Chapter 34: Phase One

Chad Cole had no choice but to stumble after the killers, choking and nauseous, his heart sick with dread and hate. He'd been abandoned to death by Marianne, the dark sprite had even encouraged the assassins to kill him—he no longer knew if they even were assassins, he didn't know who they were supposed to be—he didn't know anything except that his eyes were burning and he couldn't breathe.

At least make it fast, let it be fast and painless…

Through the hatch into One, the door snapping closed behind him. Cole fell back against the cool metal, struggling to catch his breath, gummy tears leaking from beneath his closed lids. He didn't want to see the blade, he'd rather not have to suffer suspense before he died; dying was plenty enough.

Maybe they'll just leave me here…

The small hope that the thought brought him was stamped out immediately as a big rough hand latched onto his arm and shook him.

"Hey, wake up!"

Cole reluctantly opened his watering eyes, blinking rapidly. The big dark turtle guy was staring down at him, looking mad enough to start hitting. His daggers pointed at Chad's chest.

"Want to explain what this place is?"

Cole shrank against the door. His voice came out in a stammer, "Phase One. F-forest."

The red-head rolled her eyes just as angry looking as the red-banded turtle, "Yeah, forest, we got that. Why though?"

Cole shook his head, sure that he was about to be severely beaten but not sure what they were asking.

The winged woman took a step toward the three of them, looking more upset than angry, "Raphael, Musashi, Marianne screwed him over, too. What's your name again? Cole?"

He nodded, desperate to appease them. "Yeah, Chad Cole, Marianne told me you were here to kill her and she told me to run in there, she was just going to lock you guys up, I swear I didn't know she was gonna do this—"

"Slow down." She said, "I'm Karen, and this is Raphael, Musashi, and Michelangelo. What can you tell us about this test program?"

Chad swallowed, wiping at the water on his face. Karen seemed sincere—

--and what are your options here? You can get decapitated, get left behind, or work with these guys. They've got weapons, and Marianne said the test specimens were designed to fight people and—

Chad looked around at One, amazed at how different it seemed now that he was locked in how—menacing. The towering artificial trees, the plastic underbrush and fallen synthetic logs—with the subdued lighting and humidified air, the dark walls and painted ceiling, it almost felt like a real forest at twilight.

"I don't know a whole lot," Chad said, looking at Karen, "There are three phases—woods, city, mountains. They're all big, each one's like two football fields, side by side, I forget the exact measurements. Word is that they're supposed to be suitable habitats for these hybrid test animals; they're even gonna stock them with live food, mice and rabbits and such. Roketto Dan's testing out some kind of disease-control thing, and the test animals are supposed to have similar circulatory systems to humans, something like that, it'll make good study material…"

He trailed off, noticing the look the two females exchanged when he'd started talking about the test creatures.

"You really believe that Chad?" Raphael asked, not looking enraged anymore, his expression neutral.

"I—" Chad said, then closed his mouth, thinking. About the incredible pay and don't-ask policy. About the questions from whoever was supervising on any given job.

"Are you happy working here? Do you feel that you're getting paid enough?"

--and about the prison cells—and the restraints.

"No." He said, and felt a rush of shame at his deliberate ignorance. He should have known, would have known if he'd had the guts to take a closer look. "No, I don't. Not anymore."

All nodded, and Chad was relieved to see Raphael alter the position of his weapon slightly, pointing it away.

"So, do you know how to get out of here?" Michelangelo asked.

Chad nodded, "Yeah, sure. All the phases have connecting doors, in alternating corners. They're all latched shut is all, no keys or anything—expect the last one, Three, it's bolted on the outside."

"So the door we'll want is that way?" Karen asked, pointing southwest. They were in the northeast corner. From where they stood, the far wall wasn't even visible, the fake woods were so dense. Chad knew there was at least one decent-sized clearing, but it would still take a hike to get through. He nodded. "Over the bridge."

"Can you tell us about these test animals? What do they look like?" Michelangelo asked, a hint of fear in his voice.

"I never saw 'em, I was just here to do the wiring—cams and conduits, like that." He looked among the warriors hopefully, "But how bad could it be, right?"

The expressions on Karen's and Musashi's faces weren't encouraging. Chad started to ask what they could tell him when a long, metallic clattering filled the moist air, like a giant gate being raised. It came from the back, the west wall, where Chad knew the animal pens were kept—

--a second later, a shrill, piercing shriek cut through the air, a long and warbling note that was quickly joined by another, and another, and then too many to tell apart.

There was a beating sound too, so huge that for a moment, Chad couldn't place it—and when he did, he felt a little like screaming.

Wings. The sound of gigantic wings beating the air.

Marianne smiled proudly, still congratulating herself on the job well done. She froze when she felt cold metal touch the back of her neck.

"Take me to the control center, now." A baritone voice hissed sinisterly.

Marianne bit back rising panic. Another intruder? "And what if I don't?" She tried in her most seductive voice, "You going to make me?"

Didn't work on this one; in fact, he must have been very much out of patience. Marianne gasped as he forced her against the wall blade still at her neck and arm twisted. He was incredibly strong; she couldn't shake his pincer grip. So she tried another tactic.

"O-okay, okay. I'll lead you! Just please don't hurt me." She whimpered.

"Nothing funny." He warned.

She was relieved to feel the cold steel leave her skin and his grip loosen slightly. She slowly turned, not wishing to be rammed against concrete again and couldn't help but gawk, "There are more of them?" She winced as his grip suddenly tightened again.

"You've seen them. You know where my brothers are."

Marianne smiled nastily, "Oh yes. The idiots fell into quite a mean trap of mine." It wasn't the smartest thing she could have done.

She didn't know what he did or how, but the next second she was flat on the ground with a very scary strong turtle guy pinning her down and threatening to slice her throat open.

"Not so tough now that you've no glass to shield you, eh?" She could just hear Warui's derisive voice in her head.

Shut up.

"What did you do?" He was obviously furious—it emanated from his tone and his eyes—although he was also trying to control it.

"The Rocket Dan has engaged in an excellent trade recently. Base 104, or the Planet as it is affectionately called, is the testing grounds for our prototypes. So right now, your 'brothers' and your little girlfriends should be getting torn to pieces by our pets." She gasped again as his grip tightened even more but was none the wiser and continued her vain taunting, "If you'll go to the control room you can have front row seats for the entertainment."

He realized a second too late that she had pressed some sort of button and looked to see at least ten gun-toting executives in the hall aiming at him. Yes! I have him now.

"You're forgetting rule #2!" Said Warui, "Never celebrate your supposed victory unless you are already standing in the ashes of your enemy!"

Marianne couldn't help but be amazed by his reflexes. He was out of harm's way before she could even think to move. Dodging one, deflecting the other, he moved with agility and had them all disarmed with little difficulty.

But Rocket executives were no pushovers, Marianne thought snottily, watching contendedly as they put up a fight with their clubs and chains. And even though they couldn't stop him—she grabbed a gun that had landed quite near her—they could at least distract him. She smiled as she saw her opening. There he was: that nimble kung-fu turtle had found himself in a deadlock with Burton and Cecila. Near beside herself with euphoria glee that she'd once again proven herself all powerful and capable and all that, she aimed for his head.

The gun clattered to the floor a second later, Marianne near screaming in pain with a shuriken lodged in her hand. The two executives holding him also dropped to the ground in bloody heaps.

"You came quickly, Ura."

His affiliate met his eyes before rolling forward, swiping a knife away from a grasping hand, and grabbing Marianne. She moved almost as fluidly as the ninja himself and now held Marianne tightly in front of her with her arms behind her back and the knife to her throat.

Leo just hoped the rockets were loyal enough to their boss for it to be a profitable move.

Either they really did care for Marianne or were too smart to try to do anything. Ura merely watched as Leo rounded them up and tied them up—too risky to just turn their backs on them after all.

Marianne obviously felt less of the intimidation she had felt when in Leo's grasp because she struggled, head-butted, and brought her stiletto heels down on Ura. Ura exhibited no visible reactions to the onslaught and Marianne soon gave up.

"Now. Lead us to the control room." Leo commanded, focused again on Marianne.

"Doesn't matter. I'm the one in control here; I'm calling the shots. Your friends are about to be blinded, trampled, and eaten! And there's nothing you can do about it!"