Hello everyone, I've heard some feedback about the last chapter, mostly about the still apparent shared dislike of Karai and Mona. All I will say is that all will be explained in future on that score. Well, on with the story. This chapter will give a flashback to about a half hour prior to Kaito showing up to join the group and Mona being missing.
(Molly's POV)
I just left the lair and was heading to Kaito and I's usual rooftop.
He had to leave a little earlier to appease the monster at Foot Clan HQ. Not to speak against my cousin's clan leader/grandfather and having never actually seen or met him… but I've heard enough to know that the Shredder is not a nice guy, to put it in the lightest way possible.
Although my dad could definitely use many different colorful words to describe him.
But that's what always gets me about Kaito. Oroku Saki, The Shredder, is his grandfather by blood and that is completely insane and a little disturbing to think about. None the less, he's still my Uncle Leo's biological son too, which is slightly more reassuring to keep in mind.
I hopped up on the rooftop and glanced around.
Huh, I thought he would have… wait what's that?
In between a slat in the adjacent building's wall was… an arrow? It was a single arrow pinning a piece of paper to the brick wall. Well, let's see random arrow pinning a piece of paper to a wall in our usual hangout spot, obviously Kaito.
I ripped out the arrow from the slat and took the paper as I looked on the written side:
Meet me here. I want to show you something.
There was an address with it below.
Ugh, seriously Kaito?! I think he may have gone absolutely insane. What could he possibly have to show me that has to be right now when we actually have important crap going on tonight?!
But, it's not like I can just contact him and tell him to get over here. We have no contact information about each other... for obvious reasons.
Ugh, fine Kaito. This better be something pretty freaking amazing.
If I get there and not see something like he discovered buried treasure with a group of leprechauns guarding it… I think I'll have to knock all his teeth out and then drag him to Anderson Apartments by his ear.
With that I took off toward the address and tossed the crumpled up paper behind me.
Once I made it to the address, I realized I actually knew this place. It was a huge abandoned government warehouse. Uncle Leo and my dad showed me this place once and told me the story.
About around the time I was born and the city was still in the process of recovering from the invasion, the military was able to recover all of the Kraang's stuff that still remained here, along with a crazy amount of reserves for this stuff called mutagen.
It was the stuff that mutated my dad and uncles twice and even caused the mutation of my mother into a lizard when she was a teenager, something I didn't know about until both mom and dad told me.
Anyway, the government had no idea what to do with it.
They didn't want to release it into the environment in fear that the flora and fauna would mutate into monsters that would destroy the world. Nor did they want to shoot it into space. Once they now had definitive proof that aliens exist… they didn't want some other possible living being in space to find it and use it against us again.
So since they realized no one wanted it and every person was afraid of it, they decided to store it indefinitely in locked up warehouses in the city.
I groaned at a possible realization that hit me. If Kaito tries to mess around with me involving something with the mutagen, I think I'll have to kill him.
But finally I rolled my eyes and gave in as I went into the warehouse.
({No POV})
Molly climbed in through an open overhead window as she descended quietly to the floor and looked around.
"Kaito?" She called out. There was no response and Molly started to get an annoyed look on her face as she yelled, "Hey doofus! I'm here!" There was still silence, but little did Molly know, she was being watched.
"Kaito, I swear if you do something to try and scare me I'm going to kick your ass." Molly threatened, annoyed by Kaito not showing up.
Molly then pondered whether Kaito was even here at all and just pulled this whole thing as a prank for a good laugh or something.
Then right behind Molly appeared a dark figure, the Shredder. He raised his blades to strike her down right there until his plan was interrupted. "STOP!" Kaito yelled out of nowhere and came between Molly and the Shredder's strike with his juji-ken.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Shredder directs toward Kaito, irritated by his grandson interfering. "I won't let you do this." Kaito says adamant, still not budging his position. Molly took a place next to Kaito, finally getting the mental capacity to pull out her kama and stood in an attack stance as she was finally face to face with the infamous Shredder.
"I will not stand for this mutiny, Kaito. I brought you over here to focus on the task at hand, yet instead I see you out flirting with scum like that." The Shredder retorts, steadily getting more angry.
"YOU'RE WRONG! It's not like that, grandfather!" Kaito spits out.
"THEN WHAT IS IT LIKE?! After everything I've done for you. I accepted you into our clan despite your mother's situation of not knowing your father and you being illegitimate, and this is how you repay me?! By fraternizing with the enemy?!" The Shredder shouts back, still in disbelief at his grandson's defiance.
"I'm guessing I should feel lucky?" Kaito spits back snidely and beyond harsh, but then looked like he regretted going that far. At that moment the Shredder shot out all six of the blades from his retractable Tekkō-kagi and yelled, "You ungrateful little brat!"
He looked like he was about to strike at Molly and Kaito when a figure flew down and managed to get in a kick to knock the Shredder away, Raphael. He was acting as if he were a wall and looked completely immovable.
Raphael's expression was stone cold as he said through his teeth, "Listen to me you psychotic old fart! If I see you try to touch my daughter again, I swear that I will rip you apart!"
The Shredder tried to get up and maintain his composure, but internally he couldn't deny the amount of pain that was actually inflicted on him.
Then in that instant Leonardo joined them.
"Leave them out of this, Shredder. Look around, you're beaten. Just give it up already." Leonardo states, pointing to where almost everyone in the Hamato Clan was around them, only for the Shredder to point toward Leonardo and retort, "Never. Now stand aside, while I deal with my grandson's rebellion."
"I am not letting you do anything, especially not to my family." Leonardo says and glances back at Kaito, only for Kaito to make his next act in defiance as he stood by his father to his grandfather's face.
(Karai's POV)
I made my way down immediately to be with Kaito as soon as I possibly could, especially now that Leo and Kaito just opened Pandora's box about the situation.
I was next to Leo as I watched my father's eyes dart between the three of us.
Even though it was literally the moment of truth, I was determined to maintain my position and eye contact with my father. I was going to face this head on. His face was covered, but I could see the burning fury in his eyes as he put two and two together as he looked back and forth between Kaito and Leo.
Well, took him long enough to finally notice the obviously uncanny resemblance between Leo and Kaito. I'll say that much.
Then he exploded as he directly pointed to me and shouted, "HOW DARE YOU?! I gave you everything! I raised you, trained for you, gave you a position… and all this time you've been swindling me and fornicating like some floozy with this scum behind my back?!"
"I don't swindle! You've been the one swindling me my whole life!" I shout back, I'd had it. I couldn't take it anymore. I could feel my body slowly escalating like an inferno of anger.
"Now you hold your tongue if you know..." "NO! I won't be silenced anymore, father! YOU listen to ME!" I interject.
I was so built up on the inside. Everything that's been welling up in me for almost 15 years was just waiting and almost begging to fly out my mouth.
"Ever since mother left you've been twisting me around to make me believe absolute lies! You made me resentful toward mother and an innocent man who had nothing to do with her leaving us. I spent my whole life up til now trying to be better than she was and actually trying to stay loyal to my clan and family. But, now I finally see it. I have no resentment toward mother for leaving anymore, because I finally see now why she couldn't take it anymore. She left because you are completely delusional and insane! You twisted me and my son into your sick and pointless game and I HAVE HAD IT!... But, you know what? I forgive mother for leaving us." I start and took a couple steps closer.
My face and tone of voice filled with malice as I said the most truthful thing I have ever said to my father in my entire life, "But the only thing I could never forgive her for... was leaving me with you."
My hand was clutching the grip on my juji-ken as I continued to stare down my father, waiting for the inevitable response. I was ready.
I was ready to finally confront the path I have chosen in this moment.
(Leo's POV)
It was at that moment behind Shredder that I realized we were not alone as I saw the dim moonlight reflecting off the eyes of the masks of about 20 or so foot soldiers. Then just like that Karai and the Shredder locked weapons, turning the whole warehouse into an instant warzone.
That and all the large metal tanks filled with mutagen were also unsettling with weapons flying all around us.
In the next instant all of us were in an all out brawl. I saw Donnie and April jump in from probably just getting here with the Shellraiser, just in case we needed a back up plan. I was taking on two different foot soldier's simultaneously, but I kept looking at Karai who was still in a one on one fight with her father.
I was just trying to stay focused, until another thought hit me.
I glanced back to check if Molly and Kaito were alright, but they seemed to be taking care of themselves.
Then out of nowhere I heard a loud clang as I saw Karai strike her father with a kick and his head colliding with one of mutagen tanks, hard enough to dent the metal, but thankfully not enough to break.
Anyone of these tanks bursting would be way beyond bad.
Shredder wasn't moving and my eyes went wide when she looked as if she was about to go for a final blow with her blade, only to be caught up by another foot soldier and forced to leave her father there.
I managed to successfully fend off my opponents as I went over to join Karai.
In the back of my mind, I kept wondering how strange this must be for Karai and Kaito to fight their own Clan, but the intense look on both of their faces so far has shown me that it didn't seem to have an effect. Also after the Karai's little speech to her father, I'd say that the Clan ties have been challenged as much as anything could be challenged.
Well, on the upside, at least both Karai and my son were fighting on the same side as me now.
Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement and I looked over long enough to see that the Shredder was slowly becoming conscious enough to prop himself up on his elbows and forearms as I saw him intensely looking at something. I quickly directed my line of sight and my eyes went wide when I saw he was looking at Molly, who was on her own in front of the tanker as she surveyed what was going on around her and then I saw him look at the dent he made on his way down in the tank.
Oh no.
I knew what he was going to do. I tried to run over to stop him from breaking the tank and I noticed Karai also following me to stop him. But before we even made it half way there, it was too late as his blades punctured the side and instantaneously created this huge split down the tank as the mutagen steadily leaked for a second before bursting and flowing out like water out of a broken dam.
Molly took notice, but she was almost in a state of shock as the wave of mutagen flooded over in her direction, coming head on at her. I was too far away to save her and I saw Mona and Raph trying to run after her, but it was clear they weren't going to make it in time.
Then at the last second I saw Kaito dart in and knock Molly out of the way. He tried to escape too… but he wasn't quick enough as I felt my heart sink when I saw Kaito get engulfed in the wave of mutagen to the point where he could no longer be seen as the mutagen continued to flow.
"KAITO!" I heard Karai almost screamed out in distress as she tried to go after him, but I had the capacity to hold her back.
Even though she was fighting me with every bit of strength she had in her to break free. But I knew we wouldn't be helping anyone, especially not Kaito, if we blindly ran into a river of mutagen only to be affected ourselves.
In that moment I looked at the top of the crack at a word written across the top, almost like it was labeled.
It read one word that I didn't know what it was, Lupus.
There was still no sign of Kaito and everyone in the room was frozen in place.
I saw Donnie nearby so I called out in hesitant curiosity, "Donnie, what does Lupus mean?" In the moment Donnie looked at me and said, "Lupus is a species named derived from the Latin genus and species Canis Lupus meaning…"
He was cut off by a piercing howl that echoed through the room and almost paralyzed me at my realization as Donnie finished his explanation, "... Wolf."
I finally looked ahead to see a large figure entirely covered in jet black fur and standing upright on its hind legs only to collapse to the ground in that same instant, Kaito.
Eventually I finally gave in and ran toward Kaito when the mutagen cleared away, coming face to face with the fate of my son. The fur that now covered his entire body, his armor fused into his skin. I could still see the metallic surface of his happuri outlining his now unrecognizable face.
His facial features were no reflection of what he was in his new state of being.
His face was entirely wolf-like now, but his body had human aspects, making him look almost… werewolf-like in a way, if I were to describe it as anything. His hands turned into this hybrid of hand and paw with these sharp claws jutting out of each of his fingertips.
I saw Karai kneel down slowly next to his head. Her expression blank in disbelief at what has become of our son. She put a hand on top of his head, almost as if to confirm that he was still Kaito and what happened to him.
The whole space around us was dead silent until I heard, "Fitting form for him to take… a mutt." I felt everything in me ignite with anger and I whipped my head around to face him, my katana drawn and gripped tightly in my hands.
"How can you say that?! He's your own grandson! Your blood!" I yell back at his heartlessness toward what became of his only grandchild. He used the tank to help him stand as he spat at me, "Anything with ties to Hamato Yoshi is no grandson of mine."
I was in disbelief at what he just said. That he could be as heartless to disown his grandson for a reason that was beyond Kaito's control. Kaito didn't chose to be born, nor had control over who his parents were.
I was about to finally confront him when all of a sudden I heard a low growl and then a snarl as I heard Karai say, "NO! Kaito!" I whipped my head around to see Kaito had reawakened into a hostile animalistic state with his now canine teeth bared as he had Karai pinned under him, almost like a predator with it's prey.
"KAITO!" I yelled, trying to snap him out of it. "KAITO! LISTEN TO ME!" I yelled as I came closer to him.
Karai was frozen under him, in disbelief that she was in this situation where she could very well be killed by her own son. Kaito looked at me and snarled as a warning to make me back away, his still Amber eyes looked at me but they had a inhuman quality to their gaze, making him look almost feral.
It was internally breaking me to see my son like this. But I remained strong.
"KAITO! It's me, Leo! Your father! This isn't you! Focus! Remember!" I yell, desperately trying to get through to him.
I kept trying to maintain eye contact with him, as if I was trying to use something in my mental and spiritual ability to get through to him.
He continued to growl at me, but then I saw his eyes slowly shifting from hostility to something softer, something more relaxed. His jowls recovered his teeth as he looked at me. His ears flattened down on his head as he let out a low whine, almost as if he was apologizing to me in a way.
I smiled at him to try to reassure him that everything was fine.
Kaito looked back down at Karai. He looked like he was about to get off of her when all of a sudden Shredder came out of nowhere and knocked him away. "NO!" I called out as I heard Kaito whimper on contact as he hit a wall and fell weakened to the floor.
It was almost as if the battle was reinstated as everyone around us started fighting again and I saw Karai's face overtaken with absolute rage as she yelled out, "Stay away from him!"
They locked up but Shredder was able to knock Karai away as well before I was able to get there to help her.
Before I knew it I was locked up with the Shredder. My blood boiling within me in anger and fury as I continued to take him down. Before I was willing to try and talk him down, but after he tried to kill my niece; attacked the woman I love, his own daughter; and mutated, disowned, and attacked my son, his grandson… I hit my breaking point with him.
We kept exchanging slashes until he managed to overtake me in my unfocused anger.
He had me pinned and was about to send his blades right through my head when I saw a pair of jaws clamp around the Shredder's shoulder and toss him away from me like a limp rag doll.
Kaito saved me.
Kaito was snarling as he pinned the Shredder beneath him and was about to go for his neck with his razor sharp canines. But Shredder managed to kick him off. But they kept on fighting each other.
Karai and I were about to jump in when foot soldiers intervened and Mikey even came over to help fight them off. We cleared them out and we still saw Kaito and Shredder fighting, except we saw Kaito had the upper hand again.
Kaito kept trying to snap his jaws at him and the Shredder was trying to use his hands to hold the upper and lower parts of his jaws to keep him away.
"Yeah! C'mon you got 'em, TeenWolf!" I heard Mikey call out next to me and I immediately looked at him stern as I also heard Karai reprimand simultaneously with me, "YOU ARE NOT CALLING HIM THAT!"
"Oh come on Leo, it's been forever since we've seen mutants! Besides it's the perfect name, you gotta give me that." Mikey defends, trying to justify him giving a mutant name to my son.
"You are not giving Kaito a mutant name." I say adamant and absolutely dead serious.
Then I heard a whine as the Shredder knocked off Kaito and Kaito hitting the floor hard. But Kaito was quick to spring back onto his hind legs as he and Shredder locked up. We were about to jump in and help, but then we all froze when it looked like Shredder was about to blind side Kaito with a strike from his blades.
Karai and I were yelling at Kaito to move and then almost as if he understood us, he dodged the strike… but then the situation took an unexpected turn when we saw what happened next.
Behind Kaito, there was a power generator that we all thought was probably dead since this place has been abandoned for over a decade, until Shredder's blades impaled the generator. He yelled in agony as sparks shot off his armor as he was being electrocuted.
We all didn't know how to react as we watched the situation unfold.
The energy was getting greater to the point where we could feel heat and see sparks flying in every direction. Finally it built up to the point where we no longer heard any response coming from Shredder as his body was propelled across the room into a large pyramid of crates that Kaito was standing near.
The dry wood of the boxes immediately caught fire, turning the whole pile into a tower of blazing inferno.
The sudden explosion of fire seemed to spook Kaito as more things around him caught fire. Kaito looked overwhelmed and defensive from what just happened that he just panicked and jumped on a tank and vaulted himself out a window to the outside, glass shattering to punctuate his exit.
Karai and I both called out for him only for me to feel Raph's hand on my arm. "Leo, we gotta get out! The place is going to hell!" He yells as the whole warehouse was slowly getting engulfed in flame.
Eventually I was able to regain my sanity and was able to get Karai to come outside with me to prevent us from getting burned alive. But she shook my grip off her wrist and climbed another building calling out Kaito's name.
I followed her and caught up with her on the building's rooftop.
"Karai!" I call out. But then I saw her just standing frozen as she stared off into the the distance.
I slowly walked over to her as I looked out into the distance with her. I looked at her and just saw her eyes locked on the skyline, I knew she was trying to find Kaito… but he wasn't in sight. He was gone… our son was gone.
I looked down at her hand slowly grabbed it as a way to comfort her, but also for me too.
She slowly looked at me and it wasn't until she looked at me that saw how she was really feeling. Off the corner of her left eye, I saw a tear trailing down her face. This was the first time I've ever seen her cry.
I've never seen her this vulnerable.
Karai is by far the most thick skinned person I have ever met and it was hard for her to show her deep down emotions. She hates looking vulnerable to anyone, especially to herself. But here she was, crying and looking almost completely broken.
Then I saw her finally breakdown and actually started fully crying, looking completely pained about everything, and probably ashamed for showing weakness. Tonight she witnessed the most traumatic things any person could witness, especially for both of us as parents, but I think Kaito's mutation and the fact that he is now lost, wandering the city somewhere finally pushed her over the edge.
I pulled her against me as she continued to let it all out. Her body tense in my grasp as I tried to comfort her, but even I couldn't fully stay strong either as I even felt a couple tears escape me and myself weakening.
At this moment right now, having no idea what happened to my son and not knowing where he is… I am literally the definition of helpless.
Sorry, to leave it on a cliffhanger, but there will be more regarding the situation in the next chapter. Also, to lighten up the moment a bit, I hope you all enjoyed how, even as a grown man, Michelangelo couldn't help himself from giving Kaito a mutant name, aka TeenWolf. Haha. What will happen next? Stay tuned til next time! Have a lovely day and I hope to hear feedback on what you all thought of what transpired. Have a good one!
-Dexter1995