Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT but I do own my OCs
What I Never Told You
Kazoku means family
Raphael made it back to his gangs Manhattan headquarters slower than usual. He made a mental note to that he needed to improve his stamina and made a side note to get the rest of The Red Stripes involved as well. When he entered the warehouse, he found it oddly quiet. Scratch that, it was silent.
And unless they were out hunting, The Red Stripes are never quiet.
"Ya know ya can't sneak up on me." Raphael called out into the darkness of the building, "Ya failed every time ya tried before."
Wandering further into the darkness, Raph flicked on the dim lights to get a proper look around, "Anybody here?" he asked when he couldn't see any of his gang members, "I know ya here so come out."
Not getting any responses, Raph pried one of the wooden boards off the window, allowing the midday sun the pour in. Raph grumbled to himself as he examined the dojo, "I spend a few 'ours observing de city and my entire gang vanishes."
He picked up a half empty beer bottle, "And dey have no respect for de rules I see."
Keeping his eyes and ears open, Raph wondered into the small backroom that the gang had dubbed "the personal room". Any personal possessions the members had were placed in cardboard boxes or bags and stored in this room for safe keeping.
At least they were supposed to be.
The backroom had had been cleaned out. The boxes and bags of items were gone and the piles of new clothes that they were permanently borrowing from several stores were missing as well.
Raph picked up the only remaining box in the room. Wiping of the thin layer of dust that had gathered on the top of the miniature cardboard box, Raphael opened the flaps after using his pocketknife to cut the duct tape that had been keeping the treasures inside safe for the past 7 years.
Donatello Carpenter admired the stunning skyscrapers as he and his twin sister (accompanied by their loyal bodyguard, Klay Lancaster) strolled around New York City. Don linked arms with Reni as he pointed out C-Tech's headquarters in the distance, shimmering in the midday spring sun.
"New York City never seems to stop amazing me." Reni commented, pulling her light brown hair back into a ponytail because the breeze kept blowing the fine strands in to her face, "The buildings may never change, and the people are always hurrying about, but the sky and the flora seem to change constantly."
"You'll defiantly enjoy New England then." Smiled Donnie as they re-linked arms. The genius 14-year-old boy silently monitored the random people walking around the city on this beautiful sunny day.
Feeling the warmth from the sun, Don suggested, "Why don't we head to central park, it's the perfect weather for a relaxing walk."
"Or…" Reni pointed out a small group of people up ahead, "We could go join your Japanese friend. That is him, isn't it?"
Recognising the middle-aged man and the young woman as Leo's father and sister who he'd met the night before and Leo, Don prepared to call out to them but was silenced by Lancaster before he could.
"A quick stroll around the neighbourhood was all your father allowed you to do," Lancaster sternly reminded the twins, "and you have already gone further than that boundary. Young Master, you are still grounded so meeting with friends is most certainly not allowed."
"But I'm not!" Yelled Reni as she dashed away.
Lancaster loudly called after her, "Young Mistress, get back here!" but Serenity either didn't hear him or she just didn't care. Facepalming, the bodyguard with more than a decade of experience mumbled, "She only ever acts like this when you're around."
"What can I say? I'm an inspiration." Don chuckled as he dashed after his sister and friend who had vanished around a corner. He knew Lancaster was following him, it was his job after all, but he didn't realise just how fast the old man was until he stopped at the corner and Lancaster slightly bumped into him as he too stopped in shock.
Shaking off his shock, Lancaster ran into the Hangout and helped Reni checking over the elderly woman. He knelt next to her still body (avoiding the crimson puddling around her) and rolled her over so that the woman was lying on her back. Reni quickly got to work examining the elderly woman.
Serenity had taken after her late mother and fell in love with medicine at an early age. Over the years she had taken several first aid courses and she had done plenty of research on how to treat injuries. Serenity never expected to use those skills until after med school.
"It looks like someone stabbed her in the abdomen." Reni informed the others while she removed her cardigan, scrunched it up and applied pressure to the wound, "It's not deep but we need to get her to a hospital fast."
"Ambulance is on its way." Informed Yoshi as he knelt next to his son who was checking Mikey for any serious wounds, "How is he my son?"
"It looks like he just received a few blows to his arms and core. The worst of it seems to be the bump to the head." Leo said as he carefully lifted the blonds head to rest on his lap.
Lancaster used the muscle he'd gained over the years to keep pressure on Joan's wound so that Serenity could go over to Mikey. Reni gave him a quick one over and agreed with the Japanese teenager, "It seems that way but there may be internal damage we can't detect and the fact that he hasn't woken up yet worries me."
"Are you thinking a possible head injury?" Asked Yoshi.
Reni replied while lightly but thoroughly feeling Michelangelo's head, "It's beginning to look that way." She then gently rolled the teens head so that she could check for any bruising behind the ear.
With the movement, Mikey let out a sleepy moan before going silent again. To prevent Mikey from drifting off again, Leo softly slapped Mikey's cheek and kept doing it until Mikey's baby blue eyes fluttered open. The 15-year-old smiled at his younger friend, "Okaerinasai Mikey!"
Pushing Leo back so that she could make eye contact with the blond, Reni questioned, "How are you feeling Mikey? Any nausea, dizziness, blurred vision?"
"No." Mikey simply answered, wincing when Reni used her minute pocket torch to examine Mikey's pupils, "Granny?"
Mikey was lightly pushed back to rest on Leo's lap by several pairs of hands when he tried to look at his surroundings. Leo was the one to leave his hand on the side of the teens face as he spoke, "She's a tough woman Mikey, she'll be fine. Let's just focus on you for now."
Caring blue eyes met teary blue eyes as Mikey asked the question that broke everyone's hearts, "And Sarah Jane?"
Don pushed pass the gathered crowd that had gathered on the street with two paramedics following, "She's missing Mikey."
"We'll find her Mikey. We'll find her." Leo promised an upset Mikey, "I swear on my honour we will find her."
"You did what?" The Shredders booming voice echoed around the Foot Headquarters, "You were hired to bring me Leonardo and instead you brought me some kid!"
"I have been watching these people for a while now and I know the boys weak spot." The hired assassin explained from his kneeled position, "Leonardo cares for the blond-haired teenager, Michelangelo, who adores this girl. Trust me Master Shredder, Leonardo will come straight to us."
"Don't fail me Tiger Claw."
"He'll be bowing to you before you know it Master." Tiger Claw smirked.
Mikey harshly pushed the gloved clad hands away from him. All he could think about was the tiny red-headed girl who was out there alone, most likely scared out of her young mind.
"I need to find Sarah Jane!" Mikey leapt off the gurney the doctors were transporting him through the hospital on, only to be hit with a wave of vertigo. He stumbled a bit, but two strong arms steadied him before he could fall.
Yoshi guided the teenager back on to the gurney, "Michelangelo, Leonardo and Donatello will keep looking for her but right now you need to take care of yourself."
"I was supposed to protect her." Sadly mumbled Mikey as he reluctantly let the doctors' wheel him into an examination room, "She's been my little sister since I first met her."
Placing his hand on his son's friend's shoulder, Yoshi tried to comfort the worried teenager, "The New York Police Department have put out an Amber alert for Sarah and Leonardo and Donatello won't stop looking until they find her."
"She'll be alright, won't she?"
The tears that trailed down Michelangelo's face broke the ninja master's heart, "They will save her Michelangelo, I know they will." Yoshi stood back to let the doctors get to work after running his long bony fingers through Mikey's wavy blond hair like he had seen Joan do several times.
"Donnie and I will head west towards the docks then make our way round to come back from the south. Lancaster, you can take the East and North. Serenity and Miwa, the two of you go to the hospital and keep us updated on Mikey and Joan's conditions." Hamato Leonardo ordered, taking control of the situation.
"What! No way!" Miwa argued, "I am not waiting around in some pristinely cleaned white room when I could be out here helping."
"Your arm is still broken Miwa!" Reasoned Leo, gesturing to the young woman's arm which was being supported by a makeshift sling.
"Its fine!" Insisted Miwa as she shoved her brothers' hand away, "I can still kick a-OW!"
Smirking from where she stood next to the Japanese gal, Reni pulled her hand back from poking Miwa's forearm and commanded, "I thought so. You are coming with me to get that check out properly."
Miwa was about to argue with her, but Reni cut her off, "No buts. I'm the one who has the first aid training, so my say is the final say." She addressed Leo next, "I'll send your father out to help with the search. Your sister and I should be able to handle the wounded."
"Good idea. Let's go Donnie."
The gals and Lancaster watched as the two male teens climbed up the fire escape and vanished on the rooftops. Lancaster was the next to leave. He jogged off in his given direction while Serenity dragged Miwa off to New York Presbyterian.
The whole journey to the hospital was in silence with Miwa glaring at Reni and Reni using all her strength to prevent Miwa from going in search of Sarah. With one final tug, a reluctant Miwa was forced into the hospital. After receiving directions from a nurse, the duo made their way to Michelangelo Davis' hospital room.
Upon entering ward for adolescents, they found Yoshi talking to one of the Doctors outside the room. The doctor warmly smiled at the two newcomers before he turned back to Yoshi, "I will keep you updated on Ms. Davis' condition."
"Thank you, Dr Keener." Yoshi shook hands with the emergency medical specialist before greeting the girls, "Come into Michelangelo's room and I will tell you what I know."
The two females followed the ninja master into the room, Miwa stayed standing next to her father while Reni perched on Mikey's bed. The younger female ran her manicured fingers through Mikey's wavy hair as he dozed.
Yoshi took a calming breath before addressing the girls, "Michelangelo will be fine. He has a mild concussion and some bumps and bruises that will heal in time."
"And the elderly woman?" Reni timidly asked.
Taking another calming breath, Yoshi answered, "Joan is still in surgery. According to the doctor, the stab wound nicked the abdominal aorta which is causing some major bleeding. They are doing a blood transfusion to replace the blood she has lost but even with that…" Yoshi hesitated for a second, "Even with the transfusion, she will still be in critical condition."
"Once they stop the bleeding, she should start the healing process. Barring any complications that is." Shrugged Reni, still fiddling with Mikey's hair.
Serenity had always played with her twin's shoulder length hair when she had something serious to think about. It was just a habit Donnie had learnt to put up with. Mikey's blonde hair was only slightly shorter than Don's and the fact that he was sleeping, made it perfect for Reni to fiddle with while her brain processed the situation.
Wrapping his arm around his recently returned daughter, Yoshi sadly watched Mikey sleeping, "I lost my wife and father in a fire. In the same fire I almost lost both of my children, one which I've only just gotten the pleasure of being reunited with. Losing someone close is something we all hate and for Michelangelo's sake, I hope that Joan-san survives this."
Donatello double checked the map of New York City he had downloaded on his phone before informing Leonardo, "There is an abandoned block of flats just up a head. It would be a great place for someone to hide a young girl. The other buildings around here are known to be used by families with young children so the neighbours wouldn't be suspicious of seeing a man or woman walking around with a kid."
"Even an unconscious one?" Quietly questioned Leo as he jumped down the fire escape and climbed into one of the broken windows.
Don shrugged, following his friend into the abandoned apartment, "If they had seen her, they probably just thought she was sleeping. Anyway Leo, most people would be at work or out enjoying the weekend. Chances are no one is home to have witnessed anything if Sarah had been brought here."
Silently opening the creaky wooden door, Leo lead the way around the building, checking every room quickly but thoroughly. They went from floor to floor, apartment to apartment, room to room.
There was no sign of the little girl anywhere.
"Are there any other abandoned or empty buildings nearby that they could have used instead?" Leo asked after he snatched Don's smart phone out of the brunette's pocket, bringing up the digital map of NYC, "Could the N-han have taken her more west and used one of the old warehouses near the docks?"
"That's a possibility but New York has tons of abandoned buildings the abductors could be hiding in." Reasoned Don as he took his phone back, "We will keep heading in that direction."
Running, Leo and Don went out through the front doors and headed down the street this time rather than climbing back up the fire escape to travel along the rooftops. They made it to the docks and checked the first warehouse which turned up empty. The second had the same results as did the third. The fourth, however, seemed to have been recently used.
Leonardo crept into the fourth warehouse, keeping his back close to the wall. Don followed him closely, mimicking the moves Leo did to move stealthily through the building. It took their eyes a while to adjust from the midday sunlight from outside to the pitch black of the warehouse.
The fainted sound of footsteps had Leo suddenly stopping. Reaching down, he picked up a metal pipe that was partly hidden behind some stacked boxes. Don followed suit and picked up the first thing he found which could be used as a weapon- a broken broom. The two of them held their makeshift weapons and stealthily snuck up to the door that the footstep had come from. Leo put his ear to the door and could just hear someone breathing behind it.
Leo leapt away from the door as it flew open and someone came running out. The trained ninja held the pipe up ready to defend himself but ended up not needing to as the shadowy figure collapsed on the ground. Leonardo looked behind where the figure had been standing to see Don sheepishly smiling, still holding the broom where he had just struck the figure around the head.
Reaching down, Leo rolled the muscular person over. A pair of angry emerald eyes glared at him before the person swing his fist at Leo's face. Leo dodged and brought the pipe down, only to have it blocked by a wooden stick.
"Raphael," Donnie spoke, remembering what Mikey had told him about the gang leader. Cautiously he removed the broom from between the two fighters, "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask ya the same thing. Dis is my gang's hideout while we are 'ere." Raph explained while he clambered to his feet, swatting away Leo's offered hand, "I came back to get 'em but as ya can see, they ain't 'ere."
"I guess they finally got sick of your temper tantrums." Snarked Leo.
"Zip it Blue Boy unless you want ya head popped like a balloon!"
"I'd like to see you try Meat Head!"
Leonardo and Raphael had leaned in so close that their foreheads were touching, intensely glaring at each other.
Sapphire vs emerald.
Skinny arms forced their way between the two and struggled to push them apart, "ENOUGH!" Don yelled as he finally separated the two, "We have more important things to worry about at the moment than comparing strength. Time is of the essence Leo."
Leo nodded, "You're right. We can't get distracted until that little girl is safely back with her parents."
Not even looking at Raph, Leo left with Donnie jogging after him. Once they had gotten back outside, Donnie grabbed Leo, making him stop in his tracks.
"I think we should ask Raph to help."
"Are you crazy?" Angrily whispered Leo, "He's the leader of one of the deadliest gangs in New York and did you forget that he tried to kill you."
"He wasn't going to kill me!" Don argued back, "And did you forget that he also risked his life to save your sister. That should count for something."
"Well it doesn't!" Snapped Leo, invisible flames in his sapphire blue eyes, "And you need to start seeing who he actually is. He makes a living by stealing and attacking people. He cannot be trusted to find an already terrified child. For all we know he could be in on it."
Don stood tall and used his few extra inches to look down on the Japanese teen, "Your wrong!" He retaliated, "We have had the privilege to grow up with luxuries and not having to worry about putting food on our plates or keeping a roof over our heads. Raph most likely didn't have those luxuries."
After taking a deep, calming breath, Don continued, "Mikey told me that when he was talking to Raph, Raph mentioned something about his family not wanting anything to do him. The Red Strips is the probably the closest thing he has ever had to a family. I'm going to go back in there and ask for help because right now, the more people looking, the better our chances of finding Sarah will be."
When Don turned and ran back into the abandoned warehouse, Leo stood there speechless with a single thought going through his mind.
Could he have been so wrong about Raphael?
Meanwhile, in an unknown location in New York City, Tiger Claw roughly pushed the unconscious 4-year-old onto a creaky wooden chair. He tied rope around her mid-section and around the back of the chair to make sure she couldn't escape when she awoke.
"Your certain that Leonardo is going to come for her?" Chris Bradford question as he finished securing the building.
Smirking behind his pale blue scarf, Tiger Claw confirmed, "Positive. That boy has too much honour to not save his friends honorary little sister. He'll come."
"And if he doesn't?"
Tracing the girl's face with the side of his sword, he replied, "Then I get to have some fun!"
Translations:
Kazoku- Family
Okaerinasai- Welcome back
N-han- Kidnapper
