Chapter Eight

Last Port Of Call

Thanks to my wonderful reviewers- wow- 38 reviews! And an especial thank-you to Doll Girl for her help with all things military.

You rock, dudes!

He ran his hand over the polished wood slowly, his claws making a slight clicking sound as he did so. He was pulling up all the reserves of his own training and natural discipline not to shake or cry, both of which his rebellious body were trying to do. No…it couldn't be. Not now, not like this…

"Hey, Mikey! You finished with the packin' yet? Bunch of us going out tonight with the people who have ta catch buses and stuff. Walk down to the town and get the last coach back. You in?"

Mikey looked up from his packing of his last few odds and ends to see Electrode leaning in the door, suspended by his fingertips from the sides of the frame. It looked very dangerous, especially if…yup. Keith Morrows, a burly man who had a habit of rushing around, barrelled into the smaller man: talking animatedly to someone else, he didn't notice Electrode until he was sprawled across the mutant on the floor, looking surprised.

"…arghh…" came the muffled sound from somewhere beneath Mt Morrows, who, while not fat, was a hefty weight to suddenly land on your midsection. Morrows scrambled up, afraid he'd actually damaged Electrode who was lying on the ground, completely winded and whooping air back into his lungs. Mikey and the man Morrows had been talking to couldn't do anything useful, laughing at the sight. Poor Morrows blushed as he helped Electrode to his feet and retreated with a worried scowl that morphed into a laugh when he realised there was no harm done.

"All very well for you to laugh…" muttered Electrode, mock- scowling at Mikey who waved off the growl with a snigger.

"What was I supposed at do? he asked when he'd recovered. "You looked like a squashed jellyfish. A very surprised squashed jellyfish." he added after a moment's thought.

"Unhelpful chelonian."

"Spark-boy"

"Overgrown tortoise."

"…Hey!"

The other two watched with a certain amount of bemusement as they wandered off down the hall towards the entrance- and freedom- with the epitaphs getting ruder as they went.

By seven o' clock they were relishing in being able to eat real food and see ordinary people again. People in normal clothes anyway. Electrode and Steel were both still wearing military gear as they would be going back to the Base later- neither were leaving until the Saturday morning, like Mikey. They were with a group of men, including Malone, Kelly and a few others that Mikey was friendly with as well as some others that he only slightly knew. He realised with a certain amount of shock that the others didn't even seem to notice that he and the other two were different any more- or perhaps it was that they felt they had more in common with each other then with the people in civvies all around them, who had not gone through the last four weeks in Basic. They saw Glacier and Siren briefly, but they were with their own group, which went off to do… girly-stuff… he figured, while they just mooched around, went into a couple of pubs and chatted amiably enough for a few hours.

In ones and twos people were peeling off as their various trains or buses came in until finally it was just the three mutants, Kelly, and two others- Robertson and Lofthouse, who said regretfully that it was their turn.

"Good meetin' you." said Robertson awkwardly, shaking hands with Steel, but addressing all three.

"Yeah- and good on you all for sticking those first weeks." added Lofthouse. "I tell you, it was hard enough, without havin' to deal with that stuff, so…good for you. Guess you're not so different from the rest of us…" he mused.

"Okay, Lofty- come on. You've got a train to catch." said an amused Robertson while mouthing "Lightweight" to the others. He shook his head.

"Well, guess we'll be seeing you back in Hell in a couple of days. Make the most of this bit of freedom while you have it!" he added rolling his eyes at Lofthouse who, while not drunk, was certainly on the tipsy side, despite having consumed only about a pint.

"Yeah- this is my port of call too, guys. I'm off to the bus stop. Look after yourselves!"

"And you, see you then." replied Mikey.

"And I'll be looking for a rematch!" called Kelly back as he set off at a jog towards the bus-stop.

"Ah, it's the thought that counts." grinned Electrode, not giving much for the other man's chances against his friend, and the others smiled. They started to walk again back towards the centre of town.

"Wanna get something at eat?" asked Steel as they started passing the small restaurants, from whence mouth-watering aromas were issuing. Mikey's stomach rumbled in agreement and Electrode laughed.

"Guess that's your vote then. Okay, I don't mind. How about Geoff's- Kelly recommended it earlier." Steel glanced at Mikey who shrugged.

"Fine by me. Wonder if they do pizza…?"

"Hey-look what the cat dragged in!" came from a table near the back as they entered. Siren was grinning at them, breaking off the conversation between herself and Glacier and another group of women nearby abruptly. Electrode raised an eyebrow suspiciously at the innocent looks that seemed to be spreading outwards as the women noticed them.

"Oh, don't let us interrupt you…" said Mikey, waving a hand towards them with an evil look on his face. "Please- go right ahead."

"Perfect gentleman, isn't he…" murmured one of the women demurely while Siren just laughed.

"Not a chance! Come on over, - we figured you might wander in here."

"Hey Siren- we're off anyway-across the street to the pub. You should come over when you're finished." said one of the women as they started preparing to leave. "And I recommend the chilli dish by the way!" she called back.

"Thanks Janet- yeah, we probably will."

It was always a chance. What they did was dangerous. And if only they talked about it sooner. Even if they'd had the family conference last night, perhaps? Instead of waiting until Saturday, when everyone would be home. Maybe…maybe then…everyone would be able to come home. He couldn't do this. But he had to…

They were the only people in the small restaurant now. They'd left it later then most of the other recruits on temporary freedom had. But they ordered anyway and talked quietly amongst themselves, laughing and joking with each other like a team. Like a family…realised Mikey, leaning back and just observing what was going on. The realisation surprised him, as did the fact that this was the first night since he'd come to this place that he didn't miss his real family so much. He could hardly imagine not having met these people, just as how, five weeks ago, he couldn't have imagined being without his brothers and father. In the soft light, he watched Siren and Glacier giggling about something- actually, now he came to replay the last few seconds of conversation in his head, he realised that the joke was probably on him. And Steel and Electrode. They were a real team now, for all their shaky beginnings. And for all the trouble at the start, they had finally been accepted here and made friends outside their own group. And though everywhere they went, they would have to do it all over again, and although many of the upper brass (most of whom had never met them) disliked them on principle as a divisive force and generally trouble, he knew they would be able to face it as a team. As a family. And finally, though he would always be a part of the band of four brothers- Mutant Ninja Turtles- he could also stand alone, just like any of the others. He'd proved to himself that he wasn't a weak link in the group.

But even so, he was looking forward to seeing his family again!

"Miiiikeey…. Earth to Miiikeeyy! Is they any life on Saturn?" Glacier was waving her hand up and down in front of his face and he flicked out of his thoughts and back into the real world where everyone was looking at him with a strange expression.

"You've been rocking back and forth on that chair for…almost six minutes now. Electrode started timing you. So what great new ideas have you brought back from your little trip around the outer planets?"

"Sorry. Just thinking that I'm kinda glad I came here after all."

"Yeah- despite everything…well- I guess it could have been worse."

"No! We are not going to get all…deep-thinky and everything, are we? Please! Let's just have our dinner and go to the pub! Please- no meaning-of-life stuff!"

"Yeesh, Electrode, chill out, dude! Okay, no Meaning-of-Life stuff!" grinned Mikey, laughing at the blond man's shudder of dismay at the idea of 'deep-thinky' discussion interrupting his meal.

He had sent the others away. It would be hard enough for one person to do this- torture to force ones who weren't necessary to do so. And one still didn't know. What was he going to have to come back to? His hand brushed by the lid. It was his duty. He had to do this- as he'd always feared he might one day.

They could hear the noises of what sounded like a loud and cheerful party going on across the street. It had reached the singing stage- or at least, it could be called singing if you had a very broad definition of the word. And a pair of earmuffs.

"Sounds like they're having fun. We going over?" asked Steel, looking around at the others as they sat back. It had been a good meal- and the much-praised chilli speciality of the house had won at least another two converts.

This seemed to reach a generally approving consensus so they got the bill and sorted it and prepared to leave.

"Hang on, I'll be back in a mo, dudes." said Mikey, standing up.

As he paused, a green hand touched his shoulder and another gingerly clasped his other shoulder. He didn't turn around but was secretly glad of the support. He knew they couldn't not be here, though he'd hoped to spare them the pain.

He saw the others as in a picture- Siren hunting for something in her bag, Steel standing up, leaning on the back of his chair as he stared unseeingly at the window, lost in thought. Electrode chatting animatedly to Glacier, both of them leaning on the table as they talked. He turned away smiling when Steel shouted something.

He started to spin around when something hit the back of his neck, just above the shell, and threw him forward. He heard glass shattering and distant shouts and screams and felt other explosions of distant pain in his back and leg but had trouble working up any particular worry about it.

His team! He heard clanging, crashing sounds. Metal against metal. He couldn't move his head to see what was happening but his mouth curved into a grim smile as he realised that Steel at least was putting up some kind of a defence. A crumpled thud as something hit the floor.

"Thank-you, my sons. Have either of you been able to contact your brother?"

"Yes, Sensei. He's coming. But…but he doesn't know- I couldn't tell him…not…unless we were sure…But…It is, isn't it…" The green hand shook as the owner turned away slightly. His Sensei lowered his head for a moment and lifted the lid.

NO! He couldn't close his eyes or turn away as she fell, almost in slow motion, with her wings half unfurled. She hit the floor, and he mouthed her name, trying to get a response. But he knew he wouldn't. A cry from up above- far, far away and the clanging noise briefly stopped. A thud and an almost surprised noise, a little gasping release of air and he closed his eyes, realising that it was too late.

Now there were sirens in the distance and shouts and more gunshots outside. The impromptu party across the road had apparently broken up and from the sounds of it there was war going on outside. Sirens…

A red piece of material. Once it was never still, always moving, following its owner, flying in the breeze. Like it's owner…

But it shouldn't have been red.

"Oh, God… help, someone! They need help!" Someone was shouting above him. He thought he recognised one of the voices. Electrode? No… no… Electrode was over there. Not moving. Kelly? Henry? They sounded the same. Another voice moved closer. There were tears audible in this one.

"The bastards… oh, God… where's that bloody ambulance!" Malone. He felt a shadow over him but couldn't see who it was. All he could see was a last tawny feather twirling back down to earth as his vision narrowed alarmingly. It fell…forever-

He heard a choked sob from behind him and abruptly one of the hands moved away as it's owner backed away.

"Donnie! Donnie…it's…" but his brother couldn't finish the sentence as his voice shook and collapsed as well. The two of them stood together, weeping silently for a few minutes while the older ninja traced his son's features. How could it end like this? Parents shouldn't have to bury their children.

He looked peaceful. Strange- his end had been anything but. He looked like he'd wake up in a second and demand to know what the fuss was about. Like he'd laugh about something, as he always was.

How could they laugh again?

Short, but unexpected. Rather like me. Okay, that would work better if I was short.

Anyway, hope I didn't traumatise anyone too much.

There's more chapters on their way so please don't be put off just yet…What I said waaay back at the start of Ch 1 still holds. Bwahaha

You know the score- even if you hate me- please review!

I am now going to go and hide from LN who's almost certain to bring out the dragons.