Lava | Ninjago

🜂 | everyone adores you (at least i do)

Cole threw his hands in the air and advanced towards Fire. “So that's how it is, huh? As long as I'm safe, why should anything else matter? It's like that with everybody else, right? Your sister, the green ninja, the others.” He poked his chest and Kai stumbled some more as he tried to back away.

“What are you on?”

“What if you're dead right now, what then? Who will protect your precious little family then?”

Kai shook his head, his eyes feeling oddly heavy. “I don't under–”

He never saw the punch coming. He doubled over as pain shot from his stomach like a volcano erupting. Another punch came just then, hitting his cheek and making him fall on the pitch black ground.

Everything felt so vivid and yet so hazy at the same time. The pain felt so real but not at the same time. He saw bubbles bursting in his mind, microscopic droplets of soap water flying off in every direction. Something was there, then it was gone, then it was there just partly. He was so confused about his situation but it was as if there was something blocking him from thinking about it further.

Before he could muster up any whined complaint, the most beautiful person in the universe held him up by the collar of his red gi, bringing their faces so close, Kai could feel the warm breath on his face and neck.

“Look how pathetic you are,” he hissed. “Is it worth the pain, Kai? Tell me – is it?”

The glow in his eyes made him shake his head. He had never seen Earth look at something – someone with so much fury and disgust. Especially not Kai himself.

And just as he though that, those eyes melted into one of the soft looks he's gotten used to over the years of living with the ninja. He felt all of the pain and negative emotions wash away. Just how his thoughts did when he came here.

Something's wrong.

“You know I love you, right?” Cole asked. Kai looked down at Cole's hands, his knuckles were turning pale given the strength with which he clutched the blood-coloured fabric. The orange detailing on Cole's clothes went nicely along with it. Kai always liked the fact that their clothes went along well together, even if it may have been pure coincidence.

“I just don't like seeing you like this…” he muttered, shaking his head softly. Then, tender, as if handling a little duckling, Cole placed him down and stood up, offering his hand to help. Kai accepted it without hesitation, used to holding Cole's hands all the time.

But the black ninja had different intentions and instead of pulling him up, he sent him flying in the other direction. Kai hit the ground a few times, each with another grunt of pain. He whimpered as he tried to get up. Everything felt so much harder than usual, as if he was swimming in a jar of honey. Everything hurt several times more, as if his body was sore from some previous fight. But the only fight he could recall…

Can you hear me?

“Why?” he finally gasps. His head turned to the side, he watches Cole's feet get step by step closer to him, making no sound.

“My, my, you really got soft, didn't you, Firefly? That's what they call you now?” Kai swallowed. There was something very wrong about Cole's laugh.

Come on, please! Open your pretty eyes for me, will you?

“This is what happens when you fail to watch your back. Where did all that cautiousness go? Did you really think you were safe? Consider this an act of mercy. A little wake up to snap you back to reality.”

Reality…

“Please don't,” Kai begged when he sensed the other ninja move closer to him again. His mind was mostly blank, he just knew he was going through so much pain. That's what he was told.