Race. [TMNT 2012]

057. Regrets; Lucy

Song: World of Sacrifice - Black Veil Brides

I stare up in dread at the indelible building before me. The darkness of the exterior and the invisible cloud of loathing surrounding it makes me feel out of place. Every wall forming the structure is cemented together with contempt and devastation. The foundation holding it up seems to be screaming, "You won't make it out of here alive."

Suppressing I shudder, I glance nervously around as we approach the back entrance. Apparently, my trembling is enough to set Raphael into raptures. As Leonardo leads us through the door, Raphael snaps his head towards me.

"Stay close, and don't screw this up," Raphael whispers sharply, the flash across his gaze offering no room for negotiation.

I flinch, but nodded obediently. Deep down, I know he isn't exactly the kindest turtle. But that doesn't stop his words from stinging any less. I don't think I'll ever get used to his razor-sharp personality.

But that's ok, because I still like him for who he is.

As we get inside, I feel like I've gone blind. It's impossible to see passed my fingertips, let alone what we're trying to find.

I try to recall what Leonardo had mentioned on the way here. He said something about a roundish, silver portal that had a dagger keyhole. Straining my poor eyes, I attempt to spot anything of the sort. But in the end, I only end up with aching eye sockets and a throbbing cranium.

I continue to creep across the room with the rest of my companions, being sure to stay hidden behind tall objects in the process. As my eyes adjust to the darkness, I realize that Leonardo is making hand signals. I have no idea what they mean, so I just end up doing whatever Raphael does.

Leonardo makes a gesture that seems to drive everyone towards another door. I tail behind them, trying to slow my beating heart. I have to stay calm, otherwise we're going to get caught. And I'm not sure what will happen if we got spotted in such a menacing place.

The next room opens up to a strange laboratory-like atmosphere. The air reeks of chemicals and the sound of bubbling liquids echoes throughout the room. Tables line the room as well as a few cages lying about. Piles of unused bricks are stacked in corners, giving the illusion that the place has just undergone construction.

Peeking around the desk I am hidden behind, I see a creature more disgusting than the zombants. It's large and black, with net-like wings. It has two mouths and large, disturbingly big green eyes. The worst part is that it wore a polo and jeans, as if it's personified. It buzzes along, mixing chemicals as if it is born to do so.

I shudder crawls up my spine. I love insects, but this is a whole other story. This isn't a regular, everyday fly that you swat away from your food. It's a mutant with potential to kill. I have to cement myself to the ground to keep myself from running out. I am in too deep to escape now.

Leonardo jerks his head towards a strange object in the middle of the room. With a jolt, I recognize it as the silver ring the blue-clad turtle had described. Sparks shoot out of the metal piece, as if it isn't working properly.

I blink in puzzlement. Why would the turtles want something that isn't in working condition? Then again, the look that glimmers in Leonardo's eyes tells me they aren't planning on stealing it. I glance at the other turtles for a more obvious clue, but they're too focused on the fly mutant.

With a silent command from Leonardo, he and Raphael slowly sneak up behind the mutant. As a team, they lunge and grab the fly.

   "Hey, what's-zzz going on?" The fly buzzes in a nearly-incomprehensible voice. He struggles against the hold of the turtles, his claw for a hand pinching nothing but air. "Let go of me, turtles-zzz!"

   Raphael forces his arm against the mutant's throat. "Alright, Stockman. Where'd you get the portal from?" he demands, practically spitting in the fly's face.

   Stockman turns his head away, glaring deviously at Raphael. "I don't have to tell you turtles-zzz anything!" he retorts, thought it is weak-willed. He has no incentive to hide the truth.

   Leonardo narrows his eyes accusatively at the mutant. "You got it from the rubble of the old TCRI branch, didn't you?" he asks with a scowl. "You yanked it right out of the ground with no regards for consequences."

   "Zzz-so what if I did?" Stockman says, his annoying voice laced with dislike. "The Purple Dragons-zzz didn't have a use for it. They're too dim-witted to know a dimens-zzz-ion door from a regular one!"

   "The Purple Dragons?" April breaks in, her blue eyes darting back and forth from her teammates. She purses her lips curiously. "Why did they have the portal?"

   Stockman curves his nasty lips into something that looks like a smirk. "I'm not telling you any-"

   Raphael knees the mutant in the side, forcing a yelp of pain out of him. I cringe and look away for a split second, uncomfortable at what I am witnessing. I'm practically shaking with the effort to disguise my horror.

   "They built a new warehous-zzz-e over the wreckage of the des-zzz-troyed branch," the fly blurts out as he straightens back up, wincing. "The Kraang's-zzz reservation on it fell through, zzz-so they took it over."

   Donatello immediately looks furious. "Are you aware of what you've done by taking that portal away from its original set point?!" His russet eyes blaze at the mutant's ignorance.

   "Of cours-zzz-e I am," Stockman replies, rolling his eyes. "I am a zzz-scientist. But it does-zzz not matter what this portal may do, becaus-zzz-e ordinary humans-zzz only get in the way. The less-zzz citizens-zzz to challenge Tiger Claw, the better."

   "So you do know what the portal's done to New York," Leonardo comments, looking disenchanted. "And you're just going to sit by and let it happen? What kind of moral is that?"

   "The moral of zzz-survival!" Stockman growls, trying to break free from the hands around his wrists. When we just stare at him, he goes on defensively. "Don't treat me as-zzz if I haven't tried to fix it! I have applied all of my academic knowledge of chemis-zzz-try and phys-zzz-ics to create an antidote, but my experiments-zzz have failed! Now I have moved onto zzz-something more important."

   A strange silence fills the room. I don't have to ask the others to know what they're thinking about. None of us believe someone would let the city fall apart like this. Doesn't he realize what's at stake? His own life can be taken from him just like everyone else. Unless he thinks he's too powerful.

   "Dude, that is low," Casey says, shaking his head slowly in disapproval. His eyes gleam with despair.

   "It's spreading!" Leonardo exclaims suddenly, his face turning slightly pink with rage. "Don't you see that? The whole world will be absorbed into this zombant madness if we don't stop it now."

   Suddenly, a dark laugh echoes throughout the room. All of us turn our heads sharply to see a giant tiger walk into the room on his hind legs. A patch covers one of his eyes, but that doesn't lessen the evil look in his good eye. He unsheathes a set of black claws as his hungry gaze trails over us.

   "Zombants?" Tiger Claw rumbles, his deep, accented voice sending an unnatural chill up my spine. "You've named those pitiful creatures?"

   Behind him, a purple fish with robotic legs and a skeletal dog stand with their heads held high. Moreover, a techno-looking warthog and a rhinoceros mutant stand with their arms extended, rearing themselves to attack. We are definitely in trouble, considering how I saw them fight a few weeks back.

   Will the bloodshed ever stop?