I came back to this fandom and ofc the first thing I thought about was this fic. I tried to reread this but I cant do it on Ao3 so I read it here with my poor broken english so Im sorry If I got it wrong 🥹 This is a moment from "Master of Destruction" by @frost-the-ice-dragon, I suppose part 9? I'll try to read the other ones and draw smf from them cus I LOVE this fic soo much
Potential TWs: Clouse gets hit in the head so many times, no more than he does in canon though LMAO
She needed to know how close they were to finishing the spell. That was how Nya found herself creeping down the twisting hallways of the palace after Clouse.
The sorcerer was a shockingly fast walker. It was hard to keep up without being seen. And some of these hallways were so long!
At least he didn't seem to be paying too much attention to his surroundings. And she couldn't help but notice how he subtly favored his wrist now. Might come in handy in a fight later.
After another series of twists and turns, Nya recognized where they were headed. The main hall. Music drifted from behind the doors - Chen was probably watching the kabuki dance.
Clouse paused at the door, took a deep breath in through his nose, and pushed the door open. He was carrying the spellbook, which made her incredibly nervous. But he took that thing everywhere, so it probably didn't mean anything. Hopefully.
"You're harshing my vibe," came Chen's shrill voice from behind the door. Nya dared to push it open slightly, peeking into the room. "You'd better tell me they've caught the escaped prisoner."
As she'd thought, there were four or five kabuki dancing in the middle of the room. Chen sat above them in his throne, being fanned by another. Clouse stood to his left, leaning over to be seen and heard. Nya withdrew, tucking the spell into the back of her dress, and then poked her head into the room again.
"Sadly, Master, not yet," Clouse said, shaking his head slightly. "But I have far worse news to report. Someone has stolen the spell."
Well. He'd sure figured that out quickly. Which was weird, because he hadn't reacted strongly at any point in the day, like she thought he would have upon discovering a missing spell. Also, he spoke so quietly! Would it kill the guy to speak at a normal tone? She needed to get closer.
"Do you need the page to do the spell?!" Chen demanded, voice rising and fists clenching. Nya nudged the door open, padding across the floor and ducking behind a pillar.
"Of course not!" Clouse said, waving a hand. He sounded somewhat nervous, the first time she'd ever heard it. He was perpetually annoyed. "But, if it gets into the hands of the ninja, the fighters will know we've lied, and they'll rise up against us."
Sounded like a plan to her.
"Then we must find that page!" Chen said, flinging an arm in the air. He noticed a fleck of white on his arm.
"D'ow! Kabuki paint! Eh! It gets everywhere!"
Clouse hummed, and Nya leaned past the pillar, straining her ears.
A hand seized hers. Nya choked back a yelp as an older kabuki led her down the steps and onto the floor in the middle of the room.
"Master, I have a feeling the spy may well be in our midst," Clouse rasped. Nya resisted the urge to look at them, joining in on the dancing as best she could.
"A kabuki servant?" Chen said. "Well, well..."
Nya couldn't resist, sneaking a glance up at them. Chen was tapping his chin. Clouse was looking right at her. For a half second, Nya almost stumbled in the dance. But then she righted herself, and the sorcerer's eyes slid back to Chen.
"I'll handle this," he said to Chen. "In the meantime, I should gather all the kabuki in one place to search them. The dressing room, perhaps?"
Chen slumped in his throne, limbs flopping. "Fiiiine. But make it snappy, okay?"
"Of course, Master." Clouse bowed his head and then snapped his fingers for attention. "Your job is over for now. Return to the dressing rooms."
The sorcerer was already making his way to the other door, and the other kabuki were following. Chen was plucking at the white paint on his robe, pouting and mumbling to himself. The perfect opportunity to escape. Nya darted behind a pillar, and then, after confirming no one had seen her leave, slipped out the doors she'd entered through.
All she needed to do now was get back to the ninja! Then she could go back to Dareth and get suited up for phase two; finding where the prisoners were being held!
"How's it looking out there, Dareth?" Nya asked, lifting her communicator. She jogged down the hallway as best she could. Normally, she'd go out a window, but she didn't want to get stuck.
When he picked up, Nya could swear she heard rock music in the background. "It's looking great, Sam X! You know, I've been thinking, why not be a ninja and a samurai? We make a great team, and-"
"How about we talk about this later?" Nya asked, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'll be back soon, alright? Make sure Master Wu stays in contact."
"You got it!" And with a click, the communicator turned off.
"And where are you running off to," someone said softly from somewhere behind her.
Nya turned around. Clouse hovered in the hallway, studying her. Crap! Her mind flew to the huge snake that this guy commanded like it was your average dog.
"You shouldn't have shown your hand so soon," he continued, beginning to prowl closer. "Perhaps if you had been more patient, you wouldn't have roused my suspicion. Your friends are weakening. You won't get-"
The sorcerer paused, tilting his head slightly. Nya froze too, listening. Rock music began to float through the air, and Clouse turned to glance up at one of the windows above them.
Nya bolted. There was a brief silence behind her, an irritated grunt, and then Clouse abruptly gave chase. She had a head start, but for how long?
Hm. This guy seemed like he had a lot of pride. He wouldn't admit he couldn't catch a teenager to his master's face, right? Nya skidded to a halt, whirled around, feinted left, and then dodged right around the sorcerer.
She heard him growl, whirling around much faster than she would have liked. Nya sprinted, hiking up her skirt slightly so she wouldn't trip. It was just one door, at the end of one hallway. The footsteps behind her were getting closer and louder by the second, but the door was right there and she was so close-!
Nya shoved through the heavy door, using its weight to slow her down, and then slammed it behind her. She turned around, slapping on her best smile, and walked toward a baffled Chen.
Both doors slammed open a second later. Clouse stared at her, eyes burning.
"What is that racket?" Chen asked, scowling.
Clouse combed some loose hairs out of his face, composing himself. "It's coming from the island." His eyes didn't leave Nya once.
"It's coming from the spy!" Chen said. "Find the signal, find the spy."
Nya almost wanted to grin at the frustrated scowl on Clouse's face. "You heard him," the sorcerer said, flinging an arm at the guards. "Search the island!"
The guards sprinted out of the room, and Clouse turned back to them. "My apologies, master. I will send the kabuki back. This one should suffice until the rest are here?"
"Yes, yes," Chen said, waving a hand. "Just go find that spy."
"Of course," Clouse said, bowing slightly. He turned to leave the room, casting Nya a slightly smug look.
----------------
Now that they were on a different level than that giant snake, things were much quieter. It was also much easier to hear guards coming.
The more Zane thought about it, the more odd it was that they hadn't run into any guards while on the run from the snake. Or maybe it had an entire level to itself because it was a giant snake, and no one wanted to deal with it.
Footsteps echoed off the walls ahead. Zane grabbed Cole's arm, pulling him into an alcove just in case they came this way. It seemed unlikely, but better safe than sorry.
"-ceremony for the Master of Lightning was delayed," said one of the guards. "Isn't it odd? He's never late."
"Something must be happening," said the other one. "He's been acting off, mm, I think, since battle with Master of Destruction. Maybe he's losing his touch."
"Do you think he can handle finding the escaped factory worker?"
"Does it matter? Chen will make sure the other workers pay for his actions," the second guard sighed. "Poor saps."
"Poor saps?!" Cole said. The moment the guards were out of earshot, he poked his head out.
"They have Jay?" Zane asked, confused. Running from the serpent and hiding from guards had made it incredibly difficult to catch up on what was going on.
"And a dozen others," Cole said. He sighed. "I was hoping to find two more with you, but they might be... Anyway, we have to go back. Maybe we'll run into Jay."
Protect those who cannot protect themselves. Zane clasped Cole's shoulder. "I will follow you. Between the three of us, we will overcome this."
Cole returned the gesture, pulling him into an almost-hug. "We'll get off this island one day, Zane. All of us."
----------------
Minutes later, two other kabuki joined them. Nya sat by while Chen talked at them, thinking hard. Surely he wouldn't miss one leaving, right? Or maybe she could switch shifts with the next person to enter the room?
The rock music continued. How did Dareth still not know he was broadcasting his location to the entire island? At the very least, she needed to escape long enough to warn him.
After what felt like forever, Chen sat up from his throne, attention caught by something else. "Have you found where that annoying signal is coming from?"
Nya turned, watching Clouse prowl over. She hadn't even heard the door open. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the other two kabuki. Nya slowly turned to walk after them.
"We haven't found anything on the island yet," Clouse said, stepping into her path. His eyes glinted as he stared her down rather than Chen. "But we will."
"Oh, stop bothering the staff," Chen said, grabbing the sorcerer by the elbow and pulling him to the arm of his throne. His voice dropped lower, and seeing as she was walking away, Nya only caught something about a meeting and a spy.
Still, it was a chance to warn Dareth. She ducked behind a pillar, glancing back to make sure they were still talking, and lifted her communicator. "Dareth! Do you read me?"
No response.
"They're coming! You hear me? They're coming for you!"
Still no response. Worse, when she glanced over her shoulder, Clouse was approaching. "I didn't dismiss you," he said. "I thought you would have known that. Perhaps your training wasn't in-depth enough?"
Nya wanted to hit him with the fan tucked into her dress. She gave him the most venomous look she could muster, and then strode back toward Chen's throne. The rock music had stopped. Hopefully that was a good thing...
"Ahh, everything is going nicely," Chen said conversationally when she returned. "I'm guessing you are looking forward to the little break you'll get when things really get chaotic later this week? I can't have my staff in the way of angry and cornered elemental masters, after all."
What did he want? Gratitude? That's certainly what it felt like. Nya gave him her best approximation of a grateful smile, but it came off as more of a grimace. Or that's what it felt like, at least. Chen certainly didn't seem to notice.
Her wrist communicator crackled. "-I've been taken hostage! You're on your own. Go on without me!-"
Heart leaping into her throat, Nya looked down at the bracelet. He knew she was spying! Why was he yelling?!
A hand closed around her wrist. Chen yanked her towards him, shooting to his feet. "So you're the spy!" He sounded angrier than she'd ever heard; the gravel in his voice sounded nothing like the childish personality she'd been treated to since- well, arriving here.
Chen's eyes flickered over her, searching for weapons, and he yelped. "The spell!"
Nya kicked him in the stomach, sending him reeling back into his throne. She could already see Clouse darting across the room - he'd never really left - and so was a guard who had overheard the commotion. She leapt down the short drop to the middle of the floor, listening to the guard and sorcerer collide.
A second later, a crackling sound spooked her into dive-rolling. Ice- Ice?! shot past her, very nearly costing her a twisted ankle.
"Get her! And get that spell!" Chen roared.
Nya sprinted to the heavy doors, already hearing pounding feet behind her. She slipped out, made a beeline for the first window she saw, and jumped.
The complex was huge, and Chen was housing the fighters in the center. Getting out of here was going to be difficult, especially as she could already hear them sounding the alarm.
----------------
Outmaneuvered by a child. It wasn't surprising she'd managed to slip by Chen, but to slip past him? Clouse gritted his teeth, striding out into the courtyard.
The sun had already dipped below the horizon, painting the sky orange. It would be night any minute now, and she would be near impossible to find then. With a flick of his wrist, Clouse beckoned a guard.
"Fan out. A spy posing as a kabuki is somewhere around the complex. She's about this high-" he held a hand up to his sternum, "-wearing red, and has short black hair. All other kabuki are staying in their quarters. Tell everyone who doesn't yet know."
The guard nodded and sprinted off. Idiots. There was no way any of them would find her. But in that dress, she couldn't have gotten terribly far...
Clouse jogged to the window she'd jumped out of, frowning as the orange light began to cool to pink. Being sent out to search made him feel oddly nostalgic; Chen always sent him to look for Skylor when she wanted to play hide and seek, and he wasn't in the mood. Only Skylor had never stolen anything from his spellbook.
Now, the spy would want to take the fastest route out of the complex, but she likely wasn't familiar with the secret passages. That meant traversing above ground. But she couldn't be seen by guards either, so she needed a secretive route...
He began following routes that were covered by roofing and hard to see from the walls and towers. There, on the wall, was a small smear of kabuki paint. She had to have come this way, but she'd had a larger headstart than he was comfortable with. Clouse quickened his pace to a prowl, walking as quietly as he could and keeping an ear out for any sounds.
As he approached the walls, the pink light of the sunset bled into a blue. Too close to night. And yet, there were more guards on the wall than usual, so maybe she hadn't had a chance to escape yet. There was a gate up ahead, a favorite hiding place of Skylor's. A nook around the side hid one from almost all views. It seemed like an unlikely option, colored by nostalgia.
And yet, Clouse found himself slowing, padding closer quietly. As he climbed the stairs, he heard a quiet shuffle against the stone. His footsteps, or a sign she was near? After a soft pause, he was no closer to an answer. Clouse grasped the edge of the door and slowly peered around the side.
He barely caught a glimpse of wide eyes before a foot slammed into his chest. It didn't hurt, but it did knock him down the steps. By some miracle, he didn't fall, but he did knock his head against the wall. The world spun, reminding him loudly that he was both tired and injured. Clouse grunted, shook his head, and sprinted up the steps, chasing after the spy.
Rather than actually running, the girl leapt up, grabbed a lantern, spun around, and kicked him in the chest with both feet this time. And when he took a tumble down the stairs, he was no longer as lucky as before. His shoulders and neck burned, loudly complaining about the stone edge they'd been bashed against. Oh, and he was lying face down on the ground in front of his men. Humiliating.
He began to sit up, trying to hide the pain radiating through what felt like his entire body at this point, and kindly received a kick to the face. It shoved him onto his back, hard, and now he could see the spy on the roof, staring down at all of them.
Jumping to his feet, Clouse bit back a hiss of pain. He looked up, and a small black tile flew past his shoulder. She was throwing roof tiles now? Surprisingly resourceful. And annoying. With a grunt of pain, he dodged two more before yet another nailed him in the head.
Yelping, Clouse instinctively rubbed the small cut as the world spun again. The kabuki clambered over the rooftop, and Clouse grit his teeth and whirled on the guards, who were staring with slack jaws.
"Don't just stand there! Find her!" Clouse swept an arm at the building, and the guards rushed past him. Toward the wall. Fools.
Clouse sprinted toward a neighboring building, clearing the stairs in one leap and the overhang in another. He could hear her footsteps racing toward the roof he was beneath. Too close. He wouldn't be able to cut her off. But he might be able to nip at her heels.
Bounding between the two buildings, Clouse gripped the roof of the next building, swinging up as he watched her disappear over a higher tier. His left wrist screamed, but he ignored it and leapt to the next tier, then the next. He was beginning to catch her, but for a child, she was fast.
When he landed on the top tier of the building, she was a mere couple of feet away. Clouse let out a satisfied sneer and chased her across the roof and across a huge leap to another building.
He rolled when he hit the roof, avoiding his wrist, which was radiating waves of red-hot pain. Climbing the roof only made it worse, but it was worth it when he caught her wrist, spun her around, and returned that kick to the face.
She successfully parried, so Clouse whirled on his toes and delivered a spinning side kick. The spy ducked beneath it, pivoted, and with a yell that echoed off the roofs around them, struck out with her heel. Clouse pirouetted beneath the kick and returned the favor. But the spy dropped, then sprang off the ground in a jump kick. Crouching to evade the blow, Clouse leapt into the air. He lashed out a leg, but the spy's other leg shot out and their shins smacked harmlessly against each other.
The girl fell back, and Clouse sprang into the air and inflicted several kicks, all of which she managed to block. He landed directly in front of her, and they began to exchange blows, striking and blocking, but never making any satisfying progress.
The spy rolled away from him, panting. She was finally slowing down. Clouse feinted a punch and then kicked her off the roof. The girl rolled down, getting her feet beneath her, and looked back at- the wall! It was only one building away! He'd pushed her closer to it.
She leapt off the roof, making a break for it, but Clouse was right behind her. He caught her ankle, slamming her down on the next roof. They both rolled, and Clouse's wrist screamed, vision going white for just a few seconds. But the spy was already escaping onto the top of the roof, so all he could do was follow, beginning to gasp raggedly.
But he was slowing down, and despite her being the one to slow first, she was now faster. Clouse chased her down the other side of the roof and leapt onto the wall.
It was a long drop. They both rolled when they hit the ground, and as luck would have it, he landed right next to her. Clouse scrambled after her, nearly on all fours, and feinted a kick only to strike with his fist. She blocked him, but he grabbed her wrists and shoved her over the wall, dangling her headfirst over the jungle below.
Everything either ached or burned. Clouse became aware of how heavy he was breathing and made a conscious effort to slow it. All this effort for a child. "Give me the spell," he said to the girl. "I'm almost tempted to let you go if you do."
The spy kicked at him, brow furrowing. "Wouldn't Chen be pretty ticked about that?"
"He's never satisfied," Clouse said, rolling his eyes. "You worked for him; I'm certain you noticed. And you're more trouble than you're worth."
"You need a better job," said the child, wrinkling her nose slightly. Before he could roll his eyes, her knee came up into his solar plexus, and her nails dug into the bandage on his wrist.
Clouse's world went white for a couple of seconds, a ragged sound escaping him, as the spy kicked free and dropped below the wall. He was on his back again, staring up at the cold stars, eyes watering. Pain surged through his arm in waves. How much more before he couldn't cast?
Rapid footsteps approached him. Clouse sat up and shook his head, cradling his wrist to his chest. Everything spun when he stood, and burned even more. He forced his arm to rest at his side.
Running down a stone path into the forest, was the spy. The guards finally reached him, a good dozen of Chen's finest fools. Some of them were holding brooms. Brooms!
"Get her! And get that spell!" Clouse barked, his voice hoarse.
He began the trek back towards the palace, head and wrist aching. Would they be able to find her? Highly unlikely. He wasn't sure if even he'd be able to. Certainly not like this.
What he was sure of, was that Chen was going to be mightily displeased.
----------------
Tonight was going less than dandy. Clouse had yet to report back - what was he even paying him for? And now he had to ask someone else for an update.
Ah, well, it was about time to check up on his daughter anyhow.
"My spy, have they found the girl?" Chen asked the guard rapidly approaching him from across the room. Hopefully, he was right. Chamille had certainly sown a lot of confusion. Of course, none of his guards dared to toodle on over to him and stare him in the eye.
"No, but you may have bigger problems to deal with."
How strange to hear her mannerisms in such a low voice. Chen watched as purple washed over his daughter, peeling away the facade of the guard.
"Cole's got the metal man, Father. And they'll likely be back for Jay."
Grinning, Chen beckoned her. At least Clouse had trained her well. Between the three of them, nothing went unnoticed. He wasn't sure what to think of the first-name basis with two of the prisoners, but oh well. It was probably demeaning at best.
"Thank you, my child," Chen purred, pulling his daughter into his arms. She cuddled up beneath his chin, eyes sliding shut. "The Master of Form's power has proved useful to you."
Skylor chuckled, and he gently pushed her back to arm's length. "But the ninjas' time here is done. Tomorrow, we end this charade. Tomorrow, we will break up the ninja forever!"
Chen laughed from low in his chest and then broke out into high-pitched cackles. His daughter laughed with him. Ah, so good to see her accepting her role so readily. He'd been getting worried there for a bit that these ninja and their morals were softening her up. But nothing to worry about, and his plan, his ascendance, was finally nearing its peak.
And almost more delicious, he was getting so close to breaking his old student in. Just a few more pieces to fall into place, a little more pressure, and that warm, brave façade would shatter.
Chen tittered, wiped a mock tear from his eye, and turned Skylor toward him. "How do you feel about a brother?"
End Notes:
Skylor: what
Chen: what
Also how were they going to check Mr. Pale for tattoos???
Why do Nya and Clouse spend a full 5 seconds doing nothing but spin kicks at each other. IT IS THE SAME MOVE 5 TIMES IN A ROW. THAT IS SO HARD TO DESCRIBE IN AN INTERESTING WAY. WHY. CATCH ME FLIPPING THROUGH MY DICTIONARY LOOKING FOR A SYNONYM FOR KICK. THIS IS THE VINE PROBLEM ALL OVER AGAIN
Garmadon's past somehow manages to haunt him even more, and Nya plays 4D chess with Clouse.
A meeting to discuss what was happening on the island. Everyone was supposed to be there, although not everyone was. Most of their alliance was already there whispering, but Shade and Tox had yet to show.
And more concerningly, so did Lloyd.
"I'm going to go look for my son," Garmadon murmured to Kai. The fire ninja nodded, brow creasing with concern. He had yet to share his hunch that Lloyd had made some kind of deal with Chen, which probably wasn't a great idea. Still, now was not the time.
Striding out of the room, Garmadon began to wind through the halls. If his son really was talking to Chen, they could be anywhere in the compound. The best way to find Lloyd was to find Chen, which meant he needed to find someone to take him there.
He rounded another corner and stumbled upon Tox and Shade, off to themselves and talking quietly. There was an awkward pause while Garmadon weighed his options.
Finding Lloyd was a priority. Chen could not be allowed to dig his claws into his son. It was baffling how good the man was at it. One second, he was your odd, eccentric master; the next, he was an authority you could hardly bear to disappoint.
However, the alliance was also a priority. Chen grew in strength with every power he stole. And considering Clouse was now in the way, and he himself still had yet to figure out how his abilities worked... His students and son were going to need all the allies they could get.
His boy was smart and resourceful. He could survive a few minutes with Chen. Garmadon let out a slow breath, and approached Shade and Tox with as little hostility as one could muster after slamming another into a wooden wall.
As expected, he was met with two very nasty looks. "Shade, Tox," he greeted.
"What do you want," Shade asked. Both of them were very tense, although they looked less antagonistic and more... afraid. Garmadon swallowed the strangling guilt that felt heavier every day.
"All of the fighters are having a meeting," Garmadon said. "Even if you don't believe what we've been saying, certainly you have to have noticed things are a bit different than advertised."
Shade and Tox glanced at each other. There was a concern in their eyes that he hadn't expected, and with a pang, he realized how isolated they must truly feel. Alone on an island where they couldn't escape, unable to trust anyone completely, including the man who had brought them there for some alleged fun competition.
"You've been left out of a lot of important conversations," Garmadon said softly. "I am sorry for that." He glanced over the purple and brown bruises creeping out from under Tox's uniform. "And for losing my temper in Thunderblade. We've had a lot on our minds, though that's no excuse."
"Why are you only now telling us these things?" Tox asked. "You and your ninja have been against everyone else from the beginning."
Garmadon smiled ruefully. "It's hard to believe anyone would trust us if we told the entire story at once."
Shade and Tox shared another glance, but he took them turning toward him as a good sign.
"How do we know this isn't a trick to take us all out so you can have the power?" Tox asked. "Weren't you, you know," she gestured around them, "in the business? Only a little over a year ago?"
You have no idea, Garmadon thought. Still, the reminder of his past actions made his throat clench, and the ever-present weight on his shoulders press down harder.
"I was," he said after a few seconds. "I don't think there's a single person in Ninjago who I could fool by denying it. But I've been trying to make amends." And yet the anger from the venom is back. "Thunderblade was- I didn't know I could still get so..." Garmadon paused and cleared his throat.
"I was just trying to protect my son."
An awkward silence hung in the air. Finally, Shade stepped forward. "We'll come to your meeting. But only because we want to be prepared. Not because we're your friends or your allies."
"That's perfectly reasonable," Garmadon said, dipping his head. Refusing to walk with them would be incredibly suspicious. Garmadon sighed internally and turned on his heel to begin leading them. Hopefully, Lloyd would be with the others by the time they got there.
They were a few floors down from Kai's room, which made the walk feel painfully long. The silence was thick and heavy, and Garmadon could practically taste the awkward tension.
"Your student... the Master of Lightning," Tox said slowly. "He's trained hard, right? So he'll be. You know."
Garmadon resisted the urge to chuckle. Young folk and their resistance to saying what they meant. "Jay? He's very resilient. He won't be happy, but I'm certain he'll be alright. He's had tougher scrapes." Even so, the sooner he got to see all of his students, the better.
"I've just never used my powers like that before-" Tox said, words coming out fast like she couldn't stop them. "On someone who didn't deserve it, anyway."
"This tournament has had a tendency to bring that out in us all," Garmadon said. He couldn't help but feel for her, considering the past few days. "There are few who would blame you."
"Right." The silence blanketed them again.
"Did you know I used to be called the King of Shadows?" Garmadon asked. It felt like such a strange topic, but he couldn't think of anything else to talk about.
Shade snorted quietly, in what sounded very close to amusement. "Yeah? Why's that?"
"When I was banished to the Underworld, I could only make contact with Ninjago through shadows close to tears between the realms," Garmadon said. "I could form them into anything - myself, dragons, even my brother. Your power reminds me of those days, Shade."
"Where does the king part come in?" Shade asked. He sounded very amused now.
"The Skulkins were easily impressed and intimidated," Garmadon said. It felt so strange to talk about his past. Relieving and cloying all at once. "...it wasn't as powerful as it sounds. My brother beat me by making shadow puppets."
Tox snorted quietly, and Shade grinned. "Bet I could make good use of it."
"You probably could," Garmadon admitted. "You know more about shadows than I."
They approached Kai's room, the silence a tad more comfortable. It seemed like a good sign - breaking the ice was the hardest part. Now they could work on trust.
"What's the deal with you and that Master of Magic guy?" Shade asked. Garmadon missed a step. "You two've been out for each other's blood ever since you joined."
Now that was going to be a mess to answer. "We've crossed paths," Garmadon said hesitantly. "Things ended badly the last time we saw each other. It's led to a bit of a grudge."
Shade hummed in acknowledgement, and Garmadon opened the door to Kai's room. He scoured the crowd of gathered fighters, and relief flooded his veins when he saw Lloyd standing next to Kai. Once this was over, they really needed to talk about Chen.
He gave his son a small wave and settled near the door. If anyone tried to enter or listen in, he'd be the first to know. The room seemed somewhat evenly divided. Most people were gathered on a rug on the floor, but Neuro was sitting on Kai's bed, and Skylor was standing in front of his fireplace.
Once the door shut, Lloyd cleared his throat quietly. "Glad to see you all here," he said, earnest but awkward.
Kai raised an eyebrow at Shade and Tox. "Didn't think you guys would be joining."
"We're here for information, not your little alliance," Shade said, walking past him to sit on the bed. Neuro gave him a bit of an uncomfortable look.
"And your teacher is the one who invited us, so don't even think about kicking us out," Tox said. She chose to stand near the foot of the bed, close to Shade.
"Right," Lloyd said after a pause. "Well, we got information earlier that someone is spying on all of us for Chen. Which probably means they're set to win the Tournament as well."
Smart boy, Garmadon thought with a soft smile. Appealing to all interests. Where did he learn that?
"It seems pretty obvious who the spy is to me," Mr. Pale said. "Clouse hasn't stopped working."
"Clouse is a plant, not a spy," Garmadon said. "Both Chen and Clouse know we would never trust him with private information."
"No one leaves this room until we find out who's passing information to Chen," Lloyd said, folding his arms.
A silence settled over the room as the fighters glanced between each other. Garmadon leaned against the doors and frowned. Paranoia could not be good for the alliance. They needed to do this fast.
"Why're you looking at me, Greenie?" Shade growled, breaking the tense quiet. "I'm not your spy."
"Perhaps I can help," Neuro said. Before anyone could protest, he pressed a hand to his temple, eyes closing. Garmadon tensed slightly, half expecting to feel someone probing around in his mind. Luckily, nothing came.
Lowering his hand, Neuro glanced around. "I don't know who, but someone here isn't who they say they are."
Hm. Probably not Shade then, assuming Neuro's powers were strongest at close range.
"How do we know we can trust you?" Skylor asked. She tapped her temple. "Maybe I should use your power and see inside your head."
It clearly hit a nerve. Neuro shot to his feet. "I'd like to see you try, power-hoarder."
Skylor growled, stepping forward. Garmadon straightened, intending to intervene, but Kai jumped between them and pushed them apart.
"This is what Chen wants, for us to fight. But we don't have to. There has to be a more civilized way around this."
There was, Garmadon reflected, back tingling. Unfortunately, that was not an option. It would only cast more suspicion on his students.
Neuro sat down on the bed, and Skylor moved back to the fireplace. Another silence grew, as fighters glanced between each other and fidgeted.
"What were you all doing the day before the Tournament?" Mr. Pale finally asked. "I was having breakfast with some friends."
"I was meditating," Neuro said. "I also made sure none of my food would go bad while I was gone."
"I was out on my bike," Tox said. "Ninjago City was cold enough for it."
"Training for the Tournament," Shade scoffed. "What else would I be doing?"
Garmadon watched his son narrow his eyes slightly as Skylor spoke up.
"I was also training for the Tournament," she said.
Kai winced slightly. "I was um... fighting."
Every eye turned to him. "Fighting?" Neuro said. "Who? Why?"
"Just some Skulkins," Kai said, rubbing the back of his neck. "For, um... money..."
"Wait, in a ring?" Tox asked. "Were you involved in those fighting pits downtown?"
"Yeah," Kai said. "I quit, though. It wasn't for me."
"Okay... moving on," Skylor said. "Lloyd?"
"I was gathering up my team," Lloyd said.
"And I was meditating, training, and helping fix a ship," Garmadon said.
Once again, everyone fell silent. "Well, that didn't go as well as I thought it would," Mr. Pale muttered.
Neuro snapped his fingers. "Clouse has purple tattoos on his arms. So do all of Chen's guards. Maybe if you work for Chen, you have to get them?"
The blood inside Garmadon's chest froze.
"Where would we look?" Skylor said. "The guards have them on their backs, but like you said, Clouse's are on his arms. Couldn't they be anywhere?"
"I think Clouse's extends to his back," Neuro said. "Here, I'll go first." He unfastened his collar and turned his back to the room. Unsurprisingly, there was no tattoo beneath his clothing.
"Pretty sure you guys can already see part of my back, but whatever," Tox said. She shrugged one of her tank top straps to the side. There was some black ink poking out, but nothing purple or snake-like. "Those are a couple years old," she explained, catching a few people squinting suspiciously. "Besides, all of the guards have purple tattoos."
Ah, this was a bad situation. Dragging it out would only make things worse. Garmadon stepped forward and cleared his throat, ignoring his heart beginning to beat against his ribcage.
"That may not be the most efficient way," he said. Every eye was turned to him. Shade and Tox both looked mildly curious. By his father, this was going to shatter everything if he wasn't careful.
"Why not?" Neuro asked.
"As many of you know, I used to be a warlord," Garmadon said slowly. "You also may have noticed that Clouse and I have a... grudge."
Eyes were widening in realization. Tox shot to her feet, although she didn't say a word. Garmadon prayed that wasn't betrayed confirmation he saw in her eyes.
"I've been here before," Garmadon confessed. "Though I have been doing everything in my power to stop Chen, not help him."
"Show us your back," Shade demanded, standing up.
His heart thudded against his ribcage. This was not going well. "Let me explain-"
Shade vanished, and several people yelped. There was a soft rustle, and Shade rose from the floor in front of him. "You cast a long shadow, old man," he growled through his teeth.
Metaphorically and literally, Garmadon thought grimly. This had to happen eventually. He would never outrun his past, nor did he deserve to.
"Show us your back," Shade demanded again, grabbing the collar of his uniform.
Garmadon smacked his hand off, the urge to defend himself rising. A flicker of purple glowed over his fingertips. Conflict. Of course. "Calm yourself, Shade."
The Master of Shadow made an outraged sound, but Garmadon loosened his collar, shrugging it down to his shoulder. After another pause, he bared his back to the room.
The purple tattoo curled over his shoulder blade, diving beneath the cloth covering the rest of his back. Sharp. Purple. Completely unmistakable. Garmadon's shoulder hunched as he heard gasps and yelps.
He slid his shoulder back into his uniform, straightening it, and turned to the others. "Please, allow me to explain."
"Explain what?" Tox snapped, stepping up next to Shade. "Getting onto the island despite supposedly not having powers? Special treatment for entering late? You and your students always being one step ahead? It's so obvious! It's been obvious that you're connected to this place from the beginning!"
An old, aching, familiar wound yawned in his gut. Explanations weren't going to get through to them. He'd been through this a million times. Ironic that the only place he'd been allowed enough room to explain himself was here, forty years ago.
Sighing, Garmadon stepped away from the door. "I'm not the spy," he said firmly.
As usual, it made no difference. Shade and Tox both passed him. What hurt most was the small amount of betrayal he could see in their eyes. Just when they were starting to trust him...
What hurt more was Mr. Pale brushing past him, and Skylor moving to leave as well.
"Wait!" Kai grabbed her shoulder, but she shook it off.
"I don't know what to say," she said, glancing back at Kai. "I- I know Chen has your friend, but how could you hide this from us? From me? How do I know Chen isn't blackmailing all of you into spying for him?"
"Skylor, please-"
"No," Skylor said. "No, I need some air." Without another word, she left as well.
"There goes the alliance," Kai grumbled, running a hand through his hair. "As if we haven't lost enough today."
"...Neuro?" Lloyd asked quietly. Garmadon's head snapped up; the Master of the Mind was still there.
"I know you're not the spy," Neuro said, making strong eye contact with Garmadon. The wound was beginning to tear into a pit in his stomach. Neuro's steady gaze but broken trust looked so much like Wu's. "But I do know you have deep-seated connections here. And I'm getting tired of being left out. So just... keep that in mind."
And with another flurry of footsteps, it was just the three of them alone in Kai's room.
"Dad?" Lloyd approached, a concerned crease in his brow matching the frown on his face. "Are you alright?"
"Lloyd," Garmadon said. He glanced at his hands and, seeing them free of purple, settled them on his son's shoulders. "I'm fine." I earned this. I deserve this. "I'm more worried about you. You've been acting strange since this morning."
"I'm also fine," Lloyd said, eyes darting to the floor. "Okay- not really. I'm worried about Jay. And Cole. And Zane. And Nya. And everything. But that's okay, because we can still do this."
He seemed like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else. Garmadon sighed and wrapped his arms around him. "You know you can tell me anything, right? I won't get mad at you."
Lloyd's arms wrapped around his middle, fists balling in the fabric. "...I know."
"You know you can tell me if Chen said anything to you," Garmadon said. "He is smarter than he looks. Or acts, for that matter."
His son's grip tightened. "...I know."
So this was about Chen. The pit in his stomach yawned, swallowing his anger. He just felt... tired.
Garmadon sighed once more and hugged his son closer. He wished more than anything that it would somehow be a shield against his former master. "Please talk to me about it when you're ready. I know Chen. I can prepare you to face him. At the least." But please don't do it alone, he added silently.
"...okay," Lloyd mumbled into his collar.
"What are we going to do?" Kai groaned, flopping onto the bed. "We can't keep losing fights."
Garmadon loosened his grip on Lloyd, but only to lead him to the bed and sit down next to Kai. He pulled his son into his side. "We won't." But his student was right. If they kept this up, they might all be in prison within the week. They needed a new strategy, and fast.
"...do you think Nya is going to be okay?" Kai asked. His voice was quiet and small. He sounded so young. They were all so young.
"She endured in the Underworld and went unnoticed as Samurai X for a long time," Garmadon said. "She's a survivor, your sister."
It may have been his imagination, but Kai leaned into him slightly. "Yeah," he muttered. "And we'd hear about it if she got into trouble."
We can only hope, Garmadon thought, but didn't dare voice his pessimism.
Description of Clouse’s wounds. I’m not entirely sure how to tag them, so if anyone needs one, please let me know!
It had taken ages of eavesdropping to figure out where Clouse's quarters were. There had been some mix-up - his quarters and room were apparently two different places? And it was a recent development? But now she had her bearings
Nya crept down the hallway towards his door, now grateful for all of the fabric muffling her every move. She grasped the doorknob and pushed inward. The door was heavy and squeaked - the sound made her cringe, even though he should be at lunch with the other elemental masters.
Slipping through the door, Nya closed it quietly behind herself and was two steps into the room before she froze. Her heart froze in her chest, and her throat closed, thick with fear.
The room was dimly lit and lined with wooden bookshelves. There were all sorts of strange skeletons and other trinkets, and the carpet was a rich purple and red, decorated with gold.
In the center of the room lay a wooden desk. There was a skull atop it, with a quill laid inside. And most important of all, was a beautiful book. Most likely the spellbook.
And then there was the snake.
It was the second biggest snake she'd ever seen, coils thicker than her body towering over the desk, and spilling between the bookshelves. The candlelight in the room reflected off of dark purple scales, and sharp spikes that lined it's spine.
Where's the head? Nya thought frantically. If it was awake, she was done for. She spotted a dim magenta glow near a dip in it's coils, and was treated to two more consecutive heart attacks.
One. The snake's head alone was twice her size, resting on a coil, and it's eyes, a deep glowing magenta, were open. Though they seemed unfocused, and after a few terrifying seconds, she remembered that snakes didn't have eyelids. If it wasn't reacting, it was probably asleep.
And two, the sorcerer himself was nestled in the crook of the coil, breathing deeply. His dark hair was down, pooling against the scales and shrouding his face in darkness. The candlelight glinted off his armor. Nya could see bandages wrapped around one of his arms. He twitched, and then settled against the smooth scales of the serpent.
Both were far too close to the desk for her comfort, although neither seemed to be awake. Nya looked between the snake, the sorcerer, and the spellbook, and then took a very deep breath. She crept forward, wincing silently at every soft rustle of fabric. Her eyes darted between her target and both of their eyes, praying she wouldn't find them open. Or moving, in the snake's case.
With all the hair on the back of her neck standing on end, Nya slowly opened the cover of the book. It rustled, and she flinched, glancing up again. Still sleeping. Page 102. Rustle. Still sleeping. Page 122. Rustle. Still sleeping. Page 149!
Nya bent her head, quickly reading over the page. She couldn't help but take in a small gasp. A spell that could turn humans into Anacondrai - not what she was expecting, and definitely not good.
A soft scrape. Nya straightened, staring at the snake, only to realize it was coming from outside. Heavy footsteps thumped down the hall. She needed to get the proof. She needed to warn someone!
Whoever was outside stopped, hesitated, and then knocked. Loudly.
----------------
Splinters were buried in his knuckles. Blood oozed around them, leaking from various cuts. The bruises started along his wrist, traveled up to his elbow, and were dotted along his shoulders. And judging by the aching throughout his entire body, he was bruised just about everywhere else as well.
Clouse hissed, picking at one particularly stubborn splinter with a pair of tweezers. Between his injuries and his non-dominant hand, all he seemed to be doing was repeatedly jabbing the cut.
Stupid sparring session. Stupid post. Stupid Garmadon. His jaw ached, and he wasn't sure whether it was from clenching it or being punched. The splinter finally came free, clutched between the tips of the tweezers. With a frustrated sigh, Clouse wiped it on a small towel, already lined with dots of blood and wood, and went after another buried in his skin.
Three more splinters had joined their brethren when there was a knock on his door. Clouse frowned, setting the tweezers to the side. Did Master Chen have more pointers for him?
"Come in."
The door swung open, and Garmadon was standing there. Clouse's expression immediately soured. "What do you want?"
And now he was strolling in like he owned the place. Perfect. Clouse gritted his teeth. "Get out."
"Nope," Garmadon said. He grabbed a chair and pulled it up next to the younger man. There were bruises dotted along his knuckles as well, and one developing around his eye. Clouse felt a small smidge of satisfaction.
"Got splinters from the post?" Garmadon asked, glancing over his hand. "Ouch."
Clouse glared at him and then turned back to his hand. He whispered a word, and with a harsh sting, all of the splinters pulled themselves into the air and then dove into a nearby trash can.
"You could have done that the whole time? Why bother with tweezers?" Garmadon asked, arching his eyebrows. He was setting a bottle, a cloth, and some bandages on the counter.
"I'm not lazy," Clouse said stiffly. "I don't need magic for everything." Truthfully, he was drained. The training session today had been rough, even before the sparring match. He barely had any magic left.
"Whatever floats your boat." Garmadon upturned the bottle into the cloth for a few seconds and set it down.
"What is that?" Clouse asked. "Scratch that, why are you in here? To gloat? Get out."
"Hydrogen peroxide, and one sparring match is nothing to gloat over," Garmadon said. He grinned slightly. "And no."
He reached over and grabbed Clouse's wrist, carefully avoiding the bruises and cuts. Ever so gently, he laid the damp cloth over the back of his hand.
"What are you doing?" Clouse tried to pull his hand away, to no avail.
"What does it look like?" Garmadon said, rolling his eyes. "Patching you up."
"Wh-" Clouse hissed loudly as the hydrogen peroxide began to bubble, cuts smarting. "Ow! Why?"
"Because that's what you do," Garmadon said. He lifted the cloth, inspecting Clouse's knuckles. Something in his expression quieted. "At least, that's what Wu and I used to do."
A brief silence fell over them. Garmadon was finding another place to set down the cloth, and Clouse was staring at him in utter disbelief.
"You are unbelievably bad at this."
"Oh, and you have a degree in patching people up after sparring matches?"
"Not that." Clouse winced again as Garmadon set the cloth on some small cuts on his wrist. "Being evil."
"That's why I'm here, isn't it?" Garmadon said. "Besides, how is this being bad at being evil?"
"Because you're-" Clouse's lips twisted slightly, something between confusion and discomfort. "-taking care of me."
Unfazed, Garmadon took his other wrist. "We're both Chen's students. You're the top of the class - or you're right behind me, at least. What am I supposed to do if you're out of commission, spar Mogra?"
"We're training to become villains, and you want to make friends," Clouse said, shaking his head. It was so sentimental. So... uniquely Garmadon.
"Even villains need friends," Garmadon grumbled, rubbing the inside of his wrist. He set the cloth to the side and picked up the bandages. "Give me your hand."
When Clouse complied, Garmadon grinned slightly while wrapping his hand. The bandages were firm, not too tight or loose. "Hey, since you gave me unsolicited advice on being evil, I'm going to give you unsolicited advice on sparring."
"I don't need any from you," Clouse huffed, trying to pull his hand away again, and again having no success.
"You're always trying to match my strength. It's not gonna work," Garmadon said. "I've been doing this for a couple thousand years. But you're smaller than me, so you could be faster. If you trained for it."
"Shut up," Clouse said.
"Also, if you're faster, you won't miss and hit posts as easily," Garmadon said. It was obvious now that he wasn't going to shut up until he was done. Clouse sighed heavily and sat back, giving up on pulling away.
"You also need to work on your balance. I know you don't really sleep, so you may as well use that time to... I don't know, go stand on a post for an hour without falling off or something. And stop telegraphing your moves. Although that just comes from practice, so..."
As much as Clouse wanted to tune him out, some of his advice was practical. Sort of. But finally, after both his arms were bandaged and all other injuries were looked at, Garmadon finally stopped talking and let go.
"Hey, all things considered? You're not doing bad. You're the second top person in the class because you can fight a thousand-year-old demigod and not lose in three seconds." Garmadon reached out and gave his shoulder a solid pat.
"Ow," Clouse said, glaring at him.
"Sorry." Garmadon gave him a sheepish grin. "How about when you beat me up, you get to give me unsolicited advice?"
It made the sorcerer's lips curl into a slight smile, which he hated. "Very well."
"Alright, getting out now." Garmadon trotted to the door and opened it, glancing back. "Night, Clouse."
"...goodnight."
The door clicked shut. Now alone, Clouse glanced down at his new bandages. He did hurt a bit less now. But there was another loud knock on his door, and a soft tearing sound. What did Garmadon want now? Unless it was Master Chen?
Nix that, he didn't hurt less now. He hurt a good deal more. His wrist was screaming, pain flaring out into his shoulder and the tips of his fingers. Clouse blinked hard, slowly coming to realize where he was. He'd set an alarm for the Tournament. Had he slept through it?
With a silent wince, Clouse swung off his serpent's coils and stumbled to his feet. The urge to hold his arm close to his body to protect it was too strong to resist in private. He checked the time. Two hours before he had to be on duty again. Which meant something had gone wrong, as usual. Lovely.
There was another, slightly more hesitant knock. Not Master Chen, then. With a heavy sigh, Clouse carefully pried his hair tie off his good wrist. "Coming."
Tying his hair back was now a painful struggle, along with pretty much everything else. His serpent nudged him in the spine. The sorcerer gave her snout a pat, shoulders relaxing slightly. And people said snakes weren't good companions.
Another quiet knock. Clouse cursed Garmadon quietly, which he now found himself doing regularly, and crossed the room to the door.
"What happened?"
Zugu was standing at the door, looking rather guilty. The fact that he was one of their most competent guards was frustrating.
"There's been a breach in the factory. Master Cole has gone missing!"
Clouse pinched the bridge of his nose, ignoring the jolt of pain it sent through the cut on his hand. "I'll handle it. Return to your post."
His pet would find them quite easily. Zugu nodded and turned to jog off. Clouse turned back around, closing his door and leaning against it. He was sore from Thunderblade, and that was the least of his injuries. The continued wear and tear on his injured wrist was becoming harder to ignore with each passing day. Sometimes he couldn't feel his fingertips.
Clouse took a few steadying breaths and tried to focus on something other than the pain. The Earth ninja needed to be found, although he would have to go back for his two friends. Still, better to find him sooner rather than later.
"I have a job for you, my pet," he crooned, holding out a hand. His serpent uncoiled slightly to bump her nose against it. "There is someone loose in your burrow. I need you to find them." It would be so satisfying to let her eat one of Garmadon's students, but alas, Chen needed them.
His serpent growled softly, curling around to dive into the trapdoor in his quarters that led to the underbelly of the island. She was gone in seconds. Clouse sighed, cradling his injured wrist against his body once more.
Had the master of lightning been drained yet? He didn't think so. Clouse paced over to his spellbook, glancing it over for so much as a page out of place. It was a ritual of sorts. There was a reason he didn't allow anyone else to touch it.
White paint glittered on the side. Clouse hummed, looking closer. Kabuki paint? He tried to brush it off, wincing slightly. He hadn't given his spellbook to any kabuki. Either Master Chen had ordered one of them to retrieve it, or...
His thoughts circled back to the kabuki he'd run into at breakfast. It was possible they'd simply crossed paths, but he could swear she'd been listening to him. And then she'd been flighting about near the ninja. And she'd looked far too young to be one of Master Chen's kabuki...
Most interesting. He would have to investigate this later. It simply went on his endless list of things to do. Clouse picked up his spellbook, refusing to show any sign of pain, straightened, and headed for the most direct tunnel to the dungeon. I need a better job.
----------------
How many tunnels had they run down by now? Cole had lost count.
"Not that way! That will only take us back to where we started," Zane called out from behind him.
Wow, he'd definitely lost count. Cole grunted. There was a slight pang in his side, probably from fighting the guards. "Maybe you should be leading."
Right as he'd finished speaking, a roar echoed down the hallway. It was faint and almost musical, and sent chills running down his spine. He was immediately brought back to himself and the others, squishing back into a crack while fangs gnashed in front of them.
Cole came to a dead halt beneath two stone snake statues, looking around. Where was that thing coming from?
"I am not familiar with that sound," Zane said. He sounded nervous.
"I am," Cole said. He swore he could hear the monster's freaky spines sliding over stone. But he could definitely hear rumbling. "We need to move!" He bolted back down the way they came. They needed to find the exit, and fast. They'd have to come back for everyone else when they weren't about to become snake food.
"I thought I was leading!" Zane called after him.
"Trust me!" Cole yelled over his shoulder. "You'll wanna keep up!" The rumbling got definitely louder, and then there was another roar. Much louder, much closer. And also behind him.
Suddenly, Zane was beside him again. The snake was definitely behind them, but at least Zane was leading. He probably knew how to get out! Hopefully! They took a sharp corner and ran straight into a dead end.
Oh no. Cole looked back, searching for the magenta eyes. Zane reached out and touched the wall. "This is not stone," he said. "It's the body of a large serpent."
What?? Cole turned back. "Uh... okay, we have to find another way!" He turned, and they began to run again. Past a hallway, in which he could hear the snake's scales rumbling over stone. He could only pray it wasn't the head. They passed another open hallway, and he saw the glowing eyes. It didn't turn their way, but he hardly had time to feel relieved before they ran into another dead end.
Now in a circular chamber, Cole and Zane kept catching glimpses of the snake passing every single hallway. Cold dread was curling in Cole's stomach. Why wasn't it coming in and trying to eat them?
"The serpent's strategy appears to be to surround us and coil inward," Zane remarked, watching it block off three more passages. "Very clever."
"Yeah, well, my strategy is not to be eaten," Cole said. There was a deep, heavy hiss behind him, and the serpent shot down a hallway.
Cole yelped loudly, and both he and Zane lunged out of the way of the snake. It's teeth snapped together like the world's second-largest steel trap. Cole scrambled to his feet, clawing at the wall behind him. There had been ladders or something in here. Why couldn't they have been chased near the ladders?
It was Zane's turn to yelp, and Cole turned around just in time to see the serpent rise above them, hissing. Cole pulled his friend close. "It was nice knowing you, Zane. I think this really is our dead end!"
The snake roared, striking at them. They leapt apart, barely dodging it, and it hit the wall with enough force to shake the ground. While it shook it's head, Cole stared up at it from his vantage point on the ground.
"I don't suppose you could freeze it?" Cole called over to Zane.
"Chen took my powers like everyone else!" Zane was already climbing back to his feet. "P.I.X.A.L., calculate escape scenarios."
Borg's daughter had gone missing months ago. Of all the times and places for her to turn up! "She's in your head?" Cole asked. Unless Zane was hallucinating?
Rather than respond, Zane ejected a shuriken from inside his wrist, threw it onto the floor, and then ejected several more next to it. Before Cole got even the smallest chance to ask, they exploded.
Cole yelped again, the floor falling out beneath him before he had a chance to be burned. Zane crashed down next to him.
What an exit! Cole watched the snake slide over the hole, too big to follow, and chuffed out a laugh. "I'm gonna like the new you!"
"We must move quickly," Zane urged.
As the snake roared, magenta eyes peering down at them, Cole grinned. "Lead the way." Maybe they would be able to save the others without becoming snake food.
----------------
Back and forth across the rocky path. The outside of the Tournament compound was beautiful - too bad he didn't have a chance to enjoy it.
"Lloyd," purred Chen, emerging from a doorway. He pursed his lips, like he was tangling with a sour candy. "Mm. Too much of a mouthful. You need a nickname. Although I do appreciate the pun."
"Pun?" Lloyd asked. Jay was gone, his friends' alliance was imploding, and Chen was worried about jokes?
A hand ruffled through his hair. "Your face gets all pinched when you're angry," Chen chuckled. "Just like your father. So easy to read. So tell me, boy, why did you call for a meeting so soon?"
"You're turning our alliance inside out," Lloyd accused. "You made me look crazy!"
"And you're trying to take me down," Chen giggled. "Bit of a balancing act, isn't it?"
"I only agreed to this so you would keep my friends together," Lloyd argued.
Chen shrugged. "That's not what I remember promising. I remember promising good treatment and not pitting you against each other. If your friends lose in a fair fight, there's nothing I can do. Unless you want to convince your little "alliance" that you're cheating? Or better yet, plotting against them?"
Lloyd struggled for words. Was that really what he was doing? Cheating? No one else got special treatment from Chen. But was it really so bad that he wanted to protect his friends? Now that he thought about it, it was at the cost of the other innocent people on the island...
His stomach plummeted. He'd made a call, but it had been a bad one. And now he was in an incredibly precarious situation. If Chen chose to reveal their deal to the other fighters, the small alliance they'd created would shatter irreparably. His father would be so disappointed in him. And they may never get Zane back.
With a groan, Lloyd sat down on a bench and put his face in his hands. "I don't know how you talked me into this," he muttered. "I don't want this. I don't want to betray anyone. I just want my friends to be safe."
"And your family, I'm certain." Chen sat down on the bench beside him. "I didn't talk you into anything, dear boy. I simply made an offer, and you took it. I'm certain you must be very afraid of loss, considering how... raw and painful your last one was. Really, it's all too much for someone so young and little. You need someone in your corner, someone who can help take the load off."
"I already have that," Lloyd growled, lifting his head to glare at Chen. "I have my father. And my team."
"Then why didn't you consult any of them?" Chen asked, sliding an arm around him. "You're overthinking things, Lloyd. You made a deal so you wouldn't have to fight your friends. One less thing to worry about. Easy peasy."
That... was true. But it hadn't stopped Jay from losing. "Is he going to be alright?" Lloyd asked, hating how small and vulnerable he sounded. Like a child seeking comfort.
"Your blue friend? Oh, certainly. It would attract far too much attention if people... disappeared around here too often," Chen said.
Sighing heavily, Lloyd stared at his hands. He'd accepted this deal because it put them on fairer grounds. He couldn't hide anything from Chen during these talks, but Chen couldn't hide anything from him either.
So why did he feel more lost and overpowered than ever?
Maybe he just needed to take back control. Lloyd turned his head, looking up at Chen. The man tilted his head, grinning slightly. There was an expectant glint in his eyes.
Strangely enough, it reminded Lloyd of being back at Darkley's. His teachers had always been intimidating, and he'd always been so afraid of getting the wrong answer. Partially because he'd be punished, and partially because he wanted them to be proud of him.
"What's the staff really for?" Lloyd asked after a pause.
"Containing elements," Chen said. "But I have no intention of letting anyone else have it. Of course, you already knew that."
Lloyd narrowed his eyes a bit. Was this a trick? A way to get him to admit to breaking the Tournament's rules? But he had agreed to tell the truth...
"Yeah," Lloyd said after a few seconds' pause. "Okay, well, what's the spell for then?"
"Oho! Pulling out the big questions already, I see," Chen laughed. "What a smart one you are. That spell is for Clouse. He's preparing a ceremony for me."
That was- he was being so vague. "Okay, so-"
"Ah-ah! Now it's my turn!" Chen trilled. "What exactly have all of you fighters been whispering about?"
That question will lead to a whole lot of other questions, Lloyd thought, squirming. He stared at his fists in his lap and thought of the alliance and of Nya. Of the spellbook. Of Dareth. Then, he took a long pause. Wait a minute. I know how to play this game.
Of all of his "talents" at Darkley's, talking people in circles had been one of his best. According to his teachers, at least.
"We're having a meeting," Lloyd said honestly. "There have been some trust issues. We're going to try and smooth things over."
He looked up at Chen. The man looked utterly delighted, to his surprise. He'd been expecting at least a little bit of frustration. Maybe he'd bought it?
"You're a fast learner," Chen purred, giving his back and shoulders an affectionate squeeze. "Is that all for now, then?"
Weird. He wasn't going to try and ask anything else, or press, or cry foul. Lloyd nodded slowly, and stood when Chen did, satisfaction starting to take root in his chest.
Maybe this hadn't been such a poor choice after all. Now he knew what game he and Chen were playing.
End Notes:
Saying "deeeelicious" the same way Chen does at the beginning of the epiode has permanently entered my vocabulary. Please send help
Cole has a good day. Everyone else does not. It's Chen's fault, as always.
Notes:
Jay enjoyers, I am so sorry for neglecting him. Please enjoy this chapter to make up for it
Also, fanart from the wonderful @neplistens ! Find it here!
Potential TWs: someone gets gassed in this chapter, so a lot of choking and tearing up and stuff. As always, please let me know if I need to add trigger tags, a more in-depth explanation, or a warning of where it starts! Stay safe y’all <3
Zugu was eating the leftovers of the banquet. Cole couldn't help but be jealous, and his stomach grumbled in agreement. They weren't exactly being fed well down here, just enough to keep them on their feet.
His gaze shifted to the keys on their jailer's belt. Everyone seemed relaxed after the banquet. Mornings tended to be a little calmer after the guards had eaten. And the good food was the perfect distraction.
"It's time."
"But shift not over for hours," Karlof protested quietly, glancing back at him.
"It is for me," Cole said with a chuckle. He glanced across the room at all the delicious food that none of them were allowed to eat. "I've been waiting to do this for a long time!"
The noodle machine would suit him best, hunger and tool-wise. Cole vaulted over the fortune cookie conveyor belt and bolted to the noodles. He leapt up onto that conveyor belt, jogging to keep up with it, and shoved a handful of noodles into his mouth. Terrible way to eat, but at least it tasted good!
He heard other prisoners laugh in surprise, and when Zugu yelled for his capture, the laughter turned into cheering. Cole laughed, flipping over a swipe of a guard's spear. He swallowed the last mouthful of noodles he had, and slung a cart full of flour into two other guards.
It knocked one flat, but the other flung the cart back at him. Cole jumped out of the way, rolling under a conveyor belt with fortune cookies on it. He snagged one for good luck - these ones probably didn't have fortunes yet. Probably. The rest of the cookies made surprisingly good ammo against a whole host of guards coming after him.
But now they were getting too close. Cole leapt on top of a rolling cart, riding it back to the noodle conveyor belt and flipping over it. He dodged a swipe of a spear, but wasn't too worried. They were trapped on the other side.
Contrary to that, arms wrapped around his neck. Cole hurled his would-be captor off, only to receive a harsh kick to the stomach that sent him stumbling back against some crates. Easily liftable crates.
"Let there be food!" Cole yelled and hurled the crate at three more guards. It toppled them, and a cheer went up from his fellow captives. Cole leapt on top of the crates, dodging a jab from a spear, and flipped onto a much higher conveyor belt.
"All you can eat!" He punted the food at the nearest goon. "Eat it, guard!" The guard hurled their spear in response. Cole jumped down, narrowly missing it, and dodged around a couple more jabs.
These guys were too easy. Cole laughed gleefully, leading them to a table with a tray of food atop it. The plate made a great shield against their spears (didn't they ever go for the knees?), and he was able to lock his ankle around a broom and trip them all with a spin.
There was a snarl of anger from behind him. Zugu and two other guards, just the guy he wanted to see. Cole sprinted away, grabbing a handful of noodles and whipping them above his head like a lasso. They somehow stuck to the rafter he lashed them around, so Cole decided to test his weight and swing.
It didn't go too well. The noodles snapped, and he was falling. Instead of hitting the ground, he landed with a grunt in someone's arms.
"Got you," Zugu snarled, yanking him even closer.
Mere minutes later, he was skidding across the rough stone floor of his cell. The door slammed shut, and he could hear the self-satisfied chuckles of the guards. After the sounds faded down the hallway, Cole sat up with a grin.
"Worth it," he said, digging around in his pocket and pulling out Zugu's keys. He jumped to his feet and glanced through the window of his cell. No guards. They probably thought he wasn't worth the trouble. Cole slipped his hands through the bars, reaching for the lock. It was a bit of an awkward position, trying to get the key into the lock from here.
But after a bit of readjusting, there was a small click. Cole withdrew his arm and swung his door open. He closed it behind him - no need to broadcast his escape - and then dashed down the hallway.
Any guards he came across were easily hidden from, so he reached Zane's cell very quickly. He could see his friend's eyes were closed, expression twisted with discomfort. Maybe he was dreaming?
"Zane!" Cole unlocked the door and trotted across the floor, inserting the key into his friend's chains. Zane gasped, jolting slightly. Definitely dreaming.
"Cole? You've returned," Zane said, frown slowly melting into a relieved smile.
"'Course I did," Cole said, offering him a hand. "I made a promise. Now c'mere, you shiny new tin can." He opened his arms, and then, without waiting, grabbed Zane in a bear hug. After a few seconds, he gave his friend a solid couple of pats on the back. "Can you feel the love?"
Zane stared at him with a blank, confused look. "No. But the longer we stand here, the shorter time we have to escape."
Cole laughed, heading toward the exit. Zane walked next to him. Free! And alive! The others were going to be so happy. "You know, you were always the smart one."
He poked his head out of the cell, looking for guards. "There are two other people we should find before we meet up with the others. Let's go!"
With the hallway clear, they left Zane's cell behind very quickly.
----------------
There was always a pit in his stomach whenever the brackets were announced. Somehow, he'd managed to make it through the first few days of the Tournament without fighting at all. Besides the first challenge with the Jade Blades, anyway.
The feeling was right this time. Jay stared at his own name on the board, and then at his opponent's. Tox, the elemental master of Poison. How was he supposed to fight poison? Not breathe?
"Hey," Kai said, clapping him on the shoulder. Jay jumped a mile. "You're gonna be fine."
"Am I?" Jay said. "We've been getting narrowed down to the best of the best. She can shoot poisonous gas at me! Am I supposed to fight it? It's gas! I can't fight gas!"
"You're fighting?"
Jay jumped. He hadn't seen Lloyd or their teacher since Garmadon had left breakfast earlier. The man himself was approaching quickly, with Lloyd trailing behind.
"Apparently!" Jay said. "Where have you guys been? I could have used some Green Ninja wisdom. Or some comes-with-age-wisdom!"
"Don't worry about it," Lloyd said. "You're one of the best fighters I know, Jay. You'll do great."
"You have a long-range ability," Garmadon said. He settled a hand on Jay's shoulder as well. What was with people and touching his shoulder today? "Use it. You will not breathe in any gas if you aren't near it."
"Okay," Jay sighed. "Okay, yeah, that's a good strategy. I just have to remember to use it. Ha."
"At least none of us are fighting after this," Kai said. "Gives us more time to figure out what's going on."
"Quite," Sensei Garmadon said. He sounded far away. Jay followed his gaze to Lloyd, who looked just as absorbed in anything except the fact that one of his friends was fighting.
Lloyd caught all of them staring and blinked. "You're gonna do great, Jay. I know it. You've taken on the Overlord twice; you can handle this."
Yeah, and I got turned evil by him the first time. You're the one who beat him, Jay grumbled in his head. But before he could worry any more, the PA system blared.
"All fighters, to their arena!" Chen trilled. "Best of luck!"
"Oh great," Jay groaned. "See you guys after. Maybe." He trudged after everyone until a kabuki beckoned him into a secret passageway.
"What's it going to be this time?" Jay asked. "Tennis? Axe-throwing? Cole would be better at that. Or is it just regular old fighting? Oh, oh, or maybe since Chen wants us out so badly, we'll be trapped in air ducts so it's easier for Tox to GAS ME!"
The kabuki stared at him. Jay panted, trying to calm himself down again. "Oh. Right. You guys don't talk." He really wished this kabuki was Nya. She'd have something to say, whether it be gentle ribbing to remind him he was freaking out, or something nice and comforting. It would also be comforting just to see her.
They emerged into a cell. Through the bars, Jay could see a courtyard. There was a statue of a coiled snake in the middle. Could the Jade Blade be in there? There was a small click behind him as the kabuki left through the passage.
Jay took some deep breaths, jumping up and down. I can do this. I can totally do this. I'm not scared I'm gonna lose and let everyone down and get hurt at all. Nope, couldn't be me.
"Welcome to another day of the Tournament of Elements!" Chen cried from his throne. "The time is just flying by! Whoosh! Gone! Anyway, we have Jay Walker, Master of Lightning, versus Tox, Master of Poison! Fight!"
How does he know my full name but not Tox's, Jay wondered as the bars to his cell raised. Maybe she doesn't have a last name?
The woman in question was already leaping over the snake statue at him.
"Gah!" Jay leapt out of her way, scrambling to avoid the blast of toxic gas sent his way. Was he allowed to use Spinjitzu? Was that against the rules? He couldn't remember!
With a flick of his wrist, he sent a bolt of lightning arcing across the arena. Tox dodged, because of course she did; they always did. Jay could feel his heartbeat in his ears, but he was starting to feel a bit calmer. This wasn't his first rodeo. Mostly.
What followed was the old song and dance he knew. She fired, he dodged. He fired, she dodged. He did run into a cloud of gas a few times, which was horrible. It made him gasp and choke, and his eyes watered and itched, which made it so much harder to fight.
But Jay was a trained fighter, and Tox, unfortunately, was not. She was favoring her right side - the one that wasn't all bruised up. Jay tried not to feel too bad for her. She was his enemy after all. Right now, at least. But the last couple of matches had treated her pretty roughly. He hadn't ever seen Sensei Garmadon get that mad before! As a sensei, at least. Lord Garmadon was a whole other story.
Lost in his thoughts, Jay was unable to duck under a blast of toxic gas. He stumbled, grazing his knees against the cobblestones of the courtyard, coughing and choking. Tox was approaching rapidly, already firing up another blast. If she kept this up, Jay realized in a panic, he wouldn't be able to breathe at all.
The roar of the crowd was only now fading into his periphery again. Faintly, he could hear Kai yelling for him to get up. His eyes watered. His lungs hurt. Every breath felt like drinking sandpaper.
"Go for the blade!"
Jay glanced towards the shout, confused. Couldn't they see that he could barely stand, let alone- Oh. It was Shade. Shade was telling Tox to go for the Jade Blade. Wait, that was bad.
Only now did Jay realize that breathing didn't hurt quite as bad anymore. He looked up and saw that Tox was looking at Shade, conflicted. She glanced down at him, and then at the Blade. And after another heart-pounding pause, she decided not to kick him while he was down. Which, for once, was a bad thing.
Jay tried to scramble to his feet, and only succeeded in collapsing to his hands and knees. Tox was dashing away from him, making a beeline for the snake statue he'd noticed earlier. He wouldn't make it in time to stop her. Gasping raggedly, Jay threw out a hand and electrified the statue right as Tox touched it. She jumped back with a screech of pain.
Wait, that didn't feel right either. His head was getting foggy. It had to be the lack of oxygen, right? Jay crawled closer, hands sparking with electricity. Maybe she would just stay away from the statue now that she'd been shocked. And he could just crawl on over there and grab the Jade Blade.
Tox was creeping around the statue, eyeing him warily. Her posture reminded him of a feral cat he used to feed in the junkyard. Man, he really wanted to go home right now. Maybe he'd visit when they got back to the mainland. But then she darted forward, dousing the air around him with another gout of gas. Jay coughed and curled up, pulling his mask over his nose and mouth. His eyes were watering so badly that the arena turned into a smear of shapes and colors. He rubbed his eyes, only for them to begin stinging worse.
"Winner!" Chen yelled, sounding utterly delighted. Jay lifted his head, confused. He looked to his team, blinking slowly at their expressions of horror, and then over at Tox, who wearily held the blade above her head.
Confusion gave way to shock as the ground dropped from beneath him. His stomach felt like it rose into his throat, and then he hit a soft mattress. Jay groaned and went limp. He had no energy left to struggle.
----------------
"I don't think I have the energy to eat," Kai muttered. He could only stare at the two empty seats beside them. When Cole had lost, he'd been furious. Now, he just felt... raw.
Cole had chosen to lose. Cole hadn't been hurt. Hopefully. Jay's match had been rough, and the losses were beginning to tear open a gaping hole that had started with Zane.
He should never have come here. He should never have listened to Lloyd. He should have just stayed in that pit and- and-
A warm hand closed around his shoulder. "Breathe, Kai," Garmadon said.
"'m fine," Kai muttered, trying to shrug his hand off. Garmadon's grip only tightened.
"We both know you're not."
Kai gritted his teeth. The hole only yawned wider. It was him, Lloyd, Garmadon, and Nya. And he hadn't seen her in hours, after sending her after one of the most dangerous people on the island. "We shouldn't have come here," he growled. His throat closed, and he immediately choked on his own guilt. Not coming here meant giving up on Zane. "Every time we try to fix something, we lose someone else."
"They're not gone," Garmadon said softly.
"They will be if we don't do something!" Kai said, turning to face him. "And it's just me, who's only won one match, you, who can't control your powers, Lloyd, who brought us all here in the first place, and Nya, who's pursuing the guy who not even you can beat!"
"Chen was the one who made certain you would come," Garmadon said. "He baited you with Zane. Your friend. He knew you wouldn't say no."
Kai's eyes burned. He used to be so good at being the strong, reliable one. And then Zane had died. He put his head in his hands. "I know. 'M sorry, Lloyd."
"It's okay," Lloyd murmured.
"Tell me what you're thinking," Garmadon said, settling beside him.
"I can't protect anyone," Kai whispered. "If I had just been there- if I had grabbed the Overlord instead, if I had stayed instead of going to the fighting pits- I can't lose anyone else-"
"You won't," Garmadon said. He squeezed his shoulder gently, drawing him into his side. "I know it doesn't feel this way, but you have more strength than you can see, and have always been someone others can fall back on. And when bad things happen, it's not your fault."
"But-"
"Hush. If Chen wanted to kill them, he'd make a show of it. We would know. We still have time."
Kai took a deep breath and nodded slowly. He still felt horrible and ragged and raw, but that didn't mean he could stop. He had to keep going. For Zane, for Cole, and for Jay.
Garmadon patted his shoulder gently. "Good. There you go." He was warm. And steadying. It made Kai think of a long time ago, when the blacksmith shop hadn't been so quiet.
Great, now his eyes were stinging all over again.
"LUNCH TIME!" Chen bellowed, kicking open the doors. Was that confetti flying around him?
"What a wonderfully dramatic match we had today! Being on the edge of my seat for that long makes me hungry, and I'm sure it does the same to you!" Chen trotted across the room and flopped into his chair. "Bring the food!"
The doors immediately swung open, and kabuki flooded in with plates piled high with food. They began making their way around the room, presenting platters to fighters - the few remaining - or setting them on the table.
Kai cringed, watching a kabuki offer something yellow and gelatinous to Lloyd.
"Try the horned wasp eggs!" Chen crowed from his throne. "Deeeeelicious!"
"No thanks," Lloyd said. There was a slight sharp edge to his voice. Kai glanced over, brow furrowing.
Chen made a delighted sound in the back of his throat and grabbed one from a platter nearby him. "Oh lighten up, Green Ninja. This isn't a trick. This is a feast to celebrate the nine of you making it to the second round!" With a flourish, he tossed both his chopsticks and the egg over his shoulder.
The kabuki nearest to him began to laugh and clap their hands. Kai wrinkled his nose slightly. They sounded highly uncomfortable.
"And I must congratulate the Master of Poison's defeat over the Master of Lightning! More like Master of Thunder, am I right?"
The kabuki began to laugh again, clapping their hands, but Chen leaned over his armrest. "Laugh harder!" He demonstrated, giving a theatrical and entirely too forced laugh.
As ordered, the kabuki laughed harder. Kai cringed slightly, turning away. "Master of Thunder. Doesn't even make sense."
He returned his gaze to Chen. He'd caught the madman staring at him a few times. Originally, he assumed it was because he was with Garmadon and Lloyd. Now, he was pretty sure it was because Chen thought he was looking at the next person out of the Tournament.
With a slight jolt, he realized that Chen was staring back. There was a slight smirk on his face. He looked sharper, more dangerous. And then, when the doors opened, it was gone in a flash.
"Ooh! Fortune cookies! Bring them to me!" Chen cackled, clapping his hands.
Kai narrowed his eyes. It was petty, but...
When the kabuki with the tray passed by, Kai snatched four cookies off it. Ignoring Chen's indignant gasp, he passed one to Lloyd and one to Garmadon. There were two left, and one of them had a red tab. Hm.
"Psst! Skylor! Here." Kai leaned over the table, past Mr. Pale, and handed her the fortune cookie with the red tab.
"Thanks," she whispered back, with a slight smile. Kai couldn't help but smile back.
Cracking open his cookie, Kai returned to watching Chen.
"It's getting harder to make headway," murmured Neuro. Kai jumped slightly.
"You are way too quiet for someone who isn't a ninja," he grumbled. "...and yeah. If he takes out all of us..." He didn't even want to think about it. No one to stop Chen. No one to save, or at the very least warn Ninjago. No one to protect Nya. No one to find Zane.
"We should... convene later, maybe?" Neuro suggested. "Maybe the others have seen things we haven't." He paused. "Does that seem like a good idea, or is it too risky? I'm a bit new to all this."
"Sounds great," Kai muttered. He sat up straighter, and when he cast a side eye at Chen, was somewhat surprised to see him watching again. Chen's eyes flicked between him and Neuro, and then he sat back and clapped his hands.
"It has come to my attention that there are rumors floating about that I am stealing everyone's power." Chen paused for dramatic effect. "I am!"
Wait, so he was just going to come out and admit to it? What was this guy on? Kai glanced at Neuro in utter disbelief, listening to the other elemental masters gasp and whisper, and then at Lloyd and Garmadon. Lloyd and Neuro looked just as shocked and confused as he felt, but Garmadon's lips were pressed into a fine line.
"But it's all for this staff!" Chen continued, clapping his hands. All of the kabuki pulled fans out, displaying them around Chen, his throne, and the steps leading up to it. Chen stared at them in utter disbelief and then shook his head.
"No, no, not you, staff- I mean my real staff!"
The doors to the meal hall opened, revealing a kabuki carrying a staff as tall as they were. Kai felt his throat constrict slightly as everyone else whispered amongst themselves. He recognized the long, curved, blue metal that rose up into a snake's head. Only now, the gem within its mouth contained even more glowing colors. More elemental powers. Cole and Jay's powers must be in there by now.
Chen accepted the staff from the kabuki. "The Staff of Elements," he crowed, thrusting it into the air. "It holds the power of your fallen foes, and soon it'll hold all but one. For the last standing in my tournament will win this prize, and be the greatest fighter ever in the history in Ninjago!"
The whispers among them grew louder. Kai glanced around, somewhat horrified to see the delight in the eyes of his own allies. Could none of them see what was going on? He could even spot a bit of interest in Neuro's eyes.
"You lie!" Slapping his hands down on the table, Lloyd surged to his feet. "What about the spell?"
Chen giggled delightedly and cocked his head. "Spell? What spell?"
"Don't believe him," Lloyd said, looking down the table at the other fighters. "It's another trick! Neuro read Clouse's mind and saw it." He turned to the Master of the Mind with a soft look. "Tell them what you saw, Neuro."
"I- I-" Neuro looked taken aback, now that all eyes were on him. He shivered like he was cold, and then slowly glanced over at Kai. Guilt and dread were warring on his face.
"There was- a page? I didn't see it very clearly, but-"
"Ohh, that spell!" Chen laughed. "Oh, no worries! That's the spell I use to take the elements! No harm done. Now, are there any more concerns?"
"That's not-!" Lloyd struggled to speak and then slowly sat back down, glaring at his plate. Kai could see his ears turning red with embarrassment and anger.
There was a loud scoff from across the room. "Real coordinated story you lot have there. Just trying to have it all to yourself, huh?"
Kai looked across the table at Shade. Of course. "Well, it looks like you're not against teaming up against others anymore," he snapped, nodding at Tox, who was sitting next to Shade.
"Kai," Garmadon hissed.
"Yeah. Two against everyone else. Real fair," Shade sneered.
"Why didn't you guys say any of this?" Mr. Pale asked. "It's important to us too, even if we are your opponents!"
"That's why they didn't tell us," Tox said. "We're not on their side. Doesn't matter what happens to anyone outside their group, right? Great teammates you got there, guys."
The room descended into squabbling. Kai breathed out sharply, beginning to squeeze the table. Their alliance was crumbling right in front of them, simply because everyone believed the crazy guy in charge over them! The only person who seemed to actually be on their side was Neuro, and even that seemed shaky at best.
"So much for the alliance," Garmadon remarked. He didn't sound surprised.
"They believe him over us!" Lloyd growled.
"We need proof," Kai said, pounding his fist into his hand. After a few seconds, his heart sank. "I really hope Nya finds that spellbook."
A hand settled on his shoulder. Kai jumped, half expecting the hushed arguments to have come to blows, and looked back. Skylor. He relaxed immediately.
"My fortune tells me Cole and Zane will be breaking out," Skylor murmured, leaning over his shoulder and putting a small tab of paper in his hands. "You're lucky I got this, and not someone like Shade."
Kai opened the fortune, oblivious to Skylor slipping back to her seat. He read the words himself and felt a huge weight uncoil from his shoulders and chest. Zane was alive. Cole was alright. "He found Zane! I can't believe it!"
He glanced up, watching her take her place. "Thanks, Skylor! It's good to know there are some people here we can trust."
Skylor smiled at him, and his insides turned to jelly. Kai turned to Lloyd and Garmadon. "If Cole and Zane are breaking out, maybe we can meet them! And then we can all get Jay, and get off this crazy island!"
"We still need to stop Chen," Garmadon said softly. "Speaking of, Lloyd, we need to talk about what happened earlier."
Kai stared down at the message again, and then glanced up in confusion when Lloyd didn't respond to his dad.
"Lloyd?" Garmadon prompted.
He was really focused on... something. Kai followed his gaze to Chen, who was leaving the meal hall.
"Right, yeah," Lloyd said. "Kai, weren't you talking to Neuro about some kind of meeting? We should definitely do that. Especially since Nya told us there might be another spy other than Clouse. I have to take care of something. Be right back!"
Before he or Garmadon could get out another word, Lloyd was on his feet and out the door. Kai frowned in confusion.
"What was that about?"
"I have an idea," Garmadon said, eyes narrowing. "And it's nothing good."
And some more fanart from @leafdragon16 ! Linked here!
This wasn't going to work. Nya dropped down into the compound, cursing at how much the new dress restricted her movement. It was heavier than it looked. Where had Dareth even gotten it?
She saw other people dressed as kabuki gliding into the tallest building, going through what she assumed was a staff entrance. It was a pain to get over there without tearing or staining the dress, but she managed it. From there, she was swept in with them and handed a tray of food.
How the others could move so gracefully in such heavy clothes was beyond her. It was actually quite impressive. Nya followed, trying not to look out of place, and entered into a large, ornate room decorated in red and gold. There was a half table encircling the floor, and sitting there were who she could only presume were other guests. And on the far left, sat her brother, Jay, and Sensei Garmadon.
Nya grabbed a platter and began trying to make her way over to them, but another kabuki nudged her into putting the platter down by some other people. They were all dressed richly, usually with some kind of repeating motif... similar to Kai's repeating motif of fire. Other elemental masters, maybe? But how was that possible? They had all been told otherwise.
Another kabuki handed her a fan, seeming to be under the impression she'd know what to do with it. Nya began to wave it in front of her face, making her way painfully slowly toward the ninja. What were they even doing here?
"The boy is secure?" A voice curled through the air, soft and just barely loud enough to hear. Nya froze, trying to make sense of where it was coming from. She couldn't see anyone. There were pillars lining the room; maybe someone was hiding behind one of them.
There was the crackle of a walkie-talkie. "Yes, of course! And you're kind of breaking the atmosphere I had going!"
A heavy sigh. "Apologies. I must warn you, our guests are fond of whispering-"
"My guests, your opponents. Do continue."
There was an incredibly annoyed pause. "I've heard word they have... allied themselves. The ninja have told them about our secret ceremony."
Nya peered around the pillar she'd stopped next to and froze when she caught sight of a man standing behind it, completely out of sight of most of the others.
There was a lot of metal weaved into his armor, mostly snake-themed. Was he the Elemental Master of Snakes? Was that a thing? Nya crept to the other side of the pillar, making sure to listen closely.
"Do they know about the spell," asked the person on the walkie.
"Not yet," responded the man. "But we must get ahead of this."
There was a brief pause. "I'll handle my end, you handle yours."
"Of course," said the man, a sinister edge creeping into his voice. "I already have some ideas. Perhaps I should pass them on just in case."
"You do that," said the person on the other end of the walkie. The man turned it off and stowed it on his belt. He stepped out of the shadows almost instantly, freezing and staring down at Nya in surprise.
Busted. Nya gave the fan a little wave and glided past him as best she could, trying to pretend they'd simply crossed paths. The man watched her for a few more seconds and then strode toward an empty seat at the table.
"-safe in our secret alliance," her brother said. Nya stepped closer to Jay, fanning herself and doing her best to get his attention. But he seemed far too focused on the food to notice.
"I tried talking to Shadow this morning," Jay said. Nya was tempted to just poke him with the fan, but it would be too obvious. "He made it clear he wants no part in an alliance with us. Rudely, I might add."
"Well, if you plan to stop Chen, you'll need everyone on board," Garmadon said. Why was he here? Surely he wasn't an Elemental Master. Did that mean Wu might be one as well? "Each fighter that loses gives him strength. Soon he'll be too powerful for even all of you combined to overcome."
"Speaking of, where's Lloyd?" Kai asked, glancing around. "I thought this breakfast was mandatory."
"Have any of you seen him this morning?" Garmadon asked, brow furrowing with worry.
"No, I haven't seen- ugh- I haven't seen him," Jay said, pushing at the fan Nya was fluttering by his face. "Maybe someone else- would you cut that out?!"
"Jay, it's me," Nya hissed.
"Nya!" Jay yelped, in unison with the others.
"Lower your voices!" Nya hissed. "I'm undercover. And to be completely honest, a bit out of my element." She was pretty sure she'd already made the spy amongst the Elemental Masters suspicious - at least, she thought he was a spy.
"I heard what happened to Cole and Lloyd. But why are you participating?" Nya asked, glancing at Garmadon.
"Later," Garmadon insisted, waving a hand. "Where is my son?"
"Wait, and is it just you?" Kai asked, concerned.
"Dareth is also here," Nya said, holding up her wrist communicator.
"What up, ninja?" Dareth said.
"I'm also in contact with Wu via the mobile base," Nya said.
"If you're undercover, you can get to a lot of places we can't," Kai said thoughtfully. "We know Cole is somewhere beneath the compound. Zane might be there too, but we have no idea where he is. A giant snake is guarding them. And then there's Clouse's spellbook. There's an important spell on page 149, but we don't know what it does."
"He probably keeps it in his quarters," Garmadon said. "I'm glad to see you, Nya. But please, where is my son?"
"Just one more thing," Nya said. "You guys have your work cut out for you. That man over there is a spy. Chen knows about your alliance."
"That guy?" Jay asked, gesturing across the room. "Oh no, that's Clouse. Everyone knows he works for Chen."
"He's just here to slow Sensei G down," Kai said.
Before Nya could ask why, Garmadon grabbed her wrist gently. "Nya, please. Where's Lloyd?"
Nya blinked. Garmadon's hands were cold. "The spy was talking to Chen. He has Lloyd."
Garmadon bore his teeth in an angry snarl, shooting to his feet. He swept out of the room, stalking down the hallway and out of sight.
"I have so many questions," Nya said after a few seconds.
"Join the club," sighed Kai. "We can try to fill you in later."
"I should probably get going before anyone gets suspicious," Nya said. "And keep in mind that there can be more than one spy, okay? That man said a few things that could suggest he has a contact."
"We'll keep an eye out," Jay said. "Say hi to Zane for us if you see him!"
"I will," Nya said and slipped back into the crowd of kabuki.
Across the room, Clouse lifted his walkie to his mouth. "You've got trouble on the way."
----------------
He was going to kill Chen. Garmadon stormed out into the courtyard, grinding his teeth so hard his jaw began to ache. He could already feel his power flaring in response to his rage.
Mess with him, and he could take it. Mess with his students, and he'd defend them. Manipulate his son... Garmadon could hardly get a deep breath in, heart slamming against his rib cage.
He could feel the anger boiling from his heart to his fingertips. It felt like the venom, whispering in his ear, coaxing him to violence. For the first time in a while, he couldn't bring himself to care or resist. Garmadon entered the grandest building, second only to where the Tournament was being held. He climbed the stairs, listening to the railing groan and collapse behind him. Chen's room, if he wasn't mistaken, was on the top floor of this building. Assuming he hadn't moved it.
There was something in him that urged him on, some innate sense that Lloyd was nearby. And when he heard Chen's unhinged laughter, he knew he was. Garmadon scaled the last flight of stairs, bearing down the hallway. Purple light danced along the walls, giving the hallway ahead of him a bit of an eerie glow. Faintly, he picked up on a conversation.
"Goody! Well, I look forward to seeing more of you, dear boy. Why don't we start now? This food isn't going to eat itself, you know!"
Had he already tricked Lloyd? His son knew better than to trust a snake like Chen, but the man could be incredibly persuasive. He needed to be in there now.
"CHEN!" Garmadon roared, lifting a hand to push the door open. But before his hand could even touch, both doors flung themselves open, napkins went flying, and Chen toppled onto the ground as if shoved roughly.
A brief silence settled over the room. Garmadon took half a second to try and shake out his hands, and then rushed over to Lloyd. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
His son shook his head with wide eyes. Chen coughed lightly and sat up. "My goodness, what an entrance! Since when could you do that?"
Garmadon was wondering the same thing. But rather than respond, he carefully took Lloyd's face in his hands, checking him over. "What did he ask of you? Tell me you didn't agree."
Lloyd's eyes flicked between him and Chen, and then away. "He wanted to know what we're up to. I said no."
A terrible feeling sunk into the pit of Garmadon's stomach. Lloyd was either omitting something or outright lying to him. Something he never did. It wasn't enough for Chen to get between his students, he had to break their family apart too.
"Very well," he said after a pause. "The others are in the main hall. We should join them." Hearing about Nya ought to cheer Lloyd up a bit.
His son nodded, glancing at Chen one last time. Garmadon settled a hand on the back of Lloyd's neck and guided him toward the door. It was frustrating, not leaving Chen a message about what happened when he meddled with his family, but his son's safety came first. And so did finding out what kind of deal Chen had tried to make.
End notes:
Father and son, everybody. Following suspicious people to secondary locations on the island. Shame. Shame on both of them.
Usual disclaimer: please don’t use any of my work to train any AI, including character ai. If you’d like to upload or translate this work, please ask me first.
Garmadon reflects. Chen plots. Nya meets someone she probably shouldn’t have.
Notes:
My bud Citron0 inspired the dynamic between Lloyd and Chen and it grabbed my brain so hard now there’s an entire chapter dedicated to it. Enjoy!
There is also fanart from the fantastic @ozzieoggleton! You can find it here!
Morning light crept through the window. Garmadon groaned, shifting slightly. His back and neck protested at the movement, cramped from where he'd fallen asleep sitting upright. He huffed out a breath and cracked his eyes open, blinking in the sunlight.
Purple still flickered over his arms, covering them from his wrists to his shoulders. It hadn't disappeared simply by ignoring it like it usually seemed to. Garmadon rubbed a hand down his face and rose to his feet with a grunt. He needed to get this under control, and soon.
Control often requires knowledge. Perhaps the answer was hidden somewhere in what he already knew. This power was, unsurprisingly, destructive. He must have inherited it from his father, but how? He hadn't ever used Destruction, at least not in front of him. It seemed to be fueled by fighting. That didn't seem entirely accurate, Garmadon thought, remembering his first encounter with Shade. Conflict, then? He'd work on that theory.
It was also stubborn. Like him. Garmadon glared at the flickering power, flexing his fingers. It jumped to his aid - more or less - during conflict, and was very hard to push away once the problem was gone. And apparently, once it was at its peak, it was impossible to simply push away. He shuddered to even imagine what his true potential might look like.
All Elemental power could be controlled or at least smothered, even true potential. So what was holding him back? Garmadon did his best to pull up his shades and open his window without causing much damage. But by the end of it, the cord was much shorter and his window wasn't doing such a great job of keeping out air.
The morning air was crisp and cold. Refreshing and calm, it was exactly what he needed. Garmadon pulled the power to his palms, watching it grow and snap at the air. He hurled a blast into the forest below, watching as it created a small, blackened crater in the earth. Destroying Chen's buildings would be much more satisfying, but he had a feeling it would result in punishment.
By the time the power crawling over his shoulders began to settle and dissolve, the clearing he was aiming at was nothing but ashes. Garmadon ducked back inside, watching his power slowly withdraw. Expending it to allow it to settle was...adequate, for now. But control was needed, and soon. Perhaps he should ask his brother when he saw him next.
----------------
The hum of the machinery meshed well with his whistling. Cole examined the fortune cookies streaming past, tossing any to the side.
A new person had come in just a few hours ago. She had purple hair, was named Chamille, and really didn't seem to like him. Which was a-okay, because he was going to get her out of there with everyone else.
Cole examined the cookie in his hand, wiggling along to the beat. He just needed to find the right time-
"Why you whistle?" Karlof grumbled from his side, startling him from his thoughts. "Yesterday Cole was sad. Not today. What changed?"
"Things are looking up, Karlof," Cole said with a wink. "We came here to find a friend, and I found him. Now I have to bust him out."
"And then?" Karlof asked, arching an eyebrow.
"He's the smart one," Cole said. "The glue of the team. After I smuggle him back here, he'll help all of us break out."
Karlof grumbled low in the back of his throat. "Not so easy. Chen's made it nearly impossible to escape this place, let alone smuggle friend in."
"I'm still working out the details," Cole admitted. "But Zane's a Nindroid, a walking computer. If I can get to him, he'll solve anything Chen throws at us in no time."
"Karlof wish he had friend like that," the Master of Metal sighed.
There was a scoff from across the conveyor belt. "Oh please, I've seen how you ninja operate. You come in as a pack, take everything for yourself, and then leave everyone else behind."
Cole glanced over at Chamille. She was glaring at the conveyor belt, turning the cookies over with obvious disdain.
"What's your deal?" Cole asked, frowning slightly. "Look, I get it if you're salty from losing to one of us or something, but down here, we're all facing the same enemy: Chen."
Chamille's lips twisted slightly. "Just warning Karlof here not to trust ninja. They look out for themselves; and only themselves."
"Ninja protect everyone," Cole said. "We protect those who cannot protect themselves."
"Yeah?" Chamille said. She looked around at all the other elemental masters. "How's that going for you?"
"I'm going to get everyone out," Cole insisted. "Everyone. And honestly, we could really use your help. You're a master of disguise and infiltration."
"No thanks," Chamille said, tossing the fortune cookie to the side. There was a slight crinkle in her brow as she got back to work. Maybe she was considering it. He'd have to keep talking to her.
Cole sighed and turned back to Karlof. "First order of business, I gotta let the others know I'm busting him out. And maybe that we're going to need some help with that giant snake..."
He stuffed a red fortune into the cookie, being careful not to break it. Griffin and Jacob were gone. Anyone who escaped the factory would be fed to the serpent. So they only got one shot at this.
"You put message... in cookie?" Karlof asked incredulously, holding a platter out for Cole to set the cookie on.
"I know, right?" Cole said. "That's why it's called a fortune cookie!" He'd always wondered why they had bland, chewy pieces inside of them. Go figure.
"If you help everyone, why not start here?" Karlof asked. "Karlof could think of ways to escape."
"That would be great, buddy," Cole said. He took the tray of cookies, holding it out toward a guard. "Special order for the banquet's ready."
Karlof's brow furrowed worriedly. "I hope you have the good fortune for it to end up in the right hands."
"You and me both, Karlof," Cole said, watching the guard stride toward the exit. "Now all I have to do is figure out how to get out of here."
When the guard passed by the jailer - what was his name? Zogo? Zugu? - he reached out for the nearest fortune cookie. Cole held his breath, watching his fingers brush over the cookie with the red tab sticking out of it. Karlof gasped quietly behind him.
The guard reached out and smacked Zugu's hand, and then strode past him. Cole breathed a sigh of relief, eyes following their jailer's hand back to his side. There was something glimmering there. Keys.
It seemed he had his way back to Zane.
----------------
Another day of the tournament. Lloyd pulled on the shirt of his uniform and straightened it, staring out the window at the bright morning beyond. He was still sore all over from last night. And he was going to be picking splinters out of his arms for weeks.
At least he was still in, and so was part of his team. They still had no idea where Zane was. Same with Cole. How much more could they stand to lose? And then there was the whole situation with his dad...
Helplessness was a feeling Lloyd was all too familiar with. He hated it. Helpless to stop Pythor, helpless to stop the Overlord, helpless to save Zane. And now his father was struggling and he couldn't help him with that either. Why couldn't he do that, at least, after everything his father had done for him?
Maybe he could get in some snooping before breakfast. It was somewhat early in the morning, maybe he could find evidence of where-
Someone knocked on his door, breaking him out of his thoughts. Probably one of his friends. Maybe his father. Lloyd walked to the door and turned the knob, pulling it open. "Hey, I was thinking-"
A kabuki stood before him. "Um... good morning," Lloyd said hesitantly.
The kabuki smiled at him and offered her arm. After some hesitation, Lloyd took it. As they began to walk down the hallway, he glanced around. No one else had kabuki at their door. So why was this one here for him?
They left the building entirely, heading out into the bright, cold morning. The island air was humid, so the cold stuck to him more than it usually did. It was kind of nice, though.
"Where are we going?" Lloyd asked the kabuki as they entered a larger, grander building. She merely smiled. Were they not allowed to speak?
They went up multiple stairwells and arrived at a pair of grand doors. The kabuki released his arm to grab the door handle and opened the door with a bow.
Before them lay a grand table, set with all kinds of food. At the end of it, not on his throne but in yet another highly decorative chair, was Chen. "Welcome, Lloyd Garmadon," he said with a grin. "Would you like to join me for breakfast?"
It wasn't like he had much of a choice. Lloyd nodded at the kabuki and then stepped inside cautiously. There could be traps anywhere, and Chen always seemed to be coiled to strike.
"Oh, don't look so tense Master Lloyd," Chen said, beckoning him toward the table. "Sit! Eat! Last night is over, you're still in the tournament."
"I almost wasn't," Lloyd said, taking a seat at the other end of the table.
"Sore about that, are you?" Chen asked, settling his elbows on the table. He selected a bowl of noodles and paused to taste them. "Well, you certainly showed me, didn't you? No harm done!"
Lloyd thought about the splinters embedded in his arms and frowned. "I guess."
Chen put the bowl of noodles down and leaned forward, eyes sharp and dark. "My goodness, you really do look just like him."
"Like who?" Lloyd asked.
"Your father," Chen said. "You even get the same crease in your brow when you're angry. His is just more, hm, pronounced? Practiced?"
Lloyd chose to look over the food rather than answer. Truthfully, he had no idea how to respond to that. It wasn't exactly a coincidence that his hair was styled almost exactly like his father's. He wanted nothing more than to be just like him when he got older. His father was a natural leader, kind, gentle, and strong. He'd made a lot of mistakes, but it never seemed to stop him or even slow him down.
"We were like family, you know," Chen sighed, sitting back. "He was practically a son to me."
"He's way older than you though," Lloyd said, brow furrowing.
"Ha! Didn't feel like it." Chen picked up his bowl of noodles again. "I taught him a lot, dear boy. And gave him a lot too. Stability. Control. He owes a lot to me, Lloyd."
Lloyd wasn't sure how to respond to that either, carefully grabbing a bowl of pot stickers. "He said you betrayed everyone during the Serpentine War. I'm pretty sure that frees him of any debt to you."
"He would have never had you if it wasn't for me," Chen said. "Buuuut I think that's a story he should tell. Unless you really want to hear it."
Lloyd stared at the older man, bowl beginning to cool in his hands. "That doesn't make any sense," he said. How could Chen have any kind of role in that? Although it wasn't like his parents talked about their past much...
"I think you'd rather hear it from your father," Chen decided. "You know, Lloyd, I have eyes allllll over Ninjago. I was so excited to hear the great Lord Garmadon had a son, and even more so when I heard that you were enrolled at Darkley's."
Lloyd scowled slightly, stabbing a pot sticker with his fork. "Yeah, well they kicked me out for not being evil enough."
Chen howled with laughter, clapping his hands together. "Like father like son! You both are terrible, just terrible at being evil!"
"Thank you," Lloyd said. The pot stickers weren't half bad. And he was 90% sure they weren't poisoned. "Why did you bring me up here?"
"To talk!" Chen said. "I'm practically your godfather, and yet I know very little about you!"
"You are not my godfather," Lloyd said, "and once again, you tried everything in your power to get me out yesterday."
"You're powerful," Chen said, shrugging. "That's not good for me. You would have been treated fine."
"Sure," Lloyd said, eyes narrowing slightly. "I don't suppose you'll tell me where Cole and Zane are. Or if they're okay."
"Depends," Chen said, leaning forward. "Are you asking as the Green Ninja or Lloyd Garmadon?"
Lloyd stared at the man, slowly putting his fork down. This had to be a trick, right? There was no way Chen would just give him the information he wanted. Still, it wasn't like he couldn't try. "Is there a difference?"
"Oh yes, a very large one," Chen said. "The Green Ninja is a... opponent of sorts—an enemy. And I can hardly tell my enemy any secrets. Lloyd Garmadon, on the other hand... well, I might just be willing to open up a bit."
This guy is nuts, Lloyd thought. He didn't feel like a different person than the Green Ninja. Just braver and stronger and ... No, he couldn't think about this right now. Chen was staring at him intently, the calmest - well, stillest, more accurately - he had ever seen him. A creeping sense of unease washed over him.
"I'm hardly even awake enough to be the Green Ninja," Lloyd said after a long pause. "So I'm just asking as Lloyd."
Chen sat back with a smile, eyes gleaming slightly. "Good, good. Glad to hear it, Lloyd. There is so much we need to catch up on."
"Catch-? I thought you were going to tell me about Zane and Cole?" Lloyd said.
"Yes, yes, yes, I'll get to that," Chen said, waving a hand. "So impatient, just like your father. I'm offering you a deal, dear boy. I want to get to know my godson, you want to know about your friends and what I'm up to. We can help each other."
"What exactly is this deal?" Lloyd asked, frowning. It sounded way too easy.
"We meet from time to time," Chen said, linking his fingers together on the table. "Here, or maybe somewhere else on the grounds. We'll have perfectly open conversations - no lying. That way we can both get what we want."
Way too good to be true. Lloyd frowned deeper, folding his arms. It was tempting, but... far too risky.
"I'll throw in a sweetener," Chen said. "You care about your team a lot, yes? Maybe too much. And if you were set against one of them, you'd let them win."
"That's assuming a lot," Lloyd said, as if he had any other plan ready if he had to face his team. Or his father for that matter.
"Well, it would be cruel of me to pit one of my own against the ones they care about," Chen said. "I'd have to find different opponents for all of you. Which is a lot of work, which is why I only do it for family."
Family. Was he agreeing to be part of Chen's "family" if he accepted? It was incredibly risky... but if he played his cards right, he could get everyone off the island and stop Chen before he even had a chance to get started. And he could ensure he didn't have to fight any of his friends.
It was too good of an opportunity to pass up. But it also sounded too good to be true. Maybe Chen would give him time to think about it. How was he supposed to manage a secret alliance with the other fighters and a deal with Chen?
Hey there! Loving Master of Destruction so far! Thanks for posting it all to Tumblr :)
Thank you so much!!! I’m so glad to hear that!! Have is a sketch based off of one of the flashbacks (partially as an apology for taking so long to answer lmao)!
Alternatively: the chapter in which Garmadon kicks everyone's ass for trying to hurt his son
Notes:
This chapter may get a little bloodier than others, so TW for blood and description of wounds. If I miss a trigger or tag, please let me know! I want everyone to be able to read this comfortably <3
They were in the tunnels. Why were they in the tunnels? The tunnels were cramped, rocky, and dark. Anyone could be hiding around the corners. And it didn't help that Chamille was behind them. Garmadon kept an eye on her uneasily as they skated after Chen. How far could this "Royal Arena" possibly be?
"I don't like the look of this," Lloyd said uncertainly.
"Don't worry, we got your back," Kai said confidently. His legs slipped out from beneath him, and Garmadon caught him again before he could smack his head on the floor.
"Careful there."
"Thanks," Kai grumbled.
"Don't be embarrassed. I'm a bit rusty myself," Garmadon said, steadying him.
Light flooded in from a massive trapdoor opening ahead of them. The fighters skated up a ramp, now on smoother ground, entered a massive skating arena, and came to a stop next to a row of orange and green helmets. Garmadon released Kai's shoulders once he was sure he was balanced.
"Welcome to my favorite event," Chen said. "Thunderblade!" Somehow he'd already completed a full lap of the arena and was approaching them. There was a spotlight following him, of course.
There were a few murmurs in the crowd. "This is kind of like a show I watched-" Jay started.
"No!" Chen insisted. "My tournament, my games! Remember that! Anything that sounds similar is a coincidence!"
He pulled a Jadeblade off his hip and threw it, along with a green helmet, to Lloyd. "A Jadeblade for you, Master of Energy." With a flourish, he pulled another Jadeblade off his other hip. "And another for Chamille, Master of Form. Where-" he paused, glancing around. "Where are you?"
Next to Lloyd, purple rippled over a guard, revealing the Master of Form. Another hot wave of anger rolled through Garmadon's body and he gritted his teeth. It was so obvious. Why would a guard be skating with them? And yet he'd still missed it.
"Oh! There you are!" Chen chuckled. He tossed the Jadeblade and an orange helmet to Chamille. She caught them both deftly.
"Rules are simple," Chen said, gesturing down the track. "Each lap you complete with your blade in possession, a point." He then directed everyone's gaze up to the scoreboard. "Most points before time expires, you win."
"So... what do we do?" Jay asked, scratching the back of his neck.
"You get to help anyone you wish," Chen growled excitedly, eyes glinting slightly. "Or hurt, for that matter." But his cheerful demeanor returned almost immediately. "You're free to choose sides! I'm not a dictator."
Lloyd bumped into his father's side as Mr. Pale elbowed him and then Jay aside to get to the front. Tox was right behind him, also shoving Jay out of her path. Both selected orange helmets, and they were quickly joined by most everyone else.
Chamille donned her own helmet and grinned, saluting at Lloyd with her Jadeblade. She skated to join her team, and Garmadon uttered a soft snarl. So it was them against everyone else? How classic of Chen.
"What was that you said about us having targets on our backs?" Lloyd asked, glancing over at Jay.
"Don't worry, we're still a team-" Kai stumbled toward them, and then his feet slipped out from underneath him. Garmadon caught him under the chest and hauled him upright, never taking his eyes off the others.
"I gotta be honest," Jay sighed, glancing back at the handful of other Masters, "this doesn't look good!"
"We've faced far worse odds," Garmadon said, struggling to keep his voice steady and calm. "Let's get our helmets. Kai in particular is going to need it."
"You don't need to rub it in," muttered the Fire Ninja, stumbling toward the green helmets. His other students followed close behind.
"Not you."
Garmadon glanced back after fastening his helmet under his chin to watch Chamille smack Neuro's wrist away from an orange helmet. The Master of the Mind gave her a bewildered look.
"Chen said we could-"
"Your sympathies lie with them," Chamille sneered, gesturing to the ninja. "No one missed your little escapades with them. You made your bed, now lie in it."
Neuro slowly grabbed a green helmet and fastened it under his chin. Garmadon could see the resentment in every movement. He turned and glided over to them, staring at the floor.
"Nice to have you," Jay said nervously.
"Don't," Neuro muttered.
All eyes returned to Master Chen as he hopped the barrier, skating to his throne and hopping into it. A quiet anticipation settled over the fighters as he did a silent headcount, and then frowned. "We're missing someone."
"Apologies, Master Chen. I had some issues with the... skates." Clouse joined their numbers effortlessly, selecting an orange helmet. Where had he even come from? Chen scoffed slightly but dropped the topic.
The sorcerer looked a little less put together than usual. His hair was a bit messy and the dark circles under his eyes were more prominent than usual. His gauntlets had been repaired, but Garmadon could see bandages poking out from underneath them. His uniform was sleeveless now, and his Anacondrai tattoos wound down his arms and disappeared under the gauntlets.
Did that mean he was weakened? Difficult to say. Garmadon sized him up as everyone drifted to the start line. Clouse was by far the biggest threat, followed immediately by Chamille. He'd have to figure out how to keep them both busy.
Chen spun to face them on his throne as the drums began to boom. Garmadon's heart rate spiked to match them. "Lloyd, Master of Power, versus Chamille, Master of Form. Most laps with their Jadeblade when time runs out wins. Loser is out. Thunderbladers on your mark!"
Lloyd and Chamille tensed, both preparing to begin. Garmadon was sure everyone else was doing the same. Clouse was somewhere behind him, so he set his eyes on Chamille. "Get set," Chen yelled. Chamille smirked slightly at Lloyd, who looked anxious. "Goooooood luck to everyone!" Chen crowed, spinning in his throne. "But mostly Chamille because we all want the Green Ninja out."
"Now go!" A warhorn overlayed with Master Chen's cry, and Lloyd and Chamille raced off first. Everyone else had to wait just a bit. Garmadon's chest was beginning to burn, and he could feel an energy working its way to his fingertips.
"Ooh! How about some spectator ambiance?" Chen pushed a button, and the sound of a crowd roaring blared through the speakers. Lloyd and Chamille were neck in neck as a second horn blared, releasing the other teams. Garmadon found himself at the head, legs burning as he chased them both down. Anger was a desperately familiar friend, and this time, there was no need to try and pull free of it. The sound of skates on tile, his students' voices, and jeering laughter all blurred into background noise. He was catching them.
A loud ding caught his attention as he saw Lloyd and Chamille cross the finish line, with Chamille in the lead. Unacceptable. Garmadon pushed harder, passing his son. The Master of Form had almost reached the other fighters. But he was right behind her.
"Dad-!"
Garmadon glanced back at his son's cry, only to have weight slam into his side. He and his assailant slammed into a wall, barely managing to stay upright. Clouse. Typical. Garmadon plowed his knee into the sorcerer's stomach and threw him to the side, watching Chamille glide neatly past her team, who then came together to block his son.
Jay knifed ahead, and Kai appeared to be struggling. Garmadon shot forward, steadying his student but only as he passed. Jay was electrocuting the other team. Smart boy. Garmadon felt a stab of pride as he watched Lloyd slip through the provided opening, but his heart clenched as he saw Kai follow suit. The Fire Ninja grabbed his son for support, and they both fell.
Arms wrapped around his middle, and he was thrown into another wall. Garmadon grunted, steadying himself, and continued forward even as Clouse grasped him by the back of the neck. "Your team is already tearing itself apart," the sorcerer hissed. He indicated first at Lloyd, who was getting up painfully, and then at Neuro, who appeared to just be skating on his own.
Kai yelled something to his son about powers, but Clouse dragged Garmadon off his path to aid his son and give him a boost. The former warlord finally turned to face him with a snarl, adjusting to skating backward and grabbed a fistful of the sorcerer's tunic.
As the bell sounded Chamille's second point, Clouse barely slipped his first punch. The sorcerer had no choice but to either open himself up to blows to strike back, or to hold on, duck his head, and take it. Garmadon's blood roared in his ears as their progress slowed significantly, battering at Clouse's raised arm and shoulders. Hitting his helmet would do little good.
Clouse wrenched him closer and Garmadon had to adjust his balance to not take both of them down. The sorcerer's fist collided with his ribs, and he was beginning to drive them both backward. They slammed into another wall, and the sorcerer drove his fist into Garmadon's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. The former warlord grabbed him blindly, and with a mighty twist, sent them both rolling to the floor.
The familiar feeling of wood crumbling beneath his hands snagged Garmadon's attention. He glared at the energy rippling over his fingertips. Was this how this power manifested itself? Fighting? The lack of control only made him angrier.
He needed to get up. Just as he rolled onto his back, weight settled over his hips, and Garmadon used an elbow to knock one of Clouse's punches off course. "One of these days, you're going to hurt more than just me or yourself," said the sorcerer.
"Today is not that day," Garmadon growled.
The sorcerer swatted almost carelessly at his head. "You can't be certain, but you've always been good at lying to yourself."
Garmadon sucked in a breath, trying to catch his breath. There was a deep well inside him. He'd felt it the night his power had been revealed to him. It had been there his entire life. His father had taught him to control his anger at a young age. The former warlord drew in another breath, doing his best to block another one of Clouse's blows, and pushed it down. The anger went absolutely nowhere, but his power rippled up his arms and over his shoulders. The floor beneath him began to soften, but Garmadon used his newfound freedom to catch Clouse's next blow in his hand.
----------------
It was very strange to feel the gentle rocking of a boat from within a truck. Nya tapped her fingers on the wheel, watching the strange tattooed men mill about. Of course, the tense quiet didn't last long.
"Why do all of them have purple tattoos on their face?" Dareth asked, leaning over her to squint at them.
"I don't know," Nya said, a bit of frustration slipping into her voice. Why, of all the people to insist on coming along, did it have to be Dareth? She was going to have to keep him alive on top of trying to make sure the ninja were alright.
"So what happened to the ninja?" Dareth asked.
Nya sighed heavily. "Again, we don't know. One night Lloyd was inviting them all back to Mister Chen's Noodles to try and get them back together, the next all of them and Sensei Garmadon were missing. I started investigating into "Mister Chen" and noticed a lot of strange things."
"Like purple face tattoos?" Dareth asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"As well as a whole bunch of money laundering, disappearing noodle trucks, and what looks suspiciously like a lot of covered-up crime," Nya said. "Mister Chen sure has a lot of friends in low places."
"Right," Dareth said, clearing his throat awkwardly. He fell silent for all of five seconds. "Has it been weird living with the former dark lord? I think he took the sensei idea from me, personally."
"It's been weirder not living with Kai," Nya said, grip tightening on the wheel slightly. "I have a lot more time to myself, but... I've never really lived without him before. And that doesn't even cover what it's like without Zane. Or anyone else for that matter."
"Right," Dareth said. "Poor guy. We all miss him. I have a poster up." He paused, glancing out the window to watch a tattooed man stalk by. "I hope they're safe. I mean, they're the ninja, obviously they're fine, but still."
"Me too," Nya sighed. She knew better than most that the ninja weren't as invincible as the public seemed to think. "This "Mister Chen" business is definitely bad news. I wonder what he could have possibly lured them all off with..."
"Well, it's a good thing the ninja have us helping out. Samurai X and the Brown Ninja, dream rescue team!" Dareth said cheerfully, putting an arm around her.
Nya groaned and resisted the urge to slam her head into the horn. She could only hope that the ninja were doing better than she was.
----------------
A punch slipped through, and Garmadon's head slammed against the floor of the arena. Pain exploded through his nose and mouth, and he began to taste blood. Through smarting eyes, he grabbed Clouse by the collar and pulled him down to bash their heads together. The sorcerer cried out and Garmadon rolled, pinning him with a hand and striking with the other.
Master Chen was making the usual approving noises in the background. The sound of battle faded in and out as power sang through his veins in time with his heartbeat. Clouse was blocking his blows, but every time the sorcerer made a move to throw him off, he stopped it. But cutting through all the chaos, through the roaring haze of battle, his son cried out in pain.
Garmadon's head snapped up. He saw Lloyd's blade tumble to the ground. Shade was disappearing, and Mr. Pale was picking up Lloyd's Jadeblade. The former warlord lunged off of Clouse, pushing himself to his feet and tearing after them. His breathing quickened, head and throat and chest burning with the need to defend his own at any cost.
Jay was now returning Lloyd's blade to him and defending him readily. The taste of copper coated his throat as he caught up to the first of his opponents. Shadow was pushing his son, so with a roar, Garmadon grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back. Shade blanched when he saw the state his opponent was in, shoving at Garmadon's chest to get some space between them. The former warlord yanked them both out of the way of Kai and barely managed to miss slugging Shade in the face. The Master of Shadow managed to block the next blow, but Garmadon heard Jay yell a word of warning to his son.
When he looked over, Tox was unleashing a poison cloud onto his son and students. He released Shade with a snarl, blood boiling, and shot toward them. Jay and Lloyd went around, but Kai went right through. Garmadon passed him as he slumped over, slamming into Tox and shoving her into a wall. She ducked in the nick of time as his fist minced the wooden wall.
"Release the buggy!" Chen bellowed. A trapdoor opened just behind them, and a snake-themed buggy skidded out. When it passed, the Master of Form was holding onto its tail.
The buggy roared past him, bearing down upon his son. Garmadon began to tear after it, yanking on the power he had pushed so deeply into the well it had emerged from. The power began to bubble to the surface, stubborn and far too slow.
"She has the lead and she gets a lift?" Lloyd cried. Garmadon was coming up behind him fast. "I know Chen wants me out, but this is getting ridiculous!"
"Not for long," Garmadon swore, darting past them. There was now a train of Chamille's team attached to the buggy. As it screamed past him, right within range, the former warlord could hear both his students struggling. When he looked backthere were two fighters piled on his son. With a snarl, Garmadon reversed directions. Jay was already prying Mr. Pale off Lloyd, so he grabbed Shade.
The Master of Shadow vanished in his grasp, only to grab him from behind and sling him into Lloyd. They tumbled to the track, Garmadon doing his best to take the majority of the blow.
Only seconds later, Jay was shoved into them by an invisible force. "We are so not loved," he groaned.
The bell dinged another point for Chamille. "This did wonders for my back. After sleeping on those mattresses-" Lloyd began.
Garmadon pushed them both to their feet. "Keep going," he gritted out through his teeth. Up ahead, they heard shrieking tires and the buggy spun out of control. Kai and Chamille were lying next to each other, the wind knocked out of them. Smart boy.
Jay skated past the two of them, scooping up Chamille's Jadeblade. The bell rang, indicating Lloyd received a point. "Nice, Kai!" Jay laughed. "Now you're cooking with fire!"
Garmadon slowed upon approaching the Fire Ninja, grabbing him under the shoulders and hauling him to his feet. "Good work. Now keep it up."
Chamille elbowed Kai in the side, eyes locked on Jay. Garmadon snagged her shoulder and yanked her back, eyes blazing. "You ought to pick on someone your own size."
She struggled to tear free of him, striking at his face and neck. Garmadon's grip only increased painfully, anger seething up from his chest. He shoved her into a wall, gripping her shoulder to keep her in place, drawing back with one hand to strike. Chamille continued to squirm, power flickering over her body. There was something else flickering in her eyes. Fear.
Conflicting emotions whirled in his chest. She'd tricked them. She'd hurt his son. She was an enemy. Garmadon licked the blood off his lips, staring down at Chamille. Was this necessary or cruel? The fact that he couldn't tell the difference was... concerning.
Weight slammed into his side again, and he and Chamille and his assailant - he could guess who - went to the ground in a tangle of limbs. As Chamille raced off, hands wrapped around his throat and squeezed.
Clouse. Of course. Garmadon grabbed his wrists, beginning to peel one hand off his neck. It wasn't exactly the most effective choke. Cold crept down his spine as the sorcerer began to murmur, and the sound of tearing wood filled the air. Garmadon felt splintered planks rear above his legs, ensnaring them to pin him down. Clouse's grip redoubled, but he drew a hand back to strike.
Fire glanced off the sorcerer's armor and he whirled, glaring. "Need some help, sensei?" Kai called, from where he was balancing against the buggy.
"No," Garmadon grunted, grabbing Clouse by the face. The sorcerer clawed at his hand. "Go protect Lloyd!"
Kai nodded and skated past him, with Skylor right behind him. It looked like she was trying to flag him down, but he didn't have much time to think about that when Clouse knocked the wind out of him.
----------------
The hurt on Skylor's face made guilt twist in Kai's stomach. Was it so wrong to be a team? But if he was fighting on his own versus another team... yeah, he'd be pretty upset too.
Kai sighed, glancing over at Chen. The man looked rather pleased with himself, glancing between Lloyd, who was making progress but still behind, Chamille, who was skating like her life depended on it, Garmadon, who was mutually getting the snot beaten out of him by Clouse again, and him for some reason. The look on his face was disturbing, to say the least. It screamed utter victory.
The sound of skates reached his ears, but they were more gentle. Everyone was beginning to tire, but this also didn't sound like someone pursuing him.
"Lloyd's closing the gap, but the clock's against us," Jay said, joining him.
"So is everyone else," Kai said. He frowned, thinking it over. "We can't keep up like this. Shade hated us for teaming up against everyone else, and Skylor expressed something similar."
Jay sighed heavily. "Kai, this really isn't the time to think about your crush-"
"But everyone feels that way!" Kai insisted. "Look around! The only person on our team is Neuro, and he really doesn't want to be here."
Jay watched the Master of the Mind skirt around a ramp. "Okay, so we protect him? But Cole lost because of him."
"That was Cole's choice," Kai said bitterly. "Still, the more we exclude everyone, the more they gang up on us."
"You sound like you have a plan," Jay said.
"If we tell everyone about Chen, maybe they'll help us," Kai said. "We're not ganging up on them just for power and glory, but they don't know that."
"Huh. Well, it's worth a try," Jay said with a shrug. "But time is running out. And Lloyd's got a lot of ground to make up." As if on cue, the bell sounded another point for Lloyd.
"Give me that!" Kai glanced over, barely managing to dodge Jay wheeling out of control when Chamille slammed into him. "I've got a job to finish!"
She raced off and Jay sighed. "Well, it's now or never. Who do you want to take?"
"Skylor," Kai said, not missing the way Jay rolled his eyes fondly. "You think we ought to bring Sensei G in on this?"
Jay glanced back at the buggy, watching their teacher rip through no less than three layers of wooden planks to kick one of Clouse's legs out from underneath him. "Nah, I think he's fine where he is."
----------------
This tournament was a waste of his time. Neuro scowled sourly as he continued to skate at his own pace. You help the ninja one time because it seems like they're onto something, and now you're an outcast.
The Earth Ninja - Cole - had ensured he stayed in the Tournament. Why? He wasn't even close to defenseless, but he was no ninja either. If they wanted to be stronger, why choose him to protect them? And it wasn't like the ninja particularly liked him after he won that match.
Neuro watched their teacher turn the tables on Clouse again, but not soon enough to stop him from casting. Wood from the shattered planks buried into Garmadon's back and shoulders, only to be devoured by his abilities before it caused too much damage. They seemed quite familiar with each other's fighting styles. This blood-deep feud, Chen's mocking affection... how well did Garmadon know these people?
Far ahead of him, Kai grabbed Skylor for balance. They began to wind out of control, but Skylor pulled it back in quickly. She was remarkably good at skating for someone so young and entirely uninterested in skating. Neuro watched as Kai began to speak to her, gesturing at Chen.
Mr. Pale joined them, gliding over to Skylor's right, but not attacking. Kai pulled him into the conversation as well. Were the ninja informing the others of what was going on? Neuro glanced back at where Garmadon and Clouse were exchanging blows. With someone close to Chen nearby, that seemed... dangerous.
Just behind Skylor, Jay approached the Master of Shadow. Neuro was coming up behind them now, right alongside Lloyd, and made out something about stopping Chen.
"You couldn't have mentioned this earlier?" Shade scoffed.
"Because it's never too late to do the right thing," Lloyd said, taking to Shade's left.
Tox passed the Master of the Mind. She had bruises all along her arm. Neuro frowned, considering his options. The ninja were finally opening up to others, so perhaps joining forces with them wasn't a terrible idea. It was a thin line, though. He'd have to keep them at arm's length.
"Agree to disagree," he heard Shade say as he approached Tox from behind. She reached for Lloyd, and Neuro elbowed her out of the way.
"He's telling the truth," he insisted, tapping his temples. "I know."
"Then why have you now decided to help?" Jay asked, exasperated.
"I'd rather be on the winning team," Neuro said with a wry smile. He offered a hand back blindly and felt Lloyd take it.
"Then let's win this thing!" Lloyd said. Neuro whipped him forward, watching the Green Ninja put on a new burst of speed.
"You guys have a real talent for making everyone else feel backed into a corner," Shade said. "And for all your peace talk - look around. Half of our team has injuries from yours. Don't you think your sensei is a little overcompetitive, to put it gently?"
"He's protecting his son," Jay said. "That's what parents do."
"So we either have to join you guys, or deal with him?" Shade snorted. "I don't think so. I'll be making my own choices." He shoved Jay off to the side and began to pursue Lloyd again. Jay sighed heavily and began to skate faster.
Somewhere behind him, the buggy's engine roared. It passed him almost immediately afterward, coming up next to Lloyd. Neuro could see both green and orange helmets inside. Kai and Skylor jumped out, and Lloyd jumped inside. A green wave rolled over the buggy, converting it to a sleeker, much more ninja-like vehicle. Could all of their abilities do that?
A ramp opened right in front of Lloyd, but he jumped it like he did it every day. Perhaps he did. The bell rang as he gained another point. Chamille was only in the lead by one. Neuro watched Lloyd pass Tox and decided to put on a burst of speed to approach her. She was tired, as were they all.
"Tox," he greeted gently.
"What do you want," she grumbled.
"You can join the winning team," Neuro said. "The ninja... they can be protective of others."
"You don't sound so sure of that," Tox snorted.
"We'd like to have you," he pressed.
"You would, maybe," Tox said. "Maybe the other Elemental Masters would too. But the ninja? Their teacher? No thanks. I'm not joining a team with a warlord on it. That sounds like a train wreck waiting to happen."
Neuro sighed, deciding to move past her without attacking. She wasn't attacking him either, so perhaps they'd at least come to an understanding. Up ahead, Lloyd was skirting around every obstacle in his path. Chen was shouting about buttons, frustration clear in his voice. The Green Ninja nudged what appeared to be a massive punching bag and knifed past Chamille, gaining another point and officially creating a tie.
A massive blade shot out of the ground as Lloyd carefully weaved past other skaters. What kind of arena was this? Another massive bag dropped from the ceiling, but Lloyd's vehicle smacked it out of the way. Neuro watched as the Green Ninja slowed next to Chamille, opening the roll bars and offering a hand. They exchanged a few words. Neuro winced as he saw Chamille tense slightly while reaching for Lloyd's hand. Predictably, she yanked the boy out of the buggy and skated around him, leaving him to get shakily to his feet.
Lloyd used a ramp to gain more momentum, speeding up next to her. A clang rang out as their blades clashed together, and they began to fight. Lloyd was clearly experienced, but Chamille was fast and driven. From across the arena, Neuro heard a throaty growl.
"Lloyd might win! Do something!" Chen cried. It may have been aimed at one of the cultists watching, but Neuro watched Clouse pry up the planks of the arena floor and use them to send Garmadon flying and doubted it.
The sorcerer began to cast as he skated, gathering an incredible amount of speed. How he had any stamina left after fighting an angry warlord for almost the entire match was alien to Neuro. Clouse crouched low to the floor and began to whisper. The temperature of the room began to plummet, and the lamp nearest to Clouse burst. There was a burst of writhing, snapping magic that rolled out of the darkness, racing along the track like a wave.
Neuro watched as the participants ahead of the wave began to frantically skate faster. He kept catching glimpses of the sorcerer knifing after Lloyd, just behind the wave, but the lights above him kept exploding and casting him in shadow. The wave reached Tox first, and the planks beneath her gave way. The floor swallowed her.
Behind him, Garmadon was tearing down the track, illuminated only by power rippling over his shoulders and down his back. He hurled a blast at the sorcerer, although it sputtered at the beginning and then came out as a gout of destruction. Clouse merely tilted his skates slightly to dodge. He was outpacing the former warlord.
Another participant went under, screams mixing with the shriek of tearing wood. Neuro watched as Clouse casually ducked past the green buggy and one of Garmadon's blasts turned it to ash. They were beginning to come up behind Lloyd and Chamille. He had to do something.
Neuro worried at his lip, and then set his hands on his temples and turned to Chen. This arena will be destroyed by the time they're through, he tried to communicate as subtly as possible. He saw Chen frown, watching as the wave punched another hole in the arena. Their host tried to catch Clouse's eye, but either he was too focused on catching Lloyd, or he ignored Chen.
Power streamed behind Garmadon, and climbed down his shoulders and forearms. He aimed a blast carefully, and the track in front of Clouse crumbled. The sorcerer hardly noticed, leaping over the pit. The wave swept up behind Lloyd and Chamille, roaring out of the ground to miss the Master of Form, and sweep into-
Lloyd was suddenly yanked forward and off his feet, letting out a surprised yelp. The wave had missed him by mere inches. Skylor opened her hand, and he was set down next to Kai and given a gentle nudge forward. The Green Ninja made a grateful noise and then continued skating hard.
Neuro heard the sorcerer make a sound of displeasure, but Chen finally caught his eye and made a gesture. There was a reluctance flickering in the sorcerer's eyes for a few seconds, but he settled and skated out into the light, glancing up at the scoreboard.
The sorcerer slowed to catch Chamille, offering her a gloved hand. With clear hesitation, she took it, and he whipped her forward. Seconds later, Garmadon slammed into him hard enough for Neuro to feel it in the arena floor. That wasn't going to be pretty. Up above, he heard a cultist yelp. He was hovering in the air - Skylor's handiwork, no doubt - and it appeared he'd been trying to rig the match.
When Chamille reached Lloyd, Kai grabbed onto her to try and slow her down. She threw him off with an angry hiss and slashed at Lloyd with her blade. He barely managed to block. Skylor was slowing to check on Kai. Chen began to laugh with excitement as Chamille swept her blade at Lloyd's calves, tripping him and sending them both to the floor. Chamille was the first to rise, using Lloyd's back as a springboard. They began to fight, exhaustion showing in every blow. It was more careless, and far less refined than it had been at the beginning. Desperate.
The bell rang out, and the horn blared to end the match. On the scoreboard, it showed who had made the final point - Chamille. She and Lloyd stood mere feet apart, breathing hard, until Lloyd raised his Jadeblade.
"She doesn't have her blade!" Jay yelled from somewhere behind Neuro.
"Lloyd won!" Kai said. The other fighters began to cheer, crowding around Lloyd. Neuro approached cautiously, staying at the edge of the group. He watched as Shade came to a stop next to Chamille, frowning. He was holding onto a bedraggled and splinter-ridden Tox.
"Oops, I almost forgot," Skylor chuckled. The cultist yelped as he was dropped, the sign he was holding bringing Lloyd's score to 113.
"Get in here!" Jay cheered, grabbing Neuro by the arm. He was suddenly dragged into a circle of warm pats on the back and celebratory whooping. Whether it was nice or overwhelming, he'd have to figure out later.
"No!" Chen shrieked. "No! He cheated! Lloyd loses!"
"No way!" Jay said. "Give us one example of cheating!"
"You're the one who tried to sabotage him!" Kai argued.
Chen jumped back into his chair, spinning around like a pouting child. "My tournament, my rules."
"And just what rules are those?" Mr. Pale asked. "If Lloyd is out, then so am I."
Bold move. Neuro watched as Kai pushed Lloyd behind him. "Me too."
"And me three!" Jay said.
"If all of us are out, what kind of tournament will you have then?" Skylor asked.
Chen slowly turned to face them, frowning. A crunch of wood splitting sounded somewhere off behind them. Neuro glanced back. Clouse was barely holding Garmadon at bay, strings of dark magic looped around his elbows to keep his burning hands away from the sorcerer.
"You- you need a tiebreaker," Chen insisted.
"There are maybe four who would argue for you," Neuro said, unsure of where this streak of courage came from. "Five including you. There are a lot more of us."
Chen glared at him, eyes flicking around the arena for another excuse. Neuro caught Clouse giving him a nod out of the corner of his eye. "Fine!" Chen burst out. "Have it your way. Form loses!"
He slammed a hand down on a button, and Chamille disappeared down a trapdoor with a scream. Neuro hardly missed the horror on Tox and Shade's faces as his team began to cheer.
----------------
The chains somehow felt heavier around his wrists. Cole shuffled along behind Karlof. He was covered in flour, and quite frankly, miserable. Griffin and Jacob had the best chance of getting out of here, and now... What had he been thinking, getting himself captured? This wasn't helping Zane. It wasn't helping anyone.
As he passed a door, he heard a gentle, whirring voice. "-don't know, P.I.X.A.L. But I sense these chains are unbreakable." It was achingly familiar.
Cole glanced up ahead, and then headed for the door, a smile stretching across his face. The chain at his waist went taught, but he didn't let that stop him.
"What are you doing? Don't make trouble!" Karlof hissed behind him.
"Zane?" Cole called gently into the barred window, paying the older man no mind. "Is that you?"
"What's the holdup," the guard leading them growled. He didn't have much time.
"One second, Karlof tie shoe," Karlof called back. Cole glanced between him and the door, relief rushing through him. He had to be here. He had to be.
There was a flicker of silver, and then a familiar friend peeked out of the window. "You're alive!" Cole cried, throat tightening. Emotion began to flood through him. "And you're... silver?"
"Titanium," Zane said. "Cole, you look like you've seen a ghost. Or... like you are one?"
Cole laughed helplessly, eyes stinging. "Boy, it's great to see you! Look at that! You look brand new!"
"Tie shoe? What shoe?" It seemed their guard had caught on. He needed to go. Cole patted the bars.
"Hold tight, lugnut. I'm getting you out of here. I'm getting us all out of here. And that's a promise." Zane took his hand for just a second, and Cole's chest squeezed. Then the nindroid ducked out of sight, and it was time to go.
"Where is Cole," growled their guard, shoving Karlof out of the way.
"Right here," Cole grinned. He'd barely made it. "Keep it real, big guy. You look like you've seen a ghost."
Their guard grumbled and paced back to the front. Cole leaned in behind Karlof, unable to contain his excitement. "From here on out, Karlof, I'm making more than noodles. I'm making trouble. Chen can try his best to split up our team, but he's about to find out what happens when we put ourselves back together."
The older man grumbled, shaking his head. "Keep Karlof out of it."
----------------
Clouse's murmuring stirred senseless rage in his bones. But the more he struggled, the tighter the strands of dark magic got. Garmadon glared at the sorcerer, promising pain with a look.
The sorcerer had the audacity to roll his eyes. "Are you quite finished?" He sounded exhausted and was settling back on the track.
Garmadon continued to glare, breathing hard. "Your students will be here in just a second," Clouse reminded him. "The match is over. Do you really want them to see you like this?"
A glance over his shoulder told him that the match was, in fact, over. And he could see Lloyd, safe and sound. Garmadon sucked in a deep breath, trying to ease the roaring, curling anger in his chest. A small, practiced part of him whispered that it was no use resisting. It sounded an awful lot like Master Chen.
The strands of dark magic disappeared, dropping him unceremoniously to the floor. Garmadon sat up before his power could burn him a new way out of the arena, glaring at the sorcerer again. Clouse was getting to his feet as if he didn't look like death warmed over, but there was pain written into every action. Now that he was thinking about it, he was quite sore himself.
It really did feel like training under Chen all over again. Garmadon rolled to his feet, wincing at his injuries making themselves known. His students were approaching, and it seemed a good deal of Chamille's team was following at a distance.
"We did it!" Jay cheered, smacking Kai on the back. The Fire Ninja instantly stumbled.
"It looks like we have ourselves an alliance," Lloyd said, doing his best to steady Kai. "You guys did great. Dad? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Garmadon said. "You? That competition was... something else." Another flare of anger made his throat clench, but the feeling was replaced by icy dread when he realized just how well he knew that rage. It had been flowing through his veins for thousands of years. Garmadon rubbed his wrist, fingers brushing over the two tiny scars.
"My back feels better," Lloyd joked. "And I'm pretty sure all of us are bruised. Especially Kai."
"Hey!"
"Um, Sensei G?" Jay asked. "You have a little something on your..." He gestured to his face.
Right. The blood. Garmadon licked his lips and decided he would have to use a mirror later. His nose wasn't broken, at least. It didn't hurt nearly enough for that.
"I'll get it later," he said dismissively. "We should go rest while we can. I would presume we have our rooms back. And I wouldn't be surprised if there are more matches in the morning."
"It is the morning," Kai grumbled, and then his feet went out from under him. Garmadon's hands shot out to steady the boy instinctively, but he snatched them back, staring at the purple flickers still dancing tauntingly over his fingertips. Kai hit the floor hard with a groan.
"Are you alright, buddy?" Jay offered Kai a hand, yanking him to his feet.
Garmadon's brow furrowed and he focused, trying to draw the power back into the well inside him. But the well pushed back, singing and filled to the brim. There was nowhere for the power to go but out. He gave a small growl of frustration,and let his hands drop to his sides. Control would come later yet, it seemed.
Control... His students took the lead, heading back for their rooms. He saw Jay stray behind to grab Neuro by the arm, dragging him up with the other ninja to chat with him. Skylor skated past as well, striking up a conversation with Kai. Garmadon looked over his shoulder, watching the other fighters follow behind, and behind them still, Shade and Tox limped down the hallway. Both were carrying their skates and looked exhausted.
Purple and black bruises ran up Tox's arm. The force he'd used to throw her into a wall... Garmadon pressed his lips together, guilt and regret mingling in his chest. He'd gained control over that blind rage years ago - more or less - and thought he'd been freed of it after the whole Overlord incident. The venom was gone. And yet the stifling anger was unmistakable.
He didn't want to think of the implications. Either this power had reawakened some venom remaining, or... Garmadon shook his head slightly, refusing to even acknowledge the alternative.
"Well, this is my stop," Skylor said, snapping him out of his stupor.
"Get some sleep," Kai said, smiling at her. The poor boy was smitten.
"And thanks for your help," Lloyd chimed in. Skylor nodded at both of them and closed her door behind her.
"Fingers crossed none of us have matches in the morning," Kai said, moving to his door. The other ninja made sounds of agreement. Kai disappeared into his room as well, and Jay began to wander toward his room.
"I'll get the first aid kit, I guess," Lloyd said. "There's gotta be one around here somewhere, right?"
"Go to bed," Garmadon said, as gently as he could muster. "I'll handle my wounds."
"But Dad-"
"I'll be fine," Garmadon said, resisting the urge to settle a hand on his son's shoulder. "You don't need to take care of me. That's my job."
Lloyd nodded, eyes downcast slightly. How long had he been putting the burden of taking care of adults on his shoulders? Garmadon's hands twitched, desperately wanting to reach out to comfort him. He couldn't help but feel that he was responsible for it.
His son likely hated feeling helpless just as much as he did. Garmadon bent down slightly to catch his son's eye. "You're doing great," he said softly. "Take time to relax. That's what I'll be doing. We can reconvene in the morning."
"Yeah," Lloyd said after a pause. "But... we all need to support each other here. So tell me if you need something, okay?"
He could hardly argue with that logic. It wasn't his son's responsibility to take care of him, but it was up to him to stay in top shape to take care of his students. "I will." Garmadon leaned down to kiss the top of Lloyd's head. "Get some sleep."
"You too." His son headed for his own room, casting him one last concerned look before disappearing inside. Once his door closed, Garmadon turned and began to walk toward his own room.
He took the stairs down, careful to avoid touching the banister. The events of the day - the morning? - were loudly making themselves known, both physically and emotionally. His entire body ached, but particularly his head, back, and shoulders.
Eventually, as he turned into his hallway, a second pair of footsteps joined his own. Clouse. The sorcerer didn't so much as glance at him, keeping his head high and his eyes forward. But even in his quick tread, Garmadon could tell he was limping, and he was holding his injured arm closer to his body than usual.
There was a small part of him that wanted to feel guilty. He was still unsure of how deep the damage went. But the anger sputtered in his chest, and he couldn't muster more than a muted regret.
They'd have time to shower, lick their wounds, and rest. He doubted Clouse would take the last option. And seeing as his powers weren't diminishing, he probably wouldn't be lying down anytime soon either. Garmadon passed the sorcerer to reach his own door, pausing again to glance over.
It brought back memories. Sitting side by side, wincing at stinging disinfectant and begrudgingly patching each other up. Garmadon watched Clouse's door close, the bitter taste of nostalgia settling in his mouth.
He stepped into his room, deciding to head for his shower first. His next step had to be gaining control over this ability outside of anger and battle. If he couldn't, he just might injure someone else.
End Notes:
Chamille enjoyers, I will try and write your girl better in coming chapters. I think she's a very interesting character and should have more depth than just obstacle for the ninja. Garm is pretty pissed at her though, and a lot of this is from his perspective
Usual disclaimer: please don’t use any of my work to train any AI, including character ai. If you’d like to upload or translate this work, please ask me first.
Have some absolutely gorgeous fanart by @karamelsoupl here and here!
Also some amazing fanart from @evedent here!
The bandages itched. Clouse pressed his lips together, pulling them tighter rather than fiddling with them. Every movement of his arm sent pain shooting first through his wrist, and then through his palm. But he could still cast, so it was... sufficient.
Garmadon's power had eaten right through the small gauntlets covering his forearms, through the fabric, and even through his skin. He was lucky he couldn't see bone. Clouse cursed the man under his breath, but the horrified regret in his eyes had almost been worth the pain. Almost.
Of course, Master Chen wouldn't stand for an "asymmetrical" outfit. Clouse's uniform had been tailored so that it now cut off at his shoulders rather than his wrists. Which left his wounds rather exposed. Master Chen focused on aesthetic detail as always, which made his job more challenging.
"How's the battle scar?" Chen asked, poking his head in through the doorway. He clearly wanted something.
"Nothing more than an irritation," Clouse said, getting to his feet. He dealt with those constantly.
"We're almost ready for the next battle," Chen chirped, strolling into the room.
"Your favorite," Clouse mused, adjusting the bandages. Fighting in roller skates. How dignified.
"I'm expecting a thorn in my side," Chen said.
"I'll deal with Garmadon," Clouse said dismissively.
"Clouse," Chen said, taking his arm just above the wound. His voice was severe. "The next battle cannot end in a tie. His son is on the line. He won't run away this time. Keep him occupied."
The sorcerer did his best not to curl his lip, regardless of pain or frustration. "He won't find it so easy to escape this time."
"Good!" Chen patted his hand, turning back to the door with a flourish. "Rest up that arm, Clousey-Clouse! And while you're at it, could you deal with the Master of Earth? None of the guards can get him to leave his cell."
"Of course, Master Chen."
"This is going to be fun!" Chen danced out of the room with a giggle.
His arm twinged again as he rolled his wrist, and Clouse bit back a wince. He was going to bear this scar for the rest of his life. Perhaps he ought to return the favor...
He entertained the thought all the way down to the prisons. A guard joined him, and he fished a key from his pocket as they approached Cole's cell. He could hear the boy talking. To himself? It seemed likely, despite Cole having only been here for a short time.
When he opened the door, the Earth ninja was sitting at the back of the cell. He sat up, brow furrowing. "You're letting me go?"
"Of course not," Clouse drawled. "Your presence is required in the factory."
"The factory? Lock me up for all I care," Cole declared, folding his arms and turning away. "I'm never gonna lift a finger for you, you despicable-"
He gave a cry and little resistance when the guard dragged him to Clouse. Still weak from the ritual, it seemed. Clouse grabbed him under the other arm and pulled him from his cell. All Cole could do was drag his feet and make their job as difficult as possible, but his resistance slowed when the factory doors slid open.
"A noodle factory?" Cole chuckled. "Why didn't you say so? This is my kind of place!"
Clouse fought the urge to roll his eyes as the Earth ninja dashed off, babbling about the food. So he was one of those customers. It gave him a distinct pleasure to inform Cole of the one rule; no eating the merchandise.
The doors to the factory slammed shut, leaving him with a peaceful silence. He had just enough time to visit his serpent. She'd need to be fed soon. And he'd need to be back in the meal hall in time for the start of the next match.
----------------
This was cruelty, plain and simple. Cole studied the factory around him, trying to ignore all the wonderful smells. He hadn't been allowed to eat since this morning, which only made everything worse.
"Fan of "Mister Chen's" noodles, huh?" Griffin strolled up next to him. It was weird watching him walk at an entirely normal speed. Even when he wasn't using his power, he'd always had an electric kind of energy about him. Kind of like Jay, now that Cole thought about it.
"Yeah," Cole sighed. "Is this really where they put everyone?"
"Yep," Griffin said. "You're late, if the new guy is right. Why did they keep you in your cell longer?"
Cole shrugged, beginning to walk with him. "No idea. Scheduling, maybe? I used to have super strength, so maybe they were making sure it was gone."
"Is it?" Griffin asked, sounding hopeful.
"Yeah," Cole sighed.
Griffin frowned slightly, but it wasn't long before he was smiling again. "Feels weird, right? I bet you feel super weak. I feel super slow."
Cole had to chuckle. At least the other prisoners seemed friendly enough. "Yeah. Wouldn't be the first time I lost my powers, but usually my strength doesn't go with it."
"I've bet you've got tons of stories to help pass the time," Griffin said. "Let me introduce you to my buddy Karlof. We were the first two down here. His bark is worse than his bite. Well, now it is."
Cole nodded at the taller man. He hadn't seen Karlof since Kai nabbed his Jadeblade a few days ago. Would he be angry about it? Instead, Karlof nodded back and waved him over to show him how to make noodles.
"And on your left and his right is the other newbie," Griffin said, poking his head around the machine. "Jacob here lost his match against Skylor just an hour ago."
The Master of Sound grumbled quietly, but Griffin nudged him gently. "Everyone who's down here lost. And got tricked by Chen. No shame in it."
"If Chen thinks I'm going to follow his rules, he's dead wrong," said Jacob. "The minute you tell me the coast is clear, I'm busting out of here."
"Even if you get past the guards, Mr. Blind Guy, there's still the labyrinth guarded by big snake," Karlof drawled.
"My name's not Mr. Blind Guy. It's Jacob. And you may have already lost hope, but not me and not my buddy Cole here. Am I right?"
"Uh..." Cole thought back to the snapping teeth of the serpent. "Rain check? I feel like we need a plan. Griffin, what do you think?"
"Jake, I really don't think it's a good idea right now," Griffin said, stepping past Jacob to help guide the noodles to Cole's section.
"Jacob," insisted the Master of Sound. "And obviously now isn't a good time. But the guards will change in about fifteen minutes, and that will be my chance."
So he did have a plan. Cole glanced over at Griffin, who shrugged and grinned slightly. "I guess I'll be backing you up then, Jake."
"Jacob," he insisted again, but Cole saw a hint of a smile on his face.
----------------
A boot poked him in the ribs. "Get up," Clouse said. "Master Chen sent us out here to get more firewood, not take naps."
"Didn't we make a bet on who could collect the most?" Garmadon yawned, cracking an eye open.
"Yes, and I'm winning by a lot," Clouse said, settling his hands on his hips.
"You keep on doing that then ," Garmadon said, closing his eye again. "I guess I lose." He heard the sorcerer snort, although it was hard to say if it was out of annoyance or amusement. Probably both.
The boot nudged him again, gentle but much more insistent. "I'll put you in a tree if you don't help out."
"Too cold. Ask me again later." There was a brief pause, a soft rustle of fabric, and then a cold hand touched his neck. Garmadon swatted it away, sitting up to glare at the sorcerer.
Clouse grinned, pulling his glove back on. "Ready to help now?"
"How are your hands cold when you always wear gloves?" Garmadon grumbled, rolling to his feet.
"Not all of us can be part lizard."
"Dragon. And they're cold-blooded, so if anything, I should be the cold one."
"Must be the mysterious other half," Clouse said. "I've been picking from those trees."
Garmadon turned, studying them. They were tall and old, and he could see the bark cracking in a lot of places. Very dead trees. They couldn't have much sap left in them. "Are you sure they'll make good firewood?"
"Very sure," Clouse said, rolling his eyes.
"There's a good way to be certain," Garmadon said, turning toward him.
"And what would that be?"
"Set them on fire."
Clouse stared at him disbelievingly. "We still need firewood."
"From that particular tree?"
"No, but they'll probably all go up once one of them does."
"It's probably healthy for the forest then ," Garmadon said, shrugging. "What, are you scared of catching fire?"
"Smoke inhalation is much more likely to kill us, and no," Clouse said. "We aren't done here. And I've never been much of an arsonist."
"There's always a chance to learn something new," Garmadon said.
"You're insane," Clouse said, but Garmadon caught a hint of a smile on his face.
"We're villains, right?" Garmadon said. "Villains set things on fire."
"It's tempting," Clouse admitted. Garmadon grinned, but the sorcerer held up a finger. "But! You have to help me collect the rest first."
"What's a man got to do to get warm around here," Garmadon grumbled.
"Collect firewood," Clouse said, nudging his shoulder with his own. "Quit moping."
Between the two of them, the firewood piled up quick. Clouse, being the lighter of the two of them, could knock wood from the trees. Garmadon snapped it in half and tossed it onto the growing pile. They fell into a natural rhythm, and eventually, Clouse jumped down.
"That's probably enough."
Garmadon snapped the last branch over his knee and turned back to the sorcerer. "Oh?"
"Yes yes, don't look so excited," Clouse said. "I'll do it." Before Garmadon could say anything else, he whispered a word and hurled a decently-sized fireball at the tree. It caught immediately, exploding into flames. As debris and cinders began to whirl off it, the other trees began to catch fire too.
"Told you," Clouse said.
"Sure," Garmadon said, waving a hand. "Since when could you make fireballs?"
"What did you expect?" Clouse asked. He straightened slightly, genuine pride in his voice. "I'll be able to conjure bigger ones eventually."
"I can picture it now. Clouse, Master of Arson," Garmadon chuckled.
"This was your idea."
"Lord of Arson?"
"I'll set you on fire."
The heat of the forest warmed his back. Garmadon shifted, cringing at a gong being rung repeatedly. The lights flicked on overhead. There was instantly a ruckus - the other fighters weren't exactly pleased to be woken - that burrowed into his ears and made his teeth hurt.
"Up, up, up!" Chen called, clapping his hands together. "It's a biiiiiig day! And one I've personally been looking forward to!"
That couldn't be good. Garmadon groaned, sinking into the warmth of his bed. Mere seconds later, his blankets were lifted slightly and someone seized his ankle. Garmadon kicked, eyes flying open, and stared at the cultist who had narrowly dodged a concussion. After a few seconds, they continued their work slowly, and he was left blinking in confusion at roller skates.
The other fighters seemed just as perplexed. Neuro was giving his skates a baffled look. Garmadon watched Kai wipe out right in front of Skylor. She merely smiled and helped him back to his feet.
"Let me guess, another one of Chen's impromptu battles?" Lloyd groused. He was getting the hang of it quick. Where and when had he learned to skate?
Garmadon shook off the sharp pang in his chest. "Undoubtedly," he replied. Glancing around the room, he could see Neuro using a pillar to steady himself. Shade seemed rather confident, and he was watching them.
"Oh, roller skates! I love roller skates!" Jay exclaimed, skating backward toward them.
"We should be getting used to this by now," Lloyd said, amused.
"The battles, or Jay?" Garmadon asked, watching his student do a pirouette in the skates. Lloyd chuckled.
"Did I ever mention I once placed first in the Mother-Son Skate Off?" Jay asked, skidding down a bar without any issue. He giggled self-consciously, but his smile didn't dim in the slightest. "I should have never admitted that."
"Weirdo," said Mr. Pale, skating by. Garmadon rolled his jaw, stamping down the flicker of protection in his chest. Jay was unharmed by the comment, and the other fighters had every reason not to trust or like them.
"Let's all go to the Royal Arena!" Chen declared excitedly. "Come on, chop chop!" He was wearing skates as well. What was this?
"If most of us have already fought, why are we all in skates?" Skylor asked.
"Ooh, good question!" Chen said. "Two of you will have Jadeblades, and the rest of you will... well, I don't want to spoil it. Come on now!"
"Who's fighting?" Jay asked, gliding past Chen. "I'm dying to know."
"The Master of Form," Chen said, grinning sharply. "...and the Master of Energy."
As Chen and his cultists swept out of the room, anger began to burn in Garmadon's chest. He knew Lloyd would have to fight eventually, but the fact that everyone was involved somehow was not lost on him.
"Master of Form?" Lloyd asked, glancing back at his father. "Who's that?"
"You haven't heard?" Kai asked. Garmadon closed his mouth slowly, brow furrowing slightly. Since when had Kai read up on the Elemental Masters?
Kai skated smoothly around Lloyd. "I hear she can look like anyone. She'd be right under your nose, and by the time you figure it out, she's discovered all your weaknesses, then it's game over." He patted Lloyd's shoulder, and Garmadon's blood began to roar in his ears. "But you're the Green Ninja, what weakness could you have?"
Lloyd opened his mouth to respond, beginning to stretch. Garmadon grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back. "That's quite enough," he uttered, staring down the Master of Form.
"Dad?" Lloyd asked, clearly confused. The Master of Form, still using Kai's face, backed away with a slight scowl. So that's how she was planning on winning? Very well then. Garmadon sucked in a breath, rolling his shoulders. His chest felt hot. He needed to relax.
"Skates," Kai bemoaned, stumbling toward them. "Why did it have to be skates?"
"Kai?" Lloyd yelped. Garmadon caught the Fire Ninja under the arms before he could hurt himself and steadied him. Jay joined them, glancing between Kai and the other Kai. A wave of purple went over the Master of Form's body, and Garmadon barely got a glimpse of long purple hair before she was out the door.
"Who's she?" Jay asked.
"Our enemy," Garmadon said.
----------------
The factory wasn't too bad when he had company. Cole continued working the lever that cut the noodles, grinning as Griffin prattled on about some topic that he'd forgotten ages ago.
"You know, I'd call you motormouth, but that nickname already belongs to someone else," he teased.
"Not my fault you can't keep up with me," Griffin chuckled. "One of your ninja friends? Let me guess; the green one? He looks like a talker."
"Lloyd?" Cole asked. "If you get him going about some things, I guess. No, Jay is the motormouth. He's the blue one."
"Rats, that was my next guess," Griffin said, snapping his fingers. "If he's funny, I bet we could get along."
"He is funny, but don't tell him I said that," Cole said. "And no way, I am not introducing you two. No one would ever have peace again."
"Quiet!" Jacob said. They both fell silent, watching him listen intently. "The guards are changing. I'm going." He crawled under the conveyor belt, settling behind a large crate. Griffin glanced back at Cole, but just as they were about to move, Karlof grabbed them both.
"Make noodles," he hissed. "Guard above us."
Cole glanced up, watching the guard look over the machinery. He and Griffin got back to work, and the guard continued on, having not spotted anything amiss. Jacob slipped beneath a box, using it as a cover to get close to the door.
Cole held his breath and crept closer to the conveyor belt, watching Jacob inch over to the door. He reached out, carefully turned the knob, and swung it open. The hallway beyond was empty.
"He did it!" Griffin whispered gleefully, sliding under the conveyor belt. "Let's do this! Way to go, Jacob!"
The Master of Sound slipped out into the hallway. Cole followed Griffin behind the crates, but despite losing his power, Griffin was still fast. He beat Cole to the door and knifed into the hallway. Cole peeked around the doorway. Jacob was more than halfway down the hallway, listening intently, and Griffin was catching up to him.
Jacob froze first, and then Cole heard faint, rapid footsteps. There was a faint metallic jingling as well, and a low voice muttering. Griffin and Jacob began to retreat, but they had hardly taken more than a few steps before Clouse passed by the hallway. He seemed to be in a rush but stopped dead.
The sorcerer looked worse for wear than Cole remembered. He was visibly frazzled, even more so when he realized who he was looking at. He was also holding roller skates for some odd reason. But then he tossed them to the side and lunged, grabbing Jacob and hoisting him off the ground. The Master of Sound kicked, but his foot only glanced off of Clouse's chestplate.
"I've got you!" Griffin leaped at the sorcerer, but Clouse slung Jacob into him. Guards were appearing from down the hallway. When Griffin next rose, he was treated to a sharp kick in the chin and collapsed like a sack of rocks.
"Make an example of them," Clouse seethed, putting a foot down on Jacob's wrist until the man cried out. "Take them to feed my serpent."
"No!" Cole made to lunge forward. Griffin was the only solid friend he'd made down here.
A strong arm wrapped around his chest, yanking him back to the noodle machine. "No," Karlof growled, although his voice was strained. "No trouble."
Potential trigger warnings: blood, description of injuries. Let me know if I need to add additional tags or warnings, and I will happily add them :D
"Why did he do that?!" Kai yelled. He lunged at the railing, but Garmadon's arms wrapped around him and held tight. The trapdoor was still open. They could still help Cole, or at least see where it led. But the former warlord's grip was like steel, and he dragged him away from the railing.
"It was his decision to make," Garmadon said. "Breathe. There is nothing to be done about it now."
"You knew he'd do that!" Kai accused, finally managing to tear free.
"I suspected," Garmadon said. "Sometimes sacrifices have to be made. I have made many. So have you. He wanted us all to be safe, and for one reason or another, he decided that meant letting Neuro win."
"We hardly know the guy!" Jay cried.
"Cole must have known something," Lloyd said. "Or... figured something out. We should trust him." He sounded about as certain as Kai felt.
"Not if he's going to get himself captured!" Kai said. He wanted to incinerate something. Maybe if he was lucky, he'd have a match next. His blood was boiling. The fire burned hotter than ever in his veins, and if he didn't have somewhere to direct it, he was pretty sure he was going to explode.
"Take a moment for yourself," Garmadon said. "Redirect your anger. We can't lose focus now."
The speakers blared, directing everyone's attention back to Chen. "This match was more than a little disappointing," he said, raising his voice. "I'm not sure how it happened, but Masters Neuro and Cole tried to undermine me by play-fighting and then throwing the match. And that makes me very upset. For their insubordination, all of your fancy quarters will be taken away, and tonight everyone must sleep together in the chow house! That is all. Thank you, you can go."
Kai huffed out a breath through his nose. It wasn't fair. They'd come here to save a friend, but they'd just lost another one. And they had no idea where either of them was or what was happening to them. And he didn't even get the chance to be mad about losing them properly. "Who's fighting in the next match?"
Jay looked over at the board and squinted, leaning over the railing. "Uh oh."
"What's uh oh?" Lloyd asked, frowning.
"Sensei G is next. Against Clouse."
----------------
Two matches in two days. It shouldn't have been much of a surprise, really. The odds of that happening weren't exactly slim, and with Chen in charge, it was even more likely. Garmadon rolled his shoulders, pacing around the small waiting room. He felt less anxious this time around. This fight had been a long time coming.
But time dragged on, and he had more time to worry. No, worry wasn't the right term. He felt strangely energetic. Clouse was powerful, much more so than he'd been when they last trained together. He was familiar with Clouse's fighting style, although that could change over the years as well. In a sense, it would be just like the training yard again. At least he wouldn't have to worry about holding back.
By the time he could hear the Tournament music starting, he could feel his heartbeat in his throat. Garmadon let out a slow breath and stood, rolling his shoulders. He released the tension in his body, and a buzz ran from the center of his chest to his fingertips.
When the door to his waiting room grated open, all that waited beyond was darkness. His waiting room had been brightly lit, and it was now near blinding against the darkness of the arena. Garmadon stepped through the doors, blinking to try and adjust. His natural night vision would give him an advantage, so it was likely that there was something in here to take that away.
"Clouse, Master of Magic, versus Garmadon, Master of Destruction!" Master Chen crowed over a pair of loudspeakers nestled somewhere in the ceiling. Odd design choice. "Fight!"
The waiting room door shut, leaving him in pitch darkness. Garmadon stopped, listening carefully. His eyes were adjusting quickly, but the room was still awfully dim. An eerie whisper sounded off somewhere to his left, and Garmadon rolled to the side. A blast hit one of the walls, briefly illuminating Clouse.
Once he'd seen the sorcerer, it was hard to lose sight of him again. Garmadon got in close, striking at Clouse with his shin. He was blocked immediately, but he was close enough to land a flurry of hits, forcing the sorcerer to concentrate on him and not his magic.
They had always been a close match, and it was quickly becoming clear that age had not slowed Clouse. He struck like a snake, and once he had an opening, Garmadon immediately had to block his every blow. He caught the sorcerer's wrist and flung him over his back, huffing when he heard Clouse land on his feet. The sorcerer struck at his spine, and Garmadon whipped around and caught his wrist.
Clouse bit back a howl. Garmadon released him immediately, watching as the fabric around the sorcerer's wrist crumbled away. The skin beneath was cracked and blackened. He couldn't see how deep the damage went.
For a moment, all was quiet. Garmadon could only hear his breathing and Clouse's stifled curses. But then the sorcerer hissed out a spell and magic curled around his fingers. A little tension went out of Clouse's shoulders and he hurled another blast at Garmadon.
Ducking under it, he found himself blocking blows with his elbow and shoulders, and in lieu of either, tightening his muscles and simply taking it. He cursed himself as a soft old fool as Clouse knocked him into a wall hard enough for him to see stars.
"You need help," Garmadon hissed, spinning away from a kick that would have surely knocked him out. The words felt like thorns in his throat.
"Only one can remain," Clouse responded. He flung another blast at Garmadon. It seemed there wasn't much for him to enchant in here, at least.
With the added space, Garmadon moved into a style he was very familiar with. Clouse, surprisingly enough, matched the new style with a smoother style of his own, but it was far more offensive than the Art of the Silent Fist.
The third time he flipped Clouse onto his back, the sorcerer snarled and began to chant. But a loud grating sound drowned him out, and both of them paused to listen. There was a flicker of movement in the darkness. Garmadon frowned. Had the walls always been that close, or was the darkness playing tricks on him?
There was a sharp sting across his temple. He needed to put some space between them. Clouse chased him across the arena, but he got the space he needed to reset. Weaving around every spell being thrown his way, Garmadon got a better look at his surroundings. There were scuffs on the floor. The walls and ceiling were barren, with the speakers laid flush against them. Where was the Jade Blade?
It really was the training yard all over again. He and Clouse, fighting like dogs over something superficial. Garmadon swept the sorcerer's leg out from under him, dancing back so that Clouse couldn't take him down as well. There was another loud grate, and that time, he saw the walls slide in by about a foot.
Usually, fights got tiring by now. The adrenaline wore out, it got harder to breathe, and the body began to overheat. He could see it in Clouse, as he took the breaks given by Garmadon's refusal to fight to catch his breath. And while Garmadon could definitely feel the faint aches of bruising and the burn that came with a good workout, he felt no less tired than when they'd begun.
"I have never had a high opinion of you," Clouse panted, beginning to slowly circle him, "but I never took you for a coward."
"You have a strange definition of cowardice," Garmadon said, circling him as well. He tried to shake out the power licking over his palms.
"The Garmadon I knew would never give up an opportunity to bend the odds to his favor."
Something scorching curled in his chest, familiar and consuming. His power flared in response, curling up his elbows. "That man is gone."
"What did you call it again? Doing what you had to?"
"Those were Master Chen's words, not mine."
"You agreed with them."
Garmadon ducked under the sorcerer's next attack, finding himself being chased along the tightening walls yet again. His heart was pounding, and something deep in his chest screamed for the fight. He huffed out a breath, ducking under another blast, but the hot iron in his chest only coiled tighter. Letting go of his anger was hard enough when he wasn't being attacked. The room was hardly large enough for him to run now, let alone get any distance between him and Clouse.
Talking clearly wasn't getting him anywhere, and eventually, he would have to fight. Escaping the arena was generally considered against the rules. A blast caught him in the spine, flinging him hard against a wall. The air left his lungs in a rush. Better more room to get ahold of himself than to fight in close quarters. As the sorcerer closed in, Garmadon placed a hand on the wall and let the energy in his chest roar free.
The wall exploded, reduced to nothing. Blinding light poured in from outside. Garmadon began to cough, and he could see Clouse blinking in the sudden change of light. The roar of the participants reached his ears, and Garmadon lifted his head. They were in another arena - of course - and there was the Jade Blade, perched on a low pillar and twinkling innocently in the sunlight.
Clouse's gaze flicked between him and the Jade Blade. Garmadon moved to get up, and promptly treated to a vicious kick in the ribs. The sorcerer leaped over him, dashing for the blade. It was the most natural feeling in the world to release a pulse from his palms into the ground, and the decay spread across the arena floor. The mechanisms holding the trapdoors closed failed, and everything began to slide into darkness.
He was on his feet and running now. Clouse was uncomfortably close to the Jade Blade, but the floor had given way beneath him, and he was too off balance to catch himself. Garmadon leapt over another trapdoor, footing sure. A cold band snapped around his wrist. Garmadon yanked his arm forward, determined not to lose his momentum. His fingers closed around the cool metal of the Jade Blade, but the force of another hand nearly tore it from his grasp.
Crimson began to drip onto the pillar. Garmadon glanced back. He could see one of the sorcerer's hands curled around the strand of dark magic that wrapped around his wrist, and the other clutched the sharp edges of the Jade Blade.
"Interesting," Chen said. He was leaning forward on his throne, eyes glittering. They darted between him and Clouse. He could remember this feeling clear as day; waiting dutifully after a match, sometimes still with his hand around Clouse's neck or a knee still in his stomach, for a sign of approval.
"Well, we don't exactly have cameras to give us a play-by-play of what just happened," Chen mused, tapping his chin. "Sooo... I guess that makes this a tie!"
Any of the excited cheering was from the guards watching. The participants cheered as well, but they looked confused and even angry. The Jade Blade fit easier in his palm when Clouse released it and strode away from him, toward one of the exits to the arena.
Garmadon turned the blade over in his hands, staining his fingertips red. It was still in one piece.
----------------
Only now was the adrenaline beginning to fade. As was the intensity of his power, if his theory was correct. Garmadon found a wall to slide down against, draping his wrists over his knees and catching his breath.
The victory, if it could even be called that, was bitter in his mouth. He and Clouse had caused each other great amounts of pain over the years. Why was this different?
Chen had a medical team. He had to. He was entirely self-sufficient on the island. And yet he couldn't help but think of everything he'd touched crumbling to ash. Fire could bring life or be a source of rebirth. Destruction, on the other hand...
It's not a crime to have a conscience, he reminded himself. The Jade Blade was cool in his hand, and Garmadon squeezed as a reminder. It was still there. He had some control over his power, even if it was finicky.
There was ash clinging to his fingertips. It was probably Clouse's skin. Garmadon put his face in his hands, taking a deep breath to fight off a wave of nausea.
"Hey, that was awesome!" Garmadon lifted his head. The ninja were coming down the hallway, and Jay was grinning. "Too bad you couldn't get Clouse out."
"Are you okay?" Lloyd asked. He moved to sit down next to him.
Skin, crumbling like ash beneath his fingertips. His touch could maim in a second. Garmadon sat up slightly. "Son-"
"It's okay, Dad," Lloyd said gently, settling across from him instead. "I know. I'm not leaving, though."
Garmadon smiled slightly. What had he ever done to deserve such a good child? He rubbed his forehead, trying to still his shaking hands. If he ever hurt Lloyd- he didn't even want to finish that thought.
"You look rough," Kai said, not unkindly.
"I hurt Clouse," Garmadon said. The blade was still shiny with blood, but that had been the sorcerer's choice, not his.
"Isn't what we do?" Jay asked awkwardly. "Hurt bad guys if they hurt us first?"
"It is," Garmadon said. So why did he feel so guilty? "I have the capacity for much greater damage than most of you, especially without control."
"The Jade Blade is still in one piece," Lloyd said.
Garmadon nodded, looking over it again. "I'll work on it," he said after a pause, getting to his feet. Wallowing in his own self-pity would do no good. He'd have to do it on the move. "Are there any other matches today?"
"Not unless Chen decides to surprise us," Lloyd said.
"Good," Garmadon said. He was looking forward to sleeping. Now that the adrenaline was gone, he was beginning to ache everywhere, and the bitter taste still hadn't left his mouth. "I'll meet you all in the chow house. I'm going to go get cleaned up."
End notes:
Side note, despite Garmadon knowing the Art of the Silent Fist and Clouse appearing to have an extremely flexible fighting style, they almost exclusively punch each other.
And as usual; please don’t use my writing to train any AI of any kind, even character ai. And if you would like to reupload or translate my work, please ask! I’d be happy to talk about it.
Up next: When Lloyd is in danger, his father reminds everyone why he was widely feared.
Cole has a choice to make. Garmadon gets into a knock-down-drag-out fight with Clouse.
Notes:
This chapter may have 4-6 parts rather than 2 due to splitting.
"Kai."
The Master of Fire jumped a mile, whirling around. "Neuro! You can't sneak up on people like that! I could have barbecued you!"
Neuro rolled his eyes. "I got the information you and the others wanted. Well... somewhat. Where are they?"
"At the match that we're about to be late to," Kai said, gesturing out at the pouring rain. "Can this wait? I want to see who wins."
The Master of the Mind raised an eyebrow. A crack of thunder drowned out any response he may have had. Kai groaned. "Alright, fine. Make it quick."
"I wasn't able to see into Chen's mind," Neuro said. "Clouse was there. I couldn't get past him." He held up a hand, stopping Kai from saying anything. "I did see into Clouse's mind. There's a spell. Page 149. I didn't see what it was for, but it's definitely connected somehow."
Kai nodded. "Page 149 of the spellbook. Can I go now?"
"I'm not holding you hostage," Neuro said, irritated. He headed back into the building, while Kai dashed into the courtyard, pulling up his mask.
A roll of thunder nearly drowned out the sound of Chen's voice. "Skylor, Master of Amber, versus Jacob, Master of Sound!" There was silence, and Kai could only hear rain as he dashed toward what he hoped was the right building. "Fight! Fight!"
There was a faint crash, and he could hear Skylor's voice. He was missing the fight! Hopefully, the others would fill him in. By the time he managed to make it up the stairs, Skylor was dodging shurikens. Kai edged past the other fighters, muttering excuses and apologies. Neuro was already there. How had he gotten here so fast?
"Sorry, all of these temples look the same," Kai said, sitting next to Jay. "And I was having a chat with... someone." He jerked his head at Neuro. "Did I miss anything?"
Jay snorted in amusement. "By the looks of it, you didn't miss much."
Kai glanced over at the other fighters, wincing. He'd stepped on a lot of toes, but in his defense, the space between the seats and the balcony was way too close.
"Give him a break, Jay," Cole chided, although he was grinning slightly. "He's excited about the match."
"Maybe we shouldn't be sitting together," Jay said, frowning. "I mean, the more they think we're a team, the bigger targets we put on ourselves."
"Don't say that!" Lloyd protested. "We are a team. Sure, we still can't find Zane, but we're a team. Just smaller. All the more reason to stick together."
Below, Skylor launched a fireball at the Master of Sound. Kai jumped to his feet, staring over the balcony.
"What has him so excited?" Garmadon asked, leaning over to Cole.
Jay eagerly pushed Cole back so he could talk. "He had a crush on her until he found out they might be related," he said, a laugh in his voice.
"Her element isn't Fire," Garmadon explained, watching the Master of Sound try to put out his guitar. "She's the Master of Amber, power of absorption. She can emulate the power of anyone she's touched."
"You're telling me we're not related?!" Kai asked, seizing Garmadon's shoulder.
"Oh, boy. Here we go again," Jay sighed. Kai paid him no mind and sat back down, staring eagerly at Skylor. His foot tapped with nervous energy. As far as he could see, there was no clear winner. But maybe he just hadn't been here long enough. Skylor had been training pretty hard when he'd seen her two nights ago.
And it must have paid off. Skylor waved a hand, smashing one of the remaining vases with Sound's power. What was his name again? Jake? He'd have to ask Garmadon. The Master of Sound lunged out of the way and brought a blowgun to his lips, almost hitting Skylor twice. Kai held his breath. Dodging those darts had backed her into a wall. She was boxed in. But then Skylor cartwheeled away from the incoming darts, dodging them as they tore holes in the canvas behind her. The wind rushed in, and the Elemental Master of Sound strained to listen through the howling wind, flinching at any sound that could indicate an attack.
That next sound was the last vase shattering. The Jadeblade whirled into the air and Skylor caught it deftly, raising it to the cheers of the other participants. "Yes! Go Skylor!" Kai yelled, shooting his feet.
"Winner!" Chen declared, rising to his feet. He grinned down at the Elemental Master of Sound. "And loser." He tapped a button, and Jacob fell from sight with a scream. " I hope the Tournament of Elements has entertained you as much as it has me," Chen said, leaning on the balcony. "But all this fighting must have you starving, hm? Me too! And after breakfast, we have two more matches! Starting with Earth and Mind!"
The participants cheered, but Kai winced. He wasn't the only one. The other ninja looked over at Cole grimly, and Earth ninja rolled his jaw. As the remaining participants began to file out, Kai caught Neuro staring at him.
"That reminds me," Kai said, turning to the others. "When Neuro approached me this morning, he said he didn't find out exactly what's going on. But he did find out that it has something to do with a spellbook. Clouse's spellbook, specifically. Page 149."
"And now I'm supposed to beat him?" Cole groaned. "I mean, he was kind of a know-it-all when we last talked, but I thought we were supposed to be making allies."
"Let's not get too hasty," Jay chuckled nervously. "We have all of breakfast to come up with a plan. Let's not think on empty stomachs."
Breakfast was relatively quiet. Everyone else seemed to be sticking to themselves. Kai noticed Cole glancing frequently at the Master of the Mind, brow furrowed like he was working on a puzzle.
"Okay, I have to say it," Jay whispered, leaning over. "I don't think you should risk your chances for him. That's all."
"I have to agree," Lloyd said, although he sounded hesitant. "Don't fight dirty, of course. If he wins fair and square, he wins. But we don't need to lose anyone else." Kai nodded in agreement.
"What do you think, Sensei G?" Kai asked, turning toward the older man.
"I think it's Cole's decision," Garmadon said. "I trust him to make a good one."
Kai glanced over at his friend's face and didn't like the grim look he saw on it.
----------------
There was a punching bag in his prep room. Cole stared at it. Kai and Garmadon hadn't mentioned having a bag in their prep rooms. Although the term "cell" might be a bit more accurate in this situation. It was rocky and small, and there were iron bars covering the entrance.
When he looked out, it seemed like he was in some kind of gladitorial pit. There was a massive pole in the middle with a carving of a snake wrapped around it. Or was it a dragon? It looked like it had wings, but Chen seemed pretty consistent with his snake imagery. Regardless, he could see the Jade Blade perched atop it.
Maybe he should use the bag. Work off some stress before the fight. His shoulders felt heavy and tense, and sometimes it felt like he couldn't get as much air in as he usually could.
Someone had said he was the rock of the team. But wasn't that Zane? That's why they were here, after all. Cole finally hit the bag, sending it wheeling across the room. That was the mission. Find and rescue Zane, and get off the island. Hopefully defeat Chen in the process. But all their leads on Zane were cold. And there was only one place they hadn't looked yet.
Cole hit the bag again, hard enough for it to slam into the opposing wall. Lloyd was stressed, Sensei G was going through a lot - could he really leave them? It felt like a betrayal. He may very well end up needing to take another stab at leading. And they were stronger as a team. He drew a fist back, imagining Chen's smug face. When he got his hands on him, he was going to make him pay for putting all of them in this position.
A loud scrape interrupted his next attack on the training bag before it could start. The bars of his cage descended into the ground, and for the first time, he could hear grandiose music and the roar of the audience. Was it just him, or did more cultists show up to every fight? Cole pulled his mask up, looking for Neuro. He'd have to think about this later. If there was one.
"Let the Tournament continue!" Chen crowed from atop his throne. "Neuro, Master of the Mind-" A spotlight snapped onto Neuro's cell, which looked identical to his - "versus Cole, Master of Earth! Fight!"
The spotlight blinded Cole for a few seconds as he exited his cell, circling around the pole in the center of the arena to keep some space between himself and Neuro. The guy hadn't seemed like he was going out of his way to get them, but he hadn't been very welcoming either. But when he met Neuro's eyes, he could see a very similar expression on his face.
"Fight!" Chen yelled, impatience clear in his tone. Cole began to circle toward the Master of the Mind, studying him. If he could read minds, hopefully he was using that power. They just needed to stall.
When he was close enough, Cole launched his first attack. It was gentle, no harder than he'd go in training. Neuro dodged out of the way, settling a hand on his temple. He gave Cole the quickest of nods, and they began to exchange blows.
Neuro was faster than him, but not by too much. His blows stung when they landed but that was standard, all things considered. Cole glanced up at the stands. His friends looked worried. Jay gave him a tense thumbs up. Garmadon, on the other hand, looked perfectly calm. He gave Cole a reassuring nod.
Then Cole glanced at Chen. He looked supremely displeased and bored out of his mind, even though the match had to have only been going on for five minutes at most. Focus. He needed to get back on track. Cole took a swing at Neuro's head, and he barely managed to duck under it. If Neuro lost, they'd lose an ally. He could ask him to look for Zane, but that seemed like a bit much to ask, especially without powers.
Zane was the team's rock. He might be a close second, but his teammates were strong. They had Garmadon, and hopefully, they'd have Neuro as well. Mind was better suited for stealth. Earth was better for strength. If there was anyone Zane could use right now, it was him. Cole caught Neuro's wrist and spun on his heel, Spinjitzu whirlwind forming around them. "Watch over them for me, okay?"
Neuro didn't get the chance to respond before Cole flung him out, at an angle where it could easily be mistaken for hurling the Master of the Mind into a wall. But Neuro caught himself on the dragon-snake atop the pillar, glanced at Cole, and then pulled the Jade Blade free.
"Winner," Chen said, although his voice was free of its usual pomp. Cole's heart dropped into his stomach before his finger even hit the button. "Loser. Master of the Mind moves on."
The last thing Cole heard as he dropped into darkness was his friends' screams. He could only hope he'd made the right choice.
They found Neuro in one of the vast courtyards, sitting on a small boulder. His back was to them, hands pressed to his temples.
"We need your help, Neuro," Lloyd said.
"You think I can get close to Chen to read his mind, so you can find your robotic friend and leave the Tournament," Neuro said, without turning.
"Don't forget—" Kai started.
"You still need to know what Chen's up to because he's hiding something," Neuro interrupted.
"That's really impressive, Nerdo," Jay said. His tone was genuine, but his delivery, not so much.
"It's Neuro, Master of the Mind," Neuro said, shooting to his feet. He settled his hands on his hips. "And Kai thinks Jay will be the first out."
"Hey!" Jay said, whirling on his teammate. "Seriously?"
"Wh- no! I mean- that's taken out of context!" Kai protested. "I don't mean it like that!"
"Don't be offended, Kai," Neuro said. "Most everyone here thinks your little crush is a glaring weakness."
"It is not!" Kai snapped, folding his arms. "Nothing is more important than saving Zane."
"Twisting words of the stream of consciousness," Garmadon said, stepping in front of his students. "Not very upfront of you."
"And you have been so much more open," Neuro scoffed.
"I have, actually," Garmadon said, tilting his head. "Read me, if you have any doubts."
Neuro touched his temples, closing his eyes. Garmadon felt the lightest brush against his mind, much gentler than the Overlord or Clouse. Even so, his chest tightened painfully. He focused on last night - the trek out, the spell, being dragged back - but was determined to let Neuro see nothing more.
Slowly, Neuro lowered his hands. His brow had softened slightly. Thankfully, there was no pity in his eyes. The suspicion there wasn't very comforting either, though. "...I see. But that brings more questions than answers."
Lloyd intervened before the Master of Mind could probe any further. "Neuro, we need your help. No one else can do this."
"Why should I help? You're competition. The sooner you're out, the better for me," Neuro said.
"If you want what's best for you, just look into my head and you'll see what this tournament is all about," Lloyd said. Neuro settled his fingers against his temple again, pausing for just a moment. Whatever he saw must have been convincing, because he looked rather taken aback.
"It's only a matter of time before Chen steals your power too," Lloyd said. "So are you in?"
Neuro hummed, stepping down from the rock. "I... suppose I am. But I have conditions."
"What conditions?" Kai asked, folding his arms.
He was treated to an annoyed look from Neuro before he continued. "I want any information you gather on the Tournament from here on out."
"Deal," Lloyd said, holding out a hand. Neuro took it hesitantly, and they shook. "...thank you," Lloyd said. "Really."
The Master of the Mind nodded, seeming unsure of how to take that. "I'll make this quick." And with that, he hurried off.
---------------
The halls were virtually abandoned. There was nothing but the sound of his own feet against the carpet as Neuro walked, but he checked around every corner even so. For someone who was doing sketchy work, Chen's quarters were awfully low on guards.
Finally, he made it to the door. There was sound on the other side. Neuro waited until any sounds moved away from the door, and then carefully eased it open. There were kabuki everywhere, but they were focused on brushing on makeup in the mirrors or busying themselves with clothes and other things.
But after one glanced over in the mirror, he had to duck behind one of the privacy screens. There was a kabuki fiddling with her mask on the other side of the screen. Neuro peeked around to make sure no one was looking - it seemed everyone had their back turned or was working on something - and crept out into the open.
Chen was across the room, arms raised as the kabuki adjusted his outfit. "Not so tight," he giggled. Neuro's lip curled slightly in disgust, but at least it was a straight shot. This would be over with quite soon.
"This floor is restricted."
Neuro's heart leapt out of his chest and he flinched back. "Clouse." The sorcerer was standing less than a foot away, hands folded. "I was just leaving-"
"I saw you speaking with the ninja," Clouse said, taking a few prowling steps forward. "It'd be a shame if the other fighters were to find out you were... helping them."
A small flicker of irritation crossed Neuro's face. "It would be. And it'd be a shame if any of the other fighters found out you were still hanging around Chen like usual. It looks... suspicious."
The sorcerer's eyes narrowed slowly. The temperature of the room seemed to drop just enough to be noticeable, and Neuro found himself remembering the horrific screaming of wood.
"Let's keep this between us," Clouse uttered softly.
"Of course," Neuro said, hoping his voice sounded braver than he felt. He tapped his temple, extracting as much information as he could in the mere second of contact. "I'm the Master of the Mind. I know better than to trust them."
Clouse said nothing, and Neuro could feel his eyes burning into his back, even after he left the room.
He never wanted to do anything like that ever again. Clouse's mind was just as cold as he was, and peering into his head after being caught was an incredibly risky move.
This alliance had better be worth it. Neuro frowned, combing through all the memories he had at the moment. Karlof's power being drained was disturbing to relive. He couldn't imagine what losing his abilities would feel like, having discovered it at a young age. The world would feel so quiet.
And that staff... it was somehow connected to a spellbook Clouse had. Page 149. It was a beautiful book, and he was certain it was in the sorcerer's quarters. It was where Clouse had learned his dark abilities, if he had a guess. But the words on the page were blurry and unfocused. He hadn't had enough contact. What could the spell possibly be for?
And then there were Garmadon's memories. Having your powers unveiled so roughly seemed... difficult, to put it gently. He'd trust the man, were it not for the familiarity he shared with Chen and Clouse. The words in those memories were a blur, partially because Garmadon was half unconscious for some of them, and partially because he had battered but strong mental walls. But Neuro could feel a deep bond between the three of them, perhaps a feud, but Chen treated Garmadon with an odd, mocking affection.
He was going to need to keep an eye on the ninja. They could have this information tomorrow.
---------------
Seeing as Neuro wasn't returning, Garmadon decided to herd his students to bed. It had been a late night, and Kai especially looked dead on his feet. They dropped him off first, as the others were next to each other. Kai said goodnight through a yawn and went into his room. Jay and Cole were similarly tired, although it took a bit of prodding to get Jay to agree to sleep, rather than hanging out or playing video games to ease his nerves.
Finally, they came to a stop at Lloyd's door. His son fidgeted, glancing at him. "Where are you going to sleep?"
"I'm not sure," Garmadon said. "I might have a room, but if not, I'll find somewhere. Don't worry about me."
His son still looked worried. He had been tense ever since the announcements this morning, and it hadn't gotten better despite both Kai and himself having come out of their fights victorious. "You're worried about something."
"We're going to lose someone," Lloyd burst out. "I can feel it. And the odds aren't exactly in our favor either. But I didn't want to say anything about it, because I didn't want anyone else to be worried, but maybe we should start discussing what happens if we fight each other-"
"Lloyd," Garmadon said. His son stopped short, taking a deep breath. "I know you're scared. I don't want to lose anyone either. But they may have a better chance at answering some questions we currently don't have any to." He glanced at his palms, surveying them for any sparks. But the only sign of his power was the streaks of ash crisscrossing his palms.
His son nodded, taking another deep breath. "Okay. Okay, yeah. I should probably try to sleep."
A small silence settled between them. "Be safe," Garmadon said, slowly putting his hands on Lloyd's shoulders.
"I promise," Lloyd said. Garmadon hugged him tightly, pressing a kiss to his son's hair. His hands left stains of soot where they touched Lloyd's gi.
"Night, Dad," Lloyd mumbled into his shoulder. He slowly wrapped his arms around Garmadon, hesitant at first and then hugging with all of his might. He didn't let go for a while, but Garmadon was content with holding him.
Too soon, Lloyd released him. Garmadon straightened up, rubbing his shoulder. "Good night, son." Lloyd nodded and slipped into his room.
He hardly got a minute of peace before there was a soft touch on his arm. Garmadon jumped, whirling around. There was a kabuki standing there, and they gently grabbed his sleeve again. The two of them went down a floor, and then down a hallway off to the side. Unless this was another trap, it seemed he did have a room.
Chen's shrill voice echoed from down the hallway. "No, no, I insist! What, you think I can't run my own business for one night?"
"Of course not," came Clouse's familiar drawl. "Still, I would much rather have my study-"
"Nonsense! I had this room prepared for you! You're going to live in it and you're going to like it!"
What was this? Garmadon began to resist, but they were too close now. Clouse and Chen both looked over when they saw movement, and Chen immediately grinned widely. "Finally! So many night owls here! Everyone is supposed to be in bed!"
The kabuki released Garmadon's arm and motioned at a door. Keeping an eye on Clouse and Chen, Garmadon nudged it open. The room was decorated in rich purples and dark blacks, with a space for training and plenty of equipment. He could see a bed tucked into the back corner.
It had to be his room. Garmadon glanced over at his former allies. Why were they here, then? Clouse was staring at him and seemed to be thinking the same thing. Chen nudged the sorcerer toward a door. "Go on, open it!"
Naturally, Clouse didn't budge. "...Master Chen."
"Yes?"
"Did you room us next to each other?"
Garmadon looked at Chen in utter disbelief. His former master was grinning and bouncing on his toes. "I figured it would be like training again. Fun!"
If it was anyone else, Clouse probably would have sent them to the Cursed Realm on the spot. Instead, he heaved a sigh and opened his door. If he had any strong thoughts on his room, he didn't show it. "Very impressive."
"Well, I need to go... do business," Chen said. Garmadon was pretty sure those words caused Clouse physical pain. "You two get some sleep. We have a big, big day tomorrow!" And with that, he trotted down the hallway and out of sight.
"How fun indeed," Clouse mused, watching Chen go. His eyes shifted to Garmadon, and the older man couldn't help but remember the flash of the Jade Blade in the moonlight. "Sleep tight, Sensei Garmadon."
"I would tell you to sleep with one eye open, but I doubt you sleep at all," Garmadon said, eyes narrowing. "Try not to exhaust yourself. It won't help your chances."
The sorcerer gave no response, merely staring at him like he'd like to open his throat, and then slipped into his room and shut the door.
Garmadon turned, staring up at his students' rooms. He didn't like being separated from them. But he needed rest if he was going to watch over them. Garmadon stepped into his room, closing the door.
Hopefully, it had a lock.
End Notes:
The usual: please don’t use my work to train any AI, even character ai. Additionally, if you would like to upload this to another site or translate it, please ask me first. Also kindly don’t tag with any ships (<- not directed at anything in particular, just a stream of thought thing. All of these are queued in advance. Also not meant to put down any ships, it’s mainly just to avoid gross incesty ships or something)
The fights begin. The ninja make a new ally, and an old enemy.
Kai's match wasn't the first, and neither was Garmadon's. The arena before them was mostly barren. The floor and walls were made of sleek metal with decorative patterns carved into it.
The cultists were playing drums, and the sound thrummed through the arena. Lloyd could practically feel the energy rising, as other Masters began to cheer.
"Turner, Master of Speed versus Neuro, Master of Mind!" Chen announced. Turner sauntered onto the floor, looking around curiously. Lloyd saw his brow furrow in confusion. And he was right to. Where was the Jade Blade?
Neuro walked out as well and visibly came to the same conclusion. "Fight!" Chen bellowed. A gong sounded to indicate the beginning.
Turner immediately took off, zipping around Neuro. The Master of Mind didn't even try to defend himself, merely, pressing his fingers to his temples. Turner got in a few blows, although they didn't seem too brutal considering the speed he was going at.
Finally, after nearly being knocked over, Neuro put up his hands, trying to keep an eye on Turner. "What? Not even gonna try to keep up?" taunted the speedster.
"What's the point? We don't even know what we're fighting over," Neuro said, circling him carefully. He looked up at Chen, briefly closing his eyes.
Turner nearly knocked him over again, dodging a punch. Neuro closed his eyes again, and the Master of Speed stumbled back with a wince, grabbing his temples. Neuro backed away, letting up after a few seconds.
"What is he doing?" Kai whispered. "He just had the upper hand!"
"Wait and see," Garmadon said.
Turner continued to trade blows with Neuro, who only seemed to be retreating. But abruptly, the Master of Mind smiled and closed his eyes again. Turner winced again, shaking his head. He kept trying to approach, but every time he moved Neuro would increase the pressure.
Neuro began to murmur, eyes squeezing shut with concentration. Turner rubbed his forehead, visibly disoriented, and turned away to look at Chen in confusion. Behind him, the Master of Mind pried up a hidden compartment under the floor. His concentration broke, and Turner whipped around. But he was too late, and Neuro withdrew a Jade Blade from the compartment, thrusting it into the air.
"Winner!" Chen cried, leaping to his feet. He pointed at Griffin Turner. "Loser!" He tapped a button on his chair, and a trapdoor opened beneath Turner. "Master of Mind moves on!"
"My match is next," Kai said, dread clear in his voice.
"Then we are not fighting each other," Garmadon said quietly. He put a hand on Kai's shoulder. Lloyd released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Use your powers, use Spinjitzu if need be. You can do this. It's no different than fighting anyone else."
Kai nodded, getting to his feet. "Yeah. Yeah, I got this." Kabuki approached, taking his arms. "See you guys after."
"See you," Lloyd said, trying to hide his own nervousness. The ninja walked side by side to the next arena, which was rocky and smoky. There was a rickety wooden bridge strung across the middle, and the Jade Blade was resting on the planks.
"Is that lava?" Cole asked, peering over the edge. "What if one of them falls in?"
"They won't," Garmadon said firmly.
The drums began again, as Kai and the Master of Smoke emerged from opposite sides of the arena. They took their places on either side of the bridge.
"Kai, Master of Fire, versus Ash, Master of Smoke!" Chen cried. Kai pulled up his mask. "Fight!"
Kai made a beeline for the Jade Blade, but Ash flipped over the ropes of the bridge, shaking it and jostling the Jade Blade off and nearly Kai with it. He caught himself on the underside of the bridge, staring at the Jade Blade, and then began swinging from plank to plank as Ash rushed to meet him from atop the bridge.
"Come on, Kai, you can do it!" Lloyd yelled.
They watched him swing up through the planks, kicking at Ash. But the Master of Smoke merely dissipated and appeared behind him with a chuckle, flinging a blast at him. Kai shook it off quickly and lunged with another kick. He and Ash began to trade blows, but Kai couldn't land a single one. Ash hit him hard enough to send him skidding, tearing most of the planks in half in the process. Kai dangled, holding onto the bridge by a plank that didn't look like it could hold his weight.
Lloyd could hear multiple other fighters wincing. "Come on, Kai," Cole muttered. "Get up, buddy."
Kai dodged multiple blasts, trying to flip back up onto the bridge. But the planks gave out, and he was left dangling again. He swung out, using Spinjitzu to make it onto the bridge, and forced Ash to retreat to the other side. They began to exchange blows again, to the same result.
"Come on, Kai! Use your power!" Lloyd said. He couldn't lose. They still needed him. They couldn't lose anyone else.
With a yell, Kai launched a fireball at Ash. But the Master of Smoke only disappeared, making slower but steady progress toward him. The bridge was beginning to burn. Lloyd noticed his father tense, but he relaxed before he could see what was going on. Something to do with Master Chen, it seemed. Lloyd saw Clouse fold his arms behind his back.
Ash disappeared, dodging yet another column of flame, and reappeared behind Kai. He grabbed the Fire Ninja under the arm and by the hair, but Kai set fire to the fraying ropes. They snapped, and both Kai and Ash went tumbling to the rocks below.
Unfortunately, the Master of Smoke recovered just as quickly as Kai did. They lunged at each other, and Kai finally managed to get a few solid hits. But Ash blocked and threw a few of his own punches, and they ended up on opposing columns. When they clashed again, Ash drove him back, almost to the edge of the pillar. Then he paused, looking over at the Jade Blade. Lloyd watched with bated breath as Ash vanished, leaping for the blade. Kai launched a fireball at him, forcing him to stay dissipated, and vaulted over the smoke, grabbing the Jade Blade as he passed over it.
"Winner!" Chen yelled. The crowd exploded into cheers, none quite as loud as the ninja. Cole pumped his fists in the air, and Jay jumped up and down.
"Loser!" Chen cried. Ash lowered his head. "Master of Fire moves on!" With a click of a button, the Master of Smoke was gone.
Kai was guided back to them, singed and panting. "You had me scared there for a few seconds, buddy!" Lloyd said, hugging him. Jay and Cole threw their arms around the Fire Ninja as well.
"Way to go! First round out of the way!" Jay said.
"You guys need to have more faith in me," Kai snorted, pushing them back playfully.
"You did well," Garmadon said proudly, settling a hand on Kai's shoulder. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," Kai said. "Nothing I can't handle. Just need a breather. I'm overheating a little."
"Good," Garmadon said. "Get some water and rest. You deserve it."
"That you do," crowed Chen. He sauntered up to them, Clouse trailing behind him. "You've got a spark in you, boy."
"Uh... thanks," Kai said.
Garmadon stepped in front of his students. "What do you want, Chen?"
"So hostile," Chen chuckled. "I just wanted to congratulate the Master of Fire on his win. Oh, and your match is next. I'm excited. Are you excited? Don't destroy my arena, hm? I only have so many."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Garmadon said icily. "Don't expect a show. I may still have a few surprises left in store."
"I'm sure you do," Chen said, grinning. "You wouldn't be one of my students otherwise. I'll see you after your match. And again, congrats to the Master of Fire. You have potential." With a whirl of his cape, he was heading for the next arena.
Lloyd turned to his dad. The dread from Kai's match was back, and steadily getting worse. This was too soon. His dad could beat just about anyone, but with his new powers... He watched the kabuki approach, throat tightening.
"I'll be alright," Garmadon assured him, squeezing his shoulder. "Just make sure Kai gets some water. I will see you all after."
"You got this, Sensei G," Cole said.
Garmadon nodded at them and allowed the kabuki to take his arm, leading him into a dark passageway that hadn't been there a second ago. Lloyd watched his father leave, trying to shake off his fear. His dad could do anything. He'd be okay.
----------------
The anticipation was the hardest part. Garmadon's eyes kept moving around the dark, almost prison-like waiting room he was being kept in. His leg bounced impatiently, and he couldn't get his heart to slow no matter how many deep breaths he took.
His first fight with Elemental abilities. Why did he feel like a young boy training against his father for the first time again? He had no intention of using his new powers. But they had already proved to be unstable, and he had virtually no control over them.
They seemed connected to his emotions, particularly his anger and fear. But he wasn't afraid now, just nervous. Garmadon looked over his palms. Not so much as a flicker of power. All he had to do was not get angry during the fight then, surely.
But that had always been difficult. Granted, it was the venom's fault, and the venom no longer ran through his veins. And yet, he could remember the rage it brought clear as day. When he was a boy, an unexpected blow could stir his temper into an explosion instantly. He had learned to control his reaction to that anger, but it had stayed nonetheless. He had only been provoked into a near-blind rage a few times since the Overlord's first defeat, all times when Lloyd was in danger.
So he was in little danger of maiming his opponent or losing control. Somehow, the thought wasn't comforting.
A click broke the dead silence. Garmadon stood, taking a deep breath in through his nose as the doors began to grate open. The sound of the drums leaked into his chamber. His heart began to pound faster, but a great calm washed through his body.
It was dark outside, and the night air was cool on his face. The roar of the crowd was a faint buzz in his ear, heart thumping in time with the drums. Garmadon strode to his side of the arena, planted his feet, and let the tension roll off his shoulders.
The arena was a grassy hill. There was a large boulder in the center, and atop it, the Jade Blade. His opponent was standing across from him - the Master of Nature, he guessed. Garmadon caught his eye and bowed to him, just as his father had taught him.
"Bolobo, Master of Nature, versus Garmadon, Master of Destruction!" Master Chen cried. "Fight!"
Bolobo slammed his staff into the ground. Vines began to sprout around him, but Garmadon was already twirling away from them, using them as springs onto the boulder. The Master of Nature roared, summoning another vine to launch himself at Garmadon. More vines lashed at him. He sidestepped, although it allowed Bolobo a better grasp on the rock. The vines kept coming, and their fight was turning into more of a dance as Garmadon darted away from each one.
More vines were beginning to graze him. Bolobo telegraphed his moves, but nature itself was harder to follow. It was getting more and more difficult to see the Master of Nature through the vines, and his footing on the boulder was becoming treacherous.
Garmadon used a vine to launch himself over the nearby cage of vines Bolobo had weaved around himself. But as he put his weight on it, the vine crumbled beneath his hand. He landed quite hard on his side and grabbed the vines to not slip off the boulder. But those decayed as well. His power was curling around his palms, turning the rock beneath his fingers into crumbling ash. More vines were wrapping around him. It was getting harder to move. Bolobo grinned at him. The vines around the Master of Nature were beginning to part, allowing him a clear path to the Jade Blade.
"Use it or lose it" was what Master Chen had said. Garmadon's heart thudded against the inside of his ribcage as he spread his palms against the rock. This was no different from using an acquired power. He could grasp it now and tugged gently. The power flowed easier than he expected, and the decay shot across the boulder. Bolobo yelped as he fell, both hitting the ground hard. The Jade Blade thumped into the soil.
Too late, Garmadon realized power was still flowing from his palms. With a sickening crack, whatever mechanism that kept the trapdoors closed broke. The soil began to tumble into the darkness below, and so did Bolobo and Garmadon. Digging his hands into the earth, Garmadon launched himself away from the pit. The Jade Blade was at his feet. He snatched up a vine, casting it into the hole.
Bolobo grabbed it. Garmadon locked eyes with him. They were wide. Afraid. He reached one hand past the other, drawing the vine up. It snapped, ash in his hands, and the Master of Nature tumbled into the darkness.
The roar of the crowd was distant and hazy. He could only hear the pounding of his own heart. Garmadon stared into the pit below, at his open hand. It was still crackling with power.
"Winner!" Master Chen crowed. "Master of Destruction moves on!"
Garmadon closed his fist and turned away from the pit. So long as they were at Master Chen's mercy, they would have to dance on his strings. His side was beginning to ache from landing on it, and the familiar fatigue after a fight was beginning to settle in.
"Dad!" Lloyd was suddenly in front of him, reaching for him. Garmadon recoiled, heel slipping into the pit. He caught himself, balanced but still far too close to the edge.
Lloyd took a step back, putting up his hands. He didn't miss the flicker of hurt in his son's eyes and realized his hands were raised in a defensive position.
"It's okay," Garmadon said when his son opened his mouth to apologize. "Just... stay there. Don't get too close."
He shifted his weight forward, focusing on his power. It had been so easy to call forth, but it was proving near impossible to extinguish. Garmadon let out a breath, rolling his shoulders and letting his arms fall to his sides. His students would have to be content with not being in arms reach until it faded.
"Nice work, Sensei G," Jay said hesitantly.
"You did great," Cole said. "...too bad about the Master of Nature, though."
"We're still together," Garmadon said. "That is what matters most."
"Are you okay?" Lloyd asked.
"I'm fine," Garmadon said, doing his best to smile at his son. "A little sore. Nothing a good night of sleep won't fix."
Footsteps caught their attention. Skylor stopped, giving an awkward wave. "Hey. Sorry to butt in, but the next fight is starting soon."
"Thanks, Skylor," Kai said. "Uh, good luck with your fights. Whenever they are."
She nodded and headed for the nearby passageway, and after a few seconds, the ninja began to trail after her. Garmadon rubbed the bridge of his nose, following his students. The next battle would have to be between Clouse and the Master of Gravity, seeing as they were the only contestants left. This should be interesting.
They emerged into another outdoor arena. There were stands set next to a tall cliff, and between the jagged shelves of rock sat a massive cherry blossom tree. The Jade Blade was perched at the very top. The night air should be bitingly cold this high up at this hour, but there were plenty of torches around to keep them warm.
The drums began to echo through the air again, and the other Masters began to cheer. Gravis and Clouse emerged from opposite sides of the arena but came to a stop next to each other. Gravis sat cross-legged on the ground and levitated into the air. Clouse merely folded his arms behind his back and settled into a stance that would allow him to lunge at a moment's notice.
"Gravis, Master of Gravity, versus Clouse, Master of Magic!" Chen cried. "Fight!"
Gravis didn't hesitate, levitating into the air and making a beeline for the tree. Clouse prowled behind him, arms folded behind his back. But even with his quick pace, Gravis was swiftly leaving him behind. The match would be over in less than a minute. The contestants immediately began to whisper in confusion, and even Chen seemed put off.
The Master of Gravity paused, doing a slow circle from where he was hovering. Like any opponent, he seemed confused about what to do in a fight with no fighting. Garmadon saw Clouse's lips beginning to move, and only the audience could see dark magic beginning to writhe around his hands. Their murmuring grew louder, more excited.
After a few seconds of hesitating, Gravis summoned blossoms from the tree, sending them toward the sorcerer. They moved slowly for a few seconds, uncertain, and then hurtled toward him. Clouse paid them no mind. Each one burst into dark flames upon contact.
It was clear that Gravis then began to understand that this round wasn't going to be as easy as it appeared. Clouse began to pace toward the tree again, letting his hands drop to his sides. His magic was still weaving around his fingertips, snapping at the night air.
Gravis bent the branches of the great tree, trying to block the sorcerer or send him flying, but the branches weren't long enough to reach. When Clouse made no offensive or defensive moves, the Master of Gravity gave a contemptuous snort and glided up, spinning through the limbs of the tree.
And finally, Gravis rose to the top branch. A hush fell over the crowd. How could a fight be over this easily? The Jade Blade was nestled between the branches, gleaming in the moonlight. He reached out, fingers brushing the hilt-
The temperature dropped. Torches began to flicker out.
Gravis whirled, trying to spot the sorcerer, but the blossoms of the tree obscured his view. He could, however, hear him chanting. There was a great crack, like an ancient slab of stone falling into the sea, and the bark of the tree began to ripple.
The contestants in the stands watched as one massive root tore free from the ground, and then another. It was nearly impossible to see Gravis as the limbs of the tree began to contort and buckle. And Clouse was standing at the center, palms raised, face lit by the hissing magic in his hands.
The wind was picking up. Gravis shot out of the tree. He seemed relatively unharmed, aside from a cut on his cheek. He circled away from it, clearly looking for his adversary. Clouse was not hard to pick out in the chaos, being the only thing glowing. The sorcerer turned and stared up at his adversary, dark magic beginning to bleed from his eyes.
With a roar, Gravis shot toward him. The tree limbs began to bend away, pushed away by the elemental master's power. The gap between them closed, and with a splintering scream, the tree curled over on top of itself and collapsed inward, swallowing Gravis from sight. The wood plunged back into the ground, tearing itself to shreds and churning up the soil.
The dust began to settle, and the chill in the air began to lessen. The torches were flickering back to life as if nothing had happened. The great tree was all but shattered, warped, and half-buried. The wood groaned as it settled. And in the center of it all, Clouse.
The sorcerer took a few slow steps forward, nudging debris aside with his boot. He picked his way through the rubble with an almost catlike grace, pausing next to the remains of a bough. Without any fear of the sharp, twisted wood, he reached inside and withdrew the Jade Blade. Clouse held it up to eye level, inspected it with mild disinterest, and blew off some sawdust. Then, he raised it into the air.
"Winner!" Chen cried, leaping out of his chair. "Master of Magic moves on!" The other elemental masters cheered, but wary looks were being passed around. It was the quickest round yet. Clouse had certainly made a point to not be underestimated.
Garmadon stared at the ruins of the great tree. Gravis was simply gone. There was no telling if he had vanished down a trapdoor or if they would be digging him out of the rubble. His gaze drifted to the sorcerer. Clouse was still. Their eyes locked. The sorcerer rolled the blade over his wrist, and the moonlight caught the edge.
Then he sheathed it on his belt and headed for the sidelines. "Well, that was... something," Cole said, laughing nervously.
"Okay, so maybe next time, instead of saying he's a master of the Dark Arts, mention hE CAN DO STUFF LIKE THAT?!" Jay shrieked. Cole put a hand over his mouth.
"I haven't seen him do something quite like that before," Garmadon said. "He's gotten more powerful." Clouse had always been quite the adversary, but now...
"We need to figure out a new plan," Lloyd said. "Just waiting around isn't going to work. We'll be pitted against each other before long, or against someone like him or Shade."
"But a giant snake is running loose in the passages, remember?" Kai said. "How are we supposed to get past that thing?"
"That won't work either," Lloyd sighed. "I guess we could try searching other buildings? There's got to be more to this island."
"That would likely be fruitless," Garmadon said. "I'm familiar with the surrounding buildings here, and it's doubtful any of them would have any clues. None of them are guarded very well."
"Back to square one," Jay said, frustrated. "How the heck are we supposed to find Zane? We can't just walk up to Chen and ask!"
Kai straightened, scanning the crowd. "We can't. But maybe someone else can."
End Notes:
Yep, we are avoiding the love triangle fight. That does mean we get to see more of Jay and Cole! Gravis is fine! …probably!
Drinking game: take a shot every time I write the word vine. This is a cry for help
And as usual; please do not use my work to train AI, even character ai. And if you’d like to reupload it somewhere else or translate it, please ask!
Clouse dislikes the idea of Garmadon running around the Tournament unchecked, and the Ninja wonder where their sensei is. Chen decides to solve both problems.
Notes:
This chapter will contain 2-4 parts, because the ao3 version might need to be split in half
Clouse was not having a very good night. First, the ninja had spied on the ritual, which meant the secret of the Tournament was now out. Well, partially. Then, he had been tasked with dragging Garmadon to the guards' quarters to interrogate him about his abilities.
As fun as forcing the sensei's abilities to surface as a defense mechanism had been, it meant he had exhausted himself. Prying power out of an Elemental Master and then protecting oneself and two others from said power was hard work.
On top of that, Chen had ordered him to help Skylor drag Garmadon back to the main manor. But was his job done after that? Of course not.
Clouse reached the main hallway of the manor, stepping into his customary place at Chen's side. "Garmadon's room is being set up. It will be ready by morning."
"Good, good," Chen said. "His abilities aren't needed for the spell, correct?"
"No," Clouse said. "That brings me to my next point."
"If you're going to ask why he's in the Tournament, shouldn't that be obvious?" Chen said, leaning over the side of the throne to look at him. "He's powerful, Clouse! I want that power. Imagine what I could do with it!"
"Yes, I'm sure," Clouse said, lip curling slightly. "But he's so... volatile. One wrong move and he could level this island. Did we not just give him an upper hand?"
"Oh Clousey-Clouse, you worry too much," Chen said, waving a hand. "You and I have both seen how weak he's become. He won't try and master his abilities, he'll repress them."
Clouse hummed in agreement. Chen had a point, but it still bothered him. "He's a master martial artist," he finally said. "He'll be quite a formidable opponent to everyone but his students. And if he figures out what's going on here, he'll be a threat."
"I'll just pit him against his students," Chen said, waving a hand. "It'll be fine."
"And if he slinks quietly to his fate? Not much entertainment in that."
"Then I'll have his powers. Relax, Clouse!"
Clouse ground his teeth, thinking. "Master, if he discovers the reason behind this tournament, he will do everything in his power to stop us."
"Then make sure that doesn't happen," Chen said. "Really, I have to do everything around here."
Clouse rolled his eyes. "I had something in mind for that."
"Do tell."
"Garmadon can't be snooping around in places he shouldn't be if someone is keeping him busy. If I enter the Tournament, I could be that someone."
Chen stroked his chin, thinking it over. "We would have less time to strategize. And you're not an Elemental Master."
"Think of me as an obstacle for the participants to cross," Clouse said, allowing a bit of his power to twirl across his fingertips. "And it would better hide our snake in the grass."
"You're devious," Chen chuckled, "although I guess that shouldn't be a surprise. You did learn from the best, after all. What happens if you lose a fight?"
"That won't happen," Clouse said. "But if it does, I will simply return to my regular duties. I will just have to take care to stay out of sight."
"Alright, you've convinced me," Chen said, waving him off. "I'll tell the kabuki to get started on your room and gi."
Clouse paused from where he had been exiting. "I am more than happy with my current accommodations."
"Nonsense," Chen declared, waving a hand. "You're entering the Tournament, so you get the full treatment."
"How generous," Clouse said suspiciously, but he strode out of the room. He didn't like the grin on Master Chen's face.
----------------
Man, these beds were the greatest. Lloyd stretched, curling into the warm sheets. He had been able to sleep pretty well, all things considered. Normally watching someone get their powers drained followed by almost being eaten by a giant snake would have kept him up for a while.
But it was probably time to get up soon. He couldn't stay in bed forever. Lloyd sat up and stretched luxuriously. He hopped out of bed and pulled on his Tournament gi, and then went to Cole's room and knocked on the door.
"Cole? Buddy, you up?"
Cole's door groaned open. "Yeah, I'm awake," the Master of Earth sighed, "but between the rock bed and the explosion last night, I didn't sleep well."
"Man, you must have been out," Cole chuckled. "There was a massive explosion or something outside the manor about half an hour after we... uh... had our midnight outing."
"Hm. Maybe we should check that out tonight," Lloyd mused.
"I thought we agreed no more sneaking around!" Jay hissed. Cole and Lloyd both jumped.
"Someone's sneaky this morning," Cole said.
"I know we agreed not to sneak around anymore, but what if that's where Zane is?" Lloyd whispered.
"Maybe we should ask your father," Cole said, trying to find some middle ground. Jay did not look pleased at the idea of running into that snake again, and Cole couldn't say he was looking forward to it either.
"That's a good idea," Jay hissed. "Where is he, anyway? I kinda thought he would be guarding our rooms or something."
"I don't know," Lloyd said with a slight frown. "He'll turn up before breakfast, I'm sure." But worry began to gnaw at his stomach. Where was his father?
They went and woke up Kai, who also mentioned he heard an explosion. Other Elemental Masters were beginning to leave their rooms and head for the dining hall. Some were clearly morning people, like Griffin Turner, but some, including his friends, looked worse for wear.
Skylor shuffled out of her room as they were all turning to head to the dining hall. She had dark circles under her eyes. "Oh, hey Skylor!" Kai said. "Want to walk to breakfast with us?"
"Sure," Skylor said, yawning. "How did you guys sleep?"
"We slept okay," Lloyd said. They all began making their way down the winding stairs. "You?"
"Terrible," Skylor said. "There was a lot of noise. And I just have a hard time sleeping in new places."
"So you all heard the explosion as well?" Neuro said, passing them. "I was wondering if that was a normal part of the Tournament or not."
There was still no sign of his father when they neared the dining hall. Dread coiled in Lloyd's stomach. This was unlike him. And if he was connected to the explosion somehow...
"We can look for him after breakfast," Kai assured him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Lloyd realized he had stopped. He nodded after a few seconds, and they headed inside for a breakfast of creamy biscuits and other delicious foods.
----------------
It was breakfast time. Chen would be making his announcement of the changes to the Tournament soon. He should be preparing for that, but Chen had another job for him. As always.
Clouse stared down at Garmadon, who was sprawled in the exact same position he had left him. Kabuki could have done this job just as well as he could have, but while he was here, he may as well make the most of it.
He had been sitting in a chair reading for about an hour, waiting to see if Garmadon would wake up. It was about political strife in Ninjago, nothing too precious. Master Chen wouldn't want to be kept waiting. Clouse closed the book with a sigh and considered it for a few seconds. Good weight. Tough cover. Satisfied, he chucked the book at Garmadon.
It didn't hit him in the head, sadly. But it did hit him in the shoulder and startled him enough to fall out of bed.
Clouse stood, breathing in the nostalgia. It was just like their training days. Garmadon had never been much of a morning person. His morning, on the other hand, was turning around quite nicely.
"Not dead, then," he said, circling the bed to stare down at Garmadon. The sensei glared at him, slowly getting to his feet. He looked awfully sore.
"What do you want, Clouse?"
Clouse picked up the book, brushed some imaginary dust off the cover, and went to set it back in its place. "Master Chen sent me to ensure you're ready for the Tournament. Your new gi is on the chair."
Garmadon's eyes flicked to the chair. He rubbed his neck, wincing slightly at the chafed skin. For a few seconds, he looked like he was going to resist. Then, he sighed. "Fine. Get out."
Clouse strolled out the door, heading into an adjacent room to change into his uniform. It wasn't quite as comfortable as his normal uniform, but he had been able to keep the light armor at least. He hadn't been able to keep his poisons on him, but he didn't get much use out of them anyway.
It was also slightly easier to move in. Better for fighting, he supposed. Chen had included gloves with metal-clawed tips on the end. Not exactly efficient for everyday tasks, but quite useful in a fight.
Clouse smoothed out any wrinkles and then stepped back into the hallway, and minutes later, Garmadon joined him. He looked exhausted. "We're going to the main hall," Clouse said.
"I'm going to go find my students," Garmadon said.
"Your students are in the main hall," Clouse said curtly. They weren't, not yet, but he didn't need to know that. Garmadon fell silent, keeping pace with him. When they reached the doors, Clouse grabbed his arm firmly and didn't let him enter.
Garmadon tried to shrug him off with a growl. "What now?"
"Chen wants to announce us," Clouse said. "You know how he is." He relished the look of confusion and growing realization on his old rival's face.
----------------
"Good morning, everyone!" Chen practically sang. He was perched on his throne, looking down at the murmuring competitors.
"What could be so important that he would drag us all here in the middle of breakfast for," Cole whispered angrily. "He runs restaurants! He knows breakfast is the most important meal of the day!"
"I don't know, but we should listen," Lloyd murmured back. The dread from the morning was back and growing. His father still had yet to appear.
"Shh, shh, settle down," Chen called. "I'm sure you're all very hungry, but this is too important to wait. We had a little... incident last night. Something that shook things up a little."
Jay opened his mouth, but Kai put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed to keep him quiet. All of the ninja exchanged alarmed looks. Had they been discovered already?
"It turns out we missed an Elemental Master," Chen said. "And we can't have that, now can we? But that would leave us at an odd number, so I decided to throw in a little extra obstacle to make things a little more interesting."
"Zane?" Kai whispered, turning to Lloyd with wide eyes. "Is he going to make us fight Zane?"
"For our non-Elemental Master joining the Tournament, I believe you all remember Clouse!" Chen said, making a grand gesture at the door. It began to slowly creak open. "He's our resident sorcerer and a master of dark magic. Not an Elemental Master, but you get the picture. And as for our second new member... How about a little background? This element has never been seen before! That's right, your parents and grandparents and great-grandparents have never seen this element in action before! Thanks to a little... demonstration from last night, one of my buildings no longer has a roof. Or an upper three floors. So I wouldn't recommend being touched by our new - or should I say old - friend! Please welcome the Master of Destruction!"
The doors creaked open all the way, and Lloyd felt all the air leave his lungs. His father was standing next to Clouse, hair ruffled, shoulders tense, and giving Chen a look that verged on murderous.
"Some of you may remember him coming along with you," Chen said, settling his chin in his hands. "Quite a surprise to us all, I must say. Anyway, Sensei Garmadon, Clouse! May the best fighter win! And remember, only one can remain."
Lloyd's father didn't wait for another word or for the gasps of the Elemental Masters to abide, striding into the room toward the ninja. Clouse followed close behind him, taking his place by Chen.
"Don't worry, this won't change anything," Chen said. "It just means we'll have to squeeze in an extra match or two."
"How do we know the system isn't rigged in his favor?" Neuro asked, gesturing at Clouse.
"Because he has no say in the arenas," Chen said. "We'll scramble up the plans, and he has to stay in the same quarters as all of you. Don't worry, I don't want to cherrypick a winner. Go on, go eat! You are dismissed!"
That seemed to satisfy the other participants for now, and they began filing out of the room. Lloyd's father immediately turned on his heel to follow, letting out a sharp breath. He was wound tight as a spring, and he seemed stiff. And now that Lloyd could get a closer look at him, he could see dark circles under his father's eyes and angry bruises around his neck.
His father was usually very put together. And while his gi looked as crisp as ever, even though it was quite different, his hair was a mess. He had a flinty, angry look in his eyes, and his jaw was clenched tightly enough to look painful.
The ninja followed him, silent until they were in the hallway. The other fighters were far enough ahead that they probably wouldn't hear a conversation. "Uh... I like the new look, Sensei," Jay said nervously.
Garmadon nodded slightly. "I prefer my regular one." His voice was raspy.
"Are we going to talk about this?" Kai said. "Because we really should." Lloyd silently agreed. His curiosity was killing him.
"I'd prefer talking somewhere a little more private, not that anywhere on this accursed island is," Garmadon said. They passed into the dining hall, where the chatter was loud enough to drown out low voices. "I wasn't aware of this. Not until last night. I was never told I had Elemental power."
"Okay," Lloyd said, letting a breath out. He held out his tray, hardly paying attention to the food piled on. "Why don't you start from the beginning? What happened?"
Garmadon found a booth to sit down at and waited for the ninja to join him. "I... made the mistake of following Clouse to a relatively remote location. Chen was under the impression that I hid my... abilities from him, and Clouse forced them to come to the surface." He stared at his hands for a few seconds. There was ash dusted lightly across his palms.
"What happened to your neck?" Lloyd asked. "That looks painful."
"Clouse almost choked me out," Garmadon said. "I'll recover. What came of your efforts last night?"
"Well, we're no closer to finding Zane, but we did find out that they're draining the powers of the losers," Kai said.
"Of course they are," Garmadon sighed through gritted teeth, rubbing his neck.
The ninja exchanged worried glances. Garmadon was known for being laid back, except for when it came to training. It was unlike him to be so fired up.
"Why is he draining powers?" Lloyd wondered.
"He probably wants to destroy Ninjago City," Kai said. "You know, like every other villain ever."
"I'm not so sure," Cole said. "From what Sensei G's told us about him, I have a feeling it's something far more sinister."
"And may I remind us, we still don't know where Zane is, which is why we all need to take care of our first rounds to give us more time," Jay said. "And now that Sensei G and that Clouse guy are part of the Tournament, I might have to fight one of them!"
Lloyd watched his father massage his temples and take deep breaths through his nose, worried.
"Do you all think you're better than us?" The ninja looked up, surprised. The Elemental Master of Shadow was leaning on the booth. "Ninja travel in packs, I guess. But what gives you any right to have a better chance than the rest of us?"
"We aren't trying to exclude anyone," Lloyd said.
"We aren't even here for the Tournament," Kai said defensively.
"Do you think I'm stupid? Everyone heard you tell Light to buzz off yesterday," he gestured at Jay, then Kai, "and everyone saw what you did to Metal. Not exclusive, sure."
"Why are you talking to us?" Cole asked impatiently.
"I'm here to tell you I'm not gonna let this slide, and neither is anyone else," said the Elemental Master of Shadow. "Watch your backs."
"You watch your back," Kai retorted. "Threatening your opponents isn't a good idea."
"It's not a threat if it's a fair warn-"
"Enough!" Garmadon pushed himself to his feet, bracing his fists on the table. "We are not here to cause conflict for Chen's amusement. Shade, I am sorry you feel excluded, that was not our intention. That said, do not threaten my students."
"Says the one who tried to fake his way out of this whole thing," Shade said scornfully. "Didn't want to get your hands dirty?"
Garmadon snarled. But Lloyd poked his shoulder, dragging his attention away from Shade. "Dad, you're disintegrating the table," he whispered.
Sure enough, the table was beginning to turn to ash wherever his hands were touching it. Garmadon snatched them away, trying to will the power licking at his palms to vanish. It wouldn't obey. He squared his jaw and stepped out of the booth.
"Lloyd, do you mind if I borrow your room?"
"Go for it." Lloyd, the ninja, and Shade all watched Garmadon leave.
"Old man can't control his powers or something?" Shade asked.
"Just go eat breakfast," Cole snapped. The Elemental Master of Darkness scoffed and walked away. The meal was quite silent aside from the clinking of silverware after that.
Lloyd scarfed down his food and then slipped out of the booth as well. "I'm gonna go see if Dad is okay."
"Keep us updated," Kai said. Lloyd nodded. It didn't take him long to get to his room. The manor was big, but he was getting used to the layout. There was a scorch mark on the doorknob. Lloyd winced, and then knocked gently and nudged the door open.
His father was sitting cross-legged on the balcony, taking deep breaths. Lloyd could see purple flickering across his palms. He crossed the floor quietly, sitting next to his father. Then he closed his eyes and tried to match his breathing to Garmadon's.
They sat there long enough for Lloyd to get a bit fidgety. Meditation had never been his strong suit, but it was always tolerable when it was with his dad. Lloyd opened his eyes.
Garmadon looked much calmer, and there was no sign of his powers. A cool breeze washed over them both. A few more minutes ticked by, and his father finally opened his eyes. "I'm sorry for losing my cool."
"It's okay," Lloyd said. "You've been through a lot."
"Still," his father said, uncrossing his legs. He turned toward Lloyd. "You will need allies in this tournament. Losing my temper at Shade did not do you any favors."
"We'll figure it out," Lloyd said confidently. His father smiled and lifted a hand. But he hesitated, hand hovering over Lloyd's shoulder. His palms were still decorated with flakes of ash. He pulled away, folding his hands in his lap.
Lloyd decided not to comment on it. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"
"I wanted to tell you," Garmadon sighed. "All of you. Chen took that from me. It's... it was supposed to be my choice. My call."
Lloyd put a hand on his shoulder. "This doesn't change anything. You're still my dad and a great sensei."
His father stared at his hands for a few seconds, sighing softly. Then he glanced at Lloyd, smiling slightly. It didn't reach his eyes. "Thank you, son."
A gong sounded from the intercom on the balcony, making the both of them jump. "The Tournament of Elements continues," Chen announced. "Would the following Masters please make their way to their assigned arena? Speed, Gravity, Smoke, Nature, Mind, oh, and last and hopefully not least... Fire, Magic, and Destruction! Remember, only one can remain."
"We had best be joining the others," Garmadon said grimly. Lloyd nodded. He followed his dad back down to the dining hall. If Chen really wanted to be cruel, Kai would be fighting his dad. What would they do if that happened? He couldn't stand to lose either of them. He worried about it all the way to the first match.
End Notes:
Shade enjoyers let me know if I did your boy dirty. I tried to give him a little more development than s4 did. I promise he will be getting more than he did in this chapter
Up next, the first four matches of the Tournament begin…
As before, please do not use any of my work to train any AI, including character ais. If you want to upload this to a different site or translate, please ask me! I will be happy to talk about it!
Alright, I’ll now be posting Master of Destruction here on tumblr so people who don’t have an account on ao3 can read it! Sorry if the formatting is weird and/or annoying, I will be figuring out how to transfer notes and stuff onto tumblr. Also I’m on mobile lmao. Half chapters will be dropping bi-weekly until I run out, so around 7ish weeks? Mainly because it gets super glitchy on mobile if it’s too long. Anyway I’ll stop yapping and get to it
Master of Destruction
Chapter 1: Only One Can Remain
Summary:
After making her introductions with the ninja, Skylor finds something off about Sensei Garmadon. Now entered into the Tournament of Elements, Garmadon must master his new abilities and come to terms with his heritage, all while protecting his students from Master Chen.
Notes:
First disclaimer I want to make! My brainrot can only carry me so far, so this fic may update slowly! Regardless, thanks for being here!
Trigger warnings for this chapter:
-Some strangulation, begins toward the end when Clouse and Garmadon start fighting
-Attempted mind control, pretty much directly after the strangulation
Please let me know if I need to update the tags or warnings! I want everyone to be comfortable reading this :)
Chen's island. The one place he swore he'd never return to.
It was bigger than he remembered, or perhaps just more lively. Chen hadn't been running a massive company the last time he had been here. The drums carried across the water, and Garmadon could feel his pulse rising to match them.
He was vaguely aware of the other contestants gathering, some pushing and shoving to the front to get a look at Chen's manor. His students sounded rather appreciative of the place, which finally snapped him from his thoughts. More than any of them, he needed to keep his cool. He was the only one who knew what Chen was like.
The ferry docked, and the grunts pulled a plank over the side to balance over the dock. "Welcome to Chen's island. The Tournament of Elements welcomes its brave fighters." Clouse appeared from seemingly nowhere and disembarked with practiced ease.
Garmadon was the first to follow, which did not go unnoticed by the sorcerer. He paused for a fraction of a second, eyeing Garmadon critically. "Master Chen will be pleased you've returned, Sensei Garmadon."
"The pleasure is all mine, Clouse," Garmadon said dryly.
"I'm sure it is," Clouse said, voice dripping with disdain. But rather than push the subject, he turned on his heel and began the trek up the long stairway.
"Definitely feeling some tension between you two," Jay said, hopping down next to Garmadon. His friends were quick to follow.
"Yeah, and how is it that we're on an island I've never seen on any map?" Kai asked.
"And care to explain how the face of Ninjago's most popular noodle house is secretly assembling an underground fighting tournament?" Cole chimed in.
"Master Chen used to be a friend. Now he's a traitor. During the Serpentine Wars, Chen turned against his own kind and sided with the treacherous snakes," Garmadon said.
"The battle you and Uncle Wu fought together in?" Lloyd asked. "He was an enemy?"
"He used deception to divide the Elemental Masters," Garmadon explained. "We barely defeated the Serpentine, and in a deal for his surrender, Chen was to never leave this island. Little did we know, he'd begin to build his criminal empire from here."
"He may have divided our ancestors, but he's not gonna divide us," Lloyd said firmly. Garmadon had to crack a small smile. His son was determined to find Zane, as were the rest of the ninja. He couldn't have asked for a better group of students.
That pride was quickly nudged to the side by annoyance when Kai shoved them all to the side in some act of "chivalry" and muttered something about melting the heart of the girl he was so taken with. Garmadon let out a sigh and led his pupils up the stairs.
"This is a big island. Zane could be anywhere. Keep an eye out," Cole said, as they caught up to the rest of the Elemental Masters.
Clouse made a sweeping gesture with one arm, and the gates swung open. Chen's manor loomed before them, opulent in all of its reds and golds. There were drums lining the walkway, each beat resonating through them. Between that and the chanting, Garmadon had to admit Chen knew how to get one's blood up.
"So this is the house that noodles built," Jay joked, dropping into a swagger. "Ha! Always wanted to go to a red carpet event."
"Chen lives like a king. Here, he's totally self-sufficient. The only way on or off this island is with his permission, which you have to earn." Garmadon watched Jay slump back into a normal walk. While his attempt at lightening the mood was pure-hearted, now was no time for jokes.
"You never told me about this place. How do you know so much about this island?" Lloyd asked, matching his stride.
"Because before Chen was my enemy, he was my Sensei," Garmadon said softly. He shrugged off the left shoulder of his gi, baring the Anacondrai tattoo. The wind was cold against his skin.
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Chen was just as dramatic as he remembered. It was strange seeing him again, after all these years. His red hair was hidden beneath a snake's skull, and the rest of the headdress draped over his shoulders and down his back.
Most of his opening speech was hot air, but when Chen addressed him specifically, Garmadon couldn't help but tense. Nothing in Chen's voice suggested any lingering grudges, but his eyes were glittering like a coiled snake's.
His former sensei flitted about the room, posturing and explaining the rules. But once he finished, Garmadon noticed a few key details were missing. How convenient of Chen to forget.
"And what happens if they lose?"
"Lose?" Chen mocked, whirling to face him. "Who here likes to lose?"
Garmadon shook his head, listening to the competitors laugh. Poor saps. It seemed Chen hadn't lost his talent at directing his enemy's eyes elsewhere until it was too late.
"You'll now each be shown to your rooms," Clouse said and clapped his hands. Kabuki swept into the room, each grabbing the arm of a competitor. Garmadon followed his students into another massive chamber, the main hall for the living quarters if he had any guess.
"Always be ready. Never lose focus," Garmadon called to his students, but he had no way of knowing if they heard him, as Clouse grabbed his arm in a steely grip and dragged him toward the nearest door. He had to take some amusement in the fact that because of the size of Chen's manor, the sorcerer had to drag him down quite a few different hallways before they reached the main gate.
Of course, that amusement mostly vanished when Clouse bodily threw him out. "Since you weren't invited by Master Chen, I'm sorry to say there's no room for you," Clouse said, blocking the way back inside.
"Fine, I'll just stand guard," Garmadon said. He stepped closer to the sorcerer. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to them. I know how you like to use Dark Magic."
"Now, why would I want to cheat the ninja?" Clouse drawled. He slammed the door shut before Garmadon could get a word in edgewise. Hm. So he was still holding a grudge. Why was that not surprising?
The PA crackled, and music poured forth from the speakers around the manor. "Fellow fighters, hidden around my island are enough Jade Blades for every participant except for one," Chen said over the intercom. Garmadon didn't wait for him to finish, leaping up onto one of the awnings to make his way back inside. If they truly wanted him to stay out, they were going to have to try harder than that.
"The one who returns to the palace arena empty-handed loses. The tournament begins...now!"
---------------
The wall was easy enough to get past, but reorienting himself and finding his students proved to be harder than he had expected. By the time Garmadon made his way back to the living quarters, he could hear multiple fights breaking out.
The pit in his stomach only tightened when he heard Clouse murmuring, and the temperature of the room dropped just enough to be noticeable. His old rival was casting from a balcony on the level above him, no doubt trying to trip up Garmadon's students.
Garmadon sprinted up the staircase and slammed into Clouse with a snarl. Without a clear view or a free hand, it would be quite hard for the sorcerer to continue whatever mischief he was up to.
He heard a brief scuffle another level up and caught a flash of green. His son. Of course Clouse had attacked his son first. "Hurry, Lloyd," he called. "You must not lose!"
Clouse jerked one arm out of his grasp and braced it against his jaw, trying to shove him off. Garmadon settled as much weight on top of him as he could. Clouse could not get up before his son - and Cole, who was struggling for a Jade Blade down below - had made their escape. Lloyd was gone before he knew it, but it sounded like Cole was having some trouble. Garmadon resorted to grabbing Clouse in a bear hug, keeping his arms pinned to his sides and using his knees to keep him from flipping their position.
Only when he heard things quiet down below did he loosen his grip, and was rewarded with a sharp knee to the gut. Clouse shoved him off, scrambling to his feet and dusting himself off while Garmadon coughed. He was surprised the sorcerer didn't kick him in the ribs while he was down.
Needless to say, the walk back to the main room was very quiet.
The other participants began pouring in, handing their Jade Blades to Clouse. Jay brought one, and Cole brought in the second to last. Only Kai was missing, as well as the Elemental Master he had been fighting with on the ferry.
With a sinking heart, Garmadon watched as the Elemental Master strode in, holding up the last Jade Blade in victory. But Kai, it seemed, had other plans. Where he had gotten a screwdriver, Garmadon was sure he would never know, but his student unscrewed the gauntlet Karlof had clenched around the Jade Blade, stole it, and placed the blade in its rightful place.
"We have a loser!" Chen cried delightedly.
"That's not fair," Karlof protested, fastening the gauntlet back on. "He cheated!"
"I did what I had to do," Kai said.
"That is not how you win," Garmadon snapped. They had been on the island for less than an hour and Chen was already coaxing ruthlessness out of his students. He could feel Clouse's gaze burning into him.
"Fine, I lose," Karlof growled. "Karlof never wanted to be on stinking island."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear you did not enjoy your stay," Chen said, settling down on his throne. Garmadon eyed the buttons, fists tightening in apprehension. "I guess this worked out for the best. This is... goodbye!"
Chen punched a button, and a trapdoor opened beneath Karlof. The Elemental Master's screams faded quickly, and Chen wasted no time addressing the remaining participants.
"As you can see, lose and you are out. Break any rule, you are out!" One of his grunts removed Karlof's name from the brackets. "Never bite the hand that feeds you. Now rest up! Tomorrow the tournament will recommence."
They were all herded into a dining hall. No one spoke much while they were served, Kai least of all. Garmadon watched him carefully, relieved to see the guilt on his face even as he sympathized with the boy. Kai's actions mirrored that of his younger self far too much for Garmadon's comfort, but being under Chen's guiding eye for so long meant he had no qualms with being ruthless. Kai, at least, still felt guilty even if it meant they were one step closer to finding Zane.
"At least the chow's good," Cole said, finally breaking the silence.
"Gah, it's killing me!" Jay burst out, wringing his hands. "What's under the trapdoor? What happens when you lose?"
"Don't think about that," Garmadon said gently.
His words had the opposite effect of what he intended. "It's all I can think about!" Jay said. "I moved on! I feel guilt. These are not good feelings!"
"You think you feel bad?" Kai said, banging his fist lightly on the table. "Imagine how I feel! Our mission is simple. Tonight we find Zane and get off this crazy island."
Garmadon couldn't be more proud. His students were retaining their compassion but weren't letting their guilt crush them. Perhaps he should have expected it, seeing as everything they had been through already, but he was proud nonetheless.
"And just how are we supposed to do that?" Cole asked. "You heard Chen. Break a rule and we're out. He's not gonna let us roam around!"
"Then it's a good thing we're ninja. Meet me in my room at midnight," Kai said.
Garmadon noticed a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eyes. The Elemental Master of Light stopped by their table and waited for the other ninja to notice him. "Mind if I join you?"
Before anyone could say anything, Jay snapped. "Disappear, pal! This is private!"
Mr. Pale slowly vanished from sight, although his tray still hovered in the air.
"I know you're still here. I can see your lunch tray," Jay groaned in exasperation. Garmadon frowned, watching Mr. Pale stalk away. The ninja needed to make friends, not enemies. They had enough targets on their backs as it was.
Luckily, he wasn't alone in that thought. "Wow, Jay, you were really mean," Cole said.
"How am I supposed to know if we can trust him? See what this island is doing to me? It's corrupting me!" Jay cried. "It has to stop. I'll see you tonight."
Just as he was starting to stand, Kai motioned for him to sit back down. "Wait! I do know one person we can trust, and I think you guys should meet her. Skylor! Over here!" He waved at her, just as she was walking by.
"We already saw her, Kai," Jay muttered, but the Fire Ninja ignored him.
"Thanks for saving me a seat," Skylor said, sitting next to Jay. She seemed surprised to have been included. Jay scooted closer to Garmadon, still feeling a bit prickly. If Skylor noticed, she didn't say anything.
"I realized I haven't introduced you to my team," Kai said, leaning on the table. Garmadon fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Guys?"
"I'm Cole," Cole said kindly, holding out his hand. Skylor smiled brightly and shook it. She was unusually physical for someone who had been so standoffish, Garmadon noticed, but perhaps he was making judgments too soon.
"Lloyd," said his son, leaning over the table to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you, Skylor."
"Nice to meet you too," Skylor said. She offered her hand to Jay, and he shook it sullenly after a few seconds.
"That's Jay. Don't worry, he's usually a chatterbox. He's just a little upset about the Tournament right now," Kai said.
"Makes sense," Skylor said. "Me too, to be entirely honest."
She leaned past Jay, and Garmadon clasped her hand in both his warmly. "It's a pleasure, Skylor. I am Sensei Garmadon."
Skylor's brow furrowed slightly, but she smiled. "The pleasure is all mine. I actually just finished lunch, so I was going to head back to my room."
"Me too!" Kai said eagerly. "I'll walk you back there."
"Sure," Skylor said, although her smile seemed slightly more strained than it had been before. Garmadon watched the two of them walk away, and his students began to meander after them. Skylor's tray of food was by his elbow, still warm. Someone is in a hurry.
---------------
Today was turning out to be a very productive day. Skylor hadn't expected to get more than one or two elements until her first match. Now, she had four.
...well, five, actually. If there was one thing she hadn't been expecting, it was to feel the familiar tingle of a power transfer when she shook Garmadon's hand. Father had never mentioned him having any elemental abilities, and neither had Clouse. Powers, yes, especially as he had grown into his role as the Dark Lord, but nothing elemental.
Kai was proving to be hard to get rid of. Skylor resigned herself to walking to her room with him. He was charming and kind, but she had a report to make. The Fire Ninja was talking to her about the Tournament, theorizing over what could have happened to Karlof. He sounded guilty about it, oddly enough.
"You did what you had to," Skylor interrupted. "You want to stay with your friends, right? Then you have to make some tough choices."
"I know," Kai sighed, "but I still feel bad. Our rivalry from the boat feels stupid now. He was kind of a jerk, but he didn't deserve that."
Skylor shrugged, stopping at her door. "I guess. Well... see you in the morning. Good luck."
"Yeah, you too!" Kai called as she entered her room. Skylor closed the door behind her and waited to hear his door close as well. The second she heard the click, she stepped back out into the hallway and glanced around. No one was nearby. The power of Form rippled over her, cloaking her as a regular guard.
The ritual for the Staff of Elements wasn't due for another couple of hours, so Skylor easily approached her father and Clouse in the main hall. "I need to talk to both of you," she murmured, stopping next to Clouse. The sorcerer gave an almost imperceptible nod, and Skylor headed to his study without checking to make sure either of them were following.
Mere minutes later, her father entered with Clouse on his heels. "You must have something good if you're reporting in this early," Chen said, rubbing his hands together.
"Something like that," Skylor said. "Did either of you know Sensei Garmadon has elemental abilities?"
"Don't be silly," Chen said, waving a hand. "He doesn't. He used to have power, yes, but he gave it all up. Awful waste, if you ask me."
"Why do you ask," Clouse said, studying her intently.
"Because he does," Skylor said. She summoned the power to her fingertips. It was purple and flickered like fire. She extinguished it after a few seconds with a wince. What kind of elemental ability burned its user?
"You got that from Garmadon?" Clouse asked. "Are you certain?"
Skylor nodded. "It couldn't have been anyone else."
"Show me," Chen said. Skylor sucked in a breath and summoned the power again. It wreathed over her fingers, burning in her veins. It's not too bad, she figured. Just uncomfortable.
Clouse picked up a quill off his desk and ran the tip of it through the flickering power. Anything that touched it crumbled to ash. "His brother is the Elemental Master of Creation," Clouse said, examining the remains of the quill. "If I had any guess, Garmadon is the Master of Destruction."
Skylor's father sucked in a breath, giggling and hopping from foot to foot. "Oh, this is going to be fun. Clouse, I want him in the guard housing after the ritual tonight."
The sorcerer said nothing, merely smiling. "And Skylor!" Chen said, grabbing her shoulders. "You should come watch! You made the discovery, after all! You have done so, so well."
Skylor curled into him, smiling slightly. "I would love to, father."
---------------
The manor was very quiet. Garmadon closed his eyes, breathing in the fresh cool air wafting in from the nearby balcony. His students were likely looking for Zane right now. He could only keep an eye out for any threats on the surface level, but other than that, they were on their own.
Garmadon took another deep breath, settling into the nearby chair. They were not helpless children, no matter how much he wanted to protect them. All of them had faced the Overlord and come out victorious and alive. He pushed down the tightness in his chest with another deep breath. Meditation would keep his mind clear, and he would be able to keep his students focused as well.
The hair on the back of his neck stood up. He was being watched. Garmadon opened one eye. Clouse was standing a few meager feet away from him. After a beat, Garmadon closed his eye again.
He heard the sorcerer snort in derision. "Master Chen requests your presence."
"Tell him I'm busy," Garmadon replied. He didn't hear Clouse leave, but he hadn't heard him approach either. Could this be about his students? Surely they hadn't been caught already. Perhaps he could distract Chen and Clouse for them, if only for a while. And if they had caught his students, he had a chance of freeing them.
He opened his eyes again. As expected, the sorcerer wasn't gone. If anything, he was closer. Garmadon stood, studying him. "Is it important?"
"Yes," Clouse said dryly. He turned on his heel, striding down the hallway. Garmadon expelled a breath he had been holding and followed him.
They weaved through the hallways and out one of the massive gates. Garmadon frowned, wondering if he had just been tricked into being kicked out. But Clouse kept walking, so he followed. They left the main manor behind, winding down dark paths. The cobblestone was cold, and the wind had a bite to it. This compound was sprawling, and walking alone with Clouse made him feel oddly small.
Finally, they came to a smaller building. It was less opulent than Chen's manor, but still richly decorated. Garmadon was beginning to wonder if Clouse had brought him here to kill him.
The sorcerer opened the door and motioned for him to enter. All of the lights were off, and Garmadon blinked as he stepped past Clouse, eyes beginning to adjust.
Just as he was making out shapes in the darkness, someone flipped the lights on. Garmadon shielded his eyes and then lowered his hand. The room he was in looked virtually identical to the main hall where Chen had greeted them.
The man himself was draped over the arms of his chair. "Garmadon, finally! I've been waiting forever!"
"What is this about?" Garmadon asked, deciding not to mince words. He was alone with the two, save for a guard near a hallway.
"Whaaaaat, I'm not allowed to have a private conversation with a former pupil of mine?" Chen asked, practically leaping to his feet. He was down the stairs and circling Garmadon before he could say anything, so the sensei settled for raising a dubious eyebrow.
"Look at you! A big-time hero of Ninjago! Which is the exact opposite of everything I ever taught you!" Chen examined his gi critically.
"Is this an intervention," Garmadon asked, turning to keep an eye on his former sensei.
Chen circled back around him, hopping up a few stairs so he could look down at him. "Not exactly. You see, I'm kind of hurt that you abandoned me all those years ago."
Garmadon tensed, preparing for a fight. He could see Clouse out of the corner of his eye. The sorcerer looked relaxed, but his hands were raised slightly.
"But more so, I'm disappointed," Chen continued. "And angry. Why would you lie to me, Garmadon? I thought we were close."
"Lie?" Garmadon said, brow furrowing. "I never lied to you."
"Oh, but you did," Chen said. "You hid something very important from me."
Garmadon frowned. He had hidden plenty of things from Chen, but nothing important enough to be dragged away from the Tournament for. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Stubborn as always," Chen said, shaking his head. "I always did like that about you. Clouse?"
Garmadon lunged to the side instinctively, and tendrils of dark magic shot past him, closing on empty air. He spun to face the sorcerer, eyes narrowing. "You'll have to be faster than that."
"Oh, I am," Clouse assured him. He lunged, and Garmadon stepped to the side, ducking under another blast of dark magic. The sorcerer attacked with a fury. He was faster than Garmadon remembered. So long as he could cast, he would have the upper hand.
Garmadon slammed his shoulder into Clouse's stomach, taking him to the ground. They wrestled, Garmadon trying to clap a hand over his mouth or to catch his wrists, Clouse hissing spells and wriggling free every time he thought he had him. Garmadon had to roll off to avoid getting tangled in the designs of the carpet, which Clouse had brought to life.
Right as he was kicking off the last strands of carpet, cold wrapped around his throat and constricted.
"Ghk-" Garmadon grabbed at it, hand closing around a cold strand hardened into a semi-physical cord. It felt like steel. In his struggles, he had made the mistake of turning his back to the sorcerer. Clouse wrenched the magical garrote tighter, still whispering. Another cord lashed around Garmadon's wrist, taking them both to the floor. With only one hand free, Garmadon reached back, gouging at Clouse's eyes.
It was easy for the sorcerer to dodge, and a cord lashed around Garmadon's other wrist. A violent gurgle escaped the older man's throat, body jerking involuntarily. His sight was beginning to fade, and the pressure in his chest was almost unbearable.
Right as the room began to turn into a nonsensical whirl, the force on his neck was abruptly released. Garmadon gasped, head thudding back against the floor. His head was spinning, but he tried to sit up anyway. He couldn't. The bindings on his wrists kept him pinned on his back.
Chen strolled over, grinning down at him. "You're awfully slippery. It's hard to get answers out of you. Did you really not know? Wu has elemental powers, why not you?"
"I don't have powers," Garmadon rasped. He could feel his pulse in his throat. If he could just free one wrist-
"Then I guess that's another thing your father kept from you," Chen said, crouching to tap him on the nose. "He couldn't have his little villain getting more powerful, right? Well, I guess it's a good thing I've always been here to clear some of his lies up."
"That has never been how this worked," Garmadon said.
"You're so bitter," Chen chuckled. "Clouse, let's get on with it already!"
"Of course," Clouse said. He crouched over the older man, laying his fingertips on his temples. Garmadon glared at him, tempted to try and bite his fingers. The sorcerer's hands were naturally cold, but his skin was freezing, wreathed in dark magic. He closed his eyes, lips moving silently in a spell.
"It's difficult to force power from someone, especially elemental power, but not unheard of," he said after a few seconds. "This will prove to be... destructive, unsurprisingly."
"Do it," Chen said, flapping a hand. "There's a reason we're in the guards' quarters, Clousey-Clouse."
A nasty smile stole across the sorcerer's face. "Yes, Master Chen."
The chill of dark magic slithered under Garmadon's skin, and he couldn't help but shiver. Clouse's eyes were closed again, brow knitted in concentration. The cold formed an odd kind of ache behind his eyes.
And then he recognized the feeling. Garmadon bucked, thrashing against the tendrils. The dark magic was seeping into his mind, wriggling through the cracks and burrowing deep. It wasn't quite as painful as having your head pried open by the Overlord seeking a physical form but the sensation was the same.
"Don't," he managed to rasp. He couldn't go through this again. The tendrils felt like they were getting tighter by the second with his panicked struggles, but there was nothing that he wanted more than to free his wrists and protect his head. The dark magic twisted deeper, and he could feel Clouse's mind against his own, too many for one body. There was no way to protect himself against a mental attack, but Garmadon found himself trying to close off his mind anyway. The dark magic weaved through any defenses he had, finding cracks to squirm through and bringing the rest tumbling down.
The Overlord had been much more brutal. He had torn through Garmadon's mind, caring only for a physical form. His host's mind could be in tatters for all he cared, and he very nearly left Garmadon in that state. Clouse wasn't exactly being gentle, but he wasn't powerful enough to do the same kind of damage.
The pain was bad, but being helpless was worse. If he couldn't defend himself and his students, his son would suffer for it and he had sworn he would never raise so much as a finger against Lloyd ever again. Garmadon wrenched his head to the side, trying to throw Clouse's hands off. There was immense pressure building in his chest and behind his eyes, and short, erratic gasps couldn't bring in enough air. The only thing he could focus on was trying to make it stop. He could never be a pawn to someone who wanted to hurt his son ever again but he didn't have the mental strength to keep Clouse out. The room was going into a tailspin. His thoughts began a frenzied spiral. Clouse's hands were freezing and so was his magic and Garmadon felt like his mind was splitting down the middle.
Something in him popped.
Everything came into sharp focus for just a second - Clouse raising another hand, dark magic closing around himself and Chen and the guard, his wrists yanked together, above his body toward the ceiling - and then everything was engulfed in a purple blaze.
The force of the explosion pressed his back into the floor. He could feel the power flooding his veins, expelling itself from his body. It was blindingly bright, consuming everything in its path and roaring into the night sky.
And then it was gone. Garmadon slumped back to the floor. His entire body ached, particularly his arms and neck. Exhaustion was coursing through him where power had been a second ago. When he raised his arms, they were no longer restrained by dark magic. His palms smoked.
The last time he could ever remember being this spent was after using the Megaweapon. Garmadon closed his eyes, tempted to fall asleep - or pass out, whichever came first - right there.
There was a cackle somewhere in front of him, and someone began clapping. "Now THAT is power!" Chen exclaimed. "Wonderful show, both of you, just wonderful!"
Garmadon opened his eyes again, staring at the night sky above. The ceiling of the building was entirely gone, with only charred beams poking out of the walls to suggest it had ever been there to begin with. Everything in the room was coated in a fine layer of ash, save for Chen, who was getting too close for comfort, the guard, and Clouse, who was sitting on the stairs. His old rival looked almost as tired as he felt.
When he tried to sit up, Chen stepped onto his palm. Not enough to hurt, just to threaten. Garmadon slumped back to the floor. He had no energy left to fight. "Ah ah. Stay down, Donnie."
Garmadon watched the guard help Clouse to his feet while Chen talked at him. The room felt like it was tilting beneath him still. He could smell the ash around them.
"-and you're not listening to me, are you?" Chen asked, putting his hands on his hips. Garmadon's eyes flicked to him. "Thought so. Alright, I'll leave this for tomorrow then. You're clearly too out of it to listen."
His former sensei stepped off of his hand, offering one of his own. Garmadon glowered at him for a few seconds and tried to rise of his own accord. But his leg gave out underneath him, and he almost collapsed to the floor. Chen caught him under the arms.
"Whoopsy-daisy. I bet you're going to sleep nice and long after that. Come on now, up you go!" He was only able to stand with Chen supporting him.
His former master was chattering at someone, but he couldn't focus on the words. Most of the building was still smoking. He was handed off to someone much closer to his height - Clouse, he decided, based on how cold their hands were - but was supported on his other side by the guard.
The walk back to the manor was a dizzying blur. The cool air helped clear his head, but it did nothing for how weak he felt. Clouse didn't slow his pace for anything, and he was more than happy to drag Garmadon if need be.
They made it back inside the manor and somehow managed to scale one of the grand staircases. The guard released him, opening a door. They were in a guest room. So Chen had room for him after all.
Clouse released him, allowing him to collapse onto the bed. "Get some rest," he mocked. "You'll be entering the Tournament first thing tomorrow."
Garmadon turned over onto his back once he heard the door shut, hazily processing the sorcerer's words. He didn't come to much of a conclusion before sleep swallowed him whole.
He should have never come back here.
End Notes:
Main tag for this AU will be Elemental Fighters AU! Additionally, please do not use any of my work to train AI - even character ais. If you would like to upload to a different site or translate, please ask me first! I will more than likely be happy about it.
Just wanted to give an update on some things! First and foremost, I wanted to clarify that Master of Destruction is not being abandoned. College was really hard this semester, so I haven’t really had any time or energy to dedicate to update it. I’m hoping that over the summer I can get chapters rolling out again.
Additionally, there was another AO3 scraping by AI. Master of Destruction was, thankfully, untouched, but a couple of my other works were scraped. I am now considering archive-locking, meaning only registered AO3 users would be able to read Master of Destruction. This would protect my works from AI, but I have avoided archive-locking for as long as possible because I want my fics to be available to everyone. So if anyone would like to share their thoughts on this, I would love to hear them! I do not want to deny anyone the ability to read Master of Destruction :)
Additional poll of some options I’m considering because I know talking to people can be scary lol
Options for MoD
Archive-lock everything
Don’t archive-lock anything
Archive-lock the fics that were scraped but nothing else
Archive-lock everything but also update MoD on tumblr
