Wu drew his hand over his face as Kai finished explaining everything to him. "All this time, you've been suffering," Wu murmured, "but you never thought to tell us?"
Kai shifted his feet. "I-I didn't want to burden anyone," he sighed. "I burdened Sensei Garmadon enough."
Garmadon stared at the red ninja in surprise. "Kai, you never burdened me!" he protested. "I'm glad I was able to help you."
Kai didn't meet his gaze and instead looked at the ground. "But..." He took a deep breath. "After dinner, on that night Lloyd stole the shurikens, I-I heard what you said to Sensei Wu," he admitted. "I thought it was my fault you were so stressed."
Wu and Garmadon exchanged a glance over Kai's shoulders. Then Wu cleared his throat and rose to his feet. "I'm gonna go round up the others," he said. "It's time we take some action in this part."
Garmadon waited until his brother was out of the room to gaze back at Kai. "So it was a bit stressful," he confessed. "But it's not your fault. None of this is your fault!"
Kai stared at him. "It's Lloyd's fault," he choked out, voice trembling.
Garmadon took a deep breath. He was surprised to see his own disappointment and grief reflecting in Kai's eyes almost as strong as his own. "Yeah." Garmadon's voice cracked. "It's Lloyd's fault."
For a moment nobody talked.
Then Kai sighed. "Still, I feel like I'm taking advantage of you," he went on. "I never even gave you anything in return."
Garmadon laid his hand on the ninja's leg. "Yes, you did," he stated. "You helped me, Kai."
"What?" Kai stared at him. "What did I do?"
Garmadon looked at his feet, hesitating for a minute. "When Lloyd left, I felt... useless," he admitted. "Like no one needed me anymore. But you helped show me that I still have value to the team." He gave Kai a nudge. "I'm getting fond of you, kid."
Kai half-smiled. "I guess I'm just not used to being taken care of," he murmured honestly. Then he shifted his feet. "I-is this what it feels like to have a father?"
Garmadon raised both eyebrows, shock filling him.
Kai snapped his head away as he realized what he had just said. "Sorry," he whispered.
Garmadon's gaze softened. He knew Kai's parents had died when he was very young, and he never experienced the love of a mother or of a father. Garmadon rested his hand on Kai's shoulder. "Even the strongest people need to be protected sometimes," he comforted.
Kai turned his head back to him. "Lloyd is lucky to have someone like you for a father," he breathed.
Warmth filled Garmadon at the red ninja's words. He smiled and rose to his feet. "Come on," he said, "I think my brother will be needing us."
As Kai got to his feet, Garmadon noticed his eyes were glittering with the beginning of tears. The sensei frowned. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.
"I just wanna thank you." Kai's voice cracked. "For being there for me."
Garmadon gazed at him with the faintest hint of amusement. "You want a hug, don't you?"
Kai gave a soft laugh and wiped water from his eyes. "If that's okay with you," he breathed.
Garmadon opened up his arms. "Come here," he told him with a smile.
Kai shuffled closer and wrapped his arms around the sensei. Garmadon returned the favor and felt Kai relax in his comfort. He needs this, Garmadon thought. No matter how hard he tries to hide it.
Kai drew in a shaky breath as they broke apart again. Then he shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Let's go," he murmured.
Garmadon began to follow the red ninja out of the room. He realized he cared for Kai more than he thought he had. It's like... he really is my son.
As soon as the words rang in his head, Garmadon suddenly felt his mind unfold with memories. He gasped in surprise as he dived into a flashback.
Lloyd scoffed from where he was sitting behind his bed. "Maybe if you would've told me what was really going on, your 'oh so precious Kai' would be in perfect health!" he snapped angrily.
Garmadon heard his son begin to sob.
"If you care about Kai so much," Lloyd went on, voice cracking, "why don't you just adopt him and forget about me?"
"Lloyd, that's the craziest thing I ever heard!" Garmadon exclaimed. "You of all people should know how much I care about you! Yes, I care about Kai, too, but you're my only son." He sat beside the green ninja. "I love you, Lloyd."
Garmadon gasped as he was jolted back to the present. Panting, he leaned against the wall as the scene replayed in his head. Lloyd knew it from the start, he realized. And he thought I was replacing him. Garmadon rubbed his head. I sounded so sure that I wasn't back then, he thought. But now I'm not so sure.
Garmadon's heart pounded in his chest. Am I replacing Lloyd with Kai?
* * *
"Okay, we're all here," Wu announced as Garmadon and Kai joined the others in the meeting room.
"Kai!" Nya gasped and rushed over to her brother. A huge smile broke onto her face. "When did you wake up?"
Kai chuckled. "Not too long ago," he responded.
"How are you feeling?" Nya asked. "Are you okay?"
"Fine," Kai responded with a smile.
Nya let out a relieved sigh. "You had us worried sick!" she exclaimed.
Jay gave Cole a nudge from where they were sitting. "See?" the blue ninja said. "I told you he'd wake up!"
Cole gazed at Kai, eyes deepened with some emotion Jay couldn't put a name to. "But at what cost?" he whispered.
Zane, who was sitting beside Jay, glanced at Cole questionably, but before he could say anything Wu walked over to them.
"Let's let Kai and Nya catch up a bit," the sensei told them. "I have to talk to you three."
The three ninja nodded.
"As you all know, the Overlord has three of our elemental weapons," Wu went on. "And he'll be back for the fourth any day now. I think it's time we take some action in this scheme."
"What exactly are you getting at?" Jay asked.
Wu returned his gaze. "We're going to steal them back."
The ninja glanced at each other, eyes bright with excitement. Cole smirked. "Let's do it."
"Of course, in order to do so, we have to find the Overlord's headquarters," Wu stated. "So I'm sending you three out to look for it." He paused before going on. "It shouldn't be too hard to find if I know the Overlord. But listen closely." His voice got more serious with the next words. "When you do find it, do not engage. Do not go inside, and most importantly, do not get spotted. We aren't ready to launch any kind of attack yet—especially with no weapons."
"But what if we find the weapons?" Jay spoke up. "Surely we could take out a few guards?"
Wu stared at him. "Don't," he told him firmly. "The Baddies have a bigger team than you think."
Cole's eyes suddenly flashed with alarm. He found Wu's gaze on him and he turned his head away. Where did he find that out from? he wondered.
They rose to their feet as the others joined them. "So, what's the plan?" Nya asked.
"We're going to find Baddie Bend," Jay explained.
Cole glanced at Wu. "What about Kai?" he inquired. "He's coming with us, too, right?"
Wu hesitated, stealing a quick glance at the red ninja. "I think it's best if he has more time to recover," he murmured.
Cole frowned. "But what if—"
"It's okay, Cole," Kai butted in. "I think I do need some rest."
Cole stared at the red ninja as the others began to disperse. What was that all about? he wondered. Kai would never admit he isn't strong enough to do something!
Shrugging, Cole joined Jay and Zane as they got ready to leave. When he turned around again, he found Wu's gaze locked on him. He thought he spotted sympathy in the sensei's eyes. Feeling uneasy, Cole walked back over to Kai.
"Why does Sensei Wu keep looking at me weird?" he whispered.
Kai tensed, realizing he didn't confront Cole before telling Wu everything. "I... uh... I'll tell you later," he stammered hastily. Cole furrowed his eyebrows as Kai shooed him after Jay and Zane. "You should get going."
Kai watched as Cole, Jay, and Zane left to carry out their mission. He took a deep breath as Nya walked up beside him.
"They'll be fine, Kai," she told him as if reading his thoughts.
"I know," Kai sighed. "But I just get the feeling something bad is going to happen."
Nya laid her hand on her brother's shoulder. "They can take care of themselves, Kai," she soothed. "And if anything does happen, they can always call us with their communication devices."
"I guess you're right," Kai murmured, although inside he was swarming with unease. He knew that Lloyd must be furious right now, and he'd be a dangerous enemy if the three ninja encountered him. And what about Cole? he thought. He knew the black ninja was still insecure about his power. What if he has a vision while he's out? What will Jay and Zane do?
"I'll be in the courtyard," Nya breathed in his ear. "You should get some rest."
Kai nodded as she left the room. He turned around and realized Wu and Garmadon were discussing something.
"I hate the feeling of knowing we only possess one sword," Wu was saying. "With the Overlord at large, being unarmed is not something we want to be."
Garmadon nodded in agreement. "There is that workshop in Ninjago City," he suggested. "We could get new weapons."
Wu rubbed his beard. "That would be the best solution," he murmured. "But we should wait until the others come back. I don't want to leave Kai and Nya alone. Especially with Pixal gone."
"But who knows what Jay, Zane, and Cole will find?" Garmadon pressed. "We should be ready for anything when they come back."
Wu hesitated.
Kai frowned and walked over to them. "It's okay, Sensei," he said. "We'll be fine."
Wu turned to him. "Are you sure?" he inquired. "Anything can happen in times like these."
"Nothing will happen," Kai stated. "And besides, the Overlord usually strikes at night."
Wu and Garmadon rose to their feet. Wu sighed. "If you're so sure," he murmured. "But if anything does happen, call us, okay?"
"Okay," Kai replied.
"Nya's outside," Wu continued as he got ready to leave. "We'll be back before nightfall."
Garmadon halted in front of Kai as Wu swept past them. "Make sure you rest," the sensei told him.
Kai nodded as he felt exhaustion creep up on him. "Of course," he breathed.
Dipping his head to the red ninja, Garmadon turned and followed his brother. Kai waited a moment before heading for his bedroom. A tingle swept through him, but he was too exhausted to identify it. I'm sure it's nothing, he told himself. He closed his door and sank onto his bed. Nothing more important than a good night's sleep.