Author's Notes: Wow, guys, that was fast. LOL. Duckiepray, MysteriousFeather, ssj2luke, and faeelfdragonmage - SO MANY THANKS! Now here you have it, Angel's arrival.
Warning: Crap's about to hit the fan. Language will ensue.
Disclaimer: TMNT belongs to Nick/Eastman/Laird. Nia Anders, Hugh Reese, Melody Gray, and any other Original Characters you notice belong to me. I'm in no way making any money. Thanks.
Chapter 07 - Hesitation
Late on Wednesday night Donatello stood tall on the ledge of a building in Manhattan's Korea Town. The clear air was bitter like a freezer, and kept at bay only by the warm attire the genius had started wearing since average temperatures dropped to freezing degrees. Below his shoed-feet trails of unsuspecting New York citizens crowded the concrete sidewalks in droves. Tomorrow would be the first day of December, so the city buzzed with an increased amount of activity due to the upcoming holiday.
'I wonder what Christmas will be like this year,' the purple-banded ninja thought, eyes scanning the glowing cityscape. 'We'll have Nia with us. Maybe even…Gavin. But Casey? April? I don't think they'll be back for a while…'
"Damn, Leo, did ya tell her the right place or what?" Raphael questioned gruffly. Turning, Donatello jumped down from the ledge, and watched as his hotheaded brother tugged at a wool scarf that was tucked snug into his knock-off-brand bomber jacket.
"So she's a few minutes late," Leonardo remarked from beside them.
Don pulled his long-hem parka closer, placing his gloved-hands under his arms. "Leo's got a point. You should chill…Wait, that's probably a poor choice of words right now."
"Maybe they're not." At Michelangelo's strangely unamused tone, the three turned towards their younger brother, who sat on the building's ledge. His backside faced them, yet Don sensed that past Mikey's fluffy mess of puffed clothes, he frowned.
"Ya got something ta say, Shell-for-Brains?" asked Raph, stepping forward.
Mikey wouldn't face the shaking fist behind him. "Yeah. I don't think you should be so antsy. I mean, if I was going to meet my ex-girlfriend after so long—when she had so clearly and viciously broken up with me—I wouldn't be chomping at the bit to see her again…especially if I already had a new girlfriend."
"I saw Nia before comin' here."
"Oh, yeah, that makes everything better."
"I can tell yer rollin' yer eyes, Bonehead!"
"And?"
"Mikey," Leo interjected with a small sigh. "Angel's still an old friend of ours. Aren't you excited to see her too?"
"Of course I am!" cried Mikey. Regardless, the youngest rose his Michelin Man-like arms up instead of standing from his seat. "But she left the city because of what happened between her and Raph. I'm surprised she called us at all."
"Well, it's been—"
"And what do we got up here? A couple of idle ninjas, I see." Angel's smooth, familiar voice drifted across the wind, cutting Leo's words off.
Despite Michelangelo's previous pessimism, he was the first to reach the young woman that walked towards the group with her arms outstretched, a playful smirk on her dark-painted lips. She gave him a hug the best she could, given the circumference of Mikey's plush form and the restriction of her zipped leather jacket.
"Mikester!" she called with a laugh. "How many video games have you let rot your brain while I was gone?"
"Just a few," Mikey replied, also laughing. Not an ounce of unease lingered in him, which didn't surprise Donatello.
"Donny Boy?" Blinking, Don turned his gaze from Mikey to Angel, who held out her arms expectedly. He returned her grin with a small smile, leaning down for a hug. "Damn, you got taller," the black-haired woman remarked as she stepped back. "You gotta be over six feet by now."
Don gave a weak chuckle. "I, uh, I'm six-three."
"No shit?" Brown eyes wide, Angel whistled.
"I know, it's…" Don groaned. "All I can say is that I just really hope my body's done now."
"Crazy, ain't it?" added Mikey as he stood between Don and Leo for attention. "When we first started gaining inches, we all thought Don would be the shortest and Raph would be the tallest. But look"—the orange-banded mutant lifted a hand to his eldest brother's height then brought that same hand over his head—"At six-foot, Leo's got two inches on me, and Raph's now the five-foot-seven troll!"
Angel tried hard not to laugh—she even bit her bottom lip—but she failed. In his peripheral vision, Donatello noted the embarrassment that swelled in Raphael like a blocked volcano. Before any emotions erupted, though, Leonardo approached his brother discreetly, and by the time Angel and Mikey's laughter ceased, Raph stood like a surly statue at the end of the line.
'Wow, he actually backed down without a fight?' the genius thought.
"So, Leo"—In an instant, Don's eyes landed on the speaking female, who sent Leonardo a devious grin—"you tracking down any bad guys tonight?" Leonardo accepted the gloved-hand she offered him, and they drew their bodies close in what Casey would call a 'guy hug'.
"Before we get into that mess," the Jonin started with a grin, "why not tell us why you're visiting? You didn't say much on the phone."
"Oh, right…" The complete laxness in Angel's persona suddenly eased. Not by a lot, but enough that a ninja could sense it. "Sorry. Grandma was demanding my attention. I figured I owed her at least today. You know how paranoid she's been since Ryan…"
"Ya tried yer best wit' him, Angel," Raphael said with the faintest trace of a growl. Angel's attention drifted to him, slow, careful—though when their eyes met the human didn't smile like she had with the other Hamato brothers.
"I know," she said lowly. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath, probably to recover some of the enthusiasm that had quickly left her. "Hi, by the way, Raph."
"Hi," the hothead parroted, his frown growing when she smiled at Leo.
"If you all must know"—the young woman spoke in a teasing manner—"I came for a few reasons. One of them being to visit that bonehead Casey. But apparently he headed out west?" With questioning eyes, Angel stared down both Don and Leo.
"He did," Leonardo answered, stiff. "He, uh…he and April got into a fight. A bad one. They broke up. Casey took off with his bike and now April's in South America."
"The hell did he do?" Angel asked in clear disbelief.
The Jonin sighed, opening his mouth, yet Donatello couldn't help answering, "Apparently Casey had been promising April something 'great' since September. He kept her waiting two months, building up hope. We all thought the same thing; he was going to propose. Even Raph was so convinced he didn't feel a need to talk to Casey about it. But…"
"What'd the jackass do instead?" There wasn't an ounce of doubt in the human's question.
"He unveiled a motorcycle," Mikey replied, bitter. At Angel's following groan, he nodded his head. "Oh, yeah. It was for her, but you can imagine how upset she was. When she broke and finally told him what she thought was going to happen, he told her 'A ring? But a bike's better than a ring.'"
"You're shitting me."
"I am not."
"No wonder he got dumped!"
"How do ya know that? What if he dumped her?" Everyone turned to Raph, deadpanning. "What?"
"Anyways," started Angel dryly as she faced the other brothers, "I guess since the jerk isn't here, I'll tell you guys what I've been saving for him."
"And that would be…?"
The tanned female sent Mikey a proud smirk. "You boys are looking at Atlanta's Female Kickboxing Champion of the year, Lightweight division."
"Sweet!" the youngest Hamato cheered, jumping forward to wrap his friend in a tight hug. He released her after a moment and sidestepped so she could bask in the congratulatory smiles around her.
"Kickboxing, huh?" Donatello asked.
"Suits ya," added Raphael.
Angel faced the hothead with a controlled expression. "Thanks. I plan to join the US' Kickboxing Championship Tournament next year, now that I practiced enough. I'd say a twenty-eight to thirty score ain't too shabby."
"Now you're gloating," Michelangelo stated while laughing. He gave the young woman's shoulder a gentle push, and she twisted towards him with a sly grin after catching her footing.
"Maybe I am."
"Looks like Georgia's been treating you well," Leonardo said kindly. He sounded relieved, like he had finally been able to let go of a buried worry he alone knew about.
"It has." Playfulness now replaced with honest joy, Angel smiled bright. "I've made so many good friends, and in our gym, I partake in a program that helps troubled teens with an outlet. It's very rewarding for me, though it sometimes brings up memories…Anyways, what about you guys? How's the city? I forgot how damn cold it gets here."
"What was it like in Georgia before you left?" asked Michelangelo as he sniffled in the frigid weather.
"Low sixties," Angel answered, blanching.
"Oh-ho-ho!"
"I know, Mikester. I know." Patting the whimpering Mikey's coat, the young woman nodded.
"The city's had its ups and…downs," Leo replied. "It's been—learning experiences all around." Donny could tell his brother didn't quite want to lie, but even he thought bringing up the matters of July and October were far to involving and painful for simple rooftop chatter.
"I heard about the October incident," Angel noted while facing Leo again. She smirked. "Tell me, what enemy did you make this time that earned the name 'Hollow's Eve Demon'? There's no way that crazy blackout had nothing to do with you."
Don grimaced at the name, but he made no comment on it. He left that for Mikey.
"Dudette, it wasn't a demon or an enemy!" the nunchaku master cried in mild offence. Making quick steps to Raph's side, he slung an arm around the hothead's shoulders and faced Angel, a less-than-ecstatic smile on his wide mouth. "The so-called 'demon' name the News came up with is totally unfitting. We would know; she's Raph's girlfriend."
"Raph's girlfriend?" The words left Angel's lips a sputter. Then, she paused. In what? Donatello couldn't say. But she regained her composure in moments, taking a deep breath. "Wow. Who would've thought?"
"Yeah, who would've thought?" Mikey repeated—a tad tart.
"We've only been goin' out three weeks," Raph added.
His youngest brother was quick to send him a look. "Only?"
"Every relationship starts somewhere," said Angel, her tone more serious than teasing. "It's good, Raph. I'm—I'm happy for you. Really." Silent, the tanned human smiled, though the honesty of it remained obscured. "By the way, there's something else I wanted to tell you guys—a surprise."
"Oh?" Mikey suddenly perked up like a praised child. He jumped a little in his place, large sneakers smacking against the concrete floor as he, inch by inch, neared the grinning kickboxer.
"No, Mikey, it's not just for you," she remarked when she placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him in place.
"Aw, man…" Just as quick as it came, Mikey's excitement dropped into an exaggerated pout. He folded his arms and Angel took back her hand. She hesitated afterwards, her smile faltering for no more than a second before it strengthened.
'That's strange,' Donatello thought. 'She usually gets that expression when nervous. What could she possibly have to be nervous about..?' He wanted to ask her as much, out loud, so when her brown eyes met his, he stepped forward. The question on his tongue, however, died quicker than he could blink.
An intense display of warm lights filled New York's horizon as if it were an unnatural daybreak. It immediately drew Don's attention towards the right like the calling out of a familiar enemy, and before his racing mind could focus on its source, a sudden pop erupted throughout the air of the dimming sky—a very short yet strong sound that bit at the mutant's eardrums.
Placing a hand over one side of his head—flinching—the genius spotted a billow of smoke and fire towering high into the atmosphere from behind several tall buildings. It had to be about five, maybe six, blocks away, if he were to guess, and while not the largest explosion he'd ever seen, it was still substantial enough to leave a queasy feeling in his gut. Surely, the others felt it too; as its brilliance diminished, Donatello quickly released as many restricting binds on his winter attire as possible.
"Looks like your surprise is going to have to wait, Angel," Leonardo said in all seriousness. He had already unzipped his coat for free movement of his arms, and nodded at his brothers.
"Looks like," Angel remarked grimly. "Guess we have to go help some people first, huh?"
"And if I told you it was too dangerous, you'd follow anyway, right?"
The human rounded the Jonin's side, probably smirking at his grim expression. "The longer we wait, the worse it'll be for everyone, so hurry up!"
Angel wasted no further time with words; she never did. One moment she stood on the building's ledge, the next moment she leapt off. Raphael was quick to follow her to the next roof and Michelangelo gained speed behind them. Only Donatello remained long enough to witness his eldest brother's displeased sigh before the two of them followed suit.
Naturally, Leo took the lead, relieving Angel of her spot. However, she didn't fall in line like she should've—like any of the brothers would've. Instead, she strayed to Leo's left, keeping pace with him easily. That didn't shock Don in the least. On patrol, she only ever went with Raph, and those two always led their prowl side-by-side. Sure, she'd fought in battles with them before, but that wasn't the same as fighting as a unit. And it showed in how she challenged their leader to keep up.
'That's Angel for you…'
"Leo!" Don cried out from the rear. A subtle turn of the head showed he'd been acknowledged. "The explosion came from Kips Bay, very near the center or more towards the waterfront. We should travel down Park Avenue before crossing over. People will be gathering, so it's best we keep minimum presence in the area."
"Agreed!" Leo yelled in return. "Chances are high we can't do anything at this point, but…it's still worth a look. Follow my lead."
"Ya don't gotta tell us that, Bro!" Raph exclaimed from the right. But Leo hadn't been referring to any of his brothers, Don knew.
They traveled in silence the rest of the way, swinging and leaping over any urban obstacles in their path. As Donatello had predicted, the black smoke billowed aggressively from Kips Bay's center, and when the group reached the disaster's debris-littered outskirts, a chorus of ambulance sirens already roared in the distance. Having been beaten to the scene, they remained on the roof of an opposing building, looking across Twenty-Seventh Street at a four-story tenant building that no longer had half its mansard roof. Or most of its fourth story in general.
The old place must've been condemned because splintered pieces of plywood burned in the streets from the busted windows that'd been draped with plastic, and graffiti covered its redbrick walls every which way. Not to mention it stood as a single unit away from other residential building, like a leper surrounded by downed chain-link fencing, broken concrete, and overgrown grass patches. The pungent odor of ether above the woody smoke in the air—repulsive like Klunk's spry—wasn't needed to convince the genius of what seemed like the most logical explanation.
"If a criminal wants to run their own meth lab, they should at least brush up on their science," Don said, grimacing at the bon fire that heated him to uncomfortable temperatures.
"I swear: druggies are gunna be what burns our city down," Raphael remarked gruffly.
"Well, that's a little disappointing," noted Angel. Donny sensed Leo's attention turn with his as he gave the woman a mild look. She smiled apologetically. "I meant I wanted to fight some bad guys with you."
"And you may after all, Ang." Donatello had to step back and crane his neck to see Michelangelo on the other side of Angel when the latter spoke. The orange-banded Chūnin crouched on the building ledge and pointed sideways with a glove-free hand. Guided by that line of sight, Don's eyes fell to the nearest structure beside the engulfed tenant building—more specifically, to the three figures dressed in trailing red-cloaks that dashed across its flat surface to the high-hip rooftop of a neighboring building as if they were jumping on a trampoline. "Okay. My freaky radar just went off!"
"Don't that thing go off every time ya look in a mirror?"
"What're they carrying?" Don asked to keep the conversation on track.
"Not sure," answered Leo, low, "but we can't let them get away."
And so, wordless, Leonardo acted. Donatello stuck close to his brother's side, mirroring his actions as they descended to a rooftop on the right of the building. In his peripheral vision, Don noted Angel and Raphael both headed for the other side before anyone else, without warning. The shake of Leo's head couldn't be missed, but the Jonin didn't call out to the duo that crossed on the thick power lines. Instead, he ensured his two obeying brothers stayed at his sides by signaling them.
"We'll wait for Raph and Angel to surprise them from the rear," Leo said as the trio raced along thick building ledges and metal fire escapes. "I don't doubt those two will take one on their own. When they're distracted, the three of us will jump in and separate the other two, alternating partners. Donny"—the blue-banded mutant fell back and rounded Don's side for a side glance—"Are they carrying what I think they are?"
"Bodies," Don answered without doubt. A simple look across street confirmed the forms draped over the figures' shoulders. "Four of them. Judging by their mostly naked condition, I'd say they caused that explosion."
Mikey let out a long hum. "And the other guys look unaffected because…?"
"Perhaps they arrived after the fact like we did," Leo added.
"Sure," the youngest drawled, "because kidnapping some druggies after spotting a fire makes perfect sense."
"I didn't say it made sense," snapped their leader. Donatello didn't see it, but he was sure Leonardo sent Michelangelo a mild glare. "We can't question the why right now, Mikey. First, we have to stop them, without harming the hostages. And that starts…now!"
On cue, the three brothers leapt into action—right as the cloaked-figures paused to assess Raphael and Angel's ambush on their rear member. Donatello used his bō staff as a vault to the top of a power pole, where he employed the slanted wire like a zip line to the street's other side. The mutant landed on the two-story high roof of a grocery store just in time to block one red-hooded figure from joining Raph's fight several feet away.
With two masterful swings of his staff, he immediately hit the figure against the back of the neck then hard in the gut. But the figure didn't grunt in the least. Only a light crunching noise accompanied it as it slid back a fraction against the loose pebbles of the roof, and the genius' mind reeled at the fact that it could keep such a firm hold on the two badly-burned males over its shoulders while enduring rib-fracturing force. Not even stunned, the figure's head twisted towards him, slowly.
Don tried hard to remain focused. Even so, he still paused a moment in marvel of the strangeness and creativity of the metal mask beneath the cloak's excessive hood. The prominent engravings of geometric shapes that covered it were broken up only by the heavily outlined mouth—a square slit that resembled a dummy's open mouth—and nose—whose inch-wide bridge ran up the forehead's middle. This—coupled with its narrow, pointed jaw—convinced Don the mask had been modeled after African art, and as the figured turned its remaining body, the sunken, round eyes of the mask seemed to glow a brighter red.
"Don, showno hesitation!" Leonardo called. Donatello barely sensed the action behind him before he ducked, watching as Michelangelo failed to deliver a hammer-kick against the figure he'd been staring at. In an instant Leo stood beside him—katanas poised and dark expression focused on a different opponent.
"Sorry," the purple-banded Chūnin said, raising his bō staff against another red-cloak figure. This one stood taller than the others and carried one body—a heavy-set male.
'His mask is different than the other one…'
But the genius had no time to observe it like the last one; the figure lashed forward with its free arm of black, seeking a victim with its clawed-fingers. Leo and Don evaded the attack easily by separating and in the moment their enemy bull-dozed forward, the Jonin leapt over him, swiping his katanas in an 'X' formation over its head as he twisted his body upside down in the chilly air. Strangely, the hood's fabric didn't split, and the arm the figure had used as a shield against the blades sparked slightly.
'He must be wearing some sort of metallic suit,' Don thought, eyeing the arm that glinted like black gold in the partial moonlight.
His shoulders hunched when his eldest brother landed by his Nuchal scute, yet his kneeling wasn't out of shock. Leonardo was preparing to jump again, and if Donatello's swing against the figure's back knees failed, the Jonin would need to rethink his landing. The next move was executed flawlessly; the problem came from the green body that collided into the figure's unguarded back, knocking it forward.
"Raph, keep them separated!" Leo bellowed. He easily areal flipped off his perch so he could roundhouse kick the third figure that Angel and Raphael were once busy with. It flew back a yard or two at such power, yet steadied its top-heavy load by digging its bulky feet into the concrete below the gravel as if it were butter.
"Am I the only one who's having flashbacks to those jewel thieves from a while ago?" Michelangelo asked in a nasally scream.
Hearing Mikey's voice, Don whirled, kneeled in the pebbles, and steadied his bō staff upright—all in a matter of a second. Mikey dashed the genius' way at full-speed, chased by the first figure that no longer hauled two bodies. The youngest Hamato used the wooden staff as a means of maintaining his momentum when he swung back the way he came, and as he brought down a barrage of nunchackus and kicks on the cloaked opponent's head, Donny seized the chance to hit the kidnapper's torso at every angle possible.
The bō staff was soon caught, however, and used to hurl Donatello several feet away. While the clothes he wore saved most of his body from cuts, the unmistakable taste of blood in his mouth had him spitting in disgust when he rose to his feet.
A light shake of his head was needed to refocus his sight on the figure that approached him. Its hood had been pushed back in the fray, though it only revealed some short-cropped hair and a sort of rounded attachment on the sides of the head that must've kept the mask on. The figure's pace was slow and easy in his walk across the crunchy gravel—as if he had no fear at all—and Donatello scowled at such tasteless taunting.
When the figure crouched in preparation for attack, the purple-banded mutant steadied his stance as well. They charged. Donatello twirled his staff in anticipation of defense. But a tornado of steel blindsided the opponent before wood met metal.
Leonardo descended like a strike of lightning—fast and with a display of white sparks. The fury of his blades weakened the attachment on the right side of the figure's face enough that it fell in two sizzling pieces against the rooftop. The being managed a counter attack by swiping an arm through the air, driving Leo back long enough that the mask slipped from the kidnapper's face to the ground with a light 'clunk'.
The opponent's following kick was blocked by Leo's parallel blades, and he huffed in aggravation for the first time before something snapped in his once-calm moves. He outright raised Leo by seizing the mutant's hands—hilts and all—and kicked him square in the plastron with the ease of a football player punting a ball.
"Leo!" Donny screamed, watching in horror as the Jonin's carapace cracked the brick ledge that stopped him. The leader's form twitched, but he was clearly out of breath. And vulnerable. Eyes narrowed, the genius turned his attention on the red-cloak figure. "This has gone on long enough! Tell us, who are you and what…do…you…want?"
The kidnapper twisted, and the face that met Donatello's gaze left him frozen in place. Move, he told his muscles. But they wouldn't listen, and the harder he tried instructing them, the hazier his consciousness grew.
Was there any sound other than the buzzing in his ears? His heart was pounding, wasn't it? Or was that some other organ trying to escape his chest? Didn't he have his staff in his hands? When did he drop that?
Wait. Why was it so cold? What was he doing on this roof again? Why was she here? And why did she look so…different?
A muffled cry cut through the white noise. Was that Leo's voice? Don couldn't be sure; the breathlessness suddenly worsened, and everything faded into white.
Author's Notes: It only goes downhill from here. Review for Chapter 8: Source. We need at least four, though more is loved! :D BTW "high-hip" is a kinda roof.
