Cole didn't want to celebrate his grandfather's birthday. He had had a bad past few days and wanted nothing more than to hide under his covers and block the world out. Helaine told him hiding from the world was not an option and to help her clean. He did, then he sat in the living room in the front of the mansion and pretended to watch TV while his extended family showed up.

First to arrive was Wil, his wife, Miranda, and their children, Adelaide, Cyril, Giselle, and Lionel. Next Ben, his wife, Cordelia and children, Lydia, Matthias, Nathaniel, Angelina, and Sylvia. Their oldest, Zachariah, was unable to attend as he was currently in Kryptarium serving a ten-year sentence. Every day Zach sat in jail, Cole felt smug, since his older cousin had always tormented him when they were children. As Adelaide, Cyril, Giselle, Lydia, and Matthias were all married, their spouses also came to the party, as well as Adelaide's three children, Cyril's two children, and Lydia's infant daughter. Misty and her husband, inventor and Borg's top rival Eric Nagel arrived in two separate cars. Lou was the last to show up.

While they waited for the food to finish cooking, the adults decided to play a friendly game of high-stakes poker. Helaine sat out, as she was cooking, and Lionel was banned from the table since he was a professional. He sat in the living room and watched TV with Lydia, Angelina, Sylvia, and the small children. Everyone talked about the trial, about Morgan, and Cole wished he could tune everyone out. When he was asked about his testimony, he said he didn't want to talk about it and refused to say anything more. Cole didn't want to play at all, but Giovanni said he had to socialize with the family. Cole silently sulked through a few rounds before he managed to excuse himself and went outside. He could feel their eyes on him as he left.

He wasn't that far from the house when he heard someone follow him. He turned and saw Eric coming up the path behind him.

"I thought you would be inside playing," Cole said.

"Please, if I lose anymore, I'd have to start betting shares of the company. And your grandfather already owns ninety percent of Mystitech," Eric sighed.

"Really? I thought it was less than that."

"No. He owns me. I've tried to buy back some shares, but he won't hear of it. I really hate to admit this, but I should've listened to Misty. I never should've gone to him for help."

Cole didn't say anything. He sat down and leaned against a tree, deep in thought. He tried not to think about the trial or his testimony, so he forced himself to think about the card game he had just left. Eric sat down next to him.

"…The game was rigged, wasn't it?" Cole asked after a while.

"What do you mean?"

"I won a hundred and forty-five thousand dollars on a pair. Not even two pairs, just one."

"Cole, I think you're overreacting," Eric argued.

"Just admit it. I saw how most people would fold after I did. What about the way everyone was scrambling to get rid of their cards after I said I wasn't going to join another round? The game was rigged. I know my family. They're too proud to just give me money and Dad's too proud to accept it. And he has what has got to be the worst poker face in history, so of course him winning the cash would be way too obvious. I don't even know why they want to help. They all hate me."

"They don't hate you, Cole."

Cole gave Eric a look that said Eric was full of it. He knew the divorce had tainted his relatives' views of Morgen, and by extension, him. That combined with his lack of interest in going into a performing art meant they didn't hold him in high regard. Lionel was able to escape the same fate by making his fortune through poker. Cole didn't have a fortune. The money he had won that night combined with the money he had won in the hospital was pretty much all the money he had. Being a ninja, he didn't need a lot of money. Wu paid for most of their things, and in return, they had to maintain cleanliness around the monastery and Bounty.

"… Giovanni made us. Though I didn't have to fake having bad hands," Eric admitted.

Cole wished he could smile at the bad joke. Instead, he pulled his knees to his chest and buried his head in his arms.

"What's wrong?" Eric asked.

"You wouldn't understand," Cole said. He picked up a rock and held it in his hand.

"Try me, kid."

"…Morgen's lawyer made me look like a complete fool. I told them what she did to me, and he unpicked every single thing I said. He said I was unreliable and biased against her. He said I didn't know what I was talking about, because I went into a coma immediately after I was freed from her captivity. He said she didn't take my powers, that it was the vengestone in the medicine the hospital gave me. He said she was locked up and had nothing to do with the nurse giving me morphine. He argued that I shouldn't have even been in that cave since 'the ninja aren't officers of the law and have no power to arrest someone.' If they play their cards right, I could be the one going to jail, not her." Cole threw the rock and hugged his knees.

"Cole, no judge is going to send you to jail."

"Even so, Morgen's going to go free, and it's my fault."

"It's not your fault. I never met Morgen, but from what everyone's been saying, I highly doubt she'll go free. Especially after she kidnapped your dad and nearly killed you."

"It gets worse… The doctor said it could take five or ten years for the vengestone to fully leave my system, and even if it does, I may never get my powers back. Dad might get his wish. I may never be a ninja again." Cole refused to look at Eric while he spoke.

"Cole, even if you can't be a ninja anymore, your life isn't over. When Borg fired me, I could have let it destroy me. Instead, I used my knowledge to start my own company, and now I'm giving Borg a run for his money. I'm sure you will find something else you can do if you have to quit. And even that's not a certainty yet."

Cole sighed and buried his head in his arms again. He appreciated what his uncle was trying to do, but he really wanted to be alone right now.

"Cole, please talk to me?" Eric asked.

"… I'm scared, and I don't know what to do," Cole admitted.