Notes:
~ I decided not to divide the story for now but continue this one.
~ I am up to hearing your ideas and wishes in the comments. You are welcome.
~ no beta
~English is not my native language.
~Comment and kudos motivate me to write further
Shredder woke up in the dungeon cell. He was probably dragged there after he lost consciousness on the lab floor. He could hardly move due to the pain in all his body. Especially his gaping ass. He was still naked, without his helmet and mask.
He heard footsteps approaching. The cell door opened and Rahzar and the warthog entered in.
"Good to see you awake." Rahzar said "Karai wants to speak with you."
Bebop and Rahzar dragged Shredder out of the cell and in the main hall. Throwing him on the knees on the hard stone floor in front of the throne. Shredder's legs were still too limp to walk on his own or even stand. His arms were binded firmly behind his back. His whole body still hurt too much. And he still was dizzy from the exhaustion and pain. They didn't put the gag back, but his jaw also was hurting too much still. And his throat too soar. He could barely talk even if he wanted. Shredder was also thirsty and probably was on the edge to do whatever they wanted him to, for the gulp of water.
In the throne room everyone was present. Karai was sitting on his throne. And near her was some girl. Shredder didn't know who she was.
"I hope you had a good rest, father." Karai began.
Shredder stayed silent. He already understood that Karai referred him as "father" in a mockery way and not sincerely.
"After everything I decided that it would be too easy just to let you go. Knowing you too well, after recovering, you will just return to your bloody vendetta as always. And nothing will change. The only way to prevent this is that you won't be the leader of the Clan from now on. But you will serve the clan as a slave instead."
Hearing this, made Shredder lift his head in anger, gritting his teeth. The words shocked him so much, that he even forgot about all his pain, trying to raise on his feet.
Behind him Rahzar and Rocksteady made some movement towards him, but Karai lifted her hand to stop them. She knew that Shredder wasn't in condition to harm her either way. And she was right.
Shredder failed getting up on his feet and dropped back on his knees. The anger rose in him giving him some strength.
"Stupid child! …Who are you to talk to me like that… and making such decisions. I am the true leader of this Clan….I rebuilt it from ashes…after your wretched ancestors destroyed it…. And you think you can just remove me…and turn me…into a slave… after everything …I …. have done…for it… " his last words were interrupted by strong coughing.
His throat still was too sore for talking after all.
Karai leaned forward. Digging her fingers in to the armrests of the throne.
"You lost your power as a leader long ago, Shredder! When you put your own vendetta before the clan needs." She yelled at him "You disgraced yourself and the Clan when you allied with those weird alien creatures and started replacing your men by robots and to turn your disciples into mutants. Including me!" Karai embraced herself and continued more calmly "Besides, I don't see anyone to oblige with my decision. It seems that the Clan also don't want you as a head of it anymore." Karai smirked in the end. "But if anyone here wants to defend "Master" Shredder, you have a word." Karai referred to the others, gathered in the throne room.
But everyone stayed silent. Shredder's jaw dropped open at this fact. The realisation that nobody, not even Tiger Claw, wanted to help him, actually defeated Shredder. Was he actually such a bad kind of a leader, that no one of his disciples wanted him back on the throne? And only wanted to see him as a slave now?
Devastated, Shredder dropped his head looking on the floor under his knees.
"See?" Karai continued "They all agree that your new position as a slave is more fitting for the clan. And meanwhile I will restore the Clan's dignity and honour, which you deprived it."
Shredder was still deep in his dark depressing thoughts, looking beneath him.
"Now! As for your new status. You are now officially a slave to me, Shinigami and everybody in the Clan. This means you are to do anything, that you will be ordered without question. Otherwise you will be severely punished. You will address everyone with respect and kneel in their presence.
You are not allowed to talk unless you are addressed directly. For opening your mouth without permission, you also will be punished.
You also are not allowed to beg for mercy during the punishments. Only if you are ordered to do so. Unless you want to be gagged again. And it also will result in additional punishment.
You are not allowed any clothes. Your body will be naked all the time in front of anyone.
At the end of each day you will receive ten lashes of the cane on your bottom. No matter how you hurt or if you were already punished this day, you should present your ass for everyday caning willingly. Even if it will be already bleeding and beaten raw during the day, otherwise you will be punished additionally.
Are the rules clear?"
Shredder shivered throughout the time Karai read aloud the new rules to him. He still was too shocked and depressed from the turning of the events.
"I asked you a question, slave! Answer!" Karai said in a firm voice.
"Yes" came a barely audible response after a while.
"Yes, what? Or do you want the punishment to start right now?"
"Yes,….mistress" this time the response was even quieter.
"Good! Next time you will be punished for disrespect without reminding. So if you don't want to suffer more than you should, you'd better learn the new rules quickly." Karai looked with uncloaked delight at the broken man, she once called her father.
"As for now, you already earned yourself a punishment by defying my decision in the disrespectful manner. So ten lashes that is." Karai shook her head in the mutants' direction. "Place him on the throne for now. And present his ass for punishment. We will need to put a bench or a table though in a time for his punishments."
Rahzar and Rocksteady came to Shredder and lifted him to his legs. Walking Shredder to a throne they pushed him down to his knees, placing his upper body on the throne seat sticking his bottom out for lashing. They yanked his hands behind his back, holding him tightly in place.
The situation was humiliating all along for Shredder and the fact that his ass would be caned right on his own throne, made it even more embarrassing.
Karai picked up the same cane they used on him in the lab, making several angry test swipes with it.
"I remind you that you are not allowed to beg during the punishment or close your legs. If you dare to do it, I will whip your asscrack directly. I bet it still hurts pretty badly. Understood?"
Shredder was silent.
"I don't hear you, slave! Or do you want it to be twenty lashes for disobedience?"
"Yes" Shredder squeezed barely audible. And then yelped, as the hard strike came to his still unhealed bottom.
"Yes, what? Fifteen lashes!"
"Yes,…mistress" Shredder sobbed. There were still not healed welts from the last caning on his bottom, and he didn't know how he will endure more without begging.
"Shin, you missed your turn last time, wanna catch up?" Karai offered to Shinigami, holding up a cane to her.
"Yeah, sure. With great pleasure." Shinigami stepped forward grabbing the cane.
"Ask her to punish you, slave. And tell why you should be punished." Karai said firmly.
"P…Please,… mistress,… punish me…for my…disrespect." Shredder mumbled.
"Oh, I will, slave. And I will enjoy how your ass will bleed" with that Shinigami raised her hand and brought the cane hard for the first strike.
Shredder cried out as the cane landed on his still fresh welts. It hurt badly.
"Shut up and take it, slave!" Shinigami already raised her hand for the next hit.
After the seventh hit of a cane the skin on his bottom broke anew, drawing blood.
Shredder groaned with each hit of the cane, gritting his jaw hard and biting his lips to blood. It was easier with the gag after all, but now he needed to contain himself from begging as it will draw only more punishment.
Finally the last fifteenth hit of the cane landed on his tortured backside. Several streams of blood were running down his legs from the fresh welts. His whole body shivering from the pain.
Rahzar and Rocksteady lifted him up and returned to the previous place on the floor in front of Karai and Shinigami.
Shinigami was looking at the blooded cane with amusement.
"Nice!" She commented "And remember that your bottom will bleed hard every time you break the rules."
"Y…yes,…m..mistress" Shredder panted, looking at the floor. His bottom was on fire now and he was afraid that any wrong saying would result in more punishment.
"You will get 2 days in time to heal." Karai addressed him. "The food, water and meds also will be provided to you. After that you will be branded as a slave of a clan.
Take him back to the cell."
Shredder was so depressed and discouraged by the news that he even didn't pay attention when he was lifted from his knees. He just allowed himself being dragged back to the cell.
Everything that ever mattered to him and, he thought, was unshakable as his position as a leader, fell apart in a moment. Leaving him with absolutely nothing left. His power, his clan, his daughter, even the loyalty of his disciples. Everything was gone in one moment. And his dignity soon will follow.
Shredder was lying on the thin cot in the cell that was given to him. They put shackles on his hands with a short chain as he once put on Karai when captured her. But they actually weren't needed. He was still too weak to move not to mention to fight. He was indeed provided with food and water and even some painkillers. But all of this didn't give him enough strength. The most drastic part was that nothing can make him feel better or save him from the dark future from now on.
There was no escape from the fact that he is turned to a slave. There was just nowhere to run literally and theoretically. And he actually was afraid that if he even try to escape, Karai no doubt will punish him more severely for that. And considering what he already was put through, it was more terrifying.
The understanding that there is nowhere to run and no help will come, made Shredder even more depressed. From now on, his only chance to make his existence at least bearable, will be to follow the rules and obey. But he just couldn't give up so easily. He knew he will fight back. But he also estimated that in the end they will finally break him. Several days being tied up in the lab made it perfectly clear. He wasn't so strong after all. And his torturers were pretty cruel and imaginative. And they won't hesitate to inflict pain upon him if he only gives them a chance.
It was hard to bear with the idea that he has lost everything in one go. Some days earlier he had unlimited power over the clan and even the city, but now even such simple things as clothes, food, water and the absence of pain would be a privilege to him.
The thought sinking deep in his mind was that he was the one to blame for all this, made it even worse. He continued to persuade himself that it was Karai who seized the power and his men who betrayed him, but somehow it wasn't working. All of them actually tried to convince him to step aside from his obsession and to care about other things.
But he wasn't listening to them. His vendetta was all that mattered. And Karai was right after all. His Clan was fed up with his attitude towards them, his threats and beatings. They didn't want to support and follow him any further. And there was still a lot of frustration and thirst for revenge for him for the previous years. And now there was nothing to stop them from humiliating and hurting him, with his new status of a slave.
All he was left with, is to bear it and don't piss them off even more.
With all these thoughts Shredder drifted into a restless sleep. He still needed to gain just a little strength to face all the trials as a slave and he was sure that they will be far from pleasant and easy for him.