Moonlight Mutation (A TMNT Fanfic)

Chapter 52: Destroyed

Destiny rounds a bend, catching sight of a large construction site surrounded by graffitied walls. On a nearby roof, Shredder stands with his four chosen minions, every pair of eyes latched on something happening within the site. The surrounding buildings are dotted with Foot bots armed with bows.

Destiny jogs closer. A breeze passes her, bringing along with it a smell that she knows all too well: incense, sweat mingling with the aroma of the outside air. Her heart starts to pound.

"Leo."

More sounds fill her ears, far different than anything else she's heard today. There's grunting, shouting, and the unmistakeable clash of weapons against other weapons. There's a battle going on in there and Destiny is sure that Leonardo is fighting it alone.

She races along the edge of the wall, finding a break in the metal and slipping through. She readies her sword, the curved blade glinting even when the sun is covered by clouds. She creeps along the outskirts, ears swivelling to catch any nearby sounds.

"Stop hiding behind your Foot bots! Face me, Shredder!"

She straightens up, eyes widening for a split second as she recognizes the voice. It is him. Fuelled by that knowledge, she continues on, emerging into a space that's far more open and littered with broken pieces of Foot bots.

There's a rush of wind behind her as something, or someone, touches down, and she spins around. She doesn't have time to react as Emery pins her to the ground, knocking her uchigatana out of her grip.

The leopard lets out a snarl. "Wolf girl is back for more?" she hisses, her yellow eyes glinting. "Tiger Claw thought we had a shadow trailing after us."

Destiny grunts and curls her legs up, shoving them against Emery's stomach and effectively removing her. The wolf rolls and snatches up her sword again, getting to her feet as Emery does the same.

Emery lets out a yowl and lunges, claws aimed for the girl's throat, and Destiny just manages to dodge to the side as she sweeps past. Destiny swings her sword, but Emery acts faster and spins, landing a solid kick to the girl's middle and sending her smashing into the nearest wall, bits of splintered wood raining down around her as she lands hard against a new platform. She moans in pain.

"Ha! Weak, stupid little girl," Emery laughs, leaping through the newly made hole and stalking towards her enemy. "How long have you had that weapon? You handle it as well as a newborn baby would."

Rage fills Destiny. She sets the sword down and stumbles to her feet, baring her teeth before morphing into her wolf form. With a roar, she tackles Emery and the two mutants go tumbling away, lost in a flurry of animalistic cries, claws, and teeth.

Destiny flings Emery off her back, sending the leopard careening and bouncing over the icy wooden floors of the construction site. Destiny's wolf ears perk up as there's a sharp grunt from above her.

She turns around just in time to see Leonardo plummet from a higher level with a scream, rolling down a slick slope and into a pool of icy water far below, his katana sheathes empty and his eyes closed. Destiny doesn't stop to think as she retrieves her weapon and starts to clamber down the steep incline towards where he disappeared beneath the surface.

She reaches the bottom just as he bursts from the water, climbing onto land again only to collapse onto his shell, body heat radiating off of him like steam as he pants. Destiny reaches his side and kneels down, gripping his shoulders.