Flames of the Past #1: The Man in the Mist (Ninjago Fanfiction)

Chapter 14

"Lloyd?" Garmadon called as he stepped into the nurse's office. He found his son sitting at the far edge of the hospital bed. He was staring out the window, but he turned at his father's voice.

Garmadon walked over to him, looking him up and down. "How are you feeling?" he asked in concern.

Lloyd turned his gaze back to the window. "Fine," he grunted.

Garmadon frowned and sat beside his son. He glanced sideways at him, finding the ninja's eyes glittering, although the rest of his face was emotionless. Garmadon opened his mouth, but Lloyd spoke first.

"I'm sorry," the green ninja blurted. "I'm sorry I disappointed you."

Garmadon's eyes rounded. "Who said I was disappointed?"

Lloyd turned his head farther away. "I failed," he spat out. "I let them get away."

Garmadon rested a hand on his shoulder, wondering why his son was thinking like this. "It wasn't your fault, Lloyd," he comforted. "You didn't fail anyone."

Lloyd clenched his fists. "I let myself be knocked out," he growled. "I'm weak." He kicked a foot over the ground, trembling with rage. "Weak," he repeated in a spat.

"Weak?" Garmadon stared at his son in disbelief. "Lloyd, is that how they taught you?"

Lloyd didn't respond.

Garmadon pressed his hand to the ninja's cheek, forcing Lloyd's gaze to him. "Don't think that way, Lloyd," he murmured. "It could've happened to any of us."

Lloyd's eyes shifted from his father's as his hand moved to his wrist. "But it couldn't have," he whispered, half to himself.

He tugged his head away, facing the window again.

Garmadon tipped his head. "What happened before the others found you?" he wondered.

Lloyd hesitated a moment. "It—it was after I stormed off," he began in a low voice. "I was alone. There was this strange mist and I followed it. Then when I reached the end of it there was this... person. I didn't recognize him. I-I was confused. But he... he reminded me..."

"Reminded you of what?" Garmadon pushed.

Lloyd started to tremble a little. "O-of the Overlord," he breathed.

Garmadon rested a comforting hand on his son's shoulder, knowing he must be thinking about his battle with the Overlord. "Then what happened?" he coaxed.

"We locked eyes and something seemed to click in his mind," Lloyd said. "Then he held out his arm, and clenched his fist, and..." His voice trailed off.

"And... struck you?" Garmadon guessed.

Lloyd kept his gaze on the wall in front of him. "Yeah," he grunted. "Yeah... he struck me."

Garmadon gazed into his son's face. He could tell the green ninja wasn't telling him everything. "Kai said you couldn't breathe," he recalled.

Lloyd's gaze snapped to him in alarm.

Garmadon patted a gentle hand on the ninja's neck. "But it doesn't seem like you were choked."

Lloyd shrank away from his father's touch. "I-it was some magic," he blurted out. "S-some kind of—dark magic."

Alarm shot through Garmadon. "Magic?" he echoed in a gasp. "Dark magic?"

Lloyd moved backward as the sensei again came closer. "I-I'm fine now, though," he assured him. "A-all the magic's out of my system. I'm sure of it."