On a String

Chapter 9

Suddenly,the training room had transformed into a (the) cell, and Kai wondered how he'd become so blind.

This was... this was...

Another interrogation.

Cole was angry with him. Cole wanted answers from him. And he'd made it so that they were alone by sending everyone else out of the room. Alone. Where no one else could help him. Cole had lied.

Liar.

Liar.

Liar.

He wasn't trying to help Kai.

No, please, not Cole.

He was going to get the answers with force.

Force.

(Barely conscious, he dimly registered the sound of rope whipping through the air. And even though the fog of nothingness was growing , his senses still exploded in agony when the rope connected with his back. "Tell me the location of the other Ninja NOW, you useless piece of-" Finally (thankfully) passing out, Kai didn't hear anything else.)

Not Cole!

("Chain him down! Stupid Puppet keeps struggling!")

I trusted you!

("Pass me the knife, you incompetent idiot! I'll make him talk,"

"Hey! It's not my fault he keeps resisting!")

Frantically, Kai looked around the room for the door, wild eyes not registering the way Cole's face fell into a pained expression or how his empty (weaponless) hands hung helplessly.

The door was behind Cole.

("You're trapped now, aren't ya? Brat.")

He'd trusted Cole!

...and now... now, knowing that the trust was worthless because Cole only wanted answers and was willing to hurt him to get what he wanted... he couldn't, he couldn't...

The one person he thought he could trus-

("So sweet that you want to protect your friends, Fireboy,")

The one person he had hesitantly reached out to-

("Tell us where they are. Make your suffering stop,")

The one person he had shown weakness for-

("We'll put down the whip and knife if you just tell us,")

-Didn't care.

("Fine. Have it your way, Puppet. Protect your precious friends," the man turned around to leave the cell. "Keep at it until he breaks!")

Cole just didn't.... just didn't...

("I order you to stand up right NOW!") Orders. Cole was in charge. Kai was nothing but a puzzle to be solved. A report to be written. A secret to be divided and shared out amongst brothers.