On a String

Chapter 14

"I run to you,
(And run away from this hell)
Call out your name,
(Giving up, giving in)
I see you there,
(Still you are)
Farther away."

'Farther Away' by Evanescence.

"Lloyd! Oh, why doesn't that kid ever listen?" Jay moaned, clenching his hands into tense fists as he glared at the doorway. "He's going in blind! Anything could be happening in there!" his eyes were tight with worry.

Sensei Wu stood up and placed a hand on the wound-up blue Ninja's shoulder. "Patience, Jay. There is a chance that Lloyd may help defuse the situation. Sometimes the innocence of a child can help calm the wildest of hearts," he said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "We should wait,"

Jay paused for thirty seconds before he was unable to refrain from speaking again. "The thumps haven't stopped," he muttered anxiously, glancing at the wooden wall in the direction the sounds were coming from. "Lloyd's been gone for ages. What are we going to do?" he asked, voice rising in panic. "If Lloyd gets hurt, Kai is only going to break further,"

"We'd better all go in and check it out," Nya sighed, standing up and wiping her wet eyes with the cuff of her sleeve. "We can't risk Lloyd or Kai getting hurt,"

Next to the doorway, their teacher bowed his head. "I agree. Let's go," Sensei Wu decided, leading the way out of the room.

Jay gave Nya a concerned glance. "You should stay here," he said. The unspoken 'You may not like what we find' practically echoed around the room and everyone paused to look at Nya, awaiting her response.

Nya frowned back. "I'm coming," she stated firmly.

Jay shook his head, but wisely decided not to argue further.

The air in the corridor seemed thick with tension and apprehension as the team of Ninja and Samurai quietly made their way towards the lounge.

"Don't startle them," Sensei Wu ordered as they shuffled down the corridor. "Stay calm,"

Jay reached the door first. "You've got it, Sensei," he said, twisting the handle and cautiously stepping into the room. "What the-?"

Kai was standing over Cole and Lloyd, who were both cowering on the floor. He had a small smirk on his face, and was brandishing two cushions at their heads in a rather threatening manner.

"Kai!" Jay cried in horror. "What have you done?"

Cole looked up at the sound of Jay's voice and quickly put two and two together when he saw Jay's horrified expression. "Looks like the reinforcements have arrived, Lloyd! The Hedgehog won't get away with this!" he cried, rolling over backwards, away from Kai and picking up a cushion while giving a huge smile. "Hedgehog Butt, this lounge ain't big enough for the two of us!" he drawled, hooking his thumbs through the belt loops on his gi pants and titling his head as if a ten gallon hat sat on it.

Kai, startled by the sudden appearance of everyone else, turned to face Cole with a hesitant look.

Cole just shot a reassuring grin back at Kai. "Don't worry about them townsfolk, Hedgehog. They're just here to see that justice don't get hoodwinked this time," despite the casual dialogue, his tone was kind.

"What justice?" Kai asked, taking a hesitant step forward. "I haven't done anything illegal,"

"Oh, no, hold it there, cowboy! I'm a packin' a six shooter!" Cole enthusiastically waved his pillow in the air with a smirk. "My trigger finger is a little itchy, so don't go trying anything,"

"That is a very clichéd line, Cole," Kai muttered, his small (ghostly) smirk slowly returning.

"Cole? That's Sheriff Cole to you, cowboy!" Cole chuckled back easily. "Or should I say, Hedgehog Butt boy?"