TW: mentions of character death, feeling of being replaced
Ten Hours Prior to the Fall of the Jade Palace
"Princess, what a delight."
Harumi stopped in front of Axon's cage and scowled through the vengestone bars. The master of the mind wasn't phased by the absolute fury that stood before him, anger so thick and suffocating that the singular guard that snuck the princess into Kryptarium could barely breathe. In fact, Axon was even slightly amused at the sight as he leisurely picked at his nails.
"Your people are fools," she hissed. "They are blundering idiots who can't tell their up from their down and they misinformed me."
"Oh, dear," Axon sighed. He placed his hand on his cheek and tilted his head, as if in sympathy. His yellow eyes finally bothered to find her. "Now that is disappointing."
"I was told that the green ninja and his girlfriend were no longer seeing each other," Harumi snarled. She balled her fists and gnashed her teeth. All she could see was red, and yet, Axon continued to lounge on his steel bed without a care. It only stoked her fury to higher heights, hotter heats. "I was told that they had been split up for over a year! My entire plan is in shambles thanks to your useless goons!"
"My useless goons?" Axon purred as he sat up from his bed. "My dear, do you not remember that Mr. E was the one who failed the simple task of killing Y/n L/n not only once, but twice? I would hardly call that robotic pupil of yours 'useful.'"
Harumi's nostrils flared in rage and irritation.
"Don't forget that he only followed after the failure of your own 'star fighter' Violet," she quipped poisonously. "Tell me, Axon, was this intentional? How on earth am I supposed to gain Lloyd's trust now?"
"Of course not, my princess," Axon smoothly assured. "And as for Lloyd, well... he's a man who likes to be the hero."
Harumi narrowed her eyes. Axon elaborated.
"Let him be the hero, Princess," he whispered. "And he will be eating out of the palm of your hand."
"But what about Y/n?" Harumi interjected with a scowl. Her hand was placed on her hip. Her grip was white-knuckled. "What's the point of me playing damsel when he's hanging onto her every word?"
Axon turned from the princess, signalling the end of the conversation.
"You're as smart as you are pretty, my princess," Axon murmured in shadowed delight as he began absentmindedly stroking the bars of his cage. The glowing cracks of rock brightened under his touch. "Make use of your attributes and get rid of them all."
🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃
Present Day
"Good morning second father!" I chirped as I bound up to Garmadon and gave him a hug.
Garmadon smiled, though a tad confused. He patted the top of my head and returned to cooking a mouth-watering breakfast with Zane. It was barely beyond dawn - the sun was still rising over the horizon - and yet the Bounty was wide awake.
"Good morning to you, too," he replied as he stirred something in a bowl. "What's got you in such a jolly mood?"
I have a giddy shrug and poked my finger in the batter of what looked to be pancakes to get a taste. He tapped my hand in bemused warning.
"Where's Lloyd?" I asked, stealing a blueberry from Zane's bench. The nindroid sent me a frustrated frown from taking a berry.
"I believe that he's doing a round of surveillance," Garmadon answered, going to steal a strawberry from Zane the same time I went in for another blueberry. Zane grumbled under his breath. "He wanted to check for anyone who managed to track us."
"First you use my bow, and now you steal my berries," Zane huffed. "What did I do to deserve such disrespect?"
"Aw, I love you, Zane, I really do," I said with a sincere pout. "But I love berries more."
"No berries for you," he said dryly as he picked up the container and placed it on a high shelf. I watched him with a hint of insult.
"How dare you," I said. "Putting my berries on a shelf that I can't reach? Low blow, Zane. Low blow."
Zane sent me a look out of the corner of his eyes and raised a brow.
"'Low?'" he echoed. I violently gasped and raised my foot to kick his ankle in childish retaliation, but was distracted by Garmadon.
