Rewritten chapter four

The next day, the aliferous sisters were given the opportunity to shower. It was the humane thing- they wouldn't be very honorable if they denied their captives basic rights. Pere went first; Mikey removed her handcuffs, looking over her sleek wings. "The shower might be too small for you..."

"I'll make do," Pere beamed. "You'd be surprised how flexible I can be."

"Birds don't usually get their wings wet, Mikey," Don chided. "I doubt the girls would, either."

"We aren't birds," Pere and Harp spoke at the same time, the first with casual correction and the second with spite.

Mikey lead Pere to the bathroom, pointing out the extra towels behind the door, and the fresh clothes Maria had given her. Pere beamed brighter and thanked them, then shut the door and locked it behind her. Mikey sat with his shell against the door, guarding just in case the sweet little sister decided to turn rogue and attack using the shampoo bottle.

After a few moments, the water turned on- and Pere started singing, sort of. It was mostly chirps and whistles, sometimes plain notes- not a recognizable song, just a voice wandering through whichever notes it wanted. Mikey grined, quietly beatboxing out a tempo.

Pere giggled at his addition, matching her song to the beat. Minutes later, the water turned off; she emerged from the steam-filled bathroom, dressed in Maria's hand-me-down white shirt and shorts, her curly hair wet and plastered to her back. Her wings were wet, too- she rubbed a towel over them, grinning down at Mikey. "You'd do well for a bird."

Screech was allowed to wash next- she forewent a shower for a bath, at Don's insistence she not wet her splint and bandages. She didn't sing- or make any noise, predictably- only the slosh and trickle of water as she bathed. Maria's maternity dress was the only thing that fit her height- the extra material that had gone over a pregnant belly now falling to her ankles, her wet hair hanging to her hips. She nodded her thanks, sitting beside Pere and patting her wings dry.

Leo hesitated to release Harp; she held his gaze as he freed her feet and hands; her eyes narrowed when he leaned away. "My wings."

"Do you promise to behave?" Leo asked. "No attacks?"

"I promise," Harp muttered, like it killed her to do so.

Leo nodded, moving behind her to untie the many ropes that bound her wings. When he finished, she lurched to her feet, shaking out her wings- but she didn't strike. He led her to the bathroom, Raph joining him to guard the locked door. The water turned on; forty-five minutes later, it hadn't shut off. Maria came to knock on the door, calling gently, "Harp? Are you alright?"

"Fine," came the reply.

"She's been in there for an hour," Raph growled.

"She's probably washing her hair," Maria explained, touching a light hand to his shoulder. "It takes a long time, especially with hair as long as hers. Not to mention her wings."

Still, Leo couldn't shake the suspicion that the eldest sister was looking for something to use as a weapon.

Just short of a full hour, Harp swung open the bathroom door, standing with her wet hair hanging down past her knees, still dressed in her own clothes- a white, neck-high halter-top and pants, nothing bared but for a bit of her neck, the whole of her dark arms and feet- she was standing on the balls of her feet, Leo noticed. She eyed the two brothers when they jumped to their feet. "Do you have an open area?"

"No," Raph bit back. "And why."

"I need to dry my wings."

"That's what towels are for," Raph snarked.

Harp held out a towel, soaking wet, a wordless reply.

"Why do you need an open area? To fly away?" Leo nudged his brother at this last comment, a signal to calm down.

"I just need to beat the water out of my wings," Harp explained. "And I was thinking you wouldn't water water all over your home."

Leo met Raph's eyes. "Alright.. But we're handcuffing you."

Hapr didn't fight the restraints, walking calmly between the brothers. Don and Mikey gave them matching questioning looks. Leo gave a short explanation. "We'll be back in a little bit."

Raph and Leo led Harp to an abandoned, dead end tunnel, standing between her and escape. She noticed their strategic positioning and scowled, turning her back to them. Her wings folded out to their full, immense length; then she flung them forward- water hit the far wall. She beat her wings a few more times, spraying the brothers and disturbing the water at their feet. Leo squinted his eyes at the wind and water kicked up by the beating wings- Harp was powerful.

When she was finished, her wings were ruffled but dry. She turned to them with a smirk. "I'm ready to go now."

Raph growled, shaking water off himself and grabbing her arm to escort her back. Leo noticed her gait lilted a little, graceful but odd, and looked down to see her walking on the balls of her feet. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Walk on your toes."

Hapr glanced down to her own feet. "My wings are heavy on my back- walking like this gives me better balance. And better grip."

"Grip?" Raph snorted.

Harp halted, raising one foot out of the runoff water to show him her bare toes- longer than a human's by far. "So I can perch on ledges and the like with out falling."

"So you're some kind of mutant," Raph growled. "I mean, you're obviously not human."

Harp shuffled in her wings, smirking to herself. "Well, not entirely."