Hello everyone! Kiwi here. I didn't think TombRaiderNinja and I would be back so soon with another story, but I'm really glad we are. This is going to follow the same update schedule that Neverender did, so every Friday evening. If any scheduling conflicts occur, I'll PM readers to tell them. So please enjoy.

Chapter One: Broken Pretense

Garmadon leaned back against the wall, peeking through the long black curtains covering the window. His brother had called not too long ago, warning him, stating that Garmadon's ex-wife was planning on regaining custody of her son. Misako had never liked playing by the rules. There was only one thing she could have meant by 'regaining custody'.

"Dad?" Young, ten year old Lloyd stepped out of his room, the tender light of his lamp spilling out into the hall. The boy rubbed his green eyes, a yawn widening his mouth briefly.

"Yes, Lloyd?" Garmadon's voice was no more than a whisper. There was still no sign of Misako, but that meant nothing. She had always been good at sticking to the shadows.

The boy walked up to his father, the ends of his pajama pants dragging on the wooden floor. Garmadon looked down at his son, ruffling his blonde hair. "I couldn't sleep."

"Dad can't sleep either," Garmadon replied, peeking out the window once again. His hand drifted from Lloyd's head down to his shoulder. I won't let her take you.

Just as he made the silent promise in his mind, the crackle of tires against the stony ground reached Garmadon's ears. Fingers tensing around the shoulder of his child, the man risked one last peek.

A black car sat in front of the house, windows tinted, making it impossible to tell how many people were inside. Maybe Misako had come alone, planning to use her slick tongue to charm Garmadon into giving up their child. Or maybe she'd brought an army, knowing that Garmadon's skills weren't what they used to be.

"I have an idea," Garmadon whispered, his throat tightening. "Why don't we play hide and seek?"

The fear in Lloyd's eyes was growing more apparent, even in the darkness that blanketed the house. His dad hadn't asked him about hide and seek for a couple of years. He took a few steps backwards, his heart beating faster. "Dad. . . what's going on?" Lloyd's voice lowered as the sound of car doors slamming rang from outside.

"Just, find somewhere to hide yourself and I'll tell you later." Garmadon let the curtains fall back into place, slowly realizing that he was running out of time. She was right there, outside of his house, wasting no time. He silently cursed himself for spending years lying to himself. Garmadon had thought he was safe, thought Lloyd was safe, from Misako's hands. It had all been an awful illusion.

Footsteps broke the man's train of thought and his right hand immediately reached down towards his belt, where he used to keep his firearm out in the field. Of course, it wasn't there anymore. Garmadon hadn't had any need for a weapon in years. Not since he'd distanced himself from what he used to be. But the past didn't care if he was prepared or not. It was pounding on his front door. "Lloyd, go find somewhere to hide, now!"

"Why can't you just tell me what's happening?" Lloyd argued, his voice shaking as it barely left his lips. The beating on the door mimicked the rhythm of his heart. In the back of the boy's mind, a voice was telling him to listen to his father, to go and hide himself away. On the other hand. . . he was awfully curious about what exactly was going on.

Garmadon could feel his patience wearing thin. "Go. Hide. Now!" he snapped, moving away from the wall to give his son a forceful nudge in the direction of the living room. "I promise you that I'll explain everything once I know you're safe." He watched Lloyd give a reluctant nod before being swallowed up in the blackness of the house.

The unrelenting knocking on the door stopped, leaving an eerie silence in its wake. Garmadon inhaled deeply, collecting himself. He'd been in worse situations before, but not when there was something more precious than his own life on the line. Inching forward slowly, his steps making no noise on the hardwood floor, Garmadon approached the front door. Maybe Misako hadn't seen him looking through the window. Maybe she thought she had the wrong house and decided to leave.

BANG!

Garmadon tensed up, recognizing the all too familiar sound of a gunshot. He glanced over his shoulder, hoping that Lloyd had decided to stay wherever he was. Thankfully, he couldn't see any sign of his son. So far, so good. The door swung open with great force, smacking the wall. Garmadon could see the stain of gunpowder stippled around the lock and doorknob before his eyes drifted towards the barrel of a gun, trained on his chest.

Misako smiled sweetly, both hands clasped firmly around the weapon in her hand. "Hello, honey," she said, her voice sending a chill down Garmadon's spine. "How've you been? How's Lloyd doing?"

"Misako. . ." Garmadon muttered through gritted teeth. She looked beautiful, wearing her greying hair in a long braid that reached down to her waist. Her full lips were coated in red lipstick, just as they always had been. For a brief moment, Garmadon's heart beat with longing. For the past. For what had once been. Then he thought of Lloyd, hiding away somewhere in the house, and his heart hardened. "You have no place here. I suggest you leave at once."

"But I've only just got here," Misako said, stepping closer to Garmadon's body. "It's a little impolite to turn away guest, don't you think? All I want is to see Lloyd. Is that so much to ask?"

"You won't go near him," Garmadon's eyes flicked around the room, trying to find something that might help him. When they found nothing, he turned his eyes back to Misako. "We promised we'd keep him away from. . . from this life. Your life. He deserves a normal childhood, Misako."

"Oh, this is my life?" Misako twirled her long braid with one hand while the other held the weapon in place. "Don't forget, Garmadon, you're the one that introduced me into this world. You're no better than me."

"Besides. . . Don't you miss us? Don't you wish things would go back to the way they were before?" The woman lowered her hand slowly, heels clicking against the floor as she took the last steps separating her from Garmadon. "You can't tell me you've forgotten all about it. You can't honestly say you don't still wish for things to return to the way they were."

"I. . ." Garmadon closed his eyes. He did. He wished to reunite as a family more than anything. But he shook his head. He knew Misako would never change. Lloyd was who he should focus on now. And doing so meant he had to keep Misako away at all costs. "I do miss you. But Lloyd is my son. I won't give up his safety for anything."

After his last words, Garmadon grabbed hold of Misako's wrist, turning the gun away from himself before slipping it out of her fingertips. Misako growled, digging her sharp nails into Garmadon's skin. The pain caused the man's hand to snap open, thus dropping the gun with a reverberating thud. Reeling his mind back into focus, Garmadon kicked the gun away from Misako's reach, watching it slip under the couch with a smirk of satisfaction.

Her eyes narrowed as she aimed a kick towards Garmadon's abdomen. The man jumped back, finally relinquishing his hold on his old flame. Misako's foot missed its target by a long shot, but she just as soon planted it back on the ground and used the momentum to bring her other foot around. She was quick, agile. She always had been. And Garmadon was out of practice. Her other foot made contact with Garmadon's forearm as he struggled to block it. The entirety of his arm shuddered against the force, but Garmadon composed himself enough to grab Misako's leg with his free hand and twist it.

Misako gritted her teeth in pain as she pulled herself free from Garmadon's grasp. "Lloyd is my son too," she breathed. "He'll be safe with me. Why can't you see that?" Her eyes drifted back to where the gun had disappeared. Trying to recover it now would be a waste of time. Despite Garmadon leaving his old life behind, he still retained a lot of his basic training and reflexes. It impressed her. "I'll take better care of him, Garmadon. I won't shelter him from the truth like you are. You know how much potential he holds. Lloyd will be-"

"My son will not be used as a weapon!" Garmadon's breathing was ragged with anger. His hand had grabbed the collar of Misako's black fitted shirt, the material bunching up as his fingers tightened. "He didn't get to choose his parents, but I'm going to let him choose his path in life." Shaking, Garmadon released Misako and watched as her eyes widened. He was letting his emotions get the best of him. If he was in the field right now, he'd have been killed already. Desperation was a mask that Garmadon didn't wear well.

Crash!

"Well, I hope they aren't making too much of a mess," Misako said, crossing her arms over her chest.

He froze, the bangs of his greying hair beginning to plaster themselves to his forehead with sweat. "They?" Garmadon asked.

"You don't think I came alone, do you?"

Garmadon's stomach flipped and he ignored Misako, dashing instead towards the back of the house. "Lloyd!" His voice dripped heavily with concern as he pushed his shoulder against the door to his son's room and entered.

Lloyd had his back up against the wall on the opposite side of the room, his skin pale in the moonlight that flooded through the open window. A woman stood near the window, her bright green hair pulled up in a high ponytail. Garmadon narrowed his eyes and lunged towards Lloyd, throwing his body in front of his son, protecting him. "Dad. . ." the young boy breathed, his voice barely a squeak.

"I told you to hide yourself," Garmadon said, tone stern.

The woman smirked, grabbing two little pouches off of her grey pants and throwing them towards the ground. The air erupted in a sickening green smoke. Garmadon panicked, grabbing Lloyd from behind him and rushing out of the room. Heart beating faster than ever, he threw open the door to the bathroom, pushing Lloyd in first before slamming the door shut behind them. The lock clicked, leaving only silence in its wake. "Are. . . are you okay, Lloyd?"

Lloyd smiled. Garmadon frowned. The boy before him didn't look like his son. Something was. . . off. There was an evil spark in those green eyes that didn't belong to a boy his age. As Garmadon noticed this, more and more things began to change. The boy's body grew taller, hair longer, changing, changing, until a woman with thick purple hair stood before him.

"You are getting old, Garmadon," the woman smirked triumphantly. "You might have spotted the difference sooner if you'd kept your skills sharpened."

Garmadon shook his head vigorously. This couldn't be. If Lloyd wasn't here, then-

"Dad!"

Garmadon wheeled around, but the world surrounding him became a blur. His limbs began to grow limp, the room spinning and spinning until it was nothing more than a mesh of colors.

"Thanks for breathing in most of Tox's poison. You made my job a whole lot easier."

No, no, no, no. Garmadon tried to reach the door, but his body wouldn't respond. He crumpled onto the cold marble floor, darkness swimming in and out of his vision until it was all he could see.

Lloyd closed his eyes, trying to calm his breathing. He could hear footsteps heading towards his room. He allowed himself to smile slightly. They'd expected him to act like a silly little kid, running to hide under his own bed or closet. But no. Lloyd knew better than that.

He had cramped his body inside the dishwasher, a place he'd loved to hide in when he was younger. Now, his body didn't fit as comfortably as before, but that was the least of his concerns. Lloyd didn't understand what was happening, but the fear in his father's eyes had been enough to spring him into action.

BANG!

Lloyd jumped, hitting his head on the top of the dishwasher. That sound had been loud. Lloyd had never heard a gunshot before, but he was sure that must have been it. Maybe his dad needed help. . .

No. His father had ordered him to hide. Whoever was out there would expect Lloyd to come running out, but, once again, the boy knew better.

For a while, there was nothing but silence. Lloyd could hear a couple of voices here and there, but nothing loud enough for him to understand. Then once again there were footsteps. They faded away into his room, and the young boy allowed himself to relax. He didn't think there was anyone left in the living room. Maybe he should-

The door to the dishwasher creaked open, and a tall grey haired woman looked down at him. Her smile was sweet, sickeningly sweet, and her green eyes glowed the same shade as Lloyd's. "Hello, sweetie. You're a smart one, aren't you? I would never have guessed to check in here if it hadn't been for the sound of your breathing."

Lloyd didn't move. His eyes scanned the darkness behind the woman. Where was his dad?

"You have so much potential," Misako continued, forcing Lloyd to come out of his hiding place. "Oh, you'll be the best there ever was. . . or ever will be."

The woman began to drag him forward, heading towards the front door of the house. Lloyd squirmed, making himself as heavy as possible, grabbing onto anything and everything.

"Dad!"

"Be quiet! We don't want your father knowing you're leaving," Misako hissed. "You don't need him anymore, Lloyd. Mommy's here now."

"I don't want to go," Lloyd whimpered, trying to push the woman's fingers off his wrist. "I don't want to."

"I'm afraid you have no choice, baby." Misako threw the door open, tugging Lloyd towards the car. "Mommy knows what's best. So you have to come with me now."

"No!" Lloyd growled, swinging his leg back and kicking the woman's shin. She doubled over, loosening her grasp just enough for Lloyd to escape. Grinning with pride, the boy ran back into the house, searching for his father.

"Lloyd?"

The young boy turned, and there, in the darkness of the room, stood his father. His arms were wide open. Lloyd ran forward, welcoming the tight hug as his father lifted him off the ground. Lloyd closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax. He could feel his father walking, no doubt planning to lock down the door.

A soft breeze played with Lloyd's blonde hair. The young boy frowned. Why would his father go outside? That's exactly where the crazy woman was!

Lloyd straightened up, opening him mouth to protest. Shock and fear froze the words in his throat. The person holding him was not his father. It was a purple haired woman, and she held Lloyd in a grip too tight to break. Soon enough, the young boy was forced into the black car. As the shock began to wear off, a small whimper escaped his lips.

"Oh no," Misako sat beside her son, stroking his hair with her thin delicate hands. "Don't cry, little Lloyd. Everything will be much better for you now. . ."

Garmadon groaned, his head pounding as he slowly sat up. Sunlight struggled to break through the closed blinds on the window as the memories of the previous night quickly returned. "Lloyd. . ." Unsteadily getting to his feet, Garmadon opened the already cracked door and stumbled into the hallway, a sudden rush of adrenaline combating the effects of the poison. He was completely alert now, moving quickly and silently, listening for any footsteps.

The emptiness of Lloyd's room made Garmadon's heart ache. He knelt beside the bed and peeked underneath before turning towards the closet and throwing the door open. No sign of Lloyd anywhere.

Garmadon ran a hand through his hair as he made his way out to the rest of the house. That was when something out of the ordinary caught his eye. The dishwasher was open and Garmadon felt his eyes widen. Of course! Lloyd used to hide himself away in the dishwasher whenever he was feeling a little mischievous. A small smile came to Garmadon's lips. His son was smart, but it obviously hadn't been enough to trick Misako and her accomplices. Cold spread through the man's body as the truth finally settled down upon him.

Lloyd was gone.

This was all his fault. Maybe if he had just embraced what he was instead of turning his back on it, he could have trained Lloyd a little. Garmadon sighed. Would it have been so wrong to teach Lloyd how to defend himself? And now, regardless of all the precautions Garmadon had taken, Lloyd had been pulled into his world. He had no excuses now. Garmadon needed help and there was only one person he could think of that would be willing and able to.

Darting into his own room, Garmadon pressed his hand against the dark wood of his dresser. Something clicked and a panel along the side of the furniture popped open, revealing a sleek grey object inside. Garmadon took the phone out of its hiding place and flipped it open, hitting the single red button that lay where the keypad would be. A dial tone started immediately and Garmadon held the phone up to his ear.

"Garmadon?"

"Hello, brother," Garmadon spoke slowly, pacing around the foot of his bed.

Wu cleared his throat before speaking. "Is everything okay? Did-"

"Misako took Lloyd," Garmadon spat, interrupting his brother. "You know I wouldn't have called if I didn't need your help. I tried to protect him when she came and. . . I couldn't." He paused for a moment, still coming to terms with what had happened. "Wu, please. I can't do this by myself."

There was silence from the other end. "It must pain you to admit that you can't work alone," Wu said.

A smirk crept up upon Garmadon's lips. "Oh, it does," he laughed.

"Don't worry, brother. We're going to get Lloyd back."