Kyle and the Princesses of Power

Chapter Six: A Letter

With so many Horde members going on the assignment and them all returning in different transports, Lonnie and Rogelio didn't notice Kyle's absence until a couple of hours after they had returned to the Fright Zone. They didn't notice until the alert came for it was time for them all to return to their barracks and there was no sign of him. That was unusual for Kyle. It wasn't unusual to lose him for hours on end; if they didn't have some compulsory activity he was apt at disappearing and not being found. Him not being where he had to be...that was unusual. In fact it had only ever happened once with a situation that had entirely gone wrong.

Lonnie's first guess was that maybe he had been put on night guard. Unlikely but entirely possible. A quick check of duties disproved that. Then where was he? Had he annoyed Catra and been locked up again? Lonnie did another check. No.
"Seriously, Kyle?" she grumbled to herself. She was expected to keep this bunk room in line and if she couldn't even do that Catra would not be happy. "Rogelio have you seen him?" She received a headshake. "Ugh. Hopefully he didn't get himself left behind. Although it is Kyle." If anyone would get forgotten it would be him who tried to not be noticed. "Catra is going to be pissed." Rogelio grumbled. "Yeah. Right. When isn't she?"

Rogelio's gaze landed on a piece of paper folded up on Kyle's bunk. He unfolded it and seemed to scan what was on it.
"What is it?" Lonnie asked uninterestedly. Rogelio didn't respond. He was visibly trembling and his eyes had widened. "Rogelio?" Now Lonnie was worried; this wasn't typical for him to react like this. "What's wrong?" Rogelio passed the piece of paper to her and sank onto his own bunk, tail wrapped around him as he stared blankly at the floor. Lonnie was dreading looking at whatever had effected Rogelio that much but it obviously was something important to get such a result.

If anyone is reading this then I am hopefully dead.

From the first sentence Lonnie froze. Dead? Kyle...dead? No. This had to be some sick joke, a prank, an attempt at payback.

Maybe people saw this was from me and binned it but I need to get this out there somewhere because if I am dead there should be no consequences for it. Hopefully.

Life sucks. It sucks and I hate it and I don't get why I should have to stay and cope with it. Screw the Horde and screw most of you. You suck too.

Lonnie felt her breath halt in her chest and the room span. She still didn't want to believe it. There was no way that Kyle – maybe the most optimistic of them – could hate life to the point that he would want to... She swallowed the bile rising in her and forced herself to carry on reading, hoping that somehow, somewhere there was a mistake in the letter. That maybe this was a way to get them to stop sucking.

Rogelio.
I really hoped that you were different than the others. You were nicer for so long, even if you never stood up for me. I felt like you of all people would be there. Then Adora left and you turned out to be just as horrid as the others. You may as well know I liked you for the longest time. Like liked you not just liked. I don't know now but I know you are mean.

Scorpia,
You were nicer than most. I mean you could be mean but you could also be nice. That was at least something I guess so thank you.

Lonnie was barely standing as it was. Then she saw the name that was next and the world span. She knew though that she owed it to Kyle to read. If this was legit there may be a clue somewhere to find him and stop him.

Lonnie,
You're a total bitch. You drag me down constantly and get others too. I hate you or I wish I hate you or both I don't know but why? What did I do for you to hate me? I hope that somehow this affects you somehow. I know you won't care but maybe you'll lose some position in the Horde as you were supposed to keep an eye on us on the assignment. You were right though. I'm a pathetic coward. Treat my replacement better though whoever they are. Please.

Lonnie sank to the ground, tearing up for the first time since she was a child. Replaying in her mind was the conversation she had with Kyle when he was locked up. She had wanted to hurt him but to this degree? To the extent that she believed him? No.

She swallowed and with difficultly through her blurred vision kept reading.

Catra,
Adora was right to leave you. You're cruel, toxic and a bad leader.

Don't bother looking for me to punish me or whatever. I am going to leave early on the assignment and there will be nothing any of you can do.

Sorry I was never good enough.

Kyle.

The piece of paper fell to the ground and Lonnie tried to bite back sobs. Now was not the time. Screw his last few statements, she was going back out and she was going to stop him from doing anything. She furiously wiped her eyes and stood up. Rogelio glanced at her with an expression of understanding then followed.

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They didn't find him. The three of them – they had brought Scorpia with them since she was Force Captain so her authority got them a Skiff – but there was no sign. It was pitch black and the lights barely cut through the heavy darkness but none of them wanted to go back. Lonnie was tense, Rogelio was silent but the guilt was coming off him in waves and Scorpia was keeping up a pretty constant sniffle. As the note said she had always been nicer to Kyle than them but she had also joined the 'blame Kyle' list and was obviously regretting it.

The sound of rapidly rushing water filled their ears. Lonnie felt an even more potent sense of unease. This was, at most, three miles from where they had been and there were many unpleasant ways to die in water. Drowning, mostly. Not a pleasant way to go. She swallowed at the thought, hoping that they would find Kyle and not some lifeless body, blue from lack of air and cold to the touch.

A moment later the light revealed more than just water. A waterfall with a far length down to the ground.
"He may not have gone this way," Scorpia quickly said but it sounded like she was more trying to convince herself. Her voice was wobbly and didn't have a hint of its usual optimism. Lonnie didn't reply. She was too busy trying to find any evidence of his presence. Something caught her eye and she picked it up. Right by the edge...Kyle's transmitter.

The letter, the location and now this...? Lonnie felt an incredibly painful surge of guilt.
"You don't think he...?" she said, trailing off and staring off the drop.

Neither Rogelio or Scorpia said anything.