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-chapter 02-

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April had been skeptical, as was her nature these days. As head of the South Manhattan (and therefore biggest) chapter of the resistance movement, she'd encountered plenty of reasons to be untrustworthy over the years. But Mike's insistence, no matter how implausible it seemed, eventually won her over. Apparently their long-lost sister had returned, unscathed and un-aged, if it could be believed. And though she might be wary of many things, April knew to trust her gut instinct. There was something about this girl, something real; it sunk its fingers into her and took her back to those days when things had been so much easier. But even the effect it was having on Mikey was almost reason enough to go along with it. Though his demeanor may have seemed unchanged to the casual observer, April knew him too well. She hadn't seen him this happy in years.

They talked for a long time, much of it cluing Taylor in to exactly what had happened in her absence. War and famine, people imprisoned without trial, a police state that seemed like something out of a horrifying, futuristic movie. Incredibly, impossibly, the Shredder had gained total control, his Foot soldiers now the only military force. It seemed hopeless, the might of the Foot too strong against what was left of the people. But it wasn't all bad. They also told her other things, tales of rebellion and people rising up. Revolution fought on the streets. And they continued to fight, Mikey and April devoting their very lives to it, in order to reclaim their freedom from the Foot's oppressive rule.

April asked a good many questions of Taylor as well, but she went easy, understanding that the girl must've been through some sort of trauma to get here in the first place. Taylor's confusion and shock at being thrown into this world seemed genuine enough, and should her story be believed, she was certainly deserving of sympathy. Eventually April was satisfied enough and the conversation got on to locating the other turtles. Mike knew how to find Raph, but Leo was going to be the tough one. "But I'll be able to find him," April said. "Mike knows, I try to stay on top of what the 'hawks are up to. Communication is key, in winning this war. After all, if we don't talk with each other, then we run the risk of stepping on each other's toes."

"Hawks?" Taylor asked. "What's that?"

"Nighthawks," April answered with a laugh. "That's what they call themselves, Leo's little group. I usually listen in on their operations, so I can stay in the loop."

"Oh!" Taylor gasped. "So you do keep in touch with Leo, then?" For some reason, it was a comforting thought to her. Mike hadn't sounded like he had much info on their oldest brother, but maybe that was only because he counted on April to keep track of him. It meant that they were still connected, at least.

"Well, I don't," she admitted. "But I know the guy that does. He runs the base of operations for the Nighthawks. He keeps me up-to-date, with Leo's blessing, of course." She smiled. "I don't see Leo very much, but I hear a lot about what he's up to."

"So… how does it work? I'm sorry, this is all very new to me."

"Oh that's okay, sweetie, don't you worry." She smiled, touching Taylor on the arm. It was strange, seeing April so old now, so different in looks but also in her mannerisms. She still seemed like the same tough, take-no-nonsense type of woman Taylor had known, but there was something almost motherlyabout her now. Maybe it came with age. "Basically, we get this feed - here, let me pull it up." April pulled out a small device with a screen. "Of course we get the main feed, which is the news. But that's all Foot operated. Our lines," she said, pausing to touch the screen in several places, "are hidden. Here." She pulled up the right one, showing it off. "It's static now, but when Owen – that's my Nighthawk contact – is online, this is the channel he'll use."

"So, how do you know when he'll be on?"

"We communicate ahead of time. For security reasons, he doesn't tell me what the plan is or where they'll be. He just gives me a time and date to sign on. See, Owen stays at the base, but he's got an earpiece that connects to the operatives. So it's almost like he's right there with them. And he transcribes what's going on to me, in real time."

"Wow, that's pretty cool!"

April laughed. "Well yes – I guess it is. We change the channel every few weeks or so, and so far the Foot haven't caught on. The 'hawks have nailed quite a few big places." She got quiet there for a moment, thinking. "They're starting to get noticed. I worry about the backlash, sometimes." She brightened up again, catching herself. "But with Leo on the team, there's little to worry about."

"Ape," Mike said, "Will you tell 'em to have Leo come here? Don't tell 'em why though." He looked at his sister, still hardly believing that she was standing there himself. "I think we should maybe tell him in person."

She nodded. "I'll pass it on. Might take a couple of days, though."

"Alright." he said to his sister, "I guess we'll go see Raph in the meantime."

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Mike told her to stay a few steps behind, just in case. Raphael usually had a warning system in place, but Mike hadn't been here in a long time, and wasn't sure if things had changed. But Raph was always a wild card anyways. You never knew if he might just get drunk one night and set up remote mines all over the place.

Mike tapped the button several times, listening close to see if the thing was even working. There was no buzz or electrical sound as he pushed it, so he figured the intercom system was a lost cause. Still, he tried. "Hey Raph!" he shouted, hoping it might reach through the wall, even if the box was busted. "Hey, it's me, Mike! Open up, it's important!"

He waited a few seconds, but with no answer Mike started beating on the wooden planks in front of him, the light from the small flashlight in his hand wavering with each vibration. They were deep underground, having traversed through several subway tunnels and winding around so many that Taylor had no clue where they were, or how to get back for that matter. Typical, she supposed, when you wanted to locate a ninja. Mike continued to hammer on the worn sheets of plywood, Raph's so-called "door". "Raph!" he yelled. "C'mon dude, I mean it! Open the door!"

Finally, there was noise from inside. They could hear some things shifting around, followed by footsteps and someone grumbling unintelligible words, getting louder as the one on the other side approached. All at once, one of the plywood sheets slid to the side with a loud bang. Filling the doorway in its place was Raphael, with a look that said he wasn't too keen on being bothered right at that moment.

"Jeez Raph," Mike said, turning his head. "You really need to air this place out once in a while."

"Yeah well I wasn't exactly expectin' guests," he shot back. "Whattaya want, anyways?"

"Nice to see you too." Mike stepped aside, revealing her. "I brought you a surprise."

There she was, standing washed in the dim light coming from Raph's home. She smiled, but it wasn't easy. Like Michelangelo, Raphael looked drastically changed, and not at all for the better. He was bigger, beefier, but covered in many more scars than she remembered. He wore a tan aviator's type of jacket with his sais tucked in his belt, his weapons unchanged at least in the way he always wore them. But the most profound physical difference was on his face, where she could see that his mask was stitched over one eye. They looked at each other in silence for a few seconds, before Raph finally broke it.

"I don't believe it."

He stepped forward and reached out, gripping her lightly by the chin and turning her face, inspecting her. He started to laugh a little in disbelief. "You're real. An' still as pretty as ya ever were."

With a sad smile, she said, "Wish I could say the same."

They embraced. She was suddenly gripped by that sensation again, the one she'd gotten when Mike did the same thing. There was something so wholly desperate in the way that he squeezed her, as tight as he could without hurting, letting her know exactly how much her sudden presence meant to them. It felt good, but again, her heart broke at the years they'd been apart, at the years they'd been doing all of this, and how much her brothers must have suffered in that time.

They entered into Raphael's place and filled him in as much as they could, but there wasn't a lot to tell beyond their initial encounter. Taylor still had no idea why she'd lost thirty years. But her life had always been somewhat of a mystery. How she'd come to have her unique abilities and the worlds she'd traveled prior to being taken in by her adoptive family was quite the fantastic story in and of itself. When she'd finally settled down on Earth with her new brothers and father, she'd felt at home for the first time. And now here she was, cheated, that life having been snatched away from her with no explanation.

As the three of them talked, they tossed around a few theories, but nothing really seemed to stick. "Maybe ya don't age?" Raph suggested.

She shrugged. "I did before. I mean, I remember growing up to my um, current state."

"Well, maybe ya stopped aging. Or what?" He turned to Mike. "What're we lookin' at here? Time travel or somethin'?"

"Don't ask me," Mike said. He thought that Donatello would've been able to figure this out, that Donnie would've had some explanation. But he didn't share those thoughts. Instead, he went to the refrigerator, a small compact one that would've been more at home in a college dorm. It was plugged into a generator that looked, much like everything in Raph's place, to be on its last leg. Mike grabbed a couple of cans, tossing one to his brother.

Raphael raised a hand, catching the beer in the air without looking. "Well, whatever. I seen enough crazy shit over the years to pretty much believe anything." He cracked open the can and took a long drink, looking at her with sudden intensity. "All that matters is that we got ya back."

"Real question is," Mike added, "what do we do now?" He turned towards Taylor. "I mean, the safest place for you is back at the base, probably. You can crash with me until we set you up. There's barracks, or you could stay with April, if you're more comfortable with her. I know she won't mind." He looked down. "Or, y'know. You could just stay with me, I don't mind either."

"Whattaya crazy?" Raph said. "She oughta get outta the city. This place is a goddamn lost cause."

"Dude, where's she gonna go? It's just as bad out there, and she doesn't know anyone. She needs to stay close to us, to family -"

"Ain't no family," Raph spit. "I dunno how long you and April think you guys are gonna last over there, but it's stupid to put Taylor right in the middle of this bullshit. You gonna keep her right in one of the places the Foot are looking for? Mikey, I swear you never use your frickin' head. And another thing -"

"You guys!" Taylor cut in. "Will you stop talking about me like I'm not here? I'm not going anywhere, I'm staying here with you! As for what I'm going to do… well, I'm not sure yet. I can barely make sense of all this." She thought for a moment. "The next thing I'm going to do is go see Leo."

Raphael stiffened up. Right away Mike groaned, covering his face with his palm.

Sure enough, a string of very colorful language erupted from Raphael's mouth, all directed at their former leader. It so surprised their sister that she didn't know what to say. She just looked at Mike for help, but even if he'd had anything to offer, he wouldn't have bothered. It was the same old tirade, over events so many years gone that there was nothing to be done now.

After several minutes, it didn't look like Raph was going to slow down. "We should probably go," Mike said to her. He stood up.

"Wait." Taylor stood herself, facing Raph.

He tried to cut her off at the pass. "Don't gimme those eyes. You don't know what's happened in all the time you been gone!"

"Okay, maybe you're right. But forget all that for now, that's not was I was going to say." She pleaded with him. "Raph, you can't keep living like this. Just look at this place." She glanced around, taking it in. Raphael was living pretty rough down here; bare mattress on the floor, almost no furniture, jugs of water in the corner. She wasn't even sure if he had plumbing. It was freezing, and dark, but above all else it just seemed so lonely. Raph's nature dictated that he was always a bit of a loner, not to mention a little on the self-destructive side. There was no way he was enjoying living like this and she thought she knew why he was doing it. But it wasn't healthy and she worried for him, just like she always had back in the days before when he would run off and pick fights with the Foot on his own, knowing he was going to come back injured or half-dead, assuming he came back at all.

"You could come back with us. Stay at the base. You and Mikey don't… hate each other, right?" She shrugged, looking at Mike again for help.

He scoffed, "Ain't no place for me there. I ain't gonna bunk down in no commune with a buncha other grunts."

Without looking up, Mike said, "If you wanna stay with me, offer's still on the table. I been thinking about knocking out a wall down there anyways, it's getting kinda cramped. That way Taylor could stay, too."

Raphael seemed to consider it for a second. "Yeah, well – I dunno. Whatever. Just forget it." He turned from them, pacing a few steps. "I been here so long I don't know any different. And y'know, this is a good spot, close to the other guys. Makes it easy to hook up and stay on top of the shipments comin' over." He paused, looking over at the young girl, his sister from another life. "But uh… I'll come visit, maybe."

Taylor didn't know what she'd hoped for when they'd come here. She hadn't thought much beyond just finding Raph and seeing him. But the look on her face now, the disappointment there was too much for Raphael to take. So many years gone, and she swept back in here as though nothing had changed. He excused himself, saying he needed to sleep but it was an obvious lie. Nevertheless, Mike and Taylor headed out, back to the base and what Taylor was coming to realize was now "home".

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On the way back through the tunnels, Taylor thought over the events at Raphael's place. It didn't feel real to her. Raph had sounded so bitter, so full of hatred. He and Leo had always had their problems, but she never could have guessed it would come to this. She looked up at Mike, a few steps ahead. Even he was so changed, she hadn't even seen him so much as crack a smile since she'd returned. Leo leading a different team, Donnie missing… her father dead. People suffering all around them. The world looked grey all around her, even colors seemed faded here.

As soon as they were topside, Mike had her stay back a moment while he scouted ahead. After a few tense moments he returned and they started off again. Until she saw it, that was.

She stopped, shivering in the wind and looking at the tree. It was a gorgeous oak of thick, gnarly branches and easily thirty feet or higher above her head. The air had been chilly but she hadn't even spared a thought towards what season it might be. This was the first real tree she'd seen yet. As Taylor watched, several of the leaves swept off with the wind, away from those colored brilliant in oranges and yellows and browns. It was autumn in New York, her favorite time of year, and she hadn't even known it.

Mike turned, noticing that she wasn't a step behind. "Tay? We gotta keep moving – hey, what's the matter?"

She didn't answer him. She stood, transfixed, watching as a few more leaves fell; dead and withered they joined the thick pile amongst the others gathered around the trunk. So many dead, so many lost.

Her mouth opened to speak, but no words would come. A single tear fell down her cheek. Mike stepped back towards her, urging her. "Sis, we can't stay here." He took her gently by the arm. "C'mon."

She took just a moment more to stare at the oak, before obliging him.

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The next morning Taylor awoke to the sound of the intercom. It was loud, startling her awake. Mike was there in an instant. "Yeah?" he spoke into the box.

The static crackled, but the voice inside was clear. "You guys better come upstairs, there's someone here to see you."

Taylor jumped down from the top bunk. "Do you think it's Leo?" she asked hopefully. Mike nodded, there was really no one else it could be, though he was impressed that April had been able to locate their oldest brother so quickly. Taylor could barely contain her excitement as they rode the elevator up. But once they arrived at April's quarters, they were met with a surprise.

There was indeed a mutant turtle there, but it wasn't Leo. Raphael turned to face them, with a backpack slung over his shoulder.

"Raph! What are you doing here?" Mike asked, not understanding at first.

"Hey," he greeted them. He cleared his throat. "Yeah, uh… so I got to thinkin' about it and I figured it didn't make sense to go back an' forth… an' I didn't want Taylor to try comin' all the way down to see me." He scratched at the back of his head. "So… if the offer's still open I uh, think I might take ya up on crashin' here for a while."

At that, the most amazing thing happened. Not quite as surprising to Taylor, but April and Raphael both nearly fell over in shock at the sight. Michelangelo, for the first time in years, actually grinned from ear to ear. "Yeah! Yeah, totally! Okay, so let's see… uh, Tay's on the top bunk but I got a hammock we can set up for now. And I'm serious about knocking down the wall, I mean, I got my back entrance out there now y'know, it's just a hole big enough to crawl though, but we could widen it up to get furniture in. There's a whole big space back there, another tunnel. Oh! We're gonna have to get some things though, some grub definitely, I'm just about outta food – and the heaters been on the fritz, but I can get some more blankets and stuff…"

He rambled on about the specifics for a little while longer. Raphael shared a look with April at his expense, but the smile on her face was enough. April couldn't be more thrilled that Raph had finally decided to come stay, it was something they'd discussed many times in the past but he'd never taken them up on it. As they turned to leave, April beckoned Taylor over and gave her a hug. "Thank you so much for coming back," she whispered to her.

They spent the next few days settling Raphael in. There were some minor arguments over the idea of expanding the place and how structurally sound Mike's living quarters actually were. Mike insisted that they could bust out part of the wall without problem, but Raph wasn't so sure. It was decided in the end that the three of them would just cram together until they could get someone with more expertise to give them a hand. April told them she could have a person from their construction crew take a look in the following week, so they'd have to make do until then. It brought to mind the guy who used to oversee these things, the one that had built and fixed and engineered everything they'd ever had. But of course no one brought him up, it was too painful a subject to mention out loud.

As the days progressed, Taylor finally began to feel like things were at least approaching normal. Mike took her and Raph around the base, introducing them to several people and getting them familiar with their new surroundings. And the way that Raph and Mike were getting along and joking with each other (and even the way they bickered at times) was enough to remind her of the life she'd left behind. It felt good, but she still found herself longing for what was missing.

One night, as they sat around Mike's television furiously tapping away at the now two game controllers (though Mike promised he'd procure a third by the end of the week), the subject of work came up. Raph, despite his move, still meant to keep on with overseeing the Eastern front, and mentioned a tip they'd gotten over an incoming shipment.

"Supposed to be a big one comin' in a few weeks, full a weapons. Intel says there might be a drone or two, and you know we could really use that tech. We're hopin' to get one intact if we can." He looked at his brother. "So whaddaya say?"

Mike nodded. "I'm in."

"I want in too," Taylor piped up. Pausing the game, the two brothers turned to look at her. "I know what you guys said, I know you're trying to protect me. But what am I supposed to do, just sit around here all day? I was trained to fight, just like you. I want to help."

They looked at each other, considering it. "Welp," Raph finally said, "I can see you're gonna be stubborn about this, but let's make a deal. It's too soon for you to take on an ambush - ya ain't been here long enough and ya don't know what you're up against. But we can start takin' ya out. We'll go on runs, hit small places, teach ya a few tricks." He looked at Mike, who nodded in agreement.

"Okay," she said, smiling. "Deal." The idea of going out on runs with the two of them gave her a good feeling, and not just for her own sake. When she and Mike had first come to see Raph, there was obvious tension between the two, but you wouldn't know it now. She suddenly realized something, looking across the small room. She'd thought it odd that Mike lived alone, yet had two beds here. Now it was so obvious why.

Her thoughts were soon shattered by what was becoming an all too familiar sound. Suddenly, the noise from Mike's intercom shot through the room once again. "Mike, Code four! Get up here now!"

"Shit!" Mike cursed, leaping to his feet and throwing the controller to the floor. He hit the button immediately. "On our way!"

The ladder was faster, so he headed up first with the others in tow. Raphael asked the question on both of their minds. "Mikey, what the hell – what's goin' on!?"

"Dunno," he called down to them, "but it's serious whatever it is!" When they reached the top, Mike looked around a second, confused. "Alarms aren't goin' off," he said. "Can't be an attack on the base. Doesn't make sense..." He didn't want to waste time though. He led them upstairs to April's command center to find out.

They burst into the main room. April was right there, ready to greet them. "Guys, it's Leo, he's in trouble!"

"Leo!? What are you talking about?" Mike asked her.

She took a breath. Holding up the communication device she'd shown to Taylor before, she began. "The 'hawks – they were hitting a place on the Waterfront when all hell broke loose. They're pulling out – but Leo's not with them!"

"Whoa, whoa – slow down!" Raph broke in. "Whattaya mean he's not with 'em?"

"Look," she said, showing him the transcript, "here. There was an explosion, I think he's trapped. But he was conscious – he ordered the others out of there. From what Owen's telling me they think he's alive but they can't get to him! They already lost several men. Hold on…" She paused, putting a hand up to her ear. "Feed's coming in – the Foot are on their way! I can send a patrol off to slow them down, but you guys need to get to Leo and get him out of there!"

She ran to a device on the wall. "Squad twelve to operations, now! We're at Code Four! I repeat, Code Four!" She turned back to the others. "Mike, I'm sending Leo's location to you now. I'll update you with any info I get. All I know is that they were on the second floor when everything blew. You might need to dig to get to him. I'd hit armory and get some gear, just in case."

"Got it." Mike tore off down the hall, the others right behind. He threw open a door and grabbed a canvas bag from inside, tossing in various weapons and items. When he looked up, he saw her and realized that Taylor was still with them. "Tay, you need to hang back, let me and Raph handle this."

"No way!" she protested. "Especially if he's hurt, you're going to need me!"

There was no time to argue. Slinging the pack over his head, Mike raced out the door. "Okay, just be careful! Raph, keep an eye on her!"

"Already ahead of ya," he said, giving her a look. "So much for trainin'. Guess you're about to get your first lesson."

"Best way to learn," she shot back at him, trying to sound confident. In reality she was terrified. She had no idea what they were about to find, but she knew one thing: they weren't coming back without Leo, even if it meant carrying his body out of there. In her head, she prayed that that wouldn't be the case.

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