Soulbound (TMNT '16) ❪✓❫

Sweet Dreams...

The four turtle brothers lead the quads away from the very sick forest and back to their camp. Last night's fire didn't reach the campsite and the brothers were thankful for that.

Leo somehow fell behind and gained blurry vision. He massaged in between his eyes to stop his head from pounding. The fearless leader was not there anymore when his eyes flushed bright red. All he could see is darkness.

His hands are now at his sides and soon reach behind his shell to grip his katanas. He turned toward the four animals standing in their place.

They finally got away from danger and now this is happening. The king cobra just doesn't know when to stop.

"Hey, Leo." Hawk greeted happily. Leo didn't answer. He glared evilly and smirks at the wild dog. "Leo?"

"You will lose." The older mutant grunts aloud before launching his swords above his head and striking back to earth. Leo attempted to slice the wolf in half. Hawk whined in fright and backed away from him. Kri, Griz, and Shado roared to see if it would scare the leader, it was useless. Raph, Donnie, and Mikey see their brother is not himself. There is no calm side.

"Leo, stop it! You're gonna hurt them!" Mikey yelled placing his hands on Leo's shoulders and pulling him back. Leonardo shoved Mikey away and comes back to the quads.

"Leo!" Hawk barks. "Please. Y-You're my friend, remember? You make me feel--" Leo yelled, swiping the blades. Hawk stood her ground. "You are stronger than Nizhoni, much smarter, a-and kinder. Get out of her prison, show the snake you're not gonna lose. Don't let her attack your head because you have a very bright personality. She can't take you because you have the freedom of a wolf, Leo!"

His sharp narrowed eyes went from tense to relief. Leo relaxed when he finally hears a familiar voice back in his head. He knows this female voice. His ears recognize the girl trapped inside a wolf's body. Leo blinked away the fuzzy images and finds his katanas are being clutched in his sweaty hands. He dropped them in shock, regretting something he didn't even do.

When his normal self-returned back, Hawk, and Leo felt an ache in their chests. It was very sudden that they couldn't prepare.

The wolf whines and cries, Leo grunts holding his hands to the middle of his torso.

One long blue light wiggles out of Hawk, swimming in between her and Leo. It reached his body and connects like a puzzle piece. Everyone knew what was happening, they only watch and don't interfere. The blue cord brightens until both hosts breathed calmly to get used to the pain. It faded.

The blue-eyed leader held a hand to his heart and makes eye contact with Hawk. She immediately walks up to Leo to give him her own wolf kisses. Licking his face gently and nudging up on him.

"Was I...?" Leo softly said putting both hands on Hawk's furry neck.

"Possessed? Yeah...but wisdom is done."

"That means Kri and Raph need the cord connected and you guys change back!" Mikey smiled.

Yes, only one more cord needs to be tied, but there is much more than just connecting a cord. These friends have to fight until the end of the Soulbound.

****

Nizhoni growl as she looks down at Earth. Her fire plan wasn't successful and she is determined to try out a new one. She looks at a rocky cliff by the waterfall. The waterfall Kri and Raph love visiting. She chuckled when a new plan came to her head.

****

The second the brothers and quads arrived back at the camp, Leo and Raph remembered April and Casey not returning. They both ran down the road the human couple should have taken to town.

Raph pointed down the smokey road. It's the Tartaruga parked on the side, Leo went into a jog and hoped his two friends were inside.

"April, Casey?" He said coming to the driver's side. No one is inside. Raph checks the back door where a couch and many other things are stored. Casey and April are not in the vehicle. "Guys?!" His voice echoed. 

The road shows no sign of the humans, Leo and Raph discovered they are missing.

"Raph, we gotta worry about this later," Leo said stepping away from the truck. "April and Casey can take care of themselves. We need to focus on helping the quads become human again."

Raphael licks his lips, following his brother back to the camp. "Why is Nizhoni doing this? What does she want?"

"She wants us all dead."

****

Donnie grabbed the blue cooler full of melted ice and opened it up for the quads. He pushed the heavy container of water to them, right away Hawk drank with Shado. They had turns of who gets to drink.

"Just drink that." The tall turtle says looking at Mikey sitting on the campfire log. He looked down.

"You good, Mike?"

"Not really." He trailed off. "First we get possessed, Shado gets bitten, then the fire... What's next?"

Donatello pushed his glasses up and sat beside Mikey. "We need to be prepared for whatever the snake throws at us. We're ninjas who know how to fight."

"Yeah, but Nizhoni can touch us however she wants."

"Don't worry. Everything will be okay." Said Donnie. "Have hope."

Leo and Raph came back to the camp and shake their heads for an unsuccessful search. It is confirmed April and Casey ran off. They found it strange that they didn't take the truck to get out of the area.

Everyone here deserved a peaceful rest after a hard obstacle course last night. Leo called off the day very early and told his brothers to go inside the tent and take a nap until dinner time.

Hawk and the others emptied out the cooler. Their bodies are fully hydrated and are ready to sleep off aches and pains. The wolf is the first to lay by the tent. Griz joins in for warmth and so does Kri and Shado. All four of them worry about what happens next.

****

5: 30 pm...

Dinner is in half hour and none of the brothers are up from their nap. Except for one...

Kri wasn't able to sleep because she imagined what else this terrible snake could do. She rests her eyes and listens to the wind whistle through the burnt trees. Ears and whiskers twitch.

The white tiger heard the tent zipper unzip. She lifts her head high. Raphael came out and stood at the edge of the tent's wall for a second. He quickly walks to the thorn bushes, not saying a word to a fully awake tiger.