Dis: I don't own TMNT, but Alice, Tate, Molly, and CO are my OCS!
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Molly:
The blaring of alarms had woken her from her catnap. She snapped up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as they focused on her computer screen. Very rarely did she curse, because her mother used to beat it into her head about how unladylike swearing was, but she did now while her delicate fingers flew over the keyboard. Desperate blue eyes traveled over her monitor and she opened many windows and screens. Some were snowy with no picture, and others were filled with orange flames and burning bodies.
"Oh God," she gasped, screen after screen showing nothing but destruction and flames. She didn't focus on the bodies, because if she did she'd break down. She had a job to do, and she'd mourn the loss of many later. A blip had her answering the call from Donatello. "General..."
"Do you see any signs of life?" he asked, and from what she could tell, he was looking as well: the frantic clacks of the keyboard heard from his end.
"No, but that doesn't mean-"
"Indeed. Initiate emergency protocols. Lock the base down tight. No one in or out including the runners. Increase the guard. Lieutenant Riley has been briefed by Raphael so you do not need his order to commence the lockdown. Open the emergency channels and if anyone contacts you, send them to the rendezvous coordinates of emergency bases twelve and seven."
"Yes, Sir." He nodded and ended the call and Molly sighed, hands going through her hair before she resumed scanning for life. There would be no rescue teams. That was too risky due to the enemy patrols having switched their patterns closer to that base. It was up to the survivors to clear the area and find shelter. Though, from the looks of destruction, it didn't look very likely that there would be. Who had done this? Triceratons had been quiet tonight. Someone else? Just then the emergency line flashed and Molly quickly tapped into it.
"-day, may-Jones-questing emergency-"
"Hello?" Molly started tapped at her computer again, doing everything she could to strengthen the signal. "Hello?!"
"-attack bombing-heavy casualties request-vacuation..."
"C'mon, c'mon!" muttered Molly, working as fast as she could, biting her lip as she tried to match frequencies. "Aha! Hello? This is Dr. Molly Hilde!"
"Good to hear your voice Ma'am! Lieutenant Arnold Jones with five survivors requesting emergency evacuation coordinates."
"Just five?" she asked, finding his I.D. marker in her system and immediately sending him one of the set of coordinates. There was a pause before he answered. Just five. All of them his men whom had been outside the compound. They had done a quick sweep but the area was starting to be infested with their enemy and they needed to get out of dodge before they were found. "Coordinates sent. Good Luck Lieutenant."
After the first call, she waited, and waited... But the line remained silent. There had been over 500 bodies at Base Two. The fact that there might only be five survivors left a heavy dread deep in her gut. There had to be more... There just had to be...
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Jake:
"Sonuvabitch," gasped the reptilian mutant, bracing himself against the wall. The explosion had rocked him where he was in the garage working on one of the broke-down vehicles. He was lucky that the only part of him that got injured was his left arm and side, but the scaly skin wasn't the only thing that ended up getting fried. His communicator was shot. He was bleeding all over the blackened floor and he was pretty sure the entire base was surrounded by Triceratons by now. His ears were still ringing but he could make out the distorted growls between the roaring flames and sparking equipment. His only hope was the sewer line that connected with the old subway station. It was easy to disappear in the tunnels once you got in one. The problem was that he had to battle blocked doorways to get there.
Straightening, he hurried down one of the halls, stepping over body parts and charred objects before stopping at a metal door barely hanging on by its hinges. He used his good side to finish pushing it open and sighed in relief when the scent of mold and must hit his nose. The sewer line was close. The emergency lights above his head were still flickering as he descended down the stairs. He only had a couple levels to go when there was a bang on one of the doors followed by a shouted curse.
"Open you piece of shit!"
Female. He didn't hesitate and went to the door and banged on it with his open palm.
"Identify yourself!" he shouted through the door.
"You first!" ordered the female after a pause.
"The place is coming down I don't have time for this shit!"
"Jake?" The female laughed. "Of course YOU would make it! It's Morrow!"
Matilda Morrow, Tillie for short, was one of their runners. Jake knew her only because she'd been the one to find a stash of his cigars once. She had gifted it to him with a promise that he owed her one day. He had taken the cigars because his habit forbade him from turning them down. Now, it looked like she needed to cash in that favor. The door was jammed but between the two of them they were able to get it open, it screeching loudly so that if anything was nearby they more than likely heard it. Her black hair had soot in it, there was a large gash above her eye that had blood trickling down from it, and the right side of her shoulder was singed and had burn damage. She had a pack on her back and Jake hoped there was something in there that could help them out later.
"Anyone with you?"
"No," she said, coming into the stairway. "We all just came back from the run when the building blew. I got blown back behind a couple storage crates. The others weren't so lucky."
"Damn."
"I radioed in. I got the coordinates of where we're supposed to go. Don't know why we have to radio in to get them in the first place," she muttered, brushing her dirty hands over the thighs of her pants, not that it did much. She was covered in grime and blood, much like he was. "They should just send them all out."
"And have some random Triceraton hack into the first device they find and find the safe house location?" asked Jake, making Tillie wince and nod. "It's better this way to just plug the coordinates in once you get them. The emergency channel is more-ah hell, I don't have time for this shit. Let's go."
"You thought of the sewer line too, huh?" asked Tillie, falling in behind him. "It's saved my ass a few times. Easier access to the bunkers since they are all underground to begin with."
"You have a weapon?" asked Jake, who jumped when she pulled out a taser and sparked it. "Jesus, Woman!"
"What?" she pocketed the taser. "Its the only thing I could get to. Got a knife in my bag too along with some of the provisions we got on the last run. Should last us a couple days."
"Good, good. Now let's get the hell out of here."
They made it down to the sewers without any trouble, but also without finding any more survivors. The sewers were dark but Tillie rummaged in her bag and found a flashlight. Jake had to hand it to the girl. She was much more prepared for this crap than he was. Though, to be fair, she'd had it all when the building blew. They both knew to travel in silence. Tillie would look down at her communicator every once in a while to check where they were. There were still a few miles away from their checkpoint. Jake winced and looked down at his arm and Tillie tutted while eyeing the appendage.
"Should wrap that before it gets infected. Looks nasty."
"I'll get to it later."
"Jake-"
"I said later," he said.
"Fine, fine, but that shit gets infected and falls off don't come crying to me," said Tillie with a sniff, making a right turn down a tunnel before whipping back and pressing against the wall. She killed the flashlight and Jake didn't even have to ask her why. He knew. There was something big down there, growling in a language neither of them understood, and it was getting closer. They backtracked and went down another tunnel, the complete opposite way they were supposed to go, but they didn't want to direct any attention on themselves. They shimmied through tight tunnels and climbed up shafts with rusted ladders, but within the hour they were back on their scheduled route. Both were wet, dirty, and hurting from their injuries: but they were alive. After another hour of walking with small water breaks they finally arrived at their destination. It doesn't look like much. Just a wall of random pipes and if you didn't know what to look for you'd assume that's all it was.
It was so much more.
Tillie pulled on a pipe and a small panel appeared. She pressed her hand onto it and the wall clicked before a small area opened. They both shared a look before entering, the wall closing behind them. The place hummed to life upon their entrance. Lights flickered on as what appeared to be an old, abandoned subway station came to life.
"First ones here," she said.
"Looks like," he answered, walking to a couch that looked decades old and sat on it. Dust puffed off of it but he didn't care. He was damn tired.
"Let's have a look at that arm now," said Tillie and Jake didn't object. She opened her pack and pulled out the basics for First-Aid. A mini scissors to cut away the material of his favorite shirt, a small bottle of antiseptic which was a joke considering both of their injuries warranted more than that, and some bandages. He clenched his jaw as she started doing her best with his arm, washing it first with some water before gently slathering some goop on the burned areas. "Damn, Jake..."
"I would say it looks worse than it feels... But I'd be lying," he said through clenched teeth. Tillie nodded while finishing wrapping the arm. She also put large bandages on his side over the skin of his ribs, which weren't as burned, but still bleeding. "Might be more stuff scattered around. Should have a look."
"I can do that. You just sit here."
"I'm not some helpless-"
"Escúcheme usted lagarto tonto-"
"English! English!" demanded Jake, shifting in his seat, wincing as the burned area pulled with his movement.
"All that fancy mutant training and you can't speak Spanish?" asked Tillie.
"You gunna ask if I can speak Triceraton because of us both being reptile freaks?" asked Jake, rolling his eyes, making Tillie scoff before standing on her feet. She put her hands on her hips but that didn't deter Jake. "It's not that bad. I can move."
"I know, but someone comes through that door, I'm sure they'd like to see a familiar face..."
Jake relented because his side really did hurt and the damn woman was stubborn so he let her go. Within moments he heard running water in the distance as well as random drawers opening and closing. By the time she got back, no one else had come through the door. She had cleaned up a little, her face was cleaned but her shoulder still needed looking at. She had a bowl and some rags.
"Patch a girl up?" she asked. "Consider it paying me back for those cigars."
"Oh, and getting you out of that burning building wasn't payment enough?"
"No way! That doesn't count!"
She sat in front of him and pulled her hair to the side. He ended up just needing to cut off the sleeve of her shirt with the same scissors she used on him. He washed his hands in the sink she found before working on her shoulder. By the time he applied the last piece of tape to secure the bandage the secret door was opening to reveal three men, one of which who was being carried between the two of them.
It was comforting to know they weren't the only ones that made it.
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Donatello:
Radio chatter was dying down. All in all he counted thirty-five survivors he'd managed to get in contact with. Just thirty-five. The number was so staggeringly low and he swallowed down the sorrow of losing so many. He needed to stay vigilant not just for any others that might still be out there, but for the brother that had stormed out after hearing his people were attacked. What had been a moment of celebration of Alice returning to them safely, was now a silent memorial of those that were lost. Raphael was standing with Emily and Siren going over maps and the routes their people would need to go in a week to pick up the survivors. They couldn't risk it now, the area where the safe houses were located were crawling with Triceratons. Things were being changed to ensure the safety of the other bases. Security codes were being rewritten, the guard was tripled, and if he were the praying type he'd beg that any and all information pertaining to the locations of the other two bases was destroyed. They always told their team members to keep any information of any of the bases secure and safe and not available for anyone to see if a base was compromised but all it took was one mistake that could risk them all.
They all looked up when Michelangelo came back in. He went to Donatello right away. "How many?"
"Thirty-five have radioed in to say they were safe. There was a Runner, Morrow, who radioed to say Jake was with her."
"Only thirty-five so far?" he asked, voice laced with sorrow. He knew them all. Made it his job to know them all. Mikey wasn't like Don and Raph, whom could separate themselves from their people. He was a hard-ass at times, yes, but he knew them all by name. "I'm going to kill whoever did this."
"We can carry out the plan against the Triceratons as planned-"
Michelangelo cut Siren off. "It wasn't the Triceratons that did this. At least. I don't think it was."
"What makes you say that?" asked Raphael.
"This." Michelangelo opened up his vest and produced the throwing star that had the Foot insignia. "Had a body dumped on my doorstep a while back. Young girl. Not one of ours. Found this on scene."
"So someones out to send a message," said Raphael darkly, taking the throwing star.
"Well, I fucking hear them," growled Michelangelo. "And I'll be the one to shut them up. Permanently. Don? Any way to get security footage before the bomb went off?"
"It will take some time, but yeah."
"Good. Let me know..." Michelangelo said before going for the door.
"Where you going?" asked Raphael.
"Out!"
"We're on lockdown," reminded Donatello.
"Fuck the lockdown! My people are out there and need my help!"
"What are you going to do, huh?" asked Raphael. "Go and get yourself killed by the Triceratons swarming the place?"
"I have to do something," said Michelangelo. "I can't just sit here!"
"Michelangelo," said Emily softly, sympathy in her eyes. "We're doing all that we can from here. Your brothers are right. We can't send a team out there... They will just get attacked. Those that survived the explosions are being taken care of and are well supplied."
"I... I can't just sit here... Just... Keep me posted," muttered Michelangelo before exiting the room.
They all heard Alice say his name and follow after him in the hall. Donatello chanced a look at Raphael and caught the tightening of his first before he turned back to his work. They all knew Michelangelo's feelings for Alice. They all knew if given the chance Michelangelo would take it. If it were him, Donatello wasn't so sure he'd like Mikey anywhere NEAR Emily. However, perhaps Alice was the one person that could help Michelangelo right now-well, and Donatello. He was just as determined to figure out who did this as anyone else. He, too, had people he needed to protect. Since the radio was silent he started digging into security feeds. All information was transmitted to his lab. Even though he had his own base, he wanted to keep an eye on all three at all times. It didn't take him long to catalog through the hours of footage to get just before the explosion.
It also didn't take him long to find the shadow, and perhaps the person responsible for the attack. He followed it from camera twenty-seven to camera eighteen. He watched as explosive after explosive was planted, anger burning in his veins and making him see red. Finally, the last explosive, and the figure turned toward the camera and Donatello froze the frame. His eyes widened and he zoomed in to make sure. Impossible. There was no way...
"Raphael..." Donatello felt sick. His stomach was twisting and he felt a sheen of sweat start to form on his brow. "Raphael!"
"What?" He felt Raphael walk up behind him and freeze. "No... No fucking way."
"We buried the body..." whispered Siren, more than a little confused as to how this was all possible.
"What?" asked Emily, standing on the other side of Donatello. Her eyes zeroed in on the image and widened as well, hand going to Donatello's shoulder and squeezing. "Don... Is that..."
"Yes..." The frame was that of a turtle, holding an empty bag that had been holding the explosives, looking directly at the camera with a smile on his face. "It's Leo..."
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Alice:
Things had been going too well. They had landed at Donatello's base and Alice had been welcomed by Emily and Michelangelo. Both had gathered her up in long awaited hugs. Michelangelo's one-armed hug had lingered and she hadn't minded, arms tightening around him before pulling apart. They had made it to the main control room where Tate had been waiting and Alice had greeted him with a friendly smile and wave right before the alarms started to blare. One after the other went off and it hadn't taken Donatello long to figure out why when they saw the decimated remains of Base Two. Shouted orders of lockdowns and emergency protocols had Alice wanting to stay out of the way. She went out in the hall and Tate followed her.
"Jesus Christ that's bad," he muttered. "Fucking Triceratons did this. I just know it..."
"What do we do now?" asked Alice.
"Emergency protocols are in effect. No one in or out. There are safety bunkers scattered in the city for those that got out. Supplied to last them a week or two before we can figure out where to put them."
"No search parties?" asked Alice with a frown.
"No. Too risky. Place will be surrounded by now. Their best chance is to call in and get assigned to a safe place."
"And those that can't get out without help?" Alice's eyes darkened as Tate looked away.
"I don't like it either, but from what I saw..." He looked back into the control room as the shouts started. "There might not be many to save."
"Tate?" Both looked up as Emily peeked out from the control room. "Can you show Alice where her room will be?" Emily looked at Alice. "I would show you as would the General but-"
"I get it, you all do your thing," said Alice. She turned to Tate. "You don't have to give me the full tour."
"Better than standing around."
The layout was much the same as Raphael's base with just a few changes. It didn't take long for Alice to find what was designated her room but she didn't want to stay. So she walked with Tate around the training areas and through the mess. She wasn't really hungry, and she wasn't in the mood to deal with all the stares. A redheaded woman walking around with two swords on her back was bound to be looked at. Tate brought her to the elevators and both were quiet on the ride back down to the main control room. Alice gave him a sidelong glance.
"How's the healing going?"
"Good as new," he answered, arms crossing over his chest. "Ready to kick these bastards asses once and for all. Get clued in on how, yet?"
"Not really. Think the plan is still on?"
"If I know them the way I think I do... Then yeah, I don't doubt that the plan will go on as scheduled."
The elevator doors opened and they walked out as Michelangelo stormed out of the Control Room. Alice felt a tug as he went for the elevators and with one look at Tate to go on ahead without her she followed.
"Michelangelo! Wait!" Alice ran to catch back up with him in the elevators and the doors closed. He didn't spare her a glance as he pushed a number and they started going up. "What can I do?"
"Nothing," he answered tightly. "There is nothing anyone can do. What's done is done and now its up to us to get revenge on whoever it was that did this. It wasn't the Triceratons. It was someone else. Someone from the Foot."
"You think so?"
"I know so," he said as the elevator stopped. The guards looked at each other, not sure of what to do as Michelangelo went for the door they were guarding. One timidly stepped forward. "Out of my way."
"Sir, the lockdown," said the guard that looked like he was about to piss his pants.
"You really going to stop me, soldier boy?" asked Michelangelo as he went for the door. He opened it easily and the night air rushed inside the base. Alice looked at the guard in apology before following Michelangelo out. Alice only took a few steps before Michelangelo spoke. "Raphael isn't going to be happy you're out here."
"He isn't my keeper," said Alice.
Michelangelo shook his head in amusement while heading out into the woods. Alice followed, the scent of pine relaxing her as dried leaves and broken branches crackled under her boots. The moon was high and full, and lit the way to wherever Michelangelo was headed. He stopped at a clearing and looking up you could see thousands of stars peppering the night sky.
"When they told me that you died that was one of the worst days of my life." Alice turned her head sharply to stare at him. He wasn't looking at her, just off in the distance. His one hand was clenched at his side and he was working his jaw before continuing. "Now that you're back, I don't know what is worse. I know you and Raph are..." He looked down now at the tangle of grass and leaves around their feet. "I want to be happy you are back but it's hard."
"Mikey..." She reached out now, hand resting over his and she gasped as, quick as lightning: he pulled her in against his chest. She sighed while returning his spontaneous hug. Feeling guilty herself for having such an intimate moment with a turtle that wasn't Raphael, despite it being just an innocent hug. "I'm sorry."
"Me, too, for thinking that you being dead would be easier. It's selfish and awful of me to say and now this happened and I can't help but to think I'm being punished... For everything I've thought and done..."
"You can't blame yourself for this," said Alice, looking up at him now. The scar was an ugly reminder of what he had gone through before she left and who it was that had tried killing him. She brought her fingertips to it now to trace the damaged area, calling upon water to keep her touch cool and soothing. "No one has the right to take innocent lives no matter what their motivation for doing so."
"Alice, I-"
It was then that her communicator blared and she pulled back from Michelangelo to look down at it. It was Raphael and she gave an apologetic look to Michelangelo before answering, stepping away from him to lean against a tree instead.
"Where are you?"
"With Michelangelo," she answered.
"We are on lockdown I can't have you-" He broke off and Alice could tell he was doing his best not to yell. "Can you come back please? We have some answers on who did it."
"We'll be right there," said Michelangelo, rushing back towards where they came from. Alice ended communications with Raphael and followed. The guards looked relieved upon their return and quickly secured the door as they headed to the elevator. Alice already missed the cool, night air and the smell of the woods. She had wanted to spend more time out in the fresh air but the priority was finding out who bombed Michelangelo's people. Tate met them as the elevator doors opened with a grim look on his face. Michelangelo entered the Control Room and all eyes fell upon him. It was tense, and Alice immediately went to Raphael. "Well? Who was it?"
"We couldn't believe it either," said Donatello as he pointed at a screen. A picture lit up and Alice felt bile rise at the back of her throat. Was this some sort of joke?
"If this is a joke its a pretty fucking sick one," said Michelangelo, hand going to his throat.
"It's not a joke," said Raphael. "He's back."
Alice opened her mouth to talk but what once was a control room was now an empty abyss. She felt a spark of annoyance. The Time Lord was really starting to piss her off with his back and forth. He needed to start giving her a heads up before popping her into the dreamscape. Once against she was in the white room with the fog. Sighing she walked around a full circle, waiting for him to appear.
"Hello?" she shouted, bringing her arms up in question. "When you bring a girl to your place you shouldn't keep her waiting!"
"Hello, Alice..." Alice felt a tingle of dread go down the back of her spine. She whirled around, disturbing the fog at her feet as she faced the person, no, turtle who belonged to that voice. He looked exactly the same as the day he tried killing her but different as well. He wore a white robe with a black sash and actually had a look of peace about him. Everything she was reading off of him was non-threatening. "I'm sorry for pulling you here so abruptly but I do not have much time."
"L-Leonardo? But how? What the hell is going on?" She pointed a finger at him. "You killed all those people."
Leonardo sighed, a sadness tinged in with it. His brown eyes were filled with regret and Alice was more than a little confused. This looked nothing like the killer. Was this another Leo from another dimension like her?
"I am the Leonardo of this plane.," he answered her, as if he could read her thoughts. "I am a part of his spirit. The untainted part that remained untouched by Ch'rell and the others."
"Others?" asked Alice.
"Rayne and Rhazul."
"Dead Girl and that Robot Bull are real?" she asked. She started pacing. Nothing was making sense. She thought that had just been one weird dream. It had been real? THEY were real? "What is this? No more half answers! I'm done with getting my chain yanked back and forth. Just be straight with me and tell me what's going on!"
"They raised my body and blackened soul from death. Rayne has a connection to life and death. While she specializes in the aspect of death, life can be a challenge. She brought back the part of me she needed. The dark part that wanted nothing but death and destruction."
"And he, you, are killing," said Alice. "Why?"
"To distract you all from what is really happening, they brought me back. My dark self cares nothing about the ending of the world. Only the pain it can cause my brothers. The Reckoning is upon us all. If these two win it won't matter who controls the Earth for it will be destroyed."
"Okay.." Alice wanted to sit down. She wanted to laugh at the absurdity of this all. She also wanted to cry a little. What she wouldn't give to go back to the days of being a thief. "Tell me what I need to do then..."
"It's not that simple."
"MAKE it simple," she demanded.
"The only way to stop the Reckoning is to kill them and there are only two weapons, together, that can accomplish that."
"My katana?"
"Yes."
"Slice and dice then," said Alice. "I can do that."
"There is more..." Thunder rumbled in the distance and Leonardo frowned. "But I fear we are out of time."
"Were they telling the truth?" asked Alice, reaching out to touch Leonardo's arm. He tensed at her touch immediately but she didn't care about whether or not her touch made him uncomfortable. "When they said the other Time Lords abandoned me here."
"Yes." The room darkened and black clouds started rolling in. "They sealed this plane in hopes of containing the Reckoning to this realm, but that won't stop them. Nothing can stop them except you. You must become one fully with your power and the katana. If you do not... You will not stand a chance."
"How?" she asked.
"A part of you is blocked in your mind. Your past keeps you from embracing your future. Only YOU can work past this block. I can help you, a little..." He brought his hands up to her temples and she swallowed. For some stupid reason she trusted this Leonardo, so when his hands started to glow blue she didn't move. Unbeknownst to her, her eyes glowed the same blue as his skin touched hers. She did feel something akin to a knot at the back of her mind and it tugged a little, but settled as he brought his hands down. "The rest is up to you."
"And what about you?" she asked as the wind started to pick up around them. "How do I stop your dark self?"
"He has blocked me from this side, with the help from the others. When the time is right I will rely on you to reconnect with him."
"When will that be?" she asked, making him frown.
"Soon."
"Soon. Soon? What kind of answer is-"
Blackness. Awareness. Alice opened her eyes and sat up with a gasp. She was on the floor of the Control Room, Raphael and Michelangelo looming over her. She could see the worry and fear in their eyes but she couldn't focus on that now. No, all she could focus on was Leonardo's last words to her.
"Sonuvabitch," she muttered, hand going to her head. "We're all fucked."
TBC...