Notes: References to my fanfics 'Fury Within Her' and Tyroth Darkstorm's fics 'Mutant Vigilanties' 'Ancient Legacy' and 'Mutants Misplaced' appear in this chapter.
Chapter Nineteen
Coming Back
Like Donatello before her, Monalisa as she lay in her coma was trapped within her nightmares.
The lizard lady stood in the darkness, her fans drawn and ready.
She wasn't sure where she was, all she could remember was passing out on the battlefield, and Black Mamba's evil smirk as she held up her tanto.
She looked at her arm where there was a red cut and she remembered that the tanto had slashed her when she managed to cut her cords.
As she looked around, she could see figures coming towards her, yet they were just silhouettes, but before long they formed into people that haunted her dreams.
The first to come forward were the Purple Dragon gangsters that had kidnapped her and raped and murdered her resulting in her mutation.
"No!" Monalisa cried as she stared at them.
"There she is!" they jeered in demonic voices "Our little fuck-doll! Fresh and ready for the taking!"
Monalisa glared and gripped her fans.
"No!" she snarled "You won't take me again! You're dead! I killed you all!"
She slashed at them as they came forward but as she did, they turned to dust.
"What?" she cried then as soon as the gangsters vanished, a few more figures came into view, and she recognised them as the Zomborgs.
Monalisa felt sick as she remembered the soldiers of Overlord who formed an alliance with Arashi.
Once again, she attacked all that came near her, but as she struck them, they too turned to dust.
Next came the demons that invaded Mutopia.
Monalisa remembered it like yesterday, and it still haunted her, she then saw a demon like the one that hurt her!
She slashed at it as well as swiped her tail and feet at the others, but they too turned to dust, then she saw Xazahl who had killed Sephie before her eyes and she aimed her closed fan at his throat, but he too turned to dust as she struck him.
After that, she soon saw the enemies she had fought in Skyrim, including the leader of the bandits she had attempted to assassinate before Tyroth had saved her.
Once again as she attacked them, they turned to dust.
"Why do you torment me?" the Lizard Lady screamed as she continued to slash the air with her weapons.
"Because we can bitch!" Monalisa's blood ran cold, and she turned to see Dr Arden walking over, an evil smirk on his scarred face.
"You're trapped here in this void with us! And we will never go away!"
"Never go away!" a sing song voice was heard and Monalisa looked behind her to see Cobra.
"Never go away!" Mona then saw Black Mamba appear next to the golden spitter.
"In this state, you cannot escape!" Dr Arden mocked and flexed his syringed fingers.
Monalisa glared as the memories of him torturing her and Pandora along with Donatello returned to her.
"Fuck you!" she screamed "Fuck you!" she slashed her fans and struck with her tail.
Black Mamba and Cobra came close to her, yet as she hit them, they turned to dust.
She turned to Dr Arden and stabbed him in the stomach with her closed fan, and he too turned to dust.
Monalisa stood back up withdrawing her weapon and she looked around.
"Who's next?" she asked, "Whose fucking next!?"
"Mona…Monalisa…"
Monalisa stood still as she heard the voice.
"Hello?" she called.
"Mona…Can you hear me?"
Monalisa looked around then she saw a light before her.
"A light?" she said softly and before she could stop herself, she reached out a hand towards it.
"Come back to us…time to wake up…. wake up…follow my voice."
As Monalisa got closer to the light, she began to feel a sense of comfort, calmness, and relief, and she smiled before sheathing her weapons and opening her arms and hands towards the light.
Before long, she embraced it, and she felt herself get pulled in…
"That's it…follow the light…"
Seeing a small light moving above her, Monalisa opened her eyes fully only to see a couple of blurred shapes above her.
"She's coming back!" a female voice cried.
"Thank the Gods!" a male voice said.
"It's a miracle!"
"Someone was looking over her that day!"
Monalisa moaned as she started to slowly wake up, her body was stiff and heavy.
"James…Dahlia…" she said, her voice barely a whisper.
"Hey there lovely!" James smiled.
"It's okay sweetheart." Dahlia said "You're safe! You're in Mutopia's sickbay."
"Raph…Pan..Pand…dora…" Monalisa breathed.
"Don't worry Lizard Lady." James comforted "They're here too! They're alive."
Tears formed in the lizard's eyes as she looked at the Chimpanzee and Wolf.
"You gave us a real scare Mona!" James said stroking the lizard's hair comfortingly "Both you and Donatello, we thought we were going to lose you."
"We were lucky we were able to save you, but it was so close." Dahlia informed.
"Black…Mamba…" Monalisa croaked.
James nodded.
"Yes, from what we were told, you suffered poisoning via a cut on your arm, which had almost completely healed given your salamander abilities."
"Most people die within an hour of being bitten or infected by Black Mamba venom." Dahlia added "Being a mutant, your system seems to be strong than an average human."
"How…?" Monalisa asked, curious to how and why she ended up in Mutopia and it was then James and Dahlia explained everything, from Tyroth's vision to the events leading up to the attack on the Foot Headquarters then coming back to Mutopia.
"What happened to everyone?" Monalisa asked as she looked around then saw Donatello laying in the bed next to her asleep.
"Don?" she asked in worry.
"He was poisoned too." Dahlia said "Komodo Dragon had slashed him with his claws, and it turned out his toxic saliva was on them; thus, he too was put in an induced coma."
Monalisa's eyes widened.
"What of the others?" she asked.
James and Dahlia then explained the injuries of the others but that they were alive, but they looked at each other unsure of what to tell the lizard lady about her mate's condition.
Before they could say anything, there was a knock at the door.
"Enter!" James barked and Sephie opened the door.
"Sorry guys, I just…" She started, then she saw Monalisa was awake.
"Mona!" she cried, relief running through her at seeing her friend awake.
"She's only just come around." James said as the gecko walked in.
"Oh my Gosh!" Sephie cried as she approached the bed "Hey little sis!" she began to cry in happiness and she kissed Monalisa's forehead "Oh Gods, we thought you were lost to us as we were flying back to Mutopia."
"She's not wrong there." Dahlia muttered and James nodded.
Sephie sobbed and hugged her honoured sister gently.
"Raph and Pandora will be so happy!" she said then looked at the two medics.
"The Family can see her." James answered before Sephie said anything, "But not for long alright? She needs to rest for a while."
Sephie nodded then looked at Donatello.
"Hows Donnie?" she asked.
"He's healing very well." Dahlia reported "We need to observe him for a couple of days but after that he'll be free to leave the sickbay."
"Oh that is good news!" Sephie said "Although you told me he's suffering from PTSD."
"He was very distressed when he first woke up, and he's still upset now." James replied.
"I can imagine why." Sephie said sadly "Well, when he's ready, I'll have a few chats with him, like I attempted to with Pandora, and Kemeko."
"How are they?" Monalisa rasped from the bed.
"Pandora's very angry, as well as upset." Sephie informed "Kemeko on the other hand…she's really distressed, suffering nightmares and flashbacks."
Monalisa looked saddened.
Sephie stroked her friend's cheek.
"Don't worry." She said, "We're doing all we can for them!"
Monalisa gave a weak smile back at the Gecko.
After a few minutes, Leonardo, Raphael, Pandora, Splinter, Michelangelo and Kemeko arrived in the room.
Raphael was first to reach the bed and he wasted no time in embracing his love and cried softly in relief into her shoulder.
"Gentle!" James reminded the turtle.
"Mum!" Pandora cried ignoring the Chimpanzee's reminder and hugged her mother "Oh mum! I was so worried! I love you mum!"
"My beautiful Geisha." Monalisa soothed, stroking her daughter's cheek wiping her tears "It's okay, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere."
"I'll kill that Black scaled skank for what she did!" Pandora spat "And I'll slice and dice Arashi's slut too for what she did to daddy!" she shrieked.
"Keep your voice down!" James barked angrily without thinking "This is a medical room!"
"Boss!" Dahlia cried reminding her mentor where he was and how tense the situation was.
"Pandora!" Splinter gasped.
"What?" Monalisa questioned then she looked at Raphael who was frowning at Pandora and clapping his paws to get her attention, he moved his fingers over his closed mouth forming the 'zip it!' sign.
Monalisa blinked then took in the scar on Raphael's throat, and Leonardo quickly walked over.
"Mona…" he said "I'm so sorry…"
"Raph? Baby?" Monalisa asked as tears formed in her eyes and the look of pure heartbreak crossed her features.
Michelangelo lowered his head sadly and Kemeko started to cry to which Michelangelo held her close in comfort.
"Hanako did it!" Pandora snarled "She stabbed daddy in the throat! And now he can't talk!"
James sighed exasperated, Dahlia sighed and put her head in her hands, and the others winced.
"Nice job Pandora(!)" Michelangelo groaned.
Monalisa was speechless, the look of devastation and horror on her face.
"Oh Raph!" she wept "Your voice…your…your voice…" she touched her mate's throat as Raphael lowered his head, tears of his own falling.
He then started to sign to her as well as move his lips.
'I'm sorry my love'.
"Alice has been teaching him American Sign Language." Leonardo said, "To help him communicate."
"Will he ever speak again?" Monalisa asked "Will I ever hear his voice again."
"We hope so Lizard Lady." Dahlia said, "Devina has been working on his throat trying to heal him."
"We're not sure whether the muteness is permanent, but we are trying our best."
Monalisa sighed and stroked Raphael's cheek.
"No matter what Raph." She said, "Whether you can talk or not, I love you, and that will never change!"
Raphael managed a weak smile at his mate.
'I will talk again babe!' he mouthed as well as signed 'I promise! I will get my voice back, for you, and for our Tigeress' he looked over at Pandora who was still looking angry and upset.
Monalisa kissed her fingers and placed them on her mate's throat.
"I love you." She spoke.
'Love you more babe' Raphael signed.
Splinter walked over to the bed and kissed Mona's forehead.
"It gives me great joy and relief to see you with us again my daughter." He said, "Both you and Donatello." He looked over at his brainy son who was still fast asleep and hadn't woken up to Pandora's outburst.
The other turtles and Kemeko also came up to Monalisa and hugged and kissed her.
Kemeko rested her head on Monalisa's chest and cried.
"Please forgive me Aunt Mona!" she wept.
"Lotus…" Leonardo placed his hands on Kemeko's shoulders.
"I didn't mean for this to happen; I didn't mean for you and Uncle Don to get hurt!" Kemeko sobbed.
"Oh, my darling Turtle child." Monalisa said "This wasn't your fault at all! Trust me."
"But it is!" Kemeko sobbed "If I hadn't run away, if I had just listened to Pandora and gone back to the lair none of this would have happened!"
"Kemeko." Monalisa said "This was not your doing! Please! No-one blames you!"
Kemeko said nothing but she cried more.
"There's nothing to forgive child, you did nothing wrong!" Monalisa soothed.
Leonardo gently coaxed Kemeko to stand up and he held her close.
"Listen to your auntie Mona." He said, "You are not at fault Lotus, not at all!"
Kemeko said nothing but hugged her father tightly.
"Come on." Leonardo coaxed his daughter to walk with him back to the next room but not before he kissed Monalisa's forehead and Kemeko too gave her aunt a kiss.
"I think it's best we all let Monalisa recover now." Splinter advised.
James and Dahlia agreed.
"She needs to rest for a while, we'll take good care of her." James said.
"Thank you, both of you!" Splinter said, "For everything you have done!"
"Just doing our job." Dahlia smiled "And we do care about your loved ones, they mean a lot to us as they are to you."
After saying goodbye to Monalisa as well as give the sleeping Donatello a kiss or stroke on the head, the Hamato family left the sickbay.
Pandora strode ahead with her fists clenched and she stared at a corner.
"Geisha?" Michelangelo noticed his niece's demeaner and he reached out to her, yet as he did, Pandora glared and with a primal yell, she threw a punch at the corner, and as she did, the rocky surface was broken!
Her action was so sudden that everyone jumped and even Splinter was shocked at what he saw!
"Pandora!" Leonardo gasped.
"Tigeress!" Michelangelo shouted and he rushed forward to inspect Pandora's hand which was bleeding.
But the Hybrid instantly strode off not looking back at her shocked family.
"Pandora!" Michelangelo cried "Wait! Where are you going?"
Raphael clapped his paws and opened his mouth to shout, yet all that came out was a wheeze.
Splinter placed his paw on his son's arm.
Michelangelo started to follow his niece, but Leonardo called after him.
"Leave her Mike!" he said.
Michelangelo turned to his brothers and sensei.
"Why is she acting like that?" he asked, "I thought she'd be happy and relieved at seeing her mother awake again!"
Splinter sighed.
"I do not know the answers my son." He said, "But remember, Pandora is still hurting, and even if her mother has awakened, the events that lead to her and your brother's injuries." He looked up at Raphael "Have affected her greatly."
Michelangelo sighed.
"Best let her be alone for a bit baby brother." Leonardo said, "Let her cool down."
Michelangelo said nothing but he agreed and looked behind him, he was concerned that Pandora had hurt herself when she punched the wall, and he could see where the rocks had crumbled from the force, and it was a clean cut!
"How did she do that?" he thought.
At the same time, Tyroth who had arrived with Sephie, Jake (Who had been topside with Cam and Barry when Monalisa was being awakened) and a rather shaken Tania who was grasping her blonde braided hair in stress had seen what had happened and raised an eyebrow as a few thoughts began to fill his mind.
So Monalisa has been awakened from her coma, and she has learnt of her mate's muteness.
Yet Pandora despite learning her mother will be alright is still angry and acting out.
Yet Tyroth as he has arrived and seen what the hybrid did is having a few ideas, what could they be? Well you'll have to wait to find out!
Note: Mona's dreams were inspired by the beginning of the TMNT 2003 opening of the episode 'Reflections' and the Transformers Prime episode 'Sick Mind'