A/N: This chapter is a tad bit longer than the others and not very action packed. I wanted to establish some interaction between my OC and the turtles a little more, beyond the one liners and distant observations. The next chapter will be a little more of the same, but we're gonna pick up the pace, and also get some more turtle fighting action in too.
Also I would like to thank my followers and those who have favorite me and my story. I really appreciate it and it means a whole lot to have other people read what I write.
Chapter 7: Aftermaths 2
Raphael looked down at his brother. Not once could he ever remember of all their fights, arguments, and scuffles, anytime where Leo seemed to cower or back down from him. There was no fear in Leo's eyes, but something else a little more disturbing….acceptance. His hand slowly transforming from a fist to an open palm, Raph held his hand out to his brother. Leonardo swatted his hand away and got up on his own.
"Listen Raph, I know I messed up by not being here with you guys. It was just…" Leo couldn't really tell what it had been, so was glad when Raphael interrupted.
"It was just what Leo? Huh? It was what? What can you tell me that's gonna make it aaalll better?" Raphael replied. He could enjoy this interrogation a little more if Leo would wipe that stupid pathetic look off his face.
"I found out what the Foot are actually up to Raph. They intend on making an army of mutants to take control of the city. THAT'S what I was doing, getting some info." It wasn't a lie per se, so Leo didn't feel too bad and was hoping Raphael didn't ask the next logical question of just how Leo came about this information. Thankfully Raph just stood for a moment.
"So you were out on some kind of recon mission, is that what you're telling me?" Raph questioned Leo. It wouldn't have been the first time that Leo went solo to spy or find out intel, it had just always been agreed upon by all as part of the plan.
Leo nodded, feeling hopeful that Raph would buy his story.
"And none of us were worthy of knowing this why? And if you gimme some bullshit song and dance about wantin' to keep us safe, I'll bust your nose some more." Raph squared up in his brother's face again. If there was something else to know, he'd get it out if him with good old threats of bodily harm.
"It wasn't about that. I decided to do it, and I didn't wanna hear any argument over it. Seemed important at the time, and it was supposed to be quick. It just…took a little longer than I thought. I didn't mean to miss the patrol Raph. You know I wouldn't just abandon you guys. Did you fight, are you all alright?" He asked, but the look on Raph's face told him he was just going to get another sarcastic remark.
"If you'd a been there, you'd know now wouldn't you?" Raph said watching his brother squirm. Leo was getting irritated and that was good. It got rid of that goofy other look he was sporting.
"To not be a complete dick, I will say that a) we didn't fight and b) we got some info of our own. If you think me and you are gonna have tea and crumpets and discuss it, you're dumber than I thought. I told dad about it, get it from him Splinter Jr." With that Raph walked off presumably towards his room, probably with the intent to break something.
Leo stood thinking for a moment. He assumed that whatever information his brothers had gotten, had almost everything to do with why Asha was here. He went over to their makeshift doctor's office where he heard Donnie working. Leo knocked on the wall since there was only a plastic tarp to serve as the doorway.
"Can I come in Donnie?" He asked, prepared for a 'no' and also prepared to simply wait until a good time.
"Come in but don't get in my way," Donnie called out.
Leo came in and immediately stood to the side. Donnie was busy bent over Asha working to take the bullet out of her leg. She wasn't moving or making any noise, so Leo assumed she was unconscious. Leo was always amazed watching Donnie work. His tongue always was peeking out the corner of his mouth in concentration, and his hands as big as they were moved nimbly and adeptly at his work. To gain access to all her visible injuries, Donnie had cut off Asha's clothes. A thin sheet covered her torso and private area. Donatello had already tied off the upper part of her thigh with a tourniquet, and was preparing to dig out the bullet. He had also tied Asha to the makeshift operating table, just in case she woke up. Donnie was working very fast, he had already partially shaved her leg to see the wound better. Leo noticed that Asha's breathing was irregular, the rise and fall of her chest extremely shallow and erratic. Above all was the amount of blood everywhere. It was all over the floor, on the gurney pooled underneath her legs, and all over Donnie's hands and plastron.
"She's lost so much blood already, breathing erratic probably due to the various rib injuries…" Donnie was doing his customary mumbling through the steps as he worked deal. He paused, adjusted his glasses on his face and gave Leo a quick smile. There was nothing happy about it, just another Donnie-ism as he worked.
Leo suddenly felt very awkward and in the way, but he had to get a better look, and see what kind of shape she was in. It was genuine curiosity for the most part. Did she heal quickly like he and his brothers? If she were really a were-lion wouldn't she go back to being a human soon? Would she die here a stranger in their lair, without having learned anything about her and her connection to the Foot? So many unanswered questions ran through his mind. He was brought out of his thoughts by low chuffs and growls. Asha was coming around.
"Uh Leo come hold her leg down for me, she's not resisting too bad but she's starting to shift around, and I can't get it out if she moves," Donnie said not looking up from his work. His goggles were pulled down and the light shone directly into Asha's wound.
Quickly and without asking questions Leo grabbed both her legs in an effort to stop her increasing struggles. He looked from her wound to her face, surprised to find her fully aware and looking directly at him, eyes glassy and a pleading look on her face. 'Please hurry up' that look seemed to say. He saw that she attempted to be still, and with a great effort tried to slow her breathing and stop shuffling her legs.
"Just a little while longer Asha, he's almost done. You're okay," Leo said, surprised he was comforting her. She gave a nod, whimpered and closed her eyes tightly. After a few moments Donnie seemed to have gotten hold to the bullet.
"Got it," he exclaimed as Leo heard the 'thunk' of metal hitting a bowl. "Thankfully it was just one, and whole!"
"Now on to those pesky ribs…" Donnie said as he looked at Leo curiously. "Um, Leo you can let her legs go now," Donnie said as he cleared his throat and a small blush crept up on his cheeks. Leo removed his hands. To his great surprise he was no longer holding Asha's legs, but caressing them in an attempt to comfort her. She seemed either to have ignored that, or simply didn't give a damn about it at this moment. Donatello finished wrapping her wound, and moved to investigate her ribs. When he touched them Asha let out a loud growling yelp and actually snapped her teeth in Donnie's direction.
Donnie jumped back a bit, with a slightly amused look on his face.
"I don't think we're quite in a position to do that just yet. You have a lot of injuries here. I just wanna check it out, alright?" Donnie asked politely, hands poised above her ready for the inevitable 'yes'.
"Go ahead," Asha growled behind clenched teeth. "Painful. They're broken, left side," she managed to say. It seemed it took a lot of effort for her to articulate at this moment. To Leo it appeared she was fully aware of her surroundings, and the fact that she was being helped. He thought it would be okay to continue to leave Donnie alone with her, seeing her attempt to cooperate with his efforts. She slowly rolled herself over to her right, giving Donnie a better look at it. Leo couldn't help his curiosity. He peered over and saw a large black and blue bruise spread across her ribcage. It was visible even through the scant amount of fur that remained. She was matted with drying blood where a series of gashes were present. Pointing towards her rib Leo asked,
"Rhino?"
"Yes indeed"
Leo let out a high pitched whistle. "Whoa"
Asha's back was to Donnie, and she was facing Leo. He was looking at her ribs and then took a glance at her face to see what kind of expression she was making. He was surprised for the second time catching her openly staring straight at him. Her gaze was very clear, she was present and all accounted for, not hazy in the least. She was biting down on her lower lip, and Leo could see a very small runnel of blood from the corner of her mouth. Leo felt a blush creeping to his face. He wanted to look away but found he couldn't. Asha's stare was unwavering. Usually when you caught someone staring and you looked back at them they tended to shift their eyes, but she never did. She just kept looking at Leo and he couldn't read her expression at all. It made him nervous. Was she just simply using him as a focal point to process the pain? That was the most likely answer. She wasn't a ninja but was very much a martial artist. Leo knew he had mastered the whole focus and the pain is in your mind technique. He gave her an awkward smile and looked away.
"Do you heal quickly? Like, faster than a human?" Donnie suddenly asked breaking the silence. None of the glances and stared had escaped his notice. He fought hard to hide a smile of his own. He had always seen his brother be chivalrous to any female they rescued, whether they saw them or not. However, he had never ever seen him even come close to a flirt or be enamored of a girl, not even April. And I'm supposed to be the dweeb he thought to himself with a chuckle.
"Not particularly. Faster than a human," Asha managed to say. "Not quite Wolverine if that's what you're getting at."
Took Donnie and Leo a moment to get the reference. Then a bright smile spread across Donnie's face, while a half a smirk was on hers. Mikey would love her on the strength of a comic reference alone. After about five or so minutes of examination and wrapping her ribs with Leo's help, Donnie finally allowed Asha to lie back.
"Well, the good news is there doesn't seem to be internal bleeding. I mean, I'm not a doctor but I don't see any place where your abdomen or area around the ribs are distended, so that's always good." Donnie was now washing his hands and speaking to her with his back turned.
"In any case you need plenty of rest so you can heal…" Donnie was saying, unaware that Leo had left the room and Asha was getting up off the gurney.
"…getting something to eat might also be on your to-do list. Hey?! What are you doing?!" He asked seeing her wobbly on her feet.
"Not gonna lay here in my own blood and filth," she said in a tone that brooked no argument one way or another. She grabbed the bloody sheet and attempted to wrap herself with it, then noticed it was bloody and unceremoniously let it drop to the floor.
Donnie gasped, turned a deep crimson and turned his head. She was standing there in her birthday suit for anyone to see, if anyone was indeed looking. Without much inhibition, she turned to face Donnie to ask him where her clothes were, but then spied them laying in a tangled bloody heap. Seeing his reaction she scanned the room for something else to cover with. With his back turned he had reached for a clean sheet and passed it to her. Without saying a word she took it and wrapped herself as best she could. Asha turned to walk out, but remembered her manners. Whatever she thought they were, or felt they were about they had helped her, saved her life perhaps. Turning on wobbly legs back towards Donnie, she made her way to him and placed a paw on his shoulder, turning him to face her. He was surprised at the amount of strength still in that grip even after injury, losing blood, and losing consciousness. She was hardy indeed.
"Thank you Donatello. You saved my life, I don't know why but you did. For that you will always have my gratitude." Asha's eyes were wet with restrained tears.
"I-it was nothing," Donnie stammered. "All in a day's work I guess," he said trying a weak smile and squirming underneath her grip. This was so freaking awkward.
Suddenly without warning Asha leaned in. Horrified, Donatello shut his eyes and tried to shrink away from what he just knew was an impending kiss, but then shot them wide open when he realized just what she was doing instead. Asha had leaned in to give him the customary, mandatory thanks of a cat….the head bop. Ears pinned back, slanted eyes half closed, tail lazily slashing back and forth, and strands of fur making their way up his nostrils, Asha was in kitty heaven. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was slightly torture. He had seen funny cat videos, but never imagined he would be the recipient of a head bop from a giant humanoid lion. Donnie placed both hands gently on each of her shoulders and pushed her back a bit, smiling a lopsided grin to let her know there were no hard feelings. Immediately Asha lowered her head and stepped back, hitting the table with the injured thigh and biting back a howl as pain shot from her thigh to her toes. Donnie reached out quickly steadying her.
"The shower, or bathroom," Asha asked looking embarrassed and silently cursing herself for being presumptuous.
"Keep straight through the common area, hallway, right side." Donnie said watching her limp out of the room. "I wouldn't run water into those wounds just yet, could get infected," he called out behind her.
Asha looked around the lair. She didn't see anyone but had a sense of being watched nonetheless. It was dimly lit with nothing but candles and the flicker of an unwatched television to light her way. Her eyes shined whenever the lights reflected off of them. She didn't need much light to see where she was going. Reaching the bathroom, she stepped in, careful not to lean too much weight on her left leg. She closed the door and flipped the switch that powered a lone bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling by exposed wires. She peered into the cracked mirror. Makeshift though it was, the bathroom and shower area was meticulously clean. There were four shower stalls reminiscent of a locker room setup. Asha took a long look at herself. She looked like shit on a stick that was ran over by a truck…or an overgrown rhino. She lifted her arm to look at her ribs, winced, and lowered her arm. Her leg was also a mess not to mention various cuts, scratches, and bruises. All things considered she was glad to be alive, and the purple clad turtle had done an admirable job with little to no supplies.
Asha looked a little while longer, gathering up the courage to attempt a transformation. Her lion form was stronger, but in her injured state it was more trouble than it was worth for her to remain in it. When she is healthy it's not a problem, but in her weakened state it was like leaving your headlights on all night. She just felt the energy draining from her body from one moment to the next. Slowly she allowed the change. As bones shifted and muscles twisted and settled into new shapes, the pain was almost unbearable. She tried to muffle the screams but to little avail. She held on to the sink for dear life as she crammed a corner of the sheet into her mouth to muffle the cries.
After it was over Asha kneeled on the floor to regain her composure. She felt a little dizzy and disoriented from the pain that now wracked her body from head to toe. She then heard a tapping on the door.
"You alright in there? I heard you screaming," the voice said from the other side of the door. It was the one in blue Asha recognized his voice, Leonardo.
"I'm fine," she managed although it came out almost like a hiss through her teeth.
"You certain?"
"Yes," then a little while after that, "thank you."
She heard him walk away without saying another word. Getting back to her feet, she stood in the mirror once again. She should have asked him for a towel, but she didn't. She made due with a corner of the sheet, wet it and used an old bar of soap on the side of the sink. Carefully she wiped over the bullet wound before rewrapping it. She wiped over her ribs…very, very, gingerly. She even spied a bit of mouthwash and rinsed her mouth which tasted of dirt (from god knows where) and the metallic taste of her own blood.
Finally considering herself presentable, she stepped out of the bathroom. She realized an old but clean pair of slippers had been left outside the door, for which she was eternally grateful. The thought of having to walk barefoot down a hallway in a sewer was enough to make her wanna cut her feet off. Silently padding her way down the hall, she noticed a light coming from a large room that she hadn't noticed before. Curiosity forever killing the cat, she ambled over to the opening of that room. She noticed a figure sitting cross legged seemingly in meditation. His silhouette was different than that of the turtles. Without her cat's vision she couldn't make out who, or what it was so she inched inside the doorway to have a closer look.
"Come, you may have a seat," the figure said, gently patting the floor space next to it.
Cautiously, Asha headed to the seated figure. As she got closer she saw a long tail, and the familiar shaped snout of a rodent. It was a giant rat! With all that Asha had seen, this caught her off guard but she quickly recovered her wits. Wasn't any stranger than being a giant cat, she thought to herself. It took her almost a full two minutes to negotiate her way down, and also make a silent agreement between her constant moving and her angry ribs.
"Now that I get a better glimpse, you look much less like a lion that I expected," the rat said with a slight chuckle.
"Should have seen me in my full glory a few moments ago, you would have been amazed," she said starting to chuckle a bit on her own until her ribs reminded her that it wasn't such a good idea to get happy right now. At that he gave a small nod.
"My name is Master Splinter, and I am the adoptive father of my four fine boys whom you have already met."
"My name is Asha of the West African Mfalme tribe," Asha said, a bit of pride puffing her aching chest, but just a little. Truth was she was outcast from her tribe and labelled a man-eater.
"It was nice to meet you Asha of the Mfalme," Splinter said trying that last word on his tongue, then opening one questioning eye to affirm he had pronounced it correctly. He had.
Karai POV:
She was in a much better place today. Those disgusting mutant children had been summarily executed and left in a conspicuous area to be found. If whoever killed Rocksteady was out there, it was better to force that person into making a mistake. What better way to do that than to prove that whoever these children were to them, that they had failed to protect them. Karai had to draw them out into the open to be killed, there was no two ways about it. It was either do this or face the Shredder with yet another failure and this time she feared not only for her position but her life.
She'd had her henchmen take the bodies and dump them in Central Park. They could be seen by the early morning joggers, drunkards, and drug addicts. One such individual had noticed a small foot from underneath the bushes that lined the path. Horrified, they'd immediately called the police. In a matter of hours it became the biggest news story in the city. Now it was only a matter of time. Rocksteady's killer would have to show themselves, and Karai knew they would. You didn't track them down over the course of a few days, and then face down someone like Ivan Steranko only to give up and not react to the death of those kidnapped children.
Making her way down the familiar hallway, Karai once again entered the lab. It was like déjà vu every time she came in here. The same scientist, bent over the same beaker, jotting in the same notebook. She felt sick to her stomach because all it meant to her was stagnation, and by extension her neck on the proverbial – and quite possibly literal – chopping block.
"We have given you a team of scientists, the most sophisticated equipment, and at least four months prior to bringing you children, yet we have very little mutagen." She said startling all of them from immersion in their research.
"Mistress Karai, we…" the lead scientist was saying until he realized he had nothing to say.
"Have you even figured out a way to synthesize the mutagen at least?" Karai waited patiently for him to admit the failure. She already knew the answer.
"We…need more of it. There's not enough of a sample to draw from."
"Dr. Stockman are you saying the Foot has failed in providing you the necessary means for completing your assigned task?" Karai was looking at him as though the question was benign, but there was a dangerous tone underneath it. She was nearing the end of her rope with the good Dr. Stockman.
Silence as Stockman's mouth worked without finding any words to accompany the action. Karai crossed the room quickly, standing nose-to-nose with him.
"Come with me," Karai said grabbing the back of his neck in a clench and giving him one swift knee to the gut. Dragging him by the back of his neck, they crossed the room again. Karai opened a double door onto another room with a vat the size of a bathtub sitting in the middle. Connected to it by a series of tubes, were containers of synthesized mutagen. The machine used in its creation was humming softly. Kicking the backs of Stockman's knees, Karai made him kneel over the tub-like vat.
"You seem to enjoy the mutation process. The next time you fail me you will experience it firsthand. Your colleagues would rather enjoy experimenting on you I would wager," Karai spoke into his ear, inching his face ever closer to the substance in the vat. Stockman's eyes were wild with fear, the Foot clan did not make idle threats.
"We should turn you into something disgusting. We already have a rat, how about a dog? Maybe a pig? Or maybe a fly would be more fitting since you always seem to wear that shit eating grin, it would be so fitting wouldn't it?" Karai spat at him, held him a little longer for effect and finally released him. Stockman gagged and released a breath he was unaware he was holding. He knew she meant business because she never used foul language. She thought it was beneath her and that people who cursed a lot were idiots without a proper vocabulary.
"Get yourself together and get back to work. Within two weeks I want double this amount of mutagen synthesized, and if you play games with me you will find my threats to be promises." Karai gave him a disgusted once over and left the room.
On her way back down the hall her phone vibrated in her pocket. Reaching for it she saw that it was Eric Sacks calling her, which could only mean that Shredder wanted to see them both. Not good. She had no progress to report but not showing up wasn't even remotely an option. Taking a deep breath, she got to the underground garage into her vehicle and headed to Shredder's seat of operations outside the city. The drive was long and she desperately needed that time to ponder what Shredder wanted, and how she would respond without tying a noose around her own neck.
