Spike slaps open her phone as mutants bustle about her. "This is Sanchez, calling Leatherhead. I repeat, Sanchez calling Leatherhead, we have a situation-"
"Ssssssssspike!"
Spike turns as the door slams open at last, and a human stands in the doorway. Purple Dragons flood the room and draw weapons, guns, knives, blunt instruments, loose odds and ends.
"The turtle's the ringleader!" the leader of the group shouts. "Get him!"
"Careful, friend!" a mutant duck shouts.
Spike laughs as the first spray of bullets hits her. "Really? Who are you?"
"I am leader of the Purple Dragons," the man declared.
"What happened to Xever?" Spike asks, keeping her tone light.
"Xever was forcibly removed from his position."
"You killed him," Spike says flatly.
The new leader of the Dragons does not respond.
"I asked you who you were, now I ask you for your name," Spike says. "I trust you will give me that as well."
"I am Hunter Mason, but you will call me Hun."
"Will I?" Spike crosses her huge arms in front of her plastron. "And for future reference, I'm a woman." She reaches out and snatches a shotgun out of a Dragon's hands and snaps it in half as a huge alligator smashes through the window. "Ah, Leatherhead, how good of you to join us."
The alligator clashes his teeth in a smile.
Spike turns. "Karai. We need to get these kids to a safe place. Leatherhead, I need you to help her get them all out."
Karai nods and throws Sacks into three of the Purple Dragons.
Spike turns and eyes the odds. For each Dragon, there are two Foot soldiers or Kraang droids. And then the scale tips in their favor as a mutant tiger pushes Hun aside and steps inside.
"Tiger Claw," Spike says courteously, ignoring the panic threatening to set in. "How nice to see you again."
"You may drop the pretense. You are no more glad to see me than I am to see you."
Spike shrugs. "Fair enough."
Tiger Claw draws his sword and thoughtfully eyes her.
"You're not going to stop them?" Spike asks, indicating the stream of mutants heading out the window.
"They are meaningless. Defective. Unreliable. If the Foot is to grow and dominate, it must be full of willing participants," Tiger Claw says. He swings his sword through the air, slashing close to Spike's head. With effort, she remains still as a small section from the tails of her bandanna falls past her shoulders. He traces her scars with his sword point, just touching the skin. "Curious that you live still," he says quietly.
"Take a picture. It'll last longer."
The last mutant, a gecko, leaps through the window and Spike draws her mace.
Tiger Claw holds his sword ready, and Spike notices the brass knuckles on each paw.
A familiar beeping noise fills the air, and a grappling hook fires into the room, April swiftly following it with her fan held high. Irma leaps in behind her, followed by-of all people- Vern Fenwick, and Casey Jones at last.
Casey's eyes fell on the new Chief Dragon, and his face twists into a snarl as recognition lights on the other man's face.
"Hun."
Thanks for reading, guys! Please let me know what you think in a review, it helps me out a lot! As always, I'll see you guys in the next chapter!