Angel woke up with a throbbing pain in her right leg, and winced on impulse, gritting her teeth in order to fight the scream of pain.
"So you're finally awake."
She nearly growled, opening her eyes to the blindingly white room.
She was in a strange cage, a smaller one opposite her own, an angry Aradion stirring to wakefulness inside.
"What do ya want, ya psychotic asshole?!" She snarled.
"You should watch your tongue…"
Stockman smiled sadistically as he saw the panic flash in her eyes as the blade of a guillotine above the space between her and Aradion.
"What's that for?" She questioned, trying to keep her voice steady.
"This is the only material that can separate someone from their daemon by severing the link…of course, it's fatal…"
Angel tried to shake the instinct to bolt, to try and get away.
She knew from the pain in her leg that she wouldn't be able to use it, and she couldn't fight as well without both feet, same as all her brothers.
She saw a bird cage behind Stockman, and her eyes narrowed when she saw the familiar white dove fluttering around, trying to escape…
"Anexa…"
Aradion hissed in his cage, glaring daggers at the doctor.
Angel tried to move her legs, but a searing pain set her nerves ablaze, and she stopped with a soft grunt.
'Great, my leg's broken…JUST what I needed in this situation…'
"Where's Lilly? And Andy?" She growled out, her anger fueled by pain.
"The other girl isn't here…"
"What did ya do with Andy?"
"…Nothing, nothing at all…"
The tone he used made Angel tense, making her think the worst.
'Poor Leo…'
"Lilly, on the other hand, is going to be working with me again…"
'Only because you have her daemon in a cage…' Angel thought bitterly.
'Ya shouldn't cage a bird…they're meant to be free…'
"Where is she?" Angel questioned gruffly.
"Right here."
Angel looked up at the sky blue haired girl, and seemed ready to run, like a mouse made to get near a hungry cat.
"Her cooperation decides how long you will live…"
Aradion hissed, and Angel tried to look implacable and strong, for Lilly…but the girl seemed to see the pain and fear hidden deep in the dark sapphire eyes.
Anexa fluttered around more desperately, and Angel could tell why.
'She wants to be set free…'
Angel sat up, and noticed her ninja swords were missing.
'Not again…'
Lilly sighed, looking at the ground meekly.
'I'm sorry.' She mouthed silently, looking from Angel to her own daemon.
Angel shook her head softly.
'No. I'M sorry.' She mouthed silently back.
"Ya know, Stockman, ya really don't scare me."
Aradion even looked at Angel like she was crazy.
"Ya can talk big, but ya haven't really done nothin' to scare me."
She smirked.
"And livin' the life I do, it takes more than this ta scare me inta submission."
She saw the guillotine raise, catching the light.
"Come on, then. I dare ya."
She felt herself slipping into a meditative mindset, knowing the only place she'd be safe from that guillotine.
'It's the only way…but they'll bring me back…'
She locked herself into the confines of her mind, not hearing someone calling her name…
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"ANGEL!!!!"
Stockman was surprised when the red-banded turtle nearly slashed him open, running to the cage she was in, the guillotine caught in the floor.
He bashed the cage door off, and lifted out her limp body.
"Angel!! Angel, wake up!!" He yelled, shaking her slightly.
Don busted open the cage holding Anexa, who fluttered around his head and flying to Lilly's shoulder.
"LILLY!!!"
"Andy?!"
Lilly was tackled in a hug, Leonidas barking and his tail wagging like a fan.
The Mouser's came out, and Libby looked around in a panic.
'Where's that darn controller?!' She thought desperately, and grabbed it as Andy stayed in front of her protectively.
She pressed a button, and the Mouser's shut off.
"Thank the lord I made this thing!"
She looked around, noticing Stockman was gone, and Raph was holding Angel's limp body.
"Where's Aradion?" Don questioned worriedly, looking at the cage opposite.
Aradion was as unconscious as Angel, looking as limp and lifeless as Angel.
"She's still alive…" Lilly whispered, kneeling beside Raph.
"When people die…their daemon vanish…Aradion's still here…"
"She's still here…somewhere…" Don concluded.
"…But…they should be separated…" Andy said, looking at the metal guillotine.
"That's the only substance capable of separating body from daemon…and it must've severed their link…"
"…Meditation…"
Everyone looked at a worried Leo.
"She said Splinter taught her something in meditation…in order to stop giving in to torture…to lock yourself away in your mind…but you can't get yourself out…"
He looked everyone in the eyes.
"Someone has to go in and get you…"