Disclaimer: Still don't have any ownership of TMNT in any of its forms. Also don't own FNAF, to which there is a reference in this chapter.
If there was a S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. character tag, I'd have selected it for this story, but there isn't so oh well. Family fluff and bonds is a sure way to suck me in and make Rise my favourite of the iterations thus far because of that. They just love each other so much and are so supportive and hug each other and ahhh, emotions! That's not to say I don't love other iterations of TMNT, grew up with 2003 and became old enough to understand things properly with 2012. I grew up with a lot of TMNT and I'm so glad I did. Ignore my fangirling, I just love TMNT.
Also yes Splinter, there were no witnesses whatsoever. Nope, nada, none. ;P (you'll see)
It wasn't Donnie on the other end of the call.
Shelldon's voice came through for a bit before the call suddenly switched to a video call. He came with a little bit of good news though. Splinter was wrong about his assumption that Shelldon had tricked Donnie.
Donnie had entered the lab, and when Shelldon reacted "appropriately" (read: violently) he didn't retaliate violently. Instead, he'd cooed at Shelldon and started churring. The dictionary on Turtle-Speak that Donnie had installed in Shelldon – likely for when the softshell would get overwhelmed and non-verbal – translated the noises into, essentially:
"Good-hatchling, brave-defender. Dad-home, hatchling-safe."
So, Don 100% knew that Shelldon was his son and had recognised him. He even knew what a dad was. He just didn't recognise Splinter for some reason.
Well, maybe this will be enough for Splinter to realise that Shelldon is Donnie's son and therefore his grandson. April had some hope for this, even though Don had been pretty pessimistic that his dad would recognise his non-biological offspring as family and not a servant.
"With this, you can look through all the cameras in the Lair." Shelldon finished as the percentage bar on her phone hit 100.
"This feels like that "Five Nights with Alberto" indie horror game." April said as she starts flicking through the cameras. She took a mental note to talk with Donnie about boundaries again as she flicked through the live footage of his and his brothers' rooms.
Fortunately for him, the bathrooms only had microphones in them. April would be having more than words with him if he had cameras there too. The only place without a camera or a microphone was Splinter's room. Unfortunately, it was a room the boys could get into, so it had to be surveyed.
Still, they could keep an eye on them without leaving the secure bathroom now. April relaxed.
"Draxum called it a curse, right?" April led. "Do you think, like, True Love's Kiss would work then?"
No one would think wrangling dragons would be boring. They're awesome mythological creatures, capable of breathing fire, hoarding untold riches, and kidnapping princesses. They should be glorious, fierce, and breathtaking.
The most interesting thing to happen in the last two hours since getting access to the cameras was watching Mikey cook. Though she'd seen that before and all it did was make her hungry. And the little bugger had made too much for one person, even a dragon. It was still there! Looking delicious.
April discretely wiped away the droop.
Well, now they know they all definitely still have hands, even though they're forced to walk on them. Mikey had managed to walk around on his hind legs only for a while, though not for long and he had to use his tail to support him the whole time.
"True Love's Kiss would not work," Splinter said, annoyed by the mention. He huffed, rolling his eyes.
April straightened in her seat and raised an eyebrow. "What? Just cause they don't have partners?"
She slipped up, but thankfully Splinter didn't seem to notice.
"If True Love's Kiss worked then Blue would be normal by now." He said, turning his face up and away. If he was trying to hide the mess on his face that Leo left then he failed.
"Okay, one. I don't think that counts as a kiss," April began, although she later remembers that Softshells like Donnie headbutt as a mating thing, so headbutts could be turtle kisses. Either way though, Splinter did not kiss Leo. "And second of all,-!"
She cut herself off and acted as if she saw something on the screen. While in the past Leo has confided in her that he's Splinter's least favourite and that he's terrified of telling his dad about his attraction to boys, she knows they still love each other. And they'll still love each other when Leo finally gets the guts to out himself properly in front of his dad.
His likely bisexual dad. She and Mikey may secretly have a plot in place to get him and Draxum together, but that doesn't matter right now either. Although they should add "True-Love" curses to the idea pile.
"What is it?" Splinter said, gaze sharpening. The previous discussion was discarded at the thought of danger to his sons.
April was about to say it was a false alarm but it became true as she opened her mouth.
Slowly, the roller door moved up. The large green hand moved it to reveal her biggest little brother. She should probably be having more of a reaction at the sight of him, but her phone was small. It was hard to grasp what she saw.
The dragon walked under the roller door, keeping an eye on it to make sure his wings and shell didn't damage it. Raph was unusually gentle for being feral. It definitely wasn't Savage in control then. He sniffed the air and then lumbered towards the kitchen. Mikey was absent-mindedly fanning the food as he fluttered and stretched his wings. The smell would be circulating the Lair.
Leaving Splinter to have a look for himself, she cracked open the bathroom door. The smell of Mikey's cooking immediately met her nose. She had lunch a few hours ago, and it wasn't yet time for dinner for another few, but April couldn't deny the hunger that came.
It just smelled so good!
She closed the door and slapped her face. "Pull it together O'Neil."
"We need to stop Red," Splinter said, but he moved too quickly to try and get to the emergency distraction food. He hissed as he pulled something, collapsing to the floor in pain. His old body and the injuries each of his sons gave him were not treating him well.
He didn't let it keep him down though, and he started dragging himself across the tiled floor. April got to the remaining pizza boxes of food first. Two-and-a-bit pizzas weren't much, but it was a distraction. It was also all they had.
"Don't worry Splints, I've got it," April said, putting an earpiece in her ear and handing her phone over to Splinter. She picked up a single, full box. Hopefully, she wouldn't need more than that to distract Raph. Though he has gotten a lot bigger, so it'd make sense for his stomach to be much larger too. "Shelldon, keep an eye out for me, yeah?"
"No problemo, Auntie Riri!" Shelldon said directly into her ear.
Splinter grasped her arm; she looked down at him. He mouthed air before firmly closing it, giving her a firm nod. Be careful, my daughter. It said. She smiled reassuringly at him and nodded back. I will.
April slipped out the door and closed it firmly behind her. Shelldon reported that Raph was still just walking the circumference of the atrium. She sped off, as silent as she could be. Unlike her little brothers, she took to Splinter's stealth training like Donnie to water. She's even managed to fool Splinter a few times with her talent.
Hopefully, that will extend to her transformed brothers.
Raph was nearly at the door to the kitchen when she got to him. Even though she knew it wouldn't work, she tried opening the pizza box. The scent of cold pizza didn't even make him glance at her. She threw a slice at his head. Direct hit!
Raph stopped and slowly looked down at the pizza that had slid off his face and onto the ground. He gave it a sniff and ate it, before turning to look where it came from. All he saw was an open pizza box, sitting on the ground. He lumbered over to it.
Holding a sigh of relief, April steadied herself where she hid in the pipes above. She had some time to think. Right, what would make Raph go back to his nest? He seemed unsatisfied with it as if it was missing something.
For the last two hours, and likely longer, he'd been assembling and disassembling the soft construct. Whenever he "finished" he'd circle it, sniff it, and sit in it for a few minutes before getting anxious. April had half a mind to stop by and see what smell he was giving off to figure out everything that was going on. But that wasn't a smart idea, and who's to say Raph's emotions could still be smelt after turning into a dragon?
He'd collected everything soft in the lair. When he constructed his nest, it always had Mikey's stuff in the middle, Raph's stuff around the outside with the citizens of Teddy Bear Town standing guard at its borders, Leo's was piled high, and Donnie's was arranged loose enough to move easily. Splinter's things were thrown about haphazardly, but her bedding from the times she'd stay the night was always put next to Donnie's near the outside.
That's it!
April slipped off her jumper, and when Raph finished the pizza and turned to the kitchen again, she threw it at his head. He froze, the jumper covering his eyes. The texture should be impossible to ignore. She slipped to a new hiding space just in time to see Raph staring at where she had been. The jumper slightly adjusted to not be in his eyes any longer, but still on his head.
It worked. Raph started walking back to the garage with his new acquisition.
Waiting until he'd gone in, she slipped down and started going back to the bathroom. It was so hard resisting the urge to see with her own eyes the garage.
"He's coming back out!" Shelldon warned her.
She tripped on her way to a hiding place. She should have been prepared for the possibility that Raph would come back out, but she'd thought he'd try rearranging the nest at least once. April started pulling off her dress, thankful for the fact she wore tights and her brothers weren't exactly in their right minds if they saw her in a sports bra.
"Shelldon, where did he put my jumper?" She hissed, balling up her dress in preparation.
"Bordering where your bedding is and the denizens of Teddy Bear Town. He gave it a good sniff. He'll have your scent." Shelldon warned her.
After a deep breath, April turned around and was met with patterned eyes. When she was little, researching the types of turtles her newfound brothers were with them, Mikey made the observation that the Alligator snapping Turtle's eyes looked like a flower. Donnie tried to call it some complex shape name before simplifying it to a star.
Leo said it reminded him of the pattern on their Dad's robes. The Hamato Clan symbol.
She could see all of that, but she'd have to disagree. As the staring contest continued and April's eyes started to burn, it resembled a sun. The lighter ring of colour around the pupil reminded her of a solar eclipse. Something you shouldn't stare at without protection.
April should really be throwing this dress in his face and using the distraction to escape, but Shelldon was right. He had her scent. He'd find her, and if she went back to where Splinter was, there would be trouble.
She so desperately wanted to ask Shelldon if Splinter could see this. Was he preparing to come out to save her? He shouldn't. He wouldn't like to hear it but he'd be a liability. But she can't signal or tell him not to come.
Tears started trying to form in her eyes. She tried her best to will them away with sheer willpower alone, never twitching a muscle. It worked for a bit, but not forever. Her lungs were burning, she hadn't breathed. Her heart was hammering in panic, the only moving thing about her.
Black spots started forming in her vision. Raph just kept staring at her. April couldn't think.
Warm breath washed over her and she flinched at the sudden heat. Her sudden intake of breath choked her and she had a coughing fit. Her legs failed her but thankfully she fell on something to support her. She was still on her feet.
Blinking the tears and darkness out of her vision, April breathed. It was Raph's comforting scent.
She blinked down at the face that kept her from falling over forward. Raph's eyes stared back. A warm breath from his nostrils made her shiver. He crooned and churred. Raph would always make that sound whenever he found her crying.
This was her little brother. This was Raph.
April didn't resist as Raph gently lifted her and started carrying her back to his nest. He was so big he could carry her with his face! The thought made her giggle, the stress from before washing away as she slumped fully over Raph's muzzle.
"Splinter's returned to the bathroom," Shelldon whispered in her ear. Donnie's earbuds shouldn't allow the sounds coming from them to escape her ears to be heard by others, so it shouldn't have been necessary. But considering Leo's been able to hear what people are saying through vibrations, he was allowed to be cautious.
It felt like ages ago when she had the fear of Splinter trying to rescue her. She was getting tired. Raph was churring, and the vibrations felt so soothing. Combined with everything, she was having a hard time resisting sleep. She can see why this works on Donnie and Leo 100% of the time now. Nap Master Raph or something. Does it mean something if she's susceptible to turtle lullabies? Or is it Mutant Turtle lullabies?
Either way, April doesn't care. It's not like her brothers can tease her about it without being hypocrites.
She's set down on something soft but smells and feels like home. Her dress is taken from her hands and carefully slid under her head. Donnie's large, silky, weighted blanket is then draped over her.
April never stood a chance.
"Oi, I'm telling you, Master Splinter. April is fine!" Shelldon's voice spoke through April's phone.
Splinter heard him. He could see the footage too. Raphael, his responsible Red, was going so far as to tuck April in. The speed at which she fell asleep reminded Splinter of the old days when all his kids were smaller than him. Raphael's lullaby (he didn't know what else to call it) was the only thing to reliably get Leonardo and Donatello to fall asleep.
But that didn't stop the concern he felt.
After Red tucked April in, he curled around on the nest and actually settled. He still shifted uncomfortably, raising his head at odd intervals to look around before trying to settle again, but he didn't undo the nest. But what if whatever was wrong caused too great an itch and he got angered by April's presence?
What if he wasn't seeing April as his sister but as a random stranger who was nice enough to give soft things? April didn't have any more clothes to give. She had nothing to distract him with. She had fallen asleep; she could not defend herself if Raphael suddenly saw her as an intruder.
Splinter had to get her out of there. But how?
"Buddy!"
Splinter did not scream, jump, and then trip on the air to land painfully on his face. The is no footage and no witnesses! He turned to glare suspiciously at the screen. Right?
He shook his head and focused on the screen of April's phone. Franken-Foot had gotten out of the closet and was confronting the dragon Raphael. His large son looked startled, posed almost like a cat at the unexpected appearance. Splinter had a brief moment of silence for the paper construct.
Hopefully, Michelangelo was the only fire-breather. Ashes were a little harder to put together than shredded paper.
"Buddy!" Franken-Foot called out again, getting closer to danger.
Raphael stood, careful to not wake April at least. His tail swayed in the air, back and forth to gain momentum. His front half started lowering. Ready to pounce on the unsuspecting former foot soldier.
Wait, this was the perfect distraction! Splinter was invigorated enough to ignore the pain - or maybe the painkillers had finally kicked in - and sneaked out to the garage.
Raphael was chasing Franken-Foot around and the simple-minded paper construct was attempting to swipe the red bandanna still on Red's head. He at least had enough brains to know not to get caught by the dragon or any of his attacks.
Splinter snuck over to April and first tried to shake her awake. She groaned in discomfort and turned over, slapping away his hand. Her voice was loud, and Splinter hid in the loosely constructed part of Red's nest made out of Purple's things. The sounds of Raphael chasing Franken-Foot had ceased.
"Buddy?" Franken-Foot asked.
A grumbling honk answered back before lumbering steps shook the ground as the dragon approached his nest. There was a snuffling sound and Splinter peaked through the sheets to see Raphael sniffing April. Franken-Foot was standing close by, his face was hard to discern so Splinter didn't know what he was feeling.
April slapped Raphael's face before snuggling into the blankets further. Red recoiled, looking so humorously bewildered by the action that Splinter had to clench his jaw closed with both hands to resist laughing. A sad-sounding honk came before Raph turned to Franken-Foot, making the same pose as Splinter had seen on the camera before coming here.
Franken-Foot raised his fists, cheering quietly. They started chasing each other again, slower and careful to be quieter this time. They seemed to be under the impression April's complaint about Splinter trying to wake her up was about the noise the two were making as they played.
And they were playing, Splinter could see it now.
He couldn't help but feel affronted, his heart twisting. How was it that Raphael had recognised Franken-Foot but not Splinter? His own father?
Splinter took a steadying breath and carefully bundled April up in Donatello's favourite blanket. Waiting for a moment when Raphael wasn't looking their way, he picked April up and ran as silently and quickly from the room as he could. Luckily, no one was in the atrium so it was a clear shot to the bathroom.
He shook April awake as soon as they were safe.
"Uuh, what is it?" April asked, wiping her eyes. "Splints? What do you think-? Oh shoot, I fell asleep?!"
She jolted as she remembered the situation, scrambling up. She remained careful with Donnie's blanket though.
"That you did. No wonder you get fired so much if you fall asleep on the job like this." Splinter claimed, turning up his head.
"Not as much as you always would!" April's annoyed voice shot back.
Splinter turned to face her to shoot back another retort but April was very clearly calming herself down. Taking a deep breath as she had taught Raphael when they were younger and prone to anger. He huffed as he looked away again.
"Right, this isn't a time to be arguing. How long was I out and has any of the others made a move?" She asked, getting right back to business.
Splinter let out a breath of his own and handed her back her phone. She flicked through the cameras, pausing briefly on four different ones. With a nod, she affirmed they were all separated and okay for the moment.
"Looks like Franken-Foot has got Raph distracted for now. Leo's basically removed the entire floor in the projector room, he's resting at the moment. Donnie's trying to clean Shelldon's shell, cute." Shelldon let out an affronted "Hey!" at April's observation. "And Mikey's looking sad but he's just sitting in the kitchen."
They both looked around the dull bathroom. April groaned audibly at the realisation they were back to waiting for something to happen while boredom tried to claim their sanity. Splinter was just glad he wouldn't be suffering it alone, though the fact that he knew April was safe now was a huge relief.
It was adorable, watching Donatello brushing Shelldon's shell. The AI was embarrassed and kept switching the camera every time they switched to the Lab's feed.
The next bit of action came from Leon. Unfortunately, Donnie didn't have video cameras in the waterlogged sections of the Lair. He did, fortunately, have security for the waterlogged entrances and exits. Motion detectors, infrared cameras, and secure doors that only two people knew the passcodes for.
Donatello, who made them, and Piebald, who used them.
Even though he was annoyed with them, Shelldon sent them the alert that someone was entering the lair before switching the camera to the underwater, infrared cameras. The silhouette was Piebald. The doorway closed and locked itself behind her.
April and Splinter shot each other a terrified look. The mutant goldfish wasn't aware of the danger. Leo was in the water, having returned to it a minute ago. If he saw her as an intruder… But what can they do?!
Splinter had made it so Leo couldn't smell. He hadn't noticed Mikey's cooking. Maybe he wouldn't be able to smell Piebald or see her if she turned invisible. She liked turning up invisible, hence Donnie installing Infrared cameras, and only revealing herself to get the best scare from her brothers.
Maybe she'd be fine?
A large form flew through the water towards Piebald. They might have been imagining it but considering they both glanced towards the pipes that rattled and echoed Leo's roar, they hadn't.
Piebald dodged, easily swimming out of the way of the initial attack and the flailing wings and tail that could have hit her too. Leo tracked her movements easily, swimming after her even after they were both out of the camera frame. April started flicking through the camera feeds, trying to figure out where Piebald would come out of the water.
It would be stupid to do so though, April couldn't help but think. Leo was currently a land and air creature. Piebald had the advantage of being aquatic. Red-Eared Sliders were only ever semi-aquatic. She should be safer underwater.
April froze on the feed of the atrium. Splinter was there, a pizza box in hand, and flicking his tail through the water. Was he trying to draw attention through movement in the wat-?! That must be how Leo could sense Piebald! Red-Eared Sliders don't have good hearing but are sensitive to vibrations. Leo's feeling Piebald swimming in the water! Getting out of there was the best move.
The water suddenly shifted but nothing came out. Piebald, it must be. Shelldon heard her talking to herself and switched the camera to infrared. Of course, Donnie installed that upgrade to all of them. She's going to have to ask him about it after all of this. Perhaps she could hint that she'd want an awesome, epic, Genius Built TM (okay, maybe it isn't trademarked just yet, but the paperwork is currently going through) super camera for her seventeenth birthday. It'd be great for the journalism major she's going to go through in college.
The infrared camera reveals Piebald, but it also reveals Leo's quick approach. She doesn't have to warn them, they already knew he'd be close. The pizza is chucked into the water to distract Leo long enough for Splinter and Piebald to hide. Leo looked around before hissing, gobbling up the pizza, and sliding back into the water.
April falls back onto Donnie's blanket to just breathe and calm her heart while Splinter and Piebald take their sweet time getting to the bathroom. Actually, April's going to call it a saferoom now. It feels cooler and less demeaning.
She sat up when the door opened, lazily waving a greeting as a short rat and his taller, mutant goldfish daughter came in. "Piebald, right? Wish we could have met under better circumstances."
The fish blankly stared at her, unblinking. Totally creepy, April loved the vibe. "April. It's been a while." Piebald frowned as she took in the room. Considering this is the room she'd been flushed down a toilet in, April could blame her for being uncomfortable in it.
"So, was that really Leo? He looks, different." The fish said, sitting well away from the toilet. Splinter closed the seat and sat atop it. The fish minutely relaxed at that.
"Yeah, the boys got themselves cursed when they visited the Hidden City last night," April said. "None of them has recognised Splinter, but Raph seems to have recognised me and Franken-Foot."
Piebald nodded, "Leo did not recognise me. I must be in the same boat as Father then."
Splinter looked reassured and happy at that. "Perhaps, they aren't receptive to mutants?" He sounded hopeful, April hated to potentially dash that.
"Leo can't smell, Splinter damaged his nose. If you were camouflaged the entire time while underwater, then he would have only been able to track you by movements in the water." April said.
Piebald then confirmed that she had been invisible, but she was not willing to try appearing in front of him. "I have been eaten and spat out once before, I am not eager to try it again."
And really, April couldn't fault that. Splinter also looked like he didn't want to find out the answer.
"But we can't confirm Master Splinter's theory without testing it! This could be very useful information!" Shelldon said. Yep, definitely Donnie's child. "We don't have to use Leo, you could try it with Raph! You can use Da-onnie's blanket as a distraction if needed."
Piebald was hard to read, to be fair, this was the first time April had met her after her mutation. Her facial features weren't something she'd learnt to read yet. But she was Donnie's best friend and was an expert on mutant body language. Piebald was not convinced by Shelldon.
"We'll need the blanket if Raph tries to leave the garage again. We've got nothing else that can distract him." April said, throwing the fish a line. (Leo would have been so proud of her for that.)
Piebald and Splinter agreed, making it a three-to-one vote. Majority rules.
Splinter's stomach growled, thankfully from hunger. It isn't a good scenario to be in, but it's better than him needing to go to the toilet. April would rather risk going to check on either Mikey or Donnie in person than be in the room when that happens. Actually, would flushing be safe to do? They heard Leo through the pipes. Wouldn't that mean he'd hear them if they used them?
Thank goodness she went at the beginning of the lunch period. Weird that school would technically be ending soon. While her classmates were learning history, she was sitting in a bathroom, in a sewer, with a mutant rat and mutant goldfish while mutant turtle dragons were lurking around outside.
Was she sure she loved having an un-normal life and being a weirdness magnet? It got her Sunita, her brothers, her sensei, and a life of excitement and adventure. But it was also… everything about this whole situation.
While she was on the thought, she sent a message to her parents saying she was staying the night with the boys and a message to Sunita saying the Lair was dangerous and to please get her homework for her.
Actually, she blinked at the phone and the message to Sunita. Her crush friend was from the Hidden City. Sure, April shouldn't assume that because she's a Yokai that she'd know anything that could help, but she was still someone who might.
April sent a message to say she'll be calling her after school lets out, so send a message when she's free. She got called straight away, but not by a cute googily-girl. It was Draxum.
"Barry! Please tell us you've got the cure!" April said as a greeting.
"I have found the cure; I do not have it," Draxum said, unimpressed with the greeting he got.
"That's great!" Splinter said, before dropping his voice to ask, "What's the catch?"
"It requires ingredients from the Hidden City, I cannot get them myself," Draxum said.
Which meant they had to get it. They weren't wanted in the Hidden City after all. Shelldon opened a small notepad on her screen, ready to take notes for her.
"What do you need?" Piebald asked, spooking April with her sudden appearance over her shoulder.
The screen was routinely flicking through the three feeds her brothers were visible in. It wasn't a voice call. That caused Piebald to back up a bit. She must have been curious to see the Baron Draxum she'd heard so much about from her brothers and father.
"Who is that?" Draxum asked. An invite to a video chat appeared. Shelldon accepted it for them, so April didn't get to think about whether to accept or ignore it. "A mutant goldfish. I presume you are the Piebald that Michelangelo talked about?"
"I am their sister, yes." They both glared at each other, protective of the family they happened into.
April shoved Piebald back, cutting off the contest before it could escalate further. "Not the time guys! Barry, what ingredients do you need and where can we get them?"
He listed them off, there were quite a few and they were from different areas in the Hidden City. April writes in the notes to ask Sunita for help there. She'd be very useful for getting everything as fast as possible. April did not want the curse to be one of those "permanent at midnight" ones she's heard about in fairy tales.
"I will get them," Piebald stated after the call ended. Her stare brooked no argument.
Splinter looked at his battered body and nodded, knowing he'd just slow her down. April couldn't go either, someone able-bodied had to stay to take care of the boys. But that didn't mean she couldn't help.
"You haven't been to the Hidden City." April began, getting an irate look for her truthful statement. "My friend Sunita's from there. Let me call her. Together, you can get this done quickly."
There was a brief stare-off, but Piebald nodded when April's phone binged to say that school was over and Sunita was free. It was a rushed explanation, but Sunita didn't need it to make too much sense for her to volunteer her help before she was even asked. April felt warm at that, and the identical teasing stares Splinter and Piebald gave her made her blush harder.
"You mention one word of it to Sunita and I will show you the skills I learned at that Sushi job I had a while back." April hissed.
"The job you lost because you-" Splinter asked, his grin and tone undermining the threatening aura April was trying to establish here. She forcefully shut him up before he could reveal how she lost that job. That wasn't the point here.
"I won't~." Piebald sang, very unconvincingly. April didn't trust her, but for their brothers, she'd trust the fish to stay on track and do the job.
Piebald left through the door. No one was able to detect her. April was left in a bathroom with dread in her stomach as she forced Splinter to eat at least one slice of pizza. He'd be of no help if he fainted from hunger. Stubborn old rat.