A/N: I'm back from vacation, but not unscathed. Took a week in Orlando, Florida and (stupid me) went to the beach and forgot to wear sunblock and got a bad sunburn. I'll know for next time :)
Anyway, here's chapter three. Hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: see chapter one
Klunk sat on the edge of the roof, watching the blood red sun sink behind the buildings before disappearing behind the horizon. He found peace in the blazing sunset; heaven knew he needed it. Ever since early that morning his mind had been plagued by anxiety and fear. He knew it wouldn't take long for Zian to reboot the portal computers; for the council to discover that the New York coordinates were still operational. Then they would be coming, and he would be hunted down like the rebel he was. Klunk knew that if the council got their hands on him they would waste no time in torturing him for the whereabouts of the coordinates chip. He wondered if they would give him the honor of having Zaveen as his torturer.
His ears twitched when he heard footsteps coming up behind him. Klunk looked over his shoulder to see Michelangelo walked up. He turned away again, still lost in his thoughts.
"I've been lookin' all over for you," Michelangelo said. "Mind if I sit?"
Klunk shrugged and Michelangelo sat down on the ledge. "How'd you find me?" Klunk asked.
"Donnie," Michelangelo replied, holding up the tracker.
Klunk shook his head. "Should've ditched the shell cell," he muttered.
"You running from someone?" Michelangelo asked.
"You could say that," Klunk answered.
Michelangelo tilted his head slightly in a quizzing manner. "Who are you running from?" he questioned.
Klunk took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "You, Leo, Raph and Don," Klunk said. "And whoever else is hunting me down."
Michelangelo nodded. "Yeah, Leo told us about the chip," he said.
Klunk sighed and shook his head. Michelangelo looked at his friend with a sad and worried look.
"Why won't you let us help you?" he asked.
"Because you can't help a dead man," Klunk told him.
"You don't even know if they got the computers up and running again," Michelangelo pointed out. He studied Klunk's face. "What's this really about? I know it's not just about the chip. What's really going on inside that head of yours?"
"Nothing," Klunk answered quietly, looking down at the street far below.
Michelangelo shook his head. "Nuh uh, there's somethin'. I know that look."
"What look?" Klunk asked.
"That sad, lost kitten look," Michelangelo said. "You wore the same look when you broke things off with Zaveen." He then put two and two together, realization dawning on him. "Do you want to be caught?" Michelangelo asked. "Is that it? To see Zaveen?"
Klunk shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. I guess..." He sighed. "I guess I didn't get the closure you had when you said good bye to Zian. I never got the chance to say good bye."
"You broke things off," Michelangelo said. "You weren't obligated to say good bye."
"Doesn't mean I don't love her," Klunk pointed out, looking up at his friend.
"You know you weren't together long, right?" Michelangelo asked. "Most of that was just implanted memories."
Klunk looked away again. "We were off and on for almost a year before I had enough," he explained. "Things changed...we changed. Whenever we were together I just wanted to forget my troubles and all she wanted to do was talk about the rebels she had tortured that day." Klunk looked up at Michelangelo again. "Do you know how messed up that is? To enjoy causing other people pain?"
"We weren't much better," Michelangelo pointed out.
"We didn't know the truth," Klunk said. "Zaveen did."
"How do you know?" Michelangelo asked.
"I looked up the Xarus citizenship records," Klunk answered. "She was born and raised on Xarus."
"And how do you know the records weren't forged?" Michelangelo pressed.
A guilty look washed over Klunk's face. Michelangelo narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"What did you do?" he asked slowly.
Klunk squirmed uncomfortably. "A DNA test," he mumbled.
Michelangelo blinked in surprise. "A what?"
"A DNA test," Klunk repeated, more clearly.
"Comparing whom?" Michelangelo wanted to know.
Klunk shook his head. "You really don't want to know."
"Who, Klunk? Who did you compare Zaveen's DNA to?" Michelangelo pressed.
Klunk squeezed his eyes tight and turned away, cringing. "Zai," he answered.
Horror destroyed Michelangelo's calm expression. "The High Councilman?!" he exclaimed.
Klunk nodded stiffly. Michelangelo ran a hand over his face.
"You were sleeping with the High Councilman's daughter?!" he asked.
"It's a wonder I wasn't thrown in the torture chamber, huh?" Klunk tried to joke.
"Ya think?" Michelangelo said. He shook his head. "Did Zai ever find out?"
Klunk shrugged. "No idea," he replied honestly. "If he did, he didn't hear it from me. I wasn't letting him know any time soon."
"Awkward," Michelangelo said in a sing-song tone. "Big bad boss catching you in bed with his baby girl?" He hissed and winced. "Not something you want on your record."
Klunk nodded in agreement. "Pretty much."
A comfortable silence fell between the friends as they watched the sun sink further behind the horizon, making the sky look like it was on fire. Klunk took a deep breath, letting the cool air fill his lungs and filling him with renewed energy.
"Well, we'd better get back before Leo sends out the search dogs," Michelangelo said, getting up from his spot on the roof.
"Fitting since I'm a cat," Klunk pointed out.
Michelangelo rolled his eyes and headed off in the direction of the lair. Klunk got to his feet and followed close behind his friend. They walked in silence, just enjoying each other's company. They arrived at the warehouse and made their way inside. When they reached the lair, Klunk stopped Michelangelo before he could wander off.
"Mind if I borrow your shell cell?" Klunk asked.
"Why?" Michelangelo wanted to know.
"I'm helping Donnie upgrade the shell cells," Klunk explained.
Michelangelo took out his cell from his pants pocket and held it out. Klunk took it with a smile.
"I'll have it back to you as soon as possible," he said.
"No hurry," Michelangelo replied.
Klunk tapped the cell against the palm of his hand as he watched Michelangelo walk away. He looked down at the cell. Phase one of his plan was complete. Phase two was going to be a bit more tricky, especially if he didn't want tipping off a certain purple masked turtle who practically lived in his lab when he wasn't out on patrol. Klunk hummed in thought.
This was going to take some clever thinking.
Reviews are welcome, flames are not
