Episode 18: Vengeance

Vengeance. Punishment inflicted or retribution exacted for an injury or wrong. There was an Oni Mask centered around it, and it was the only Oni Mask that hadn't been destroyed, unlike the other two. It used to be worn by Mr. E.

The silent swordsman. A nindroid built by The Quiet One. He never spoke a word and went toe to toe with The Ninja, without a need for powers. He was ruthless, cold, and more quiet than even Harumi, who already dubbed herself The Quiet One.

Mr. E found words pointless. All he needed was actions to speak. Some of the Sons of Garmadon assumed he was too dumb to speak, but in reality? He just had nothing to say.

But then? Lord Garmadon destroyed him as a way to show his minions that he would not tolerate failure...but robots could be rebuilt. Mr. E was turned into Mr. F. The same AI, merely a different body.

That was all anyone needed to know about Mr. F...right?

Garmadon stared at Mr. F, growling. "This is exactly why I destroyed him. He's so...creepy."

Sandy shivered a bit. "I-I can agree...sorry, Mr. F-"

"DON'T APOLOGIZE!" Garmadon exclaimed. "He's a servant of The Overlord! A mindless machine!"

Pixal and Zane's eyes narrowed and they looked at him, with Pixal clenching her fist tightly.

"What? I wasn't talking about you two." Garmadon said.

Wu sighed. "Brother, we'll bring you in as a last resort."

Zane then looked back at Mr. F, while everyone else just waited for him to do something. His glowing blue eyes stared into Mr. F's almost lifeless pink ones. Almost lifeless. Zane could feel something in the gaze of Mr. F, especially when he looked at Zane.

Hatred. He could feel it boiling within Mr. F, despite him not saying a word.

"...you hate me." Zane suddenly said.

Jay's wings spread a bit in surprise. "Wha? No! We don't-"

"Not you. He does." Zane said, not looking away from him. "I...I can feel it. He feels so much hatred for me and...and I don't know why...why do you hate me?"

Mr. F's eyes just narrowed.

"He does look like you." Tang commented. "Maybe he's a clone of-"

Mr. F then looked right at Tang, suddenly lunging forward at him until Zane grabbed him and forced him back down.

Tang yelped and hid behind Pigsy, laughing nervously. "O-okay, he d-doesn't like being called that!"

Erlang sighed before taking out his spear. "Then perhaps we should be physical to get information out of him. The Crystal King's weaknesses or what he plans to do with all that godlike power."

"His weakness is already known and we know what he's going to do. And how." Zane said.

Erlang scoffed. "Then why are we even bothering?"

Nezha rolled his eyes. "In case there is something we don't know."

Zane then looked at all of them before grabbing Mr. F. "I have a feeling he'll only respond to me...I'll handle this." He said before he flew off with the swordsman.

He then made sure he was alone with Mr. F before landing and setting him down. Zane was just as silent as him for a moment before looking at Mr. F, his eyes narrowing. "You can talk now...there's no one here but me."

Mr. F's eyes narrowed, and Zane could tell that there was something he wanted to say now, but he was refusing.

"Why do you look like me? Why do you hate me so much?" Zane asked. "I...I remember you from when Garmadon was resurrected. You were loyal to Harumi to the very end, and I take it she brought you back?"

Then, Mr. F suddenly nodded. Zane had his attention. That was progress.

"Then I'll ask the same thing I did all that time ago." Zane said as he walked over. "Who are you?"

Mr. F was once again silent...but then? He spoke. His voice sounded just like Zane's, but with a sinister edge to it. "You haven't figured it out, have you...?"

Zane's eyes widened. "What...?"

"I might as well speak now. The Crystal King is going to destroy everything." Mr. F said with his eyes widening to show how serious he was about what he was saying. "Every realm, every dimension. All of it will be his to destroy. He is using a powerful weapon from this world which I located for him...I have no doubt that it's built by now. All of you will be gone."

Zane stepped back a bit, actually scared. "But...you'll be destroyed too! The Overlord isn't going to spare anyone! You should know that!"

Mr. F laughed. "I don't care if I live or die...as long as you are out of the picture? I'll be just fine."

Zane's wings spread again. "Why me specifically?! What did I ever do to you?!"

Mr. F then suddenly stood up again, clenching his fists. "My name wasn't always Mr. F...it was Echo Zane. I'm a discarded replica of YOU!"

Zane's eyes widened a bit. "W...what...?"

"Our poor old father missed you so much that he attempted to build another version of you, because absolutely no one could replace you...but I didn't wake up loved. I woke up abandoned! I was left to rust! Parts constantly falling off of me! I had no one!" He boomed. "I never asked to be made, but because of you...I had to be created and then abandoned! FOR YEARS, I WAS LEFT ALONE IN THAT CURSED LIGHTHOUSE!!!"

Then, Echo Zane lunged at Zane, punching him across the face before spinning around and kicking him in the chest. Zane stumbled backwards before using his dragon wings as shields to defend himself from Echo's attacks.

"BECAUSE OF YOU, I WAS LEFT BEHIND!!! I WAS MADE OFF YOU!!! I WAS MADE TO BE YOUR SHADOW!!!" Echo roared as he kept punching and kicking, doing whatever attack he could. "BECAUSE OF YOU, I WAS THROWN AWAY!!!"

Zane then flew into the air, his eyes still wide as Echo's words began to settle in. He was filled with so much anger towards him and his deceased father...this was his brother. A little brother he had no idea about.

"But now?! Now, I don't care about pleasing our father or defending those who can't defend themselves!" Echo said as he suddenly summoned a sword made out of pure crystal. "All I care about is destroying you!!!"

He then hopped into the air, taking a swing at Zane. The Ice Ninja cried out in pain before Echo kicked him in the face, grabbing him by his neck shortly after and forcing him downwards onto the ground. Echo then began punching Zane over and over, his pink eyes glowing brighter and brighter.

Zane didn't want to fight back. He...almost felt as if he deserved this for a moment. But then, he managed to kick his little brother off of him. "NO! STOP THIS, BROTHER! W-WE CAN MAKE IT RIGHT!!!"

"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME...?" Echo asked as he took out a second sword and lunged at him again, slashing at both of his wings. "ALL I WANT IS YOU DEAD!!!"

Zane stumbled backwards before he forced himself to raise his fists, closing his wings...until suddenly?

The others quickly showed up, with Tang lifting his hands out and trapping Echo in a golden bubble of some kind. Everyone else had their weapons out, pointing them at Echo to let him know they would strike if he tried to break out.

Echo's eyes narrowed and he was once again silent, letting go of his swords and letting them shatter into pieces.

Pixal rushed over to Zane, holding his hands. "Zane! Zane?! Are you alright?!"

And then, much like Echo...Zane didn't say anything. He just stared at his trapped brother.

He understood why he wore The Mask of Vengeance now.

Because he knew nothing but revenge.

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