A Touch of the Master's Hand

Cole Reignited

While everyone else was still freaking out about Lloyd's escape, Cole's wide blinking eyes slowly lowered with a roll. He sighed and shook his head.

He had thought maybe Lloyd would try something like this. Admittedly, that was one of the reasons why he had wanted to check up on him. It was not wise to leave Lloyd alone upset.

Although it had been some years since he had been considered leader of the ninja force, Cole had no trouble fitting into the mold when he felt it necessary. His laid-back, silent-type exterior was rather a new feature with Cole. In the old days he had been more uptight than Lloyd, and had made it his duty to keep everyone in line for Master Wu. "Bossy and critical" is what the others would have called it, but even then, the others had had no problem following Cole. His influence as the first ninja to train under Master Wu was undeniable even to this day when all he usually did was hang out in the background with an idle stare or lazy smile as he leaned leisurely against a wall or Zane's shoulder which would not get tired like other people's when there was nothing else.

Neither did the others have any trouble following Cole's example now as they threw on their masks after him and leapt out the open window into the dusky dockyard. In some ways, they were almost more comfortable following Cole than Lloyd— almost.

The Secret Ninja Force thought as one this evening except for Lloyd. They all knew that they couldn't let Lloyd run off into the night like the wild and reckless little nephew of Wu's he had traditionally been to them. Lloyd was always running after his father whether to join him or to kill him or to offer him to join them.

They understood.

He did not want to lose his father after all this time.

This time Cole was determined not to lose Lloyd too.

"Do you see him anywhere, Zane?" Cole demanded as they stopped on an especially high building.

"Locating," said Zane more robotically than usual.

Turning his head in all directions in a scanning position, strange calculation sounds came from his eyes that were noticeably glowing in the dusk. He stopped.

"Yes," he said after a cash-register-like ching!.

The ninja were pleasantly surprised, and Zane, feeling quite helpful, pointed towards the forest. "There's someone leaping rooftops in that direction."

"Then that's gotta be him!" said Nya.

"Are you sure we shouldn't—"

"No time for that now," Cole said before Jay could finish, and he leapt from the roof quite ninja-like.

Jay moaned, but leapt down too a little more clumsily than the rest when he saw he was the last one.

The chase went on.

Lloyd was fast. He always had been. Cole might have been the best in the old days at strength and skill but none could claim to be as agile and quick as the little lithe form of Lloyd who was like a clever fox being pursued by hounds on a hunt. Yet Cole was a pretty persistent hound and led the pack onwards without distraction.

All senses on alert. He was like a new being from the one who usually made no attempt to be quick about things like the rest of his friends— like a black coal in a grill sudden white, hot, and bright, and ready for some action.

They still were not within shouting distance, especially over the city noise, and he feared a little that if he called to him, Lloyd might speed up. Though, at the speed he was going, he seemed to already know he was being pursued.