Awake The Sleeping Dragon ᴿᵉᵇᵒᵒᵗ(!TMNT!Brothers x !Fem!Reader)

25 ➮ The Blades

***

His cold eyes locked onto mine, and I felt paralyzed, my feet rooted to the spot. A tumult of conflicting thoughts raged within me. I wanted to fall to my knees and submit. No, I had to fight. But I couldn't. I needed to fight. No, I wouldn't. Just fall to his demands. Please.
Suddenly, a force pushed me out of the way, and I was thrown to the side. Splinter's tail had shoved me aside as he stepped forward to confront Shredder himself. I landed hard on the ground, pain shooting through my body as I grunted, my bones feeling like they were rattling and wracking inside me.

"Shredder," Splinter hissed, positioning himself in a defensive stance. His eyes blazed with determination and defense. Shredder's cruel voice echoed through the lair, a chilling tone reverberating through the dust and debris still settling around us.
"All these years I've been trying to recreate the mutagen. And you? You just handed it to me," he said, his tone dripping with twisted delight. He slowly walked around Splinter, who mirrored his movements, both fighters on guard, every muscle coiled like a spring.

"You will not lay a hand on my sons or my niece," Splinter growled, reaching down to pick up one of Leo's fallen katanas. He held it with a steady hand, his eyes never leaving Shredder's. Shredder chuckled, a cold, numb sound.
"Your sons? You think you're their father? Her uncle?" He taunted, his voice thick with contempt. My eyes widened in horror as Shredder unsheathed a multitude of rows of blades attached to the sleeves of his metallic armor, the sharp glint of metal a deadly promise.

Splinter stood his ground as Shredder charged, their clash resounding through the lair. With precision and strength, Splinter deflected and blocked Shredder's strikes with the katana, the clang of metal on metal ringing in my ears.
A swift kick sent Shredder stumbling back, but he quickly regained his footing, scoffing, "Very good, rat!" He growled darkly. Disorder erupted around us. "Sensei! Donnie!" Leo's desperate yell pierced through the noise as Foot soldiers overwhelmed him, using long taser batons to pin him to the ground.

"Hang on, Leo! Be right there!" Donnie shouted back, expertly spinning his staff to deflect a barrage of tranq darts from four advancing soldiers. Paralyzed by fear and helplessness, I watched the battle unfold, my body refusing to obey my frantic mind.
Suddenly, April burst into the fight, charging at Shredder with surprising courage. She seized a spare sai and stabbed it into the back of Shredder's armor. His cold, furious voice snarled, "You stupid little girl!"

Before Splinter's tail whipped around, grabbing April and throwing her to safety. "April!" Splinter yelled, flinging her out of harm's way. Why couldn't I move? Move, dammit! Help them! Help Splinter!
I screamed at myself, but my body remained frozen, a pathetic shell unable to respond. "Sensei!" Leo's shout of desperation cut through my internal struggle. He had broken free from the soldiers and was rushing toward Splinter, who was now under attack from Shredder's flying blades, drawn back by the magnetic pull of his specialized armor.

Despite Leo's efforts to fight off the soldiers and reach Splinter, Shredder's relentless assault continued, overwhelming Splinter. "No, my son, stay back!" Splinter shouted, his voice filled with urgency and fear for Leo's safety.
With a swift move, Splinter scurried and switched his claws against a lever, causing several large sewer-barred doors to slam down around the section, blocking the path between us and the battle.

"Sensei!" Mikey screamed as he rushed to the second barred door that slammed shut. "Sensei! Dad! Dad! What are you- What are you doing?!" Leo asked, his voice breaking as he gripped the barred door.
Splinter, leaning weakly against the barrier, looked at us with pained determination. "Hide! Save yourselves!" He begged, his voice filled with a desperate plea for our safety. Before we could react, Shredder leaped and grabbed the back of Splinter's neck, hauling him away and throwing him across the section onto the large training grate.