Chapter 9. The Search
May 25, 2007
"The killings of SS have reached an all time high, going into the near thirties a night. This spike in killings has shown us just how much crime is in New York City, if the new Spectator of Justice can get so many a night. And she, yes SS is a she as proven in recent footage, doesn't seem to be slowing down. New weapons have been involved; daggers, a sword, rifles, fists, you name it, SS is trying it. She seems to be narrowing in on a new gang, these people that look like ninjas. They have an emblem on their chest of a red, three clawed foot. These bad-asses, pardon my language but this is so exciting, ninjas in New York? These ninjas seem limitless, and SS knew about them before the police..."
"It's a disgrace, killing so many a night. I have a brother in jail, is SS going to pop in in the middle of the night and off him too? What about the families of these people? No goodbyes, no trials, SS doesn't give a damn in the world for the trail of tears she is leaving behind..."
"I think its cool. This new crime fighter, working against Night Watcher. The new footage of those two fighting, whoa, several times I thought Night Watcher had it. But, ya know, SS isn't all that bad, really? I mean, come on, she kills the bad. She saves the good. I have a friend who met her, and he said that SS didn't even glance at him until she was done with the bad guys trying to... uh, hurt him. SS made sure he could walk, and that he was safely at a busy road before disappearing..."
The TV's were returned to mute until the next story on SS, perhaps something new about her, came back. It wasn't likely, Liz was careful about footage, and I'd seen her check criminals for little cameras. And she was fast on her feet, so she wouldn't get caught be the police or a gang unless she was unconscious.
"Anything new?" I look over my shoulder at Don, who was pecking at some contraption with a pair of laser tweezers. A double experiment, the laser tweezers were new, and the contraption looked like a small engine he was repairing.
"Same junk as usual. SS is still killin' large numbers of the Foot and Purple Dragons, more than the News realizes." Donny nods, slipping by me to the kitchen for his daily dose of coffee. I turned back to the TV, watching news on weather patterns and how the north is getting another hard snow.
Donny pops his head back in. "We're not supposed to be looking out for SS outright. Turn the volume back up unless you want Leo on your tail."
I glower at the screen, pressing the volume back up to listen to the woman talk about a ship off the coast of New York.
June 13, 2007
"Breaking News has come in..."
I glance up, shaking my head to nod off the sleep. It was four in the morning, what breaking news could there possibly be? The news anchor held the microphone closer to his ear, like he couldn't hear it loud and clear.
"SS has met SS- Wait what? Are you sure?" He straightens up, facing the camera. A fake smiles plasters his face, like his act didn't just fall. SS meeting SS, huh? This ought to be good.
"Breaking News has come in. We have footage of SS apparently meeting SS. Yes folks you heard me right. There are two SS's, and one -the one we thought was the real SS- was not happy upon meeting herself. Himself? God, I don't know anymore." He waves his hand, signalling for the footage to show as he pressed his head against the table.
It was crappy security footage, shaky and blurry, but the two black figures were unmistakable. I leaned forwards, watch one black figure lift a gun up. The other swung a dagger, I think, like they were about to have a fight. And the one with a dagger lunged, dodging a bullet.
The security camera blurred, and focused again. Both bodies were still standing, but one was wounded. There was a limp in their leg. Which one was her? Which one was the Liz SS? The one standing and not wounded, flexed their wrist, like something was restraining. And they charged.
"Well folks, we would show you the rest, but not only does it get bloody, it gets gory. The original SS, yes the woman, had her fun on the other SS, a man by the name of," The New Anchor looked at the paper. "David Thompson. When he was found by the police, not only was his skin carved with japanese insignia, but we were given a clue. SS spelled out her name, apparently being Susan. And a happy warning stating beware to anyone who tries to copy her." He looks at the camera, frowning with a look that said "we're screwed".
"Until next time folks. Now we'll go to the weather..."
July 17, 2007
It was another boring day of another entertaining city. Same fights, same streets. Different people. Another cycle that I had down. Maybe I should pick up another job. Like scour the sewers for things people don't like. Or perhaps be guard duty on buildings, shooting anything I find suspicious. Anything but the same old find criminals right on the cusp of getting what they want.
I rub the closed bullet wound in my arm, a testimony to the last several months. A reason to stay in New York. It wasn't that I didn't like New York, I enjoyed it quite thoroughly. But the fun was sucked out without the daily dose of Mikey's fanatic behavior, Donnie's think through process in everything, a fight or spar now and then with Raph, and a meditation session with Master Splinter. Dear god, I care again. I jump to the next roof, leaning against a wall that overlooked the alley.
Leonardo. And then there's Leonardo. A cold shoulder here, a glare from across the room there. It was mutual feelings between the two of us, and I wanted his head on a pike when he asked me to leave. But I got why he did it. He was protecting his family. I would have done the same. It must have been hard, going against every instinct for your family, to let a murderer into your home.
I jumped down the building, rolling to catch my landing. I stared down the alley, looking at a wall with dried blood. It was flaking, months old. But the emblem was obvious. Two large S's next to each other, written in the victim's blood.
I was being sympathetic. Why was I thinking about it so much? That was months ago, and this is now. Now I had to worry about where my next meal was. Leonardo could go curdle milk for all I care. I looked at my mask in my hand, then back at the emblem. I had a job to do, so why was I-
A slashing force ripped across my back, searing pain erupting from it. I dropped the mask, catching my fall with my hands and knees. Another flash of pain went through my upper back, my skin crumbling in on its self. I had a laceration down my back. Someone managed to sneak up behind me, and cut me.
My arms buckled and I fell on my side, looking up at the attacker. It was too dark to see, but they were holding something sharp. A sword perhaps. Another flash of pain. I cringed, closing my eyes to ward off the pain, if only a little. Foot steps walked up to me, and someone grabbed my jaw.
"Long live SS." He hissed. My head hit the ground, and I stayed there, trying to figure out the best move. I had a laceration down my back, and my attacker still had his weapon. But he was walking away. I was going to be left. If I could call out, maybe I could find someone to help.
But this is bloody New York City, not many are going to look out their window and call the police about someone else dying. It happens too often for many to care.
My black outfit was getting wet. Something warm and heavy crawling through the material. It reached my face, my cheeks being tickled by the warm liquid. I crack my eye open, looking down at blood. My blood. I haven't seen that much blood come out of my body before. I close my eyes again, hoping to survive, but not really thinking I will.
"Raph..."
July 18, 2007
"We bring you news unlike any before." I jerk up from my dosing position, smacking my hand on Donnie's face in the action.
"Hey! Watch it Raph!"
"Sorry! There's more news." Mikey came in behind us, a sandwich in his hands. Leo opened the door from the dojo, probably wondering why Donnie yelled at me. It didn't happen often, and when it did, I was usually in trouble for breaking something.
"What's going on?" Leo and Mikey asked, walking farther into the room. Leo had a sheen of sweat over his body, but his katanas were left in the dojo. That was good.
"Raph says something important is on." Donnie states, rubbing the side of his face. I smile sheepishly at him, looking at the screen. The picture next to his head was the emblem of SS, which made Leo sigh.
"What is with you and-"
"We have found SS." My blood ran cold. Mikey froze behind me, his smacking sounds suddenly gone. Donnie paused in his expectation of his jaw, and Leo stopped his complaint. "She, yes it has finally been clarified as she, was found in an alley, having fought a battle she couldn't win. We have footage of finding her, but the news is unallowed to produce this footage until released by the police. However I can tell you who she is, and the extent of her wounds."
He smiles, like today is the happiest moment of his life. He takes a deep breath, schooling his emotions. "SS has sustained a major wound running the length of her back." A picture popped up beside him. It was cleaned, any blood that was there washed off, but the wound was still gruesome. From her left shoulder down to her right hip was a laceration, stitches running through it. Donnie's mouth widened, and he murmured a number.
There was a heavy dose of antibiotics over the wound, but it still looked incredibly vicious. "That right there, was the only injury she sustained during the fight, but previous wounds state she hasn't been so lucky. Bullet wounds, knife wounds, and a pipe wound. This girl just didn't go down. Speaking of girl, we have her name." He sat straighter, shuffling the papers in front of him. "Her name is Elizabeth Lanier. A fifteen year old girl who was last seen in Indiana leaving the state. Before that she was seen in an orphanage back in Oregon, where she would have stayed until wounds healed." A picture of Liz, a twelve-year-old Liz, popped on the screen. She looked depressed, tired, sickly. Her eye was puffy, and her lip had been chewed on. Her left eye was covered with a white bandage, damp with tears. A second picture popped up, a version of her without the patch. Stitches lined her left eye, the angry red cut glaring at us, but this time she looked defeated. And defiant. Her jaw was set, her eyes hard and with bags under them. Her lip was still chewed, but it looked like she was more angry than nervous.
"She is to undergo evaluation when she wakes up, which will be later today her doctors tell us. We will give you more information then." He gives us a blinding smile, and the TV went on mute.
"Leo!" I growled, flipping over the couch. Leo stood up from his slouched position, his eyes tight. "Ya... ya idiotic bastard! How dare ya-"
"How dare I? I was doing what I thought was best for the family. How is it my fault she got hurt!" He shouts back. I point a finger, tightening my muscles so I don't spring on him.
"If you had let her stay, she wouldn' have gotten hurt. She wouldn' be in the custody of ta police! You know what they're goin' ta do ta her!" Leo takes a breath through his nose, but doesn't say anything. He just narrows his eyes at me. "They are going ta question her, every inch of her is goin' ta be looked at, and then she's goin' ta jail. And with the amount of people she has murdered, they aren't goin' ta care that she has saved twice as many."
"Raph-"
"No Leo. Ya listen ta me. Liz is a brave person. She is jus' like April, or Casey, or you. She does things differently because that was what she was taught. Imagine if Master Splinta had raised us ta kill instead of jus' hurt. We would have still had honor!" I shouted. Leo's eyes widened.
"Honor. You said she has honor?" He looks at the three of us. "You really believe she has honor?"
I look over my shoulder at Mikey and Don. Mikey gulps down a bite of food, taking a deep breath. I thought he would say something, but instead he held his breath and nodded his head. Don looked conflicted between Leo and I, and he shrugs. "She has saved more people than she has murdered. Leo, you don't have the cleanest slate either. You've gotten Shredder several times, and the Purple Dragons, and the Foot. We all have."
"Out of self-defense." Leo states. Donnie nods, agreeing with Leo.
"Exactly. That's what Liz is doing. She defending people who don't know how too. And she's stopping the people who are doing the hurting before they can do it again." Leo looks at Don, then me, then Mikey.
He finally slouches, taking a deep breath. "Okay, I get it guys. She's good...ish. But how are you going to find her? She's in the custody of who knows in a building who knows where." I blinked several times, not believing my ears.
"Ya agree with us?"
"...Yes. No. Yes I agree with you, but I don't like it." Leo states. "She's a killer, but she's a killer with honor. And I have to concede... So, how are we getting her back?"
"We wait for the news ta come back, and we learn where she is. Then we'll go and get her. Tonight."
0o0
"We are back with news on SS. While she has made an amazing recovery physically, there was a surprise upon her awakening." The four of us look up, our game of Uno pausing to see what was going on.
"Why does that not sound good?"
"Because Mikey, it isn't." Don responds.
"What do ya mean?" I ask.
"That cut wasn't normal. It was deep. She lost a lot of blood getting it."
"So somethin' is wrong with her?"
"I hope not."
"SS woke up earlier today at one o'clock. Her interrogation took place a little later, and the results are startling. Here, take a look."
The frowning news reporter queued the video. We appeared in a police investigation room, a sole body in it. The chair occupied had a small body, who was dressed in a hospital outfit. Over her left shoulder was a bandage, which she was rubbing at. Next to her was a bag, which held blood, connected to her arm. It was empty, so she must be good. The brunette looked up at the camera, Liz staring at us. But not Liz. She didn't have an air to her, she didn't look like she could murder someone. In fact, she looked more ready to cry then to pull out a knife.
An officer walked in, something steaming in his hands. Liz took the cup given, sipping on it slowly, still fingering the material on her shoulder.
"Alright, let's get this over with." The police officer said. "What's the last thing you remember?" Liz looked at the camera again, her eyes pleading.
"I was on a train headed to my grandmothers." She murmurs. We shouldn't have heard her, she talked so quietly, but we did. There must be a microphone nearby. "I heard a train whistle go off... but it wasn't mine. My m-mom pushed me into a seat and buckled me, telling me to stay there. She covered me, using her body to stop something. The other train. The l-last thing I remember was my brother on the ground..." Liz's eyes glistened, and she looked at the police officer head on. "There... there was... Blood flowing from his head. He was unconscious. Oh poor Timmy..." She let tears fall, and she abandoned her bandage to rub her eyes. "What happened?"
The police officer leaned forwards, grabbing Liz's hand. "Listen. I need you to be telling the truth. No lies in this investiga-"
"I'm not lying! Why would I... I just want to know what happened to my little brother." She whimpered. I felt the sudden urge to hug Mikey, and scooted an inch closer to him.
"She saw her brother die." Leo whispered, watching Liz closely. "She watched him die."
The officer looked up at the camera, and sighed heavily. "Elizabeth, my name is Eric, and I'm a police officer of New York City." Liz looked at him, frowning.
"Why is someone from New York in Oregon?" She asked. The officer cursed, making Liz jump. He stood up, walking to the door. Liz curled in on herself, bringing her legs up. She cringed when it pulled at her stitches, and folded her legs under her. The officer looked through the glass window, listening to something in his earpiece. I could see his jaw tighten, and he took a deep breath.
"Eli, may I call you that?" He asked. She nods, watching him. "I'm not in Oregon. You're in New York City." Liz remains silent, knowing that the police officer, Eric, had more to say.
"And you're in jail for murdering 300 people in New York City alone." Liz moved so fast she was a blur. But the next moment she was standing up and on the other side of the table, staring at Eric with disbelief.
"I did what?" She asked, suddenly not so quiet. Eric raised a hand, saying calm down or I'll be forced to handcuff you. Liz didn't seem phased, she turned on her heel and leaned against the table.
"Where is my family?" She whispered. She looked back at Eric. "Where are they?"
"They're dead." Eric states.
"Can I see them?" She asked immediately. Eric paused. "Eric..."
"They've been dead for three years." Liz put her head on the table, crouching slowly. I noticed blood between her shoulder blades, the wounds opened from her movement.
"Who?" She asked.
"A man by the name Antonio. He's been dead for two years though." Liz sighs, standing up. She looks at the needle in her arm, and pauses. She twists her arm around, staring at her wrist, then pulls her sleeve up.
"Do I have... Is that... Was I shot?" She asked, showing Eric her arm. He didn't look at it, but he did nod.
"We don't know when, but it must have been several months ago." She looks at her arm, scratching the scar violently with her nails. "Hey hey! Don't do that." Eric crossed the room, grabbing her arms.
"This isn't a ruse then. My family is actually dead?" She asked.
"That's how she was keeping it in. She thought it was all a prank." Don murmurs, eyes on the TV like glue on paper.
"Yes." Eric said.
"I'm in New York City?"
"Yes."
"And I've been convicted of murdering 300 people?" She asked, her voice very faint.
"Yes. You have a sentence of life in prison. It would have been death penalty, but you're still a minor." Eric says. Liz looks at the camera again, and then it goes back to the news castor.
"Elizabeth Lanier has been diagnosed with amnesia, multiple tests concluding she does in fact have no memory of the last three years. You can say she took it quite well, but after the camera cut out, she fainted. She is held in New York City's police station until they can arrange her cell at a prison in New York. For safety reasons, that information has not been disclosed." He smiles faintly. "It appears, the justice job has now been placed on Night Watcher's shoulders, as SS is now facing prison for life."
July 19, 2007 12:34 A.M.
"And as you can see, the vibrations allow for a better flow of energy through your arms-"
"We interrupt this broadcast for important news. SS has been stolen from her cell." I sit up, looking at the clock. We weren't due to leave for another twenty minutes, so who could have gotten Liz?
"Raph, Leo! Something came up." I shout turning around to find them. Both of them came out of the dojo, looking at the TV. I look back at the screen, my mouth dropping.
A cell, supposedly Liz's, had a gaping hole in the back of it, and Liz wasn't there. But the signs of struggle were obvious. There was blood on the floor and the bed was destroyed, sheets ripped, and bed upturned. " 'SS was taken unwillingly', police say, 'and was wounded in the process.' This doesn't look so good for SS, especially now that we know who she is. But I think the real question is, Where is SS now?"
I clicked the TV off, looking up at Leo and Raph. Raph leaned against the couch, taking a deep breath through his nose. Leo looked startled, his head turned sideways in thought. "Well, what now?" I asked.
"Plan B." Leo states.
"Which is what, exactly?" I asked. Leo and Raph looked at each other.
"We don't know."
