulloyd was captured! We have to get him back!"
"The Emperor has taken him to his palace!" Garmadon spat, "Our plans are ruined! Any attempt to break in now will result in the Emperor capturing us! We must rethink our strategy!"
"This Emperor could be torturing him right now for information!" Harumi shouted to Garmadon, "We can't afford to just leave him there!"
In the large cockpit of the Destiny's Bounty, Garmadon stood on one side of a large table. Behind him were Nya, Cole, Kai, Jay and Zane, all looking various amounts of uncomfortable or ashamed. On the other side of the table, Lloyd and Harumi were tense and red in the face from shouting. Mage and Monty stood behind them, Mage looking nervous and afraid, while Monty had his normal laid back expression, leaning against his hands clasped behind his head. Sun sat in a chair beside Garmadon, one of his hands wrapped in bandages from the arrow strike and refusing to lift up his head.
"We each accept risks when we go on these missions," Garmadon growled, "By opposing the Emperor, we place our lives on the line. If your friend knew that, he will survive whatever interrogation he is going through!"
"You don't understand!" Harumi threw her hand up, "We're from other worlds here! Imagine if your Emperor was able to get Lulloyd to talk about that! He could get even more powerful than he is already!"
"That's just an excuse," Nya stepped forward, "It's not that we don't want to rescue him! The plan we were running all those missions for was to get into the palace. We were going to blow open the wall to get inside and storm the Emperor himself! That was our best plan in months, and now it's in jeopardy!"
"And whose fault was that?" Monty asked, pointing an icy glare at Sun.
Sun twitched in his seat, but he didn't move. Garmadon looked over at him, then let out a sigh and looked back to Lloyd. When he did, his expression of anger slowly faded away, leaving him with a more collected expression.
"What has happened, has happened," Garmadon frowned, "I wish we could save your friend. But there is nothing we can do. With your friend now captured, the Emperor has more leverage over us than before. If we were to attack now, he would be able to capture us. We have our own fight we must continue."
"But…" Lloyd leaned forward, "Lulloyd needs our help! If we wait, Borg will get the Nindroids up again! The Stone Army is looking for someone, so they're away from the palace. This is the only chance we'll get! If we have to walk into a trap to do it, then I'll spring it!"
"Then that's your own foot you're losing, pal!" Cole added, "We got our own things to worry about!"
"If one of our own is captured," Mage stepped forward, "We have to help them! That's, that's what friends do! No, not just friends. Allies! We have to help each other! Otherwise, what's the point in working together?"
"Look, kid," Kai looked over to Mage, "You don't get it, do you? We're outclassed in like, every way. You'll get it more when you're older."
"Don't insult him like that," Monty sighed, "He's done more in a year than you've done in your entire life."
"Unlike you?" Kai sneered. Monty opened one eye and threateningly started to draw the SoS from his back.
"Enough!" Garmadon shouted. Monty stared Kai for a few minutes, then slowly let the sword sheath. Kai refrained from drawing his own tonfa and stared Monty down. Mage slowly tried to get in front of Monty, but Monty stepped through Mage just to make a point. Mage shuddered at the sensation and hopped to stand beside Monty.
"We can't afford to just, let him sit there!" Lloyd argued, "We agreed to help because we needed help! We're looking for our own Twins, and right now if we have to wait longer to make some plan… we've already wasted almost a week here, we need to figure out where they are!"
"Your concerns are valid, yet impractical," Garmadon informed them, "If you wish to save your friend, we cannot help you."
Harumi and Lloyd shared a look of worry. Mage looked to the side, unsure of what to say. Monty looked up towards the ceiling, remaining silent. Feeling their options dwindling, Harumi turned towards Sun and leaned forward towards him, pressing her hands to the table.
"Sun," Harumi impressed on him, "Please. You've gone on and on about justice! You know that this isn't right. You want to rescue your family, right? Lulloyd is in there! Come with us! We need your help!"
Sun kept his head lower, slowly muttering, "I cannot help you."
"Please!" Mage bounded over, putting his hand on Sun's injured hand, "You're super strong and incredible! We need your help! You know more about this Emperor guy than anyone! We're only strong when we work together, and we need your help!"
Sun flinched, slowly pushed Mage's hand aside to raise up his bandaged one, "And do what, pray tell?" Sun stood up from the chair, "Yes, I feel guilt at what I have done. It was not my intent to get your friend captured. But I was not going to sit by and allow an innocent citizen to be harmed! I know the price for my failure. Our plan is now in ruins. Do you think I feel no guilt in that? But I am a knight. I am someone that must stand up for my people. If they have no hope to see when I shine my sword for them, what hope do they have?"
"You're not a knight," Monty stared sun down again, "You were never crowned one. You don't serve anyone. If you're trying to be like one, you're just pretending. All you've done this entire time is act the part of a savior. If you're choosing now to say that your honor is important, I think we're about to come to a block here."
"My honor is everything!" Sun raised his voice, "You may criticize my actions, but not my livelihood! All the people have is me! Me and the team that I work with! I am their light! I am their ray of hope in this darkness! I will not let them fall. Even if…" Sun gripped his fists, "Even if it means someone gets hurt."
"I have fought, this evil for far longer than you have," Sun shook his head, "My entire life has led to this. It is a pain to wake up each day and see that Ninjago is in the grips of such a man! I wish desperately I had the power I needed to end this fight, yet I have none. I have only a fraction of the light to banish the dark. The Emperor has stumbled us at every turn! After what has happened, I have been shown my righteousness cannot carry us. I will rejoin the fight, but I must endure the retribution for my sin. And the fight you propose is not one that I can partake in."
"Fine," Monty spoke without missing a beat, "Then I think we're done playing along with your little takeover scheme."
"Monty?" Mage asked in confusion. Monty looked to Lloyd and Harumi, giving them that icy stare. Something in that glare caught Harumi's eye, making her look away.
"Are you saying you've finished with us?" Garmadon frowned.
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Monty looked back to Lloyd, "You've done nothing for us. We've worked to give you what you want, but when we ask for the slightest bit of give, we're shot down. I think it's smarter to go our separate ways and figure this out on our own. Don't you agree with me, Lloyd?"
Lloyd opened his mouth to immediately protest. When he tried to, however, Harumi gripped his sleeve. He looked over to her, seeing a look in her eyes that he needed to listen. Mage's eyes were bewildered, trying to figure out the strength of logic Monty was following. Lloyd felt his chest tighten, but the look in Harumi's gaze told him he needed to listen. Slowly, Lloyd hung his head and nodded it.
"Good," Monty turned around, "Bye. Let's go."
Garmadon stared at the group with a neutral gaze, then nodded his head, "We wish you luck, then. Once you leave this vessel, you will not see us again. Whatever you fight brings you to, we will work to make sure our own fight brings the city to its freedom."
"W-Wait!" Mage ran over to Lloyd, "What are we doing?! These guys are helping us, right? What's going on?!"
"We… we need to leave, Mage," Lloyd sighed, "We, we have other, things to do…" He wasn't sure what the reasoning was, but he trusted Harumi and Monty. Mage gave Lloyd a confused look, then tried looking at Harumi. When he got nothing from her either, he looked over to Garmadon, torn for a moment on who he needed to go with. As his three friends moved to leave by the side door, Mage gave them one more look of confusion, torn between them. Out of necessity, he moved to follow Monty.
Nya took control of the Bounty, guiding the disguised ship to the top of one of the skyscrapers. Lloyd looked up to the glass bubble viewport, seeing the ninja, Garmadon, and a still ashamed Sun watching them. The four of them gave one more look at their allies, then leapt off the Bounty. When they landed, the Bounty fired up its jets and flew off into the city. The cloak soon had filled the ship again, and just like that the ninja were gone.
"W-Why did we do that?" Mage looked to each of them in distress, "They were going to help us! We just, abandoned them! What are we going to do now?!"
"Obviously," Monty sighed, "We're going to go get Lulloyd back ourselves. We don't need those guys anymore."
"You two seemed like you knew something we didn't," Lloyd turned to Monty and Harumi, "What is it?"
Harumi looked down for a moment, "When we were fighting Kozu, I got him to tell me who he was looking for. He said the people that the emperor is hunting aren't from this world. He wanted to capture Lulloyd and I because we could be connected."
"Then, that means the Twins are in this world still… and they have to be trapped here in the city!" Lloyd perked up, "If Kozu was looking for them after the barrier went up!"
"Then we have a chance to nab them ourselves," Monty sighed, "And right now, the only way that barrier is staying up is if the Emperor is still going after the ninja."
"So… if we don't help the ninja, the barrier stays up… and we can still go and find those guys that messed with my world!" Mage smacked one fist into his palm, "I understand!"
"But, we still have to get Lulloyd," Lloyd looked towards the palace in the distance, "And if he's in there, that means this is definitely a trap."
Monty walked over to the edge of the roof of the skyscrapper, planting the so he could lean on it and look out towards the palace. He looked back to the rest of the group, then he sighed.
"I think you're forgetting something," Monty looked forward, "The Emperor wants to capture us, right? And the only ones he's letting into his palace are the people that are going out. And those people going out would already be looking for someone else now…"
Harumi perked up, "And, we have a way into the palace too! The same way we got in!"
"Uhm…" Mage raised his hand, "I'm not sure what you're saying."
"Lloyd," Monty turned to him, "Did your team ever use that one trick to get into the Stone Army's main camp? The one with Misako?"
Lloyd blinked, "I… yeah, I remember that. Why?"
Haurmi and Monty shared a look, then nodded. Mage and Lloyd shared a bit of a look of confusion in turn. Monty made his way over towards the door to the skyscraper's roof, phasing into it and opening it from the inside. When he threw it open, he waved his hand for them.
"Remember what we did on the train?" Harumi smirked, "We're gonna do that, again."
"You know," Monty finished tying up the rope around Harumi's wrists, "You seem to be really comfortable in the getting captured role here."
"Because everyone expects a girl to be captured," Harumi sighed, "It worked on Morro, it'll work with this. We just need to open up a path into the palace for Lloyd and Mage. When we get in there, this whole charade stops."
"Yeah, yeah," Monty sighed and walked over to the Stone Warrior that lay knocked out beside them, "Keep telling yourself that."
The benefit of having so many enemies stalking the streets was that finding one to possess was an easy process. Harumi had simply lured into an alley for Monty to forcibly possess and knock out. Normally, Stone Warriors couldn't be knocked out like that, but Monty's ghost abilities meant he could do things like that once he was in control. Now, the soldier stood back up, grunting as Monty got control over the thing again.
"These guys are barely a step above a robot," Monty spoke with his normal voice as he walked over towards Harumi, "About as smart as a calculator too."
"Yeah…" Harumi shuddered as the Stone Warrior took hold of her arms, "..It, doesn't make this any easier to handle."
"You knew the plan, now you can handle this," Monty informed her, "Now stop complaining and start acting captured."
With an exhale, the Stone Warrior barked an order in the hard language that the Stone Army used. Harumi was forced to walk forward, his arms bound behind her back in a way to prevent her from using Rhotatae. Monty had said this needed to be convincing, and so it was. Once Harumi was yanked out onto the street, she knew it was time for her to start acting.
"L-Let go of me!" Harumi's voiced dipped into genuine terror, "G-Get away from me! I'm not the one you want! Let me… GO!" She gathered green power in her feet and tried to kick the warrior behind her. The warrior growled at her and kicked her back, making her jerk forward and nearly be thrown onto the ground if not for the warrior's grip on her binds. She tried to give Monty an annoyed look, but the warrior gave her no expression back.
Harumi continued to shriek and struggle, in a manner that almost made Monty wonder if she was acting. Ever since coming to this world, her confusion and worry had been a constant, so it wouldn't surprise him if she was drawing on her past experiences. Either way, he had a job to do, so he moved to yank her along and take her towards the middle of the street. After a moment, he kicked her knees to make her kneel before letting out a loud shout.
As Harumi continued to pant and shudder at his touch, another warrior on another street relayed the call. In a chain, the call was sent around, until finally one of the half-tread triangular bikes the Stone Army used came rolling down the street. Standing on top of it was none other than General Kozu, who leapt off the bike with a thud. He walked over to the Stone Warrior.
"Ickhta miru za?!" Kozu demanded. Before Monty could respond, however, he looked over to see the captive that he had. Kozu's eyes narrowed as he shoved the Stone Warrior aside. He looked down to Harumi, his expression unreadable under his helmet from the angle.
"You," Kozu growled, "You fought me in our last battle. Were you so eager to reclaim your friend, you threw yourself to my men?"
"I don't care about you or any of your Stone Army," Harumi spat at him, "I'm here to get someone back that didn't deserve to be taken away from me like that!"
"Then you have already failed in your mission," Kozu nodded. He turned to the unknowingly possessed warrior and began barking at him. Monty, thoroughly tapping into the warriors memories, was able to roughly relay that he'd caught her trying to sneak towards the palace and he needed to escort her. Kozu nodded to this, then turned towards the bike he'd arrived on.
The warrior then reached down and grabbed onto Harumi, yanking her to her feet and forcing her forward. Kozu climbed up onto the top of the bike to drive it, while Monty attached Harumi's binds to a small bit of metal on the lower part, right next to the two large wheels. He looked down to Harumi and growled at her, then looked up again. Kozu let out a war cry and then drove the bike forward through the still empty city, heading right for the palace. Harumi looked back to the street for a minute before she turned to try to hold onto the bike a bit better, panting heavily as she did so.
Kozu drove the bike all the way through the city, winding through block after block. After a long while, they reached the black outer walls that lined the palace. Kozu reached up and hit a button on the bike, causing an eerie horn to sound. In response, the portion of wall they faced began to shimmer and become a bit lighter, making a clear spot in the wall. Harumi was unable to see it until the bike began to drive forward slowly.
When the wall began to pass over, Harumi's body began to scream. She began to thrash inside of her bonds, her body paling as she went through it. She gargled out, but seemingly could get no air. She thrashed, trying ot pull away, to get out of the substance, but it refused to budge for her. Her body felt like it was on fire, as if something that was the opposite of her was being pushed against her. When the bike came out of the wall, she was drenched in sweat and hanging limp from her bonds, gagging out as her breath came in tiny little gasps.
"D-Dark… Dark Matter…" Harumi gagged out, "T-That was...that was Dark Matter…"
The Stone Warrior that Monty was possessing didn't react. Being inside of a body that was partially made of the stuff meant that Monty didn't have a reaction to it. It wasn't as though he had a body that could react to something like that in the first place. Seeing how much it took out of Harumi, however, made his thoughts start to gather.
When the group had first come to the palace, they'd only seen the outer grounds. It seemed that the building they saw for Dareth was towards the very edge of the wall, How exactly Dareth ran something like a school when it was inside of the palace like this, Harumi wasn't sure. The actual grounds of the palace were somewhat barren, with paths that lead all over and connected to small buildings that were likely places for the Stone Army. The main palace itself was a massive tower that was clearly made of Dark Matter, just like the wall. Veins of rock reached out from the spot the circular base protrude from the ground, digging into the dirt like an infection.
Kozu parked the bike in a row of similar looking machines. He leapt down with a rumble on the ground, then barked an order at the Stone Warrior. Monty obeyed and picked up the still sickly looking Harumi, halting her to her shaky legs and making her walk. Kozu guided her towards a massive set of stairs that lead up to the palace.
"It was your last mistake to go after your friend," Kozu declared to Harumi as he ascended the steps, "You will join him soon… after an audience with the Emperor himself."
Harumi couldn't say much. As she was forced to step onto the palace, it made her sickness only intensify. This entire palace was made of Dark Matter. It had to be in a lowered concentration, she conjectured, otherwise it would have corrupted her the moment she touched it. Being immersed in it and somehow not being corrupted was proof of that. Her body's reaction was undoubtedly due to her being the polar opposite of the very nature of dark matter; even if she didn't have it now, she was still connected to the light that was meant to banish darkness.
Kozu, however, didn't care about how Harumi continued to shake the further in they went. It wasn't his job to monitor how she was acting, only to deliver her to the Emperor as he knew he needed to. The Stone Warrior escorting her kept her held firmly, even if Harumi noticed Monty began to help support her a little bit more as they walked on.
The entrance to the palace was a massive grand hall. The palace was circular on the inside as well, but now that they were in it it was clear just how huge it truly was. The interior was large enough to house the area of an entire castle. The main room they entered into was very open, with large fancy beams and designs to flourish the walls. The sound of their footsteps echoed as they walked inside. Harumi looked around, trying to see what was there. Along the walls hungs large tapestries with various images stitches into them. Some of them she could vaguely recognize as iconography that was generally associated with the Temple of Light. Others looked more foreign to her, with a strange figure that seemed always bathed in shadow present in almost every single one.
"You were a fool to think that you could take on the Emperor's armies," Kozu spoke with his low growl as they began to approach the very center of the room, "Sun and his allies will fall beneath the might of the Emperor. It is by his graces Sun remains alive, and it will be very them that he will one day fall."
"Really?" Harumi growled out, putting a stop to her movements, "Do you really think that? I think Sun is more powerful than you give him credit for."
"He is nothing more than a boy with a weapon that he was gifted by a power beyond him," Kozu growled, "He has earned nothing. He has sacrificed little, and he will continue to be nothing more than a simple thorn in the Emperor's side until the day that he is brought to his knees."
"Maybe you should take a moment to rethink that," The Stone Warrior behind Kozu spoke up in Monty's voice, "Since you weren't smart enough to figure out you'd been tricked."
Just as Monty started talking, Harumi charged her hands with power and blasted apart her restraints. Kozu whipped around to face the escort, but the Stone Warrior had fallen onto the ground, lifeless as a statue. Monty appeared in Kozu's peripheral, right before a ghostly gunshot struck him in the side of the head. Kozu let out a shout of pain and stumbled to the side. He reached up to grab the ornament on his helmet to summon his weapon. Harumi reached out and managed to grab his arm, but Kozu used his raw strength to heave her into the air and slam her back down. As Harumi gasped out in pain, Monty fired another gunshot to stop him.
Kozu took the shot on his shoulder, fully summoning the drum as he had before. He took a step back and reached up, letting out a cry as he brought the two sticks down. He began to play a basic march, expecting for Harumi and Monty to start to look around for him in confusion. He raced forward, ready to grab hold of Harumi with his top two arms and strangle her.
Instead, when he reached Harumi, she opened her eyes and charged a massive Rhotatae disc in hand. The disc shot up towards Kozu's head, forcing him to take a step back to avoid it. As soon as he did, he felt his body becoming heavier. He looked down, but saw nothing on him. When he moved to take another step forward, his body's weight had increased enough he couldn't move. Just raising his hands up to drum again was impossible.
"Whew!" Mage suddenly appeared from behind Harumi, one eye purple and the other eye copper, "I told you guys doing more than one element here is tricky!"
From behind Mage, Lloyd stepped forward. Monty brushed his side cape back and walked over to stand with his back to them, looking around the halls for any sign of those hearing their little scrap. Harumi stumbled up to her feet and groaned, rubbing her shoulder and sighing as she forced herself to stand upright. Lloyd, seeing the state she was in, helped stand her up.
"W-What sort of trickery is this?!" Kozu demanded, "Those two did not enter this palace without my knowing!"
"You can do a lot when you know about light!" Magae beamed, "Same way we got into that weird glass house Borg lived in! Oh, and don't bother trying to drum," He taped above his purple eye with his finger, "I don't know a lot about sound, but I can at least block it from reaching us!"
"Lulloyd figured out your ability," Harumi shivered, "Your War Drum requires you to play a song for it to work. If we can't hear that song, it won't affect us."
Kozu roared in rage, trying to lift his arms up to play again. Despite Mage's power, he managed to actually raise the two sticks up just enough to do so before Monty came over and whacked him with the butt end of his pistol. While it only made Kozu growl at him, Monty did so three more times until Kozu remained completely still for them.
"You will pay for your crimes," Kozu declared, "If you wished to enter this palace, that boy's abilities would suffice. Why did you involve me?"
"Because you'd clearly know how this place is laid out," Lloyd stated firmly, "So you can lead us to our friend."
"You… have come for your friend?" Kozu suddenly chuckled darkly, "So, you are indeed fools…" Monty whacked him again just to relieve some steam.
Lloyd walked up to Monty and removed two things he was carrying. Monty took hold of a shotgun and the SoS to slide them onto his own back, nodding his head. As soon as Kozu saw the golden blade, his eyes widened.
"That belongs to the Emperor's treasury," Kozu's voice sounded as though hew as barely containing a livid rage, "Where did you retrieve that from?!"
"Somewhere you wouldn't understand," Monty replied simply, "Thanks for just telling us you know where the treasury is. Probably means you know where the prisoners are kept, too."
"What makes you believe that I will aid you?" Kozu asked, "The only reason I have not called for my men is because your friend says he can control sounds."
"He's a lot smarter in this world," Lloyd looked back at Harumi, "Did you notice that?"
"I think it's because he can speak more fluently than normal," Harumi pointed out, "He just got unlucky in your world from the sound of it," She went to say more, but a sudden pang in her chest made her stumble on her feet. Lloyd quickly raced back over to help support her, while Mage turned to look at her with a worried gaze.
"I...I'm fine," Harumi gasped out, "I just… I had to go through the outer wall. I… I don't feel good right now."
"Someone said the Emperor keeps the Dark Matter concentration in this city low enough so it doesn't corrupt you," Lloyd pointed out, "We really shouldn't be touching it, though. I… don't think we'd be corrupted before we reacted to it. I already don't feel good in this place…"
"Then let's stick around," Monty looked down at Kozu, "Lead us to Lulloyd."
"I have already told you, I will not assist you in your foolish quest," Kozu snarled, "You would do better to stop into the center and be taken straight to the Emperor's quarters."
"We don't have time for this," Harumi pointed out, "We need to get moving…"
"Agreed," Monty looked to Mage, "Mage, I want you to punch Kozu as hard as you possibly can."
"What?" Mage asked in confusion. Just as he did, Monty leapt forward and his body disappeared into Kozu's own, the SoS clattering to the floor.
Realizing what Monty wanted, Mage dropped the two elements and wound up a punch that was fueled with as much of his earth powers as he could muster. The impact struck Kozu on the jaw and sent his entire body down into the floor, cracking it and sending a massive dip into it. Mage wound up to give another one, but Kozu shook his head. Slowly, Kozu began to jerk around as he leapt to his feet. His War Drum disappeared, instead, leaving all four arms to claw at himself.
"I-I will not!" Kozu shouted, "Allow you to… take… the body.. The Emperor… gave!"
Kozu turned his body and rammed it straight into the floor again. When another massive dip was added into the previously immaculate floor, Kozu went still. Mage backed away and readied himself by raising his his fists. Kozu jerked a few more times, then slowly rotated his head towards the others. When he spoke, it was with the voice that they wanted to hear.
"I don't have long before he starts fighting me," Monty spoke through Kozu, "I know where Lulloyd is now. Come on." He reached down to pick up the SoS in one hand as he did.
Without waiting for them to really catch up, Kozu's body turned and walked over to the very center of the main hall, where a circular design was engraved into the ground. Mage blinked and quickly dashed up to follow, while Lloyd helped support Harumi until they were all there. Kozu reached down and placed his foot on a small pattern on the design, causing dark matter to begin to form up like liquid poured into a mold to form a small control console. Kozu reached a hand inside of it and moved his hand upwards, causing the circular pattern to separate from the floor and begin to rise up towards the ceiling. Harumi looked down at it in curios shock, while Mage looked up towards the rising ceiling more nervously.
When the disc reached the ceiling, the floor above them began to recede until a hole, perfectly the size of the platform they were on, was present. As they ascended through it, the floor began to pour back together in a manner not unlike water filling a cup. Upon looking down, Lloyd noticed that the two dents in the floor form possessing Kozu down below began to reform back into a flat surface as well.
"Normally prisoners are kept below," Monty explained through Kozu, "But Lulloyd is probably a valuable prisoner. Meaning that this Emperor will want him closer to his personal chambers. Meaning we'll be going almost all the way up to the top of this edgy place."
"Can you see into Kozu's head?" Lloyd asked, "Does he know anything about who this Emperor is?"
Monty went silent for a few moments as they continued to rise through floor after floor, only being given brief glimpses of each one as they went. Some floors looked like large halls, others were filled with hallways, and a few were clearly meant to be guard stations or armories. They passed through some which also looked like kitchens and bathing rooms, which seemed to indicate that this place was lived in by a person. Monty, however, shook his head as they passed what had to be the 20th floor, a room filled with more tapestries and pieces of art.
"Kozu met the Emperor when he awoke the Stone Army," Monty explained to them, "He was already like this when he met the guy, though. And it is a guy. Though, he didn't look like the way you guys described him at the tower. He looked more like an actual person."
"Do you think anyone close to the Emperor knows about him?" Harumi asked anxiously, "We need to know more about him. He defeated the Time Twins without anyone's help. If he's that powerful…"
"I don't think so," Monty sighed, "Looks like this guy keeps things a secret. Kozu namely stays in the palace to guard the place, so he doesn't really have a lot of interaction with the Emperor that would end in him telling him things."
"There has to be some explanation here!" Harumi exclaimed, "He's clearly the Overlord, but I don't remember the Overlord ever being a person! If he left the Dark Island, he needs a body to do it! Who would offer their body up to the Overlord?!" She wanted to say more, but her gut suddenly panged her, and she leaned a bit more on Lloyd.
"We can't stay here long," Lloyd grimaced, "I mean me and Harumi. This place is made out of Dark Matter. Our bodies aren't meant to handle being close to it. You and Mage are fine since you two aren't… you know."
"That means Lulloyd should be fine, then!" Mage added, "But yeah, you're right. We shouldn't spend a lot of time here!"
"Then get ready," Monty replied through Kozu, "We're just about there."
Exactly how many floors the group had risen up was lost on them. Normally Harumi would count them, but she was dealing with a body that felt like she was sick to the core. They stopped on a floor that was filled with hallways, four to be precise. Each hallway was guarded by iron bars, with several screens and keyboards by each one sporting the Borg Industries logo. It was clear that this had to be the detention center that they were referring to.
"Which way is Lulloyd?" Mage asked.
"Check the-" Monty started, then doubled over and began to growl a bit, "...Kozu's starting to fight back. We need to get to him soon before I have to let him go."
"What happens when you don't let go?" Lloyd asked.
"Means I get knocked out, and ghosts don't exactly wake up like humans do," Monty tossed the SoS to Mage, "Keep looking in that thing's reflection. If you see Kozu about to grab you, deck him. He might break out before I can stop him."
"Huh?" Mage looked the sword up and down in confusion, but ultimately held it awkwardly, "Sure?"
Harumi made her way over to one of the consoles, reaching up to plug her watch into it. She rapidly began to upload a premade simple firewall breaker virus. With how primitive the firewall security was compared to her day, it was down in a matter of seconds. With that opened, she began to look through data logs to figure out if the Emperor had logged where Lulloyd was.
"He's in cell… seven," Harumi groaned out, pointing towards the barred door to her left, "Should be down that way."
"Then let's get to it," Monty growled. He forced Kozu's body to walk over to the barred door, then reach out and grab it with all four arms. Using Kozu's strength, he began to pull the entire door from the wall. The thing was partially sunk into the Dark Matter walls around them, meaning he was essentially pulling up both door and wall. When that failed to work, he leaned Kozu's head back. With a roar, he forced Kozu's head into a headbutt, throwing his weight forward at the same time. The metal was ripped apart in several places. Using that, he bent the rest of the bars he needed to open for a gap they all could fit through.
Once the four had filed into the hallway, they were given an idea of what these 'cells' were. At first, they seemed just like normal, with one massive cell at least twenty feet long and ten wide on each side of the hall, separated by iron bars. The cells were mostly barren, with only shackles on the walls being their defining feature. All of the walls and floor were made of Dark Matter, and thus the strange liquid-like appearance of the cell made them seem ever darker than normal. There were several curios stains on several of the spots in the cells that made Lloyd flinch imagining what they truly were.
"These… are the nicest looking dungeons I've ever seen," Mage pointed out.
"You've, been in dungeons before?" Lloyd asked.
"Mhm," Mage responded casually, "Towards the end of things Chen started manipulating some tribes into thinking I was after them. I got thrown in a couple when I first arrived. Had to break out of some too!"
"And… they still taught you how to use their element?" Harumi followed up.
"Sometimes," Mage shrugged, "Other times I'd find someone outside the tribe to teach me. I spent most of my time after the war learning a lot more!"
The four soon approached one of the cells. The cell was just as barren as the others, yet this one had an occupant. When they saw who was inside, a sense of relief went through most of them. Lulloyd, currently asleep, was hanging by shackles. Around his neck was a strange collar looked to be made of Dark Matter, pulsing around it in a tight embrace. His hood had been removed, leaving his hair out. He didn't look injured, at least for now.
"There he is!" Mage pointed at him, thn looked to Monty, "How about you let me go and take this one?"
Monty nodded through Kozu, a strained motion that was reflected in his entire body. It was clear that Kozu would soon be breaking out of Monty's control. Seeing this, Mage took a few steps back and readied a punch. Just as he was about to strike, Lulloyd began to stir.
"G-Guys…?" Lulloyd groaned, slowly twisting his head to shake it, "Is that you?"
"Lulloyd!" Harumi smiled widely, "We snuck in to get you! Did the Emperor hurt you?"
"No…" Lulloyd groaned, "He… came around and put this, thing on me, then said he'd be back for me later," He tried to gesture at the strange collar, "I told him he wouldn't get anything out of me."
"And he won't," Lloyd assured him, "We're going to get you out. Mage, break it open."
Mage smirked and nodded his head, readying his fists. He bounced from one foot to another, readying himself for the strike. When he finally worked himself up, he called on earth and then shot his fist forward, striking the bars. They dented in firmly, shaking the entire barred wall. He smirked and leapt backwards, readying for another punch.
"There we go! Just one more before I can metal it open!" Mage exclaimed. It was easier to manipulate broken metal, after all. He formed another big punch, then sent it forward much quicker. This one caused the entire section to bend inwards, and one more punch would weaken it enough for him to do his thing. He went to pull his hand back, but slipped forward as he did and nearly hit his face on the bars.
"Huh?" Mage asked in confusion. He looked at his hand to see that something was wrapped around it. The Dark Matter in the floor had crawled up the metal bars and wrapped around his wrist. He went to pull back on it, managing to stand upright. As he did, the band connected to his wrist detached from the bars and hung in the air. A moment later, more of the floor shot up like a trap, wrapping in an almost elastic tentacle around his other wrist.
"Let go of me!" Mage shouted, yanking his arms up. In response, the strange bonds retracted into the floor, driving him down onto his stomach. Not willing to take this lying down, Mage got his knees up under him and sent several bursts of fire, lightning, ice and wind down into the floor. Nothing he did caused them to stop. A moment later, the floor stopped being solid, causing him to give one shriek before he disappeared into it like being pulled underwater.
"Mage?!" Lloyd asked in confusion. Harumi went to say something, but a tendril shot out from the wall in the cell behind her to wrap around her throat. It violently yanked her up against the iron bars behind her, tightening its grip on her and crushing her up against them with a choke.
Lloyd drew a katana, ready to slice through the tendril and free her. Just as he went to, he felt something dripping on him. He looked up towards the ceiling, just in time for it to pour over him. Almost immediately, he felt his body scream in distress. The Dark Matter poured onto him and flattened him to the ground, seeping up all around him. It forced its way under him until it had fully wrapped him up. As the same feeling Harumi had experienced washed over him, the strange thing lifted him up into the air, just like a cocoon. Harumi, still struggling against her own, was forced to watch as Lloyd was lifted up into the ceiling. He let out a strained cry just as the cocoon was pulled through it, removing him just like the palace had Mage.
"N-No…" Harumi gasped out. She raised a hand up towards where Lloyd had disappeared to, but there was not trace of him. She turned her hazy vision towards Lulloyd. The collar he wore had suddenly expanded upwards, covering his head and affixing itself to the wall. He struggled against it, but with his arms chained he could do very little.
Realizing she was going to pass out otherwise or worse, Harumi made a split second move. She formed a disc in his left hand and held it up against her back. She fired it, causing it to strike the dark matter tendril and shave off a few strands of her hair. The thing split down the mark, dropping her to the floor and letting her yank the thing off. Now free, a wave of sickness tried to fight the intense feeling she had inside of her. Her watch was flaring with a heartbeat and adrenaline warning.
"Monty!" Harumi gasped out, "The others! W-We need to-"
With a distinctly Stone Army shout, Kozu roared and thrust his arms out. Monty came flying out of him a moment later, snagging the SoS from his hand just as he did. He landed on the ground beside Harumi, leaping up and holding the SoS defensively. He raised up the shotgun Lloyd had given him in the other hand and fired it. The sound made Harumi clutch her ears in pain, but the pellets only made Kozu flinch.
"I saw," Monty told Harmi firmly, "We need to leave, now."
"And when you've only just arrived?" The voice of none other than the Emperor sounded out from the walls all around them, "It is rather rude for you to come into my palace and expect to leave alive."
"We're not polite guests," Monty spat. Harumi nodded her head. The voice laughed.
"Such determined souls," The Emperor declared, "You are truly skilled enough to make it this far. Yet I will not tolerate any further resistance. Lay down your arms now, or I will ensure the life of your allies are snuffed out the next breath you take in defiance against me."
Harumi went completely stiff. Seeing how easily the Emperor had already attacked them with the very palace itself, that threat seemed credible. Harumi looked around, trying to see some way to get through the walls. The walls, however, looked the same they had before everything. It was as if once it took care of someone, the palace returned like a resetting trap. There was no way to know when they could be taken.
"Monty…" Harumi whispered nervously. Monty said nothing. When she turned to look at him, Monty had his eyes firmly trained on Kozu.
"I know that look," Kozu spoke calmly despite having just thrown off possession, "You wish to take my body for your own use again. Know the moment that you move, your friends lives are over."
"Monty," Harumi spoke more urgently to him, "We… we can't risk it. We can't."
"I can take hold of him again," Monty spat, "I can do it. I'll hold the Emperor's general hostage. I can give us some leverage."
"Monty!" Harumi snapped anxiously. Monty turned to look at her, anger in his eyes. When he met the terrified pupils that Harumi had as well, he began to twitch. After a few moments, he slowly turned back to Kozu and then planted the SoS in the floor. His expression gave away nothing of the thoughts he held.
"You have made a wise decision," The Emperor declared, "I will have Kozu take care of your ghostly friend. For now, I will send you to join those you came with, young girl."
Tendrils shot up from the floor, each one wrapping around a different part of Harumi's body. Despite her agreeal to surrender, the action still made Harumi shriek out in terror. The tendrils yanked her down into the floor, shutting off the light as she felt her body being dragged through it. The sensation of Dark Matter enveloping her was the last thing she felt before her consciousness and freedom were stripped from her.