A/N: I would sincerely like to thank Duckie and Feather for their constant, valued input.
Seriously, you guys rule. *hands out more love pizza*
CHAPTER 07: UNIQUE FAMILY
Raphael stood alongside his brothers, awaiting the inevitable. First reactions were always the same. Were he human, he'd probably scream too. And curse. Yet such knowledge was far from a comfort. It pissed him off, actually, much like the current pause.
Yelling, fainting, name-calling, a hysterical display of flying objects—Raphael had mentally prepared for every possibility imaginable. Or so he thought. Never had he been met with utter silence. Others were either scared shitless or abnormalities themselves.
Nia Anders proved to be neither.
The human stared from the couch, pale features flush, long hair frazzled, body stiff like a corpse. Only her eyes showed signs of life. They darted over Raph's features and it made him feel unbearably awkward. Shifting, the hothead growled. He refused to face Nia until her attention fell elsewhere.
"Evening!" Michelangelo greeted. The orange-masked Chūnin abandoned the lineup with an overzealous smile. "The name's Michelangelo. Yes, after the Italian Renaissance artist. Call me Mike or Mikey." He outstretched a three-fingered hand so fast Raphael considered smacking the idiot upside the head.
Did he remember nothing from meeting April?
Of course, Nia gasped and arched against the couch. Rather than judge Mikey with disgust, though, she furrowed her brows, as if she recognized him from a distant dream.
"It's cool, Dudette." Mikey kneeled at the couch then reached beside Nia to grab a decorative pillow, which he placed in her lap to squeeze. "We're gunna help."
The following exchange could be described as both amusing and confusing. Nia spoke in rushed sentences, Mikey retorting just as fast.
"Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was born at Caprese, Italy on March sixth, fourteen-seventy-five."
"I was born in a sewer."
"The place is now referred as Caprese Michelangelo."
"Well, I mutated in a sewer."
"He was one of five brothers."
"I only have three."
"His strengths included sculpting, painting, architecture, engineering, and poetry."
"I draw comics."
"He was a solitary man who lived by necessity and took no pleasure in eating or drinking."
"That sounds boring."
"He died at the age of eighty-eight in Rome then was transported to Florence."
"Not a bad age to die, I guess."
Nia grew silent again, leaving Raph to share inquisitive looks with Don and Leo. Both shrugged. When the hothead sent the same look to Casey and April, they replied likewise.
'That settles it,' Raph thought. 'This chick is weird.'
"Guys," Mikey said, "she's not shaking as much now. Introduce yourselves!"
Leo dragged his heels when his youngest brother pushed him and Donny ahead. Yet he withheld any scolds and led Donny to the coffee table hesitantly. No one except a Hamato could detect the subtle widening of Leo's eyes behind his mask or the way his fingers twitched. A realization.
'What's wit' Leo n' Mikey? They know this chick?'
"My name is Hamato, Leonardo," said Leo.
"After Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci?" Nia's question was quick, spoken in a tremble.
Leo hummed 'yes' until all tenseness left his body and he offered a polite smile. "Use my full name, if you'd like," he added. "Friends call me Leo. I don't mind either. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Anders." Leo bent at the waist to form a shallow bow.
"It's a Japanese thing," Casey told Nia. "The guys are ninjas. Real kickass ones at that."
The brunette jerked her chin like she was about to nod, but stopped mid-way, gaze roaming towards the purple-masked mutant.
Don's mouth split into a gap-tooth smile. "I'm Donatello."
"Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi?"
"If you're asking if he's my name-sake then, yes. Raph?"
A firm nudge from Leo made Raph glare and the displeasure thickened his Brooklyn accent, "Name's Raphael. Call me Raph or whatever."
"After Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino?"
Raph shrugged.
"Play nice, Man," Casey interjected, half-serious.
The hothead's eyes rolled. "I am, Head Case."
"Yer charmin' smile says so."
"Stop it, idiots," added April with a sigh.
"Now that introductions are over, why not tell us why we're here, April?" Everyone faced Don, who regarded the redhead. "Leo said you'd explain."
"Right, I kind of…strong-armed him into taking a leap of faith," April admitted. "Sorry about that, Leo."
"It's fine," the Jonin replied.
"Anyways. I'm still piecing together things in my head."
Raph snorted. "So ya called us here ta say ya're confused?"
The redhead mirrored the hothead's glare, hands balling. "Being confused isn't a crime, Raph."
"What'd you see, April?" Leonardo asked.
"It's not so much 'what' as 'who'," countered April.
"Spit it out already!"
"Raph, enough."
"Stuff it, Fearless!"
"Guys!" Donatello looked at Nia's trembling body then sent his brothers pointed stares. "Let April explain as she likes. Go on, Ape."
All eyes fell on the redhead, who spoke grimly, "Today…I saw Agent Bishop."
Leonardo sat on the wood floor, composed despite all he had heard. April had been calm in her explanation, but not so calm that Nia could stand a re-telling of her parents' demise. The young woman had scrambled upstairs and slammed her door shut before April even mentioned running into Bishop. None bothered chasing her, though; she had a right to panic. And if Leo were honest, he thought it best she did so outside the brainstorming group.
"That's why the police can't be involved," Leo said. His attention lingered on some lights flickering in the upper hallway then locked on April when they eased.
April nodded from between Casey and Donatello on the couch. "It's too risky."
"That guy's bad news," Donny muttered.
"We know, Genius," Raphael spat.
"Raph."
"What, Leo? Ya wanna state the obvious too?"
Leo eyed the red-masked Chūnin leaning against the windowpane, quiet. A retort would only encourage the hothead's bitter mood.
"Can we get back ta what matters?" Casey's Brooklyn drawl sliced through the brother's staring contest. "Ya'll are the only ones qualified ta keep Nia safe. Least 'til we figure things out."
April interlocked her fingers, squeezing them. "Believe me," she started, "if there was any other route, I'd take it. But records pin her with me, so—"
"No," Leo interjected. "Even if there was another way, we'd never let you handle that scientist, let alone Bishop, on your own."
"Still…"
Springing from his spot beside Leo, Michelangelo rounded the couch and wrapped his older sister in a hug from behind, saying, "Don't sweat it, Ape. We'll tuck Nia away safely. Then we'll do what we always do."
April smiled, weak. "What's that? Eat pizza?"
"Survey says"—Mikey released his sister then mimicked a hand buzzer—"wrong! The correct answer is: defeat the crazy baddies with our legendary skills of awesome."
Donny groaned. "You make it sound simple."
"We've done it before, Mister Pessimism." The youngest Chūnin hardly allowed his brother's words to tarnish his glee.
"By defeating Bishop and hiding," Donny retorted. "If Nia's being tracked by an unnamed scientist, that's one thing. But if Bishop's involved, do you really think she can meld back into society without some incentive keeping him at bay?"
Donatello's comment hit Leonardo like a freight train. 'Don's right. Despite years of fighting, Bishop still seeks the secrets lying in our Mutagen. He'll never give up his search for mutants and aliens. Wait.'
"April?" Leo questioned. "Nia's human, so how does Bishop fit into the picture?"
"That's where I'm at a loss," April admitted.
Donny tapped a finger against his chin. "You saw him approach that scientist at the station. Could it be Bishop isn't involved after at all? Maybe it's coincidence the two men know each other."
April's head shook. "Name someone else with 'an unprecedented drive to get what he wants'."
"Ya gotta admit," added Mikey, "it's a little fishy."
"More than a little." April shifted uneasily. "It was crazy, guys. The scientist seemed adamant that he should protect Nia."
Sighing, Don crossed his arms. "Meaning he's either a good guy or has similar intents to Bishop's. Whatever those are."
"As far as I can gather."
A small pause swept over the room then, until Michelangelo plopped himself on the floor before April.
"What'd this scientist look like?" he asked. April's brows drew close as Mikey flashed a goofy grin. "Humor me."
"Okay. Early fifties maybe? Pasty. Dark-eyed. He wore nice clothes under an untied coat, but they could've used a good washing. Or two."
"Did he have a poufy mustache, Albert Einstein accent, and limbs like a scarecrow?"
April blinked. "How'd you know?"
"Simple. I've fought him."
"You what?"
Leo sighed. "Mikey—"
"Didn't I tell you something was haunting her, Dude? Didn't I? What do you have to say now?"
The orange-masked Chūnin spoke with more offence than haughtiness, which sunk Leo's stomach. Leo wouldn't apologize, though, not for doing his job as Jonin.
"Ya're in on this too, Fearless?"
"I'm not 'in' anything, Raph," Leo countered. "Mike left the Lair. I went after him. We dealt with a situation. End of story."
"What kind of situation?" This time April butted in, obviously curious.
"We stopped Nia from being kidnapped," Mikey answered with a frown.
"Kidnapped? By who?"
"The same guy you just described."
"But… Nia hasn't mentioned anything about an attempt at kidnap."
Mikey shrugged. "Maybe she doesn't remember? The guy knocked her out hard."
With a low groan, April let her head fall into her hands. She was tired, Leo could tell. The day had been long, and it was doubtful they'd get much further in their talk without snapping at one another. So the Jonin rose, ignoring the stare from his hot-blooded brother, and motioned for Donny and Mikey to do likewise.
"It's hard to guess their next moves," Leo started. "They could either team up or delay each other. Meanwhile, we'll take Nia. Just…not tonight." Leo's gaze lifted upwards. He sensed Mikey follow suit.
"You can't blame her for having a panic attack," said Mikey softly.
True, but the reality of it left Leo with a frown when he faced April. "You should probably speak with her before we set a time. Without her cooperation, we'll be useless."
"Yeah," Raph chimed in, "even Ape loosened up faster than that chick."
Leo sent over a lazy glare then herded his brothers towards the window. "What do you expect?" he asked. "We're a unique family."
Agent John Bishop supported his upper body along a cluttered, metallic desk. Slowly, he inhaled in an effort to collect his rage. Useless. Strong fingers found their way to the desk's lip, cupping it, bending it.
No one denied him information. No one. He stood at the top of the information food chain. That is where he belonged. All these threats—these monsters—must be dealt with. Yet these fools dared impede his mission.
Their misconduct would not go unpunished.
"Sir?" a feminine voice questioned. Bishop brought his eyes to the stony-faced brunette standing at his door way. He need not ask her to continue; his hard stare said as much. "What are your next orders?"
"Heal him," the agent replied. "Then start over. Do it until he talks, Agent Barrett."
"I will begin preparations immediately, Sir."
"See that you do."
A/N: Anyone here love Bishop? Anyone? No? Guess there's a reason for that. :P
