Legends of Ninjago Book 2: Rise of the Serpentine

Chapter 22: Dare! Dare! Dare!

As Cole followed Ann through the woods, he could feel his heart thumping with exhilaration. Whether or not there would be consequences for his actions, he didn't care, just so long as Ann could get them both to safety. Most importantly of all, if they managed to get back to Wu, he might know of a way to undo the hypnosis. He was Cole's last hope at this point.
"Cole, where are you?"
Oh no.
Cole's throat felt like it was being strangled, and his consciousness was suddenly yanked back into his skull, chained before the big screen.
"COLE, I ORDER YOU TO TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE!!!" Scales barked. His voice was so loud it made Cole's ears ache.
Fighting back was useless. Cole knew he couldn't win. He heaved a hopeless sigh and let the hypnosis take over.
That stupid grin flashed across his face again and he said, "I'm out in the woods with Ann." His head hung low, ashamed.
"WHAT?! CAPTURE HER AND BRING HER BACK TO CAMP!!!" Scales sounded positively furious.
Cole couldn't bring himself to look up at the screen when the order was given. Instead, he curled himself into a tight ball and hid himself deep within the surrounding shadows, trying to tune out the sounds that his ears were picking up.
Water splashed erratically, and a wave of cold gripped his body, making him shiver. Then he heard Ann's voice scream into the night, and he knew that it was all over for both of them.
With his face still turned away from the screen, he said, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," said Ann.
She had responded? She had heard him? For one glorious moment, a spark of hope was lit, and he relished every word Ann spoke after.
"This isn't your fault," she continued.
As encouraging as those words were, Cole had to disagree. This was entirely his fault. He had let Kai go to the village that day, he had let himself get beaten by Scales in combat, and he had let Scales into his head. Who else could be at fault here besides him? Still, knowing that Ann didn't harbour any negative feelings toward him because of all of this did comfort him, if only a little.
Scales' voice cackled on the other side of the screen, congratulating him as if he were some sort of pet who had just brought back fresh game to its master, and Cole buried his face further in the darkness. Next, he was ordered to bring Ann back to camp where she was restrained once more, and Scales gave him some very specific instructions on dealing with "the prisoner." The next time Ann attempted an escape, she'd have to knock him out, or just leave him. If there was a next time, that is.
The sun came up a few hours later, cold and bright, and the troop started moving again. Cole had gathered that Slithraa and Lloyd were planning something big, and that wherever they were going had something to do with it, but he was never within earshot when the two were discussing it, leaving him to speculate. Terrorism perhaps? It did seem to be Lloyd's signature brand of evil.
Two hours into the walk, however, the conversation took an unsettling turn. Cole only needed to hear Ann's name mentioned once for him to worry about her wellbeing.
"About time," Scales muttered. "I mean—heh heh—I s-s-serve at your pleas-s-sure, Your Highnes-s-s." When he turned to look at Cole, he could feel the snake's eyes on him, and braced for whatever Scales was about to ask of him. "Now then, what did allow me to enter your mind, young Cole? At the very firs-s-st, that is-s-s."
The hypnosis forced Cole to flash back to the village and relive that moment, but his memory was blurry at best, and all he could see were those awful eyes. So, he went over the memory again. And again, and again, until he was sure that he hadn't missed anything.
"ANSWER ME," Scales mentally commanded.
"I don't know," he replied in a hollow voice. His heart relaxed a bit as the words left his mouth, and he prayed that he remained ignorant for as long as possible.
"Of cours-s-se the boy won't know! He knows-s-s nothing of hypnos-s-sis-s-s!" Chief Slithraa bellowed, slamming his golden staff into the ground. "Try s-s-something more spec-c-cific. S-s-something he will unders-s-stand."
"Very well," Scales muttered. "Cole, do you have any mental weaknes-s-ses-s-s? Injuries-s-s? Birth defects-s-s? That s-s-sort of thing?"
Oh no.
There was no way he could spin this. No way he could tell a half-truth. There was only one answer he could give.
"Yes," Cole said. "I hit my head. It hurt there when you entered." He would rather gag himself with garlic than say that again.
"A head injury..." Slithraa mused.
"That just might explain it, S-s-sire," Scales hissed. "But don't get your hopes-s-s up too high, My Liege. Getting in was-s-s one obstacle, but gaining control is-s-s another."
Gaining control? That snake! He had downright manipulated Cole and tormented him for goodness-knows-how-long, and it's just "an obstacle" to him? If he had control of any of his limbs right now, there'd be a nice, big bruise on the back of that overgrown salamander's head.
"Hmmm... well, I s-s-see no reas-s-son to pos-s-stpone this, especially given all the trouble this-s-s one's-s-s causes-sed us-s-s," the chief said, clearly referring to Ann. "Knock her out if you mus-s-st, but try not to kill her."
No, no, no! This time, Cole did look up. He shot straight to his knees and watched as Scales grabbed one of the clubs from a nearby soldier, shouting in protest all the while.
"NO!!! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!!! LEAVE HER ALONE!!!" He pulled and yanked on the chains as hard as he could, begging over and over for mercy, but he knew they wouldn't break, and he knew that he couldn't protect Ann like he had promised.
When Scales landed the blow, Cole had to close his eyes. He had failed again, and Ann had payed the price.