Kyle and the Princesses of Power

Chapter Three: Expendable

When Kyle came too it was with a pounding in his head and a sour taste in his mouth. His side was aching and opening his eyes to even the dull light caused a new pain to erupt in his temple.

It took him a moment to comprehend where he was. The green glow of an energy field began to make the dots form. When he moved his arms and realised the limited movement he had jointed them.
"Not again," he muttered. At least it was a better cell than the one he had been put in before and he could move a little. Silver linings. He needed those desperately now that the only really saw the world in varying darkening of black.

He vaguely wondered how long he was going to be in here or if there was a chance he would be sent to Beast Island since he was now a traitor...twice. That was a terrifying idea, especially if the stories about it were true. However, there was also a certain relief to the idea because it would be exceptionally easy to get himself killed and have no one be able to stop him. Sure, they only sent the worst of prisoners there but Catra didn't like him. No one in any authority did. He half smiled, imagining what it could be like to feel nothing again but then frowned as another thought edged into him. What if he was in here forever? Then odds were he would have to deal with being alive for years to come. The lump in his throat worsened and he focused on regulating his breathing. Four seconds in, four seconds out. It would be okay. They wouldn't keep him for years wasting resources.

He felt the cuffs were a bit unnecessary. They didn't make Bow wear them and he was significantly more of a threat and actually had friends who would have wanted to break them out. Kyle had been tempted to when Bow said he would be his friend...then he had been thrown of a ledge before he could ask about joining the rebellion. Most days he wished the platform he had landed on hadn't been there.

Kyle dozed of briefly a couple of times but besides that he had no way of keeping track of the time. It was definitely a day, maybe longer. He hadn't seen anyone which left him plenty of time with his thoughts. That was the last thing he needed. It gave him plenty of time to recall everything he had been called over the years. The moments that proved to him that he didn't belong in the Horde... or anywhere else... replayed on repeat. Seriously Kyle? You can't do anything right, can you? Why do we even keep him around? Who can tell me what Kyle did wrong? All in favour of blaming this on Kyle? Even that stupid alternate universe sucked...They knocked into him so the food dropped yet he got the blame. No different than reality but at least there he got wiped out of existence. That was unlikely here.

Kyle wanted to cry but he couldn't risk someone coming along and seeing. Scorpia was very emotional herself so even he doubted that she would be malicious about it or bully him for it. Anyone else though and he would be screwed. Even Rogelio who used to at least not be mean... He shoved that thought away or he actually would cry and that would be not ideal.

A while later – maybe a few minutes or maybe a few hours – he was alerted by a beep as the energy field was released. He glanced up, heart jolting in panic. Lonnie. She wasn't glaring but her expression was alarmingly blank. She was holding a tray with some water and a ration bar and he mostly expected to drop it on the floor, put it out of his reach or have it herself. Instead she put it by him.

"Thanks Lonnie..." he said awkwardly. He didn't really mean it but he did remember her throwing the ration bar cake into his face into the other reality and he didn't want a repeat of that.
"You need to be more careful, Kyle," she said, not acknowledging his thanks. "You're lucky we won there and that everyone knows how pathetically sensitive you can be or you'd be in here much longer than planned."
"How much is planned?" he asked, not really emoting.
"Three days," she said with a shrug. "You do deserve it, you know." She shot him the glare that she normally gave when he screwed up. Kyle felt unexpected rage spike through him.
"Well I don't regret it," he said, managing to meet her gaze. "I helped a child who would have died otherwise. It's wrong to kill children, Lonnie."

Lonnie hesitated, weighing his words, assessing him with an expression he didn't recognize. She then took a step forward closer to him, expression hardening back to its glare.
"Careful what you say Kyle," she said. Her tone was threatening but it seemed more like a warning. "You don't know who is listening." Imp maybe? Regardless, he didn't care. Unless it was Catra. She was scary. "They won't hesitate to do more, you know that right? Even you can't be that naïve."
"I guess," he said. "I mean Catra might be reasonable...We did all used to be friends." That was the one hope Kyle clung onto, the one thing he was trying to hold onto.

Lonnie scoffed.
"Get a grip. We aren't friends Kyle. You want to know what we really are? We're expendable. Catra doesn't care about us. Adora left us. Everything they taught us in the Horde about loyalty is meaningless. It's everyone for themselves," she snapped, standing over him and jabbing him hard in the chest. Her expression shifted as if realising how much the words really meant and the iciness filled her eyes. "Especially you. You're weak, pathetic and cowardly. Everyone realises it here, why do you think you always get the blame?" She walked to the door and pressed in the code to leave. As she did so she turned back once. "I mean it, Kyle. If something happened to you the Horde wouldn't care. They'd find a replacement to come on missions in your place in no time."

Kyle felt his chest tighten and he didn't touch the ration bar. He sobbed, knees pulled up to his chest as he sobbed violently. Expendable. At least she saw them all that way but especially him. Because he couldn't do anything. Because no one needed him. No one wanted him.

He made a decision. No second thoughts, no questioning it. It was a relieving one if anything because it meant he knew what to do.

When released from the cell he was quiet, only speaking if given a direct order. He needed to not get into any more trouble so that odds were he would get to go on the next mission wherever it was, even if it was a raid on a village that didn't deserve it. Even if it was back to the Kingdom of Snows which was far too freezing and had given him a cold. For the decision was a simple one.

On the next mission Kyle wouldn't be coming backalive.