Chapter Text
Every day was the same for Lloyd. Wake up. Order people around. Look intimidating. Eat. Sleep, and start all over again. It was boring. It was dull. And yet, the routine made Lloyd's heart begin to harden.
He was frustrated. He was angry. He was trapped. And he hated it. He hated being helpless and out of control, but he hated that he had to act like he was in control of everything. That the Overlord and his schemes meant nothing to him. That the lives of the Baddies meant nothing to him. That the markings everyone held meant nothing to him.
The markings.
The markings.
I promise you, I will get you out of this place.
The markings!
Lloyd shot up in his bed one night, the realization finally hitting him. His nagging chest. His promise. The Baddies.
The markings.
"Not everyone here is as bad as you goodies think," Phil said. "We just... don't really have a choice."
Determination hardened inside of Lloyd. "Well, I'll do it."
"Do what?"
"I'll set you free," Lloyd stated. "Once I get out of here, I'll come back for the rest of you. You'll see."
Phil's face twisted with disbelief. "Don't say that," he murmured. "There were lots of others who said the same thing, but as the years went by, they forgot."
Lloyd straightened. "I won't forget," he told him.
Phil shook his head. "Don't get our hopes up."
"I'm serious!" Lloyd exclaimed. "I promise you, I will get you out of this place."
Lloyd felt his mind start to whirl. He had forgotten, just as Phil said he would. But now he remembered. He remembered everything. His cell. His mysterious carer. The words Phil had shared with him.
"Every Baddie has this marking. It's a bind, bound to the Overlord. Once you're marked, you can kiss your freedom goodbye."
"There's a way to escape—for some. When the Venturers complete their mission, they're free to go. But some people were bound here since birth, and they're bound for life. People like me."
Lloyd's heart began to pound. His breathing came in gasps. Now he understood. The promise that had nagged him for years. I promised Phil, he thought. I promised I would get him and the others out of here.
Dread rushed through him. But now I'm stuck here myself. He pulled down his sleeve and looked down at his wrist, drawing his fingers over the black lines of his marking. Everyone joins the Baddies thinking it's all fun and games...
That's what I thought, he realized. And I got myself trapped just like the others. If only I had remembered, then I could've fulfilled my promise like I meant to and not gotten myself stuck here. Frustration boiled inside of him. Why didn't I remember?
Ariana stirred beside him. "Lloyd?"
Lloyd drew in a shaky breath. "My promise," he whispered. "I... I remember it now."
Ariana shifted upward until Lloyd could just see her deep blue eyes in the gloom. "Phil told us about that," she murmured. "We didn't think you'd remember."
Lloyd shook his head. "I-I remember now," he said. "I remember everything. I remember meeting you." He grabbed her hand and glanced sideways at her. "You really hated me, didn't you?"
She smirked. "You weren't that fond of me, either," she pointed out.
"Actually, I think I was," Lloyd countered, gazing into her eyes. "I knew from the moment I saw you that you were special."
Ariana couldn't resist a smile, and Lloyd saw her blush underneath her curls. "What else do you remember?" she asked.
Lloyd felt his mind jolt again. "I-I remember meeting Joseph... and Vanessa... and those two guys Simon and Harry..." He furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. "Phil helped me escape. But then something happened out in the mountains... Everything went dark for a moment, and when I woke up I was..."
Lloyd gasped as a million different scenes flashed through his mind. Shoving his mother to the ground. Hitting his father across the face. The need for revenge. Boiling anger. Attacking his uncle. That Sword. Blood. More blood. Kai trembling underneath him. Shouts of rage and fury. A screech. Then darkness.
Lloyd jolted back to the present with another gasp. His mind whirled and he clutched the ground to steady himself. He must've fallen off the bed.
Everything seemed to spin and he shut his eyes, breathing heavily.
"Lloyd!" Ariana slid down beside him. "Are you alright?"
Panting, Lloyd opened his eyes again and rubbed his head. "Th-the Trance," he rasped out. "It... It really happened." He swallowed hard as memory after memory flooded his mind. It's no wonder they didn't trust me, he thought. I was a monster.
No.
I am a monster.
Lloyd found himself crushing into the corner of the wall and his bedpost. His whole body was shaking and he wrapped his arms around his knees, completely forgetting Ariana was there. The Trance, he mused, breath quickening. I really did go insane... and the ninja really did have a reason to be wary around me. They weren't just being mean. I attacked them all unarmed and unprepared. What is wrong with me?
He thought back to the days since he had returned from the monastery. He had to admit he enjoyed messing with the ninja, but they hadn't attempted to connect with him for a while now. Does that mean they've finally given up on me?
He expected to feel relieved. Or satisfied. Or even happy. But instead, he felt a hollowness break out inside of him. The ninja abandoned him... and why shouldn't they? That should've made him content. The ninja were finally going to leave him alone. He was free.
No—he wasn't free.
Not with that stupid marking on his wrist.
Anger boiled inside of him. How much longer would he have to suffer until he could do what he wanted? Go where he wanted? Live like he wanted? He had attempted that already with turning from the ninja, turning from those trapped walls of the monastery. Only to find himself trapped yet again in the Overlord's schemes. The Overlord had been playing him the whole time, just like the ninja had been. I can't take it anymore, he thought with rage. Why must everything be twisted? Why must everything I do turn out for the worse? Can't I ever be free to take charge of my own life for once?
Who cared about his promise? He definitely didn't. Because if freeing the other Baddies meant eternal prison for him, he had no intention of doing so. The Overlord swore he wouldn't let Lloyd or Ariana go if anyone slipped the former ninja's fingers. And if Lloyd had any chance of getting out of there, he had to agree to the Overlord. Those Baddies can figure their own way out, he thought, blood boiling. Because I don't have time to deal with what they want when I'm thinking about what I want. And I want to get out of here as fast as possible.
He didn't care what other people wanted anymore. Too many people had wronged him, and he was tired of it. From now on, I only care about myself and the one person I still love, he decided. Everyone else can deal with their own problems, but they won't find help here. Because I'm through.
After all, that's what being a Baddie was, wasn't it?
* * *
Faint cheering filled the silent streets as Vanessa, Phil's golden-haired sister, made her way through the shadows. She halted, hearing the noises, and peered through the fog to see a group of Baddies across the street from her. As her eyes adjusted to the green light illuminating them, she recognized some of the Top Rankers. Lloyd, Cree, the red-headed twins, a large, black-haired girl, a freckled boy, and a few others too far away for Vanessa to make out. What are they doing? she wondered.
The Tops were whooping and shouting as they bounced around Lloyd, who held a sack above his head and gave his own triumphant cheer. With a malicious laugh, one of the twins jumped up and tore the sack from the former ninja's hand, digging into it as the others gathered around him. Lloyd was about to protest when the muscular girl flung herself at him from behind, laughing as she locked her arms around his neck. Glancing sideways at her, Lloyd chuckled and spun around, flying her around with him.
Vanessa stiffened from where she was watching. What is he doing over there? she thought. With them? With her? Everyone knew that girl with the jet-black hair. No one knew her real name; they just called her Fox. Because one minute she was flirting with a guy, and the next...
Vanessa didn't want to finish the disturbing thought, but by the looks of things, she could tell that Lloyd was next.
At least Ariana wasn't around, but Vanessa felt angry enough for her best friend. What is wrong with him?
Crash!
Someone toppled out of a window beside her.
Jumping in alarm, Vanessa shook her head and headed across the street with her hands in her pockets. The group of Top Rankers began to move forward again, Lloyd and Fox taking up the rear. But before they could get very far, Vanessa called, "Lloyd!"
Lloyd halted and whipped around, eyes blazing fiercely. Vanessa stepped out of the shadows and he relaxed slightly after recognizing her.
"Go on ahead," he told the others. When they were gone, he turned back to Vanessa. "What's up?"
Vanessa stared at him. "What do you think you're doing?" she snapped.
Lloyd looked taken aback. "What are you talking about?" he said. "I'm doing what I want, just like you."
Vanessa put her hands on her hips. "What you want is to side with the Top Rankers?" she scoffed. "I thought you knew what's the trouble with them."
"So they're no good, but who cares?" Lloyd retorted. "We're all evil, aren't we?"
Vanessa sighed. "Maybe, but we're not all in the same boat," she argued. "Whatever happened to our fight for freedom? You can't help us out of here while you're hanging with the Tops."
"And what if I don't wanna help you out?" Lloyd shot back. "You can't tell me what to do. I'm in charge here!"
Vanessa's eyes widened in surprise. "You made a promise to my brother," she pushed, although now with less fire. "You can't go back on it now!"
"I can if it means no freedom for me or Ariana," Lloyd growled.
Vanessa took a step back, shocked. "B-but what about the rest of us?" she breathed. "Your friends?"
"Baddies. Don't. Have. Friends," Lloyd snarled, stalking closer to her. "That's one thing you can blame your brother for putting in my head."
"But you're different than the other Baddies!" Vanessa pleaded, eyeing the former ninja warily. "You always were!"
"If the others are like you, soft and desperate, then yes, I am different," Lloyd spat, muscles tensing.
Vanessa's breath quickened and she continued to walk backward. "You were our last hope, Lloyd." Her voice wavered. "You were going to bring change to our lives. But now I see things differently." She stiffened, gaze hardening. "You really are just another hard-hearted, rotten Baddie!"
And with that, she whirled around and raced down the street.
* * *
When they had first returned to the mountains, Raymond immediately strung together another thick cloak for Cole to wear. He set up the ninja's old mat and padded it with extra furs and blankets. He built a fire beside Cole's bedding and got straight to making warm soups and teas. He wasn't right about ready to let Cole freeze to death.
Every day, Cole lay on the mat in the shadows, shivering, shaking, moaning. Raymond would only leave the cave when absolutely necessary, and would always come back to Cole crying out for help. Then he would rush to his side, hold his hand, murmur soothing words to him, and Cole would eventually calm down again. Every night Raymond found himself in the same place. Curled beside Cole against the wall, running his hand down the ninja's hair until he fell asleep. Cole would clutch his other hand with all his strength, terrified of being left alone. And all the while, he would croak something out, utter a few words, the same words, repeated over and over, but Raymond could never understand what he was trying to say.
"Shh... it's okay," was what Raymond would keep repeating. "It's okay. You're safe here. Everything's okay."
Eventually, Cole would drift off, but oftentimes he'd be jerked awake by a dark nightmare and have to calm down all over again. Raymond thought it had been difficult the first time he had brought Cole into his cave, but now it was at least a hundred times worse. But Raymond knew he wasn't the real one suffering.
Just then, Raymond's attention was snapped from his work as Cole woke up with a sharp cry. Breath quickening, Raymond slid to his knees beside him. The black ninja's open eye was wild with panic and he scrabbled desperately at nothing with his hands. His breathing was coming in gasps and his body shook from head to toe.
"Cole, it's okay," Raymond whispered, reaching for the ninja's hand.
Cole instinctively jerked backward at the touch and pressed himself against the wall. His teeth began to chatter and he suddenly started to sob.
Raymond frowned as the black ninja buried his face in his hands, choking on his tears. "Everything's okay," he repeated softly, reaching his hand out again.
Cole jolted in alarm, then finally seemed to recognize Raymond. Gasping, he grasped the man's hand and curled himself against his chest, whimpering. Smiling softly, Raymond wrapped his arms around the ninja comfortingly, murmuring quietly to him. Cole pressed himself into the man's warmth, his racing heart eventually starting to quiet down again.
Raymond ran his fingers through the ninja's hair, feeling him relax in his arms. Cole stopped shaking for a moment, and, finally, Raymond understood the ninja's words.
"D-don't leave me..."
Warmth spread through Raymond. "I won't leave you, Cole," he breathed. "I'll stay by your side forever."
And for the first time in a long while, Cole seemed to smile.