Outbreak: Ninjago's Dark Dawn

Chapter 4 - Fractured Paths and Fragile Souls

The dawn brought no comfort, only a pale light that filtered through the dense mist surrounding the mountain temple. It painted the world in shades of gray, like a world on the verge of death. The infection had spread faster than anyone anticipated, and now the ninja stood at a crossroads, both physically and emotionally fractured.

Garmadon's plan hung over them like a cloud of impending doom. Lloyd, standing at the center of the group, still grappled with the decision he had made to trust his father. His chest felt tight, as though the weight of the entire world had pressed down on him. The others—Kai, Zane, Jay, Cole, and Nya—looked to him for answers, for leadership, but he wasn't sure if he could deliver.

Lloyd's eyes scanned the faces of his friends. Kai's anger still simmered beneath the surface, barely contained, while Nya's calmness felt like the only thing tethering him to sanity. Zane, ever stoic, seemed to have withdrawn into a cold contemplation, his face unreadable. Jay stood with an anxious fidget, clearly uncomfortable with the growing tension, but it was Cole that drew Lloyd's focus.

Cole's hands were clenched into fists, his brow furrowed. His usual calm was gone, replaced by a seething frustration that mirrored Kai's, though not as explosive. They were all on edge, and Lloyd could feel the trust between them fraying. And worst of all, his father's presence added fuel to the fire.

"We're running out of time," Garmadon's deep voice broke the silence. He stood on the edge of the group, an imposing figure, the weight of his dark past trailing him like a shadow. "If we are to lure the infection to the source, we need to act now."

Lloyd's stomach twisted. "We know the plan, but splitting up... it's dangerous. We've never faced anything like this."

"Danger is inevitable," Garmadon replied coldly. "You're either willing to face it or you're not. There is no in-between."

Kai exploded. "Of course you'd say that! You don't care what happens to us, do you? You've never cared! Why should we trust anything you say?"

The silence that followed was suffocating. Lloyd clenched his fists, anger bubbling just beneath the surface. He stepped forward, his eyes burning with frustration. "We don't have time for this, Kai."

Kai whipped around, glaring at Lloyd. "I can't believe you're defending him after everything he's done to us—to you. We're supposed to be a team, but now you're ready to follow him into who knows what kind of suicide mission."

Lloyd's heart ached, torn between his loyalty to his team and the desperate reality of their situation. "You think I want this? I'm just as scared as you are, Kai. But we don't have another option. If we don't act, Ninjago will fall."

"And you think trusting him is the solution?" Kai's voice rose, his fists igniting with small flickers of flame. "What if this is just another one of his plans to get power?"

Nya stepped between them, her hand on Kai's arm. "This isn't helping, Kai. Lloyd's right. We don't have time to fight each other."

But Kai shook her off, his voice cracking with raw emotion. "We've always been able to find another way, Nya. We've always relied on each other. Why can't we now?"

Zane's cool voice cut through the tension. "Because this threat is different. The infection isn't something we can punch or destroy with a weapon. It's consuming everything in its path."

Kai turned on Zane. "And what about you, Zane? What makes you so sure you're immune? This thing's wiping out everything it touches."

The room fell silent. Zane's expression faltered, a moment of doubt flickering across his normally calm features. His eyes, so often filled with analytical certainty, seemed distant. "I... I don't know." His voice was soft, almost too soft. "I was built to withstand extreme conditions, but this infection—it's unlike anything I've ever encountered. I've run every calculation, but... I can't say for sure if I'm vulnerable or not."