Rise of the Overlord

Chapter Fifteen

Hey guys! You might've noticed that I put a mature warning on this story, I did that due to the language and some of the gory scenes. I will still continue to put warnings on chapters with strong languages and graphic scenes, such as this one. 

Warning: brief angry cussing.

Misako hid in a broom closet to get away from the Stone Army and their General, she leaned against the door and removed the helmet as sweat dripped down her face. She placed it on the concrete floor and gave a deep sigh, sliding down the door beside her helmet as she took a well-deserved break from patrolling the city. She was quickly rising through the ranks of the Stone Warriors; she was now under the guidance of Kozu and was in charge of her own squadron of soldiers. Misako gave a brief chuckle as she thought of all the ideas to sabotage the Overlord and Kozu's hard work. She could send warriors to the Toxic Bogs and attempt to drown them, she could start a rumor of a mutiny within the ranks, she could take out her soldiers one-by-one, the possibilities were endless! But she had more important things to worry about; such as her son and husband in the cellblock below, Kai still bring on the run, and how to help him.

Misako reached under her stone warrior armor and into her pocket of her khakis, removing her watch to check the time. 5:42pm, she read. It's a good time to bring Garmadon and Lloyd some dinner. With a sigh she placed the helmet back on her head and left the broom closet, heading to the kitchen that was built for the Corrupted Ninja. She found a citizen standing in front of the sink, staring blankly at the empty sink.

She cleared her throat, "Get me food for the prisoners. Now." The citizen shuffled over to the cabinets and pulled out a large can of soup. He opened it and poured it into a bowl, microwaved it, then handed the bowl to her. She grabbed a few slices of bread and carried it down to the cells, as she approached Cell 26 she could hear her husband softly talking to her son. Her heart skipped when she heard their voices, she sped up and stood outside the barred door.

"Misako?" Garmadon asked in a hushed whisper, Lloyd jumped and stared at her, his shining emerald eyes wide in shock.

She nodded, "I brought you two some dinner."

"Mom?" Lloyd whispered, tears brimming. "Is it really you?"

"It is, I brought you some food," Misako said, sitting in front of the cell as she held out the bowl and bread. "How are you feeling, son?"

"Cold and still in pain, but it's not as bad as it used to be." Lloyd reached out and grabbed the bread and soup.

"Thanks to the medical supplies you took, I got to wrap up Lloyd's back," Garmadon said, taking the half of bread his son offered. "If nothing goes wrong then it should be healed in a month or so."

"But with the situation we're in, something is going to go wrong," Lloyd grumbled, nibbling on the piece of bread with a look of sorrow and trepidation.

"Don't forget that Kai is still out there," Misako said. "Even though the Overlord is still searching for him, he could be finding help right now."

"But isn't all of Ninjago corrupted?" Lloyd asked. "Who would still be good out there?"

She shrugged helplessly, "I don't know, but what I do know is that we have to remain hopeful. We have to believe that Kai will come to help or find help."

"But what if he can't?" Lloyd snapped. "What if he gets captured or corrupted or killed?! What if there was only one chance to kill the Overlord and I missed it?! What if Destiny chose wrong and I wasn't supposed to be the Green Ninja?!" Tears of anger and frustration rolled down his cheeks as he started to tremble, he choked out, "I don't want this! I don't want to be the Green Ninja! I want my friends back! I want them back!" His tears started to steam from the amount of raw power flowing through him, he ground his teeth together as his body started to ache and groan from the torture. His parents fell silent as he started sobbing, holding his head in his hands as his wails echoed through the cell block.

"Lloyd," Garmadon mumbled, "It's okay. Let it out. Let it all out."

Lloyd started screaming in anger, "Fuck Destiny! It's what caused everything! Fuck it! Fuck it all! I hate Destiny! Why did it have to choose you to be bitten?! Why did it make me the Green Ninja?! Why couldn't it have chosen someone else?!" He fell silent, his screaming fit faded into heavy pants, hard swallows and sniffles. Misako and Garmadon sighed, he held Lloyd to his chest and ran his fingers through his disheveled blond hair.

"We wish this never had to happen," he mumbled into his ears. "We wish we could've had a happy life. You have no idea how many times, how many days, how many years I wished I hadn't been bitten, that I didn't have the Devourer's Venom coursing through my veins. How many days I longed to be with you and your mother, that we could be a family once again. Misako and I have been asking the same things you are for years, we understand your frustration and anger. But you have to ask yourself; could any of your friends be able to handle the burden placed upon you? How do you think Kai is handling it right now? He's realized by now that he is the only one not in the Overlord's clutches, he's probably feeling the same way you are. It's okay to vent out your frustrations, it's healthy to let it out, but you also have to realize that wallowing in self-doubt, hatred, anger and pity will get you nowhere. You have to rise above it and tackle the problems being thrown at you."

"But how?" Lloyd asked, looking up at his father with his green eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "How can I stop the Overlord when I can barely move?"

"That's why I'm here," Misako said, speaking up for the first time in a while. "I've been able to infiltrate the Stone Army and rise through the ranks. I'm slowly getting closer to the Overlord and General Kozu while sabotaging the army itself. I'm also hoping to find any news on Kai's whereabouts or any battle plans."

"Have you found anything?" Garmadon asked.

"He has sent Kozu to Hiroshi's Labyrinth, Nya to the Fire Temple, Jay to the Floating Ruins, Cole to the Caves of Despair and Zane to the Frozen Wasteland," she replied. "They are on a mission to track him down."

"How long ago were they sent out?"

"About a week ago, so far they haven't found him." She glanced down at her watch and sighed, 6:37pm, it was time to head back as not to raise suspicion. "I'm sorry but I have to return to my post, I'll try to return as soon as possible."

"Do so only if it's safe," Garmadon said. "I don't want you to risk revealing yourself to see us."

She nodded and removed the empty bowl, then reached back into the cell to hold her son's and husband's hands, "Be strong, be safe. I love you both."

"Love you Mom," Lloyd said with a sad smile on his face.

"I love you Misako," Garmadon said, squeezing her hand. His golden wedding band shone in the faint nighttime light. She reluctantly withdrew her hands and left her family in Cell 26, determination shining in her eyes as she put her helmet back on.