Just an Illusion (A Ninjago Reader Insert)

Flickering

Noise is a powerful thing. It can sooth the mind or tear it apart. This time however, it was beyond anything one could ever imagine.

********

"Run! It's me they want, not you!"

"Dad!"

"Go!"The first scream was quickly smothered. Their breaths raged. Their chests tightened with ever furious step they took. Branches cracked all around them, voices roaring behind them."Don't touch her!""Take them both!"The second scream was laced with terror.An echoing gunshot rang out.The third scream....********Y/n's eyes snapped open. Sweat dripped down her forehead. Her back was aching from the table she lay on. The fancy rooms they had been given were taken away earlier that day, out of spite from the last fight. Not a soul stirred. Y/n sighed, her chest tightening once more. Flashes of the nightmare tormented her mind. She needed air.Cautiously, she snuck out of the chow house and silently scaled the building, finally resting on the roof. She felt like sobbing, or throwing up, or burning the whole island to the ground. Her breath shook with every gasp of air. Her eyes shut tight, begging the images in her head to leave her be."So, judging by that face and the time of day, I'm guessing someone didn't sleep that well either."She groaned. "I'm not in the mood, Kai."He could tell something was up. He had heard her sneaking out, only by chance. Attentively, he sat down beside her. "You know, you did good to get all the way up here without being noticed." She didn't respond to this. He figured that the tough questions were needed in this scenario. "Look, in this team, we don't leave one of our own behind. If someone is struggling, it's our job to help them. But we can't do that if you won't talk to us."She sighed again. She wasn't ready to talk. She had kept everything locked up for so long, but it was too painful to be said aloud. No, she couldn't. She wouldn't.Kai could see this about her. But he had a suspicion of what she was thinking."I lost my parents too."She looked up at him. Yet another sad story. Why were all these people filled with trauma? Then again, she couldn't really talk."How old?""About five?"A pause. "Me too.""Guess we're all just traumatised."She laughed hollowly. "Yeah, and people wonder why you all have a hero complex."The two sat there for a moment, wondering whether to laugh or cry. "You know I... never really knew what happened to them exactly. Just walked into the shop on day and... well they were gone."Y/n's voice shook slightly. "I never wanted to believe they were gone, even when I knew it was pointless. But now I... I keep playing it back in my head and wondering if what I heard was true."Kai hesitated for a moment, before bringing up the question. "What did you hear?"The sounds echoed in her ear. The screams, the voices, the...."Gunshot," she whispered. A single tear trickled down her face. She brushed the pain aside, standing once again. "They'll probably be wondering where we are," she muttered to no one in particular, walking to the roof's edge and scaling her way back down. Kai watched her go for a moment, unsure of how to respond. Clearly, there was more to her story. Clearly, she had more trauma than all of them combined. He took another look out at the stars, before following her back inside.********

Y/n stifled a yawn, as she strapped a helmet to her head. A fight in the middle of the night was not favouring anyone well. Regardless, they would have to do all they could to keep Lloyd in the competition. Garmadon was right about one thing: excluding others resulted in a lot of enemies. Everyone had joined Camille's team, not out of support for her, but hatred for the ninjas.

Y/n joined her team in discussing strategy. Their only choice was to keep all other competitors from getting near Lloyd. Unfortunately for them, this plan was not going to work out in their favour.

"Stop right there! I will not have a repeat of the last fight!" moaned Chen, pulling the group apart.

"What's wrong now? Your buttons broken?" snarled Y/n.