Episode 16: Rise of the Technodrome – Part 2

Ashina sat in her room near the edge of the Shinotomo Clan's hideout. The few buildings that dotted the old abandoned street were broken in and wrecked. Lord Nightshade's – the main dojo – was the only one that they had been required to fix. The last few days of manual labor had been a gift to Ashina. She needed some time to forget about the transformation of the Hamato Clan young man. She was happy that she didn't have to see Lord Nightshade much either. He had been busy elsewhere, although where, Ashina didn't know.

The hovel that she stayed in had a roof with a large gaping hole in it. When it rained, the floor would drench and every time she reminded herself that repairing it would help this place feel a little bit more like home. The windows were covered in paper and the door was hanging off a hinge. An old fire pit in the middle of the floor showed exactly how traditional this Japanese home had been built to look like. Old coals and burnt wood still sat in the fire pit. Ashina had been temped several times to use it, but never made the effort.

Currently, she was sharpening the katar in the sunny corner of the room and staring off into space, her black, fluffy tail she let trail along the floor behind her, soaking up the warmth from the wooden boards that stolen it from the sun.

A knock sounded at her door.

Still feeling in a bad mood, she got up, letting her katar slip through her fingers and she opened the door. "Bloodmaw I –." She paused. Bloodmaw, in her mind, was the only one who would visit her – but then again, he likely wouldn't have knocked. Standing in the door frame was EmberEye. Ashina hadn't seen her in weeks, ever since she had been sent off to finish more of her training. Suddenly, Ashina knew exactly where Lord Nightshade had been.

"Never call me that name again." EmberEye said with deadly anger, her eyes glaring, her beak, like a blade gleamed in the sunlight, her wings folded back behind her. "Lord Nightshade is waiting for all of us at the dojo." EmberEye then turned, not bothering to hear a response from Ashina, which was fine by her – Ashina had nothing to say to that overgrown bird.

She stalked out into the sun, her black fur immediately absorbing its light, although the wind was chilly, and she followed behind EmberEye until they reached the front doors of the dojo where Lord Nightshade spent most of his time.

EmberEye slowly opened the door and bowed lowly, followed by Ashina who did likewise. Lord Nightshade stood with his back turned to them, his arms behind his back, his swords at his side. Bloodmaw and Gore were both already kneeling before him, the latter taking up a large portion of the room with his huge grizzly bear body, his war hammer weapon attached to his back by long, huge, thick leather belts. Ashina was surprised to see that in the corner of the room, not bowing, was McGrath. The doctor had his arms folded across his white coated chest and the usual cunning smile was spread across his face.

"Good for you both to join us." Lord Nightshade said softly as Ashina and EmberEye knelt next to Bloodmaw and Gore. "I have brought you all here to discuss our next action to be taken." he pointed towards McGrath in the corner and then turned to show his usual chrome mask which glimmered in the sunlight. "Things have begun to fall into place, but we are still have nothing close to the mutagen supply we will need."

Ashina could hardly believe what she was hearing. More than anything she wanted to protest. In reality, she would give anything to yell at Lord Nightshade. Why were they here in New York? What were they doing with gallons of mutagen? If they were transforming people, Ashina wanted nothing to do with it. McGrath grinned at her. It was clear that he had an idea of what she was thinking by her expression. If Lord Nightshade noticed, he didn't show it, but rather continued, "Tonight we will invade the lair of the Foot Clan and we will take a large portion of their mutagen. It is time that the Foot Clan knew that we are here and that nothing short of their total annihilation awaits them."

Together, Ashina going a little bit slower than the others, they called out, "Hai, sensei." he then nodded his approval. "Get prepared and meet here at exactly seven o' clock tonight." he then walked around them and with his black scarves trailing behind him, opened the door and shut it behind him.

Ashina heard Bloodmaw give an audible gasp, as if he were holding his breath the whole time. McGrath snorted and slowly walked past them, his lab coat billowing in Bloodmaw and Ashina's face as he moved between them. "I find it so entertaining how much like a toddler you act, hyena." McGrath said smugly, adjusting his spectacles with a flash of sunlight dashing across the polished glass.

Growling, Bloodmaw turned. "I'll rip you apart science nerd." He snapped, showing his pointed teeth, his eyes flashing with violent light.

McGrath seemed wholly un-intimidated. "I doubt that." he said casually, making his way to the door and he vanished out into the light.

"I'll kill him." Bloodmaw snarled.

"You would do well to hold your tongue before I claw it out of your mouth." EmberEye said with deadly intent, standing up and flaring her wings with a sense of intimidation. She clenched her talon like fingers together as if to solidify her point. "It is more merciful than what Sensei would do to you."

Bloodmaw didn't speak. Gore, with his hulking, body and his tiny, glaring beady eyes stared at Bloodmaw as if his eyes alone were the challenge he was giving. Ashina could hardly remember the last time she heard the grizzly bear talk.

Ashina, not wanting to hear any more of this conversation or be in the same room with these people, quickly stood up and walked away. She could feel EmberEye watching her as she went, but she pretended like she didn't and, doing her best to forget what was going on in her life, she went out into the sunlight.

I hope the Hamato Clan animals come again. They're the only fun ones in this whole stupid city.

Ethan, Jessica, and Bishop sprinted through the back streets of New York. Even though winter was on its way, today was oddly warm. Perhaps that was just Ethan's impression since this was the first time that he had in a long time out in the sun. It made him feel alive again.

Which was good, because the feeling of living might be cut short if they didn't hurry.

As they sped down the street, Ethan was amazed that Bishop could not only keep up – but was a little bit faster than they were. Being in a robot body likely had it's perks. Ethan wondered stupidly if it would run out of gas – or whatever it was that it ran on. They slowed as they neared the school. Most New Yorkers were so absorbed in their phones or daily business that they likely wouldn't have even noticed a humanoid fox and a red panda run past them.

The second that Ethan saw the school, his heart dropped. He could hear the fire alarm going off from inside which meant that police officers would be there any second. Students were being lined up outside according to their classes. "Is there any way to get inside without drawing attention?" Bishop asked in his usual commanding voice.

Ethan had no idea. Luckily, Jess did. "If things haven't changed since I was in school, they still haven't repaired the hole that the Purple Dragon's blew in the gym a few weeks ago. We could try there."

"Lead the way." Ethan said, motioning for her to take the lead.

Jess gave a cautious look out at the people walking along the sidewalk and the pack of students that were still being rallied and then burst from the alleyway that they hid from and ran around the back side of the big yellow painted school and the billboard about the East High Panthers game coming up. Ethan followed after, looking nervously at the students and teachers. The teachers backs were turned to them and the students seemed preoccupied with talking to each other excitedly about the liklihood of the school burning down. Ethan caught a glimpse of his old English teacher and had to smile internally that he didn't have to worry about the essays anymore. Instead he got to worry about the end of the world as they knew it.

Bishop followed on his heels and within a few minutes they were behind the school. Ethan could see and hear the tarp that covered the destroyed hole in the side of the wall flapping in the chilly breeze of oncoming winter. Jess flipped her kama's out and with two quick, precise strikes, raked the blades down the tarp and made a large hole for them to climb through.

Jess went first and Ethan followed after, pushing the gray, semi-see through tarp out of his face. Bishop followed silently behind. The whole gym looked like it needed a repair now. Black marks covered the walls and floors leaving pot holes that made it appear as if the whole place had been bombed. A girl sat in the corner, groaning as she slowly got to her feet. Ethan had seen her in the hallway before, but had no idea what her name was.

"Noel?" Jess asked walking forward through the haze of a smokey, charred crater in the ground, debris from the floor spread under her feet. Ethan followed close behind, stepping over a figure that he realized was Mrs. Campbell, shattered across the floor. Bishop didn't seem to notice – or perhaps he didn't care.

Noel turned upon hearing her name and her mouth dropped open and she backed up until she hit the wall behind her and a whimper came out of her mouth, "What the heck is gong on today? Who are you?"

With a sigh, Jess said, "It's me, Jessica."

Noel's eyes widened.

"I know, I'm a fox. Ethan is a Red Panda. But we don't have time to explain all of that. It's a long, crappy story anyway. What we need to know is where Kaela is."

Noel took a few seconds before she could talk again, her eyes slid from Jess to Ethan as if trying to recognize their faces and then finally, her eyes still as wide as they could get, said, "A weird Herma robot attacked us. And Mrs. Campbell. Kaela was fighting them and then they knocked her out and took her."

This was what Ethan was dreading. Somehow when he heard the fire alarm he knew that this was going to be the end result. Suddenly it felt like he was going through the whole situation where Jess was kidnapped by Shredder all over again. Only this time it was potentially much worse – knowing Kraang Sub-Prime.

Bishop slowly walked up to them and put his hands on Ethan and Jess' shoulders. "If we want to save your sister, we will need to move quickly. If Sub-Prime attacked her, it is almost certain that he would have taken her back to the Technodrome."

Noel was looking at Bishop like he had just spoken in tongues.

"Sorry, Noel. You better get to the kids crowding around outside – if we survive the day, we'll explain everything to you!" Ethan said as he grabbed Jess by the arm and began to drag her away, Bishop at the lead as they walked back to the tarp hole.

Noel looked ready to pass out.

They tore through the plastic sheet and back out into the sunlight. "We have a problem." Jess said as they made their way back to an alleyway just as fire trucks began to show up, taking the kids and the teachers attention away from their direction. "We have no idea where the Technodrome is! I mean – it fell in the ocean a few years ago, right?"

Bishop nodded and then smiled, arms behind his back. "That is where I come in. Follow me." Bishop took off towards the New York bay and Ethan and Jess followed behind him, hoping beyond hope that Kaela was okay.

Kaela groaned. It felt like a pile of bricks had hit her in the head. She slowly opened her eyes, a pressure headache in her temples began to pinch hard, making her feel even more dizzy. At first – she had no idea what she was staring at – but then she realized what it was and nearly screamed.

Right in front of her was the huge, hulking pink Kraang Prime himself. His eyes looked like shocking green stars and his lips like blubbery feelers with sharp teeth hiding just behind them, a nasty grin on his giant, blobby face. "Kaela Hamato." The voice said, echoing as if a thousand voices had said it.

Realizing with horror that she was bound to a metallic table that was near a full ninety degree angle, she looked around, trying to get a grip of where she was. She could see wires and cords above her, and by the looks of the shape, she was in a giant dome . . . Oh, crap. She was in the Technodrome. Her fingers were pinned to her sides, but she still managed to feel at her belt. And the story gets worse. I don't have my dart!

Finally admitting that she was defeated, she slackened in her bonds and leaned back to try and get a better look at the horrifying Kraang leader that stared down at her, leering with his disgusting yellow teeth. As he spoke, the pink flaps of his mouth moved and glided across the blade like fangs. "Kraang has waited a long time for this." he said. "Kraang is about to transform your world for Kraang" each word was bathed in mirth and Kaela flinched, trying to gulp down terror and horror that was welling up inside her.

"And you need me . . . why?" She almost didn't want to hear the answer, but her curiosity and morphed into a black, miasma of fear that did not leave her alone and she found herself trembling, her yellow bandanna around her neck gave little comfort now.

"Kraang has found that despite your tiny human intellect, you have a power that Kraang can use to damage your world." Prime simpered, his huge head had three large pentagons on his forehead that glowed with a pink light as he spoke. "But Kraang has brought you here for a more important purpose, Kaela Hamato."

Hearing the name of her former master mustered her strength. "Oh?" She asked, feeling at the metal restraints and hoping that her fingers would be able to find a weakness, a chink in the system. She could not even find a crevice to get her nails under.

Kraang Prime continued. "Kraang has had disturbing visions of Kraang's destruction. You also have had dreams of some future event – Kraang will extract and use this knowledge to prevent Kraang's destruction." With each word, Kaela felt more dread fill her heart and more mirth cover his speech.

"And how exactly do you intend to get my knowledge?" Kaela asked nervously.

Kraang Prime began to laugh, his voice echoing against the smooth metal walls of the Technodrome as a series of electric cords began to fill Kaela's vision, turning from pink to white as if from heat and she screamed.