The Cat.
Chapter 7: M.IA. Prt 2.
"Big mistake freaks," a southern voice said from a speaker on the ceiling, Raph placed Nikki on the floor behind him and maneuvered Chrissy behind him as well, "I've been dying to try my little pet out and as my new business partner specifically desires your demise turtle, there's more where the psi-witch came from and I'm told that our scientists have pretty much retrieved all the information on your red headed friend there anyway, after all there wasn't much to gather as my father created the little mutant freak!"
"What?!" Raph looked behind him at Nikki, their eyes locked for a moment and then she looked away as if ashamed of something.
"Oh didn't she tell you about her little secret, of course she didn't know of her origins she was stolen from my father before she'd remember anything like that, but she would have known about her differences, shall we say, for many years now," Raph knelt down and looked into her eyes but she still evaded him as if he wouldn't accept it, "even as we speak the little miss's body is healing at a phenomenal rate and I'm sure she'll be battle ready in a matter of minutes. Which is my cue to introduce someone to you," a cage dropped from the ceiling containing a guy who looked more like a tiger than a man, the cage reached the floor and the three heard the lock slide over, "this is my newest pet, he was created at the same time as you Miss Roberts but at a different lab and to a higher extent, and as you can see this one didn't get away!" The voice laughed as the cat started to advance, "I wonder if this was the guy Mikey was talkin' about?" Raph thought for the briefest of moments as he lowered himself into a battle stance.
The creature growled and charged towards Raph and the turtle barely got out of the way in time, Raph spun in the air and got a kick in knocking the thing across the room. Now it was his turn, Raph charged at his assailant and performed a variety of kicks and punches and found himself wishing that he had his sai, he cried out in shock when he felt the Tiger grab his belt and throw him across the room and he collapsed in a heap badly winded.
The voice had been right Nikki had been recovering fast and was getting to her feet just as Raph had flown across the room. She charged at the behemoth and performed her own attacks, but the Tiger elbowed her back forcing her to the floor and he took a swipe at it creating a deep and long gash through her soft flesh, with her down the Tiger noticed Raph struggling to get up and decided it prudent to finish him off before he could continue the attack again, he slashed at Raph enjoying the feeling of tearing flesh, the cries of pain and the blood flying everywhere. Chrissy looked on in horror as she watched the scene unfold, she watched as the Nikki regained consciousness and charged at the Tiger once again only to be swatted back again leaving another deep gash in her side. Chrissy could no longer watch the scene and summoned all of her strength and threw a psychic blast at the creature knocking it out cold, she then threw another at the door leading to the garage. Nikki got up and staggered over to Raph who was barely conscious and covered in blood she helped him to his feet and put an arm around his waist holding his left hand with the other, Chrissy came running up to help and they got to a small four by four parked in the garage. Chrissy used her powers again to open the doors and start the engine as Nikki carefully placed the injured turtle into the back seat and got in with him to hold him in place.
"You can drive right?" Nikki asked cradling Raph's head in her lap as the brown haired girl in the front put her foot down on the accelerator and sped out of the thankfully still open doorway.
"Um, well . . "
"Great, we're dead!" Raph groaned and opened his eyes.
"Oh man, my everythin' hurts, Nik you okay?" He asked weakly, Nikki smiled, brushed his forehead and nodded, "Nik?"
"Yeah?"
"Nik, what. . . . what that guy was sayin'. . . did he mean that, that you're the . . the Cat?" Nikki looked away and nodded, "why didn't ya tell me Nik?"
"I uh, um. . ."
"Don't ya trust me?" his voice was getting quieter the longer he spoke.
"Of course I do!" Nikki said looking back at him and brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes, "It's just that I've kept the secret so long and. . Well I find it hard to tell any one without worrying that they'd. . "
"Turn on ya, . . hate ya?" Raph slowly lifted a hand and placed it on the side of her face, she in turn held on to it, "I'd never do that to ya you should know that!" A large bump brought the two's conversation to an abrupt stop.
"Sorry about that, I think we've lost them by the way." Chrissy looked at them through the rear view mirror, "I'm Christina, and you are?"
"Nicole and this is. . " she paused to see that Raph had slipped out of consciousness again and sighed, "this is Raphael."
For the majority of the journey they kept quiet only stopping once in a while for rest stops and once to see what they could find to help patch up Raph. It was morning of the next day that the car came to a stop when the engine blew out.
"Wonderful, what now?!" Asked Nikki. Something made Nikki get up and start checking the car out she looked under the bonnet and found a small device that looked like it was a homing device, "Crud we're being tracked that's why we lost them so quick!" Christina looked around for some sort of escape route for them.
"You kids need a hand?" said someone with a British accent from the trees to their left, Nikki turned around to find an elderly woman in a horse drawn cart, "Looks like you've been to hell and back." The woman with graying hair got down from the cart and came over to the two girls, she noticed one stood almost protectively in front of the back seat of the car, "please you needn't be afraid, I won't hurt you, look why don't you come with me and I'll patch you up at my farm house." She looked around the red haired girl and saw a large turtle lying on the back seat, she was a little surprised but these girls seemed to be protecting it and she'd seen worse in her time. "Whilst you're at it you'd better bring him along too." She smiled sweetly and went round to the back of the cart a lowered the back grabbing a few blankets to make the injured turtle a bit more comfortable.
"Can we trust her?" Nikki asked Christina looking at the still sleeping Raph.
"Do we have a choice?" Said Christina as she walked around her new friend to help move Raph into the cart. They managed to get him into the cart relatively easily and they set off away from the stolen car.
The farm house was well secluded in the middle of a woods, the woman had told them that she bred horses here and that she was usually on her own for most of the year until the foaling season when she'd get some of the village kids to come and help her for pocket money and rides. Her name was Evelyn and they were to call her Lynn for short, she told them to lay him on the couch for now until he could be safely moved up to one of the spare beds upstairs and she set to work on his wounds. Once she was satisfied that he was suitably bandaged and comfortable she went over to Nikki who still had what was left of a few wounds on her front and back.
Raph woke to sunlight flooding through a window, Nikki was asleep beside him and he felt like crap. He tried to get up but found it too painful so flopped back down again.
"I'd be careful if I were you," an English voice said barely above a whisper, "and try not to wake your friend she needs rest too although you don't seem to be able to tell her that!" Raph chuckled.
"Not that I'm not grateful or nothin', but who are ya lady and where's the dark haired girl?"
"Oh do excuse my manners boy, I'm Evelyn and your other young friend is out in the field playing with some of my younger horses I believe, she has quite a knack with them." Lynn walked closer to him, "Now then how are you feeling boy?"
"I've been better, how long have I been out?"
"About Five days, Nicole hasn't left you're side the whole time, it's wonderful to see that some friends can still be so loyal." Lynn looked over at the clock, "Good gracious look at the time! I'd better start on dinner, would you like something?" Raph thought for a moment and then there was a large growl heard from his stomach, "well that certainly answers my question." She laughed as she left the room and Raph drifted off again.
The farm was peaceful and Raph and Nikki seemed to be getting closer the longer they spent together, Chrissy was fast becoming a good friend too, but as Raph had been insisting almost since he'd been able to walk again they had to go back to New York. His family would be worried about him and Nikki's her as well, Christina assured them that she had no family to worry about her but that didn't stop Nik and Raph inviting her to come with them. Lynn was more than happy to have a road trip and told them she would organize for the kids to come over and look after her horses whilst she drove them there. After two weeks since Raph had woken up Evelyn deemed him well enough to take the day and a half journey bag to the big apple and they left in a big camper van she borrowed off a friend. It was time to go home.
Hey another Chappy over and done with, so wadya think? I hope you're still enjoying the story, please review. Oh and sorry if the last bit seemed a bit rushed but I did it longer and it was waaaaaaay to boring. Toodles Angel xxx.