punkish furball – What up, dudes? ^.^
Words to Ponder:
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This post is the first of many for the New Year! I hope you all enjoy it and all the others to come.
Also, a shameless plug to all you Turtle lovers out there, I posted a new TMNT/InuYasha themed one shot collection, Turtle Bites. Check it out if you have the chance! = ^.^ =
Chapter 10
Kagome hummed as she walked home after a late study session at the library with April and her other classmates. Apparently, she took very detailed notes in history and biology, so she was a readily welcomed member to the study group. She eagerly traded copies of them for any help she could get in maths and English.
Kagome paused her walk when her cellphone buzzed in her back pocket. Smiling, she retrieved it then stopped to lean against a nearby building; she still hadn't mastered the art of walking and texting at the same time. She hummed as she flipped open her mobile. As expected, the message she received was from Raphael.
It read, 'Hey, K. Bored without me yet?'
Kagome snorted and replied.
'As if.'
'Really? That must mean you don't want to hang out with me this weekend,' the next message read.
Kagome grinned, excitedly typing in her next message. 'I think I can pencil it in. How about a sparring match? I can't wait to use my new moves on you.'
The Raphael's reply was quick to arrive. Kagome knew it would be.
'Alright. So after I kick your butt, pizza and a movie?'
'It's a date. See you then, Raph.'
'Later, K.'
Kagome smiled as she put the phone back in her pocket. She was looking forward to seeing Raphael again after weeks of only text messages and brief phone calls. The fact he laid out plans for it assured her it will be a long meeting.
"So who were you talking to?"
Kagome jumped away from the wall at the sound of the sudden question, nearly falling flat on her face. She turned around to see April hovering around her, a wide grin on her freckled face.
As she stood up to her full height, Kagome squeaked. "No one!"
"Right," April replied, completely unconvinced, "I bet it was your all night gyoza man again."
Kagome cringed. April always brought up that lunch room excuse she caught her lost in her thoughts. Coincidently, that happened a lot.
"I thought you said you believed me."
"I did, but that excuse was only good for a onetime pass," she answered matter-of-factly.
"So shouldn't you be going home or something?" Kagome asked, rolling her eyes. She stepped away from the wall and started walking in the direction of the noodle shop. April followed at her side.
"I'm just picking up a little snack before I head home," April answered with a shrug, "So who was the guy you were talking too? Anyone I know?"
"What makes you so sure it's a guy?" Kagome artfully countered, avoiding April's intrusive looks.
"Because, for the past few weeks, you practically glow whenever you look at your cellphone. A phone, might I add, that you didn't even take to school before now," she reasoned, "So tell me who it is!"
"Fine," Kagome relented, trying to think of a passable excuse. She certainly couldn't let April know the male occupying her free time was a man sized ninja turtle. She was tempted to just call Raphael "gyoza man" as April dubbed him.
"His name is Urashima Tarō, and I know him from back home." She quickly added. "And the two of us are just friends."
April shrugged. She didn't buy it but would wait to press the issue again. "If you say so."
When the two girls reached the noodle shop, they paused at the restaurant window before continuing to the apartment entrance. Oddly, the shop was completely black with no signs of activity beyond the window.
"Something's wrong," Kagome stated, "Ji-chan wouldn't close up this early."
April nodded and tried to peer inside. "I agree. Something is definitely up, but I can't see a thing."
Kagome tentatively extended her senses, using her energy to detect any and all presences inside. She stiffened when she found many.
'Far too many to fight,' she mused, 'They must be with the Purple Dragons gang.' They handled their defeat at her hands poorer than she expected.
"Should we call the police?" she suggested, looking at April from the corner of her eye.
"I think we should go in before we resort to that," April suggested, "Murakami-san could be in serious trouble."
When April looked up at her, it appeared as though she suspected something about the situation that Kagome didn't. Kagome also detected an abrupt change in her attitude. April grew more determined and calculating, reminding her of someone who possessed experience with combat.
'Maybe she isn't as untrained as I thought,' Kagome absently thought. She would have to consider the possibilities later.
"I agree," Kagome said and hesitantly opened the door to Subarashii Tabemono and looking around with April right beside her. Seconds after entering, the two of them successfully dodged a barrage of kunai and shuriken that assaulted the doorway. However, before they could move, they were both grabbed from behind as the lights were turned on.
With the proper lighting, Kagome and April could see the room filled with a large group of ninja clothed in black with red headbands. From the rear, the Purple Dragons' leader emerged, smirking as he advanced. During his approach, the two shinobi that held April captive moved to the right wall so Fong ended up standing in front of Kagome alone.
"Remember us, girlie?" he asked.
"Hardly," Kagome uttered and quickly looked around the dining room. Murakami was nowhere in sight.
"What have you done with my uncle?" she harshly questioned.
"He's safe for now," Fong answered, arrogantly crossing his arms over his chest, "You want him and your little friend to stay that way, you do exactly as we say."
"Fine," Kagome replied, "but before I do anything, I want to see my uncle. Now."
Fong snorted a laugh before he snapped his fingers. On cue, the two other members of the Purple Dragons emerged from the back and brought Murakami into view. The blind man was bound and slightly disheveled but appeared fine otherwise. When Kagome lunged forward to reach him, the grip on her arms tightened. She trashed in their hold, doing everything she could to get loose.
"Let him go!" April demanded also struggling to get free.
"Not so fast," Fong said, "We can't have him going to the Turtles for help."
'Turtles? So they're here because of Raphael,' Kagome realized, her movements ceasing. The night they first met, he seemed familiar with the Purple Dragons but never went into detail about it, and Kagome never thought to ask. She frowned; there was so much she didn't know about Raphael even though they have known each other for a while now.
Kagome shook her head, dismissing those thoughts. 'Now's not the time to worry about that.'
"Hold it!" she told Fong, "I said I will only do as you say if he's safe. If you don't let him and April go, I'll—"
"Kagome," Murakami interjected, his tone reprimanding. Kagome stopped speaking as soon as she heard his voice, immediately knowing what her uncle was trying to convey. With a great deal of resolve, she took a deep breath and willed her body to relax. Fong smirked and mockingly petted the top of her head.
"Good girl."
Kagome sneered but didn't say anything.
"Kagome?" April asked, worried.
"Don't worry about me," she assured her, "I'll be fine. Please look after my uncle."
April grudgingly nodded and stopped trying to escape her entrapment. Once everyone was settled, Fong cleared his throat and began to address the foreign ninja. He pointed to the shinobi that restrained Kagome.
"You two, tie her up and put her in the truck." Fong then gestured to the remaining ninja. "The rest of you stay here and keep the old man and Red out of our way."
He paused and added, "Be sure to watch out for the Turtles. If they show up, don't let them know we have the girl until we get word from Bradford and the Shredder."
Kagome grunted when her hands were roughly bound behind her back and a thick cloth was tied around her eyes. She was then pulled outside and thrown into the back seat of a truck parked in the alley. She didn't have to wait long before the vehicle began to move.
For the duration of the trip, Kagome remained silent and held back every harsh word on her tongue, hoping that, when the time came, she picked the right battle to fight.
-O0o0O-
Bradford stood in his master's chambers waiting for the Purple Dragons to arrive with the prisoner and hoped his agitation didn't show. He knew from the beginning he took a great risk trusting the street gang to deliver a promising lead to Splinter's whereabouts, but the Shredder was growing more impatient by the day. This was a risk he had to take. Even if the girl didn't reveal the location of Splinter's lair whether she knew it or not, they would use her as bait to lure out the Turtles, assuming the connection between them existed as the Purple Dragons said. All things considered, Bradford doubted they'd have to enact the backup plan.
'She might be Hamato's student, but there's no way a girl with only a few weeks of kunoichi training can stand up to Master Shredder,' he thought, confident in that fact at least. If the girl was only an untrained associate of the Turtles, she'll be even easier to break.
"Bradford," Shredder called out, making the canine's ears stand on end, "Where are the Purple Dragons? Their delayed appearance is trying my patience."
"Master Shredder, I just spoke with them," he answered, obediently bowing his head, "They've already captured the girl and should deliver her to us momentarily."
Shredder nodded and spoke again, his tone unchanged. "Very well. You better hope this plan of yours is successful. I will not tolerate another failure."
Across the room, Xever, Shredder's other mutated pupil, chuckled, showcasing his large, pointed teeth. Bradford growled, taking a menacing step toward fish mutant equipped with functional robotic legs.
"And what exactly is so funny?"
"You are, pinning all your hopes on one little girl," he answered, his voice thick with his Brazilian accent, "You must really be desperate."
"I don't see you coming up with any ideas!" Bradford asserted, gnashing his teeth.
"If I had it my way, I would not waste any time and crush those Turtles beneath my feet to serve them to Master Shredder in their own shells," Xever confidently stated, stomping his mechanized foot for good measure.
"Silence!"
At the sound of Shredder's voice, Bradford and Xever stepped apart and bowed in apology, resuming their wait in a strained stillness. They didn't wait much longer before a group of lower level shinobientered the chamber and brought the girl, bound and blindfolded, with them. She was small and svelte, hardly the image of a competent ninja, but her stance was proud and defiant despite her restraints.
"Remove her bindings," Shredder ordered. The command was quickly obeyed.
Once she was free to move and see, the girl curiously surveyed the chamber. Initially, she appeared surprised, especially once she spotted Xever and Bradford on opposite sides of the room. It quickly faded to an expression of indignation and anger when she focused on Master Shredder seated upon his throne. It was clear she had a lot to say but fought to contain herself.
"Girl," Shredder addressed her, "there is information I require from you. Tell me where Hamato Yoshi's lair is."
She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, holding her head high.
"Call off your goons at the noodle shop, and tell them to let my uncle and my friend go. I won't even consider telling you anything as long as they're in danger no matter what you do to me," she demanded. She quickly added, "And my name is not 'girl'. It is Kagome."
Bradford growled, "You will show Master Shredder the respect he deserves!"
"I will not! He's certainly no master of mine and has done nothing to earn my respect," she refuted.
Shredder abruptly stood from his throne and approached her, backing Kagome into the rear of the chamber. He stopped when there several meters of space between them.
"I will not tolerate such impudence!" he shouted, "You will tell me where to find Hamato Yoshi and the Turtles."
Shredder revealed the stolen shuriken and threw it with absolute precision, embedding it in the wall to the right of Kagome's face. The look of recognition in her eyes when she turned her head told him all he needed to know.
"You carry weapons marred with Hamato's emblem, a right reserved only for his disciples. You have the information I seek," Shredder continued, "Do not toy with me. Tell me where he is hiding."
She sneered, refusing to back down despite the volatile situation she was in. "Not a chance."
Shredder raised his fist and aimed for Kagome's neck, punching the wall behind her as she flinched. Her neck was spared contact but caught between the two sharp, metal spikes on his knuckles. In spite of this, Kagome opened her eyes and looked straight ahead with no fear. The look didn't waver when the Shredder revealed a retractable blade in the center of his gauntlet pointed right at her throat.
"I will not ask you again. Hold on to your loyalty, and you forfeit your life," he warned her.
Kagome boldly shook her head. "Loyalty means nothing unless you're willing to sacrifice yourself to hold onto it. So you're wasting your time. I'm not afraid of you."
With an enraged growl, Shredder withdrew his hand. He roughly grabbed Kagome by the collar of her shirt and tossed her to the ground, reducing her to a crumbled heap on the floor.
"Take her away," he instructed.
Xever and Bradford momentarily wavered before following his orders. It was rare for the Shredder to lose his composure especially before someone he was clearly superior to. They only knew of one other person who could elicit such a drastic response from their sensei. And they both believed Kagome shared more common factors with Hamato.
"Master?" Xever addressed him, asking for further instruction.
"The girl is clearly a student of Hamato Yoshi. Such arrogance could have only come from him. We will hold her here until she tells me what I need to know," he stated, his tone calm and clear, "As for the shop owner and the girl, tell those on guard to knock them out and depart, leaving no traces. The Turtles must not learn of our intervention yet."
"Master Shredder, you intend to listen to her demands?" Bradford asked, puzzled.
The Shredder clenched his fists, displaying the retractable blades once more. "You dare question me?"
"Of course not!" Bradford quickly answered, "Xever and I will see to it right away!"
As Shredder retreated to his throne, Xever placed Kagome over his shoulder holding her legs in front of him. He and Bradford left the chamber and walked to a secluded room in the back of their lair with Xever in the lead. On the way, Kagome regained consciousness, coughing as she caught her breath.
"My head…" she whispered, weakly opening her eyes.
"You're awake," Bradford remarked, "I hope you enjoy your new accommodations. You'll be here for a while, girl."
"Kagome."
"Who?"
"It's my name since you clearly weren't paying attention earlier," Kagome clarified. She slowly lifted her head and looked at Bradford, scrunching up her nose.
"Your breath is awful."
Bradford snarled as Xever chuckled. When they came to a stop, Xever kicked open the door and threw Kagome inside.
"I like you, Miss Kagome," he said before closing and locking the door, "Hopefully, Master Shredder decides to keep you around once you give him what he wants."
-O0o0O-
Kagome yelped as she collapsed, falling on her bottom with a muffled thud. Thankfully, the grass below cushioned her fall.
"The time for rest is over, my pupil.
She groaned and answered without opening her eyes, "Piss off, sensei."
Miroku smiled and poked her with his staff, repeating the action when Kagome didn't rise.
"Just give up!" she beseeched, "I can't do it!"
"And leave my legacy unskilled and untrained? You greatly underestimate my tenacity," Miroku replied, continuing to jab her in the side.
Kagome snorted and rolled over on her stomach, still refusing to get up. She knew her spiritual training would be tough especially because of age. Most priests and priestesses devoted their entire lives to their craft from birth and had far more control of their abilities than she did. Her powers were immense but only usable when she was in great danger or in fierce concentration, not a reliable method of combat. In contrast, her archery skills grew exponentially, but long range weaponry, while devastatingly effective, wasn't always reliable in their battles either. Because of that, she approached Miroku and requested his aid along with Sango for basic combat training. Now, she was beginning to rethink her choice. They were dear friends but merciless instructors.
"Come on, wench," InuYasha said, watching from the sidelines, "It's a simple barrier. If you can put up with Sango, you can do this." He smirked. "Or maybe she is taking it easy on you. Miroku should too."
Kagome growled and shot to her feet. InuYasha always knew what to say to rile her up—whether it was done intentionally or otherwise.
"I'll show you who needs to take it easy!" She turned her attention to the monk.
"Miroku, let's get back to it!"
"That's the spirit!" he exclaimed, "We'll continue with barrier creation and move into channeling practice."
"Then we'll pick up where we left off," Sango said as she walked closer to the clearing with Kirara at her side, "After all, I can't have anyone thinking you're taking it easy."
Kagome recoiled at the tone in Sango's voice, but replied, "You got it, sensei."
When Kagome and Miroku began their regimen again under Sango's watchful eye, Shippo gulped from his spot atop InuYasha's shoulder.
"I'm scared for her," he stated.
"Ditto," InuYasha said with a nod, "but I know she can do it. She'll complain about it, but she can do it."
He barked when Shippo pulled his ears with his tiny claws.
"What the hell is your problem?" he asked, grabbing the kit by the collar of his shirt.
"There really is something working beneath that thick skull of yours," Shippo said, grinning from ear to ear, "There's hope for you yet!" The kit quickly jumped from InuYasha and dashed away, laughing.
"Get back here, runt! Kagome's not gonna save you this time!"
Before InuYasha's claws could graze Shippo's neck, Kagome bellowed, "Sit!"
-O0o0O-
Kagome moaned and slowly opened her eyes.
"A dream?" she uttered.
Lately, she unknowingly kept those memories in a faraway place, focusing on the present as opposed to the past. A long time ago, she didn't think it would be possible to find contentment in a life as a normal human girl without being haunted by her memories, but it happened even though she wasn't exactly normal. She suspected Raphael had a lot to do with that.
Kagome groaned as she stood in the small, empty room and looked around, thinking.
'Whoever "Hamato Yoshi" is, that Shredder guy definitely does not like him,' she deduced, not trusting her surroundings enough to speak out loud. 'Or Raphael and his brothers.'
She was immensely glad she managed to keep up her bluff until now. She had a feeling she wouldn't be kept around much longer if the Shredder knew she had no idea where to find who he was looking for. Luckily for her, she was so angered by him that she disregarded the fact she was completely clueless.
'I've got to get out of here fast.'
Kagome didn't bother checking the door, knowing it was locked. The only other exits to the room were windows far out of her reach, and there was nothing around to give her a sufficient boost.
'I could always call Raph for help,' she thought, 'but that would put him in danger too.'
Even if she wanted to, a quick check of her pocket confirmed her cellphone was missing along with anything else that could aid her escape.
'They even took my shoes,' she thought with a loud huff.
"Hey!" she heard someone call from outside. The person that spoke paused to clear his throat and try to deepen his voice before speaking again.
"Hey!" he iterated sounding much less intimidating than he intended, "You keep it down in there!"
Kagome approached the door and looked outside the window pane incorporated in it. There was a lone ninja standing guard outside, short and stocky, very different from the others she saw tonight both in manner and appearance.
'They must not see me as much of an escape risk if he was chosen to guard me,' Kagome mused, 'Maybe, if I play my cards right, I can talk my way out of this.'
With a plan in mind, Kagome pressed her face to the window and spoke.
"Excuse me. Excuse me!" she whispered.
"Hey, I said—" the shinobi began but paused when he turned to look at her.
"Wow, you're hot," he mumbled.
"Thank you," Kagome told him, making sure to look as innocent as possible, "Listen, my being here is a mistake. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I got caught up in a big mess." She pouted and batted her eyelashes for added effect.
"You can understand that, right?"
The ninja visibly faltered. However, he turned around sharply and plastered his arms by his side before he completely succumbed to Kagome's charms.
"That really sucks," he admitted, "But I shouldn't even be talking to you."
"Please hear me out!" she pleaded, "I'm just your typical damsel in distress look for someone to whisk her out of harm's way!"
"Damsel, huh? Sounds like you need a hero." He paused and turned to her completely, posing with his fists planted on his hips.
"A hero like the Pulverizer!"
Kagome sighed and fell forward against the window.
'If my only hope for escape is in this guy's hands, I'm going to die.'
-O0o0O-
punkish furball – Ha-ha! Of course Kagome was going to get kidnapped. Can she make it out on her own or will a certain Turtle help her make her escape and save the day? Until next time, TCB! X3
(revised 04.16.2014)