Skylor's P.O.V.

When I became a ninja I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Seriously, at first it was fine. Besides Kai's shameless flirting and the tendency for bad things to happen all the time, I enjoyed it. Missions. Fighting. Punching things in the face. No more noodles for this girl! Of course, I never expected Cole to turn evil and go on a killing spree. But then again, nobody did.

Now Cole has brutally murdered Lloyd, Zane, and Pixal, and he's not going to stop there. Although Cole is being terrible and slaughtering all his friends, I must appreciate the careful planning of his attacks. Having grown up evil, I understand how hard it is to be original with your wickedness, and on all accounts Cole is doing a good job at that. He's even scared me, and it takes a lot to faze me.

After everything that's happened, I'm the most sane person on the team. Zane and Pixal are dead, as is Lloyd, the leader. Jay had a nervous breakdown and he's usually in a fragile state anyway. Nya is trying to handle it. She seems determined that somehow she will stop Cole. There's a plan struggling to form in her mind, but really, she's just too damaged to put it in action. Cole has done this all for them, Nya and Jay, and it's showing in the two. And then there's Kai.

What can I say about Kai?

He wouldn't even see Zane or Pixal. He won't leave Lloyd's side. The spark has left his normally fiery eyes and now he just looks dead, as dead as the friend he won't abandon. So here we are, Kai and Lloyd and I, in this small room with dried-up blood on the floor, and I don't know what to say. I was never good with feelings.

Kai is hunched over Lloyd with his hazel eyes fixated on the glazed-over green ones of the boy, as if begging him to come back, as if asking why. Nya is dealing with Zane and Pixal by herself, and Jay is off God knows where. So it's just us in the small room, and I don't know why I'm here. I should go help Nya, who's probably started crying again. Just when I'm about to escape the uncomfortable silence, I hear something.

"I swore to protect him..." Kai's voice cracks when he speaks. "I gave my word and what did I do? Nothing. Now he's dead."

What can I do?

"You're right. You did give your word. And you broke it." I say coldly. It will hurt but this is what Kai needs to hear. Really, what everyone needs to hear. "Lloyd died. Zane died. Pixal died. They are our friends and they were murdered. But it's not our fault. It's Cole's, and if you just give up and stare sadly into Lloyd's emerald green eyes, you won't get anywhere and you will die next. You have to put your big boy pants on, Kai. This is not just serpentine and ghosts anymore. People are being killed. And if you don't know how to deal with that, maybe you shouldn't be a ninja."

Kai looks up. Instead of the anger I expected to see on his features, there is only remorse.

"Maybe you're right."

I'm saved from having to reply by something that I almost thought I'd never hear again.

A phone ringing.

A phone? The lines are disconnected. But it's definitely ringing. I walk over to the phone and pick it up.

"Hello, is this Jay?"

"No..."

"Oh, well, it's Edna, his mother, dear, and we've been worried sick! Jay hasn't been answering our calls for weeks, and he was supposed to visit us three days ago! Has something happened to our poor baby? Please put him on the line!" A torrent of sound rushes out of the phone. Of course it's Jay's parents. Creepy phone calls were so last horror movie.

"Sorry, Edna. It's Skylor, the orange ninja. Jay can't talk right now. We're having some -problems over here at the Bounty and so don't expect to hear anything for the next few days." I say.

"Oh, can you tell Jay we love him very much? And say hello to all his nice friends, will you? That adorable robot, and the angry fire one, and the little blond one, oh, and his best friend the dirt eater, Cole? And especially that sweet Nya girl.We miss all of you terribly!" Edna continues.
"Sure thing." I reassure her and hang up.

If the Walkers could get a call in-maybe our phone works again? It's worth a try. With anticipation, I dial Sensei Wu's number and then put the telephone to my ear. "I'm sorry, but this number could not be reached." A robotic female voice says, reminding me of Pixal. It's better than the static we have been getting. Convinced that Wu is just not picking up, I try something different. Cole's dad? Considering that his son has killed three people in the last two days or so, I think it's time he's notified. A list of important numbers is next to the phone, and I'm relieved to see that Cole's dad is on it, hastily scrawled at the bottom as if it's an afterthought. I punch the numbers in and then listen to the irritating ring four times. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Then, someone picks up.

"Hello?" A quavering female voice answers. She seems to be extremely anxious.

"Hi? May I speak to Lou Brookstone, please?"

"Lou Brookstone? Didn't you hear?"

"Hear what?"'

"The story, it's been on the news everywhere. "

"I've been living under a rock. What's the story?"

"Mr. Brookstone was found in his house Monday morning, murdered. His heart was ripped out and somebody, we believe the killer, left a note. Everybody in Royal Hills had their throat slit. Not enough to kill, just enough to make sure they couldn't scream." The lady says this like she's repeated it several times. She's scared, but trying to sound professional.

"And you are?"

"Willow Willems, police assistant."

"What was the note?"

"Who are you?" I suppose I should have seen this coming.She wouldn't just give out classified information to a random girl who called a murder victim.

" His son's friend. What did the note say?"

"It's scratched into the wall. You wouldn't want to hear it, we didn't even put it on the news."

"Just read it to me."

"This is classified Police information."

"Tell. Me. Now."

" It's important to have a warm-up before doing any serious acivity. My dad taught me that. Love, Cole. Does that mean anything to you?"

I don't say anything else. I just hang up. Kai doesn't ask. Nya has to hear this.

Cole killed his dad. And he made sure we found out. Just to make sure, I dial 911.

Static, of course.

No One's/ Cole's? P.O.V.

Finally, Cole thought.

It had taken them long enough to find out about his father. He was hardly surprised it had been Skylor. Although he'd hoped Nya would be the one to answer the phone, she would hear about it anyway from the redhead.

Killing Lloyd had been easy, and fun. Watching the child scream for Kai to help him was just so deliciously ironic. "You said you didn't need to be protected, blondie." Cole had whispered, watching the "Ultimate Spinjitzu Master" struggle to escape his grip. "Wh-why are you doing this?" Lloyd had squeaked out. "You wouldn't understand, kiddo. Love always has, and always will be, out of your reach." Cole hissed with delight, relishing the feeling of Lloyd's hot tears. "Nya doesn't love you. She never will." Lloyd said almost defiantly.

"Then I guess we're both having problems with the Smith siblings." Cole said. Lloyd never said another word.

Then there was the robots. Cole had thought murdering them wouldn't be as fun. But when he saw how Zane ran to save Pixal, he knew this one would be a doozy. "She watched you die. Don't you think it's time to return the favor?" Cole taunted the titanium ninja, watched his face contort with emotions he shouldn't have been able to feel.

"Cole, don't do this. We are still friends. Do not kill Pixal." Zane said, trying to hide his desperation.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? For me to back to normal?" Cole smirked, showing his razor sharp teeth. Zane only could nod, unsure of what to do.

"Well, sometimes things don't happen the way we planned." The black ninja said. Pixal struggled in his grip, trying to escape, but of course it was no use. Zane took out his shurikens, holding them threateningly, but Cole only laughed and a series of tremors rose through the earth, causing the nindroid to drop his weapons. With one swift movement, Cole thrust his hand through Pixal's metal casing, grabbing a handful of her wires and throwing them on the floor.

Zane screamed, for the first time in his life. Until Cole was suddenly in front of him, smashing his vocal processor. The robot was silent, and watched with fear as Cole slowly reached out and opened his chest compartment. His long claws gripped Zane's power source. Cole's black eyes observed the glowing blue cylinder with interest for a second. Then, his fist clenched, crushing it. Glass and Zane fell to the ground.

And now Cole was ready to kill again. Skylor was next, and she was going to die differently. Not nicely.

Watch out, ninja.

This was going to hurt.