FF: Hello my wonderful reviewers! OMGOODNESS! 50 reviews? *tears up* sniff, I feel so loved! )X3
FF: Anywho, I'm feeling generous so here's a chappy that has a good cliffy!
(Edited 12/26/14-12/29/14)
Lyska froze, silvery blue eyes widening and her mouth opening slightly. Then, it was as if a switch was flipped. Her eyes narrowed dangerously and her lips pressed into a thin line, her expression stormy. Actually, it was more like a hurricane, but let's just call it stormy.
Gently, she released her sibling and stalked towards the purple banded turtle. "Where is it?" She asked lowly.
He pointed to her sweatshirt. "It's still there inside the hood. It looks like it was sewn in." He explained, watching as the blonde crossed to the clothing and picked it up, turning it this way and that as she searched for the tiny chip.
When she found it, she carefully worked it free with her nails and held it up. She scrutinized the 1 inch square piece of metal, anger clear on her face. "This is the tracker?" She asked, voice still low and dark.
"Yes."
Her eyes flashed and, dropping it into her right palm, she crushed it, her entire limb vibrating with the effort she put into the action. "When I find," She hissed darkly, "whoever was tracking me, I will cut open their stomach, choke them with their small intestine, and do many unspeakable things to them..."
"Um, sis?" Liza hesitantly broke in, grimacing a little when the elder girl's gaze switched to her. "We would've kinda needed the tracker, uh, uncrushed to figure that out."
The blonde looked back at her clenched fist and tightened her grip on it. "Curses..." She growled, her other hand forming into a fist as well. Then, her head snapped up. "Sis, you know how I said I felt like I was maneuvered here?"
The brunette's eyes widened. "That could've been the person who was tracking you! How else would you have been found?" She gasped, worry and fear sparking to life inside her chest.
"What? Maneuvered?" Leo tried to ask, but he was ignored by the two girls.
"But why?" Lyska pressed, pacing like a caged tiger, her fist still gripping the crushed tracker. "Why would they want to track me? What's so important about me? And why bring me here? What's special about here?"
"The awesome pizza delivery service?" Mikey offered, smiling cheerily in an attempt to break the tense atmosphere. He received a glare from Lyska for his efforts and a comforting pat from Donny.
"...me."
"What?" The blonde turned back to the younger female.
"Me." Liza repeated, louder this time, eyes wide in realization. "I'm here. They're here!" She pointed to the brothers.
"Care to explain?" Raph looked between the two girls, wondering at the line of thought.
"Think about it!" The brunette insisted, tone urgent. "Lyska was brought here, to New York. I'm in New York. I know you guys! What if this someone tracking her wanted her to find me, and, through me, you? What if the tracker wasn't just for Lyska? What if it was to find you?"
Utter silence as everyone stared at her, stunned by the idea.
"That...is rather convoluted." Lyska noted, blinking as she slowly absorbed the new information.
"But it makes sense!" Donny suddenly jerked upright, eyes snapping open. "Shredder! He's gone to insane lengths before, why not this?"
"But that plan has such a slim chance of succeeding!" Leo pointed out.
"It worked, didn't it?" The purple banded ninja countered. "She's met us, hasn't she?"
Silence again. He was right. It had worked- partially at least. It was hard to repress a shudder at the idea that, had it worked entirely, their home would've been invaded by that wicked creature.
The tense quiet was shattered by Lyska's sudden outburst. "Wait a second! How'd you know about that tracker?! I left my sweatshirt on my bed!"
"Uh..."
"Did you go through my stuff?!" The blonde seemed to swell in rage. THAT was why something felt off- everything was positioned differently!
"I felt the same way when Raph went through my sketchbook. Without my permission." Liza added, sending the red clad turtle a mock-angry look.
"You guys have privacy issues!" The elder girl hissed, nearly snarling as she marched over to her makeshift bed, her sweatshirt thrown violently on top.
"What're you doing?" Donny asked, watching as she began folding the sheets into tight little squares and stuffing them into compartments on her backpack.
"Watering daisies." She responded acidly, giving him a glare before turning back to her packing. "This 'Shredder' was tracking me and I just destroyed the tracker. He could pop up at any time now and I'm not waiting around for him to find me."
Liza tentatively touched her sibling's shoulder. "But where will you go? He probably has spies everywhere!"
The cold look in Lyska's eyes frosted over even more. "I'll figure something out. And even if he does find me, I am NOT going down without a fight." She spat out, repulsed by the idea of being hunted.
The brunette bit her lip, struggling to hold back the panic and frantic worried that fought to escape in a flurry of questions. Her stomach coiled itself into knots as she suddenly pulled out her phone and, once gaining her sister's attention, pressed the device into her hand. "Use this to call me if ANYTHING happens, okay? Donny's already modified it so it can't be tracked or anything."
The older of the two blinked down at it, looking strangely conflicted. "I don't know the number." She mumbled, half turning to grab another item to stuff into her pack.
"Here." Liza took the phone back, pressed a few buttons, typed something, then gave it back. "Now it's on the main page and you can delete it by pressing the 'X' on the corner. Please, sis, please call me."
The red-tipped blonde hesitated a moment, then sighed and shoved the phone into a pocket on her backpack. "I'll try sis. That's the best I can do."
The younger girl hugged her, shoulders sagging in relief. "Thank you..."
Six minutes later, Liza watched from a nearby rooftop as Lyska trotted in the opposite direction, everything in her backpack and ready to go. The brunette's gaze was dim with misery, feeling like her heart was being torn in two.
She wanted nothing more than to hold her sibling close and never let her out of her sight, but it wasn't her choice. Lyska had to get on the move, or else she might be found by the Shredder- and she wasn't interested in going with the boys.
It didn't make it any easier though.
As if sensing her gaze, the elder girl turned and, after a slight pause, waved. Liza numbly waved back, emotionally and physically drained.
"Hey," Mikey came over behind her, one hand reaching out to gently hold her shoulder as they both watched her sibling disappear into a network of alleyways. "You okay, Liza?" His voice was soft, worried.
The young woman half turned to him, her face tilted down. "I just want to go home." She whispered, sounding broken.
Refusing to look up, she relied on her hearing. She picked up a few hushed voices, then footsteps. She was too drained to care, too drained to even yelp or twitch in surprise when Raph scooped her into his arms princess style.
"I'll carry ya." He stated, cradling her with a gentleness that belied his gruff appearance.
She didn't respond, her eyes closed as she pressed against him, one hand clutching her throbbing heart.
Tomorrow would be better. Hopefully.
Early Monday morning...
Liza slept fitfully, tossing and turning. She opened sleep-deprived eyes and gazed blankly at the clock. 3:28 AM.
It had been four days since she'd found her sibling again. They'd met up in the park, far away from other people, and talked for hours. It had been a little confusing and hesitant at first, neither used to the changes the other went through, but after the first few hours that changed and everything went much smoother. To ease Liza's worries,Lyska showed her that the phone was charged, functional, and easily operated by the blonde.
Despite having the phone with her, meeting together the past few days, and the knowledge that Lyska found another place to stay, Liza slept badly, her dreams tainted with fear and worry. Often, she awoke gasping and reaching out in a panic before realizing that it was merely a dream. And that was when she COULD get to sleep.
She had even taken to carrying a house phone with her constantly, waiting nearly obsessively for her sister to call.
Of course, she'd only visited the brothers maybe once during the past few days, and she felt rather guilty about, what she called, 'ignoring' them. They reassured her that they understood, but she still made sure to bring extra treats and to be extra affectionate as both an apology and a thank you.
RIIII-
Liza dove upon the device and, after checking the number, she pressed the green button frantically. "Sis?" She asked, already worried.
"Hey. Did I wake you?" Her rough voice was...off. Something sounded wrong.
"No, I was already awake. Is everything okay?" The brunette sat up, her toy dog flopping off her stomach.
"Always the worrier..." Lyska chuckled breathily.
"Sis, what's wrong?" Her grip on the phone tightened, and her stomach felt like it was imploding from the stress.
"What makes you think-" The blonde laughed convincingly but was cut off.
"I'm your sister. I know you better than anyone." Her voice wavered as she spoke, hating the strain in her sibling's voice. "Now just tell me. Please."
"..."
Liza bit her lip, her mind jumping to conclusions and similar memories as Lyska didn't respond. Her face paled as she realized an incredibly possible reason, a horrible truth. "Lyska...?"
"Alright..." The elder girl sighed, pained eyes staring down in tired resignation. "I...might need some help..."
Her body slumped against the side of a building, hidden partially in shadows that did nothing to conceal the bruises and slashes on her skin. Her arm trembled at the strain of holding up the phone, making her force down a cry of pain. She pressed her lips together, ignoring the unnerving feeling of her blood dripping out of the corner of her mouth.
Lyska felt herself losing the battle in the fight to stay conscious, her eyes locked on the moonlight, reflected sickeningly off the scarlet drops that stained her skin.
"...a lot of help..." She breathed, the phone slipping from her grasp to hit the pavement below her.
FF: Is it weird that I write bloody scenes better than anything else?
((Edit/FF: Oh dear! Poor Lyska! What do you think happened to her?))