Rain poured down over the city, washing the streets in a restless cascade as Lloyd stood alone, drenched to the bone. Above him, neon lights flickered in the heavy mist, their glow reflecting off the wet pavement. The city was shrouded in an eerie silence, broken only by the occasional rumble of thunder and the soft hum of distant traffic. Lloyd looked up at a massive billboard flashing across the skyline—a live feed of the mayor addressing the city, her expression firm and unyielding.
"...to ensure the safety of all citizens, those with elemental powers—these victims of the recent incident—must be apprehended and contained," she announced, her voice sharp, unfeeling. "These powers are unpredictable, dangerous. Until we can determine their true nature, we must prioritize the safety of the general public."
The word "victims" echoed in Lloyd's head, twisting his stomach with a mixture of anger and despair. The mayor made it sound like people with powers, people like him and his friends, were a menace, a threat to the world. They were no longer protectors in the eyes of the city. They were targets.
As the broadcast continued, another video feed flickered on the screen, showing security footage of his friends—Jay, Nya, Cole, Harumi, and Zane. They were being led away, cuffed and surrounded by guards, heads bowed under the weight of unjust accusations. They looked defeated, almost broken, as they were loaded into police vans. A wave of helplessness washed over Lloyd. The people he trusted most in the world were taken, dragged into the very darkness they'd fought so hard to protect others from.
He wanted to scream, to do something—anything—to stop this madness. But he was alone, a fugitive in his own city, with nowhere to turn. His heart pounded as he thought of his friends locked away, and of Lyra, twisted and lost under the influence of some ancient, malevolent force.
For a moment, he closed his eyes, letting the rain wash over him. And in the silence, he found himself drifting back to a memory from long ago—back when he was young, back when things were simpler, brighter.
He was standing in his family's backyard, watching his father grill on an old, rusty barbecue, his face glowing from the firelight. Misako was setting the table nearby, her smile soft and warm. And there was Lyra, running around, laughing as she and Lloyd played tag, her laughter filling the air with joy. The backyard felt endless, like a safe haven that would never end. The evening had stretched on lazily, golden and peaceful, the world full of nothing but promise.
Lloyd's father, Garmadon, had always carried an aura of quiet strength. He moved with a calm patience, never rushing, always watching, listening. Lloyd remembered seeing one of the neighbors come by to ask his father for help with something, and without hesitation, his father had put down his spatula, nodding with a warm smile as he went off to lend a hand.
When he returned, Lloyd had asked, "Dad, why do you always help people, even if you don't have to?"
Garmadon had looked down at him, his dark eyes filled with a wisdom that Lloyd didn't fully understand at the time. He knelt down so he was at Lloyd's level, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Lloyd," he said, his voice deep and steady, "there is more strength in kindness than in any weapon. If you have the power to help, you should. It's not about who deserves it or what you might gain. It's about doing what's right because it's right. One day, you'll understand that real power isn't in what you can take, but in what you can give."
Lloyd had nodded, but back then, he hadn't fully grasped what his father meant. It was only now, in this fractured, darkened world, with so much at stake, that the memory finally clicked into place. His father hadn't been talking about strength or duty or even morality. He'd been talking about purpose.
In that moment, something shifted inside Lloyd. He straightened, wiping the rain from his face as he looked back at the billboard. He saw his friends there, trapped and powerless, but he knew what he had to do now. This wasn't about vengeance, or even clearing his name. This was about helping his friends, about standing up for the people who couldn't stand up for themselves. It was about doing the right thing because he had the power to, just like his father had taught him.
He took a deep breath, feeling a renewed sense of purpose swell within him. His path was clear now. He couldn't change the past, and he couldn't control what others thought of him. But he could still protect the people he loved. He could still be the hero his father had always hoped he'd become.
As he turned, his eyes fixed on the distant skyline, he felt a surge of energy, a determination that burned hotter than any fear or doubt. He knew where he needed to go—to Jay's lab. It was a long shot, but it was the only place he might find clues to free his friends, a way to stop this nightmare from spreading any further.
The rain poured down harder, the city stretching out before him like a vast, unpredictable maze. But he set his jaw, squaring his shoulders as he started running, his steps echoing through the empty streets.
The cold, sterile interior of the transport rattled as it moved, bringing Jay, Nya, Zane, and Cole to an ominous facility. They could see others inside the transport, people with haunted eyes, cuffed and chained. Some were civilians, some were officers or teachers from their school, but all had one thing in common—they had been caught with powers they could not fully control. The energy within them, which had once been a source of excitement and hope, now felt like a curse.
Jay glanced at his friends, his heart sinking. The last few days had been a blur of panic and confusion, and seeing the pain in Nya's eyes was like a punch to his gut. He reached out to give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, but she just stared down at her lap, her face expressionless.
The transport finally stopped, and they were escorted out under the watchful eyes of heavily armed guards. As they entered the massive gray facility, a strange unease settled over them. It was a place devoid of warmth or light; the walls seemed to close in around them, the fluorescent lights casting a cold, merciless glow.
A door slid open, and a man stepped out, his appearance immediately unsettling. He was tall and gaunt, his face thin and sallow, his eyes hollow yet sharp, gleaming with an unsettling curiosity. His hair was slicked back, and he wore a long white lab coat. His every movement was calculated, his gaze penetrating, assessing. He looked like he enjoyed dissecting things, peeling back layers to see what was underneath, both literally and figuratively. He greeted them with a cold smile, the type that felt more predatory than welcoming.
"Welcome," he said, his voice soft but somehow cutting through the noise around them. "I am Dr. Kaizen, head of research here. And you," he said, looking over them, "are our latest subjects. You've been brought here for your own good. We're here to rid you of these... powers."
Jay glared, his fists clenching. "We don't need 'fixing,'" he spat. "We're fine as we are. These powers—they're part of us, and we're using them to help people!"
Dr. Kaizen raised an eyebrow, a smug expression playing on his face. He tapped a remote, and screens flickered to life all around them. The screens showed footage from across the city: buildings crumbling, fires raging, people screaming as random outbursts of elemental energy caused chaos. There were scenes of mass panic, of innocent bystanders getting hurt, of children running from explosions. The havoc was all too real, and some of it hit too close to home.
"'Helping people,' you say?" Dr. Kaizen's voice dripped with sarcasm as he gestured to the screens. "Does this look like 'helping' to you?" He let the silence linger, the images burning into their minds, leaving them with a sick feeling in the pits of their stomachs.
Jay looked down, his anger flickering, replaced by a gnawing guilt. He could feel the weight of the destruction, of the unintended consequences that had come from their powers. Cole shifted uncomfortably, his usual confidence wavering. Even Zane, calm and calculated, looked uneasy.
Dr. Kaizen's eyes settled on Nya, his expression sharp. "And you, Nya Smith, correct?" He paused, letting the question hang. "If I'm not mistaken, didn't you recently lose your brother because of these powers?"
The words hit Nya like a slap, her breath catching. She blinked, holding back tears as she clenched her fists, forcing herself to stay strong. She whispered, barely audible, "The power didn't kill him... she did."
"Regardless," Dr. Kaizen continued, his tone smooth and clinical, "your powers, your so-called 'gifts,' have caused more harm than good. You've lost friends, family, homes. And I'm here to make sure it ends. You don't have a choice in the matter."
Without warning, a guard stepped forward, holding a sleek, metallic cuff. Before any of them could react, it was clasped around Jay's wrist. The moment it locked in place, he felt an eerie, empty sensation wash over him. It was as if his powers were being muted, a part of him suppressed.
"What is this?" Jay stammered, tugging at the cuff. But it wouldn't budge.
Dr. Kaizen smiled coldly. "A power inhibitor. As long as you wear that, you won't be able to access any of your elemental abilities."
The guards moved down the line, snapping cuffs onto each of them. When they reached Harumi, though, Dr. Kaizen raised his hand, stopping them. His eyes flickered over her as he reviewed something on his tablet. "According to this chart, Miss Harumi doesn't possess any active elemental energy. In fact..." His gaze grew more intrigued. "According to your records, your power was stolen, wasn't it? By Lyra, if I'm correct?"
Harumi's jaw tightened as she met his gaze. "Yes," she said, her voice steady. "She took my power and twisted it."
"Interesting..." Dr. Kaizen mused, his gaze turning analytical. "In that case, you're of no threat here." He turned to the guards. "Return the girl her belongings and let her go."
Harumi's eyes widened in surprise as they released her, handing back her small bag and ushering her toward the exit. For a moment, she hesitated, looking back at her friends, unsure if she should really leave them behind. But the steely resolve in her heart reminded her of her purpose. Lloyd needed to know what had happened. If anyone could help free the others, it was him.
The guards escorted her out, and with one last glance, she turned and walked away, leaving her friends to face whatever Dr. Kaizen had in store for them.
As she stepped into the darkened city streets, the rain poured down, soaking her to the bone, but she didn't slow down. She could feel Lloyd out there, somewhere, struggling under the same storm that had overtaken them all.