let me down gently
Prompts: Anger and Fight
Word Count: 6,465
Characters: Lloyd and Kai
Timeline: During episodes 96 (Into the Breach) and 97 (The Fall)
Trigger Warnings: Strained Parental Relationships, Suffocation, Major Character Death (kind of, u all know Cole didn't really die in this episode)
Summary: The thing about spending nearly every waking moment of the last several years of your life with a group of friends is that you really get to know them, inside and out, so much so that sometimes you know what they’re thinking before they do.
And, sometimes that means it’s easy to overlook what they’re actually trying to say.
(wooo! got my first bingo! what happens now lol)
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The thing about spending nearly every waking moment of the last several years of your life with a group of friends is that you really get to know them, inside and out, so much so that sometimes you know what they’re thinking before they do.
Kai had learned that it was all about being observant. The littlest things could hint him off at what was going on in their minds.
For example, whenever Nya was frustrated with a piece of machinery she was repairing, Kai could tell by the sound of her hammer against the metal. It was more of a dull, clunking sound than the lighter, ringing tone that could usually be heard. Or when Zane was faced with a problem that he was struggling to solve, he would always walk with a slightly stiffer posture. How Jay’s leg would bounce slightly when he was impatient, or how Cole bit his lip when he was focused.
And now, as the ninja stood around Garmadon on the deck of the Bounty, Kai could tell from the look in Lloyd’s bright green eyes that his youngest brother was planning something- something that Kai wasn’t going to like.
“I’m done with your foolishness,” Garmadon growled at the ninja. “You do not have a choice. I will say it once more- I am the only one who can enter the Oni Cloud. Give me a weapon, and let me go, or the Darkness will consume us all.”
“It’s not going to happen,” Lloyd snapped back. “You’re not going anywhere- not without me.”
Kai balked at him. What?!
Lloyd began to walk up to Garmadon, until he was glaring him right in the face. “I’m your son, remember. I’m Oni, too.”
No. The blood was roaring in Kai’s ears, now. Lloyd had come up with plenty of dumb, impulsive plans in his life, but this was on another level entirely. If Lloyd thought Kai was letting him go into the Darkness alone with Garmadon, he was sorely mistaken.
“You are part Oni.” The man reached out, shoving Lloyd, and the green ninja stumbled backwards. Nya quickly caught him by the arm, steadying him, and the others lunged towards Garmadon. Kai barely managed to stop himself from punching the man in the face, dropping into a defensive stance instead when Lloyd pulled away from Nya, evidently unharmed.
“That means you might survive,” Garmadon told Lloyd, ignoring the others glaring at him.
“Well, I guess we’ll find out.”
Oh, you’ll find out all right, Kai fumed as he glared at the green ninja. You’ll find out that this is not happening, as soon as I knock some sense into you.
---
“Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, have you lost your tiny mind?” Kai grabbed Lloyd’s arm, yanking him into an empty room below deck on the Bounty.
Lloyd stared at him. “Did you just call my mind tiny?”
“Yes, I did, and you deserve it, because you’re being the absolute worst idiot I have seen right now. And I’m friends with Jay, so that’s saying something.”
“Excuse me for trying to help,” Lloyd spat back. “I didn’t see anyone else coming up with a plan.”
“So the only thing you could come up with was chucking your own life into danger? Typical Lloyd move.”
His friend's eyes widened. “You’re one to talk! Do you really need me to go over every risky decision you’ve made? We’ll be here all day!”
“Half of those ‘risky decisions’ have just been trying to get you out of situations that your risky decisions got you into!”
Lloyd’s eyes darkened, and he turned away, beginning to rummage through the cabinets for a suitable weapon. “No one asked you to do that.”
Kai couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He marched forward, put a hand on Lloyd’s shoulder, and forced him around. “You expected me to just leave you. To die?”
“No!” The green ninja answered hastily, although he wouldn’t meet Kai’s eyes. “… I just could’ve taken care of it myself, that’s all.”
Kai snorted. “Right.”
Lloyd shoved his hand away. “I’m serious! I’m not a kid anymore, I don’t need you babysitting me.”
Kai felt like his heart had been impaled as he watched Lloyd turn away from him, back towards the shelves. He felt stinging in his eyes, and quickly pushed the hurt down, letting it give way to anger instead. How dare Lloyd speak to him that way. Kai had spent years caring for him, looking out for him. He had been the one to save him from the Fire Temple, from Morro, had been the one to carry him to Mystaké’s shop when he had foolishly run off to fight Garmadon alone and nearly died-
Sure, Kai had… he had failed him, sometimes. He knew he wasn’t always good enough to protect him, as hard as he tried. But in his defence, Lloyd wasn’t exactly making it easy for him! It was almost as if the boy wanted to die! He was getting an odd sense of déjà vu, and he didn’t like it one bit.
“Have you forgotten what happened the last time you left us to fight the villain by yourself? I’m still having nightmares about that night, Lloyd! You nearly died.”
“That was different.”
“Different how?”
“I know what I’m doing,” he insisted. “And I won’t be alone. My dad will be with me.”
Kai’s eyes narrowed. “Oh great, now I’m so reassured.”
Lloyd shot him a look so venomous that Kai nearly faltered. What was that about?
“Look, Lloyd, I’m just trying to watch out for you! Can’t you see that the Cloud is dangerous? Cole was only in it for a second, and we nearly lost him. I don’t want to lose you, too.”
Lloyd sighed. “I know. But someone’s gotta do it, and my father said that my Oni blood will protect me.”
“He also said your human blood would make you weaker. He never guaranteed you would survive, and, frankly, even if he did, I wouldn’t trust him.”
Lloyd’s gaze went hard again. “Of course you wouldn’t. You’ve never trusted him. For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve had a vendetta against him, and that’s no different now.”
“Lloyd, don’t be ridiculous, you know that’s not true. He was our sensei at one point, remember? I accepted him then! It’s only the Devourer venom I don’t trust. He said it himself- he couldn’t be trusted with the venom flowing through his veins.”
“Yeah, well the venom’s gone now, isn’t it? And I don’t see you acting any different than those first days.”
“Lloyd, he’s different now, and you know it. He’s not Sensei Garmadon anymore.”
“So that automatically means we can’t trust him?”
“No! But I can list a hundred other reasons why we can’t!” Kai began counting off on his fingers, “He tried to kill you, he tried to kill us, he tried to kill Wu, he destroyed the Bounty, he destroyed the city, he imprisoned our friends, he created a giant stone Colossus to try and destroy us, he’s Oni-”
“I’m Oni, too,” Lloyd snapped. “Does that mean you don’t trust me?”
“Lloyd, stop being stupid-”
“Oh, so now I’m stupid!”
“I didn’t mean that.”
“So what did you mean?”
Kai sighed, rubbing his temples. “You’re only part Oni. Things are different.”
“But what if I wasn’t? What if I was full Oni? You wouldn’t trust me then?”
“I never said that.”
“You literally just did.”
Kai glowered at him. “Look, it doesn’t matter- Lloyd, you’re my friend. I’ve known you for years, I know you’re trustworthy because you’ve never done anything to prove me otherwise.”
“If you trust me so much, then why aren’t you acting like it now?”
“I do trust you! I still do, and I always will. But I also know your judgement tends to get clouded when it comes to people you care about. And, I’m sorry Lloyd, but your father does not deserve to be on that list. Not anymore. Ever since he’s come back, he’s done nothing but prove to me that he doesn’t care about you. At all.”
Lloyd froze, a shadow falling over his face. Kai reached for his hand, but he jerked back, gritting his teeth.
“Oh, come on, Lloyd, I know you’re trusting, but this is ridiculous! Have you forgotten what he’s done to you?”
“You don’t get to talk,” Lloyd choked, his voice suddenly sounding wet. “You don’t know what it’s like. What I’ve been through.”
Kai stopped, blinking at him. “What?”
“You don’t know! You never had to watch your dad be an evil warlord for your whole life, never had people telling you that your entire destiny was to defeat him!”
Kai felt his anger dissipate. “Lloyd-”
But the green ninja wasn’t done. “You never had to fight the one person who came back for you when everyone else turned their backs on you, only to get him back as someone completely different than the person you remembered! You never had to suffer through those long weeks, those long months, struggling to reconnect with him after the rift that had been torn between the two of you. You never had to deal with only having your father back for a couple years before losing him again, just when you had finally been getting to know him again! You never had to suffer through that loss, thinking about him every day for the next few years, just starting to get over him when suddenly you found out he was coming back again! You never had to fight so hard to keep him from coming back, even though a small part of you really wanted to see him again. You don’t know what it was like to get a chance to reunite with him, only to have him nearly kill you, and then be forced to recruit him to help you. You don’t know what it’s like to have half of your brain remembering him as this horrible, sadistic monster that absolutely cannot be trusted, but the other half remembering him as a good man, as your true father, and feeling like there’s still some of that in there, and maybe you can have that back!”
By this point, Lloyd was crying, hard, and Kai felt like his heart was going to shatter. “Lloyd. I’m sorry bud. I’m so sorry. But you’re going to have to trust us. Your team. We’ve always been here for you, even when your dad wasn’t.”
“You still don’t get it!” Lloyd was borderline yelling by this point. “I can’t! I can’t forget everything he’s done- both the good and the bad! You can’t possibly understand how angry I am at him but how much I love him! He left me! He hurt me! But he is the only person who loved me from the very beginning- even you thought I was some washed-up street rat when we first met!”
The pressure building in Kai’s chest suddenly snapped, and he found himself yelling right back at Lloyd. “I don’t know what it’s like? Have you forgotten what my father did? I lived the majority of my life thinking that he had abandoned me! For a five-year-old kid, that was the scariest thing of my life- I didn’t know what to do, and everything was resting on me. It took me years to get over that, to get over them and to move on, and then- then I figured out they were alive and now everyone was saying that they were good and that this wasn’t their fault- that everything was okay now. But it wasn’t okay- they had left me, burdened me, and as much as I knew they hadn’t done it on purpose, I couldn’t forget all those years of pain. Even Nya thought I was being crazy, tried to stop me from lashing out at them. She didn’t understand. She was the younger sibling, she wasn’t burdened with my responsibility. If anyone could understand me, I would’ve thought it would be you.”
“It’s not the same!” Lloyd’s voice was shrill. “You still have years ahead of you- years to talk and reconnect. You think I didn’t go through the same thing with my father after he was cleansed from the venom? I thought we would have all the time in the world! But now we’re back at square one again, but worse- square zero- and this time he won’t even listen to me! He doesn’t remember me, he doesn’t remember himself, he doesn’t remember anything except hatred.”
“Then why are you so eager to listen to him again?”
“I can’t let him go again! Not like last time!”
“This isn’t like last time, Lloyd! Why won’t you listen to us? Since when did you start trusting Garmadon’s judgement over mine?”
“The moment you stopped listening to me and tried to make everything about yourself!”
Kai stared at him in disbelief. Lloyd was seriously calling him selfish right now? He had just poured out all his insecurities about his parents, ones that he didn’t want to share but did anyway to try to help Lloyd see he wasn’t alone- and the brat had the nerve to call him selfish?
“I can’t believe you! I’ve done nothing- nothing- but try to help you and care for you since you joined our team. And you have the audacity to pin this on me. You know what? Go! Go with your father into that dumb Cloud! Since you obviously care about him so much more than you do me!”
“I will,” Lloyd shot back, already storming out of the room.
“Don’t come crying to me when you suffocate in there! At least you’ll be with your dear old pops!”
Lloyd turned around when he reached the doorway, their shouting match quieting as he responded in a low voice.
“Trust me, I’m not going to be crying to anyone.”
There was a loud bang as Lloyd slammed the door shut, and Kai was alone.
---
Zane walked quietly down the hallway of the ship, stopping in front of Nya as she slowly backed out of a room, pulling the door shut softly behind her.
“Any luck?”
She shook her head. “He won’t even talk to me, not to mention tell me what happened.”
“Kai isn’t budging either. He asked me how close we were to the city, and what Garmadon was up to, but refused to even mention Lloyd.”
“I’ve never seen Lloyd like this, Zane, he was… he was upset. Angry. I think they fell out, but… I don’t know why, or how…”
“It has to be about the Cloud. Kai was pretty upset when Lloyd announced his plan.”
“I’m upset too!” she snapped. “It’s a horrible plan! He’s going to get himself killed! But you know how Lloyd gets when he sets his mind on something. And Kai can get… snappy when he’s worried about someone important to him. I’m worried things have been taken too far this time, though.”
Nya buried her face in her hands, and Zane put a hand on her shoulder. “Nya, it’s going to be alright. It’s not like they haven’t fought before. They’ll make up quickly, like they always do.”
“Yeah, but it’s never been this bad before! Lloyd was really upset, Zane! He always talks to me, comes to me, when he’s having a hard time, especially if it’s with Kai, but…” her voice dropped to a whisper. “This time is different.”
“Have you forgotten everything they’ve been through?” Zane reminded her. “Their friendship has survived the green ninja prophecy, Chen’s staff, a possession, many near-death experiences, and realm-hopping. I think they can handle one argument.”
Nya didn’t look so reassured, so Zane looped his arm around her. “They’re going to be fine. They always are.”
Nya wiped a sleeve across her eyes, sniffing. “I know. I just worry about them.”
“It’s great, how much you look out for them, but there are some things that Kai and Lloyd must resolve on their own.”
Nya nodded, slowly stepping back from the door of the room where Lloyd was.
A faint beeping sounded from above them, and Zane quickly checked his internal GPS. “Now, we should head back above deck. It won’t be long before we reach Ninjago City, and the outskirts of the Oni Cloud.”
“The time is nearly upon us,” Nya whispered. “Soon, the fate of Ninjago will rest in our hands.” Her nose wrinkled. “Again.”
---
Kai stared over the deck of the Bounty, his jaw slack as he surveyed the landscape below. The entirety of Ninjago City was covered in a thick, black smog, only the tips of some of the taller skyscrapers emerging from it.
A sickly black tentacle reached up below them, curling up towards the fins on the rear of the Bounty, lapping gently against the wood. Nya put on a burst of speed, and the Bounty pulled from its grasp, leaving the tentacle to lurk hungrily, before it slowly receded back down into the Cloud.
A shiver slipped down his spine, and he gritted his teeth. He couldn’t believe the others had agreed to send Lloyd down there.
“This will allow us to see what’s happening inside the Cloud.”
Kai turned to see Zane slipping what looked to be a GoPro over Lloyd’s head. “We can watch the camera feed from the monitor screens of the Bounty.”
Lloyd was shifting from foot to foot, looking nervous. As he should be. How long will it take for him to finally realize how dangerous this is?
Lloyd wasn’t the only one looking frightened. From where she stood up by the steering wheel, Nya was watching Lloyd apprehensively, nibbling on her lip. Jay stood at Lloyd’s side, double and triple checking to make sure the armor pieces fastened to his gi were strong and secured. Cole was leaning back against the mast, arms crossed over his chest as he surveyed them all with dark eyes.
“What’s our plan for extraction?” Cole asked gruffly. “If we’re doing this, we need a clear plan before you leave. There’ll be no room for mistakes down there.”
“We’ll wait here with the Bounty while he’s down there,” Zane explained. “When he’s made it back, we’ll drop the anchor so he can climb the chain.”
“I installed a tracking device in the camera,” Nya added, “so if something goes wrong, we can come pick you up elsewhere.”
“Hopefully nothing will go wrong,” Lloyd muttered.
Nya shook her head. “I’ll say.”
“Did you guys check the parachute? Does it feel alright, do you want me to-”
“Jay.” Lloyd said firmly. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”
Jay sighed, running a hand through his curly locks. “I’m just not sure about this, Lloyd.”
“Guys. I have to do this. I’m gonna get in, grab the Realm Crystal, get out. No problem.”
“No problem?” Kai growled. “Yeah, except for the freezing black tentacles, deathly fog, and swarms of Oni you’re forgetting about. Oh, and wait, your father.”
“Kai, can we not get into this now,” Lloyd grimaced.
“If we don’t get into it now, when will we get into it?” Kai pulled back from the railing, walking over to him. “Once you go, there’s no turning back.”
His eyes flashed. “I’m aware of the consequences. I’m doing it.”
Kai groaned. “You’re not even listening to me!”
“And you’re not listening to me. Do you have another plan?”
“I’m sure we could come up with something better than this.”
“Yeah? Well, you haven’t!” he snapped, loudly.
Kai said nothing, glaring at him.
“The people of Ninjago City are in danger. Many of them are already lost, and I only hope that we can save them. Someone has to help, sooner rather than later. And right now, me and my father are the only ones who can.”
“Well, maybe not you,” Jay squeaked, looking nervous to impede on their argument.
“Jay’s right, you’re taking a huge risk.”
“I’m a ninja!” Lloyd threw up his arms. “Risk is part of the job description.”
There was silence at that.
Really, what could they say? To deny it would be to put down every risk they had ever taken, every consequence they had ever faced.
But so many of them had ended in disaster- Zane’s death, Chen’s staff, Morro’s possession, Wu getting lost in time, and of course, Lloyd’s initial face-off with his resurrected father- and Kai was wondering when they would finally draw the line.
Sooner or later, their luck was going to run out. Sooner or later, they would get themselves into a mess they couldn’t get out of.
---
The ship slowed to a halt in front of Borg Tower. The tallest building in the city, it stretched far above the Cloud, but as Lloyd peered down, he saw that the bottom of it just seemed to disappear, getting swallowed by the blackness.
“This is the closest I can get,” Nya announced, descending the ladder as she hopped down to the deck with them. “You’re going to have to take it from here.”
Garmadon said nothing, stepping up to the edge of the rail to peer over the edge.
Pixal beckoned to him, and Lloyd walked over, standing patiently as she fiddled with his GoPro.
“Zane?” she called back to the nindroid, to where he had climbed back up towards the monitor. She waved at Lloyd’s camera, and Zane gave her a thumbs up.
“It’s working. For now. The reception might break up a little when he actually goes into the Darkness, but hopefully it will last us a while, at least.”
“And the GPS?”
“Signal is on point.”
“Voice feed? Can you hear me through the comms?”
“Loud and clear.”
“Good.” Pixal stepped back from him, nodding. She hesitated for a moment, her green eyes flashing. “Lloyd… just be careful, okay? Your life isn’t worth the Realm Crystal. We can always come up with another plan.”
Lloyd swallowed. Suddenly, this whole thing was beginning to feel a lot more real.
Apparently, he wasn’t the only one thinking this, because Kai walked over to him. Lloyd flinched, expecting him to yell again, but his voice was soft.
“Lloyd. If you… if you really trust your dad so much, you should let him go. Alone.”
Lloyd bit back a sigh. “I don’t trust him.”
Kai blinked. “You literally just told me earlier that you-”
“No, I said it was complicated.” Lloyd breathed out slowly, running his fingers through his hair before his voice came out too sharp. “I trust him enough to not get me killed, but not enough to bring the Realm Crystal back on his own.”
“Look, Lloyd, you don’t have to do this.”
Lloyd glared at him. “Yeah, I do. I’m going, end of discussion.”
“Please don’t go. Look, I’m sorry about what I said earlier, okay? I’ll make it up to you. Please don’t base this decision off of that.”
Kai’s eyes were looking suspiciously shiny now, and Lloyd bit his lip. He was still mad at Kai, but Lloyd hated fighting with him. Maybe he should-
No. Lloyd shut down that train of thought fiercely. He couldn’t do this again. He couldn’t let his emotions get the better of him.
Sure, this was Kai he was talking about- not Harumi, or his father. He knew Kai would never try to take advantage of him, but- he was also biased. Lloyd wanted to listen to his own judgement, for once. The best decisions were always made with a clear head, anyways.
He forced his voice to be hard as he spoke. “I made this decision plenty of time before that conversation.”
Ignoring the look on Kai’s face, he turned and walked towards the edge of the deck, pulling his sword out of the rack. It was about time he finished this.
---
Kai hurried over to her looking half in tears.
“So I’m guessing that’s a ‘no’ on talking him out of it?”
Kai gripped her shoulders, tight. “He won’t listen to me Nya, I think he’s still angry with me. I can’t change his mind. Nothing I say will change his mind. You need to talk to him, please. Maybe he’ll listen to you.”
“I wouldn’t get your hopes up, Kai. He may not be upset with me, but you know how stubborn he gets when he sets his mind on something.”
“Can you at least try?”
Nya looked at him, and after a moment, let out a sigh. “Fine.”
Her footsteps were quiet as she walked over to the green ninja, who was sheathing his sword. He didn’t look at her, but he knew she was there, that Nya was certain of.
“I have no idea what he said to you, earlier… but he’s just worried about you, y’know.”
Lloyd snorted. “Sure has a funny way of showing it.”
“I’m serious, Lloyd. This is dangerous. Perhaps one of the biggest risks we’ve taken yet. What you said earlier was true- taking risks is part of the job- but that doesn’t mean we can’t be careful. Can’t worry.”
Lloyd sighed. “I know- and I’m not expecting you not to. But sometimes, certain things have to be done, and… you just have to endure the worry for the sake of others.” He eyed her. “Kind of like you’re doing now.”
Nya side-eyed him, and he smiled slightly. “I can tell. You’ve been pacing.”
She breathed out slowly. “You’re right. But that’s not an easy thing to do. Especially for those who love you and care about you very much.”
Lloyd looked down. “Just get it over with.”
“What?”
“He sent you over here to talk me out of it, didn’t he?”
“Technically, yes… but he’s not my team leader. I don’t have to listen to anything he says.”
Lloyd looked up, his brilliant green eyes meeting her much tamer, softer brown ones.
“Why aren’t you going to try to change my mind?”
“Because I know what a stubborn brat you are,” she teased, cuffing him over the head. He shook her off, scowling as he straightened his hair.
“Seriously, though. I wouldn’t be sending you in if I wasn’t certain you were strong enough to handle yourself.”
Relief flooded his expression. “So you get it! Why doesn’t Kai? Why doesn’t he just trust me?”
“He trusts you,” she said firmly, and Lloyd blinked at her, surprised. “He trusts you more than you will ever know.”
“Then why is he so upset about me doing this?”
“Just because you know someone is capable doesn’t mean that you’re not going to worry or fear the worst when they have to do something dangerous. Kai’s a big brother. It’s his job to be overprotective! He’s just trying to look out for you.”
“I’m not a kid anymore. Sometimes I need to look after myself.”
“Kai’s afraid of losing you, Lloyd. He knows you’re strong. He knows you’re capable. He trusts you completely. But bad things can happen to even the best people. He doesn’t want a world without you in it. None of us do.”
Lloyd was silent at that, toeing at the ground with his foot. “I’ll be careful,” he said after a long while.
“You better be.” She reached forward, squeezing his hand. “Just know that he comes from a place of love, okay?”
“Are we going to just stand here all day?” Garmadon snapped, stalking over to him. “Or should I just go without you?”
“No,” Lloyd insisted, wiping at his face with his sleeve. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”
Garmadon shot a pointed glance at his sword. Lloyd sighed.
“Cole, give him a sword.”
The black ninja grabbed a katana, eyeing the Dark Lord with thinly veiled suspicion. “Are you sure about that?”
Lloyd nodded.
Cole tossed the sword at Garmadon’s feet, and he picked it up, surveying it slowly. The ninja and Pixal watched him apprehensively.
Suddenly, Garmadon was lunging at Cole, and before Nya could react, Kai was screaming at him to look out as he charged Garmadon, the sharp screech of metal sounding as his sword clashed with Garmadon’s. The man pushed past them, running towards Lloyd and Nya, and Lloyd quickly charged up his powers, hands glowing as he held up his fists protectively.
Garmadon darted to the side, wisely avoiding his son’s powers, and Nya blocked him with her spear, pinning him down as she caught him off guard.
Zane’s arrow flew past, and Garmadon rolled out of the way, causing her to lose her grip on him as he shot to his feet again, sending her flying with a sharply delivered kick to the gut.
Nya staggered to her feet, panting, just as Pixal was flung past her. Hurrying over, she helped her friend to her feet, and the two fell into battle stances behind the rest of the crew, who were now watching Garmadon through slitted eyes.
“Try that again!” Cole dared. “Now that I’m ready!”
Garmadon glared at them, raising a fist. Suddenly, it burst into purple flames, and the ninja recoiled, gasping.
His powers are back? How?
“That’s better,” Garmadon rasped, grinning. Then, with a running leap, he launched himself off the side of the ship.
There was silence for a moment, before Cole burst out, “Okay, what the heck was that?”
“Conflict fuels him!” Lloyd said, walking forward.
“He was powering up!” Zane agreed.
“He did that just to get his powers back?” Jay cried.
Cole grimaced, marching up to Lloyd. “I. Do. Not. Trust. Him!”
Nya felt her stomach flip. She was starting to regret giving Lloyd that pep talk, now. Sure, she believed in his ability to take care of himself, but… Garmadon had his powers back, now? Lloyd’s powers were nothing to be scoffed at, but… they paled in comparison to Garmadon's. Those powers were what had nearly gotten him killed the last time. What would happen if Garmadon needed to “power up” again? Would he turn on Lloyd? And this time, he wouldn’t have his team to help him.
Seeing the look in her youngest brother’s eyes, Nya suddenly felt the urge to hold him back, and she grabbed his shoulder tightly. “Lloyd. Are you sure you want to go through with this?”
Lloyd hesitated, gazing at his teammates, who looked back at him with fearful gazes. He bit his lip.
Please say no, please say no, please say-
“No.”
Nya blinked. Well, that was easier than expected-
“But I don’t really have a choice,” he added, and before Nya could react, he was ripping away from her, running across the deck of the Bounty-
And jumping off the side of the ship.
---
“Lloyd!” Nya screamed, and Kai was suddenly pushing his way past her, running to the edge of the ship to peer over the side.
Lloyd was plummeting, down, down, down, until the green of his gi vanished and the Darkness swallowed him up. Kai swore, curling his fingers into the handrail.
The others had joined him, Nya leaning over so desperately that Cole had to pull her back. Unease crackled in the air as they blinked at each other.
“The camera feed!” Zane cried suddenly. “Come on!”
The nindroid hurried towards the monitors, the rest of them not far behind. Kai held his breath as Zane’s fingers flew across the keyboard, until a hazy purple image appeared. Dark, lurking outlines blurred past, as if in motion, until they suddenly slowed, Lloyd’s feet swinging into view.
“He opened his parachute,” Zane breathed.
Jay squinted at the screen, leaning forward. “I can’t see anything… except for that weird, purplish smoke.”
“Wait,” Cole pointed at the shadows, which came into better view as the fog began to thin slightly. “There’s some sort of building there.” He recoiled as something dark slithered across it. “What is that?”
“They look like…” Nya narrowed her eyes. “Tentacles, or something.”
“Eugh! Those are the things that tried to grab me, earlier!” Cole cried.
Kai bit down on his lip, only just stopping himself before he could draw blood. “Be careful, Lloyd.”
After a moment, the ground drifted into view, and Lloyd stumbled to a halt as his feet reached it, releasing his parachute.
As he looked around, the camera turned with his head, and Kai felt himself shudder at the creepy, desolate landscape that had once been their city. It was cruel, how much something could change in only a day.
Lloyd coughed, clearing his throat, and Kai’s attention was drawn back to him, frowning.
“Lloyd? Are you okay?”
There was no response, except for another, heaving cough, and Kai felt his heart drop, turning to Zane. “Can’t he hear us?”
Zane’s eyes flashed, hitting a few things on the control panel. “He should be able to, unless the reception has been blocked already, which frankly, I doubt-”
Lloyd’s hands flew to his mouth as he wheezed, a horrible, strangled sound. He gasped for air, and suddenly he was falling to his knees, the camera flickering.
Kai felt like he was having a heart attack.
“He’s suffocating!” he cried, reaching out and grabbing Nya’s arm, shaking her. “He can’t breathe, I told you this was a horrible idea, we have to get him out of there!”
Nya’s voice trembled. “Hurry, drop the anchor, he needs to get out now!”
“He can’t even stand, how is he going to climb the chain?”
“If he can't, I'll go down and get him.”
“You can’t do that, Kai, you’ll be dead within seconds!”
“What other choice do we-”
“Guys!” Zane cried, breaking over the clamor. “He’s okay now. His breathing has stabilized.”
Kai turned to the screen, seeing that Lloyd had pushed himself to his feet and was walking over to Garmadon. His breathing had stopped the horrible rasping, but it was still too heavy.
Nya slumped against him, rubbing her hands over her face. “This kid’s going to be the end of me.”
“Why is he going away from us?” Kai snapped. “Tell him to get back on the ship!”
Zane blinked at him. “The whole point of the mission is to get the Realm Crystal, is it not?”
“Not at the cost of his life!”
“Of course not.” Zane reached forward, squeezing his arm gently. “But he is fine now. Trust me, I will be the first to inform you if his breathing becomes irregular again.”
Kai pulled his hands over his face, screaming into them. “Wake me up when this horrible nightmare is over!”
---
“There’s more to life than surviving!”
Lloyd’s scream made even Garmadon flinch back as the green ninja raced off, vanishing below deck. Kai watched him anxiously, and he felt Nya slip her arm out of his grasp.
“I’m okay, Kai. Go.”
Giving her hand one last squeeze, he ran after Lloyd, shooting Garmadon a fierce glare as he passed.
When he finally found Lloyd, he was in their bedroom, curled up on his bed, crying softly.
Kai sat down next to him, the mattress sagging slightly lower beneath his weight. After a moment of silence, he reached out a hand and began to rub Lloyd’s back gently.
“You were right,” he gasped suddenly. “I should never have left. The plan didn’t even work. It’s my fault, I should’ve been there, I could’ve- I could’ve-”
“Lloyd, you couldn’t have done anything,” Kai insisted, giving up with subtlety and pulling Lloyd against his side. “No one could’ve.”
Lloyd didn’t seem to hear him. “Why did I trust my father, you were right, I never should’ve done that, I was being stupid as always, I thought we could- I thought maybe things would go back, but- no, you tried to warn me, and I was horrible to you-”
“Lloyd, Lloyd stop, breathe,” Kai begged, grabbing his hands and desperately trying to pull them off of his head, where he was digging in his nails. “Stop, please, I don’t care about any of that, I forgave you ages ago.”
Lloyd took a shuddery breath, loosening his hands enough for Kai to move them, and letting his head rest in Kai’s lap. “Ages ago? We just had the argument earlier today.”
“Yeah, well, I’m quick at forgiving.”
Lloyd huffed softly. “No, you’re not.”
“For you I am. That’s what family’s for, right?”
Kai immediately regretted his choice of words as Lloyd flinched. “I mean, true family. The one you chose, not the one you’re related to by blood.”
“Yeah. I guess so.”
Kai let his breath out slowly, leaning back on the hand that wasn’t wrapped around Lloyd, and paused as it hit against something hard.
Looking back, he saw it was a photo frame. Sucking in his breath, he picked it up.
The glass was cracked, but the picture behind it was perfectly clear. In it, Sensei Garmadon was standing in front of the Monastery, an arm slung around Lloyd. Although their former sensei was standing stiff, as usual, a rare smile was playing on his lips. And Lloyd- Lloyd’s grin was all teeth, his eyes practically sparkling as he gazed at his father. He looked so happy it made Kai’s heart hurt.
“Did you…”
Lloyd looked up as Kai trailed off, pulling himself into more of a sitting position, and his gaze found the photo. His eyes darkened, but he took it from Kai’s hands, anyway. He stared at it for a moment, his face unreadable as he traced his fingers along the cracks, then, suddenly, he was throwing the frame across the room, where it shattered against the floor loudly. A sob caught in his throat, and he wiped at his eyes.
Kai wrapped his arms around him in a hug, noticing as Lloyd flinched, hard, when he squeezed his arm. He made a mental note to make him go to the medbay later, but for now, he didn’t push it.
“Kai?”
“Hm?”
“I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier.”
“Bud, there’s nothing to be sorry about. We both made mistakes. But it’s over now. It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay.”
“No,” Kai breathed out, running a hand through his hair as tears stung in his eyes. “You’re right. It’s not.”
Lloyd whimpered, curling closer. “He’s gone, Kai. How can anything ever be okay again?”
“I don’t know, bud. Maybe it won’t be. But you know what? We keep going. Wherever life takes us, we keep on going, and we don’t give up.”
“It’s hard to keep going.”
“Then we just hold on. As tight as we can.”
Lloyd sobbed into the side of his gi, and Kai buried his face in Lloyd’s hair as tears slipped down his cheeks. Never again, was he going to take this for granted. He had already made that mistake with Cole.
And for that, Kai made sure to grip on a little tighter.
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Trust Chapter 20
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Can also be read on AO3
Summary: Cassandra seeks Varian shortly after she stole the Moonstone so that she can use his intellectual gifts. Lucky for her, no one seems to be telling him what happened at the Dark Kingdom and he still sees her as the wise and trusted person he always knew. Utilizing that image of herself, she takes him for herself while under the guise of protection.
Fandom: Tangled the Series
Before the Sun had risen, the Saporians had joined the strange girl in the large automaton. Once again the large blue stone was shown to the group.
“This will give you control of the Brotherhood of the Dark Kingdom,” she explained, handing it to Andrew. “They will fight tirelessly for you, turning against previous alliances or relationships. Not even family will be spared from their wrath. Take care of it. If it is broken, the influence will be lost.” She started for the machine’s controls but paused and turned back. “Oh, and your dear alchemist’s father is in that Brotherhood.” She walked away. “Do with that information as you will.”
A dark smile spread across Andrew’s face and he glanced at the boy who was still asleep in the corner. He would deal with him later. Right now, he had a coup to start.
Joining the girl at the front of the machine, he sat beside her. Following his directions, she steered the monstrosity to a nearby village. Weeks before, Andrew had sent word to the other disgruntled residents of Corona and those sympathetic to the Saporian cause. His letters had told them of the coming attack and that, if they should want to join the revolt, to gather in the small village. The previous night, Clementine had been sent to alert the people that the time had come and if they still wanted to take part, they needed to gather in the town square at daybreak.
The machine stopped and the hatch in the back opened to let those inside jump out. Landing in the square, Andrew was pleased to see that a small crowd was waiting for them. About 50 people were standing quietly, waiting for him to speak.
“Friends!” he called, taking a few steps closer. “I’m thrilled to see that you all want to join us in our noble crusade! We have plenty of supplies for you, crafted by Corona’s own little alchemist. He has generously prepared them so that our uprising will be unstoppable.” Behind him, the other Saporians dragged out the crates that Varian had carefully packaged. “Come forward and receive your armaments.” The group lined up and received plenty of weapons from the supply. Letting the others handle the dispersal, he hopped back into the automaton. He had already taken his share of the supply, a fully stocked alchemy belt over his shoulder while a sword and a coiled whip were strapped to his hips. “Things are going better than I expected,” he told the girl as he rejoined her.
“Did you believe your plan would fail?”
“Of course not.” Once again, he turned to look at the alchemist. “What are we going to do with him?”
Rising to her feet gracefully, the girl approached the sleeping boy.
“Don’t worry,” she replied, gently reaching out to the touch him. “I shall keep him here so he can’t escape.” Focusing on the Moonstone she had hidden on her wrist, she created black rock manacles around his wrists that attached to the pipe running along the wall that he was leaning against. Grinning at her success, she also attached a black rock chain to the collar Cassandra had stupidly forgotten to remove. Satisfied that he would be unable to move for that spot, she draped two strips of cloth on the collar around his neck. If he tried to get loud, he wouldn’t be for long. She faced the Saporian again. “You will lead the invasion and I will control this machine, following your orders.”
Crossing his arms, Andrew frowned.
“Why does the kid stay with you?” he demanded. “What if I want my old buddy with me?”
Trying not to lose her patience, the girl took a deep breath.
“If you believe having him at your side would be for the best, then by all means go ahead. However, who will repair this machine if it starts to malfunction?”
“I will command the machine,” he argued back.
The man was stubborn, too dedicated to his cause. That wasn’t the worst quality though. It was the trait that she could control, similar to how Cassandra’s wish for recognition was her folly.
Stepping closer, she kept her voice calm.
“That would be a fine choice. I must ask though, do you know how to operate this machine?” His face flushed at her words. Realizing something, he opened his mouth but she continued. “The alchemist cannot operate it for you. If he was allowed to be in charge, he would sabotage your attack. Even if it killed him, he would do so. You know this to be true.” Placing her hand on his arm to soothe him, she smiled. “And if you are in here, who will lead your troops?”
She knew she had him cornered, the frustrated realization crossing his face.
“Fine.” He stomped out of the hatch. “You control the machine and follow my orders.”
Smirking, she replied, “Of course.” Once he was back in the square, she closed the hatch. The sounds of the alchemist waking reached her ears and she stepped in front of him. “And now for you.”
Drowsy, Varian yawned and blinked slowly. The room was dark and fuzzy so he reached his hand up to rub his eyes. After a moment, he noticed that his hand couldn’t reach. Confused, he looked around and noticed the unfamiliar surroundings. This wasn’t the cottage or the tower. Had he escaped? No. That couldn’t be it. He had never seen this place before. As he pondered, he tried to reach his eyes again and finally realized the problem; his wrists were chained to something behind him.
“What the…?” he muttered, pulling against his bonds.
“Good morning, dear alchemist,” the girl called warmly, moving into his line of sight.
“What? Who are you?” The girl seemed oddly familiar but he couldn’t figure out where he had seen her. Suddenly it hit him. He reached out, trying to point at her, but only succeeded in bruising his wrists as the manacles firmly held him in place. “You! You were in my dream! Why are you here?! Where am I?!”
Patting his head, she smiled brightly.
“Very good, sweet boy.” He jerked his head away from her. He wasn’t a dog and he wasn’t going to let this odd girl treat him like one. “Cassandra has decided to forgo her destiny but I found a group more than willing to follow the path. I believe they are old friends of yours?”
Feeling dread growing in his stomach, he quietly asked, “The Saporians…?”
Again, the girl patted his head, Varian glaring at her.
“You truly are clever, aren’t you, child? It’s quite impressive for someone of your young age.” The compliment did nothing to quell the unease the alchemist was feeling. “Yes, the Saporians. They are rather eager to destroy Corona.” She leaned forward, only inches away from his face. Uncomfortable with the sudden closeness, Varian tried to slide away but his back was already flush with the pipe behind him. “From what I understand, you were once more than willing to help them with that goal. Isn’t that correct, dear alchemist?”
Ashamed of his past, he turned away.
“That…that was a different time,” he tried to defend. “I’ve done better since then. I’ve been better!”
Seizing the opening, the girl tsked sadly and sat beside him. Varian scooted as far away as he could but she wasn’t dissuaded. Instead, she reached out and cupped his cheek, gently turning his face back to her with a sympathetic look.
“I know how hard you’ve been trying to do better but are you truly? All those weapons you made for Cassandra are now in the hands of dozens of angry people. Can you honestly say that is the success you were aiming for?” Unable to pull out of her grasp, he settled for simply glaring at her and trying not to let her words phase him. “You allowed Cassandra to steal you away, holding you prisoner and manipulating you into creating such dangerous items.” Varian tried to defend himself, indignant that she would even think to say something like that, but she just shushed him and rubbed his cheek with her thumb. “There there. I know it’s difficult to look back on your actions but can you truly believe that you had no idea what she was doing? That you didn’t follow her because you still wish harm and vengeance on Corona?”
“I…I…”
Did he want to do that? His mind screamed obviously not but his heart was wavering. He never asked for proof of the war she had spoken of so frequently. He had been content for so long to just continue creating. Had his previous friendship blinded him to what he was doing or had he known all along and tried to suppress it? He thought he wanted to be better, to make up for his mistakes, but did he actually want Corona to fall?
Noticing his distress, the girl pulled away.
“I will let you consider. I apologize for troubling you.”
She returned to the machine’s controls and grinned. He was just as easy to manipulate as all the others. Out of the glass in front of her, she noticed that all the people had been armed and were waiting on horses or in carts. Andrew was motioning for them to move out from his place in a balloon. Quickly starting the machine, she followed. The beast could easily overtake them all but she kept it moving slowly, wanting to let them reach the capital first. Behind her, she could hear the boy muttering to himself but she tuned it out.
Within an hour, the group could see the many buildings of the island city. Those riding in the carts jumped out, drawing their weapons and charged forward with those on horseback. Again she followed slowly until the machine was on the other side of the bridge. Once there, she could see how the people were already closing in on the palace. With a wide grin, the girl moved the arm of the automaton to crash into the nearest building. That would surely alert someone to the invasion. Stalking forward, she kept smashing the arms into buildings as the machine approached the palace. Guards scurried out, trying to fend off the attackers but were slowly being overpowered by the angry crowd. Some were slashing at them with swords or maces while others were using Varian’s various chemical compounds. Yells of surprise reached her ears as Adira and Hector blocked the castle’s entrance, preventing any from entering or escaping.
“Yes,” she whispered, full of a savage happiness.
Corona would fall.
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