Disclaimer: I don't own the turtles, I just play with them. Austin, Devon, Bill, Terri, Jimmy, Jason, Dr. Adair, and now all the kids at the Institute belong to me. And I can do anything I like to them. Muahahahahahahaha….
Before the fic Author's Notes: Ok, this chapter was a little harder to get out, because I had something else on my mind. The something else? That would be the new kitty I adopted from the humane society. He's oh-so cute and fluffy. A three-year old lynx/tabby/Maine coon/snowshoe mix thing. And trying to get him acquainted with my other two cats is a bit of a distraction. But anyway, his name is Harry Potter, (If I'd had my way, his name would have been Galahad, but alas, my roommates overruled me.) due to the scar over one eye caused by a head injury he acquired before he was taken to the shelter for care. Perhaps I shall post pictures to the LiveJournal once I get them uploaded.
FunFact:Jason, Devon's partner, was originally going to be named Jake. Why did I change? Because apparently in between the Disclaimer and the first paragraph, I subconsciously changed my mind, and his name was forever after, Jason. I can be such a space case sometimes, I swear to god.
Misadventures of the Mentally Unstable
Chapter 6
-DING- Pay attention here!
The present time in this chapter will be written 3rd person mainly from Leo's POV, like the second chapter was. 1st person Austin will be back next chapter.
Italicsare Austin's thoughts or flashback
"So you're the new freak, huh? What can you do? Anything interesting?"
Austin looked up from where she was seated on her new bed, her arms curled around her knees. The side of the room she was sitting on had bare walls, and plain ordinary sheets. There was a standard white clock with black numbers hanging above the small closet that held no clothes. Austin hadn't bothered to unpack. She wouldn't be here long. Devon would help her find a way out and they'd run away together. They'd go back to California and live with Jason and everything would be fine again. It wouldn't be too long. Devon had taken a quick look around, then come back to her in almost a panic. Well, as panicked as a ghost could be. 'There's something wrong here, Austin. I can't put my finger on it yet… but… I can't visit you as often here. It would be… it would be really bad. I'll pop in as often as possible… but…' He'd seemed rather hesitant. 'I'm breaking rules to be with you, you know that, Munchie?' Austin had nodded. He'd already explained to her there were rules. Rules that could be bent, but only so far. And he was already pushing his limits. 'If I come too often They'll take notice. They'll take me away from you.' She had no clue who "They" were, but she didn't want Devon taken away from her.
'Ok.' She'd said. She didn't want Devon taking risks either. She couldn't lose him again. And she could take care of herself… for a little while. But in order to get out of here, she'd need him.
'I'll try to figure a way out of this, Austin. Don't worry; I'll come up with something.' She knew he would. He hadn't let her down yet.
But for right now, there was a perky blond sitting on the bed next to hers. In startling contrast to Austin's side of the room, Ellie's side was decorated in lots of bright colors. Posters of kittens and puppies hung all over the walls. The bedspread was lilac with rainbows and unicorns. And there was a giant stuffed teddy bear sitting in the corner of the room with a t-shirt that said "Hugs are for friends!". The intense cheerfulness of it all made Austin want to throw up.
"Huh?"
"What's your secret? We've all got 'em. Us freaks down here in the 'high security' section." So that's why she was down here. Austin had been given a tour of the facility. Had her parents bothered to even fly over with her, they would have been impressed. Large classrooms that had inspirational sayings hung on every wall took up the first and second stories of the Institute. The third story was home to the dorms for all the 'normal' students. Austin had wondered what 'normal' students were in a hospital for insane kids. But she had been taken down to the lower level… the underground. Level A it was called. And there was a guard posted at the elevator when she got off. Then she was shown to her room. The room she now shared with Ellie Fig. She'd been left alone to get settled, during which time Devon had told her he couldn't stay. Then Ellie had returned from her sessions with Dr. Adair.
"Secret…?" Austin blinked uncomprehendingly. She didn't want to talk to this girl. She wanted to be left alone. But something in Ellie's expression interested her.
"Yah, secret. Power. Ability. Whatever you want to call it. We all have them down here on Level A. That's why they post the guards. You'll get used to it after a while. I've been here for three years now."
"I… I don't understand."
Ellie sighed and hopped off her bed, crossed the few steps to Austin's, and climbed up to sit across from her.
"You know. The reason you're here."
"I… I'm here for therapy." Austin clutched a pillow tightly to her chest. It was a nervous habit she'd picked up after returning to her parent's house.
Ellie blinked at her in confusion, her face darkening. "Are you sure you're supposed to be down here? On Level A, I mean. Maybe there was a mix-up…" Oh god, Austin hoped there was. She wanted to be up on the third floor where it would be easier for her to escape. Down here it would be next to impossible. "You ARE Austin Bridger, right? That's who my new roommate was supposed to be."
"Yah… that's me."
"Huh. Maybe you just don't know what it is yet. That happens sometimes. I've seen a couple kids go through here like that."
"Well…what's… what's your power?" Austin asked cautiously.
"Me? I can see into the future. Not like fortune telling, or those psychic people on TV, though. I have dreams. Sometimes it's not all that clear, but I record them down in a journal every morning for Dr. Adair. And then he looks through them and tries to interpret them. Sometimes I help. It's rather fascinating. Although, sometimes we're not sure what something means until it happens. Get it?" Austin nodded her head. She thought she understood. "And then there's Lucas down the hall. Supposedly he can manipulate fire or something like that. I don't talk to him much. He's a bit of a loner. Doesn't like people. And Wendy in the room across from us? She's from an alternate dimension. Or so she claims. Something about a spell going wrong and she accidentally transported herself here. Crazy, huh? I don't know if it's true or not, but I've heard she makes some crazy shit happen. Books flying around the room, stuff disappearing and reappearing in different places. Things like that."
Austin stared at her in amazement. She wasn't quite sure if Ellie was insane, or had been watching too many sci-fi movies, or what. That stuff wasn't real. Alternate dimensions? …of course… she regularly had conversations with her dead brother… if that was possible, what else was possible?
Ellie hadn't even seemed to notice Austin's stare. "There's another kid that can levitate stuff. Paperclips and staples, stuff like that. And I'm not sure, but there might be a werewolf or vampire on Level B. I'm not allowed on Level B, but I hear that some crazy shit goes on down there. That's the level for kids who don't want to cooperate with Adair. I can't understand why not though. He's always so nice to me. And he only wants to help us control our powers. Make them stronger and stuff. You know what I mean?" The girl didn't even seem to pause for breath. "If they'd just be nice and cooperate, he wouldn't have to sedate them to do the tests. At least, I've heard he does. I hear a lot of things. But most of the people like me here. The guards are nice to me too, and I never get stopped going to the upper levels. If you cooperate with Adair, I'm sure he'll give you access to the library and stuff upstairs. Because of course, we don't have classes with the normal kids."
"We…don't?"
"Nah, but Adair's assistants tutor us. Well, me at least. And Jesse down the hall. We actually want to learn stuff. Wendy is too busy trying to figure out how to get home and Lucas just doesn't like people. That's another reason to cooperate. Down on B Level they don't get tutors. They're pretty much locked in their rooms all the time." Ellie sighed and examined her nails. "I'm going to have write mom and have her send me more nail polish. This is my favorite color and I'm almost out. Can you believe it? Anyway, I'm gonna go hang out with Jesse for a while. You can come if you want."
"I'll… stay here. Thanks."
Ellie just nodded and hopped off the bed. "See you later then. Hope your first session with Adair goes well. He's really a nice guy, you'll see."
When Austin finally did meet Dr. Adair though, she had to disagree with Ellie's assessment…
Leonardo emerged from his room at 5:50am, and the first thing he heard was the last thing he expected to hear.
"No, no, no, I shit you not." Austin's laughter rang merrily through the lair. "The lady looks at me dead serious and says, 'Well… do you have anything with animals? Like... horses or something'?" Leo rounded the corner to see Raphael doubled over in laughter, and Austin sitting next to him, cross legged on the couch wiping tears from her eyes. "People are fucking nuts, I swear to god. I mean… how do you respond to something like that?" Austin shook her head, still giggling. The TV was on but the sound was muted, and for some reason, the lights were off.
This was not the sight he'd expected. Leo had thought that Austin would still be asleep after what happened yesterday. The crying, panicked and frail looking girl seemed to have vanished. And in her place was a confident, easy-going, good humored young woman. Sitting on the couch, relaxed, talking to the Raphael, of all people.
Stepping over to the light switch on the wall, he casually flicked it on. Austin jumped slightly, but Raph just settled himself back in the couch casting a slight glare at the cause of the sudden brightness. Austin squinted in the light, then looked slightly sheepish. "Sorry Leo, did we wake you up?"
"No, I was up."
"Yah, Leo likes waking up at the buttcrack of dawn."
Austin snorted a giggle and covered her mouth in a failed effort at hiding her amusement. Leo just glared at Raph. "Were you up all night?"
"What, I got a bedtime now?"
"You better be here for practice."
"Don't get your panties in a bunch, I'll be here. Geez, Leo, you're gonna kill yourself with all this practice. Even Splinter isn't this obsessive."
Leo glared harder. Austin was looking between the two of them not quite as amused now.
"Splinter left me in charge, and I say we practice."
"Yah, yah, I got it."
"Good." The silence that followed had a familiar tension to it, and Leo knew that it could have gone much worse. Raph must have been in what must qualify as a pleasant mood for him.
"So…" Austin broke cautiously. "Any chance I can get some breakfast or something? I mean… you guys do eat, right?"
Raphael snorted. "You're gonna have to wait for Mikey to get up, cause Leo and I can't cook for shit." Leo hated to admit that Raph was actually right about something for a change, but he had to agree. He'd tasted Raph's cooking. And it wasn't much better than his own. But he'd totally forgotten that Austin was probably hungry. She hadn't eaten in over twenty-four hours and must be starving by now. "Ehh, I'll go drag his butt out of bed." Raphael stood up and stretched out a little, then headed off in the direction of the snoring. "He won't be happy, but I don't care. I want breakfast too."
As Raph disappeared down the hall, Leo turned his eyes to Austin. She was twisted around, looking at Leo over the back of the couch. He walked closer and sat down in a chair next to her.
"So, are you feeling better this morning?"
Austin blushed slightly. "Yah… hey, about yesterday…"
"Austin, you don't need to apologize. We've seen stuff like that before. Sometimes peop—"
"No." She interrupted nervously. "No, I really do need to apologize. I should have trusted you guys, but I just… It was a lot to handle yesterday. I've been through some stuff I'd rather not talk about right now… but… I'm sorry, Leo. I freaked. I should have had better control over myself."
"Austin, it's ok. Honestly. You think I don't know how hard it is to take in all this?" He gestured to himself and the lair. "It's not easy, I know. You've been through a lot in the past two days, but we just want to help you, ok? We'll get you home safely, and after that we'll just have to see what happens. It might be easier if we just disappear from your life after today. It can be dangerous knowing us."
Austin chewed on her lip thoughtfully, then shook her head. "I'd rather you didn't. This may sound a bit strange, but… it's been a long time since I felt anyone really gave a shit what happened to me…" The words were obviously very hard to say, and Leo wondered if she'd have been able to say them if any of his brothers had been there. "I've had too many people disappear on me, Leo… I don't know if I could handle you guys leaving too. Not after all you've done to help me."
There was a sudden crash from somewhere in the lair, followed quickly by what sounded like an "ARRRGGGHHH!" Then a pause. Then, "That WASN'T funny, Raph!"
"Well," Leonardo said pleasantly. "Sounds like Mikey is awake. What would you like for breakfast, Austin?"
After the fic Author's Notes: Ok, I have a question for all you reviewers out there. How is the pacing of the story? Are you feeling that it isn't going anywhere, or that it's moving too quickly, or just right? I'm just curious as to what you all think. I always start a chapter knowing exactly where I want to end it, and then it takes off on a mind of its own. So let me know what you think, if you please. I'd really appreciate it.
P.S. The line about the animals? This is a true story. Sometime tomorrow or the next day I'll post the full story to the Misadventures LiveJournal (austinbridger).
P.P.S. Sorry it was short. But if I didn't cut it off here, there wouldn't have been another update til this next weekend.
P.P.P.S. How many of these can I add? Let's find out!
P.P.P.P.S. The Institute backstory is finally coming out! It will dominate the flashbacks for the next few chapters. For now I'll leave you wondering "what the hell is going on?" Is Ellie mental? Is she telling the truth? Who are the mysterious They? Is all of this just a product of Melodist's mental breakdown from lack of sleep? …. Most likely.
Notes to my Reviewers:
DW: Unfortunately, I didn't get to the breakfast scene yet. But that WILL be the start of the next chapter, so no worries! As for Devon, his present form has many limitations. He's… well… at the risk of giving away a part of the upcoming plot… Devon isn't a normal ghost. So in this Universe, normal ghosts do have the ability to move things. But the only thing Devon can do is take a visible shape and talk to Austin. The reason for this being, I'm trying to keep y'all guessing as to whether or not Austin is really crazy or not. –grin- And to the Mikey thing, he's actually my second favorite Turtle. But I just haven't had a chance to bring him into the story much. There should be much more of him in upcoming chapters though.
Mickis: I've pretty much decided from here on out, every chapter will start with a flashback. There's so much backstory I want to cover, and I don't know if the present plotlines will extend long enough to get it all in. We'll have to see. I may just have to write more story! And wouldn't that just be a tragedy? Heheh. Anyway. Yah… I'd love to have Raph sneak up on me like that. Anytime, anywhere. Mmmmmm….
Reluctant Dragon: Thanks for all your reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so much! Mmmmmmmmm, Turtle Orgy. –grin-
Isis-Lament: Hehehe. As of right now, I'm not planning a romance for this story. No matter how much I'm tempted to do it, I just don't know if it would add to or take away from the current plotline. Quite honestly I don't think Austin is in a good mental state for romance right now. But if I did decide to make it a romance fic, I'd probably hold off on exploring that avenue until the sequel. Oooops… Did I just say "the" sequel? As in.. I'm already planning it? Yikes… That doesn't mean I'm committed to it, does it? Does it? -frantic look-
fireandsun: Mmmm, bad-asses… I saw a bumper sticker the other day that reminded me of Raphael. It said, "I want someone really bad… Are you really bad?"
Beth Hart(Leo Oneal): Yes, indeed, it was Leo that Austin flipped off. But I'm pretty sure he took in stride. He lives with Raph, after all, it couldn't have shocked him too much. Thanks for the review, and I hope you keep enjoying my story!