Chapter Two
Searching
As the warehouse burned and smouldered, several police cars, the fire department and ambulance services surrounded it and members of the public ran to look, and the press and news crews were there trying to find out information hoping to be first to get a story or even a picture for front pages news.
"Good evening Chicago! I'm Larry Smith, I'm here live at the North Riverside where an explosion occurred merely over an hour ago, Police and Firefighters are on scene trying to find the cause of the incident as well as recover any survivors from the wreckage."
"Chicago has been rocked, so to speak by an explosion occurring on the North Riverside of the city, so far there has been no indication of what might have caused the explosion, but police and firefighters are working tirelessly to find the source!"
"Is this believed to be a terror attack, some arson behaviour, or an experiment gone wrong? We do not know for sure, but citizens please remain calm and let the police handle the situation!"
As the News anchors babbled for the cameras, the press took photographs and the journalists tried to ask questions, and the public tried to get close to see the damage, Hugh appeared at the front and exited his car, his eyes wide as he looked at the destruction where several fire fighters were dousing the flames and were starting to search for anyone alive under the rubble.
"Jeez Marie!" he muttered as he stared at the flaming and dusty rubble "What in the world happened here?"
He walked over to Sargent Harris who stood close to the yellow tape blocking anyone from getting close as well as warding off the press.
"Any idea what happened here?" he asked.
"No chief." Harris replied, "We got the 911 call of an explosion going off in this place and we came right away, so far the fire department managed to control the fires and are trying to search for survivors."
"Any thoughts on what caused this?" Hugh asked.
"Not as yet no!" Harris said, "But we'll find out soon enough."
Hugh frowned.
"I have a hunch this was one of Tyroth and his group's activities." He thought to himself, and he looked around then saw Tyroth standing on the roof a building not far away.
"Tyroth!" he thought and took out his phone to send a text.
Up on the roof, Tyroth watched the activities below and he knew Hugh would be on the case and want to know what had happened.
But his mind was also filled with the worry of what had happened to Pandora and if Devina and Sharky were able to find her.
His stomach was clenched in fear and his heart was beating so hard it hurt, so much so he could have sworn he could feel it in his ears.
"She's got to be close!" he thought "She's got to be!"
As the Dragon was lost in his worried thoughts, the sounds of helicopters approaching made him look up and he realised if they spotted him, then it would mean more gossip about mutants being real, it was already whispers with Diablo and his Disciples out there but seeing him here and now would make them screams.
The Dragon looked around and he soon saw a Billboard behind him, advertising a Fantasy Film that was out in the cinemas.
The Poster consisted of a group of knights battling dragons as well as some other mythical creatures and Tyroth quickly stood against it and posed so he looked like he was part of the poster.
No sooner did he do so than the helicopters flew over and one flew close to where he was and shone their spotlights around the area, but he kept as still as possible.
After a few seconds, the helicopter flew away from the rooftop and the dragon felt a vibration in his pocket, and he realised it was his shell cell.
He felt a ray of hope rise within his chest as he hoped it was Devina or Sharky saying they had found Pandora and that she was alive.
Yet that disappeared completely when he saw the screen and saw it was from Hugh.
Tyroth frowned and he looked at the message Hugh had sent him.
'Tyroth, what happened here? I saw you just now before the helicopters arrived!'
Tyroth bit his lip and he started to type a reply.
'It's a long story Hugh, but I got a crisis right now! I'll be in touch later!'
He lowered his shell cell and jumped down from the billboard before walking to the edge of the building to look for any sign of Sharky and Devina.
"Guys…." He thought desperately "Where are you?"
His phone vibrated again, and he looked down to see it was from Sharky.
'Come down here! Hurry!'
Following the text was co-ordinates which Tyroth patched his Shell-Cell into. Then hope rising in his chest and he opened his wings before flying off the rooftop and down to where Sharky asked to meet him.
"Please, tell me you found her! Please!" he prayed.
He soon found the Shark standing behind a building and a large dumpster near the water's edge.
"Sharky!" he called as he flew down then saw that he was alone and looking very pale and tearful.
"No…" he breathed as his heart started beating hard.
"Tyroth…" Sharky said "I…I…I couldn't find her! I've searched! I can't find her!" he panicked.
Tyroth held up his paws and before long he saw Devina flying over.
"Boss!" she cried then landed on the pavement before returning to her human form, she too looked stricken.
"Where is she?" Tyroth asked but Devina said nothing but shook her head in silent sorrow.
"I'm sorry Boss…." She said, "I can't find her!"
"No!" Tyroth said, his eyes widening as the devastating truth started to hit him hard "Oh Gods! No!"
Sharky lowered his head.
"We searched everywhere, I swam to the bottom and went up and down, but I didn't find her." He wept.
"And I too searched, and even with my life detection vison, I couldn't find her!" Devina added, equally saddened.
"No! No!" Tyroth put his head in his hands, and he fell to his knees as grief hit him "No! Gods No!" he sobbed.
Sharky and Devina looked at each other then back at the river.
"Poor Pandora…" Sharky said tearfully, "How could this happen?"
"How are we going to tell Mona and Raph?" Devina lamented.
"And Donnie, Mikey and Master Splinter." Sharky said, "Oh my God! Leo and Kemeko, they're still in Japan and have no idea!" he remembered.
Both the Shark and Vampiress looked at Tyroth who was still kneeling on the ground holding Mr Swinger close to him and sobbing.
"Boss?" Devina walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
Tyroth looked up, tears streaming from his red eyes.
"We…We need to return to Mutopia." He said, "Everyone needs to know." He looked at Mr Swinger in his hands.
"Pandora…. Why? Why!" he said then looked at the river thinking of the lost Hybrid.
Sharky and Devina sighed and nodded in agreement.
"Okay." Devina said "Let's head back…. I don't know how they're gonna take this…"
"It's just so unimaginable." Sharky breathed "It doesn't feel real…." He looked back at Tyroth who hadn't stood up yet.
"Boss?"
"I just need a moment guys…." Tyroth breathed as he held Mr Swinger close and looked at the river.
"Oh Pandora…" he muttered "How could you do this? Why? Why did you go out on your own to try and take down our enemies, all by yourself? You reckless child! You reckless, thoughtless!" he gripped Mr Swinger tighter and sobbed again.
"Why didn't I see this coming? I should have been watching her closer! I should have paid more attention! Damn! Damn! Damn to the Nine Hells!" he then looked up and roared into the air in devastation.
"PANDORA!"
Meanwhile, in a motorboat on the river, Boss Kodama looked at what remained of the warehouse as well as cradled his arm where he had been stabbed in the shoulder by Raphael's sai.
With him were some of his Yakuza who had made it out alive as well as a few Foot Ninja who were hoodless and holding them to their chests out of respect for Hanako.
All of them were saddened at the loss of some their comrades, who had been killed by the mutants or by the bomb.
After escaping the warehouse before the bomb went off they had watched from a distance and had seen the mutants escape the rubble which shocked them.
"How can those creatures not be harmed by the bomb?" Kodama growled as he had watched.
"They are stronger than the average human sir." The Yakuza muttered.
"The Dragon is for sure!"
"He must be a God or at least some kind of Demi-God."
"I don't believe that one bit!"
"If mutant Dragons are real, I'm willing to believe anything!"
"I can't believe we lost Hanako…." The Yakuza Boss said with a sad sigh, "What a waste!"
He then heard Tyroth's roar from the banks a few miles away.
"What was that?" one of the Yakuza asked.
"The Dragon!" one of the Foot Ninja said, his eyes flashing and his mouth exposing his teeth showing he was one of the mutated ninjas.
"It's a cry of mourning if I'm not mistaken." One of the Yakuza theorised.
Boss Kodama narrowed his eyes as he listened to the roar and heard Pandora's name.
"Pandora." He muttered then he remembered the hybrid who had fought and killed Hanako.
"That Huntress…" he said, "She must not have survived."
Upon hearing that the Foot Ninja's eyes lit up and a couple looked rather pleased.
"Hanako may have perished, but she took that disgusting crossbreed with her!"
"May that thing rest in shit!"
"Good riddance!"
"At least one of the Hamato Clan is no more!"
"But what will Arashi and Dr Arden say when they learn of Hanako's passing?"
"I dread to think…"
Boss Kodama didn't say anything as he looked out at the city as well as the smouldering remains of the warehouse.
"Master Kodama?" one of his Yakuza asked him "Are you alright?"
Kodama looked over at the one who spoke to him.
"I'm not sure." He said, "I cannot fathom what has happened, I never imagined it would end like this."
He cleared his throat.
"It is the way of life in the Crime World, some lives are lost, sadly, and others face prison if they do not escape the law."
"More than likely bodies will be found in the wreckage." One of the Yakuza said, "Of our own and those of the Foot, and the 95th Street Gang."
"Indeed." Kodama said, "Not just those killed by that hybrid, but when the bomb exploded."
He looked at the unhooded Foot Ninja.
"I will have to inform Lord Arashi of Hanako's demise, he will be hurt, but if it's any consolation, I will inform him that she took that disgusting half breed with her, Pandora, Huntress, is no more!"
He turned to his assassins and the Foot Ninja.
"Let us return to headquarters, it is best we lay low for a while, the other mutants will be wanting revenge for sure, so we best remain hidden."
The assassins and ninjas nodded and the driver started the boat to get to the other side of the river, yet as they drove away, Boss Kodama watched the burning warehouse and sighed again.
"Such a pity it ended this way." He said "When all was going so well."
Pandora is lost...offically Missing in Action
How are Tyroth, Devina and Sharky going to explain it to everyone back in Mutopia, especially to the Hamato Clan.
Well I'll leave that to you to imagine until I get the next chapter up, see you then.