Heroes POV
Skylor and Kai sprinted towards the indoor garden, their hearts pounding in unison. The urgency of their mission pushed them to move faster. As they burst through the door, they were hit by the pungent smell of gasoline, which made them stop in their track momentarily. The entire garden was drenched in gasoline, the liquid glistening ominously on the leaves and bark. It was clear that the spy was getting desperate, resorting to more drastic measures to sabotage the group.
"There!" Skylor shouted, her voice echoing through the garden. She pointed to a shadowy figure darting between the trees. "Hurry up or they might escape!"
Without hesitation, Kai dashed after the figure, his adrenaline surging. He could hear Skyler's footsteps pounding behind him, matching his own pace. They weaved through the trees, the gasoline-soaked making every step precarious.
"Stop!" Kai yelled, but the figure only picked up speed, clearly intent on evading capture. The figure was quick, but Kai and Skylor were determined. They leaped over fallen branches and ducked under low-hanging foliage, closing the gap between them and their quarry.
Kai's anger was palpable, simmering just below the surface. He clenched his fists, feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins as they chased the spy. The smell of gasoline lingered in the air, a stark reminder of how close they had come to disaster. The spy turned a corner sharply, and they heard a small yelp of pain.
When they rounded the corner, they saw Elijah holding a small Kabuki boy by the scruff of his neck. The boy's face was twisted in fear, his eyes wide as he looked up at the enraged Elijah.
"So you're the little brat that tried to kill me, huh?" Elijah's voice was a low growl, filled with menace. He tightened his grip on the boy, who winced in pain. "You better give me a good reason not to break your arms and legs."
Kai's heart sank at the sight. Despite his anger towards the spy, he couldn't condone violence against a child. He stepped forward, putting a hand on Elijah's arm.
"Elijah, stop," Kai said firmly. "He's just a kid."
Elijah glared at Kai, his eyes blazing with fury. "A kid who tried to kill me, Kai! Look at what he did!" He gestured wildly at the gasoline-soaked garden. "He could have killed all of us!"
Skylor moved to stand beside Kai, her expression stern. "Elijah, we need answers, not more violence. Hurting him won't help us."
The Kabuki boy looked terrified, his small frame trembling. He glanced between Kai, Skylor, and Elijah, clearly unsure of what to expect next.
"Why did you do that?" Kai asked, pointing at the garden. "Do you know that you could have hurt a lot of people?"
The small child looked like his soul had left his body. "I… I didn't want to do this!" he squeaked. "I was told to do it by Sir Clouse."
Kai groaned, exasperated but not entirely surprised. "Give me the child, Elijah. We need to prove Lloyd's innocence."
Elijah groaned in frustration before tossing the child like a rag doll. Skylor caught him deftly, frowning down at the frightened boy. "You shouldn't be on this island in the first place," she said gently but firmly.
The little boy's eyes began to water as he looked down in shame. It looked like Skylor had touched quite a sensitive subject.
"My mother works here as a Kabuki and she brought me along," he explained, his voice trembling. "She always works hard while I just stayed here doing nothing."
Kai and Skylor glanced at each other, recognizing the makings of a sob story. Elijah's frown deepened as he rolled his eyes, clearly impatient.
"Earlier today, Sir Clouse came to me and told me to sabotage your tasks," the boy continued. "He told me that if I didn't do it, he would get my mom fired."
Kai's anger softened, understanding the boy's predicament. "So you did it because you were scared for your mom," he said gently. "But you need to understand that what you did could have seriously hurt people."
The boy nodded, tears streaming down his face. "I know, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to do it, but I didn't know what else to do."
Skylor placed a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "We'll help you and your mom," she promised. "But we need you to come with us and tell the group everything."
Elijah crossed his arms, still looking annoyed but less hostile. "Fine, but if you try anything funny, I won't be so lenient next time," he warned.
The boy nodded vigorously, clearly relieved. "I promise, I won't do anything else."
Kai glanced at Skylor and Elijah. "Let's go back and clear Lloyd's name," he said determinedly.
…
Lloyd POV
I looked to the right side and realized I had lost. Everyone seemed to believe the random woman over me. I didn't care much, but it looked like I needed to come up with a way to convince Master Chen to spare me. I rubbed my ash-filled hair in frustration. This was annoying. I shouldn't have put too much faith in Skylor or Kai.
"It looks like you're going to get eliminated," the random woman said, her voice dripping with satisfaction.
I turned to her, feeling the urge to smack that stupid smirk off her face. "Well, maybe I could try again next year," I replied, keeping my voice as calm as possible. "Besides, this is just a game."
She laughed a cruel sound that grated on my nerves. "A game where you failed spectacularly."
I clenched my fists, trying to keep my cool. "You know, you're smug for someone who's done nothing but point fingers."
The smirk on her face faltered slightly, but she recovered quickly. "And you're defensive for someone who's supposedly innocent."
Before I could, Master Chen's voice boomed over the intercom. "It seems we have our elimination decision," he said, a hint of glee in his voice. "Lloyd Garmadon, you will be eliminated."
The group started to disperse, the tension in the airlifting slightly. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions inside me. Just as I began to move, a creaking sound beneath my feet made me jump to the side, narrowly avoiding a hidden trap door. I wasn't planning on getting eliminated without learning how to use Form.
Suddenly the door to the room burst open, and Kai and Sklor came charging in, panting and covered in sweat. "Wait!" Kai shouted, holding up a hand. "We found the real spy!"
Everyone stopped in their tracks and turned to look at them, curiosity and suspicion mingled in their expressions. I raised an eyebrow, skeptical but hopeful.
Skylor stepped forward, dragging a small, terrified Kabuki bow with her. "He confessed that he was the spy," she announced.
The room fell silent as everyone processed this new information. The boy, clearly petrified, kept his eyes on the floor, trembling.
"Lu?" I said, my voice a mix of surprise and concern. "Are you the spy?"
Lu looked up at me, tears beginning to flow down his cheeks. "I didn't want to do it," he sobbed.
I had already suspected him when I found him in the kitchen, but I needed to play dumb for the sake of appearances. "I'm sure you did, but thank you for stepping forward," I said, trying to sound reassuring.
Turning my gaze towards the intercom, I took a deep breath. "I'm sure that means I don't get eliminated, right?" I asked, my voice steady but with an underlying urgency.
Master Chen's voice crackled over the intercom, a hint of amusement in his tone. "Well, well, it seems we have a twist in the game. This is quite entertaining."
The random woman who had accused me earlier looked furious. "This is ridiculous! How do we know he's telling the truth?" she demanded.
Kai stepped forward, his expression serious. "We caught his red-headed. He was trying to sabotage the garden, and he confessed to everything. If you need more proof, we have it."
Skylor nodded, her grip on Lu's shoulder firm but gentle. "He was coerced into doing it. Sir Clouse threatened his mother's job if he didn't sabotage our tasks."
The group murmured among themselves, uncertainty and doubt starting to waver.
Master Chen's voice came through again, more serious this time. "Given the new evidence, it seems the game has taken an interesting turn. Lloyd, you will not be eliminated… for now. But remember, this is a competition. Trust no one."
A wave of relief washed over me, but I knew it was temporary. I looked at Lu, who was still shaking with fear. "Thank you, Lu, for telling the truth."
Lu looked at me, his eyes welling up with tears again. He reminded me of Melony when she was at the lab. I couldn't help but chuckle before giving him a reassuring hug.
"Don't think that you're a burden to your mother," I said, patting his head gently. "If you were a burden, then you wouldn't be by her side."
He just nodded, burying his face into my face into my filthy uniform. It seemed I had a way with kids. As I glanced around, I noticed Elijah entering the room. He looked at Lu hugging me, his face twisting with some unspoken emotion before he turned and walked away.
"Lloyd, um…" Kai's voice broke through my thoughts.
I turned to look at Kai, who seemed horrified at the sight of me. "What is it, Kai?" I asked, puzzled by his expression.
He pointed at me, his hand shaking. "Your back is bleeding a lot."
Confused, I let go of Lu and removed my school uniform jacket, revealing the back soaked in blood. I stared at it for a moment, finding it strange. My back must have been injured by the explosion, but I hadn't even noticed. I didn't feel any pain.
"It's nothing, I've had worse. I'll just bandage it and let it heal by itself," I said, shrugging as I put the bloody jacket back on.
I turned back to Lu, who was staring at his hands now covered in my blood. He looked completely out of it. I grabbed his hand gently and began walking away. Why does everyone get so embarrassed to get so emotional over such simple things?
…
Heroes POV
That was interesting indeed, Noah and Jay remained silent as Kai finally finished the story. It seemed clear that Master Chen was willing to do anything to take one person down. It looked like Lloyd had made Master Chen his enemy.
"Let's hope that Lloyd distracts Master Chen long enough so we can find Zane and save Cole," Noah muttered, his voice heavy with concern.
Kai looked at him, confused. "Isn't Lloyd your brother? Why on earth would you want Master Chen to attack him?"
Before Noah could say a word, Master Chen and Clouse arrived and took their spots on the stage. The air in the room grew thick with anticipation as everyone turned their attention to the sinister duo.
Master Chen's voice boomed across the room, dripping with malice. "We are now moving on to the last challenge. It is called 'Trail by Combat.' But instead of the usual one-on-one battles, we are going to put all the remaining contestants against each other in a final, no-holds-barred battle. The last one standing will be declared the winner, while all others are eliminated. The battle will take place in a grand arena filled with spectators, adding to the spectacle and brutality of the event."
"Do we have to fight each other?" Jay muttered, his voice barely audible. The tension was palpable, and the thought of turning against their allies gnawed at everyone.
Kai clenched his fists, determination flickering in his eyes. "We don't have a choice. It's either fight or be eliminated."
Noah nodded, though his mind was racing. Could they defeat all those contestants? When it came down to just them, would it come down to just them, would they be able to fight each other? The camaraderie they'd built throughout the competition now seemed like a cruel irony.