A.N: YIKES! Sorry for saying the 13th, I did not think the Storyboard was going to take long to do. But I finished the submittion and with California's governer making it mandatory to stay inside, I have SOO much time to write. And on that note I hope all you lovely readers are doing well during the Covid Pandemic. Stay safe, healthy, and enjoy this chapter.
Kendramccormick: Thanks! Though, sorry for the lateness this time. Yes, I really hope I get into the program, thank you so much :)
I don't own TMNT
(Translation)
CHAPTER 27
To say they felt lesser then animals was an understatement. Fillien and Karai were more than ready to rip one into Steranko when he managed to put the metal clamps around their necks again. Using the staffs attached to them, Steranko forced the girls out of the shed and into the open. Karai had been right. They were on a wharf along the East River. Looking behind them, the saw the skyline of Brooklyn just over the roof of the shed.
If they could just get out of this struggled hold Steranko had on them. Karai clamped her snake-head for hands on the metal clamp around her neck, trying to break free. She only stopped once she spotted up ahead, near different piles of large industry-grade crates, was Shredder. Fillien became defensive, lowering her head and growling at the metal man.
Karai, on the other hand, struggled harder to distract herself from memories that flashed before her eyes. Shredder towering over her as she kneeled before him. Waiting for whatever punishment came because of whatever mission she failed at. The site of Fillien getting smacked across the face. The lies that had spilled out of the metal man's mouth. The problems she caused because she believed every word he said.
No, no, no! Karai tried pulling on the restrains harder, even hissing out in anger. Going crazy could break her free, but it could also harm Fillien since the cat was close by. She didn't want to hurt anyone. She just didn't want to be near Shredder.
"You get us out of city safe," Steranko began as he forced Karai and Fillien to stop right next to Anton. "You get girls. That is deal."
Now she was being handed over to Shredder who was right in front of them. Her nightmares were coming true.
"I don't make deals," Shredder said as Bradford appeared over the top of a metal crate behind him. Xever jumped out of the river to the right of them and on to the cement walk they were on and stood in between the group and Shredder. "Bur perhaps this is worth the exception…" Shredder finished.
Fillien looked hastily around, trying to look at everything from a different angle. There had to be a way to get out of this, but everything was against them. They had no way of getting out of these shock collars and if they did, both sides of the bargain weren't going to let them slip away without a fight. What to do, what to do?
"Give me Karai and Ms. Lefevre, and I'll spare you—"
"Let them go!" Came a voice from above a higher tower of crates to the left. Karai stopped struggling and smiled, looking up to the source to see Leonardo on the top with his swords out in hand. "And I'll let all of you walk away alive!" As if on cue, his brothers jumped out from behind him, weapons ready.
Fillien gave a relieved sigh, "Oh thank goodness this is going to be easier then I thought."
Xever took the distraction as an advantage to jump into a fight against Anton. Sweeping one metal leg out and low, he missed the man with a Mohawk who jumped away in time to stand in the middle of the wooden half-bridge.
While those two fought, the Turtles had come down and attacked Shredder from all sides. Though it seemed, like usual, Shredder outmatched them, the Turtles did not fall easily as before. Karai noticed they remained standing even after a gruesome hit from the Shredder. They had gotten better at facing the Foot Clan's Leader.
If only she could say the same thing about Steranko's fighting. Even though he was getting pushed back and punched in the face by Bradford, the Russian man continued to have a grip on Karai and Fillien's staff end of the electric clamps. Fillien did her best to try and anchor them by turning around to face the man and planting her feet into the cement, claws extended.
She only managed to leave scratch marks as Steranko kept stumbling back making the staff move around in a jerking motion and forcing Fillien and Karai to stumble around looking like they had too much to drink. "Would you just… let go!" Fillien hissed. Bradford managed to grab Steranko in the face and then shove it back. The Russian man's face hit the wall of the shed flat out, almost hard enough to leave a dent.
When he faced Bradford, the dog man growled and said, "It's simple, give them to me. And the pain will stop."
"All our pain!" Fillien added even though she was still in the choking hold of the metal clamp.
Steranko hunched over in pain but didn't let up. Instead, he raised the staff holding Karai forward and maneuvering the one holding Fillien back so that she was forced to stand next to him. "Attack, vicious snake woman!" Being forced to fight Bradford head-on, Karai let out a fearful hiss and let her snake-heads for hands come after him in order to push him away.
"Coward," Bradford almost whispered towards Steranko.
"And rude!" Fillien yelled before she maneuvered her body so that her back faced Steranko and she could plant a firm back left foot right into his right toes. Steranko yelled and tried to kick Fillien into submission. She stepped forward to avoid it making him almost fall towards her with his grip on her clamp. Bradford tried to use the opening to slice Steranko in the face but the Russian man managed to get his balance back as he stood straight and forced Karai into Bradford's face more.
And it was like that for three rounds. Fillien getting Steranko to try and let go while he pushed Karai forward, making it hard for Bradford to attack without hurting the girls. Then all of a sudden, Bradford felt the air get knocked out of him from a kick to his back. The force pushing him into Steranko. It was enough to finally make the man let go of his hold on the staffs and enough force to get the two rolling into a ball before crashing into the side of the wooden shed.
Karai and Fillien struggled to gain breath as they slumped down to sit up against each other's side. It helped when the one who attacked Bradford, Leo, broke the metal clamps around the girl's necks. Fillien managed to stay sitting up but the sweet release made Karai almost fall forward, Leo there to catch her. As he held her head in his arms he said, "Karai you have to go, hurry, don't let them take you." He then looked to Fillien and said, "Go with her. Make sure she gets somewhere safe."
Fillien stood up, feeling freedom for the first time in what felt like hours as she gave her fur a shake and her wings a couple of flaps. Then she nodded and said, "Way ahead of you." Then she began to trot to the edge of the cement walk of the wharf. "Come on, Karai!" then she jumped into the air, beginning her path to Brooklyn.
Karai watched her before she moved her head away from Leo to look at the Brooklyn skyline. "Comet…" she began to say as she pointed East just over the shed. She didn't know if what she was doing was a good idea but she knew she could trust Leo with where to find her. "Comet…"
"Comet?" Leo asked.
Before any more could be said, she darted into the water. She hated to leave him with so little info, but with so little time and her mind still not allowing her to say things quick and full sentences, she could only give him a clue. Which isn't an entire loss. The turtles were smart. They'll figure it out.
As she swam the familiar route to Brooklyn's shores, she took extra care to hide where she could whenever that Kraang creatures with a long neck came to close. It was almost sundown when she finally got to Coney Island's wharf. She took extra precaution to look around before jumping onto and slithering her way through game booths and vacant rides. As she made her way the far end of the entire park, she heard flapping from above.
She looked up to see Fillien land gracefully next to her, giving her wings a ruffle before she rested them neatly at her side. "Sorry, had to avoid a Kraang ship or two." She looked around and said, "Wow… I feel like I'm in a horror movie. So many attractions and no kids to ride them. Perfect cover and best place to host a scary movie night."
Karai knew Fillien was trying to livin the mood after that whole ordeal. The snake girl didn't have the guts to say it wasn't working though. Instead, Karai shook her head with a smile on her face and continued towards the Comet Closer they were headed to. Fillien followed right behind her as they hurried past the giant roller-coster before going into the small building in the back.
"Nice digs," Fillien said as Karai showed her to the employee's lounge room. "Oh, I can definitely see this as a great stakeout."
Karai turned into her human form before sitting down on a beanbag though not all relaxed. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms as she said, "Leo's coming."
Fillien stopped to stand in front of her. "You told him to come here? Hm. Well better here than in the main city. Don't want to run into the Foot or Steranko and his friend again. The best way to help you is in a place like this." She motioned with her wings at their surroundings. Fillien then trotted over to tall cabinets lining one wall in rows
As the cat mange dot open a covert and began looking for snacks, Karai asked with a serious look on her face, "Still not know… why Shredder wants you."
Out of shock of the half-question, Fillien raised her head hitting the shelf above. She stepped away and rubbed the bump forming on the back of her skull as she answered, "Well like I said, it could be that he still thinks the Rings are still a thing."
Karai didn't seem at all convinced. She let herself sink more into the beanbag as her head hung low, chin buried in her chest. Fillien's ears fell to the side seeing Karai's reaction. She tried to play it off by perking her ears back up and looking back into the pantry again as she said, "It doesn't matter anyway. The turtles are going to come find us. They'll probably take us to their Lair for shelter while they find a way to turn you into a full human again. Shredder won't find us there. Or here for that matter."
Fillien found a bag of chips, grabbing it in her mouth and then walking back over to Karai and tossing it onto her lap. "Try and eat this. I'm going to find a place to relieve myself."
As Fillien walked out, Karai staired at the snack pack the cat gave her. No change in expression. Nothing but a neutral stare as her train of thought brought her to a single thought. How could she be so dumb?
To think things could somewhat go back to normal with the help of the turtles. So much went wrong. So much is wrong. So much can't happen. First, there was no way they could go to the Lair. Karai already insisted to Leo the best place to help her was to be far away from her father. She would only try to kill Splinter if she even looked at him. And everyone around her would probably get hurt if they tried and stop her.
Second, even if they could help her, there was no way Shredder wasn't going to eventually find the Lair. He had been searching for the turtle's hideout for over a year, with Tiger Claw almost coming close finding it. And just like back then, they would eventually find it because of her. No, she couldn't risk the turtle's only home that way.
And then there was Fillien now. Her friend was a target just like her. For whatever reason, it was still a mystery. Karai couldn't let her friend be captured. But Fillien would only be in more danger if she was around Karai. The snake girl in her fragile state was definitely the reason why the Foot Clan had been having an easy time tracking them down. If Fillien was with her when they found her again….
Karai grabbed the bag of chips in frustration and threw it across the room, the plastic hitting the floor with a small crunch. She wasn't hungry for it. She was hungry for more…. Lively things… Karai pushed the thought away she leaned over and buried her face in her hands, holding back tears. There was just now way. So what if Karai could be helped or not, it didn't matter. She was still a threat to everyone she cared about. Even indirectly.
There was a reason why she wanted Leo to find her. It was time to say goodbye. The turtles, Fillien, Splinter…. they would be better off…. If she wasn't with them…. She was a danger to them all.
A.N: I'm sorry of this is depressing especially with what's going on the world, but I can't avoid it. To move forward with the story, this is what I had to post today. Unless, like me, you REALLY love angst. So next would logically by Pig and Rhino so you know what that means… MOR ANGST! And more fighting! See you next week, for sure, I mean. I'm stuck at home so what else can I do? I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!
