Chapter Text
One. Two. Three. Kai grunted and kicked the wooden dummy.
Four. Five. Six. He punched with all his force.
Seven. Eight. Nine. Kai’s whole body was red and sweaty, he had been out there for hours at this point.
Ten. He hit his head against the hard wood. He was tired. Sick. Sunburnt to hell and back. He wanted to go inside.
But he couldn’t.
To go inside would be admitting defeat. He didn’t want to talk to anyone about anything. If he went inside they’ll ask him about it.
‘It’ in this case, being the giant dark black eye and a more-than-likely broken nose.
He had gotten into a bar fight, some no-gooders were threatening people, and Kai had to step in. Well. That’s what he’s planning to tell the others.
The Slither Pit, or Laughy’s underground fight club imitation of it, was where Kai spent his drunk and fucked up nights. He started going after Zane died fighting the overlord. Continued going after Chen’s Island. Stopped for a few months to take care of Lloyd. And started again after failing to protect him.
This night was his first in a while. It had been a month since Lloyd got possessed by Morro. The kid had finally started talking about it, and though it made Kai unbearably upset to think about, he didn’t want to listen. Kai didn’t want to hear about how someone he was in charge of got fucked over because Kai was too weak to help.
He knew it was selfish. That he is selfish. He hated all his thinking, all his thoughts, but he couldn’t stop.
Kai was so warm. He didn’t realize how dissociated he was until he snapped out of the episode. Everything hurt. He was panting.
Does anyone even know he’s out there? It’s the middle of the night! No way anyone would still be awake. Why would they care even if they were awake? Why would they care at all?
It was at this moment Kai collapsed to the ground.
The teen didn’t understand what just happened until he felt the pain. His nose was bleeding violently and he couldn’t open his right eye. His body and head burned. It felt like he split his skull open. Kai couldn’t move and that scared him. He didn’t know what to do.
Scream for help? Kai was NOT going to scream for help. Even the thought made him feel pathetic.
Cry and hope someone hears? Even worse.
Wait until morning and hope someone notices? Probably the best(??) option.
His entire body was BURNING. Not in Kai’s normal ‘Fyahh’ way. In an ‘I think I’m going to die’ way. Kai wouldn’t admit it, but he was terrified. He felt his limbs spasming. Was he going to die here? Alone? Was Kai actually going to die?
When Kai imagined passing, it was around Nya. Or Lloyd. Or Wu or Zane or just SOMEONE! He just wanted someone- ANYONE to be with him.
He couldn’t think through the pain anymore.
Kai decided to scream for help.