Albert Hammond Jr
••• Set to Attack •••
there is a need to feel safe
how do we get to this place?
with eyes on my back, i'm set to attack
i've come to take your hand
•••••
TW: stalking, mentions of: murder, vomit & assault
I stared at Chen. The world swayed beneath my feet as if I were stood on a thin raft in the centre of the ocean. Or perhaps it was simply the weakness of my legs, that the earth was solid but I was evaporating.
I was the target. Axon wanted to kill me.
Beside me, Lloyd was far gone. The front he wore wasn't just the Green Ninja - he'd become something dark and terrible, a beast that had been poked and had unsheathed his claws in threat. His hand snatched at the front of Chen's shirt and yanked him close, low, so that he towered over the poor boy with the wrath of an Oni. He could handle with his own life being targeted, but not mine.
"What did you say?" Lloyd's words were seething with malice and the sharp cuts of silver blades. It almost sliced me from my cocoon of shock that had wrapped me up tight.
Chen lifted his hands in surrender as if frightened for his life. At the mercy of the dangerous glint in Lloyd's eyes, I couldn't blame him for thinking such things. "That's what he told me!"
Lloyd released him with a shove and spat a curse that could've shaken the entire world had he the power. The cocoon of shock had slithered inside my mouth and down my throat, tangling, knotting. My fear was choking me. The world swayed and swayed.
Staggering to keep his balance, Chen looked up at him with a gaze spilling terror. Perhaps, imbued with the rage he was lost in, Lloyd more resembled the son of Lord Garmadon than Sensei.
"What are you going to do?" he asked.
"Something he'll regret," Lloyd hissed.
My dazed eyes turned to him. His expression had twisted into something unfamiliar and cold, his face one of enmity. He looked angry in a way that was otherworldly.
I think it became clear to me, in that moment and beyond my fear, who Lloyd really was. How long his potential laid before him in intersecting crossroads. Who he could become. Why he hid so much of himself away from me.
He was getting tired of fate testing and taking. He would lose himself to save me. He would become a monster for my sake. And that, coupled with his prophesied powers and his future directly inherited from his grandfather, made him very, very dangerous.
He had evil in his blood. How much of it sung for him? Just how balanced was he?
But I couldn't distract myself from my horror by evaluating Lloyd forever. The panic wormed its way through my shock and struck me with an indrawn breath, a shrill sip between my lips after a long moment with none. Lloyd turned at the noise, a man puffed and imposing and wronged, and then he was soft and pliant once more. His hands on my shoulders kept my body in its shape, kept me from drifting away.
"I won't let him touch you," Lloyd vowed, but that couldn't stop the shallowing of my breathing, the raspiness of it. He searched through the haze of my eyes for my focus. His fingers gripped into my flesh so tight it hurt. "Y/n, I promise you. Nothing will hurt you."
Blearily, I nodded. Lloyd brought me into his chest and stiffened again. If his arm had been marble before, then now it was diamond.
"What else do you know?" he ordered from Chen.
"Th- that's all," he answered.
Lloyd exhaled low and heavily, a drawn out conclusion he wasn't happy with. In his steeled hold, I was sick with panic. I began to tremble. His hand stroked my spine in a slow rhythm I tried my utmost to breathe in time with.
"We'll hasten our plan," he said. "Until then, I'll ask someone to watch over your family."
For the first time that evening, Chen relaxed just a tiny bit. "Thank you."
Lloyd moved an inch, as if he wanted to say something; a dismissal of his thanks, perhaps, or an insult to skin him to the bone. He said neither. Chen's thanks was dismissed when Lloyd turned his back to him and addressed him no further.
I felt Chen's lingering gaze on me, felt his hesitation as if he, too, wanted to say more. Even if he did, I wouldn't have been able to listen. My attention was scattered to the wind that billowed around us.
The trees creaked and groaned, and I flinched closer to Lloyd. Was he here now? Was he watching us? When was he going to try and kill me? The unknown was terrifying and I suddenly sympathised with Chen's fervid glances amidst our surroundings. The park was too open, too exposed.
I could stand up to a malevolent ghost who possessed my boyfriend just fine, but my false mask of bravado all came crumbling down around me when it turned out that he'd always been the collateral, and not myself. I was brave for Lloyd because I had to be to get him back, because I thought he was the sole target they all wanted dead. I didn't know how to be brave for myself.
"Y/n." Lloyd's low, velvet hum of my name was demanding of my attention. With some struggle, my gaze turned to his steadfast stare. "Y/n, sunshine. Are you with me?"
I wasn't. I was splintered into facets, into different shades and tastes of prickling dread. I'd become a kaleidoscope of terror.
Lloyd cursed under his breath. Chen flinched when his red eyes turned back to him. "Did you bring your car?"
A little stunned, it took a moment before Chen nodded.
"Good." My shock was splattered across the ground when Lloyd swept me into his arms. "We're taking it."
Startled further, Chen had to jog to catch up to his marching pace toward the car park. "I- it's my dad's-"
"Calm down. You're coming with us."
The boy tensed. That didn't calm him down at all. "Oh... okay." In fact, it did the opposite of it. He fished through his pockets for his keys and a car's headlights flashed with its unlocking.
Chen's dad's car was one of those fancy hatchbacks that had a touchscreen control console and bluetooth audio. Lloyd set me down onto my feet just before it and checked the backseat and boot - just in case. My skin began to feel too tight, too warm with queasiness.
At Lloyd's nod, Chen and I clambered in. Our states of fear were like too sides of a coin; he was quick and frantic, hopping inside as if hell were on his heels, whereas it took me a few attempts just to gather the strength to open the door. It was like I was living in amber.
I took the back, Chen in the driver's seat, and Lloyd sat in shotgun while typing feverishly into his phone. The engine rumbled to life beneath us. Blue Foster was playing a touch too loud. Lloyd turned the music off a little harder than necessary.
"Head north-east out of the city," he ordered. Chen did as told while Lloyd held his phone to his ear. "Skylor. I need you and Neuro at the monastery. Keep Shadow and Camille on Axon. I need Turner to watch over a family." He turned to Chen. "What's your address?"
Chen rattled off his address through stutters. Lloyd repeated it before shortly bidding farewell.
I stared out the window as the city passed by. My body shook. I felt both hollow and overfilled, like a balloon about to pop from too much air. My eyes followed a group of girls older than me as they laughed loudly and with carefree, just starting their night of fun. I found myself envious of them. I craved their ease.
"Y/n." A hand touched my knee and I looked up to find Lloyd's worried eyes, turned back in his seat and facing me. "Still here?"
I nodded. Lloyd's hand squeezed my knee. I wished he could squeeze my entire body until he squeezed the dread right out of me. He turned back and called his dad to inform him of our arrival. His red eyes kept glancing to me in the wing mirror.
Lloyd continued giving directions until we finally hit the long, unpaved driveway through the forest. I had a brief concern about Chen passing through the monastery's barrier (especially considering he was driving), but my unspoken question was answered by Lloyd placing his hand on Chen's shoulder.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Lloyd grumbled at his flinch, and pulled his hand away shortly after. Though I was sure it wouldn't take much for him to retract that statement. "It's just to get you past the safety measure."
"Last time I saw you, you threw me against a wall."
"Give me one good reason why I should apologise," Lloyd said coolly.
Chen could not.
I felt a little relief at seeing the monastery's startling red in the distance of the dusk-lit woodlands. Only certain people were permitted to enter this area, so imbued with the magic of the First Spinjitsu Master, and I felt my cocoon of shock turn into a shroud of safety. My next exhale was long and steady.
"Holy shit..." Chen whispered in awe as the car slowed down. His focus was more stolen by the ancient magnificence of the monastery than his driving, and narrowly missed bumping into the side of Misako's minivan. He corrected himself with haste and parked.
Lloyd leapt out before the tyres had even rolled to a stop and was promptly opening my door. I landed on the gravel and his hand came immediately to mine, giving a comforting brush of his thumb over my knuckles. Even in the safety of the monastery's barrier, my eyes kept darting for signs of danger.
Garmadon stood at the entrance with a solemn frown. I didn't catch how much Lloyd had told him over the phone and the greeting his father sent me was one of warmth as usual, so I gathered not much was spoken yet. His smile fell at my wobbly attempt.
"What news?" Garmadon asked his son. He didn't seem startled that Chen was trailing behind us, slow in his overwhelmed awe. With his sharp senses I doubted much took him by surprise.
"It's Axon," Lloyd said flatly. We entered the monastery and another layer of relief blanketed me. "Have you told the others?"
"They're waiting for you in the dining room. Y/n's parents are on their way."
Thank god. I didn't know whether Simon would attack just me or try for my parents, too. The possibility made my stomach churn like the wind that blew through the trees.
Lloyd and his father set a pace quick with urgency. I was tugged along by my hand in his, and Chen was left straggling, switching between gazing in awe at the equally grand interior and half-jogging to keep up.
The dining room was overflowing with chatter when we entered. Around the table and sitting cross-legged on their zabutons were the team, Misako, Wu, and Head Monk Dimitri. Even Kashu was gnawing at a soft toy in the corner. I took a seat between Lloyd and Misako.
When Chen finally rounded the doorway and into the room, he froze. The ninja silenced.
"What the hell is this guy doing here?" Kai was first to break the quiet. There was an edge to his voice that I hadn't heard from him before that made Chen flinch as if struck.
"Are you serious, Lloyd?" Nya asked, equally as loathing. "Why on earth did you bring Chen here?"
"He has information about Axon," Lloyd said as he sat down. That didn't stop the scowls and shitty looks Chen was being pelted with, but interest did spark in their eyes. "Skylor and Neuro are on their way over."
Chen hesitantly took the seat beside him and Jay, subtly leaning away from where the Lightning Master was glaring at him with sparks in his curls. His gaze kept jumping back to the transparent build of Cole, mountainous and threatening as he stared him down. The tension at the table was thick and difficult to breathe like a too-hot summer's day. I was too busy spiralling to care much.
"While we wait for the others to arrive, I shall prepare some snacks," Zane offered, standing gracefully from the table and quickly departing the room.
Wu followed after. "And I shall put on a pot of tea."
Lloyd slipped his fingers inside my hand that lay loosely on my lap. My gaze lifted when he pulled it up to kiss my knuckles, tender and sweet with worry. I was able to manage a smile.
"Well," Misako began motherly. She gazed amongst the table with a calm look, lingering on the fidgeting, downturned head of Chen. "This is nice."
The stony silence didn't agree. Kashu growled from the corner, intent on gutting the stuffing from his toy. The looks the team were giving Chen were of similar desire. Dimitri watched with raised brows, intrigued by the drama.
Jay bent around him to frown at Lloyd. "Why does Chen know about Axon?"
Chen flinched. His movement drew the sharp gazes of the others, glaring at him like predatory animals. They were all coming up with their own conclusions - none of them good, though most were likely true.
"Did he help him?" Cole asked in disbelief. "I knew he was scum but I didn't think even he could stoop this low."
"Now, Cole," Garmadon warned.
"With all due respect, Sensei, it's Chen," Kai said coolly.
"He was blackmailed," Lloyd clarified, which was probably the nicest he'd ever been to Chen and probably the nicest he'd ever be. "He'll explain himself when the others arrive."
Chen still refused to lift his eyes from the table. He looked worse than scolded - he looked humiliated and terrified, a merciless combination that made me sorry for him. It was easier to dislike Chen when he was calling Lloyd names and I was throwing a slushy at his face. Now... now he just looked miserable.
That instance felt like a life time ago. It felt so elementary, as if we'd matured tremendously in the meagre weeks that separated us from who we were then and who we were now.
Who I was back then didn't even know there was a target on her back. She didn't know that the guy parading as her cousin had screwed with her memories and wanted her dead. How long had Axon been planning my murder?
A shudder catapulted through my body. I felt cold. I almost preferred being naive to it all.
After another few tense minutes, Zane and Wu returned with refreshments. It must've been getting close to midnight. I was still wide awake despite that, but my stomach rolled at the sight of the manjū and bite-sized castella cakes, my appetite disappearing in a blink. Lloyd poured us both a cup of chamomile tea which I warmed my hands around. I didn't realise I was still shaking until I noticed the surface of the tea rippling.
Skylor and Neuro arrived shortly after, faces grey and serious, but Skylor melted into a smile when Kai eagerly leapt to his feet to greet her. My parents showed up not long after them. They, however, were tired and confused. Mum took a seat beside her new friend, Misako, and Dad hesitantly sat between Cole and Wu.
"Y/n?" Dad picked up on my clammy expression immediately. He looked around the table and stifled a yawn, half-alert. "What's happened? Why are we having an emergency meeting at half-past-eleven?"
Eyes turned to the team leader beside me. He nodded at Chen, who seemed to have shrunken even more in his seat. The iciness of the table grew.
"I'm sorry," he blurted. "I'm sorry. I- I was a total shithead. I know my apology won't make up for how I hurt you." Chen finally lifted his gaze to the ninja, who still glared but did so with slightly less intensity than before. "Axon's planning something. The thing with the ghosts was just a test..."
Having reeled himself back in and plastering on his usual face of false confidence, Chen described everything that Axon had told him and made him do. The threats, the abuse, the book. How all of it revolved around the death of his mother in the Serpentine Wars, and how he wanted to get revenge through-
"Y/n," Chen finished grimly. "He wants to kill Y/n."
At that, any lingering frostiness vanished into thin air. Lloyd's hand tightened over mine.
"What?!" Cole exclaimed. "That's insane!"
"He's after Y/n?" Garmadon asked with great alarm.
Nya stood with a scowl. "How can we even trust Chen?! He could be lying. It could be a trick!"
"He is not lying," Neuro confirmed. Nya's fierce expression washed away with shock. She fell back to her seat and searched the grain of the table.
Misako held a hand over her mouth. My mother slowly placed her tea cup down with a distant look, like she'd heard the words but didn't accept them. Dad's expression darkened and darkened until he was a storm himself.
"But why Y/n?" Dimitri asked. "If Axon wants revenge for his mother, it would make sense to target Lloyd."
"Because they can amplify each other's powers," Wu said gravely. "If Y/n gets full control over her abilities... he wants to destroy her while she's still weak. It seems he may have a greater plan for the rest of us."
"But why wait?" Kai asked. "Y/n's stronger now than she was at the start of summer. Hell - we didn't even know her back then."
"Because now it would hurt Lloyd more," Misako said in horror. "It would hurt all of us."
I was glad I didn't eat any of the treats that Zane brought out because I was sure I would've thrown it back up by now. I wasn't the only one looking queasy. I felt like a baby deer limping after the herd, easy pickings for a predator.
Dad rose to his feet and paced the room, a hand rubbing his chin in stress. Glances kept bouncing to and from me as if touching hot iron.
"Rose is coming over in two days," Mum slowly said. She clasped her hands tightly together to keep them from shaking. "She'll probably bring Simon along."
"That's perfect," Skylor jumped in. "That means Axon will be away from his book. We can steal it while you guys take him down at Y/n's place."
"And where will Y/n be?" Dad asked in a voice that sounded like gravel - resigned, scratchy.
"She'll stay here," Lloyd said. "Axon can't cross the barrier."
"That won't work." Neuro shook his head. "If we have a singular chance to subdue Axon while he's away from his spell book, then we can't risk him clueing into our plan. Y/n-" he turned to me "- you will have to be at home and act as if you know nothing. Are you able to do that?"
My hand in Lloyd's was already slick with anxious sweat. Mercifully, he didn't let go. I think I'd crumble to pieces if he did; he was my only lifeline. He made me brave.
"I'll try." My shaking voice betrayed my dread.
Lloyd stiffened at my answer. He didn't voice his displeasure with the plan, though his contention with it rolled from him in waves.
"So we give him the slip while Neuro and Skylor steal the spell book from his hideout?" Jay asked. "That seems easy enough."
"Don't underestimate him," Chen said darkly. "You can take him down physically easily enough, but he's on his own playing field when it comes to mind games."
Dad muttered a curse beneath his breath. He continued pacing.
"I have to agree," Neuro said unhappily. "My brother had always been talented with our powers, but he's only gotten more skilled since the last time I saw him. I didn't even notice his work on Y/n until we discovered his secret identity."
"But if he can read minds, then won't he just read that Y/n knows who he is?" Dimitri asked.
Neuro inclined his head. "Very true. It's why I will put a block on Y/n."
"No." I drew back immediately. "No. I can't." My breath began to shorten. Just the thought of someone messing with my head again pushed me over the edge of the hysteria I'd been fighting to control all evening. "Please."
Neuro's serious expression turned at the fear in mine. His smile was warm and soothing like my grandpa's, but it did nothing to stop the anxiety that rolled spiked balls within my skull.
"It will only be temporary," Neuro said reassuringly. "You won't be affected. He will only see what he wants to see."
That still didn't make me feel better. My shakes had returned with vengeance. No, this was too much. This was getting too real.
"I can't." My voice broke.
"Y/n..." Lloyd pressed his hand between my shoulders. He looked at his dad, who nodded.
"Perhaps we should leave it here for tonight," Garmadon suggested. "It's late. We'll regroup in the morning."
Reluctantly, and stealing the last squares of castella for the trip back to their rooms, the ninja and Skylor peeled away with silent footsteps and mumbles. Chen accepted Neuro's block with hesitance, but still more eagerly than I. It didn't even take a minute to execute. The adults remained behind, continuing a conversation I couldn't bring myself to listen to.
Lloyd helped me to my feet. I was still unsteady, weary but alert, exhausted but unable to find myself sleepy. Blearily, I walked beside him as he herded Chen out the exit. The night air was chilly and elicited a shiver. Lloyd slotted me into his side for warmth.
Chen paused at the bottom step and looked back at us. "She gonna be okay?"
I felt Lloyd nod. Chen nodded, too, and it seemed that either of them didn't want to find words or couldn't. He shoved his hands deep into his jacket pockets and continued to his car.
"Chen."
Chen stopped.
Lloyd hesitated. "... thanks."
Chen faltered. I didn't think either of them were expecting that. I certainly wasn't.
He slowly nodded. "Yeah, man. 'Course."
We silently watched him as he hopped into his dad's car, turned the ignition, and drove off down the gravelled driveway. We watched until the headlights faded through the trees.
I can't recall how I managed to go through the motions of getting ready for bed - because, unspokenly, I was staying the night in the marginally safer, magically-protected monastery. I said goodbye to my parents and goodnight to the others. I brushed my teeth with the spare I used last time, changed into a pair of Nya's pyjamas, and then slipped into Lloyd's bed and stared at the ceiling.
I knew that the block was a good idea. It was the only solution we really had, and there wouldn't be a better opportunity than the one so graciously presented to us. Axon, caught off-guard. Axon away from his spell book. But I was just so scared.
Someone had already been rifling through my mind without my knowledge. Did Axon see all my secrets? Did he know all my thoughts? What if Neuro did the same? Would he know my thoughts, my feelings, my fears? Would he peer into the most intimate, sacred parts of me; the parts I told no-one, the parts I kept safe for just myself? It was a total perversion of privacy.
But what else could we do?
I pressed my hands over my eyes at the stalemate we'd found ourselves at. This was meant to be my summer; this was meant to be two months of relaxation and reading and spending time with my friends. Instead, I'd saved the world at the cost of my own mental stability and now some crazy Elemental Master wanted me dead. And the cherry on top; my friends hadn't even seemed to have missed me.
The mattress dipped as Lloyd laid upon it, settling beneath the covers beside me. My hands fell to the duvet and I watched him get comfy. He caught my stare and smiled, and despite the turmoil turning circles inside my chest, I smiled back. At least one shining sun was given to me in all this vast murkiness.
"I was too sick to appreciate this last time," Lloyd said with gentle humour.
My expression turned questioning as he tucked a loose lock of my hair into my halfhearted style. I waited for him to continue, but it was a trap for me to set off myself.
"What?" I asked.
Lloyd snaked his arms around my waist and dragged me toward him. "A pretty girl in my bed." He pressed a kiss to my eyebrow.
My cheeks warmed. I knew he was just being silly to ease my fears; though the butterflies fluttering a frenzy in my stomach didn't seem to care about the semantics. I buried my face into his chest.
"I'm scared."
Lloyd's arms tightened around me. He was frightened, too. He pulled me closer and closer until all I could smell was his shower-clean scent, all I could see was the tiny ridges in his skin, all I could feel was his body tangled with mine. It was enough to centre my thoughts, enough to ground me.
"I won't let anyone hurt you," Lloyd whispered with promise. He kissed the bone beneath my temple. "You're mine. Mine to protect. Got it?"
The butterflies only got worse. They fluttered until my stomach had twisted in on itself, collapsed beneath the blows of their wingbeats. My heart raced to keep up. If Lloyd's plan was to fluster me into feeling better, then he was certainly on the right track.
I smiled faintly. "Got it."
It still wasn't enough to keep me from having nightmares.
🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃
I was the last to wake up which was both unsurprising and a little embarrassing. I didn't bring a change of clothes for the impromptu stay over, so I redressed in my clothes from the day before and groggily wandered down the hallway sparkling with sunlight. I found Lloyd, Skylor and Cole having breakfast in the kitchen.
"Mornin' gorgeous." Lloyd greeted me first, having heard my footsteps before the others. I blushed at the pet name, then blushed further when Skylor and Cole shot me amused looks. Lloyd placed his loaded toast down and stood from where he'd been leaning against the bench. "Hungry?"
I felt a little sick. Anxiety-sick, so that it made my stomach churn and stole away my appetite. I'd had experience with this, however, and knew that if I didn't have some food I'd only feel worse.
"A little," I answered. He helped me find something to eat out of their too-expansive stock that was more mini supermarket than family pantry. When I was set up, I eyed the hand-scrawled papers that laid across the bench before the others. "What are you doing?"
"We're going over some battle plans," Cole answered, moving them around for me to peer at. "Back-ups and alternates. Whatever the situation we're walking into calls for."
He went to pick up a pen and his intangible fingers floated right through it. With a disgruntled look, he tried again. On his forth attempt, he finally had success.
Cole grinned at our sympathetic expressions. "Heh. Ghost-fingers."
His forced joke didn't quite mask the frustration in his eyes. When he turned away with a frown, Skylor and I shared a look.
Lloyd didn't catch what happened. He was chewing on his mouthful for a beat too long, lost in the plans he was making and reworking in his head. He stared at the paper on the table as if it would reveal the secrets of the universe.
"I'll do it," I said.
Three pairs of eyes turned to me. They knew what I was referring to immediately. Lloyd stood, expression caught between being the team leader and my boyfriend.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
I nodded. "It's the best solution. He might not show up if he knows I won't be there."
Lloyd's battling expression deepened. Cole glanced between us, waiting for his response just as I was. Skylor patted the table, pleased.
"That makes it a lot easier," she said. "Good on you."
I smiled weakly. I'd let Neuro put a block in my mind but I wasn't exactly eager for it. Lloyd aligned himself to my decision with a sigh and a nod. His internal battle now waged between relief and worry.
I only managed to finish half of my breakfast.
Neuro had stayed the night and was sitting on a large rock in the garden with Misako. They had a pile of scrolls at their feet and were pouring over one together, and the sight briefly surprised me. I'd forgotten that just as Misako was best friend with his mother, she was good friends with her son. They looked up at our approach.
"Don't let go of me," I pled beneath my breath. His lips turned to my hair. Lloyd's grip tightened over my hand in reassurance, in promise.
"Never." He kissed my hairline.
"Good morning, you two," Misako greeted. Her brown eyes jumped between her son and I with interest. "What brings you out here?"
I felt Lloyd's gaze drop to me. I looked at Neuro, who read my thoughts and nodded firmly.
"If you're certain." He held out his palm for me to take.
I placed my hand in his. "I am."
Neuro closed his eyes in concentration and my grip on Lloyd tightened so much that I'm surprised he didn't make a sound. I resisted the urge to yank myself from Neuro's hold, to flee and hide until all of this was over. I spent so much energy making sure my feet stay planted that I didn't even realised he'd finished.
"All done."
I looked up when my hand was released. "It's over?"
Neuro nodded. I almost went limp like a rag doll with relief. It wasn't half as bad as I'd feared.
"How do you feel?" Lloyd cautiously asked.
I shook my head. "I'm fine. I didn't even feel a thing." I eye Neuro anxiously. "Did you..?"
"I didn't see or hear a thing," he vowed. "All I did was put last night's memories and any thoughts regarding it behind a wall he cannot see. But, Y/n, if you act afraid around him, then he may figure out what we did and what you are truly aware of."
"Got it." I fiddled with my dragon pendant nervously. "I've got to be a really good actor." At least I didn't have to pretend to like him. I'd always hated Simon.
I supposed there was merit in being bitter toward him all these years. I could put all my anxious energy into hating his guts; then Axon would never guess that his act was up.
"You should return home before he starts to suspect something," Misako added. "We must return to acting as normal as possible. Axon might get suspicious if you stay away from your place for too long."
I really didn't like that idea. My face twisted with wariness and it must've been palpable, because she smiled in sympathy. Misako took my hand that Lloyd hadn't already hoarded to himself and pressed her thumbs into the back of it. Her hold was warm and reassuring.
"You won't be alone," she promised. "The ninja will keep a close eye on you."
"And I'll stay with you tomorrow night," Lloyd said.
I swallowed, glancing between the two Garmadons with an apprehensive frown. I hated the idea of leaving the monastery's safety. Still, I found myself nodding, because I hated it but they were right.
Neuro had to go, so I gave him my thanks, farewell and 'good luck for tomorrow.' Then it was my turn to leave. I had to get home and change into clean clothes, and Lloyd had texted Naomi to spend the day with me while he worked on plans to apprehend Axon. Cole would be watching over us.
My brows raised at Lloyd's revelation of my day's company. I watched him as he drove us in Nya's truck, the aircon rattling and the engine grumbling. His blonde hair fluttered in the summer breeze that slipped through the open window.
"You planned this," I said in half-accusation.
He airily shrugged. "I'm a romantic."
I was, too. It's why Naomi's crush on Cole pained me so much. She was so in love with him it was sickening, and she was so naive about what happened to him that it was painful. I watched the trees drift past us with a frown.
"She can't know. It'll break her heart."
"Not telling her will break her heart, anyway," Lloyd pointed out, and I couldn't argue against him. "Besides, they'll work out."
My frown deepened. "What do you mean? They haven't even spoken since we all hung out at the park. Cole might not even like her."
I almost didn't want to know his answer if I asked him. Besides... it might be best if he didn't like her back. Even without the whole ghost situation and no matter how much I liked him, if Cole ever broke my best friend's heart, I'd simply have to demolish him - I'm sure I'd be able to use my powers for that. I didn't think Lloyd would be too happy with that.
I realised he hadn't responded yet. At Lloyd's continued silence, I glanced at him. A secretive smile had grown across his face and his green eyes sparked with mischief.
"What do you know?" I asked suspiciously.
Lloyd's mouth pushed itself down and he shook his head. "Nothin.'"
I squinted my eyes. "Lloyd. Tell me."
"You can't make me talk," he said impishly. "I've been imprisoned for less and still not spilled my secrets."
Appalled, I sent him a wide-eyed look. "Lloyd!"
He laughed at my horrified reaction. "Sorry, sweetheart. Too much?"
"You're insane." I shook my head in disbelief. "Fine. Keep your secrets."
When I got home, I showered and changed into a fresh set of clothes. Mum was at work and Dad was out, probably at a meeting somewhere. Lloyd sat on my bed while he waited, tossing Earl the stuffed toy monstrosity into the air and catching him again.
"Ready," I said from the doorway.
Lloyd caught Earl and held him in front of his face. He titled his head. "You look pretty."
I smiled in amusement. "Thank you, Earl. You're a very dapper... whatever you are."
Lloyd tossed Earl aside and shook his head in dramatic disappointment. "I can't believe you're flirting with another man right in front of me. This is Morro all over again."
I rolled my eyes. "You're hilarious."
Lloyd stood from the bed and caught me by the hands, drawing me into his chest. I took the hug gladly. I needed it.
"How are you doing?" he quietly asked.
"Not great," I confessed in a mumble. I took the chance to close my tired eyes. "How are you so brave all the time? It's exhausting. And I'm bad at it."
"Silly." Lloyd ran his fingers down my back. "You're braver than you give yourself credit for."
His touch felt nice. It always did. I melted further into him and he took my leaning weight with a squeeze of his arm around my waist.
"But I'm scared," I whispered.
"That's why you're brave," Lloyd gently said. "Doing something in spite of your fear. That's what it means to be brave."
"What if something goes wrong?" I asked.
"It won't"
"But what if it does?"
Lloyd's fingers touched the bottom of my chin and turned me up to face him. The kiss was sweet and soft, like the caress of a finger across dandelion fluff. My thoughts quietened and my heart raced, as they always did. I was distracted enough into swooning. It was a good thing he was holding me up.
Lloyd's red gaze was molten when he pulled back. I felt myself falling into their depths, a handsome, gentle sea of ruby and carmine.
"Then we'll fix it," he murmured. "Trust me."
I released a heavy breath. "I trust you."
Lloyd's faintly-freckled cheeks lifted with his charming smile and I tumbled even further. He kissed me again. I was brave. I trusted him. I wasn't going to die.
He nuzzled my temple. "Good girl."
I was dying.
Pleased at how my brain had come to a screeching halt, Lloyd stepped away with a smug chuckle. I opened my mouth to retort, played his praise again, and found my tongue tangled. My mind had run blank. I could feel my blush stroking up my neck and in the tips of my ears.
"You..." Words escaped me.
Lloyd smugly raised his brows. "Me?"
I closed my mouth and looked away. "... nothing."
When he turned around I took the opportunity to pull a bewildered face. Was I easy or was Lloyd that good? Both? Or was I easy because it's him?
Never mind my life being endangered. Lloyd's flirting was going to kill me, anyway.
He grabbed the green hoodie I had hanging from my closet door handle and held it out for me to take. Still blushing, I sent him a confused look. "It's cold," he said.
It wasn't. The temperature was actually quite pleasant, but I put it on so Lloyd would have one less thing to worry about. It was worth the content smile he sent me. He was trying so hard to keep me from being upset - and he was exceptional at it. He held out my skateboard.
"Ready to go, gorgeous?"
Yeah, he was good at making me feel better, but he was going to make me blush so much that I'd faint. "You need to stop," I warned.
"But it's so fun watching you fumble."
I'm sure it was. Shaking my head in exasperation, I took my skateboard from his hands and followed him back to the truck.
Naomi was already there when we pulled into the carpark, typing on her phone as she sat on a bench. Lloyd found a spot right in front of her. She looked up when the engine stopped.
"Hi!" Naomi leapt to her feet and pulled me into a hug the moment I stepped out. I grinned at her affectionate attack. "I can't believe I got an official order from the Green Ninja to hang out with my best friend." She pulled back to look at Lloyd and I with wide eyes. "What's going on?"
I sighed. "It's a long story."
"I need to get back," Lloyd said. "Thanks, Naomi. Let me know if anything happens."
She saluted. "Yes, sir." Then she abruptly turned away when Lloyd took my chin and pulled me around for a kiss.
"I'll see you tonight." Lloyd kissed me again, longer, and when my eyes fluttered shut, he stepped back and yanked my hood over my head with a chuckle. "See ya, sunshine."
I shoved it back with a half-hearted scowl. He was already halfway into his truck and snickering boyishly. Back to this, then? It felt nostalgic, the type of tease he did when we first met. But now I had my own ammunition.
My smile was innocent. "Bye-bye, dragon boy."
He froze. Naomi looked confused. I grinned in sweet revenge when Lloyd hung his head back and groaned.
"I'm never living that down," he muttered.
I crossed my arms and smirked. "Nope."
"Ugh." Naomi made a sound of disgust from behind me. "I get it, you're in love. Wrap it up. It's my turn with Y/n.
Lloyd grinned. "I'm going, I'm going." He shut the door behind him and the engine rumbled back to life. We watched his truck slip into the traffic of the city before disappearing.
I wondered where Cole was watching us from. Did he know that Naomi liked him? Was that the secret Lloyd wouldn't tell me, or was it something else? What if he liked her, too?
I shook my head to clear my thoughts. There was already too much going on to worry about that.
Naomi slung her arm around my shoulders and herded me toward the skatepark that I'd neglected to visit during the summer. She knocked her head against mine and sighed contently.
"You two are so cute," she said. "But so gross."
I giggled. "I'd say I'm sorry but I'm not."
"Good." She playfully shoved me. "Don't be sorry. Live your dream life."
I thought of the target on my back and wilted. Some dream. Was it so much to ask for all of the good of Lloyd's world and none of the bad?
I turned to Naomi with a tired smile. "Ready for a long story?"
Lloyd was right, It was nice for me to talk to somebody about everything that wasn't his family or my own. Naomi listened with rapt attention as we slowly skated along the park's pathways. I spoke quietly, carefully avoiding anyone who could overhear.
I told her everything - the weird tugging sensation and the powers that hurt me, the mind control that walked me toward Lloyd and the mysterious prophecies. The perils I'd faced and the future vision in the Tomb's maze. I told her about Morro and his strange affection for me, Simon and his lies, my ancestor and her cryptic words. I told her about all the times I lost Lloyd and almost lost my own life. It took forever to catch Naomi up to speed, but she didn't speak a word until I was done.
When I was, she was silent. It took her a few minutes to digest everything. I let her stew, quiet for her as she was for me. Even though I felt guilty for for continung my silence on the matter, I was glad I didn't tell her about Cole - I think that on top of everything else would've been too much.
I stared at the Green Ninja-themed skateboard rolling beneath my shoes. After all the fuss with skateboards, green hoodies and hitting pretty boys, I hadn't even really gotten a chance to use it all summer. Now it was nearly over.
"Jesus Christ, Y/n," Naomi finally said.
I weakly laughed. "I know."
"Are you safe right now?" she asked, sending a worried look across the park.
I nodded and smiled wryly. "The ninja are on babysitting duty. I feel bad for them." I'd have to give them something in thanks for keeping me safe.
Naomi grimaced. "Yeah. That sounds fun."
I forced my smile to remain. We fell quiet again, ruminating on the past summer. School was so close - how on earth was I supposed to juggle that on top of everything else?
Naomi snorted. "I can't believe you hit Lloyd with a skateboard and a car on the same day and still managed to make him your boyfriend."
This time my grin with genuine. "He's something else."
Thankfully, Naomi didn't bring up Cole, so I didn't have to worry about him overhearing and her crush being found out. My skating was rusty. Naomi was fearless as always. By the time the sun was beginning to set, we called it a day.
"You'll be okay walking home?" Naomi asked worriedly. She lived in the opposite direction than I.
"I'll be alright," I reassured. "Babysitting ninja, remember?"
Naomi nodded slowly. "Okay. Still, text me when you get home."
"I will."
Naomi spun back around from her departure with a gasp.
"And show me your powers sometime!" she begged. "That's so fucking cool!"
I laughed. "I will, promise."
This time she did leave. I put my hands in Lloyd's hoodie's pockets and began my own trek home.
I watched the sidewalk as I made my way through the dusk-coated city. Naomi's shocked reaction after I told her what my summer had entailed thus far made me reevaluate; just when I thought I'd spent enough time thinking, I doubted myself and began thinking even more.
I listed it out. I was prophesied to be Lloyd's battle partner-slash-girlfriend-slash-future mother of our future child. I had powers. Ghosts were real and tried to kill my boyfriend. Now a vengeful Elemental Master was trying to kill me. My ancestor may or may not have been here before Uchū even created the world.
Was there anything I missed? Was that the entity of the craziness rolled up into one?
How had all this occurred in a little under two months? How could I have not even known that most of this part of the world existed before I moved to Ninjago City? Not even known Lloyd? I couldn't comprehend my life before all this; it was like I was two different people. BC and AD. Before Skateboard and After Skateboard. Before meeting Lloyd and after.
The streets began to thin. Only the largest stars twinkled in the twilight, most others hidden by the light pollution. My home was still another good fifteen minutes away.
The hair on the back of my neck stood. I stopped walking.
I looked arund myself. Was there someone watching me other than Cole, or was that his stare that I felt?
Was it Axon's?
Don't be silly. I forced my feet to move.
Even with Cole watching over me, being alone still made the skin of my back prickle anxiously. It kicked me into a swift pace. Only the smell of Lloyd's hoodie kept my nerves at least somewhat calm.
But it didn't keep me calm for long. My paranoia latched on with a vicious grip. The prickling sensation grew and grew the longer I walked, and when I hit the less populated area of the city, it had wrapped me tight with nettles. My eyes darted across the streets. The small crowd was sparse and soon, nonexistent.
No, there was defintiely someone watching me.
My breath quickened. Theoretically, I was safe but my fear didn't care about theories. It cared only about the feeling that somebody other than my friend was following me. Unfriendly eyes burnt into my back. It was him. I knew it was him.
My pace sped. My legs began to burn. God, why did I have to live so far away? I should've just gone home with Naomi. I should've begged Lloyd to pick me up. My powers were still unreliable - if Axon decided to attack me here, in the middle of this empty street, would Cole be able to stop him? Would I?
"Y/n-"
Startled, I spun on my shoes and swung out toward the voice with my fist. It was caught by Cole. My skin crawled and bristled at the contact of his otherworldly body. I shivered. Only slightly startled by my attack, he raised a brow with an amused grin.
"Good form," Cole complimented. "But plant your feet quicker next time."
"Sorry." I stepped back and wrung my hands, gaze restless.
"What's wrong? You're walking like you're on fire."
"He's here," I said breathlessly. My arms crossed in front of my chest so tight that I almost stopped breathing. "He's following me. I can feel it - I can feel him watching me."
Cole looked around us. "There's no-one here, Y/n."
"No- no, I know he's here," I insisted beneath my breath, just in case he was listening. "Cole, I swear it."
"Okay," he soothed, dropping his own voice to a whisper. "Okay. I believe you. Let's get you home." Cole's form shimmered before disappearing completely. "How's that, huh? New trick."
I managed a half-smile. "Convenient."
"Are you kidding me? This is the best part of being a ghost!"
It was probably the only good part, too, but neither of us spoke it. I continued the walk home, feeling slightly better that Cole walked alongside me, invisible but chatty. Our conversation kept my focus on him instead of the eyes that continued to follow me.
Lloyd had just arrived by the time we returned. I pulled forward at the sight of him waiting for me on the porch seat. My courage failed me. My fear surpassed my bravery. I wanted to be held.
"Hey-" Lloyd made an audible sound of impact when I careened into him before he could even descend the steps. His hands held me firmly. "Are you okay?"
I buried my face into his shirt. How did he do it? How did he do it everyday? I wasn't strong like him. I was weak. I was terrified.
Lloyd wrapped his arms around me and kissed my forehead. He must've been able to hear the fright in the skittering of my heart. He must've been able to feel it in the trembling of my hands on his back. I hated living in fear.
"It'll be over soon," Lloyd whispered. I stared at the threads of his shirt.
He'd told me that before.