A/n- A while back I had a couple readers on requested a couple prompts. OniBloodNinjago requested the in between Dread on Arrival and True Potential, while Evelyn Rogue asked for the in between of True Potential and Big Trouble, Little Ninjago. As these are sequential episodes I combined them both here.
I've touched on Lloyd's perspective in/at the end of Dread on Arrival in "Barring Memories" I decided not to focus so much on him in the first half of this one...
.
Police cruisers sped through dark streets. From the roof of the very demolished Jade Palace, Lloyd watched their lights fade into the night. He should have been relieved, maybe even vindictive- especially after slamming the transport van door in Harumi's face. Instead, emptiness, and grief left a black hole in his chest. That and the aches battered about his body from his less-than-gentle, impromptu stay with the Sons of Garmadon accosted him with every movement. However, Lloyd was well used to ignoring his own pain.
With a sigh that came from the bottom of his soul, Lloyd leapt to the nearest roof... never noticing the purple glow pulsing from the Temple of Resurrection behind him.
.
Ninjago wasn't unaccustomed to the mysterious and mystical. The strange and otherworldly happened more often than the average citizen would be willing to admit. With attacks from giant snakes, snake people, ghosts, and even domestic threats, there was little that actually fazed the Realm. The Devourer and the Preeminent made that cut... and so did the tsunami of evil currently breaking through the walls of Ninjago's reality.
The ground shook. A cold wind whipped through the razed remains of the once proud Temple of Resurrection. Black and purple light flashed. Then a beat of silence.
With a shriek the curtain between realms was torn asunder. An arm shot through the altar. Slowly a convoluted body pushed and shoved its way out of the shrinking portal. Harsh laughter spilled into darkness- then fell to wheezing gasps.
Panting, the figure braced himself against the wall. His bones burned and fog clouded his thoughts. A small, very small, sense of wrongness tugged at the edges of his mind, but billows of red hot rage choked it out like it had never been there. He might not remember everything, but one thing Lord Garmadon did remember: Ninjago City would be his.
"Lord Garmadon!"
"Who's... there?!" Lord Garmadon whipped his head to and fro. The woman the voice belonged to couldn't be seen.
"Follow my voice... Join me Lord Garmadon!"
She- she was the one who called him here.
"Your son wants to stop you, but I will make you stronger."
Son? A sudden influx of images played behind his eyes. Some were full of people of all ages in strangely colored outfits, a man with gold eyes, a woman with brown hair. Others showed dark places where skeletons and snake people dwelt. Most prominently were the huge red eyes, laughing in a way that curdled his already cold blooded heart. The eyes sucked in the images, ripping them from Lord Garmadon's mind. Darkness, fire, evil was all that remained.
"It is I H-"
The name was garbled. However, something in his chest tugged him west. Without knowing how he knew, Lord Garmadon that pull would take him to the woman who called him. Whoever the voice belonged to she would be prepared to help him become Ninjago's true leader.
Step after faltering step he followed the invisible string. Both his legs and the pull grew stronger the further he went. The evil pulsing through his veins sang. Soon, very soon, all of Ninjago would fall before him.
.
Lord Garmadon stared up at the brownstone building. She was close, inside most likely. Men and women in blue were coming in and out in large droves. His arms and legs shook but nothing was going to stop Lord Garmadon anymore. Projecting more strength than he felt, Lord Garmadon strode forward.
His approach was noticed within seconds.
A woman screamed. Several people drew guns. Lord Garmadon's blood sang with the promise of a fight and energy flooded his veins. Drawing himself higher Lord Garmadon launched into his spinjitzu. Bullets whizzed around him, ricocheting off his tornado.
Screams cut off abruptly. Lord Garmadon stalked down the halls leaving a trail of bloody bodies in his wake. He didn't know, or care, if breath remained in those behind him. The tug inside brought him to a reinforced door. Two more men tried to stop him. His fists made quick work of them.
Raw purple energy flowed from his hands. Moving on instinct Lord Garmadon punched the door. It flew across the room and hit the far wall with a loud clang. Inside was a lone occupant.
Lord Garmadon stared down at the woman- girl really- handcuffed at the desk. She had been the one to call him back? The thought was almost laughable. Yet as she urged Lord Garmadon to free her, he knew her's was the same voice that had been calling to him. He of all people knew appearances weren't everything.
Taking the cuffs in his top two hands, Garmadon snapped the links. Malicious glee shown in the girl's eyes.
"We must go! I have an army prepared for you my lord, but we must meet up with them…"
The girl continued to delineate a plan that Lord Garmadon only half listened to. Something about breaking into Kryptarium Prison and gathering reinforcements. The words washed over him, their meaning lost in the bloodlust drowning out rational thought.
This was right. This was the first step to the fall of Ninjago.
.
"I have no son!"
Mocking cheers rose around Lord Garmadon. He ignored them as he stared into emerald eyes blown wide with fear and pain. Gathering his strength Lord Garmadon reared back his two right arms and launched the Green Ninja from the room. The boy's body flew head over foot, disappearing quickly through the walls. Several crashes followed, grower fainter until they stopped all together.
A twisted form of interest took hold of Lord Garmadon. He followed the trail of wreckage to the outer wall. The Green Ninja lay motionless in the sand. For several long moments nothing happened. Then the blond head raised... before falling right back to the ground.
"Hmm." Lord Garmadon felt a rise within him at seeing his opponent shift again. He started to take a step forward when She stopped him.
"The streets are in fear. Everyone saw Lord Garmadon defeat his son." She ignored the glare Lord Garmadon sent her. Had She not heard him just say he had no son? "Let him live to see his father's reign. Gather everyone. We ride to the city in the morning." Who was She to think she could order him about? But She continued to talk, "It's time Ninjago meets their new emperor- Emperor Garmadon."
Yes, that would work. She could keep talking. For now. Soon he would make sure She knew who was in charge. Lord Garmadon spared one more glance at the struggling figure in the sand below. A few weak movements and the Green Ninja went still again. Scowling at the boy Lord Garmadon turned to follow the others back into the prison.
.
A hundred yards away Lloyd couldn't catch his breath. Each attempt sent knives digging into his chest. Every inch of him pounded in agony. He braced his arms under him in another attempt to rise- only to crash back into the sand. Tears cut their way down his cheeks.
'I have no son!'
After everything, everything Lloyd and his father had been through over the years, this was the version of him to come back? Fate really did choose her favorites. Again it showed how much Lloyd was nowhere near the list. Fractions of rationality in his mind marveled at the fact he was still (painfully) breathing. He had to get up! Had to fight. It couldn't end like this!
His body had other ideas. The effort to keep his eyes open became too much. Darkness overtook him.
Voices swirled around Lloyd. High, rapid... worried? He thought he recognized them but the constant stabbing kept him from being able to follow that train of thought. Pressure clamped on his arms and legs. A hoarse cry fell unbidden from Lloyd's lips. The voices came again, but tangled with the darkness pooling in his mind. His mind slipped away.
.
Kai's heart thundered in his chest. He looked down at Lloyd's inert body beneath his and Cole's arms. To see Lloyd so still incited a terror only riveled when Nya was kidnapped by the Skeletons. Lloyd, the Master of Energy, though silent when the need arose, was never still. It had taken so long to get out here, and now they still had to get back to the city where someone could help Lloyd.
Carrying his brother didn't allow Kai to check Lloyd's pulse (again) but he didn't need that to feel Lloyd's body heat (his life force though Kai couldn't bring himself to ever admit that to his ninja family- the anguish of the Flame of life going out... some burdens couldn't be shared) still there. Albeit flickering, growing weaker. If they couldn't figure something out soon...
But they had to get Lloyd out of the open. Away from Garmadon, the so-called Sons of Garmadon, and to the relative safety of Ninjago City. They don't know exactly where Garmadon went... Nope, compartmentalize. Lloyd safe and stable first. Kai had no qualms about putting Ninjago City second. They would need all hands on deck. Never mind the fact that if the Green Ninja couldn't defeat Lord Garmadon this time (yet Lloyd could when he was twelve - chronologically- and Garmadon was possessed by the Overlord? Some days Kai hated this world).
Just ahead of them by the Bounty's anchor, Nya stood speaking to someone on comms, though Kai couldn't hear the response. Nya jerked upright and nodded, though whoever she was talking to couldn't see it.
"We'll head there now. Keep Wu safe."
Misako then. Hopefully she had a plan because Lloyd's Flame winked dangerously.
"Mistaké's shop." Nya spoke hurriedly as they loaded Lloyd in the Bounty's stretcher. "Apparently Wu told Misako to take Lloyd there."
Kai had learned not to question a lot of things in their line of work, and for once he was glad to have a weirdly insightful toddler (old man toddler?) on their side. "Hurry."
Both Zane and Jay ran to the helm. The Bounty's engines roared to life and shot into the air. Kai helped Nya settle Lloyd below deck.
"Hang in there Lloyd. Hang in there." Kai brushed Lloyd's hair aside. His heart clenched as Lloyd's face pinched in pain.
"Here." Nya handed Kai a cold washcloth.
He placed it on Lloyd's head. "Come on Lloyd. Stay with us."
Lloyd whimpered and quieted. A speaker cracked overhead.
"Ten minutes." Zane's voice came and went without waiting for a response.
Kai grit his teeth. Never before had ten minutes seemed like such an eternity.
"I-m s-ry." Kai's gaze shot down to Lloyd. He began to thrash on the cot. "Father ple-!" Lloyd's plea cut off with an agonized gasp.
"It's not your fault!" There was no telling if Lloyd could hear him but Kai couldn't let him start with his signature guilt complex. "Lloyd, he is in the wrong. Not you! You have nothing to be sorry for!"
Nya sent Kai a worried look. Kai didn't try to reassure her. He could barely reassure himself. "You have to be okay Lloyd. You hear me? Stay with us."
Too slowly the city came into view. "We're going to fix this Lloyd. You're going to be okay."
Failure wasn't an option. Not for Lloyd, and not for Ninjago.
.
A/n- Soooo I wasn't a huge fan of how Kai reacted in Big Trouble, Little Ninjago when Mistaké said they might lose their powers, and Kai has the most resistance. While it is keeping in his character to have his strong attachment to his powers, with Lloyd's life on the line I don't think he'd be as hesitant. But that's me. Thanks for reading!