Race. [TMNT 2012]

059. Drop; Raphael

Song: Savior - Skillet

Being sandwiched between Tiger Claw and zombants is more than nerve-wracking. It claws at my stomach and dissolves my common sense into nothing more than a puddle of illogical ideas. Panic is only a catalyst for the reaction of perturbation engulfing my mind. I don't know where to go or what to do. I am trapped in the depths of my own mind.

Tiger Claw, who somehow forced himself beside me, curls his lip at me. Before I can register the gleam of his sharp claws, I feel them sink into my arm. I cry out in agony as he removes his claws, leaving blood dripping out of the wound and onto the pavement.

Either the blood or my scream is an attractant for zombants, because the majority of them turn towards me. They snarl and screech as they close the gap between us, gazing hungrily at my open wound.  They start to scramble desperately for a hold on me.

"Don't touch me, you freaks!" I snap at them as I step backwards.

Fortunately, the approaching mob has its advantages.  It doesn't just go after my team and I; it moves towards our enemies as well.  They seem to want to take down anything that isn't like them.  Which frankly, that shouldn't surprise me.

"You're bleeding!" Lucy gasps, putting her hand over my wound to stop the blood flow.

"Yeah, thanks for the useless information," I reply, cringing at the searing pain she causes me.  I pull my arm out of her reach and drag her behind me, shielding her from the zombants.  "A plan would be nice right about now, Leo!" I yell to Leonardo as the creatures close us in.  My sais are the only things keeping them from getting at me.

Leonardo scans our surroundings before pointing out a nearby rooftop.  "Up there!" he announces.  "We've gotta get closer so we can grapple up there," he adds as he swats a zombant away with his katanas.

"Tell us what we gotta do!" Casey says as he sends smoke bombs into the depths of the swarm.  It smothers out a few zombants, but not enough to make much of a difference.

"Donnie, Mikey, come with me.  We'll clear out a path," Leonardo orders my brothers.  "Raph, stay with Lucy.  Casey and April, back him up."

"Right," I agree as I continue fending off zombants.  I pant heavily as I stab, jab, and repeat.  I have to ignore the constant gasps of horror leaking from Lucy's mouth, though.  She still doesn't understand that I am trying to save her life.

At least I don't have to worry about Tiger Claw and his minions anymore.  The crowd of zombants has completely cut us off from them, leaving them to fight for their own lives.

Suddenly, the gap that my brothers left behind for us gets swallowed up.  There's no way to get to them; we're trapped as they wade towards the rooftop on their own.

With a jolt, I realize that the scene looks all too familiar.  The way the buildings lean and the haunting faces of the zombants jog my memory.

My dream has come true.

Something peculiar happens that distracts me from my fight.  There, on a rooftop several feet away, is the unmistakeable shape of my biggest enemy.  The sharp edges of his armor and his set of blades jut out at the clouded night sky, making my stomach churn with apprehension.

My chest grows hot with rage as I think about the pain he brought on my family. He killed my father and Charlotte. There's no amount of agony, no amount of torture I can put him through that would justify his actions. Even if I rip his heart out and feed it to the zombants, it still won't make me feel any better.