TMNT: the unexpected friendship
Chapter 13: Shred Head Makes a Comeback
The ringing from getting an earful from James still hadn't left Bianca's ears. She couldn't blame him for being worried, she didn't check in all weekend and her friends were asking about her too. Thank goodness he played off the food poisoning gag well so she could be absent from school on Monday. Though Bianca wasn't entirely happy with that option since this was the last two weeks before winter break. At least she didn't have a final today, thank goodness; but she hated just lounging in her bed. Her body still hurt incredibly from the fight she got into with that strange man from the underground. James nearly had a fit when she said she used the excuse of getting mugged. If she hadn't stopped him, James would've gone through the streets of New York City and find all the Purple Dragons he could find and tear their limb from limb.
She laughed at the idea of watching that, but her sides cried out in pain, not liking the vibration that ran through her body. Having nothing to do she plugged in her headphones and tried to find something to entertain herself with. Suddenly a song playing in her ears jogged a memory she's been meaning to try and grab at for a while now.
The guys wouldn't tell he how she passed out or how the guy ended up turning into a popsicle. Though whenever she thought about the underground, a blurred image of her fighting and escaping the man's grasp zapped across her memory but quickly disappears. It was giving her a massive headache not being able to remember what could've been a crucial memory. Also Bianca was put on edge as her friends continued to ask her how she's been and what she remembers. They look at her like she did something wrong, maybe even unspeakable. Bianca had a hard time living with that thought.
She sang softly along to the Justin Timberlake song that seemed to speak to her more intently than ever.
Keeps coming closer, I don't but she thinks I know her
Beautiful smile with those sad eyes
That was my type, amnesia, that's over
I can see you breathing, girl, it's colder -
I can see you need me but I don't care
My whole memory of me and I've gone so far from me, girl
It's not fair
I could feel it almost starts to change
But then it hurts too much, that's when it starts to fade
The bed creaks under Bianca as she turns over onto her side and stares at her hands that lay in front of her. She brings them in, interlocked with each other and placed them on her heart.
So cold baby, now I'm going crazy
I don't know why you'd leave me alone.
If it was true, if it was you
Don't you think, don't you think I would know?
Amnesia: every memory fades away till it's gone
Where did you go?
Amnesia: everything and nothing
No 'we' anymore, she's a stranger that I used to know
Though the song's about forgetting the memory of a loved one, she found it still fit her predicament, as she has lost touch with herself, barely even able to recognize the girl in the mirror that stared back at her; like there was two of her. Even though physically Bianca seemed to not have changed, an air around her, the way she felt about herself and viewed herself was changing, she wanted to better understand herself; but she had no way of knowing where to start. James doesn't know much about their birth parents. They died in a fire, that all he remembers, and then he carried Bianca's little new born self and wound up in a orphanage. That's when their parents picked them up and took them to their first home in Georgia. Maybe that's where it all started, she thought. Not in Georgia, but with her forgotten birth family.
Now these photos of us
So happy, so in love
Tell me what happened?
Who were they? Where did they go?
When was enough, enough?
When did all the fire turn colder?
When did your heart start to beat slower?
My whole memory of me in love's gone so far from me, it's not fair
And I can feel it almost start to change
But it just hurts too much, I let it go away
Bianca slowly sat up, her body trying to resist her attempts to move. She got up and took off her shirt to reveal a tank top underneath her long sleeved baggy shirt. Looking down at her hands she scrunched up the shirt a little in frustration.
So cold baby, now I'm going crazy
I don't know why you'd leave me alone.
If it was true, if it was you
Don't you think, don't you think I would know?
Amnesia: every memory fades away till it's gone
Where did you go?
Amnesia went from everything to nothing
No 'we' anymore, she's a stranger that I used to know.
By the end of the song she was staring at herself in the mirror again, shirt still clenched in her hands. Her body tensed as she felt a slight breeze hit her bare arms and she grew angry, as she knew she didn't leave the window open. Tightening her grip, she turned around swiftly and threw her shirt at whoever she sensed was in her room.
"Nice throw." It took Bianca to register that Leo was the one who caught her shirt. He smiled lightly at her as he tossed it back to her. Bianca took it and started to fold it up.
"Leo…sorry, didn't expect to see you."
"Just thought I'd drop by, I was wondering how you were feeling." Of course, she thought, he was stopping by to spy on her, to make sure she was getting enough rest. She was glad that her hair was doing a good job at protecting her real expression from him as she folded her shirt on her dresser. She pushed the drawer to her dresser roughly as she turned around to face her mutant friend.
"I'm doing better I guess." Trying to keep a friendly tone in her voice, despite that she was slightly peeved at him. "You really don't have to worry so much, I'll heal up quick."
"I meant more mentally."
"Mentally?"
"Yeah." He paused slightly as he took a step forward while also rubbing the back of his neck. "Are, any memories resurfacing?"
"Nothing much, just a blur really, though all I can really remember was fighting back. But I can't remember if that was before or after I saw you guys."
"It was both."
"What did I do?"
"You just fought back, there's not-"
"There is more to it!" Leo was taken back by the sudden change in her voice. "I can see it when you guys look at me, when you ask these weirdly phrased questions, I know something happened, why can't I remember!" Bianca wasn't afraid of yelling since James was out of the house at work again. So she had no restraints holding her back from yelling at Leo ferociously.
"We're not sure ourselves."
"Then tell me what I did! Tell me what I could've done, because," Bianca was failing at keeping the struggle and quiver out of her voice. "Because I feel scared when I think about it." She wrapped herself in her arms and she shuddered, getting sad as she glanced into the mirror again. She watched as green arms wrapped around her arms.
"There's nothing to be scared about…you're fine. That's what matters." He leaned down onto her shoulder, his voice barely above a whisper. She found it unbelievably soothing to hear him sound so calm and trustworthy, but there were still nerves fighting off that feeling, trying to overpower her.
"I don't feel fine, I feel like I'm missing something, missing a part of the bigger picture. I can't recognize myself properly when I look in the stupid mirror." She said turning her head to the side and letting it relax on his opposite shoulder.
"Do you know what I see?" There wasn't enough energy left in Bianca to form words or turn her head to face him in the mirror, so she nodded her head in return, not knowingly. "I see a strong headed, independent, stubborn but heroic friend who puts others before herself and will do whatever it takes to save the people she cares about." She laughed lightly as she looked back at the mirror, meeting Leo's eyes.
"That sounds more like you Leo. You're the one who's always looking out for everyone and putting others before himself." She nudged him slightly with her arm and he turned her around so she was facing him properly.
"Hm, maybe, but that would mean I'm rubbing off on you." He said smiling, rubbing her upper arms soothingly.
"Oh no, I've been stubborn and passionate my whole life. I did that all on my own, ask my brother, he's been a victim to my superiority."
"Right, I bet he has." Not being able to resist, Bianca leaned in and placed her head calmly on his plastron, wrapping her arms around him and fumbling with the grooves on his shell.
"Thank you." Leo didn't respond for a moment, but slowly and tightly wrapped his arms around her back, stroking her hair. "I'm sorry, I feel like I always end up breaking down in front of you, it's not fair."
"Why would you feel bad, there's nothing wrong with releasing your feelings? Sometimes it helps, like when Raph throws a temper tantrum, it can help get him to a clearer perception of a situation, once he's calmed down of course. You can do that too."
"Yeah maybe." She laughed as she twisted her face so her cheek was touching his chest now. "So how's bunking out at April's, did you come here just to check up on me or to stretch your legs." She parted from him slightly, though they never really let go of each other.
"A little bit of both, but I was worried about you more. It was my real motivation, getting some fresh air was just an added bonus."
"Well I'm glad you came over."
"Me too." He smiled gently at her and nudged her with his forehead. "Now you need to continue resting." Bianca rolled her eyes and shoved him away slightly.
"Aw c'mon, stop trying to act like James, I'm bored being cooped up in my room." The whine was evident in her voice. He laughed again, she sounded a lot like Mikey.
"Just today, then you can do whatever you want tomorrow. You can stop by and visit too, after you're done with your exams."
"Yeah don't remind me, first exam is history, and I HATE history."
"Funny, you seem pretty fascinated with Japanese history, you always seem so wrapped up in Master Splinter's explanation of Bushido."
"That's because that's interesting. I'm in American history, a.k.a. the most boring history, I don't care about who did what and when and on what battle field, I wanna know about the culture development, like Bushido. It became part of the Feudal Japan's culture."
"There can be a way the culture influenced the wars."
"Well I don't see it, all the class is memorization, if you don't have a photographic memory or you don't like the class, like me, you're screwed."
"Well, you better get to work." He scanned the room quickly before finding what he was looking for, her notebook for said class. The object flew through the air and she caught it clumsily. She sighed as the notebook and rolled her eyes at him.
"You're just making my day harder, you know that?"
"Not my fault you attend school."
"Not my choice either."
"But one you must fulfill to move further through life."
"That sounded a lot like Master Splinter." She mocked lightly as she smiled at him. He laughed a little at the irony.
"He's been taking the time to catch us up on traditional lessons, since there's not a lot we can do to train in April's home."
"Ha, now that sounds boring. Good luck with that soldier." She mockingly saluted him. He copied her and they laughed. "Want me to pick up something for you guys tomorrow?"
"That would be great, since all Mikey's been able to cook is scrambled eggs. No matter how good they are, it's getting old."
"Got it, I'll pick you guys up dinner."
"Thanks, see you tomorrow."
The two finals weeks crawled by slowly, and it was painful how long it took, she stopped by with food for the turtles on Tuesday, but unfortunately she found it way too hard to concentrate in April's home overflowing with guests she didn't stick around to enjoy it, since another exam was the next day. Finally when Thursday afternoon came, the last day of her scheduled finals, she burst through the doors to the school and cheered loudly as she and her friends went to get root beer floats to celebrate at the nearby parlor.
"To first semester finally being over." Cabby said first, standing up and putting her glass in the air.
"Hooray to another one coming around the corner…" Mitch said sarcastically, following Cabby's lead. Bianca rose and nudged him in the side. "Ow…"
"To having a better one next year!" Bianca cheered. Everyone else followed suit and they clinked their glasses.
"Ha-zah!" Todd hollered.
"You need to quit the Shakespeare Club, it's changed you." Arielle said nudging him slightly. Everyone laughed and sat down, continuing on talking about what they'll be doing over their 2 week break. They were each excited about doing their own thing. Bianca this year was not planning anything, James and her with their busy schedules never discussed it, but she was fine with that, it just meant more times with the turtles. Bianca got a call on her phone and she quickly excused herself; she took her bag with her since it wasn't on her regular cell phone.
"Hey Donny, good to hear from you."
"Quickly, fan it out!"
"Uh, Donny? Is this a shell dial?"
"No, sorry Bianca, we're just having trouble putting out the fire."
"Oh okay, wait, WHAT?"
"Mikey tried making something else other than eggs and toast. And failed, epically."
"Oh god." "Lemme guess, pizza's on the take out menu?"
"Would you mind? We're trying to keep April from killing Mikey."
"Sure thing. Gimme a little time, I'm out right now but I'll be there when I can." The line went dead after quick goodbyes. She sighed; she was going to kill Mikey herself if April hadn't gotten around to it yet. She went back over to the table.
"I gotta go you guys."
"But you haven't finished your Fanta and ice cream float." Cabby complained, the face she was using to keep Bianca was leaving was killing Bianca on the inside. She tried to not look at her anymore and explain.
"I know, but apparently since James' last try with cooking the engineer hasn't stopped by to our house to fix the oven, which he broke while making food."
"What'd he do?" Mitch asked.
"He kicked it, really, really hard. He got mad."
"Aw man he's such a trouble maker." Arielle laughed. She knew him better than any of them and Bianca laughed.
"I know, I have to clean up after him and get food for the two of us tonight. So I have to get pizza. I'm not willing to spend it on Chinese food, again. I'm sick of it."
"Well we'll see you around!" Todd waved her off.
"Call so we all can hang out before you guys leave." Bianca called over her shoulder, whipping out the umbrella from her shoulder bag.
"Will do!" Cabby said waving with the rest of her friends. Once Bianca got the umbrella open, she ventured outside into the horrible storm. Yeah, she was going to kill Mikey for making her wander out here.
Once she ordered three full pies, knowing Mikey will want to hog one for himself, she walked into the 2nd Time Around store and walked up to the far side door, then venturing upstairs. She didn't have enough hands to knock so she kicked the door lightly three times.
"What's the password?" She heard a rough voice ask her on the other side. She wanted to throttle him for taking the time now to talk to her. She was wet, her arms were hurting, and she was mad.
"Open the door before I kick it on your face!" She couldn't see when the door opened since the pizza boxes were blocking her view. What she assumed was Raph, took the pies from her when he started laughing.
"Geez, didn't need to be so…" Once he put down the pizza boxes and turned around, he saw her state and then said "…dry." He then cracked up at his surprisingly funny joke.
"Haha very funny, make fun of the soaked to the bone girl." She said sarcastically as she threw off her boots and he took her jacket from her when she slid it off. "Thanks." Her sudden welcomed feeling went away when a towel was thrown into her face. She laughed as Raph began to dry her hair messily with the towel over her head. "I can take care of it myself thank you very much!" She laughed as she grabbed the towel and shoved him off, then blowing some hair out of her face.
"Bianca's here!" He called out to everyone else. He strode off towards the couch again, sitting with Master Splinter while Mikey was forced to clean the kitchen, April supervising and Donny was fiddling with something at the table. They all turned their heads.
"Good to see you again Ms. Henderson." Master Splinter said bowing his head from his spot.
"Good to see you too sensei." Bianca smiled bowing at him. "So, where's Leo?"
"What, we're not good enough for you?" Donny asked slyly.
"I would never say that." She said pinching his cheek. "Aloud." She joked, he shoved her off playfully and they both laughed as she hugged him quickly around the neck.
"He is engaged in his morning exercises." Splinter explained. Bianca turned back around to face him, she tilted her head as she looked from him to outside the window.
"He does realize it's no longer the morning anymore, right?" Bianca asked. She hated being out there just walking here, how could Leo be scaling the rooftops of apartment buildings? She thought he was way too dedicated sometimes.
"I smell pizza!"
"Whoa, hold your horses train wreck!" Bianca shrieked as she blocked off Mikey from touching the slightly damp pizza boxes on the table. "How about you help me set up before you disgustingly stuff your face, hmm?"
"No WAY is he going back in there." April called storming out of the kitchen. "Sit." She said strictly and pointing a finger at Mikey. He immediately obeyed.
"Good boy." Bianca joked patting his head. He tried to bite her.
"I'll help."
"Thanks Apes."
"Heh, haven't been called that since college."
"You don't mind, do you?"
"Nah, go ahead. I'm fine with it."
"Good, cuz I like saying it." They laughed as they headed into the kitchen and got silverware and plates and napkins for everyone. Once setting up, everyone enjoyed a different meal from their many other days eating at April's. The pies were quickly destroyed and Raph, Don and Bianca was left to clean up the dinner plates. Master Splinter's soaps were on, Mikey was too exhausted from his food coma to move, and April hit the showers.
"Am I being super paranoid for worrying the slightest bit about Leo?" Bianca asked quietly as she was carefully placing the plates that Don was washing and Raph was drying away.
"No I don't think so, I'll be paranoid with you." Donny commented. "If he doesn't get back soon, he's gonna get soaked; the sky's looking pretty angry."
"Do ya guys need any help?" Mikey asked, suddenly seeming to feel better.
"Keep him away from the dishes!" April's voice called through the hallway.
"Yes, it worked!" Mikey laughed triumphantly and vanished to play some videogames on his shell cell.
"Is it just me or is he getting worse?" Raph growled as he furiously dried a plate. Bianca took it from him before he broke it for pinching it between his giant fingers.
"I think he's still pretty much the same clumsy weirdo." Bianca sighed, placing the final plate away.
"Leo must be nuts to be out in this weather." Donny commented as lightning cracked across the sky. Bianca closed the cabinet roughly and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Do you really have to bring it up again? I was hoping we'd drop it." Bianca sighed.
"Eh, you know Leo and his training, nuthin stops him." Raph said trying to calm the two of them down. Everyone sighed. "Let's watch somethin'." Don and Bianca didn't have a lot of energy to fight so he dragged them over to the couch. Thankfully Splinter's soaps were over and so the three of them sat down and Raph changed the channel. A football game was on.
"Panthers, Rams, Bears, and they even got Dolphins!" Raph complained as he stared at the oddly named football teams disappointedly. "You'd think they'd have some room for something a little more, reptilian."
"Don't forget the Gators." Bianca piped up, cheering up a little bit.
"Eh, dat's college. Doesn't count, I want to see some real muscle."
"The Turtles? My friend unfortunately the lowly turtle has been saddled by society with being stereotyped as the velocity challenged."
"Say wha?" Raph and Bianca asked at the same time. they looked at each other, shrugged, and decided to leave it alone.
"May I have your attention please?" Mikey interrupted the game by standing in front of the television screen. He stood there with his hand in a fist on his plastron and then gave the biggest belch Bianca had ever heard.
"Cool." Raph and Don agreed as they clapped.
"Ew!" April and Bianca complained. Bianca waved a hand in front of her face, the pizza smell from the burp was filling the air quickly.
"This is what I live with all the time." Master Splinter complained from the table he was sitting at with April.
"Please, please you're too kind." Mikey continued to boast and love the attention as Raph and Donny were still clapping.
"I can't believe I just clapped for that." Don said as he stared at his hands. Raph did the same and sighed, not believing his own actions either. He quickly got off the couch and growled,
"That's it I'm gonna look for Leo so we can get this show on the road. No offense April but we really need to get back to our lair. We're going stir crazy."
"You are going nowhere until your brother returns." Master Splinter said rising from his seat. "Sit." Raph stared at his master briefly before complying.
"Man what a jip. We gotta sit around on our butts while Leo's out there havin' all da fun." Raph complained as he crossed his arms. Bianca put a hand on his shoulder and tried to comfort him.
"I wouldn't call running in the rain fun, maybe he's waiting out the storm under some balcony or something." Her regular phone buzzed suddenly with a message. It was from James.
"Oh shit." Bianca said face palming.
"Language." Master Splinter scorned.
"Sorry." She whispered sliding into her chair. "Anyway, I gotta go, totally forgot that I was going to go get food for James since I'm never letting him near an oven again."
"Is he actually that bad of a cook?" Donny asked. Bianca stared at him like she just realized for the first time he was giant mutant turtle.
"Yes Donny, yes he is."
"I should give him lessons." Mikey tried bragging.
"On what, on how to make scrambled eggs? That's the only thing you seem to make." Raph joked throwing a pillow at Mikey's head.
"I don't even trust him doing that. But I do have to go, I'll come stop by afterwards if I can." Bianca got up slowly and started to slide on her just drying boots.
"If you do, could you pick up some of these on the list? I don't trust them while I'm away from the house." April took a list she had been previously scribbling on and gave it to Bianca.
"I wouldn't either." Bianca laughed scanning over the list, there was quite a lot to get, the guys were really starting to run April out of money.
"Here," April said taking money out of her wallet and giving to Bianca as well. Bianca widened her eyes at the wad of cash in her hands and grinned.
"Cool, I'll just pocket this…" April was about to nag Bianca before she laughed and continued with, "I'm kidding I'm kidding. I'll make sure to not come back empty handed." She laughed as she said her goodbyes to everyone and headed out. She would have to make the stop for April's food the next time she went out, James would be curious as to why she would have groceries. She was hoping this would be the last of her walking out in the rain.
She made it back home in record time, it was rush hour and the streets were terribly crowded and so was the Mediterranean takeout place. Bianca was proud to make it back home before James starved to death.
"Here's your dinner."
"Don't you mean ours?" He questioned as he helped her take stuff out of the take out bag.
"Uh nope, my friends and I ate after our last final: pizza and floats."
"Aw, are you at least going to sit with me?"
"If I must." She joked. She wouldn't mind getting some alone time with her loving brother, his work always got in the way of them eating together sometimes.
"How have your friends been?" He asked nonchalantly.
"They've been alright."
"You've been out almost every day now with them." He inquired.
"Yeah well, it's our last week together before they all go away, I wouldn't feel such a need to be with them if WE went somewhere." She begged batting her eyes pleadingly, as much as they usually work on James, they weren't going to cut it this time.
"Not gonna happen kiddo. My job's way too important."
"Well then can I come with you? What am I going to do when they're all gone? We can make it uh: take your sister to work day!" James paused, he even stopped eating. Bianca worried maybe she struck a nerve. Though she wouldn't know why that would bother him.
"If only that'd be allowed." He sighed, trying to play off the moment.
"But you haven't asked yet, you don't know until you do." She piped up, trying to see what she could learn about his job, all she knew is that he did research and he worked out a lot at the gym, sometimes sparring with others, he'd come home sometimes injured.
"Trust me, with my boss, it wouldn't be right to question him."
"Aw poo, your boss sucks." Bianca slumped over the table, her head on top of her forearms.
"…I wouldn't say that, it's really benefitted us recently right?" He asked as he gestured to the beautiful apartment they live in looking out the cloudy city.
"I guess, but I don't need a big apartment to live in, I just wanna be with you."
"I know, and I'll see what I can do about making it home more often."
"Promise?" She held out her pinky towards him. He laughed but wrapped his own around hers.
"Promise."
"Good, well, now that you're done…" She piped up again, she really should be getting those groceries for April. She owed her.
"Yes, you may go out…again."
"Thank you." She said jumping out of her seat and kissing his cheek lightly.
"Try to make it home early. Even if I'm not going to be home early." He called after her.
"I'll try." She said getting her key from the counter.
"No, I want you to promise me." He said a little stricter. It got Bianca to turn around, so she was facing him again.
"Why? It's a Friday." She laughed. He slowly approached her and placed his arms on her shoulder.
"Well, it just looks like this storm isn't going to let up. I want you safe and out of the rain. Can't have you catching a cold." He looked out the window and then patted her head gently.
"Oh alright."
"No…" He then held out his pinky for her. She laughed.
"Okay, I promise." She smiled and they let go and she hugs him goodbye. "Worry wart."
"It's my job. Not get going princess before I change my mind." She rolled her eyes and laughed, waved him by as she left the door putting her jacket on. He sighs as he runs his fingers through hid dark hair. His phone buzzes from his jacket pocket. He rushes over to where he left his jacket draped over the chair. He went to see the caller ID and he scowled.
"Were you successful?" Said a harsh and dark voice.
"I hope so, I did all I could." He sighed.
"You could've done more, what do parents do here, ground their children?"
"She's not my child." James rolled his eyes.
"Nor is she your real sister…"
"She is to me." He growled darkly. He cleared his thoughts, knowing not to talk to him in that tone. "She'll be fine, she hardly ever tries to disobey."
"Though her new friends have quite an influence on her."
"Yeah…so I've noticed…" James said scanning the rooftops and the streets, seeing if there were any signs of danger, what he knew was out there, where'd he be soon.
"Will you be ready to join us?"
"I will sir." James knew he didn't want to, but he knew he had to, there wasn't another way to go about his own business.
"Good. No matter what, you must not hold back." The line went dead. James stared down at the phone. He placed the phone on the table and stared out the window again. He really hoped Bianca would be able to keep her promise to him; he didn't like thinking about what would happen if she didn't.
"Hey guys, I'm really starting to get worried." Mikey piped up. "Leo should've checked in by now." it's been a while since Bianca had left, and it didn't change the atmosphere being tense, everyone worried about their brother, their son, their friend.
"I know this is a first but, I'm thinking Mikey's right." Donny sighed, not liking to admit that his laissez faire brother made a good point.
"Masta Splinter?" Raph asks, looking to his father. Master Splinter took a few moments to collect his thoughts. He hated the idea of sending his sons out to find Leonardo, but he was getting much to anxious too.
"Go." He sighs.
"Gee, what if something really happened to him?" Mikey asked, approaching the window, looking out at the horrible storm. Suddenly something entered his vision, he thought maybe it was a bird, but usually birds weren't green and blue and hurtling towards windows. The windows shattered and glass scattered everywhere. The harsh breeze disturbed the once calm curtains and some furniture was wrecked from the abrupt entrance.
"Leo!" Everyone screamed. Leo was laying flat on his plastron, his swords weren't on his back or anywhere near him, and Leo was covered in bruises and blood.
"Leo, what happened?" Raph asked frantically, flipping Leo over gingerly. "Who did this to you?" Raph was getting furious from Leo not being able to give him an answer, just moaning. "Gr, I'm gonna find out who did dis." He got up and twirled his sais angrily.
"No…Raph, wait." Came Leo's weak voice. Raph stopped and dropped down to Leo's side again. Leo gripped his shoulder. "H-He's back, the Sh-Shredder." That last sentence took all the remaining strength out of him and he passed out. Raph and everyone else was left stunned.
"What? What'd he just say?" Donny asked. He couldn't believe what he heard.
"He said, The Shredder's back!" Mikey cleared up as he panicked.
"NO way, we were all there!" Raph yelled. "We all saw what happened that night on the roof."
"But then we saw him go after Bianca, remember?" Mikey piped up.
"But after that he never popped up again. Though, there's no way any human could've survived that." Donny said, trying to calculate how this could've happened.
"We're not dealing with any human, this is the Shredder." Raph growled.
"Well, if-if you've read comics book you would know, the bad guy always comes back. Always!" Mikey shrieked.
"We need to get Leo out of here!" April announced, bending down to check up on him more.
"She is right, we must leave now." Master Splinter chided.
"Guys…we've got company!" Mikey said, breaking up the game plan. Suddenly Foot ninjas started breaking through any and all window in April's home and entered the room, armed and ready. "What's the plan, Leo's always the one with the plan, so what are we gonna do without Leo coming up with a plan?"
"No time for a plan." Raph said taking out his sais.
"Why not?" Mikey complained.
"Master Splinter, grab Leo!" Donny ordered as he and his other two brothers began to fight for their lives. There were a lot of the Foot here but they didn't take that in to account as all that was going through their minds is protecting Leo. Mikey was doing a good job near the windows when a much larger figure with way more muscle power charged in through the window and knocked Mikey over.
"NO." Master Splinter called out, watching as the large man was going to make Mikey apart of the floor. He quickly knocked him out and the man went tumbling onto his back. "I will cover you, help April get your brother down the stairs and out through the antique shop." He ordered Mikey as he approached where April was nursing Leo's head from behind the couch, which was turned onto its side, like a fort. Leo groaned slightly, coming to again.
"Leo?" Mikey asked worriedly.
"My swords, where, are my swords?" He tried reaching out, seeing if they were near him, but it was too painful and he groaned, slumping against the couch.
"Take it easy bro, we're getting you outta here." Mikey said, trying to help Leo get comfortable again. He looked over the couch to see when it would be best to move Leo; but there were enemies everywhere, no openings anywhere.
"Enough. Raphael, Donatello, cover the rear." Master Splinter ordered after easily taking down the brooding man from before. "Michelangelo, I told you to help April get Leonardo down stairs." He said sternly, returning to knocking out ninjas left and right. Mikey did his best to protect April as she helped Leo get onto his feet and limp him over to the door.
"I can walk…gah!" Leo said, trying to fight against the help, which only ended up hearing him more.
"Leo, lean on me!" April pleaded.
"April, leave me." Leo groaned, lifting his head up ever so slightly. "Get away if you can, this is our fight. Not yours."
"Not my fight? Look Leo, we're all family now, I could never run out on you." She said determined, he knew better to shut up then. "Let's go!" They slowly continued to the door, she opened it and was frightened to see more Foot ninjas just waiting for her. "Ah!"
"Not Today!" Came a new angry voice. Bianca came charging, groceries still in her hand as she slammed some Foot ninjas into the wall next to them. "Hold this will ya?" She said tossing the bag to one ninja before she kicked him as he was distracted. The bag went flying and he went unconscious. "Thanks!" She said catching the bag with ease as she continued to send ninjas down the stairs and over the railing at points. Once the mass of ninjas wee knocked out Bianca turned towards April, dropping the bags next to the door. "April what's…LEO!" She gasped, finally noticing Leo draped over her shoulder. "Oh my goodness…" She cradled his face lightly in her hands and looked him over. He could barely keep his eyes open. "Shredder…" Bianca growled. She took out the bladed tonfas she kept in her shoulder bag. Once she had received them, she decided to never leave them at home, and what would happen if James found them; she couldn't risk that. Too many questions would be raised.
"Bi…Bianca." He coughed slightly. Bianca focused on his eyes, mentally pleading to make him keep eye contact with her.
"What is it Leo?" She asked; her voice was wavering as worry was starting to overflow her body.
"Help, my family." He croaked. She hated hearing him sound so defenseless, and she knew he hated feeling this way too.
"I will." She said smiling lightly at him and stroking his face. She heard more people coming up the stairs. "But first thing's first." She got serious quickly and unsheathed her tonfas. "You need a path." She leaped into action and started attacking the ninjas left and right; you could say she definitely had some anger she had to release appropriately on them. Bianca figured as Leo and April we're moving out of the room, that the apartment's action was getting a little too much for everyone to handle.
"Ladies and gentlemen, rats and turtles, run, do not walk, to the nearest exit." Mikey called, ready to file his family out of the room.
"Raph, this bus is leaving!" Donny called, knocking out another guy out. Raph wasn't happy to leave, he was quite enjoying himself, but when he looked around, he noticed his family waiting for him. He followed momentarily. Slamming the door, he started barricading it slightly with furniture that were scattered in the hall from the fight. He knew it wouldn't do much to buy them time, but he thought it'd be worth a shot.
"Be alert. The shop is our only exit, and they know it." Master Splinter chided.
"Make yourself useful and scope out the store." Donny complained.
"No problem." Mikey swallowed nervously.
"I'll go with you." She smiled at him gently. "I'll make sure he doesn't chicken out." She whispers behind him at Donny.
"Hey!" Mikey whined but Bianca just pushed him further down the stairs.
"You know you'll need me anyway." She laughed. Mikey didn't comment as he and Bianca made it to the bottom of the stairs.
"It's quiet, maybe too quiet. Always wanted to say that." Mikey laughed.
"Enough goofing around, let's go in." Bianca rolled her eyes and nudged him forward.
"God you're more ferocious than ever." He complained as he scanned the room carefully.
"Well of course I'm mad. This is ridiculous. I can't believe they found you." She growled furiously as she decided to look in for herself. At the same time, their eyes locked out the weirdly dressed outfits with mixes of red and black and oddly shaped hats.
"Nice hats." Mikey commented with a wink their way.
"Really, they look like dorks to me." Bianca shrugged. Mikey slammed the door and they stood there for a moment smirking. Then a javelin make contact with the door and was in between where they were standing. They sunk to the ground simultaneously.
"AH!" They both screamed like girls.
"Okay, they mean real business. Who the heck are they?" Bianca gasped.
"Don't know don't care I don't wanna go that way." Mikey panicked as he got off the floor and ran up the stairs.
"Good plan." Bianca said struggling to get off the ground and following after Mikey. They were met with confused faces.
"Wrong way Mikey!" Donny whispered yelled.
"Wrong way my foot!" Mikey said frantically. Then paused at what he said.
"Really?" Bianca asked as she crossed her arms.
"Okay poor choice of words, but major ambush down there." Mikey said whispering back at them.
"We don't have a choice!" Donny answered tiredly and he pushed a little ways past Mikey. "They're pouring in through the windows upstairs."
"Hey what's the story down there?" Raph cried from upstairs, trying to contain the amount of ninjas barging in
"There's some seriously mean looking guys down there." Mikey called back up to his red clad brother.
"Mean looking? Duh." Don sighed as he continued down.
"Don, wait!" Mikey cried, calling after him.
"You should maybe listen to him, he's not wrong!" Bianca agreed, quickly following the two of them.
"Nice hats." Don commented as he pointed to said hats with his staff. At that comment a staff went flying towards Donny's head. Bianca quickly cut it in half as it clanked to the ground. "Raphie, we got trouble down here!" Donny called up the stairs from his spot on the ground.
"Glad my nickname for him is catching on." She smirked triumphantly.
"Like I don't got trouble up here!" Raph complained.
"The Shredder's Elite Guard." Master Splinter gasped as he approached the room. "They are the deadliest of his warriors: lethal assassins." Master Splinter held up a hand back to April, signaling for her to stop moving. She panicked.
"Raph, the guys ran into something bad in the shop." April said nervously.
"Hey I got my hands full up here!" Raph complained, the Foot ninjas problem getting more difficult. Master Splinter charged up past April and Leo and jumped into the middle of the fight.
"Go, assist your brothers! I will protect Leonardo!" He ordered. Raph didn't dare argue with his sensei as he jumped down the stairs and arrived swiftly through the doorway.
"Whoa, nice hats." Raph said preparing his sais.
"Yeah, we thought so too." Mikey said nodding along with Donny.
"Say what you will about The Foot, but they do not skip on the head gear." Donny complimented, also getting prepared.
"For guys who don't wear clothes, you have some very weird taste in fashion." Bianca said side glancing them oddly.
"Master Splinter, he's getting worse!" April cried up to the rat currently fighting off two of the still conscious dozen ninjas, everyone else was knocked out.
"We cannot stay here any longer!" He agreed, throwing off of the ledge and then knocking one down the staircase. He rushed past April and Leo again and appeared in the shop along his children.
"So are we gonna do this or what?" Raph asked, more than tempted to start.
"Let's." Bianca agreed. They each jumped into action, taking on one for their own. They were a whole lot tougher than the last bunch. I guess the new getup meant they were ranked higher on Shredder's kickass list. Bianca wasn't enjoying how much tougher they were. They made the other guys seem like rookies in the Purple Dragons. These guys acted just like how Master Splinter described them: assassins; aiming for nothing less than their opponent dying. She was lucky enough to take on the one with the javelin, she wasn't liking her odds. Her tonfas that were graciously given to her by Master Splinter felt insignificant to the strength of the javelin.
"Hey, try not to wreck the shop!" Donny complained as he took on an elite guard member with a double pointed staff. "At least, try not to wreck it too badly." Bianca watched as everyone else wasn't fairing off well either. These guys were wearing them out, quicker than they would've liked. They were each struggling against their own opponent, she thought of a good idea to switch up the game a bit.
"I, just needa catch my breath." Raph wheezed as he found himself pinned against Mikey's back as they each faced an elite guard member.
"Yeah, can we call a time out or something?" Mikey complained.
"How about a substitution?" Bianca said charging forward after she kicked the guy she was facing off to the side and started to fight the guy with the single pointed staff. Raph went for the guy with the javelin once he caught on to Bianca's plan and Mikey went for the double-edged sword guy.
"Good call." Mikey said, easily kicking off the elite guard member. "Thanks."
"NO sweat." Bianca winked as she was enjoying her odds against her new foe. She was easily able to block the staff's point, and it weighted a lot lighter so it didn't hurt her if they were entangled.
"Uh oh…" Mikey quickly got too clumsy and got knocked over, thankfully Donny was able to throw his opponent into Mikey's. they were happy for a moment with their bodies thrown into the corner; but they vanished almost immediately. "Huh?" Smoke appeared behind Mikey and he quickly moved out of the way before the double-edged sword guy was about to slice his head off. "Yikes!" Thankfully Master Splinter came into the room to help his sons; though this only seemed to worry Bianca as she realized there was no one protecting Leo and April now. once she was able to use the man's weapon against himself, she ran out into the hallway, to see April screaming at Hun holding onto Leo by the shell.
"Your friend doesn't look too well." He mocked. "Shall I put him out of his misery?" Hun loved teasing the two females in front of him.
"Leo!" Bianca screamed, she tried charging but Hun was able to block her blind raged attempts and threw her into the wall behind her. April got a vase from the room and threw it on Hun's head. It didn't do much but make him growl in frustration.
"Put him down!" April ordered with bravery she was getting out of nowhere.
"As you wish."
"Ah, LEO!" Raph cried, Bianca saw him help Leo get out of the way, but he was stalled by the never-ending energy that the elite guards seemed to ahve.
"AH!" April screamed as Hun was trying to charge towards April now.
"HUN!" Bianca screamed as she charged tonfas ready and sliced at his arms, it merely cut him but it got him to put up his arms in defense and left his torso open. she round house kicked it with both her legs before landing a death blow to his temple. He went into the wall to his right and he fell back, unconscious.
"Thank you, thank you Bianca!" April said hugging the young girl furiously. Bianca was startled by the sudden contact and a little embarrassed.
"Uh, no problem, all in a day's work." She blushed as she was still unable to entangle herself from April's grasp. Then she heard something collide with the wall next to them, it was Mikey. "Which still isn't done! Stay safe!" Bianca separated herself quickly and slid past Mikey to his oncoming charger. She broke his staff in half by slicing through it and then kneed him in the gut and used his cape to throw him into a wall. Mikey leaped back into the action but the elite guard suddenly stopped fighting and they separated from the front door to the store and it was kicked down violently to reveal a person no one wished to have seen today.
"Oh, crud." Raph huffed.
"I-It's really him. Like Leo said." Mikey stuttered.
"You freaks have been a thorn in my side long enough." The anger was almost radiating off his metal plates. He was just as intimidating as Bianca remembered him, her side started to burn slightly at the thought of their first encounter. "No one opposes The Shredder."
"Yeah well you better starting figuring it out chrome dome, cuz we're not going anywhere!" Bianca roared, not afraid of him anymore, just wanting her revenge against him would've settled with her.
"Now I will have my revenge for our last encounter; say farewell to each other while you still can." The Shredder laughed manically.
"Oh yeah, Mister Spikey pants? You should be the one saying, farewell, to, uh, to yourself!" Mikey tried to come up with a clever comeback, failing immensely.
"Oh yeah Mikey, dat really got 'im." Raph said sarcastically.
"Hey, I'm under a lot of pressure here." Mikey complained.
"Uh, that's no excuse. We all are!" Bianca argued.
"Silence!" Shredder roared.
"This attack is nothing but a cowardly gambit. Wearing us down by sheer numbers. It is not the way of a true warrior!" Master Splinter accused.
"Guys I say we shred his butt once and for all, for Leo! Ya with me?" Raph asked, spinning his sais intimidatingly.
"I'm there!" Bianca said, unsheathing her tonfas again.
"Til the end!" Donny agreed.
"Which hopefully won't be anytime soon, right?" Mikey quivered. They all begin to charge but it doesn't take for their careless blind angered charge to get knocked down. Though Master Splinter was doing a good job at covering for his fallen children. Knocking out the elite guard left and right like it wasn't a big deal.
"Finish them off! This rodent is mine." Shredder ordered to his elite members. The members got up and went back to fighting. When it seems like they're about to overpower the gang a bright light from outside engulfs the room and a roar of an engine is heard approaching.
A hooded figure crashes in through the window on his motorcycle. The assassins were 'unfortunately' in the way and the man runs over the assassins and they end up outside; minus one. The motorcyclist turns around and the assassin jumps onto the vehicle but the biker cuts the engine short and the assassin goes flying into a cabinet and said cabinet falls on him.
"Now dat's what I call crashin' a party!" Said a familiar face as a mask was revealed to be under the hood. God, Bianca was never so happy to see the bonehead.
"Casey!" Raph cheered happily and exhaustingly.
"Though I've never seen a lamer party in my life." He says knocking assassins over with his bat. Where's the band?" He knocks another guy over from near April and she looks up in shock. "You okay babe?"
"Don't call me babe." April said smiling at him weakly.
"Gah! Obliterate him!" Shredder orders.
"This can't be the band, I want rock 'n roll, man! Good thing I brought my own drum sticks! Now, who wants to be the drum? Goongala, goongala!"
"Goongala?" Bianca asked confused. "What kind of catchphrase or battle cry is that?" She complained as she continued to take on her enemy in front of her. She was slightly happy that other ninjas besides the elite guard, it was refreshing her to fight weaker opponents.
"It's my very own thank you very much." He boasted, clobbering a ninja with a hockey stick.
"Yeah, only a bonehead like you could make up such a word." Bianca managed to roll her eyes when she flipped a guy over her shoulder. The battle scene in the shop seems to take a slight gasp of a break to watch as Hun smashes through door. And not just the door is shattered, but the doorway is completely busted. Bianca was feeling more and more guilty for taking the fight into April's shop. She had just gotten running too.
"You want him? You have to deal with me first!" April cried as she hugged Leo's body closely to hers. Uh-oh, Bianca thought, she didn't like where that sentence could lead. She quickly tried to fight off her enemies to back her friend up.
"That's the idea. Those green freaks feel great affection for you. Using you should take the fight out of 'em." Hun chuckled darkly as he came closer to April's spot on the ground. Bianca was worried as Hun began to lift his fists. Thankfully a surprise guest interrupted their conversation. Casey went in full swing beating the crap out of Hun and knocked him into a huge group of scattered ninjas; unfortunately no elite guards were in that pile.
"Hun! Never, EVER, threaten her!" Casey roared. He stopped breathing so deeply and turned around to a surprised and slightly flattered April. He took off his mask and he was just as blank on words as she was.
"Casey I, I…" She tried starting, but she yet again lost the words to speak.
"Yeah well I uh, what a day huh?" He joked lightly. He saw Raph get thrown into a wall and flipped his mask down again. "Well gotta run." And he ran off to help his hotheaded counterpart.
"You like him…" Bianca whispered from behind April who jumped at the sudden closeness.
"Let's not start that conversation…" April said as she rolled her eyes. Bianca then took over the roll of protecting where April and Leo were situated. She was doing a pretty good job until Shredder came into her line of fire.
"It is about time we have that rematch." He growled, readying himself as time just seemed to slow down around them, leaving them in their own stare down.
"If you think you can handle all this…" Bianca taunted, clanking her tonfas together, trying to show she's quite improved since last time.
"Gladly." She could only assume he was smirking from under the tin mask. He charged with his bladed arm first and she easily blocked the shot and was able to kick him hard in the side and threw him off balance. She did it again and then tripped him onto his back. She was going to strike his torso when he suddenly kicked up with both legs and nailed her in the torso. She was slammed into the back.
"Leo you can't do this…" Bianca turned her attention to April trying to plead with Leo from getting up. Leo was weakly standing on his feet, slightly slumped over and arms dangling limply at his sides. Bianca widened her eyes at the sight. It's a good thing, in a sense; she was allowed to be distracted because Shredder saw the turtle's efforts.
"I have to, they need, my help." He grunted. Some lackey ninjas were approaching and it didn't take much to take them down for him, his sudden bursts of energy helped him, but he was left to leaning on one knee for support. Bianca made a move but found herself getting tangled up with a mess, but thankfully it was with the one mutant she had to talk to.
"Master, Leo need's help; your kind of help." She grunted as she fought off most of the ninjas as she got his attention. Splinter looked over where she was nodding her head towards and saw Leo kneeling helplessly as Shredder was approaching. He looked back at her and he saw she took down the ninjas around her and was holding her palms on top of each other out for Splinter to use. He nodded at her thankfully and placed one foot on her palms.
"Alley-oop!" She called as she threw him up in the air. He flipped several times in the air.
"NO!" He yelled, as he was able to come in between Shredder and his eldest son and he knocked Shredder far away. "You strike a wounded warrior, you have no honor!" He yelled.
"I fight to win!" Shredder growled. Splinter and Shredder went at it for a while, and Splinter positioned himself near a bookcase where he was planning to topple it on Shredder, but Shredder got the best of him, but Leo stepped in weakly and was able to push the bookcase in between the two. It causes a huge crash but no one was hurt. Leo fell down weakly but April and Bianca caught him in time before face planting into the ground. Splinter stared at Leo in shock.
"Leonardo…" He croaked, eyes watering slightly. "No…I will not allow you to destroy my family!" He growled as he then charged for Shredder again and knocked another set of cabinets onto him, knowing that would leave him out for the count for a while. He watched as his other sons were not doing as well either. "My sons, retreat!"
"Great, ugh!" Raph groaned as he continued to fight. "But where to!"
"Back there!" April cried, pointing to a metal door on the other side of the room.
"You got it!" Mikey called out as he ran over to the door and opened it. "Everyone in here, we can hold them off!" He said turning on the light and stepping in himself. Everyone soon followed in, and Mikey and Bianca closed the door behind them.
"Well this is great: small, dark and no way out, perfect for making our last stand!" Raph complained as he looked around the cramped room.
"It's a walk-in cooler, this store used to be a grocery store once upon a time." April explained, trying to make the situation they were in a bit more normal and less strenuous.
"Fascinatin'." Raph responded sarcastically. Bianca nudged him lightly in the shin, since she was sitting on the ground catching her breath. She was exhausted now. He patted her head comfortingly but it didn't help to calm Bianca down. She was a scattered mess of nerves and on the verge of freaking out. She couldn't stop staring at Leo's limp body lying down in front of her. She reached out tentatively and held his hand comfortingly, she felt it twitch slightly, so she knew he was still alive. But there wasn't much else but that and that continued to worry her.
"Kinda quiet out there." Mikey piped up after a moment of everyone just calming down and catching his or her own breaths. "You think they all just, went home?" He asked hopefully.
"Ya we scared them off by running into a closet and locking the door." Raph answered sarcastically again. His way of dealing with what's been happening must be sarcasm, Bianca assumed. He was probably just as messed up as she was feeling. They were alike like that. He then suddenly sniffed the air. "Hey, I smell smoke."
"I smell gas." Donny piped in. Bianca took whiff, gasoline was slowly spreading through her nasal passages; she hated the smell. And if there were smoke, this wouldn't be good news. She stood up abruptly.
"Mikey…!" Raph growled at him and he stepped away nervously.
"No, not that kind of gas." Donny sighed.
"Hey, this door is getting hot." Mikey announced. "Ugh, it's jammed! It won't open!"
"Gas plus flame equals, let's book it, now!" Casey put together quite simply, but effectively.
"We gotta get outta here!" Raph protested as he and Bianca were trying to fight their way through the door, but it was tougher than their weapons. There were barely any dents left in it. The door then lit on fire, something that signaled things weren't getting any better. Everyone backed up slowly.
"Trapped like rats! No offense sensei." Mikey complained, then quickly apologized.
"Leo's in really bad shape, we have to get him out of here." Donny chimed in, looking over Leo some more.
"Workin' on it!" Raph complained.
"What are you doin?" Casey asked curiously.
"I remember when we first moved in, there was a hole in the wall, where a cooling unit was removed." Bianca rushed over, realizing how big of a genius April was and helped her push the chest over to the side. "There." Bianca went to opening it with her tonfas and the metal bent to her will and the metal unhitched from the wall and she tossed it aside.
"That's it, everybody book!" Raph announced. Bianca and April went out first, followed by Casey and then Donny and Master Splinter gingerly moving Leo out.
"Move, move, move!" Casey called out once everyone was out of the building and they all began to run quickly away from sight. The sudden explosion from behind them sent everyone to the ground clumsily. The sky was being engulfed in smoke and the store engulfed in flames. April stood up and quickly started to sob. She put her hands to her face, Casey put a soft hand on her shoulder and she turned to him and cried into his chest. There was moment of silence.
"Forgive me, Miss O'Neil, but we must leave the past behind for now, if we are to have a future." Master Splinter apologized. "Leonardo is badly injured and needs a safe place to heal."
"What about the lair?" Mikey piped up.
"Shredder has a whole ninja army down in the sewers, remember? And we are in no shape to fight." Donny argued.
"Hey we don't run from nobody." Raph growled planting his fist into his palm.
"And yet we must." Master Splinter said calming Raph down.
"But, where?" April sobbed, though trying to bring herself together.
"Bianca?" Mikey asked pleadingly
"I'd love to you guys, but my brother's trying to get less work over these two weeks. It wouldn't be safe; James also likes to come home unexpectedly. Speaking of which, he's probably worried sick about me…" She said guiltily as she stared at Leo's horrible condition, not so different to her fellow comrades conditions.
"Fellas, I know just the place." Casey piped up.
"You must return home." Master Splinter said suddenly.
"What?" She whipped her wet hair around to face him in astonishment. "But I don't want to, I want to stay here with you guys."
"We'll call you, I promise we'll tell you where we are, and if you can, come." Donny agreed as he stood up to try and ease the troubled teen.
"Well the place I was thinking of is no place close." Casey piped in nervously.
"Where were ya thinkin'?" Raph asked suspiciously.
"Massachusetts. My grandma's house, she's not in it, it's old but no one will come up."
"Massachusetts? God that's far, I'll definitely need to say I'm taking that trip to Arielle after all…" Bianca said trying to reason with herself, thinking of a plan of action that can get her out of the state. It was going to be difficult.
"Then go, and if you cannot join us, we will not be mad. For we know just how important family is." Master Splinter said gingerly.
"Yes, but that also includes you guys. You all are my family, whether I like it or not. I'm not going to just walk away so easily; I will find you." She said as she held back a sob that was trying to break through her vocal cords. She bent down to hug the
"As you wish." Master Splinter bowed at her, not wishing to anger anymore or waste time with Leo's condition worsening.
"We'll see you soon." April said bringing Bianca into another strong hug. "Be strong."
"You too." Bianca mumbled. She separated from April but Bianca was just tackled into a hug by Mikey. She was at first annoyed but she refused to let go of him, the moment was suddenly getting to her. Donny put a hand on her shoulder and she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and hung there for a moment, he slowly wrapped his arms around her too. She nodded at him and he smiled at her lightly.
"Take care of him." She said sternly to Raph as she eyed him helping Leo stand up slightly.
"With our lives." He said with a small smile. She hugged him gingerly around the torso, not wanting to let go of Leo. He wrapped a hand around her back and stroked it comfortingly. She breathed unevenly before letting go and gave one last look at Leo before running off the other way, thankfully giving into her sobs when she wasn't in their presence anymore.
After running for a few blocks, she leaned against a wall in exhaustion and just cried for a minute. She looked down at her hands and arms, they were cut up, bleeding in some places, and her jacket was torn. She was going to be in a world of trouble with James; but she couldn't focus on that, she had to calm down first, crying won't change what has happened. So she kept on. Once she opened the door to the apartment she huffed, she was going to call out to her brother, thinking he'd be upstairs but he was sitting on the counter, bandaging up himself.
"James! What on earth happened to you?" She rushed over to him and he slowly slid down off the counter and closed the first aid kid.
"You…didn't keep your promise." He groaned as he went to put it away. "Where have you been?" He said as his mood changed almost on a dime. He was steaming.
"We should take you to the hospital." Bianca said ignoring his question.
"You didn't answer my question." He said with gritted teeth.
"We don't have time for that." Bianca said grabbing his keys and was trying to pull him towards the door to get him out of the apartment and to some help.
"Yes we do!" He yelled. He moved quickly to close the opened door and locked it behind him. "Tell me why you weren't home when I came back?"
"I got caught up with something." Bianca sighed.
"With what?" He pushed; he wasn't up for Bianca's evasiveness.
"James you need to calm down." Bianca chided, not thinking to push him would be a good idea with him cut up like that.
"Don't tell me to calm down!" He roared. That stopped Bianca from trying to approach him. There was a brief silence as no one spoke for a minute. Bianca was trying to formulate a plan to make things smooth over. They rarely fought like this and she hated it.
"Look I'm back now…isn't that enough?" She begged.
"No, not when I went out there looking for you and ran into some Purple Dragons." He growled as he turned around and leaned on the table.
"That's how this happened?" Bianca freaked. She was hoping that wouldn't be the result from his sores and pains. She was hoping it was from sparring with someone at work.
"Yeah, they came outta nowhere, I thought maybe they had you, I don't know why, but I didn't want to risk it, so I fought, a lot of them."
"James…you're not supposed to take them on by yourself." She scolded lightly, knowing that she was the one in needed of a scolding, not him. "I've told you that."
"I did it for you!" He spat, he was way beyond furious and fed up with not getting answers. "I did to find you and make sure you were safe! Why are you not telling me with what I'm doing for you?"
"I'm, I'm sorry…I just, I can't. It's private." She sputtered, she was hoping there would be an easier way to come to this day, and she'd have an idea, how would she explain mutant turtles and their mutant rat? He would never believe her.
"Nothing's ever been private in between us. Why's this different?" He asked desperately, he had to get her to believe that what she was doing, even though he didn't know exactly, was bad to keep from him, he needed to know.
"It's, not the easiest to explain." She sighed, she was hoping he would eventually drop it and then she could call Donny to help her come up with a solution.
"Is this about Ryan?" He asked curiously, still sounding mad.
"NO." She spat, whipping her head around, hating the idea of James thinking she would ever get back with that creep.
"Is there a new boy?"
"No, that's not what this is about." She sighed running her fingers through her naughty curls. "They're just a new group of friends I've been getting along with."
"Well when can I meet them?"
"I'm not sure…they're not a very public family, their father's super strict with them." She wasn't lying yet, as long as she was vague maybe she could get away with this.
"I don't like you hanging out with people I don't know."
"But they take good care of me."
"Really? Did you really get mugged or did you get into a fight with them? Are they putting you in danger."
"They'd never hurt me!" She yelled, hating her brother accusing of people that have done nothing but protect her. Sure what they did was dangerous and she was involved in a lot of weird stuff, but she wasn't going to let that stop her from seeing them. They were her family, as much as James was.
"Then why'd you get hurt? There wasn't anyone to witness your fight."
"You asked around?" Bianca wasn't expecting that, this was a new step that James had taken in being overprotective. It was a little ridiculous.
"Yes, I was worried."
"Why don't you trust me?" She yelled, she has always been do things on her own and have him trust her, he was breaking that trust with her now.
"I do trust you!"
"Then why are you stalking me?"
"Because I'm worried, I'm your guardian!"
"No you're my brother and you need to respect that you will never be my parents!"
"But I did always promise them to take care of you."
"I don't care, you're not doing a good job by always being gone at that stupid job of yours! They're always calling you at weird hours and making you work, I don't even know anything about them! Why are you keeping secrets from ME?"
"I don't have to answer you." He growled.
"So there is something weird about your job…what's the name of it?"
"That's not your business." He said through gritted teeth. Bianca did not like how this was turning around to shining new light on James; he was just as bad as she was.
"Uh yes it is, that's where the money for this house is coming from; where the money you give to me comes from! I want to know where it's coming from."
"Don't ask about it!"
"Why not!"
"Because I said so!"
"Fine…then I don't want to do with you until you feel like you can tell me."
"Bianca…" He said softer.
"NO!" She shoved the hand that was trying to reach for her away. She had tears pricking at her eyes but she used all her will power to fight them off. "I've had enough. I'm going on a vacation."
"Not without me you're not."
"Yes I will! I got invited somewhere."
"Where?"
"To Maine with Ari!"
"Why didn't Arielle's parents contact me?"
"Because I already said yes. And she asked me today. So I'm going." Bianca turned around and started heading up the stairs to her room.
"Don't walk away from me!" He charged after her, trying to catch her in his grasp, but Bianca was doing a good job at staying away.
"I will because I'm going to start packing!"
"You're not going!" It was already too late, by the time he'd caught up she slammed the door on his face. Then there was a click. James went for the handle and it was jammed. She never locked the door on him. This was getting out of control. "Open this door!" He yelled. Bianca ignored him as she quickly packed warmly for the trip to Massachusetts. She was just about done when she paused. She pulled out her phone from her pocket, and left it on her bed. "Bianca!" James cried out once more; Bianca turned to the door, she let a single tear fall as she unhitched her window and ventured out onto the fire escape and started making her long way down to the ground.
It didn't take her long to finally kick the ladder down and using it to touch down on the ground. She looked up and from what she could tell, James wasn't trying to follow her, maybe he hadn't even realized she had left yet. Risking staying any longer would've proven to more chance of her getting into trouble. She booked it across the street and then hailed a cab.
"Grand Central please." She slammed the car door quickly and the driver drove down the busy wet streets.
James eventually got the door open, he went looking for a key he had to the room. It took him a while and he hadn't heard anything from Bianca. Not even movement in her room. He first tried knocking on the door, thinking she'd calmed down by now and they'd talk a little more seriously. He was considering of telling her what he did for a living; and it had a lot more than to do with than simple research. When there wasn't a response, he then used the key, growing impatient. He was about to talk when he stopped dead in the doorway.
The room was empty, and all the movement in the room was coming from the wind entering the room, messing up the curtains and scattering the paper on her desk across the floor. He panicked and looked out the window down the fire escape. There wasn't a sign of her. He checked her closet, thinking she was joking and getting him worked up over nothing, she wasn't anywhere, and her duffle bag was missing along with some hangers on the ground. He fell back on her bed and leaned over his knees, holding onto his head.
She'd never done something so risky before; the turtles were more important to her than he'd expected; and if she left, he assumed they must be alive. James looked next to him and found her dark red phone next to him. He picked it up gently and played with it in her hands. She was smart to leave her phone behind; he wouldn't be able to find her without the tracking technology in her phone.
He sighed, maybe it was better for her to get away, it wouldn't be a good couple of weeks when the boss found out about what happened. Or maybe they'd be in the clear, if the boss fought the turtles were dead, they'd assume the same with Bianca. But she was such a big key in his plans; he'd hardly think that he'd give up so easily. He'll go searching.
Now he regretting saying Bianca was smart for leaving her phone behind; there was no way now to warn her of the horrors she would find when she came home.