Lloyd sucked on a lollipop, sitting atop his father's obsidian throne. He kicked his feet up on the armrest and let his blond locks fall past his eyes. Life was good. He rose a brow when he heard the double doors to his father's chambers open and creak.

"Young Garmadon. You have a visitor." The bony, raspy-voiced doorman hissed. Lloyd recognized the visitor immediately by his tall stature and long neck, although he was looking paler than usual.

"Thank you, Kruncha." Lloyd grabbed another piece of candy as he left the two alone. "Well, well, well, Chumsworth, we meet again." Lloyd sneered, chewing on a piece of taffy.

"Still as juvenile and naive as you were when I left you." Pythor sighed. "Do you really think a twelve-year-old can run an entire empire alone? You need me, Lloyd. You need an adult."

Lloyd growled and kicked his legs on the throne. "This empire doesn't need any more adults. Samukai died. Clouse died. Chen died. Let's also not forget my father- dead." Lloyd bit his lip and looked down. "The rest of your goddamn serpentine gang betrayed me and led 'normal' lives... Skylor, Cyrus, and little miss Pixal too."

Pythor huffed. "I've heard enough, Lloyd-"

"... Nadakahn and his stupid crew went missing. Morro vanished into thin air; he was like an older brother to me, until he turned on me... My uncle had a goddamn affair with my mom and ran off... Leaving me to tend to this shitty business alone..."

"Which is why you need me, Lloyd! Why can't you trust me? What ever happened to the good old days?"

"You left me and they stopped." Lloyd bit his lip. "I can't become the next Overlord with you babysitting me. I want to make my dad proud, alone."

Pythor laughed. "What if the police raided this place right now? You can't defend yourself for shit!"

"I'm a kid. They wouldn't suspect a thing." Lloyd smirked.

"Then they'd take you away from this place for sure and put you back in Darkley's! That's why you need me to bust you out of places like that and watch over the place-"

Lloyd finished up a candy bar. "Enough! I don't wanna hear another word from you, Chumsworth! Guards!"

The bodyguards grabbed the albino and thrust him into a cage. "You'll regret this, Garmadon! You need me!"

Lloyd rolled his eyes and hopped down from the throne, his sneakers speaking against the ebony linoleum steps. He stopped at his father's portrait, lit by purple flames. "Father... I'll make you proud..." He opened the safe behind the portrait and crawled inside the secret passage. "Business time..." He muttered.
~
Lloyd adjusted his green clip-on tie as he slipped out of his office door. Combing his blond locks neatly with his fingers, Lloyd turned the corner and met with his father's secretary (technically his now, but not professionally until he was older). For now, he was Lloyd's legal guardian in the surface world.

Dareth smiled at the young child. "Hey, boy-wonder. Sugar rush much?" He asked, wiping the chocolate off of Lloyd's face with his thumb.

"I need to see the files on Typhoon and Firefly, please." Lloyd asked sweetly, gently brushing Dareth's hand away. "Contact the police headquarters about them, and bring me the detective as well, please. Thank you!" He smiled and skipped away to his office.

Dareth sighed as he called the chief of police. "What a sweet little boy."