Last chapter! It makes me kinda sad to finish writing this fic actually, it's been great to write it and I have never go so many reviews! Thank you all so much! :)

CHEESEPUFF fg: I didn't notice that reference, that's embarrassing! But I like that metaphor. Yeah, you did call that a few chapters earlier, clever :)

RandomDragon2.0: Yeah, I saved the reunion for the end. Thanks, glad you enjoyed.

MasterofCupcakes: Thanks, I've been planning that one for a while! But Lloyd's return was planned since the beginning. Yeah, I tried to give everyone a little moment in the limelight, but doing Cole and Jay together was just necessary :)

Oh, and I have a little treat for you guys, over on my Instagram steampunkwilson I do fanart and art for my stories, and I have an image for this story that I'll post to celebrate it's completion. If you don't have Instagram or have trouble finding it, let me know and I'll send you a link (I'm having a spot of trouble finding one at the moment). Anyhow, enjoy :)

Kai and Lloyd supported the injured Wu between them as they hurried out of the building. Fortunately, the fire brigade had arrived and the trio managed to slip away unnoticed.

"Where do you think he others are?" Kai asked Lloyd as they managed to slip around a corner and out of the police's line of sight. "Do you have a radio on you?"

"No, but he does." Kai gestured to Wu. Giving Lloyd a little more of the man's weight, he managed to slip the radio off Wu's belt and pressed the button.

"Hello? Anyone? This is Kai, I have Wu with me and..." Lloyd made a cut-throat gesture. "Erm, Mr Pale. They're both injured. Send someone to get us please."

"Kai?" A familiar voice crackled through the radio. Kai gasped and dropped Wu, and Lloyd stumbled to catch him. "Kai, is that you?"

"Nya?" Kai gasped. "NYA!"

"Read you loud and clear brother." Nya sounded like she was smiling. "We've got you in sight, coming by to pick you up."

"It's so good to hear you!" Kai sighed, filled with such happiness.

"Good to hear you too." Kai tucked the radio into his belt, grinning.

"Erm, little help?" Lloyd snapped.

"Oh, sorry." Kai took Wu again.

"Are they coming?" The young man asked. Kai nodded.

"Shouldn't be far away now." Kai told him. As if on cue, a roaring from down the street sounded and the pair turned to see three motorcycles heading their way.

"Hey guys!" Kai called as Jay and Cole drew up first.

"Whoa, you two look a mess!" Jay exclaimed. "Even more than Cole."

Cole still hadn't showered.

"Just help us out of here!" Lloyd said grumpily. The pair turned to him and their eyes widened.

"Is that..." Jay gasped.

"Pale, no it's..." Cole trailed off in shock.

"Yeah yeah, I'm back from the dead, let's move this along before my uncle bleeds out." Lloyd and Kai began to help Wu towards Cole's bike.

"Need a hand?" Kai stiffened and dropped Wu.

Nya was sat on the third bike.

"Sis?" Kai gasped, taking a step forwards.

"Kai." She said with that little knowing grin. Kai gave a yell of happiness and ran towards her, wrapping her in his arms.

"Nya! You're OK!"

"So are you! I thought you were dead!" The pair laughed and Kai sniffed a little.

"Are you crying?"

"No." Kai wiped his eyes. Nya laughed.

"You softie!"

"Shut up!" Kai laughed, and rubbed his sister's head fondly. "I'm so glad you're back!"

"Aww!" Jay wiped his eye. "Well, isn't that touching?"

Cole nodded. Nya pulled Kai into a tight hug. After a few seconds, she extended an arm towards the boys. Jay took her hand and was pulled into the hug. Cole grinned and wrapped his strong arms around the three of them.

Lloyd watched the scene with a sigh. He helped Wu onto the motorcycle and took one last look back at Kai, the boy who had changed, and quite possibly saved, his life.

He took a piece of paper from his pocket, jotted down a quick note and left it on the bike's seat.

He then turned and walked away.

The hug eventually separated and the four of them wiped their happy eyes.

"Come on." Cole said. "We need to get back to the others." He turned to his bike. "Hey, where did Pale go?"

Kai looked around. Was it his imagination, or did he see a shadowy figure slip into an alleyway down the street. Lloyd or not, he decided to let them go.

"It doesn't matter." He noticed a small slip of paper on Cole's bike seat and swiped it, shoving it into his pocket. He'd look at it later.

"Come on brother!" Nya called from her bike. "Are you coming?"

"Of course, but I'm riding front."

"I'm not a baby." Nya folded her arms. "I can handle-"

"Yeah I know." Kai gave her a smile. "But I haven't driven in ages and I really need to blow off steam here."

Nya sighed.

"Go on then." She shifted back a little so Kai could fit on. Kai grinned and took hold of the handlebars.

"Lead the way Cole!"

As the engine revved under him and his sister's arms wrapped around his waist, a grin spread over his face. He'd missed this.

"Woooohooo!" Kai yelled as the bikes sped towards safety.

...

Dawn was breaking over the city in a beautiful mash of pink and yellow streaks. Kai took a breath of the cold air, happy for once. It was almost over. Well, almost. There was still one more matter to attend to. While the gang was holed up in Kai's old apartment, tending to injuries and Cole was showering, Kai had slipped out.

The note Lloyd had left had been for him. It told him to come to the old High Street park at dawn. Dawn was breaking overhead and here Kai was, bright and early, shivering slightly inside one of his old hoodies.

Lloyd was waiting for him on a bench, a fedora on his head and a green fleece jacket wrapped around his shoulders. Kai sat silently next to him. They were silent for a good while.

"So you got your sister back." Lloyd said after a while. Kai nodded. "Are you returning to the life of crime?"

"No." Kai said at once. "It's more trouble than it's worth and, even though I've gotten to drive a motorbike an made some great friends, I'm glad that it's over now."

Lloyd nodded. "I am too. What about Wu? And everyone else?"

"I think they're done with this life too."

"No, I mean, has he mentioned me?" Lloyd asked slightly nervously. "Is he going to... look for me?"

"I don't think so. I think that encounter shook everyone. They're all going to be rethinking things for a long time."

Lloyd let out a long sigh, his breath curling into fog like a dragon's breath.

"Good. I'd like to stay away from them. Too many painful memories."

Kai nodded. "I know the feeling."

Lloyd looked towards Kai, his green eyes dark and mysterious as always, his scars seeming a little more vivid in the early morning sunlight.

"So what do you plan to do next?" He asked. Kai sighed.

"I don't know."

Lloyd smiled.

"No one ever does right now. I remember when I was twelve years old, my face had just been stitched up and I got told I could go home. I was in the hospital reception, walking towards the doors. Then I remembered, I didn't have a home to go to. All I had was the bloody shirt on my back and a dozen scars on my face. I had no idea what to do. I couldn't even trust my parents." Lloyd stopped.

"I don't even have them." Kai sighed. "They probably died in that fire."

Lloyd sighed again. "Were they in the cells to the West? With the pipes?"

Kai gasped. "Yes, yes they were! Why?"

"I tried to rescue the prisoners on my way towards my parents and Wu." Lloyd sighed.

"And?"

"And the cells were empty." Lloyd admitted. "I interrogated one of the few Skulkin left in the building. He said they'd sold all the prisoners to the vermillion gang a few hours earlier."

"No!" Kai gasped. He couldn't believe it, a few hours earlier he'd been so happy, but now his family had been separated once more."

"I'm sorry." Lloyd sighed. Kai's brow narrowed.

"I know what I'm going to do with my life." He said.

"And what's that?"

Kai told him, and a smile cracked across Lloyd's face.

"That's a good idea. Not even hiding from the gangs, facing them. I like it."

Lloyd stood up and stretched.

"You should probably go, before they notice you're gone."

"You're right." Kai sighed. He extended a hand. "I'll see you around, I guess."

Lloyd smiled and shook his hand.

"Don't be a stranger." He told him. "You're a good man, Kai Smith. You could probably use a doctor on your travels."

Kai smiled. "I guess I could."

...

For once, the city seemed peaceful. No police sirens sounded, no smoke curled to the sky. From the top of Kai's old apartment block, Wu, Kai, Cole, Zane, Jay and Nya sat watching the sun rise over the city. Wu had healed surprisingly quickly, he had been shot enough times to be a quick healer.

"Garmadon's still out there." Zane said eventually.

"Way to kill the mood, mate." Cole muttered.

"He's right." Wu sighed. "Garmadon will strike out with another gang attempt. And without Elemental Force, who will combat him?" It was true, what Wu said. Elemental Force had been truly torn apart, never to recover. Tox had died from her wounds. Dareth had let himself be arrested to help the others escape. He wouldn't be coming out of jail for another thirty years. Chamille had decided to leave the city for a place called Jamonicai Village to make sure her baby wouldn't be touched by the gang life. Kai hadn't bothered to warn her that this was unlikely to work. Shade and Griffin had also left, but in the opposite direction. Rather than head into the mountains, they were travelling to the desert to start their own business. An honest lifestyle. But where did that leave the rest of them.

Kai had kept his idea with him since he had said goodbye to Lloyd. But he couldn't do it alone.

"Us." He said. Everyone looked at him.

"What did you say?" Cole asked.

"Us." Kai said again. "We should really get out of the gang lifestyle, so how about we do the opposite? Help people in this city instead of hurting it."

"Soo, like vigilantes?" Jay asked. Kai nodded.

"Yeah, kinda."

"I like it!" Jay rubbed his hands together.

"It would be a way to do good in a city that has already been so hurt." Zane said.

"And we can use these for their original purpose!" Cole brought out the Elemental Taser that Wu had let him keep. Kai looked towards Nya.

"That's my brother." She smiled. "Always the fiery protector. I'm in."

The five kids looked at Wu, who sighed.

"Are you guys sure? I'm used to this violent lifestyle, but you guys have been involved for less than six months! Are you sure this is what you want?"

Kai nodded. "I want to help fix the damage we've caused."

"And I want to stay with my brother." Nya said, taking his hand.

"What better way to avenge my sister than fighting crime?" Jay took Nya's other hand. Kai felt slightly enraged, but decided to let it go just this once. After all, Jay was his friend."

"And we need someone to demonstrate the strengths of justice!" Cole punched the air.

"And the police aren't being very smart about it, so I guess this is our job." Zane smiled. Wu smiled back.

"Well then, I guess our team will need a name."

"Not Elemental Force, as cool as it sounds." Jay said quickly.

"Black Justice!" Cole held his Taser in the air. He lowered it quickly when he got a few strange looks. "What? We're gonna be like superheros, hiding in the shadows and stuff."

"I like that." Zane said. "The justice part, I mean."

"Black strikes fear." Nya told Cole. "And we're meant to help people."

"So what? The butterflies of justice? The candy canes of justice? The little bunny rabbits of justice?"

"Sounds good to me." Jay chuckled. Wu frowned.

"Do you guys know the legend of the ninja?"

His eyes swept over their blank faces. "Guessing not then."

"What is it?" Zane asked.

"Well, long ago, there used to be ninja that protected the city from crime and conspiracy plots and the like. Kind of like vigilantes or superheros. The townspeople loved them, criminals feared them. If we could dress ourselves like they did, we could probably convince some idiots down there that we're the ninja come back. After all, there was six of them.

"And we could always use a doctor on our travels." Kai muttered.

"What was that?"

"Oh nothing." Kai stood up. "I agree, this is a great name!" He extended a hand to his sister, who accepted it, and he pulled her to her feet. She helped Jay up, he helped Cole up and Cole helped Zane, who helped Wu. The six of them approached the edge of the rooftop where the sun had reached it's peak.

"Look out Ninjago city!" Jay yelled. "The ninja of justice are here to protect you now!"

Only person heard this shout. Lloyd smiled to himself. He had used to play at being a ninja when he was little. He knew exactly what they would shout next.

"GO NINJA GO!" Shouted six people, and whispered another.

Soo yeah, it veers kind of towards the actual show a little towards the end, but I like it that way. They abandon their lives of crime to fight it, and perhaps Lloyd could help them along the way, even if he refuses to be part of the group. I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it, and it's probably been one of my longest running stories, since I dreamed up this idea while I was working back in March (I think). Anyhow, enjoy the story, if you want to check out any more of my Ninjago works, feel free, though I probably won't be posting anything new Ninjago for a while, but I have ideas for future works further along the line. Anyway, thank you all so much for reading and reviewing, and I jope you've enjoyed it :)