Seeing Through the Trauma

Framed (41)

"What?" Several members of the court gasped, whispers echoing in the room but it was Li Jing's voice that was the loudest. 

"What's the meaning of this?" 

"The- the lotus holding the Jade Emperor's power! I was- we were protecting it and it- we turned back and it had disappeared. Someone has stolen it, my lord!" The guard cried out, voice trembling with worry and MK looked back to find a flash of fear on Li Jing's face. 

"Did you see the intruder? This could spell very bad news. If that power falls into the wrong hands the entirety of existence could be destroyed." 

Even Azure hadn't been able to hold that power well after all, and MK remembered the sight of the cracks in the sky. 

"N-no, my lord. We saw nothing. All that was left was this piece of fur on the ground." The guard said, holding up his hand to reveal a strand of fur the exact same colour as Wukong's fur. MK recognised it immediately, flicking his gaze to his baba who looked more confused then anything as the rest of the court seemed to realize the same thing, gasps surging in the room.   

"Wukong! This hair is clearly yours, how dare you steal this power for yourself!" Erlang scorned, pointing an accusing finger his way and Wukong gasped, sounding fed up as he threw his hands in his air. 

"Are you serious?! I've literally been here this whole time. How the heck could it have been me?" He cried out, tail lashing angrily and MK looked over at Nezha, finding the prince's face pale with worry and biting his lip. Everyone looked somehow more on edge now, every guard standing stiff with their hands clenched tightly around their weapons, eyes wearily watching the three of them. 

"Just the kind of tricks you're known for! We should have imprisoned you the moment you arrived." Erlang scoffed.

The timing felt suspicious and awful, and MK twisted his hands together, squeezing his fingers anxiously at the way someone was trying to frame Baba. Because this was a framing, MK could tell that when he saw the hair. There was no way Wukong did that, so someone must have planted it there.  

"You can't be serious, he's clearly being framed." Macaque butt in, raising his eyebrows and looking at Li Jing who paused, bringing a hand up to rest on his chin. 

"The timing is- suspicious." He admitted, staring down the trio as thoughts churned in his head until it looked like he'd made up his mind.

"But this damming evidence is hard to argue with. You will be held here as a precaution until we find the power ourselves. That way you cannot escape if it was in fact you. If it is not, then you will have nothing to fear."

"What? Are you for real? I didn't do it! I'm not an idiot! Do you seriously think I'd steal that power right under your noses or be so inept as to leave a clue behind if I did?" Wukong huffed and Li Jing leveled him with a look. 

"You certainly have before." 

"That was in the past! I've changed. I swear this wasn't me. You can't just keep me here, you need my help! If we don't find the guy that did this the whole world could be destroyed. You included!" He argued, stepping forward with his cry and Li Jing shook his head.  

"Which is exactly why you and your company will be detained until further notice so that no more of your destruction and chaos can destroy the realm." It sounded final, like a command and an ending and the guards around them drew their weapons again, stepping forward. 

Wukong froze, going stiff as he stared at Li Jing. 

"You don't want to do this." He said, tone deadly but Li Jing continued as though he hadn't heard him.