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Acronix hadn’t expected falling out of the time-vortex, nor had he expected that mule of a sensei to follow both of them back into time. Though it was clear that Wu had clearly chosen to view the twins as inferior to the rest of the elements, he supposed he was just “selectively” (as Krux said) thinking, in order to divert the blame from himself. While as much as he disliked the idea of his own mind playing tricks on him to make sure he wouldn’t start miraculously sobbing, his brother may have been right.
Where he found himself was something on its own however. This was not some selective seeing, it was all real. From the lush leaves that were suspending himself off the ground, the paper thin branches that were trying to gouge out his eyes and the leven ground that leered below him. He could feel his Borg-Watch vibrate on his wrist, indicating that his heart rate had increased tremendously, the instinct to pull it infront of him and check the notification itched him like a rash. With a sigh, Acronix would tug his right arm, the limb lodged into the tree like it was tar, he would yank at it harder, hearing a pop before pain erupted like hot magma starting from his shoulder and coursing through his entire body.
“Excuse me…”
A young voice would call out below him, it was higher and squeakier than his own, most likely the boy was going through puberty. Ew, was he seriously thinking about that. Acronix would try his best to shift in the tree, groaning incontinently as he got a bushel of leaves smacked in his face like an elastic band.
“Mrm”
He would grunt, it wasn’t like he was going to get any coherent sentences in this type of setting, plus he didn’t want to risk getting a mouthful of tree. This boy could perhaps help him, could he not?
“Do you need help?”
The boy would call out below Acronix, the time twin had to bite back a rude refute, showing attitude to a random boy could result in worse things than being stuck in a tree. Thankfully for him, the kid answered their own question.
“Stupid me, of course he needs help, you dimwit.”
He didn’t know how to react nor reply to the mumble, though was satisfied with their ability to easily observe the situation and cut short the awkward, tree to ground communication. He could feel a sharp tug on his right boot, an audible breeze rustling through the tree before he tumbled to the ground.
Back crashing against the plump green grass, he would let out a wheeze before he could think about how pathetic he sounded. It didn’t matter, Krux wasn’t there to chastesize him for hours about the simple mistake, he was on his own. Yes, he would search for his older brother, though that didn’t stop him from soaking in the joy of feeling like a free bird.
He could feel a vibration on his wrist from his Borg-Watch, he would pull back his wrist, pausing mid-way as blades of grass would be kicked up in the air, the same child that had freed him from the leafy dungeon leaped about 10 feet in the air. Acronix would sit up, watching the younger black haired boy look like a cat that had been drenched in water, he would catch the other’s intent gaze at him and would match it. Playfully flashing a smile as the two would mentally enact a staring contest, that was of course until a few seconds that the latter pulled away. Their green orbs flicked to the ground, gazing at it with the strongest intent in the entirety of Ninjago.
“Sorry…”
He could hear them squeak out in a certainly quiet voice, he had barely caught it! Another rude comment etched across his mind, though Acronix waved it dismally away, scooting up to the young teen, taking interest at the lone green strand of hair that stuck out like a sore thumb in the messy sea of black hair. The other would flick their gaze at him before quickly shifting it back to the ground, a wave of stupidity washing over Acronix.
“No no, you’re good.”
He would say reassuringly, a bit too reassuringly in his mind, a wondrous, fantastic, and certainly specialized villain like him would pick it up as suspicious, though this, kid (did he mention that they looked like the living embodiment of a walking corpse) probably didn’t meet the qualifications for an evil mastermind, probably wouldn’t even complete a normal crook orientation class, so he had nothing to worry about.
“Oh…”
Acronix would fight his urges just to smack his head on a rock or something hard, like this conversation was already awkward, he had just been randomly chucked somewhere in Ninjago’s timeline, but whoever they were, their conversation skills sucked. He had an idea come to mind though… he would proudly stand up, putting a fist up to his heart, mentally vouching that he would help them make conversations, or at least improve this one.
He was so distracted by the floodgates of ideas being opened up that he didn’t notice the kid looking up at him with confusion being painted on their facial features. He probably looked like a complete idiot right now, so with that thought he would sit himself back down. Lifting up a hand for the kid to shake, a smile on their face.
“My name is Acronix, and your’s is?”
He would watch as the younger teen would investigate his hand, nose scrunching up as he looked at the bruise that was laced across his pointer finger and thumb from the previous battle, where he had gotten the two hooked on something.
“My name is Morro… why are you here?”
Acronix would immerse himself in the satisfaction of the handshake that Morro gave him, their grip was not too strong, and yet not too loose, the right amount of oomf behind the actual shake, this together lead to the pleasure that was derived from completing the custom.
“Well you see I was just visiting my friend Sensei Wu with my now missing brother.”
He would put the implication of his inquiry about his brother as something that was extremely important, and needed instant attention too. Unlucky for him he could tell that Morro was completely unaffected by this vocal importance, and instead their brows would furrow, furiously staring at Acronix like he had six heads and then looking in a different direction.
“You know my Sensei Wu?”
Acronix would deepen his stare at Morro’s forehead, giant blaring sirens and alarms going off in his brain.
Did he just blow his cover!?
He would tense up, carefully breathing in and out to avoid hyperventilating, gritting his teeth as his Borg-Watch beeped, motioning that his heart rate had gone up once more. The kid looked over at his watch, tilting their head with great interest in it. He would just focus on the green strand in their hair, peering down at the pale green gi they wore. Not the gi of the green ninja, that one was much more intricate and well to put in simple words, fancier. This one was sloppy, clearly too large for them, though a messily tied rope secured most of the fabric with a woven pendant of a dragon's head.
Then reality hit him like a sledgehammer, FSM, Krux would’ve shooken him back and forth multiple times, investigate his head if there were any injuries to it, and then go on a two hour rant about his stupidity. This was Morro.
Morro, the Master of Wind.
“Excuse me, Acronix,” The older boy would look down at them, wincing slightly as his name on their tongue sounded at minimum, unfamiliar.
“-but are you sure you want to see my Sensei? I could see your interest that your sensei friend had a name similar to mine,” Acrnoix would shift uncomfortably at the little lie he had told Morro. It was poorly fabricated and if someone thought about it long enough, they would see right through it.
“ Did I say Wu? Oh I must've been mistaken, a tumble in my words. Though meeting your master would give me the greatest of pleasures, what I should’ve said was: I was just visiting my sensei Mu…”
Sensei Mu, really .
Great thinking there, Arconix.
He pushed the vindictive thoughts deeper into the back of his mind, trying to focus on the conversation at hand. Ever since he had mentioned (accidently did he remind himself) this kid’s sensei, they had become a total chatterbox.
“-but I would hate to waste my sensei’s time… not saying that this is a waste of time. Just that… I don’t wish him to be angered that I brought you here and everything, I don’t believe that this would be something the green ninja would do.”
Acronix would shake his head, forcing a smile on his face at the young elemental master, before taking apart what they had just said and inspecting carefully. From what he could tell, this kid was the one who had led the living embodiment of the cursed realm just a few months before his arrival. It had popped up several times on his Borg-Watch when he was reading the news, disturbing images of a coastal town ripped to shreds were on most of the titles.
Maybe when he was thinking that this kid wasn’t an evil mastermind he jinxed it, that suddenly the FSM had enough of his stupidity and did something to prove to him that he needed to start using his brain.
It didn’t matter however, the past and present one had the relatively same haircut (which wasn’t really important), the latter one seemed to have grown out their hair more, a half a foot underneath their shoulder blades unlike this one whose hung just at their collarbone, the striking green streak of hair was the final puzzle peace to their mysterious resemblance. Krux had spoken of this child too, listing off another reason that the two needed to show the other elemental’s that they were simply meek specks of dust in comparison to them.
If Wu, the direct son of the FSM, cried over a simple child, someone, anyone, you or me, could’ve exploited it. We should've exploited it. We would’ve proven to them that we are the true elements of Ninjago.
His older brother’s voice echoed through his mind as they continued up the staircase, he didn’t even try to catch himself when he stumbled on a deep crack in a step. Morro instantly rushed to his side as blood would etch across his vision, a searing cut digging it’s way into the flesh of his forehead, he would wipe away the crimson liquid with the back of his sweat stricken hand, frowning the slightest at what it would look like once it dried but decided that wasn’t important.
“Acronix come on!”
Acronix would let out a wheeze as the tiny ball of energy would tug on his shoulder, a surprised groan flying out of his as Morro would actually tug him up a few stairs. He would let them continue the tugging in an unpredictable, ecstatic, rhythm that led to the younger twin to feel his stomach churning. He couldn’t throw up though, he hadn’t eaten something in a good few hours, plus despite what a work out it must’ve been for Morro to drag a dead weight twice his size up a practically unending staircase they reached the gate oddly quick.
The familiar gong ringtone of the doorbell snapped Acronix out of his trance, wiping his carmine stained hand once more across his still profusely bleeding forehead. Morro would be standing at his side, his posture much more straightened and rigid than it was when he met Acronix, a cold and serious expression being sculpted on their face. The slightest pang of jealousy echoing through his heart, he was treating his sensei like they were the FSM. Why wasn’t he like for Acronix, was he just that bad.
A “familiar” face would poke its way out of the cracked gate door, he would peer down at Morro who had a tiny smile tugging at their lips.
“Morro shouldn’t you be-”
The time twin would flash a quick smile at their previous (since besides this Wu, he hadn’t spotted the old bed-ridden senior) enemy, hoping that either the younger version hadn’t met with the twins or that he looked close enough like whatever version of him was in this timeline. He could only assume it was one or two years before he would be banished in the time vortex.
“Welcome to the Monastery of Spinjitzu, I see my student has brought you here to seek medical attention. I apologize that he, himself, didn’t come up here and brought the bandages down for you.”
Goosebumps would prickle his skin at the first lighthearted tone before the drastic change to a stern and disappointed one. Morro hadn’t done anything bad in his mind, plus it was his idiotic idea to climb up here, you’d think that the first battle only being around a month in his past, and the second one being only a few hours in the past, would’ve reminded him of the hellish nightmare of getting up here. Acronix would peer down at the raven haired boy, who’s blank facial expressions had turned into what he could only assume was the holding back of tears.
“It’s completely fine, this was just rendered from me not paying attention to a certain chipped step.”
He would motion up the recently scabbed wound, flashing a kind, but certainly fake smile at this Wu. He didn’t honestly know what to think of this version of the old man, he seemed cruel and cold. Being the definition of what both he and Krux believed that the sensei could never be, but it was certainly something that existed.
Dipping his head politely, Acronix would walk into the all too familiar courtyard of the monastery, to think he had just been here a few hours ago and it had looked so much different, and so much similar. Morro rushed off into the kitchen, he could only make out a few words that the student and sensei had said while he sat at the dining room table.
“Thank you.”
He would rush out, the two words becoming more like a jumble of multiple phrases that had gone through his head mid-thought but hadn’t quite made it to his lips yet, making the basic reply feel and sound so off. He would flash a humiliated grin, and would grab the tea cup, swirling the liquid as he would watch the steam waver from it. Acronix could feel the sharp daggers that were being stared into his direction so he took a big gulp of the scalding liquid, choking back the instant reaction to cough as it scorched all the way down his throat. The old– no young man would stare back at him the utmost curiosity, as if he was a bug underneath a microscope
He would do his best to return the 'I'm checking you out in the villainous way’ gaze, watching them take a simple and small sip from their teacup. Acronix would twist his head to see Morro sliding the paper door open, carrying an assortment of oils, bandages and what could only be assumed to be more tea leaves. The boy looked away from him, taking him by surprise. Why were they suddenly afraid of him, he wasn't the one to blame here.
“Good job.”
He would turn back over to the sensei, spotting the proud little glint in Morro’s eyes, the straightening of their posture once more. Although Acrnoix wasn’t a therapist, and by any means a qualified body language reader, he could only feel the twisted atmosphere of whatever this relationship was.
What happened next was quite simple, he was bandaged by one of his most hated enemies, sent to a vacant room by said enemy’s “student”. Acronix was left with the unsettling feeling of not knowing what to do next. Thoughts racked his brain though none of them he particularly favored over the latter, he would just stare at the boy who was lingering in the doorway.
“What do you want?”
He would snap at them, his endless patience slipping for that single mocking snare at the adolescent Master of Wind. A faint smile tugging on his lips as he watched them back up, eyes frantically looking everywhere around the room but Acronix’s gaze. Pleasure seeped into his skin, though gave off a rather unpleasant sensation as if fingernails were being ripped across it. He wished his brother was here, he could’ve asked if this was normal. If this is the highest reward one could claim from the occupation of villainy, or if that was his own feelings turning and shifting the sequence of events into a fever dream for the twin.
He would watch them shift uncomfortably, before taking a deep breath and shifting into a more blank and rather rigid emotion. He would smile uncontrollably, that his presence had caused the uncomfortable sensation that made the boy feel like his own corpse wasn’t his own.
“Y-your watch thing, it produces noise.”
“Yes and…”
Acronix would leer, gazing down at his Borg-Watch, which was projecting some sort of graph about the recent mental stimulation that he had received. He would shake his head though looking back up to Morro, the utmost curiosity and fear being painted on their facial expressions.
“I am… interested in it. If you do not mind, could you explain to me how it… functions.”
There we go. The little goofball finally had gotten his point through, and now Acronix could actually be of some use in this timeline. Despite his maniacal acting a few moments before, he had since then calmed down… somewhat. Carefully observing his setting as discomforts would be formed, his lack of connection to his brother, his lack of connection to his powers, and his lack of connection to this world.
Without his elements he felt like a helpless child, having no control, no traction on this chunk of land. His hands shook anxiously as he would lift up an arm and motion for the ex-villain(?) to come closer. Laying his right arm across their shoulders, lifting up his borg watch so both of them could easily view it.
Acronix would yawn tiredly, lightly resting his head on the kiddo who was sleeping, his left hand would trail down to feel the Master of Wind’s heart. The steady beating and rhythm bringing serenity to him, reminding him of the ticking of a clock, he would glance around the room, carefully trying not to disturb the other boy. Wondering where he would go, like after this.
He had found a strong enjoyment in spending time with Morro, happiness spreading across him as the younger villain took great interest at how so much noises were stored in such a small black box.
Screen, Acronix corrected him at that time.
The Elemental Master of Wind had been practically addicted to the string instrument ringtones of the watch. Selecting and shifting through each one, even making a tiny song with the list. Speaking about that song, Acronix was the slightest bit concerned when he heard of it, which was a lot, but the repetition only made him think deeper about the choices of sounds. How it chilled with an atmosphere of death and ghosts, and well the fact that the teen would grow up and become such a ghost.
Acronix didn’t know what he wanted to do, perhaps he could warn Morro about it, but inconspicuously. He didn’t know (and really didn’t want to know) if he diverted the kid away from the impending invents if destiny would just jerk them back on path, or if he would be the reason that the timeline would die like a flame on a cold night. Krux would’ve said that he was weak staying with their enemy, chastising him for his poor choices and not going to look after him or the time blades.
Krux, despite being Acronix’s brother, didn’t mean that he didn’t like the latter some times (well most times…). They were always too strict, an overbearing perfectionist that would bite your head off if you didn’t do something correctly. And sure that had brought the two lots of fortune’s but made trying to have a civil conversation unreachable.
He would sigh, making up his mind solemnly and sadly, he could feel the tears gather in the corner of his eyes, though he blinked them back. If he didn’t go through with this plan who would he be? He didn’t have his element at this time, and if he didn’t continue on this path he would be a nobody, his life would become a footnote in Ninjago’s history.
He wasn’t going to be taking a step back from villany, no ohohoho, he still needed to find their brother, and swear revenge on Ninjago, or something like that. This weird heart felt touchy feely moment was messing with his mind he swore, making his already quite stupid and incoherent thoughts being even more stupid and incoherent . Saving a child from becoming a ghost for half a century just because they pulled him out of a tree, that was crazy , even for him
Imagine if he, Acronix and his path to villainy was a road trip, this was just a small pitstop to grab some chips and crackers, there was yes a motel, but he wasn’t going to stay there, he was continuing on his journey. Whatever this was, it was just a detour, nothing important, nothing that he should remember.
But he would just peer down at the ribbon of green hair, the thought of leaving here made his chest ache. He had never truly been lonely, Krux was always there for him (whether he liked it or not), now he didn’t know where his older brother was. Morro was the nicest company he had in a long time that didn’t consist of evil snake henchmen, honest and true company, and him just getting up and leaving stirred something that tugged at his heart.
Acronix would look down at them, staring at them for a few moments before sleepily closing his eyes. Letting the darkness wash over his vision and guide him into a dreamy paradise, the twin would sigh.
Maybe he would sleep on it...