The Hand of Time (Ninjago AU)

Chapter 16

Acronix dropped the blade as he got himself back inside the dome and fell to his knees, holding his arms before him as he let out a pained scream.

Quickly, Krux came out to check on him. Clouse, through Krux, had felt everything until he couldn't anymore. He suspected nerve damage under the burnt skin.

Clouse knelt Krux's body before him and took his unburnt hands in his own. "Let's hope your brother at least dabbled like he said he did." He spoke softly.

Acronix groaned as Clouse ran Krux's fingers over the singed skin softly.

"I'll kill him. That boy and his whole family." Acronix growled.

"All in time, Acronix." Clouse's voice gently spoke. "You must be patient."

"Patient?! I can't even feel my hands Clouse! How am I to oversee everything if I can't function?"

"With my help. I found a spell to make me human again, but it will take time and a few items we don't have." Clouse spoke as he healed what he could with Krux's limited magic knowledge. "For now, stay out of sight. If they know you are weak, they will revolt. You have an army that can handle the ninja for you."

Acronix nodded. "I guess my brother was good for something. More vermillion join every hour. Soon, I'll have a force of thousands, hundreds of thousands. Thank you dearly for showing him that nest."

"I had to do something. I wouldn't just let him live without reason Acronix." Clouse chuckled. "Besides, if I killed him, so to, would you die." He pulled Acronix up and walked around the dome, looking for some sort of first aid kit.

If he knew Krux, and he did, but that didn't matter anyway because he was in the man's head, Krux kept a first aid kit because he knew his brother would do something stupid and get himself hurt in the process. Krux liked to be prepared and Clouse counted on that.

He could heal Acronix's arms, but that would take time as well. First, Clouse needed to be human, then, he'd be able to heal Acronix and restore the young twin to his former glory.

"I have an idea." Acronix spoke softly.

"What's that?" Clouse asked as he opened the hatch below.

"What if I don't go back, and instead we plunge this world into an eternal darkness?"

"We?" Clouse pulled the first aid kit from the hatch.

"Well, you'd be my loyal adviser and royal mage." He held out his arms.

"I could live with that." Clouse used his magic to hover the case next to him and grabbed what he needed from it.

"Perfect. Because first, I'd like to see that fire ninja dealt with. This," Acronix winced as the pressure of the bandage pressed into his skin. "can not be allowed to stand."

"Use his father against him. Promise death to the man if the boy doesn't cooperate."

"I plan to. His mother too." Acronix flexed his wrists, sure it hurt, but he'd have to do more anyway so best to get over that pain now.

Luckily, that happened pretty quickly. Growing up during the beginnings, and through a war helped plenty. He'd conditioned himself to the pain, enough to the point he'd broken his leg once trying to fend off a constrictai and only knew when his brother fell over after contact had been made.

"So Krux did take them both?" Clouse smirked. He should've known. "And when their kids were so young too."

"My brother and I were younger, and that was perminant." Acronix scoffed. "We turned out fine I think."