Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT. This story takes place in the 2012 nickverse
It wasn't bad enough that another canister hunt had gone wrong or that they had been too late to stop another human from being mutated but did the poor woman HAVE to have a daughter as well! It was like the universe is intent on making a highlight reel of our failures, oh and look here comes a Kraang firefight, perfect. Though Leo was calm on the outside and doing his best to assess the situation for a positive outcome he was weary from the night's failures and feeling just a bit sarcastic. As Raph barreled past him, to engage the metal clad aliens as they let loose their first volley, he caught a glimpse of his bruiser brother's wickedly gleefully smirk. It doesn't help that he's enjoying this so darn much.
Leonardo lept into battle with a cry and took down the Kraang closest to him with his first downward strike, neatly slicing it open from shoulder to hip but leaving the gooey center intact to scramble away with a squeal. He had just kicked away another Kraang to give himself more room for his next attack when he heard a girlish scream to his left. His gut clenched with fear, that frequency only ever came from Mikey, he was slightly relieved to see his brother's shell heading towards a nearby dumpster to take cover behind it, Mikey seemed to be moving fine but that was no guarantee that he was uninjured. As Leo heard his youngest brother call for Donnie he also registered a pressure wave over his right shoulder and brought his blades up just in time to prevent the serrated bayonet from connecting with his skull. He would just have to trust the two youngest to look after each other as he rededicated himself to the battle. Their only real option was take down the Kraang in this alley as quickly as possible and get away before backup arrived.
He disassembled the gun above him with a scissoring motion before dropping down and sweeping the robot's legs out from underneath it. As the metal shell hit the ground in front of him, from behind the sound of a name screamed with anguish filled the air. Leo made sure to stab his current foe in the head, waiting to see pink eyes go dark before scanning the battlefield to see who had cried out.
The newly mutated woman was on the ground calling out, her arm reaching towards where Mikey and Donnie were hidden from his view. He noted that there were two Kraang hovering over the woman, one with a cable coming from it's personal saucer wrapped around the woman's ankles. Behind him the sound of a vehicular door opening alerted him that another robot was making it's move, only shifting his torso Leo threw his katana at the human clad alien settling into the van's drivers seat, the windshield shattered and sparks flew around the blade now lodged in it's chest, the false man looked down at the weapon with detachment before it's head fell forward while the rest of the body remained pinned upright .
Leonardo checked his immediate area, he had dispatched three Kraang and saw the remains of another two lying in the path that Raphael had taken. He could no longer hear the discharge of energy bolts and from the sounds of satisfied grunts accompanied by the screech of metal against metal coming from the backside of the van opposite him, his red-banned brother was enjoying mopping up the remaining Kraang-bots. Taking a breather Leo looked up and just caught Mikey making the last leap to the top of eastward building, he had something in his arms and the glimpse of bright neon pink sneakers before his brother disappeared made him realise that the girl had be the cause of distress, not Mikey himself.
Leo felt the guilt fall on his shoulders like a lead cape. He was so used to his brothers being able to fend for themselves that he had not taken into account the two innocents involved in the skirmish. Often Donnie took it upon himself to make sure that non-combatants stayed clear and safe, but Leo had given the responsibility of watching the girl to Mikey, granted at the time he thought that they would only be dealing with a single mutant and not a van-load of gun wielding Kraang. It made no difference, Leo had made the call and he could only hope that the child wouldn't suffer too much because of it. A shadow passed by his feet bringing him out of his guilt-ridden thoughts.
The two pink Kraang outfitted only in hover pods were passing above him, the limp form of the furry woman slung between them by metallic cables. Donnie passed him in hot pursuit, hopping on the hood of the van, then to the roof before launching himself, naginata blade out, to slice through the cable, sending the pink brain into the wall of the adjacent building with the blunted backswing. Leonardo was bare seconds behind his brother hoping on top of his target to reduce it's altitude before severing the restraining metal cord with his remaining katana. The unwilling passenger dropped with a thud to the pavement but a soft groan told Leo that at least she was alive and well enough for the moment. Donnie was instantly at her side, checking vitals.
Leo looked up at the sound of a pigish squeal to catch Raph with his leg still extended from punting one of the brain blobs. He couldn't hold back the smile that crossed his face as he tracked it's flight path and saw that it splat on the outer ring of the target plastered on an exterminators billboard two buildings away.
"Yeah! And the crowd goes wild!" Raphael raised his arms in the universal symbol of 'GOAL'
"Nice shot."
"You know it!" His younger brother smirked with pride as he crossed his arms over his plastron.
Donatello shook his head at the antics as he unwrapped the residual coils from around the prostate woman's ankles and shoulders. "You guys are so imma…" The words were cut off as an electric current coursed through both of their bodies.
"Donnie!" Both Leo and Raph yelled in unison as they ran to the aid of their electrocuted brother pausing a step away from him in momentary confusion as to how to resolve the dilemma without being shocked themselves. Quickly enough Leo grabbed the bo staff from it's wielder's back and knocked the offending tendrils away from the jerking bodies. Raph looked up at him with panicked eyes as he went to cradle the taller turtle, who was moaning with pain.
"Give me a second." Leonardo responded to the unvoiced query.
Both of the injured were taller than himself and Raphael, making them awkward to carry and neither seemed capable of walking away assisted or not in the immediate future. Leaving one behind to evacuate the other to safety was not an option, more Kraang could show up at anytime. As he strategized, Leo picked up his katana from where he had dropped it to grab Donnie's staff and made a mental note to retrieve it's twin from where it was still lodged in the driver's seat of the van. The VAN!
"Help me load them"
"Come again?"
"You want to drag two mutants bigger than yourself through the city and try to stay hidden or would you like to ride home in a nice inconspicuous van?"
Raph gave him a dirty look as he looped his arms under Donnie's armpits and nodded for Leo to lift the other end of his brainy brother. "Yeah well, It not like a bunch of teens gettin' in a unmarked van with a stranger always works out so good." Leo heard the mumbled jab but choose to ignore it. They set their brother on his carapace for a moment to allow Leo to hop in and drag him further in, who then rolled him onto his plastron for a more comfortable ride. Already Donatello was showing signs of waking, a hand moving across the back of his head as it slowly twisted from side to side.
After giving a quick pat to his brothers' shell for both their comfort, Leo felt better knowing that his sibling would be awake soon, he returned to the back of the vehicle where the sound of Raph's frustrated complaints were increasing in volume.
"Oh comon'... sersly… dang Lady you need to lay off the chilidogs."
Leo saw that his brother was trying to lift the furry woman on his own but was having no luck with it. Normally he would have reprimand the teen for his rudeness but the lady in question was passed out and it was not a battle worth having, though he did send him a tight frown, knowing it would relay the message just as effectively.
"Yeah yeah, just shud-up and help me."
While they were used to hoisting a fellow turtle, shells did an amazing job at keeping a torso rigid, Leo could see now how his burly brother was having a hard time. The woman was a floppy mass of dead weight and just plain awkward to maneuver. After a short struggle, some bickering on the proper way to approach the problem and some accidental groping which left Raph blushing and Leo mortified, the women was loaded into the back with Donnie, Raph riding along to keep and eye on them both. Leo shut the back doors and ran to the drivers seat, where he had to pry his katana from the chest of the human-looking Kraang-bot and ditch the body in the alley. The keys were in the ignition and the turtle-teen started the engine, backed out and made his way towards their home. He wasn't as familiar with navigating the city at street level as he was via rooftop or sewer but was able to find a manhole cover close enough to the lair without threatening to give away it's location. He made sure to park so badly, partially blocking the intersecting street, that a cop was sure come along soon enough and have the vehicle towed. The least he could do was make sure the Kraang got a couple of parking tickets for all the trouble they had put him through tonight, the thought made Leonardo smile as he hopped out to let the passengers free.
Donatello had been vaguely aware of his brothers loading him in the vehicle but didn't have the energy or the inclination to protest. Even now he could hear them squabbling by the open doors at the back of the van and saw no reason to get himself involved, hi body just hurt too much to be bothered. He was really getting tired of being shocked by alien technology or any technology for that matter. His own experiments were just as apt to tesla him as often as the Kraang-tech did. He felt a weight shifting in the back of the van quickly followed by the doors closing and the engine coming to life, Deciding that he really couldn't lie down on the job anymore the techy turtle sat up with a small grunt. He shook his head to clear away the last of the fuzziness from his brain and vision so that he could ascertain their current status.
"You aw'ight?"
"Yeah, what's a rescue mission without a little electric boogaloo." This earned him an amused snort from his temperamental brother. A pained groan from the van's other occupant cut off any further conversation. He and Raph exchanged a nervous glances, it looked like take two on formal introductions was about to begin.
Meeting new people was always a bit of a challenge for his family, the encounters more often than not started or ended with a fight. This occasion was no different but Donatello really wanted to do everything he could to make this particular mutant an ally, it was a small but crucial step to reuniting this woman, changed against her will, with one equally innocent little girl.
Donatello had heard her yell out for her daughter earlier so he was hopeful that a semblance of intelligence still remained within her new mutated form. Though it would be the best possible outcome for everyone involved Donnie still felt a bit of frustration at the scientific inconsistency of it all. How does the same substance strip the ability of cohesive thought and communication from brilliant men, like Kirby O'Neil, yet leave enough of both attributes in their enemies to make them a royal pain in his shell. It was unfair that this ooze that ruled and ruined so many lives refused to adhere to the boundaries of the scientific method so he could figure it all out. With so many variables that affected mutation the hopes of creating a viable retromutagen seemed insurmountable. Still here he was, now with two victims of fate to cure, both with daughters relying on him to restore their loved one's humanity. Great, no pressure.
Pushing these thoughts aside Donnie knelt beside the woman and gently shook her shoulder, hoping to rouse her more fully. The action had it's intended effect, though with a bit more vigor than he had anticipated. She sat bolt upright and scrambled as far back into the corner as she was able. She was panting and her pupils were pinpricks, the teenage teripain could practically feel the fear coming off her in waves. Donatello raised both his hands with fingers spread wide to show that he was unarmed and meant her no harm, even as he noticed his brother silently drawing his sais.
Well they should at least TRY diplomacy first. Donatello took a breath to steady his nerves and mentally crossed his fingers. I hope this works.
"Hello ma'am. I can tell that you are very scared at the moment but please trust me, we mean you no harm." Dead stare. "OK… umm… well, my name is Donatello but you can call me Donnie. This is Raph and my brother Leo is driving us to a safe location." A couple of blinks. "When we get there you will get to meet our father and our youngest brother should be there as well with your little girl." Donnie paused, prepared for some kind of reaction or questions but she said nothing though her breathing had steadied to a more natural rhythm. Taking this as a positive sign he continued on. "I know we look strange but there is an explanation. My brothers and I all started out as regular pet turtles, but were mutated when we were exposed to an unusual chemical. That chemical had a reaction in our bodies with the last foreign DNA we came in contact with, which was human, so we became a blend of both human and turtle. The result is what you are seeing now." She closed her eyes for a moment and he could see that she was trying to absorb the reality of his explanation. Still Donatello could see the confusion in her eyes when she looked at him again, she hadn't quite faced her place in this new world unfolding before her yet he knew that she had to accept it. She was a mutant now and the Kraang were hunting her, if she were to stay safe she would have know the basic facts. He lowered his hands to rest on his lap as he knelt, keeping his movements slow and steady so as not to startle her. "It doesn't just work on animals though, humans can be affected in a similar fashion. Our father was once a man called Hamato Yoshi, before he was exposed to the same chemical as we were. The same chemical that you have been."
Finally there was a noticeable reaction. The woman stretched out her hand and looked at it, seemingly examining it closely for the first time since the accident. She then dropped that hand to her thigh, where it was exposed through a large rip in the fabric of her long skirt, and ran her fingers slowly through the fur she found there. He was distracted by a cough from Raph's direction and was amused to find his brother averting his eyes and a slight blush on his beak. Upon realizing that his brother had caught him Raph instantly cleared his throat and made a point to look directly at her.
"Yah ain't completely human nomor'. Get the pictur' sistur'..."
"VonHertz"
"Pardn'"
"Sister VonHertz." The woman seemed to have interpreted his brother's pause as a request for her to fill in her name. Both the response and the name itself were odd enough that Donnie filled it away in his mental "research later" file. "But I suppose you can can me Mrs. VonHertz." She spoke in a distracted tone, but Donatello was thrilled. He had seen intelligence behind her fear but to know that she could actually communicate with them was a huge weight off of his shoulders.
"Ms. Vo.."
"MRS." Her head snapped up to look the purple masked turtle in the eye and he could see the personality that sparked in her own. There was a strength there that reminded him so much of his own parent that he was instantly intrigued. He then noted that the van had stopped and sure enough when he looked back Leo was swinging the back doors wide, a manhole cover open just a few feet beyond.
"Everything ok back here?"
"Just peachy."
"Yes. Mrs. VonHertz…" Donnie gave her a wide gap-toothed smile. "... and I were just getting acquainted."
Though she was still a bit shaken they were able to get the mutant down into the sewers with some gentle coaxing and the group made their way to the lair at a steady pace. While Donnie was updating Leo on his perspective of their skirmish with the Kraang and that he had sent Mikey ahead Mrs. VonHertz had asked about her daughter. After receiving confirmation that the girl had been scared but was ok she fell into silence. Donnie kept up a one-sided conversation along the way home with her, during which she responded with only small nods or shakes of her head. They had just reached the turnstiles when the brainy turtle could no longer contain himself, he had his suspicions about her mutated form but wanted the confirmation from her.
"Mrs. VonHertz, what was the last animal you can remember touching before the accident?"
She looked at him before examining the tip of one finger. "I was at my… at a friend's house and he had just gotten a new pet a couple weeks beforehand. Poor thing must have still been nervous cause she bit me when I was holding her. Such a cute little ferr…" Her voice dropped off and her eyes took on a haunted look. Donnie followed her gaze to see that she was looking in Leo's direction as he was on his T-phone. Then he focused on his brother's side of the conversation.
"..eeding and unconscious? Ok Mikey calm down, I know it wasn't your fault just get here as fast as you can."
Next to him Mrs. VonHertz transformed from a quiet solemn figure to snarling enraged demon. She took off down the abandoned subway tracks in the opposite direction they had approached the lair from, knocking Donnie to the ground in her wake. He just sat on the ground stunned for a moment till Leonardo addressed him quickly before leaving to give chase. "Get the med kits ready, we're gonna need them." Just before he rounded the corner his oldest brother called back a final instruction. "Let sensi know we're about to have company!"
Suddenly Donatello wasn't sure which furry mutant parent he would rather face.
A/N: So many thanks to my good friend SunLux for her review and friendship, you always make me smile. ^_^* To SleepingSeeker, without whom this story would have died in darkness on my desktop, thank you so much for the reviews. It was your comment that pushed Leo ahead of so many other voices to tell this portion of the tale. Finally a shout-out to my real life friend Dave U. who beta read some of this for me.