Taking Control. (a Ninjago fanfic)

Chapter 70- You know you love me

K A I

Cole had carried both me and Rue through what felt like half the city, rubble and blood and fire in our wake. His breathing was ragged, jaw clenched so tight I could hear his teeth grinding, but he never once slowed down—until now. Even he had limits, and we'd crashed headfirst into them.

But Rue... Rue didn't have time for limits.

She lay slumped in his arms, too still. Too quiet. She looked wrong—like something whole had been shattered and stuffed back together, but the pieces didn't fit quite right. Her limbs hung loose. Her head lolled. And her skin—

Gods, her skin.

It wasn't warm. Wasn't alive. Wasn't Rue.

Her freckles stood out like ink against paper, like someone had dotted them messily and left them to dry. She looked like a painting of herself. Close. Almost right. But hollow.

I couldn't look away.

It looked like she was getting paler by the second. Her skin was growing colder by the heartbeat I couldn't even feel.

And I didn't know what to do.

The panic sat low in my gut, heavy and oily, turning my stomach to acid. What if this didn't work? What if we were too late? What if after everything we fought for—bled for—she'd still be gone?

"I should've—" The words cracked in my throat. "I should've gotten there faster." I said it again, like repetition would turn back time.

Like the guilt needed to be said aloud to make it real. To make me feel it properly, even though it was already gnawing at my insides, at my gut.

Cole didn't answer. I could hear him, chest heaving as he caught his breath. Still holding her, still going. Like she weighed nothing and everything all at once.

My hands were shaking as I reached out, over his shoulder. Just two fingers. That's all it took.

Press them to her neck. Find a pulse.

Come on. Come on.

But there was nothing.

Nothing.

Still nothing.

I mean fuck, obviously.

What was I expecting? For her to jolt upright? Smile and say she was fine? That this was all some cruel, elaborate joke we could laugh about later?

I mean

Of course I wanted a miracle.

The guilt was slowly wringing me out and soon there wouldn't be any of me left.

Because she's dead

Because of me.

I could've helped, I could've saved her, but I didn't. Because I believed that I couldn't.

And if she didn't come back, that's something that I'd have to live with forever.

And I didn't know if I could do that.

An orb of light burst past my cheek, snapping me out of my spiralling thoughts. Close enough to burn, close enough to feel, and slammed into her chest with a sound like the world cracking open.

Cole was thrown back with a grunt, skidding across broken pavement, barely managing to keep hold of her. I yelped in panic—a short, hoarse sound that clawed its way out of me. My hands scrambled to hold onto his gi, anchoring myself as the blast echoed, vibrating in our bones.