Enter The Ninjaverse

EPILOGUE 1

"What...?" Dr. Julien stared with utter shock at the coffin that was placed before him, "What in the dickens... in... in all of..."

With a trembling shake of his legs, Dr. Julien fell forward, clinging to the edge of the table he stood beside. Over, seeing the elder fall, held his hand forward. The shadow under him rose up and pressed into Dr. Julien's hands, helping return him back to his feet. When he was back up on them, he nervously fumbled for a chair and slowly collapsed into it.

"Thank you," Dr. Julien whispered. He leaned back into the chair, his strength utterly drained from his body. Over observed with worry, looking for any signs that something was off with him. All he saw, however, was the signs of an utterly defeated man.

The scientist and creator of the cores turned his head to look at the coffin. He waved his hand, unable to look at it any longer. Over reached forward and hit a button, causing Prime's still face to hide underneath the case once again. He had returned Prime to his people, knowing this was to be their reaction.

"How...?" Dr. Julien whispered, "How did this happen?"

"Prime lost himself," Over shook his head, "You are aware that he was not on missions these past months, yes?" Dr. Julien looked down with shame.

"I... knew he was hiding something. I knew he was going somewhere we couldn't see," Dr. Julien shook his head, "But I never imagined that letting him go, would come to this..."

The man raised his hands up to his head, pressing them down firmly and trying to suppress the emotions inside of him. He wanted to cry, weep and wail, but he couldn't bring himself to. Right now, he didn't have it in him. Instead, he looked back towards Over and gave him a pleading look of confusion, a need for some sort of actual explanation. But that look drained from his face as he saw the dark man standing before him, sensing that whatever the truth was, knowing it would bring him no peace of mind.

"Do you wish to know the full story?" Over spoke, "Do you wish to know each detail of what happened to him? Do you wish to mar your image of him, to change the savior that you have seen in your world until now?"

Dr. Julien raised his head, "Oh, normally I would say to hit me with it. But... I've been around long enough to know that you'd be telling me something I don't want to hear."

"Indeed," Over lowered his head, "I will simply say this, Dr. Julien: he fought for the sake of you and everything here until the very end. He never strayed from his ideal of protecting you. Know it was not you who caused this... and not you who must bear the burden of his deeds."

There wasn't a response from the elderly doctor. Instead, he simply gave a long, shuddering sigh and pushed himself up onto his feet. He slowly stumbled his way across the room, over towards a large window that overlooked the ruins of Ninjago City and the world as they knew it. The compound they lived in, a base formerly just to be used to repair the machines to protect them, was now the only oasis of life amongst this sea of vast emptiness, decay and crumbling ruins.

"Fancy that," Dr. Julien lowered his head, "I'm facing down the end of the world, and all I can think about is how I'm meant to tell everyone that Prime is gone. It shouldn't be that hard for this bag of old bones. Already had to do it once..." He gripped his lab coat rather tightly.

"Ahhh..." Dr. Julien let out a long sigh to clear his throat, "Don't you worry about me. I've been around for too long to fall over at this. Not that I'm happy about it. In fact I feel like I've woken up in a nightmare. Heh, though with how you look over there," Dr. Julien waved his hand at Over, "Shouldn't be surprised, eh?"

"You worry about how the people will respond?" Over asked calmly.

"Well, it's not how they respond, but how long," Dr. Julien put his hands behind his back, a small tremble in his bones, "Last time something like this happened, lots of things went wrong. Losing them to that battle, oh... it was terrible. And... now I have to be the one to tell them it happened again," Dr. Julien chuckled, "I suppose I don't even sound as sad as I should now."