A Touch of the Master's Hand

Looking Greener Tomorrow

They were not very quiet when they came. Even as they opened the door to the tearoom, they were all asking at once what was going on.

"Hey, Master Wu?" asked Kai.

"What's the secret meeting?" asked Nya.

"I would guess that it has to do with Kinkomi," said Zane.

"I hope he isn't taking over the volcano again!" whined Jay. After a quick sigh he added, "Oh, by the way, Master Wu. You accidently texted me instead of Cole. I had to forward it, and...it was a really confusing message and I didn't really understand most of what you were trying to say with your weird version of text-ish."

"Besides the fact that you wanted us to come," said Cole.

Wu was seated before the irori hearth and facing the door as he motionlessly watched them enter. Lloyd had his back to them and hunched low over his tea cup with his hood covering his head again. He had not changed into his ninja gear; though the others had before they arrived. He looked like a huddled little toad even without seeing his green face and hands.

Cole raised a brow. "Lloyd?"

Lloyd clenched his teeth and spun around.

The gasp was instantaneous. Zane was too shocked to gasp at all as he stared.

"Lloyd!" cried Nya.

"He's entirely green!" cried Kai throwing out his hands and protruding his lower jaw.

"Rah!" cried Lloyd.

Jay cringed. "Is he gunna turn into a snake!?"

"Should Nya kiss him?" asked Zane.

"Students!" said Wu now on his feet and pounding the floor with his staff.

The students went silent.

"This is the master work of the master of Pow-Dur," said Wu, "and the consequence of not doing your research before you fought someone who was an old rival of Garmadon's."

"We'll be ready for it now," said Cole.

"He probably has the antidote," said Zane, "in case he accidently gets himself with his powders."

Cole nodded.

"We can go now before it gets worse!" Kai said.

"And save Lloyd from being the humiliation of the Secret Ninja Force!" agreed Jay trying to sound brave as he looked at Nya.

"Oh, come on, Jay!" snapped Lloyd despite himself.

"We can track him down!" Kai cried.

Wu frowned.

"What? What did we do now!?" Nya demanded desperately.

"First!" said Wu. "You cannot go on this mission without your leader."

"He can... come too?" asked Jay.

Cole looked at him strangely.

Lloyd groaned.

"Second, Lloyd cannot go with you because he is sick even if he has not or never will show signs of being sick," Wu said. "You all have to know that Kinkomi will be expecting us to try to find him, especially Lloyd. For revenge. If that's the case we can only expect that Lloyd only has Step One and that the next powder will make him worse."

"Well, maybe you could come with us," said Kai.

"Third!" Wu said pounding his stick again. "Even if I go with you, you will all be rash at some moment and one by one will fall to the arts of Pow-Dur. You are all too impatient, too self-absorbed and self-important. You do not know how to think ahead, and you have no trust in each other as a team."