Author's Note:
Hey all! I was a little faster this time…
Thank you SO MUCH to everyone for reviewing. Sprite 232 brought up a very interesting point in her (her? I'm assuming) review – she said that it hardly seems fair that I put in so many hours writing a chapter to give my readers only 10 minutes of happiness. So I thought to myself…what do I get out of this? A lot, I've come to realize. Mostly, a way to express myself about something that I've always loved, ever since I was a little girl. But also, I'd like to think that I've made a lot of new friends – even though I've never met you guys! It all comes back to those little reviews…they're like happy pills, I tell you! So please, if you're reading, leave me a little something when you're done…good or bad, it's nice to know that somebody's reading. You all make this extremely enjoyable for me.
A little personal thank you for each of you:
Pi90Katana: Hey girl! One of the nicest people you know? Wow, that really made my day. Actually, I feel the same about you…glad to see your story is doing so well!
Dory's Human Replica: Make sure that you're getting enough oxygen! It sounded like you were hyperventilating! I'm sorry, but you're going to have to keep worrying…
GemDrive: Glad you liked the insert. It originally wasn't there, and I added it right before I posted. And it seemed like it served its purpose well…tension!
Black Mirror: Oh goodie, you came back…I like the word flabbergasted too. Believe me, it's been pretty tough, but I'm glad that you think I'm pulling it off. If you enjoy reading about the TMNT in a more realistic sense, I can't recommend anyone better than sss979. If you're ever bored, check out her website.
Linchi: Yes, things have gotten worse, and they will continue to go down, down, down. Yep, got plans for April…
ChibiRoseAngel: (Running away in fright) Gah, please don't kill me! I gotta make you sweat a little longer!
Goblin Cat KC: My heart continues to flutter knowing that you're reading this. You rock my world, girl! (Okay, that was a very 80s thing to say…) Bad Places is truly one of the best pieces of fanfiction out there!
Blix Howlett: I know, freeze pops are yummy! Glad that you're sticking around.
Sporkey Anonymous: Hmmmm…(tapping my foot) I'm still waiting…(j/k, I luv ya!)
Kristy99: Oh, I don't mean to kill you! Thanks for reading!
Sprite232: Always a pleasure. Honestly, your reviews leave me laughing for at least a half hour. Please don't stop! Ever thought about getting a username? Or writing something? You're so darn funny, I'm sure that people would love you…
Fallen Hikari: Yeah, I hate to think how often the poor guys have to replace their masks, lol! In the new cartoon, my hubby always laughs at the fact that Don carries around his little "bag of tricks"…he's always got something fun in there!
Reluctant Dragon: So sorry! At least this one was faster. You made me giggle too – and hopefully I explained a little better about the dead body in this one. Jake an asshole? Maybe…at least so far. I have a feeling that your opinions of these three characters will constantly flip flop as the story goes on.
Mickis: Gotta love the fart jokes. Anywhere, anytime, always funny. Glad that you found your movie! I agree, boredom can be a horrible thing…
EntropyMage: Hey, a newbie! Glad to hear from you! Heh, only I know what will happen to Leo…(evil cackle) Thanks for reading!
Lunar-ninja: Yes, I got a lot of satisfaction writing about Mike knocking out Jake…what a loony!
Pacphys: Heh Heh, the hubby just laughs at me. He says that if Raph ever comes to my window, I'm allowed one night, no questions asked…as long as he can do the same with Heidi Klum! And the freeze pop scene definitely stems from personal experience – living with guys in college, the freezer was always full!
Reinbeauchaser: Again, so sorry that I forgot you last time! Bad Sassy! Your bit about using the freeze pops to cover the smell…I'd like to hear about that one! I put a little CSI reference in just for you…
And now that my author's note is almost as long as my chapter, on with the show!
Disclaimer: (Sassy stands up from her chair) "My name is Sassy, and I am a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Addict. As much as I want to, I don't own them." (Sits back down so the meeting can continue)
Hmmm, it seems as if many of you should admit your problem and join the TMNT Addicts Anonymous meeting…
Deep into the darkness peering,
Long I stood there, wondering, fearing
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dreamed before.
Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven
CHAPTER 6: BACK TO THE SEWER
RAPHAEL
Something was calling me.
For a moment I wavered between sleep and waking, struggling with the presence that tickled my mind. A smell, a taste, a voice…
A touch.
Cold. Icy. It feel away as I tried desperately to hold on…
No!
I sat bolt upright, hands pressed firmly against the floor to steady myself. It was so bright. Squinting, I felt my composure returning, and I remembered where I was -Casey's storeroom.
"You okay?" Worry laced Donatello's voice. His eyes were bloodshot, eyelids sagging from lack of sleep. He started to rise, but I waved him back down.
"M'alright." I shook my head and inhaled slowly. Two days of being stuck in this prison, and I was miserable. Borderline crazy. The air was so thick I felt like I couldn't breathe. And the reek of the dead body outside the door wasn't helping, either.
Just a bad dream…
No. It was more than that. The same thing happened every time I tried to sleep. Something was wrong.
I needed to get out of here. Now. Or I was going to lose it.
"Donnie…"
"Shhh." Donatello nodded toward Casey, asleep beside me. He snored faintly. "Give him a little more time to sleep. Then we can go."
His answer surprised me. He'd been so insistent that we wait at least three days…
"Raph, I feel it too." Donatello's gaze locked with mine, and our thoughts tangled. Worry, uneasiness, fear – I found a mutual understanding.
We both knew that they needed us. There was no more reason to wait.
"Feel what?" Casey asked groggily. He shifted onto his side, studying both of us with hazy eyes and tussled hair.
"Nothing, bonehead." I kept the emotion out of my voice. "You better do something with that mane of yours…" I paused, giving him a mischievous smile. "…We're going to find April. She'll never sleep with you if she sees you looking like that."
MICHAELANGELO
It rained for nearly twelve hours. Half a day. Even after it stopped, the air held a chill that was completely unnatural for the time of year. The sun had never appeared that first morning, nor the one after, leaving the days gray and shadowy under the thick cloud cover. I couldn't have imagined anything worse for Leonardo.
He had a raging fever. Sweat ran in torrents down his face, unabated by anything we tried to do for him. His dreams were tormented, charged with delirium from his injuries. I couldn't understand why he wouldn't get better, why he wouldn't wake up. We'd stopped the bleeding…he'd slept for over two days…
Open your eyes Leo! If you'd only just open your eyes...
Of all the events of my past – the wrath of our enemies, the heat of battle, the chance of discovery – none of it could match the fear that I'd felt in the last two days. Even the world crumbling around me; it made no difference. I found myself constantly watching him, needing the steady rise and fall of his chest to reassure me that he was still alive. A few times, I'd seen April and Tara move to peer over the building, curiosity driving them to see what was happening below. When they'd return, I knew that April wanted to talk to me. Needed to talk to me. But she kept silent, understanding that I wasn't all there. I was losing myself right along with Leonardo.
The sense of worthlessness was indescribable.
Jake, as Tara had called him, came around just after the rain stopped. At first I thought he might be her boyfriend – I found out later that he was she and Abby's uncle. Initially, he'd acted just as erratically as before, shouting panicked obscenities, and I almost knocked him back out again. But under April's soothing, he'd managed to calm down. With Jake finally awake, she gave the three of them the shortened version of what Leo and I were, and how we had come to exist. As she told the story, I felt like a circus animal under their intermittent stares. Jake especially seemed unable to take it in.
Since then, Jake had mostly slept. I'd given him a nasty concussion, and the headache was bad enough to keep him lying still on the rooftop. He'd apologize nearly every time he woke up, but I could only nod in return. Until I was sure that my brother would live, I couldn't accept it.
I watched the sky, the evening starting to fade into night. I didn't know if I could handle another one. April and Tara stood some distance away from me, and I noticed that April was holding the cell phone to her ear again.
Jeez April, enough already. The damn thing hasn't worked for two days.
I wanted to throw that stupid phone over the side of the building. If I could only call Don and Raph…
I needed them so bad it hurt. I'd never had to make the decisions before – there had always been someone else to fall back on. It was hard to admit, but I wasn't use to relying solely on myself. I yearned for Raphael's protection, Donatello's understanding of everything. Hell, we were still confused about exactly what was happening down there – April and I had heard snippets of the earlier conversation, but Leo was the one that had listened to Don's full explanation.
"Is he going to die?"
The question startled me. Abby. I hadn't even noticed her approach. The little girl sat cross-legged near Leo's head, looking up at me with big brown eyes. She was wearing flannel pajama shorts and a pink t-shirt, dirty socks with no shoes. Her sandy hair was disheveled, the long waves forming visible tangles. She looked so young. Innocent.
"No way, kid. I won't let him."
She glanced back at Leonardo, satisfied with that answer. It was the first time that I'd spoken to her – the first time that she'd come close without Tara. She had mostly clung to her older sister, watching, staying quiet. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. This was more than any child should ever have to experience.
Tentatively, Abby reached out, lightly running her fingers along Leo's cheek. She traced around his entire face, exploring his features much like a blind person would.
"Your skin is softer than I thought it would be. Not at all like my friend's pet turtle," she said in amazement.
I simply stared.
Bypassing his bloody shoulder, she rested her hands on his plastron. Leo stirred slightly. A shallow breath escaped through his nose.
"Do you feel things here? On this part?" Her fingers spread apart across his chestplate.
"Mostly, but not as well. It's duller."
"What about here?" She motioned to his side, the area in between the two parts of our shell.
"Now that…" I smiled at her curiosity, then stretched out to ruffle her hair, "…tickles horribly. Worse than the bottom of your feet."
She giggled. "Maybe if you tickle him, he'll wake up."
If only that were true.
RAPHAEL
"You got a plan?" I asked Don, helping him lift the boxes away from the door.
He shrugged. "Not really. I was thinking that we could maybe steal a car. I don't have a whole lot of trust in Casey's Stanza wagon."
"Hey Don, there is nothing wrong with old Myrtle." Casey grunted. He was struggling to slide a heavy filing cabinet back against the wall. "But I guess I'm not one to turn down a new set of wheels," he added, smirking. "One of my neighbors has a wicked mustang… I've always wanted to drive that thing."
"I hate to dash your dreams, Case, but we need a big car." Donatello patted his shoulder. "A van, SUV, something along those lines. Especially if we try to get out of this city."
Casey frowned, visibly disappointed.
"You remember how to hotwire, Donnie?" I had a vague idea how to do it, but I wasn't sure if this was the right time to test myself.
"Yeah. As long as there's not some freaky anti-theft device."
In Casey's neighborhood? Probably not.
Donatello took a step backward, eyes fixed on the door in front of him. The way was clear. "You guys ready?"
Definitely. More than ready. I pushed passed him, grabbing the door knob. "Let's see what sort of messed up shit is going on out there."
But the door didn't open - at least not all the way. It struck something half way through its forward swing. I looked down.
It was our friend the dead body.
The smell was absolutely rancid. It was a kid - couldn't have been older than sixteen. His skin held a bluish tint, and bruises painted his lower legs. I felt myself grimace when I saw his face.
There wasn't much blood – but that didn't make the death look any less painful. A crimson trail streamed down his face, runoff from a dark pool inside his ear. The boy's mouth gaped, spewing forward a mass of red tinged foam. There was a dark patch of necrotic skin on his neck.
With a disgusted snort, I lunged my weight into the door, shifting the decaying corpse back from the storeroom entrance. Casey and Don followed me through, my brother pausing to gawk at the body.
"He must have died throwing himself against the door," he stated flatly, nudging the body with his toe. "Either that, or the virus overtook him. All that froth must be from his salivary gland and - "
"Who gives a crap, Donnie? This isn't CSI," I snapped at him. My voice was harsh, but I didn't care. Every bone in my body was screaming with irritation. I wanted to find Mike and Leo.
Donatello was silent, choosing not to pick a fight.
With the basement clear of any danger, the three of us traipsed soundlessly up the stairs. I led, crouching low when I reached the empty door frame to the kitchen, listening. Coming back up to ground level, the mixed sounds of chaos were again evident through the room's windows. The distant whine of a siren, a chorus of car horns…I came close to the glass, looking in between the streaks of spittle dried to its surface. The deranged woman was gone, but she'd left her mark.
"Uh, Don?" I whispered, taking in the scene outside.
"Yeah?" he sidled up beside me. I didn't have to ask the rest of my question. He immediately saw the problem.
The street was jammed. Cars were everywhere, turned in every direction, some even tipped on their sides. Bodies littered the lawns; people weaved desperately through the pandemonium.
The city had become a concrete jungle. A battle zone. There was no way we were driving to April's.
Donatello unsheathed the bo from his back. His voice was low.
"Sewer. Move fast."
I slid the window open, greeted again with the stagnant odor of death. I landed in the gravel, moving instantly against the wall and running toward the back of the alley. The cacophony of voices made my skin crawl. I could hear the words of their screams, and I desperately willed my ears to shut them out.
When I reached the manhole, a knot twisted in my stomach. The cover had already been removed. I stared into the black filled hole, narrowing my eyes and trying to see into its depth.
Aw, crud.
Was there someone down there?
I guess it didn't matter. We didn't have a choice.
Throwing caution to the wind, I leapt into the darkness, catching the metal ladder and swinging to the sewer floor. I scanned the tunnel both in front and behind me.
Nothing.
I was joined a few seconds later by Don and Casey. Donatello pulled the cover back over the entrance, and then paused to watch if anyone was trying to follow us.
"We need to jog for a while," Don huffed quietly. "I think that some of them saw us come down here."
I agreed.
"So, exactly how far is it to April's? I mean, is it any shorter from down here than up on the street?" Casey asked, breaking into a clumsy trot.
"It's not too bad," Donatello replied, "only about four miles."
"Only four miles?" Casey yelled, exasperated. Donatello raised a hand and shushed him.
"Don, I ain't no marathon runner." His voice was quieter this time.
"Four miles is hardly a marathon. You do realize that we do a six mile round trip every time we come here." Don grinned, shooting me a chastising smile. "And if you're Raph, half of it isn't sober…"
I shoved Don lightly in the shoulder. He pitched sideways, then regained his balance and pushed me back. I turned to look at Casey, who was already falling behind us. "Quit complaining, CJ. You know, things could be worse."
"Right Raph, but they could be a whole lot better too. Beach in Cancun, sipping on a margarita, watching all the chicks in bikinis…chicks that don't foam at the mouth and try to rip your head off."
I had to give the guy props for sarcasm.
Chuckling at Casey, I was suddenly aware that Donatello had stopped running. When I heard him swear under his breath, I knew we were in trouble. I immediately pulled my sai from my belt.
There were sloshing sounds coming from ahead. The volume and pace continued to rise, coming closer, and in the dim light I started to make out the shapes of human figures.
A lot of human figures. But were they infected?
A feral shriek echoed shrilly through the tunnel.
I guess that answered my question.
Briefly, Donnie looked like he was debating taking off in the other direction. We both knew that wasn't an option. Even if we tried to run, the effort would be futile – there was nowhere to go. We were going to have to fight.
I gave Don a bemused grin. Fighting was fine by me.
It was going to be a long four miles…if we made it that far.
A/N: I know, I promised a little more action…but I got long winded, and it looks like it will have to wait until next time – please don't hurt me! I start Spring Break in one more week, so the next one (or two!) will come in that time. Luv y'all, please review!