Chapter 2
A sudden noise awakens Splinter and he looks around to find nothing wrong. He then looks down to find that Miwa has also awoken. She looks towards one of the tunnels, turns to her father and says, "I shall be back in a moment." She then slithers down the tunnel and out of sight.
Meanwhile, Splinter carefully gets up to find most of the pain gone, but the injuries prevent him from walking without putting his hand on the wall. At times like this, he wishes he still had his walking staff.
He hears Miwa come back, and he turns and finds, to his surprise, his daughter in human form. Confused, he says, "Miwa, how are you…" She then turns toward him and he finds she still has the same green reptilian eyes of her serpentine form. Splinter then realizes she is still mutated. She says, "If you're wondering, I honestly don't know why I'm able to do this. I just chalk it up to dumb luck. Besides, I can't stay human for very long. The longest I've been able to hold it is about 6 hours. Plus whenever I fall asleep, I just return to mutant form." He stumbles a little and Miwa comes to his side and helps him stand up.
He asks, "How is the surface?" She replies, "Overrun with Kraang, mutated humans are everywhere, and a blockade prevents anyone from entering or leaving the city. It's best to stay in the sewers." Splinter says, "Then our only option is to go to the lair." Miwa asks, "Why?" He replies, "The Kraang destroyed it, so it's the last place the Kraang or Shredder would look." He then has a sudden thought and asks, "How long was I out for?" She answers, "A few days."
They walk for a while until Miwa pushes her father into a nearby tunnel and says, "Wait here, father, I heard something coming." She turns the corner and reverts back to her mutant form, hissing before slithering away. Splinter waits a few moments, hoping his daughter returns soon, since he can't defend himself well in his injured state. He then hears something rising from the water and he turns and finds Leatherhead emerging from the water.
The mutant alligator replies, "Splinter, my friend. I am happy to see you have survived the invasion." Splinter replies back, "I as well, Leatherhead. I'm surprised you're still alive." Leatherhead says, "I have been through worse then what has happened a few days ago. Believe me. How did you survive Shredder?"
He was about to answer when Leatherhead sees Miwa return. Thinking she's a threat, he grabs her in his claws and slams her against the sewer wall. She opens her mouth to spit venom into his eyes, but then he clamps her mouth shut. She tries squirming out of his claws, but stops when he squeezes her tighter and growls at her. Splinter, concerned for the safety of his daughter, gasps, "Don't hurt her!" Leatherhead, keeping a firm hold on the snake, says, "Why not?" He says, "That… is my daughter. She saved my life." Realizing his mistake, he quickly releases the serpent, letting Miwa fall to the ground. She struggles to get up, and breathes heavily, trying to get air back in her lungs. Regretting his actions, Leatherhead gently picks her up, holds her in his arms, and says, "I'm so sorry, child. I just acted out of protection for your father." She says, "It's alright. A friend of my father is a friend to me." She then reverts to human form and he places her by her father, who then holds her close to him.
Leatherhead asks, "What is her name?" Splinter answers, "Miwa." He then asks, "What happened to the turtles?" Miwa says, "I actually forgot to ask you that, father." The ninjutsu master answers, "They escaped the city while they still could with their friends April and Casey. I can only hope they're all still alive." He asks, "Will you help us return to the lair?" Remembering the state the turtles' home was in when he last saw it, he states, "That place was destroyed when I last saw it. Why go there?" Splinter says, "It's the only location that we have to go to." Leatherhead responds, "Then let's go."
They move through the sewers, strangely not finding any Kraang along the way, before they reach what's left of the lair. Before entering, Miwa says, "Wait, let me check for intruders." She reverts to mutant form and slithers into the lair. A few minutes later, she returns and says, "It's clear." Splinter looks at what has been his home for the last 15 years, and finds it still in the same state of ruin it was in when he left it a few days ago. He finds a few things out of place, making him believe his sons were briefly here before leaving. He says, "If we're going to stay here, we need to make this place livable."
For a few hours, they worked on cleaning up the place. As Splinter cleaned through the wreckage, he couldn't stop tears from falling as everywhere he went, he was reminded of the rest of his family. Even now, he is still worried about them, especially his oldest son, Leonardo, who he remembers being carried by Raphael, before being defeated by Shredder. He takes out the photo of his sons from behind the broken picture frame and stares at it. Remembering the last time he saw them, he realizes, 'As of now they must all be worried about me as I am of them.'
He looks around and finds the place somewhat functional. Leatherhead appears and says, "I shall stand watch for now. You may rest and heal from your injuries." Splinter nods and retreats to his room to rest. As he lies down, he hears Miwa approaching. He says, "You may enter, Miwa." He hears his daughter slither inside, lie down beside him, and rest her head on his chest. He puts his arms around her, pulls her close and says, "I love you, Miwa." His daughter replies, "I love you too, father." He smiles as he falls asleep.
