The creature smiled back at him.

"Why, Hello! Fancy meeting you here! Isn't this just a pleasant surprise?"

Cole started to back up, only to find that her partner had come around behind him, blocking him from escaping. He turned back to the monster in front of him, her lip raising to show razor sharp, two inch fangs, dripping with orange venom. "What do you want with me?" He challenged, clenching his fists in defiance. She laughed, louder, & louder, until it filled the hallway. Surely his brothers would have heard her by now. 'Please let them have heard.' He pleaded in his thoughts. He was snapped back into reality when she threw a hand forward, gripping him by the throat.

"I'm so tired of having to explain myself." She began through clenched teeth. Her grip tightened when he struggled, causing him to cease. "Would you kindly stop that meaningless action?" He looked up into her deep blue eyes, thinking of what she might do if he spat on her. He'd most likely enjoy the action, but would soon later regret it immensely. And so, he thought of other ways to halt this abuse.

Unfortunately for him, Jade had differing plans.

With a snap of her fingers from her free hand, her accomplice shoved a cloth bag over the ninja's head brashly, leaving Cole's ears somewhat cloth burnt from the speed, not to mention force.

He heard the two dark forms chat quietly, then he was hoisted into the air, momentarily set back down. He wondered why they had done this, yet before he could do much else, he was clocked over the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

"Never again!"
"Cole, please!"
"I said no! You aren't going to ever do that again! Are we clear?!"
"C-cole! Wait! Don't leave!"
"Don't even call me by that name. The way you say it makes me sick."
"Cole. I'm sorry."
"Sorry doesn't cut it. I'm going for a run. I'll be back never."
"Cole? Cole! Wait!"

The feeling of something large, & hard hitting his bruised head made Cole wake up, a bit unsteadily. A groan issued from his mouth, his hand going to his head. But something was dreadfully wrong.

He couldn't move.

His eyes shot open in alarm. His head looked back, & forth to his sides, but aside from a large spotlight shining down from above, there was nothing but darkness. Darkness. No light anywhere. It was unnatural. Fear found its way into his head, & his heart, making him panic. Everything was suddenly so frightening. The darkness seemed to stretch out its jet black fingers to reach him. The light seemed to fade away, giving the night pitch way to take him.

He let out a scream. Perhaps he had screamed before, but never like this. It was shrill, & almost supernatural, with a hint of insanity. It made sense, seeing as he was being driven crazy from this room. He needed to look somewhere else. Choosing the next best thing, he glanced down to what bound him. Metal chains came up from what appeared to be a examination table, the chain ending in a thick iron cuff that was secured around his wrist. Same with his other hand.

His legs were the same way. The iron cuffs wrapped themselves around his ankles, cutting ever so slightly into the calloused skin. Dried blood covered the table around them. He must've been struggling in his sleep.

He had almost no clothes, save for his boxers. At that point he realized how cold it was. His body wracked as he coughed from the frigid air.

Cole suddenly heard soft footsteps on the cold navy tiles. There was an odd clink, clink whenever the foot touched the floor, & it caused him to wonder if they wore shoes with some sort of spikes in them. Or if they wore shoes at all.

The was a feel of something semi-sharp running along his bare feet, & he shivered. Against his better judgement, he spoke.

"Who's there?"

A gentle laugh echoed all around him, "I am, love. I'm right here."

His eyes widened, "Zane?"

The voice changed.

"Gettin' closer Stony."

"Kai?"

"Not even close! Geez, I would think you being leader, & all gave you knowledge of who I am!"

"Jay!"

The tone changed once again, for the last time, & it wasn't a voice he wanted to hear.

"Hello, human." Hatred dripped from their vocals, evil swathed this person in a thick, untearable blanket.

"You! You poisonous viper! Get me the hell out of here! Undo these chains right now!" Jade merely chuckled at his pleading words, "Dear, my answer is no. You can take that up with Akane when he comes back in a minute. Though, him being my brother, & such, I doubt I will give him permission to do anything of the sort."

Cole felt his eyes widen in shock, "He's your brother?!" The creature snorted, "Don't make me repeat myself. I really hate doing that."

She paused for a moment, then exclaimed cheerfully, "Brother dear! How lovely you could come! What did Mars say? Was he furious?!" Akane laughed deeply, "Absolutely furious & as mad as a hellhound! He did manage to let a word of praise leave his lips though. He said he was proud that his two top skygges had gotten this far!"

There were a few more sentences said, but, as they were mere whispers, Cole couldn't hear a word of it. What on earth was a skygge? Is that what these two were? Skygges? "What are you two? You aren't humans. So, spill."

He wished he hadn't said that.

Almost as soon as the phrase had left his mouth, a clawed hand had slapped him, scraping up his cheek flesh in long tendrils. He let out a wince. Blood began to flow down his face, pooling out on the tabletop.

"That'll teach you to speak when silence is favored. You get this in that stubborn, arrogant head of yours; You speak when spoken to. You do not speak out of turn. We own you here. You are not a leader here. Here, you are a slave, & a tool. You are to be used as such. You are not to act of your own accord. Are we clear Mr. Brookstone?"

When Cole didn't answer immediately, he received another slice to his body, this time across his upper chest. "Augh.." He groaned, inhaling sharply. He could feel tears build up at the edge of his eyes. At this point, he could only think of one thing:

'Zane'


Zane yawned as he woke to another morning. He sat up, giving another short yawn, & stretched slowly. Soft sunlight filtered in through the window in the bunk room. Jay, & Kai were still deep asleep. Cole was nowhere to be seen.

He smiled, & looked to the door, then realization dawned on him, & he whipped around, wide eyed, to see Cole's bed empty. He leapt from his bed, & practically raced over to the neat, unused mattress. "Where is he?" He hurried to open the door, slamming it against the wall as he ripped it wide, running out. Zane headed straight for the spare room where he knew Cole sometimes slept if he didn't want to be around the guys.

Alas, the room was as tidy as it always was. No one had been here since two nights ago. The night he, & his love had gotten into a fight. He ran his fingers through his champagne blond hair, starting to worry. "Where is he?!"

The next half hour was spent racing about the ship, searching for his leader. The teen was nowhere. Absolutely nowhere. In all his years, Zane had never gone off the deep end, & lost his cool, collected mindset. Now, he was dreadfully close to panicking, & going insane.

He had most likely woken everyone aboard. And he had. Kai, & Jay had been jolted up after the nindroid had slammed the door. Sensei Wu, & Nya had gotten up when they had heard him running all over, definitely not quietly.

They had all come to watch as he hurried through the corridors, searching, & researching for Cole.

When they'd finally seen that the ninja of earth was gone, they had joined their friend in looking, but to no avail.

Sensei Wu himself had started to worry.

And one skygge had the privilege of watching them come undone at the seams with anxiety. His red hair flowed around his soft face that was up in a dark smile. He sat happily atop the roof, blending in perfectly with the red roofing.

'We will be unstoppable. Not even the ninja can overcome us!'