Chapter Text
AN: Hello ladies and gentlemen! I'm the Blood Raven Also Silver_Hawk! Once upon a time I released this story called Impass (yes I know now that it's misspelled). It was helping me cope with a lot going on, death of my dog, overbearing school. I completed it some time ago and took a very long hiatus from writing fanfiction.
However I'm back.
With inspiration to write a sequel to Impass.This story was originally fully posted on FF.Net. However I'm cross posting here to get more exposure! The story has been revised since it's initial release and rather than original twenty chapters it was released as, I've confined it to two. After those two, I've been working on a continuation to the story, and chapter three and beyond is the aftermath!
I do sincerely hope you enjoy!
When he woke up, the ceiling above him wouldn't quite come into focus. There was a dull ache in the back of his skull, eliciting a pained groan as he forced himself to take stock of the situation. A piece of his mind knew there was something dreadfully wrong, something out of place. The last thing he remembered was... falling? Yeah, falling. The Mechanic... threw something. Yeah! He threw something, but... what? Wait a second... No... No... That's not right. What happened?
"You fell three stories and skewered yourself."
The voice, a voice Lloyd knew well, drawled in a hateful hiss that sent shivers down the injured elemental's spine. No. Beyond the panic, a realization occurred to Lloyd. He'd asked that flurry of inquiries aloud. Never should he be on his back before an enemy. And Lloyd groaned as he tried to lift his head, simultaneously attempting to shuffle an unresponsive left arm under him enough to get up. Mind numbing agony ravaged his shoulder in quick response to the move, blossoming from some wound Lloyd had yet to lay eyes on and branching down to his right ribs in bursts of breath taking pain.
"Gah! Agh." The injured ninja collapsed back, every breath rattling sharply.
"That would typically be interpreted by any sane person with an iota of common sense as 'lie still and stop moving.'" The voice added. "Of course you do share my blood and last name. It's a well established fact that none of us are entirely sane. Isn't that right, Lloyd?"
Lloyd groaned weakly, managing to shift a few inches before his right arm refused to follow any further. That wasn't his bad arm, so why-
"I took the precaution of chaining your non-injured arm up. Quite frankly you're too injured to make it more than five feet in any direction... But I'm not going to make the mistake of underestimating you again. That was quite problematic the last time."
Garmadon strode with a pointed gait, until he towered over his injured son's prone form. It was with no surprise that boy squinted up at him, terror lurking, yet masked deep in his jade green eyes. And... perhaps had Garmadon not been a master of wielding terror against anyone and everyone, he might have missed the fear entirely.
Lloyd struggled to turn his head. He was... Somewhere. It looked like a windowless basement, but was equipped like a kitchen and living room... Albeit with the bare essentials... And even that was a stretch.
A shrill whistle made Lloyd's head ring, pain stabbing the right side of his brain, not even close to -but rather well past- the formation of an already present migraine. He groaned and shook his head, wishing to try ... Only intensifying the feeling of a knife jabbing into his eye even more.
Garmadon shuffled over to a ratty stove and took a dented metal tea kettle off the burner, pouring the boiling water into a chipped tea cup. He scooped up the fine china with his upper most hands and blew the soft wafting steam away.
Lloyd's system was taxed out, his mind reeling from levels of agony that he had only felt once before. Kryptarian prison. Walls cracking behind him. Pain. Another wall. Pain. Cold air at his back and sand shifting as he finally landed. pain. He gasped, eyes squeezing shut.
He was suddenly being manhandled again. Panic seized his breath. He was going to die! He could feel the phantom hands around his throat, arms pulling him into a half sitting position; and he allowed instinct to take over in a hard fight to get away.
"Stop struggling!" He heard Garmadon's voice a few inches above his head, only fueling the breathtaking panic. His father was going to kill him...
Partially scalding and disgustingly bitter liquid gushed down his throat, but not even coughing rejected all of it.
The last thing he heard was a grossed out groan from Garmadon, and Lloyd was once again on the floor as oblivion claimed him.
"All alone? No backup? That's foolish of you."
"Please..." Lloyd sighed. "Let's just handle this like civilized human beings. Return the jewels, Mechanic."
"Mwah? You do realize that to do return them is to admit defeat, right?"
"That's kinda the point. My team and I have kicked your butt no less than seven times. It's been a long day. Just let me arrest you now. Then you can start thinking up more clever ways to escape, and I can finally get some shut eye."
Wow... Let me think about that... How about, no?"
"Fine." Lloyd tugged his hood down and cracked his neck. "I but don't say I didn't warn you."
"Actually... I warned you." The mechanic stated with a somewhat coy smile. This caused Lloyd to Pause."Warned me about what?"
"Wait, I didn't warn you? I must be slipping. That wasn't part of the plan."
Plan?" Lloyd asked. Before he could get his answer, a loud crash from a nearby alley way snagged his attention.
"This one."The roar of weapon fire was deafening, but no where near as surprising as the staggering pain that sent him reeling backwards. He saw the mechanic lazilly blow off pistol smoke before his foot left the edge of the world opened up at his back, giving way to air which didn't do anything to slow his fall. His bad arm, the only one close enough, instinctively reached out to the fire escape, grabbing on and letting go a moment later as his shoulder jarred, all followed by a scream that lurched from his throat with no remorse. These were the last things he was aware of.
He was even spared the bone jarring stop waiting at the alley floor.
Garmadon had chosen this cursed day to sneak out for supplies. Of course to obtain them, he had stolen; but that didn't bother him in the least. He had a bag stocked to the brim with supplies thrown across his left shoulder in a brown duffel.
Alley ways were the dark lord's best friend, his way of arriving anywhere unnoticed. Sometimes he would use the sewer, but if he could avoid it, he most certainly would.
The blissful silence was shattered by the unmistakable roar of a gunshot. But the worst disruption by far was ,without a doubt, the green clad teen that came careening off the roof only a moment later. Garmadon watched as the pest tried to slow his fall... doing so with his bleeding bad arm... The moron.
Lloyd made it to the ground, landing in a scant pile of trash which didn't do much to ease the fall. Garmadon stared in un-amusement at the child, debating on killing him personally or just leaving him there to bleed out. What a sight for the garbage men in the morning. At a scuffle above, the dark lord glanced up to see the Mechanic peering triumphantly over the lip of the roof.
"Uh, hey scary guy!" The mechanic called. "Can you make sure he's dead for me?"
Garmadon blinked. "And who are you supposed to be?" He asked slowly, studying the mechanically clad criminal who apparently had downed one of the mightiest of Ninjago's heroes.
"Seriously? You've never heard of my awesomeness? Now that just stinks! I'm the mechanic, Ninjago's worst enemy.""
"Then I believe you are mistaken. I am Ninjago's worst enemy. I am Lord Garmadon, and the ninja you just shot happens to be my son."
Deer in the headlights. That was perhaps the best way to describe the gobsmacked expression on the man's face. "Uh..."
Garmadon rolled his eyes and knelt down to check Lloyd's pulse, squinting and pretending for a moment to actually check. Then with a creak in his knee, he rose, glancing back up. "He's dead."
"No way! I did it? I actually killed the green ninja? Woo! I did it! I did it! Uh huh, who's the man?" Garmadon said nothing."Oh man... Sorry, you said he was your son?"
The dark lord merely stared further, waiting for the pieces to Click into place... And click they did."
Oh... You're him? The him? Oh crap... Just uh... You know... Forget I was even here."
The mechanic vanished, prompting Garmadon to quirk a bushy eyebrow at the retreat. Then dark Lord turned back to his downed and disowned son. The boy was injured badly, and one quick call to his friends could have him shipped off to good medical help in no time... But that would also-
-A. Convince those pesky color coordinated brats that Garmadon was embracing the light, an entirely false belief.
Or
-B. Just get their attention back to bringing him down... Also not an option Garmadon was willing to consider.
On the other hand, he could drop him off anonymously or contact emergency services. But there was a certain advantage to capturing your enemy. One Garmadon would not overlook. It gave him control. Control of the playing field, in some way, control of the ninja, definitely control of his son. And Lord Garmadon loved control.
Besides, it almost seemed sad to let his son fall to someone as pathetic as the Mechanic. No, if someone had to kill Lloyd, it would be Garmadon. He let out a sigh. Then, ignoring the agonized moan brought about by dislodging the piece of metal in his side, tossed the Green little troublemaker over his shoulder.
He trusted Lloyd's Oni blood would keep him alive long enough to get him back to the safe house... But beyond that, Garmadon didn't know what he would do.
He didn't want the green clad bratt anywhere near him. Lloyd was a constant reminder of the internal conflict between Oni and Dragon that brought him no end of trouble. And long as he didn't have to interact with Lloyd beyond providing for his basic needs, he didn't have to acknowledge the war of good and evil stirring in his heart.
He shook his head and started on the path back towards what passed for his home, the boy groaning and gasping with each step.
Garmadon was becoming ever more aware of a growing spot of red on his shoulder pad. He'd clean it up at the base.
Upon arrival. Garmadon let Lloyd fall to the floor and rooted around for a chain and shackle.
Villains were supposed to have that right? Guess it had slipped his mind. He fashioned a rough one out of a zip tie and bicycle lock before spending the next three hours patching the kid up. In retrospect, it was rough work, but the best Lloyd was going to get. As far as Garmadon was concerned, it was more than he deserved anyway.
When Lloyd woke up the second time, it was much like the first. However, this time his mind wasn't foggy. That had its downside, though.
While his mind was clear, the pain was ten times more pronounced. The tiniest movements produced a localized stabbing pain near his fifth rib down, and a more spread out crushing pain in his left shoulder.
On top of it all, every square inch of his back ached, and he imagined it was due to one heck of a bruise.
That's when he remembered Garmadon.
Lloyd grimaced, made a hissing noise, and tried to sit up. It was a choice between his lifeless arm, bruised back, or damaged ribs. None of them felt particularly wonderful, so he went with the back. Big mistake.
"Agh..." He let out a raspy gasp, eyes squeezing shut.
"You going to try that again? Or act like a halfway intelligent person and lie still?" Garmadon inquired gruffly, folding his arms and piercing his son with a gaze that quite clearly asked- Are you stupid.
Lloyd jumped, instantly regretting it.
"W... H..." He couldn't formulate words, his throat too dry. It just squeaked.
"The tea I gave you earlier was supposed to dull the pain. A negative side affect is the occasional numbing of the vocal cords." Garmadon Paused. "Well that's more of a negative for you. Personally I'm enjoying the silence."
Lloyd glared before looking away, his mind racing towards escape. The chain on his wrist was barely considered a chain, but without his other arm; he couldn't get it off anyway.
The only way out was a door, but Garmadon likely had that locked all the time.
His friends would find him. They had to. Otherwise his father would kill him. Of that, Lloyd was certain.
"You know, I was thinking about it. Your eyes aren't quite as green as they should be." Garmadon pointed out offhandedly. "Of course...I know why... But the question is 'do you?' He shook his head. "Maybe that'll give you something to mull over. I would have given you something for the pain, but last time I showed you that courtesy, I got it spewed back in my face..." He checked his watch. Apparently he had something to be doing, because he settled his emotionless eyes back on Lloyd. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have... Villainy stuff to do... Stay put... Oh wait, you have to."
With that, Garmadon pulled open an odd door in the wall, exiting, and tugging it shut behind him. There was an audible click as a dead bolt clicked into place.
Lloyd couldn't recall feeling this helpless in a very long time.
Garmadon made sure to slide the deadbolt in place. He was without a doubt sure, that Lloyd was going nowhere for a while.
It was good too, because Garmadon had somewhere to be. The summonings had been irritating; but in the end, curiosity had overpowered his sense of pride. So someone demanded his presence? Fine, but only for curiosity's sake would he be there.
The location, a run down casino, was nearby to his base. The place was literally falling apart, the tile cracked and chipped away, the lavish velvet carpets frayed and worn, fire tinged red and gold wallpaper peeling away from the walls in strips, machines damaged and overturned.
He knew that a fire had ravaged this building months ago, but rather than resurrect it, its owner had let it be yet another reminder of crime's undying presence. The faint shrill of static alerted him to someone's presence. His finely tuned ears said to look left; so he did. At the bar, an old box TV screen was plugged in, a single blue line horiontally through the middle of the otherwise pitch black screen.
This was weird... A trap perhaps? He had considered it.
That being said, however; he also knew who this criminal was. He knew his voice, his handwriting, his MO. Okay, the screen was new, but the hand written note that had somehow found its way into his stolen belongings had done much to convince Garmadon of the owner of the note.
He approached the screen warily, and a small camera mounted on top whirred to life, aiming at him slowly.
"Lord Garmadon, you look even scarier than the first time you grew four arms."
The line on the screen moved alongside the grating voice. Computers had been used to distort and mask the identity of the speaker, but Garmadon could pick the tell tale pitches of his former mentor.
"Chen, aren't you supposed to be floating around the land of the dead?"
"I might ask you the same thing." Was the witty retort. "But when someone opens a massive gaping crater in the land of the dead, someone brilliant such as myself takes the opportunity to ah... escape. Thankfully the ninja were all too preocuppied to see me!"
"Well. I think even a fly would take opportunity of an open window. It's basic instinct." Garmadon shot back, inspecting the back of his hand, largely displaying his disinterest.
"Aww Garmadon, I'm disappointed! You're just no fun anymore, even when you're evil!"
"You didn't call me here to catch up; so say your piece and be done with it." The dark lord snapped, arms folding across his chest, shoulders drawn back to make it clear he was only there for his own purposes, and that his patience was quickly waning. He didn't feel interested in hanging around. He was exposed with the giant shattered frames where blacked out windows should have been.
"Alright, alright!" Chen grumbled. "I'm forming a... Cabal of ninja haters."
"Is that so?"
"Yes yes. Seems I'm not the only one they've rubbed the wrong way over the last three years."
"And let me guess, you'd like my participation."
"Ding ding ding! No trap door for you! I know you hate those color coordinated brats as much as we do."
"The last several times I've worked with people, they've screwed it up. Why would your...Team... Be any different?" Garmadon queried, tilting his head at the camera and lifting an eyebrow.
"Because when all of the brilliant minds put their heads together, someone's bound to come up with a halfway decent idea."
"Halfway decent won't cut it." Garmadon shook his head. Maybe being resurrected had stolen his humanity and Chen's Brain.
"Or maybe you're just reluctant because you've gone soft again."
"I have not! I merely have my own agenda at the moment."
"Really now?"
"I'm not playing mind tricks, Chen. Your days of manipulating me are over."
Garmadon knew that Chen was trying to get him to join by questioning Garmadon's morals. If Garmadon felt he had something to prove, he might have joined too. But he didn't. He wasn't sharing his glory, his brain, or his victory with any of the half brained loons the ninja had shoved in the slammer. "Good luck with your little sorority."
"Think about it, Garmadon. No good decisions are properly made without thought."
"Goodbye, Chen."
Garmadon could tell Lloyd was dreaming. He had gotten back to the base an hour ago; and, an interesting sight, the green ninja had just started twitching, mumbling in his sleep.
Part of Garmadon wondered what was going on the head of his biggest inconvenience; and another part of him just wanted to put that curiosity in a lock box and throw away the key. Be done with it.
Curiosity wasn't his problem, it was the concern attached to it that was. This child was preventing Garmadon from reaching his full potential, from being the best villain Ninjago had ever been brought to kneel beneath.
This brat was his walking green conscience, and for some reason -that to this day flabbergasted Garmadon- the kid still believed that there was good in his father.
What part of- resurrected as pure evil- did Lloyd not understand? Could the kid not grasp the simple fact that Garmadon was destined for evil, just as he himself was destined to be the savior of ninjago?
The dream must have reached its climax, because Lloyd bolted into a sitting position, paled, and collapsed again with a pained hiss.
Garmadon turned his back, working with a pot of mutton stew. He was no culinary master; but he knew enough. He rapped the spoon against the rim of the pot to free any remaining food and sludge. Then he set the lid on so the soup could simmer, before he turned back to Lloyd.
"Where was this taken?" He plucked up a picture from the grimy counter. It was half stained in Lloyd's blood, primarily because Garmadon had found it in a pocket on the kid's Gi whilst liberating his captive of any weapons. The photo had a replica back on the Bounty, now in a shattered picture frame; and seemed to be a prize possession. It was supposedly him, though Garmadon couldn't remember a time when he had ever been human.
"Why... Does it matter?" Lloyd rasped quietly.
"Because I'm curious."
"You weren't... Before..."
"Are you going to answer the question or not?" Garmadon snapped impatiently.
Lloyd shut his eyes, then acquiesced. "It was taken on a trip... We all took... To the country... After you were purged... The first time..." Every couple of words was punctuated by shallow gasps.
Garmadon didn't reply at first, just shook his head. "Sentiment is a foolish thing."
"Then... Why save... Me?"
"Because when you're well enough to walk, we'll fight... And I'll finish you off myself."
The Police commissioner frowned at the weary warriors currently standing before his desk, looking broken and defeated mentally.
"How long has he been missing?"
"Forty eight hours, twelve minutes, and thirty eight- no nine seconds." Zane replied. "That was the date of his check in transmission. He was heading home from patrol to switch off with myself and Pixal."
"But he never made it." Kai finished.
"That's unfortunate... And I'm sad to say we haven't seen him." The officer admitted grimly, rising from his chair to stare out the window. Perhaps he hoped he'd catch a glimpse of the green clad warrior he was reluctantly fond of.
He didn't.
"But that doesn't mean we won't be looking." The old man declared, turning back to Ninjago's protectors. He owed it to them after all they'd sacrificed for the city. He owed it to Lloyd.
There was another problem though, one the Commissioner had just been about to address. "We... Need to keep this hush hush." Nya added quickly, saving the officer his breath. "If news got out that Lloyd was missing-"
"Every villain would seize the opportunity to strike- I know. Don't worry; my police officers will keep an eye out with discretion." He picked up his clipboard, determined to treat this like a normal missing person's case. "Now, have you checked the hospitals?"
Kai nodded. "Yeah, hours ago."
"What about homeless shelters, clinics?"
"Of course we did." Zane supplied
"Does anyone in particular have it out for Lloyd right now?"
There was silence, but only because the ninja were waiting for the commissioner to realize just how idiotic that question happened to be.
It wasn't that he didn't realize. In fact, he did. It was beyond stupid to ask, but what choice did he have?
"I'm sorry, ninja, but asking that is standard protocol."
"The list of people who would very much like to kill us happens longer than my arm." Zane pointed out, holding an arm out and pointing to it.
"But how many of them are recent escapees from Kryptarian?" The Commissioner asked, lifting a brow.
That caused a pause, giving the Commissioner ample time to fish through his desk drawer overflowing with papers. "Should be... Here we go." He slapped a file down and slid it across his desk, past the model boat he was working on.
"Thanks, Commissioner." Nya said as she carefully picked it up to riffle through it. "We really appreciate it."
"We'll find him." The head of police assured, his usually gruff demeanour fading for just a moment to reveal sincerity. "Dead or alive... We'll find him."
"He's alive..." Kai told himself quietly. "He has to be."
The commissioner couldn't bring himself to state the reality of the situation and burst the ninja's bubble. Based off of many cases, and much knowledge of the workings of the criminal under world, In all probability, someone as hated as the green ninja was as good as dead.
Garmadon sat a cup of soup next to Lloyd. The boy blinked and sluggishly tried to focus on it. His mind was shutting down, exhaustion catching up with him.
"You should eat." Garmadon told him, taking his own cup of soup and sitting down at a nearby table. Lloyd dreaded sitting up, and then debated on whether or not it was worth it.
"Is it poisoned?" Lloyd asked. "I'd Kinda like to know... before I go through all the trouble... to sit up."
Garmadon slammed his spoon down on the table. "Don't be petty!" Lloyd flinched, wincing at the same time. "Morons... All I ever deal with is morons."
"And why is it... petty to believe my murderous father... would poison me?"
Lloyd asked, staring pointedly at the dark lord. The green ninja's father let out a bone weary sigh as he rose from his chair.
"Because I went through all the trouble to save you. And I want to kill you in a fair fight-" Garmadon grabbed Lloyd none too gently and heaved him up.
"Agh!" Lloyd couldn't bite back the wail as his back hit the wall with a thud. As soon as the black haze faded, he could see that he was sitting in the corner of the room, not a very big one, but decent enough.
"Now eat." Garmadon shoved the bowl over with his foot and stalked back to his own. Lloyd panted, his head pressed against the wall.
His world was spinning, stomach revolting and churning. He closed his eyes. Food. Now? Good luck with that, Dad. He thought to himself.
There was an unrelenting stab of pain in his lower right side, prompting him to check the wound. Blood was soaking the bandage, blossoming out. He paled a bit at the sight.
Garmadon didn't realize or didn't care, but the tension in the room was getting steadily thicker. Lloyd just stared at the food before studying the makeshift chain on his arm.
"Let's make this clear." Garmadon's voice had a dangerous undertone . "You will eat, or I'll hold you down and spoon feed you like an infant... So... Please... Spare us both a bit of dignity, and eat. Your. Food."
Lloyd tried to determine if Garmadon was fibbing or not. No probably not.
"Fine..." Lloyd muttered weakly. "Can't say it'll all stay down though."
His hand shook as he took the bowl up and sipped at the stew. It was horrible. Misako must have done all the cooking way back when, and Lloyd fought back a gag.
That being said. There was no way in the world he was going to give his father any excuses towards spoon feeding him. And he was positive that his father would, with the sole purpose of humiliating Lloyd.
As soon as the last of the pungent broth left the bowl, he shivered, setting it down and wrapping his arms around his waist.
Getting comfortable was becoming a difficult task, and he was constantly warring with his head to stay awake. Without thinking, he shifted slightly. "Gah!" He yelped as his forearm brushed the now bleeding stab wound. "Agh... Darn it." Pressing down to staunch the bleeding was his only hope of salvaging this hopelessly terrible situation.
Garmadon quirked an eyebrow. "Your Oni blood should be healing you faster than this.'
"Yet you yourself... denied that my Oni blood was strong enough... to do anything." Lloyd shot back snidely. "Are you calling yourself a liar?"
"No." Garmadon stalked over to a cabinet and pulled a first aid kit out, one cleverly disguised as a tackle box. He tossed it down next to Lloyd and made a move to kneel.
"I'll do it." Lloyd declared vehemently, wanting to keep as much distance as possible between them. He trusted his father about as far as he could throw him And at this moment? He was incapable of doing that either way.
"As you wish." Garmadon walked to the other end of the room to finish his soup. It wasn't that bad was it? He took a full bite and nearly gagged. Yeah. It was that bad.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Lloyd asked, a pained grimace on his face as he peeled back the bandage and recoiled.
"Suddenly I've lost my appetite."
"Ironically... I couldn't use that statement... under threat of humiliation. And I... was already sick."
Lloyd rifled through the first aid kit tackling box. "Agh... There's nothing..."
He came away empty and looked at the wound. He had been stabbed by something in the trash he landed in.
It was a disgusting and deep wound that had him seriously worried for infection.
On top of that, his father was low on first aid supplies. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the cold wall to ground himself.
"Used that all up when I first dragged you back here."
Lloyd shuddered and tried to one handedly wrap it back up with the bandages he found. Garmadon was just waiting for the kid to ask.
He knew the brat couldn't get it tight enough with only one chained arm.
Lloyd however was too stubborn to ask his captor and near murderer for help. There was no way he was going to get in deeper debt to the man who fought so hard to obliterate him and his friends.
Garmadon moved back into Lloyd's prison space.
"I said I-"
"What, have it? You honestly think you can do a good job with one hand?" Garmadon scowled.
"Yes, as a matter of fact."
"Well I'm not giving you a choice." Huffed the dark lord, picking up the discarded bandage role.
"I said. Back. Off." That's when Lloyd threw a jab with his left hand. Garmadon caught the fist, using his superior speed and strength. His fingers tightened around his son's hand, Garmadon's lip curling into a sneer.
"Gah..." Lloyd hissed, trying to ignore the audible cracking of bones shifting in his hand.
"Try that again, and I break it." The dark lord warned, releasing his hand.
Lloyd knew he was outmatched, and grudgingly let Garmadon wrap the wound up, muffling his groans of pain. It killed his back, more so his ribs; but the worst damage was to his ego.
Garmadon finished, putting everything away. He was lost in his own thoughts. How long until he could get rid of his son?... disowned son. He couldn't forget that. How would he even do it? Would it be as simple as giving him a sword and demanding he fight? Or perhaps he should return the bratt to his team and kill him at a more suitable date.
How long until any of this could go down anyway? His son... No... the plague of his life... Wasn't healing as quickly as he should be. That or Garmadon's own stupidity would keep setting things back.
He could always just leave Lloyd down there and go somewhere else... Oh wait, that didn't work because Lloyd was in the other one half of his house.
He had pushed Lloyd back into a laying down position on the tile. Lloyd had his face to the wall, laying on his good arm.
Garmadon listened to him try and fail time and time again to heave in a full breath of air.
Finally the struggle ended, as the rhythm had fallen into an even pattern, indicating that Lloyd had finally drifted into a fitful asleep.
It was ten minutes later when Garmadon realized that his arch enemy wasn't actually snoozing.
"Pointless..." Lloyd whispered, a shudder running through his frame. "Rule... Is pointless...When you have... Everything... You... You..."
"I what?"
Garmadon would get no answer, because whether it be from pain or exhaustion, his son had actually passed out this time.
Skylor always loved the time of the month when the elemental masters came from far and abroad to eat at her noodle shop, more specifically five of them.
The ninja sometimes came, but more often than not had heroics to pull. That meant it was just six of the elemental masters, catching up and eating noodles into the wee hours of the morning.
Griffin, Tox, Karlof, Shade, Skylor, and Neuro sat around a table in the back of Chen's noodles, each with a bowl of steaming stringy goodness.
"So I had to close the noodle house for days until the confetti had been cleaned up. It was everywhere... Everywhere!"
"Is that piece of confetti?" Karlof asked, pointing to the ceiling. Everyone looked up to see some stuck the ceiling. It was the outline of something though, like its path had been hindered.
"Yup. That's the confetti canon that went off under Kai."
"So Kai's butt imprint is literally on your roof?"
"Something like that." Skylor facepalmed, her cheeks flushing pink.
The bell on the door jingled, prompting Skylor to quickly spin around. "Sorry we're- Speak of the devil. Hey Kai!"
"Hey, Skylor... Oh... Tonight's The Master's night huh?"
Everyone could see the defeated look on Kai's face. His usual gruffness was replaced with a deep sorrow.
"Kai, what happened?" Skylor demanded, ushering him over to the table. Griffin scooted over to make room as the fire ninja plopped down and out his head in his hands.
"Yeah, you're not looking so hot buddy." Shade added, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Eh... No pun intended."
The broken laugh that the unintended joke brought out of Kai only left Skylor even more upset. Her friend, boyfriend? Had clearly been through the emotional wringer.
"Skylor, you got a lot of the wierd ones... I need to know if there's been chatter."
"Chatter? Kai, I usually don't share-"
"I know that. I do! But Skylor... Please this is a matter of life or death."
The elemental masters shared a look as Skylor gnawed on her lip in thought. Her shoulders sagged before Kai received a nod.
"Okay. What is it your looking for?"
"The location of the green ninja. We think he's been kidnapped."
"How long?" Lloyd asked quietly. "How long have I been here?" He was flat on his back, not able to see much; but the chill in the room indicated his father's presence.
"Why does it matter?"
"It just does." Lloyd tried to snap. He hated injuries to the ribs. He could never breath properly, and all this time spent on the cold tile floor was starting to wear on him. Not that he was going to complain. He was alive for the moment, and there were better ways to drive his father crazy.
"Well it doesn't. You're here until I decide to kill you, whether that be tomorrow or in a year."
Lloyd didn't have a comeback for that one. He wondered if his father really was going to kill him. He wanted to believe that there was some semblance of decency left in the old shell of a great man.
"So what will killing me accomplish?" Lloyd asked, staring at the ceiling.
"You hold me back from being who I'm supposed to be."
"How do I hold you back? I mean, last I checked true potentials dealt with matters of the mind, not physical obstacles. If I'm holding you back, then clearly there's a part of your heart that's still fighting. Though it's buried."
"I have no heart! Don't you get it!? I was resurrected without anything that made me human! I don't care about you! I don't care about your ninja, or this city! I am the ultimate villain! My destiny is to rule Ninjago and bring it under my heel!"
"Who are you trying to convince?" Lloyd asked. "Me? Or you?"
Garmadon scowled. "You! I'm tired of your goody two shoes stubbornness!"
"Hmm... I suppose we'll see who's right one of these days, won't we?"
"I will kill you." Garmadon swore. "I will end your life, and then destroy your pesky ninja!"
Skylor and the others stood dumbfounded. "Lloyd's been kidnapped?" Tox asked in disbelief.
Kai just nodded. "Yeah... We think so. He vanished four days ago on route from patrol. We scoured the city, called hospitals, clinics, homeless shelters. We've tracked down most of the escapees from Kryptarian... Well all but the mechanic, but that guy couldn't even get one up on an old lady. In short, no one knows anything."
Neuro frowned, stroking his chin. "This is troubling indeed."
"I'm sorry, Kai. No one's said anything about kidnapping the green ninja. You're right. I get a lot of the gangs in here after dark, and if anyone had Lloyd, everyone would know. It would be a bragging right! But there hasn't been a word about it."
"I'm gonna be in town for a few days; I mean... I'd be happy to pitch in." The master of speed offered.
The hope on Kai's face was heart wrenching. "Thanks, Griff. You don't know what that means to me... He's... He's the closest thing I've got to a little brother."
"I'll help to." Neuro offered. "We'll all help." He was echoing their thoughts.
"We can sleep you all on the Bounty." Kai offered. "Free room and board in exchange for your time."
"I'm down for that." Tox nodded.
Meanwhile across town. The radstreet apartment complex was quiet as far as tenants went. Only a few were renting the apartments out, which made it the prime hideout for Ronin. He owned the building, yeah, but he didn't advertise it publicly. He enjoyed picking and choosing who lived in the multistory complex.
There was one exception, a guy who's face he'd never seen. This particular Tenant came and went in the shadows, stayed quiet. Ronin had gotten a letter asking for anonymous residency and though reluctant, finally acceoted. He was a criminal, and suspected this guy was the same. Whenever Ronin wanted to pick his payments up, he just rapped on the door, and the money got shoved out through the mail slot.
Today was collection date, and Ronin was doing his rounds.
Ronin approached the guy's apartment, but stopped before knocking on the door. The blue carpet lining the hallways had a strange purple stain outside his door. Ronin knelt down and stuck his finger in it. The substance was tacky and brown, but one sniff confirmed Ronin's suspicions.
Blood.
"Hey pal." He knocked on the door with his knuckles, eyes never leaving the evidence of something very wrong. "Time to pay up."
There was a shuffle within before the usual payment was deposited through the mail slot, fluttering to the floor.
Ronin knelt to pick it up and count it out before sighing. Well now it was time to get to the bottom of the conspicuous little puzzle. "So wanna tell me about the blood stain out here? Kinda depreciates the view."
He heard quiet grumbling, and another 150 was stuffed through the mail slot, an attempt to buy Ronin's silence. "Double it."
The sigh on the other side of the door was followed by yet another wad of bills being roughly jammed through the mail slot. Ronin took the money before nodding.
"Alright, take care Mr. No name."
Lloyd had drifted off when the dead bolt was opened, jerking up and instantly regretting it.
"Sorry." Garmadon apologized without any actual remorse. "I had to pay the rent."
Lloyd opened his eyes, expecting to see the grungy ceiling of his father's hideout and his prison.
But that's not what he found. Somehow, he knew it to be a dark, cold, meaningless place. Floating islands dotted the purple surroundings. Yes, purple. Everything had a purple color, varying hues, but very purple at the base color.
"Wha-" He turned around. Strangely sound worked differently here, almost stagnant. It sounded like he was on a metal room, his voice not resonating properly.
"Where am I?" Lloyd asked quietly.
"Realm of the Departed... Where the bad people go when they die... Or so they say." A voice said darkly. "Fitting actually."
"Harumi!" Lloyd yelped, spinning around again to see his former girlfriend and arch enemy. "How did... This shouldn't be happening! I'm not dead!"
"Aren't you?" Harumi asked. She was sitting under a tree, not at all interested in a fight. This was abnormal, and Lloyd remained on the defensive.
"No. I'm not dead." Maybe he was just trying to convince himself, because it clearly wasn't changing Harumi's mind.
"Then why are you here, Lloyd? I assume it's not to visit me."
"I-" Lloyd paused. He had no idea. "Maybe I bled out in my sleep..." He admitted hesitantly. "But even so; I'm not sure why I'd be here of all places."
"Ha! Come on, Lloyd. I know you were never strong in the brain departments, but this is literally a duh moment."
Lloyd shook his head and glanced at the world beyond the island they were stranded on... probably indefinitely, but he didn't want to think about that. Why? Harumi asked. Oh he knew, why. It was a dark and morbid truth that he had shoved away. He had hoped that perhaps he had paid for it enough. Now he wasn't so sure.
"I take it back. You're just in some serious denial." There was definetly a sneer lurking in her voice.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Denial? Check.
"Of course you do... but maybe a refresher might help."
"Don't-"
"You're a murderer Lloyd. If it hadn't been for you, Ninjago would never have been attacked by the great devourer; if it hadn't been for you, my parents and countless others would still be alive. You killed them. You destroyed ninjago. You-"
Lloyd gripped his head as guilt overwhelmed him. "Stop!" He took a few steadying breaths.
"You were the one that got away!"Harumi shouted. Lloyd closed his eyes. For so long, he had been denying this part of him. It was true. In an effort to destroy the people he now called brothers, he had unleashed great evil on Ninjago by freeing the serpentine.
The greatest villain was the one that got away... and gotten away he had. He had never faced due justice for what he did. People had died because of him. Albiet he hadn't released the devourer itself, but he had released the people who made it happen.
Overall he had only one person to blame.
"You're the greatest Villain Ninjago has ever faced... and they worship you. How is that different from what your father is doing?"
Lloyd's breath caught.
"If it hadn't been for you-I'd still have a family!"
A rock had settled in his gut, guilt, gut wrenching guilt. The wet trails down his cheeks only added to the frustration. Once again crying before his great enemy... or was he her greatest enemy?
"I'm sorry, Rumi." He shispered brokenly.
"You' destroy my life, and all you can say is 'I'm sorry'?" There was disbelief in her voice.
"Yes! Okay! I know. I was a self centered brat determined to be jus tlike my dad!" Lloyd shook his head. "I'm sorry about what I did! And while Ninjago thinks I'm a hero, I spend every day paying penance for the crime I committed. I spend every day trying to pay back all the people I've hurt! I'll never make ends meet, but I can darn well try. Even if it kills me. Which it might have. I don't know any more."
His rant finished, Lloyd looked away.
"My father created me... and I created you. Who knows?You may have created someone yourself. So the cycle continues... But as much of a victim as I was, I became a perpetrator too."
Harumi was silent, then a strangely unreadable look tugged across her features. "I just wanted to hear you say it. I just wanted you to admit it to my face..." She sighed.
"You're not dead... though close to it. I pulled some strings to get your mind brought here. I may be dead, but I wanted to make sure I saw the look on your face when you realized that I'm another name in your casualty book." She stood up and turned away from the broken green ninja. Refuting his denial. That was all it had taken. "It's not how I hoped to destroy you... But I think all things considered, I did a darn good job."
And with that, Lloyd woke up.
Lloyd could tell he'd been there way too long for comfort. His father only came in for a few hours a day (at least he thought), meaning the rest left only thoughts and mental process to keep Lloyd company.
He knew...knew...that something was impeading his elemental power. He hadn't lost it again. It still lurked in the very being of soul, blocked off and untouchable.
Garmadon had mentioned Lloyd's eyes being duller than normal, but it took a while for the kid to realize just what that meant.
Lloyd was finally feeling at least somewhat strong enough to work towards freedom. His goal? Climb a wall.
He was tied to a pipe, formerly water, but now a sawed off useless pipe that ended about ten feet up.
If he could shimmie up the wall and snip his cuff over, then he could... Could... Something. He had no idea what he planned to do from there.
He had to try though.
Tearing a piece off the hood of his Gi was tricky, but soon he had enough to act as a muffle. Jamming it in his mouth to bite down on, he forced himself into a sitting position.
Fireworks of shooting stabbing pain welled up just about everywhere, and with an agonized groan, he used the pipes to haul himself up.
His vision spun violently, dipping as he tgrew his weight against the wall and held on for dear life. His stomach was revolting, his mind screaming at him to sit down.
No.
A ninja never quit. Climbing with one arm was going to be a beast; but despite all the work it took, he was determined to see it through.
The pipe was thick, and he grabbed it with one hand before using his knees as a base. He was greatful for the ability to do a one handed pullup, as now he could haul himself up, and use his knees to keep him in place.
The first few feet destroyed his ribs, and he remembered that one wrong move could send a rub through his lung. He didn't need that right now.
He whimpered as he forced himself to keep moving. He was still dizzy, his mind struggling to collect any fragments of thought. He needed to focus.
A ninja never forced his mind to think.
A ninja never quits.
His palm was sweaty, making his grip on the pipe with his one good hand slip. His back and ribs ached, his legs cramped.
A ninja never quits
Vertigo threatened to take over and send him sailing towards the hard tile. He was only a few inches short.
A ninja never... A... A ninja... A ninja never... never... never... quits.
Lloyd's breath hitched, ready to give up... Then static burst in his ear.
"Lloyd!"
"Kai, Lloyd's signal just came online!" Nya shouted.
"Where is he?"
"I'm trying to triangulate the position, but his radio just registered."
All the ninja and a few elemental masters gathered around the Bounty's command console with bated breath.
"Lloyd!" Kai called out. "Lloyd can you hear me? Say something! Anything!"
"Stop... yelling."
Kai froze, his elation dying. Everyone had heard just how pained Lloyd's voice was.
"Where are you, Lloyd? Are you okay?" Kai pressed, his voice significantly quieter to avoid hurting his friend again.
"I'm really... banged up."Lloyd muttered weakly. "World's spinning. Can hardly... focus."
"Just try, Lloyd." Nya begged. "Where are you?"
"I'm... I'm not sure. Somewhere... Somewhere."Lloyd whispered."Got caught..."He muttered.
"By who? Who has you Lloyd?"
To say Kai was irritated happened to be the biggest understatement of the year.
"By who? Who has you Lloyd?"
Who had him? It was Garmadon.
"G-." He stopped. Why couldn't he say the word. It was there, but something was stopping him. Had Harumi done something else to his head? "Ga..."
"Lloyd?"
He could hear the desperation in Nya's voice, the quiet murmer of others in his ear piece.
Despite this, he tried again. He wondered if Harumi had done something to him. It was likely. She had dragged his mind to the realm of the departed; and she could have easily left him unable to say the word- Garmadon.
He had to find some other way to convey it. But how? His mind was shutting down from the agony of hanging on that pipe, but it was his only salvation.
"G... G..." He shook his try Harumi."Father..."
And with that he gave up, his strength draining like water through a sieve. He hit the ground hard.
"Lloyd, Lloyd!" Nya cried as she lost the signal again. No matter what she did, which buttons she pushed, the signal was gone: silence reigned... Until Kai shattered it.
"Agh!" A fist slamming into a console made every one jump. "Nonononono." Kai shook his head. "Please tell me you know where he is!" He grabbed Nya's shoulders and shook her in desperation.
"Please Nya! Please!"
Nya pulled back from Kai, biting her lip and lowering her head. "I'm sorry." Her whisper was pained and heartbroken.
"I didn't... I didn't have enough time."
"But now we have a lead." Zane declared.
"Yeah! He mentioned his father." Griff added, barely giving Zane time to finish.
Shade shook his head, rubbing his eyes.
"Just what we needed. Garmadon back and causing trouble again."
"And he has Lloyd. Did you guys hear... Hear how bad he sounded?" Nya asked worriedly.
Silence won the battle as everyone shared a look. They were exhausted from searching, tired of turning every stone over... But this one giant leap also went absolutely nowhere.
"The last time we saw him, Garmadon was... Less dangerous but only because it served his own purpose." Explained the master of lightning thoughtfully.
"Well we know Garmadon hasn't killed Lloyd so far." Nya spoke up. "Which means we might have time."
"Unless Lloyd talks him to death." Cole huffed.
"No. That's something Jay would do." Kai pointed out, adding to the banter that for years had served as relief.
"Hey!"
"We should update the commissioner." Came the first reasonable suggestion.
"You do that, Zane. The rest of us will start a search grid... Reach out to every ally we have, even the most obscure."
His shoulder was on fire. That was really the first thing Lloyd registered. That and the fact that his head was throbbing, eyes unable to focus on anything.
"So. Your grand escape attempt went well." Garmadon huffed sarcastically from nearby.
Lloyd opened his mouth to speak, but all that escaped his lips was a strangled moan.
"I extended my jamming signal. You won't be able to contact your friends again. Not that I'm really worried about it. You have no idea where you even are."
"Touché." Lloyd wheezed.
"You've foolishly injured yourself worse.'
"Guess... that means... I live longer..."
Garmadon growled as the green ninja used logic to his advantage. What was the dark lord to say to that? Either the blight calling himself Garmadon's son had gotten free, or bought himself more time. He won either way.
"Guess so." Garmadon finally aknowledged, dragging a hand down his face before staring his son down. "But I suppose it doesn't matter. What's a few more days?"
Lloyd closed his eyes, focusing on breathing.
"You know I placed a bet with a friend of mine. How long until the city notices you're missing. It's been a while since the mechanic whipped your sorry rear, and they still haven't noticed. Guess that just goes to show how much they've been using you."
"So?" It was so quiet that Garmadon barely heard it. He paused to give his son a confused ? So!
"So, you risked your lives for them! Don't you want to be aknowledged?!"
Lloyd coughed quietly. "Dsn't...mttr."
Garmadon was stunned. Doesn't matter? The kid had put his life on the line repeatedly, and the city rarely showed any hint of gratitude. They lived their pathetic lives on the sacrifices of seven teenagers, and the strongest of them all didn't even care about the lack of aknowledgement.
"Why not?"
Lloyd didn't bother to reply. That was his own business. Sure, Harumi had ripped that wound back open with a vengeance, but that conversation remained between her and him.
"Harumi... You spoke with her."
Lloyd jolted, eyes wide. "How?"
"We're connected, you and I. After I stole your life force, I claimed it as my own. It adapted to me. When you stole it back, a connection was created... A bond between you and myself. I can't tell for certain what you're thinking... But I do get impressions. Likely due to our close proximity." A coy look crossed his face. "So just what did you talk about? And why did you think of it at this point and time?"
Lloyd stared at the wall.
"Hmph. Seems like she finally said something that cut deeper than even I could. She really was something?"
Was that sentiment? Lloyd mused, something only fools were supposed to have?
Garmadon frowned at the wheezing gasps coming from his son's corner. Why wasn't he healing faster? It was infuriating because he couldn't bully the green ninja into feeling better.
That method just didn't work when it came to broken bones. On top of that, he had exposed the interesting enigmatic link that somehow gave him a glimpse of the internal mindset of the green ninja.
"It's only a matter of time before he figures out I exist."
Garmadon froze, gritting his teeth in fury. He turned to the ghost that only he could see, a figment of his imagination, a side he had tried so hard to bury.
There stood his human self, Sensei Garmadon.
Ever since Lloyd had arrived, lord Garmadon had been hallucinating his own human side, the side of reason. It was the good that the dark lord had fought tirelessly to supress. This was the part of him that kept Lord Garmadon from stabbing the kid in his sleep.
It was the 'friend' he had made a bet with.
"Hardly of consequence." Garmadon replied. "He's too self minded to explore the link right now."
"Well most people being held captive with injuries as severe as his are rather self minded. Can you blame him?"
"No, I'm using it to my advantage."
"I know. I am just your halucination after all."
"One I intend to get rid of."
"To do that, you have to get rid of Lloyd... And I'm not going to let you try that again. I was too weak to stop you before, but thanks to my son's presence in the place, I am no longer weak."
"He's not your son!"
"No. You disowned him 'lord' Garmadon. I didn't... And I won't."
"We are one and the same!"
"In body yes, now in mind? well let's just agree to disagree." The human Garmadon shook his head. "I mean, I am a personafied representation of the war raging in your heart."
"Hmph." Lord Garmadon waved his morally high grounded hallucination off.
"I am a part of you."Sensei Garmadon continued, suddenly reappearing in lord Garmadon's field of vision. "The Oni said as much."
"You're a blight like your son. A weakness."
"Says the man who mourned over Harumi's death. I thought Sentiment was a weakness."
"It is! And I merely mourned the loss of someone half way capable of getting things done."
"You are aware that lying to me is pointless... Gives a whole new meaning of lying to yourself I s'pose."
"Shut up!"
"Or what? You'll attack me?"
"You have no place here! Get out!"
Sensei Garmadon ignored him, sitting down next to Lloyd and humming softly in blatant disregard for the dark one's command. He was sticking close to his son. He was the only thing keeping Lloyd alive after all.
Lloyd fought his way from the murky quagmire of agony that kept him largely in the realm of unconsciousness.
His thoughts were little more than scattered fragments of internal babble.
"That's it... Come on... Wake up, Son." A surprisingly gentle voice said. He frowned ad his half muddled mind tried to figure out why that was so wrong. It was his father's voice, but not the insane leer of lord garmadon... Oh right. That's what was wrong.
He was lying on his side, prompting him to look over his shoulder. Garmadon was glaring at something in Lloyd's direction.
"What?" Lloyd rasped, his throat raw from a lack of water.
Lord Garmadon shook his head and returned to the book Lloyd now realized was propped on his lap.
"I didn't say anything." Garmadon huffed. "Go back to sleep. The sooner you're healed, the sooner I can get rid of you."
"Why... n't just kill me?" Lloyd asked quietly. For some reason, he felt the need to say it. "Yu'd be doing... the world a fav'r."
Garmadon couldn't wipe the stunned look off his face before Lloyd caught it. The boy felt a tug at the back of his mind before a wave of frustration, hate, and irritation hit him like a ton of bricks. The look was replaced by an angry sneer as Garmadon wrestled with an excuse.
"Because it wouldn't be a challenge!" He finally snapped. "And how the heck is killing you doing the world afavor!?"
"I just realized" Lloyd wheezed, shifting to his back. "Gah... Killin' me... Helps the world... Not killin' me... 'urts you... Either way? You're... in a jam."
Garmadon shook his head. He set the book aside and walked over to the downed ninja, kneeling next to him and placing a hand on his forehead. Is he dilerious?
Lloyd winced and turned his head away, but not before Garmadon felt the heat radiating from the kid's skin. Lloyd just laughed brokenly. "I don't... know why I-" Lloyd struggled with the words. "I keep loving you... I should... Should hate you. Maybe... It's 'cause m'nsters... gotta stick 'gether."
Garmadon went to find something to bring the green ninja's fever down, but paused briefly when Lloyd called both himself and Garmadon a monster.
"We... We both made... Made ninjago suffer. Maybe that's... That's why I can f'rgive... you... 'Cause I was... I was f'rgiv'n... Dunno why..."
Garmadon ransacked his memories. How had Lloyd made Ninjago suffer? Was he talking about the Serpentine? That had been ages ago.
He found the pills and uncorked the the bottle, counting two out. He grabbed a cup of water, forcing the pills down his not-son's throat. "Both... us-sh'ld just... die." Now that the kid had said his piece, Garmadon forced the pills down with the water.
Lloyd sputtered, and wrapped his arms around his ribs. Garmadon decided that it was time to check the wounds again.
The one on Lloyd's side was fine, but the one on his shoulder was inflamed and red, hot to the touch.
He frowned and debated just leaving him. He was getting tired of cleaning up the mechanic's mess.
"That would be ill-advised."Sensei Garmadon snapped. "Oh I forgot. You live for doing the ill-advised."
"I know what you're trying to do." Lord Garmadon ground out. "And I'd appreciate it if you would just shut up.'
"We both know the infection's only going to get worse unless you remove the vengestone bullet from his shoulder."
"Are you insane?" Lord Garmadon growled. "He'd have his powers back!"
"Make a choice. Let Lloyd die or save him. If he dies now, the mechanic is the only person who can claim bragging rights. If you save him, he'll escape."
"Oh those are my only two options, eh?"
"The only two optimal ones, yes. I mean, you could give him to Chen's coalition of ninja haters, but that's no better than letting the mechanic kill him... You could also turn him over to the ninja like a reasonable person."
"I really hate you."
"For pointing out the obvious?"
"Shut up!"
"Then do something!" At the outburst, Lord Garmadon studied his hallucination and saw panic hidden on his good side's face.
Lord Garmadon's eye twitched angrilly. "Fine... but I am not doing this for you."
"Since you're still sitting here, I might as well ask your goody two shoes take on his dilerious babbling from earlier."
"Is that what we're calling it?"
"Yes." One short reply was all the Sensei was getting from the four armed supervillain.
"Well I think he blames you."
"Blames us. He blames us."
"No, I'm afraid your evil has always put the 'lord' in Garmadon."
"He mentioned making Ninjago suffer-"
"The serpentine. Remember? He unleashed the serpentine on Ninjago trying to follow in your footsteps."
"So? He was vital in stopping them."
"Not before they unleashed the great devourer, which destroyed a good potion of ninjago. How come I can remember these things and you can't? If you do remember correctly, I was playing a minor role in the background at about that time.""
"I'm not allowed to forget! You don't let let me!"
"My one purpose in life as a hallucination..."
"I'd wish you'd go and leave me in peace."
"I'd pay you to try and make me."
"With what? Gray hairs? Hallucinations don't have money."
"Don't we? And here I had plans to go visit Mystaké's tea shop... Oh wait. You killed her. Great way to treat the woman who actually cared about you."
"Why do you do that? Why do you come up with the strangest opportunities to guilt trip me?"
"Because I can."