Disclaimer: I don't own turtles, splinter, shredder, foot, april, and casey. Everything else is mine!
Ch. 11 - Too Late
"I'm going back for her!" Leonardo said as he turned around. The turtles had just barely escaped from their encounter with the foot.
"Are you crazy, Leo? She tried to kill you!" Raph said back. He couldn't believe that Leo, the one who always had his head on his shoulders, was willing to risk his life to go back and try to rescue some girl that almost killed him twice.
"But she didn't! She had an opportunity to kill me and she didn't," Leo pointed out. I know she came very close to ending my life two times and probably doesn't need someone to rescue her, but I can't just leave her there without even trying. She seemed like she was possessed or something. I know it wasn't really her that she tried to kill me.
"He's right, you know," Donnie added. It was true. They had all seen it for themselves. Brianna could've finished their brother off but she had clearly said that she couldn't do it. I don't think Leo's in any trouble from her. He appears to have some connection with her that I don't quite understand at this point. It's the government and Shredder that I'm worried about. Who knows what they'll do to him or to the rest of us if they get their hands on him!
"Come on Raph, this is what we do. Rescue damsels in distress!" Mikey playfully said, trying to ease the tension between his two brothers.
"I still think Leo is crazy for wanting to go back for that psycho girlfriend of his," Raph muttered.
As they neared the warehouse a black car sped away. The windows were tinted so the turtles could not see who was in it. But whoever they were, seemed to be in real big hurry. Thankfully most of the foot were still down when they arrived. Leo snuck up behind Shredder and held his katana to his throat, while his brothers hid behind boxes.
"Let her go!" Leo seethed at Shredder.
"Sorry can't do that," Shredder said.
"And why not?"
"Because I don't have her anymore,"
"What did you do to her?"
"Nothing really. Just handed her over to some government guy," Leo's eyes went wide as he realized what the Shredder had done. He had returned Brianna to the very same people she had just escaped from. The very same people who likely had been torturing her throughout her life. The very same people he had promised to protect her from. He had failed her. Perhaps he could still get her back! He couldn't give up! No! Never give up!
"Who? And why?" Leo asked.
"I believe I'm done playing twenty questions," Leo dug his katana further into the shredder's neck, drawing a little bit of blood.
"Don't make me ask again,"
"Tech. Touchy, touchy, aren't we? I was paid 35,000 for my invention and for her by some guy. He claimed he was from the United States Government. I didn't catch his name," Shredder answered and suddenly rolled his chair back into Leo who lost his grip on his katana. Leo quickly picked up his katana and got away with his brothers right behind him.
Brianna woke up and was terrified to find out that she was back in the same room that only days ago, had escaped from. How had she ended up back there? She vaguely remembered meeting some guy named Shredder but that was about it. This cannot be happening! Will I ever learn the meaning of freedom? Am I doomed to remain here and do as they say for the remainder of my days? Is there no hope for me? In a panic, she got up and started banging on the door.
"LET ME OUT OF HERE! LET ME OUT!" She screamed until her throat was dry. Even then she continued to scream until the door was unlocked and Capt. Carter entered with a little black box. By pressing a few controls, he got her to calm down and sit down on the bed.
"Why Miss Brianna, you must calm yourself," He spoke as he approached her.
"Now listen to me. Do you remember those creatures you were with?" Brianna nodded in reply.
"Good. Now do you recall the one with the blue mask?"
"Yes," She replied.
"Excellent. I order you to bring the one in the blue mask to me. Understood?"
"Yes," She replied again. Capt. Carter had her escorted out of the building.
"How's he holding up?" April asked them. Leo and Raph had brought Splinter over the night before. They had briefly explained that the government had discovered their home and they were afraid their 'father' would be taken and experimented on when they weren't around. April and Casey had of course agreed to let Splinter stay with them until a new home could be found for them. Hours earlier the turtles had returned and explained everything that had happened. Everyone had tried to cheer Leo up but he refused to let himself be happy. He couldn't stop thinking about how he had failed her. Not even his sensei could comfort him. They had all figured it was best to just let Leo be for awhile and hope that he came out of it on his own.
"Oh, he's the same," Mikey replied not even looking up from the cartoon on TV.
"I'm afraid he's got it bad," Donnie added who was watching cartoons with Mikey.
"Ya don't think?" Mikey asked.
"I do," was Donnie's reply.
"If you guys are thinking what I'm thinking then I agree," said April.
"What are we thinking?" asked Raph who just walked into the room along with Casey.
"Leo's in love!" Mikey and Donnie said together. April and Casey stifled a laugh while Raph just rolled his eyes.
"He's got to get that girl out of his mind! She's the reason why we have to move yet again and must I remind everyone how she attacked him and me earlier!" Raph angrily said.
"Aw cheer up dome head, just cuz you've never been in love is no reason to be such a sour puss about it," Casey said.
"Well I'm never gonna be in love," Raph said as the others laughed at him. Leo walked in next dressed in his trench coat and fedora.
"My son, where are you going?" Splinter asked as he looked up from the lazy-boy recliner chair.
"It is dark now, Sensei. I thought I'd go up on the roof to meditate," Leo answered.
"A wise decision. I hope you are able to find some peace," Splinter said before Leo walked out.
Leo climbed the fire-escape all the way to the top. He looked over the city for a few moments before finally sitting down. What do I do now? The government's got her again. None of us know where they took her. So how can I possibly hope to rescue her if I don't even know where to look? It's all my fault she was even captured in the first place. Maybe if I had insisted that she stay with us, then she wouldn't been attacked by the foot and gained their attention. They would've never kidnapped her and Shredder wouldn't have sold her to the government. Or maybe if I had just stayed closer to her side and kept an eye out for her during the attack instead of assuming she could handle herself, then she wouldn't have been drugged off and I wouldn't have been knocked out, powerless to save her. At least I was able to talk some sense into her last night when she tried to kill me. She was not herself. Her eyes had this eerie look to them. Like there wasn't anything there. As if she was just some machine being used. I know Raph thinks I should've fought back with all my strength, considering how strong she is, but I just couldn't bring myself to cause her real harm. And why not? She did try to kill me. Hell, a few nights ago she tried to kill all of us starting with Raph. Why did I even attempt to talk to her instead of attacking? Wait. Is it possible? Is what I'm feeling for her the real deal? Do I honestly love her? Yes. I think I do. I am in love with Brianna.
Thud. Leo turned at the sound and was surprised that it was Brianna on the roof next door. He had to tell her how he felt. It was the honest and noble thing to do after all.
"Brianna! I am glad that you have escaped. There is something very important I must tell you," He said to her. She appeared not to hear him or maybe she didn't care. For she quickly turned and started walking away from him. There was no way that Leo was just going to let her go like that. He had to tell her the truth. She deserved to know. Plus he got the feeling that something was going on with her and he wanted to know what it was. So he followed suit. The two started jumping across roof tops for a couple of blocks before finally climbing down into a dark alleyway. As soon as his feet touched the ground he felt a shock enter throughout his whole body and then he fell to the ground. His whole body was paralyzed. All he could do was to look to see what was going on. He saw men pick him up and throw him into the back of a van of some kind. They then stopped to talk to Brianna for a bit. He could barely hear their conversation but what he did hear really puzzled him.
"Good work... leave this note... understood?" One of them said in a commanding voice.
"Yes," was Brianna's reply and she headed back in the same direction that she had come. This was unbelievable! She had tricked him into following her so that they could nab him. But why?
"Master Splinter, hasn't Leo been gone for an awfully long time?" Donnie asked. He was very worried about his oldest brother. Leo never went out by himself for this long. It would be day soon and Leo was very cautious not to be outside during the day.
"Yes my son. But do not worry. It is not day yet. Give him time to find peace and come back to us," Splinter wisely replied. He too was becoming increasingly worried about his eldest son. Though he knew that Leo was greatly troubled by this girl. He even suspected that he loved her. He could only hope that his son would realize this for himself soon. There also wasn't anything he or his other sons could do at this moment.
"If he's still thinking about the psycho girl, I'm gonna deck him," Raph commented.
"Raphael! You'll do no such thing," Splinter reprimanded.
April came down in her work outfit and said good-bye to each of her guests before heading out the door. Splinter and his adopted sons became very worried when they saw April return a second later with a paper in her hand.
"You guys have to read this. It's for you," She said as she handed Donnie, since he was the closest to her, the note.
"What does it say?" Mikey asked.
"It's about Leo," Donnie answered.
"Is it something good? It's not good, is it?" Mikey said as he hoped that his big brother wasn't in some kind of trouble.
"Tell us what it says my son," Splinter said.
"Dear creatures,
If you ever want to see the one in the blue bandanna again, you will meet us at 9pm down by the old alleyway behind Mark's Groceries. If you fail to show, the captured creature will be terminated and then dissected within 24hrs," Donnie read.