Again the ever-elusive Mikaela had run off, leaving us in a quandary as to what had happened this time.
Girls could be so weird sometimes.
"Mike," Leader-san asked, drawing my gaze from the Lair entrance Mika babe had sprinted from.
"Yeah bro?" I
asked, frowning at his dejected expression. Great Leo, what
did you do NOW? >
"Do you think you could go find Mikaela?" he asked. Gosh, I'd not seen him this miserable since Splinter-sensei had been kidnapped.
I crossed my arms, my face mirroring my displeasure. "What happened?" If anything, his already miserable demeanor crumpled into helplessness. THAT is a scary sight, and one that doesn't belong on my bro.
"Well," He started, groping for words. "I went after Mikaela, and she…. Well…" He reddened, eyes cast at the floor. "We kissed." He snapped suddenly, glaring at me like I was going to laugh or something.
Well, I did- but not in a mean way!
"Dude, that's awesome!" I cried, clapping him on the shoulder. "You finally got the picture!" I giggled as Leo gave me this funky 'I can't believe my ears' look. I sobered quickly. "That doesn't really explain why Mika-babe ran off again, though." I added, eyeing him. He sighed.
"Well, I was… shocked to say the least." He looked right at me, eyes haunted and embarrassed. "I backed away, and I think she misread that. She told me not to make promises I couldn't keep, and then after the kiss said 'that explains everything, Leo'."
Inwardly I was laughing my ass off; outwardly I was rubbing my eyes, shaking my head. "Leo, this was your bad, you fix it! She won't take anything anyone else says, she's gotta hear it from you." Man this was weirding me out- this huge role-reversal: the joker giving advice to the leader. Hmm. Maybe it ought to be done more often. I laughed again as Leo twitched. I wouldn't want to take on an emotional, angry woman!
"Okay… if that's what it takes…" He said, squaring himself, the frightened kid look disappearing.
"That's the Leo I like seeing!" I cheered, pushing him to the exit.
"I'm not ready yet! MIKEY!"
A little while later…
"Mikaela?"
Great. Just the person I wanted to see.
NOT.
"What do you want, Leonardo."
Silence.
"GRRR!" I vented, rotating around from my perch on the sky-rise ledge to see him standing calmly, arms behind his back.
"Mika, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset, and I really didn't mean for you to take my actions like you did. You startled me, that's all."
I blinked. Not quite what I was expecting. He came towards me and I stood, my posture subconsciously moving on the defensive.
"A little bird told me you like these." He unfolded one of his arms from behind his back.
Another blink. I was looking at a big, pink, sweet scented orchid. Well, at least he got the flower right.
"Um." I intelligently managed, barely able to take the flower without goggling at him. He grinned, and placed his hands on my shoulders. I froze, both mentally and physically.
When my mind unfroze, I could feel his soft breath on my lips.
This is perfect- full moon, starlit sky, a flower, and nobody else around…
I closed my eyes as our lips connected…
BAM!
"Aww, how cute."
I broke the lip-lock, whirled to the sound; Leonardo had his katana drawn.
"Sheeze! I was HAVING A ROMANTIC MOMENT HERE!" I yelled at the big ugly looking …guy... in front of us, trying to drown my initial fear with bravado. It laughed, an awful grating sound. Leonardo moved in front of me, and I turned my gaze to the streets below.
Oh shiii- > I didn't even finish the thought, as a pulse of released energy bowled us over like pins. I'd been blasted to the edge of the roof, and chanced a look downward at nighttime Manhattan. I could feel my eyes widen painfully, a ragged scream aching for release in my throat. Rising shakily, I gazed helplessly at the nightmarish sight below.
The city was burning- alight with fires, explosions, and fear- a snaking path of destruction moving in our general direction. Screams coming from bystanders and innocent people walking the streets wavered faintly in the chill night air. Shockwaves rippled through the air, as lighting bursts spattered the highrises, pavement, ...oh god, the people... the stench of burning flesh filling the air...
A massive explosion from a Shell station snapped me out of the suicidal catatonia that had me inching to the ledge.
"LEO!" I shrilled, a tendril of fear worming into my guts. I knew who was doing this… there was no mistake in the signature of this persons mind, filling my own like a clarion- a klaxon of death, waxing and waning horrifically with each new blast of energy…
Leonardo looked back, eyes following my pointed arm and swore- something I'd never heard of him to do. I could tell he felt the energy, but it was obvious he didn't get the clues. I stole a glance at the enemy raising itself to its feet, then the fire escape ladder.
"We gotta get the others." Leo murmured out of the corner of his mouth
"Well, I'm not leaving you!" I softly snarled, drawing myself into a fighting stance. He glared at me, but I refused to budge. No way.
"Mikaela!"
"NO!" I shouted, sliding in front of him, like a shield. "You go- you're quicker!"
I could almost feel him roll his eyes. "We'll both go, once we take care of this thing."
"'Kay." I conceded, launching myself at the first lackey flanking the 'hulk'. He went down pretty easy, just a few hits and kicks. Boss-guy was a big mean ugly looking dude, and seemingly tougher than leather.
Between taking down lackeys' mano y mano, I caught glimpses of Leonardo in a full-blown ninja whirlwind, hacking and slicing at Boss-guy- frightening, yet eerily beautiful to watch.
Yatta! > I exulted as I finished off the last minor threat, moving to align myself with my 'toitle' against Boss-guy.
"KYOHEIIIIIIII!" Roaring my war cry, I raced over the immobile bodies, hurling myself into the fray.
"Dude, Leo's in trouble." Mikey announced, startling me out of my reverie. Lillian and I had been poring over documents, blueprints, schematics and so forth for the past four or so hours. My head was aching with exhaustion, and Lillian was napping in my room.
"What makes you say that Mikey?" I asked, brow furrowed. I had a slight tingling spread through me, and silent alarms started going off in my head. Of all of us, Mikey seemed to be the most intuitive, but still the silliest.
Mikey frowned at his lap, hands clasped within. "I've got one of those feelings going on. Totally not cool." He looked over at me, the slightest flash of fear passing through his expression. "Maybe we should check up on them?"
"Why not use the shell cell?" I pointed out the obvious.
Mike held up a blue striped shell cell. "Cause Leo left his here!" A snicker. "Guess he didn't want interruptions, eh?"
I rolled my eyes. "Come on." I went to the lab, to see a sleepy head gazing blearily at me.
"Something wrong Don?"
"Me and Mikey are going to check up on Leo and Mika." I pecked Lillian on the forehead and passed her Leo's shell cell. "We'll call you on this if there actually is trouble, and Leo's not getting hit on by your pal. Literally," I added with a wink. Lillian gave me a sleepy smile, a hug, and fumbled back to my bed.
"Be careful Don. Don't get hurt." She said, underlying meaning understood.
"I won't."
(A bit later)
"No kidding!" I whistled at the carnage, the marauded, gutted and utterly ruined buildings in appreciation. "Somebody had a blast!"
"Duh, Mikey." Mika-babe said flatly. Seems she was still pissed off at having her 'moment' messed with, and was currently wrapped up in our fearless leader's protective arms. "And I know who did it too."
"Well, don't keep us waiting!" Lillian snapped, having been rousted out of bed for 'cleanup crew'. We, turtles and gals, were currently on an unscathed sky-rise overlooking the fire department's efforts to contain the blaze that raged through the lower west side of Manhattan.
"Ana." She said, clipped and steely. "Although I have no idea why."
Lillian looked thoughtful as she leaned on an A/C unit. "We really need to stop by 'the Lab', and give them a bit of correction. Me and Donnie have everything you need for infiltration, layouts etc."
"Okay doofus," Mikaela snaked out of the embrace; bopped Lillian lightly, "Without Ana, how do we even get under their security!"
"That's the hard part."
(Even later than before)
"Aw come on!" I whined. It wasn't fair! "How come I'm ALWAYS the distraction?"
Leo raised an eyeridge. "Because you're good at it, bro." He punched me lightly on the shoulder. "Think of it as Broadway or something. You know, your greatest performance?"
I glared at him. "There're traps, scary dogs, even more scary mutants, guys with guns bigger than I am out there, and you want me to put on a Broadway show? Sounds fun!" I cheered, to all's amusement.
"Don't get bit, Mikey." Raph laughed, following Mikaela up the ladder out of our Lair. I stuck my tongue out at him.
"Don't wreck her bike Raphie!"
"MIKE!"
The hatch slammed shut as Lillian's cell phone rang.
"Yea? Oh hey Lua- uh huh? Crap. Mm hmm… okay, good. We're going to try and put and end to their ops tonight. " Incoherent mumbling on the other side. "No, stay put. It's safer that way. No we don't need Az or Gabby. Keep 'em there; they'll be safer than anywhere else, if they're targeting mutants. No we don't know exactly who, just 'them'. Gotta go now see ya!" She hurriedly hung up on an obviously protesting Lua. "Showtime guys, let's get moving."
"Can I drive?"
"For the last time, NO Mikey!"
"You guys are no fun!"
"You can drive on the way home, okay?"
"Lillian, if you let him drive, we will not get home. Just a forewarning."
"Oh, shut up Leonardo, let him have fun." Lillian said, adding darkly, "It could be the last time, kay?"
(Later than last time!)
The wind whipped through the open top of the convertible, stinging the eyes of those without the special 'sunglasses' Lillian had, which showed the landscape in a variety of luminescence, such as infrared, heat signature, and target lock for the human species.
So far nothing was reading as they, Lillian, Donnie, Mike, and Leo, wound through the country-scape of upper New York State.
"Is it just me, or does New York always happen to be the site for mishap and destruction?" Donnie asked wryly.
"Why not?" Mike countered, "This place seems to be a harbor for all mankind- the perfect spot for alien invasions, giant mutant lizards, natural disasters… why shouldn't powerful, pissed off mutants and crazed human geneticists be left out?"
"True."
"Got something on screen." Lillian cut in sharply, taking a fast corner. "Human, large build, high blood signature- he's moving fast- and… oh hell, he's been mutated, and it's not pretty." She increased speed, tearing past a field of tall grains. "Coming up on the left guys!"
The three turtles eyed the left pitch of grain field, wary for some mutant to come tearing out of it like something out of Jeepers Creepers. At least, that's what Mike was muttering about.
"BLOODY HELL!" Lillian shouted, wrenching the wheel over, narrowly missing a hulking mass of writhing flesh. All ducked as a tentacle-slash-arm snatched out at them, missing Don and Mike, and latching on to Leonardo's shell.
Leo yelped as he was plucked out of the speeding car like a running mouse from a hidden cat. "WHOA!"
"Turn around!" Donnie yelled, unstrapping his staff while releasing the safety belt. Mike hadn't been wearing his, and was turned, ready to leap out of the car when it slowed.
"Hold on!" Lillian shouted, pumping the brakes, and spinning the wheel, taking them into a controlled 180-degree spin. Tires squealed as the pedal struck metal, catching ever so often as gears were taken up a notch. Upon reaching the spot where Leo'd been snatched, all that remained was a smudgey, viscous sludge- but no trail!
"Where'd they go!"
Lillian slammed on the brakes, almost throwing Mike over the hood with the forced stop, unstrapped herself, stood and scanned the horizon with her special glasses.
"One klick that way," She pointed through the field, "Leo seems to be holding his own… shit! There are more of them! They're carrying him off… let's go." She sat back down, buckled up, and after checking that the boys were strapped in, launched the car through the field of grain, faintly apologetic to whomever owned said field.
(Near the lab)
Mikaela held on tight, as Raph expertly piloted her dirt bike through the foliage, taking harrowing turns and flying over ditches, until they were at the perimeter fence of Installation 12.
"Ok, now the fun begins. Hopefully the others will be here soon," Mika pulled off her pack, took out heavy-duty wire cutters- grunting with effort as she cut through the fence, "Otherwise it's just us against god-knows how many men, mutants, and animals- all armed to the teeth."
"Thanks for the encouraging speech, doll." Raph drawled sarcastically, taking the proffered cutting tool.
Mika stood, pulling the fence back enough for Raph to ease through. "How many times have I told you not to call me 'Doll'?" She chuckled, giving him a light kick to the rear, before easing herself through. She pulled the fence back into place, hoping that no one took too much notice in the fence-line.
"Not enough, it seems. Don't kick me either doll." Raph grinned.
Mika chuckled as the two mutants stole off through the night, across what could've been the most dangerous place to be without a visitors pass.
A/N: Darn it's been a while since I wrote much for this! Thanks for the reviews, and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!