Villain POV
Master Chen paced around his chambers, his thoughts racing. After the revelation, he had expected everyone to turn their backs on Lloyd Garmadon. Instead, they had been too shocked to react, paralyzed by the enormity of the truth. But who was he kidding? Lloyd was the only one who still had his abilities, and he had two, making the situation more complex. Chen cursed himself for agreeing to Lloyd's request in the first place.
He stopped pacing and stared at the floor, in deep thought. Had Lloyd planned this all along? Clouse had assured him that Lloyd had helped them capture Pythor for the spell. If that was the case, why had Lloyd enabled them only to betray them? How could they possibly stop Lloyd now? Neither he, Kai, nor Clouse had their abilities. Skylor's ability seemed insignificant compared to Lloyd's immense power. He even doubted that using the staff would be enough to stop someone like Lloyd.
Frustration bubbled up inside him, and he called out sharply, "Kai! Come in here now!"
A few moments later, the door creaked open, and Kai entered the room, his expression wary, noting how anxious Master Chen seemed. "Let me guess, this is about Lloyd, sir?" Kai asked, his tone cautious.
Master Chen looked up at Kai, eyes narrowing slightly. "Did Lloyd reveal anything to you?" he asked, hoping to glean some insight into Lloyd's intentions.
Kai hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "He didn't reveal much, but he did tell me that he doesn't hate his brother even though Noah is the reason he was mistreated and abandoned," Kai revealed. "It seems like Lloyd has a soft spot for his brother."
Master Chen's gleamed with interest. That didn't sound like the Lloyd he knew. Lloyd had never mentioned his brother in any meaningful way, either to him or to Clouse. He spoke often of his dislike for his father, but there was never any mention of his feelings toward Noah is thy hatred or affection. And yet, Lloyd had just risked exposure and confrontation to protect Noah.
A smile crept across Master Chen's face as he realized how he could turn this situation to his advantage. "Interesting," he mused, the gears turning in his mind. "A soft spot for his brother, you say? That might be useful"
Kai's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What are you planning, Master Chen?"
Chen's smile widened. "If Lloyd is willing to protect his brother, perhaps we can use Noah to lure him into a trap. We need to weaken Lloyd and make him vulnerable. Noah could be the key to that."
Kai frowned but didn't argue. He knew better than to question Master Chen's tactics openly. "What do you want me to do?" he asked instead.
"We need to rearrange a little reunion," Master Chen said, his voice dripping with malicious intent. "Let's greet your old friend and see how far Lloyd's loyalty to his brother goes. Bring Noah to the central chamber. I'll ensure that Lloyd gets the message."
Kai nodded, though he couldn't shake a feeling of unease. "I'll go find Noah," he said, turning to leave the room.
Master Chen glanced at Kai before saying, "Wait, let me give you my staff so things could be easier for you."
Kai stopped and turned back, his eyes widening slightly in surprise. "Are you allowing me to use your staff?"
Master Chen nodded, a sly smile playing on his lips as he picked up the staff, which was leaning against the table. "You did plead your loyalty to me, so let's see if you are truly loyal unlike Lloyd," he said, holding out the staff.
Kai hesitated for a moment, then accepted the staff, feeling its power surge through him. With a determined nod, he left to complete his tasks, the weight of the staff in his hand a reminder of the high stakes involved.
As Kai left, Master Chen's mind raced with possibilities. Lloyd's loyalty to Noah might be his undoing. If they could capture Noah and use him as bait, Lloyd might walk right into their hands. And once they had Lloyd, they could strip him of his powers and finally eliminate the threat he posed.
Master Chen chuckled to himself, pleased with this new development. "Yes," he muttered under his breath. "This is going to be very interesting indeed."
He began making preparations, his mind alive with the thrill of the impending confrontation. He envisioned the moment Lloyd would storm into the chamber, desperate to save his brother, only to find himself ensnared in a trap from which there was no escape. The thought of finally breaking Lloyd, of seeing the defiance in his eyes give way to helplessness, sent a shiver of anticipation through him.
…
Heroes POV
Noah looked at the amount of blood on the floor, his stomach turning at the sight. Did someone get killed here? He glanced at the chains on the ground, noting that they seemed to have been cut rather than broken. This didn't look like a scene where someone had been tied up and tortured. Besides, the amount of blood was far too little for a human fatality. But there was no corpse. It looked like it had just evaporated. There were no drag marks, no signs of the body being moved or anything. It just disappeared right on the spot.
"What on earth happened here?" he muttered to himself, his mind racing with possibilities. "Where is Sensei Garmadon? I need answers from him. Don't tell me Master Chen killed him or something?"
"Not quite, but you'll find out soon enough," a voice said from behind him. "How have you been, Noah?"
Noah turned around to see Kai holding the staff that they had often seen Master Chen carry around. His eyes widened as he looked at the sight of Kai, whose expression was twisted with disgust. This wasn't the Kai he knew; something had changed in him, something dark and unsettling.
Kai aimed the staff at Noah, a sinister grin spreading across his face. "It's been a while, but I'm surprised you didn't get killed considering how weak you are," he pointed out, his voice dripping with disdain. "But then again, you are such a blessed guy."
Noah looked at Kai, then at the staff, a sinking feeling in his stomach. What had Master Chen done to him? "What happened to you, Kai?" he asked, his voice filled with concern and confusion.
Kai looked at Noah with loathing, his eyes burning with a mix of anger and disdain. He aimed the staff at the ground near Noah's feet, allowing a burst of lightning to crackle out, the energy sizzling through the air. Noah stumbled back, his heart pounding. Kai's expression twisted further, clearly incensed by the sight of him.
"Nothing is wrong with me," Kai said coldly, his voice dripping with venom. "I decided to join the side that allowed my eyes to open. But I need you to come with me because today, we are going to hunt the rat."
"Kai, what is going on?" Noah asked, his voice trembling with fear. "You don't have to listen to Master Chen and use me for whatever plan he has in mind."
Kai walked closer to Noah, his grip tightening around the staff. The hatred in his eyes was palpable. He reached out and grabbed Noah by the arm, yanking him closer. "Do you know how much I dislike you?" Kai hissed, his face inches from Noah's. "Do you know how much I am disgusted by following a ten-year-old child around?"
Noah stopped squirming and stared at Kai, his heart sinking as he processed what he had just heard. Kai's words echoed in his mind, each one a painful reminder of how he had failed as a leader. He looked Kai straight in the eyes and saw the cold, hard truth reflected at him. Did Kai feel this way the entire time? And if Kai felt that way, didn't that mean Jau and Cole felt that way as well?
"Kai, are you that disgusted by having me as your leader?" Noah asked, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes dropping to the ground.
Kai nodded, his expression unyielding. "I only followed you because I thought you were the Chosen One. But when it was revealed that you weren't, I stayed by your side because of all the things we went through together. But people are making me realize how unfit you are to be our leader, let alone a hero."
Noah's heart ached at Kai's words. Each sentence felt like a dagger, twisting deeper into his already wounded spirit. "If you didn't like it, then why didn't you say anything?" Noah couldn't hold back his tears any longer. They welled up in his eyes, threatening to spill over. "If you had pointed it out, maybe I would have fixed my flaws. But no one told me anything. Why are you acting like it's my fault? No one is guiding me to be better!"
Kai's grip tightened on the staff, and his eyes flared with frustration. "I didn't say anything because I thought you'd figure it out on your own. I thought you'd grow into the role, but you never did. You just kept stumbling through, making mistake after mistake."
Noah's sadness quickly morphed into rage, burning through the despair that had threatened to consume him. Why was everyone placing the blame on him? He had never asked to be told he was the Chosen One, never asked to be given a team, and then to be told he wasn't worthy the next moment. Everyone made it seem like he was the bad guy like he had done something wrong when all he had ever done was try to protect them.
"You and my father are the same!" Noah's anger boiled over, his voice shaking with the intensity of his emotions. Tears streamed down his face, failing like waterfalls. "You both say how much you care about me, but you don't tell me the truth until it's too late, hurting me!"
Kai turned back, startled by Noah's outburst. For a moment, his expression softened, but it quickly hardened again. "Noah, it's not that simple." he began, but Noah cut him off, his voice rising in pitch and volume.
"It is that simple!" Noah shouted, his fists clenched at his sides. "You all kept secrets from me, and then you blame me when things go wrong. You expected me to lead without ever teaching me how, and then you judged me for not being good enough. How is that fair, Kai? How is that caring about me?"
Kai's grip on the staff tightened, and he took a step back, his eyes narrowing. "Life isn't fair, Noah. We all have to deal with things we didn't ask for. We all have to make choices and live with the consequences."
Noah shook his head, his tears mixing with dirt and grime on his face. "I did make choices, Kai. I chose to stay and fight with you all. I chose to put myself on the line to protect you. But you all made me feel like I was never good enough like I was always failing."
Kai's face twisted with a mix of frustration and guilt. "We all felt the pressure, Noah. It wasn't just you. We all had to make sacrifices."
"Then why didn't you support me?" Noah demanded, his voice cracking. "Why didn't you stand by me instead of tearing me down? If you all felt the same way, why didn't you say something? Why didn't you help me?"
Kai looked away, unable to meet Noah's gaze. "Maybe we should have," he admitted quietly. "But it's too late now. What's done is done."
Noah finally fell to his knees, the weight of his emotions crashing down on him. He started to cry, his body shaking uncontrollably from the years of keeping everything bottled up. The sobs tore through him, loud and anguished, filling the space with the raw sound of his pain. He had always been told that he was the Chosen One, had taken the Tomorrow Tea, and sacrificed his childhood, only to discover his entire life was a lie. The only thing he had left was his friends, and now that was falling apart too. He was just a kid in a teenage body, thrown into a situation far beyond his control, and Kai was making him miserable.
Kai watched the train wreck before him, feeling an unexpected pang of pity. Noah did have a point. He had been thrust into this role, deceived about his destiny, and had lost so much along the way. Kai felt a brief flicker of doubt, but it quickly passed. Master Chen had shown him another path, a way to gain power and respect, things he had always craved.
Kai grabbed Noah by the arm, his grip firm but not harsh. He forced Noah to stand, ignoring the boy's tear-streaked face and trembling form. "Come on," he said, his voice devoid of sympathy. "You are going to be bait to make the rat come out of his hiding spot."
Noah struggled to his feet, his body still shaking. He looked up at Kai with eyes full of hurt and betrayal. "Why are you doing this, Kai?" he choked out. "We were supposed to be a team. We were supposed to be friends."
Kai's expression hardened, masking any trace of the pity he had felt moments before. "Life changes, Noah. People change. I'm doing what I think is right for me."
"But at what cost?" Noah asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "How many people are you willing to betray for your gain?"
Kai didn't answer, instead pulling Noah forward, and leading him out of the room. The corridor outside was dimly lit, casting long shadows on the walls. Noah stumbled along, his legs feeling weak and unsteady. His mind raced, trying to come to terms with everything that had happened. The betrayal, the lies, and the unfairness of it all weighed heavily on him.
As they walked, Kai's grip tightened on Noah's arm. "Master Chen has plans, Noah," he said, his voice low. 'And you're a part of them now. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
Noah's mind was a whirlwind of emotions. Fear, anger, and sadness all jumbled together, but through it all, a small spark of determination began to grow. He couldn't let this be the end. He had to find a way to fight back, to protect his friends, even if it meant facing Kai and Master Chen head-on.