Chapter 7:
It's winter break! And I have a cold, great way to start vacation *sarcasm*! I'm mixing up a couple things as far as tmnt episodes go (Again. I own NOTHING tmnt, just the OCs) If you guys have read my chapters, you might notice there are spelling and/or grammar mistakes and that's because my computer is being annoying. Anyway, I hope I succeeded in making this chapter interesting. Enjoy!
~Donatello~
I sat up and looked at the shell cell next to my bed. It was almost fully upgraded. I just had to make a few more adjustments. I looked at my to-do list.
"Fix microwave" I read "Alright,"
I got up and stretched my arms. I walked past Leo's room which was empty. He always woke up early for his morning training. I jumped down to the first level. The microwave was where I left it last night. I quickly walked over to the entertainment area to see if the ninja we found last night was awake. She was the same way we left her last night. She hadn't moved a muscle.
"Huh? Interesting" I said softly
I quietly walked over to my area and started to work on the microwave. I had to get it fixed before the others woke up for breakfast. I was sure the last thing my brothers and I wanted to hear was Mikey complaining about how hungry he was. Though we were used to it, it was really bothersome in the morning. As I was working on the microwave, I couldn't help but look over at the couch every few minutes. She wasn't moving at all. Had she been like that all night? I wondered. I couldn't tell if she was asleep or still unconscious. I put down the screwdriver that was in my hand and walked over to the couch again. I knelt down next to her. She looked restless. As if she had had a bad dream or something. I examined her wounds. Some of them had bled through. I ran back to the table to get the first aid kit and change the bandages. I slowly untangled the necklace that was wrapped around her wrist and put it on the table. I dabbed some rubbing alcohol on gauze and cleaned the long cut on her hand. Her finger twitched. I raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, are you alright?" I asked quietly, putting a hand on her shoulder.
She didn't answer.
I wrapped her hand in a clean bandage. I did the same to the cut in her side. When I cleaned it, her whole hand curled into a fist for a minute, then loosened and relaxed. I gently placed a clean bandage over it. I looked back at her hand that I had wrapped earlier. I think I knew what it was. This probably wasn't such a good idea, but I gently pressed my finger over the cut on her hand. Her thumb curled into her palm, brushing against mine. A small hint of blood appeared under her bandage.
"Interesting" I muttered
I saw Raphael come out of his room above and jump down.
"Hey Donny! How's she lookin'?" he asked
I rubbed my chin.
"I don't know. She's only responsive to pain"
"Last night you said she looked okay"
I folded my arms across my chest.
"I'm a mechanic not a doctor" I told him
My brother raised his eyebrow.
"Since when?"
"Is she awake!" Mikey asked excitedly, running next to me.
"I don't know Mikey, does it sound like she's screamin' ta you?" Raph said sarcastically.
I told him the same thing I told Raph. Mikey looked at me, confused.
"Define 'responsive to pain'?" he said
"When you apply alcohol to a cut, it's numbing and it stings. Everytime I applied alcohol to a cut or even gently put pressure on it, she twitched"
Raph rolled his eyes.
"And you say your not a doctor" he muttered before walking towards the kitchen.
"Um, if she twitched doesn't that mean she's awake?" Mikey asked
I shook my head.
"I think she's subconsciously twitching. Sometimes, it's usually natural when it comes to pain"
Mikey put his hands on his hips.
"I wonder what she likes for breakfast in the morning" he said out of the blue, before running to the kitchen.
She didn't move all morning. Around nine o'clock Leo came walking in after his morning training.
~Turtles~
"Has she said anything?" Leo asked
"Said anythin'? She hardly batted an eyelash since Donny changed her bandages" Raph said, swallowing the last of his breakfast.
Donny told Leo everything he told Splinter, Mikey and Raph.
"She's only responsive to pain?" Leo clarified
"Like I told Mikey. It's most likely subconscious. She might not even be aware she's moving"
"On a side note, did ya see anythin' out of the ordinary comin' here, Leo? Anythin' that might say…Mousers?"
Leo shook his head.
"No, everything's quiet. Maybe Stockman's trying to keep a low profile" he said.
Leo glanced at her again.
"Did you try waking her?" he asked Don
Don nodded.
"Yeah, but she wouldn't wake"
Mikey came with a tray and placed it on the table.
"And what better way to wake her up than with Mikey's Morning Meal" he said happily.
Don and Leo looked down at the tray. There were eggs that still looked raw, overdone toast and orange juice. Don gave him a look.
"You really think all of this will wake her up?" Don said disapprovingly
"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" Mikey pointed out
Donny checked her pulse again.
"Seems normal" he said
Mikey rested his chin in his hands and sat down on the arm of the couch. Few minutes had gone by, she still didn't move.
"Well, this is boring" Mikey complained, standing up. "Think I'm gonna go sewer-boarding"
Before anyone could say anything, Mikey grabbed his skateboard and ran out the door.
"How long has it been exactly, Donny?"
"Eleven hours" he answered
Master Splinter came and pressed a hand to her forehead.
"Perhaps we should let her heal in peace" he said
"How long do you think it will take, Master Splinter?" Donny asked
"That is something even I am not certain of, Donatello. Healing takes time, my sons. For some it is longer than others" he told him "Come, it is time to practice your ninjitsu. Raphael, please go find Michelangelo"
He nodded and walked to the door.
"Guys!" Mikey yelled, running right into Raph.
Raph pushed him off.
"Nitwit" he said
"Guys! Mousers! There crawling all over the place!"
Don, Raph and Leo gave each other a look.
"Thought you said you saw nothin'" Raph said to Leo
"I didn't" Leo said truthfully "We better get rid of them before they come here"
Splinter put a hand on Leo's shoulder.
"Perhaps, you should stay behind Leonardo. In case our guest awakes" he said
Leo blinked.
"Master Splinter, I…"
"Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo will handle our unwanted house guests"
"Why can't I stay and watch her, sensei?" Mikey asked
"We wouldn't want a repeated event of what happened when Ms. O'Neil awoke" he said coolly
Raphael laughed.
"Careful Mikey, she's a ninja. You scare her, this time you might be the one that gets your butt kicked"
"Go my sons. Quickly" Splinter said
"You guys gonna be okay?" Leo asked
"We can handle a couple of Mousers, Leo" Raph told him, slightly annoyed
The three ran out the door, leaving Leo and Master Splinter.
~Leonardo~
"What would you like me to do, Master Splinter?"
He sighed and walked over to the couch. I followed him.
"I've observed her for quite some time. Though, she may be asleep she is very troubled" he said
I didn't quite understand.
"Troubled, how?" I asked, curiously
"Restless" he answered
I looked at her. She did seem…uneasy.
"She's asleep isn't she? Could it possibly be something like a nightmare?"
"Possible" Splinter said "I shall meditate on the safe return of your brothers. I would like you to stay here and keep an eye on her"
Master Splinter walked inside his dojo and closed the screen door behind him. There wasn't much for me to do. I pulled out a book from the shelf and sat in a chair in front of the couch.
~Dream~
There were rows of houses that continued down the road. I knew exactly where I was. This was Hudson Ave. What was I doing here? I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt instead of my ninja clothes.
"Come on, slowpoke!" someone shouted.
I turned around to see who it was. A small girl with blonde hair was waving her arm at me.
"Kelsey?" I said unbelievingly.
She looked maybe seven years old and was wearing a black shirt with a red tie and a red plaid skirt. Her private school uniform.
"Come on, slowpoke!" she called again
She started to run up the sidewalk.
"Kelsey, wait!" I called
I began to run after her. Orange and red leaves fell from the trees like snowflakes and crunched under my sneakers. This was favorite time of year. I would have enjoyed it if I wasn't running to catch up to my sister. Kelsey stopped in front of one house and stared at the one at the end of the street. I stood a few feet behind her. My eyes widened when I saw the house. It was my home.
"I'm gonna win!" she said happily, sprinting towards the porch.
"Kelsey, wait. I can't go in there!" I said
She didn't listen and ran inside. I followed her and stopped in front of the porch. Father would kill me if I stepped inside. I looked back at the driveway. His car wasn't here. Did that mean he wasn't either? There was one way to find out. I stepped on the first step when I heard a scream.
"Fire!" someone shouted "Somebody call for help! Fire! Fire!"
Two houses down, a roof of a house was in flames. I ran to it. People were standing on the street, looking in horror. I wasn't standing too close, but I felt sweat forming on my forehead. I was beginning to suffocate too as if I was inside. I coughed, trying to inhale fresh air. My eyes began to water. I looked back at the house. The flames were wrapping itself around the house as if it was some sort of snake. Through the thick smoke, I could've sworn I saw a pair of eyes glaring at me. The flames began to swerve towards me and made a circle of fire around me. It was hot. Sweat began to slip from the side of my face. My eyes and throat burned. A figure walked through the flames and stared down at me. He was wearing a metal suit. I stood up, but I could hardly see through my watering eyes. He stood in front of me as if he enjoyed watching me suffer. It grew quiet. All I could hear was the crackle of flames and my own coughing.
"I will have my revenge!" he said in a raspy voice.
I knew what he meant. Fear ate at my heart.
"No!" I coughed "No! Don't you dare touch him!"
He laughed evilly.
"This is the price for your mistake. You should have known better. After I am finished with him, I will dispose of you. Pity I won't be able to see you suffer"
He walked out of the flames and I heard someone crying. It was a boy's cry.
"No!" I shouted, but they were drowned by the crackling of the flames.
They closed around me. The flames burned my skin
"Please, don't hurt him" I begged
~Leonardo~
She hadn't moved in hours. It made me concerned whether or not she was okay. My brothers hadn't returned. I was in the middle of reading when I saw her move. I looked up. She shifted her head to the side. She began to breathe faster as if she was running from something. I walked over to the couch. Was she awake? Her head shifted to the side again, as if she was fighting something.
"Don't hurt him" she said
I didn't know what to do.
"Master Splinter?" I called uncertainly
He came out of his dojo and walked over to where I was.
"What is it, Leonardo?"
"She moved. Well, somewhat. She said something too, but I think it was just her having a bad dream"
Her hand curled into a tight fist. Her knuckles began to turn white. Master Splinter put a hand on her forehead. Not immediately, but her hand slowly loosened and relaxed. Her breathing went back to normal.
"What did you do, Master Splinter?"
"I have done nothing, Leonardo. Seems that the worst for her is over for the time being"
"It seemed like her dream was really bad" I said
Master Splinter was quiet.
"Though we may not know much about her. Try speaking to her if it should happen again"
He stood there for a moment before he went to sit down in front of his dojo and meditate. She inhaled sharply for a minute. I put my hand over hers, hesitantly. She twitched.
"Um…it's okay. You're safe. Everything's fine" I said uncertainly
She relaxed a little. Huh. I couldn't help but wonder how bad her dream must be if she was acting like this.
My brothers returned not long after.
"Still nothin'?" Raph asked
I shook my head.
"Nothing" I said
Mikey walked over to the chair next to the couch.
"Aww, her brother's so cute!" he said
I turned to him.
"Her what?" I asked.
He held up the gold locket that had been lying on the table.
"It was already open!" Mikey said quickly
I knew I shouldn't have, but curiosity got the best of me. I took the locket from him and looked at the picture inside. Raph and Don looked over my shoulder. It was a picture of a small boy with wavy brown hair and blue eyes. His small cheeks were a little chubby and his smile showed two tiny front teeth. If she hadn't been wearing the mask, I might've been able to see the family resemblance. It made a small click as I closed it and put it back on the table. I felt a little guilty looking at something I knew I shouldn't have.
*Later*
"My sons, tonight our training shall focus on combining two essential disciplines: the way of balance…" Splinter clapped his hands and the lights turned off "and invisibility"
"No way, he put in the clapper?" Mikey said
Splinter hit his stick on his hand.
"Ow" he exclaimed
"Michelangelo, the way of invisibility also includes the way of silence. I suggest you use both in order to avoid my walking stick"
Splinter jumped to another stick of bamboo. Leo jumped as he swung it under his feet. Splinter dodged Donatello and Raphael as they came towards him. Mikey clapped his hands and the lights turned on.
"Peek-a-boo, I see you" he sang
Splinter aimed his walking stick at him. Mikey caught it and lost his balance. "Whoa!" he exclaimed as he fell and caught the bamboo stick before hurting himself. "Hey, don't I at least get points for creativity?"
"A creative mind must be balanced by a disciplined body" he clapped his hands again and the lights turned off. "We must learn stillness and alertness for they are the only defense against the unexpected"
Casey walked inside, with his hands in front of him.
"Hey, guys?" he whispered
He bumped into something which was followed by more noise like a domino effect.
"Wha…?"
There were shouts of surprise as they fell from the sticks they were balancing on.
~o-0-o~
My eyes flew open.
"Huh?" I mumbled softly.
I heard a clatter of something fall, followed by groans of pain. It was pitch black, I couldn't see a thing. Where was I? What was going on?
"Uh-oh" someone said
There was a thud followed by "Oof!"
"Master Splinter, no!" someone shouted "He's okay"
The lights suddenly turned on. It was blinding as I tried to adjust my eyes to the bright light. I blinked a few times until my eyes adjusted.
"Sensei, this is Casey. The nutca—I mean the guy we told you about"
Another voice said something. I lifted my head, halfway to see who it was. I saw four big turtles and a giant rat. The turtles were wearing different colored masks; orange, blue, purple and red.
"We figured it would be okay if we gave him access to the lair, for emergencies and stuff" said the one with the red mask.
Whoa, did…did he just talk?!
"Please forgive my rash action" said the rat.
The rat too?! Was this some kind of joke? I tried to remember the last thing that happened. I was bleeding in an old parking lot and then I passed out. I had two of the most disturbing dreams I'll ever have in a lifetime…
Wait, that's it. This had to be some kind of dream. I really didn't know how four turtles and a giant rat fit into anything, but I was probably at my apartment, safe and sound. I tried to sit up, but a searing pain coursed through my left side. I lay back down and bit my tongue to prevent myself from screaming. Okay, definitely not a dream. I felt my face. My mask was still there. That didn't stop me from wondering if they had pulled it off and put it back on.
"No problemo" said the guy as he stood up.
"Next time it would be wise to heed the ancient Japanese proverb: Phone first" he said sternly
This was seriously starting to creep me out. What the eff was going on? Four giant turtles and a talking rat, four giant turtles and a talking rat. They continuously repeated in my head. Was I in a hospital and high on some kind of anesthetic? Cuz I didn't like it.
"Whoa! Raph your crib's even more awesome than ya said" said the guy named Casey.
There was another clatter. I stayed still and didn't move.
"You didn't come down here for a tour. What's the 411 on street side?"
I knew that voice. Brooklyn. I definitely remembered him before I blacked out. Wait a minute, he was a turtle? I knew when they found me, their silhouettes were shaped a little differently, but I thought I was just hallucinating.
"Graffiti. It's everywhere, all over town" he said
I couldn't help but frown. This guy knew he was living in New York, right?
"And I think I speak for everyone in the room when I say, duh!" said another voice.
He had a surfer voice. I was used to hearing that kind of voice in my hometown.
"We're New Yorkers, Casey. We've seen graffiti before" said someone
He sounded like a smart guy.
"Uh-uh, not dis kind" he said "I think someone's tryna to send you a message"
It was quiet.
"Blech! Talk about 'getting the point'" said Surfer Boy
"What's with the elaborate sword?" said Smart
"Do all the tags look like this?" another asked
"Some are even more graphic"
"I thank you for this information, Mr. Jones, but now we must return to our training" said Rat
Training? I thought. Were these guys with the ninjas I fought in the alley? I didn't like the sound of that.
"Wait don't you guys wanna put the smack down on whoever did this?"
"Well, yeah, but it sounds way too much like a set up" said Surfer Boy
"Someone's just trying to get under our shells. Why should we stoop to their level?" said Smart Guy.
"But this is a matter of honor. What about all dat Bushy do-do stuff you guys always talk about?"
"That's Bushido" said someone defensively "Which has nothing to do with payback for a bunch of nasty wall doodles"
"Sorry Case, I gotta go with my bros on this one" Brooklyn said
The guy named Casey groaned in disappointment.
"Say…" he said
I heard approaching footsteps. I closed my eyes and played possum.
"Hey, who's da babe?"
"A ninja we found in the old parking lot"
"She asleep or somethin'?"
"For about twenty hours, now" Smart said
Twenty hours?!
"It's getting a little…late. Isn't it?"
"These da only DVDs you got?" he asked
"Yeah, why don't you borrow some and bring 'em back?" Surfer Boy
"Dats okay. I'll just watch 'em here" he said
I opened one eye to see what was going on.
"Come on, eject, eject. You useless piece of…"
Crash.
There was a little girl's scream. Surfer Boy?
"Uh, I think yo player's broken"
"Uh, no problem. I'll fix it in the morning" Smart put emphasis on 'morning'
"Whatcha workin' on?"
"Boring stuff. Really, really boring stuff" Smart said
The guy, Casey, ran past my head.
"Hey Raph! Let's wrestle!"
There was a thud followed by a clatter.
"Let go, bonehead!"
"No way, dipstick!"
"Pukebrain!"
"Geek!"
"Dweeb!"
"Dog!"
"Raphael!" the rat said sternly
I could tell the rat's voice apart from the others.
"Normally I discourage excursion to the surface, but I think it wise for you to take our guest outside for a breath of fresh air"
"Top side? I'm all over it"
"Booya!"
"Come on, ya maniac!"
"Maniac? Who you callin' a maniac?"
I heard a hissing noise and disappearing footsteps.
"And that's how they defeated The Thing That Wouldn't Leave" Surfer Boy said in what was supposed to be a creepy voice.
My necklace was lying on the table in front of me. I was about to reach my hand out, but I heard footsteps coming towards me. I closed my eye. I felt a warm breath on the side of my face.
"Wish you were awake to see this" he whispered
"Have some respect, Mikey" Smart told him
Mikey. I knew one name.
"Come. It is time to finish your training"
I heard them moving like they were setting up something. The last thing I remembered was that I blacked out in the parking lot. They must've brought me here. I only wish I knew where 'here' was. I became aware of how numb my body felt. I turned my palm up to see it carefully bandaged. I flexed my fingers and my cut stung a little. I still felt a pain in my side every time I moved. My eyes darted around my surroundings, trying to find any kind of exit. I had to get out of here. The only thing I could find was high brick walls. I could take all of them, I knew that. I just had to find an exit so I didn't run around like an idiot. There was a clap and the lights turned off again. Now all I could do was wait…
There was a hissing noise followed by a clatter and more groans of pain.
"You could almost set your watch by this guy" the one named Mikey said
"Casey, what happened?"
"Where is Raphael?" the rat asked
"The invisible ninjas took him" Casey said
The what? I thought
"Invisible ninjas? This story wouldn't happen to include Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny by any chance?"
"I got proof" he said
I heard them run past the couch I was lying on. Both my eyes were open, but they didn't seem to be paying any attention to me, which was fine.
"Ooh! It's some sort of optical device. Heavy duty hardware"
"Raph's not answering his shell cell" Blue Mask said
Crash!
"This is all my fault!" Casey said
"Don't worry. I installed tracking devices in all the shell cells. Interesting, not picking up a signal"
Casey came and flipped the table in front of me. I saw my necklace fly off.
"We'll never find him!" he said
I couldn't hear what the rest of them were saying over the sound of the crashing.
"I'm getting a signal. It's Raph!" Smart shouted
"Whoo-hoo!" Casey shouted, his hockey stick hitting a light.
"This guy's bad news even when there's good news" Mikey said
"It's faint, but at least we got something we could follow…or several"
"The invisible ninjas?" Blue asked
"Raphael may not even be aware he is being followed"
"C'mon, we gotta go before Raph brings in some seriously unwanted house guests"
The three turtles and the guy, Casey, grabbed a few things before heading out. The rat stayed behind and disappeared into his room…or dojo, I guess? I looked around. This was a big place. I slowly and quietly slipped off the couch. Now all I had to do was find my necklace and bolt. I looked through the mess Casey had made. The dojo's screen door opened and the rat walked out. I quickly hid behind a brick pillar. He walked over to where I should've been lying down. He sniffed the air. I held my breath.
"You can come out, child. I will not harm you" he said
I didn't move.
"I presume you were looking for this" he said, picking something up from the ground.
My necklace!
"You have no reason to be afraid" he said calmly
I still didn't move.
"Very well" he said, putting the necklace on the ground where I could see it "You may come out and take it when you are ready"
Without saying anything else, he disappeared inside his dojo again. I waited. This could be some kind of trick. I stepped away from the pillar and walked towards the necklace. Before I could pick it up, there was a hissing noise. I quickly jumped onto the low ceiling by the TV.
~Turtles~
"I thought we'd never get rid of him" Mikey said, walking over to the couch "Hey, where'd she go?"
"She was here" Donny said skeptically
There was a blur as something landed on Raph behind Leo and then jumped away.
Raph stood up abruptly.
"Why I oughtta…" he muttered reaching for his sais
"Raph, don't" Leo said
"Uh, guess she's awake" Mikey said obviously
She had one hand on her side and a sword in her hand.
Leo felt the back of his shell. One of his katanas wasn't there. She was quick.
"That was very…ninja" Mikey said, impressively
Raph pulled his sais out.
"Okay sweetheart, you chose ta mess with the wrong turtle"
He jumped towards her. She blocked his sais and kicked him against his plastron.
~o-0-o~
These guys were a lot bigger than I thought. They might've been a little less than six feet tall. I managed to disarm both sais from his hands before he stepped back next to the other turtles.
"Why don't we all just calm down for a bit?" said Purple Mask
I held the katana in front of me. It felt foreign in my hand, only because it wasn't mine. I used the sword to pick up the necklace that was lying in front of my feet.
"Er…hi" said Purple Mask
I jumped and swung the katana at him, but he moved out of the way.
"Whoa! Okay, this is not what I was expecting when she woke up"
He pulled out the staff that he had behind his back. Someone grabbed my free arm.
"Hey, calm down!" Blue Mask said to me.
I swung the katana behind me, but he ducked and blocked my next move with his other katana.
"Hey, she wants ta dance? Fine, let's dance" Brooklyn said
He came from behind me. I moved out of the way and he landed on his blue masked friend. He came towards me again. I swung the katana and he dodged it. These guys weren't half bad I thought. He lunged at me, but I ducked and moved out of the way. He stood up and ran, but I tripped him by the hilt of the katana. Orange wrapped his nun chuck around the sword and tried to pull it out of my hand. I kept my grip on it and kicked his plastron, making him fall back. I swung the katana behind me. Clang!
"Look, we don't want to hurt you" Blue Mask said
He tried to disarm me, but I managed to avoid it and back flipped out of the way and landed next to the couch. I probably landed too hard on my feet because a pain coursed through my left side again. I hunched over slightly.
"Ow" I muttered
The turtles lowered their weapons.
"You're still hurt" Blue Mask said "Let us help you"
I stood up straight and spun the katana in my hand. They raised their weapons again. The rat emerged from behind them and stood in front of the four turtles. He had his walking stick in one hand and he glared at me. His eyes pierced mine. I got a strong vibe that told me I shouldn't cross him. I lowered the katana halfway. I was cautious. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the door. I was so close; all I had to do was find a distraction. I raised the katana again and threw it towards the brick pillar. It stabbed the brick next to the rat's face. I ran out the door while they had their heads turned. Yuck! What was that smell? I tried to ignore it and ran. I could hear my panting echo off the walls and the echo of running feet behind me. There was a ladder ahead. I jumped up the few steps and pulled myself through the manhole. I found myself on a dark empty street. Time to hit the roofs I thought. Using the roofs were always easier to find my way home than the streets. I guess it's a ninja thing. I looked for the closest fire escape and climbed up and headed home.
I jumped down to my floor and climbed through my window. Everything was how I left it. Twenty hours? Man, Ryan's gonna kill me. Iunhooked the necklace from around my neck and safely stowed it in my drawer.I yanked the curtain over my window and pulled off my suit and mask before throwing them into the pile of dirty clothes. I walked to the mirror and examined the cut on my side. It was only a scar now. Thankfully, I didn't need stitches. It would disappear in a week or two. I headed into the bathroom. The only thing I needed right now was a long hot shower.
End of Chapter 7!
Hope you guys liked it!
