[Ninjago: Amplified] Modern AU

[29] - The Truth Becomes Twisted

WARNING: This chapter contains mature themes, including violence and injuries.

It was nearly one in the morning by the time Garmadon arrived home.

He had to put the last of his energy into climbing the complex's stairs, his muscles sore from overexertion. He slowly made his way to his apartment's front door, trying to find his keys from the coat in his arms.

Yet he didn't need to– the front door whisked open faster than he could comprehend, revealing a worried Misako on its opposite side.

"Garmadon," She breathed out, relieved. "You're back."

She took Garmadon's coat from his arms as he stepped inside, her gaze glossing over his scattered injuries in great concern.

"What happened?" She grasped onto his arm, which had been heavily wrapped in a makeshift bandaging. "This looks deep– it's still bleeding... Come on, sit down."

She brought him over to the living room, sitting him on the couch. She slipped into the guest bathroom, quickly grabbing a first aid kit before joining him in the room.

"What happened?" She questioned urgently. "Why didn't they treat this properly before bringing you home?"

"There wasn't time." Garmadon admitted, gritting his teeth as Misako gingerly unwrapped his bandages. "I told Ronin to just drop me off here. I knew you'd probably be waiting..."

"Then what about Wu?" Misako worried, setting his used bandaging aside before replacing them entirely. "Is everyone okay?"

"They're all fine... I was the most beaten up." Garmadon could still picture the moment he'd leapt in front of his brother, shielding him from an oncoming opponent wielding a knife. "We surrounded the place like planned... Ronin sent Wu and I in to search for the girl... But..."

Misako dropped whatever supplies she was holding back into the first aid kit, her expression falling in shock.

"...She wasn't there?"

"No..." Garmadon hung his head, a heavy disappointment weighing itself in his stomach. "We think they must've known we were coming... We caught as many people as we could when we swarmed the place, but there were a lot less than we'd anticipated..."

"And... The culprit...?"

Garmadon remained silent for a long while, lifting his gaze to meet Misako's own. He shook his head, remorseful.

"...He wasn't found." He mumbled lowly. "We think he fled the scene shortly before we arrived, just like the rest of them..."

"The only place they could retreat to is in the city... Wu and the detectives are out scouring for them now."

Garmadon couldn't help but feel immensely guilty after all that had happened that night. He'd been sent to tend to one job, and yet he hadn't completed it.

He knew the circumstances were out of his control. After all, how could he have prevented the syndicate from learning about the attack?

Yet he still couldn't shake off his overwhelming shame. He was nothing but a failure; He failed the missing girl, the detectives, his brother, his wife, and...

His son.

Approaching footsteps began to sound from the stairs, as though summoned by the thought. All form of conversation ceased completely, the two becoming speechless.

At last, Lloyd stepped out into the hall leading into the living room. He lingered warily in the doorway, his eyes immediately drifting to his father's injuries. His gaze hardened in understanding, his expression glazed with hurt.

"I knew it."

"Lloyd–?" Misako called, appalled by his sudden appearance. Yet he paid her no mind, for his fiery gaze was set on Garmadon alone.

"You're going back, aren't you?" He growled. "Is– is that why you left?"

Back...?

The realization struck Garmadon much like a punch to the stomach, leaving him winded.

Lloyd thought he was reverting back into the person he used to be– he thought he was going back to a syndicate, when he was doing the farthest thing from it.

"No, son." Garmadon assured slowly. "I'm not–"

"I heard you saying goodbye!" Lloyd interjected coolly. "You left and didn't come home until late, looking like this?!"

"Lloyd, it's not what you think–" Misako desperately tried to calm him down, but he refused to listen.

"What am I supposed to think?" Lloyd countered, seething. "You're just going to leave again, aren't you?!"

"Of course not!" Garmadon immediately refuted the idea.

"Then what?!" Lloyd snapped. "What are you really doing?!"

A long silence seeped into the room at the question. Garmadon couldn't find the right words to explain himself– how could he, when so much had happened?

He wanted nothing more than to tell Lloyd everything he knew, hoping to gain his son's trust after all of those years. Yet he couldn't bring himself to, as oversharing came with the risk of endangering Lloyd's life.

As much as Garmadon hated the outcome... He couldn't tell Lloyd a word.

Looking into Lloyd's betrayed glare, Garmadon regretted his actions more than he ever had. He opened his mouth to say something, but his son didn't provide him any further time to respond.

"...Forget it. You won't tell me the truth, even now." Lloyd turned his back to him, having seen enough. His voice lowered with spite as he dropped his shoulders. "That's fine. Just leave."

Garmadon's voice hitched in his throat at Lloyd's parting words, his guilt stronger than ever before.

"It'd make my life a whole lot easier, anyway."

Lloyd said nothing more as he left the room, pounding up the stairs. Misako's mouth flew open in sheer horror of what had transpired, her eyes shooting to Garmadon's in dismay.

They were left in a foreboding silence– one that neither of them knew how to break.