Episode 10: Tigerclaw's Vendetta – Part 3

All of them stood frozen in the sewer, the sound of rushing water flowing into the pit below them echoing from behind. Dripping water could be heard down the tunnels. Tigerclaw snatched up his machete and with a solid stroke, went into tiger stance. How fitting. Ethan thought sarcastically.

Bloodmaw flipped up with agility and spun his foot around, stretching it out behind him; Ethan hadn't seen that form before. Bloodmaw snarled, curling his lip to show his yellowed teeth as he spun both of his tonfa in his hands again, switching each with another quick spin every once in a while, as if eager to smash someone's bones with it. Ethan wouldn't put it past him for a second. His eyes flashed dangerously.

Jess and Kaela stood behind Ethan, weapons at the ready, but both of their eyes were trained on the new arrival – Sam the ninja. It sounded a little ridiculous in his mind, but then again, Ethan the ninja didn't sound a whole lot better. "So, are we just going to stand around or are we going to do this?" Sam asked, almost politely as he spun his three section staff.

Ethan had seen that weapon demonstrated to him by Master Hamato had likely still had some of the bruises from when they practiced it. Although it looked like a staff cut in three and connected by short chains, the acted almost like a nunchuck with an extra section to it. Deadly as both a whipping weapon and a defense weapon. "So, um, whose side are you on?" Kaela asked, confused.

Sam pointed to the symbol on his shoulder. "Hamato, just like you three, right?" he asked. "I mean, I'm just judging on appearances. You three look nice. Those two look . . ." He trailed off as he glanced back over in their direction, his voice still quiet and even a little courteous. "Not nice." he finished.

"You've assumed well!" Bloodmaw sneered, "I'm going to beat you all senseless and then rip your limbs apart before you get the chance to wake up again."

"That was unnecessarily violent." Sam said

"Enough talk, fools!" Tigerclaw snapped, his tiny yellow eyes glaring, his whiskers twitching with anticipation as he adjusted himself to hold the machete in ready hacking position. "I will end you all. Master Shredder tires of searching for Splinter and his wretched turtles." He roared and bust forward, machete at the ready. "We got him!" Ethan jumped forward with Sam. Kaela and Jess split apart, running around the fray to Bloodmaw who waited, giving one of his tonfa's another spin, his grin appearing and violence making his eyes glow in the darkness of the sewers. Jess ducked out of the way of a violent strike at her head with the long wooden baton, and it span for a moment between the hyena's fingers before flipping upward, slamming Kaela's dart out of the air and he moved in, blocking a wild strike from Jess, the blue ribbon wrapping around his other. He wrenched his arm in and Kaela was forced forward, straight into a blunt blow to her rib cage.

Kaela grunted, her breath vanishing and took a few steps backward as Jess got back to her feet. "Heh," Bloodmaw chuckled, "You both are pathetic. Bashing your bones to bits will be more boring than I thought." He jumped forward.

Jess swung her kama at his head, but missed as he ducked underneath it, sliding on his legs and he brought his tonfa down on her shoulder. The blunt trauma made Jess yell, biting down on her lip hard enough to make it bleed as she was forced down to her knee. He lifted his other tonfa to slam against her head but Kaela's ribbon dart wrapped around his arm again. "You didn't learn last time did you?" He wrenched the ribbon again, but this time, Kaela moved fluidly through the motion and round house kicked on her way into his weapon. Whether it was his arm or his tonfa, a loud crack sounded through the sewer and he screamed in fury, spit flying form his mouth.

"Yeah, I did." Kaela said smugly, helping Jess back to her feet.

Jess' shoulder was screaming in agony and she knew there was no way she was going to be using a kama in her left hand in this fight. She tucked it away and tried to ignore the throbbing pain, flipping her other kama into ready position.

Ethan and Sam danced around Tigerclaw's burly form. Sam was incredible with his three-sectioned staff. He flung it forward like a whip and before Tigerclaw could snatch it out of the air or parry it, he would swipe it back into himself, twisting the three rods around him as if they were made of rubber. As the machete rang down on him, he would use the short chains between the rods to glance off of them and then twist again, throwing the machete out of his range.

It was difficult to focus as his eyes would often travel to make sure that Jess and Kaela were okay. Bloodmaw had a blood lust and a fury unlike Tigerclaw. He couldn't decide who was more dangerous. Luckily, he didn't have to think about it too long as a sharpened machete was cutting through air towards his neck.

Ducking, he took energy in from his rooted stance and burst back up, throwing the blunt end of his naginata into Tigerclaw's jaw. He roared again in fury and slammed Ethan back onto his back, pinning him to the ground and making Ethan's bones hurt again.

"Down, Kitty." Although Sam sounded soft-spoken, the sound of mocking could still be heard. The three sectioned staff swirled around Tigerclaw's front and slammed him in the face, throwing him backward again.

He turned and slammed his fist down where Sam had been standing, but the black-clothed ninja jumped, landing on the side of the wall and flipping back off to land behind Tigerclaw again, the three sectioned staff spinning around him as he caught it with his hand.

Ethan groaned and lifted himself back up. Tigerclaw had pounded him again and turned his attention back to his siblings who were struggling against Bloodmaw.

"I'll make you bleed!" The Hyena burst forward and slammed the dart out of the air that swung towards him and slammed his nails across her face, leaving three angry red marks on below her eye. She gasped, holding her hand to her face and Bloodmaw swung his tonfa down with a violent scream.

It didn't meet Kaela as a kama blade blocked it. The force slammed Jess back into Kaela and the two fell to the ground. Jess only had a few moments, stumbling over Kaela before she felt the strong wood of the tonfa slam the side of her arm and she screamed in pain as her bones cried in pain. She tumbled away from Kaela whose ribbon dart swung back up but Bloodmaw snatched the ribbon out of the air and dragged Kaela back to her feet with it. "I'm sick of you." he said, opening his mouth as if ready to bite out a chunk from her neck.

"Back off!"

Ethan slashed his shoulder and Bloodmaw yelled and turned, kicking Ethan in the stomach and throwing him back again.

"We are done here guys!" Sam jumped up, dodging another one of Tigerclaw's attacks and grabbing onto a nearby drainage valve.

"ENOUGH!" Tigerclaw yelled, squinting up at him, spinning his machete and placing it back into it's sheath behind him and pulling out two silver guns instead, pointing one up at the Hamato ninja. "Master Shredder would have enjoyed watching me tear you into bite-sized pieces, but it seems I will have to take the short cut." Energy powered up from his guns.

Sam smiled down at him pleasantly. "I guess." he said shrugging.

With a strange vomp! A blast of red singed the wall behind Sam as he jumped out of the way, balancing on the valve. Tigerclaw fired several more times. One burst the stone near Sam's face and he flinched, little bits of debris cutting his face. Another shot blew off the drainage valve and with a rumbling, sewer water burst from the nearby pipes in a cascading waterfall of filth.

"Thank you!" Sam cried down over the sound of water, jumping down and pulling out his three sectioned staff again, flinging it at Bloodmaw who was forced to back up, nearly into the path of one of the many waterfalls of murky liquid. He snarled at Sam, but his eyes flickered nervously to the water that was filling up quickly. He turned back to Sam. "I'll split you in two next time I see you!"

With that, Bloodmaw turned and booked it, water splashing up from his clawed feet as he moved and his shadow disappeared down one of the nearby tunnels, vanishing.

"Let's get out of here!" Sam said as Tigerclaw spurted water, thrashing in arms as if to fend off the torrent of water.

Ethan helped Kaela to her feet and noticed the scratch mark on her face that looked pretty bad. She rubbed it with her wrist and flinched, blood smearing on her hand. Sam helped Jess to her feet. "Follow me!" Ethan shouted, ignoring the pains in his rib cage and ran, splashing into the water that speckled his fur. They ran until Ethan hear the sound of water vanishing behind him, along with Tigerclaw's roars.

Water burst around Ethan, his voice turning into shaky pants, each one becoming painful against his sternum. At long last, red light appeared reminding them that they were near home. The two vehicles appeared out of the shadows and Ethan was pleased that Sam didn't ask questions about them. Mostly because his lungs hurt, but also because he had no idea what those things were either. As they stepped over the barriers, they got into the living room, the sound of Crognard playing on the TV echoing faintly. They must have forgotten to turn it off.

"Wow." Sam said, pulling away the black from around his head and neck. "You guys have a nice little house down here, don't you?" Ethan could now see Sam a little bit better. He had locks of brown curling around his ears and neck. He was a whole head shorter than him and broad chested. His three sectioned staff was slung onto his back, strapped there wing long silver cords. He was covered in black, the Hamato symbol stamped on the right shoulder of his dark vest. He turned to glance back at the the three who were watching him. "So, I don't know if your thinking what I'm thinking, but ther'es a lot of talking we should probably do."

"No kidding." Ethan said, falling down onto one of the nearby couches. Jess and Kaela joined on neighboring bean bags. Sam sat on the floor, seiza.

"I'm almost happy that I have seen so many mutants." Sam remarked. "If I hadn't, you definitely would have thrown me off." He pointed at Ethan who grimaced. Half the time he still adored his new form, the other half, he missed who he once was – or rather, what he once looked like, at least.

Jess slumped further into her bean bag, putting her arms up under her chin to rest on. "So, thanks for the save on all, but who are you exactly? How are you with the Hamato Clan?"

Sam ruffled his hair with his hand and nodded with a small smile. "Yeah, those are great questions. My parents were a part of the Hamato Clan. They were trained by Hamato Yuta in Japan." After they gave him odd looks, he quickly added, "They were immigrants there, but got mixed in with everything. So none of us in my family are native." As they nodded in understanding, he continued. "They starting training me as I grew up. Until one day when Oroku Saki went insane, lit the Hamato dojo on fire and vanished. So did our masters son, Hamato Yoshi."

This was all sounding eerily familiar to Ethan.

"Let me guess, Hamato Yuta eventually came to America."

Sam looked a little surprised at that.

"Yes, how did you know that?" he asked with curiosity.

"Master Hamato trained us too." Ethan said softly. Kaela and Jess both looked at Ethan nervously, as if he was a bomb about to explode. He felt the edges of his eyes burning and his nose stinging. "But he . . ." He cursed his choking throat and felt his lip tremble. The wound was still fresh and it felt like he had just poured salt into it.

Kaela filled in mercifully as Sam watched, confused. "He was killed." She said softly.

Jess' expression darkened as she glared into space, as if she was looking at the face of Shredder himself. Ethan felt nothing but despair inside when he thought about Master Hamato. Like everything inside him had died and was decaying, smoldering on the soil of his mind.

Sam's eyes widened and he bowed his head for a few moments, the whole lair going silent. "Then we have faced a serious loss." He finally said, soft-spoken as always, but he had hope that Ethan couldn't manage to get. "Hamato Yoshi had vanished. I figured that was the reason why Hamato Yuta went to America – to find him."

"What about your parents?" Kaela asked, straightening up and leaning in to listen more carefully, settled on her bean bag.

Sam turned to Kaela, "They were both killed for a witch that works for the Shredder." He didn't flinch. Silence took over the whole lair again and Kaela moved forward and patted Sam on the shoulder. He patted her hand back. "If Hamato Yuta is dead, then we must find Hamato Yoshi. He's the only one left to lead the Hamato clan." he touched the embroidered symbol on his shoulder reverently.

"He still might be somewhere." Ethan said, recovering himself. "We have been looking for him and four turtles that he has trained. This actually is their home. We are trying to figure out where they went."

Sam nodded and slowly straightened. "Then there is no time to lose." he said. "If you three are down here, then I will continue my search for them above. We are bound to run into them sooner or later."

Jess stood up as well. "Are you sure? Shredder has his goons all over the city. It is way safer if you stay down here with us."

Already walking towards the barriers, Sam shook his head, "No. Haste is going to be the key of finding them, I think." He nodded and smiled back at them, looking a little sheepish as he put his covering back over his head and mouth. "But, if you have a piece of paper, I will give you a number you can call if you find them first. You give me your number."

Jess conjured a paper and the two exchanged numbers as Sam warned, "I may not answer, but if you leave a message, I will come to help." He then tucked away Jess, Ethan and Kaela's numbers and with a sharp bow that was returned, he fled back out into the red light and vanished around the train tracks until his shadow disappeared.

"Wild day." Jess commented as she sank back down on the bean bag next to Ethan.

Ethan still felt like a old scar had been reopened and his thoughts returned to Master Hamato. Why am I leader? He asked in his mind, hoping those words would reach Master Hamato somewhere, wherever he was. I can't do this. Jess and Kaela probably don't trust me, and I can't blame them.

A reassuring hand from Kaela on his arm broke him from his thoughts. Jess smiled at him as well. The two had obviously seen right through him. "Don't worry. We are going to figure out this weird black hole weapon thing and find Hamato Yoshi and the turtles." Kaela said.

Jess pumped her fist as she usually did to show encouragement and then landed a punch on Ethan's arm. Ethan smiled back at them. "Yes we will."

Bloodmaw smashed every garbage can between the sewers and their abandoned Japanese temple. "I'm gonna kill those morons!" He yelled to nobody as he slammed his tonfa so hard against a trash can that it put a dent into the side of the can as large as if a car had slammed into it. He kicked open the old wooden gates to the shrine and skipped at the pebbles on the path, letting them fly and dash in random directions. Walking up the old, splintered wooden steps, he threw open the door, hurling it unnecessarily loudly against the wall.

"Bloodmaw!" EmberEye turned, startled by the noise and her glare could kill.

"What?" Bloodmaw snapped, but he immediately felt his breath vanish as if he had been punched in the stomach.

Gore and Ashina were kneeling on the floor, the lit candles glancing over their shining eyes that looked at Bloodmaw with deep concern. EmberEye was on one of her feathered knees, a fist on the floor, her wings folded neatly behind her. On the other side, standing, but with his head turned to Bloodmaw was McGrath, his black hair shining as brightly as his glasses in the candle next to him, his hands in his white lab coat, unstained and unmarred.

But what took his breath away was the figure standing before all of them, back turned. He wore a black hood over his head, covering it, scarfs rolling down over his shoulders. His arms and hands were entirely covered in think black material, his legs had streamlined armor around them, protecting from any weapon attack. Sheathed on his side were two katana's.

Bloodmaw fell to his knees where he stood and bowed his head, "L-L-Lord Nightshade." He stuttered out, gulping down panic. "I – I didn't realize you would be – well, that you are here."

The room went quiet as the figure waited, hands clasped behind his back, as still as a statue. Then his voice appeared, quiet – low, bladed on both edges of every word, muffled. "Are you a ninja, Bloodmaw?"

Everyone in the room flinched.

Bloodmaw didn't know how to answer the question.

"Your master asked you a question." The voice didn't get any louder, or any more angry. Cool – calm, deadly.

"Y-yes, Lord Nightshade." He bowed his head closer to the floor, seeing nothing but the scratched up wood that lay below his weight. He was shaking and he could feel panic surging through every muscle of his body.

"Hm." Lord Nightshade said pleasantly, as if Bloodmaw had said something interesting about the weather. "Odd. Considering you approached this shrine with the same amount of noise as a runaway truck, I would think that you were just like every other imbecile on the street – if not something more worthless." Bloodmaw heard the clunk of his sleek, black metal boots as they approached him and he felt tears begin to appear in his eyes. It's over. He thought to himself.

The feet appeared in front of his face and Bloodmaw flinched. "Where were you, Bloodmaw?" Lord Nightshade asked.

"I –."

"Look up at me."

Bloodmaw stuttered on his words and slowly brought his head up to look into the face of Lord Nightshade. Actually – Bloodmaw had never seen the face of Lord Nightshade, for always it was covered by a mask. Black, sleek as polished glass, designs decorated it from left to right in light red swirls. There was no slot for the mouth, but two eyes, a piercing blue glowed in the light of the candles.

"Continue." He sounded as calm as he always did.

"I was fighting some of the Hamato clan and the Foot clan." he said again, feeling his words quivering.

"Ah, yes. Ashina enlightened me. Three teenagers, yes? One a mutant."

"Yes."

"And you failed to defeat any of them?"

"Yes."

SWACK!

Bloodmaw gasped as black claws swung out, slamming his across the face with the same force as if he had been hit with a rock and he fell to the ground, his shoulder thudding against the ground, fresh blood spilling from a spot just below his eye and he whimpered. Lord Nightshade watched him, towering like a pillar and then turned to the others. "Any defeat that any of us face is a disgrace to the rest of the Shinotomo Clan." He said quietly and precisely, but this time, his voice had authority – even threats behind it. "The Shinotomo Clan has seen far too much failure in my absence." He walked back to the front and Bloodmaw got his knees again and bowed, grateful that he hadn't gotten killed.

"I apologize, Lord Nightshade, I promise we –."

"Silence, EmberEye." Lord Nightshade turned to look at them all, his hand on his sword. "It is time for us to take action. In the past week of being in this city, I have seen many interesting things and learned much. The robots known as the Kraang are a cowardly and weak enemy. It is from their hands that I desire to acquire more mutagen."

"More?" Ashina asked sharply but quickly looked away frowning when Lord Nightshade's gaze went to her.

"Yes." Lord Nightshade said slowly, rubbing the handle of one of his katana. "More. We do not even have a small portion of what is required for my plans. The Hamato and Foot clans are strong. It will require much to end them." he turned and nodded to Ashina, "You and Bloodmaw will investigate the Kraang and keep a close eye on the Foot. I want mutagen coming consistently into my storage."

He paused and waited. Finally, Bloodmaw and Ashina both chimed in, "Hai."

He then turned his attention to Gore. "Gore. I have special interest in a man Shredder has recently hired – Don Vizioso. I intend to add his forces to our following. He is arrogant, wasteful, gluttonous. But he is weak in his control."

"It shall be done." Gore said, his low, growl of a voice echoing in the shrine.

Lord Nightshade then turned to McGrath. "You will show me the progress you have made on our weapons."

McGrath bowed overly low. "Why of course, Lord Nightshade." He straightened slightly and with a sly smile, adjusted his glasses on his face, the glass shining white for a moment. "But, you should know it will require much more work than what I now have. We are only in the rudimentary stages."

"No matter." Lord Nightshade said, "We have time." Finally he turned his attention to EmberEye. "As for you, it is time to resume your specialized training." he said.

Bloodmaw looked at EmberEye who smiled gratefully. Although all of them had had training in the Shinotomo way, EmberEye had always had special training and it showed in her skill levels. Ashina looked jealous, as Bloodmaw would predict, but luckily she was wise enough not to say anything.

Lord Nightshade turned to McGrath and nodded towards the door.

"What of the Hamato teenagers?" EmberEye said, standing back up. Lord Nightshade paused as he and McGrath walked to the shrine doors.

He turned, his metal mask gleaming in the flicker of candle light, red and orange. "Should you engage them in battle, understand the consequences that will come should you fail to destroy them." He gave a final look from his sapphire eyes in Bloodmaw's direction and then turned and vanished into the night McGrath to the other building in the courtyard where McGrath's lab had been set up, the doors slowly closing behind him.