Pain throbbed at the side of Cole's jaw, and he tasted something hot and salty in his mouth.
'OK. Now I'm angry.' He thought.
The group of men were laughing and jeering while Rick cackled. "Ha! That'll teach ya, you--"
Cole punched at the punk's bearded face. Hard.
The huge man staggered backwards, a faint, dazed expression on his face, and tripped over a stool. With a loud THUD he fell on the dirty floor.
The room was still. Even the barman had turned off the stale music.
Cole stared at Rick, who stirred and groaned softly. 'Did I do that?' He glanced at his large, clenched fists. He knew he was strong, but...wow. That was some serious power.
A man with raggedy sand-colored hair rasped. "He--he just knocked down Big Ricky!"
They stared at him, all eyes wide with shock.
A man in the back of the crowd growled. "Let's teach this punk a lesson."
Cole suddenly leaped out of the booth, knocked over a couple of guys who didn't see him coming, and shoved his way out the crowd. He wasn't chicken, in fact, he enjoyed a good brawl once in a while. But he knew when he was outnumbered.
"Get him!" Somebody shouted. The crowd roared like thunder, and chased after him.
Cole ran down a shadowy hall off to the side of the room and caught sight of a flickering 'Exit' sign. He shoved at the door, only to realize with dismay that it was locked. He frantically rammed his body into the door, bruising his shoulder. Something inside the lock snapped, and with another shove he slammed open the rusty door.
He ran out into a narrow, stinking alley, where trash was scattered across the nasty pavement. Drops from the sky were falling; it was beginning to rain. He shut the door and raced down the concrete, angry shouts close behind.
Years of dance lessons had trained his body to be nimble and strong, he fairly flew down the maze of allies, panting and praying for an escape route. He kept turning corners, hoping to come to street, but only saw more walls of stone.
Rain went pitter patter on the dark, dirty concrete littered with bits of trash, and small, muddy puddles were forming in the uneven shallows of the ground. Gold light shone out of dusty windows of the tall, looming buildings, providing faint light in the dense shadows of the narrow back alley. Cole raced to and fro in the maze of walls, desperately looking for a way out. Somewhere behind him angry shouts of the mob drew maliciously closer to their prey.
He turned a corner and found himself at the foot of a huge brick wall, much too high to even think of climbing over. At its feet were several ratty cardboard boxes and trash bags thrown into a messy pile. It was a dead-end.
He was trapped.
Cole spun around, expecting to see the group of men appear around the corner at any moment. He gazed frantically at his dark surroundings, but saw no escape. Trying not to panic, he squared his shoulders and prepared to fight for his life.
"Mrow."
He jumped at the sound. 'What was that?' He spun around in a circle, trying to locate the cause of the noise.
"Mew!"
A small, four-legged creature stepped into the faint gold light of a street lamp. Cole blinked in surprise. It was a cat.
The cat was a thin, ratty-looking tabby, its almond-brown eyes flashing in the dim light. It flicked its tail. "Mrow."
"Shoo." He snapped. "I'm about to get the snot beaten out of me, and I don't have any cream to give you." He turned away and stared back into the shadows.
The cat's ear twitched. It trotted forward, and with its spiky teeth, tugged at his pants.
"Hey! Cut it out!" He shook it off. "I don't have time for this!"
The cat glared at him, then trotted away.
"Sheesh. Darn cat." He muttered under his breath. "I'm about to be smashed in a dark alley, and my only company is an attention-seeking pussy. Could things get any weirder--?!"
"Mrow!"
He spun around, and was shocked to see the tabby standing smugly on top of the wall.
Cole stared incredulously at the cat sitting on top of the wall. 'How in the world did that cat get up there??' He knew cats could jump high, but surely not up a ten-foot tall wall!
He wiped a strand of soaking wet hair out of his eyes. The rain was pouring by this time, the cold rain chilled his bones. He heard some shouting behind him, closer than ever.
He trotted to the foot of the wall and gazed at the piles of wet bags and boxes. If the cat got over the wall, maybe he could...
"Mrow." Eyes like the moon shone from the shadows between two hulking trash bags. Cole crouched on one knee and peered into the stifling darkness. "Heerre, kitty," He muttered. "Here, kitty..."
The eyes disappeared. He leaned forward with one hand stretched out, expecting to hit the brick wall, but his hand didn't hit anything. He blinked, and his eyes began to adjust to the darkness.
At one corner of the wall, there was a hole hidden by the trash, just big enough for him to fit through!
"Hey guys! I see his footprints! He went this way!" Cole grabbed his backpack, shoved it through the hole, then crawled after it. After a fair amount of squeezing and wriggling, he crawled through and grabbed a garbage bag. He stuffed it in the hole, praying the mob wouldn't notice his escape route. At the sound of a horde of footsteps closing in, he froze and listened.
There was a moment of silence before someone exclaimed. "He's not here!"
"I'm telling you, I saw his prints! He was here!"
"There's no way he could have jumped over that wall! He must have turned left instead!"
"Come on, let's thrash the little punk!"
Cole waited a nearly full minuet after their voices drifted away before relaxing. He breathed a sigh of relief and slowly stood up, listening. The only sound was the rain falling.
He realized that he was standing on the outskirts of the town. Up ahead was a forest leading to a range of mountains. He searched the shadows for the brown-eyed tabby cat, but it had disappeared.
Cole stared incredulously at the cat sitting on top of the wall. 'How in the world did that cat get up there??' He knew cats could jump high, but surely not up a ten-foot tall wall!
He wiped a strand of soaking wet hair out of his eyes. The rain was pouring by this time, the cold rain chilled his bones. He heard some shouting behind him, closer than ever.
He trotted to the foot of the wall and gazed at the piles of wet bags and boxes. If the cat got over the wall, maybe he could...
"Mrow." Eyes like the moon shone from the shadows between two hulking trash bags. Cole crouched on one knee and peered into the stifling darkness. "Heerre, kitty," He muttered. "Here, kitty..."
The eyes disappeared. He leaned forward with one hand stretched out, expecting to hit the brick wall, but his hand didn't hit anything. He blinked, and his eyes began to adjust to the darkness.
At one corner of the wall, there was a hole hidden by the trash, just big enough for him to fit through!
"Hey guys! I see his footprints! He went this way!" Cole grabbed his backpack, shoved it through the hole, then crawled after it. After a fair amount of squeezing and wriggling, he crawled through and grabbed a garbage bag. He stuffed it in the hole, praying the mob wouldn't notice his escape route. At the sound of a horde of footsteps closing in, he froze and listened.
There was a moment of silence before someone exclaimed. "He's not here!"
"I'm telling you, I saw his prints! He was here!"
"There's no way he could have jumped over that wall! He must have turned left instead!"
"Come on, let's thrash the little punk!"
Cole waited a nearly full minuet after their voices drifted away before relaxing. He breathed a sigh of relief and slowly stood up, listening. The only sound was the rain falling.
He realized that he was standing on the outskirts of the town. Up ahead was a forest leading to a range of mountains. He searched the shadows for the brown-eyed tabby cat, but it had disappeared.
What have we learned about cats, y'all? I don't trust this tabby farther than I CON throw him.
Cole stared incredulously at the cat sitting on top of the wall. 'How in the world did that cat get up there??' He knew cats could jump high, but surely not up a ten-foot tall wall!
He wiped a strand of soaking wet hair out of his eyes. The rain was pouring by this time, the cold rain chilled his bones. He heard some shouting behind him, closer than ever.
He trotted to the foot of the wall and gazed at the piles of wet bags and boxes. If the cat got over the wall, maybe he could...
"Mrow." Eyes like the moon shone from the shadows between two hulking trash bags. Cole crouched on one knee and peered into the stifling darkness. "Heerre, kitty," He muttered. "Here, kitty..."
The eyes disappeared. He leaned forward with one hand stretched out, expecting to hit the brick wall, but his hand didn't hit anything. He blinked, and his eyes began to adjust to the darkness.
At one corner of the wall, there was a hole hidden by the trash, just big enough for him to fit through!
"Hey guys! I see his footprints! He went this way!" Cole grabbed his backpack, shoved it through the hole, then crawled after it. After a fair amount of squeezing and wriggling, he crawled through and grabbed a garbage bag. He stuffed it in the hole, praying the mob wouldn't notice his escape route. At the sound of a horde of footsteps closing in, he froze and listened.
There was a moment of silence before someone exclaimed. "He's not here!"
"I'm telling you, I saw his prints! He was here!"
"There's no way he could have jumped over that wall! He must have turned left instead!"
"Come on, let's thrash the little punk!"
Cole waited a nearly full minuet after their voices drifted away before relaxing. He breathed a sigh of relief and slowly stood up, listening. The only sound was the rain falling.
He realized that he was standing on the outskirts of the town. Up ahead was a forest leading to a range of mountains. He searched the shadows for the brown-eyed tabby cat, but it had disappeared.
What have we learned about cats, y'all? I don't trust this tabby farther than I CON throw him.
Wary of running into the angry mob, Cole set out into the pine forest, heading for the range of mountains. He figured getting some fresh northern air would do him some good in any case. Shivering terribly and soaked to the bone in the pouring rain, he sought out shelter underneath the thick boughs of a ancient pine tree, and nestled himself awkwardly into a nest of dried pine needles. He wrapped his jacket tightly around his body and slept fitfully, dreaming of cats with stars at their paws and fire in their eyes.
He rose the next morning tired, sore, aching all over, and very hungry. The sky above the wet pine trees was a thick blanket of gray clouds, threatening more rain. He walked through the forest silently, while the land gradually sloped uphill and sometime around noon, he found an area where the trees weren't so thick, and stood on a ledge looking out over the mountainside. He gazed at the vast landscape of the world, for once realizing how big Ninjago was.
As he kept walking, the trees thinned, and were replaced by boulders. Mist seeped around the corners of cliffs. The wind began to whistle, making grass wave wildly.
It began to rain again when evening fell. Cole knew he had to find shelter soon, but the only sign of it was a grove of trees off in the distance, high on a cliff. If he could just scale that cliff, he could take shelter.
The rain poured viciously on him as he began hopping on and off rocks, trying to get a firm grip on the boulders despite the water making everything slippery. The wind howled that night, the trees above rocked side to side. He clung to the rocky cliffside desperately, trying to grab the next ledge.
His hand slipped, the rock was too wet. He was losing balance, he tried to steady himself. His head was light from hunger, but he had to hang on. If he fell from this height...
"No--!" He slipped, he was falling. He fell back, screaming. He hit something, his body throbbed in pain.
Cole stared incredulously at the cat sitting on top of the wall. 'How in the world did that cat get up there??' He knew cats could jump high, but surely not up a ten-foot tall wall!
He wiped a strand of soaking wet hair out of his eyes. The rain was pouring by this time, the cold rain chilled his bones. He heard some shouting behind him, closer than ever.
He trotted to the foot of the wall and gazed at the piles of wet bags and boxes. If the cat got over the wall, maybe he could...
"Mrow." Eyes like the moon shone from the shadows between two hulking trash bags. Cole crouched on one knee and peered into the stifling darkness. "Heerre, kitty," He muttered. "Here, kitty..."
The eyes disappeared. He leaned forward with one hand stretched out, expecting to hit the brick wall, but his hand didn't hit anything. He blinked, and his eyes began to adjust to the darkness.
At one corner of the wall, there was a hole hidden by the trash, just big enough for him to fit through!
"Hey guys! I see his footprints! He went this way!" Cole grabbed his backpack, shoved it through the hole, then crawled after it. After a fair amount of squeezing and wriggling, he crawled through and grabbed a garbage bag. He stuffed it in the hole, praying the mob wouldn't notice his escape route. At the sound of a horde of footsteps closing in, he froze and listened.
There was a moment of silence before someone exclaimed. "He's not here!"
"I'm telling you, I saw his prints! He was here!"
"There's no way he could have jumped over that wall! He must have turned left instead!"
"Come on, let's thrash the little punk!"
Cole waited a nearly full minuet after their voices drifted away before relaxing. He breathed a sigh of relief and slowly stood up, listening. The only sound was the rain falling.
He realized that he was standing on the outskirts of the town. Up ahead was a forest leading to a range of mountains. He searched the shadows for the brown-eyed tabby cat, but it had disappeared.
What have we learned about cats, y'all? I don't trust this tabby farther than I CON throw him.
Tigress' stories are a big warning against playing with kitties.
Wary of running into the angry mob, Cole set out into the pine forest, heading for the range of mountains. He figured getting some fresh northern air would do him some good in any case. Shivering terribly and soaked to the bone in the pouring rain, he sought out shelter underneath the thick boughs of a ancient pine tree, and nestled himself awkwardly into a nest of dried pine needles. He wrapped his jacket tightly around his body and slept fitfully, dreaming of cats with stars at their paws and fire in their eyes.
He rose the next morning tired, sore, aching all over, and very hungry. The sky above the wet pine trees was a thick blanket of gray clouds, threatening more rain. He walked through the forest silently, while the land gradually sloped uphill and sometime around noon, he found an area where the trees weren't so thick, and stood on a ledge looking out over the mountainside. He gazed at the vast landscape of the world, for once realizing how big Ninjago was.
As he kept walking, the trees thinned, and were replaced by boulders. Mist seeped around the corners of cliffs. The wind began to whistle, making grass wave wildly.
It began to rain again when evening fell. Cole knew he had to find shelter soon, but the only sign of it was a grove of trees off in the distance, high on a cliff. If he could just scale that cliff, he could take shelter.
The rain poured viciously on him as he began hopping on and off rocks, trying to get a firm grip on the boulders despite the water making everything slippery. The wind howled that night, the trees above rocked side to side. He clung to the rocky cliffside desperately, trying to grab the next ledge.
His hand slipped, the rock was too wet. He was losing balance, he tried to steady himself. His head was light from hunger, but he had to hang on. If he fell from this height...
"No--!" He slipped, he was falling. He fell back, screaming. He hit something, his body throbbed in pain.
"You knew exactly what I meant!" Cole shouted in exasperation.
The kid grinned. "No I didn't."
"Yes, you did--!"
She then chanted in a mocking tone. "You didn't specify, you were too vague, I turned it against you! Now let's eat more chocolate!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"You can't stop me, you're just my escort!" She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Oh, yeah?" Cole had a sudden idea. "Just wait 'till I tell...SANTA!!"
The little girl gasped in pure horror, her small jaw slackening, which showed the disgusting mess of melted chocolate and bits of sticky candy in her mouth. Her eyes grew wide. "You wouldn't."
He bit back a grin. "Try me."
She was frozen in shock. "Don't tell Santa."
"Maybe he already knows!"
"How could he? It's like, summer!"
"He watches you all year."
She thought about it for a few seconds. "Maybe he does."
The vexed cashier cleared his sweaty throat. "Ahem. Are you going to pay for all that?"
The blond girl gazed at the sticky damage she had wreaked. "Can all this just be for free?"
"No."
"Why not? It's not that much candy, is it?"
The man sighed in exasperation. "Kid, I have to make a living."
"No, you don't."
He stared at her. "Uh, yeah, I--"
"I AM your living." She then stood up and shouted. "You should all live to PLEASE ME!!"
"Behave well." Cole growled.
She scowled at him. She was opening her mouth to say something when a feminine voice suddenly shrieked. "SUSIE! SUSAN MOIRA ANGELA REED! JUST WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING?!"
Cole whipped around to see a frazzled-looking woman with blond hair matching her daughter's, marching up to the store. Wary of being accused of kidnapping or something, he stepped aside and let her barge past him, shouting. "I've been looking everywhere for you! What do you think you're doing?!"
"Uhh...shop'in?" Susie mumbled, looking very guilty.
"AUGH! What have you done with your best sweater?! It's covered in chocolate!" The mother surveyed that brown, sparkling sugary mess smeared all over the tiles, the empty boxes, and her daughter. "What am I going to do with you?!"
"Sell her to the zoo. The monkeys would love her." Cole muttered under his breath, too softly to be heard.
The woman sighed and picked up Susie. "That's the last time I'm bringing you to the mall, young lady! It's not even noon and already you're making a huge mess! Come on! We're going home!"
"I don' wanna go home! I wanna stay here and eat candy! Wah!" Cole watched with amusement as Mrs. Reed hauled little Susie away, kicking and squirming. Random passersby stopped at stared curiously before grinning or scowling and continuing their shopping.
He shook his head and laughed quietly to himself. "Never again shall I play babysitter for any blond-haired kids." He vowed to himself.
"Hey," He turned around to see the cashier gesturing crossly at the mess. "Who going to pay for all this?!" He demanded.
Cole sighed and reached for his wallet. "How much?"
I don't trust this tabby farther than I CON throw him. 
No seriously, all six siblings, blonde hair and blue eyes.