A/N.
Well… it's been a very long wait.
I know. I'm mentally kicking myself for that. Seriously, almost a year?! I never intended to go away that long. But, throughout February, March, and April, I had three existential crises, one right after the other, which I have since gotten over.
Once I had recovered from those, there was so much more work to be done, and then… I started college and the first semester has been insane! There's just been so much work to do.
However, I am in a better position for writing now, as we are in a period of calm just after winter break, which will also give me more time to write. Out of the three stories I have going right now, this one is my mother's favorite, and she asked when the next chapter for this one was going to be ready, so I was inspired to get to work. I updated another story in July, and I've been hard at work on this chapter ever since.
This chapter also has a small POV from Tina (Yay!), and I've been very excited to share her very interesting view of what's been happening. After that, Karai has the spotlight for the rest of the chapter, but (of course) nothing is going to come easy for any of them, and she has a very interesting problem to deal with...
And, as always, I don't own TMNT. I only own OCs.
I also don't own Monty Python. They are mentioned in this chapter.
Anyways, I think we've waited long enough for this chapter, so I'll stop my rambling now. That's all until the end of the chapter, and once you're done, leave a review, favorite, follow, and as always…
Enjoy!
Chapter Thirteen.
Better In Numbers.
(Tina's POV).Funny. I've never been one to have trouble falling asleep.
Yet here I am.
The moonlight has bathed the snow-topped trees in an eerie, but lovely, light. We get some pretty incredible snow in Michigan, but this is just as beautiful. Above, the night sky is unobscured, cloudless, the moon unyieldingly illuminating everything. The cold has seeped through the floor-to-ceiling windowpanes, and I shiver slightly, pressing my cheek gently against the glass. I wasn't bothered by the chill. I just needed a quiet, calming place to think.
For twenty-four hours, I haven't been able to relax. It had been a jumbled, overwhelming time since my life had been turned upside down. To think, only a day ago I had calmly awoken, with a plethora of normal, everyday things to do around the house on my day off. I didn't get much time off with a zookeeping career, so I was going to make the most of it.
But Karai knocked on our door, and the rest was history I would carry with me for life, and now I couldn't sleep.
I knew how quickly a life could change. It was something I had learned in adulthood.
I had arrived in New York after putting off college for almost a decade (simply due to fear), expecting never to find a friend, but I met George, my neighbor from across the hall first… kinda after he accidentally ended up tripping and taking us both down the stairs in our apartment building. And not only did I find myself becoming best friends with this kind, clumsy man, I ended up falling in love with and marrying him.
I was expecting to have help with impending motherhood with my own mother to guide me, but she had a stroke just before Elle was born. It was a horrible time in my life. I was two weeks away from having my first child, and I had no way to rush back to Seattle, where I grew up, to be by her side, not with a baby on the way. And although she was okay afterward, I found myself winging it most of the time. With Steven, it was a bit easier because she definitely tried to make up for it, but I missed her advice dearly with Elle, and it cost me some crucial things I needed to know.
Neither of those examples, no matter how big and momentous, could prepare me for this.
In November, my family and I watched from our T.V., horrified, as that enormous spiked orb hovered over New York City. That was the world's first hint of something sinister going on under our noses, but I had lived in the city for some time during college right up until my marriage, and George grew up there. You really had to live there, no matter how short of a time that meant, to hear things around town. Rumors about aliens and mutants had run rampant for years. They especially picked up shortly after we were engaged, in November of 1997. That would have been almost two months after Donatello was born, it seemed. Karai mentioned he was born in September of the same year. Funny, how that timing worked.
I didn't know what to think. About mutants, anyways. Aliens, I was definitely scared about. Kind of why I wanted to raise our future children somewhere safer, despite George's family living in the city. They say the Kraang were responsible for the creation of mutants. People have been smart enough to figure it out. But it wasn't really their fault, was it?
Still, the world treats the very idea of mutants like a curse. An unspeakable topic. When the news about Donnie broke, everyone was walking around like they were treading on eggshells. Everyone was glancing over their shoulders. My friends, my co-workers at the zoo even, to an extent, my own lovely daughter. It was unlikely that there would be any danger here. We lived twelve whole hours away from N.Y.C. But that's superstition for you.
When Karai confessed who she was, I was just as in the dark as to what my decision would be as I always was about mutants. But then she explained what had happened. And she began to tell me who he was, how he had become trapped, and… I couldn't help but be reminded of myself. Stubborn. Determined. Someone who would put myself on the line to help others, no matter if I got or even deserved nothing in return. Especially my family.
Within a few minutes, I had agreed to help, and my family and I were fully packed and on the road by daybreak the next morning. Karai had told us more while we were making our way across states. They were hidden upstate, in a mansion that belonged to the man who raised her, and he never used it unless there was an emergency, so we should be safe. Two of their friends were up there with them. Donatello was hurt, and had become ill as well, so he would be resting for a majority of our stay until we cured him.
I had never seen a mutant before tonight. I had never even seen an authentic picture. I had a gut feeling they were out there, but nothing had surfaced of any sort of sighting. Karai had warned me that this was not his normal appearance, and that while he was being extremely calm about the sudden change, she could tell he was struggling to hold in his emotions about the entire situation, and that he was very unsettled.
I kept that in mind all the way to New York, as we entered that magnificent mansion, with towering glass windows and a modern, reflective metallic flare, and especially as I walked through the large, looming doorway to the room he had been placed in, feeling as if I was being swallowed by the darkness inside. No lights were on. Only the moon outside gave off any light to see.
That was a moment I would never stop replaying in my head. There he sat, smooth white scales reflecting moonlight, giving off a ghostly appearance. Big, slanted green eyes shining like lanterns. He sat up straight, poised gracefully on the mattress. He was almost unearthly.
'This is a child,' I told myself determinedly, trying to wrap my head around where I was and what I was doing. 'A young, flustered, shaken child. You don't want to startle him. Talk quietly, and give him space. Don't let your family stare. Show him you are here to help."
I had a mission. Everything depended on me, rode on my blood. It was a lot to take in, but I would be strong for this young boy. Especially when I saw how scared he was.
My heart nearly broke when I saw him cling to his sister like a lifeline.
I actually think that's what's keeping me awake. That repeating image. It's the mother in me, knowing no child should have to experience something so petrifying. And yet… It happened.
"Tina?"
I heaved a sigh as I felt a heavy blanket encase my shoulders. "You should go back to sleep, George. I just need some time to think." I informed my husband.
"Well, as I recall, you didn't get any sleep last night either," he retorted quietly. "That can't be healthy. I know, this is a big leap for all of us, but I think we'll be able to handle it better if we are all well rested and ready for the day ahead." He glanced over at me as he sat down by my side, and he suddenly looked concerned. "What's the matter?"
Could he tell from just the look on my face? Could he sense what had been plaguing me, kept me from closing my eyes and rooted me to my spot against the cold window glass? Yes. I've known George for eighteen years, and will have been married to him for sixteen come August 12th. He knows me better than anyone, except myself. I took several deep breaths, attempting to explain myself, before starting to shake. All I could think about was the young boy, asleep just down the hall, and why he was here. Then, one of the many feelings that had gotten me so agitated finally had a name. Anger.
Now that I truly understood that he was a normal teenager, the realization hit that someone, the Shredder, that's what Karai called him, had deliberately done this to hurt him. To hurt his family. And if that wasn't bad enough, Karai had informed me that he had intended to do the same to the rest of her brothers, but they had been spared, never realizing they had been marked for the same fate as their beloved brother. This madman was willing to destroy these children's lives just to get back at their father, before killing him as well. He had only managed to get one, but it had apparently been enough. If anything, it worked even better than he had planned. He had managed to break them all.
"Why?..." My voice shook for a moment, before I unleashed my haunting query. "Why would he do this to him? Who would want this for a teenaged boy who did nothing wrong? In what world would anyone think he deserved it?! Because he doesn't! Never in a million years!" My fury was now raging. I had two children of my own. Children did not deserve to be thrown into the line of fire because someone hated their parents.
"Shhhh…!" George was frantically holding a finger to his lips and trying to shush me. "We don't want to wake everyone up! We have to stay quiet!"
Slowly, I took several more deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. He was right, I didn't want to wake up everyone else in the house. But I was still very upset. My face burned red, and my eyes began to sting.
"We have to protect them." I whispered. "All of them. These kids are here alone, and the only adult in their lives who remotely knows how to deal with these situations isn't here. We're all they have."
"I know," he answered in the same hushed voice. "It's the only right thing to do."
He pulled me close and let me bury my face into his shoulder. We stayed like this for several minutes while I silently let tears fall. Being there for the kids, helping them in their time of need… it wasn't just the right thing, it was the only thing to do. I wasn't backing down. If it was my blood that he needed, I was ready and willing, but I wasn't going to stop there. They needed us.
I am so glad they reached out to us when they did.
"It feels good being able to help." I said as George helped me up. "I know it'll work; he'll be back on the mend in no time."
As we walked from the room, he frowned. "It still strikes me as odd that you were the closest match. Don't family members do that?"
"He hatched from an egg as a normal turtle, George. He doesn't have biological parents, and they can't get into contact with his siblings. Someone has to do it." I explained.
He was right though. Even though that was the only logical truth, and I knew I was right about that, he was kind of correct. Something about that still didn't sound normal. I might have been thinking about that yesterday, but yesterday was kind of a blur. Was it something about how rare AB- blood was? Why was I chosen specifically? I couldn't remember…
It was too late at night to try. I put my ponderings aside, and decided that the best possible thing I could do was get some sleep. I got back into bed and closed my eyes, my mind only lingering on the job I had to do the next day before drifting into a hazy sleep…
(Karai's POV).
THUD!
SWOOP!
BANG!
I never realized how much atmosphere the trees gave off up here. They made for wonderful target practice, let me tell you. Several kunai and shuriken were lodged in the bark, and my tanto had found its way into one or another more than a few times. You can't do this back at the tree in the lair's dojo. With more than one, there were more diverse options for target practice… and I wasn't the only one enjoying to my word, Casey was yet again up a tree, trying to find the best angle to jump from. He was getting the hang of stealth, and his 'surprise attacks' were quickly becoming better. I think we've created a monster though, because while he's gotten serious about staying quiet… his aim with the hockey sticks is still a little wonky. Probably because they weren't built for combat. Period. He's gonna take someone's eye out, and we didn't need the Houstons to see that.
It's been roughly three days since we've brought the Houstons back to the manor with us, and let's just say, they've been… interesting. We are now once again under adult supervision, but they have no idea how we do things, and we don't know how they do things either. Everyone has just been trying to get used to one another. That already almost ended in disaster on day one.
The real difficulty?
Elle.
I could tell right away from looking at her that Elle wasn't a people person. So it's only natural that she wasn't a mutant person either. Of course. Her reaction to finding out I was Donnie's sister had worried me from the start. On the drive home, she barely said a word. Twelve hours, and not even the slightest peep while I was around. It didn't take a genius to realize she wasn't happy about any of this.
She was the only one who hadn't seen Donnie the first night they arrived, instead busying herself with the cat (maybe for the best though, the cat is almost worse to deal with). It wasn't until the next morning when she finally made her appearance...
(Three Days Ago…)
To my astonishment, Tina had gotten up before anyone else and made breakfast. The smell was absolutely incredible. "You didn't have to do this," I said as she brought two plates into the room.
"You kids deserve it. I literally watched you drive twelve hours yesterday on barely anything." She said firmly but softly, setting the plates down. That was true. Food hadn't entirely been a priority for any of us. Noone's had much of an appetite, especially Donnie, given the fact that he was battling what we had (after much heated debate) determined to be a sinus infection. I'm so thankful that he hadn't been inflicted with something worse.
I gestured to the bed, where he was still sleepily blinking. "He might have trouble getting it down." He was slowly getting over the worst of it, which was wonderful luck, but he wasn't entirely better yet. It would be a few days, and even after it had vanished, we still had other things wrong with him to combat… primarily the mutation, but that wasn't all.
"That's fine. If he ends up not eating all of it, it's okay. I wouldn't be up for food either, had it been me." She said, then she looked at Donnie, who had managed to wake himself up a little bit, and was still lounging on the sheets. "Good morning." she said kindly and quietly, not wanting to scare him with her sudden appearance.
His eyes lit up the moment he saw her, but I could tell he was trying to keep it contained. Given his reaction to her last night, how he had looked at her with absolute wonder, he was excited to see her. I knew he had been worried about who she would end up being, and how he would react to her, and I was glad that it went well, because it meant they would get along pretty well.
"Did you sleep okay?" I asked, propping him up into a sitting position. I had been on the floor in a sleeping bag, so I hadn't been sure. He nodded. "Are you hungry?" At this question, he shrugged. He wasn't sure.
"It's okay. Let's see how much you can get through, and we'll go from there." I said, reaching for the plates. Actually getting food into him had been a challenge, given the fact that he had no hands at the moment, and he had been extremely embarrassed about the need for extra help ever since. But before I could ask Tina if we could have some privacy, a smaller figure walked through the door.
"Mom? Where are you? The cat's bugging me again, and I already dealt with her enough last ni-"
That was as far as Elle got before she stopped, eyes so wide they were nearly popping out of their sockets and mouth frozen open in a look of horror. She was staring directly at Donnie. She was in no way prepared to see him. Before her mother could turn around, she had stumbled backward into some medical equipment propped against the wall, and it all toppled over with an enormous crash, taking her with it.
"Elle! Oh my gosh!" Tina cried, rushing over to her daughter. "What happened honey?! Did you fall?!"
George burst into the room next, asking what happened, followed by Casey and April. They managed to get Elle up on her feet, and her parents took her out of the room, but she didn't even care that she had nearly gotten herself hurt. She was still staring.
The look on Donnie's face… that hurt to see. His own little sister had reacted with fright when she saw him.
(Present…)
She's rarely shown her face again since, and never around Donnie. Her parents on the other hand knew right away what had made her fall, and of course knew how much it had stung. Tina and George came to seek us out later that day, and said that they had talked to her…
(Three Days Ago…)
"- so I'm terribly sorry about that." George was explaining. "Elle has a hard time adjusting to sudden changes, and she's got a mind that's grounded in facts and science-"
"Sounds like someone I know," I said with a smirk, looking directly at my brother. It was true. From what I could gather, Elle was intelligent. You'd think that would have her get along with him… but of course, I hadn't thought that she was grounded in a different kind of science. With only cold hard, human-proven truths. Nothing about mutagen or Kraang, or anything.
That was a huge difference between brother and sister. He wanted to pounce on that stuff once he got his hands on it. She seemed terrified of the very idea of non-human, sentient beings.
"We talked it over with her, she says it won't happen again," Tina continued. "I bet she feels guilty."
I hoped… but it seemed like too much to ask for.
(Present…)
So yeah, we've had some problems with her. But, on the other hand, no-one else has presented too many difficulties.
Steven… oh, where do I even begin with him? He's an absolute bundle of eight-year old curiosity and energy, like all kids naturally are. He zooms around the halls, this way and that, and he's absolutely full of questions. How many mutants lived in New York? Have you ever seen an alien up close? Do the sewers really smell as bad as they sound? All day, all night, endless questions. April, Casey and I try our best to answer, and he seems satisfied with most of them.
It's safe to say that while they've never really had their first conversation yet, Donnie gets along with Steven swimmingly. He listens patiently to the banter, and let's Steven do all the talking, answering in a 'yes' or 'no' nod or headshake. When I've seen the little boy in there, Donnie always watches so warmly as he rushes from one side of the room to the other, talking up some fantastical tale or another. He's already taken to his little brother so much, and the others have too. April thinks he's adorable, and Casey thinks he's hilarious, and even I'm enjoying his presence.
I think it's because we all see so much of his elder brothers in him. He has little traits that he shares with all of them.
Mikey's energy stands out the most. Both can go for hours on end with that stamina without wearing out at all.
He has a lighter version of that teasing manner Raph has taken up, and a bit of his sarcasm too, mostly aimed at his sister, which with all the sibling arguments that take place between my brothers, also strongly reminded us of what we were missing right now.
He had a strong dedication to his parents and siblings, and is following them around quite a lot, which I saw Leo's determination to be like our father, and mother hen over our brothers shining clearly through.
And Donnie's shared trait is easy to name. All that wonder and curiosity, fueling the bottomless pit of questions. It made everyone happy.
George's presence has been something else entirely.
He's definitely the one that we're all the most awkward about, due to the fact that out of the Houstons, he's the only one not related to Donnie by blood. Right now, Donnie's not sure exactly what to think of him yet, and he's being cautious. On the other hand, he's kind, protective of his children, and he's been fine with the fact that he's currently living with mutants, so it's better than if he had been non-accepting. I actually have the notion that, if by some horrible accident he does find out Donnie is in fact his stepson, he'd be okay with it.
Another thing?
He's literally the clumsiest person I've ever met.
No, really.
Seven times I've seen him stumble on the stairs. He's knocked over more objects than I can count. Yesterday morning the household woke up to hear the loud crash that inevitably came after he slipped on Casey's accidentally left-out shoe, and we're nervous to even let him outside, should he slide down the driveway on the ice. Again. I'm almost impressed, but it's also kinda scary. However, this seems normal to the rest of the Houstons. How he has a career as an electrician and survives, I don't think I'll ever figure out.
I don't know if it counts to include the cat, but Hera has made such a lasting impression on the household that it would be bogus not to. Hera has made it her mission to annoy as many people as possible, and from the way the Houstons know how to handle her, it seems that this is also a normal occurrence. April, Casey and Donnie met her the first morning too, after Steven gleefully brought the snarling creature in, kicking her stubby limbs and trying to nip his fingers.
(Three Days Ago…)
"This is the kitty," Steven said absentmindedly, depositing Hera onto the sheets. "I thought I'd bring her in to say hi."
The moment Hera caught sight of Donnie, her back arched, and her eyes widened, tail standing straight up. She slowly opened her mouth and hissed, before shutting it, and freezing, not daring to move. We burst out laughing at the expression she was wearing.
"That's a nice thought Steven, thanks," I managed to get out in between a fit of giggles. "But I don't think she likes this." We were all overcome again, lost in mirth.
(Present…)
Since then, she has been nothing but a hindrance. She has dive-bombed people from atop the kitchen cupboards, popped out from under beds and tables to attack people's legs, and… the least desirable of her antics… has been stealing a sheer number of different objects. I can't exactly stop her, animals will do what they'll do… but I've taken to locking my stuff outside in the Party Wagon, just in case. We've been warned that she can undo locks, and she has a history of breaking into cupboards to get her own food. Since she's an indoor-only cat, what better way to combat this than take my stuff outside?
Still, we've been careful.
That leaves Tina.
She's definitely decided to take charge of the household, which is strange, but nice, since we feel a little more under control, and maybe more than a bit safer. We're finally getting normal meals again thanks to her, which is fantastic since before that, whether it be from incapacitation or general lack of know-how, none of us could cook, and we were going stir-crazy on the weirdest stuff from the pantry, like saltine crackers, longing desperately for something real to eat. And she was fierce. Like, wicked fierce. Nothing threatened her children without facing her wrath.
I'll admit… we've all gotten a little bit attached to having her here. I quickly realized that the reason had to be that before she had been found… all of us had been motherless. Casey lost his most recently, two years ago. April hadn't seen her mother since she was six, and never found out what happened to her, due to her father withholding the information. Donnie and I… Well, we all know what happened to my mother. And he had grown up not even knowing one existed.
Now, suddenly, he had one. We considered him lucky. He finally got to have the one thing all four of us had been missing, the only one to never in his life experience what we had all gotten to, no matter how brief that time had been. But we all longed for it too. We were all feeling that ache, that missing sensation, that hole in our hearts that would maybe never mend. She was all too happy to tend to all of us when we needed it, and I think she was understanding that we needed it right now, without question.
But the strangest thing about having her here was the growing realization that she was even more like Donnie than any of us could have expected.
Small quirks, little traits, tiny details… They shared so much with each other. It became so apparent that after the first day, April and Casey and I had literally started looking for similarities.
She wasn't much of a talker before you really got to know her. That much was obvious. Opening up more came around yesterday, and she finally began to warm up to us. When she got nervous, she tended to ramble, and more often than not, put her foot in her mouth by mistake or say something totally from the realm of geeks or whatnot, even in front of her own family. People and conversation just weren't her strong suit. Again, like Donnie, she seemed to be most comfortable in her work.
From what I had gathered, she had studied at a college in the city, which I couldn't remember the name of. Something she had in common with her husband was that both of them waited before attending college. She got a degree in Zoology, and became a zookeeper a short time after Elle was born. She had always been gifted with animals, losing her painful shyness around them, and had taken care of numerous pets growing up. Believe it or not, she specialized in reptiles, and had a pretty good career handling lizards and alligators and whatnot, unafraid of the tougher ones and caring for them with ease.
Nothing had been said about the pet-store job yet, but we were waiting to bring it up. She knew Donnie and I had three brothers, that they were turtles, and that Donnie had been one as well, at least, up until recently. We didn't need her putting two and two together, and I could suspect that to her, something seemed off. I'm a kunoichi. I can tell. But she's in the dark for now, and that's more than we could have hoped for.
The blood transfusion went well. She gave as much as she could, and we have to wait another eight weeks before she can make a second donation, which means sometime around the end of February. With the mutagen in Donnie's system, it should start working pretty quickly. We haven't seen any changes yet, but he should start doing better. It would be great if we could have our brothers tested too… it's too bad we can't. We decided to save that scenario for an emergency.
It would be an understatement to say that Donnie is on Cloud Nine with her here. He is absolutely over the moon.
Once he had realized how much he could actually relate to her, he quickly came to want to know her, know who his mother was. He truly wanted to establish a connection, but wasn't sure about how much of a distance to keep. It was so hard for him. Every time she entered the room, he became calm, and undoubtedly happier. Truly smiling, and completely different from the boy who had hid when he met her the first time. He was extremely excited to talk with her for the first time later today, when he woke up.
That's what I was doing outside with Casey. The Houstons had no idea what it took to enable and disable Donnie's voice, but we certainly don't need them to see any of that. Casey and I kept them distracted while April got to work. Apparently, this time it had taken only seconds for April to subdue him after he slipped back into his other form. She was getting the hang of it. While she stayed with him, waiting for him to sleep it off, we went out into the woods to train, and burn some time. Surely, it can't be long now before he-
"GOONGALA!"
Oh, come on!
Drawing my tanto in a split-second, I did a quick one-eighty as Casey came crashing down through the branches, hockey stick already brandished. We swung several times at each other, tight and sharp, as if this were a real match and not practice. I went light as our weapons collided, trying not to ruin the wood.
"These won't hold well in battle," I said, whirling around to get another strike in. "We need to get you a real weapon sometime."
He swiped at me again. "If Donnie can fight with a wooden weapon, so can I."
Resilient. Bold. I was impressed. We continued for a few minutes in silence. It felt like a wonderful release, practicing, honing my skills. A few days ago, when I was still in my strange in-between period, thirsty for revenge, I probably would have run through all the moves I would have used in my vengeful rage against Shredder. Now I imagined fighting alongside my family and friends, being each other's protectors.
Casey's attacks became gradually slower over the next few seconds before he stopped, panting. He propped his stick up against the ground, rested his arm on it and flipped his skull mask up, face gleaming and red. "You okay?"
I panted for a moment too, my breath hard to regain in such cold air. It made my lungs burn. "Yeah. I'm fine. Why, did I look off or something?"
Casey shrugged. "A little bit. Were you just thinking?"
"Yes, I apologize for letting myself get distracted…" I trailed off. "I guess going over everything that's happening kinda helps me keep myself together. But, I'll admit, the training isn't hurting either. Feels like better times, you know?"
"More like ancient history." He deadpanned while frowning. My mouth quickly turned down too. Even training couldn't distract us. Not entirely.
"I'm glad he's gotten the first transfusion." I said. "It should be a major help… and I have you to thank for it, otherwise we would be entirely in the dark." His face went a little red, and I quickly started to smile. "No, seriously Casey. I can't thank you enough. As a matter of fact, I don't think I'll ever stop being able to thank you."
"Anytime. Especially for the best family I know." he said. Smiling, we took a moment to lean on each other for a second, before he jokingly said, "So… is this a better distraction?"
Now it was my turn to go red. "Oh please…" I trailed off, completely unsure of how to answer.
Luckily, the world decided to spare me, as Casey had glanced back up at the mansion. "Hey, look! It's Red!"
Hearing the nickname Casey had used tons of times for April, I looked in the direction he was pointing in, and sure enough, April was at the huge window, waving at us from far above. Giving us the all clear that Donnie was awake, and ready to talk.
Good timing.
The short trek up the hill back inside left us grateful to be indoors again. We stood shivering in the foyer for a few minutes, waiting to be warm again, before going further into the house. Once we reached the main bedroom, we found Donnie and April both in good spirits, laughing hysterically over something Donnie was telling April.
"Oh my gosh, I had no idea you guys liked Monty Python so much! Why didn't you tell me?!" April gasped, holding her sides and quaking.
"What do you mean, why didn't you tell me?!" Donnie answered, equally overcome in a fit of laughter. "I can't believe I didn't know you liked it, we all love it! Leo and Raph even made Mikey and I film them performing the Fish-Slapping Dance about a month before we met you!"
Both of them collapsed into giggles, unable to sit up for a good minute or so, the image of Leo and Raph too funny for them to think of anything else. I myself had never seen Monty Python, but if the internet was anything to go by, apparently, they were pretty funny.
"You two having fun?" I asked. From the look of it, April might have taken a bit longer to let us know Donnie was awake. But I couldn't blame them. If they wanted alone time, they were more than free to have it, especially after all the drama of the past week.
Both blushed, but Donnie nodded. "Yeah, we are."
"You've gotta show me that video," April wheezed, mind still stuck on the humor.
"Once I have access, it'll be free VIP viewing for April Grace O'Neil." Donnie promised in his most winning voice, grinning all the while.
"Grace?" asked Casey.
"Leave it to my dad to come up with a name like that," said April with a sigh. "I told Mikey a few months back and he couldn't keep his mouth shut. Anyway, it doesn't exactly fit me, but it's not the worst. Casey, I know for a fact that your middle name is 'Bernid'."
Caught off guard, Donnie and I exploded into laughter at April's proclamation. Even I couldn't imagine more horrible luck regarding a name. We struggled to regain our breath as Casey bitterly mumbled something that sounded awfully like "Thanks a lot, dad."
Finally, we got around to fetching Tina for a more official introduction. April volunteered, so I chatted with the boys until she returned with her a few minutes later. Steven had also tagged along behind them, eager to see what was going on. I didn't see why he couldn't stay, so we let him.
"So what's this all about?"
I turned my head in Donnie's direction, watching as Casey and April followed my example. His cheeks went red, before he cleared his throat. "...Hi…"
Tina did a double take, eyes widening when she heard him speak. Steven wasn't even fazed. "Hi! You can talk now?!" he asked eagerly. When we all nodded in affirmation, he plopped down on the end of the bed, pulling his legs up until they were crossed in front of him. "Good! Now you don't have to nod and shake your head all the time!"
"Yes, I'm very excited for proper conversation as well," Donnie said as Tina sat down next to Steven. "It's essential."
Tina nodded deeply in agreement, while Steven only looked confused. When Donnie caught sight of him, he chuckled. "That's the exact same look my brothers give me when I use bigger words. They tell me they have a hard time believing I'm speaking English, which is funny, because we're bi-lingual. We know when English isn't being used."
This got a laugh out of the two of them, and us as well. "What other languages do you speak?" asked Tina.
"Japanese. I've been fluent in both of them since I was a baby." Donnie explained.
"I know a little Russian and Gaelic," Tina offered. "My parents both immigrated to the U.S. before me and my sisters were born. My father is from Ireland, and my mother is from Russia. We've been known to drop into their accents sometimes, and my mother was never the best at English, so we all know some of her native language."
Donnie and I looked at each other before turning back to Tina. "Our father came from Japan to New York City about six months before I was born," Donnie explained. "To start over. Granted, gaining us wasn't exactly what he had in mind, but it was for the best. I can only imagine how hard it was with the four of us."
Another shared trait. One more thing to have in common. Donnie was smiling as he said this, knowing very well that it was one more thing that both could relate too. I wouldn't be surprised if he had a running tally in his head.
"How many brothers do you have again?" asked Tina.
"Three. We're quadruplets, and I'm the third one out of the four of us. Leo and Raph are both older than me, and then Mikey is behind us. Karai is a year older." Donnie explained. "We were raised by our father, by himself, no less. He took us in and kept us underground until we were old enough to go up to the surface. That night, we met April, and Casey joined us two months later."
"I'm a recent edition." I deadpanned. Tina and Steven giggled.
"It must be nice to have so many friends at that age." Said Tina. "I didn't really have any until college. When you grow up with a Russian mother during the Cold War… it really limits the options of who wants to associate with you. Not to mention, I was pretty terrified of any social situation… yeah, you definitely have it better off than me."
"Are you kidding?!" asked Donnie, laughing. "Do you know how long it took me to be able to talk to April without stuttering?! I still don't have it down! In my opinion, that makes two of us!"
Both of them laughed loudly and heartily. The sight genuinely made me smile. Tina may not have been able to know that the boy she was having such a nice, funny, lighthearted conversation with was her own son, but Donnie was enjoying it, and that was all that mattered. This was his only way to bond with his mother without giving himself away, and I wanted him to be able to make a connection.
"Your family sounds so great." Said Tina as they finally settled down. "It's too bad they aren't here."
"I know." Donnie said, sighing. "I wish they were here too, because I really miss them, and I know they would like you guys, but they aren't able to come… uh…"
He then blushed a little bit, before shifting slightly, as if he was having trouble finding words. "Um… I just wanted to thank you for coming," he started. "This has been so stressful, and I know that if we had had to bring someone else, they might not have been as understanding. You didn't even have to come, but the fact that you did… that's so amazing. So, thank you."
Tina's eyes widened at his words, and then her surprise turned to warmth. She looked as if her heart had just melted. "Oh, anytime dear. I would have come no matter what."
The grin on his face was priceless. And quite shameless. He was so happy to hear her say that. "It's nice to know someone cares. I mean, with the whole city out for our blood and all… not many people would be willing to get past that. They'll believe anything if it frightens them enough. But not you."
"They are just so closed-minded." Tina scoffed. "They don't want to see mutants for who they truly are. I'll be willing to bet they'll never see any human in you and your family, no matter if the proof is sitting right in front of their faces."
The things that fear can do to a person. Shredder's fear of me discovering the truth made him believe his own lie. Father's fear of losing his children led to their isolation from the world, which wouldn't have happened if the human race had just been more understanding… and even me. Afraid, both before as an Oroku, and now as a Hamato, that my family will never receive peace. That my mother will never be avenged, that my brother will never be cured, that I have torn my loved ones apart at the seams. I would go to any extreme to fix the mess we're in.
"It's sick." Said Casey. "My sister was talking to me about how hateful the city is. She knows, and she's only six! She shouldn't have to see that."
"Even my dad isn't exactly fond of the fact that most of my only friends are mutants," said April. "And I am one myself. I sometimes think he's trying to lock my mutant side away. He wanted a normal life for me, but I like it the way it is! I don't see why things have to be any different."
Donnie frowned. "Maybe he's just paranoid that he'll lose you. I mean, your mother disappeared when you were little, thanks to the Kraang. He's just having difficulty differentiating mutants from aliens."
Another example of fear. There was no denying April's mutant heritage. It was part of her, and no one could take that away. If her own father had a hard time accepting that…
Donnie looped one of his arms around April's shoulders and pulled her close. Clearly, she hadn't told him about this. My guess was that she didn't want to offend him. I had seen her dad once, under Kraang's mind control. That would be enough to turn anyone against those who weren't human. But then again, that included April. She may have looked human from the moment of birth, but she was like my brothers and father, all of Shredder's henchmen, and even like the Kraang herself. It was simply her DNA.
"I don't think mutants are being given a fair chance," said Steven. "Everyone at school is afraid now because you were on the news. But now I know you, and I think you're really cool! Besides, it's not like you were planning on coming to Michigan… well, your sister did, actually… but that's not the point!" He frowned. "I would be furious if it were Elle they were talking about. You don't talk about someone's sibling like that and get away with it."
Little did he know…
"You make a good point Steven." I said. "I'm proud that you and your family are able to see what most other humans can't." My mind couldn't help but wander to Elle as I said this… but who knows? Maybe she'll come around…
The doors on the other side of the room burst open, and George ran in, face-planting quickly before righting himself and continuing his stride. It was amazing how fast he was back on his feet, which told me he had experience. He looked panicked and jittery as he came up to us.
"What's wrong?" I asked, immediately worried by the look on his face.
He stopped, panting, then breathed out. "You need to see this."
We rose and dashed through the halls after him. He was leading us to the room with all the monitors and computers that we had been using for the purpose of studying our DNA. There were bright red alarms flashing on the screens. That was definitely a bad sign.
"What's going on?" asked Casey.
"It looks like it's saying there's some sort of breach," Said George, beads of sweat falling down his face. "Like someone broke into the property."
Oh no…
No!…
There were only a few people who knew the coordinates, and subsequently the general location, of the mansion. All of the others besides us were from the Foot Clan… and if that was true…
I got to work at once, pulling video feed from the cameras in the woods. April and I activated them the night we arrived. I was hoping that whatever it was might be some sort of animal, but eventually, I zeroed in on something much larger moving through the trees.
"You've got to be kidding me." April muttered.
Sure enough, to my utter displeasure and annoyance, I saw two ugly mugs I never wished to lay eyes upon again. One was tall and bony, matted with dark fur, and had quite the collection of sharp, glinting fangs. The other was much shorter, with maroon scales, two enormous fangs sticking out of either side of his mouth, and two large robotic legs to keep him standing. Rahzar and Fishface.
"Of all the ones Shredder had at his disposal, we get these two?!" Donnie snapped in annoyance.
"At least it's not Tiger Claw." Casey muttered. Donnie took a moment to consider, then nodded. "Good point."
Steven whimpered and went to hide behind his father, who was staring at the mutants on screen in horror. Tina only glared at the screen for a few moments, before turning to us. "These two dangerous?" she asked.
I nodded. "They definitely are."
"We have to get them out of here and keep them away!" Said April. She turned to Donnie. "Donnie, you stay here with the Houstons. Karai, Casey and I will fight these goons off."
"No."
Tina walked up to April with a determined look on her face. "Let me come with you."
My jaw dropped. "What?!"
"Tina!" George sounded just as stunned.
"I want to help keep you guys safe. Besides… I've spent the last thirteen years handling alligators and cobras. If I can handle them, I can take on these guys." She said. I could tell she wasn't going to budge, no matter how we tried to persuade her otherwise.
"Oh my god, Tina, this is crazy! You can't go out there and fight these guys!" George insisted.
She turned to her husband. "George, every moment we spend arguing, those two come closer and closer. I want to help, and the kids need backup! I should be doing more for them than just offering my blood! It's the least I could do!"
Now George was at a loss for words. He stuttered for a few seconds, before stammering, "Tina, I can't let you get hurt."
"He's right," I said. "We need you unharmed. Your blood is precious." She was Donnie's last and only chance. If we lost her, there would be no saving him.
No matter how we protested, she was stubborn, like Donnie. There was no way we were going to change her mind. "If you kids have to fight them, so help me, I'm coming too! You shouldn't be out there battling these punks by yourselves." she insisted. I'll admit, I was impressed by her bravery. There was only one thing I could do now.
"Alright, you can come. We might stand a better chance with the four of us." I said in defeat.
Donnie's mouth opened in horror. He started to speak up, but then stopped. I could tell he was extremely upset, but of course, he didn't want to say anything that would give himself away.
"Don't worry, we'll keep her safe." I said, directed both at my distressed little brother, and Tina's frightened husband. Donnie got the message, and nodded behind my back, but George didn't look convinced.
Tina crossed the room to him and sighed. "George, I'm gonna be fine. But right now, you need to focus on what you can do here. Take Steven, Elle and Donnie, hide them, and keep them safe. All of them. Do you understand?!"
He stared at her, eyes wide for a second, before nodding. "Alright. I'll do what I can from here."
"Good." She pulled him towards her and kissed him, lasting for about fifteen seconds, before turning back to us. "Show me what to do. I promise, I won't let you guys down."
George ushered Steven out the door, telling to go find his sister, before Casey walked up to him with his baseball bat. "Take this. Use it if something goes wrong." He told him vaguely. If it came to it, George would know what to do.
I just hoped it wouldn't come to… well, what I was fearing. What we all were fearing.
I then watched as George then crossed to where we had Donnie seated in a chair, before lifting him with some difficulty. Donnie glazed over to me. "Please be careful."
"Don't worry. We will." I assured him. "George, take care of him!"
"I will Karai! I promise!" he said before rushing out into the hallway, taking my baby brother with him. I took a moment to close my eyes and pray for their safety, before turning to those of us who remained.
"Let's do this."
We wasted no time. We were rushing out the door into the chilly air within five minutes. Once outside, Casey unlocked the Party Wagon doors and we all threw ourselves inside. I was so glad I had the foresight to lock my weapons inside, and to be honest, I had that demon cat to thank too.
With Casey at the wheel, the Wagon flew off the path and into the woods at speeds no teenager should know to go to. He knew what he was doing though. We glided and wove through the trees effortlessly, made even more impressive by the fact that he was at the helm of such a large vehicle.
It wasn't long before they were in sight. Rahzar picked up on us first. I saw his ears twitch, before he turned his head in our direction. There was a small rush of satisfaction watching his expression contort to one of surprise.
"Karai, what if they see us?!" April asked over the roar of the engine. "Then they'll know we're here!"
Several Japanese curses went flying into the air, courtesy of me. She was exactly right. If we were caught, it was game over. They would only go back and alert Shredder of our location, and we had nowhere else to go!
"I-I… I don't know!" I stammered, furious with myself for realizing how unprepared for an attack we truly were. To think, I had convinced myself they wouldn't find us?! Of course Shredder would look here. He wouldn't even think of leaving a single stone unturned! Leave it to him to come in and put my plan to shame! We were so, utterly, royally screwed!
And then I heard the 'click' of a seatbelt.
Before anyone else could comprehend what was happening, Tina had gotten up from her seat, and was halfway out the window! I gasped, watching as she raised her arms, brandishing a metal rod that I believe belonged to the car jack, ready to strike. And strike she did, indeed. Fishface yelled out as he was struck in the face, and Casey pulled the wheel around to take aim once again. I was extremely glad we brought her.
Suddenly, I had an idea on how to cover our tracks. Ducking into the backseat, I reached into one of my bags and pulled out some of my clothes, all in shades of black, all hooded. I tossed some of the clothing to April, and pulled on a black jacket and pants, finishing off with large black boots. April did the same, and before long, we were both in black. We then tied black handkerchiefs over our mouths and pulled the hoods tight, to make sure our hair was hidden from view. Not a single strand of red, black or blonde in sight.
"Casey! Switch!" I said, leaping up front again. Casey scrambled over his seat to go into the back, while I took the driver's seat… in hindsight, it might not have been the best idea, because I had never actually driven a car before… let alone a large van. Only a motorcycle. And they were quite different.
The Party Wagon spun twice while I fumbled with the wheel, everyone else in the back rattling around significantly. "Sorry!" I cried, braking quickly as we nearly smashed into a tree. April took Tina's place (and car jack), again taking aim, while Tina and Casey took a turn disguising themselves. Neither fit into my clothes, but that wasn't important. April got a second strike on the back of Rahzars head, causing him to fall face-first into the snow and let out a loud, angry growl.
"Okay! What now?!" Casey shouted, muffled by his handkerchief. There was no earthly way to recognize any of us, even Tina, who was stuffing her blond waves into her hood with some difficulty, but a lot more determination.
"Now we give them a fight!" I cried back, reaching back to grab another car jack.
I slammed the brakes, and we threw the doors open as one. "Keep the Wagon going! That'll keep them busy!" I said to Casey. He was in the driver's seat and flooring the gas in seconds. That left us about ten yards away from the henchmen.
"Now we're in trouble, aren't we?" Fishface asked Rahzar in exasperation.
"Well, we ain't going down yet!" Rahzar snapped back, teeth bared. "So get those metal monstrosities of legs moving!"
Both raced forward, which we ladies followed in suit. The three of us must have been quite a sight, all in black and armed with metal rods, only able to just barely see our eyes. Still, we gave them all we got.
April and I didn't want to give ourselves away with too many fancy moves, so we did what we could with solid punches and kicks, managing to land a few good ones on both. Fishface yelped as my foot smashed his tail into the ground, while Rahzar had to throw himself out of the way as Casey sped past in the Wagon, horn blaring loud enough for the others to probably be able to hear it back at the mansion. I'll admit, Casey looked as if he were having a little too much fun with the horn, but at least he was giving them a chance to get out of the way before he ran them over. It was honestly hilarious to watch anyway, and I couldn't exactly stop him. I had my hands full.
Tina impressed me the second Rahzar was down. I watched her jump, clear his back easily, and land squarely on his shoulders, holding down his head as he tried to buck her off. The word alligators registered in my head from our earlier conversation as I watched her wrestle him back down into the snowbank with the strength of a boulder. She clearly had valuable experience with this sort of thing, and I was thrilled to watch.
Meanwhile, April and I had our hands full with Fishface. April had taken the back, while I had slid between the legs to strike at the underbelly, but it was difficult keeping out of the way of his legs. We couldn't let him get away, but I was worried the two of us couldn't keep him for long. All I could do was hope Casey decided to make Fishface his next target.
I heard a loud THUD! Tina rose from her position over Rahzar, looked down, and said jokingly, "Stay." Honestly, I had to fight back a laugh. How many times had I heard all four of her sons use puns and jokes in the battle? Clearly, Donnie wasn't the only one who took after her, and they certainly didn't get that from our father.
She ran to us, rod at the ready, but just then, Casey delivered his next drive-by beautifully. We all found ourselves diving for cover as the tires of the Wagon thundered past, blowing snow and dirt in every direction. This was insane, we had to drive these guys out!
I stood and glanced at Rahzar. No indications that he was awake. Tina had single-handedly knocked him out cold.
"That was incredible." I said to her as she stood next to me. "You got all that from handling alligators?!"
"I also used a couple of lacrosse skills." She sheepishly admitted. "Haven't played since college, but it's something that's stuck with me."
"Well, thank you. He was by far the more powerful one." I said gratefully. "Now we only have to deal with Fish-"
"WATCH OUT!"
We whipped our heads around towards April, and watched in shock as she pointed to the Wagon. Casey was leaning his head out to try and hear her, but it was too late. We realized Fishface was nowhere in sight… until he appeared on top of the van!
"Oh, come on!" I roared. We gave chase at once, and Casey took off, driving as fast as possible to try and dislodge the mutant. He wouldn't move, however. His legs had dug into the roof, and they weren't going to even let him slide around on top. Satisfied with his clever idea, he began to try and find a way inside.
There was no way we could let him in. I had to find a way to get him off, but how?...
Wait…
"The trees!" I yelled, thinking back to my sparring match with Casey. "Take to the trees!"
We rushed to the nearest trunk and began to climb, helping each other up harder legs as the Party Wagon swerved and whirled in dizzying circles underneath us. Finally, I clambered onto a branch, followed by April, and then Tina. I held up my hand, waiting for the right moment.
The maneuvers the Party Wagon was making were unbelievable. I felt sorry for Casey. He was doing everything he could to throw off Fishface, but it was no use. I saw the occasional arm wing up with the car jack to take him out, but Fishface dodged every time. Eventually, he caught Casey's arm and wrestled the jack out, opening his jaws, ready to bite and insert his venom… but he made the huge mistake of doing so while Casey passed under our branch.
"NOW!"
We dropped feet first towards the roof of the van, bracing ourselves for the impact. We landed shakily, losing our balance for a second, before straightening. Fishface only had time to turn around before we charged him.
Mayhem ensued. I don't think I've ever fought rougher or dirtier before in my life. It was three-on-one, but he still gave it his all. I swung the jack again and again in frustration, fighting for our safety, but no matter what, he wouldn't cave. What was it going to take to take Fishface down?!
It took me a moment to realize Tina wasn't standing next to me anymore. She was kneeling down, leaning her arm down in front of the windshield, pointing to the left. Had no idea what she was doing until Casey turned in the same direction she was pointing. My jaw dropped as I realized we were speeding towards a low hanging branch. Fishface didn't even realize until it was several seconds too late, but Tina was up on her feet again, rushing towards him, jack in both hands.
Boom!
The branch hit Fishface from behind, causing him to flip in midair, and Tina tackled him, both sailing off the Wagon to the snow below.
April and I cried out in horror, and Casey hit the brakes so hard it knocked us both off our feet. My elbow screamed as it hit the roof, but I didn't care. April and I crawled as fast as our bodies would let us see over the side, where Tina had shakily risen, delivering the final blow to his head, knocking him unconscious. She then turned to us and gave us a thumbs up, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
Casey whooped in excitement, and April and I leapt down to join in revealing our victory. We had done it! We actually beat those thugs!
After high-fives and celebration all around, we got to work. We took both of the knocked out mutants and drove fifteen miles with them in the back before depositing them in a dumpster in the nearest town. Just as we were closing the top, I noticed a communication device in Rahzar's ear, and snatched it, making sure to leave Fishface's in his ear slit before heading back, calling George on the way to report that the situation had been taken care of.
When we got back, we found all four of them watching the replay of the entire fight on the security feed. George immediately ran to hug Tina and commend her on her strength and bravery, while I scooped up my brother in a huge hug, happy to have kept him safe. We explained what we did with the henchmen and showed them the communication device. The plan was to snoop on them through Fishface's own device and see what they had to say to Shredder before destroying the device.
It was about an hour before we heard anything. Rahzar's grumbling. He commented that 'cod lips' was still unconscious (this made Steven giggle) before we heard a loud beep. Then, the voice that made a shiver run down my spine.
"Bradford! What took so long?! Have you inspected the safehouse?!" Shredder demanded impatiently. Clearly, he was in a mood.
"Uh, no. We ran into a problem… you see…" Rahzar was clearly nervous to tell him that they had been driven out, but this only made things worse.
"Bradford! Answer me! NOW! What happened?!" Shredder roared.
"We got driven out by a bunch of flower-children! They've completely taken over the place! There's no sign of Karai there anywhere, but these guys were tough. They knocked us out, and now I've got to drag Xever all the way back!"
Silence for a few seconds on Shredder's end, while we all laughed, drinking in just how successful we were. Then, he sighed in exhaustion.
"Very well. Leave the safehouse alone. We can afford to lose it for a while. We'll get our revenge on those squatters as soon as we find Karai, and sniff out that retched monster of Splinter's son she's surely traveled with. You will bring Xever back to the lair immediately. And don't keep me waiting!"
We waited until the line went dead before George handed Casey's baseball back to him, and he brought it down on the device several times. By the time he was done, it was completely useless. We cheered and clapped, patting each other on the back, congratulating each other, and pretended not to notice as a very uncomfortable Elle slipped from the room. Apparently, being shut up in a room with Donnie had made her irritable.
I quickly took Tina's hand and pulled her out of the room. "That was so amazing." I said as we stepped into the hallway. "We couldn't have gotten rid of those idiots if it weren't for you."
"Oh, it's no trouble." She insisted. "I knew I had to help you guys. It's the only thing I could do."
Before I could stop myself, I threw my arms around her. "Donnie was right. Thank you for coming." I said.
I felt her put her arms around me as well. "You're welcome, Karai."
Afterward, we walked back inside, and I watched Donnie's smile widen as we walked back in. He was safe. Our friends were safe. The Houstons were safe. That was all that mattered. Though I had to hand it to Tina. She saved us all, and I was so glad we brought her. Hopefully, this would be the last roadblock for a while, but if we had another, we would be ready, especially now that we had new allies.
I had a feeling we were gonna be very well protected for the foreseeable future.
A/N.
I don't think I've put that much dedication into finishing a chapter before, especially with the odds against me. Getting to write this was a joy, but now that it's finished, I'm so excited to share with all of you!
The next chapter… it'll be quite unique, and I'm mentally preparing myself for that one… because most of the POV will be Splinter's. This was one I knew I had to do from the beginning, and I don't think I'll trust myself not to cry. I'll be amazed if I don't. I suggest having tissues ready for the next one.
Anyways, that's it for now. Thank you everyone for the long wait, I will have the next chapter out much sooner than last time! Besides that, I hope you all enjoyed this entry to the story, and once you're done, leave a review, favorite, follow, and as always…
Stay Tuned! ;)