Chapter Forty
Because of you
Down in the dungeons, Leonardo, Raphael, Master Splinter and Michelangelo were shut in their cages.
Raphael was chained to the wall unable to move and his muzzle was still over his mouth, yet there were signs of blood and bruising on his ankles and wrists from where he had pulled at his shackles.
Because he had been violent and tried to escape as well as attack, he was secured tighter when tortured.
Leonardo was seated in his cell nursing some wounds inflicted on him earlier which included bruises, cuts, and burns.
Michelangelo was curled up in his cell trying to keep himself warm, he too had torture wounds.
Splinter was leaning on the bars of his cage looking at his sons and feeling helpless, tears of sadness and anger stained his fur around his muzzle as he had seen what had been inflicted on his sons and seen Donatello, Monalisa and Pandora marched off to the Labs of Dr Arden.
As the four mutants lingered there, the door opened, and they all looked over to see Shredder walking in with his Elite Ninja as well as holding Kemeko's hand.
Leonardo as soon as he saw Kemeko, his eyes widened, and he dashed to the front of his cage and called out to her.
"Kemeko!" he cried desperately, reaching his arms out to her.
Kemeko at the same time saw her father and she wanted to run to him, but she felt Shredder grip her hand tighter and he wasn't willing to let go of her unless he decided to.
Splinter snarled at the evil man who was standing next to his granddaughter, and Michelangelo and Raphael glared.
"Good evening mutants." Shredder growled, "I hope you've settled in." he smirked and chuckled, obviously not in the least concerned about his enemy's welfare.
"Get your evil hands of Kemeko! You monster!" Michelangelo spat.
"You have no right to be holding her!" Splinter growled.
Raphael said something similar but again because of his muzzle, no-one could understand him.
Kemeko looked up at Shredder.
"Please! Let me go to them!" she pleaded "You promised!"
Shredder looked down at Kemeko.
"Yes, I did." He replied, "And I will not break that promise!"
He let go of Kemeko's hand and as he did, the Asian girl ran to Leonardo's cage and the two embraced tightly.
Leonardo wrapped his arms around his daughter through the bars and Kemeko sobbed into his shoulder.
"Oh, my turtle child! My Lotus Blossom!" Leonardo sobbed "Thank goodness you're alright! I'm so glad you're safe!"
"Oh father!" Kemeko wept "I'm so sorry! This is all my fault! I did this!"
"Lotus…" Leonardo said.
"I dishonoured you!" Kemeko sobbed "I hurt you! I cut you, I ran away! Pandora followed me, if I hadn't left home, this never would have happened!"
Leonardo held Kemeko close to him, and he thought about everything that had happened.
He had been angry, and he had shouted at what he thought was Kemeko who turned out to be a clone, but just seeing his sobbing and vulnerable daughter under the thumb of the Shredder, the anger had faded, and he now directed it at the evil man.
All he could do now was reassure Kemeko that everything would be alright, but he didn't know if he could convince her, as it all seemed so hopeless now.
They were trapped within the Foot Headquarters at the mercy of the Foot, Donatello, Monalisa and Pandora were in Dr Arden's labs, and no-one knew of their plight, not April and Casey, nor even the Chicago Knights.
"Where's Aunt Mona, Uncle Donnie and Pandora?" Kemeko asked breaking into Leonardo's thoughts.
Leonardo swallowed hard.
"Dr Arden took them to his labs!" he said, "I can only guess what he's doing to them!"
"No!" Kemeko gasped as she thought of her aunt, Uncle and Cousin/honoured sister in the hands of the evil Doctor.
She lowered her head and sobbed harder.
"No…No…No…" she wept "It's worse than I thought, it's my fault this is happening! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
"I know you didn't mean it sweetheart." Leonardo soothed trying his best to give his daughter hope and comfort "You didn't mean it! It was an accident."
Kemeko sniffed.
"I was so angry." She wept.
"I know baby girl, I know!" Leonardo held Kemeko's cheeks in his paws.
"No matter what happened back then and what has happened now, you didn't mean for this to happen! I don't blame you, neither of us do!"
He glanced at Michelangelo, Raphael, and Splinter, and they all gave Kemeko the same look of agreement.
Kemeko hiccupped.
"But it did happen father." She said, "And I did this." She held her father's hands "I dishonoured, and I will get it back! I will restore honour!"
Leonardo looked at his daughter.
"Kemeko." He said but Kemeko shook her head.
"I'm not afraid father." She whispered and she moved her eyes behind her head, she knew Shredder was still watching and he wasn't going to leave.
"I'm not afraid! I will restore honour and I will get us out of here!" she whispered to Leonardo "No matter what, I will do all I can to get us out of here!"
Leonardo looked scared.
He didn't know what Kemeko was planning, but hearing those words, he feared what Kemeko would try to do, and if she tried anything to betray the Shredder, that he would kill her like he killed her mother.
"Lotus…" he said "Please…Don't…don't do anything reckless!"
"I won't!" Kemeko whispered "I swear on my life, my honour, and my love for you, for all of you, I will get us out of here!"
She hugged Leonardo again tightly.
"All I am is because of you! You raised me, you loved me, you trained me, and you made me who I am! And I am forever grateful! I love you daddy!" she whispered.
"I love you too Lotus." Leonardo said silently and nuzzled Kemeko's hair.
"I made a promise to your parents that I would raise you and protect you."
"You kept your promise!" Kemeko said "And I promise you, all of you, I will do all I can to help you escape."
Leonardo hugged Kemeko tightly again.
"Don't worry about us Lotus." He said, "Just please, promise me you'll be okay and don't do anything foolish!"
"I promise!" Kemeko whispered and kissed Leonardo's cheek.
"I love you daddy, more than anything, until the end of time." She then slid from Leonardo's embrace, tears streaming from her eyes.
"Have you said your farewells to your father?" Shredder's cruel voice broke into Kemeko's bubble, and she turned to face him.
"I have yes." she said, "I have said my farewells and I'm ready to join you."
"Whaa!?" Michelangelo cried in horror, Raphael gave a muffled roar and Splinter gasped.
"No! My granddaughter! Kemeko!" he reached through the bars of his cage towards Kemeko, but the tearful young girl stood by Shredder's side.
"I'm sorry." She sobbed then she glanced at Shredder making sure he wasn't watching, and she gave them a wink.
Seeing her wink, the two turtles and Splinter realised what she was trying to do, but they didn't stop trying to protest.
"Don't! He's not your grandfather!" Michelangelo shouted, "He's a monster!"
"Shut up!" Shredder snapped and he gripped Kemeko's hand again.
"You stole her from me! And now I have claimed her! She belongs to me!"
"She doesn't belong to you!" Leonardo shouted, "She is not property!"
Shredder glared at Leonardo.
"You have no say here Leonardo." He said "You took her from me, now I have her, and she has agreed to join me! She will accept her heritage, won't you child?"
He looked down at Kemeko who looked up at him and she gasped in fear but nodded quickly.
"I will." She said still nodding at him "I will! I will join you."
Shredder smirked.
"Very good." He said "Now, I believe we can begin your transformation, or rather your transition into becoming one of us here."
Kemeko blinked.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I mean." Shredder said, "We must give you a new wardrobe, strip you of what you were into someone new."
He glanced at Kemeko's clothes then lead her out of the dungeon.
As he did so, Kemeko turned back to her family.
"I love you!" she mouthed "I will come back!"
The three turtles and rat watched her leave then looked at each other.
"What is she doing?" Michelangelo asked.
"Quiet!" Leonardo hissed as he looked around the dungeon "Walls have ears!"
Splinter looked to the entrance of the dungeon.
"I saw her wink." He said, "It must mean she has a plan."
Leonardo looked at Splinter and nodded confirming his theory.
"We can only trust her." He mouthed "She wouldn't just abandon us! She told me she plans to restore her honour."
Raphael nodded in agreement.
"Shredder will be keeping an eye on her." Leonardo mused in worry "I just hope she knows what she's doing, and I wish there was a way Mutopia can be contacted, or do April and Casey have any idea about what's happened?"
He looked back at the entrance of the dungeons and bit his lip.
"Oh Kemeko…please be okay, please don't do something foolish!"
So Kemeko has reunited with her father, and she has promised him she will do what she can to get them all out, but it's going to be a lot harder than she thinks, especially if she's going to make sure the Shredder doesn't suspect anything.
Also, how far away are the Chicago Knights? Well all will be revealed in due course!