April hung up the phone and grabbed her keys. "Well, let's roll." I went into the bedroom and got my sweatshirt. Just in case.
Casey decided he'd better come with us. I was in full agreement. Fortunately, so was April. Something just didn't smell right about this.
We took the elevator back down to the garage and got in April's car. As we took off down the street, I decided it was just as fun to sit in the back as it was the front! There's nothing like riding in a convertible, especially when the driver is insane and goes at least fifteen miles over the speed limit. Needless to say, we reached our destination rather quickly.
The address Donatello had given April turned out to be, what else, an abandoned warehouse. Typical.. Some villains just have no imagination. We parked and headed for the entrance. As much as I thought I'd be one to just plunge into danger full-steam, I was very apprehensive about walking into this warehouse. It had to be a trap of some kind. I almost stated out loud that I wasn't going any further, but by the time I got my mouth open, April had opened the door and gone inside. So much for that.. Casey followed her, and I was right behind Casey. Well, if it's a trap, at least we've got Casey. This thought brought me no comfort.
I looked around. "Well, nobody's here, let's go." "No way," said April, "We've got to find out what's going on."
It's a wonder she's still alive, if she keeps doing stuff like this. Being a reporter is surely hazardous to your health.
We walked further into the warehouse, thankfully being very slow and cautious. It was very, very silent. A little too silent. There was an open area in the center. Still, nothing happened. "Well," I said. "Seems to me that if they were here, they'd have shown themselves by now."
"I'm beginning to think you're right," said April. "We better go." She seemed disappointed that nothing was going on. We turned to leave, but suddenly found the way blocked by a set of iron bars that came crashing down from the ceiling. We turned around, but found similar bars at all four exits. We were caged in.
A voice began laughing above us. I looked up, trying to see who it was, but several bright lights had been turned on, blinding us.
"Oh that was too easy," laughed the voice. "Really Miss O'Neill, I would have thought you'd be smarter than that!"
Comprehension lit up April's face. "Shredder!"
"That's right, how very clever of you." Then we heard another voice, Donatello's. "Is this who you were looking for, April? We need your help downtown."
"That was you? Damnit!"
I couldn't help myself. "April, you really need to get Caller ID."
Shredder laughed again. "Ahh yes, and you've brought our little dimensional traveler as well. Pleased to meet you, Miss Williams."
I couldn't help but be sarcastic. "Charmed, I'm sure… Hey wait a minute, how do you know who I am?"
"I know everything, weren't you aware of that?"
I snorted. So did April.
"My computers picked up the temporal disturbance. I sent my Foot Soldiers to investigate. Missing something, are we?" Something dropped onto the floor in front of me.
"My wallet! I must have dropped it when I fell in the sewers. You'd think I'd have noticed." I picked it up and opened it. Everything was as it had been. Not that there was much to take. I only had about ten dollars and even so, I wasn't sure if the money was the same here.
Now Casey stepped in. "All right Shredder, enough with the pleasantries, what is going on?"
"It's simple. All I want is the girl. You and Miss. O'Neill may leave."
The three of us started talking all at once. "Say what? Nuh uh, no way!" "No way! You're insane!"
"Ridiculous!"
Shredders voice boomed out, "SILENCE."
We shut up all at once. Except, I was a little late. "Screw you!" floated out before I could stop it. Whoops…
"An interesting proposal. Perhaps I will take you up on that later." Yikes! "However, now, we must be going."
As he said this, several Foot ninjas jumped down among us. Two of them me by the arms, two grabbed April the same way. It took four to get Casey subdued. I attempted to struggle, but they were just too strong. So, remembering a little from a self-defense class, I tried aiming some strategic kicks. Unfortunately, they were wearing cups. They never wear cups in the movies! Jeez.
The bars lifted, and the Foot dragged April and Casey towards the front doors. I was taken in the opposite direction, towards the back. I continued to struggle, even though it was futile. I could see April and Casey trying to get away too, even though it seemed they were being released. I finally had to give up, it was wearing me out rather quickly, and I wanted to be alert. I think they got suspicious when I abruptly quit trying to get away, because the held my arms even tighter.
I really wasn't all that worried. I knew April would get help. I was also extremely overconfident in my abilities. I was sure that wherever they took me, I could escape.
I didn't know how wrong I was.
The Foot guys shoved me into the back of a black van, locked the doors, and jumped in the front. The engine revved, and I was tossed towards the back as they took off quickly. I stumbled to my feet and looked around, trying to find some sort of escape. There were no side doors, no windows, and was completely empty. Actually, it was almost pitch black, the only light coming in through the crack in the back doors. I tried the doors, but there was no way to get them open without the key. I tried yelling and kicking the walls, but that got me nowhere. I guess this kind of thing happens a lot in New York or something. Defeated, I slumped to the floor and hugged my knees.
Well now what, Miss "I can escape from anything"?
Shut up. I told myself. I'll… think of something.
Whoever was driving must have been a real lunatic, because he took the corners, hardly using the brakes at all. As a result I got very bruised very quickly, especially on my backside and arms. I yelled up to the front to slow down, but, as I expected, got no answer. So I kicked the wall separating the front from the rear. It was then that I noticed that the metal separator was very thin. I could probably get through it if I kicked enough. Yeah, then what, fight my way through two highly trained ninjas? Hardly. Try again, genius.
My brain was starting to get on my nerves.
The drive took a very long time. Luckily, after a while the road straightened out, so there were no more sharp corners. We must be headed out of the city. I decided to lie down because I was getting sleepy, thinking that if the ride had been this long, it was probably going to take a while longer. Taking off my sweatshirt, I used it to insulate my top half from the cold floor, and curled up. Despite the bouncing of the van over potholes and such, I found myself drifting off to sleep. Always knew I could sleep through anything…
************
The next thing I heard was a voice telling me to wake up. Apparently, I was too slow in doing so because next I felt someone jerking on my arm. I found myself pulled to my feet, and dragged out of the van. Luckily, I had had my arms wrapped around my sweatshirt, so it came with me. Who knows what kind of cold damp cell they'll throw me in…?
The brightness of the sun temporarily blinded me. No, wait, that's not the sun, it's too late for that. Where am I? Once my vision cleared, I looked around and found myself in a large metal chamber, brightly lit by a huge light on the ceiling. I didn't have long to look around, however, as they almost immediately began dragging me towards one of the doors set in a far wall. Once we reached the door, one of the Foot placed his palm on a plate beside it. The door opened, revealing a long hallway. However, we didn't go very far down, as the first door we came to was the one we stopped at. Again, the door opened with a palm print. Inside this one was a plain metal room, with a toilet, a sink, and a cot with a mattress, thin blanket, and pillow. They shoved me inside, and the door slid shut behind me.
I stood for a moment, staring at the door in disbelief. There was no way to escape from the room, and even if I could, I'd probably have to get through that chamber without being seen, which was unlikely. Then I'd have to figure out just where I was, and get back to the city. Nope, it looked like I was going to be there for a while. I sank down on the bed and leaned against the wall, boredom already setting in.
The walls were cold, so I put my sweatshirt back on and huddled up. Actually, the whole room seemed to be getting colder by the minute. After a while, I needed to put the blanket around me as well. It wasn't long before I could see my breath. What is going on? Were they trying to freeze me to death? I began to get sleepy again, and couldn't help but drop off into uncomfortable slumber.
********************
I awoke to blessed warmth. I opened my eyes, and found that I seemed to be in the same room before. Yet, it was warm again. Some kind of test? Who knows. All I cared about was that I was warm again. I sat, contemplating my situation, when the door opened. A Foot walked in. He had nothing in his hands. I couldn't help but think that he looked like some kind of insect from a horror movie, wearing the black dogi with the hood that had the metal screens over the eyes. He came over."Get up, let's go."
"Why?"
"Because I said so, now move it!"
"And who are you?"
"None of your business, let's go!"
"Go where?"
I knew I was pushing it, but I'd had enough of being dragged around. Besides, I wondered if they were maybe just all talk.
They weren't. He pulled out a gun and said, "Let's go, NOW!"
"All right, all right, I'm coming!" I wasn't about to mess around when a gun was involved.
He grabbed my arm, which by this time was getting pretty sore from all the rough treatment.
"Jeez," I said, "You could have asked nicely."
He didn't answer. I was secretly satisfied that I had had the last word.
Instead of heading for the central chamber, we headed in the opposite direction, down the hall. At the very end was a door, which he opened. Inside was a huge desk that took up most of the center of the room. Behind it were several computer screens, all flashing various bits of information.
The Foot beside me spoke. "I've brought her, Sir."
I noticed that the chair behind the desk was turned, facing the computer screens. This place is so incredibly typical, makes me want to puke. The voice that came from the chair was of course, familiar.
"Good. You may leave."
The Foot guy left by the same door we came in. The guy in the chair turned around. It was Shredder, of course, only he didn't have the helmet on. That, I could see, was on a table behind the desk. I had to admit; he was pretty damned good looking. He looked just like the cartoon version of him. God I'm superficial… There were no scars on his face that I could tell.
He just sat there and stared at me with those piercing black eyes, until I couldn't help but look away.
"So what is it you want, Shredder?" I felt odd saying his name.
"What makes you think there's something I want?" He was toying with me.
"Well let's see. You trick us into going to that warehouse, jump us, drag me off into a van that was in an awful hurry to get away, lock me in a freezing cold cell, seem to know all about me, and claim I'm the only one wanted. Gee, guess I'm wrong, maybe you did it just for fun!"
Shredder raised one eyebrow at me. Uh oh. But he said nothing. He turned back around in the chair, to face the wall of monitors. After a moment, he said, "Have a seat."
There were two chairs in front of the desk, but I wasn't in the mood to be polite or formal. I folded my arms and stood my ground.
Shredder turned back around. He pushed a button on the desktop, and one of the chairs began to move. It raced around behind me. I tried to avoid it, but it was too fast. It slammed up behind my knees, knocking me into the seat. A metal band came around my midriff, blocking me in.
"I said, have a seat."
Attempts to escape the chair were futile. It rolled to its former place in front of the desk, and was still.
He gave me a withering look. "It isn't wise to reject my hospitality."
I bit down the urge to laugh. "Hospitality? I don't consider being strapped to my chair very hospitable."
Shredder laughed a rather evil laugh that sent a chill up my spine. "You're lucky. You're alive, aren't you?"
I wasn't about to melt with fear into a little puddle. "Just tell me what you want with me!"
"What I want is..." A beeping from the console in front of him interrupted. He hit a different button, and said, "Yes, what is it?"
"He's here, sir." Who's here?
"Excellent." Shredder gave me a triumphant look. "Well now, you get to meet my master."
I was confused. "You have a master? You mean, you're not in charge?" This surprised me, but I also thought it was kind of funny. I grinned.
"Don't look so amused, you do not know all you think you do."
I heard the door slide open behind me, and a voice.. So familiar.. "Well done Shredder, you have pleased me."
No. Oh no, please no.. I was afraid to turn around, it just couldn't be…
Leonardo..
******************
I didn't dare turn around, afraid to have my suspicions confirmed. I didn't have to; he came around to the desk to face me. I didn't know what to say.
"Speechless for once, I see." Leonardo had an amused smirk on his face.
Fear dissolved into anger. I wanted to slap that look off his face.
"Hardly." I spat out. "What is going on here? Why are you doing this? How could you do this to Splinter, to your brothers?"
Leonardo laughed. "You have no idea what it's like, having to be 'teacher's pet' all the time. Having to 'Yes Master Splinter' this and 'Oh no Master Splinter' that. Growing up with the others, having to deal with their petty problems. Do you know what it's like, to live your years saying 'Yes Master' to a rat? Bah! It's degrading. I've always known that I was the one meant to be master, not him!"
I could not believe what I was hearing. "Splinter rescued you from that sewer, taught you everything you know, raised you as his own son, when he could have left you there to die. Does that mean nothing to you?"
A flicker of indecision crossed his face, which quickly dissolved to his former sneer. "No, it doesn't. I have
learned more here, with the Foot, than I ever learned from him."
Leonardo moved towards the desk, relaxing into the chair that Shredder hurriedly vacated. He steepled his
fingers into what I supposed was an attempt to look menacing, when he only succeeded in looking
silly.
"Enough chatter. I suppose you wonder why I have brought you here, and exposed my true self to you in
this manner."
"No, I like sitting here not knowing what's going on. It's fun for me."
Leonardo's face twisted into anger. "This is not a game, girl. I suggest you be a little more
cooperative with us, you'll find it much easier on yourself that way."
"What could you possibly want from me? You know more about the other three and Splinter than I'll ever
know, you can't want information on them. In fact, you could have destroyed them a long time ago.
Why haven't you?"
"Timing is everything, as you'll soon see. I will wait for when the time is right, and then I will squash them
like the vermin they are!"
Leonardo was getting way too into this villain thing. I had the feeling though, that timing wasn't the
only thing keeping him from attacking his family.
"As for what I want from you, it is simple. I want you to create for me a Dream Way into your world."
"What? Are you serious? You heard Master Splinter, nobody can control those things, least of all
me!"
"Don't lie to me, I know you created that Dream Way. And you will do it again, or things
will get very uncomfortable for you very quickly. The energy readings I get from you are way above
any normal human, you must have the power that creates these vortexes."
"Uhm, hello, you forget I'm not from around here. How do you know that what you get from me isn't normal where I come from?"
"Because, you are not the first to arrive this way."
"I.. I'm not the only one from my dimension here?" I was shocked down to my toes. How was it that others
from home were here too?
"No, you're not. And your energy levels are considerably higher than others from your own home."
"Wait, how do you know they're from the same place I am?"
"Because your brains waves, and those of your people, operate on a different frequency than those of the
humans here. Yet, yours all match. Perfectly."
"Where are the others? Are they still here? If you've hurt them…" I really couldn't threaten him, but I
figured I'd give it a shot anyway.
"They are all alive. For now. Their health depends on how well you cooperate with us. Behave, and they
will live. I may even let you send them home."
"I've already told you, I can't do it! It's impossible." But... I had never considered myself a hero before, but
there had to be something I could do. I couldn't let those people die just because they were wrong about
me.
Leonardo erupted in anger, leaping from the chair and coming towards me. For the first time, I felt truly
afraid of him. He leaned towards me, yelling in my face.
"You can do it, and you will! Do not prove me wrong in this, or so help me I will kill you
with my bare hands!"
Even fear could not override my overly large mouth.
"Fine, look like a fool, see if I care."
For a minute, Leo looked like he might literally explode, and then he grabbed me by the front of my shirt, as if to drag me out of my chair and give me the beating of my life. However, he forgot I was still strapped
in. He only managed to pull the chair forwards, before letting go and stalking away. Phew... Saved by
the chair.. He moved to stand near a wall, suddenly absorbed in thought.
There was another beep from the desk. Shredder pushed a button, and looked at the screens behind him.
The one in the center changed, to show the large bay area I had first seen after leaving the van. I could
see four small figures attempting to sneak across the bottom part of the screen.
"Master?" Shredder said. "They've arrived."
Leonardo looked up from his thoughts. "They're inside? Damnit! I told you to stop them outside the compound!"
"I am sorry, sir. They must have won their way past the guards."
"If they're not dead already, have them all killed. Nobody fails me."
I could hardly believe that Leonardo could be so cold and heartless. What had happened to make him this
way?
************
It took April and Casey only a few minutes to get back to the others. Raphael was ready to leave
immediately, but Michaelangelo and Donatello were more hesitant. They wanted to have Leonardo
with them, but he couldn't be found. He had disappeared shortly after Maggie left with April. Raphael
found this very suspicious. Leonardo disappeared much too frequently lately. He brooded about it on
the couch.
As though he could read his mind, Splinter said to Raphael, "Yes, I do not like his disappearance either, but
I do not wish to think that Leonardo may be doing harm." The look in his eyes was sad, betraying the fact that he did not truly believe his own words.
Raphael looked up. "I think we should leave right now, Master. There's no telling when Leonardo will come back."
Splinter nodded. "I agree. Donatello, Michaelangelo, prepare to leave immediately. This is too urgent to wait for Leonardo to return. Should he come back while you are gone, I shall send him to meet you."
Donatello and Michaelangelo looked uncomfortable with this order. They just weren't used to going out to
battle without Leo, it wasn't right. But they weren't about to argue with Splinter, so they got up to
leave.
As they headed for the door, Casey got up as well. "I'm going too."
Raphael turned around. "No Casey, it's too dangerous."
Casey looked indignant. "You guys know I can hold my own just as well as you can. Besides, someone has
to show you hose-brains where to go." He smirked. "Don't argue with me, I'm coming!"
April was about to open her mouth too, but they all saw that coming and said in unison, "No way, April!"
Splinter said, "I agree. Stay here with me, April. The others will be fine."
April acquiesced, and sat back down, next to Splinter. The other four ran out the door, heading for Casey's
van, which he and April had used to bring themselves to the sewers.
When they arrived at the warehouse, which was the only place Casey could think of to start looking, they
found nobody there. However, they did find a map, tacked to a post by a throwing star. It showed an
area about forty miles out of the city. It looked like it was an old army base of some sort. The place
they were to go was circled in red.
Donatello said, to nobody in particular, "It's a trap."
"No, really? I thought they were just being helpful." Raphael wasn't in the mood for stating the obvious.
Casey spoke up. "It may be a trap, but it's all we have."
Donatello nodded in agreement. "Whatever it is about her that has Shredder willing to take her like that, it
must be important. We need to get her back. Besides, she's a friend."
Michaelangelo grinned. "That, and she's a hottie."
"Amen, brother."