In Training
The next time I saw them was a week later, a few days after New Years. April had called me after work to come over to her apartment for dinner and a movie- she's not only my mentor, but also one of my few friends here in the city. That's one reason I respect her so much. Not only is she a great reporter, but a good friend, too! Naturally, I agreed, and went right over. The elevator was out of order, which is apparently a common problem in New York. I ended up taking the stairs, which might be good for keeping in shape, but it's hell on the legs when you're already tired from working all day.
When I got there, the boys all jumped out from behind the couch, yelling "Surprise!" I was too busy trying to catch my breath from the eight-floor hike to say anything at first, though I did notice Mikey had a sort of glassy-eyed look on his face. I don't know why, but he gets that look a lot. It's like he forgets how to talk or something. One of these days, I'll have to ask Splinter if he's ever been hit on the head really hard.
We had a fun evening watching old sci-fi movies and stuffing ourselves on pizza and cheese puffs. I started to think that if I kept hanging around with those guys, I'd have to join a gym just to keep my figure. I honestly don't know how they can eat like that and still stay in shape- unless it's all those hours they spend practicing their skills. Maybe they've got the right idea….
By the time we called it a night, it was pretty late. They offered to escort me down before heading home themselves; without realizing what they had in mind, I agreed, and was stunned when Leo picked me up and hefted me onto his back. He was already out the window before I could even protest. The others followed, though Michelangelo gave his brother an angry glare that made me wonder what had ticked him off.
"You guys are NUTS!" I exclaimed, as Leo hop-scotched his way down the fire-escape, carrying me with ease. I hung on tight, laughing at the absurdity of my position.
"Nah, we just know how to travel in style!" Raph exclaimed as he swung down from one landing to another, like an oversized green monkey. Donatello slid down the railing of the metal stairs, whipping around at each landing to whiz down the next set. Mikey took an even more shocking route, and simply slipped his nunchaku between the building's wall and a drainage pipe, using the chain to rappel his way down. I shook my head, deciding that in spite of what they claimed, they most definitely WERE nuts. Or adrenaline junkies, at the least.
When we hit the ground, I slipped off Leo's back and laughed. "You know," I said, grinning, "For somebody supposedly practicing the arts of stealth and secrecy, you four sure do make a lot of noise. I think only about HALF the neighborhood heard that racket."
Leo looked around cautiously, checking windows to be sure no one had witnessed our exit. "Yeah, I guess that WAS a little conspicuous," He agreed. "But the coast is clear- so far, anyway. Let's try not to make so much noise next time, guys."
"No problemo, mi amigo!" Mikey laughed, dropping down beside him. His reply earned him a glare from his older brother.
We said good night, and I went home in the cold January snow alone, but with the distinct feeling that someone was watching me. It made the long walk to the subway station feel safer, knowing that even if I couldn't see them, my new friends were looking out for me. Like my own herd of hard-shelled guardian angels.
The next day, there was a robbery at a jewelry store that ended with the thieves mysteriously busted and tied up. Strangely, no one had even seen the Good Samaritans who had stopped the gang, even though it had been broad daylight. The incident aroused my suspicions when April told me about it; odds were pretty good that those do-gooder boys in green had struck another blow for law and order. April covered the story for Channel Six, and I went along as part of the news crew- field-reporting was part of my internship, and it was why I'd gotten into journalism to begin with.
Sure enough, while I was helping Danny, the camera boy- and incidentally, Mr. Pennington's son- with the equipment, a small chunk of broken brick fell from above, skipping across the pavement just a few feet away to land near my feet. I glanced up, and spotted four familiar shapes up on a rooftop across the street. One of them- I think it was Mikey- waved at me. After a quick check to make sure no one saw, I grinned up at them and waved back.
After that, it seemed like they started showing up in my life a lot more frequently. Whenever April went down sewer-side for a visit, she would invite me along, or they would call me up on my new com-unit to see if I wanted to hang out. And even though I wasn't crazy about slogging through dark, smelly, dripping sewer tunnels, I truly enjoyed the time I spent with them. They were like the family I had lost- only more green.
A few days after that, I went with them to another lab break-in, this time at a high-tech robotics company. April had contacted them on her shell-cell- the guys jokingly call them Turtle-coms, but I like the shell-cell idea better- late that evening to tell them that Techno-Dyne Research had reported a security breach. They boys had invited me over for a slasher-flick marathon, but as soon as they heard the news, we all high-tailed it to the lab.
Sure enough, when we got there, another of those big underground transports was poking halfway out of a hole in the ground in a construction site not far from Techno-Dyne's facility. To make matters worse, the front entrance of the building was nothing but a pile of rubble. Someone had used some kind of explosives to blast their way in. We got there just ahead of the police and the news crews, and the guys slipped inside to find out if their hunch was right. As it turned out, Shredder was still there- only this time, he had two thugs with him that looked like a couple of creatures from a bad sci-fi movie. One was some sort of mutant rhino in camo pants and a wife-beater shirt, the other a warthog with a purple Mohawk and old torn jeans. That's when I started to wonder when my life had turned into an episode of the Twilight Zone. Or was it The Outer Limits? Whatever.
There followed a brief but furious battle, in which the two goons opened fire on the turtles with weapons that could have come right out of Star Wars. Leonardo had warned me against getting involved, and in light of my previous encounter, I wisely heeded his advice and stayed back near the ragged hole that used to be the doors. While I was watching from outside, the police arrived and began blocking off the area, along with the crew from Channel Six- with Vernon Thompson, the slimiest snake ever to step in front of a camera, reporting. I was forced to move back from the area by an officer named Detective Greenley; luckily, with all the gunfire coming from inside, the cops were reluctant to move any closer themselves, which at least kept them from seeing my ninja-esque friends.
Unfortunately, the fight soon spilled out into the street, with blaster-fire flying everywhere as Shredder and his two flunkies- along with a dozen uniformed soldiers which I soon learned were actually robots- kept the boys on the defensive. The "Foot soldiers", as Shredder called them, came up in a second transporter during the battle, while the four brothers were busy trying to avoid the shots from their enemies, and began to open fire as they rushed inside. The transporter came up in the middle of the street- right in front of five NYPD patrol cars and the crews of every major news station in the city. In one fell swoop, the battle had just become the biggest story on the nine o'clock news.
Of course, we all should have known it would happen eventually. Even in a city as big and crazy as New York, something as bizarre as four humanoid, talking turtles kung-fu fighting a guy dressed like a human cheese-grater and a bunch of thugs in pajamas with ray guns was bound to attract attention. When the boys turned to face the new threat, Shredder took the chance to throw a smoke bomb at them, and used the distraction as cover to attack them in the chaos of smoke and blaster fire, while the two freaks grabbed boxes of stolen parts and dashed out to load them into their transport.
I could just make out the shapes inside the demolished lab; then Donnie came flying backwards and slammed shell-first into an old yellow VW Bug. Two of the black-and-purple clad soldiers leapt out after him, but he flipped back to his feet and jabbed his bo into one after the other, knocking them back. Then he looked around and realized he was fully exposed to view; he looked horrified, but was forced to stand his ground when the two swiveled their weapons on him. He dodged three shots, then slammed his staff into the head of one with brutal force, knocking it right off- and revealing it as a robot- then punched a hole in the second. He muttered a somewhat un-heroic expletive, and started to dash back inside, only to have Raph thrown into him by their nemesis, knocking them both back outside.
Raph looked at all the cops and media crews- not to mention at least two dozen bystanders- and sighed. "Well, so much for 'the Art of Invisibility'! Splinter's NOT gonna' like this!" He exclaimed in disgust. I was inclined to agree.
Right about then, Vernon tried to get closer to the action with a mini-cam to scoop the other reporters on the biggest story of the year with some exclusive close-up footage. April had arrived on the scene, and she tried to warn him off, but as usual, his desire for better ratings overrode good sense. One of the robots opened fire on the two brothers stranded in the open, and a stray shot ricocheted off of a car mirror, and singed his over-gelled hair. He screamed like a little girl and dropped the camera, diving behind a newspaper box. Not one to let an opportunity to show him up pass me by, I picked up the camera and moved in to focus on the theft being carried out right in front of half the city by three lunatic refugees from a comic-convention.
Long story short, the guys ended up busting up all but two of the robot warriors, but not before that rat- no offense to Splinter- Shredder and his two hench-mutants got away with some very valuable high-tech parts. Worse, they had been seen, in a BIG way. The secret was out, and even as they ran and jumped into their van and sped off like a bat out of hell, I knew things could only get worse for them now that the world knew they existed.
When it was all over, I went with April to file the report on the break-in, then met back up with our friends at the lair later to decide what to do. On one hand, I felt partly responsible for the sudden exposure, since I'd taken over the camera from Vernon. On the other hand, it had been almost inevitable that someday they would be discovered. Even though April and several others- including Channel Six's own receptionist Irma, who was one of April's best friends as well as living in her building- had learned of their secret over the years, so far, no one had ever exposed them to discovery by the public. We all agreed that it was best the world never know. But now the world DID know, and the only thing to do was try to keep them from becoming subjects for overcurious scientists, or worse, exhibits in some freak show.
"What I don't get is what they're doing with all that stuff," I mused while we discussed the incident afterwards. "What does he want with all the high-tech fuel and equipment he's been after?"
"Well, it's for that Technodrome of his under the harbor. It's got all sorts of nasty weapons and defenses, but we sort of trashed it a while back, so now it's low on power and in serious need of repairs. The dude is tryin' to get it back online so he can get to the surface and take over the city." Mikey answered. I glanced over at Donatello, about to ask if he was serious, and he nodded.
"Yeah, that's basically it in a nutshell," he confirmed.
"Nice guy," I said, shaking my head. Things just got weirder and weirder with these four around.
That's when I first had the idea to help them. I had only known them about two weeks, but fate has a funny way of throwing us a curve ball once in a while. If someone had asked me a year earlier what I thought I'd be doing after the New Year, my answer would have been just trying to get by as a single girl in New York. Never in a million years would I have guessed I'd be involved in a secret war between talking humanoid turtles and a psycho maniac out to take over the city with an army of ninja robots and mutant street thugs. But I'd never imagined I'd witness my own family being murdered by that same lunatic, either. I still wanted to see the man responsible brought to justice, and I think that's why I felt so connected to those four. After all, the fight was personal for all of us.
I guess it was that second battle that convinced me to join them in their fight against Shredder and his mutant thugs and robot army. For one thing, I wanted to make him pay for killing my parents. More importantly, I knew that unless he was stopped, more innocent people would be hurt. If he ever managed to get his mobile fortress fully powered and repaired, the entire city would be in danger. I couldn't let that happen.
I hadn't known the four brothers long, but already I trusted and cared about them like family. Even Splinter was like an old, beloved uncle or grandfather. And I was starting to think that Michelangelo, especially, felt the same way. I still didn't grasp the real reason for his attachment, but since he has always been the most friendly, out-going, and trusting of the four, I chalked it up to his naturally gregarious personality. He has always been the first to jump to a friend's aid, the first to try to cheer someone up, or the first to offer a total stranger his friendship. While Raph might be the cynical comedian, and Leo, the calm, rational leader, or Don the logical tech-wizard, Mikey was the one whose easy-going, almost innocent demeanor won friends and made him a natural morale-booster.
Being the youngest of the four, the others had always treated him like the goofy kid brother he often seemed to be, but I had already noticed a deeper side to all of them that wasn't readily apparent. Like Raph's hot temper and hard, gruff exterior masking his love for his brothers. He's the one who lets his emotions get out of control, the unpredictable, rash wild card. Yet when the going gets tough, there's no one better to have at your back, and no one who is more loyal. Or the burden that being both the oldest and the leader seems to put on Leonardo, whose outward maturity and responsibility borders on fanatic, while inside, he just seems to feel lost and uncertain. I can understand that.
Even Donnie has always seemed to feel pressured by the way his siblings looked to him for all the answers when it came to technical or mechanical matters. Whenever something needed repaired, he was the one they went to. He was the one who understood how everything worked- he was the inventor, the chemist, and the computer hacker. In a world driven by progress, he was naturally the most useful member of the group. I think sometimes he just gets tired of the constant demands on his time and skills, though.
And then there's Michelangelo- what can you say about someone who secretly goes out to feed stray animals, or who enjoys sketching, skateboarding, and cooking when he's not busy kicking butt? I've seen him pull off half-pipe moves that would make Tony Hawk look like an amateur, and I gotta admit, he can make a mean omelet! Well, to be honest, they all have their special hobbies outside of the dojo, but none more diverse than his. Comics, movies, music, video games- I guess some people just want to do it all.
Several days later, I got another call from April; she had something important to tell me, and it couldn't wait. Curious to know what she wanted, I went to her place after my weekly volunteer service at the animal shelter. When I got there, she and the boys were all there, yelling "Congratulations!"
"What's going on?" I asked, confused.
"You've been promoted!" April said happily. "I told Mr. Pennington how you took over the camera when Vernon chickened out, and he was impressed. He's decided to give you a full-time job- as my camera operator! Now you'll be out in the field whenever there's a breaking story!"
"Yeah, guess now you'll be able to go on ALL the big scoops," Mikey added.
"Yup, and that means no more spending hours sitting in a dull office editing film, or going on coffee and doughnut runs, or listening to that hack reporter Vernon talk about how great he is," Donatello chuckled. "It's win-win."
This was my big break. Now I'd finally get a chance to prove I could make it in the cut-throat world of television journalism. I turned to April and hugged her happily. "You are wonderful!" I shouted. "And don't worry- I won't let you down. I'm not afraid to get right in the middle of the action to get the scoop." I said, grinning.
"THAT'S the truth," agreed Leo. "You're either one of the bravest humans we've ever met, or the CRAZIEST." The others all laughed in agreement.
"A little of both," I conceded. "I guess you four have sort of rubbed off on me. And speaking of which….." I replied, then paused, uncertain how to continue. There was still something weighing on my mind. Ever since that last battle, I'd been thinking, mostly about the past. Twice in the past month, I'd encountered the man who had killed my family in cold blood, and he was still free and still threatening innocent people. I didn't know how, but I knew someone had to take him down. The police had never truly believed my story, even though it was obvious the murders had something to do with their work. Now that I thought back on it, I remembered that they had been part of a weapon-development project their company had been working on for the government. Something told me that Saki- I still preferred to call him that over the ridiculous moniker he'd given himself- had been after whatever they'd been working on. Maybe he still was.
What was bothering me was that until he was in prison or six feet under, I'd never have any closure, and never be able to completely move on. I'd always worry that he might come back. And if he had known who I was, and that I'd seen him kill them, he very well might. I wasn't certain if what I was considering was even possible, but there was only one way to know. Assuming they would go for the idea, of course. I had my doubts about that. But then, it couldn't hurt to ask, right? The worst that could happen was that they would say no.
"Guys, please don't laugh, but I have something important to ask you," I said; Donnie had popped in a DVD while we were talking, and now we were all about to kick back and celebrate over pizza, ice-cream, and a Star Trek movie marathon. I paused the movie, and took a deep breath before coming out with it. As nervous as I was, you'd think I was coming out of the closet.
"What is it, Orlene?" Leo asked. All four turned to stare at me with curious frowns. At least I had their attention. I fidgeted for a moment, then told them what was on my mind. Four jaws dropped; four pairs of eyes bulged. As expected, they weren't thrilled with the idea. Then again, I could understand why. What I was suggesting bordered on insanity or a death-wish.
"Are you CRAZY?!" Leo exclaimed.
"You can't be serious!" Donnie added.
"Man, I KNEW she was gonna' be trouble," muttered Raph.
"Yes, I'm serious, no, I'm NOT crazy, and Raph, I HEARD that. I meant what I said- I want to help you fight him." I sent a brief glare at Raphael, and sat with arms folded, waiting for their answer.
Leo shook his head, and I knew it was going to be tough to convince them. Once he made up his mind, there was almost no changing it. And of course, whatever he decided, the others were likely to follow his lead. Being the oldest sibling has a way of bringing with it a respect that is somewhat akin to hero-worship, because it often comes with more responsibility, freedom, and privilege. As much as they might argue and bicker, when it came down to the important things, they all stood together. Which presented a problem for me, but what can you do?
"Come on, busting Shredder is OUR job! And anyway, how could you help?" Leo argued. Clearly, he was dead set against it from the outset.
"Leo's got a point. It's nuts to want to take him on. Heck, we've been doing it for years, and we STILL can't put him down for good. And WE'RE experts." Raphael added. "What good do you really think you could do?" Ouch. That stung. I wanted to slap him for that remark, but I decided to turn it back on him instead.
"Yeah, and that's worked SO well, hasn't it? Did you ever think that maybe having someone else on your side might help? Tip the balance, even? Not to get nit-picky, but you guys could use all the help you can get. Especially now, after what happened the last time." I really hated to throw that at them, but all's fair…. And I wasn't about to back down.
"But you don't know anything about fighting," Donnie broke in, pointing out the obvious. "What can YOU do? I mean, you're just a-"
I shot up like a rocket from the couch, and gave him my most threatening glare- which probably wasn't all that intimidating, but…. "So help me, if I hear the word 'girl' or 'human' come out of your mouth, Donnie, I'm going to knock you on your shell so fast it'll make your head spin!"
"No, Donatello's right. You don't know the first thing about fighting. You'd just get yourself killed." Leo said, as if that settled it.
"Then let Splinter teach me," I said. "Look, I KNOW I can help. Please, just give me a chance to prove it. Remember, you guys aren't the only ones with a bone to pick with him. I deserve a crack at him, too." I hoped that reminding them of the reason I'd become involved in all of this might sway at least one of them. Of course, there was one who had remained silent, but I hardly noticed. I figured that he would go along with whatever the others decided, if only to avoid being the odd man out.
"I say if she thinks she's up to it, let her!" April chimed in; at last, someone was on my side! I wanted to hug her. Us women had to stick together, after all!
"Are you SURE you want to do this?" Donnie asked, still looking at me skeptically. I could tell he was trying to talk me out of it.
"Yes," I answered simply. "It's my fight as much as it is yours. How many lives has that monster destroyed? How many more people is he going to hurt?"
"I still say it's a bad idea," Raph protested. "I mean, the thought of a female ninja doesn't exactly do a lot for the male ego."
"Oh, come off it Raph!" Donnie retorted. "Our ego isn't what's at stake here. Besides, have you forgotten Lotus?" He reminded his hot-tempered brother. "I don't really see anything wrong with her wanting to fight- I just don't want to see her get hurt, either."
"Aw, chill out, dudes! If she wants to kick some butt with us, I'm down with it!" At least one of them agreed with me. Not surprisingly, it was the one who always seemed to take my side. I was starting to wonder what was up with that.
Leo looked around the room, and saw that the issue was evenly divided. Finally, he sighed, and gave a reluctant shrug. "Well, I suppose we could ask Sensei. But don't get your hopes up- I doubt he'll go for it." He had conceded, or so it seemed, but he still did not appear completely convinced. That seemed to settle the matter for the time being, so we got back down to the business of celebrating. Somehow, though, it didn't quite feel the same. At the end of the night, I went home wondering if I hadn't made a mistake.
They called me back the next day by shell-cell, to say that their sensei wanted to see me. As soon as I left the station, I went straight to the den, feeling cautiously optimistic. If Splinter refused to teach me, at least I would have tried. But I was hopeful that the summons meant he had agreed, or that he was at least open to the notion.
When I got there, I found all five of them waiting for me, the four turtles seated on meditation mats in the training room, watching me silently as I entered. I noticed that they were arranged in order of rank, from Leo seated on the end nearest Splinter's own place, to Mikey at the other, with Raph and Don in the middle. I had learned enough to know that the closest seat to the Master was reserved for the best student, which I suppose made Michelangelo the least proficient- or more likely, knowing him, the least disciplined and serious. Splinter stood before them, walking stick in hand as usual, and motioned for me to join them without a word. That worried me. What did it mean?
I sat down beside Mikey, and waited. At last, the aging rat spoke. "My sons tell me that you wish to learn the Way of Bushido and the arts of the shinobi. Tell me, Miss McCann, why do you seek my teaching?" Hamato Yoshi's one-time companion asked bluntly. Trust a rat to not trust the motives of a human.
This was it, I realized. This was the test that would determine whether I was in or out. "Spl- I mean, Master Splinter, I told them the reason already, but it boils down to this- it's MY fight too. For two years, I've been living in fear that the man who killed my parents would come back, and been ridiculed and dismissed by the police because they didn't believe what I saw. Now I know who and WHAT he is. If he had ever realized I saw him that day, he would have come after ME, too. I want to help put him away for keeps. Until he's gone for good, more people are going to end up like my parents- but NOT if I can do something about it!"
"I see," He replied, whiskers twitching. "Then you seek vengeance?" Nope, no beating around the bush here.
"I won't deny that it's personal, but- no. I want to see him stand trial and locked up for what he's done; and if he ends up executed, so be it. I want to make sure that no one else will have to go through what I did, ever again. I want to see justice done."
Splinter's furry brows furrowed for a moment; at last he nodded as if to himself. "Very well, then- I accept you as a pupil. But know that you must give up much of your time and freedom if you are to study the Way of the Warrior. Do you understand this?"
I nodded, and bowed to him. "Yes, Master Splinter, I understand."
A smile crossed his furry features, and he bowed back. "Good. Then we shall begin…."
I spent the next five hours learning about the Warriors' Code of Bushido, and the history of the ninja. And every day after that, I'd spend an hour each morning and three in the evening with the boys. The first week consisted of little more than study and meditation, as well as reciting the tenets of Bushido. Then Splinter started in on the physical training, and I began to have second thoughts about the wisdom of my choice. I knew it would be tough, but I had never imagined how hard a teacher he would prove to be!
Each night I fell into bed gratefully, exhausted and sore. And each morning I was right back in the den doing chin-ups, push-ups, sits-ups- by the end of every day, I just wanted to THROW up! Then would come hours spent standing on a post on one foot, perfectly still, and always blindfolded, to improve my balance. I wasn't allowed to so much as utter a word during most of those sessions. Other times, I'd be doing it while reciting the litany of the warrior's code until I thought I was going to go postal if I had to do it one more time.
A typical day of training went something like this- I'd been balancing precariously in the crane stance on a narrow steel bar for over an hour- barefoot and blindfolded, as usual- while Leo tested me on the Bushido code. "Again," he said. It was the tenth time I'd gone through the litany. "Who are your parents?"
"I have no parents. I make the heavens and the earth my parents," I answered- again. As much as I liked Leonardo, there were times like this when I thought he was almost as much of a tyrant as his- OUR- Sensei.
"Where is your home?" He continued.
"I have no home. I make the Tan T'ien my home." I said with a bored sigh. "How many times do I have to DO this?" I asked, annoyed.
"Until you know it by heart well enough to recite it in your sleep. We ALL had to go through this. Now FOCUS!" He snapped. I groaned. Clearly, this was far from over. "What is your divine power?"
"I have no divine power. I make honesty my divine power."
"What are your means?"
"I have no means. I make docility my means…." And so it went. I was starting to wonder if I'd made a mistake.
After nearly a month of such torture, I seriously considered giving up. Though Master Splinter seemed pleased with my progress, I wasn't sure if I had what it took. Practicing kattas for days on end or lifting weights and doing gymnastics for hours at a stretch were hardly what I'd had in mind. Then again, I could understand his reasons for working me so hard. Unlike his "sons", I had not been training since childhood, so naturally, I had a LOT of catching up to do. I suppose he simply wanted to make certain I would be strong enough to truly be of help.
And all this was just during my SPARE time. There was still the matter of the promotion and the new responsibilities at Channel Six, assisting April whenever she was out covering a news story. Most of them turned out to be little more than fluff pieces- human interest bites, as they were known- but I enjoyed the new job all the same. Unfortunately, it meant a lot of standing on my feet and lugging around heavy camera equipment, not to mention setting it up, taking it down, following April as she chased down reluctant interviewees, or taking shots for stock footage. It all meant just one thing- between the job and the training, I was near to collapse by the time Valentine's Day rolled around.
And speaking
of Valentine's Day, I suppose it should be obvious by now that I was VERY single, and likely to stay that way, especially now that I spent most of my free time with a four-and-a-half foot talking rat and his four martial-artist turtle sons. When you spend more time in an abandoned sewer than you do on the city streets, it's hard to meet guys.
Maybe that's why someone decided to leave a Valentine's surprise in my apartment. Of course, it would have been more appreciated if it hadn't come with an unexpected test. I'll have to remember to thank Leonardo for that part someday. It was his idea after all. And yet…I couldn't help being a little flattered by the rest of it.
It started on the 12th, shortly after finishing up a news report on a new paleontological find. I was leaving the Natural History Museum when I felt the ground moving under my feet. Now, New York is not exactly known for earthquakes, and this felt- wrong somehow. For one thing, it was only affecting an area the size of a football field. As far as I know, earthquakes don't come in bite-size. And the fact that it happened to be right across from the Hayden Planetarium was a little suspicious, too. Or maybe after everything I'd seen and learned from the turtles, I was becoming paranoid of strange things going on around me. That couldn't be it, could it?
I looked around frantically to see where the tremors were coming from, and soon found the source- another of those underground transports was bursting up through the ground across the street, in Central Park. Great. So I wasn't being paranoid- it was worse. I was cursed. That was the only explanation why I kept running into that creep!
I ducked behind the nearest car to hide, and dug in my purse for my shell-cell. I knew the four brothers would want to know about this. What I couldn't understand was what their enemy was doing there. As soon as I opened it, I got Donnie on the line.
"Hey, what's up?" He asked. He had a welding mask pushed up on his head; I guessed he must have been in his workshop when he answered.
"You'd better get the others and get over to the planetarium, quick!" I whispered. "One of those underground vehicle things just came up in Central Park right across from here!"
"What?!" He exclaimed. "Are you SURE?!"
"Yeah- I'm looking right at it! The ground started shaking all around me, and then it just busted out of the ground! Get your green butts over here, before something bad happens!" Just then, the hatch opened, and out stepped Shredder and his two pet freaks. And a half-dozen of those robot soldiers. How many of those things did he have? I wondered. More importantly, why were they here, of all places?
"We're on our way- just DON'T do anything 'til we get there!" He hung up, leaving me alone, with only a parked taxi between me and a steel-clad killer.
"'Don't do anything', he says. Yeah, like I'm going to take on a bunch of walking tin-cans and the human can-opener by myself," I muttered. Still…. I had to find out what they were up to. As long as they didn't catch me, it couldn't hurt to keep an eye on them, right?
"Bebop! Rocksteady! Come with me. The Foot soldiers will guard the entrance while we grab the meteorite." Well, at least now I knew what they were after, although I didn't understand why they would want to steal a meteorite. What was so special about a space rock? I crept closer, hoping to learn more. They slammed the doors in, and I heard shots, followed by multiple screams. Great, not only were they stealing a piece of space dirt, now they were threatening innocent civilians, too! I just hoped the guys would get there soon.
A few seconds later, several dozen people came running out of the planetarium looking terrified. I understood the feeling, as I was starting to get a little edgy myself about being within firing range of the blaster-toting robots. They ignored the people coming OUT, but when a police squad car pulled up a few moments later, and the cops got out and headed toward the building, they opened fire and the officers scattered. Fortunately, the robots were not particularly good marksmen, and only winged one of the officers in the arm. They called for back-up, hiding behind their car to keep from being shot at again, and all that was left to do was wait.
It seemed like an eternity passed, and I was starting to get worried, when I heard a soft scraping sound from a storm drain near the car I was using as cover. I glanced over, and saw a green hand waving me over as a voice whispered quietly for my attention.
"Psst! Orlene! What's the 411?" Donnie asked, as I crept over to peer down into the drain slit. Four pairs of eyes looked back at me, and for a moment I was reminded of how freaked I had been on first seeing them. I stifled the gasp of surprise, and gestured for him to keep it down.
"They're still inside the planetarium, and they have six of those robots guarding the entrance. I heard your 'friend' in the tin hat say something about stealing a meteorite. Oh, and there's a squad car parked about a hundred feet to your left, and more on the way. Any questions?" I replied, wondering how they were going to get past the cops and the robo-brigade, much less stop Saki from accomplishing whatever it was he was trying to do.
"Meteorite? What's bucket-head want with a rock?" Mikey asked. He may not be the most brilliant mind, but he has a way of asking the very questions everyone else is thinking, but no one ever bothers to say.
"I dunno, lame-brain! Why don't you just go in there and ASK him?!" Raph said sarcastically, and promptly smacked his youngest sibling on the back of his head. I thought he was being a little harsh, but I held my tongue. Who was I to get in the middle of a sibling squabble?
"OW! Hey, it's a legit question!" Michelangelo protested, rubbing his head.
"Cool it, Raph. He's got a point. What DOES Shredder want a meteorite for?" Leo replied thoughtfully. "And keep your voices down, you two! It's bad enough we've been spotted once- you want to try for a second time?!"
The other two cringed, apparently cowed by the prospect of discovery. "Sorry," they both muttered quietly, as he turned back to me.
"Can you distract the robots and the cops long enough for us to get in there?" He asked. I had a bad feeling that I was about to become a target in a shooting gallery.
"Me? Exactly what am I supposed to do, a strip-tease?!" I replied. I think Raphael may be rubbing off on me. Or maybe it was just the thought of being asked to serve as bait.
"I'D watch," someone muttered. I was pretty sure I knew who said it, and my suspicions were confirmed a moment later when Mikey grunted in pain. I guess an elbow in the side will do that.
"No, just go over to the Foot soldiers, and when they try to stop you from going in, throw these right in front of them and the cops." Leo held up two small round objects through the drain. They were smoke bombs made out of eggs. "We'll use the smoke to hide us while we sneak in."
I took the egg bombs, and nodded. "Okay, but if I get shot at, I'm kicking your butt into the middle of next week when this is over!" Not that I thought I actually could, of course, but a girl's gotta maintain her dignity. I heard a snigger, and wondered which of the others had been laughing behind their leader's back.
Steeling myself to be ready to run like hell, I got up and jogged toward the entrance to the planetarium. Sure enough, the metal guards all advanced toward me, weapons raised. I said a silent prayer to whomever would hear me, and backed away into the street. When I thought they were far enough from the doors, I tossed one of the eggs at the feet of the robots, and threw the other at the squad car with the officers hiding behind it. They shattered, and suddenly the street was full of thick white smoke. I turned tail and ran back the way I'd come, though a rush of almost silent footsteps passing me told me the boys were already on the move.
A few moments later, I heard thumping and clanging sounds from within the cloud of smoke. I could see little, but knew the guys were taking out the opposition in concealment. A round object came flying out of the cloud at me; I dodged aside, and it hit the ground three feet behind where I'd been standing. It bounced twice before rolling to a stop, and I saw that it was the head of one of the robots. Score one for the boys! I grinned at the mental image of what the police would see when the smoke cleared.
That got me thinking- once they were inside, Leo and the others would be preoccupied with Saki and his goons. They were going to need someone to keep an eye out for outside interference, not to mention clearing a path back out again. I was pretty sure that once the cops saw the resistance was gone, they might try to storm the building themselves. That could be bad, if the turtles were still battling their enemy. Someone had to make sure they weren't seen again. And considering that the entire main hall of the Hayden's Rose Center had glass walls except for the brick arches surrounding the lowest level, that was a distinct possibility.
I turned around again, and dashed through the thick smoke and slipped inside the planetarium's entrance. I heard footsteps ahead of me and to the left, somewhere beyond the enormous sphere on twenty-foot support struts that took up most of the center of the main hall. Other, smaller spheres hung around it, in varying sizes and colors, representing the planets- the big one on the struts was the sun, of course. The middle of the first level was a large open space with various displays on large ring-like pedestals. I gaped as I looked around the enormous Rose Center- it was a truly awe-inspiring representation of the scale of our own solar neighborhood. I crept around the edge of the main gallery, and almost tripped over something on the floor as I gazed up at the massive sphere taking up half the room. I glanced down, to find a wounded security guard on the floor. He'd been shot, from the looks of it. I wondered why the others hadn't stopped to help the man, but knowing Leonardo, they had probably gone straight up the middle of the room, so maybe they hadn't seen him. I bound his shoulder as well as I could with a strip of my skirt, and dragged him back outside the doors, before racing back to find the guys. Keeping low and close to the outside walls, I followed the trail of blaster fire, until I heard a shout from Leo up ahead.
"Shredder!" He yelled, and I ducked lower, peering over the side of one of the outer display rings near the east wall. "You just can't leave well enough alone, can you? So what's with the sudden interest in rocks, tin-face?" Leonardo shouted, his blades drawn in readiness. The other three had done likewise, each gripping their chosen weapons in anticipation of the inevitable battle.
"None of your business, filthy reptiles!" He answered with a snarl, and pulled a wicked-looking chain with a curved blade on a short wooden handle on one end, and a weight as the other. I recognized it from my training as a kusari-gama, or chain-sickle. He whipped out the blade at Leo, who blocked the attack with his katana and sent it spinning off to smash into one of the displays. Oops, the city won't be happy about that, I thought. I made a mental note to remind the guys to keep the collateral damage down.
"Rocksteady, Bebop! Don't just stand there- destroy them!" Well, one thing I could say for the man, he had his priorities straight, even if he WAS a complete loon.
"Man, do we HAVE to tango with those two morons AGAIN?!" Raph complained, as the giant rhino-man fired at him with abandon. Raphael flipped and ducked and spun to avoid the shots, before he finally tired of the game and hurled one of his sais straight at the blaster. It plugged the barrel neatly, and the next shot caused the weapon to overload and short out. Unfazed, the rhino henchman charged at him with his head down. Apparently, the mutant had the short temper of his animal side, along with its relative lack of intelligence.
"Ha-haaha, ya' missed me!" Mikey taunted, as he danced nimbly around the other one, kicking and thwapping the Mohawk-sporting mutant warthog with his 'chucks. "Wow, bet that stung! Hey, fugly! When's the last time you took a bath? 'Cause you STINK almost as much as your AIM does!" The ugly brute kept trying to shoot at him, but naturally my wily friend was too quick, and he had moved in too close for the blaster to be of much use. I had to admire his chutzpa. I was also pretty sure that the annoying taunts were part of his fighting style, intended to drive his opponents to make mistakes by making them angry and frustrated. I stifled a giggle at the realization that he treated the battle as a game.
That left Leo and Donnie fighting their greatest enemy. I'd seen him hold his own against the four of them before, and now, it seemed his skills were even more impressive. He took on both brothers at once, seemingly without even breaking a sweat- not that anyone could tell if he was sweating in that armor.
"Stop fooling around and GET THEM!" Shredder snarled at his two flunkeys. He swiped at Leo with one razor-clawed fist and missed, then kicked Donatello in the chin, sending him sprawling back into a model of a space probe.
"Sure thing, boss! We'll smash 'em!" The rhino-guy growled. I rolled my eyes, knowing these idiots probably didn't stand a chance against the well-trained warriors I'd come to know. Even Mikey, who wasn't even taking the fight seriously, could fight better in his sleep than they ever could.
Still, it couldn't hurt to make certain my hard-shelled friends emerged victorious. I'd promised to stay out of the fight, but that didn't mean I was going to ignore an opportunity to do some good if one presented itself. I just had to wait until Saki and his hench-mutants were fully occupied, and I could try to snatch back the stone and hide it. That plan had its drawbacks, of course, namely the aforementioned bad guys. If they happened to catch me stealing their prize, my future might prove distressingly short.
I continued my circuit of the room, until I was behind the three, and looked around for the meteorite. I knew none of them had it on them, or they wouldn't have been able to fight. A big hunk of space rock tends to weigh one down. Then I spotted a large steel case near the mutant warthog. No one was paying attention to it, and one of the darkened side galleries was close by, giving me a nearly perfect place to stash the case. I used the display stands as cover, until I was close enough to grab the case and yank it out of sight. However, dragging it to a safe spot proved more difficult than I'd thought; the thing felt like it weighed a TON!
Raph continued dodging the rhino-mutant's charges, while Michelangelo was busily making a nuisance of himself to the enraged warthog. I couldn't help a chuckle at his unorthodox tactics, but I had to admit that at least with these goons, it seemed to be working- at least until the pig-faced brute managed to land a lucky punch that knocked him off his feet. While he was getting back up, shaking his head from the jarring hit, his opponent tackled him back to the ground, and grabbed him in a grapple that would have cracked ribs on any normal person.
Then Leo missed a block against Saki's lethally sharp claws, and was slashed across his hard chest plates. The metal claws made a sound like nails on a chalkboard, and left a trio of deep scratches on the once-smooth surface. I winced, knowing that the plates were, in fact, part of Leonardo's ribs. The hard plates that had been the bottom half of his shell were actually bones covered by a keratinous outer layer like horn or nails. Growing up in the South, I'd often gone fishing in lakes and ponds where I'd lived, and many times I'd found terrapins crushed on the sides of country roads, their shells cracked open to reveal the ribs and spine fused to the inside. And as tough as they were, my new friends were no different.
Leonardo felt the cuts, and though they weren't deep, his confidence faltered. Not long after I'd met them, I had noticed an old scar; a deep, wide gash ran across the back of his shell, from between his shoulders to the edge, where a small chunk of his shell had been gouged off and was now missing. He had refused to talk about it when I asked, but later Donatello had told me it was from one of their past battles with Saki, when Leo had been stabbed with one of his own swords while defending Mikey, whose legs had been broken during the fight. Leo's spirit had taken a beating in that battle, and now he saw it as a reminder of a past failure. For a moment, I thought he might have lost his resolve, but he backed off, raised his blades into a defensive position, and glared darkly at his opponent.
"He who dings the shell must PAY," he said, in a low, rough tone unlike anything I'd heard from him before. It betrayed a side of him that I'd never seen- a more menacing, take-no-prisoners attitude that seemed more fitting for Raphael than the cooler, more level-headed Leonardo. As close as I'd become to the boys, there were times when I was reminded that they, too, had their darker sides, an animalistic and primal side that lay hidden deep beneath the surface of their human-like personalities. I had an impression that perhaps his pride and vanity had been wounded, and now this fight was a matter of honor. Saki simply laughed, and launched himself at the turtle's leader once more. They came together snarling, their rage and hatred of each other an almost tangible force around them. I felt a shiver run down my spine, and wondered if someone might not survive this fight.
Donnie made a flying kick at Shredder with the butt of his bo aimed for a hard slam at Shredder's ribs, but their villainous foe merely leaned aside, and grabbed the staff and swung the surprised teen around into one of the supports for the giant central sphere. Don slid down it to land on his side on the floor, groaning. Things were going south in a BIG way, and somehow, in spite of the boys' advantage of numbers, the enemy was wearing them down. Now they were in danger of loosing.
When I saw them in trouble, I realized that staying out of the fight was no longer an option. Whether they liked it or not, I was already involved, and it was too late to back out now. Unfortunately, I had neither a weapon nor enough training to do much good in a hand-to-hand fight like the one going on before me. But then I remembered the fallen robots outside, and an idea struck. Okay, so it was hardly an orthodox ninja tactic, but turning an enemy's own tactics against him was only fair, after all!
I dashed back to the front doors again, keeping my head down, and found that the smoke was starting to clear. There wasn't much time left. I could already hear the voices of about a half-dozen more police on the street, though they were still reluctant to move in, unaware that the mechanical gunners were already out of commission. I looked around on the ground for the nearest blaster and grabbed one, then darted back inside before the cops spotted me through the thinning smoke-cloud.
I raced back into the main hall, and paused when I saw Shredder swinging the chain of his weapon at Leo. Twin blades came up to block it, but were entangled and yanked from his hands. Undaunted, he dived into a roll that brought him up close, and swept a leg out to knock his foe down. He was rewarded with a curse from the metal-clad killer, and suddenly their battle had devolved into a fist-fight on the floor. Mikey, meanwhile, was still struggling with his own opponent, who had him pinned down and was slowly squeezing the breath out of Splinter's youngest son. Donnie was busy helping Raph with the other one, so he was on his own. Not for long, I decided, and raised the borrowed blaster.
I fired off a shot- thankfully it wasn't difficult to use- but instead of hitting the hairy freak, I ended up splitting his garish purple Mohawk in two. But the shot distracted him, and his head jerked up in surprise. I decided that I was going to have to work on my aim- I'd been aiming for his head.
"Hey! What the-?" He cried, and turned his attention my way, pulling a small hand-blaster from a holster at his side. That was all it took. Mikey saw his chance, and let loose with a punch from his now-free left arm that knocked the mutant backwards nearly ten feet. The goon landed with a thud, and looked around in a daze.
"Yo, thanks babe! I owe ya' one!" He grinned, as though he hadn't just been about to be snapped in half by the brute. I gave him a mock salute and spun around to aim at my next target- the rhino-man trading punches with Raphael. Or he would have been, if he hadn't been so slow. Most of the punches were coming from my red-masked companion, with Donatello delivering a few whacks of his own with his bo. I decided that the two brothers had him well in hand already, so I set my sights on the biggest threat- Saki himself.
I took aim again, and fired. The shot struck his helmet, but bounced off and ricocheted into the giant model of Jupiter above, leaving a large hole where the famous red spot had been. Oops. The blast had knocked off his helmet, but that was all. Either it was made of something much stronger than it looked, or the polished metal had acted as a mirror. I cursed, and made a mental note to have one of the guys help me with my ranged combat later.
"Who fired that?!" He roared, then turned and saw me. I saw his face for the first time, and though there was a certain handsome quality there, it was overshadowed by the seemingly permanent expression of hate, anger, and distain for everything around him that I found repellant. "So, it's that same foolish girl from before! You're going to regret doing that, meddling bitch!" He swiped at Leo's head, but my friend was expecting the attack, and ducked into his shell. He countered with a flip-kick that brought his enemy sailing over him to land on the floor. I sniggered, and Leo gave me a disapproving glare before returning to the fray. I sighed, knowing I'd be in for a lecture later. As the one in charge of his brothers, he had a protective streak a mile wide, and he took his responsibilities seriously. I'd just disobeyed an order by his reckoning, and now he was pissed. Never mind that my lucky shots had probably just saved his youngest sibling, and had turned the fight back in their favor.
That was when the one I'd shot discovered the missing case. "Hey boss! That big rock you wanted us to steal? It's gone!" He looked around for it, but I'd already hidden it behind a pillar in one of the side-galleries.
"WHAT?! You idiots can't do ANYTHING without bungling it!" He shouted angrily. But now that they realized they had lost their chance- not to mention the meteorite- Shredder cursed and gave his thugs the order to retreat. He snatched his helmet off the floor, and the others grabbed their discarded weapons and barreled off toward the doors. I just hoped the cops wouldn't try to stop them, or there would be another fire-fight outside.
"After them!" Leonardo shouted, and the four turtles started for the entrance after the villains. I stepped in front of him, and shook my head, knowing what waited outside.
"Not a good idea, guys. There are about eight or nine cops out there, and your little egg bombs have already dissipated. The media is probably out there by now, too. We're not going out that way!" I reminded them, and they all stopped short.
"Great. This just keeps getting better," growled Raph in his usual pessimistic tone. Donnie nodded agreement.
"So now what?" Michelangelo piped up. "How are we getting out of here? We can't use the front doors!"
"Okay, so we go UP," Leo answered simply. I glanced up, and was about to remind him that the upper part of the building was mostly glass and narrow steel beams, but Donnie grabbed me by the arms and hefted me onto his back as they all took off for the stairs leading to the walkway and upper level displays that encircled the giant sphere.
"Hey! I have my own legs, you know!" He reached back and pulled my legs up around his shell; I squealed in outrage when I felt his hands on my rear, and slapped the back of his head indignantly. "Watch where you put those, mister!" I protested. He mumbled an apology, though I had a feeling it hadn't been entirely accidental. But I held on, somehow suspecting that they were not planning on going up in the expected manner. I was proven right a moment later, when he launched himself more than ten feet straight up just before they reached the stairs, and grabbed hold of the railing about halfway up, swinging up and over it to land with a soft thump on the walkway. Mikey and Leo had already beaten him there, with Raphael right behind us. They all hit the ground running, stampeding toward the walkway leading to one of the upper galleries along the south wall. It was the only side that wasn't glass, and I recalled that the Rose Center was connected to a larger building that housed the galactic theater, an enormous dome-shaped movie screen that showed images of the night sky and was often used for film presentations about space exploration, with seats that leaned back so people could look up to see the entire screen.
"Yeah, well no offence, but you're not as fast as we are," Donnie replied, looking back over his shoulder at me. At that moment, I heard a loud racket down below, and looked down just in time to see several police officers burst in. Apparently, Saki and his goons had ignored them and had simply made for their vehicle.
"Turtles faster than a human? Now THERE'S irony for you," I giggled, and he snorted at the joke, shaking his head. In what seemed no time at all, we had slipped out through the theater and onto the roof, where they used small grapple-lines from their belts to swing across to the nearby Natural History Museum. I felt a hint of deja' vu as I found myself there for the second time that day, but we slid down the back wall and high-tailed it for the nearest manhole cover. Once back in the safe- relatively speaking- haven of New York's own "Underground", Leo let out a string of expletives that would have made a Navy man blush.
"Damn it, they did it AGAIN!" He bellowed. He punched the tunnel wall, and I winced. That HAD to hurt, but if it did, he ignored the pain. "And YOU! What were you THINKING?!" He rounded on me, eyes blazing, the veins in his neck standing out. I stepped back in surprise, but it quickly turned to annoyance.
"What, so I don't even get a thank you for helping out back there? I was watching YOUR backs! And for the record, there was a badly injured security guard you guys missed seeing in your mad rush to take down those creeps. If I hadn't stopped to help and get him out of there, he'd be dead. And the 'missing' meteorite was my doing too, by the way." I snapped back angrily, then stared him down, daring him to argue the point. Being the stubborn male that he is, Leo took the dare and rose to it.
"You disobeyed a DIRECT order!" He fumed, ignoring everything I'd just said. I was starting to see why Raph was always so inclined to butt heads with his older brother.
"OH! So it's okay for YOU to send me out to act as BAIT, but the second I take some initiative of my own, it's against the rules?! What is WRONG with you?!" I yelled back, disgusted. "And technically, there WERE no orders that I recall. Donnie said not to do anything until you guys got there, and I didn't. You never said anything about AFTER." Okay, so it was a cheap shot, but I was getting tired of being treated like the fifth wheel.
"DON'T try to turn this on me. You KNEW that you're not allowed to fight until Sensei thinks you're ready. And with stunts like this, I'd say that's going to be a long time coming. He's going to hear about this- BELIEVE me." He said, in that same low, dark tone I'd heard before.
"Hey, bro- I REALLY hate to say it, but she DID do pretty good back there. Now you gonna' bust the girl's chops just 'cause she acted on her own? Uncool, Leo." I was a little surprised to see Raphael taking my side, but given the fact that he was always challenging his leader's decisions, maybe this was just more of their personal rivalry.
"Back off, Raph. This is between me and her. Stay out of it." Leonardo flashed a warning glare at his brother, and Raph glared back. I sensed that another fight was imminent, so I stepped between the pair, and turned a cool gaze back at Leo.
"You're absolutely right, Leo. He IS going to hear about this- from ME." I said, and promptly stalked off through the cold, dark pipeline, heading for the den.
The next day was a Saturday, and I was only too happy to spend it in my usual volunteer position at the animal shelter. After Leo's lecture and the disappointed talk Splinter had given me, I was feeling pretty low. I felt like I'd let our teacher down, even though I knew I'd been right to do what I'd done. It was a matter of principle; I had seen a chance to do something, and I'd taken it. But that didn't seem to matter to Leonardo. He was still angry, and barely spoke to me in the lair after that fight. Instead, he made sure I worked harder than ever- probably his idea of punishment, but I wasn't about to let him win THIS battle of wills. By the time I had left that night, I'd been sore in places I'd never even known I had, but I didn't say a word of complaint, and before I left, Don and Mikey both walked me to the nearest sewer exit to apologize for their brother's harsh treatment. That made me feel a little better, but it seemed too little, too late.
One thing I did notice was that Michelangelo kept looking my way whenever he thought I wasn't paying attention. I knew I was a mess, after the extra-hard workout, what with my hair plastered down and disheveled, and the sweat poring off me even in mid-thirty degree New York winter temperatures. I couldn't help wondering; why did he keep looking at me like that? I was starting to think maybe there was something more going on with him than just a little innocent flirting here and there. But how serious it really was, I couldn't guess. Didn't want to try, either. I was afraid I might not like the answer.
Then Sunday rolled around- Valentine's Day. I was already feeling depressed from the argument with Leo and Splinter's quiet disapproval, and now here was a day intended purely to remind me that the only men in my life were all green, bald, and lived in a sewer. Yeah, my life was just peachy. I spent most of the day out working with April on a report of New York's most romantic places for a date, which only made my mood worse. By the time I was done, I was thinking a date with a half-gallon of Haagen Daas and a night curled up watching "Sleepless in Seattle" and "The Princess Bride" was starting to sound really good.
That changed the second I walked through the door to my apartment. The first thing I noticed was the trail of rose petals through the living room, leading down the short hall to my bedroom. The door had still been locked when I arrived, but someone had been there. And from the look of it, that someone was trying to send a message. The second thing I noticed was that my ginger tom-cat Trouble wasn't there to greet me at the door. He always came running when I came home, with a welcoming meow and an affectionate rub. But he was nowhere to be found. I set my purse down on the sofa and slipped the small can of pepper-spray that I'd bought for protection- at the urging of April- out of it before stepping cautiously across the room toward my private sanctuary. Something wasn't kosher about this. For one thing, no one but April had a key to my apartment, and this certainly didn't look like something she would do. And Trouble was either hiding somewhere, or had disappeared. Either way, this didn't feel like a friendly visit.
I opened the door softly, and flipped on the light. My surprise was only doubled when I saw what waited inside. Someone had left a heart-shaped box propped on the pillow, and a vase with three perfect roses- red, white, and pink- on the nightstand. The petals led all the way to the bed, and there were more of them scattered all over the quilt. Curious now, I moved over for a closer look, and noticed a small note attached to the vase.
I picked it up and turned it over, and then smiled. "Because no one should be alone on Valentine's Day" was all it said. I wondered what it meant, and was about to see if there was a clue to the mystery gift-giver inside the box, when the lights promptly went out. My first thought was a black-out. New York is notorious for power-outages, especially in winter months when the weather plays havoc with the power grid. But then I realized that the lights in the living room were still on, and even as I turned toward the door, it slammed shut, and I was left in the dark- and I realized I wasn't alone.
The next instant, I felt a pair of strong arms wrapping around me from behind, and pinning mine down. I fought to get free, but whoever it was, was incredibly strong. I started to panic, wondering if this was all part of a trap by some crazed stalker. Every psycho-killer movie I'd ever seen flashed through my memory, and I kept thinking I was that one victim who tries to fight back but ends up in a puddle of blood anyway. I'd let my guard down for one moment over the flowers and candy box, and this was my reward. Yup, I was starting to really HATE Valentine's Day!
But I wasn't going down without a good fight, I thought, and threw my head back into what I hoped was the jaw of my assailant. At the same time, I found one leg of the attacker and stepped down on the foot attached to it with my stiletto-heel. Hard.
I heard a startled yelp, in an oddly familiar tone, and the grip on me loosened a little. Suddenly suspicious, I twisted, and kneed whoever it was right in the groin. The result wasn't what I was expecting. Instead of a groan of agony, all I got was a soft grunt of annoyance, and my knee hit something a lot harder than what I'd been aiming for.
"Okay, buster, I don't know what you think you're doing, but you're going to wish you'd never messed with ME!" I growled, and braced my feet against the wall and shoved back as hard as I could. We both went crashing onto the bed, and my mystery attacker let go. I leapt up and hit the button on the pepper-spray, aiming it at the jerk who'd just grabbed me.
"YEOW! GAH, that stings! Geez, next time Leo can do this crap himself!" The voice coming from the figure sprawled on my bed was all too familiar, and I stood there in the dark gaping as I saw a very distinctive shape sitting up in the glow from the city lights outside my bedroom window. He was rubbing the end of his beak, muttering something about never volunteering for anything again.
"MIKEY?!" I exclaimed, shocked. "What are you DOING?! Have you lost your mind?!"
"You'd think," he muttered with a wheeze, as I flipped the light on. He was bent over, eyes squeezed shut, vainly trying to wipe pepper spray out of them. "Can you maybe lead me to the bathroom so I can wash this stuff out of my eyes? Man, this shit BURNS!" He was making an odd face and coughing, and I realized he must have inhaled some of it.
"Okay, but only if you tell me what the heck is going on! Why did you try to attack me like that?" I spat furiously.
"Ask Leo. It was HIS idea," He said sourly, still spitting pepper-spray out of his mouth.
I helped him to the bathroom- Trouble came darting out when I opened the door, solving the other mystery of the evening- and waited while he splashed water on his face to wash the stuff out of his eyes. "Okay, so what are you doing here, and what are you talking about?" I said when he was finished. I was starting to get the feeling he was trying to avoid the subject.
"Uh, it was sort of a test. Leo wanted you to see why you're not ready to fight yet, so he set up a little test to see how you'd react to a break-in. He was going to do this himself to prove his point, but I kind of volunteered, 'cause I was afraid he might be too rough on ya'. Guess I shouldn't have worried." He sighed, and slumped down on the edge of the bathtub, plucking a towel off the rack to dry off.
"Oh, really? Remind me to give your brother a kick in the jewels during our next practice session. I can't believe he would stoop to this!" I fumed, then paused as a thought occurred to me. "So? How did I do? Is this good enough for our 'fearless leader'?" I said, folding my arms and staring him down.
"Uh, you kind of failed the test. Sorry." He gave me an apologetic shrug, and I couldn't help feeling that he had hoped I would pass.
"What do you mean I failed? I won this little fight, didn't I?" I asked, confused. Wasn't that the reason for this ridiculous farce?
"You let your guard down, even though you knew someone snuck in here. I wasn't supposed to be able to get that close. If you were really ready, you wouldn't have been caught by surprise so easy." He seemed truly disappointed, and I wondered if maybe he wasn't telling me something. "It wasn't about bein' able to get away; the point was not lettin' yourself get caught off guard in the first place. A fighter who lets their guard down doesn't last long."
"Okay, I can see his point, but this is pretty low- I mean, the flowers and candy? Is that his idea of a bad joke? As traps go, it's pretty cruel!" I growled. Now that I knew what it was all about, I was starting to get more than a little angry. Oh yes, I was definitely going to have a few words with Leonardo the next time I saw him. Maybe a few punches to his smug beak, while I was at it.
"Actually, those were my idea. I figured since it was Valentine's and all…" He shrugged, and gave me a half-hearted smile.
"You did that?" I asked, suddenly confused. "But you said this was a test… Why would you make it look like something from an admirer?" I didn't quite get the logic.
"I was thinkin' that maybe you'd get suspicious enough to figure out somethin' was up and find me before I could get the jump on you. I knew you didn't have a boyfriend or anything, so who ELSE would be able to get in here to set all that up?" He rubbed his beak again, and I realized what he'd been doing.
"You were trying to cheat?" I asked, incredulous. Now I was REALLY confused. And even more so when he nodded meekly. "So he didn't know about the flowers and the box?" I asked. He shook his head, and I suddenly understood.
"He just told me to make it look like someone was here. He didn't say how," Mikey sighed, and I knew that the sweet-seeming gesture had been entirely his idea, start to finish. Even the note suddenly made sense; it had been a warning! I suddenly had a new respect for him. Despite what the others claimed, he was hardly as dumb as he sometimes seemed. In fact, I was starting to see just how devious and clever he could be!
Now I'd heard everything. One was trying to teach me a lesson in humility, the other was going behind his brother's back to help me pass. It didn't make much sense. Or maybe it did, in a weird sort of way. He'd always been my strongest ally among the four, and now he had my back once again, even against his own brother. I laughed. I couldn't help it. The whole thing was just too ironic!
"Well, I've got to give you points for originality. The note was a nice touch, by the way. I should have known it was a warning when it mentioned not being alone! Too bad it didn't quite work." I went back into the bedroom, and looked around. Aside from the petals everywhere, nothing had been disturbed. I knew that if it had been Leonardo, there would have been furniture moved, things overturned, maybe even an item or two missing. I decided I liked Mikey's approach better- it was pretty romantic, actually.
"Yeah, well, I guess I'd better get back and deliver the bad news. He's probably pacin' the lair, waitin' to find out the verdict, if I know my big bro." He grimaced as he hobbled back into the bedroom, and I suddenly had an impish idea.
"Good! Then let's let him stew a little, shall we?" I said with a grin, and when he frowned in confusion, I winked. "I say we get back at him by making him wait. Over some ice cream and a movie or two, maybe? What do you say? There's a tub of cherry cheesecake Haagen Daas in the freezer that's been calling my name all day, and if I eat it all by myself, I'm going to regret it tomorrow. Besides, it's the least I can do after I hit you with the pepper spray!"
His answer was a wide grin and a laugh so infectious that I had to join in. "Count me in! Sounds like a good way to stick it to him to me!" He said, and I nodded agreement.
"Great! I'll go get the tub and the spoons!" I replied. We spent the rest of the evening chatting over ice cream while watching Tom Hanks and Cary Elwes search for the loves of their lives. I laughed when Mikey started doing imitations of the giant and the Spaniard, and even Vizzini. With his talent for vocal mimicry, I jokingly told him he should do cartoon voices. He just sighed and shook his head, and said that there were a lot of things he wished he could do. That ended the conversation for the time being, so we just sat and enjoyed each other's company in silence for a while. As dates go, it was one of the best I'd ever had. Even though it wasn't really a date at all.
I ended up falling asleep there on the sofa, with my head on a pillow in his lap. It's funny, but I've never been so comfortable around anyone like that before. I don't remember him putting me to bed, but he must have, because I woke up the next morning in my own room, under the covers, but still in the clothes I'd worn the day before. The vase still sat on my night stand, and the loose petals had all been piled neatly in the middle of the bed. The box of chocolates was on my dresser; I smiled ruefully when I saw it all, reminded of our tussle in the dark. I made a mental note to apologize for the pepper spray, since I knew he hadn't really wanted to attack me. Leo, on the other hand, owed ME an apology. And one way or another, I was going to get it out of him….