Taking Control. (a Ninjago fanfic)

Chapter 18- Broken but breathing

L L O Y D

The door burst open, slamming against the wall so loudly it made me jump. Cole stumbled in, bending over, heaving like he'd just run through all of Ninjago without stopping.

His wheezing breaths echoed in the room, sharp and ragged, cutting through the stunned silence like a blade.

First master- what happened?!

"Cole?" Nya stepped forward cautiously, her voice trembling with both confusion and concern. "Where have you been? What happened?"

He didn't answer, couldn't. His chest rose and fell in a frantic rhythm, sweat dripping from his brow. Zane moved to his side, pressing a cold hand on his shoulder in an attempt to both calm the Ninja and cool him down.

"Deep breaths," he instructed gently, his tone as clinical as ever, but I could see the worry in his expression too. "In through your nose, out through your mouth."

Cole just shook his head violently, waving Zane off as he fought to steady himself. His lips moved, but no words came out—just more gasping. His whole body trembled with exhaustion, and the way he leaned against the wall for support told me whatever had happened, it had been bad. Really bad.

Something to do with Jay, I was sure of it. And by the looks of it, it wasn't good.

I exchanged a look with Nya, my stomach twisting into a tight knot.

Finally, Cole straightened, though his breaths were still ragged. He raised his head, his face pale and streaked with dirt and what looked like dried blood.

Probably Kai's.

Or maybe his own.

FSM, was he injured?! Was he ok?-

His eyes, though—those dark brown eyes, usually so full of life, so full of kindness—were wide with panic.

"Get up in the air," he croaked, his voice hoarse and barely audible. "Now."

"What—" I started, but he cut me off with a shaky hand.

"Just—trust me—he's coming."

With that, he sat down on the floor, with his back leaning against one of the wooden beams that held the structure of the bounty.

Zane rushed to the wheel, pushing the auto pilot button and letting the ship rise high into the sky.

It was quiet- so quiet. No one knew what to say. What to do.

"Cole.." I started gently, sitting down on the floor opposite to him, legs crossed.

"What happened?"

He looked at me, and- and it looked like he was about to cry. God, Cole never cried.

The earth Ninja was crumbling in front of my eyes.

He shook his head, rubbing a hand over his tired face and running it through his hair.

"Just- just gimme a sec." He mumbled, drinking the water Nya offered him with messy and desperate glugs.

What happened?

The question dug into my brain, etching itself into every thought.

I didn't know what to do. Cole comes back, looking half dead, telling us to run away. From Jay. And now he's taking 5 years to tell us what happened.

"He warned me," Cole muttered, almost to himself, interrupting my thoughts. "He knew what the Overlord was planning. But I couldn't do anything. I couldn't stop him."