Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Day of the Rat (A 90s Movies Story)

Chapter 21: City Without Pity

"There's nothing he can do!" Jake argued earnestly.

Driving the van, Matt continued to look unimpressed. "He could have the others kill you," he pointed out calmly.

"Would you do it? If you had to...? Kill me?"

Matt didn't blink. "Maybe. If I had no choice."

Jake preferred to pretend that hadn't been the answer. "It's the right thing to do. Just let her go!"

In the back of the van, where Jake and Matt's conversation was inaudible thanks to the noise of the engine, some more masked Foot ninja sat in a row along the bench seats. April lay along their laps, clutched tightly, still with her wrists and ankles tied and her mouth taped.

Her eyes were closed, but even though she was largely spared the buffeting caused by the vehicle's rickety suspension, April wasn't asleep. With no hope of escape, and little chance of rescue, she was just trying to conserve her energy... For what, she didn't know, she just couldn't bring herself to totally give up.

The conversation in the cab continued. "Yeah, I know you got yourself a little crush on Miss O'Neil back there," said Matt. "Everybody knows that... Fine, so long as you don't let it make you do something stupid."

"Or something smart, for the first time in my life."

"Seriously," said Matt, exasperated, "Sorry to break this to you, but we're the Foot. We won't be saving the day, and you're not gonna get the girl... Why is she worth the risk? Is it just the pretty face...? Is it the career woman thing...? The sassy put downs...? The tight leather...? All those things...? What?" He paused for a moment. "Listen to me," he said, calmer. "You obey orders... That's how the Foot works. You wanted to join! More than I ever did!"

"Things were different then."

"Yeah... Simpler. Now they're more complicated. Deal with it."

***

There were actually so many rats that their numbers became a disadvantage - They got in each other's way. That was the Turtles' only edge, and it gave them time to seek higher ground. The four of them leaped onto barrels and took a look around, minds fertile for any stratagem, anything they could use against their overwhelming enemy.

The rats milled around them, apparently getting up the courage for a sustained assault. The Turtles looked at each other, aware they might only have seconds before the rats enveloped them all.

Whiskers watched helplessly, the rats having left him a little island to stand helplessly in. Had the Rat King spared him deliberately, or did the rats innately know him for one of themselves...? Who knew...?

He felt strange. He opened his mouth to try to call out to the Turtles. Was he trying to call out some reassurance, some kind of comradely defiance... He didn't know. He was finding it more and more difficult to form words, even to reconcile the concepts behind them. Bringing a hand up, he saw the claws shrinking back, the fingers becoming gradually cruder in shape again, de-evolving before his eyes.

The Rat King walked forward, his servants making way and closing up again behind him as he passed. Bryan Bryant's stolen face, half-hidden in the shadow of the wide-brimmed hat, was fixed fiercely in a savage leer.

"Now, Turtles... No more delays... No more cheating... This time, you die...!"

Leonardo turned to Donatello. "Donny... Um, now..."

Donatello had the device from his belt in his hand before Leo finished talking, and quickly activated it.

***