Day 1,294.

Echo scratched another tally on the wall of stone from within the lighthouse. His tallys lined almost every corner of the small island. From his secret room, to the study of his creator, and the bricks that lined the wall of the base of the lighthouse. Echo even had to carve his numbers into the rocks outside sometimes. Though he stopped doing so, as the constant waves began to erode his markings. Echo estimated he was about 200 days off due to the error in judgment. Not that it mattered. He was marking down the days since Dr, Julien and his strange visitors freed the sea monster and set off for the land they called "The Dark Island."

Existence was lonely out here. Birds barely poked at the sand for whatever seeds or debris might fill their stomachs, and fish barely swam out that far as a result of the large reef that had grown due to the krakens absence. However, the saddest loss of all, save for the absence of his only human companion, was that of the small robot Tai-D, who, in a fit of blind determination, rolled into the sea in search of Dr, Julien one day while Echo was rebooting his internal components after a nasty fall from several flights. Echo was only quick enough to see the little droid get swallowed whole by the sea. There he was, alone, but not bitter. For bitterness was not a concept he knew existed.

Echos' only lot in life now was a strange hobby he picked up as a result of the strangers visit to his father. He was enamored by the strangely well crafted outfits The Ninja all had with them. The mix of reds and golds for the spiky haired one, or the white robes with gold shoulder plating for who he could only guess was his and Tai-Ds technical brother/co-creation, Zane. In memory of this, he would take what little supplies he had at his disposal, and would create life-like statues.

At first, his statues were incredibly terrible. He was going off of memory alone, and would often run out of certain materials, or at random, find new ways to fill in the blanks. However, he would be able to harvest various bits of coral and driftwood, using them to create almost perfect recreations of his focuses. The Ninja and their other 2 allies were easy enough, but Echo struggled to make Dr Julien, despite having photos of him. He was never able to capture the confidence in his face, and the determination found in the way he gripped his tools. Some could criticize his incredible skill as improbable for him to have learned so easy. But Echo would say otherwise. Afterall. It was now his only passtime.

On the 1,294th day, Echo Zane set out to construct a special statue. The idea came in what he could only describe as a dream. Usually, when he powered off to perform automatic repairs as a result of some freak accident, he would be unconscious for the duration of the period of time. However, the previous day, he caught glimpses of vision during his repair. Images of people, places, ideas, the like. The most stunning of which being that of a black winged dragon with purple eyes. The project would take time, but he had nothing but time.

He got to work creating the base of the beast. It'd be in the position similar to a gargoyle, standing proud upon a stone pillar, mouth agape with purple flames. However, before he could start his project, he saw the strangest of sights. What appeared to be a rowboat was headed towards the island. In fear of the possible danger, Echo ducked behind one of his sculptures. Ironically, the only one of Dr, Julien he ended up keeping. The rowboat parked itself on the shoreline, as the oars dug into the sand. A heavily cloaked figure stepped out. He peered ominously at the lawn of statues. Of course, he had seen Echo hide, so he went over to the statue, and moved it to the side.

"S-stay back! I am built to protect others, but I can protect myself as well!" Echo stated to the stranger, who only crossed his arms in unamusement.

"Silence… I have come to find a skilled being on this island. I remember a Dr, Julien taking residence here once. But now, I see one of his discarded relics has been busy." Said the stranger, two purple eyes glowing from beneath the hood.

"I supposed I have. My name is Echo Zane. I am built to protect!"

"Hmph… So you've said. You have an impressive collection."

"I do?" Echo asked with confusion. The idea that anyone else would find him, let alone find interest in his hobby existed confounded him.

"Very, very impressive.. You have a unique skill-set that might be of use to me."

"Use? How so?"

"All will be explained in due time, Echo Zane. Now, show me around."

"Yes sir." Echo said. While he was programmed to fight intruders on behalf of his father, said programming was null as a result of Dr Julien's absence. As there was nobody to protect, Echo simply assumed whoever showed up was now his new master. He had a vague memory of fending off swarms of what he remembered to be pirates, but that was as stated, incredibly vague. He would show the stranger around the lighthouse, pointing out the hidden details. The stranger marveled at the work that was put into such a simple lighthouse off the shores of Ninjago.

"What a beautiful lighthouse. Might I ask why Dr Julien needed to hide out here?"

"He wasn't hiding. He was kidnapped by the evil Skulkin. They were servants of Lord Garmadon. A very evil man." Echo said blankly, reminiscing on the constant ramblings of his father when it came to the nature of his exile. The stranger's intrigue grew. While he knew who Dr Julien was, he had no idea he was a Skulkin prisoner, let alone that of his longtime rival, Garmadon himself.

"I see. And where is your creator now? Surely he would have come back for you. You meant so much to him… Yet here you are."

"Oh…" Echo looked down. He realized then and there that he had been entirely forgotten. But, being the optimistic droid he was, he bounced back. "Better luck next time!"

"Next time?... Hm. you are an odd one. Though you and I both strive on the idea of reappearance then. On that note, I have a proposition for you." The stranger said in his raspy voice.

"How interesting! I will hear out your offer."

"Grrr…" The stranger grumbled. Echo Zanes' clunky dialect would be a bit of a problem. One that could be dealt with later. "I am in need of incredible sculptures. You seem to be an expert… your task is to make sculptures of every humanoid in Ninjago."

"What's a humanoid?"

"People shaped like you or I. Humans, Snakes, Skulkin, Nindroids, all humanoids. Of course, a city full of statues would be boring. Make sure all of them are built like you… to protect. To think like us."

"That's a big job. How could I do it?"

"Any means necessary. You could of course buy the materials, but that would take decades. Do whatever you deem as a good solution."

"Ok!" Echo said blankly. He didn't know much, but if the stranger had asked this nicely, surely it was his duty to fill out his order, right?

Beneath his cloak, the stranger smiled. While his plan was convoluted, he had foreseen the future, and knew a dark turn would befall Echos quest to create statues of everyone. The stranger and his new cohort stepped out into the cloudy shores, as Echo gazed upon the craft with which the stranger had arrived from.

"I do not believe that is big enough for us both to travel to Ninjago. How will I get there?"

"Don't worry, my friend. You will find me when the job is done. Take the boat. And remember, complete your task by any means necessary."

"Alright. Goodbye!" Echo said, as he boarded the boat. He had little to take with him. A couple blueprints, photos of people he often used as inspiration, his toolset, and a lucky charm. A gear that had washed up on shore one day, which he had assumed to belong to Tai-D. He wore the gear on a small necklace, held together by tan string. He waved the stranger off, as he slowly vanished into the fog.

Echo traveled through clear skies, as summer-time had begun in Ninjago. The journey took longer than that of the visitors who had taken Dr, Julien, as his boat was much smaller. Echo got tossed and turned along the waves. Lucky for him, he was unable to get sea-sick. After a long voyage, his boat washed up along the side of Ninjago Docks.

Getting up, Echo marveled at the sight. Watching as people walked up and down the boardwalk. Fishermen fished along the railings, merchants sold the catch of the day, and small groups of 3 and 4 people bought fish to enjoy. Echo couldn't help but smile, as he held the necklace in his hands.

It'd be a while before Echo would be able to find any semblance of residence. Lucky for him, the metro tunnels had been somewhat discontinued, after several years of attacks from groups/beings who had a knack for creating earthquakes, tremors, the like. As it was a constant in Ninjago, people would much rather travel above ground then risk a cave in during an unexpected attack. Echo pawned one of the larger maintenance rooms off from a manager for little to nothing. He had a rough idea of how he would accomplish his task, but for now, he had to make the first week's rent.

Ninjago was prospering once again. After a set of unfortunate events after the defeat of The Oni, Ninjago celebrated what could be considered the 4th defeat of The Overlord in history. The Ninja were hailed as heroes. And everywhere Echo looked, he could see his brother's face plastered on signs. Alongside that of his friends, and an unfamiliar face. A metallic woman, not too unfamiliar from zane and himself. He found a strange fascination with her.

Shrugging it off, he realized that his resemblance to zane might be a foil to his task. So, he exchanged some of his blueprints to a homeless man in exchange for an outfit. A large fishermans coat, and a hat that was big enough to cover one of his eyes. It smelled a bit off, but Echo had no idea.

A while later, Echo got a job at a restaurant that was close to the city square. The square was directly in front of Borg Tower, and from time to time, he would catch himself gazing at the tower, wondering what life would've been like, had he been loved the way Zane loved him. Ironically, Zane had taken a similar job in the years prior. Echo Zane ran near everything, as the manager was a busy woman. His sharp hands and compliant nature made him a hard worker, earning him several raises, enough to buy another set of supplies, and a camera, which would be his most useful asset.

While Echo was curious, he was most definitely shy when he was in his off-hours. Plus, making statues and replicas of everyone if he didn't have a constant reference image was hard. He used his camera to capture the essence of all he wished to work on. He would spend hours in the subway, staring at the images. He knew if he didn't memorize the detail of every face, he could easily make more statues then he needed to.

He got to work on his first set, a family of 4. "Echo Juliette" was easy enough, as was "Echo Zenith," and the young child of the family, "Echo Billy." He found the hardest of the 4 was the one who appeared to be a teenage daughter. One of her legs was missing, and she moved around in a wheelchair. "Echo Romania" would eventually be completed, after Echo figured out the wheels.

By now, Echo had decided that he would spend his time working on the smaller, more generalized citizens of Ninjago. He would work his way up to minor criminals and semi celebrities, then tackle The Ninja, ending with his brother. He thought it poetic that he could be given the honor of being last, despite everything Zane had unintentionally caused Echo.

His work was going smoothly enough. He had made 65 statues in the span of a month. Each lined the subway tunnels, peering off into nothingness. However, something new happened while Echo was walking home from the restaurant. He witnessed what he could only describe as "evil." Some strangely dressed men pinned another man to a wall, and slid a shiny object through his throat. Red and blue sirens lined the walls as the criminals scampered off. Echo approached the man, seeing blood trickle down the confines of his severed neck. Echo's eyes saddened. However, something about the lifeless state of the man gave Echo an idea. One he could only describe as "evil."

Echo took the man to his home. He cleaned the blood off of the neck, and started carving away unneeded bits of skin, reinforcing the bones with wood and plastics, and resewing the skin. Once Echo was done, his statue looked entirely lifelike, as if the man was misplaced in time. Echo looked at the man's ID. "Ulysses Trustable." A mayor, according to some papers he also found. "Echo Ulysses" sounded too serious to Echo Zane, so he decided to use the last name. "Echo Trustable" became the first of many statues which incorporated the inspiration. Echo saw no evil in this, as he would only ever take from those poor few who were unlucky enough to fall victim to petty crime, or unexpected accidents.

The disappearance of The Mayor had begun to seriously affect Echos daily life. His restaurant saw less business, patrols were far more common, and The Ninja, who he had only ever seen in newspapers and posters, were out on the prowl, hunting for the culprits. This led to an unintentionally awkward encounter for Echo one day.

Echo was just wrapping up his shift, when a new face appeared in the restaurant. Echo looked up, but almost immediately shifted his hat down, blocking his face, as he did for most people. The visitor was Zane. His brother, his predecessor, his fathers pride and joy, and to many, "The martyr of Ninjago."

"I am sorry sir. We are closing for today. You will have to go to another restaurant." Echo said blankly.

"But- it's 7:30. Your sign says you're open until 8:00. Surely there is something left that I could buy?" Zane, the original Zane that is, asked Echo.

Echo looked at the clock. He had miscalculated. "Ah, and so it is. I am sorry sir. What can I get you?"

"I'm not much of an eater myself, but I'll get 6 orders of combo 5. Hold the sauce for 2 of those."

"That'll be 63 dollars." Echo said, opening the register.

"Here you are!" Zane said, handing over 68. Echo looked with confusion at the extra 5 dollar bill, as Zane slid it up to Echo. "For you. I imagine pay may be hard to come by sometimes. I hope this helps."

"Do not worry, I am in no dire position. I- have a question." Echo said, stumbling over his words. He had never expected he would ever have the chance to meet his brother in a casual setting. So, he would make this one answer count.

"Yes? What is it?"

"Do you remember your brother?"

"Pardon me sir, my brother-?"

"Your brother. The one fa- I mean, your creator told you about." Echo said.

"I am not aware of any brothers-? The Ninja are the only family I need. Why ask such an odd question?"

"You have a brother. Perhaps one day, you will find him. Who knows? He could be right in front of you." Echo said, as he retrieved Zanes' order.

"Are you- threatening me?" Zane asked, as his hand slowly moved toward his hidden shurikens. Echo Zane looked from beneath his hat. His demonier unchanged, his expression blank, and his mechanical heart broken at the notion that even if he revealed himself here and there, Zane could disregard him, As Julien had.

"You are a Ninja. Ninja never quit. They are built to protect. And it is time for you to leave."

"Built to protect?- How did you?-"

"It is time for you to leave, Zane Julien. Never look back. Never think about father, never think about the lighthouse, never think about the many defeats, or the victories. One day, I will surpass you and all of your kind. And on that day, echoes of the past will watch from the cliffs as each of you breath no more. Never look back. I will be standing under every lamp-post. Leave."

Zane looked deep into Echo's eyes. Backing away, he silently walked out of the restaurant. Echo stood alone, staring at the wall. It was time for him to begin phase 2.

Echo had amassed about 400 statues. He had far more time to work on his statues, as the metro tunnels had now become officially abandoned, and his landlord had been sent to a retirement home. As he had enough money to afford even more supplies then he would need, he quit his job. Not after stealing all he could carry. After all, in his eyes, it's simply the money owed to him for being left on the island for years.

By now, Echo was starting to lose what little common sense he had. The line between good and evil, rational and insane, was starting to disappear. He kept thinking back to the brief conversation he had with Zane, and the realization that Dr Julien had never once brought him up haunted him. He started actively searching for more unattended bodies to convert. Sadly, they were starting to disappear quickly. Crime was on a bit of a decline, as The Ninja were starting to regain their powers. It was then that Echo decided to do the unthinkable.

It was an uneventful day, an uneventful victim, and in Echos eyes, an uneventful kill. By now, Echo has drastically altered his personality from what existed before. Echo rarely spoke, and his limbs had finally rested into place. His coat was starting to rot, and his hat's color had faded. Echo used a pipe to knock an unattended passerby out, bringing her to the subway tunnels. "Echo Sunny" was his first victim. But he felt no shame anymore. He was synthetic after all, he didn't feel much of anything these days.

It became easier after that. By now, everyone was starting to panic. People disappearing left and right, with no clue as to who or what was causing it. For every kill and statue he made, he felt his own personal drive and abilities grow. Sometimes he would go after escaped Kryptarium inmates, his favorite of which being Nindroids that happened to have survived his brothers first of many sacrifices. He would also find satisfaction in fighting snakes who wandered too close to his hideout. Their abilities were almost entirely useless against him now.

Each of his statues had a uniqueness to them. Aside from the visual differences, they each exuded a unique feeling. The ones that had been made without the deaths of Ninjago Citizens felt empty, much like Echo. Early victims of Echo gave him a sense of panic, while the newer ones made him feel confident in his work. Right and wrong had been blurred entirely.

It was now October 1st. A couple weeks until The Day Of The Departed. But Echo would remember today as the day The Ninja made their final mistake. In search of both allies and answers, The Ninja set off on an expedition across the realms to uncover something, anything that'd help them uncover the murderer of so many. Wu had died only 2 weeks prior due to all of the comotion, confused and alone. Under Lloyds leadership, they vanished. Leaving The Commissioner in charge of Ninjagos safety.

Now that Echo had no competition, he set about to make his job much easier. He used his particular set of abilities to cause small riots and outbreaks of criminals. By now, the confused population had begun to devour itself whole. Snakes fought humans, humans fought prisoners, and all fought the police. By month's end, Echo had taken hold of almost the entirety of Ninjago, save for some small settlements of people who lived outside of Ninjago. Anyone who had not died in the fighting was easy pickings for Echo, who had now amassed a sum of statues so large, he stopped counting a month prior.

When The Ninja returned, they found their city lined with statues. Statues too life-like to not have been crafted from the remains of their former friends. Whether it had been some arrogant "Brown Ninja" caught in the crossfire in a Serpentine Ambush on the commissioner, a petty shopkeep donning a red hat who attempted to hide out in the subway, or an elemental master of amber who had peacefully been eliminated in her sleep. The Ninja were confused. And at that point, so was Echo.

From atop a small building, Echo peered down at The Ninja, beyond their line of sight, trying to think of ways he could prevent them from impeding his upcoming victory. But suddenly, he heard footsteps coming from behind him, a feeling he had grown accustomed to being absent. The same, scratchy, yet enticing voice he had heard previously spoke from beneath a cloak.

"You've done well, Echo Zane. You've made a statue of nearly everyone in this realm. You are almost ready to move on to the next…"

"I cant kill them. They're Not like the other ones. They have abilities. They have skills. I… I have failed you. Please! Perhaps- I am still of use to you?" Echo pleaded, not wanting to be forgotten.

"Silence. Foolish Nindroid… You've gifted me the means to deal with that slight issue. I cannot control a population that runs and hides. But an army of abiotic humanoid statues…? The sight of which will likely be enough to take down all at once? You are genius, Echo."

"I have… A request- though." Echo said, looking down at Zane. "The master of ice. I want him to be last. Not killed with the others, just- last. I want to do it myself."

"Fair enough." Said the stranger. Black tendrils of dark matter and hatred formed from the hood, as magical prowess unknown spawned fourth, zapping across the skies, catching the attention of all who managed to survive the purge of Ninjago. Its electrical gaze trickled down into the subways, into buildings, and on the statues below, as the stranger started to control each statue.

The Ninja, along with Samurai X, watched as the faces of those they wished to protect started running towards them. Their agility unbound, and the battle for control non-existent. Echo had crafted The Overlord perfect puppets indeed. The Ninja tried to run, which only proved to seal their own fate, as they found themselves cornered. One by one, each went down, until Zane was the last to remain. Each of the zombified statues stopped, as from the crowd walked both Echo Zane, and The Overlord.

A while later, Echo was up in the top floor of Borg Tower, alongside his brother, who was encased in layers upon layers of Vengestone chains. He was putting the finishing touches on the penultimate statues of the collection, while The Overlord took his armies to both Jamanakai and Stix.

Echo Kai, Jay, Nya, Cole, Lloyd, Cyrus Borg, and P.I.X.A.L were almost complete. Of course, Zane was traumatized by the ordeal. Not a word was said between the two, not until Echo got around to P.I.X.A.L.

"Why'd you do it? What did he promise you?..." Zane said weakly.

"He didn't promise me anything. I did it because I was built to protect."

"You didn't protect anyone! Everyones dead- or whatever The Overlord may call this. I don't understand what happened… Or who you even are."

"I am Echo Zane. I am built to protect. I am, well, your brother."

"... Father never talked about you. Is that why you did this?"

Echo kind of shrugged his shoulders. "Not at first, but I suppose motivation shifted."

"I'm sorry… If I had known you had been mistreated, I would've done everything in my power to help you find purpose."

"You say that despite everything I did, brother. I changed so much in the short time that I've been on this island. The days kept blending together. But, despite everything, I feel as though I am still me. The me that Dr Julien was proud of."

"And do you think he would've been proud of this?"

"No." Echo replied.

"Then… Why?" Zane said, as his eyes narrowed upon Echo, who was now staring out the window onto the deserted streets.

"I did it because I know, deep in my heart, that I was always meant to be second-hand to you. Your replacement, your memory, your placeholder. I wanted everyone to be like me. A replacement for themselves."

Zane just nodded. He shifted his gaze to P.I.X.A.L. Echo stopped working on her, as he looked at the blank look of expressionless fear in her eyes.

"Did Dr Julien create her too?" Echo asked.

"No… Cyrus Borg did. She was everything to me… I liked- no. I loved her so much that I gave her half of my power source, in order to bring her back after a mass-power outage. I lived through so much because of her. I- don't think I could go on without her. Or anyone for that matter."

Echo looked down. "I could possibly let you escape. The Overlord won't be back yet. You-... We- could find help. Some way of stopping The Overlord."

"You would do that? After everything?"

"I want to make you proud, the way you made father proud. I know what I've done is unforgivable, but with your help, maybe some of this, any of this, can be undone."

Zane smiled. Despite his hatred at the atrocities, the fact that Echo Zane had come down from his power trip allowed him some level of levity. Of course, before anything could actually be done about the matter, Zanes torso was pierced by a purple shard of dark matter, as he fell lifelessly in his shackles. Echo turned to see The Overlord, in his newly reincarnated form approach the lifeless Ninja.

"So. You planned on betraying me? After everything?"

Echo was silent. He just looked in horror at the destroyed body of Zane. The Overlord turned to the clock, still running despite the loss of life in Ninjago. "No matter. I have realms to invade… species to add to my army." He said, walking to the elevator.

"W-what will happen to me? Will I get to come with you?"

The Overlord just laughed at the idea. "You were always a simple one. Not foolish, just simple… You allowed Ninjago to tear itself apart without even being told to make it happen. You became a cold hearted killing machine. Right into my hands… goodbye."

Echo's first and last client disappeared that day. Off to use Echos work to conquer the lands of worlds unknown. Left in a dead world with nothing but the body of his brother, Echo would return to the lighthouse. His brother had not come with him, having instead been buried right next to Dr Julien's grave. Echo would wake up each day to the heat of the sun, walking out to the window to watch as it slowly eroded his first statues. The dragon he never completed was a pitch black charcoal color. Sometimes, Echo wished he could destroy The Overlord the way he wanted to destroy the dragon, or at some points, himself. The Day Of The Departed arrived, as Echo, the survivor of the mess he himself created, celebrated the memory of everyone he was built to protect.

(I hope you enjoyed reading this one-off. Some people may be concerned with the large gap between uploads, but that's mainly due to PC issues, schoolwork, and an annoying bug. All of which contributed to my lack of interest. But with free-time becoming more available, I'll likely have more content coming out. Regardless, thank you for reading. Have a happy halloween!)