Taking Control. (a Ninjago fanfic)

Chapter 40- Crimson in the frost

K A I

The snow crunched beneath my boots as I paced, my hands trembling—not from the cold but from the adrenaline that still hadn't worn off.

Why were they taking so long?!

Cole was propped up against the crumbling wall, his head lolling slightly, his face pale and slick with sweat. A jagged metal pipe was sticking out of his shoulder, blood seeping steadily through the hastily made bandage and staining his black gi, pooling on the icy ground beneath him.

I knelt beside him, trying to steady myself, pressing my hands against his wound to slow the bleeding. "Stay with me, Cole," I muttered. "You're too damn stubborn to let this stop you."

Cole gave me a faint smile, though it was twisted in pain. "I'm... fine," he rasped, though the grimace on his face told me otherwise.

"Yeah, sure you are," I shot back, my voice harsher than I meant it to be. "You're always fine, even when you're halfway to bleeding out."

Rue, the girl who'd somehow managed to drag him this far, stood nearby, her face pale and creased with concern. She wrung her hands impatiently, glancing around to look for any signs of the others.

She looked exhausted, her clothes torn and streaked with dirt. I had no idea how she'd managed it, but I owed her more than I could say.

"Thank you," I said again quickly, glancing up at her. My voice softened. "For getting him out. For... everything. Seriously."

She nodded, brushing a strand of ginger hair out of her face. "He's heavy," she muttered, grinning, and despite the tension, I almost laughed.

Footsteps pounded against the frozen ground, and I turned to see them finally arriving—Lloyd, Nya, Pixal, and Zane. Relief flooded through me, but it was short-lived as they took in the scene.

Lloyd's eyes went wide as he saw Cole slumped against the wall, the pipe protruding from his shoulder. "Cole!" he shouted, rushing forward. Nya was right behind him, her expression a mixture of worry and exhaustion.

Pixal and Zane were already moving into action, their training kicking in like clockwork.

"Step aside," Pixal said firmly, her eyes scanning Cole's injury with clinical precision.

"Yeah, yeah, okay," I muttered, backing off even though every instinct screamed at me to stay close.

I felt useless as they knelt beside him, their movements swift and efficient. Zane pulled out supplies from his chest cavity, while Pixal assessed the injury, her hands glowing faintly with her built-in medical tools.

"What happened?" Lloyd asked, his voice sharp, his eyes boring into mine.

I hesitated, my throat dry. "We got separated," I said finally. "The building came down. Rue—" I gestured toward her, "she pulled him out. He was hit by... that." I motioned toward the pipe, my stomach churning at the sight of it.

Lloyd's jaw tightened, and he crouched beside Cole, his hand on his friend's uninjured shoulder. "You're going to be okay," he said firmly, though his voice trembled just enough for me to catch it.

"Don't... fuss," Cole muttered weakly, his eyes fluttering open for a moment. "I've... had worse."

"Stop talking," Pixal ordered, her tone brisk but not unkind. "Save your strength."

I stood there, my hands balled into fists, watching as they worked. Zane handed Pixal a tool, and she carefully began to stabilize the pipe to prevent further damage. Blood seeped through their hands as they worked, silver against red, the droplets staining the snow even darker.

Nya came up beside me, her eyes locked on Cole, her brow furrowed. "We'll get him through this," she said quietly, as though she'd read my mind.

I nodded, though the knot in my chest didn't ease. "He shouldn't have been alone," I muttered. "We should've been faster."

"This isn't your fault," Nya said firmly, glancing at me. "You did everything you could."

I wanted to believe her, but all I could see was the blood, the pipe, and the way Cole's head kept sagging like he didn't have the strength to hold it up anymore.

Pixal finally looked up, her face calm but grim. "The pipe needs to come out, but not here. It's lodged near an artery. Moving it incorrectly could cause irreparable damage."

"We'll stabilize him for transport," Zane added, his voice steady as always. "But we need to move quickly."

"Transport where?" I asked, panic creeping into my voice. "We're in the middle of a destroyed district."

"Pixal and I will manage," Zane said, his ice-blue eyes meeting mine. "But we need you to secure the area."

"Ok." I answered, unsure of leaving Cole. It felt like the ground was shifting beneath me.

Nya touched my arm, grounding me. "They'll take care of Cole. We need to secure the area and make sure no one else gets hurt."

I hated it—hated walking away while my friend, my brother lay there, barely conscious, blood staining the snow. But I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Okay. Okay, fine."

Lloyd was still crouched by Cole, his face pale but determined. "Hang on," he said quietly. "We're not losing you."

Cole's lips twitched, like he wanted to say something, but his eyes slipped closed again.

"Keep him with us," Lloyd said, his voice low but sharp, aimed at Pixal and Zane.

"We will," Zane replied, already securing Cole's shoulder with precision.

I stepped back, my hands shaking as I turned to Nya and Rue. "Let's go," I said hoarsely, and they followed me, leaving Zane and Pixal to do what they did best.

I didn't look back. I couldn't.

Just had to secure the area. That's all.

No biggie. Cole was gonna be ok.

He was gonna be fine.

God dammit, of course he would!

It's Cole, what do you expect. He's been through farrrr worse than this.

Just a little pipe.

Ugh- lodged in his shoulder.

He

He's gonna be fine.

Duh.

Stop worrying you idiot.

Focus on the task!