Chapter 3

Don hunched over his wristcom, taping furiously on the holographic keys. Raph growled. "How long is this going to take, Don?"

"Patience, Raphael!" Leo reprimanded.

"There are two words that don't normally go together," Don muttered under his breath. Raising his voice, he answered his brother's question. "It will take less time if you quit bugging me!" The wristcom bleeped. "There!"

"Finally." Don threw a smoldering glare over his shoulder at his hotheaded brother before returning his attention to the screen. He reached up with his free hand, pulling down his mic. He cleared his throat.

"Bam! You've been hacked, by Donatello. Remember me? Turtle? Four eyes? But enough about me. We told you we'd find you."

Don uploaded a map to April's computer giving her an address. "Meet us here, and come alone. Or... or else we're... y-you shall be punished... and stuff." Don could feel his cheeks getting warmer under Raph's mocking stare. Hunching his shoulders, Don cut off the connection.

"Really? Should have let me do the threatening, Don." Mikey rolled his eyes.

"Then she definitely wouldn't come." Leo sighed.

"We don't know if she's coming anyways." Don shrugged.

"Well... we'll just have to wait and see."

亀

She did show... almost an hour later. Raph was close to breaking the roof, so Leo was thankful April actually came. However, he was a little unnerved by the package she held under her arm.

Mikey moved so he was right behind her. She looked around, clearly nervous. "Hello?" None of them responded. "You told me to come here. I didn't bring anyone with me. I did exactly wha- AAH!"

Her statement turned into a scream when she met Mikey's plastron. "Okay. Are you April O'Neil?" Don came out of the shadows.

"Initiating retinal scan. Scanning, scanning, scanning, scanning... scan complete! It's her! It's her. Guys it's her." Leo jumped down, wrapping his arm around April's shoulders.

"Of course it's her, Donnie." He looked down at the girl. "Hey. Really, glad you could make it." She whirled out of his grasp. "Hey there's someone important we want you to meet..." Raph jumped down behind April. "But -"

"Where's Taigā?" All the turtles froze, Raph halfway through throwing the bag over her head. Leo blinked a few times.

"What?" April glared up at the turtle. She clutched her package closer to her chest.

"Where. Is. Taigā? She's not here with you guys." Mikey waved his hand in a dismissing manner.

"She's cool. She's actually with the person we want you to meet." Leo titled his head trying to get a better view of the bundle in April's arms. April noticed.

"They're some of my clothes. I brought them because she didn't have any." Leo's eyes softened in gratitude.

"Thank you. We're going to take you to see her. But first..." Raph rolled his eyes, but slammed the bag over April's head anyways. "Thank you." Leo picked the woman up, tucking the bundle of clothes under his arm. Her limp body told him she had fainted. Again. "Let's go."

~ *.* ~

April sniffed through the bag. "Are we…in the sewer?"

"No…"

"Technically yes."

"Yeah. It's the sewer." The bag was removed from her head, letting April look around.

"You brought us here, April." The woman looked to her left. A massive rat stood underneath a chandelier. She stepped down the ledge, walking over to him.

"Splinter?"

"How does she know his name?" Behind her, Leo looked at Don.

"Did you tell her his name?"

"Maybe she's clairvoyant."

"Maybe she's a Jedi!"

A snicker sounded behind the guys. They whirled to face Taigā, who was wearing one of Splinter's old kimonos and a quilt comforter over that. In her hands was a steaming cup of tea. From the scent, Leo could tell it was ginseng. He smiled inwardly to himself. 'Guess I'm not the only one who likes ginseng tea.'

"Maybe you guys should head over there and find out." The turtles nodded, sitting at Splinter's left. Leo made to follow them, but a cup stopped him. "Splinter said it was your favorite." Leo looked incredulously at Taigā, placing his hands under the steaming tea cup to catch it when she pulled her hand away. "I already had three cups, so I'm good." Smiling softly at her, Leo traded the cup for April's package.

"Here. These are from April." Taigā smiled, taking the parcel. Their exchange done, Leo joined his brothers while Taigā sat on Splinter's right. She smiled at April, motioning her head to the clothes. April smiled back, turning her head to look at Splinter.

"Listen closely, April." Splinter stroked his beard. "I don't remember a time before living in that laboratory. That fateful night started like any other…

"Sacks gave us our injections. Your father made sure our vital signs were strong. And you, as always, provided us with a special treat. After the brothers went to sleep, I heard loud voices.

"There was the smell of smoke. Alarms sounded. Your father had discovered the truth behind the man he was working for. He set fire to the lab. His last breath was taken, trying to destroy Shredder's plan."

Taigā glanced at April. Reaching out a hand from the folds of the comforter, she gripped the elder female's hand. April didn't respond, instead flipping her hand over and squeezing back. Both returned their attention to Splinter.

"I was terrified. But then you appeared, and ushered us to safety. I never had a voice then, but I thank you now, April." Splinter bowed his head in respect towards her. "We wandered the sewers until I found this place.

"It was then that the mutagen that was injected into our blood began to change us in miraculous ways. I saw how your father loved you, and I knew I had to show that same love to the turtles. I became their father, and they became my sons." Taigā retracted her hand, folding it over her knees underneath the comforter. Leo set his now empty mug down, crossing his legs. He sent a grateful glance at Taigā, who returned it with small nod.

"Like all children, they were drawn to the distractions of popular culture. And I knew one day they would want to explore the world above. They would be ridiculed. They would need to learn how to protect themselves. Both mentally and physically. And then, I found a way.

"First, I would teach myself the ancient art of Ninjitsu. The brothers followed my lead, accelerating at a wondrous rate. Their gift was also their passion. They lived, breathed, and dreamed all things martial arts.

"Then, they were ready. Everything they are, and everything that they've become, was made possible by the bravery that you displayed that fateful night." April shook her head in disbelief.

"I was just a little girl."

"And you gave us freedom, where others would have kept us in cages." Leo stepped up.

"Wait a minute, Dad." Taigā's eyes widened slightly at the word 'Dad'. "All these years you told us we were rescued from the fire by a great guardian spirit. A Hogo-sha."

"That's right. And this!" Splinter held his hands out towards April. "Is the Hogo-sha."

"What?" Donnie put on his goggles, zooming in on April. Leo stepped down from his spot, taking in a deep breath. He bowed at the waist, his brothers following suit.

"My girlfriend's totally the Hogo-sha!" Leo hit Mikey's arm. "Ow." When April didn't do anything, Taigā leaned in.

"Bow back," she whispered. April's eyes flickered from the girl to the turtles. She followed Taigā's order, bowing her head. She and the turtles rose at the same time. The elder brunette looked back at Splinter.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"To find out who you told of our existence."

"Nobody that believes me. Except for Eric Sacks." Splinter sighed.

"Sacks…" The rat ninja stood. "Just as I feared. Sacks is not a friend. His soul has been poisoned, by the influence of a dark master: The Shredder. Shredder practically raised Sacks in Japan. He's like a father to him. Sacks will do anything for his master."

"Wha… Sacks and Shredder? So why aren't we out there hunting them down?"

"Because, Raphael, the Shredder is a skilled warrior, who's cruelty is ever-reaching. And you are just teenagers." Raph growled. "The mutagen in your blood is of great value to them. Now that Sacks has confirmation that you are alive, I fear they will bring the fight to us." Taigā looked at April as she took out a business card. Emerald eyes widened at the name.

"Oh no." Just then, alarms went off.

"Perimeter breach. We've got incoming!" Everyone gathered around Donnie's monitors. Taigā's heart was in her throat. "Oh no, oh no. We've got two breaches: Fan room, and weapons wall." Taigā threw off the comforter, draping it across the chair over the package from April.

"We need to get you guys out of here."

"We don't have time." Leo looked at his brothers. "Mikey, flank left. Donnie on me. We gotta go. Go, go, go!" The turtles ran towards the dojo. Taigā grabbed April's hand.

"Come on!" She dragged the elder woman to the kitchen.

"How do you know your way around?"

"Splinter gave me a tour. Now shush!"

"No!" Splinter's shout rang through the home. "Get back!" A blast destroyed the weapons wall. A katana wedged itself in the wall between the girls' heads.

"Stay here." Taigā grabbed the sword, twirling it behind her. "I'm going to find the guys." April just nodded, her fear evident in her eyes.

Taigā jumped out from behind the desk. She circled around, sticking to the shadows. Glancing in the dojo, she saw Splinter taking out several armed men. 'He's fine.'

She saw Leo, Raph, and Donnie fighting next. Hearing clanking, Taigā glanced over her shoulder to see Mikey spring up from the floor. "I meant to do that! I meant to do it!"

"We've got a breach in the fan room!"

"Raph! Get to the fan room!"

"Why are you always telling me what to do!?" Raph punched a man behind Leo.

"Just go." Leo picked up his katana. "Mikey! We gotta get the girls out of here, now!"

"I'm got this!" The orange-masked terrapin jumped on his skateboard. He landed on one man. "April! Come with me!" He grabbed the woman's hands. "I got a safe place for you to hide, and in case you get thirsty, I got a secret stash of Orange Crush behind the fridge."

April stared at him. "Don't tell Raph!" She nodded. She ran with Mikey, ducking into his hiding spot. From here, she could watch everything.

A man in armor jumped into the dojo. "All these years, I've been trying to recreate the mutagen. And you…you just handed it to me." Splinter took off his sandals.

"You will not lay a hand on my sons." Splinter grabbed a katana, twirling it in his hand. A chuckle sounded behind the metal mask.

"Your sons? You think you're their father!?" Shredder unsheathed his blades. From the shadows, Taigā's heart dropped.

'Please be careful, Splinter.' She watched, spellbound, as the battle ensued.