Chapter Seven
Identification
Back in Chicago, the dawn was rising, and the people of the city were starting their day, having no idea what secret activities were taking place under their noses.
On TVs all over the city and in every newspaper were news reports of the explosion in the warehouse by the river.
In a dark street that hadn't been touched by the morning sun, was a lone door next to some large dustbins and couple of tramps were sitting, smoking, and talking.
Both wore worth clothes and bean hats as well as old shoes and were gathered around a metal drum where a fire was burning.
To anyone's eye they looked like homeless men gathered to shelter from the elements, and they would be right, but in this case, it was a lot further from the truth.
As they sat there, they heard a car, and they looked up to see a sleek black vehicle approach where position.
At once one of them looked up and pulled off the battered beanie hat, they wore which turned out to be a hat and tattered wig and underneath it, a young Asian man was revealed.
"He's here." He muttered in Japanese to his partner who also stood up and lifted their head to reveal an Asian woman who took out a walkie talkie.
The man walked over to the door which opened, and a couple of men dressed in black ninja jumpsuits appeared followed by a figure in a hooded cloak.
Following them were a couple of other figures also in cloaks as well as a slightly larger figure and the sound of hissing came from them.
The woman spoke in Japanese into the walkie talkie saying their guest had arrived to which a reply came from the other side to open the door.
The man did just that and welcomed the cloaked figures in, the first one bowed then turned to the door.
"Wait there!" a male voice commanded then walked through the door followed by his three companions.
No sooner did they enter than the door shut behind them.
The quartet walked through the door then descended a flight of stairs that lead into an underground basement.
They soon arrived at a set of doors were there were a couple of tall muscular men in suits who looked up at them and stared down at them, analysing them like bouncers would for a nightclub.
The first hooded figure looked up at them and spoke in Japanese then the men nodded and stood aside opening the doors that lead to a large living space of chairs, tables and a bar and there was a large pool table in one area where a couple of men were engaged in a game.
On the sofas a mix of men and women were socialising and smoking and one a couple of tables some were playing card games like bridge or poker.
No sooner did the guests arrive than they looked up from their activities and went quiet.
The first figure then removed his hood and many of the men and women gasped.
"Lord Arashi." One whispered then stood up and bowed to the Foot Leader.
Arashi bowed back and the figures behind him did the same then removed their hoods revealing themselves to be Black Mamba, Cobra, and Gila Monster.
Many of the residents in the room jumped back in fear seeing the humanoid snakes and lizard but they kept their cool and a couple even patted their guns on their sides.
Black Mamba and Cobra hissed at those who looked scared, but Gila Monster growled in a way to keep the snakes under control and Arashi himself grunted at them.
"Not here!" he snarled.
The Asian Man who stood up to greet Arashi looked up at him.
"Thank you for coming so quickly Arashi." He said quietly "I'll take you to Kodama."
Arashi nodded and followed the Yakuza member whilst the others watched quietly as they were led to the back of the room to another area of the underground house.
After they vanished, they decided to remain quiet until they heard anything else from the back.
They all knew the reason why Arashi was there, and they aware of what his reaction would be, and seeing those menacing mutant snakes and lizard, if Arashi gave the command they would attack without hesitation.
Arashi, Black Mamba, Cobra and Gila Monster followed the man to the back room where he knocked, and a voice was heard in Japanese.
"Enter!"
The man opened the door and walked in, leading Arashi, Black Mamba, Cobra, and Gila Monster inside.
Arashi then saw in the dark and low-lit smoke-filled room, a large desk where Boss Kodama sat, with two men behind him like bodyguards along with the 95th Street Gang Leaders Kamura and Valentina who were looking rather grim at first but then looked scared when they saw Black Mamba, Cobra and Gila Monster behind the Foot Crime Lord.
"Lord Arashi." Boss Kodama said in a low voice "Thank you for coming so quickly."
Arashi bowed to Boss Kodama.
"Thank you for informing me." He said in an equally low voice "You…You have her?"
Boss Kodama looked up and nodded.
"I have, we had to work hard to pull a few strings as well as deceive some clever minds, but we have her, along with others were able to acquire after the warehouse exploded."
Arashi took a deep breath.
"Very well." He spoke in a controlled voice.
Kodama sighed heavily and stood up from his desk gesturing with his head for Arashi, Black Mamba, Cobra and Gila Monster to follow him which they did.
The three members of the Venomous Five followed as well as they looked at each other both with a mix of sadness and curiosity.
They soon entered a room where the temperature was cold, and the stench of death hit their noses and almost made Arashi gag as well as the mutant snakes and lizard who were used to nasty smells in their work.
Within the room were tables where white sheets covered them and from the look of them, they were covering the bodies of those recovered from the debris of the battle that took place the other night.
Boss Kodama lead Arashi to one of the tables where a woman stood nearby, and he looked at the Foot Lord.
"Are you ready?" he asked in a concerned voice.
Arashi sighed and nodded then Kodama nodded at the woman who pulled back the sheet to reveal none other than Hanako!
Arashi flinched and closed his eyes looking away from what used to be his hench-woman.
She was no longer the beautiful delicate femme fatale he had known and shared a bed with and spoke to about his thoughts when he wasn't being Shredder's second in command.
She was now a husk of burnt flesh and bones, her hair was singed off and half of her face was ripped away.
Black Mamba, Cobra and Gila Monster also grimaced and looked away in disgust.
"Poor bitch." Cobra mouthed, venom drooling from her lips.
Black Mamba nodded and Gila Monster hissed at them to shush before looking to his master who had his eyes covered and was silently mourning Hanako.
"H... How did this happen Kodama?" Arashi asked in a small voice.
Kodama looked at Hanako and looked at the woman who covered the corpse with the sheet and looked up at Arashi.
"As you are aware before you arrived, when I wrote to inform you, we spoke of the battle at the warehouse the other night involving those creatures." He began to which Arashi looked furious.
"The Dragon and his friends, along with my Master's enemies!" he snarled.
Kodama nodded.
"Yet it didn't start with the whole group of freaks." He said "Hanako and I were pounced upon by the Hybrid first!"
At the word 'Hybrid', Black Mamba and Cobra looked up and hissed.
"The Hybrid?" Arashi asked as he turned to Kodama "You mean…. the spawn of the turtle Raphael and the lizard whore Monalisa?"
"Pandora." Gila Monster growled.
Boss Kodama nodded and began to explain everything from Pandora's attacks to the final showdown at the warehouse before Tyroth, the Knights and the Hamato Clan arrived.
"She apparently had been stalking us then finally challenged us to a showdown for revenge, the stupid girl had been going out on her own without her wretched family, thinking she could take us all on." He explained "I have to admit she was a strong creature, and she had been taught well, she and Hanako fought to the death, and she was the one who delivered the fatal blow to Hanako."
Arashi's eyes narrowed.
"The little slut!" he spat.
Kodama nodded.
"Yet, as Hanako went down, she decided if she was going to die, that the hybrid would join her, so she threw a grenade at her, and it exploded!"
Black Mamba, Cobra and Gila Monster hissed in shock and Arashi's eyes widened.
"You mean?" he asked.
Boss Kodama nodded.
"Hanako may have perished, but she took the crossbreed with her! Pandora is dead!"
Hearing that, Arashi's anger as much as it was strong as well as his grief at Hanako's death, he smirked within as some consolation that the daughter of two of his enemies had perished in the fight.
"What of the others?" he asked, "When the warehouse blew up?"
Boss Kodama glowered.
"I was disappointed to see that the others survived, not surprised given how resilient they are!"
Arashi nodded.
"The Dragon?"
"Alive!"
"The others? Like the other Lizard, Wolf, the Shark? The Cheetah?"
"Alive."
"And the turtles and the lizard whore?"
"Them too, we saw them emerge from the wreckage, alive but not without injuries, we were on the river after we escaped the blast, and saw it all, and Kamaru and Valentina were watching from a street alleyway not far away they too can confirm what we observed."
Arashi glowered again.
"So the filthy Hybrid was the only casualty?" he asked.
"Seems so." Kodama replied.
Black Mamba and Cobra smirked, and Gila Monster looked triumphant.
"The little brat is dead!" Cobra hissed "Blown to smithereens!"
"What a messy way to go!" Black Mamba chuckled "Oh how I look forward to taunting her mother!"
"And her father!" Gila Monster growled "What a shame to lose their only little blister of a brat!"
"Be quiet!" Arashi snapped at the three mutants who hissed but they obeyed instantly yet glowered in defiance.
Arashi glowered at them in warning then looked back at Kodama.
"Despite this good news in spite of my grief." Arashi said "I have reason to believe that because one of their own as fallen, the turtles, the lizard bitch, the dragon and their friends will be out for revenge."
"We are fearful of that yes." Kodama said, "Thus why we are hiding down here along with the leaders and high members of the 95th Street Gang, we know those freaks will be searching the city at night, thus why we are in hiding, but we cannot hide forever."
Arashi glowered.
"No…" he said then looked at Hanako's covered body then at Kodama.
"Kodama." He said narrowing his eyes, "We need to talk some more."
Boss Kodama narrowed his own eyes in curiosity then Arashi looked at Black Mamba and Cobra.
"We will need Doctor Arden to join us in this meeting, via video link." He spoke.
"Let us return to my office." Boss Kodama suggested as he started to lead everyone out of the room, leaving the body of Hanako with the others in the make-shift morgue.
Arashi and three of the Venomous Five have travelled to Chicago to be informed of Hanako's demise, needless to say, Arashi is saddened as well as furious and he feels some pleasure in the thought Pandora fell in battle.
Needless to say Black Mamba, Cobra and Gila Monster are pleased as punch, if only they knew the truth.
But now, it seems Arashi wishes to talk to Kodama that involves Dr Arden, whatever could it be?