I figure it was about time I updated. School's just had me down lately, so I didn't get around to it sooner. But here it is.
Rated T For: Violence, and mild language. (everything in it's place. If you see something too strong, or out of place, let me know.)
Inspiration: Brothers. Pain in neck when they're around, pain in the heart when they're gone.
Thanks to: moon eclipse shadows, roudyredd, painterofsorrows, Pretender Fanatic, and i. I love reviews!
Note to i: Amy's condition is set out a little bit better in this chapter I hope. For clarification though, Amy's going through something known as Shell Shock. (A little bit different from its usual meaning mind you.) Without her twin though, she's just looking for anything to release her tension on, and Maria got the short end of the stick. I'm glad you asked though. I'll make sure to have it explained further. And yes, I plan on telling the rest of the fairy tales all in good time.
David Jumped to his feet, as the elevator door opened. A thin man with wide rimmed glasses, and a white lab coat wrapped around him walked out, passing David up as if he hadn't seen him. He had light brown hair, and brown pants poking out from underneath his lab coat.
He paused at the Security door, tapping digits into the key pad. He hummed as it processed the information. With a glance around the room, his eyes went straight to David, causing him to start.
"Oh!" He exclaimed. "I'm sorry, I didn't't see you there." He chuckled nervously. "And you are?"
"David." The younger man replied.
"Ah, pleasure to meet you sir." The man smiled. "I'm Professor Perry. You must be the new lab assistant."
"I highly doubt that." David muttered, shaking his head. "No, I'm waiting for the Captain to tell me what I'm doing here."
"Oh." The professor's face fell. "That Captain's a hard man, you'd best watch yourself." He warned.
The door slid open, making the professor glance at David. His expression held a distinct note of sadness.
"I'd invite you in, but you'd best wait here." He went inside, then, as an afterthought poked his head back outside.
"Uh, just whatever you do, please don't touch those electronics." And with that, he was gone.
David looked back at the pile of pink. A wry smile slipped onto his face.
'That is suddenly oh-so tempting...'
Aiden lay in his cell, quietly contemplating his next move. Maria was safe, and so long as Amy didn't move, she too was safe. It gave him a sense of accomplishment. He had protected his sisters, and that was the main goal. He just hoped he had done well enough.
Aiden turned over on the dirty floor. He should be proud. He should be able to rest in peace. Yet there was a nagging in the back of his mind. Worry.
Worry that something had gone wrong. Worry for Amy's state of mind. She had often proved that the stress was hard on her. Oh she hid it well, but her disposition to stay indoors, and fear of roaming the streets had caused her to fear, and hate the outdoors had shown Aiden just how dangerous it was getting. Not to mention, his twin didn't trust anyone other than him. They shared a bond common among twins, and he knew that she was having a major physiological problem.
Alas, there was no one he could seek help from. Who in the normal world would understand the curse their family faced, or could possibly help them with such a problem? It was a problem. A huge problem. Not a thing could be done for it though, not while he was under the Foot's toe.
'My humor is getting worse.' He thought turning over. 'Amy would kill me for such a stupid joke.'
He grimaced slightly, and closed his eyes. Those bruises and cuts were going to need time to heal.
If anyone had ever told Maria that she was going to be sitting in the back of a van, with four humanoid turtles, she would have called them crazy. They wouldn't of been too far off either, just missing her trying to tell one of them to let her be, and trying not to scream from all the swerves, sharp turns, and twisting into other people's lanes, that the driver was doing. Other than that, they would have been right on the money, and Maria would have cursed their predictions until she couldn't create anymore cuss words.
"Just let me remove the glass." The purple one tried.
"In a swerving car?!" She screeched. "Are you mad!?"
"Mikey, slow and steady!" He barked.
The Orange Masked turtle had apparently beat the Red one to the car and was now driving like a mad-man. He turned his head to look at his brother, indignation on his face.
"First you tell me to hurry before she passes out, and now you're telling me to go slow. Make up your mind Don."
"Mikey, look out!" Blue hissed, sitting up, waving his arms.
Orange turned in time to swerve out of an oncoming vehicles path. Maria was beginning to regret having agreed to go with them.
"Now hold still." Purple turned to her.
"Uh-uh!" She growled. "You'll rip my leg in half, you maniac!"
"Never been accused of that before..." He chuckled.
"It's not funny!" She shouted, clenching her fists as they took another sharp turn, throwing everyone into a dog pile.
"Owww..." She whimpered, untangling herself from Blue, and Red. "and I thought Aiden couldn't drive..."
"Here," Blue handed her a rope. "Tie yourself in. It's going to be a Looooong drive..."
"Really!?" Maria hissed through gritted teeth. "I couldn't tell! The way he's driving, you'd think he was driving a race car!"
"Don't most teens?" Purple asked, rolling his eyes.
Maria took the rope, and tied one end to peg that was sticking up. She was just finishing the knot around her waist when there was another sharp turn. The rope tightened around her stomach, adding to the pain there, and expelling all the air in Maria's lungs. It hurt. If it weren't for her trying to regain lost breath, she might commit murder right then, and right there, just so that she could take the wheel from the lunatic in the front seat. Luckily for him, She was too busy with the rope around her waist to get up beat the turtle for making her ride so much more painful than it had to be.
She glimpsed the other two who were standing in the back with her grasping onto handles. They distantly reminded her of the handles people held in subway cars.
'Are these guys the ones I was supposed to find?' Maria wondered, glancing from turtle to turtle.
Blue was gritting his teeth, but otherwise distracted with his own thoughts.
Purple had his eyes closed expression mournful. He too was experiencing the ill-fortune of having orange drive. Red was sitting in the passenger seat, arms crossed, and legs spread out to help keep him from sliding around. Orange... He was driving like a convict, with music blaring from the radio, giving Maria a headache.
'Matches the rest of my body.' She thought Cynically.
At long last the van came to it's destination with a final swerve that nearly toppled the van on its side. Maria let out a yelp as they tipped. Purple caught her by the back of her shirt, keeping her from sliding forward.
"How was that?" Orange asked, turning to look at his passengers. Maria sat there for a moment, just thanking God that she was alive. The other two turtles stood awkwardly, testing out the levelness of the van before any further movement. His brother next to him uncrossed his arms, and hopped out of the vehicle as if it had been a regular ride.
"Next time," Maria growled, pulling at the knot around her waist. "I'm driving!"
Blue chuckled, taking one of his swords from its place on his back. It was shorter than she had thought, much shorter than the average katana.
"You'll get used to it." He said, slipping the thin metal between her body, and the rope. With a decisive tug, the rope snapped cleanly.
"Not so sure I want to..." She muttered, picking herself up. "Thanks." She added, walking to the back of the van where Purple waited, holding a hand out.
"Help her down Leo; she's not steady to begin with."
Maria didn't argue this time when Blue grabbed her around the waist and set her on the ground. She did wince at the pressure though.
The building Maria found herself to be in was an old storage room big enough to hold up to four vans, but not much else. To the far left an elevator door sat in a corner, along with a table to the right of it. Along the right side of the room were five motorcycles, and a workbench littered with tools. Boxes sat in piles next to the workbench, and in the corner. It was, in every sense of the word, a garage.
"Hello my sons." A whispering voice greeted them. "I am glad to see you all well."
Maria turned to see another creature coming their way. He was shorter than the turtles, with a walking stick, and a rather slow gait. His brown eyes swept over the four with a particular fondness, his smile genuine. Despite the fact that he was a humanoid rat, Maria felt herself drawn to this older character, as if she could almost touch the wisdom, and affection that hung in the air around him.
"Well Maria here doesn't look too stellar if you ask me." Orange grinned. "Eh, Sensei?"
The Rats' eyes shifted to the girl holding onto the back end of their van for support. Instantly, she felt ashamed. She knew she looked like a ragamuffin, her shirt worn, and ripped in places, blood oozing from her leg, and bruises festooning her face, and arms. She averted her eyes in embarrassment. No woman ever looked like this. Never.
A furry hand touched her own, causing her to glance up. The rat smiled kindly at her, his wise brown eyes reflecting understanding, and compassion.
"I'm sorry." She shook her head. "I just-"
"You need not apologize young lady." He patted her hand. "It is we who should be sorry. You have been through an ordeal."
Maria felt tears stinging at her face. "Do I look that bad?"
"Your eyes reflect more than you know." He commented. "Including that you are here for your own reasons. Looks can be created, but eyes always tell the truth."
Maria felt her nose beginning to run, as her tears spilled out from her eyes. He was right. He had enough insight to see all the hurt, and fear she had tried so pitifully to bury.
A hand sat on her shoulder. She looked up to see Orange smiling sadly at her. It was heartening to have even the smallest amount of sympathy.
"Come." The rat called, releasing her hand, and walking to the elevator. Orange gave her another quick smile, then ducked after his sensei. Maria brushed at the tears still trailing down her face. She wasn't about to lose it now. Too much depended on her to just break totally down. Not here, and not now.
Maria walked after the group headed towards the elevator. She wasn't sure where she was going, but one thing was clear in her mind. She was, for the moment, safe.
Amy stood at the ready. In front of her, her most hated enemy. In her hands, a katana. At her hip, a hand gun.
The woman in front of her smiled, holding her own katana at the ready. She was shorter than Amy, with an oriental face, and short black hair, hanging limply around her face. Her slim body was held safe from her attackers. Her allegiance was stamped on her chest in bright red paint. It reminded Amy of fresh blood.
"Amy Connrad." He Asian accent colored her words. "We have long been rivals."
"No..." Amy murmured, her grip tightening around her weapon. "I've always been the better of us."
"We shall see..."
They ran towards each other, neither woman slowing their charge. Both wanted blood.
Amy pulled her katana up, slashing at her enemy shoulder. The other woman blocked the blow, and aimed a kick at Amy's mid-section.
The Younger woman went flying back into the wall with a grunt. As the Foot ninja came rushing after her opponent, Amy flicked her sword at the oncoming warrior. The woman paused to deflect the weak movement, as Amy jumped to her feet, and threw three quick strikes at her opponent. Amy gave three more fast strikes, and then tossed a well aimed kick at her feet. The Foot Ninja let out a snarl, and charged back into the fight.
Amy pulled her katana back up at the ready. Metal clashed, and blood spurted onto the ground, as Amy clashed blades, then swept the tip of her weapon at her opponents face. She just grazed her, but it drew blood. First blood meant Amy was ahead somehow. It was obvious in her opponent's eyes, as the woman rushed her, turning her sword in quick, vicious strikes. Amy barely had time to block them, as they flick two cuts onto her left cheek. Anger flashed through her at the damage that had been done. She gave a wild cry, flicking her own katana into deadly piercing strikes. The other woman smiled, twisting her own sword at the same speeds. The clashing of metal sounded constantly, three on the tale of one, tearing into the peacefulness of the night.
"You'll die here!" Amy growled, pressing her rival back.
"No," She laughed, throwing a nasty stab at Amy's neck. It was deflected. "You are the one who will meet your end tonight!"
"Ah, shut up!" Amy shouted, kicking her rival to one side. "I am better than you!"
The Foot ninja flew to her feet, and let out a howl of fury. She rammed into her opponent, and stabbed her hard in the shoulder.
Amy screamed in pain, and rage, an inhuman cry. Amy flew to her feet, and thrust her katana with a dangerous, and clumsy blow at her enemy. The other woman knocked her aside with her foot, and with an almost effortless blow from the blunt side of her sword, she sent Amy's weapon flying. It skidded to her right, ten feet out of reach.
Amy cursed beneath her breath.
"Better than me?" The Asian woman laughed. "I think not."
Amy turned onto her feet, and fled. Tears of anger stained her face as she ran.
"Run you coward." The woman smiled. "That's all your family's ever done."
Maria soon discovered that the elevator led to a large, spacious living area underground. It surprised her at the way it felt so much like a home, with a sign hanging on the wall, and a comfortable air to it. It was a peaceful atmosphere, something Maria had long lost. She breathed it in, feeling the soothing peace wash over her. This wasn't a home. It was a sanctuary.
"Let's get that glass out, okay?" Purple said, leading her to a nearby couch. It was old, and worn looking, with miss-matching patches sewed in, but she didn't mind. Nearly anything felt appealing here. To either sides of the couch were recliners, and directly in front of it was a large screened TV, and dozens of monitors placed randomly around it. Off to her left was a computer set up that would make her sister Amy green with envy, despite the worn condition of the of it. It was tucked away in a small corner, and sitting on the other side of the door was a work bench, littered with more tools, mostly things Maria had never seen before. Past this was a pair of screen like double doors, which appeared to made from wood, and colored paper almost, but Maria couldn't tell.
To her right, a Kitchen sat, with an old fridge, and a toaster oven. A table sat in the middle. Just past the kitchen, there was a door way. Maria couldn't see past it, but she made a mental note to check it out later. Nestled next to the kitchen was a flight of stairs, which led up to a second, and third story deck. Both decks circled around leading into another flight of stairs which ended between the Computer's corner, and the doorway. Metal doors littered both levels, spaced out nicely. Maria had to admit it, these guys had a nice home.
'It's bigger than mine!' She thought glancing around in surprise. 'And we have more people than they do!'
"Okay, hold still..." Purple had sat her down, and had been slowly cutting her pants leg off, so as to not caught it while pulling the glass out. Maria had barley even noticed this as she had been absorbed in studying over the place where she now found herself.
With a decisive tug on the glass, her ripped it out. Maria let out a groan, but otherwise held her tongue. She wasn't in the mood to scream, or yelp. It all just hurt.
"Mikey, would you go get the First Aid kit?" He asked, setting the large sheet of glass aside.
"Anymore glass?" He questioned Maria.
"No, just cuts and bruises." She replied. "And a ton of questions."
"We also have our questions." The rat stated, coming to stand in front of her. Red, who had been slouching in the chair to her left sat up some at his sensei's comment. Blue had been standing behind the rat, now stood, arms crossed at the back of the couch.
Despite the peaceful air, Maria suddenly felt surrounded, and very venerable. Had Maria been here a few weeks ago, she would have felt fear, and trepidation at such a scene. She might have called her brother's for help, or begged Amy to help her out of this. However, Maria had changed in her week or so on the run. She wanted help. The dread of failing, and the overwhelming helplessness she wanted to end. She wanted to hand over the job, let the Paladins who knew what they were doing handle it. Let them save the day.
Maria sat up some.
"I don't know a whole lot." She warned.
"We'll take anything you can give us." Blue replied.
"Okay..." Maria closed her eyes, preparing to recount her tale.
I hope I've got you all asking questions by now. Review!