Chapter 3
Saving Leonardo
He reached the top and gazed across the city. It was so beautiful from up here, the bright, clear lights of the city below with the pure, radiant light of the moon and stars above. He sighed heavily his breath clouding and blowing away in the wind, here he could relax. It was still early even for him and sensei was still sleeping as were his brothers and would be for at least another hour, so he was safe from discovery. Unlike the blaring of horns or sirens or the chatter of people as they walked by it was quiet far up here, a good place to clear one's mind and meditate. Here he could reminisce and recall his dream, what did it mean? Dreams were said to be able to sometimes predict coming events, but he couldn't understand this dream, these people. Who were they? Why were they fighting him? And who was that woman?
He had taken to retreating up here quite often after a dream or at least into his room, it was the only place he could contemplate its meaning without being interrogated about the dream itself or his screams. Sensei knew, he always knew and while he hadn't asked outright, it was only a matter of time, and his brothers they sensed something also despite his attempts to keep quiet and stop worrying. No, soon they would all know what was bothering him and together they may be able to work it out, but he feared even they would not be much help this time. He felt alone now as he did in the dream, cold and…scared of what could come to pass. From his meditation he had concluded it was only he, he'd been alone and ambushed, his brothers nowhere in sight, strange considering they were hardly ever apart. What was stranger still was the woman that appeared, he'd never seen her, yet she seemed to know who he was, so perhaps this event was not to happen for a few months maybe years, if at all. He often thought of her for although he didn't know her she intrigued him. She was young, about his age, but shrouded in mystery he was clueless about anything concerning her. It wasn't like him to pay that much attention to girls and women, but she kept his interest, which is what surprised him. Most he considered friends or should he feel anything else well a few days' meditation and good workouts in the dojo would sort that out.
The roaring of an engine below shook him from his dreams; he shook his head trying to clear his thoughts without success. Something hit the floor behind him, making him jump and reach for his swords as he whipped round. Only an old, rusty bar lay behind him, fallen from a small assemblum of scaffolding left long ago. There appeared to be no one around, but soon he would have to return, however the faint flicker of a dying light at the far corner of the roof caught his attention. It seemed strange but that place looked familiar, like he'd seen it before, but he so rarely came up here and when he did he always stayed near the ladder so he'd never seen this before. The light flickered a little occasionally leaving the area completely clouded in darkness, only then did Leo's mind supply where this was from. The gravely floor and the graffiti covering the corner of one side of the wall, this was where his last dream with that girl was. But, that meant she was in New York somewhere didn't it and to be on the same rooftop he visited, wasn't that a little more than coincidence. Or maybe it was because of the dream they'd appeared here, his mind supplying a dark and remote place far above civilisation.
Across barren lands and clouds of dust upturned by a speeding vessel Raylene drew closer to her target. New York City was below she'd reach the outskirts in a few minutes. The city looked oddly beautiful she concluded, she never really thought it would, after all wasn't it just filled with factories and many modes of transportation polluting the air. But here descending speedily towards the city with its hundreds of glowing lights seemed to make the city shine. Her face had a wisp of a ghostly smile, but turning serious, this was no time to admire the view someone important to her and many others even if he didn't know it yet needed to be saved. Glancing down at her watch she cussed she was three minutes late from the expected time, it wasn't much but in situations like this minutes make all the difference. Cranking up the power of the bike it sped off in a blur of colour but strangely little noise. This little gadget installed on her bike would guarantee to make up for the lost time, even if it would destroy the bike soon after, it was worth it. The first buildings loomed above as she whizzed through the streets left and right. Here the city's distinct unpleasant aroma greeted her nose, which wrinkled in disgust as she looked at the rubbish littering the streets, how could people live like this? She was very close now just a few more blocks and she'd be there, the question was, was she in time?
Leo still stood staring at the dying light which would soon plunge him into total darkness, a ninja was supposed to stay in the shadows unseen by all, but up here above the people only able to look and watch but never be, he was safe. No one ever really came up here, just a few punks with nothing to do, but not at this time, no now they would be consuming alcohol like a fish until they passed out. The light flickered once, twice then gone. Now in darkness he signed and rubbed his upper arms, it was getting cold and dawn was approaching, he'd have to get back soon. He glanced out across the city of lights, it was plagued by crime and violence that he and his brothers so often fought to stop, yet if one was to look for the first time from here they'd never think a city like this could be the way it was. He closed his eyes as a moment to reflect before he had to return and display the mask to those he loved most, to keep them safe from his own fears. All was silent up there that is until the gravel crunched. His eyes snapped open he wasn't alone. His ninja instincts awoke in a second as he looked behind him, nothing. It was empty not a soul was in the darkness save his own yet he knew somewhere deep inside that this wasn't right. For seconds he waited his breath held and his hands reaching ever closer towards his katanas, something was here he could feel it. His hand reached to grab the handle of his beloved katana yet his hand grabbed nothing, what was going on? His hand reached back to their holders to confirm it as it proved true his katanas were gone. With them gone he could only rely on his hand combat, but he would already be at a disadvantage it his enemy were armed. Shadows darker than before despite the lightening of the horizon as dawn approached ever nearer loomed in around him. Gravel crunched again and he strained to listen what direction it came from until, smack. He stumbled forward dazed momentarily from the blow to the back of his head. It was just one shot and he seemed to be able to recover until he was immediately assaulted again, this time in his chest and back. His expertise in the field of weapons granted him the knowledge that the weapons his attackers now used were the bo and sai. He stood in position ready to attack unsure how many his attackers were, he not seen them yet they seemingly appeared out of nowhere attacked then disappeared. More came this time darting out of the shadows in hazy blurs before attacking, he defended best he could, but he was outnumbered he guessed around twelve to one and weaponless. His legs were swept from underneath him and he fell to the floor landing on his shell. The beating continued and he felt dizzy as a heavy blow to the head with a pipe he guessed from the one abandoned earlier hit him. They continued relentlessly long after he was unable to defend anymore. It felt like hours even if in reality it had only been minutes that they continued. All the while his mind screamed why had he left the safety of the den. Eventually they stopped only to haul him to his feet and drag him across the roof. His whole body ached at the movement and large bruises appeared as he was forced to comply with their action. Numbly he was dragged, his eyes drooping shut as his body fought the urge to fall into the dark abyss and sanctuary of unconsciousness. He felt himself grabbed by his upper arms then launched through the air only their was no gravely rooftop to break his fall only the paved street below. His eyes opened and tears sprang to them as the air stung them. He was falling fast and hard toward the ground with no one to save him, his nightmare had become his reality.
Raylene pulled upside the building she knew Leo to be up top, she didn't have to see to know the battle had started between them. Climbing off the bike she slung the rope over her shoulder then climbed the rusting and broken ladder of the opposite run down building. It was slimy from years of neglect and dirt, but that didn't bother her she had a turtle to rescue. It was tricky work climbing up the broken steps in some parts, but eventually she reached the top. Looking at the roof across she saw Leo fall to the ground completely defenceless; she hadn't much time. Creating a lasso she began to swing it above her head. She let it fly and silently prayed it would work, the rope flew and began to descend then slid down onto the hook of a small crane between the two buildings. Grabbing the rope in her hands she looked back up, but remained calm and collected enough to stay in the shadows. She watched as Leo was grabbed dragged to his feet and forced to move across the rooftop, her fist clenched as she crouched down ready to run. He neared the edge and she ran, he was hurled off the building and began descending as she jumped. She swung down as Leo drew closer toward the bottom. She realised her mistake seconds later, she had jumped to late she should of jumped at the same time. Sliding down the rope as it descended burning her hands, she gritted her teeth and held out her hand. She approached him closer and closer, she could hear the protests of his attackers above, but did her best to ignore them only Leo mattered now. He was mere inches from the ground as her arms wound its way around his torso, his arms and chest grazed slightly as they dragged along the floor. They were lifting up again now slightly when shuriken with poisoned tips imbedded themselves along the wall where they had swung by a split second ago. They weren't too high when Raylene let go of the rope falling back to the ground. Arms protectively round Leo she descended once again followed by a line of shuriken one tearing her shirt but just missing her skin, that was too close. Her feet hit the ground, her arms still around Leo carrying his weight best she could, who knew a turtle could be so heavy? His arm wrapped round behind her neck her other arm around supporting him from the back she dragged him to her bike, which lay on the ground not so far away. Placing him on first she then sat behind him then revved up the bike as his attackers reached ground level. She took off weaving in and out of dark alleyways trying to lose them but to no avail. She may have had the advantage of speed, but they had the upper hand regarding the city layout she soon concluded as she sped down a narrow alley to a dead end. Looking back she saw her pursuers now blocking her retreat, she was trapped. Their pursuers laughed and jeered at them and started coming closer, but the revving of the bike kept them at bay not to far away.
The alley was definitely quite narrow with little room to manoeuvre, there were no lights either so there she sat in complete darkness, the stilehettos of her pursuers drawing ever nearer and she was trapped, well almost. She noticed not to far away an old skip laden with old junk and as luck would seem to have it an old board sticking out at an angle resting more against the skip than on it. She realised the opportunity that presented itself and that it seemed the only way out and she wasn't going to waste it. Moving back to be able to get some small amount of speed before going up the board as it seemed old and fragile and would quite likely break after she'd gone up it. The engine revved again, but her pursuers were getting braver as the approached further still. She stepped down and the bike roared to life taking off, leaving their pursuers momentarily stunned. It covered the distance in seconds and soon it was with some speed though quite jerkily making its way up the board. It acted as a kind of ramp allowing her to jump over the skip and her pursuers who had gathered round the other side of the skip when they realised what she was trying to do. The bike hit the ground swerving a little making it difficult to control without knocking into something. The tyres screeched and her grip tightened as the bike all but span round the corner of an old factory. It crashed through the door, which had been boarded up, but had gone rotten through years of standing. Inside the building it was dark and cold with a pungent and tangy taste in the air. The bike slowed once inside and a red light flashed she was losing petrol somewhere. As best she could she kicked the back of the bike making it lurch and take off again as voices sounded and some of the debris started being pulled away. The tyres screeched again and a trail of petrol from the leak in the bike followed behind. She blindly drove on through the building until she reached the decaying double doors at the other end, which strange enough were open. She drove out into the street realising she was now on the very edges of the city and near to where she first entered as the first rays of sunshine flooded the sky. She reached a small estate right before her exit point and ground to a halt. She couldn't travel back in daylight with Leo on the front of a bike and leaving a trail to be followed. Glancing around she spied an old truck; she pulled up beside it and opened the door, no keys. No matter she thought pulling out a bunch of wires from underneath the steering wheel. Rubbing two of the together the engine came to life almost with a purring sound, she smiled. Finally something seemed to be going right. Placing Leo in the passenger seat slightly lay down as it was meant for three people in the front and she was only small. She covered him with her coat then climbed back out of the truck. Picking up the bike she hauled it into the back of the truck, it may be dead for now, but it wasn't beyond repair and this was priceless technology far more advanced than any other bike, and she wasn't going to let it fall into enemy hands. Bike on the back of the truck covered by the sheet already there, she jumped off the back into the main compartment and sat behind the wheel, how did you drive these things? A bike was easy, but she'd never driven a car or truck. Heavy footfall made her look up, her pursuers were back and they'd be here any minute. Stepping on a pedal the truck purred loudly as it raced down the street and turning abruptly came out of the city onto open road. The city was in full daylight now, but Leo was safe with her covered slightly in the front of the truck to prevent discovery. She looked in the mirror and saw the city getting smaller and an empty road behind and in font of her. Even if it wasn't the best rescue in history her mind supplied at least Leo was safe…. for now.
TBC…
Sorry for the major long wait in updating this fic, but I kinda had to rewrite the whole story plan and then decide how to write it with the new plan. But, don't worry loyal reviewees for I have already pre-written some chappies so I'm looking to update about once a week for the mo. Plz Read & Review.
