A/N: I know, I know, I promised answers as to what's going on for this chapter, but my plot bunny had other ideas. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: See chapter 1.
Chapter 9-Falling Deeper
The servant girl moved around the table, pouring hot tea into porcelain cups with shaky hands. Once she had finished with the tea she quickly removed the covers from the plates of food before the two turtles, Master Saki, and Mistress Karai. Saki waved his hand once, dismissing the girl.
Leonardo and Raphael watched the servant girl bow, then quickly retreat from the room. The two brothers shared a quick glance before staring down at the food in front of them. Rice, fish, and vegetables. Raphael tentatively picked up his chopsticks and took a deep breath. What he wouldn't give for a slice of pizza right now. But the black clad ninja couldn't recall ever seeing anyone inside Foot Headquarters eating a slice of pizza.
Seated next to his younger brother, Leonardo swallowed once before maneuvering the chopsticks in his fingers. The sword wielder wasn't sure if it was the meal in front of him, or the tense atmosphere in the room that was making him uneasy.
"Leonardo, Raphael, there are things that you need to know. There is a force. A corrupt and evil force that is out there right now working its insidious tentacles into every aspect of our world. It is an organization devoted to obtaining power through crime, political manipulation, corruption on a global level."
Leo paused with his food in mid-air. "Whoa."
"Unfortunately, the only thing standing against this evil force is me and my humble army of Foot ninja. We stand alone against them, as my master did, and my master before him did. It has been my destiny to fight for the side of good."
Saki's words caused the two turtles to stop eating. "The links that the Foot Clan has formed with the underworld, the stealing, even the killing, all of it is to make the clan stronger, so that we can rise up against the enemy."
Raphael growled. "Who is it? Where are they?"
Saki picked up his tea cup. "They call themselves the Utrom. They are an alien race that has hidden among humans for hundreds of years. Trying to infiltrate humanity with their advanced technology. Sources have informed me that they are in New York City. That's why we are here." The tea cup in Saki's grip shattered, causing everyone at the table to jump. "But they have continued to elude me."
The servant girl rushed into the room and immediately began cleaning up the mess.
"A number of years ago I tracked down one of the enemy's servants, a Guardian that went by the name Hamato Yoshi. The coward chose death, rather than standing up to fight. His successor is an old rat that calls himself Hamato Splinter. And his two students are the turtles that you ran into last night."
Raphael glanced at Leonardo, whose forehead had creased as he tried to process all of this new information.
Leo returned Raph's gaze. Everything Saki said felt familiar somehow, but there was something about it that just didn't seem right.
The sound of his name brought Raphael's attention back to his master.
"Raphael, what did they say to you last night?"
Tilting his head, Raph tried to sort through the confusion in his mind. "Umm, well. The masked vigilante called himself Casey Jones. He acted as if he knew me. Said the two of us were best friends or something."
Saki nodded. "And the turtles?"
"Well that was the weird thing. Casey insisted that all of us were brothers. Leo included. But the two turtles acted like they didn't know me either."
"I see."
Leo's black clad eyes looked up from his plate. "Master Shredder, I mean no disrespect, but is it possible that there is a traitor among the Foot? Is someone trying to take you down from the inside? I mean, how else could this human even know that Raph and I exist otherwise? And what purpose would it serve to try to convince my brother that the two of them are friends?"
Saki gazed upon the young turtle. Leonardo was clever, smart, and apparently quite the strategist as well. Ch'rell smiled inside his exosuit. Oh yes, he had chosen well.
"Leonardo, one of the many traits in a ninja's arsenal is the art of deception. Do not allow yourself to become mislead. Clearly the human vigilante is working for the enemy." Saki read Leonardo's body language as he watched the young turtle tense up at the thought of someone targeting his brother while he was out alone. "Last night's encounter was nothing more than a bunch of lies. Cornering Raphael alone, three to one, that is the act of a coward."
Saki's eyes turned cold. "From now on, when you are not part of a group mission, the two of you are confined to Foot Headquarters."
"What?"
"But Master Shredder!"
Saki raised his hand causing the two protesting turtles to immediately fall silent. "The enemy is very dangerous. And must be stopped."
The Japanese businessman rose from his seat as he continued talking. "I will not allow that rat master and his two turtles to harm any of my Foot Ninja." Saki walked around the table, placing a firm hand on each turtle's shoulder. "Especially not my two honored sons."
Karai earned an evil glare from her father as she began choking on her tea. The servant girl rushed in and refilled Karai's glass with water. The black haired kunoichi quickly composed herself.
Two honored sons, has her father gone mad?
Michelangelo nibbled on the end of a pizza crust as he watched Donatello pace back and forth in front of him.
"Dude sit down. You're gonna wear a hole in the floor."
Donatello ignored his younger brother as he continued to pace. Something about this situation didn't sit right with the genius turtle. "He was real Mikey."
"Yeah bro, I know. I was there remember?"
"And he didn't know who we were either."
Mikey raised an eye ridge. Why was his brother repeating what happened last night? Didn't he just tell Donnie he was there too? Mikey's orange clad eyes followed his brother. If he didn't calm Donatello down somehow, he'd never get to play his video games.
"Yeah bro. He didn't know us either. It's like we've all had our minds hijacked or something. Oh, or some weird voodoo mojo that's wiped our minds clean." Mikey waved his hands around as his imagination continued to race. "Oh or a magic spell." Michelangelo lowered his voice, doing his best game show host impersonation. "Watch as four mutant ninja turtles suddenly experience the impossible, the loss of precious memories of their 3 brothers and a sister."
Having stopped in his tracks Donatello's purple clad eyes narrowed at his brother. Mikey held up his hands. "Easy bro, it was just a joke. 4 brothers, it's 4 brothers. Sheesh!"
Donatello ignored Mikey's subtle jab to Raphael's mistake from last night. And besides purple was most certainly a manly color, after all it was the color of royalty, and that included kings! But something about what Mikey said toyed with Donatello's mind. Magic.
Michelangelo recognized the look on his brother's face. "What is it Donnie?"
"I wonder if." Donatello raced up to the bedrooms on the second floor with Mikey right behind him.
Pushing open the door Donatello glanced around the room. It looked like a simple room. Slowly walking around Donnie carefully surveyed the area, looking for any clues he could find.
Mikey glanced over Donnie's shoulder. "What are you looking for?"
"I don't really know. Anything that looks out of the ordinary, I suppose."
Already bored, Mikey's gaze fell upon the bed. "Well I know one thing that this room needs." The orange clad turtle took two steps forward, ready to leap onto the bed when he yelped in pain.
"Ouch!"
Instead of landing on the soft mattress, Mikey ungraciously fell onto the floor clutching his throbbing toe. "Ow, ow, ow."
"What is it Mikey?" Donatello kneeled down immediately checking out the wounded area.
"My toe. I stubbed my toe on something."
Donatello looked around. "There's nothing on the floor Mikey."
"Tell that to my pinky toe!"
After ensuring there was no serious damage, Donatello began fanning his hands back and forth along the floor, slowly moving across the room. Suddenly his hand stopped, hitting something cold and hard.
"What the shell?"
Moving his hand back, Donatello carefully fingered the object that he couldn't see, but that he could feel.
"I think I've found something."
"What is it bro?"
After a few seconds of careful searching Donatello titled his head to the side.
"I think it's a dumbbell."
Mikey shot his brother a concerned look. There's nothing on the floor. Was Donnie losing his mind?
Certain that he was right, Donatello grabbed the dumbbell that he could not see and walked towards his brother.
Mikey watched Donatello walk towards him as if he held something in his hand. But his fingers looked like they were holding thin air.
"Umm dude, there's nothing there."
"Open your hand Mikey."
Following the order Mikey opened his hand. Donatello placed something cold, hard, and heavy into his waiting palm. The young turtle fingered the object for a moment before shouting out.
"Dude you're right. It really is a dumbbell!"
A/N: Coming up in the next chapter, answers, I Leo plushie promise (which means if I don't reveal more of what's going on in the next chapter I loose my Leo plushie. *gasps in horror* Well that's certainly not going to happen). And to those who have reviewed, THANK YOU! Your reviews let me know that you are enjoying this fic and it's absolutely why I am continuing to work on this story.
