Chapter 15 Hunting the dekabor
Samantha stopped on a rise overlooking East River Park. Below them they could both see at least a hundred humans from different gangs fighting each other. In the middle of the melee the dekabor sat there like the spider in the center of its web drinking in the chaos.
"Man," Michelangelo said worriedly. Now running out here alone didn't seem like a good idea. "Sammy, what can I do all by my self?"
You will not be alone for long. Your brothers are searching for you. Can you not feel them watching you? Samantha asked.
"Feel them . . . " Michelangelo trailed off puzzled then he realized what the spirit cat meant. He turned his attention inward and foud that he could almost hear Raphael's thoughts in the back of his head. "Wait how -"
You wear the talisman that my charge created to keep his soul within her keeping. A part of your brother rests within. Therefore, he is with you now, and he can tell the others where you are. Samantha explained.
"Well I was supposed to get the ball rolling," Michelangelo said with a grin. He gently patted Samantha on her shoulder. "So what can we do now?"
You must distract the dekabor. Lead it away from the other fighters, but beware. I cannot interfere with mortals directly, and I am not permitted to assist you in battling the dekabor. I can defend you, but no more.
"So I have to do everything solo?" Michelangelo asked. When the cat nodded, he said. "Okay then, get me down there. If there is one thing I know how to do is distract someone!" He leaned down over her black silken back again. With a mighty leap Samantha and Michelangelo started down the hill, into the battle below.
Several humans tried to hit Michelangelo and Samantha, but their blows simply passed through their bodies. Without any hindrance, Michelangelo and Samantha ran straight for the dekabor.
You must get off now my friend, Samantha said, I shall guard your back but I cannot fight the demon for you.
Michelangelo understood. "Will do Sammy, give me the signal when we're back in the real world again." When he felt his body suddenly grow heavy and he could feel the ground beneath his feet again, Michelangelo dismounted the great cat, drew Leonardo's katana, and sliced at the dekabor's tentacles separating him from one of the human fighters. The dekabor roared angrily and backed away from Michelangelo.
"Okay Deky! The party is over!" Michelangelo said as he sliced again. "Time to stuff you back in your hole!"
The dekabor seemed to grow in size turning a slickly orange green. Think again little turtle, The creature said. I can destroy you and yours with only a thought.
"Don't think so, jell-O boy! If you could destroy us, you would have the first time." Michelangelo said showing off more bravado than he felt. "Besides I'm packed with lots of little gizmos that have all been spelled to hurt you!" With that he jumped backwards and pulled one of the cleansed shurkin and threw it, breaking another tentacle from its host.
The dekabor roared with anger and pain, and backed away from Michelangelo. Impudent creature. You think you can harm me? From its body the sickly green fog spewed forth infecting the fighters nearby. My servants, the dekabor commanded. Destroy the turtle! Kill him. Feel his life blood as it ebbs through your fingers!
"Uh oh," Michelangelo said realizing that the dekabor didn't have to fight him directly. Right around him were twenty humans, all now seized with the desire to destroy him.
Michelangelo sheathed Leonardo's blade. He didn't like edged weapons, and he didn't want to use them against humans. Instead he pulled out his favored nunchucks, and began to twirl them. As the punks advanced on him, Michelangelo began to whap at the fighters, getting them out of his way, moving back in the dekabor's direction.
The dekabor again cried out and then vanished from its position. Confused at first Michelangelo called out to his new friend. "Sammy, where'd it go? I can't see it anymore!"
Samantha appeared on his right and said, up the hill at eight o'clock
Michelangelo looked up in that direction and sure enough he could see the orange haze begin to form the creature. Something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention as well. It was the Battle shell. "All Right! The calvary has arrived!" He moved back in front of the dekabor. "Give it up Decky. When Annie gets here, you're going back in the trans dimensional fridge!"
If the thing could be said to turn, it did so, facing the Battle Shell. The white witch? No, I shall not go back. There is food here for the taking. I will not go! The dekabor again spread its green gas around it and called more fighters in.
"Man!" Michelangelo muttered as he fought off his attackers. "I wish I could figure out a way to get that thing to stop doing that!"
It is repelled by your presence as much as the weapons. Samantha explained. The rift through which it came is a block to the west. You must force it there!
"My presence?" Michelangelo wondered, then he remembered. During That first encounter with the dekabor when he saw it going after Raphael he tried to strike it. His nunchucks had no effect but it backed away from him! "Sammy, can you just get me past these guys and back to the dekabor? I can't fight him with all these goons in the way."
I can do better than that. The cat creature told him. I shall shift you into a place where you have substance so the dekabor cannot touch you, but that all other eyes will not see you. His slaves will not be able to hit what they cannot see.
"Cat lady, I like the way you think!" Michelangelo felt Samantha grow solid behind him and he sat down upon her back and let her carry him immaterially back to the dekabor. Sure enough when he dismounted this time none of the nearby fighters seemed to see him. The dekabor could, however and roared angrily at him.
Michelangelo laughed viciously as he saw the creature back away from him. "What's the matter Deky? Sammy's right, isn't she? It's not the weapons you're afraid of, but it's me!"
You are an impudent mortal whelp. If I cannot strike at you, I shall have to strike at a more favorable target.
Michelangelo realized that the dekabor was going to fade away again, and Michelangelo didn't want to keep chasing it down. "Sammy!" He called out reaching out a hand to the cat. "Put me on his level! If I can touch him, I can hold him here! Right?"
It is dangerous, my friend, Samantha told him. If you can touch him, he can touch you, and harm you.
"But he won't be able to corrupt me right?" Michelangelo asked. He didn't need to see Samantha nodding to know he was right. "Sorry Sam, In this case it's worth it! I have to hold him here until Annie can get here. "
Very well Michelangelo felt Samantha's tail slide across the back of his shell. Suddenly the dekabor was no longer transparent. The rest of the world had faded away into a dark grey cloud.
"Oh shell," Michelangelo muttered. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all!
The dekabor was beginning to become immaterial again so Michelangelo reached out and grabbed one of the tentacles. "You are NOT getting away again Deky!" He called.
Grabbing the dekabor physically HURT. Michelangelo felt a burning heat where he was touching the evil creature, but he would not let go. With his free hand he drew Leonardo's katana again, and brandished it in front of the demon.
The dekabor wrenched its tentacle free from Michelangelo's hand leaving burn marks. The tentacle lashed out against his plastron burning it, and would have come down a second time had he not blocked with Leonardo's katana. The dekabor screamed and used three of its tentacles like a whip to fling Michelangelo down to the floor. Michelangelo saw the next strike coming and found he could not move fast enough out of the oncoming attack.
"Oh shell!" He muttered.
Coming Soon Chapter 16 To the Rescue
"Is Mikey still following it?" Donatello asked anxiously.
"He's trying to," Raphael said. His attention turned inward for a moment. Then suddenly he dropped to his knees as if something had hit him in the gut. To Leonardo's shock and horror Raphael began to turn transparent.
"Annie!" Leonardo shouted causing both the witch and Casey to see what was going on.
Annie knelt down at Raphael's side and tried to grab onto his hand. She whispered an incantation, and was able to hold him, but he was still transparent. She began to chant something else but Raphael was looking out at the dekabor, and said, "No Annie! I can see Mikey like this!"
"Annie, what's happening to him?" Casey said growing angry.
Annie looked up at the others. "It has to be Samantha," she explained. "Sammy's taken Mike to a really deep level of the spirit world. Some level's won't affect Raphael but the deeper ones will. Remember part of Raph is with them. If Samantha drag's Mikey down into the lower levels of the spirit world Raph would have to follow."
"That's why I can see him!" Raphael said as he tried to rise to his feet. "He's trying to grab onto that dekabor thing, but it's hurting him!"
"He's grabbing it?" Annie said stunned. "That means he's on the same level as the dekabor now! It can kill him!"