On a String

Chapter 17

They wouldn't bring something back from the dead.

He narrowed his eyes.

The person in front of them looked just like the lady in this pictures he had seen in the house. Except... he narrowed his eyes. Except for one difference- this Clarissa had brown eyes, but in the photos, her eyes had been blue.

So, this was not Clarissa. This was a trick designed to create fear and distract the ninja.

He scanned the trees again. The longer he focused on the person in front of them, the longer the real threat was overlooked...

There!

A person was moving through the trees towards them. Cole kept his head pointing in 'Clarissa's' direction while continuing to scan the forest. He could see more people moving in from the right.

Time to move.

He quickly wrapped an arm around Kai's shoulder. "Kai," he murmured softly so that no one else could hear. "It's a trick. Look at her eyes,"

"No!" Kai cried, waving his arms helplessly. "No!"

"Her eyes are brown. In the photos, her eyes were blue,"

Kai hesitated. "What?" he asked in a lowered tone.

"Her eyes should be blue. She's not a ghost. It's a trick. There are people moving in from your right,"

Kai stared at the person for another second and nodded. "I see,"

"Take the papers." Cole ordered, placing the pages into Kai's trembling hands. "Now, I want you to look panicked and run. Run as fast as you can. Get out of here, and give the stuff to Wu. Bring the gang down."

"What about you?"

Cole's eyes softened, but he knew that Kai wouldn't see the regretful expression in the dark. "I'll be... be right behind you," the Master of Earth said, patting his shoulder. "Go,"

Kai nodded and turned back to the person. Cole watched as the panicked expression came over his face again- but this time it was a façade...

"You're not Clarissa!" he cried, eyes wide while backing away slowly. "You can't be,"

Now all the attention was on Kai again, and Cole took advantage of the moment to flip the safety off both his pistols.

"You're not her!" Kai had already backed up another meter while pointing wildly. With the pale moonlight shining into his eyes and the inky shadows around him, he looked like he'd lost his mind. "Liar!"

Cole's body tensed. I'm sorry, Kai...

"Go away! Liar! You're not her!" another meter. "Liar!"

... but I lied. There's at least ten people in the trees. I can't take on everyone here and survive...

"Liar!" Kai was three meters away now, and the people in the trees were beginning to grow suspicious. Cole saw one of them raise his radio and rapidly speak into it.

Not good.

He waited quietly for Kai to make his move, knowing what would come next.

...Forgive me? Because...

"Liar!"

....It was the way things had to be. If they both ran off, then The Puppeteers would chase and kill them. One had to hold the criminals back while the other took the information to the rest of the team.

Their previous actions tonight had determined who would go and who would stay. Both of Cole's pistols were loaded, whereas Kai's were half empty. Kai was a faster runner- and probably had a sharper survival instinct.

(And... if murder wasn't what these people were planning, Cole knew that Kai wouldn't be able to take being captured again. He'd break- his mind would fall to pieces.

Cole just hoped that his own capture wouldn't break Kai...)

He had made the choice to let Kai come here tonight. So... he didn't want to die, but it was time to accept the consequences of his actions.

That, and do what was right.

(Compassion, integrity, honesty)

He would stay.

... I probably won't be coming back.

Some peaceful feeling began to spread throughout him, settling like soft, golden starlight among the trees. If this was how he went... that was okay. Saving a friend- no, a brother- was a worthy reason to let go.

Kai was worth it.

"You're a liar!"

He was ready.

"Liar!"

Kai,

Then Kai took off into the trees and Cole opened fire with everything he had.

Kai, I'm sorry. Tell them all... I'm sorry.

"Have to save,
Save my beloved.
There is no escaping,
Because my fate is horror and doom,"
'It's The Fear'