Song: Try - Simple Plan

Spotting the Shredder's lair is easy. Since our last visit, it has grown drastically larger. Footbots freely go in and out the doors on it to patrol the streets. Even though it's daylight, the building still casts a feeling of doom across the city. None of the New York citizens sense it, however; they're so convinced that the Shredder is a hero.

   Getting inside isn't a problem, either. Charlotte and I walk right through the front doors and stand in middle of the lobby area. I take a deep breath to prepare myself for what is about to happen.

   And I am not disappointed. Many Footbots, after recognizing us, surround us and force us to the back room. I want nothing more than to pound their fake, robotic faces into the nearest wall, but I resist. I will get a chance to do that soon enough. Besides, nothing will be better than beating them from the inside out, just like Shredder did when he took Master Splinter from us.

   I allow the Footbots to shove us around. I comfort myself with the thought that I could take them down in one blow if I try. I find myself smirking at the thought as we finally arrive in the Shredder's throne room.

   As we're given one final push towards Shredder's throne, I glance over at Charlotte. She's taking to treatment pretty well. She hasn't complained once about the Footbots getting her top dirty. She has changed a lot since I met her weeks ago.

   "Ah, a turtle has decided to show himself." Shredder's dark voice makes the ground quiver. It also starts a rage in my heart that I have to force down. All I could think of is the killing blow he dealt my father.

   Fending off my anger, I get on my knees, motioning for Charlotte to do the same. "Master." It kill me to speak to him in such a humiliating manner.

   Shredder sounds faintly surprised when he speaks again. "What is this? Are you finally admitting defeat after all these years?"

   I quietly clear the hatred from my voice before I speak again. "Yes, Master Shredder. I have seen that your ways are ideal. I am willing to serve you if you will please spare my life."

   The Shredder, however, seems to be focused on another matter. "Where are the rest of you?" he questions suspiciously.

   I pretend to hesitate before meeting the iron-plated man's gaze. I extend my arm out to reveal blue, purple, and orange bandanas. "I cut off their heads for you, sir." It's frightening how easily the lie rolls off my tongue, but it's also quite satisfying to deceive him. "I tried to convince them to give into your great and mighty power, but they did not listen. I took their lives as punishment. These are all that are left."

   The Shredder's eyes gleam with an evil kind of pleasure. He removes the bandanas from my hand and ties them around his own wrist. "I shall keep these as my trophies," he rumble. I can practically see the smirk beneath his sturdy mask.

   Then he turn his gaze to Charlotte. "Why are you here?" he asks as if he doesn't really care.

   "She's with me," I respond before Charlotte can. I don't want to give her any room to screw up. "She helped me finish off my brothers," I add as sincerely as I can. She nods to emphasize the fib.

   "My allegiance is to you and you only," Charlotte murmurs and bows her head.

   The Shredder narrows his eyes. For a second, I think he isn't going to buy it. Maybe I didn't lie well enough, or he doesn't think Charlotte would submit to him so readily. He's part of the reason her dad died, after all.

   The Shredder fixes a hard stare on both of us. "Why do you aline yourselves with me?" he growls dangerously.

   This is it. One wrong word and we'll be fed to Tiger Claw.

   I open my mouth to speak, but Charlotte breaks in. "We have seen your power, sir. We have observed how you control a whole country with the flick of your wrist. We wish to receive your pardon on our lives and be led only by you, the great Master Shredder."

   I have to stop my mouth from dropping open. Charlotte actually said something usual. I can't deny that I am extremely impressed.

   The Shredder considers her words for a long moment. "Very well," he agrees at last, and I feel my heart nearly skip a beat in relief. "But you will spend the rest of the day in cell, just in case you are planning a scheme. I cannot trust you until then."

   Every bit of me wants to lash out at him, but I fight the urge. We're almost in. We just have to last the night and we will be ready to start phase one.

   "Yes, Master Shredder," I agree smoothly.

   "Of course, master," Charlotte says just as humbly. "Thank you."

   "You should be grateful," Shredder mutters. "Footbots, take them to the dungeon. I will give you the order to retrieve them tomorrow."

   Within a couple of minutes, Charlotte and I are trapped in a cell. With a stone-hard floor. In the dark. Alone. It can't get much more uncomfortable than this.

   I'm sure we are being watched. Perhaps Stockman has security cameras embedded in the stone walls around us. One wrong move, and we'll get beheaded.

   Conscience of this, I come up with a plan. I grab Charlotte by the shoulders and pull her towards me.

   "What are you-" she starts to snap, but I don't give her the chance.

   "You have a knot in your neck." I try my best to sound concerned as I massage my thumbs into her skin. "Let me get it out." Under my breath, I mutter, "Cameras."

   Charlotte seems to get the idea, because she doesn't pull away. Either that, or she really does want me to get the kink out of her neck. She relaxes into my touch.

   "Wow, your muscles are really stiff," I comment loudly for the camera's sake. Quieter, I add, "That was cool, what you did back there with Shredder. Genius, really."

   I feel Charlotte tense up a bit as if she thinks I'm going to criticize her. But when I don't, she calms down again. "A little lower," she says in a normal tone, trying to entertain our invisible audience as well. 

   I do my bets to comply with her request, before I finish up the massage completely.

  "Thanks," she adds after another moment, and I know the meaning goes deeper than just the massage.

   We stare at each other for a long moment. I've never realized what color her eyes really are; they're more than just brown. They're like the bark of an oak tree. They remind me of the forest back at the farmhouse.

   I'm suddenly transported back to when she stalked me through the trees. She laughed so hard about scaring me that I thought her cheeks were going to pop. I'd never seen her so happy. It was an odd but pleasant sight.

   Now, I kind of long to have another experience like that. I can't fully explain why. Maybe it's just because I hate seeing her frown all of the time. Her smile iss a lot more tolerable than her scowl.

   I'm not sure why I'm thinking about all of this now. Maybe it's because I'm in such close quarters with her. Alone. My mind is probably trying to find reasons to trust her, since no one else in the Shredder's lair can fulfill that. It's silly, really.

   Charlotte coughs softly and sits down in the corner of the cell. "We'd better sleep," she speaks in a much more audible voice than normal. "We'll need rest if Master Shredder sends us on a mission."

   Realizing she's playing for the cameras, I nod. "Right." I sit down in a different corner and shut my eyes.

   Just as I start to doze off into a nap, I hear a small noise. I open one eye to see Charlotte chattering her teeth. And I can see why. It's freezing. The cold, approaching autumn weather does no justice for the temperature in the dungeon.

   Now, normally I'd never do such a thing. I'm not an affectionate turtle in any way. But something about Charlotte saving our tails with the Shredder makes me grow some respect towards her, and I want to return the favor.

   I move over to her side and wrap a hesitant arm around her shoulder. She shies away and gives me a quizzical look.

   "We should, uh, share body heat," I explain in a stuttering manner. "It helps."

   Charlotte seems alright with that. Though she doesn't get too comfortable, and nor do I, we stay close enough to keep each other warm.

    I stay awake, gazing out between the bars, until I feel Charlotte's breathing slow. She snores softly and unconsciously snuggles into my plastron.

   And for some reason, a tiny smile appears on my face.