They were not very quiet when they came. Even as they opened the door to the tearoom, they were all asking at once what was going on.
"Hey, Master Wu?" asked Kai.
"What's the secret meeting?" asked Nya.
"I would guess that it has to do with Kinkomi," said Zane.
"I hope he isn't taking over the volcano again!" whined Jay. After a quick sigh he added, "Oh, by the way, Master Wu. You accidently texted me instead of Cole. I had to forward it, and...it was a really confusing message and I didn't really understand most of what you were trying to say with your weird version of text-ish."
"Besides the fact that you wanted us to come," said Cole.
Wu was seated before the irori hearth and facing the door as he motionlessly watched them enter. Lloyd had his back to them and hunched low over his tea cup with his hood covering his head again. He had not changed into his ninja gear; though the others had before they arrived. He looked like a huddled little toad even without seeing his green face and hands.
Cole raised a brow. "Lloyd?"
Lloyd clenched his teeth and spun around.
The gasp was instantaneous. Zane was too shocked to gasp at all as he stared.
"Lloyd!" cried Nya.
"He's entirely green!" cried Kai throwing out his hands and protruding his lower jaw.
"Rah!" cried Lloyd.
Jay cringed. "Is he gunna turn into a snake!?"
"Should Nya kiss him?" asked Zane.
"Students!" said Wu now on his feet and pounding the floor with his staff.
The students went silent.
"This is the master work of the master of Pow-Dur," said Wu, "and the consequence of not doing your research before you fought someone who was an old rival of Garmadon's."
"We'll be ready for it now," said Cole.
"He probably has the antidote," said Zane, "in case he accidently gets himself with his powders."
Cole nodded.
"We can go now before it gets worse!" Kai said.
"And save Lloyd from being the humiliation of the Secret Ninja Force!" agreed Jay trying to sound brave as he looked at Nya.
"Oh, come on, Jay!" snapped Lloyd despite himself.
"We can track him down!" Kai cried.
Wu frowned.
"What? What did we do now!?" Nya demanded desperately.
"First!" said Wu. "You cannot go on this mission without your leader."
"He can... come too?" asked Jay.
Cole looked at him strangely.
Lloyd groaned.
"Second, Lloyd cannot go with you because he is sick even if he has not or never will show signs of being sick," Wu said. "You all have to know that Kinkomi will be expecting us to try to find him, especially Lloyd. For revenge. If that's the case we can only expect that Lloyd only has Step One and that the next powder will make him worse."
"Well, maybe you could come with us," said Kai.
"Third!" Wu said pounding his stick again. "Even if I go with you, you will all be rash at some moment and one by one will fall to the arts of Pow-Dur. You are all too impatient, too self-absorbed and self-important. You do not know how to think ahead, and you have no trust in each other as a team."
"But, Master Wu, we do work as a team!" cried Kai.
"We all work together with Lloyd as the leader," Cole said, "just like the prophecy says."
Wu turned to Cole. Cole winced a little from the firmness in those eyes in his. Wu did not often look that dark, and Cole could not help but frown back with confusion.
"Yeah, we've worked as a team since before Lloyd was the leader," Jay tried to insist in the background. "And he united us even more when we accepted him."
"No," said Wu calmly. "You don't."
He closed his eyes and began to pace.
"You have all done well with the defeat of Garmadon's evil. Just barely, but you have. You all have grown a lot since you have learned the secret of why I recruited you all for the Secret Ninja Force and the powers you were born with. For that I am very pleased with you, but you do not fully appreciate the responsibilities you all have because of it."
The ninja looked at each other.
"But we do use our powers when it's necessary and we do not abuse them when it is not," said Zane.
"Most of the time," muttered Cole glancing at Zane.
"Your intention is usually very good," Wu went on. "None of you wish to use your power as a ninja for your own gain, and you desire to work together for the good of Ninjago, but for this Secret Ninja Force to move forward, you have to be more than that. You cannot afford to be anything but selfless when it comes to this team and what it means to protect this city and this island." He spoke very softly now. "You must learn what it means to be a true family and not a bunch of disorganized students. You must be a family of masters that know how and when to help each other and allow your trustworthy fellow masters to help you. You are leaving the world of childhood behind you, but if you do not do the things I say, the team will never advance from its juvenile stage."
"Then what do you need us to do?" asked Lloyd. "Is this still about the 'Fou—'"
Wu shook his head.
"About the what?" asked Jay nervously.
"Yeah, come on! Tell us, Sensei!" begged Nya.
Everyone held their breath as Wu closed his eyes again. The knit in his brow tightened and softened with suspense. He took a deep breath and looked very profound. Even behind his beard they could see his dignified pout.
Lloyd bit his lip.
Was he really going to explain the foundation to them?
But before Wu could reveal any of his secrets to the others, the door burst open for the third time.
"Luh-loyd!" cried Garmadon.
"Dad!" Lloyd choked.
Garmadon paused.
He took Lloyd in. His vision darted up and down with mouth ajar. His lip curled a little over his sharp teeth just a little, and his ruby eyes blinked.
"Wu, he turned my son into a freak!" snapped Garmadon.
"You should have thought about that before you rushed over to Kinkomi's invitation after he called you a 'butt'!" retorted Wu.
Garmadon made a face, but Koko pushed past him.
"Lloyd!" she cried.
"I didn't— I didn't know Lloyd's parents were coming," said Jay squinting and rubbing his arm.
Koko and Garmadon grabbed onto Lloyd, examined him, and said many parent-like things as the other ninja looked at each other uneasily, but suddenly Garmadon stood up.
He threw off his hair piece and popped on his bamboo hat.
"Wu, I'm goin' after him!"
Wu's eyes softened strangely as he stared back at his brother.
Lloyd choked, "Dad?"
"It's the only thing for it. I'm the one who started this!" he sniffed.
"Garm," breathed Koko with gentle surprise, and she could not help the smile that appeared.
"I know how to track that monkey butt," Garmadon went on, "and I'll get his antidote. He always carries a cure-all."
"That'll make it easy," said Kai with a grin.
Lloyd pulled out of his mom's arms. Koko was still smiling strangely at her husband, but as Lloyd was fully upright, she turned to him with a puckered brow.
"Dad," said Lloyd. "You're gunna need a partner. Let me go with you. I can't just sit around here and wait. I go crazy if I do."
The toothy smile Garmadon gave Lloyd, squished up Lloyd, because behind it was a look of such pride and such love and admiration for the courage of his son. It almost brought a tear to Lloyd's eye.
But as Lloyd stepped forward, he suddenly stumbled.
"Lloyd?" gasped Koko.
The sudden weariness that swam over him was undeniable. He felt so tired he could barely move now that he had stood up. He fell back onto his knees.
"Lloyd," said Koko grabbing him again, and Lloyd moaned miserably. "You can't. You're not well enough."
"But—"
Garmadon made a pout at the floor and then with a sigh shrugged and said, "Your mother's right, Luh-loyd. You should probably just be in bed and have that weird medicine tea that Wu makes."
Lloyd moaned again.
"I'll make some soup!" said Zane.
Kai nodded. "Good idea."
"What're we gunna do?" asked Jay.
Garmadon was setting about the ship packing as they spoke. Wu was chasing after him saying things he should and should not take from his base, since everything belonged to Wu, and Koko asked Nya to help her make Lloyd's bed, while Lloyd himself sat back down in front of the hearth.
"Look, maybe we can talk Master Wu into letting us go with Garmadon," said Kai.
"If he won't let us go with him what makes you think he'll let us go with Garmadon?" demanded Cole crossing his arms.
"If Garmadon can go, I don't see why we can't," said Kai.
"Would you like some celery in your chicken soup, Lloyd?" asked Zane from the kitchen and then he added, "I for one hundred percent endorse the idea of going with Garmadon, BTW."
"Celery's fine, Zane!" growled Lloyd.
"I don't understand why Master Wu's being this way, though. Kinkomi can't be stronger than Garmadon," said Kai.
"Do you think he's a little smarter, though?" whispered Jay.
"Now that we're prepared, we can take him," said Kai.
Cole raised a brow.
Lloyd moaned again, and Cole shifted his eyes to him with annoyance.
"I hate to say it, but I think that it would probably be better to go all together anyway," Jay admitted, "since Lloyd seems to be getting worse. Are you?"
"No, I'm just— frustrated!" snapped Lloyd.
"Hey, Lloyd!" called Nya. "Your bed's made up."
"Thank you!" bristled Lloyd.
"I don't even think Jay complained this much when he was turning into a snake," grumbled Cole.
Jay clasped his hands together uncomfortable.
Lloyd's eyes flashed.
"Look!" he retorted. "Just leave me alone, okay!? Master Wu says we suck as a team, and he's right! So just go!"
Cole made a face.
"That was pretty harsh, Cole," Kai commented.
"Yeah, well, you were the one saying that you two didn't think his dad was competent enough to go by himself," Cole muttered back.
Lloyd was led to bed by his mother.
#
Later, once Lloyd had been in bed a while with soup and tea and his mother sitting with him at the foot of his bed, Lloyd actually fell asleep. Koko kissed Lloyd's bright green forehead and touched his sweaty pale-green hair piece, moving it back into place from where it had slid half-over one of his eyes.
Standing up slowly, she left the room and quietly shut the door behind her.
Just outside, Garmadon was standing in front of her. He had cloak, weapons, and pack now too besides his hat.
"How is he?" Garmadon demanded.
"He's sleeping," whispered Koko.
Garmadon paused. "You...wanna come with me? Fight for the cause side by side? Ha. 'Side by side— that would be a change of pace, wouldn't it?"
Koko smiled and almost laughed despite everything. "I'd love to, but...I think Lloyd needs me here more than out there."
"Wow, that's deep," Garmadon commented. "Being a mother sure does change a woman, doesn't it?"
With a shake of her head, Koko's smile widened.
She might have told him to wait, but no one told Garmadon what to do. Besides, she was so proud of him.
Instead, she asked, "Is Master Wu going with you?"
"Donno. If he is, he knows where I'm going. He'll catch up."
"Good luck. I know you'll get the cure-all."
"Course I will, this is our son we're talking about, and I just got him back! I'm not gunna lose him now!"
"Shh, remember he's asleep."
But he was not anymore. Lloyd was listening to them through the door from where he lied on his cot bed.
Maybe it was the tea, maybe it was the soup, but he was feeling a little more awake. The setting sun streamed red through the window behind his head. With a quiet sigh, he stared up at the ceiling as he heard Garmadon and Koko part ways.
Now that he had a chance to think about it, Lloyd felt guilty about how he had just treated his friends. They had only been trying to help. Whenever they tried to help, even if it was awkward and overbearing, Lloyd knew that he did not have to push them away and lock them out. He always had even when they knew full well what was wrong with their wild "little brother".
Wu was right.
They sucked as a team.
But would Master Wu really let his dad go alone? Or was it just because no one told Garmadon what to do that everyone was being obliging to him?
Slowly turning around, he looked out the window. The setting sun gleamed on the gentle ocean waves like soft ruby magical balls bouncing in between dark green shadows. His eyes lifted to the trees along the coastline south of the city.
Lloyd knew that it was his fault for attacking Kinkomi head on like he had like some stupid idiot in an old anime instead of listening to his dad. He was rash. Like his father. And as he thought of his father going after Kinkomi like an idiot just because Kinkomi called him a "butt", he knew that Kinkomi could just as easily rile him up again. The thought of Kinkomi hitting his father with anything more than he already had to live with being a multi-armed freak (or even worse, actually killing him), was more than Lloyd could bear.
He held his teeth together, feeling warm in the setting sun despite the chills inside him.
He knew that neither his mother nor Master Wu would approve of it, but Lloyd knew that his heart would remain so restless if he remained here that he might as well just go with Garmadon. He tried to argue about the idea that Master Wu would probably catch up with him, and the two ancient brother warriors would come through together. He was beside himself for a few moments about it, but his mind had already made its decision. It was only the rest of him that had to catch up.
Again, maybe whatever was happening to him was making him less rational than usual, or maybe it was just the humiliation of being green, but he thought it was only one thing. Something that he now realized he did fear more than himself: the fear of losing his father, and nothing could stop Lloyd now.
#
"Are you sure he wants to talk to us?" asked Jay tapping his hands together nervously.
"I just think we gotta make up. We were being jerks," said Cole.
"You mean you were being a jerk," said Nya. "I heard you guys when I was coming down the hall."
"I think the irony of what's happened is making us all on edge," said Zane. "Especially since nothing stressful has happened all summer and even fighting Garmadon everyday had been fairly simple and easy for some years."
"Yeah, probably," sighed Kai.
Ignoring everyone else, Cole knocked on the door.
"Lloyd?" asked Cole.
"I think he might be sleeping," Nya whispered.
"Most likely not anymore since we've been speaking here," said Zane. "Besides, I sense no snoring coming from within, and I do know that Lloyd does have a soft snore."
With this notion, Cole raised a brow and gently opened the door.
"Hey, Lloyd?"
The shape of his form remained unmoving in the cot. The lighting was dim now that the sun had disappeared, but he seemed to be positioned in such a way that he had to be looking right at them.
Cole sighed, and stepped rather meekly into the room.
"Look, I'm sorry about earlier, okay?" said Cole looking down at the ground.
"Yeah, if it helps, when I was turning into a snake, the reason why I didn't whine and grumble is cuz I was too scared to whine and grumble," Jay added awkwardly.
"We know we sometimes can get out of hand. I mean, we're only human, Lloyd," said Kai. "You know that everyone's just worried about you."
"We understand the pressure you're under," said Zane.
"Yeah, c'mon, say something, bro," said Nya.
Cole stepped closer and winced into the dark form on the bed.
"Lloyd?" he muttered. "C'mon, man."
Kai reached out to touch him, but just before he did, Zane suddenly said, "My sensors indicate that there are no life readings coming from that bed.
"What!?" the others cried in unison.
"You mean, he's dead!?" sobbed Jay.
Nya turned on the light switch.
Then everyone gasped.
"Double gasp," said Zane.
Lloyd was not there. Instead it was a mop sticking out from beneath the covers on the pillow so that it somewhat resembled his hair piece. A couple assorted boxes under the covers had made the illusion of his body.