Chapter Text
Echo hears the ninja before he fully sees them.
Even though he hates the Sons of Garmadon and all that they did to him, he will admit that the upgrades they had given him were most useful. Including but not limited to his well above-average hearing, allowing him to spy for the gang easier.
He's not sure if he enjoys his new skill at the moment, hearing snippets of the ninja's voices through his door. They speak in hushed whispers, causing Echo to strain slightly to be able to hear them.
"-tta tel…-e deserves t-…." He guesses it's the green one talking. Lloyd was it? He wasn't entirely sure.
"C'mo-…shou-…what if-…" Echo thinks…it's probably Kai…the…red ninja? Or was he gray?
"Guys! We ne-….-eave…" Jay. He thinks to himself, of course he would remember that blabber mouth.
"Uh…babe? You okay?"
Echo snaps his head up, looking at Morro with a strained expression. He quickly realizes what it must've looked like, shaking his head. "Huh? Yeah, I'm fine."
The master of wind looks skeptical, "You sure..? You look like you're trying to blow up that book with your mind or something."
The nindroid rolls his eyes, "Well, I-"
Knock Knock.
"I'll uh…I'll get it," Echo mutters, shooting up immediately from his seat. Novel tossed to the side without a care.
His body feels like lead as he trudges across the floor, hand beginning to twitch nervously as it reaches the handle. Taking a deep breath, he squeezes the brass, and opens the door quietly.
The worried faces of the ninja greet him. It's not like he wasn't expecting it, but it still chills his robotic blood anyhow. They all look exhausted, heavy bags rest under their eyes and they look like they'd just fought The Overlord again.
"Uh…hey, Echo…was it?" Lloyd asks, his voice is almost too quiet to be the voice of the prophesied golden ninja. The copper nindroid nods, raising an eyebrow at the seemingly solemn parade the great protectors of the city seem to be in.
"Yeah?…what's it to ya." Echo replies harshly, glancing at Morro for a moment. What's going on? The ghost mouths, his partner shakes his head in response, turning back to the ninja.
The red one looks away, seemingly really interested in the window. So does the blue one, but he's looking at the floor. The gray one is kind of just standing there. The black one too, they all look half dead except for Lloyd.
The green ninja sucks in a breath, "It's uh…it's about Zane."
"Yeah no shit it's about Zane." Echo scoffs, "What'd he do this time?"
The black ones fists clench, the gray one looks away. Red and Blue continue to stare blankly, but Blue's lip starts to quiver.
This cannot be good.
"I-…" Lloyd begins. Shutting his mouth again as he sees Morro step behind Echo. His shoulders square and he visibly starts shaking. The elemental master of wind gives a polite smile. "Calm down, Greeny. I mean no harm."
Lloyd gives a shaky nod, breathing deeply for one last time.
"Zane is dead."
The words come out and it feels like Echo has been shot. The world begins to spin. This is some sick fucking joke isn't it. This is some stupid prank show and he's on air right now and Zane will come out from behind him and maybe spook him and then they'll all laugh about it and that will be it.
But the way Gray begins to cry silently to herself, the way that Black shuts his eyes to prevent any tears from coming. The way Blue buries his face in his hands. Echo knows they're telling the truth.
Echo knows now, that Zane Julien is dead.
"What!?"
The nindroid snaps his head around, finding Cryptor standing there in his pajamas. Having just heard the tail-end of the conversation, the ex-general nearly slams himself into Echo. "Zane is what!?"
"He…while we were battling…he was caught in the crossfire." Lloyd explained shakily, already seemingly holding the back the urge to burst into tears right then and there. Cryptor is shaking. With rage, fear, sadness, or a mix of all of them Echo does not know.
Cryptor's fists clench. "Then why can't you just fucking repair him?" He snaps, venom and ire laced into his voice. Lloyd goes to answer, but instead shuts his mouth shut and squeezes his eyes closed. A single tear rolling down his face.
"There's no way in all of hell you just let him die!" Cryptor shouts, voice becoming wet with tears. "He's a nindroid! A robot! Don't tell me you all can't just patch him up! How is he dead? How could you let this happen?-"
"Because he was fucking vaporized!" Red yells, eyes burning with rage as well. Cryptor takes a step back, eye widening with surprise. "He was hit by some magic fucking bullet and that was it! He's gone. There's nothing to repair." The red ninja chokes, a sob threatening to erupt out of his throat.
He's gone.
Echo trembles silently, eyes tracing over all of the ninja slowly. They look miserable. Well, of course they are. Their brother had just died, gone. Without a trace.
Their brother. The Ice ninja.
The former generals and the ghost sit in an uneasy silence, watching the ninja awkwardly continue to stand there, sobbing. Quietly, the black ninja steps forward slightly, placing a gentle hand on Echo's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, kid." He whispers, squeezing the copper beneath his fingers. The nindroid sucks in a shaky breath, nodding. "Do you need…anything?" He asks, an almost unnoticeable voice crack in his voice.
"I-…" Echo chokes, his own voice quivering. "Just-…leave." He pushes out, barely audible. The ninja gives a solemn nod, gesturing for the rest of his team to get going. They trudge out of the slim hallway, slowly disappearing down the steps.
Echo Zane's knees buckle into the ground, barely being able to support himself by grabbing onto his boyfriends shoulder. Morro scrambles to catch him, holding him tightly as he silently directs him back into the apartment.
They sit together on the couch in silence, letting it hang heavily in the air. Cryptor gives them a large blanket to wrap themselves in as Echo sobs into his hands quietly. Morro wraps his arms around him, attempting to shield him from the world.
"Deep breaths…" Morro whispers, running a gentle hand through his lovers hair. Echo just continues to sob, feeling every emotion run through him like a truck. Sadness, anger, remorse. They all flow through like a sickening pot of failure and agony rocking through his body.
All he can think of is his brother's stupid fucking voice. Telling him he loves him, that he cares and always will. Telling him he'd always be behind him.
But what about now?
Who's going to be the one riding bikes with him now? Who's going to teach him a new recipe every month? Who's going to tell him when he needs to stop pushing himself so hard? Who's going to be there when he just needs someone to vent to about everything or nothing at all?
No one.
'Cause that was Zane's job.
And now Zane is gone.
Echo shakes while he sobs, holding onto his partner with a death grip. His copper body straining to even keep him upright even while he sits, as he shuts his eyes in an attempt to pretend everything is alright. That his brother was not in fact dead. Slowly, he's pushed back onto the couch, head resting uncomfortably against the arm rest of the sofa.
The heavy blanket that was previously wrapped around him is laid on top of him as he shudders.
Morro's grief stricken face looms over him, a gentle smile forced upon it. Never quite reaching his eyes. "Get some rest, babe." He whispers, planting a soft kiss on Echo's forehead.
"Don't-…don't leave." The nindroid croaks, clinging desperately to his lovers hand. Morro's already strained smile turns bittersweet. "I won't….I promise I won't…"
Echo shudders, squeezing his eyes shut. Feeling the weight of the world press against his aching shoulders.
He doesn't fight the sleep as it takes over him, only silently praying that Morro would keep his word and stay.
Unlike Zane.
- - -
A month had passed, some fire-snake people continue to ravage the city. Morro had grumbled and complained the entire time, covering his ears with some spare throw pillows. Echo spared a glance at Samurai X throwing a snake into the side of a building one day.(They ended up just closing the blinds and turning up the music REALLY loud.)
Despite the chaos, and metal music, Echo felt like it was too quiet. Despite Zane being one of the quietest people Echo had the pleasure of knowing, there was a silent connection they had. A quiet mechanical humming of their fans as they sat together, the slow turning of pages, or the soft clicking of controllers. There was always something, no matter how small it was.
He curses to himself, feeling his eyes begin to water at what once was. Swiftly, he wipes the moisture, burying his feelings back in on himself.
Cryptor grumbles something, snapping him out of his stupor as the taller nindroid shuts the front door behind him.
"He leaving already?" The older droid asks as he looks up at the loud slam in front of him. Morro hums, glancing at the clock on the wall.
"Yeah, his shift starts in like…what, thirty minutes?" The spirit responds, going back to scrolling on his phone. Echo nods, trying to find the place in his book again. He groans, dubbing the effort pointless before throwing the book to the other side of the couch.
Sighing, he buries his head in his hands. A small headache forming at the base of his neck as he rubs his tired eyes with his fists. With Zane…gone…he feels like a shell of himself, he can't even remember the last time he stepped in the kitchen or even the last time he saw his bike. He winces, praying silently it hadn't been trashed or stolen yet.
After a moment, he feels a small ping coming from his back pocket. The bright blue-light hits him in the face for a second, alerting him of a new notification. It's from Cryptor.
1 new message from: Spare parts:
Spare parts: Holy shit.
Echo's puzzled, glancing up at his boyfriend who has a mirrored expression on his face. Having just received Cryptor's vague message as well. Knowing the other droid, it was probably just him forgetting something in the house and getting upset about it. Classic angry Cryptor.
At least that's what Echo had thought, he's far to exhausted to care at the moment.
But just as Morro was about to open his mouth and ask about it, the door bell rings.
No one ever rings the door bell. Everyone that lives in the apartment hates it, because the noise it makes is just so annoying. They literally have a sign on the door that says "Don't ring, knock". But only one person was stupid enough to not read it. And he's the only one Echo was okay with ringing.
Echo practically leaps into the air, bounding toward the door and prying it open with shaking copper hands. Feeling his world tip side-ways and inside out and forward and back and-
The person standing in front of him stares at him with practiced coldness. It's no doubt his brother, same hair, same clothes, same gentle stance…
But…it's as if a husk of who he once was, was standing in his place instead.
His eyes, once brightly cerulean, now shine dully as he stares blankly at his brother. There's a new found sharpness in his gaze, causing beads of sweat to form on Echo's neck. His face looks gaunt and aged despite not being able to physically change with time like a human would. There's a shimmering layer of frost across his cheeks, and the soft bags under his eyes had deepened casting long shadows down his face.
But despite everything…it was still his brother.
Echo curses his weakness and throws himself into the Titanium Ninja's arms, barely stifling a sob as his finger's bunch into Zane's gi. The latter finds himself nearly jumping a foot into the air, before hesitantly returning the embrace.
"Y-you fucker." Echo hisses, burying his face into the older's chest. "I-…I thought…t-the ninja said you-…"
Zane shushes him softly, running a hand through his curled hair. Echo cries a little harder at that, gripping tighter at Zane's snow white robes. Zane tries his best to rub small circles into his brother's back, attempting anyway to soothe him. Yet with how tightly Echo is practically clinging onto him, he finds that mission increasingly difficult.
"Do not hold me so tightly, brother." The ice elemental mutters, voice deeper than what Echo remembered it being. Reluctantly, Echo obliges, slowly unraveling his death grip on the other nindroid. "Wh-where the fuck have you been?" He asks desperately, eyes scanning for any semblance of emotion in his brother.
"The ninja told me you died-" Echo chokes, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "How-"
Zane places a hand on the smaller droids shoulder, it was not as gentle as it had been previously. "I did not die, brother." The ninja explained freakishly calmly. "I was banished. Banished to another realm to which the other's believed I did not survive-"
Echo cuts him off this time, "But you did." He sobs, voice heavy in his throat as he stares up at his brother. "You're alive, and you're here, and things can go back to how they were…"
The older stares, tears brimming his glowing eyes as he dons a bittersweet smile. "…I am afraid they cannot, brother."
The copper nindroid feels his chest tighten, fear and upset swirling in his gut. "Why…? Why the fuck wouldn't it!?" He cries undignified tears continuing to roll down his cheeks. "I-…I get the realm you got sent to probably sucked but-" He whispers, thoughts beginning to spiral out of control. "But y-you're here now."
Zane goes quiet, fists clenching and unclenching in a rhythmic fashion. Echo feels his body shaking, trying and failing to cling to any source of comfort. Hesitantly, he dares to look at his brother's face again. Blank blue eyes staring back, misty and wet.
"I am sorry, Echo." Zane whispers back, a single tear rolling down his frost covered face. "I-…I cannot visit you…anymore."
Echo feels his chest tighten, his impressive resolve beginning to snap at his brothers insistence to leave him again. He feels his despair and fear morph into rage, stepping back away from Zane.
"So what? You fucking die, then waltz back into my life for two seconds before disappearing again?" The younger growls, feeling tears begin to resume their free fall down his face. "You think you get to leave me and then come back only to leave again!?" Echo practically shouts, desperation lacing his voice like chain mail.
Zane continues to stand stoically, "You do not know the half of it, brother." He growls back lowly, face muscles tensing. "You would not understand. You do not know the atrocities I committed, the amount of people I had slain in that First Master forbidden realm-"
Echo hardly resists the urge to grab Zane by the collar and shake him 'till he's normal again, yet he restrains himself. "Did you forget who you're talking to? I've fucking killed hundreds, I'm just as much of a monster as you if you think like that."
The ice elemental's shoulder's square, a scowl painted on his titanium face. "You do not understand." He repeats, frost beginning to collect at his finger tips. "You do not understand."
"Then for First Master's sake, help me understand!" Echo yells, stomping his foot on the ground so hard he was afraid the floorboards would give out for half a second. "Tell me what is wrong with you."
"I cannot do that. Not here." Zane chokes, anger dissolving into quiet fear. "You-…you cannot know."
Echo Zane scowls, tears drying in his eyes. "Then what the fuck do you want." He asks coldly, eyes icier than even the elemental master. "You come here, magically alive, and then leave? What was the point? What was even the fucking point of you coming here."
Zane sucks in a shaky breath, eyes cloudy and not entirely there. His breathing sounds ragged, awful, like he's spent years with a cold wrecking havoc on his body.
"I couldn't just let you think I died." He whispers, voice cracking as he speaks. "I couldn't let you live with that."
"So you're going to let me live with the fact you're never going to see me again? You're going to leave me with that instead?" Echo spits, still angry at his brother. The ice elemental breathes, hanging his head lowly as he stands awkwardly in the hallway.
"I-…" He begins, a nasty cough erupting from his throat. "I…you are right." Zane admits, defeated. "I shouldn't have come here."
The copper droid deflates, "No…brother, that's not what I-" He attempts, making a cautious step forward. Zane jerks back, titanium body trembling. "I cannot stay, I am sorry, Echo. Truly, I am." He whispers, visibly barely holding himself together.
"Zane-"
But it was already to late.
Zane had darted down the hallway, leaving frost where he stood. Echo attempts to call out to him, but his voice dies in his throat. He swears he can see his brother crying heavily for a split second, fearful tears streaming down his face.
But that isn't right. His brother never cried.
The former general feels a tugging at his chest, ushering him to follow his brother. But the voice in the back of his mind tugs harder, whispering in his ear that Zane didn't want to see him as he disappeared behind the stairwell.
He holds his head in his hands, not sure which voice was the one to trust. Not sure if he could even help his brother if he went after him. Despite being a nindroid, and being equipped with all kinds of probability generators and schematics, he had absolutely no idea what to do. What to say, or even how to help.
So he stood there uselessly, fighting his own body on whether or not to chase after his brother like a mad man. He wants to sob, scream, and puke all at the same time. He wants to desperately call out for his brother like a clingy pet.
He cries there for a moment, it could have been an hour, or just a few minutes. He had no way of knowing. All he wanted was his brother, all he wanted was for things to go back to normal.
But he knows this isn't about him.
He reminisces of the not so distant past, remembering the grace Zane had given him (not that he had deserved it) after he was rebuilt and released from prison. The way that he stayed calm every time he threw a fit, or got violent. The way he never gave up on him, yet gave him his space at the same time.
The way he let Echo go out on his own. To find himself. On his own terms.
Sighing, Echo steps back inside his apartment, empty handed and feeling like a part of him was missing. Dull anger still courses through him, powering his core and causing his body to feel uncomfortably warm. But it ebbs and falters, slowly cascading into a wave of longing.
If they were going to talk again, it would be on Zane's terms.
All he can do now, is wait.
- - -
It had been a boring day. Echo throws his stupid work jacket on the couch, slinking down into it. Morro and Cryptor still had a few hours left in their shifts, so Echo was alone in the practically empty apartment.
So, with nothing to do, Echo resorts to trash TV and shitty microwave dinner. It was a comfortable garbage he was familiar with, finding an odd comfort in swimming through the rubbish.
Then a ping sent him glancing at his phone.
1 new message from: Zane (Snake Jaguar) Julien
The nindroid's eyes shot open, quickly scrambling to get the phone in his hands. Fumbling with the stupid thumb-print password. Soon enough, he was frantically scrolling towards his messages app, stomach doing somersaults as he shakily opens the message.
Zane (Snake Jaguar) Julien: Bike ride?
Echo freezes, staring at the screen as if it was displaying absolute gibberish. An uncomfortable familiarity washing over him, remembering the bike rides he and his brother would share before…before the incident.
But he shakes the feeling away, typing with lightning fingers. Saying he'd be there, and to meet at their normal spot. The basics, the norm, the familiar in a world where familiarity was a luxury.
Springing up, he pulls on some random jacket on the coat hanger closest to the door and darts down the hallway. Crashing into walls to get to the run down parking garage beneath his apartment.
Quickly, he unlocks his bike. Letting out a grateful sigh seeing it had little to no vandalism or garbage on it, and hopping on as he speeds off into the city.
He gets to their meeting place in no time, giving him ample time to lean against some random light pole and scroll on his phone until Zane gets there. He listens in for the spinning of wheels, or the heavy steppings of titanium feet on the concrete.
After only about ten minutes, he hears what he was pinning for. Zane looks…imposing as he walks up to him, shoulders tense and squared off.
"…hey." Echo mutters, looking at Zane with just the smallest ounce of fear. The ice elemental nods back at him, giving a soft smile.
The copper droid feels uncomfortable tension seep into his joints, "Uh…well…you ready to go?" He asks, voice barely above a whisper. Zane looks around for a quiet moment, seemingly surveying the area, before sighing.
"Yes, let us go."
Echo nods, hopping onto his own bike. "Where to?" He asks, securing his helmet to his head. Zane doesn't even look up at him, sliding on a pair of leather gloves. "You know where."
The younger nindroid hums, revving his bike as he begins to tear through the streets of Ninjago. Zane close behind him, yet still a sizeable distance away from him. Horns honk, people on their own motorcycles whizz by them. The city breathes, laughing as they continue to traverse the densely packed area.
Soon, they're biking through the country side, weaving through green grassy hills as the sun begins to kiss the horizon. If the city laughed, then the country side hummed. The soft winds breezing by the duo as the ride towards the great desert, trees bending with the effort to stay up against the whipping wind.
Then they're right back where they started.
That same cliff Echo had thrown Zane off of, that same cliff they went to when they first started biking together. It felt bittersweet to Echo, a memory that brought a tenseness in his chest. He slows to a stop a bit of ways before the cliff, Zane stopping closer to the cliffs end, throwing his helmet to the ground as he practically collapses as he sits. Metal legs dangling over the great chasm.
Echo slowly joins him, not going as far as to place his legs over the cliff, but he sits by his brother nonetheless. A silence envelops them, not quite unbearable, yet not comfortable either. It makes Echo anxious, looking slowly at the other nindroid.
His titanium face is unreadable, also just staring blankly out at the sun. Watching it slowly begin it's descent into slumber, accepting the fact that night is soon approaching.
"You must want to know what happened." Zane states, voice barely audible. Echo glances over, watching his brother's face turn towards him as well.
"I mean…kind of…you came back and were just acting really weird…" The copper nindroid says, rubbing his arm in an attempt to comfort himself. The ice ninja smiles, "I suppose I was."
The silence returns, heavy over them like a rain cloud. Echo is afraid to break it, not wanting the rain to pour down on them and drive them away. Yet Zane continued to speak, allowing the hail to stay in the clouds.
"I…apologize. It was never my intention to hurt you." He states, not daring to look his brother in the eyes. "I was…afraid. Afraid of what you would think, of how you would react, of how your perception of me would...change."
Echo nods along, silent as he digs his fingers into the earth beneath him. "But…" Zane continues, breathing out a long sigh. "I see now that it does not matter. You are family, you deserve to know."
Another shaky breath, a wet cough, and a stifling of a sob.
"I-…I committed atrocities." Zane states matter of factly. "I killed thousands, maybe tens of thousands of innocent lives in the Never Realm, the hell I was sent to." The other nindroid tenses, taking in a wavering breath of his own. Shoulders tight as he continues to stare down into the dark valley.
"I was a genocidal ruler. The Ice Emperor. I killed with the frost of a thousand winters, murdered with no remorse…I was-…I am a monster." The former emperor whispers, voice cracking as he speaks. "I was there for sixty years, Echo." Zane chokes, looking over at his brother. Echo feels his blood run cold, barely able to face his…his brother? The emperor? Zane?
Who was he?
"I-…" Echo begins, hugging his knees into his chest. "I don't know what to say, Zane."
"You shouldn't have to," Zane responds, kicking his legs as they hang off the cliff side. "I…I just wish I could have been stronger."
The copper droid feels his blood run cold, glancing at his brother. Praying silently that he would continue to speak and so he wouldn't have to ask the uncomfortable question of "Why? So you could kill more people?"
Echo lucks out, as Zane continues. "I wish I was strong enough to resist him. I wish I didn't believe his treachery. His lies were like silk…I…" Zane chokes, sobs catching in his throat. "I loved him, Echo."
"Who?" The other nindroid asks, fear threaded with his voice.
"My…advisor. His name was Vex." The former emperor breathes shakily, feeling his fingers tense. "He…wiped my memories. Said we were friends, close close friends. Said that I was the ruler of the Never Realm, said that my throne had been taken and that I needed to get it back. Told me sweet sickening lies so I would massacre a whole realm for him." He exhales shakily, fingers bunching up his gi.
"Sixty years I believed that man, trusted him…" Zane laughs, the sound ugly and bitter in his throat. "He only saw me as a weapon. A means to an end."
Echo's frown deepens, hugging his knees tighter as Zane stifles a sob. "To me…he was everything."
The silence around them is bitter, tinged with guilt, and regret, and remorse. Echo doesn't know who to hate more, Vex for being a manipulative and abusive mother fucker, or the monster that sent Zane to that First Master forsaken realm in the first place.
But he knew with all his heart, he did not hate Zane.
Slowly, he scoots his way towards his older brother. Wrapping a single arm around the titanium ninja's shaking form. The nindroid flinches hard, but melts almost immediately, tucking his head into Echo's shoulder.
"I-…am so sorry." Zane sniffles, tears stain Echo's jacket as he sobs into the leather. "I-"
"Shut up." Echo whispers back, rubbing circles into his brothers shoulder. "You said your memory was erased, you described this man emotionally abusing you for sixty fucking years and you still think you're the one that needs to apologize?"
"I-…the blood is still on my hands…" Zane cries, rubbing his swollen eyes with the back of his sleeve. "I killed them, Vex wasn't forcing me- He…he just-"
"Brother. Please, deep breaths." Echo instructs, squeezing his brother tightly. "You were a weapon, he instructed you, you followed his orders because it was the one thing you were familiar with. You teach a dog to bite and the dog is gonna bite, because that's all it knows how to do."
Zane sobs, burying himself into Echo's embrace. Slowly fully engulfing him in a desperate, longing hug. "You had no memories, no idea of where you were or even who you were. It was not your fault." Echo continues, running a hand through Zane's hair. "You are not the Ice Emperor, you are Zane Julien. The titanium ninja, and, my brother. And nothing's going to ever fucking change that."
Sniffling, the ice ninja gives him a tired smile, yet it truly reached his eyes. Shimmering with tears, some stray drops falling from his face.
"When…when'd you get so good at comforting people?" Zane asks shakily, giving Echo is honest lop-sided smile. Echo grins back, elbowing Zane lightly in the ribs. "I learn from the best."
The two share a laugh, watching as the sun finally sets over the horizon. Millions of stars dotting the sky as they sit and soak in each other's presence. Zane sighs, like the weight of all the 16 realms was just lifted off his shoulders.
"You helped me when no one else would. Where everyone saw a murderous nindroid general…you saw…me. Not Mr. E, not your brother. You saw me." Echo whispers, holding tightly to his sibling. "You helped me. You helped me rediscover my purpose, you made me family. Even when you absolutely didn't have to and when I tried everything in my power to make you hate me."
Zane goes quiet, rubbing his still raw eyes with his sleeve. Echo glances at him, an uncharacteristically warm smile on his face. Zane smiles back, eyes still glittering with tears yet to fall.
He doesn't deserve Echo. Doesn't deserve the kindness, the patience, the humility. After all he's done, he should be scrapped, thrown into a junkyard and used for spare parts. He contemplates throwing himself into a volcano, damage himself beyond repair if that meant he didn't have to live with the guilt that crept stronger and stronger at his heart every day.
He wants to end it.
"So let me help you. I'm right behind you brother, always."
But he won't.
"As am I, brother. As am I."