Chapter two: Thinking it Over
"Sacks is a creep" announced April firmly as she flopped backwards into the cushions, allowing them to envelop her in their floppy, well-used warmth.
"Can we quote you? I mean like, officially?" joked Casey. She bumped his knee with her fist.
"Careful Jones or I might quote you" The light in her eyes suggested her meaning of the word quote could be rather different to his own. Damn she was pretty. He was in real danger of falling hard for this woman and she knew it. That's why she played him - and won. Every. Single. Time.
It was the end of the day and the two were positioned side by side on one of the couches within the turtles lair. Leonardo occupied the opposite sofa, Raphael occupied his weight bench and was halfway through a third set of flies, and Michelangelo was nestled in his bean bag right by April's feet. Even though his angel cakes was now all official with Casey he still knew she had a special turtles shaped place in her heart just for him. Besides, she'd grow weary of Jones soon enough and he would be ideally positioned to offer comfort.
"Donnie would back me up" added April "He still in his lab?" She felt her gaze stray over there to where the door, adourned with a 'Keep out Mikey' sign, was closed to those trying to view whatever was inside.
"He's not doing anything really, it's all for show" quipped Michelangelo as he leaned towards April's leg, enjoying the warmth that was coming from it "Now if you want to talk real science babe then I'm your guy" He pointed to himself so as to emphasise that as true. From over by his weight bench, Raphael snorted.
"Actually he is working on something pretty cool - something not related to Sacks" said Leo smoothly; attempting to keep the peace.
"Sorry. I know I've been going on a bit but he just gets under my skin" Casey picked up his girlfriend's hand from the sofa and squeezed it.
"Hey it's not me having a dig. You have every right to hate that guy" Leonardo knew what Sacks had done to all of them but he knew what he'd taken from her.
April lowered her eyes, avoiding contact with everyone as she felt the tiny pin-pricks of encroaching tears. Taking a deep breath through her mouth she blew it out and looked at Leo: "So what is he working on?"
Leonardo smiled, a small 'I understand' smile: "Remember the teleport?"
"Seriously? He has Kraang tech in here? Does dad know?" exclaimed Michelangelo as his eyes widened. He felt sure that Splinter wouldn't approve.
"Yes Mikes, he knows"
"Oh" Michelangelo paused for a second "But that is no way cool bro, that is scary. What if we get sucked through into another dimension? What if Kraang comes back? You do remember he nearly splatted me don't you?" The youngest shuddered, remembering how the alien had nearly crushed him with a very unwelcome hug "Cree-py little pink thing"
Leonardo leaned forward and patted his brother on the knee "Calm down, and don't worry; he's being very careful - you know Donnie - the cops wouldn't have trusted him with it if not"
"I guess" Michelangelo made a note in his head that he would have to check that. He also noted how Donnie got away with everything. He betted that he would never be allowed to play with alien tech...not that he wanted to...much.
"So what is he doing with it and how come TCRI didn't insist on keeping it locked down with them?" asked April, her interest heightening.
Casey answered that one: "They tried but as it's evidence for a crime that has been wrapped up our Chief was happy for Donatello to do some tampering. Besides it don't even work; got burned out right?"
"Yep. And attacked with a hockey stick" recalled April.
"Hey, I had to shut it down right" Casey nudged her in the ribs "Besides, your ass wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me and my stick"
"And boy can I never be allowed to forget it right?" She flashed him a smile before dropping her head to his shoulder "My hero..." Lifting her head back up she scooted forward - an idea popping up in her mind "Do you think Donnie would mind if I pester him for a while?"
"And leave us out here? What is it with Donnie?" whined Michelangelo thumping his arms down by his sides "Why is he Mister popular?"
April stood up, a hand resting on the smallest turtle's shoulder as she did so "You will always be my favourite turtle Mikey" Michelangelo seemed happy with that and beamed broadly "I just need to see if Donnie can help me get into TCRI" she continued, heading towards the lab.
"What? Like a secret mission?" Michelangelo got up too "I'm good with those angel-cakes; In fact I am best at those!"
"Yeh, like Police Headquarters" reminded Leonardo; trying to maintain serious whilst a the corners of his mouth twitched.
"Hey! That was all Raph, not me!" protested the youngest
"I heard that!" bellowed Raphael from the corner of the room "Keep on that track and you'll be spoiling for a fight"
"No need for any of that guys, and Mikey you can sit back down - there is no secret mission - I want a legitimate interview; I just need a name that's all, and I figured Donnie may know someone in the industry"
Michelangelo reluctantly sank back into his beanbag mumbling to himself.
"You gotta stop this" said Leonardo seriously "We're in a team - you, as much as the rest of us"
"Whatever" Pulling himself back up he made a beeline for his room. Leonardo watched him go, a confused look taking over his face.
"You not going to follow? Thinking it may possibly be time for the Big Brother chat Leo" Casey propped one leg across the other - eyes clocking the television remote and betting it was time for some hockey.
"He never listens anyway, and this mood he's in makes him more closed off than ever. I think it's time for dad to step in"
"You shurking your brotherly responsilities?"
"Nope. Just sharing the load" Leonardo rose to his full height - making the one sitting down feel very small indeed "It's what family is all about"
"And now I'm all alone" announced Casey as he grabbed the remote.
"Not quite" Raphael thumped down next to him "And I think you'll find that's our remote" He held out his hand
"I'm the guest!" protested Casey, moving the remote to his other hand
"A warning. Don't play it this way Jones. You will lose" answered Raphael as he turned to face him "My remote, my TV, my choice"
April knocked at Donatello's laboratory door, she didn't want to assume he would be okay with her barging in especially as he was handling Kraang technology; she was kinda with Mikey on that one - I mean, how safe could that stuff be? Kraang was not trustworthy by any stretch.
"Anyone other than Mikey" came Donatello's reply
April smiled as she opened the door "Only me" Closing it behind her she spotted the tallest turtle bent over his desk. He didn't look up.
"You got a minute?"
Then he raised his head and observed her through his goggles "For you, always"
"Smooth" She smiled again and pulled up a chair "Is Mikey so bad that he needs his own sign?"
Donatello removed his goggles and put the glasses in their place "Yes and yes" He turned his chair round to face her "I'm assuming this isn't a visit to talk about Mikey?"
"No"
"So...what can I do you for?"
"TCRI" began April "I want an interview and I was hoping that with your science know-how you may have a contact there? Someone who would be willing to talk; we'd protect their identity of course and they would be paid, I just need to know what Sacks is up to"
Donatello thought about it for a moment "Sacks says he's only a source of funding"
"I know what he says Donnie but I don't believe it for a second. You saw my interview, the guy is playing the authorities and they have no idea"
"You got any proof?" He reached for his keyboard and dragged a screen into view.
"Not exactly...but, I will and I just know it's in there. If I can just get someone to talk. I mean, maybe they'd consent to an open and honest chat, they are looking to re-build bridges after all, and confidence after all that Baxter business"
Donatello's fingers sped over the keys "I may be able to help but I'm not promising, if I were you I'd go legit and ask them straight out. But, if that don't float your boat"
April couldn't help but giggle "Did you really just say that?"
He looked at her over his glasses "It's a phrase, why not?" The fingers resummed moving at speed. April watched in awe, she could touch type but no where near as fast at Donatello and he had fewer usable digits which were a lot bigger than the average human "Now I am a member of a sort of social network group - it's a space where scientists can share ideas and ask each other questions and no, before you ask, they do not know that I am a turtle"
"Who says I was gonna ask that?"
"I practically heard you think it" He hit the return key twice "And bingo, it's all encrypted, it's all legit, I got my pass via the cops" He flashed her a grin "And it's been all go ever since, I can talk to people from all over the world"
"You have far too many priviledges - no wonder Mikey is so jealous"
"Not my fault and I hardly think Mikey would want to talk science"
April looked at the screen "He says he's building something big"
"And I can't wait" Donatello raised his brow ridge "Mikey is always doing something or other in that pit he calls a room - he's probably building a colony of fungus what with all the left over pizza which resides there - and have you seen under his bed?"
"No. And I don't think I want to!" She leaned forward to get a better view of the screen.
"TCRI scientists tend to be grouped depending who is working on what - there are a couple I messaged with recently - whether these are their actual names though" He pulled up a page entitled Blue Bunny who had recent correspondance with Dr D.
Not bothering to hide her amusement, April laughed out loud "And that's the best you can do?"
"I prefer the simple option" He nudged her shoulder "It's not about the name you know"
"It's about the brain!" announced the reporter, nudging him back "I get it!"
The next conversation Donatello pulled up was with a member who called themselves Life Changer "See? Hardly original, but these two are one hundred per cent TCRI"
Within TCRI Leeanne Miller exhaled a breath as she finished clearing up. The experiments had deemed no significant results - the new drug hadn't done anything to the cells she had held in suspension. Maybe she had been too hopeful. Mike Fallon had been all over this one so he would be disappointed too.
After she disposed of the contents and put the equipment in for deep clean her mind began drifting back to their earlier conversation. He wanted her to be a part of this whole new 'thing' with Sacks - whatever it was - and he wanted her to sign a disclosure? That would ensure she couldn't talk about anything to anyone. She wasn't used to having a gag order and in the light of all which had happened in the past, she assumed the Company would want to keep being open and transparent about what they were doing - so why this need for secrecy? They were doing good tests here, they were making such amazing progress.. Well, apart from today's little let down.
She removed her lab coat, exposing plain black trousers and a simple grey shirt, she was not a girl who wore colour - blend in - that was her motto - disappear. As she grabbed her outdoor coat from the peg and put it on, her handbag vibrated; alerting her to the arrival of a message on her phone. It could wait. She wasn't glued to her phone like so many others. It was time to go home, to eat the leftovers she had in the fridge and in turn, do some serious thinking about what her boss had offered.