Darkness from Within #4: Fading (A Ninjago Fanfiction)

Chapter 16

Joseph locked his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling, not answering for a moment. "No," he said eventually. "Not really."

"Oh..." Lloyd felt uncomfortable, wondering if he never should've brought it up.

"I can't," Joseph went on roughly. "They're gone."

"Oh..." Lloyd got even more uncomfortable. "I-I didn't know..." He looked up at him. "What happened?" he asked, hoping he wasn't prying too much.

Joseph blinked slowly, continuing to stare at the ceiling. "I killed them," he murmured suddenly.

Lloyd's eyes widened in alarm. "What?" he blurted.

Joseph's neutral expression didn't waver. "Each and every one of them," he added darkly. "Couldn't have anything holding me back, you know?"

Lloyd's heart pounded in his chest. He felt utterly bewildered. "I-is that what the Overlord wants me to do?" he worried, voice shaking. "K-kill my family?"

Joseph turned his head to gaze at him, eyes blazing intensely. "The Overlord doesn't want you to kill them," he told him. "He wants you to want to kill them."

Panic rose inside of Lloyd. Maybe he had once wanted to get rid of the ninja, but he knew he hadn't been thinking straight then. Will I really want to kill them one day?

"On that note, we should sleep," Joseph muttered.

Lloyd glanced back at him in horror and he snickered, shifting back onto his side. Breathing heavily, Lloyd forced himself to lie down. But images of him attacking and killing his father, his brothers, wouldn't leave his mind. They haunted his dreams and he tossed and turned, feeling his panic grow with every disturbing thought. I can't kill them!

But the worst part was that he felt he could.

Footsteps scuffed over the ground.

Lloyd sat up, watching Phil and Joseph leave the room. That's it, he thought. He moved to the edge of his bed, knowing it must be morning. I haven't gotten a wink of sleep because of all this. His hand trembled as he brought his communication device onto his lap. He looked down at it. Should I really do this? he asked himself. He clicked it on and found his father's name in his contacts. His thoughts whirled. I'll just check if he's alright, he told himself. There's no harm in that, right?

He took a deep breath and pressed 'call' before he could have second thoughts. He stared at the device as it connected. Oh, this better not go terribly wrong!

* * *

Wu paced the floor in front of Garmadon. "The Overlord has three elemental weapons," he began. "He only needs one more."

"Then why hasn't he come for it?" Garmadon demanded. "It's been over a year!"

"There's something holding him back," Wu murmured thoughtfully. "Deep down, I feel a stir of hope."

"Hope?" Garmadon exclaimed. "What do you mean?"

Wu gazed at him. "The last two times they stole the weapons, Lloyd was in charge of the break-in," he explained. "What if Lloyd is having second thoughts?"

Garmadon blew a piece of hair out of his face. "I doubt it," he muttered.

Wu halted. "What?"

Garmadon furrowed his eyebrows. "Don't you get it?" he answered roughly. "Once Lloyd's mind is set, he won't turn back. He's gone full Baddie, and he isn't coming back."