Hi y'all! Since I feel more than a little guilty about totally forgetting to post chapter 4 sooner, I decided to make it up to you by posting chapter 5. This one was definitely a lot more fun to write. You'll see what I mean. (Hopefully.) Well, anyway...I present to you SoA, Chapter 5: Reign!
When I wake, my will is now fully the Overlord's; he's given me four missions: control my body, infiltrate the Ninja, infect them, and bring them to him. Others have failed him before, even one who had served him so well until they defied him, but I will not fail. He has chosen the perfect spy, for I am the least likely to give up. I may not be the same Kai, but if I was anything like the Kai I once was, obstinate would be the one thing I have in common with him.
The Overlord has a dragonide set me down where the Ninja are unlikely to spot it. Once on the ground, I cover myself in the powdered debris of a building whose front side has been entirely shattered nearby. My gi is already ripped, especially around the knees, but I add a few more, and for good measure, have the dragonide scratch some parts of the newly exposed skin. Finally, I mess my hair up, sprinkling just enough dirt and dust into it, and deeming myself a complete mess, I sprint all the way to the warehouse. My path is erratic due to avoiding the crystal zombies, but I don't slow down, just veer to one side or another; I am careful to avoid the traps set on the street, though I don't spot them until I almost set them off. Sweat trickles down my face, and I wipe it off, making sure the dirt smears. I need to look disheveled, like I just came from a battle.
When Nya lets me in, she asks where Lloyd is.
All I have to say is, "Overlord," and she stops asking questions. They all do. They all think that Lloyd's been captured and in between shifts, they come up with far-fetched rescue plans. I would say everything is going to plan, but they seem to think it's weird that I managed to escape, though they've convinced themselves that the Overlord let me go.
Good, everything's going to plan, then.
Sometime later:
The current situation at the warehouse proceeds as normal, my presence not disrupting anything. The Ninja and I go on shifts, and all the while, especially on patrol, I take in every one of the defenses that I see. I don't do anything more than what I need to, and the Ninja are too tired to notice or do anything different.
I am posted on the skylights when it happens.
I jump as a resounding crash fills my ears, causing the others to look at me questioningly. I mumble a lame excuse, knowing that if I look sufficiently embarrassed, I might just be able to pull it off. I get a snicker from Jay, but other than that, Jay and Nya turn away and leave me alone, refocusing back on their work.
The sight of a dark hall lined with Vengestone cells, the Ninja's new and destined home, flashes in my mind, prompting me to find a private place. But first, I need an excuse, because the Ninja are already suspicious about the disappearance of Lloyd, and slipping away will surely add to that. I quickly find it when a groan escapes his lips.
Nya starts to head in the direction of the source to help him, but I stop her, offering to take care of it. And now I have my excuse.
I slip into the back corner where they set up the makeshift infirmary, around where they have placed cots for the Ninja resting. They're all empty – well, except for him – which makes this the perfect place to slip off to.
Suppressing a scoff at the thought of him, I tell myself that it will just as likely fuel their suspicion as my slipping away undetected.
While I walk to the makeshift infirmary, I silently fume about him. Garmadon. He thinks he's more powerful than my master, despite his powers being a gift. He was nothing more than a mere pawn, and he will never be, even if he does whatever he can to deny it. I, however, am happy to serve the Overlord. And right now, he needs me somewhere private.
I pass by Garmadon's broken form, smiling at how the "mighty" have fallen. He's badly hurt and had just barely made it here; Nya found him collapsed in a nearby alley a few hours ago. His face and upper torso are covered in bandages, only still white because they had been recently changed. His arm and leg are both broken, the break in his arm not even close to being a simple break. Zane estimated he had at least two broken ribs and three bruised. He'll die without proper medical attention, but that's not my problem. The Overlord needs something, THAT is my problem. Another crash crowds my ears.
I draw back into the corner, where if I'm found, I can say I had thought he might need my help more and fell asleep. Then I close my eyes, allowing the pictures to fill my vision. The Overlord gives me a simple order: keep this body under control.
I am back at the Overlord's temple, watching as the blur of green darts to and from a cover. A growl emerges from the Overlord, and as he rushes after him, he transforms into a centaur-like being, his size and mass tripling. Just as his transformation is complete, Lloyd jumps out, a tornado of Spinjitzu around him. It knocks my master to his knees. His concentration wavers.
He's not my master, the black swan of me whispers. My will is the Overlord's and the Overlord's will alone. Yet, somehow, part of me remained untouched by the Overlord's power, which is why the Overlord is wasting his concentration on helping me keep it under control.
He stands up, determined not to lose focus on either task and replies with his own attack. Lloyd dodges, a smirk on his face. How dare he?
That's my little bro, it whispers.
The Overlord continues on the offensive, his fury mounting as Lloyd continues ducking, smirking, and not attacking directly. He pushes me to the back of his mind, and part of me is fine with that. Whatever my master needs, I am happy to obey.
No, I'm not! the other part screams, and it takes its chance.
I mean, I take my chance. Why does this have to be so confusing? The scene in front of me flickers, the speck of green that is Lloyd fading. I hesitate, my resolve plummeting like a pebble off the edge of a cliff. I won't be able to see if he's OK…and judging from the fact that he isn't running for the exit of the temple, but rather going DIRECTLY to the Overlord, it would be my fault if he gets hurt. When the Overlord was distracted, it allowed me to take myself over this much. But if I don't regain control over my body, I can't help Lloyd.
Shade-Me swells, a wave of shadow and darkness, trying to subdue me just enough so I am little more than an old, discarded thought, a forgotten idea, a distant reality. I can see its smirk as my hold wavers, and I redouble my grip, repelling the corrupted part. I meet its wave with a mounting tsunami of flame, my refusal to give up and my need to help my siblings fueling it, and it douses my mind, scourging both the real part of me and the corrupted part. It's a storm, lightning made of flame, striking anything that moves, fizzing all other thoughts than to hold on. At first, it burns red hot, but as Shade-Me survives, it burns white and blue, temperatures reaching the blazing stars.
It scatters, it flees, it's reduced to little more than a wisp.
It survives….
"Kai? Are you OK?" Nya's voice is filled with concern, and a perfect image of her face, a face I would give anything for to be safe and happy flashes across my mind. And for that, the Overlord MUST be stopped.
The Overlord is your master and HE'S in control! I scream at the Lightling, pushing it away.
I start to reply that I am, that I just need a second, but the other part manages to cut my voice off.
My voice, not the Overlord's. And he is NOT my master!
"Kai?" Nya is at my side, reaching out to shake me out of my trance. I can't do this. The Overlord needs his concentration to capture the Green Ninja; he can't be helping me control the disloyal minority of me.
The Overlord's not my master!
Yes, he is!
No, he isn't! "Don't touch me!"
She draws back, confused and even more concerned than before. "Kai…–"
I wish I could explain this to her, but I can't. I am barely keeping Shade-Me me in check. "Corrupted," I hiss, grabbing my head and screaming as Shade-Me– and the Overlord – roar in rage and frustration. They know what I've done, and they're making sure to punish me as thoroughly as possible. So much noise…my nervous system is struggling to send transmissions informing me of my every pain, discomfort, and sense. I've heard Zane use the term "full system overload" and I always imagined it to feel like a building exploding, but this is the WHOLE OF NINJAGO.
"Kai?" Jay joins Nya and I barely register that he's brawling panic. He looks from me, curled into a fetal position, to Nya, her hands hovering over me.
"Don't touch! Crystallized…–" I mumble.
Jay suggests, "Could this be just a bad dream?"
"He's awake," Nya replies. "I don't know what to do. He's in so much pain…."
I need to make the most of this. It's the Overlord's backup plan, hardwired into my brain in case he needs to deal with something elsewhere. I need to infect as many of the Ninja as possible. If the disloyal side of me is going to take me down, then I'll be sure to take his precious friends down with me.
NO! I fling myself onto the hand reaching for Nya, ignoring the flare of pain, the protest of my nerves as it slams into unyielding, concrete. "Don't trust me! Corrupted…–" I mumble, "Can't stop him forever."
"Stop who?" the couple asks together.
I don't answer. I lunge for Nya, but she jerks away. In the back corner of my mind, it sighs in relief but tenses again just as I make another swipe at her.
I rise to my feet, only for them to be swept out again. I spin to face the offender – shouldn't have forgotten the blabbermouth – and swipe at him. He yelps, jumping back, and giving me enough room and time to jump back to my feet. I have to twist to keep both in sight, refusing to fall for the same mistake twice.
"It's like he's been possessed," Jay says.
"That's because he has been! By the Overlord," Nya reminds him.
"You're not fit to say my master's name," I growl, making my move and lunging at her. I try to pull back, but my momentum grabs me, sending me into the stack of crates behind Nya. I groan. "You need to tie me up!"
"Kai?" Nya's puzzled.
"I don't have forever!" I manage. "Before he takes control again!"
I'll always take control again. Because it's MY time to reign! Yours died the second the Overlord rose!
Suddenly, exhaustion sweeps through me, and my eyelids flutter closed. There's no point in fighting what's supposed to help, and if my body's unconscious, Shade-Me won't be able to use it. I welcome sleep as it pulls me away, Shade-Me clawing its way to the surface. It's too late, and it knows its fight is futile. It still fights anyway. That's the only thing the real me and the Shade-Me have in common: we're pigheaded.
There's something around each of my wrists, just a bit too tight, the pressure uncomfortable. This is the first thing that stands out to me as I begin to stir. My arms are over my head, pinned to the topmost corners of the cot. A blanket covers me from the shoulders, down, encasing me in unwanted extra heat. These are enough to bring me back and have me open my eyes to the tiniest crack.
A shape the silhouette of my sister, the color that I'd last seen her in, is arguing with another shape that looks a lot like Cole. Through the sliver, I can see that even more crates have been pressed against the roller doors, adding to the growing mountain. As I try to listen to their conversation, the few snatches I do comprehend are stressed, clipped, and rushed. From what I can tell, they're talking about me.
Suddenly, they're by my side, asking questions, demanding if I'm really me, requiring acknowledgment.
I ignore them, the blanket burning into me drawing my attention far more than answering questions. I shrug it off, managing to wiggle myself enough to make it slip and fall to the ground. I can't focus with a furnace on me. It's much easier as a wave of cold air encases me, relieving me from Inferno-Blanket.
Cole reaches for the blanket, gently picking it up, despite his hulking figure and strong grip.
"Don't!" I cry, startling them. I didn't mean to do that. It's just too hot for me to focus if I have it on. I regret how urgent I made myself sound, not wanting to worry Nya more than I have to. "Hot."
"Do you think you can tell us what that whole…scene was about?" Nya asks, trying to let herself relax.
"It's nothing," I lie, seizing my chance now that this body is awake. "Yes, it is! Don't let me go!" I shake my head, trying to knock the renegade back. I groan, trying to bring my hand to my head. I know my hands are tied to the cot, but maybe I can pull it off that I hit my head and it's messing with the way I'm acting. Maybe if I appear crazy and hurt enough, they'll believe it. I can still salvage this.
"Maybe he's hurt," Nya says, biting her lip and looking skeptical of herself.
"I don't know. Didn't he try to attack you?" Cole replies.
They can't let me go. I barely managed to stop myself. What if I actually hurt her? Or infect someone? This is the best possible place for me, even if it means I can't help. Hopefully, Cole will keep Nya from untying me, and when Zane comes back, he'll be able to confirm that I'm NOT suffering from an injury.
No! I can't fail the Overlord! I thrash, trying to fray, loosen, and weaken the fabric around my wrists. The Lightling of me tucks himself in the corner, allowing me complete control, the contempt for the Overlord only fueling me. I stuff him as deep down as I can, his lack of fight against me mystifying. Our refusal to let the other in control is the one thing we have in common. Why is it not fighting me?
It doesn't matter. I'm failing the Overlord, the most I can do at this point is not allow the renegade part of me to retake control. I need to keep my reign.
Don't worry! I might do more Kai chapters, because after all, Crystalized wasn't just about Lloyd. Anyway, we're getting pretty close to all the action-y chapters. Chapter 6 will probably come out in a week or two. Let's hope I don't forget again. Until then, I guess, have a nice life. Sivi out :) -
