I drag my feet with my head turned down to ground, trying to prolong every step I take towards home. Except my real home was in Philadelphia and not in my aunt's crappy apartment.
It isn't a surprise that I got detention on my first day at this new high school in New York City. After I was caught slacking off and drawing, the other students took ever opportunity to push buttons and before I knew it, I was sitting in the principle's office. I could've cared less for the most part. Sitting in a completely quiet room, doing work on genetics with our substitute teacher Mrs. Kamble was better than being pushed around by other students on a crowded bus. There must be a new identification policy because she kept asking me what my name was and writing it down. I don't know. The only downside is that there is no bus after detention is over. That, and the fact that I will have tell my mom about it. Even if I didn't tell her, she will find out sooner or later, making my relationship with her even more tenuous than is already is. My mom also never told me how long detention was or how long the walk from the school to the apartment really was.
I turned into the next corner into an alley with a dead end and smile a little when I see two trash cans overflowing with empty bottles and beer cans. I set each one up on top of the garbage cans and open a small package full of throwing knifes out of my gym bag. Possibly the one good thing about this new school is that there are no metal detectors or any up-to-date security to catch anyone walking in with a weapon. Holding the blade with my hand at the tip, I take aim at the first one and let if fly from my fingers, nailing it perfectly in the middle. I shattered three more bottles with easy throws.
Around the next block, I hear footsteps I raise my arm again aiming at the next target, but I stop sharp mid-throw. Even joggers would not be stupid enough to come this way unless they had to. Picking up all of my knifes and shoving them into my gym bag, I slip out of the street light into the shadows; Behind one of the trash cans overflowing with garbage, my bokken in one hand and and fist full of knives in the other. The steps came closer, echoing consecutively throughout the alley, almost robotic. Down the street come two men, completely identical in appearance, with blank expressions on their faces, both carrying a large metal case in each hand.
Creeping closer and holding my bokken ready, my heart rises to my throat when I feel the crunching of a soda can under my feet! 'Oh crap!' I scream in my head.' Both men turned in my direction! Their expressions don't change, but they start towards me! I swing at the left one's head, but it only turns to the side unharmed with the sound of wood hitting metal. 'They're made of metal?' Acting on instinct, I sprint to the other end of the alley. Trash and broken glass scrape my legs as I go, but I keep running. I stop short when three more emerge from the dark, holding up large guns pointed at me. More come out of all directions! I throw one of my knives at one's head and it flew backwards against the wall with sound of clanging metal. A long slender pink arm emerges from his stomach, joined by many more! Something like a giant pink brain surfaced from his chest, except it had a pair of eyes and a mouth! It neglects its human body, leaving it lifeless on the ground and running away squealing!
As if a rock just hit me in the head, I knew these freaks. I remember seeing them when I was a kid. I scream as a stab of pain spreads throughout my body! A blaster bullet slices my side! It rips my shirt, revealing the torn, bloody flesh and the impact sends me onto the ground. "Kraang, the one known as Rachel is the one who is possessing the knowledge and means that is needed by Kraang. She is the one known as The One. Kraang must capture the one known as Rachel for interrogation for the knowledge of those known as the turtles." I yelp, holding my hand over my wound, which has already turned my shirt dark. Turtles? The Turtles? What would the Kraang want with me about the turtles? They are just illustrations in a comic book. There is no where to run and I could barely stand up with the fire burning in my side, blood dripping down my leg and onto the ground. Even my bokken is useless against metal droids. I swing up and land a strong blow on one's head, knocking him onto the ground, but two others raise their blasters. Then one of them goes off.
Time Skip
My vision is extremely blurry. When I try to open them, it increases the growing pain in my head and makes me remember the gash in my side, which sent a sharp cutting pain through me. Everything seems a blur and the colors melt together. Replaying the earlier events back through my head, I was kidnapped by the Kraang! Over the buzzing in my ears, I hear faint snatches of conversation. From the robot-like words, I can tell it's a Kraang.
"Kraang, the one known as Rachel is what is known as awake."
"Yes Kraang. However, the one known as Rachel's time is what is known as running out. Kraang must begin the experiment known as experiment "nexus."
A tingling numbness spreads through my body like electricity, making my side burn. I cough up blood, spattering it onto myself. All of my limbs feel like they're made of stone. It takes most of my energy to open my eyes. Through my blurry vision, I take one look and gasp. All around me were large pieces of machinery. What looks like dissection tools are laid out on a table right next to me, while tight nylon ropes almost prevent me from breathing. Three Kraang droids surround me, their charged blasters fixed on me like I'm their practice shooting dummy. If the Kraang are actually real, then the turtles are too! The heros I always read about in my books when I was young are real! As real as the Kraang standing all around me and as real as the growing pain from their blasters. Will they save me?
"Where am I? What's going on?" I groan.
"You, known as Rachel, will tell us the knowledge of those called the turtles that is needed by Kraang." I give a small laugh.
"Oh really, as if I would ever spill to you Kraang. I'm really bad at taking orders and unless you try to pry it out of my head yourself, I'm not telling you anything."
One of the droids pulls the trigger on his blaster. I scream as the shocking sensation in my body continues to increase drastically. My eyes struggle to stay open, giving into the pain and closing them again.
"Human known as Rachel, will tell Kraang all she know about those called the turtles." I shake my head blindly. "You are sadly mistaken! I will tell you nothing." A droid pulls a lever on the machine control panel beside me, my head spins faster and my limbs feel almost numb, making the pain escalate. 'That didn't help.'
"The one known as Rachel in what is known as time tell Kraang the knowledge of those called the turtles that is needed by Kraang." The sounds of computer keys clicking and buzzing of machinery is interrupted by the noise of an alarm. All the Kraang droids turn their attention away from me and towards the open door in front.
"Kraang, begin the experiment which is known as experiment "nexus." A large machine much like a giant orb connected to hundreds of wires glowing pink lowers down towards me. Adrenaline triggers my muscles into moving. Ignoring the burn in my side, I strain against the ropes as they cut into my skin, but I don't care. I scream against the machine's effects, yelping in pain but my cries get softer and softer. I wonder if it's too late to switch places with the droid controlling the machine. More painful than anything else is the guilt I feel from striking my aunt in front of my mom and the fact they I may never see her again; become a lab rat in a Kraang experiment.
My muscles are burning like fire. The large needle jutting down from it draws closer, making me wrestle the ropes even harder. But my attempts only prove futile. I'm too weak. Too weak to move, too weak to speak, and too weak to even care about what comes next. The pain courses through me like acid, but even worse is the pain of never seeing my mom ever again is inevitable. I don't care what happens next. My head drops back on the table weakly and the sharp metal sinks into the skin on my forehead. I scream as loud as my lungs can stand, the sound inhuman and more like a dying animal. The alarm stops and the needle withdraws, dripping specks of blood onto my cheek. Perhaps the Kraang have decided to do something worse to make me talk.
Through the ringing in my ears, I hear grunts, pants, and the sound of metal cutting through metal. Gathering my remaining energy, I open my eyes ever so slightly. Instead of definite shapes, I only see blobs of different shades of green moving like flashes of light. I also hear voices, not talking to me but to each other.
"Okay, I've disabled the alarm, but they will send more. Cover me while I...Guys, look!"
"Hey dudes! It's a girl," says a high-pitched child-like voice.
"Obviously it's a girl Mikey!" says a deeper and more mature voice. I can feel a breath on my face, sending a tingle of warmth through me. I try to open my eyes and peer at a green freckled face with a pair of soft, baby blue eyes surrounded by an orange mask.
"What are they doing to her?"
"Aww! She's soo cute! Can we keep her Leo? Please!?"
"Give her some room Mikey. Donnie, is it possible that this girl may be the weapon that the Kraang orb told us about?"
"Hmm. Possibly. It looks like the Kraang injected her with something."
"How do you know?" "Big needle hovering over her head your first clue?" says a gruff voice.
"I have no idea what it is, but it's not mutagen-based." I feel another hand gently brush over my forehead, but when it touches the wound, I wince with a hint of a whimper. I cough, sputtering blood onto my chest.
"She's been shot in the side! This wound needs special attention Leo!" Large fingers wrap around my wrist and gently attempt to pluck me off the metal table, but I stay glued under the effects. However much I desire to get up, my body refuses to move.
"It seems their holding her the table with specialized gravitons. Why would the ropes be necessary? I can disable it, but I'll need a few minutes. Don't try to move her."
"Hurry Donnie, more droids are coming!" I moan and manage to open my mouth and slightly open my eyes again, ignoring the pain in my head.
With a hoarse voice I mutter the words, "Help...me."
"Chillax dudette. We're gonna get you outta here." says the high-pitched voice.
"Mikey! We need some help over here!"
"We gotta help her though. Isn't that what we're supposed to do?" "Mikey!" says the gruff voice.
"Help destroy the Kraang first, help the wounded girl second!"
"Uuuhhh! Fine! Booyakasha!" I give a small smile and shut my eyes again. The sound of metal beating against metal seems to be all around me. I can't move. Drowsiness must be part of the effects, but I fight the growing darkness, refusing to let it swallow me.
"Done. It's wiped clean!"
"Great! Now let's grab the girl and get- Mikey? What are you doing? She'll see you." I feel the warmth of a hand on my face, but it's not a human's. A scaly, warm skinned hand gently grazing my cheek.
"Mikey stop it! Raph, cut her loose!" Like a weight being removed from my shoulders, the ropes release me and I slip off the metal table, but a strong arm breaks my fall and lays me flat on the floor. The cool metal floor on my back and neck makes me shiver as a hand gently presses against my side. The hand searches along my leg and up toward my wound. The sticky shreds of my ripped bloody shirt are slowly removed from my skin.
"I need something to tie it off." "Here. Use this." says the gruff male voice. A hand holding out a strip of red fabric.
"Raph, are you serious?"
"Just do it!" I yelp when I feel the pressure of fabric on my open wound, but I'm grateful to have it tied off. An arm gently hoists me into the air and taking care to avoid my wound, easing another under my knees.
"It's not too bad, but it may take a while to heal. Raph, what are you blushing for?" 'Ohhh! Raph's got a crush!" I hear a loud smack. "Owww!" "Say that again, and you'll be the next one tied to the lab table.
"Uhh guys, unless you want to get shot in the head, we'd better move it. And we need to stop her bleeding."
The lights of the Kraang lab flicker and I shiver when the cold night air greets me, not that it really meant much. My legs and arms are still numb. The gently sway can only mean that he's carrying me, my head tucked up against his chest to keep it from knocking around. My hand feels the smooth, hard plate of a turtle plastron. Massing the last ounce of my strength, I half open my eyes to see two green eyes, bright and alert, but without a mask. His body feels so warm! When I glance down at my aching side, it's tied off with a stripe of red fabric. Something bumps my side and I cry out softly. "Ssshh. Don't be afraid. We'll fix you up," he whispers without looking at me. I smile through half-closed eyelids. I can barely open my mouth, but under my breath, I softly mutter, "Thanks...Raphael," but I don't think he hears me. My head drops against his chest and my vision turns black. Please comment below and if you have any suggestions for me, I'll take them!