Lloyd barely remembered anything when he woke up. There had been fire, lots of fire, and a great shadow that had come over him. A two-headed, long necked, horned shadow, screaming his name. And then he remembered pain and not being able to breathe. Most of all, however, he remembered the fear he felt as the world around him began to fall into chaos and ruin. He had been sure that he was about to die, and yet, here he was, still breathing. Was he in Heaven?
‘Run!! Run!! Get away from here!’
‘No! Stay! You’re finally safe now!’
Lloyd clutched his head as the voices yelled at him so loud his eardrums started ringing. If this was some sort of afterlife, then it had to be Hell.
‘Use your power! Use it now! Destroy these pathetic excuses for human beings!’
‘You must rest! You must trust that you will be okay!’
‘Trust no one! The only person you can trust is yourself!’
‘Not only is that statement wrong, it’s also contradictory!’
‘Be silent!’
‘You be silent!’
*
“SHUT UP!!!” Lloyd yelled, startling everyone else at the campsite. They watched as he frantically rolled about on the ground, holding his head and shouting at himself.
“What’s wrong with him?” Jay asked, watching him from a safe distance.
Garmadon sat by his son’s side, trying and failing to keep him from flailing about. “The Fangpyre venom,” he grumbled. “It seems to be having an… adverse reaction.”
“To what?” Cole hadn’t been able to eat a single thing while Lloyd kept yelling like that, as though he were possessed or something.
“His ancestral DNA,” said Garmadon plainly.
Lloyd screamed a little louder and suddenly clung to one of Garmadon’s pant legs.
“Is there anything we can…” Zane started.
“No.” The old man stroked Lloyd’s head, knowing full well it would offer very little comfort. “We must return to Wu. He and I are the only ones who can remedy this.” At once, Kai understood what he meant, his mind flashing back to when the two of them had healed Jay.
As Lloyd continued to roll about, crying now, and announcing to the whole world where they were, Cole put away his dinner and made for his pack. “Well, then we’d better hurry.”
The campsite was cleared and abandoned with little ceremony. It wasn’t like they were going to sleep much that night anyway. Especially Kai. He could still picture the Fang Blade just a foot away from his fingertips, so close he could practically feel its cool metal. He wished he’d been able to do both—to save Lloyd and the blade—he might have been able to if he’d just thought things through a little better, but… there was his problem. Like Zane said, he had a bit of a problem with leaping before looking.
Afterwards, just outside the volcano, when the others had asked what became of the Fang Blade, Kai was forced to tell them that he didn’t know for sure, but it wouldn’t surprise him if Pythor got his grubby little hands on it. Then again, it was also entirely possible that he died in the lava, but… the truth was, they didn’t really know anything for sure right now, and somehow that was worse than knowing for certain that the Serpentine now possessed two more keys to unlocking the Ultimate Snake of Doom.
Garmadon slung Lloyd over his back again while Kai put out the fire with a swish of his wrist, kind of like blowing out a birthday candle, and he replaced their source of light with yet another fireball.
The woods were dark tonight with all the smoke still in the air, and the western sky was glowing red with the light of the volcano. Thankfully, the winds were blowing in from the sea, so no ash was falling down on them as they slunk back across the countryside.
At several points during the night, Lloyd managed to fall off of Garmadon’s back and into the snow, but he never got upset, as Kai thought he might. With his son, Garmadon seemed very patient, and gently went to pick him up again and again. It was quiet in the group (minus Lloyd) but not in the same way as before. Before, it had felt like everyone’s eyes were watching Garmadon, waiting for him to try something dastardly, and now it felt like everyone was doing their best not to look at him as he took the lead, the Prince of Darkness writhing in pain on his back.
Late into the night, when the wind felt to be at its chilliest, Kai thought about what would happen after they had Lloyd back to normal. What were they going to do with him? Or Garmadon, for that matter? Surely Wu would send Garmadon to jail, and Lloyd to… well, a correction center maybe, or a mental hospital, depending on how things went. That kid did not seem well in the head one tiny bit, and he undoubtedly inherited that trait from his malicious father.
On through the snow they trudged, with nothing much exceptional happening.
It wasn’t until morning, when the sun was shining clearly in a bright, empty winter sky that they were finally getting close to their ship. Man, they really needed to think of something else to call that thing than just “the ship.” Maybe the “SS Ninja?” “Dynamite with a Laser Beam?”
Wu was waiting for them on the top deck. Even from a distance, Kai could tell that he was worried. Maybe it had something to do with how he started running to meet them after the first few seconds.
“Garmadon—” he started breathlessly. His eyes were on Lloyd, who had calmed down since last night, probably due to exhaustion.
“We need to reverse the effects of the venom,” Garmadon said, not pausing to say hello.
The boys stayed to watch as they brought the blonde boy below deck, clearing a space on the floor and laying him down. He was moaning and his breathing was raspy. It was almost hard to look at him, what with all the lumpy scales and the forked tongue and fangs. It was like something out of a horror movie.
“No… leave me alone! Go away!” He almost cried, seemingly in pain.
“Quickly. Before anything worse happens,” said Wu.
The old men reached out their hands, letting their powers swirl and mix together.
*
Lloyd reached for anything to grab, but all he felt was hard floor. He went to cry out in pain, but there was no reason to. The pain… was disappearing. It was like finally being rid of the worst flu, the worst stomach ache, the worst rash, all at once. And best of all, the voices were gone too. He could hear himself THINK again!!
He laid there, taking deep breaths, not knowing for how long this bliss would last. Then he opened his eyes and saw sunlight shining down on him from a window. That was nice… the sun was warm on his skin… his smooth, normal, human skin.
He wasn’t alone.
He could sense people—hear their breathing, feel the closeness of their bodies, and their judgemental gazes on him. With alert eyes, he spotted his Uncle Wu and—
“What are you doing here?” He asked, his throat feeling tight and dry and sore. His father stared down at him with an unreadable expression.
“How are you feeling?” Wu asked, ignoring his question.
That familiar feeling of anger rose up in him. “Feeling?” He repeated, almost laughing. “When did you ever start caring about how I felt?” He tried to get up on his elbows, but his core muscles and biceps felt like they were being held together with toothpicks.
“Stay down,” Garmadon said forcefully. “You need to recover.”
“Oh, shut up,” said Lloyd, refusing to lower himself, but also not able to raise his body any higher. That’s when Garmadon forcefully made him lay down. Lloyd gritted his teeth at his father’s touch. “So what is this? Someone’s sick idea of a family reunion?”
“We just saved your life,” Garmadon quipped dryly. “No need to thank us.”
“I didn’t need saving,” Lloyd growled low.
“Oh yeah? ‘Cause I seem to recall you crying for help.”
Lloyd lifted his head enough to see those ninja dorks all watching him. Kai had been the one to speak. “Get lost, buttheads.”
“Lloyd, we do not speak that way to people,” Wu said suddenly.
“Blah blah blah!” Lloyd snarked. “Just shut up already!”
“And you will not speak that way to your uncle, young man,” Garmadon added, glaring.
Lloyd couldn’t believe this. “I’m not a two-year-old!” he snapped.
“Then I expect you to act like it.” With that, Garmadon scooped him up in all four arms and deposited him in one of the hammocks hanging in the room. “You will stay here and rest. Blue Boy, bring him something to eat.”
Jay awkwardly shuffled out the door.
Lloyd laid there, unable to move much of anything on his own without straining himself, and he looked up at the man who had abandoned him and his mother all those years ago. The man he once called father. How could he stand there and reprimand him like that? After everything he did?
“I hate you,” he said with as much malice as he could muster.
Garmadon paused. “You’re hardly the first.”
That’s when Jay returned with a can of soup and a spoon. Garmadon took it, dissolving the tin lid with his powers, as everyone else was slowly urged out of the room by Wu. The boys watched him carefully as they went, and Lloyd was glad to be rid of them.
“Seriously?” He asked, scowling at the spoon Garmadon was filling with soup.
“I doubt they were feeding you well,” he replied quietly. “You’re thin. You need to regain your strength.”
“I can do it myself,” he said, reaching for the spoon, but lacking the strength to hold it steady, let alone take it from Garmadon’s grip. He gently took Lloyd by the wrist and made him be still.
Once again, Lloyd found himself scowling at the outstretched spoon of soup… but suddenly, his stomach did feel awfully empty. And achy. Maybe just one sip.
With a heavy sigh and roll of his eyes, he allowed the spoon to enter his mouth. It had been so long since he’d had normal food… longer than he realised. Not that it mattered much to him. Food was food. So what?
“What you did was very foolish. I trust you know that?”
“Gee, thanks.”
“You should have known better than to open a Serpentine tomb.”
“Who even cares? It’s not like this stupid island matters.”
“It matters to people like me!” Garmadon suddenly cried.
“Is that why you started looting and burning it!?” Lloyd fired back.
Garmadon’s next word seemed to get caught in his throat. “It’s complicated.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry for you. That’s sounds real rough.”
He looked long and hard at his son, almost like he was figuring out what to say next. “Were you ever told the story of what happened to me?”
Lloyd rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because I got loads of bedtime stories growing up.”
Garmadon stiffened. “The venom of Anguis runs through my veins, Lloyd. The venom of the very snake your scaly friends are trying to reawaken. I…” his head drooped down hopelessly. “I am not always in control of myself…” What did he mean? Why did he sound so… not-angry? “There are powers in this world far more ancient than I, or your uncle, or even our father. The power of evil is one of them... and I am a slave to its will. But it is a master I do not wish to serve. There was a time when I was free…” All of a sudden, it was like he was a completely different person. His voice sounded soft and kind and sad, like a regular person. Not at all like the angry, defensive, yelling voice Lloyd remembered. “…I wanted to be there for you and your mother… more than anything… please, believe me…” His head was hung low, now, and without seeing his face, Lloyd could almost imagine that he was here with a father who actually cared about him.
“Kinda hard to argue with the fact that you used to beat me to a pulp and then disappear for weeks at a time,” Lloyd found himself saying.
Garmadon’s hands were gripping the can of soup so tightly now that if he still had his natural complexion, the knuckles would have been white.
“I didn’t want to!” He raised his voice, making Lloyd feel a million familiar sensations, all of which were from bad memories.
Lloyd’s throat suddenly felt tight.
Neither of them said anything more. They didn’t want to. It felt like there was nothing more to say. Or nothing else they could put into words right this minute, anyway.
*
Keaton peaked out of her bedroom door. Everyone was outside, walking around, speaking quietly. She slowed down her breathing and let the air carry their voices to her.
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
“Boys. Come now. You training awaits.”
“I guess we’re just leaving them alone then…”
“Anyone else think this is a bad idea?”
Keaton looked down the hall and saw the doorway that led into the barracks. She’d heard everyone come back, and she’d gathered that there was someone new with them. Someone sick. After a short while, when Garmadon came sullenly stalking out of the room and up the stairs, she had a guess in mind.
There was no one around to see her now. Everyone was either up on the deck, or sick and asleep. Not her, though. She was feeling much better. So much better, in fact, that she decided to tip-toe out of her room and sneak her way over to the barracks. She poked her head inside.
There, in one of the hammocks, someone was laying. Someone with blonde hair and a terrible scowl.
Without a sound, she slid inside, her eyes glued to him. Her steps were so light that the floorboards didn’t creak under her weight. She knew this boy. It had been a long time, but she knew him.
“Lloyd?” She whispered.
He looked over at her, surprised. “Keaton?” He asked, eyebrows knitted tightly. “I… almost didn’t recognise you.”
“It’s been a while, huh?”
“No kidding…”
The last time she remembered seeing Lloyd—baring the few fleeting glances they’d stolen since he’d returned to Ninjago with the Skulkins—was when they were little. Like, maybe six years old? Back when his mom used to bring him around for play dates.
Keaton bit her lip. What should she say next?
“So… you still hanging out with your stick-in-the-mud sister?” He asked, trying to sound casual.
“Are you still causing mayhem?” She countered, remembering all the times he bent both Ann and Wu out of shape with his mischievous chicanery.
“You know me. Mr. Mayhem.”
She eyed his shallow breaths and asked, “How are you feeling?”
That didn’t seem to be the right question. “Oh, you know, just getting betrayed by people I thought were my friends and being left to die only to be reunited with my abusive father. How are you?”
Keaton wanted to say something, like… like… well, she didn’t really know… but something comforting. Something that would cheer him up. Anything at all.
“I’m okay,” she said quietly instead. “Just getting over a flu.”
She stood there, and he laid there, and they both stared off into space, waiting for someone to say something.
A chill wind suddenly blew in from across the waters outside, and Keaton made it go away with a gentle wave.
“You’ve gotten better,” Lloyd said, watching the window.
“Thanks. I’ve been practising. How about you?”
“…about the same.”
She remembered his powers well. When they were little, it was very difficult for him to control them at times. One side of him would glow purple, like his dad, but the other… the other would glow gold like Wu. Whenever he got angry especially, the darkness would emerge, and he’d end up destroying something by accident. But there was one time…
“Do you remember… when you made that flower for me?” She asked, remembering the spring day in question.
“That horrible, misshapen—no,” he said suddenly. “No I don’t.”
Keaton smiled. “I still have it.”
“Yeah, well, you’re stupid then.”
“You’re the one who gave it to me, so I guess that means you’re stupid too,” she fired back.
“You were stupid first.”
“You’re stupid all the time.” She was laughing now, more so at his grumpy face than anything else.
“Oh, shut up.”
“Ew, shut up, bleh,” she mocked him, deepened her voice.
He rolled his eyes, hiding a smile in the corner of his mouth. “That’s not funny.”
“It kinda is.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Yeah it is.”
“No, it’s not.”
She made a pouty face, sticking out her lip. He wasn’t any fun when he got like this, all crotchety and angry and salty. She reached out a hand and booped him on the nose. “Yeah, it is.”
“Don’t touch me,” he grumbled.
“Okay.” She just gave his face a little gust of air to enjoy instead. “Not touching you.” When his scowling got worse, she couldn’t help but laugh and she jumped a little in the air, floating for just a second.
“Can a guy just rest in peace around here?”
Keaton finally relented, realising that he must have had a long day. “Well, let me know if Mr. Mayhem would like some company sometime.” She had hoped that when she started to leave, he might say something to stop her, so that they could talk just a little longer, but it looked like he really did want to be left alone. So, instead, she stopped herself at the door. “Hey… you know… it is nice to see you again. I… I kinda missed you.” And she’d also been worried about him. Worried like how she’d been worried about her brother when he disappeared.
Lloyd didn’t say anything, but she hoped her words had touched him. Maybe all he really needed right now was a friend. She knew that she might feel that way if she were in his shoes. She just hoped that he wouldn’t let all the anger and the crustiness and the pride get in the way of him actually letting people back into his life. She’d hate to see him go back to everything they’d just pulled him out of.
Well… anyway, it was out of her hands. Only he could make that decision.
*
Lloyd laid there, in his hammock, arms folded, glaring up at the ceiling.
He hadn’t intended for everything to get so… messed up. He just wanted to send a message initially. He was just. So. Angry. He needed to somehow put that anger into the world. But then… then all of this had happened… he’d been betrayed… had nearly died… and now he was back in the hands of his least favourite people in the world.
Okay, well… maybe not his least favourite people in the world. The Serpentine were quickly filling that spot in his heart. But still.
Dad… Garmadon… didn’t deserve to call himself a father, regardless of all the talk of venom and evil and junk. Had he forgotten? All the cuts and bruises and scars he had left? Not just on Lloyd, but on his mother as well? Just the memory of it made his fists grow tight.
And Wu wasn’t much better. Sure, he tried to be there for them—he tried to be a good uncle and have him over for play dates with the other kids, giving them space to feel normal for a little while—but when push came to shove, was he there for them when they needed him most? No. He was just another adult looking out for himself. As usual.
That’s why he’d run away. Not that there was much to run away from at that point. He’d never called the foster care system home.
But so… now he was here. What was he going to do about it?
Well, he could just run away again… but he was waaay too weak, they’d catch him before he even made it out of the room. And they were on a boat, so by the time he was strong enough to run, they might be in the middle of the ocean. That wasn’t ideal.
Then, a tiny thought brushed up against his mind.
“What if you stayed?”
Ha! Yeah right. Stay. And why would he stay? It wasn’t like there were people here—not all of them, but some—who genuinely cared about him and were willing to give him some decent food and a warm place to sleep and wanted to see him recover and… and…
Why did his chest suddenly feel so tight?
No one cared about him. No one. Not since his mother was still around, at least. He was alone; a broken, unwanted piece of trash that people discarded as soon as they were sick of him. Given enough time, these people would do the same, he was sure of it. No, at some point, he would need to run away again, he just needed to wait for the right time.
And yet… while he laid there… he couldn’t help but wonder what life might be like if he stayed…
Would there be more talks with Keaton? More warm soup? More people by his bedside, looking over him? Would Garmadon… stick around?
The whole picture wasn’t exactly perfect, but… after all those nights sleeping on cave floors, eating just-killed rodents… suddenly it felt like he was staying at the luxury resort hotel.
How could he have been so stupid to believe Pythor? How could he possibly… oh… wait… the Fangpyre venom… after that first night, when he had been bit, it was like this heavy fog had descended on his brain. It made thinking for himself a whole lot harder, and whenever the chief or leader snake or whoever was in charge made an order, it was almost instinctual for him to listen. It was alarming how far he had sunken, to the point that his memories came back to him now as a garbled, black, clawing, biting, hellish nightmare. It was so scary to think… how easily that had all happened… and all because of a few misinformed decisions.
Well, anyway, he hoped Pythor died in the volcano. Serves him right.
He felt suddenly very cold and held himself tighter. After all, there was no one else around to hold him. There never was.
Kai did! 😭 He held you because he wanted to save you, become bros! 🤙 Bros are the best!