A/n- When Lloyd is captured by the Serpentine in S1, we the audience only get brief glimpses of what was happening to him. Even though time in cartoons can be harder to track, Lloyd was held captive for 5 episodes which has to be a decent chunk of time. So here's some of that from his perspective. (Some callbacks to "Hello Darkness" arc but can be understood without having to (re)read the chapter)
Rough hands jerked Lloyd down the dark cave. Despite the numbness creeping into his mind Lloyd knew he was so screwed. The ninja didn't know where he was- for that matter Lloyd himself wasn't quite sure- but the Serpentine had him. That was the only thing that mattered at the moment.
Two Hypnobrai hench-snakes led him through the maze of caves, going so deep Lloyd knew he had no hope of finding the way out on his own. Finally they pulled him to a stop in a large circular cavern. Lloyd glanced around and felt his heart drop. Across the room the five Serpentine generals stood gathered in a heated discussion.
"If he'sss here the othersss can't be far behind." Skales' voice had a noticeable note of worry. Given all the trouble the ninja had caused to the Serpentine's plans it wasn't that surprising.
"I wouldn't be too sssure," Pythor's silky voice sent shivers down Lloyd's spine. "I hardly believe the ssso called protectorsss of Ninjago would allow thisss pipssssqueek to come alone."
He wasn't wrong.
One of the snakes holding Lloyd cleared his throat. "My generalsss."
They turned as one, slitted pupils boring into Lloyd.
Pythor slid forward. "I mussst sssay Lloyd, thisss isss not a pleasssant sssurprissse."
Lloyd's heart thudded in his chest, but he put on a defiant look. He was a Garmadon after all. "Well, after seeing your buddies in town I thought I'd drop in and see how you were doing. We are old friends after all." Lloyd spat out the last sentence, Pythor's betrayal still stung even after all these months.
"Sssentiment then. Hmm. Though I don't know how our guardsss were unable to detect you before the arena." He shot a withering glare to the two snakes holding Lloyd.
Lloyd had a smug sense of accomplishment. Yeah he was a prisoner now, but they hadn't known he was there for a while. 'Take that Mr. Micheals.' And his infiltration teacher said Lloyd would never be able to successfully complete a real world task. The hands gripping Lloyd tightened and shoved him forward to the ground. Okay, maybe Mr. Micheals wasn't completely wrong.
The fall bruised Lloyd's pride more than anything else, but worry clenched tightly in his chest. 'What are they going to do now?' Pythor attacked him back before Lloyd even affiliated himself with the ninja- the group that dedicated itself to tracking down the Fangblades and stopping the rise of the Great Devourer, which by extension meant the rule of the snakes. Add in Lloyd's sorted history with the Serpentine and what was put together did not look good. Not to mention he was Lord Garmadon's son and the whispers that the Dark Lord was on the move had been confirmed...
'What was I thinking?' He wondered miserably to himself. 'I should have called the Bounty when I saw what was going on but noooo. I had to pretend to be the hero.' Now came the payback.
Skalidor slithered over until he toward over Lloyd's crumpled form. 'What-?' Lloyd barely had time to wonder before the Constrictai's thick black tail wrapped around Lloyd pulling him upward.
Choking back a whimper Lloyd forced himself to stay still as Skalidor tightened his grip. "What do we do with him?"
Lloyd's blood ran cold. His eyes flickered toward Pythor. The other generals turned toward the Anacondrai as well.
"Hmmmm." The purple snake slithered forward until he stood directly in front of Lloyd. "It'sss been a while sssince lunch." Lloyd's face paled causing Pythor to laugh. "Not a fan? You ssshould have thought of that before you sssnuck away."
Skales rolled his eyes and slid forward. "We're all aware of the Anacondrai's insssatiable appetite, but I think thisss one would make better bait than a sssnack."
"True." Pythor looked annoyed, probably since he'd taunted Lloyd first rather than coming up with an actual plan. "Well, Lloyd, sssince you wanted to join usss ssso badly your ssstay will be indefinite." Pythor turned his attention to the guards. "Lock him up and keep an eye on him. We wouldn't want our guessst leaving early would we?" Chuckling to himself Pythor slithered back to the other generals.
Skalidor released Lloyd sending him tumbling back to the ground. The two snakes who'd dragged him in grabbed him again before he could recover. None too gently they pulled him even deeper into the tunnels. Torches became farther and farther spaced until a hench-snake let go of Lloyd and took one off the wall.
Several more turns later the cavern narrowed into a dead end and the light caught on something shiny. Lloyd's breath hitched. A row of vacant, various sized cages lay before him.
"Hurry. I don't want to missss the ssslither pit." The snake holding the torch urged.
The other one grunted in agreement. Lloyd found himself lifted from the floor and tossed into a circular cage. The harsh landing knocked the wind out of him. He lay gasping for air. The snakes snorted contemptuously and turned to leave- taking the light with them.
Huddled alone, in the dark, Lloyd could only hope the ninja would find him. Soon.
Minutes gave way to what had to be hours, although without an external window Lloyd couldn't tell how much time passed. This wasn't the first time Lloyd had been locked away in the dark, but here the darkness felt heavy. A closet was a much different environment than being trapped- who knew how deep- underground by those who could, and wanted to, kill you at their convenience.
Here he couldn't see his own hand in front of his face, though the dark did a small mercy of hiding the bars of his cage. If he couldn't see them Lloyd could pretend they weren't there. No, he was just laying on the floor of his room in the dark. Lloyd swallowed hard. That wasn't a fantasy he could keep up for long. Still it lasted long enough for him to fall into a fitful sleep.
Intermittent rumbling- and was that cheering?- woke Lloyd. Instantly on high alert, Lloyd pulled himself upright. 'What was that?' His thoughts bounced around skittishly. Light flickered on the tunnel wall, gradually enough to keep Lloyd from being blinded when a company of Serpentine rounded the corner. Though his heart hammered Lloyd kept his face expressionless. In the dim light he took in his 'visitors.'
It was a party of four Constrictai warriors. All of them large and stocky, built for tunneling through the bowels of the earth. Their faces were hard, as if being surrounded by all the rock had given them hearts of stone. Lloyd suppressed a shiver.
Of all the Serpentine tribes theirs was the one Lloyd had interacted with the least. However, given Skalidor's earlier show of force, Lloyd found himself wishing for the Hypnobrai guards back. Sure if they wanted the Hypnobrai could punch him, but at least with their hypnotism Lloyd could avoid it by keeping his gaze down. If these guys wanted to use him as a punching bag... Well, he really hoped that wasn't why they were here.
Lloyd's stomach clenched as they walked closer and it took all the willpower he possessed not to cower back like some stray dog. One of them glared menacingly at Lloyd, but none of them spoke to him. Instead two flanked the cage and without a grunt hoisted it, Lloyd and all, into the air.
Barely stifling a gasp of surprise Lloyd ditched his dignity and shrank close to the floor to avoid being thrown around. As it was Lloyd had to swallow back nausea with the lurching motion that accompanied their steps. These snakes weren't really trying to be considerate but it didn't quite feel like they were jerking him around unnecessarily. That had to mean something, but what?
'Where are you taking me?' Lloyd wanted to ask yet the question remained stillborn. One advantage of his time at Darkley's was they were taught what to do in a hostage situation. Granted that was from the view of the hostage taker not the hostage... but even from that standpoint Lloyd knew tells to avoid showing. Actions that would make it look like he was further in their grasp.
Frowning in thought Lloyd weighed his options. He supposed he could act like what they might expect him to- a scared, scrawny kid (which honestly wasn't that far from the truth)- maybe then they'd lower their guard. Lloyd wrinkled his nose at that thought. With what shreds of dignity he had left Lloyd didn't want to even pretend to cower before the Serpentine. Plus Lloyd had spent too much time with Pythor for the snake to believe Lloyd would act (at least at the beginning) like that.
So Lloyd decided to play it smart. He kept quiet, shoving down the questions that peppered his brain. Anything to avoid showing signs of dependence on his captors. He'd find out what they wanted soon enough anyway. Pythor wasn't one to keep his plans quiet for long.
Light, stronger than that of any torch, began to glow on the walls. 'They're taking me back outside?' Lloyd couldn't deny the rush of relief that brought. They emerged into the blinding desert. Lloyd blinked hard as the light accosted his senses. Warmth rolled over him instantly chasing away the chill from the tunnels. His eyes slowly adjusted and Lloyd looked around.
The arena from last night appeared so much more intimidating in the daylight. Serpentine from all tribes filled the stands turning the sandstone blue, green, black and red. Upon seeing Lloyd and his entourage the crowd rose a cheer that shook Lloyd to his core. 'They're going to kill me. They're going to kill me!' That could be no other reason for such a reaction.
Lloyd couldn't stop the tremors that wracked through his body. Wrapping his arms around his knees Lloyd tried to hold himself together. Each step closer seemed to take an eternity. Lloyd's eyesight sharpened and he caught sight of Pythor under the giant stone snake. That appeared to be where the Constrictai were taking him.
Pythor smiled slyly. "Now that the guessst of honor is here we can get thisss party underway." His voice carried acrossthe crowd, quieting them.
The Constrictai moved to the side of what must be a likeness of the Great Devourer, latching Lloyd's cage to a hook descending from the monstrosity. Lloyd's heart rate immediately began to settle. It didn't seem like their plan was to kill him. Yet.
Pythor watched with a smug look on his face before he stood and faced the gathered Serpentine. "My brothersss, for too long we've hidden in the cavesss of the earth. For too long the people of Ninjago have become complacccent thinking their world is sssafe. Too long they've forgotten that we were here before them." Boos and hisses rose into the air. "But no longer!" Pythor paused to allow for cheers. "With the Fangbladesss we will usssher in the age of the Ssserpentine! All of Ninjago will cower before our tailsss!"
The crowd's response was deafening. Lloyd studied his feet. This was so very much not good. And he could do nothing about it. A clang suddenly came from across the arena followed by more boos and hisses.
Lloyd jerked his gaze upward only to open his mouth in amazement. "The ninja!"
They'd come for him! But allowing themselves to be caught was a strange way to go about a rescue attempt. It was okay though, they'd get him out of this...
Twenty minutes later
How Pythor had managed to capture the Samurai, Lloyd had no idea. But he and the ninja had managed to outsmart the snakes, which was no small feat.
"Go, go, go!" Lloyd cheered as the Samurai Mech blasted out of the arena with the ninja on tow.
The crowd called out their displeasure but Lloyd leaned against the bars in relief. The ninja were free- a sudden realization settled into his gut. They were free, but they'd left him behind.
'Yeah, they couldn't do anything against the number of snakes without getting recaptured.' The logical portion of his mind tried to soothe. 'They'll be back for you.' Sure they'd come for him this time, but it hadn't gone well. Would they continue to think him worth the effort? Lloyd shook his head. Of course they'd be back for him. Right?
Pythor slammed his staff on the ground. The dull thud rang through the crowd, quieting them. "The ninja may have gotten away but we'll be ready for them next time. They will not ssstop us from reuniting the Fangbladesss and awakening the Great Devourer!"
The crowd's cheer shook the stands making Lloyd's cage rattle. Lloyd couldn't stop the shiver of fear that crawled up his spine. In that moment he couldn't see how Pythor wouldn't succeed. The Serpentine were so confident and they had just chased off the ninja.
'Come on guys! You have to stop him. Somehow.'
Lloyd's cage rocked violently, throwing him to his knees. He looked down to see two of the Constrictai guards releasing the chain holding the cage up. 'Oh no,' he hardly had time to think before the cage plummeted six feet to the ground below. He landed with a loud crash.
Disoriented Lloyd lay on the floor of the cage. An abrupt upward pull indicated the Constrictai were taking him somewhere. 'Please not back to the caves!'
The Serpentine didn't hear his silent pleas. Step by step they pulled Lloyd's cage back into the darkness. Lloyd's stomach clenched and he fought to control his breathing.
'It's fine. They haven't done anything to actually hurt me.'
'Not yet.' A cynical voice whispered. Lloyd shoved it away.
All too soon the Constrictai reached the hall of cages. They dropped him, none too gently, and left, once again taking the only source of light with them.
Lloyd wrapped his arms around his knees and closed his eyes. After being topside the cavern felt claustrophobic but Lloyd tried not to think about it. So he focused on the events that just transpired.
The ninja had come for him (though what took them so long? Judging from the sun's position it had almost been a whole day since Lloyd followed the Serpentine. Their tracking skills could stand some work.) That action meant a lot to Lloyd. He couldn't remember any time before when someone had actually cared enough to come back. Even if they hadn't managed to rescue him.
However their coming proved he still had value to the Serpentine as a bargaining chip- one they wouldn't relinquish easily. Lloyd could only imagine what they'd do with him in the meantime. Unfortunately, having attended Darkley's for years his imagination could go far...
Grumbling echoed down the hall. "How is it we get ssstuck with transssport duty?"
'Transport?' Lloyd perked up at the word. Did that mean the ninja were getting close? Could they be here to rescue him soon? It was hard to tell but it had to have been a day- maybe two?- since they'd all been in the arena.
"-cause were the bessst at it."
"Bytar, they only told usss that to make usss feel good."
"Don't bussst my bubble."
Lloyd looked up to see several Constrictai approaching. One, Bytar from the sound of it, continued to mutter under his breath. Watching warily, Lloyd sat still. However, as most of the other guards in the last... well Lloyd wasn't sure how long... they ignored him and focused on the cage.
"Would it kill Pythor to pull hisss own weight is all I'm sssaying."
There were a couple grunts of agreement but another cut in, "Quit complaining. Let'sss just get thisss over with."
The snakes didn't bother to cover Lloyd's cage. All the caves looked the same and from his current position he couldn't have found his way to the surface even if he'd had the chance. Merging into a larger tunnel Lloyd's eyes widened. Most, if not all, of the Serpentine appeared to be gathered and packed for some sort of journey.
Though, Lloyd noticed, they still kept primarily to their tribal groups. Whatever unity Pythor inspired still had a ways to go. Lloyd stored that thought away for later.
His Constrictai guards joined the procession. Lloyd kept a fervent eye open for any sign of the ninja. They wouldn't risk anything with so many enemies gathered, but them getting close had to be the reason for the move. If not... Lloyd didn't want to follow that train of thought.
The caravan made its way deeper and deeper into the earth. Lloyd tried to picture a map of Ninjago in his head. Though his grades left much to be desired, enough classes required a working knowledge of geography for it to become ingrained in his brain.
From Ninjago City the Serpentine bus had traveled west into the Sea of Sands- though he wasn't sure exactly how far. It was pretty much impossible to determine which direction they were heading, but Lloyd felt confident they weren't traveling north. There the Sea of Sands gave way to the Frozen Wasteland and the cold would permeate even these deep tunnels.
But that still left three other directions. The creepy Anacondrai Tomb couldn't be that far away since it was also in the desert... Lloyd grimaced. 'Anywhere but there.' Especially since Uncle Wu gently broke it to him the skeletal remains in the tomb were the other Anacondrai Serpentine that Pythor murdered and cannibalized. Come to think of it that wasn't a very gentle break. 'It was a miracle Pythor didn't eat me when we were alone.'
However it seemed Pythor didn't want that detail exposed to the general populous. The caramel sandstone gradually gave way to deep black soil. Green sludge started trickling down the walls at random intervals, leaving small puddles. 'The Toxic Bogs. Not much better.' A drop fell from the ceiling landing inches from his hand. Lloyd scrambled backward as tendrils of gas curled upward. He'd been there, done that with chemical burns (thank you Darkley's) and had no desire for a repeat experience. Quickly he pulled up his hood, stuffing his hands into his pockets when he finished.
Hissing laughter sounded behind him. Lloyd ignored it. 'Your stupid scales won't mean anything when the ninja come kick your butts!' That thought made Lloyd feel better. He looked up to realize the snakes in front of his personal guards had stopped.
"It'sss about time." One of the Contsricti grumbled.
Apparently even the Constrictai got tired. Good to know. He could pass that on to the ninja when they got here. Lloyd casually glanced around the tunnel. There was no sign of them, but again most of the Serpentine were alert so the ninja wouldn't risk anything. That was why he couldn't see them. Still his stomach flipped uncomfortably. What if... 'No! They'll come again for me.'
No orders came to move on and most of the Serpentine began to settle in for the... stopping. Did the Serpentine rest in the evening? Being primarily underground were they affected by the sun's cycle?
Regardless the ninja would probably be here soon and he could put this miserable experience behind him. Minutes bled into hours. Still Lloyd held onto the hope that the ninja were just trying to lure the snakes into a false sense of security.
"Move out!"
Lloyd lurched upright. Sometime during his attempted vigil he'd fallen asleep. Blearily he looked around and his heart crashed to his toes. The Serpentine's cage still surrounded him.
The ninja hadn't come.
Lloyd lost any semblance of time. The cool, perpetually dark, caves hid whether it was day or night. Did that even matter now? It had definitely been days- maybe weeks?- since the ninja's failed rescue attempt at Ouroboros. As far as he knew there hadn't been one since.
And that stung.
Lloyd pulled his knees close to his chest, wincing as his dirty hand brushed against his increasingly noticeable ribs. Without actual days to count by Lloyd had taken to counting meal times.
There'd been thirteen, but they were spaced out so much they could have been whole days in between for all he knew. It was hard to tell if they weren't feeding him because they wanted to make him miserable, or if it was because they forgot about him until it was convenient. Though the meat they threw into his cage could hardly be called edible. Or cooked.
His stomach chose that moment to rumble mournfully. Lloyd ignored it. His days on the streets before the ninja took him in had been long hungry ones too. He could get through this. Maybe.
'But where is everyone? Do they even miss me? Are they still trying to find me?' Since that first day there'd been not even whisper of the ninja. At least not near him. The snakes kept a very tight lip on anything going on topside, but the fact Loyd hadn't needed to be moved since coming to the Toxic Bogs was a telling sign. That and the fact the Serpentine didn't even bother to post guards on him.
'They abandoned you too.' A taunting voice hissed. 'They don't care about you any more than anyone else in your life.'
Lloyd clapped his hands over his ears. 'No, no, NO!'
'Oh really? Then why is it taking so long? Why haven't they tried to get you again?'
'I-I don't know. They've moved me since the arena. They probably can't find me...'
'Suuuuuuure.' The voice went silent but the words continued to clang in Lloyd's mind.
'Maybe, but Uncle Wu... he's not the type to leave me... again... I mean he probably knew I was okay at school that why he... never came to see me.' Lloyd swallowed hard to get around the lump in his throat.
Gravel crunched nearby and a twisted form of gratitude rose at the distraction. Talking to himself was dangerous.
Light filtered into the cavern and Lloyd turned his head to allow his eyes a few extra seconds to adjust. They ached in protest but Lloyd wasn't about to shut out the minimal amount of light given to him. He waited for them to toss something (relatively) edible at him, but instead a click cut through Lloyd's ears. Jerking his head back in surprise Lloyd saw a Fangpyre warrior unlocking his door. He stared blankly as it swung open. That door hadn't opened since they'd shoved Lloyd in here back at Ouroboros.
"Come on already!"
Someone wasn't in a good mood.
Slowly Lloyd pulled himself to his feet. His knees buckled nearly sending him sprawling. A quick grab at the cage bars kept him upright. With little food and barely enough space to stand up (ergo virtually no use) his legs had lost much of their muscle mass.
'I knew I should have been doing exercises.' He bemoaned internally. But the lack of a rescue had taken much of the fight out of him.
"Hurry up!"
On wobbly legs Lloyd managed to make it outside the cage. The Fangpyre grabbed him, all but dragging Lloyd toward the other Serpentine gathered. Two other Fangpyres stood waiting next to a couple Constrictai. On their other side several green headed Venomari waited next to some Hypnobrai warriors. The only tribe missing a representative was...
"Have you got him yet?" Pythor's irritated voice filtered down the tunnel.
"Hold your tail we're coming." One of the Hypnobrai shouted back. He came closer and in the dim light Lloyd recognized Skales. "It'sss not like anyone knowsss where we're going." His grumbling didn't seem particularly directed at Lloyd so he stayed quiet.
Skales took his other arm and together the Serpentine marched Lloyd down the tunnel. Despite the iron grip on his arms Lloyd relished the opportunity to be outside the cage. Now if only they'd let him shower and wash his clothes. Even when he was homeless Lloyd kept himself to a certain standard of cleanliness (the maybe one positive take away from Darkley's) but the Serpentine didn't care. A gagging noise came from his left and Lloyd glanced over to see the Serpentine staring at him while curling his nose (which Lloyd found weird that the Serpentine had noses when their animal counterparts didn't) in disgust. Well maybe this one cared, but not enough to do anything helpful about it.
"Ah, Lloyd." Lloyd blinked realizing Pythor now stood directly in front of him. "I'm ssso glad you could join us for thisss field trip."
It was amazing how those simple words could sound so ominous. Lloyd bit his tongue to keep from asking what he meant. Pythor's smug grin faded when Lloyd didn't rise to the bait. That made Lloyd stand a little taller next to his escorts. He still could have some measure of control in this situation.
A Venomari walked forward carrying something in his hands that clanked with each step. 'You have got to be kidding me!' Lloyd's stomach recoiled as the Serpentine unwound a length of chain. But he managed to keep himself from flailing when Skales and the Fangpyre pulled his wrists forward. The Venomari wrapped the chain several times around Lloyd's wrists before locking it in place. Several feet of chain remained in his hand almost like... 'A leash.' Lloyd thought grimly.
That wasn't degrading at all.
Pythor took the chain from the Venomari. "I have a feeling we'll be needing your help at the Desssert Pyramid, but don't get any ideasss."
To emphasize his point Pythor jerked hard on the chain sending Lloyd tumbling out of his guard's grasp. He landed hard with his arms stretched painfully above his head, the chain taut in Pythor's grasp. How Lloyd wanted to kick him in the face at that moment.
"Quit laying around-"
'Yes because it was my idea to flop on the ground.' Lloyd seethed.
"-and move out. The Blade will be in our grasssp posssthassste!"
One highly dangerous and disappointing trip to the Desert Pyramid for Lloyd and the Serpentine (respectively) later
Steam practically rose out of Pythor's ears. Here he'd come all this way, and someone else stole the blade first. Lloyd hung back as far as his rechained hands let him. If Pythor was anything like the bullies back at Darkly's when they got upset... well, Lloyd wanted to keep out of swinging range.
Muttering incoherently Pythor lead the way out of the pyramid. Lloyd closed his eyes trying to soak in the sunlight while he had the chance. His skin had taken on a sickly pale hue from the length of time he'd been forced to stay underground. A harsh jerk on the chain propelled him forward several steps. Opening his eyes Loyd saw his Hypnobrai guard glaring at him.
'Well 'scuse me for wanting to take an extra second.' Lloyd barely kept himself from snapping back. With his leash in the Serpentine's hand it wouldn't be wise to provoke him. Grudgingly Lloyd fell into the line.
They had only gone a half mile or so when Lloyd began to feel his body beg for a rest. Lifting each foot took all the energy he had, and the sun that felt so amazing just a few minutes ago reflected harshly off the sand giving Lloyd a headache. Malnutrition combined with beating the temple doled out sapped most of his reserves. His steps slowed until the Hypnobrai had the chain taut behind him.
The snake turned, his red eyes gleaming. "Come on you!"
He snapped the chain and this time Lloyd couldn't hold himself upright. Falling forward he barely had time to see the ground rushing up to meet him. Almost before he landed blackness engulfed his vision.
Indistinct voices slowly filtered into his brain. He couldn't make out the words but the tone didn't sound promising. Something wet suddenly splashed onto his face and Lloyd's eyes flew open in surprise. Several Serpentine stood above him, including one Venomari holding a dripping water canister.
"Whaaa...?" His sluggish thoughts oozed around unable to grasp what was going on.
"Give him the canteen." Skales snapped.
Lloyd's head lolled over to where the Hypnobrai general stood. His tail flicked back and forth, but for now his irritation seemed directed toward the Venomari warrior. Shrugging the green Serpentine handed it to Lloyd who greedily drank from the container. He hadn't had an unrestrained guzzle of water since... before this whole thing happened.
Though the Serpentine hadn't cut him off from water in the same way they had with food, they didn't give him unlimited amounts. The guards had taken to leaving a bucket of water by his cage, but Lloyd learned after the first one to carefully ration it since they hadn't been too concerned with the refilling part.
The water almost immediately brought clarity to his thoughts. His body didn't respond quite as quickly but he could almost feel his cells soaking in every drop. With what felt like a monumental effort Lloyd pulled himself to a sitting position. Sand tumbled from his torso and hair sending uncomfortable prickles down his back. However with his hands restrained in front of him there wasn't really anything he could do about it.
Pythor impatiently slithered over but even he could tell Lloyd wasn't faking his fainting spell. Curling his lip in annoyance he gestured to two of the Constrictai, "Make sssure he getsss back with usss."
Without bothering to see if his order was carried out he turned and headed off into the dunes, Skales and several of the higher ranking Serpentine followed closely. The Constrictai muttered something less than complimentary comments about both Pythor and Lloyd before pulling him to his feet. Practically carrying Lloyd by his arms the trio started out with some of the other Serpentine acting as lookouts. Their pace was markedly slower than that of the generals but even that Lloyd wouldn't have been able to keep without support.
The miles passed by in a torturous monotony. Lloyd went from attempting to take some of his own steps to devoting all his energy to keep from passing out again. When they finally ducked into one of the Serpentine tunnels it took Lloyd a moment to realize the dark didn't mean he'd gone unconscious.
As it was he must have slipped at some point because the next thing he knew he found himself propped sitting up in 'his' cage. Lloyd let his head fall back against the bars. 'If you guys didn't want me to come back you could have just said so instead of leaving me here.' What other reason could there be for the ninja not coming for him again? They had left him- just like everyone else in his life.
It wasn't like they'd appreciated him around the Bounty before being captured. Granted it had been Uncle Wu who put him up to some of his pranks but the guys had not been fans. Lloyd allowed himself a small smirk at the thought of Zane's pink gi. That'd been a good one. His smile faded quickly. Unless Uncle Wu told them, they hadn't gone out of their way to interact with him. Kai's dumping him at the arcade just reiterated the point.
Lloyd wrapped his arms around his legs- realizing for the first time the chain had disappeared- and buried his head into his knees. This was his existence now, might as well get used to it. Though he knew he didn't really have water to waste Lloyd allowed several large tears to drop soundlessly to the cement floor.
In route somewhere once again.
Lloyd stared listlessly through the cage bars at the trees moving slowly by. He didn't have to worry about being dragged if he passed out this time. The Serpentine were on the move again and wanted him to come along. Why? Who knew. Maybe there was another pyramid for them to use him as a guinea pig in. That thought probably should have scared him more than it did, but Lloyd was too numb to garner the emotion.
Feeling anything hurt too much. His hope dried up and shriveled away a long time ago. Maybe this was best. Lloyd had been the one to release the Serpentine after all. Wouldn't it be like fate to make him a slave to them for that act? Fate had never been his friend so if anything that's what Lloyd should have expected. He was expendable. A mistake. Unwanted.
So he sat quietly while the Serpentine procession walked onward. The sky started glowing red though it wasn't dusk. Glancing upward Lloyd didn't feel surprise at seeing a volcano growing closer. 'Sure. What else would Pythor being going toward?' This would be fun. An unexpected worm of dread gnawed at his stomach. Something told him this could be the last place he would ever lay eyes on.
The horrible thing was part of him didn't even care.
Six explosive hours later
Green electricity faded and with a Clink! the Golden Weapons fell to the ground. The bridge went silent. Lloyd let out an internal scream.
Why? Why did fate hate him that badly? What had he ever done besides being born for crying out loud? Sure there was the whole releasing the Serpentine thing, but still that couldn't have been so bad for fate to choose to smack him with this.
The ninja had saved him. They really came back for him even after all that time. Then shock of all shocks his father helped rescue him (and now apparently had four arms?), which was why he never saw Uncle Wu try a rescue attempt.
And now, just when he'd been rescued, just when he'd been able to hug his dad for the first time in over seven years, just when a tiny pinprick of hope that he could have some semblance of a life outside of Darkley's, the stupid Golden Weapons decide to go and glow around him.
Of course they would.
So now on top of everything in his crappy childhood, fate gave him the short straw to be the one prophesied to kill the Dark Lord. Aka his father.
Fan-stinking-tastic.
So despite the- what he now knew to be three- weeks of malnutrition, the heavy laden after effects of adrenaline that came from thinking 'I'M ABOUT TO DIE!', and the burning desire to actually spend time with his dad, Lloyd fled the bridge and the weight of everyone's expectations.
He didn't go to the large closet that served as his makeshift bedroom- that'd be the first place they'd look. Instead Lloyd ran to the ninja's bunk room. Despite being held underground for almost a month Lloyd scrambled under the nearest bed, pressing himself flat against the wall. The sobs poured out before Lloyd even realized he was crying. 'I can't do this, I CAN'T DO THIS.'
"Lloyd? You under there?"
Lloyd sucked in a gasp that turned into a bout of hiccups. No hiding from his pursuer now. Still he didn't answer as a pair of feet came nearer to the bed. The figure started to kneel showing a red gi. Kai.
Shrinking farther into the shadows Lloyd covered his head with his arms. Lloyd had lived on the Bounty long enough to see the red ninja's obsession with becoming the Green Ninja. Sure Kai had just saved his life only a couple hours ago, but now that the Weapons confirmed Lloyd to be the Green Ninja there was no way Kai wasn't mad, despite what Kai said in front of the others about accepting his role as a protector for the chosen one.
"Hey, Lloyd. I know it's a lot to take in." Kai's voice carried in a kinder tone than Lloyd had ever heard him use. "I know you're probably scared but why don't you come on out? You're safe here, I promise."
Lloyd stilled long enough to sneak a glance at the red ninja. Kai crouched at the end of the bed giving Lloyd space, but Lloyd could see the concern and compassion in his eyes. That brought another unexpected round of tears. Hastily he swiped at them, anger bubbling within him at showing such weakness in front of someone else, let alone Kai.
"Lloyd it's okay. Can you come out from under the bed please? I don't think it's a good place for you right now."
To the contrary under the bed seemed like a very good place to be, but after a long minute Lloyd inched his way to Kai. The older teen helped him sit up and brushed some dust off Lloyd's shoulders. The two sat side by side for a minute, neither one saying a word.
Finally Kai leaned back against the bed frame. "I meant what I said, I promise to do everything in my power to protect you." He let out a long sigh when Lloyd kept his gaze downward. "It's what I should have been doing all along, green ninja or not." Lloyd jerked his face toward Kai's. Kai let out a humorless laugh. "Yeah, I was kinda a jerk especially when I dropped you off at the arcade. You shouldn't have been alone but more than that I shouldn't have left you alone. I'm sorry."
Lloyd's jaw worked up and down but he couldn't get out any words. Had anyone ever apologized to him before? Certainly not at Darkley's and he couldn't remember much before then. Not sure what to do he settled for a small nod. Kai visibly relaxed at the gesture.
They were quiet again. Lloyd still wasn't sure how to process everything. Or if he wanted to. He'd almost died today- several times over!- and now destiny expected him to make that a norm? Daunting didn't even begin to cover the feelings at war within him. Really what he probably needed right now was a bath, a meal, and a 12 hour nap. Not necessarily in that order.
"I'm glad you're okay." Kai spoke again then frowned at his choice of words. "Or at least kinda okay. I mean-" Kai made a funky noise at the back of his throat and Lloyd couldn't stop the snort that escaped his lips. Kai gave a self-depreciating grin. "Yeah words aren't really my thing, but after Nya's kidnapping earlier this year-" The phrase 'by your dad' remained unspoken, "I learned that something like your experience probably will take a while to work through. If you want or need to talk about something just know me and the rest of the guys are here for you. Especially now."
Kai stopped for a second and seemed to debate something in his head. Finally he opened his mouth, "When I first came here, my mission was to get Nya back then return to my life in Ignacia. As you can see destiny had different plans, but we've all become a family and I wouldn't trade that for anything. If you'll have them I know four guys who'd love to be your honorary older brothers."
Lloyd's throat clogged too much to speak. They- they wanted him to stick around? Faintly Lloyd gave a small nod.
The smile that grew on Kai's face warmed Lloyd from his head to his toes. He really had a family now. Speaking of...
"Let's get back to the bridge. I know your dad-" Kai's mouth made a weird twitching motion, "really wants to see you. While we're there I'll have Jay show you how he hacked Zane's mainframe to make him do ballet."
"What?"
Kai laughed, "Oh yeah. Turns out Zane's a nindroid."
"WHAT?"
From Darkley's 5th grade curriculum:
Plots and Schemes: How to Optimize Results in Your Villainous Endeavors pg. 173
"Top 10 Ways to Establish Control and Manipulation of the Captive"
1) Starvation: A tried and true tactic. This helps to weaken both body and resolve making the individual(s) less able to escape and withstand further techniques to gain information. Caution: if also choosing to withhold water it's still necessary to strategically provide enough to keep them alive (assuming that's your intent). For your convenience a calculation sheet based on body weight and environmental factors is available in Appendix A.
2) Sensory Deprivation: This can be as simple as keeping them in a perpetually dark room, but blindfolding and using sound cancelling headphones achieves similar results. The lack of ability to trust one's senses heightens anxiety and fear. It can also cause disorientation or hallucinations which may be beneficial in obtaining wanted information.
3) Sleep Deprivation: Another method of disorientation that can induce fatigue and weakness. Exhaustion is also recommended to decrease an escape risk.
4) Show of Force: This can be accomplished in several ways; heavily arming underlings (especially those in close contact with your victim), shoves, slaps, punches etc., serve as a continual reminder they're under your control. Doing it at random intervals or "unprovoked" induces greater anxiety since the captive(s) will never know what to expect. Pain, or fear of it, makes a good motivator.
5) Restricting Movement: Similar to showing force, keeping the victim(s) in a compressed situation takes away another area of control for them. The tighter the confines are often the better (ex. manacled to a wall in a cell) as it promotes muscle and skin breakdown (ie pain and weakness) as well as feelings of helplessness. These factors make an escape attempt less likely, or less likely to be successful.
6) Torture: A more crude method but effective nonetheless on both the captive(s) and those seeking to retrieve the captive(s). Physical debilitation also serves as a hurdle for a potential escape or rescue attempt. Sometimes the threat of torture can be just as effective as the act itself. Caution: Calculation advised (if desire is to keep victim[s] alive) to maximize pain while minimizing risk of losing your bargaining piece. A dead hostage only serves as a liability.
7) Psychological Manipulation: Pain can only do so much. Find out what drives your victim(s) and work to undermine it. Demoralization is one of the most effective tools you can wield against another individual. Another facet of this is that if you tell a lie long enough people will start to believe it. Break their spirits and you don't have to worry as much about them trying to escape.
8) Withholding information or giving misinformation: This could be considered a subcategory of #7 but deserves its own remarks. Captives will try to gather information or may ask questions to try and allay their panic. Refusing to answer them maintains a power gap since they won't have any other way of obtaining information. Lying can also serve to demoralize them if they don't believe anyone is attempting to rescue them, think it's been longer than it actually has been, are led to believe their general location is nowhere near their actual location, etc. This can also serve as a protective measure if the victim(s) somehow contacts the outside world. Caution: This requires follow through by everyone on your party. Make sure your underlings aren't talking anywhere near the victim about plans, dates, etc. That is a sure way to lead to your own demise.
9) Bait and Raise False Hope Strategically: Another subcategory of #7. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick." This can be another effective way to demoralize your victim(s). If they begin to think they have hope of escape or rescue, or if they think they have a way to undermine you, this can be a crushing blow if stolen away from them. Planned events are often safer than actually ruining an escape attempt, but such can feel staged so they need to be constructed carefully. Punishment following the 'escape attempt' usually compounds the demoralization. Caution: If done too often the victim(s) may catch on and the tactic can lose its effectiveness.
10) Do NOT Monologue. Not only is it a useless time waster on your part, but it tells the captive(s) your plan! In the off chance they escape, you've told them exactly what they need to do to stop you. (Refer to number #8). The only time it might be acceptable is if you intend to make a surface plan as a diversion for the victim/rescuers while you work on a hidden master plan. Caution is still advised.
A/n- By now you can probably tell I'm a fan of brother moments between Kai and Lloyd :) When I rewatched S1 I was curious when Kai and the others started treating Lloyd like a brother rather than a pest (though sometimes I admit those can be one in the same XD). The ninja are rather indifferent to Lloyd until after they rescue him. (Also they don't seem that worried about Lloyd during the time he's captured, which bugged me). From there the audience sees a dramatic change, but we don't get to see the little moments that went into it which is why I chose to end the (actual) one-shot with some reconciliation between Kai and Lloyd.
Also fun fact: When researching the Serpentine for this one-shot I found out the Constrictai can cause breathing problems for their squeezed victims even after the person has gotten away. That's their 'special power' that requires the anti-venom from the staff. Thought that fact didn't come into play in my story...