To Defeat Your Enemy

But Everything Went Wrong

"Fist to Face- oh, that game." Aki looked up, grateful for the change of subject. "Okay."

Zane smiled, and though it was still a little sadder than it used to be, it was genuine. "After we take care of your hand."

Aki smiled a little too, in spite of himself.

-X-

"Zane? Why are you playing Fist to Face 2 with him?" Jay asked, staring at Zane and Aki from safely behind the doorway. The evil clone shot him a glare for a second before turning back to the game with almost unbroken concentration.

"Oh, hello Jay. It will be some time before we reach our destination. I suggested we play this as a way to kill time." Zane's words were almost drowned out by the sounds of several loud explosions from the game.

"Alright!" Aki grinned at the pixelated sound effects as the screen lit up orange and yellow and white in a cartoon fireball.

"Agh- he's not even playing the game properly!" Jay yelled, mentally tearing his hair out in frustration as Aki's little character ran around blowing things up. He turned to the clone with a glare. "You're just running around destroying stuff!"

"So? It's more fun this way!"

"But that's not-"

Cling.

A secret door opened up behind a wall Aki had destroyed.

"Is that a secret level?" Jay asked, most of the irritation gone from his voice, hopping over the side of the couch to join them. Zane tossed him a controller as he slid into position on the side of the couch furthest from Aki.

"Ha! If I wasn't playing the game properly, explain that!" Aki grinned triumphantly.

"Shut up Aki," Jay sighed, but it wasn't as harsh as usual.

"Stop arguing. Both of you," Zane interjected, leaning forwards as the game's loading screen appeared. "We need to focus."

And, well. Jay couldn't argue with that.

-X-

The Destiny's Bounty landed on the peaks at night, the silver light of the moon acting as the only light besides the stars and the warm glow of shining, golden magma. Aki stared over the edge of the ship at the mountains. There was no sign of Garmadon yet.

Key word being yet.

"Come on, we should destroy the Mega Weapon before my dad gets here," Lloyd said, addressing the group as he turned towards the stairs.

Jay gasped. "Too late, he already is. Look!"

Ah well.

Of course it couldn't last.

Constricti drilled up from the ground, breaking apart the stone. An army of serpentine came up from the newly-opened tunnels. Garmadon stood at the head of the horde.

He looked angry.

Aki stepped away from the edge of the ship, staring in disbelief at the sheer number of Serpentine at Garmadon's disposal. They covered the side of the mountain- a multicoloured swarm lit by eerie golden light.

"Get them!" Garmadon yelled, pointing at the Bounty, "bring down their ship!"

"We have to destroy the Megaweapon!" Sensei Wu slammed open the door to the deck of the ship, holding the Megaweapon wrapped in an old blanket.

Aki was surprised that worked, honestly, but that was beside the point.

"But what about Kai? We can't bring him back without it!" Cole yelled from the other side of the ship, preparing his scythe. Wu hesitated, not wanting to lose the chance to save his student.

He shouldn't have hesitated.

The ship lurched violently to the side, almost throwing Aki and the others off the side of the ship. Aki clung to the railing, holding his breath as he nearly slipped off the edge entirely- wow that was a long way down- glancing back over the deck of the ship in fear. He tightened his grip on the railing until it hurt.

The ninja weren't doing much better than he was- Jay was actually outside the railing somehow, screaming at the top of his lungs- and the Megaweapon slid across the deck, hitting the railing next to him with a harsh thud. The tip of it caught between the bars of the railing as the ship righted itself, and then kept going until it was leaning to the opposite side- the perfect angle for Garmadon to board the ship. He easily cleared the narrow gap between the mountain and the ship, glaring directly at Aki with cold fury in his red eyes.

Aki took a second to assess the situation. It was him and the ninja against Garmadon and an army or Serpentine. They had to defend something they couldn't touch or they'd die- the Megaweapon- Garmadon's weapon.

And it was sitting at his feet.

Aki scrambled backwards, away from the Megaweapon. The raw, unfiltered power of the weapon felt like it was burning his skin, even a few feet away. One hit from it- one touch- and Aki would disappear.

Forever.

"Serpentine! Seize the ninja and bring them to me!" Garmadon commanded, stepping forwards, locking eyes with Aki.

He drew his sword.

"I'll retrieve the Megaweapon."

And then Zane stepped in front of the clone and the weapon, facing down Garmadon with shurikens in hand.

"You'll have to get through me first," he said, pulling his hood over his face. He could hear Aki's shocked gasp behind him, but he paid no attention to it.

"So be it," Garmadon snarled. The warlord charged, raising his sword, only for it to be knocked out of his hand by Zane's shurikens. Jay and Cole joined the battle seconds later, working in practised unison.

Garmadon narrowly stepped out of the path of Zane's second shuriken.

Zane couldn't help but feel the void left by Kai's absence in battle like this.

Cole took the moment of distraction to swing at him with his scythe.

But Garmadon couldn't be allowed to retrieve that weapon. Zane wouldn't allow it.

The silver (it should've been golden, Zane thought momentarily) tip of the weapon came down hard on the wood of the Bounty.

It had done enough harm already.

A momentary pause in the battle as both Jay and Cole took on Garmadon at once gave Zane the chance to survey the deck of the Bounty- Lloyd and Aki were taking on the Serpentine. They weren't working together, Zane realised, far from it. He understood.

Garmadon lunged forwards again, and Zane barely dodged in time.

Both Aki and Lloyd were holding their own, so Zane turned his full attention back to the battle. Garmadon stepped back again as they attacked, towards the side of the ship opposite the mountain.

The side of the ship-

When had they turned around?

Zane realised a second later that he had greatly miscalculated.

Garmadon pried the Megaweapon from the railing. The wood of the Bounty splintered as he tore the Megaweapon free with a sickening crack. He held up the Megaweapon, revealing pointed teeth as he lifted it into the air with a sinister laugh.

"Finally! I have it back."