Andrea laid in the center of the living room, earbuds in, starring up at the tall ceiling letting her mind drift and focusing on her breathing like Master Splinter taught her.
They'd been living in the lair for nearly two weeks. She wasn't thrilled sharing a room with her brother, but they were making do in their new bunks. Even as they started to settle into a routine tension were on the rise. When they weren't training their parents were in the kitchen or Donnie's lab discussing the current state of the gang war.
If only the music could drown out that stress like it drowned out their voices in the kitchen.
She frowned with a red head woman leaned over her. It took her a second to realize it was April. Sitting up she pulled out her ear buds giving the older woman a questioning look.
April smiled and helped Andrea to her feet. "I thought you might want to get out of the lair for a bit?" her green eyes glanced at the kitchen where muffled voices rose.
"You're a godsend. I'll get my shoes." She hugged the red head and went to get Nikki, but he was already putting on a hoodie. "I'm so sick of this place," she muttered zipping up her jacket.
Her brother nodded in agreement. "I just want this to be over."
They followed April to her car in silence
"How's Mira?" April asked buckling in.
"She's good but got the flu so she at home."
April winced feeling sorry for the girl. "Well, I thought a movie night would be fun. Your mom said something about a recon mission tonight."
That came as a surprise to the siblings. Most of the conversations between their parents spun in circles and they'd stopped listening in.
"Nothing dangerous," April assured. "Something about planting a few bugs."
Andrea let her head rest against the window knowing she shouldn't be worried but a part of her was preparing for a death regardless. It felt inevitable. She was startled out of her thoughts when Nikki took her hand in his. They let go of each other with April pulled into alley by her shop.
Levi was downstairs running the register when they walked in. He waved as they entered while checking out a customer. April flipped the sign to closed and locked the door after the guest left.
"Marvel marathon!" Levi grinned throwing an arm around Nikki's shoulders.
Nikki stood in Levi's room around 3 am eyes burning throwing blankets and pillows on floor to sleep on like they'd done several times before. Andrea always got the futon in the spare bedroom.
Levi entered the room and flipped the light off his alarm clock on his nightstand dimly lighting a corner of his bed. He could barely see the outline of Nikki. Levi realized he wasn't moving, "Nik?". He reached a handout to touch Nikki and get a sense of where he was. He was surprised to find him facing him less than a foot away. With his hand on Nikki's chest he could feel the plates from the remnants of his shell.
Nikki grabbed Levi's shirt in his fist and pulled the boy closer. "Keep me up this late after a week straight of training again and I'll kill you."
Levi reached up grabbing Nikki's wrist pulling his hand away. He pressed his thumb against Nikki's wrist annoyed that his heart wasn't racing like his. Levi dropped Nikki's hand slowly coming to terms with why his heart was racing.
"Go to sleep," he muttered pulling his blankets back. He faintly heard Nikki getting down on his pile of pillows.
They were awoken by Casey what felt like a few minutes later in an apron telling them breakfast was ready.
Andrea was already at the table eating pancakes.
"Have you heard from mom?" Nikki asked his sister.
She nodded, "Yeah, everything went good. She said not to worry so much."
The two boys pulled out a chair at the table either side of Andrea.
"Yo, Nikki, how do ya feel about some sparin' later?" Casey asked while flipping a pancake.
Nikki just wanted to go to back to sleep but forced up a smiled.
"Yeah, let's see if you can actually beat me," Levi teased from across the table.
Nikki scoffed taking the plate from April. "I'll go easy on you."
"We'll see about that."
Andrea rolled her eyes pushing her scrambled eggs around.
Nikki couldn't help but grin as he squared up with Levi. Casey had left the two claiming to be too old to get his ass handed to him by a mutant. Levi on the other hand was up for the challenge.
"So, how do you feel about your mom being heir to a gang?"
Nikki secured his wrap thinking that over. He'd wondered for years why his mom would disappear for days at a time or why the chest in her bedroom was full of weapons. "Feels like. . .shit. I was angry at first, but then I remembered that she only got back into it because of us." His shoulders slumped feeling guilt swell in his chest.
Levi reached out a hand to comfort Nikki but hesitated. He was met with shadowed amber eyes.
"What?" Nikki asked.
"S-Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
"It's fine. Just a lot has happened in the last two months."
Levi smiled raising his fists, "That's an understatement."
They paused when they heard muffled gun shots. Unsure of where the sounds came from, they stood in stark silence waiting for more. Andrea clung to Nikki's arm while April came rushing up the stairs a few seconds later.
The four flinched when a crash came from downstairs and more shots ran out.
April pulled a picture off the wall and pulled a gun out from the hole in the drywall.
"Mom?" Levi stammered seeing the weapon. He met his mother's green eyes that held a ferocity he'd only seen once before.
"Get them out the back. You won't be able to get to the basement," she ordered checking to see how many bullets were left. She turned to Nikki, "Get to the lair. Don't turn back."
"No," Nikki said taking Andrea by her shoulders. He looked her in the eyes hearing shouts downstairs. He knew they didn't have much time. "You have to get Levi out of here. I'll stay with April and be right behind you."
Andrea tried to sober up and whipped her tears.
"Nikki, I can't ask you to do that—"
"I'm the strongest," he cut off. "I'm not leaving you."
"Wait, where's dad?"
April cursed under her breath, "Levi, there's no time. Andrea get out of here. NOW!"
Gunfire punctured drywall near them sending Andrea and Levi running. She looked over her shoulder at Nikki with his back turned to her praying it wouldn't be the last time she saw him. Fresh tears stung her eyes as she followed Levi down the spiral staircase and out the back door.
Levi had to grab her hand to make sure she followed. He wanted nothing more than to run back inside to help his mother and Nikki. "This way," he dragged her to a manhole taking one last look at the antique shop seeing with windows shot out by bullets he let the metal fall closed with a clang and dropped to the tunnel floor.
"Sh-She had to of called Leo, so. . .where is he?" Andrea trembled still hearing the muffled gunshots on the surface. "This doesn't make any sense, why would they attack April!?"
Levi cursed realizing he'd left his phone. "We have to get to the lair, come on it's not far."
The pair ran through the tunnels knowing the path well.
"They're not behind us," Andrea sobbed at the entrance came into view.
Levi reached up and pulled the pipe trying to ignore what Andrea had said. As soon as the brick started to separate, he slipped through calling out for anyone, but it was empty digging a larger pit in his stomach.
"Where is everyone?" Andrea asked shaking like a leaf. She called out names, but no answer came. She slumped to her knees with a quiet sob.
"They. . .They have to be with my mom. . .this doesn't make any sense," Levi drug his fingers through his black hair running around the lair.
Splinter stumbled out of his room hearing the shouts. "Children, what is wrong?"
The two teens froze seeing Splinter.
"Th-They attacked my mom. Now we can't find anyone," Levi explained as Andrea wrapped Splinter in a hug.
Splinter gently ran his fingers through Andrea's curls as she sobbed on his shoulder. He held her out at arm's length. "I am sure your father and uncles went to help Mrs. O'Neil. We will find them."
Andrea sniffled and nodded.
They followed Splinter out of the lair and back down the tunnels towards April. Levi lifted the manhole hearing sirens and seeing flashing lights. "There are a lot of cops, but I don't see anyone," he explained.
Splinter stroked his beard trying to figure out where his sons would've gone after saving Nikki and April.
"Let me go," Andrea said.
Levi dropped to the floor. "Are you crazy?"
"I'm fast enough they wont even see me. What if they're hurt?"
"But—"
Splinter raised a had cutting off any further bickering between the two. "Stay to the shadows, Andrea," he ordered and motioned Levi to open the manhole.
Andrea gave a stiff nod before climbing the ladder to the surface. Sirens still blared and she could see the shadows of people in the alley way. Taking a deep breath, she ran into the house. She stopped in the hallway listening to a conversation between the police, a man and woman.
"Why would they come here? It makes no sense."
"I-I don't know. But now we have a dead body—"
"Freeman, take a deep breath. What do we know?"
"We found three rounds separate from what the gang members were using. The other two who were injured keep talking nonsense about a green person. Oh, and no homeowners. Whoever the Purple Dragons were after left after the fight."
"Check to see if there are any surveillance cameras in the area. We'll start there and see if you can get Detective Davis over here."
"I spoke to her a few minutes ago. She's on her way. There was some family emergency she had to take care of."
Andrea peaked around the corner hearing footsteps fade away. A blonde woman stood in the bullet riddled living room with her back to Andrea. She realized that her mother must be worried sick and hurried through the rest of the house. There was blood but no April or Nikki. She slipped back into the sewers frustrated not sure whether to feel relieved or scared.
They got out. That had to be a good sign.
"What did you find, child?"
Andrea turned to her grandfather, "I overheard cops talking about the scene, but April and Nikki weren't there. They said there were two injured Purple Dragons and one dead." Her stomach twisted remembering the blood.
"Do you think we could've missed them?"
"Let us go back and I will try to contact Leonardo on the shell cell. Andrea, go on ahead and see if they have returned."
Andrea didn't need to be told twice. She was back at the lair in a matter of seconds but found it as empty as when they first arrived. Then a thought struck her and ran into Donnie's lab. She'd spent weeks with Donnie trading theories about their creation. In that time Donnie had also showed her how most of the lab worked. He'd installed trackers on all the vehicles as well as ways to communicate remotely with the drivers.
When Splinter and Levi entered the lair, Andrea was running from the garage and Donnie's lab calling after them to follow her.
After figuring out which vehicle was gone, she was able to type in the code to connect to its communication system.
"Andrea, what are you—"
She cut off Levi, "Donnie showed me how to work the communication board. I'm calling the Battle Shell."
After several rings Raphael picked up looking a little pale. "Andrea, Levi, thank God. Are you in the lair?"
"Yes, we're ok. Where are you? How is Nikki and April?"
Raph glanced over his shoulder and moved to take up more of the frame. "Uh, we're close ta the lair. We'll be back soon."
Andrea felt her throat close up hearing curses in the back from someone in pain. "Raph, you didn't answer me. How is Nikki?"
Raph looked around from the camera. "He's gonna be ok."
The call ended leaving the three to stare at their own reflections in the black screen.
Nikki let out a string of cruses biting down on the piece of wood Donnie had given to him. April stood to the right holding his arm and trying to keep him calm so Donnie could work. Jess watched with tears in her eyes while be consoled by Raph.
"He'll be ok, Jess—"
"AHH—!"
April pushed Nikki back down telling him he had to be still.
Jess turned into Raph's chest unable to watch.
Leo watched from the rear view mirror and stepped on the gas a little harder. He pulled into the garage just as Donnie removed the bullet and ordered Raph to take him to the lab.
Andrea rushed into the garage only to step aside as Raph carried her brother into the lair not missing the blood staining his shirt.
"Andrea, are you ok?" Jess asked pulling her daughter into a hug.
It took a moment for her to respond, "Wh-What happened?"
Jess brushed her blonde curls out of her face relieved that Andrea was ok physically. "Nikki, was shot, but Donnie said he'll be ok." She tried to force up a smile fighting back a sob.
"I-I don't understand," she stammered fresh tears slipping down her cheeks. "Where's momma?"
"She's had to go to the crime scene. But she'll be back soon." Jess pulled her daughter in for a tight hug, "We were so worried when we couldn't find you. I'm sorry if we scared you."
Andrea was startled by another pair of arms warping around her. "We were so worried about you." She relaxed realizing it was Leo.
"It's mutual," she muttered sandwiched between two of her parents. But in the safety of their arms the events of earlier finally broke through leaving Jess's shirt soaked with her tears. She fought against Leo when he picked her up to carry her inside.
He set her down on the couch while Jess went to check on Nikki.
"Andrea," Leo started trying to get her attention. Her sobs had stifled to hiccups and sniffles, but she refused to look at him. Instead she curled up against her knees. He took a blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders at a loss of how to console her. He wished Lila were there. "Andrea, Nikki will be ok. Donnie's patching him up."
"He got shot," Andrea said finally looking at her father. "He could've died."
"But he didn't," Leo said taking her hands in his they were so much smaller but their skin tone so similar. He pulled her into another hug resting his head on top of hers. "I won't let it happen again."
Andrea wasn't sure if she believed him.
Jess sat next to the cot Nikki laid on, the left side of his chest bandaged. She reached up feeling the scar on her left shoulder from a similar bullet feeling like history was repeating itself. She pulled a tissue and wiped the tears that slipped down her cheeks at the similarities.
"Jess?"
She looked over her shoulder at Leo standing in the doorway of the small room. "Donnie said he just needs to rest now. The pain medicine made him sleepy." She flinched when he set a hand on her shoulder.
"I know what you're thinking," he said in a hushed voice wiping the tears from her red cheeks.
"And what's that?" Jess asked, her red eyes narrow from a forming migraine.
Leo let out a sigh, "This wasn't your fault." He watched her hands form fists and waited for her reply.
"How—Why attack April? How would they even know that?"
Leo pulled over the extra chair. "That night you were attacked in the alley by your home. They ran because they recognized us." He could tell she was still confused so he explained further, "We've been fighting with the Purple Dragons a long time. They know we have a relationship with April and Casey. Someone must've made the connection."
Jess tried to massage her temples feeling a spike in pain. "Fuck. . .I feel like an animal being hunted."
Leo had to admit the analogy wasn't too far from what was actually happening. "We're going to figure this out, Jess."
"Laker won't stop, Leo." Jess slumped exhausted.
"Get some rest. I'll wake you if Nikki wakes up."
Jess didn't have the brain power to argue and left the room.
F in the chat for Nikki. Thanks for reading!