Chapter 10: Transparent

My eyelids were heavy as I slowly felt myself come-to again, the side of my face resting on cold, hard concrete floor. I breathed heavily through my nostrils, pushing out somewhat of a sigh. I knew exactly where I was. There was no need for me to even open my eyes for this one. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that I had been dragged, unconscious, into Shredder's stinking pit hole of a prison chamber. It wasn't like it was the first time I'd ever been there, give or take the four other times he'd managed to get me in here in my own world. Really, it was all for the same reason. He'd walk in the room, dressed in full armor, trying to be a badass when he really just looked like a retarded robot. He'd then proceed to demand answers from me, threatening to slice my head off or some crazy violent thing like that. It was so simpleminded of him, and honestly, it made me laugh, which, of course, just pissed him off. But, what could I say? It was fun to get the old bastard riled up, especially when I knew I'd be rescued before he could even raise a hand to me.

I could feel the swollen skin around my eyes and lips as I peeled my lids open. I examined myself as I sat up, my arms shaking as I stared at the bruises along my body. Thick rope held my hands and ankles together, and it burned my skin as I tried to wiggle my wrists out.

I spat on the ground as I failed to free myself, realizing that my gums were bleeding from the blow of the fall, "God damnit…Why the hell does this always happen at the worst freaking time?" I grunted, throwing my arms around my knees in a circular shape. It hurt my wrists the way they had to bend because of the rope, but I was too frustrated to deal with this kind of bullshit.

Resting my chin on my knees, I could hear yelling from outside the red, metal doors across the room, Shredder's symbol painted with a black outline across where the two doors closed together. I was slightly surprised at how ugly this room was compared to the rest of his tower. Usually Shred-head liked to keep a high profile standard when it came to appearances. I guessed he just liked to really make a point once he decided he didn't like you.

I looked around for a moment, surprised he hadn't locked me in a cage or something like he usually does. Once, I even found myself in one of those overnight dog cages. I laughed at him and told him he shouldn't try and force his animalistic culture on us higher beings. That's just wrong.

The doors suddenly flung open, leaving a heavy clanking noise echoing through the room. Shredder was decked out in full uniform, as per usual, striding into the room like some kind of iron unicorn. He stopped, just feet away from my body, watching me for a moment as I held my casual position. I felt no need to act scared around him, and I just wanted to rest, so there was no need to attempt to move myself.

After a moment, he leaned over, bringing his helmeted face closer to mine, "Who are you?"

I sighed, "Well, I could be asking you the same question. Since you've never met me before in your life, how could you possibly know that I knew anything about you and who you are? It's kind of rude, actually, what you've just done, here. I'm a lady, you know."

He grunted, standing upright in somewhat of a shock, "What accusations are these? You shall respect me and all that I am, you impudent woman!"

I rolled my eyes, tilting my head to touch my shoulder.

He peered at me for a moment as I gave him no response, "Why do you sit so casually in front of me? You must know of who I am, so why do you not cower with fear?"

I looked up at him, raising my eyebrows, "I'm bored."

His fists clenched, growing impatient with me, "Who are you! My men said they spotted you with those cretons, those turtles. What were you doing with them?"

I huffed, "Listen, paper Shredder, I'm not obligated to tell you anything. So, how about this, I've been having sort of a bad day, so if you could just untie me so I can go home, that would be great."

He growled under his helmet, banging his fist on the ground as he lowered himself to my level, "You are going nowhere! You will tell me everything you know of those turtles!"

I pursed my lips, squinting my eyes, "Hmm… Tempting, but, no."

"Why do you defy me, girl?"

"Well, I don't know, maybe because your stupid foot soldiers dragged me here against my will and tied me up in your fucking dump hole." I spat at him, feeling my nerves rise. All I wanted was some time to myself, instead, I got kidnapped by bucket-for-brains. This day just keeps getting better and better.

Slowly, he rose his double knuckle blades to my cheek, letting the cool metal slide across my face, "Such awful language for a lady. Tell me, do ladies fancy dying from where you come from? From the look of it, you're not from Earth."

I pulled my face away from his blades, shooting him a glare, "Neither are you, tentacle boy."

Shredder shot up, throwing his arms back, "I knew you weren't just some girl the turtles picked up! Who sent you here?! I'll kill every last one of those stinking Utrams if I find you're their spy, starting with you!"

I scoffed, thinking how funny it was that he would say that. Even in this universe he mistakes me for an Utram spy. Go figure.

I leaned my head back to stare at the ceiling for a short moment, letting out a long sigh, "Oh, for the love of god, I am not an Utram spy. We don't even associate with those guys where I come from. Completely different galaxy you got there."

"Then tell me who you are!" Shredder shouted at the top of his lungs, growing every bit as impatient with me as I was with him, "Stop playing these games with me and tell me who you are and what relation you have with those creatures!"

I gave him a smirk, "Well, I guess you could call me an in-law."

Even the foot soldiers exchanged glances with each other as Shredder stood, silenced by my response. He was stumped, unable to even conjure the thought of any of them even having relations with another species in that way.

Suddenly, a low chuckle came from under his breath, growing louder with each breath he drew. He eventually broke out into a hysterical laugh, throwing his arms and head back.

I peered at him with disapproving eyes, "What's so funny?"

He took a few steps towards me, standing above me as I sat in his shadow. Bending down, he looked me in the face, "Who could ever love those disgusting things?"

I felt my heart thump with anger as he pulled away. I knew he was smiling under that helmet of his. He knew he'd made me angry, and he was happy about it, standing there mocking me to my face.

My fists shook as I glared at him, gritting my teeth together, "What the fuck did you just say to me..?"

He chuckled, "I said, who could ever love those disgusting things?"

"How dare you!" He flinched as I screamed at him, pushing myself up on my knees, "How dare you accuse them of being the ones who are disgusting! Look at yourself you miserable psycho!" I took heavy breaths as I saw his fists clench tightly, his elbows bending back, "All you do…all you do, Shredder, is obsess over how you can't beat them, how you'll always fall short of your ultimate title! You call them creatures, when you're the one who's inhuman! You're nothing but a coward who has lowly soldiers kidnap innocent girls you've never even seen or heard of in your life because you somehow think they're going to bring you down even further from your so-called throne! I'll tell you one thing, Shredder, I don't give a shit what you do to me! I don't give a fucking shit if I have to sit here and take a beating from you, if you slice my skin and tell me I'm nothing but a whore for what I've done with my husband! You want to know why? Because you're nothing! You're just a low-life trying to scrape what glory you have left off of the pavement my family has crushed you on, and I'll tell you what, you'll never be what these idiotic minions of yours think you are! You might as well just give up now."

Shredder bounded toward me with angry steps, a loud growl escaping his throat as he raised his blades, "You impudent wo-" In the blink of an eye, he stopped, staring at me as I felt my head spin. My hands shook fiercely as if all circulation had been cut off from my heart, "What..what is this you are doing!"

I panicked as I watched my body begin to fade, almost as if I were going transparent. Every particle in my body seemed to be ripping from each other, making my image look like stretched out static lines on an old Magnavox.

I looked up at Shredder, fear in my eyes for the first time since arriving, "I-I…I don't know!"

Suddenly, my mind ran back to the first time something weird had happened to me in this world…that day when I lost my thought-phone…the day that Donny told me of his theory…Was this the day? Was this the day of my irreversible doom? Was I to inevitably disappear from reality as we knew it…?

Tears ran down my cheeks as I shook with fear, my body frozen on the cold ground. I could feel nothing in the physical sense, just the dreadful panic running through my body. Even Shredder was at a loss, standing in front of me like a dumbstruck buffoon, waiting for someone to 'make it stop'.

And then, just like that, everything stopped. I stared at my hands as tears continues to drip from my cheeks, a feeling of terror still washing over me.

Shredder took a step forward, his fist clenched at me, "W-what sorcery is this that you play on me, woman!"

I snapped my head up, panic still lingering in my eyes, "I-I-I… I don't know! It wasn't me!"

"Don't lie to me you arrogant girl. I know when tricks are being played on me!" He raised his foot, kicking me backwards.

I coughed, bringing my elbows into my stomach as I rolled in pain. He stood over me as tears streamed out of my eyes. I was scared, and not because of Shredder, because I was afraid I'd never see the ones I loved ever again. I was afraid that in this moment, I'd truly lose everything I'd ever held dear to me.

"You're nothing but a foolish woman! I should kill you right here!" Shredder pounded his foot into my ribcage, sending me rolling across the floor.

I screamed in agony before coughing up blood, feeling it drip from my lips. There, on the floor, I cried, believing that I was truly going to die, whether it was from the hand of Shredder, or if I was simply going to disappear…

"Yes! Oh, the sound of your weeping brings joy to my ears!" I watched as he lifted his double blades, holding them above his head for his final strike.

I closed my eyes, hoping for a quick death, waiting his inevitable strike, "Just do it! Just kill me before something else does!"

Suddenly, the metal doors busted open, breaking off of their hinges to crash upon the concrete floor.

"You let her go, Shredder!"

I shot up, forgetting all the agony I was in, only to hear the dear voice of my husband, Donatello, "D-Donny!"

Shredder grumbled lowly raising his arms in the air, "No! You! How could you have ever..!"

Leo and Raph jumped ahead of Donny to attack Shredder as Mikey held back the few Foot that were in the room. Donny shot through the room, taking advantage of his apponents' distractions.

"Hold on, my love! I'm coming!" Donny drew his staff, knocking back the foot who tried to stop him, "I promise I'll get you safe!"

I held my arms out to him, tears dripping from my cheeks and down my chin, "H-Hurry! Please!"

As he reached me, he pulled the ropes off of my hands and I embraced him, burying my face in his neck. He rocked me as I sobbed, wishing we could simply go home, be a family again…

"Donny…please…find a way to get us home…please…" I stared up at him with fear in my eyes, my vision blurred from the warm tears forming beneath my eyelids.

I squeezed me gently, "Of course, darling…of course I will…"

Suddenly, Shredder was behind him, his hands moving for his shell. I screamed raising my eyes to meet Shredder's body, "Donny, look out!"

Before he could react, it was too late. Shredder grabbed Donny by the edged of his shell, tearing him from my arms, "No! Donny! No!"

I sobbed as I watched Leo and Raph take Shredder down once again, Donny regaining himself after being thrown across the floor, "Anocari! Hold on!"

At this point, dozens more Foot soldiers had entered the room, attacking Mikey and Donny in swarms. Donny pushed with all his might through the sea of Foot, crying out to me with every step. And then, it started again.

I shook, another wave of panic crashing down upon me like a massive tsunami as I stared at my hands. They were…they were disappearing…everything…every part of me was washing away like pixels on a computer screen.

I let out a terrified scream as I looked to Donny. He was drawing closer, pushing through the crowds of foot, "D-Donny! It's happening! It's happening again! H-help!"

"No! Anocari! Just-just hold on! Please!" His eyes were filled with panicked question, unknowing of the theory his other self had created only weeks ago in his very bedroom, the theory that I would be eliminated from this world, a world where I didn't belong.

I watched in horror as my fingers, my palms, my writs, they began to evaporate, blowing away with the slightest stream of air. I fell on my stomach, reaching what was left of my arm out to Donny, screaming his name over and over, "DONNY! DONNY! DONNY….!"

My vision blurred as my whole was deteriorating, falling apart piece by piece. I could see Donny, finally breaking free of the soldiers, desperately reaching out for me, "Anocari! Anocari! ANOCARI!"

Just as he reached what was left of my being, I heard the tiniest fragment of his last words to me as I could breathe no more, my voice lost with the rest of my body, "I swear I'll find y-!"

And then it was dark.

END OF PART 1