Cori jogged through the base with Donnie and Leo close behind. "I can't believe you gave her that," Donnie mumbled as he glanced at the weapon in her hands.
"I can't leave her defenseless in a base full of killer robots."
"Need I remind you that she tried to shoot my face off?"
Cori stopped running and glared at Donnie. "You know, I can hear you."
"Just ignore him," Leo said as he stepped in front of his brother. He placed his arm in front of him, pushing him slightly away from the masked girl. "We need to find that control room already."
Cori and Donnie glared at each other for a moment before she returned to guiding them through the base. At every turn, Cori looked back and forth before hesitantly picking a direction. Donatello noticed her hesitance. "Do you even know where we're going?"
Cori bit her lip and answered, "Yes...well, for the most part. I can't help it that this place looks all the same." "I knew this was a bad idea." Donnie's irritability only fed to Cori's frustration. She whirled around and stood uncomfortably close to the mutant. She was only a couple inches shorter than him, tilting her head just enough to boldly gaze into his brown eyes.
"I'm trying my best, okay! It's not like they gave me a map when I walked in."
"I'm just saying, I wouldn't volunteer to guide someone if I didn't even know where I was guiding them to!"
Cori was about to berate him when a flicker of movement caught her eye. She swung her gun upwards. Donnie jumped out of the way as she pulled the trigger. The laser flew past him, hitting a Kraang bot that was preparing to ambush the three. She aimed perfectly, hitting the droid's head clean off. Cori huffed and lowered her weapon.
Cori fidgeted with her red scarf, making sure it hid her large grin. Both turtles watched her in shock with gaping mouths. Truthfully, she had to stop herself from giddily laughing. She had no clue she would actually hit the robot. "Let's go," she mumbled while turning away. Donnie stared at Leo with wide eyes before muttering in a small voice, "She almost killed me…" Leo patted the back of Donatello's shell and ran after the girl. Donnie still stood there, completely baffled. "She almost killed me!" He yelled after them.
Cori skidded to a stop as they turned a corner. At the end of the corridor was a large group of Kraang bots. Their backs were turned, unable to see the incoming trio of intruders. They marched down the hall in unnerving unison with each leg and each arm moving at the exact same time. "I think that's it." Cori pointed to a door that the group of robots had passed.
The two brothers nodded and ran over to the door. Like the factory door, there was a security panel on the wall next to it. Donnie crouched by it as the others guarded him defensively.
"Donnie, hurry—"
"Hurry up! I know, I know."
Cori studied the hallway while Donnie worked. She kept an eye at the other end while Leo watched the robots leave. The echoes of their footsteps faded while new ones appeared. Around a corner, a silver android appeared. The fluorescent pink lights on the ceilings gave the shiny metal a pinkish hue. It chirped loudly when it saw them. Cori aimed her gun and shot several times. Two of the lasers hit the droid, knocking it onto the ground. She slightly lowered the gun after firing; it was hot in her hands. One of the Kraang bots that were joined in the eerie march swiveled its head back towards the noise of gunfire. "Uh oh," Leo mumbled as soon the whole squadron turned to face Cori and the turtles.
"Aha!" Donnie proclaimed loudly as he opened the door. He turned to see the commotion and hunched his shoulders. "You guys look like you got this," he said timidly before rushing into the control room. Cori and Leo crowded in the doorway. Leo watched the flurry of laser beams pass by and looked over to Cori. "Cover me," he ordered. Cori watched in confusion as he leapt out of the doorway with his katanas drawn. Cori was startled by the directness of the order. She glanced over to Donnie, thinking maybe the command was meant for him. Donatello continued to stand by the console, rapidly typing with his fingers. She took a large breath and leaned around the doorway.
She watched Leonardo as he danced between the lasers, heading towards the small army of Kraang robots. She fired at the alien machines, watching them drop one by one. As she took out another, Leonardo jumped into the air and swung his swords over his head. They crashed onto an android's shoulders, slicing the arms off. Leonardo plowed through the other robots, dodging when he could. Cori would shoot the droids that got too close to him or snuck up from behind. She was almost too concentrated on protecting her unlikely ally when she felt a breeze as Donnie sprinted out of the room. She whipped her head over and watched him draw his staff and join the fight. The three of them made quick work of the remaining robots. Their broken bodies and metal shards laid across the floor. Cori walked up to the green mutants as they stood over their carnage.
The three of them breathed heavily, barely able to talk. "I found...the generator room," Donnie said airily. The other two nodded wordlessly and prepared to follow Donatello.
Before they could leave, Cori heard a metallic grating sound. It sounded like one of the robot's chirps but horribly distorted. She turned to see a torso of one look up at them. It rested on one hand and held its laser gun with the other. It was aimed towards Leonardo.
"Look out," she yelled, pushing Leo to the side. A laser shot out and grazed Cori's back as she tackled Leonardo to the floor. She cried out in pain as the laser tore through her leather jacket. For a brief instant, Cori swore her skin was melting. The laser continued past her and hit the wall. Before the robot could fire again, Donnie threw a small shuriken. It landed perfectly in one of the droid's eyes. The eyes flickered erratically before turning dark. The robot slumped forward, motionless. Cori pushed herself off of Leonardo and cowered away. She moaned and trembled on the ground, building up her courage to check her wound. She twisted her arm around awkwardly so she could feel the burned mark on the left side of her lower back. She felt the heat of the laser through her gloves, but it still was not as hot as when she was shot. She clenched her teeth, trying not to cry out in front of the others.
Leo sat up and leaned towards Cori. He held out his hands and said, "Cori! Are you okay?" He reached over to see Cori's wound only for her to swipe his hand away.
"I'm...fine…"
Cori swallowed hard and breathed in. Her breath hitched as her back flared in pain. She breathed short and shallow breaths through her teeth while she struggled to stand. There was nothing more she wanted than to lie on the floor and cry. She picked up her laser gun with her left hand, pressing her right hand into her wound. She quietly gasped as she pressed down, but the sharp pain slowly ebbed away. "Let's go…"
She watched Donatello help up his brother, trying to ignore the dizzy feeling in her head. Donatello took the lead while Leonardo took the rear. He watched Cori, adjusting his pace to make sure she would never fall behind him. He resisted the urge to grab her everytime she stumbled. They weaved throughout the base, dodging Kraang whenever they could. At one point, they waited in a passageway as a few passed by.
Without looking at him, Cori quietly asked Leo, "Is it bad?"
"What?"
"Does it look bad?"
Cori lifted her hand away from her laser burn and Leonardo suddenly understood what she meant. His eyes drifted to the wound. There was a hole in her jacket near the wound; the leather singed around the edges. Her skin looked pink and raw, but it was difficult to tell whether it actually was, or if her pale skin reflected the pink lights strewn throughout the base. Tiny blisters had formed on the wound, giving it a slightly waxy look. Leonardo had never been hit by one of the Kraang's laser beams. Well, he had. They always hit his shell or plastron, never the skin. One time Raph got shot in the leg. His burn was much darker than Cori's. He always knew the burn was painful, even if Raph did not want to admit it. He never liked to complain about it to the others, probably so he could keep his tough facade. Leo could always tell whenever Raphael was hurting badly. The sharp tongued turtle would always grow silent. "You'll be fine," Leo told Cori gently. Cori seemed convinced and placed her hand back, hiding her burnt flesh.
"C'mon guys," Donnie whispered, "the generator room is right down this hall." He slinked away before the others could respond. Leo and Cori followed Donatello towards a door carved into the wall. It was much larger than the other doors in the base as the doorway almost reached the ceiling. However, like the other doors, a security panel sat next to it on the wall. Donatello pressed a few buttons and the door immediately opened. There was no waiting for him to hack it. He twirled around with a smug grin. "I disabled the security locks in the base while we were in the control room." Neither responded and stared at the turtle quietly. "I thought it was impressive…" He mumbled in disappointment.
"C'mon," Leo said while walking into the room. Cori smiled smally, even if Donatello couldn't see it, and said, "It's a little impressive." She followed behind Leo. Donnie smiled slightly and followed them in.
The generator room was dark like the control room. Purple lights glowed faintly from the hexagonal shapes in the walls. The large chamber was circular, central to a large console in the middle. Within the console was a clear glass tube containing an iridescent purple crystal. The light from the crystal was much brighter than anything else in the room, or even the entire base for that matter. It strained Cori's eyes to look at it in the dark. Metallic tubes ran through the walls into the glass canister. Three Kraang stood around the console, typing and pressing buttons at impossible speeds. They were real Kraang, too; their stomachs were pink and fleshy. As the door closed behind them, the Kraang looked up from their work with a chirp. Leo and Donnie darted towards the aliens, taking them out. Cori weakly raised her gun, but the turtles did not need her help. A Kraang fled from its body and crawled away shrieking. Its screams pierced Cori's ear drums, but its whine silenced as it disappeared into the dark of the room.
"Alright Don, you know what to do." Leonardo encouraged his brother. Donnie stretched his arms before getting to work. Cori and Leo stood to the side and watched. It was hard to think with the enduring pain in Cori's back, but she had a gnawing thought that just would not go away. "How did you know my name," Cori asked quietly. She tilted her head slightly towards the blue-masked turtle but still watched his brother type away.
"I...can't say."Leonardo guiltily looked at her before adding, "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone."
"How do you know about the Kraang?"
Leo blinked, unsure what the best answer would be. He rubbed the back of his neck before settling on, "It's kind of a long story. Too complicated, really."
This time Cori turned to stare into Leo's eyes and said, "Then, tell me."
Leonardo gulped, unsettled by her intensity. Even though he could not see her eyes through her bird mask, he felt her gaze pierce through him.
He opened his mouth to convince her to drop the subject, but instead yelled, "Look out!" Pushing Cori away, he jumped to the side as a large pair of fists slammed onto the ground that they once were. Cori fell to the floor instead of landing gracefully on her feet like the ninja turtle. She strained her neck up to see a hulking gorilla-esque figure covered in blue fur. She could barely see the little Kraang brain at the top as it towered above her. "I knew I should have shot that one," she snarled while pushing herself off the ground. Donnie flicked his eyes between the holographic screens of the console and the biotroid. Sweat beaded on his brow as he started to type a lot faster.
Leonardo dashed forward and slashed at the gigantic droid. His blades cut into its synthetic skin, but the Kraang did not care. With one giant arm, it swiped the turtle away. Leonardo fell to the floor with a thud. The biotroid stepped over to him and raised its fists again. Before it could attack, pink laser beams forced it to stumble to its side. The Kraang looked over to Cori with a furious look. She stood across the room, leaning against the wall for support as she aimed the gun with both of her hands. The biotroid emitted a deep rumbling noise and charged towards her. Cori lurched to the side, barely dodging the hulking robot as it crashed into the wall. The biotroid pushed itself away from the large dent it just made. From behind, Leonardo approached and thrust one of his swords into the robot's back. There was another low grumble and the biotroid spun around suddenly.
Leonardo's sword flew out of his hand. It remained lodged in the droid's back as it turned to face the turtle. From its chest emerged long robotic tentacles with blades attached to each end. They rushed at Leonardo. He deflected the blades off his other sword but staggered backwards. The tentacles continued to slash at him, pushing him back from the force of their blows. Cori fired at the biotroid, but the laser beams did nothing except singe its artificial blue fur.
The biotroid marched forwards, pushing Leo towards the wall. With its free hands, it swiped at Leonardo again. He dodged it this time, sliding underneath the biotroid's legs to escape its reach. He pulled at the hilt of his sword that was lodged in the robot's back. The blade shifted a bit but remained stuck. The biotroid reached back to grab the turtle without turning. Its arms twisted unnaturally to reach him. Leo was in the midst of another attempt of pulling his katana out when the biotroid grabbed him. He squirmed in the Kraang's tight grip. The robot slowly reeled its arm to the side and launched Leo across the room. He flew past Donatello, still working at the console, and collided against the wall violently.
Donnie whipped his head around to see his brother lying limply against the wall. He faced back to the biotroid that was slowly walking his way. Donnie tried to ignore the robot as it drew closer step by step. "Come on, just a few more seconds," he pleaded. Donatello could no longer ignore the droid, as its footsteps shook the console. He stepped aside and held out his bo staff defensively.
Before he could attack, Cori dashed from behind and jumped onto the biotroid's back. "What are you doing?" Donnie yelled. He watched as the biotroid swayed about, trying to shake Cori off. She pulled at the blue hair and climbed towards the Kraang sitting at the top of the droid.
"Just shut this place down already!" She pressed herself flat against the biotroid's back while its long limbs tried to reach her. She stubbornly clung on.
It wrapped its arms around its back, pinning Cori in place. She exhaled sharply as it forcefully pressed into her back. It stomped over to the circular wall and turned its back to it. Cori felt its arms unwrap around her body. She was relieved that the pressure was gone until she saw the wall behind her. Her eyes widened as the biotroid slammed her into the wall. A burning sensation spiked up Cori's spine as she collided with the metal wall. She groaned as the biotroid took a step away. A dull aching filled Cori's body, but she still clung on. She weakly tried to climb further up when the biotroid slammed her against the wall a second time. This time, Cori crumpled to the floor.
She sputtered and gasped for air. The robot turned to face her, the alien head leering at her with yellow eyes. Cori desperately crawled away as the robot bent down. Her legs were too numb to stand, and her arms could not drag her fast enough to safety. With its two large hands, it lifted her above the ground. She kicked her legs uselessly. Its powerful but lifeless grip tightened, pushing the air out of her lungs. Cori could not even cry out for help. She started to feel cold despite her burning lungs. She blinked repeatedly, her vision growing darker with each one. She soon stopped kicking, hanging loosely in its arms.
At the other side of the room, Leonardo shakily stood up. He held his head and shook it vigorously, trying to keep the dizziness away. He blinked away his disorientation and watched as Cori grew slack in the biotroid's arms. He shook his head one last time before charging forward.
"Donnie, watch out!" he warned. Donnie stepped to the side before Leo jumped onto the side of the console. He leapt off it, jumping towards the biotroid. On one foot, he landed on the katana still lodged in the robot's back and propelled upwards. He tilted the sword in his hands downwards, aiming for the small alien sitting on the top of the biotroid. The Kraang slightly turned its head towards Leonardo, but it was too late.
Leo landed on top of the biotroid's shoulders, stabbing through the Kraang's body. Green blood splattered against his sword and legs. He pulled his sword out of the soft flesh and jumped down to the ground. The biotroid dropped Cori's body before falling to its knees. It released one last rumble before powering off. Like the droid, Leo's knees buckled. He rested on one knee and used his sword to keep the rest of his body off the floor. He knelt there, catching his breath.
The door to the room opened, leaking bright light in. Leo tilted his head up to see two figures backlit in the doorway.
"What the shell happened to you guys?"
