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chellewrites · 5 years

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In Honor of The News / Also I need to start posting stuff for this

Here’s some stuff for my long and involved Overwatch fanfic about Gabe’s family I’ve been working on for like four months now?

Read under the cut!! 2k words, it’s an interview so it reads pretty quickly | read on ao3

NPR Broadcast, 14 June 2076

Miranda Jennings, NPR News: We’re now sending it over to Karley Pierce, with our special miniseries about the remains of Overwatch five years later.

Karley (Narration): It’s been five years since the Swiss HQ was destroyed in a terrorist attack and the UN shut Overwatch down for good. And while some are writing articles about what could be happening with the possible survivors of the attack, we wanted to cut away the conjecture and look at the lives of survivors we know. Over the next two weeks, I will be interviewing those people whose lives were affected most, as well as possibly some of the people behind the decisions made by the often controversial organization.

My first interviewees are none other than Penelope and Julia Reyes, wife and daughter to one of the most powerful - and some would say corrupt - men in the world, at one time. But the picture they created, both of Commander Reyes and the life they led together, is something very different than the public ever heard.

Penelope: With us, you know, it was very different. He could be - well, difficult - but he wasn’t what you’d see in the tabloids. Complicated, sure, but a genuinely good man.

Karley (Narration): We’re sitting at the marble counter in Penelope’s Central Park-bordering apartment. It’s Saturday, Penelope is finished with her grading for the moment. In the background, Julia is putting the finishing touches on a watercolor piece she is entering in a school contest. A typical familial scene, but there’s a weight in the home that I felt upon crossing the threshold.

Penelope: That kind of thing, it really doesn’t leave you. It’s not that I haven’t tried to pick up the pieces, I just - It’s a heavy loss, not just a husband, but friends, coworkers. A job. With the attack, I lost a huge piece of my life. I’d been there for almost twenty-five years, and then I was just left, alone, an eleven-year-old to take care of, no job. I felt lost.

Karley: What did you do afterward?

Penelope: We did what we could. Julia finished the grade, I signed her up for school and counseling. I got a job at Laguardia, so I could start making my own money again. But - it’s a process, you know, it’s not something that happens overnight. And I miss him every day.

Karley: He was at the center of a lot of controversy and intrigue in the later years of Overwatch, but you were out of all of it - there’s a video of you -

Penelope: Right, that was during the trial.

Karley: May I ask why you didn’t get involved?

Penelope: It was our private life. I didn’t want that out in the open. I know that the trial was about something he did publicly, but it was tabloids asking if we were divorcing, if I knew anything about what he was planning, was he involved with Doctor O’Deorain, all that. I had no desire to answer any of their questions, so I took myself out of the equation.

Karley (Narration): For her part, Penelope says she never stopped loving him.

Penelope: Even through the worst of it, I still loved him. It maybe took some convincing, but I did. I do.

Karley: And what of the allegations he was in league with Talon? According to -

Penelope: I know what they said. No, he never was, nor were the facts of that report straight. Jack and Gabe may have been at each other’s throats by the end, but neither one would risk the lives of friends and family for their petty feud. I think the picture painted is one of Jack trying to keep Overwatch afloat and Gabe trying to undermine him at every turn, but it wasn’t like that. Petras was all over everything after Blackwatch was revealed, and Gabe wanted freedom, yes, but he felt the organization wasn’t doing enough. He’s the reason we went into King’s Row, you know.

Karley: Really?

Penelope: Yes. I remember when we went, months before the orders were given. He genuinely cared about what was going on there, the destruction. I think he saw another Crisis starting. And having gone through one before, we were both… He knew how to force Jack’s hand. So he did.

Karley: So a freedom fighter, not a terrorist.

Penelope: Tired, I would say.

Karley: Do you think your relationship affected how things worked in Overwatch? I mean, were he alone, would he have done what he did?

Penelope: I don’t know. He was headstrong, to say the least. I don’t think I ever really stopped him from doing something he thought needed to be done. But I think - Before we knew each other well, according to people who knew him better, he was pretty… reckless. I think after we were married, and certainly after Julia, he became less so. More concerned with how his recklessness would affect us, back at home. But he still - I mean, Julia was nine when he killed Antonio, so he was still himself, even after us.

Karley: I know you haven’t answered questions about Venice in the past, but I’d like to ask…

Penelope: There were other factors involved. He was right, Antonio wouldn’t have stood trial for anything he’d done. Gabe did what he thought was right. But there was a lot more besides that, and that - we got through it eventually.

Karley: Can I ask what your relationship was like? Not to barge into your private lives, but there’s the Commander Reyes we all heard about, but you knew a different side of him. In our conversation so far, he seems a lot less brash and rebellious than the man I thought I knew.

Penelope: No, no, he was still brash and rebellious, at least, he could be. I - Hm. Well, for example, it took us two years to start dating. We just kept dancing around the subject; I’m sure it was annoying as hell to live through. But that’s the kind of man he could be, too. He told me once, we were actually here, looking at venues for the wedding, he told me that he didn’t think I would have been interested in him, given I was a music theory major and he was a soldier. Can you believe! He walks around looking like that and he thought I wouldn’t be interested.

Karley: Were you one of those women during the Crisis?

Penelope: Oh, God, yes. Not outwardly, of course, I’m too reserved, but I may or may not have bought the TIME magazine he was on the cover of.

Karley: Just because he was on the cover?

Penelope: (laughing) Yes, of course! You’ve seen it, I’m sure. He looked - I mean, let’s just say I was two parts happy and two parts very nervous to be his assistant. Anyway, our relationship.

Karley: Right.

Penelope: He was, well, he was tender with me. With a lot of people, honestly. You were saying, there’s this picture that’s in people’s minds of what he must have been like, all gruff and overbearing and domineering. He wasn’t. He was the man who cried at his best friend’s wedding, who wanted to name his daughter Grace because the concept of divine forgiveness was his favorite part of religion, who stress baked and made our Halloween costumes. He bought me a piano, because I was sad and I missed playing. He and Angela - Doctor Ziegler - would talk horror films while she was working on her Valkyrie suit, just to keep her company. Of course, he was a person and therefore had faults, he could be so aggravating sometimes, but… you know, he was a good man. He really, really was. And it pains me to know that so many people will look at his life’s work and not see the man behind it.

Karley (Narration): I remember when Julia Reyes was born - it was everywhere when I was starting college. Fifteen years later, she’s an amateur artist, ceramicist, and a vivacious girl, despite the traumas of her past.

Julia: This is one I entered in the New York Youth Modern Art Exhibition. I didn’t win anything, but like, I’m proud as hell to have been included.

Karley (Narration): The painting in question is a still-life of a bouquet of half-dried lilies and roses. The paint is thick and expressive, shades of blues and reds staccatoed with bright flashes of neon pink. She directs me to a table in her studio filled with plates, bowls, mugs, and other assorted ceramic creations.

Julia: This is all my newer stuff.

Karley: You’re really good! These plates look like something I’d buy downtown or something.

Julia: Thanks! I really enjoy it, unfortunately for my mother.

Karley (Narration): There is no denying that Penelope and Julia are two very different women. Penelope is clean, hair in a well-kept updo, dressed in an expensive white blouse and dark grey slacks, a Cartier watch on her wrist. Julia, on the other hand, has her hair in a loose ponytail, paint and clay spattered on her jeans and face, wearing a T-shirt for a band that was old when she was born.

Julia: Dad loved Weezer. He grew up in California, so like, I think he had to.

Karley: What do you remember about him?

Julia: A lot, I mean, I was eleven when he died. I remember - like, it’s funny, I was actually just learning about this in my current events class, but I do remember the trial and everything, after he shot that Antonio guy out a window? Mostly I remember that Mom and I moved back here, and they weren’t talking for, like, ever. But that’s not - like, that’s not my dad. Not like I knew him anyway.

Karley: That’s the sense I’m getting from you and your mother. We as a public really only saw one part of him.

Julia: Oh, yeah. Yeah, like, he did shoot a guy out a window, but he was also - I mean, he was my dad. And he was a super good one, from what I remember. Like, he would read me stories at night and stuff. Mom told me, like, he was the one who got me the tutor. Mom wanted to send me to France for school, but he wouldn’t let her, so I got my tutor instead. And I mean, looking back now, I must have had full run of the base, because I doubt anyone would have told him, ‘Hey, get your daughter out of here.’

Karley: That’s right, you grew up on the base.

Julia: Yep. What you were saying before, I mean, there was a lot of focus on all the bad shit he did. And I’m not saying he didn’t do it, I’m just saying that if people had been around him, they would have seen a guy who, like, loved his kids and wife and watched the sunrise. He was definitely not the cold-blooded murderer everyone portrays him to be.

Karley: Do you think he could have been?

Julia: Like, in his heart of hearts, he was actually just a sociopath?

Karley: Something like that.

Julia: Nah. Look, Jack Morrison killed people too. I love him a lot, he was like an uncle to me, but he did. But no one talks about him the way they talk about my dad. Dad had a hard job. He was the commander of a stealth unit, he was going against a terrorist organization, he was sick, like, he had a lot going on.

Karley: Sick?

Julia: Something they did in the SEP, yeah. I was super young, I don’t remember at all, but I know he was.

Karley: So there’s no chance he was part of Talon.

Julia: He almost got fired trying to take them out. There’s no chance.

Karley (Narration): This seemed to be the consensus between the women - Gabriel Reyes, to the two people who likely knew him best, was not a secret agent for the international terrorist organization known as Talon. I wanted to know what else in that report might have been misunderstood, so I headed off to Switzerland to speak to another woman mentioned in the report. Tomorrow, my interview with Dr. Angela Ziegler.

#overwatch #gabriel reyes #wip: my heart is a concert #GOD #i'm v nervous to post this??

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yuki7900archive · 7 years

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(Movie) Garmadon x Misako : What Could've Been

Here it is! The Garsako fic I’ve been working on the past few days. Of course, I don’t know the events of the movie, but that didn’t stop me writing about it anyway! Or at least, the bits that take place before the movie.

Anyway, enjoy ^^

"I don't like this. Not one bit." The blonde boy sat hunched over with his arms crossed like a small child sulking. His face spoke anger but his eyes screamed worry as he looked at the bridge below them. It was wobbly and unstable, god knows why they'd want to do this here of all places. They couldn't have picked solid ground, nooo~ It just had to be that rickety, old bridge that was pretty much only kept in the air by the overgrown branches that had wrapped themselves around the ropes.

"Lloyd will you relax. Your mom will be fine, she wouldn't have accepted the proposal for a fight if she didn't have at least some fighting experience." He could only turn to Nya with an amused smile as he snorted.

"Relax? You're kidding. My mom is about to fight one of the most feared warlords in all of Ninjago."

"So?" Nya arched her eyebrows questionably. "I think she can do it. She wouldn't have agreed to the fight otherwise."

"Well, I'll be ready to step in when needed-"

"Geez, man just chill out." Cole mumbled with a bored expression, staring at his dirty fingernails and scraping the mud from out underneath them. He had grown more fidgety with the loss of his beloved headphones. Sensei Wu wouldn't let him bring them as they hindered his concentration or something. Pfft, whatever. He didn't need music to function in life. No sir. Not this guy (that's what he told himself, anyway).

"Yeah, dude. I mean sure, she's probably never picked up a sword in her life-"

"Kai, stop speaking trash. Obviously, she has otherwise we wouldn't be here right now." Nya growled at her brother irritably, a slight glare aimed towards him. Kai brought his hands up in defense.

"Woah, what's got your gi in a twist?" He asked her with wide eyes. The girl sighed and closed her eyes as she apologized for her change in tone. She scratched the back of her neck a little.

"Look, people used to think I would fail in a battle evacuee they didn't think I knew how to defend myself. Always. It annoys me that despite it all, you presume that she can't fight, so can we please just have a little more faith in Misako? Please?" No one uttered a word, but Nya knew that meant they agreed with her. With a silent outward release of breath, she relaxed and paid her attention back to the arena below them.

Lloyd still had doubts, however. Misako was often quite reckless when it came to protecting him. She would do anything to keep him safe, even though sometimes she'd definitely be biting off way more fudge than she could chew. Yep, it was true. She'd do a lot of things to keep her baby boy safe from the dangers of this world. She'd argued with Garmadon countless times before, but she'd never challenged him to a battle. A battle he would win because if he could take on two of his team at once without breaking a sweat, then he could most certainly take down the woman that was half his size and had no experience in being a ninja.

This could only end horribly.

Garmadon was stood at one end of the bridge with his arms crossed and a very thoughtful expression on his face. He was in deep concentration at that moment, not in the real world but on the thoughts plaguing his mind, and Lloyd could tell. His eyes looked glazed and unfocused yet so serious and afraid. That was because he loved her, Lloyd knew that too.

He'd call him on his mobile and ask for Misako(as she'd blocked him on her phone), he'd bring her up in battles randomly, not to mention the number of times the woman has had "accidental" encounters with him on the streets after he'd attacked the city. Yep, he was infatuated with her still. Fighting her was probably the very last thing he wanted to do, yet here he was. Just stood there waiting to hurt the woman he loved. That must sting more than any wound he'd ever obtained.

Just then, from the other side of the bridge, a woman emerged from the bamboo trees. Her ginger hair was tied back in a regular ponytail, a silver crown atop her forehead to match the armour that decorated her shoulders. A quiver filled with arrows on her back, a bow in her right hand and a medium sized sword hanging from her waist, her dark grey suit stuck to her body shape. The skirt swayed slightly as she slowly put one foot in front of the other, only stopping when she'd reached the beginning of the bridge and the end of the grassy lands. Her eyes looked vicious and without mercy. Lloyd knew it was his mother under all that stuff but he couldn't believe it. It was so weird seeing her in that get up looking like she was ready to murder.

"No way. It's her..."

Lloyd heard Nya mutter under her breath as she stood up from her seat and stared in amazement. Everyone else looked puzzled by the tween's response and proceeded to ask her what the big deal was.

"Just wait." A rather smug and triumphant grin spread across her tanned face as she kept her gaze on the woman. The boys still had no idea what was going on, but they knew Nya wouldn't say no matter how much they pestered her for answers. Instead, they all followed Misako's movements too, eager to see what all the fuss was about.

Meanwhile, Garmadon was also staring at his ex-wife. He didn't realize she still had that armour, he thought she would have disintegrated it into nothing after their divorce. This gave him a glimmer of hope; maybe Misako did still love him. Whenever he asked in the past she'd simply walk away and say 'goodbye Garmadon.' But recently he'd been thinking that that was her way of saying yes without really saying it. Or perhaps she just didn't want to admit it.

"Misako, please," Garmadon called from the other side of the bridge, all four arms down by his side. He was desperate not to do this. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if she was hurt. Screw all of Ninjago, right now he didn't care about conquering it, which believe me was a very new feeling for the warlord. "We don't have to do this."

She scoffed and tightened her fists in anger.

"Yes, we do. You suggested this in the first place. What kind of warlord backs out of a fight?"

"I was angry okay? Look we've already done this before-"

"I'm aware of our past. And I told you, didn't I? If Lloyd was left in your hands it would lead to nothing but trouble!" Admittedly, she did have a point. Lloyd had lost an arm because of him, if he had taken better care of his son then his general wouldn't have bitten it clean off. He had a prosthetic arm now, Garmadon had ordered his team to create him a new arm as quickly as possible and they had done so in record time (because anything involving Lloyd meant that Garmadon became 10x scarier).

He was okay. Well, he was fine by the time Misako had gotten over to the island a few days later. She wasn't very happy though. Pretty livid actually.

Now they were here.

The warlord wanted to say something to counter but he had nothing. He'd brought this upon himself and he was honestly ready to accept the consequences. He was going to have to do this.

Without uttering another word, the man launched himself across the bridge at full speed. He pointed his sword in Misako's direction and cried out and he ran towards her. Lloyd couldn't bear to watch this.

Just as he thought he was about to stab the sword directly through his ex-wife's stomach, she leaped up into the air and dodged his attack completely. She gracefully flipped down onto the bridge, causing it to sway, as Garmadon face planted into a nearby bamboo tree. He got up and growled. Not even ten seconds into the battle and she'd already made a fool of him.

She smirked at him and quickly grabbed an arrow from her quiver, rapidly firing at her enemy as he dodged every single attack narrowly. They were both quick on their feet and just about missed each other's advances. Garmadon would attempt to stab her but she'd jump out of the way, and then vice versa. Misako had used up her arrows at the very start so she was already forced to pick up her sword and turn this match into a very close combat battle. She preferred long range attacks but unfortunately, her aim was not what it used to be, so she'd wasted all of her arrows at the start. Ah well, it would happen eventually.

As they grunted and grabbed and growled at one another, the boy's watched with shocked expressions. They didn't think she would last this long, but two minutes in and she didn't even look tired. They'd underestimated her, clearly. Nya was right, they shouldn't have assumed.

"I can't believe you didn't know your mom was Lady Iron Dragon!" Nya exclaimed excitedly as she shook Lloyd's shoulders in glee.

"Lady Iron Dragon?" Kai leaned forward to look at his sister. "You mean that warrior you were obsessed with as a kid?"

"I'm still obsessed with her! She's my idol, Kai! And for good reason too, just LOOK AT HER GO!" He did, and she was right. She was pretty damn powerful. Misako didn't look like she was able to hold a sword for more than twenty seconds, yet here she was, battling the most feared terrorist in Ninjago. She wasn't winning per say, but she definitely wasn't losing either. They both matched in strength, speed, and agility. Everyone could tell this was going to be a very close match.

"Garmadon taught her to fight to protect herself, but now she uses this knowledge to protect Lloyd." Wu didn't sit with his students, instead opting to stand and watch his brother and ex-sister in law fight one another like cat and dog. He didn't enjoy seeing it, he never liked family feuds. However, that seemed to be a family tradition at this point. He fought Garmadon, then Misako joined the fight, then both her and Wu fought him, then Lloyd came into the picture. It was fair to say this family had issues, and a whole lot of 'em too. With conflict came resolution though, so hopefully, this fight would finally end and perhaps a few more issues would be resolved in the process.

"I don't need protecting though! I'm a ninja myself." Wu's nephew argued from behind him.

"Yes, and your mother's a ninja too. Do you see the hypocrisy here?" Wu stated before focusing back on his brother. Everyone was making really valid points today.

The battle raged on. It didn't slow down even after five minutes of constant brawling. They were starting to grow fatigued and everyone could tell. However that didn't seem to be stopping them, they were both very determined to win. The looks of determination in their eyes were evident from the start, so the chances of them surrendering or giving in anytime soon was definitely a no. That didn't stop them trying to convince each other though.

"Give in already! We are equally matched!" The war lord yelled from his side of the bridge. Misako could only give him a singular laugh.

"Never! I will fight until I can't fight anymore!" She straightened her back and prepared to lunge forward.

The warlord furrowed his brows further as he locked blades with the warrior, their swords made horrible scraping sounds as they tried to push each other to the ground. Garmadon had a bit more strength left in him, however, so he was able to force her sword away from her entirely, leaving her defenseless. She fell onto her side as her weapon slid off the edge and onto the grassy floor below. Misako turned her head around to see Garmadon leaning over her.

"NO!" She heard a cry from nearby and suddenly-

Another sword clashes with her ex-husband's as someone stood above her. She blinked a few times in confusion before her brows tilted downward and her lips frowned further. Lloyd. Angrily, Misako crawled out from beneath him and patted herself off, his father lowering his sword and frowning at his son.

"I wasn't going to stab her! This was a friendly duel Luh-Lloyd."

"It sure didn't look like it, you two looked ready to murder each other."

"LLOYD!" The boy froze in place. He recognized that tone. That tone of voice his mom only ever used when she was annoyed beyond belief. Usually, she used that tone when talking about his dad. Never had more fear been struck in his heart than now. A shiver went down his spine as he forced himself to face his mom. The teen knew it was wise to say nothing and listen to her rant out her frustrations. Any wise comments and he was sure to be in even more trouble than he already was. He had gotten in heat before when she discovered he was the green ninja, and even more so when she found out he was spending the week with his dad.

"This fight was mine and mine alone, you had no right to get involved." She seethed irritably at her son. She could not believe Lloyd had the audacity to jump in front of her like that, especially when he'd already lost an arm in the past few days.

"Maybe I just don't want to see my mom get hurt." He retorted under his breath. He thought he could get away with it. Unfortunately, he wasn't quiet enough. His mom shook her head and bit her tongue as she pushed her hand up under her fringe and brushed it back. It tumbled into its previous position again, a little more disheveled. The strands of her hair more separated rather than joined together as per usual (much like her current state of mind).

"Well, I'm sorry. Sorry, I left the person I loved more than anything to protect you. Maybe I never should've left him in the first place because apparently, either way, you would still go against me and put yourself in danger because of him." With that, Misako stormed off. She ignored the calls from her son, and she ignored Garmadon as he held him back and told him to "leave her be".

She needed time alone.

---

The woman paced back and forth in frustration and anger, her fists were tightly clenched and down by her sides as she tried to release all the extra energy and adrenaline coursing through her bones. It was strange; her body screamed frustration yet her face was cool and collected. Very neutral indeed. I don't think she wanted to admit she was angry over something that seemed so silly now, her son was just scared for her, but her mind couldn't tell her heart to relax. It still hurt, is what I'm trying to say. Not just Lloyd jumping in at the last second because she was on the verge of losing, but at everything. Looking back on the past was much more difficult for her than she let anyone believe. When Lloyd had asked how her and his father had even met, she was a mixture of sad and happy. She explained the story of course, but she did so with a smile on her face. She hid away all the heartbreak. She always did, she had been doing so for so many years now. It felt like an eternity since she last let all of her emotions out, and now she felt so physically and mentally drained.

A sigh pushed its way out of her mouth as she came to a halt. She was stood by the bottom of the hill, the ocean just sat next to her as it's waves washed up against the sandy shore. Her pupils looked out and over to the glimmering night lights of Ninjago City, the different coloured dots kept her gazes attention as she slowly lowered herself to the ground and crossed her legs. She let herself lean back and allowed her hands to keep her propped up so she could continue to stare at the sight before her.

This is what she needed. A break. Just a little time to relax. Being a single mom, with an evil warlord for an ex-husband and a son who turned out to be the famous green ninja, was tiring to even think about. Yes, sitting was good. The thoughts on her mind could quiet down and just let her have some time to forget about this whole miserable affair.

...Even so, her mind couldn't help but wonder back to the past. Back to the start of it all. When she and Garmadon first met.

---

Misako looked up at the man that towered over her in awe and fascination. Never in all her life had she seen someone so tall and muscular...or with four arms. She wasn't one to judge though, she thought it was actually pretty cool! Kind of convenient too. But to be honest they didn't fascinate her nearly as much as his crimson, blood red eyes. She couldn't stop staring at them, they were so hypnotizing. They were looking right back at her too.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" Misako snapped herself out of her thoughts to see the aforementioned man gazing down at her with this sort of cocky and confident smirk upon his face. She wasn't sure what to do at first, her mouth unintentionally opening and closing like a fish out of water before sounds started to pour out.

"Uhm...No-Yes! Yes, yes you can." She stumbled awkwardly on her words and laughed nervously as she felt her cheeks go red. The woman cleared her throat and grinned timidly at him as she stood there, waiting for the photocopier to finish printing out all of the copies she needed. They both remained stationary until a few seconds letter Garmadon leaned forward a little and arched his eyebrows in further amusement and puzzlement.

"What do you need help with?" He said with a chuckle. "Misako." She paused and a pinch of worry arose in her stomach.

"How did you know my name?"

This made him laugh harder and shake his head, a toothy grin spread across his face.

"Your name tag." Misako's cheeks flushed harder. Of course, he read her name tag! Gah, what the hell was she doing? He must have thought she was an idiot.

She muttered an 'oh' in embarrassment and looked to the ground so he couldn't see her steadily increasing blush. She felt her heart beat rapidly pounding in her chest, and since when did her hands become so clammy and sweaty? Clearly, she was ill, maybe she should try and get the afternoon off to go and see a doctor? Saying that though this room was kind of stuffy anyway when it was summer; there were so many machines in here.

"Do you need help with the photocopier? Nothing's coming out." What? She turned to see everything had printed out. This made her relieved but also left a small pit of disappointment in her gut. She wanted to stay and keep talking to...

She looked at his name tag. Garmadon.

"Ah, no. I've finished printing off all the uh...ya' know." She picked up the stack of white sheets.

"Paper?"

"Yep! That's the word, ha-ha!" What was she doing? She never usually acted like such a weirdo in front of other people. Perhaps it was better if she didn't keep talking to him before she made a bigger fool of herself.

Without saying another word she rushed out of the room and back to her office to avoid making another slip-up in front of Garmadon. She didn't need the whole building knowing how much of a klutz she had been through that entire conversation. He seemed like the kind of person who knew almost everyone in the workplace.

She dumped the papers on her desk with a thud and slumped in her seat with an exhausted exhale of breath. She hid her face behind her hands as she remembered the conversation she'd just had, cringing and groaning at herself. She lightly punched her forehead in frustration as she muttered "stupid" repeatedly under her breath.

"Are you okay Misako?" The ginger haired woman paused before peering upward and seeing a fellow co-worker looking at her with a confused expression. Today was just not her day, was it? Everyone seemed to be catching her at the worst possible moments.

"I don't know, I think I might be ill." Misako sighed heavily as she rolled her chair closer to her desk. She rested her head in her left palm and reached her right hand out to take the documents from the other woman's hands. She handed them over and Misako began skimming over them, picking up her pen subconsciously and twirling it in between her fingers.

"Why do you think your ill? What's up?"

"Well, I was just photocopying all those files," she motions her head to the pile of paper on the left-hand side of her. "And I was talking to Garmadon, I don't know what department he's from but whatever. Anyway, we were talking and I started getting all hot and sweaty, my heart was pounding and I kept stumbling over my words. I was a mess in there, honestly. He's probably gonna tell his friends all about the 'weird ginger chic' on the fourth floor." She explained and signed the bottom of the first document, putting it at the back of the pile so it didn't create dis-organization on her work desk. She heard a quiet chuckle come from her co-worker, but she didn't look up at her.

"What's so funny?"

"I don't think your ill Misako. I think you like, like him." That causes the young woman to stop writing and peer up. The very idea of her liking Garmadon was ridiculous. They'd talked once. You don't fall in love at first sight, that's a myth. Sure, he seemed nice and funny, and he was pretty handsome too, but that didn't mean anything!

"I doubt I like him, we talked for a minute. I'm pretty sure he doesn't like me anyway." She stated and continued with her work, trying to ignore the little thought wriggling in the back of her mind.

"That's what they all say, my dear." There's a silence.

"Listen, just...don't throw the option out of the window okay? I've met him a few times before at office parties, and you two seem to have a lot in common." Misako signed the rest of the pages and handed them back to the woman with blonde hair stood in front of her. She thanked her and left without saying another word, leaving Misako all alone to her thoughts.

As she took into account the words she'd just heard, she started to go through the stack of paper next to her and began her work. She took her head away from its resting place and instead started to twirl her curly orange hair. Maybe her co-worker was right. Maybe she shouldn't dismiss fancying him.

---

"This is a nice place." Misako commented as she looked around at the decor of the restaurant. There wasn't much lighting but it was an outdoor restaurant anyway so that was to be expected. It made it kind of hard to see anything except the other tables though. She had to wonder how people worked here day in, day out. Maybe they'd memorized the layout of the place? Maybe they had night vision? Who really knew.

"I like it too. I'll leave it here when I take over Ninjago." Misako laughed.

"You are really determined to become a leader of this city! It's admirable. I don't think I could ever run this place." She took a sip of her water as Garmadon continued the conversation.

"Sure you could. Maybe one day we could both rule Ninjago." Misako felt her cheeks heat up at what he was implying and she giggled. First date and he was already using the 'we' word. He was very confident in himself, not that she minded at all. She liked confidence! It was a good thing to be sure of yourself. He didn't seem to be too full of himself either which was even better.

"Possibly. It's better than an office job." Another few moments are reserved for sipping their drinks.

"What did you want to be?" Garmadon asked her as two of his arms leaned against the table. "As a kid I mean. What were your aspirations?"

"Ha, my aspirations? They were just silly, kiddie stuff, ya' know?"

"Even so, I'd like to hear about them. What was the one thing you desperately wanted to be?" The woman thought for a few seconds, wondering whether to tell him. Looking back on it, it seemed like such a ridiculous thing for her to want- to STILL want. That small part of her that wishes she hadn't settled for working in an office.

"When I was a kid..." She paused and lowered her head, having one last 'are you sure?' moments before making the decision to tell him. "I wanted to be a warrior. Someone who fought to protect and fought for change. It's stupid I know-"

"No it isn't! Without fighters, we wouldn't be where we are now. People fought in revolutions and wars for change. I'm going to have to fight a war to get what I want but I'm willing to do it. For change." Misako contemplated his words. He wasn't wrong, she could name many instances where wars had been started with the idea of improving others lives. But what difference would she make by herself? There's only so much one person can do. That wasn't stopping Garmadon though.

"That is very true." With a smile, she picked up her water glass and took another sip. "So, did you always want to become a leader?"

"Oh yes, most definitely. It's in my blood." The man continued to explain in great detail, showing his date his plans for his volcano shaped house, or 'lair' as he had called it. He seemed like a very theatrical person too, enthusiastic and loud. It wasn't off-putting in the slightest, in fact, it intrigued Misako even more. She was captivated by his voice and his ambitions for the future. He seemed serious about his goals and dreams. He also had a lot of ideas. so many ideas that they didn't even realize they'd stayed well after closing time until someone came over and told them.

---

"All you two have to do is sign these papers, and you'll officially be husband and wife." The man at the desk showed them where to sign on the dotted line and waited patiently as the pair picked up a pen each and started to write. Garmadon signed his initials first, followed shortly by Misako. They were both eager to get it done and be on their way. They had managed to find a "lair" to live (Garmadon insisted on calling it that). It was the volcano just out of Ninjago city, the one that Garmadon had mentioned on their first date. I say found as if they'd gone looking for it. They'd simply decided to go live there. Did you honestly think any real-estate agent would have a volcano home to sell? Ha-ha-ha! Ohh, deary me, no.

No one owned that land so they took it upon themselves to just take it. Why not right? They'd never have to worry about being cold. Summer might be a problem though. But who cared?

"Congratulations! I hope you two are very happy together." The man gave a friendly smile as the newly wedded couple began to exit the town hall. Once they'd left the room they ran down the stairs, Misako's veil nearly flew off her head on the way outside. She gripped it tightly in one of her gloved hands and held her husband's hand in the other.

Her husband. That felt great to say. Just the thought of it made her chest fill with this warm feeling of joy. When he glanced back at her and gave her one his toothy grins, she beamed back at him with a cheerful laugh. Even though Garmadon hadn't bothered to wear a wedding suit or anything, and they hadn't even had a ceremony with all their family and friends, it still felt like her wedding day. She wasn't really one for big events anyway.

The duo made it outside in one piece and jumped onto the motorbike parked outside. A small sign was attached to the back of the vehicle that read "Just Hitched" in red lettering. As well as this there were some small cans tied to the bike with some string. As Garmadon shoved his sunglasses on, revved the engine and drove off, the cans hit against each other and skidded along the city road. He swayed between all the other cars as his wife clung on for her life, her head buried into his back as the wind blew through her curly, ginger locks. She couldn't hear anything over the motorbike's ferocious growling as they reached the outskirts of the city. And once they'd finally started along the empty road through the desert towards their new home, did the man slow down.

"How are you, Koko?" He called to her as he drove on down the rather worn concrete path.

"I'm good!" She cried back, lifting her head back up. "How about you?"

"I'm feeling fantastic!" He roared gleefully. Koko looked at the passing surroundings, seeing how the sand stretched for miles and miles like a golden ocean. The odd cactus sprouted from the ground and stood in place like soldiers saluting their commander (oh the irony). "Koko! We actually did it!"

"Ha-ha, I know! We're married!" The woman spoke with excitement whilst she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Indeed we are, my dear. And even better, we're going to conquer all of Ninjago!" He did a small wheelie, causing his wife to squeal in fright before bursting out into a fit of giggles. He increased his speed yet again and the bike zoomed past everything, everything becoming more blurry by the minute.

Misako let her head fall to her husband's back again. It snuggled against his soft, orange top and closed its weary eyes. She'd suddenly grown rather fatigued from today's events. In all fairness to her, it had been a very exciting day. A very exciting day, indeed.

---

Misako slowly made her way down the rocky pathway to where she'd spotted Garmadon overlooking the view. She could hear him talking quietly as she approached him from behind. She wasn't able to sneak up behind him and spook him, as the sound of pebbles knocking against rocks alerted him of his wife's presence, not that she was really intending to scare him anyway.

She stopped at the edge of the rock and stared out at the outline of what was once her home. Ninjago City. What a place it was. She had a good mix of both pleasant and unpleasant memories of it. She hadn't seen it in quite some time. She had been too busy training, and when she had become pregnant that had taken up a fair amount of her time too. But nonetheless, she was here now and it was great to see it again. So it only hurt her heart that they'd come here to destroy it.

She'd figured out at some point along the line that Garmadon had been very literal with his plans. When she brought it up casually in a conversation, he said they'd try to keep the place as in tact as possible (which was a lie and she knew it). She didn't know what to do about it either. Find his brother, Wu? That was a good start. He and his brother were polar opposites. Wu was the sun and Garmadon was the moon, and that's just how it was. But...then what? Her husband had an entire army of serpentine soldiers, whereas there would only be her and Wu. If only she'd realized sooner, she could've done something.

She flinched a little when she felt a cold hand intertwine with hers and squeeze tightly, only relaxing and squeezing back a few moments later when she remembered it was just Garmadon.

That was another thing. She loved Garmadon. She wanted to be with him, she wanted to succeed with him, rule with him. So what if the city turned to ruin? The world had screwed her over on countless occasions but with him at her side, she felt unstoppable. Telling Wu about all of this, going behind her partner's back, that could only end in misery for both of them. Their marriage would end for sure, and then-

"Isn't it beautiful, Koko?" Garmadon spoke rather hushed. "That city will belong to us any day now. And shortly following that, all of Ninjago."

"Mhm." Was all she could respond with, a horrible, twisted feeling in her gut forming. It carried on growing with each passing second as she further contemplated what to do. She was so lost in thought she didn't even realize when the war lord slipped his hand away from hers and turned his face in her direction.

"Somebody sounds tired," He joked as he turned the rest of himself around. "Doesn't she, Luh-Lloyd?"

The small baby in his hands was wrapped in a bright green blanket tightly. Tufts of blond hair poked out and cupped the sides of his face, curling at the tips. His smile and his emerald hues seemed to widen when he saw his mother's face. He made small noises of joy as he struggled about in his blanket, trying to get over to his mother somehow. With a small laugh, Misako reached out and took Lloyd out of her husband's hands, then cradling the baby in her arms.

"Sweetie, it's pronounced Lloyd."

"Then why has it got two L's in it?" The woman could only shrug as she let her index finger gently boop her son's nose, causing him to giggle. Lloyd's dad came up behind the pair, wrapping one pair of arms around his wife's waist and letting the other pair rest on her shoulders. He kissed the top of her head.

"I can't wait for us to take over, Koko. We've been waiting so long for this moment." Misako said nothing in response. "And just think one day, our baby boy will become the most powerful leader in the world. Our foes will cower in fear of him as he takes out their armies one by one. He will be indestructible."

She hadn't thought of that. Her baby...fighting wars and...no. No. She couldn't let that happen. No way. Peering into the green irises of the baby snuggled in her arms, the decision was clear to her now.

She needed to find Wu.

---

Misako had to hold back her tears as she saw Garmadon standing opposite her. He had a look of betrayal and anguish in his eyes. The anger in his eyes was suffocating her, she felt like he was sucking the confidence right out of her. Even with Wu at her side, the trembling in her feet didn't cease.

"I just don't understand..." He muttered and shrugged, a small and un-amused smile briefly appearing on his face. The warrior did nothing but frown and grip her sword tightly, the guilt filling up her stomach 'til she felt like she was going to explode. Her anxieties were swelling up rapidly too, any second now she was sure she was going to be sick. "I thought you wanted this."

"I wanted you. Not Ninjago." The woman cautiously stepped closer to her husband. "I admired your ambitions, but I didn't think it would mean innocent lives would be lost."

"You told me you wanted to be a warrior, this is what a warrior does-"

"A warrior that protects, Garmadon." Misako corrected him. "A warrior...that protects..." Her voice trailed off towards the end, it catching in her throat as it occurred to her how ironic it was that she'd learned to protect from the person intending to destroy. Heh...funny how things work out sometimes, isn't it? The voice in her head gave an exhausted laugh at it all. How the tears had fallen, how the blood had stained the ground, how their relationship was about to come to its end. The end that Misako dreaded.

"Warriors don't protect." He spat at her and she stumbled back towards Wu. "They attack. Ninjas are the ones that protect, Koko."

"That's funny brother," Wu stepped in front of his sister in law and furrowed his brows. "Coming from you."

"That is my past. My destiny lies elsewhere." The man in the white cloak shook and lowered his head.

"Your destiny does not end happily, brother. Not if you take the path you are trekking." Garmadon cackled along with his serpentine army.

"We shall see. Speaking of which, how's the search for this fabled 'Green Ninja' coming along?" The man sneered at his sibling, a mocking grin spread across his face as he stared down at his brother. Wu was not intimidated by him, he never was, and never would be.

"You shall see in the coming years Garmadon. When they are ready for battle, you shall be no more!"

"But, ha-ha, I'm ready for battle now! YOU ARE TOO LATE!" The warlord cried out as his soldiers cheered behind him. This was true, he had been preparing for this day all those months that Misako had been pregnant with Lloyd. He'd planned out attacks and everything. She wasn't sure what they meant by this 'Green Ninja' business but judging by her ally's response, they were not ready to take on her husband. She needed to buy time. So she did the one thing she could think of doing.

"I'm ready to battle too, Garmadon." She pushed Wu to the side and stood proudly in front of the towering man before her. "I'm ready to save Ninjago from the likes of you!"

At this, Garmadon's smile seemed to falter slightly. He remained quiet as moments passed by with the breezy air. He seemed to be pondering to himself about what to say in response. Fight his wife? Sure he was mad, but was he mad enough to kill her? Definitely not. He was planning on just wearing her out and then dragging her back to the volcano cave and making her pay for being a traitor. Then he'd forgive her and they go get ice cream or something. Treat yourself, as they say. Being a warlord was a stressful job. Finally, after a while, he crossed all four of his arms and leaned above Misako's head with a gleam in his eyes.

"You? Fight me? Ha! Like you could win."

"I'd do anything to keep both Ninjago and my boy safe from you. If he was raised by you it would lead to nothing but catastrophe. So here's what's gonna happen..." She put her sword in its sheath and planted her hands on her waist, a brave and determined look on her pale skin as she had a stare down with the monster that was twice her size.

"We shall fight. Right here. Right now. If you win I will stand by your side yet again and I will help you bring Ninjago to its knees." Both Wu and Garmadon were shocked by this, how easily she would give in and destroy the thing she was trying to save if she couldn't stand in Garmadon's way. She wouldn't even stand by and let it happen, no, she agreed to be a part of the down fall. This greatly interested her enemy. It was a win-win situation for him. He'd get Ninjago and the loyalty of his wife.

"However," She continued. "If I win you must turn around and leave. Disband your army and destroy all your weapons."

"Why on earth would I agree to that?"

"Because it's the only chance you have to get me and Lloyd back." She was right. This was his only shot. He wanted Ninjago, sure, but having Misako at his side made the entire premise of ruling all the more interesting. He wouldn't just have an entire island under his thumb, he'd have a family by his side too. A beautiful, and admittedly badass wife, along with his equally amazing son. That sounded like the perfect life for him.

"You're on." They shook hands and prepared themselves for battle, each walking away from one another and to opposite ends of the rocky pathway. Misako approached Wu, who gave not a look of worry, but a look of sympathy. He understood that doing this was a difficult thing for her to do. He recalled how much trouble she had coming to him about Garmadon in the first place.

"Are you sure you can defeat him?"

"I'm not sure." The woman sighed but kept her head held high as she counted the arrows in her quiver. "But if I do, we have more time for this Green Ninja of yours to prepare. If they really are the only one that can stop him, then we need all the time we can get."

Wu replied with nothing. Thinking back on it now, Misako could tell that he was worried they wouldn't have enough time, despite her attempts. She hadn't known at that moment that Wu was referring to Lloyd, and since Lloyd was only twelve months old then, he was going to need a few years. Scratch that, well over a decade, before he could even face Garmadon. And right then they didn't know when the war lord would return (but they knew he would).

A few minutes later and the pair were prepared for their brawl. Each equipped with a sword, they slowly walked around in a circle as they awaited the enemy to make their first move. The two armies stood around them and watched, occasionally encouraging their leaders to strike one another. An intense staring match went on between the pair, daring each other to take the first step towards them. Eventually, Garmadon became impatient and was the one to lunge forward at terrifying speeds towards his opponent. Misako evaded with a sideways roll, ending up behind him and using the short opportunity to strike her sword down upon him. Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough, and the four-armed ruler blocked her attack.

They both grunted when their swords made contact with one another, steel and steel screeching as they pushed against each other. Koko was knocked back onto the dusty floor but she quickly recovered and backward rolled out of the way of her enemy's boot. Their swords met again consistently as they smashed against each other with large amounts of force. The ginger-haired female would walk backward as her taller opponent approached her. The crowd continued to cheer and motivate until eventually fights broke out between the soldiers who wanted to get a piece of the action. This was quickly spiraling out of control.

As Wu fought against some of the serpentine soldiers, Misako and Garmadon continued their fight with great vigour and force. They cried out and screamed and groaned and scrambled, both desperate to win. The warrior knocked the warlord back with such strength that he skidded against the ground to the other side of their temporary arena. He stood up immediately and they charged at each other, leaping in the air as they shrieked and raised their weapons. As their swords met for the umpteenth time they were both pushed backward and slammed into the ground.

Misako panted wearily as she struggled to regain energy. Fighting in full armour next to a volcano was hard work. Her arms ached and her legs were in agony. She was so tired and sore and covered from head to toe in cuts and bruises. But she knew she couldn't give up, she had to keep fighting. She would never give in!

Luckily for her, she didn't have to.

"Serpentine! Retreat!" Koko sat up just in time to see Garmadon calling his soldiers to abandon ship and leave the battlefield. Rapidly, his men fled the scene and headed back to safe ground. All of the Skulkin hoorayed and jumped for joy as they watched the serpentine slithering away.

Meanwhile, Misako was speechless and confused at what she'd just witnessed. Lord Garmadon had just called a retreat. He never did that, he never backed away from anything, that was a fact of life. Yet he'd just done it. And she couldn't fully understand why. He could've taken victory then, whilst she was in a weak heap on the ground, but, no.

Wu came over and helped peel her off of the floor as she gritted her teeth from the stinging all over her body. She thanked him just as out of the corner of her eye she saw her husband give her one last farewell look before fleeing. Misako could tell from the few seconds she saw his face that he was hurt. Not because of the battle, but because of her...

Their marriage was over.

---

Lloyd found his mom sat down by the ocean as she stared out, her gaze hazy and unfocused. However, she seemed sort of relaxed and calm, which was not what the boy was expecting at all. He almost didn't alert her of his presence just to give her some peace and stop her from regaining her previous rage, but he decided against it. They needed to talk about earlier and this was the perfect opportunity as they were both alone. So without saying a word he strolled down to his mother's side and sat himself down on the ground, crossing his legs and looking out at the sea with her.

"I'm sorry." Misako blurted. Lloyd blinked and glanced to his left-hand side. She was expecting an apology from her, in fact, he wasn't really sure why she was the one saying sorry. She didn't think she'd done anything wrong. "You were looking out for me."

"It's fine Mom. I came to say sorry to you-"

"No..." She shook her head and scooted closer to her son, a sigh escaping her lips. "Don't you apologize. It's not your fault everything is the way it is. This whole feud with your father only started because of me. I was the one who hurt him, not the other way around."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a very long story, Lloyd. A story for another time." The green ninja nods his head, despite deep down really wishing to know what she had done to possibly make this whole thing her responsibility. He didn't want to ask though, he knew she'd tell him sooner or later, whenever she was ready. Suddenly, she spoke up again.

"Lloyd, Garmadon is not as bad a person as he seems. I know he destroys our home and heck, he still can't get your name right after all these years." Lloyd laughs a little. "But he never treated me badly throughout our time together. In fact, he was the best person I ever met."

"So why didn't you stay with him?" The blonde teenager asked with furrowed brows. Misako smiled at him and put an arm on her son's shoulders.

"Like I said earlier, to protect you! I didn't want you getting involved in all this evil warlord stuff but, turns out you were destined to be involved in the war one way or the other. Whether you were on the good side from the start or not didn't matter." There was silence for a few moments as Lloyd thought quietly to himself. Over the past few days, him and his dad had been bonding pretty well. His mom was right, he wasn't a completely awful person, he just wanted to rule something. In this case, it was Ninjago. Lloyd didn't hold a grudge about the arm thing either; at least he wasn't dead. If he had died then he would've left his mother all alone. Garmadon was the one who called his mom and told her everything that had happened, made sure he was taken care of and looked after. He'd basically been a dad. It was brief but for once he knew what it was like to have one.

"I think you and dad need to talk, mom." The boy said after a short while of sitting in quietude. Misako's arm left his shoulder and rested in her lap as she leaned forward. Her fingers fiddled as her pupils watched.

"I know."

The pair got up and headed back to the camp after more time passed. They didn't want it to be so dark that they couldn't find their way back. Besides, everyone was probably worried about them. They chatted and joked the whole way back, the small fall out from earlier seeming like it had never even happened. Only when they arrived back did Misako's fears start to pile up again and her anxiousness began to crawl up her stomach. She hadn't had a real sit down with Garmadon in...well ever. Their relationship had only ever faltered when she fought him back then to save Ninjago and give the green ninja more time to prepare. Any other times they'd met in public had pretty much been her telling him to leave her alone as he kept trying to convince her to go on a date with him. She was ready to do this though, not just for Lloyd. but for her and Garmadon too.

Who knows, maybe they were still meant to be.

#8381 words altogether #can you tell i enjoy writing?#cos i do #I draw more though #so much angst #ninjago #lego ninjago #lego ninjago movie #the lego ninjago movie #cinemajago #misako #movie misako #lord garmadon #garmadon #movie garmadon #garsako #garmadon x misako #misako x garmadon #abbyfanfics

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