::Author's Note::
Trust us...all will be explained! For your reference a 'bale' is a group of turtles (ie flock for birds, school for fish, etc.).
Sing To Me Your Darkest Secrets
Part III
Chapter 1:
On a Losing Streak from the Very Start
"You said this was supposed to work!" Don's words hit the air before Leo could say the same exact thing he'd been thinking. There was a note of panic in his voice, so very uncharacteristic for the tech savvy turtle. That was just it - this was a mechanism he knew so little about and now, he was pretty sure, his lack of knowledge was their downfall. It meant placing trust on people that perhaps weren't any more knowledgeable than he was.
In fact there was panic all around that made the air thick with worry and unspoken fears. It wasn't helping the situation that Don sputtered out his fears which everyone else was already feeling the second that things went wrong.
Raph was laying on the couch, his head lopped off to the side and Joey had been standing some feet away. She was watching as Payton administered an antidote for his curse, based on the theory that her blood would cure him. The antidote had been developed by Don and Ash by theoretical and ancient magic volumes, the two of them pouring over them in the last days just to be certain this would work. Payton had put it together with his skill as a healer and his seal of approval on it, ensuring that this was the only way that could possibly rid Raph of Elisa's bind.
Shiki watched with curious eyes while Payton worked. The raven healer had not voiced any of his concerns at that time as he was sure his natural magic wouldn't be of service to Raph. In the last few days, Raph's curse was degenerating his health faster than they could keep up with after the excitement and adventure in Japan. The visiugo healer had assumed that his body had held on tight during the trip because of the sheer amount of adrenaline coursing through him for the whole of the trip. It had managed to squelch the effects of the curse, much like a man whose arm was chopped off could still fight despite the pain, simply because of adrenaline. Evie's help only lasted as long as Raph let it as she had instilled the concept of his conquering his ailments - it didn't take away the fact that, at the end of the day, Raph was still sick. When they returned to New York a few days after escaping the arena, Raph had crashed in rapid sickness once more.
They needed to work on the cure quickly. With a vile of Joey's blood and some of Payton's 'mojo' as Mikey had called it, they had the antidote in a matter of days. Or so they thought. The second the needle injected into Raph, his body heaved violently on the couch before he fell back, still unconscious. Joey, standing beside Leo, yet watching the red wearing turtle, dropped like a stone to the bottom of a river bed. No one even had time to catch her as she fell in a heap to the floor.
Leo was kneeling beside Joey as she unexpectedly and heavily sank into immediately unconsciousness. "What's going on? Joey...Joey, wake up! Why did this happen?" he looked up, summoning all of his strength and focus to remain patient. It was clear, however, in the darkness of his eyes that he was worried for the woman. He gathered Joey's head in his lap and stroked her hair smooth while Shiki had bustled over to Raph. The raven was peeling his eye lids back as Payton frantically worked on his vitals.
"I don't know. I just...don't know. It should have worked." Payton said sharply. His focus was on Raph, but he wasn't oblivious to the fact that Joey had gone down too. "Is she still breathing?"
The words gripped Leo and he wondered briefly if there was a chance she might suddenly stop. He clutched tighter to Joey's body, as if to make sure her breath wouldn't escape her as readily as Payton made it sound like it could. He didn't like the horrifying image of dead, empty Joey that such an implication placed in his brain. "Yes." He couldn't muster up more than a simple affirmation.
"That's good." It was Payton's only reply as he focused on Raph.
Leo was quiet for a moment, looking down to Joey as he watched her eyes flicker behind her eye lids. He didn't want to ask about Raph, he was truly afraid of Payton's answer and it was half of the reason why he didn't look up. He was certain he'd get the answer that way too, without words, and that would be just as bad.
"Is Raph okay?" He heard a soft whimper come from Mikey elsewhere, no doubt in response to the fearful answer to Leo's question.
"For now." Payton answered again and Leo squeezed his eyes shut tight, his breath shaky. This was their only shot...their only remedy and if it didn't work, what would? What if they had only made it worse...? But why? The logic behind it made sense even to Leo, he didn't understand why this was happening. He hoped Don could; at least one of them might find out some answers.
The old ratty couch was now Raph's home and bed. Joey had been moved next to him on a mat that was dragged out of Mikey's room so that the two healers could watch over them. It had taken them nearly two hours to decide that they were at a loss for what had gone wrong and why both Raph and Joey seemed stable but unable to be woken. It was simply beyond the scope of their combined medicine - something all its own.
Splinter was seated beside Mikey, his hands resting solemnly on his walking cane. He had his eyes focused in on his son, lying so still on the couch. "What does this mean for Raphael?" he asked, his eyes
flickering to the others throughout that room. "I had worries about them traveling to Japan, worry for your intentions with them and how that might effect Raphael's illness. I ask of you...only because I haven't answers myself. What will become of Raphael?"
"Kenshin's going to come for Raphael." Daichi said carefully as they all sat somberly in the open living room. "Or he will try."
Shiki's eyes went to his mate and he bowed his head. "What are you thinking, love?"
"I'm thinking that we don't have time for him to come. I'm thinking that this is beyond all of us. Donatello and Ashton are sure that their antidote was correct. Joey-shi was convinced that her blood would work just as well. What if the Naoyuki was wrong about what the ascot said? Or what if it wasn't as simple an antidote as we all previously thought. I'm under the belief that there was something more than what we all formerly assumed. I'm also fairly certain that it's beyond our understanding. I wish, Splinter-san, to see your son better but I am afraid we are all in over our heads. This magic is more than anything any of us can translate or even conceive. We should have considered, from the beginning, who-or what-Joey is. There is more magic in a finger nail on that woman's body than there is the entirety of ours combined. They don't need a doctor. They need a fae who can speak through magic."
"WHAT?" Donatello was flustered, seated on Splinter's other side. "I don't know anything about magic. Ash put together all the magical parts and I did the science. This should have worked! It should have, there was nothing wrong with it!" It took a lot out of Don and certainly hurt his pride when their hours pouring over books failed them. It failed them to the point that they could lose Raph and Joey for that matter. "Why did this even effect Joey? Why isn't Raph better?"
"Donatallo." Daichi turned to the turtle and placed his hands lightly on the turtle's shoulders. "You must be calm. It should have worked. It didn't. We must now look for another solution - and before the vampire comes for his charge."
Splinter sighed heavily, his whiskers twitching in the troubled thoughts that plagued his mind. "And how much do we have until that becomes our next threat?"
Daichi shook his head sadly and bowed briefly to the older Japanese mutant. "That I cannot be sure of. Days, weeks...mere hours. It depends on how much time it takes for him to travel...or to realize that Raphael is no longer in Japan. But I assure, he will come. Sumimasen, Splinter-san. We will do our best to keep Raphael safe."
"Raph should be free." Leo defended. He was seated on the floor beside Joey's unconscious body, her limp hand carefully placed in his. "It was the vampire who lost his 'charge'. The ravens took him and he became theirs instead. It's his loss at this point. We saved Raph from the Flight, he's ours again."
"Logic does not work with magic Leonardo. Remember that, always." Daichi bowed his head and let his hands fall from Don's shoulders. "It was a pact that your brother made and one that he must stand by. It matters not his location, simply that he lives. He is under Kenshin's house until he dies or Kenshin sets him free. We will come to a conclusion for how to release him in time, for now we must refocus on the more immediate concern. Or else the less desirable outcome will ensure Raphael's freedom."
"You said a fae...who can speak through magic. Joey's out, she's kinda sleeping. How do we find one?" Mikey asked, his eyes wide with curiosity. He was the one who didn't want to fight the bird-man or argue about where Raph's being belonged. In fact, he was slightly mortified by the idea that his being cursed could solve the problem via his death. Mike just wanted to be sure his brother was better.
"Dex." Ash stepped up smoothing down the front of his vest, the two Lionels were both quiet up until that point. "I believe Daichi means to find Dex. At this point, we have no idea how or why or even what's happened to them. Their bodies are unresponsive but their minds seem to be in tact and working...somewhere. I know he was mentioned before and the order of his busyness was brought into consideration. I don't think this is a consideration we can take anymore. Busy or not, we need Dexter Murphy."
"Who's Dex?" Mikey's eyes rounded on Ash and the neat man offered a sly smirk.
"Oh...just the faerie king."
"I don't know about this Cags..." Mikey's voice trailed off as he leaned his head in to the woman. They were still in the sewers, rotting through for all the water damage that soaked its surfaces. She was taller than him by a few inches and yet it still seemed like he was able to easily overpower her as he was much wider than she was. "What'dya think? It's...sketchy? And not that cool sort of sketchy that is exciting, but the scary kind and let me tell you...I could do without the scary for a little while. Makin' my hairs go grey."
Joey was cradled in Raph's arms. She was tiny, both shorter and skinnier than Raph; therefore she was an easy thing to carry for the broad turtle-man. In fact, he was half afraid he might break her should he squeeze too tight. He wasn't paying much attention to the other two who had insisted that he come with them. At least the blonde woman had said that they needed to move quickly. The only reason he had even agreed was because Joey was hurt, and because he knew Mikey. At the end of the day, even if his brother was acting odd, he trusted Mikey and therefore begrudgingly trusted Cagney.
He only hoped he wouldn't regret placing his blind trust in his more forgetful brother.
"I understand your concern but he has a fae with him. She's a fae, Mikey, I'm sure of it. She could easily die if we leave him here, with her unattended. If they were sending in something to befuddle us, if they were able to trick us with someone who looks like Raph but isn't, they wouldn't have sent him with a fae. Where would they even get one?" Cagney offered in a firm rhetoric. "I'm not sure if that's really Raph either, not after all that we've been through, but we can't abandon one of our own. Furthermore...what if he is Raph? Our Raph even? Maybe he knows where Leo is too."
Mikey's mouth didn't open to rebuttal. He was painfully aware of the situation and it was a part of his optimism, if there was any left in the turtle, that wanted to believe Cagney was right. "It was Don's sensors they tripped...he tripped. It had to be Raph as he was the only one moving. Raph...my brother would've known where they were."
"Not necessarily. If he doesn't remember me, then I can only assume that he has some form of memory loss. I don't have time to give him a full physical, not here anyway. We're in danger out here. We'll deal with it when we get back to camp. I'll make sure he's Raph. Remember...I know my turtles. Realturtles." She shined a bright, toothy smile at Mikey who relaxed a little. "Besides, if he is an impostor - I have the utmost faith in your skills." She patted him on the shoulder. Mikey grinned a little bit and puffed up some, confidence oozing from every stride of his step. He could, in fact, take care of it should Raph be a threat and not an ally. At least that was hoping he couldn't mimic the skills of his far more aggressive brother.
It was deeper into the sewer system than Raph ever found himself. They sank a level lower than the subway tunnels and into an ancient, former pumping station. The guts of the machinery had been pulled out and several decks were installed all around the massive and cavernous room. There were people, dozens and dozens, scattered about, even children. Some were wrapped up in blankets, sleeping on cots while others had plates of food in their hand and some were engaged in very serious looking conversation. Raph was mortified by the idea that there were children in a sewer but more than that, he was stunned by the rag-tag bunch that they seemed to be.
Men and women were dressed in clothing that wasn't dirty, but clearly worn thin and there were many who were hallow cheeked and most definitely sickly in appearance. He always knew this place wasn't fit for humans, far too delicate beings for underground. But this...as he passed through...terrified him. It looked like a refugee camp from some forgotten war. Had he not been holding Joey, he would have tried to hide himself from the people around. Though the part that struck him most was that none of them really looked up to them as they passed through. As if they were used to sentient turtles and humans walking together.
"Bring her here." Cagney instructed Raph. His eyes were still swiftly taking in the home that this place was, deep in the belly of New York City. He'd never even been this far in and that was somewhat surprising to him too. How did these people get there? Why were they there in the first place? And...more importantly...
"What's this all about?" Raph grumbled, trying to hide the surprise in his voice as he marched along behind the doctor, or so Mikey said she was a doctor.
"Survival, Raphie-boy. You remember that part too, right? Like how to get by. Maybe he's been pampered for the last five years on some misbegotten beach with half a dozen babes lotioning his turtle flesh. You like to bask eh Raphie?" Mikey teased, slinging an arm across his brother's shoulder. It was as if Mikey's worry was lost by the fact that Raph was there and if Cagney said it was okay - then it was.
"Get off Mikey." Raph growled. "Carrying one dead weight is enough."
The boisterous orange clad turtle laughed, but slipped his arm off from Raph. "Yep, it's definitely Raph in there. You were right, Cags!"
The woman glanced over her shoulder and offered a small nod. It was then that she pushed a door open at the back of the large room. Raph shouldn't have been as surprised as he was. It was bigger than the lab that Don normally had attached to his room in their lair and chalk full of just as many gadgets. He spotted his brother almost immediately. He was leaned over something, tinkering with it, so that his staff stuck up straight above his head and his mask ties were lazily laying against his shell. What he didn't expect, however, was the little girl sitting on the table next to him. Her feet were swinging and she was leaning over, watching Don do whatever he was doing. She couldn't be more than four or five, with vibrant blond curls and child-like rosy cheeks. She was in a dress, one like Evie would wear as Raph remember that little girl well too.
"What's'at one do, daddy?" She asked pointing at the pile of parts, just where Don's hands were working.
"What does that..." he corrected patiently.
The little girl didn't seem at all flustered by the idea that she'd been corrected. She merely looked up to him and smiled, echoing him perfectly. "What does that one do, daddy?"
Don didn't have the chance to answer before the child noticed Raph, with Joey in his arms, Mikey and Cagney. Her little face lit up, momentarily forgetting she even asked a question. "MOM! Uncle Mike!" She was off the table, having jumped from it. Don tried to catch her from possible harm, but he missed as her feet were already on the floor sprinting to them. She darted for Cagney first, who scooped the child up and held her close while the child tried to squeeze the air right out of her neck. She squirmed to be handed to Mikey who took her and immediately tossed her high into the air and caught her around her middle; but not without a squeak from Don, which was purposefully stifled. Though he stood rigidly and intently watching.
"How's my best girl?" Mikey beamed and the tiny blond laughed.
"Good!" She exclaimed. "Daddy's showing me about...um..." she looked back at Don for help as she was sure she couldn't pronounce the word by herself.
"Raph?" Don didn't answer the little girl, not having heard her. Instead, his eyes were on his brother. Dancing in them was both confusion and question, not unlike the purple turtle's eyes often donned. It was in that moment that Raph realized how much older they seemed. Not as if they had lived decades upon decades in a single second since he saw them last. It was as if they had seen more than he could have imagined. "Raph...I can't believe my eyes. Is it really you?"
"Yeah, yeah." He complained in irritation, though it sounded weak for how his eyes didn't move away from the scene he had just witnessed. None of it was making sense...noneof it. He usually left the sense making for Donnie, but right then he figured it was on him as it was Don himself that confused him. On top of everything else. "Why's everyone keep saying that. I think there's more that's important than me like...where the shell did she come from? Or...who the shell are you again?" Raph barked at Cagney. Don frowned.
"I think you should put her down, Raph. We found them in the primary lair after the ground level sensor was tripped." Cagney said gesturing to Joey but the turtle pulled her closer as if uncertain about everything that was happening around him. His mind was in protection mode, both of his own brain as he couldn't process any of this properly and of Joey as he knew Leo would kill him should she have a hair on her head hurt.
"Raph..." Joey croaked, having just started coming to. She blinked hard, her voice wispy in her post-sleep stupor. "You're smooshing me."
Unintentionally, he released the woman and she almost fell completely from his arms. He barely caught her before dumping her onto the ground. Carefully, he helped her to her feet, but still had his arms holding her up. As he did so, he spoke with force. "We need answers!"
"Was Leo with him?" Don asked Mikey and Cagney but before they could answer, he looked to Raph. "Where's Leo? What happened to you two? I think the more we know about what happened, the more we can answer...because...well...Raph, you know who Cagney is."
"What? No-no, I don't know who she is. Ya ain't listening, Don. I got no clue who either of them are. And Leo? Who the shell knows! I don't even know where I am. Your guess is as good as mine where he is." The red wearing turtle snapped and Joey's fingers dug into his shoulder.
"Leo's missing?" She asked quietly, looking expectantly to Raph.
"For years." Cagney responded and Joey's eyes snapped up. The two women's eyes locked.
"Cagney?" She asked but the blonde drew her head back in surprise.
"I...don't know you." Cagney shook her head as she spoke compassionately to Joey but glanced toward Don.
"Finally, now you get where I'm coming from!" Raph barked. He was standing a little in front of Joey, not letting her stand directly in their line of fire. Should they fire at all and right then, Raph figured everything and anything was possible. Nothing was making sense - so why wouldn't something nonsensical follow?
Joey seemed momentarily stunned. "Yes. Yes you do. At the spring, that was last summer. We were in Florida at the spring. Kazeem and Nikol were kidnapping your bale. They'd gotten a taste for turtle when Jeff went rogue. Half your bale was turned to dolls. Visiugo make the best, better than a mage in taste and far less dangerous than a fae. It happened. I remember. You...you're a doctor right? You...I brought them back to you to heal, to break their addiction. I trained you on how to do it. I trusted you with those visiugo, your kin. You...don't remember that?"
Cagney's eyebrows were raised high on her forehead. Even Mikey, still holding the girl, seemed confused by it all, though Don was watching closely as if he were taking mental notes on everything that was being said.
"Jeff? Jeff's been dead for years. Kazeem...he's a vampire right? From Africa and Nikol, his mate?" Cagney shook her head. "I never had a run in with them. I've heard of them. Most of my bale was killed years ago, before the war started. No one goes to Florida. No one. It's not safe. The fae court has been under siege for months, maybe years now. Not much is left standing. No one goes to the spring, not after the spring creature died - the one feeding the glamour, the magic of the court. I'm probably the only turtle left at this point. Our habitat was destroyed by Bishop and his people. If they can be called people. The spring is gone, the magic mostly destroyed. No where's safe anymore. That didn't happen, and it couldn't have happened last summer. I've been in New York for six years now. My mate is here. My family." She had instinctively moved closer to Don who had come to meet her.
"Raph?" Joey's head swiveled to look at the turtle who shrugged, equally as confused.
"I don't know what she's talking about either." Raph added.
"It's like the Twilight Zone." Mikey hissed, not afraid but half amused by how weird it was. The little girl in his arms was still looking on silently, with wide and curious eyes.
"Donaterro. Micherangero!" The door burst open, causing so many eyes to swivel towards it. "Sprinter wants you!"
There was a lull in the group as the little Asian man, with his thick accent and grinning face, skidded into the room. It was as if nothing could break his lively spirit, no matter how dire the circumstance. There was an intricately designed tattoo around his wrist that would, under normal circumstance, indicate that he was a doll. Elisabeth Penn's doll. Raph knew that tattoo, the one Ash bore. His fingers moved to brush the raised scar on his neck, under his chin, that branded him as Kenshin's property.
Raph also knew this man; he had watched him die under Leo's blades. It seemed like a lifetime ago at this point, though in reality was but a snippet of it theirs. "Yuki-san." He didn't need to hear Joey's weak voice to know his name.
"Joa-hee-shi!" He squealed, his entire face consumed by a grin so large that it might as well weigh down the rest of his skin. His eyes disappeared entirely into his face. "I s'ought you were death!"
"Seems to be a common theme." Raph remarked bitterly.
"Your...English translator still isn't working right in that gourd of yours." She mumbled, stunned and unable to process what she was seeing, hearing and feeling. But before she knew it and before Raph could really intercept, Yuki had her up in his arms, rather than still hanging limply on Raph, and embraced in a powerful kiss of reunion.
