Lloyd took the drivers seat on the way to drop me off and that awkward, tense feeling that I'd felt for the better half of a week had vanished completely. It made me feel light and jovial, rejoicing in the sudden clarity between Lloyd and I.
The puzzle pieces finally fit.

Halfway through the drive home I threaded my fingers through his. Our clasped hands lay comfortably between us, with small, giddy smiles on our faces. It felt as if my hand was meant to fit into his.
Is that cheesy? That's very cheesy.
The long drive ended sooner than I wanted it to. The feeling must have been mutual because Lloyd was quiet as the car waited outside my house.
"Thanks," he said quietly. "You know... for not running away."
"Couldn't lose me even if you tried," I joked, patting his cheek. He leant into my palm.
"Wanna go to the skatepark tomorrow?" Lloyd asked.
I nodded eagerly before pausing. "But you gave me your board?"
He shrugged. "I'll steal my one of my brothers'."

"All right." I leant in and pecked his nose. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you," Lloyd replied. I opened the door and stepped out. Our hands reluctantly parted.
This is ridiculous, I thought to myself as I scurried up to the front door. My heart was pounding and my stomach felt pleasantly ill. I made a beeline to my room and grabbed his hoody, curling around it and breathing in the smell of life. I feel like I'm in some ridiculous romance movie.

I'm not ashamed to say that Lloyd Garmadon had me hook, line and sinker.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

The next week was spotted by spending time with Lloyd. The people running the orphanage were pleasantly surprised with the donation of two dozen stuffed animals (sans the tiger-corn and the green ninja plush) and the skate park was surprisingly empty. True to his word, Lloyd stole one of his brothers' skateboards. I'm sure he returned it when he got home. Maybe.
I didn't know how siblings worked.

Also he was unfairly good on the skateboard.

It was another night when my mum was working late that I saw the green ninja.
I was on the rooftop again, breathing in the night air and watching the city lights when he came barreling into sight on his dragon. I went to wave my hand in greeting but faltered upon seeing just how fast he was approaching.

"Move!" he cried, shouting as he wildly waved his arm. "Come on, Y/n! Get down!"
What? He began pointing to the side. I looked over and saw a drone approaching swiftly, red optic focused on me.
"Oh, socks," I cursed. There was no way I could move out of the way in time, especially if it was targeting me.
I raised my arms to shield my face and braced for impact, as if it could save me from a metallic bowling ball charging at me head-on.
A hand grabbed my arm and with a painful tug, I was pulled onto the dragon behind Greenie.

"What the hell is going on?" I gasped, adrenaline spiking my heart rate. Taking a peek over my shoulder, I found the robot had started giving chase. Oh, and now it's shooting at us. I ducked, making myself smaller. "What is that thing?"
"It's a prototype of Cyrus Borg's security drones," Greenie replied, shouting over the wind so his voice couldn't get carried off. "Somebody hacked into their mainframes and are making them attack targeted people."
A rumble from the flying drone alerted us that it was still on our trail.
"Why would anybody want to do that?" I asked, removing an arm around Greenie to push back the hair whipping my face. "Why me?!"

"I don't know!" he called. Lasers raced past. "All I know is when Water found the list of targets and I saw your name is that I had to get to you."
"But what about everyone else?" I cried. "They're in danger, too!"
"Don't worry about them!" he reassured, shouting over the wind. The drone growled. "The others are on it! Hold tight!"
Before the word WHAT could even form, the dragon disappeared from beneath us.
I began to scream, because uh-oh death, but Greenie clasped his hand over my mouth to muffle it. I sent him a ludicrous glare as we tumbled through the open air. Is he insane?

Trust me, I managed to catch him mouth while falling to my untimely demise.
I would. But I'll do it reluctantly and after rolling my eyes. If I die I blame him.
We free fell for half a beat before the ninja swiftly landed on a roof and, without losing momentum, leapt to the side of the neighbouring brick building. He pushed off the brick wall with his feet and landed on the opposite side, doing the action again and again and again until we reached the bottom of an alleyway. My ears were ringing but I was sure that the impacts his feet made were silent the entire time, as impossible as it seemed.

He slowly pulled his hand away from my mouth, staring up at the sky. The drone had not followed us.
"We've got to stop meeting up like this, sunshine," he whispered.
"Mr. Ninja, this is not the time," I hissed under my breath. "What was that for?"
"The drones can detect specific sound signatures and then lock onto their target," he whispered his reply. "We have to be quiet if we want to catch it off guard and shut it down."
"I-"
I was cut off by him suddenly pushing my face against his chest. Peeking over the folds of his gi, I saw the drone drift slowly down the street, scanning its surroundings. I stiffened as it stopped at the entrance to the alleyway.
Swifter than light itself, Greenie flicked his wrist and a ninja star embedded itself in the drone's optic.

The drone dropped to the ground with a loud clatter, making me flinch against his chest. It twitched and sparked, then finally laid dormant.
I inhaled deeply to sigh, closing my eyes in relief. I hadn't realised that I was clutching at the front of his gi until I had to physically peel my fingers from their fists.
"You okay?" Greenie asked softly. I released my sigh and nodded against his chest. He stepped back and approached the drone, sliding out his sword and tapping it cautiously.
"Don't do that!" I hissed, crossing my arms and clutching my elbows agitatedly. Something felt wrong - it was as if pins were being stuck along my spine. "What if it comes back online?"
"It's fine," he snickered, clearly amused by my anxiety. "It's down for the count."

"You don't know that!" I pressed. He carelessly kicked it. It didn't move.
"I think I do," he noted cockily, turning his gaze back up to me and in that same split second he threw another ninja star, eyes wide.
It had brushed past my ear, knicking the side and slicing through some strands of hair. A metallic crash from behind made me jump a metre into the air. A second drone had just been taken out, this one right behind me.
"How high are the chances of them having a hive mind?" I whimpered, stumbling back from the drone. Its red optic dimmed.
"Pretty high," Greenie replied gravely. I shivered, pressing a finger to the graze to my ear. It had begun to stung. I pulled my hand away and found that it had also begun to bleed.
"How many drones?"
"Hopefully not many," Greenie said, sheathing his sword with a sigh. "The others were already taking them out when I left."

Whirring from afar made us tense.
"Get behind me," the green ninja ordered as he ushered me back against the end of the alleyway.
"I can help!" I insisted, stepping forward.
"Noooope," he shook his head, pushing me behind him again. "No way. I'm not letting you put your life in danger. I can handle this."
A whole herd of drones appeared at the end of the alleyway. Each of their optics were trained on me.
Kicking up a trash can lid, I held it close to my body - an acting shield. Greenie glanced back at me and sent me a warning look. I shrugged. Like I was going to let him face doom alone.

The drones charged. So did we.
Greenie kept behind my shield with me, reluctantly falling into my on-the-spot plan and slashing at the drones with his sword like a perfectly poised maniac. They dropped like flies while the tin lid was taking a true beating.
"You should know that you're very good at stressing me out," he grunted as he skewered a drone on his sword before smashing it to pieces against another.
"It's a talent," I growled in effort, feeling like each shot that hit the lid was shaking me through to my bones. He leapt out to slash a drone that was just out reach and I quickly followed, saving him from a shot by the skin of my teeth.

Pretty soon the alleyway was littered with sparking and twitching drones. The tin lid hit the ground with a clatter while I took the time to catch my breath. Greenie didn't look like the fight had exhausted him all too much.
"See?" I wheezed a breath, squeezing my sides. "We make a good team."
He caught my waiting gaze and dropped it to the ground as he picked up a drone and inspected the inside.
"I'm not happy."
"Oh, when are you ever happy with me?" I scoffed, kicking aside a sliced drone. It rolled into the wall where it made a loud crash. I flinched.
"When you're inside your home, safe and sound," he replied blandly. "You don't even have any training! You could get yourself killed."

I crossed my arms and scowled, irritated by his assumption.
"What makes you think I have no training?" I countered, nails digging into my skin. "You don't know anything about me."
"I know enough," he recriminated, dropping the drone with a crash. "I know that it's my job to fight them, not yours. I know that it's my skills that can take them down. I know that I should be the one protecting you."
He had taken a step closer with each urgent word. Standing barely a foot away, I could see his green eyes swirling with a million emotions.

"And if I disagree?" I challenged, halving that distance again with a step towards him. "Why can't you just admit that me helping made your job easier and safer for you? Maybe this is what the tugging's for! What if you're trying to fight fate by putting me on the sidelines?"
"My uncle would tell me-"
"We were both there and he didn't tell us squat!" I reminded, frustration making my voice rise.
In the heat of the argument, we didn't realise that unwelcome company had yet again arrived at the mouth of the alleyway until it had already shot Greenie in the arm. He spluttered in shock and pain, lurching sideways while I gasped in nauseating surprise. Dark liquid turn his black suit even blacker and with a lurch of my stomach, I realised that it was his rapidly leaking blood.

"Shit," Greenie cursed as the drone swiftly moved in. His dominant arm was injured, leaving him defenceless against the drone and without enough time to get to his feet.
"Wh- what should I do?" I stammered in alarm as he clenched his hand around his wound. He had no hands left to swing his sword with.
"Run," he hissed through gritted teeth. "Get out of here!"
"Anything other than leaving you behind?" I replied, staring at the approaching drone with apprehension.
"Leave me!" he bellowed, stressed. I feverishly shook my head.
"Not a chance," I stood my ground.

The drone lifted its gun again and I felt control over myself slip away.
My body jumped into action. While Greenie protested, I quickly snagged his sword and stepped in front of him, shielding his body with my own.
"What are you doing?" Greenie stressed, panic rising in his tone. "You're going to get yourself killed!"
I couldn't reply, couldn't speak. My body was on autopilot and I could only watch as muscle memory made my body swing into action, stepping forward and slicing at the drone. It shallowly cut through the husk, not enough to down it but enough for it to falter.

I could hear Greenie struggling to his feet behind me and the drone locked its target on him. The sword swung up and deflected the laser. I barely had anytime to think how cool my possessed body was being before a blast shot my leg and I was suddenly back in control.
"Ow!" I complained, stumbling backwards and barely managing to stay upright. Noooo no no where's that tugging thing? I need it back! I need those reflexes back!
"Y/n!" Greenie groaned from behind me. I staggered, shakily raising the sword - what the hell were those laser things intended to do? It made my entire leg sting like the nine circles of hell.

The drone lifted its gun again, this time targeting me. I gritted my teeth, pulling the sword up in front of me.
Just as the drone fired, Greenie wrapped his good arm around me and pulled me out of the way, blasting the drone with his green energy.
The drone exploded upon impact. Greenie slumped against my side, spent.
The sword in my hand clattered to the ground in relief as I fell onto my behind, breathing heavily. Greenie fell with me, landing in the war zone spotted with destroyed drones. He lifted his gaze to mine and he looked shocked.
"Y- your eyes-" he stammered in alarm.
"Huh?"
"Uh..." he slumped back a little, shaking his head and clenching his eyes closed. "... nevermind..."

Ignoring that, I lied back down on the concrete and tried to forget about the dirty alleyway ground, puffing from both adrenaline and the fact that I nearly died. Nothing like fighting a robot in the middle of the night to get your blood pumping.
Greenie lied down next to me, his good hand over his masked face.
"That was dangerous," he huffed.
I groaned, sitting up and hobbling to my feet. The stinging had only gotten worse and I was beginning to get pins and needles on the bottom of my foot. I could barely move it.

"What the hell were those laser things?" I asked, gulping air. A stitch had begun to form. My night was going swell.
"I've texted Water to find out what the side effects are," Greenie announced, struggling to sit up with his one good arm. The back of him was coated in alleyway grit and mud. "They'll get back to me."
"Hope it's not poison," I joked. Greenie sent me a look that could mean that it's totally viable to be some kind of toxicity. I wilted.
"Wait, Cyrus Borg wouldn't- right-?" I whimpered, glancing down at the blood leaking from my thigh.
"Well," Greenie said in a pitched voice.
"DUDE!" I shrieked, throwing a piece of rock at his torso. "Don't joke about this!"
He chortled before wincing. I lifted my hand towards him unsurely.

"No, it should be fine," he reassured, ripping off part of his belt and tying it tight around his wound with his teeth and free hand. His face scrunched in pain. He ripped off another and hobbled towards me, wrapping it around my leg. I hissed through my teeth as he tightened it.
A device of Greenie's beeped and he pulled out some kind of phone from his pocket.
"They shut down the drones," Greenie sighed. "Oh great! The side effects of being shot by the lasers are stinging and temporary limb paralysis."
"Oh, boo," I groaned. "How are we supposed to get home?"
"That's fine," Greenie shrugged, conjuring his dragon. It immediately padded towards me and nuzzled against my body.
"Oof." I was knocked back to the ground. "Are you making it do this?"

"I don't control it, not really," he admitted. "It's just an extension of my elemental powers, remember?"
"And when you're in danger, it becomes viscous?" I asked, cradling the dragon's head in my lap while its growling purr vibrated my very bones.
"Yeah, it reacts to my emotional state," Greenie replied with a nod.
"Aww, does that mean you have a crush on me?" I coed, grabbing my cheeks teasingly. The dragon rumbled a soft snarl. "I should let you know that I have a very nice boyfriend."
Greenie rolled his green eyes in amusement.
"I'm well aware," he said in faux exasperation, struggling to his feet. "We should get going before this limb paralysis stuff kicks in. You won't be able to walk and I can't carry you."

I nodded, grabbing onto his outstretched palm. The dragon helped push me up to my feet so I patted his muzzle in thanks. He adored that.
We managed to shuffle our way onto the back of the dragon and then we were flying, this time slowly, through the night. I could feel my leg growing more numb as time marched on and I briefly panicked whether or not I'll be able to even walk myself back to bed.
The dragon disappeared at the foot of my driveway, resulting in us having to awkwardly lean against one another and hobble up to the front door. Quietly entering as to not alert my mum, we quickly snuck to my room and closed the door behind us.

"I'm still mad at you," he hissed under his breath, the mask shading what was exposed of his face. I bit back a groan.
"Do we have to discuss this now?" I whined quietly.
"I protect the innocent," he reminded. "You risking yourself is against my job."
"Job, schmob," I scoffed, crossing my arms. "If it weren't for me, you'd have more than one shot in the shoulder."
"And because of that, you got shot!" he exclaimed in a harsh whisper back.
"A risk I was willing to take," I shrugged. "Plus, that tugging thing activated again, so clearly I was doing something right... maybe."
"Why didn't you just listen to me when I told you to leave?" he asked exasperatedly, struggling to keep his voice quiet. "I would've been fine!"
"Yeah, you'd do such a great job at protecting the innocent being totally paralysed."
"Temporarily!"

I hadn't realised that we were stepping closer to one another until I inhaled through my nose. It scrunched.
"Oh, god," I pinched my nose. "Is that from the alleyway?"
He must've only smelt what I was referring to, because his eyes squinted in disgust.
"We smell revolting."
"You want to use my shower?" I offered. "Actually, you don't get a choice. Please go take a shower dear lord. Especially if your arm ends up being useless and you're stuck here."
"Are you sure?" he hesitated. "What about your mum?"
I waved him off. "I'll handle her. Now go before I faint. Fresh towels are in the cupboard under the sink. I'll bring you some clothes."

He flashed a smile, eyes squinting, as he slowly backed out of my bedroom.
"Thanks, Sunshine."