Love your work, even though Wu and the FSM make me want to tear my hair out in frustration XD for a little catharsis, could you write a fic where Wu finally realizes that his father is being a terrible person and sides with his brother/nephew for once? I know it’s a tough ask, but seeing him constantly defend the man even when it’s so obvious he’s in the wrong is making me go insane, lol
Ofc I can. The story is below
A Second Chance
Garmadon was having a surprisingly peaceful afternoon.
He was sitting in the living room with a book resting in his lap, although he hadn't actually read the same page for several minutes. His injuries were healing.
Slowly, but surely.
Lloyd had gone into the bathroom to grab some fresh towels, leaving Garmadon alone for a few minutes. Garmadon leaned back against the sofa.
For once, he wasn't thinking about the attack. He wasn't thinking about the memories that had resurfaced. He wasn't thinking about his father's voice.
Then he heard footsteps. Garmadon's body immediately tensed.He looked toward the doorway.
The First Spinjitzu Master entered.
Garmadon's stomach dropped. His fingers tightened around the book.
The FSM looked at him.
"Still sitting around, I see."
Garmadon said nothing.
The FSM's eyes narrowed.
"You're becoming more useless by the day."
Garmadon's breathing changed.
He immediately looked down.
The FSM continued.
"How long are you going to carry on like this? You were always weak, Garmadon. Now you require your own son to look after you."
Garmadon swallowed.
"Please..."
"Please what?"
The FSM stepped closer.
"Are you going to cry again?"
Garmadon's eyes burned.
He hated that his father could still do this.
He hated how quickly he became that frightened child again.
"You're supposed to be stronger than this."
Garmadon's hands began shaking.
"Father, just—"
"You've always been disappointing."
A voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Stop."
The FSM turned.
Wu stood in the hallway.
He'd heard everything.
Garmadon looked up in surprise.
Wu's expression was completely different from the one he'd worn in recent days.
There was anger there.
But it wasn't directed at Garmadon.
It was directed at their father.
"Leave him alone."
The FSM's eyes narrowed.
"This does not concern you."
"It absolutely concerns me."
Wu walked into the room.
Garmadon stared at his brother.
Wu stopped between the FSM and Garmadon.
"You've done enough."
The FSM scoffed.
"Move."
"No."
The single word was firm.
Garmadon had rarely heard Wu speak to their father like that.
The FSM's expression darkened.
"Do not interfere in matters concerning my son."
Wu's eyes flashed.
"He's my brother."
"And you will respect my authority."
Wu shook his head.
"Not anymore."
The FSM stared at him.
Wu's voice began trembling, but he didn't back down.
"What you're doing to him isn't right."
The FSM's expression remained cold.
"I am making him stronger."
"You're hurting him."
"He is weak."
"No."
Wu's voice cracked.
"He's not."
The FSM looked toward Garmadon.
"Look at him. He's pathetic."
Wu stepped directly in front of Garmadon.
"Stop calling him that."
The FSM glared.
"You are becoming sentimental."
"Maybe I should have been sentimental sooner."
That silenced the room.
Wu's eyes became wet.
He looked at Garmadon.
Then back at their father.
"I should have stood up for him years ago."
The FSM scoffed.
"Do not make this about yourself."
"I'm not."
Wu's voice became stronger.
"I'm making this about what you've done to him."
The FSM opened his mouth.
Wu interrupted.
"And what I've done."
Garmadon looked at him.
Wu swallowed.
"I know I fucked up."
Garmadon's expression shifted.
Wu looked down.
"I know exactly what I did."
His voice was thick with guilt.
"I betrayed you."
Garmadon didn't speak.
"I won't excuse it."
Wu took a shaky breath.
"I won't tell you that I was manipulated and therefore none of it was my fault."
The FSM frowned.
Wu continued.
"Misako told me that the two of you were divorcing."
Garmadon's eyes narrowed slightly.
"She told me the divorce was already in the process of being finalised."
Wu's eyes filled with tears.
"She even showed me divorce papers."
Garmadon stared at him.
"They looked real."
Wu's voice cracked.
"I believed her."
He looked down at his hands.
"And that's something I'll have to live with."
Garmadon remained silent.
"I was gullible."
Wu laughed bitterly through his tears.
"Gods, I was so fucking gullible."
His shoulders trembled.
"But none of that changes what happened."
Wu looked directly at his brother.
"I still chose to trust her without properly confirming anything."
Garmadon's eyes softened slightly.
"And I still betrayed you."
Wu wiped his face.
"I regret it."
His voice broke.
"I regret it every single day."
Garmadon swallowed.
Wu turned toward the FSM.
"But I regret something else too."
The FSM looked irritated.
"What?"
Wu's eyes hardened.
"I regret being a coward."
The FSM's expression changed.
"When you hurt Garmadon, I should have stopped you."
Garmadon's eyes widened.
Wu continued.
"When you dismissed him, I should have defended him."
His voice shook.
"When you treated him like he wasn't your son, I should have said something."
The FSM stepped forward.
"Enough."
"No."
Wu refused to move.
"I've spent my entire life being afraid of you."
Garmadon stared at his brother.
Wu's tears were falling freely now.
"And I allowed that fear to make me stand by while you hurt my brother."
He looked toward Garmadon.
"I'm sorry."
Garmadon's eyes became wet.
Wu's voice broke.
"I'm so fucking sorry, Garmadon."
The FSM stepped closer.
"Stop this nonsense."
Wu spun around.
"No!"
His voice echoed through the room.
"You don't get to tell me to stop."
The FSM glared.
Wu didn't back down.
"I am done being afraid of you."
He pointed toward the door.
"You will leave."
The FSM's expression became incredulous.
"You dare order me—"
"Yes."
Wu's voice was shaking violently now.
"But I'm still saying it."
He took a breath.
"Leave."
The FSM stared at him.
"And don't come back."
Silence.
Wu's eyes were red.
"Don't contact Garmadon."
He looked toward his brother.
"Don't contact me."
Then his expression softened.
"And don't contact Lloyd."
Garmadon's breath caught.
Wu's voice became quieter.
"You've done enough damage."
The FSM stared at both brothers.
Neither moved.
Eventually, the FSM turned away.
"This is ridiculous."
Wu remained standing.
"Leave."
The FSM walked toward the doorway.
Before leaving, he muttered,
"You're both being far too dramatic."
Then he disappeared.
The door closed.
Silence.
Wu stood completely still.
Then his shoulders dropped.
The anger drained from his face.
He looked exhausted.
Broken.
Garmadon watched him carefully.
Wu turned toward him.
And suddenly, Wu looked much younger.
Like the frightened little brother Garmadon remembered.
"I'm sorry."
Garmadon didn't answer.
Wu took a shaky breath.
"I know I don't deserve your forgiveness."
Garmadon remained silent.
"I don't."
Wu's voice trembled.
"I know I have absolutely no right to ask you for anything."
A tear fell down his cheek.
"But please..."
Garmadon's eyes softened.
Wu struggled to speak.
"Please give me a second chance."
He looked down.
"Not forgiveness."
His voice cracked.
"I know I'm nowhere near worthy of that."
Another tear fell.
"But let me prove that I can be better."
Garmadon stared at his brother.
Wu's breathing became shaky.
"I've already lost so much time with you."
He wiped his face.
"And I know that's my fault."
Garmadon slowly stood.
Wu immediately looked alarmed.
"Don't—your injuries—"
Garmadon stopped.
A tiny, almost sad smile appeared.
"You really don't know when to stop worrying, do you?"
Wu gave a broken laugh.
"Apparently not."
Garmadon looked at him for a long moment.
"I can't forgive you."
Wu nodded.
"I know."
"Not yet."
Wu swallowed.
Garmadon continued.
"What happened hurt me."
"I know."
"And I don't know if I'll ever completely get past it."
"I understand."
Garmadon took a breath.
"But..."
Wu looked up.
Garmadon's eyes were wet.
"I can give you a second chance."
Wu froze.
Garmadon nodded.
"That's all I can give you right now."
Wu's face crumpled.
"That's more than I deserve."
"Probably."
Wu laughed through his tears.
Then he stepped forward cautiously.
He stopped just before Garmadon.
"Can I...?"
Garmadon understood.
He nodded.
Wu gently wrapped his arms around his brother.
Garmadon froze for a second.
Then he slowly hugged Wu back.
Wu immediately began crying.
He buried his face against Garmadon's shoulder.
"I'm sorry."
Garmadon closed his eyes.
"I know."
"I'm so sorry."
"I know, Wu."
Wu held him carefully, making sure not to hurt his still-healing ribs.
Garmadon rested his hand against Wu's back.
For the first time in a very long time, neither brother was pretending everything was okay.
It wasn't.
There was still hurt.
There was still betrayal.
There was still a great deal of work to do.
But there was something else now.
A beginning.
A chance.
A possibility that perhaps the brothers could eventually find their way back to each other.
Neither noticed the bedroom door opening.
Lloyd stepped into the hallway.
He'd returned from the bathroom carrying fresh towels.
He stopped when he saw them.
His eyes widened.
Wu was crying.
Garmadon was holding him.
Lloyd stared for a moment.
He understood immediately.
His dad had accepted Wu's second chance.
Not forgiveness.
Not yet.
But a second chance.
Lloyd quietly smiled.
He didn't interrupt.
He simply backed away and quietly returned toward the bathroom.
He'd give them this moment.
Garmadon deserved it.
Wu deserved the chance he'd just been given.
And perhaps, someday, the two brothers could finally heal together.
For now, though, Garmadon held his brother.
And Wu held onto him like he was terrified of losing him again.
Neither said anything.
They didn't need to.
For the first time in years, they were simply brothers.
sorry for the delay I had no ideas for this part but now I do. Hope you Enjoy
Absolutely — here’s the story, focusing on Garmadon and Lloyd’s emotional aftermath and Lloyd’s fierce determination to protect his father.
The Line That Should Never Have Been Crossed
The monastery had never felt so hostile.
Garmadon stood in the middle of the courtyard, fists clenched at his sides, staring directly at Wu.
“You knew she was married to me.”
Wu's expression was unusually serious. “Garmadon—”
“No.” Garmadon’s voice rose. “Don't you dare try to explain this away.”
Lloyd stood several feet away, watching his father carefully.
Garmadon had discovered the truth about Wu and Misako. It wasn't something that had happened once. Wu had slept with Misako numerous times while she was still married to Garmadon.
And Garmadon was furious.
“You were my brother!” Garmadon shouted. “You knew what our marriage meant to me. You knew what she meant to me, and you still went behind my back!”
Wu's face tightened.
“I made mistakes.”
“Mistakes?”
Garmadon practically laughed.
“You don't accidentally betray your own brother over and over again!”
“Garmadon, lower your voice.”
That made Garmadon's anger explode.
“Don't tell me to lower my voice!”
Lloyd's eyes widened.
He knew his father was angry. But underneath that anger was something else.
Pain.
Garmadon wasn't merely furious about what Wu had done.
He was devastated.
“You took something from me that you had absolutely no right to touch!” Garmadon yelled. “And you expect me to simply accept an apology and move on?”
Wu opened his mouth.
Before he could answer, another voice thundered across the courtyard.
“Enough!”
Everyone turned.
The First Spinjitzu Master stood at the entrance.
The FSM's expression was cold.
“Father,” Wu said.
“I have heard enough of this argument.”
Garmadon stared at him.
“This doesn't concern you.”
The FSM's eyes narrowed.
“It concerns my sons.”
“Then perhaps you should teach your sons not to betray each other.”
“No,” Garmadon repeated. “I'm done being told to shut up whenever someone doesn't want to hear the truth.”
“Garmadon.”
“You don't get to intimidate me anymore!”
The FSM's eyes flashed.
Lloyd immediately sensed something was wrong.
“Dad—”
A burst of power erupted.
Garmadon was thrown violently across the courtyard.
“DAD!”
He crashed through a wooden wall with tremendous force.
The sound of splintering wood echoed through the monastery.
Then silence.
Lloyd froze.
His father lay amid the wreckage.
Garmadon wasn't moving.
“Dad?”
Lloyd ran.
He dropped beside him.
Garmadon's breathing was shallow and uneven. Blood trickled from several wounds, and his body barely seemed capable of moving.
“Dad!”
Garmadon's eyes fluttered.
“L... Lloyd?”
That tiny whisper broke something inside Lloyd.
He slowly turned his head.
The FSM stood where Garmadon had been moments before.
Lloyd's expression changed.
The fear disappeared.
So did the tears.
Something much colder replaced them.
“You hurt my dad.”
The FSM stared at him.
“Lloyd, stand down.”
Lloyd stood.
Wu immediately recognized the look in his nephew's eyes.
“Lloyd—”
Lloyd disappeared.
He slammed into the FSM.
The fight was brutal.
The FSM attempted to overpower him, but Lloyd wouldn't stop.
Every time the FSM tried to rise, Lloyd knocked him back down.
“You.”
Another strike.
“Hurt.”
Another.
“My.”
Another.
“Dad!”
Lloyd finally delivered one final blow that sent the FSM crashing to the ground.
He didn't move.
Lloyd stood over him, breathing heavily.
Wu stared at him in shock.
“Lloyd!”
Lloyd turned.
Wu pointed toward the unconscious FSM.
“What have you done?!”
Lloyd's eyes became ice-cold.
Wu immediately stopped.
Lloyd didn't say anything.
He didn't have to.
His expression clearly communicated one thing:
Say one more word, and you're next.
Wu's face went pale.
Lloyd turned away from him.
His father was more important.
He rushed back to Garmadon.
“Dad, I'm here.”
Garmadon's eyes opened slightly.
“Lloyd...”
“Don't move.”
Lloyd carefully helped him sit upright.
Garmadon immediately groaned.
“Ah—”
“I know. I know. I'm sorry.”
Lloyd's voice trembled.
He carefully put Garmadon's arm around his shoulders.
“Come on. We're getting you somewhere safe.”
Garmadon could barely stand.
Most of his weight was supported by Lloyd.
Every step toward the bathroom was agonizing.
“Easy, Dad.”
Garmadon stumbled.
Lloyd tightened his grip.
“I've got you.”
Once they reached the bathroom, Lloyd carefully lowered Garmadon onto the edge of the tub.
Garmadon was barely conscious.
Lloyd grabbed a cloth and began cleaning the blood from his father's face.
His hands shook.
He hated that.
He couldn't let his father see him falling apart.
Not now.
“Lloyd...” Garmadon murmured.
“I'm okay.”
“You're crying.”
Lloyd immediately wiped his face.
“I'm not.”
Garmadon weakly raised an eyebrow.
Lloyd swallowed.
“I'm not crying.”
His voice cracked.
Garmadon knew better.
But he didn't have the strength to argue.
Lloyd continued cleaning the wounds.
He found bandages and carefully wrapped them around Garmadon's injuries.
Every time Garmadon flinched, Lloyd froze.
“Sorry.”
“It's alright.”
“No, it's not.”
Garmadon looked at him.
Lloyd's eyes were red.
“You shouldn't have been hurt.”
“Lloyd—”
“You shouldn't have had to defend yourself from your own family.”
Garmadon went quiet.
Lloyd finished bandaging him.
Then he helped his father back to his feet.
“Come on. Bed.”
Garmadon leaned heavily against him.
Lloyd carefully guided him into the bedroom and helped him lie down.
Garmadon immediately winced.
“Does it hurt?”
“Yes.”
Lloyd's expression crumbled for half a second.
He quickly turned away.
“I'm going to get you some water.”
“Lloyd.”
He stopped.
Garmadon reached weakly toward him.
Lloyd immediately took his hand.
“I'm here.”
Garmadon looked at his son.
“You don't have to protect me from everyone.”
Lloyd stared at him.
“Yes, I do.”
“Lloyd—”
“No.”
Lloyd sat beside the bed.
“You protected me my whole life.”
His voice became quieter.
“You've always been there when someone hurt me.”
He squeezed Garmadon's hand.
“So I'm staying here now.”
Garmadon stared at him.
Lloyd wiped his eyes again.
“I don't care what Wu says. I don't care what the FSM says. Nobody is touching you again.”
Garmadon's eyes softened.
“Lloyd...”
“You're my dad.”
That was all Lloyd could manage.
Garmadon slowly squeezed his hand.
“I'm proud of you.”
Lloyd's lips trembled.
“Don't say that.”
“Why?”
“Because I'm trying really hard not to cry.”
Garmadon managed the faintest smile.
“Then cry.”
Lloyd immediately shook his head.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because if I start, I'm not stopping.”
Garmadon gave a weak chuckle before wincing from the pain.
Lloyd's smile disappeared instantly.
“Don't laugh. You'll hurt yourself.”
“Bossy.”
“Yeah.”
Lloyd pulled the blanket carefully over him.
Then he sat down beside the bed.
He wasn't leaving.
Not tonight.
Not after what had happened.
Outside the room, Wu cautiously approached.
“Lloyd?”
Lloyd's head snapped toward the door.
Wu stopped.
Lloyd's expression was enough.
“Don't.”
Wu hesitated.
“I'm only checking on—”
“I said don't.”
Wu stared at him.
Lloyd turned back toward his father.
Garmadon was barely conscious again.
Lloyd gently held his hand.
“You're safe, Dad.”
Garmadon's eyes opened slightly.
“With you here?”
“Always.”
Garmadon slowly closed his eyes.
Lloyd remained beside him.
He watched every breath.
Every movement.
Every little twitch of pain.
And although tears threatened to fall, Lloyd refused to let them.
He had spent his entire life believing his father was the person who could protect him from anything.
Tonight, Lloyd had learned something different.
Sometimes even the strongest person in the room needed someone to protect them.
And Lloyd would make damn sure that person was him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Next Morning
Of course — here’s the continuation, with Garmadon still badly injured and both he and Lloyd completely unwilling to accept Wu’s apology yet.
No Apology Could Fix This
Garmadon woke to pain.
It was the first thing he noticed.
Pain in his back.
Pain across his ribs.
Pain in his shoulder.
Pain in his head.
Even breathing hurt.
His eyes slowly opened.
For several seconds, he simply stared at the ceiling, trying to remember where he was.
Then everything came rushing back.
Wu.
The argument.
The First Spinjitzu Master.
The blast.
The wall.
Lloyd.
Garmadon tried to move.
A sharp pain shot through his body.
“Ahh—”
Immediately, Lloyd's head snapped up.
He had been sitting in the chair beside the bed all night.
He hadn't slept.
His hair was messy, his eyes were red and exhausted, and he was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday.
“Dad?”
Garmadon looked toward him.
“Lloyd…”
“Don't move.”
Garmadon stopped.
Lloyd stood immediately and leaned over him.
“How bad is it?”
“Bad.”
Lloyd's expression tightened.
“Where?”
“Everywhere.”
“That isn't helpful.”
Garmadon managed a weak smile.
“Sorry.”
“Don't apologise.”
Lloyd carefully checked the bandages.
Several had blood staining through them.
Lloyd's stomach twisted.
“Damn it.”
Garmadon noticed.
“I'm alright.”
“You're bleeding through the bandages.”
“I've had worse.”
Lloyd's head snapped up.
“That's not comforting.”
Garmadon sighed.
“Sorry.”
“Dad.”
“Right. No apologising.”
Lloyd carefully helped him sit up.
Garmadon immediately groaned.
“Easy, easy.”
“I know.”
Lloyd supported his father's back.
Garmadon's breathing became shallow.
“Does sitting up hurt?”
“Yes.”
“Then we're not doing that.”
“I need water.”
“I'll get it.”
Lloyd grabbed the glass from the bedside table and held it carefully to Garmadon's lips.
Garmadon took a few small sips.
“Thank you.”
“Of course.”
Lloyd put the glass down.
For a few moments, neither spoke.
Then Garmadon looked at him.
“You stayed here all night.”
“Yeah.”
“You should have slept.”
“I wasn't tired.”
Garmadon gave him a look.
Lloyd immediately looked away.
“Okay. I was tired.”
“Lloyd…”
“I wasn't leaving you.”
Garmadon stared at his son.
“You didn't have to sit here all night.”
“Yes, I did.”
“I'm your father.”
“Exactly.”
Garmadon went quiet.
Lloyd pulled the blanket higher over him.
“You got hurt protecting me my entire life.”
“Lloyd—”
“I'm not letting you lie here alone after someone nearly killed you.”
Garmadon's expression softened.
“I wasn't nearly killed.”
Lloyd stared at him.
Garmadon paused.
“…Alright. That was a stupid thing to say.”
“Very.”
A faint smile appeared on Lloyd's face.
Then the door opened.
Both immediately looked toward it.
Wu stood there.
The moment Lloyd saw him, his expression hardened.
Wu noticed.
“Lloyd.”
“No.”
Wu blinked.
“I haven't said anything.”
“I know what you're going to say.”
Wu stepped inside cautiously.
“I wanted to apologise.”
Garmadon's eyes immediately narrowed.
“Don't.”
Wu looked toward his brother.
“Garmadon—”
“I said don't.”
His voice wasn't loud.
It didn't need to be.
Garmadon was still too weak to shout.
But there was an unmistakable bitterness in his voice.
Wu swallowed.
“I know what I did was wrong.”
Lloyd stood.
Wu immediately looked at him.
Lloyd's expression was completely cold.
“You don't get to apologise and make everything okay.”
“I never said it would.”
“Then why are you here?”
Wu struggled to answer.
“Because I regret what happened.”
Garmadon gave a bitter laugh.
“You regret what happened?”
Wu looked at him.
“Yes.”
Garmadon slowly shook his head.
“You didn't regret it when you were sleeping with my wife.”
Wu flinched.
Lloyd's jaw clenched.
“And you didn't regret it the first time,” Garmadon continued. “Or the second. Or the third.”
“Garmadon…”
“No.”
Garmadon tried to sit up straighter.
Pain immediately shot through him.
“Dad!”
Lloyd rushed to support him.
Garmadon gritted his teeth.
“I'm fine.”
“No, you're not.”
Lloyd carefully settled him back down.
Wu watched silently.
Garmadon looked toward him again.
“You don't get to stand there and tell me you're sorry because your actions finally had consequences.”
Wu lowered his head.
“I understand.”
“No, you don't.”
Garmadon's voice trembled.
“You have no idea what you did to me.”
Wu looked up.
“I betrayed you.”
“You destroyed my marriage.”
Wu said nothing.
“You betrayed your own brother.”
Still nothing.
“And then when I finally confronted you about it, our father decided that I was the problem.”
Lloyd's hands curled into fists.
Garmadon continued.
“I was angry because I was hurt. And instead of anyone listening to me, I was attacked.”
Wu looked ashamed.
“I should have stopped Father.”
“Yes.”
Garmadon's answer came immediately.
Wu froze.
Garmadon's eyes were filled with exhaustion.
“You should have.”
Wu swallowed.
“I know.”
“You watched him hurt me.”
“I didn't expect him to—”
“Don't.”
Garmadon stared at him.
“Don't make excuses.”
Wu fell silent.
Lloyd stepped forward.
“You know what the worst part is?”
Wu looked at him.
Lloyd's voice was quiet.
“You're apologising because you feel guilty.”
Wu's brow furrowed.
“What?”
“You feel bad because Dad got hurt.”
Lloyd pointed toward Garmadon.
“But yesterday, when Dad was yelling at you because he was hurt and angry, you didn't care about his feelings.”
Wu couldn't answer.
“You wanted him to shut up.”
Lloyd's eyes narrowed.
“And when the FSM attacked him, you just stood there.”
“I was shocked.”
“You stood there.”
Wu looked away.
Lloyd's voice became colder.
“Then you tried to discipline me for protecting him.”
Wu looked back at him.
“I was trying to stop you from killing him.”
“I stopped when he was unconscious.”
“That doesn't make what you did right.”
Lloyd's eyes narrowed.
“Neither was what he did to Dad.”
Wu couldn't argue.
Lloyd turned away.
“Get out.”
Wu stared at him.
“Lloyd—”
“Get out.”
“I'm trying to apologise.”
“I don't want it.”
Wu looked toward Garmadon.
“Garmadon?”
Garmadon closed his eyes.
“I don't want it either.”
Wu stood there for a moment.
His shoulders dropped.
“I understand.”
Lloyd pointed toward the doorway.
“Then leave.”
Wu slowly walked out.
Before leaving, he glanced back at his brother.
Garmadon didn't look at him.
The door closed.
Silence returned.
Lloyd remained standing for several seconds.
Then he turned back toward his father.
Garmadon was staring at the ceiling.
Lloyd sat down beside him.
“You okay?”
Garmadon didn't answer immediately.
“No.”
Lloyd's expression softened.
“Yeah.”
Garmadon looked toward him.
“I hate him right now.”
Lloyd nodded.
“I know.”
“And I hate that I hate him.”
Lloyd took his father's hand.
“You don't have to forgive him today.”
Garmadon squeezed his hand.
“Thank you.”
Lloyd leaned back into the chair.
“And if he comes back…”
Garmadon glanced at him.
“Lloyd.”
“What?”
“Don't threaten your uncle.”
“I wasn't.”
“You were.”
“I was going to say I'd tell him to leave.”
Garmadon raised an eyebrow.
“With your fists?”
Lloyd looked away.
“…Maybe.”
Despite everything, Garmadon let out a tiny laugh.
Immediately, pain shot through his ribs.
“Ah—!”
Lloyd panicked.
“Dad!”
Garmadon grabbed his side.
“I'm okay.”
“You're laughing now?”
“I wasn't expecting you to say that.”
“Don't laugh!”
“You just told me not to apologise, and now you're telling me not to laugh.”
“Because you're injured!”
Garmadon managed a weak smile.
Lloyd carefully adjusted the pillows behind him.
“Seriously, though. Don't worry about Wu.”
Garmadon looked at him.
“You don't have to protect me from him.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Lloyd.”
“No.”
Lloyd sat beside him again.
“I'm angry too.”
Garmadon studied his son's face.
“Very angry.”
“I know.”
“And I'm not ready to forgive him.”
“You don't have to.”
Garmadon was quiet.
Then he squeezed Lloyd's hand.
“I don't know what I'd do without you.”
Lloyd's eyes immediately became watery.
He looked down.
“Don't.”
Garmadon smiled faintly.
“Don't what?”
“Make me cry.”
“You've been awake all night.”
“I know.”
“You're exhausted.”
“I know.”
“You're worried.”
“I know.”
Garmadon gently squeezed his hand again.
“You're allowed to cry, Lloyd.”
Lloyd's lips trembled.
He quickly wiped his eyes.
“Nope.”
Garmadon smiled.
“Stubborn.”
“Learned from you.”
That got another tiny smile from Garmadon.
This time, he didn't laugh.
Lloyd stayed beside him.
And for the rest of the morning, neither of them spoke about Wu.
Neither wanted to.
Neither was ready.
And neither was going to pretend that a simple I'm sorry could erase years of betrayal—or the sight of Garmadon being blasted through a wall while Lloyd watched helplessly.
For now, Lloyd's only priority was his father.
And Garmadon's only priority was keeping his son close.
Everything else could wait.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that Day
“Just Leave, Misako.”
The morning had been quiet.
Garmadon remained in bed, still badly injured from being thrown through the wall the previous day. Every movement hurt, and even breathing too deeply made his ribs ache.
Lloyd hadn't moved from his side.
He'd brought his father water, changed his bandages, made sure he was comfortable, and repeatedly checked that he wasn't getting worse.
He had barely spoken about Wu.
He certainly hadn't forgiven him.
And neither had Garmadon.
Then there was a knock.
Lloyd immediately looked toward the door.
Garmadon opened his eyes.
“Who is it?”
Before Lloyd could answer, the door opened.
Misako stepped inside.
Lloyd's entire expression changed.
His eyes narrowed.
His posture stiffened.
“What are you doing here?”
Misako stopped.
She hadn't expected that reaction.
“I came to see your father.”
Lloyd stood.
“No.”
Misako frowned.
“Lloyd—”
“No.”
He moved directly between her and the bed.
Misako stared at him.
“Please. I just want to speak with Garmadon.”
“You're not going near him.”
“Lloyd, I'm his—”
“Don't.”
The single word was ice cold.
Misako went silent.
Garmadon watched from the bed.
He was too exhausted to deal with another argument.
Misako looked around Lloyd toward him.
“Garmadon, please.”
Lloyd moved slightly, blocking her view.
Misako's frustration grew.
“Lloyd, move.”
“No.”
“I'm not here to hurt him.”
“Then leave.”
“I'm his wife.”
Lloyd's eyes hardened.
“Not anymore.”
Misako flinched.
Lloyd continued.
“You made your choice.”
“Lloyd—”
“You chose Wu.”
Misako's face fell.
“That isn't fair.”
Lloyd laughed bitterly.
“Fair?”
His voice rose.
“Dad was married to you. He trusted you. You knew exactly what you were doing.”
Misako opened her mouth.
Lloyd pointed toward the hallway.
“Get out.”
“I want to apologise.”
“Dad doesn't want your apology.”
Misako looked toward Garmadon again.
“Garmadon?”
Garmadon closed his eyes.
He was already exhausted.
“Misako…”
She waited.
Garmadon slowly opened his eyes.
“Just leave.”
Misako's face crumpled slightly.
“Garmadon, I—”
“Please.”
There was no anger in his voice anymore.
That somehow made it worse.
He sounded completely drained.
“I don't want to argue.”
Misako swallowed.
“I only wanted to see how badly you were hurt.”
Garmadon looked at her.
“You already know.”
Misako glanced toward Lloyd.
“Lloyd told you?”
“No.”
Garmadon looked down at his bandaged body.
“I can feel it.”
Misako's eyes became wet.
“I'm sorry.”
Garmadon's expression hardened.
“Don't.”
Misako froze.
“I don't want to hear it.”
“But Garmadon—”
“Yesterday, I found out that my brother had been sleeping with my wife behind my back.”
Misako looked down.
“Garmadon…”
“Then our father decided that I was the one who needed to be punished for being angry about it.”
His voice cracked.
“And now I'm lying here because of it.”
Misako's eyes filled with tears.
“I know.”
“No.”
Garmadon shook his head.
“You don't.”
Lloyd remained beside him.
Garmadon continued.
“You don't know what it's like to realise that the person you trusted most didn't respect your marriage.”
Misako said nothing.
“And you don't know what it's like to have your own brother do the same thing.”
Garmadon looked toward the door.
“I'm tired.”
Misako whispered,
“I just wanted to say goodbye.”
Garmadon stared at her.
Then he looked away.
“Goodbye.”
Misako stood completely still.
Lloyd didn't move.
Garmadon closed his eyes.
“Please leave.”
Misako's lower lip trembled.
She nodded.
“Okay.”
She turned around.
Lloyd watched her carefully.
At the doorway, Misako stopped.
“Lloyd…”
Lloyd stared at her.
Misako looked like she wanted to say something.
Perhaps an apology.
Perhaps an explanation.
But she saw Lloyd's expression.
He didn't want to hear it.
Neither did Garmadon.
So she simply walked out.
The door closed.
Lloyd remained standing for several seconds.
Then he looked toward his father.
Garmadon opened his eyes.
“You didn't have to be that harsh.”
Lloyd immediately frowned.
“She hurt you.”
Garmadon sighed.
“I know.”
“And Wu hurt you.”
“I know.”
“And the FSM hurt you.”
Garmadon looked at his son.
“Lloyd.”
“What?”
“You're very angry.”
Lloyd crossed his arms.
“Yes.”
“I noticed.”
Lloyd's expression softened slightly.
Garmadon slowly held out his hand.
Lloyd immediately took it.
“You don't have to fight everyone for me.”
“Yes, I do.”
“No.”
“Dad.”
Garmadon squeezed his hand.
“You've already done enough.”
Lloyd stared at him.
“I watched you get thrown through a wall.”
His voice became shaky.
“I thought you were dead.”
Garmadon's expression softened.
“I'm here.”
“I know.”
Lloyd looked down.
“But I thought you were.”
Garmadon gently pulled his son's hand closer.
“I'm still here.”
Lloyd nodded.
Garmadon looked toward the closed door.
“I'm not ready to forgive Misako.”
“Neither am I.”
“And I'm not ready to forgive Wu.”
“Neither am I.”
Garmadon looked at him.
“You don't have to agree with everything I say.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
Lloyd paused.
“…Mostly.”
Garmadon smiled faintly.
“Stubborn child.”
“Your child.”
Garmadon chuckled softly.
Then immediately winced.
Lloyd's eyes widened.
“Dad!”
“I'm fine.”
“Stop laughing!”
“You're making me laugh!”
“That's not my fault!”
Garmadon smiled through the pain.
For the first time since the attack, Lloyd relaxed slightly.
He carefully adjusted his father's pillows.
“Just rest.”
Garmadon nodded.
Lloyd sat back down beside him.
And when Garmadon eventually drifted back to sleep, Lloyd remained there.
Still angry.
Still protective.
Still unwilling to forgive anyone who had hurt his father.
A carved wooden snake hidden beneath Garmadon's blankets.
A rope painted to look like scales.
A realistic drawing tucked into one of Garmadon's scrolls.
Every time, the result was the same.
Garmadon would freeze.
His breathing would quicken.
For a few terrifying moments, he would be nine years old again—not in the monastery, but back in the forest where the Great Devourer's fangs had sunk into his arm.
Wu would laugh.
"You fall for it every time."
Garmadon never laughed with him.
He would quietly pick up the fake snake, put it away, and leave without saying a word.
The Teenage Years
As they grew older, the pranks became more elaborate.
One afternoon, Wu asked Garmadon to retrieve a training weapon from the storage room.
The moment Garmadon opened the door, several wooden snakes hanging from the ceiling swung toward him.
He staggered backward.
"No..."
The room spun.
His staff slipped from his hands.
Wu burst into laughter from behind the doorway.
"You should have seen your face!"
Garmadon leaned against the wall, trying to steady his breathing.
"Wu..."
"What?"
"...Please stop."
Wu was still smiling.
"They're made of wood."
"I know."
"Then why are you scared?"
Garmadon didn't answer.
Because he didn't know how to explain that fear wasn't logical.
That every fake snake reminded him of a very real one.
Wu shook his head. "You really are a coward sometimes."
The words lingered far longer than the prank itself.
Young Adults
Years passed. The brothers became powerful masters. They trained together.
Meditated together. Protected Ninjago together. But every so often, Wu couldn't resist. He would leave a rubber snake in Garmadon's room.
Hide one in a scroll case.
Place one near the meditation garden.
Each time, Garmadon reacted the same way. Not because he wanted to.Because the memory always reached him before reason did.
Wu would laugh.
"You've got to stop jumping at every snake you see."
"I wish I could," Garmadon admitted once.
Wu blinked.
It was one of the few times his brother had spoken honestly about it.
"I've tried."
There was a long silence. Then Wu simply shrugged. "You'll get over it eventually."
But eventually never came.
After Darkness
Years later, everything changed.
The venom finally consumed Garmadon completely. The brothers became enemies. When they met on opposite sides of the battlefield, Wu noticed something strange.
Even after becoming the feared Lord Garmadon...
Even after commanding armies...
Even after gaining four arms...
His brother still froze whenever a snake appeared unexpectedly. The fear had survived everything.
Wu never mentioned it. Instead, whenever he had the opportunity, he still joked.
"You've defeated monsters larger than mountains," Wu would say.
"And yet a snake still frightens you."
Garmadon always looked away.
After the Final Battle
When the darkness left Garmadon, he returned to the monastery as Sensei Garmadon.
Older.
Kinder.
At peace.
But some wounds had never healed. One evening Lloyd found an old chest in the monastery attic.
Inside were dozens of carved snakes. Wooden snakes. Cloth snakes. Painted ropes.
Rubber snakes. Some looked decades old.
Confused, Lloyd carried the box downstairs.
"Dad?"
Garmadon looked at the contents. His expression fell.
"...I wondered where those went."
"Were these yours?"
Garmadon slowly shook his head.
"No."
He gently picked up one of the wooden snakes.
"Wu made most of these."
Lloyd frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Garmadon ran a thumb across the faded paint.
"He liked pranking me."
"All of these?"
"For many years."
Lloyd looked from the box to his father.
"...Why?"
Garmadon gave a tired smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"He thought that if I was exposed to enough fake snakes, eventually I'd stop being afraid."
"Did it work?"
Garmadon was quiet for a long time.
Finally he answered.
"No."
He looked down at the old wooden snake.
"Instead... I learned to expect that people would laugh before they asked if I was alright."
Lloyd felt his chest tighten.
He suddenly understood why Kai's prank had hurt his father so deeply.
It hadn't been just one cruel joke.
It had reminded Garmadon of years of being told his fear was something to mock instead of something to understand.
Lloyd quietly closed the chest.
"I'm sorry you went through that."
Garmadon looked at his son and smiled faintly.
"So am I."
Lloyd reached over and gently took the old wooden snake from his father's hands.
Without saying anything, he carried the box outside.
One by one, he placed every fake snake into a storage chest at the far end of the monastery.
Not because they were dangerous.
But because he wanted his father to know that, at least now, home would be a place where he didn't have to wonder whether the next snake was another joke waiting for him.
What if…? Garmadon died in the season 2 battle (Part 3)
Months had passed since Lloyd had left the monastery.
The journey had tested him more than any battle ever had.
He climbed frozen mountains to earn the Feather of the First Dragon.
He waited beneath the Temple of Light through an entire full moon to collect the crystal water.
He found the Blossom of Dawn moments before the rising sun caused it to wither.
And the final task...
The Oni relic.
Lloyd carried the black stone to the place where his father had died.
There, kneeling among the repaired streets of Ninjago City, he closed his eyes.
"I forgive you."
The words caught in his throat.
"For every mistake."
"For every battle."
"For every time you couldn't be the father you wanted to be..."
A warm light spread across the relic.
The darkness dissolved.
It had been purified.
The ritual could finally begin.
...
Following the map in Garmadon's journal, Lloyd arrived at an ancient stone shrine hidden high above the clouds.
The circular altar was covered in glowing runes older than Spinjitzu itself.
In the center rested an empty space.
The place where a lost soul could return.
Lloyd carefully arranged every ingredient exactly as the parchment instructed.
The feather.
The crystal water.
The flower.
The purified Oni relic.
Only one instruction remained unread.
His hands trembled as he unfolded the final section of the parchment.
The ink glowed faintly.
To restore a soul to the living world...
The one who performs the Rite must surrender the greatest light they possess.
Lloyd frowned.
"...The greatest light?"
More words appeared beneath the first.
For the Golden Ninja...
That light is the Golden Power.
Lloyd's eyes widened.
His Golden Power.
The gift entrusted to him.
The power that protected Ninjago.
If he surrendered it...
It would be gone forever.
His breathing slowed.
He looked down at the photograph he had carried through the entire journey.
His father smiling.
Holding him on his shoulders.
Lloyd smiled sadly.
"I've never needed the Golden Power to love you."
He closed the journal.
"I choose you."
He stepped into the center of the circle.
The runes burst into brilliant golden light.
A voice echoed around him.
Do you willingly surrender your greatest light?
"Yes."
Knowing it can never be reclaimed?
"...Yes."
Then let the balance be restored.
Golden energy erupted from Lloyd's body.
It poured into the ancient symbols like rivers of sunlight.
Lloyd cried out in pain as the power that had lived inside him for years was slowly pulled away.
The light surrounding him became blinding.
His body trembled violently.
He fell to one knee.
The energy continued flowing.
More...
And more...
Until the brilliant golden aura that had always surrounded the Green Ninja simply...
Vanished.
The world became silent.
Lloyd gasped for air.
He had never felt so weak.
The final beam of golden light shot into the center of the altar.
The ground shook.
Wind howled across the mountain.
The ingredients dissolved into countless glowing particles.
Those particles gathered together.
Slowly...
A figure began to form.
Feet.
Hands.
Arms.
A face.
Dark hair.
Kind eyes.
Human.
Alive.
Garmadon took his first breath.
His eyes slowly opened.
He looked around in confusion before his gaze settled on the young man kneeling before him.
"...Lloyd?"
His voice was soft.
Real.
Alive.
Lloyd looked up.
Tears filled his eyes.
"Dad..."
A small smile crossed his face.
"It...worked..."
Before Garmadon could take another step—
Lloyd collapsed.
His body hit the stone floor.
"Lloyd!"
Garmadon was beside him instantly.
He rolled Lloyd onto his back.
"Lloyd!"
Lloyd's breathing was shallow.
His skin had turned pale.
His pulse was weak.
Garmadon's heart pounded.
"No...no..."
He gently lifted his son's head.
"Lloyd, stay with me."
Lloyd's eyelids fluttered.
"I...I'm just..."
He struggled to finish the sentence.
"So...tired..."
Then his eyes closed.
Without hesitation, Garmadon scooped Lloyd into his arms.
Despite having only just returned to life, he ran faster than he ever had before.
He wasn't losing his son.
Not after everything Lloyd had done.
Not after the sacrifice he had made.
Hours later...
The emergency entrance to the hospital burst open.
"Help him!" Garmadon shouted.
Doctors and nurses rushed forward with a stretcher.
"What happened?" one doctor asked.
"I don't know!" Garmadon answered, his voice shaking. "He collapsed...he just collapsed!"
The medical team quickly transferred Lloyd onto the stretcher.
One nurse checked his pulse.
Another attached an oxygen mask.
"He has a pulse."
"It's weak."
"Blood pressure is dangerously low."
"Move him to intensive care!"
The doors to the Intensive Care Unit swung shut behind them.
Garmadon took one step after them.
A nurse gently stopped him.
"I'm sorry."
"You can't come in right now."
"But that's my son."
"We know."
"We're doing everything we can."
The doors closed.
Leaving Garmadon alone.
...
Five hours.
Five endless hours.
Garmadon never moved from the waiting room.
He refused food.
He refused water.
Every time someone walked through the ICU doors, he stood, hoping for news.
Every minute felt like another lifetime.
His hands were clasped tightly together.
"If anyone should be lying in there..."
He lowered his head.
"It should be me."
The guilt was crushing.
Lloyd had given up the greatest power in existence.
Just to bring him back.
Finally...
A doctor stepped into the waiting room.
"Lord Garmadon?"
He stood immediately.
"How is he?"
"The good news is that he's stable."
Garmadon let out a shaky breath.
"But..."
The doctor continued carefully.
"Whatever happened to him placed an incredible strain on his body. He's extremely weak, and we're keeping him under constant supervision in intensive care."
"Can I see him?"
The doctor studied him for a moment before giving a small nod.
"For a few minutes."
Garmadon followed the doctor through the quiet corridors of the hospital.
Machines beeped steadily as they entered the ICU.
There, in a private room surrounded by monitors and IV lines, lay Lloyd.
He looked impossibly small in the hospital bed.
An oxygen tube rested beneath his nose.
A heart monitor traced each slow heartbeat across the screen.
Several nurses quietly adjusted medication and checked his vital signs before stepping aside.
Garmadon approached the bedside with trembling hands.
He gently took Lloyd's hand.
It was warm.
Alive.
Tears welled in his eyes.
"You foolish, wonderful boy..."
His voice broke.
"You gave up everything..."
He squeezed Lloyd's hand gently.
"...for me."
For the first time since returning to life, Garmadon truly understood the depth of his son's love.
And sitting beside Lloyd's hospital bed, he silently made a promise.
The Stone Army lay scattered across the ruined streets. Fires crackled in the distance, and clouds of dust drifted through the broken skyline of Ninjago City. The battle had been won—but the cost had not yet been counted.
"Lloyd!"
Kai's voice echoed somewhere behind him, but Lloyd barely heard it.
He was searching.
Searching for the one person he couldn't stop thinking about.
His father.
The last thing Lloyd had seen was Garmadon holding up the collapsing tower, buying everyone precious seconds to escape before the ancient structure gave way beneath the overwhelming force of the battle.
"Dad!" Lloyd shouted, sprinting toward the mountain of shattered stone.
There was no answer.
His golden power surged through him as he threw aside chunks of concrete and twisted steel with desperate strength.
"No... no, please..."
His breathing became ragged.
Every stone he lifted only revealed more destruction.
Minutes passed.
His hands bled from scraping against broken rock, but he didn't stop.
Then...
He saw black fabric.
Lloyd froze.
Slowly, carefully, he pulled away another slab.
There he was.
Lord Garmadon.
No...
Just Garmadon.
His Oni corruption was gone. The darkness that had consumed him had vanished in death, leaving only the face Lloyd remembered from long ago.
His human face.
His eyes were closed peacefully.
His hair was streaked with gray, dust covering his clothes.
A massive slab had crushed his chest beneath the collapse.
"Dad?"
Lloyd knelt beside him.
His voice was barely a whisper.
"Dad..."
He reached out and gently shook his shoulder.
Nothing.
A little harder.
"Dad... wake up."
Still nothing.
Lloyd placed trembling fingers against Garmadon's neck.
No pulse.
His heart sank.
"No..."
He pressed his ear against his father's chest.
Silence.
No heartbeat.
"No... no..."
He tried again.
And again.
As if trying one more time could somehow change reality.
"Please..."
His voice cracked.
"You always get back up..."
Tears blurred his vision.
"You always do..."
Silence answered him.
The truth hit him all at once.
His father wasn't unconscious.
He wasn't trapped.
He wasn't coming back.
He was dead.
A broken sound escaped Lloyd's throat before he collapsed over Garmadon's body.
"DAD!!"
His scream echoed across the ruined city.
It was a scream filled with every ounce of grief he'd never imagined feeling.
He clutched Garmadon's coat with shaking hands.
"No... please..."
His words dissolved into sobs.
"You promised..."
His shoulders shook violently.
"You promised you'd stay..."
The memories came flooding back without mercy.
A much younger Lloyd sitting on Garmadon's shoulders while they walked through quiet forests.
His father pretending not to notice Lloyd stealing sweets before smiling anyway.
Late nights where Garmadon told him stories about dragons and the First Spinjitzu Master until Lloyd fell asleep against his shoulder.
The day Garmadon patiently taught him how to balance on a training post, laughing when Lloyd kept falling into the mud.
Tiny Lloyd running as fast as his little legs could carry him...
"...Dad!"
...and Garmadon kneeling with open arms, catching him every single time.
Those memories had survived everything.
The Great Devourer.
Years apart.
The battles.
The darkness.
Because underneath it all...
Garmadon had always been his father.
Lloyd buried his face against Garmadon's shoulder, crying harder than he ever had before.
"I'm sorry..."
The words barely came out.
"I'm so sorry..."
Kai, Jay, Cole, Zane, and Nya finally reached the ruins.
They stopped cold.
None of them spoke.
Kai lowered his head.
Jay quietly wiped away tears.
Cole looked away, unable to watch.
Even Zane's normally calm expression was heavy with grief.
Wu arrived last.
The old master looked at his brother lying peacefully beneath the broken stones.
His knees weakened.
"My brother..."
His voice trembled.
For all their rivalry...
For all their mistakes...
They had been family.
Wu slowly knelt beside Lloyd.
Without saying a word, he rested a gentle hand on his nephew's shoulder.
Lloyd turned toward him, his face soaked with tears.
"He was finally himself again..."
Lloyd whispered.
"I got him back..."
Another sob escaped him.
"...and now he's gone."
Wu closed his eyes.
"I know."
The six ninja quietly helped lift the remaining rubble away.
Together, they carried Garmadon's body into the fading evening light.
For the first time in years...
There was no anger on his face.
No hatred.
Only peace.
Lloyd walked beside him the entire way, refusing to let go of his father's hand.
It was cold now.
But he held it anyway.
As the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, Lloyd whispered the words he wished he'd said more often.
"I love you, Dad."
The wind carried the words into the quiet evening.
And though no answer came...
Lloyd hoped, wherever his father was now, he had heard them.
Families sat shoulder to shoulder on metal benches. Some people were checking weather updates on their phones. Others held frightened children in their laps.
Six-year-old Lloyd sat pressed tightly against his father.
Very tightly.
His small hands were gripping Garmadon's robe so hard that his knuckles were white.
The sirens outside continued to howl.
OOOOOOO-WOOOOOOO!
Every time they sounded, Lloyd flinched.
"Dad..."
"I'm here."
Lloyd looked around the shelter.
Everyone seemed scared.
Even the adults.
That made him feel worse.
If grown-ups were frightened, then the tornado must be really bad.
The shelter door suddenly opened.
A man rushed inside, soaked from head to toe.
"It's huge!" he shouted. "The tornado is almost here!"
Several people gasped.
Lloyd's stomach twisted.
Almost here.
The words echoed inside his head.
Almost here.
Almost here.
He buried his face against Garmadon's chest.
"I want to go home."
Garmadon wrapped an arm around him.
"I know."
"I don't like America anymore."
A few nervous people nearby smiled despite the situation.
Garmadon gently rubbed Lloyd's back.
"Perhaps we can judge the entire country after the weather improves."
Lloyd didn't laugh this time.
He was too scared.
Then the shelter lights flickered.
Everyone fell silent.
A low rumble echoed through the ground.
It sounded like distant thunder.
Except it wasn't fading away.
It was getting louder.
And louder.
And louder.
Lloyd slowly lifted his head.
"What is that?"
Nobody answered.
The sound grew deeper.
A strange roar.
Like a thousand waterfalls.
Like dozens of airplanes.
Like the entire sky tearing apart.
The shelter vibrated.
Lloyd's eyes widened.
"Dad?"
Garmadon's expression became serious.
The tornado had arrived.
The roar became deafening.
The concrete walls trembled.
Dust drifted from the ceiling.
Some children began crying.
A baby wailed.
Lloyd immediately grabbed Garmadon's arm with both hands.
"DAD!"
"I'm right here."
The shelter shook violently.
THUD!
Something heavy crashed somewhere above them.
People screamed.
Lloyd let out a frightened sob.
The roar overhead became unbelievable.
The sound was so loud it felt alive.
The tornado was directly above them.
An F5.
One of the most powerful forces on Earth.
The floor vibrated beneath Lloyd's shoes.
The walls groaned.
The lights flickered again.
For one terrifying moment, they went completely dark.
The shelter filled with frightened voices.
Then the emergency lights switched on.
Dim red light filled the room.
Lloyd's breathing sped up again.
"Dad!"
Garmadon immediately pulled him into his lap.
Lloyd wrapped himself around his father like a frightened koala.
His arms locked around Garmadon's neck.
His legs curled against him.
The little boy was shaking from head to toe.
The tornado roared above them.
The concrete shelter groaned.
A loud bang echoed somewhere overhead.
Lloyd squeezed tighter.
"Dad, make it stop!"
His voice cracked.
"Please make it stop!"
Tears streamed down his face.
He was crying openly now.
Garmadon held him firmly.
One hand rested on the back of Lloyd's head.
The other rubbed small circles across his back.
"I know this is frightening."
The tornado answered with another earth-shaking roar.
Lloyd buried his face in Garmadon's shoulder.
"I'm scared!"
"It's all right to be scared."
"What if the shelter breaks?"
"It was built for storms."
"What if it isn't strong enough?"
Garmadon gently tilted Lloyd's chin upward.
The little boy's eyes were filled with panic.
"Lloyd."
His voice was calm.
Steady.
Unshaken.
"Look around."
Lloyd sniffled.
He glanced around the room.
People were scared.
But they were still there.
The walls were still standing.
The ceiling was still standing.
The shelter was holding.
"The shelter is protecting us," Garmadon said.
"But the tornado is so big."
"Yes."
"And loud."
"Yes."
"And scary."
"Very."
Lloyd blinked.
"Dad?"
"Yes?"
"Are you scared?"
For the first time, Garmadon paused.
"A little."
Lloyd stared at him.
"You are?"
"Only a fool would not respect a storm like this."
That answer surprised him.
Garmadon wasn't pretending.
He wasn't saying there was nothing to fear.
He was simply staying calm despite being afraid.
"But do you know something?"
"What?"
Garmadon smiled.
"I am much less afraid because you are here with me."
Lloyd blinked again.
"Really?"
"Of course."
The little boy thought about that.
For some reason, it helped.
A lot.
The roar continued above them.
But now it felt farther away.
Not gone.
Just moving.
Minute after minute passed.
Eventually the shaking became weaker.
The roar softened.
The vibrations slowed.
Then, finally...
Silence.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The entire shelter waited.
Listening.
The terrible roar was gone.
The tornado had passed.
For several long seconds, there was only quiet.
Then someone near the back whispered,
"I think it's over."
Relieved laughter spread through the room.
Several people started crying from relief.
Others hugged family members.
Lloyd slowly lifted his head from Garmadon's shoulder.
"It left?"
"I believe so."
The little boy let out the longest breath of his life.
His whole body seemed to deflate.
"I thought we were doomed."
Garmadon chuckled softly.
"Doomed is a strong word."
Lloyd looked up at him.
"I was definitely doomed."
"No."
"Very doomed."
"No."
"Extremely doomed."
Garmadon smiled.
"You survived admirably."
Lloyd finally smiled back.
A tired, shaky smile.
The shelter door eventually opened.
People began stepping outside.
Lloyd stayed close to Garmadon as they emerged.
The world looked different.
Trees were damaged.
Branches were scattered everywhere.
Debris littered the ground.
But the sky was clearing.
Sunlight peeked through the clouds.
For the first time all day, Lloyd could see blue sky.
He stared at it.
Then he reached for Garmadon's hand.
His father immediately took it.
Lloyd squeezed tightly.
Not because he was terrified anymore.
But because he wanted to.
And as they walked together beneath the returning sunshine, Lloyd realized something important.
The tornado had been the scariest thing he had ever experienced.
The sky over Oklahoma had looked strange all afternoon.
Lloyd Garmadon, only six years old, stood beside the motel window clutching his green stuffed dragon. He and his father, Garmadon, were visiting America, and Lloyd had never seen weather like this before.
The clouds weren't white and fluffy like back home.
They were dark.
Huge.
And moving fast.
"Dad..." Lloyd whispered.
Garmadon looked up from his book. "Yes, Lloyd?"
"The sky looks angry."
Before Garmadon could answer, a loud wail echoed across the town.
OOOOOOO-WOOOOOOO!
Lloyd jumped so hard he nearly dropped his dragon.
"What was that?!"
Another siren joined it.
Then another.
The eerie sound filled the air.
Lloyd's eyes widened in terror.
"Dad!"
Garmadon immediately stood and walked to the window.
Outside, people were hurrying indoors. The motel manager was running from door to door.
A knock came at theirs.
"Tornado warning!" the manager shouted. "Everybody needs to get to the shelter now!"
Lloyd felt his stomach drop.
"T-tornado?"
The sirens kept screaming.
OOOOOOO-WOOOOOOO!
The sound seemed to come from everywhere at once.
Lloyd's breathing became faster.
"Dad... I don't like that sound."
Garmadon knelt beside him.
"I know."
"It's scary."
"I know."
Outside, rain began slamming against the windows.
The sky had turned almost green.
Lloyd stared at it.
Then he saw something in the distance.
A dark shape stretching from the clouds toward the ground.
His heart stopped.
"DAD!"
Garmadon followed his trembling finger.
Far away, a massive tornado churned across the plains.
An F5.
The strongest kind.
Even from miles away it looked enormous.
Lloyd's chest tightened.
The sirens wailed again.
His breathing became quick little gasps.
"H-H-H..."
"Lloyd?"
"I-I can't—"
His hands shook violently.
"Dad, it's coming!"
Tears filled his eyes.
"I don't want it to come here!"
His breaths became faster and faster.
"Huh—huh—huh—huh—"
Garmadon recognized the signs immediately.
Lloyd was hyperventilating.
Without hesitation, he gently took Lloyd's shoulders.
"Lloyd. Look at me."
But Lloyd couldn't.
The tornado was all he could think about.
The sirens.
The wind.
The terrifying clouds.
"Dad, we're gonna die!"
"No, we are not."
"Dad—"
"Lloyd."
Garmadon's voice became calm and steady.
The same voice he used whenever Lloyd had nightmares.
"Look at me."
Slowly, Lloyd turned his head.
Tears streamed down his cheeks.
Garmadon placed a hand on his son's small back.
"I am right here."
"Huh—huh—"
"Breathe with me."
"I c-can't—"
"Yes, you can."
Garmadon took one slow breath.
"In."
Lloyd tried.
"Good."
Another breath.
"Out."
Lloyd copied him.
Again.
And again.
The panic didn't disappear immediately.
But little by little, his breaths slowed.
The world stopped spinning.
"There you go," Garmadon said softly.
Lloyd wiped his eyes.
"I'm scared."
"I know."
"What if the tornado gets us?"
Garmadon gently pulled him into a hug.
Lloyd buried his face in his father's chest.
The familiar scent of Garmadon's robes helped him feel a little safer.
"We are going to the shelter," Garmadon said. "The shelter was built for storms like this."
"But it's an F5."
"Then we will listen carefully, stay together, and let the shelter protect us."
The sirens continued outside.
But now Lloyd could hear something else.
His father's heartbeat.
Steady.
Calm.
Strong.
"What if I get scared again?"
Garmadon smiled.
"Then you squeeze my hand."
"What if I'm really scared?"
"Then you squeeze harder."
A tiny laugh escaped Lloyd.
"What if I'm super-duper scared?"
Garmadon pretended to think.
"Then I suppose I shall lose all feeling in my fingers."
Lloyd giggled despite himself.
The motel manager called for everyone to move.
Garmadon stood and lifted Lloyd into his arms.
The little boy wrapped his arms tightly around his father's neck.
Outside, the wind howled.
Rain flew sideways.
The sirens wailed endlessly.
It was still terrifying.
But Lloyd wasn't facing it alone.
As they hurried toward the underground shelter, Lloyd peeked over Garmadon's shoulder at the dark sky one last time.
"Dad?"
"Yes?"
"You won't let go of me?"
Garmadon hugged him closer.
"Never."
And even though the storm outside was the most frightening thing Lloyd had ever seen, those single words made him feel brave enough to keep going.
Together, father and son disappeared into the safety of the shelter while the great tornado roared across the plains above.
And all through the storm, Garmadon kept his promise.
The first few days after Lloyd's birth had been surprisingly peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Garmadon should have known it wouldn't last.
The new father sat in a chair beside Lloyd's cradle, watching his son sleep. He had spent nearly an hour making sure the blanket was perfectly tucked, the room temperature was comfortable, and that absolutely nothing could disturb the baby.
Misako walked into the room carrying a cup of tea.
"You're staring again."
"I'm supervising."
"He's asleep."
"Exactly."
Misako rolled her eyes.
Before she could say anything else, Lloyd's face scrunched up.
A tiny whimper escaped him.
Garmadon immediately stood.
"Did you hear that?"
Misako sighed.
"Yes."
The whimper became another.
Then another.
Then suddenly Lloyd let out a loud cry.
Garmadon froze.
His eyes widened.
The baby cried again.
And panic instantly took over.
"Why is he crying?"
Misako calmly sipped her tea.
"Because he's a baby."
"But why?"
"Lots of reasons."
Lloyd's cries grew louder.
Garmadon rushed to the cradle.
"Is he hurt?"
"No."
"Is he sick?"
"No."
"Did something attack him?"
Misako nearly choked on her tea.
"What?"
"You never know."
Lloyd continued crying.
Garmadon carefully picked him up.
The crying continued.
"Oh no."
The panic doubled.
"He never cried like this before."
"Actually, he cried yesterday."
"Not this much."
Misako watched as Garmadon paced around the room with Lloyd in his arms.
The mighty warrior who had once faced terrifying enemies now looked completely helpless before a seven-pound infant.
"Maybe he needs a doctor."
"He doesn't."
"A healer?"
"Garmadon."
"A team of healers?"
"Garmadon."
Lloyd cried louder.
Garmadon looked horrified.
"This is getting worse."
Misako finally set down her tea and approached them.
"Give him here."
Garmadon reluctantly handed Lloyd over.
The moment Misako gently rocked him, Lloyd's crying began to soften.
Within seconds, he was calm.
Then he yawned.
Then he fell asleep.
Silence.
Garmadon stared.
"How did you do that?"
Misako smiled.
"I held him."
"I held him."
"Yes, but you were holding him like you were carrying a highly explosive artifact."
Garmadon looked offended.
"I was being careful."
"You looked terrified."
"I was not terrified."
Misako raised an eyebrow.
"You asked if we needed a team of healers."
"That was a reasonable suggestion."
"It was not."
Garmadon folded his arms.
Misako couldn't help laughing.
The expression on his face was priceless.
"You are unbelievably overprotective."
"I am not."
"You checked his blanket twelve times before breakfast."
"It could have come loose."
"You inspected his cradle for hidden dangers."
"It could have had hidden dangers."
"You spent ten minutes making sure sunlight wasn't shining directly into his eyes."
Garmadon hesitated.
"That one was justified."
Misako laughed harder.
Lloyd stirred slightly but remained asleep against her shoulder.
Garmadon looked at his son.
His expression softened immediately.
"I just want him to be safe."
Misako's teasing smile faded into something gentler.
"I know."
She sat beside him and carefully placed the sleeping baby back into his arms.
This time, Garmadon relaxed slightly.
Only slightly.
"You know," Misako said, "most fathers don't look ready to fight destiny every time their baby sneezes."
"What if it's an unusual sneeze?"
Misako burst out laughing again.
Even Garmadon couldn't stop a small smile from appearing.
Lloyd shifted in his sleep and wrapped one tiny hand around Garmadon's finger.
The room became quiet.
Garmadon's smile widened.
"There he is."
Misako leaned against his shoulder.
"He loves you, you know."
Garmadon looked down at his son.
The baby slept peacefully, completely unaware of the chaos he had caused just minutes earlier.
"I love him too."
Misako smiled.
"I know."
Then Lloyd suddenly sneezed.
Garmadon immediately sat upright.
"Was that normal?"
Misako groaned.
And somewhere in the future, Lloyd would discover that having Garmadon as a father meant being loved very much...
...and being checked for injuries after every single sneeze.
