A/N) Hey guys sorry this took so long, and OMG! 10 reviews how awesome is that... see most authors would be disappointed but not me! I'm glad some of you actually took notice and put enough effort to drop a review by. Thanks again, you guys are AWESOME!
Hey just a heads up I think most of my chapter are approximately 1'000 -1'800 words long, but don't worry, this may be chapter 9 already but this ride is FAR from over. I look forward to seeing you guys and more till the end.
Enjoy, and don't forget to leave, comments, thoughts, suggestions or heck even plot twist idea's. Ya never know, I'll probably use them!;-)
Cole felt sick. His heart was the only sound in the huge empty, dark void. He wouldn't admit it but he felt terrified, he'd lost his friends. He couldn't see a thing, and a crazy madman was after them. What was he going to do? What were the others going to do?
They'll get in trouble and I'll be too busy being lost to help them. He thought glumly.
Aw, come on Cole, things can't be that bad.
They are... no friends, no light, no way out... no hope.
But you are a ninja, there's always hope somewhere, you just have to find it.
Yah right, like I'm going to stumble on the solution right no-
He tripped and went rolling down in the dark, a soft moan reached his ears... wait... that wasn't his voice. His hairs stood on end. Talking to himself was nutty, but hearing other voices OUTSIDE his own head... that might mean he needed some serious help or-
He felt his way up and realized his legs were draped over someone else. There WAS another person down here. He gulped, well, at least he wasn't dead, or a pile of bones... or...
He shook his head, enough, his imagination was running away from him.
He pulled his legs towards himself and felt his way to the person on his knees. He found the body, still warm and- His heart sped up, wet... from what he could tell it was the persons arm. Blood, lots of it...
Oh god... this is bad. He couldn't even see anything, how was he supposed to cope with a still living person dying from blood loss right next to him.
"Come on. You gotta be alive, come on." He rolled the person over, trying to figure something out. But it was hopeless... all so hopelessly dark and terrifying. His head ached, his eyes felt blind, his heart was over worked... he was as good as dead. A hand landed on his. He nearly screamed bloody murder, but being the already practically dead ninja he was he choked it back and it came out as something between a squeak and a cough.
"Please..." The voice whispered, barley still there, "Please,"
Cole raised himself to his knees and felt for the person's hand, "Are you..." He bit his tongue, not ok. "Are you bleeding?" he asked for lack of certainty.
"Yes... my-my, arms, my back... I don't-" each word was soft and pained, a gasp of breath between each. Cole realized hat this poor soul was already going.
"Hang on..." What else was he supposed to say? Don't look into the light? Yah, that would go over real well.
"That hatch... over there." The voice spoke again. Cole resisted the urge to roll his eyes in the dark. He couldn't exacly SEE the hatch...
"Here..." He heard a grunt, followed by a shuffled then something wet and cold landed in his lap. He picked it up and it instantly flared up.
A light!
Hope suddenly seemed to spring itself in his chest along with that light. Maybe there was a chance, a lucky chance after all.
He played the light on the far wall, he saw it! An opened hatch and... someone was on the other side.
"Hold on." Cole spoke as he stood up and flashed the light on the stretched out figure.
His heart slammed up into his throat.
The Shadow girl...
His conscious was suddenly torn in two as he stared in utter horror and disbelief at the cut up and broken, bleeding figure on the ground. He couldn't believe his eyes, wasn't she the one after them in the first place? Then why was she down here practically dead...
His mind was telling him to leave her where she was. After all it was mostly her fault they were in this hopeless situation. But his conscious and honor said otherwise. No matter how horrible a person was...
He didn't move for a full minute.
She let out a breathless groan.
He gritted his teeth, oh for the love of- I hope I don't regret this... He bent over slowly and carefully slipped his arms underneath the broken shadow girls body, not that she looked much like a shadow, her black clothing was ripped in several places that revealed all too much of her pale skin.
The black clad ninja let out a small sigh, a ninja's gotta do what a ninja's gotta do.
Slowly he shifted her body against his chest, another pained groan escaped her lips. He bit his own and carefully walked towards the opened hatch.
He shone the light into it a pair of green eyes stared out, blinking rapidly.
"Misako?"
"Cole! Is that you, I can't see you to well." Misako stumbled towards the light, tripped and nearly landed on the black ninja.
"Whoa, it's ok, come on, I got a light. A dim one, but still more then what we had." He helped the elderly woman up with his free hand as best he could.
"Quickly, we have to find the others and get out of here." She spoke in a hurried whisper.
Cole nodded, "Here hold on to my arm, I'll see if I can find away out."
A soft groan reached his ears, "Th-that way." Shadow spoke feebly.
Cole bit his cheek and headed towards the way she had pointed, How ironic, listening to the person that go us in trouble in the first place. Slowly, with tense shoulders, he lead Misako down a darker corridor.
They all sat silent. Kai stared into the endless darkness, until his eyes felt crossed. Zane was taking deep breaths and trying to work his brain around their horrid situation. Jay had his head buried in his knees, trying to NOT think about Nya. And Lloyd, he was fighting his internally growing panic that threatened to clog his throat and stop his breathing.
The fear and panic was growing heavier and heavier until Kai snapped his head up.
"Did you guys hear that?" He asked in a hoarse whisper.
They all sat stark silent, their ears began to ring from the deathly silence.
"I heard... something." Zane whispered slowly.
"Guys?" It was faint, but it was definitely a voice.
"Cole?" Jay straightened up, hope suddenly growing in place of fear.
"Lloyd?"
"Mom?!" Lloyd stood up just as a dim light appeared nearly blinding them because the weren't used to the light.
"Lloyd! Oh honey." Misako embraced her son joyfully as the young warrior fought back his relief tears.
"Cole how did you-" Jay's eyes as he grew accustomed to the dimly lit up dark and noticed his friend was carrying a very interesting package.
The black clad ninja rolled his eye, "Not the time for that Jay, I'll explain later right now, we gotta get outta here."
The others nodded, "But... where is out of here?" Lloyd asked his face crinkling in confusion and worry.
Cole was silent for a moment before he looked down at the load in his arms.
"She's going to tell us."
A red bolt charred the stone wall next to Crocs ear.
"What do you mean you can't find THEM!" Dyron roared in anger as he shot another bolt closer then the last one at his servant, "You know these catacombs as well as me, They are lost rats in a maze, HOW can you not find them~!"
Croc remained silent, not wishing to anger his master with an ill timed word.
"Listen you overgrown monkey, go out there and block the entrance, twist them off course, do SOMETHING! They can not leave here alive! Do. You. Understand." He spat with disgust as his servant nodded, with a quick salute the hulking man turned and headed for the exit.
Perhaps he could block their escape if nothing else. At least he would be doing something, as his master put it.
"All right this way guys." Cole instructed his fellow ninja down hall after hall as they tailed behind him, now completely confused.
"How is she telling you all this when she's nearly dead?" Jay asked more irritated then confused now.
Cole shrugged, "She's still conscious... for some reason, so I can see her small signs of where to turn and stuff. Now shut up and keep moving."
Jay snapped his mouth shut and followed, for once not saying a word.
"There!" Zane said triumphantly, "Come we are almost to-"
A boulder smashed three feet in front of his path.
The others yelped and jumped back.
"Nobody is going anywhere."
Their eyes widened.
"Aw come on, we're like this close!" Kai growled, feeling his fear getting the best of him as the hulking man stomped forward the ground vibrating from each step.
"Guys, we have to get out of here." Cole jumped up and ran straight forward, looking as if he was going to ram the man with his head.
Croc prepared himself for the impact and planted his feet wide on the rough ground, his heavy hands spread out to grab the crazed ninja.
The last second Cole jumped then slide right under Crocs outstretched legs. In an effort to recover and grab Cole, Croc turned half way, swinging his fist out only to be kicked by Kai and stumbled back.
The next second his feet froze, he realized that another ninja was freezing him to the spot. Jay zapped him with fury boiling under his blue eyes. He had just about enough of this hell.
Lloyd finished the shocked lackey with a powerful energy shot to his chest, Miskao round house kicked him for good measure and they all ran as if their heels were on fire, disappearing as fast as air.
Croc was left with furious wounds, frozen feet, and a gripping fear that his prey had escaped and what his master would do to him when he found out.
He shivered. And not from the ice that glued his massive feet to the ground.