Flames of the Past #5: Lost Souls (Ninjago Fanfiction)

Chapter 18

The ninja were aboard one of the Guardians' jets, heading toward the Temple. Misako, Pixal, and Laurie had stayed behind to continue work on the Bounty, and the rest of the team, along with Chelsea, Skylor, and Brutus, were preparing to meet the Guardians' chief.

They decided not to waste the time getting there by interrogating the gang member they'd taken. The boy's wrists were still tied together as he sat in the back of the large jet, watching the ninja stand around him.

"Are you going to torture me?" Brutus asked.

Lloyd glared down at him. "Maybe."

"No!" Kai corrected, pushing the green ninja back. "We're just going to ask you a few questions, and we'd like you to answer them."

Brutus blinked up at him. "The Dark Lord said you'd torture us if you took us hostage," he said matter-of-factly.

"The Dark Lord?" Jay echoed in confusion.

"Sleete," Kai responded. "That's what his henchmen call him."

Chelsea scoffed from where she stood against the wall, shaking her head. "Sounds like my father," she mumbled.

"You said 'us,'" Cole recalled. "Who's us?"

"My friends," Brutus replied.

"Your friends..." Wu repeated. "They are your age?"

Brutus lazily twisted on his chair. "Mhmm."

"How old are you?" Kai wondered.

Brutus looked up at him. "I'm..." His voice faded. His forehead crinkled, and he seemed to grow confused. "I'm..." He thought again. "I don't know."

Lloyd huffed in disbelief, drawing back. "He's an idiot," he growled.

Kai wasn't so quick to assume, for staring at Brutus, he could see the concern on the boy's face, as if he was just now realizing he didn't know how old he was. Kai began to feel concerned himself. "How long have you been a part of Sleete's gang?" he inquired.

The question only confused Brutus more. "Since... um..."

"Just answer the question, kid!" Lloyd snapped.

"Lloyd!" Kai snapped back, seeing Brutus flinch.

Lloyd growled to himself and stepped into the shadows beside Chelsea.

Kai's gaze flicked to Wu and he saw his own concern reflected in the sensei's face. He could also tell something wasn't right.

Nya knelt beside Brutus and rested a comforting hand on the boy's arm. "Since you can remember?" she finished for him.

A bit of panic faded from Brutus' eyes as he stared into her soft gaze. He nodded.

Determined to get to the bottom of this, Kai copied Nya and knelt in front of the boy. "What is the first thing you remember?" he asked.

Brutus turned to him, blinking slowly as he thought. "Um..." He shifted in his seat.

"It's alright, kid," Kai soothed, smiling gently. "You can tell us."

Brutus looked from him to Nya before saying, "When the Dark Lord told me I was going to help attack your camp."

Surprise passed through the group. Only Lloyd was unconvinced, and he ripped his sword from its sheath and advanced toward the boy. "Look, kid, if you don't start answering our questions right now—"

"Stop it," Kai told him, standing up to block the green ninja from coming closer. "You're scaring him."

Lloyd glared up at him. "Yeah, that's kind of the point!" he snapped back.