Chapter 11:
"He attacked me on the dance floor," Zoe answered, sneering at the man on the ground. "Somebody took him out while he had me out here."
"But not Raph," Leo nudged his student with his toe.
"No, Aries found me. Can I kick his ass now?"
"No," Leo said firmly, but his face softened when he looked up and saw that Zoe was not in a fighting stance. "We need to find out why he did it."
"Really?" Karai asked. "You figured that out all by yourself?"
"Not now, Karai," Leo muttered.
"Are we just gonna wait for him to wake up?" April asked, coming to stand next to Donnie.
There was a moment of silence as the group looked down at the unconscious ninjitsu student.
"Oh, this is dumb," Medusa said, darting toward the man on the ground. The three turtles started, as if ready to draw their weapons, but the snake had already wrapped herself around him, picked him up, and was heading down the alley away from the street. "All of you always think that I'm going to eat people," she said, her voice having a hissy edge that indicated her growing annoyance. "When was the last time I ate someone?"
The group looked at each other, then back at their sister's retreating form.
"Exactly," she answered.
"Where are you going?" Leo asked, running up to her, his voice sounding young in his demand as he came back to his senses.
"To take him in for questioning," Medusa said simply.
"To the police?"
"No," she let out a hiss.
"We can't take him to the dojo," Leo insisted.
"I'm not taking him to the dojo," she said. "I have someplace better."
"You ate a dog about four months ago," Mikey called as he helped Denim down the alley.
"Now's not a good time, Mikey," Donnie said in his ear.
TOSOTCTOSOTC
Sean Hennesy was awoken by the worst ache in his crotch he had ever felt. Even worse than that time when he slipped off his bike pedals in the 7th grade. Before his eyes registered anything, his ears picked up someone retching.
"I gotta fill the water bottle up again, Blue Jeans," he heard someone say. "You just stay here with Karai, OK?"
The person who was obviously Blue Jeans moaned.
"Oh look," a grizzly voice brought Sean's attention in front of him. A large brown face, a dog, no a bear, was staring at him. "Sleeping beauty is awake." The mutant stretched his soft muzzle into a wide smile, and it looked to Sean like something out of a video game before a hunter is eaten and the screen flashes 'YOU LOSE'.
"Where am I?" Sean demanded.
"What, you don't have eyes in your head?" the bear asked, looking about them.
Sean followed the bear's cue, and saw he was in a warehouse, only it was clean, and furnished, like someone was living, or had lived, there.
"Can I kick his ass now?" Zoe came into view, glaring daggers at him.
"No," Leo appeared at the other side of the bear's face. "He needs to answer some questions."
TSOTC
Zoe huffed, pacing back and forth behind Leo. Now that the jerkwad was awake she wanted to knock him out again. How had he gotten one in on her? She couldn't take her eyes off the asshole, the cat in her unwilling to retract its claws.
"Zoe," Leo whispered, keeping his eyes on dipshit. He sighed. "April, do you mind taking Zoe outside?"
"Like hell!" Zoe argued before April could respond.
"Zoe," Leo repeated.
Then April tried to reel her in, "Zoe, you're totally on the verge of going full cat on this guy and we need-"
Zoe's jaw shifted, the growl in her chest rising up into her throat. Maybe it was cat pride, maybe it was that she hadn't gotten the chance to hurt the guy, maybe it was both, but it was all fixable if Leo would just get out of the way.
Asshat looked around the room, his eyes meeting hers. His brow furrowed. "But you're human, you look human."
Zoe let out a hiss and lunged for him. "I'll show you human!"
Leo was so damn fast, had her in a hold that pinned her to him, her arms near wrapped around herself. He looked down at her, shook his head. "We need answers. This is not helping and if you can't reel it in, you're leaving."
Zoe looked over his shoulder, where dumbass actually considered moving from his spot on the floor. Medusa slithered closer and Arcos gave a slight shake of his head.
"Don't even think about it," the great bear warned.
The human sack-of-shit surveyed the room again, his gaze settling on Denim. "What'd you do to her?"
Karai held Denim's hair in one hand while the girl retched over a trash can. The kunoichi glared at him. "Fuck you. We'll ask the questions."
TSOTC
Denim didn't think she had anything left to throw up as Mikey traded places with Karai, his cool fingers brushing her hair away from her face. She whimpered, exhausted and slumped against him. Was it normal to be this sick? He offered her a refilled water bottle but she shook her head and pushed it away. "I think it's just giving me more to throw up."
TSOTCTSOTC
Sappho listened as the serpentine mutant called someone, named Arcos to pick her up at the corner on the other side of the block. She considered following, knowing that the downed man was a problematic loose end. But she couldn't see how to get him away from his captor and did not want to engage her in battle if it could at all be avoided.
The others were returning to a pair of vehicles parked out front. The one she identified as Donatello Hamato took April O'Neil, the drunk woman and the freckled turtle in a car that while appearing normal on the surface had definitely undergone some customization. She doubted that it was street legal.
The remaining turtle and women piled into a junker that she'd guess had been soldered back together from junkyard parts. Between the two options, she chose to follow her targets, although she suspected they would be converging on the same location.
As she watched them, her handler identified the vehicles via satellite. Tailing them would be too risky. Waiting until they took off, she jumped off the rooftop, landing in a crouch as her metal endoskeleton absorbed the impact.
Her bike was parked close by. Slipping on the helmet, she waited for the virtual map to overlay the screen of her visor, indicating the route her targets were taking. She could track them without needing to get close enough to be spotted. Careful not to take a different combination of streets, she worked her way towards what turned out to be an abandoned warehouse. The location was noted in her dossier as she parked a good distance back.
Stalking up to the building, she stacked a few empty crates under one of the open windows, in the hopes of hearing and seeing the situation. Everyone was presented and accounted for, with the addition of a large bear mutant. The moment she caught sight of him, she paused.
Headlights in the dark. Coming fast. Heart racing. Warm fur all around. Rolling. Safe.
She shook her head. What was that? It didn't matter. She needed to focus. The man was awake now and could potentially identify her. That was a problem. One without an obvious solution at the moment. The hybrid looked about to kill him. Maybe she should would lose control and do it. One problem neatly solved. No such luck so far though.
She listened closely, trying to pick up threads of the interrogation.
"Fuck you. We'll ask the questions."
Well that was promising. Maybe the guy would actually keep his trap shut. She'd have to wait and see.
TSOTCTSOTC
Battered and bruised, but oddly satisfied, Raph stalked back towards the alley. That had been the best fight in ages and he'd really needed to blow off some steam. He didn't often get to cut loose, but the level of mayhem had given him license not to hold back. What a brawl. It had even caused enough damage that the police had been notified and La Vida Loca was closing early tonight as result. He'd just have to answer a few questions, then he'd be free to deal with his real concern.
Pushing the door open, he glared into the empty alley, his upturn in mood completely evaporating. "Shit!"
He angrily punched Leo's speed dial as he paced the alley. How could everyone just take off without telling him? What the shell? As he stalked back and forth, something glinted on the ground and he stooped to investigate. A fake nail. Blue. Right where Leo's prodigal student had fallen. Hoping that it wasn't some random trash or, even worse, a souvenir from one of Aries's assignations, he picked it up and tucked it into his belt. Maybe Donnie could do some science-creeper magic on it, to find the owner and whether or not she, he really hoped it was a she, had anything to do with tonight's incident.
Leo picked up. "Raph, now isn't the best time."
"Where the fuck is everyone?" He could almost see Leo pulling the phone away from his head.
"We're at the old warehouse to question my 'student' in relative privacy."
He could hear Zoe's rumbling growl in the background and itched to be there with her.
"Raph, I really need to go..." Click.
He stared at the 'call ended' announcement on his phone screen. "Leo? Leo! Dammit!"
The door opened behind him and Aries poked his head through. "Why do you keep disappearing?"
Raph scowled. "Cover for me. I've got to go."
Aries caught him. "Arcos filled me in. At least someone remembers to keep me in the loop."
"Fine. Come along then." He tried to leave, but Aries stopped him again.
"You still need to give your statement to the police. Get your shell back inside. Then we will go."
Grinding his teeth in frustration, Raph followed Aries back inside.
TSOTCTSOTC
Mikey frowned as Denim turned away from the offered water bottle.
"I think it's just giving me more to throw up."
Releasing a low whine, he looked up imploringly at Donnie and April who watched in concern.
Donnie crouched beside him. "Dehydration is really the biggest problem in causing hangovers. Although given how sick she is, so soon after drinking, I'm more inclined to blame alcohol poisoning."
Mikey gasped. "She's been poisoned?"
Donnie groaned and rubbed his temples. "No, it's...why don't you just take her to the hospital? An IV would probably do her some good and maybe they can give her some anti-nausea meds. We can handle things here."
He started to nod as Denim struggled to right herself. "No. ER...expensive...can't afford..."
Donnie placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll help out. That's what family is for. Go."
Mikey sighed in relief as he felt Denim relax against him in acquiescence. Whether it was from actual agreement or being too sick to argue, he didn't know, but he wanted her better. Now.
Donnie reluctantly held out his keys. "Drive carefully and don't rush. Jostling her will probably be worse than taking too long getting there."
Mikey managed a strained smile as he accepted the keys. "Thanks, D."
TSOTCTSOTC
Sean tried to lean back as Arcos, that's what they'd called the big bear, made a show of smelling him. "Get away from me," Sean grimaced.
Arcos shook his head. "No," he replied.
Leo pulled up an old chrome legged chair and sat down in it across from the, now, only human in the room. "Jeff," he said to his student. "What's going on?"
"His name isn't Jeff," Karai spat from across the room.
Leo pointedly ignored her. "Whatever your name is," Leo amended. "What's going on?"
Sean glared at him. "I'm not telling you anything."
"I've been your sensei for how long now? Two years?" Leo asked.
"Two and a half," Karai informed him.
"Two and half years," Leo continued. "Why did you attack Zoe?"
"I didn't attack her," he said.
Arcos growled, his calm demeanor gone. He stood up, towering over the little man. "You were saving her," he said in a disgusted voice.
"Saving me from what?" Zoe made toward him again.
Leo held up his hand, praying that Zoe would stop moving. She did, and he hid his sigh of relief. This was already crazy, he didn't need it to get any crazier.
"Where is he?" Raph asked, his stocky frame emerging from the dim light of the stairwell.
"Where's Aries?" Medusa asked.
"He's downstairs talking to Mikey and Denim," Raph replied, his eyes on Sean. "Listen you sack of shit-"
"Enough!" Leo yelled. He turned back to Sean, his dark blue eyes clouded with impatience. "I'm getting tired of all of this. Jeff, whatever your name is, what the shell is going on?"
"He was trying save Zoe from her mutant lover," Arcos said, his voice tinged with bitterness.
"He was trying what?" Raph was at him now, scowling.
"She looked human," Arcos growled. "Right, Jeff?"
"His name's not Jeff," Karai was now at Leo's side.
Sean's eyes went wide, and Leo did not have to look at his mate to know that she was partially transformed into a snake.
"What's your name?" Raph demanded.
"Fuck you!" Sean spat.
"I'll fuck you up, alright!" Zoe pounced at him, but Raph held her. His arms were tight at first, but when he felt that she wasn't struggling much, he softened his grip.
"Swearing at people isn't going to get them to talk," Donnie interjected from the background.
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Medusa swept in, so quick, again, that she was only a blur. The movement set Karai off, she completed her transformation into a serpent, but not before the boa had Sean in her coils and had begun to tighten them. "What is this all about, Cupcake?" Her head hovered above his threateningly as Karai hissed.
Sean's face began to turn red.
"He can't answer if he can't breathe, Medusa," April said.
TSOTCTSOTC
"You still feeling bad?" Aries asked Denim as Mikey led her to the car.
Denim moaned, burying her face in Mikey's shirt.
"D' wants me to take her to the hospital. So that's where we're headed," Mikey answered.
"Keep us posted. Hope you feel better, Denim," Aries said.
Mikey opened the passenger door, guiding her inside. He buckled her seat belt and she curled into a ball around it. Surely she'd thrown up every bit of alcohol she'd had, her last two retching's had produced nothing more than the water she'd drank. She shivered and tugged on the hem of the dress, sure that her thong was on display.
They were on the road a few minutes before he said anything. He kept glancing at her then the road. "M'sorry you're so sick, Blue Jeans, especially since you look so hot in that dress."
She heard a rustling sound then a coat was placed over her goosebump covered body. "Don't feel hot," she mumbled, "I'm freezinnn, and nauseous, and I wan' go home."
Her stomach rolled and her heart began pounding hard. Oh no…
"You're beautiful even when you're sick. But can you maybe wear it again sometime? Ya know, when you're not uh-"
Denim unbuckled her seat belt and sat up, looking frantically for a place to throw up. "Mikey-"
His eyes shifted from where her butt would've been sticking out, up to her face. "Are you gonna get sick again?"
He stopped the car and she jumped out, staggering onto the sidewalk. She just made it to the darkness of an alley where she dropped to her knees and lost it. Again.
TSOTCTSOTC
"Medusa," Leo tried to keep a calm tone to his voice, "let him breathe."
Medusa exhaled, her body relaxing but she didn't unwind, seemed ready to flex if needed. Leo cleared his throat, a smirk forming on the corners of his mouth. "You're not going anywhere, so let's talk." He motioned to Medusa but kept his eyes on his rogue student, "We can do this the easy way, or my sister can flex her muscles and-" he shrugged.
Medusa squeezed and Sean's face began to resemble a beet. Leo waved at her again and she released.
His student coughed, the color draining from his face.
"Name?" Leo asked again.
"Dead meat, that's his name." Raph grumbled still holding Zoe.
Arcos sniffed the guy again then snorted. Jeff or not Jeff's hair blew back. The man blinked but said nothing.
"Sssssshe can pop your head clean off your shoulderssssss," Karai hissed.
"Name," Leo repeated.
Medusa slowly began to tighten around the man again when he gasped, "Don't! My name's Sean."
Leo sat up straight. "Why'd you attack my sister?"
"Or try to save her," Arcos growled.
Sean huffed. "Sister?" He looked at Zoe, who was making a noise that Leo was sure she wasn't aware of. She was often oblivious to her cat traits until one of them reminded her. Sean's lip curled. "I thought she was human. I don't know what she is now, making all that damn noise."
Zoe hissed and jerked in Raph's arms.
Sean laughed and Medusa squeezed him, cutting off the sound.
"What'd I miss?" Aries appeared in Leo's peripheral.
This wasn't an ideal interrogation situation, too many variables. "Medusa," Leo said.
She relaxed her body again.
Sean gasped, his coughing fit lasting longer.
"If you've got a problem with my family," Leo began, "what have you been doing at our dojo for the past two and half years?"
TSOTC
April watched the interrogation progress as her family struggled to unite contradictory information gathering techniques. At least they had his name now, not that Sean was much more helpful than Jeff. But she'd seen Donnie work wonders with less to go on.
They'd transitioned off of subtle and not so subtle threats of violence back to Leo's mask of earnest questioning, though she could feel the fury boiling just beneath his iron clad control. Teachers of martial arts did not lightly entrust the art. Leo was reeling both from the betrayal as well as his inability to detect the duplicity before now.
"If you have a problem with my family, what have you been doing at our dojo for the past two and a half years?"
Sean sneered. "Bite me."
Karai slithered up, mere inches from his face, fangs extended and dripping.
"Thhhaaat caaan be arraaaanged. Though you miiiight not liiiiike the taaaassssste of my veeenooom." Her hiss made her words longer and more threatening.
Sean swallowed hard, clearly wishing he'd chosen a different taunt. His eyes flicked back and forth between Leo and Karai, before he threw an answer out. "To save them. The girls. We thought they were human. Didn't belong with you. Should have been sticking to their proper kind. Didn't know they were freaks too."
He grunted out the last word as Medusa tightened her coils. Zoe hissed and pulled against Raph's grip. Though he held her tight, he emitted his own low growl. Arcos snorted in derision while Donnie sighed and Aries rolled his eyes, clearly not seeing how a woman of any kind could not be meant for him. Karai lunged, but Leo caught and held her. Sean's distraction had worked perfectly. Almost.
April sauntered up and peered down at him, signaling Medusa to loosen ever so slightly. "No. That was a personal indulgence. What's the real reason you joined?"
She pressed into his mind as she asked, grasping at whatever drifted to the surface first, a violation she rarely attempted and viewed with distaste. But they had to know. "Mission. Spy. Study our fighting style. Counter it. Use it against us." She released with a breath.
His eyes narrowed at her. "What are you?"
No one answered him.
Leo looked at him with undisguised hostility now. "Who? Who are you spying for?"
Sean clamped his mouth shut. Leo glanced at April, but she shook her head. He'd been on his guard this time and she was spent from her initial intrusion. Leo's features formed into a hard line of determination as this quickly upgraded to an organized attack against his family.
He released Karai. "The slow venom."
Sean's eyes shot wide as the snake heads where her hands should be clamped down on his forearms.
Immediately, a sheen of sweat broke out across his brow. His skin picked up a green tint, and he grunt in pain. Leo leaned in threateningly. "It's a bad way to go. Only we have the anti-venom. Who sent you?"
Sean cracked. "Americans for Humanity. Please. The cure."