CHAPTER ELEVEN
DREAMERS AND SECRET KEEPERS

. . . COMES A GREAT NEED TO TAKE A NAP

THERE'S A REMOTE VILLAGE HIDDEN DEEP IN THE MOUNTAIN OF NINJAGO, sitting right next to the Endless Sea. The community is tight-knit, never a secret kept between them, and things are always shared except for names. They're civilized in their own way — there's no TV, so they make their own entertainment; with no one willing to travel hundreds of miles to buy food, they've formed their own hunting group, who then pass the food on to the kitchen. But these slight changes in society aren't what the people of Troutbeck are known for; instead, they are talked about as Ninjago's most generous, if you were to ask the city's Infovision kiosk.

So when the Green Ninja stumbled into their village — bloodied, bruised, scared and not-quite-alone — while holding onto his barely conscious friend, who was bleeding from his side, soaking his shirt even more than the ocean's water did, well, the people of Troutbeck weren't about to abandon their title of generosity just yet.

"How long ago was he hurt?" the head healer, a middle-aged woman by the name of Amayah, demanded as she pressed a hand against Hiro's side. "Did he fall? Stabbed?" Lloyd shook his head, looking dazed and confused. Amayah sighed, turning to her apprentice. "Hania, get the Green Ninja into a bed and then find Simon. You two will work on him," she ordered, throwing one of Hiro's arms over her shoulder. Hania gently pried Lloyd off of Hiro, leading him in the same direction Amayah and Hiro were going in. The teen girl suspected that was the only reason Lloyd was able to let Amayah take Hiro away.

"She's the best healer," Hania promised as Amayah brought Hiro into the back room. Hania sat Lloyd at one of the common beds. "Here, drink. Eat, too. 'Ya must be exhausted," she sympathized, handing him a bottle of water and a bad of trail mix. "Can I trust 'ya to stay here while I find Simon? 'Ya can't disturb Amayah. She and Millard will be working on your friend, and any distractions would only hurt him," she explained. Silent, Lloyd nodded. Hania smiled hesitantly before scampering off to find her friend.

Lloyd sat on the bed, staring down at the wooden floor. His clothes were soaked — no surprise there. His arms hurt. So did his head, pounding inside his skull with an incoming migraine. His heart hurt, too — he replayed the last moments where Hiro was awake, apologizing to Lloyd and muttering about being a failure before he finally blacked out. Did Hiro truly think he was meant to save Lloyd from everything? The Green Ninja's heart broke at the thought of Hiro even wondering if he was a failure, never mind believing he was one.

Lloyd took a sip of the water. He couldn't take his eyes off the floor.

He wondered how he must look at that moment. Pale, probably, and shivering, with something wet running down his face. Was he bleeding, or was it left over from his swim in the ocean? He could only imagine how much Hania and Simon would have to patch him up. But no matter how sorry he felt for himself, his mind kept trailing back to Hiro more often than not. Hiro had been stabbed (again) because of one of Lloyd's battles (again!). He'd survived the first time because of Kai, and even though Lloyd had managed to heal a majority of the injuries in Ninjago when he discovered his true potential during the final battle, that didn't mean the experience wasn't traumatizing for Hiro.

What new trauma would Lloyd have a hand in helping Hiro develop?

He rested his elbows on his knees and hid his face in his hands, taking a deep breath. He needed to stay strong, for Hiro, his father, and everyone else. The city. The team. He couldn't break just yet, even though his eyes stung and his shoulders trembled. He couldn't be a kid. There wasn't any time for that when there were millions of people relying on him.

His father. Oh, God, his father had been relying on him, too.

The moment his father had fallen into the ocean, Lloyd's brain had shut down. His only focus had been on getting himself and Hiro out of the Overlord's clutches, alive and unharmed. He'd completely forgotten about Garmadon in that moment, and an overwhelming sense of guilt settled into his heart. His father had died for Lloyd's cause, but that wouldn't have happened if Lloyd had just made sure to kill the Overlord the first time. How many more would die because of Lloyd's ignorance?

A gentle knock sounded at the door. Lloyd pulled himself together in time to turn around and see Hania and a boy walk into the room. They were the same height, and both had brown eyes, but that was where the similarities ended. While Hania had brown skin and long brown hair that was pulled back into a braid and rested over her shoulder, Simon was white and had short red hair. Looking back, Lloyd didn't remember seeing Simon in the crowd of onlookers that had gathered to see the Green Ninja and his friend, but he'd seen a woman who'd worn a striking resemblance. He wondered if the two kids were the same age, or if one was slightly older.

"Alright, Si, can 'ya get the bandages?" Hania asked. Simon nodded, hurrying to a door on the right, just beside the entrance door. Hania came back over to Lloyd. "Si is best with bandaging wounds. I'm better with stitches," she explained. Lloyd winced. She smiled sympathetically. "Trust me, it'll hurt a lot more if 'ya don't get them. That head cut looks pretty bad." Gingerly, Lloyd touched the cut on his forehead. He pulled his hand away, grimacing. "Told 'ya," she quipped.

Simon returned, holding an abundance of medical supplies in his arms. Apparently bandages also meant stiches, numbing medicine, and alcohol wipes. Lloyd pulled himself all the way onto the bed with a grunt, tucking his legs underneath him. Hania got to work on the cut on his forehead, while Simon worked on bandaging Lloyd's arms, one of which had a nasty burn that he hadn't noticed or felt before.

"So how old are you two?" Lloyd asked.

"I'm thirteen," Hania informed. "Si is also thirteen, but I'm older by two days. Stop nodding," she ordered when Lloyd went to nod. He sighed. "My mom died a few years ago, and Amayah and Millard took me in. Si's dad left for the city last year. He's mute now because of it, but he'll talk to me. I got Millard to make him an apprentice, too." Lloyd hummed, glancing at the red-haired boy who didn't seem all that offended that Hania was talking about his personal matters. "I just figured 'ya'd want to know. I could hear you wondering why two kids were taking care of 'ya."

"Kids can do amazing things," Lloyd said wisely.

"Yeah, like save the Green Ninja of all people," Hania muttered. Lloyd chuckled softly, then winced when Simon began treating the burn wound. He could definitely feel it now. "It helps to talk through pain, 'ya know. You should tell us about 'yer friend," she said, her voice dripping with curiosity. Lloyd smiled faintly.

"That would be Hiro— ah, Avashiro. Or Shiro. He doesn't like when people call him Hiro."

"But 'ya just called him that," Hania pointed out.

"He's fine when I call him that. It's our thing, I guess. I don't know," Lloyd admitted.

"So 'ya have pet names for each other," Hania stated. "Sounds romantic."

Lloyd's face heated up under the accusation. "No, it's not— we aren't— no, we're just— we're friends!" he stammered. Hania smirked, not saying anything. The more defensive he got, Lloyd realized, the more she would think that he and Hiro were a couple. And while that wasn't a terrible thought to Lloyd, he didn't want people assuming things about Hiro. "We're friends," he said softly, looking away from her smug expression.

"Simon and I are friends, but I ain't the only one allowed to call him Si," she said.

"It's different. He doesn't trust people easily."

She clicked her tongue. "He trusts 'ya, doesn't he? That has to count for something."

Yeah. It counts for me not taking advantage of him being naive, Lloyd thought.

Hania leaned back. "Stiches are done," she announced. "Si?" Simon made a thumbs-up motion, then gestured for her to wait one minute. He finished wrapping the burn and sat back, nodding once. "Great. Here, Lloyd, you should eat some more."

She handed him a granola bar. Lloyd resisted the urge to groan.

"How long do you think they'll take on Hiro?" he asked.

"'Ya've been here about an hour. So any minute," she decided. Lloyd nodded.

The door at the end of the room opened. Lloyd sat up straight as a tall, very buff man — Lloyd assumed this was Millard — walked out of the room, carrying a sleeping Hiro. Without a word, he set Hiro on one of the beds on the other side of the room as gently as he could, then put a blanket around him. Millard stood straight and nodded to Lloyd, Hania, and Simon before walking into the back room again, closing the door behind him.

Lloyd stood, immediately making his way to Hiro's side. He sat in one of the chairs at the edge of the bed, taking Hiro's closest hand into his own, shocked by how cold Hiro felt. Hania cleared her throat, grabbing the edges of a curtain on the other side of the bed. "We'll leave 'ya two alone," she promised, pulling the curtain behind her as she circled the bed; soon, Hiro and Lloyd were completely obscured from view, which Lloyd knew Hiro would appreciate. He had a thing against people watching him sleep, but that didn't mean Lloyd was going to leave him alone just yet.

The building was silent. Lloyd assumed Hania and Simon had completely left the room, or had joined Amayah and Millard in the back room. Lloyd couldn't bring himself to care either way; all he needed was to be sure Hiro was okay.

He reached forward and brushes Hiro's hair out of his face, still not letting go of his hand. All of Hiro felt cold, but he remained still, deep in sleep. Lloyd sat down again, pulling the chair closer to the bed. He ran his thumb in a circle around Hiro's knuckles, waiting patiently for any sign that Hiro was awake. He didn't know how long someone needed to rest from a stab wound. The first time, the wound had come from a sword, and it had taken Hiro a good few hours to wake up. This time it was from a knife, and the blade hadn't gone deep enough to get to any major organs if Amayah and Millard only spent an hour on him.

Still, it had been a long day well before the stabbing. Then they'd swam in the ocean for a good few minutes, maybe close to an hour. Hiro had to be exhausted.

Lloyd leaned back in the chair, reluctantly letting go of Hiro's hand. Then he leaned forward and laid his arms on the bed, his head resting on top of them. He closed his eyes, figuring he might as well get as much sleep as he could. They had no idea what was coming in the next few days, but Lloyd knew he would be no use to the team while tired, hungry, and hurt. Of course, he could lay down on one of the many unoccupied common beds, but leaving Hiro's side was the last thing Lloyd wanted to do, even at the cost of his own comfort.

He took one breath, two, and then he was out.

There was a boy.

He was standing in the shadow of a large building, painted blood red with a dark green roof. Two large, pure golden handles rested on the doors, and a large staircase led to the entrance. The temple was old, but was in amazing condition. It was clearly somewhere in the city, but was a stark contrast from the surrounding modern buildings. Lloyd had never seen such a place in Ninjago, before or after the reinvention of the city. He could feel an ancient power radiating from the temple.

The ground was covered in snow. A saddness hung in the air. Lloyd felt like he couldn't breath.

He blinked, finding himself inside the temple. The boy was there, too, silent. He was looking around, barely visible in the low light that streamed in through what passed for windows. Lloyd couldn't see his face. He didn't know if he wanted to — the energy coming from the boy was . . . depressing. Scary, even, like he was a timebomb waiting for the perfect moment to go off.

And then he did.

Lloyd's eyes snapped open, his whole body going rigid. It was lighter now — he must have slept through the night and into the early morning. His dream had sent a bad feeling crawling down his spin, making it hard to breath. He tried to sort through what he had just seen, but the images were slipping away in his hazy state. He wishes the bad feeling would take a hint and follow, but it remained, twisting his stomach into knots. Or maybe that was just his hunger.

". . . Lloyd?"

Amayah's voice came from behind the curtain. Lloyd sighed, glancing at Hiro, who remained asleep. He had some color back in his face now, but he was still worryingly pale, making Lloyd's stomach clench with worry — or hunter. He placed his hand against Hiro's face, brushing his dark hair out of his eyes as gently as he could. Lloyd stood, wobbling slightly before catching his balance. He stepped out from behind the curtain, smiling at Amayah. Now that neither he nor Hiro were in danger, she looked much more relaxed, blonde hair pulled into a loose ponytail and blue eyes much softer-looking.

"Thank you for saving him," Lloyd said.

She waved her hand. "My job," she said simply. "Are you well?" Lloyd nodded. "That's good. Walk with me."

They made their way out of the infirmary, taking a dirt road further into the village. Lloyd looked around, taking in the wooden structures. There were several children playing on the road despite how early it was, and even more adults getting ready to start hunting, or so Lloyd assumed. He smiled as they passed by a group of children, spotting Simon and Hania playing soccer with kids their age. "This place is peaceful," he noted.

Amayah nodded. "We strive for that." She pointed to a small building, hidden between two large house-like structures. "Here."

She led him inside. There was an old, simple radio in the middle of the room on a desk, with a microphone and four pairs of headphones. Four chairs surrounded the desk, and nothing more. Lloyd frowned. "What is this?" he asked, finding the set-up a little creepy.

"Troutbeck doesn't have much use for modern items, but we still like to stay informed. We have our own group that listens to the radio throughout the day and reports everything important. It's how we found out about you, the Overlord, and about him being back." Lloyd nodded. "We received a message this morning, an SOS type of thing. Your friends are looking for you." Lloyd brightened, taking a seat in one of the chairs. Amayah handed him a pair of headphones and turned on the radio. Lloyd moved his seat closer to the desk so he could reach the microphone.

Several stations skipped by, most of them static. Lloyd pressed the headphones against his ears, listening closely.

"Lloyd—" Pixal's voice said, getting cut off. Lloyd quickly motioned for Amayah to go back. "—read me?"

"Wait, there," Lloyd said quickly. Amayah went back to that station. "I'm here, I'm all right!" Lloyd told them, rushing to get the words out.

"Son!" Lloyd sat up straight, covering his mouth when he heard his dad's voice. "Where re you?"

"Dad?" Lloyd asked, letting out a small laugh. "You're alive!" He glanced at Amayah. She smiled at him. "I— I'm not alone. Hiro and I are at a remote village, we— we're a little scraped up, but nothing we can't handle. We're at a place called Troutbeck," he explained. "It's— it's near the ocean."

"Stay where you are," Garmadon ordered. "We're picking you up!"

Lloyd smiled. "Ah, good, 'cause, uh, my Golden Power's, uh, a little spent," he admitted. He heard the group — his friends, his family. They were all safe! — begin to laugh. "I have to go now, I— I want to get back to Hiro." He looked up at Amayah. "Can you be there to show them to where we are?" She nodded. "There's a woman named Amayah that'll be there to guide you. I can't wait to see you all again."

"We'll be there soon," Nya promised. The message cut out.

Lloyd stood, sighing. He smiled at Amayah thankfully. She smiled back.

"Go back to your friend," she said. "I'll keep an eye out for your team."

Without a moment of hesitation, Lloyd went back to Hiro.

He settled back beside Hiro's bed in the chair. He laid his arms down on the bed, giving Hiro another once-over, and then laid his head down, eyes closing. Despite the fact that it was early and he knew he could be doing other things, something more productive like helping out around the village, Lloyd knew he deserved a moment to relax. His brain grew fuzzy, blanking as it let him have a few pleasant minutes to himself. He drifted halfway between sleep and the awake world, vaguely aware that Simon or Hania were stopping by to check on the two. No one disturbed him, which made it easier to feel lulled — not enough to sleep, but enough to be barely there.

Someone was running their hand through his hair.

Lloyd blinked at the realization, then groaned, sitting up; the hand in his hair fell away. Hiro was laying in the bed, but his eyes were open — barely. He was clearly still tired. Lloyd let out a sharp breath, taking Hiro's hand into his own and interlacing their fingers. Hiro felt much warmer than he had the day before, but now that he was awake, he was shivering. Lloyd smiled at him, relaxing for the first time in what felt like days — and most likely was, since he can't remember the last time he felt so safe.

"Hi," he said, almost whispering. Hiro returned his smile sleepily.

"Hey," he greeted, voice raspy. ". . . What the fuck happened?"

Lloyd chuckled softly. "Don't waste your strength on swear words." Hiro sighed, nodding. "I got you our of the ship. I think you woke up long enough to help me get us to shore, and then I found this place. They fixed you up yesterday." He smiled. "I heard from the team sometime ago," he admitted. "They're coming to save us."

"That's good, they're probably worried," Hiro sighed. ". . . Did you sleep in that chair all night?" Lloyd nodded. "Gross. Go lay down or something. I'm okay here."

"Do you need anything?" Lloyd asked.

". . . I'm hungry."

"They have granola bars."

Hiro made a face. "If I have to eat another fucking granola bar . . ." he muttered. Lloyd grinned. "There were two kids in here earlier," Hiro noted. "Don't know where they went."

"Simon and Hania," Lloyd told him. "They patched me up while Amayah and Millard handled you." Hiro nodded. He turned his head and yawned into his free arm. Lloyd smiled. "Guess that's my cue, then. I'll— I'll let you sleep," Lloyd said, releasing Hiro's hand. He turned, then stumbled as Hiro grabbed his arm and pulled him back. One glance at Hiro showed him grimacing in pain, probably having used all his strength to sit up enough to grab Lloyd again. Lloyd wished he would have just said Lloyd's name.

"Wait. I— actually, can— can you . . . stay?" Hiro asked, voice quiet. Lloyd went pink, quickly shaking his head. Hiro was shivering. "Please? I'm— I'm cold."

Lloyd's heart broke. He'd never seen Hiro so vulnerable before. "Yeah. Yeah, okay," he agreed.

Hiro drew back, making room for Lloyd in the small bed. Lloyd laid down, instinctively wrapping an arm around Hiro and pulling the smaller boy closer to him. Hiro sighed, most of his shaking subsiding the longer Lloyd held him. Lloyd hid his face in the crook of Hiro's neck, feeling his eyes starting to get heavy now that he felt a sensation of safety and warmth. Hiro had very quickly fallen asleep again, curling into Lloyd's arms as easily as he breathed, his head in Lloyd's chest. Lloyd smiled as he felt himself being pulled into another, hopefully more peaceful slumber.

Lloyd figured he could stay like this forever.

( BIRTHRIGHT — REBOOTED )

Hiro sat in darkness, surrounded and unable to move. In front of him was a single source of light, playing through his memories as if trying to pick out a movie from a list of recommendations, but the light did nothing to dispel the darkness around him. He could at least be sure that there was nothing waiting for him in the dark, but that didn't help quell the feeling of utter dread that spread around his body the longer he sat in the darkness, numbing him from head to toe and making it impossible to turn away from the worst events of his life.

In vivid detail, almost like he was watching a movie, he could see himself — a younger him, Avashiro, who looked like he was five-years-old and somehow still bright with life. He could see himself moving through the forest silently, keeping an ear out for any mutterings from his father. The Overlord had disappeared a few days before, and Avashiro hadn't been able to find him since. Mr. Slithers had kept him company, but now Avashiro was bored and desperately wanted to hear his father's voice again. A young child, idolizing a complete monster — unaware that by looking for his father, he was searching for his own doom.

Finally, at the edge of the beach, the spirit of the Overlord floated, angry, hateful words finding their way into Avashiro's mind. The boy scowled, hating that he could hear his father's voice in his head, and walked even closer.

"It's all your fault," the Overlord hissed, seeming to round on his son despite not having a face. Hiro supposed, looking back, that he could always see his father better than most — a nearly fully transparent shadow of something demonic, something Avashiro had been scared to confront when he was a child. Seeing this memory now, Hiro could confirm he hadn't been seeing things as a child — in front of him was a shadow, hardly there but standing tall. It followed the spirit of the Overlord around constantly, a reminder of his past self. "I'm trapped on this island because of you, I can't get to my army because of you, I can't turn Ninjago into my own image because of you!"

Each word was violent, and it was almost as though Avashiro could feel the air being taken from his lungs each time his father accused him. He took a few steps back, raising his arms instinctively — as if he was going to fight off his father despite the Overlord not having a physical form.

Avashiro had a bitter thought — Just SHUT UP!

The Overlord suddenly screamed, the shadow disappearing in an instant. Avashiro's hands were curled into fists, all of his rage at his father flowing through his hands, burning the Overlord from the inside-out. If Avashiro hadn't gotten scared, he probably could have killed the Overlord right then, rewriting Destiny and throwing everything off course.

Instead, he let go of his anger, stumbling back.

The Overlord hissed. The shadow reappeared, stalking closer.

"You're an insufferable little boy, Avashiro. You don't deserve to see the light."

Hiro manage to break whatever force was holding him steady, turning his head and closing his eyes as the darkness wrapped around his former self. A flash of flight in front of his closed eyes made him look book, terribly curious as to what was happening.

A burning pain, one Hiro could feel while watching the memory play out. To be stabbed by a sword and then fixed with fire . . . the memory nearly made Hiro puke. How had he had enough strength to survive the blood loss, much less the burning of his own skin? He felt sick watching, his stomach turning when he remembered the smell of burning flesh, but he quite literally couldn't look away, rooted in place.

He blinked once, twice, and then he suddenly found himself in the scene, no longer a bystander to his own trauma.

A broken streetlight.

Hiro is standing outside, a red solo cup clutched in his hands, looking up at the night sky with a frown. He can't see the stars — the city's lights drowned out the sky. He'd wondered if that was how it would be forever, no stars to be seen. The stars had been visible from the island, and Hiro hadn't appreciated them while they were there. He had so much adjusting to do.

He was standing under a broken streetlight.

There's a party going on inside the bar. Technically speaking, only the adults are old enough to be inside, but the owner had made an exception for the Ninja, Nya, and Hiro. The team was dancing and singing to the music, or having a battle over who could eat the most food. Hiro had slipped away five minutes before to take a breath. A few hours ago, he'd agreed to stay with the team. Now, faced with the bright lights and loud music, he was feeling overwhelmed, and he wondered, truly, if he had made the right choice.

If he stepped away from the broken light now and disappeared, would anyone even notice?

"Hiro?" Lloyd asked, startling Hiro, who spun around, dropping his cup and throwing his arms out. Lloyd held up his hands, chuckling sheepishly. "Sorry. I thought you heard me come outside." Hiro lowered his arms quickly, shrugging. "I saw you leave. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, you didn't come back in for a while," he admitted, moving to stand by Hiro's side. Hiro turned to face him.

"Just . . . loud. It was too loud," he said, trying to explain. Lloyd nodded.

"It's okay," he assured. "It's probably overwhelming to be in the city. A party probably wasn't the best idea Jay's ever had."

"Has he ever had a good idea?" Hiro wondered seriously. Lloyd chuckled.

"Maybe before he knew us," the blond mused. In the faint light emitted by the non-broken streetlights around them, it was hard to see Lloyd's eyes. "But are you . . . okay?" he asked. "Like, genuinely okay with what happened?"

Hiro frowned. "The Final Battle? Lloyd, I already told you—"

"No, no, not that," Lloyd cut in. "I— I didn't mean to pressure you, Hiro. When I wanted you to stay, I wanted it to be because you wanted to, not because I asked." He fiddled with his hands, unable to stay still. "I want you here, really, but if you don't want to stay, I can't blame you. I don't want you to be unhappy or to regret staying with us in the future. It wouldn't be fair to you," he said softly, running a hand through his hair.

Hiro hesitated. He'd been thinking about that, too, if he really wanted to stay with the team. He had nowhere else to go, but at the same time . . .

"I want to stay," he admitted. "But . . . how is the rest of the team taking it? Zane, Wu, Dr. Julien, your mom, they're all kind and accepting. I suppose Nya is as well, but the other three are just— and never mind the rest of the city," he breathed, wondering how the general public would react to his existence. He could handle the Ninja shunning him for his father, but an entire city? He had to draw the line at some point.

Lloyd put a hand on Hiro's shoulder, drawing him from his thoughts. He looked up at Lloyd, trying to find a flicker of comfort and assurance in Lloyd's almost unreadable expression. Someone should really fix that streetlight.

"To be honest with you, Hiro, fuck with anyone else thinks," Lloyd said bluntly.

Hiro raised his eyebrows. "Wow. I think that's the first time I've heard you swear." He smiled. "I must be a bad influence on you."

Lloyd chuckled. "Maybe. Guess it's a good thing I don't mind a little corruption." He smiled at Hiro, genuinely, and Hiro felt his face heat up. Never mind his previous statement — he was okay with the light being out a little longer, if only to figure out why he felt so warm under Lloyd's gaze. "Do you wanna head back inside?" Lloyd asked, dropping his hand from Hiro's shoulder, leaving Hiro with a flicker of disappointment deep in his chest.

Hiro glanced at the door. He could still hear the music.

". . . No. I think I'll stay here a little longer," he said, looking back at Lloyd. "It's still loud."

Lloyd nodded, though he looked a little sad to be leaving Hiro behind. He could have stayed, if he just asked — Hiro would have allowed it.

But Lloyd walked back inside and Hiro was left alone.

That is until a few minutes later, when Garmadon joined him outside.

Hiro resisted the urge to audibly sigh, just wanting to be alone. Instead, Garmadon stepped beside him. He was a little taller than Hiro was, at least by a foot, and Hiro felt himself involuntarily take a step away. Logically, he knew he was more powerful than Garmadon, especially now that Garmadon wasn't infected. But he could smell . . . what had Cole called it? Alcohol? The team's leader had told him to "stay away from the booze" until he was "old enough," whatever that meant, but the strong smell of the drink had been more than enough reasoning for Hiro to stay away from it. But he could smell it on Garmadon now, and he didn't want to think about what being "drunk" meant — something Zane had warned him about.

"Are you enjoying the party?" Garmadon asked, as if trying to make conversation.

Hiro shrugged, frowning. "Uh, I guess." He glanced at Garmadon wearily. "No offense, but why are you out here? I thought this party was also for you or whatever."

Garmadon sighed. "I saw Lloyd come out here."

"He went back inside."

"I know."

Hiro frowned, feeling his shoulders tense even more. "Then why are you out here?" he asked again, just a bit more defensive.

". . . To be honest with you, Avashiro, I think you're a bad influence on my son."

The words hung in the air, turning the silence sour. Garmadon didn't look the least bit disturbed by what he'd said, like it was just a simple fact of the universe. And maybe it was — but Hiro thought the old man would have at least some tact, something that held him back from that blow to Hiro's confidence. Hiro's hand tightened around the red cup in his hands, a sick feeling crawling up his throat.

"Okay?" Hiro questioned slowly. "And why the fuck should I care about your opinion?"

Garmadon scowled. "Exactly that. You have no respect for authority. You carry your father's legacy and I don't think you can break away from it. You're not suitable for Lloyd," he said, a certain edge in his voice, as if he knew something that Hiro didn't. Hiro bit into his bottom lip so hard that he began to taste blood in his mouth.

Hiro chuckled humorlessly. "Alright. Here's the thing, Garmadon: I'm not the only one on this team who has to deal with my father's legacy. Just because you aren't infected anymore doesn't mean you're a good person. Honestly, at least when you were infected you had an excuse to be a villain; what's your reasoning now? You're scared of a teenager?" Hiro's free hand was curling into a fist in an effort to keep his powers at bay. "You don't get to show up after so many years and pretend you're a good father to Lloyd or that you suddenly care about his well-being. You certainly didn't care when you wanted to turn Ninjago into your own image."

Garmadon's expression hardened. "That's different—"

Hiro held up his hand. "I'm not finished," he cut in. Garmadon looked surprised. "You want to talk about respect? You have a lot of nerve to be demanding my respect when you came out here just to tell me to stay away from Lloyd. Respect isn't given, it's earned. I'm not going to submit to an authority figure who can't even hide the fact that he's drunk. Maybe think about how you're going to apologize to me, because between me and you, Garmadon, I think we both know whose side Lloyd would take in this argument."

With that, Hiro headed back inside. It was still too loud, but his thoughts were going fuzzy, the only thing on his mind being his anger. He couldn't stay outside a minute longer, but being inside was overwhelming, and since he didn't know where else to go, he found himself in the corner of the room furthest away from the music, still clutching his stupid cup that he didn't even want to drink from.

Cole spotted him and headed over, leaning against the wall beside Hiro. "Glad you came back," he said, nodding to Lloyd, who was talking with Jay and Nya. "He's been talking about you non-stop since he came back inside." Hiro hummed in acknowledgment. Cole frowned at him. "You alright?" he asked genuinely, gently nudging Hiro's shoulder.

Hiro didn't look at him, afraid Cole would see just how upset he was. "Perfectly fine."

His heart felt like it was trying to leave his chest, and he felt like he was going to throw up from anger, but yeah.

He was fine.

( BIRTHRIGHT — REBOOTED )

Lloyd blinked groggily as he felt someone's hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him awake. His ninja instincts really weren't what they used to be, huh?

"Lloyd," someone whispered, and he finally began to wake up. He heard shuffling and decided to get out of bed, untangling himself from Hiro as carefully as possible, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and letting his left foot rest on the hardwood floor, his right leg tucked underneath him. He rubbed his eyes for a few moments, getting used to the sunlight again — it must have been late afternoon, if not dinner time — before he decided to address who had woken him up. He looked up, meeting the familiar dark eyes of Nya, who smiled warmly at him. Lloyd gasped, immediately standing up and wrapping her in a hug.

She chuckled softly. "Hey, kid. You alright?"

Lloyd nodded, pulling back from the hug. "As well as I can be," he said honestly. "Where are the others?"

"I'm here with Pixal," Nya revealed, her voice low. "The boys stayed behind to defend Borg Tower and Sensei Wu wouldn't let your father leave without being checked for wounds. A lot has happened since you three were separated," she told him. Lloyd nodded in understanding. Nya's eyes moved to Hiro, who still slept in the bed. "How is he?"

"Hungry, still, I'm sure. Did you talk with Amayah?"

Nya nodded. "She's talking with Pixal now, but Hiro's allowed to come with us as long as we don't allow him to do any strenuous activity." Lloyd nodded. Nya smiled softly at him. "You really care about him, Lloyd," she noted. ". . . And it's as more than a friend, isn't it?"

Lloyd's face went pink as he remembered that Nya had just seen him and Hiro wrapped up in each other as they slept. He shook his head, hands fidgeting, trying to find an excuse as to why they were sleeping together — Hiro was too cold? Lloyd could have asked for more blankets. Hiro had a nightmare? Lloyd could have just held his hand. Nothing would make Nya any less suspicious of his feelings, he realized, watching as her amused smile grew the longer he tried to explain himself.

Finally, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Lloyd," she said gently, making him stop his rambling. "It's okay. I won't tell anyone." Lloyd let out a breath of relief, nodding. "Get him up and awake enough to get onto the ship, we set up an area where you two can rest," she told him. Lloyd nodded, watching her walk back out, disappearing behind the curtain. He sighed, turning back to Hiro and sitting on the bed beside him. After a moment, he laid his hand on Hiro's shoulder to wake him.

Hiro flinched, eyes snapping open. Lloyd's breath hitched. "Hey— hey, it's just me," he said gently. Hiro's eyes drifted up to Lloyd's face, taking him in, and then he relaxed. Lloyd smiled. "Nya and Pixal are here, we have to go. You need to get up," he told him. Hiro groaned.

"I don't wanna," Hiro mumbled, shaking as he circled further into himself. "'M tired. It hurts." Lloyd frowned.

"I know, Hiro, but we have to," Lloyd said gently. "You can sleep on the way back to the city, okay? But we can't stay and I won't leave you here."

Hiro sighed, then took a deep breath. He nodded. "Help me up?" he requested, holding up his hand. Lloyd took it, helping Hiro into a spitting position. Lloyd's heart hurt when he heard the barely-stifled whimper that came from Hiro's throat as they both realized as the same time that Lloyd had pulled him up from his injured side. Hiro leaned into him, eyes screwed shut as he tried not to cry from the pain that had just washed over him. ". . . Ow," he rasped, just needed to let out a noise.

"Take your time," Lloyd encouraged. Hiro swallowed, paler than before.

"I'm hungry," he said softly, "but if I eat anything I might throw up."

"We'll figure it out," Lloyd assured. "I'm gonna go to the other side of the bed to help you up, okay? Two seconds, literally." Hiro reluctantly nodded. He inhaled sharply when Lloyd moved away, holding himself up for the two seconds that it took Lloyd to go around the bed. "Okay, come on," Lloyd said, putting Hiro's arm over his shoulder. Luckily, it was the side Hiro wasn't injured on. He helped Hiro to his feet, slowly and carefully. Hiro leaned against him, his breathing shallow, which was either a sign of pain or an oncoming panic attack. Lloyd wrapped his other arm around Hiro's waist, very careful not to touch the bandages. "You good?"

"I wanna die," Hiro muttered. Lloyd shook his head, taking a step forward. Hiro grimaced as he repeated the action, following in step with Lloyd. Lloyd can't even imagine how much pain he's in, so he goes slow, letting Hiro set the pace. He doesn't care how long it takes anymore — his main concern is getting Hiro out of here with as little pain as possible. He hopes that the ship has pain killers, or at least something to knock Hiro out, because Lloyd doesn't know if he'll go to sleep on his own.

Eventually, they make it outside. Nya had parked the ship close to the infirmary, so they didn't have to walk far. Pixal met them at the base of the ship with a wheelchair. Hiro scowled but didn't fight as he was forced to sit in the chair. Lloyd promised to meet up with him on the ship in a few minutes — first, he wanted to thank the people that had helped them. Hiro reluctantly agreed.

Amayah was speaking with Nya, Hania and Simon hiding behind her. Hania giggled when Lloyd came over, grabbing Simon's hand. The two ran over and gave Lloyd a hug in goodbye. Lloyd chuckled, ruffling their hair. Nya thanked Amayah for taking care of the two boys before heading off, warning Lloyd to get onto the ship soon so it didn't leave without him. Lloyd nodded.

"Do you have to go?" Hania whined. Simon shushed her.

"He's a hero, Hania," Amayah reminded her. The girl pouted. Amayah looked Lloyd over. "I assume you or your friends know how to treat A— Avashiro's wounds," she guessed, slightly stumbling over Hiro's name. Lloyd nodded — Pixal was a robot who probably knew some medical knowledge, and Lloyd knew that Zane was pretty much the resident doctor of the group — and if not either of them, Lloyd knew that Jay could help out. Amayah nodded in satisfaction. "Have a good life, Lloyd Garmadon. I hope we meet again under better circumstances."

Lloyd chuckled sheepishly. Hania and Simon stepped back to hide behind Amayah again. "Yeah, me too." He smiled at them before turning around to get onto the ship.

"And Lloyd?" Amayah called. Lloyd turned. "If ever you or your friends need help, don't hesitate to come back. We won't turn you away."

Lloyd smiled at her in thanks. He gave one final wave to the three before running onto the ship as the doors began to close.