8091/City Fall: Lion in Wait

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City Fall: Lion in Wait
Date of Scene: 28 June 2019
Location: The Bronx Zoo
Synopsis: The Bronx Zoo is the scene of a fight between Leonardo and Nemean in which Leo tries to get the lion to listen to reason
Cast of Characters: Leonardo, Nemean
Tinyplot: City Fall


Leonardo has posed:
The encounter Leonardo had with Karai was hard to guess at. He thought he might find in her someone more willing to him out, but he received very little in the way of an open mind. The biggest surprise he took away from it was not what he learned of her fighting style and skill - he'd already had an idea and she was not fully healthy - but rather that she didn't seem to know some of the things Shredder was up to with the mutants he'd been busy making. What that might mean, he was still trying to figure out.

Out on patrol a few nights later, he had Michelangelo a few blocks away, at least in the vicinity, and they were in communication via earpieces in case anything got out of hand. This was where Shredder's newest 'recruit' was last spotted, and they were looking for any signs of where he might be. Was Nemean, formerly known as Cody Garrett, staying at a Foot location, or had he taken up residence at a place of his own?

On his way through an alley, not far from the Bronx Zoo, Leo scaled a fire escape up to the top of a low multi-story building, but one taller than most of the homes nearby. It'd give him a better view, the tails of his mask fluttering on a light wind.

Nemean has posed:
How these mutants and superheroes did that rooftop running thing constantly, Nemean would never know. It was exhausting even with his enhanced abilities granted by his mutation. Of course one couldn't just casually stroll down the street without some kind of disguise as a mutant of his particular variety, except maybe in Mutant Town proper.

Especially when you were armed as much as Nemean was. Several blades visible in scabbards on his body, and at least two guns in holsters. He wasn't on a rooftop proper, however. He was in an alleyway, trying to discern the difference between Alopex's scent and the scent of a dumpster. He made a face because right now there was more dumpster than anything else.

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo's journey halts for a spell, giving him a chance to evaluate what he's seen - and hasn't seen - so far, positioning himself relative to the Zoo. Should he head over that way? It could be a perfect place to check out for a newly-made lion mutant.

Fiddling with his comms, he gets Mikey to answer, exchanging a few words with his turtle brother. When the wind shifts, it carries his hushed voice around a little better, perhaps even down to a certain dumpster.

"...thinking I'm going to look in on the Zoo and..." Fade out, then back in. "...could be there. Hold your..."

Nemean has posed:
An ear twitch is the only thing that would be any indication that the voice was heard by the figure down in the alleyway. He stops what he's doing and listens in, some of it coming through, but not all of it. The zoo, huh? Nemean knew where the zoo was, he might be able to beat the voice to the zoo.

He might be able to set up an ambush, that would be a good play. He knew it wasn't the fox, but that's okay. Whoever was creeping around on a rooftop near where Alopex was based out of may know something, and that was good enough for him.

Leonardo has posed:
If a lion was so inclined, he could get over there before Leonardo, whose pace is not at the speed it'd need to be to beat someone more determined to be there first, even if it's just within a block or two. Leo has Michelangelo mostly trailing behind him by a few blocks, meant to be a second set of eyes and ears, but Mikey gets distracted by a half-eaten box of pizza he finds that someone had left on a porch. It's there one moment, gone the next, and by the time the former owner comes back out to realize what happened, the turtle is having an unexpected snack.

Meanwhile, Leonardo continues along, hopping down from the apartment building to go back to the streets, since some of the homes he's passing are not in very good shape. Shadows are stuck to, blocks closed in the direction of the Zoo.

Nemean has posed:
The zoo is closed at this time of night, save for special occasions or something. Nemean scales the wall around the zoo and drops down onto a foot path. Most of the animals are asleep, save for the nocturnal ones. So he can be quiet enough so they won't freak out.

The best place to set up an ambush, he ponders that. He has no idea who he's dealing with, so he doesn't know what their pattern will be. Perhaps more of a general spot, somewhere near one of the footpath intersections. He scales a tree and waits.

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo's path into the Zoo is an easy one, but in a different area than the spot Nemean chose. Had he been there, perhaps he'd have noticed something, a sign of passage. Perhaps not.

As it happens, Leo enters near the Jungle World area's Asia Gate. The exterior fence is a tall chain link style, a good ten feet or so, with the view through the lower half hidden by wooden fencing, plus barbed wire at the top. For a ninja like him, getting over that is no real trouble, especially when vaulting off the roof of an SUV parked at the curb. Landing softly after a front flip, he starts down the closest path, the Bronx River flowing off to one side away from the area the big cats are kept.

Nemean has posed:
Learning to control new senses is hard. Scents are overwhelming, sounds are sharper than ever and he can hear way more than he used to be able to. He can see in the dark like he has the best pair of night vision goggles. He closes his eyes, however, and focuses on sounds. Animals breathing, some of the more active ones eating or drinking.

But he's listening for footsteps, trying to pin-point where his prey is. The zoo is a big place, but he knows they were coming from roughly the same direction as him, so that means this should be a decent point for an ambush.

Leonardo has posed:
To enhanced senses, silent steps might be audible. Leonardo is moving cautiously, given the amount of cover the trees provide. Signs lead him in the direction of the lions at the African Plains, and if Nemean /is/ in here that's as good a place as any to begin checking out. What if he's there to watch them?

The turtle's path brings him closer to a junction in the path that leads in different directions, occasional lights providing some illumination even in the middle of the night. His swords are in their sheathes at his back. For the time being, he keeps a slower pace. The comms are silent.

Nemean has posed:
There are a lot of sounds in the city. It's hard to isolate just footsteps. At least not without a lot of practice. But as the steps move ever closer, he can pick up on them. He opens his eyes, trying to spy who is walking around down there. Last thing he wants to do is jump down on top of some park employee who's just trying to feed his kids by working a double shift.

After all that's what Shredder is doing. He's trying to help defend the city from the mutants who would see it burn to the ground. The turtles and Alopex and her ilk, Shredder wants to see a city free from them. So Nemean won't hurt some innocent guy, but will hurt someone to get information on the fox and her cohort's whereabouts.

Leonardo has posed:
How fitting, then, that one of those cohorts of the fox is right there, coming into view. Green skin, a big shell, blue mask, swords. If the lion's memory is worth anything, he'll know exactly who this one is.

Leonardo pauses at the intersection of the pathway, checking the signs. Which way to go?

Nemean has posed:
It was hard to ignore the appearance of the turtle. After all, the only memories that aren't clouded in his mind are the ones of the Turtles and Alopex doing this to him, causing him to change into this form, trying to recruit him into their army.

That rage that's always sitting just under the surface boils over, and he leaps from the tree with a roar. He is trying to land right on top of Leonardo, to pin him to the ground with his superior strength and, should he actually manage to pin him, tear into his flesh with those teeth.

Leonardo has posed:
The sound is all the warning Leonardo gets. A snap of a branch from the leap, but more importantly that rage-filled, primal scream directed toward him. For a moment, Nemean will see a true look of surprise in the turtle's expression and eyes as he looks up to see the lion descending toward him, but quick reflexes are the only thing that keep him from being landed completely atop of.

He goes into a side roll, clipped enough by fang or claw to open up a slice along his left shoulder, causing him to clench his teeth as he comes up to a half-kneeling position prior to drawing both katanas. "Cody!" he tries. "Don't do this!"

Nemean has posed:
Nemean hits the ground hard, and then rolls after missing his target, coming back up into a crouched position, watching Leo draw both of his katanas. He reaches up behind his back and draws the katana he has from there as well, the weapon pitch black with a blue cutting edge, under the right light.

"Don't call me that." He growls out, eyes narrowing, "I'm glad you're the one who showed up. You'll know exactly where Alopex is hiding so I can bring her back to Shredder and she can pay for doing this to me."

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo makes a quick check of what the lion is packing. Sword, now out, guns as well from the look of it. Seems this one isn't just about using his new natural weaponry if he doesn't have to, and he looks like a tough one to boot. All of Shredder's creations have been in one way or another, if he had to admit it. All of them can be a threat if not taken seriously.

Rising up to his full height still leaves him about a foot shorter than Nemean. Donatello would almost see him eye-to-eye, but not Leonardo. "That's who you are, no matter what Shredder did to you. And if you think I'm leading you to Alopex or anyone else, think again. I came looking for you to to try to help you." A quick check of his scratch reveals nothing serious. It may bleed out a bit, but nothing too dangerous. "I didn't come here to fight."

Nemean has posed:
He could remember who he was, vaguely. Most of it was lost in a fog. Kitsune said she'd help him clear his memories but so far nothing had come back save for what he remembers about Shredder saving him and the turtles and Alopex transforming him. Save for the stuff with the Punisher, but he could deal with that in due time.

"You want to talk? Fine. Talk." He doesn't put his weapon away, but he's not attacking yet. His stance is still tense, ready to strike, but he's not lashing out again, yet.

Leonardo has posed:
Go ahead and talk? It actually gives Leonardo a moment to pause. He was not expecting that after the initial attack, so there's a brief hesitation before he's able to say more. "Shredder is using you. That's what he was doing with Alopex, too."

The turtle leader doesn't hear anything over his comms. Was the thing damaged in the opening tangle? As it is, he's got the swords in hand, keeping what he believes to be a safe distance from the lion. There isn't much he knows about this new form of Cody's, yet.

Nemean has posed:
"I expected as much." He replies, "Shredder is trying to stop folks like you from mutating civilians, and people like the Punisher from just murdering whoever they want." Obviously Nemean has not been privy to a lot of the activities of the Foot since his induction into their ranks, "Kitsune told me when you mutants transformed me it caused my memories to get clouded, but warned me you'd try to bring me to your side."

He grips his blade a bit tighter, "I get it, I really do. You want to find the source of the mutagen so you can turn as many people into creatures like you, so maybe you can walk around freely in the streets. But it won't happen. I'll stop you."

Leonardo has posed:
Is /that/ the angle Shredder is taking? Leonardo had heard from Alopex that Cody was kidnapped, changed, and indoctrinated, brainwashed, but he wasn't entirely sure how it was done. "..what are you talking about?" he asks, brows scrunching the mask closer together as his eyes narrow. "We haven't mutated anybody. That's crazy."

Must be more lies, fitting right into what they probably convinced Nemean to be his truth, his reality. "I said I wasn't here for a fight." That doesn't mean he won't defend himself from one, and as Nemean shows a willingness to take it further by the way he adjusts his stance, Leo prepares for an attack to come.

Nemean has posed:
"Same thing Alopex said." He replies. Somewhere in the back of his brain amongst all that fog something about that resonates. But they probably decided to get their stories straight. Right? No time to worry about it now.

"I'm done talking. If you're just going to lie to my face, I'll force the truth out of you." His stance shifts, ever so slightly, and he pushes off from his back foot. It doesn't take long for him to cross the distance, swinging that graphene edged katana in an upward slash when he gets within range.

Leonardo has posed:
"Because she was telling you the truth," Leonardo asserts, but it seems like it isn't getting through to the big lion right now. Trying to keep things non-violent is not working.

Somewhere in the distance, as Nemean charges, another lion roars. One responds to it, and a cacophony of animalistic sounds rise all around them from the creatures kept on display for visitors to ogle. It breaks whatever silence was around the pair, broken further by the tang of one sword meeting another as the turtle cuts a katana through the air to deflect Nemean's swipe away from making contact. In that moment, he becomes aware of the strength the mutant possesses as it drives him back a couple steps. "Oof." No counter, not yet. Instead, he readies himself for more.

Nemean has posed:
The sword on sword contact results in the lion growling, leaning in and snapping his teeth at Leo for a moment before the two push apart. The sounds of animals awakening and making a lot of noise is proving to be a bit of a distraction as he tries to adjust to his hearing, trying to tone it out.

"Prove it then." He replies, before he moves to strike again. He wants proof that Leo and Alopex aren't lying to him. They should be able to find something.

This strike comes downwards, but at the last moment is a feint, and instead he lashes out with an upwards kick from his right leg.

Leonardo has posed:
The shorter turtle comes close enough to the larger lion for them to nearly butt heads, but he resists the urge to do so. He's not here to harm. He just has to remind himself of that and see if he can get Nemean to listen to reason. Acting like he's trying to kill him won't accomplish that goal.

They separate and Leo, at least, shows no sign of being hindered by the sounds around him. He knows it's a zoo, knows the animals aren't getting involved beyond whatever excitement they're sharing. Just imagine them, in their own languages, chanting 'Fight! Fight! Fight!'

"How do you expect me to prove something that never happened?" he challenges Nemean to think. "Remember the docks? You took the mutagen home!" Any further attempt to continue along that train of thought is put on hold as the feint, while read ably enough by the ninja turtle and quickly countered, still comes up short due to Nemean's strength advantage. It knocks Leonardo back toward a light pole, which he pushes back away from so he can't get pinned to it. Now he comes in low with a roundhouse kick intended to trip up his opponent.

Nemean has posed:
"The docks are where you mutated me!" He roars back, his kick countered, but Leo can still feel the force behind it. Wait was it Leo that did it or Alopex? His brain seems to skip a step for a moment, and it's enough time for Leo to come in and strike with the roundhouse kick.

When Leo makes contact, it feels like he just kicked a wall. Nemean stumbles but manages to stay upright, turning around to slash wildly at Leonardo.

His slash misses entirely, but cuts a clean slice through the light pole that he had forced the turtle against, sending it crashing to the ground where the glass explodes.

Leonardo has posed:
Suddenly, one source of light along the path is gone. This leaves a couple others along with numerous trees providing cover, causing the shadows to stretch further and cast deep lines of darkness where the light is blocked.

The tussle is punctuated by a hiss of breath from the turtle, Leonardo grimacing as the kick, normally enough to take an average man down, only shakes Nemean's balance while feeling like he's the one coming out the worse for it. "..ow." What the hell?

"That's..not how it happened," he retorts through a clenched jaw, giving himself a moment or two to test his leg and foot before deeming it usable. Meanwhile, the slash helped put a little more room between them. With the distance in place, Leo comes up with a pair of shuriken after sticking the pointy end of a sword in the soft earth off the pathway, flinging them with high accuracy at the holders for the guns he can see. Best to separate those from him now if he can, to lessen the chance of them coming out. They're on target, as long as Nemean doesn't move too much.

Nemean has posed:
Both of the shuriken find their way home, one slicing cleanly through the webbing holding the pistol on his hip. It had to cut through several straps but the weapon drops to the ground. The other one manages to lodge it's way into Nemean's chest, the point of the blade sticking through the trigger guard of the pistol, pinning it in place.

"Hold still!" He roars out, his anger obviously getting the better of him. He sheathes the katana, opting instead to just use his bare claws and teeth. They're the only things that have had success so far. He rushes at Leo, again trying to just tackle him into the concession stand behind him. With his strength he may just knock them both right into it.

Leonardo has posed:
"Yeah, I don't think so," Leonardo reacts after seeing the relative success and failure of the throwing stars by taking a couple steps backward after retrieving his other sword. At least, the guns shouldn't be a major concern for the moment. That could still change.

He goes on, "I'm trying to get you to listen to reason without having to hurt you!" but it doesn't seem like the lion is willing to hear it out right now, the rage of the fight driving him forward into that tackling charge. The turtle vaults up and over it, but not quite high enough as he's clipped in such a way that it spins him sideways. He tucks into a ball as he lands and half rolls, half slides on the back of his shell to a stop while Nemean continues on a path toward the stand.

Flipping back to his feet, Leonardo stalks closer, both swords out in a combined position ready for offense or defense. "Stay down. Don't make me do something we'll both regret later." Bravado, but an appeal to a more sensible side.

Nemean has posed:
The lion has obviously lost any rational thought at the moment, the rage having taken over. He's not worried about guns, not worried about his weapons. He just wants to tear into the turtle, to get at the sweet, delicious meat inside of there.

He manages to clip Leo with a shoulder, spinning the turtle out, but Nemean crashes into the stand. He's in there for a few moments, there's just the sounds of equipment sparking and souvenir cups hitting the ground. Then a moment later he bursts back out of the stand, wielding a soda machine, which he hurls at Leonardo with all the strength he can muster.

Leonardo has posed:
Michelangelo, if he saw this, might make a comment about a 'soda jerk,' but he hasn't been seen or heard from since he was distracted by the pizza. He may have made his way into the Zoo somewhere else, but not here.

Suddenly, the lion picks himself up from the wreckage he made of the stand - good luck to whoever shows up in the morning and has to try explaining that - with the soda machine, which is flung so hard and fast at Leo that the most he can do is duck and cover. The sound of the machine caroming off his shell is almost like metal scraping on metal, accompanied by a surprised, "Damn!"

It also looks like it's drawn a couple more cuts down an arm and leg, torn metal the cause of it. If Nemean is driven by the scent of blood, that will only strengthen the desire to kill. With the turtle doing his best to avoid that, even finding that wounding the lion is more difficult than he'd first thought, dealing with this is going to take much more caution than before. "Calm down! You're going out of control!" Does Nemean even care now?

Nemean has posed:
At this point, Nemean is out of control. A mixture of his anger about being transformed and animalistic instincts that he can't contain have basically rendered him into a wild animal with the intention of killing his prey.

The soda machine drew some blood, which is only going to make things worse. He drops onto all fours, his legs more animalistic than a normal human's, making this easy enough for him. Normally, were he thinking straight, he'd try to come around from the side, maybe throw a feint in here or there. But no, he's just rushing headlong at Leo, red eyes clouded with fury.

Leonardo has posed:
In some ways, this change simplifies matters a whole lot. In others, it makes things much more difficult for Leonardo to deal with.

Simpler: attacks are getting more predictable and straight on, little to no strategy involved. He can avoid much of them, deflect others, and keep some distance as he circles the area and Nemean himself.

Difficult: the opportunity to reason with the lion appears to have gone by the wayside, meaning the fight becomes more about surviving than getting through to him.

That doesn't mean Leo's giving up on that. He's just got to find another way to make it there. "Come on, get a hold of yourself," he urges after a series of attacks are parried or dodged, though the force of each one keeps him on his heels. He's hesitant to go for a real attack of his own, even if it might not do much damage, if any. "Remember who you were!"

Along the way, claws occasionally get past defenses to tag him, and he fights back with non-lethal measures in the form of knees and elbows, strikes aimed at pressure points to try to soften the bigger mutant up.

Nemean has posed:
Leo's strikes are finding home with no issue, Nemean seems to have little to no interest in defending himself. He can feel each blow, but Leo still has to deal with the fact that every time he hits Nemean he's punching a wall.

The lion's tough exterior and superior strength and endurance may eventually wear the turtle down. He doesn't show much in the way of slowing, though the attacks are starting to build. He's drawn blood a few times, but the last battle with him took one of Pippi's full strength punches to bring him down.

One blow to the head from one of the turtke's knees does seem to finally knock something loose, as it makes him stumble, his attack stopping briefly as he drops to a knee and one of his hands, finally saying something again, "I can't." His breathing is a bit heavier, "Everything is clouded. There's just bits and pieces.." The fact that Leo hasn't tried to kill him despite having had quite the opportunity to do so is confusing.

Leonardo has posed:
The main thing keeping Leonardo on any sort of even level right now is his skill as a ninja and a fighter, along with his quick analysis of what to do each time Nemean presses him. He's getting sore from all the strikes, both the ones he lands and the ones the lion is able to tag him with, and there's only so much of that he can keep doing. He's taking bruises, more nicks and cuts, and starting to feel it.

Then, Nemean falters, sinking as words return. "Focus on them," the turtle encourages through shortened breaths, a testament to the exhausting struggle back and forth. "You can do it. I know you can." He puts his trust in the mutant to fight whatever's been done to him, stepping closer, lowering the katanas.

Nemean has posed:
Leo's words make the lion close his eyes, trying to focus on the bits he can feel in his memory. Trying to force his way through the clouds to find something. Then it hits him like a truck, pain shooting through his whole body. Obviously Kitsune doesn't want him exploring his memories, because that would be bad.

He roars in pain and turns around suddenly, lashing out at Leo with a huge haymaker, no claws through. He follows up with a pounce, pushing off with both feet to try to pounce on top of the turtle and pin him down. Maybe knock those katanas out of the way in the process.

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo tenses when Nemean reacts as if due to some unseen force or power exerting its hold over him. Even though he starts to try getting his defenses back up, there's a wicked punch that connects, actually sending the turtle off his feet to land and slide away, opening the door for the leap that ends with the lion's weight atop him, hands and feet ensuring he's not going to have an easy time getting back up. The katanas clatter to the ground in the process, and there's a pained look in his expression. That really knocked him for a loop, causing him to see stars. Might have given him problems with the comm unit as well.

Nemean has posed:
The lion keeps his weight pressed down on top of Leo, growling and leaning down close to him, the lion's breathing heavy, "I've got you beat." He growls, moving to put his hands on Leo's shoulders. It's hard to keep them pinned with the shell in the way, "None of your brothers are coming to help you. Now tell me what I want to know and maybe I won't bite your throat out."

Leonardo has posed:
The lion might benefit from a breath mint or ten, but Leonardo isn't quite in a position that would make that smart to taunt with. Besides, he's too busy trying to get out from under the mutant, and his eyes hint at a glassy, distant look for a few more longer moments. Shell or no shell, a pinning move is a pinning move and Nemean has leverage on his side.

"Not..going to tell you that," he declares, the denial still there. He makes an effort to squirm his way free, but he can't get his arms and legs into the right positions. Nemean holds the cards now, and Leo's mask has become dislodged.

Nemean has posed:
"Then you are of no use to me. Any last words?" The lion seems at least willing to give the turtle a chance to say his last piece, before he finishes him off. Maybe he'll pass those words on to the other turtles one by one as he finishes them off too.

Leonardo has posed:
"Yes," Leonardo answers, looking up at Nemean without any outward fear showing from his compromised position on the footpath. With Nemean looming so closely, that mouth full of sharp teeth and fangs is primed to strike. "I'm sorry."

For what? A surprise counterattack, left for just the right time? If Nemean is thinking that way, there's nothing of that nature forthcoming. "I failed you. I was supposed to keep people like you safe from Shredder, safe from the Foot. I let you down, and now look at what they've done to you. It's my fault for letting you take the mutagen home, for giving them an opportunity."

His words are calm, if clipped due to the pain he feels, but sincere and honest. He faces what's to come, knowing he told the truth, drawing strength from the conviction of his words. "Maybe they're right. I might as well have made you this way myself, but I didn't do it the way you believe."

Nemean has posed:
The words are not the ones he expected. He expected the turtle to be defiant in the face of imminent death. He didn't expect him to express remorse. Nemean suddenly lets go of Leo, his head pounding like he'd been hit by a sledgehammer.

He pulls backwards off of the turtle, on his knees for a moment. His mind is fighting his soul, or something to that extent. Kitsune's magics are trying to keep everything wrapped up under the assault from the truth, and Nemean can't seem to deal with both of them at the same time.

Unexpected by probably both of the combatants, Nemean rises up to his feet and turns, running. He only pauses for a brief moment to scoop up the weapon Leo had knocked off of his gear earlier in the fight, before he vanishes into the night. He's hurting and disoriented, and it feels like the world is crashing down around him. He might not make it far.

Leonardo has posed:
Honesty can be a difficult thing. It can cut both ways. It can vindicate, but it can condemn. Tonight, it appears to have bought Leonardo a second chance. There's an exhale of breath, not just because the lion's weight is no longer holding him down either. He scrambles back a few feet just in case, only to watch Nemean going through whatever internal struggle he's facing.

"I won't give up on trying to help you. Neither will Alopex or the rest of us. We never meant for this to happen," he explains, even as Nemean runs off. Leo doesn't know how deep the brainwashing goes, but he's seen enough to know breaking the newest mutant of it won't be easy.

He's not the type to give up in the face of long odds. He's also not the type to look a gift horse in the mouth and throw away a chance to regroup and try again another day. The question is what he or the rest of them will be dealing with the next time once Nemean has had the chance to take stock of what he's been told against what's been impressed upon him.

Katanas are retrieved, and a very sore turtle limps his way back out the way he came. Once Michelangelo finally catches up to him and is filled in on what's happened, even his "Whoa, dude..." understates what's taken place in the zoo. Pursuit is not even considered, just a hasty return to the Lair.