Juu-go...
Even though Ryutaro managed to disarm the gun, the bald man still considered himself armed. He withdrew a sword from under his cloak to take him on. It became clear Tatsu was a strong opponent for the kid. Ryuu did all he could to barely block the lethal strokes with his pitchfork. The nicks on Ryutaro's arms showed how close the furious ninja came, however. Tired, Ryuu knew Tatsu could not kill him. The sword Tatsu used was his own, and the spirits in this sword no longer allowed it to kill its owner.
Raph climbed up against a wall, an eye kept on the guards as he did. As long as Ryutaro kept Tatsu busy, his chance for escape looked better. He wanted to get out of there to reach the others, even if he could barely walk on his injured leg.
As soon as Raph started his retreat, laser fire surrounded him. He immediately pressed up against the stall wall, fortunate enough to receive only nicks that time. The guard stopped random fire a moment to aim at the turtle's head. Realizing feelings of being trapped, Raph desperately looked down to the darkness at the end of the isle. What were they waiting for?
The other guard thrust his blaster between Ryuu's shoulder blades. Tatsu held off his advances for a moment, only to tighten his fingers around the hilt of the sword.
Ryuu could sense the urgency of this danger, instantly crouched down to feel the fire go by his ear. Tatsu immediately lunged after him, but he was lucky to block it before sweeping a high kick at the guard behind. A shower of laser fire danced around as the guard tried to shoot him. Ryuu rolled out of the way from Tatsu's further advance, as the infuriated guard stumbled after the nimble kid.
Ryuu gritted his teeth and launched a more effective spin kick to knock the gun from the guard's hands. More laser fire ricocheted when the gun hit the dirt floor. The chaos was just enough for Tatsu get in a blow to Ryuu's ribs. The kid fell into the guard, bringing both of them down to the ground.
Raph felt relieved his head was the target that time. But now that the guard knew he could duck his head, there may not be a next time.
Laser fire fell around him, and through him. Raph could only cower by the wall, bearing the burning sensations going through his shell. He had no where to go - a dead duck. Then it dawned on him.
The stall! Go in the stall, stupid!
The firing stopped, only to be followed by a gasp coming from the guard. Just as Raph pushed aside the horse he put between himself and the wall, he saw Leo. From the sound of it, Leo immobilized the man in some way so he could be attacked.
You and your shiruken, Leo…
Raph took in a sigh of relief before leaving the stall.
Previous scenes from the pass days entered Ryutaro's mind. Raph's accusing words about this man, his talks with Don, even echoes of Mike's pleas - I promised myself to help them through this.
Ryuu pushed himself from the struggling guard to face the bald man. True, Ryutaro was part Japanese, but he felt more pride for his American and Korean roots. What he had learned of Japanese history before sickened him. He could see the pure fury fueling Tatsu's motives now. Flame seemed to flicker in the man's eyes as his face grimaced. The pure evil of that race.
Tatsu's anger ran deep for something that would never smother out. Anger evident when studying Ryuu and the Turtle tackling with the guard nearby. Facial muscles tensing, as his vengeance for these Turtles resurfaced. That thirst for revenge his previous Master knew so well.
Ryuu held his ground, blocking Tatsu's fierce punches and dodging many of the fatal kicks. It seemed now the ninja realized the sword did him no good. He only used it for threats and blocks,
Get me through to him… I must… Ryuu focused on the sword in his enemy's hand.
Not all fights just consist of physical force from the body. Not always. Somehow, something happened in the sword's time, which gave it this magical gift. It also had a way of knowing about the souls of those who touch it. Ryuu also knew that.
Then slowly, a shimmering dragon spirit enveloped Ryuu, so that it looked like he turned into a dragon of the Orient. However, this dragon did not look like the long snake-like types. Simply put, he looked like a dragon turtle, as like those honored in ancient Korean history. This spiritual beast stood fairly upright, like a T-rex, and he also wore a breastplate that resembled a turtle shell on his chest, back, and the tops of his shoulders. His snout was long, and ended with a hooked beak. Small frilled ear lopes accented the upper part of the dragon's head. The skin shone a metallic aqua blue, while the resemblance of a shell shimmered as bronze and green. His silver eyes looked into Tatsu's, seeking out the man's soul the sword tasted.
Don watched with a wary eye as his shaken brother approached them. Raph's jersey had splotches of blood coming through from the laser wounds. Over all, he just didn't look very good.
Raph fell in a heap by Mike's side. His concerns were more on getting out of there than himself.
"Are you okay?" Don set the blaster down.
"No," Raph breathed heavily, looking up. "Is he breathing?"
Don nodded yes, glancing once to check the action.
Leo had laid Mike on his side, so the airway stayed clear while they switched off. Raph carefully rolled Mike into his arms and cradled his head. He adjusted the trench coat so it covered Mike better.
"He came to for a few seconds, but--" Don started to explain.
"His neck okay?"
"Think so…"
Raph rolled Mike over and brought a limp arm around his neck. He struggled a little to gather his brother in his arms as to pick him up. "Good, cause we outta 'ere."
Don got up to offer Raph some help. "You're able to carry him?"
"Don't think you can, an' it'll be slow t'gether." Raph grunted and rose to his feet. He gritted in pain with the extra weight on his ankle. But pain is no stranger to me, and now's not the time to be weak, dammit. "Go cover for me."
Why do you do this? The dragon's voice boomed telepathically in Tatsu's head.
Tatsu remained silent, only to return his fierce glare. He raised the sword to attack.
Please… must we always fight?
The dragon narrowed his burly eye ridges and studied the old samurai sword. Ah…here it is. Thank you for finding my sword, and returning it to me. The dragon held out his small clawed hand.
Tatsu continued to stand in awe of the dragon, as the handle of the sword in his hand grew hot. The blade also began to flare with blue electricity that resembled a dragon's head and snake-like neck. Pain shot up Tatsu's arm from the dragon fire that enveloped his hand. Just as he released the sword, it seemed to float down to the dragon's grip.
The tall dragon studied Tatsu's awestruck eyes. The man almost knelt down in respect of this spirit. "[The Dragon Sword…]" he whispered in Japanese.
The dragon laughed lightly, the sound bubbling in the air like an echo. Not quite, my friend. The Dragon Sword is something of legend, belonging only to the Gods. I am too earthly... too mortal to possess such an honorable weapon of the Prince of Light.
This is merely a sword blessed with spirits from its ancestors. One reason why it is frowned upon to steal the sword of a defeated samurai... to forbid the spirits of others from their peace, for your own glory and honor.
Leo found the sudden change of events rather bizarre. First Ryuu morphed into a dragon and now this different man came out from nowhere to help him contain the guard. The stranger wore dark colored work clothes like the others there, but he also wore a black spandex hood over his head. Then it dawned on Leo...
"Nobody…? I can't believe this!"
"You better, kid." He snapped the cuffs tight around the guard's hands. "We have a serious situation on our hands." The tall man straightened up, to study the situation with the dragon and Tatsu. "But this one we'll leave well enough alone. It's the other one I'm more worried about." Nobody gestured Leo to follow after him as he headed back, then down the second isle.
"So the cops are in on this after all?"
"Just myself… and the FBI."
"This is the situation now with our friend, Dr. Itoda. The bastard has wired himself up to a biological bomb. If we try to detonate this thing, it'll go off. If we try to interfere with him in any way, it'll go off. Itoda demands that we just leave him and his lab as is. We can reclaim all of "our" horses and leave, just as long as he isn't arrested." Nobody explained, pausing by the other men he knocked out and handcuffed.
"But you're not going to let him do that, right?"
"Right. This man is far too dangerous to let alone, Leo. He's not only wanted by the FBI, but also by the black market in Japan. He's an environmental hazard! But, he hasn't committed any trackable crimes, so that's why he's gotten this far." He pulled out some rope. "Here, help me bind these men up some more so they don't walk off."
Leo took some of the rope and knelt by the other rider. "So, what is he doing with these horses, and Tatsu?"
"Reasons why the hefty guy paired up with him is not clear. I guess it was a pairing of brain with brawn to gain more power for a take-over. I also heard of plans in the making for satellite control and use of biological warfare." Nobody walked over to another guy a couple yards away.
"The horses were part of an experiment Itoda wanted to perform. Tatsu worked more on the development of hi-tech weapons, like the laser guns. But Itoda's attempts were nonetheless phenomenal. He wanted to make a horse as big as a Clydesdale, but still as fast and agile as a cheetah. He also wanted the animal to have the skeletal design to withstand long rides, and a hide tough enough to repel most projectiles. The superior war horse. From my understanding, one of the refined hybrids of these super horses was born not too long ago." Nobody pointed to a stall near them.
Leo looked at him with a raised eyebrow, then glanced at the covered stall.
Tatsu looked at the spirit, his rage wavering for a moment. Something about the dragon seemed to pull at his conscious. "[I was heir to Oroku Saki. After those creatures killed him, vengeance was mine to take. But I refused it... I wanted to do more. I have waited many years for a chance, to redeem my honor for the Foot Clan… for Japan… in this light of the humiliation all of you have caused me!]"
Moving slowly forward, the dragon held out the sword as it split into two individual weapons. Then he offered one of the glowing swords to Tatsu.
Then, as a true warrior, I give you that chance.
The dragon swiftly morphed into an image that resembled Leonardo. The first time he and the turtle crossed swords back at the farm, he felt as though his sword somehow tapped into Leo's history. It also was likely Mike and Leo handled it when they had separated by the river. All the same, the sword also knew of Leo's past with Shredder and this man.
Tatsu bowed slightly, a show of respect that hid the contempt he kept bottled up inside. "Hajime!" He stared fiercely into the dark eyes of the all too familiar turtle with the blue mask, before springing to life.
But this spar felt different from the one before. Energy surged through both of them, making the moves seem like something seen only in a video game. They had their hits and their misses, but the fight wasn't going to end quickly.
Remember that your body is only part of it. Let your spirit be free, you imagination be unbridled! The dragon's voice echoed in Tatsu's mind as he bore down on the turtle demon.
Don stopped from a run before he reached the end of the tunnel. He thought he saw Leo leave. Yet, his brother was back dueling with Tatsu, like nothing he ever saw before. He looked back to Raph, wondering if they should get involved.
"Shoot Tatsu, dammit." Raph whispered bitterly.
Don twisted his face. That's easier said than done, Raph, considering the way those two waltz around. Gotta do something though, he sighed. Just as he rose the blaster to aim, Don saw Leo jump up and deliver a kick strong enough to knock Tatsu onto his back.
Battered and bloodied, the ninja master rose to one knee, holding his head low as he struggled to breathe. Leo's spirit laid his sword across the back of his fallen opponent's neck. "You are beaten, for the body is weak."
"Hai…" Tatsu spat blood as he spoke. With a cursory glance, he looked into the eyes of Leo, and then over to the other three. "I fought in… honorable combat. And… I am beaten…"
"Then let the bloodshed end here, Tatsu-Maki, " the Leo-spirit spoke with a deep resonance in his voice, "Stop the hatred and leave your vengeance behind you."
With a shaking hand, Tatsu withdrew the sword that was given to him for the combat, holding the point now toward his chest. "[Death before dishonor...]" he whispered in Japanese. Grasping the hilt with both hands, Tatsu drove the sword directly into his heart, then down to the right to disembowel himself. He kneeled over almost immediately, his blood draining out of him in a rush.
Don had turned to leave before he saw much more. Seppuku… god, that was abhorrent…
"Shit, about time that retard killed himse--" Raph looked up, to notice Leo was really not Leo. He stumbled a step, almost loosing his grip on Mike.
Ryuu immediately came over to Raph to help steady him.
"I got 'em, got 'em." Raph gasped as he splayed his feet. "Not Leo? How…? I ca-"
Ryuu still held on to the other side of Mike. "All in the spirit…" he whispered and bought Mike's limp arm back under the coat. "Get going… he's gonna need the aid." He looked into Raph's glassy eyes. And so do you. Leo's back there, with a cop. He's okay. Go on…
Nobody gave Leo a look of concern, when he stood up from the last violator.
"Tatsu's dead…" Leo spoke in a graven tone, letting a moment pass before he blinked his eyes like he just woke up. He looked back down the isle, where the riding arena was.
"Looked a little out of it there. You okay?" Nobody also considered the fact the turtle had been through a lot before getting here.
Leo shrugged it off. He started to wonder how long Nobody was going to keep him. He sensed that his brothers need more help. "Got a plan for this?"
Nobody walked toward the riding arena cavern, and stood to one side on the right. "Right around this corner is the lab. That's were Itoda is." He whispered as he gestured toward the lab with his head. "See those three? The doc is the guy in white over to the right. And behind him are his lab assistants."
Leo crept up beside him to peer through the panes of glass. The two assistants were bound together, with their backs to each other. They looked like girls in their early twenties. Both of them seemed very uncomfortable with the situation.
"The lady with the short hair and ball cap is our FBI agent. Itoda was smart to figure her out."
"So, they're his hostages."
"Yes. And if she makes one wrong move, he'll hit the button. Even worse, the FBI doesn't quite know the extent of this yet. They do, because of the loss of communication. But its funny they aren't here yet. Maybe something happened to her partner. But it would be a good idea, if you all could finish your business and get out of here, before the FBI swamp the place."
"Do they, the FBI, know about us?" Leo rubbed his brow.
"That depends…" Nobody lowered his voice. "But if I could use your help before you go, we could get this moving along much faster. I don't know how long he will hold out before giving up completely, and let her blow."
"What would you need?"
"I have a plan to detonate a bomb, that requires some sharp shooting."
The three turtles go to the small secondary cave between the outside electric gate and the inside entrance. A small stream stretched across the opening, but a dry sandy bank rose up to on the right. It would have been pitch black in the small subterranean passage, if not for the dim light that shone in from the main cavern. All the same, it seemed very much like the sewer tunnels back home - dark, wet, and dank.
Raph leaned back on the rough wall to slide down to the floor with Mike still in his arms.
"Did you get the blood transfusion supplies?" Don knelt down by Raph.
Still trying to ease himself out from under Mike, he felt Mike's fingers gripping the back of his neck now.
"Raph… " Mike's voice sounded rough and pained.
His heart throbbed with sympathy for a brief moment as he took Mike's arm down. "Yeah… S'okay, Mikey." Raph whispered, before scooting over more so that Mike's head was resting on his legs. He looked once at the silhouette of Don as he struggled to pull the requested items from his jeans.
Don gripped his hands around them, noticing the warm stickiness of blood on the needle cases and tubing. He took in a breath before finally voicing his concern. "Raph, I don't think you should give him blood… you're bleeding too much." As much as he didn't like needles, Don had no choice.
"I'll give."
Then another concern dawned on him. What if his blood type was not compatible with Mike's?
"No, I can do it." Raph whispered. "Just-"
"Please, you don't even sound good." Don ran the tubing through his fingers to find the ends. He continued to convince himself it was right doing it his way, despite Raph's grumbling. He took the needles out from the plastic cases, also carefully running his fingers around them to "see" what kind they were. To know how many cc's the syringes could hold. To feel how long the still capped needles were. Nonetheless, his doubts still overcame his actions. These needles were not the kind they needed. He hoped they would get needles designed for intravenous use. As if the fact none of them could have a compatible blood type for Mike wasn't bad enough. If they ever get out of this alive, he had to look into testing their blood.
"Donny. Stop thinking and start doing! We're dyin' here." Raph spoke up.
Don sighed again. "These needles aren't what I had in mind. We needed the kind with the tubes already attached."
"Then cut our wrists and press them together!"
"Raph… you're delirious--" Don heard something splashing in the water. He grabbed up the blaster, aiming it to shoot.
"Hey!" Leo instinctively took the blaster and pulled it forward, then out from Don's hands. "It's me."
"Uh… sorry," Don whispered.
Leo crawled up the sandy bank more. "Don't be, we all have reason to be jumpy now." He gave the blaster back to Don.
"The needles, we--"
Leo stopped Don. "We got a worst situation back in the cave right now. Fortunately, Nobody is here to crack the case too. But… we need your help, with a bomb, Donny."
"What? With a what? No, no… just because I, I like creating video games with pyrote--"
"Okay, okay," Leo rested his hands on Don's shoulders. He could sense the stress from this whole operation ate at Don's stamina. "This is almost over. We're almost home, bro. Nobody just wants someone to pose as a sharpshooter."
Hearing Raph cheer him on, Don took a couple of breaths before his next reply. "Shooting at what?"
"Go on down to the lab, toward the back of the main cave. I'll take over here." Leo explained, not really answering Don's question.
Don looked at him, almost asking the same question again. But he decided to not get into a further argument about it. "Okay, Leo… " He rocked onto his heels before handing over the medical supplies.
"Thank you, Don." Leo reassured him. "The sooner Nobody can get us out of here, the better. He said the place is sure to be swamped by the FBI soon."
"FBI?" both Don and Raph echoed.
"Just… go." Leo sighed.
Don went by Ryuu as he led out two horses, one in each hand. Up ahead, a bluish light coming from a side room further down the cave alerted his attention. The light had to be where the lab was located. He gripped the blaster, wondering if there would be other riders or ninja on the loose.
"Donatello." Nobody called out from the second side tunnel. Don stopped and looked at him, before coming over.
The dark cop smiled at him.
"Okay, what do you want me to do?" Don leaned up against the stall wall to rub the back of his stiff neck.
Nobody knelt down to draw an oval in the dirt. "This represents the open cavern area over there. They use it as a riding arena."
Don knelt down to get a better look.
The man in black drew a square to one side of it. Then he pushed his finger in the dirt to make three dots. "This square here is the laboratory. Inside, we have the doc and his two lab assistants tied together. Dr. Itoda is hooked up to a biological bomb in a biohazard room next to them. If he even knows we're up to something to stop him, he'll hit the button. He rather we just leave him to his own demise."
"So you want me to shoot him from across the arena?" Don took an educated guess.
"Close, but not quite." Nobody looked up at Don. "Can't kill him either. He rigged the detonator device to go off if his biorhythms become irregular. It's hooked up to him like an EKG."
"Shit…" Don looked at him, his eye ridges twisting in concern. Unfortunately, his throbbing headache made it hard to get motivated about this. The same question ran through his head, what am I going to shoot at?
"You really Leo, right?" Raph mumbled to him. With it being so dark, they couldn't really see each other.
Leo tied the tubing around his elbow, then around Mike's. "Yes, I am."
"Y'sure? Not gonna turn into Ryuu… he did that, y' know."
"I am Leo. Shhh, Raph."
He felt for his vein to pop up, before sticking the needle into it. The syringe looked big enough to hold enough blood so that he could make just a few injections. The more times he had to insert the thing, the greater the chance of infection would be.
"Yeah, you the super turtle," Raph pressed. "Always witha solution, no mattah what."
Leo took in a breath, the needle poised, and decided to not argue with Raph. Instead he took Mike's arm, felt for his vein, and injected the blood. He felt Mike's arm flinch when the needle emptied. "Sorry… but it'll make you feel better, Mikey."
Leo stuck the needle back into his arm. "How bad did you get hit, Raph?"
"Mhh, all ovah my shell…"
"Can you do something to stop bleeding, while I do this?"
Leo almost pulled out the needle, then stopped when an idea hit him. We do have other needles, so if I just share this syringe and keep the needles inside… he popped the full syringe off from his needle. Then found another syringe and popped its needle off to stick into Mike's arm.
"Don't have enough blood ta go around?"
Leo sighed, forcing his attention on helping Mike than arguing. Raph's going into shock, with that drunken attitude of his now. And I seriously don't think I can help both without passing out. Leo clenched his fist on the arm he had tied off to shake the tingly feeling. After the third injection, he paused to check Raph's plastron for holes.
"Whoa… hay… what's wit the gropin' hands…? Mikey...?"
"Shh, Raph." Leo took wads of the jersey to plug the holes he could find.
Nobody drew a bigger picture of the room where the bomb sat, and a rough illustration of the bomb. "This is what I think will work, however. This bomb here has a sensor device in it where the wiring from Itoda is hooked in. Maybe the remote controls are there too. I believe, if that part could be removed, or destroyed, I could move in without worrying about him setting the thing off on us and the FBI." He looked at the turtle.
"So, that's what you want me to shoot?" Don worked the stiffness from his sore jaw.
"Yes." Nobody withdrew a target viewer from his coat. "Let's see your gun for a minute. I managed to obtain one of these, so you can spot your target. Magnifies 100x, so the bomb from across the arena will seem like it's right in your lap." The piece slid on with a click.
"Okay… um," Don took the blaster to briefly look through the viewer. "This is a laser gun though… what if the heat from the beam sets the bomb off?"
"Mm… here," Nobody pointed to the under part of the blaster near the handgrip. "You can set the strength of the beam too."
Don looked it over completely, to see anything more that he would want to know.
"Familiar with the skills of a sniper?"
"More than less…"
"Okay, lets go… oh, and here," Nobody took his black coat off and offered it to Don. "So you'll be less noticable against the cave walls."
Don looked at his green jacket in agreement, before pulling out his bo and taking it off.
Nobody hung his coat up on a hook on the stall door. "Keep in mind too, you'll be shooting through glass, and the air is damper in that area."
"What I have in mind now, is that all of our lives are in my hands." Don held his blaster up to him.
"All the more I need your help." Nobody looked around the end of the tunnel. "Here's the plan, Don. You go ahead, along that far arena wall. Make sure he doesn't see you. Find a spot over there to shoot from. If you're successful, I'll storm the lab and take him. You get the others and get out of the cave. If you miss… then we all try to get the hell out of here."
"Nice… plan." Don sighed.
Ryuu recognized the voices in the cavern. "Guys…? Ryan here." He stopped in the small stream, and waited for a reply first. "I almost have all of the horses out, and tied to trees outside. I'm also thinking that… you're going to need our own horses… since it'll be hard to hike out there. All of us that is."
Leo nodded. "As soon as Don comes back, we will have to get out of here before we get tied up with the authorities too."
"I need to get ahold of Steve… to have a ride back." Ryuu added to the list.
"Maybe you should find Nobody, if possible, and ask him to contact her." Leo offered. He still felt a bit shaky about the bomb incident, but decided to not tell Ryuu about it.
"Hrmm…"
Don clutched the cave formations with care as he climbed up the wall. A great number of stalagmites stood close enough together for him to elevate himself behind them. He saw some movement from a few bats above him. The higher, the better… The turtle glanced at the lab with his own eyes, before looking through the viewer. And the sooner, the better. Those bats right over his head started to make him nervous. He drew in a couple deep breaths to calm himself and clear his head. What he saw through the viewer did not seem like "it was in his lap". To see and understand all the components of the bomb took some time.
Don shifted slightly to make himself comfortable in this awkward position on the stalagmites. To do well, he would have to take on something like a meditative state - to listen to his heartbeat and his breathing. A trained sniper would hold his breath, then shoot in between heart-beats, for the most accurate shot. Don rested the gun in between two narrow formations.
His finger rested on the trigger, as he made his mark on a small box in the bomb. A bat swooped down right in front of the scope. It made him jump and he almost squeezed off a shot. God damn, you little… I coulda… Don gritted his teeth, trying to shake the scare off. He briefly closed his eyes to slow his heart rate and concentrate… to listen.
dub-ub… ah-thub-dub-ub…ah-thub-dub-ub…
The turtle held his breath. A beam shot straight into the bomb. Only a spark followed after. Nobody immediately broke down the door of the lab before Don realized what he had done. I… did it! Before any of this disturbed the bats, he leapt down from the formations. He also left the gun behind.
"Donny, you do it?" Ryuu came across him in the aisle way.
He nodded yes, with a grin. At the same time, thinking how stupid it would be for Ryan to be there if they had to get out of there fast. "We're out of here."
"Nobody's back there, right?"
"No… uh, yeah."
"I need to get hold of a phone, or have him reach Steve somehow." Ryuu looked back to the riding arena.
"Well, um… he's a little busy right now." Don went over to retrieve his bo and coat from the stall door hook.
"Okay, so, in the meanwhile, Leo and I decided that you and he can hike out to our horses and bring them to the outside of the cave."
"Yeah, to make it easier for Mike and Raph." Don was wondering why the hell Ryuu wanted to hang around this place.
Ryuu stepped back into the isle. "I'll wait here, but I'll probably be ready to go when you come back. Oh, and Trinity's a kicker, so lead Tally behind Eclypse… y' know what I mean? "
"Um, yeah. Okay." Don left for the door. He didn't want to waste any more time on details, though.
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