A/N : Special thanks to pacphys for editing for me
Chapter 12 The Rescue
The first thing Donatello was aware of was the pain. It was felt as if a part of his skull was cracked and expanding.
Easy, a strange voice flowed through his mind, taking some of the hurt with it. Your skull is unbroken, though I am sure that you feel I am wrong. As soon as you feel able too, you may wish to reassure your brother, Leonardo. He is very worried.
Leo? Donatello now made an effort to open his eyes and rise to a seated position. A while new set of pains eventually convinced him to lie still.
"Easy Donny," Leonardo's voice cautioned. "That new Foot Ninja clocked you but good."
Now he remembered. Leonardo had been looking for a way to escape since they had first been captured. The strange new female ninja dressed in black and purple had noticed, and had struck out at Leonardo. When Donatello tried to protect Leonardo she had clocked him with his own bo. Suddenly a thought occurred to him. Had Lillian gotten hurt during the scuffle?
I am unhurt, my friend, again Lillian's soft voice filtered into his mind. And I can sense that despite your discomfort, you are not badly hurt.
"It just feels that way," Donatello finally answered her.
"Don, wake up you're dreaming," Leonardo said. Through the aches that were fading. Donatello opened his eyes to see Leonardo sitting next to him.
"Leo?" Donatello asked uncertainly.
"I'm here, bro," Leonardo said softly. Donatello struggled to sit up. He felt arms come around his shoulders a Leonardo tried to support him.
"Take it easy Don," Leonardo said. "She really got you good. You might have a concession.
"Lillian said, I was okay," Donatello answered him. He took a good look at his surroundings. He and Leonardo were in a prison of clear plexiglass. It was only big enough for both turtles to sit in comfortably. Wires were laced all around the floors walls and roof. There were no cracks crevices, hidden spaces or apparent joints. Lillian was no where to be seen.
"Lillian?" Leonardo asked worriedly. Donatello watched as Leonardo eyed him up and down. "You couldn't have possibly have heard her. She's over there."
"Leonardo pointed. Donatello rubbed his eyes, and followed Leonardo's finger to where Lillian sat in a similar cube. Both of the cubes were seated on pedestal's in an area that strongly resembled the research genetics lab they had seen underground and in the Shredder's building.
"I've tried communicating with her," Leonardo said, "but I can't hear anything."
"This chamber is probably soundproof," Donatello speculated. "Or at least hers is. If all The Foot here were able to hear her sing we wouldn't be captives for very long." Still he was puzzled. "But I could have sworn..."
You did hear me, my friend, Lillian's voice was echoing in his mind. My kind can communicate with others through thought. I did not wish to frighten Leonardo so I did not use thought speech to talk with him.
Donatello understood that. Leonardo had been very touchy about Lillian since he had first met her. Best he not know that Lillian could transmit her thoughts into his head. Leonardo would wonder what else she was putting into his head. Donatello wondered if Lillian could read his thoughts as well.
Yes I can, Lillian replied smugly. If you wish you need only think a question and I can answer.
"Don?" Leonardo asked concerned.
"I'm okay, Leo," Donatello answered. "I was just thinking." He couldn't argue with Lillian's arguments. If Leo knew that he could communicate with Lillian telepathically Leonardo would worry about her controlling his mind.
Leonardo nodded and sighted pensively. "Escaping won't be easy. I can't see a way to pick the lock, and their watching us." Leonardo pointed, and Donatello could see a small camera mounted in a corner. He nodded silently.
I can see no way to escape either. Lillian said softly into his mind. Perhaps -
She stopped sending abruptly. Before Donatello could ask her why the door to the laboratory opened. Hun entered first followed by the female ninja in her black and purple. She took her place at the control panel out of Donatello's view.
Finally The Shredder entered the room. At his side was a middle aged woman with mouse brown hair, and deep brown eyes. She slinked like a cat leaning on Shredder as if she were a cloak around his shoulders.
If only she knew, Donatello thought with a grin.
The younger female at the control panel manipulated the controls, and sound returned to Leonardo's and Donatello's world. Shredder ignored the turtles to focus on Lillian.
"So," he said slowly looking Lillian up and down. "This is a mermaid. She is very lovely."
Lillian sat as straight as she could in the cramped enclosure, and looked back at Shredder sadly. "Please, my kind and I are a peaceful people. We mean you no harm. You do not wish to wage war against us."
Shredder sneered at Lillian. "My dear, I am not going to wage war against your people. They will either give my agents what I want, or they will be obliterated."
"No!" Lillian pressed her hands against the glass and stared right at the Shredder. "You cannot do this to my people. You do not want to do this!"
Donatello watched in fascination, not Shredder, but Hun. As Lillian became more frantic Hun's face became more and more distressed.
"You will not allow my people to come to harm." Lillian said forcefully.
Automatically Hun repeated the statement. "I will not allow your people to come to harm."
Shredder snapped around clearly angry. Donatello couldn't help himself a smirk played across his face. Hun didn't even stand a chance. Even though Lillian was not paying attention to him or Leonardo, Donatello could still feel the pull to repeat the words himself.
The Shredder glared at Hun visibly angry. "What did you say?" He snapped.
Completely unconscious of the fact that he was being influenced, Hun turned to his master, and said, "We should not be waging war upon the mermaids. They are a peaceful people."
"Is Hun even aware that he's repeating what Lillian said word for word?" Leonardo whispered to Donatello.
Donatello shook his head "I don't think so. Lil's really turning up the juice. Are you feeling this too?"
Leonardo nodded grimly, then they both turned back to the confrontation.
"I cannot allow you to harm her!" Hun said. He advanced on the Shredder fist clenched, ready to strike.
Suddenly the younger of the two woman lashed out with her razor sharp manriki guisari and easily restrained him.
"Take him out of here!" Shredder said to the girl. The young female looked at her mistress. When the older woman nodded the girl opened the door and summoned several female Foot Tech Ninjas who aided her in dragging Hun out of the room.
"I told you it was a mistake to let him see her, Saki," the elder woman said.
Shredder nodded. "I know Badb, but I wanted to see how this creature could turn my most loyal followers against me." Shredder glared at the mermaid angrily. "It appears that they can."
"You do not wish to wage war against my people either, Shredder," Lillian said again firmly.
The Shredder merely looked at Lillian. A self satisfied superior grin spread across his face.
Donatello sighed. "You're wasting your time, Lillian," he explained. "He may look it, but The Shredder isn't human by any stretch of the imagination. He isn't even humanoid. I don't think your abilities are going to work on him. "
"Oh?" Even Badb was surprised at that. "He's not human, you say? Saki, you sly thing. Keeping secrets from me? " She slid up to him and draped herself against his left side. Shredder acknowledged her cooly.
"Now," Shredder said, ignoring Badb. "You will tell us the location of your temple, or you shall watch as your turtle friends are tortured until you do."
"Don't tell, Lillian," Donatello said warningly. "The Shredder will kill us anyway."
"Of course," The Shredder said with a low chuckle." "But there are many ways to die." He sneered at Lillian. "If you do not tell me what I want to know, the screams of your friends will haunt your dreams forever."
At that Lillian grew angry. "Why? Why do you relish causing pain to my charges."
Shredder glared at Leonardo and Donatello in their cage. "Your charges have interfered often enough to give me cause to relish their suffering. That doing so will gain me the location of your temple is simply icing on the cake."
"Lillian," Leonardo said slowly and firmly. "No matter what he does to us, don't betray your people. Nothing he can do to us is worth helping him to destroy your people."
"Brave words, Leonardo," Shredder said slyly. I wonder if you'll be able to say them again when I take you apart piece by piece." He pressed a button on the control panel. Suddenly Donatello and Leonardo felt as if their very nerves were on fire. The tiny wires lacing the floor were suddenly carrying a live electric current.
Donatello cried out in pain. Leonardo, expecting something like this, gritted his teeth. He refused to give the Shredder the satisfaction of crying out. Even so a second cry joined. Donatello's. It was Lillian crying out when she felt their pain. She was outraged at this attack. Her eyes flashed a brilliant emerald green, and she glared forcefully at the Shredder.
To Donatello's amazement The Shredder cried out, and took a step back, surprised. He blinked and put his hands over his stomach.
So, you may not be able to charm him, but your powers are good for something, Donatello thought at Lillian with a smile.
Lillian smiled as well. "So you are not so invincible after all. Be warned Oroku Saki, The Earth knows you, and she does not tolerate such cruelty to her children. Continue on your path, and the Earth will act against you."
The Shredder glared at the saucy mermaid, but a whisper from Badb calmed him. "A bold move my dear," Shredder said with a low chuckle. "But it will not free you, or save your little pets." He spun sharply around on his heel and was gone. Badb followed as did the girl, but first she readjusted the controls of their cages restoring the sound proofing.
Leonardo relaxed a bit relieved that he could no longer hear Lillian's voice, but Donatello wanted to talk to her. He could still feel Lillian's dismay.
If I tell he will kill you. If I do not tell he will torture, and then kill you. What am I going to do?
Lillian, Donatello thought back determined. don't dishonor us by betraying your people. No matter what happens to us, you can't tell the Shredder the way to your temple. I don't need to be able to read his mind to know Leo feels the same way.
As if to affirm Donatello's statement Leonardo said, "We can't let Lillian tell the
Shredder where her temple is'
"I know," Donatello answered. "I can't imagine those ancient powerful weapons in the Shredder's hands.
Leonardo nodded gravely and the two sat in silence trying to think of a way to escape.
Raphael watched amazed as Sylvia held a conversation with a small very ordinary rat in the sewer tunnel underneath the warehouse where the gulls had insisted the others had been taken. Mermaids talking to seagulls made sense. Mermaids talking to rats didn't at least not right away.
"Rats have been at sea as long as human beings," Sylvia said patiently as her song drew five of the furry rodents. "But unlike humans who never figured out the sea song, the rats learned it, so their considered under our protection." She listened and whispered a bit more to the rats who all nodded like little children and scampered off. "They've agreed!" She said happily. "They will chew at the wiring of the building and cause things to go wrong."
Raphael relaxed at that. "Okay Small Fry, back to the Battle Shell with you. I have to catch up with Mikey and Master Splinter." They had gone ahead to scout the warehouse to try to find the others. April was waiting for Sylvia in the Battle Shell.
Sylvia sighed, but didn't argue as he led them back to the street where the Battle Shell was parked two blocks form the wear house. As they passed close to the building Sylvia stopped in her tracks. "Raph!" she said excitedly. "I can sense Lillian, and the others, I can -"
"Hold on there, Small Fry," Raphael said. "Finding Lil and the others is Mikey's job, not yours. You're job is to get into the Battle Shell, stay there with April and keep your tail in one piece. Got it?"
"But Raph-" Sylvia tried to say, but Raphael wouldn't hear any of it.
"But nothing! You are getting into that van, and your going to keep your tail down and your mouth shut until we get back! Understand!"
Sylvia deflated. "Yes Raph," she said, then climbed into the back of the Battle Shell.
Before April followed her inside Raphael asked, "Yo April, do you think you can handle her?"
"I'll manage," April said with a smile. "I'll try to do some female bonding with her while you're out saving the others."
Raphael nodded and began to turn away from the Battle Shell confidant that April would take care of Sylvia, when suddenly he heard April's panicked cry calling him back. "Raph! She's gone!"
Raphael spun back around and jumped into the Van with April. "Gone? Gone where?"
The open door in the front of the Battle shell was the only answer he got.
"Trust a kid Mikey takes care of to say one thing and do another," Raphael grumbled. He then got on his shell cell. "Yo Mikey, your goldfish just flew the coop!"
"Sylvia's missing?" Michelangelo asked. "Raph, you were supposed to be watching her!"
"I was putting her in the Battle Shell, and she slipped out the other way." Raphael shot back nettled. "She's probably heading your way. She said something about being able to sense Lillian."
He heard Michelangelo sigh on his end. "Okay, Raph. Come on and join the party out here, and start fishing for Sylvia. She'll probably lead you right to the others."
"Will do, Mikey." Raphael said. Then he turned to the April. "You stay here in case our little goldfish comes back. I'm going to join Mikey, and hope I run into the kid."
"Good luck," April said, as she donned the headset to her Shell Cel,l and took a seat at the control panel.
"I swear that girl is going to make me old before my time," Michelangelo complained as he shut down the Shell Cell. A glance over to his sensei told Michelangelo that Splinter was trying to keep from laughing. "What?" He asked sharply.
A smile still on his lips Splinter said, "It is nothing, my son. If your young friend can sense her elder as you can we shall find the girl soon enough."
"I know, I just worry about her," Michelangelo said. He quieted his mind and listened for Lillian again. She was only twenty yards away, behind a door at the end of a corridor. As Michelangelo signaled to Splinter to start moving, a small figured came out of another door in front of their target.
It was Sylvia.
"Now to teach my wayward fish a lesson in listening. Michelangelo muttered with a grin. Before Splinter could stop him Michelangelo vanished into a shadow, and crept up as close as he could to Sylvia. In a flash he had her restrained, and her mouth covered. She tried to scream and struggle for a few second until Michelangelo whispered in her ear. "Siv, relax, it's me!" She relaxed, and Michelangelo released her. Raphael came out of the shadows just as Sylvia turned on Michelangelo.
"Mike?" She shouted a whisper. "What are you trying to do? Scare me to death!"
"He's trying to teach you a lesson, Small Fry," Raphael said. "You should consider yourself lucky that it was Mikey that jumped you and not The Foot!"
Sylvia looked at Michelangelo who nodded then turned to Splinter who had just joined them. "Sensei, can you watch her for me?"
"I shall. I do not think she would be so foolish as to escape my care." Splinter glowered at the girl, who sighed.
Michelangelo examined the lock of the door then glanced up at Raphael with a grin. "Care to do the honors, bro?"
Raphael's grin matched Michelangelo's. "I thought you'd never ask." His sai went into the lock, and in seconds they were in the room.
They found themselves in a laboratory with more computers than anything else. In the center of the room were two plexiglass cages completely sealed and soundproof. Inside of the one on the left was Lillian, and in the one on the right was Donatello and Leonardo.
If Mikey was here he'd be complaining about his stomach right about now, Donatello thought absently as he stared at the door. He was hungry too, but it was pointless to complain about it. It wasn't like The Foot were going to give them a last meal.
"You okay, Don?" Leonardo asked worriedly.
He had been quiet again for too long. "As all right as can be expected," he reminded his brother. "I just hate the waiting."
I wish there was a way I could free you, my friends, Lillian thought to him from her cube. "I do not wish you to die, and they will kill you to try to get me to tell them the location of the temple.
Don't bother telling them anyway, Lil, Donatello warned her. The Shredder will just kill us anyway. He's wanted us dead for a long time. You telling him won't change that.
"I hate waiting too," Leonardo said. He still didn't hear Lillian. She still wouldn't send her thoughts to him. Leonardo glared at their weapons on the table nearby. They might has well been in the lair for all the good they did if they could not reach them. "If only we could find a way out of here."
Suddenly Donatello heard Lillian's voice inside his head again. Donatello, I sense Michelangelo and Raphael. They are close.
Can you tell how close? Donatello thought back.
I am not sure, but very– Suddenly Lillian sat up in her cube, and pressed her hands against the glass in agitation. Sharks and eels! They brought her with them?
"What?" Donatello asked forgetting to think the question. "Lillian what's wrong?"
"Donny, she can't hear us," Leonardo tried to remind him.
The door at that moment opened. Michelangelo and Raphael flanked the room with their weapons drawn. A second later Master Splinter walked in guiding a young mermaid Leonardo had not seen before.
"Oh Mikey," Donatello muttered.
Raphael moved over to their cube, and tried to talk to them. Leonardo shook his head no, and pointed to his ears. Hopefully Raphael would realize that they couldn't hear him. Michelangelo had gone over to the mermaid's cage, and was waving his hands around and shaking his head. Leonardo read his lips to see that Michelangelo was saying, 'not my fault not my fault.' The mermaid glared at him for a second but Michelangelo stood his ground and pointed to the young girl glaring at her for a moment before returning his attention to Lillian.
Lillian sighed and then looked at the girl, who glared back as well. Michelangelo said something to the young mermaid then, and she deflated.
"Looks like someone wasn't supposed to come with them," Leonardo said.
"Not if they don't want the Foot to get her." Donatello said. Raphael had found the control panel, and had called Michelangelo over to it. Both of them looked at it for several seconds and shook their head worriedly.
They can't figure out how to open our containers, Lillian said pensively. We must hurry if we are to escape The Foot!
If there was only a way for me to see the panel, Donatello thought. He knew that he would be able to understand the technology.
Lillian suddenly turned, and faced Donatello directly. She had not done so before. Donatello, would you allow Sylvia to enter your mind? She can show you the image of the controls, and you would be able to explain to her what to do.
"That might just work," Donatello answered, again forgetting to only think his words.
Leonardo was growing ancy. "Don, what are you talking about?" He asked.
The young mermaid had come forward to the cage. She nodded once at Donatello. He copied the gesture. They then locked eyes, but suddenly he found Leonardo blocking his gaze.
"Whatever you want to do to Don, you'll have to do it to me first," Leonardo said warningly. Sylvia looked up at him and shook her head sadly. Donatello pushed Leonardo away annoyed.
"Leo, they need to show me something. Mermaids are telepathic with sea creatures. I need to see what they're looking at. I'll be okay, really."
Leonardo sat back and frowned, but he didn't interfere again when Sylvia came forward and locked eyes with Donatello.
The moment he looked into Sylvia's eyes he felt a calm settle over him. There was nothing to worry about just do the job they needed him to do. Everything was fine. Reflexively he closed his eyes, and allowed the image of the control panel flow into his mind.
"Yes, I understand now," Donatello whispered. He knew full well the mermaid could hear his thoughts. In his mind he read the panel then thought back his instructions. "Make the dial go up to four hundred then pull the blue lever down," he said. The girl quickly obeyed him and Lillian's cage swung open.
"Good girl," Donatello said, still with his eyes closed. "Now do the same on the right side with the red lever." In seconds they heard the click of the lock on their enclosure.
Donatello jumped out of the cage, and instantly joined Sylvia at the control panel. "Great job," he said gently. The girl looked over at Lillian who drew the girl in for a hug.
"You are very disobedient to have come up here and risk capture," Lillian said sternly. "Your grandmother will be very displeased."
"I had to come to see Mike," Sylvia insisted. "You know I had too."
Lillian shook her head. "You two are far more bonded than anyone imagines aren't you?" Lillian glanced over at Michelangelo who simply smiled and shrugged.
"Hold it down!" Raphael said as he listened at the door. "Someone's coming!"
Leonardo grabbed the weapons. Michelangelo grabbed Lillian, Splinter did the same to Sylvia, and all of them went into hiding instantly. The door to the lab opened, and Shredder and Badb entered. Neither looked happy.
"Gone!" Shredder demanded. "How can they have escaped?"
"I should have known better than to trust your guards to keep them, Saki!" Badb said harshly.
"It is no matter, Badb," Shredder said calming down. "My scouts have already located the temple of Aegir. Already your squadron of Foot Tech Amazons are assembling for an all out assault. Very soon, Badb, the temple, and all of it's power, will be ours."
The two wandered out of the room leaving the door half open. Leonardo wasn't fooled for a second. He signaled the others to wait a full fifteen minutes before moving to see if the room war guarded outside. He didn't see any guards so he signaled the others to come out of hiding.
"This is terrible!" Lillian said. "They are going to attack the temple anyway! "
"We gotta get down there first and warn them!" Michelangelo said nodding.
Raphael nodded too, and activated his shell cell's head set. "We're all set April. Come and get us." The six of them moved to the back of the warehouse where April drove up. One by one they all piled into the Battle Shell and drove away.
"That was easy," Donatello said relieved.
Splinter's face was grave though. "Perhaps too easy."
"Perhaps, Master Splinter," Lillian said, bowing her head politely, "but my younger sister and I must return to our home and warn our people of this attack."
Splinter nodded, but his face was very sad. "Of course."
Michelangelo had moved up next to April. "Pull up here April, by the docks," he said. When she had pulled up as close to the water as she could, Michelangelo opened the door of the van, and helped Lillian and Sylvia out of The Battle Shell.
When he moved to join the two mermaids, Leonardo asked, in his sternest voice, "Michelangelo, where are you going?"
Michelangelo looked over his shoulder at Leonardo. "With them," he said. Before Leonardo could get another word out, Michelangelo looked over to Splinter. "We talked about this, sensei. You know I have to go."
Splinter nodded, but everyone could tell he was not happy. "Leonardo, your brother is correct. He must help his friends get to their temple. We should not prevent him from aiding them."
Leonardo frowned at that. "Sensei, are you sure about this?"
Still unsettled about it, but determined, Splinter answered. "Yes, I am sure."
"Well I'm not," Raphael suddenly added. Before the others could say anything he jumped out of the van and joined Michelangelo with the mermaids. "I'm going with him."
Leonardo sighed exasperated. "Raph!"
"Don't try to talk me out of it, Leo," Raphael said. "One of us should be going with Mikey anyway to make sure he comes back."
"Talk about the wrong turtle going along then," Donatello muttered under his breath.
April then noticed some blips on the Battle Shell's tracker. "Don, we've got multiple blips showing up."
"The Foot," Leonardo said.
"That settles it," Raphael said. "We don't have time to argue, Leo. I'm going, and you're not stopping me." With that he dove into the water, and surfaced looking at Michelangelo and the two mermaids. "You guys coming, or what?"
Michelangelo glanced at Raphael, but Lillian said, "it will be all right. We can look after him. We have to go now."
Michelangelo glanced back at Splinter who nodded once. "Be careful, Michelangelo, and return soon."
As the two mermaids jumped into the water Michelangelo said with his famous grin, "Don't worry, Master Splinter. Raph and I will be back before you have time to miss us!" With that he also jumped into the water. Seconds later the water was still as if no one had been there.
"The Foot are getting close," April said. "We'd better hurry."
As she drove away Leonardo looked completely distraught. "I feel as if I just left part of myself back there."
Donatello put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It will be all right, Leo. Mikey and Raph can take care of themselves."
"I know," Leonardo said sadly. "But I wish....I just wish..." Leonardo wasn't able to voice the emotion he was feeling at the moment. Instead he drew his katana and did two ready moves. Donatello smiled. Usually Raphael did that to burn of nervous energy.
Suddenly Leonardo stopped, and looked at his katana worriedly. "Something's wrong, it's balance is off. Upon a closer inspection Leonardo found a small electronic device hidden in the folds of his blades wrappings. Checking the other katana he found a similar device. "Don, check your bo!"
Donatello began to examine the bo carefully, and found the same thing. "It's some kind of Foot tracking device, but if they bugged us...."
"Then they may have done the same to Lillian's daggers." Leonardo said, growing more worried by the second. "They let us escape!"
"What?" Donatello asked, but Splinter nodded.
"They allowed you to escape with the false report that they knew the location of the mermaid's temple. The warning Michelangelo, Raphael and their friends are going to give will be a trap."
Donatello understood. "If Lil's daggers are bugged, she'll lead the Foot right to her temple! We've got to stop them!"
"Too late to stop them," Leonardo said. "I remember when I was with Lillian she could enable me to breath under the water with her. Without a mermaid to help us, we'd never survive underwater, much less find their hidden temple."
"Finding their temple isn't the problem," Donatello said evenly. "Remember I bugged Mikey with a sliver from the underground crystals. I can use the scanner to track Mikey the same way The Foot are tracking Lillian."
"Now all you guys have to do is learn how to breath under water," April said with a wry grin.
"Not a problem," Donatello answered. " If The Foot are planning an all out assault of the temple there is one thing they should have that we can borrow. April, let me drive."
To the other's surprise Donatello drove them almost back to where they had been held prisoner. Behind the warehouse were boxes of scuba type gear, including what Donatello was looking for. He took two large head pieces, and raced back to the Battle Shell.
"Exactly what I was looking for," Donatello announced. "Artificial gills. All I have to do is adjust them so they'll fit us."
"What about waterproofing your tracker?" April asked. Donatello laughed at the suggestion.
"April, once I knew we were dealing with real live mermaids, I waterproofed all my gear. I'll be ready as soon as I finish these adjustments. You'd better get ready for a long trip underwater too Leo."
Leonardo nodded, though he seemed very apprehensive. Splinter came over, and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right, my son?"
"What am I going to do, sensei?" Leonardo's voice dropped slightly. He didn't want Donatello to know how he felt. "I was going half crazy when we were trapped. I could feel everything Lillian was trying to do to The Foot. What am I going to do if I'm down there with a whole bunch of mermaids?"
"I understand your apprehension about the mermaids, Leonardo," Splinter said comfortingly. "But you must also remember that we are still in their debt." Splinter raised his hand, and Leonardo followed it to where Donatello sat working on the artificial gills.
Leonardo flushed embarrassed. "I had forgotten. Lillian saved Donny's life when we were children."
"If you cannot trust your instincts about the mermaids," Splinter instructed him, "Then trust what we know is true. They have aided us when we needed them. They healed you and Raphael when you were ill. Even if you feel you cannot trust them, they have earned that trust."
Leonardo nodded. "You're right of course sensei. We have to help them."
"Remember, Leonardo," Splinter said. "The enemy of our enemy is our friend. That the Shredder has chosen to make the mermaids his enemy means that they shall be our allies against him, and as our allies we should aid them."
That settled him more. He knew that Splinter was right.
"Okay they're all set," Donatello said, with one last turn of his screwdriver. "Leo tell me if this fits. "
Donatello handed Leonardo the mask, and Leonardo carefully put it on, adjusting the straps. The mask was a little more snug than he would have preferred, but it was comfortable enough. "That's good," he said to Donatello.
"It may be a little tight, but it has to keep the water out," Donatello explained. He checked the Battle Shell's scanner. "Mikey is heading South West, towards Staten Island. Donatello then turned to Leonardo and Master Splinter. "Are you ready?"
Leonardo took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm ready Don." He said. He then faced Splinter. "We'll be back Sensei."
"I know you will, my son," The aged rat said affectionately. He drew Leonardo and Donatello both in for a hug. "Be careful," he said, then watched as the last of his children moved over to the docks, and disappeared into the water.
Coming Soon Chapter 13
Michelangelo and the mermaids circled the railing, Raphael who was at the tail of the line moved forward to stand between his brother and the Mermaid leader Benten. Silvia stood at her grandmother's other side. To Raphael's surprise Michelangelo placed his hands together and bowed respectfully to the glowing orb. " I call upon The Oracle, who sees what cannot be seen and knows what no one knows."
The orb in the center of the room brightened. "Welcome Michelangelo," A woman's voice said warmly, filling the chamber. "I know why you are here."
Raphael backed up in shock. "What the shell?" He asked, but Benten and Sylvia hushed him.
Michelangelo smiled and giggled at the light. "I figured you did, Oracle. Now would you please tell Murial that the Foot are not tracking me?"
"Of course, Michelangelo," the orb replied. "The Foot are not tracking you."
"See!" Michelangelo grinned triumphantly back to Murial who scowled back at him.
However the Oracle was not finished. "The Foot are tracking Lillian," she said.