Chapter 6: New Allies
"That's the one," Donnie pointed to a run down warehouse from their vantage point across the street. The area was deserted, but that had nothing to do with the late hour. This was a part of town that rarely saw much activity, which was rare for New York City. The surrounding buildings were run down and falling apart. There was garbage strewn about the streets and graffiti decorated the walls of almost every building.
The warehouse that the signal was coming from looked no different from the other buildings. It had no windows, one padlocked door, and one garage door for deliveries that would never come.
"You sure this is the one," Leo asked skeptically eyeing the colourfully painted walls and the rusted door.
"She must have driven her car in through the garage door," Donnie said, "Look, you can see the tire tracks."
"So what's she doing bringing research notes and mutagen out to the middle of nowhere?" April asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Donnie said. "Alright Leo, what's the plan."
"Break in, scope the place out, grab the mutagen," Leo replied simply. "Let's move."
Oo0oO
Alice Kennington was busy at work, trying to back up of all of her research that she managed to save from the shed. It was a long process due to the sheer amount of documents that she had to scan in to save digitally. She had been at it a while already, and was no closer to the end. But she had to keep going, she couldn't risk losing her research.
It was quiet except for the humming of the computers and scanners, even that felt too loud. It didn't help that Alice was paranoid beyond belief, so much so that when she heard the door to the warehouse squeak open, she panicked and drew the gun she kept concealed in her waistband.
"Woah, Alice!" an urgent voice said from the door way, "It's just me."
"Ben?" Alice recognized the man who stood in the door way. He was a stocky man with greying dark blond hair and round glasses. "I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow. I almost shot you!"
"We have a problem," the man, Ben, said bolting the door behind him. "They're onto us and they've moved their top scientist to one of their secret labs. I can't keep tabs on them anymore."
"What do we do now?" Alice asked.
"We'll have to move. I'll see if I can't find where they're conducting their experiments. Did you get everything you need?"
"I couldn't bring back all the mutagen. And I think someone found the shed, it was open when I got there. Nothing was missing but, Ben, do you think the Kraang found it? Have they found us?"
"I don't know, we're being careful, but that may not matter—"
Clatter.
The two adults froze, and Alice brought her gun up again, aiming into the dark corners of the warehouse. Ben also pulled out a gun from inside his jacket, although he was more calm. He motioned for Alice to stay where she was, and he slowly moved toward the source of the sound.
His eyes studied the dark shadows, looking for any sign of movement. But everything was still. He reached the place where the sound came from, and picked up a broom stick that had fallen to the floor. That's when he saw movement.
In a flash, he reached out and grabbed whoever was hiding in the shadows and pulled them into the light.
"Hey!" It was a girl. A teenaged girl, around fourteen or fifteen years old with fiery red hair pulled into a ponytail. She glared at Ben fiercely before twisting around and kicking him in the gut.
"Unng," Ben stumbled back, clutching his stomach. The girl took the chance to try and slip into the shadows again. But she had only taken a few steps when an ear splitting shot rang out, echoing around the warehouse.
"Don't move," Alice said sternly, her gun still smoking, and shaking slightly, "Who are you?" The girl froze in place; the bullet had passed just a few inches short of her head. The girl looked at Alice, an expression of surprise more than fear on her face. Alice in turn studied the girl. She seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite place her.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed behind Alice and her gun was wrenched away from her before she even knew what happened. She stumbled and fell to her knees. There were more intruders?
Alice looked up at her assailant and pure, cold fear ran through her veins. It was a mutant, and he looked mad. He stood around the height of an average human, with green skin, a large shell, and was holding a really long stick like a weapon. From his stance, she didn't doubt he knew how to use it.
Alice looked to Ben for help, but saw he was in a similar situation. Another mutant had managed to disarm him also and now pointed a sword at his face, daring him to try something.
"Easy guys," the girl said, "I'm alright." The mutants seemed to relax slightly at her reassurance, but didn't let their guard down.
Alice turned her attention back to the red haired girl. Who was she to be protected by such creatures? That's when it clicked.
"You're April O'Neil," Alice realized with something close to awe. That caused the mutants to shift uneasily. Recognition filled Ben's face as he looked at her.
"Oh my God, you're right," Ben said and tried to move closer, but the mutants with the swords blocked his path. Ben raised his hands, showing he meant no harm.
"How do you know who I am," April asked, confused.
"How could we not?" Ben said, "You're the one the Kraang have been after."
"And who are you?" one of the mutants, the one with the sword, asked Ben.
"My name is Benjamin Torst," Ben explained, "And you must be part of the resistance group that's been fighting against the Kraang."
"The Turtles?" Alice was confused, "You mean they're actual turtles?"
"Technically, we're human-turtle hybrids," the turtle with the stick explained, "so we're not one hundred percent tur—"
"Not now Donnie," the other mutant interrupted him. The mutant, Donnie, deflated a bit. "How do you know about us," the sword mutant demanded.
"I've been monitoring the Kraang for years now," Ben explained.
"Monitoring how?"
"Through their Communication Orbs," Ben explained. "After years of trial and error, I managed to translate their language and hack into their network. Since then, I've been monitoring their progress, intercepting their messages, even managed to alter some, change orders, give false plans, anything I can to slow them down in their conquest to take over the city. I know it's not enough to stop them, but it's the only thing I know I can do. I just wish I could do more."
"You hacked into the Kraang system?" the Donnie mutant asked.
"It took a long time but yes," Ben said calmly. "And I know from their reports that you are part of the resistance group that has managed to stop their invasion and have prevented them from succeeding in their plans to dominate the world. You're the Turtles, Leonardo and Donatello."
"So much staying anonymous," Donnie muttered.
The Turtles, Alice thought in amazement, the people strong enough to fight against the Kraang! Alice had no doubt in her mind that she could trust these mutants, regardless of any past experiences. Standing in front of her was the hope of human kind. She was sure that her research would be put to good use in their hands and she knew Ben would agree with her.
"What about the shed full of mutagen," Leo asked, pulling Alice out of her thoughts.
"You know about the shed?" Ben asked surprised.
"Donnie's scanner picked it up, but before we could get a good look at everything, you showed up," Leo turned to Alice, "we put a tracker on your car and followed you back here."
"So you were the ones who unlocked the door," Alice realized.
"What was that place?" Donnie asked, "More importantly, what were those research notes?"
"It's what I've been working on," Alice said turned to the computer screen, bringing up various documents, eager to share what she was doing. "Or at least what I managed to save. I've been trying to better understand how the mutagen works—"
"By unraveling its molecular structure and how its altering the genetic code," Donnie finished moving behind her to look at the screen. Alice looked up in surprise at him, then smiled. She then started to explain the nature of her research while Leo turned back to Ben, letting his brother revel in his nerd-dom.
"What were you saying earlier about the Kraang moving someone to a secret base?" Leo asked, recalling the conversation they had overheard from the shadows.
"The Kraang have managed to recruit some people to work on the mutagen of their own free will," Ben explained. "I've hacked into the company's security systems to monitor their progress, but something tipped them off because earlier tonight, they took their top scientist and his assistant to one of their facilities."
"Do you know which one?" Leo asked.
"Not exactly, but from what I've gathered, it's the same facility where they're keeping the rest of the scientists that they kidnapped."
"Any idea what tipped them off?"
"That was probably my fault," Ben replied sheepishly, "I was careless, one of my programs was detected and they tracked the IP address back to my safe house. That's why I came back here tonight, we have to hurry and move before—"
Ben didn't get any farther. A blasting crash filled the warehouse, drowning out all noise, leaving everyone's ears ringing.
". . . they find us." Ben finished, backing away and coughing as dust filled the air.
"The one known as the Hacker has been found by Kraang."
The familiar, ominous pink glow flooded in through the new hole in the wall as Kraang droids started to file through, blasters primed and ready.
"Damn it!" Ben cried, retrieving his gun and firing. He managed to hit his mark, slamming bullets into three different bots, fatal shots, or they would be if they weren't dealing with robots. Human guns aren't the most effective tool against alien robots from another dimension.
"Stay back," Leo commanded, drawing his twin katanas once again, "April, look after the humans, Donnie you're with me." Donnie twirled his staff and April whipped out her tessen, ready for action.
Leo jumped at the closest droid who raised his blaster and fired. Leo deflected three shots off his katanas before he was in range and spun around as his swords followed a deadly arc, easily splitting the machine into pieces. Donnie was right up there with his brother, dancing through the mob and slapping the enemies, keeping them back with the long reach of his staff.
Meanwhile, April guided Ben and Alice behind a stack of heavy crates the Kraang could not easily reach them, deflecting blaster fire aimed in their direction.
"Is there any way out?" April asked above the noise of laser fire and metal clashing on metal.
"Just the garage door," Ben pointed towards the other side of the room. They would have to sneak around the battle grounds, but luckily, the Kraang had blasted their entry hole on the opposite side. If they could navigate around the battle, they would have a clear line outside.
"Okay," April took charge, "stay close and stay low, use what you can as cover, and try not to draw attention."
"Wait," Alice spoke up, "We can't leave my research!" April looked over to the desk where Alice had been working. There were binders full of notes and data still waiting to be inputted into the system.
"We'll get them later," April insisted, "But first, we gotta get out of here."
"I'm not leaving wit—" Alice was interrupted by the arrival of a particularly large cannon blaster that had to be rolled into the warehouse through the newly blasted hole in the wall.
"Uhh, Donnie?" Leo said, noticing the new threat.
". . . I got nothing," Donnie admitted and backed away as the cannon started to power up, the barrel glowing with some type of unknown energy.
"Take cover!" Leo yelled.
Leo and Donnie leapt out of the way, and rolled across the floor in opposite directions and the cannon fired. It was devastating. The laser beam ripped through the warehouse and burnt away everything in its path . . . including the desk and computer that housed all of Alice Kennington's notes and research.
"No!" Alice yelled, jumping to her feet in distress.
"Get down!" April pulled her down again, but it was too late. Blaster fire started up again, this time aimed at the humans. "We've got to go now!" April insisted as she dragged Alice into a crouching run with Ben close behind.
Leo and Donnie got to their feet and covered them, bringing down Kraang-bots as they made their way to their cover their friends. They had all made it to the garage door and Ben was fiddling with the lock, but it seemed to be jammed. The group was put in a tight spot as the Kraang started to close in. They were trapped, but they weren't about to back down just yet.
Leo felt a buzzing in his belt, and looked down at his T-Phone ringing away. He then saw movement outside the hole in the wall.
"The ones known as the Turtles will hand over the one known as the Hacker and then be destroyed," one of the droids said, pointing his blaster Leo threateningly.
Leo smiled knowingly, "You sure about that?"
"BOOYAKASHA!"
The call was ear splitting and most of the Kraang turned to face the new threat, only to be greeted by a face full of nunchucks and a battering ram with sais. Raph and Mikey barged through the hole in the wall, weapons blazing.
Took them long enough, Leo thought as his brothers started demolishing Kraang.
The arrival of their brothers allowed for the perfect distraction. Leo and Donnie also attacked, trapping the mob between two teams of turtles on either end. Although their initial attack was highly effective, the enemy recovered and started returning fire, and the fight was on again.
April stayed back with Ben and Alice, deflecting stay shots and taking out any droids that got past the guys.
"Got it!" Ben suddenly exclaimed and the garage door slid upwards. April ushered the humans outside.
"Leo," April yelled back into the warehouse, "we're good to go."
Leo nodded to her, still focused on the enemy in front of him. A few more swings of his katanas dispatched of the robot he was facing, and he turned to check on his brothers. Donnie was still by his side, Mikey and Raph were in their own worlds, smashing through robots with big grins on their faces.
Leo hated to pull them away from their fun, but they couldn't risk staying too long. "Turtles, fall back," he yelled over the chaos of the battle, earning a groan from his battle happy brothers. Regardless, Mikey flipped over the group of droids and landed a few feet away from Leo, while Raph took the more direct route and just bulldozed his way through what remained of the mob.
With a nod, Leo began to retreat back towards their escape hole when he noticed someone was missing. "Donnie!" He was beside Leo just a second ago, where did he go?
"Just a sec," Donnie replied from the other side of the warehouse.
"What are you doing?" Leo demanded in frustration. Donnie ducked behind a crate as a new wave of blaster fire shot in his direction. Timing it perfectly, Donnie raced out from his cover and swung his staff in one hand, while clutching something in the other.
"Just retrieving what we initially came for," Donnie replied, holding up the canister of mutagen as he rejoined his brothers.
A whirring drew their attention back and they turned to problem at hand. The cannon was powering up again.
"Go go go!" Leo said, herding his team out the door as the cannon discharged. It blasted right through the garage door, leaving another smouldering hole in the warehouse and the building across the street. The turtles just stared at the damage for a second before a van came ripping around the warehouse, coming to a screeching halt in front of them.
"Get in," Ben said as the side door slid open and April helped pull everyone in.
The Kraang emerged from the warehouse, now that the dust had settled and began firing at the receding van as it disappeared around a corner. Relief filled the van's passengers when the Kraang didn't appear to be following them.
"Now what?" Alice asked from the passenger seat to no one in particular. Her life's work had been destroyed, and there was nothing left for her to go off of. She would have to start over from the beginning. Months of work, down the drain.
"Do you have a safe place to stay?" Leo asked, crouching between the two front seats.
"I have few other safe houses set up around the city," Ben said. He took a left at the next intersection and started the long drive back into the city.
"Knock it off, Mikey," Leo heard Donnie say behind him and turned his attention back to his brothers. Donnie was lying on his back with his foot on Mikey's face who was reaching over to grab the mutagen that Donnie held away at a safe distance.
Rolling his eyes, Leo took the canister from Donnie and Mikey grinned sheepishly. No rest for the weary.
A/N: Happy New Year 2016!