Chapter Three
Meet April
Screaming was the first thing to be heard when the April woke up, seeing the large Turtles and rats... she pretty much passed out again at the sight of Splinter.
"You know... she just clichéd females by doing that!" Athena says from her spot.
It had been only an hour when the Turtles had bought April in, so there wasn't much to do but wait, but not they have to wait again for the woman to wake up.
"Not everyone can cope with such confrontation of their beliefs straight away. Some never do," Remus tells her fairly, handing her a mug of his famous hot chocolate, before sitting beside her.
"How's Daddy at the moment?" Athena peers over at Severus, who was occupied by Christian and Kimika at the moment, helping them learn how to read and write. (One plus on being a teacher in Severus's mind was that he guessed he'd use it for a positive spin).
"Throwing himself into any distraction he can find, the usual," said Remus.
The family unit could sense the other's emotional waves, but still helped to see where the actual person was at.
"I've noticed he's been more apprehensive of late, not just of what's happened with the whole Mousers and this Stockman guy, I mean."
"Because he's worried about you and your sister, as am I," says Remus. "You turn eleven this year. The very age every student who is set to attend Hogwarts receives their letter. We've explained some of the reasons why we are hesitant to send you, but not exactly all the reasons why."
"We know that it's so we don't become exposed, even with our popularity with our shows and singing, and because of who you and Daddy are, telling us that our births are rare or something," Athena answers.
"That is what we have told you, yes," said Remus, nodding. "But there is a heck of a lot more to it than that."
This confused Athena a little. "How so?"
Remus debated a little on whether to answer or not.
"Do you remember a few years ago, how you didn't see Daddy and I for a good long while?"
Athena slowly nods. "Yes."
Finally, Remus decided to speak; "Someone we knew, who we thought was a decent person and able to be trusted, came to see us in that place, however it wasn't to help us... he hurt and betrayed us in so many ways that our wanting to protect you and your siblings from him and those who are allied with him has really tripled. Because this is the year you're meant to be set to attend our old school, and the demands to have you there from those who want to see you with their own eyes, the same ones we have been ensuring you are hidden from, besides the other side of a camera or photo, because those don't count, it's going to cause a little bit of added anxiety right now."
"But you said you and Daddy said that we had the choice of not going? At least not until we were thirteen, fourteen or fifteen?"
"We did."
"Then shouldn't that be taken into thought by whoever wants us there?"
"It should, doesn't mean people aren't going to try and overturn it."
"Is that allowed?"
Remus sighs. "We've been assured that it can't, but it doesn't stop rules from being bent and turned so it doesn't matter what we've done."
Athena takes hold of her father's hand, he squeezes it gently.
"Regardless, you know you have us to help and do our best to protect you," he assures, before pecking her forehead.
With a smile, Athena rests her head on his upper arm.
After thirty minutes, April finally came too and, after some convincing that she isn't dreaming, this was all real and that she wasn't in any danger, as well as much convincing that she wouldn't reveal anything to anyone, she was willing to talk, as well as listen in return.
April was told of how the Turtles and Splinter came to be, as well as adding on to how Apollo and Kimika came to become part of the family. It was a little difficult to mention the death of Morrigan, when asked by April how she died, no-one was willing to reveal.
"Let's just say she was trying to help out our friends and was killed in the process," Splinter replies, indicating to the Lupin-Snape family.
"So, how do you fit into all of this?"
"How much to do you know of Stockman Enterprises?" Remus asks, knowing Severus certainly wasn't going to want to ask, he was just staying back and observing.
"Well, I know it's a company that started about nine or ten years ago, taking over an old company that split ways or whatever happened. A lot of talk of employees going berserk or dying from their own hands," April had to think of her knowledge, the stuff she learned as soon as she got accepted for the job. "Experimental Welfare on Animals and Technology Global Research Institute... I think?"
"Before Stockman took his share, it was owned by a Dr Leroy Orson, or at least, he seemed to be the face, not exactly sure if he was the true owner of the facility, before the exchange of hands," Remus explained. "However, he was certainly the one who orchestrated on how things were to be run and who his experiments were to be placed upon. Taking many years to understand why. Even more as to how your boss found out and captured us, Severus twice. It was luck our children weren't taken, though it was nearly done when our daughters were kidnapped when they were still only two months old, that is how we came to know and befriend Splinter and his Turtles, and reunite with Morrigan and Apollo once more a little later."
"You say your daughters... I don't...? Who was their mother?"
Awkward for a moment, before Severus, figuring to just get it over and done with; "Me."
Understandably this confused April.
Remus, leaving out certain not necessary details, explained further. Freya, Athena and Christian knew of how they were born so this was nothing new to them, or to Splinter and his family, for that matter.
"But... from your interviews you say something completely different," April couldn't help saying to Freya and Athena.
"Yeah... because a bunch of Muggles are going to make total sense of two males reproducing children," Freya says, frowning and shaking her head.
"Muggles?"
"Wizard term for non magic people," said Remus. "I believe the American ones call you No-Maj."
"Hey guys! Check this!" Michelangelo calls, who was in front of the biggest of the televisions, hands on hips, shaking his head.
Everyone turns to see that the news was on and was reporting on a robbery that happened at a highly secured bank overnight. Showing the results of the break-in, and the way the hole was created was very, very familiar.
"Wanna take a guess on what did this?" the orange wearing turtle says, it was a rhetorical question.
"This is what I must have overheard Doctor Stockman talking about, he's got the Mousers robbing banks," says April.
"Bit a downgrade from what he gets involved in," Severus couldn't help sounding a little snippy.
"What do you actually know about him?" asks Raphael. "Other than what you've learned from Remus and Severus?"
"He's a genius, and nuts. I used to work for him, but when I got suspicious on what he was doing, he turned the Mousers on to me," April replies.
"Sounds like the bloke who owns Stockman Enterprises, alright," Remus mutters to Severus.
"Mmm," said Severus.
"So it was him who had those things destroy our old home," said Apollo.
"Now he's upgraded them to banks," said Donatello.
"I say we shut down this particular branch of his permanently!" Raphael declares, spinning his sai with itching determination.
"Won't be easy, as the building is rigged with the latest, up-to-date security one can think of," April tells them.
"Bring on the challenge, Donatello is our own secret weapon and genius at getting around security tech!" Michelangelo boasts his purple wearing brother.
"Aw! Cut it out!" Donatello blushes just a little, but mostly proud of this acknowledgement.
"Plus you'll have Severus and I along," Remus voices.
"Why?"
"Because there is a high chance magic would be involved in this security you speak of, and well, who better to get help bypass it than with a pair of wizards?"
"Plus any chance on hurting anyone associated with Stockman Enterprises is a clear welcome," Severus adds. "And, no, you two are not coming!"
"Aw!" Freya protested.
"I'm going to agree on this one," said Remus.
"Fine!" says Freya, then walks off.
"She's becoming as bad as you, Raph!" Athena looks at the red wearing Turtle.
"Can we go now, please!" Raphael says instead, who was rearing to go.
###
Later, when it was more darker, April led the Turtles, Apollo, Severus and Remus to where the place would be located from the underground tunnels of the sewers. Just as they rounded a corner, April stops and quietly points out a digital security device mounted on the wall.
"Is this guy paranoid or what?" Michelangelo whispers.
"I wouldn't put that down as so much as paranoia, Mike," Remus says just as quietly, going over to help April and Donatello with in dismantling the device.
Taking out the alarm may have been tetchy, being that there was magic detected, but it was able to be rendered useless.
"Why use magic?" April was a little confused.
"Because he's connected to the Wizard World; plus while his White Coats had us captive a few years ago, we were forced to create means of security that is unlike ordinary Muggle tech. Most of the time Muggle technology and magic doesn't mix, but when done a certain way, it becomes a pretty powerful tool, where the two can co-exist without any trouble," Remus explains.
"Which makes it a little more difficult to put out, unless you know how," said Severus.
Understanding a little more now, April continues to lead the group to an air duct that was wide enough for them to crawl through. The air was on and blasting... until Severus used his abilities to cause it stop all together.
"It's not going to be comfortable, but it'll help," he says. "Are you okay, Moony?"
"Not really," said Remus, staring at the small opening. It wasn't that small, if anything it was big enough to fit people in it, but to him...
"Claustrophobic?" asks April, as she was helped up by Raphael and Leonardo, who climbed in first.
"You could say that."
"So you and I can panic together," Apollo jokes a little, who wasn't fond of tight spaces, either.
"Need a nerve calmer?" Severus offers, showing two tiny vials of potions.
"How far in do we need to go?"
"Not that far up," April replies.
Remus looks at Severus. "I think I'll be fine."
As April said, it wasn't that far to go and they managed to get into one of the hallways that April needed to head to.
"There's computer terminal in that lab," April points out. "Get me in and I can create blank spots in the security system to get me through to Dr Stockman's main lab."
"Don't look now, but we've already got a blank spot right here," Raphael mutters thumbing at Michelangelo.
Michelangelo makes a face; "Hey!"
"So what does that make you, Raph? Full of yourself?" Apollo quips quietly back.
"You're lucky you're back there!" Raphael returns, before getting out of the duct and helping April out.
The door was naturally locked, lucky they only needed Raphael's ability to pick locks with his sai to unlock it and slip in on light feet. April was quick to the panels and getting into it.
"I'm blanking the cameras along that corridor at 10-second intervals, so you'll have to keep moving," she says.
They didn't waste time, the Turtles and Apollo left once they knew they had to keep going, Remus and Severus stayed back with April.
Apollo and the Turtles reached where they had to go. It was very, very quiet.
"Guys, my Turtle senses are tingling," Michelangelo mutters.
Just then, a siren went off and a voice booms overhead; "Intruder alert! You come here to steal my secrets?"
Up in a glass windowed highset box with highly sophisticated computer tech and gadgets, stood none other than the very man they had seen on their television screen; Doctor Baxter Stockman.
"You'll leave here with nothing!" he pauses. "What are you?... I suppose I'll have to dissect you find out."
With a push of a button, many robot arms with phaser lasers on them came down and surrounded the five. Once they were in position, they started firing... but the five were too quick.
Teamwork! Best way to sum up how the Turtles and Apollo were able to disable to laser arms, and get up to the area where Stockman was.
"Your reign of terror is over!" Leonardo's austere tone speaks.
"You've been practicing that?" Michelangelo asks.
Leonardo grins. "You like?"
"What are you?"
The doors to the lift open and out came April... accompanied by two of the people Stockman had hoped to not ever meet in person.
"They're with me," April declares firmly.
"Severin? Roman?"
Just the sound of those names was enough for Severus to whip his wand and give off a warning... a thin slither of a cut appears on Stockman's cheek, trickling lightly with blood.
"Say that again," he sneers.
But Stockman was quick to press some sort of button on the panel.
"Hey!" Raphael grabs him by the collar of his coat and pulls him against one of the panels.
Stockman told them that he ordered the Mousers to be recalled and that they would be swarming the place any second. Right off April, Donatello and Remus started to try and override the order – as there was no doubt magic would have been used here, too.
Unfortunately, the whirring sounds became louder and louder and coming in by the trillions, (or it felt that way), entered the razor sharp mouths and bodies of the Mousers. Stockman used this to get away... though he just narrowly missed Severus's firing spell to try and stop him.
"We'll deal with him another time," Leonardo says.
The Mousers started to attack, because of the confined space they were in, Severus was careful when it came to using his wand work and air abilities, (water would be a really bad idea here), though Remus and Donatello took turns to fend off any that were coming close to them and April while they worked to shut them off.
Eventually they were shut down, but not entirely, April could only get them to stop by using an overload sequence, meaning they were set to blow... meaning they bolted right on out of there as fast as they could and in just a split second to spare.
###
"The authorities are completely perplexed by the destruction to the New York branch facility to Stockman Enterprises, and the sudden disappearance of Dr Baxter Stockman."
The group were watching the news, knowing what had happened, at least to the building, they didn't know what had become of the man who owned it.
"What will you do now, Miss O'Neil, as you are most definitely out of a job?" Splinter politely asks.
"Not exactly sure," April was honest with her answer. She really didn't know what she was to do.
"We'll help you get back on your feet," Donatello speaks.
"You guys have all been great, but I couldn't burden you with my situation," April replies. She was humbled by the offer, but didn't know how to accept it.
"If we believed it was to be a burden, it wouldn't have been offered in the first place," Severus points out.
"Yeah, you're one of us now, if you think you'll be okay with that," said Michelangelo.
"Or we can just wipe your memory and you'll forget we ever existed," said Freya with a grin.
"Ignore my ever brutal twin," Athena says, rolling her eyes, while their fathers put their faces into their palms.
Luckily April saw the funny side to this, and indeed accept that she was now part of one very strange group.
###
"So, as any fool can see, the whole thing was a minor setback. With your generous continued funding, I can be back to work by say... Monday morning?" Stockman was pacing back and forth in front of a sleek man of Japanese origin kneeling upon a dais, and at the foot of the stairs, his very large bulk of a man with blond ponytail and sporting tattoos of a purple dragon and red three pronged flame in a ring, plus visible scarring on his face.
"You failed me a few times over the past number of years. I let those slide, because I knew the high risk of the situation and was talked on out of punishing you severely for it. But since my loss of contact with the people I've been dealing with nearly three years ago, and no one here to stop me from carrying out what needs to be done, you will pay the price this time, Dr Stockman," the man on the dais spoke, standing up and pointing his now pronged hand toward the spectacled man.
The large bulk of a man goes over and grabs Dr Stockman and drags him off out of the room to goodness know where. Stockman was pleading and begging to be let go.
As they were leaving, a cyborg of a man, came in and bowed to his knees before his leader.
"The image you've requested, Master."
In comes in another cyborg of a man, wheeling in a Mouser head on a projector, which, via its robotic eye sensor, projected on to a screen, that came down from the ceiling, five shadowed outlined figures, he couldn't really make out what they were exactly, but he could see that they were not human.
"So, these are the ones responsible?"
In a fit of rage, he charged at the screen and ripped through it with his steel claw.
Was a bit of a risk, thankfully one that pulled off, by letting April know just what the heck her old boss was really like, as if getting Mousers turned on her wasn't enough, when she tried to find out just how deep of a crook he is.
Plus you now know that the connection between Shredder and certain Wizards are currently severed.