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Published:
2019-09-28
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1,250
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1/1
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Take A Break

Summary:

Wu was angry. The ninja had gone right back to being lazy after the Oni's defeat. But, maybe there's more to it. It lingers in the shadows of Cole's eyes. It lurks in Zane's sharp responses. It lures Jay away. It's hidden in the spark lighting Kai's mouth. It bleeds onto Nya's blistering hands. It revels in the muscles of Lloyd's shoulders, holding them prisoner. And Wu will realise everyone has a limit.

Notes:

Wu can fight me.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

“And we’re back to this.” Wu focuses his glare on his nephew, Lloyd, ignoring the way Lloyd looks away in shame. “After every big victory, you get lazy, complacent, careless.”

“Uh that is not true.” Kai complains.

“We’re recovering. We’re resting our muscles.” Cole stretches out his back to demonstrate.

It was months ago.” Wu points out.

“Months? Really?” Nya questions.

“Are you sure?” Cole adds.

Wu scowls. “Yes."

Kai bites his lip. “Ah well who’s counting?”

“I am.” Wu states. “Look at yourselves.” He pokes Lloyd in the stomach, scowling at the way his staff presses in. “You’ve gone soft. You do nothing all day, but play video games and eat cake and soak in this - in this -”

“Hot tub.” Cole smiles.

“It’s not a hot tub! It’s the sacred bell of divinity. Out! Out! All of you!” Wu shouts. He’s met with a chorus of groans and complaints. He presses on. “Emergency meeting in the monastery. In. Three. Minutes.”

They quickly gather in the monastery, not wanting to anger Wu anymore than they already have. They’re all still dripping by the time they make it in. Cole somehow manages to keep his hat throughout it all.

“You have become soft, lazy, flabby.” Wu walks down the line, eyeing each of the ninja as he proceeds.

“Nobody has gone soft, Master Wu. I promise you. We are in perfect condition.” Lloyd dares to defend them, but his point falls flat when Cole burps. He turns to glare at him, but Cole just shrugs in defense. 

“Silence.” Wu demands.

“No.” Zane, who has remained silent all this time, speaks up.

“Pardon?” Wu’s gaze is instantly bearing down upon the nindroid.

“No.” Zane continues. “I do not believe you are correct in your observations.”

“What?” Wu bellows.

“You state that after every victory we become lazy, but that is not true.” Zane defends. “There is only one instance where we became lazy after the defeat of a threat and that was back after our very first victory.”

“Well, I would have thought you would have learned after the first time.” Wu argues.

“You forget not all of us were present during that time period.” Zane gestures towards Lloyd. “Lloyd was not with us at that point of time.”

“Yes, but my nephew should know better. I thought I raised him better than that.” Wu’s gaze is harsh and Lloyd flinches under it.

“Raise him?” Kai laughs. “You raised him? By the time he got here, he was what 10? And then it wasn’t long after he used the tomorrow’s tea. You can hardly claim responsibility for raising him.” Kai shuffles down the line to stand by Lloyd. “Besides, there’s really no reason for Lloyd to know better. He was raised in Darkley’s. A school for literal villains! There’s no way he learnt proper lessons from them.”

“He is the green ninja-” Wu tries to regain his ground.

“And look where that’s got him!” Kai interrupts. “He hasn’t had a break since the day he found out he was the green ninja! He probably couldn’t even relax at Darkley’s without risk. Maybe months is a long time, but he sure as hell deserves it! Heck he’s finally a healthy weight and you’re insulting him for it!” And Kai is right. Lloyd had been scrawny when he arrived and since then, they’d never really settled enough to get him up to a healthy standard. “So don’t you dare judge him! Yeah the rest of us should probably know better, but we were all so stressed after everything that has happened recently! Cole and Lloyd could have died for frick’s sake!” Kai is struggling to keep his powers in check and that’s the signal for Nya to take over.

“We were all hurt. Those first few days of the resistance-” Nya pauses, the memories threatening to bubble over. “We thought you were dead and it was a struggle to find reasons to keep going. Lloyd had no powers and Ha-” Nya stops at the name, glancing at Lloyd. He’s biting his lip and Nya fears that if he bites any harder, he’ll draw blood. “Lloyd had his heart broken and then had to fight his father again. Then, we finally get all of you back and Cole nearly dies. Then, Lloyd is nearly crushed. Everything just happened at once. We’re all tired Wu.”

“And it didn’t end there.” Cole is holding Lloyd’s hand tight. “Even though it’s all in the past, every time I close my eyes, it’s all I see. I can just see the bounty disappearing and feel the darkness overwhelm me.”

“I see neverending plains.” Jay continues. “I see us being stranded again in the first realm, only we never find anything. It’s just us and half a ship.” Jay frowns. “And sometimes, I can still feel myself slipping away.”

“I was the one who suggested we take a break.” Kai admits. “No one could focus. Cole couldn’t sleep. Jay was hardly present. Zane was colder than usual. Nya was always working on some kind of tech. Lloyd could hardly do anything without breaking down. And I could hardly keep my head straight. We were falling apart. We needed time to just be kids. And yeah, I know we’re ninja first, kids second, but we were killing ourselves Wu.”

Wu is silent for a few minutes. “Lloyd, what do you have to say about all of this?”

“I take full responsibility, Uncle. I should have been a better leader.” Lloyd’s eyes are empty as he states this, but his rigid posture betrays him.

“I see.” Wu turns away to pour himself a cup of tea. “I did not know you were so traumatised by recent events.”

“It’s not just recent events.” Lloyd trembles. “It’s everything. It’s just never ending. It just keeps going. First Darkley’s, then fighting my dad, then we thought Zane was dead, then I had to sacrifice my dad, then there was Morro, then we thought we lost you Wu, then there was just everything with the sons of Garmadon and- and-” Lloyd tries to force the words out, but his throat tightens.

“You can stop Lloyd. I understand.” Wu sighs.

“Just when will it be enough?!” Lloyd cries. He breaks. The flood gates break open. His lungs refuse to cooperate. His limbs reject him, leaving him to fall to his knees. Kai and Nya are by him instantly. Cole rests a hand on Jay’s shoulder, as they watch from a distance. Zane keeps an eye on Lloyd’s vitals, prepared to step in if it gets too bad. Wu stands to the side, shocked.

“Hey, Lloyd. I need you to breathe for me.” Kai squeezes Lloyd’s hand. “Come on. In, two three four.” He squeezes again. “Out, two three four.” And again. Nya rubs circles on Lloyd’s back. Kai continues instructing Lloyd for a few minutes, until Lloyd seems to be able to support himself.

“It’s ok, Lloyd. I’m here. Kai’s here. Cole’s here. Jay’s here. Zane’s here.” Nya reassures him. “We’re alive and well.” 

Wu waits for Lloyd to calm down before speaking again. “Next week, we will resume training, for at least an hour a day. In the meantime, we will work on some relaxation techniques which aim to tackle the problem rather than avoid it. I am sorry for yelling at you all. I should have done better.”

Wu could not be sure that there was anything out there which could ease the ninja’s suffering.

Notes:

There are other people Wu. Stop fixating on 6 ninja. Like go train the other elemental masters to be ninja or something.