Chapter 7
The turtles, April, and Master Splinter all filed silently into the living room, following this new stranger claiming to be Sonny.
The man took a seat on a chair and motioned for the others to do the same. Splinter took an armchair. Mikey, Don and April sat on the couch. Leo and Raph remained standing.
The stranger smiled. "You can trust me," he said to Leo and Raph. "I'm getting bad vibes from you."
Leo shrugged. "You'll always get that from Raph," he said, then ducked a blow from his brother. The man relaxed in his chair. "I suppose I'd better start explaining myself now," he said. He sighed. "How do I start?"
"How about with your name?" Splinter suggested.
The man looked up and grinned. "Sorry," he said. "I should've told you that first I guess." He looked around the room once more. "My name is Garron. I was sent here to help you defeat the Foot."
"Sent by who?" Leo asked. Garron became suddenly interested with the floor.
"That I cannot tell you, at least not yet," Garron said. "But if you will allow me to finish explaining." Leo looked at Master Splinter who nodded.
"Thank you," Garron said. "I can help you defeat the Foot in this particular scheme they are planning. As you have no doubt noticed, I am a shape-shifter. I did not reveal myself to you before because I was stuck in the cat's body. One of the things the Foot stole was a silver talisman, which allows the holder to think a command, and it will happen. That is how I got stuck in the cat's body."
Garron looked over to Donatello. "I believe you had a little run in with the talisman," he said. "The ninja wielding it must have wished you inside the glass." Don nodded.
"I am also a telepath. I can read your thoughts, and convey my own thoughts to you telepathically. Mine was the voice you heard in the Artifacts Museum, Leonardo."
Mikey's eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of his head. "Wait..." he said, "You can read my mind!?" Garron nodded. "Cool! Tell me what I'm thinking now."
"Mikey! Shut up!" Raphael said. "Let him finish explainin' why the heck he's here. And why he's been using me as a scratching post."
Garron laughed. "Actually...I was just having fun."
It took two turtles and a lot of threatening from Splinter to calm Raph down after that one.
"Anyway," Garron continued after Raph was subdued, "The Foot were stealing an ancient Japanese manuscript. The manuscript tells where four very rare magical stones are. When put together in the wrong hands, these stones could be very dangerous. The equivalent to an atom bomb."
"Shredder must have all his ninjas out looking for the stones by now," Don said.
"We have to get that manuscript back," Leo said, "Will the stones work if all four are not there?"
"No," Garron said, "You need all four stones."
"Good," Leo said. "We'll get the manuscript, and find out where the stones are. We only need to get one. We have to keep the Shredder from getting all four!"
Leonardo glanced over to Master Splinter. "What do you think Sensei?"
Master Splinter sighed. He hated putting his sons in danger, but it would be worse to let Shredder get the stones. "I believe you should go as soon as it gets dark again." Splinter gestured to the window. The signs of first light were showing. They had been talking all night. "This will give you all day to train and prepare with Garron."
Leo nodded. "Yes sensei." He turned, ready to leave, when Splinter stopped him. "Leonardo...if you are unsure of something, consult this Garron. He seems to know all about this...problem."
Raph, who had been listening, raised an eyeridge. "You trust him?"
Splinter nodded. "I do. And you would be wise to listen to him if all goes as it should tonight. Now go, eat something, then start training."
Mikey jumped in the air. "Yes! Breakfast!! Anyone want eggs?" He was greeted by a chorus of "NO!" Mikey shrugged. "Fine. How 'bout pancakes then?"
April leapt out of her seat. "How about I help you in there Mikey?" she offered. Last time she let him alone in her kitchen, he almost burned down her apartment. Mikey grinned at her. "Don't worry April, this time I know not to put metal in the microwave." He turned and walked into the kitchen, April following every movement.
Splinter leaned back in his chair and sighed, appraising Garron with a skilled eye. This would be a long night.
The turtles, April, and Master Splinter all filed silently into the living room, following this new stranger claiming to be Sonny.
The man took a seat on a chair and motioned for the others to do the same. Splinter took an armchair. Mikey, Don and April sat on the couch. Leo and Raph remained standing.
The stranger smiled. "You can trust me," he said to Leo and Raph. "I'm getting bad vibes from you."
Leo shrugged. "You'll always get that from Raph," he said, then ducked a blow from his brother. The man relaxed in his chair. "I suppose I'd better start explaining myself now," he said. He sighed. "How do I start?"
"How about with your name?" Splinter suggested.
The man looked up and grinned. "Sorry," he said. "I should've told you that first I guess." He looked around the room once more. "My name is Garron. I was sent here to help you defeat the Foot."
"Sent by who?" Leo asked. Garron became suddenly interested with the floor.
"That I cannot tell you, at least not yet," Garron said. "But if you will allow me to finish explaining." Leo looked at Master Splinter who nodded.
"Thank you," Garron said. "I can help you defeat the Foot in this particular scheme they are planning. As you have no doubt noticed, I am a shape-shifter. I did not reveal myself to you before because I was stuck in the cat's body. One of the things the Foot stole was a silver talisman, which allows the holder to think a command, and it will happen. That is how I got stuck in the cat's body."
Garron looked over to Donatello. "I believe you had a little run in with the talisman," he said. "The ninja wielding it must have wished you inside the glass." Don nodded.
"I am also a telepath. I can read your thoughts, and convey my own thoughts to you telepathically. Mine was the voice you heard in the Artifacts Museum, Leonardo."
Mikey's eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of his head. "Wait..." he said, "You can read my mind!?" Garron nodded. "Cool! Tell me what I'm thinking now."
"Mikey! Shut up!" Raphael said. "Let him finish explainin' why the heck he's here. And why he's been using me as a scratching post."
Garron laughed. "Actually...I was just having fun."
It took two turtles and a lot of threatening from Splinter to calm Raph down after that one.
"Anyway," Garron continued after Raph was subdued, "The Foot were stealing an ancient Japanese manuscript. The manuscript tells where four very rare magical stones are. When put together in the wrong hands, these stones could be very dangerous. The equivalent to an atom bomb."
"Shredder must have all his ninjas out looking for the stones by now," Don said.
"We have to get that manuscript back," Leo said, "Will the stones work if all four are not there?"
"No," Garron said, "You need all four stones."
"Good," Leo said. "We'll get the manuscript, and find out where the stones are. We only need to get one. We have to keep the Shredder from getting all four!"
Leonardo glanced over to Master Splinter. "What do you think Sensei?"
Master Splinter sighed. He hated putting his sons in danger, but it would be worse to let Shredder get the stones. "I believe you should go as soon as it gets dark again." Splinter gestured to the window. The signs of first light were showing. They had been talking all night. "This will give you all day to train and prepare with Garron."
Leo nodded. "Yes sensei." He turned, ready to leave, when Splinter stopped him. "Leonardo...if you are unsure of something, consult this Garron. He seems to know all about this...problem."
Raph, who had been listening, raised an eyeridge. "You trust him?"
Splinter nodded. "I do. And you would be wise to listen to him if all goes as it should tonight. Now go, eat something, then start training."
Mikey jumped in the air. "Yes! Breakfast!! Anyone want eggs?" He was greeted by a chorus of "NO!" Mikey shrugged. "Fine. How 'bout pancakes then?"
April leapt out of her seat. "How about I help you in there Mikey?" she offered. Last time she let him alone in her kitchen, he almost burned down her apartment. Mikey grinned at her. "Don't worry April, this time I know not to put metal in the microwave." He turned and walked into the kitchen, April following every movement.
Splinter leaned back in his chair and sighed, appraising Garron with a skilled eye. This would be a long night.