Undiscovered Power
Neosun: No worries, I haven't forgot Leo's BDay
~
April reacted slightly different to Prida than the guys, but she was first given a quick explanation, and told NOT to freak before they parted aside to show their friend, who was looking as though she was getting ready to wince when April either screamed or shouted "Oh My God!" But she did neither.
"Prida?" She said incredulously instead. "This is – this is amazing!"
The guys stepped aside as Prida suddenly found the news reporter had gripped her arms and pulled her into a hug. Man she had been involved in a lot of hugs lately.
Mikey looked around, seeing someone poking their head up the staircase down the hallway to see what was going on. The turtle put a hand on his brothers' shells and pushed them inside saying, "I think we should take this touching scene inside."
"Wow," April just said as she grinned and Mikey shut the door behind him. "It's really – I can't believe –"
Prida grinned as the reporter seemed to be trying to catch flies with her mouth open like that, trying to say something that wouldn't seem too odd.
Leo, Donny and Mikey all took off their coats, but left their hats and scarves on, and they made themselves comfortable on the couch while April continued to smile at Prida.
"No wonder I couldn't find your funeral date," April said in a sort of hushed voice as she took Prida's jacket from her and hung it up next to the turtles'.
"Well I was going to contact you sometime to say hi and everything," Prida said, "but I thought they had died so I thought it would be too painful for you to have me reminding you of them."
"Hey, Pri, don't you have something to say to April?" Mikey asked with a grin.
April turned from Mike with a curious frown on her features to Prida, who smiled and looked down, then she looked back up.
"You're gonna have to get an answering machine," she said with a smile.
"And that's not because she wanted to keep in contact with you," Donny said with a nod at April, leaning back on the couch.
April frowned; her smile did not fade.
Leo lifted his head and explained. "We found Raph."
At this April's smile faded, and she looked concerned, wanting to know if he was all right.
"He's okay," Leo said when he saw her face. "He's fine now, Prida found him, that's why she was phoning everyday in the past week."
April made a very apologetic face, and ashamed she didn't think of a machine while she was actually out looking for the missing turtle.
Prida started to explain once again to April how she ran into Raph and how her week went while she was panicking, up to when she got the phone number right, and then Leo took over, telling their once pretend 'aunt' how he rushed Donny and Mikey to Prida's, how Donny saw to Raph, and how they were going to take Prida to see Splinter down in the sewers, so at least she would have some idea where their lair was.
They were at April for an hour and a half, and Donny only suggested moving because he thought Raph would be awake by now.
"Oh, before you guys take off again," April said, handing Donny his coat. "I have some news . . . some bad news."
They ceased their movements and looked up at her, waiting for her to continue now she had their attention.
"Well," she continued, "good news for antique shop owners is that the police have caught the five crooks. Thanks for the address, I told them it was an anonymous tip – but as they were brought in they were yelling about how the city might come to destruction because something they had was stolen from them by a person they described exactly like –"
"The Shredder," Leo finished, staring at her.
April nodded seriously. "Yes, but they didn't say what this thing was what was stolen –"
"We know what it is," Donny interrupted this time, in the same grave tone. He looked at April. "It was the artifact from the museum."
"But you guys have that," April said, half pointing at them with a confused frown on her face.
Leo shook his head. "We did have it, those crooks managed to steal it back last night when we were topside."
"And you say this artifact is powerful?" April asked, and all three turtles nodded while Prida stood blank-faced. "That's not good . . ."
Leo turned to Donny. "I've only had time to think about it – but about the artifact – you said the Internet source told us that there was a certain feature on it that is identical to the person it's for . . . well, we dismissed the first guess of who it could be."
All three brothers looked at Prida, and April, frowning even more, looked at her as well.
"What?" Prida asked, looking at each face. "What was all that about an artifact and those crooks?"
April's eyes strayed back to the guys. "What was this feature thing?"
But Donny turned to Prida. "A week ago an artifact was stolen from the museum," he began to explain. "These crooks stole it, and Raph and Casey happened to be there when they did. So later on they went out looking for the criminals again and found their hideout with Leo, and they managed to steal it from them. I got onto the Internet and started searching for anything that could tell us why the crooks wanted it. I managed to find out it had actual powers, but no one could use them, or unlock them except for the person it was made for. It was made in a different galaxy, on a planet called Yailea, or so the Internet site said, and it was made from metal and a crystal; a purple crystal . . . Now, the crystal is called the Eye, and on two sides of it in the metal triangular base are two symbols," at this Donny's eyes flickered down to Prida neck, but her shirt was covering any pendent she was wearing, "and not long ago I found out more information: That a certain part of this artifact looks exactly like the person it was made for . . ." he paused as if thinking someone was going to say what it was, but Leo and Mike remained silent and April and Prida had no clue. Donny proceeded: "Well, before I tell you anything else, can I ask where you got your necklace from? You wear it every day, it must be important to you, right?"
Prida frowned. "Well, yeah I – I do wear it every day, because, I don't know why, but it feels weird not wearing it, and, well, I feel as though I've vowed to wear it forever; but . . . I don't know where it came from, I've had it for as long as I can remember, I don't remember being given it, I don't remember buying it . . ." she shook her head blankly, showing she had no clue. "Why are you asking?"
"Because the pendent on the chain is the same as the two symbols on the artifact," Mikey answered.
Prida's mouth opened as she frowned more confusedly; she didn't look shocked though.
"So this feature . . . ?" April spoke up as everyone stared at everyone else in silence for a few seconds.
Donny cleared his throat. "Yeah, the feature thing. Well, part of the artifact is identical to the person it was created for, so –"
"So someone is made out of metal?" Prida suggested in a light humor tone.
"No –" Donny allowed a sniff of a laugh as his friend voiced out the same thought he had first come up with. " – the crystal, the crystal was the clue. It's called the Eye, right?" He allowed a single second to raise an eye ridge. "And its color is important . . . it's color is purple, so it hit me that whoever this artifact belongs to, has purple eyes . . ."
Everyone looked at Prida again, who was still staring at Donny, head tilted at an angle. She blinked and looked casually at the floor, then crossed one arm over her stomach, the other bent, pressed on it, pointing at Donny as she spoke next, in an almost casual voice, with a slightly thicker tone.
"So you think, this artifact, belongs to me?" She asked, tilting her head more and looking at her green friend in purple through the top of her eyes. Her face looked skeptical, but her voice was different.
His own head tilted automatically downwards slightly and said slowly, "yeah."
Prida crossed her other arm around her stomach as well, and pressed her bottom lip into her top in a thoughtful way, yet she didn't look too serious.
"Aaaaand . . . why is it mine?" She asked finally.
"We don't know," Donny said, arms out in a shrug. "That's what we gotta find out. But you're the key to unlocking the power to this thing, and when we get it back, we might get some answers."
Prida stared at him and then nodded. "Oookay." She looked back down at the floor as if regarding it, and then asked, "but if it belongs to me, why do I only NOW know about it?"
Don shrugged again. "Dunno that either, but it was sent down to this earth on YOUR birthday, at least, in the year of your birthday, and it was obviously found and kept by someone else before it could reach you . . ." and then he added in a very thoughtful voice to himself, "or maybe it was deliberately put in the museum . . ."
As Donny drifted off into his world of thoughts, high-eyebrows Prida turned to the other three, who shifted their eyes from Donny.
"And how are you gonna get this artifact back when you got no idea where the sssh-shredder? – where he is?" Prida asked.
"Well, we can search," Leo said as Donny shook himself from his thoughts. "But I don't like that idea. I think we should wait for some clue to his location first before we go looking."
Mikey rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Yeah, we should know where his location is when he blows the building up in his triumphant celebration and continues to do so with the rest of the city. Shouldn't be too hard to find him, just watch the fireworks coming our way." His face was left with a sly smile.
Leo's eyes narrowed not unkindly at his brother. "You're beginning to sound like Raph."
Mikey looked purposefully away as though he hadn't heard, and Prida chuckled.
"Should we consult Master Splinter?" Donny spoke up, making them all look at him.
"Yeah, we probably should," Leo agreed. "Let's go now."
April grabbed her coat. "I'm coming too. I can be late for work." She said, pulling her arms through the sleeves and straightening the collar.
"Okay," Leo nodded as he adjusted his scarf so his face couldn't be seen. Mikey just slung his over his shoulder and pulled up the neck so only his eyes were seen. Donny did the same, tilting his baseball cap. The group of five left April's apartment building a few seconds later, and made their way to the alleyway they always used to reach the sewers. Prida gagged slightly at the smell when she was lowered down the manhole, but she didn't say anything. These guys had to live in it!
"How do you live in the dark?" Prida asked, turning as she walked ahead of Leo, Donny and April, behind Mikey, who was holding her hand, guiding her in the blackness she wasn't used to.
"We don't," Leo said simply. "You'll see." He smiled.
They reached a slightly lighter tunnel, where they had to bend as to avoid scraping their heads on the ceiling. Mikey stopped as did everyone else, let go of her hand and reached down, brushing a tatty newspaper out the way. He grabbed something and pulled what looked to Prida like a trapdoor. He then stepped down into the hole and begun to descend a ladder. Prida turned to the other turtles and April, who gave her an encouraging nod, motioning her to follow. Prida turned back to the hole and looked down. There was some light below, and she carefully stepped down onto the first rung of the ladder. She could see Mike below. Now, Prida had imagined her own picture of their home in the sewer, and she always pictured a couple of stacked boxes making a chair and a five sheets making up beds in a dark, damp sewer tunnel; but as she neared the bottom, she looked over her shoulder as she descended to see a perfectly lit, but not quite cobweb-free, subway station, including its own couch, armchairs, and other objects and furniture expected to find in a real house, with a tram with many cars, obviously bedding quarters. She was impressed.
"Welcome you our home," Mikey smiled, waving a hand at the subway, and jogging down the steps leading to the lower platform.
Prida walked further towards the steps as Leo jumped the last five rungs and offered a hand to April. Donny climbed down last, replacing the trapdoor. Mikey had now disappeared as Prida stepped off the last of the steps onto the lower level, looking up at the brilliant colored glass windows that didn't show anything but ceiling on the other side. There were hundreds of cobwebs stretching here and there high above, but they didn't bother her.
"Here she is, Master Splinter," Mikey's voice brought her head back down, and she saw Mikey walking sideways as he told the walking rat behind him. The sight of that furry, man-walking creature still made her eyebrows raise high. It wasn't that he seemed scary, it was just, well, quite a lot of movie horror creatures had been furry, and how he moved in a sort of false slowness seemed as though some directors had intended the girl to get snatched as soon as she fell fool to the old act. But this was no movie, and this rat was no different to anyone, except in appearance . . . actually, when she thought about it, Splinter WAS different, because even though he seemed old, he gave off a feeling of great knowing and wisdom. Yes, he was different, because he cared about four turtles, completely different from him.
Mikey removed his scarf and coat as Prida stared, but kept his cap on. He cheekily tossed his things to Leo to hang up, and his brother gave him a 'watch it, I'm not your slave' look.
"We meet again, my child," Splinter said with a warm smile that reached his eyes.
"Uh, y-yeah," Prida blinked, and kept on blinking. "Hi."
"I am very relived to hear and see you are alive, and I thank you for looking after my sick son," the rat said in a tone that made the teen girl smile, for Splinter knew that Raph was alright now by the smiles and expressions on his three sons' faces.
Smiling, Prida said, "I'm happy he and the others are alive. At least I had company while I was in the house, well, sorta."
Splinter increased his smile slightly, and then looked up to his sons for news he knew they had. Leo moved forward with Donny following, as April remained where she was watching, and Mikey skidded over to Prida and took her arm.
"Hey, I'll give ya a tour of the place," he said happily. At last he could finally get to show her around. He didn't want to talk about the Shredder news when he had a second female friend down in the lair.
As Mikey pulled Prida from one end of the Lair to the other, showing her everything and sounding like a tour guide, Leo and Donny told Splinter of the news, with April to confirm it true. After they had finished (with Mikey's non stop animated talking in the background), Leo asked Splinter if he thought they should wait and see IF the Shredder could use the powers of the artifact, or should they look for him and snatch it back (however hard it may be) before he can, if he could, use it.
"You should search for him at once," Splinter said in a quieter tone than normal. "The Shredder will find out how to activate the powers of this artifact soon, he is clever. But . . ." Splinter locked eyes with his oldest son. "You must keep in mind that he will do anything to use this power as soon as possible, and he will know when he sees your friend . . . you must act as though she is still dead."
Leo nodded as Donny exchanged glances with April.
"The artifact may act as a detector," Splinter warned, and he said no more, leaving his two sons and April frowning. His serious air disappeared as he turned to see Mikey dragging Prida to Donny's lab, letting her peek in before he dragged her off to see the other exit behind the ladder. "Michelangelo," he said loudly, and his son stopped. "I would like you to remain with Raphael until he is fit enough to return home." Mikey nodded as Splinter turned to Leo and Donny. "You, my sons, should look for anything that might tell you of the Shredder's whereabouts, and once you have determined a location, you are not to make any move without Michelangelo, and if possible by then, Raphael. The Shredder will be strong, if not stronger than before, and you need all of your wits to attain the artifact and escape."
Leo and Donny bowed respectfully, and turned in time to catch their flying scarves and coats that Mikey had just thrown at them, knowing they too were going topside. He and Prida started climbing the ladder as Leo, Don and April made their way to it, zipping their coats up. Splinter watched his sons leave, and remained stood where he was for a few minutes after, thinking.
"So?" Mikey demanded details as they were walking in a fast pace towards their exit of the sewers. Prida and April were jogging to catch up with the fast pace of the turtles, who didn't even realize they were much faster.
"Your staying with Raph, we're searching for the Shredder," Leo said.
"Cool," Mikey said without a smile, but his tone smiled for him.
"Oh man I'm late for work," April muttered, jogging alongside Prida.
Once back on pavement, April reluctantly dashed off to work, and Mikey and Prida disappeared in the direction of Prida's house. Leo and Donny watched them leave, before they decided how they were going to look for the Shredder. April had told them that there had been no reports of anything that might lead them to Shredder, so it was the good old traditional way: Searching street to street.
"Well I hope he's feeling triumphant enough to celebrate," Donny said as they started walking. "We might hear him then."
Leo smiled at his brother's humor, and they decided to start off by the docks, in an area not many people are found in now.
~
Okay, I'm not sure how I'm gonna write the rest of this story now, I got the ending in mind, but not the bit between that and here, :s . So I'm just warning you that mistakes might happen … not that they haven't already *luks innocent * oh well, thx for ya reviews.