Lloyd POV
I toss the Nindriod's head to the side, my hand trembling with a mix of fury and despair. The sight of all the Nindriods dismantled brought a twisted satisfaction, but it was overshadowed by the urgency of the situation.
Ripping the nearest tablecloth, I attempted to stem the flow of blood from Koko's wound. But no matter how hard I tried, the bleeding wouldn't cease. Panic threatened to consume me as I realized the severity of her injuries.
I glanced around desperately, weighing my options. Using my dragon to transport Koko to safety seemed like the most viable choice, but the risk of being pursued and shot down by the Nindriods loomed large. With no one in Ninjago City to turn to for help, the weight of responsibility pressed down on me like a suffocating blanket.
"Stupid Koko," I muttered through clenched teeth, my voice thick with emotion. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes as frustration and despair mingled within me. "Why didn't you leave this Goddamn city?"
With trembling hands, I reached for my contacts, my heart racing with urgency. Finding the only person I could trust in this moment of crisis, I selected the number and pressed it to my ears, my grip on Koko's wound never wavering as I awaited a response.
"Why are you calling on this fair night?" Mister Glasses asked casually. "Did you get your adopted mother out of the city?"
"I need your help." I urgently, cutting straight to the point. "Koko is going to die if you don't send some healers."
Mister Glasses fell silent, clearly taken aback by the urgency of my request. It seemed he had been expecting a more mundane conversation, not news of a life-threatening situation. Adjusting his glasses, he cleared his throat before responding.
"Where are you?" he asked, his tone now serious. "I am going to send some healers to your location."
"I'm still at her house, you better hurry," I threatened, my voice trembling with urgency. "If she dies, I am going to make you pray that you made it on time."
"I don't plan on letting your adopting mother die," Mister Glasses assured, his voice steady. "Try to stop the bleeding until help comes."
Before I could respond, a hand grabbed me, causing me to drop the phone. I turned to see Koko, her condition worsening by the second. Blood started to trickle from her mouth, her skin now as pale as a ghost. I wanted to comfort her, to assure her that everything would be okay, but the reality was grim. She struggled to speak but only coughed up more blood in the process.
"Shut up, Koko," I insisted, desperation creeping into my voice. "Save your energy, help is on the way."
"I always knew you were hiding something from the day you came home early," she continued, ignoring my pleas for silence. "I just didn't know what."
Guilt washed over me like a tidal wave. I didn't want to keep her too close, yet I couldn't bear the thought of letting her go. Maybe if I ignored her, like I did in my past life, it would hurt less.
"Koko, save your energy," I repeated, my voice strained with emotion.
She looked at me with her dull eyes, a sense of resignation washing over her. "I don't think I'm going to make it out of here alive," she murmured, each word punctuated by another cough, more blood spilling from her lips. "I am not your real mother, you know that?"
Tears welled
up in my eyes, finally breaking through the emotional barrier I had erected. "I already know that, damn it!" I cried out, my voice trembling with anguish. "But if you die, Koko, I will never forgive you."
She looked at me with a profound sadness in her eyes, her voice barely above a whisper. "I want you to live and love your real mother," she said, her hand trembling as she reached for something around her neck. With great effort, she pulled out a locket and handed it to me.
I took the locket from her gently, my hands shaking as I opened it with a flick of my finger. Inside, I found a faded photograph of my biological mother when she was younger. Anger surged within me, fueled by the unfairness of fate. Why was life so cruel?
As I looked back at Koko, I noticed that she was starting to go limp. Panic seized me, and I began to shake her gently, desperately trying to keep her conscious.
"Koko, keep your eyes open, look at my finger," I pleaded, waving my finger in front of her face in desperation. "The healers are on their way."
Deep down, I knew that she was slipping away, but I refused to accept it. I closed my eyes tightly, tears streaming down my cheeks like a torrential downpour. If only I had Melony or Victor's abilities with me.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw my hand glowing with a faint green light. It wasn't the same as my energy manipulation ability, but rather the vibrant green aura I had seen emanating from Melony when she healed me. In disbelief, I watched as the large wound that once marred Koko's chest vanished before my eyes.
"I didn't know how I was able to do that," I muttered to myself, my mind racing with confusion and disbelief. Suddenly, a memory flashed before my eyes-- the old man from Project 666. What did he call it? Experiment Weilder? I never imagined I would be grateful for whatever twisted experiments he subjected me to.
I cautiously approached Koko, my heart pounding with a mixture of fear and hope. She was alive, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. But why wouldn't she open her eyes? Panic began to creep into my mind as I gently shook her, urging her to wake up.
"Koko, come on, wake up," I pleaded, my voice trembling with emotions. "You're safe now, please open your eyes."
"You lied to me once again, Lloyd Garmadon," Mister Glasses' voice caught me off guard. "You are never honest."
I always saw Mister Glasses as a calm and collected individual, but this time his tome was tingled with annoyance, even anger. A surge of anger rose within me, overpowering any other emotion. I shot up from the ground, ready to confront him.
"What took you so long?" I snapped, unable to contain my frustration. "Go check on my mom…"
But before I could finish my sentence, a wave of nausea washed over me, sending me crashing back to the ground. I struggled to keep the bile down, my head spinning with confusion and anger. What was happening to me?
Mister Glasses approached me, his expression unreadable as he placed Vengestone cuffs on my wrists. Before I could react, a sudden gas filled the room, making me feel lightheaded and disoriented. My vision blurred, and darkness engulfed me, but not before I could muster one final curse.
"Damn you, Mister Glasses," I muttered bitterly, my consciousness slipping away. It was the last coherent thought I had before everything faded to black.
…
I opened my eyes, momentarily blinded by the harsh brightness of the room. Blinking rapidly, I shield my eyes until they adjusted to the light. Taking in my surroundings, I realized I was in an interrogation room, chained to the desk. Panic surged within me as I remembered Mister Glasses and the events that led me here.
Despite the rising anger, I knew I needed to remain calm and figure out why I was there and how to escape. Glancing around the room, I searched for any clues or opportunities that could help me regain my freedom.
The door creaked open, and Ms. Lily entered the room, accompanied by the man who had been present during the recruitment of Noah and his friends, his stern expression betraying his intentions. I maintained a neutral expression, though inwardly, I braced myself for the upcoming interrogation. I knew that they were here to question me, and my only hope lay in convincing them to release me.
As they took their seat across from me, I studied their faces, searching for any hint of their intention. Ms. Lily's demeanor was inscrutable, her eyes giving away nothing away, while the man's stern gaze bore into me, full of suspicion and determination. Despite the tension in the air, I remained composed, preparing myself for the inevitable barrage of questions.
"Okay Lloyd Garmadon, Abaddon, or should I call you a murderer?" Ms. Lily's words cut through the silence like a knife, her tone accusing and cold as she addressed me by both my current and former names. Clutching her clipboard tightly, she didn't mince words, labeling me a murderer without a hint of hesitation. I clenched my jaw, resisting the urge to protest.
The man beside her shot me a withering glare, his annoyance was palpable as he regarded me with suspicion. It was clear that he harbored no sympathy for my situation, and I knew better than to let my guard down in his presence. As their scrutiny intensified, I braced myself for the barrage of questions that were sure to follow.
"Why am I here?" I demanded, my frustration bubbling beneath the surface. The stark light in the interrogation room gave me a headache, but I forced myself to meet Ms. Lily's gaze. "I feel like I deserved an explanation for why you guys drugged me and locked me in this room."
Ms. Lily's brow furrowed, her expression unreadable. "You tell me, Lloyd. Think hard about your past actions."
I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to snap at her. "I don't have the patience to guess. Why don't you just tell me already? It would clear up this misunderstanding."
A sharp laugh escaped Ms. Lily's lips, the sound grating on my nerves. The man beside her, his eyes narrowed in annoyance, stepped forward to take over the conversation.
"Didn't you tell Brian Salvatore that you didn't get experimented on?" He leaned in, his voice low and accusatory, intensifying the tension in the room.
My mind raced as I grappled with the realization that I had been under some form of mind control. The words spilled from my mouth before I could even process them. "Yes," I admitted, my voice strained with disbelief. How could I have fallen victim to such manipulation?
The man's explanation only added to my confusion. "You have two abilities, which are called Dual Abilities," he clarified, his tone sharp. "It is quite rare, but you only have Destruction and Energy Manipulation." His gaze bore into mine, scrutinizing. "How could you use healing?"
As the words slipped out, I immediately regretted my slip of the tongue
"I was experimented on so I…" I began. But the weight of my admission hung heavy in the air. I quickly clamped my hand over my mouth, hoping to contain the truth before it spilled any further.
Ms. Lily's swift action caught me off guard as she seized my hand, prying it away from my lips with surprising strength. I felt his grip tighten as she forced my hand back onto the table, pinning it down with an iron resolve.
Despite my efforts to remain silent, the words escaped me against my will. "I could learn and try to use other beings' abilities," I confessed, the admission hanging in the air like a heavy shroud of guilt.
Ms. Lily and the man exchanged knowing glances before silently exiting the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I seethed with frustration at my weakness, cursing myself for letting the truth slip so easily. As they departed, a surge of anger and self-loathing coursed through me like a torrential storm.
Mister Glasses entered the room alone, his demeanor calm and collected as ever. He settled into a chair opposite me, his gaze steady and unwavering.
"Yesterday was the first time I ever saw you cry," he remarked casually his tone betraying no hint of malice. "It almost made you seem like a normal person for once."
His words stung like a fresh wound, igniting a fiery rage within me. How dare he mock my vulnerability, as if he hadn't orchestrated every moment of my suffering? I gritted my teeth, my muscles tensing as I struggled against the chains that bound me to the desk. With every futile tug, the frustration boiled over, fueling my desire to lash out at the man who sat before me, seemingly unfazed by my plight. Yet, despite my best efforts, I remained trapped, a prisoner to his manipulative whims. And as Mister Glasses watched on with evident amusement, I could do nothing but seethe in impotent fury.
"Lloyd Garmadon, why didn't you tell me that you were experimented on?" Mister Glasses questioned, his tone probing yet tinged with an air of authority. "The experimentation that was performed on you could have posed a threat to everyone around you, yet you chose to keep it a secret. Why?"
I ceased my struggling against the chains, fixing my gaze squarely on the man before me. Why should I confide in him? He was an outsider to this world, ignorant of its injustices and complexities. How could he expect me to trust him with such sensitive information?
He waited patiently for my response, his expression unreadable. "Do you want me to bring Adrien back in?" he added, a hint of menace underlying his words.
"No," I replied curtly, recalling the man with the Mind Control ability. "The reason is simple: I don't trust any of you."
His response was immediately chilling. "Very well, then let me take you to your cell."
My eyes widened in disbelief. "Cell? What the fuck? You're locking me up for what?"
Mister Glasses remained composed as he rose from his seat. "We can't let you roam around freely, can we?" he explained calmly. "You're far too dangerous."
As my resentment towards Mister Glasses surged with each passing moment, I couldn't help but contemplate the grim possibility that this might be my fate-condemned to spend the remainder of my days confined within the suffocating confines of a cell until death finally claimed me. The thought was unbearable; perhaps death would be a preferable alternative. Just as I was about to take drastic action and bite my tongue in defiance, Mister Glasses intervened, clamping his hand over my mouth to silence.
"You'd prefer death over captivity, wouldn't you?" he remarked, his tone cool and calculated. "But you didn't let me finish. Allow me to make you an offer."