Chapter 5
A Different Kind of Alliance
General Lee Greendogg sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. He hated the media. Long ago, he decided they were nothing more than animals, ripping and tearing at each other for a bite of fresh meat. He hated their stupid questions, the annoying video cameras, the nasty smell of the metallic mesh on the microphone that was always pointed in his face. They were a nosy bunch too. Always prying into the government's business. Of course, the fact that a mutant bulldog has a high military status is enough grounds for questioning anyway. He rubbed his forehead. Does the world really need to know everything?
Lee sighed again as he walked towards the podium. The flag of the United States was behind him on his left, the state flag on the right. The mayor of New York was still talking aimlessly about the recent bombings. The press continue to yell out questions as he talked. Lee patiently waited for his turn to speak.
" We assure you that everything is under control. I know that the citizens of New York are scared and confused. We have been through hard times before and we have come through, emerging stronger each time. The people just have to trust that the government is doing all it can."
" Mayor?" a reporter stood up and shouted. " What of the HMFBW? Does this group have anything do with the bombings? Our sources have assumed-"
" Your sources, whoever they are, should gather more information before they assume. That group was forced to disassemble after their last rally resulted in disaster. They have no connection to the bombings that we are aware of."
" Mayor? Mayor!" another reporter stood up. " Do you know why the Madira haven't given any kind of response to this? Are they suspected in any way?"
" That is quite absurd! The Madira are a kind race and have always been a great asset to this city!" The mayor answered, his voice growing tired and becoming angry. " Yes, they have given a response to the bombings and they send their sorrow, but I assure you that they have nothing to do with this."
The press seemed to jump up all at once and the questions began to fly again. The mayor wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to the General.
" I'm going to be dead by the time this is over."
Lee laughed slightly. " Are you ready for me to take over?"
The mayor smiled the best he could. " It's all yours." He turned back to the crowd and spoke into the microphone.
" Ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to let General Lee speak on behalf on the Mutant Militia, which I am sure all of you know of. We have enlisted the help of this fine group, so please welcome him."
Applause echoed throughout the conference room as Lee approached the stand. Before the general even opened his mouth, the questions began to fly once again.
" Hold it!" Lee screamed into the microphone. A hush fell over the room. All that were standing fell down into their seats.
"That's better. Now, I do not tolerate outbreaks like this and I want this done in an orderly fashion. Now, if you have a question, raise you hand, state your name, who you represent, then ask your question."
A few hands eagerly shot up and Lee looked over the crowd.
" You there!" He pointed to man in a brown suit. " Stand up."
" I'm John Young, from the Daily Post, and my questions is what part is the Mutant Militia playing in all of this? It seems like a strange thing for the city to ask this particular group for help?"
" And I am sure everyone is wondering that same thing." Lee cleared his throat. "Since there were mutants spotted at each bomb site, and we are all mutants in my group, the mayor suggested we were better at tracking our own kind, and that we know how to better handle the ones that are out of control. You there, in the blue."
"Hello, sir. Judy Regan, New York Times. Do you feel that mutants are responsible for the bombings?"
Lee sighed. " You know, I hate to think that, after all this city has provided for us, certain individuals have gone to great lengths to take that away. I know that humans are enraged at mutants, but just remember, we lost a lot of our own kind too. It was tragic on both sides." He looked over the hands raised in the air. " You. In front here."
" General, April O'Neil, Channel 3."
"Yes. What is your question?"
"Hey, guys. April's up now." Mike jumped up and turned up the volume.
" Man, I hope she gets something out of him." Leo shifted in his seat. Linda sat next to him, holding a pillow to her chest.
" Man, I need the remote. I hate getting up!" Mike sat back on the couch next to Linda. Don threw Mike a dirty look.
" What?!" Mike smiled back.
" Sir, is there any meanings to the connections of the bombing sites?"
"Connections, Ms. O'Neil?"
"All sites were established by the Madira, the libraries, the homeless shelters. Do you think that these sites were targeted for the main purpose of disrupting the Madira, to somehow anger them?"
"I, I have no idea, Ms. O'Neil."
" Man, she stumped him good." Mike laughed and clapped at the TV. " Job well done, April."
" I, uh, seriously doubt there is. We believe the sites were just chosen at random."
Raph stood up from the floor. " That guy is lying through his teeth! Why do they have to lie to us all the time!"
"That's the government for you." Don leaned back in the armchair. " Covering up conspiracies is the only thing they know how to do well."
Linda turned to Leo. " Do you think April is right?"
Leo shook his head. " I don't know. It's a sick and sad way of getting someone's attention. Still, there was a lot of people that aren't happy with the M adira."
" What do you mean?" Linda looked puzzled.
Don spoke up. " There was a big group of humans that tried to keep the Madira out of the city. That guy Jonas Riley was one of them."
" The leader, well, former leader of the HMFBW?" Linda asked.
" Yep, that's the guy." Don nodded. " I think everyone knows who he is."
Raph scuffed. " Hell, look at all the trouble that guy caused! Why ain't that guy behind bars?"
Don shrugged. "I'm not sure, but April told me he has "connections" that help keep him out of prison."
"There you go, flying away again, Donnie." Mike flapped his fingers, mocking Dons' quotations.
"What do you mean by connections, Don?" Leo asked.
" I mean by Foot connections."
Everyone looked at Don, a shocked expression covering their faces. Leo stared blankly at Don.
"He works for the Foot?"
" April went digging around and found information on this guy you would not believe! He's defiantly not all there in the head, if you know what I mean." Don stood up and fixed the blanket that hung over the back of the chair. " April is stopping by tomorrow to drop off Samantha and she'll tell you all about it." He turned around to face everyone. " But for now, I bid you all a goodnight." He walked from the living room to the hallway and disappear into the darkness.
Raph popped his knuckles as he looked back at the TV. " I knew I hated that guy for some reason."
Linda yawned loudly, causing Leo to turn to her. "I'm sorry. I should have taken you home hours ago."
Raph stood up and turned off the TV. " Yeah, you could have done us all that favor." Before Leo could respond, Raph had left the room and they heard his bedroom door shut.
Linda hung her head down and stared at the floor. " Yeah, maybe."
Leo put his hand on her shoulder. " Hey, don't say that! Raph's not the only one who lives here! You are welcome to stay here whenever you want."
" Thank you." Linda managed before she was overcome by another yawn.
" You know, why don't you just spend the night here? I'll take you back tomorrow morning."
Linda shook her head. " No, I couldn't do that."
" No, I insist! You can have my bed." Leo grabbed her hand and pulled Linda up to her feet.
" Oooo! I'm telling Master Splinter!" Mike joked.
" Not together, Mikey!" Leo replied, blushing as he did.
" Where will you sleep?" Linda dropped the pillow.
" On the couch. It's not a problem!" Leo dragged Linda down the dark hallway. Linda reluctantly followed, then called out.
"Good night, Michelangelo!"
"Nitey-nite!" Mike called back.
" Hey, Mike? Could you call Han and tell him that Linda is staying with us?" Leo called out.
" No prob, bro!"
As they walked down the dark hallway, Linda couldn't see much, but she heard a door open. Then a light blinded her sight for a second.
" Now, if you need anything, Don is across the hall." He led her into his room. " You know, I've never let anyone in here before."
" Why?" Linda looked around. Leo's room was a lot like her own, from the Japanese artwork to the organized bookcase. It was almost like home.
" Well, my bros are, well, messy." Leo laughed at himself. " I'm just a psychotic neat freak." He led her to his futon and let go of her hand. " I hope it's comfortable enough for you."
"It's alright," Linda pushed down on the bed. " I have one of these in my den."
" You have your own den?" Leo asked in surprise. " That apartment is bigger than I thought."
Linda laughed in response. Then they stood in silence for what seemed an eternity before Leo spoke.
" Well, uh, good night, and I'll see you in the morning." He bowed down and turned to leave.
" Good night." Linda sat down on the bed. " Leonardo?"
Leo turned sharply. " Yes?"
"Thank you for being such a great friend. I don't have too many."
Leo hung his head down. " Your welcome." He looked back at Linda and smiled. Then, he shut the door behind him.
Lee sat behind his desk and poured himself another glass of scotch. His head was still throbbing from all of the noise. The media were becoming smarter, they were digging deeper than he realized. Especially that April O'Neil. She had totally caught him off guard. How could she have known that the targets were connected? Lee rubbed his head again. He hated covering things up, and yet, he hated telling the truth. He leaned back in his chair, holding his drink in one hand and his head in the other. Soon he focused his thoughts on tomorrow. The Madira King and his court were coming to the U.N. building for a world meeting and the mayor, the wonderful whiny little prick he is, asked the general to escort them. Lee shook his head.
"Why me?" He asked as his swallowed his drink.
Elsewhere in the city, Han put on his pajamas and turned down the sheets on his bed. He stared at the empty space on the left side for a long time. It was so lonely and cold without Wendy laying there beside him. The pieces of his heart sank farther down into his feet. He didn't know how he would ever get through this. It had to have been the hardest thing he has ever had to do. He was happy for Linda though. She had the Turtles now, and Han knew they would take good care of her. All that child needed was a good friend.
He sighed as he entered his bed and reached for his book. As he started to read, a sudden knock on the door echoed throughout the apartment. Even in his upstairs bedroom it seemed loud. Han looked over at the clock. The big green numbers read 11:35.
" Now, who could that be at this hour?" He threw his legs over the bed and placed his feet back into his still warm slippers. He scuffed his feet down the hallway, around the balcony and down the stairs. The knock came again as he approached the door. A sense of uneasiness crept over him. Han looked around for something to protect himself with. The only he could find was an umbrella, so he grabbed it and held in front of him. Then, he reached for the door and slowly opened it.
Han jumped back in shock. " Yuki? What are you doing here?" He replied in his native Japanese. " I haven't seen you in many years."
The man named Yuki was dressed in black from head to toe, the hood of his ninja uniform was pulled back. He, too, spoke in Japanese.
" Han, I am here on behalf of Rangko. He believes Saki has returned once more. And, he has a favor to ask of you, again."
The next morning down in the sewers, Raphael stumbled out of his bedroom and down the hall to the kitchen. He couldn't understand why he had gotten up so early, but he didn't sleep well last night anyway. He had violent dreams, and they all had to do with Linda. Raph rubbed his eyes and tried to block the images out of his head.
As he turned the corner to the kitchen, he expected to see his brothers there. Mike fixing breakfast, Don reading the paper, and Leo and Splinter going over the morning training sessions that Raph always missed. But, instead of the usual morning scene, he found Linda, sitting at the table, all clean and dressed, and sipping a cup of tea. Raph could not believe she was still here! He growled under his breath and walked into the kitchen.
Linda looked up as Raph entered the room. " Good morning."
Raph once again growled in response and headed for the cabinets. Linda heard him slam things around before he pulled out a box of cereal. Then, he headed for the dish drainer and gathered a spoon and bowl. He threw everything down on the table and went towards the refrigerator. Linda could feel how tense Raph was with her there. It made her feel uneasy. She suddenly wished she had stayed in the dojo with the others.
After Raph put together his breakfast, he flopped down in the seat across from Linda. He kept his eyes glues to her as he shove spoonfuls of cereal into his mouth. He knew it was making Linda feel uncomfortable, which is exactly how he wanted her to feel. Linda's eyes darted around the room, trying not to make eye contact with Raph.
A few more minutes of Raph's loud crunching went by before he finally spoke to her.
" Don't you have a home to go to? We don't like freeloaders."
The words stung her, but Linda tried to fight them off. " Leonardo asked me to stay."
" Yeah, well," Raph wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. " Leo ain't the only one who lives here. So, why don't you leave?"
Anger ripped through Linda. " What is your problem with me? I have not done a single thing to you, and yet you treat me like dirt!"
Raph smiled. He knew he was getting to her. He leaned over the table and lowered his voice.
" Ya see, it's cause I don't trust you."
" What have I done to make you feel this way?" Linda crossed her arms. " Your brothers trust me."
" My brothers' ain't that smart." Raph gulped another spoonful of cereal.
Linda narrowed her eyes. "Well, then why don't you trust me?"
Raph belched loudly, then rose up from the table. He tossed his dirty dishes into the sink and walked back to the table. He stood in front of Linda as he spoke.
"I just got some feelin', that's all. Somethin' about you I just don't like."
Linda's jaw dropped and she became disgusted with Raph. " That is no reason to not trust me!"
" Oh, there's somethin else. It just ain't happen yet." Raph turned to leave. " So, why don't you just stay away from me and I'll promise not to punch things when I see you."
Linda frowned and grabbed her tea. She could not believe this! The anger in her body made her shake.
" Oh, and by the way,"
Raph suddenly turned around and leaned into Linda's face. She fling her body back, making the chair move backwards across the floor.
" Don't you dare hurt Leo in any way. Cause if you do, you'll have to answer to me. Got it?"
Linda's eyes became wide. " What are you talking about?"
Raph laughed in Linda's face. " You ain't so bright neither." He moved away from the table and out of the kitchen, leaving Linda in a bewildered state of mind.
As he walked into the living, his brothers and Splinter were coming back from the dojo.
" Weeeellll, look who's awake!" Mike bounced in.
Don looked at the clock on the wall. " And before noon too! That's impressive, Raph."
Raph shrugged his shoulders. " What can I say?" He sat down on the couch and placed his feet on the coffee table.
Splinter narrowed his eyes. " Raphael?"
"Yeah, sensei?" Raph looked over at him. Splinter cleared his throat and pointed towards the dojo.
" Aw, man." Raph rose to his feet. He slumped his body forward and walked into the dojo. He saw Leo was still training. He stood and watched him for a few minutes.
" Geesh, Leo. Don't you ever get tired of doing that?" Raph walked over to the wall and leaned against it. In front of him, Leo practiced his kicks on a stuffed dummy.
" Well, practice makes perfect." He looked at Raph. " Maybe that's why you have problems."
"Whatever." Raph rolled his eyes. " Anyway, I see your girlfriend is still here."
Leo missed the dummy and fell over onto the floor.
" Man, you do need more practice!" Raph laughed as Leo rose to his feet and brushed himself off.
" Why did you say that?" He glared at Raph.
" Say what?"
He returned to his position and started again. "You said that Linda was my girlfriend, and she's not."
"If you say so."
Leo stopped again. " Look, Raph, I don't know what the deal is, but you better knock it off!"
" Leo, look." Raph walked over his brother. " I just don't want you to get hurt. I'm worried about this whole thing with Linda."
Leo sighed and shook his head. " I just don't understand you sometimes." He turned and walked away, leaving Raph alone with his thoughts.