Chapter Twenty-Four
Missing
Back in the lair, as the sun was setting topside, it was almost time for the mutants to wake up being nocturnal.
But as the time came for the mutants to wake up, none of their alarms went off, Raphael was the first to wake up and he yawned and glanced at the clock on the bedside table.
He blinked a few times to clear his vison, then he gasped when he saw what time it was.
"Yikes! I forgot to set the alarm!" he said aloud.
As he did that Monalisa awoke and yawned, her hair falling over her face as she tried to brush the cobwebs of sleep away.
"Honey?"
Raphael looked round at his mate who was sitting up and rubbing her eyes.
"Heya babe." He said as he propped himself up on his elbows.
"What's with the yelling?" Monalisa yawned.
"Uh, I forgot to set the alarm." Raphael said in a sheepish voice.
"You what?" Monalisa said absentmindedly and she sat up before giving her mate a kiss.
"You silly thing!"
Raphael chuckled then he looked puzzled.
"It's pretty quiet though." He said "No-ones come in to wake us if we've slept in."
Monalisa also looked perplexed as she ruffled her hair then she blinked as she remembered the previous night.
"Oh God…Leo!"
"What?" Raphael asked, then his eyes widened as he too remembered yesterday and the drama that occurred.
"Oh yes!" he cried as he leapt out of bed and started to put on his belt, pads, mask, and other accessories and Monalisa did the same with her black and pink crop top, loincloth, hotpants, and stockings.
"I wonder if the others are awake?" she wondered as she brushed her hair and put her pink ninja band on.
After the couple stepped outside, they saw Donatello and Michelangelo leaving their rooms, both looking half asleep.
"Oh man…" Michelangelo sighed as he rubbed his eyes "I didn't have a good night last night,"
"Me neither!" Donatello agreed half yawning, then he saw Raphael and Monalisa.
"Oh hey guys!" he said.
"Hey Don, Mike, did you forget to set your alarms?" Monalisa asked.
"Yeah, we did!" Michelangelo said looking guilty, then he looked towards Splinter's room.
"Sensei hasn't left either."
"I wonder if he's still asleep?" Raphael asked.
Donatello shrugged before going to the medical room to check on Leonardo.
The others followed closely and watched as Donatello entered his medical room to see Leonardo and Splinter still sleeping.
Leonardo was laying on the medical cot on his back with the drip of pain relief as well as healing drugs attached to his arms, and Splinter was in the chair, yet resting his arms and head on the bed near Leonardo.
"Looks like Sensei didn't go to bed last night." Donatello said then he crept over to the bed and chair, and he gently touched Splinter's shoulder and the rat slowly awoke.
Splinter stirred then he opened his eyes to see Donatello above him.
"Donatello, my son." He spoke.
"Hey Sensei." Donatello replied, "Are you okay?"
"I am fine Donatello." Splinter answered, "I fell asleep here whilst watching your brother."
Donatello nodded then checked the machines Leonardo was attached to, at the same time, Leonardo stirred, and he opened his eyes.
"Huh? Wha…where am I?" he asked at first not realising where he was then he looked at his sensei.
"Master Splinter?" he asked.
"How are you feeling my son?" Splinter asked.
"What? I...?" Leonardo asked as he tried to shake away the cobwebs of sleep then he remembered what happened and the wound in his shoulder spasmed.
"Oh my God! Kemeko!" he cried as he sat up, but Donatello stopped him from trying to get off the bed.
"Leo! Don't!" he said.
"Kemeko!" Leonardo wailed "My Lotus! Is she alright?"
"Calm down my son!" Splinter joined in "You must stay still! You need to heal!"
"But my daughter!" Leonardo said "I just want to know if she's okay! I know she's upset at what she did, but it was an accident! I want to talk to her!"
"Calm down Leo!" Donatello barked but Leonardo kept talking.
Monalisa bit her lip then turned to Raphael and Michelangelo.
"Can you both check on the girls?" she asked.
Raphael and Michelangelo nodded.
"I'll get Pandora." Raphael said.
"And I'll check on Kemeko!" Michelangelo volunteered.
Monalisa nodded at the two turtles then walked into the medical room and over to Leonardo before cupping his face in her hands.
"Leonardo! Leonardo!" she said in a stern yet soft voice trying to get him to listen to her.
Leonardo looked at Monalisa as she cupped his face, and he stopped shouting out.
"Calm down!" she said, "Just be still as sensei said, you need to heal! Let Donnie look at your wound."
Leonardo as he felt Monalisa's soft hands on his cheeks, he started to calm down and he leaned into his adopted sister's touch.
"Be still Leo." Monalisa soothed "Please…"
Leonardo sighed and rested his head in Monalisa's hands.
"I'm sorry…I…I…" he stammered.
"It's alright Leo, we understand." Monalisa soothed.
Splinter and Donatello were relieved Monalisa was able to calm Leonardo down and Donatello was able to give his older brother a check-up.
"Thank you, my daughter." Splinter smiled at Monalisa who nodded at her sensei.
Meanwhile, Raphael and Michelangelo had gone to check on Pandora and Kemeko.
Michelangelo was a little nervous as he stood before Kemeko's door, remembering only too well what had happened the night before.
Raphael walked past Michelangelo and patted his shell in encouragement and support before walking to his daughter's bedroom door.
Raphael knocked on Pandora's door, but there was no answer, so he tried again but he still heard nothing.
"Pandora?" he called "Pandora? Little Geisha?"
Again, there was silence and he guessed Pandora was asleep so he opened the door.
As he entered, he looked towards his daughter's bed only to find it empty.
"Pandora?" he asked as he looked around the room, yet all he saw was the twinkling fairy lights and all the posters that covered the walls yet no sign of his daughter.
"Pandora?" he called as he stepped inside "Pandora? Where are you?"
At the same time, Michelangelo had knocked on Kemeko's door yet heard nothing.
"Kemeko?" he called "Kemeko?"
When he heard nothing, he too opened the door and saw her bed empty.
"Huh?" he said then entered the bedroom "Kemeko?"
Fear pooled in his belly, and he left the bedroom, and he came face to face with Raphael who also looked worried.
"Pandora's not in her room!" the red masked turtle said.
"Neither is Kemeko!" Michelangelo reported.
"WHAT!?" Raphael shouted.
Both turtles paled and they ran to the medical room.
"KEMEKO AND PANDORA ARE GONE!" Raphael and Michelangelo shouted as they entered the medical room.
"WHAT!?" Splinter, Donatello, Leonardo and Monalisa cried as they turned to look at the two turtles.
"It's no joke! I swear!" Michelangelo yelled "We just went into their rooms and they're not there!"
Monalisa looked at Raphael and she saw in her mate's eyes that Michelangelo wasn't joking.
Leonardo also panicked and sat up again.
"Lotus?" he cried.
Donatello stopped him from getting up.
"Wait Leo!" he said, "If I can guess right, they might have been up earlier and taken a walk in the sewers!"
Splinter, as much as he was worried for his grandchildren tried to give the benefit of the doubt that anything was wrong.
"Donatello has a point," he said "The girls might be walking and talking in the sewers together after last nights…. well events."
Splinter wasn't wrong.
Within the years the girls had come of age, they had taken the liberty of walking in the sewer tunnels around the lair should they need it and after last night's drama, he wouldn't be surprised if they had decided to do so.
But there was a niggling feeling within that didn't feel right.
Meanwhile, Leonardo looked at his sensei and at his brothers and adopted sister then he looked down trying to think positive, yet he couldn't shake the bad feelings within.
"NO!" he said, "Somethings not right!"
Monalisa frowned yet he realised Leonardo's concern and she looked at Raphael.
The Red masked turtle looked at his mate then narrowed his eyes.
"We should go and look!" he said.
Splinter also picked up on his children's concern.
"I shall help." He said, "If it soothes your concerns."
"Thank you, sensei." Monalisa said then turned to Raphael and Michelangelo.
"You two check the sewers, I will join you in a moment!"
Raphael and Michelangelo agreed and left the medical room then Monalisa kissed Leonardo's forehead then looked at Donatello and Splinter.
"Look after Leo!" she said then left the medical room to join her mate and Michelangelo.
So the Hamato Clan have woken up and realised the girls are gone, yet they think they're just walking in the sewers!
Will they realise it's more serious? Well tune in to find out!