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The fight was supposed to be easy.
Sneak into the warehouse, ambush the kidnappers, free the victim, and get out before anyone could call for backup. Basically, use super cool Ninja skills to be in and out before they could even be spotted.
It was a great plan, a full-team effort that they’d planned hours in advance. Zane had run the simulations and described the most likely scenarios. They’d covered all the exits, all the escape routes. They were more prepared than usual; with a kidnapping, they left nothing to chance. They’d even prepared for multiple kinds of weapons—guns, knives, even brass knuckles—and if the thugs somehow had vengestone. They were ready.
What they didn’t expect was that the “victim” wasn’t actually in any danger. As soon as Cole and Kai had leaped down from the rafters like cats, prepared to quickly cut or break through the victim’s binds, they had freed themself and pulled a gun on the Ninja. She wasn’t a hostage. She was bait.
Suddenly the two Ninja were ducking for cover as shots rang out from multiple locations and their well-organized tactics dissolved into the chaos of fighting for their lives. As soon as Kai had registered the gun in the woman’s hands, he’d shoved himself into Cole and somehow took them both to the ground just as the first shot echoed through the warehouse.
Cole immediately slammed his fist into the ground. A spire of earth erupted from the concrete floor in between the woman and the Ninja, giving them a few precious seconds to gather themselves together and get to safety. Cole scrambled to his feet and reached for Kai’s arm to pull him up too. “We have to get out of here!” He gasped as the woman rounded the spire with the gun aimed at his head. He stomped on the ground hard enough to cause a small earthquake that made the woman lose her balance.
Thankfully, Kai had recovered by then, and lobbed a fireball in her direction. She dodged it by a hair and aimed the gun. Cole was about to create another earth spire as a shield but didn’t get the chance before Kai rushed forward, hands ablaze, and launched himself at the woman.
“Kai!” Cole cried, exasperated, but chased after his brother anyway. How many times had the team told the hot-head that he couldn’t just throw himself into a fight like this? Against a gun, no less? They were powerful elemental masters, sure, but they weren’t invulnerable to guns.
In a panic, the woman fired wildly just as Kai reached her, point-blank. Cole’s eyes widened in alarm, but Kai gave no signs of distress as he tackled the woman and wrenched the gun from her hand. He threw it across the floor, disgusted, and Cole used his element to wrap the woman’s wrists and ankles in hard earth to keep her pinned.
“No!” She shrieked, thrashing uselessly. “You can’t win forever, Ninja! We won’t live in fear of you any longer!”
Kai and Cole exchanged surprised looks. They were afraid of the Ninja? Even though they’d tried to help save someone who they thought was kidnapped? “You’re crazy,” Kai scoffed, perfectly echoing Cole’s thoughts.
“Ninja, fall back!” Someone shouted over their comms. The sound crackled and buzzed as it almost cut out, making it impossible to tell who gave the command.
“Don’t need to tell me twice,” Cole muttered. He backed away from the woman and spun towards where the nearest exit was. According to their original plan, Zane should be guarding this door. He heard Kai start to follow him.
But as soon as they rounded the nearest storage shelf, out of sight from the woman, Cole heard the unmistakable sound of someone in pain.
The Ninja skidded to a stop and whirled around. He’d run back before his mind even caught up to what he saw. “Kai!”
The Fire Ninja stumbled into the shelf with his hand pressed to his side. “I’m fine. We’re almost out, let’s just go.”
“No, stop,” Cole demanded, reaching for Kai’s hands to let him see the injury. His eyes widened as he saw the spot on Kai’s gi making the red fabric a few shades darker. He bit his lip in frustration. Of course his brother’s reckless actions got him hurt. Of course he tried to hide it.
Kai’s face was pale and beaded with sweat, indicating that he was in more pain than he let on. “We’ll be found if we stay here, Cole,” he hissed. “Let’s go.”
He tried to pull away, but Cole put one hand on his shoulder to keep him in place. “Stay still, Kai,” he snapped. “You’re in no shape to go anywhere.”
Anger was not usually Cole’s first reaction when faced with a situation like this. He typically kept his cool and remained level-headed until they were out of safety, no matter the cause of the injury. But this irritated him. Kai had been foolishly reckless and it resulted in him getting shot. No matter how many times they told him to think before he jumped, he never seemed to get the message.
But he was scared, too. Terrified that the injury could be worse than it looked and that it would put Kai’s life on the line. Worried that they wouldn’t make it out in time, or that some of the thugs would find them and attack the wounded Fire Ninja.
Cole pressed on his comms. “We need backup!” He called. “Kai got shot!”
Kai winced guiltily at the following exclamations of worry and panic from the rest of the team. “I can get out on my own,” he insisted to Cole. “We can’t stay here. The thugs’ll find us before Zane gets here.”
“Stop, Kai,” Cole demanded. He placed his hand on Kai’s wound, over his brother’s, to add pressure, but he could feel his arms shaking slightly. “You got shot and now you have to deal with us getting you out safely.”
Kai glared at him with no real heat. He knew that Cole was right. Kai was in no shape to run or fight; they’d have to wait and pray to the First Spinjitzu Master that one or all of the other Ninja could reach them before the thugs did.
As they waited, Cole helped Kai lower himself to the ground so he wasn’t standing and not at risk of collapsing. The Fire Ninja sucked in a breath of pain as he shifted into a more comfortable position. Cole studied him, concerned. Despite his bravado, Kai did not look good. Based on the extent of dark staining on his gi, Cole guessed that he’d lost quite a bit of blood in the short time between the shots and now. He hoped the bullet hadn’t hit any vital organs. Kai seemed to be breathing okay, which was a relief; it must’ve missed his lung.
“You don’t have to give me that look,” Kai muttered.
That snapped Cole out of his thoughts. His worried expression morphed into one of irritation. “Maybe I wouldn’t have to if you didn’t get in this situation,” he shot back.
Kai rolled his eyes, which just infuriated Cole even more. “Should I apologize for not letting you get shot?” He scoffed. “Is that what you want me to say?”
A little fight drained out of Cole. He honestly should’ve expected that; Kai throwing himself in front of the bullet was unfortunately so like him. He knew Kai couldn’t stand to see any of the others injured. Cole wished he knew that the same thing went for him, too. None of the Ninja liked seeing each other hurt, especially when Kai kept putting himself in harm’s way.
Maybe it was selfish of Kai to do that. To constantly make them worry for his life when he took a hit meant for someone else. But Cole can’t exactly blame him. He wasn’t one to talk; both because he’d do the same thing given the chance, and because he was the one uninjured while Kai had the bullet lodged in his body.
“Sorry,” he sighed, glancing down. “You just…have a habit of scaring us.”
It wasn’t often that he admitted to being scared, and Kai knew it, if his body tensing slightly was anything to go by. His free hand reached out and gently—or weakly, given his current state—nudged Cole’s shoulder. “Just picking up your slack,” he teased.
Cole pretended to be offended. “My slack? Excuse me, Mr. Danger Magnet, if I recall correctly, I’m the one who made that stone wall and pinned her to the ground.”
Kai looked like he was about to say something when shouts echoed from the other side of the shelf. Cole stiffened and his hand and arms lit up an orange-gold color. Kai grimaced as the Earth Ninja accidentally pressed harder onto the wound with the added strength from his element. Cole barely paid attention. He lifted his hand, prepared to strike the ground to defend him and Kai.
Only to come face-to-face with a very concerned Ice Ninja.
“Zane,” Cole gasped in relief, retracting his powers. “Thank FSM.”
“Let me see the injury,” Zane ordered, straight to business. Cole removed his hand and gently pried Kai’s off too. Blood immediately surged free, but Zane was quick to grab Cole’s hand and return it to its place over the injury. “Okay. Maintain pressure. You are more capable than Kai in his current state.”
“Rude,” Kai wheezed. His face had gone a few shades paler at the movement over his injury.
Zane and Cole helped him stand, each taking one of his arms. Kai hissed in pain and stumbled slightly. “I am simply stating what I have observed,” Zane replied simply. “Jay, Nya, and Lloyd are guarding the exit. We were able to subdue the criminals so we can escape. Police have been notified. May I ask how this injury occured?”
Cole glanced at Kai, who looked guilty. Well, that wouldn’t do. Now that he wasn’t so upset, Cole knew that Kai had probably saved his life. That was nothing to be ashamed of. “He saved me,” the Earth Ninja replied simply. Kai’s eyes widened slightly as if he didn’t expect Cole to come to his defense. The older Ninja smiled in reassurance. “I probably wouldn’t be in good shape if Kai hadn’t jumped in.”
Zane simply nodded in understanding and Kai mouthed a “thank you” to Cole. He gave the injured Ninja’s arm a comforting squeeze. Anytime, he silently replied.
They made it out of the warehouse and to the Bounty without any further incident. Nya and Lloyd were beside themselves with worry, but thanks to Cole’s vague description of what happened, neither of them chastised Kai for being reckless. The injured Ninja didn’t need more stress on his plate.
No, that was for Cole to do on another day, when Kai wasn’t in a life-or-death situation.