TMNT: Brainwashed

Chapter 23

As he cut up vegetables to put into the slow-cooker, Issac made small talk with his life-long friend Hiro, "What days do you have off from your job at the docks?"

"None this week. Why?" Hiro asked, feeling ashamed that he once again had to lie about his life outside of their friendship.

"I wanted to go to Coney Island with you. I thought it might cheer the both of us up some," the brunette responded, turning around to face Hiro as he sat on a bar stool. "I just think you need to get out of the house more."

"I get out of the house," the Japanese man objected. "I get to watch the sun rise and set while breathing in salty smelling air."

"Docks aren't a the same as a real beach," he stated, leaning on the counter. "I just think that it would be fun to go somewhere else, somewhere out of our daily routines.

"Yea, but they always treat the new guys lile garbage, so I won't be able to get a day off any time soon. Speaking of, I'm going to be late," Hiro said as he stood up and got a duffle bag from a closet. "Thank you for making me dinner for when I get back home. I really appreciate it."

"I'm off today, so I thought I could help you out."

Hiro went to the door of his appartment, "Then have fun, and do whatever you want. Bye, lock the door on your way out."

"I will," Issac called before the door slammed shut.

~

"They're attacking us again! The Prowlers are here!" A Hamato employee shouted across the intercom system.

In a mad dash to get the important business letters back to the secure mail room, Casey Jones dodged into someone's office and waited for the black-clad gang members to pass. He could tell they were on a mission because they knew where they were going, and they weren't stopping for anything. The leader trailed shortly after his scouts and several more followed him.

Casey opened the door when they turned around the corner of the hallway and took off with the mail cart to the lower levels of the tower. Once he returned the mail buggy, he grabbed one of his hockey sticks from his locker, and he went to join the combating fray on the higher floors.

"Don't let them get to the planning rooms!" An employee yelled over the chaos.

"We should count ourselves blessed that they didn't bring their little snake friend," another muttered to the last one that spoke.

Casey, using his height to his advantage, looked over parts of the crowd and spotted the Prowler leader. Having a good idea where they were headed, he headed to the meeting room where he first met Issac. He scraped up what little information they had on the leader's identity and put it in an incorrect file that was labeled "employee handbook."

He took a picture of the map on the big wall before tearing it apart. "What have you done?" A Japanese-accented voice questioned angrily. "Where is the information?"

"What information?" The hockey player asked.

"You know very well what I speak of," the masked gang leader stated with narrowed eyes. "Give it to me! And you will be left unharmed."

"No can do," Casey said, raising his hockey stick.

Swipe took out a katana from the sheath on his back. "As a newer employee, you have not had any training whatsoever, which means beating you should be a simple task."

Casey ducked as the sword was swung at him, and he struck back by jabbing the hockey stick into the Swipe's gut. He doubled over, so Casey took the chance to hit him upside the head in an attempt to knock him out. Instead, the end of the hockey stick got caught on a loose piece of fabric on the mask and ripped it off of the Prowler's face. Casey's eyes widened in surprise as he saw who it was.