Balance in the Chaos @writerinthetide - Tumblr Blog

(New) Querencia

Darkness Shall Rise

Unfortunately the complete destruction of the Great Devourer did not make the snake problem go away, instead it led to an entirely new problem. The city had been wrecked. Blood, guts, snake chunks, and venom covered the city, which had pieces torn free or buildings completely torn apart. And the ninja were partly the cause for some of the damage. They had led the Devourer around, in order to trap her, forcing her to shove herself through streets she wouldn’t fit through which led to the destruction of multiple stores, apartments, and other buildings.

So, due to their part in the destruction, the ninja had been working with the city's disaster department to find ways to fix the city.

Ed and Edna graciously offered their home up after learning of the destruction of the Bounty, happily accepting the group into their home. Luckily, they had a blow up mattress and a fold out couch so not everyone was sleeping on the floor after exhausting days at rebuilding and cleaning. They did rotate the sleeping arrangement to keep it fair, however.

Due to that arrangement, Ed and Edna would take Lloyd during the day, doting endlessly on the boy by taking him out to restaurants, to the movies, and to arcades. They even did their best to join in on the activities. This made it easier for [M/n] to focus on the cleanup process.

Today was the last day of cleanup, Ed and Edna taking Lloyd to his favorite comic book store as a treat while the ninja piled into the Sonic Raider. Wu and Nya had taken the day to find a more permanent place to stay, using a motorcycle Ed had helped Nya fix up.

The lampposts were the last thing that needed to be done, so Cole, [M/n], and Jay were holding the very last one in place as Zane blowtorched the piece into place. Kai was behind them, trying to summon even a singular spark to his hands - which he’d done every day, since they’d lost four of the five Golden Weapons a month ago - with sounds of frustration.

Zane stepped back, nodding to signal they no longer needed to hold it up. The three backed off, admiring the street full of lammposts they’d put up in the last 3 days.

“Finally. All fixed up and Serpentine free," Cole said, running his fingers through his sweat-soaked hair.

“This is so frustrating! 他妈的!” Kai snapped, shaking his hands out.

The lamp post creaked, keeping anyone from answering as they hurried to catch it. Zane hurried to retorch it back into place, ignoring Kai’s complaint for the moment.

“Our weapons are gone and most of our elemental powers are gone. I mean, we can still do Spinjitzu, but..." Kai grunted as his powers continued to falter. "I just feel so, I don't know, limited. And thanks to the Devourer, our tank's out of commission, our Dragon's hurt, the Bounty is destroyed, and we're bumming off Jay's parents."

“Our Elements are not only from the Weapons. We simply needed them to access them without practice, and now we have created a codependency. Had we taken the time to practice, maybe we would still have access to them without the Weapons.” Kai only scowled, rolling his eyes. He had ignored all of [M/n]’s advice due to the simple fact that he still had the Golden Tessens.

“No one ever said being a hero is easy,” Zane added, pausing in his welding. “Though our good deeds may never make us rich, they make us rich in other ways."

“Yeah? Well, I don’t feel rich.”

“I for one enjoy pitching in. I've always wanted to feel part of a community, but the junkyard was too far from anybody. But, speaking of which, anyone seen or heard from Nya? I thought she mentioned she was going to help,” Jay said, tugging at the post to see if it was stable.

Nya pulled up on her fixed up motorbike, “And I have. I may have found us a place to live."

“Wait, really? But-but there's a waiting list a mile long to live in Ninjago City. How did you do that?” Jay asked, perking up.

“I know a guy, who knows a girl, and she knows this girl who knows a guy. Well, this guy knows a girl who's a real estate agent and she can help you find a place, if you catch my drift," Nya stated, hiding a grin when she saw the looks of quiet confusion on [M/n] and Cole’s faces, holding up a pamphlet. As Ninjaoan was not either of their first languages, a sentence like that completely threw them off – something she was well aware off.

Jay nodded, glancing towards Wu, who was content to be silent, only to notice the two packed bags cabled to the sidecar. “And where are you guys going?”

“Well, I noticed yesterday that the Sonic Raiders got some pieces missing or loose, so I’ve gotta find a few more components in order to fix it up so it doesn’t crap out on us,” Nya explained, handing over the pamphlet.

“And my dragon ointment has finally arrived. It's a two week trip, but once we get back, he'll be flying again. Also, I love scenic drives. Haha, punch it, Nya!" Wu shouted, leaving the ninja no time to react.

“Ay ay, Sensei."

"Yee-haw!"

“‘Patty Keys, Real Estate Queen.’ Huh, this is exactly what we need. Once we get a roof over our head, we can start properly training Lloyd," Jay said, reading over the pamphlet.

“Good, 'cause if we know Lord Garmadon, he's not going to be taking any breaks. And let's not forget, the Serpentine are still at large," Cole reminded them.

“So, shall we set up an appointment?” Zane asked. “Tour the offered buildings?”

“We should,” Kai said, finally taking his attention away from his hands.

“Lloyd deserves the opportunity to see what could possibly be his new home,” [M/n] decided. “I’ll meet you at this Patty Keys Estate place.” He took a look at the pamphlet to see the address, Ara carefully gliding down to land on the empty street without being called.

While he could have summoned the Nethercopter, he had missed Ara and Lloyd enjoyed flying with the wyvern.

Once in the air, his shoulders slumped - taking the moment to breathe in the fresh air without the constant chatter of the other ninja, and Wu’s hovering. Cramped in the camper, [M/n] had begun to feel like a caged bird, and the only thing that helped alleviate that feeling was flying with Ara and spending time with Lloyd. It was easier. Lloyd enjoyed reading his comics while [M/n] stargazed, sometimes rambling on about the comics he read.

Ara glided above the buildings, slowing as he approached Doomsday Comix, the street being too small for the much larger wyvern to land without taking time to do so. So, [M/n] swung himself out of the saddle as Ara completely tilted to the side, which put him closer to the ground. Using Spinjitzu, he slowed his descent before releasing the ability and landing on his feet, bending his knees to redistribute the impact.

The wyvern continued on, circling the buildings to come back and land. [M/n] straightened, adjusting his jacket as a few people stopped and stared.

Ignoring the looks, he entered the comic store, silently passing by a few customers and Mother Doomsday who didn’t even notice the ninja. He headed towards the back corner that Lloyd had mentioned, peering around the bookcase to observe the little reading nook that Mother Doomsday had set up - with beanbags, couches, and side tables aplenty.

But his eyes found Lloyd, Ed, and Edna. Lloyd was on his feet, passionately explaining the plot to Starfarer as Ed and Edna listened in closely, encouraging him with questions and ‘ooohs’ and ‘aahhhs’. The young boy was practically glowing with attention, a bag of candy at his feet and a bag of comics on the chair where he'd likely been sitting.

[M/n] leaned against the bookcase, watching the scene and finding peace. The glass roof let in natural lighting, keeping the space warm and cozy with string lights around the edges of the store, plush carpeting, multiple posters on the walls, and even a massive colorful mural of at least 4 different comic series. He allowed his eyes to slide closed, listening to Lloyd and the background chatter of the others in the store. A part of him wished this could last forever, that Lloyd would not have to grow up and fight his own father.

When Lloyd came to a stopping point, or rather a breathing point, [M/n] called out, “It looks like you've had a good day."

Lloyd spun around, practically bouncing towards him, “[M/n]! Did you see what Ed and Edna got me?”

“I saw. Candy, and comics,” [M/n] teased, lightly squeezing his cheek. “What a duo.”

“Yeah!”

Ed and Edna both stood, smiling at the sight, “You're back early, dearie. Did something happen?"

“Nya managed to get in contact with a realtor to show us some properties, and I thought Lloyd deserved to see his possible new home. Thank you for watching him. And for buying the comics and candy. I can pay you back for those.”

“Oh no, dearie, it was our pleasure,” Edna chirped.

“Oh it was no problem, son, it’s been so long since we’ve had a young one around.”

“Besides, he’s such a sweetheart,” Edna squeezed his other cheek, Lloyd preening under the attention even as his face reddened.

[M/n] smiled, escorting the two out to the Jalopy, finding Ara standing in the street, looking a little annoyed. “We'll come to visit soon. Promise. I wouldn't want to deprive you of Lloyd's company."

“Oh, you jester,” Edna tittered, lightly swatting at his arm. “You have to come as well, I’ll even make you dinner. Chicken Pot Pie and Stuffed Pasta Shells! Oh, I’ll pull out the good cutlery!”

“You’ll have to let me cook for you one day.”

“That sounds wonderful, son! Well, have fun! And we hope you find a good place!” Ed called, climbing into the driver's seat.

“We’ll have boxes ready to make the move easier, dear! Have fun!” Edna yelled, waving energetically as they pulled away.

“Bye!!” Lloyd waved back just as energetically, smiling widely as he held the two bags in his other hand. He then noticed Ara. “We’re taking Ara?!”

“We are.” [M/n] led him to the dragon who leaned down further, shifting his foreclaw to give them a step to get into the saddle. “Do you remember how to get on?”

“Yeah, but can you hold the bags?”

“I’ll put them in the saddle bags.”

As Lloyd climbed into the saddle, [M/n] fit the bags into the leather bags attached before climbing up behind him. “Ready?”

“Let’s go!”

Ara began to move, entertaining Lloyd’s command. He walked down the street until he came to a spot that gave him the room to push off and open his wings.

Lloyd leaned back, glancing up to [M/n], “When will I get my own dragon?”

“Who knows, παιδι. For now you will have to make do with flying with Ara and I or Ultra and the other Ninja.” He said the other dragons name with a strange inflection, still unsure of their new name: Ultra Dragon.

“Ok,” Lloyd sighed.

“Be patient,” [M/n] comforted. “One day you will have a dragon, but that is not a problem for now.”

“I know,” Lloyd said, shrugging. “I just don’t wanna bother you when I wanna fly.”

“You are not a burden, and will never be one, not to me. Asking me to fly is certainly not a bother. I enjoy flying and taking you flying.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am sure.”

Lloyd smiled, leaning back against his guardian. Ara slowed as he approached the street Patty Keys Real Estate was on, completely unable to even approach the street due to how cramped it was. No maneuvering would allow Ara to land or even approach the building.

“Do you trust me, Lloyd?”

“Yeah, why?” [M/n] softened slightly, heart warming at the immediate trust.

“Turn,” [M/n] instructed, keeping Lloyd steady as he swung a leg over the saddle horn. “Hold on tightly.” He tucked Lloyd into his front, easily standing on the saddle as Ara flew in place, before dropping backwards off the saddle into a freefall as Lloyd yelped. He clung to [M/n], trusting he wouldn’t be hurt, but still nervous and startled by the sudden drop. As the ground approached, [M/n] used Spinjitzu to, once again, slow his descent before releasing it to land on his feet, throwing himself into a roll since the drop was from higher up.

He carefully set Lloyd down, the boy shaking his head as he looked around. “That was fun! Can we do it again?!”

“Maybe later.” Shaking his head with a slight smile, [M/n] ushered Lloyd down the street towards the building the pamphlet indicated, just in time to see the ninja walking out with a woman. Lloyd saw them too and immediately stopped in his tracks.

The woman, who was likely Patty Keys, had black hair swept into such a tight bun it seemed to be keeping her wrinkles straight with bright pink lipstick.

Lloyd looked up at [M/n], “She looks–”

“Keep that thought in your head. It is an inside thought.”

“Really? Seriously? But-”

“No.”

“Can I tell you later?”

A bone deep sigh, “You may.”

“Okay,” Lloyd whined, reluctantly letting [M/n] nudge him back into movement.

Zane smiled, “Ms. Keys, this is our brother and ward, [M/n] Kyo and Lloyd Garmadon.”

She turned a critical eye on the two, but offered a tight smile, “It’s wonderful to meet the both of you! I hope I’ll be able to find you the perfect home! Do you have a budget? How much do you make a month?”

“Uhhh,” Kai faltered, flushing.

“I get about 1,400 a month through ESA,” [M/n] answered.

“ESA? That’s Employment and Support Allowance, yes?”

“Correct.”

“Well, I’m sure I know of a place that is within budget,” Ms. Keys said, leading them down the sidewalk.

Jay leaned over to whisper, “Since when you do you have money?”

“Since my coma. I get automatic payments according to the cost of living, and since we lived in the middle of nowhere I got more money for gas.”

“You don’t drive,” Kai reminded him.

“No, I don’t but you can’t register a dragon like a vehicle.”

“That’s-that’s fair.”

Lloyd tugged at his GI, “Is that a lot?”

“Of money? Depends. In the grand scheme, not particularly. But, as we’re effectively homeless, yes it is.”

“Okay. Did you grab my candy?”

“No, I left it with Ara. When we’re done, we’’ll eat and then I’ll find a place for him to land so you can grab your candy and comics.”

Lloyd grumbled slightly, slumping.

Ms. Keys led them to a dilapidated old building directly beside a new, massive skyscraper apartment building, “This one-bedroom, one-half-bath is a cozy dream. Who needs extras when everything is in arm's reach? Now, wait until you see the lighting.” She pushed open the door, flipping the light switch to reveal a small room that was barely the size that the inner training rooms had been on the Bounty before the lightbulb flickered then fell, shattering. “Uh, who needs lights when you have this view? Heh." The curtains opened to reveal the brick wall of the neighboring building.

Lloyd wrinkled his nose. "Uh, why do I smell old people?"

“Look doll, I’m trying to work around your budget. Realistically, this is all you can afford,” she snapped, [M/n]’s eyes narrowing. Before he could retort, Cole spoke, trying to keep the peace.

“Uh, this looks . . . promising. Remember, guys, Sensei told us our main objective is to train Lloyd, not kick our feet up in some swanky suite. If this is all we can afford, this is all we can afford.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, let’s not rush into any decision. I mean, if it’s really all about training and taking care of Lloyd, don’t we need to live in some place that’ll make training and resting easier,” Jay pointed out, gesturing to the small apartment.

“Yeah, Jay's right. If we have to get Lloyd ready to save Ninjago from his father, shouldn't he at least have his own room?"

“Why would that matter? Did he not share a roo-” Kai slapped a hand over Zane’s mouth, cutting him off.

“We’re only thinking about the children, hehe,” Jay laughed nervously, ignoring [M/n]’s look.

“Well, I do have a nearby property that you’ll just love,” Ms. Keys chirped, smiling falsely as she ushered them out. Lloyd fake gagged once her back was turned, [M/n] patting his head. She led them to the other building, across the street, the massive skyscraper, taking them all the way up to the top floor where she entered a passcode so they could enter.

The penthouse she showed them had massive floor to ceiling windows, a leather couch, marble countertops in the kitchen, cherry cabinets, and zebra wood flooring.

“Whoa.”

“Oh man,” Jay whispered, reverently touching the side table beside the door.

“Now, this is the eight-bedroom Hero Suite. Floor-to-ceiling windows, digital wall television, state-of-the-art game console . . ."

As she continued to describe the penthouse, Kai and Jay became more excited. Cole, [M/n], and Zane were less excited, and Lloyd was just curious, waiting for when they could leave to go eat.

“This is out of our price range,” Cole reminded them, Ms. Keys quickly stepping in with another false smile.

“Oh, sure it costs a little more, but you deserve it. I forgot to mention, there's also a Dragon keep on the roof.”

“Nice.”

“Maybe we can get a hero discount. After all, we are the ninja who saved the city," Jay said, puffing out his chest a bit.

“I thought Lord Garmadon saved the city.”

[M/n]’s eyes darkened, “And how did he manage to do so on his own? With Weapons that weren’t his, using a plan that was not his, and who tangled the Devourer to keep her in place so he could strike the final blow. We helped Lord Garmadon save this city.”

Lloyd backed him up, “Yeah!”

“Fine.” Ms. Keys scowled darkly at them. “A small discount.”

“We could get day jobs to pay for the extra expenses," Kai offered.

“We always said we could use a little more responsibility,” Zane agreed.

“But we have to train Lloyd.”

“Did I mention the in-house training facility?”

“We’ll–”

[M/n] slapped a hand over Jay’s mouth, “We will take a few hours to think this through and find jobs first.”

“I’ll only have this house available until 3 this afternoon.”

“We’ll have our decision by then.” It was only 11 so they had a few hours. “Let’s go.” [M/n] easily herded everyone out, waiting until they were downstairs and out of earshot. “What were you thinking? We do not have jobs secured to ensure we can afford that place, nor do I have enough to handle a month of payments. You cannot make decisions with money that is not your own, or without thinking things through.”

Jay and Kai looked away, one more reticent than the other. “Sorry.”

“It’s a good place, with room for the dragons and space to train Lloyd. It’s perfect,” Kai retorted, scowling.

“I am not saying it was a horrible choice, but it was overpriced. While we were at lunch, we will look for jobs using local newspapers. It will give us a chance to eat, to make sure we are thinking properly. Alright?”

“That works.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“A much better plan.”

“Oh thank FSM.”

They chose a nearby fast food restaurant, Red Burger, to sit down at, with newspapers from a nearby Gas Station, tossing the parts they didn’t need.

All five newspapers were spread out on the table, everyone munching on different burgers and tenders, Lloyd tucked against [M/n]’s side since he was more interested in eating and watching out the window than helping them find jobs.

“Oooh, oooh, Zane! I found a job for one of those restaurants that cooks in front of you. I bet they'd love your cooking!" Jay excitedly told him, ripping out the ad for Zane.

Zane smiled, proud and slightly embarrassed, “Thank you, Jay.”

“Do you think I’d be able to snag a job as a security guard?” Cole asked, reading through the ad. “I mean, it says I need to be 18+, be physically fit, first aid training, and take a training class? I think.”

“You should apply. You fit the requirements and you have fighting experience, plus you know Aikido, so restraining techniques,” [M/n] said, glancing up for a second. A few more minutes of silence as they sorted through the other ads, specifically looking for things that they could actually, reasonably apply for.

“I have two,” Zane announced, setting down two ads he’d torn free. “One for a pizza delivery driver and one for a party entertainer."

Jay and Kai both shared a look before scrambling to grab the pizza ad, with Jay managing to come out victorious. He did a little happy dance in the booth, Kai sulkingly grabbing the party entertainer ad.

“Have you found anything yet, [M/n]?” Zane asked, noticing he was the only one without a prospective.

“A bartending job for the Obelisk. It looks like it is a new club that just opened,” [M/n] said, tearing out the ad.

“I thought you had to be over 21 if you have a job dealing with alcohol?" Jay wondered.

“You do, but it doesn’t need any experience and the other jobs all need years of experience.” [M/n] patted Lloyd’s head, before gesturing for Cole to slide out of the booth so he could step out. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Do not eat my food.”

“We won’t.”

“I’ll protect it,” Lloyd chirped, sitting up to drag his food closer. He stepped out of the restaurant, ducking into an empty side alley before dialing a number he’d memorized after an incident before he’d ever retrieved the Golden Tessens.

“Who the hell is this?”

“Ronin,” [M/n] deadpanned. “What a lovely way to answer the phone.”

“[M/n], how wonderful to hear from ya’. Figured you’d pretend we’re not friends for a while longer.”

“We are not friends. You happen to owe me a favor and know things that I need to know. This is a transaction.”

“You callin’ in that favor?”

“I am.”

“Was hopin’ you’d forget about that.”

“. . .” [M/n] hoped his silence was telling.

“Alright, alright, geeze, no need ta’ give me the silent treatment. What kinda favour do ya need?”

“I need a license forged.”

“A license? For what?”

“A driver's license, that says I’m 21. I need it to pass inspection for a job.”

“Ha! Seriously! Not a goody two shoes, huh?"

“Ronin.”

“Alright, fine. So, license for, say, a 21 year old. Anything else? Like a job history?"

“I am a ninja, have been one since I was 10 years old. What job history would I realistically have?”

“Fair ‘nough. I'll have 'em ready by tomorrow night. Where do you-"

“Ignacia. South Gate. I'll be waiting."

“Ignacia? Odd choice, but al-” [M/n] hung up, tucking the phone back into his pocket to head back inside Red Burger.

“We should finish up soon,” Zane said when [M/n] came back, Cole standing to let [M/n] back in.

“I’ll be quick.” [M/n] had no problem downing the rest of his burger and fries within 2 minutes, the others having already finished while he was making the phone call.

Lloyd frowned, “Can we stop so we can get my comics? You said we could.”

“I’m sorry, Lloyd, we’ll have to do it after we get the penthouse sorted out,” [M/n] apologized.

“What? Seriously? That’s not fair!”

“They’re just comics, dude,” Kai said, struggling not to roll his eyes.

Lloyd began to redden, but [M/n] rested a hand on his head. “I promise, once we get the papers signed I’ll make sure to summon Ara so you can get your comics.”

He seemed hesitant, watching [M/n]’s face, “You have to promise. And if you go back on your promise I get more comics.”

“Deal. I promise.”

“Good.”

“Let’s go,” Kai said, rolling his eyes entirely this time. “We need to get going unless we want to lose that penthouse.”

[M/n] sighed, still reluctant about their decision to rent the penthouse even if he agreed due to the training course that was included and a gaming console already installed - giving Lloyd room to learn and to be a kid.

Once there, Ms. Keys handed over the keys once [M/n] handed over the security deposit of 1,000 dollars, allowing them to begin the process of moving in quickly. Zane stayed behind in order to file the paperwork still needed, while the others drove the Sonic Raider back to the junkyard to pack up the few belongings they now had.

As promised, Lloyd was given his comics and allowed to stay back with Zane with another promise, from Jay this time, that his comics would be safely secured for the trip back.

In all it took barely 3 hours for the group to pack everything up, having had barely anything with them when the Bounty had been destroyed, and it took even less time for the group to set up in their chosen rooms. However it was already quite late, nearly 8, and the day had been tiring for everyone so they all crashed almost immediately.

[M/n] ushered Lloyd into their shared room - Lloyd had insisted - with the boy climbing onto the queen sized bed and sprawling happily across the bed. Shaking his head, [M/n] entered the connected bathroom that he would be sharing with Wu when he returned, to brush his teeth and splash his face with water.

Stepping out, he raised a brow at the way the boy had somehow tangled himself into the comforter, while spread out like a starfish. Huffing out a laugh, [M/n] reached for his ankle, squeezing slightly before tugging him down the bed.

Lloyd squealed, trying to valiantly cling to the blankets, only to drag them down with him, “Hey!”

“Brush your teeth and change, then you can sleep.”

“Awwww,” Lloyd whined, sliding off the bed into a puddle on the ground.

“Go, παιδι.”

Lloyd proceeded to do this odd wiggle across the floor into the bathroom, [M/n] rolling his eyes and flinging his pjs at his head with no mercy, grinning at the ‘thwack’ sound they made when they connected with his head.

“Wha-not fair!” The door slammed shut, [M/n] taking the opportunity to change into a simple tank and shorts before pulling back the heavy duvet and setting out thinner blankets for them to actually use. The door to the bathroom was nearly flung open, just as [M/n] settled down, Lloyd leaping into the bed and nearly hitting the other. “Oops.”

“Settle down, Lloyd. I’ve let you stay up late two days this week. Not tonight.”

Lloyd groaned, flopping over onto the bed, “Fine.” He dragged the covers over himself, grumpily settling down.

[M/n] hid an amused grin as he settled down as well. “Good night, παιδι.”

“Goo’ nigh’, [M/n].”

When morning came, the ninja all had toast, eggs, and bacon - they would have to go grocery shopping. During said breakfast, [M/n] got a text from an unknown number that confirmed the date and time for the drop off of his new license.

“Zane?”

“Hmm?”

“Would you mind keeping an eye on Lloyd this afternoon? I have an errand to run and I don’t want him to come along.”

“Of course. I have to make a list to go grocery shopping, stop by the hibachi restaurant to grab a resume and fill it out, and then go grocery shopping. I’ll have to take him along.”

“I can go too,” Cole volunteered. “The bank isn’t far from the ristorante, right?” Jay snickered at the way he pronounced ristorante as restaurant with a Ninjaoan accent but he was ultimately ignored.

“It is only a block away,” Zane answered. “That will make it much easier to carry the heavy things back.”

Lloyd, who had not been paying attention, finally tuned into what was happening. “What?”

“You’re going shopping with Zane and Cole this afternoon, while I run an errand.”

“What? Why do I-” A single raised eyebrow had him stopping. “Okay. Can I at least get a treat?”

[M/n] frowned, “Not this time, παιδι. We’re spread thin on groceries as is. Once we get settled in we can start looking at snacks and treats, alright?”

“Wait, no chocolate milk?!” Jay demanded.

“No anything, except for meals. We barely have 400 dollars to spend on groceries for 5 of us. Anything extra is coming out of your own pocket. We’re lucky Ed and Edna gave us some spices to tide us over for a few weeks.”

“Aww man,” Jay whined, slumping over the counter. “That sucks.”

“You’ll live,” Kai retorted, patting Jay on the back with an eye roll. “So cheap meals for two weeks?”

“Correct. Luckily, if we manage to be hired for the jobs we are applying for there is a possibility that we will be bringing home leftovers which will help.”

“Oh yeah, that's right,” Jay said, sitting up properly. “Pizzas galore for us.”

“What kind of meals are you thinkin’ ‘bout doing?” Kai asked.

“Soups, stews, and casseroles,” Zane answered, pulling out their journal of groceries. “Many meals will have to be made larger to stretch over days.”

“What about that Hungarian Goulash you made last year?” Cole asked. “Is there a way we could stretch that?”

“We could use the leftovers to make dumplings,” [M/n] offered. “We could also do tacos, then taco soup.”

Zane nodded, writing down the ingredients from memory. “We can also make burritos out of the taco soup.”

“Uhh, tuna casserole?”

“We could use that to make some kind of bread topping? Like open sandwiches.”

On and on it went, everyone adding in ideas that could have repurposed leftovers with Zane adding the ingredients to the list and the price they would likely be found at. Once he had finished, it was still early so [M/n] decided to check out the training course.

Pressing the button, the wall beside the tv opening to reveal a hidden room. Lloyd followed, inspecting the room like [M/n] was, even if he had no idea what was happening. The older checked the weights, the tatami mat, the mounts on the walls for weapons, and the punching bag. Tucked away in a closet were dummies for practice.

“[M/n]?”

“Yes.”

“Can you teach me how to kick now?”

[M/n] tilted his head, thinking on the time, “Alright, I can do that. Go change real quick.” He dragged the punching bag out to the middle of the mats, before finding the tape he’d seen tucked away in the closet, on a low shelf. Lloyd came running back in, nearly tripping over his own feet. “Sit down, I’m going to show you how to wrap your feet with tape.”

Lloyd sat down in front of him, confused, “Wrap my feet? Why? What’s the point?”

“Good wraps provide protection and act as a sort of buffer for training. It will make sure you don’t get bad bruises on the top of your foot where the skin is thinner. And it will keep your ankle stable if you do end up kicking wrong.” He carefully wrapped Lloyd’s feet and ankles, tightening the tape with practice.

“Kicking wrong?” Lloyd asked, aghast.

“There is a lot that can go wrong in a fight, Lloyd,” [M/n] warned. “Listen closely. If you kick and the person manages to block a certain way or your kick lands wrong, it can lead to a broken shin or leg. It is rare but always a possibility. More common injuries are strains and torn ligaments.”

Lloyd was horrified, “I can break my shin if I kick wrong?”

“Rarely, but I want you to be informed. This is why I do not want you to practice kicks without someone nearby, do you understand?”

“I understand completely.”

[M/n] finished Lloyd's before doing his own. “Good, now we do stretches.”

It took a good two hours for Lloyd to be properly taught to kick, [M/n] focusing first on his stance and the movement separately before even allowing the boy to attempt a kick against the punching bag. He struggled to keep his balance, unused to balancing on one leg with all the movement, before struggling to actually use his hip when he roasted to get enough power to do anything. Now, he wasn’t perfect at it, but [M/n] believed that would be enough to at the very least he would be able to kick an opponent with some degree of power and accuracy.

There would be time for more lessons.

When it finally came time for [M/n] to leave, Lloyd was reluctant to let him leave, clinging resolutely to his front, “Why can’t I come with you?” The gentle nudges against his shoulders went ignored, the boy clinging to him too tightly.

“The person I am meeting is not someone you should have to be exposed to. I do not even want to be exposed to him.” [M/n] stopped pushing at his shoulder and gently rested a palm on his blond hair.

“Is he dangerous?”

“When he wants to be.”

“But if he’s dangerous don’t you need backup? I can be back up! I know how to punch and kick now!”

“I may have phrased that wrong. He is dangerous, but he knows better than to try anything with me. This man isn’t someone who would do something that could end with his death or even being too badly injured. He is too self serving for that. I need to go, Lloyd, this is important. I trust Zane and Cole to take care of you. Can I trust you to be good and helpful?”

Lloyd sighed, reluctantly releasing him, “Will you hurry?”

“I will be as fast as I can be.”

[M/n] left the penthouse through a tucked away staircase that led straight to the roof, where Ara was waiting. The flight to Ignacia took almost two hours on its own, even without landing directly in the village. Past the farms, Ara landed in the woods surrounding the rice fields. Meeting Ronin by the gates with Ara would only stress out the villagers unnecessarily.

The sparse forest surrounding Ignacia was calm and peaceful, a direct contrast to the surprisingly bustling village. [M/n] enjoyed the calmness until he noticed the unusually restless Ara. His foreclaws were digging deep into the grass, sinking into the dirt beneath as his massive tail swayed. It occurred to him then that Ara had remained on the roof all day and was anxious to stretch his wings and perhaps even hunt.

Sliding down from the saddle, he gently ran a hand down Ara’s snout before moving to lean against a nearby tree, the wyvern quickly taking off into the air. He’d need to hunt farther out, since he’d likely already disturbed the prey around here. Leaning against the tree, [M/n] allowed his eyes to close though he kept his ears open.

He had plenty of time before Ronin was to arrive, and the warmth of the sun against his skin was peaceful and warming. After the chaos of the past few weeks, this moment was something he had needed. However, the moment was ruined when the back of his neck began to tingle, hair raising. Slowly opening his eyes, he stayed still for a long minute, waiting for whoever or whatever was behind him to announce their presence or continue on. To keep from raising suspicion, he slowly moved his hands to his belt, hovering above his Tessens.

Keeping it casual, in case it was an unaware citizen, he turned his head and felt his heart nearly stop, stuttering in his chest. His hands went slack, goosebumps appearing on his arms. He couldn’t bring himself to turn any further.

Morro smirked, drifting around to properly face [M/n] - and that was quite a shock. The man standing, or rather floating, in front of him was a ghost. And based on the green glow, he was likely from the Cursed Realm, if he was remembering his mythology correctly. Though it might not have been mythology, since he was floating right in front of him.

The strange ghostly tail split to form his legs, Morro dropping slightly to ‘stand’ on the ground, arms crossed below the strange ornamentation on his chest. He was as tall as he had appeared in his dreams those days he had walked the line, but he lacked the muscle definition he’d had within, seeming gaunt. The skin of his face clung tightly to his bone, leaving him brutally gaunt. The grey GI he’d left in was torn around the arms and legs, revealing strange burns across the revealed ‘skin’.

And looped around his neck was a chain with an iron skull and four more chains coming from its mouth to link back to the neck chain in the back. There were broken cuffs on his wrists, the chains floating and twisting aimlessly.

“You done lookin’?” Morro taunted, head tilting.

[M/n] fell into the rhythm easily, “Am I not allowed to?” Morro laughed, a rough, raspy bark that eased some of the tension in his shoulders.

“Always are.”

[M/n]’s smile fell, watching the floating chains attached to the cuffs, “You told me you were dead. Not that you were a ghost of the Cursed Realm. I deserved to know.”

“How-” Morro cut himself off, head shaking. “Too damn smart for your own good. And I never gave you credit for that. I didn't tell you because it wasn't important. You were dying. You didn't need to hear of how I ended up after I abandoned you. My failures did not need to be unloaded on you before you died or woke up with whatever injury you had.”

“Failures? What failures?"

“It doesn’t matter.” Morro shut it down, giving him a warning look.

“Fine. I’ll let it go.” ‘For now’. “Why are you here, Morro? I have not been injured. I am not on the brink of death.”

“Dunno. I was . . . busy, but then I showed up here. Figured you’d done something to call me here. Besides, is it that bad seeing me?” He received an eye roll for that. “And I am glad you are alive.” It came out stilted and unsure, very unlike him.

[M/n] softened anyway, “You were . . . worried about me?”

Morro was surprised by the question, brow furrowing tightly. His glowing teal eyes ran over him, taking in what differences he could see in his stance and eyes alone – the eyes were the windows to the soul, after all, “I . . . always am, always was.” He drifted forward, until they were chest to chest, Morro tilting his head down ever so slightly to peer down his nose at [M/n]. “Nǐ shǐzhōng zhànjùzhe wǒ de sīxù.” (You are always occupying my thoughts/You are always on my mind.)

“Sān cùn bù làn zhī shé.” [M/n] tilted his chin, defiance gleaning in his eyes, even as his cheeks darkened. Smirking, Morro leaned down into his space to press their foreheads together - a cold, soothing feeling. (Silver tongue.)

“Nǐ ài wǒ de qiǎo shé rú huáng.” (You love my silver tongue.)

[M/n]’s eyes narrowed. “Nǐ zài gēn wǒ tiáoqíng, hǎo zhuǎnyí wǒ de zhùyì lì ma.” (Are you flirting with me to distract me?)

“Wǒ shì ma?” Morro leaned forward, before he could retort, solidifying to press their lips together. [M/n] pressed back into the touch, basking in it, no matter how odd it felt. Not warm or solid in the way it should have been but cool. Lifting a hand up he pressed a palm to Morro’s chest, to the side of the iron skull, the man allowing the touch. (Am I?)

When [M/n] was forced to pull away, lungs burning, Morro looked dazed, “Wǒ wàngle nǐ de zīwèi. Zhēn měiwèi.” (I have forgotten your taste/flavor. Truly delicious.)

Flushed, [M/n] leaned back slightly. Watching Morro lick his lips made a rush of heat run down his spine, but he forced himself to focus, the sudden shift of Khêlai between his lungs helping him. “Nǐ huòxǔ bìngfēi zhǔdòng xuǎnzé lái dào zhèlǐ, dàn nǐ běnlái kěyǐ xuǎnzé líkāi. Érqiě wǒ zhīdào, nǐ liú xiàlái jué bùjǐn jǐn shì wèile kuā wǒ `měiwèi'.” (You might not have chosen to come here, but you could have chosen to leave. And I know you are not staying just to call me delicious.)

The pleasure that had been lingering in Morro’s eyes died, tongue clicking, “Nà nándào bùnéng chéngwéi wǒ de lǐyóu ma?” (Can that not be my reason?)

[M/n] did not respond. The words on his tongue were cruel, so he held them in, putting them at a standstill as Morro stared him down. His gaze was heavy, sharp.

“I don’t know much,” Morro admitted suddenly, switching back to modern Ninjaoan, startling [M/n]. “What I do know is that you need to trust your gut. Always. You know more than you realize, so trust yourself.”

“Shénme? Nǐ zài shuō shénme?” (What? What are you talking about?)

Going to speak, Morro abruptly cut himself off – the chains began to glow, their weightless floating changing as they began to droop, as if they’d suddenly gained weight. Growling to himself, Morro grabbed [M/n] by the shoulders, “Dāyìng wǒ. Dāyìng wǒ, nǐ huì xiāngxìn nǐ zìjǐ!” (Promise me. Promise you’ll trust yourself.)

[M/n] tried to grab onto Morro’s wrist but they slipped through, sending a chill across his skin, “Morro, Wǒ–Wǒ bǎozhèng.” (I-I promise.)

A wince. Morro pulled away, nodding to himself, “Hǎo de.” (Good.)

“Morro, what is–” The sound of a motor, [M/n] cutting himself off to look up. R.E.X. passed overhead, a low hiss escaping him, “Ronin.”

“Good luck, [M/n].” Looking back to Morro, [M/n]’s heart lurched when he saw the way his body was fading, the collar around his throat tight and tugging. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

His words were whispered into an empty forest, the wind carefully blowing the leaves of the trees around him in its own goodbye. The silence of the forest pressed down on him, leaving [M/n] to his swirling thoughts until Khêlai shifted around again, forcing him to focus. Sucking in a breath, he held it until his lungs burned and he felt more centered, before finding a path that led to Ignacia’s Southern Gate.

Ronin was leaning against the wall, a piece of wheat caught in his mouth, red rice hat pulled low over his eyes to hide his expression. Tilting his head, Ronin flashed the ninja a grin, “Well, well, well, look who’s late. So, how's your days been? What with all this Great Devourer business happenin' in Ninjago–”

“Do not pretend to care, Ronin. I am in no mood to listen to your nonsense. The license."

His eyes narrowed, the brown tugging at [M/n]’s memory but he ignored it, far too wound up to deal with his damaged mind.

“Geeze, just tryin’ to be friendly.” Ronin pulled the licenses free of one of his many pockets, holding it out with a smirk. “Drivers license and a liquor service license, issued by the City of Ninjago itself. Is that all you needed? ‘Cause I got plenty more to help you get the job without trouble. Could even whip up a resume for ya’, for a small fee, of course.”

“This is all I need.” He begrudgingly added, “Thank you. For the liquor service license.”

“Just makin’ sure my debt is repaid in full,” Ronin said, saluting the ninja, only for his grin to falter at his scoff.

“Repaid? No, it is not. I saved your life, Ronin, a license, even two, is not equal. You still owe me a favor, a small one, at the very least. Anything further I need will be paid for.”

“Now hang on a minute here, do you know how hard it is to forge a good license that'll hold up under most scrutiny? And it cost a pretty penny too.”

“You have plenty of money, Ronin. I saved your life. No amount of money amounts to a life saved.”

“Fine. Pleasure doin' business with ya, [M/n],” Ronin sneered, stalking back down the path he must have come up, grumbling to himself in a very familiar language. [M/n] didn’t move, even he heard his distinct whistle call for R.E.X. and saw the machine lifting into the air.

Behind him the village continued its daily business, only a few people even noticing the young adult at the gate.

A faint spark of pain lanced through the hinge of his jaw, so he reached up to massage the muscles before his ears, trying to soothe the tenseness in himself. Sighing raggedly, he shoved the two licenses into his pockets, before moving down the path with purpose. Passing through the small clearing where Morro had come, [M/n] faltered but continued walking in the direction of Ninjago City, too keyed up to wait for Ara.

A part of him ached to stay, to try and figure out what was bringing Morro here, to replicate it so he could see the man again. But sense told him not to mess with it. He had no idea of the repercussions that could be brought down upon him if he messed with something he did not entirely understand. He didn’t even have a clue of what it could possibly be. So he continued walking.

Walking on and on, [M/n] didn’t notice Ara’s approach. It was only when the dragon landed in front of him, purposefully, that he did, eyes finally focusing. Specifically focusing on the fact that his maw was smeared in the blood of his hunt, which made him sigh.

Offering the wyvern an exhausted smile, [M/n] shook his head, “What am I going to do with you?” He gently ran a hand over the bloodless areas of his snout, gently scratching at the area. “We should head back.”

Ara hummed, offering his foreclaw for him to use as a boost to climb back into the saddle, waiting for the ninja to settle in. In two powerful beats of his wings, Ara was up, easily climbing into the sky before evening out to take them back to the penthouse. This view let [M/n] realize that he had traveled farther than he thought, past the sparse forest into the thicker area known as the Quietwoods, that surrounded the area where the Monastery of Spinjitzu sat.

There were still streaks of light in the sky, the sun still faintly showing even as the rest darkened, stars glowing faintly, but Ara kept a more sedate pace. He tilted his head to peer back at him, letting out a worried croon after sensing his off mood.

[M/n] hesitated, but who else could he truly speak to about it? Zane would only somewhat understand and he didn’t want to speak to Wu about it, even if he could. He was struggling to understand the visit and Morro’s part in his past, so maybe speaking to the wyvern would help. “I saw Morro again. I knew he wasn’t alive, but he never told me he was in the Cursed Realm. I don’t know how to feel anymore, Ara. I know Morro and I were Wu’s students, but he never told me, why wouldn’t Wu tell me that? He’s kept me in the dark about so much.”

He groaned, head dropping into his hands. “I was the one to go after the Golden Tessens, I was the one learning about Khèlai and my Element, about the prophecy. He only told me about the second prophecy after I had the Golden Tessens and had already read my prophecy for myself. Does he not trust me? He’s supposed to be my teacher and yet . . . I feel like I do not need him. Like . . . Like my training is finished perhaps. I do not know.” Dropping his head into his hands, he groaned again, Ara rumbling soothingly. “I miss Morro and yet I barely remember him. I know him, and miss him like I would miss one of my organs, but I do not remember him. I do not remember how he smelled in life, how he would have felt, or our closest memories.”

Ara gave him a soft croon.

“The Bounty . . .” His eyes misted over, “I lost everything that was his, that reminded me of him. The kanzashi, the bracelet, the ribbon, everything, Ara, and I have no way to replace it. It hurts and I am so tired already, Ara, and the prophecy looms ever closer.”

Ara did his best to offer comfort, beginning to rumble heavily, mimicking a purr, as [M/n] went silent having spilled all that was on his mind. Gently patting his side, the ninja focused on the world passing underneath - passing by in blurs of deep and bright green, of lights when they reached the city. By the time they landed upon the roof of the building, night had fallen, the wyvern doing his best to remain quiet since Ultra seemed to be asleep.

Shard, however, was not actually asleep, opening pale blue eyes to watch them.

[M/n] carefully dismounted, slowly sliding down so his landing wasn’t so loud. Passing by his dragon's head, he offered him another scratch along his brow, before doing the same to Shard, who breathed out a soft, cold mist that left tiny ice crystals on his shirt. “Good night, Shard, Ara. Sleep well, you two.”

Slipping down the stairs, he entered the apartment, hearing the quiet murmur of the tv in the background as he leaned down to tug off his boots.

Zane, who was in the kitchen, spoke up, “Would you like a cup of tea? It seems like you need it.” [M/n] glanced down at the ice crystals with a sigh, brushing them off.

“I would actually, thank you.”

“Did the meeting go wrong?” Zane was worried, setting the kettle on the stove.

“No, no. Ronin was as irritating as always, but he offered no issues.” [M/n] pensively stared at the marble counter, brow furrowed.

“[M/n]? You know you can tell me anything, right? I may not be able to understand but I will try to do my best.”

“I know, Zane. I . . . Have I ever told you about Morro?”

“Morro? No, I do not recognize the name.”

“He was . . . I believe he was my boyfriend before my coma, but I don’t remember much of the relationship. I do however remember that Wu was training us both.”

“Did he not tell you of his existence?”

“No. Everything about Morro I know is from what I remember.”

“Perhaps he has a reason for keeping him a secret. Though I wonder why we have not had the opportunity to meet him.”

“Morro is dead. I believe he passed before my coma. His room at the Monastery was . . . it was more like a shrine than a room.”

Zane was silent as he added the tea sachet of a Calming Blend. “I’m sorry, [M/n]. I did not realize.”

“It’s alright. But that is not what has my mind so twisted. Zane, I saw him tonight. As a ghost, standing right in front of me.”

“A ghost? [M/n]-”

“I know it should be impossible but Ninjago seems to be a place of the impossible.”

“I was not going to refute you. If you saw a ghost then I believe you did. You are not one to lie or make up things.”

“Thank you.” [M/n] glanced into the living room, Zane pouring him a cup of tea. “How was his day?”

“Good, he and Cole fell asleep halfway into their second movie. Lloyd was a little worried, but he was sufficiently distracted by the movies. Cole let him pick the first one.”

“I did not mean to worry him. It was a simple pick up.”

“Lloyd is quite attached to you, I have noticed. He seems to take comfort in your presence.”

“He is the Green Ninja.”

Zane gave him a doubtful look, “Do not play it off. Lloyd cares about you because you care about him. His life has improved since he came into our care, specifically because of you.”

“I know, I do. It is simply . . . I feel as if Destiny is what brought him into my care.”

“Perhaps it did. Perhaps it chose you as the Silver Ninja because it knew you would be the best pick, the best protector.”

“Perhaps,” [M/n] echoed, taking a sip of the tea. His eyes lidded at the flavor combination, breathing in the steam - passion flower, lemon balm, lavender, chamomile, and hibiscus - feeling it settle in his lungs and soothe the tension in his shoulders.

“I can help you remove Lloyd from Cole so that the two of you can head to bed.”

“That would be appreciated, Zane, thank you.”

Setting their cups down, they headed into the living room to separate Cole and Lloyd - who was tucked under Cole’s arm, both under the same blanket. Zane carefully removed the blanket, [M/n] crouching to pull Lloyd free to carry him back to their room. Cole sleepily tightened his grip, blinking awake when he realized Lloyd was being pulled away. He squinted, relaxing when he saw it was just [M/n] and Zane.

Lloyd grumbled, but settled once [M/n] had him securely in his arms, head resting on his shoulder. Zane carefully adjusted the blanket back over Cole, before grabbing his and [M/n]’s cups of tea to follow him back towards his room. Carefully setting Lloyd down on the bed, he then tucked him under the blankets, pausing to rest a hand on his forehead with a soft look.

Zane quietly set down his cup of tea on the bedside table, “Good night, [M/n]. I shall see you in the morning.”

“Good night, Zane. Thank you. For the tea.”

Zane chuckled, nodding along as he closed the door behind him. Once more he checked on Lloyd before he grabbed his night clothes to change into, changing in the bathroom before grabbing a book Edna had bought for him - Ninjaoan Mythology. Flicking off the main lights, he turned on his side lamp and settled down to read with his cup of tea.

Khêlai formed, perching on the bottom bed board as a Barred Owl, sensing his inner turmoil and unease. Their head tilted, images of Morro, ghost Morro, flashing through [M/n]’s mind alongside a question.

“Not tonight, Khêlai. I’ll explain another time.”

The creature ruffled its feathers, turning around awkwardly to keep an eye on the window and door.

Closing his book, [M/n] set it off to the side, and settled down to go to sleep. Every once in a while he would wake up to check on Lloyd before falling back asleep.

[M/n] was eventually woken up when Lloyd sprawled across his stomach, nearly falling off the side until [M/n] grabbed onto his ankle to keep him still, dragging him back further onto the bed.

Since the sun was up, he figured it was time to wake up anyways though he gave Lloyd another half hour to sleep as he meditated. Lloyd reluctantly began to wake up when [M/n] began running his fingers through his hair, unknotting it with careful tugs that disturbed his sleep. He grumbled, trying to curl up only to realize he was not actually laying on the bed anymore.

“Wha-”

“Morning, παιδι.” Lloyd was shocked at how raspy and hoarse his voice was all of a sudden, blushing slightly.

“Good morning, [M/n].” Lloyd mumbled, settling beside the other and trying not to meet his eyes. [M/n] raised a brow, but ultimately dismissed it, slipping out from the bed to grab his clothes for the day. “I have a question.”

“I have an answer.”

Lloyd wrinkled his nose, “What’s a crush? And can two guys be together? Cole had us start this weird movie last night about two guys falling in love.”

“He- What- Hold on. One at a time. First, a crush is . . . at your age, a crush is maybe infatuation or admiration of someone else. Sometimes those feelings can grow and turn into truly liking someone but I’m not quite sure how that works.”

“But how do you get a crush?”

“Proximity. Admiration that turns into infatuation. There can be many reasons someone has a crush on another person, but those crushes tend to be surface level. Maybe you like how they look or their voice, but you rarely know them deeper. After you get to know someone that is likely around the time you actually begin to like them.”

“I guess that makes sense. But what about guys? Can two of them really get together?”

“They can,” [M/n] said slowly, trying to gather his thoughts. “If they want to.”

“If they want to?”

[M/n] exhaled. “Okay. This is going to be a long conversation. First, being attracted to someone of the same gender as you is called being Gay, though it is typically used for men. So two guys can be together if they are both Gay. Just like a woman and a man can be together if they are straight. There are other terms for different things but that is not something I’m going to discuss with you just yet.”

“How do you know if you’re gay?”

“That-It’s different for everyone. I realized I was gay when I was a teen, after having a longstanding crush on another guy. Sometimes it’s easy like that, other times it can be much more difficult.”

“So am I gay ‘cause I don’t like girls?”

“You could be. But that could simply be because you are young. Give it a few more years before you start labeling yourself and shoving yourself into a tiny little box, παιδι.”

“Okay. Do you remember who the guy was? The one you liked.” Lloyd watched his guardian's features shift slowly, softening with grief and love.

“I do. His name was Morro. He wasn’t just someone I liked either, he was my boyfriend, my partner,” [M/n] admitted, turning away from Lloyd to grab his clothes. He cleared his throat. “I’m going to take a shower before I make breakfast.”

He was quick to enter the bathroom, effectively ending the conversation. Lloyd winced, feeling as if he’d upset [M/n], so he headed out to the living room, curling up on the couch with a comic. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t focus on the pages, glancing up to the hallway every few minutes until [M/n] finally emerged, hair still damp.

“I’m sorry-” Lloyd blurted, startling [M/n]. “I shouldn’t’ve asked about-”

[M/n] cut him off, “You had every right to ask me, do not apologize. I apologize for leaving so abruptly, Lloyd. It is just . . . Morro is a touchy subject for me.”

“Can I ask why?”

“Morro . . . He’s dead, παιδι.”

Lloyd’s eyes went wide, “Oh, I’m sorry.” [M/n] sat down beside Lloyd.

“It’s alright. You didn’t know.”

Lloyd quietly leaned into his side, [M/n] tucking him close for a long minute, just basking in the silence. “Do you want to help me make breakfast?”

“What are you making?”

“Well, Zane got the ingredients for congee and miso soup and I bet he picked up a few fruits too.”

“Yeah, we got bananas, apples, and mangoes. I helped pick out the bananas.”

“Then I guarantee they’ll be delicious. I also planned on making puff puffs.”

“Puff puffs? What’re those?”

“It’s a popular street food in the cities and towns of the Mwt Desert.”

“Where’s that?”

“On the other side of the continent almost.”

“And you’ve visited?”

“Not personally, unfortunately. Zane’s father, however, is from there and he shared many stories and recipes with him before he passed. Since remembering his father, Zane has done his best to learn as many recipes as he possibly can from that region.”

“That’s really cool. Where did you learn your recipes?”

“Some I remember off the top of my head, others I found in books, and some Zane helped me learn. But I do know the two regions it all comes from: Nereus Beach and Drys Forest.”

“Can we visit one day?”

[M/n] smiled, “I think we can find the time to do so. Now, let’s get started. You can help me make the congee.”

“Isn’t that the rice porridge thing Nya makes for breakfast sometimes?”

“It is.”

“I know the recipe! Nya lets me help when she makes it!”

“Then let’s get the ingredients.”

Lloyd happily jumped up, rushing to the kitchen to begin rifling through the walk-in pantry. [M/n] followed, pulling out the scallions, ginger, mushrooms, garlic, soy sauce, onion, and white miso paste, carefully organizing everything on the counter. Lloyd came back out with a 5lb bag of rice and dried seaweed, which [M/n] was quick to take before he could drop it.

“What do you need for the puff puffs?”

“Flour, sugar, and yeast. I can grab the oil.” Lloyd rushed right back into the pantry, earning a fond smile as [M/n] grabbed the oil and spices he would need. To get Lloyd started, [M/n] chopped up the scallions, ginger, and garlic cloves, leaving them in a bowl for him to add to the rice, leaving Lloyd to strain the rice until the water ran clear.

Once finished with that, [M/n] set to work on the miso soup, making a large batch that could be frozen and stretched over a few days for breakfast until everyone started bringing home more money. Once that and the congee were nearly done, he finally started on the puff puffs, adding cinnamon, ehuru, and cardamom to the dough before frying it.

Zane emerged, completely dressed, “Do you need help with anything, [M/n]?”

“The fruits still need to be cut up for the congee.”

“Do you need my help?” Lloyd asked.

“No, you did good, Lloyd, go ahead and sit down.”

“Okay.”

Jay was the next to emerge, partially dressed but awake, and surprisingly chipper, “Good morning, everyone!”

“Morning, Jay.”

“Good morning.”

“Morning.”

Barely five minutes after that, bowls of congee and miso soup were set out, a massive plate stacked tall with puff puffs was set out in the center of the dining table and smaller plates of fruit were set around it, with a bottle of honey and syrup.

Jay was practically salivating, dragging the plate of bananas closer to add some slices and a drizzle of honey, before digging in with relish. Lloyd added both the darker maple syrup and the lighter floral honey mixing it into the congee well, forgoing the fruits, to create a thick, syrupy sugary congee.

Zane and [M/n] both added all three fruits and a little bit of honey, before they dug into the meal, even dipping their puff puffs into the congee mixture. They all ate silently, Jay nearly scarfing down his own meal, until Cole and Kai joined, starting up conversations about their day.

“So we’ve all got interviews right? Who's gonna take care of Lloyd?” Kai asked.

“My interview is for late afternoon, around 7,” [M/n] said. “As long as someone is home by then we should be good.”

“My interviews for 7 in the morning,” Jay remembered. “So I should be back way before then.”

[M/n] eyed Jay, “Zane, you didn’t get any candy, did you?”

“No, I did not.” The entire table began laughing at Jay’s outraged and shocked face as he began spluttering.

“Wha-What does candy have to do with anything?! I’m an adult!”

“Barely,” Lloyd retorted, nearly sending Cole into cardiac arrest as he began wheezing from laughing too hard. “I’m more of an adult.”

Cole was nearly falling off his chair, clinging to the table valiantly. Even [M/n] was laughing, though he was trying to hide his face behind a hand.

Jay sulked, sinking into his chair as everyone calmed down.

“Thank you,” [M/n] said, muffling a laugh-cough. “For watching him. Make sure he gets to bed by 9, if I'm not back by then, I’m not sure how long the interview will be.”

“I’m not a baby, why do I have to go to bed at 9?”

“Because that is late enough for an 11 year old to be awake.”

“Children need more sleep than adults do. In fact, it would be healthier for you to go to bed at 8 in order for you to wake up at 7AM, making sure you get the necessary 10 hours of sleep,” Zane explained, Kai turning to the side to try and hide his own laughter with fake coughs.

“9 works, 9 is fine.”

“That is what I thought,” [M/n] hummed, finishing off his miso soup. “Jay, you should get dressed. It’s 6:27.”

“No! Crap!” Jay scrambled to get up and race back to his room to get dressed.

“I should get dressed as well, my interview is at 8:30 and I should arrive early,” Zane decided, standing and grabbing bowls and plates to take them to the sink. “Kai, you’re on dishes.”

“Damnit,” he grumbled, reluctantly gathering the plates to bring to the sink.

[M/n] silently ushered Lloyd from the dining room, the boy happily taking over the tv to watch a show as [M/n] cleaned up and stored everything. With several hours before he had to be ready, he knew he had plenty of time to teach Lloyd ukemi in order to prepare him for further training. But he also knew that they had just woken up, so he gave Lloyd a half hour to watch tv, sitting on the couch to relax and allow his stomach to settle.

Lloyd had put on an animated show about, he believed, twins and a grunkle? He was positive he was mishearing it, or misinterpreting what was being said, but let it go watching the two get into trouble after challenging someone to a golf war. It was odd, but Lloyd seemed entertained and it was interesting enough.

When it ended he grabbed the remote from the table to turn off the tv, earning a squawk from Lloyd, “NO! I wanted to see what happens next!”

“You can watch more after we train. Unless you’ve decided you no longer want to train?”

“No, no! I want to! I promise! What am I learning today? How to flip a man? How to break someone's arm if they try to kidnap me?”

“No, and if someone kidnaps you, I’ll hunt you down and get you back if I don’t break their arm first.” [M/n]’s eyes flashed ominously, the reminder of the carnage he’d wrought in Ouroboros brought to the forefront of his mind. “No, today’s lesson will be ukemi.”

“U-what?”

“Ukemi. The art of the breakfall. It is important to learn before we begin tossing you around on the mat, and will make sure we don’t accidentally break a bone. However, I have found it can be used in real fights once you have mastered it.”

“Really? I guess that’s kinda cool.”

“Fighting is not about being cool.”

“Then why is everyone so flashy when they fight?”

[M/n] sighed, “Because they are idiots. Effective idiots, but idiots all the same. Flips and twists may look impressive but in the end it exerts energy, and fights can drag on, meaning you need to save energy. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah, I get it. Flips still look cool though.”

“And you are welcome to use them once you have mastered fighting. Now, go get dressed. I will be in the training room.”

Lloyd ran off, [M/n] silently crossing to open the hidden entrance to the training room. There wasn’t anything for him to set up today, so he began stretching on his own - starting with the king pigeon pose. The slight strain on his back was comforting, in a sense, and held the pose for a solid minute before switching sides. It was then that Lloyd happened to come in.

“Oh my FSM!” He was shocked.

“What?” [M/n] asked, calmly releasing his leg to settle on his knees. “Surprised?”

“I didn’t know you were that flexible!”

“You should see Jay.”

“Can all of you do that?”

“Jay and I can do that pose, which is called the King Pigeon, because we are more flexible. Kai, Zane, and Cole can all do Mermaid Pose, which is the form right before it.”

“Do I have to do that?”

“No, not any time soon. Maybe in a few months you’ll be able to, but you’ll start off with beginner poses.”

“Whoo, I thought you were gonna make me do that and then I was gonna die, cause I can’t do that.”

[M/n] chuckled, patting the mat beside him. “We’ll start simple, sound good?”

“Yeah.”

First was thread the needle pose, which would help open the shoulders and upper back, and was an easy beginners pose that Lloyd caught onto immediately, though he tried to rush it by moving quickly.

“You cannot rush stretches, Lloyd. That completely defeats the purpose.”

“But it’s boring. And I wanna learn about the Ukemi thing.”

“Patience, Lloyd,” [M/n] repeated, continuing the exercise. “You will learn that, I promise, but you have to learn how to do stretches properly. If I let you learn it wrong it will become a problem later on.”

“Fine.” Lloyd slowed down, reluctantly, sulking as he did so.

“I remember disliking stretches as a child as well,” [M/n] admitted after a pause. “I had little interest in them, and much preferred the actual training aspect. In the end I ended up with a dislocated shoulder.”

“What? How?!”

“I was practicing holds with another student. When they went to do the hold, they pulled my arm the same way I had done theirs, just on the point of pain, except I had not stretched and my shoulder simply popped out of place.”

“Popped?!”

“Not like that.” [M/n] finished the exercise and sat on his knees again. “Think of your shoulder bone being a C-shape, with the ball of your arm tucked inside. When it is pulled wrong the ball is pulled from its place, thus popping out of place.”

“That’s freaky,” Lloyd said, sitting up. “But how did not stretching do that?”

“It wasn’t the complete cause, but it was a factor. Because I had not stretched, my shoulders were tense, so my training partner accidentally pulled my arm, overextending it. I do not know the science behind it, but we can ask Zane later if you like."

“Are you messing with me?”

“I am not, no.”

“But I thought you couldn’t remember anything?”

“I do not remember everything. I have large gaps, but I remember small things or associated events that happen, such as training because I actively follow the same or similar training regimes. My memory will likely always be spotty, unfortunately, but Zane believes there is hope I will regain my more important memories eventually.”

Lloyd was quiet, unsure how to respond.

“Shall we continue? There is only one more stretch left.”

He nodded, allowing [M/n] to direct them into the next exercise, the figure four stretch. Laying on their backs, they crossed one ankle over the opposite knee, before gently pulling their legs closer to their chests. Lloyd squirmed, feeling the stretch, to [M/n] reached over and pushed his legs back an inch at a time until the pain lessened.

“You don’t have to pull that far, not if it hurts. When you stretch, you want the pain to be borderline, where it's just starting to hurt. Eventually you will notice that you can push a little farther each time. Now, do the other leg.”

They held the pose on the opposite leg for another minute before they sat up.

“Now, are you ready to learn Ukemi?”

“Ready!”

“Good. Now, we’re going to start on level 1, alright. So, first, put your feet in an L-shape, then slide down to kneel on your right leg,” [M/n] said, doing the same on the opposite knee. It took Lloyd a second to understand, but once he looked up and saw [M/n]’s kneel, he managed to do it. “Good. Keep your back straight, don’t slouch. Hold out your left hand, face it in the direction you’re going to go: forward. Do the same with your right, and set that hand on the ground. Now, your left hand will go on top to create a T-shape.” [M/n] demonstrated, bending to put his hands on the mat. “Now, watch and listen closely, this part is easy to mess up. Once your hands are on the ground, you're going to, essentially, lay down on your left knee, keeping your right foot in place, then press your left shoulder to the ground. When you press your shoulder to the ground, you’re going to round it so it is not digging into the mat. From there, you use your left foot to push you forward into a roll.” Once more, he demonstrated, easily pushing himself up to his feet. “I don’t expect you to make it to your feet just yet. You’ll practice making it to your knees first, then we’ll move from there. Does that make sense?”

“I think so. Can I try?”

“Go ahead, I’ll be right here.”

Lloyd moved slowly, falling awkwardly onto his side and rearranging himself without [M/n]’s help. He did struggle to push himself off with his left foot, using the swinging momentum of his right foot to swing himself up, which ended up with him struggling to make it to his knees.

“Very good,” [M/n] praised. “The muscle and strength to push yourself like I can, so do not worry about that just yet. Now, do it again on the opposite leg. This is all you’re going to be doing for the next half hour.”

“What?! Just this?!”

“Just this. Ukemi must be ingrained, παιδι, not just learned. I want it to become such a vital piece of your fighting that doing so takes no thought, you simply do. Do you understand?”

“I guess. Is it really that important?”

“Very important. Landing properly will keep your bones from being broken when you’re thrown or wrestled into the ground.”

“Okay, I can do that.”

“Good. Start.”

So Lloyd did. Back and forth he went, [M/n] correcting his form when he slipped or forgot how to do something. The longer he went on, the better he got, the more natural it came to him. When [M/n] finally called the training to a stop, Lloyd was practically drenched in sweat.

“You did good, παιδι.”

“I did awesome!”

“You did, you exceeded my expectations. I thought it would take you longer to pick that up,” [M/n] praised. “Now, cool off stretches. Knee to chest stretches first.”

He helped Lloyd do the stretches, leading him through them.

“So what do I get to learn next?”

“Level 2 Ukemi.”

“What?! Again?”

“Yes, again. That is the very basic version of Ukemi, and there are multiple different versions of it, to make controlled landings after different moves.”

“Dang it,” Lloyd grouched, flopping back onto the mat.

“Go take a shower, then you can watch your show and read your comics,” [M/n] said, waving Lloyd away. “I’m going to clean up.”

“Okay.”

[M/n] found the broom in the closet in the kitchen, taking it to begin sweeping off the mat before wiping down the area they’d used with diluted bleach. He was finishing up when Lloyd came running back out from the hallway, hair dripping as he bounced up onto the couch, turning on the tv.

Returning to their room, after he put the products away, he grabbed his book on Ninjaoan Mythology, settling down in the living room, on the couch. Lloyd, over the course of two episodes, slid across the couch to comfortably lean into his side. Smiling slightly, he carefully tucked Lloyd under his arm, making sure he was comfortable.

“Are you going to be hungry enough for lunch? Or would you rather have a snack?”

“Ummm, I think just a snack.”

“Fruit and honey sound good?”

“Yes.” Lloyd was partially distracted by his show.

Fondly shaking his head, [M/n] went back to reading, the show in the background fading into background noise. For another two hours he sat and read, until Lloyd’s stomach grumbled.

“I’ll make us a snack.” [M/n] stood, dislodging Lloyd who tipped over into his spot with a snicker. He took the fruit from the fridge, the cut up fruit from that morning, and the honey from the seasonings cabinet, filling a bowl of mixed fruits and drizzling the honey overtop. “You’re not eating this on the couch.”

“Aww.”

“Come sit.”

“But that’s boring,” Lloyd whined, sliding off the couch.

“You think talking to me is boring?”

Lloyd popped up, blonde hair mussed, “No! That’s not what I meant!”

“Really?” He spluttered, struggling to explain what he had meant as [M/n] turned away to hide his grin. “I am joking, (kid). Come eat.”

“That’s not funny,” Lloyd scowled.

“It is.” [M/n] chuckled, setting down the bowls of fruit and honey with forks for them to eat without making a mess. “Now, tonight, please do not make Jay’s life difficult, I know how easy it is to do.”

“Awww, but that’s the fun part.”

“It is, but I do not need to get home at midnight to find that you somehow started a prank war when we have no pranking supplies.”

“Pffft, we have plenty of prank supplies.”

“Lloyd.”

“Fiiiinnnneeee. Can I still mess with him?”

[M/n] squinted, watching him closely, “As long as it does not create a mess or break him.”

“Yes!”

“Eat your fruit, παιδι.”

They ate in peace, Lloyd returning to the couch once he finished as [M/n] washed the bowls.

“I’m going to take a shower and get dressed, yell if you need something.”

“Okay.”

[M/n] headed back, climbing into the shower, allowing the heat to steam up the shower as he basked in the heat. Taking a loofa, he used the amber and sage body wash that Cole had picked up for him at the store, scrubbing at his skin until it felt raw. He didn’t go farther, knowing he had to go to an interview, but, in all honesty, he wanted to just stand in the shower for the rest of the night and decompress. Hanging the loofah back up, he simply stood in the water, feeling the faint sting of the hot water.

When he stepped out, he wrapped the towel around his waist and lathered on the shaving gel before waiting a minute to let it settle in. Taking his double edged razor, carefully shaving downwards the first time, pausing to wipe the razor free of stubble, then up, then finally forwards, preferring to spend the extra time to make himself look nice.

Then he washed his face with a gentle cleanser, wiping his face clean. Finished, he applied the fancy Bay Rum aftershave Cole had also gotten for him, apparently he couldn’t use anything else and had figured [M/n] would like it too. Satisfied, he got dressed.

Coming out of the bedroom, he found Jay flopped on the couch, face buried into the cushions. “Interview go badly?”

“No,” Jay responded, muffled. He lifted his head up. “The requirements are ridiculous! If I don’t get a pizza to someone on time, three times in a row it comes out of my paycheck! And the place is in a weird spot too, so it’s gonna be even more difficult!”

“You got the job though, right?”

Jay groaned, dropping his face back into the cushions, Lloyd rolling his eyes.

“He brought home a pizza for dinner. He said it was a meat lover's pizza.” Lloyd wrinkled his nose.

“Which you will eat for dinner.”

“Bleh.”

“Κακομαθημένος,” [M/n] murmured, shaking his head. He settled on the couch, beside Lloyd again. Jay then reached over and took the remote from the table, unburying his face from the cushions to change the channel. (Spoiled.)

“Hey! I was watching that!”

“You’ve had the tv all day, it’s my turn!”

“FSM,” [M/n] murmured, head falling back. “Do not start. Lloyd, Jay has a point, you have had the tv the entire time he’s been gone. But, you should not have changed the channel in the middle of his episode, you are the adult.”

Jay sulked, “Fine, I’ll change it back. And then I get to change it to my show!”

Lloyd huffed, crossing his arms as he leaned back into the couch. He glared at Jay, giving [M/n] a similar look, only to get a raised eyebrow in response.

“I’m heading out early. Do not fight.” [M/n] stared them both down, before leaving. As he entered the elevator, he checked his wallet to make sure he had his new license.

The club was a good mile-and-a-half away, but [M/n] didn’t mind the walk, the wind tagging along and keeping him cool. At one point he even saw a sign for the bar, Obelisk, selling a set of drinks - a ‘Conqueror’ Cocktail made with Lemon Vodka, Velvet falernum liqueur, Green chartreuse, Lemon Juice, and Earl Grey, and a ‘Beast’ shot made with Absinthe, Melon Liqueur, and Peach Schnappes - with all of the proceeds going to the victims of those unhoused due the Great Devourer. It was admirable.

While it was early, the Bouncer was already sitting on a stool outside, a line forming already, but [M/n] had been sent a text that told him to skip the line and give his I.D. to the Bouncer. So he did just that, ignoring the grumblings from the people that could see him, showing the Bouncer his I.D. so it could be checked against his clipboard.

“4th Floor, Ms. Maena is waiting.” The Bouncer unclicked the rope to let him past, the grumblings turning into shouts and angry demands.

Inside [M/n] was stunned and startled by the opulence of the Obelisk. The deep blue marble floor had golden designs of flowers everywhere, with a massive wrap-around bar taking up an entire wall with nearly 150 seats - the same deep blue as the rest of the place. Several circular and wall booths were set up. The second floor had nicer booths and the DJ's booth with an elaborate, elegant double staircase with glass steps lit by gold lights.

A woman approached, smiling, “I’m guessing you’re Ms. Maena’s next appointment. If you go up the staircase, there’s an elevator and Basil will be waiting to take you up to the 4th floor, just make sure you show your I.D. to him.”

“Thank you, Ms. . . . “

“Just Bluebell.” She laughed at his raised brow. “Here at the Obelisk we all have stage names to make it so we can’t be stalked, since some people don’t understand we’re flirting or being nice for better tips.”

“Then I guess I will keep my name to myself.”

She laughed again, “I hope you get hired. You’re funnier than the others.”

[M/n] offered a smile, setting off towards the stairs. Everywhere he looked he saw new details - on the tables, on the glass, on the floor, on the seats, on the bar. Behind the bar was the massive saltwater aquarium he’d read about - filled with clownfish, flame angelfish, auriga butterflyfish, lionfish, blue tang, 7 different species of shrimp, and a golden dwarf moray eel, with plenty of coral and rocks spread throughout the 300ft aquarium. He pressed the elevator button, still looking around.

The doors slid open, an older man resting on a stool within the elevator wearing a royal blue uniform, “Hello, you must be Ms. Maena’s 7’o’clock. You’re a little early, she’ll appreciate that. Do you mind if I can see your I.D.?”

“Of course.” Once more he handed it over. Basil looked it over, checking it against a clipboard that was hanging up on the elevator wall.

“Alright, looks good. Come on, I’ll take you up.”

[M/n] stepped inside, keeping his body relaxed as he took his I.D. back. “Ms. Bluebell was saying everyone has ‘stage names’?”

“Ms. Bluebell? Oh, that's a good one. But yeah, it was Ms. Maena’s way of trying to make sure that it was harder to stalk us online. Since we’ve opened we’ve only had about 4 stalkers, and those guys tried to follow some of the girls to their cars but all the bouncers caught ‘em and the police charged ‘em.”

“That’s good.” [M/n] had to admit, everything he’d read online and heard in person made Ms. Maena sound like a good person to work for, so he hoped the interview went well. The elevator came to a stop.

“Well, good luck, Mr. Kyo.”

“Thank you, Basil. Which door is it?”

“Last door to the left."

[M/n] set off, pausing at the last door to adjust his hair and clothing. Taking a deep breath, he knocked.

“Come in.”

Pushing open the door, [M/n] steeled himself for his interview. Which ended up being unneeded. Ms. Maena was already almost convinced to hire him because of his status as one of the ninja, and she wanted at least one other bartender who was capable of protecting himself and the others. After confirming he was a quick learner and would absolutely defend the other bartenders, she decided to hire him.

Surprised by how good the interview went, [M/n] left in a slight daze. He had expected more to the interview, expected to be interrogated since he didn’t have a job history, but she had accepted his lack of knowledge around drinks and set him up for a week of shadowing other bartenders to learn - confirming that he would be making money - and that after the first two days, he’d likely be set up to handle the easier drinks.

He headed home, and that was the beginning of the cycle. In order to make sure they had the money to get groceries, he picked up as many shifts as he could, often taking the ones the others didn’t really want.

By the time he got back, around 4 a.m. most mornings, he would stay up and make breakfast, eat and then head to bed by 5. He’d wake up around 2 p.m., then train with Lloyd - mainly working on Ukemi, with some breaks to learn basic holds and how to escape them - before showering, eating dinner, relaxing for an hour or two before heading out.

It was easy enough, plastering on a false smile, dealing with difficult customers, walking out the other bartenders to their cars, and serving a variety of drinks after learning about them before the bar opened. He ignored the vulgar comments, unless they crossed a line - where he would then threaten them out of the establishment. And he made plenty in tips. Of course he did. [M/n] was a young man, fit and lean, and people seemed to think him quite cute.

This day was annoying due to an influx of entitled customers that believed they were owed free drinks, whether it was due to birthdays, jobs, or their parents. A few people even complained about the choice of music, which [M/n] had absolutely no control over. After serving a group of 18 year olds, identifiable by their bright red bracelets, virgin drinks, he heard a faint call of “Bartender!” He gave the girls a smile, taking the 10$ tip one of them gave him.

He headed towards the call, surprised to see Shade leaning against the counter, piercing grey eyes watching him closely. A beanie was pulled low over his head, hiding his pointed ears, but those eyes couldn’t be human - no pupil with very little white around the iris and thick black lines around his eyes, giving them an elongated look.

When he approached, Shade leaned over the counter to better be heard, “Guess both of us lied about not likin’ the city.”

“Don’t have to like it to live here. I am surprised to see you in here,” [M/n] said, gesturing around the room. “What can I get for you?”

“Dalgona Martini, and a Big Apple Manhatten.”

[M/n] raised a brow, but nodded, making the Manhattan first before grabbing the items to make the whipped coffee topping and the base. “Can I ask what you’re doing here?”

“Makin’ a deal. Some rich woman with a grudge,” Shade answered, glancing at the closest customer who was two seats away. “You?”

“Stayin’ in town and needed a job. Bartending pays well.”

Shade hummed, glancing up to one of the TVs playing the different drinks the bar offered, watching the ad for the Conqueror and the Beast. “That Devourer sure was somethin’.”

“It was.” [M/n] set the drinks down on the bar counter, pushing them closer. “Here are your drinks. I wish you luck in your endeavors.”

“Thanks." The man slipped into the crowd, disappearing from sight with ease. However, he couldn’t focus on it for long, his attention quickly taken by a different customer further down the bar.

His walk home that night was silent, but calm.

After making breakfast, scrambled eggs with smoked trout and crème fraîche, [M/n] nearly collapsed into bed, though it took some time for him to fall asleep. But his sleep was odd, filled with flashes of . . . something. Darkness and flashes of bright purple, roiling like a mass of shadows. His sleep was interrupted just before his alarm was set to go off.

Lloyd’s scream had [M/n] throwing himself to his feet and out the door. His chest burned. Racing into the living room he found Lloyd on one side of the couch with Skales halfway in the window, absolutely still now that he realized Lloyd was very much not alone.

Skales gulped, trying to backpedal as [M/n] crossed the room, grabbing him by the front of his blue leather cuirass and yanking him back into the room, tossing him down to the ground. Realizing he wouldn’t be able to escape without fighting, Skales lashed out with his tail, slamming it into [M/n]’s chest to knock him back into the wall. Lloyd scrambled to get away, ducking into the connected kitchen with a worried call of [M/n]’s name.

Snarling, [M/n] lunged for Skales, slamming into him hard enough to send them both crashing onto the ground. Hissing, Skales snapped trying to bite [M/n] who braced a hand against his neck to keep him down.

The door rattled beneath someone's fist, startling everyone but [M/n] took the opportunity to grab the vase they’d been filling with money and slam it over Skales head, knocking out the serpent. Quickly climbing to his feet, [M/n] crossed the room to put himself in front of Lloyd - taking note of his stance.

“Lloyd! What’s going on in there?!”

“Uncle!”

[M/n] relaxed. He was quick to unlock the door for them, before Nya could try and break it down. The two rushed inside, pausing when they spotted the hole in the glass, the shattered vase, scattered money, and unconscious Skales.

Nya sighed, relieved, “I’ll call the cops.” She stepped back out to do just that, Wu silently looking around.

“What happened?”

“I was watching tv, and he just started carving through the window. I didn’t notice him at first, but when I did, I screamed and [M/n] came. He and Skales fought, and [M/n] kicked his butt! Pinned him to the ground and smacked the vase over his head to knock him out!”

Wu glanced at [M/n], who nodded. “And where are the others?”

“At their jobs.”

“Jobs? For what?”

“To afford this apartment.”

Wu blinked, bewildered. “To afford the apartment? Why?”

“It has an in-training facility and plenty of space,” [M/n] said, sighing as he scrubbed at his face, adrenaline fading. Nya returned not long after, two cops behind her. They were surprised to see a half dressed man, a knocked out Serpentine, an old man, and a child, but they quietly took Skales away.

Once they were gone, they were left to clean up the mess, but Nya stopped them, “Why not teach the ninja a lesson?”

“A lesson?” Wu questioned, Lloyd perking up in curiosity.

“Well, they obviously haven’t been doing their job since Lloyd was almost kidnapped. I mean, what would’ve happened if [M/n] was working today too?”

“Let’s do it,” [M/n] decided. “I didn’t want to stay up here, and this proves why we shouldn’t have. What do you have in mind, Nya?”

Nya smiled.

Nya and Lloyd hid in the pantry, [M/n] and Wu melting into the shadows of the living room with ease, all four of them waiting patiently for the ninja to return. It did not take long.

The door was violently flung open by Cole, the ninja rushing inside to find shattered glass and cash everywhere.

Kai cursed, rushing towards the bedrooms, “Lloyd! [M/n]!”

“Lloyd is not here,” Zane realized.

“Neither is [M/n],” Kai said, returning from the bedrooms. He tugged at his hair, “Oh, we shouldn’t have left them.”

“We shouldn't have taken those jobs in the first place. What were we thinking? How could we have left them alone? [M/n] was just as much a target as Lloyd,” Cole murmured, burying his face into his hands.

“You are correct,” Wu agreed, stepping into the light as the ninja whipped around. “This will be a lesson for you all to remember."

[M/n] stepped out as well, Nya and Lloyd walking out from the pantry. The ninja were visibly relieved when they spotted the two, unharmed and alive. Lloyd even leaned into [M/n]’s side, completely comfortable.

“Lloyd! [M/n]!”

“You’re okay!”

“Of course I am. [M/n] was home.”

“If I hadn't been, he could've been injured or kidnapped."

“Seriously, we’ve been gone two weeks and Lloyd is nearly kidnapped. Again,” Nya said, rolling her eyes.

“Lesson learned. We don’t need all this fancy crap as long as we have each other. We’ll find some other way to make sure Lloyd is ready to face his dad,” Kai stated confidently, Lloyd dampening slightly at the reminder.

“You want us to help you clean?” Wu asked.

“Well, we are a team.”

“Nya, I think it’s time for another roadtrip.”

“Hold on, I got a better idea,” Cole said. “We’ve got a place we can move to, right guys?”

“Oh man,” Jay whined.

“Let’s get packing,” Nya laughed, bumping into Jay with her hip.

Everyone set to work, packing up the boxes they’d only just unpacked, Nya going back to Patty Keys' workplace to get them the new key and turn in their old one, even managing to get back [M/n]’s money to put in for a month at the new place.

Carrying the boxes down to the new apartment, Cole shoved open the door with a flourish, "It's not much, but this one-bedroom, one-half-bath is a cozy dream. Who needs extras when everything is in arm's reach?" Nya and Wu both chuckled, helping move in the smaller boxes.

Lloyd came in with a chair, easily as tall as him, which made it difficult to see so he ended up running into Jay, who then dropped a box on Kai’s foot. “Hey!”

“Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"

“Ha, feels like home to me. Hey, at least we get to stay in Ninjago City for a little while," Jay chirped, grinning as Kai glared at him.

“And, once we quit our jobs, we will have no more distractions and put all of our energy into training Lloyd,” Zane said, chuckling.

Lloyd, who had gone back to get another box, jumped when he felt some of the weight be lifted, making a noise of confusion. [M/n] chuckled, “Just me, παιδι.” Working together, they took the box of pots and pans into the little kitchenette, unloading everything into the lower cabinets.

"I know the Serpentine Generals got away, but you never told us: whatever happened to Skales?" Kai asked, pausing in unloading his clothes into the top drawer of the first dresser. [M/n] didn’t answer, grinning sharply.

“Oh, he found a home, too. But it’s not quite as roomy as here," Wu stated, making the four laugh.

Once their laughter calmed down, Nya asked, “So what's the sleeping situation? There aren’t enough beds for all of us.”

“I will stay on the floor,” Wu decided calmly.

“Wha-Sensei, no, I’ll do it,” Cole volunteered, but he only shook his head.

“I have slept on far worse, I will be fine.”

“I’ll share with [M/n],” Lloyd offered, happily. “Can we have a top bunk?”

“Then I’ll take the bottom bunk of the bed,” Nya said, grinning. With that, everyone settled down, exhausted.

Wu stayed up, meditating as [M/n] struggled to sleep, having gotten too used to being up at night. He was just starting to doze when he was abruptly startled, quickly straightening as he realized something was happening.

Wu straightened as well, eyes flashing gold, “I fear something has been released."

[M/n] reluctantly settled back down, quietly tucking Lloyd back into his side, staying up for another two hours before falling asleep.

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