"Again!" Skales snapped at Ophiod.
Without hesitating, Ophiod snapped his arms back and flung his body into Spinjitzu, arcing across the windswept grasses until he was near Skales. Skales focused, holding his hands together and remaining completely still as he did. He held still until Ophiod's tornado crashed into him with a sizzling crackle of speed, engulfing him in its blazes.
The moment Skales felt the centripetal force claw at his arms, he turned and grabbed golf of Ophiod inside. The two held each other as they spun, Ophiod's tail curling around him protectively. Skales opened his red swirling eyes to look into Ophiod's glassy slits. At once, he focused his mind on Ophiod, launching into his own Spinjitzu. Around the two, the Dyad tornado they formed grew in power and size, combining and refining the other, the copper and blue slowly twisting together into a glorious orange and gold.
Ophiod twitched. Suddenly, Skales felt a massive force crash hard into him, threatening to rip him right away from and out of Ophiod's grasp. Before it could pull onto him, Skales pulled his Spinjitzu out of the tornado, causing it to rapidly destabilize. A moment later, Skales threw himself out of the thing hard, cursing his body to hit the ground and roll away from the crackling and sparking tornado flickering in and out around Ophiod.
A few seconds later, Ophiod snapped his tail into the ground, canceling the motions of Spinjitzu and causing the tornado to flicker faster. With a massive burst of wind, the tornado halted around him. Ophiod gripped the ground with one hand as he panted, waiting for his senses to catch up to him as his own heart pounded with the fear of what had just happened.
"...You're holding back on me, again," Skales panted out himself, "You're still making our Dyad unstable, Ophiod!"
"I am doing all I can…" Ophiod shook his head, "I am doing what I must!"
"If that were true, we'd have completed the Dyad!" Skales hissed at him, "Why will you not trust me with your power? We have not had this issue in ages!"
Ophiod didn't say anything. Instead, he pushed himself up onto his tail, slowly moving over and slithering his body towards Skales. He offered the Hypnobrai his hand. Skales considered batting it away, but he could see the look it would give Ophiod in turn. He took the hand after a moment instead, just sighing as he dusted himself off and looked up at the Viper.
"I'm trying my hardest, Skales," Ophiod muttered, "But… but I am not sure why that-"
"You know exactly why this is, Ophiod," Skales frowned, "I won't have you lying to me. Lying doesn't suit you," He sighed, "You aren't very good at it."
Ophiod went silent, feeling something burning in his mind but being unwilling to ignite his lips. Seeing this, Skales walked over into the grasses and picked up his golden blade. The weapon shone in his hand as he gently slid it into the strap on his back.
"You won't talk to me," Skales shook his head, "Yet you attempted to use a Dyad with me. I'd assumed you hadn't been thrown into the dirt enough to forget why that is incredibly dangerous."
Ophiod remained silent, his hands curling into fists as he tried to figure out his response. Skales walked over towards a small patch of dirt to sit on, leaning forward pensively as he did. He looked up towards Ophiod again, fixing him with that same heavy stare. The wind blew around him, causing the grass to flatten between them, leaving nowhere for him to hide.
"I love you, Ophiod," Skales began, "That fact hasn't changed, and it won't change," He reached out to gently fiddle with his marriage band on his arm, "There is no doubt in my mind about that. And if you were to say that you were no longer fascinated by me, I'd wonder if you'd been replaced," Skales sighed, "And I know you far too well to not notice that."
Ophiod looked down, "I do… I do love you, Skales. You are my knight and my heart. I fight knowing that you will stand by my side, and that gives me strength."
"Good," Skales nodded, "Then that means you understand what I'm about to say next."
Ophiod bit his lip, "I… would prefer that you not."
"Too bad," Skales stood up, "Since you won't say it, then I'm going to say it."
Skales walked over to Ophiod, then stood right in front of him. He reached down into the grass beside him, hefting up the Scroll of Forbidden Spinjitzu. As soon as he did, Ophiod froze in place. Skales ran his hand along it, watching as Ophiod's eyes fixed hard on where Skales' hand touched it.
"You make it so obvious I almost don't want to say it," Skales tossed the scroll at Ophiod, who swung his tail up to catch it gracefully, "You think that if we fight together, you'll hurt me again."
Ophiod didn't say anything in response, but his lower lip curled up into his fangs, biting down on it hard. He slowly transferred the scroll from his tail to his hands, holding the staff with a small flourish. Even then, Skales noticed how his hand gripped tightly against it.
"...I know why you're using it," Skales mumbled, "I know. I wasn't there, but I know your mother used it to seal your father away. Don't think I don't pick up on these things," He raised his head, "And don't think I don't also see why you're doing it."
"It… it is my vessel through which to prove my own magic," Ophiod told him firmly, even as his eyes wavered.
"No, you're doing this because of what all the other snakes call you," Skales tapped Ophiod's chest, "You think if you use that thing, you'll be able to finally show them that you're more than just the Half Breed." Those two words made Ophiod flinch. Skales felt a pit in his gut seeing it, but he held onto his argument.
"It is… it is much more than that," Ophiod shook his head, "To master this magic, this power, it shall prove my own worth as a warrior among my people. I shall be able to finally take charge, prove my role as Prince of the Serpentine… and free my father while I do it."
Skales rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Seeing that was enough for Ophiod to tense up, a pang of anger going through him. His declaration, his desire, it'd been what had fueled him through so many battles. He knew what he wanted. Even if he was able to temper his own feelings since it was coming from Skales, the way that he reacted still made Ophiod's fist start to tremble in its grip.
"Since I'm the only one that knows you as well as I do, I'm allowed to say this," Skales groaned out, "You're an idiot. Sometimes I wonder how you're able to get through your own day with rattles in place of your brain. Sometimes I'm shocked you made it this far."
"I… It's not…" Ophiod raised his head, "It's not an idiotic desire to have, Skales! I am to one day take command of my people. I am to one day be the one that must stand before all of them, and become the face of them! Mastering this power, it will-"
"It won't do you any good," Skales cut him off, "I know for a fact why it won't."
"Tell me then, Skales," Ophiod shook his head, "Tell me then why all of this… all of these battles, have just been for nothing?"
Skales frowned, "Because the only Serpentine that would have taken in a traitor like me and defended them with their lives, is you. You're kind, Ophiod. You've lived a life being told that you are nothing, and yet you held out your hand to me. That is why you'll be a fine king."
Ophiod was silent for a few moments, weighing how he wanted to respond again. Skales turned around and walked back over to his little mound of dirt, sitting down and crossing his arms as he did. He looked up at the Viper, who was struggling just to figure out what words he wanted to say. Skales just looked him down with a hard glance.
"...My mother would have taken you in," Ophiod turned his head, "She took in my father."
"No, your mother was intending to use your father for her own gain… she simply developed feelings for him along the way," Skales frowned, "Your mother became a kind woman. You were born kind. And kindness is not a trait that we Serpentine value as much as we should."
"Then how can you say it is what will make me a worthy king?" Ophiod starred Skales down, "If they will not place value in it?"
"Because what snakes want and what they need aren't the same thing," Skales rolled his eyes, "I think you've figured that out pretty definitively by now."
Ophiod didn't understand what Skales said, but he lowered his head as though he somewhat understood. The Viper slowly moved over to sit down beside him, his tail curling up underneath him in turn. As Skales looked up towards Ophiod's larger frame, the Viper remained confused, looking around for something else to put his focus on. There was nothing, however, for him to do so. Nothing but gray skies, grassy plains, and a forest too far out of eyeline to be anything more than a green and black array of lines on the horizon.
"I have to finish this, Skales," Ophiod muttered, "I know what your truth here is. You want me to stop fighting them."
"Am I?" Skales asked him pointedly, "I don't seem to recall saying that."
"Is that not why you're talking to me?" Ophiod asked him, "You wish for me to withdraw from this conflict. You wish for me to… to put down the scroll."
"Or I'm not," Skales shook his head, "And you're simply putting your own words into my mouth. Is that so hard to believe?"
"I cannot abandon this now, Skales!" Ophiod protested, "Look where we are! We stand at the precipice of winning, of the reward that I… that we seek. And now, we must see it through!"
"Are you prepared to put your life on the line for this?" Skales asked him.
"...If that's what it takes," Ophiod muttered.
That made Skales actively frown. He reached up and gave Ophiod's right arm a long squeeze. When Ophiod turned to look at him, Skales forced the two to lock their gazes together. He refused Ophiod any purchase with it, the swirls in his pupils transfixed onto the Viper.
"Do you mean that?" Skales asked him, "Do you? Do you truly think that you could bear the thought of your mother grieving your death when you're brought home to her?"
Ophiod physically winced at the image of Aspheera's eyes locked onto his corpse, "...If…. if that is what I… if that is what I must endure, for the sake of…"
Skales gripped his arm even tighter, "For the sake of what, Ophiod?"
"For… for the sake of…" Ophiod looked down, shutting his eyes tightly, "For my… people…"
Skales's frown refused to go away. He let go of Ophiod's arm, turning his body away from the Viper.
"Ophiod," Skales turned to look at him, "I will fight for you, whatever you chose. I'm not telling you to find another path. It is not my role to do that. And I'm not sure you would even listen to me if I did," Skales' voice lowered, "But what I am telling you, is that you should at least be able to tell me without flinching why you're fighting."
Ophiod racked his brain, trying to think of the words he needed to answer Skales. For some reason, they cut deep into him, ripping into him and making him want to curl up and hide. But in trying to do so, he found himself completely silenced as to what he wanted to say. He had to think of some reason, and the longer he took to think of it, the longer Skales looked more and more disappointed in his response.
"...I want to help Prime," Ophiod finally responded, "He as not had anyone for so long, Skales. He lost everything, yet… yet he still reached out, and helped me," Ophiod reached up to touch his chest, "We made our promise to help each other. I wish to help him fulfill his promise."
"And how long has it been since you last spoke with him?" Skales narrowed his eyes.
Ophiod slowly looked up at the sky, "Too long. I should see to him... "
"You're honest in saying that you think that he's worthy of you fighting for him?" Skales asked him, "You truly believe that, Ophiod?"
Ophiod's eyes remained fixed in the sky. He could imagine it now, the sight of Invictus as it soared and flew through the clouds, cutting them apart to reveal whatever true colors lay beyond it, trailing blue behind him and swirling with an elegance he hadn't ever seen in a machine before. He could see Prime's determined glare inside of his cockpit, standing there despite the pain of memories that doing so meant for him. He could see the smile on his face, the one that would push him to do anything as long as it meant he could protect those he cared for. A drive that Ophiod could feel reflected in his own chest.
"I… I do," Ophiod nodded, "Prime is my friend. He will support me through anything, as I will support him. As long as…" Ophiod smiled, "As long as we are able to hold to that promise we made together, we will be able to overcome whatever is in our path."
Skales starred at Ophiod skeptically, then he nodded his head, "I think you should go and talk to him, then. Make clear that he's the reason you're fighting. Maye then you won't keep putting us at risk when we form our Dyad."
Ophiod nodded, "I will do so immediately, Skales," Ophiod smiled, "Thank you for helping me clear my head."
Skales gave Ophiod a long glare, as though wondering if he should give anything in response to that. Instead, he just gave a grunt and gently nodded his head. Without a moment to lose, Ophiod reached out and slowly formed a special spell in front of him. He focused on the power of the staff on his back, causing a rift that would lead through the void and take him to Prime. As he disappeared inside of it, the Hypnobrai leaned backwards and looked towards the side.
"Prime isn't the man you think he is," Skales muttered, "He isn't worth fighting for."
Skales leaned back in the grasses. Ophiod still hadn't told him about why he'd had those two devices the others used. He could tell the Viper was hiding something. Something big. He knew that he'd done something, and so Skales had done something of his own. He just hoped that Oni had given them back to them as he should. The snake simply let out another long sigh, then leaned his head back and planted his hands beside them, reading himself for a long rest.
By this time, Ophiod had learned the layout of Prime's world rather well. While he hadn't taken the time to explore most of it, he knew that Prime's home was not one that would be worth exploring. From what he'd come to understand from his own investigations, whatever influence had caused the destruction in the first place had been widespread throughout Ninjago. The people had mostly moved into the area surrounding Ninjago City following whatever monstrous force had attacked this version of Ninjago, meaning that if the lands outside the city weren't abandoned, they had been destroyed in whatever event had caused the devastation in the first place.
Ophiod landed just outside the main compound where the majority of the survivors still lived. Even at this distance, though, he could hear the smaller mechs working to try to clear away the rubble for anything worth salvaging. He'd learned that their job was to find something, near anything that they could use to begin rebuilding the city. The devastation was simply so widespread that the efforts moved at a snail's pace.
Before anyone could spot him, Ophiod quickly called upon his magic, disguising his form to look like a simple member of the salvage team. He walked over and quickly began to act as though he was moving one of the pieces of rubble, something that had worked out for him when he'd first arrived and been spotted.
"Watch out!" A younger voice cried out behind Ophiod. The snake lowered his head just in time to avoid a bit of falling concrete crushing his left hand. A small whirling showed one of the stripped down industrial mechs, piloted by one he knew as 'Nelson,' holding up a large slab of concrete with an apologetics look.
"Sorry," Nelson rubbed his neck, "Thought we saw something here. You alright?"
"I am fine," Ophiod informed him, "I was just finishing my time."
"Lucky you," Nelson sighed, "I got another hour left on my shift. Let's hope the dining hall has some good food today!"
"Indeed," Ophiod nodded back to him, "I will take my leave now."
Nelson nodded to him, disappearing with a few hard crunches of the mech's feet on the uneven ground. Ophiod turned and began to walk -slithering under the form's illusion- into the main compound. By keeping his head down and simply flashing an 'ID' he crafted as part of it, he was allowed inside without any issue.
The bustle of life inside the compound seemed dulled by the color sand shifting of the metal-clad walls around them. Ophiod had wondered for a long while how life here worked. There were no farms, no source of water he could see. He'd learned carefully over time why the major Serpentine Cities were placed where they were. How this place survived, he wasn't entirely sure. But it wasn't for that reason he was here.
Normally, Ophiod would simply teleport his way into the main compound, but right now he felt the urge to take his time to think. The conversation he had with Skales was still fresh in his mind. His failure to once more complete a Dyad with Skales weighed on him just as heavily, knowing what it implied about their connection. To perform a Dyad was to have heart and soul completely connected between two people. To think that he had lost that connection…
Ophiod shook his head as he entered into one of the 'personnel' entrances to the massive facility where Invictus was repaired after each battle. He knew that he had Skales' trust, and he could never lose that. But right now, the question was if he could trust Skales. He knew that the Hypnobrai could defend himself in any situation. He'd seen the days, the weeks, the months Skales had put in to be able to hold his own against Arcturus. There was a reason that he was chosen to both lead the Anacondrai and personally serve his mother.
Still… even after time had passed, the image of Skales passed out in his arms, his body alight with symbols draining his very life out of him, being used to simply fuel his own magic haunted him. There were nights Ophiod could not sleep because of how it haunted him. Even now, carrying the staff felt as though he held a sword soaked in blood.
But he couldn't let it go. Ophiod knew that if he did, he would be letting go of all of his ambitions, all of his goals. He would have to use the staff, and protect Skales. He would protect him from his own desires. He had to do this. It was all he could do.
Ophiod passed by several people in the halls, none of whom seemed to pay him any mind. The halls were all a dull green and gray, with only sparse lighting that made everything feel draped in an air of miasmic dreariness. He truthfully wondered how Prime had managed to stay the way he was here. The sight of him, piloting Invictus so proudly seemed almost unfit for a world such as this. He looked so strong, powerful, a symbol. Even the last time that he'd talked to Ophiod, as upset as he seemed, he took his time to tell Ophiod what he needed to do and…
...Last time. Ophiod's thoughts had been so heavily twisted around the staff, he'd completely forgotten about the last time that he spoke to Prime. It felt so long ago now. Everything did. It'd been before he'd gone and broke up Over… and before he'd hidden the fact he'd done so from him. Oni's words still resonated with him. He'd wanted to tell Prime. He truly had. But back then… it didn't seem like the time.
He'd left Prime upset like that. Ophiod intended to remedy that. His thoughts carried him all the way until he reached the elevator that would take him into the depths of the facility. He didn't think much more until he'd already reached the lower levels, carrying him forwards into a hallway that was long since forgotten, it seemed. Soon, he weaved through several of the corridors until he found a single door against a green wall.
"Prime," Ophiod called out as he reached the door, "I've returned to speak with you. I have not heard from you in some time."
There was no response from behind the door. For a moment, Ophiod wondered if Prime was there. Perhaps he should have gone to his bedroom first. But upon listening a bit more, he heard something faintly trickling out from the door. Ophiod looked down for a moment before gently moving to push the door open.
When Ophiod entered the room, there was no lighting. The room formerly used to build Akita's mech was now in darkness. For a moment, Ophiod wondered if Prime was even in the room. The light from the hallway was snuffed out as Ophiod closed the door behind him.
The sound once again drew Ophiod's attention. He turned to see a small device sitting on a workbench, a screen lighting up a faint blue being all he could see in the sea of black. It was the small disc Prime had first shown him the hologram with.
As Ophiod approached the device, something stirred. The moment he heard it, he tensed up, holding his hand out and summoning a small ball of magic from his staff to light up the room. When he did, he saw the workbench with the papers still scattered across it, held down by bits of metal and screws. What the light primarily revealed, however, was something curled up against the workbench, listening to the sound of the device above them.
"Prime?" Ophiod blinked.
Prime slowly raised his head. He looked tired, as though he hadn't slept in several days. His hair was a mess, completely tussled into an almost unrecognizable jungle. He looked slightly thin and pale as well, his jumpsuit clinging tightly to him not helping that perception. Further, the look he gave Ophiod as he approached was tired and dull, and there was no smile on his face.
"Prime," Ophiod dropped his illusion, allowing for him to see the Viper in full, "Prime, what… what are you doing?"
"Ophiod…" Prime whispered to him, "You're… here."
"Yes, I came to speak with you," Ophiod looked around the room, "Why are you in this place? You said last time that you did not like to remember it."
"I've been waiting…" Prime droned out, "Waiting for him to show up. Over won't show up. He won't come to me. I can't find him…" Prime shook his head, "Why? Why hasn't he showed up? We had an alert, I swore it was…" Prime shook his head, "I swore… I swore it was…"
"Prime…" Ophiod felt a pang of concern go through him, "You need to come with me. This is not good for you to be here like this."
"No!" Prime snapped suddenly, his eyes trembling, "I'm staying right here! I'm staying right here until Over shows up! I need…" Prime scrubbed his hand through his hair, adding to the mess that it was, "I need to be here so I don't forget why I'm fighting him!"
Ophiod was silent for a few moments. He wasn't sure why Prime was here. Last time he'd been here, it looked as though he'd been trying to find something. This looked more as though he had been hiding away from whatever it was he wanted to find. It made a pang of worry continue to thrum throughout the Viper… along with another emotion he didn't yet place.
"Why don't you come with me?" Ophiod offered, "We can go and look for him together. We promised to help each other with our missions, didn't we? We can... "
Ophiod reached his hand out to Prime, attempting to pull him up. The magic in his palm reflected the two of them in a deep orange glow. Ophiod put a smile on his face as he did, hoping for Prime to take his hand and stand up.
"No… no! Aren't you listening to me, Ophiod?!" Prime snapped, batting his hand away, "I can't leave. I told him to come to me. If he comes and I'm not here, he'll think I'm weak. That I can't beat him. I can't. I can't. I can't lose to him!"
Ophiod winced slightly at that, "There is no shame in looking for him, we can-"
"You don't know what it's like, Ophiod!" Prime snapped, "You don't know what it takes to stop someone like him!" Prime put his hand over his face, hiding one of his eyes, "Ever since I saw him like that… like that beast he truly is… it reminded me of why I'm fighting. It told me why I'm the only one who can stop him! I've done it before. I've done it before! I can't let anyone else go and fight him… everyone who fights him, they… they…"
"I've fought him, and I have survived," Ophiod smiled at him hopefully.
"...That's…" Prime shook his head, "That's what they said. That's what they said! They said they could handle it. They could fight with me, they'd be fine. Look at where they are now, Ophiod!"
Ophiod thought back to what he knew about Prime's team, his home, and even then he failed to put much of it together, "It… it won't last…" Prime sputtered out, "I should never have let you fight him. I should have decided to kill him faster. I shouldn't have let him get that strong! Now he's out there… he's with them. They've sided with him. I've seen what he really is. I know what lies behind those eyes. But they… they think he's with them… they don't know one day he'll snap. He'll devour them all. He's killed, he's ruined lives… just like that one… that one boy that the Twins talked about…"
"The boy?" Ophiod blinked, "You mean, Sun?"
"Yes!" Prime slammed his hand into the wall, "He ruined… he ruined that boy's life, he… he took all of their lives away from them. He just did it as a person, and not a beast. He acted like a person to trick them…" Prime used his hand to push himself up, "Now… now he. He's going to show them. Show them what he truly is… a monster… a horrible creature… he'll consume literally everything! Everything!" Prime stood up in full, "And I'm… I'm the only one that can stop him, Ophiod. I'm the only one!"
Ophiod backed up from Prime, feeling fear rise up in his chest, "Prime you're… you're not making sense. You, you need to…"
"I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN KILL THAT THING!" Prime shouted, "YOU PROMISED THAT YOU WOULDN'T FIGHT HIM, DIDN'T YOU?! WERE YOU LYING TO ME, OPHIOD?! ARE YOU LYING TO ME JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE?!"
"W-What?" Ophiod felt frozen into his place, "N-No! I-I haven't… I haven't seen him…"
"Then you're smarter than them… you're smarter than all of them," Prime clutched his head, "They died because of me. They're gone. They're all gone! But I can protect you. I can keep you from going and dying… I can…"
Suddenly, Prime fell to his knees, looking down at the ground with trembling pupils, "... I'm going to keep you safe, Ophiod. I'm going to make sure… make sure you don't fall like the rest of them… that's why you can't…" Prime raised his head, "That's why you can't fight him, Ophiod!"
Ophiod felt lost in Prime's words. He had no idea how it all looped around to this. He hadn't come to talk about Over, but that seemed to be all that he could think about. It was all that Prime was willing to even discuss. It left Ophiod unsure of what to say, what to even think about the fact that Prime was talking to him like this, manic, terrified, horrified in a way…
"Have I not told you what I desire? If you attach the leg there, Kota will not run!"
"But how else are you going to turn around?"
"My machine is not made to flee from battle! Let us finish the prototype before we worry about such details!"
Ophiod froze up. The disc had begun to play the recording all over again. It was the same ones that he'd heard the last time that he'd been here. And it left him feeling a twisted sense of deja vu that he didn't know if he wanted to actually feel again.
"... I told you," Prime shook his head, "I won't leave. I can't forget why I'm fighting. I can't forget why I'm trying to bring them back…"
Prime stumbled over to the workbench, gripping hold of it and staring into the disc and the hologram it projected, the words of conversations and memories of the past washing over him with a blue light, "I won't forget. I won't let anything stop me. I'll get them back. I'll…" Prime sputtered out, "I'll get her back, Ophiod! I won't let her just become a memory! I'm going to finish this fight for them… so they'll give her back to me…"
Ophiod wanted to say something. He wanted to comment on it. But Prime continued to listen to those recordings without any hint of wanting to stop. There was no restraint in his eyes. Nothing that looked as though it was going to make him back down. He gripped the table again.
"I already sent the order out," Prime mumbled, "Invictus is going to be as strong as ever. The next time I see Over, I won't hold back on him," Prime's body shook, "No matter what it takes. I will kill him. I will destroy every last bit of him so he can't possibly hope to come back…." Prime hissed in a dark tone, "I'll kill him."
Ophiod was frozen to the spot. Prime turned back to the hologram, looking into it as another section of the recordings began to place. More voices of himself and Akita drifting over towards him. The Viper slowly tried to slither forward, reaching his hand out again.
"Prime-" Ophiod began.
"I'm going to protect you," Prime muttered to him, "I'm going to keep my friend safe."
That line should have sounded something different to Ophiod. He should have found it an uplifting noise. Something for him to cling onto and feel as though he had an ally at his side. Instead, a cold dread filled the Viper. The fear that had been steadily building inside of him finally came to a head as he backed away.
With a flash of magic, Ophiod opened his portal and absconded into it. Prime didn't even turn around to watch it. Instead, the flash of orange soon faded to leave the room in darkness. The only light came from the hologram, voicing the words that Prime used to fill his mind, his eyes the only visible thing against the recordings. The words swirled around him as he continued to listen, hidden away in his own room of shame and regret.
Morro had assumed, somewhat incorrectly, that Monty and his friends would have been finished now with requests of him. Given how the last one had him stealing plans for the Iron Demise and working his way into the Twins plans and effectively hard-capping the amount of time left for all of them, he thought that was more than enough. Now, however, he had the last one, and the one that puzzled him the most:
Find out when the Twins altered Harumi's timeline.
Morro had spent the last day trying to think of where he could even get information like that. At first, he'd tried looking through historical records, but so much of it was altered by now he wasn't sure when the lies started and the truth began. All that yielded for him was an approximate timeline of how long ago the Twins had risen to power. Analyzing the last entry he could find of pre-Twin controlled media and the first entry of the Twins' era, there was a gap between approximately 20 and 23 years ago that the timeline must have been altered.
For some reason, though, Morro knew that wasn't enough. There had to be a reason that they were asking him. It wasn't that hard to guess: they wanted to make sure to undo the event in the timeline and restart the timeline back to the way that it was. How they intended that, he decided outside of his scope. He had his mission, and it was critical that he simply stick to it.
That left him with a conundrum, though: he had no leads as to where this split might have occurred in the timeline. He might have been able to guess, but that still wouldn't answer his question. He had to know the exact moment, he was sure. That had to be the reason that Monty was asking him this. But without any other leads on that information, the thought was just looping back and forth throughout Morro's head.
Such was this thought as he slowly rose from his bed for the day's work. Morro had been given a room here for quite some time. He hadn't told the others just how long he'd been kept here. It'd been more than a few weeks from his perspective. The amount of times he'd opened his eyes to this same room, inside this same tower, was beginning to weigh on his mind.
He moved over to don the uniform the Twins had "gifted" to him. It was a stark reminder of who the Twins wanted him to be. Krux saw him as nothing more than a spent battery, someone worthy of keeping around on sentiment alone. He was alive due to the humor they found in keeping him that way.
Morro's eyes looked over towards the side of the room. The Twins had commanded him to destroy his old ninja uniform, the one that they'd captured him in. He'd had to repair the thing just due to the number of snakes that had bitten through it. The deep black outfit, laced with a green, was folded up underneath the bed. He had no reason to try to hide it further. If the Twins wanted him to give it to them, he had no way to resist. But it stayed there as a reminder to him. A reminder of what he was fighting for.
And so, Morro donned the uniform of the Twins, leaving the other one behind. A night's rest had given him some time to think over his plan of action. He knew what had to be done. He knew what he would have to do to help Monty. By helping them defeat the Twins like this, he'd be giving them everything they needed… and, perhaps, a chance to see his Master again.
Morro opened the door to his room. The moment he did, he was met with a strange sight in front of him. There was something standing right in front of him. Their body was partially human and partially some foriegn creature of a black complexion. As Morro raised his head, he was met with the deep emotionless eyes of none other than Oni.
"Morro," Oni spoke calmly, "I have been waiting for you."
Morro was silent for a long moment. Why was Oni in front of his room here? For a moment, his senses began to panic that perhaps Oni had figured out what he was doing. HIs body instinctually even began to summon his Chi around him. Yet his rational brain won out. He'd been too careful in making sure he wasn't followed. Even Prime wasn't able to prove he had done something wrong. Or at least, not enough for the Twins to stop him yet.
"You have my attention," Morro informed him coldly.
"Would you mind if I spoke to you?" Oni asked him.
"If you have something that is important, you should contact the Twins," Morro nodded, "They've been missing you for quite some time."
Oni said nothing in response to that. Morro somewhat regretted the jab, but it gave him at least some momentary power over Oni in this conversation. Master Wu had taught him well: never let your opponent attack you from any vantage of weakness.
"Very well," Oni informed him, "I will make my time with you brief, then. I would like to hear what your opinion is on Monty."
Hearing the name sent a shot of cold through Morro's spine, "You mean the ghost that's always harassing me and my team, that Monty?"
"Yes, the one that is often found alongside Ronin," Oni continued, "I would like to hear what your opinion on him is."
Morro was desperately wracking his brain now, attempting to put together what Oni's angle with this was. He didn't know what information this man was trying to get out of him, but it couldn't be good. He'd only seen Oni at a distance before, so his gauge as to who he was wouldn't do him any good. He had to approach this carefully.
"Monty has held a hatred for me and my team since we met him," Morro informed him, "We've fought on more occasions than we've spoken to each other. I know that he and Ronin have been partners for over a decade, but nothing more. I don't know anything about him other than that."
"What can you tell me about who he is, other than his past?" Oni continued.
Morro chose his words as carefully as he could, "There isn't much more I can tell you about him, other than what we've seen of each other in the past. When we fight, he's very quick to get angry with us and resort to violence. The only person I've ever seen him actually get along with is Ronin, and they fight most of the time we see them together."
"Yes… I see," Oni nodded, "And is that, all you think of him?"
Morro could feel him probing for more, and slowly shook his head, "What I feel about Monty isn't something that I should discuss with a stranger."
"I cannot help the fact we have not spoken before," Oni told him flatly, "But I can at least say that I know there is a deeper connection between you two than I think you realize."
Morro was silent for a long while after that remark, "I've known that for a long time, Oni."
"You have?" Oni asked him. Morro felt the pressure to answer him. Oni's presence seemed to ebb and flow with his curiosity. The intensity of it poured out onto Morro, begging his elaboration without a hint of emotion on Oni's face. Morro looked gently to the side, his thoughts swirling together before he parsed them out.
"I've known that Monty has held something against me for as long as we've known each other," Morro informed him, "I don't know if it's because I became the Green Ninja… or because there's something that I haven't found out yet. But I've crossed blades with him enough to know that he doesn't just see me as a rival."
"Oh…" Oni let a hint of disappointment creep into his voice, "I see. I suppose that is all that I have to ask of you."
Morro watched as Oni began to turn to leave him. For some reason, Morro felt that there was more to what Oni had expected from him. Gently, Morro reached up and used the lip of the doorframe to pull himself into the hallway, turning to look towards Oni as he left.
"If you were asking me if I thought of Monty as an enemy," Morro spoke up, "I don't think I could call him that."
"Really?" Oni paused in his stride.
"I don't know what Monty has against me, but I know that he's more than just what he seems," Morro informed him, "I know that he cares about Ronin. I know that deep down, he has some sort of good in him. I don't know if I can ever be the one to make him turn to the side of justice like my Master taught me to follow. But I know that if Monty is given the chance, he'll do the right thing."
"And, are you sure about that?" Oni didn't move a muscle.
"A ninja can never know anything for certain," Morro narrowed his eyes, "But as long as there is hope, I know that he'll do what he needs to."
"You put a rather large amount of faith in him," Oni began to walk away again, "Perhaps it is time that you be proven wrong about that, then."
Morro let Oni walk away from that line. He knew there was more he could say, more he could do to put forward the argument he had with someone who refused to give him any signs. But there wasn't anything he thought that he could say. He let Oni walk away, not knowing what it meant, but knowing that talking wouldn't help him any more.
Oni's words, though, were left ringing in his head. He didn't want to know why Oni was asking him about Monty. All he knew was that Oni had wanted something from him. Something about why he and Monty had fought for as long as they had. Oni had wanted him to say something, but what was that?
Morro thought back. He remembered the first time that he'd met Monty, fighting him over the Fangblades. He remembered hearing him and Ronin bicker all the way from the inside of the Amusement Park, the foul things they were both saying to each other. For some reason, the moment that the two had locked eyes for the first time, he'd never seen someone look at him with more disgust than Monty had that day. It was also the first day he knew what being shot felt like, so that also helped cloud those memories. They'd scraped over each of the blades, up until finally those two delivered all four to Pythor without even a single care as to what he planned to do with all of them.
Then Monty had volunteered to fight with him on the Dark Island. He'd never understood why Monty came with them. The ghost had refused to tell them anything, and had slipped away from them nearly the moment they arrived. He'd had his guesses, but none of them had panned out. All he knew was that the ghost had come back to camp one day with a sour look in his eyes, the first time the ghost had ever looked as though he'd been genuinely hurt by something, and not long after that Garmadon had come tearing through the island for his helmet back.
And then the Tournament of Elements. Morro hadn't even seen Monty until then. The ghost hadn't even considered fighting for them. He'd never given them a single moment to hear them out about Chen's plan. All that he'd known was Monty, for some reason, was looking forward to fighting him. Chen had altered the bracket just for them, and the ghost seemed all for it. Chen rigged the arena to slowly fill with water just to make sure Monty would be forced to fight him, and in the end… Morro thought Monty had fallen in it. That he'd been the one to kill the ghost.
To finish it all out, Soul Archer had possessed him. Even now, Morro could feel the sting of guilt at letting such a vile ghost take control of him. He'd learned from Soul Archer that Monty had been in the Cursed Realm for a year, as their champion in the arena. He'd watched Monty fight battle after battle, exhausted, chained down and weakened, and all so many years ago. He hadn't even told Monty that he'd been shown that. He couldn't have ever found the time. And just to learn that Monty hadn't perished at his hand had given him the strength to finally push Soul Archer away from him.
There were many things that Morro thought about Monty. There were more thoughts he had about the ghost. But when he put them all together, he couldn't put his word on what he actually felt. He knew that somewhere, there was one missing piece that he'd missed. One thing that would let him know why Monty hated him so much. But right now wasn't the time for him to ask that question. It wasn't his place to know, and he knew Monty wouldn't let him even if he wanted to.
It was time for Morro to figure out the answer to what he was tasked with discovering. With a small inhale, Morro left the room, leaving behind the thoughts about someone he knew he would be seeing soon, and instead turning them to the question of what he would need to find out.
"Hrmm… Battalion 201 is currently at a dampened growth rate," Krux nodded his head, "We should stimulate their production at once. I want all of our troops at their top form before we load them onto the Demise."
"We can always leave one or two behind," Acronix shrugged, "It isn't like it will make any difference for them!"
"If they're continuing to fall behind quota tomorrow, I'll consider it," Krux rubbed his chin, "We will need all of their strength for us to begin our-"
The doors to the throne room the two Twins occupied opened with a long creak of metal. Morro put his hands behind his back and slowly walked into the room, keeping his posture upright as he walked right up to the two of them. Both Twins looked at him for a moment, then relaxed upon seeing who he was.
"Morro, good to see you again!" Acronix began, "Would you like to-"
"What did you do to this world?" Morro asked.
Krux blinked, taken aback by his sudden query, "Why have you asked us this, Morro?"
"I want to know," Morro starred Krux down, "I want to know how you took control of this world's time."
The Twins remained silent for a rather long while. Morro stood firm, hiding his worry behind his stoic poker face. He was taking a massive gamble here. After another hour of deliberation, he knew this was the only option. Hearing that the Twins had returned from wherever their operations took them, he knew that this was his best shot.
"I… assume you have plans with this information?" Acronix asked him.
"I do," Morro informed them back.
"Hrmm… you have a tenacity about you I had not considered…" Krux turned to Acronix, "Tell me, brother, what do you think? Does he have a right to know?"
"Right? Oh, totally not," Acronix grinned, "But I admire the fact that he's taken control of organizing this entire operation. So… what harm could it do?"
"Very well," Krux nodded, "But we can discuss this matter later. Right now, we must finish our preparations for our departure."
"I have already finished them," Morro informed them.
The two men blinked at Morro, with Acronix slowly standing up, "We just received reports that Battalion 201-"
"I took care of that yesterday," Morro nodded, "The Generals have all been informed where they will be heading. The Iron Demise will be fully loaded for transport starting tomorrow."
"Well… that is impressive!" Acronix smirked, "Means that we can take a moment here to relax before leading the war effort!"
"You were the one that wanted to lead the war effort," Krux rubbed his head, "I would personally enjoy having a day's rest. There has hardly been any time to enjoy our victory."
"Oh, you're just feeling your age," Acornix nudged him, "Once we round all of them up, I'm sure seeing their looks of despair as they realize what a foolish army they chose to oppose will wake you right up!"
"Hmmph, you're right about that," Krux gripped his throne with a smirk, "I am looking forward to the moment where we finally crush each and every one of our enemies under our heel."
"Then…. It is almost time?" Morro asked.
Acronix smirked, raising his hand up and bringing it down on the side of his throne.
"Summon the snake and the pilot," Acronix grinned, "It's time we make our plans to end this charade. Come, Morro, let's have a chat about what you suddenly want to know… and about how everything will come to and end!"