A/N: (insert evil laughter here) Oh come on! You guys didn't really believe that I would end the story right there, did you? Come on, you guys know me better than that!
Now, I was partially telling the truth when I said I probably won't write a sequel to this story. I don't see how I could continue it in a sequel story. But good news! I plan to write a series of one-shots that puts Miwa in the newer episodes of TMNT! So after this story is over, I'll write out the TMNT episodes with Miwa in them. I do have an idea that would stretch out into a story, so I might write a sequel. But that will come at a later date!
To the Guest who asked if the title of this story is a reference to Mulan, the answer is yes. I got the idea from my favorite song from the movie. Plus, I thought it would fit the storyline.
And now, on with the show!
Chapter Twenty Seven- Taken
Miwa ducked to avoid Donnie's bō and swept his legs, forcing him to the ground. She kicked his carapace and caused him to roll aside so she could turn her attention to Raph. The red clad turtle stabbed with his sai, but Miwa held up her gauntlet claws in an X to block them. She front kicked his plastron and sent him flying backwards into a wall. Leo came from behind, but Miwa simply crouched down and swept her foot across the ground, causing Leo to trip and go flying into Raph. Mike came up, tossing his nunchakus aside and aiming a fist for her face. Miwa blocked it skillfully and swung her fist towards Mikey's head. Mikey blocked next, grabbing her arm and twisting it. Miwa flipped and broke free, spinning around with a roundhouse kick. Mikey caught her foot, then her fist when she punched, and leaned in close with a smirk.
"Booyakasha." Mikey taunted. Suddenly, Miwa leaned in quick and kissed his cheek. Mikey's eyes went wide with shock (and a little glee), distracted long enough for Miwa to slip out and flip Mikey over her shoulder and to the ground.
"Booyakasha yourself." Miwa sassed. "Hey!" She yelped when Splinter grabbed the back of her shirt and lifted her up into the air.
"Take pride in your victory." Splinter instructed. "But do not let down your guard until all your opponents are defeated and the battle is won."
"Hai, Sensei." Miwa nodded.
Splinter smiled and set his daughter down, ruffling her hair. "You have been doing well these past few days."
"Thanks Dad." Miwa said with a smile.
"That will be all for today." Splinter announced. "You are dismissed."
"Hai, Sensei." The boys and Miwa bowed and ran off. Just as they got to the living room, April came in.
"Hey April!" Donnie greeted warmly. "You just missed training."
"That's okay, I'm here for Miwa." April assured, holding up the small backpack she carried. "I got the stuff you wanted."
"Great." Miwa patted the spot next to her in the pit. "Let's get started."
"What're you doing?" Leo asked.
"Cutting my hair." Miwa replied simply, unpacking scissors, a mirror, and a comb from the bag.
"Cutting your hair?" Mikey cocked his head. "Why?"
"I need a new look." Miwa explained. "In the past few days, I've been attacked by the Foot in broad daylight at least twice. I don't have the luxury of wearing a mask all the time like you guys. The Foot Clan knows what I look like. All I want to do is add some bangs and maybe cut a few inches off."
"You sure?" Donnie asked nervously as he sat beside April.
"I don't want to be attacked every time I go outside." Miwa reasoned.
"You could stay down here all day, like us." Raph suggested.
Miwa gave Raph a deadpan look as she gave April the hand mirror to hold up for her. "I can't do that, Raph. Well, I could, but I don't want to."
"Why not?" Mikey asked.
Miwa explained while she worked, brushing out her hair with the comb. "I have spent my life devoted to Oroku Saki from when I was a few months old until a little over a week ago. I was homeschooled by some stranger Saki hired; I trained constantly to become one of Shredder's ninjas, and I hardly ever had time to be a normal teenager. Now that I'm free, I want to take advantage of it. I want to go out shopping with my friends or have a movie marathon and go to sleepovers. Maybe I'll go to a real school like April."
As she talked, Miwa combed her hair out and carefully snipped a good few inches off the end, letting the snippets of black fall to the floor. Then, she combed some of her hair forward and over her face. She took the scissors again and, a few inches at a time, cut her hair so that it covered her forehead. Now, Miwa's hair went halfway down her back and she had bangs that brushed her eyebrows.
"I want a normal life, guys." Miwa sighed, setting down her things. "At least as normal as it can get with four turtles for brothers and a rat for a father." Everyone laughed.
"Do normal girls make their brothers lunch?" Raph asked, looking expectant.
Miwa rolled her eyes. "No, I don't think so."
"Come on, please?" Donnie pleaded.
"For your poor, helpless brothers that got beat down during training?" Leo added with a pout.
Miwa looked to her friend. "What do you think, April?"
April smirked as she looked at each of the guys, all of them giving her a pouting look. "I suppose it would be nice if you did."
Miwa sighed with a smile. "I'll go see what we have."
"I'll help." April offered, following her friend to the kitchen. But as they rummaged through the cabinets and fridge, the girls soon realized the lack of food in the lair.
"How do these guys survive on pizza and eggs?" Miwa asked, scouring the fridge.
"They said they used to eat algae and worms." April noted, wrinkling her nose at the sight of a spider in one cupboard.
Miwa sighed. "Well, it's a good thing I got all my money from my bank accounts before Shredder could. I'll have to go shopping."
April's phone suddenly beeped, alerting her that she received a text. She pulled up the T-phone Donnie gave her and checked the screen.
"I don't want to completely change their lives." Miwa shrugged, opening a few more cabinets. "But I want to contribute a little. They've accepted me into their family and I—" Miwa looked up and noticed a distraught look on April's face. "What is it?" April wordlessly handed Miwa her phone. Miwa scanned the text. "'Help. Attacked. Come to 426 Houston'. Who's this from?"
"My dad." April sighed.
"I thought he left New York!" Miwa exclaimed.
"I guess he came back; I don't know!" April started towards the door. "We gotta tell the guys!"
"Wait!" Miwa grabbed April's arm. "Why would your dad text you if he was just attacked?"
"What do you mean?" April demanded.
"Your dad wouldn't tell the police about the Kraang because they wouldn't believe him." Miwa explained. "This text just says he's been attacked."
"So?"
"So, if he's just been attacked, why didn't he call the police? He didn't say 'Attacked by Kraang'. And what's he doing back in New York? I know about 426 Houston; I passed by it walking from the market to my old apartment."
April looked worried. "So, what do we do?"
"We'll check this out alone." Miwa said. "Get to the bottom of this. Come on." She hurried out, April scrambling a little to keep up. "We're going to the mall guys, see ya!" Miwa announced as she passed.
"What about lunch?" Mikey asked.
"Sorry guys." April shrugged. "Big sale. Can't miss!" She and Miwa disappeared into the tunnels and up to the surface. "Are you sure about this, Miwa?"
"I don't trust that your father sent that text." Miwa said as they travelled down the street. "Don't ask me how I know. It's just a feeling I get."
"Then why are we investigating?" April asked. "And without weapons I might add."
"Because something doesn't feel right." Miwa replied. "Now come on."
April hardly had time to argue before Miwa dragged her off.
"Boys, where are Miwa and April?" Splinter asked as he approached his sons. Haiiro walked behind him, purring as she played with his swishing tail.
"They went shopping." Mikey shrugged.
Splinter stared out the entryway. "Alone?"
"It's not like we could stop or follow them." Donnie shrugged, travelling back to his lab.
"Yeah, don't worry about them." Raph added. "They'll be fine. You've been training April and Miwa can kick any jerk's butt from here to New Jersey."
Splinter still looked unsure. "I just worry about them."
"Come on, Sensei." Leo assured. "They'll be all right. And if they need help, they can call us."
Splinter, though displeased with his sons' lack of concern, only sighed and returned to the dojo to meditate. But as he did, his tail continued to swished and flicker, entertaining little Haiiro as the kitten swatted and jumped at the tail. Splinter smiled as the tiny grey feline mewed with glee. I supposed I couldn't stop Miwa from going out; she's restless and hates being inside for so long, just like me. He sighed. Just stay safe, my daughter.
Miwa peered around the corner, staring at the building down the road. April stood close behind her, following her gaze. "I'm not so sure about this." April said nervously.
"We can't back out now." Miwa protested.
"Yes we can." April countered. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"Come on, you can't tell me you aren't a little curious." Miwa said, moving closer to the building.
"Miwa!" April whispered frantically, following her friend. "Please wait!"
Miwa suddenly froze, holding up a hand to stop April. She stood very still, listening all around her. April didn't speak, afraid to break Miwa's focus. Suddenly, Miwa shoved April to the ground and back flipped to avoid the knives flying towards her. She growled as about six Foot Ninja dropped down from above, surrounding the girls. April jumped to her feet and stood beside Miwa, both preparing to fight. Dogpound suddenly dropped down, shaking the ground as he landed. "Well, well, if it isn't little Kuro."
"I don't go by that name anymore." Miwa growled.
"You know, I really don't wanna hurt you, kid." Dogpound noted. "So why don't you and your friend come quietly and neither of you get hurt."
"Why should we believe you?" April demanded.
"Because I'm just following Shredder's orders." Dogpound growled. "He has a plan and, unfortunately, you two are a part of it. Now are you going to come quietly or am I going to have to force you?"
Miwa and April kept their stances. Dogpound reluctantly made a signal with his paw, and the Foot Ninja suddenly attacked.
Splinter paced a little. He walked back and forth across the floor next to the pit, Haiiro mimicking his every step. Donnie messed around on his computer, but he glanced worriedly at Splinter too much to truly focus on his work. Leo and Mikey tried to play a video game, but neither of them could win because of their wandering thoughts. Raph growled in frustration as he hung up his T-phone (a little too hard).
"Where are they?" Raph growled. "I've called those girls at least three times and they won't pick up! Neither of them!"
"Raph, shouting to the ceiling won't help anything." Leo noted.
"We should be out there looking for them!" Raph insisted, jumping to his feet.
"No." Leo said firmly, standing and facing his brother. "They'll call us if they need help."
"What if they're in trouble and they can't call us?" Raph argued.
"Enough!" Splinter snapped, pausing in his pacing. "Arguing over it will not bring the girls home faster."
"It is kinda weird that the girls aren't back yet." Donnie agreed. "But I thought the reason we let them go is because we trusted they could handle themselves?"
"They can handle themselves, right?" Mikey asked, eyeing is brothers.
"Of course they can." Leo assured. "If they're in trouble, we'll know."
"How?" Raph scoffed. "A carrier pigeon?"
"Hello?"
Everyone jumped and whipped around to the entrance as Leatherhead carefully climbed over the turnstiles. Unfortunately, he ended up tripping and falling to the floor, groaning and muttering to himself.
"Or a carrier crocodile." Mikey smiled. "Hey Leatherhead! What's up, buddy?"
"Greetings, old friends." Leatherhead greeted warmly. "It is good to see you. I only wish our meeting was on better terms."
"What do you mean?" Donnie asked.
Leatherhead carefully held up a small box in his large, webbed hand. "I encountered a strange man in the sewers. When he discovered that I knew you all, he told me to deliver this to you."
Leo carefully lifted the box and opened it slowly. But only a simple disk rested inside. "Who gave this to you again?"
"I do not know." Leatherhead shook his head. "He stayed in the shadows. But he was a very large creature."
"Let me see." Donnie said, holding out his hand and taking the disk from Leo. He looked it over, but nothing looked suspicious. A single word was scrawled across it: Watch me. Donnie inserted the disk into his laptop and waited for it to load. "It's a video. Check it out." Everyone gathered around and stared at the screen, including Leatherhead and Splinter. Haiiro squeezed between the turtles to get a better look. The video took a moment to load up, but when it did, everyone froze.
Miwa pounded on the walls of the van furiously, leaving a few dents in the metal. April banged her shoulder against the door, to no avail. "It's no use! We'll never get out of here by banging on the walls and door!"
"And we'll get nowhere by waiting until they open the doors." Miwa said as she continued her onslaught on the walls. "We have to get out now or we won't stand a chance."
"Then what do we do?" April asked desperately. "It's not like we have weapons or a lock pick! Even your pocket knife didn't help!"
Miwa paused in her attacks to look around her. She studied the enclosure they stood in, carefully analyzing everything around them. Her eyes fell upon the door, and she stared at it. "In battle, you study your enemy, find their weaknesses, and use it against them." She murmured. "Stand back."
April gladly stepped aside as Miwa approached the door and put her hand to it, feeling all around but paying special attention to the miniscule space between the two doors. "Miwa?" April asked hesitantly.
"The second you get the opportunity," Miwa instructed, stepping back to the other side of the enclosure. "I want you to escape. Got it?"
April nodded. "Got it."
"Good." Miwa smirked. She put one foot back, digging the ball of her foot into the floor. Then, she ran forward and leaped into the air, aiming her heel for the weak spot in the door.
The turtles and Splinter stared in horror as the screen showed a cell block. Inside the block, April and Miwa pounded furiously on the metal walls, desperately trying to escape. Though no sound came from the computer, it was clear that the girls were shouting and screaming. Then, the scene shifted to Shredder in his throne-like chair.
"Greetings, pathetic little turtles." Shredder said. "I see you've met my newest house guests. Rest assured, they are unharmed...for now."
Mikey noticed Splinter's fists clench as they continued to watch.
"You have until midnight tonight to surrender yourselves to me or I will kill them." Shredder continued. "If you surrender, I will release them. If you resist or fail to show up by midnight, their blood will be on your hands."
The screen switched off.
"We have to save them." Splinter said, hurrying to the door. Donnie jumped in front of him.
"Whoa, whoa, Sensei!" He protested. "Shredder wants us, not you."
"I will not let him harm the girls!" Splinter snapped. "And I won't let you boys try and be heroes by sacrificing yourselves."
"We have no intention of giving ourselves up." Leo assured.
"I personally intend to cave Shredder's face in." Raph smirked.
"We're ninjas, warriors of the shadows, just like you trained us." Leo explained. "I have a plan to get them out, and I know it'll work without anyone besides the Foot Ninjas getting hurt."
Splinter still looked unsure. He hated to think that his daughter and April might get hurt, especially when he just got his daughter back. Mikey noticed Splinter's distress and walked up to him, bowing respectively. "Sensei, if it makes you feel any better, I will promise to bring Miwa home safe and sound."
"And I'll make sure April doesn't have a single scratch on her." Donnie added, bowing. Leo and Raph followed suit, waiting for Splinter's orders. The rat master looked at each of his boys in turn, torn between letting them go and going out himself. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to get hurt, especially his family. But, at this point, what choice did he have?
"Go. Bring them home." Splinter ordered softly, waving the boys off.
The Turtles bowed again before grabbing their weapons and hurrying out the door. "Leatherhead, stay here with Splinter. We'll be back soon." Leo told the crocodile.
"Please hurry, my friends." Leatherhead requested.
"Come on, guys!" Donnie urged. "Let's go!"
"Booyakasha!" Mikey cheered as they disappeared.
Splinter sighed, sitting down in the pit and holding his head in his hand. Haiiro mewed softly and rubbed her head against his free hand, purring softly. Leatherhead stared sadly at the rat master. "Do you think they will succeed?" Leatherhead asked.
Splinter sighed again. "I do not know. We can only hope. But I believe I have trained my sons and daughter well; in the end, they always return home safely."
Let us hope this time is no different.
A/N: What do you think? Not a bad continuation, huh? There shall be more! I'll update more tomorrow and the next day!