A/N: I'm dedicating parts of this chapter to Taronga and Western Plains Zoo, for allowing people to participate in the helping and caring of animals and the environment, and for setting up a great youth program. Without them, I wouldn't have come up with most of the story line, nor would I have a clue on how zoo's work. If your local zoo offers a youth or volunteer program, then sign up, 'cause it's a very rewarding experience.
Okay, now I really don't know when I'm going to update next! The earliest could be next Friday, the latest could be the weekend after exams, hence three weeks away.
Rene – You'll find out why the scientists want the TMNT and Silver in the same enclosure later… if I remember to include it…
Pretender Fanatic – I actually made up all the three scientist's names in less than two minutes! They're based on a stream on consciousness really. Though I do believe that my sister has a friend called Sarah Watson though…
Ellie ET – Do you want me to email the chapters to you, or are you fine with using your brother's computer?
Mica – I think Silver's been imprisoned, isolated and alienated for nearly four years now. And yes, those grammatical errors bug me too. I know the last three chaps have been pretty shocking, 'cause I wrote them around 10:30 pm to midnight… and what's worse, I double-checked them around that time as well, when my brain was slowly dying on me. I plan to fix up all of my stories… one day… when I'm bored… and when I have time…
With the door, it was open an arm's width (upper arm, not forearm), so about 4 inches… * checks a ruler * Okay, a fat arm's width! Anyway, in order for Silver to reach in and grab Diana and hold her up against the door, he would have had to use his whole arm, so his shoulder and face would be right up squeezing through the crack of the door. So yeah, his face was partially through the door, which made it easier to aim and spit Leo in the face, and for Leo to punch him back. Although Leo's fist may be wider than 4 inches, he still could have rotated his fist 90 degrees and punch sideways. Also, he's a ninja, and you'd expect Leo to have excellent aim.
Chapter 18: Donatello's Wild Misadventure.
Sydney, Australia.
Donatello sighed as he read over the escape plan he'd just written. He grumped when he found a major flaw and quickly scribbled over his idea out of frustration. Don's constant brainstorming was getting him nowhere. Listening to his growling stomach, the turtle yawned before giving up on constructing a plan for the time being. Donatello rubbed his eyes and checked his watch to observe the time. It was the early hours of the morning. Time to go out and grab something to eat.
After groggily putting on his trench coat and slapping on his fedora, Donatello slowly hopped on the Hog and revved up the engine. His stomach growled once again out of desperation and hunger. Sighing, Donatello rounded a few secluded underground tunnels, not really paying attention to the rather mundane task of driving through the storm drains towards the quiet moonlit streets. However, the turtle snapped to attention when he turned around the next fateful corner.
There, in the middle of the tunnel, was one of the American alligator snapping turtles that Donatello had frequently bumped into over the many years of living underground. Not wanting to run over the slow moving creature, Don made a split second decision and swerved instead. With the loose leaves on the ground preventing the motorcycle from braking, Donatello accidentally drove partly up the curved wall of the tunnel; the Hog's tires slipping and skidding on the smooth surface. Before he knew what was going on, Donatello found himself on the ground with a few heavy bruises and a headache.
Groaning to himself, Donatello looked up the tunnel and sighed with relief when he saw the rare snapping turtle still alive and well. Turning his head the other way, Don observed the bike that now lay a couple of meters away; it's wheels still turning from the momentum of the crash. Donatello groaned once again and rubbed his head, knowing that his night couldn't get much worse. Yet he was wrong.
Donatello shakily stood up and slowly stumbled over towards befallen transport; trudging through the thick layer of leaves as he went. "Damn it!" The turtle cursed and hopped when a sharp pain traveling through his left foot. Looking down, Don's heart almost stopped when he realised he'd just been bitten by a snake. Eyes growing wide with alarm, Don stepped back from the reptile. He stared as the snake slowly slid into a non-threatening pose, although it still kept a wary eye on him.
Donatello had heard on the news that snakes and other small animals were retreating underground due to the drought depleting available water resources. The creature had probably slithered into the storm drains to avoid the sweltering heat and to feast on the many sewer rats that had also found a new home in the concrete tunnels. He had most likely startled the snake, causing it to attack purely on defense.
Donatello fretted as he observed the two small puncture wounds on his left foot. Panicking, the turtle tried to recognise the species of snake he'd been bitten by, yet he didn't really know anyway. Fearing that it might be a venomous animal, Donatello hurriedly took off his purple bandanna and tightly wrapped it around his knee in hopes of slowing the spread of the poison. He tried to calm himself down so he could work out a plan. Don knew that the hospital around Martin Place where he was the other day when he got lunch had remedies and cures for snakebite. However, because he didn't know the species, getting an antidote would be useless.
Rapidly thinking a little while longer, Donatello figured that the zoo located around the North Shore area of Sydney would store an antidote to his bite, while at the same time, he could identify the snake that attacked him by either looking through the exhibitions or by flipping through some of the research books that were kept nearby. It was a long shot, but Donatello feared the alternative decision of doing nothing about it.
Carefully walking the rest of the way to the Hog, Donatello nervously hopped back on and continued to drive through the tunnel. It only took a minute before he reached the highway where he joined the rest of the very early morning traffic. He took in a deep breath to slow his fluctuating heartbeat, knowing that if he was indeed poisoned, the rate of his blood flow would determine how long he had left to live.
The turtle drove over the smooth city roads, getting closer to his destination with every second that passed. His mind was so smothered with worries and fears that he almost forgot where he was going. Don haphazardly changed lanes at the last possible second and continued driving onwards through the city on another road. He bit his lip with uneasiness when he thought whether or not he should take the tunnel or the bridge. If he took the Sydney Harbour tunnel, he would get to the zoo quicker, yet if there were a holdup, he'd be stuck in there with no easy way out. He also disliked the fact that there are security cameras filming everything that happens.
With much indecision, Donatello changed lanes once again and headed towards the large Sydney Harbour Bridge. He froze with terror when he realised he'd forgotten about the toll that had to be paid. Since he couldn't turn around, Donatello had no other choice but to drive straight through. A photo was taken of his license plate two seconds later. Don smiled and giggled with amusement when he thought of what the Roads and Traffic Authority would think if they saw the photo of the Hog with the New York number plate, NJATRTL riding around the streets of Sydney.
Donatello tried to stay calm once again. Driving across the Harbour Bridge, or the Coathanger as some Australians fondly called it, he observed a train glide past on one of the two tracks that was included in the massive structure. Wind whipping through the bandanna tails tied around his knee, the turtle had to raise a hand to make sure his fedora didn't fly off from the moderate breeze. It was a clear and peaceful night, though it still didn't quell Don's anxiety and fear.
After driving up and down the many steep roads, Donatello finally made it to the quiet and closed zoo located on the North Shore. His leg ached from the lack of blood it was receiving. Dismounting the bike, Donatello hobbled over towards the front entrance of the zoo and clumsily climbed over the wall. He stopped and listened to see if anyone heard his intrusion… Nothing.
Eyes squinting in the dark, Don followed the signs towards 'Serpentaria'. It didn't take him long to discover the reptile section of the zoo. Using ninja stealth, Donatello walked around and found a door to the staff-only area. Taking a distorted paper clip out of his trench coat pocket, the turtle picked the lock and went inside. He stopped for a moment to allow time for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.
Limping over with outstretched arms, Donatello moved towards a shelf that held what looked like a torch. He sighed with relief when he discovered that he was indeed correct. Turning on the flashlight, the turtle jumped with shock when he saw a snake directly in front of him. Startled by the sudden presence of light, the reptile lunged for Donatello, but it's fangs only made contact with the glass surrounding its enclosure. Don sighed and tried to calm down, but the stress and anxiety was still there.
As he scanned the light across the room, Don noticed the vials of antidote placed neatly on a solid rack attached to the wall. He continued to search and look around, observing the nonmoving snakes in their nighttime terrariums. Don stopped when he found the species that he'd been bitten by. 'Diamond Python,' Donatello read to himself quietly. Sighing and shaking his head with a smile, Don untied the bandanna around his knee and allowed the blood flow to return once again, knowing that the snake wasn't venomous. He giggled at himself for getting so wound up and stressed, though he stopped laughing abruptly when his highly trained ninja senses picked up an approaching human presence.
He swiftly exited the room and locked the door he'd picked at to get in. Don froze and listened to the sounds of the looming security patrol vehicle. Not wanting to be caught, Donatello climbed over the first wall he could see in an attempt to hide. Crouching down, the turtle came face to face with a very large Komodo Dragon. Don just smiled stupidly at the creature before hurriedly vacating the enclosure. The vehicle was getting closer by the second. Donatello climbed into the next nearest enclosure, but quickly jumped out again when he realised it housed two crocodiles. Noting to himself to look before he leaped, Donatello searched around for a place to hide. Not being able to find such as place, the turtle dashed down the steep, wide path, slowly getting deeper and deeper into the zoo.
With the security vehicle only seconds away from discovering him, Donatello decided to take his chances in an African Savannah enclosure. A zebra woke up and whooped with surprise when it saw Don, but fortunately the animal calmed down before any suspicion was raised. Hiding in some nearby bushes, Donatello waited for the vehicle to pass.
When the sounds of the jeep's engine had faded, Donatello emerged from his hiding spot. With little difficulty, he climbed back over the fence surrounding the enclosure and started to make his way back towards the entrance. A series of grunts caught his attention. Curious, Donatello turned towards the sound and walked up a small wooden walkway. He smiled when he saw four koalas in their leafy enclosure. Leaning up against the railing, Don took the time to observe them. He had never seen koalas in the flesh before and felt privileged to watch them when they were awake and active. Don smiled when a koala bellowed out a few grunts and gasped when one of the marsupials nimbly leaped from tree to tree.
Donatello jumped in shock when a large bat landed in one of the trees behind him, screeching loudly as it did so. The turtle sighed when his stomach began to growl with hunger once again. He smiled and shook his head with humorous thoughts as he left the zoo, knowing that this would be a night that he wouldn't forget all too easily.
*****
A zoo in New York.
Dr Yesmal entered the staff common room, causing Dr Aquel to look up from the book she was reading. "How did the meeting go?" she inquired.
"Alright. We've agreed to try and introduce the ape and the turtles again, though if there doesn't seem to be any improvement, then we'll have to consider transferring the ape or the turtles to another enclosure, or to another zoo entirely," Dr Yesmal said grimly. Dr Aquel simply nodded her head in understanding.
"So what's the plan?" she asked.
"We're going to try the same techniques that we used the other day. We'll have to see if we can do it this afternoon," Dr Yesmal explained. Dr Aquel nodded her head once again before returning to read the rest of her book.
*****
Venus remained quiet and kept to herself for most of the day. She didn't really understand what she was feeling. Being a Shinobi and quite adept at the Internal Arts, she had a good grasp of utilising and sensing her own and others chi energy. She remembered that when she was pregnant with Raphael, she could sense the chi being emitted from the baby, and could feel the some of the pleasant energy that resided in his father. The same was true when she was pregnant with Diana; sensing both Leo's and the baby's life force.
Venus knew that she was pregnant. That much was clear. However the disturbing thing was that she could sense both Leo and Mike's chi within her body and soul. She knew why she felt Leo's presence, but why she felt Mike's was still a complete mystery to her. Venus went through all the possibilities in her mind, and suddenly came to a horrific conclusion. She bit her lip with worry, not knowing how she was going to explain this to her family.
"Are you okay?" Leonardo asked Venus, sensing that something was troubling her. Venus only nodded her head in response. "You sure?" Leo pressed further. Venus put on a fake smile.
"I'm fine," she said falsely with a quiet voice. Leo stared at her a while longer before shrugging to himself, knowing that she'd talk to him later when she was ready. Taking his mind off the disturbing fact that something was really bothering his wife, Leo towards Mikey who was currently playing with Diana.
"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with 'g'," Mike played with his niece. Diana grinned in response.
"Glass!" She answered happily and with a giggle. Michelangelo gave her a surprised expression.
"You're correct! How did you know? Did Raphael tell you?" Mike played along. Diana meekly shook her head with a proud smile on her face.
"I, I want to play again!" Diana begged. Raphael rolled his eyes, quickly becoming tired of the game.
"Again!" Mike repeated with a rising inflection. "Hmm… Alright smarty pants," Mike agreed. Diana grinned with delight. "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with… 'g'."
"Glass!" Diana answered immediately after he'd finished his sentence. Mike gasped once again.
"You're right! How are you doing this! You must have magic powers or something!?" Mike continued to play along while Diana shook her head and grinned.
"I'm bored," Raphael stated the obvious. "Dad, can I have a ninjitsu or sparring lesson or something?" Raphael asked Leonardo, with his tone of voice starting to come across as a whine. Leonardo sadly shook his head.
"The scientists won't like it if they see us fighting. They'd think we're going to hurt each other," he answered solemnly.
"But we won't hurt each other…" Raphael tried to convince him.
"I know we won't. But the scientists will think that we will," Leo explained. Raphael continued to sulk in his corner. Leonardo looked over at Venus and suddenly thought of something. "You know… not everything in ninjitsu is physical. There are a lot of mental aspects that we could focus on instead," Leo tried, though he knew that the boy was never too keen on meditation.
"But… but what's the use of that?" Raphael questioned. Leonardo knew the boy was getting into a sullen mood.
"Well… if you practice the techniques a lot, then one day you might be able to read other people's minds, or better yet, strengthen your punches and kicks by combing them simultaneously with the release of your chi energy," Venus informed him. Leo just smiled at her, glad that she was finally talking again.
"Your mother's right. Just looking at her fighting style gives proof that the inner strength of a fighter is just as important as the physical strength," Leo encouraged.
"Well… okay then," Raphael agreed to try it out, though he still seemed unsure. With a smile, Leonardo and Venus directed Raphael, telling him to focus his mind while standing; the strongest position for beginners who are trying to manipulate their chi. Naturally, Diana copied and followed every move and instruction that was given by her parents.
Leonardo and Venus looked on as Raphael started the chi ball exercise, slowly moving his two cupped palms away from each other before bringing them back in. He breathed in conjunction with the slow and relaxing movements. After performing the action over the small time frame of ten minutes, Raphael was told to open his eyes. "Did you feel anything?" Venus inquired. Stunned, Raphael nodded his head.
"It felt… I felt my hands tingle, then they felt hot. And when I started moving them, they felt… magnetic…" Raphael explained, partly excited and partly confused on what had happened. "Did I do it right?" he asked.
Venus smiled and gave him a hug. "That's what it's supposed to feel like at first," Venus explained proudly. "You know… you got a very good result, considering that was your first time. I remember when I started my training, I didn't feel anything at all," Venus admitted.
Diana frowned and fidgeted with her hands. "Mummy… I, I didn't feel anything," she said gloomily with downcast eyes. Leo and Venus just gave the girl a gentle smile.
"You will one day. Maybe when you're a little older," Venus suggested. Diana simply pouted and nodded slowly.
Leonardo and Mike watched as the female scientist entered the room outside. They thought she was simply going to let Silver back into his glass cell, considering it was nearly the zoo's closing time. But to their surprise, she opened the turtle's door slightly, just like she'd done the other day.
The whole family immediately backed away, especially Diana who didn't want to repeat her mistake. The turtles waited and watched as Silver cautiously approached their door. Leonardo could see that the ape had the intention of attacking them again, though the sight of tranquilizer dart guns stopped him. A thick and awkward tension filled the air. No words were passed. Only looks of anger and intimidation. Silver snorted and slowly walked away, knowing that he couldn't do anything to them this time around. A sigh of relief swept through the turtle clan, glad that nothing bad had come from their second encounter with the wild ape.