After Wu had shooed the ninja outside—with much grumbling and protesting from said ninja—Wu led Garmadon to his meditating room. He slid open the door, walking inside.
Garmadon hesitated in the doorway. He had a bad feeling about this… Glancing around, he noticed three staffs that hung on the wall. There was a small cabinet on the right. Otherwise, the room was empty.
Wu sat down, cross-legged. When he noticed him lingering in the doorway, he patted the spot next him. "Come on. As I said, this will be calm and peaceful." He smiled—which was probably meant to be reassuring.
Garmadon sighed, then took a step inside, sliding the door shut behind him. "How long is this going to be?"
"I don't know. A couple hours, I'd say." He paused a moment, staring at him. "…I know you have doubts about this, but I really think it will help."
Garmadon frowned. You have no idea what you're talking about…
Wu gestured again to the spot on his right. "Come on, Garmadon. It will be nice, you'll see."
Biting his lip, Garmadon reluctantly sat by him, cross-legged as well.
"Now, just—" Wu suddenly paused, causing Garmadon to look up in confusion. "I forgot to ask, did you have breakfast?" Guilt was on his face. "Zane made some omelets."
Garmadon nodded. "Yes." And for once, he had. A weight seemed to lift off his shoulders—he was glad he didn't have to lie again. He…really hated that.
Wu smiled. "Ah, good." He closed his eyes, taking a breath. "Now, just close your eyes and focus."
Garmadon frowned, glancing around. They were in a secluded room…nothing was going to come in.
Or anyone.
He was safe. It would be fine.
Besides, he slept on the couch, anyway. That was basically the same as closing your eyes, except it was worse—you fell unconscious with sleep.
Sighing quietly, he closed his eye, taking a breath like Wu had. He tried to block out his thoughts, the world. Just focus.
Like father always said.
"Ever wondered how pirates feel?"
Garmadon shut his eye tighter, jaw clenched. Not again—
This was going to end badly. He knew it.
"Dad, please! You can change!"
And now he was alone with his thoughts… Just what he was trying to avoid—
Why am I doing this?
I need to move—
"I have no son!"
Creak!
His head snapped towards the door. He waited, breath held—
Nothing. Of course…
Why was he hearing things? And why was he so jumpy?!
Shaking his head, he glanced at Wu. He sat there peacefully, eyes closed, face relaxed.
Glad he's having a grand time…
Sighing, he sucked in a breath, closing his eye again.
Just focus.
Swords clashed, metal clangs ranging through the air—
FOCUS!
Garmadon shook his head, trying to take control of his thoughts—
"What have you become?"
"Time has treated you well. You think father's sword can hurt me?"
"No. But it can hold you."
A loud blast sounded—
"Don't you get it? The fight is what fuels me!"
"Lloyd, take cover—"
A louder blast—
Garmadon sucked in a strangled gasp—
Nothing even triggered me, what is wrong with me?!
Stop it—!
"Hello, son. And farewell."
"How long can you endure?"
"I thought the fight is what fueled you? Is this how you fight?"
No no no, don't—
There was a pained grunt.
Lloyd, no—
"If only father could see me now…"
Swords clashed again—
"This isn't what your father wanted Ninjago to be. He left his world to make a better place. He fought to restore the balance!"
"Ninjago isn't built on balance! It's built on—" another clash— "power! And controlled by he who possesses it!"
Please, stop—!
Another blast—
"I have no son!"
"You're no sensei, and you've never been one!"
"The letter he wrote that made you fall in love with him—it was written by Wu."
Garmadon shuddered, trying to block it all out—
Just an hour or two more. That's it. Then I'm done.
Ichor's chuckle rang through—
Around thirty minutes later, Wu opened an eye, glancing at Garmadon. He was…tense, expression tight. He frowned. That was not a good sign…
"Garmadon?"
His brother didn't stir. His pained expression didn't leave, either.
Actually, his breathing's a little ragged…
Growing concerned, Wu stood, then knelt in front of him. "Garmadon?"
He didn't seem to hear him. Was he sick? No, he looked more anxious…sweat was beading down his face.
Well, so much for relaxing…
"Maybe we should just call it a day…"
There was a pause.
"Garmadon?"
Was he trembling? Wu frowned, then reached out a hand—
Ichor's face once again appeared above his own. He was scowling. "I told you not to try that again."
Garmadon trembled, blinking. "I…I'm sorry… Please…"
Ichor smirked. "'I'm sorry' doesn't cut it." He suddenly lifted up an ice cream scoop. The edges of the metal scoop glinted coldly in the light. He grinned. "Ever wondered how pirates feel?"
No no no— Please, no—
His breathing sped up, sucking in strangled gasps.
"Grab his face."
Two men suddenly grabbed him, holding him in place.
Garmadon started struggling madly, gasping pitifully. A fearful whimper escaped him.
No no no, not again—
STOP—
"You're about to find out." The ice cream scoop was suddenly going towards his face.
He screamed, struggling, writhing, trying to GET AWAY—
It pierced the skin, and then he heard a crack as it pierced his skull—
Everything suddenly sounded muted.
A sheer terror swept through him.
Get away—
Ichor grinned, digging into his face. Wetness—blood—started pouring down his face. There was a muted chuckle, laughter, taunting—
His right vision was suddenly gone. It was just…dark. Black.
Pain swept through his face. Like fire. Though the metal scoop felt cold.
Ichor moved the scoop, cold and fire screaming across his right eye— And then the scoop was gone.
Ichor chuckled darkly.
The hands suddenly left Garmadon's face. He jerked away from them, still writhing as blood ran down and onto the table.
"There we go. See what I have? It technically belonged to you. Except that you are mine." Another chuckle.
There was a beat of silence.
"Hold him still again."
Something touched his shoulder—
Garmadon felt overwhelming panic grip him. He yelped, thrashed, tried to jerk free—
He couldn't breathe.
The moment Wu laid a hand on Garmadon's shoulder, he let out a high-pitched yelp. His brother jerked away from him, hands going in front of his face—
Wu blinked, a little shocked. "Garmadon…?"
His brother just whimpered, cowering in the corner, his breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps.
Wu stood, taking a step towards him. "Garmadon, are you alright…?"
He got no answer again. Wu hesitantly, slowly, knelt in front of him. "Brother…?" He started to reach out a hand—then stopped. He didn't want to make this any worse. "Brother, what's going on?"
Was he mumbling something…? Mumbling what? He couldn't make it out…
Wu frowned. After a moment, he finally decided he needed to snap him out of…whatever was going on. He placed a hand on his shoulder again—
Garmadon yelped, jerking away.
"Garmadon, listen to me—it's Wu! Your brother!" He grabbed his wrist instead, hoping to ground him somehow, maybe offer some form of…what? Comfort?
He really had no idea what was going on…
Garmadon thrashed, trying to jerk out of his grasp—
"Please, brother—" Wu was growing more and more concerned. What in Ninjago…?
Ichor's voice echoed through the room, taunting him.
"Ever wondered how pirates feel?"
"Ever wondered how pirates feel?"
"Ever wondered how pirates feel?"
Something held him, but he couldn't figure out WHAT—
Pain—
"—brother, what's going on? It's Wu!"
Wu? What…?
"Please, calm down!"
Ichor's voice started to fade, and he blinked, realizing that he was back in Wu's meditating room—
Oh no—
He sucked in a gasp, trying to calm himself.
"Brother?" Wu's voice softened.
Garmadon suddenly realized his wrist was caught— He jerked it back before he could think.
"Garmadon, it's only me—"
Wait, no, that was Wu holding—
Idiot—
ICHOR ISN'T HERE!
Then why was his heart still racing, and why couldn't he breathe?!
"Garmadon—" Wu sounded exhausted, at a loss. So confused.
Idiot, calm down already—
He blinked rapidly, turning his gaze to the floor, one hand going to his chest, curling into himself.
"Please, tell me what's going on!" Wu moved towards him.
Garmadon flinched away involuntarily, shaking. He took a shuddering breath, shutting his eye.
Please, just leave me alone…
Wu paused.
Garmadon felt a sob threaten to escape. He sucked in a strangled gasp instead. Then he suddenly realized something wet had slid down his face.
Oh no, I can't break down now—
CALM DOWN—
I can't—
"Garmadon…?" Wu's voice had softened again. He sounded…concerned.
Why?
Pathetic—
Wu moved closer to him again, this time slowly.
Garmadon tried to move away instinctively, but now he was backed into a corner. Why was he so terrified—
"The letter he wrote that made you fall in love with him—it was written by Wu."
"Of all the things—"
"Don't tell me what to do!"
"You're no sensei, and you've never been one!"
Garmadon squeezed his eye shut tighter.
"Can you tell me what's wrong?" Wu was next to him now, dangerously close—
Garmadon choked, trying to shove the panic down.
Helpless.
Trapped—
I can't breathe—
"Garmadon, listen to me—I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong. Can you—" Wu paused a moment. "Nod if you're able to speak, alright?"
He grit his teeth, jaw clenching so tightly it hurt. He gave one small, but sharp, nod.
Wu gave a quiet exhale.
Garmadon could practically hear his thoughts—now we're finally making progress.
"Alright…can you tell me what's going on, then?"
Garmadon shuddered, choking as more tears slid down his face.
I'll be FINE—
"Just—" Garmadon's voice shook. "Just…give me a minute…" He sucked in another breath. "Please…"
He could feel Wu's disapproval at that, but surprisingly, he stayed silent.
The minutes ticked by, Garmadon trying to reign in his emotions and calm down. Wu didn't say anything, just knelt beside him and waited.
It was at least ten minutes later when Garmadon finally felt his breathing even out. His heart had slowed, no longer feeling like it would burst. He still felt shaky, but it wasn't as bad now.
"Garmadon…?" Wu's tentative voice split through the silent air.
He involuntarily tensed.
"Are…you alright, now?"
Garmadon nodded. He shifted positions, trying to loosen his stiff muscles from sitting curled up for so long, and then quickly swiped at his face.
I can't believe I seriously broke down like that…
He tried not to growl at his own foolishness. Frustration bubbled up, and he scolded himself for not being able to control his emotions. What is wrong with me?
Wu gave a quiet sigh. "Alright…that's good…" He paused for a moment. "Can…can you tell me what happened?"
Garmadon avoided his gaze. He shook his head, then stumbled to his feet.
Wu stood as well. "Garmadon? Where are you going?"
"I…I just need to be alone." He shakily walked to the door, sliding it open.
Wu followed him. "What?"
Garmadon paused, not turning around. "I…please?"
Please, just let me go…
He could feel Wu's frown. "I…okay… If that's what you need…but this conversation isn't over."
Garmadon clenched his jaw. Why can't you just drop it? He jerked his head in a nod, then headed down the hall.
Wu watched Garmadon leave, frowning.
He'd known something was wrong. And now this just confirmed that even more.
I need to talk to Misako. She was always the one he confided with. They'd been friends for at least forty years now—since the Serpentine War.
He turned, heading the opposite way Garmadon had gone.
I thought it would help… Guilt clenched him. He'd been wrong, clearly. Though he couldn't figure out why, or what had even happened.
He'd wanted to spend some time with him. Try and…repair their fractured relationship.
I just wanted him back…
He couldn't figure out how it had backfired so badly, though.
Wu shook his head. He'd discuss it with Misako.
It didn't take him long to find her—she was usually in the scroll room, studying. Though he found himself pausing in the doorway. Books, scrolls, and slips of paper were scattered throughout the room—sorted, mind you. Misako would never just leave things sitting around in a mess.
"Um…Misako?"
She didn't seem to notice him, instead grabbing a laid out scroll to her left, looking it over quick, and then going back to a book in front of her.
She looked…almost frazzled. Which…was worrisome. She was usually very collected.
Wu took a step inside, being careful to avoid all her piles. He reached her in about fifteen seconds, which was due to the piles he'd had to avoid.
"Misako?"
She jumped, turning to him. "Um…Wu? Yes? Did you want something?"
Wu blinked, one eyebrow raised. "Er…yes. I wanted to talk to you."
Misako turned back to her books, eyes scanning over them. "Ah. Okay. About what? Make it quick, I have work to do and I think I'm on to something…"
Wu frowned, then peeked over her shoulder. "Hmm…I see. Alright, but this is important."
Misako nodded. "Mm-hmm… What is it?"
"It's about Garmadon."
She visibly tensed. "…What about him?"
Wu rose an eyebrow at her clipped tone. "Well…I was just meditating with him—I was trying to bond with him a bit, and I thought it might help him—but it…went…very wrong."
Misako looked at him, eyebrow raised. "Wrong? What do you mean?"
"Well…I thought it was going fine, until I glanced at him half an hour later. He seemed…tense. So I tried to ask him what was wrong, but he wouldn't respond. I—" He paused. "Um…well, long-story-short, he…I think he had a panic attack. Like…what used to happen during the Serpentine War, with the venom."
Misako's eyes widened. "A panic attack? During meditation?" She sounded skeptical.
Wu nodded. "Yes. It was quite odd…but he refused to tell me what had happened."
Misako bit her lip. Then went back to looking at her books. "I don't know, Wu…are you sure it was that, and not something else? Maybe he was just stressed? Or…I don't know…something else…"
He shook his head. "No, this was more than stress…he was…panicked. He looked as if he thought I was going to attack him, or something…"
She shrugged. "I don't know…I don't know much about that kind of thing."
Wu frowned. Is she avoiding the subject…? "Well, I just wanted your opinion…"
"And I gave it to you."
Wu blinked, a little hurt now. "You're…not in the least bit concerned?"
"No. I'm sure he'll be fine."
Wu shifted uncertainly. He opened his mouth—then thought better of it and turned. "Alright…thank you." He started towards the door, making sure to avoid—
Misako suddenly sighed. "I…I'm sorry, Wu…"
He looked back at her, pausing.
"I didn't mean to be short with you, it's just… I don't know…" She put a hand to her head, leaning against the table with the other.
"It's fine… Are you doing alright?" Wu found his gaze traveling over the stacks of books and scrolls lying around once more.
She nodded. "Yes. I'm fine."
Her clipped tone was back.
"Alright… I…I know Garmadon coming back is probably hard for you, with…everything that happened, but—"
"I'm fine. Now, please, I…I have research to do." She flipped a page—then shut the entire book and grabbed another.
Wu frowned. "…Alright. But if you need to talk, I'm always here." He turned, walking out the door, and shutting it closed behind him.
Misako didn't reply.
He sighed, then started for the kitchen. Maybe tea would help him sort this out. He hoped his brother was okay…
Misako listened as Wu shut the door. She closed her eyes, lowering her head and feeling utterly exhausted. She hadn't meant to be so short with him…Wu was her friend. He didn't deserve that.
But she'd had such a strong reaction when Garmadon was mentioned. She couldn't help it, not with how her mind started racing and with the sudden, aching pain in her chest…
She sighed again, her hand going to her forehead and through her hair. Biting her lip, she went back to reading the book. She didn't even know what she was reading, she just…
She just needed a distraction. This was all too much—
After everything she'd been through…she couldn't understand why this…hurt…so much.
Just focus on reading. Take your mind off it. I'll…be okay.
I always am.