Hidden Away || Ninjago AU

Chapter 5

"There you are," Garmadon said, "I haven't seen you in a long while, La-Lloyd."

"We are not talking here," Lloyd told him, "Not in front of everyone."

Garmadon eyed his son before gesturing to him to lead the way. Lloyd walked past Garmadon, pulling his hood up. Garmadon turned and followed him until they got outside the building. Students were following them like paparazzi and were readying their phones to take a video of what was going on.

Lloyd led Garmadon out of the school towards a more discreet location. He was able to get the students off his back and in another direction so he could find out what his father wanted with him.

"Why are you here?" Lloyd asked sternly. Even though he loved his dad, being stern with him was the only way to get him to listen.

"Why, to see you, son," Garmadon answered in a sort of innocent voice.

"Drop the act dad," Lloyd said folding his arms at Garmadon, "Why are you really here?"

"Didn't you know, you'll be staying with me for a while,"

"I'm pretty sure mom would have told me that,"

"Yeah, well, your mom got into an accident, so I'm in charge of you now," Garmadon told him.

"Why do you sound like you're happy about it?" Lloyd said not believing a word of his.

"Because La-Lloyd, that means you'll be staying with me," Garmadon said adjusting his robes.

"No way, I'd rather take my chances with living alone," Lloyd said still not believing Garmadon. He turned around to walk away but Garmadon stopped him in his tracks.

"Lloyd this isn't a choice. You're staying with me at the volcano and that's final." Garmadon demanded.

"Look, Dad, you can't just show up at my school, wreck everything, make me look like I'm responsible for it, and still demand that I live with you." Lloyd told him, "For all I know, you could be lying about my mom hoping I'd be gullible enough to go home with you. It's not even lunchtime yet!"

The two found themselves in an argument much sooner than needed. Their noise wasn't loud enough for others to hear but it happened to attract certain people.

"Look, guys! I found Lloyd Garmadon!" It was Blue who spoke making sure to alert his teammates without giving himself away. "Told you I had a ninja-sense. Ha! In your face!"

"Quiet down, motor-mouth," Red hushed, "I'm trying to listen in."

"I am NOT going with you to your stupid evil lair! Even if coincidentally mom's involved in a serious accident, I would rather take care of myself!" Lloyd told Garmadon.

"I was afraid I'd have to use this but-" Garmadon said as he reached into a pocket inside his robe. He pulled out a key and dangled it in front of a confused Lloyd's face. "This is the key to a room in my volcanic lair containing all the Starfarer comics, all the Starfarer movies both past and latest, a set of videogames -including that vintage one from Milton Dyer, and a year's worth of junk food and candy."

"Does he really think someone as evil as Lloyd would fall for such a low bribe?" Water asked, "How pathetic."

"I don't know about you, Water," Blue said, "But that seems like my kind of dream room! Starfarer comics, Starfarer movies, videogames -even one made by Milton Dyer, a videogame inventing legend!"

"Not to mention a year's worth of junk food and candy," Black added, "I wonder if there'll be cake."

"Perhaps we should focus on the mission at hand," White reminded Blue and Black.

"I'm not for any of your deals no matter how enticing they are! I'm not six!" Lloyd told his father. "Leave me be so I can head back to school to finish school stuff!"

"Hey, where's Greenie?" Red asked. "Wasn't he supposed to find Lloyd?"

"My ninja-sense tells me he's close," Blue said.

"If he were close, Blue," White said to him, "My new watch would've sensed his heat signature,"

"Hmph," Blue huffed.

"What if Lloyd took Green?" Water wondered, "It would explain why he's not here."

"I don't think Lloyd would-" White was cut off mid-sentence.

"I can't believe that scumbag dared to take our Greenie," Blue accused.

"Yeah, who does he think he is?" Black said.

"I wonder how he's doing," Red thought aloud, "We should go rescue him!"

"Hold on there, Red," Water said to him, "Maybe Lloyd's going to talk about capturing Green now that he's with his father."

"Great idea, Water," Blue said. White groaned since he couldn't get a single word in. "I bet he's telling Garmadon how he ambushed Green and trapped him in a secret labyrinth under the school building."

"Go. Away. Dad." Lloyd told Garmadon, "How many times do I have to spell that out for you?! Leave me so I can go back to school!"

"You seem to really like this school, don't you?" Garmadon asked.

"Go. Away! I have things to do, people to deal with, and my life to live -without you!" Lloyd told his father. He wasn't angry at Garmadon, just frustrated that he wouldn't listen to him.

"When he said 'people to deal with'," Blue asked panicking a bit, "You don't think he meant..."

"Why that evil little devil!" Red said.

"We have to get Green back before anything happens to him!" Cole thought aloud.

"I say we ambush right after he walks out on his dad," Water suggests.

"You know, Green does go to a different school than us," White reminded them, "Maybe he had to leave and just couldn't say anything."

"White could be right," Blue told the rest of his teammates, "It's not like it hasn't happened before,"

"I still say we ambush him," Water said, "We could use him as leverage against Garmadon."

"That... is pretty smart," Black said, "Let's go for it!"

"I'm out," Lloyd told his father, "I've already said my mind. If you want, try and kidnap me, we both know how it'll end."

Garmadon looked furious at Lloyd but knew he couldn't do much. "Lloyd, don't you dare walk away from me!"

Lloyd turned around without acknowledging his father's words. He frowned knowing his father was going to do something about it but he walked anyway.

"Just leave me alone, dad."