Salt: A Ninjago story

17: Bread and Roses

'Kai'

'Kai'

His name, softly uttered, filtered its way into his dreams.

'...wake up'

Kai woke with a sharp breath and sat up quickly, alarm bells ringing but found he was on the hard bunk in the dark cellar with his predicament unchanged. He steadied himself from the dizziness that came over him and slowly laid his aching head back down. Yawning he noticed his friendly minor annoyance standing quietly by the stairs across the room 'your miracle cure seems to have worn off...' he muttered. She stepped forward and in the half-light he could see a substantial gash on her cheek and he sat up sharply 'what the hell? What happened?'

Hitch looked anywhere but at Kai 'Oh, y'know, sparring'

'Sparring? That's a fresh wound. Do you normally spar in your jammies?'

'My what?'

'Jammies... Jim Jams... Pyjamas?'

Hitch looked at Kai blankly 'You lead a privileged life don't you...?'

'Not really' Kai said defensively, to which Hitch snorted derisively. Kai was not in the mood to be judged 'Hey! What the hell do you know about me, pipsqueak? My life's not been a bed of roses'

'Good thing too, those suckers have thorns and your soft ass couldn't take that!'

'What the...? What the hell do you want runt?'

Hitch's face fell into a dead look. Kai closed his eyes and checked himself 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I shouldn't have called you that... I'm grumpy when I wake up'

'Yeah and I'm pretty grumpy when I'm woken up by a fist to the face!'

'Shit. Is that what happened?' Hitch nodded 'Why?' Kai asked.

'Well, some people here find it easier to get to me when I'm asleep' Kai stood from his bunk and came over to the bars. Hitch lifted a new bag of bread for him.

'Thanks' he said taking the bag. I didn't think I'd eat today. Y'know I don't want to sound ungrateful but these guns need more than bread...' He flexed his muscles and looked at Hitch to see if she was impressed, but found she was shunting dust on the floor with her foot 'How old are you?' he asked.

'17... I think... maybe 18'

'You're small...'

'Uh, yeah and you're rude, but I'm polite enough not to point it out' to which Kai laughed '...and how old are you?' she asked.

'23 or 4... I think'

She laughed 'you're not sure either?'

Kai shook his head, but smiled at the strangeness of not knowing his true age 'Uh, well, my parents disappeared when I was young. I think I was 5, but y'know I'm not certain about that. And well, I was never sure when my birthday was so... I tried to keep track, but things got in the way'

'Hmm' Hitch sat on the floor and leant on the bars, nodding in understanding.

'What about you?' Kai asked.

'What about me?' came her curt reply. She flicked at the grit on the floor.

'What's your story? Your parents, what happened to them?'

She snorted 'You want to know my story?'

'Sure... I mean, I've got nothing better to do right now and it might provide some entertainment' Kai said sarcastically.

'Fuck you!'

'Aah, get over yourself. You woke me right?' Kai leant his back against the bars next to her 'C'mon. I'm not even having a go. I'm just messing with you. And I really don't have anything I'd rather do right now. Even sleep'

Hitch looked up at him and sighed 'my parents? I have no idea. I never knew them. My earliest memories are the streets, but even those are fleeting' she wiggled her fingers in the air, watching them as if they were birds flying away... and then dropped them into her lap heavily 'We were picked up and brought here and this is all I've known'

'We?'

'Me and my sisters'

'Sisters?'

'Yeah. Hard bitches, both of them'

'I've got a sister. She's hard, but not a bitch'

'That's nice for you'

'Yeah it is' A silence settled, the air reverberating with their admissions, until Kai spoke 'I'm sorry your life's not been all roses'

'What is it with you and roses? Those suckers hurt. My life is a bunch of headless roses'

'Hey! Roses are romantic, nobody can change that... It's law!'

Hitch laughed 'You're weird'

Kai turned to look at Hitch and antagonistically replied 'If I ever get out of here, maybe I'll see you again and I'll give you a beautiful bunch of Roses, so there'

'And what the hell am I supposed to do with a bunch of roses? Show them to my girlfriends?'

Kai softened '...Look at them and think of me'

Hitch was silent 'Oh...' As she blinked nervously in the gloom, Kai held her gaze and moved his fingers through the bars to touch hers.

Hitch stuttered 'uh... uh...' She pulled her hand away, jumped up and ran out of the cellar.

'Shit...' Kai cursed into the dark 'what the hell Kai? Where did that come from?' he berated himself but allowed himself a smile 'pretty smooth though...' he went back to his bunk, lay down and thought about how he would like to give Hitch a bunch of roses.

Hitch ran from the cellar into Nat 'What are you doing here?' she asked nervously.

'It's been two days'

'What? No... No, please. Please don't take him'

Nat gave her a withering look 'and why not?'

Not wanting to say, Hitch screwed up her face and Nat glared at her for an answer '...I think he likes me'

'You think he likes you?'

'Uh, well...' before Hitch could explain, Nat cut her off.

'Well that's impossible, he has someone' and then added 'he's just softening you up so you free him'

The look on Hitches face told her sister of the pain this news gave her, but Hitch did not challenge it. Nat could hear his thoughts and so it must be true. And most of it was, but Nat could not allow her to hide him any longer or let whatever was developing, evolve; they would not bite the hand that fed them and she would protect her sister, even if it was from herself 'I'm informing the House Master now'

Hitch closed her eyes, distraught at her own foolishness and nodded.