Splinter maneuvered to a back corner of his cage as the van doors sprang open with the same curious faces peeking inside.
"Easy men! He's a mean one!"
Hands began to reach in and lift his cage out of the van's warmth and into the cold, where they continued to hoist him into a small white building. Although he was now sheltered from the wind, he still felt cold and bitter. What would his sons do if he never came back? Could they survive by themselves? He doubted it.
The halls were lit dimly with vague neon lights spread far apart, and the waxed floor echoed the mens' footsteps eerily. They continued down the unwelcoming maze until a left turn was taken into a dark room, glowing with computer screens. Along the walls, more cages were neatly stacked upon each other with beady, sad eyes peering out between the bars. The shadows watched him carefully, simply because there was nothing else to watch.
More occupied cages were brought in and set near by him. Five stray cats writhed together in one cage, meowing to him with pleading eyes. One broke away from the desperate group and clawed his way up the side towards him. Immediatly, he recognized his gray feline friend, but a man leaned over and poked it repeatedly in the belly until it roughly fell off.
"Git' down from there, Cat! So wadda we do with them now, Boss?"
"Put the cats in the can. I'll handle the rat. You can all go home as soon as you're finished."
Splinter suspected all the men would cheer at this, but an awkward silence remained. Perhaps their curiosity demanded more, he mused. Nevertheless, they all gave his cage one last gander and sometimes a tap as they exited with the cats' cage. The man who remained, obviously the boss, leaned over and starred at the rat square in the eyes.
"What's this frilly little robe you got on? Does someone own you?"
"Maybe."
The man jumped back in surprise and glared at a young woman occupying the doorway.
"Michelle! Don't do that!"
"Sorry, Roger," she said passively while bending over and looking at Splinter.
"His eyes...he seems so...alive."
"What are you doing here?"
"I've got the night watch tonight. Can I ask you the same thing?"
"Doing a little overtime, is all."
"On Christmas Eve?"
"It doesn't matter. Gotta pay the bills. Besides, if I didn't, I wouldn't have found this!" he let his arm rest on the cage top as if boasting his phenomenal find. Splinter immediatly snapped at him, and he removed it with a jerk.
"Mean little puke."
Michelle snickered, obviously not impressed,"Well, I doubt I'd be too thrilled to be caught on Christmas Eve either. Or at all, actually."
Splinter secretly rolled his eyes. She didn't know how right she was!
"Either way, I need to contact the scientists. Seems important. They'll probably be by tomorrow to pick it up."
"I'll keep an eye on him tonight then."
"Thanks, Shelly."
"Don't call me that."
"Right. Well, I gotta go. Family's waiting."
"I'm surprised you aren't divorced yet."
Roger laughed almost nervously and tipped his red 'POUND' hat to her,"Merry Christmas, Michelle!"
She waved him off and he strolled out the door, letting it shut softly behind him. Michelle shed her white lab coat with a sigh and let it rest on a desk chair. Then she began gathering food supplies in the corner. Splinter watched with interest while in lotus position as she made circles around the room stopping at each cage to feed the animals. Her frame was thin and tall underneath her slightly baggy lab clothes, and her brunet hair fall into a beautiful mass of curls at her shoulders that bounced with each step.He assumed she had a kind disposition, especially a soft spot for animals, but with people she was harsh and sarcastic. He smiled as she cooed lovingly to the Labrador puppies in the far corner. They yelped excitedly and attempted to lick her delicate fingers through the barrier separating them.
When she finally finished, she eased into a chair and rolled it towards a desk. Clacking on the keyboard was the only sound besides the monitors' humming in the stale air as the animals settled and munched their dinners. Splinter shifted in the cage to the wall closest to her. There, he curled his fingers around the bars again and poked his muzzle out slightly.
"A sad way to celebrate Christmas night, don't you think?"
Michelle flipped towards him in alarm and nearly toppled over in her chair.
"You talk!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Leo sat awake in his bed, starring into the blackness. His small arms were folded behind his head as he twitched with excitement. What presents would he get tomorrow? A yo-yo? A notebook? Maybe even a stuffed animal! He could hardly stand the wait! Leonardo knew that if he slept, it would pass much faster, but he was on a mission. He was hunting Santa Clause. For hours on end, he lied there and listened for any signs of his approach while trying to tune out his brothers' snores and sleep jabber. Occasionally, a sewer sound startled him, but he still laid back rapping his heels together bordely. Suddenly, a scrapping sound pervaded the lair, causing him to leap out of the bed in excitement.
"He's here! He's here! Wake up!" Leo screamed, dashing in circles around the room. His brothers woke up reluctantly, moaning and groaning.
"Leo! Be quiet!" Raphael snapped.
"But Santa's here!"
Suddenly a pillow sailed through the air and buffeted him in the face.
"Who's here?" Mike and Don echoed.
"Santa!"
The two scrambled out of bed to take a look with him, not forgetting to snatch Raph and drag him along, of course. They all separated and paraded around the lair.
"Splinter, Splinter! Santa's here!"
"Splinter?" They all halted in their master's bedroom. His futon was neatly made and the candles fresh and unused.
"Where's Master Splinter?" Mike nearly sobbed. They toured the lair again and again without avail.
"Somebody stole Master Splinter!" Donatello gasped.
"No! We gotta help!"
"Yeah!" they all shouted. The four scrambled around gathering necessities for their rescue mission. Then, they stopped at the coat rack and put their jackets on.
"Got the flashlight, Donny?"
"Check!"
"Cookies, Raph?"
"Yeah."
"Pizza, Mike?"
"Yep!"
"Let's go!" Raph shoved them aside and raced to the door. The three caught up to him, scorning his haste. When the lectures were over, they stepped into the sewers awkwardly. A cold draft enveloped them, and they huddled together, trying to gather warmth.
"I don't like it out here."
"It's okay, Mikey."
"Where do we start?" Raph looked about him, a bit overwhelmed.
"That way...or that way?" Don said pointing his flashlight down each tunnel in the junction.
"Um..iny-meany-miny-mo. That way!" Leo said pointing down the left one. Each one gathered themselves and their supplies and marched into the left tunnel completely oblivious to Splinter's clear footprints leading down the opposite side.
"Easy men! He's a mean one!"
Hands began to reach in and lift his cage out of the van's warmth and into the cold, where they continued to hoist him into a small white building. Although he was now sheltered from the wind, he still felt cold and bitter. What would his sons do if he never came back? Could they survive by themselves? He doubted it.
The halls were lit dimly with vague neon lights spread far apart, and the waxed floor echoed the mens' footsteps eerily. They continued down the unwelcoming maze until a left turn was taken into a dark room, glowing with computer screens. Along the walls, more cages were neatly stacked upon each other with beady, sad eyes peering out between the bars. The shadows watched him carefully, simply because there was nothing else to watch.
More occupied cages were brought in and set near by him. Five stray cats writhed together in one cage, meowing to him with pleading eyes. One broke away from the desperate group and clawed his way up the side towards him. Immediatly, he recognized his gray feline friend, but a man leaned over and poked it repeatedly in the belly until it roughly fell off.
"Git' down from there, Cat! So wadda we do with them now, Boss?"
"Put the cats in the can. I'll handle the rat. You can all go home as soon as you're finished."
Splinter suspected all the men would cheer at this, but an awkward silence remained. Perhaps their curiosity demanded more, he mused. Nevertheless, they all gave his cage one last gander and sometimes a tap as they exited with the cats' cage. The man who remained, obviously the boss, leaned over and starred at the rat square in the eyes.
"What's this frilly little robe you got on? Does someone own you?"
"Maybe."
The man jumped back in surprise and glared at a young woman occupying the doorway.
"Michelle! Don't do that!"
"Sorry, Roger," she said passively while bending over and looking at Splinter.
"His eyes...he seems so...alive."
"What are you doing here?"
"I've got the night watch tonight. Can I ask you the same thing?"
"Doing a little overtime, is all."
"On Christmas Eve?"
"It doesn't matter. Gotta pay the bills. Besides, if I didn't, I wouldn't have found this!" he let his arm rest on the cage top as if boasting his phenomenal find. Splinter immediatly snapped at him, and he removed it with a jerk.
"Mean little puke."
Michelle snickered, obviously not impressed,"Well, I doubt I'd be too thrilled to be caught on Christmas Eve either. Or at all, actually."
Splinter secretly rolled his eyes. She didn't know how right she was!
"Either way, I need to contact the scientists. Seems important. They'll probably be by tomorrow to pick it up."
"I'll keep an eye on him tonight then."
"Thanks, Shelly."
"Don't call me that."
"Right. Well, I gotta go. Family's waiting."
"I'm surprised you aren't divorced yet."
Roger laughed almost nervously and tipped his red 'POUND' hat to her,"Merry Christmas, Michelle!"
She waved him off and he strolled out the door, letting it shut softly behind him. Michelle shed her white lab coat with a sigh and let it rest on a desk chair. Then she began gathering food supplies in the corner. Splinter watched with interest while in lotus position as she made circles around the room stopping at each cage to feed the animals. Her frame was thin and tall underneath her slightly baggy lab clothes, and her brunet hair fall into a beautiful mass of curls at her shoulders that bounced with each step.He assumed she had a kind disposition, especially a soft spot for animals, but with people she was harsh and sarcastic. He smiled as she cooed lovingly to the Labrador puppies in the far corner. They yelped excitedly and attempted to lick her delicate fingers through the barrier separating them.
When she finally finished, she eased into a chair and rolled it towards a desk. Clacking on the keyboard was the only sound besides the monitors' humming in the stale air as the animals settled and munched their dinners. Splinter shifted in the cage to the wall closest to her. There, he curled his fingers around the bars again and poked his muzzle out slightly.
"A sad way to celebrate Christmas night, don't you think?"
Michelle flipped towards him in alarm and nearly toppled over in her chair.
"You talk!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Leo sat awake in his bed, starring into the blackness. His small arms were folded behind his head as he twitched with excitement. What presents would he get tomorrow? A yo-yo? A notebook? Maybe even a stuffed animal! He could hardly stand the wait! Leonardo knew that if he slept, it would pass much faster, but he was on a mission. He was hunting Santa Clause. For hours on end, he lied there and listened for any signs of his approach while trying to tune out his brothers' snores and sleep jabber. Occasionally, a sewer sound startled him, but he still laid back rapping his heels together bordely. Suddenly, a scrapping sound pervaded the lair, causing him to leap out of the bed in excitement.
"He's here! He's here! Wake up!" Leo screamed, dashing in circles around the room. His brothers woke up reluctantly, moaning and groaning.
"Leo! Be quiet!" Raphael snapped.
"But Santa's here!"
Suddenly a pillow sailed through the air and buffeted him in the face.
"Who's here?" Mike and Don echoed.
"Santa!"
The two scrambled out of bed to take a look with him, not forgetting to snatch Raph and drag him along, of course. They all separated and paraded around the lair.
"Splinter, Splinter! Santa's here!"
"Splinter?" They all halted in their master's bedroom. His futon was neatly made and the candles fresh and unused.
"Where's Master Splinter?" Mike nearly sobbed. They toured the lair again and again without avail.
"Somebody stole Master Splinter!" Donatello gasped.
"No! We gotta help!"
"Yeah!" they all shouted. The four scrambled around gathering necessities for their rescue mission. Then, they stopped at the coat rack and put their jackets on.
"Got the flashlight, Donny?"
"Check!"
"Cookies, Raph?"
"Yeah."
"Pizza, Mike?"
"Yep!"
"Let's go!" Raph shoved them aside and raced to the door. The three caught up to him, scorning his haste. When the lectures were over, they stepped into the sewers awkwardly. A cold draft enveloped them, and they huddled together, trying to gather warmth.
"I don't like it out here."
"It's okay, Mikey."
"Where do we start?" Raph looked about him, a bit overwhelmed.
"That way...or that way?" Don said pointing his flashlight down each tunnel in the junction.
"Um..iny-meany-miny-mo. That way!" Leo said pointing down the left one. Each one gathered themselves and their supplies and marched into the left tunnel completely oblivious to Splinter's clear footprints leading down the opposite side.