The Thing
~
April awoke and arose earlier than she would have done in a morning, especially when she hardly got any sleep in the night.
Rubbing her tired eyes, she cloaked herself in her gown and made her way downstairs to the kitchen.
Splinter wasn't up yet and she thought maybe the turtles were having a lay in to build up their strength. Her apartment was quiet.
She made herself a glass of water and gulped it down in three seconds flat, not realizing how thirsty she had been. She frowned as a small sheet of paper caught her eye in the sunlight that was shining through her half-open curtains.
April walked over to the counter that it was laid upon and picked it up, a horrible dread feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her lips forming the words as she read it and without meaning to, she laughed slightly at the small joke at the end, obviously written by Mikey. Her laugh lasted only a second before it was replaced by tears.
//\\
The sewer tunnels echoed loudly and the water sloshed noisily under the feet of the odd group that now trampled through them.
Leo kept an eye and an ear open for any more workers, in case some decided to stay behind, or if they found the body of the first one they had come across. Leo shuddered as he remembered the way the body was torn apart, and thought to himself how could he let a creature like that, what was capable of something as gruesome as that, into their home. He still kept an eye on the professor and his pet, still slightly wary of them.
As they had been walking back, Frakly had explained to them all how M'reagro was created. How he had created the beast and brought it up, loving it as any human would love a normal pet. Donnie listened, fascinated.
The beast, itself, seemed to listen as they walked. It kept by his Master's side, occasionally bumping into Frakly and forcing the human into the sewer walls. Frakly ordered it to stay behind him instead, because of the problem that it was too big to be side by side with him, and because the turtles were still eyeing it, still careful to keep it in their sight. The professor could tell they were tensed, ready in case his pet did anything. Frakly understood their nervousness.
By the time Frakly had finished his story, they had reached their battered and wrecked home. Leo sighed at the sight of the door hanging off its hinges, and rolled his eyes tiredly as it fell off, making an echoing thud.
Raph raised his eye ridges at the mess of the lair. It was bigger than what he left it in. But he felt happy that he was here again.
Leo turned around to Frakly, arms out indicating the place.
"This is our home, as you can see your pet already explored it," he said, sighing again.
Frakly said nothing, but looked around at the mess. It would take some doing to get the place back to normal, but he was willing to help. And, if they would let him, M'reagro would help also. He did have hands . . . sort of.
//\\
April hurriedly put on her clothes, choosing things suitable to wear and move around in with ease; and that would not make much noise.
She also had equipped herself with a heavy, wooden bat that belonged to Casey, who had given it to her for protection.
She moved into the kitchen, leaving a note for Splinter, next to the one Leo, Donnie and Mikey had left. Then she opened the door, quietly as Splinter was obviously still asleep or meditating, looked back at her apartment and shut the door after her.
//\\
"So, like, you can understand what that thing – erm – M'reagro says?" Mikey asked Frakly.
The professor was sat on the couch, looking at Mikey who was in the armchair. His pet was laid down next to the couch arm, on the floor. Leo and Donnie were cleaning up the place a bit, and even though Mikey should have been helping, they didn't mind that he was keeping their 'guest' talking. Raph had gone into his room to sleep. He was exhausted.
"Yes," Frakly answered, nodding his head. "It was a difficult at first, I mean, when I first heard his growls I couldn't understand them at all. Then as time went by, I started to understand him, just knew what he was saying. It was like magic. One minute I didn't know what a growl was from a grunt and next I know every word he says. Extraordinary, really."
Mikey nodded, staring at the monster and then the professor. Mikey was beginning to understand the doctor's motive for kidnapping Raph. But Mikey didn't know if Frakly had told M'reagro to rip out that worker mans insides, or if the beast had done it by its own choice. Mikey shuddered as he thought how Leo could have been like that if his brother had gone after the man. He could tell, even now, that Leo was the most uncomfortable around it. A bang brought Mikey out of his thoughts and he looked around to see Leo and Donnie taking their hands off the cabinet that stood near Donnie's lab. It wasn't that big but it was heavy and had needed both Leo and Donnie to lift it up.
Frakly shifted on the couch.
"I am terribly sorry about all this," he said. "I could help. M'reagro could help. He's extremely quick."
Leo glanced at the thing what was watching him.
"Yeah," he mumbled rolling his eyes at the mess," I know."
"Nah, we can handle this," Donnie said, glancing at Leo. "It may take a while, but we know where everything goes."
Frakly looked at his watch. Then he looked at the door Raph had taken on his way to bed.
"I think I should be seeing to your brother. If I'm to stay here tending him, I might as well check on his as well."
He stood up, motioned for M'reagro to stay, and walked over to the closed train car door. He stopped and looked back at Leo.
"I am sorry for all of this . . . It wasn't meant to happen this way. But I suppose it's better than what it could have been." He pulled open the car door carefully and disappeared inside.
Mikey, who had watched him, turned back to a low, close growl.
M'reagro had moved closer and blinked his glowing eyes at him, stretched out on the floor. He was too near for Mikey's comfort, and Mikey froze when it shook its head, like a dog. Drool flew off the long fangs onto the small rug April had bought for them. It then stared at Mikey, as though wanting a remark for fowling up the rug. Mikey smiled weakly and gave a small, nervous laugh, "heh," then looked away at the mess on the floor.
Leo and Donnie stared at it as they both moved over to a hat stand that had been knocked down. Leo picked up the stand while Donnie gathered the coats and hats and hung them back on.
To keep his mind off the monster, and to get away from it, Mikey got up to help the others tidy. He stood up slowly, aware that M'reagro was watching him. It flexed one of its hands, making the four massive claws extend even more as, making Mikey wonder just how much longer those claws got. Still smiling at it, he slowly walked backwards and bent down to pick things up.
Frakly came back into the main sub way area, shutting the door carefully again. His pet looked up at his entrance and growled softly. Frakly smiled and walked over to lean on the couch.
"M'reagro seems to have taken a liking to you, Michelangelo," he said, smiling at the turtle stood back up and frowned at him.
"Huh? Likes me?"
Frakly nodded, amused, and walked over to a pile of broken wall plaster. He picked the lot up and dumped it in the large black bag.
Mikey glanced nervously at the creature, that looked back with an expression Mikey was surprised he could read. It was an expression saying 'what? I'm not allowed to like anybody?' Mikey raised his eye ridges and went back to work quickly.
Donnie chuckled. Who could not like his cute, sweet brother?!
They worked quickly around the lair, and Donnie took ages cleaning all the blood from his lab. It was messy but when it was finished, he stood back and admired it. It looked better than what it used to look, with the exception of a few cracks and dints here and there.
He was extra relived when he found his computer had suffered no bad dints or bashes. He had actually kissed it and put it back on the desk, patting it fondly.
A small noise from the main area made him frown slightly, and walked to his door. He realized what the noise was as soon as he walked in. Mikey had fixed the TV, which had a small crack in one corner, but played perfectly well. His brother was sat in front of it, smiling.
"Yes dudes, we have TV!" Mikey said. He picked up the battered remote, which now was held together with sellotape; and flicked through the channels. He picked one channel that happened to be showing a loud movie. Unfortunately Mikey forgot about the thing with loud, strange noises, and soon found himself turning it off quickly: M'reagro had roared in surprise and jumped to his feet. He rushed off into hiding, knocking down a few things that had only just been put back up.
"Mikey! Turn it down!" Donnie yelled as he picked himself up off the floor, having leaped out the way as the cabinet next to his door came down where he would have been standing, having been knocked down by a passing tail.
Frakly had moved over to M'reagro in the shadows. The beast was growling.
Mikey had nearly dropped the remote trying to turn the sound down. His fingers instead turned the sound up. Mikey turned the whole thing off and threw the remote down, looking behind him to see where M'reagro had gone.
Frakly had managed to coax him out and M'reagro rumbled and walked cautiously towards the place where he was sat before he had jumped back into the shadows.
"M'reagro hates loud noises," Frakly explained. "I don't know why."
Leo, who had his hand to his chest when the had beast roared, stared, then took his hand away and rubbed his ear, shaking his head. His ears were ringing after that loud roar.
Mikey stood up. "Any one wanna drink?"
Leo and Donnie nodded and mumbled a "Yes." Frakly accepted with a smile.
Mikey ran into the kitchen. If they were going to have Frakly stay here, then at least they could be nice in return. Frakly WAS keeping their brother alive, and even though it might just be because Frakly had a conscience, Mikey was all the same grateful.
//\\
The sewers had never looked so frightening. April noticed that every big shadow seemed to move, and every noise seemed three times louder.
The water beneath her cold feet echoed loudly through the tunnels, and April was sure any beast would know she was down there. She held the bats ready, but she was shaking terribly. She had seen this creature before and it scared her more than anything had. She had thought Arachnophobia was scary. She should make a movie out of this. This would have the kids shaking their seats. She had to laugh in her mind at that.
She stopped at the sound of something moving through the water behind her. She whirled, bats swung at nothing. She breathed heavy and looked at the small rat that looked at her, started by her sudden movement.
She shook her head and took deep breaths, swallowing. Her throat was dry, but she didn't really notice. She held her bats up again and continued down the tunnels, towards her second home, the home she had come to think of as a protection in case things turned ugly up top. The water once again sloshed noisily under her feet as she walked.
//\\
Frakly stood up, expression pensive. The others looked at him.
"I need to go back to that room," Frakly said. "I had forgotten some vials that I give to your brother. I had not packed them when."
Leo stood up straight and put his hands on his hips.
"Well, it would be better if me and Donnie went. You can stay here and look after Raph, in case anything should happen to him," Leo said, glancing at M'reagro. "Mikey can stay here with you."
Frakly looked like he was going to go against that idea, but thought better of it and nodded. He told Leo the things he would need and where they were. Most of his medicines had been left behind. Frakly had only brought with him few things for Raph, but had realized he'd left something else that he would need.
Leo walked to the door with Donnie. He turned back.
"We won't be long," he said. He looked at the little group, changing his gaze from Frakly to Mikey, then to M'reagro, where he held it a second longer. He didn't want to leave Mikey with that thing, but he knew Mikey would be capable if anything went . . . wrong. Not that it should do. But he didn't want the professor going just in case something happened to Raph that they couldn't fix. He looked at Donnie behind him to make sure his brother was following, and then they exited.
//\\
The tunnels seemed to stretch forever. The echoing noise they made seemed to last just as long, and no matter how softly and carefully April trod, her footsteps seemed to sound louder and louder as she walked.
April noticed how long it took her just to get here. She was no way near the lair yet, but she had been walking longer than she should have done, and she definitely knew her way around these parts. She was sure she hadn't taken a wrong turn. This tunnel was one of the many she had come to familiarize with. She also noticed that the further into the network of tunnels she got, the darker they seemed. Maybe it was just her imagination.
She shook her head and told herself to stop imagining things otherwise if she came face to face with this creature she might dismiss it as her imagination. But real or not she knew she couldn't just turn away from it. She shivered as a cold chill ran down her spine. She carried on.
//\\
"C'mon, Donnie." Leo slung the backpack over his shoulder. They would load the vials up in that.
Donnie said nothing but followed Leo as they started off in the direction of the room. After a few minutes he sighed.
"Do you think it's okay to leave Mikey with . . . it?" Donnie asked, looking at Leo.
Leo didn't reply straight away. He stared ahead then said, without looking at Donnie, "I dunno. I hope so. I mean, we're not exactly enemies now. Mikey can look after himself if anything WERE to go bad . . . He does have the advantage over the beast – er – M'regra, or M'reagro, whatever. The thing can't really sense him, can it?"
"No but it can see him . . ."
Leo sighed. "I feel everything is fine between us. There is no danger now . . ."
Even as Leo said it, Donnie couldn't help thinking Leo didn't sound convincing.
//\\
"Hey, er, does M'reagro, er, wanna drink . . . or something?" Mikey asked Frakly, who was sat on the couch.
M'reagro grunted and Frakly looked up from him, smiling.
"Yeah, He's dry. Do you have a bath tub?" The professor said.
Mikey frowned. "Yeah."
"Well if you fill it with water he will drink."
Mikey stared, then nodded and went into the bathroom Donnie had constructed himself. Their bathtub was nothing fancy, but it was a tub and it served its purpose.
Mikey turned on the cold tap. He waited while the water stared to rise slowly and he stopped the flow. Before he had turned around he heard a small growl, and M'reagro was brushing past him to get at the tub. Mikey shuddered as the beast's rough skinned tail rubbed against him.
He got out the bathroom as quickly as he dared, listening to the sounds of M'reagro gulping loudly. He entered the main area and sat back down on the couch, preferring the height of the chair rather that the floor since that thing was up.
"When he gets thirsty, he REALLY is thirsty. A lot to satisfy." Frakly smiled at Mikey, who smiled nervously back.
Frakly had noticed how he still seemed nervous. It was to be expected. They would get used to it soon. The professor moved forward in his seat, catching Mikey's attention.
"What's your story then?" Frakly asked out, interested.
Mikey hesitated then shuffled round in his seat to face Frakly properly. He started to tell their story.
//\\
"Well, we're here," Leo announced to Donnie as they walked round a corner and through a door, into the room they had found Frakly and their brother in before. "Start looking for those vile things Frakly described."
Donnie nodded and started searching the few draws and the one cupboard in the room. He found a few things that looked important and bagged them. He spotted a suitcase near a bundle of sheets on the floor. He opened it and found what they were looking for.
"Found it . . . I think." Donnie started to go through them, just to make sure.
Leo walked over to his brother after looking through a mess in on of the draws. He bent down to look at them while Donnie took them out, turning them over in her hand and then put them back.
"Yep. Definitely what we're looking for," Donnie said. "But he also said there were other vials in the draws."
Leo went back to look in the bottom draw to the one he had just left. Sure enough there was a neat row of vials at the back of the second draw. Leo picked one up and looked at it closely. The liquid inside was a dark blue. ¦Um, odd¦ he thought. He bagged them, keeping them in the order they were in the draw.
He was just about to call to Donnie to say that they should get moving when a sudden loud sound made both of them turn to look at the door, which flew open and revealed an unwelcome group figures all dressed in black, faces unseen behind masks.
"The Foot!" Donnie yelled, jumping to his feet at the same time as Leo. ¦What the!? The Foot haven't been seen in ages! The Shredder is dead! Why have they come back!?¦ He stopped thinking and started to act as five from the group detached themselves and came at him, two wielding their own Bo Staff, the other three held no weapon.
Donnie dodged a hard kick from one of them who took up his left side. He swung his Bo around and hit the man in the legs, causing him to fall. Another took his place in the gap, and Donnie found himself in a furious combat. He could only glance quickly to his brother before turning back to his enemies. He saw Leo had been surrounded but was doing well at keeping them off him.
Now all of the Foot soldiers had decided to join in and Donnie found himself getting punched and kicked before he even saw who had done it. He soon was gasping in pain and found that he was getting very few hits in. He spun to meet a fist and blocked it.
Unfortunately the others had the advantage of numbers, and while Donnie was busy with that one, two others swung their Bo and delivered a punch that left Donnie with flashing lights in his vision. He struck out blindly and hit one of them, but that was nothing to them than what Donnie felt now.
One Ninja had just lashed out with a small dagger, slicing Donnie's arm. Donnie yelled in surprise and pain, and moved round to knock this guy out. But the flashing lights were not fading and he could hardly see. He felt a sudden white hot pain flair up from his thigh and the next thing he was on his knees. The pain jolted through him and he gasped. He could hear Leo's cries from somewhere over the heads of the wave of Foot soldiers. He tried to stand, but a hit to the head had him on hands and knees. He was taking punches and kicks from every side and the pain was too great for him. He forced himself to stay awake. He could feel darkness slip through. But before they could have the satisfactory of beating him, Donnie struck out a foot sharply to his right, turned and punched the Ninja to his left. He heard grunts, and he felt more pain. Then the darkness overwhelmed him and he felt his body hit the floor, still being beaten . . .
//\\
"What is it, M'reagro!?" Frakly was stood, alarmed at his pets sudden roar of rage. He could hardly understand what the beast was saying.
Mikey stared in horror at the beast. It was howling and snarling like crazy and had frit Mikey half to death. He had also stood; ready for anything that might happen. He watched the odd scene where Frakly was trying to make some sense of what his pet was actually saying to him.
"What!? Well go to them! Now! Hurry!" Frakly shouted at the thing as it made its way to the door and disappeared.
Mikey held his hands out in a questioning gesture.
"What was that about? Where's he gone?" Mikey demanded.
Frakly turned to Mikey, worry written all over his face.
"Your brothers are in trouble, M'reagro said he can sense it. They are being attacked. He has gone after them."
Mikey stared at the professor then immediately moved into action, he grabbed his weapons from the hat stand, where they were hung, and walked over to the door, but he was stopped by Frakly, who had hold of him on one arm.
"No, you must not go! These – these men are dangerous and if they injure you then you will not be able to protect yourself or your brother. You have to stay here and protect Raphael. M'reagro said there are many men and that they were down here to seek you and your brothers out."
Mikey couldn't make up his mind. His brothers needed him and he wanted to help them. But what Frakly just said was true. This was probably the Foot and they had great numbers. No! The Foot are no longer! They can't be here! It can't be them!
"You have to stay."
//\\
April stopped. She froze. She heard the distinct thundering of heavy footsteps. Had it found her? She listened. It could be Leo, Donnie's or Mikey's. No. They were definitely too heavy and loud.
April held the bat in both hands out in front of her. Any second now it was going to come round a corner, or come up behind her. She tensed, ready.
The sounds were loud now. So much louder than her own footsteps. They were almost on her. April froze. Her mind yelled at her, telling her what it was that was now coming at her from down the long tunnel. She didn't need telling. She knew by the sounds, by the grunts and by the shear size of this monster. It was charging.
Her brain was screaming at her to move. To get out the way or at least make use of the bat she brought. April unfroze just in time as the thing leaped past her. April was flung against the wall, and dropped to the floor. She watched it leap away, totally ignoring her. It disappeared round the next corner, but its pounding footsteps could still be heard growing fainter.
April's heart was racing so fast she thought it might burst through her chest. She lay there, unable to get up, head throbbing when she hit it on the wall. It hadn't come to kill her; it was going somewhere. Had it finished off Leo, Donnie and Mikey? Was it, now, just going after them? She had to find out. She unsteadily got to her feet and took off at a weak jog. She would find out where it was going.
//\\
"Donnie!" Leo cried as he saw his brother fall to the ground, taking the continuous beats from the Foot. Leo had never felt so angry. How could they beat up someone who wasn't even awake to defend himself? That's what made Leo want to beat every Foot member here. Unfortunately some of them seemed to go along the same lines of beating, and two of the Foot member that were beating up Donnie joined the others to see what action was happening with Leo.
He already had ten Foot members to deal with. He could feel every punch and kick they threw at him, but he kept the line of fire right back at them. He still couldn't figure out how they knew they were down here and why there were still members of the Foot when there was no Shredder to lead them.
Leo swung his Katana and knocked one Ninja out with the flat of the blade. The man fell onto another and they both toppled to the floor. Leo fought desperately, trying to get to his brother who wasn't moving. Leo's anger reached a certain level where even he was scared might burst and he might just go crazy.
A sudden hard hit to the stomach caught him by surprise and he bent over. This gave the Foot time to deliver as many blows as they liked in those few seconds. But that was all the time they needed and by the end of ten seconds, Leo was on the floor, hailed by fists, feet and Staffs. His head was screaming pain at him, his stomach was also queuing to complain, blood dripped form his mouth, but his anger rose above it all and he unwillingly let it surface. Before he knew it he was screaming with rage and had jumped to his feet so quickly that he had thrown off the Foot. They appeared momentarily surprise, but came at him again, punching and kicking.
Leo managed to only just block a deathblow from a sword that was aiming for his head. He punched the guy in the face and saw him fall back before he took a good solid punch to the face. His vision faded but came back quickly. He tasted more blood, but he had no time to stick his finger in his mouth and find out where it was coming from.
He was hit around the head and knocked back to the floor; his weapons fell from his grip. He still had his hands and he used them just as well. It was hard to attack from the floor, and before he could bring his fist back, winding up for a punch, a loud, echoing roar rang through the room and every Ninja stood still, surprised, and waiting to see what the noise belonged to.
They soon found out.
M'reagro leapt from the dark shadows and pounced on four of the men. Leo could not see what the beast was doing, but he knew it had come to help them. He heard screams of horror and pain and a sharp, loud snap, and the scream was cut off.
Leo had been left alone, as all the Foot turned their attention on the thing that had just jumped from the shadows. A few more cracks and screams, ripping flesh and clothes, the sound of running feet and the room was empty of Foot, if the ones laying on the floor, necks and limps in very odd positions weren't counted for, blood seeping from places Leo didn't want to look at.
The turtle turned his gaze on M'reagro, who slowly turned around to look at him. It freaked Leo how it moved, but he couldn't stay scared. This thing had just saved him.
Leo scrambled to his aching feet and rushed over to Donnie's side; M'reagro watched.
"Donnie!? Don!? Can you hear me? Don!?" Leo took his brother by the shoulders and shouted.
"Di' ja . . . get 'em?" Donnie muttered, barely awake.
Leo sighed in relief, but he knew his brother was beaten up really bad.
He managed to get Donnie into a half-sitting position, holding him up. Leo looked at M'reagro, who was still watching silently. Leo didn't really know if this thing understood English, but he would give it a shot.
"I need . . ." Leo stopped. It sounded stupid talking to this thing, but he didn't care if it was stupid or not, his brother need to get home right now.
He said again, "I need to get Donnie home. To – to Frakly . . . Master? To Master. Can you take Donnie –" Leo pointed to M'reagro, then at Donnie,"—to Master? Take him?" Leo stared at it desperately as the beast only watched him, the glowing orange eyes unblinking. Through the pain Leo felt a chill run down his spine.
Leo sighed in frustration and started to get up, trying to pull Donnie up as well. It wasn't easy with the injuries Leo had also, but Leo managed to pick up his brother and stumble to the door.
Before he could step out, M'reagro stepped in from of him, placing one of his huge hands down in his path.
Leo froze. Was it going to choose now to attack? It was smart and it wanted Leo for power and strength. Was it going to kill him while he was weak? His questions were answered when M'reagro walked slowly and animal-like around Leo to Donnie, keeping his glowing eyes locked on Leo's, who couldn't move.
The huge creature lifted a clawed hand, and Leo noticed the claws had been retracted. Leo watched as the hand slid underneath Donnie's shell, and lifted him from Leo's arms as though Donnie was a small pet terrapin. Leo's insides froze when he felt the smooth claws touch his arms.
He watched as M'reagro curled his big-clawed hand around Donnie, hugging him to her underside so he would not fall. The creature seemed to stare at Leo, and then take off in the sewer tunnels, stopping and glancing back to make sure Leo was following.
Leo blinked and followed quickly, limping and wincing. His wounds were aching badly but he pushed the pain aside to worry about Donnie. He dared not spit the blood out of his mouth in the presence of that thing, so he swallowed.
Once out in the tunnels, M'reagro slowed down for Leo, as the turtle was having a hard time keeping up.
Donnie moaned and Leo glanced at his brother in the beast's grip. He was wrong. This beast WAS clever. He felt slightly guilty for thinking it would attack them while they were weak.
Leo did his best to keep up with M'reagro as they continued, but he kept tripping and stumbling, his head felt too heavy and all he wanted to do was rest. But he couldn't. He had to get Donnie back. Leo forced down his pain and concentrated on walking.
//\\
April cried as she fell to the floor, but it was cut off as her breath was knocked short from the hard impact.
The figures in black leant over her, ready to deliver another blow to her face.
April had been caught by surprise when she rounded the corner and ran straight into these guys. She didn't believe it at first; thought it was her imagination. Maybe it was the beast and she was trying to cover up its image by replacing it with something a little less frightening and ugly.
But now as she was beat, bruised and aching, she though there couldn't be anything more ugly than meeting these guys in a dark sewer tunnel.
She cried out again as they kicked her. She groped about for her bats, but they had been kicked aside when she had fell the first time.
The front Ninja, who had kicked her, now stood over her, he pulled from his back a long, shiny object. April screeched as she saw the sharp Katana. The Foot raised it high, ready to bring it down on her.
April shut her eyes tight and rolled into a ball, covering her head with her arms. Not that it would help against a sword, but it was a reaction of terror. She waited for the swish of the sword as it cut through the air. She waited for the pain as it cut through her flesh. She waited, held her breath, waiting for it . . .
She heard a snap and a muffled cry and then single pair of running feet. Then it was silent. No, there was still a sound. Breathing. Heavy breathing.
Not wanting to see what was making the noise, she rolled up tighter, expecting something painful to happen. Nothing did.
She uncurled slightly and peeked out from behind her arm. What she saw shocked her so much she was sure she just lost her heart as it thumped painfully against her chest. She was looking at a glowing, narrow eye.
She screamed and scrambled up against the wall, staring, unable to keep her eyes off the beast. It moved its eyes, following her as she pressed against the wall. She knew this time was it. She waited for the beast to leap and rip her apart. She hid her face in her arms, features screwed up, waiting. A small pressure on her shoulder made her scream.
"April!"
She stopped screaming at looked at Leo. Leo! He had his hand on her shoulder and was watching her with worry and concern tightening his brow.
"Leo!" She cried and wrapped him in a hug that could have crushed Shredder with. Then she remembered why she was pressed against the wall.
"Leo! That thing! That Thing! The monster, it's there – it's there!" She yelled pointing at it.
Leo shushed her and lowered her arm.
"It's okay. Everything's been sorted out. This thing is . . . Well, lets say it's now a sorta friend."
It was then, when Leo pulled away from the hug to say that, when she noticed the nasty slashes and bruises marking his face, and the rest of his beaten body.
"Leo, what . . .?"
"The Foot." Leo said.
He stood up, shakily, nearly falling back down, and pulled April up. "I have to get Donnie back. He's in real bad shape and I'm worried." He pointed to Donnie, who was still in the creature's clawed hands. "Come on, we have to get back. It's okay; I think he knows you're a friend now. He just saved us." Leo added when he saw April's face.
April stared at it as she neared it. It was so big. Its eyes followed her as she put Leo's arm around her shoulders, supporting him. He smiled at her.
"Okay, let's go home."
//\\
Mikey paced the room. He couldn't help thinking that something really, really bad has happened and he could have stopped it had he been there.
Frakly was also looking nervous and tense. It was his pet that was meant to have saved Leo and Donnie. What if he hadn't gotten there in time?
Mikey couldn't take this any longer. His eyes kept darting to the door. He wasn't sure whether he should stay. Was this a plan to keep him here while . . . While M'reagro feasted on his brothers? No, no the professor wouldn't let him do that; and besides, Frakly had sounded like he really wanted them brought back alive. Mikey was glad Raph was asleep. He couldn't take any more. If Raph were awake he would be trying to get out that door and if he was, then Mikey might have let his brother go, along with himself. He had to stay here. Look after Frakly and Raph. Frakly was obviously no fighter and Raph was too exhausted to fight, or move.
Frakly watched the turtle pace. He was making him nervous. Frakly sighed quietly and sat back in the couch.
A sudden growl made him bolt back up and run with Mikey to the door. They both reached it as M'reagro strode in, limping. Frakly immediately rushed to his pet's side to see why, but a second look told him M'reagro wasn't hurt, but carrying Donnie, who was bleeding very badly.
"Leo! Oh man, are you alright!?" Mikey rushed and hugged his brother, then looked at April as she came through the door, holding Leo's hand. "April!?" Mikey rushed over to her and looked at her swollen check and cut lip. He hugged her and then looked around for the other brother. "Where's Donnie?"
Leo watched as his brother in orange saw Donnie. M'reagro gently laid Donnie on the couch, but Frakly, who took control, ordered his pet to put Donnie in his bed. Mikey rushed to his brother's side and helped as the beast put the unconscious turtle on his bed.
"I need stitches, bandages, cream, you got any of that?" Frakly asked, hurriedly.
Mikey nodded shortly and rushed off to the medical cabinet where they kept everything. He came back, hands and arms full.
He laid them on the bed, at Donnie's feet and helped as Frakly swabbed at the blood and prepared the needle and thread to stitch the worst wounds up.
Donnie looked really bad. There was a long gnash down his arm and on his thigh, which were seeping a lot of blood. His face had a few nasty wounds running on his check and his shoulders and the rest of his arms were bruised and smeared with blood from his major wounds.
Mikey helped stitch his brother up. Frakly work silently, and Mikey didn't distract him. The professor did a good job and soon, after twenty minutes, Donnie was stitched up and the excess blood had been cleaned away.
"We'll have to keep an eye on him," Frakly said, wiping his hands. "I may need to keep him on an IV and I'll need to take blood from you or Leonardo. He lost too much."
Mikey nodded and went out to tell Leo and April. April was still shocked and Leo had managed to clean her wounds up all right. But he still needed to be patched up, as he was bleeding badly too.
"I'll give Donnie my blood," Leo said, about to limp to Donnie's room.
Mikey stepped in front of him. "No way Leo, you can't lose any more, I will." He pushed his brother back down on the couch and then disappeared into Donnie's room.
Leo and April sat down on the couch as Frakly tended to Mikey and Donnie. April went to the medic cabinet to get some bandages for Leo, who was swaying with exhaustion. She began to clear up his wounds, though some needed stitches.
As she swabbed at the blood, Leo watched her and then said, "you came down here to help us, didn't you?"
April looked up from his wound, and nodded.
"Yeah. I did. I admit I was a bit angry with you for leaving me like that. But I guess I just get in the way. I would have probably gotten killed. I'm sorry."
Leo smiled, lent over and hugged her. She felt slightly stronger and better now.
Leo began to tell her that Frakly was a friend, and that M'reagro was his pet and they weren't going to injure any one else now.
Mikey came out of Donnie's room looking a little faint. He collapsed on the couch on the other side of April, as Frakly came out and told Leo he should stitch his wounds up. They both disappeared into the room, leaving April and Mikey on the couch.
"Oh, you'll be please to know I enjoyed your little joke at the end of the note you left," April smiled. Something was nagging at her. Something important but in the midst of all this action she had completely forgotten. It came to her all of a sudden and she stopped smiling and stared at Mikey.
"Mikey? Where's Raph? What happened to him?" She looked at the creature, which was looking at the pair of them.
Mikey smiled. "Raph's in bed. Been asleep most of the time since he was kidnapped, the lazy dude!"