CHAPTER SEVEN
BACK TO THE FUTURE

TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK

THE WORD FINAL MEANS THE END. No do-overs, no going back, no rewriting history. The Final Battle, now sometimes referred to as the Ultimate Battle by the Ninjago media — as if it were a fight like no other — was the fight that would end all fights. For Ninjago, it meant the end of darkness, the bringing of light, the ending to the Age of the Ninja. For Hiro, it meant the end of his prison of darkness, the final goodbye to his father, a spirit of pure evil and chaos. Endings seemed to have many meanings in Ninjago — what Hiro defined as the end did not mean the same to many of the citizens of the land. And as Wu had told him only weeks prior, endings aren't set in stone.

Hiro supposed he was right. Endings aren't set in stone. Destiny was constantly changing her mind, finding new ways to screw people over.

He wondered if Wu hated being right all the time.

Hiro had adjusted to many things over the past few weeks. There was the fact that Wu had bought a school named Darkley's and renamed it to Master Wu's Academy; then for about two weeks, Hiro got used to being the guy that a lot of the kids ran to for bedtime stories, or for questions about The Overlord ("You being his son and all," Brad had once said, loud enough for Lloyd to throw Hiro a worried look from across the room, as if worried that Hiro was about to punch a child. Hiro had sat down with Brad and told him about The Overlord anyway, not faulting him for his insensitivity, considering his parents had abandoned him at Darkley's, after all), or even if they were being bullied by other students. Somehow, Hiro had become the one the students came to if they were having issues.

Then he became Lloyd's "adventure buddy" (Jay's words, not anyone else's), leaving Master Wu's Academy — much to the chagrin of many of the students — to travel with Lloyd all around Ninjago, watching his friend accept awards and be praised for saving the city.

There were many things in his new life that Hiro had gotten used to.

Flying was never going to be one of them.

Hiro buried his face into the back of Lloyd's shoulder, arms wrapped around the Golden Ninja's waist as the familiar feeling of weightlessness made his stomach twist into knots. Lloyd chuckled; Hiro could feel the vibrations of his laugh more than he could hear it. "Alright back there?" Lloyd called, voice tinged with barely-concealed amusement.

"Fuck you," Hiro said back, moving his head to rest his chin on Lloyd's shoulder so Lloyd could hear him more clearly. He still kept his eyes shut tight, not wanting to accidently look down. The golden dragon they rode on was made of energy, and most of it was actually see-through, which was a terrifying realization the first time Hiro and Lloyd had ridden on it. He'd almost backed out of being Lloyd's traveling buddy at that point, too scared about Lloyd losing focus and both of them falling to their deaths.

Lloyd tasked. "Now what would Sensei say about that type of language?" he teased. Hiro scoffed.

"Doesn't matter because I don't listen to him," he retorted. Lloyd laughed, making his dragon fly faster. They were going to be late to the museum, after all. "I don't get why you're getting another award from them," Hiro added. "You've already gotten two from the museum. I think they just like showing you off."

"Of course they do, my existence is very profitable," Lloyd agreed. Hiro smiled, rolling his eyes fondly.

They'd just taken off from the school again, having said goodbye to the students and staff (which consisted of the Ninja, Nya, and Wu — Misako and Garmadon had opened their own school last week. Hiro thought to ask Lloyd if they were going to visit, as Lloyd hadn't seen either of his parents since the day of the Final Battle, but he figured it was best not to bring it up). They'd only been on the grounds for a few hours before Lloyd's presence was once again requested at the Ninjago Museum of History, and even though Hiro was tired from their last journey — seriously, a week of accepting praise and awards? How did Lloyd not let it get to his head? — he'd still been packed and ready to leave an hour before Lloyd.

As they soared through the sky, just barely above the buildings — Lloyd always flew them over the skyscrapers, but even he seemed nervous about going as high as Borg Tower, which rested in the spot of The Overlord's final resting place, towering above the city like a beacon of light — Hiro managed to open his eyes. He kept his gaze on the skyline in front of him, willing himself not to look down. New Ninjago City could be a beautiful place, especially under the evening sky, but Hiro could really only appreciate the beauty when his feet were on something solid and there was less of a chance of him falling to his death.

The wind made his eyes feel dry and his nose cold. He shifted. "How much longer?" he complained.

Lloyd shook his head. "Are you going to ask me that everytime we go to the museum? The answer doesn't change. There isn't any traffic to run into."

Hiro would have flicked him if he wasn't worried about Lloyd getting distracted. "I'm going to keep asking until you're annoyed enough to decline their invitations." Lloyd stayed quiet, but Hiro could tell he was grinning. "Do you think the students will be good on their field trip?" he asked, remembering that he and Lloyd were missing out on the academy's field trip to Borg Tower, which had been a request in the works since the tower had opened, and the first trip in general for the school. He didn't recall anyone but Nya being excited about it.

Lloyd snorted. "Knowing Brad and Gene? Hardly."

"They aren't that bad," Hiro defended. "I think that group of girls is way worse. What are they calling themselves? The Pink Parrots?"

"They're harmless," Lloyd argued. "A little gossipy, but overall they're okay. Brad and Gene are nightmares."

"Maybe they just like me better," Hiro boasted.

"Who wouldn't?" Lloyd teased. Hiro looked away, a small smile appearing on his face. Then he made the mistake of looking down and quickly hid his face in Lloyd's shoulder again, having caught a glimpse of how high they were. Lloyd laughed softly. "We're almost there," he assured. Hiro nodded, not pulling back.

If he really concentrated, Hiro was sure he could pinpoint their location. Maybe not to the exact street, but he was pretty confident that right now, they were flying over the Ninjago City Library. In a few minutes, they'd pass the comic book store that Lloyd had dragged him to after the last time he'd received an award from the museum. Hiro wondered if they would do that again, have their own little adventure away from everyone else. Sure, he was tired and couldn't wait to take a nap when they got back to the school (his own bed. Imagine that, getting a good night's sleep somewhere comfortable. Perish the thought!), but at the same time, he did enjoy seeing Lloyd light up at the sight of his favorite choice in books.

Roman Yu, the museum's director, was waiting outside, pacing in circles in front of the museum as he waited for them. Lloyd landed the dragon and made it disappear without warning. Hiro threw his hands out in front of him so he could safely float down while Lloyd landed on his feet, turning to look up at Hiro with a grin. Hiro flicked his arm, shooting him a glare before turning to Yu as the man ran to them, plastering a smile onto his face as Lloyd rubbed his arm.

"Lloyd! So glad to see you've returned! You and your, ahem, friend," Yu greeted, his eyes shifting over to Hiro nervously. Hiro smirked and waved at him, which made the man take a step back. Ever since Hiro's identity was revealed to the media (Hiro didn't know by who, but he was willing to bet it was one of the students at the academy, as even Kai wouldn't have done something so cruel), anyone who didn't attend or work at the school was always afraid of him, like he was going to be exactly like his father. Hiro didn't appreciate the attitudes, but he did enjoy making people squirm.

Lloyd held out his hand. "Mr. Yu, it's great to be back. May I ask what award I'm receiving this time?"

Yu eagerly shook his hand, looking astonished that he was being allowed to talk to Lloyd, as if he hadn't done it twice before, or as if he hadn't been the one to give Lloyd his awards the first two times around. "Of course! It's the Ninjago's Hero Award! It's brand new, you'll be the first one to receive it!" he explained, grinning brightly. "It's for anyone who has saved the entire world of Ninjago, not just the city, like the first award!"

"Amazing," Hiro muttered, overly sarcastic. Lloyd elbowed him.

"As Hiro said, that's amazing, Mr. Yu, thank you. Lead the way?" Yu glanced at Hiro, looking mildly upset. Still, he nodded, beginning to walk back toward the museum. When Lloyd realized that Hiro wasn't following, he turned around, frowning. "Hiro?" he prompted, tiling his head. "Are you coming?"

Hiro shook his head. "Not this time. Last time you got an award, it was too crowded. I don't think it'll change this time." Lloyd studied him, clearly not believing what Hiro was saying. Hiro couldn't blame him — it wasn't the entire truth, after all. "Really, Lloyd. I'll wait out here. Just don't take five hours," he teased. After a moment, Lloyd smiled, waving to Hiro as he ran to catch up with Yu, who had already reached the front doors. Hiro waited until Lloyd was fully out of view before following their path to the bottom of the stairs, where he took a seat, hoping that, this time, the ceremony would be quick.

He should have brought a book.

The last time they were here, it had taken Mr. Yu three hours to present Lloyd with the Savior Award — the first ever award given to someone for defeating a huge threat to Ninjago — despite Lloyd being the only person present to receive it. And the time before that, with the Ninjago's City Savior Award — once again the first of its kind — it had taken two hours. Hiro wasn't optimistic that this time it would take less time, though he was sure that Lloyd was going to be the only one in the spotlight again. It would almost be worth it to go inside and watch Lloyd force an optimistic conversation with the same people he'd talked to twice before in only a month.

Don't get it wrong, Hiro would do anything to support Lloyd. If Lloyd had asked that Hiro come along, he would've gone. It wasn't that he was nervous about the crowd, or that he felt awkward with the weird looks thrown his way — he was already nervous and awkward most of the time, so it made no difference to him. It was the feeling of not being wanted that got him, though; that's what made him stay back. That and, well, he really didn't want to listen to Lloyd give the same speech for the seventh time — it was getting quite boring. Hiro was going to have to convince Lloyd to go to Nya for help with writing a new speech.

Hiro stretched out his legs, then brought his knees in so he could rest his elbows on them. He put his chin on his fist, looking around boredly. He really should've brought something as entertainment. The days of traveling without a break were finally catching up to him, and the night sky wasn't making it any easier to keep his eyes open. He yawned, his head dipping slightly. Would anyone blame him if he couldn't keep his eyes open? On the other hand, he didn't really want to get robbed while asleep, even if he didn't have anything of value on him.

(Maybe he secretly wished someone would try, though. Hiro was itching for a fight. He had barely used his powers since the Final Battle, and the team wasn't exactly encouraging him to use them for normal aspects in life. Wu warned him that relying on his powers would lead to trouble in the future; Lloyd was worried that Hiro would accidently get himself into trouble, but he tried to pass it off as "Why use your powers when there isn't a fight?"; the Ninja, though not vocal of their jealousy, didn't want him showing off since their Elemental Powers had disappeared when Wu had hid the Elemental Blades for the same reason he criticized Hiro. Hiro missed being able to use his powers without being judged by anything other than fear.)

(It's not like he could tell Lloyd that, though. The Golden Ninja worried about him all too often. Saying something so crazy — and worrying, Hiro would admit — would just cause Lloyd to watch him even more closely than he already did. Hiro didn't need a babysitter.)

"Oh, just go to the ceremony, support your friend, it'll be fun," Hiro mocked to himself, just wanting something to fill the silence. He was beginning to regret staying behind, but he was too stubborn to get up and go inside. Lloyd would tease him about it for weeks. It just wasn't going to happen.

He supposed there was nothing stopping him from exploring the city as long as he was back in time for Lloyd to pick him up. He'd hardly gotten the chance to experience Ninjago in the few weeks following his father's death, and now that the city was technologically advanced, Hiro had never felt more behind. It was different when he was helping the team with the school — there, things were normal. Nothing had really changed, except maybe his relationships with Cole and Jay, which were beginning to improve. But in the city, everything was bright and loud. You couldn't go two blocks without running into a robot. Half the time it was terrifying. Other times it was just sad.

He'd missed out on so much. How could he ever hope to catch up?

Hiro had hoped that by staying with the Ninja, he would have gotten a better tour of Ninjago, or at least the city. Instead, he'd spent his first weeks in Ninjago on the back of a dragon, and while that sounded exciting enough, it was getting boring — all the nice days, no fighting or new enemies. Maybe if he hadn't decided to stay with the team, he could be off on his own, doing something that made him happy. He could find out what Ninjago was like for himself, outside of the advancements.

Did he regret staying? No.

(Maybe.)

No. Lloyd was with him. Zane was kind. Wu was a great teacher, helping Hiro harness his power so he would be more responsible with it. Kai was annoying, but he and Hiro hardly interacted. Nya was quickly becoming a good friend. Jay and Cole were tolerable now. If he had left the day of the Final Battle, he wouldn't have that anymore. He didn't regret staying.

He hopes he doesn't regret staying, at least.

Hiro blinked tiredly, rubbing his eyes as he looked around. There was an annoying beeping coming from somewhere around him, like a car alarm going off. Other than that, the city was strangely silent, a soft wind blowing through the almost vacant streets. Hiro frowned, pulling his knees close to his chest as he began to full wake up. It took him a moment to realize that the beeping was coming from his wrist, where the communication bracelet Nya had given him rested. He perked up, pressing the button to accept the call.

A holographic image of Nya appeared. She was pixelated and colored blue, and Hiro assumed he was the same way on her end. That wasn't what bothered him — he'd somewhat gotten used to the technology in Ninjago, holographs being one of them. What worried him was Nya's expression, which was twisted in worry.

"Nya?"

"Shiro!" Nya greeted frantically. "Where are you? Where's Lloyd? Something happened at Borg Industries! It's like all the tech turned on us!"

"Slow down," Hiro ordered as he stood, making a run for the museum. "What happened?"

"The Ninja were called to talk to Cyrus Borg alone! His assistant led us into the factory for the tour and then we almost burnt to death!" she yelled. Hiro pushed himself to go faster at the urgency in her tone. "The students are safe and we're all back at the academy, but Wu and the Ninja are still in the city and we have no idea what's happening! You and Lloyd need to get there fast!"

"We'll be there," he promised, thankful that Borg Tower wasn't that far from the museum. He hung up the call just as he burst through the doors that led to the Ceremony Hall. Hundreds of faces turned to look at him, all of them wearing varying degrees of shock at the interruption. Lloyd stood on the stage, about to accept the aware from Yu, who shot Hiro an annoyed glare. Hiro ignored it. He had other things to worry about.

"Lloyd, there's trouble!" he announced, voice carrying around the room. Without a second of hesitation, Lloyd jumped down from the stage, dodging the hands that reached out to pull him back as people protested his early departure.

Hiro and Lloyd ran out of the room. "What's happening?" Lloyd asked, pulling his mask over his face.

"Nya says that the Ninja and Wu are fighting at Borg Tower, but she didn't say what. Just that she and the students almost got hurt during the tour and now there's trouble with the technology," he explained, trying to remember exactly what Nya had said. Once they were outside and down the steps, Lloyd summoned his golden dragon. He held his hand out to Hiro to help him up; Hiro jumped and grabbed his hand, finding his place behind Lloyd. As Lloyd took off, Hiro held onto him tightly.

Almost immediately, he could see Borg Tower, tall in the distance. Below them, in the streets, the robotic helpers that Borg Industries had designed were marching toward the tower in formations. The lights that showed they were powered on were red instead of the usual green, and Hiro assumed it wasn't because of low power.

"One nice day," Lloyd muttered, barely audible. "Is that too much to ask?"

Hiro frowned, shifting. He decided not to comment.

Hiro forced himself to look down so he could figure out where they were going. He saw that they were approaching the middle space of four skyscrapers, and noted that the robots had all stopped there, surrounding the middle of the space. There were mini explosions happening in the air around them. With a start, Hiro realized that the Ninja were fighting in the middle of it all, surrounded by enemies on every side. Each of them had a new vehicle that Hiro didn't recognize. Between each new toy was Wu, helpless in the chaos that surrounded him, vulnerable to any of the explosions of fire happening around him. Hiro pointed out their position to Lloyd, who nodded, moving his dragon so it dipped, flying toward the fight.

"Cover your eyes," Lloyd ordered. Hiro buried his face in Lloyd's shoulder as a golden flash went off. When he opened his eyes, he saw that they were closer to the fight, though now the machine enemies were back to having green lights, and were surrounded with a golden shimmer. The Ninja cheered as the dragon flew down. Lloyd made the dragon disappear, once again without warning. Once he and Hiro were safely on the ground, the Ninja climbed out of their vehicles, approaching them.

Hiro noted that they had new uniforms. After seeing them in suits for weeks, it was a little jarring to see them once again in their Ninja gis. Even more surprising was that he could see half of their faces — only the bottom half of their faces were covered. Strapped to their backs were golden objects that Hiro assumed were weapons. Other than than, the Ninja looked completely the same, if not a little haggard after their fight.

"Robots versus Ninja? Dare I ask?" Lloyd chuckled. Hiro looked around, studying all the robots that surrounded them. They weren't robotic in the same way Zane was, clearly not built to be human. Despite their golden shimmer and green lights, they were still scary looking. Hiro almost didn't want to be near them, though he knew they needed to get to the bottom of this — whatever was happening in Ninjago (again) was putting the citizens of the city in danger (. . . again).

"You are a sight for sore eyes," Kai told Lloyd as the Ninja gathered to hug him. Hiro made sure he was a few feet away from the affection, instead offering an awkward wave to Wu and Zane. Zane waved back happily, seeming to understand that Hiro didn't want anything more than that. Wu nodded in greeting.

"So what happened?" Hiro asked once the hug was over, coming to stand by Lloyd. Jay shared a glance with Cole. Hiro frowned. "What?" he asked, a little sharply. He thought they'd finished the bad feelings, but perhaps Jay and Cole were beginning to distrust him again.

"Shiro, we think that—"

"So," a voice hissed, coming from all around them. Hiro froze at the tone, his blood running cold as he recognized the cruel voice, the identity behind the sound striking him like a punch to the gut. Slowly, he looked up, feeling his breath quicken.

On a computer screen attached to one of the buildings in front of them was a mass of purple, orange, red, and yellow, the colors blending together like a sunset. But unlike a sunset, the colors were cold — evil, even, especially with the yellow and red forming two eyes, which stared at the team with a hatred so powerful that Hiro could feel it through the screen. Hiro's hands clenched into fists at his side, desperately reaching for something to hold onto to steady himself. He found Lloyd's hand, which slipped into his own, Lloyd gripping his hand so tightly that Hiro thought he would bruise.

"You couldn't help yourself," The Overlord said, voice raspy. His image overtook another screen, the purple light casting dark shadows on the team's faces. "The Golden Ninja. We meet again," he taunted. Hiro felt like he couldn't move.

"Overlord," Lloyd greeted. "How did you survive?"

The Overlord chuckled darkly. "I wouldn't worry about that," he jeered. Though the eyes didn't move, Hiro suddenly felt like his dad was looking right at him. "Avashiro. My heir," he mused. Hiro narrowed his eyes, the word heir snapping him out of his fear faster than he could keep up. "You may be useless to me now, but I wouldn't mind having you locked in prison again," he mocked.

Hiro swallowed back the terror of that thought, ignoring the way his stomach twisted, like it was trying to escape. "Listen here, you son of a bitch, nothing is stopping me from hurting you again, so why don't you come out of your little screen and—" Lloyd quickly pulled Hiro back, not letting go of his hand. Hiro glared at him, but Lloyd quickly spoke up, stopping Hiro from challenging The Overlord (Hiro didn't understand why. He would win, goddamn it!).

"I defeated you once. I'll defeat you again," Lloyd stated, voice steady and sure. Hiro wished he had the confidence that Lloyd held.

"Oh, I don't want to fight. I just want your power," The Overlord snarled, his words echoing around the empty space between the buildings.

Around them, the machines lights flashed from green to red, and the robots began advancing on the team once more. Lloyd let go of Hiro's hand, beginning to walk toward the machines to stop them again, but he was cut off by Wu. "No, Lloyd," he warned, "your power is only making them stronger."

"But how do we fight?" Lloyd demanded. Hiro rolled his eyes and broke away from the ground, running to stand in front of one of the machines. No one reached out to stop him — in the weeks since his father's defeat — not death. Defeat. Hiro was going to have a fun time correcting that — the Ninja had learned not to stop Hiro from getting himself into a fight (except, of course, for Lloyd, who was the only one really able to stop him. Hiro was going to have to fix that, too).

He threw out his hands as his own power wrapped around the robots. He lifted three of them into the air and threw them back, letting them crash into a line of their brethren. The other robots continued to advance, not caring that a few of their own had just been crushed. So be it, then — Hiro needed the practice anyway.

This time, he only picked up one robot. He threw it into another, then picked it up again and let it crash into a different one. His actions didn't deter the advancing machines. Hiro sighed in frustration, letting go of the damaged robot to head back to the team just as the Ninja used Spinjitzu to get into their new vehicles. Lloyd summoned his golden dragon, helping Hiro on before taking off into the skies. Hiro glared at the image of his father on the screens around them.

"Plan?" he asked, turning his head so he could see Lloyd.

"Sensei has the Techno Blades," Lloyd explained as they began heading out of the city. He flew higher, as if afraid The Overlord would overhear them. "For now. We're going to trick The Overlord, get out of the city, and hide. They're the only things that can defeat him." He looked over his shoulder, brows furrowed. "Hiro, are you—?"

"Don't. Ask," Hiro ordered, forcing the words out the moment he realized what Lloyd was about to ask him. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Too bad. We're going to talk about it later," Lloyd retorted, turning away to make sure the dragon wasn't about to run into anything. Hiro scowled, rolling his eyes.

Yes, how did he feel about the fact that his father, the source of all darkness in Ninjago, wasn't actually dead? How did Hiro feel, knowing that The Overlord was gathering strength all this time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike? The knowledge that his dad was back made Hiro want to scream in frustration, but he knew there wasn't time. They were being hunted down by robots. There was a chance that their school was in danger. They didn't have a moment to lose but, damn, was it too much to ask for something to go right for once?

Hiro couldn't help but feel guilty. He was the one who'd wished for something exciting to happen, for a reason to use his powers. He was the one who wanted a fight. But now that he had one — one that he could actually fight, since Lloyd had already completed his destiny, leaving this new quest to defeat The Overlord open to anyone — he couldn't help but feel worried. If he had just lived with the peace, would this be happening? Had he somehow manifested his father's return? Hiro didn't know how he was supposed to feel at that moment. All he knew was that he was numb, tired, and angry. So, so angry.

And so, so tired.

Lloyd let go of the reins with one hand. "Here," he said, handing Hiro an ear piece communicator. "Jay gave these to me. We need to stay in touch with the team." Hiro took the piece, putting it into his ear and turning it on.

Almost immediately, he heard Kai yell, "Got 'em!" Hiro winced, eyes squinting for a moment before he shook off the ringing the followed the shout. "I'll swing around and—" Kai cut himself off, taking in a sharp breath. "He's surrounded, guys. I can't get to Sensei!" The words sent a spike of fear through Hiro's heart. Wu was captured by his father — who knew what was going to happen? The Overlord didn't have mercy for anyone, especially those that angered him. If Wu was in trouble, that meant the team had to go back. If they didn't, Wu might die, and Hiro didn't think that pain would ever leave his soul.

But if they went back, Lloyd would be in danger. And Hiro couldn't let that happen.

"What?" Lloyd demanded, his voice louder in person. "No! We have to go back for him!" he said, pulling back the reins of his dragon.

"We will, but only when you are safe!" Kai argued. Lloyd shook his head. Hiro reached forward to grab his arm, subtly shaking his head so Lloyd knew that, for once, he was on Kai's side. Lloyd frowned, clearly conflicted. This was his uncle they were talking about, Hiro rationalized, though he wished Lloyd would quickly understand what was at stake. Hiro wasn't going to let Lloyd get hurt again.

"He wants these weapons, and for some reason, he also wants you. Remember, this was Sensei's plan. They can't break him," Cole added, voice determined.

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has yet to come. We need to worry about today," Zane said wisely. Finally, Lloyd made his dragon leave the edge of the city line, heading out into the desert. Hiro caught sight of the Ninja's vehicles below and in front of them. "We will come back to New Ninjago City. And when we do we'll be ready."

"But for now, we find some place safe to hide. They'll be looking for us," Kai finished.

"We'll get him back," Hiro assured him quietly, praying that the communicator didn't pick up on his words. "But he would want you to be safe. You know that."

Lloyd looked back toward the city, a million emotions in his eyes and behind his expression. He sighed, turning back again, nodding. Hiro put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "My dad's school," Lloyd finally said. "It's north of here. They won't find us there for a while." He quickly pulled out his communicator before they replied. Hiro did the same, turning it off even though he heard the Ninja beginning to ask questions.

"Are you sure?" he asked, leaning forward so Lloyd could hear him over the wind. "You haven't seen your father in—"

"Weeks," Lloyd said bitterly. "What choice do we have?"

Hiro nodded, leaning back. Lloyd was right, of course — there was no other choice.

They couldn't all avoid their parents.