"Sorry for freaking you guys out, but don't go anywhere near that stuff!" I said, calming slightly. I wanted to smash it with every weapon I had, but...I knew that would only mutate me again, and I had zero desire to see what I'd turn into, thank you very much!
"So that's the..." Leo breathed, staring transfixed at the glowing canister.
"Stuff that tuned us into what we are now." Don finished, voice wistful and distracted. I tensed, watching as Donnie picked it up and my siblings gathered around it. One wrong move...and we're mutated again! I swallowed, unwilling to make another scene, but really scared that something could happen to that canister. Really, really, utterly terrified. Going through a mutation was bad enough the first time. I didn't ever want to go through it again. Mikey suddenly grinned wildly in a manner which meant he had some half-baked, hair-brained scheme in mind. I cringed, fearing I already knew what my brother would say.
"Let's drink some!" He chirped. I gawked at him, pulling him a little further away from the mutagen.
"Are you insane?!" I hissed. "That stuff isn't a toy, Mikey! It's dangerous and should not be touched, much less drank. Clear?" Leo peeled me away, a look of fear and shock on his face. I then realized the death grip I had on my brother's shoulder and the wide eyes he was gazing at me with. So much for not making a scene...I instantly let go of my brother, who takes a reflexive step back. "Mikey...I'm really, really sorry. I just...I still remember the pain of my mutation. I never want any of you to ever experience that."
"Again." Don added. I rolled my eyes.
"Not the point! The mutagen is an unstable thing at best. We need to be extra careful not to let anything happen to that canister." I reply, sounding a little sharper than I really meant. Oops!
"Besides, why would we even think of drinking a random chemical we find on the street, in some freak-show's van?!" Raph demanded irately.
"Cus if you mutate a mutant..." Mikey started.
"You get a Super-Mutant!" Lupa finished. I growled and nearly smack my little siblings into next week, but barely refrained, settling for messaging my temples instead.
"Or a pile of goo on the sidewalk." Don snarked, before I could get a word out.
"Thank you! Finally someone gets it!" I groan. I was rapidly calming down and had my voice under control now. No more yelling and sharp tones.
"Either way, it's an improvement." Raph muttered. I face-palmed.
"Did you not hear my lecture on how mutagen is dangerous and you are never to touch it?" Raph merely shrugged.
"Guys, this is huge! Whoever took those people are somehow connected to what happened to us fifteen years ago." Leo interjected, bringing us back to the matter at hand. I nodded, face grim, suppressed memories of those evil men flickering in front of my eyes.
"Yeah. Two of these guys were handling a canister exactly like that one when To-san and I were passing an alley on our way home from a pet store. They had a sewer manhole cover off and seemed about to pour the canister into the sewers." How had I forgotten that? I wondered briefly. I probably repressed it. I reasoned.
"How is that possible?" Don asked. I rolled my eyes. Trust Don to analyze any and every thing.
"Doesn't matter." I muse. "It's in the past now." Mikey leaned in a little.
"Well, with freaky alien robots-"
"That want to eat your face!" Lupa interjected.
"-anything is possible." Mikey finished. I groaned. This was getting ridiculous, honestly.
"Stop that!" Don barked irritably. "There are no such things as alien robots!" He growled. Mikey pouted, then his face morphed into a look of utter confidence. I had a bad feeling about this...
"Oh, yeah?" Mikey asked rhetorically, "Well, if there's no such things as alien robots...how do you explain this?!" Turns out, I was right to be worried! Mikey grabbed the driver, who had been trying to crawl away unnoticed as we talked...
Then tried to pull the man's face off!
"Mikey!" I screamed. "What the frick?!" He merely kept tugging.
"He's pulling off the human disguise the alien's wearing." Lupa replied, in a perfectly calm tone, as if the answer should have been quite obvious. I frowned.
"This is going too far, you two!" I growl.
"This mask is glued on tight!" Mikey protested as the poor man struggled to get away. I took a step forward, but Leo spoke up before I could get to Mikey.
"Mikey, stop!" Leo ordered. "It's not a mask!" Mikey frowned, grabbed the guy by the top of the head, and gave one last tug before thrusting him away.
"Okay." He admitted. "He's in the clear, but those other guys were totally alien robots!" He cried. I sighed heavily, smacking my forehead.
"Honestly, you two..." I grumbled.
"Enough!" Raph snapped, pushing past the gathered mutants (I was out of his way, off slightly to the side). I noticed he had the canister. My eyes widened, but I knew I couldn't make another scene by snatching it out of his hands and burning it with fire. "Time to get some answers!" He growled as he picked the man up by the collar of his shirt, menacing glare and canister inches from his face. "Who are you, and what's goin' on?" He spat. I blanched slightly. Was Raph seriously gonna threaten the guy with mutagen?! How is this a—okay, well, it might be effective, but still...no. The guy frowned defiantly at us. I groaned. Not a good choice, guy. Don't defy Raph when he's in a mood. And I would say he's in a mood...
"The name's Snake, and I got nothin' to say to you hideous freaks." I glared daggers at the insolence within this 'Snake' as Raph pulled him closer, a devilish, menacing smirk on his face.
"Well, that's cus you don't know us yet." Raph replied. "You see, we were just regular guys, until we got hit with a little o' this." He growled, tossing the man down and into Don and Mikey's waiting restraint and coming closer. Snake's eyes widened, and fear crept into the scent of bravado he'd previously been excreting as Raph slowly opened the canister. I swallowed. Raph wouldn't dare...
Would he?
"Wh-what're yah doin'?" Snake demanded, flinching back to try and get away from the glowing chemicals. Raph only took a few steps closer.
"Playing a little game I like to call 'Mutation Roulette'." Raph explained, a dark sense of humor in his voice. "Now, you could turn out handsome, like me," He went on, leaning the canister slightly out and over Snake, who again tried to cringe away, "Or you might end up disgusting and deformed, like Mikey here." I spun on Raph.
"Don't be like that!" I hissed.
"Hey!" Mikey exclaimed, glowering at his older brother as Lupa stuck her tongue at Raph.
"Soo~...you feelin' lucky?" ...Did I mention Raph adores Clint Eastwood? I didn't? Well, now you know. I flinched, barely refraining from snatching the mutagen away as it slithered and slowly slipped down the space toward Snake's face. Raph had a maniacal grin on his face as he kept tilting the canister. As soon as it got within an inch (or it seemed that way), Snake caved.
"Okay, okay!" He screamed, and the mutagen slopped back into the tube. "They call themselves the Kraang, and they've been grabbin' scientists from all over the city." I frowned in thought and disgust. Kidnapping? Really? What could they possibly want with scientists?
...And why would they name their group 'the Kraang', anyway? No self-respecting chump would ever join them, right?
"Well, that worked pretty good." Leo praised, standing beside Raph. Raph scoffed.
"Of course it did. Would you wanna look like Mikey?" I smacked Raph upside the head.
"I'm right here." Mikey whined.
"Enough insulting Mikey!" I growled. Leo glared at the man and took a few menacing steps forward.
"What do they want with scientists?" He demanded, voice icy and dangerous.
"I don't know." Snake replied, sounding unconvincing. Raph frowned and shook the canister threateningly. Snake's eyes went wide in fear. He knew (or thought he knew) Raph would dump the canister on him if need be. "All I know is that they're taking them out of the city tonight, but I don't know where!" I cocked a brow. Really?
"You know, it would be really unfortunate if you became some freakish combination of wolf and turtle, wouldn't you say?" Lupa asked nonchalantly, leaning against Raph's shoulder, pointing casually at the canister. Snake flinched back again. You'd think he'd have learned by now that struggling was pointless.
"Look, really! I don't know where they're taking the scientists! I'm not paid enough to ask!" He whimpered. Don suddenly giggled. We all sent him questioning looks.
"This is awesome!" He chirped gleefully. "That girl's dad is a scientist! I'm a scientist! Oh, she is so gonna like me!" I resisted the sudden urge to bang my head against a nearby wall. Oh, dear, sweet Donatello...
"I don't think you're her type." Snake muttered dryly. I jabbed him hard on the chest.
"You don't know that!" I snapped. Everyone moved to menace the guy even further with all six of us in his line of sight.
"Where are they now?" Leo growled.
=#=#=#=#=
Back on a rooftop again. Why? Because we are scoping out the freaking huge alien base right in front of us. That's why. How did my life go so weird, so fast? I sigh inwardly as I turn to my youngest siblings.
"Alright, you two. I have an important job for you." I whispered conspiratorially. "You two are the guards for Snake here. If this is a bust, we need him to lead us to other bases. Okay?" They nodded smartly and stood to attention.
"Yes, ma'am!" They chirped in sync. "We won't take our eyes off him for a second!" Lupa added. They went over to the prisoner, glaring intensely at him. When he looked at them in return, they swung their weapons to further discourage any disobedience.
"You sure giving those two guard duty was a good idea?" Raph snorted. I nodded. A plan was forming in my head. For it to work, I needed to use the fact that my siblings have ADHD, and that Snake was gullible and liable to run. I hated it, but those were the facts. My siblings were amazing in their own way, but...they could also be the reason we fail a training exercise, among other things. It just got a bit much sometimes, but I knew it was just who they were.
"When they get distracted, follow my lead." I whisper. Raph looked confused, but nodded nonetheless.
"There's gotta be, like, twenty of them down there." Leo mused after a minute or two of scrutinizing the area below.
"At least." I agreed, leaning on the edge of the roof to get a better view.
"Yeah, and that's just the ones we can see." Don added grimly. Raph grinned wildly, spinning his sai eagerly.
"All right! An 'all you can beat' buffet!" He cheered. I smacked him upside the head.
"No!" He looked shocked, rubbing his head ruefully.
"We can't just rush in there. We need a plan." Leo argued before I could get a word in.
"Yeah." I agreed.
"Why?" Raph snapped. Don, annoyed, came stomping over angrily.
"Think, you shell-brain!" He growled. "There are innocent lives at stake. If we screw this up, they're goners!"
"Then we won't screw it up." Raph replied impatiently, hands up in a 'duh' gesture.
"Boy, I can sure go for some of that pizza right about now, huh?" Mikey suddenly said, appearing behind us with his hands behind his head, dreamy expression on his face. Go time, I thought inwardly. Prepping my hands over my tomahawks, I watched as my brothers stared at Mikey for a moment. I noticed that Lupa was watching YouTube on her phone. I groaned. That took less time than I thought.
"What?" Mikey asked innocently. I noted the lack of Snake, and starting inching toward the edge I heard him moving toward. Raph caught my gaze, and I cocked my head in the direction I was heading. He nodded subtly. "I can't be the only one that's hungry." Mikey went on. I rolled my eyes. He could eat in the midst of a bout with the flu, not even caring that he was sick and would just puke it all up in a few seconds, if we let him. I tap Lupa's shoulder. No response.
"Lupa." I growl, and she flinches, pulling an ear bud out hastily. I throw a thumb over my shoulder. Leo is glaring at Mikey.
"Where's Snake?" He asked impatiently. Mikey and Lupa blanched.
"Oh, boy..." Lupa groaned as Mikey said essentially the same thing. I raced over just as Snake leapt over the edge of the roof.
"Get him!" Leo orders as I'm flipping over the roof's edge and catching the guy on the chin, but he only stumbles slightly and continues heading down. He takes off sprinting as soon as he hit the ground. I take off after him, Leo and Raph right behind me. I'm nowhere near as good at this as Lupa, but I can smell his body odor and horrid cologne from here. It's coming from a dumpster nearby. I also hear his panting and a can falling. Leo follows My gaze and motions to get Raph's attention, nodding toward the alleyway. Raph nods subtly.
"Dang-git!" I growl, trying to make it sound genuine. "We lost him."
"Yeah." Leo says, and his voice can't help but sound a but fake to me. "I can't believe we let him get away." Raph smirks.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You're the leader, and Asami's the eldest, so that means you let him get away." He replies. Leo frowns.
"You're not helping." I roll my eyes, exasperatedly amused.
"Yeah, he is."
"No, actually, I'm not trying to help here." Raph replies. I resist the urge to groan. Leo rolls his eyes.
"Okay, okay. You want me to lead? Fine." He swallows once to make sure Snake will hear his next words. "I say we go back to the Lair, gear up, and at midnight we drive Snake's van right up to the gate. They'll think we're him, and we'll cruise right in."
"That could work." I agree. Raph grinned.
"And then we bust some heads?" Leo chuckled, but couldn't hide the grin.
"And then we bust some heads." He agreed.
"We'll need to, to get those poor people back." I add as we walk away.
"I love a happy ending!" Raph cheered. I rolled my eyes, but kept walking without any further reaction. Soon enough, we get back to the building with the roof we'd been standing on before. Mikey, Lupa, and Don are waiting.
"Why is Mikey beat up?" I ask, examining the small scratches and bruises over my baby brother's body. It's nothing major, and will be just hours in healing, but still... "You okay?" I ask gently. He shrugs.
"I guess. Just got tossed over a wall. I asked Don to throw me cus I thought—well, we thought—that Snake had gone that way. We were wrong." I smiled. I knew I had overreacted earlier, so I can give a bit of grace to balance it all out. Besides, this was forgivable, especially on their first night on the town.
"Well, alright then. So, let's head home. We've got some gearing up to do."
=#=#=#=#=
"Hey, Mikey, Lupa? Can I talk to you two real quick?" I asked as the pair lounged in the pit, watching Space Heroes with glazed eyes. Leo didn't even register that I had spoken. He is too addicted to that show, I swear...ugh. Anyway, I led my little siblings into the dojo. "I need to apologize for...for earlier. I definitely overreacted with the whole mutagen thing and for that I owe you a sincere apology. I am so sorry." I said. "It's just—no, please. Just...let me speak. I need to get this out—I have considered myself something of a mother figure to you all since I was old enough to have maternal instincts and...yeah. This was the first time you were threatened by something other than Raph. So, yeah...I'm really sorry." I whimpered, shifting from foot to foot. This was hard enough without having to know Splinter was listening in from his room. Suddenly, I was bombarded with hugs.
"Aww~, sis." They chimed.
"It's totally cool!" Lupa said.
"Yeah, I mean it was a little weird, but it's nothing to worry about."
"So long as it doesn't happen again." Lupa says. I laugh, relieved.
"Yeah, deal." We head back as Don and Leo are discussing what exactly we'll need to get into that base. Soon enough, Don leaves and begins to build the needed gear. Meaning, shuko spikes. We'd never really had a need for them before. I sat with leo to brainstorm after turning off the TV ("Aw come on, sis! That was best part!" Leo had protested.) "Nuh-uh, mister. You're the leader now. You need to take this seriously, bro. Which means less Space Heroes and more mission planning." I'd replied. "Now...let's get crackin'. We do have a deadline to meet." After about five minutes of some fairly productive planning (most of which is guesswork and assuming nothing goes wrong, as we have no idea what to expect when we get in there), I hear Raph in the kitchen, talking to his cute little pet turtle, Spike. Spike and I, shockingly, shared a fairly sibling-like bond, which is a little odd, considering that he never responded or even gave off emotion, but I sometimes need to talk, and he's the best listener there is. Raph expresses his worry about the unknowns of the mission ahead. I see Mikey heading in, but am too late to stop him. I sigh and return to planning.
"Okay...I think that's about all we can do here." Leo mused after a moment. I nod.
"Yeah, pretty much, considering that we don't know what to expect in there, other than a crapload of guys and no idea where that family even is."
"But even so," Leo replies, smiling, "I think this plan is gonna work." I nod in agreement. Not bad at all. A short ways away, Raph is chasing Mikey with a spoon, threatening to smack, slap, or beat Mikey into a pulp. I roll my eyes, even as Master Splinter approaches.
"No plan ever survives contact with the enemy. It is how you adjust to the unexpected that will determine if you and your siblings succeed." He cautions, but his face betrays his pride in his children. Leo stands, face consternated suddenly.
"Sensei...do you think I'm ready for this? I mean...isn't Asami a better choice? After all, she's older and...she's kinda our mom, and-"
"Doesn't want to be a leader." I interject, standing as well. "Leo, really. The leader position is all yours. You'll be great. I know it."
"Asami is correct, Leonardo. I made you leader for a reason." Dad adds, placing a reassuring hand on his son's shoulder. "And not just because Asami refused the position." Leo frowns.
"What is that reason?" He asks. Sensei smiles.
"That is for you to discover on your own." He replies. Leo groans.
"Asami can't give me a hint?" I laugh.
"Nah. I don't even know. I do have theories, though, ones that will not be disclosed at the moment." I reply.
"Even a small, teensy one?"
"No."
"You're worse than Splinter sometimes." Leo grumbles. I snort.
"Oh, grow up, bro. Disappointment is a part of life." Splinter just shakes his head at us. Leo sighs.
"I know. But, back to the matter at hand, there's so much riding on this." He mumbles nervously. "What if something goes wrong?" Splinter sighs.
"Failure is a possibility every leader must face, Leonardo. It is something I had to face in Japan, in my final battle with my enemy, the Shredder." He grimaces. I do, too, the memories flashing before our eyes. "Many years ago, Oruko Saki, as Shredder was called then, had been my friend. But the love of a woman came between us. He could not accept it, and his jealousy turned outward in a vengeful attack."
"In the middle of the night, I might add." I add bitterly in a growl. Sensei nods, but doesn't stop talking.
"And, while he could not defeat me that day, my world fell and crumbled around me. I lost my beloved Tang Shen, and my baby daughter, Miwa." I feel hot pricks in the corners of my eyes. I had never known a mother's presence, her soft voice singing me to sleep, comforting me when I need it, all because of one man's jealous attack. Leo took a hesitant step forward. The resurgence of memories had ended with dad leaning against the tree for support against the wave of emotions he battled through.
"But that's my point, Sensei. You lost everything."
"I lost many things that day. My family, My home...my name." I sucked in a breath. It hurt to see Dad like this...truly. I put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"..." But I could think of nothing to say. Dad sighed and resumed a straighter, tougher posture, clearing his throat subtly.
"But, I gained many things as well. Like the five of you."
"And that's why we don't wish for anything to change, or dwell on the past. It does nothing to affect the present but sour your mood." I add, shrugging to hide the ache I still felt. Suddenly, Lupa, Raph and Mikey sprint past us, Raph screaming that he'll pummel Mikey, Lupa screaming at Raph to stop, and Mikey just plain screaming. "Don't worry. I'm happy to help you keep those goof-balls in line, bro." I chuckle after a moment, leaning on my brother and leader's shoulder. Leo patted My shoulder.
"Thanks, sis." I smile down at him.
"Now, let's go get that family and put a stop to...whatever it is."
=#=#=#=#=
"Not so fast! Not so fast!" I squeak, gripping my seat in terror.
"Relax, Asami. I've been reading about this for the five minutes before we left." Came Don's smart-butt reply. I deadpan.
"Are you freaking kidding me?"
"Nope."
"I'm going to smack you."
"Sure, and then we'll crash and have to think of another plan." I scowl and growl, but know he was right, so I sulk in my seat and glare out the windshield. Soon enough, we've arrived at the base. Out of sight of the men on the ramparts, we slip out. Don leans in and secures the steering wheel before dropping the brick on the gas pedal. We all leap aside and sprint to the wall. That will only buy us a few seconds when it hits the wall, most likely. We slipped our shuko spikes on and start climbing. Seconds after the explosion, we all stop for a moment to view our handiwork.
"That worked out better than expected." I muse. Don nods. Mikey chuckles.
"Wow. Good thing that van showed up to distract them." He chirps. Donnie groans and smacks his face, then cries out as the spikes hit his face.
"Yeah, right?" Lupa agreed. Leo scowled down at them.
"That was the plan, you two." He said in an overly patient tone, but it was clear he didn't have any real patience for this. "Raph, Asami, and I knew Snake was hiding in the alley, so we made him think we'd be in the van."
"Doesn't matter now, guys. We gotta go before the distraction wears off." I whisper. If we were going to go in, and we needed to, we needed to do it sooner than later.
"But...wait..." the pair mutter, thinking. "We weren't in the van." I release a deep breath to relax. Just breath...in, out.
"Just keep climbing." Leo orders tersely. Mikey and Lupa grin back at him, carefully forming a fist around the shuko spikes and sticking a thumb up in the air.
"Can do!" They chirped. I chuckle at their enthusiasm. We were over the wall moments later, racing toward the main building. I looked around, painfully aware of the lack of cover available. So far, everyone in sight's attention was still on the flames encompassing the gate and surrounding area. Good. The longer this distraction can go on, the higher our chances of success. We sneak up to the metal walls and I notice a ventilation cover just above us. I nudge Leo, and nod up to the vent. He nods and we enter the building that way, crawling toward the sound of a young woman's voice, grumbling something indistinct. We find ourselves waiting for a patrol to pass and then the cover is off. Leo and Raph deal with two stragglers with swift and silent blows. Something about this place unsettles me, as I walk down a hallway. The metal walls seem to close in slightly. This metal...doesn't seem like ordinary steel or iron...this is something else entirely.
"Wow. I've never seen anything like this. They're using a metal alloy that...I don't even recognize." Don chirps. I roll my eyes.
"Regardless, being in an enemy lair makes me nervous. Anything can happen. Let's just get that family and get outta here." I grumble, fingering my weapon handles nervously.
"Gosh! A metal alloy even you don't know about? It boggles the mind." Raph snarks. I sigh.
"Raph, knock it off." I snap.
"Dude. You wanna talk metallurgy with me?" Don growls. "Bring it." He challenges. I place a hand on Don's shoulder.
"I don't, and-" Leo suddenly interjects before Raph can finish.
"Guys!" He hisses. "What part of 'being in an enemy lair' did you not understand?" He snaps. We continue creeping down the hall, only to round a corner and find...
What are they?! The things have metal bodies covered in a blue-tinted membrane of some kind, and...in the chest (right where Mikey said they would be)...what I can only describe as anthropomorphic brains!
"Mikey, Lupa, I take back my slight doubt about your story earlier. I take it all back." I whimper. "What are those things?" Lupa opens her mouth, but Don beats her to speaking.
"Whoa...alien robots!" He breaths. Mikey snaps his head to look at his brother.
"'Alien robots', huh?" He repeats. "Hmm...where have I heard that before..?" He muses. I know what's coming and attempt to assuage him.
"Okay, Mike. You were right. Just...don't say ano-"
"Oh, yeah!" He snaps. "I've been sayin' it for hours!" He screams. I groan, face-palm, and draw my weapons in a single breath.
"Great job, Mikey! We've just lost the element of surprise!" I snap. We charge forward and find the robots fairly easy to deal with. I slice about three, all told, before the fight is over. All around me, bits and pieces of these creepy things liter the floor. We all turn and watch as Leo calmly takes two down. We walk over as the last one deactivates. Suddenly, the brain things lunges toward us, roaring evilly. I stumble back, a small scream ripping from My throat. Lupa and Mikey leap forward and smack it with their weapons and it slumps, unconscious. Mikey grabs the tentacle-things it used to move, holding it up and shoving it in our face angrily.
"See?!" He snaps. "See?! It's a brain-thing! I told you! I told you, but did any of you believe me? No!"
"Okay, Mike. You've made you point. Just drop it." Lupa advises, pointing to the ground. The thing stirs slightly. I gulp.
"You all think I'm some kinda bone-head!" Mikey continues.
"Mikey, look out!" I yell, just as the thing bites his fingers before moving to his arm. He starts flinging the brain around to get it off. I sheath my tomahawks and take a step forward. "Wait, Mikey! Hold still and I'll-" Too late, the brain soars off, and directly onto a button that sets off a blaring alarm. I cringe and clutch my ears. "Mikey!" We all scream, though he couldn't have meant to trip the alarm. He turns to find us glaring daggers at him.
"Okay, but I was still right about the brain thing. You gotta give me that!" He retorts.
"Fine, but we need to go!" I growl, grabbing Lupa's wrist. "Come on!" I run a few steps before halting, no idea where I'm going. "Uh..." I release Lupa and look to Don.
"I think those are power conduits." He notes, sensing all our eyes on him.
"Really? That's really interesting, Donnie." Raph snaps sarcastically. "Thanks for sharing."
"Shuttup, Raph! I think he's on to something!" I retort angrily. Don nods in appreciation.
"Meathead!" Don growls. "The pipes seem to be converging in that direction." He explains, gesturing the way he means. "Which means that whatever's going on in that direction is important!"
"Let's just get moving!" I add. We take off, following the pipelines on the ceiling. Suddenly, I get a hit of a human scent for the first time since entering this complex. I grab Don's shoulder and we turn around. Looking into a cell emanating with the scent, we spot the humans. I wave. They don't wave back, shock and confusion written on their faces.
"We found 'em!" Don calls. Before he can say anything to the humans inside, or begin to get the door open, shots ring through the halls and several droids come racing toward us. We draw our weapons and prepare to charge.
"We'll hold them off, you pick the lock!" Leo calls.
"Don't worry. I'll have you outta there in a second." Don says. I hover nearby to fend off any droids that get through the guys. Don gives the human girl a small smile of reassurance. I roll My eyes and slice the arms off a droid before decapitating it easily.
"Okay, giant lizard thing." The girl replies uncertainly.
"Trust us, miss. You'll be back home on no time." I add, pushing a droid back and slicing it in half. "If my brother would just get going already!" I snap. Don fiddles with his fingers, blushing furiously.
"T-turtle, actually. M-m-my name's Donatello." I groan. More and more droids are getting through.
"Don!" I growl, but his attention is still on the humans.
"April." The girl tells him, as if she actually doesn't mind that she's talking to a giant turtle.
"Asami." I add politely. "Now we're all introduced, would you just pick the lock?!" I growl at Don.
"'April'. Wow. That's a pretty-Urgh!" He groans as Leo crashes into his shell, smushing his face into the window of the cell.
"The lock, Donnie!" He growls, before heading back into the fray.
"Oh, r-right, yeah." He mutters. Frazzled, Don takes the cover off and gets a look at the lock within. He fiddles with the wires as I flip over three droids, slicing with my ninjaken and taking them all out at once. I hope Don gets the cell open soon. These things just keep coming!
"Not to rush you, but...hurry up!" April squeaks.
"Hey, you think it's easy trying to pick a lock with these hands?" Don retorts.
"Sorry." April mumbles. Raph takes down a few more droids and ends up in front of the cell.
"Oh, fer the love of—outta my way!" He growls, shoving Don aside and stabbing the inside of the lock furiously. Miraculously, it opens. However, droids had already gotten into the cell from the other end and have the prisoners within out before we got there. Droids come from behind us, so we run through the hall and find an exit just ahead. We burst through and turn to find the droids behind us already nearly at the door we'd just exited. Raph slams the door and uses it to chop an arm off, sliding the metal piece through the handles on the double doors to keep them closed.
"Guess that's handled, huh?" Lupa quips. I groan. Mikey, however, chuckles.
"No. Just...no." The other look at Raph.
"What?" He asks.
"You are seriously twisted." Leo replies. I cock a brow, a little confused. What did that mean?
"Thanks." Raph says with a grin. Above us, we hear April cry out.
"Let's get 'em!" Leo barks and we charge. I hardly notice the tree we're...wait...what?! It...moved?! What the frick?! It honestly looked like a tree just a second ago. I'll admit, a funny-looking tree, but still...that thing is creepy!
"Awesome!" Lupa chirps. "We're facing a living tree!" She squeals. I growl.
"Lupa, this is so far from awesome..." I reply.
"You did this to me!" The thing rasps. "Now you're going to pay!"
"Wait...what?" Lupa and I ask before realization hits. Oh, boy...
"It's Snake!" Leo muses. "He mutated into a...giant weed!"
"Obviously!" I reply. "My question is how did..." I suddenly turn on my younger siblings. "I thought I told you guys not to leave the mutagen in the van!" They pale.
"You did?" I roll my eyes and massage my temples.
"Oh my gosh...you guys had one job!" I hiss. They shrug as Snake tries and fails to walk toward us.
"Huh. Weird. You'd think he'd get mutated into a giant snake." Mikey mused.
"Yeah..." Lupa agrees.
"If you were an idiot!" Raph barks. Mikey frowns.
"But his name is Snake." I face-palm.
"So?" Raph growls back.
"You don't understand science." Lupa retorts, crossing her arms moodily.
"That's not how mutagen works." I mutter.
"I'll crush you mutants!" Snake screams, somehow splitting his trunk into different legs and stomping toward us.
"Uh...Would it help if we said it was an accident?" Don asks, only to get a screech and threatening posture in reply. We back up, weapons clutched nervously in our hands. "So...heh-heh...I'll put you down for a 'no'?" He squeaks. Snake swings his...hand, I guess, at us and we either duck or jump. Leo then leaps up and slices the thing clean off. Snake roars in pain and purple goop comes spraying out. Mikey, sitting on his butt on the concrete, scoots away from the offending liquid.
"Ew, ew, don't let it touch me! Don't let it touch me!" Mikey cries. One splotch ends up hitting his thigh. He shrieks. "It touched me!"
"Oh, get over it! You're fine!" Lupa whines, literally dripping with the purple goo. I barely hold in a chuckle, but then it fades and I flinch back as the thing Leo chopped off suddenly regrows from the severed limb. "Seriously?!" Lupa screeches. "How is this fair?!"
"It isn't. Just deal with it." I reply grimly, preparing to weed-whack this thing so hard, he wouldn't be able to reform. I suddenly hear a helicopter powering up. From here, I can just see April's scared, desperate face.
"Donnie, Ami, go!" Leo says, sheathing his katana as he preparing to boost us up closer to the platform. I am watching Don soar upwards before taking a breath, backing up a tad, and sprinting forward, landing my foot on Leo's intertwined hands, and feeling a rush of adrenaline as I'm flying through the air, landing with a roll on the platform just as the helicopter takes off. We take off and leap up toward the second platform, the one the helicopter had been on. April leans forward inside, pressing her hand to the window in a call for help.
"Asami, on my shell." Don growls. I blink. I have no doubt Don can carry my weight. That's not the problem. The problem is that he would be trying to get enough momentum to swing out over the building into thin air, and then proceed to grab onto a moving helicopter with me on his shell!
"You-"
"No time!" Don barks. "Let's go." I nod. If Don was suggesting it, he at least thought we stood a reasonable chance, right?
"Okay." I reply, even as I lightly jump up and wrap my arms as loose as possible around his neck and tighten my legs around his shell. He takes off, and I have a fairly hard time hanging on as we fly again. I let go and barely catch the bar. "Freakiest thing I've ever done." I whimper, hanging on for dear life, heart pounding out of my ribs. I move to get a better grip on the bar and feel a little more confident. Suddenly, the doors open and two Kraag (right? I can't remember) droids lean out, guns ready to fire.
"Oh, good!" Don snaps. "For a second there, I thought this was to be too easy!" He growls sarcastically. I scowl and try to kick him, just as the copter turned and I nearly slipped, but regained my handle on the bar.
"Now you think of that?!" I snap. "Would have helped before we decided to hang from a moving helicopter!" He merely huffs irritably at me. Grabbing a shuriken, we place them between our toes, and I have to swing under the helicopter, dodge Don as he does the same, and then flip around and swing up to slam the metal weapon into the skull of the offending droid. Okay, two down out of the...six, four droids (didn't get a good look) inside. Awesome! Now...how do we get the rest out and us in so we can (hopefully) land this thing?! "AAHHH!" I scream as the droids we'd downed spin in midair and fire at us. The helicopter tilts and spins wildly, causing April to be tossed from it. I catch her hand, but just barely. I strained to keep my grip without digging my claws into her wrists. "Don! Little help?" I ask, trying to pull the girl up so she can get her own grip. Unfortunately, I tried to move too fast, and the girl was sweaty from adrenaline and terror. "Hurry!" I cry. Don bites his lip.
"Hang on! I'm coming!" He replies, too late, as her hand slips helplessly from my fingers.
"NO!" I exclaim, but Don's already on it. He lets go of the rail, grabs April in mid-air, and proceeds to flip off protruding sections of the building below before sliding a few feet and halting there. I, however, am not so lucky. I am thrown off the helicopter rail, hit the bridge connecting the building to the heli-pad-thing, roll off that, then slam into the wall before landing on my butt. "Ooowww..." I groan, picking myself shakily to my feet.
"Y-you okay?" Don asks us worriedly. I clutch my pounding head, but give him a thumbs up. I'd be okay in a second.
"Yeah...jes'...jes' give me a seond."
"Dad..." April whimpers, glancing at the helicopter fading into the night sky above us. We head toward the sounds of battle, and find Snakeweed being fired upon by several Kraang droids, my brother dodging the bolts all the while...oh, crap.
"What are they doing?!" Don snaps. "They're leading him right to that power generator!"
"Yeah, got that." I reply, mystified as Leo pulls out shuriken, using them to get Snakeweed's attention.
"Come and get me, Stinkweed!" He cries childishly, wriggling his fingers in front of his face in a obvious taunt. However, it works and Snakeweed is soon under Leo's feet as he then taunts the Kraang who fire at him, or (more accurately) the generator's casing. Oh, crap...
Snakeweed screeches in agony as the electricity courses through him and then there's an almighty BOOM as the generator exploded before us, showering us with bits of Snakeweed. Leo grabs April's shoulder as we stand there in shock that it actually worked. Shaking ourselves, Don and I take off after our siblings.
=#=#=#=#=
"Is there anywhere we can take you?" I ask when we're far enough away. April sighs heavily and turns to face us. She hasn't said a word since Don caught her fall.
"...My aunt's house, I guess, but...sh-shouldn't I call the police or something?" I flinch, but April is quick to clarify. "About my dad, not...not you guys. I would never do that." I smile faintly at her.
"That's up to you. Sorry...about everything." Don whispers, awkwardly putting a hand on her shoulder. She looks up at him and sighs again.
"It's not your fault. You...you tried. No one else even knew we went missing, and...and no one else would have been willing to storm an alien base just to get us back."
"But still." I sigh, and decide to just drop the matter. "At least we know the Kraang are out there, and have a general idea of what they're planning. Now, where does you're aunt live, exactly?" April gives us an address, and we're off. As soon as possible, we enter the sewers, where we can get to April's aunt's house faster.
"Why are we in the sewers?" April asks as we descend.
"The Kraang aren't as likely to search down here, and we know it better than topside." I reply, counting ladders we pass. At the fifteenth one, I notice a figure coming slowly down into the sewers. I motion for everyone to draw back into the shadows. I creep forward, and grab the figure, slamming it against the side of the tunnel, dimly noting it was male. I take it in, and... "Dao?!" I hiss incredulously. "What are you doing here?!" He pushes me back a little.
"Geez, Ami! I was scouting out Kraang bases, and when I saw the fire...well...I saw you all earlier. So..." I cock a brow.
"So you decided to...what? Keep us company?" He shrugs.
"Something like that." He replies. I sigh.
"Okay." Everyone had, by now, come out of hiding, and were ready to move along.
"Hey, Dao." Lupa greets.
"Let's just keep moving." Leo orders. It's clear he's uncomfortable and unused to this situation.
"April, this is our friend, Dao." I introduce, even as we begin moving again. "Dao, this is April, a girl we rescued tonight." Soon enough, we are where April told us her aunt lived. I went up the ladder first to make sure the area was clear. We arrive at a small apartment complex, one a lot like the flat roofs I've leapt over for five years. I wonder if I have raced across the roof of the building we race toward. as we shadow April across the road. April buzzes her aunt's intercom, and an older redhead, this red a little lighter, the eyes a forest green instead of pale sapphire blue, answers the door. Soon enough, April disappears into the building and she, after a few minutes, appears on a window sill on the fire escape, motioning us over. Cautiously, we approach, and she just slumps down, dejection pouring off her. I motion Don over. I know he wants to talk to her, and so...here's an opportunity for him to do just that.
"Are you gonna be alright?" He asks timidly.
"I guess." She replies slowly. "My aunt says I can stay here as long as I want. But I'll be a lot better when I track down the creeps that took my dad." She growls, suddenly fierce and determined, knuckles white on her knees.
"Won't the police help?" Leo asks. April gives a bitter chuckle.
"Funny thing; when you tell them your dad was kidnapped by alien brains in robot bodies...they don't take you all that seriously."
"Ouch." I sympathize.
"I hear that." I roll my eyes at Mikey.
"But, seriously, April...you know...we're here to help." She blinks.
"Yeah." Don agrees. "I promise we won't rest until we find him." He adds. I smile. Oh, Don. You are literally too cute. But, yeah.
"We won't?" Raph asks snarkily. I make a cutting gesture across my neck.
"No, we won't." Leo barks tersely. April sighs.
"Thank you." She says genuinely. "But it's not your fight."
"Yes, it is." Don replies seriously, hand comfortingly on April's knee. She gives him a warm, touched smile. He shyly backs away.
"We were raised to defend ourselves and those too weak to protect themselves. That means stopping whatever the Kraang want those scientists for, and protecting this city from future plans of theirs." I add before we leave.
"I totally think she likes me." Don whispers to me as soon as we're on the roof and he waves to April, still fighting down the blush he's had since April smiled at him. I pat his shoulder.
"Oh, I think 'like' is slightly strong...but she's definitely warming up to us." I reply. We run across the roofs and down through the sewers, arriving home soon enough. "Sensei, we're home!" I call. I knew he wouldn't be able to sleep with all of us out in the city, and facing an entire base of Kraang droids. Sure enough, he's out to see us in a heartbeat, smiling warmly and with no small amount of relief. I grab Leo and we head into the Dojo to give a report. It's a mix of both our sides,and so Sensei gets a fuller picture of what happened. He stands still through our story, frowning when I tell him about the Kraang and how they are connected to our mutation so many years ago.
"I am impressed, Leonardo." He praises. "Asami, you performed admirably, as well, even under the most difficult of circumstances." he adds. I smile.
"Arigato, Otousan. (Thank you, Father.)" I reply. Sensei nods, turning to listen to Mikey telling Dao about our night.
"Thank you, Sensei. And I think I know why you made me leader."
"Oh?" Sensei asks, amused. He spared me a sideways glance, and I throw my hands up.
"I didn't tell him." Leo scowls.
"Still wish she did, but no. Because you sensed inside me a warrior spirit that could forge us all into the heroes we are destined to become." I blink. Oh, Leo... I laugh, and cover my mouth to try and stifle it.
"No." Sensei says, still not facing us.
"'No'?" Leo repeats, shocked. "Then, why did you make me leader?" He asks.
"Because you asked." Splinter replies, smiling. Leo leans back a little in confusion.
"But...you seemed so certain you were right."
"As a leader, you will learn that there is no right or wrong, only choices."
"So...You could have chosen any of us, Asami aside?" He adds, seeing my scowl.
"Yes."
"Even Mikey?!" Splinter chuckles.
"No, that would have been wrong."
"You kinda contradicted yourself there, da-"
"Everybody, come here!" Mikey screamed. "We made the news!" He chirps. I pale. There's so way...right? I sprint out, just as the report starts.
"A report of, get this, ninjas in New York! Don't believe me? After residents reported a disturbance, the police recovered this." The screen then showed a Hamato clan shuriken in a corner. I facepalm.
"At least it's not a picture."? I groan.
"You were fortunate." Splinter replies. I quail slightly.
"Hai, Sensei."
"This is awesome!" Mikey chirps.
"We're gonna be famous!" Lupa adds. I groan.
"You guys, this is serious! If there was a picture...we'd be dead."
"You must be more careful!" Sensei barks. "A ninja's most powerful weapon is the shadows. Being brought into the light is a dangerous thing." He cautions. I shiver. No need to remind me. He;s told us all our lives about the dangers of being seen by any humans. Although, April and her dad were nice...
"Relax, Sensei. It's one little news story. What' the worst that could happen?" For some reason, I get another shiver up my spine. This is the part of the movie where the villain then sees that 'one little news story' and learn that his enemies are alive, and he then attempts to get revenge.
"I dunno, Raph..." I whisper, more to myself. "I hope this bad feeling is just me being paranoid..."
HEH-HEH...OH, ASAMI. YOU SHOULD TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS MORE OFTEN...HEH. ANYWAY, HOPE YOU ENJOYED! SORRY FOR MAKING ASAMI FREAK OUT ABOUT THE MUTAGEN. IT'S HOW I'D REACT IF SOMETHING THAT CAUSE ME SO MUCH PAIN RESURFACED AND MY SIBLINGS DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS HARMFUL...YEAH. ANYWAY, I DID MAKE HER APOLOGIZE AND EXPLAIN, SO...SORRY NOT SORRY! LOVE Y'ALL!
