An Angel I Seek
Chapter 1: Hero With the Chocolate Brown Eyes
Maddy raced through the crowded New York streets, ignoring the unhappy pedestrians and their rude remarks. Soon enough she deemed it safe to look behind her. She instantly regretted it, when she caught sight of her pursuers. Five burly Purple Dragons were pushing their way through the crowd toward her. All of the sudden the crowd was gone, and she crashed into a long florescent strip of caution tape. Damn! Maddy thought. Now she would have to go through the alleys. Maddy turned down the nearest alley, and raced through it. Once again she turned her head to see if the gangsters were still chasing her.
They were.
BAM! Maddy's world went black for a second before she realized what had happened. Of course she thought only I could run straight into a brick wall. Even though her world was spinning she could still see the gangsters as they came to a halt next to her.
One with a purple Mohawk and a pierced nose came up, and pulled her head up by her hair. "Da boss has gotta message for yas-"
"How 'bout a breath mint, toxic breath." Maddy jeered.
"Why you little" he said as he went to slap her.
"Wait!" A blue-haired one said as he restrained the Mohawk junkie. "Da boss said she not get injured. Got it?"
The Mohawk one grinned slyly and said, "But… we could say that she got hurt when she was resisting us."
Maddy's eyes widened as a fist collided with her jaw. She refused to cry out, but she bit her lip so hard that it bled. Her stubbornness only made him angrier. Two of they took turns kicking her ribs. After they broke a few, the biggest one came up, and kicked her ribs as hard as he could. Maddy screamed in pain as she felt a rib breaking.
Suddenly four shadows jumped down from a nearby rooftop. Almost immediately they set to work beating up the thugs. Maddy screamed in pain again, and the nearest on turned to look at her. All she could see in her blurred vision was a blue mask framing chocolate brown eyes. Before she blacked out, she thought, how beautiful. Then she was gone.
Leo had been fighting a particularly large Purple Dragon that he had just knocked out, when a heartbreaking scream of pain from behind him. He turned, and there on the ground behind him was a woman with short brown hair up in a ponytail. She was clutching her midsection, and weeping and screaming at the same time. She looked up at him, and Leo nearly fell to his knees. Her hazel eyes stared into his brown ones for a few seconds before they misted over closed, and she went limp. He rushed over, and caught her head. Carefully he picked her up, and walked over to where his brothers were celebrating.
"Dudes we kicked some major shell!" Mikey was saying as he jumped up and down in triumph. Donny smiled and shook his head while Raph scowled.
"Donny." Leo said softly, but Donny couldn't hear him over Mikey. Frustrated, Leo yelled, "Donatello!"
Donny nearly jumped out of his shell. He turned around to question his oldest brother on his motive for yelling, but he stopped short when he saw the injured woman in Leo's arms. He rushed over to them.
"Leo what happened to her?" Donny questioned as he checked the girls vitals.
"I'm not sure, but she was clutching her chest before she blacked out." Leo answered, and flinched inwardly at the memory.
"Guys we've got to move her to a more stable area before I can assess the damage she has obtained." Donny said as he stepped away from Leo and the girl.
"Mikey, Raph tie up the thugs, Donny and I will go back to the lair." Leo said as he made his way back to the manhole. He and Donny gently climbed down, and walked to the lair. Once there, they made their way to Donny's lab. Leo insisted that Donny lay down some blankets and a pillow for the woman. Then, ever so gently, he set her down. Donny set to work, and Leo reluctantly left to sit on the couch and wait. As he left Donny's lab he heard him say "Hey Leo?" Leo stopped and turned around to look at him. "Take care of your arm there." Leo smiled at his brother's concern.
On his way to the couch he took a detour to the kitchen, where he bandaged his arm. Absentmindedly he made his way to the couch, and sat down. He couldn't get that woman out of his mind. He replayed his meeting with the girl over again in his mind. As he focused on her eyes he realized that her eyes had seen so much pain, and yet before she blacked out they seemed to shine with a real hope and something else. Leo vowed to himself that he would make this woman's life the best as he possibly could. Afterwards he realized how out of character he was acting. It was very unlike him to get involved in stranger's lives.
He snapped out of his reverie a few moments later when a tired looking Donny as he walked in and sat down next to him. Leo looked in his direction, and after a few minutes Donny sighed and said, "She has a couple bruised ribs, and one broken rib. Some extensive care is needed, but I'm not sure when she'll wake up." He looked up at Leo, "Do you think you could help me wrap her up? I need some help."
Leo nodded, and the two of them got up and headed to the lab. They walked over to the table they had set her on. She almost looked peaceful, but the bruises upon her body ruined it. Uncomfortably, Leo removed the girl's shirt. Thankfully, she was wearing a bra. Quickly Donny began to wrap up her ribs. Leo noticed larger bruises in the areas that Donny was wrapping up. He held her up as Donny finished the wrappings. As her bare skin touched his touched his, a tingling sensation traveled through his body. He was reluctant to set her down, but he did what Donny instructed.
As if on cue Mikey and Raph's voices sounded throughout the lair. Speedily the two brothers dressed the woman, and went out to greet their returning brothers.
"All I'm saying is that the dudette needs somewhere to sleep, and I think she should sleep in a bed." Mikey said as Leo and Donny walked in.
"Oh yeah? And whose room is she gettin' shell for brains? 'Cause it ain't gonna be mine." Raph retorted, then he crossed his arms over his plastron.
"She will have mine." Leo said, surprising everyone in the room, including himself. Leo rarely opened up his room to anyone. Ignoring his brothers' shocked faces, he turned and headed into the lab. He exited a moment later with the young woman in his arms. Silently he climbed the stairs to his room.
Once inside he sighed in relief, and laid the girl upon his low Japanese style bed. He kneeled beside her, and pulled the covers over her form. Finally in the dim light of his room she looked peaceful. Leo was suddenly struck by how beautiful and precious she was to him. Who was this mysterious woman? How could they have so deep a connection when they only looked at each other for a moment? Would she be okay? These questions would only be answered when this woman awakened. If she awakened.
Chapter 2: Awakenings
Maddy groaned. Her eyelids felt like they were being held down with 100-pound weights. Also her ribs were throbbing steadily, as if to a beat. Slowly and surely, she opened her eyes. She took in her surroundings, and came to the conclusion that she was in someone else's bedroom, underground. Maddy moved her legs so that they hung over the side of the low bed she had been laying upon. As she stood up a searing pain that shot through her midsection, made her double over. She stubbornly stood up and haltingly walked out into the hall. She found herself perched on a landing that looked over a very large area that looked quite homey. There was a living room, kitchen, a decked out railroad car, and a dojo.
Wow! She thought this place has everything!
She surveyed the hallway and found three doors identical to the one she had recently exited. Maddy stumbled along the hallway until she came to the stairs. She took a deep breath than braved them. When she reached the bottom she collapsed against the wall, closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. Each breath was painful but she kept going.
After a while her curiosity returned, and she wobbled to an old beaten up couch that sat in front of a multitude of different sized TVs that were stacked upon each other. Carefully she lowered herself onto the couch and grabbed the remote. Lazily she flipped through the channels. She stopped on the live action news, where they were talking about a recent car crash involving ten cars. As it was announced that there were no survivors there was a sound like elevator doors opening. She heard almost silent make their way into the home. She immediately stiffened, and then decided it was best to stay on the couch where she was out of sight. Then there was a voice with a surfer accent.
"Dudes did any of you guys leave the TV on?" it said. Maddy decided it was masculine.
"No Mikey, I don't think so." Said another male matter-of-fact voice.
Then a male Brooklyn accent joined the conversation. "Well then how the shell did it come on then?!" he said with an obvious tone of frustration.
"Don't worry guys I'll check it out, it may have just been Master Splinter." Said a soothing male baritone. Involuntarily, Maddy relaxed. The only thing that alerted her of his approach was his shadow.
Wow, I've never come across someone so inept in the ninja arts. She thought, amazed. Then he came into her view.
Leo had just gone over to turn off the TV. When he saw the young woman lying on the couch, he stopped dead, so as not to frighten her. The odd thing was that she was surprised, but she eyed him with curiosity. They locked gazes, and just stared. He could see the flecks of brown and green that littered her irises. She broke the silence first, and in a voice like music whispered, "Hi."
"Hello," Leo said calmly, "How are you feeling?"
"Okay." She said, still holding his gaze. "What is your name?"
"Leonardo, but you can call me Leo if you want to." He replied, smiling. "May I?" he said gesturing towards the couch.
"Oh of course!" She tried to shift into sitting position, but sunk back into the couch cushions, groaning, as pain shot through her ribs. Leo rushed over, and helped her gently into sitting position. As he got himself situated he heard her say, "Oh silly me! My name is Madeline, but I prefer Maddy. I'm 20, but I'll be 21 in 6 months."
"Maddy, a beautiful name for a beautiful woman." He said, making Maddy blush. There was a pause before Maddy spoke again.
"I would like to thank you for saving my life." Maddy said, embarrassed.
"How did you know it was me?" Leo asked, intrigued.
Maddy lifted her shining eyes to his. "The mask kind of gave it away." She laughed. Leo was mesmerized by her beautiful laugh. He never wanted it to end. Donny's voice snapped back from his reverie like a safety line. "Hey Leo. Did you fix the TV or do you need my help?"
Leo smiled sheepishly, he had completely forgotten about his brothers. "Nothin's wrong with the TV Donny." He replied as he got up. He turned to Maddy and asked, "Would you like to meet the rest of my family?"
"Oh I would be delighted!" she replied, flashing him another dazzling smile. When Leo recovered from the shock of Maddy's smile, he noticed Maddy struggling to stand up. He offered her his hand, and he pulled her up. He misjudged her weight, and she ended up pressed against his plastron, looking up at his beak. If she leaned up even just a little bit, she would be kissing him.
"Oh um… can you walk?" Leo said nervously. Trying to resist the strange urge to lean down and kiss her cherry red lips.
"No. Maybe you could carry me?" Maddy said breathlessly. Just to distract himself, Leo swung her legs out from under her, and caught her in his arms.
"We should go see Donny first, he can give you a check up." He announced. The feel of her skin on his plastron set of a round of tingling through his body.
When Leo picked her up Maddy leaned against his plastron. It was hard, and smooth with small ridges where his plates joined together. She liked the feel of it on her skin. It sent a fresh round of tingling through her own body. When Leo had pulled her up from the couch, she had wanted so badly to stand up on her tiptoes and kiss him. To kiss the lips that, when they said her name made her happier than she had ever been.
Leo headed to the old abandoned subway car that was Donny's lab. As they entered they saw Donny with his head and arms submerged in the Battle Shell's frontal workings. The vehicles hood was above him, as if it was eating him. Little clinking sounds could be heard from where Donny was working. Leo cleared his throat to announce their presence, and Donny turned around to inspect his guests.
"Uh Donny I would like you to meet Maddy." Leo announced to his brainy brother.
Donny grabbed an old towel, and quickly wiped off the grease from his face and arms. Smiling he walked forward, "It's nice to finally meet you in a conscious state. Are you ready for a check-up?" He headed over to a long metal table in the center of his workshop.
Carefully Leo set Maddy down on the table. When he made to leave, Maddy trapped his hand in her own. She pleaded with her eyes for him to stay. Leo gave in, and stood beside her, still clutching her hand. Once again the feel of her bare skin against his sent tingles throughout Leo's body.
Just then Donny came over with gloved hands. He was blushing. "Um, I need you to uh…remove um… your shirt." He stuttered out, embarrassed. Maddy mirrored his blush, then obliged.
Donny gingerly unwrapped her bandages. Most of Maddy's bruises had faded over night, but her more major ones had become more defined. Leo felt a pang of anger as he thought of this beautiful girl being tortured. He felt very protective of this woman, but it wasn't like April, this woman was different. When Donny finished, he re-wrapped Maddy's bandages and removed his gloves. Maddy donned her shirt, as Donny talked, "Well, it looks like your gonna be out of commission for a couple of days. You might as well relax around the lair."
"I'm very grateful for your hospitality. I shiver to think what might have become of me in the hands of- " she abruptly stopped and changed the subject. "Um… Leo, do you think I could meet the rest of your family?"
"Wait a second. In the hands of who?" Leo cut in worriedly.
"Please Leo, can I tell you later?" Maddy whispered uneasily.
"Alright." Leo agreed, then turned to Donny. "Could you get everyone in the living room?"
"Sure thing Leo." Donny said as he exited the lab. Leo picked up Maddy and carried her to the couch. He set her down, then sat next to her. He felt really nervous. Leo sat there clenching his fists and envisioning all of the things that could go wrong.
Suddenly cool hands grabbed his fists, and pried them open. They pressed on his palms, and massaged them. Through this Leo was vaguely aware of Maddy's head lean against his shoulder. Leo felt himself relaxing, and descending into a joyful haze. He leaned his head back against the couch. Gradually the hands slowed, then came to a standstill. "Are you feeling better now?" a musical voice whispered in his ear.
"Yeah." Came Leo's breathy reply. "Thanks, how did you know?"
"Woman's intuition I guess." Maddy whispered teasingly into his ear. Leo opened his eyes, and smiled sweetly down at her. She looked up from leaning against his arm, and graced him with another one of her dazzling smiles. Then she once again leaned against the arm of the couch, and Leo heard his family's approach.
Showtime. He thought.
Chapter 3: Enter the Family