"We should avenge your name and attack your old boarding school for bad boys!" Pythor hissed in excitement. I glanced up from re-wrapping my leg, still bleeding thanks to that purple son of a bitch and sighed as Lloyd raised his fists in the air. It made me sick being next to Pythor and have a straight face about it. Well, as much of a straight face as I'd let myself. "Yes!" he said. "I'll show them how evil I really am and when the Ninja come to the rescue, we'll be waiting for them!"
"A double revenge? I love it!" Pythor exclaimed. I smiled when the two turned towards me at my silence. "Count me in," I said with a thumbs up. However, once Lloyd turned his gaze away, I flipped up my finger at the snake and stuck my tongue out and flattened my ears. The snake turned away with a small growl and I stood up to go stand by Lloyd. My leg still hurt pretty bad but if I could just get in wolf form, I'd be much stronger. Moonbloods heal faster than the average. much to Lloyd and Pythor's surprise when I could stand up just fine today, despite only being injured a few days ago.
"We should go now," Lloyd suggested, heading towards the opening. "While they least expect it!"
I nodded, "Alright then, let's do this."
I flattened my ears and bent my knees before I leaped out the door with a loud cry as I shifted. It was painful, but I did it and already felt much better. I carefully put my injured leg down and to my surprise and delight, it was just sore. Still annoying, but I won't complain. I let Lloyd hop onto my back but couldn't carry Pythor, even if I wanted too, due to my size. I would some day, but definitely not today. So as I walked with Lloyd pumping his fists in the air, Pythor slithered behind us as we rode out to our next target.
______________________________________________________
Lloyd laughed as he and Pythor slid on boards with wheels, or as Lloyd called it, a "skateboard", down the halls of the school. I stayed in my wolf form and sat in a classroom on one of the tables to rest my leg and to watch after the new hostages. I stared as they struggled with my piercing blue eyes and tried to not let my heart break as they tried to get out of the restrains. I felt bad for them, sure, but they hurt Lloyd, and no one hurts my family.
I jumped at the sound of a boom and I got out of my trance, hearing Lloyd's muffled apology saying that he was just testing the machine. I sighed and waited, checking the integrity of my leg and trying to stretch it out as the trapped students watched and admired my Moonblood heritage.
"I'd stop staring if I were you," I said, inspecting my leg. "If I were to stare at you, you'd would've all fainted by now."
It was interesting learning who has heard of the Moonbloods and who hasn't. Seems like hit or miss every time someone sees me. Well, more miss than hit these days but still interesting. The Ninja Hunters are dead and unremembered here, which I am perfectly fine with. I can live here in less fear than I thought without worrying that an assassin is on my ass.
I swayed my tail and inhaled the old wood of the walls when I tilted my head to the sound of a very big thump. It shook the room and dust fell from the ceiling. "The hell?
Another thump, and then another, each getting louder. "Ah sh-"
BOOM. Suddenly screaming filled the room as a giant anchor fell through the ceiling before falling through the next floor again and I gasped, jumping back as I landed swiftly behind the table I was on. Was that the Ninja I saw? Or rather heard, they were pretty loud. As they settled, I started at the massive chain taking over in the middle of the hole and gasped when I saw Cole climbing up the thick chain.
"Cole!" I waved.
"Liz? What are you doing?"
I smirked as I took one of my daggers and leaped to the other side where the students were and released them before pushing off the desk behind them to launch myself under Cole and grabbed the chain, sheathing my dagger and leaning into the soreness of my leg, it honestly was feeling good.
"Just waiting for you to show up," I teased with the tilt of my head. "What took you so long?"
Cole laughed and started climbing up the chain again with me following close behind. We reached one of the higher floors where Pythor was waiting and we jumped off the train in battle position. Pythor simply smiled at me and looked at Cole who was ready to kill the snake in a heartbeat.
"Get ready to eat dust!" Cole announced. I gasped, knowing what floor we were on now and reached out my hand towards Cole. "Wait! Cole!"
But it was too late. With the pull of a rope, dust flew directly onto Cole and he started hacking as Pythor slithered away and I groaned.
"I told you to wait," I said as he brushed himself off, coughing up whatever was left in his lungs.
"Thanks for the warning," he glared.
I rolled my eyes. "No time, we need to catch up to him."
I quickly lead the charge up the steep stairs as I heard Lloyd beginning to panic. "They're coming! They're coming! They're coming!"
I heard his footsteps running around in circles around the roof of the building as we got closer and I smirked, Cole with Jay not too far behind us making it up to the roof.
When we finally made it to the top, Pythor had stolen our map and I gasped. "Pythor, no!"
Pythor chuckled. "Sorry kids, but I have other plans," he hissed, his scales disappearing in thin air and everyone gasped.
Lloyd shrunk into his little shell as he backed into a corner, nowhere to go. He locked eyes with me and my ears fell as I saw him realize who's side I was really on.
"You're... you're with them?" he asked.
I just nodded as the Ninja began to walk closer, the Ninja's ship waiting with Wu and Nya watching above.
"Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon," Wu announced. "You come here right now!"
"Don't worry," Jay said, grabbing onto a resistant Lloyd. "I got him!"
Lloyd fussed as he waved his arms. "Hey! Put me down!"
I simply followed the Ninja and was helped back onto the bounty as we made it into the rooms as they discussed what they were going to do with him.
"Wash his mouth out with soap?" Cole suggested. "For a year?"
"Ground him indefinitely?" added Kai.
"Have him sit in a corner for a century?" Zane asked.
Wu shook his head. "No, I know just the right thing to do."
Lloyd gulped and looked at me. I simply shrugged as Wu lead us to an empty room filled with pretty paintings and scrolls and I smiled at the smell of the paper. Finally, I'd be free from the snakes. Lloyd might be angry with me now, but here hopefully he'll forgive me some day.
Wu gestured Lloyd to sit in the bed that was made and motioned for me to sit on the end of it and I obeyed. I glanced at Lloyd but he was following his uncle's movements as he grabbed an old book with a snake on the front of it.
I watched as Wu pulled up a stool from a desk and cleared his throat as he opened the book and begun to read.
The book seemed to resemble Lloyd and what he did, blah, blah, blah. I started zoning out until Wu finished with "and that's why you never trust a snake."
I yawned after Lloyd's and sighed.
"Oh, if my dad had read me that book, I would never have made that mistake," Lloyd admitted, fiddling with his blanket. "I'm sorry, uncle."
Wu smiled at him softly. "Oh, you do not need to apologize. I am sure that if your father was still here, it would be the first book he'd read. Good night, nephew. Sweet dreams."
Lloyd yawned again as Wu got up and left the room where the Ninja waited outside. I turned to Lloyd and fiddled with my fingers, my tail finding its place right against my thigh. "Lloyd, I sorry I-"
"It's ok," he interrupted, closing his eyes. "I forgive you."
My eyes widened in surprise as I started at him in shock. "That easily? But I lied to you?"
"You were right," he said. "And I was being lead on the wrong path. Just like in the book!"
I smiled. "So, we're still friends?"
"Yeah, we're still friends."
I smiled as he reached out a fist and I bumped it with mine. I laughed as I pushed myself up from the bed. "Well, goodnight, my friend," I said.
"Goodnight, Liz," he said as he drifted off. I wish I could go to sleep that fast.
I closed his door and I walked out to see Wu standing out there with a look of concern.
"Lizabeth, I'm fearing the worst," he confessed.
I nodded in agreement. "I'm very confident that Pythor is working with Phantom, but I'm not sure why?"
Wu shook his head. "Me neither. But I'm worried that she will be more of a problem than we think."
I nodded again and sighed. "That's going to be a problem for future me. But I'm tired right now."
Wu sighed. "Yes, I'm sorry, you must be exhausted. Nya offered up her room again if you'd like. Glad you're back Liz."
I smiled at the Ninja's master as he retreated down the hall towards his room as I made my way to mine and I sighed. Pythor is just the beginning and I'm afraid of what might be the end.