A/N

I haven't updated this fic for way too long, if you checked out "Chaos of The Monastery", you'll know why, so here's a quick chapter just to make up for that!

As always, remember, details (dialogue, descriptions, scenes) may be changed, edited, or removed, or entirely new details will be added, and some parts of the plot may not make sense, since I finished this in maybe 45 minutes, so yeah.

Happy reading!

- mxshmxsh

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Lloyd and Master Wu walk out of the warehouse, Lloyd nervously biting his lip as they make their way to The Destiny's Bounty, with a beautiful sunset framing the moment.

Lloyd turned to Wu as they arrived on the deck of the ship.

"Wu, you don't understand."

Wu was about to speak, but Lloyd immediately interjected.

"Right now, on that volcano, Garmadon is making something really big."

Wu frowned as he leaned on his bamboo staff.

Lloyd continued with a sheepish tone, though not dialing down on his seriousness.

"He's building something huge, and something... surely shark-themed. And he's going to come back sooner rather than later. So, uh, what do I do?"

Wu seemed to be in deep thought for a moment.

"Nephew, weapons alone will not solve your problem. I have every kind of weapon in my dojo. Big weapons, little weapons, sharp weapons, dull weapons, even the ultimate weapon, but the strongest weapon is inside you."

Lloyd choked on his own spit for a second, eyes widening.

"W-wait, I'm- I'm sorry, but what did you just say?"

"The strongest weapon is inside you?"

Lloyd waved his hands around wildly.

"No, no, no, no, no. Before that, the thing right before that?"

Wu looked confused.

"What? You mean...?"

"THE ULTIMATE WEAPON!"

An epic montage flashes right before Lloyd's eyes, and he gasped as the montage poofed away.

"And you've been hiding that??!??!! Why??!"

Wu rested one of his hands on Lloyd's shoulder, sighing heavily, looking out towards the sunset.

"In the wrong hands....the Ultimate Weapon could spell doom for Ninjago."

Lloyd scoffed, waving his hands around even more wildly now.

"Then put that in my hands! Why does it matter how we defeat Garmadon as long as we beat him?"

Wu turned back to face Lloyd, his hand gripping Lloyd's shoulder even tightly now.

"Because, nephew, right now? Your hands are the wrong hands."

Lloyd scrunches his eyebrows in confusion, looking down at his hands.

Wu sighed, before continuing hesitantly,

"Lloyd. I'm his brother. I too feel responsible for the safety of Ninjago. But I will not always be here to train you."

Lloyd let his arms fall to the side.

"Why?"

Wu closed his eyes, retracting his hand from Lloyd's soldier to grip his bamboo staff.

"Because. I'm super, super... old."

Lloyd scratched his head.

"Oh."

Wu thumped his staff on the deck of the Destiny's Bounty.

"That's why I need you to lead the Secret Ninja Force. But you must promise to walk a different path. One only the son of Garmadon can walk, no matter how hard it may be."

Lloyd rubbed his eyes tiredly, letting out a deep breath.

"Honestly... I would happily give up being a secret ninja... if it meant I didn't have to be the son of Garmadon."

Wu smiled sympathetically under his long beard.

"I know you've had a hard life, Lloyd, filled with many knocks. Why don't I play you a song? Perhaps it would speak to you."

Wu started to play a few verses of a song Lloyd distantly remembered as "It's a Hard-Knock Life" on his bamboo-staff-turned-flute, before Lloyd sighed heavily, and put his hand on the hole of the staff, causing Wu to stop.

"Thanks, Uncle Wu."

Lloyd turns, and starts to run home.

As he jumps out of the ship, the boards of the wooden bridge leading to the warehouse creaked.

Wu's song echoed in Lloyd's mind as he journeys through the city.

As Lloyd entered the city, he pulled his hood over his head, just so he wouldn't be recognized.

He ran across the street, ducking into a gray building speckled with lights in almost every room.

He climbed the stairs quietly, so quietly, no one could hear him, courtesy of ninja training.

As he arrived at his apartment, he could hear his mom's panicked voice echoing inside as he changed into slippers and kicked off his sneakers.

"No, no, I don't know where he is. No, he hasn't come home from school. No, he did not join forces with his father. That is ridiculous."

Lloyd frowned at that.

"I'm trying not to freak out right now, but I have called eighteen people and I can't locate my son. Yes, I know you said you never wanted him to play with your kids, I just didn't know if he would be-"

Lloyd opened the door, stepping inside.

His mom gasped.

"Lloyd!"

Lloyd rubbed his arm sheepishly.

"Uh, hey, mom."

"No, I've got him right here, he just walked in! Bye!"

Koko turned to Lloyd, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Oh my gosh, I was so worried about you."

Lloyd pulled back.

"I- I'm fine. I- I just... took the long way home."

"Why did we get on a family plan if you're not going to text me?"

Lloyd sighed.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to worry you, I- I love you and I'm sorry."

This time, Lloyd pulled his mom into a tight hug, before pulling back again.

Kiki sighed, gripping her son's shoulders tightly.

"I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you, okay?"

"Thanks, mom."

"I'm just really glad that those ninjas saved the day."

Lloyd grinned.

"Yeah. Yeah. I was, I was there."

Kiki cocked an eyebrow.

"What?"

Lloyd stuttered out,

"W-watching... with the o-other regular kids."

Koko smiled.

"Okay, well, you must be starving."

Lloyd frowned slightly, trying to find an excuse to leave.

"I don't know. I'm not... really that hungry."

"But I'll make your favorite! Dumplings!"

Lloyd grimaced slightly, before replying wit fake-cheerfulness,

"Oh! Enticing! But... I'm just gonna- I'm just going to go to bed, I think. Just really..."

Lloyd clapped a hand over his mouth as he pretended to fake-yawn.

"...tired."

Koko frowned.

"Oh."

Lloyd quickly walked towards his room, starting to pull off his hoodie.

"Goodnight, mom."

As Lloyd left, Koko quickly grabbed the birthday cake sitting on the dinner table, quickly spinning around to show Lloyd, but he'd already left.

Koko called out sadly, the once smile on her face now a disappointed frown.

"Okay, well, good night!"

From his room, Lloyd quickly pulled out all his pajamas and undergarments, leaving to head to the bathroom located next to his room.

He went inside, and locked the door behind him, before leaning against the sink of the small bathroom, sighing.

Life as The Green Ninja wasn't that great.

Sure, he could save people, and be famous.

But people didn't know who he was, underneath the heroic guise of The Green Ninja.

Lloyd ran his hair through his blonde locks several times, before getting up from the sink.

He set his clothes down, before he undressed and stepped into the shower.

He turned the handle for the water nearly three-quarter to the right, waiting for the water to warm up.

As the water warmed up, Lloyd brought the shower head to his shoulders, letting the water wash him free of his worries for the day.

Once he'd finished bathing, he stepped out, wiping himself free of water, before dressing in his pajamas, smooth against his pale skin.

He used his smaller towel to dry his hair free of any more water it could get at, before hanging the towels up and stepping out, going into his room.

He flicked the lights on, and walked over by his bedside, before flopping down on his bed.

He pulled his phone out of his backpack, and saw a notification from messages, and he clicked on it.

----

COLE

Cole

hey, u ok?

Lloyd

yeah i'm good

Cole

that's a lie i know it

Lloyd

u read my emotions too well :P

Cole

well duh, why wouldn't I? I was the first to become friends w/ u

Lloyd

true

Cole

u know u can talk to us, right

Lloyd

ik

Cole

then talk to us!

Lloyd

It's just that my life is so messed up.

Cole

sometimes I forget ur so young, u act so mature for ur age

Lloyd

haha very funny

Cole

But still, remember u can still talk to us

Lloyd

sure mama bear

Cole

>:(

gn

Lloyd

>:)

gn

Cole has left the conversation.

----

Lloyd set his phone on the small table set beside his bed, and pulled his covers over himself, sighing as his muscles finally started to loosen from its stiff state, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.