Chapter 4

Meeting Raylene

Far beneath the city streets of New York in an old but fairly well designed kitchen considering it was made and put together with scraps of boards found at the city junkyard sat an old and wizened rat. He sat at a small, dark round table; slightly chipped in places his gnarled hand curved round a cup of steaming tea. He'd been roused from sleep much earlier than normal, with a feeling of something a miss. His sons would not wake for another half hour until they had their training session in the dojo. He looked up at the clock, it read 6 'o'clock as he sipped his tea, he had a little time to meditate on this matter before he would alert his sons.

Raylene walked into a dark room yet again underground and listened to the steady breathing and watching the rise and fall of the patient lying in the bed. They'd arrived here, at her home a quarter of an hour ago yet now Leo lay safe and warm and attended to, he'd probably wake in an hour or so, so she had plenty of time to prepare herself for an onslaught of confused questions and an explanation. His bedside clock ticked over to read 6.25am and she smiled tenderly glancing at him one last time before shutting the door and walking down the corridor. This early mornings events were taking their toll a bit as her shoulders shagged only then did she realise how dirty she was. Her nose turned up as she realised how she must smell and decided a shower and a new change of clothes wouldn't go a miss and she had plenty of time to do so. That thought in mind she headed down the corridor and disappeared through a door, minutes later the sound of running water could be heard.

The clock struck 6.30am in the sewers as Donatello stumbled through his bedroom door in the direction of the kitchen, nothing beat black coffee in a morning after staying up late at night working on one of his latest projects. He walked into the kitchen and immediately his nose was assaulted with smell of food sizzling away on the cooker. He opened a cupboard and pulled out a mug then switched the kettle on as Mike's way to cheerful voice asked.

"Hey bro, how's it hang'in?"

Donnie grumbled something in reply to which Mikey answered, "Ooookay" before turning on the radio.

Donatello sat down at the table coffee in one hand his head in the other. A newspaper lay open before him begging his attention, usually he would sit and read for the next ten minutes, but something bugged him this morning. Leo had been unusually distracted lately and was usually the first up in a morning, but he wasn't here now? Pushing back his chair, which scraped against the floor he stood, perhaps he wasn't up yet? He walked out of the kitchen leaving Mike to dance around the kitchen. How could he be so energetic at this time? He walked past the first cart and noticed a dim light; probably candlelight, which meant Sensei, was meditating then walked on to the next cart. He stopped by the door then rapped lightly on it, nothing.

"Leo, are you in there?" he asked.

No answer.

He knocked again this time a little louder, "Leo" he called.

Again nothing, so this time he turned the handle and opened the door, it was dark so he flicked the switch and the light came on, empty. Walking back out closing the door behind him, he went back into the kitchen.

"Hey, Mikey?" he called.

"Yeah, bro?" he answered after placing food on the plates.

"Have you seen Leo?"

"He's not in his room?"

"No"

"He's probably with Splinter," answered Mike sitting down at the table with two plates.

"Yeah, your right" said Donnie sitting down next to Mike.

They spent the rest of breakfast discussing one of Mike's latest video games he'd found that is until Raph came through the door.

"Hey, Raph" said Mikey, smiling.

Raph grunted as he slouched down in the seat he'd taken. He most definitely was not a morning turtle.

The tapping of a wooden cane sounded a minute later and at 7 'o' clock just struck Splinter appeared in the doorway.

"My sons, please join me in the dojo" he said before slowly making his way toward the dojo.

"But, what about…." Mike started, but a Splinter gaze he fell silent.

They entered the dojo one by one and the three turtles sat down on the mats looking round for any sign of their eldest brother.

"My sons,…." Started Splinter before Raphael asked.

"Where's Leo?"

A pointed look stopped any more forthcoming question from Raphael or the others so he continued.

"My sons, you know something deeply troubles Leonardo"

"It is a matter which troubles me for he has always sought my knowledge in these times, but yet he chooses to face his troubles alone"

"What can we do Sensei?"

"For now we can only observe for we do not yet know the full extent of what troubles him"

At his sons crest fallen faces as they realised they could do nothing Splinter added, "Take comfort my sons, for a friend of mine now watches him, she will help him through this"

At the sudden interest of his three sons Splinter also sat down and began to tell them something, which he should of told long before.

He was falling again faster the ground was approaching, wind crashing into his chest preventing his screams and blurring his eyes with tears, this was it. Just inches to go then nothing. Leo woke with a start, again the dream was different, but thankfully only a dream. He sat up then winced at the unexpected pain, he looked down and saw his arms had been bandaged up as well as his chest, so it wasn't a dream. If that was the case though, where was he? Did his pursuers sell him on to a lab or something? He looked at the room he occupied blank walls with no kind of decoration, just his bed and a small side table with a clock which read 7.30am. The air smelt sterile he noticed, as he rubbed his head, what a head popper, he concluded that was from the pipe smashed against his head. He sat up and threw aside the covers the rest of him seemed fine except all his pads had been removed. Glancing round he spied them at the end of his bed partially tucked under. He donned them and pulled his mask tighter before standing up. The world span for a moment before settling so moving to the door he tried it, it moved aside rather than in front or towards him, odd he thought.

He walked into the corridor again they were the same blank walls, the lights were bright all along the corridor making it hard to creep around, but hey he was a ninja right. He crept a ways down the corridor noticing doors on either side of him. After about eight sets of doors down he touched one seeing if it would open like his bedroom door had done, it did. The door slid aside and walking in he hid in the shadows that seemed numerous in here. He noticed a large screen fixed on wall, but it was black, turned off. Another side of the room seemed to have one massive door while the other had faintly glowing screens digits he couldn't make out across them. What held his attention however, was a small frame of a young woman curled up in her chair. She was swinging in it absent-mindedly, she yawned quietly, and she seemed familiar somehow. She stood up and her previously curled up position had belied her height because she stood about 5'10, she was barefoot and she wore a long black trench coat, tight fitting leather pants with a green tank top and a black hat a top her head. Her hair was long and black but he had yet to fully see her face. A soft voice suddenly spoke up, "You don't have to hide in the shadows anymore Leo?"

Apart from the obvious sliding open of the door when he'd entered, he hadn't made a sound so how did she know he was here and more importantly his name?

"Who are you?" he asked.

She began to slowly turn round as she said, "Do you not know?"

She was not fully turned to him but slightly bathed in shadow; he gasped the girl from his dreams.

"It's been a long time Leo?"

"How do you know me?" he asked.

"I know many people Leo, but as for knowing you that is with many thanks to your Sensei Splinter"

"How do you him?"

"That is a matter long ago that you would better find an answer with your Sensei"

"And who are you?"

A whirring sound made him look up as the lights blinked on then looking back he saw her stood by his side.

"I am Raylene," She said holding out her hand.

He shook her hand noticing how small and soft it seemed to be in his, yet if the things in his dreams were true when needed these hands could be the opposite.

"Leo" he said smiling at her and she smiled in return.

Training carried on relatively normal after that for the three remaining turtles. Mike and Donnie paired off first followed on later by Donnie and Raph. He seemed angry his moves were sloppy and he wasn't fully concentrating allowing his younger brother to disarm him of one of his sais.

"Dah" he said frustrated.

Followed a moment later by a hit on his other wrist making him drop his remaining sai and fall to the ground when Donnie's bo hit him on the back of his knees.

"Damn" he said grabbing his sais and placing them in his belt before trudging over to the punch bag.

Donnie sat down next to Mike and drank from the water bottle he handed him as he watched Raph lay into the punching bag. His mind pondered over what Splinter had told them that morning. He claimed to have had another student, a girl he'd started teaching from when they were about seven, but she was six. She'd been wondering the sewers alone, lost and hurt but he supplied no reason for taking her in as his student only saying that in time would come answers. They were also supposed to meet her very soon he'd said but didn't specify exactly how soon that would be. He wondered if that's what was making Raph so bad tempered this morning, that Sensei had another student but never said anything to them; either that or that Leo was missing training this morning. He guessed he'd just have to wait and see as he focused on Raph pounding the bag swinging about in the air.

TBC…

I know this chapter isn't quite as exciting as the last, but hold in their people cos I assure u it will get better. Plz Read & Review!