Hamato Yoshi and his last son left the ruined lab undetected. The Foot clan wasn't quite as fortunate.
Many bots were busted and unable to escape, both from the falling wreckage and from the new recruited mutants. Said mutants were swiftly making their way to an exit, curving their bodies around and over the debris like ink on paper. Waiting for them on the streets was a tiger on two legs and a man in armor. Foot ninjas lined themselves on the sides, making a path that led straight to the back of three vans.
"Split them up!" ordered TigerClaw.
Obediently, the Foot bots closed in on the three snakes. The three retaliated, fending for themselves from the intruders surrounding them. After a few more destroyed androids, the serpent's moves were learnt and were quickly subdued.
Yet they struggled still, the giant snakes refusing to enter the van willingly. One managed to wriggle free, snapping it's jaws and curling around the android's grasp. The rebellion didn't last long. A tranquilizer embedded itself to the creature's long neck, rendering it unconscious in a matter of seconds.
Two more darts were sent to the others, with another shot to ensure their sleep. TigerClaw placed his launcher back into place.
"If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. The creatures are ready for travel Master Shredder."
"Excellent," the scarred man walked to a pair of bots holding a young woman, "now to deal with you."
"What have you done to them?! You monster! You were planning on dunking me in there!"
Karai struggled with all her strength, but it wasn't enough to weaken the iron hand upon her. The harsh grip bruised her, but I was nothing compared to the hate growing within her petite form. Ever since she heard of his lies there was nothing but hate for the man who called himself her father. That hate only grew with the demise of three of the four turtles who called her their sister.
"What kind of father plans on mutating his only daughter?!" The words 'father' and 'daughter' seemed to be a curse when coming from her mouth.
"I never planned on mutating you." Bluntly stated Oroku Saki.
The girl's struggles ceased, "What?"
Saki removed his mask, showing his face to the girl he rose. With his other hand, he laid it gently on Karai's shoulder. He spoke softly, not wanting his allies to hear. "I would never plan on turning you into on of those monstrosities."
Shredder straightened his back, standing tall and proud once more. "My plan was to use you to lure the turtles, sending them in the mutagen. I had planned on having all four of them change into mindless killers, then attacking their rat master."
He continued talking, having Karai being guided to the fourth parked van. Having his back turned, Saki never saw the growing horror and disgust in his daughter's face.
"With the turtles-turned-snakes laying eyes on their master, nature's order would take place and Yoshi would be forced to attack his own students."
Entering the fourth van, Shredder sat in the passenger seat. Karai was placed in the storage space in the back, still being held down by the bots. TigerClaw also made himself comfortable in the back, being too big to fit the regular seats.
The drive was relatively silent. The four cars drove off one at a time, each taking a different route to their destination. Meanwhile, down below, a broken family could be found in an abandoned subway station.
The escape had been too close for comfort. Thankfully the place caught on fire, allowing us to leave under the smoke and flames.
I look into my arms to see a rather pathetic sight. Leonardo's grip hasn't loosened from our escapade and looked ready to curl completely into his shell. It broke my heart to see my courageous son look so frail. If it wasn't for the extra weight, I could easily see a younger Leonardo clinging to me after a nightmare.
A nightmare, very apt indeed…
What was a risky rescue mission turned into something even more perilous. As if going against Saki wasn't enough, but he also had a trap planned for us once we got there. A trap that we fell for, and lost so much from.
I could still see it playing in my mind's eye. I could feel the ropes holding me down, I could see that Stockman fly carry away my sons and I could still hear my own voice shouting out. He wanted me to witness this. It was all part of his plan.
I sat down wearily on the couch, hugging Leonardo closer to me. I closed my eyes and imagined, for a moment longer, that all of my sons were here. I wanted to know that they all returned safely and were too tired for words, a fool man's wish.
I gripped tighter to my distressed son, his bone-hard shell not feeling my nails digging in. I stared rubbing his shell, both for his comfort as well as mine. To feel my son, living, breathing beside me eased my spirit more than any amount of medicine. My paws felt the nicks and scratches that marred my son's natural ridges.
Their shells differentiate them as much as their eyes and personalities do. Leo's shell is the smoothest of the four, having only indents from his youth. I remembered, he had a difficult time finding his grip on his weapon and kept scraping both wooden and metal blade against the ridges near his shoulder. Donatello's shell was odd, thin and elongated like its owner. Not only this, but it always carried some amount of synthetic scent. Whether a type or chemical or the recognizable smell of soot and ash, he would walk around with his lab stuck on his person. Michelangelo had the smoothest, having his shell being constantly grinded against one thing or another. There were many patches that had his natural pattern and others smooth as glass. Raphael bared the most marks. His was covered in different scars, from weapons niches to forceful chunks.
A feeling of anguish overcame me, a feeling I have faced time and time again. I was relieved that Miwa was unharmed from this whole dilemma, but it was a small joy from what I lost. My sons, my children, their lives ruined by my enemy once again. My sons, my strong, brave, warriors. Worst yet, I could not gain them back.
When I believed Miwa to be perished, I had hate control me. To think, a babe being born for such a short time before her live was cut terribly short. And with the mutation accident that occurred, I had started to ponder on the though of revenge. But, as I said to Karai earlier, revenge only leads to more pain. So I was able to leave the past behind me as I started a new life below the surface.
But my sons were not stolen, they weren't killed either. However, they might as well have been killed. Unlike Karia, I could never see them again. I've witness what those mutations do to a mind, and I know first-hand how difficult it is to return one's mindset. It took weeks, months for me to hold back my rodent instincts and allow myself the liberty of training again. My son's don't have the mental training, or dedication to fight back those foreign instincts.
The turtles I saw grow up were no more, in their place was three, mindless snakes. A harsh assumption, but I saw the way they fought, I gazed into their eyes, and I recognized none of my sons. Michelangelo, one with raw talent and agility, flip and leap with the purpose of attacking full force. So unlike his normal fighting style, using his agility to evade and aim to subdue. Raphael still utilized his strength, but his coordinated hits were reduced to hazardous flailing and powerful shoves. And there was nothing to help him calm his rage. Donatello, a ninja who used brain over brawn whenever possible, was striking out without mercy. My soul cried out for my sons, tearing itself in the process.
Shredder does indeed live up to his name.
I cradled my only son, my last son, and held him tight. His tears had already stopped, his anguish staining his mask. I held him like a child, rocking back and forth. We stayed there, together, until I realized that I too had no more tears to shed.
Swimming was never something I would consider a talent of mine before. I knew how to avoid drowning, but it was never something I bragged about. Then again, that was before I turned into a fish.
I needed water to survive, yes, but now I can't imagine living without the stuff surrounding me. I could reach speeds that no ordinary athlete could. Swimming now was just as easy as breathing, completely involuntary.
But no matter how much I enjoyed my new lifestyle, I couldn't forget the feeling of fighting. It was something I needed to do to survive. I wouldn't be where I was today without it, so I fought the need to stay submerged.
Walking was nothing to an average man, but it was a symbol of accomplishment for me.
Currently strolling down the hallway, I made my way towards Master Shredder's throne room. We had just entered the building, being delayed by the orange turtles sneak attack. Both Bradford and I had felt the familiar feeling of shame and embarrassment from the obvious distraction.
The turtles, they were always the ones to get in our way. But even with our rivalry, I look forward to see those turtles be put back into their place.
Next to me was "Dogpound" or "Rahzah" as the orange one calls him. I chuckled, the orange one was always annoying as well as amusing.
"What are you laughing at?" Hissed Bradford.
"I was just wondering how that cat would be punished by Shredder for failing him once again." There was something about TigerClaw that put me on the edge. I don't know what to call it, but it had to do with the way he looks at me when he's eating something.
"How do you know if we lost? There is the chance that he could have defeated the turtles."
"Yeah, and just how likely is that?"
He didn't have to say anything, we both knew how small of a chance that would be.
The doors opened, and we marched into the large room. It was a grand place, having a throne inside made the space more regal. I wasn't an interior decorator, but even I knew that the place was made with a purpose. This room alone showed the power that Shredder held. Every glass that was shattered were replaced, damaged made on the walkway were fixed, any spot left on the throne was cleaned, thus leaving the room just as pristine as before. The money it must have taken to fix this abused spot was impressive, expendable compared to how the rest of the building is also designed.
Sitting on his throne was the Shredder himself, with his daughter beside him. She was conscious but didn't seem to respond to anything around her. Bradford and I exchanged glances but kept silent as we bowed before our master. Rising up, I then saw TigerClaw with three, large something covered in a tarp.
To my surprise, there appeared to be no harm done to the feline. Aside from the singed fur, nothing was bleeding, bruised, or broken. Whatever burned him was from something other than the turtles.
"Master Shredder, forgive me for my incompetence." said Bradford.
We were both bowed before the Shredder. Normally, Bradford would be punished by him for his mistakes, but it seems that he was in a particularly good mood.
"By now your incompetence is normality, however, that is not the reason I summoned you here."
From our lowered positions, my longest partner and I exchanged glances.
"Bradford, Xever, I have summoned you here to inform you of our success in our mission."
I felt my fin straighten in surprise at Shredder's words. A success? Did that mean that the turtles did fail, or does it mean that they didn't interact with the turtles at all?
"The plan was to return my daughter home, away from Hamato Yoshi and his students."
Saki was in a very good mood, or at least prideful at whatever he did.
"Plus, I wanted you two to lead our new recruits to their rooms. Shredder gestured to the three containers. Here, kitty tore off the tarp covering our new partners. Bradford and I were more than a little intimidated by the reptiles within.
In the different cages were three snakes. One had stripes, one had blotches, and another had a combination of the two. The one with stripes was a pale gray, similar to concrete, and had brightly colored tail. The second with blotches had an overall brown color, and was easily the largest and longest of the three. The final one had round marking on its forehead, along with having an odd reddish-brown color.
But that wasn't the only thing I noticed. The three were wide awake, gazing at all of us with shockingly familiar eyes.
"Who where these?" I asked.
A grin could be heard, "Take a guess."
So, these where the turtles… I took another look at them. I was saddened to find out that our most annoying enemies were defeated by another, but I was also relieved to find them out of our hair.
I took a few steps closer to the cages, heading for the one with green eyes. It appeared that Raphael recognized me. He raised his head up and gave me a hiss.
For a moment, I frowned, confusion replacing my features. Unlike Stockman, I couldn't tell what he was saying. If he was saying anything at all that is. Scary. Just how far gone were my enemies exactly?
These thoughts only lasted a few seconds, and then pity was replaced with satisfaction.
"Haha! You freaks made fun of my legs before. Now, how does it feel to have no more limbs to control?"
This caused a reaction. The Raphael-snake lunged with his mouth opened wide. I was ashamed to say that I flinched, even when his jaws were caught on the bars between us. The once red-banded turtle glared unblinkingly at me, his jaws stretching far wider than what my jaws can do.
Again, I was taken aback by the stark differences from the turtle-snake before me to the ninjas I knew. Raphael was always the hot-head, but he always seemed to be trying to calm himself down. There were no such restraints here. Plus, he was unusually aggressive. Not to be mistaken, he was always fighting with anger, but he would normally snap back with a smart remark. It was as if he was a completely different person.
I took a few more steps back, a growing unease settled inside me. It was the same feeling I got when I'm around TigerClaw, the feeling of being vulnerable around an enemy. The aggressive snake managed to pull himself back. He kept watching me, a forked tongue flicking in and out repeatedly.
A purple streak darted in my peripheral vision and I looked away to figure out what it was. My initial thought was that it was the mask tails of the tall turtle, but I found out it was the tail of the pale colored snake. Brown eyes, almost red, gazed back. The fact that they can no longer blink made the stare unnerving. Another purple flash passed and I found out it was the creature's tail.
My eyes instinctively flicked to the movement, and that was when he stroke. This time, I wasn't the only one to flinch back. Bradford's gaze was also swayed by the unnatural tail color, so the sound of bone hitting bars made us both jump. Unlike his brother, this serpent had two, enormous fangs. Both were larger than my own protruding fangs. We only caught a glimpse of them before he drew back, gazing back at us innocently once more.
I took another few steps back. Bradford, on the other hand, took a few steps closer.
He looked at the final cage, housing the shortest reptile. This one seemed just as curious at us as we were of them. It was slightly raised, swerving it's neck around, never keeping it's eyes off of us. It never took a strike like the others, but that unease never left. Probably anticipating another flash of teeth, Bradford returned to his spot in front of Shredder.
Said man gave us another set of orders to follow. "These three are to be put in the dungeons. I wish to have them in top form when I test them in combat tomorrow, so do not harm them. You are dismissed."
Just like that, he and the bots holding Karai made their way out. TigerClaw then took hold of the Rapheal-snake, him being the heaviest to stroll.
"These cages have wheels so they shouldn't be too much of a hassle to move about. You two, take care of the others."
Somewhat reluctantly, Bradford and I took hold of the other snakes. I just so happened to be lugging the "friendliest" one. Making sure the pegs keeping the cages in place were removed, the three of us made our way to the dungeons.
Once we got there, I was surprised to see tailless continue to pass the cells.
"What do you think your going kitty? Did you not hear Shredder?" I nodded toward the cell nearby, "He ordered us to send these guys behind bars."
"He also said that he wanted them in top form. Them being reptiles, they need to be were a light source and water is available." He said, not even turning around to talk to me.
"And where do you suppose we may find a secure place with such things?"
"Just follow me." He grunted.
How I wished I could fight back! That tiger pushes all of my buttons! Just because he was requested by Shredder himself doesn't mean that he is any better than us. I would fight him if it wasn't for the caged snake between us.
"Quit your whining and get a move on!" Bradford complained.
This comment was followed by him ramming his cage into me, causing me to hit the cage I was herding. The contained serpents didn't take too kindly for the sudden movement and snapped back. Bradford was forced to release the cage to avoid the ramming of the purple-tailed one. I found myself stuck between two ticked beings with fangs.
That unease I had shot itself to a sudden panic. A part of me wanted to run, wanted to dash out of my sudden predicament and dive in water. I harshly pushed away that feeling of cowardice from my mind. Instead, I did what I do best, I fought. I kicked Bradford's cage back at him and turned around to push my turtle-snake to where TigerClaw was heading.
The dungeon in question was originally designed for storing a generator of sorts, the designer wanting to use the water entrance as a cooling system. At least, that is from what I heard.
Getting them inside the cell was easier than expected. All of them slithered out and into their new dwellings. No fuss. The bars were thick enough to hold them and set closely enough to keep them inside. As TigerClaw said, there was a lamp embedded into the wall and the floor cell being almost covered entirely by water.
Panic from before had calmed, yet I still had that vulnerable feeling again. The three haven't torn their gazes from us. I was only truly relaxed when we left the dungeons and closed the gate with a lock and key.
A dark, dank room housed three has-been-turtles, each very different from one another. Once they had heard the creak of a gate close and the click of a lock, a strange occurrence happened.
Serpents were not friendly creatures, even to one another. So to witness such a thing happening in a confined space was unusual. There were no attacks on territorial dominance, there were no strikes to gain a large dinner, nor where their any threats. Curiously, nothing close to aggression was taking place at all. Instead, the three snakes curled into a single corner, shielding one another against the harsh reality.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles belong to Nickelodeon.