Chapter 20

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I was surprised at how good Mihra was with the Dracon beam. Each shot she took was quick and effective.

Unfortunately, I couldn't say the same about Donnie.

He was masterful with a Bo, and his ninja skills were more than impressive, but when it came to firing alien weapons... he was-

"Look out!" I dove at him, knocking him behind a wall as Dracon fire shot past our heads.

"S-sorry" He muttered, ducking instinctively behind me as I moved out, taking a shot. I saw a hit, and the human controller went down.

All you could see in the darkness of the mall was Dracon fire going back and forth, hearing it hit walls and cries as it hit people.

"And you tell me to be careful" I muttered, looking up at his sheepish face "What were you doing standing in the middle-"

"I was trying to-DAH!" We both ducked as a shot barely missed my head, and I turned, firing blindly back, hearing a yell.

"All right, less talking more shooting" I leaned out, seeing what looked like more controllers were now lining up, firing away.

"We will not be able to get through!" I heard Mihra yell from nearby, and I looked over at her.

"Well we can't just give up!" I fired again, seeing one grab his arm, then another fired, making me duck back behind the wall.

"Donnie!"

"Wha-"

"Do you have any smoke grenades, anything that can help us here!"

"No, but I can... hang on" He grabbed the Dracon beam he was carrying, then something else from his belt.

"Donnie, you can't-"

"Just give me a minute!" He was annoyed, fiddling, and I ducked a little as another shot just missed my head.

"Fine!" I snapped, turning back out and taking aim, shooting another controller through the leg and seeing her drop. I saw Mihra still firing away, dropping one after another. She obviously knew how to protect herself...

I looked back out, taking aim and feeling a shot graze my ear, yelping and grabbing it as I shot again, realising then I didn't have an ear.

I felt the blood spilling out through my fingers, trying to put some pressure on it as I started to fire faster now.

"All right, done!" I heard a hum and I turned back to see something flashing on the Dracon beam. He leaned past me, pulling his arm back and crying out as he threw it with all his might, then grabbed me and pulling me down, yelling "GET DOWN!"

Before I could wonder what, a huge explosion rocked us, all of us crying out at the noise and impact. I saw debris go flying past as Donnie almost pulled me backwards and onto his lap. I saw Mihra curled into a ball on the other side of us, behind a support pillar. None of us moved until the aftershock died down, and all we could hear was silence.

"Holy-Donnie!" I turned to him, moving away from him and slapping his shoulder a little, watching as his eyes went wide.

"What?"

"Warn us before you throw a bomb!" I hissed, looking back out and seeing a large hole where the controllers used to be. He had taken out the floor under them, as well as some of the floor above. I could see the floor above us start to crumble, falling down and hitting what was left of the railing, taking more of the floor we were on with it.

"Well done" Mihra stepped out, and I joined her, the two of us looking at the mess. I put a hand back up to my ear, feeling like I needed to shift back or I'd loose too much blood.

"I thought you told me to help" He protested, coming out behind me as I shifted back, looking down at me.

"Warning... its all I ask" I repeated, turning and looking down at the hole.

"Now where should we go?" Mihra asked, and I smiled, looking up onto the gaping hole in the floor above us. I smiled then, knowing Donnie had just given us exactly what we needed.

"Donnie" He turned to me.

"Can you get up there from here?" I pointed. He looked up, probably calculating in his head, then nodded.

"Mihra" I asked, but she was already shifting something orange with three sets of wings. I started to shift to Ithiell, opening my wings and watching as Donnie expertly flipped upwards, following them last.

We hit the floor above, seeing a corner and going to hide next to it, both Mihra and me shifting back as Donnie brought up his blue screen again.

"Okay, we're closer now, but we have bogeys-" He stopped, turning around, making us turn around as well.

Behind us, probably about as stock still as we were, were about a dozen controllers, all looking at us.

"Oh come on!" I grumbled, feeling Donnie grab me, hauling us around the corner with Mihra following as they all fired madly. The corner of the wall exploded, showering us with debris as we ran.

We went around another corner, suddenly all of us skidding to a stop as we found another few dozen controllers, all looking at us.

"Oh no" There was suddenly Dracon beams aimed at all of us. I turned my head a little, seeing the other controllers had caught up to us, every single Dracon beam pointed our way.

Everything seemed to slow down as I desperately looked for a way to escape, finding we were in a pretty tight spot.

"No escape now!" Came one cocky controller as he stepped forward, his weapon still aimed at us.

Was this it? Was there really no way out?

I felt something touch fingers, looking down and seeing it was Donnie's hand, taking it in my own and squeezing it tight. He returned the pressure, and our eyes met. We spoke with no words, but said everything we needed to say.

A shrill scream suddenly met our ears, and we turned to look, seeing something crash through the mass of Controllers in front of us.

I felt Donnie move, pushing me down and landing on me, winding me as suddenly everyone and everything exploded into action. Dracon fire shot over our heads, screams erupting around us.

I fought to catch my breath, moving Donnie a little and seeing a flash of orange, then the crack of a tail, realising there were suddenly alot more people here.

"They made it!" Donnie seemed shocked as he pulled us to the side of the mass of bodies, seeing Mihra was caught up in them. She was attacking and hitting with her tail and shooting her Dracon beam and just going crazy.

"You guys okay?" Came the gruff voice, and we looked up to see Raph kneel beside is, ducking as a shot went over our heads. We nodded.

"Then a little help please!" Leo's voice now, relieving some of the worry in my mind as Raph took off again, Donnie getting up as I shifted to Jinnaw, taking off and hitting the controllers with all I had.

As I fought, I counted off each friend who had joined the battle.

Raph, who was kicking and shoving controllers out of the way like they were nothing.

April, who had taken a position just off to the side, shooting the Jara gun that Ithiell had given her, covered in the kind of weird makeshift battle suit the boys had made for her.

Leo, who was slicing and dicing, trying not to get hit as he spun around, kicking another controller down harshly.

Mikey, who I saw spin kick several of the controllers, falling on his ass and jumping up again, looking around a little to check no one had seen him, then spinning his nunchuck and hitting someone in the face.

Splinter, who was moving so fast all I saw was a blur of fists and tail as he hit and hit and hit.

Rachel, who was stomping on controllers, throwing them this way and that with her trunk, stabbing some with her tusks.

(Where's Ithiell!) I yelled, body slamming a controller that was next to Mikey, looking up at him as he shrugged, going to say something, then both of us being distracted by our new opponents.

If he wasn't here...where the hell was he?

"Hey!" Came a sudden yell, and I looked over at April, who was now desperately pointing to a spot past us, turning to see something that made my blood run cold.

I saw Serah, and although it made me glad that she was alive, but...

She was being dragged along by none other than Visser one, and she was fighting to get out of her grasp, as well as another big male controller, who had his hand around the back of her neck.

How the hell did she even get here?!

And how the hell did Visser One catch her in all this?!

(Cover me!) I called to April, seeing her nod, starting to dive around the others fighting, barely avoiding getting hit once or twice. Thankfully April had good aim, and I managed to get through the melee without much damage.

I skidded across the ground, looking around.

(Try the ro-ow!) Rachel yelped as she got hit with a beam, seeing her back leg start to collapse behind her.

(Rachel!) I saw Raphel there suddenly, and she turned to me (Go! I'm fine! Get Serah!)

I hesitated, but I knew she was right. Even if Raph wasn't there, I knew she'd be okay. I turned, back, running and heading towards the stairs to the roof.

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I reached the top of the stairs, feeling the wind picking up and looking around. At first I couldn't see anyone, but then my eyes landed on objects moving near the end of the roof. I started to run, slowing down and almost tripping over my own feet as I looked up, seeing a huge black helicopter hovering above us.

(Oh really?!) I snapped, moving and diving over the bits and pieces on the roof, seeing the figures get closer now. Serah was still struggling, but the guy who had her seemed to have superhuman strength, and Visser One had her nails deep in her arm.

(Hey!) I yelled, seeing them turn around and stop, almost waiting for me to catch up. I skidded to a stop in front of them, baring my teeth.

"And what are you?" Visser One snarled.

(Oh, don't remember me? Let me refresh your memory) I shifted, watching the utter shock on her face, seeing Serah had a similar look as I emerged from the Jinnaw.

"Jade!" She sounded both relieved and confused, cringing as the man who had her shook her a little.

"You" Visser one snarled, her grip on Serah tightening and making her cry out in pain. I could see blood start to seep out of the wounds she'd made, holding onto Serah so tightly.

"Let her go" I warned.

"Oh you'll what?!" She spat, yanking Serah even closer, making her cry out.

"Oh come on" I raised an eyebrow "You've encountered me enough times to know..." I moved forward, making her move back a little, smiling a little.

"I.. win"

A small smile suddenly crossed her face, and her other hand moved down to her waist. She pulled out a Dracon beam, aiming it and firing as I ducked, managing to scramble behind a small brick wall as she fired again, ducking as the brick above me exploded.

"Not this time, bitch!" She yelled, and I finally saw the helicopter make its way over to the side of the roof, going to look out, yelping as I was almost shot again.

"Say goodbye to your little friend Serah..." Came the snarl.

"Jade!" Serah called, and I heard her make a horrible pained sound, trying to look out again but finding my head was almost shot off this time.

"When will you rotten creatures learn to stay down!" She snapped, hearing what I thought was them all get onto the helicopter, gathering up all my courage.

"Fucking never!" I finally yelled, finally getting up and moving, running towards the helicopter as it started to lift, feeling a shot barely miss me, seeing it start to get higher and higher into the sky.

Here goes! I jumped, my arms reaching as far as possible, barely grabbing hold of one of the legs of the landing gear, feeling my grip slipping with one, then grabbing on with the other hand, before managing to hook an elbow over, feeling the helicopter start to jerk to the left, my legs swinging wildly.

I felt nauseous as the helicopter swung left and right, trying to knock me off.

"Jade!" I heard Serah cry, and a small scuffle. I felt the helicopter straighten, and I took the chance to hook a leg over, pulling myself up and hooking the other over with a little difficulty.

"Oh this is not how I imagined growing up" I suddenly muttered to myself, seeing Visser One's head pop over the edge, glaring down at me.

"Why... won't...you...DIE!" She yelled, trying to grab my hand and pull it off, but I fought back, pushing her back a little. She scratched me, drawing blood up my arm, and I shrieked, my arm slipping off, as she started to work at the other one.

I had to do something, or I'd fall off this damn thing!

With the arm that was now hanging, I fought to move myself down, lifting the bottom of my pants and pulling the dagger out, watching as she continued to yank at the arm that was around the leg of the helicopter.

"Die!"

"Shut up!" I snapped, using all the strength I had and thrusting the dagger into her hand. She screamed, and I yanked it out, watching as she disappeared into the cabin of the helicopter. I took the chance to sheath the dagger, fighting to regain some grip, starting to try and climb upwards.

I heard a strange wooshing sound, before something hit the side of the helicopter, almost making me loose my grip and hearing the others inside screaming.

KABOOOM!

An explosion rocked the helicopter, and it started to spin wildly.

I felt the pilot trying to regain some control, but it was no use. Then, to my horror, I saw Serah tumble out of the cabin of the helicopter, starting to fall towards the earth-

"No!" I went to reach for her, feeling the helicopter finally loose altitude, watching as she-

There was a flash of something, and it took me a moment to realise that Serah had disappeared.

What-

"Jade jump!" Came the yell, and I took a quick breath, before separating myself from the doomed helicopter, feeling something grab my wrist, my side hitting something solid. I looked up to see Leo had grabbed my arm, and as quickly as I saw him he hauled me up, pulling me away from the edge and covering me as the helicopter exploded below, parts flying everywhere. I heard and almost something hit the side of the building, flipping up and over us and hitting just past us.

Leo soon moved, and I breathed a sigh of relief, looking up at him as he helped me up.

"Thanks Leo"

"Anytime" He went and looked over the edge, and I followed, seeing a burning heap that used to be the helicopter.

Did I just kill Visser One? Or had she somehow survived...again?

"That was clo-Serah!" It hit me, and looked around, trying to find out where she had fallen or what happened to her, panicking and wondering if she was okay, or if something-

"She's okay" Suddenly Ithiell was there, landing in front of us, with Serah in his arms. It looked like she had fallen unconscious...

He put her down, and instantly I was over at him, shoving him hard.

"And where the hell where you?!"

"Why, waiting to make a dramatic entrance... as always" Was his response, and I smirked a little. Damn his quick wit sometimes...

"We should get back to the others" Leo said, and we all nodded, heading back down, Serah in Leo's arms as I shifted.

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Next chapter... will be fun!

And as always, Constructive Criticism appreciated :D