Polar Opposites

Chapter 13: Quarrel

"Obviously nothing I do is good enough for you! Blame the accursed electronics, why don't you?!" Cora yelled.

She grabbed her laptop and slammed it into his plastron. Leo stumbled back in surprise as the computer split to pieces. Cora grabbed a brown bag and she stomped to the door.

"I can see where I'm not appreciated!" She slammed the hallway door behind her.

Leo pushed through and followed her to the backdoor, grabbing her arm. "You can't make it out there by yourself!"

Cora turned around and snarled, yanking herself free of his grip. "Why would you care what happens to me!?"

She opened the back door and ran off, leaving behind a fuming Leo.

Raph stepped into the hallway at the sound of their yelling getting louder. He looked past Leo at the door.

"What did you do?" Raph demanded.

"Nothing! Cora does whatever she wants!" Leo growled.

Raph slapped him.

"What was that for!?" Leo demanded.

"I was calming you down." Raph answered. "Now use that brain of yours and go get her."

"She doesn't want to see me! Why should I?" Leo huffed, crossing his arms.

"Because Cora is a genius and we need her. You need her. I don't know what you two were fighting about, but she can't make it out there." Raph told him.

"What do you want me to do? Tie her up and drag her back?" Leo demanded.

"No, I'm going to go get the guys and we're going to find her. When we do, you'll be apologizing." Raph instructed.

"Apologize!?" Leo asked incredulously.

"Yes!" Raph replied, turning around and pulling the blue turtle down toward the others.

Cora looked up at the building and nodded to herself. This was the place. She recognized it easily from having watched it for so long. One of the biggest refugee bases in New York.

Before she reached the door, one of the windows to her left exploded outward and a Kraang droid fell through.

Oh no.

Cora threw the doors open and her eyes widened in horror.

The Kraang had found them. And they'd began to mutate the refugees.

What would Mikey do?

Attack.

Cora opened her bag and pulled out a small box before launching it across the room. It landed right behind a group of Kraang who had cornered a group of people.

The box exploded, sending the Kraang crashing into the wall. The people screamed and scrambled out of the way.

There was purple blaster fire and Cora swirled around to see three bots shooting at her. She yelped and lunged to the side, throwing another bomb.

Someone grabbed Cora's arm and pulled her up.

"Who are you?" The man demanded, pulling Cora out of the main room, where all of the Kraang were.

"My name is Cora. I'm here to help. You need to get these people to Roosevelt elementary school, there's another group of refugees there." She instructed.

"How do you-"

Kraang bursted into the room and Cora pulled herself from the man's grasp. She reached into her bag and grabbed another explosive.

"Go!" She yelled.

The man nodded before turning around and running away.

Cora threw the bomb, knocking some Kraang back and exploding others.

Anger pulsed through her and Cora charged, throwing the bombs at every alien she saw.

Splinter said she lacked any sufficient fighting capabilities. Leo said she wouldn't make it on her own. Well Cora was tired of people underestimating her and if she needed to fight Kraang, then she would go down trying.

Screw what Leo thought.

One of the drones with multiple shooting arms flew in and Cora lunged to the side as it began to blast at her. She dodged behind a desk and pulled out another grenade.

Cora jumped up and threw it, but halfway, the droid shot the bomb and it blasted outward in every direction. She flew back, slamming into the wall behind her.

Cora groaned, her head ringing and back aching. She lifted her head and looked up as the remaining group of Kraang approached, their guns pointed at her head.

Well, sewer apples. Leo was right.

That stupid, idiot, moron genius. Cora hated his guts.

Someone huge suddenly rammed into the group of Kraang and Cora's eyes widened as Slash beat the crap out of the bots. Next to her, another giant mutant appeared.

"Leatherhead?"

The giant crocodile extended a hand. "You know my name." He stated.

Cora pulled herself up and winced. "Yeah."

"Reinforcements will be here soon! We need to go!" Dr. Rockwell announced.

"Dr. Rockwell?" Cora asked incredulously.

"She knows my name." The monkey mutant stated.

"Yeah."

"Let's go!" Slash ran back as the front doors were thrown open again.

Cora ran after them, warily eyeing the mutant turtle. After everyone stopped, Cora saw yet another member of the little mismatched group. Pigeon Pete.

"That's not the typical reaction we get from humans we rescue." Slash said, looking over at Cora. "Usually there's more screaming."

"You rescuing people seems pretty uncharacteristic, Slash." Cora retorted.

The turtle's eyes widened. "How do you know who I am?"

"I know who all of you are. I'm with the turtles." She informed them.

"They're here?" Leatherhead asked in surprise.

"Hiding. Leo was in recovery outside of the city from his date with the Shredder for months." Cora replied.

"But they're in New York now?" Dr. Rockwell questioned.

Cora nodded.

"Yay! We can finally beat the Kraang!" Pigeon Pete cheered.

"We could beat the Kraang before. Without their help." Slash crossed his arms.

"I'm sorry, what are you doing being all heroic?" Cora demanded. "You tried to kill the turtles."

He frowned. "I wasn't right in the mind then. It was the mutagen."

Cora raised an eyebrow. Nobody else who was mutated lost their mind...

Actually, Dr. Rockwell and Pigeon Pete did.

She sighed. "Okay."

"Can you lead us to the turtles?" Leatherhead requested.

Cora hesitated, but then she nodded.