Dareth got their message straight away, and set a course for the bounty along with his camera crew to interview Lloyd, and provide a different story for the public to hear.

The true story. The story everybody should believe.

Or at least... what Lloyd wanted people to believe.

"So, Lloyd Garmadon. There have been a lot of recent rumours about you... concerning your sexuality. You called us here because you wanted to make a statement, is that correct?"

"Yes. It is."

The rest of the ninja sat outside the room being used for the interview, able to hear every word, but strictly prohibited from uttering a sound.

"There was a photo taken of two men kissing, one of them assumed to be you. The picture came from an anonymous source, so we unfortunately can't question the photographer."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't me. It's clearly a bid for attention. It's nothing but a made up controversy."

"Ah, I see. But... are you willing to answer the question the nation is screaming about? Are you... in fact... a homosexual?"

Jay noted his moment of hesitation, and swore he could hear the self-guilt and sorrow in his voice as he uttered the next sentence.

"No. I'm not. There's nothing wrong with it of course. I strongly believe that all people are equal and will fight for that equality, but me, personally... no."

A couple more questions were asked, but Lloyd tactfully brought the interview to a close and soon enough, the crew left and Dareth promised that the broadcast would reach ears across all of Ninjago.

Lloyd breathed a sigh of relief as they left, then turned to his friends.

"Hopefully that will clear things up." He said simply, and everybody agreed. The last thing the ninja needed was a sour public opinion.

"If only there was no stigma around the LGBTQ+ community, then there would never be a problem alike this one." Zane stated, almost sadly.

Kai rolled his eyes.

Neither Lloyd or Jay or anybody else had the mental energy to say anything to him. They all wanted to forget the whole ordeal and carry on as normal.

"... I'm gonna start making lunch. Anybody wanna help me? Oooor...?" Jay questioned, clearly wanting some company. Zane volunteered, and it was a good thing too, as Cole seemed to be eager to help as well.

The last person he wanted to be cooking with was Mr. burnt-food-Cole.

Zane was good at starting conversation, so as they peeled vegetables and put pasta on to boil, there was never an awkward silence in the kitchen.

"People are very interesting, aren't they? They assume that anything they hear is truth, and when they are challenged, they become angry. It is almost funny."

"I wish I had your mindset. I just find those sorts of people frustrating."

"I agree. It is frustrating. But you have to look at the bright side of life." Zane replied with a smile, draining the pasta in the slightly broken colander and serving it evenly.

Since the ninja had been living together for years now, they were used to cooking in mass.

"You have seemed very troubled lately Jay. Are you alright?"

"Me?" Jay wondered out loud, "I... I guess there is something wrong."

"Would you like to talk about it?"

Jay considered, but shook his head.

"Nah, it's ok. It's just me being a paranoid idiot. Don't worry about it."

Zane could tell that he wanted to drop the subject, so he moved on quickly, keeping up conversation almost effortlessly.

"This period of peace has been nice, has it not? Nothing to worry about, until now, but I'm sure it will blow over eventually. Then again... our world can be a very prejudiced place..."

"Yeah. Tell me about it."

A news article Jay had recently read popped into his head. It was a study on why transgender people were mentally ill, and it made Jay so angry that he had to turn his phone off and calm down in the bathroom.

"After we get back into a conflict - which is bound to happen at some point - the whole of Ninjago will see Lloyd as a hero again, and this particular event will be forgotten." Zane carried on, dishing out the rest of the food then helping Jay carry it all into the dining room.

"Hey! Lunch is ready!" Jay called down the corridor, and soon enough, everybody was sat down, ready to eat.

Jay noted that Lloyd wasn't eating much, but didn't bring it up. He was probably nervous. Anybody would be, considering that he was waiting for the response of an entire nation.

Zane started a conversation about different fighting techniques, one that Kai and Cole joined in with enthusiasm, and even Sensei contributed.

Jay, Lloyd and Nya mostly stayed out of it, more troubling things on their minds.

---

Reactions had started to roll in. News centres had released interpretations, and almost every platform of social media had the story plastered all over them.

Lloyd sat at the edge of the game room, reading through posts as Kai and Cole played one of their many fighting games.

Jay stayed concentrated on the green ninja, watching as his expression stayed roughly the same, with an occasional frown or burst of upset.

He wanted to ask what was wrong but, his lips felt glued together. He was too scared to look on his social media himself, and he wasn't even the one facing the problem.

"... I think it helped." Lloyd muttered out of nowhere. Everybody in the room turned to look at him, wanting more definition.

"... a lot of people are saying that they should listen to me and believe me... while... a lot of them are calling me a liar..."

Jay shuffled over and looked at his screen, reading as Lloyd slowly scrolled past a variety of posts. Swearing, accusations, foul language. The internet was riddled with conflict and tension.

"... it'll be ok Lloyd." Cole reassured, pausing the game.

Lloyd just shrugged. While there were people on his side, there seemed to be more... so so many more who were rooting against him.

He caught Jay's eye for a second and then looked away - ashamed - and Jay looked away too.

What a mess this had become...