Random Rant:So yeah, I've been MIA for a while, Huh? Sorry to all ya'll. It's been a bit busy because my Mum's had her baby. (I've got a wonderful little sister ya'll ^o^) and then of course Thanksgiving. I've been kicked out of my room, living with my younger sister morgan for three, (four weeks now?) Because my brother (Oh yes, the pain in the neck thing is in place. Just wait `till I get to see both my brothers. -_-' Love you Corey!)came home for the holidays. So.... Updating has been a non-existent thing, and I apologize. Anywho, here's the next chapter. (Glad to have it up. ^_^)
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.Sorry I haven't put one up in a while ya'll.
Professor Perry poked his head out to check on David. He hadn't been able to get the boy's face, and voice out from his head. Something about them just seemed so familiar.
At the moment, David was staring at the pink electronics, almost as if he were trying to decide whether or not he wanted to risk a quick poke. If it had been anybody in the CIA's payroll, The Professor might have snapped at them, but seeing as it was an outsider, he couldn't help but find the childish temptation humorous. His Lab assistants would have been less amused, closer to sheer panic. He wouldn't have blamed them either. The consequences for such actions were...well, from anyone else unwarranted. Sadly, he knew it was natural for such behavior.
The professor cleared his throat, making David's head snap up. He grinned sheepishly, stepping back from the electronics.
"How long have you been here?" He asked, glancing between the boy, and the undisturbed table.
"Uh, hard to say." David shrugged. He glanced at the clock on the wall. His eyes widened.
"Wow. It's been a good six hours." He touched his stomach involuntarily. "No wonder I'm hungry."
Professor Perry smiled. "Why don't you come with me? If the Captain complains, I'll take the responsibility."
David took a mere moment to consider, before he nodded. It was obvious he wanted out of the room.
"Alright, come this way." The professor smiled. "Just don't touch anything."
"So that's it. That's my story." Maria finished. The others in the room remained silent for a moment, as if still soaking in her words. They had been attentive during the whole story, with he only movement being Purple biding her lag up, and Orange taking a seat next to her. Blue, Red, and the rat had stayed in one place the entire time.
"So, you're running from the foot, and you think they have your brother Aiden." Blue muttered, his arms still crossed, his eyes closed in thought.
"Uh the foot?" Maria blinked.
"The name of the ninja who attacked you." Purple supplied. "They call themselves the foot."
"The Foot with many Toes." Maria chuckled shaking her head. "My life is becoming a childhood story."
"What?" Orange asked.
"Never mind, it doesn't matter." Maria sighed. "Now, I want to ask a question."
The others in the room all shifted uncomfortably. Maria caught that. They didn't look surprised, but they didn't look comfortable. She decided to save the main question for later.
"Why did y'all attack me?" She asked. "It's not a very effective way to get information, even Oroku Saki knew that."
Blue winced. "That's my fault." He volunteered. "I needed the information as soon as possible and..." He shifted slightly. "I got impatient. I'm sorry."
"S`okay." Maria shrugged. "I guess I would be too..."
"Would you?" Red asked, giving her a suspicious eye.
"I hate Oroku Saki." Maria stated. "I don't know what y'all's vendetta against him is, but I do know that he separated my family."
"He destroyed my family as well." The rat stated, breathing slowly. His eyes were shut, as if her were remembering some distant memory.
"Sensei." Blue murmured.
The rat opened his eyes. The pain in his face disappeared.
"We too have our own story." He said, changing the subject. "We were once merely animals, wandering the sewers." He sat down in the other recliner slowly, crossing his legs to sit Indian style.
Blue came around to sit at the foot of the couch. Orange looked up some, and Purple too sat up some. Red refused to move at all. He seemed to be bored with his family member's reaction.
"I spent my days going through the sewers, searching for food, trying to survive. Then, one day I came across four baby turtles. They were swimming through radioactive goo. I felt concerned for their safety, and gathered them up in a coffee can. The next day I awoke to find that they had doubled in size. My own size had increased greatly, and we kept growing, until one of them spoke. More words came after, and," He smiled slightly. "I'm afraid that from Michelangelo, they haven't stopped."
Orange crossed his arms, while Red snickered. Purple smiled in amusement. Blue remained still, his face betraying no emotion.
"After a time I decided to teach them the ways of ninjutsu, and I gave them each names."
They all sat up a little straighter.
"Michelangelo." Orange stood up, and tossed a big grin at Maria.
"Raphael." Red got up lazily, and crossing his arms, he gave the girl a curt nod.
"Donatello." Purple got up to his feet, and waved.
"And Leonardo." Blue got to his feet swiftly. He didn't even acknowledge Maria. She noted the far off look in his eyes. He was lost in thought.
"And I am Splinter." The rat finished. "Now you know our story Maria Connrad,"
Maria met Splinter's gaze. "And we know yours."
She dipped her head. "Thank you."
"Master Splinter," Donatello spoke up. "She might want to stay here until we can get her back home."
Maria's head snapped up. "Home!?" She asked.
Leonardo glanced at her. "We'll track down the shredder, and we'll rescue our brother. I see no need for you to stay."
Maria felt her face turn red. "There's more to it though!"
He crossed his arms. The ridges above his eyes were raised, as if to say 'Oh really?'
"Please tell us." Splinter said, breaking the tension.
"The reason I ran from Saki in the first place, is because of a story my brother's used to tell. It's also because of a story that I'm even here."
"A story?" Raphael asked, skeptical.
Maria shifted some in her seat. She felt stupid, trying to explain it, and somewhat venerable, sharing her beloved childhood stories, that had been an intimate part of her life for years. Now here she was, preparing to tell it to perfect strangers.
"There once was a man with two faces, Oroku the Ruthless, and Saki the suave..."
Leonardo rolled his eyes. Maria's own green eyes snapped angrily.
"Both were evil, but different. Saki was persuasive, and pleasant. Oroku was hard, and dangerous, a bad person to cross. But the two were one, so it took four paladins to defeat him..."
The air seemed to grow still. Leonardo turned to face her.
"You mean us...don't you?"
Maria crossed her arms, and shrugged. "I don't know. I only know all the stories they'd tell me."
She smiled a little. "But it is why I came to New York."
"It seems as if your brothers gave you a defense against Oroku Saki." Splinter smiled. "You are welcome to stay with us until we find your brothers."
Leonardo didn't say anything. He just closed his eyes, and turned away.
"So be it."
Maria half-wondered what he had against her.
"Michelangelo."
Michelangelo jumped to his feet.
"Yes sensei?"
"Please show our guest to a room." The rat turned towards the screens. "I have some meditating to do."
"Yessir." The orange turtle grinned. Maria smiled back. This turtle's personality and smile were infectious.
"Com'n." He said leading her to the stairs. "So, second or third?"
Maria blinked in confusion. "Second?"
"Good choice dudette." He gave her thumbs up. It looked a little odd with only three fingers.
"So, uh..." She tried a stab at a normal conversation.
"Do you like comic books?" He asked.
"What?" The question had caught her off guard.
"Comic Books, Like Batman? Or maybe-"
"Spiderman." She said quickly. "And Dare-devil."
"A Marvel girl, eh?" He grinned. "Sweet!"
He pushed open a heavy door, the fifth, and the very middle of all the doors. It was a dark room, and Maria couldn't see a thing.
Michelangelo pressed his hand along the wall, until he got a loud click. A light flicked on, revealing a small room, bigger than her old room though, with a small, single sized bed in the corner. There were two shelves on the wall, and not much else adorning the room. There were a couple of boxes stacked in the corners to the left, and right of the door.
Maria looked it over, trying not to be critical. It was better than the streets, and looked more comfortable than her van.
"Hmm..." Donatello's voice came from behind. For some reason, Maria could hear a difference in their voices.
"Sorry about all the junk..." He said, giving her a small smile. "We'll move it out tomorrow."
"Uh, Okay. I can do it, just tell me where to stick it." She replied.
"Don't worry about it Dudette." Michelangelo grinned, patting her arm. "We'll take it out later."
Maria gave a small nod, giving in. She was bone tired. She knew that sleep would help her battered body.
"`Kay..."
"Anything you need?" Donatello asked. "We can get some ice for your leg."
"No, thanks anyway." Maria smiled. "I'm just gonna get some rest..."
Both nodded.
"Call us if you need us." The Purple masked turtle said, closing the door behind him.
Maria limped over to the bed and let herself drop onto the soft material. Within minutes, she was asleep.
__________________________________________________________________________
Amy sat, sweat, and water dripping from her hair. It was slick, and flat now, instead of its usual bouncy waves. Her breaths came in sharp puffs, as she tried to fight off the wave of nausea. She felt sick. Sick with herself. Sick with other girls.
'Other girls...' She thought spitefully. 'Like Maria...Innocent. Happy. Carefree.'
Anger caused her to slam her fist into the wall. She never had a choice. Aiden needed her, and whether or not he admitted, he would fail without her. Just like his pitiful attempt at rescuing Maria.
"Why?" The words dripped from her mouth in pain. "Why did this happen?" Tears streaked down her face. "Why did we have to pay?"
Only silence answered her burdened soul. Amy curled into a ball, letting the tears ran freely. For once in all her eighteen years, Amy Connrad was truly alone, with no hope, and no direction.
Maria woke up with a start. Fear made her sit up straight, rubbing her eyes. Something felt wrong. Maria's dreams were crowded with pain. Pain of people she loved. She shook her head.
"Their getting worse..." She mumbled. Maria leaned her head back, looking up at the ceiling. The events of the day had haunted her in her sleep, twisting the up-beat Michelangelo, into a dangerous monster that ripped people in two. The others were worse, warped into hideous beasts, except for Leonardo, who just watched the carnage impassively.
Maria shook off the horrible thought off, as she sat up. The silence in her room was broken by the loud clucking of her steel-toed boots shuffling across the floor. She winced, noting that as soon as she had eaten, she was going to take off the painful shoes. Her feet were killing her.
She pressed her weight against the heavy door, forcing it to swing out noisily. She trudged to look over the railing. Despite the TV being on, the place looked deserted. It cast the whole room in an eerie light, creating a feeling of fear, and desperation. Feelings that haunted her dreams, and daunted her perception of the future. Those and a keen uncertainty.
Maria walked down the stairs slowly, and with careful steps. Falling down the stairs like last time simply wasn't going to do. She'd probably pull her hair out if she did.
Maria made it to the couch, and sat down roughly. Her feet ached. Her head still held the remains of a headache that could kill a mule. Her arms looked extremely bruised, and battered.
'I look like a corpse...' She thought, running a hand through her hair. 'Check that, I feel like a corpse...'
Her hand struck something sharp. She grasped it, and pulled it out of her hair. A large, shiny piece of glass sat in the palm of her hand, one edge stained with her blood.
Maria stared at, a little emotional. Tears spilled out from her already bloodshot eyes.
"I look like I was the one who was in that inferno..." The thought came back to Maria and she winced. 'That woman...She's dead...Because of me...'
Maria looked down at her hands. She wondered silently if Lee had ever had to kill. Or David, and Aiden for that matter. Amy was a pacifist. She'd never hurt anyone without reason, or without no other choice.
'And I had another choice...' Maria thought bitterly. 'I could have kept running...'
"Lee..." She sighed aloud. "Just what have you entangled me up in?"
The still air met her question, neither laughing, nor helping. It was comforting in a sense. She could think here. Consider, and ponder all that had happened to her. For some reason she couldn't explain, the air held a peace so surreal, she could almost touch it. Hug it.
A hand touched her shoulder. Maria didn't react instantly. It didn't startle her the way it would have if she still running. She merely turned to see Splinter studying her.
"Come." He said, walking towards a room just beyond the kitchen. Maria struggled to her feet. It felt like she had weights tied to her feet, and arms. She followed slowly after the Rat. He disappeared beyond the doorway. She trailed after him
Upon entering the room Maria noticed instantly a change in the air. Here it was more focused, more set upon a goal. What goal, Maria wasn't sure, but she felt it. It just seemed to wrap itself around her, like a blanket.
"Sit." The rat gestured. Maria did so. It was hard to see much in the dim light, a metal locker, a punching bag, and some practice dummies. Not much else was visible to Maria's eyes, other than Splinter's form.
"You are saddened by something?" He ventured.
"Not...exactly..." Maria tumbled over the words. "I'm just a little worried. My brothers are still out there."
The rat closed his eyes. "I learned a skill from my Master Yoshi, when I was still a house pet. A perception that allowed me to sense the aura of a person."
"Aura?" Maria blinked.
"The feelings and intentions of others." He explained. "And a sense of knowing when something is wrong."
Maria blinked again, taking that in.
"You have talent in that area." He stated. "You have not been frightened of us."
"I've seen so much in that last few weeks; I wouldn't be surprised if you told me that Elvis was alive, and that the joker was a misunderstood guy, who loves flowers."
The rat smiled. "As that may be, you have shown a sense of understanding. Tell me," He looked at her, his wise brown eyes piercing her green ones. "What do you sense from this room?"
Maria bit her lip. She didn't understand the hesitation.
"Take your time." Splinter encouraged.
Maria closed her eyes. "Focus. Persuasion. Learning?"
"Keep going." The rat ordered.
"A kind of peace... almost..." She opened her eyes. "An atmosphere of comfort, but...focused on a goal, at the same time..."
Splinter nodded. "It is true. This is a dojo. A training place, where I teach my sons the art of ninjutsu."
He waved his hand out, gesturing to the rest of the room.
"This is also where I shall teach you to harness your skill of awareness."
Maria looked down at the floor. "But why?"
The question floated through the quiet room.
"Why teach me this skill?"
The rat smiled. "To help you. You have little defense against your enemies, if you had no one to protect you, you would be easily overtaken."
Maria hated that he was right.
"True enough... But pray tell, what will this... Sixth Sense do?"
Splinter smiled. "When you are able to gauge ones intentions, you can use caution."
"True. But there will be situations I can't avoid, no matter this sense." Maria argued. "Why not teach me self-defense or something a little more practical?"
The rat closed his eyes. "Please do not misjudge me, Maria Connrad." He said quietly.
"I want to teach you this before hand, out of concern to your injuries. Once your body has healed, then I will gladly teach you such skills."
Maria winced slightly. She hadn't meant to offend; she just wanted to be able to protect herself.
"I...Accept... Thank you..."
David walked through the lab, rather impressed with all he was seeing. He knew a thing or two about the scientific realm, although his history with the Foot took him from such a field. Amy also had a thing for sciences, although she dealt more with computers, than anything else.
David walked alongside Professor Perry, glancing here and there at the large, lab. He saw maybe two people running around, tending to equipment, and monitoring scanners.
"How many assistants do you have Professor?" He asked.
"Three." He replied. "We're hoping to gain another one soon."
David's eyebrows shot up. "How do you maintain this facility with only three people!?" He exclaimed.
"It's extremely difficult." He replied with a sigh. "Honestly, we have to stay around the clock to make up for the lack of people."
David blinked. "Surely the CIA isn't that short handed professor."
"Perry, please." He replied. "And I'm afraid this project is a little more complicated."
The Professor led him to another door. He tapped in a few more numbers.
"Voice verification." A monotone voice sounded out.
"Professor Perry, at the public's service." The Professor said, smiling.
There was a quiet whirring. "Welcome professor."
The doors opened with a soft hiss. The Professor walked inside, motioning for David to follow. He did so.
Inside the room was a simple office. A wooden desk, a light blue rug on the floor, and a Small, grey lamp on the desk. The window at the far end of the room let in a great deal of light, and also gave a great view of the city. Aside from that, there was only the Desk chair, and three chairs sitting in the corner. For the lab assistance, David guessed.
The professor plopped into the seat at the desk. He motioned for David to have a seat.
"I'm curious now." He stated. "Are you the son of May Connrad?"
David didn't look surprised. "Yep. You knew her?"
Perry nodded. "Quite well. She was a genuine genius."
David didn't reply.
"But tell me David, why are you here? Aside from the Captains wishes, what's your reason for being here?"
David sighed. "Long story. If you knew my mom's old assignment, you'd know why I'm here."
Perry shook his head. "I'm sorry. It's not much of a life, is it?"
"No..." David stared out the window. "It's not...."
Silence sat between them for a moment.
"Tell me, how is your mother nowadays? I heard sh-"
The door flung open harshly slamming into the wall. David's head snapped up. Perry's pleasant demeanor faltered into despair.
Standing in the doorway was a tall, angry looking creature. It was green from head to two, with a yellow midsection running from the chest down to the lower torso. It's face had a snout sticking out, and two angry brown eyes glaring with a certain amount of loathing at the Professor. Brown hair trailed down her back, cut to medium length, and bangs coming just above her eyes. It was easy to tell she was female, despite the reptilian features, including, a long tail, snapping back and forth like a whip.
"Somebody touched my stuff." She growled, ignoring David. Her voice sounded very normal, despite the anger in it.
"Mona, I assure you, no one here would mess with your things." Perry said, looking apprehensive.
"Yeah, right!" The girl snarled. "Just like my future was supposed to be promising!"
The Professor winced, pushing his glasses further up onto his nose.
"Mona, we have a guest!" He hissed.
The creature stiffened suddenly, and turned to face David. David blinked stupidly. He was a little surprised by the sudden interruption.
She stared at him, a red tint creeping in over her face. She opened her mouth, choking on the words, creating a jumble of unintelligible babble.
She whirled back to face the Professor. "How could you!?!" She cried, tears springing from her eyes. She swiveled back around towards the door, and fled the room.
David's mouth fell open. He wasn't too sure which surprised him more, the Reptilian girl who had just fled, or her sudden mood swings.
Perry sighed heavily, and rubbed his temple. "Please, tell me you didn't touch her things?"
David winced. "Guilty as charged." He admitted. "Should I ..." He motioned to the door. "Um, apologize?"
The professor shook his head.
"No, no, no." He said quickly. "Mona doesn't take too well to humans."
"I noticed..." David muttered.
"Well, now that the cat's out of the bag, the Captain's going to ring my neck." Perry sighed.
"I do know the meaning of secrecy, you know." David chuckled. "As far as I'm concerned, the door was this way when I got here."
Perry smiled. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it." David shrugged. He glanced back out the window.
'Well, well, well...' He almost smiled at the thought. 'Look what I've found Lee...'
Review Ya'll. It keeps me working. XD