Outbreak: Ninjago's Dark Dawn

Chapter 6 - The Fractured Heart

Just an alert: a few pinches of LavaShipping

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The night had fallen over Ninjago City, cloaking the ruins in a haunting silence. The group of ninjas gathered in the shadows of an old, abandoned warehouse, the weight of their journey heavy on their shoulders. The once-vibrant city now lay in disrepair, and the ever-present threat of the infected lingered like a foul stench in the air.

Cole sat away from the others, his back resting against a cracked concrete wall. His breaths were shallow, his eyes closed as he tried to block out the pain that coursed through his body. The infection had advanced, dark veins crawling up his neck and across his face. Every movement felt like fire in his bones, but he refused to let the others see how much it hurt.

The team had set up a temporary camp, gathering supplies and catching their breath after the relentless battle against the horde. But there was no comfort here. Just a growing sense of despair.

Kai stood nearby, his eyes locked on Cole. He couldn't tear his gaze away, the sight of his friend struggling cutting deeper than any enemy ever could. The fiery ninja clenched his fists, fighting the urge to rush over, to tell Cole it would all be okay. But the truth hung in the air like a dark cloud. Cole was dying. And there was nothing Kai could do to stop it.

Kai's feelings for Cole, the ones he had buried for so long, rose to the surface in this moment of crisis. He had never been able to tell Cole how he felt, never had the courage to admit that his bond with him went far beyond friendship. And now... now, it might be too late.

Lloyd paced back and forth, his frustration palpable as he cast quick glances between his father, Garmadon, and the rest of the team. Garmadon stood off to the side, arms crossed, his expression as unreadable as ever. The tension between father and son was thicker than the air, the weight of their past clashing with the immediate threat before them.

"I don't like this plan," Lloyd muttered, stopping in his tracks and glaring at Garmadon. "You want to use Cole as bait, just to lure more infected toward us. How is that supposed to help him?"

Garmadon's eyes flicked over to Cole, then back to Lloyd. His voice was cold, almost detached. "You still don't understand, do you? The infection is a weapon, and we need to neutralize it. Cole's condition makes him the perfect tool to gather data, to find the source. If we don't stop this at its root, we're all as good as dead."

Lloyd's fists clenched. "He's not a tool. He's our friend. We're not sacrificing him for some twisted plan."

The group fell silent, the weight of Lloyd's words hanging in the air. Jay, who had been working on the EMP device with Nya, looked up from his work. His normally playful demeanor had dimmed, and now his face was etched with doubt.

"Lloyd's right," Jay said quietly, his voice trembling. "We can't just... we can't just give up on him. We're supposed to be the ones saving the world. How are we going to do that if we're already losing ourselves?"

Zane, standing a few feet away, shifted uncomfortably. His normally composed exterior had begun to crack, his thoughts spiraling into a crisis he couldn't resolve. Ever since they'd learned about the infection, a question had been gnawing at the back of his mind—one that he could no longer ignore.

"What if... what if I'm not immune?" Zane asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The others turned toward him, startled. Zane's ice-blue eyes were distant, as if he were trying to calculate something far beyond numbers. His entire existence had been based on logic, precision, and certainty. But now, with the infection spreading, that certainty had vanished.

"I'm a Nindroid," Zane continued, his voice hollow. "But what if the infection can corrupt even me? What if it finds a way to spread into my circuitry? What am I then? Am I still... alive?"

Nya frowned, stepping forward to place a hand on Zane's shoulder. "You're alive, Zane. You're as much a part of this team as anyone else. Don't doubt that."

But Zane shook his head, his doubt still gnawing at him. "If I'm infected... how do I fight something that's not even part of the physical world? My systems—everything I am—could become a weapon against all of you."

Jay turned his head to Zane, his own internal fears mirroring the Nindroid's. "We're all scared, Zane," he said softly. "But we need you. We need everyone."

The silence stretched on, heavy and tense. Cole, despite his pain, pushed himself to his feet, staggering slightly as he took a few steps forward.

"I'm not out of this yet," Cole said, his voice strained but determined. His body felt like it was being torn apart from the inside, but he refused to let the infection take control. Not yet. "I'll keep fighting. As long as I'm still me, I'll fight."

Kai's chest tightened at Cole's words. His friend's strength in the face of overwhelming odds was both inspiring and heartbreaking. Every step Cole took felt like a countdown, and Kai didn't know how to stop it. All he knew was that he couldn't lose him—not like this.

"We'll find a way," Kai said, more to himself than to anyone else. His voice was rough, emotions bubbling up inside him. "We won't let you go, Cole."

Cole smiled, a weak, fleeting thing, but it was real. "I'm counting on you."

But behind the smile, there was fear. Cole could feel the infection advancing, creeping closer with every passing second. And though he fought it with every ounce of his willpower, he knew the battle wouldn't last forever.

Jay, still sitting beside the device he and Nya had been working on, rubbed his eyes, exhaustion clear on his face. He was supposed to be the one with the answers, the inventor, the one who could save the day with some last-minute gadget. But this... this was beyond him.

"What if we can't stop it?" Jay said, his voice barely audible. His eyes were wide, reflecting the doubts he had kept hidden until now. "What if we can't save Ninjago? What if this is it?"

Nya turned sharply to him, her eyes flashing with determination. "We'll stop it, Jay. We have to. There's no other option."

Jay didn't respond, his doubts sinking deeper into his chest. How could he believe in hope when the world around them was collapsing? When every step forward only seemed to lead to more death, more destruction? He didn't have an answer anymore.

Garmadon broke the silence, his voice cutting through the tension. "Doubt will get us nowhere. Fear is the weapon of the enemy. We move forward, or we die."

Lloyd shook his head, anger rising once again. "You don't get it, do you? It's not about fear. It's about trust. We're a team, not your soldiers."

Garmadon's expression darkened. "This world isn't won by trust, Lloyd. It's won by those who are willing to do whatever it takes."

Lloyd stepped closer, his eyes blazing with defiance. "And where did that get you? Alone, feared by everyone, even your own family?"

The silence was deafening, the unresolved pain between father and son laid bare.

In the corner, Cole stood with difficulty, staring at his teammates, his family. He could feel the infection clawing at him, but his heart was still his own. His friends were his anchor, his reason to fight. As long as they were still standing, so would he.

Cole closed his eyes, channeling all his strength into keeping the infection at bay. For now, at least, he was still in control. But for how much longer, none of them knew.

The battle wasn't just against the infected anymore—it was against time, doubt, and the fractures threatening to tear them apart. And as they prepared to face the next wave of the undead, they all knew that the hardest battles were still ahead.