Lost in the Fight

Chapter 15 - A Shocking End

*Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.

*Special Note: Huge thanks to CorolineThePheonix for creating the awesome artwork for this chapter. I adore you, my friend!

*Author's Notes: Here's chapter 15 of 'Lost in the Fight' and get ready for another cliffhanger . . . It's a big one.

Thank you to all of my followers and to those who have read, voted on, and commented on this story. I am extremely grateful for all of your feedback and support. =}

As always, please take a moment to vote and/or comment on 'Lost in the Fight' if you like it. Thank you so much for reading. ;) CJ

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Chapter 15 - A Shocking End

The plan had gone off without a single hitch. Well, maybe having to leave his partner for dead would be considered a slight hitch in the plan, but in all honesty, Tiger Claw had never really much liked the mutated bear anyway. He rued the day that Master Shredder had assigned him to work with that mindless beast. From the moment of the grizzly's mutation a few weeks before, Grizzgore had given Tiger Claw the creeps, always salivating and hungrily staring at him with his beady eyes as though he would make a tasty snack. Plus, the bear reeked something awful and he was a lousy conversationalist, making every interaction with him painfully awkward. Being paired with him was even worse than having to go on assignments with Rahzar, and that was saying a lot, because Tiger Claw really hated that sorry excuse for a mutant.

As far as Tiger Claw was concerned, Grizzgore was no great loss. All that the mutant feline really cared about at this point was that his mission had been a success. He had captured the brother referred to as Donatello, just as Master Shredder had commanded, and he would deliver the purple-banded turtle as promised. His master would be most pleased to accept his new prisoner. So pleased, he probably wouldn't even bat an eye over the loss of Grizzgore. Especially not when he got his gauntlets on the intellectual mastermind of the Hamato Yoshi clan . . .

The huge tiger's lips coiled into a pompous smirk.

All that now stood between him and completing his objective was an empty rooftop that he was already partway across.

Currently, Tiger Claw had the terrapin's body pinned tightly up against his side with one hulking arm while he used the paw on his opposite arm to muffle the turtle's desperate attempts to alert his brothers of his capture. Despite the smaller mutant's many injuries, he was putting up a respectable fight to break free, but the massive cat was far stronger than him, even on a good day. The more that the turtle struggled to get away, the more that Tiger Claw would just tighten his grip, causing the reptile to whimper in pain. Hearing his victim's pathetic sniveling only made Shredder's striped assassin smirk all the more. He would take immense pleasure in watching Master Shredder make the spindly little turtle suffer.

It wouldn't be long now . . .

Only a short distance to go and they would reach the edge of the roof.

The sound of one of the turtle's brothers screaming below them made Tiger Claw quicken his pace. Fortunately for him, the fight was still raging on inside of the warehouse, which was effectively drowning out any noises that he may have been making as he skulked across the rooftop. It was also drowning out the purple-banded turtle's useless grunting and mumbling.

The mutant Bengal tiger scowled down at his prey, who was still desperately trying to call out for his brothers. The reptile's insistence on making noise had nearly blown the tiger's cover once already back in the warehouse. Tiger Claw had nabbed the purple-clad turtle and fled off with him just in the nick of time, for as soon as the two of them had reached the roof of the building, his captive had regained full consciousness and started squawking and thrashing about. If the larger mutant would have waited another few minutes to make his move, the turtle would have warned his brothers of his presence and Tiger Claw would have never gotten his target out of the building without a confrontation.