ninjago imagines

masks | lloyd g.

[The experience of wearing his mask for the first time after he's rescued from the Quiet One's grasp isn't a good one for Lloyd.]

A/N: i saw one of the alts and i was like oh hell yeah muzzled lets do it

• • •

Lloyd's first mission happens too quietly for him to consider any of the risks in it, and he finds he's barely even scared at the end. He's got a ton of trauma to unpack, and a few injuries scattered here and there, but he's too exhilarated with his new life and powers to really think about it.

Now, he has too many minutes ticking down in the clock, too many thoughts racing around his head like cars round a track.

"Lloyd." Cole steals his attention back, dark brown eyes fixed on him steadily. "You sure you're up for this? It's okay if you don't wanna."

"Yeah." Lloyd says, a little more for himself than the earth ninja, and nods slowly. "I'm ready." Cole smiles, and tosses him a scrap of jade material.

"Here, mask up. It's just a drug bust today, Zane dropped us their location."

Lloyd gives a small hesitant smiles, and pulls on the hood, a swift practiced movement he's done a hundred times before. The soft fabric smoothes over his face, and —

Harumi's standing over him, expression twisted into a cruel smile that doesn't really reach her eyes.

"I think you've been talking a little too much." She tells him, and he backs into the corner, vengestone cuffs dragging at his raw bloody wrists.

"Lloyd?"

There are hands, scrabbling at the suffocating feeling on his face, franticly trying to tear off the mask.

He fights it, snapping at any hands that come too near, but the cold metal finds its way onto his face anyway, iron biting at his skin.

"Fuck," Lloyd breathes, and drops the mask loosely entangled in his fingers, dark green cloth splaying on the floor. He scrubs a hand across his face, breaking away the lingering memories.

"Sorry." He whispers, feeling the heavy gazes of everyone on him, and suddenly wishes he hadn't dropped the masks, if only to have something to fidget with.

"What-" Kai's eyebrows furrow in confusion, and he steps forward, careful not to startle the teen.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Kai consoles him gently, and Lloyd shakes his head firmly.

"Come on, no one's gonna blame you for not being ready. It's only been two months, right? No one would be ready after such a short time." Cole adds on reassuringly, and picks up the mask, putting it onto the duvet. "It's alright."

The clasp locks around his head, and Lloyd whines helplessly, chains scraping against the ground.

"Good boy." Harumi coos, and tucks a lock of blood stained hair behind his ear.

"Yeah." He hesitates, pushing down the arguments and doubts piling up in his mind. "Guess I'll...sit out on this one."

I'm not supposed to be like everyone else. I'm the Green Ninja.

"Okay." Kai pats his shoulder softly. "Pixal is down the hall if you need."

"Mm." Lloyd nods, and leans back onto the bed. "Go. I'm fine." The fire ninja takes one last look at him, and backs out the door quietly.

Even if you escape, do you really think you can forget all of this? Harumi's voice echoes echoes in his head, and Lloyd grinds the heels of his palms into his forehead, willing the memory to disappear.

Wearing his mask used to be the most normal thing in missions, and the Quiet One has stolen that away, too.

The soft green mask lies abandoned on the bed, and Lloyd stares at it blankly, wondering what else has changed.