Brad and Gene
Part two to "The Tale of Harumi", chapter four of Greener Pastures, by Sunny Lighter. It is also recommended that you have read chapter 27, "Lil'Terrors", to be familiar with Brad and Gene and their place in the Grass is Greener universe.
~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~
Her name was Harumi. She was eight years old when she witnessed her parents' murder.
She was promptly placed into a special program for troubled children. There she met Brad and Gene. Or rather, there Brad and Gene met her, as she was nearly completely unresponsive that entire year.
Gene was there because he was some sort of genius, and really his other therapists and even his millionaire parents had no idea what to do with him. Especially since he'd self-proclaimed himself an evil genius and took delight in hacking and clever, semi-malicious pranks.
Brad was in the program because his father had been a high ranking member of one of the crime gangs absorbed by Garmadon. His mom, a wealthy heiress, had taken the opportunity to get a divorce, immediately placing her son in special therapy to make sure he didn't follow his father's footsteps.
The self-proclaimed Evil Genius and his trusty sidekick promptly took her under their wings, claiming they would protect her from the weak and stupid adults and even share their toys with her. Gene even vowed he would marry her and she would be his evil queen.
She didn't care, only vaguely aware of what was going on around her at any given moment. Her every waking moment a dream and her every sleeping minute a nightmare.
~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~
Her name was Harumi. She was nine years old when her parents' murderer was deemed not guilty in a court of law and released.
Brad and Gene shared in the silent girl's horror and silent fury and began their own evil, and completely unrealistic, plots to exact revenge.
Over the last year, they had both become unashamed Garmadon fans, and would go on for hours talking about their hero and how cool he was. How they would LOVE to have four arms and fangs, how awesome his last mech had been, they even had lists of their favorite quotes and poses. Thus most of their childish plans had to do with becoming four armed monsters and SMASHING the vile man.
For the most part, Harumi continued to ignore them. Background noise. Not important. She honestly didn't pay much attention, too busy being absorbed in her hatred of her parents' murderer and plot to get revenge.
The two boys would try to cheer her up, with cookies and movies (they were partial to monster invasion movies) and flowers and stories. For some reason they saw her as part of their little gang, even defending her fiercely from other kids who might want to bully her over her lack of a voice. Not that that was very common, with the morbid story of her parents' murder such a hot topic.
~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~
Her name was Harumi. She was ten years old and had recently been adopted by the mayor of Ninjago City.
Whether fate or coincidence, she was placed in the same elite school as Brad and Gene, and even in the same special class for troubled kids, those with mental or emotional issues but weren't handicapped physically. It really was supposed to be a sort of group therapy, but ultimately wasn't that different from the government sponsored program they'd been a part of previously.
It sort of worked. Harumi continued not to speak, but the two troubled boys had no problem telling her their own stories, as they always had.
Their idolization of Garmadon had only grown over the years, and they were somewhat estranged from the rest of the student body for that very reason. It didn't help that Gene would loudly proclaim his opinion that Lloyd Garmadon wasn't evil - he was just a WIMP, and nothing like his amazing father!
No one knew quite what to make of that. It wasn't exactly defense of the hated Lloyd Garmadon. And it WAS exactly a fanboyish adoration of their city's worst enemy. At the same time. The school's ultimate conclusion was he was just insane.
Rather quickly, despite her association with the two school freaks, Harumi became the school's princess. She was very pretty, and would certainly one day be beautiful, with her long, snow white hair, huge dark eyes, beautiful clothes from her new mother. Brilliant, with her straight A's and extra credits, despite her childhood trauma. Popular, with her status as the daughter of the most powerful woman in Ninjago - the parents of her classmates made it very clear that Harumi was to be befriended, defended, and given lavish attention and presents at every turn. And very well liked even beyond that - for the simple reason that she wouldn't get involved in their childish squabbles.
It's easy not to take sides when you don't speak. She did nothing, and so she never offended anyone, and with her position, they all just assumed she was on their side. Even with her mind a million miles away and plotting revenge.
~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~
Her name was Harumi. She was eleven years old and it was the week after she'd broken her silence.
Her mother and their staff were still delighted that she was talking again, and took every opportunity to ask her opinion on something or make casual conversation. She learned quickly how easy it is to manipulate people, especially people who already adore who they think you are. The poor dear, trapped in traumatized silence for years after the murder of her parents. Not one of them knowing she was a murderous mermaid, her true form lurking under dark, stormy waters, just waiting for the time to come to destroy all her enemies and those who oppose her.
She was careful to keep her new idolization of Lord Garmadon secret, knowing without needing to be told that her 'mother' would not approve. Her mother, the mayor, believed she could dictate right and wrong, good and evil, to the populace, and she had declared Ninja good and to be loved, and Lord Garmadon evil and to be hated and scorned.
Well, Harumi was fine with her future emperor being evil. It meant no one could push him around, that things got DONE, instead of mired in stupid courts that eventually let murderers walk free. Who didn't hide in a stupid office, afraid to get her perfectly manicured hands dirty! She couldn't wait until he took over, and TRUE justice would be served in Ninjago!
But, again, she couldn't let anyone know. It wouldn't be appropriate, and she was finding being 'appropriate' was an excellent way to get whatever you wanted! Wow, like all she had to do to get an upgrade to her computer system or her own private bank account was make up some sweet story about volunteer work or something and her mom just FELL for it, every time! What an idiot!
So Harumi began to speak. It made the news as a happy local interest story, and only the most clever would connect it with the crippling attack on her parents' murderer by Garmadon.
Gene was very clever, and anything Gene figured out was soon known as fact to Brad.
Thus Harumi, on her first day back to their special class after the announcement that she was speaking again, was greeted with an excited, "How did you do it?!"
Harumi fluttered her lashes, and played with her long white hair, actions sure to distract Gene - at least normally. But this time his eyes behind his glasses were sharp, taking in her new mermaid hair clip and smirking.
"Mermaid. Niiiiiice. Those things are vicious - and totally fitting with what you got away with! Seriously though, Rumi, how did you do it? How'd you set him up to get crushed by Garmadon?!"
Harumi blinked in surprise. She'd never dreamed anyone would see through her cute act with the mermaids!
"I didn't do anything," she commented in her new, if soft and still a little rough, voice. (She was now enrolled in speech therapy on top of everything.) "I am just very grateful justice was finally served."
Brad and Gene exchanged looks, and both broke out laughing.
"Come off the act, Rumi," chuckled Brad. "We know you've been plotting that guy's death for years now! You didn't have to tell us, that much was obvious!"
If it was so obvious, why did no one else make the connection? Not even her mo-, the mayor? And how did these two boys, who she'd known for years but never paid any attention to, know what had been going through her head? No one else had seen through the silence!
"My money was on you offing the guy yourself, but this was much more clever!" commented Gene.
"My money was on you getting someone else to do the dirty work, so Gene owes me three rose bushes!" proudly announced Brad.
"You said two!"
"Last week it became three! You said you saw a flash in her eyes and it would be any day now, but I said-"
"ANYWAY," interrupted Gene, shoving his glasses up his nose and pointedly turning away from his best friend back to Harumi. "Come on, Rumi, spill! Please?"
"I... I..." Harumi's eyes floated to their sleeping, useless, teacher/therapist. You'd think the most elite private school in Ninjago could find better. There weren't any working cameras in this room either - Gene had taken care of those years ago, and regularly reset the loop he fed to it so no one would catch on to repair it.
She swallowed, and, after taking in a deep breath, finally released the whole story to her eager, supportive audience. To her... friends? Who wouldn't, didn't, judge her, who cheered when her hero appeared on the scene, who were genuinely happy for her finding her voice, though apparently they had always been able to understand her. And she'd never really seen or understood that.
Something in her heart, something that had frozen over when her parents were killed, warmed. Maybe didn't melt, but certainly began to thaw.
There were only two people in Ninjago City that never fell for her act, and honestly didn't care that, for the most part, she lived the lie of being a good little princess. They quickly became her best friends, or had they been all along?
~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~
Her name was Harumi, she was sixteen years old, and she was the Quiet1 who would loyally follow Lord Garmadon to the ends of the earth.
She had skillfully created an entire organization, the Sons of Garmadon, under her own secret leadership, that would one day usher in the reign of her dark emperor.
She hated all the stupid people in Ninjago City that idolized the Ninja that kept interfering with her lord. Especially that horrid Lloyd that had even temporarily bribed him into being 'good'!
What a terrible son. And to think she'd once considered recruiting the brat and using him as a symbol of their revolution! To think he'd been actively fighting his wonderful father all that time! How, how ungrateful! Disrespectful! Just plain stupid!
One day soon, she would cause true justice to be done. All the pathetic sheep of Ninjago City would be forced to join her cause or die alongside their precious Ninja.
Well, maybe there were two exceptions. Two exceptions, that knew everything about the Quiet1, were involved with the SOG from the beginning but didn't want to be members, that she would spare.
Even if the idiots were happy that Garmadon was no longer invading weekly and that they could get autographs and selfies when he was doing his community service.
Even if the fools thought Lloyd Garmadon and the Ninja were kind of cool instead of her mortal enemies. At least they still acknowledged Lord Garmadon as the cool-est.
Her friends. Their names were Brad and Gene.
~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~
Author's Notes: It should be pretty obvious that this is a gift-fic for Sunny Lighter, based on several chats we had on movie-Harumi and her possible friendship with movie-versions of Brad and Gene! It started with the idea that show-verse Brad and Gene, having become friends of Lil'Loyd and even part of his team, the Lil'Terrors, might not want to find their movie counterparts. That they'd be afraid their counterparts were among Luh-Loyd's bullies.
Well, not exactly. But yeah, probably not people the Lil'Terrors will be welcoming into their team anytime soon. Lord Garmadon, however, knows them quite well as his biggest fans and is quite happy to give them photos and autographs whenever they find him. Even if he can't remember their names and thus will never make the connection with Lil'Loyd's friends. It's Lord Garmadon after all, and anyone not a Koko or a Lloyd isn't worthy of much brain space.
In case you're wondering, yes, part of the reason Harumi is still friends with them after they bailed on being SOG (it's too extreme for them) is that they bribe her with said photos and autographs from Lord Garmadon. She can't exactly get them herself without blowing her cover as the perfect princess, after all! The rest of the reason, at least according to Harumi, is they simply know too much and are too useful to her cover.
In truth, they really are her best friends and will be one of, if not THE, main difference between show Harumi and movie Harumi.