Chapter Thirty-Four
Heading West
Back in Mutopia, Tyroth had everyone gathered in the hanger where the Ninjet was and was checking over everything to make sure they were ready to head out to where Diablo and his Disciples had attacked.
As well as the Knights and the Hamato Clan, Jun was joining them along with James and Dahlia in case of medical need.
Splinter, Old George and many other residents of Mutopia stood nearby ready to see them off.
Tyroth checked everything then turned to those accompanying him.
"Okay, everything we need has been listed and packed, and now to go over the plan of what to do if...when," he corrected himself "We find Pandora." He looked over to Raphael and Monalisa who were looking desperate and holding each other as well as his son and daughter who stood with Sonia and Kemeko.
Freya was hugging Kemeko close to her as the Asian girl was distressed.
"What do you propose we do boss?" Jack asked.
"So far, all we know is where Diablo attacked, we have the address of the motel where it's said the Neo Nazi's found not far away from the Missouri border and we hope the scent might remain, that's when you and Dahlia come in."
"We can do that Tyroth." Dahlia said tapping her muzzle.
"And then what?" Kate asked.
"If the scent is still strong, we should be able to follow it until we can find their next hiding place, they can't hide forever." Tyroth growled "And when it comes to confronting Diablo, we'll have to wait on that plan until we get there."
The Knights sighed.
"We getcha T." Sharky said, "But we won't deny that we're all ready to rip that Raven to shreds!"
He looked over at Monalisa and Jake who glared at him and he gulped realising what he had just said.
"Sorry." He said looking away.
Tyroth snorted.
"I understand your feelings, all of you." He looked at the Knights then at Jake and the Hamato Clan, primarily at Monalisa and Jake who were trying to stay composed since despite everything Diablo had done, even now having Pandora in his possession, he was still their brother.
"Never in my years that I thought we would be going out to search for Diablo, but he has someone dear to us in his possession and we are going to get her back no matter what, and I make this vow here and now, that will we not return home until we have Pandora!"
"And we will follow you!" Leonardo agreed "I too vow we will not return empty handed! We will come home with Pandora."
"And I hope we bring back Diablo too!" Percy spoke up, his eyes flashing "After all that Raven has done!" he looked at the Knights "This might be our chance to finally snare him!"
"But then there are the other Disciples!" Sarah reminded him "And from our experience with them, they are just as tough!"
"True that!" Heather agreed.
"In regards to Diablo and the Disciples, we will discuss what to do with them when we get there!" Tyroth said "Right now our priority is getting Pandora home!"
Jack nodded.
"We hear you boss." he said.
"Please find my granddaughter and return home safe, please." Splinter spoke up as he looked at Tyroth.
"We will Master Splinter." Tyroth said "That's a promise."
"I trust you." Splinter said then looked at the turtles, Kemeko and Monalisa.
"Stay safe my children, and my grandchild." he said.
"We will Sensei." Leonardo reasurred the rat "We will find Pandora and bring her home."
After taking the time to say goodbye to everyone, as well as promising to keep in touch, The Knights, Hamato Clan, James and Dahlia got into the ninjet and Tyroth started the engines and the large black hawk like jey rose up out of the hanger and into the air, Splinter, Old George and everyone else watching it take off and fly away into the night, heading west.
Splinter sighed and closed his eyes as he spoke a prayer in Japanese.
"Master Yoshi, Tang Shen, Karai, Chaplin, Ancient One, hear my prayer, please watch over my children and their friends, guide them to Pandora, show them the way, lead them to my beloved granddaughter."
A tear fell from the rat's eye.
"And please, help Pandora find her way home, she's lost, she's lost her way, and now she needs a guide to lead her home, please."
The rat felt George's hand on his shoulder and he looked up.
"My dear friend." the old turtle said in a gentle voice "Let us return to the sanctuary, all we can do is wait, and hope."
Splinter nodded in agreement, if not a little reluctantly.
The other Mutopians also felt worried and sad.
"Do you think they'll find them quickly?" Chloe asked.
"I have no idea." Leona replied "I hope that with Jack and Dahlia's sense of smell they might just pick up the scent, then find out where it leads."
"I'm still trying to figure out why Pandora's with the Disciples." Patch said "She and the kids know of Diablo's activities and that he's one we have to watch out for should he ever return to Chicago."
"Do you still think she might be a willing member or a hostage?" Cam asked.
"I really have no idea mate." Barry replied "As much as Pandora might be impulsive and has behaved badly recently, I doubt she'd side with someone whose against us."
"Diablo's not exactly an enemy, but a traitor to our cause." Nick said.
"Exactly." Tania said "But why would Pandora side with him and not come home?"
"So many questions but no answers." Alice sighed.
"There's no point in trying to come up with theories." Old George spoke up "All we can do is let the Knights and the Hamato Clan search for Pandora and they will inform us when they do find her, and I do say When."
The other Mutopians looked at the turtle and as much as they weren't sure of the outcome, they wanted to belive his words, as well as Tyroth since they trusted them both with their lives.
There was nothing to do except wait and that was what they were going to do.
Meanwhile, as the Ninjet flew through the skies towards the destination of the Motel Diablo and the Disciples had been spotted at, a few of the passangers were having their own internal thoughts.
Raphael and Monalisa sat next to each other as they held Pandora's Journal between them and read over the enteries she had put in, all the feelings she had felt since they arrived in Mutopia.
Monalisa held the book on her lap as she traced the words, pictures and newspaper cut outs.
It was so detailed, the journal, how Pandora had expressed her feelings, from the day they had arrived in Mutopia to the day she went missing.
"My baby girl." Monalisa whispered "My precious child, I'm so sorry, if only I had known, if only we both knew."
She wiped her eyes.
"You suffered so much, and I know only too well how you felt, I see me in you, the anger you felt, the thirst for revenge after what the Purple Dragons did to me, they ruined my life, and I wanted to make them pay, which I did, and you wanted the same, yet the outcome was different..."
She looked at Raphael who placed his hand on hers.
Monalisa placed her hand on her husband's throat looking at the scar where Hanako had stabbed him and took away his voice.
Raphael lowered his head and placed his hand on his wife's.
He then pointed to his lips so Monalisa could read them.
'Babe, I only know too well Pandora's pain and why she did what she did, I would have done the same if she had been the one seriously hurt or on the brink of death, I know she will have to face the consequences of her actions, but we will support her, no matter what, she is our daughter, and my main concern is to find her and bring her home to us, where she belongs.'
Monalisa gave a weak smile and leaned against Raphael and they hugged each other tightly.
Kemeko leaned against Leonardo who held her close in comfort as she looked out the window at the clouds and the limited number of stars.
"Oh Pandora." She whispered "How could you do this? How could you have put yourself in danger against the Foot and the Yakuza?"
She snuggled against Leonardo and the blue masked turtle looked down at her.
"Lotus?" Leonardo asked.
Kemeko looked up at her father.
"Oh dad." she said "I don't know how to feel, whether to feel anger, or pity, or anything."
"Sweetheart..."
"I feel angry that Pandora went out to find Hanako for revenge, but in a way I do understand, after all, I did something not so different."
"Lotus..."
"I left the lair, and it was because of me this happened! The Foot captured me, I was kept prisoner! And you came looking for me, lead us to here! I should never had left the lair!"
Kemeko sobbed hard as she hugged Leonardo close.
"I'm so sorry!" she wept "If there's anyone to blame for all this! It's me! It's my fault Pandora's in Diablo's hands! It's my fault Raphael has no voice, it's my fault Uncle Don and Aunt Mona almost died!"
"Kem! Please!" Leonardo said and everyone on the Ninjet looked to the Asian girl as she cried and James and Dahlia got ready to prepare equipment to sedate just in case.
"If I could make a wish, I wish this never happened! That I never left the lair! And I never let this happen!" Kemeko wailed "I want Pandora back! I want my cousin back! I want everything to be the way it was!"
"I know, I know sweetheart." Leonardo said as he hugged Kemeko close to him "And we will get her back."
Kemeko sobbed and hugged her father back, resting her head against his plastron and feeling his heartbeat.
"Shhhh my Lotus." Leonardo soothed them began to hum a Japanese lullaby to calm her down as well as rock her a little.
Michelangelo watched Kemeko then looked to the window and placed his hand on it.
"My Geisha, my neice." he thought "Please don't be far, please, please don't fall fully into the hands of the Disciples! You don't belong with them! You're a Hamato! You're a honoured Knight! You don't belong with those reckless wannabe heroes, you belong with us!"
"Mikey?"
Michelangelo looked at Kate who looked at him with concern.
"I want her back Katie." Michelangelo said as tears formed in his eyes and soaked his mask.
"I want her in my arms, my Geisha, my Tigeress, my niece, I just want her back! She's not a Disciple! She's one of us!"
'We're gonna get her back baby!" Kate said placing her hands on Michelangelo's cheeks "We will! We're going to find her! And bring her back!"
"I don't care if that Raven is my brother in Law! I don't care!" Michelangelo snapped "I will pluck every feather from his body for taking my beloved niece from me! I hate him! I hate him!"
Kate felt a little scared seeing Michelangelo like that, but she understood why, since he and Pandora had such a strong bond, they weren't just Uncle and Niece, they were best friends, and did so much together, and when he had learnt what had happened, it had broken his heart,
Stroking his cheeks and leaning her forehead against her lover's she nuzzles him.
"Mikey." she said "We will find her and bring her home."
"And Diablo will pay!" Michelangelo said as he closed his eyes and nuzzled Kate back "He will pay, I will break his beak and bones..."
Kate winced internally but she kept her embrace on Michelangelo, giving him much needed support since he needed it so much.
Sephie meanwhile looked at Tyroth who flew the ninjet and she saw the look in his eyes.
She could see he was furious.
She wasnt sure if he was furious that Diablo had Pandora in his possession, or that Pandora had joined Diablo,
Leaning back in her seat and looking at the skies, Sephie wondered if there had been more she could have done to try and help Pandora, in all her training, in all her ways to get to the hybrid's feelings after what had happened.
She knew what she had gone through, and she wished no person would go through that pain, her parents, Kemeko and Donatello being on the brink of death as well as being tortured.
She knew that the Hamato Clan were more vulnreable to death and life changing injuries than those of the Mutopians, and Kemeko, Donatello, Raphael and Monalisa had been lucky to escape their injuries after the battle at the Foot Headquarters.
She had tried to speak to Pandora and get her to open up, but the hybrid had refused.
"Pandora." she thought "I wish you could have opened up to me, we could have done things differently."
The Gecko looked at Tyroth as he flew the ninjet and she remembered how he had told her about how he had tried to help her as well, including teaching her the berserker.
"We all did our best to help her, yet it didn't, she just wanted vengence against Hanako, and when she arrived in Chicago, there was no stopping Pandora..."
Tyroth meanwhile as he flew the ninjet, he glowered and gritted his teeth.
"Diablo." he thought "For years, I have learnt of your activities, your escapades, how you've attacked those you consider sinners, and so far you've done well to stay hidden, but you won't be able to hide from us now! You have someone we love and cherish in your possession!"
He licked his lips.
"When we meet Raven." he said "Your tricks won't save you! Not even your small army will protect you! We will find you, and find Pandora and bring her home! You will rue the day you took our Little Geisha from us! I swear on Vahalla!"
And so it begins, Tyroth leads the Knights and the Hamato Clan to find Pandora based on the clues they found.