the other side | ninjago

cole

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" said Cole, seated in the complete darkness. Surrounding him, he saw nothing, but what he could notice was the steady pattern of water droplets hitting a soft surface next to him every few seconds.

He received no response to his question, which led him to know that he was alone. He was tied down with the same vines that constricted him and his friends back in the museum. He could tell the texture of them anywhere.

"Why am I always the one kidnapped?" thought Cole to himself, getting flashbacks to his time on Chen's island and when he was held by Harumi's crew.

He tried to break free from the vines, but they would not let up. As he was fidgeting to release himself from the vines, he heard footsteps walking his way from the distance.

"Hello? Show yourself," said Cole.

"Hello, Cole," said the masked figure, still out of view, but he recognized the voice from earlier.

"What do you want from me?" He said, still wiggling back and forth trying to break free.

"You won't break them," they said, drawing closer with each step.

As they got a few steps away from Cole, lanterns began to light up one after another in the surrounding area, revealing that he was in the woods. Where were there any woods near Ninjago City?

He looked up to find the figure in front of him in what appeared to be the outfit they were dressed in earlier. A full green suit with a few small black streaks running through it. They had not an ounce of skin showing, making it clear they did not want to be recognized. He couldn't even tell the gender of the individual standing in front of him.

The vines made a bit more sense now, seeing as though he was in the woods. He still didn't understand how vines could be controlled unless they were controlled by another elemental or magic. Would it be a vine elemental? A wood elemental? He didn't know he was just trying to pass the time, thinking to himself.

"My friends will find me," said Cole.

"Maybe they will, but they might want to avoid that," said the figure walking circles around Cole, crunching each leaf under their foot as they walked. Each crack of a leaf or twig under them sounded like a bone crack in a silent room. He was extremely confused by this statement.

"Why do you need me?" said Cole.

"I want to see you destroy your friends," It was clear now that all they wanted was to tear them apart. 

The figure walked away, but close after another rustling came from a bush located behind Cole. He could not turn around in his position, so he could only imagine what was going to pop out behind him. The rustling stopped, but something was creeping up on his right side. He could feel it. He closed his eyes, scared of what was going to pop out. As he opened his eyes, he looked down to see a large dog standing beside him.

The dog was a large brown dog with ears that remained pointed up. It had the biggest green eyes that he could see, which almost made it intimidating to look at. He almost went to call out for it until he looked at its neck to find a collar made of vines placed around its neck.

It was theirs.

What do they want with our powers?