Chapter 5:
Analise tugged on the top button of her vest as she headed toward the back manager's office. She wiped her brow with the back of her hand and was finally able to let out a relaxing breath when she reached the door. Her shift was over and Henry would be coming in to take over for her soon. Despite the doctor's advice to have more bed rest from the big knock on the head, both he and Albert were coming back to work. Analise knew that they had to love this place as much as she did with dedication like that. They hated to miss their shifts and she understood why. They had some of the best shifts since they didn't have to deal with too many, if any, of the museum guests.
"Thank God there are no more tours today," she thought out loud to herself. The tough critics in the crowd at the beginning of her shift seemed to follow into the next few groups after that. Today just was not a day for comedy. On top of that, after the tour with the high school teenagers and their chaperones she didn't see Michelangelo or Raphael again. She didn't even feel eyes watching her after that either. Maybe they thought she would blow their cover and took off.
"Understandable with the way that I reacted after I saw them," she mused to herself and pulled the vest off, "Although in my defense they were the last thing I expected to see on the roof top of my workplace."
"Evening, Analise," Henry walked into the office with a bandage still wrapped around his head.
"Good evening, Henry," she smiled back.
"Am I just hearing ringing in my ears or were you talking about seeing something strange?"
"I think you're hearing things," Analise chuckled good naturedly and nodded toward his bandages, "You sure you don't need more bed rest like the doctor said? I will be more than happy to take your shift for you tonight. It's really no problem."
"No, no," he shook his head, "Go home, you have taken enough of my shifts. You had a rough night that night, too. At least you did from the sound of those police reports. Everybody needs a good night's sleep."
"If you say so," she relented hesitantly, "But if you need anything, call me. It's not like I got much of a life outside of this place. And I could always go for a new adventure."
"Well, I do need something from you before you go."
"Name it," she put her hands on her hips as if to elaborate her point.
"Remember to leave key one, would you?" he looked at the key ring attached to her skirt. She grinned comically and handed it over. As she did she finally noticed the box under one of his arms, "What's that for?"
"Ah, I guess we are both forgetful tonight," he held it out to her, "It's for you. It was left at the guard checkpoint at the eastern corner."
"Really? That's strange. Anyone who's been here before knows to leave it at the front desk or to flag me down," Analise took the box as she remembered that was near the window she saw the guys through earlier. They must have dropped it off. No wonder someone didn't come in to find her. They made enough of a ruckus and only a couple of people 'thought' that they saw them. She stared at the plain cardboard and then to the night manager who looked between her and the box excited, "What?"
"Are you going to open it, or what? Is it from a secret admirer?"
"I will open it… at home," she tossed on a hoodie and placed the box under one arm, "And I know who it's from."
"Is it someone I know?" he asked with a slight twinkle in his eye.
"Goodnight, Henry," Analise called and walked toward the parking lot where Deidra was already waiting.
"Long day?" Deidra asked.
"You know it. A lot of groups, but not enough laughs," Analise nodded and tilted the box, "I think that the guys left me a gift."
"Me too, but they didn't box mine," Deidra nodded to the box, "Open it."
Analise opened the top flap to reveal a small turtle shell, "Huh?"
"Press the side button," Deidra demonstrated with her own and popped it open.
"Awesome," Analise squealed and followed suit with the one in her hands. She smiled bigger when she looked at all the small buttons, "Coolness. Where did the guys go anyway?"
"Had to go kick some purple dragon ass."
"Ah," Analise climbed in the car with Deidra behind the wheel. She paused for a few moments and looked at the communicator as she thought of the turtle's mission at hand, "Why do you think the gang chose purple out of all the colors out there? I mean, really?"
Deidra only chuckled in response.
"Gongala!" Casey screamed as he rushed at a few dragons with hockey stick waving. He laughed as a few ran from him and another one went flying, "Nothing like going out for a goal."
"Hey Donnie!" Michelangelo shouted as he hit the ground with his shell, "Wheel of fortune, dude!"
Donatello pole vaulted over a few of the smaller dragons and landed beside his brother, "Can't you think of another name for that move, Mikey?"
"But it's so effective!" he smiled. Donatello smiled and spun his brother toward a large group trying to combine their efforts to defeat the turtles. The purple dragons split apart member by member as Michelangelo's legs or nunchakus hit them away. Michelangelo chuckled as he began to lose momentum, "Dude, could they get only dumber? I mean, Hun is losing his touch."
"Uh… Mikey?" Casey lifted his hockey mask slightly as Michelangelo slid to a stop at the foot of another person.
Michelangelo felt behind him and then up the pant leg before he looked up and met the face of Hun, "Eh, he… hey there, Hun. So… I've always been curious… why purple dragons?"
Hun quickly grabbed up Michelangelo by the front of his plastron and held him up to his face, "Because that's the color you will be after I beat you to death."
"Not really on my to-do list today," Michelangelo looked behind Hun and smiled, "I don't think rescheduling is in the cards either. Thanks though."
"What?"
Raphael ran up behind Hun and kicked him in the head which made him release Michelangelo. Then Leonardo grabbed his head and threw him to the other side of the room. Raphael took a deep breath and frowned toward Leonardo.
"I coulda' handled him."
"Any one of us could have. I think it was time to get this fight over with," Leonardo argued back.
"But I had him!" Raphael fumed a little more than usual.
"Dudes, dudes!" Michelangelo put his hands between his brothers as Casey patted Raphael on the back of the shell to calm him down, "Chill down, bros. It looks like the dragons are retreating. Let's celebrate!"
"We don't celebrate until we get some answers," Leonardo turned from Raphael then to Hun. He pulled Hun up and onto a crate, "Just what are you after, Hun?"
Hun smirked and leaned back in the chair, "You think I'm afraid of you, reptile?"
"I can make sure you are," Raphael spun his sais with a menacing twinkle in his eye.
"There is someone that is much more worthy of fear," Hun leaned forward toward Leonardo, "Almost as bad as the Shredder. You have no idea what you are in for. He hasn't even begun."
"Who are you working for now, Hun?" Leonardo growled.
"The Black Death killed millions of people in Europe," Hun looked at his nails and then back up at the turtles and Casey, "How many do you think will fall victim here in New York?"
"Didn't think you were into kidnapping", Michelangelo said through gritted teeth as he remembered the descriptions of the victims thus far.
"No, but I do distractions quite well," he began to chuckle, "How do you think your new lady friends are doing tonight?"
"Analise?" Michelangelo looked at Leonardo with wide eyes.
"Deidra?" Raphael's sais dropped a little and he looked to the West.
"What does Agent Jenson have to do with this?" Leonardo put his katana blade against Hun's neck.
"Who?" Casey nudged Donatello on his side.
"Some acquaintances we met a couple of nights ago," Donatello explained.
"For meeting just a couple of nights ago, you guys seem more than a little miffed about it," Casey saw Raphael's reaction to the girls.
"So you do know them. I believe I hit a nerve, didn't I reptile?" he began to laugh louder and threw out a smoke capsule into the group. All the turtles began to cough loudly and Leonardo was pushed back as Hun made his escape. When the smoke cleared only Casey and two turtles were seen.
"Where's Mikey and Raph?" Casey asked while choking on his lungs.
Donatello looked at the worried Leonardo and then toward the West where Raphael looked toward, "I will give you only one guess."
"Let's move it," Leonardo turned toward the girl's apartment.
"That's weird," Analise checked her cell phone for any 'check-up' calls from her parents.
"What's up?" Deidra asked as she parked and unbuckled her belt.
"You remember me telling you about Alfred?" Analise looked at her from the corner of her eye. She carefully unbuckled her belt and got out of the car so she wouldn't slip.
"The one you thought had a thing for his male best friend and didn't communicate with you well?" Deidra asked off the top of her head, "Kinda needy?"
"Yeah, the one that creeped you out a little from what I told you."
"What about him?"
"He just texted me," she chuckled a little at the small screen of the cell phone, "Wow, it's been a couple of years."
"Over three," Deidra pointed out, "You dumped him before we met. What does Al say?"
"He's asking how you're doing…" Analise read slowly.
"How does he even know me?"
"Creepy…" Analise said in a singsong voice.
"Stalker," Deidra said in the same tone.
"Should I say hi?" Analise asked and started at the weird message.
"Ignore him. We have enough stalkers."
"This is true," Analise cleared the message. As they climbed the stairs Analise began to feel a bit strange, like a nagging in the back of her mind. She felt just a little dizzy and her environment was a little foggy to her. She slowed down, opened and closed her eyes a few times to clear the foggy impression and instantly felt like someone was behind her. She looked behind her and then felt the presence move to behind their apartment door. She closed her eyes tight and felt a shiver go down her spine.
"Deidra, wait!" Analise reached out before Deidra put the key in the lock. Deidra turned toward her and yanked the key back from the lock. Analise walked right next to her and whispered, "Don't open the door."
"One of your feelings?"
Analise nodded her head.
"Bad feeling?"
"Yup."
"Suggestion?"
"Get away from here?"
"And go where?"
"Anywhere but here."
"If they are robbing my katana collection…" Deidra backed away from the door with a determined expression on her face.
"This is definitely worse than what we can handle," Analise put a hand on Deidra's shoulder, "Come on."
"I trust your instincts," Deidra turned with her with a shrug. If it was robbers she could always hunt them down later.
They were three full steps away from the door when knocking came from the inside of the apartment. Five loud bangs hit the door and it shook from the force down to the hinges. A growl permeated through the door as the knocks ended.
"Definitely not just some robbers, dude," Analise subconsciously fisted her hand around her new turtle communicator while Deidra grabbed her short blade. Analise pushed at a few of the buttons, but didn't really have a run down on how to use it yet, "Damn thing… what's the use in having it?"
After a few seconds after the growling ended Analise pulled at Deidra and they backed up toward the stairs. Deidra sniffed the air on a whim and smelt something between wet dog and musky fur. She narrowed her eyes to concentrate on the scent. Whatever animal it was she knew it was male and it was a predator. The door struggled against the hinges as the animal began to hit the door again.
"Deidra," Analise gripped at her sleeve, "What are we waiting for?"
"We run and it will feed its predator instinct. It will chase us down and fast."
"We stay and we will feed its appetite!"
"You are such a pray animal," Deidra gripped her blade closer to her side.
"And there's a reason I have made it this long," Analise put her hand over the knife to look at her friend in the eye, "I know when to run and when to fight. It's safer outside. I can feel it."
Deidra slowly put her knife away, "Let's get out of here."
"Finally," Analise smiled and joined Deidra down the stairs two at a time.
Upstairs they heard the animal break down the door. It let out something between a growl and howl as it found them missing. They both took a look up at the dark streak of fur bounding to the stairs.
"He doesn't sound happy," Analise gasped as she reached the second floor in record time.
"Just keep running to safety," Deidra reminded her.
Analise's flight reflex was in overdrive. She always felt it when a bad situation reared its head. It depended on the situation on whether or not she would pay attention to it or follow it. She thought over the present trouble she found herself in as she jumped over random items and toys that the animal behind them did not.
"I have never been so happy for the Endorgh boys living below us," Analise said with the gained time, "I will never complain about their toys being left out ever again."
Analise reached the door to the building and flew through it. She yelled a little in surprise as she tripped over the floor mat and into some awaiting arms. She looked up and saw Michelangelo staring at her with what looked like relief.
"Hey Mikey," she said with a rushed breath and steadied herself on his forearms, "Turtle senses tingling?"
"Wrong super hero," he chuckled and hugged her tightly to him. She was thrown off a bit by the affectionate gesture, but welcomed it as well as she returned it.
"Where's Deidra?" another voice joined in and Analise looked over Michelangelo's shoulder to see Raphael with sais already drawn.
"She's right behind me," Analise turned from Michelangelo and looked back at the front doors of their building, "She was… Oh, God."
Another second passed slowly before both Deidra and a human sized, unidentifiable creature burst through the glass doors and to the front steps.
"Deidra!" Analise screamed as she saw the beast's head snapping its jaws toward Deidra's neck. Deidra held it back with her small knife and her lower arms. She gritted her teeth and was able to throw the animal off of her for a few seconds as she tried to get up. She fell down almost immediately from the shock of sudden pain shoot from her lower leg. The animal caught her lower leg as they burst through the doors with its jaws.
"Look out!" Raphael yelled as he ran toward Deidra.
Deidra looked up in time to see the animal lunge toward her with claws extended. Her eyes widened at the size of the beast and the muscle that seemed to ripple under the skin. It had power on its side and she was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to fend it off this time. Slow motion seemed to take effect as the animal drew closer, but before she knew what hit her Deidra was scooped up and carried to the side in one swift motion. Deidra saw the creature land on concrete and then looked up to find that her rescuer was Leonardo. Raphael frowned at seeing his older brother grab the young woman out of harm's way. He was happy she was safe, but he would have liked to be the one to get her out of there. The thing just pushed her too far from him to get there in time.
When they both landed Leonardo gently placed her on the ground and checked her over quickly.
"Are you okay?" he asked and brushed back some of her hair from her face, "Any injuries?"
"That thing took a piece out of my leg, but I'm okay," she nodded a bit shocked to say the least. She had never seen anyone move that fast. Especially not to get to her.
"Leo, get your head in the game!" Raphael called from right behind the monster who was getting back up.
"Stay here," Leonardo put a hand on her shoulders to keep her on the ground. He then quickly turned and ran toward the animal with blades drawn. Donatello was already taking scans of the animal while Michelangelo had joined his brothers after carrying Analise over to her fallen friend.
"Deidra," Analise looked at her friend who was watching the group fight the large beast. She pulled up the pant leg carefully and earned a hiss from Deidra in response, "Great, it doesn't look too deep."
"Ah!" Deidra groaned and made a face as if she just tasted something sour. Analise tied off a piece of material around the cut as Deidra sucked in a bit of air, "Thanks."
"We need to get that cleaned as soon as they are done with 'it'," Analise looked at the group of four now all trying to find the weakness of the animal.
"What makes you think they can handle it?" Deidra watched closely.
"They're ninjas," Analise said as if it was obvious answer.
"Yeah, thanks for that," Deidra shook her head.
Leonardo shaved off a piece of the monster's coat and then Raphael sliced a piece of its arm. It howled and backed away from the group. It growled loudly and then its ears perked up as it heard something in the distance. It took a chance and looked directly at the girls as it narrowed its eyes in their direction. After a few seconds, it shook itself and then ran off into the darkness of the surrounding alleys.
"Why did it just run off?" Michelangelo asked and put his nunchakus away.
"It heard something it didn't like," Raphael answered as the police sirens began to get closer.
"The boys in blue," Leonardo frowned and walked toward the girls. He lifted Deidra easily in his arms and then turned to the rest of them, "Let's get out of here."
Deidra seemed a bit beside herself by his actions and even looked a little red in her cheeks. He jumped up to the side of the building which he jumped off of immediately and to another until he was on the rooftop of a building nearby. Raphael followed close and did a few dozen flips as he did so as if he was showing up his brother. Donatello looked at Michelangelo with a knowing grin and followed his brothers in a more practical approach.
Michelangelo turned toward Analise and held out his arms toward her, "Shall we?"
Analise looked at the height of the building and cringed a little as her stomach tightened, "I have a thing about heights."
"Don't worry, dudette," Michelangelo gained her attention back, "I know these rooftops like the back of my shell. I've been jumping over them since I was a tiny dude. I promise I won't let anything happen to you."
Analise looked into his eyes and saw sincerity there along with the promise. She smiled a little and took his hand, "As long as you promise."
"Totally," he chuckled and pulled her up into his arms bridal style. She put her arms around his neck after the first jump and gasped at the speed. She saw the police cars round the corner and then disappear around the corner as he jumped up the building. She closed her eyes a little from the journey and then felt better. His arms were very comfortable and she found that she could get used to it.
Soon enough she felt him laughing a little and moved the arm under her shoulders a little, "You can open your eyes."
She did so and chuckled a little embarrassed, "Sorry to hug you that tightly. Like I said, I have a thing about heights."
"It's cool," he put her down on the roof top on her feet and then rubbed the back of his head with a slight blush, "It was actually pretty tubular."
"I, uh-" she felt a little bit of a vibration from her pocket and found her phone with another text message. She pulled it out and looked up at Michelangelo, "Sorry, excuse me."
She opened the message and stared at the screen a bit confused, "Deidra?"
Deidra shook her head to clear it and then wobbled over to Analise, "What's the matter?"
"It's from Alfred again."
"What is it this time?" she groaned, "We have other problems to deal with."
Analise showed Deidra the front of her phone, "He told me that it is very rude to ignore text messages from old friends."