Chapter 15

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With shaking hands, I leaned down and grabbed my dagger from its holster, placing it in front of me and in line with my wrist as I stood up, then started moving into what was once the hanger bay.

Tables and shelves had been ripped apart, and everything that had been placed neatly on them was strewn all over the floor, some of them even snapped or crushed. I had to step carefully, shifting my eyes so I could see in the dark as I moved.

What the hell had happened here?

I couldn't see anything in this room that had been left untouched. I was wondering what would have happened if the fighter had been sitting in here... would it have been demolished too?

I slowly moved towards the tunnel out of here, then the stairs, jumping when I heard a thud.

I spun around, hearing another thud and not seeing anything moving in the room I had just moved through.

Another thud, and I jumped back around, wondering if it was coming from the main room.

Slowly, and as quietly as possible, I moved my shaking legs up those stairs and down the tunnel, now hearing the thudding starting to get louder. Soon, I was hearing something else... something more high pitched...

The closer I got to the main room, the louder the thudding and what I could now make out as screaming.

I finally forced my legs to run, skidding into the main room and finding a very similar kind of destruction. And then I saw the blood...

A scream shook me out of my terrible thoughts, now realising who that screamed belonged to.

Another horrible thud, and my head shot over to see the one thing I feared the most.

A polar bear... what I could only guess was Jake... was shoulder barging the door the medical bay, and every time he did, I could hear both Kristiana and Serah screaming in terror. They must have been barely holding on...

"Hey!" An anger was rising in me now, knowing Jake had gone too far. He had attacked my family!

I saw the polar bears head spin around, and recognition in those big eyes as he noticed me standing there.

(Just the person I wanted to kill!) In seconds he was barrelling towards me, and I jumped to the side, rolling and getting back on my feet as he thundered past, skidding to a stop and looking at me.

I saw the door open a crack out of the corner of my eye, but I snapped "Stay in there!" and instantly it was shut again.

(Oooh, someone sounds angry) He barrelled towards me again, but I again I dodged him, getting back up on my feet and keeping the dagger poised at the ready.

"Enough is enough Jake. I don't know what the hell happened to you, or what the hell is going through your head, but attacking innocent people is going too far!"

(That must mean your guilty of something) He countered, finding we were now circling each other. My eyes were trained on him, waiting for any sign that he would leap forward again.

"Didn't say I wasn't. But at least I know I haven't gone all nutso and attacked people that couldn't defend themselves!"

(Oh, I am so hurt... not!) He suddenly reared up, coming at me again, and I barely got out of the way, swinging my dagger blindly at him and finding it had sliced deep across his flank as he went past.

He roared in pain, turning and trying to lunge at me again, but I cat rolled out of the way seeing him go headfirst into a wall.

(Cheap shot!) He snapped, turning to to me as he planted his feet wide, baring his teeth.

"So says the fucktard who is trying to attack a girl as a polar bear" I snapped, my eyes not leaving him as I wiped his blood off the blade on my jeans, then placed it in front of me again.

(All right then... let's make it even...) Slowly, he started to shrink, making me realise he was demorphing.

So, this was it then. A one on one fight between him and me.

No more fear. No more hesitation.

And no one else coming to save me.

"Jade! Are you okay?" Came the trembling voice behind the door. I realised that voice belonged to Kristiana.

"I'm good! You girls just stay in there!" I called back to them, watching as Jake started to circle again, which made me start to move myself out of his range.

"Is this better?" He snarled.

"Perfect. Now why don't you get back in the cage like a good little boy and I might take it easy on you" I responded in the same kind of tone, watching as he tried to circle closer to me, but I moved myself so I kept the same range away from him as before.

"Pfft! Fat chance! It's you and me now Jade. No one is here to save you this time. And if they try... well, let's just say they'll be the first on my list of people to kill"

"You really think I'm going to let you do that? You're more delusional than I thought"

He suddenly stopped his circling, then smiled at me. That smile...

"Oh Jade, what would you do if your precious mutant turtle was laying in front of you, in a pool of blood... and I was the one that killed him?"

Donnie...dead...

A terrible fear flashed through me, which was soon replaced by almost blind fury. Everything in me was telling me to run at him, to get him before he had a chance to get his hands on my beloved ninja, but then reasoning kicked in.

"You sure have a great imagination there. Tell me..." I started, smiling my own kind of smile now "...what makes you think of all these wonderful ideas?"

The smile now dropped from his face, and he stopped dead in his tracks "You really don't know? After all this time?"

"Uh, no Jake. I don't know why you suddenly decided to try and murder everyone that was on your side"

I saw pure hatred on his faced now, and his hand moved to something, then whatever he'd grabbed came flying at me. I ducked, hearing him yell "Because I fucking loved you!"

Before I could right myself he was on me, hands now on my throat as I hit the ground. I managed to get a hard kick to his shin, then grabbed him and hauled him over my head, hearing him hit the floor. I scrambled up, realising I'd lost my dagger and just putting myself into a fighting stance, desperately looking around for where it had dropped.

Dammit! I needed it to defend myself!

In an instant he was up as well, coming at me again and his fists flying. I managed to knock away his fists each time, but then he got smart.

"Omph!" A heavy kick to the gut sent me tumbling, finding it hard to breathe as he now managed to get the upper hand, landing on me as my back hit the floor again, and he pinned me.

"You see Jade" Hands were now around my throat, and I fought to get him off me.

"All I wanted was you... and I thought we had something. But then... oh, then your stupid creature got involved. It stole you away from me... and you fell in love with... that thing! What, was a human not good enough for you!"

While he was talking, I saw a small glistening out of the corner of my eye, slowly started to reach out and blindly try to grab it... if I could just...

"What is with you girls! You're all disgusting! Mutant turtles... aliens... what, is a human male not good enough, now you can morph or shift? You just need to up your game with.. with them! Just to see if you can sleep with something that isn't human!"

I felt the tip of the handle with my fingertips, trying to move myself so I could grab it...

"Maybe... oh maybe I should do worse to you than kill you!"

A hand suddenly left my neck, and I felt my shirt torn open, Jake now grabbing at me roughly.

"Hey... what do you think of that Jade? Hey?"

Got it!

He smiled, leaning down towards me. That smile was quickly wiped away as I shoved the dagger right into his neck, yanking it out as I threw him off me, getting up and standing over him, dagger at the ready. I sucked in air, watching as he grabbed at his neck, screaming from the pain and now looking terrified.

"I think you're more messed up than I thought for one thing. And another..." I kicked him hard in the stomach, making him cave in on himself. I was furious.

"You're a fucking asshole who should be put down for even thinking of doing that to a girl"

Blood was spilling between his fingers, making me wonder if I'd gotten in a fatal stab, watching as he tried to scoot himself away from me, but I kicked him hard again.

"You wanna know why I chose Donnie over you, like, really?" I leaned down, coming eye level with him, seeing the fear now in his eyes.

"Cause no matter how hard he's pushed, or what he'd loose... he wouldn't go killing his own or trying to rape girls, like you" I snarled, and I saw his eye start to change colour, knowing he was trying to shift to either get away from me or survive.

"You're pathetic" I got in another kick, half watching as his morph stopped for a moment, then continued.

"Look at you, running away from me. Now you're the one who's under my foot"

I watched him finally complete his morph, flapping his wings hard and getting off the ground.

(I'm not afraid of you!) I watched as he flared his wings, raking his talons forward and coming at me.

I ducked, throwing a leg up and kicking him hard, watching as he hit the computer desk, things scattering. I was instantly over there, trying to hold him down.

He went to snap at me, and I jumped back, watching as he took flight again, heading for the tunnel towards the hanger.

(Now you'll suffer!) I heard him yell, now quickly moving towards the door that Serah had now opened. I wonder how long she's had it open, or how much she'd seen...

Her face was panicked, and I guessed she'd seen enough, watching her look towards the hanger.

"Jade, you're just going to let him get away! What if he... if he..."

"Who said I was going to let him get away?" I moved past her and into the medical bay, now seeing the trails of blood which lead to both Rtaia and Mihra on the floor. It looked like the girls had tried to give them first aid.

"Are they okay?" I asked as I opened a drawer, shuffling through them to find the sedative. Then I looked in the lower drawers, knowing Rtaia had something from our earlier days here still, pulling it out as well.

"Uh... yeah... he knocked them out, but we managed to stop him from doing worse and... well..." Kristiana looked upset as I loaded the sedative into a few small vials.

"We were stupid and tried to keep him from getting out... but he came after us, and... " Serah continued "I threw a sai-"

"Whatever you do, stay here... I'll be back" I patted her shoulder in assurance, smiling at Kristiana as I headed out the door, now grabbing a piece of equipment from the computer table.

"But...how are you going to find Jake... he could be anywhere by now!" Serah followed me to the tunnel, then out towards the hanger.

"Not if I have this"I brought up a tracking device, smiling "Donnie's expertise"

She just stared at me, confused and obviously upset.

"Jade, I-"

"Don't worry, I'll bring him down, one way or another"

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To my surprise, Jake really hadn't gone far. He'd landed in a familiar place in this huge forest, near a stream. And from what I could tell, he wasn't moving any time soon.

That was, unless he'd found the tracking device I'd slapped on him just before he'd broken free of me. Which was entirely possible.

Either way... it would end here. One way or another.

I was soon flying over him, and he looked up at me with weary eyes. I expected him to start running, or morph, but he didn't. Instead, he just sat there at the stream, looking out over the water.

I landed near him, shifting my leathery wings away and taking out my dagger and the dart gun, both of them aimed at him.

"I knew you'd find me" Was his only response, and I aimed the dart gun, jumping back a little as he moved to get up, turning to look at me.

"Why don't we finish this the old fashioned way, hey Jade" I saw him start to morph, and he continued "You and me, one on one, what do you think?"

"I think you're fucked in the head" Was my response, watching as he completed his tiger morph, surprised when he sat down in front of me, looking almost calm.

(Time to settle the score. Don't you think?)

"I think you need to be put out of your misery, but that's not my call to make"

(Well, if you don't shift...) He jumped at me, and I barely avoided his attack, hitting the floor. My weapons both scattered away from me, and I turned to look up at him, seeing he was now above me.

He bared his teeth, but didn't make a move to attack, which left me no choice.

I had to shift.

He slowly moved off me as my body began to grow, managing to move away from him as fur rippled across my body, ears crawling up to the sides of my head as my tail exploded out of my spine.

(Good girl, now you're finally-)

(Don't even Jake. This ends here!) I snarled, finally finishing my shift and baring my teeth at him.

(For once, I agree. Your life ends here!) He leaped, and I dodged out of the way, turning and half body slamming him as claws and teeth met claws and teeth.

Scratching, biting, pushing, both of us foaming at the mouth as we snapped at one another.

His jaws clamped around my back leg, and I screamed in agony, turning and slamming a frying pan sized paw at him, smacking him square in the eye. He screamed, letting go of me and jumping backwards.

ATTACK! ATTACK! ATTACK!

I know we were both starting to tire, but I didn't care. This was it, either I'd die, or I'd take him down... way or the other.

I felt claws rip into my face, and I screamed in agony, moving back and realising he'd managed to take out my eye. The pain was unimaginable, and blood was now pooling onto the ground as I fought to look at him with the other eye. Even in his tiger morph, he now looked smug.

(I think we know who's going to win this one)

(I... will... never...give up) I managed to get out through the pain, knowing I was loosing too much blood right now, but also knowing he wouldn't give me a chance to shift it off.

(Say goodbye to your beloved Donnie now... cause you won't be seeing him again!) He went to leap at me, but I managed to get under him, using what power was left in my legs to explode up at him, gaining the upper hand as I now landed on him, quickly clamping my jaws around his throat.

(NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!) He screamed as I bit down a little harder, feeling blood trickling from his throat. This would be a fatal wound if I kept going.

(You were meant to die! I was meant to win!) He screamed, and I managed to get myself off him, knowing he would probably bleed to death now if he didn't morph back. I shifted, watching as he stood up on all fours, blood pooling to the ground. He wavered, then I saw him start to shrink...

Just before he finished, a dart was shot into his neck, and he looked up at me in pure fear as I aimed the gun at him again, shooting him until all four darts were sticking out of his neck. I really wasn't taking any chances...

"Why won't you just die" He cried weakly as he lay on the ground, the affects of the sedative starting to hit him hard.

"Not a chance" Was my response as he finally collapsed under his own weight, his eyes finally closing.

Relief flooded through me as I finally realised... I'd won. I'd beaten Jake, and I had overcome my fear of him. I'd stood alone... no backup, no one needed to save me.

I couldn't believe how good it felt.

"JADE!" I jumped instinctively, hearing a crashing sound and moving to see Serah, Donnie and Ithiell come into view, all of them looking terrified. Then, it seemed like they took in the scene in front of them. Serah must have contacted them as soon as I'd left, or they just happened to come back at the right time.

"What... happened?" Ithiell asked, looking from the unconscious Jake to me, then back to Jake again.

"Jake got his ass kicked. By me" I grinned "No saving me needed"

"That's my girl" Donnie smiled at me, and I winked at him, pretending to blow the barrel of the dart gun.

I think we both knew at that point I'd be all right. I was stronger than I'd given myself credit for, and I'd just taken down the one person I had been afraid of for so long.

Oh yeah, I was awesome.

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Constructive Criticism appreciated!