Chapter Text
Lloyd groaned as his alarm went off. Shifting in bed, his limbs felt like lead, as though he had run a marathon the night before. As much as he'd like to give in and fall back asleep, it was Monday, the start of another school week. Lucky me.
He ran a hand across his face before turning over and checking his phone. He opened up his newsfeed and was assaulted by an all-capped headline:
5 Killed, 28 Injured From Latest Garmadon Attack
He hesitantly clicked the link.
Tragedy strikes after Garmadon's devastating assault on Ninjago's ports last Friday night, 11:45 PM. Though Garmadon himself was not present, the army of approximately 75 skeleton warriors was driven back by the Secret Ninja Force, mitigating casualties and damages. Unfortunately, the surprise attack resulted in multiple fatalities including a single-mother, Roise, 28 years of age. Her son Nelson, 7 years of age, who was also present at the scene, was reportedly injured. He has been taken to Ninjago General Hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
Under the paragraph there was an image of the aftermath of the battle, including scattered weapons and the bones leftover from Garmadon's forces. Alongside it was Roise's obituary photo. Lloyd's heart plummeted when he realized how young she truly was, who she left behind, and the dismal circumstances of her death.
Lloyd's head flared with pain as he pictured his mom in Roise's position, dying on the side of a war-torn street. He suppressed the urge to cry. You can't save everyone. Wu's voice invaded his mind.
"But I have to try." He whispered to no one. He scrolled down to the comments.
'Garmadon hasn't been seen in months, why does he keep sending his army?'
'The coward should attack himself.'
'Why haven't the ninja killed this guy yet?!'
'Thank FSM for the ninja! It could have been a lot worse.'
'This is the last straw, when are we going to stop his allies?!! Lloyd Garmadon and his bitch mom live right here in Ninjago Cit--'
He didn't bother reading more.
Today is gonna suck. If he could, he'd stay home from school. He snickered. Hell. If he could, he wouldn't live another day as Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon. But that wasn't how life worked.
He swung his legs over and sat up. The sudden movement sent a throbbing pain to his temples. It was one of his stress headaches again. He habitually grabbed whatever papers were on his night stand and methodically twisted it until the headache dissipated.
He weakly frowned when he realized he'd been destroying his chemistry assignment... Former chemistry assignment.
He dropped the coil of paper and headed to the bathroom. He looked awful: bed-head, dark circles, sheet creases deeply imprinted into his cheek... It looked like he hadn't slept in days. He kinda hadn't.
Whatever, coffee can fix that. Sorta.
He pulled a nail file out of the bathroom drawer and took it to his canines. Even though the ritual was a drag, the long fangs were the only visual reminder that he was the son of his bastard father. He'd be damned if he resembled him in any way.
"Done." Like a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Thank the First Spinjitzu Master he didn’t have the extra arms on top of that.
“Hey mom,” he entered the kitchen, heading straight to the liquid gold in the coffee pot. His mom was in the middle of frying some eggs. “Good sleep?”
“Not really, I was up all night decoding some ancient serpentine hieroglyphs, and I fell asleep in my study.”
“Bummer, but that’s not exactly new is it?” Lloyd joked before chugging the coffee. His mom worked at the history museum, and crashing in the study was a nasty habit of hers.
She grinned and handed him an apple, “It’s not so bad when I have someone giving me a blanket on those cold nights.”
She gave him a kiss on the forehead, which made Lloyd wince.
“Mom! You’re embarrassing me!”
But she just smiled. Guilt flooded his mind as he was brought back to that article... that mom. How could he deny a kiss from his mom knowing that Nelson would never feel that love again? It just wasn't fair. I have to be better.
“Nobody else is even here. You should start going,” she checked her watch, “you’re gonna be late.”
He rubbed the nape of his neck with his free hand, smiling weakly, "Yeeeah... Any chance I can stay home today? I'm not feeling the best."
It wasn't technically a lie: he couldn't remember the last time he had a full night's sleep.
“No honey. I can't have you miss more school..." she pinched the bridge of her nose, seemingly torn, "Is this because of Friday?"
Lloyd's smile fell. So she had seen the news too.
"Oh honey..." She pulled him into a hug. She was so warm, and alive. For the second time this morning, Lloyd had to stop himself from crying.
"I know it's tough. But it's like Uncle Wu says, we just have to keep pushing forward. There isn't anything we can do about it anyways."
Guilt washed over him. There was something --many things-- he could have done. But he wasn't strong enough, or good enough. The hug suddenly felt suffocating, so he took a step back. "Of course I know that. Doesn't make it any easier."
"Everything’s alright at school, right?” Worry was ripe in her voice. She always asked that since Wu convinced them to stop homeschooling: he needs to make friends, it'll be good for him. What a load of bull.
Most people acted like he didn't exist, even his teachers ignored him. So he resigned himself and drifted through school like a ghost. But some braver students, especially angry after an attack, would spread nasty rumours or send glares and insults his way. The worst he’s experienced as of yet was being followed home and jumped by some kids. That was after a particularly bad raid. But that was a long time ago. Besides, deep down, in some sick way, didn't he deserve it?
He was the son of Lord Garmadon. His father had brought so much pain and suffering to so many innocent lives. People like Nelson and his mom. As much as he hated it, his father was his burden to bear. If he was a target of the people's resentment, and that was his atonement, so be it. His mother would be helpless to stop his mistreatment anyways. Why worry her?
He thumbed at the apple and tentatively took a bite. It was sour. “Course.” He swiftly lied, “Those colleagues treating you better?”
“I think they’ve come around to me.” She smiled, but anyone with two eyes and a heart could tell that wasn't the truth.
Like him, she faced her own prejudices as the ex-wife of a world-dominating lunatic. But, again, like Lloyd, she never really divulged those struggles. It was like an unsaid agreement between the two.
“Now get your butt to school mister! I’ve already packed you lunch.” Misako pushed him away, pointing at her watch.
Leaving his apartment, Lloyd glumly trekked to school. While he wasn't excited for the oppressive stares of the student body he was excited for his after school activity--being the leader of the Secret Ninja Force.
And no, Lloyd did not choose the name. NGTV’s Gayle Gossip gave them the name once a video of them went viral. Lloyd would change the cheesy name if he could. But it didn’t really matter, what mattered was what he and his team did.
He, along with four other ninja, each of whom were recruited by his uncle Sensei Wu, were the sworn protectors of Ninjago. He unconsciously licked his stubby fangs. Naturally, their identities remained a secret, even to each other.
To the public, the purpose of the secret identities was a circulating question. Most assumed the secret identities were problematic --dangerous even-- because they lacked accountability. But Sensei Wu and the others knew better.
Since they opposed Lord Garmadon and other menaces to Ninjago, maintaining the secret helped protect the people they cared about. For him that was his mom. He frowned as Nelson's mom popped into his mind.
If any of them were captured, they couldn’t know the identities of their friends, in fear of putting the whole team in danger. At least that’s what Sensei Wu surmised. It was one of the first lessons his Sensei had taught them.
Not everyone was keen on the idea at first, but as they became a fully fledged team, their attitudes shifted. The idea of the team and their own families being in danger festered fear in the ninja, and now the revealing of their identities was almost as terrifying as Lord Garmadon himself.
Of course, these necessary precautions did not quell their curiosity. To his extreme discomfort, some of his comrades were very inquisitive. They always poked and prodded into each other's lives, trying to catch a glimpse of each other behind the mask. But in the long haul, their hunger for each other's identities would never be sated, it was infeasible. And of course that was for the best. Besides, if the others knew each other’s identities at this point—who he was— he didn't like to dwell on that idea too much.
Luckily, nothing about the team dynamic seemed to be changing anytime soon. They were solid as can be. He loved it. They offered something he didn't deserve: normalcy. When he was with his vigilante team he could laugh, joke around and feel the comradery of the other ninja. There was no stress, no fear. It was the pinnacle of bliss.
In contrast to the warmth given by his team, there was no protection at school. He was completely alone...
As he arrived at the daunting building, he could feel the atmosphere shift as more and more students noticed his arrival. Despite the green hoodie covering his hair, and walking along the far border of the yard so as not to gain any attention, he never went undetected.
Glares shot through him like arrows, the tension was so thick he could cut it with a knife. He felt his stomach curdle.
He was only broken out of the staring contest with the student body when a half-empty can of pop was thrown at his head.
"People are dead. Are you proud of yourself?" he heard someone shout. Fear lined their voice. He locked eyes with the pavement. They were right. Even though he didn't directly cause any deaths, he wasn't strong enough to stop them.
I have to do better. Be better.
Wu's annoying voice drilled into his mind. You can't save everyone. He clenched his fists, just enough to bring his attention back to the present.
Lloyd looked up and fiercely glared at the surrounding student body. To them, it was probably threatening. To him, it was a silent plea to be left alone, at least just today.
The school day passed in a blur, he was almost numb to the whispered remarks and sickened looks from students he’d never met before.
In spite of trying to be a good student, Lloyd could barely pay attention in class. He was always letting his mind wander -- anything to make the day end faster. It didn't help that the teachers practically ignored him. Though sometimes when he'd space out, he would get in trouble for allegedly scheming for his dad.
That happened today. His chemistry teacher was mad when he zoned out, but he absolutely snapped when he found out Lloyd destroyed his homework. Now he has five times the amount due next week.
He stared at the fresh mountain of paper. He grit his teeth, painfully aware of the harsh words he overheard.
Evil. Murderer. Scum. Villain. That's how he was labelled. To others, that's all he was. It didn't help that he leaned into the look: baggy hoodies, messy hair, he'd even gotten one of his ears pierced (a feature his mom and Sensei Wu really despised). It screamed delinquent. It also acted like a warning label, warding off regular students, ultimately making his life easier, but all the more lonely.
He shook his head, reminding himself that he deserved it, it was his atonement... Even so... deep down he was desperate for them to realize wrong they were. He wasn't all those things people claimed. He'd only ever wanted to help...
But he knew nothing would change until his father was stopped. He just wanted it all to stop.
During the last period of the day, having survived all his classes, Lloyd could barely sit still. He was so excited to run home, put on his ninja gi and fight crime with his friends. He wouldn't be the horrendous Lloyd Garmadon, whose father was responsible for countless deaths and damages. He could reinvent himself as the hero he always strived to be. Lloyd sought to use his power for good, and undo the strife his father had caused the city. Even if he had to remain anonymous while doing so.
Because of this, leading the Secret Ninja Force wasn’t something he simply wanted to do, it was something he needed to do. It was his saving grace. It was his salvation. It was the only way he could reach his full potential, and not shy away from who he really was. FSM, He didn't know how he survived before.
Lloyd was enveloped by the thoughts of seeing his team again—despite it only being a few days. Maybe he was excited to start fresh from the fiasco that was Friday, or to stop this pity party and finally socialize -- he didn't really know. After the final bell rang, Lloyd had a smile on his face and a skip in his step as he got on the bus to return home… Completely unaware that the comfortable life he’d known was about to slip out of his grasp forever.
Later that night, Lloyd found himself perched on the roof of a generic office building. Though the plain building didn’t seem like much, it was a very handy spot, as it was close to both his high school and his apartment. Because of the close location, Lloyd was often the first to arrive--a good look for the leader. Surrounded by the bright neon lights that illuminated the city, he waited for his friends.
One by one, they all arrived at the designated meeting point.
The second to arrive was surprisingly Black. He made the kind gesture of purposefully making noise as he approached, so as not to startle his leader. Ninja etiquette?
Black was the Master of Earth. Though they didn't use those grand titles in favour of their suit colours.
Black was naturally one of the bulkiest in the group, having super strength and all. He was able to make large earthquakes and fissures, and able to essentially punch through anything with glowing orange hands--though usually he preferred the less flashy scythe weapon.
“What’s up green bean?” he said nonchalantly. He slumped an arm over Lloyd’s shoulder. Lloyd had almost forgotten how much Black loved nicknames.
Lloyd silently acknowledged him, turning to nod at him before looking at the dao in his hands.
"Thinking about Friday?" Black quietly asked, "I am too."
"Yeah," he admitted, his voice quieter than normal, "and I'm thinking about what we could've done differently, and about Nelson." And just like that, his stress headache was back.
Black was silent for a long time, enough for Lloyd to question whether Black was even listening.
"...I saw the articles... It was devastating what happened to Nelson. But we did everything we could that day, and we have to believe Nelson is resilient enough to survive this..." Black's eyes darkened. Lloyd wondered if there was something more to that. "Just remember what the old man always says."
Lloyd bitterly laughed, "I can't seem to forget what Sensei says."
Black squeezed his shoulder. Their solemn moment was interrupted when they sensed another presence slip onto the roof.
It was the White ninja, Master of Ice. White was brutally efficient while fighting. Even in white gi, which is absolutely terrible if one wanted to sneak around, White somehow managed better than he could in his earthy green outfit.
“Greetings Green, Black, how are you? I see the others have not arrived yet?” The mood lightened as the White ninja robotically marched up beside Lloyd, staring at the city with an analytical glare.
“No one else yet, frosty. Otherwise I’m managing fine. How bout’ you? Keeping cool?” Black asked as he gave White a fist bump.
“Very cool, thanks. Or should I say, very nICE?” White replied with an amused tone of voice. Lloyd cringed. God the ninja loved puns.
“I wish I could make as much elemental wordplay as you guys.” Lloyd said satirically.
“Don’t have the… energy? ” Black chuckled.
“Haha, should I Gibb you an energy drink?!” White almost doubled over giggling, but the other two didn't get it.
Black and White continued to clamour about all the silly puns they could make with their elements. Meanwhile, Lloyd, not as interested in the conversation, took a look at White’s gi. It had no wrinkles, which Lloyd could hardly believe. The man was rarely dishevelled, even after battle. It was an extraordinary feat keeping clean after patrol. The only disconformities he noticed were the small shuriken poking out of White’s robe and small black hairs that littered a portion of his suit.
Due to the secret identities, these small details about the ninja's personal lives were always a source of intrigue.
Blue sometimes arrived with black oil smeared somewhere or another, and Black would often arrive with a lingering scent of old wood. White’s hints to his personal life were those patches of black hair that often find themselves stuck on his suit. He likely missed it when cleaning his gi.
So far, there was no sure conclusion as to the origin of the hair. Maybe White has a pet with black fur? Could he have black hair? Lloyd asked himself—though it was hard picturing White as a brunette. It was hard picturing anything since he only ever saw White's eyes.
Lloyd looked downcast. It was hypocritical of him to invade the privacy of his friends when he would never reveal anything about himself.
“Blue and Red should be here by now.” Black shrugged, snapping Lloyd out of his spiralling thoughts.
“Tsk tsk tsk, tardiness.” White rebuked. It was clear that out of all of them, White was the most proper.
Surely enough, five minutes later, Blue and Red both scrambled onto the rooftop, each out of breath.
“I win! I totally beat ya Red.” Blue smugly cheered.
“No way, my feet were on the roof first.” Red commented. After more bickering, they simultaneously looked to White, expecting an answer to who won their rooftop race. With a pitied look White quickly ended their short feud.
“Sorry Blue, but I think Red won the race this time,” Lloyd could also hear White mumble, “but both of you were late.”
“Aww man, I'll beat ya next time then.” Blue loudly chuckled as he punched Red's shoulder.
“Mhm, sure.” Red answered, rolling his eyes while crossing his arms.
Blue awkwardly waved at Lloyd and Black. "H-how are you guys?"
The Master of Earth and Lloyd shared a knowing look. Neither wanted to drag the other ninja into their pity-party.
"Good."
"Not bad, especially with the new issue!" They said simultaneously.
Blue's eyes crinkled into a smile. Like him, Blue was a huge Starfarer fan. When they weren't fighting crime, the two would discuss the newest Starfarer issue or movie without any care for how loud they were.
‘If we knew each other outside of being ninja, we would totally be best friends!’ Blue would often say. Lloyd would just politely chuckle in response. Sure, best friends with the son of Lord Garmadon, he would sarcastically think.
Blue, being Master of Lightning, favoured his nunchucks over brightly electrocuting his enemies. Especially after that one incident where he accidentally shocked the entire team during a fight. Apparently, he didn't realize they were all standing in a puddle.
But Lloyd didn't blame him. Blue's element was the most volatile, manipulating its power and direction took serious skill–and Lloyd really respected him for that.
Then there’s Red, the fire elemental was very efficient with his sword, but still chose to be very flashy. He mostly fought using the flames that shot out of his hands, rather than anything more subtle. Red was a total wildcard too, with his impulsive temperament during fights reflecting his fiery personality. The guy was always stoked for a fight, and would always push himself too far during training.
Since Red was the most restless of the group, he was often the one to attack first, expecting his brothers to be behind him. Because of that, he and Red clashed heads quite often. Though so far, everything has managed to work out. Even though Red does get reprimanded for his recklessness, the ninja was still scarily good. So no harm no foul? For now at least...
“Well, since we’re all here and raring to go,” Interrupting their small talk, Lloyd took charge, “I want to say that even though we, uh... thwarted Garmadon's attack last Friday, our break is over. We can't expect the Serpentine, Chen or anyone else to take a break, so we’ll do our usual patrols. Travel in shadows and don’t forget, if you spot something, use the intercoms first before approaching, and remember-”
“Boring means safe.” The boys recited.
The ninja said their goodbyes before they all split up to cover their specific domain of the city.
Lloyd’s sector was downtown, with White and Blue watching over the neighbouring areas. Red, with great resistance, looked after the business hub of the city. He always complained that the area was boring. That was of course until Blue convinced him otherwise: the business area was a hotspot for criminals trying to steal advanced technology from Borg Industries. This dampened Red’s discontent for patrol. Instead, the Fire ninja was crazed over getting to fight a baddie in his territory. Goody.
Finally, Black usually took to the slums where petty crime had the most comeuppance, which was reasonable as Black had the most experience out of all of them.
After only a few short minutes slinking across the rooftops, Lloyd arrived at his destination: downtown. The area always had the most foot traffic, usually from party goers hopping between clubs. The streets were illuminated by glowing neon signs and disco lights.
For the first few hours of the night, there was no serious crime. Based on the radio silence, the others hadn't encountered any crime they couldn't handle either. Even the police (whose communication was hacked thanks to Blue and White) didn't encounter anything they couldn't handle. For the next few hours, Lloyd just jumped from rooftop to rooftop scouting out anyone that seemed dangerous or with ill-intent.
It was just past midnight, Lloyd had just finished catching a criminal who was breaking into and stripping cars. After tying the crook up and calling the authorities to take him to jail, Lloyd was just about ready to call it a night. FSM he needed it.
He readied himself to jump to the next building before faltering at the sound of screams. The agonizing yells made his hair stand on end. Could it be a robbery? Fire? Villain attack? Lloyds mind flooded with possibilities.
As he dropped onto the street and ran to the source of terror, his chest pounded with unease.
I've got this. I'm a ninja. This is my responsibility. He repeated in his head as he arrived on scene.
He was immediately bombarded by hundreds of civilians, trampling past each other to flee the danger. He navigated past them, anxiety growing. I've got this. I'm a ninja. This is my responsibility. I have to protect these people.
He was about to yell for everyone to get to safety, and that help was here, but his throat seized as he laid his eyes on the small army of Skulkin.
Why were Garmadon's forces here so soon after their last attack? A pit formed in his chest, something was very, very wrong.
His instinct was right. Amidst the undead warriors was a person--a monster-- they hadn't seen in months. Lord Garmadon. His father, fuck.
Why was he here?! They'd only ever faced him as a team, with Wu's support no less, and those big battles always had plenty of forewarning. Garmadon wouldn't just show up on some random night. Amongst the crowd of fleeing people, Lord Garmadon's stare caught him, and his demented grin shook Lloyd to his very core.
He often likened himself to a wolf in sheep's clothing, but currently, he'd never felt more like prey. He had no chance taking him one-on-one. To boot, his stress headache came back. I can't do this. His resolve to defeat his father immediately shattered, primordial instinct taking over. He had to act fast. He...he had to get out of here.
With a shaky hand, he managed to activate his intercom, “I-I need back up, my-- Lord Garmadon is downtown. He's got an army of Skulkin. I-I've never faced h-him alone before, please!”.
"You need to get out of there!"
"We'll be right there!"
"I'll call Wu!"
The voices of his teammates barely registered, he was more focused on running away. Surviving.
"Help!" Just as he was about to move, he heard a cry, snapping him out of his fear. He turned to the voice, it was a young woman, she was pinned beneath rubble. She was the same age as Nelson's mom.
This was his chance to do something right. He bolted over, regaining his courage as he threw off the debris. "Get out of here!"
"Th-thanks!" She bawled before she raced away.
Lloyd drew his weapon and got into a fighting stance, igniting two glowing balls of energy and letting the green light bleed onto his blade--steeling his resolve.
"Come get some!" The new plan was to hold off the army until all the innocents could escape, and he and the ninja could defeat his father together.
Shit. There was a reason the ninja fought against Garmadon together. He barely saw it coming. His father suddenly appeared in front of him and sucker punched him a clear ten metres. The blow sent him smashing into a telephone pole, knocking the dao out of his grip. Shit shit shit, Lloyd repeated ad nauseam in his head before crumpling to the ground.
He could feel the sharp pain of his back muscles and bones. The energy he summoned had all but fizzled out. Usually he would be more alert than this. But perhaps the nightly endeavours into the city were running him a bit ragged.
Staggering back onto his feet, Lloyd clutched his torso, wincing as he breathed. The strain of his lungs pressing against his ribs hurt like hell. Despite the burning he felt every time he inhaled, he counted himself lucky that none of his ribs had punctured his lungs— but some of his back ribs were definitely fractured.
Even after the heavy first blow, Garmadon didn't give his opponent any time to recover. He dashed towards his son with a crazed malice in his eyes. In response, Lloyd summoned his energy and jumped up to punch his father. But Lord Garmadon swiftly dodged and kicked Lloyd sideways.
With the sharp pain from one side of his body, and the bruises he could feel forming on the other part of his torso, Lloyd would be lucky going to school this week.
Catching himself before he fell to the ground, Lloyd ricocheted off of the concrete and landed a solid punch to Lord Garmadon’s abdomen. Green energy sparked from his fist every which way. Reeling back, the two gave and returned blows with vigour. He could feel the pure adrenaline rush through his body, dulling the sensations of his wounds. In the back of his mind, he knew the two of them were obliterating the area, rendering it a war zone. But something about it fuelled him.
Looking over at Garmadon, he could see that his father was also being worn down. He... was winning?!
In another attempt to punch his father in the face, Lloyd twisted his body and put all his energy into one of his fists. However, from either the glowing fist aimed for his fathers head or the telling look in his eyes, Garmadon had seen through his plan. The tyrant caught Lloyd’s outstretched arm with one hand, and Lloyd’s neck in the other, stopping him in his tracks. His father’s two remaining hands sat cockily on his hips. Lloyd thrashed against his grasp, desperate for any give. But the violent flailing barely did anything. His father laughed as the minutes passed and Lloyd's struggles were reduced to ineffective squirming. With his exhaustion taking over, he expelled the green energy covering his free fist and instead clutched the forearm holding him mid air.
“So this is how the Green Ninja fights alone hmm? You put up more of a fight than I thought, but still...” Garmadon remarked with a maniacal laugh. He pulled Lloyd's face close, close enough to feel his hot breath. The deranged look in his eyes made Lloyd break out into a cold sweat. "It's almost insulting that my brother thinks a bunch of kids can take me down. Of course, that's why I'm here... It's become tedious battling you over and over... My army last Friday was the last straw. So I had the brilliant idea of coming myself to exterminate the biggest thorn in my side--the leader of the Secret Ninja Force. The rest of you will fall soon after that."
Exterminate? Lloyd's heart hammered in his chest. He thrashed futilely, dread growing as he realized his position. Even with all of his power he couldn’t break free of his father’s grip. The adrenaline inside Lloyd’s body began to fade, and the sharp pain of his breathing took up most of his consciousness. My ribs, right. Lloyd just remembered. The strong grip wrapped around his throat also didn't help. Garmadon seemed to have noticed, as the hand that seized his neck also began to squeeze tighter, and Lloyd's breathing became increasingly haggard. He couldn't concentrate enough to summon his elemental power.
Lloyd was in a daze. I'm gonna die? Lloyd could only ask himself through his foggy consciousness. There's so much I didn't do...
“Ah, I see that your ninja lackeys have arrived. It's nice to have an audience.” Garmadon showboated with a smile. Entering his visual field, Lloyd could see the blurry figures of his teammates.
As the ninja tried to approach Lloyd and Garmadon, they froze as the tyrant added pressure to his grip, causing Lloyd to release a strangled cry. At that moment, Lloyd felt extremely pathetic.
Even as the Skulkin were wreaking havoc, the entire scene seemed to be at a standstill. The ninja were unable to act, as Garmadon held all the cards. Specifically, Garmadon held their leader.
Lloyd shot his father a glare, which Lord Garmadon returned. Lord Garmadon seemed to think for a few moments before twisting his face into an evil smile, unsettling his son.
“You ninja have been a pain for far too long. I was just going to kill your beloved leader... But before I do that, I feel a little hurt that everyone knows who the Green ninja is but me~” His dad teased, Lloyd felt disgusted.
Meanwhile, his friends were taken aback at the word 'kill'. “You piece of shit.” Red growled, “Drop Green and fight us like a man.”
“Or else we’ll put you in a world of hurt.” Black tagged on.
“Yeah! Besides, there's no point. Even if we knew what Green looked like, none of us would recognize him!” Blue shouted carelessly.
If Lloyd wasn’t currently being strangled, he would have punched his teammate in the face. He loved Blue —but FSM can he be dumb.
The other ninja also felt the same way as they glowered at the Master of Lightning.
Silently, his father watched their little skit play out. Then an even wider smile than the one before contorted his face.
“It seems pretty secretive for a team to be so close and yet have no idea what their true faces look like hmm? It must be tough~ I can help with that.” No, no, no, no, no, Lloyd looked at his father in horror. Lord Garmadon was on the cusp of exploiting his greatest fear, and he didn't even know it yet.
Lloyd's heart pounded, loathing the reaction his father might have to his vigilantism. What would he do if he found out two members of his flesh and blood fought against him? But that paled in comparison to his other worry: what about his mom? Nelson's mom... The idea of putting his mom in harm's way was a concept Lloyd always tried to avoid. But there was no running away now.
Everything was spiralling, not only would his mom be in danger, his life as the Green Ninja he had managed to build was about to crumble. The team would know who--what-- he really was: a monster, murderer, the spawn of Ninjago's worst villain.
The teen tried to release himself from his fathers grasp, but could only twist his body a little. He felt like a rag doll. It was shameful.
This was his life he was dealing with, and yet, he felt utterly useless. The lack of oxygen to his body stopped him from resisting his father anymore. He was putty in his fathers hands. There was only one option left.
Lloyd begged, his half lidded eyes facing his father, “P-please don’t. This is all I have.”
“All the more reason to do this then.” Garmadon replied. "Don't worry, you'll be dead soon anyway." Lloyd shied away as a black hand reached towards his face.
At that moment everything was different, Lloyd felt hollow. His sheep's skin was shed, and everyone knew.
I can feel the cool breeze of the city on my face. He thought numbly. The air weaved through his blond hair. Slowly, Lloyd opened his eyes. He focused on the man who had just ruined his life--his own father.
Suddenly, the numb feeling he had ebbed, replaced by a pit forming in his stomach. Lloyd watched as the initial surprise morphed into a satisfied smirk on his father’s face. He could almost see the gears turning in his head. What was this bastard plotting? His vision blurred as small hot tears began slipping from his eyes.
“Well that was certainly a surprise, L-loyd, and after all this time I had thought the Green leader– my arch-nemesis, the thorn in my side— was a threat to truly be reckoned with.” Garmadon sniggered, “What a disappointment to find out it was only my son playing hero in bright pyjamas.”
Still with a firm grip on Lloyd’s neck, Garmadon squeezed his face and forcefully turned his head towards his shocked teammates. His face on full display.
Rarely, when he's not immediately recognized as Lloyd Garmadon, it's uncovered sooner or later. The longest that he went unrecognised was by a girl at school. She was new to the city and sat next to him in science class. She was unaware of his status for a week, and by that time they were almost friends.
But when another classmate made her aware of his father’s identity, she had actually attacked him out of fear.
'Get away from me you, you villain! The words she said still stained his memory, that and the piece of graphite that got lodged in his hand. Naturally, it was Lloyd who got in trouble, instead of the girl. However, where this girl's reaction was the product of a week of not knowing, Lloyd had been lying to the ninja about his lineage for over a year.
In all honesty, he had never even fathomed that his identity would be revealed, of course he knew there were risks, but he had never thought of what to say if something like that were to ever happen. He usually brushed it off as an impossible scenario, but there was no running away from the situation now.
The safe haven that was the Secret Ninja Force was shattered, and he felt so bare, exposed. They all knew who he was, this was irreversible... He shut his eyes tightly. His brothers knew, and now surely they hated him.
As Lord Garmadon grinned at his son, basking in the glory of his success, he boasted, “Well son, I can’t stand around here forever. Look at the so-called team you just betrayed and I'll consider keeping you alive.”
“I—“ Lloyd hiccuped, even though his eyes were closed, there was still a steady stream of tears, “I don’t want to.”
His father shook him. Lloyd feared that cold sadistic personality, “I said, look.”
With a sad acceptance, he blinked the tears away from his eyes to face his shame. Lloyd looked between the ninja's faces, and saw a mix of emotion even through their masks.
White, the level-headed one of the group, usually restricted the emotions he portrayed. But now, in place of his typical blank stare, there was a puzzled, shocked, look in his eyes. He looked like a computer trying to process a mass load of information.
The Blue ninja--his comic buddy-- was a few metres behind White, and had a nervous look of betrayal on his face. “...Impossible.”
Blue’s voice pierced through him, even against the surrounding noise of the cityscape. The Green ninja tore his gaze away dejectedly from Blue and White, landing his focus on Black.
Black was the closest ninja to him and Garmadon. Black, the strongest of the ninja and the previous leader before Lloyd stepped in, had a look of disappointment in his eyes. He could see the fluffy eyebrows tilted up in a sad way. Lloyd felt a bile rise in his throat. One of the ninja he looked up to most, who taught him to be the best leader he could be, and who supported him through thick and thin--this was his breaking point wasn’t it? He’ll be alone, or dead after this, won't he? For a brief second, Lloyd wished he was dead, if only to escape the moment that happened next.
In his peripheral vision, he saw a flash of red flame. Red stood rigid off-centre to Black, small embers speckled in his clenched fists. Even though Lloyd had never seen Red’s face before, there was an evident scowl, along with a hint of hurt. Tears welled up in Lloyd's eyes once more. Even though they argued, he had always thought of Red as his closest friend. But now there was an insurmountable rift growing between them. Because of him. His deception is what caused this. No, Lloyd simply existing caused this. At this point, staring back at the other members of the Secret Ninja Force, all Lloyd could gargle was a weak “... I’m sorry...”
Lord Garmadon released a string of laughs, and the entire ninja team (if they still were a team) shot him the dirtiest glares imaginable.
“Wha-at? You ninja are no fun. I’m having a blast, and I didn’t even kill any of you yet.”
Suddenly, a tornado of gold swept across the battlefield, knocking Skulkin about. To the team’s relief, it was Sensei Wu, and he looked absolutely pissed. “Looks like we’ll have to play a little later, ” Garmadon said with sadistic glee, “I have to go for a bigger fish.”
In an instant, Lloyd’s body was flung horizontally. The last thing he remembered was pain.
Lloyd shifted in his bed. By muscle memory, he reached over to turn off his alarm clock. He awoke with a startle when he hit nothing but air.
He was not in his bedroom. Now fully awake, the boy jolted upwards. The motion triggered a searing pain on his back and gave him a splitting headache.
It took a few moments to recover but he could finally focus on the scene around him. Now in a more sitting up position, Lloyd stared down at his chest. It was essentially bare except for the bandages wrapped around his stomach and ribs. He could see purple and blue blotches on the left side of his torso peeking out from behind his gauze. He cringed thinking of the massive bruise that took up a third of his body.
Looking around the room, he inspected the wood planked walls, ceiling and floor. Lloyd noticed all the dust particles dancing in the light beams around him.
Lloyd wasn’t in Ninjago City, but in the med bay on Destiny's Bounty. The ship was their secret headquarters parked on the coast outside the city borders. It was an area where they mainly trained, recovered, and voyaged between Ninjago’s surrounding islands.
How did I end up here? Straining to remember, Lloyd cupped his forehead.
Suddenly, the memories before he blacked out came rushing back. The patrol, facing his father alone… the reveal. He recalled the distant and disdained look of all his teammates discovering who he truly was. What he truly was.
From the flood of new information, Lloyd’s breathing turned into rushed ragged pants. Tears threatened to leave his eyes. His team will surely turn their backs on him, if they haven't already. Who could stand being in the presence of Lloyd Garmadon? Why did he ever think it would be different as the Green ninja?
Before his dark train of thought consumed him, he heard a voice, “You’re awake.” Immediately, he knew that the voice belonged to Sensei.
His uncle was sitting in a wooden chair a few metres away from him, pouring himself a cup of tea from his signature blue teapot.
With some time to collect himself, the only words Lloyd could muster were, “How long was I out?”
“Only a few days. It's about five o’clock in the morning.”
“Only a few days?! Uncle, that's a really long time.” Lloyd shifted in the bed, but hissed when his body did not cooperate.
“Aah, yes. Well, if you weren't in my care you would've been unconscious for an entire week. You fractured three of your ribs on the right side. Alongside other minor bumps your abdomen sustained heavy trauma. The hand mark on your neck is barely visible now, luckily."
"My head is killing me."
"Right. After witnessing you hit your head, White insisted we check whether you had brain trauma. Somehow, he and Blue whipped up a makeshift EEG. Those boys.... Ahem* thankfully you're all right, save a minor concussion. I used some healing tea on you so your injuries should be fine by afternoon today. I also called the school and gave them notice that you would be absent. And I told your mother that you were coming with me for a few days, don't worry.” Even with the reassurance that his absence had been covered for, all Lloyd could do was worry:
“Do they hate me? My…the team--I mean.”
“...They’re right outside, why don't you ask them yourself?”
Time to face the music. He struggled to get out of bed before almost toppling over. Who knew sleeping for such a long time left you feeling extremely dizzy? It was either that or the delirious pain. Sensei Wu even had to hold him up. How pathetic. Lloyd tried to stop thinking about it; cause ultimately didn’t really matter, he felt horrible.
With the burdensome injuries keeping him in check, Lloyd graciously accepted the aid his doting uncle provided, leaving most of his weight on the older man.
Slowly, they moved towards the deck of the ship. The stairs were painted with a soft orange glow from the dawn. As he arrived, he heard the crashes of the ocean waves on the shoreline, alongside whispers fizzling out.
His team, still in their ninja gi that they wore a few days ago, turned to face him. He quickly averted his gaze, looking down at the wooden deck instead. All of them were wearing masks, causing him to realize his face was bare. The sheer anxiety made his cheeks flushed and his chest tight.
A quiet hand snuck up to cover his mouth. Useless, he knows, but it was still a comfort. Even if the anonymity he had was gone, it felt weird leaving his face uncovered in front of the team (surely ex-team after this).
As his eyes locked onto the floor, the uncomfortable silence persisted. It took him too long to realize they were waiting for him to talk. Forcing his muscles to relax, Lloyd mustered the courage to speak. But his mouth was painfully dry.
"H-hey guys..."
"Hey." It was Black. His voice had a certain softness to it, encouraging Lloyd to glance up. The Earth ninja was leaning against the mast of the ship. He didn't seem mad. Rather, he had a sort of distant look in his eyes. "So, Lloyd Garmadon."
Upon hearing his name, a small yip slipped past his lips. "Yeah..." Tears pricked his eyes, but he was resolute not to cry. Not yet at least.
"Sensei gave us some details--minimal details really-- but he said you'd explain the rest."
"Oh. Yeah, okay..." He scanned the other three ninja, desperate to gauge how they were feeling. White and Blue were both giving Lloyd a pitying look. But looking deeper, he swore they were looking at him like he was dangerous. It made him feel like some rabid dog waiting to be put down. As expected, Red stared at him with scowling eyes. It felt ten times worse than the stares he'd get after a Garmadon attack.
He didn't know where to start. He looked to Wu, desperate for guidance.
Bastard. He couldn't control his snarl and the clenching of his fists at his uncle peacefully sipping tea, ignoring his silent plea. He even seemed to be enjoying this.
His eyes jerked back to the quiet gasp of Blue. They were all staring at his mouth. His thumb grazed his canines, confirming his fangs had grown back to their full length. If I wasn't a monster already, now I look the part.
Apparently that was the final straw. Hot tears slid down his cheeks. After taking in a gulp of air (to the extent his bandages allowed) Lloyd rambled out, “I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me. I o-only ever wanted to stop my dad. I just wanted to help! I promise! I'm sorry, I never meant to keep this from you but I knew I'd never be able to help--”
His body unable to hold him up any longer, he collapsed into a crying, hiccuping mess.
"Whoa, whoa, deep breaths. We all decided to keep our identities a secret, no matter what they may be. You’re definitely not at fault for that.” Black placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Here, I picked this up from the battle.”
He handed Lloyd the mask he had lost. The dusty green cloth stared back at him—Black's gesture almost made him break down again. He was giving him a chance.
"Wanna explain everything? From the top?"
"O-okay." He sniffled, rising back to full posture, "I- I know it's hard to believe, but my father left shortly after I was born. Since then mom and Wu have always taken care of me."
"So you never even knew your dad?" Blue almost sounded surprised. "I thought--"
"Most people think I'm some spy for my father, but they couldn't be more wrong." He spat the words, almost disgusted by the idea, "He's the epitome of evil, he's hurt so many people."
His heart sped up as he was once again reminded of Nelson's mom.
"I hate him. I hate him so much and I hate any similarity I have to him! That's why I grind down these stupid fangs!" He pointed to his teeth. "So when Uncle Wu offered me the chance to be part of this team-- to lead it against my father--how could I say no?"
His anger simmered as the ninja took in his words.
"I understand. As his blood, stopping Lord Garmadon was your way of redeeming yourself." White reasoned, "But then why did you never refute the claims of your villainy? After looking at police records, you have committed no crimes. Except jaywalking a few years ago?”
Blue noticeably stiffened at the mention of his past jaywalking.
"Other than the fact no one would believe me?" He asked almost sarcastically.
White cocked his head to the side, expecting a better answer.
Lloyd sighed, "Even though we try our best, people are always going to lose their livelihoods--or their lives-- every time my father attacks." He looked pointedly at Wu, "I know we can't save everyone, but that doesn't mean that their hurt goes away. So if people need someplace to direct that hurt? Well, I can be their villain. It might as well be me."
After his declaration, the ninja (and even Wu) looked at him in horror. Lloyd’s eyebrows furrowed, hoping he didn’t say something wrong.
"That can't be healthy..." White muttered.
"I-it's not that bad, I can handle it fine." He quickly said.
"That's not the point--" Blue started.
"Lloyd, trust me when I tell you you do not deserve to be treated like a villain. You are not your dad and you do not have to pretend to follow in his footsteps." Black sternly announced. The Earth ninja gripped his hands around Lloyd's, squeezing his mask, "Believing that will only hurt you. And it isn't gonna get us any closer to stopping your father."
Us? “Am I still allowed to be a part of the team? You aren't kicking me out?” He hiccuped. Happiness bubbled in his chest.
"We doubted you in the beginning, but at the end of the day you're as part of this team as anyone else. And if someone has an issue with that they can answer to me." Black gave Red a challenging look.
“Yeah! You've got my support.” Blue reassured before continuing on; “I feel terrible for what happened to you, with yer father--I mean... and how everything went down. But we'll totally take down your dad! Especially with the infamous Lloyd Garmadon on our team! Just, uh, maybe keep filing down those fangs, they sorta give me the creeps.”
Lloyd shrivelled at the mention of his canines. But he snapped out of his discomfort a bit when Blue offhandedly mentioned, “Besides, without you, who would I talk to about Starefarer. While you were out, the newest issue was released; the sixth of the new series. Quite the page turner.”
Before Blue could prattle on about the comic–-and probably spoil everything–-White cut in, "I also look forward to our continued collaboration."
Lloyd smiled at Blue, White and Black, who had formed a supportive semi-circle around him. Seeing the team so united with him made the metaphorical dam burst again. Great, he was a puddle of emotions twice in one morning. Was something in that healing tea?
"Whoa, you okay?!" Black asked again, panic lacing his voice.
"Y-yeah, just really happy." He beamed.
“Anything you’d like to add?” He heard Black. There was an edge to his voice. Lloyd realized Red had joined the circle too, but there was an air of hostility.
Red grumbled, “What happened to you wasn't fair. Don't feel obliged to bear your dad's burdens.” Lloyd enjoyed a brief moment of relief, but it was snuffed out as Red declared, “But even if you have these guys fooled, you're not tricking me... I still don't trust you.”
That stung, but could he expect much else from their resident firecracker?
"I understand. I just hope you'll realize my intentions are true." He challenged.
Black hit Red upside the head, to Sensei Wu’s approval. “Don’t worry about him, he’ll adjust. He’s just trying to seem tough”.
“Yeah, he’s probably just cranky that your alter ego is much cooler than his.” Blue jabbed.
Red let out a loud huff and muttered something unintelligible.
Blue-–true to character–-jabbered on, “He just needs time to cool down. Cool down? Master of Fire? Hah hah, get it?”
Looking at his teammates, they all--except Red--let out a soft laugh. The previously hostile atmosphere melted away into normalcy. Lloyd was immeasurably happy that his team still remained intact, and that the relationships between them seemed to hold strong —Lloyd could still act as the strong leader he was before too. Things would return back to before, better even. Was this a dream? If it is, don't wake him up.
But there was still something bothering him.
“While it's fine that you all know my identity, my father does too. Has he done anything yet?”
"No. At least nothing public." White affirmed.
"Why?"
The boys froze and looked between each other. "We, uh, actually don't... know?" Blue fumbled for words.
Anxiety spiked in Lloyd's chest, making his head spiral again. "Wh--"
“Even if your secret is out, Lloyd, we are very grateful that Garmadon seems to have no interest in sharing your identity with anyone else.” Wu said sternly, snuffing the fear.
Blue interrupted, “Is that really true? We don't know if he’s lurking somewhere, planning something nefarious. Uh, no offence Gre—Uh, Lloyd.”
“None taken. Trust me.” Lloyd answered, “But are you sure Sensei?”
White nodded, “While we cannot say for certain what your father may be planning, there has been no news about you being Green anywhere.”
Black chuckled, “Telling the public that your archnemesis is your son is something no one would believe. Even if it's true.”
“I also took the liberty of watching over your mother while you were unconscious. Just in case--”
“Would Garmadon really attack his own ex-wife? Or is that a stupid question?” Blue jumped in. Lloyd just shrugged in response.
Sensei Wu proceeded, a bit agitated from being interrupted, “As of now there has been nothing. I just hope your father isn't working on another sinister plot. Just in case, I’ll be staying with you and your mother for a while to make sure you both will be safe.”
Lloyd gave a grateful nod. “Thanks uncle.”
“I’d gladly help you in this sort of situation—all of you—not that I want this scenario to ever happen again. It is of the utmost importance that no one knows each other's identities, even among brothers, for if that knowledge got into the wrong hands, it could cause all sorts of havoc for you and those closest to you.”
The others shifted again awkwardly as Sensei Wu finished his thoughts, “Right…Well, you young kids make me tired. I am going to meditate.” His Sensei retreated back into the berthing of the ship.
However, with the subject of true identities laying bare, and his Sensei gone, Lloyd could sense the nervousness in his team. The metaphorical can of worms was open.
Lloyd did what he always did, and analysed how each member of the team reacted. White didn’t seem too perturbed, like Lloyd, he analyzed the minute mannerisms of the other ninja. Blue looked between everyone else, shifting the weight between his feet. Red just looked back out onto the horizon indifferently. The earlier pastel sky was now replaced with a vibrant blue–-with the sun brazenly displaying itself.
Lloyd peeked over to Black, who was in the nicest way–-a mess. His muscles were more tense and there was turmoil in his eyes. He was also manically glancing every which way. After seeing Black in such a state Lloyd felt bad. White must've noticed too.
“It's almost time for the day to start,” White declared, breaking up the awkward silence between them. He walked towards the side of the deck, “I must get going.”
The other ninja scrambled for excuses to leave the situation too.
“I’ll walk you back to your house, right up to the door. What's the address again?” Blue shifted nervously, joking about White's secret identity. But it just seemed to fall flat.
As the ninja trickled out of the ship, Lloyd bid farewell to his uncle. Then he was off. He managed to reach his apartment, file his fangs, gorge on breakfast, say hello to his mother (who doted on him immensely), and arrive at the school before the first bell.
Though physically drained after the whole debacle, Lloyd was just ecstatic he still had the chance to be part of the team. Especially with the weight of hiding his secret identity finally lifted. He still had a place to be himself and he would protect that, and his brothers, with everything that he had. Someday they, along with his uncle, would one day defeat the menace named Lord Garmadon.
Although being back in the school environment reminded Lloyd of how much people despised him, today was actually a little better than he expected. Even after the latest Garmadon attack, the ‘it’ girl in his grade that notoriously picked on him, Nya Smith, was surprisingly avoiding him. Usually, she was behind the rumours of his villainy, and, when brave enough, she would also give sly remarks to the boy in the halls. He knew she couldn’t be that bad of a person, she never did anything more than blab, but it still hurt.
Today, after seeing her in the science hall, she stared at him, but said nothing. Lloyd was also relieved to see the posse following her around ignored him too, a change Lloyd welcomed with open arms.
After the first two classes, Lloyd sat in the cafeteria alone. He was holed up in a corner table next to the window. He had his bag and books in front of him in a protective manner just in case someone tried to mess with him.
The ninja was trying to sleep off the ache his wounds were giving him. In spite of the healing tea he had, a soft pain was still present. Attempting to sleep also allowed him to mentally escape the overwhelming changes he endured these past few days...
When he woke up from the bell, the cafeteria was nearly empty. Lloyd stretched out his muscles, refreshed. After moving his textbooks into his bag, Lloyd was almost prepared to leave. However, he noticed something peculiar.
On the table in front of him, he could see a container housing a single cake slice with a clean fork. Next to it, there was another finished cake container. People must have been sitting here, Lloyd reasoned. But he remained perplexed as to the almost intact cake in front of him.
It was his favourite kind too, red velvet loaded with icing. Shrugging it off, Lloyd went to the study hall in the library.
As he spent the entire hour painstakingly finishing the chemistry work (which he swore was way too hard for a high school curriculum), he could practically feel his brain dissolve into mush.
Spitefully, Lloyd crumpled up some of the pages and scanned the library, desperate for any distraction. Passively, he observed a group of teenagers walking out of a study room.
They were walking towards him whilst making small talk amongst themselves. They looked maybe a year older than him, each dressed in very proper clothing. They must be the intelligent bookish people in their grade.
As they were passing him, some guy veered to his table. The others in the clique seemed to ignore him and kept their pace out of the room.
Lloyd stared at the boy with a questioning gaze. He was in a blue sweater with a white zig-zag stripe running across his chest. He wore beige slacks with very nice dress shoes. The person had prim and proper platinum blond hair, tying together his ensemble.
Was this guy gonna give him shit? "What do you want?" He cautiously asked.
After staring at his chemistry page for an uncomfortable amount of time, the other teen said, “Number four is incorrect, the proper chemical name is 2,4-dinitrophenol.” before abruptly walking off.
Lloyd stared dumbfounded at the figure marching away. After looking back at his worksheet, surely enough, the stranger was right.
After fixing the answer, Lloyd questioned what had just happened. Was that guy genuinely trying to help me? Or was he another pretentious academic kid with a bone to pick?
No no, don’t be so critical Lloyd. He mentally smacked himself.
The study guy didn't seem to have any ill wishes against him, maybe he was actually trying to be nice? But helping public enemy number two (number one is obviously his father) didn’t make any sense at all. The teenager didn’t have anything to gain talking to him—helping him! Without giving it more thought, Lloyd trudged off to his final class.
It's official, today was really weird. It must be an epidemic! People at school were suddenly not seeming so bad. A guy helped with his homework and the whole bullying thing was lessened for the day.
The biggest anomaly was that someone actually sat at his table during lunch (without sticking gum in his hair, he checked)! Lloyd was about to pass it off as some huge coincidence until he opened his locker to go home.
Jammed into the side of his locker was the newest issue of Starefarer. He flipped through the pages, enjoying the brightly coloured comic. It looked used, but way too much of a chance to be an accident.
Has he ever mentioned Starefarer at school? Definitely not. But then how did someone know he enjoyed this specific series? Blue?
Lloyd walked off with his backpack, the comic in hand. Maybe there were hidden allies he had at school? Others that actually understood he didn't mean any harm? If so, things could really be turning around for him. Maybe he wasn't as isolated as he thought.
While the stream of thoughts flowed in his mind, one idea kept popping up. Maybe Blue, who shared his passion for Starfarer, attended his school and left it for him? It’s plausible, as it’s guaranteed that Blue would always nab the newest book upon its release. Letting out a snort he laughed off the idea.
Lloyd knew that Ninjago City was big, and his school population was very small. The chance that a fellow ninja went to his school was extremely low. But it was still a possibility, the thought echoed in his head.
Walking out of the school doors, Lloyd felt more energetic than he had in a long time. A smile graced his face. An expression he only wore with his mother, uncle, and as a ninja (under a mask). Even though his identity was forcefully revealed, his heart felt infinitely lighter with his teammates' support.
For the first time in his life, Lloyd was looking forward to tomorrow. Even though a chapter of his life had ended, a new chapter began. And Lloyd is looking forward to the new opportunities that await.