October 25th 2020
Prompt: "is that normal?"
*******

    The sound of the dead damp leaves squishing under my feet, twigs snapping as I crash hazardously through the underbrush, pausing panic-filled at a fork, as the sounds of yelling followed me. Instead of following the path I stumble through a thorny bush, the spikes scraping against the injuries I already have. Suddenly I became aware of the ground sloping downwards and I let out a stifled help as I toppled down the hill. I felt my ankle twist in an unnatural way and I bit my lip to hold back cries as I crashed to the ground. I heard the footsteps pause before muffled directions started. I tried to heave my to my feet but I unintentionally screamed when I put pressure on my limb. There was a shout.

  "DOWN THERE!"

  No. My hand scrabbled for a low hanging tree branch as I hauled myself up. But they were already going down the hill, fingers pointing and orders being screeched. A loud horn igniting in signal of my discovery. But I wasn't going down without a fight. I got into a fighting stance, eyes glaring into my attackers as they slid down the ditch, green power swirled in my palms and I released the energy, knocking out a row of soldiers.

  But they kept on coming. I gave one last huge blast at the tree tops above, cutting off a large branch. It fell and people screamed as they tried it dive away. I started to run but almost pitched forward when pain flared. Stumbling and limping I moved to climb up the other side. Shots were being fired and I could feel the small scrap of cloth covering my wound falling as I strained. A hand grabbed my bad ankle and I screamed as they yanked me down.

  "GET OFF!" I shouted, kicking with my good leg but the grip refused to loosen.

  I had lost my katana and the fray but my fingers managed to find the small dagger Nya insisted everyone have. As I slid back down the ditch I spun around and drove it into the attacker before using the dagger to drive into the earth as a handle. Urgency made me move faster and suddenly I was at the top of the ditch. I started to move bit when more yelling started I hid behind a tree, panting as fear constricted in my chest. My hands fumbling for the comm in my ear only to find nothing. No, no, no, no, no. My hands clamped over my mouth to muffle an exhausted sob when I heard them draw nearer.

  "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" A voice sang.

  It was stupid really. I wasn't going to go loping over just because he beckoned me like a dog. I gripped the blade tighter, the little amount of handle made the edge dig into my skin but I ignored it as my other hand pressed to one of the wounds on my abdomen. I took deep steadying breathes, eyes narrowing in determination. I was about to leap out and drive the dagger into his gullet when there was a series of yells and screams that stopped me dead in my tracks. The sounds of the whooshing and tension of ropes lit the air and I peeked around the corner to see the soldiers all suspended in nets in the tree tops.

  "Take that losers!" A voice yelled. Whoever it was sounded young but no matter what age I wasn't trusting anyone. I slid the knife away and inched my way backwards only to make a sharp intake of breath when I toppled into another hole.

  It was much deeper and I felt little relief that the soldiers were no longer looking for me when the cold began to drag through the night. I set to cutting off a piece of my gi and binding it around the many wounds I sustained, hoping and praying the rest of the team came looking for me over the jungle.

   The mission had been a trap. We had thought the planes were carrying illegal products so we had set out to destroy them and hopefully uncover information about the mysterious group. We had taken out the aircrafts easily and I was using my parachute to leave the plane when something had severed it, making me free fall into the jungle. Using Spinjitzu to try and stop my fall I had crashed through the trees only to be met with an army of soldiers.

  "Great." I muttered when I realized my foot was badly sprained. Thankfully it wasn't broken but the pain was enough to put stars in my eyes. My fingers found a stick in the hole and sighing I set to work at climbing up the sides of the large alcove in the earth. When I got to the top it was dawn, sweat dripped from my brow and I stumbled through the trees blearily.

  "Next time Kai asks me to cover for him I'm going to go tell him to jump in a lake." I spoke softly to myself as I tried to figure out where to go. Destiny chose for me when I managed to spring a trap. I was going up. It jarred my injuries and black spots appeared when the net jerked me into the air. The net swung and I scrambled to cut at the ropes with the knife. The blade fell from my fingers though when the swinging trap knocked me right into a tree trunk. The impact didn't do well with the head injuries I most likely already sustained and I slumped as I fell unconscious from the blow. I blearily could make out the excited yell of a boy as I closed my eyes.

******

   "Is that normal?" Joey whispered as we stared at the crumpled shape lying on my bed.

  "You mean the unnatural bumpy texture of his chest?" I said sarcastically as I observed the purpling of the bruises. "No. He must've broken them recently." I observed as I felt for other injuries. I felt liquid and I drew my hand back. It returned with blood and I sighed.

  I untied his gi so I could look for more injuries, leaving him in his boxers for dignity and handed the clothing to Joey. "I think we'll have to throw those out." I told him as I observed the tatters of what it used to be.

  Joey peeked at the green ninja. "Can you heal him, Kiara?" He whispered, lip quivering. "He can't die, I didn't get to apologies for trapping him."

  "I'll try." I told him gently, steering him away.

  I stared back at the body on my bed. I had only ever healed small injuries like cuts and bruises. Never something as huge as this. I closed my eyes and raised my hands over him. A soft yellow glow whispered around my finger tips before I rested my hands on his abdomen. Warmth spread from my hands and I felt the ribs click back in place. Skin from a bad wound on his side knit back together, bruising faded away and his ankle was soothed. I felt tippy when I opened my eyes, exhaustion tugging at my body. I forgot how much it took out of me to heal. I quickly stumbled into a chair, kneading my brow. He didn't stir until the next day when Joey and I were playing chess. I was about to take out Joey's queen when he began to move.

  "Oh well, you better get to our guest." Joey told me innocently, swiping the pieces off the board.

   I shot the stinking sore loser a dirty look before moving toward the green ninja. His movements became sharp and he began to thrash. Breathing moving faster. I was about to comfort him when he sprang upright, eyes huge with terror. What scared me the most was that his eyes were freaking glowing. Green power swirled around him before blasting Joey and I both back.

  When I say up I was aware of the blonde boy standing over me, energy swirling in the palm pointed toward me as he glared into my eyes.

  "Who are you?!"