CHAPTER TWO

SAVIORS AND SURVIVORS

PRESENT

Okay, guys, I know it's been FOREVER since I updated. LOL I apologize. In the midst of moving and (oh, yeah) this freakin' WAR we're in… the TV news business is NOT the one to be in… But anyways. Updates will be more frequent now. Thanks for the reviews. –s

MICHAELANGELO:

She was pretty. The fact that she was only half dressed didn't hurt her case any. We hadn't gotten around to getting her clothes today and Amy's limited fashions were all too small. So she was still in the blue robe we'd found her in last night. Tomorrow, we'd have to get her some clothes.

I couldn't get over that hair, even though I knew it was a dye job. Her roots were already starting to come in. She looked strangely familiar, somehow. But I couldn't quite place her. Maybe I'd seen her from a distance before. I was sure I'd never talked to her.

"Are you hungry?" I offered.

She stared down at the tea Leo had offered her before he'd disappearing into another room, probably to meditate or something. "No," she whispered. "That's okay."

I grinned as I watched her lift the mug to her lips and sip slightly from it. Her eyes flickered and she tried not to flinch as she tasted it. "You're not a tea drinker, are you?" I questioned.

She seemed startled and embarrassed by the question. "It's... really hot. And it doesn't have sugar."

I nodded. "If I got you some sugar and an ice cube, would you like it better?"

A warm smile came over her face and she held the mug out to me. "Yes. Thank you."

"No problem," I assured her.

I stood and walked to the kitchen, taking the tea with me. With a few additions, I brought it back to her a moment later. She accepted it gratefully and sipped at it. "Mmm... Much better," she smiled.

I flopped down beside her on the couch and reached for the remote. For several minutes, I just flipped through the channels. There was nothing on. I already knew that. There was never anything good on Wednesday nights. "How do you even know what you're looking at?" Mel asked quietly.

"Oh, it's easy," I mumbled, pressing the button at a steady pace. "I watch enough TV to know what's on any given channel at any given time. So this is really just exercise for my thumb. I already know what's on."

She giggled. "Well, you think you could give your thumb a slight break?" she pleaded jokingly. "You're gonna make me have a seizure."

I glanced at her questioningly and she smiled, then reached across my lap and rested her hand on mine, over the top of the remote. I backed away slightly, putting a little bit of distance between our faces. But since she was leaning over me, there wasn't much of a place to go.

For a long time, she didn't move. She stared at me, her deep, blue-green eyes dancing, and smiled. For a moment, I wondered what she was thinking. And if she realized what she was making me think. Pressed against the back of the couch like this, I could see right down the front of her robe, whether I wanted to or not. And my body was reacting to the fact that she wasn't wearing much underneath it. Thankfully, she didn't see it. God, I loved being a turtle.

She pulled her hand back and I left the remote alone. She sat up straight again and turned to see what was on the screen. It could've been an infomercial, for all I cared. I swallowed hard and fought to get my raging hormones under control. She seemed totally unaware of her slight seduction. Maybe she hadn't done it on purpose. She sipped the tea slowly and watched the TV, bringing her legs up underneath her.

"Hey, Mikey?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. I spun and saw Raphael stop dead in his tracks. "Yeah?" I asked. I could hear the startled panic in my own voice.

He studied me for a minute, cocking his head to one side. "You alright, Mike?"

I nodded enthusiastically. He didn't buy it. I knew he wouldn't. The denial was aimed more at Mel than at him. Thankfully, he let it go. "When Leo gets done pondering the meaning of life, tell him I went to go get Kat, alright?"

I agreed quickly, nodding again. He remained still, watching me, then chuckled to himself as he turned away and walked out the door. Mel and I exchanged glances, and she turned back to the TV. I heaved a sigh of relief as the lair door closed.

APRIL:

"You're very pretty, you know that?"

I shifted nervously. This guy had not left my side all night long except when I had delivered my short introduction for the guest of honor. It was an upper class gathering, and I wouldn't have been caught dead here if I hadn't been assigned to report on it. But their guest of honor was the best thing since sliced bread in the fashion market, and viewers wanted to know about him. More specifically, they wanted to know about the recent scandal that he was trying to recover from. Hence, the dinner party.

"Thank you," I answered quietly, running over the past few hours. Did I have enough to write my report? Where the hell was the photog? I knew I should really get a few more interviews on-cam, but I was more than ready to get out of here.

The intruding man raised his drink to his lips again. "You know, someone as pretty as you are shouldn't have to be alone tonight."

I stared down at the bar. "I'm not alone," I mumbled. "My work keeps me quite busy."

He laughed quietly. "Yes, but there are times when work creates more needs than it satisfies."

I knew where this was going, and I didn't like it. I was getting less intimidated and more annoyed with every word he spoke. It was about time for him to take a hike. I looked around for Amber, my photog and my ride back, but didn't see her.

The man's hand slid across the bar and came to rest over mine. I tensed, wondering what kind of scene it would make if I turned around and broke his nose. "Well, maybe we can... you know..." he suggested.

That was enough. I jerked away from him and stood up. "Sorry, I have to go," I informed him coldly. "Nice talking to you."

It took me a few minutes to find Amber. She was talking with a young man I didn't recognize. I smiled as she stepped up, and Amber shifted her weight, repositioning the camera on her shoulder. "Excuse me."

"April O'Neil, right?" the man asked.

I nodded. "Yes, that's right."

"You're quite an eloquent speaker."

I chuckled a little at that. "Just one with very little stage fright," I returned. "Talking to a entire city full of people every afternoon can do that to you."

He laughed. "Is it difficult?"

I shrugged. "You get used to it."

Finally, he offered me a hand. "My name is Charles Calaray, Vice President of Sencorp Enterprises."

I made small talk with him for a moment, and took the opportunity to get his input on the party, on camera. Then I turned to Amber. "We really should get going," I informed.

She stared at me for a moment. "What? Why?"

"Oh, don't leave so soon," Charles pleaded. "I'd enjoy talking to you for a bit."

His arm slipped around my waist and I realized too late that he was either too drunk or too bold for my taste. I jerked away and looked at Amber. "I need to get home," I said firmly.

"Well, let me stay and get some shots first."

"Then give me the keys to the van," I instructed.

She rolled her eyes. "April, can't you just hang for a while?" she pleaded.

"I'll be ready to leave in just a few minutes," Charles informed. "I'd be willing to drive you back. And it would give us a chance to talk."

I stared at him for a moment, and considered the thought of riding in a car with him. Even if he hadn't been drunk, I didn't like that idea. "No," I mumbled. "It's fine." I glared at Amber. "I'll catch a cab."

"It's really no problem," Charles smiled, his eyes raking over me.

I glared back at him. "Thank you. But I'll be alright."

Amber shrugged and I turned away. She'd be out of a job tomorrow morning, so she'd better enjoy herself tonight. Work was never supposed to be a social event. But then again, maybe she'd just get off with a warning. She was pretty new, after all. Fresh outta college. I sighed as I left the party. Tomorrow was another issue altogether. Right now, I had to worry about getting home.

It wasn't until I had ridden the elevator all the way to the ground floor and walked out the front doors that I realized I didn't have nearly enough money for a cab. I sighed deeply as I leaned back against the wall. I should call the guys. For what? I questioned. So they can walk you home? As if you need someone to watch over your shoulder and protect you...

I looked down the street. That wasn't the point. This was a bad area, and I knew it. And there was the little issue of not knowing where the hell I was. But it wasn't quite dark yet. The sun was just setting, and if I could make it to a bus, that I could afford. I could make it there before the streets cleared out. Besides, I didn't want to have to wait for an escort to get there, and I didn't want to talk to him about what happened, and why I wasn't getting a ride back with Amber. I knew he would ask.

I walked as quickly as I was able in the high heel shoes, listening to them click on the pavement as I headed toward the setting sun.

RAPHAEL:

What the hell was she doing on this side of town after dark? And why was she dressed like that? I watched from the shadows as she walked along the street. I couldn't cross to talk to her because I wasn't disguised, and there were people around. Four. They were behind her. They almost looked like they were following her.

My eyes narrowed as I saw movement up ahead, in one of the alleyways. Shit, they were gonna jump her. "Hey, baby."

A voice from the alley rang in the stillness, and I heard him as clearly as she had. There wasn't even a breeze to carry his words away. She spun around and looked into the alley, nearly tripping over her own two feet. In those heels, I wasn't surprised. The men behind her stopped, too, and she turned to them. "Where you goin' all dressed up like that?" one of them smirked.

I saw her tense. "I'm going home," she informed, hiding her fear well. Sure was a good thing I'd taken the scenic route. As if she didn't know better than to go walking around the streets after dark... "I live right over there," she pointed, lying through her teeth. "And my husband's expecting me."

I grinned. Smooth. But it wouldn't work. They'd set the trap, and they wouldn't let such a nice piece of ass go without a fight. "Awww, isn't that sweet?" one of the men patronized. "Well, we wouldn't want to keep him waiting, would we?"

She backed away slowly and they let her go, not moving. At least she knew not to turn her back on them. I saw another figure step out of the shadows and behind her. Three groups. At the very least, there were six men. It was a really good thing I'd taken the scenic route.

She screamed as his arms circled her and she was half-pulled, half-shoved into the alley. "No!"

They all raced into the alley and out of my sight. I scanned the street for onlookers, not that I really would've cared if there were any at this point, and sprinted. The man in the first alley hadn't come out into the street so I knew he'd gone behind the building. That meant there was an easy way around without having to leave the shadows. I slowed as I reached the darkness, and found no wall in front of me. It was open behind the building, and into the next alley, where they'd taken April.

I crouched as I approached, and watched them, eyes narrowed. There were a lot more than six of them. Try sixteen, at the least. Only three were actually near her; the rest were at a distance. One was behind, his hand over her mouth. One was holding a knife to her throat; he'd be the primary concern. Another had his hands at her breasts, running them slowly around behind her. He was probably feeling for the easiest way to get the dress off. I heard the quiet, familiar scrape of my sais against my belt as I pulled them slowly and eyed my prey.

"Just relax and enjoy it, baby... You know we're a lot stronger than you."

Muscles flexed and tensed, and I waited for him to lower the knife, just slightly. It didn't have to be a lot. I just didn't want him to reflexively slit her throat. I breathed out, ready to strike at a moment's notice. Once they found the zipper on the back of the dress, their attention was diverted enough to give me my chance.

I sprinted, taking out two of them before they even had a chance to look up. I kicked at the one with the knife and he flew back, safely away from April. Behind me, I felt a familiar danger. I spun and heaved my right sai at the figure, knocking the gun out of his hand. He turned just right, to my pleasant surprise, and the blade embedded in his shoulder. I let it go. If I was really lucky, maybe he'd try to attack me with it.

I spun, tossing my remaining weapon to my strong arm, and took down another dark figure with a simple roundhouse kick. The man with the knife was returning. I blocked his weapon with mine and turned my wrist, bringing the blunt end of the sai to the bridge of his nose. He cried out in agony as he dropped to his knees. I took the opportunity offered by a split second of calm while they reorganized, and spun to April. "Go!" I yelled at her. She was still just as shocked as they were, and she hadn't thought about that yet.

She took off as quickly as the shoes would allow her and I moved to the mouth of the alley, blocking any attempts at following. I had only one weapon. Where was my other one? I was rushed and I blocked the fist coming at me, bringing my knee up and connecting forcefully. I pivoted on the ball of my foot and leaned, kicking to the side. I felt ribs give way as the figure beside me flew back, slamming into the wall.

Finally, someone thought to attack me with my missing sai. About damn time. I locked the prongs of the one in my hand with the ones that came at me like a spear. It was almost comical. I jerked my hand to the side, locking the swords together, and kicked at him. The sai clattered to the ground.

A knife sliced through the air beside me and I ducked out of the way, sweeping my weapon up into my left hand. I reached up, caught his wrist, and heard it snap as I jerked my hand to the side. He screamed in pain and I dropped, kicking his feet out from underneath him. A bullet ricocheted off of the cement a few inches to my left. Shit, there was another gun. I scanned quickly for it, but didn't see where it was. And I didn't have time. I sprang to the side, putting the corner of the building between me and the shooter. Instinctively, I searched for shelter.

The entrance was sunk into the front of the building, and I ducked into the tiny cave. For a moment, it was silent. Then, bullets flew past me, probably shot into the street as they spun around the corner and expected me to be running away or ready to jump out at them.

"Where'd he go?"

I tensed, ready to attack if they came any closer. There was a moment of silence. "Uh... I dunno. Maybe we should get outta here."

And rob me of the chance to wipe the pavement with your faces?

"Good idea..."

I sighed. Oh well. I wasn't here to play anyway.

I heard them retreat and shoved my weapons back into my belt. Now to find April.

APRIL:

I leaned back against the brick wall and doubled over, my hands on my knees. I felt like my lungs were about to burst. I'd kicked off the heels, and the soles of my feet stung. I didn't care. At least I was alive. Thank God for you, Raphael! I coughed and tried to catch my breath, leaning back against the wall again. I felt the brick scrape at my back. The zipper was still down, around my waist. It had been the least of my worries.

I felt like I was running in circles. And I probably was. Would he come look for me, now that he knew I was wandering aimlessly? Maybe I should just stay put. But what if he didn't come looking for me? He will, I assured myself. He wouldn't just leave you here. I decided not to move, and amused myself by considering how many times Raphael had saved my ass in the years I'd known him. You'd think I went out looking for trouble...

I remembered the zipper on the dress and reached behind me to try and pull it up again. I didn't get it very far before it jammed. I wasn't surprised, but I didn't really know what to do about it. I spent a few moments struggling with it, reaching under and over my shoulders in an attempt to reach it, knowing full well how ridiculous I must look. This thing was the biggest pain in the ass...

"Need some help?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. The task was forgotten as I pressed back against the wall again, my eyes darting around for the source of the words. I recognized the voice, but I had no idea where he was. "Raph?"

He appeared in the alley, stepping out of the shadows, and I breathed a sigh of relief. "Y'okay, babe?" he questioned sincerely.

I took a few steps toward him and threw my arms around his neck. He hugged my waist in return, and his fingers brushed lightly against my skin. He remained still for a moment before pulling away. "You hurt?" he asked.

"No," I answered, running my fingers through my hair. "I'm okay."

"Turn around."

I stepped back and turned away from him. It took him a minute of fumbling with the zipper before I finally heard the muffled clicking, and the dress tightened around me again. I adjusted it quickly, then turned and hugged him again. "Thank you."

"No problem." He grinned at me as I stepped back again. "You're lost, right?" he assumed, seemingly amused by that.

I smiled sheepishly and cut my eyes to the ground. "I don't normally... come into this area. Not unless I'm just driving through. So I don't know it at all."

He put an arm around my shoulder. "You're a long way from home, April, if that's where you were trying to go."

"It was," I sighed. We walked deeper into the alley. I didn't question him. "There was... a party I was supposed to cover. Suffice it to say it was not an enjoyable experience."

He rubbed my shoulder gently. "Sorry," he offered. "Come on, I'll take you home."

I sighed as he stopped and climbed up on the edge of the dumpster, reaching for the fire escape. "You're gonna make me jump from rooftop to rooftop, aren't you?" I realized.

He grinned at me. "Best way to travel in this city." The ladder clanged loudly as it fell in front of me. "Especially if your green and without a disguise."

RAPHAEL:

We climbed in through the balcony window and she closed it behind her. "Glad I always leave this open for you," she mused.

"Mmm," I agreed, glancing around the dark room. She flicked on the light, and I was momentarily blinded. "Can I use your phone?"

"Go right ahead," April gestured. "I'm gonna go get changed."

I walked into the kitchen and pulled the phone off the wall, glancing at the clock. Kat's flight had been in for over an hour now. She was going to kill me.

Her cell rang twice before she answered it. "April?" she assumed, based on the caller ID.

"Guess again, baby," I smiled.

"Where the hell are you!"

I cringed. "April's. Hence the phone number."

"Why are you at April's? Did you lose track of time? We're on the air in less than a half hour and I need to get this tape to editing with time for him to put it together!"

"Okay, well then just take a cab. Because I can get you there before eleven, but you're not gonna have time to edit shit."

She groaned. "Raph, I have no money. I wasn't planning on having to find a ride when I got here."

I sighed. "What do you want me to do, baby?" I asked.

"You can start by telling me why you're not here."

"Because April got jumped and by some stroke of luck, I happened to be there. I wasn't just gonna leave her."

Kat was quiet for a moment. When she spoke again, she was a lot more calm. "Is she okay?" she sighed.

"She's fine. But I had to bring her home."

"Okay," she mumbled. "I guess I can't really be mad at you for that."

I smiled. I had her. "Take a cab and come over to April's place. I'll have April run the money down to you when you get here. Okay?"

She considered that for a moment. "Could you just have her meet me at the station?" she questioned. "I know she's scheduled to be there anyway after her shoot tonight and I gotta get this script done."

"Fine," I agreed. "I'll let her know. I love you, baby."

She sighed. "Love you too."

I hung up and turned as April came down the steps from the loft, her hands in her hair. She took the pins out of it and it fell to her shoulders. "Everything okay?" she asked me.

"Yeah," I answered. "I had a good excuse."

MICHAELANGELO:

Quiet.

Every so often, the city shut down. Once in a great while, when the chaos stopped and the sun set, when the winds and raging storms that seemed to make up the world inside of me calmed, I would come here. Here, it was silent.

Silcence, to a ninja, was not actually acheivable anywhere in New York City. Or in the world, for that matter. The quiet, ambient sounds of life always found a way through the nothingness. Silence was emptiness. Suspension in time. It was a place, a time, a method where nothing lived. Because to breathe was to move, and to move was to make sound. And the city moved. It would never stop moving. The wind breathed through the alleyways. The cars pulsed through the veins of the streets, red cells streaming one way, white cells moving the other. I watched them. I felt my own blood run its course. I breathed.

A cool breeze swept past me. I shivered. My heart beat. Once, twice, then again. When it was quiet, every flaw, every force, every fire that burned in the hearts of those who still claimed to be alive was amplified a million times over. And we saw how alone we really were. There was such a fine line between death and life, between fantasy and reality. And only in the quiet stillness did it become clear just how stable that fine line was.

I used to believe that will alone could guide our lives. That if you hoped and dreamed and prayed and willed something to happen enough, eventually, like a fairy tale, it would come true. But it seemed that such fairy tales only filled us with a sense of false security. And maybe that's why I'd always clung to them.

I'd read a romance novel once. Only once. Then I conveniently lost it deep in the heart of the sewers. Keeping it around just wasn't worth the risk of having one of my brothers find it. But it had taught me something: that Harlequin sells bullshit. And millions of people the world over made their living feeding bullshit into the minds of hopeless romantics. Real life wasn't like that. But real life didn't sell. Because real life hurt.

Real life. Confusion. Darkness. Loneliness. Desperation. Captivity.

Every man, woman, and child on the face of the Earth was a prisoner. And there was not a man, woman, or child that didn't long for the simplicity of the happily ever after romance, whether they sought to make love to someone they loved, or a career, or some kind of possession. Or even a lifestyle. The truth of the matter was, I'd been in bed with the entirety of the human race for more years than I could count. Harlequin. Romance. Unfortunately, it never worked out the way it was supposed to.

My whole life, I'd been told I didn't understand. By Leonardo when he spoke of pain. By Donatello when he spoke of responsibility. The product of their romances. No Harlequin there. And then there was Raphael, who'd changed from my brother into a god in my eyes, when he'd broken out of his prison and lived his life the way he wanted to. I'd lusted more fiercely after that life than he would ever know. And it hurt so much more than I'd been prepared for to find that fine line between love and lust had blurred and fooled me again. It wasn't love. I didn't want that life. I wanted... something. But that wasn't it.

It wasn't women. Certainly wasn't men. It wasn't sex at all. Or even a relationship. It was deeper than that. I wanted... purpose. I wanted just one person to be able to tell me why the hell I was here. Why I'd spent my entire life locked in these chains. Just one good reason to make love to in the middle of these silent nights when the tears were all I had to keep me company.

I wanted life. And the more of life I saw, the more I realized that I would never have it.

I sighed as I looked down at the street below me. On my shoulders, I felt the first warnings of a spring rain.

KATARINA:

I held my jacket closed tightly as I stepped out the double doors and into the chilled world outside. I could see my breath faintly on the air, and a breeze swept it away. I shuddered, hearing my flat dress shoes click on the pavement as I walked across the parking lot, then down the vacant street. It was raining lightly. Not enought to really get wet, just to mist the world around me. "Hey baby..."

The voice in the alleyway made me jump in surprise. I spun around, braced instinctively for battle. My eyes came to rest almost immediately on the speaker; he wasn't trying to hide. I relaxed slowly and glanced around to see if anyone was watching me before I stepped into the shadows.

He pushed off of the wall and embraced me as I approached. I draped my arms over his shoulders and we kissed deeply. He tasted sweet, like he was eating candy. As my tongue ran along his, I realized that was exactly what he was doing. Strawberry hard candy. Jolly Rancher maybe.

He wouldn't let me pull away when I tried to. I laughed quietly and he ran one hand down my back, then up again underneath my jacket. His fingers brushed my skin and I wondered briefly why they were so warm. He must not have been out here for very long. He licked my lips as he pulled back and kissed my cheek. "I have so missed you..." he whispered. His breath was warm against the side of my face.

"Oh really?" I grinned.

He moaned slightly as he nuzzled me and his tongue traced along my earlobe. "You're gonna get me all sticky," I informed him.

He laughed and picked me clear up off the ground, spinning me in the air. I cried out in surprise and clung to him. "That sounds dirty," he chuckled as he placed me back down on my feet.

I hit his shoulders with my palms. "Raph!" His hands ran down my sides to my hips, massaging gently. I rolled my eyes. "Only you, Raphael..." I mumbled under my breath.

He ground his hips against mine and smiled slyly. "Wanna go home?" he whispered.

I curled my fingers under his plastron and traced down, over his sides, past his waist. I scraped my nails over the bare inside of his plastron, reaching my hand down between his legs. I pulled short of touching his skin and watched his eyes slide closed.

"I have missed you so much, baby."

MELANIE:

"So what's your story?"

Leonardo looked up. "What do you mean?"

"Your brother's hooked up. Why aren't you?"

He shrugged. "I dunno."

"You ever go out?"
"You mean like date?"

I smiled. "No, I mean like, go out. Party."

He shrugged. "Not my style. Besides, it's kinda hard when you have to hide in the shadows."

"From the way Mike was talking, it seems Raphael manages."

Leo shook his head. "No, he doesn't party. Not like he used to anyway. He's entirely too hung up on Kat to do that."

"Oh, he's got a girlfriend, too?" I laughed.

"Yeah," Leo answered. "They've been together for... well, it's kinda hard to say how long. They split up for about five years and got back together a few months ago. And before that, they were together for a little more than a year."

"Why'd they split up?" He shrugged, but didn't answer. I considered his reaction for a moment. "You ever ask him?"

He hesitated for a moment. "Some things... you just don't ask my brother unless you have a death wish."

I laughed at that. "So where is she?" I questioned. "Why haven't I seen her yet?"

"She's a technical director, doubling as a CG op as needed, for the CBS affiliate station here." I blinked, not understanding anything more than "CBS". "They flew her out to Washington to cover a live story so she's been gone almost a week. She gets back tonight though. Should be here in a few minutes, actually."

No sooner had he spoken than we heard a female laugh come from the entrance. Raphael fell down the last few steps and quickly regained his balance. I looked to him in expectation of the woman following him. She was a ways behind him and it took a few seconds. I stood up as she rounded the corner... and jumped in surprise as I saw her.

"Kiara!"