Taking Control. (a Ninjago fanfic)

Chapter 13- Flickering embers

L L O Y D

With Kai draped between us, me and Nya pushed through the biting wind as we made our way towards the Bounty. Every step felt like an eternity as we tried to keep our footing on the icy ground, and Kais weight wasn't helping. He had stopped muttering by now, slipping in and out of consciousness, his breaths shallow. My heart clenched each time his grip on my shoulder loosened, but I forced myself to keep moving.

How could this happen?

How was the Overlord back so quickly?

How could he do this?

My grip on his arm loosened, and me and Nya carefully slipped him down to the ground, leaning against an old oak tree that had lost its leaves many months ago, now just a skeleton.

His eyes fluttered open, just barely managing to focus on me. He struggled to raise a hand, gripping my wrist weakly in an attempt to grasp my attention. "Jay... something's wrong with Jay..." he whispered, his voice fading, eyes distant as if saying even this was too hard.

He grimaced, biting back a groan as he struggled to move his legs. But he didn't let go of my wrist, his grip tightening just a bit. He met my eyes, a flicker of worry breaking through his pain. "Watch out... for Jay," he murmured, staring into my eyes with such a terrified look that I took a step back.

My throat tightened as I held him up, horror flaring through me.

This was so sick. So sick and twisted. He should never be afraid of Jay. His own brother. One of his best friends.

I've never seen Kai look so scared.

This wasn't right, this was so wrong-

"He won't make it in time." Zane whispered softly. "He's lost too much blood."

"No, no- we have to make it back." The water ninja grabbed Kai's arm and heaved him up, tears streaming down her face.

Kai let out a cry of pain, but she kept pulling, dragging him slowly through the snow.

"He can't die on me. Not like this." She cried, eyes red and puffy and full of despair.

"Stop, Nya! You're worsening the wound." Zane yelled, panicked. The blood seemed to flow out even quicker now.

She collapsed by his side, sobbing into his blood soaked Gi.

I joined her, tears running down my face, making paths down my cheeks.

Kai was dying. He was going to die.

There was nothing I could do to stop it-

Kai's eyes flickered open once more, and he drowsily looked down at his wound, his body swaying slightly and face pale.

We watched in silence as he pulled himself upright, his jaw set and that look in his eyes. The look which meant he'd got his mind set on something.

What was he going to do?

"Pull my shirt up." He asked, voice slurred. Nya reluctantly pulled the Gi up, revealing a mess of blood and flesh that was so horrific it made me want to throw up.

The wound through his chest was brutal- a deep, jagged gash that carved a path through his skin. It wasn't clean- it was messy, like the attacker wanted to make it as painful as possible.

It looked raw and angry, the flesh torn and reddened, edges smeared with red snow and dirt. The cold was supposed to slow the bleeding, but it was still coming out in a steady flow, seeping through the messily tied green fabric now stained a dark brown, leaving the snow and ice beneath him in shocking shades of red.