Nya stared in horror at the scene unfolding on the deck of the Bounty, sword in hand, too stunned to even consider using it. The ninja were in danger- her friends were in danger, again- held at weaponpoint by Garmadon.
"Look out!" She tried to warn them in vain as they were grabbed from behind, held in place by the Serpentine even as they tried to struggle. No, no, she couldn't lose them too-
"Dad! Don't do this!" Lloyd pleaded, trying to fight through the army of Serpentine to get to his father, holding the Megaweapon dangerously close to Jay's neck.
"I'm sorry Lloyd," Garmadon said, turning to face his son. Genuine regret sparkled in his crimson eyes as he lowered the weapon just for a moment. Just long enough for something red and feral to launch itself at the golden mass of power.
Aki screamed as he made contact with the Megaweapon, gasping in pain as he pulled it backwards, away from the ninja. He was- he was saving them. Why-? Nya ran down the stairs, fighting off a few Serpentine warriors to get to the deck of the Bounty. Aki didn't let go. Nya watched as he and Garmadon struggled for it, desperately, a look of protective determination on Aki's face even as he cried out in pain.
She recognised that expression. It reminded her so painfully of Kai.
She looked away.
"Aki! Let go of it!" Zane yelled, breaking free of the grasp of the Serpentine holding him and running forwards, shurikens in both hands. The clone didn't seem to hear him as he dragged Garmadon and the weapon further away, shaking in obvious anguish. He cried out again as red and gold flames ignited in his hands- flames? Was that the power of the Megaweapon? They grew in intensity, quickly becoming a contained inferno, threatening to consume everything. Startled, Garmadon let go of the weapon. The flames died as Aki threw the weapon aside, sending it sliding across the deck of the Bounty towards the Golden Peaks. Nya reached for it in vain as it slid over the edge.
"No!" She heard someone- probably Jay- yell, as it vanished into the fires of the mountain. Their only shot at getting Kai back, gone. And it was Aki's fault.
She turned back to yell at the clone, but stopped.
He looked awful. Black ash coated his hands and arms, ink-black against his paper-white skin. Smoke rose from the now-blackened edges of his sleeves and his gi was drenched in sweat. He glared defiantly at Garmadon even as he gasped for breath, choking, unable to get enough air. He tried to take a step past Garmadon and he just collapsed, falling to the deck of the Bounty with a sickening thud and laying there, unmoving.
For a moment, there was absolute silence.
"Retreat," Garmadon ordered finally, turning to face his army, visibly exhausted. "Retreat! We'll take the Bounty another day."
The ninja were too stunned to do anything but let them go. They stood still, processing the events of thirty seconds ago. Finally, someone moved- Zane, carefully lifting Aki off of the wooden floor.
"How... is he?" Nya asked, taking a step forward, almost in concern. Zane glanced up from the unconscious form cradled in his arms, worry obvious oh his face.
"He is... alive," Zane said. "I do not know... He seems to be injured badly."
Nya glanced down at Aki again. He was breathing at least, but it was slow and shallow. His hands- Nya choked back a cry of surprise at the state of his hands. Some of the ash had fallen away enough to reveal shiny, golden skin in a starburst pattern burned into the palms of his hands. It looked painful, and judging by Aki's screams... it definitely hurt.
"He needs medical attention," Zane added, distracting her from her thoughts.
"He did this to save you," Nya whispered. Zane's silence was all the confirmation she needed.
YOU ARE READING
To Defeat Your Enemy
FanfictionKai's evil clone never expected to win. Unfortunately, his victory was incredibly short-lived. The ninja have no idea what to do with the clone that killed their teammate- but Lloyd needs someone who can teach him how to use fire, so they all have t...
