Missing Links
A/N: Hey, I know it's been a while since I last updated anything, but I wanted to get back to posting more of my "Truth and Lies" series. This is a one-shot I've been putting off for a long time, so I figured it'd be nice to bring it to you guys. For those waiting for an update to "Of Ninjas and Wrestlers", I'm not sure when I'm getting an update on that one out. I'm just not in the mood to write humor right now, so an update will come when I'm in a proper mood. I really shouldn't have set a deadline for it because it looks like I won't be making it to the deadline I promised. Oh well, that's what happens when you don't feel well due to stupid weather stuff. So to make up for it, I'm giving you this one-shot instead which will focus on Irma and Donnie. After this one, I'll only have Mikey's left to do, and all of the one-shots will be done. Let's get this show on the road!
Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot of this story.
Summary: Irma's determined to find out what happened to her missing best friend. Donatello is desperate to find the one he cares about. When the two meet, they realize that they both have the same goal and decide to trust each other.
Irma Langenstein sighed in frustration. She just couldn't concentrate on studying for an important exam. Of course, it didn't help that the television was on downstairs and that they were reporting on the disappearance of her best friend, April O'Neil. She definitely didn't want to dwell on that right now, but she couldn't help it. One minute, April was with her friends and the next she was gone. Had her supposed friends taken her? What would possess them to do that?
Slamming her book closed, Irma decided to take a walk. There was no way she was getting nay studying done tonight. She went downstairs and found her mom in the living room watching TV. Her dad was in his office doing important work.
"I'm going for a walk," Irma announced.
"Are you sure that's wise, sweetie?" her mother asked. "There are all sorts of people prowling around out there. Look at what happened to April!"
"I'll be fine, Mom," Irma reassured her. "I've got pepper spray in my purse just in case, and I know enough self-defense to use it if someone's bothering me."
"Well, okay, but you be careful and call if you get into trouble," her mom ordered.
"I will," Irma promised and left, waving to her mom before closing the door. Once outside, she let out a sigh of relief. The last thing she needed to hear was about April's disappearance. She walked on the sidewalk, wondering how her friend had felt walking home. Had she been scared? What if someone crept up from behind and hit her on the head then dragged her body to that hole? Irma looked around her fearfully but then shook it off. She wasn't going to let some creep know she was scared of him.
As she passed an alley, a group of Purple Dragons came out and laughed at her. She tried to ignore them, but the one named Fong came and blocked her way.
"Where are you off to in a hurry, Four Eyes?" he taunted.
"Leave me alone!" Irma snarled. "I don't have time to deal with creeps like you."
"This one's feisty," Sid said approvingly. "I like her."
'Yeah, we're gonna have fun with this one for sure," Tsoi added.
Irma tried to back away, but the Dragons closed in on her. Instinct told her to grab the pepper spray in her purse, but she was rooted to the spot. What were they going to do to her?
"I suggest you back away from her now," a voice said.
The Dragons whirled around, but no one was there. Was this some sort of ghost who was bent on protecting innocent women?
"I know that voice," Fong said. "It's one of the Turtles."
"Stay out of this, freak!" Sid snarled.
"I'm afraid I can't do that," the voice said. "You have one of two choices. You can either leave the lady alone, or you can try and hurt her and pick a fight with me. What's it gonna be?"
"I guess we'll fight you and then have our reward when we're done," Fong answered.
Whoever was in the shadows laughed. "Wrong choice," he said. Then a stick of some kind came out of nowhere and knocked Fong to the ground. Sid grabbed onto the being and dragged it out from the shadows, and Irma saw a turtle with a purple mask over his eyes. He was tall and lanky and carried a stick of some sort in his hands. She had heard rumors of the guys in turtle costumes, and here was one right in front of her.
The Turtle managed to use his elbow to hit Sid's face, causing the big man to drop him. Then he swept Sid's legs out from under him. Tsoi growled and rushed him, but the Turtle dodged his attempt to grab him, causing him to bash into the brick side of the building. Fong recovered from his fall and had a pipe in his hand.
"Look out!" Irma warned the Turtle, and he spun around and dodged the pipe coming for his head. Sid was mad that Irma had interfered and made for her, grabbing her wrist.
"Looks like you need to be taught a lesson," he growled. He squeezed on her wrist, but Irma managed to jam her knee right into his groin. Sid let out a yelp and fell to the ground. Fong ran at Irma, ready to take her down, but she grabbed her pepper spray and sprayed it right in Fong's eyes. Blinded, Fong could do nothing else, which gave the Turtle time to knock him out with the bo staff.
"We'd better get out of here before Sid recovers," he ordered.
Irma nodded and allowed him to lead her away from the Dragons. They stuck to the shadows, which seemed weird to Irma. Why would he want to hide himself? When it was safe, he stopped near Murakami's noodle shop so that they could rest.
"Wow!" Irma gasped. "You've got some skills."
"Thanks," he said. "You're not so bad yourself. So what were you doing out alone anyway?"
"I just needed some time to think," she replied. "I've been going through a lot."
"Yeah, I hear you there," he said. "I've been going through a lot too. What's your name?"
"Irma Langenstein," she answered. "What's yours?"
"Donatello Hamato, but you can call me Donnie for short," he replied.
As he introduced himself, a memory came to Irma about a conversation she'd once had with April.
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"So, tell me more about these friends of yours," Irma coaxed. She was dying of curiosity ever since April had mentioned that she had some new friends.
"Well, they're all homeschooled," April said. "Leo's the oldest then there's Raph, Donnie, and Mikey."
"Who's your favorite?"
"I like all of them, but I do like to hang out with Donnie the most," April answered. "He's really smart and he sometimes helps me with my homework."
"Ah, he sounds like a pretty cool guy. Do you have a crush on him?"
"Uh, no, not really," April replied. "I see them more as my brothers." But Irma detected that April shifted her eyes away as she said that. She apparently did have a crush on Donnie, but Irma was the type to not pry about it. April would come forward with it if she wanted to.
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Snapping out of the memory, Irma gasped. "So you're the Donnie April told me about," she said. "She never said you were a giant turtle."
"Well, that's because we told her not to reveal our identities to anyone else," Donnie replied. "What did she say about me?"
"Just that you were smart and helped her with her homework sometimes," Irma answered. "So what happened when she disappeared?"
"I don't know," Don told her. "We were just hanging out, and April said she had to go home. Then her dad called me to tell me April hadn't come home. We tried looking for her but found nothing. We thought that maybe one of our enemies took her, but there were no leads there, either." He sighed. "I just wish she would come back."
"Yeah, me, too," Irma said wistfully. "April was my best friend. We talked about so many things and shared a lot of secrets."
"I know what you mean," Donnie said. "Well, I'd better take you home. It's not safe for you to be out here."
Irma nodded. "I guess you're right," she said. "I've had enough adventures for one day." She let him escort her to her home. On the way there, they talked more about April and her friendship with each of them. Both of them felt like they'd lost a part of themselves when April vanished, and it just didn't feel right without her. Irma hoped that she'd see Donnie again, and he promised her that he'd try his best to check in on her.
"You stay safe, okay?" he said as they neared her home.
"I'll try," she answered. "You stay safe, too. I hope I can see you again sometime."
"Me, too," he said.
She waved to him before going inside and found her mom still sitting on the couch watching the news.
"Hi, sweetie, how was your walk?" her mom asked.
"Good," Irma replied.
"Who were you talking to out there?" she asked her daughter.
"One of April's good friends," Irma told her. "He's really nice and is just as upset about her disappearance as I am."
"Well, I hope you hang out with him more," her mom said. "It'll be nice for you to have someone to confide in after all you've been through. I just hope that girl is found safe and sound."
Irma nodded and excused herself to up to her room. Once she got ready for bed, she continued to think about Donatello. She definitely couldn't wait to talk to him again and find out more about his history with April and how they'd become friends. Maybe in time they could both become friends and figure out what happened to April together. With that last thought in her head, Irma drifted off to sleep, happy for the first time since her friend had disappeared. Maybe April had sent Donnie to her to help her get through this tough time.
"Thanks, April," she muttered before falling asleep. "I owe you one."
The End
A/N: So that's the end of that story. Now I just have to do Mikey's and I'm done with the one-shots. I also want to update Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire since I have a few chapters of that done. Don't worry, I'll get to it. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.