On a String

Chapter 3

Kai stiffened.

(Two frosty breaths dancing in the cold night air as their owners' feet pounded against the tarmac.

Escape. Run.

But they could only run for so long before they were caught and captured.

And captured, she paid the price.

"I'll save you!"

"Don't be the hero! Save yourself!"

He couldn't leave her, but he couldn't free her either and the next time he saw her, she was free-falling with diamond droplets chasing her down,

Down,

Down,

Down.

It was her punishment for him so 'heroically' freeing her.)

"Kai?" Cole asked, looking down at his slightly shorter teammate.

Kai blinked and shifted subtlety so he was facing away from Cole. "No."

"What's going on?" Cole asked, his voice rising slightly in volume as he walked closer to the red Ninja. "What happened to you?"

Kai took several casual steps away from Cole, feet seeming to barely brush the deck as he moved silently. (Quietly sneaking past the guards, makeup no noise.)

Cole gave a quiet sigh as he watched the detached Ninja address the rest of the group. "Okay, lesson's over. Feel free to practice what we've done today and help others with it as well."

A grinning Jay immediately bounded off to find Nya, excited at the news that the morning's training was finished. Zane went in search of his Falcon and Lloyd headed for the game room, leaving Cole and Kai standing in silence.

"You can go," Kai pointed out, brown eyes flicking momentarily towards Cole.

(Brilliant white light exploding in the previously silent night air. Drowning out all thought, drowning out all hope; he was a panicked animal caught in the headlights...)

"We're not finished," Cole said, stepping nearer to Kai. Kai flinched.

(Hope dies in a whisper...)

The red Ninja kept a blank expression on his face, but as he turned away, Cole could tell that he was like a panicked animal; ready to flee if too much pressure was put on him.

(They'd spotted him! They'd be caught. RUN!) "Yes, we are," Kai said stiffly, and Cole could almost taste the apprehension the red Ninja was feeling but refused to show in anything other than the tense set of his shoulders.

(RUN!)

"You've changed. You never should have taken up that mission alone. It was too dangerous," Cole walked around Kai, coming face to face with his spiky haired teammate. (Was Kai's hairstyle really the only part of his friend which had remained unchanged?)

(RUN!)

Kai took a step back, putting a safe distance between him and his teammate. Teammate? Was Cole still a teammate? But, but Cole was circling him! Teammates didn't do that! They didn't! They shouldn't encircle each other!