Hey everyone, sorry for the delay. I have had to help with tutoring and it has put me behind. I hope you all enjoy and I'm already working on the next chapter.
Ch. 22
Silence covered the roof tops as the sirens and the never ending city life echoed below. The smog and the shadows from the night intertwined with late night soundtrack of the city was the perfect cover for the pattering foot steps and acrobatic flips and jumps of the masked man racing at top speed. Coming to the older side of downtown he looked around waiting, checking to make sure he wasn't followed.
"I see you came brother," turning, another masked man in maroon stood behind him. Giving the each other a respectful bow they stared at the other for a few moments as if saying hello. Judging from the man's deep voice he was significantly older than the young man.
"Yes, our father has left us," the other man nodded and looked to the side.
"So she knows now?"
"We don't know, though our… treasure is still off the grid. Though sadly, because of our father's mistake, our sweet sister knows she's here in the states. What do we do?" the younger man asked as the older brother walked up to him. Placing a large hand on the small man's shoulder the older one sighed.
"We will have to watch her much closer, and alert the master".
"Him, now? He was the reason everything went to hell in the first place!"
"Sadly he is the only choice we have in training her, if we want her to stay off the grid we will need help… he is our only option," the man gave a heavy sigh as he turned around.
"What do I do?"
"Keep an eye on her, lucky for us she landed right in your hand".
"Yes, Catherine… maybe she is destined to know," the younger man looked down sadly as the older man nodded.
"Who knows, watch over her… she will be needing our protection," with that the other man disappeared in to a white mist leaving the younger man in silence alone. Shaking his head the younger man ran back in to city, contemplating his next move.
It had been three days since the portal closed and my legitimate father found enlightenment. Mikey retired from the entertainment business and Don had a hard time putting the phone down. With the curious events that took place as well as my sudden miraculous healing; Don had me stay in the lair for observation.
Sitting on the bed in Raph's room I stared at the end of the bed where the disk lay reflecting off of the small lamp's light. Holding my pillow, I squeezed it to my chest just staring at the plastic case and felt my anxiety grow. It was just like the evidence box from the fire all over again. Sadly this time, I had nothing to help my nerves. This was almost what I did for the last three days other than trying to act normal.
"This is ridiculous," I walked down stairs and went in to the training room. Leo and the guys went out to patrol. It was yesterday that Master Splinter gave Raph and me permission to have one more night of being masked vigilantes. We would have our last night when my grounding was over. Till then I went through katas and practiced with a wooden sword. Going through the motions I let my mind wander. Who was I? What happened in the fight that has everyone so paranoid? What did happen? How could I see pressure points? Am I mad? Swinging the sword everything became a blur as I fell in to my hysteria. I started to twirl my sword fighting my inner demon which was sadly winning. The questions and endless confusion seemed to repeat itself like a broken record. Fighting with all my might, I then felt myself come out of my frenzy as my sword hit someone else's.
"When I said you're the scariest thing on this planet, it didn't give you right to scare the hell out of all of us," looking up Leo was blocking my sword as I gave him a confused look as he sighed. "We were calling your name for five minutes; Raph gave up and went to his room. Thought I might cut in," lowering my sword I sighed and shook my head.
"Sorry just a lot on my mind," I stared down at my feet as green toes came in to my view.
"You helped me," looking up he smiled, "Maybe I can help you," blushing slightly I nodded. Ever since our… close encounter, we haven't talked much though we would nod and smile awkwardly at one another though nothing more than that.
"I can't sit and meditate I'm tired of sitting and meditating," I sighed as I was going to put the sword back in its stand.
"You think I'm that boring?" looking back Leo was leaning past me to put his back as well.
"This is a trick question isn't it?" I asked as Leo gave a small laugh as he motioned towards the door.
"Come on I have an idea," tilting my head I followed him out of the lair as everyone slept. Coming to the surface, we climbed up a fire escape and stood on top of some odd apartment building. Helping me up, Leo smiled as he hesitantly let go of my hand.
"Alright why am I up here?" I asked as the night's soundtrack echoed below us.
"We are going to play a game," raising my eye brawl he smirked proudly with his hands on his hips.
"A game, seriously this late?"
"Yep, it's called ninja tag. My brothers and I came up with it when we were younger to help us train and have fun; release some stress. Thought it might work on you," he smiled as I nodded.
"So what are the rules?"
"Well just as it sounds its tag, but ninja style, the deal of the game is to mark out a destination and then sabotage the other so you can get their first".
"Sounds rough,"
"Yeah, but its fun wanna try it?"
"Sure, why not, I'm up for a challenge," I smiled as we picked out April's antique shop on 23rd, "Ready?" I smirked as he nodded and we were off. Leo had me suit up so I had all my equipment. Throwing spikes down I watched as he flipped and used the chimneys to stay off the ground as he smirked.
"Gotta do better then that Cat!" he laughed as he threw stars at me knocking me off course. Growling I jumped up and knocked him off the chimneys and heard him land with an "oof". "Just like that Cat," I heard him as we continued to race. The whole time it was full of us wrestling or knocking the other off their step. Not once did we let the other fall off buildings or be in danger. Even if we were throwing knives, it didn't mean we were truly aiming at the other, just enough to scare the other. Getting to the end I was there first. Something inside of me though told me he let me win.
"Good job," he smiled as I punched his shoulder, "OW!"
"What was the point of all that if you let me win?"
"To get you to loosen up," staring at him he sat down and sighed, "you have us all worried Cat, even Raph is going out of his mind. I know this is all hard to take in, but you don't have to keep it all in," sitting down next to him I leaned back and looked up at the sky. A few stars had popped out making me smile, closing my eyes I sighed.
"To be honest, I don't know how to take it all… I don't even have the courage to ask Don to see what's on the disk. I'm scared to find out what's on it or what's wrong with me".
"Nothings wrong with you"
"Then explain to me why you all treated me like an alien for a week, or the fact Raph, him of all people, is scared to get me mad or get in a tussle with me?" I held my head in my hands. "What happened that made you all scared of me?"
"You really didn't notice did you…"
"I noticed something, but… what else happened?" I looked up at him finally as he gave a stern stare.
"The way you fought and moved… that is what scared us, you told us you were trained by a great master, what all did he teach you?"
"Different arts all in one, that was a long, LONG, time ago though. I barely remember how to do half the things he taught".
"Apparently it was all subconsciously still there, what did he teach you?"
"Judo, Tai-kwon-doe, nin- jutsu, tai- jutsu, Kenpo," I continued down the list of popular styles as well as other countries this made Leo's eyes widen.
"Why though?" he asked shocked as I shrugged.
"I don't know, the person I thought was my father said I needed to know, I had to learn. He refused to train anyone else, but me so my little brother was out," I sighed remember all those long nights, throbbing limbs and those long hot baths I would take to try and sooth the pain.
"When he said you had to learn, what did he mean?"
"I'm not sure; I think he was trying to make me an Olympic athletic fighter, who knows. Then one day he just disappeared and my mother and I moved here," I explained leaving out the most devastating parts of my early childhood. Each time I thought back I would only see red which would make me shiver. Screams and red, nothing more, then I would skip to moving in to downtown with mom.
"Cat?" looking up at Leo he was now kneeling in front of me, "Don't you want to know what all this means? I mean, it sounds like you need to know even if you don't want to know," looking down I felt anxiety well up in my chest; I knew I couldn't hide from Leo, even on my best day. I couldn't hide from him or Raph, they could read me like an open book. Its just Raph would give me space and let me tell him in my own time. Taking from what is happening right now, Leo is quite the opposite.
"Leo, its not that I don't want to… I'm scared to know, I'm scared to know what I am, what is really going on… I don't know how to handle it," he brought me in his arms and held me.
"Your not alone, you have all of us, we're your family Cat," hearing my name and the word family in the same sentence together made a lump form in my throat as I held Leo tightly. It took all my might not to cry as I buried my face in to the nap of his neck. "You can always come to me Cat, I'm going to always be here," I smiled feeling him stroke my hair to calm me down.
"Thanks…I'm just not use to all this," still holding me, Leo leaned back to look down at me and smile.
"So, we'll just force you," laughing I hugged him again and we made our way back to the lair. Walking in I felt my anxiety disperse, this was home, and this would always be home. "You might want to check on the grumpy one up stairs, he's really worried about you," looking back at Leo I smiled and nodded.
"Thank you again Leo," nodding he walked up the stairs to his room as I opened Raph's to see him laying on the bed waiting for me.
"Sup," was all he said, though I knew what it really meant, nodding I crawled in to the bed and wrapped my arms around him.
"Raph…" instantly his arms were around me holding me close as I enjoyed the closure.
"You scared me Cat," nodding I sighed.
"I know, I have just been trying to figure myself out. I feel like I'm still pacing over that damn box all over again," I admitted to him as he looked down at me.
"Then we'll just have to do it again"
"How so?"
"Rip it off like a band-aid, I'll give Don the disk and we'll all be there to see what's on it," nodding I sighed suddenly feeling exhausted I laid my head down on his plastron.
"Thanks, what happened at Winter's corp, Leo said I didn't look like myself,"
"Cause you didn't, your eyes were glowing-"
"What!"
"Yeah, and you were moving, I can't explain how you were moving… it just wasn't you, but you were still with us. It not like you blacked out or somethin'," I laid there silently trying to think. What the shell?
The next morning, I gave Don the disk to examine. He tinkered with it and tried to figure how to play it all afternoon till he came out of his lab that evening. Leo was reading in the nook as Raph and I were back on our old terms; wrestling, going at it, and even teasing the other. I was happy things were slowly getting back to normal. Of course it doesn't take Mikey long to get back to his video games and comics.
"Hey guys," looking up we all huddled around Don as he faced me, "The disk is very unique, instead of some typical CD it's actually…. Let me just show you," we all walked in to his lab as a new machine stood proudly in the middle.
"What is this Don?" I was scared to touch it as I instead circled it.
"That is for a hologram," looking up with big eyes he smirked at me, "Am I still you bad ass?" he teased making me laugh. I some how broke my stereo and less than five minutes he fixed it, I now consider him my personal bad ass since I am hopeless with technology and his is a complete genius.
"So what ever is going to play required a hologram?" I asked shocked as he nodded.
"It was by request of Winters, he left directions and everything. Seems your father was quite a genius as well," Don smiled as he started to get everything ready to play the disk making me fidget. Raph came next to me and nudged me making me take a step sideways. Looking down at me with a small smile I smiled back, I pushed him back telling him I was alright as we stood next to each other waiting to see what was on the disk. Sighing I felt Leo standing on the other side of me. Holding both their hands I closed my eyes and tried to cool my nerves. Feeling both grasp my hands I smiled and felt a wave of confidence come over me as something started to form from the projector. Well no going back now.