Chapter 2
"Attack of the Mousers"

Alex sat there for a moment just staring at the turtle like creatures before her, who were paying more attention to her unconscious Aunt April than Alex sitting there with a head of a robot attached to her leg. She had never seen creatures like those before and she was utterly shocked. She didn't faint like her aunt though. She was more curious than anything. She didn't like science, after all.

She came back to reality a moment later remembering that the one with the orange mask asked if they could keep April. Of course they couldn't! She was her aunt, her care taker, guardian. What would she do without her? Live on the streets trying to take care of a three your old toddler brother? She didn't think so!

"I'd think not!" Alex said with slight anger. She didn't like to think about losing another family member.

"I was only joking," the orange one replied.

"Well, it wasn't very funny," she said looking back down to her leg. She started to try and pry the head off her leg again. "I'd like to thank you as well, but I'm slightly preoccupied at the moment!" she growled. The thing was really stuck and stuck well.

"Let me help you with that," said the one with the purple bandana. He knelt down and started to tinker with the wiring in the back. A couple minutes later the jaw opened and fell into the water next to Alex.

Alex moaned and looked down at her leg. There were puncture wounds all over her leg. The sharp teeth of the Mouser were sharper than she had thought. Blood dripped down her leg and into her the brown water. Pain swept through her leg and through her body. She tried to stand up, but had to use the wall to do so.

She stood there for another moment looking at them again. They just watched her intently. They were waiting for a scream or for her to run. None of which she did. She looked at them and said, "Well, this is interesting."

"You need some medical assistance," said the purple one. "Would you like to come with us and get your leg checked out? We can take a look at your friend, as well."

Alex thought about it for a moment. Was it really safe to go with them? They did save them, but was there a hidden propaganda or something? She needed help and so did April. "All right. That would be very kind of you."

"Can you walk?" asked the one with the blue mask.

"I'd say that it wouldn't be the smartest idea for me to do that at the moment," Alex said. "It's already bleeding as is. I don't think I should put a lot of strained on it at the moment. Not a least till I get it clean and wrapped up."

"All right," the blue one said. He moved closer to Alex. "Would it be all right if I carry you?" he asked politely.

Alex shook her head and watched as he bent down and picked her up bridal style. He was careful to not touch her injured leg and not to move too fast so she would be comfortable. He didn't want her in pain or any more scared than he thought she was. Which, surprisingly, she wasn't. There was something about them that seem good, safe about them.

They walked through the sewers. It took about five to ten minutes to get to what was their home. The place was huge. Surprisingly, it didn't smell like the sewer either. They had part of the water coming through the middle and a bridge was placed to walk over. In one corner of the large, open room was the entertainment area. There were screen after screen stacked on top of each other of televisions. There was a couch in front of them to watch. There was also a half pipe to skateboard on. There was also a kitchen and a bathroom, the bathroom was connected, but was in another room. There was a fighting arena and another room blocked off by Japanese sliding doors. Up above were the bedrooms.

The placed April on the couch, lying down with a yellow pillow under her red head of hair. Alex was placed on the other side while the purple one went to get the first aid kit. That was the time that Alex examined the area.

"I like what you've done with the place," she complimented. "It's very homey."

"Thank you," the orange one said. "We try to be great hosts," he tried to say with a British accent. He actually did very well.

The purple one came back with a small white box and started to work on Alex's leg. He cleaned it all up, which was painful and wrapped it in white cotton gauze. It felt better to have it wrapped up. Even if it was just the thought that it was now clean. She'd still have to take care of it to make sure it didn't get infected, but that wouldn't be a big deal. She had taken care of worse injured before.

"So, who the heck you are and why were you in the sewers?" asked the one with the red mask.

Before Alex could answer movement came from April. "Oh man," she started. "What a dream! Turtles fighting robots, did I fall asleep watching T.V. again?" she asked herself. "That was the weirdest," she looked up and saw the four turtle things looking down at her. "Thing I'd ever seen!"

The orange one winked and made a couple clicking noises. April started to look around, but the orange one took a couple steps towards April and said, "Hi!"April screamed which caused him to scream. "Please don't do that! I almost jumped out of my shell."

April backed up further on the couch. "It has three figures!" she grabbed the pillow and placed it over her head as she muttered, "I'm asleep." She said it over and over again, just hoping that it was all a dream and she'd wake up in a couple minutes in her apartment.

"This isn't going very well," the purple one said.

"You think?" Alex asked rhetorically.

"Hey, come on!" the orange one said. "We don't have much practice talking to humans. It's going to take a little time" They looked back at April while she continued to mutter to herself. He yawned. "Man, she's making me sleepy."

The red one walked up to April and tapped her on the shoulder. She uncovered her head and looked at him. "Hey you!"

"Wha?" April whined.

"What do you know about those Mouser robot things?" he asked with a New York accent.

"Well," April started to explain. "First I thought they were for cleaning up the city's rat problem, but then I got suspicious when Dr. Stockman said," she pause as if she was coming to the realization of something. "Oh no, I'm talking to it."

"What?" the blue one asked.

"I'm talking to it. To you! Okay, April. You are talking to a giant three fingered turtle. The only logical explanation is that you're dreaming. So, everything's okay." She waved to them. "Hello. I'm April and this is Alex."

"Hello April, Alex," replied the blue one, confused. "How are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Everything's absolutely great!" she laughed. "Whoa!"

The turtles separated and a large mutant rat walked up to the front of the couch. He had grey fur and a brown robe on. He was even shorter than the turtles with a slight hunch, not much, but some. He looked to be the oldest and wisest. There was just a wise, strong, fatherly air about him.

"Then, perhaps you are ready to answer some questions," the rate said.

"You're a, you're a," April started to say, but fainted once more. Alex just shook her head at her strange aunt. Maybe Alex was just better with weird.

"You sure have a way with the ladies, Master Splinter," the purple one said to the rat."Now, what'll we do?"

"Let's nudge her" the blue one said.

"I'll snap her out of it," the red one said.

"Raphael, no," Splinter called the red one.

The orange one had walked away and moved to a lawn chair with a portable CD player. Those are a little out dated, Alex thought. Most people have iPods or MP3 players. "Somebody come get me when she wakes up," he complained.

It had seemed the Alex was only half awake as they spoke to April. She didn't realize how tired she was as she sat there on the comfy couch. Her eyes slid closed and fell into a dreamless sleep. That was a good thing because she usually had nightmares about the night her parents died and her and her brothers were kidnapped. Alex had only gotten out alive because of her older brother.

"Hey! Hey, Earth to Mikey," a loud deep voice yelled at someone. They had woken up Alex as well as get the attention of whoever they were trying to do so for.

"Ow," the orange one complained. "What?"

"She woke up," Raphael said to Mikey. "Leo made her some tea and she's ready to consider we might be real. The other one woke up too."

"Awesomely radical dude!" Mikey yelled.

"You keep talking like that and she's gonna pass out again," Raphael teased Mikey.

"Hey," was all Mikey said in reply.

April took a sip of her tea Alex rubber her eyes to try and make herself more aware of everything around her.

"So," Mikey began saying in a mellow voice. "You okay now?"

"Yes," April replied. "Thanks. I've decide that this is either a very long dream that I keep not waking up from or it's the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me."

"You've got that right," Alex said. "It's weird seeing you freak out like that. Either I'm really good with weird or my emotional responses are off."

"Are you okay?" April asked. "How's your leg?"

"Perfect," she lied. It still hurt, but after the nap she had it was starting to feel much better. She was used to pain with all that had happened in her life the past couple months. She had to be otherwise she'd break down.

"Young women," Splinter started. "We have something most important to discuses."

"What?" April asked. They had the all out attention of April and Alex.

"We have never revealed ourselves to the upper world. You have placed us all in grave danger."

"But Master Splinter," the blue one began. "They were in trouble and we helped them."

"Yeah, aren't you always trying to teach us to do the right thing?" the red one retorted.

"As you grow older you will learn that there are many ways to do the right thing, but there is no going back," Splinter said.

"So, you're telling me that letting us die at the jaws of those Mousers would have been the right thing?" Alex asked angrily.

"I'm afraid we find ourselves at your mercy," he continued.

"Oh, I would never tell anybody," April said. "I mean who would believe me?"

"She's got a point," the purple one said.

"Yeah," Mikey said. "We're unbelievable." He started to show his muscles as if they were the best things in the world. Alex had to say, they all were very strong and muscular.

"Geez," Raphael said. "Where's your off switch?"

"Seriously," April said. "I promise."

The rat walked over and looked straight into her eyes. They were silent for a moment. "I believe you," he finally said.

The blue one walked over to them and looked down at Alex instead of April. "Is this another lesson, Mater Splinter? How to sense the truth?"

"No," Splinter simply stated. "This is called trusting your gut."

"So, if I am keeping your secret what exactly is it?" April asked. "Who are you people, uh, turtles, whatever?"

"I have memories," Splinter said. "Memories of when I was, what you might call, normal. I remember a day that started like any other, but ending changed the course of many lives. I witnesses an accident. A young boy carried a glass jar with four pet, infant turtles. An old blind man was crossing the street when he was almost run down by a large truck. AS the truck swerved, a metal canister bounced out of the back. It smashed open releasing a glowing ooze which covered their bodies.

"I took pity gathering them up in a coffee can. I took them to my burrow. The next morning I awoke to find the four double in size. The ooze had affected their growth. It changed me also. Making me larger and more intelligent. They followed me everywhere except above ground. I knew the people of the surface would not understand. We are so different. I was amazed by their dexterity, but even so, I was not prepared for what happened one day.

"They actually spoke my name. Soon, they all were speaking. Intelligence followed soon after. Realizing that the world above is sometimes a dangerous place, I began teaching them ninjutsu. The secret arts of stealth and power and all that I knew of this world. From a battered book on Renaissance art that I fished out of the storm drain, I chose names for each of them. Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, Michelangelo. Together they are," he was interrupted by his "children."

"Turtles forever!" they all yelled as the high fived one another.

"Or something like that that we all yell at once," Mikey said.

Raphael moved in-between April and Alex and said, "First rule; ignore Mikey. Your life will be much easier."

"So, we have remained in secret. That is our story," Splinter said.

"But how did you know martial arts?" April asked. "Alex learned it at her parent's dojo along with her brothers, but what about you?"

"That is a story for another time," Splinter said. "Young woman, you know ninjutsu?" he asked Alex.

"No," she said. She looked away from everyone to the television screen in front of them.

April shook her head and smacked Alex in the back of the head. "Yes, she does. She quit, though. She hasn't practice in a while."

"Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever," Splinter said. "That is a story for another time."

He didn't get it. He knew nothing of what doing ninjutsu did to Alex. She tried to get back into the hang of things after her brothers and parents were gone, but it hurt her inside too much to continue on doing it. It brought too many memories back to her that killed her inside. She was missing them too much, so she tried to block them out.

"Hey guys," Mikey said at the T.V.'s. "Look at this."

"And the police are completely baffled by this daring bank robbery, boldly executed in broad daylight. If anyone had any information the police urge you to call the crime stoppers headline."

"So," Mikey started again. "Anybody want to take a wild guess what did this?"

"This must be what we heard Do. Stockman talking about," April said. "He's got the Mousers robbing banks."

"I've told you from the start," Alex said. "I didn't like him. He's always hit on you and as creepy as that is me too." Alex acted like she was gagging.

"What do you know about this Stockman guy?" Raphael asked.

"He's a genius," she started. "He's also nuts. We used to work for him, but when we got suspicious he turned the Mousers on us! Luckily we ran into you guys."

"He destroyed our old Lair," Leonardo said.

"Must have been one of his Mouser test runs," April said.

"But that was our home," Mikey said.

"Now he's graduated to banks," Donatello said.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Raphael said. "I say we shut down Mouser central." He stood up and did some tricks with his weapons. "Permanently."

Mikey started to laugh. "I just love those action movie lines. You write that yourself?"

"It won't be easy," April said. "Stocktronics is rigged with the latest un to the minute security tech."

"Bring it on," Mikey said. "Allow me to introduce our very own secret weapon. The techno turtle himself, Donatello! Take a bow, Don."

"Aw, cut it out," Don said flattered.

"Can we go please?" Raphael asked impatiently.

Alex had to stay behind due to the fact the she couldn't run in the condition her leg was in yet. So, she stayed in the Lair with Master Splinter. He had made some peach tea for them to drink. Not wanting to be rude, Alex took some even those she wasn't a huge fan of tea. However, when she tried it, she absolutely loved it. She made a note to buy some later.

"What is it that made you stop your training?" Splinter asked out of the blue.

Alex looked down at the cup in her hands. She could tell him right? She could trust him with this. They trusted her with their secret; the least she could do was tell Splinter about her family.

"You can't tell," Alex began. "Not even your sons."

"It wouldn't be my place to," he replied.

Alex took in a deep breath. "I used to live with my parents and three older brothers in our dojo. They taught ninjutsu, so naturally they taught my brothers and me. We were great, to say the least and I don't mean to brag or anything. It was what we enjoyed doing most. I think for the most part we just liked that we could do it together. Other than that we didn't do much together.

"We were the best of friends, though. Like your sons are. We'd tease each other, but we were all alike. They'd tease me about being a girl and then I'd tease them back saying they'd lost to me on more than one accession. It was just how everything worked with us. It was our family.

"However, a couple weeks ago we were attacked by some people. I have no idea who they are or what they really wanted, but nothing turned out well in the end. Everything changed. I had to sell the dojo, move out and go live with my Aunt April. She was my father's sister.

"They killed my parents in front of us. They made us watch as they," she stammered. She decided to change the course of the conversation a little. "My brothers and I fought as hard as we could, but in the end, they shoved me into a safe room unseen to the attackers. They told me not to come out until everything was quiet and I knew they were gone or when they came to get me. They never did come to get me, though. So, when everything was quiet to went out to find them all gone. My parents were dead and my brothers had disappeared off the face of the planet. We still can't find them to this day.

"I tried to continue on with my normal life. I had gotten an internship where April worked before everything happened and I continued on with that. I had gotten it at such a young age because I think April pulled some strings for me. I continue on with school. I have some close friends that I still hang out with, but it isn't that same as my brothers. That's why I stopped my training. Because doing it makes me remember them and all the memories of that night come back. They haunt me enough as it is. They just had to take one of my favorite things to do too."

"Your brothers wouldn't want you to stop doing what you love because they are gone. That is why the saved you," Splinter said. "That way, you may live on for them. Live out your life for them. See all the beauty around you as if they were still there. They will always be there for you. You just have to find them in your hear."

Alex shook her head. Sure, people told her that they wouldn't want her to stop what she loved, but nobody had ever put it that way before. They hadn't added in all the heartfelt things that wise splinter did. It was nice to have him around. He made things more clear. He also made you think.

"Master," she said. "Thank you. I know I haven't been the most polity to you and your sons and I want to say I'm sorry for that."

"I understand, Ms. O'Neil. Your apology is accepted and I thank you for that," he said. Come, please meditate with me till our family comes back. I know it will not be much longer. They are very skilled."

So, they moved over to the dojo and sat down on the mats. They sat there in silence just breathing in and out. They relaxed their bodies and minds, creating a place of peace in their minds for them to get lost and focused in. Alex forgot how nice it was to meditate. She should have done it sooner. It would have helped her get away from all her pain.

She mainly focused on her breathing. That was what always got her him a trance. In, out, in, out. Her brothers used to make it a game for when she was meditating. Whoever could get her out of her chance got free ice cream from the other people playing. It was very hard to get her out of her state of mind. She was aware of everything around her, but she didn't pay any mind to it. She was concentrating on her breathing and her breathing alone.

The only way to get her out of her trance was to attack her, which she could always dodge. It was against the rules to do that though, so whoever did it had to buy her ice cream. She made that rule up herself. Hey, she got a lot of free ice cream that way. It seemed like they could never get her out of that state of mind.

"We're back," Mikey sang as they all entered from the sewers. "Did you miss me?"

Splinter could be heard getting up from his place on the mat, but Alex didn't move. She was too relaxed and at peace to get up and go deal with anything at the moment. She wanted to go see how everything went, but then again, she wanted to stay where she was and continue to focus on her breathing/.

In, out. In, out. In, out.

"What's up with her?" Raphael asked about Alex.

"She is merely meditating, my son. It seems to me she can keep her focus better than you can sometimes. Please, leave her be," Splinter said.

"But I want to tell her all about what happened," Mikey said. Footsteps could be heard walking over to her. She could feel hot breath on her face as she continued to sit there in silence. In, out. In, out. "Hello? Is anybody home?" he asked as he knocked on her head like it was a door.

In, out. In, out.

"Wakey, wakey eggs and bakey," he continued on. "Leo, she might be better than you. Any ideas on how to snap her out of it?"

In, out. In, out.

"Her brothers used to make it a game to get her out of her meditating state. Whoever could do it would get ice cream," April said. "It was the funniest thing to see them try."

In, out. In, out.

"I know how to get her out of it," Raph.

Running could be heard coming towards Alex. She could sense they were behind her. Without thinking, Alex acted upon instinct. She stood up and moved to the left as Raph got closer. She grabbed him by the back of the neck and swung him around onto the floor. He groaned as his face made contact with the cold floor.

She bent down so she was close to his ear. "You owe me ice cream," she said. She got up and brushed herself off. Everyone was looking at her. "What?"
"Wait," Mikey said. "He owes you ice cream? He got you up. Don't you owe him some?"

"No, it's against the rules to attack. You have to use other means to get my attention," she replied. "Anything, but attacking is out of the question. So, you owe me."

Alex stuck out her hand for Raph to take so she could help him up, but he grunted and got up by himself. She just shook it off and walked over to the group. She could see Raph had a temper and didn't like to lose.

The news was on the television. It was another thing about the bank robbery. "Destruction of the Stocktronic's building and the sudden disappearance of Dr. Baxter Stockman."

"What will you do now, Ms. O'Neil?" Splinter asked April. "You are most definitely out of a job."

"I'm not exactly sure," April said.

"We'll help you get back on your feet," Don said.

"You guys," April said, flattered. "You've all been great and by guys I guess I mean four big green talking turtles and a giant talking rat."

"Here's to the new team," Leonardo said. He raised his glass of tea and everyone did the same.