Worlds Below.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters that I am using for this story.
Chapter Four
Catherine lead the turtles to the designated meeting spot, "Vincent should be here shortly, he wanted to meet with you all and make you feel a little more comfortable about going down into their area with him. He knows how easy strangers can startle him." She explained to the four mutants, she wished April had joined them, but April had insisted that she could see Don later.
"Your friend is very considerate Ms. Chandler." Splinter remarked.
Only a few seconds later Vincent arrived, he hadn't bothered putting on his hooded cloak for a couple of reasons, one of course being that he wanted to help put the turtles at ease, the other that he wasn't leaving his home and those that lived in the sewers pretty much knew him. Mouse had walked with him trying his best to dissuade his friend from meeting with the green people who according to Mouse could be very dangerous and a threat to them all.
"Mouse how can you say that, you don't think of me as a threat do you?" Vincent had chided the boy.
" You are different. Not like them." Mouse replied simply.
Vincent sighed, and turned to the boy, "Have you ever seen them harm another?"
Mouse turned his blue eyes on Vincent, "Mouse saw, down in tunnels once four people in black attack a green person, and the green person killed them" Mouse trembled.
"Yet if he was attacked by four and he was but one, did he not have the right to defend himself?" Vincent replied, " I have killed too Mouse, I have killed to protect Catherine, and those who live here in the tunnels yet you have no fear of me. I have spoken with Don and he doesn't seem a threat to any of us." Vincent soothed, "Perhaps when you see them all and get to know them for yourself you will not fear them as a threat." Vincent suggested ever so kindly.
"Okay good. Okay fine." Mouse relented, "But Mouse still feels it is bad idea Vincent, even Narcissa may agree."
Vincent refused to reply to that remark, Narcissa was older and blind, even so she preferred to live further out from the tunnels then the rest of the people within their community, she was a fortune teller amongst other things. Shortly after Mouse, in typical fashion, departed his own way and Vincent didn't have too much further to go before he met up with the rest of Don's family. Catherine came forward and hugged him, Vincent held her close. "I am so glad you were able to find Don's family, I think he will rest easier for it. As it is he doesn't seem to want to get much rest."
Mike snickered at that comment "That is Donny boy all right. He can't rest unless he is busy doing something. He hardly ever sleeps at home."
Leo sighed with relief, "He can't be too bad then." He spoke simultaneously with Mike.
Catherine took Vincent's hands and made introductions for everyone. Vincent looked at the small stooped figure of Splinter, and wondered silently to himself how Mouse could be afraid of this person, the muscles on the turtles were sufficient reason to cause hesitancy, especially if Mouse had indeed seen one of them single handedly kill four others, but the father of this family seemed to be no more threat then ' father' himself. The thought caused Vincent's lips to curl up into a smile. "Come follow me and you will see him for yourself soon enough."
Leo and Splinter seemed to be at ease with, Vincent leading them, a few of the tunnel inhabitants turned to watch Vincent, and the mutants, but it was merely looks of curiosity at most, none of them held any animosity. Raph was typically unnerved by it all and Mike would smile and wave to some of the ones who seemed a bit friendlier. The sociable turtle already had visions of finding and making a whole bunch of new friends.
Splinter dropped back and placed a hand on Raph's shoulder "Relax Raphael, we are safe there is no threat. Here we will only find what we look for." He advised.
"Weren't ya the one to teach us to always be on our guard though Splintah?" Raph queried.
"True, but there is a time to be ready and a time to relax as well my Son." Splinter answered simply.
"So uh Donny rigged up anything for you so far, got a computer yet?" Mike asked Vincent.
Vincent gave the turtle a puzzled look "No."
Mike scowled, "Don is slowing down then" he muttered.
"My father invited him to a game of chess" Vincent stated, "Just before I left. I think father was hoping to teach him, but Don assured him he knows the game well."
"Yeah we all play it" Mike answered with a casual shrug, "Though Leo and Don are the best ones at it, and I think both of them prefer wei-chi instead."
Vincent turned, "I am not familiar with the, what you said way che."
"Many people refer to it as Go" Leo interjected, "Like chess it is a game of strategy but it can be far more involved and intricate then chess is." He explained.
Vincent smiled as he realized what the turtle said, "Father enjoys a good game of chess but he rues the day he taught me to play it."
"You're a good player then" Leo remarked quickly, making it sound more of a statement then question.
"Father is considered to be one of the best players in the tunnels" Vincent confessed, "Yet I usually beat him."
Leo considered these words, "I'd like to play some chess against you one day Vincent."
Mike chuckled, "More like teach ya how to play wei-chi especially if you love to out think your opponent in chess."
Vincent shrugged "That is part of the game is it not?"
Leo smiled and glanced towards Splinter who nodded his head.
A few minutes later they heard a soft familiar voice say "Check mate."
"I...I don't believe this." A flabbergasted father stammered, "And to think I was...well" he harrumphed.
"I take it father that his strategy in the game is too well played" Vincent asked softly.
Father glanced at the newcomers, as Vincent turned at the bottom of the ladder to help aid Splinter's descent. He then turned his head to see the three turtles up above.
"Hi Donny" Mike yelled, then leaped flipping in the air and landing with cat like grace behind Vincent, causing Vincent to turn with a snarl. Mike laughed, "Easy Vincent. It's just me."
Raph sneered " You call that a flip Mike"
"Like to see you do better." Mike taunted cheerfully. "Get out the scoring cards Don boy this ought to be good."
"Raphael do..." Splinter began he but was too late, for Raph was in the air. Splinter groaned and shook his head wearily as he watched his son's descent with shrewd eyes. Then something sparked in the ninja Master and as Raph came in for a landing, Splinter swung his stick to hit his son's shell. But Raph aware of his sensei's moves back flipped quickly over the stick.
" You got to admit Mike that was better than yours" Raph insisted proudly.
Mike stuck his tongue out "Raph is just a show off." he pouted.
Splinter glared, "That is enough you will act appropriately" he demanded in a low tone his tail slashing the floor in aggravation.
"Of course uh, Sorry about that. Just got carried away" Mike reassured father, Vincent and Catherine. " You know uh... how it can be right? Uh anyways Um... yeah right." he muttered, uneasily as he glanced all around the room then automatically changed the subject "I like this room. It's real creative and nicely decorated it yours Vincent."
Vincent nodded, " I would like you all to meet my father Jacob Wells," Vincent gestured to Splinter, "This is Don's father Splinter, and his brothers Raphael, Michelangelo and Leonardo."
"Thank you so much for aiding Donatello, it is greatly appreciated by our family, and if there is anything we can do for you in return please let us know." Splinter insisted as he bowed to father.
Father smiled he was familiar with the Asian custom of bowing so he gave a slight bow back, "Well actually, Vincent has the soul and compassion of a doctor himself, when I went to school they didn't allow minorities in, and now well, I shudder to think what they might do to someone as different as Vincent or your sons, or even you, yourself happen to be." Father took off his square framed glasses and began to clean them, "But I have to admit that we were only able to doctor Don through the use of some supplies one of our members brought back. Mouse insists he borrowed it from areas he says are yours."
"Mouse." Raph couldn't help but grin at the name, "Do him and Vincent play cat and mouse?"
"RAPHAEL!" Splinter barked.
"What? What did I say?" Raph demanded spreading his hands out to the side.
Leo growled and shook his head Raph's way as Splinter didn't bother to reply to his last word, " I noticed we were missing more then what could be accounted for, still if you have need of it feel free. After all this time it went to a worthy and justifiable cause. Sometimes when our supplies get raided we worry that it is going towards someone's habit." Leo informed father, "Still this Mouse better be told that some of our caches are booby trapped and he best be careful what ones he borrows from."
"Mouse's version of borrowing is rather frowned upon and I wouldn't want to encourage him to continue," Father confessed reluctantly, "And I doubt the knowledge of such traps would slow him down."
Mike giggled at something, covering his mouth with one hand and hunching over on the side of the bed beside Don, as he tried to hold back his guffaws. Father looked like he was about to say something but he found a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see Splinter giving a slow negative shake of his head, "I have learned with Michelangelo it is better not to ask. Knowing my son, as I do, I am sure it has something to do with building a better mouse trap."
Mike slapped a hand on his leg "You got it Master!" he whooped through his chortles.
Splinter sighed and shook his head again, "Consider yourself lucky you only had one." He told father as he glanced towards Vincent and then around to his four teenage sons.
TBC