Hi guys! I told you I'd get the next chapter out sooner than the last one! Looking back, I realize I haven't responded to you guest reviewers in ever, so I'm dedicating this portion to you.
To Princess Bunny:
Haha. I'm glad you're excited it's back. One thing though. I am Tatsu Rose. I just changed my name about a month ago.
To Roxygirl:
You are an absolute riot. Both here and my CharacterXReader TMNT Scenarios. Here's the next chapter for you. By the way, I hope you didn't break anything valuable with that pillow. ;)
Without further ado, Chapter 13!
Chapter 13: Terrors of the Night
"I don't get it." Fallyn sighed. She rested a foot on the edge of the roof, leaning her elbows on her knee. Leo chuckled behind her.
"Don't get what?"
"Why you are so overprotective of me? You haven't let me out of your sight in weeks." Fallyn smirked as Leo's heartbeat picked up with his embarrassment. "What gives Leo?"
"I'm not-"
"You're lying." Leo's shoulders dropped in defeat, knowing she was right. Since she had woken up, Leo had rarely let her out of his sight, only relenting on certain subjects. They had spent so much time together, he wasn't surprised she knew when he was lying. Besides the fact that she could hear his heartbeat pick up.
He sighed, walking to stand next to her. "I just… its–"
"If you're about to say it's your fault I got hurt I will push you off the roof." Leo swallowed.
"No. I was just going to say, it's my duty, as leader, to uh…"
"Never mind. You should have just said the first thing. That was just stupid." Leo chuckled with the girl. "It's not your fault Leo. We've been over this."
"But I could have stopped you. I just…"
"You chose your brothers over me." Fallyn glanced at him. "I would have done the same thing for April." Leo stared at her, incredulous.
"As a leader and the eldest, you have to make the hard call sometimes. And that means you chose which ever path that will enable your brothers to go home alive. Maybe not in one piece, but alive nonetheless." Leo just gaped at her.
"I… I guess you're right." Fallyn snickered, elbowing the turtle in the shoulder.
"I'm always right. Get used to it."
"I already am." Leo smiled down at Fallyn. He gently kissed her forehead, a habit he had created in the past week. Well, technically it had actually started while she was still comatose, but she didn't need to know that. "Come on. We had better be getting back." Fallyn sighed in defeat.
"Do we have too? We just got out here."
"Yeah, two hours ago." Fallyn's eyes widened minutely.
"Huh. That would explain a lot, actually." She clenched her jaw, a movement Leo immediately recognized as hiding a yawn. The turtle chuckled, scooping her up, ignoring her yelp of protest.
"Let's go, your Highness. Your bed awaits." The girl giggled, nuzzling her head into his plastron.
"Whatever you say, dork." Leo rolled his eyes. Jumping down the fire escape, he kneeled to remove the manhole cover. He leapt inside, pulling the cover closed after them. As he walked back to the lair, he looked down at the girl in his arms. He smiled softly at her sleeping face.
"Goodnight, Fallyn."
One month. That's how long it has been since they last saw the Shredder. Since then, they haven't seen hide-nor-hair of the Foot. While suspicious, everyone welcomed the respite. It allowed them to focus on more important matters. The most prominent was getting Fallyn back on her feet.
Everyone pitched in. April would come down every day, picking up dirty clothes and dropping off new ones. She would also give her updates of the world above, so Fallyn didn't feel left out. But the best part was when she brought down some of her aunt's homemade meals.
Mikey helped by working on her flexibility. While he wasn't the best fighter, there was no argument as to who was the most flexible among the guys: Mikey won hands down. In fact, he usually fell asleep while the others were stretching. In any case, he was invaluable in getting Fallyn back to normal. Even though she was now able to walk around by herself, no artificial aids, it was a chore for her to walk up stairs. She was now able to walk up the stairs to the dojo without needing to take a break directly after. Everyone saw that as a major achievement.
Because of her inability to walk up a lot of stairs, Fallyn still lived in the sewers with the guys and Splinter. Meaning she still slept in Leo's room. Splinter had laid out a spare futon on the floor, and Leo wouldn't let Fallyn get a word in edgewise when the subject of who was going to sleep on it came up. Leo won when Donnie took his side, saying it would be harder on her foot if she had to get up and lie down every day instead of just rolling out of bed.
Speaking of Donnie, he was her personal doctor. Every time she exited Leo's room, he was waiting for her. It was the same questions every time they walked to breakfast: 'How did you sleep?', 'Any new pain?', 'Did Leo snore?'. It was the same deal, so no one bothered listening in. Because of that, Donnie used it to his advantage to ask more personal questions. Most prominent: Would it be alright if I trained with/showed something to April? Fallyn always said yes, but after finding out what exactly Don had planned to do.
As for Leo, he helped in any way he could. Sparring, weapons practice, walking, fixing the bed, anything. He was her normal weapons sparring partner, on account of both of them using swords. Both welcomed it, thrilled to have a partner that used the same type of weapon. On top of that, he usually accompanied her to the surface when they went on patrol.
That left Raphael. He worked on rebuilding her muscle. After being asleep for almost three weeks, and loosing most of the blood in her body before that, she had lost a lot of weight. Since most of that was muscle, she was significantly weaker than before. Raphael had taken it upon himself to help her regain her strength.
On the side, he would also help her with her training by finding different stances that would allow her to effectively use her sword while keeping weight off her still healing right foot. Because he had to help her find the right stance, it gave him an excuse to touch her. Raph could only imagine Leo's face if he knew how often he had his hands on Fallyn. Of course, if anything, that only furthered the hothead's desire to get close to Fallyn. While training, he would ask questions, getting to know her better, little by little.
Splinter took up Fallyn's training as a kunoichi. He took it easy, not wanting to aggravate her still healing body. Nevertheless, he enjoyed every moment he spent with her. Though he was training April as well, Fallyn was much more adept at the art, and therefore much easier to teach. He would never say it out loud… but he couldn't help but think, and wonder, if this is what Miwa would have been like… if she had lived.
Leo sighed to himself as he gently laid Fallyn down on the bed, covering her up. After making sure his door was locked, he sat next to her, just watching her sleep. He knew Master Splinter checked on them every night, but Leo couldn't understand why. It wasn't like they were doing anything.
'I would never dishonor her. Sensei knows that.' Leo sighed, reaching out to brush some hair away from Fallyn's face. In doing so, he saw her eyebrows knit together. His own furrowed in concern. "Fallyn?"
The girl didn't respond. Instead, she started tossing and turning in the bed. Leo's eyes widened. Crouching on his knees, he placed his hands on her shoulders and began to shake gently.
"Fallyn. Fallyn wake up!" He shook harder, careful to not jostle her too hard. It worked, because her golden irises were soon revealed. Leo felt like his heart died when he saw the tears.
"Leo?" Fallyn sighed, looking up at him. "What's wrong?"
"You were tossing and turning in your sleep." Her eyes widened. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah." Leo pursed his lips slightly. Fallyn turned onto her side, looking away from him. "Sorry to have woken you." He was tempted to say he had never fallen asleep, but thought better of it. Instead, he sat behind her, gazing gently at her head.
"Was it a nightmare?"
"I wish." was her muttered answer. His eyes widened. Laying down, he draped an arm over her waist. Gently, he pulled her to him. Fallyn didn't resist as he placed his chin on top of her head.
"Was it about your past?" From the way her body stiffened against his, he knew he was right. Leo sighed, tilting his head so his face was buried in her hair. "You don't have to tell me what you saw. But you don't have to be strong either."
"Leo…"
"We promised we would be there for each other, right?" Fallyn turned around, looking at him. "That means comforting, doesn't it?" Turning onto his side, Leo hesitantly slipped his arm under her head, allowing her to use it as a pillow. "I know you're not ready to tell us… me… everything that happened to you at the hands of the Kraang. But I want you to know that you don't have to be strong in front of me.
"When it's just us, feel free to cry all you want." Using his hand that was behind her head, Leo began to thread her hair between his fingers. "You don't have to be indestructible with me, Fallyn. Okay?" Fallyn searched his eyes, her own golden pools filled with uncertainty and unshed tears.
Smiling softly, Leo leaned down, kissing her forehead. Instead of immediately pulling back, he trailed kisses down the left side of her face. He paid extra attention to the scar on her cheek, placing a kiss where each stitch was. His lips twitched into a smile when a small sigh passed Fallyn's lips as she relaxed into him. When he pulled back, Fallyn had closed her eyes and nestled her face into his chest.
"Thank you Leo." Leo smiled, tightening his hold on her slightly. "It was about my mother." It was Leo's turn to stiffen. He didn't look down, but he knew Fallyn's eyes were open, even though she wasn't staring at anything. She was seeing the past. "Today's the anniversary of her death."
"Oh Fallyn…" Leo started petting her hair, trying to comfort her. "I…" He could think of a dozen things to say, but he knew they were all wrong. He had never had never known his mother. He and his brothers had hatched from eggs after all. And Splinter had been there from the very beginning.
Leo had never lost any of his family… so he couldn't imagine the pain of losing a member.
Fallyn's hands twitched against his plastron. When he felt the telltale drops on his shell, his arms tightened. Leo held her as she cried, not saying anything. When she finally quieted, he looked down at her. Fallyn had fallen asleep against him, her cheeks still streaked with dampness. Lifting his hand from her waist, he wiped away the remains of the salty liquid. Just then, a light knock on the door.
"Come in." The door opened, revealing Master Splinter. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the two on the same bed. Leo avoided his gaze, not in the mood for a lecture.
"Leonardo…"
"She had a nightmare about her mother's death." Leo didn't have to look at his sensei to know his entire body had stiffened. "Is it wrong for me to comfort her?" Splinter didn't say anything, instead leaving, quietly closing the door behind him. Leo sighed. "I don't get it. What is he so worried about?"
~ *.* ~
Fallyn and the guys jumped off the fire escape, cautiously making their way across the street. It was unusually foggy that night, but they welcomed it, as it provided extra cover for them. They snuck into an alleyway, hiding behind a dumpster. Leo peeked out around the corner.
"Shredder could be anywhere." Leo tapped a finger to his lips. "Stay frosty guys."
"FYI, frost can't accumulate unless it's below freezing. Except during a process called-" As Donnie rambled, Mikey leaned towards Raph.
"Maybe he's got an off switch somewhere." Lifting his hand, Raph slapped Don's head. The taller turtle yelped in pain, but shut up. Raph turned to Mikey, a satisfied look on his face.
"Found it!" Mikey chuckled, while Fallyn rolled her eyes at their antics.
"And I found four pathetic turtles and one prodigal daughter… with only seconds to live." Another voice rang through the alley. Everyone looked around.
"Wouldn't want to be them." Fallyn growled at Mikey as she and the others unsheathed their weapons.
"We are them!" she hissed. The teens slowly spread out, looking for the owner of the voice. Mikey backed up, his nunchaku held at the ready. He stopped short when his carapace bumped into something cold and metal. He barely had time to look up before he was pulled into the fog. One of his nunchaku hit Donnie on the foot.
"Mikey!" He leapt at Shredder. Using his blades, Shredder caught the Bo, breaking it. As Don flew back, Shredder shot in front of him, planting a foot in his back. Don was lost to the mist.
"Raph! Take him down!" Fallyn and Raphael ran at the ninja master. Raph jumped up on the building, running along the side as Fallyn engaged the enemy. When she was kicked away, Raph sprang at him, sais forward. He was blocked, and punched several times before sent flying. Fallyn ran after him, hand outstretched.
He too disappeared.
"No!" Leo watched in horror. Fallyn took up a stance next to him. Before either could do anything, Shredder was directly in front of them. Leo watched what happened in slow motion. Fallyn's eyes widening… as Shredder's blades came for her… plunging into her stomach. "Fallyn!"
Blood shot from her mouth as she gagged on her life fluid. Retracting his blades from her body, Shredder let her limp form fall to the ground. Leo tried to reach for her, but Shredder stopped him. The last thing Leo saw was Shredder's bloodied blades slicing open his chest.
~ *.* ~
"NO!" Splinter leapt up, his breathing ragged. He looked around, trying to calm his racing heart. He was still in his room, albeit drenched in sweat. He placed a hand on his forehead.
'Just a nightmare. Thank goodness.' His eyes opened slightly. 'But what if it is true? The last time they fought… my sons barely made it back alive, and Fallyn almost died.' The sound of turn dials snapped him from his thoughts. Exiting the room, he saw the teens preparing to leave.
"Where are you going?"
"Heading out for our evening patrol."
"There will be no patrol." His sons blinked in surprise. Fallyn came out of the kitchen, wearing a light robe over her pajamas. In her hands was a steaming cup of tea. Opting to stay silent, she watched as the boys turned back to Splinter.
"Sensei?"
"Last time you fought the Shredder, you barely escaped with your lives."
"But Sensei!" Fallyn rolled her eyes at Raph. "Next time we'll be ready."
'Have you learned nothing, Raph?'
"Yes." Splinter grabbed Raph's hand, placing him in an arm lock. "Because you will stay down here until you are ready! No patrol, no games, no rest! There is only training!" He threw Raph back to his brothers.
"Starting now!"
複
April sighed as she sat with Fallyn. The sisters were watching anime while the guys trained. It's all they had done for the past six days, with hardly any sleep. Fallyn doubted they had had any at all, but knew better than to say something to Splinter.
"Fallyn?"
"Hm?" Fallyn chuckled as Sebastian hit the heads of the servants for being idiots, hitting Bardroy twice for good measure. April rolled her eyes at her sister. Strong, no-nonsense Fallyn… an absolute otaku. "April?"
"Just wondering why you like this show so much. It's… bloody." Fallyn shot her a glare.
"It is a wonderfully made anime with smoking hot characters. Besides, real life is bloody." April smirked.
"Oh! So you watch it for the characters huh?" Fallyn shrugged, giving the screen her full attention.
"Meh. For Sebastian, really." April rolled her eyes as Fallyn purred in appreciation of Sebastian preparing the food. "Mh, mh! Not hard to see why Grell's gaga for you, Sebby."
"You know he's a demon that devours souls, right?"
"So?" April sighed, leaning back into the couch.
"You're hopeless."
"Hopelessly in love, hon."
複
Fallyn walked around the lair, checking on everyone. For the first time in three weeks, Splinter had allowed the boys to take a break. April was currently up in the city, delivering pizzas. Since Fallyn had been on leave till her foot heals, April decided to take it upon herself to get a job. And since everyone was busy, Fallyn wasn't going to waste any time.
Silently, she opened the dojo door, peeking in. Splinter wasn't meditating in front of the tree, which left his room. Closing the door behind her, she walked across the tatami mats and carpets. She knocked on the door.
"Sensei? Are you in there?"
"Fallyn?" Splinter opened the door. "Is there something wrong?"
"I could be asking you that." His eyes widened slightly. Fallyn tilted her head, her golden eyes soft with worry. "What's with you, Sensei? You never push them this hard." Splinter sighed, averting his gaze. Fallyn's eyes narrowed when the reek of sweat reached her nose.
"I don't think you're doing this because they need it." Splinter stiffened, staring at her in shock. Fallyn didn't give an inch, instead searching his eyes. "I think you're doing this because you're scared." Splinter sighed, motioning with his head for her to enter his room. She sat down across from him on the futon. Instead of kneeling, Splinter crossed his legs, his shoulders hunched.
"You are right, Fallyn." The rat master sighed again, looking at his lap. "I am afraid." He met her gaze. "I'm afraid of losing you. Losing all of you." Fallyn's eyes widened.
"Sensei…"
"Three weeks ago, I had a nightmare." Fallyn didn't say anything. "You and the boys were on patrol. You… you were attacked by the Shredder." Splinter forcefully shut his eyes, trying to block out the memory, but his lips wouldn't let him.
"He took out Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael. You and Leonardo were left." Fallyn licked her lips, not liking where this was going. "Shredder…. He killed you." Fallyn gasped. "And then he did the same to Leonardo."
"Oh Sensei…" Standing on her knees, Fallyn wrapped her arms around Splinter's neck, drawing his head to her chest. She felt the droplets on her shirt, soaking through the fabric. One of his hands came up to fist itself in her shirt. His shoulders shook.
"I'm sorry. I can't help but feel this is my fault." She felt his eyes open against her shoulder. She sighed, rubbing his back. "If I hadn't gotten as hurt as I did, you never would have had to fear us getting hurt this much."
"Fallyn…" Splinter wrapped his arms around her, returning her embrace. "Thank you… but you are not to blame." Fallyn tilted her head slightly. "It is not… entirely… because of your condition… that I fear the Shredder taking you away from me." Fallyn nodded, her gaze resting on the memorial.
"Your wife and daughter… he took them from you whilst you lived in Japan, didn't he?" Splinter nodded against her.
"I fear losing my family again." Fallyn sighed, pulling back. She rested a hand on his cheek.
"I know how that is. Believe me." Splinter nodded, a slight smile pulling up at his lips. "But… if you push the boys too hard, they won't be able to fight." He nodded, looking a little embarrassed.
"You are right, Fallyn." The tiger mutant chuckled slightly.
"I've been getting that a lot lately."
"Well…" Splinter smiled, gently running his hand down her head. "It is true." They both looked to her left at the sound of Mikey screaming. The duo sighed in unison. "I don't know who will be the death of me… Shredder, or Raphael's temper." Fallyn snickered, standing.
"Actually, it's Donnie chasing him this time." Splinter blinked in surprise. Fallyn shrugged. "Hey. Even he's got an angry side to him."
"Somehow I think that would be more frightening than Raphael."
"Believe me… it is."
複
Fallyn looked up as April entered the lair. One look at the younger O'Neil's face, and she knew something was wrong. Standing, Fallyn walked over to her sister. April looked up.
"Shredder's planning something big." Fallyn nodded.
"I thought as much. There hasn't been much activity from the Foot, so he must need a lot of manpower for whatever it is."
"Come on. Let's go get the guys."
"Okay." Fallyn led the way to the dojo. They walked in in time to hear Leo say that they need to stay below. "Unfortunately, I don't think that's an option any longer." The guys and Splinter joined them outside, where April sat on the couch. She played back the recording she had taken of the Purple Dragons.
"We're meeting Shredder tonight. He's got a plan to destroy the turtles."
"How? He doesn't even know where they are."
"He says they're in the sewer somewhere, and that's all he needs to know to wipe them out." Splinter sighed.
"Our home is no longer safe. The Shredder must be stopped."
"How can we stop a plan we don't even know?" Leo tossed a shuriken over his shoulder, puncturing the water balloon Mikey was going to throw at him.
"We have to go topside and find out what they're planning."
"Raph's right." Leo sighed. "There's no other way." Fallyn crossed her arms.
"You guys be careful, alright?"
"You're going to need to be careful, too, Fallyn." The whitette stared at Donnie. He had a devilish smirk on his face. "Come on. I've got something to show you." He led her, and consequently the others, to his lab.
"Sit there." Fallyn hopped up onto the table, watching as he vanished into the back. Turning her gaze to Leo, he just shrugged, just as lost as her. None of the others had any idea… save April, who had a surprisingly nonchalant expression. Fallyn narrowed her eyes, but didn't ask, as Don came back with a box. He placed it on her lap. "Open it."
She lifted the lid. Her eyes widened, a small gasp passing her lips. One hand came up to cover her mouth. The others crowded behind her, peering into the box.
Two boots were in the box, along with a pair of black socks. The boots were made of black leatherette, and laced all the way up. Two buckles wrapped around the top of the laces, keeping them in place. From the looks of them, they probably reached her knees, or just below. As she lifted one, her eyes widened slightly at the weight.
"These are heavier than I thought they'd be." Donatello nodded, looking very proud of himself.
"I reinforced them with a metal alloy. Your ankle won't be hurt, even if you kick a metal pole. Here. Try them on." He took off her slippers, helping her pull up the socks. While she pulled on her left boot, he gently put on her right, careful to avoid jostling her too much.
"Alright, let's try them out, shall we?" Don held a hand out to her. When Fallyn took his hand, he pulled her up. She jumped off the table, landing on her feet. She expected to feel pain, even the slightest bit.
She felt nothing.
Fallyn stared in wonder at her right foot. The boots were very comfortable. From what she could tell, a soft fabric lined the entire boot, even without the socks. She looked up to see Don had set up a two-by-four. Before anyone could tell her no, she slammed her right foot into it.
"Fallyn!" Fallyn reflamignoed, setting her foot on the ground. Instead of shouting in pain, she started laughing. Slamming her foot on the ground three times, she turned to Donnie.
"These are awesome, Don!" She pulled the scientist into a hug. After a moment, he returned it. "Thanks so much."
"That's not all." April handed her a package. "Here." Inside, was a long-sleeved body armor made of Kevlar with metal shoulder and elbow pads. It was thin enough to fit under her shirt, but strong enough to protect her from injury. A half-face mask and fingerless tactical gloves lay on top of it. "Since your gi got torn up, I thought you might like a new one."
"Oh April…" Fallyn wrapped her arms around her sister. "Thanks." April chuckled. Pulling back, she ushered the guys out.
"We'll let you change."
"Catch up when you can, okay Fallyn?" She nodded.
"Sure thing Leo." Turning around, the whitette gently brushed her fingers over the Kevlar. "April…"
複
Leo jumped down from the fire escape. Giving the signal, his brothers alighted down behind him. He was slightly worried, as Fallyn hadn't joined them, but he didn't have time to worry about her at the moment. He had other things to worry about. Most prominent being how to keep his family safe. Currently, they were staking out an abandoned church they had just seen three Purple Dragons go into.
"This is the place." The boys crowded around each other, Mikey jumping up on Leo's back. Raph glanced behind him as Donnie's plastron hit his carapace.
"Donnie. You're crowding me."
"Sorry." Don whispered. He backed up several steps. He stopped when he bumped into a trashcan. Mikey freaked out, his back hitting Raph's chin as he jumped. The hothead crumbled, cradling his face.
"Sorry!" Mikey flashed an apologetic smile. "All that Splinter talk about how we're not ready has me thinking… maybe we're in over our heads." Raph slammed his fist onto Mikey's head.
"You're always in over your head." Mikey hit Raph's hand off, rubbing his sore head.
"I'm sayin' now we all are! And that scares me." Leo placed a comforting hand on his littlest brother's shoulder.
"It's okay to be scared Mikey. Raph is scared to." Raph jumped in front of Leo.
"I am not scared." Leo smirked. Lifting a hand, he poked the opposite side of Raph's head. The red-masked ninja shouted in surprise, whirling around, before covering it up with a cough. He growled at Leo, who just laughed. Their smirks disappeared when Bradford rounded the corner.
"You should be."
"Bradford!"
"Rad Brad!" The dog mutant's mouth curved up in a smile.
"Look what I found. Four soon-to-be ex-turtles."
"I'm sure glad it's okay to be scared."
"You and me both!" Donnie agreed.
"This is no time to panic!" Leo unsheathed his swords. His eyes widened as Bradford rose to his full height. If he was taller than them before, he was a giant now. Even Donnie barely reached the top of his chest. "Okay. Maybe a little."
"He keeps getting taller!" Mikey, ever Mr. Obvious, pointed out.
"Then I'll cut him down to size." Leo leapt at the dog mutant. His blades were blocked, forcing him back. "Uh… let's stick together on this one." The brothers attacked as one. Using his nunchaku, Mikey tried to swing in on a power line. He was knocked aside, directly into Donatello.
"This is hopeless!"
"Keep your head in the game!" They barely avoided Bradford's punch.
"I just want to keep my head on my body!" The brothers had been cornered, forced into the back of the alley.
"Come on! What are we retreating for!?" Raph attacked… ending up with him in a dumpster. As he lifted the lid, he held his head. "That's a good reason."
"Mikey! Smoke!" The youngest frantically searched for a smoke bomb. When he found it, he couldn't keep a hold of it. It shattered on the ground.
"What was that!?" Mikey glared at Raph.
"I'm stressed! Excuse me if my aim's a little off!" Both looked over at their other brothers. Don barely blocked Bradford's punch with his staff.
"How hard is it to hit the ground!?" Raph threw a bomb down, but this one got stuck in a grate. When he knelt to pick it up, it fell through.
"Not so easy, is it!?" Just then, three bombs fell from the roof, shrouding them in black-and-red smoke. Using it, they jumped up to the roof. Fallyn was waiting for them. She didn't say anything, instead leading them about a block away where it would be safe for them to talk. When they stopped on the roof of an apartment building with a view of the abandoned church, she turned to them.
"Having issues with Bradford, boys?" Raph growled, whirling on her.
"You could have helped you kno…" he trailed off as her full form came into view. She was wearing her new outfit, and he had to admit, she looked hot. Her gi pants fluttered in the breeze slightly, catching on her boots. Her body armor was skin-tight under a deep, dark red long-sleeve shirt.
One hand was on her hip while the other hung at her side. The gloves peeked out from the cuffs, the fingers cutting off at about her second knuckle, showing the tips of her dainty fingers and her claws. The mask covered everything from the bridge of her nose to her chin, continuing just under her ears to tie behind her head, where her white-and-black hair was held in a ponytail. Her shirt was pressed twice across her chest, betraying the presence of her blades.
"Like what you see, boys?" Fallyn asked, her voice filled with amusement. Raph shook his head, smirking.
"Actually, yeah. You should dress like that while we train. It'll make it more real." Fallyn chuckled, undoing her mask. She held it in one hand, running her other through her bangs, shaking them out. Leo fought the urge to purr at the silkiness of her voice and the sensual motion.
"I'll do that next time. Right now, we have to figure out how to get into that meeting." The guys collapsed onto the roof. Fallyn lifted a white eyebrow. "I didn't think Bradford did that much damage."
"We couldn't take him, Fallyn."
"Dogpound was just too powerful." Everyone lifted an eyebrow at Mikey.
"Dogpound?" Leo asked.
"What? Cause he's a dog, and he pounded us into the-"
"We get it." Leo cut him off. He sighed. "I don't see how we're going to get close to that meeting now."
"Maybe we just need a new place to hide." Don shrugged. "I hear the sewers in Florida are nice this time of year." He yelped when a practice shuriken hit his head.
"No!" The brothers stared at Fallyn. "I'm not letting you guys give up." April appeared behind her.
"I'll spy on the meeting." Even Fallyn recoiled.
"No way!
"Nuh-uh!"
"You can't!"
"Forget it!"
"Absolutely not!" April glared at her sister.
"I can do this!" Her hands clenched over her chest. "You and Splinter have been training me to be a kunoichi!"
"For a few weeks! Besides, that wasn't the plan." Raph scoffed, crossing his arms.
"What was the plan then? You sneak in?" One look at Fallyn's face told him. "Like hell!" Leo gaped at his younger brother. "April may not have the skill set, but you're still healing Fallyn!"
"True… but I don't need to get in to hear what's going on." Fallyn reached inside her shirt. Pulling her hand out, she showed them what looked like an earpiece. "This earpiece is calibrated to listen to what I hear, as well as what I say. That way, I can listen in on the meeting without having to get in, and you guys can come to my rescue if things go downhill." Leo jumped up.
"How will that work?"
"This earpiece is synced with April's phone. She'll stay with you guys, allowing you to hear everything that's going on." The redhead looked away, grumbling under her breath. "Besides, what choice do we have? Shredder's going to attack your home and we need to find out how. I'm the only one that can get close enough to listen in without having to be inside." Leo stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you sure you're up to this? Raph's right you know. You're still healing." Fallyn nodded, lifting a hand to take his off her shoulder. She squeezed lightly.
"Yeah. I can do this Leo." Her voice dropped. "I need to do this." Leo recognized the look in her eyes all too well.
"Okay." He turned to the others. "Let's stake out the surrounding area. Position yourselves a block away on each side of the building. That way we'll have all angles covered. We'll move in under the cover of darkness. I doubt Shredder will have the meeting before then anyways."
"Right."
複
Fallyn looked around one last time before jumping across the alleyway. She landed softly on her toes, gently rolling onto her heels, letting her entire body absorb the shock of the land. It was a perfect landing, completely silent. She smirked to herself.
'At least I can still land like a cat. Now let's see if I can creep like one.' She ran along the edge of the abandoned church, looking for a broken window or something that would allow her to listen in. She found it on the other side. On a parallel roof, Leo and his brothers crouched, watching her disappear around the corner.
"I don't like this." Leo whispered to himself.
"Me neither." Raph looked behind him. "Your phone on, Ape?" The redhead nodded, holding it up. He nodded. "Good." April tapped a button.
"Sis? Can you hear me?"
"Loud and clear sis." Fallyn looked inside the window. "Wow…"
"What is it?"
"Shredder's put some serious money into this place." Leo glanced at April. "This place is seriously tricked out." Leo was about to say something, but April placed a hand over his mouth.
"What are they saying?"
"Nothing yet. Shredder's just… sitting there." A dark chuckle came over the line. "Seems he isn't quite healed either. Hold on… Bradford, Fong, and a few Foot ninja just came in. Looks like the meeting's about to start." Leo looked at his brothers.
"Here we go." On the other side, Fallyn stepped through the window, hiding in the shadows. Contrary to popular belief, her hair actually lent itself quite well to stealth. The black stripes mimicked shadows, and the white base reflected moonlight softly, giving the impression of a moonbeam. No one thought twice if they saw her head.
"Listen carefully." Shredder said as Bradford and Fong kneeled before him. "Five of you will highjack a tanker truck on Houston in approximately fifteen minutes. The chemical is extremely rare, so you will not have another chance."
'A rare chemical?' Fallyn's eyes narrowed. 'What kind of chemical?' Through her earpiece, the sounds of Raph and Donnie fighting came through. 'You idiots.'
"Which will destroy them once and for all. Now go." Fallyn sighed inwardly. Sneaking out of the building, she crept along the rooftop, watching Bradford led a group towards a waiting van.
"I'm going to shadow them."
"No! Fallyn you've done enough. Come back." Her golden eyes widened when Bradford whirled. "Bradford heard you! Run!"
"No shit Leo!" Jumping across the alley, she grunted as a kusarigama chain wrapped around her left ankle. It was yanked down, sending her into Bradford's waiting hand.
"Well, well. Looks like the doggie got the kitty."
"Don't you know cats are superior to dogs?" Her claws flicked out, slicing his pinky finger. He howled in pain, dropping her. She started to run, but blacked out when something hard hit her on the back of the head. Bradford picked her up, throwing her into the van. He slammed the door, jumping on just as the van sped away. Leo took the phone from April.
"Fallyn? Fallyn! Are you there!?" April put a hand on his shoulder.
"She's not going to answer Leo. What do we do?"
"We gotta get Fallyn out of that van! But, but, Dogpound's in there! And, and, we're not ready to fight that guy!" He pressed both hands to his head. "Oh Splinter was right! We should have stayed below!" Raph sighed.
"I can't believe I'm gonna say this." he whirled, clenching a fist. "Get it together captain! You're our leader, so act like one!" Despite the fact that her sister was just kidnapped by an evil dog mutant, April couldn't resist a small laugh at Raph. Leo, on the other hand, snapped out of it.
"You're right Raph. That was the anxiety ray talking." Raph crossed his arms.
"That's it? You're not gonna slap yourself?" Leo scoffed.
"Let's save April." Raph smirked.
"And our home."
"But we'll never catch them on foot!" Leo smirked.
"We're not going on foot."
複
The turtles grunted as the patrol buggy made a harsh landing on the ground. After explaining what happened, they had left April with Splinter in the lair before heading out with their new toy. Leo was driving, gunning it down the streets of Manhattan. He swerved around a corner, the tires protesting.
"It's not ready!" The tires weren't the only ones complaining.
"This thing is awesome!" Mikey started looking around. "Does it have a radio?"
"No, it doesn't have a radio!" Don turned back to Leo. "I'm telling ya. It's not ready!" Leo ignored Donnie, hitting the throttle.
"Seems ready to me!" Just then, the steering wheel came off. "Whoa!" Leo quickly stuck it back on. "Okay. Don't pull on that and we'll be fine." Ahead of them, Dogpound's van swerved around the corner.
"The tanker!" Fong floored it. "Catch it!" The Purple Dragon rolled his eyes, but listened to the massive mutant. They stopped in front of the truck, making it slam to a halt. Dogpound walked around, ripping off the door. "Get… out."
The driver needed no further urging. He ran screaming down the street. Nodding his head, Dogpound motioned for one of the Foot ninja to jump in. The masked man did, hitting the gas. Dogpound jumped up on the truck.
"Call Shredder. Tell him we've acquired the tanker and we're on our way. No problems encountered." Just then, the patrol buggy appeared. "Hold that call!" Dogpound smirked. "Run them down."
"Raph. Get ready."
"For what!?" Leo pulled a lever.
"This!" The patrol buggy separated. Raph shouted in surprise, grabbing his steering wheel. The truck sped between them, missing all four turtles. The two buggies turned, resuming pursuit.
"LEO!" He floored it, pulling up alongside his brothers. "You could have been a little more specific!" Leo smirked.
"Where's the fun in that?" He sped ahead. Raph growled, following. "Get ready." Donatello looked up, reading the words on the back of the truck.
"Chlorosulfonic acid? He gasped. "Leo! I think I figured out Shredder's plan!" Leo's eyes widened. "That acid reacts violently with water!"
"So if he dumps it in the sewer…"
"It'll all be incinerated in seconds, including the lair!"
"And Splinter!" His eyes hardened. "We gotta stop them." He sped up again.
Inside the van, Fallyn forcefully shut her eyes before opening them slightly. They widened minutely when she realized she was bound around the wrists. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Fong not paying any attention to her. Instead, his attention was focused behind them. Looking in the mirror, she saw Leo driving a…
'Go-kart? I'm guessing that is what Don was working on this past week.' Outside, the chase continued. Leo growled as the van went down a side street.
"Donnie! You and Raph stay with the van and save Fallyn. Mikey! You're coming with me. We have to stop that tanker!"
"Uh, if you haven't noticed, I'm stuck with Raph!"
"No problem." Chuckling, Raph pulled on a lever, separating their two buggies. Mikey shouted, straightening out. "Well that was fun!"
"Told ya!" Donnie pulled his own. He and Raph swerved around, heading back towards the van. Mikey pulled up alongside Leo. "Mikey! Let's slow this thing down! Fire grappling hooks!"
"Got it!" They fired… and disconnected from the buggies. "Donnie did say they weren't ready!"
"I know!" Meanwhile, Raph and Donnie pursued the van. Raph narrowed his eyes as Donnie pulled ahead. Going around the other side, he dropped the spikes Don had installed in the back of his buggy when Don threw in a smoke bomb. The cab was filled with purple smoke as the van slid to a stop. The brothers stopped in front of it, jumping out.
"Come on!" Two ninjas jumped out of the back of the van. "Let's club these Feet!"
"I think they're called Foots." Raph rolled his eyes.
"Just hit 'em." They easily took down the two ninjas, Raph's opponent going down after three punches. He couldn't help but smirk at it. Turning, they saw Fong start to run at them with two knives. He was stopped by the door to the passenger side being kicked into his face. Fallyn jumped out, a satisfied smirk on her face. "Nice shot." He congratulated.
"Well, if I couldn't knock out a punk with a door, then what kind of kunoichi would I be?" Raph smirked, twirling his sai before walking over. "Nice wheels by the way."
"I built them, you know." Just then, Don's crumbled, the wheels falling off. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh… they're not, ready yet." Fallyn chuckled as Raph rolled his eyes, walking behind her to start undoing her ropes.
"You go ahead Don. We'll catch up." The purple masked terrapin tilted his head. "We're fine! Go help Leo." He nodded, running off. Fallyn smirked, looking over her shoulder at Raph.
"Smooth." He chuckled, lifting his head to kiss her neck. Just then, he sliced through her restraints. Her hands were released, allowing her to turn around, rubbing her wrists.
"You okay?" She nodded, looking down at her hands. Gently taking them in his own, Raph pressed a kiss to the inside of each wrist. "Better?"
"A little." Fallyn smiled gently at him. "Come on. Let's go find your brothers." A flash of disappointment ran through him, but Raph didn't let it show.
"Kay." They ran off. Coming around a corner, they saw the tanker in flames. "Looks like we missed the fireworks."
"Donnie. The go-kart worked great! Nice job."
"Thanks Leo. And it's a patrol buggy!" Fallyn laughed.
"Alright nerds. Let's get back. This place reeks of dog."
複
Leo smiled at Fallyn as she handed him a piece of pizza. She returned the smile, settling back into the couch. He was sitting on the floor above the couch, while she sat on the couch. Raph below her, his head resting on her knee.
After her rescue, they had returned to the lair. Mikey had gotten a pizza for them to share. April had already left, but Fallyn wasn't surprised. It was after ten o'clock. Just as she was about to bite into the piece, a scent wafted into her nose. She winced, turning her gaze to Mikey.
"This pizza smells kind of funky. Where'd you get it?"
"It's the one April threw out at lunch." Everyone gagged, spitting out whatever was in their mouth. Leo stuck out his tongue, Donnie keeled over, and Raph hit his chest several times. Fallyn just burned the piece.
"What?! We live in a sewer! Now you're clean freaks!?" Mikey shrugged. "More for me." To everyone's disgust, he scooped up the pizza on the ground and began eating it.
"My children." They turned around to see Splinter standing there. "I owe you my gratitude… and an apology." Leo stood.
"An apology?" Everyone stood up.
"Fear clouded your minds. However, it was not the Shredder who fueled that fear, but me." The rat master flashed a hidden, but meaningful, look at Fallyn. She smiled slightly.
"You overcame that fear and performed admirably. No training today!" The guys celebrated, Leo pulling Fallyn into a hug. She smiled, returning it. "Unless Michelangelo throws that balloon."
All eyes turned to Mikey, who smiled nervously. Fallyn laughed as his brothers tackled him. A hand rested on her shoulder. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Splinter.
"Arigatō, Fallyn. You helped me see that I was the source of my sons' fear. I am indebted to you." She nodded, placing on of her hands over his.
"I only spoke what was on my heart, Sensei." Splinter squeezed her shoulder.
"I often meditate at sunrise. If you find yourself awake then, please feel free to join me." Fallyn smiled.
"I'll do that. Thank you." Splinter nodded, walking away. Turning her head back to the boys, she rested her forehead on her fingertips. "Goodness, Mikey. Are you good for nothing but getting hurt by your brothers? I dare say you enjoy it."
複
Bradford kneeled in front of Shredder. He wasn't looking forward to it, but he had to give his report. Evidently, someone else had already told Shredder, because he was waiting for him. The dog mutant winced as his master's voice rang out.
"They defeated you with go-karts and a water balloon!?"
"I know it sounds absurd but…" He looked up to see Shredder standing before him with blades unsheathed. The mutant crouched on his belly. "It won't happen again, Master. I promise you."
"If you break that promise…" One of Bradford's shoulder spikes flew off. He hadn't even heard the slice. His whole body trembled.
"I understand Master."
"Good. Now leave me." The mutant vanished, the Foot ninja leaving as well. Oroku Saki stared out the window, attempting to ignore the pain that rippled through his body. He didn't look behind him as the door opened and closed.
"Master Shredder." He didn't turn around, instead letting the man come to him. "How have you been healing?"
"I haven't been." The man behind him walked around so he stood in front of the six-foot-three-inch man. He took off Shredder's chest plate and undershirt, revealing two gruesome scars. The physician visibly winced. "Why have they not healed?"
"Whoever did this to you sliced you to the bone, Master. Not only that, but whatever was used to cut you was heated to a degree that should have burned them as well."
"What does that mean?" The physician scowled.
"You have two slices that stretch across your entire upper torso that are, not only extremely deep, but are burned to the third-degree as well." Behind his helmet, Saki's eyes widened.
"How long before I am able to move without pain again?"
"You will never be without pain, I'm afraid." Reaching into his bag, the man stabbed two syringes into Shredder's chest. He winced slightly, but relaxed as the anaesthetizing serum began to take effect. "However… if you wish to know at what point in time you will be free to punish your subordinates freely… two weeks, minimum." Shredder looked out the window. His hands clenched as the doctor did his work. To keep his mind off of the pain, he focused his thoughts somewhere else.
'Fallyn O'Neil…' The image of her flashed through his mind. Her golden eyes flashing in anger, hate, and the desire to kill him… her fangs glinting in the night… her uniquely colored hair whirling around as she fought him… her lithe body moving as gracefully as a snake as she effortlessly wielded her odachi blades. Oroku smirked.
'You would do well as a Foot ninja. No… that would be degrading.' The physician noticed Shredder's chest contract slightly. He narrowed his eyes, but didn't question.
'You would do better at my side… my little kitten.'
Fallyn's Revealed Powers: Telekinesis, Enhanced Hearing and Smell, Retractable Claws, Healing, Firebending
Yay! Another finished! And this one's pretty long too.
Before you guys start yelling at me about not updating my other fics, here's why.
1) Classes started this week. All of them, and I do mean ALL of them, are college level AP. Yes, not the best thing to do whilst writing stories, but my academic life comes first. Sorry guys. I love you all, but that's how it is.
2) I already had most of this written up, I just needed to finish the last little part.
3) I have writer's block. Again. It always comes when I want it least, but it happens.
Anyways, I hope to update the others soon. I actually have most of Chapter 5 written up for From American Country Girl, to Ouran Academy Hostess. I'm just waiting for two more reviews. I know, if any of you are like me, then you are back in school, so that's totally understandable. But when you guys have a chance, please read it and tell me what you think!
And yes. I left it on a cliffhanger. ;P
I'm mean like that.
Till next time, darlings!
By the way, if any of you know who Fallyn is infatuated with, YOU'RE AWESOME!