WARNING: Contains scenes of swearing and upsetting scenes
Chapter Thirty-Five
Confrontation
Meanwhile, Tyroth, Raphael and Leonardo had managed to gather the rest of the Knights and Donatello and they all brandished their weapons, George, Cam, Barry and Splinter were amongst them.
At first Tyroth told George he needed to be somewhere safe with the others unable to fight but the old turtle declined saying he would not hide and face whatever was threatening his home.
"I will face who dares endanger those I have given a safe haven!" George growled as he stood firm and gripped his cane "This is my home! And I along with all of you will protect it with my life! I founded this place and I will die protecting it!"
As much as everyone thought it was admirable that the old turtle wanted to help, they knew they would have to step in to defend him should he be in danger, as was their duty and honour.
"Everyone stay together!" Tyroth said "If we scatter, he'll pick us off!"
"We're right with you hun!" Sephie said as she readied her bow and arrows and walked next to her lover.
"Who the hell would have gotten into the sanctuary?" asked Donatello "The entrances is always fully guarded! Even the other tunnels! Hacker told me so!"
"I messaged Hacker earlier!" Tyroth confirmed "And he says there is nothing on the cameras to show any recent intrusion! He says he's on his way to help!"
As they entered the large tunnels, they heard an echo from Diablo's earlier gunshots! And everyone jumped in fear.
"He's close!" Heather cried and everyone shuddered in shock.
"Stay together everyone!" Tyroth said.
"If he aims at you, you won't be harmed brother." Amber said "With your fast healing he won't be able to take you down!"
"You got that right sis!" Tyroth agreed "I will gladly shield all of you!"
"But we'll fight alongside you!" Leonardo said fervently "On our honour!"
"Fuck yeah!" Raphael growled.
"Just because our boss is like Wolverine don't mean he's invincible!" Sarah added "We stand together, we fight together!"
"I hope Mikey's okay!" Donatello said worried.
"I'll chew that gun-man to splinters with my own teeth!" Sharky growled.
Tyroth then felt the Shell-Cell vibrate again and he grabbed it then he saw Jake's name on the screen.
"Jake?" he asked as he answered the call.
"Four mutants down! All wounded!" Jake's voice was heard "Medical assistance needed!"
Everyone's blood ran cold.
"No!" Splinter cried in horror as he wondered who was hit.
George also went pale.
Tyroth growled
"Now it's personal! Jake?" he shouted again "Jake? Do you read me?"
"This is Rattletrap!" he heard Rattletrap's voice on the other end.
"Rattletrap?" Tyroth gasped "Where's Jake?"
"Going after the traitor!" Rattletrap answered "He left me with the Fallen!"
"Traitor?" everyone said together in shock.
"No way!" Sephie went pale.
"Shit!" Tyroth hissed then turned to the Cell-Shell "What happened? Who did it?"
"Diablo!" Rattletrap shouted "Diablo did it!"
"Who the fuck is Diablo?" asked Tyroth getting more and more agitated by the minute.
"The Raven!" Rattletrap yelled back "The Raven's a turncoat!"
At those words everyone gasped in horror
"The Raven?" Leonardo cried.
"Callum!" Raphael gasped.
"No way!" Sephie cried.
"The Lizard Lady's brother!" Sharky asked in disbelief.
"Judas!" Sarah growled baring her teeth.
"No!" George stammered "He wouldn't do this...would he?"
Leonardo gripped his swords.
"If he has tuned on us!" he growled "Let us show no mercy!"
"We take him down together!" Tyroth snarled.
Splinter glared.
"Never in a million years would I believe Callum would turn on us!"
Tyroth looked towards the tunnel then he saw Diablo's shadow appear.
"There he is!" he growled.
Sephie held up her bow and arrow and got ready to aim.
As Diablo appeared around the corner, Tyroth stood his ground and everyone else stood around him, blocking the way to the Raven who looked alarmed yet didn't show any fear at the group of Mutants before him.
"Get out of my way!" Diablo hissed holding up his gun "I requested some before but they declined and paid the price!"
Tyroth glowered hard and his eyes burned blood red in fury, meanwhile the others looked fearful, wondering who apart from Patch had been shot.
"You!" the Dragon snarled baring his teeth "You did this!?"
Seeing the Dragon's firey eyes, Diablo felt fear rising in his body yet he tried not to show it nor did he lower his gun.
"Yes..." he said, his eyes flashing "Me! Surprised?"
"In truth, yes!" Leonardo said "How could you? After everything we did for you? After everything your sister and brother did to save your life? This is how you repay them?"
"And how about the Mutopians who welcomed you into their home?" Donatello demanded "How can you do this?"
George stepped forward and held up his hands to try and reason with the crazed Raven.
"Callum!" he said "This isn't what you want to do! I know deep in your heart you are not this monster you believe to have become! Please! Just tell us why you're doing this!"
Diablo sneered, and he knew he would have to repeat himself again like he did to his sister, and his brother and the mutants he shot earlier.
"Do I have to be like a broken record now?" he asked "Fine! I'll tell you! You choose to hide down here like cowards? And you do these little good deeds and play superhero for the pathetic humans above? Humans who don't know who you are? Nor do they appreciate what you do for them?"
Tyroth glared yet he listened to the Raven.
George stepped forward a little more and the others stepped towards him ready to protect him should Diablo try anything since the Raven hadn't lowered his gun.
"Listen..." George said softly "I understand where you're coming from but..."
"But what?!" Diablo snapped making the old turtle jump "You think you can change my mind? You think you can talk me around? You think you can deter me away from my true purpose?"
George swallowed hard.
"Your purpose is here Raven." he said "You are a Mutopian! You must live by the rules of our home, where you can be safe!"
"Safe?" Diablo scoffed "Safe? You mean hidden away, away from what we truly want?"
"Want?" asked Splinter stepping over and standing next to George.
Behind him, the younger mutants were like greyhounds straining at the leash and were ready to attack Diablo yet they held back with much restraint.
"What is it you want?" Splinter asked.
"To fulfill my purpose! My destiny!" Diablo growled "I don't belong down here! I don't follow rules or ways like I did as a human! And I will not do it now down here! I have been reborn! Thanks to Mona and Jake! And I intend to use my new body as I see fit! Torturing that Hate Preacher and his family was just the tip of the Iceberg!"
Everyone's eyes widened, apart from Tyroth and Sephie who had been aware of Diablo's actions on the Hate Preacher.
"I tortured them into insanity! And it felt good!" Diablo smirked "Seeing the fear in their eyes, about how their stupid baloney faith won't protect them! Not from me! Seeing how there is more in the world than just them! They will soon fear more than just lies about faith! And corrupt governments!"
"What is he saying?" Donatello asked, for once completely confused himself over Diablo's words.
"What if you were to show the humans that we are more powerful than they could ever be?" Diablo asked "That there is a more superior race? Mutants!"
Sephie shook her head in shock, so much so she lowered her bow and arrow, and George and Splinter's jaws dropped.
There was a moment of silence as the mutants let Diablo's words sink in.
"How can you not see it?" Diablo asked his eyes narrowing then turned to Tyroth "Especially you? Most powerful Dragon that you are? You could do so much more! You could show those humans who really should be running the show! Yet you choose to hide down here like a coward!"
Tyroth growled.
"I will not be part of this nonsense Diablo!" he growled "You call us cowards? This is the life we choose! And we will not cause misery to the humans, otherwise we are no different than the enemies we fight!"
Diablo sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Looks like I'm in this alone aren't I?" he asked then held up his gun again "Fine! Then I ask again, get out of my way, or I'll shot you down like I did the others!"
"You can't win here Diablo!" Sephie hissed holding up her bow and arrow "There's over ten of us and one of you! Step down Raven!"
Diablo sneered.
"You think your numbers will protect you? The others failed! And so shall you!" he opened his wings and cawed before firing his gun at Tyroth catching him off guard as the bullet hit his cheek and he yelled grabbing his face.
"Tyroth!" everyone shouted, Sephie fired her arrow yet missed her target due to being alarmed over Tyroth getting shot, and it whizzed over Diablo's shoulder but not before grazing him there making him yell!
"Attack!" Leonardo yelled holding up his swords and leaping for Diablo but the Raven swooped underneath him and was about to face the blue masked turtle until he saw Raphael throw one of his sai at him and it embedded in his leg!
Diablo yelled in pain then fired his gun at Raphael and the red masked turtle screamed in agony as he felt a bullet tear through his hand causing him to drop his weapon and fall cradling his hand which was erupting blood!
"Raph! No!" Leonardo shouted.
"My son!" Splinter exclaimed.
"My hand!" Raphael roared "He shot me in the fucking hand!"
Donatello instantly ran over to help his older brother and Splinter bared his teeth at the Raven.
Diablo wrenched the sai out of his leg yelling in pain, then turned to Splinter as the furious rat ran to him then fired again!
"MASTER SPLINTER!" Leonardo screamed "NO!"
Donatello and Raphael also screamed in horror as their Master was shot.
The old rat cried out in pain as a bullet went through his lower stomach and he fell back onto the ground holding his bleeding wound.
As Raphael and Splinter went down George pointed at the Raven with his cane.
"Seize him!" he shouted "Put him in chains!"
At once, Leonardo, Cam and Barry went for Diablo and jumped on him!
"Get on the ground Raven!" Barry shouted as he and Cam tried to use their weight to bring him down and Leonardo tried to grab the gun as well as his wrists to tie him up.
Diablo glowered as he resisted then took a breath as he tried to open his wings again.
"BACK...OFF!" he shouted then mustering all his strength, opened his wings and threw Barry, Cam and Leonardo off him, sending them all flying!
Leonardo fell onto Sephie making her drop her arrows and Cam fell against George knocking him onto his Shell, and Barrie knocked over Sarah, yet Heather used her wings to avoid being knocked back.
As that happened, Tyroth regained his composure and he saw the chaos including the wounded Raphael and Splinter!
"No!" he turned to Diablo who was sneering and his wings were open ready to fly or knock back anyone who dared come near him.
"You Traitor!" Tyroth growled lowly, his body starting to glow red as his mana began to activate, he had never felt so angry.
Never in a million years would a mutant, one he had considered a Mutopian after he drank the water would turn on his people and threaten his home.
Red mist filled his eyes and he was ready to kill or maim the Raven!
"You drank the water from the Well, we welcomed you into our sanctuary! I taught you to fly! We welcomed you here in open arms! And you repay us by hurting my people!"
He clawed his hands and opened his mouth showing flames appearing behind his teeth.
"You will pay the price for your treachery!"
He then roared and blew a jet of flames at Diablo who quickly ducked and the flames whooshed over his head yet he still felt the burning sensation over his feathers. He then rolled over to avoid another jet of flames Tyroth blew out at him.
He stood up to face the Dragon then he jumped out of his skin as a gunshot filled the space around him!
Tyroth also jumped as did everyone else and the smoke cleared to see Jake and Mona standing there, Jake with his gun pointed at the ceiling showing he had fired the shot and Mona had her fans drawn.
"Mona! Jake!" Sephie cried, both in relief and worry and Tyroth halted in his tracks yet his mana still glowed brightly all over his body.
Diablo growled and stood up, turning to face his older sister and brother.
"You two!" he hissed.
"Diablo! Stop!" Jake snarled pointing the gun at the Raven.
"Little Brother!" Mona held up her fans, her eyes full of pleading "Please! Stop this!"
Tears filled her eyes as she looked at Diablo then she saw Splinter wounded in the arms of Barry and Donatello tending to Raphael.
"Oh God! Brother what have you done!?"
So the skirmish continues within Mutopia as Diablo tries to leave, and once again he has wounded two more!
Tyroth is sure as hell ready to kill! But Jake and Mona have arrived! What will happen here?
Will Diablo escape or will he be caught and his fate decided by the Mutopians?
Find out in due course!