I actually love rewatching the episodes for this story, because I go to write the actual lines in the show and I just. They're so darn funny, Lloyd's lines alone are hysterical. I forget what a riot he is sometimes.
Anyways, I have finALLY REACHED THE SEASON ONE FINALE. I'm so happy you guys, it only took like half a year :'D
As always, thank you so much to everyone who reviews - I love reading your thoughts and hearing how much stuff you guys pick up on! (especially when I think I'm being subtle asklfsgdk)
Chapter 7: Everything Goes to Hell in a Handbasket
It's going to rain soon.
Nya pauses, her hands stilling over her machinery, grease-stained fingers relaxing their death grip on the wrench. She doesn't have a good vantage point of the window from here, huddled over part of the Samurai X mech as she is, but she doesn't need to. Nya's always been able to tell when it's going to rain. It's her special talent, like setting the blacksmith shop on fire once a week was Kai's. Logically, she knows it's probably just the ache of some old injury - maybe a bone she broke when she was younger, or something - as opposed to a mystical power of destruction.
She just knows, like she knows what gear needs to be tightened or what wire to cut - it's going to rain soon.
A sudden flash illuminates her room, and Nya counts the seconds as she blinks bright spots from her eyes, before the crack of thunder echoes nearby. She listens as the rumbling trails off into an angry murmur in the roaring winds. Nya's skin tingles, a weird sort of humming beneath her skin.
A tiny grin plays across her lips. Never fails.
She glances back down, rubbing her forearm across her head as she squints at the open gears before her. Hm. Is it more practical to reinforce the main frame and the boosters, so she can potentially lift more people at once? Or is it better to opt for those extra cannons instead, so she's able to double the radius of her blasts?
Decisions, decisions, she thinks, tapping her wrench against the side of the mech, creating a hollow banging that sounds a lot like she's imagining her head does right now. Empty, that's what.
Nya groans, her hand going up to rub at her eyes before she abruptly yanks it back, remembering she's got grease all over it. Maybe she should go ahead and call it a night, she thinks, glancing at the tiny numbers on her wrist. Ugh. If she goes to bed before two, she can still get, like, six hours of sleep, right? That's enough.
…right?
Nya sighs. Bed would probably be a good idea. They're destroying the Fangblades tomorrow, and she doesn't want to sleep through their moment of glory as they officially destroy all of Pythor's hopes and dreams.
But the mech…
Nya purses her lips. Maybe she'll see if Jay's awake - if he isn't, she'll go back to sleep. If he is, then they can have another late-night engineering party, and they'll both be so tired tomorrow they'll hate themselves in the morning. Perfect.
Nya slides quietly out her room, careful with her steps across the old floorboards. Another peal of thunder splits the night, the hallways rattling as Nya briefly flinches at how loud it sounds. How anyone is sleeping through this is beyond her, but she guesses one get used to it, living on a flying ship.
As a child, a storm like this would have sent her sprinting to Kai's room, stealing all his blankets as she tucked herself in with him, safe in the knowledge that her big brother could protect her from anything. Nya feels a brief flare of longing for those days, before shaking it off. She's not a child anymore. Thunderstorms stopped scaring her a long time ago.
Reaching her target, Nya cracks open the boys' door slowly, careful not to wake anyone - she knows firsthand how disturbing Kai or Cole's sleep ends. It's never pretty.
Leaning in, she immediately bites back a sigh. Nope, Jay is sound asleep tonight, snoring peacefully. No late-night sketching or reading, just a messy-haired dork wrapped around his pillow like he's strangling it in his sleep.
Nya feels a tiny, amused smile pull at her lips. She immediately flushes, looking away. Jay's asleep, obviously, and she's half a minute away from looking like some creep who's spying on him.
Another rumble of thunder echoes through the ship. Nya pauses, glancing over the room. It's odd that Lloyd hasn't woken up to the noise yet. He's proven to be a light sleeper at best, prone to waking up at the slightest-
Nya blinks. They've yet to get an actual bed for Lloyd, so he's been sleeping on a mattress for now, which is sometimes hard to pick out in the dark, but - it's very noticeably empty.
Nya's heart rate kicks up, just a bit.
She backs out of the room before she can wake the guys up, her mind working. It's probably nothing - maybe he just went to the bathroom, or he's getting a drink of water, or something.
Or he's been captured by Pythor again, or Garmadon changed his mind about his destiny, and-
This kid is gonna be the death of her, Nya thinks, as she picks up the pace.
Okay, relax, she tells herself. There's no way anyone got on board - her sensors would've caught them, and even if they got past those, Lloyd is literally surrounded by the guys, and they would've noticed if someone had come in like that.
Lloyd definitely isn't one to go anywhere quietly, either.
But there's no one in the kitchen, and the bathrooms are empty, too. Nya's feeling a little less confident now.
Where would she go, if she were a conniving little brat set on causing trouble-
Nya heads to the control room almost on autopilot. She can pull up visuals on every room from there, so if anything's happened, she can find out quick-
Nya screeches to a halt, blinking in disbelief. The lights on the Bounty deck are dim as they're battered by the wind, and it's harder than usual to see out the window. But down below, just out on the deck, Nya can spot a tiny figure, his arms slung casually over the railing.
The Bounty pitches to the side again, thunder rattling the ship, and Nya is shaken from her stupor abruptly.
She throws herself toward the deck doors, yanking them open with a bang.
"Lloyd!" she hollers, bracing herself against the wind before sprinting out into the howling gale. "Lloyd!"
Lloyd turns to her as she reaches him, looking utterly at ease. "Hey Ny- agh, hey!"
"What on earth are you doing out here?" she hisses, hauling him back from the edge. "Do you even know how dangerous it is up here-!"
"I was just watching the storm, geez!" Lloyd huffs, squirming in her hold. "I wasn't doing anything bad!"
"You -" Nya takes a deep breath through her nose, her eyes closing briefly. Terrible, horrible, brat.
"Didn't anyone tell you not to be out here during storms?" she finally says.
Lloyd glares at her. "The guys do it!"
Nya bites her tongue briefly. "The guys are trained ninja," she says. And often very stupid, she doesn't add. "You are like, fifty pounds of a spiteful little corgi just waiting to get swept over the railing."
"Fifty pounds of what?" Lloyd blinks.
"Just - ugh, forget it," Nya huffs, too tired to beat the lesson in right now. "Why are you even out here? Aren't you scared of the storm?"
"I'm not scared of storms," Lloyd says, as if she's insulted him. "I'm the son of the dark lord, I don't get scared of dumb stuff like that."
"Obviously," Nya rolls her eyes. "Why are you out here, then? At-" she glances at her wrist. Oh, yikes. "Two a.m.?"
Lloyd shifts from foot to foot, looking anywhere but at her. "No reason," he says, unconvincingly.
Nya narrows her eyes. "That's not even a good lie."
Lloyd grows haughty. "Why do you even care, anyways?" he says, snappishly. "S'not like I was doing anything bad this time."
Nya blinks. Lloyd is bratty at his best, often, but…really?
"C'mon, Lloyd," she finally sighs, leaning back against the mast wearily. "It's just me. You know I care. And you don't have to…be all stoic, or whatever, either. I have the other guys for that."
"I don't even know what stoic means," Lloyd mutters. He sneaks a glance at her, his jaw working, before deflating a bit.
"Fine," he relents, if reluctantly. "I…sortahadanightmare."
Nya squints. "Words, Lloyd."
"I had a nightmare," Lloyd snaps, turning red. "Okay? Go ahead and laugh."
Nya watches the way he curls in on himself, as if bracing for mockery. "I'm not gonna tease you for that," she says, as a streak of lightning illuminates their faces, briefly turning Lloyd's hair white. "After everything you've been through, I'd be surprised if you didn't."
Lloyd says nothing, just folds his arms a little tighter around himself.
"We all get nightmares, you know," she says, softly. "It's kind of a normal thing, with us."
Lloyd glares at her suspiciously. "Even you?"
"Especially me," she admits, a little awkwardly. "I used to turn all the lights in the house on and wake Kai up when I did, so I wouldn't be as scared. Now I just work on machines."
"You are just like Kai," Lloyd mumbles to himself.
"You wanna…tell me what it was about?" Nya says. She rolls her eyes at the look on Lloyd's face. "Serious. It helps sometimes, you know? Like, Kai had a dream about elves one time, and he was terrified until he said it out loud. Then he realized how ridiculous it was."
Lloyd giggles in spite of himself. "Elves?" he cackles. "Like, Christmas elves?"
"I don't know," Nya sighs, shaking her head. "I don't understand half of what goes on in his head." She nudges Lloyd. "Wanna try and make sense of yours, though?"
Lloyd looks away, then gives a very deep, very dramatic sigh. "Fine," he mumbles, scuffing a bare foot against the deck. "I, um…I don't remember a lot. There was…a lot of purple, and stuff? Purple and black, like smoke."
Nya frowns, but makes a "go on" gesture with her hands.
Lloyd flushes. "I dunno," he mutters. "There were these people, too, but they weren't - they weren't like normal people, they looked a little like…a little like…"
He trails off, the color seeping from his face a bit. Another flash of lightning streaks overhead, lighting up the red of his eyes, giving them a brief, almost glowing appearance.
"Like what?" Nya prompts.
Lloyd shakes his head. "Nothing," he says. "I don't remember."
It's another lie, and an obvious one, but Lloyd looks resolute on it, so Nya lets it slide.
"So…scary purple shadow people, huh?"
Lloyd wrinkles his nose. "It sounds dumb when you say it like that," he scowls.
"That's the point," Nya grins. Lloyd puffs his cheeks out indignantly. The expression fades as he looks back out at the storm, chewing on his lip.
"They were fighting something," Lloyd says, quietly. "It looked like it had wings."
"Did you see what it was?"
Lloyd shakes his head, going paler. "There wasn't enough left."
Nya feels a chill creep down her spine. Graphic nightmares are normal for kids who have less-than-great childhoods, right?
"So does, um, being out here help?" Nya says, finally. "Fresh air, clear your head, and stuff?"
"Yeah," Lloyd mutters. "I don't think about it as much. My dad said storms make him feel better sometimes too, so I kinda, uh, just…was thinking of him." Lloyd looks down, his face crumpling even further. Nya feels her heart twist.
"Lloyd…"
He looks up, his expression lightening as thunder cracks again. "I also really do like them too," he tells her, toeing a circle on the deck. "All the thunder and lightning and wind and stuff - it's cool."
Nya softens, her stance relaxing. The air grows cooler, and there's a soft patter of something hitting the deck around them, that quickly grows into a quiet rushing.
"And the rain!" Lloyd says, his eyes lighting up. "There it is!"
Nya feels a wave of calm as the smell of rain floods her, the droplets soft and cool where they speckle against her skin. It's a light, misting kind of rain, and she tilts her head back, letting it wash over her. Lloyd leans his own head back, trying to catch droplets on his tongue. Nya gives a huff of laughter, letting the rain slide through her fingers.
She blinks, the world a little clearer than before.
"C'mon," she finally says, gesturing at Lloyd. "Time to head in."
"Aw," Lloyd says, but he complies, just beginning to shiver in the cold downpour. Nya ushers them both into the control room, dripping rainwater everywhere. She frowns, debating whether or not it'll dry before anyone wakes up.
Maybe…?
Well, first things first, she tells herself. "Alright, you got your fresh air," she gives Lloyd a pointed look. "Back to bed. It's way too late."
Lloyd makes a face. "What if…I didn't?"
Nya glares at him. Lloyd glares back, before his expression melts into a pleading one. "Please? Just five more minutes? You can show me more stuff about flying the Bounty!"
Nya folds her arms. It's almost three in the morning. Lloyd's bedtime was hours ago. He's going to be the grumpiest demon spawn from hell in the morning, she can already see it.
…well, they have twenty minutes until three am. That's…time.
"Fine," she grumbles, as Lloyd whoops. "Hush! You just can't tell your uncle. Or Kai. Or anyone else, okay?"
Lloyd draws a finger across his lips. "Not a word," he promises.
"Alright," Nya says, tugging him over to the controls. "We're both gonna hate ourselves tomorrow, y'know."
"You are," Lloyd says, as he wraps his hands around the wheel. "I'm a creature of the night. A vigilante of the dark, a ghost in the shadows-"
"Okay, Mr. Big Shot," Nya snickers, guiding Lloyd back on course. "How about you try not to turn us all into ghosts, and show me how you make a smooth turn."
"You got it, captain!" Lloyd says cheerfully, turning the wheel. Nya watches the rain glide by as the ship tilts, slowly but surely. He's getting pretty good at it, she notes proudly. For a little demon spawn, but still.
"Okay, now let's-" Nya stops abruptly, her eyes catching on the monitor screens. "Um, hey, Lloyd, can you just…hang on a sec? Here, watch the sensors."
Locking the ship on autopilot again, she gently shoves him over to the flashing panels, ignoring his sputtering protest as he stares at the blinking lights in confusion. There's not much harm he can do anyways, Nya's locked the controls for the night. The worst he could do would be to set off the alarms or something, which, annoying as it would be, would also be funny.
Nya leans against the edge of the hallway, peering around the corner. Sure enough, Sensei Wu is standing in front of one of the windows, his back silhouetted by the flashing lightning. Nya shifts, glancing guiltily back at Lloyd.
"It's alright, Nya."
She jumps about a foot in the air at his quiet voice, barely choking back a shriek.
"Sensei Wu!" she whispers loudly, glancing back at Lloyd. He's utterly engrossed at the window, his eyes wide on the storm blowing outside. Nya carefully slips down the hallway, keeping a carefully respectful distance between herself and Sensei Wu.
"Um, I didn't mean to…Lloyd was already up, I swear."
Wu gives her a glance over his shoulder, his expression light. "Like I said, it is alright," he says. "I am glad Lloyd has someone to watch over him after nightmares." He turns back to the window, but Nya catches a flash of emotion in his eyes as he does, something deep.
Something painful.
"I, too, have trouble sleeping on nights like this," he says, quietly.
Nya bites her lip, wincing as lightning briefly blinds her as it streaks nearby. She can hear Lloyd's awe-struck laughter from the control room.
Sensei Wu turns his head again, half-smiling. "Fortunately, some of us have better memories associated with storms," he says. He glances briefly at the gold lettering stitched across his gi. "I hope it remains that way."
RIP In Pieces Pythor Group Chat
Nya: so like
Nya: i'm happy we won and all
Nya: but
Nya: does this feel too easy to you?
Kai: dont u jinx this nya i swear
Lloyd doesn't really hate himself in the morning, like Nya said, but gosh, he's exhausted. Almost as tired as he'd get back on the streets, when he'd skip sleeping a night or two because he couldn't find anywhere good to crash. He's not that tired, though, and it's not why he's so grumpy, like Jay keeps accusing him of.
He's grumpy because his dumb uncle is trying to ruin his life.
"You're kidding me!" Lloyd yelps, indignant. "No way am I missing this!"
"Lloyd." His uncle massages his forehead, looking weary as Cole tries to juggle the Fangblades behind him. "It's not safe. Torchfire Mountain is highly dangerous, even at a distance, and you already had one close call with a volcano like that. You will stay below deck, where you're safe."
"But the Fangblades…" Lloyd whines, watching the others clamber out the deck in jealousy.
"It will hardly be anything spectacular," Uncle Wu says wryly. "Nothing more exciting than what you've already lived through, I'm sure."
Lloyd groans, pulling the collar of his gi up over his face. All this trouble and he doesn't even get to see their moment of victory? This sucks.
"We've still got a ways to go," Uncle Wu says, lightly. "Why don't you go below deck and try to practice training a little?"
Lloyd perks up at that.
"Can I use the dummies and stuff?"
"I suppose," Sensei Wu says, his attention now completely on the ninja. "Just stay below, and we'll come get you when it's safe."
He leaves, chasing the other ninja out to the deck and calling something about "Jay, please be careful with the Fangblades so close to Kai's head". Lloyd watches him go, sighing as his shoulders slump.
He never gets to do anything fun.
Lloyd mopes his way down to the training room, tugging listlessly at the sleeve of his gi. He doesn't like being alone anymore - it gives him too much time to think. Which wouldn't be so awful, except all Lloyd ends up thinking about is his dad, and how much he misses him now-
Lloyd blinks furiously. He turns his thoughts back to the ninja instead, resentfully. It's just not fair. Why does he always get left behind? He's not just some baggage.
Lloyd falters, worrying at his lip with his teeth. Is…he? He's the Green Ninja, but he hasn't really done much with that yet, has he? All he has right now is a title and a fancy gi that's too big for him.
Lloyd makes a face, slipping into the training room and punching half-heartedly at one of the hanging bags. He's been kinda useful - he saved them all from the Serpentine yesterday, didn't he? He made it all the way into the mountain, and-
Well. Lloyd's eyebrows knit together, and he starts punching a little harder. Really, it was his dad who did the saving, wasn't it. And even though the ninja had been happy enough to see him at first, he'd gotten so many lectures when he'd gotten back, and Nya had been disappointed in him, and Kai had said he'd better not get himself into more danger again, and-
Oh no. He is just baggage, isn't he.
Frustration bubbles up in Lloyd's throat. It's just like stupid Darkley's all over again, except Gene's in his head now instead of leering over him, telling him how dumb loser Garmadork can't do anything right, we always gotta be looking out for him, ugh, why'd we end up with him on our team-
Lloyd grits his teeth. He's not gonna let that happen again. He's not gonna be the weak link this time, he's not gonna be the outcast this time, he's not, he's not, he's not-
Oh ouch, ouch ouch ouch-
Lloyd yelps, hopping away from the training dummy and clutching his hand. He stares at his right hand in dismay, where his knuckles are turning a dark purple. Aw, really? He wasn't even hitting it that hard!
Lloyd hisses, shaking his hand out. Whatever. It doesn't hurt that much - sons of the dark lord don't get upset about little things like that.
"Not a crybaby," he mutters to himself, fiercely. And he doesn't quit, like some loser. Gene can shut up and go jump in a lake. Lloyd isn't just Garmadork anymore.
Determined, Lloyd flips the switch to the training arena, watching the dummies shoot up and start spinning. He pulls the hood of his gi up, wrinkling his nose as the fabric slips lower over his face.
Stupid too-big ninja gi.
Shaking his head, Lloyd strikes a pose he's seen Kai make, beckoning to the dummies. "Serpentine!" he calls, narrowing his eyes. "It's time I Spinjitzu you back into the filthy hole you came from."
Lloyd springs forward, kicking and spinning at the dummies. Ha - this is way more fun when he can pretend he's in a Fritz Donnegan movie instead of just training, beating up the treacherous snakes of the Serpentine Empire. Or that he's just getting some well-deserved revenge. That kick is for wrecking his tree house. This punch is for catapulting him into the snow. That kick is for locking him in a cage. This punch is for trying to throw him in the lava.
He jumps up, trying to pull himself into the fancy spins the others do. "Ninja-go!"
Oops - ouch, again?! Lloyd rubs his head, glaring at the dummy he'd bounced off of. Why can't he do Spinjitzu, like the other ninja? He kicks at the dummy, making a face at it as the overhead lights flash off of-
The glint of purple scales, sharp teeth and slitted eyes.
Lloyd's eyes goes wide, his heart jumping up to his throat. No way-
Familiar laughter echoes through the room, the sound of scales rustling across the floor loud in his ears. Lloyd scrambles back frantically - he can't see him yet, but he's there, he knows he is-
Lloyd's mouth goes as dry as the desert. He blinks rapidly, as if that'll make Pythor disappear. Because he can't be here, he can't, this only happens in his nightmares, this is supposed to be a safe place-
Scaled hands wrap around his neck, lifting him off the ground, and Lloyd yelps.
"You alwaysss were a boy who chased stupid dreams," Pythor hisses, eyes glinting in the flashing lightning.
"Pythor!" Lloyd claws furiously at him, kicking his legs out stubbornly. "H-how did you - mph - get on board?!"
"You think I would allow the ninja to sssteal the Fangblades from me?" Pythor smirks, slithering forward as he pushes Lloyd back, back, until he hits one of the hanging punching bags.
Lloyd struggles viciously, fighting back fear as Pythor yanks his arms behind him, back around the punching bag until they hurt. Oh- he's tying him up again, wait, no!
"You'll never get away with this!" Lloyd hollers, kicking savagely at him. Pythor finishes tying his hands, then-
Hey! Lloyd tries to yell, as Pythor plasters tape across his mouth. That's just low.
"I wouldn't worry about that," Pythor snickers, unfazed by Lloyd's muffled threats. "As they say, out of sssight-" Pythor gives a last, mocking push to the punching bag, leaving Lloyd swinging helplessly as he slithers out of the room. "-out of mind."
The door swings shut with an ominous click.
Lloyd panics. It's like his stomach has hundreds of tiny snakes in it, all twisting around and making him sick. Pythor's on board, and the ninja have no idea. He's gonna sneak up on them and ruin everything, and then he'll steal the Fangblades back from them and Pythor will win and-
Lloyd screws his eyes up, fighting back tears. It is just like Darkley's. He's the weak link again, the loser. He couldn't even stop Pythor, and now Kai and Nya and everyone are gonna get hurt-
No. Lloyd scrunches his face up, sniffing furiously. He can't lose them. He can't let Pythor win. His dad is gonna be so disappointed if he learns Lloyd gave up just because of one dumb snake.
Lloyd twists his wrists together, pulling and wrenching as he tries to yank them free. There's no budge, and all it does is make him slip lower and his arms hurt-
Oh. The punching bag isn't attached to the floor. He can just slip off!
Wriggling furiously, Lloyd works his way dow, slipping lower and lower until - there! He drops free of the punching bag, arms still tied tightly behind him - but who cares, he can move. He sprints forward, tripping slightly as he tries to knock the tape free. He makes it to the intercom just as it loosens enough to peel away from his mouth. High on victory, Lloyd smashes his head against the button, yelling wildly.
"Pythor's on board! Pythor's on board!"
Satisfied with his warning, Lloyd kicks the door open, hot on Pythor's tail.
He's gotta find Nya.
Nya changed the chat name to CHOKE, PYTHOR
Nya: kai get off the deck
Nya: pythor's onboard
Nya: KAI GET OFF THE DECK
Kai had known darn well that walking out on a tiny, fragile plank over the middle of a smoking volcano to drop the Fangblades in instead of just chucking them off the side probably wasn't going to end well.
He just hadn't expected it to go this badly.
Like, somebody tripping and falling, maybe, but Pythor sabotaging the ship so badly that they all end up dangling over the volcano, while he runs away with the Fangblades? Not so much.
The ship tilts dangerously again, busted engine smoking as Nya doubtlessly tries to get it under control. Kai tries very hard not to look down at the bubbling lava (again? seriously?!) beneath them, instead focusing his gaze on Sensei Wu where he dangles at the end of their chain, holding tightly to Cole. Kai tightens his own hold on Jay's leg as they slip further, wincing at the pull on his legs. Laughter echoes around them, and Kai curses as Pythor slithers away. If he wasn't so preoccupied keeping them all from falling to a fiery death with nothing but his legs-
Ugh. Kai blinks away the sweat that's dripping down into his eyes. This is why Cole always needs to be the end of the chain. Not that Kai's weak or anything, but they're all - Kai grimaces as they slip further - really heavy together.
He spares the barest of thanks that Pythor didn't take the chance to shove them all into the lava when he could've. Not that it matters now, of course. He's getting away with the Fangblades, and Kai can't do anything to stop him because he's too busy holding his entire team by Jay's leg-
A voice pipes up from the deck. "Where do you think you're going?"
Oh good, Kai thinks, as the blood starts draining to his head. Lloyd can stop him.
Wait - Lloyd is alone up there. He's facing Pythor on his own. That's - that's not good. Kai strains, trying to haul Jay higher. He's forced to relent with a gasp, panting as his arms burn. Curses.
"Little cliche, don't you think?" Pythor sounds amused. Kai hopes someone punches him in the teeth.
Lloyd just sounds confused. "Uh, cliche?"
"This is gold," Jay wheezes below him. "They're gonna argue about word choice while we fall to our deaths. Classic!"
"Stop - moving - so - much-" Kai grits, his legs screaming at him. His teammates seriously need to drop some weight.
"Oh, I wouldn't expect a child to understand." Pythor's voice is as dry as Kai's throat.
"H-hey, I've grown up a lot!" Lloyd protests indignantly. Kai hears scuffling footsteps, then Lloyd's squeaky-voiced battle cry.
Oh no. Kai struggles harder. He has to get up there now, Pythor's gonna - he's gonna-
Passive aggressively evaluate Lloyd's attack?
"Hm, puny strength. No fundamentals. Sloppy footwork," Pythor critiques. Kai fumes, even though he can easily picture what he's describing. "You think you can defeat me?"
No, Kai mentally wails. No, just duck and cover somewhere safe Lloyd, get away from him-
Lloyd sounds surprisingly unfazed. "I'm not trying to defeat you," he says, smugly. "I'm just tryin' to keep you busy until the calvary arrives."
The now-familiar whine of the Samurai X mech echoes across the deck, rattling the ship as it lands. Some of the tension leaves Kai's shoulders with a wave of relief, and Jay yelps as he relaxes his hold just the slightest bit.
Nya really is the best, sometimes.
Kai cranes his head around, just barely able to see where Nya is stomping menacingly toward Pythor, who's slithering back cautiously. A tiny figure in green blocks Pythor's escape, bo staff in hand.
Ha, Kai thinks, blinking more sweat from his eyes. Not so tough now, is he.
He watches Pythor tremble in fear as Samurai X clanks closer, forcing him toward a corner. Pythor makes to turn and flee, Fangblades clutched tightly to his chest.
Lloyd sees his chance first. He hops up and with a solid, round-house kick, sends Pythor flying against the side of the ship with a pained oof.
Kai has never been so proud of a demon spawn in his life.
"Woah - I hit him!" Lloyd cries, thrilled. "I hit him, guys!"
Kai wants to call back like the disgustingly proud big brother he is, but he's forced to turn his attention back to his hold on Jay as the battle above them rattles the deck, sending Kai slipping further.
"Stop moving around up there!" Cole hollers, probably almost as bad off as Kai, close to the heat of the volcano as he is.
Nya's shout of frustration echoes from the deck, and Kai's heart sinks as he hears Pythor's gloating laughter. "As much as I would like to play with your toys, I have a ride to catch!"
"No!" Lloyd cries out.
Kai can just hear the whir of a helicopter as it catches Pythor, who leers at them as he's flown off. "So long, suckers!"
Kai's heart is in his throat. No, no, he's getting away-
The Bounty shudders again, and Kai bites back a yelp as his hold suddenly slips further.
"Don't let go!" Jay cries, sounding strained.
"You think I don't know that?!" Kai grits out, his knuckles bloodless from how tight his hold is. If he can just get a better grip with his legs, then maybe-
Oh no. There's a horrible sliding sensation, and then-
The strain on Kai's legs abruptly lifts, and his stomach drops as they plummet toward the volcano. His scream mixes with the others', arms flailing wildly as the heat suddenly turns hot-
He crashes into solid metal, and Zane snatches his arm before he can slip off the side of the mech. Nya's face is white where she pilots Samurai X, but she gives a whoop of victory, everyone safe and accounted for where they clutch at the sides.
Kai guesses she's probably pretty happy she went with reinforcing the boosters instead of the cannons she was talking about.
"I don't think I've ever been more glad to see you!" Jay says, his voice drenched in relief.
"I feel the same," Nya says, breathlessly. The mech whines as she flies them back toward the deck of the Bounty. "C'mon, he's getting away!"
Lloyd is waiting for them when they land, his eyes wide. A flash of relief crosses his face as he catches sight of them, running up to meet the mech as it clanks down on the deck. Kai happily notes that he doesn't seem to have any bruises or other Pythor-inflicted injuries, having come out of this fight unharmed. Thank FSM.
"He took a helicopter down!" Lloyd says urgently, pointing out over the railing. "I think he's hi-jacking a train!"
"A what-"
"Look, there!" Jay yelps, as they all crane over the side. Sure enough, Pythor's helicopter is landing near one of the civilian speed trains, far too close to it to mean anything good.
"Lloyd, please fetch the Golden Weapons," Sensei Wu says, his voice impossibly calm. Lloyd nods determinedly, running off.
Kai looks at his sensei. "We're going after him, right?" he asks, fighting back the jittery panic closing in on him.
Sensei Wu nods, his eyes darkening. "Pythor has caused enough harm," he says. "We are ending this here and now."
"Alright," Cole says. "It's about time for some proper payback."
The cabin door slams open, and Lloyd totters out, struggling to lift the heavy case in his hands. Despite himself, Kai bites back an amused grin as he stumbles over the stairs, making it two steps down before finally deciding to simply toss the case down, the weapons inside clanking loudly.
"We must hurry," Sensei Wu says, carefully climbing aboard his spot on the Samurai X mech. "If Pythor returns the Fangblades to the lost city of Ouroboros, he'll awaken the Great Devourer."
"We're not gonna let that happen," Nya says fiercely, making a fist with the mech. Kai feels a flash of pride. It's odd to think how horrified he would have been at the thought of Nya fighting beside him, not too long ago. Now, he's just fiercely glad to have her at his side.
"W-what about me?" Lloyd pants, still struggling with the weapons case. Cole finally takes pity on him, leaning down to help him carry the case the rest of the way.
"We need someone to stay with the Bounty," Kai says, with a reluctant glance at Nya. And you're much safer out of the way here, he doesn't add.
"But did you see me kick him in the face?" Lloyd says, enthusiastically. "I'm an asset. I kicked butt! And face."
Kai fights back a grin, resisting the urge to ruffle Lloyd's hair. "Patience, kid," he says. "You're too important, now that you're the chosen one."
Sensei Wu raises an eyebrow at him. "Patience, hm? I see the student has become the teacher."
Kai flushes at the hint of pride in his voice. He's just looking out for Lloyd, that's all.
Lloyd flips the case open, his eyes sparkling at the Golden Weapons. Kai reaches for the Fire Sword as the others grab their own weapons, relishing the familiar pulse of power beneath his fingers, the comforting hum of the fire in his blood.
"What do you say we play a little catch up?" Jay says, his eyes already crackling blue.
"It's my favorite game," Cole says with a vicious grin, twirling his scythe in a deadly arc.
Kai just tightens his hold on the Fire Sword, feeling his power spark to life beneath his fingers. They're gonna stop him, he tells himself, even as his insides crawl with anxiety. It's them - they're unbeatable together.
And then he's gonna knock every last one of Pythor's teeth out.
CHOKE, PYTHOR Group Chat
Kai: well that went just great
Kai: can we die yet
Nya: stupid, stupid, stupid snakes
Nya: my MECH
Nya: kill them ALL
Kai: i cant believe he just left us
Kai: nya how are we gonna get to wu
Nya: hold on
Nya: give lloyd a sec to catch up with the bounty
Kai: wait
Kai: wait what?
Kai: you said WHO'S flying the ship?
Nya: just don't think about it
Nya: we've got this
Sensei Wu cut their train car off. Of course he did.
Nya fumes. It's not entirely unexpected, that he'd jet off to take on Pythor by himself and leave them behind on a busted train, but with the stakes this high - surely, he'd want all the help he could get? They're not just liabilities. Pythor is no bigger risk than anything else they've fought.
"This is really boring," Nya mutters, pushing uselessly at a busted lever in the mech, listening as it squeaks side to side. Sloppy workmanship there, Nya, she grumbles at herself.
The guys are all slumped in various positions on their half of the train car, looking just as hopelessly bored. Cole is tapping out a beat that sounds like one of his father's songs with his fingers, humming "glimmer, glimmer" under his breath as he does. Jay is pulling bits of the train seat apart in his fingers, slowly shredding the fabric to pieces as he bounces his leg relentlessly against the floor. Kai looks like he's two seconds from either collapsing in despair or running after Sensei Wu himself, and he's gotten stuck trying to decide between the two. Zane appears the only truly calm one of them all, sitting utterly still on the edge of the car, but his expression says otherwise.
This is stupid, Nya seethes. What's the point of having them all as a team if Wu is just going to leave them stranded here for the big battle finale? Now they won't even know who wins.
They'll probably figure it out pretty fast if the Devourer suddenly pops up and eats them all, Nya thinks dully.
Kai makes a noise of frustration. "Y'know what, forget this, I'm-"
He freezes. The others stiffen as well, listening to the approaching sound from above them. It sounds just a bit like-
The Bounty streaks into view, the anchor already dropping toward them as it races forward. Nya's face splits into an enormous grin.
"Lloyd!"
The cry of joy is echoed by everyone, only reinforced as the anchor hits home, hooking onto the train and pulling them forward with a sudden, creaking jerk.
"Hook, line and sinker!" Lloyd calls over the radio, sounding positively gleeful. Nya whoops, grabbing onto the chain for support as the train car is lifted up, dragged forward at increasing speeds as Lloyd guns the booster rockets.
"That's my kid," she grins up at the ship. Her little demon spawn, flying the ship like a natural.
"To Ouroboros as fast as you can!" Kai calls up, coming back to life like a gasoline-fed flame.
"Aye-aye, captain!" Lloyd calls back, tilting the ship into a smooth turn as they race across the desert, the city growing nearer and nearer into view. Cole latches onto Zane with a yelp as the train is dragged higher, leaving them dangling over the ground. Kai and Jay seem much more comfortable in the air, their eyes narrowed on the approaching city.
Nya's cheer dips into churning anxiety the closer they get. The air is changing around them, turning colder where the wind beats against them. It feels like entire world is holding it's breath, an ominous sense of dread pressing down on them.
Nya glances up, her eyes wide. The sky has grown overcast in a matter of seconds, dark clouds swirling as the desert turns a foreboding grey. The wind picks up, howling against her ears and biting into her skin even in the Samurai X mech.
Something's happening, and she's not dumb enough to hope it's anything good.
Kai's eyes are glued to the city, his face set in grim determination. "Okay Lloyd, put us down right after that truck!" he calls.
The engines whine as the ship slows, bringing their ride closer and closer to the ground. Nya feels another brief flash of pride for Lloyd, before it's quickly dashed by adrenaline as she jumps from the train car, landing hard on the ground in the mech.
The others quickly hop down around her, immediately breaking into a sprint toward the city. The anchor chain rattles, and Nya glances back. Her heart seizes up as she sees a flash of green sprint after them.
"Wait up, guys!" Lloyd calls, as he closes the distance between them startlingly fast. Nya wants to yell at him to stay back on the ship, where it's safe-
But if the Devourer is released, is anywhere safe?
Lloyd finally reaches them, keeping their pace surprisingly well. His eyes are wide, but he looks stubbornly determined as he trails behind Kai. Nya bites her lip. It's better to have him near, she decides.
She doesn't have the heart to make him wait this one out alone on the ship, anyways.
They make it to the first stone structures of the city just as the sky above them turns a sickly green, the clouds swirling at the city center cast in an unearthly glow. The ground shakes beneath them, sending them stumbling briefly. Jay gives a strangled yelp as he crashes into Cole, who is quick to pick him up and drag him forward into the winding city.
"Zane!" Cole barks, his voice strained in fear. "Which way?"
"This way!" Zane orders, taking a sharp left as he leads them around a cracking wall. The others follow unquestioning, faces white as the earth shudders under their feet, growing worse as they near the city center. Nya can hear voices growing louder as they run, echoing through the empty, crumbling city.
"-underneath us!" Pythor's voice rings out loudly, the terror a stark contrast to his gloating from earlier. Zane and Kai lead the way as they crest a mound of sand, finally reaching the middle of the city. Nya can't help her gasp as the full extent of the horror comes to view.
Wu is holding a struggling Pythor at the edge of the swirling ouroboros, now lit with toxic green flames. He's seemingly heedless of the ground crumbling around them, the giant snake statue already in ruins. The mech clanks as Nya slows with the others, their footsteps faltering as the ground opens up in front of them.
Kai staggers to a halt, his eyes wide. "Hold on!" Nya's stomach drops. Kai sounds scared. Her big brother is terrified, that's not supposed to happen- "There's a creature underground!"
The ground shudders, earth and stone falling away into the growing pit. There's something down there Nya can see now, a vast, dark shape that writhes around a pair of burning spheres - no, they're eyes. Two huge, glowing red eyes, that remind her terribly of Garmadon's-
Lloyd cries out in fear, stumbling back, and Nya's eternally grateful to Cole as he pulls him up, clutching him close against his side. She watches as Cole and Kai exchange terrified glances, before looking to Jay and Zane.
What do we do, they're asking. Nya swallows. What can they do, it's too late-
"Ninja!" Sensei Wu's voice cuts across the sounds of destruction and terror, the calm in his voice as loud as thunder. "You must do everything in your power to stop the Great Devourer," he says. Nya feels her heart sink all the way to the bottom of her stomach at his tone.
She knows what that kind of voice means.
"Go ninja," he orders, eyes blazing as he holds Pythor back. "Go."
Cole sucks in a sharp breath, and Jay gives a gasp of horror.
Kai's voice is heartbroken. "No, Sensei-" he whispers, one hand outstretched, as if he can stop it from happening. As if he can stop them from losing again.
The Great Devourer bursts from the ground, sand and dirt exploding everywhere as hundreds of yards of glimmering scales shine in the green fire that rains around them, its massive form stretching high up above them. Teeth bigger than Nya glint as the Devourer roars its fury to the world, rattling her very bones. Nya screams as the sound, and the others stumble back in terror as the massive snake flails above them.
Wu's eyes go hard. Pythor screams.
Zane grabs Kai, his eyes agonized as he holds his brother back. Cole has already grabbed hold of Lloyd, turning him away and pressing his face against his gi. Lloyd struggles wildly, yelling.
"No, no, lemme see- Uncle Wu!"
Nya can't bury her own face in Kai's shoulder, trapped in the mech as she is. All she can do is watch in open-mouthed horror as the snake - oh FSM, it's so big - rears its head, teeth glinting sharp-
And swallows their sensei whole.