Authors Notes: Okay…so…here it is guys. The end. Thank you all for sticking with me and once again I have to deal with the slight bittersweet sadness that comes with ending something you poured your heart into for so long. I just hope you are all happy with the ending. And thank you all again. You're support has been wonderful. Still an Epilogue to come…short and sweet. Just a little something I feel the fic needs. Or I need…whatever!! Something I'm too tired to write at the moment.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of TMNT…only thing I own is my characters Alex, Marissa and Marquette.
Chapter 12
He sat in the darkness, bleeding but silent in his pain, listening to the cryptic drone of voices as they drifted further and further away.
"What about the other one, Master?"
"Leave him. If he lives, he'll prove to be useful. No doubt he'll tell her what happened and when he does…she'll know where to find me."
Forcing away the blackness that coaxed him, he took deep, steadying breaths, wincing when he took too much in and caused the gash on is side to stretch and scream in protest.
"Damn bastards," he muttered as he began the excruciating process of standing. Once on his feet, he waited for a few moments until he knew for certain that they were gone, then pushed himself off the wall and stumbled around the corner.
The hallway was empty, as he had expected it to be. They were all long gone. For one brief moment his fear outweighed the pain and then, as fast as a bolt of jagged lightning, it was gone. No time for fear now, no time for pain. He had to get to her. She knew where they had taken his brothers.
Alex rose slowly and rubbed her sweatshirt-covered palm against her cheek. God, what had happened to her? When had she become the kind of person to jump to conclusions and usually the kind that involved a worst-case scenario?
Since you figured out what that stupid scar makes you," she muttered bitterly.
But still…she knew Raphael better than that. And he was right, she wasn't safe her. On some level she had been right as well though. She wasn't safe anywhere. Slowly but surely, Danny was figuring out that spell and the pull was becoming stronger. She wouldn't be able to hold him off forever.
Let them help you Alex. Let them be strong for you when you can't be strong for yourself!
There was no hesitation in her movements as she stared for the door, her eyes adjusting to the growing darkness. She was reaching for the door just as it burst open, revealing a slouched silhouette of a man.
Fear slammed into her, its icy chill paralyzing her. God, she was dead! They'd found her. They'd come to-.
"A-Alex?"
She gasped and, paralysis forgotten, rushed forward, grabbing Michelangelo as he pitched forward with a low groan. "Oh my god…Mikey, are you okay? What happened?" She gently lowered him to the ground, resting his head in her lap after he was lying in a prone position. "You're bleeding."
"Nothin' big. I've had," he shifted and winced as pain shot up his side, "worse."
"What happened Mikey? Where are the others?" She tried to remain calm but she could feel the panic start to rise, swirling like a deadly whirlpool.
"I think they're okay. Leo…he took a few hits trying to distract 'em while I got away and as far as I know, Raph and Don were just drugged." Lifting a hand, he placed it over hers where it lay on his shoulder and looked up at her, letting the fear resurface for a moment. "Danny's got 'em Alex. He's gonna use em for bait to get you."
She paled and covered her mouth with her free hand. "Oh…no…"
Mike saw the tears collect in her eyes and, ignoring the biting pain, he sat up, pulling Alex's trembling body into his arms.
"This isn't happening," she whispered, "Its not…it can't be."
"Calm down Alex, please," Mike pleaded, holding her tightly. Her state of near panic wasn't helping him much and he knew that wasn't a good thing. "You gotta cool it babe. I can't be calm for the both of us here and I need your help."
Abruptly, she jerked back and out of his embrace. "No!" Her wide blue eyes, filled with terror, stared back at him as she shook her head from side to side. "No Mikey…please…don't ask me to do that."
He was baffled to say the least. "Don't ask? Why not? You're the one who can help them."
Again she shook her head fiercely. "I can't. It's…it's too much. I cant."
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean!" she shouted. "I'm sure he told you everything! Why else would you be looking at that website if you didn't-."
"Alex!" Mike grabbed her arms, forcing her to be still. "Raph didn't tell us anything, okay? Even after you left he refused to tell us what he knew. The only reason we were looking at that web page is because we wanted to help you and…well, you know how Donnie is. Mr. Curiosity." He lifted a hand and gently laid it against the soft skin of her cheek, brushing away the tears with a padded thumb. "I get why you're scared babe but we're your friends. We're not Danny or any other jerk off who might have tried to pull the same shit on you that he did. We just want to help you…but I need you to help me get my brothers back so we can do that, okay?"
He waited for her to come around, watching the emotions play across her face. "Alex…do you trust us?" he asked.
Slowly, she nodded. "Yes." She looked up at him and in a stronger voice said, "Yes, I trust you. And I'm sorry that for a while I didn't. Old fears die hard."
Mike shrugged and pulled her into another brotherly embrace. "You're forgiven. Now, what do you say we go save our family?"
"Yes." Alex visibly collected herself, straightening and wiping away the damp tracks that stained her cheeks. "We should call Casey first. We might need him. And before we go anywhere we should get those cuts of yours cleaned up. I'm not going to go through all of this just to have you get sick on me later."
Taking his hand, she helped him up and led him to what was left of her kitchen. She was calm now and knew she had to remain that way. She wouldn't let Mike or any of his brothers see how scared she really was. Just like she wouldn't let them know that she had a horrible feeling that death would play a big roll in whatever happened tonight and maybe…it would come for her.
"What do ya see Mikey?" Casey whispered.
The young mutant turtle, in jeans and a dark sweatshirt partly for disguise, but mostly to keep warm, peered around the stack of crates they were hiding behind. "They've got em tied up to poles on the far left beside the warehouse. Four guards…all armed. Hm, Leo's awake, Don looks like he's coming to," he chuckled softly and shook his head, "and Raph looks bored."
Huddled beside Mike, Alex pulled her suede coat tighter around her. "He looks bored?" she asked incredulously.
"Sure. This isn't exactly a first for Raph."
"Yeah," Casey added. He was sitting across from them, knees drawn up. One arm draped over his knee and from his fingers dangled half a cigarette. "Hey, isn't this pretty much the same thing that happened the last time the Foot got a hold of him?"
Ignoring the question, Mike turned back to them, casting a look of disgust at the glowing cigarette. "I'm surprised no one's smelled that yet and figured out we're here."
"If you want me to put it out, just say so Mikey."
"Put it out Casey," Alex murmured with a coquettish smile.
It worked, and instead of a fight breaking out, Casey returned her smile with a lop sided grin of his own and dropped the cigarette, grinding it into the asphalt with the heel of his boot."
"Okay, I'm going out." Getting to her feet, her body still concealed by the crates, Alex took a thick elastic band from her coat pocket and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. "You guys sit tight for a minute and then if you find a good opportunity take it. Stay out of sight until you have them free, got it?"
"Does Raph have any idea how sexy you are when you're all commanding like this?" Casey joked.
The only answer she gave him was a mysterious smirk that never made it to her eyes, then she turned and made her way around the crates. Once out of hiding the scene opened up before her, slowly, like the theater lights coming on after a movie. There were foot soldiers everywhere, some masked, others unmasked, all of them armed with some form of weapon. Danny was in the middle of the open yard, the very picture of absolute arrogance. He sat in a crudely built, high backed chair that had been places on a raised dais. His eyes were closed, his elbows rested on the chewed up arms of the chair, his fingers were steepled before him and the glare of the flood lights reflected off his hair, turning it a bright, coppery red. Beside him lay a long, unmoving lump of blankets. Shredder.
To his right, just as Mike had described them, were Don, Leo and Raph. He really does look bored, she thought studying the way he was leaning against the pole with his jean covered legs crossed at the ankle as she bit back an admiring smile and started forward.
The first Foot soldiers she came across snapped to attention when she appeared and she squared her shoulders, lifting her head high. She was confident in her assumption that they wouldn't make a move to harm her. No, not when Danny was determined to keep her alive for his own selfish motives.
Alex kept her gaze forward, never once faltering in her step. Her peripheral vision allowed her to see the shadowy figures still, their weapons rise slightly. The entire area reminded her of something out of the game Street Fighter. Crates were stacked around the perimeter like a wall, spectators loitered around, ready to jeer at her and a clear, sprawling area of concrete…well, that would serve as the fighting ring no doubt.
Most organized dump I've ever seen, she thought dryly as she continued her slow pace. The voiced had died away almost completely now and finally the three captives realized something was up. They looked around and when they saw Alex, did a double take, shock registering clearly on their faces. Of course it didn't last long on Raph's. Once the shock resided it was replaced by a display of emotions that Alex's resolve to bravely see this through almost shattered. Love, admiration, hope, irritation, anger…she saw it all in the span of a few seconds.
Please honey…please don't make this harder than it already is, she thought desperately, looking away from him before she caved in from the intense pressure of her fear. She focused on Danny instead, willing herself to be strong, willing herself to hate.
His eyes were closed still and when she felt the pull, felt the sick liquid heat wash through her like boiling swamp water, she knew why.
He was so lost in what he was doing that he never noticed the hushed whispered or the fact that the Prophecy had finally arrived. Stopping a few yards away from him (mostly due to the fact that she was terrified of getting much closer) Alex fixed a scornful smile on her face and crossed her arms over her chest. "You can stop that now Danny," she said, relieved that her voice came out steady, "I'm here."
Slowly, the red head's lids lifted and piercing, hazel eyes stared at her in a hungry way that made her skin crawl. "About time," he muttered as if he hardly cared that she had showed up at all. His eyes gave him away though, those greedy, cold eyes that studied her eagerly.
"You have something that belongs to me. I'm leaving here with them…now," she said firmly.
Danny laughed, low and empty. "That's not how this is going to work babe and you know that." He stood slowly, grinning his malicious grin as he closed the distance between them. "They go free, but only after I get what I want."
Alex lowered her head but kept her narrowed gaze on him. "I didn't come here to discuss negotiations with you. I get what I want, and that's it. You wouldn't be able to do much of anything anyway. You couldn't even translate the spell to get me here correctly." She made a sound of disgust and tossed her head. "You're pathetic Danny."
"Tough words for a scared little girl." Danny chuckled, clearly amused. "I wouldn't try my luck if I were you, Alex. There's a lot at stake here. Your life…theirs," he gestured to Raph, Leo and Don. "Try and think about what might happen if you just cooperate and do as I say. You're friend go free…everyone lives," he paused in front of her and lifted a hand, caressing her arm with a suggestive leer, "you and I can be together again."
He pulled her close, surprising her with his strength and she felt his hot breath at her ear. "I know you miss what we had…the passion. I know you want me back Alex."
"Like a fucking hole in the head," she hissed.
An ugly snarl distorted Danny's face. "You're lucky I need you alive." He made a move to grab her and suddenly everything went horribly wrong.
"Get yer fuckin' hands off her asshole!" Raph yelled. He was struggling against his bonds, fury blazing in his dark eyes.
Alex threw him a pleading look, praying that no one would notice if she could only get her point across to Raph fast enough but things never worked out all nice and neat in situations like this. No, the shit usually hit the fan…and that's exactly what it did. Danny saw the look, translated it to mean exactly what it did and grabbed a fistful of Alex's hair. "You're kidding, right? Alex…tell me you're kidding, damn it!"
It was the dangerous thing to do but Alex wouldn't deny her feeling for Raphael so she remained silent.
"You and the freak, huh?" Danny released a bark of dry laughter. "You and the fuckin'…don't tell me it's actually better with him?!"
Alex allowed a smirk to curve her lips. No point in following through with the plan now. It had pretty much been shot to hell and back. "Oh…a million times better," she murmured, her voice dripping with acidic sweetness.
He almost hit her then. She saw his hand twitch at his side, felt the one at the nape of her neck tighten and pull at her hair. But he didn't hit her. He just grinned and called out, "Marquette!"
Danny's sister materialized out of the darkness beside Raphael, wild red hair undone, a silk, thin strapped gown clinging to her curvaceous figure, a smile on her blood red lips…and a sharp, glistening dagger gripped in her hand. In that moment time seemed to alter itself and everything proceeded in agonizingly slow motion. Alex saw Marquette lift the dagger above her head, saw the evil smirk curl her lips, heard the scream of denial tear from her own throat as she watched the woman plunge the sharp tip of the weapon into Raphael's side. The only sound he made was a surprised grunt as he slouched forward, going completely lax.
Still screaming, shouting "NO!" over and over again, Alex yanked free of Danny's grip and ran to Raph, tears coursing down her cheeks. "Get the hell away from him you bitch!" She yelled at Marquette, lifting a fist and slamming it down into the other woman's cheek. The red head stumbled back, clearly startled, but Alex paid her no attention. The only person she cared about right now was her lover who's blood was slowly running down his side, staining the red sweater he wore a deeper shade of crimson.
"Raph…oh god, are you okay?" She wrapped one arm around his unwounded side and lifted the hand touching it to his side and bringing it back. Blood stained her fingers, glistening in the harsh lighting. She blanched. "Oh god…Raph?" Taking her gaze away from her hand, she looked at him. "Raph…honey?"
He opened his eyes and smiled weakly. "Hey…"
"I…I'm so sorry," she cried, laying her head against his chest. "I didn't want this to happen. Please don't die!"
Raph was desperate to hold her, to calm her. He tried to yank free once more but only caused the thick ropes binding his wrists to cut into his skin and his side to scream in protest. Biting back a pained groan, he gave up for the moment. "It's okay Alex…I'm fine," he said and pressed his lips against her brow. No one made a move to stop them, just watched on in silence as the two shared what they all thought was their last moment together. Raph knew that the enemy fully expected Alex to give in without a fight now, but he wouldn't let that happen. He couldn't. "Alex," he murmured softly.
She lifted her head and stared at him with tear filled blue eyes.
"Reach in my pocket hun."
Her eyebrows drew together in confusion and the hand stained with his sticky blood, slipped down his side and disappearing in the pocket of his sweater. The moment her hands curled around the cool metal of his sais her eyes went wide.
"Not exactly dealing with the smartest people here, are we?" Raph asked, grinning.
Alex smiled sadly and shook her head. So this was it. This was when they started living every moment as if it were their last…even if it really was. It was time to stare death right in the face. She pressed her lips against his in a soft, lingering kiss. "I love you Raphael."
"Love you too babe," he whispered, "Now go kick some ass."
Closing her hands tightly around the sais, Alex pulled them free, drew a deep breath and whipped around to face her enemy, eyes narrowed in a dangerous glare. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Marquette slink away, back into the darkness. Not waiting for a reaction from anyone else, Alex attacked the first person she saw. A roundhouse kick had him on the ground and she quickly delivered a swift blow to the back of his skull, rendering him unconscious. She straightened and was right away confronted with another.
Trying to keep her head clear, to fight the way she had been taught, she took this one on as well. He brandished one katana and swung it in a downward angle at her. She blocked, remembered that blocking was the one thing she wasn't supposed to do and dropped down, kicking the man's feet out from underneath him. She came around with her other foot and slammed it directly into his face. After that they kept coming, one at a time, each willing to take their turn fighting the Prophecy. But she was getting tired and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold her own much longer.
"Come on Alex!" Raph yelled, watching the fight progress as he twisted his hands, trying to free himself. He saw her stagger once and knew right away that she was going to start loosing. She needed help. "Damn it…" he muttered, yanking hard and feeling the sting of the rope as it rubbed against his raw flesh.
"Dude…if you'd just hold still for a minute I'd be able to get you out of this," a voice whispered behind him.
"Mikey?"
"In the shell bro. Hang on a sec."
The ropes were pulled tight but then fell away completely and Raph jerked his arms forward, rubbing the raw skin of his wrists with a grimace. Adrenaline rushing, he ran to Alex just as two Foot ninjas started to gang up on her, one from the front and the other slipping up unnoticed behind her. He leapt into the air and kicked forward, kicking his foot into the man's face with enough force to send him flying. As Raph bent to pick up the Foot ninja's discarded katana, Alex disarmed her own opponent and drove the palm of her hand into his nose. A sickening crack was heard and the man toppled backward, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
"Yeeouch, that sounded painful," Raph commented wryly, eyeing the group that was slowly closing in on them.
Alex grabbed the sai she'd dropped earlier and backed up until her back was pressed against Raph's. She immediately a wave of relief wash over her, stifling the fear, leveling her shaken nerves. "Hopefully it was enough to keep him down for a while. So, want to trade weapons?"
"You bet, babe."
Tossing his sais high into the area, she reached back and took the katana he handed her, sweeping them quickly forward and blocking the attack of the Foot soldier who had decided he was next in line to fight her. She heard a muffled cry of pain behind her and smiled but didn't look back. She knew, without a doubt, that Raphael was quickly and efficiently reducing the number of rivals.
"Man Raph…can't you ever wait for the rest of us before you start bustin' heads?" Mikey joked as he, Don, Leo and Casey eagerly joined in the fray.
"Raph…exercise patience?" Don muttered, blocking an attack with his bo staff and grinning. "When has that ever happened?"
"Hey! I was patient with Alex, wasn't I?" Raph said in his defense.
Leo spared his red masked brother an exasperated look as he fought of the Foot ninja that was trying to slice into him. "I think it's the other way around Raph. She was patient with you."
"Thank you Leo!" Alex called out over the clang of weapons and the shouts of angered Foot soldiers.
The clever banter, although highly effective when it came to really pissing off one's enemy, quickly died away as the six put forth every ounce of their effort to defeating their enemy. After what seemed like an hour, but had probably been closer to fifteen minutes, Alex started to tire. She was struggling to flight off Foot soldiers as they took turns sparring with her. Despite the cold, perspiration dotted her forehead and upper lip, trickled down between her shoulder blades and her breathing labored, no matter how hard she tried to control it. She stumbled once, falling back and Raph was there, catching her with one arm.
"You're doin' great hun," he reassured her, "Just hang in there a little longer."
And then he was gone and she was on her own again, very much doubting her own abilities. She knew her limits and knew that right now she was seriously pushing them. Just gotta hang in there, she silently repeated Raphael's words as two more soldiers came forward. Holding her weapons in front of her in a protective pose, she gritted her teeth and prepared for the worst…but it never came. The soldiers advancing on her suddenly stopped, lowered their weapons and backed away.
Confused, Alex straightened slightly, not letting her guard down. She risked a glance behind her and what she saw only added to her bafflement. The guys were still fighting hard, unaware that all activity around her had stopped all together. It was as if someone had placed a massive wall of glass between them. On one side was eerie silence, on the other…chaos.
"What the-." Alex's voice cut off, replaced by a sharp gasp that caught in her throat. NO! Her mind pleaded frantically as her control started slipping like satin ribbons through her fingers. NO! God…please no!
Pain seized her, shot through her with blinding, searing heat and Alex screamed, falling to her knees. Voices intruded her mind, evil whispers that echoed from the darkness. She covered her ears as if that simple act would be enough to shut them out, but they would not be silenced.
"Now who's pathetic," a harsh voice murmured from somewhere in front of her.
She lifted her head, her movements jerky. Danny stood before her, his arms crossed, that wicked smile curling his lips. Like the Grinch himself, she thought. "Why?" she choked, "why are you doing this? I can't…"
"You can and you will," he said harshly, cutting her off. "Now stand up." She didn't. He placed a steel-toed booted foot under her chin and started to pull up. "I said stand!"
She moved as if her movements weren't her own, as if she was fighting against a force that was trying to control her. Hesitantly, ungracefully she rose and stood before him, knowing deep hatred and fear like she'd never known before, not even that time when her nine year old eyes had stared upon the bodies of the men she had killed.
"Raph…dude, something's not right."
Across the "battle field" Mikey spared a quick glance at Alex before taking on the next Foot solider. Her stance was rigid and the way that Danny kid was looking at her…all triumphantly. Something was definitely wrong. He blocked the blade of a deadly pudao with a practiced flick of the wrist that sent his nunchuk into a blur of circular motion. He delivered a blow to the man's midsection with the end of his other nunchuk and watched him fall over, curling into a fetal position. "Raph…again, something is not right!" he yelled to his brother who was busy with his own black clad problems.
Hearing Mike's yell, Raph quickly disposed of his own attacker and looked in Alex's direction. She'd stopped fighting. When had that happened? Then he noticed it, the way she was trembling, the smile on Danny's face. "Shit…" he whispered.
Enemies were quickly forgotten as his mind stopped thinking about anything but the woman he'd knew he couldn't live without. And therein lay his mistake. The second lapse was all that was needed for a Foot soldier to deliver a blow to his injured side and send him to his knees, crying out in surprise and pain. And then there was a swarm of them, moving in on the turtles and Casey in an unstoppable mass. They grabbed, they disarmed, they held them fast as they cursed and tried to fight their way free.
Only Raphael did not fight. He stared at Alex as sickening feeling of fear slowly filled him. He couldn't get the spell right, he reminded himself firmly, needing some form of reassurance, He couldn't even get that damn spell right! He can't do a thing. Not a fucking thing!
Alex was reminding herself of that same fact at the moment, trying to remain calm and keep a steady face. She refused to let Danny know how scared she was. "I wont do anything for you. You have no power over me. I obey no one," she vowed fiercely, forcing bravado into her voice.
Danny smiled. He approached her slowly, sadistic eyes ever watchful. When his hands shot forward, grabbing the hem of her shirt and ripping a long, jagged tear in the fabric she flinched regardless of her best intentions not to and his grin widened. "Seeing you scared like this," he murmured, pealing away the fabric to reveal the dark, puckered scar, "its such a turn on Alex."
Revulsion rose within her, great, overwhelming waves of it. Still, she refused to give him the satisfaction of giving in and remained unmoving. He cant hurt you…he cant do anything.
But she was wrong. Leaning close to her, so close that she could smell the hot cinnamon stench of his breath, he looked straight into her eyes and whispered in the ancient language she had heard only once so many years ago, "Rise Prophecy, grant thy demands."
Her blue eyes went wide and she could no longer hide the terror that had welled up within her, washing out everything else until it was all she could feel. "Danny," she whispered, her eyes starting to burn as tears welled and spilled over, "you don't know what you're asking for. Please…don't do this."
"See Alex, that's where you're wrong. I know exactly what I'm doing. And I want do to this."
She shook her head frantically. "You don't want this Danny. And even if you do…what if," she looked around her, desperate to find some reason for him to stop this now, "what if these people, your followers don't want it. Don't do this to them! Please Danny…I'm begging you!" Her voice was a hoarse plea, plaintive in the sudden silence of the wide yard.
Danny took a step back and gazed at the familiar faces that surrounded him. His soldiers, his followers as she had called them, stood watching. All were still, waiting the moment when finally their master would arise and lead them once more. He grinned crookedly. "Foot Ninja…she doubts your loyalty! How many of you would be honored to have Master Shredder walk amongst us once more?!"
Voiced raised, shouting their affirmative. The sound bounced off the concrete walls, the stacked crates. It was deafening…it was deadly. Danny turned to look at Alex again. The horrified expression on her face accompanied by the endless flow of tears caused a sharp stab of pleasure within him. "I think you have your answer," he murmured.
She shook her head, blond hair flowing around her shoulders, wide eyes scanning the faces of the cheering men. "Please don't do this Danny," she whimpered pitifully.
"I SAID OBEY ME!" he yelled in that ancient language that scared her so, anger distorting his face. Then came the words, those hideous words that she had dreaded all her life with such force.
"Alex!"
She turned at the sound of Raphael's voice, feeling time slip through her fingers along with the last amount of self-control she possessed. He was being held by four men as were his brother's and Casey. His dark eyes pleaded with her. "Don't do it babe."
"OBEY ME!!"
Her throat closed up, seizing painfully. She felt weightless as the thing lurking within her started to take over, started to possess her unwilling body. It was a sickening feeling, one that filled her with dread. She gave one last, longing look at the mutant she had come to love so deeply and whispered weakly, "I have no choice…"
Her head dropped then, sagging forward as her shoulders drooped and the life seemed to flow out of her. Clouds of dark, angry gray loomed low overhead, a bloody red color tinting their edges. Then came the silence, deafening and heavy. And then…then came the Prophecy.
She started as a faint, pale blue glow that radiated like a visible aura around Alex's body and flickered to life, a blue fire with flames that licked at the skin of the woman who carried her. Wind whipped through the open yard, whipping Alex's hair into a wild blond frenzy and her head snapped up, eyes opening to reveal nothing but glowing orbs of pale blue. "Fools," she whispered in a voice that was not her own. Throaty, seductive, the voice of a woman born centuries ago.
"That's not Alex," Mike whispered. He was afraid to move and not because of the four men holding him. No, it was that woman in the middle of the yard, glowing like some ethereal life form. She terrified him.
"No Mike," Raph murmured sadly, "That's not Alex." The young warrior watched as his girlfriend was overtaken by something she could not control and felt worse than he ever had before. There was nothing he could do for her now.
The Prophecy scanned the area with eyes that held no emotion and a smirk that was nowhere near pleasant. A slow laugh escaped her. "A Prophecy you call me…given life to grant your wishes." She shook here head and made a gentle tsk tsk noise with her tongue. The smile then vanished from her face, replaced by an ugly sneer. "I am no Prophecy. I do not grant the voracious wishes of pitiable men such as you! I am God! I posses powers you could not possibly fathom…and I would inform you that you would do well to remember that in the future…but you will have no time to do such a thing. My powers were called upon…and I shall use them as I was obeyed to."
Her teeth flashed white, a grin that's evil surpassed even Danny's and she raised her hands to the sky. A crackling, static like sound filled the air and a small sphere of bright blue light glowed to life between the Prophecy's hands. Splayed fingers twisted and the sphere spun, growing as it rotated on an unseen axis. When it grew to the size of a basketball it split into fragments and the tiny blue spheres started to spin around the Prophecy, going faster and faster, twisting her hair, pulling at her long coat. Suddenly, the Prophecy dropped her arms and the spheres flew in every direction. Each one of them found its place before Danny and the mass of Foot Soldiers then hovered for several moments, almost as if they were scrutinizing them, looking over their unsuspecting prey and then, flaring brightly, they disappeared into their victims, entering through their chests.
There was a moment of silence, of baffled curiosity that gave way seconds later to screams of terror. They filled the enclosed yard, resounded off the walls, filling that small part of the world with momentary insanity.
The turtles and Casey, released by the men that held them, covered their ears to block out the horrifying sound. The screams raised in pitched then one by one died off, turning into guttural choking noises. Bodies collapsed to the cold ground, lifeless eyes stared at the dark, ominous skies…and then there was nothing.
As the wind died away, so did the aura surrounding the Prophecy. Her lids closed, her shoulders relaxed and when her eyes reopened she was Alex once again.
Reality was a cold heartless bitch sometimes, and this was definitely one of those times. No words, no emotions could possibly describe what Alex felt as she stared around her in wide eyed terror. The bodies, there were so many of them. They littered the ground, sprawled lifeless corpses, some layered over one another.
Bile rose in Alex's throat and she pressed a fist to her mouth. It was with a low, mournful wail that she sank to the ground. Nausea rose within her, mingling with the sorrow and fear to create a horrible emotion that no human could possibly ever want to feel. And yet she felt it, felt it with her heart, felt it with her soul. It numbed her, made speech impossible, made her feel like she had died along with the many she had unwillingly killed. Hugging herself, Alex leaned forward and let the horrible, gut wrenching sobs claim her.
Several yards away, five pairs of eyes watched her, sorrow etched in their depths.
"Someone should…should do something," Leonardo murmured, finding it hard to speak past the lump in his throat.
Although it was the hardest thing to do at the moment, given his wound and the horrible twisting of his heart, Raphael stood and walked over to Alex. He laid a hand on her trembling shoulder, pulling from her a harsh sob that tore at his heart. No words came to him, nothing could possibly be said at a moment like this. They didn't even cover this kind of thing in movies! So he did all he could, he knelt down beside her and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as she wept.
His brothers joined them, standing around them in a half circle, as uncertain of what to do as Raphael had been. They hadn't been prepared for this and none of them could imagine what the poor girl was feeling at the moment. They could only stare at her in silence, wishing for something that could never be.
Long moments past in which they all lost track of time and finally Mike risked a glance up, something he had been avoiding doing. His eyes scanned the bodies and he felt sick, truly sick. Tears started to collect in his eyes. True, he had hated the Foot just about as much as the next Ninja turtle…but he would have never wished this kind of death on them. He moved his gaze to the right, no longer afraid of what he would see, and stopped, his eyes going wide. He blinked once, twice and then stared in complete amazement. Standing before him, draped in pure white robes and surrounded by an aura of brilliant gold was what he could only assume was an angel. She stared at them with kind, loving eyes that were as blue as a cloudless summer sky. Long, dark blond hair hung in waves around her bare shoulders.
"Ah…guys?" Mike whispered softly, afraid he might scare it away. "Guys."
Leonardo lifted his head tiredly. "What Mi…" his voice drifted into nothingness as he saw what his younger brother was staring at.
One by one the others looked up and they too were stunned into speechlessness by the delicate being that stood before them. Alex was the last to lift her head, her tearful gaze connecting with the angels. "Mo…mother?" she whispered in disbelief.
The angel moved forward, her long satin robes swishing around her feet. She stopped in front of Alex and turned her head slightly to the side. "Hello darling."
With a tiny cry, the young woman flung herself into the awaiting arms of Marissa Tulsan. She clung tenaciously, crying anew. "Oh my sweet child," Marissa cooed, stroking Alex's soft hair, "there, there. It's okay."
Sniffling, Alex looked up at the woman she had never known. "I…I don't understand," she whispered. "Why are you here?"
Marissa brushed the back of her fingers over her daughter's cheek, drying her tears, then did the same to the other side. When she was finished, she cradled the side of Alex's face in her hand and smiled. "I'm here to end a curse," the murmured, her voice soft and inviting. It was the kind of voice Alex had always dreamed she would have.
"What happened here tonight…this is not what the Prophecy was created for. You and I were saddled with quite a responsibility. Of course, it was never this bad before. But now…" she sighed and looked around, shaking her head sadly, "Things have been discussed. The burden I've placed upon you…oh, Alexandria, you were never supposed to have to go through such horrible pain." She pulled her daughter into her arms, diamond like tears glistening in her deep blue eyes. "This wasn't meant for you. So I'm here to end it…once and for all."
With those words she moved away from Alex and pressed a cool hand to the young woman's stomach, placing it over the scar as the other still cradled her face. "This curse is no longer yours to carry."
Marissa's aura carried over to her daughter, enveloping her in brightness, connecting her to her mother in a spiritual way that was beyond touch and feel. Alex closed her eyes. She reveled in the feeling. Warmth spread through her, soothing, healing…a balm to so many wounds that had been reopened tonight. And when the warm glow disappeared the feeling stayed with her. It was as if her mother had just given her something of herself that she could keep forever. She opened her eyes and stared up at Marissa. "What did you do?" she asked in an awed voice.
"See for yourself darling."
Looking down, Alex gasped. The scar was gone! She turned her questioning gaze on her mother, her mouth slightly open in shock.
"You are no longer the so called Prophecy. Its existence ended as of tonight."
Alex couldn't give voice to how grateful she was or how relieved she felt so she returned to her mothers embrace and hugged her tightly as tears ran down her cheeks.
As she returned the embrace, Marissa looked up at the man and four mutants that were watching them avidly, mouths agape. "So you are the ones who have been watching over my daughter?" she asked, smiling when they nodded mutely. "Then I can trust that you will continue to do so?"
"Yes ma'am," Michelangelo answered, abandoning his shocked expression for a wide grin.
Marissa chuckled softly. She pulled away from Alex, smoothed her hands over the younger woman's cheeks and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I love you my daughter…and I'm so very proud of you."
"You're…you're not leaving are you?" Alex asked, sounding more like a scared child than a full-grown woman.
"Yes, I'm afraid I have to. But, I'll always be watching over you Alexandria…now," Marissa leaned over and kissed her again, this time on the cheek. "why don't you get over there and tell that one in the red how much you love him. I think he'd deserved it after tonight, don't you?"
Alex smiled. "Yeah…he does." She hugged her mother once more, impulsively and then let her go, whispering a quick "I love you" and watching as she shimmered out of existence. It was a bittersweet moment, meeting her mother for the first time and seeing what a beautiful angel she was. It would stay with her for the rest of her life, making the trauma she'd suffered tonight bearable, giving her soul a sense of peace it had never had before.
With a shaky sigh, Alex turned to face her friends and before she even realized that she'd moved, she was in Raphael's arms, hugging him tightly but making sure to avoid the wound Marquette had left him with. "I'm so sorry," she whispered hoarsely, "I should have heard you out instead of being such a coward. I was scared…and I'm sorry."
Raph smiled and hugged her just as tightly. "Hey, its okay babe, nothing to be sorry about."
She looked up at him, her sapphire eyes glossy with unshed tears. "Thank you." Pulling back a ways, she looked at the others. "Thank all of you for your understanding…your support, and for being my friends."
"Not friends Alex," Leonardo said, walking over to her and Raph and laying a hand on her shoulder. "Family."
Alex gave him a watery, tremulous smile and, untangling one arm from around Raph she wrapped it around Leo's neck, hugging both brothers. The group hug quickly grew as Donatello, Michelangelo and even Casey joined in, all of them chuckling softly when Raph grumbled, "watch the side ya big cry babies."
Leo finally backed away and patted Raph's shoulder with brotherly affection. "We should probably get you taken care of."
"Put him in the back of my van and I'll get you guys home," Casey offered and with those words the group hug ended and they all started trudging wearily to where Casey had parked, more than happy to get out of the enclosed yard.
It was as they were approaching a wide opening in the garage near the crates that Alex, Mike and Casey had hid behind that Alex's brows drew together in a frown and she slowed to a stop. "Uh…you guys go ahead. I'll be right there," she said, back stepping, "there's something I have to do."
She turned on her heel and walked back to the open yard. Even after having stared at them for several minutes, the sight of the bodies littering the cold ground was still a shock, one that twisted her heart. She walked on, swallowing thickly and keeping her gaze straight ahead.
Danny's body was directly in front of her, sprawled across the concrete, both arms above reaching above his head. Several feet from him lay the covered body of the Master he'd intended to resurrect and beside it, her elegant fingers clutching the canvas like material, was Marquette.
Alex sank to her knees in front of the man she thought she had once loved. There was no mournful sobs this time, no anguished weeping, Alex merely sat and cried silent tears of remorse for their deaths. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, "please forgive me."
She reached out a hand to brush his unruly red hair away from his closed eyes and as her fingers brushed his face his body began to glow. Fragments like shimmering bits of glitter, surrounded him. Alex jerked her hand back, covering her gaping mouth with it as the same thing started happening to the other bodies. Soon, the entire yard was bathed in a brilliant gold light.
"Do not worry for them Alexandria," the warm voice of her mother filled the night and one by one the bodies started to flicker, fade and disappear. "They will be taken care of."
The unnatural phenomenon left Alex speechless, unable to do much more but watch until the last body vanished and she was alone. Pushing herself up on legs that scarcely supported her she stared all around her with wide sapphire eyes. They were gone, every single one of them…even the body that had belonged to the Shredder.
"Thanks mom," she murmured, lifting her gaze to the heavens with a small smile. Then she turned, stuck her hands in the deep pockets of her coat and walked back to the van, leaving this place behind her but not its memories. Like it or not, the memories of this night would always remain with her.
Back at the van, Casey had started the old white and rusted vehicle to get it warmed up and he and Leo had taken up the front seats, lost in their thoughts. The back doors were open wide and Don stood outside, doing what he could for Raph until they got back home as the red masked turtle sat on the floor of the van, leaning against the side with his eyes closed. Mike was across from him, his own eyes on the floor. They all looked up when she approached and looked so comically relieved that she couldn't help laughing.
"You guys worried that I was going to get attacked or something?" she asked archly, climbing into the back of the van. Raph snagged her arm and she gladly fell between his legs and into his waiting arms.
Mike and Don rolled their eyes and closing the back doors, Don went around to the side and let himself in, taking one of the two seats in the middle.
"So…not to sound gross or anything," Mike said, moving into the other seat, "but what are we going to do about all those bodies?"
"Taken care of," Alex replied, yawning as she snuggled against Raph. "Angel's can do powerful things Mikey."
He made a small humming sound in ways of a response and silence fell, interrupted only by the dim grinding of gears as Casey shifted the van into drive and pulled onto the street.
After a few minutes of driving, the radio playing Meatloaf dimly over the speakers, Alex felt Raph's hand squeeze her arm lightly and looked up. "Hey," she whispered, happy to see a tired smile on his face. "Does it hurt much?"
He shook his head. Mr. Tough guy. "Nah, stings a little. How about you…you okay?"
"I guess." She shrugged her shoulders and worried her bottom lip with her teeth. "This is probably going to take a while to get over. I've never…" her voice died away as tears threatened once more and she bit back a frustrated growl.
"I'll help. We'll get you through this babe." He released her arm and his hand brushed the side of her face, moving around to curl around her neck. "Crazy night…I don't know about half the shit I saw…or what even happened really…but I do know one thing."
"What's that?"
He looked down at her with those intense eyes that never failed to melt her and the arm still holding her tightened. "I love you so damn much Alex."
This time the tears did come. Happy tears that didn't hurt to cry. "Oh Raph," she whispered past the lump of emotion in her throat, "I love you too honey."
She wrapped an arm around his neck and pressed her lips against his. It was a kiss unlike any they had shared, full of love, life and deep liberation. Finally the real nightmare was over. The Prophecy was gone, Alex could start living out of the dark curtain of fear that had haunted her for so long and she and Raphael could have the life together that they knew they deserved.