A/N: Hello everyone, I am sorry for the very late chapter. I have read and reread this chapter so many times. I kept adding and adding, so I finally told myself to stop. Thank you for continuing to read my little story.
-edit: 11/04/23- fixed word choice.-
Bishop tugged on his cuffs before straightening his tie. He could still hear the Senator's threat echoing in his head. It was infuriating how civilians couldn't see the importance of his work. One would think the invasion from the Triceratons would have been enough to open everyone's eyes. The casualties could have been much higher if not for his men. His dark eyes turned to look at the people walking on the sidewalk. Humans of all shapes and sizes walked by ignorant of the dangers in the stars. None saw how vulnerable humanity was.
The car left the crowds behind as the car pulled ahead. The humans became more scarce as the car continued to the warehouse district. Bishop pulled out the files that Dr. Nance sent him. Seven files. He opened the first labeled H13. Flipping open the manilla folder, he was greeted with a picture of a small albino mutant turtle. According to Dr. Nance, the four turtle brothers had taken the small turtle when they broke into the facility and released all of the test subjects. It would be too difficult to retrieve the turtle without heavy firepower and casualties. Bishop shut the folder sending it behind. It was a problem for later.
He opened the next folder; J31. A mint green turtle with green eyes was pictured. There had been a couple of sightings from individuals. She would be an easy target to track down. Bishop set the folder aside to open J28's folder. A shamrock green turtle with sharp eyes glared at the camera. She hadn't been spotted since the breakout. The car breaking broke Bishop out of his cataloging. Without saying anything to his driver, the agent exited the car.
With confident strides, he walked to the warehouse. He gave a nod to the two soldiers guarding the entrance. They saluted him as he passed the door. Unlike what the outside looked like, the facility looked like a true lab. Fluorescent lights buzzed above reflecting off newly waxed floors. "Ah, Agent Bishop. I was wondering when you would grace us with your presence," Stockman's irritating voice greeted the agent.
Bishop turned to the disgraced scientist. Behind the mechanized robot body, stood two other scientists in lab coats. A man with short brown hair and a blonde curly-haired woman. "I assume you have good news to report," Bishop answered as his greeting.
"Well, Jillian, what was the exciting development that you wanted to share with the agent?" Baxter Stockman asked.
The blonde woman narrowed her eyes, "Dr. Amante, please. I had wanted to report the great strides that J50 has taken in tracking and retrieval." She flipped through her clipboard through her notes. "He will be ready within weeks to track and retrieve the others."
"Weeks in which our operation could be exposed," Stockman said, "I do recall I remember suggesting that GPS chips were used. But of course who listens to the only genius in the room."
"Dr. Stockman, we discussed how the cost of inserting GPS trackers in all of the test subjects wasn't feasible," Bishop cut off the man. "Dr. Nance, what strides have you made in tracking down our wayward subjects?"
The man startled slightly now that he was the center of attention. "I thought we should turn to a human element to hunt down the mutants." He held out two folders to Bishop. "I took the liberty to hire these two individuals to retrieve the subjects." Bishop looked at the files that were handed to him. It was an interesting choice to involve outsiders, but these two might just be the right choice.
Don stood at the stovetop, stirring the soup. He watched the little pieces of chicken float in the broth. The thyme was barely aromatic. The soup was a simple enough meal for him to make without bothering Mikey. He would rather avoid the teasing if he burned anything. A pair of footsteps entered the kitchen. He could recognize them instantly. "Whatcha doing, Brainiac?" Raph asked as he opened the fridge. "A little early for lunch," he said as he pulled a soda from the fridge.
"It's for Tim," Don responded, "He takes liquids easier." He poured the whole pot into the largest bowl they had. Raph took a swing from his soda. He hummed his understanding.
"Need help?" Raph asked, following Don as he left the kitchen. "I don't trust the giant booger." The older brother opened the lab door for him as he balanced the bowel.
"I lower the temperature in the containment unit to slow his movements," Don explained as the pair entered the room. "Or lately I have been asking Lita to feed him." As the pair neared the containment unit, the green mass lashed out at the glass.
"You have her feed it?" Raph growled. He kept a hand on a sai as the mutated man hit the glass. It held firm under the barrage.
"Him. Yes, he seems to have a soft spot for her," Don said as he pushed a couple of buttons. The hissing sound of cool air filled the containment unit. The purple-masked turtle frowned, " I looked him up. He has a daughter. A little older than Lita." He waited as the attacks slowed. The green blob congealed in the corner of the containment unit unmoving. Raph said nothing as Don pushed the bowel through the slot at the bottom of the unit.
"How's it going on the retromutagen?" Raph asked as Don raised the temperature again. The mutant started to move again. Raph watched with disgust as the gelatinous mass oozed toward the bowel. Don had already turned away; watching the mutant eat lost its excitement long ago.
A sigh passed Don's beak. "I wish I could say it is going well, but the mutagen used to mutate him is different from the one on the files I downloaded. The chemical makeup is different from the one used to mutate Lita and the others." Don sat at his chemistry set.
"So do we need to go back to the lab? Get ta files ya need?" Raph asked as he stood by the table. With a slight motion of Don's head, Raph took a step away from the chemicals. Last thing the genius wanted was for one of his family or Lita to be unmutated. "While we are there we can pick up Vincent." Raph gave Don a searching look. The genius could tell that his older brother was trying to read him.
The purple-masked turtle didn't look at him. If his brother saw his face, he would read him like a book. The beakers in front of him were suddenly very interesting. How could he tell his brother that the possibility of the other turtle living was low? Not impossible, but near enough. "Yeah, maybe we should ask Leo if we can plan an infiltration mission," he responded. Too late, too slow. Raph nodded, his amber eyes distant.
A soft knock at the door frame drew both brothers' attention. There was only one person who knocked on the open lab door. His brothers would enter and Master Splinter would call out to his son rather than step into his domain. "Hey Lita," Raph greeted. Don did likewise, but kept his focus on his experiment.
He heard the soft shuffling steps near them. Putting down the micropipet, Don looked at the albino turtle. She was wearing a blue hoodie today, borrowed from Leo. Hiding her beak behind her clasped hands, she asked, "C-c-can I show y-y-ou something?"
"Is it your flips?" Don asked, keeping his tone neutral. He already saw her complete a true backflip nearly a month ago. A month of grounding did well to expedite that particular lesson. She shook her head negatively.
"Is it anotha roach?" Raph asked, tensing slightly. Don stifled the chuckle that threatened to leave his beak. He remembered how innocently the smaller turtle had shown off her prize to the red-masked turtle. Raph smacked his arm, leaving it smarting.
"N-n-no, Leo said n-n-not to touch the bugs and Don said I can g-get sick," Lita said, shaking her head adamantly. "And I d-didn't mean to scare you," she mumbled, shifting her weight uncomfortably.
"Ya didn't scare me," Raph said a little gruffly. The girl flinched at the tone. With a swift smack to his older brother's arm, Don gave Raph a look. "What did ya want to show us?"
The girl lifted her head before stepping closer. She gave the table and equipment a weary glance, but neared the two. She held out her pale hand to the older turtles. Raph sighed but reached out to hold her hand. A small smile formed on her beak as she reached out to Don. He gave her a sad look. "I need to work on this right now, Lita. Can you show me later?" She nodded before leading Raph away. Don laughed watching his tough older brother being led by the small white turtle.
It was easy to get lost in his work. Mixing different chemicals and watching the reaction was always a little relaxing. Though now he had to wait for the reaction to complete itself. He got to his feet. He might as well see what Lita had wanted to show him. He stepped out of the lab. As luck would have it, Lita was hurrying from the kitchen with a bag full of apples. Curious, Don watched as she passed him without sparing a glance. He followed behind as she entered the dojo.
A good brother would probably remind her that Father didn't like food in the dojo. A curious brother would just follow and see what was going on. Don waited a moment before he silently opened the paper doors of the dojo.
He held back a startled gasp as he watched Lita balance one of the apples on her head. She had removed her hood so it rested on her white scales. Not this again. Don looked down the range. Raph and Mikey were loading their bows. He should say something, but they might lose their concentration and that would be disastrous. Lita looked confidently at the older turtles. It was a look full of trust.
"I'm first, Aniki. As the Battle Nexus Champion, this is a piece of cake," Mikey boasted "Ready, Imouto?". Raph frowned, but didn't strike at the youngest brother. The red-masked turtle settled for rolling his eyes.
"Hai, Aniki," Lita responded; she was absolutely still. The apple sat innocently on her scaled head. With a twang, the arrow flew true and split the apple in half. Don sighed in relief. There was a chirp from the albino turtle as she clapped. Mikey whooped, pumping his fists in the air.
"Ha, beat that, Raph," Mikey boasted. Lita reached into the bag by her feet and pulled out another apple. The apple was on her head a moment later. It wobbled for a second before settling straight on her head. A smile was on her face as she settled into place.
"Whatever, bro. I could do this blindfolded," Raph said "Ready, Lita?"
"Yes, Raphy," she responded. Don held his breath as Raph loosed the arrow. It whistled through the air and struck true. Lita cheered quietly as the apple fell off her head in two halves.
" Can you do it b-b-blindfolded?" Lita asked. Her pink eyes were bright. She shied a little at Mikey's and Raph's look.
"Ya bet," Raph said with a confident smirk. He turned his mask to the side covering his eyes. Don realized this game had gone on long enough.
"I thought you two were done reenacting William Tell," Don said entering the dojo. Raph straightened his mask. He and Mikey gave each other a look, trying to figure out who to throw under the bus. Raph elbowed Mikey who elbowed his older brother back.
"It was Lita's idea," Mikey spoke up first. Raph gave the orange-masked turtle a flat look, but nodded his head.
Don gave them a disbelieving look. A soft tap at his side drew his attention to Lita who held up an apple half to him. He took it distractedly, taking a bite out of it.``It's t-true. They said they c-could shoot the apple off my head. I w-wanted to see." She looked down for a second before looking back up at Don. "Can you do it t-too?" She asked.
"Yeah, Don? Can you show us your archery skills?" Mikey asked. Don was about to refuse the challenge. He was the sensible one; he wouldn't put the younger turtle in danger.
"Nah, bro. Donny's not as good as us," Raph added with a smirk. He elbowed Mikey who picked up on the ploy easily.
"Oh yeah, can't hit the broad side of a barn," Mikey added with a chuckle.
He was going to ignore them. Don wasn't competitive. Not like Raph and Leo. Even Mikey was competitive when it came to his games. He wasn't going to fall for it. "I b-believe in you," Lita whispered. That did it. It was a simple shot.
"Go ahead and set up, Lita. I am the best shot, by the way," Don said with a quiet confidence. Lita hurried to her spot. She placed an apple on her head. She stood up straight as Don got another bow from the weapon rack. He nocked the arrow, took aim, and loosed the arrow. It sunk into the fruit easily. A cheerful chirp was his reward as well as the girl's impressed claps.
"What the shell are you doing?" a very angry Leo's voice asked. The four turtles startled at the sudden intrusion. Don hid the bow futilely behind his shell. The leader was stomping to Lita who looked like she wanted to shrink into her shell. "Are you okay?" Leo asked so gently and softly. The tone seemed to relax the smaller turtle. She nodded, but that didn't stop the eldest from running his hands over her head. He lifted her arms, looking for any wounds. Busy looking over the youngest, the eldest was distracted.
Don looked to his two brothers to see if they were thinking the same thing as he was. With a nod, they tiptoed to the dojo door. "Halt," Leo ordered not looking at the trio. The younger brothers froze as the leader turned to face them. "Can you give us a moment, Lita? I need to speak to my brothers," he gave the youngest turtle a soft smile.
She shook her head, walking past Leo to stand beside Don. "It was my i-idea," she said, hiding her face behind hands. Although she was trying to be brave, she still hid behind him.
Leo gave a long-suffering sigh, "Fine. That was very dangerous, Lita." His sharp gaze had the albino dip her head down in shame. Leo gave his brothers a firm look. His dark eyes were serious, "I expected better from you. It is one thing to shoot at each other. You three can dodge or catch the arrow. She can't do either."
"You don't trust us, Fearless?" Raph asked, his tone asking for a fight. "It was a shot we can do in our sleep."
"Raphael, that is enough," Splinter said, revealing himself at the doorway. "My sons, I believe that this incident deserves flips. Twenty each. Lita, you will give me ten." The four reprimanded turtles gave the ninja master a bow. Lita was a little slow to do so, mimicking the others. They rose as one to complete the task.
Don took his spot next to Raph. A small shape stopped beside him. "You're s-so cool," Lita said as the four lined up. Her pink eyes looked up at the three impressed. A click of Splinter's walking stick stopped any conversation.
This required concentration. Leo grit his teeth as he tuned out the noises around him. He couldn't fail here. It would be unforgivable. He would be disgraced. But the world had it against the leader for fail he did. "Ha, still reigning champ is me," Mikey crowed as Leo's character fell off the platform. Leo dropped his head in shame. No matter what he did, Mikey was clearly better than him in this game.
"That's 'cause ya playing with Metaknight. Everyone knows he's broken," Raph said, holding his wii remote more like his sais. Mikey leaned away from the unheard threat. "Fearless here only plays as Link."
"That's a bad choice, Leo," Don added helpfully. He tightened the remote strap around his wrist. "Meta-wise, Link is very middle of the pack."
"He only picks him because he is a sword guy," Raph says. The two middle brothers chuckled.
"He should pick Marth. Marth is blue and has a sword," Mikey said helpfully.
Leo huffed, putting his remote on the coffee table. "I'm going to check on how Lita's training is going." He got to his feet. He could clearly hear his brothers' continuing commentary. As he reached the dojo doors, the sound of a shell cell ringing sang through the air. Leo paused at the door, looking over his shoulder to watch Don answer the phone.
"Hi, Leatherhead," Don greeted. The purple-masked turtle grew quiet. His dark eyes grew serious. The smile on his beak fell at whatever the mutated alligator said. Mikey started to lean closer to Don. Whatever was being said on the other end must be important because Don didn't push away the intrusion. Raph put his remote down as he crossed his arms. The hot head was trying hard not to look interested.
Leo caught Don's gaze, giving him a questioning look. Don gave him a look that told him to wait. "I still have cameras in that area. I will check if they still work. We can leave in five minutes tops." Don shut the phone, ending the call.
"What does Leatherhead need?" Leo asked as he stepped away from the dojo. Mikey and Raph looked at the genius turtle.
"Leatherhead has been taking care of two mutants for the past two months. A Gecko and a bearded lizard. Mondo and Mona Lisa, respectfully. Mona Lisa is missing. Leatherhead wants us to look for her," Don explained. Leo just gave his brothers a firm nod. It didn't take an order for the four turtles to prepare themselves. Raph and Mikey hurried to gather their weapons from the coffee table. Don ran to pack his duffle.
Leo turned around to enter the dojo. The only light was a few flickering candles, casting shadows against the walls. Splinter, to an untrained eye, appeared to be alone. Leo could sense Lita nearby. Ears flicked toward him. "Leonardo," Splinter greeted. Leo bowed politely. "Lita, slower movements. The eye is drawn to quick movement," Splinter instructed.
"S-sorry," a whispered voice said, from a dark shape, attempting to hide in the shadows.
"Speaking is unhelpful as well," Splinter added. A soft giggle sounded from the dark causing Leo to chuckle slightly, but he focused on his Sensei.
"Leatherhead is asking for our help. He found a couple of mutants two months ago and now one is missing," Leonardo explained to his father. "We are leaving shortly." Splinter's ears were perked and he stood a little taller.
"Who?" Lita's voice asked a lot closer than Leo expected. She remained in the shadows though her position was compromised.
"Her name is Mona Lisa now. She is a lizard," Leo explained. In the flickering light, he could see the concern in her eyes.
"L1. You h-have to f-find her. Please," she pleaded, walking into the candlelight. Splinter put a comforting hand on her shoulder and pulled her to his side. She leaned into him, her white hands grasping his red robe.
"My sons will," Splinter said confidently. "Linger no longer, Leonardo." With a bow the leader was out of the door. Quickly he ran to the exit.
His team was already standing at the entrance to the Lair. "Where are we searching, Donny?" he asked the purple-masked turtle as the four exited their home.
"Near our old lair actually," Don answered as the four piled into the Sewer Slider. He started the vehicle. It rumbled under them. Leo braced himself as Don floored it. He hunched his shoulders to keep himself upright.
"Whoa, easy there, Chucklehead," Raphael said, catching Mikey as he nearly tipped out of the vehicle. The older brother set the youngest back in his seat.
"Hey Don, a little warning next time," the orange-masked turtle complained as he sat down. "You know, keep your hands and arms in the ride at all times."
"This ain't DisneyLand, Mikey," Raph said, crossing his arms across this plastron.
"Yeah, this ride would have never passed inspection," Mikey joked with a chuckle. Leo let the conversation flow past him like the racing walls of the sewers. They had to find this mutant. They couldn't fail another one. He took a deep breath in to calm himself. He had to remember what he learned from the Ancient One. He couldn't beat himself up on the past.
Leo focused on the sewers ahead. The familiarity struck him to his core. This was their home for the past couple of years before Karai had it destroyed. "I sure miss this old place," Raph's reminiscing voice said softly.
"Yeah me too," Mikey agreed, "Think the Foot are still around?" Four turtles became on guard. Eyes searching the dark sewer shadows for movement.
"They know we moved on," Don said, focusing once again ahead of the vehicle. In the headlights two shapes appeared. Don killed the engine letting the momentum slow them down. As they neared, the shapes appeared to be a large mutated alligator and a shorter lizard. The smaller lizard had golden yellow scales with a dark leopard print patterning along his back. He wore an oversize band t-shirt and baggy jean shorts.
The sewer slider stopped in front of the pair. "Wicked cool ride, amigos," the smaller lizard complimented. His golden eyes looked over the Sewer Slider. A pink tongue flicked out to lick his golden eyes. "Name's Mondo by the way," he said, raising a hand to wave. Mikey greeted the lizard with a wave as well.
"As much as I would like for us to exchange pleasantries, your sister is out there somewhere," Leatherhead said, looking down at the small gecko.
"Yeah, major bummer," Mondo said lowering his head, "But these guys are here to help, right?" The four turtles hopped off the Sewer Slider. They barely made a splash in the water.
"That is what we are hoping for," Leonardo responded, "My brothers and I know these sewers better than anyone." It was a little boastful, but he truly believed it.
"Here, Leatherhead, I linked the video feed from the cameras nearby onto this," Don tossed a small device to the alligator who caught it in his massive hand. Mondo attempted to stand taller to look at it as well but was far too short to reach the alligator's height. He was a couple inches taller than the brother's height, but it wasn't enough to reach the alligator's height.
"Thank you Donatello," the alligator said with a deep rumble. His thick finger pressed onto the screen expertly.
"Okay team, we will split into pairs," Leo ordered. "Don and I will go this direction. Raph, you take Mikey to our right. Leatherhead and Mondo, you take the left tunnel. Keep communication open and call if you find any sign of her."
"Sheesh, Leo this ain't our first mission," Raph complained as he rolled his eyes. Nevertheless, the red-masked turtle turned away with a salute. Mikey skipped behind on his heels. The youngest passed Raph, flipping the long tails of his red mask over his face. With a squeal from Mikey and a growl from Raph, the two brothers were bolting down the tunnel. They shoved each other as they disappeared into the dark.
"Come along, Mondo. Let us search in this direction," Leatherhead rumbled as the Gecko looked distracted watching the turtles.
"Righteous. See ya later, dudes," the gecko said as he followed the lumbering giant away.
Leo released the breath he was holding. He looked for Don who was climbing into the Sewer Slider. He pulled out his trusty duffle bag and slung it over his shoulder. With a nod, the two brothers walked ahead.
A flashlight was pushed into Leo's hand. In a moment, a pair of light beams illuminated the sewer tunnels. Leo kept his ears and eyes on alert. Pipes gurgled above familiarly. Water sloshed slightly under their feet. If he tried to really listen, he could hear distant sirens from the streets above.
"Did you receive any responses to the emails you sent to the newspaper," Leo asked his brother. He knew Donatello had poured over the files from the lab since they returned. Leo and Splinter had read through the compiled files and Don's emails multiple times. If anyone could shut down the EPF, it would be the general public.
Don slumped slightly. "Oh I did. And I quote 'Perhaps the National Enquirer will be interested'. 'You have a talent for writing science fiction.'" Leo shook his head with a sigh. It was a long shot anyways. Their father had warned them that if the story was published it could put a target on them. Perhaps it was best that no newspaper would run the story. "I have put it out on some forums though," Don added.
"Any good responses?" Leo asked as he turned his flashlight down a branching tunnel. He motioned for Don to follow him to search the branching tunnel.
"Sure, if flat earthers and U.F.O enthusiasts count," Don said with a shrug. He looked away for a moment.
"Well, one of those groups were right," Leo quipped. Their chuckles echoed down the tunnel. Above their laughs, Leo could hear another sound. A high pitch whine. Something mechanical. He put a finger to his lips, silencing Don.
They focused as the whine became louder. Light disappeared from the sewers as the brothers shut off their flashlights. Leo brushed beside his brother as the two crouched. The whine grew louder still. Little red lights floated near the top of the sewer tunnel. With a simple jump, Leo sliced through the lights.
Something splashed behind him as he landed. Leo turned to see Don inspecting whatever machinery the leader had destroyed. He held his flashlight in his mouth as he picked up two silver hemispheres. Recognition flashed through the genius's eyes. He dropped the machine halves into the water. Don removed the flashlight from his mouth. "These are Dr. Abigail Finn's," Don said as he stood to his full height.
"The monster hunter?" Leo asked, remembering his youngest brothers mentioning her. Don nodded, pulling out his shell cell. "I thought she wasn't going to be a problem anymore."
"She lost her cable show after she captured Casey and was disgraced by the scientific community," Don said, "I haven't kept up with her since then." Guilt crossed his features as he held his phone to his head.
"This is good news then," Leo started. Don gave him a confused look. "If this is Dr. Finn, she will not kill Mona Lisa. She is more interested in documenting 'monsters' than destroying them" A frown crossed the purple-masked turtle's face as he hung up the phone.
Leo didn't like that look. "Raph didn't answer," Don explained as he dialed again.
Leo put his shell to Don, turning on his light. He kept a hand ready to draw his sword. "Raph forgets to charge his phone sometimes and doesn't always answer," Leo reasoned, waiting for Don to speak. A sharp exhale was the only thing to be heard. The older brother looked over his shoulder as Don hung up again. He gave a simple shake of his head. "We're going back," Leo stated firmly. If their brothers were not answering, they might be dealing with something more dangerous than one crazed monster hunter.
As the brothers turned to return to the Sewer Slider and brothers, a now familiar whine echoed behind them. But louder than the drones, was the splashing of something approaching the pair. Loud huffs of heavy breathing accompanied it. The brothers swung their lights toward the sound.
A gray mutated lizard ran toward them. She looked over her shoulder, her pony-tail like spines swinging through the air. Her tail swung widely behind her as she ran, her gait was uneven. Leo could spot blood running down her leg. Four metal spheres flew behind her. The brothers ran toward her, splashing loudly. Her violet eyes met Leo's. "Help me," she called out a moment before a net shot out of one of the spheres. Ropes wrapped around the lizard's body. She fell with a splash and a startled yelp. She struggled against the restraint, keeping her face out of the water.
Don pole vaulted over her fallen form. She flinched slightly as he sailed overhead. Don stabbed the drone that shot the net at the lizard. Wood crunched the sensitive mechanism. Leo sliced through another. Clicking sounds were the only warning the turtles got as the last two drones shot something at them. Don spun his Bō blocking the projectiles. Leo did a diving roll. In an instant, Leo got back onto his feet. He leapt toward the floating spheres. He cut down the last two drones easily.
Water splashed as the machines hit the water. Leo turned to the lizard girl. With help from Don, she sat up. The net was tossed aside. She thanked them breathlessly. Leo picked up one of the flashlights that were tossed aside during the scuffle. Being sure not to blind the new mutant, Leo held the light steady for Don. "Who are you?" she asked, watching Don as he opened his duffle bag. Her violet eyes looked at the open bag with curiosity.
"My name is Leonardo and this is my brother Donatello," Leo greeted. He held the light steady as Don pulled out white bandages. With nimble fingers, the medic wrapped the material around her scaled leg, just below her cut-off jean shorts.
"Leatherhead talked about you. He said you are friends," she said looking from one to the other. Don helped her to her feet. She steadied herself with her tail.
"He actually came to us to help find you," Don said as he packed his bag again. Leo motioned for the pair to follow him on their search for their missing brothers.
"Then I say you did a great job," Mona Lisa said cheerfully. Concern crossed her face as her smile dropped. "Did you by chance see my brother, Mondo? I told him we had a better chance against those hunters if we split up."
"Hunters?" Leo reiterated, "As in multiple?" He looked behind him over Mona Lisa who was wringing out her soaked pink shirt to Don. The two brothers met each other's eyes.
"Yea, a huge woman with blue hair and a man with a strange accent and a gun," Mona Lisa said, brushing off her blue jean shorts. Leo could feel his pulse starting to race. The woman sounded like Abigail Finn. Hopefully, the man wasn't the hunter the brothers ran into last time.
Mikey was breathing heavily, he looked at his pursuer with a cocky grin. The emerald turtle was breathing just as heavily as him. "Do you give up, bro? Ya can't catch me," the youngest teased.
"Ya betta hope I don't catch ya," Raph replied with a growl. Mikey giggled as he dodged a messy swipe. He loved splitting off with Raph. Don and Leo rarely gave into his taunts. As he shoved the larger turtle playfully, he could feel the back of his neck prickle. Something was tripping his senses. He stopped moving. A tug on his orange mask tails made him lose his concentration for a moment. "Focus, Chucklehead." Mikey batted Raph's hands while his eyes searched the dark tunnel.
Raph released his hold as he mimicked his younger brother. "Do ya think the others found her yet?" Mikey asked, raising his voice. The two brothers stepped backwards silently, shuffling their feet to muffle the sound.
"They woulda called by now," Raph responded, he kept his ears perked. A click was the only warning they got. Splashes filled the air a moment before the sound of a muffled gunshot filled the air. Raph cursed and Mikey reminded him to keep his language clean. The older brother didn't check the younger, knowing if he was joking that he wasn't hit.
The brothers sunk into the water, hiding in the dark. Mikey remembered Don saying that they were barely warmer than their environment being mostly cold-blooded which made thermal tech not work as well. The genius turtle also said that water holds heat better than air. So hiding in the water was their best bet. Mikey stilled his breath waiting for their attack to make themselves known.
"I got 'em," a male voice with an Australian accent cheered from a branching tunnel. Raph growled. He was tensing himself for an attack.
"What are you thinking, you trigger-happy dropout? We are supposed to capture them alive," a female voice complained. Mikey recognized both voices. It was that crazy Doctor lady that Donny liked and the Great White Hunter.
A pair of loud splashing footsteps approached the hiding turtles. "The man in the suit said dead or alive," the hunter said, "the way I see it, little lady, I am doing him a favor."
"They are far more valuable alive. Imagine how many scientific discoveries we can make. I can regain my cable show and not be writing internet blogs," Abigail Finn said, her voice becoming more manic. The two humans looked at the seemingly empty tunnel. "It looks as though you missed," she said. "No matter I can send my SHORTIES." She turned her attention to her cell phone. The hunter held his gun loosely as he stepped closer to where Raph was hiding.
The red-masked turtle couldn't wait anymore. With a glint of steel, he charged forward. His sais pierced the gun. Mikey seeing his opportunity kicked toward Abigail Finn's wrist. She dropped her cell phone. With both opponents occupied, the brothers retreated to the Sewer Slider. "We gotta call Don tell 'em we got trouble,"Raph said as the pair ran.
A high pitch whine grew in front of the pair. With a small wake, the two brothers skid to a stop. Raph held his sais tightly in front of him. Two metal spheres flew toward the pair. Mikey stepped forward, spinning his nunchucks. With a couple of clicks, projectiles flew toward the two turtles. Thuds as they collided with the swirling weapons filled the air.
Mikey felt a sharp pain on his arm. "Ah shell, I missed one," he said with a hiss. The world tilted and spun as his stomach did flips. He took a deep breath in trying to steady himself. Rough hands clasped his upper arms in a steadying manner. It didn't help the spinning tunnel.
"You alright, Mike?" Raph's concerned voice asked. The older brother looked past the younger. "We gotta keep movin'. Think you can walk?" he asked.
"In a straight line, officer?" Mikey asked with a giggle. Amber eyes rolled in their sockets. The air was driven out of Mikey's lungs as Raph roughly pulled him into a fireman's carry. "My hero," Mikey cooed.
"I'll drop you and leave you ta the odd couple," Raph said though his tightened grip said the opposite. The red-masked turtle ran as fast as he could. It was bumpy and Mikey could feel his stomach continue to flip. He groaned softly as Raph's shell dug into his plastron when he jumped. "Don't puke on me," Raph warned.
"You're the one making me sick," Mikey complained.
"Just close ya eyes or something it might help," Raph advised. He could see the Sewer Slider ahead. Two beams of light were also approaching the vehicle from where Leo and Don had left.
"Mikey. Raph," Leo's voice called out, "Are you alright?" Raph squinted against the bright light to see the shape of his brothers. There was another shadow between them.
"Ya, Mike got a dartful of somethin' but we're good," Raph responded as the brothers converged. Raph gave the lizard that leaned on Don a passing glance. She was just a couple of inches taller than his brothers even when she leaned slightly toward Leo. "Ya must be Mona Lisa," Raph said.
She smiled and nodded, "That's me. Is your brother doing okay? He looks green or greener than he should." Her eyes flicked to Mikey's face that now was pressed into Raph's shoulder. Warm steady breaths told the turtle that he was fine, but unconscious at the moment.
"Ya he's fine, but we ain't gonna be if we stay around," Raph said as he hefted Mikey's weight into the Sewer Slider. "That crazy monster lady and that hunter guy are after us." Raph pulled himself into the vehicle beside Mikey and reached over for Mona's outstretched hand.
It was slightly cool to the touch. She was luckily a lot lighter than his brothers and so he pulled her beside him. Don and Leo jumped into the Sewer Slider as the first shot pinged off the sewer tunnels.
"Floor it, Don," Leo ordered. His sword gleamed in the limited light as they blocked shots being fired. Mona Lisa ducked down, trying to take cover behind the sides of the Slider. Sais blocked more shots before the vehicle sped away. They could hear the argument between the two humans as they were left in the dust.
A collective sigh of relief was released before Leo pulled out his Shell Cell. "We found her Leatherhead. Don't rendezvous at the Sewer Slider. Meet us as the Lair instead," Leo said to the alligator mutant. "We have a little trouble here, but nothing we can't handle."
Raph leaned back in his seat with his arms crossed. He watched Leo hang up the shell cell. The leader remained alert, turning to look backwards. Mona Lisa gave him a wave, making his eyes focus on her. "Can I see your swords?" she asked, eyes focused on the hilts.
"Yer asking sword boy to let ya look at his precious babies?" Raph laughed, "He barely lets us touch 'em." Leo looked unamused at the teasing.
"Not now. It would be too dangerous to do so at the moment," Leo responded to which Raph mumbled a 'told ya'. "Perhaps when we get back to the Lair."
"Oh, right moving vehicle," Mona Lisa responded sheepishly, "I forgot. They look very well made. Did you make them?"
Leo beamed, "I did." Raph cleared his throat. "With Raph's help, of course. I was injured at the time."
"Maybe you can teach me some time. Your weapons are really cool," Mona Lisa said. Her eyes drifted to the sais at Raph's belt.
"My eyes are up here," Raph teased. A smack sound was followed quickly by a slight sting on his arm. Raph blinked at Leo and Leo at Raph. Stunned, Raph tried to process what happened. Leo smacked him; Leo rarely if ever smacked him, that's what they did to Mikey.
"Don't disrespect her with such a crude joke," Leo warned in Japanese. Raph raised an eye ridge, but didn't get a chance to react. With a sudden jolt, the Slider tipped, spilling four turtles and a lizard into the water with a loud splash.
"What gives, Donny?" Raph growled. Mikey sputtered awake beside him, tilting slightly. The orange-masked turtle groaned as he swayed. Mona Lisa was being helped by Leo.
"It was one of Dr. Finn's machines, it overloaded the engine with an electric shock," Don replied as he got to his feet. The purple-masked ninja was opening the engine compartment that was smoking. A heavy weight landed on Raph's shoulder. He instinctively reached out to hold Mikey in an upright position. He sagged forward a little but remained upright.
"Can you fix it?" Leo asked, his posture tense. He didn't look at Don but at the tunnel that they left behind.
Don furrowed his brow, "I would need something to jump start the engine but everything else looks okay."
"Nice. Get on it, Brainiac. We're sitting ducks out here," Raph said, pointing to the semiconscious Mikey.
Don sighed but Mona Lisa is the one that answered, "He needs a power source. One a lot bigger than the batteries in your flashlights." Raph and Leo looked at her. She shrugged her shoulders, "Leatherhead and Professor Honeycutt are geniuses; you pick up a few things. "
"Mona is right. For right now, all we can do is hide the Slider and come back for it," Don said. Raph handed Mikey to Mona Lisa before helping his three brothers push the Slider away from the main tunnel.
Rejoining the two injured mutants, Leo spoke, "We lost any lead we had on our pursuers. We need to put as much distance between us and them. Raph, you got Mikey." He turned to Mona Lisa. "May I carry you?" he asked.
"Sure, this leg's giving me trouble," she responded with a shrug. Leo knelt lower, letting her wrap her arms around his neck. She curled herself around his shell, wrapping her tail around his waist. He gave the motion to move, letting Don take point.
As soon as they started moving, a steady tap started on Raph's head. "Mikey, stop that," he said to the turtle who freed one arm.
"Huh. I wasn't doing anything," Mikey slurred, but the tapping stopped as he waved his sea green hand in front of his older brother's face.
"Uh, Mona. Please don't touch my swords," Leo's polite but firm voice pleaded, breaking the brothers' conversation. The lizard, using one hand, unsheathe the sword just slightly to look at the metal blade.
"Sorry, I wanted to see the metal work," Mona Lisa replied.
"Are you interested in learning how to work with metal?" Don asked from the front of the pack. The genius spared a glance backwards.
"Yes, I have seen Leatherhead weld some things. He even let me use the welder once. I made a little statue for my room from nuts and bolts," Mona Lisa said with an easy smile. She chuckled sadly, "It's a little turtle. Mondo spray painted it white for me." A somber look crossed her face. She lowered her head closer to the top of Leo's.
"Was it supposed to be-," Don's question was cut off by pained yelp. He fell forward into the water.
"Donny," Both of his brother's called out as he pushed himself to his knees. He spat out sewer water with a grimace.
"It's a trap," Don said as he tried to look at his ankle. Raph waded forward, looking on the ground for something suspicious. Leo did likewise. The older brothers knelt beside Don inspecting the trap. It looked like a snare except the cord had little blinking lights on it. No blood seeped from where it tightened around olive green flesh. "Is it bad?" Don asked.
"You still have your foot, Don," Mikey replied helpfully. "It just looks like you got a cute anklet."
Don tried to twist to see the trap. His shell made that very difficult. "Stay still, I'll cut it off," Leo said. Mona Lisa leaned back letting the ninja unsheathe his sword. Her violet eyes watched the metal as it passed her face. The blade sang as it cut through the thick cord. Don moved swiftly to look at the trap in his hand.
"This looks a little like Dr. Finn's work, but crafted like a traditional snare trap," Don said. He turned the cord over. "If I am correct, when the trap was triggered, a GPS signal was sent to Dr. Finn."
"You know what I'm thinking, brothers?" Leo asked.
"That pineapple doesn't go on pizza?" Mikey asked. Mona Lisa giggled at the remark.
Leo gave the youngest an unamused look. Raph tried to find a way to bap him when he was across his shell. "No, we set a trap of our own. It's time for the hunters to become the hunted." The turtles grinned at each other.
The whine of machinery was their first warning of the approaching hunters. Raph quickly pulled Mikey into the shadows as Leo and Mona Lisa faded from view. Splashing footsteps echoed down the tunnels approaching the mutants. "I told you, love. Hunter knows how to bag the big ones," the hunter bragged. "A good old fashioned snare."
"It is my program that alerted us to it," Abigail Finn replied. The pair stepped gingerly toward the lump on the ground.
"Careful, love. These beasts are wiley things," Hunter said, reaching into his boot to pull out a large knife. "They took out my girls last time."
"Ha. I have been hunting monsters for years. These have nothing on me," Finn replied. The pair both yelped as the rope hidden under the water tugged, knocking them both off their feet. The motion continued until both humans were dangling by their feet. They swung slightly in the air.
Raph reached for his Shell Cell, "Hey Don. Release the water." At his brother's positive response, Raph jumped with Mikey on his shoulders onto the pipes above. He watched as Hunter used his knife to cut the rope at his legs. He landed in the sewer water heavily with a stumble.
"Need a little help?" he asked the hanging woman. The burly woman grunted as she reached up and tore the bonds apart. Both humans stiffened as the sound of rushing water roared through the tunnels. Neither had a chance to scream as the water swept them away into parts unknown. Raph watched the water flow harmless below them. The rush of water slowed as the level evened out.
Raph waited for the sound of footsteps. As he predicted, he heard nearly silent ripples in the water below. He looked down in time for a bright light to shine in his eyes. "Hey don't blind me, Donny," he said, blinking away the spots in his eyes. His third eyelid did little to protect him from the bright light.
"Sorry," he replied softly, "Can you lower Mikey?"
"I got it, Donny," Mikey's groggy voice replied. He pushed himself to his knees. He rubbed his head, ruffling his orange mask. "Hey bros, say no to drugs. They mess you up," Mikey joked. He positioned himself to fall. Don watched intently as the youngest landed. Concerned, he stepped closer until Mikey stood up straight posing as a gymnast.
"A ten out of ten," Don said, shaking his head. A loud splash announced that Raph joined the younger brothers. "Eh, that was a little sloppy, Raphie," Don teased. A growl was barely enough warning before Raph had Don in a headlock. The older brother gave the younger a noogie.
"I can't leave you three alone for five minutes," Leo said with fake exasperation.
"Aww, I think it's cute," Mona Lisa's voice cooed. Raph bristled at the word 'cute' and let go of Don with a gentle shove. "Mondo and I should hang out with you four. It would get us out of Professor Honeycutt and Leatherhead's hair, metaphorically, since you know they don't have hair."
"Sounds good, dudette. Mondo seems pretty cool," Mikey said, "We got to skate some time." Mona swayed a little on her feet, her tail swung lazily as she tried to keep upright. Leo caught her as she pitched forward. In an instant Don was at her side, flashlight in hand.
"She bled through the bandages. We need to get this stitched up at the Lair," Don announced.
"Oh dear, that doesn't look good," Mona Lisa muttered as she looked down at the bloody mess. The mutants with a renewed motivation started to move. Leo lifted up the lizard into his arms. Her tail draped over his arm. Don was pulling out his phone to call Splinter to prepare the infirmary.
Splinter sat in lotus position. He cracked open an eye as he heard deep even breaths. Lita was tipped over, curled up on the mat. He chuckled to himself; the old trick still worked. After a quick training session, mediation did wonders to lull restless young turtles to sleep.
The rat slowly got to his feet. Old creaking bones shifted under him as he watched his charge. Her pink eyes were still closed. Good, he had hoped she had burned out the nervous energy that kept her restless as soon as the turtles left the Lair. He prepared himself to lift her. Using his legs, he cradled her against his chest. She was a little heavy and the old rat knew that he wouldn't be able to carry her much longer. A small hand clutched the red fabric of his robe as she snuggled close. "Rest easy, my daughter. Let your sleep be peaceful," Splinter whispered in Japanese as he carried her to her room.
It was simple and still not quite lived in. Though there was evidence of care. A large lamp, built by Donatello, stood on one wall. It was shining down on three potted flowers, brought in by April. A simple nightstand with a carved turtle, made by Leonardo. Beside the turtle was a drawing of the entire mutant family, drawn by Michelangelo. Splinter carried his charge past all of these mementos to set the girl on the bed with pink sheets. He draped the striped blanket, knitted by Raphael, over her shoulder. He looked over to the four plushies scattered around the room. He picked up the Lion with a blue bow, the owl with a purple hood, the bear with a suspiciously familiar red mask, and lastly the costumed turtle. He placed them around his sleeping daughter. He chuckled to himself as he left the door open.
Now that the small turtle was asleep, he could think about his other children. He sat at his recliner, not quite watching the soap on the television. Clicks of the lair entrance opening alerted the rat of someone entering. It must have been an ally as the perimeter alarm wasn't tripped.
"Woah, the guys got quite the pad," an unfamiliar voice said as a just unfamiliar scent reached Splinter. The father was quick as lightning, ready to attack the intruder.
"Mondo, control your excitement. We do not want to startle Master Splinter," Leatherhead's more familiar voice said. Splinter slowed his charge into a more steady pace as he saw the two mutants at the door.
"Heya, anyone here?" the voice that Splinter now knew belonged to Mondo called. It echoed through the Lair. "Wicked echo," he continued.
Splinter hurried his pace to greet his unexpected guests. "I would implore you to lower your volume. Lita has finally fallen asleep and I would prefer not to repeat that particular battle." His tone was calm, but his brown eyes stern. He focused his gaze on the small gecko. He stood a couple of inches taller than his sons, but that shouldn't matter; he could cow his sons into submission. It would have worked if Mondo was looking at him; his large golden eyes looked over the lair.
Leatherhead gave a polite bow, "Good evening, Master Splinter. We apologize for arriving unannounced." The large alligator nudged the smaller gecko at his side. It startled the gecko from his search.
"Oh yeah, you have an awesome home, Splinter dude," Mondo said. Splinter frowned at the informal tone.
"Ah yes, it was most fortunate of us to have found it after our last home was destroyed," Splinter said with a sage nod.
"Major bummer," Mondo said sympathetically. "Uh, LH. Did the guys say when they will get here?" the gecko's eyes flicked to the door of the lair. His tail was tapping on the floor in quiet thuds.
Ever the gracious host, Splinter spoke up, "I can brew us some tea as we eat. Please make yourself at home. I merely ask that you do not wake Lita." A thanks was given by Leatherhead and Mondo. Splinter turned to set a kettle on the stove. As he left, he could see Mondo make his way to the television station.
It was quick work to put water in the kettle and set it on the stove. He returned to his guest quickly. As he padded quickly to the gecko who was flipping through channels, his phone started to ring. With a slight groan, the old rat pulled the device from his pocket. Confusion crossed his face as he turned it over in his paws. "Are you going to answer that?" Mondo asked as he draped backwards over the couch.
"Yes I am attempting to do so," Splinter said, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice.
Slapping footsteps came closer before a claw pressed a button. The phone opened and Splinter held it to his ear. He could hear Donatello's stressed voice telling him to prepare the infirmity. The call ended quickly.
Mondo and Leatherhead looked at the old mutant expectantly. "My sons need the infirmary prepared," Splinter reiterated. Leatherhead nodded and walked heavily away. Splinter followed behind. He didn't hear footsteps following him. He spared a glance at the gecko mutant.
There was a far distant look on his face. He scratched at his upper right arm. It made the father's heart clench; the motions were similar to his daughter's. He would address it later or allow Leatherhead to address it.
The pair had minutes to gather the medical supplies before the door opened. Orders were being shouted as the four entered. Splinter watched as Leonardo jogged into the infirmity. In his arms was a pale gray lizard. Purple eyes looked at him lazily, unfocused. "Hi, sorry for the mess," a slurred soup of words fell out of her mouth. Splinter took a step back as Donatello hurried passed. He was favoring his right leg.
The rat left the room as Leonardo set the lizard mutant on the med-bed. As he made his way to the common area, he searched for his other two sons. Raphael was setting a wobbly Michelangelo on the couch. His amber eyes met warm brown ones. The turtle gave his father a short nod. Such a simple motion calmed the father's soul.
Splinter gave Raphael a once over before looking for his second guest. He stood where the ninja master had left him. But he was no longer standing stock still, now he was kneeling facing a small turtle. His tail whipped along the floor.
Lita stood wide-eyed looking at the infirmity. Her small hands held onto the plush lion so tight her knuckles were even paler. Splinter padded closer to the clearly panicking mutants. Mondo was speaking nonsense that Splinter couldn't understand. Mondo stroked the top of the small mutant's head as she stepped closer to his side. The two huddled close, shaking slightly
The ninja master lowered himself slightly to be at their level. "Lita?" Splinter started slowly and calmly. She opened her mouth but nothing came out.
"Uh, she doesn't talk," Mondo said. The father didn't argue that point. He wouldn't push his daughter who was looking to the infirmity, barely audible chirps sounding from her closed beak. "Master Splinter, dude, uh, we don't, like, have the best memories of infirmities." Splinter nodded understandingly. "Just a lot of scalpels and samples," he continued. Mondo twisted his fingers around the turtle's hoodie, his golden eyes darting back to the infirmity. He waited for the gecko to continue. A pink tongue licked golden eyes before slipping into his mouth. "Is my sis going to be okay?"
"Yes, Donatello is quite skilled in medical procedures," Splinter said reassuringly. He placed a paw on the gecko's shoulder. A set of soft footsteps approached the group. Splinter flicked his ears toward the sound, recognizing his second son's steps.
"Yeah, Doctor Don is the best," Raphael said, joining the group. "She'll be up and about by tomorrow."
"D-d-doctor?" Mondo said as Lita shook her head harshly. His tail curled protectively around the pair. Splinter flinched; the pair must associate the word with the scientists in the lab. Raphael frowned as a regretful look passed his face.
"Raphael, will you see if they can see Mona Lisa?" Splinter asked, looking at Raphael. His son nodded as he went to the med bay. "I understand this must be difficult to understand. But Donatello is a healer and the kindest soul I know. No harm will come to Mona Lisa and he will do everything in his power to mend her wounds."
Mondo nodded a little more assured. "Can I go sit? My tail is gettin' numb," he said with a hollow sense of humor. Splinter nodded, watching as the gecko padded slowly to the couch. He offered his hand to Lita who ignored it. It dropped to his side, limply. The gecko wasn't offended, continuing his slow walk, golden eyes glued to the med bay. A small smile crossed the ninja master's muzzle as he watched his youngest son wave the gecko over. Michelangelo's easy smile was soothing.
Knowing that the mutant was in good hands, he focused on Lita. "D-d-don's n-n-not a d-d-doctor," she said, shaking her head. Splinter held his arms up, allowing the child to lean against him. She leaned her head against his side. Her fingers twisted the stuffed lion's mane.
"My child, most doctors are people with good intentions whose hands heal and not harm. The doctors that you met were wicked men who used their knowledge for ill," Splinter explained. He ran his paw against her shell in a soothing pattern.
A throat cleared itself awkwardly behind the pair. Splinter stood to his full height, turning to face Donatello. The olive green turtle smiled unsure. "Hey, Lita. Mona can see you if you want to see her." Lita hid behind Splinter. A pained expression crossed Donatello's face.
"Let us see Mona Lisa," Splinter said. A small hand grabbed his paw. The rat led the small turtle toward the med bay. Lita stayed as close as she could and far from Donatello. "Is she awake, Donatello?"
"Not right now, Sensei. I gave her an anesthetic so I could stitch her wound. She will wake up in a couple of hours. Mondo and Leatherhead are with her now," Donatello explained.
Splinter nodded as the trio entered the med bay. Leatherhead was standing beside the bed in the room. He looked up as the three entered the room. His eyes focused on Lita for a moment. He put a large hand on Mondo who was holding a gray scaled hand. "Mondo, Leonardo must be done with those sandwiches. It would be rude to not eat them," Leatherhead said. Mondo nodded, licking his eyeballs before getting to his feet. As they passed, Mondo reached out to put a hand on Lita's head.
"Hey, the dude did a tubular job," Mondo said, sounding a little more like how he came into the Lair. "Uh, just so ya know, dudette." Leatherhead lowered his head as Lita stared at him. The two exited the room quietly after.
"Donatello, can you explain to Lita what you did?" Splinter asked.
"Of course. When a person gets cut too deep or the cut is too wide, you have to close it," Donatello walked to the side of the bed. Splinter walked closer to where Mona Lisa laid, Lita shuffled along. The lizard mutant on the bed looked to be peaceful. A single leg was outside the sheet. An olive green finger pointed to a row of stitches. "If you come closer, you can see what I did to fix the wound, Imouto." The purple-masked turtle stumbled over the last word as if unsure that he could use it.
Lita relaxed just a little. She nodded slowly, releasing her hold on Splinter's robe. "O-o-okay, Aniki." She padded closer to Donatello, keeping just out of reach. It was a futile motion. If Donatello intended to grab her, she would have been caught.
Donatello gave the girl a soft smile. "These are stitches that close the skin, so she won't bleed anymore and the skin can heal." He pointed at the line of neat stitches. Lita leaned closer, looking at the stitches. The turtle nodded slowly, reaching to touch the thin line. Her finger paused before Splinter had to redirect her.
"So y-y-you didn't hurt her," Lita asked, looking up at Donatello. The older turtle shook his head.
"Lita, do you hear that beeping noise?" Splinter asked. Sure enough there was a steady beat in the background. Lita nodded, looking up at the older mutants.
"Ah yes, that is the heart monitor. It detects heartbeats," Donatello explained as he pointed to the machine. The girl seemed to relax even further. She put her stuffed lion on the bed with the lizard. Donatello fixed the sheets as Lita watched him.
"D-d-do you need stitches?" she asked as she pointed to Donatello's ankle. Splinter looked down at the broken skin at said ankle. A sigh of disappointment slipped through his muzzle; his sons had a tendency to hide injuries.
"Oh, um. I probably just need to wrap it with gauze," Donatello said. His voice was nonchalant as he walked away. Lita followed behind before tapping his shell.
"C-c-can I do it?" Lita asked. She twisted the sleeves of her hoodie in front of her. Donatello looked up at his father. Brown eyes searching for something. With an accepting nod, Splinter gave his son the go ahead.
"Uh, sure I have some around here. It would be good to have an extra pair of hands," Donatello replied. He quickly pulled out a roll and some medical tape.
"My children, I will check on your brothers and our guests. I must be certain that there are no other wounds to be bandaged," Splinter said, the comment was a little pointed to which Donatello flinched.
Leaving the med bay, Splinter walked to the living area. The sounds of some sort of game echoes through the room. As he entered he could hear whoops and cheers. A smile crossed his face as he could see Michelangelo and Mondo Gecko on the couch both tilting to one side, game controllers in hand. Raphael and Leonardo sat cross-legged on the floor in front. "You gotta do this, dude, it makes the car turn faster," Michelangelo instructed the gecko, leaning even further to his side.
"Neato dude. That's totally awesome," Mondo replied as he straightened at the same time as Michelangelo.
"Mikey, that really doesn't work," Leonardo said with a shake of his head. His eyes remained glued to the screen.
"Yea, say that when ya ain't in last place, Leonardo," Raphael said with a chuckle.
Large,heavy footsteps plodded slowly behind the ninja master. He turned to face Leatherhead who smiled at the scene. "I am very grateful that your sons met with Mona and Mondo," the alligator said with fondness.
"As am I," Splinter said, "Lita was very concerned about her fellow mutants."
"Ah, I heard what Agent Bishop did to them. Mona Lisa and Mondo spoke much about the experiments performed there.," Leatherhead growled, pupils narrowing. "If I see that man again, I will repay every pain he gave them." Splinter put a hand on Leatherhead's thick hide, calming him. The alligator looked apologetic, but Splinter ignored the look. He too felt the same emotion. Reading over the files that Donatello compiled was enough to make the normally calm rat feel a deep rage.
"Ah, Lita. You made me lose first place," Michelangelo's dramatic scream broke the tension. Said turtle was holding Michelangelo's arm. Her brow furrowed in concentration.
"D-D-donny said you n-needed a bandage," Lita said with a bandage in hand. The orange-masked turtle struggled to look over the white scaled head in front of him while the smaller turtle was trying to clean a small wound.
"Watch it, dudette, your stepping on my tail," Mondo complained half-heartedly. "Righteous, I'm first now," the lizard crowed as Michelangelo wailed overdramatically.
"Ha blue shell," Leonardo called triumphantly and Mondo expressed dismay. Lita, now moving away from the bandaged Michelangelo, dropped beside the two older turtles. For the next couple of minutes, the youngest mutant was bandaging small scrapes and cuts. A variety of cheers and groans sounded as the little saboteur disturbed the racers. Splinter chuckled watching the children. Leatherhead laughed deeply as well. The group settled as Lita was bribed with a piece of chocolate to sit. She munched on her small prize, watching the screen.
Commotion over, Leatherhead cleared his throat. "Master Splinter, we do not wish to place an unnecessary burden on your family. Once Mona Lisa wakes we'll be returning home. " The large alligator paused, thinking over his words. "Lita has a place with us if she wishes. Mona Lisa and Mondo spoke about her quite often. They must have been close before."
Splinter looked over the turtles and the singular lizard. He could recall Lita speaking about her fellow lab specimens. She had spoken of them so fondly. But the thought of letting the small turtle out of their lives hurt. He looked at Lita who was leaning on Leonardo watching him steer his virtual cart with such concentration. "It is a kind offer, but for now I believe I should run the suggestion with her and my sons first." Leatherhead nodded his head understandingly. Splinter looked at the small gaggle of mutants, wondering to himself if he had made the correct decision.
Mona Lisa could feel a pounding in her leg. With each beat of her heart a pulse of pain shot up the muscle. She remained silent as she took stock of her surroundings. Something soft and slightly warm was next to her side. She ran her claws over the soft fabric. Above the constant beep in the background, there was a soft male voice speaking. She couldn't quite place it so she opened her eyes.
Sitting beside the bed she was laying on, an olive turtle with an albino turtle curled on his lap. Both barely fit on the office chair they were on. Mona Lisa watched as Donatello read to the small turtle. Her breath caught as she recognized the small albino turtle. "H13," she sniffed as her eyes burned.
Donatello lowered the book to give the lizard a small smile. It was matched by the albino next to him. "Mona Lisa," the girl said, "You're awake." She scrambled off Don before launching herself at the bed bound lizard.
Her smooth head collided with her shoulder. Mona Lisa took the pain without a complaint, just feeling joy at seeing her. Mona Lisa pulled the albino tightly against her chest. How long had she wanted to hug the small turtle, only to touch only the glass between them? "Careful, Lita," Don reprimanded gently.
"Oh it's okay, Don," Mona Lisa said as she nuzzled the top of Lita's head. She ran her claws over her carapace. "I thought you were dead," she muttered into the girl's hood. The lizard could feel her shake her head. Mona Lisa sniffed, reaching up to wipe one of her eyes. "I'm glad that the guys got you before anything happened."
"We were lucky to get there in time. Though we regret that we weren't able to get all of you out," Don said, looking at the empty IV bag that hung beside her.
"That's okay. We all got out," Mona Lisa said cheerfully, but got quiet, "everyone except J50." Mona could feel Lita take a sharp breath in.
"Hey Don-dude, how's it goin'?" Mondo's familiar voice asked. Mona Lisa pushed herself upright excitedly. Her head spun, but she was kept upright by Lita. Standing in the doorway, was the leopard gecko. His golden eyes met her own eyes. With a wide smile, Mondo ran to her. "Hey, sis. Did you know the little dudette can talk?"
Mona Lisa laughed, pulling Mondo into a hug on her other side. With Lita on one side and Mondo on the other, she felt at peace. But still there was others missing. Others that she wanted to have in this embrace. "Aniki," Lita called to Don who was watching the scene. She held out an arm to him to join.
"You two are going to crush Mona Lisa," Don teased as he joined the hug. "I'm going to get Leatherhead. He wanted to know when you woke up." Don broke away from the group hug and walked out of the room.
"Are you s-staying here?" Lita asked, looking up at her.
"Oh, I don't know. Mondo and I have been living with Leatherhead. His place has been our home," Mona Lisa answered.
"Yeah, he has gnarly half-pipes. He's like our fam," Mondo added.
"But you can come with us if you want," Mona Lisa added, "We have plenty of space."
Lita frowned, her brow furrowing. "B-b-but my b-b-brothers are here,"she muttered, "C-c-can you ask L-l-leatherhead to m-move here?"
"We'll see, Lita. We'll see," Mona Lisa whispered back. Even if it wasn't right away, the lizard promised herself silently that she would do everything in her power to get all of them under the same roof.
A/N: So I have been trying to keep references that would actually exist during the time period of the show. I was one year off on Super Smash Bros Brawl. Lol. Close enough.