Chapter Seven: Last One Standing 1/2
They took something from her...
She lost her humanity,
and became something else.
She can't let what they did go!
It's like she's fighting a fight,
She knows she can't win!
She'll be fighting forever!
It's a nightmare,
that no one can really wake up from...
It was a cold Friday night for Rage and the turtles she grew so fond of. Leonardo made them all do a random training exorcise where they were positioned on a rooftop somewhere near the park, and fought against each other. Michealangelo had been partnered up with the ever fearless leader, Leonardo, while Donatello squared off against the ever loving and kind, Rage. The red-banded turtle had to wait for his turn (since their was an odd number of fighters).
Rage had just blocked and pushed Donatello's attack away from her, and jumped back. She looked over her shoulder and grinned over at Raphael's growing impatience, and looked over at Donatello. "Lete's gang up on Raph." She whispered when she pulled him closer to her. "He can't take on both of us."
Donatello caught the impish grin on her face, and jumped back. He nodded and charged for Raphael; surprising everyone around him and Rage. He landed a perfect strike on his shoulder and began laughing.
"Man, Raph, you need to work on your reflexes, bro!" He said in a laughing tone, as he looked over at Rage.
Rage laughed and charged for Raphael, as well. "Better keep up now..." She said in a creepy tone as she readied her sais. She thrusted the handle towards him, and he quickly flipped over their heads.
"What the shell are you two doin'?" He asked in a shocked tone, arming himself; getting ready for whatever the two fighters may have in mind.
Rage laughed so hard she fell to the ground. "I thought you'd like to go rounds with me and Donnie." She said between laughs, as tears began falling from her eyes.
Michaelangelo looked over to see Rage on the ground, laughing like she always does, and looked back to Leonardo in time to see him push him to the ground with an "Ow!"
"Come on, Mikey! You can't get distracted in battle!" Leonardo warned in a rough tone; picking up his brother's weapons, and handing them to him.
Rage gained her feet, and began sparring off with the other two turtles. She was getting very skilled with her new sais, so much that Splinter had once told her that she was almost as talented as Raphael. She enjoyed fighting with them so much that she had them tucked away in her boots, and took them everywhere she went. She even kept them on her even when she was working with April!
"Come on, boys," Rage said in a challenging tone; looking at her two partners as if she was mocking them, "I've seen Shadow attack me harder at feeding time."
Raphael growled in slight annoyance, and charged for the girl. He dropped his sais and grabbed her shoulders. He brought his foot up to her stomach, and threw her backwards; forcing her to land on the harsh ground below her. She landed with a slight grunt and looked up to see the hotheaded turtle on top of her with his guard down, and smirked. She took a page from his book and flipped him over her head.
"I think I rest my case." She said in a mocking tone, as she blew some fake dust from her nails. The turtle lying on his shell. He got up and charged for her again. This time, Rage jumped into the air, and landed a rough kick across his face; sending him back down to the ground.
"That was a challenge..." She told him in the same mocking tone, "It ranks right up there with doing my nails..."
Raphael growled and got back up, balling up his fists in anger. "I'll show you a challenge!" He declared as he charged for her once again, this time he began throwing wild punches and kicks. Rage had been caught off guard and sent flying against the entrance to a nearby shed.
Rage sprung back to her feet and charged for Raphael once again. Before she could do anything, a small shuriken went flying past her face; nicking her left cheek; sending her to the ground for the third time that night.
The throwing star was going straight for Michaelangelo, but Leonardo quickly blocked it and looked to his left at the others to see if they were hurt. Donatello was looking in the direction the weapon came from, while Raphael was kneeling over the girl, making sure she was alright.
The oldest ran to the end of the rooftop, and looked over the rooftops. He found a white ninja standing on the edge of one at a good distance from them, and growled. He kept his eyes on the ninja, as his siblings joined him. They had seen some strange fighters in the past, but none of them were anything like this ninja.
The Ninja looked like a traditional assassin, except for the white outfit that covered his body instead of the traditional black. The only thing you could see were his silver demonic eyes that looked similar to their adopted sister's. His weapons consistant of a pair of twin katanas that looked just like Leonardo's, but his handles were wrapped in red leather. This ninja had a utility pouch wrapped around his right thigh and left bicept. Probably where he stores more nasty tricks.
He stood mockingly before the turtles; his arms folded across his chest as he stood like he was challenging them. His body was facing left, and he had his head turned to face them with a twisted gleam in his silvery eyes.
Donatello gripped his staff, and gulped nervously. "Who is this guy?" He asked in a worried tone as he looked from his brothers, then back to the ninja.
Michaelangelo twirled his chucks and folded them under his arms, and took a slow step back towards Donatello. "Doesn't he know he's supposed to wearing black?" He asked in a nervous joking tone.
Leonardo gripped his swords tightly in his hands; ready for a fight should one take place. So far, it looked like a stand off to him, which brings him to the million dollar question: Who will make the first move? He looked back at his brothers for a moment, before he quickly turned his eyes back to the ninja.
"Is anyone hurt?" He asked in a firm tone; keeping his eyes trained on the foe at hand.
"We're alright, but Rage got a nasty nick on her cheek as it went past her head." Raphael said in an angry tone as he glared hatefully at the one who injured the girl he was so fond of.
"It's just a nick. Nothing a good bandage won't fix later." Rage assured them in an unsure tone, as she looked over at the ninja. 'There's something familiar with the way he's standing... it's like I should know someone who stands like that...' She thought as she held her cheek firmly with her hand; trying to stop the bleeding.
Just as Leonardo was about to protest against Rage, she fell to her knees; and soon all the way to the ground. Her body was shaking uncontrolably, and beginning to lose control over her breatheing, as well. She was looking paler and weaker by each passing second.
Leonardo looked back to the mysterious white ninja, but found him vanished in the wind! It was like he wasn't even there at all! 'What the shell was that?' He thought angrily to himself as he looked for any traces of their foe.
Donatello placed his bo back in his holster, and went over to the place where the projectile had landed, and picked it up. He looked it over and noticed not only was Rage's blood in the tips of the throwing star, but some strange orange substance dripping from the tips as well. He lifted the weapon to his nose, and began sniffing it. He pulled it back from his nose; dropping the tiny weapon and holding his nose in disgust.
"Ugh! That's nasty!" He cried out through his mouth. "I think he put something on the tips of this shuriken!" He said in a displeased tone, as he picked up the throwing star, and placing it in his belt for safe keeping.
Raphael looked back down at Rage, and noticed she looked deathly white, and placed a careful hand on her cheek. She was ice cold! He quickly gathered her in his arms, and stood up. "We gotta go!" He cried as he took off for the fire escape; his younger brothers quickly following his example.
Leonardo looked down, and picked up Rage and Raph's sais. He looked over to the spot where the hated ninja was standing a moment longer before he took off after his brothers; tucking the two sets of weapons in his belt as he went.
It had been two hours since the girl had been crippled by the new guy. So far, her adopted brothers had this guy on their butt-kicking list. Master Splinter had worked on an old Japanese remedy for the nasty cough that Rage had caught along the way back home. Donatello was working on figuring out what was on that suriken that's making his sister so ill. Michaelangelo was by Rage's side; keeping a cold washcolth over the sickly girl's eyes and forehead in hopes of breaking her fever. Leonardo was sitting next to his youngest brother, hoping the girl would be alright,while Raphael was down in the dojo. Raphael was tearing into his old punching bag; letting out his anger, hatred, and frusteration through pounding into the poor bag.
Rage would moan and scream in her sleep. She would also react to Michaelangelo's care whenever he replenished the rag, or checked her wound whenever Donatello would ask. She would mutter something every so often and cry while she suffered in the bed.
"Do you think she'll be okay?" Michaelangleo asked in a sad tone, as he leaned back in his chair, and watched Rage twitch in her sleep.
"I don't know, Mikey. Let's hope for the best." Leonardo said in a comforting tone as he tried (and failed) to put on his brotherly smile for his youngest brother.
He looked over at Donatello and watched him looking through the microscope, and turing back to his computer. "Did you find out what's making Rage so sick?" He asked; hoping his intellegent brother had an answer that would help bring everyone's hopes up.
"I already found what's making her sick, I'm trying to find an antidote." Donatello replied in a determined expression, not looking up at his brothers.
The two brothers looked at each other, and back at Donatello. "Well, what's the thing that's making Rage so sick then?" Michaelangleo asked, growing more worried by the minute.
Donatello narrowed his eyes at the computer screen. "The substance I found on the shruiken was concentrated black widow vemon. It's pretty harmless in small doses, but the vemon on the weapon was more concentrated. So, it's effecting Rage more quickly than it would if it was from a single bite."
Leonardo and Michealangelo gasped and looked at one another, before they turned their attention back towards the sick Rage on the bed.
"Is she gonna die?" Michaelangelo asked in a fearful tone; looking from Leonardo to Donatello in desperation.
Donatello shook his head and looked over at the girl on the bed. "She won't die if we keep her fever down." he reasurred the youngest brother, "but she's gonna be pretty miserable for a while until the vemon runs its course."
"Why won't she use her healing trick thingy and heal herself?" Michaelangelo asked in a hurt tone, not taking his eyes off the sickly girl on the bed. "She did it before, right?"
Donatello sighed and placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder. "She told us that if she used that, it'll use up too much energy. And right now, with the vemon inside her, it'll only hurt her even more, remember?"
Leonardo clenched his fists tightly and growled at the thought of the poor shape his younger sister was in. Half of him blamed himself for going outside to train, but another part was even angrier at that mysterious ninja that caused Rafe to be in the shape that she's now in.
"I think he was trying to hit Rage on purpose..." He said in a darkened tone, glaring hatefully at the thought of what happened.
Rage coughed and moaned in her sleep, panting heavily in her sleep. It was almost as if she was trying to tell the ones standing around her that she wanted them to stop fighting like she always used to whenever someone would start an argument.
Leonardo sighed and relaxed in his chair. "Maybe we should let Rage get some rest." He suggested in a tone that sounded more like a command, as he got up and began walking towards the door.
"But what if she needs us?" Michaelangelo asked in a frantic tone, keeping his eyes trained on the girl, with worry showing on his masked face.
"She'll be alright, Mikey. There's nothing we can do for her now." Donatello said in a brotherly tone, as he pulled Michaelangelo to his feet, and began pushing him to the door.
"But I want to stay with her!" Michaelangelo protested, trying to get out of Donatello's grip.
"And wake her up? I don't think so!" Donatello argued firmly, keeping his hands on his younger brother and pushing him out of the door. "Out, out, out! Go read your comic books or something!"
Michaelangelo groaned and slouched in protest, but did as he was told, and went into his room. Leonardo caught Donatello going into the kitchen and sat down at the table with him. Donatello sighed and placed his hands over his eyes.
"How's she doing, Donnie?" Leonardo asked in a concerned tone as he looked over at the stressed out turtle beside him.
"She just sleeping now. But her well-being depends on how strong she is." Donatello said in a worried tone, pulled his hands from his face.
Leonardo leaned back in his seat, and folded his arms over his chest. "She'll pull through, Donnie. I promise." He told the younger brother in a a mind-set tone.
"What I don't get is, who was that guy? And Why did he attack us? We didn't do anything to him!" Donatello said in a slightly annoyed tone. "It's just not fair! Why did it have to be her? She never did anything to anyone!"
Leonardo looked down at his arms, and closed his eyes. "I don't know, Donnie. I just don't know..."
Later on that night, Raphael snuck into the room where Rage was sleeping. He opened the door as quietly as he could, and found the girl tossing and turning in her sleep. He sighed and went over to her, and sat down in the chair Michaelangelo was sitting in before Donatello forced him away.
" 'ey, Rage..." he whispered in a quiet tone; leaning over to her ear, "ya gotta pull through... Please! If ya won' do it for yerself, den do it for us! Do it for me!"
Rage moaned painfully, and turned her head away from the turtle. She began coughing so hard, her body shook harshly with each passing cough. "It hurts..." She moaned in her sleep. "Please, make it stop... No! Please don't jump! AHHHHHH!" She now began screaming; throwing her head to the sides in her sleep. "Please don't jump..."
"Wake up, Rage! It's jus' a dream! You gotta snap out of it!" Raphael commanded her as he placed his hands on her shoulder, and began shaking her. "Come on!"
After a few good shakes, Rage bolted up in her bed, and wrapped her arms around Raphael's neck; she began sobbing uncontrollably against his shoulder.
"Rage?" Raphael asked in a softened tone, wrapping his own arms around the girl, and held her as close as he could.
Rage cried even harder and coughed a little more. She gasped, and looked up at the dark green skinned turtle. "Raph!" She squeaked in a scratchy voice, as she closed her eyes tightly; attempting to stop the tears from her eyes.
" 'ey, it's gonna be alright now, girl... it was only a bad dream. You're alright." Rapheal cooed gently, as he stroked her long violet hair comfortingly.
"I-I-" Rage tried to speak, but was choking on her words. It was almost as if someone was keeping her from saying what she wanted to. And she looked so broken up. What did she dream about that had her too scared to talk?
Raphael looked down at the girl in his arms, and held her tighter. "What is it, Rage?" He asked in a quiet tone; now rubbing her back.
Rage coughed one more time, and took a deep breath. "I-I saw him, Raph!" She finally answered in a hurting tone, pulling away from him and looking up at him. "I couldn't protect him, Raph! I wasn't good enough! He told me I wasn't good enough to save him!"
Raphael blinked in shock. "Who, Rage? Who couldn't ya protect?" He asked in a frantic tone, as he pulled her closer to him again. "Tell me what's goin' on!"
Rage struggled against herself and cried even harder against him. "Neji..."
Raphael wasn't as shocked as he was right now. All the stories she told him about how Neji was like Leonardo seemed so twisted now. From the way she told her stories, Neji was a perfect brother; loving and caring towards his younger siblings. It just didn't seem right to him now. He didn't know what to do.
"But it was just a dream, Rage. Your fever must've made you hullucinated it." He told her in a reasurring tone; rubbing her back soothingly. "It's alright now. It's all over..."
Rage shook her head. "It'll never be over, Raph! It just won't stop! Oh, it hurts so much!"
Raphael let go of the girl for a moment, and stood up. "I'll go get Donnie. And see if he can help ya feel betta." He told her as he began to walk away; only to be stopped by Rage's hand reaching for his.
"No! Please, stay with me! Don't leave me alone!" She begged desperately, looking up at him with hopeless eyes.
Raphael shook his head. "I gotta go get Donnie. He'll make ya feel batta, I promise, after dat, I'll stay wit ya until ya fall asleep again." He told her in a soothing tone, as he broke free from her hold on him, and quickly left the room.
He returned soon after with Donatello behind him. Leonardo had quickly joined them due to the fact that he was a light sleeper. The blue and purple-banded turtles were relieved that their sister was up and awake, but they were just as shocked as Raphael was when they found the girl to be hunched forward and holding her cheek and stomach tightly, growling and moaning in pain. Her fangs were barred through her clenching jaw so tightly, blood was starting to ooze out of her lower lip. Her eyes were beginning to glow the same angry red as they noramlly do whenever she's upset or angry.
Donatello rushed over to the girl and placed one shaky hand on her forehead, and the other on her back. "What's wrong, Rage? Is it the vemon?" He asked franticly, looking from her and to his brothers. "You still have a slight fever. You should lie down!"
Rage hissed through her fangs and her eyes began glowing brighter than they had ever before! "It hurts... Just let me try this..." She told them in a hollow tone, biting her lower lip so hard her fangs bit into it; causing it to bleed even more.
Donatello shook his head. He had known Rage for a while now, and he knew he what she was trying to do. He knew she was trying to heal herself again. Lately, he had noticed that she'd try to heal herself at every little thing that happened to her. A small cut from one of her sais, a little nick from one of his own tools... Even a paper cut! She had been so sluggish afterwords that she looked like the walking dead! He didn't like seeing her like that, and it killed him to see her in the condition she was in now.
"You need to sleep, Rage!" Donatello begged, "I hate seeing you like this! Always drowzy, forcing yourself to do things with us. I just hate it!"
Rage looked over at Donatello and gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Donnie... I hate this, too. Please forgive me... but I- don't like being sick. It's worse than getting hurt to me." She struggled to say, as she pushed herself even harder than before.
It wasn't long before she finally stopped healing herself, the wound on her cheek had healed itself completely. She panted for a few moments, and leaned forward. "Ow, my heads is killing me..." She moaned and held her head in one hand, and balanced the same elbow on her knee. She looked over at the trio around her and grinned.
"Did- did it work?" Leonardo asked in a hopeful tone, sitting on the bed beside her legs.
Rage grinned up at her oldest brother, and let go of her cheek. "I think it worked better this time than any other time!" She said excitedly; looking over at her brothers, then all of a sudden, the room began spinning; causing her to sway slightly.
Leonardo steadied his little sister, as she began leaning forward. "See what happens when you try something like that?" He asked in an older brother tone.
Donatello sighed and shook his head at the girl. "I just don't know what I'm going to do with you." He said in an unsure tone as he walked away for a moment.
Rage looked down with a guilty look. "I'm sorry, Donnie. I just don't want you lot to worry about me. I mean- Mikey's the youngest. We should be looking after him, right? I mean- for goodness' Sake, you guys! I'm stronger than I let on, ya' know?" She said in an out burst; closing her mouth right after and looking to the turtles in fear.
Leonardo placed a hand on Rage's shoulder and smiled brotherly at her. "Like it or not, Rage, but you're our little sister, too." He said calmly, as he looked up at his brothers. "You're stuck with us for life."
"Even though you'll be related to a nut-job like Mikey." Raphael added in an afterthought; grinning at the girl with pride beaming through his mask.
Rage looked down at her hands in annoyance. "Of course I know all that, but I just hate when people have to worry about me." She told them honestly, looking up at them with determined eyes. "That's the way I am. Always was, always will be. I can't help it, guys. I just hate having people worry about me."
And with that, she flicked her hand towards her brothers. Once they backed up, she jumped off the bed, and twirled around to prove her point. "See, guys? I'm feeling better already!" She told them in a mind set tone.
Leonardo held his hands up in defeat. "We believe you, Rage. Just calm down..." He said in an unsure tone, looking from his brothers to his sister.
Rage smiled and nodded her head in approval. She flexed her muscles and cracked her knuckles. "I thought for sure I was a goner when I got hit by that shuriken."
Raphael huffed in anger and folded his arms over his chest. "Da nerve of dat guy!" He broded angrily, "why'd he hafta go an' pick a fight wit us anyway."
Rage lifted a finger to her lower lip and thought about the event that accored. "I think it was a message." She thought in a meaningful tone. "I mean- he could've thrown the shuriken at my neck, but he didn't."
Donatello balled up his fists in anger. "But it was filled with poison, Rage. It could've hit any one of us."
Rage shook her head. "You're wrong. You and I were pretty far apart from Raph. Leo and Mikey were up against the wall by the entrance to the building, remember?" Rage said in a thoughtful tone. "You're right, he could've hit any one of us, but who do you four know that has a white ninja on their team? I think it has something to do with... them..."
"Who are you talking about, Rage?" Leonardo asked in a dreadful tone, already knowing who she had in mind.
Rage glared up at Leonardo with an angry stare. "Them!"
Leonardo held up his hands up in defense. "I know, Rage. I get it." He told her in a gentle tone, placing a hand on her shoulder and offering her his best smile. "But that's all in the past now. You have a better life now, don't you think?"
Raphael smirked and folded his arms over his chest, and pointed over at the girl. "Dat means you're stuck with us!" He said in a mocking tone; earning himself a bright smile from the girl he was so fond of.
Donatello clapped his hands once and rubbed them together. "Well, now that that's all settled, why don't we go get something to eat?" He asked; hoping to clear the air from all the tension. "We're all up anyway."
Rage smiled greatfully at the purple-banded turtle. "I'm really not all that hungry, guys." She told them in an unsure tone, but her stomach let out an angry growl; making her brothers laugh in reponse.
Leonardo chuckled, and pushed Rage over to the door. "Sure you're not. Come on, let's get some food." He told her in a final tone; his brothers following his example.
Raphael stayed behind and looked over at the bed; thinking about what Rage told him about Neji. He had a bad feeling, but he didn't know what was coming. All he knew for sure was that wasn't the last any of them had seen of the mysterious white ninja...