Dream Walker

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

Chapter Thirteen: It comes down to this.

Jennifer:

The boys hid when the ambulance attendants arrived, Leo had instructed me in what I was to say, insisting that it was better to tell them I had gone to the corner store, only to return home to find my Aunt had been attacked by someone who had all ready left.

"Let them come to their own conclusions about what, or who attacked her, and don't contradict them. You weren't here." He instructed, "You heard and saw nothing unusual. Go with your Aunt to the hospital we will be waiting to hear from you." He then glanced at Don who nodded in some sort of silent exchange.

Don rose to his feet, "She has bad head injuries, and could have a possible concussion, there are numerous lacerations that will need stitching, but most of her cuts and other injuries are minor" he reported casually.

"Leo I didn't go to the store" I protested, "How am I supposed to lie about this?"

He shook his head in frustration "You value integrity and that is a good thing Jennifer" he assured me, " But trust me the authorities, wouldn't be up to handling the truth of the matter, a simple believable lie would sound" he paused, " far more plausible then the truth in this matter."

Mike chuckled from the kitchen "Yeah, Jen, I dare you to convince them that Akuma actually exist. You do that and they'll be making reservations for you in a padded room somewhere."

I could hear him going through cupboards, "What are you looking for?" I grumbled, wondering how he could be thinking of his stomach at a time like this, even though he was supposed to have quite the walking appetite.

He emerged from the kitchen carrying a plastic bag with a two liter bottle of coke and an unopened bag of potato chips inside " A little something to add to your story," he smirked arching his eye ridges.

There was the sound of sirens that came to a halt outside of the building and the three boys quickly vanished, and it was just like that one moment they were all standing next to me, reassuring me, and then in the next second they were gone. I didn't see them move, didn't see them leave, they had just gone as if they had never been. Then again maybe in the stressful moment of seeing my Aunt attacked by Akuma, my subconscious had somehow conjured them up to give me strength, or something equally as comforting.

I heard a hard quick rap at the door as the ambulance attendants announced they were here, and as I went to let them in, I couldn't help but notice the bag of groceries, the simple prop to add to my alibi of going to the store.

I shook my head uneasily, having the strangest feeling that everything had twisted in a strange way, probably not for the better either, at the rate things were going I just might need that padded room Mike had been talking about.

Another more urgent knock came and I quickly opened the door, realizing I had somehow drifted, for a moment.

"Sorry" I mumbled to them as I stepped back.

"What happened?" one of them snapped as they headed towards my Aunt.

"I'm not sure" I stammered, "I just went to the store to get a few things" I fumbled over the words knowing that they probably knew I was lying, "I came back to find her like this. I was only gone a few minutes."

The attendants quickly got her strapped to one of the ambulance gurneys before heading towards the door; I grabbed my Aunt's purse and keys by the small stand near the door and hurried after them.

The next few hours all I could do was sit, and wait in an emergency room of a large hospital, sometimes chewing on my fingernails, as I waited anxiously for a report of any kind. While I waited my mind seemed to be running a thousand directions at once, wild thoughts, doubts and uncertainties all chased one another around in an unending circle, as I tried to figure out what my options might be from here.

I knew Akuma was after me, and that this was merely the beginning, the beast had already hurt my Aunt and I didn't want to think how many other people I knew, that it would be willing to hurt, just to get to me.

Yet at the same time, I didn't think that I had any secret powers or abilities over the nightmare beast, I wasn't Dr. Doolittle, who could talk to the animals and convince them to do certain things for him.

It had been sheer luck alone that had turned Akuma away from Raph, when we had been in the sewers, it had to be coincidence, or far more likely the boys approach, that had caused Akuma to drop my Aunt when it had.

I had no warning of this most recent attack, but then again when dealing with loved ones, close friends, or family members, it was harder to get any real feeling or vision about them. Maybe because of feelings, you weren't as receptive to possible visions surrounding them, after all I had known from the first that Akuma would come for me, and it would hurt anyone to get to me.

My first vision had warned me of Akuma's intent. I was a complete fool to have come.

I recalled sitting in a chair my knees jiggling up and down, my toe tapping relentlessly; I also knew that I spent some time pacing. I chewed on my bottom lip so much I started to taste blood. Time was stretching on forever, as if it hadn't just slowed but completely stopped, leaving me trapped in this anxious, worried confused state.

Finally an elderly doctor approached and once he was sure that I was, who he was looking for, he let me know that my Aunt was awake and I could see her for a little while, he wanted to keep her in for observation purposes.

"She does need her rest so don't be in there too long" he glanced at the clipboard he was carrying, " she was most likely attacked by a drug addict or something of that nature, who just happened to be scared off when they heard you entering the apartment. We have sent some blood test to the lab to see if any drugs might be in her system, just as a safety precaution." He assured me.

His voice droned on and I tried to pay attention to what he was saying, but I found it difficult to focus, because I really wanted to see my Aunt, to talk to her and know she was all right.

I wouldn't say that I had heard everything he said, but if pressed I guess I could come up with the pertinent facts about what he had said, and retained a bit of information about what they might want to do later.

Mostly, I just felt extremely guilty, as if I was to blame for Akuma's attack. I guess to some extent I was too blame, I was responsible for what happened to my Aunt, and somehow knowing she was all right meant, that things weren't so bad. Course my mind kept whispering to me 'it could have been worse, what if she died?'

I knew that if she died, I could never forgive myself, because I knew in my heart that I was Akuma's true target. Not Aunt Crystal who was innocent.

I went into Aunt Crystal's room, she was lying awake, on the bed with crisp white sheets folded around and about her, bandages covered her in various spots, and there was a glassy distant look in her eyes, most likely from pain killers.
"Aunt Crystal, I'm sorry" I whispered meekly as I shuffled in by her bed, the guilt tripled just seeing her like that. I paused as I bit my lip trying not to cry, and hoping to find something, anything else to say.

"Jen it isn't your fault" she assured me, "Why this is only the first attack I have ever suffered." She told me giving me a weary smile, "I know what we talked about earlier, but you are not to blame. I suppose it had to come sometime" she mumbled.

"Are you all right?" I asked hesitantly.

"I'm tired Jennifer and just want to sleep, but I'll be fine. I'll be home in a day, or two at the very most, so there is no need to call off your vacation" she assured me in a sleepy tone her eyelids starting to droop, "Oh and remind me to get a burglar alarm Jen."

I knew I shouldn't keep her awake, I mean the doctors and nurses were going be watching her, and they didn't want me to disturb her too much.

That made me wonder what I ought to do, I didn't feel comfortable going back to the apartment, I mean Akuma could be there waiting for me, or it could return at any time, and perhaps when it did decide to return the turtles wouldn't be nearby to rescue me.

A part of me hated all this fear, hiding waiting for the next attack that might or, might not be lurking around the next corner.

I didn't want to live my life like this. I wanted my life to be normal, okay maybe nobody really lead a normal life, but as normal as my life usually got would suffice.

I was terrified yes, but under that was an underlying anger at certain comforts that had been snatched away, and perhaps no one could understand that unless they had things they cared for stolen from them, by thieves who stole precious memories, or life or anything of value.

I didn't really know anyone else in New York, well there were five others that I knew, but I also knew if I went to them seeking sanctuary, or safety that they might expect something from me in return, after all they believed I held the secret to taming or stopping Akuma, and I didn't believe, not for one instance that they would let me stay with them, without letting me know that I owed them in some way.

I could easily see Raph dropping not so subtle hints, about what would be expected of me, whether the others agreed with him or not. Raphael was not one to keep opinions to himself. Leo would probably be just as willing to push me that way, though his means of doing so might be a little more casual and polite then Raph's versions.

If I tried what they wanted and failed then we would be no further ahead or behind, and it would lay to rest any ideas about me controlling Akuma.

If they were right, which I sort of doubted, well I guess I'd have to worry about that when it came, but I felt the least I could do, the most I owed them was to try what they wanted. After all trying couldn't cost me all that much could it?

I fished in my pocket for the turtles phone number, the one they had given to me earlier in the day.

Was it really only today that everything seemed to come together and yet at the same time fall apart in every direction at once?

RAPHAEL:

I tried to convince April to leave, but she insisted on staying at least till the others returned she didn't want to leave me alone course we argued about it but hey, she's got to vent and mouth off and one thing I knew about Ape, was she hated bein' pushed around. Even if it were for her own good, like right now for instance.

I finally gave up figurin' she'd be safe with me there, sides it might make her feel better to think she won this round.

Leo had contacted me to let me know they were watching Jen's Aunt's place, seemed she'd been attacked right in the home and Leo was pretty sure that Jen wouldn't want to be returnin' to the place as long as she felt it was dangerous to her.

I looked around April's place at the devastation strewn every where and I kept thinking of all the ways I'd be making Akuma pay for what it had done.

Perhaps, I'd hafta talk some sense into Jennifer, if that were the case so be it, I was up to the task. Fact of the matter was we didn't have a heck of a lot of time to pussy foot around or be patient, while waiting for Jennifer to see the light and acknowledge it for what it was, if it took smacking her bout the head to get her to that point, well I was just the one for that job.

We were ninja we were suppose'ta act. I was ready to act and all this waiting was chafing at me.

So, what if Akuma was that much stronger then the rest of us? We could defeat it, I didn't doubt that victory would be ours in the end. We had survived far worse, insurmountable odds before; this was just one more challenge. I loved challenges they helped hone our skills, made us better fighters, stronger as a team and I knew we could handle this; we had to be able to do it because as Mikey so often put it "We're the good guys."

In other words he felt we ought to win on that merit alone, but he knew, like the rest of us, that the world at large didn't acknowledge the whole good guy, bad guy bit outside of Hollywood and film makin' that is.

No we would win this because we were ninja, just coz we hadn't been lucky enough to get Akuma down with our skills as of yet, didn't mean we were out of the running.

As ninja we had options we had ingenuity.

That is why we'd win this; if one thing failed we could move on and try another plan. If we could weaken Akuma bit by bit, with each attack, then we stood a chance of winning the war against it. This is what I was looking forward to, the moment when we finished Akuma once and for all. I gripped my sai and twirled it absently in my hand, moving quickly and gracefully through a kata. April watched me staying silent as she sat on the couch; she was probably mentally cussing us out.

Finally the others arrived, some hours later, Leo of course wasn't too happy to see April still here.

"What is she still doing here?" he demanded sharply.

"You want to talk her into goin' she wanted to say goodbye and make sure we were together," I replied shrugging, "No amount of insults or threats would work, what was I supposed to do drive her out of town and hitch a ride back?" I fumed. I was surprised to see Jennifer coming in between Don and Mike she looked very uneasy, but then our mode of travel wasn't always the easiest to get used to.

I smiled a bit, oh well, if Jennifer was here that meant I wouldn't have to go looking for her.

I looked towards Leo questioning him silently.

"Akuma must have headed straight over to where Jennifer was staying from here. Her Aunt was attacked by Akuma but she will be all right." Leo replied. He turned to April "You best leave now" he declared.

April had paled at Leo's words about the attack, and I saw a subtle shake of her hands.

Much as I didn't like the idea of April being frightened I figured it was good for her, because she now had an idea of why it was so important for her to leave.

"I'm ready." She agreed.
"Jennifer, is going stay with us for the next few days." Leo informed me.

April gave Leo a startled look "Leo are you sure that is wise. I mean if this beast knows where you live…" she began abruptly.

Jennifer trembled a bit "Akuma is after me anyways, it doesn't matter where I am. It will find me" her voice choked off and she had the look, of a deer caught in the headlights of a car. "That is why I decided the best thing I can do, is to try and help them" she concluded.

She didn't sound too sure of herself, and she may not have time to learn what she needed.

I wasn't blind or dumb, I could feel her fear, hear the terror in her voice. I could also sense all her doubts, and terror that she was holding inside, yet somehow she had come to accept, that maybe the only way Akuma was going to die is with her help.

Suddenly I felt better about finishing Akuma off even though I knew it was a way to go. I saw Mike standing with both hands resting on her shoulders.

"We appreciate that Jen" he told her warmly.

"Yeah good on ya" I agreed trying to give her a smile that wouldn't frighten her further.

TBC