A/N: HAPPY CURSED CONCEPT ALTERNATE UNIVERSE (multiverse?) BIRTHDAY! ...At least, posting birthday. I just had to update - in some way - both of these fics.

Just so you know, Bob = First spinjitzu master

Review Replies:

ScarlettParker15: And the definition of 'precious' is little Lloyd!/hj As for the Butt-ther, I just went 'what's the worst pun I can think of for Garmadon to call Wu?' And thus, the contact name was born.

SunflowersandTea: Sorry, but there's not much little Lloyd in this chapter. But there will be in the next chapter: Sharks! (It's a working title.)

Thank you all so much for reading this story!


Much to Garmadon's relief, Lloyd seemed relatively comfortable around Wu, (although not as comfortable as he was around Garmadon himself,) giving him a bit of wiggle room in order to complete his other duties.

After all, he had to figure out what to do with an entire society cramped in a volcano now that they weren't attacking Ninjago City. Fortunately they'd all been kind of running the place themselves in their off time, so he'd mostly be accepting suggestions.

"Bye, son." He gently ran a hand through the kid's hair. His boy always brightened whenever he called him that; when faced with a smile like Lloyd's, who could resist rustling the kid's hair? "Have fun with your uncle, okay?"

Lloyd nodded, a small grimace slipping across his face.

Reassuring, okay… "And- ! And if he hurts you, or tries to take you away, or anything like that, you just run away and climb up somewhere safe. And- you see these?" He gestured towards a couple of the volcano's many security cameras. "Just make sure you're in the line of sight and I'll come for you as quick as I can, okay?"

Another nod, the kids shoulders sinking with too much relief. (And Wu was one of the few people he was comfortable around, oh Bob.) He raised a hand to wave, and Garmadon eagerly waved back, smiling at his boy and giving his brother a warning look to not upset his boy.

With that, he walked through the 2 flights of stairs, 5 hallways, 4 rooms, and one precarious, long walk directly above lava - he'd have to kid-proof that one, just to be safe - before finally reaching his main meeting room. The other four people allowed in there, generals 1, 2, 69, and lieutenant 420, were all standing there. He sat, the others quickly followed.

"420, you planned out the changes to the living system?"

"Yes, Sir. I'm thinking of moving the families with children closer to your elite sector, so that your son may play with other kids once he is up to it."

A wide smile crossed his face. "Now, that's what I'm talking about! What about you, 69?"

She smiled. "Scientific research will be more open-ended, allowing our nerds to advance in different directions, which should objectively increase our strength in new ways and to new heights!"

Garmadon rolled his eyes. The current 69, Gertrude Gallent, had always been over-eager with scientific progress. He suspected that she secretly wanted to be a nerd, and had only applied because the only upgrade she could think of was being queen of the nerds. "What about Lloyd's medical records?"

The smile flipped upside-down, her entire posture instantly more protective and scared. "The- there's… we were only able to recover his birth certificate, which had been completed by the mother alone after a home birth.. The rest was just… gone. Like he'd never been to a hospital. Not a single checkup or vaccination on record anywhere in Ninjago city - or the surrounding villages within a 150-mile radius."

It took Garmadon a long time to catch what he'd just been told. His son… no medical records. What had Harumi been thinking?!

"However-" 69 squeaked under the glare he gave her. "Our medical nerds are working hard to prepare some tests - as non-invasive as possible, of course - to make up for what is missing."

"And how long is that gonna take?"

"1-2 weeks, sir. I'd suggest we do it as soon as possible in effort to get him to peak health as soon as possible - which should help make him more comfortable here."

Garmadon nodded. "Fine, but I'm gonna be there to comfort him."

She shook her head, "that would be unwise. He might associate you with fear too, and even if that is not the case, we can't have him clinging to you or trying to hide behind you."

The angry huff sent shivers through her nerves. "Fine." He finally declared, turning to 1 and 2. "What about you two? Have you been finding other jobs for the army?"

"Yes, Sir!"

General number 2 took a deep breath before picking up where 1 had left off. "We are encouraging them to follow their passions and slowly work their way into the economy we have - taking a day out of their week to train of course."

Relaxing his shoulders, he stood. "Then this meeting is over, update me about any problems that may occur, alright?"

"Yes, Sir!" All four exclaimed as he walked out of the room.

What a waste of time. "'Urgent' meeting, my butt." The mutter slipped out as he began the long track back to his brother and son.

Back to his family.

The second they were in sight he raced forward, sweeping Lloyd into his arms with a laugh.

Family forever.


Fun fact: Garmadon here keeps his number 69 and 420 the same, so lieutenant 421 would jump to 419. When either of the two do need replacing, he hand-picks from those that apply.