(sorry it took me so long. Life got away from me for a bit. But here is the next chapter. Working on wrapping this baby up! Hope you enjoy the end, and thank you all for reading!)
Chapter 32
"Keeping promises"
Mikey pushed himself with all he had left to run just a little harder to go just that little bit further. The thudding of the helicopter drowning out any sounds his escape attempt was making.
He hadn't been thrilled about the idea of him splitting off. He never is, but he is the fastest, a natural sprinter. So he always gets chosen for this particular sort of job.
Locking up his legs, he slid around a corner then broke into a run again. Just a little further… and mark. Exhausted, Mikey hit his knees and shell sliding under the cover of a box truck that graced the ally. Trying very hard to ignore the struggle, he knew was occurring on the roof of the nearest building, he forced himself to stay put.
A few moments later he was joined by Donatello as the sounds of the helicopter began to fade.
"Well?" Mikey pushed.
"Raph and Leo are on the helicopter."
"All clear." Casey called out as he wrapped on the side of the rented box truck before climbing in to the driver's seat.
"Let's go." Don said before rolling out from under the truck followed by Mikey.
*scene change*
"Where is she!?" Bishop yelled so fervently that his spit spackled Raph's face.
Raph was honestly still a little groggy from the tranquilizers and perhaps the helicopter ride over. The fist that was slammed into his jaw made his teeth rattle and his ears ring before the world became a little clearer, his eyes locking with Bishop's.
"Where is my experiment?" Bishop growled.
Raphael seethed at the outlook of his Arayah, his family being nothing more than an experiment. No matter how true it may be in Bishop's eyes.
Raphael's anger rolling off of him in hot waves that were surely tangible.
Bishop must have sensed it because he backed away from the large fuming turtle. Despite the fact that Raphael was restrained Bishop felt better with a little more distance between them. Though Bishop was an extremely skilled fighter, his body was sore from the recent car chase and he had no intention of causing himself any further pain.
"Check the restraints." Bishop ordered the lab techs before turning his attention to Leonardo who was now starting to wake. Bishop's sly smile slowly slipped across his face as he looked back at Raphael. Bringing more pain to the turtles was not an issue. "Bring me my surgical tools."
*scene change*
Three shadows walked silently along the fence of a small military facility, the kind that is designed to look like it doesn't exist. Getting to it had not been easy. Driving out of the city and into farm country to what looked like a barn with a tall chain link fence and a large, empty, well-lit yard around it.
"Are you sure we're in the right place?" Michealangelo asked as he scanned the yard for a way to get in unseen. "There's no helicopter or nothing. And it is definitely not the same place he took them last time."
"Of course he wouldn't take them to the same place, Mikey." Don shook his head as he checked the screen of his phone. "The helicopter is inside that barn. The tracker is still transmitting."
"How are we supposed to get in there?" Casey shifted with agitation. "We ain't got a lot of time, and there is absolutely no cover."
Don flicked his tongue as he thought. The space between them and the building was too far to jump to the barn roof. There were no visible guards but that didn't mean there were no guards. The well-lit empty yard was not going to make this easy either. "How do you become invisible when being invisible isn't possible?"
"Distraction?" Mikey asked.
"Bingo." Don replied as he began scanning the brush for something to use as a distraction. A smile slipped across his face as he spied the most perfect of, millennia tested, distractions. This was going to take a delicate hand.
*scene change*
This was NOT part of the plan.
Leo stifled his desire to cry out as bishop grabbed hold of a finger nail with a pair of pliers and slowly began to pull. It wasn't so bad at first but as the nail began to lift from the nail bed and pull away from the matrix (where your nail grows out of) the pain was excruciating and the feeling, stomach turning. He had read about tortures where bamboo shoots would be pushed up under the finger nail. He now understood why it was used as torture. Finally and to Leo's surprising relief the nail gave and was pulled from his finger.
'remain calm.' Leo told himself. 'Don't give his bastard any satisfaction…even if you only have four more finger nails and two toe nails left.'
"Leave him alone you sick fuck!" Raph bellowed. He had been positioned this time so he could see. Raph fought and squirmed to get Bishop's attention on him instead of Leo. His brother had already born too much of the weight of Raph's choices.
Bishop understood the bonds of brothers, the lengths they would go to for one another, how deep that love could run, and he knew exactly how to twist it to get what he wanted. He sat down the pliers on the tray then slowly picked up a pair of snips; giving Raphael time to fully process his intentions.
Raphael's increased struggles and curses pleased Bishop greatly. But not as much as seeing the stoic leader's breath quicken and the uncertainty that flashed across his face as he cleanched his fists protectively.
Agent Scawalski had seen all she could handle. She had been bishop's shadow since the helicopter chase and she could not take any more of his sadism. This was not science or for the good of the American people… this was wrong. Quietly Scawalski backed out of the room.
*scene change*
"Bees!" someone screamed as the tiny, angry, insects swarmed into the old wooden barn. More yelps followed.
"Still got it." Casey gloated over his throw. He had managed not to shake up the good sized hive too much; getting stung only once before he threw it, smashing the hive against the barn door.
"Don't get too excited. We have to go in there." Don explained with a frown.
"We should have rethought our distraction." Mikey's shoulders slumped before he approached the fence and began to climb.
One by one the three quickly climbed the fence and hurried across the open yard to the side of the barn, standing as close to the entrance as they dared. So not to obtain too many stings as of yet.
Shouts and occasional gun fire sounded from inside the barn.
"You can't shoot bees you idiot!" Someone yelled from inside the barn before yelping from another sting.
A moment later a number of soldiers burst from inside the barn running across the yard stripping their bee infested clothes while three shadows slipped, almost, silently inside.
It was easy enough to find the hatch and it only took Don a few moments, enough time to get stung twelve times, to decipher the lock.
As soon as Don threw open the hatch Casey dove in taking out the three soldiers that had stood at the bottom slapping stinging insects from their bodies. Mikey and Don climbed down after.
"Which way genius?" Casey asked.
"Hmm." Don considered the white hall to the right and then the one to the left. He was suddenly jarred by a sharp smack upside the head. "Owe! What was that for, Mike?"
"There was a bee climbing around on your bandanna." Mike answered with an expression that only conveyed concern.
Don rubbed the back of his head as he looked back down the halls. With a shrug he said, "Left I guess."
"You guess?" Casey asked as he and Mikey followed Donnie down the hall.
"I don't have a map. So unless we can find a layout of the place we are rats in a maze."
"Great." Mike griped as he scratched at one of his bee stings.
*scene change*
Scawalski hurried as she transferred the cryogenically frozen embryos to the portable cooler. Then carefully putting the strap over her shoulder exited the cryogenics room.
She didn't have a plan at the moment. Just knew she needed to put a stop to Bishop's madness and she had to get away with it… somehow.
In the hopes of causing a distraction she pulled a fire alarm as she walked by it. Quickly making her way down the hall as the alarms began to sound through the underground complex.
*scene change*
"What did you touch, Mikey?" Don asked, looking up at the flashing lights, that lined the halls, and grimacing against the sound of the alarm.
Mikey frowned. "Why does everyone always assume it was me?"
Don would have answered except Casey was waving from outside a room down the hall. He had found what they were looking for.
Unfortunately the sudden alarm sent those with in the room hurrying out.
Casey took advantage of the first lab tech's surprise at seeing him and landed his fist squarely in the lab techs face. The lab tech fell back into another lab tech tripping him up and sending him sprawling backwards.
Casey then dove into the room, followed by Mikey and Don, Hockey stick out and swinging away.
Mikey honed in on Bishop, who still held a decent chunk of Leo's pointer finger in his hand. "You're going down man!" Mikey shouted before lunging at Bishop. His nunchucku snapping out violently, only to be caught in Bishop's hand. "Wha..how?"
Bishop grinned and slammed his fist into Mikey's nose.
Don took advantage of the distraction to start releasing his other brothers from their bonds.
"Took you long enough!" Raph snapped at Don, who was hurriedly removing Raph's restraints.
"Not like I had a map." Don retorted before moving to Leo.
The moment his was free Raph dove into battle. Swinging on Bishop with his bare hands till Casey had threw him his sai.
Bishop ducked and dodged his three attackers with ease. A devilish grin plastered on his face. They had gotten better over the years mastering their skill. But so had Bishop, always a step ahead. Perhaps they could take him down if he took a miss step.
He threw the piece of finger he was still holding at Michelangelo, who squealed and spun away as if it had been a grenade, then sunk a scalpel from a nearby tray deep into Raphael's arm. Ducking low as Casey swung on him he spun and rolled out of the way letting the intended blow land hard on Michelangelo's chest, knocking him on his shell. Unfortunately for Bishop, this put him in the perfect place for an optimal blow from Donatello's bo staff.
"Don't let him up Don!" Leo shouted as tried not to slip in his own blood and wrap his wounded hand at the same time.
Attempting to do just that Don swung on Bishop again.
The attack was countered, however, by Bishop deflecting the bo and launching a hard kick up into Donatello's stomach.
Donatello quickly righted himself, as had the others. And all now advanced pushing Bishop back into the corner.
Knowing this game would end soon, and not in his favor, Bishop changed tactics and drew his gun.
The first shot buried itself deep in Donatello's plastron earing Bishop a pleasing yelp from the turtle.
Though it hadn't gone through, the bullet hurt and sent Don back a few steps. His plastron wasn't as thick as his carapace and the boney plate cracked in long lines from the where the hollow point had hit.
"You alright Donnie?" Leo asked as he pulled one of the exam tables over and painfully took up a protective crouch by his brother. Bullets sending the others into a similar position with the second table.
"Ya." Don answered as he probed at the lower half of his chest. "Not going to be able to take another like that though."
Bishop continued to fire shots as he made his way to the door.
Determined not to let his enemy get away, Raph lept over the table and rushed Bishop taking two bullets to the shoulder and chest before singing on his target. Anger and a pure instinctual desire to protect his family fueling him forward.
"Casey stay down." Leo instructed the more vulnerable human before flipping himself over the side of the table followed by Mikey.
"No problem." Casey agreed as he moved closer to Don and tried to help the turtle tape up his injury.
Leo miss judged how slick his blood had made his feet. When he landed his feet immediately came out from under him followed by the force of Michelangelo running into him, after Mikey expecting his brother to already be moving forward into battle. The motion and momentum sent them both sprawling forward to land in a tangled heap in a very unninja like manner.
Leo looked up in time to see Bishop dodge Raphael's swinging fist and bring his pistol to set in the middle of Raphael's forehead.
Leo closed his eyes against the blood and brain matter splattered him and Mikey. Hearts pounding both looked up to watch Bishop's body fall to the ground, blood pooling out around his head.
Agent Scowalski took deep breaths as her focus moved from her dead boss, to her smoking gun, to the shocked red banded turtle that stood just inside the door way. "Unfortunately I am going to have to blame you for this." She stated as she handed the turtle the cooler she carried. "But if you all leave now I can give you a few seconds head start."
There wasn't time to waist and the job they came there for was done.
"Lets go!" Leo ordered. Pushing everyone to find their feet and begin hurrying down the hall.
Agent Scowalski watched as the turtles helped each other in their hurried escape for a moment then looking back down as the Bishop's body put her pistol to her shoulder closed her eyes and squeezed the trigger.
*scene change*
The four brothers and Casey hurriedly made the last stretch back to the van leaving a storm of chaos behind them.
The turtles piled into the back of the van and Casey started it up and pulled out onto the road as inconspicuously as possible.
Bleeding and hurting they all took steadying breaths as the realization that is was over sank in.
"Whoo!" Michelangelo suddenly exclaimed making everyone else in the truck jump. "We're going hom, baby!"
"Home?" Leo asked as he leaned back against the wall of the box truck. "Not just yet Mikey. I think we will lay low at April and Casey's farm house and heal." Yes healing sounded good. His everything hurt!
"What's in the cooler, Raph?" Don asked.
Raph looked down at the cooler agent Skowalski had given him. He had been so shocked she had shot Bishop he had forgotten he had it. He shrugged and handed it over to Donatello.
"I hope it's her lunch!" Mikey exclaimed excitedly and he rubbed his stomach.
Don slowly opened the cooled and tentatively peered inside, blinking at the cooler's contents a couple of times before giving an explanation. "No it's not her lunch… it's the future."
"Of what?" Leo asked as everyone leaned over to peer inside.
"Our species." Don grinned down at the containers that held hundreds of frozen zigots. "We just have to have wombs."
"Umm, anatomy lesson Don. None of us have a womb and I am pretty sure Arayah ain't up for all that." Raph informed.
Donnie's grin widened. "I know just who to call."
Epilog
He couldn't help the stupid happy smile that spread across his face as he watched the wind swept across her caressing her face before picking up her deep chestnut tresses and tangling them in rays of sun. Her eyes lighting up like two shining emeralds washed in bright brilliance. Oh and how his heart quickened when a smile spread across her strawberry lips when she looked back him before looking down at the child that sat on her hip, His son. He could not have found the words to express the depth of the emotion that filled him. Pride, love, passion these words were empty in comparison to what he felt.
A small whimper came from the car seat in the van behind him.
"Oh, sorry Yamantaka." Raph smiled as he unbuckled Eve and lifted her from the car seat. "Don't tell your mom I called you that."
Snuggling her close and slightly awkwardly against his chest he joined Arayah on the walk to the house.
Don appeared on the porch obviously vibrating with excitement "Come on you guys!"
"Guess we better hurry." Arayah laughed as her and raph picked up the pace.
Upon entering the kitchen Arayah was greeted by a weirdness she certainly had never expected. A… being, of sorts, that looked very much like chewed bubblegum with tentacles and a face hunkered into a robot body stood next to the table. Next to him was a silver colored, spindly looking robot.
"oh, Hi Mortue. Professor Honeycut." Raph greated, before looking turning to the shocked looking Arayah. "Have I ever told you about the time I went to space?"
Arayah shook her head. She had known him over a year and a half now, how did a trip to space never come up?
"Tell her about it later." Don interrupted. "The professor has some exciting news."
"Ah yes!" The robot started talking. "Mr. Mortue ..." Professor Honeycut motioned to the bubblegum with tentacles. "has spoken with the utrom council, per your request Donatello…"
"And they have decided to grant you your request." Mr. Mortue continued. "A planet is being terraformed on the out skirts of your galaxy. It should be ready when you arrive."
"When we arrive?" Mikey asked.
"Yes." Splinter decided to give further explanation. "I and Donatello have decided to take the frozen zygotes to this terraformed planet and begin raising the next generation."
"One child to start." Don shifted nervously. "More once I have a better idea of what I'm doing."
"By yourself?" Arayah shifted Rakkii to her other hip. "it's a lot of work Don."
"Well, Splinter is going with me. And anyone else that wants to come can. There are already a few small cities started on the parts of the planet that have finished terraforming. And they have a facility with artificial wombs if… well if anyone else wants to raise children."
Leo and Mikey looked at each other for a brief moment before turning back to Mr. Mortue and the Professor.
"What about earth?" Leo asked.
"There will be a teleporter available to you." Mr. Mortue answered.
"That's what you were wondering?" Mikey shook his head. "I was wondering if the pizza is half as good as I remember."
"I am sure you will make sure that it is, my son." Splinter chuckled.
"Cool, I'm in." Michelangelo decided.
Leo looked to Raph. "I'm not going if you're not. You find too much trouble."
Raphael let out a snort then looked at Arayah. "What do you think? Raise these munchkins where they can go outside in the daylight and not live in a sewer or stay here?"
Arayah glanced around the room as she tried to come to a decision. Was he seriously asking her to move to another planet?! Leave everything she had fought her whole life to achieve?... who was she kidding she had lost all that the moment Bishop had walked into her office. Nothing was the same anymore and nothing was normal.
Looking at Eve as she chewed on the ends of her father's bandanna Arayah couldn't deny the swelling of her heart. Despite what she had once believed and considering everything she had been through She loved that big lug of a turtle and she loved her children even more. Wasn't that the purpose of calamity? To bring unlikely people together, in ways they never would have happened otherwise. He had made her decision. "Can we bring the cribs and rocking chair you made me?"
"I don't see why not." Raph shrugged.
"Ok I'll go." Arayah took a nervous breath. "How much weirder could life possibly get?"
Much much weirder.
*Finish*
(I felt they deserved a safer place to raise their children and their children deserved a place to grow in the open air. I may like to blow crap up and what not but I am a sucker for a happy ending.)