p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: large;"Episode 7: The Shadows Converge – Part 3/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" emSMASH! /em/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Bloodmaw found it incredibly annoying that he had been spotted a few blocks away from Shredder's lair. emOh well, nobody said I was the stealthiest in the Shinotomo Clan. /emHe could honestly care less. Now, surrounding him in the deserted, old, steaming alleyway was a pile of broken robots, sparks flying from their limbs. They were a chore to destroy – they were no fun. They didn't beg for mercy – they didn't bleed. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" The chill autumn wind blew the spotted fur around his legs where his bunched up trousers didn't reach. His chest was bare – the fur ruffling around him. His yellow eyes glinted in the night, his shoulders hunched. Not wanting to alert any more of the annoying robots, he went back to the tops of the buildings. He hated being up so high, but there was nothing more he could about that. He walked slowly, not bothering to keep himself quiet as he kicked a nearby can up over the ledge. This job was one that he would never have accepted from that red-eyed, bossy bird. But the pain hadn't quite dulled from where Tigerclaw had ripped off one of his ears, now an empty patch on the side of his head, and it was only fair that he return the favor. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" He wished he could return it by biting off one of Tigerclaw's ears – but tonight, he would have to be satisfied with stealing. He jumped across the roof to the next building, hands in his pockets. He paused at the ledge and leaned over to take a look at the huge, towering building that he knew was Shredder's lair. The glass had been repaired that he had shattered. He could still remember how perfect it was that the Foot Clan had been distracted with that group of teenagers. He wasn't going to get that lucky again – he was sure. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" emBut wait. /em/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" A huge truck appeared around the corner. It was metal – enormous – silver plated. It stopped right in front of Shredder's lair and suddenly a group of suited men that looked exactly identical had hopped out of the car. Bloodmaw raised an eyebrow. "What's this crap?" He muttered aloud. He answered his own question: emThe perfect distraction. /em/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" He jumped down, dragging his claws along the wall to slow himself until his feet hit the ground. He turned and casually watched with his glinted eyes while the large wooden doors opened and several individuals emerged. The first was Tigerclaw and immediately Bloodmaw's blood began to boil. He wanted nothing more than to jump forward and rip his teeth into that big cat – but he stopped himself and continued to watch in the shadows, arms folded across his chest. The second and third figures were a strange fish with robot legs and then a wolf that looked more dead than alive. They were speaking with the figures in the suits, but nothing they were saying sounded interesting at all to Bloodmaw, so he used the moment to move forward, appearing from the shadows for only a moment before vanishing behind one of the pillars that surrounded the huge, Gothic structured building Shredder called home. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" He could hear a little more accessibly now. "I assume you will be the ones to carry it in?" The fish had said in a heavy accent that sounded South American to Bloodmaw. He was addressing the robots who stared blankly forward as they swung the back doors open. A roar sounded from inside and immediately the mutants backed away. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "What is that?" The zombie dog hissed, his voice sounding like rocks being scraped together. Bloodmaw took this opportunity to sprint across the way to the door and vanish inside the darkness. Immediately, one of the Footbots met him face to face, but before it could alert anyone, Bloodmaw smashed his fist into it's chest, punching a hole in it, electricity bursting out as he ripped out cords from it's insides and threw them across the ground. It fell to the ground, writhing. Then, just as casually as he had before, he stuck his hands in his pockets and slipped into the shadows of the hallway. It was long and dark. He knew that down this passage he would find a pair of stairs that would lead him down to the lower levels where their mutagen would be found. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" That was his target for now. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" emThese missions are so boring! /emHe complained to himself. There was little opportunity to kill and to destroy the Foot Clan. Instead, all he got to do was snag more mutagen. It was better than staying at their hideout listening to Ashina's rude remarks and EmberEye's orders. Gore – Gore he could handle though. He liked that huge bear. They had a mutual love for ripping things apart. The stone was cold on his bare feet as he walked and he twitched his tail back and forth out of boredom. Suddenly, he could hear more noise coming from outside. Tigerclaw was talking – Bloodmaw would recognize his voice from anywhere. "Bring it down to the basement quickly." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" emMaybe it's time to hurry things up. /em/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Bloodmaw took his hands from his pockets and began to sprint. He could smell an odd mix coming from up ahead. It smelt of chocolate and bile. He hung his tongue out past his huge jowls and yellowed fangs in disgust. The scent drew him to the stairs he was searching for and just as he began to hear the sound of metal dragging against the stone wall and another loud roar, he vanished down the steps. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" The air was cooler here. As he moved down the steps, he half expected a green glow to appear. Last time, when he was busted out from this place, he remembered the whole room being filled with it's light. That had since diminished as one at a time he and Ashina had come in and stolen more of the mutagen from the Foot Clan over the past few weeks. Now that the glow was gone, he began to panic. Little frightened Bloodmaw. EmberEye's was a joke to him – although she certainly tried to intimidate him, but Lord Nightshade, he was not shy to admit that he was terrified of him. Without more mutagen, all of the Shinotomo clan was bound to suffer for it. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Bloodmaw turned the corner and now the basement lab was visible. The bug known as Baxter Stockman was buzzing around near a large control panel. He was tinkering with a vase of soil, a red chemical filtering through the grains of earth to several large earthworms. The usual glass cases surrounded them like a giant bee hive. The mutagen tank that was shaped like a large fish bowl was empty. Bloodmaw cursed under his breath. If he came back empty handed . . . /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Refusing to admit defeat, he slunk further into room and circled around. He was high enough that there was no way they would see him unless they looked towards the ceiling. He slung around as quietly as possible. Suddenly, he heard a voice and he flinched, looking down. There were others there. A huge Rhino and a Warthog with a purple mow-hawk and an odd pair of glasses that looked like they came from the 90s. He gritted his teeth, realizing that he hadn't heard them earlier due to his missing ear that was still recovering from the trauma of having it yanked off his head. He could feel, strapped to either side of him, his tonfa. Most didn't think the two clubs deadly weapons, but Bloodmaw felt that getting the chance to get in close and bludgeon his victims allowed him to savor his victories – and right now, he felt like taking out his anger on the stupid pig. "Storengo, how much longer do we have to guard this dumb fool?" He motioned to the fly. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Silence mouth, Bebop. We not guarding the fly. It is crates of mutagen that needs guarding." The huge rhino motioned to the crates behind him. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Oh, right." The one called Bebop replied, smoothing his mow-hawk. Then he turned, with anger, "If I have to tell you to stop callin' me Bebop one more time, I'm going to bust your stupid head!" he motioned to huge wooden crates behind him. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" emMorons who say where their valuable cargo is out loud deserve to be robbed. /emBloodmaw moved quickly around to the other side of the room, his feet making little to no noise as the two continued to argue about their names. Shredder was clearly hurting for help if he hired these idiots. Finally, he slowed just above them and he thanked his lucky stars that they had gotten a new batch of mutagen from those strange pink aliens. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Bloodmaw knew very little about the things that called themselves the Kraang and frankly could care less. Lord Nightshade didn't seem interested in them at all and that was enough for Bloodmaw. emNow, how to get the mutagen without them seeing. /emHe half wanted them to see so he could use the excuse to beat the crap out of them with his tonfa. He fingered the smooth wooden handles, but knew that it would only get him into to trouble. He fumbled through his pocket for a moment and retrieved a smoke bomb. Grinning he let it drop into the darkness. With a blast, smoke billowed up from below and immediately following came coughing and the angry buzzes from the imbecile fly. Bloodmaw dropped into the smoke and landed quietly on top of one of the crates. Digging his nails in, he smashed the lid open. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "You hear that?" Bebop asked and Bloodmaw noticed a faint purple glow from nearby. The pig would likely be able to see him soon with those odd sunglasses. He was clearly wired with some sort of odd technology. Bloodmaw quickly looked into the box to see green glow light up his face. He grinned and snagged two of the canisters of mutagen and then, for good measure, chucked the other, letting it dash against the rocks. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Look out!" The rhino roared. He had clearly seen the green and his lumbering shadow disappeared as he fled, his pig companion following close behind him. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "You idiotsss!" Baxter Stockman hissed, "Find out who is back there!" /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "You can deal with that yourself!" Bebop retorted. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Bloodmaw hopped down from the box, cradling the mutagen and quickly sprinted to the stairwell, but spun back as he noticed that the cargo was coming down with Tigerclaw, the wolf and the fish. He hid in the shadows near the stairwell as the smoke dispersed. He watched cautiously from his post as Tigerclaw appeared. "What is going on here?" The tiger asked suspiciously. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "We have yet to find out." Stockman replied. "These two failed to protect their possssst." Stockman pointed a nervous, accusing finger in Bebop and Rocksteady's direction. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Rocksteady ran first!" Bebop whined. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Niet! It was the Bebop!" /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "My name isn't bebop, fool!" Bebop snapped back. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Their voices grated on Bloodmaw. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Suddenly, the ground shook as a roar very near his ear split the air. Bloodmaw clapped his hand over his one good ear. A huge shadow appeared and Bloodmaw stared at one of the largest and most frightening monsters he had ever seen. "No need to complain," the wolf said with a grin, his orange eyes glowing. "This thing will be taking your place in protecting the mutagen." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" As the group moved in with the metal monster, Bloodmaw saw himself out behind them. He ran up the stairwell. emGood thing Ashina is coming to steal mutagen next. /emHe thought to himself. emI'll be caught dead before I come back to fight that thing. /emHe sprinted up the rest of the stairs and then back out onto the streets, the two mutagen canisters under either of his arms. He ran hard, his feet pounding against the shadowy ground of weaving alleyways. He had to get back to the rest of his clan. It took a full hour to get to their hideout, but he was used to the physical exercise and it felt like nothing to him. A tiny hut that had once been a Buddhist temple, now turned to a shambling mess sat at the end of an abandoned street near the Dragon Gate. The roof was tiled like an ancient, Japanese house, slopping down and then turning back up at the corners. Some of the shingles had since fallen off. An old rope and bell still sat the door where prayers would be offered. The paper windows which were usually darkened, now had a faint yellow glow of candle light behind them. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Bout time." Ashina slunk from the shadows into the moonlight, a cocky smile on her face. She would have been impossible to see as she was a mutant black wolf, but her gray steely eyes were easily seen in the darkness. Her arms were folded across her chest which was covered with white leather, along with padding on her shoulder blades and ran down, tying back behind her. All of it was decorated in white with black spiral patterns, giving it a look of elegance. Her fists were covered in it as well. Bloodmaw loved to argue with her and hated how she was superior to him in both stealth and fighting. "Did you screw anything up this time?" /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Bloodmaw glared. "Shut it." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "I see you still have one ear left – your getting better!" /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Bloodmaw growled lowly under his breath, but it didn't intimidate her and she motioned with a thumb to the doors. Bloodmaw stepped inside, Ashina behind. She was a head taller than him and it put him in shadow. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Inside, Gore sat in the corner, huge, hulking his fur bristling, his gold eyes glaring in the dark, his huge battle hammer at his side where he leaned. He glanced in Bloodmaw's direction, but as usual, said nothing. EmberEye stood near the front of the room, her huge brown wings folded back behind her. She turned, her head to acknowledge Bloodmaw's entrance. "You are late, Bloodmaw." She said, her voice quiet and graceful, sharpened with a feminine edge. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Sorry, Mom." He spat back./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" EmberEye turned completely now and glared at Bloodmaw impatiently. "Did you get the mutagen?" /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Bloodmaw set the two canisters on the ground and rolled them her way. She stared at them as they drew near her talons and then reached down and picked one of them up, smiling at it, her wings spreading slightly. "Perfect." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "I'm not going again." Bloodmaw quickly said, walking further into the candle light which flickered orange across his spotted fur. "They brought in some giant metal monster and I wouldn't be caught dead fighting it." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" EmberEye raised an eyebrow. "You will do whatever Lord Nightshade asks – or you emwill /embe caught dead." She reached down and picked up the other, avoiding their eyes as she turned to place them on an old, bruised and battered box that had once been used to contain money offerings. "Ashina, go get McGrath." she demanded. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Ashina disappeared back into the night. The three stood in silence and Bloodmaw went to his usual spot, an old bunched up futon as a bed and he collapsed on top of it, a little tired from all the running and dealing with the morons at Shredder's lair. EmberEye gazed at the mutagen containers with excitement, tracing her fingers across the glass, her claws making a ringing sound as she did so. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" The door opened again and Ashina appeared with another man at her side. He had dark hair that grew in tangles from his head. A pair of square glasses sat on his long nose and his eyes flashed dangerously behind them as he pushed them back up. He wore a long white lab coat. "You have more mutagen for me?" he asked quietly. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Yes. Two more canisters." EmberEye moved out of the way, folding her wings back behind her to show the glowing trophies. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Ah." McGrath said admirably and he walked the expanse of the room until he reached the mutagen. Bloodmaw eyed him with anger and disdain. The nerd boss held the two canisters close to him as if they were his own children. "I'm not getting any more of that garbage." Bloodmaw complained, slumping himself further down. He ignored EmberEye's glare. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" McGrath turned, his lab coat flowing behind him. His snide smile was still plastered on his pale face. "No need to worry your wounded head about that, mutt." He said it as if he were talking to a child. "This will be enough to begin our war on the Hamato and Foot clan." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Don't test me!" Bloodmaw snapped, baring his teeth and standing back up, stomping his foot aggressively, split flying from his mouth. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" McGrath didn't even flinch, but wiped away the spittle that had landed on his cheek. "Charming. I'm surprised why Lord Nightshade even keeps a buffoon like you around." Ashina snickered and Bloodmaw growled deeply in his throat. He hated how McGrath would keep that same cool tone and solid face while insulting everyone around him. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Enough." EmberEye snapped like a scolding mother. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Aw," Ashina said sarcastically, "Right when it started getting entertaining." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" EmberEye looked up. "Ashina, I put you in charge of things while I'm gone." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "emWhat?/em" Bloodmaw hissed, glaring at EmberEye. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Ashina raised one of her eyebrows, her tail moving lazily behind her, a hand on her hip. "Oh?" She asked. "And where are you going?" /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Japan." EmberEye said, "If McGrath says we are ready, then it is my duty to bring Lord Nightshade safely back here." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" The room went solemnly quiet. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Finally." Gore grumbled after a while, looking off into the distance. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" EmberEye turned to McGrath, "I think it would be wise to begin preparations." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "My thoughts exactly." He turned, swiping his lab coat out behind him and then exited the tiny, glowing shrine and back out into the darkness. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" EmberEye turned her attention back to Ashina, her red eyes glowing in the light of the candle. "I trust you to be wise in any decision you make. If you ask me, it would be best to stay hidden here until I return." She walked past Bloodmaw who was still pouting and Gore who had remained as silent as usual. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Ashina nodded as EmberEye moved out into the darkness. "I shall return as soon as I can." she said with a note of finality and then she spread her huge, brown wings, the tiny feathers fluttering in the wind and she kicked off from the ground, dust billowing behind her as she vanished into the night sky. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="CENTER"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;"* * * /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="CENTER" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Shredder looked out into the darkness from the windows at the top of his lair. Another vial of mutagen had just been reported stolen. This would be last with the weapon Sub-Prime had given him. He glared out into the night, looking past his own reflection to the roofs of the skyscrapers that surrounded him. Somewhere out there, his enemies lurked. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" The door behind him opened and he turned, the moon gleaming off of the Kuro Kabuto that he wore. Karai entered, her eyes like glowing emeralds and she bowed at the foot of the stairs that led to his stone throne. "Karai, I assume you come with news." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Yes, father." Karai replied, her head bowed. "I have managed to find the three teenagers and their master." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Shredder turned fully to face her now, moving past his chair until his feet touched the edge of the first stair. "And?" he asked expectantly, his hands forming into fists as he felt that already he knew the answer. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Karai slowly lifted her head up until her serpent eyes met his own. "You were right, father." She said slowly, as if biting at her tongue. "The three are living near the Japanese restaurant known as Murakami's. And, their master is an older man. He is bald and wears a white gi. I believe that he is Hamato Yuta." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Shredder felt rage build up inside him and he drank it in, his fists clenching against the air, strangling it and he felt his shoulders tremble. "Then Hamato Yuta must die." his voice shook as it echoed off of his metal mask. "Him and his disciples." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; text-decoration: none;" align="LEFT" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" emSMASH! /em/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Bloodmaw found it incredibly annoying that he had been spotted a few blocks away from Shredder's lair. emOh well, nobody said I was the stealthiest in the Shinotomo Clan. /emHe could honestly care less. Now, surrounding him in the deserted, old, steaming alleyway was a pile of broken robots, sparks flying from their limbs. They were a chore to destroy – they were no fun. They didn't beg for mercy – they didn't bleed. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" The chill autumn wind blew the spotted fur around his legs where his bunched up trousers didn't reach. His chest was bare – the fur ruffling around him. His yellow eyes glinted in the night, his shoulders hunched. Not wanting to alert any more of the annoying robots, he went back to the tops of the buildings. He hated being up so high, but there was nothing more he could about that. He walked slowly, not bothering to keep himself quiet as he kicked a nearby can up over the ledge. This job was one that he would never have accepted from that red-eyed, bossy bird. But the pain hadn't quite dulled from where Tigerclaw had ripped off one of his ears, now an empty patch on the side of his head, and it was only fair that he return the favor. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" He wished he could return it by biting off one of Tigerclaw's ears – but tonight, he would have to be satisfied with stealing. He jumped across the roof to the next building, hands in his pockets. He paused at the ledge and leaned over to take a look at the huge, towering building that he knew was Shredder's lair. The glass had been repaired that he had shattered. He could still remember how perfect it was that the Foot Clan had been distracted with that group of teenagers. He wasn't going to get that lucky again – he was sure. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" emBut wait. /em/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" A huge truck appeared around the corner. It was metal – enormous – silver plated. It stopped right in front of Shredder's lair and suddenly a group of suited men that looked exactly identical had hopped out of the car. Bloodmaw raised an eyebrow. "What's this crap?" He muttered aloud. He answered his own question: emThe perfect distraction. /em/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" He jumped down, dragging his claws along the wall to slow himself until his feet hit the ground. He turned and casually watched with his glinted eyes while the large wooden doors opened and several individuals emerged. The first was Tigerclaw and immediately Bloodmaw's blood began to boil. He wanted nothing more than to jump forward and rip his teeth into that big cat – but he stopped himself and continued to watch in the shadows, arms folded across his chest. The second and third figures were a strange fish with robot legs and then a wolf that looked more dead than alive. They were speaking with the figures in the suits, but nothing they were saying sounded interesting at all to Bloodmaw, so he used the moment to move forward, appearing from the shadows for only a moment before vanishing behind one of the pillars that surrounded the huge, Gothic structured building Shredder called home. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" He could hear a little more accessibly now. "I assume you will be the ones to carry it in?" The fish had said in a heavy accent that sounded South American to Bloodmaw. He was addressing the robots who stared blankly forward as they swung the back doors open. A roar sounded from inside and immediately the mutants backed away. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "What is that?" The zombie dog hissed, his voice sounding like rocks being scraped together. Bloodmaw took this opportunity to sprint across the way to the door and vanish inside the darkness. Immediately, one of the Footbots met him face to face, but before it could alert anyone, Bloodmaw smashed his fist into it's chest, punching a hole in it, electricity bursting out as he ripped out cords from it's insides and threw them across the ground. It fell to the ground, writhing. Then, just as casually as he had before, he stuck his hands in his pockets and slipped into the shadows of the hallway. It was long and dark. He knew that down this passage he would find a pair of stairs that would lead him down to the lower levels where their mutagen would be found. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" That was his target for now. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" emThese missions are so boring! /emHe complained to himself. There was little opportunity to kill and to destroy the Foot Clan. Instead, all he got to do was snag more mutagen. It was better than staying at their hideout listening to Ashina's rude remarks and EmberEye's orders. Gore – Gore he could handle though. He liked that huge bear. They had a mutual love for ripping things apart. The stone was cold on his bare feet as he walked and he twitched his tail back and forth out of boredom. Suddenly, he could hear more noise coming from outside. Tigerclaw was talking – Bloodmaw would recognize his voice from anywhere. "Bring it down to the basement quickly." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" emMaybe it's time to hurry things up. /em/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Bloodmaw took his hands from his pockets and began to sprint. He could smell an odd mix coming from up ahead. It smelt of chocolate and bile. He hung his tongue out past his huge jowls and yellowed fangs in disgust. The scent drew him to the stairs he was searching for and just as he began to hear the sound of metal dragging against the stone wall and another loud roar, he vanished down the steps. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" The air was cooler here. As he moved down the steps, he half expected a green glow to appear. Last time, when he was busted out from this place, he remembered the whole room being filled with it's light. That had since diminished as one at a time he and Ashina had come in and stolen more of the mutagen from the Foot Clan over the past few weeks. Now that the glow was gone, he began to panic. Little frightened Bloodmaw. EmberEye's was a joke to him – although she certainly tried to intimidate him, but Lord Nightshade, he was not shy to admit that he was terrified of him. Without more mutagen, all of the Shinotomo clan was bound to suffer for it. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Bloodmaw turned the corner and now the basement lab was visible. The bug known as Baxter Stockman was buzzing around near a large control panel. He was tinkering with a vase of soil, a red chemical filtering through the grains of earth to several large earthworms. The usual glass cases surrounded them like a giant bee hive. The mutagen tank that was shaped like a large fish bowl was empty. Bloodmaw cursed under his breath. If he came back empty handed . . . /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Refusing to admit defeat, he slunk further into room and circled around. He was high enough that there was no way they would see him unless they looked towards the ceiling. He slung around as quietly as possible. Suddenly, he heard a voice and he flinched, looking down. There were others there. A huge Rhino and a Warthog with a purple mow-hawk and an odd pair of glasses that looked like they came from the 90s. He gritted his teeth, realizing that he hadn't heard them earlier due to his missing ear that was still recovering from the trauma of having it yanked off his head. He could feel, strapped to either side of him, his tonfa. Most didn't think the two clubs deadly weapons, but Bloodmaw felt that getting the chance to get in close and bludgeon his victims allowed him to savor his victories – and right now, he felt like taking out his anger on the stupid pig. "Storengo, how much longer do we have to guard this dumb fool?" He motioned to the fly. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Silence mouth, Bebop. We not guarding the fly. It is crates of mutagen that needs guarding." The huge rhino motioned to the crates behind him. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Oh, right." The one called Bebop replied, smoothing his mow-hawk. Then he turned, with anger, "If I have to tell you to stop callin' me Bebop one more time, I'm going to bust your stupid head!" he motioned to huge wooden crates behind him. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" emMorons who say where their valuable cargo is out loud deserve to be robbed. /emBloodmaw moved quickly around to the other side of the room, his feet making little to no noise as the two continued to argue about their names. Shredder was clearly hurting for help if he hired these idiots. Finally, he slowed just above them and he thanked his lucky stars that they had gotten a new batch of mutagen from those strange pink aliens. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Bloodmaw knew very little about the things that called themselves the Kraang and frankly could care less. Lord Nightshade didn't seem interested in them at all and that was enough for Bloodmaw. emNow, how to get the mutagen without them seeing. /emHe half wanted them to see so he could use the excuse to beat the crap out of them with his tonfa. He fingered the smooth wooden handles, but knew that it would only get him into to trouble. He fumbled through his pocket for a moment and retrieved a smoke bomb. Grinning he let it drop into the darkness. With a blast, smoke billowed up from below and immediately following came coughing and the angry buzzes from the imbecile fly. Bloodmaw dropped into the smoke and landed quietly on top of one of the crates. Digging his nails in, he smashed the lid open. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "You hear that?" Bebop asked and Bloodmaw noticed a faint purple glow from nearby. The pig would likely be able to see him soon with those odd sunglasses. He was clearly wired with some sort of odd technology. Bloodmaw quickly looked into the box to see green glow light up his face. He grinned and snagged two of the canisters of mutagen and then, for good measure, chucked the other, letting it dash against the rocks. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Look out!" The rhino roared. He had clearly seen the green and his lumbering shadow disappeared as he fled, his pig companion following close behind him. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "You idiotsss!" Baxter Stockman hissed, "Find out who is back there!" /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "You can deal with that yourself!" Bebop retorted. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Bloodmaw hopped down from the box, cradling the mutagen and quickly sprinted to the stairwell, but spun back as he noticed that the cargo was coming down with Tigerclaw, the wolf and the fish. He hid in the shadows near the stairwell as the smoke dispersed. He watched cautiously from his post as Tigerclaw appeared. "What is going on here?" The tiger asked suspiciously. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "We have yet to find out." Stockman replied. "These two failed to protect their possssst." Stockman pointed a nervous, accusing finger in Bebop and Rocksteady's direction. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Rocksteady ran first!" Bebop whined. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Niet! It was the Bebop!" /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "My name isn't bebop, fool!" Bebop snapped back. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Their voices grated on Bloodmaw. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Suddenly, the ground shook as a roar very near his ear split the air. Bloodmaw clapped his hand over his one good ear. A huge shadow appeared and Bloodmaw stared at one of the largest and most frightening monsters he had ever seen. "No need to complain," the wolf said with a grin, his orange eyes glowing. "This thing will be taking your place in protecting the mutagen." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" As the group moved in with the metal monster, Bloodmaw saw himself out behind them. He ran up the stairwell. emGood thing Ashina is coming to steal mutagen next. /emHe thought to himself. emI'll be caught dead before I come back to fight that thing. /emHe sprinted up the rest of the stairs and then back out onto the streets, the two mutagen canisters under either of his arms. He ran hard, his feet pounding against the shadowy ground of weaving alleyways. He had to get back to the rest of his clan. It took a full hour to get to their hideout, but he was used to the physical exercise and it felt like nothing to him. A tiny hut that had once been a Buddhist temple, now turned to a shambling mess sat at the end of an abandoned street near the Dragon Gate. The roof was tiled like an ancient, Japanese house, slopping down and then turning back up at the corners. Some of the shingles had since fallen off. An old rope and bell still sat the door where prayers would be offered. The paper windows which were usually darkened, now had a faint yellow glow of candle light behind them. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Bout time." Ashina slunk from the shadows into the moonlight, a cocky smile on her face. She would have been impossible to see as she was a mutant black wolf, but her gray steely eyes were easily seen in the darkness. Her arms were folded across her chest which was covered with white leather, along with padding on her shoulder blades and ran down, tying back behind her. All of it was decorated in white with black spiral patterns, giving it a look of elegance. Her fists were covered in it as well. Bloodmaw loved to argue with her and hated how she was superior to him in both stealth and fighting. "Did you screw anything up this time?" /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Bloodmaw glared. "Shut it." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "I see you still have one ear left – your getting better!" /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Bloodmaw growled lowly under his breath, but it didn't intimidate her and she motioned with a thumb to the doors. Bloodmaw stepped inside, Ashina behind. She was a head taller than him and it put him in shadow. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Inside, Gore sat in the corner, huge, hulking his fur bristling, his gold eyes glaring in the dark, his huge battle hammer at his side where he leaned. He glanced in Bloodmaw's direction, but as usual, said nothing. EmberEye stood near the front of the room, her huge brown wings folded back behind her. She turned, her head to acknowledge Bloodmaw's entrance. "You are late, Bloodmaw." She said, her voice quiet and graceful, sharpened with a feminine edge. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Sorry, Mom." He spat back./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" EmberEye turned completely now and glared at Bloodmaw impatiently. "Did you get the mutagen?" /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Bloodmaw set the two canisters on the ground and rolled them her way. She stared at them as they drew near her talons and then reached down and picked one of them up, smiling at it, her wings spreading slightly. "Perfect." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "I'm not going again." Bloodmaw quickly said, walking further into the candle light which flickered orange across his spotted fur. "They brought in some giant metal monster and I wouldn't be caught dead fighting it." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" EmberEye raised an eyebrow. "You will do whatever Lord Nightshade asks – or you emwill /embe caught dead." She reached down and picked up the other, avoiding their eyes as she turned to place them on an old, bruised and battered box that had once been used to contain money offerings. "Ashina, go get McGrath." she demanded. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Ashina disappeared back into the night. The three stood in silence and Bloodmaw went to his usual spot, an old bunched up futon as a bed and he collapsed on top of it, a little tired from all the running and dealing with the morons at Shredder's lair. EmberEye gazed at the mutagen containers with excitement, tracing her fingers across the glass, her claws making a ringing sound as she did so. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" The door opened again and Ashina appeared with another man at her side. He had dark hair that grew in tangles from his head. A pair of square glasses sat on his long nose and his eyes flashed dangerously behind them as he pushed them back up. He wore a long white lab coat. "You have more mutagen for me?" he asked quietly. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Yes. Two more canisters." EmberEye moved out of the way, folding her wings back behind her to show the glowing trophies. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Ah." McGrath said admirably and he walked the expanse of the room until he reached the mutagen. Bloodmaw eyed him with anger and disdain. The nerd boss held the two canisters close to him as if they were his own children. "I'm not getting any more of that garbage." Bloodmaw complained, slumping himself further down. He ignored EmberEye's glare. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" McGrath turned, his lab coat flowing behind him. His snide smile was still plastered on his pale face. "No need to worry your wounded head about that, mutt." He said it as if he were talking to a child. "This will be enough to begin our war on the Hamato and Foot clan." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Don't test me!" Bloodmaw snapped, baring his teeth and standing back up, stomping his foot aggressively, split flying from his mouth. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" McGrath didn't even flinch, but wiped away the spittle that had landed on his cheek. "Charming. I'm surprised why Lord Nightshade even keeps a buffoon like you around." Ashina snickered and Bloodmaw growled deeply in his throat. He hated how McGrath would keep that same cool tone and solid face while insulting everyone around him. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Enough." EmberEye snapped like a scolding mother. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Aw," Ashina said sarcastically, "Right when it started getting entertaining." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" EmberEye looked up. "Ashina, I put you in charge of things while I'm gone." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "emWhat?/em" Bloodmaw hissed, glaring at EmberEye. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Ashina raised one of her eyebrows, her tail moving lazily behind her, a hand on her hip. "Oh?" She asked. "And where are you going?" /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Japan." EmberEye said, "If McGrath says we are ready, then it is my duty to bring Lord Nightshade safely back here." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" The room went solemnly quiet. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Finally." Gore grumbled after a while, looking off into the distance. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" EmberEye turned to McGrath, "I think it would be wise to begin preparations." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "My thoughts exactly." He turned, swiping his lab coat out behind him and then exited the tiny, glowing shrine and back out into the darkness. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" EmberEye turned her attention back to Ashina, her red eyes glowing in the light of the candle. "I trust you to be wise in any decision you make. If you ask me, it would be best to stay hidden here until I return." She walked past Bloodmaw who was still pouting and Gore who had remained as silent as usual. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Ashina nodded as EmberEye moved out into the darkness. "I shall return as soon as I can." she said with a note of finality and then she spread her huge, brown wings, the tiny feathers fluttering in the wind and she kicked off from the ground, dust billowing behind her as she vanished into the night sky. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="CENTER"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;"* * * /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="CENTER" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Shredder looked out into the darkness from the windows at the top of his lair. Another vial of mutagen had just been reported stolen. This would be last with the weapon Sub-Prime had given him. He glared out into the night, looking past his own reflection to the roofs of the skyscrapers that surrounded him. Somewhere out there, his enemies lurked. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" The door behind him opened and he turned, the moon gleaming off of the Kuro Kabuto that he wore. Karai entered, her eyes like glowing emeralds and she bowed at the foot of the stairs that led to his stone throne. "Karai, I assume you come with news." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" "Yes, father." Karai replied, her head bowed. "I have managed to find the three teenagers and their master." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Shredder turned fully to face her now, moving past his chair until his feet touched the edge of the first stair. "And?" he asked expectantly, his hands forming into fists as he felt that already he knew the answer. /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Karai slowly lifted her head up until her serpent eyes met his own. "You were right, father." She said slowly, as if biting at her tongue. "The three are living near the Japanese restaurant known as Murakami's. And, their master is an older man. He is bald and wears a white gi. I believe that he is Hamato Yuta." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: medium;" Shredder felt rage build up inside him and he drank it in, his fists clenching against the air, strangling it and he felt his shoulders tremble. "Then Hamato Yuta must die." his voice shook as it echoed off of his metal mask. "Him and his disciples." /span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" align="LEFT" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; text-decoration: none;" align="LEFT" /p