Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Darkness still remained among the outsiders. The animals, the trees, the people, the mutants. Everyone was cast in eerie shadows of the early morning hours. The temperature dropped ever so low. Too low to even withstand if not wearing the proper attire.

Michaelangelo stopped short and stooped down under a low branch. April and Splinter followed his gaze to a large warehouse that stood out like a sore thumb. The trees surrounding the area covered it's top but the building itself looked modern and brand new. Splinter's ears perked up.

"This must be the place."

April hung back on the branch, staring with fright. She knew in her mind that this meant much war and blood shed to get Don and Casey out of that hell of a place. No one seemed to notice that over the years she had known them, there has been a change in the way she acts. Or more like, the way she reacts when the time comes to fight for your life. Michaelangelo looked more closely at signs around the building.

"Fuc?"

"Michaelangelo!" Splinter growled with disappointment.

"No, look, really! It says fuc!" He pointed to the sign. "F. U. C." April bit her lip.

"Oh." Splinter shook his head with a sigh. "Perhaps it is pronounced 'fuc'." He too did the long vowel sound.

"Could be Greek." Michaelangelo shrugged.

"Federation of Unknown Creatures." April read the words. "I've never heard of that before."

"No one has, April. It is an illegal operation. This warehouse, however, looks vaguely familiar." Splinter lowered his eyes while staring at the large building.

"Should it, sensei?"

"I cannot be sure."

April watched the place crawling with men.

"God, we need the others." She mumbled. Of course, she still hung on to 'there are safety in numbers' method as well.

"Yo, Raph." Michaelangelo whispered into his communicator. "Ya there?"

Raphael was playing cowboy when he heard his walkie talkie go off.

"Mike? What's up?" Kate looked over.

"We hit jackpot. We found....*crackle*......on the east woods. You have to get *crackle* as possible."

"Talk fast, bro. You're breaking up." Static only appeared. "Damn it! I knew we should have bought the deluxe brand!" He grinned. "Complete with AM/FM radio system!"

Kate watched him ride Garret, one of their trusty male Thoroughbreds. For a beginner, he was very good at it. Almost rode like a professional. Garret gave in to every command without hesitation.

"Are they alright?"

"Can't say." Raphael stared at the communicator before placing it back on his belt and taking both hands to the reins. "But, I think we should head east."

"East?"

"Yeah, that's what he said. Have no idea what the hell is out there but that's where they are."

"We'll head that way then." Kate watched Raphael thinking deeply. Normally, he falls into heavy funks when pressured into doing something he doesn't want to do. Raph was offered a new winter coat to replace the one that was battered and torn. A coat that once belonged to her husband, Jack. Riding slightly toward the back, Raph appeared to look like her seemingly late husband. The vision gave her a bit of a fright.

"Does everyone have a communicator? Um, all your brothers that is?"

"Yeah, we do. So far, Leo has been contacted, Mikey needs us urgently and God only knows where Donny is at this point." Raph turned to show his green face to her. "He's in big trouble, according to our Fearless Leader. Yet, his communicator has been shut off. Haven't checked in with Boy Genius yet."

"Leo, Mikey, Donny, Fearless Leader....Boy Genius?" Raph smiled to her. "I'm not familiar with any of your other brothers, Raph."

"Just look at me and you'll be familiar with them."

"With my husband's coat on, you remind me so much of Jack." She blushed bright red. "Sorry."

He narrowed his eyes to her. "I'm far from ever looking like a human."

"It's the coat, Raph. Not you."

"Maybe it's time to get use to the new owner of it, then."

"We've only known each other for a short time."

"So?

"So...."

"Trot with me, talk to me." The mask pretty much concealed them, but Raph did lift his eyebrows up and down to her.

"Business first."

"Then, pleasure?"

Kate pointed forward. "Then, we'll see where we end up."

"Man! You sure take the fun out of it, don't you? What if we can't get to the pleasure?"

"Oh, there's always time for pleasure, Raph."

"I like the way your mind thinks." Raphael tipped his hat to her. She smiled.

"I know."

Donatello moved with the shadows into another room, much larger then the first. Larger and more scarier. He felt like a whimp hiding out but the true ninja does not jump into battle when the odds are uneven. 1 to 200 was a very bad odd. 2 if Casey were untied and stable.

"Stay cool, man." Don swallowed. "And sane."

A man that looked vaguely familiar entered the room. Tall, scraggly, and full of much hatred. He circled the table where Casey was placed. Where have I seen him from?

"This isn't him." The man walked around, looking to his fellow men. "Who is this person?"

"We don't know, Mr. Harris."

Harris? Donatello edged closer. He dug deep into a small pocket on his belt and pulled out a pair of tiny binoculars. These were going to be used to watch the great slopes, beautiful mountains at a distance and to enjoy aerial views when patrolling the roof of the farmhouse. Now, they were being put to use as they should be. Scoping out criminal activity.

"Oh, Casey. What have we gotten into here?" Donatello closed his eyes for a brief moment.

The news flashed across the tiny screen. Four turtles and a rat sat in silence to witness the escape of convict, Kelvin Harris, last seen traveling west into the dark woods of Northampton, Mass. The words 'At Large' was posted next to the serious-looking newswoman. It wasn't their problem. New York was full of crime by itself. This man was nowhere in their territory. But now, they were in his.

Harris raised his sleeves to place sterilized gloves on. He looked left to right, feeling a presence far different than his usual men.

"The laboratory made the mistake of putting me away. I am a scientist. Not a killer."

A killer to science! Donatello gritted his teeth. After the news report, he decided to read about him on the internet. Where could he find something like this? Perhaps convicts.com? Nah, police reports and F.B.I. files were what he went for to find some more information. His studies in experimentation were to dissect living creatures. Before death. Creatures of the unknown that he discovered among his travels. Upon much discovery and the problem of a short temper, his failures to completed perfect performances sent him on a killing spree, taking out thousands of West Virginian residents. The man was a threat to society as well as the world that Don loved most. Science. Life he knew and cared for, even if the unknown could be deadly to him and his family, he had said no beast deserved that kind of treatment.

"Mr. Harris. I'm afraid the tables will turn." Donatello reached for his bo, then froze suddenly.

"Wrong, mutant." A soft click whispered by his cheek. Don blinked and slowly turned to stare down into the barrel of a hunting rifle. Thing has one hell of kick to it. Some people paused to watch this scene go on above them. A young woman raised her eyes up from her clipboard and her small spectacles. She frowned then looked to Harris next with a hint of worry on her face.

"Sir, an intruder-"

"It's being taken care of, my love."

The woman watched the scene carefully before turning away. Donatello didn't have time to react.

Sorry, Casey. I tried. The last sound he heard was an ear-piercing noise. Then silence. And darkness.

One mutant turtle and one mutant rat handled the outside activity with little difficulty. Guns weren't their worst enemy. These guys were too shocked to shoot off their weapons at them. April remained low in the woods and would occasionally jump out to help Michaelangelo or Splinter if they were having trouble. She didn't care about one on one fights. Their task was to win at all costs. Mike spun a violent roundhouse kick to two oncoming men.

"Whimps. Get down and stay down!" His final stomp on their chests sent blood spewing out of their mouths. Splinter glared to him shamefully.

"Michaelangelo, that was not necessary. Keep your enemies down. That is all you have to do."

Splinter threw a punch at one as Mike did his efforts to fend others coming toward him. Final blows and much panting left him and Splinter standing alone. April approached them with a tiresome expression.

"You guys alright?" They nodded slowly. "The entrance isn't guarded but we should still take another route to enter."

"Good idea." Mike guided his sensei to walk in front of him while April lead the way around the building.

Upon their dismay, there was no other entrance they could see. Doors were locked or had no handles on them. "Um, this isn't working." Michaelangelo pushed on one of the doors with a good shove.

"Time to use brain power." April started digging through her hair.

"But Don isn't here."

"We don't need him for this." She pulled a small bobby pin out with a grin.

"Oh, you mean hair power!" April paused while unlocking the door. Splinter also looked over. "Never mind."

The lock took some twists before making a click sound. April backed away to allow the others to go in first. Turning around caused her to release a muffled scream. He was quick to catch her mouth.

"Hey. Think you could keep it down?"

April sized the short figure with the brimmed hat and heavy coat. His crooked smile, not to mention his skin color, quickly gave him away.

"Raph!" April fell into his prepared arms. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Just my neck."

She pulled away with a slight red face. "Sorry."

Michaelangelo came around to look at his brother and new-found 'companion' busily tying up two horses to a near-by tree.

"Dude! Where the heck were ya?! It was 2 to 200 out here!"

"Well, excuuuuuse meeeeee! You obviously forgot we were a little side-tracked when fighting with all those damn wolves out there!"

"But still, I told you to get over here as soon as possible."

"What did you say? You told me?" Raph pointed to his chest. "I'm not going to take orders from you! Forget that shit!"

"Raph, we needed you! You should have been here-"

"And where the hell is all this coming from? Don't pull that Leo crap on me, BUDDY! What did you expect? I'd come running over the minute you called me?!

"Yeah! Actually, I did!"

Raphael growled and both rushed forward but Splinter intervened by placing his hands on their chests.

"That is enough!" He managed to speak with a low voice. "There is no time for excuses, Raphael. You are here and that is what matters." He laid a hand to his shoulder to push him forward. "We must hurry now. This way, Raphael. Go with your brother, quickly and quietly."

Raphael nodded and shot past Splinter and Mike without any questions asked. Mike followed next then Splinter last. April looked to Kate whom slowly approached her.

"We meet again." April shrugged.

His body was thrown forcefully into a steel cage. He was covered in head to toe of prickled skin where they inserted numerous needles as if he were a pin cushion. The scientist looked to him before leaving.

"The curse will end at the crack of dawn. We will continue our experiments later. Pleasant dreams."

Yeah, right. Casey thought to himself. The cage was cold to his bare skin but the increase in unwanted body hair did it's best at keeping him warm. He looked down to his long fingers. The claws that have emerged from out of nowhere were filled with blood underneath. It was hard to speak. Small groans and whines would only come from his voice. He caught movement in the back of the room and jolted in his spot, shaking the entire cage. A woman he had seen before stepped out of the shadows, dressed in a white lab coat. Her bright auburn hair glowed like fire under the low examining light. She held the same clipboard tightly to her bosom. He assumed she was trying to look professional while holding it. Casey felt this person would be good enough to eat, er lick!

"God, you poor thing." She whispered as she lowered herself to the cage. You're still a person inside."

"Hoo rrrr, uuuuuu....?" Casey blinked. Did I sound just like the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland?

She smiled to him and gripped the cage to steady her balance.

"My name is Lark. I'm an assistant here at this facility. This is only my first day on the job..." She nervously pulled a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've seen things far more bizarre at this place. You are just a poor soul trapped in the body of a wolf. They want to experiment on you. I only want to make what's right."

"Rrreelllp me." He meant to say, 'help me' almost sounding like Scooby-Doo. The words were hard for him to say.

"I'll do what I can." Lark stood and moved to one side of the room. "But first, I must tend to you friend. He has been injured very badly."

"Mmm?" Casey looked over to another cage out of spotlight. A crumpled up body rested against the cold bars. He couldn't see too well who it was but sensed it was a friend of his. Even a family member. The figure looked unconscious and in pain. A low growl came out more clearly this time. "Don!"

CHAPTER 13 BACK TO CHAPTER 10 BACK TO FAN FICTION PAGE