The Thing
~
Leo, Donnie and Mikey sloshed through what they called their home but was now a dangerous, chilling place perfectly used to advantage by this creature.
The sewers seemed more dark and damper than yesterday when they had to flee from it. The water that blanketed the floor seemed much darker and murkier, and the continuous dripping of a leaking pipe seemed to quicken its paces when they drew nearer, as though warning them to stay back; this wasn't their home anymore.
But it was their home, and they knew the sewers well. This thing was not going to drive them out of their home. It was just one beast; together the three of them could get rid of it, if they really tried. This thing had proved to be quite camouflaged in the darkness down here, giving it the advantage they didn't have. And it was intelligent, plus it also had their brother.
This morning, Leo had spoken to his brother seriously, and they all agreed, that, if they should find the worst, it wasn't the end of everything, and that they would continue living as a family. But deep down inside Leo, he was telling himself that if they did find out the Raph was . . . Then he would do what ever it took to kill the monster responsible, even if it meant he might get killed.
Thinking about it made all of them very somber, even Mikey, who seemed so sad Leo and Donnie wanted to hug their brothers to reassure him that Raph was going to be fine. Mikey hadn't even made an attempted to eat breakfast, which was not like him, until Leo had to practically force feed him.
Donnie had been too quiet, except when he told them that Raph was no longer in range for them to detect his signal. That had frozen their hearts. Leo kept all of his brothers strong by telling them how Raph needed them. He reminded Mikey that he had an advantage against this creature, because it could not sense him. Mikey had realized this and his determination now proved stronger than ever.
So they had all woke up early, hoping against all hope that this thing sleeps in late, and set off for the sewers, leaving Splinter and April a note. Leo knew April was going to be upset that they left without her, but he really did not want her down in the sewers again when it had attacked her twice already.
So now, they were sloshing through the sewers towards their home, not bothering to keep their noise down. That was what they wanted: The creature was sure to come to them if it could hear them. When it did, they would either take it out and then search for their brother; or they would leave it, hide, and then follow it back to where ever if might have taken Raph.
They had been down there for ten minutes already and none of them had heard any sound except for the drip of water and their own footsteps. None of them spoke. Each had his own thoughts running through his head.
They then came to the familiar tunnel that led to their home. They all stopped and stared, listening for a few moments.
Mikey glanced at his other brothers and then followed Leo through the door that was now hanging on only one hinge.
The place was a mess. It looked slightly worse than what they left it in, but that didn't really surprise them.
They all moved into the place, weapons out, ready for any sudden attacks. This thing could be now using their home.
Donnie moved into his lab, Mikey into the kitchen and Leo was left to gaze about the main area.
"Nothing . . ." Donnie came back out. He stopped and looked about as well.
"Jeeze, this dude musta been hungry, the beast took all our food . . ." Mikey said softly, closing some cupboards that were open.
"Probably been living here while we've been away." Leo said, bitterly. Mikey and Donnie looked nervously around the place.
Mikey froze. "Huh?" He frowned and looked at his brothers.
"What is it, Mikey?" Leo asked, stepping forward. Then he stopped and listened.
"I heard a-" Mikey started.
"Beeping sound . . ." Leo finished for him as he looked about the place, carefully straining his ears for the sound.
Donnie listened too. The sound was defiantly a beep. It then struck him. "Huh?!" He looked down at the tracking device strapped to his belt and pulled it off, bringing it into the light. "It's Raph's signal!" They all crowded round him and the device.
"He's moving!" Leo said.
"He's alive!" Mikey cried.
Leo and Mikey ran towards the door.
"Wait, guys!" Donnie's call made them stop and their brother in purple jogged towards them. "He's moving too fast for him to be on his own legs. Look at his readings: He's too weak to even be standing. That beast knows we're down here, I think, and it's moving him. Probably a trap or something . . . I'm not sure . . ." He looked at Leo.
"Well trap or no trap we have to get our brother back before that thing decides to turn him into this mornings breakfast."
Leo took off, Mikey and Donnie following him. It seemed very un-Leo like to just run into a possible trap.
They ran through the sewer tunnels, following the sounds of the beeps from Donnie's device. Either the beast knew they were coming, or likes to move fast, wasn't determined as the signal coming from Raph was fading noticeably.
They all ran faster, but soon only the faintest of beeps were coming from the tracker, and not even Donnie could hear them properly. Then, they vanished.
They all stopped running and put their hands on their hips trying to catch their breath. They looked at Donnie and he looked hopelessly back. Leo growled.
"Damn thing KNEW we were coming!" He shouted and rammed his fists into the wall. Mikey winced.
Donnie was trying to widen the range between Raph's tracker and them. He didn't get anything. But he was still determined.
"So what if we don't have him in range. We can continue in the direction he disappeared in." With that, Donnie trotted off down a tunnel, leaving Leo to glance at Mikey before they both jogged after him. They said nothing when they caught up with him, but carried on for what seemed like hours before they came to a small door, perfectly hidden except to the ninja eye.
Leo pulled out his Katana, hesitated, and then kicked the door down, storming in so fast, anyone inside wouldn't have looked up until he was on them.
The room was empty. They all scouted around. Mikey bent down to look at the food wrappers and objects on the floor.
"Looks like our whole food cupboard is here. For a monster who likes sucking the life outta beings, doesn't eating chocolate and potato chips strike you as odd?" Mikey looked up at Donnie, who frowned back.
"Guys . . ." The tone in Leo's voice made them stand up and look at their brother, who was squatted down near a mattress. Leo stood up slowly, in his hands were two long, sharp, familiar objects. Mikey and Donnie gasped and joined him, staring at-
"Raph's Sais." Mikey whispered. They all remained silent.
"He's unarmed against this thing . . ." Donnie said. Next to him, Mikey shuddered. He couldn't imagine what Raph might be feeling right now knowing he might become a meal for one and he couldn't even defend himself with his weapons. He couldn't even defend himself full stop.
"Let's go." Leo ordered. He tucked the Sais into his belt and walked out the door. Mikey glanced at Donnie and then walked out as well.
"Which way, Donnie?" Leo asked as his two brothers joined him out in the sewer tunnels.
Donnie glanced at his device and pointed to the sewers running to his right.
They took off again, hoping this creature had stopped running and wasn't too far away. Otherwise they might never find him in the maze of tunnels . . .
//\\
"Lay him down there." Frakly instructed his abnormal pet.
M'reagro lumbered over to the little attempt of a bed his Master had made of the sheets, and laid down the prisoner, gently rolling it's clawed hand out from under Raph so that the drugged turtle could lay on his side, shell against the wall.
M'reagro backed away a few feet and laid down, staring at Raph.
Frakly walked over to the turtle and rolled him onto his stomach, gently. Raph moaned weakly. The professor then checked the ropes around his wrists, making sure they were still tight, even though Raph couldn't get out of them anyway. He felt angry now. He had tried to escape back then when he knew he wouldn't be able to. That had caused Frakly to drug him and tie his ankles together just in case it was to happen again. Now Raph was pretty much tied up and unable to move much, not that he could move.
"Sorry, my friend," Frakly said. "It is for your safety. Your brothers would only take you away . . . and that would kill you. I have the medicine you need so you will stay here 'til you are well." Frakly stood up and looked down at the turtle.
Raph could feel his eyes on him, but couldn't even move his own. He felt so weak and tired. He didn't know what the crazy man gave him.
"Breakfast, M'reagro." Frakly moved over to the corner of the large room they had found. It was much bigger than the one they had just left, but all the clobber and broken wood and glass made it smaller as filled about half of the room.
Frakly moved into the shadows. He came back out with the same tray as before and sat down in front of M'reagro, leaning against the big beast. The man ate the food in the bowl and laid the rest aside. When he had finished, M'reagro stood up and disappeared, obviously to find his own food since he couldn't live off Raph any more.
The man and the turtle were left in silence. Frakly closed his eyes in his sitting position, signs of meditation, and Raph took this time to see if any of his limbs would respond to him. He tried to move his hand. But he couldn't even feel his hands. He concentrated on his fingers. No, they wouldn't move.
"I know what you're trying to do," Frakly suddenly said. He opened his eyes and fixed them on Raph. "You're very determined. I'm afraid you won't be moving for some hours. I gave you some very strong stuff back there. Just try to relax. Let my medicine do its work. In fact . . ." He looked at his watch. "It was some time ago since I gave you your first dose. That was when you were unconscious."
He got up and disappeared from Raph's vision. A few seconds later, he reappeared carrying another needle and a small vile, which contained dark liquid. "This is what I've managed to mix up in case of emergences like this. Lucky you who is the first to test it."
He filled the syringe up slowly. When it was full, Frakly gave it a few taps with his finger and a small squeeze. The liquid shot out the top in a hair-thin fountain.
"Your brothers may fear the worst for you at this minute, I'm sorry I cannot change that; but when you are well you'll be reunited." The professor knelt down beside Raph and bushed away a large sewer rat that had climbed onto his unmoving shell. It squeaked as it fell to the floor, then scuttled off into the garbage. "Um. I guess if you don't move for a few minutes you are safe enough to climb, according to these rats." Frakly smiled, amused at himself and slid the needle beneath Raph's skin.
Raph breathed a grunt again, quietly. He felt so totally useless and hopeless as this mad man was going around sticking needles in him. He could do nothing as Frakly injected the liquid. Raph was screaming in his head. It was so slow. This man took an eternity just to give someone an injection. Raph wasn't sure if he was doing it deliberately or if doctors really did need to do it this slow. He was fuming inside.
"Of course, this isn't the same as the IV drip." Frakly had started speaking again. "That's there to ensure you get plenty of fluids, which you certainly need." He finished and dabbed the tiny drop of blood that was leaked through where the needle had penetrated the skin.
Frakly stood up and moved away, back into darkness. He returned a minute later with another small, brown bowl.
"And while you're keeping up on your fluids, you should be keeping up on your foods as well." He spooned out some soup, which smelled nothing like soup to Raph. "You don't mind soup, do you? It goes down a lot easier when you can't actually eat." With his other hand, Frakly opened Raph's mouth and poured the soup down his throat. He closed the turtle's mouth and tilted his head up and back slightly, letting the hot liquid slide down Raph's throat. Raph did nothing. He could do nothing.
//\\
"What was that?" Leo stopped and held his hands out to halt his brothers.
They all stopped and listened. Silence now. Leo was sure he heard the tap of something over the tunnel floors. His brothers looked at him.
"Leo th-" Mikey started - but was stopped as a sudden angry roar invaded his ears, echoing around them.
They all jumped and spun around, knowing it was the creature.
They couldn't see it. There was nothing there. Silence again now.
They moved closer into a nervous circle, guarding each other's backs.
They had come to a junction in the sewers so that Donnie was facing down the one that ran off into the middle, Mikey was facing back where they had just came and Leo was watching the one they were about to take. Nothing moved. No sound was made. It made them even more nervous. Enemies that liked to hide was one thing; but creatures this size who could actually hide their bodies was pretty amazing and scary. Leo hated it.
"Has it . . . Gone?" Donnie asked, turning his head slightly towards Leo, without actually looking straight at him.
Leo had no time to answer, at that moment the beast shot out of the tunnel he was facing and rammed into him with enough force to crush a car.
Donnie was knocked to the side and Mikey was thrown down underneath Leo, who cried in surprise and pain. The beast circled Donnie as his two brothers tried to regain their wits. Leo had been knocked almost silly and was trying to stop the world from spinning, and trying to keep the level of pain down so that the flashing lights in front of his eyes would disappear and he would be able to see the creature.
"Leo! Mikey!" Donnie held his Bo staff in front of himself as a shield, though that thing could probably break it in two with a snap of its jaws. He didn't take his eyes from this monster that was circling him, but he needed to know if his brothers were all right.
"Donnie!" Mikey flipped himself up but almost fell back down. He had to stop for a second and put his hand on the wall to keep himself upright. When his head had cleared he looked up in time to see the creature jump at Donnie.
"Aagh!" Donnie cried, as he was unable to get out of the way in time.
"No!" Mikey cried as his brother was thrown past him.
Donnie was flung against the wall and crumpled to the ground where he lay still. Mikey turned to the beast which was moving back to face Leo, who was still trying to make out what were his hands and what were feet.
Mikey uttered a grunt as he launched himself between Leo and this monster. It seemed momentarily surprise at Mikey, as though the turtle had appeared from thin air.
Mikey whipped out his Nunchucks and spun them threateningly in front of the beast. It seemed puzzled for a moment, before it roared again, spun around, knocking Mikey into the wall, and disappeared back down the tunnel it had come from.
"Mikey . . ." Leo said, sounding very different. He was still trying to get up. He made it, shakily, to his feet and stumbled over to Mikey. His brother in orange was using the wall to climb up as he stood. With one hand on his head and the other held out to balance him, Mikey stared at Leo, who stared back, still slightly surprised from the sudden appearance of the monster.
"W-where's Donnie?" Mikey asked, eyes rolling.
"Donnie?" Leo turned around. "Donnie!" Their brother was still slumped in a heap on the floor. They rushed over to him.
"Donnie!" Mikey said, turning his brother over. Donnie was unconscious.
Leo stood up and fisted the wall. "I should have been ready!" He hollered, obviously blaming himself.
"Don't worry, Leo. He's gunna be fine . . ." Mikey was checking their brother.
"Ugh . . ." Donnie suddenly moaned.
Leo stopped his silent cursing and joined Mikey on the floor with their brother. "Donnie, hey Donnie can you hear me?"
"Sure . . . Leo. Wha' happened - where'd it go?" Donnie seemed a little disoriented, but was recovering quickly.
"That monster - thing - attacked you and then went for Leo again but I stood in the way and it knocked me down and disappeared." Mikey said in one breath.
"Oh, damn." Donnie shut his eyes then opened them again. He began to sit up. "That thing didn't try to finish us?"
"No." Mikey replied, helping his brother up to his unsteady feet.
"Strange . . ."
"What is?"
"How it didn't finish us when it could'a. It would have been able to kill all three of us but it didn't." Donnie looked about the tunnels.
"Yeah but Donnie, you said it needs us to stay alive." Mikey persisted.
"Yeah, a while ago it needed us. I'm not sure but I think it's keeping Raph alive . . . You know, not gonna kill him like I said it would when it drained him. I dunno, but I think it just wanted to slow us down."
Leo frowned at his brother. It did seem like sense . . . But why?
//\\
The roar of M'reagro announced his arrival. Frakly sat calmly meditating and looked at the beast as it came in.
"What is it, M'reagro?" Frakly asked calmly as the beast stopped in front of him, shadows thrown over half of it's ugly head. It roared and growled some more. "Um . . . I hope you didn't harm them too much."
At these words Raph's hearing pricked up. Them? He knew what he was on about and anger rose in him so hot he was sure he would be steaming, literally.
"Well, good work, M'reagro." Frakly looked over at Raph. "Do not fear for your brothers. They will suffer no long-term injuries. M'reagro just took care of them. They shouldn't be following for a while and in that time we will be gone . . . I do hope you don't see me as some kind of torturer and mad man? . . . This, I am doing, is for your good, and, if I'm honest, mine. I don't like to see anything terrible happen to people because of me. I DO have a conscience"
Frakly sighed and closed his eyes, silent for a moment. A soft growl roar from M'reagro brought Frakly back into reality and he opened his eyes and turned them on his massive pet.
"Go scout in the garbage. I'm sure there are rats down there. I just got rid of one." Another soft growl. "No, M'reagro. You can't take any more. If you do you might kill him and that is not what you or I want. He is too weak."
A growl that sounded very much agreeing came from the beast and he disappeared to hunt around the trash piles. The noises of squeaks and snaps were heard.
Frakly sighed again and returned to his meditating. The sounds of crunching made their way to Raph's ears. A cold shiver spread through him, making him shiver. Wait a minute . . . He could shiver. Inside, he frowned. Without realizing it, his brow furrowed slightly. He looked at his fingers. He looked! Moved his eyes! Then he concentrated on his hands. He tried . . . And his fingers moved ever so slightly. Yes! Looks like you don't know your mutant turtle after all, Frakly . . .