Chapter 2 – Green with Chaos
Sirens blared outside of the theater. Red and blue lights flickered across the bricks outside as the ambulance pulled up, civilians moving out of the way yet lingering to see what was happening.
Randy sat with his knees under him, his brain still trying to process the previous few minutes. Howard laid in front of him, almost completely still. In his stupor, Randy's mind had at least had enough sense and consciousness to check his friend for signs of life. His numb body had relaxed slightly when he caught sight of a small flutter of movement from Howard's chest, giving away that he was thankfully alive.
The teen wasn't sure when the ambulance workers showed up in the theater with a stretcher. He wasn't conscious of when he had slipped the mask off of his face before he crawled closer to his best friend. He was, however, faintly aware that someone had laid a hand on his shoulder and that he was being gently escorted away towards the lobby. He couldn't focus though. To him his feet felt like they were stuck on fly paper and his mind was the human coming to dispose of him. That was too close, it was the first time he truly realized how dangerous being the Ninja was… And having someone close to him know.
Maybe the Nomicon was right. The thought struck Randy hard and a chill slithered up his spine. What if the Ninja shouldn't be able to have a friend who knows? But that couldn't be right. He thought that the Nomicon had accepted Howard by now. And what about the first Ninja and Plop Plop? Randy sighed and sat down gently onto the theater floor. Okay, my thoughts are getting way too chaotic. I just need to take a breath. He puffed out and tried to focus, his eyes mindlessly following the firefighters and police officers inside. Except that the more he tried to focus, the more the scenery around him blurred. Something was off, he realized. But he had already blacked out before he could identify the problem.
Randy's eyes cracked open, exhaustion filling every nook of his body. The room was blaringly bright and white and the smell of anti-bacteria cleaner overpowered his senses. He didn't remember his mom saying he needed to go to the doctors, but then again the room was too void of color to be the doctor's office. The hospital, perhaps? An "oh well" slipped through his mind, his eyes protesting to be closed until he finally complied.
Wait, the hospital? Randy's head jerked up, eyes snapping back open and frantically searching the room. No one was inside. It was completely quiet, save for the mellow beeping from the heart rate monitor. The TV above hummed with a silent static as the images flashed by. Captions beneath the show airing scrolled back and forth, each word replaced with a new one as the characters continued to speak. As Randy's vision evened, the light inside the room faded into a comforting yellow from the sunlight splashing through the window.
The boy relaxed slightly and raised his hand to his forehead. It was then that he noticed the sudden sharp pain from his shoulder, causing him to hiss from the discomfort. The ninja mask usually numbed his cuts and scratches. He must have taken it off too fast before the healing could start. Wait…
Randy put his weight on his functioning arm before he sat up in the bed. He carefully removed the pristine white blanket covering his body and looked down. His normal red shirt and black jeans had been swapped with a hospital gown.
Alarm swam through the teen, quickly forced down in order to keep his calm. The mask had to be inside of his jacket's hidden pocket, that's where he always put it. Unless someone took it out? Or he left it at the theater when he was checking for Howard's pulse? But until he could find his clothes, Randy wouldn't be sure if it was still there or not.
Determination began to pool inside Randy's chest before he lightly swiveled his legs out from underneath the rest of the sheets, careful not to disturb his shoulder. Sucking in a breath, the 14 year old planted a foot onto the white tile, a shock of cold swirling underneath it. Stabilizing his body's weight onto it, he placed his other foot down and stood.
Not too bad. He thought, stretching his muscles and flexing his arm. Just a little sting. But with that thought the room dipped underneath Randy in a sudden spurt of dizziness. He gingerly sat back down on the bed. As he did so, the doorknob shook and clicked open, a lady with vibrant hazel-jade colored eyes walking in. She was dressed in a navy blue nurse uniform and had her dirty blond hair neatly tucked into a long braid that reached down to her elbow. She beamed when her gaze reached Randy's own and calmly waved at him with her free hand, a clipboard and pencil in the other.
"Ah, you're up. I'm Nurse Camila," she said, answering the boy's unspoken question. "You took a nasty cut to that shoulder, huh?"
Randy, momentarily caught off guard, blinked. "Huh?"
Camila gestured to his shoulder with the pencil she was holding. "Your shoulder. Does it hurt?"
"Oh. Um. It's more of a sting I guess."
"Really?" This time the woman blinked. "I was expecting more than 'just a sting'. But I guess that's good!"
Randy nodded. Was that the right answer? Maybe she's working for McFist! He paused in his thoughts. Well of course, McFist owns, like, everything here. "Um. I guess I have a high pain tolerance…?"
Nurse Camila glanced Randy over. "Uh… huh. Okay, well, I was sent to run a few more tests on you. I'm just going to ask a few questions and then draw some blood."
The 14 year old nodded, watching as the lady jotted a few notes down onto the clipboard after the motion he made. Pulling the armchair away from the wall and towards the bed, she sat down. Camila cleared her throat.
"Okie dokie then, question one: Do you remember where you were before you got here?"
"The Mcfist-A-Plex Theater." Randy smoothly answered.
"Mmhm. Um…" the nurse paused as she wrote something. "How about the event that took place?"
Randy subtly leaned forward, slightly uneasy. "Uh. There was a monster attack. I was..." Panic tried to force its way into his chest. He swallowed. "In the theater where it jumped out of the screen or whatever. Oh, with my friend, Howard." The name tumbled out of his mouth and for half a second, Randy's mind went blank. "Howard…" He whispered. "Where is he?"
Camila nodded. "Good... Oh yes, the unconscious one."
"Is he okay?" The teen nearly hopped across the room, bolting up from the bed. "He has to be. He's alive right? Is he in a coma or in intense medical care or-" The room blurred and Randy stumbled as he let out a small groan.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down there." The nurse pushed the armchair back and rushed over to him. She steadied the boy on her shoulder. "You need to sit down, young man. No quick movements, alright?"
Randy shook his head in an effort to clear the nausea swelling up in his stomach. Taking that as a yes, Camila set him back down on the bed and returned to the chair. "Just a few more, and then I'll take the blood. Are you ready? These are easy." He nodded gently.
"Name?"
"Randy Cunningham."
"What city are we in?"
"Norrisville." He replied as he closed his eyes.
"Do you remember the time it was when the incident happened?"
"Um… The movie started at 8:30, I think? Last night."
Camila marked the paper on the clipboard and leaned forward slightly. "Did the Ninja appear during this monster attack?"
Randy sat up, trying not to look rushed or alarmed. "I'm… not sure. I was out of the theater when I saw the monster attacking. I thought Howard was behind me but then he wasn't and I didn't want to go back in until after I couldn't hear the screeching anymore. Then it was silent and I went to see and Howard…"
"That's alright. That's fine. One more thing and then we're done with questions," The woman relaxed back in the armchair and looked up at the teen with an even expression. "Do you remember how you got the shoulder injury?"
Randy's eyes flicked towards Camila's and then to the floor. He recognized the mistake instantly. Oh honkin cheese. "Um… I, uh, I'm… not really sure. I could have been hit while running from the movie?" It was more of a question then a statement. He mentally face-palmed. "I don't know. Adrenaline or something…"
The nurse stood, her clipboard tucked underneath her arm. She was quiet as she pulled out a syringe and latex gloves from the sink in the corner of the room. Randy uncomfortably sat on the bed, choosing to examine his palms. He knew that he screwed up. But now he couldn't fix it.
Camila padded over and held up the syringe. "It's just going to be five milliliters. There will be a slight pinch but it will be over in a flash." She lowered it to the blue-eyed boy's arm and inserted the needle. Once finished, Camila turned to go.
"Um. Can I see Howard?"
She stopped at the door. An audible sigh echoed across the room. "Follow me then. Slowly." She added when Randy stood abruptly. The teen murmured an apology before he followed the woman out of the room.
The halls were a bleached white, similar to the patient rooms, but instead of the natural sunlight had humming fluorescent bulbs. The trimming and doors were practically the only rest from the blatant color, adding a soft red to the corridor. Randy trailed behind Camila anxiously. The lady hadn't said a word and it was beginning to unnerve him. He awkwardly cleared his throat.
"So… What exactly are you testing my blood for?"
Camila glanced over her shoulder, jade-hazel eyes flashing in the harsh lighting. Other doctors passed by in a blur. Some of the workers walked by unevenly, favoring a leg or other limb but Randy tried not to stare for long. Camila finally answered, breaking through his questions about the workers, "Mostly just the basic things. Blood sugar, blood type, things like that. It won't take long."
"Oh…" The conversation died back down while the two traveled through the hall. The 14 year old returned his focus to the red trim along the walls, attempting to ignore the growing silence. He had almost forgotten that he was following Camila when she abruptly stopped in front of a door and began to gently twist the handle to let them inside.
Randy peered out from behind the nurse towards the bed. His sapphire eyes were met with a ginger haired boy lying quietly under snowy sheets.
"He's sleeping right now," Camila interjected as Randy took a step forward. "Wake him gently and avoid touching his head. The left arm is broken as well. Oh, and don't talk about his eyes. We haven't told him yet. If anything comes up, don't be afraid to call for help." With Randy's uncertain nod of understanding, the woman turned and vanished through the door.
He padded forward in silence, his eyes scouting his best friend's body. Howard's face was decorated with a serene look, almost so vacant that it surprised Randy. But as he sat down, a small smile dappled the other teen's quiet face, causing a beam of his own. Randy reached out a hand to prod Howard but then hesitated. After a moment of thinking, he shrugged it off and shook the boy's leg.
"Howard?"
The soft breathing in the room stirred and puffed, almond colored eyes cracking open. Howard squinted as he looked around the room before his gaze landed on the other person sitting by the bedside.
"Randy?" He breathed.
The addressed teen shakily laughed. His grip tightened as he gazed back. "Hey bud. How are you?"
Howard blinked groggily and opened his mouth into a yawn. "I'm, uh. Good I think? Today has definitely been a weird one."
"Yeah. I guess it has. Well, I'm just glad you're alright."
"I don't even know why I'm here though. The doctors just keep asking me to answer questions."
"Oh?" Randy cocked his head in confusion. "You don't remember what happened last night?"
Howard shook his head. "No, am I supposed to?"
"Remember last night when we went to the movies?" Howard stared back into Randy's azure eyes, clueless thoughts swirling through his own. The teen continued, "The monster attack in the theater? The big worm-dragon thing? And then you…"
The ginger haired boy turned his attention to the blanket. "I uh… Sort of remember. What happened?"
"You, um," Randy licked his lips and his hands twitched in his lap. "You were hit by… by one of the spikes. In the back."
"Oh…" Howard's eyes were losing clarity. His eyelids were beginning to droop. "That's interesting."
Randy's eyebrows furrowed. "Interesting? I don't think that's the word you would usually use to describe something like that."
"No… no. It's fine,"
"Um…?" The boy in the hospital bed relaxed. Randy sighed and leaned back into his chair again. That was strange, to say the least.
Must be the medicines. He thought, vision blurring as he felt exhaustion set in. Just a few minutes and then I'll get Camila. Just glad that… he's…
Hands clasped around Randy's neck, jostling him from his dozing as his lungs were cut off from air. His eyes snapped open in terror and panic before he began struggling in his attacker's grasp.
"Randy," A scratchy voice growled. "You did this. You did this to me!"
Face beginning to morph purple, the teen spluttered and twisted. He clawed at the immense arms around his throat, distress completely flooding his brain. The world suddenly turned into a tilt-a-whirl.
"You will pay for this! You will get every last second of this pain back!"
His feet were suddenly off the floor. His head crashed into the opposing wall and his breath rushed back to him in an angry whirl as he slumped. Prickles of oxygen swirled in his chest then up to his brain. Trying to refocus, Randy blinked hastily while breathing deeply. The only thing that he could clearly make out was a green glow. And it was creeping closer and closer and closer with each passing second until emerald filled his mind.
Randy's brain turned furiously, his muscles twitching as fight or flight instincts took over. The boy's senses were temporarily unavailable, green light pulling at each cohesive thought he could form. It was overwhelming to him, tickling each crevice in his mind with desire. If he could just fall into the emerald he was sure he'd feel…
No! Randy's hair fluttered as he shook his head to clear the hypnotizing thoughts. Focus. Focus. I need… I don't…! His eyes circled back to the green. Stop it, it's doing something to you! Knock it off! Palms flew back up to his eyes and pressed hard on the sockets. Blotches sparkled behind his eyelids before he reopened them. The green had dimmed enough so that Randy could make out its origin. Silence rang out as the teen identified pupils burning with jade fire that licked inside the owner's eyes…
Howard's eyes.
"Go, go, go! Get the binding ready! Just like this morning guys!" A woman's voice burst through the mute room as bodies flooded in from the opposite wall from Randy. Howard's attention jerked away from the prey and to the new threat, hissing as doctors closed in on him. Randy stared blankly at Camila rounding her coworkers and his best friend. She moved swiftly, a face of stone hiding her expressions while she pulled him up off the floor and held his weight on her shoulders. Legs swaying unsteadily like jelly, Randy's mind was void of thoughts. As he was escorted from the room, the last thing he saw was the ginger being tackled. Screams of rage rang out through the halls until they were a simple echo to Randy's thoughts.
(Author's Notes)
A month. It took me a month to get this up (and three days if you want to get technical X3). It was weird working on this chapter in pieces instead of all in one sitting like I usually do with fanfics but hey, it did help my schedule.
Hanako5325 and Oblitus Angeli I never said Howard was dead. I'm offended that you two thought I'd stoop that low.
...Nah I totally would do something like that. XD But I need him for the plot so he's alive. For now *evil laugh*
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Sort of a filler but it was needed. Talk to you guys on the next! :D
Review if you'd like, it keeps my writing spirits up. :3
Updated 12/18/14