TMNT: the unexpected friendship
Chapter 12: Civil Wars
Bianca woke up with her face stinging from the cold rough ground. She stirred and her eyes tried opening but the cold was pricking at her skin too, trying to force her back into a dreamless sleep. She didn't like the discomfort and struggled with getting her elbows to support herself. Bianca had a hard time remembering how she got where she was. There was a flash of light, and then it suddenly got very cold, and claustrophobic. "What…what the…" That was all she was able to say as she situated herself so she was sitting on her butt. He knees were bent and her arms were dangling on them in exhaustion.
"Are you alright?" Came a new voice. She wasn't aware she wasn't alone. Usually she's good at sensing those sort of things. Maybe her mind was still too sleepy to have sensed another presence. She suddenly got scared, not recognizing the voice.
"Who's there?"
"It's alright, I'm not here to hurt you." Finding the voice was hard for Bianca, she kept scanning until her hands rested on a dark stairwell. A cloaked figure was standing there observing her before descending down. "I wanted to make sure you were safe." "Those monsters were about to hurt you right before I stepped in." The man lifted his hood off of his head and his rimmed hair fell at his sides, besides from his bleached hair his scalp was bald. He has weird shaped pupils that contrasted with his warm, wine-colored irises.
"Oh, well, thank you very much." She felt foolish for thinking he was sinister. He seemed quite friendly as she sized him up as she stood tall.
"You're very welcome, come, you must want to freshen up." He said motioning her forward so he may lead her.
"You wouldn't mind?" Receiving such an offer from a stranger was a surprise to Bianca as she stared at him curiously.
"Of course not, this place a healing facility and the water here is especially used to soothe the body." He seemed genuine enough, Bianca thought and stepped forward.
"That sounds just what the doctor order." Her mood couldn't help but brighten slightly at the thought of being able to relax.
"If you follow me this—gah!" He stopped abruptly when his hand came in contact with Bianca's back as he was going to let her step into the hallway first.
"Funny, I wonder what the static electricity came from?" She didn't seem to think it was anything otherwise. He continued to stand there cradling his hand, not understanding the phenomenon properly. A weird feeling was crawling through him as he started speculating.
"Right, it must've simply been from my robes, I beg your pardon."
"No need." She smiled as she continued to step into the hallway, the man following slowly behind her as he observed her closely.
"You may make yourself comfortable, and I shall fetch you a new pair of clothes to wear, the germs from your garments could infect the whole sector."
"Of course, my apologies."
"Believe me, it's not at all your fault." He chided as he placed a smile on his stiff, pale features. "Those vile creatures are to blame for your predicament." He excused himself from the room to leave Bianca in peace. With a sigh, Bianca began to undress and slipped into the warm pool of clear liquid. It was unbelievably soothing and she couldn't help but sigh as she sunk deeper into the water. She relaxed there for a while before noticing there were products around her she could use to cleanse herself further. Greedily Bianca cleansed her body and she loved the smell of rich flavors rushing through her nostrils. The sound of the curtains flapping suddenly caught her attention and she saw a neatly folded pair of light blue and green clothing waiting for her. Not wanting to take much more of the man's time she hurried out, dried herself off and tried figuring out how to wear the garments she were given. She recognized the full body suit that was light blue with dark teal spirals running up the arms and down the legs. But there was something attached to it that she couldn't figure out. She flipped it over without another thought and stepped out of the chamber.
"Is this how it's supposed to be warn?"
"You're wearing the poncho backwards." The man laughed lightly to himself as he waltzed over to where she was standing.
"Oh." The flush on her face was evident, as she felt foolish for not understanding the outfit.
"Here." He sighed as he flipped the poncho over her head and straightened it out around her collarbone. "There, now you look better, almost like you belong." The tone in his voice couldn't be missed, but Bianca couldn't decipher what that tone meant.
"Thank you." Her formalities with Splinter seemed to have habitually been etched into her brain as she bowed slightly at the man.
"What did you say your name was?" He asked.
"Oh, I never mentioned, I'm sorry, I'm Bianca." Not introducing herself before seemed rather out of character for her, this place was setting her off with its weird vibe she was getting, something ominous was in the air, but hidden.
"An interesting name…do you know of its origin?" There was that tone again, some how the way the man was talking was setting Bianca off edge too.
"Uhm, can't say I do, sorry." There was no better way to respond, she thought.
"That's alright."
"Are my friends going to be here as well?" A sudden need to change the topic and move away from him slightly as she wandered the area flushed over her. She was feeling more uneasy the more he stared at her, the once warm wine-color of his eyes turned into a dark blood, almost like a venom.
"Why of course, I want to make sure they are safe too, I will leave shortly. But before I do, would you mind telling me about the outside world?" Bianca found that to be a strange request, though by the look of his complexion he hadn't seen much of the sun.
"You don't know?" He smiled almost sadly at her naivety.
"No, I have never left the walls of my wondrous city." He drifted to the window that towered over the outside world. Bianca rushed over to look outside too, not realizing where she was sooner again astounded her; she shared the same curious nature as Donny.
"We're in a city? There's a whole city underground?" Once taking a glance outside, the city amazed her, and yet scared her. It was so dark, ominous, like everything else around her. This place got a lot more unsettling the more she looked outside.
"I'm surprised you did know."
"Well not many people above the surface believe of other intelligent life forms on the planet." Trying to turn the remark into a joke she thought would make her ease into talking, but it didn't.
"Ah, but there used to be many, as I thought you would know." His genuine shock was suspicious to Bianca, why was he acting like this towards her? This was very different when she first woke up, had something she said offended him?
"Why would I know?"
"Your bloods flowing with incredible energy of those I knew of long before, though it's a bit different, the same feel is still present." That wasn't an answer she was expecting. Her discomfort continued to grow.
"You can feel my blood?"
"In a matter of speaking, yes, but I must know more about you." There he went again with the tone, it almost sounded like he was superior to her, which he was somehow able to act this way because of a social status.
"Uhm, well I don't know much about my history, I'm adopted." She was hoping that would get her out of the corner she had brought herself into, but he only seemed to be more confident with his next words.
"Ah but there are other ways."
"Such as?" There was no answer as he suddenly placed his hands on Bianca's temples and something happened. A sudden chill ran through her and then it all went dark. even with her eyes open she lost her ability to see. A sudden freezing sensation washed over her, it was painful; like icicles trying to stab her, and the icicles were etching very close to her heart. "AH!" she screamed and the process undid itself and she was holding onto the wall like it was her lifeline. She felt so weak, so powerless, this only happened when she was in that horrible meditative state.
"You must not resist the powers." He tried stepping closer to her and she maneuvered herself away from him. Passing him though and almost colliding with him made her eyes goes black again, it was then she was certain.
"But, you've been tinted by darkness, it hurts." This felt too much like the energy that was around Mikey before, when he was dreaming. Was there a dark presence that has consumed the whole area? The man's sudden change in mood shifted her out of her thoughts and back at his now deforming face.
"I have not! How could I when I have done nothing but protect my city and wish to replenish it?" He tried calming himself down after a moment. He tried going for a different approach. "You could even help me, staying here and we can begin the repopulation." Horrified by the remark, she continued to step away from him. In return he stalked forward.
"WHAT! No way!" The idea terrified and disgusted her, he was implying such a horrible thing, it felt like she was left so vulnerable, like she was stripped of everything; naked in his presence.
"You must, you will be more compatible than the others." While he said that, Bianca found herself back in the room where she woken up, she recognized frozen sculptures around her. She gawked around and found Stone Biter, a creepy looking spider monster with fur, and then she saw her friend Razor Fist.
"The others? Razor Fist…these, mutants?" She felt sick by the assumption she was making in her head. "You're going to force them to stay."
"I will not have to, once I return them to normal they will owe me." The way he stated that made it seem like it was obvious. Bianca couldn't believe she had ever trusted such a deranged lunatic.
"You're insane! They have families of their own to get back to, you cannot make someone stay away from their family!" There was no keeping her rage out of her voice, especially the way she had started to connect to Razor Fist, she wanted so badly for him to go home and find his sister.
"Yes I can, and I will keep you here as well, and continue to find out who you are." He loomed over her, now that she was backed against the wall again she felt more like an encaged rat.
"NO!" She tried sprinting for it but he quickly grabbed for her and held her tightly with one hand wrapped around his waist and the other he placed on her back, though there was a smooth surfaced item in between them.
"You do not have much of a choice, I'm afraid…" He growled as he struggled to keep her still, he then activated the crystal that was dangling from his neck. The light slowly consumed the room and it left Bianca paralyzed as the power started to encompass her in pain and she started to lose her footing.
"Let, let me go." Her voice was getting softer the more she went on; the pain was too antagonizing. "Stop…" And finally she was knocked out. The man dropped her and she fell limply to the ground. He stared at her a moment longer and then draped her over his shoulder and left her there in the secluded room.
"Now, to wait for your little friends." He stalked out of the room, forcefully closing the door behind him. his plans of returning his glorious city to its prime was something he could not fail to do.
Mikey slowly stalked into the room, he was the last of the group, since everyone disappeared the same way Bianca did. He was worried, he was worried for his safety and his friends' safety. He hated venturing farther into the dark spiral tower. He cringed as he remembered the darkness that grew from its base. He was glad to see it didn't happen in real life when he drew closer. Soon, Mikey found himself in a new area, and he was surprised to find.
"Stone Biter? Razor Fist?" He found his friends encased in a thick layer of ice. "Quarry…" He sighed, staring at his friend that recently just left his side. He looked down and found a crystal at the base of the structure he was placed on. Before touching it a booming voice announced its presence.
"No. Please, do not touch that. I am not finished with him." Mikey observed the figure and recognized him as the weird shadowy man that he saw in midst of the city.
"Yeah you are!" He growled as he suddenly lunged towards the figure, swiftly kicking him down from where he stood. It took a moment but the man got off the ground and revealed his face, Mikey was surprised by his appearance but didn't think much of it since he was still fuming. "Okay baldy! Where are my brothers?"
"Mikey." A voice interrupted the squabble. Mikey looked up from his close interrogation with the man and saw his brothers casually approaching them. "Bout time you got here, we've been waiting for you." Leo smiled. Though this wasn't the first time today, but right now this had to be the most confused Mikey's felt.
"Huh?" His brothers laughed as they helped Mikey let go of the man and try their best to explain the situation.
"We had this guy figured out all wrong." Leo said wrapping an arm around Mikey's shell.
"Yeah, he saw how The Foot had mutated Quarry and the others and he just wants to turn them back to normal." Donny concluded as they gathered in newly light room with running water and mechanical equipment. They casually sat down.
"But, wait a minute, where's Bi?" Mikey's worry wasn't hidden in his voice as he stared at the new man.
"She's resting peacefully in one of the side chambers, she was severely weakened by the power of the Crystal Moon."
"The Crystal what-what?" Mikey's brothers side as how behind Mikey was.
"As we speak, the power of the cavern's Crystal Moon is infusing them with regenerative energy; their bodies are being genetically rebuilt, inside each chrysalis. In minutes, the last of them will be restored to their original human form."
"Thank you so much for clearing that up." A large smile grew on Mikey's features. He then bent down towards Leo and whispered, "He's lying."
"Michelangelo, you're entirely safe I assure you." The man tried putting on his most sincere voice. "This city was built by an ancient peace-loving race, of which I'm the sole survivor." He ventured over to the screen on the far left and displayed a few images of the flourished city from the past. "We've lived from within the earth for many millennia, spiritually bonded with it. It's a symbiosis that has always sustained us, for we were unable to endure the harshness of the outside world. Then we detected life stirring on the surface. These new life forms fascinated us, so we began studying them from an outpost; the same outpost that most recently became your home. As the years past however, it soon became eminent that our own time was drawing to a close. Yes, the earth had cast its vote and our entire race faced extinction. They're all gone now." More sympathy was felt towards the man from the turtles as everyone was now filled in on more of the story than before.
"How long has it been?" Donny asked approaching him in concern.
"Long enough to make this a very lonely existence, which is why I want to return those people back to normal. Only then they can help me repopulate the city."
"Well I wouldn't count on that." Leo laughed at what he thought was the man's misunderstanding. "They all have lives waiting for them on the surface: families, friends."
"NO!" The man boomed with authority not expected from any of the turtles. "They will stay, they must."
"Well, I'm sure they'll be grateful but-" Leo tried further arguing his point of view but the man would have none of it.
"I refuse to let this city die, there's so much to pass on. They must stay, and so must you."
"Uh, I'm afraid that being, ah, all alone down here for so long has caused this guy to be driven slightly around the bend…" Donny concluded as he whispered to his brothers.
"We, appreciate the invitation to live here with you in this wondrous world of yours but-" Leo wanted to sound flattering but the man stopped paying attention to Leo's words as he ventured back to the screen, still showing what the city was like.
"Yes, it is wondrous: a world where even mutant turtles can freely walk the streets. No more lurking in sewers, no more hiding your faces, an entire city where you can finally be yourselves."
"As enticing as that sounds-" Donny was going to try and lay out the reality of the situation to him more gently, but Raph, having enough of the nice talk, had his own agenda of addressing the situation.
"Lemme put it this way, there's no way we're relocating to this creep-void community, understand? Now drop it." The features of the man's face seemed to have gone unnoticed by any of the turtles as Raph wrapped up his proclamation.
"C'mon, let's get Bianca and release the others." Donny suggested as they started making their way towards the door.
"Ba-bye!" Mikey mockingly waved as he felt confident knowing for once he was right about someone they've met down here. Before they could leave the doors slid close and though they were attempted to be open, they wouldn't budge.
"Trust me, you do not want to do this." Leo warned as they began to ready their weapons.
"No, heed my offer, for my bond with the earth is strong, and you will succumb to my strength, as did that wretched girl." A snarl escaped his lips when bringing up Bianca. This shocked the turtles.
"What did ya do with Bianca scum bag?" Raph asked as he edged forward, but being held back slightly by his brothers.
"Why, nothing she did not deserve." This tone seemed to also infuriate Leo.
"Where is she?" Leo tries attacking but the man deforms the earth to protect himself.
"She's been here all along…" He said ominously as he stuck out a hand to the side, where he was closest to the wall and it began to shift inwards and then revealed a beaten up Bianca dangling from the wall, somehow secured to it by the morphed rock. She was horribly beaten, blood dripping from her scalp, her lips, and from all the cuts scattered across her body; all because the man couldn't get answers out of her.
"Bianca!"
"No way…" Mikey gasped as he looked at the state of his fragile friend. The man turned from smirking at their reactions to seething at Bianca.
"Wake up vermin!" Quickly he grasped his pendant around his neck and it glowed slightly as Bianca woke up with a shriek of pain escaping her lungs. She was being put through what felt like an electrocution.
"Bianca!" Her friends screamed for her again, as they tried to move forward, the man quickly manipulated the earth beneath their feet and trapped the brothers either into the ground or they had become part of the wall.
"…E-Enough…" Bianca groaned as she found it difficult to keep he head lifted. "Leave, my friends, alone!" She tried putting a lot of power into her voice but it ended up betraying her and cracking from the extent of its use. The man glided towards her quickly and grabbed her neck, the rock disappearing around her and she left to struggle with letting oxygen into her lungs.
"Why?" Leo strained to ask as he tried removing himself from the wall, but the rock was too tough for him to overcome. He watched horrified as Bianca found it hard to keep consciousness. The man laughed at his remark, feeling proud of his superior knowledge.
"Because she has no right to trespass here on our battle grounds."
"What?" Mikey asked perplexed over what that could mean.
"But you said this was a peace-loving civilization." Donny piped up.
"It was, once all the vermin were banished from these lands. They tried fighting back against our order, our way of life, and so they were exiled to the surface."
"What does that have to do with Bianca?" Raph roared.
"It has everything to do with her, she should tell you herself. Speak slime!" he spat as he grabbed his amulet with his free hand and a glowing sensation appeared around her throat.
"AH!" Her lips betrayed her as she couldn't stomach the pain; she had to release her strain though screaming to stay sane. But it didn't last long as her head flopped down in exhaustion.
"No!" The boys cried as there was no more fight left in Bianca.
"Weakling," The man scuffed, roughly throwing her to the ground, he stared disgustingly at her limp form. "She still refuses to respond, though her body is frail her mind's like a scattered labyrinth." A deep chuckle then rang though the room, everyone looked around, not understanding where it was coming from.
"Oh I'm much more complex than that…" The deep melodic voice spoke as everyone stared in amazement as Bianca started to dust off the rubble from her clothes and straighten, stretching out her tired limbs.
"What." The man spat as he stared at her with horror and disgust.
"Peek-a-boo." Bianca's face smirked as the voice echoed from her lips. The guys stared on, not understanding how a new voice was forming from Bianca's mouth. Suddenly in a flash Bianca was now holding up the man by the throat. "Not so comfortable, is it?" The voice mocked as Bianca's features changed to one of a cocky superior person.
"I-Impossible, that should've immobilized you!" The man looked on in horror at how he was so easily mislead by her predicament. He hated being so helpless all of a sudden.
"Whoops. Doesn't look like you cut it." The voice almost laughed at the lack of power that the man had. "A shame, you were driven into darkness by sheer accident." This statement echoed through the room, ringing in everyone's ears dramatically as they recalled a far off memory of when their friend had said something similar when under a strange meditative trance.
"I am not darkness, I erase the darkness; like the one you have infested here!" The man was outraged by such a remark given to by someone he considered so beneath him. A sinister smile consumed Bianca's face, it was so wide it looked like it could extend beyond her face.
"Hm, that's not how I see it, you reek of it…I can almost see it." Bianca said as she continued to stare into the eyes of the man. "Just like before." Her eyes suddenly flared with intensity and hidden power, turning from their usual dark forest green to a bright amber that flickered in the light. This drew the color out of the man's face, not like there was much there anyway.
"How, how is this possible!" He was now genuinely terrified by where he was "standing" since he was still being held up slightly by Bianca.
"Because you picked on the WRONG being." She roared as she threw him easily with one arm across the room, into the wall, breaking through the wall, and landing on one of the platforms. Bianca, with incredible speed, ended up standing over the man with triumphant as she slowly bent down. She reached gingerly for the man as he cowered away, protecting his face. She paused in front of his face and quickly snatched his crystal from around his neck. She then proceeded to twist the crystal placed on the platform. "Nighty night." She mockingly waved with a sad face playing on her features as he stood up in horror as the bubble started to encase him. The water started to rise fast around him as he screamed, not wanting to end his fate like this. Soon his screams died down as cool mist entered the room once the bubble encasing moved away. The now frozen man was standing there, eyes wide in horror. The guys stepped into the room, awed by the scene they watched unfold around them as they were freed from their spots once he was frozen.
Bianca turned around and the guys were shocked by the color of her irises, not noticing them before since she was not facing them. They flickered as they darted from each of their faces. Before one of them could state what was on their minds, she quickly put a finger to her lips.
"Shhhh." They stared at her, still in awe as she casually approached them, with her arms now connected behind her back. "Our little secret, the timing's not right, I'm not ready…"
"For what?" Donny asked.
"To be awakened." This wasn't what the guys were expecting to hear from their friend, it didn't make sense since Bianca was standing in front of them, eyes wide open and addressing them. There was no way she was sleep walking.
"Bianca what are you-" Leo tried to reason what could possibly be going through her head when she took Leo's outstretched hand and intertwined their fingers and let their hands drop to their sides.
"Hm, so naïve. You really think a young girl could've done all that? Break through solid rock? She's pretty remarkable, but that would be impossible, without me." Bianca smirked at him confidently, something Leo wasn't used to seeing on her face, she almost looked recognizable, though there she was, standing in front of him and his brothers. Before Leo could continue to ask more questions that were swirling in his mind, Bianca's eyes dimmed and they almost lost color as her body suddenly collapsed. Thankfully Leo swiftly caught her and cradled her form in his eyes as she stayed still, her eyes were closed and her chest was moving up and down, it seemed she was lulled to sleep. He didn't know what to do with her as his brothers crowded around him and stared down at their friend curiously.
"Does anyone know what the SHELL just happened?"
"No clue, that definitely wasn't her voice, right?"
"Yeah, her voice couldn't go that low even if she tried. What the heck was she saying?"
"I'm not sure, but I think we have to take her word for it, we shouldn't mention it to her until we know exactly what's going on. Before this, Bianca seemed totally unaware. She may not even realize she was taken over."
"She probably won't react well to hearing that she was. Is it fair to keep that from her though?" Raph asked.
"We don't have a choice I guess, maybe it was some fluke, but-"
"I'll make sure to do more studies when we get back to the lair, don't worry Leo, she'll be alright." Donny interrupted Leo and placed a comforting brotherly hand on his shoulder.
"I hope she will be." He sighed as he looked down at her one more time. he untangled his hand from hers and pushed some stray hair out of her face. "Let's get out of here, it's about time we headed home."
"Ugh…what?" A weak voice mumbled. Leo looked down at Bianca, slowly starting to wake up, her voice sounded so far away though, though thankfully it was back to normal.
"Bianca?" Mikey asked timidly, bending down to her level.
"Hi, guys…are you, okay?" She mumbled placing a hand on Mikey's shoulder. He smiled as he patted her hand gingerly.
"I think that should be the least of your worries right now. What matters is that you're safe now." Donny answered
"Why, does everything hurt, so much?" She groaned trying to sit up.
"He did quite a number on ya." Raph laughed as he attempted to help Leo and keep her from moving. "You should take it easy for now, kay?" He patted her head and mad eye contact with her. Her forest green eyes were back, other than looking tired and shitty from her fight, she looked like she was her normal self.
"I, won't argue with you, there…" She slowly drifted off back to sleep.
"Heh, dat's a first…Okay let's find somethin' heavy and crack these puppies open." Raph said moving his way over to where Quarry was standing, frozen in ice. Donny got up and examined the platform Quarry was in.
"Actually, no blunt force required, I believe this crystal is the release." The ice slowly began to melt and mist started filling the room. The ice started to crack and Quarry's old from was disappearing and a shorter form was hidden behind the steam.
"Quarry?" Leo asked softly as he and Mikey joined Don and Raph. Once the steam cleared, they felt suddenly very embarrassed and intrusive and began to cover their eyes.
"You're a girl!" Mikey said bashfully as she was standing there, completely naked. She didn't seem to quite register it yet. She looked at herself though and began to smile.
"I'm, back to normal…" She could barely believe it herself. Donny then suggested to finding clothes like Bianca's and while walking out bumped into the door, since his eyes were still covered. He ran out of the room as his brothers though it'd be a good idea to keep helping the others escape.
"C'mon turtles, let's free the others." Next appeared twin girls, and three built men; also naked.
"Well, that's all of them." Raph said exhaustingly as they had just finished finding clothing for everyone that would fit and they ventured out of the city. He was exhausted because he was the one that was put in charge of giving Bianca a piggyback ride.
"No!" Came a voice from up ahead. The once mutated experiments were ahead of them slightly and the turtles rushed over, wondering what the commotion was about.
"It can't be!" The girl who was formally Quarry gasped as she looked at her friend who was half way in the dark, half not as his top had hidden in darkness started to mutate again. Leo, Don, and Mikey pulled him out of the dark and back into the light part of the cavern. The man slowly started to revert back, his shirt completely gone and part of his pants torn. "He, he reverted back once he stepped out of the cavern, why?"
"There, I think that's the cause." Donny said turning back towards the city and pointing up towards the ceiling of the cavern, there was the glowing collection of crystals that light the city. "Remember, he said it provided regenerative energy. Stray too far from it, and it seems the effects reverse themselves."
"Then, we can't leave his city? I can't believe he, he'd got what he wanted after all." Quarry sighed as she and the rest of the experimented people sulked due to the awful news. Once again, their freedom was being put on hold.
"We'll figure this all out. Don's pretty good-"
"No, we can't let you stay. Who knows how long it'll take." Quarry interrupted Leo's suggestion, not wanting to burden him with their problems further. The rest of the group nodded. "You have to take care of Bianca, she needs medical attention, and the crystals don't seem to be helping her condition."
"You have to keep her safe." Spoke up the man that used to be Razor Fist.
"R-Razor…?" Came a muffled voice from Bianca, who was slowly starting to gain consciousness again. The man walked over and gingerly brushed her hand lightly with his thumb.
"It's okay Bianca, you saved us. Thank you for all that you've done, I hope my sister has grown up to be just like you." He said soothingly as she was once again put back to sleep, with a satisfied smile on her face as she lightly gripped Razor's hand.
"But taking it off is not our style." Mikey argued.
"Please, you have your own lives to get back to. Believe me, if the solution is here we'll find it." Quarry said with determination.
"I'll keep studying the crystals. We can beat this." Donny said with the same determination, though he had another agenda for studying the crystals as he looked at his frail friend on his brother's back.
"And then, we'll be back." Leo promised.
"That's a promise." Raph agreed.
"Thank you." Quarry said as she bowed her head in thanks. The group said their farewells, though not before Razor told Raph to remind Bianca to contact someone named Bethany Rylander. Raph figured that was his sister and he promised to tell Bianca once she was well enough.
It took a while but the gang finally made it to the surface again. It was nice almost to breathe in the sewer air and its moist atmosphere was comforting against their dry skin. They continued to follow their way back home when Leo, who was leading the group stopped everyone and told them to shush. They waited for a moment as splashes were heard coming from farther down the tunnel, heading their way. No one was ready when they saw the Foot Ninjas sprinting through the sewers; thankfully not noticing the turtles.
"Foot Ninjas?" Leo asked in shock, almost angered that there wasn't going to be getting back to the lair and relaxing for a bit. Their adventure he could tell had taken a lot out of his team.
"What are they doin down here?" Raph glared, almost wanting to pounce on them, though then remembering he had a small human on his back. Mikey then sensed something from behind him and was cut off by a paw meeting his mouth when he was about to respond verbally.
"Who-!"
"Shhhh." Master Splinter shushed his son, though loud enough for his other sons to hear him and turn around to face him. Once he removed his paw from Mikey's mouth he didn't look happy.
"What? I'm the only screamer? You just have to cover up my mouth?"
"Master Splinter, what is going on?" Both Master Splinter and Leo refused to acknowledge his remark and got to what really mattered. Master Splinter sighed as he was afraid of what was happening.
"I do not know, but I believe The Foot is searching the sewers for us. They are everywhere."
"You gotta be kidding me?" Raph growled as he adjusted Bianca on his back. This did not go unnoticed by the old rat. He stared at his son suspiciously and Raph responded, "We had a wild adventure down dere sensei and Bianca needed ta rest."
"We cannot reach the lair undetected. We must find a new place to stay, and fast." Master Splinter said as he walked over to Bianca and saw her wounds and torn up clothing, placing a paw gently on her knee, knowing that she needed to get attention.
"Hey, I know just the place." Mikey said victoriously after thinking for a moment. His family looked at him suspiciously but said nothing as they quickly hurried after their family member running down the sewer tunnels. The rest of the family soon caught on as to where Mikey was leading them, agreeing secretly that it was their best option as of now. Once they made it to the fire escape and they opened the window into the hallway, they walked up to the door and Mikey knocked. A cucumber masked, just freshly showered April came to the door and stared at her sudden guests in shock.
"Hey April, ghoulish mug pack girl." Mikey said smiling at his human friend and casually making it past her to venture into her kitchen, well aware of the delicious pizzas in the freezer April saves for them when they decide to drop by.
"Mind if we bunk upstairs in your apartment for a while?" Leo asked as he continued to walk in too, giving no time for April to answer.
"Hey what's ta eat?" Raph followed his brother's suit. And April paid his question no attention as she was startled upon finding Bianca, beaten up and limply laying on Raph's back.
"Where'd you…how'd she…"
"You got digital cable right?" Donny said interrupting her questions as he headed for the TV. She followed him with her gaze, just in time to see Mikey knocking over something, no surprise.
"Sorry!" He called out as he tried to foolishly piece the vase back together, failing miserably as it fell apart again.
"Miss O'Neil, your hospitality is very much appreciated." April's attention was drawn back to the rat as he bowed politely and then excused himself into her home. She stared blankly at them before roaring,
"What on EARTH is going on?"