Taking Control. (a Ninjago fanfic)

Chapter 35- Falling stars, falling hope

C O L E

My bloody hands slipped uselessly as I fumbled to pull on the pipe. The jagged metal barely shifted, and the searing pain that shot through my shoulder forced a guttural cry from my throat.

It wasn't going to move— couldn't — not without a hell of a lot more effort than I had left in me.

I slumped backward, my head knocking hopelessly against the cracked concrete floor, sending another ripple of pain through my body. Dust clung to the sweat on my face, clogging my nose and throat. I gasped, each breath more strained than the last.

I couldn't see a way out of this. Not yet, at least. My powers felt distant, like trying to grab hold of a memory I couldn't quite reach. The building had collapsed so fast, I hadn't had time to think, let alone react. All I remembered was the Overlord's voice, mocking, and then the sound of everything breaking apart.

It hurt. It hurt so much.

I felt my vision swim, the edges darkening, and I blinked hard to stay focused. My eyes brimmed with tears. My throat tightened, and I let out a sound I barely recognized—some pathetic, pitiful mix of a sob and a choke.

No. No, don't cry. Don't you dare cry.

But I couldn't stop. The tears kept coming, blurring my vision further as my chest heaved.

My body shuddered with each breath, each movement tearing at the wound in my shoulder and sending shockwaves of agony down my arm.

I bit my lip, hard enough to taste blood, trying to suppress the sobs racking my body, but it only made it worse.

I was going to die here.

FUCK

I'm scared

I don't want to die

I stared up at the cracks in the concrete above me, my chest rising and falling with ragged, uneven breaths. The pain in my shoulder was sharp and unrelenting, a cruel reminder that I was still alive—barely. It wasn't the kind of pain that dulled over time. No, it was constant, buzzing, radiating through my entire body.

But it wasn't even the pain that scared me the most.

It was the numbness creeping in.

The sharp edges of the pain had started to dull, replaced by an empty, icy sensation that spread outward from the injury. My hand felt weak, trembling as it hovered over the pipe, afraid to touch it again. What if I pulled it out and bled out? What if I couldn't stop the bleeding? What if I...

No. Don't think about that. Just breathe.

I took a minute—or what felt like one. I don't know how long I'd been trapped in this. Long enough, that's for sure.

I had to get out.

Kai was still out there, probably fighting, probably hurt. Pix, too. The Overlord wasn't going to stop—not until he'd torn through every last one of us.

If I stayed here, bleeding out and useless, I'd be letting them down.

I couldn't let that happen.

Steeling myself, I reached out again, this time toward what looked like a broken window frame sticking out of the debris above me. The broken shards of glass wedged into my hands, hot blood dripping over the clear fragments.

But I didn't care.

I needed to move.

I pushed harder, ignoring the sting of the cuts as best I could. My shoulder screamed in protest, the pain flaring up like an uncontrollable wildfire, and I collapsed back against the rubble with a hiss. My hands dropped instinctively to the pipe, hovering over it, afraid to touch.

I knew I needed to pull it out.

I knew that.

It was the only way to get out.

But the thought alone made my stomach churn, my fingers trembling just at the idea.

I didn't want to hurt anymore. This would just make it even worse. I don't know if I could deal with that.

Another puff of air escaped my lips, heavier than the last. It felt like my lungs were full of dust, choking me from the inside out. They probably were.

"H-help," I croaked, my voice barely more than a whisper. It was all I could muster.

Nothing.

The silence was deafening, broken only by the faint groans of the building settling around me. No one answered. Of course they didn't. They couldn't even hear me. I could barely hear myself.

My voice echoed weakly against the debris, mocking me. I wanted to scream, but the effort felt impossible. Even opening my mouth seemed like too much.

I took another shaky breath, each inhale heavier than the last. My chest felt like it was caving in, the weight of the rubble above me pressing in, suffocating me.

Dark spots danced in the corners of my vision, threatening to pull me under.

No. No, Cole. Don't you dare pass out.

Think. Think, dammit.

I tried to assess the situation logically, even as panic clawed at the edges of my mind. A pipe in my shoulder—ok, I could deal with that. My left leg pinned under a slab of concrete. Fantastic. I couldn't feel much below my knee anymore, which was either a good sign or a very, very bad one.

But I couldn't afford to spiral.

I had to get the pipe out.

FUCK

FUCK

FUCK

FUCK

FUCK

IM SCARED

I had to get the pipe out.

Pull yourself TOGETHER, Cole.

You're fine.

You're-

I had to get the pipe out.

I had to. It was the only way to free my arm, to give myself even the slightest chance of climbing out of here.

Gritting my teeth, I reached for the pipe again, my hands trembling as they gripped the rusty metal. The glass still embedded in my palms grated against the pipe, making a soft, grating sound that sent a shiver down my spine.

It hurt more than I thought possible. Just holding it felt like my entire arm was on fire, the pain shooting all the way to my fingertips.

I couldn't do it.

I just couldn't.

My vision blurred again, and I felt my strength ebbing away. My arms dropped limply to my sides, and I slumped back against the rubble. My body felt heavy, every muscle screaming for rest, for release.

I closed my eyes.

What a fucking horrible way to die.

Alone. Trapped. Helpless.

I tilted my head back, staring up at the dust particles falling from above.

Kind of pretty.

Almost like falling stars,

Or tiny snowflakes.

I'm gonna miss everyone.

I hope they'll miss me too.

And the worst part? No one would even find me until it was too late.

And- what was the last thing I said to Jay? I don't remember.

Hey, at least we didn't end in an argument.

Darkness closed in on me, and I let myself relax.

There was nothing I could do.

This was it.

I was dying.