Z24

Zoe

"Com check, I want to hear from each of you," Donnie's voice fills my head as I knock Raph's hand away from my back. He's just finished putting strips of medical tape over the athletic tape and I'm beginning to feel like a kid in a snowsuit venturing out into the cold.

"Knock it off Z. I just want to make sure none of this comes loose. You don't need this shit in your way if something happens." He eyes his little brother, "You two take care of each other. Got it? I want both of ya back in one piece."

Mikey waves him off, slipping an arm around my shoulder, "Like you even have to worry. We got this, Dude."

Raph raises an eye ridge, "Damn right I haveta. You're exhausted and she's hurt," he whirls on me, "and I don't like the idea of you on a mission with less than a clear head."

I did feel a little numb physically but my head seemed clear enough with the light dose of morphine coursing through me. "I'm fine Raph. We'll be fine. We're stealth, remember?"

Raph speaks through clenched teeth, pointing at me, "You and stealth, yes," he shifts to his brother, "You not so much."

"That's enough Raph. I can hear that your com is working, Zoe and Mikey you too. Karai, Leo, Ansgar, I need to hear from you."

I smile at the sound of Donnie's voice, grateful for his timing. Raph will rant until the mission's over and we all know it.

"Ansgar here, I'm ready."

"We're in position." Karai's voice comes through.

"I'm standing right next to you Donnie so this hardly seems necessary."

"All right, Zoe and Mikey, when you're in let us know. Then Ansgar and Karai will be a go for freeing the victims. Raph and Leo, you're up." Donnie's on command, our eyes where we can't see as we split up in pairs. Raph and Leo go for the roof, Ansgar and Karai are already by the basement, Mikey and I set out for a second floor window that will take us to the room right next to the closet with the meds. "Camera's are down, and go."

While Raph and Leo scale the fire escape, Mikey and I move along behind them stopping at the second floor. Mike carries my quiver on his shell because of my injured back and kneels down so I can root through it and get the items I need. As I reach for the small purple device and attach it to the boarded up window I hesitate, "Uh, Donnie, you know we're supposed to be stealth right? You're sure this is-"

"As long as it's the purple one Zoe, you will be fine. Just don't touch anything surrounding it once you set it off."

I can hear Raph grumbling something about losing a damn finger.

I look at Mikey who smiles and shrugs, "Sounds easy enough."

My shoulders lift and drop too as I enter the sequence like Donnie has instructed. Then my orange clad brother and I step away from the window. When the timer hits zero the area surrounding the device gradually, silently, shifts to ice.

"And how do we break that without making any noise?" Mikey inquires.

"You don't," Leo says knowingly.

"Here we-"

"Go!" I cut Raph's complaint off, spinning around in the tiny space, sending my foot smashing through the ice, shards flying past Mikey and I both. The window is open. We're in.

"Incoming," Donnie announces.

"Thought so," Raph says in such a way I can just envision the grin that plays across his lips as he reaches for his sai.

"You first Z." Mikey motions for me to climb in the window first.

"No you first Mikey."

"One of ya go first already!" Raph yells right as the shadows of four hybrids soar from King's warehouse onto the lab rooftop. I can hear fist hitting flesh, roars, hisses, curses, and the clink of metal.

I slip in the window, Mikey behind me as I scan the dark room. "Uh, Mikey, this looks like a-"

I don't get to finish when a burning searing, electric sensation jolts through my entire body. My muscles twitch and jerk, amid a curtain of black before the pain abruptly ends. I stand gasping as Michelangelo thwacks the shark hybrid, Zeus, in the head with his chucks. I've never seen this creature up close and I haven't missed out. It isn't its size that's threatening, he isn't much taller than me, and no broader than Mikey. It's his razor sharp mouth full of teeth, and the damn glowing extra arms that resemble jellyfish tentacles that worry me.

"Go Z! Get what we came for. I got this!"

"No!" I hear Leo yell and for a second I fear something has gone wrong on the roof, then he grunts out amongst punches, "Stay together."

Mike strikes again and again, whacking the creature in the head, neck, and torso, until a tentacle reaches up and wraps around my brothers wrist and Michelangelo seizes. The creatures bared teeth reach for my brothers arm. My fingers wrap around my tessen and with a flick of my wrist I send it flying, severing the tentacle, and follow the break with a swift kick to the creature's chest. "Mikey, a charge, get another one, a purple one!" I fend off the creature that never speaks, continuing to attack, it's eyes black pupil-less orbs in its head.

"Karai, Ansgar, I haven't heard from you." Donnie's voice pierces the air, right as Michelangelo thrust himself between me and the shark, shoving an armed, purple disk into its mouth. The hybrid fumbles back toward the window as he turns to ice. I leap forward executing a flying kick to his chest that sends him flying through the opening, shattering below into a thousand pieces.

"Karai?" Donnie says again.

No answer.

"Karai, Ansgar?" Donnie repeats.

Still no answer.

"Karai?" Leo huffs and I can hear Raph hiss, curse then fist meet flesh.

Silence.

Mikey and I creep into the hall. "Donnie which door?"

"I can see you Zoe, two down on your left. You'll have to pick the lock, there were only to purple charges. The rest are explosive."

"How big a boom are we talking about D?" Mikey grins at me, reaching into my quiver.

I eye the door, wondering if Mike or I can just kick it in but when I run my fingers over it I realize it's solid steel.

"Like you need to clear the floor first, kind of boom," Donnie answers.

Mikey frowns, then turns his shell toward me and kneels down while I find my lock pick kit.

"Anybody heard from or seen Karai?" Leo grunts, and I can hear the sing of his blade slicing through the air.

The lock gives a little kick and we're in. As Mikey and I comb the room I begin to worry about my sister. We open cabinets everywhere, tossing the contents, tiny bottles, tissues, tubes, pouches, syringes, everywhere. Right as I'm about to declare it isn't there Michelangelo's hand appears before my face holding a canister containing a glowing blue liquid. "Is this it?"

His blue eyes shine with a light that hasn't been that bright since Noah fell ill. "Yeah, Mikey, it fits the description. Let's set some charges, find Karai and get out of here."

"No, you guys- grrr you again?" Leo huffs then rushes to finish his sentence, "I'll go after Karai, Raph can you?"

"I've got this Leo – go!"

"Leo, do you want me to -" The worry in Donnie's voice is unmistakable.

Raph cuts him off, "No, I've got this, go Leo!"

Mikey and I look at each other before I shut off my com and he does the same. "I've got this Michelangelo. Give me the quiver, get the canister to Donnie then go help Raph. Whatever's going on up there has kept both of them busy this entire time, it can't be good. Besides, Leo may need help with whatever's going on with Karai. Please?"

Michelangelo frowns, "Are you sure?"

I smile, ignoring the chill that settles itself in my chest. "You know I am. Go, hurry!" I grab my bag of weapons and dart into the hall, looking back in time to see Mike step onto the fire escape.

"Donnie, cut the power to the building." I whisper as I thrust a black device to the first corner of the second floor, racing to the next and the next before the lights flicker and go out.

I slap one on the last door and rush into the stairwell, affixing one to the door on the fourth floor right as Raph yells, "What the fuck are you doin' up here Mike? Where's Zoe?"

Michelangelo doesn't answer, probably can't for the grunts and crashes that fill my ears. I wonder briefly if Raph isn't pounding his own brother or the enemy.

As I rush around the fourth floor, ready to make my way to the roof I hear Leo announce, "I've got Karai, Ansgar and the basement has been cleared. Stockman and Shelton are down. I'm headed to the roof to help Raph."

"Who-" Raph grunts, "said I need help? Get offa me you big housecat!"

Kings roar fills my head and I suddenly fear for Raphael. It hasn't sounded that close this entire time, the vibration of that roar in my chest puts the big cat right on my mate. I slap the last explosive in place. "Donnie where's my entry to the roof?"

"Middle of the hall, the one without a window, it was a powered lock, so it should open for you."

I fling open the heavy door, ascend the narrow concrete steps and hear Mikey's voice, "Nice Crocodile, you know I have a friend you might like, his names Leatherhead. You guys could be pals… Easy now, easy, eassssyyyyy!"

Whipping the last door between me and my family out of the way I scan the madness before me. Raph is grappling with King in a battle of sheer strength. Mikey, is held by the arms being flung all over the rooftop by a crocodile looking man. Karney.

What I don't see is Teppo, the bull. Where the hell is he?

"Can I get a location on the bull?" I request, reaching for my bow and one arrow, taking aim for the eye of the beast jerking my brother around.

"Unknown, maybe dead, he went off the roof early on." Leo replies, "Hang on, I'm almost there."

There's movement in my peripheral, something dark, I think it might be Leo… Redirecting my focus I take aim, inhale and release my arrow with my exhale. The croc shrieks in protest, releasing Michelangelo and thrusts his hands to his eye. Mikey skitters across the rooftop slamming into the ledge-wall, looks in my direction then past me and screams.

I follow his gaze in time to find Raph bent over King finishing him off with a sai to the jugular, while Teppo charges him with horns aimed right at Raph's throat. As my heart stops time slows to unbearable fractions, yet my feet manage to move…

One…

My heart thumps as my shoe slides across the concrete. I can make it.

Two.

Ba-bump, heel-toe.

The bull matches my stride.

Three, just within reach…

Heel-toe.

Its going to be close.

Four.

I see it coming as I launch myself into the air. There isn't enough space to do anything else. It's the only way…

Everything happens in one breath.

The bulls horn runs through my chest hanging me on his head like an ornament on a Christmas tree, my lungs deflating upon impact. Teppo bucks and whirls his head, my muscles clenching up in shock at the bone piercing my sternum, yet my arms and legs are limp, my world a raging blur of brick, concrete, a dimming sky. The sound of Raphael's fading scream resonates with me as much as the pain of every object I smash up against. I see Leo raise his sword behind the bull. With the next buck there's a sickening crack to the side of my head, and my world is gone.