Ninjago: Where Heroes Come From

Chapter Twenty: The Great Devouror

Garmadon didn't notice when the ninja arrived. He'd already been battling the snake for some time, and he had to admit, he could use their help. Even his powers and his supernatural strength and dexterity weren't enough to defeat the Devouror, and the longer he fought, the angrier he became. Why should he fight this snake? Mystake had already told him that he was only going to get the job done faster— stopping now and saving himself would eventually result in the snake's demise, so why should he even bother? He wasn't really going to save the day anyways; after all, once this was all over he would go back to being Lord Garmadon, the demon destroyer, and no one would care if he saved the city or not.

The Devouror linger for him, jaws open wide, and Garmadon sent a blast of power shooting into the snakes mouth. It reeled, coiling back like it had been stabbed in the face, making horrible shrieking noises. Garmadon smiled in satisfaction as black smoke began to pour from the gaps between its jaws. "How's that for a hero?" He muttered, narrowing his eyes at the snake as it reared back and prepared to strike once again.

Before it could, however, the Devouror was struck by a sudden blast of flame. Both the snake and Garmadon whirled to see where the fire had come from, and much to Garmadon's relief and disappointment, he saw Kai charging towards them both, screaming like a madman.

"Brilliant," Garmadon muttered, "the real heroes have arrived to save the day."

"I found the snake!" Kai bellowed, sending another burst of flame towards it. "Like it's hard?" Nya came up behind him, followed closely by the rest of the ninja. Garmadon notes that his children were absent, frowning when he realized that his brother, to, was nowhere to be found.

"The Devouror smells Oni blood," Garmadon mused, glancing back to the snakes gaping jaws, watching the ninja fight it, looking furious, refusing to give up, their unrelenting assault, though useless, continuing...

It was almost personal. Garmadon blinked. Perhaps...

Could his brother be dead?

He shook his head at the thought, not because he doubted its truth, but because he couldn't bother himself to care. If Wu was gone, so be it.  His brother hadn't meant anything to him. He shouldn't care about his death.

But why, then, did discomfort and fear worm around in his chest? Why did he feel that something was not right, that the universe was wrong to have taken Wu? Why did he care, even if only a little, about his brother?

Because this is my fault.

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, causing him to physically recoil. This was why Mystake had told him he had to fight; not because he had the power but because it was his responsibility. He'd been the one to allow all this to happen. When he'd tricked his brother, cruelly toying with him and stealing the blade, not caring about what happened to him or anyone else except him and Lloyd... now the Devouror was free, and it was his fault. Wu was dead because of him. Anyone else in this ruined city was dead because of him. He might as well have been the one to topple the buildings and lay waste to the streets, because as much as he might deny it, he was just as guilty as the Devouror itself. It was just a snake, but he was a man.

Or, he had been, once. He wasn't sure what to call himself now.

But in seconds, watching the snake battle the ninja, watching it win, he knew he had to do something. However that snaked was defeated, it had to be at his hand. Then his soul could be at peace. Then his brother could be avenged.

Right as the snake lunged towards Kai, jaws agape, ready to feast, Garmadon made up his mind. He lifted his arms and sent a burst of power towards it, aiming for the open mouth. It hit its target, and the snake turned its head to face Garmadon, eyes blazing. They seemed different from before, no longer reflecting his. Or maybe his own eyes were the ones that had changed.