The Silent Man's Whisper [ninjago]

18 | unmasked

Lloyd didn't even have time to blink before chaos broke loose. The villains all jumped up and tried to get to him, but he was faster, smarter, more cunning.

He dodged the weapons thrown after him and headed for the same vessel he'd used to get there, but it disappeared before he had the chance to enter it.

So now he was stuck in a place underground he wasn't familiar with. And the worst part was that he had five villains currently chasing after him. Only the person in the kabuki mask wasn't making any effort to go after him.

It wasn't needed anyway, because in only one split second, Lloyd was captured by Pythor's slick tail which quickly wrapped itself around Lloyd's body. He squirmed and thrashed but couldn't get away.

"Let me go!" the Green Ninja yelled.

"I don't think so," Pythor answered. He grabbed his hat and ripped it off his head, revealing his blonde waves. "Lloyd."

Vangelis and Mr. E came up to the two with a long chain in their hands and wrapped it around Lloyd's body until they were sure he couldn't escape. Pythor then brought Lloyd closer to a large rock formation and hung him up by the end of the chain, making him dangle down. He gave him a push for good measure before slithering away laughing.

"It is no use," the masked person told Lloyd when he began to squirm once more. "And using your powers won't be of any use either."

"Vengestone," Lloyd hissed at the person, confirming their line of thinking.

"Still as smart as always, aren't we?" The person came to stand in front of the Green Ninja. "But you of all people should know what game you're playing."

"What are you talking about? Who are you?"

"You know me," they answered. "Or, well, you think you know me. Or thought, depending on how you think."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow when the person started to confuse him. "What do you need the Golden Weapons for? They're useless, powerless. Their powers have been drained a while ago. They're basically like any other ordinary weapon."

"See, that is where you're wrong, Lloyd." The person straightened up proudly. "You have always been the one claiming one's power cannot be drained or sucked away. Because true power comes within, am I not right?"

Lloyd scowled. "I don't need a philosophy course right now. Tell me what you want with the weapons and show yourself!"

"You're still no fun, Lloyd. Always so boring and so serious. No wonder your father never loved you."

"Ouch!" Pythor said mockingly from behind the person.

"But I will give you what you want."

The person grabbed their mask with both hands and slowly pulled it off their face, revealing an unmistakable sight. Lloyd's heart nearly stopped, his mouth going dry.

"Because staying quiet has never really been my way of handling things, you know."