I changed my Profile name from "FireArrow97" to "EmbersOfLife" because I didn't like having numbers in my name. Don't worry its still me XD
Enjoy Chapter 5! This is when things start to get going!
: Chapter 5:
Leonardo paced back and forth in front of the television set where Michelangelo was trying to watch TV. He swayed side to side on the couch every time Leo blocked his view.
"You know….Leo…" He leaned to the right. "I'm sure Don will be back soon" He leaned to the left.
"He should have been back by now! He always comes back before 7 and its 7:30!" Leo scratched at his bandana strings and made the ends frayed. It was a nasty habit he had whenever he was nervous which tended to be much more these days.
"I understand he's upset about April and everything but…It's no reason to waltz out into the city at night then wait till morning to return!" he started to slowly pull the tiny threads out of the strings one by one.
Michelangelo and Raphael decided not to tell their brother about the girl they recued in the streets. They were afraid that he would explode on them about "how they should be more careful" and "they could have been seen" because whenever he started those kinds of conversations, they never ended. But now, seeing Leo like this, they knew they should probably tell him soon if Don doesn't get back in time.
"Hey Leo I think I can actually see the steam blowin outta ya ears" Raph snicker as he sent one of his Sais piercing through the head of a dojo dummy.
"Leonardo sit, please" Master Splinter handed his eldest son a cup of hot tea as he criss cross applesauced on the floor. "Why are you like this? I understand your training has been much more difficult but one does not simply become as anxious and unfocused as you are"
"I'm sorry sensei, I'm just worried he's ganna be seen and…."
"Ugh here we go again…." Raph mumbled to himself
"Don't you think he should have called at least!?" Leo jumped up abruptly, completely ignoring his tea.
"Not if he's carrying that girl…" Mikey thought to himself
"What?" Leo stood in front of him and crossed his arms.
"Um…..Did I say that out loud?" He smiled innocently. There was a smacking sound from behind them where Raph had probably face palmed.
"What are you talking about Michelangelo?!" Leo demanded an answer
"Um….nothing? hehe" he whimper
Leo put both his hands against the sofa on either side of the small turtle who leaned back into the cushions.
"Where is Donatello?!"
: Somewhere in Upper NYC:
"Are we there yet?" Austria complained
"I told you it was on the other side of the city Austria" Don was struggling to support her weight as he was beginning to become tired himself. Several people had noticed the two struggling and offered help but Don always shooed them away as quickly as he could.
"Almost there don't worry. Can you hold in a couple more minutes?" he asked politely
"You said that half an hour ago…" she raised her eyebrows at him
He blushed and apologized for his mistake. He wasn't use to talking to girls other than April O'Neil. His heart started to ache as he thought of her. The red-headed woman he had fallen in love with a few months ago had married a close buddy of his Casey Jones. He remembered that night when Casey had pounced into their lair and announced his proposal to her. It was probably the worst day of Don's life and his brothers knew it too. That's why they had cut him some slack these past couple of months.
"You alright Don?" Austria asked
"Huh?" He snapped back to reality
"I was talking to you and you like…zoned out or something" She looked at him with concern.
"Oh yeah I'm fine. Sorry, what were you saying?" he smiled apologetically
She blinked twice. "Well I was just saying how that guy back there was getting beat up in that alley way" She turned around and pointed to an opening between two buildings. Don looked and he could see some kind of scuffle was going on but he wasn't going to risk Austria to help whoever was back there.
"Shouldn't we do something?" She stopped walking and looked back
"Someone else will help them. We need to get you back to my place" he pulled her to try and get her walking again but she resisted.
"I'm sure every other person has said that. I can take them here hold my hoops" She began to take out her small hooped earrings. Don rolled his eyes in disbelief. Great, as if one Raphael wasn't hard enough.
"You're not going in there" He instantly regretted that statement
She turned slowly and looked at him. "Excuse me? Are you telling me what to do?" Her face flushed red with furry.
"I can't let you go in there Austria! You're hurt enough as it is. Please trust me we need to go" He grabbed her arm but she pulled away. They were now separated and Austria was standing with a slight limp.
"Bite me" She spit in his direction and began to walk/limp to the alley way. He seriously considered walking away and leaving her alone but he quickly dismissed the thought. By the time he was done thinking Austria was already at the alley and had entered into its dark reaches. He had to admit, the girl had guts.
He took off running after her. He knew he would probably have to fight whoever was in there and probably blow his cover. Then Austria wouldn't allow him to help her…man why does life have to be so complicated? He skidded to a halt once he turned into the alley and took in the situation.
A small, skittish looking man was already unconscious on the ground and two huge street thugs were salvaging what they could from his clothes. Those weren't just any street thugs though. He recognized their distinct hair cut and the large purple tattoos all over their bodies.
"Purple Dragons…" Don reached behind him to grab his bow staff but it wasn't there. "Oh right" He ripped off his cloak and threw it on the ground next to him. Now he reached for his bow staff and brought it into ready position. One of the thugs looked up and saw Austria standing there with her fists clenched.
"So you think you can just beat old helpless people up huh?!" The two men stood up and looked at her then started laughing hysterically.
"whatcha ganna do sweetheart? Throw pillows at us?" They laughed again. One guy pulled a steel pipe from his jacket and the other pulled out an iron bat then they slowly started advancing towards her.
Suddenly the two men looked behind her and saw Donatello. He spun his Bow staff rapidly over his head then pointed at them. Austria, who couldn't see him behind her, wondered what the hell they were looking at. When she turned around and her jaw dropped.
"What is that!?" she pointed and screamed
"Austria get behind me!"
Her eyes were wide and her mouth was twitching a little bit. She recognized his voice and those blank white eyes she had seen earlier which were now behind a purple mask. "Donatello?!"
"Just do it!"
Once she snapped back into reality it was too late. One of the dragons grabbed her by the shirt and suspended her into the air.
"This chick with you turtle boy?" They laughed vigorously. He ran his hand down her face. "Not bad for a sewer dweller like yourself"
Don became overpowered with anger. Everything he had ever been upset about for the last few months was fueling him with adrenalin and pumping rage through his veins. He had never felt so furious before and he didn't like the feeling one bit. He slammed the bottom of his staff on the ground and used it to propel himself into the air. His foot kicked out in front of him and made contact with one of the dragon's heads.
He instantly dropped Austria who quickly ran and crowded behind a trash bin. She watched as Donatello used the stick to smack the other thug right in the stomach. He doubled over and fell to the ground. The other one had regained his feet and held the steel pipe in the air. Don blocked his attack then used his foot to kick the dragon square in the chest. When they tried to get up, Don spun the staff in front of him and smacked both of them in the side of their heads. This time, they stayed down.
Austria didn't know what to think. He was green and he had a shell or something attached to his back. He was so strange looking that it was frightening.
"Austria?" He called her name but she didn't respond. He saw her behind the bin and walked towards her.
"Don't come near me!" She screamed. He stopped and put his bow staff away so he could hold his hands in the air.
"Please let me explain" His brow lifted in sympathy.
"I changed my mind. I want to go to the Hospital"
Don laughed and lowered his hands. "Please come out Aussie"
"Don't call me Aussie. Only my friends call me that"
"I'm not your friend?"
"Not anymore you freak!" she scooted tighter behind the bin
Don frowned and sat down on the concrete. "I guess I'm just going to have to wait for you to come out then. But if you could hurry that would be nice. I don't really want anyone to see me" He looked out of the alley where people were walking by, totally not noticing him.
"Yeah no shit! What the hell are you?!" She asked
"Well if you would let me explain" he held out one of his hands to her
She peered out from behind the bin and looked at him. "You're so weird"
He sighed "I'm not weird. I'm just….unique. If it makes you feel any better I have human friends"
"You have human friends? So you're not human? What are you some kind of frog?" she came out a little from behind the bin
"Ummm…No. Frogs don't have shells"
"Hermit Crab?" she asked
"Now you're just being silly" he smiled at her and she giggled softly. She thought maybe she could trust him, and slowly stood up.
"So what was all that Kung-Fu stuff then?" She said, still keeping her distance
"It's actually a long story" Don rubbed the back of his head
"You know…you kind of look familiar" she looked closely at his face and tilted her head "Actually you look very familiar"
"Oh really? So you've seen a mutant turtle before?" Don teased
"No I just…feel like I remember you from somewhere…"
The two men started to moan and move around on the floor.
"I'd love to hear more about how you recognize me but we have to go" Don stood up and looked up and down the alley. He spotted a man hole below one of the thugs. He quickly pushed him enough out of the way that he could get the cover off.
"Come on" He jumped down into the hole in the ground
"Oh, hell no! You just revealed your true colors…literally…and now you want me to jump into a dark whole with you?! Forget it!" She stomped her foot on the ground and lifted her head up
"It's either this" he pointed to the thugs "Or that"
One of them started to lift himself off the ground. He held his hand to his head and moaned.
"Wait for me!" She ran towards Don who helped her lower into the ground. He helped her hold onto the ladder as he pulled the cover back on the hole.
"OMG its dark!" she screamed
"Shh! We don't want those guys knowing where we are"
"You know the whole point of me running into that alley was to save that dude and we never even did"
Don tsked ""We" shouldn't even be in the question. I'm the one who saved him. You just got in the way"
Austria gasped and punched him playfully. They laughed together and descended down the ladder.
"Ew it reeks down here!" Aus slapped her hand over her nose
"Well this is the sewer" he shot her a wink
"Thanks smart ass" her voice was high and squeaky from her pinching her nose
Don helped her get off the ladder and land onto the platform. Over the edge, water quietly flowed down the tunnels of the sewer. Once in a while a piece of trash would come into view then slowly drift away with the current.
"Oh this is just repulsive" she looked at Don who was staring into space, rubbing his chin
"What are you doing?" she asked
"I'm deciding if I should take you to my home or not"
"Anywhere but here is fine by me Don" He looked at her with a blank smile
It took her a minute to register his response. "No…No…No…Not happening!" She flung her hands in the air. "Please tell me you don't…"
"I do…but not here. I live in an abandoned research lab that's cut off from the sewers. I'll take you there but I think Sensei will like it" He wrapped Austria's hand around his neck to support her again.
"Who's Sensei? Is he like you?" she inquired
Don couldn't help but smile "yeah…I guess you could say that"
: At the Lair:
"That's it I'm going to look for him!" Leo started to walk towards the door when Raphael blocked his path.
"Get out of my way Raphael" Leo gazed into his brothers eyes
"That mind trick doesn't work on me Leo but keep trying" Raph crossed his arms and grinned
'Woah! Leo can control minds!?" Mikey asked excitedly. He jumped up and joined his brothers by the door.
"Control my mind and make me slap Raph!" Mikey shut his eyes and bit his lip
"It doesn't work like that Mikey. You need to…..Hey! You're trying to get me off topic!" Leo mentally slapped himself for letting his brothers play him like that.
"Mikey already told yah Leo. Don is out blowin off some steam so just let it go" Raph held his ground against his brother.
"You let me go through Raph! I'm your leader and you will do as I say! If I want to make sure my brother is ok I am entitled to do so! Understand?!" It was hard for everyone to see Leo like this. April even stopped visiting as often because his aggressive cycle made her a bit on edge. She had talked to his sensei about cutting him a break but he insisted it was for the better good.
"How about… I make you one of my famous pizza burritos!?" Mikey suggested
"Great now he'll definitely wanna leave" Raph mumbled to himself
"Excuse e muaw?" Mike put his hands on his hips "I'll have you know that everyone loves my burritos!"
Raph rolled his eyes and pushed Mikey out of the way. He landed on the floor with a violent "UMPH"
At the spur of the moment, the door to the lair opened and Donatello walked in out of breath. Leo yelled his name then approached his brother.
"Where have you been?! You had me worried sick!" Leo put a hand on his brother's shoulder
"I had a feeling you would be. Now to make matters worse…" Don looked at the door where Austria was standing, twitting her fingers together and looking at the ground. Leo looked up at her and tilted his head to the side.
"Austria?"
THE SUSPENSE! Reviews appreciated!