Chapter 6 -Invasion-
Leonardo sat cross-legged on the mat in his room, a single candle burning in a holder on the floor in front of him. His meditation was deep and focused. He allowed the ebb and flow of the Lair, the peace that filled his home now that his brothers had gone out, to surround him. Healing traveled in with his breath, and pain and damage were released as he exhaled. He gathered his energy, focusing on his mending body.
In… out… Focus. Sensei's reassuring presence. Michelangelo's bright, cheerful smile. Raphael's courage and strength in battle. Don's careful healing touch… As his mind passed over each of his family members in turn, he reached out to them, brushing the edges of their minds, one by one. Peace, tranquility, security.
An image of a still pool filled his mind. The crystal clear depths sparkled, the surface calm. Deep, and quiet. Leonardo visualized healing energies flowing into the pool that was his body. A river of healing, flowing over him, speeding the healing of his ribs and plastron. A ripple disturbed the surface of the pool… Leonardo frowned, working to still the image. Something… something wasn't right.
***
She moved silently into the main area, cautious, sniffing the air like a doe coming into the open. The Lair was quiet, still. Not a living thing stirred as she slipped through the main room.
She scanned the place, searching for her target. The big main room held a couch and a complex system of television monitors. There were a couple battered armchairs, and a wooden table. DVDs were stacked up beside the television console, and a game system was strewn on the floor. She smiled. It seemed even warriors needed down time.
She moved across the room, momentarily forgetting the need of the tool, led by the lingering scent of pizza. She went deeper into the Lair, toward the kitchen. She hesitated for a moment before entering. She hated stealing, but she hadn't eaten in two solid days. Cautiously, she opened a cupboard. It was disappointingly bare. She tried the refrigerator. Success! A box of pizza took up most of a shelf. She opened the top. There was nearly an entire pizza left.
She noticed three more empty boxes stacked next to the refrigerator. This was the leftover. She quickly slipped a few pieces out of the box and into a small plastic bag she found on the counter. It wasn't much, but it didn't look like the warriors had a lot of food. She hated stealing from them. She would do what she had to do to stay alive, but she was determined not to make others miserable through her actions. She didn't want to be like him, like Jon.
Carrying her disappointing loot, she moved out of the kitchen and back into the main Lair. Silence covered the dimly lit room, reassuring her that her presence was still undiscovered. She moved quickly now, fearing the turtles might return at any time.
She scanned the room, and her eyes found a simple wooden door off the corner of the main room. She made her way toward it. Holding her breath, she turned the knob. It opened, revealing Donatello's lab. Counters lined the walls, littered with wires, tools, and electronic parts, some of which she couldn't begin to guess the purpose of.
Quickly, she located the tools she needed. She glanced longingly at some of the other equipment, but she couldn't bring herself to steal… 'Borrow,' she thought firmly. 'I'm borrowing. I'll return the tools when I'm through with them.'
She turned away, and slipped out the door. She almost made it to the exit. She was already pushing the heavy door open when a presence entered her consciousness. She turned with a gasp. A blue-masked turtle was standing in the doorway of an upstairs room, his eyes scanning the Lair. Before she could disappear into the night or gather her focus, his eyes landed squarely on her face.
***
"Come on, Don, geesh, you're slower than Mike," called Raphael over his shoulder. Donatello didn't bother answering. He needed his strength for running. Raphael was in one of his "moods", searching for trouble as if driven. Michelangelo was trailing their older brother, a perpetual grin on his face.
"Hey, Raph, whatdaya say we go over by the zoo?"
"You just wanna see the animals, Mikey. We're supposed ta be patrollin'."
"It's quiet tonight, Raph. I'm bored. Let's go find a pizza."
"Guys," interjected Donatello.
"Mikey, yer a bottomless pit. Ya ate half a pizza by yerself before we left," Raphael was saying.
"I'm a growin' turtle," retorted Michelangelo.
"Guys," said Don again.
"Yer gonna be growin', if you keep eatin' that way. Growin' right outta yer shell," Raphael teased.
"Guys!" Donatello's sharp tone stopped the bickering. Raphael came over to where his purple-masked brother was kneeling, staring down into an alley alongside the office building where they perched.
"Whoa, Dude," breathed Michelangelo. They watched as three Foot ninja made their way to the side door of the building. Three more Foot came out. The two groups bowed to one another, and the three newcomers entered the building. "Whatdaya think they're doin', guys?" whispered Michelangelo.
"What difference does it make? Let's go kick some Foot behinds!" snarled Raph, pulling his sais.
"It looks like a changing of the guard," mussed Donatello. "Hang on, Raph, let's not charge in half-cocked. Let's see if we can find out what they're guarding."
"Heehee. It looks like the Foot Security Service is on the job," giggled Michelangelo. Raphael scowled, but to Donatello's surprise, subsided. He crouched beside his brothers, glaring at the building as if its very existence deeply offended him.
"What do ya think we oughta do, Don?"
"I don't know, Raph. I guess we should spy around. You know, see if we can figure out what they're up to.
"Sounds like a plan," said Raphael. "Let's go."
***
Leonardo stared at the girl for a long moment. What on earth? A stranger was in the Lair? He shook himself, throwing off the last clinging tendrils of the trance-state. There was a stranger in the Lair. With a yell, he vaulted down the stairs.
"Master Splinter, come quick! We've been discovered! There's a girl in the Lair!" His chest was on fire by the time he reached the bottom step. He ignored the pain, yanking his katanas from their sheathes. The girl took one terrified look at him, and plunged through the door, racing off down the tunnel.
Splinter rushed out of his room, his speed belying his years. "What is it, my son?"
"A stranger," Leonardo gasped, running for the exit. "She was in the Lair, Master. I've got to stop her." He disappeared into the tunnel before Splinter could respond.
***
If Leonardo had been uninjured, she wouldn't have had a chance of escaping. As it was, Sylvia's long legs were keeping her ahead of the angry turtle. She didn't look back, just ran blindly through the sewers. The faintness of his footsteps did not fool her, she knew his ninja skills meant he moved quietly, even in full pursuit.
She dashed down a tunnel, and made a hard right, hoping to throw him off. No such luck. Driven by desperation, she flew down the cavernous pipes, taking every turn she came to. Still, his padding footsteps followed, still his rasping breath echoed. Sylvia was becoming desperate. She flew around yet another corner, sliding on the moss-covered cement. Her feet went out from under her, and she plunged with a silent cry into the darkness. She threw out her arm to stop her fall, but it crumpled, cracking under her weight. Her head met the unyielding concrete, and she knew no more.