Sun brandished his sword of light, panting as he focused. The blade began to glow even brighter as he did, illuminating the entire hallway with its glow. Overlloyd looked first to the others in the cell gazing towards him, then towards Sun. Overlloyd took his time staring at each of them, then he slowly inhaled and let out a long breath to help calm his nerves.
"General Kozu," Overlloyd spoke with a barely restrained rage, "How was Sun able to get this far into my palace?"
"There was an explosion on the side of the palace, sir," General Kozu answered back through the walls, "He was able to slip by the men I had posted using that."
"Explosion?" Lloyd asked, then he blinked, "Wait… did you use the core?!"
"I did," Sun nodded, not taking his eyes off Overlloyd, "The Shadow awaits for us! Once I defeat the Emperor, we will make our escape!"
"Funny," Overlloyd frowned, "That you assume you can best me after our last encounter left you barely able to move."
"I have grown since then!" Sun declared, "... If I am to become the knight to save Ninjago, I must overcome myself first! And to do that," Sun's blade began to glow so brightly it was turning white, "I will prove myself to those that I have wronged!"
Overlloyd didn't give Sun another chance to speak. Monty turned invisible just as Overlloyd raised his hands up and blasted Sun with four beams of dark power. Sun, rather than dodging, twisted his sword across his body to take them head on. The four beams were drawn right into the light, burning violently against it. Sun focused, his eyes remaining fixed on Overlloyd as he did. With a loud shout, Sun twisted his blade towards the sharp end and cleaved it up into the air. The four beams were cut apart and burned away by the light, leaving Sun sweating but standing firm with his blade held backwards.
"Your darkness," Sun pointed his hand at Overlloyd, "Cannot overcome my light!"
Overlloyd snarled and shot forward, using his two lower hands to drag up two pillars of Dark Matter from the walls to crush Sun. Sun spun his body out of the way and used his momentum to carry him right into a clash with Overlloyd's large staff. The black Emperor and white knight were framed as both darkness and light burned violently within the hallway.
Out of the corner of his eye, Overlloyd turned to see Monty appearing in front of the cell door, moving in to possess the lock. As soon as he did, his eyes flared with rage and he turned one hand towards the cell. The walls began to push upwards, then contract and crush the bars onto itself. Overlloyd let out an angry yell as the floor slammed upwards towards the ceiling, ripping the bars from them and knocking it into the cell itself. The cell became a pitch black box, with Monty still possessing the bars trapped inside.
"You will stay!" The Overlord's voice snarled in a demonic snarl, "If the ghost attempts to leave, I will impale each of you on your own shadows!"
"A-And so the true face of the Emperor is revealed!" Sun declared, "Do not worry my friends, I will-"
"QUIET!" The Overlord screamed. Sun saw Overlloyd's hands charging up with dark power, inches away from his own face. Sun, thinking fast, activated his ability and slid the sword down the length of Overlloyd's staff, drawing a small ribbon of light. He released the energy stored in it, the explosion knocking Overlloyd away enough for him to twist his sword and take the blasts of dark power again. When the blasts ended, Sun was panting yet still standing unharmed.
"Is that all you have, Emperor?" Sun taunted him, "Your darkness can no longer touch me. I have grown since the last time we fought, and now I will-"
"If you believe that somehow spouting your nonsense at me will allow you to believe it," Overlloyd spat at him with a gasp of anger, "Then you clearly need to learn more of how true battles are fought!"
Sun took the chance to go on the offensive. He began to paint that golden ribbon in the air, running forward as fast as he could to store kinetic energy in it. Overlloyd went to swing at him, but Sun rolled forward and under the swipe. When he got up to his feet, he leapt into the air and swung his sword around, catching it on the back of the Emperor's staff. He slid forward on one foot to go under the resulting counter, then dashed forward to avoid another. When he stopped, he had completed a circle around Overlloyd and, more importantly, his ribbon had. He grinned at Overlloyd, then let loose the energy he'd stored up.
A massive series of explosions down the length of the ribbon lit up Overlloyd like a flash bang. Sun wasn't able to see him for a few moments, yet he held his sword out as defensively as ever. When the light cleared, Overlloyd was still standing, with small bits of smoke trailing up from him. While he had a rather hard look on his face, he seemed to have taken very little damage from the attack.
"Is that all you can give me, Sun?" Overlloyd's tone had dropped back to the cold and calculating voice of the Emperor, "You have not grown at all. If you wish to save those around you, you will need to be able to demonstrate that with power."
Sun felt his senses flaring up and dodged as the walls erupted in Dark Matter spikes to impale him. This forced him right into Overlloyd's staff, causing him to stumble backwards and nearly fall back on the spikes. Sun saw his shadow begin to rise up out of the eye. The Emperor's ability could kill him instantly if he wasn't careful. Quickly, he flared his sword with light, burning away his shadow enough to cancel the effect.
Overlloyd, however, took advantage of this. He reached out with one hand to grab Sun by his robes and fling him into the wall. Sun gasped out from the impact, his right shoulder flaring up in pain from taking the brunt of the hit. He quickly rolled forward as the wall opened up into a void, ready to drag him in. He was forced to roll again as Overlloyd tried to bring his staff down on him once more. Once he was on the ground, Sun panted as he tried to catch his breath there.
"You will never be able to defeat me," Overlloyd declared, "I don't have time for you right now. If you truly have something to show me, do so now or leave my sight."
Sun got up to his feet, turning his sword and catching another blast of dark power on it. Overlloyd, expecting this, leapt into the air and brought his staff down at Sun. Sun looked up and swung his blade upwards to catch it, yet his strength wasn't enough. He was sent right down onto his back again, gasping out in pain as Overlloyd reached out with all four arms to grab hold of his staff and force it right down towards Sun's blade.
"I have something to fight for, unlike you!" Sun gasped out at him, "Those allies of mine that you have caught! They give me the strength to keep going!"
"All you do is spit out platitudes and worthless empty phrases, thinking that somehow propels you forward," Overlloyd stated to Sun as he slammed Sun's back into the wall, "You truly are a selfish boy. Did you come here with your team?"
"No," Sun admitted, much to the chagrin of those trapped in the cell, "I was unable to convince them."
"Liar," Overlloyd swung his staff hard enough to knock the sword from Sun's hands, reaching out and grabbing him by the neck, "You came here on your own. You felt guilty for losing to Kozu, and now you've come to redeem yourself in the eyes of those in that cell. Admit that, Sun. Admit how selfish you are!"
"I-I came because!" Sun struggled out as he was strangled, "J-Justice demands it!"
"Justice?" Overlloyd rolled his eyes. He let go of Sun, letting the wall instead grow claws that grabbed him and flung him into the opposite wall. Sun shouted as he crumpled down to the ground, slowly dragging himself back up.
"Y-Yes…" Sun coughed out, "Justice! I am an arbiter of!"
"You are only an arbiter of your own desires," Overlloyd hissed out, "Your sin is pride, Sun. You pride yourself in being a champion of the light. You thrive upon being a symbol. Yet you are unwilling to put aside your own desires to have what that takes!"
The floor shot up in a pillar, throwing Sun into the air. Overlloyd thrust his staff out, catching Sun around the hips with it. Overlloyd swung the staff, sending Sun back down into the floor and causing the breath to be knocked out of him. The impact broke Sun's concentration, causing his sword to extinguish and fall from his hands. As Sun gasped for air, his body throbbing in pain, Overlloyd reached down and picked up the now useless wooden hilt that was Sun's weapon.
"Is this what your resolve gets you, Sun?" Overlloyd narrowed his eyes, "Then see it be crushed as easily as your body."
With a snap, Overlloyd closed his fist, causing the sword hilt to snap in half. Sun's eyes widened as they did, eyes filled with horror. Sun tried to force himself up again, but the Emperor's aura and the pain he's caused the knight were too great. When his body refused him, Overlloyd simply tossed the now broken two useless pieces of wood down at him.
"It takes time to bind an object to become your weapon, does it not?" Overlloyd stated firmly, "Then that means that I have already won," Overlloyd observed Sun's look of shock and turned away from him, "You could not save your friends. You could not save yourself. And now… you won't save anything."
Sun looked down at the floor, just in time for another pillar of Dark Matter to rise up from it and uppercut his chin. He went flying onto his back, his world going dim. Overlloyd scoffed at the sight and slowly focused. He held his staff out and opened one of his palms, then sank the staff down into it. When it was gone, Overlloyd scoffed and began to walk away.
"A bravado is nothing without the power behind it," Overlloyd stated firmly, "Stay there and reflect, Sun. Reflect on your failure. Reflect on your pride. See it broken like your blade of evil's bane you carry."
Overlloyd took a step down the hallway. That was when he heard something. The sound of shuffling clothes. Slowly, Overlloyd turned his head back and saw that Sun was beginning to sit up. His body was quaking and cracking as he did. Overlloyd, intrigued, fully turned around and watched Sun lift himself up onto his knees, then reach out and grip one half of his broken wooden hilt in each hand. He tightened his grip to the point he could feel the splinters starting to dig into his palm. Sun remained there, on his hands and knees, willing himself to stand up.
"I'm impressed," The Overlord spoke once more, "That was far more direct than usual."
"I'm becoming rather tired of his antics," Overlloyd hissed, "I've had a busy day."
"Then finish this off in one strike," The Overlord replied with a nod of their head, "He can't take more than another swing."
Sun huffed hard, digging deep into his body. Slowly, he dragged one leg up and planted his foot down on the ground. With another hard huff, he dragged himself to fully stand up. As he did, he smirked and wiped the sweat from his brow. That action alone felt like lifting up a mountain. Slowly, he held out his two hands, panting as he raised a shaky gaze towards Overlloyd.
"Just one more strike, then?" Sun huffed out, "Then I suppose I should be more careful."
"Silence, boy," Overlloyd growled, taking out one of his blades from his body and pointing it towards Sun, "You cannot stand up to me anymore. Get down before I make it a more permanent command."
Sun slowly raised his eyes up. As they did, a fire was burning in them. Slowly, he focused. He focused harder than he had until now. As he did, his two wooden pieces he held began to spark. Overlloyd eyed them curiously. Sun focused, focused, and focused harder. With a let long growl, he held his arms straight out from his body. The wooden pieces began to spark.
Then, two brilliant broadswords of light appeared in each hand. Overlloyd blinked in surprise. Sun slowly held them forward, his arms shaking as he did. He panted and looked forward through the brilliant glow of his now two blades, staring right into Overlloyd's eyes. The light cast him in an aura of light not unlike that of the shadows the Emperor had first appeared in. Sun's lips, framed by the glowing gold, curled into a smile.
"You give me far, far too much leeway, Emperor…" Sun panted, "My connection to my sword will only be lost when I let it be lost!" Sun's eyes flared up with that fiery determination, "My ability will be your downfall, Emperor! You've made me realize something by saying that I must look inside myself!"
"Quiet," Overlloyd spat. He shot forward, bringing that single sword down. Sun brought his own two blades together and caught it on them, this time feeling his body beg to go down. He held himself -no, forced himself- to remain standing, using this chance to look even closer at the Emperor he so hated.
"Kinetic Overload uses the energy my own body produces as I move to ignite my light for all to see!" Sun declared, his confidence having returned, "I have looked inward now, Emperor! I've realized something about my ability I never have before!"
Suddenly, Sun's massive robes flared out. Light began to spill out from under them, casting a deep shadow behind Sun. Overlloyd called upon his Shadow Control ability to try to turn that shadow into a blade and send it right into Sun's back. With a static burst of sound, the blade was stopped. A ribbon of light, the same that Sun's sword would trace in the air, had stopped it. The ribbon had emerged from under Sun's robes.
Sun grinned. The ribbon burst out with energy, exploding its force into Sun's back. Sun used that moment to slice his blades apart and drive his head into Overlloyd's chest. The action threw Overlloyd backwards, giving the Emperor enough time to draw out another blade. As he did, he was treated to the sight of Sun with more and more ribbons of light beginning to emerge from under his robe, each one tracing shapes in the air as they slithered out towards Overlloyd.
"If I use the energy in my own body to light up my path," Sun declared, "Then I need not rely upon my blades to defeat you!"
Suddenly, those ribbons shot right through the air at Overlloyd. Overlloyd snarled and spun his staff, expecting to slice them apart. The ribbons, however, went right through the blades. Four of them moved to get right into Overlloyd's face, right before they ignited along their length with explosions. Overlloyd gasped in pain as his body was thrown backwards, rolling across the ground before he could get back up.
Sun, just as Overlloyd had, gave him no time to recover. Instead, he sent more ribbons forward, each one snaking around to him. Remembering what had happened with Sun's shadow, Overlloyd called upon his ability on his own shadow, turning it into a shield he willed to protect him. The light ribbons were struck by it was forced to stop in the air. That moment, however, broke Overlloyd's sight line, giving Sun the chance to run forward and leap into the air. Both of his light swords were sent straight down towards Overlloyd, who caught them on his sword. That moment let one ribbon slip by the shield and hit his chest, the burst sending him even further down the hallway.
"What ails you, Emperor?!" Sun shouted as he pressed his attack, "Do you no longer have the strength to stand up to my light?"
"Interesting…" The Overlord spoke up, "We finally pushed him hard enough to be willing to meet us as equals."
"And that meeting is soon to end," Overlloyd snarled, "Permanently."
With all the light that Sun's ribbons were casting, more distinct shadows were on the ground. Overlloyd took the moment he had to see them and willed his ability on them, causing them to shoot up like string and ensnare all the ribbons Sun had in the air. Overlloyd then raced forward, ready to drive his two blades into Sun. When he was close to Sun, Sun swung his blades in an X motion, causing two ribbons of light to be painted just as he always had. This action forced Overlloyd to take the brunt of the burst head on.
When Overlloyd managed to shake his head enough to see, the sight that greeted him was a bright one. Sun's robes were billowing out, and ribbons had spilled out of his. Sun had his swords at his hips, pointed up towards the roof. All around him, the ribbons had webbed up. The entire hallway had been filled with an intricate weave of light, covering almost every inch it could. Sun raised his sword up to one ribbon that was above him like a thread, grinning triumphantly at Overlloyd.
"No longer are we the ones trapped by your darkness, Emperor," Sun declared, "Now, it is you that will be trapped by my light!"
In a symbolic gesture, Sun sliced his blade through the ribbon. At that moment, all of the ribbons in the room ignited at once. Overlloyd had a second to react just before his entire world was a complete white. His body was rocketed by the force of explosions from all sides, eliminating all shadows that remained in the room. The burst broke apart the bars of the other cells, and left scorch marks on the wall of Dark Matter keeping in the prisoners. Sun stood in the center of it all, the explosions rocketing around him, but never touching him.
When the light cleared, the entire room was scorched black enough to hide the distinctive glow of Dark Matter. Overlloyd fell to his knees. His body was burning from all sides. Smoke was rising from his carapace all over him. His blades fell to the the ground, then began to bubble. They turned into Dark Matter, which then moved to be absorbed into his body. Sun, seeing this, nodded his head in understanding at the damaged man.
"So you bound your weapon to the foul substance you keep within your own body, then?" Sun grimaced, "Truly a horrifying way to maintain your power."
Overlloyd's body was burning for the first time in a long time. He shook his head, getting his thoughts back. To Sun's surprise, Overlloyd stood back on his feet. He panted for a few moments, staring Sun down. Sun had inflicted actual, real damage on him. How much he would need to see. His body, however, was still moveable. He looked into Sun's eyes with a true and genuine hatred that seemed to seep from him like a miasma. The aura of rage Overlloyd gave off would have made a lesser man flee.
"For once, you have shown me power that can truly give me pause," Overlloyd growled, "I admit you for that, Sun. I will give you my respect, if nothing else," Overlloyd's pupiless, purple eyes glowed brightly as his hate filled, dark aura flared around him, "And for that reason, I will-"
"My Emperor!" Kozu's voice suddenly rang from the walls, startling the two, "I have news for you!"
"... General Kozu," Overlloyd spoke the words with a calming hiss, "For what reason do you give to interrupt my duel?"
"Sir, more intruders have entered the palace," General Kozu informed them, "They somehow were not spotted by a single one of my men. They are heading your way."
"How close are they?" Overlloyd growled back. From behind Sun, he heard the distinctive sound of the door to the wing of cells beginning to open up.
"Vermillion!" An all-too familiar voice sounded, "March!"
Sun turned around, ribbons of light beginning to soar out from under his robes like whips. From the entrance to the wing, several Vermillion warriors began to pour down the hallway, going right for Sun. Without thinking, Sun directed the ribbons to go right around the Vermillion, igniting them a moment later and blasting the snakes apart. The snakes went flying everywhere, a few of them landing in front of him from the force of the blast. Sun growled and turned his head back to Overlloyd, a determined look retaking his features.
"Is this another one of your tricks, Emperor?!" Sun declared, "This will not be enough to stop me!"
"Those things belong to nothing I have under my armies," Overlloyd shook his head, "Yet I would like to see how this unfolds."
Sun, annoyed that the Emperor was ignoring him, turned his attention back to the Vermillion. More warriors were marching down the hallway in rows of three. Sun continued to send out his newly acquired ribbons towards them, blowing apart each wave of snakes. More and more snakes were sent in every direction, and soon enough there were no warriors left. Sun sighed, ready to refocus, when he heard hissing from behind him. His eyes widened as he saw that the warriors he assumed were down had reformed, and now were attacking him. His attention turning away, however, gave a chance for another one to reform and grab onto his back.
With the distance too close and the shock too great, Sun was unable to overcome the new enemy. The Vermillion reformed and swarmed him, until a total of twelve warriors were around him and grabbing at him. Sun was forced down onto the floor, two Vermillion standing on top of him and holding him down. One Vermillion took the halves of his sword, causing Sun to shout in anger and attempt to fight back. One Vermillion leaned down and sunk his fangs into Sun's neck. Sun thrashed as the pain of it overcame him, his eyes began to roll into his head, and he was left passed out on the floor.
The Vermillion dragged Sun up to his feet, then threw him so both him and his now useless broken wooden hilt had landed at the feet of Overlloyd. Overlloyd watched as two figures appeared behind the Vermillion, who flattened their bodies to the wall to make way for them. As soon as Overlloyd was close enough to make out their faces, he was unable to hide the interest that covered his face.
"Krux and Acronix," Overlloyd nodded his head, "It seems that I did not need to send my Stone Warriors for you after all."
Suddenly, a rush of panic went through the trapped group inside the cell. Lloyd and Harumi moved to get as close to the wall of Dark Matter separating them from the hallway, listening in. The other three did the same, leaning in as close as they could to try to get a good listen as to what was happening.
"So… you do know of us," Acronix's younger and cocky voice came first.
"Indeed," Overlloyd responded coldly, "You should be dead."
"Forgive us for our failure to do that," Krux replied back sarcastically, "The two of us have far more time before we must meet that fate."
"And, do tell me," Overlloyd narrowed his gaze at them, "What is perhaps stopping me from accelerating that fate to right now?"
"The Time Twins?!" Lloyd turned to Harumi in the darkness, "Why are they here?!"
"I… I don't know… " Harumi stood up in full, "We, we have to get out of here!"
Suddenly, the cell began to rumble. Lloyd looked around the cell and illuminated his hand with green power. As he did, he saw the horrifying sight of the walls shrinking. The five of them were forced into a space not much larger than a closet. As each of them tried to get away from it, the walls erupted tendrils that shot up and wrapped around them, dragging them against the wall. Both Lloyd and Haraumi gasped out in pain as they felt this, while Lulloyd and Mage struggled. Monty was left the only one standing.
"If you attempt to leave that cell, ghost," Overlloyd momentarily turned his attention to the wall they were trapped behind, "I will kill them all, right in front of you. You will remain there, no matter what happens. Do you understand me?" Monty said nothing, which Overlloyd took to mean he agreed.
"If I may," Acronix raised his hand, "I would advise you to kill them now. They're quite a troublesome bunch, especially for like-minded individuals like us."
"You may not conusel me," Overlloyd growled, "Tell me, what business do you have with me?"
The Twins nodded to each other, then waved their hands. The Vermillion they had with them moved behind them and formed up into rows of three like a squad behind their commander. The Twins suddenly got down on one knee, bowing in respect to the force in front of them. Overlloyd raised his eyebrow as the Vermillion behind did the same.
"We've come to pledge ourselves to you, great Emperor," Krux spoke firmly, "And to teach you the secret to something that will change the way your power is forever held."
"W-Wait!" Lloyd shouted, "You can't trust them! You can't- MMPH!" The tendril around his neck shot around his mouth, silencing him.
"What secret?" Overlloyd asked. Acronix couldn't help but grin.
"The secret… to traveling universes," Acronix stated dramatically.
Lloyd felt his body rise up in panic, no doubt shared with the other. The Twins they'd been preparing to search for had revealed themselves. Whatever they were doing here, it wasn't going to be for a good reason. They were here for something deadly, dangerous even. Harumi in particular knew that whatever they were promising wouldn't be true. They had some plan going here. All of them tried to struggle out of their bonds, but none of them could.
"That is… an interesting offer," Overlloyd nodded his head, "Tell me, would you be willing to exchange that secret for your allegiance to me?"
"Of course, Emperor," Krux responded, "We will be happy to disclose it to you right now."
"Not… here," Overlloyd paused in thought, "Come. Follow me. We will see what it is you can offer me elsewhere."
Krux and Acronix both nodded, rising up from their bow as they did. Overlloyd gave them one more glance before he turned his back to them, holding his staff as he did. Slowly, he began to guide them away from the trapped travelers, letting them hear the march of the Vermillion as the Twins followed after them. Lloyd screamed out in protest, trying to get free yet finding himself trapped. Harumi did the same, yet her body was already weak. Mage and Lulloyd had no other such success, and Monty was unwilling to move lest he risk their lives. The Twins soon were gone, leaving them behind yet again for some unseen plan.
As he guided the two men and their Vermillion, one thought was constant in his mind: Overlloyd did not trust the Time Twins.
Perhaps it was the fact that the Twins had arrived so conveniently right when he needed them most. Perhaps it was the fact he'd dealt with them before, and knew what their antics involved. Or perhaps it was simple that the two looked to be con men, willing to stab the backs of all those that weren't each other.
"Follow," Overlloyd led them to the large disc that acted as the palace elevator, "I will take you to a place we can discuss your terms in detail."
The Twins gave no objections to that, instead just ushering their Vermillion to follow. Overlloyd slowly moved to activate it, causing them to rise up high towards the top of the palace. He took this time to look more closely at the Twins, trying to see what they were thinking. Acronix just grinned at him while Krux bowed his head rather respectfully.
Overlloyd decided not to say anything, instead guiding them until they had reached the room he wished for. They arrived at the third floor to the top of the palace, putting them at floor… roughly 104, if Overlloyd was counting correctly. The floor was smaller since the palace grew to a point at the top. The room was circular, with a set of double doors being the only feature present.
"Come," Overlloyd ordered, "Leave your troops outside. You need only those you hold closest."
Acronix waved over three of the Vermillion, "These three are the replacements for our… currently on-leave generals. They need to observe the conversation for their hive mind. Do you mind that?"
Overlloyd said nothing. He opened the doors to reveal a rather warm looking conference room. The main feature was a set of two chairs on one side of a large table with a much larger chair on the other. A small fireplace was to their right, burning with purple flames. The other side had a tray of drinks on it. Overlloyd made no such offer to them, taking his seat on the large chair. The Twins sat in the two opposite of him, with the three Vermillion standing behind them with unwavering gazes.
"Now then," Overlloyd placed his four arms in front of him, "Tell me the secret of traveling universes."
"Being rather forward, are we?" Acronix smirked, looking around the room, "You have a very consistent palace. Very minimalist. I can appreciate that choice of design."
"My palace is connected to me," Overlloyd raised up a spear from the floor to prove his point, "Know that if you say something wrong, then I will end you. You are alive now only for the reason that I wish to know what you do. There is nothing more beyond that."
Krux and Acronix nodded. Slowly, Acronix reached into his armor and pulled out something. It was a pocket watch, and one that he moved to dangle from his hand. Krux did the same, revealing they both had the same watch and displaying it together.
"There are two ingredients to this power, as we have discovered," Krux began, "The first is one that we can give to you… the power of Time." Overlloyd perked up.
"The universes all flow to the same march of Time," Acronix continued, swinging his watch, "Those that attempt to play with it are often met with a horrible fate. We, however, are strong enough to do so. And we can create a machine to do so."
"What is the other ingredient?" Overlloyd asked impatiently.
"The other… is a link to one that has the power of the creator of this world," Krux continued, "It need not be that you have it yourself. So long as you have something like that, you can truly puncture a hole to leave your world."
"Enough with your silly speech," Overlloyd growled, "Explain yourselves clearly, or I will torment the information out of you instead."
The two Twins looked at each other, then shared a sigh. They put their watches away and put their hands in their laps. They mirrored each other, even if one was far older than the other.
"We can provide you with the tools to create something that you need to leave this world and conquer even more," Krux explained directly, "We simply need for you to be willing to provide the resources needed for it."
"Would the machine that I destroyed when you arrived have anything to do with your request?"
"Yes, actually," Acronix frowned, "That's exactly it! You were rude in destroying it so suddenly without knowing what it did!"
"I am familiar with it," Overlloyd stated casually, "And I will not tolerate intruders, no matter what gifts they claim to bring." At his statement, both Twins shared a look.
"All we would need is access to someone that has the power of the First… oh, what is it here?" Acronix fumbled, "The First… Weapon Master?"
"Yes," Overlloyd affirmed, "A man of great legacy and power. One that brought the power of weapons into our hands."
"With your resources, we could build the machine again and give you the power to travel other worlds," Krux leaned forward, "You clearly are a man of power, respect, and knowledge. If you were to gain more of that, brats like the one that dared challenge you would be nothing anymore. You would have absolute power. And we will give it to you."
"Truly," Overlloyd nodded.
"All you need to do is let us build our machine!" Acornix leaned in eagerly, "It won't be of much cost to you. You'll be able to use your vast powers and find yourself in places to challenge your power and grow it. Far beyond what you can do now!"
Do you trust these two? The Overlord asked inside of their head.
Of course not, Overlloyd sighed, But I will at least entertain them to see if they are what I remember them to be.
"I know of you," Overlloyd frowned, "I know of your kind. You are ones to worm your way into the graces of those that have power and then rip it from them when their backs are turned. If you think that I am believing in you for a moment, you are truly delusional. Your words will be remembered, just like the scrap of your former Iron Doom that lay with the wastes my empire has produced."
At that, the two Twins looked at each other with a far more concrete expression. Neither of them had said the name of their machine yet. With him saying he'd met them before, that was all they truly needed to begin to sit up in their seats. The action made Overlloyd raise an eyebrow.
"Now then," Overlloyd nodded his head, "Perhaps it is time that we get to the betrayal that you intend to pull on me."
Acronix blinked, but his shocked gaze turned into a rather chipper smile. At that moment, two of the Vermillion opened their mouths to reveal a colored glow in them. Acornix reached around to yank out the Forward Blade from one, while Krux reached out and took hold of the Slow-mo blade with the other. The two Twins grinned and each fired a beam of time straight at Overlloyd.
Overlloyd closed his eyes, then shot open. The shadows of the table shot up with hands to knock the table up in the air and catch the two blasts. Overlloyd rocked back on his seat and flipped over the back of the chair, drawing his full staff out of his body as he did. The table crashed to the ground as the Twins readied another strike, heading right at him. Acronix smirked and activated his blade on himself, disappearing in time.
Just as Overlloyd dodged the blast of blue, Acronix appeared behind him and struck his back with the blade. Undaunted, Overlloyd twisted his body around and cracked Acronix in the chest with the flat end of his blade. The action sent Acronix to the floor, where said floor erupted into chains to bind him down, blade and all. Krux attempted to fire another strike, yet Overlloyd dodged again as he hit the ground and swept Krux's feet out from under him. Krux went down and soon was chained up like his brother. One more swing carved the two Vermillion that had produced the blades apart.
"So," Overlloyd turned to Acronix, "That is how you were able to get past my palace guards."
"What can I say?" Acronix, oddly, was grinning, "It's always good to have a forward-thinking plan."
From behind him, Overlloyd heard someone straining. In his haste to dispatch the two, he'd forgotten about the third Vermillion that had entered. The third warrior was jerking as Overlloyd saw snakes beginning to fall away from their face. This revealed the face of one that he knew well. Morro's face showed his body straining hard as the snakes on his body forced him to raise up his hands. Before Overlloyd could react, he let out a cry of pain as two massive bursts of green power were sent right into Overlloyd's body.
Without any form of protection, Overlloyd took the power that was a pure antithesis to him. Both Overlloyd and Overlord screamed together as the power coursed through them and burned each part of them it could touch. Overlloyd dropped his staff and it dissolved back into Dark Matter. Morro shouted with him as his body was forced to put out a continual beam of power, focused right onto him. The Twins didn't stop until Overlloyd had fallen to his knees and then the floor.
"Hubris," Krux stood up from the Dark Matter chains of the floor dissolving, "Can take many forms."
"Let's go, brother," Acronix laughed, "We have something from the past to find."
"Indeed," Krux nodded. Morro, who had gone limp after firing, gave another long blast of power into Overlloyd just to make him jerk about on the floor even more. Overlloyd was left limp on the floor as the two cut up Vermillion reformed and grabbed one of Morro's arms each.
"Vermillion!" Acronix threw the doors open and laughed, "It's time for us to rise!"
"We have to get out of here!" Lloyd shouted. The sound that came out was more of a muffled groan.
"I know!" Harumi shouted back. Her reply was similarly muted. Monty remained standing stoically, refusing to move in case of causing one of them to meet some deadly fate.
Each of their minds was racing with confusion. The Twins had somehow arrived here, and now they were here in the palace for… for some reason. After everything they'd learned about Overlloyd, this was almost too much information. Why were the Twins here? What was their goal? When had they gotten here?! After so long of not seen them, the group needed to figure out what was going on with the Twins!
Once more, Lloyd tried to give a tug on the bonds. They had to get out of here. It didn't matter if they had to go through that… that dark Lloyd to get to them. They couldn't risk this, they couldn't risk what could happen if the Twins achieved their goal. They couldn't be playing catch up anymore, they needed to stop them once and for all!
"Prisoners!" Overlloyd's voice ringing out around them caused all of them to tense up. Lloyd looked up at the ceiling, trying to see in the darkness.
"The Twins… they have fled from my watch and are running wild in my palace," Overlloyd explained, his voice sounding strained, "Know that I would never ask this unless the situation was dire. Are you committed to stopping the Twins?"
For a long few moments, the room was silent. None of them knew quite what that question meant. Lloyd wasn't sure what was happening. The Twins had escaped from Overlloyd? How? Despite the confusion in the room, Lloyd nodded his head as best he could.
"Then I will make you a deal," Overlloyd panted out, "Ally with me to stop them, and I will let you free."
Suddenly, the Dark Matter binding the four let go, letting them all slump to the floor. Lloyd coughed out as he rubbed his throat, while Harumi stumbled a bit in her sickly state. Mage and Lulloyd looked around, trying to see where Monty was. The wall of Dark Matter that closed them off from the hallway slowly lowered, allowing light to filter in to the cell. Mage, seeing he was standing halfway in Monty, blushed and stepped back.
"Why?" Monty asked for them all, 'Why not stop them yourself?"
"Because," Overlloyd responded, "I fear what they may be after. I've dealt with them before… and I don't know if my Hands can deal with them."
The five shared a long look with each other. If Overlloyd, the man that had enslaved Ninjago, worried about their power, then something was wrong. That thought was what worried them as they all moved to step out of the cell.
"Wait a minute," Mage asked what they all thought, "Why can't you do it?"
"They…" Overlloyd sound as though he was swallowing his pride, "They tricked me. Sun's attacks coupled with their trickery has left my body weak. I would never ask this of you if I was unable to follow. It is taking all my strength just to speak with you. Do you accept my call?"
The group took the chance to look at each other. Slowly, they all nodded, and Lloyd gave their agreement. As soon as they did, the voice commanded them.
"Go to the center of this floor, I will have General Kozu take you to your weapons," Overlloyd groaned out, "From there you will be guided by him after the Twins. I believe I know where they are going. I have sent two of my Hand to deal with them and slow them down. Hopefully, they can buy you that time…. Go!"
Lloyd shared a look with each of them. Harumi and Lulloyd looked nervous and confused, unsure of if they should truly trust him. Since losing the SoS, Monty had remained with a rather neutral expression, though he had his fists clenched. Of all of them, Mage had the hardest look. This was their chance to attack the Twins, and to finally bring them to their knees.
"Alright," Lloyd looked forward, "Let's head out, team."
"Are you certain this is the way to go?" Acronix asked, panting a bit at how hard they'd been running.
"The elevator stopped working after we hit the bottom floor," Krux growled, "We'll just have to keep finding our way down this way!"
The two had found a secret stairwell, hidden in the entryway of the palace. The two of them, the captured and disguised Morro, and their eleven other Vermillion raced their way down said stairs and into the darkness. When they had reached the first floor, it had led to a massive tunnel that looked like it would reach far and away into the ground. Both of them gave a nod to each other as they led the charge down into the tunnels.
"Soon," Acronix laughed, "We'll be free of this place! Free at last!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself, brother," Krux shook his head, "If this pays off, we'll be more set than ever. Until then, we must be cautious."
Eventually, the tunnel led to a massive room. The room had a large gate that stretched high up into the ceiling, which likely almost would hit the surface above it with how high it was. The room looked to have been carved out by hand, with the wall being some sort of blue stone that had the banners of the Emperor's reign on them Standing in front of the large gate, however, were two figures that made the Twins stop in their tracks.
"Are these them?" Cryptor asked, his newly rebuilt suit shining with his new laser-cannon arm.
"Looks so," Morro flipped his scarves back, "The Emperor says they're not allowed to pass this point."
"Move aside," Krux declared, "Or we will strike."
"Emperor's orders," Cryptor charged up his cannon, "And even if we didn't have them… I'm going to have fun testing out this new upgrade on my new target practice."