A/N: Hello everyone, I am so sorry for the late update. I have to admit last chapter derailed my planned out chapter. But I think I know where I am going with this now.
-Guest- Thank you for your review. I shall not spoil this story, but I will keep your comment in mind.
Jennika woke with a weight on her plastron; it pressed down just enough to be uncomfortable. She opened her dark brown eyes slowly. The crumbling ceiling of the reservoir met her view. Blinking away from sleep, she looked down at the light weight. Lita's white head rested just above her plastron. Her slightly warm breaths blew across the sensitive scales by Jennika's throat. Eyes darting around the living room, she saw no evidence of the "sleepover" the night before. All the blankets and pillows were nowhere to be seen. There wasn't a turtle curled on the worn recliner or on the threadbare rug under the coffee table. The closeness was quite endearing the first night, but now on the third night, Jennika was feeling smothered.
This was the first time she was left alone since she was brought to this "Lair" through winding sewer tunnels. With expert care, she slipped the smaller turtle off of her. Lita mumbled under her breath but remained asleep. She curled up tighter. Getting to her feet, Jennika turned to see the blanket that was on her last night on the floor in front of the couch. She picked it up and tucked the small turtle back to sleep. Softly she rubbed the smaller turtle's shell. Lita muttered something unintelligible. Jennika smiled softly as she responded, "That's very cool."
Jennika looked around the empty room once again. Seeing no one, she decided to get back to business. She had to get back to her mission. The last three days were too much of a distraction. She walked first to the entertainment center. The wall of screens was off, making the whole room dark. But she wouldn't risk turning on the lights and drawing the others' attention.
She ran her fingers behind the screens. Wires brushed past her fingers and that was all. There was no amulet here. Kneeling at the chipped entertainment center, she looked over the game systems with disinterest. Orange tried to make her play a game the previous night. It was fun at first, but she quickly grew angry at how difficult it was and his boasting. Feeling spiteful, Jennika pulled one cord out from behind the system. Maybe he would struggle to play it just for a moment.
Besides the small electronics, her goal wasn't there. Jennika got to her feet. She walked out of the room to turn toward the dojo. Her dark eyes searched for the others. If she strained herself, she thought she heard motion from the kitchen. It was probably Orange. For being a ninja, he was loud and obnoxious. She walked quickly before he decided to railroad her away like he had been doing so often.
Pausing just a moment at the dojo's paper doors, she slid the door open just enough to peek inside. The familiar shape of Blue was moving in the center of the room. He had his two swords in his hands as he danced through the motions. Jennika watched for a moment because his movements were smooth, absolutely perfect. Her stomach twisted nervously; this was just one of her opponents. How did Mistress Karai expect her to eliminate all of them? Jennika squared her shoulders. Karai told her that she was a kunoichi, a master of deception and of subterfuge. With a renewed sense of determination, she slid the door silently as she entered fully..
She stepped quietly. Blue was continuing his practice. Jennika scoffed quietly, some ninja he was. Turning her attention to the weapons along the wall, she searched. Swords gleamed on their hooks. She walked past them with only a passing glance. Staff weapons were beside the blades. Looking back over her shoulder to double check on the other occupant, she saw that Blue was still working through his practice. Jennika's eyes caught sight of a familiar object. Hanging together was a pair of claws. The familiarity warmed her heart; it was as if a bit of the Foot was with her even in this strange place. She reached out to touch them. Her fingers were just inches away.
"I would be careful with those if I was you," Blue's steady voice warned. Jennika jumped, spinning to see the leaf green turtle watching her much closer than when she last looked. How had he moved so silently? "In an untrained hand, a weapon would harm its wielder more than an enemy," Blue continued.
"Well, why don't you train me?" Jennika asked shortly. She narrowed her dark eyes at him.
"We all thought that it would be better for you to regain your footing first before joining us," Blue explained,"You must have been through a lot with the Foot." The turtle furrowed his brow, his dark eyes sympathetic. Jennika schooled her face into a pensive expression. She was supposed to be the poor captive of the Foot. She couldn't stray from that role.
"All the more reason for me to learn to defend myself," she argued, "I am not going to be a damsel in distress waiting to be saved anymore." She tapped his plastron. He looked at her a little shocked at the rude gesture. Jennika removed her hand to be respectful. "And I don't think you can tell me what I can or can't handle."
He chuckled, "You're a lot like Raph, but I will speak with Master Splinter about having you join Lita." Jennika wrinkled her beak. The last thing she wanted was to join the little child. She opened her mouth to argue before Blue cut her off. " Before you argue, you'll be starting at the same level of experience as her and she could use someone else to train with.I am sure she'll love to have a friend in her class," he said.
"Just for Lita. I will accept for now." Jennika exhaled loudly, "I will just have to show you that you are wrong and I can join your class."
He laughed, "I look forward to it, but we should head to breakfast before Mikey comes and hunts us down." The sword-wielding turtle took the lead, walking away from her. Jennika looked at the weapons hanging beside her. It would take just a fraction of a second to pull them off. He wasn't even looking at her. A single swipe is all that it would take. Shamrock green fingers wrapped around the claws' leather strap. They lifted off their hooks, so easily, without a single sound.
The door to the dojo opened quickly. Jennika dropped the weapons quickly. Standing in the doorway was Orange. His mask tails fluttered as if he ran to the room. "Come on, Aniki. Breakfast is getting cold. And you too, Jennika," he said. His blue eyes were looking at her. It made her shell itch. His blue eyes seemed to look through her plastron. She swallowed thickly.
"D-did you run without me?" a soft voice asked as Lita peeked around Orange's legs. Her pink eyes were focused on Blue. Orange looked down at her for a second before looking at his older brother.
The older turtle had the decency to look guilty. "I'm sorry, Lita. I didn't want to wake you up," he explained.
The small turtle pouted. Jennika smiled softly at the adorable expression. "I'm m-mad at you," she said, crossing her arms. "I th-thought we were supposed to run together."
Orange gasped loudly, "How could you just leave our sister behind, Leo. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Poor Lita, don't worry your favorite brother made your favorite for breakfast." He pulled her tightly to his side, so much that she squirmed to make the hold more comfortable.
"Chocolate pancakes?" Lita asked, looking up at Orange. He nodded before nearly toppling as she hugged his knees. "Y-you're the best, Mikey."
"You hear that, Leo? I'm the best," Mikey boasted. Leo chuckled, rolling his eyes. Jennika even smiled at the bright expression on Lita's face.
"Whatever you say Mikey," the eldest said, brushing past the two turtles at the door. Jennika watched him leave. Her eyes dared a glance back at the claws.
"Come on, Jennika," Orange's voice said just seconds before his heavy arm wrapped around her shoulders. Jennika frowned at the other turtle. His blue eyes tried to look innocent which made her glare right back at him. The claws were still within reach. She could reach out and end the Orange-masked turtle. But Lita was at the door with an innocent smile on her face. With a sigh, she didn't respond to him, but he nudged her away from the claws. Lita disappeared from the doorway, searching for Blue. With Orange's arm around Jennika's shoulder, he continued to move her away from the weapons. Exhaling, she allowed herself to be removed from the dojo.
They walked silently to the kitchen. Sometime halfway through the Lair, Orange dropped his arm. He kept his blue eyes on her as they neared the kitchen's doorway. She could hear the others before seeing them, low voices bouncing off the walls. Red was sitting at the table, holding his head. His amber eyes met her dark ones. Once again Jennika could feel that she was being seen through. He raised his chin as if to greet her.
She broke eye contact first, choosing to look at Purple. He was nursing a steaming mug as he yawned and rubbed his brown eyes. Blue tapped his shoulder before dropping a plate of pancakes in front of him. The olive green turtle thanked him as Blue took his seat. Orange finally removed his hovering presence to sit as well. "Ya just goin' to stare at us or are ya goin' to eat?" Red asked Jennika, his voice a low growl.
Jennika finally entered the room, she walked to the folding chair that served as her spot. Lita to her right held out a bag with more chocolate chips to her. Jennika shook her head negatively. "Where is your Master?" Jennika asked, noticing the empty chair.
"He is feeling a little sore from the wound Karai gave him," Purple answered, "I was going to take his breakfast after we finished." He took a sip of his coffee, closing his eyes as he drank it. Jennika eyed the drink, sniffing how bitter it smelled. Perfect for hiding poison. In fact how easy would it be to destroy the entire clan with a single meal. They didn't seem to check the food that they ate.
"Donny, c-c-can I take Master Splinter's b-breakfast to him?" Lita asked as she stabbed her pancakes. "A-a-after I give Mr. Tim his food." She put the chocolate mess into her mouth.
"I have to change his bandages as well. You might not want to see that," Purple answered smoothly. He took a sip of his coffee.
"But I want to help. I want to be a g-good d-doctor like you," Lita answered, a slight whine in her voice.
"I betcha'll be a better one than Doctor Don over here," Red interrupted with a wide grin as he stabbed his food.
"Ya, last time Don chased me around the Lair trying to stick me full of needles," Orange nearly shouted with his mouth full of pancakes. Jennika wrinkled her beak in disgust as she watched crumbs fly across the table.
"It was only one," Purple defended himself. "Leo, back me up here." He looked to his older brother for help.
"Hmm, I don't know, Donny. Lita, would you tie up a patient to keep him on bedrest?" Blue asked, his tone suggested a very specific instance. The blue-masked turtle looked at the youngest turtle with a playful grin.
Lita gasped beside Jennika and shook her head. "No, that's mean," she answered, "and I'll give my p-p-patients chocolate that's better than the l-l-lollipops the tv doctors give."
The four brothers laughed together, "I think you just lost your job, Donny," Orange boasted.
Purple laughed good-naturedly, "How about Nurse Lita for now?" The youngest nodded with a soft smile. "Well, we have to see our first patient," he continued, pushing away from the table. Lita picked up her plate to follow the purple-masked turtle. The pair washed their dishes before walking to the kitchen's door.
Jennika watched the pair leave. "So what is on the agenda today?" she asked as she picked at her food.
"I'll be leading practice in an hour. Lita watches us if you want to watch as well," Blue answered. "After training, we do whatever we want until afternoon training followed by meditation practice." Jennika nodded to herself. She needed time to find that amulet. She looked over at the small family as they continued to eat and talk. Perhaps she should feel guilty at what she was trying to do. She could feel a kernel of that feeling in the pit of her stomach. She pushed it away. Karai warned her not to fall for their innocent act. The woman knew what she was speaking of. After all, she lost her father because of the turtles in front of her. Jennika heard other Foot speak of the ones that didn't make it back from missions because of the brothers. She tightened her hold on her fork, ignoring Orange staring at her. Jennika wouldn't fail Karai.
Mikey smirked as Raph's fist blew right past his face. His orange mask tails whipped behind his head as he righted himself quickly. His older brother growled in frustration as he followed his motion to dodge Mikey's counter attack. Raph spun out of the way, giving more space between them. Feeling cheeky, Mikey looked over his shoulder to wink at his audience.
Lita who sat next to Don and Jennika giggled. She gave him a thumbs up. "You can do it, Aniki," she cheered. Mikey tried not to think that she could mean either Raph or him. Jennika frowned at him, looking as though she would kill him with just a look. Don didn't look up from his laptop as he continued his typing. The sound of a footstep warned Mikey of Raph's approaching attack. Without looking, he side-stepped to the right. Sure enough, the red-masked turtle started with his right hook. A single sea-green hand slammed into Raph's emerald wrist to throw him off balance.
"Focus, Mikey," Leo's voice reprimanded. He stood just outside the mat with his arms crossed. Dark eyes entirely focused on the pair of sparing brothers. "Raph, don't let him get into your head."
"I know, Leo," Raph replied angrily. "And I see you, Lita, that's very funny." Mikey turned to look at what his little sister was doing. The albino tilted her head confused. At Don's amused grin, Mikey realized Raph's trick. Pain bloomed at his side as Raph's fist connected. Air expelled out of his lungs. Mikey staggered out of the way quickly. Another emerald fist sliced through the air.
Struggling to take a breath, his feet were swept out from under him. Mikey's shell hit the mat. He rolled away quickly, just barely avoiding Raph. He kicked the older turtle's legs, giving him precious seconds. Sweet oxygen filled his lungs as Mikey finally filled his chest with air.
"Okay, that was almost impressive, Raphy," Mikey teased, now breathing easily once again. He gave his audience a cocky smirk. Jennika looked almost pleased at the outcome. Don was shaking his head. Mikey deflected a blow from Raph with his forearm. It stung at the impact.
"I'll show you impressive," Raph said, before kicking Mikey's knees forward. His knee pads met the mat. Rolling forward, Mikey dodged the headlock. He bounced to his feet mere feet from the watching turtles. He gave a dramatic bow.
"You're going to get your shell handed to you," Don commented, looking up from whatever he was working on.
"Pft," Mikey replied smartly. Hands grabbed the edge of his shell. The room spun as he was tossed to the mat again. Shell met the soft mat with a muffled thud. A heavy knee pinned his plastron to the floor. Mikey lashed out with his hands, hitting whatever he could. Emerald hands wrapped his wrists and pinned them to the ground.
"I won," Raph said with a sharp grin. His amber eyes were bright above him.
"Good job, Raph. Let him up now," Leo ordered. The weight on Mikey's chest was lifted quickly. Mikey laid there for a moment to catch his breath. A hand appeared in front of his face. Taking it, he was lifted to his feet easily. It was always impressive how strong his brother was. Raph patted his shell.
"Ya did good, Mikey," he complimented. Shaking his younger brother slightly, Raph released his hold on Mikey's shell.
Mikey shrugged to himself. "Yeah, I did. You're talking to the battle Nexus champion here. I just let you win," Rolling his shoulders, Raph tried to look nonchalant.
"Sure, you did, bro," Raph said sarcastically, rolling his amber eyes.
Mikey said, "I'll get you next time, bro."
Raph laughed, "You are free to try." He walked away from the mat. Plopping down on the ground beside Lita, he ruffled her hooded head. The hood fell into her face. Jennika was quick to fix the hood. Mikey shuffled to sit beside his older brother. "Ya did good, Lita. You got me the win," Raph complimented the young girl.
Her pink eyes widened comically. She looked at Mikey, "I d-d-didn't do that, Mikey."
Mikey faked a sniff. Wiping away invisible tears, he shrugged his shoulders low. "It's okay, sis. I get it. Raph's your favorite." He sniffed again. Quickly, Lita got to her feet. She knelt in front of him. Mikey turned away so she couldn't see the smile that threatened to form. He shook his shoulders as he stifled his chuckles.
"N-no, Raph's isn't my favorite," Lita started. She patted his knee pads. " Please d-don't cry Mikey." Her small hands kept their even tempo.
"I'm not yer favorite?" Raph asked with a sharp grin. "Now that hurts my feelings." Lita spun her head to face him. So quick, Mikey was sure it made her dizzy.
"You don't have feelings," Don interjected with a smirk. He dodged a swipe from the hot head, leaning forward over his laptop.
Mikey could hear Lita's breaths become quicker as she looked at the three brothers. "That's enough, guys. You're going to make her cry," Jennika reprimanded. Cooing softly, she coaxed the girl beside her. She rubbed the back of the girl's shell.
"You're not crying?" Lita asked Mikey. Finally knowing the gig was up, the jokester sat up straight, giving her a bright smile.
"Nope, see I was just teasing you," Mikey explained. He pulled the smaller turtle to his side to rub his knuckles over her head. Giggling and shrieks escaped her white beak as she squirmed in his grasp.
"Hey, Lita. Just so you know Mikey is ticklish," Raph stage whispered. Mikey gaped at his traitor of an older brother. Small fingers dug into his unprotected side. Laughing at the ticklish sensation, Mikey let go of his little sister. She laughed as she fixed her hood.
"Are you three done now?" Leo's impatient voice asked. He tapped his foot, trying to appear stern. Mikey could see the amusement in his dark eyes. Laughter was on all his siblings' faces. He looked at Jennika who looked almost frustrated. She gave a small smile to Lita, but none of them. "Don, did you want to spar next?" Leo asked.
"Sure, let me just finish this really quickly," Don responded, his fingers flying across the keyboard. Shutting his laptop with a thud, he got to his feet. "Who am I sparring with?" Don asked.
"It's your choice, Don," Leo replied as the olive green turtle stepped onto the mat.
Jumping to her feet, Jennika stood up, "Me. I will be your opponent." Raph chuckled beside Mikey.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Jennika," Don soothed, putting his hands up. "We have years of training. I don't want to hurt you," he continued.
Jennika scoffed. "I can handle myself," she replied, "I'm tougher than I look." She clenched her shamrock green hands into fists.
"I say let her," Raph said with a grin. "Maybe Don could knock that attitude outta of her," Jennika's dark eyes glared at him.
Mikey shuttered; it was as if she understood his brother. But that was impossible, Lita didn't know Japanese and that is with her being exposed to it since she entered the Lair. How could Jennika understand if she was the Foot's prisoner? Sighing, Don looked at Leo waiting for his response. The eldest muttered something to Don in Japanese, just low enough that Mikey didn't catch it. "Sure, Jennika. I can spar with you," Don answered, his easy soft smile on his face.
"You can do it, Aniki," Lita cheered as she swung her feet. Mikey chuckled at the obvious favoritism. Raph leaned back against the wall, getting comfortable. The orange-masked turtle leaned forward in anticipation.
Don and Jennika bowed to each other before straightening up. Don settled into his fighting stance. It was good as far as Mikey could tell. Weight on the balls of his feet, stance wide enough for a good balance. Surprisingly, Jennika was also in a fighting stance. Hers was a little unsteady, but serviceable. Not like when Lita started training; she had her weight too far back on her heels. The youngest turtle also was unsteady when she started. Mikey looked at Raph to see if he saw the same.
The red-masked turtle rubbed his chin in thought. Amber eyes met blue for just a moment before focusing on the two sparring turtles. Don moved slowly, letting Jennika block his punches. She retaliated with a punch of his own, only for Don to step out of the way. The purple-masked turtle made it look easy. A right hook slid harmlessly through the air. "Stop taking it easy on me," Jennika nearly shouted. "I'm not a delicate flower." She lifted her leg to kick Don's side.
As quick as a snake strike, Don grabbed her ankle. Jennika had only a moment to contemplate her choices before Don had her spinning toward the ground. Her hands barely caught herself before her beak hit the mat. Growling, she spun with her fist. Her shamrock green fist met Don's shoulder. Slamming his shoulder into her plastron, she stumbled winded. A kick to the back of the knees, as she was kneeling on the ground. She rolled out of the way of Don's punch. Jennika swept her feet across the floor. The purple-masked turtle's legs slipped from under him. Don was quick to cartwheel to avoid falling to the mat. Jennika got to her feet. She threw a punch to Don's face. Don grabbed the approaching wrist and twisted it behind her shell. Hitting the back of her knees, Don subdued her.
"Are you going to tap out?" Don asked. His grip was firm but not crushing. Mikey waited with bated breath to see what the other turtle did. With a frustrated groan, she used her free hand to slam the mat twice.
In an instant, Don released his hold. He backed away to give her space. Jennika rubbed her wrist with a glare. "You did very well for your first spar. We have years of experience more than you. Don't let this set you back," Don said comfortingly.
Jennika stopped her ministrations to look at him. She shrugged, " I expected to do better, but you are very talented." The female turtle walked away with heavy footsteps. Mikey narrowed his eyes in suspicion. She was too good to have been a prisoner since her release from the lab.
Clearing his throat, Leo commanded all attention. "I think we have done enough for today. You are all dismissed," the leader said.
"Sure thing, Splinter Junior. Come on, Lita, let's punch the bag for a little bit," Raph said. He picked up the smaller turtle to place her on his shoulders. She leaned her cheek on Raph's round head. A wide smile split her face. Running her hands on the long red tails of his mask, she spoke to him quietly.
Mikey watched as the two left the dojo. Jennika was the next to leave. "Thank you for letting me join you," she muttered as she paused at the doorway. She left right after. Mikey got to his feet hurrying to reach Don as he picked up his laptop.
"Hey, Donny. Don't you think Jennika is a little too good?" Mikey started nonchalantly. Leo paused as he passed by.
"What do you mean by that, Mikey?" Don asked. "Not to brag, but I wasn't giving it my all. I wanted to show her the skill difference, not hurt her."
"I know that. Just her form is pretty good for having been in Foot custody," Mikey explained. He rubbed his chin as if in thought. Don's face grew thoughtful. He drummed the laptop in his hand.
"Mikey has a point," Leo interceded. "She definitely knows some ninjutsu. But Mikey, maybe she learned it like Master Splinter. Watching others perform it."
Mikey pouted. That made a lot of sense. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he was just seeing things when he saw her this morning looking at the claws. "Maybe. I just don't trust her," Mikey muttered.
Leo smiled knowingly. "Raph had a hard time when we brought Lita home as well," the eldest said, putting his hands on his youngest brother's shoulders.
"That's because Raph's emotionally constipated," Mikey retaliated. Don laughed a sharp bark. Even Leo conceded. "But I'll try to give her the benefit of the doubt," he lied. Breaking away from his older brothers, he left the dojo to look for her. The last thing he would do is leave her unattended.
Raph watched as the little turtle punched the miniature punching bag. It swung on its chains. The clinking noise was only overshadowed by her heavy breaths. Her form was a lot better as her small fists collided with the bag. It made the older turtle proud and it made it less likely she would sprain her wrist…again. "So, do you like having Jennika here?" Raph asked as he leaned against the wall. Mikey's suspicions echoed in the back of his mind and he wanted to know the little turtle's opinion.
Lita stopped her punches as she scratched her arm right where her specimen number was tattooed on. Her small nails broke through scales. Raph moved her hand away from her arm. The punching bag settled. "It's okay. I didn't talk to her in the l-l-lab. She was too f-f-far from me to see." Her pink eyes grew distant. Suddenly the older turtle regretted asking. "She was mean to the s-scientists, but not as much as J50." She continued.
"So she ain't acting differently?" Raph asked, stepping forward to punch the bag himself. It swung wildly at the heavy hits. Pink eyes followed the swinging bag. "She's always had a bad attitude?"
Lita shrugged, " Yes? No? I d-d-don't know. I'm s-s-sorry." She looked down at her feet. Raph patted her head with his left hand, pushing the hood on her cloak forward to cover her face. A small smile formed on her beak as she pushed the hood back into its proper place.
"No prob. Just wanted to ask you," Raph quickly added, continuing to punch the bag. He tried not to make eye contact with the little girl. Maybe Mikey was wrong about the female turtle being wouldn't have been the first time the knucklehead was wrong. Raph could remember plenty of times the youngest brother saw danger where none was there. His fist collided with the bag once again. Lita watched the bag rock back and forth with each hit.
A ringing sound broke through the room, his shell cell. "Answer that for me, Lita," Raph asked. He pointed his chin where his shell cell sat on the bench that sat along the wall.
"L-l-leo says you need to say p-p-please," Lita said as she picked up the ringing phone. Raph shook his head. Of course, she is picking up the most annoying habits of his brothers.
"Very funny. Please, Lita," he added with a roll of his eyes. "And please put it on speaker. It is the green button with the horn on it ." Following the instructions, she opened the phone and pressed the correct button.
"H-h-hello?" she asked, holding it away from her face.
"Hey, little gremlin. Can I talk to Raph?" Casey's voice buzzed out of the speaker. A little tinny, but unmistakable. Lita grinned with amusement at the nickname.
"I'm here, Case," Raph interrupted before Lita told Casey to say please. That would be embarrassing. "What's up?" he asked. Grabbing the swinging bag, Raph stopped the clinking noise. Without instruction, Lita stepped up to him. She held up the phone between them.
"The police have been asking the people by the docks to stay indoors," Casey started, "Something is going down there. Heard a couple of rumors of some sort of monster there." Raph frowned looking down at the little turtle who looked at the phone curiously. Her small brow furrowed thoughtfully.
"Hey, can you get the others…Please," Raph added as an afterthought. Raph reached down toward the small turtle and she placed the phone in his hand. Instead of releasing her hold, she held on. Pink eyes looked up at him.
"D-d-do you have to go?" she asked. "It's a m-m-monster like Mikey's movies." Raph groaned at the reminder. He would have to pound sense into his younger brother later.
"Monsters ain't real, Lita. It's probably a mutant like us," Raph explained, holding her hand tightly. "Maybe it's Venus." She nodded slowly, but tightened her hold on the phone.
"But what if it is a monster?" she insisted, "Or w-w-worse if it's J50?" Raph frowned at the implication of her words. Didn't she want all her fellow mutants free? Personally he was fine with just Lita joining their little family and maybe Jennika could eventually get on his good side.
"What's wrong with J50?" Raph asked.
Lita shook her head," He's s-scary and b-big like a monster." Raph nearly asked her what she meant. She thinned her beak. "I d-d-don't want you to get h–h-hurt," she whispered, hunching her shoulders.
Raph scoffed, "Ha, us get hurt? The only hurting will be this monster if it is a monster. And if it is J50, Mikey will give him chocolate and he'll be our pal. But if we do get hurt, I guess Nurse Lita has to follow through and give us chocolates herself." Lita smiled slightly, but her pink eyes still looked distracted. She didn't argue any further. She nodded and let go of the Shell Cell. Turning away, the little albino left the red-masked turtle with his punching bag. She walked past the ramshackled obstacle course made of discarded wood and past his weight set. She looked back only once before exiting. The red-masked turtle waited for her white shell to disappear completely. "Okay, Case. What's the story about this monster?" Raph asked as he left the weight room. He switched the speaker phone off, not wanting to have a little turtle to hear too much. She was already out of sight, but the little turtle was sneaky.
"Pretty bad, Raph. Haven't ya seen the news the last couple of days?" Casey asked. Raph answered that he hadn't. Mikey had commandeered the television, trying to keep Jennika in his sights. "Four men have been attacked the last two nights. They are in the hospital in critical condition. All reports say it's some sort of animal." Raph stopped his walk in the middle of the hall just outside the living room. A tap on his shoulder drew his attention. Don was standing right behind him, raising a brow ridge. The genius was silent waiting for an explanation.
"Did ya go there with just yer bat?" Raph asked. He heard Casey answer positively. The red-masked turtle groaned.
"Of course he did," Don said with a chuckle. The purple-masked turtle started walking away. "Lita is gathering everyone." Raph watched for just a second before following his younger brother.
"We'll see you there, ya bonehead," Raph ended the call. He folded his arms across his plastron and looked at his brother. The olive green turtle didn't say anything as they continued their walk to the entrance.
Meeting them there were the rest of the mutants. Splinter leaned heavily on his walking stick. Lita was at his side, her hands curled around his arm as if to steady the old rat. Jennika stood behind the pair next to Mikey who kept throwing glances her direction.
Leo was standing by the door. His dark eyes looked over the group. "We'll go and check out this "monster". Venus and the Savate may be in the area. Don't antagonize her or the gang." Feeling Leo's eyes on him, Raph scoffed.
"We better hurry before Casey gets himself into more trouble," Mikey said. He was already bouncing on his toes. His blue eyes looked at Jennika one last time.
"Yes, and before any innocent civilians are attacked by this mysterious creature," Splinter added. "But remember to return safely."
"Ya, well, that's the plan, Master Splinter," Raph said. With a quick exchange of goodbyes, the four brothers were off.
Jennika watched the turtle brothers leave impatiently. The door closed with a hiss of pressurized air. "My daughter, please help me to the television room. My stories are coming on soon," Rat said. His voice sounded pained; Mistress Karai struck well. It made Jennika proud of the woman.
"Can I w-w-watch too? I love st-stories," Lita asked as she held his arm to steady the Rat's limp.
The rat looked flustered, brown eyes looked away. "Ah, they are not quite for young children," the Rat said. Jennika smirked as she followed behind. She was halfway curious what the rat watched.
"Why?" Lita asked as they entered the living room.
"Ah, they are quite boring," Rat continued ,"And they are not cartoons. They have real people in them."
Lita wrinkled her beak, "Real people shows are b-b-boring." She helped the rat into his recliner. He shifted his weight to free his tail."D-did you want popcorn?" Lita asked. Jennika decided to leave the two to continue her search. She slipped silently away and out of the room.
She paused in the middle of the atrium. There was one place that she had wanted to search and had yet been able to: Purple's lab. The turtle was always there working. Silently, she slid open the metal door, and shut it behind her. The room was a mess. Gadgets covered lab tables with papers scattered among them. She was grateful for the mess. It made the rising tension in the back of her mind settle a little; it wasn't the bare white of EPF's lab. She walked past the chemistry set on one such cluttered table. A strange orange liquid caught her attention. It almost glowed in the dim light of sleeping monitors. Picking up the flask, she twirled it around watching the liquid catch the light.
She set it down. Her eyes scanned the lab table. Papers were spread across the table. Messy handwriting was all over it. Retromutagen was written in large letters on one sheet. Jennika looked at the orange liquid with more interest. Turning back to the papers, she focused more on the writing. Or maybe more importantly all the crossed out notes. It appeared that Purple hadn't quite finished his experiment. Though the angry pen marking seemed to lessen at the bottom of the page. Perhaps he was close to finishing.
A loud thud startled her. Spinning around quickly she bumped the table. At the other side of the room was a glass cylindrical container. Taller and wider than she was. Inside was a large green blob. It was taller than her with its brown eyes at her eye level. Her stomach did a flip; what was Purple doing down here? The creature threw itself against the glass walls of its container. Jennika took a step closer to it, curious.
The sound of the metal door made her freeze. She looked toward the intrusion. Standing in the doorway was Lita. "W-what are you doing here?" she asked softly, twisting her fingers together. "D-d-don doesn't like people in the lab w-w-without him."
Jennika smiled softly. She had to come up with something. If the girl told the brothers, her mission would be forfeit. "I must have gotten turned around. Silly me," Jennika answered with a laugh. "What are you doing here?"
The girl lowered her head and twisted her fingers tighter. "I-I-I was going to talk with ," Lita answered. "I think he gets l-l-lonely."
Jennika smiled and patted the shorter turtle's head. There was something so sweet about her consideration. Lita smiled up at her. Her pink eyes looked away. Her small brow furrowed. "You spilled Don's re-retromutagen." Jennika turned to face where she was looking. On the table Jennika had walked away from, the flask she had touched was tipped on its side. Orange liquid dripped off the table onto the floor at a steady pace. Lita worried, "Did you g-g-get any on you?"
Jennika looked down at her arms and were no traces of the orange liquid on her. "I'm good. Why don't you find something to help me clean up?" Jennika asked.
The girl shifted uncomfortably and kept her eyes away from the older turtle. "I d-d-don't know. Don said that s-s-stuff is dangerous to touch." Lita said.
"But I am sure he has gloves of some sort in here. The scientists always had gloves in their labs. I will look for the gloves while you get some paper towels," Jennika continued. Lita looked uncertain. Jennika continued more. Putting on a nervous expression, Jennika bit her bottom part of her beak. "I just don't want Don to get upset with me. Raph and Mikey already don't like me. " Jennika looked down at her feet. "I just don't want to be kicked out."
Lita softened her look. She patted Jennika's shamrock arm. "Okay, I w-w-will help."
"And you won't tell anyone that you saw me here?" Jennika pressed. "I mean it wouldn't be good for them to figure out that you sneak in here." Lita's eyes grew wide and she nodded a little more sure.
"It can be our s-s-secret," she whispered. The albino turned around and left the room.
Jennika smiled widely. Now alone, she continued her search. The gloves were easy enough to find. They were sitting next to the flask. Ignoring them for the moment, she turned her attention to the rest of the lab. She walked past the gadgets with their wiring pulled out. Frustrated, she dropped herself into the computer chair that was sitting in front of a humming computer.
She leaned forward on her elbows. What would Karai do? The Japanese woman once said that the supernatural spoke to one's spirit. Perhaps if she meditated, she could find the amulet. She crossed her legs quickly and took a deep breath.
With her eyes closed, she could feel a sort of faint energy in the air. It was close, but stifled. Jennika opened her eyes, spinning the chair. At the far end of the computer desk she sat at was a black metal box. Jennika stood up to inspect it.
A ring of salt surrounded the metal box. Jennika snorted at the crude attempt to block out the supernatural. She lifted the lid quickly. Sitting innocently was a large golden amulet. Jennika pulled it from its soft nestling spot. The metal door opening suddenly had the turtle drop the lid quickly. Jennika hid the amulet in the palm of one hand. "Hey Lita, did you find the paper towels?"Jennika asked. She approached the small turtle who waited by the spilled liquid. Pink eyes looked confused and opened her beak to speak. " Now that you're here, we can work on this. With the two of us, we will be done in no time," she interrupted before the small turtle could speak. She kept the amulet away from the girl's sight.
The scent of sea water filled the air. Clouds drifted in front of the moon, leaving only the streetlights below as a source of light. Raph tapped his foot on the rooftop impatiently. The red-masked turtle looked to his leader who crouched silently on the rooftop beside him. Leo's brow was pinched as his dark eyes searched the street below. His leaf green hands tapped the ledge. With a sharp intake of breath, Leo looked to his younger brothers. He frowned a little, brow winkling. "We're going to split up. We are only going to do reconnaissance. If you find this 'monster', don't confront it and call for backup ," he ordered. "Meet here in an hour."
"And if we run into the Purple Dragons or Savate?" Casey interrupted from his position at Raph's left. "They're still fightin' over this part of the city." The man tapped his hockey stick on the rooftop impatiently. Raph couldn't see the man's expression behind his hockey mask, but he could imagine the furious expression. His pal hated gangs of all sorts.
"If you want to end up black and blue, it's your prerogative," Don said with a smirk. Mikey chuckled at the end of the line. The two younger brothers were perched on the edge of the rooftop.
"That's enough, everyone. We can't waste a second. Stay off the street level," Leo said. It was an unsaid command to break apart. Don was quick to leave first. Using his bō staff, the purple-masked turtle slid across the street using the telephone wire that stretched above their heads. Raph could barely see the purple-masked turtle drop onto the roof gracefully.
The others watched for just a moment, squinting to watch the shadow run across the rooftop. "I really hope this isn't a monster," Mikey bemoaned as he took off across the rooftop, heading toward the west. Raph watched as his orange mask tails became too faint to see. Leo looked at Raph. With a small bow of his head, the eldest turtle ran the opposite direction that Mikey ran.
"Why don't we stick together, Raph?" Casey suggested. He slid his hockey stick into his sports bag. Raph smirked at the question.
"Ya scared?" Raph asked, elbowing the man's side. The turtle was rewarded with a pained grunt.
"Nuh Uh, I didn't want you to get lost, Shell-for-brains," Casey responded, throwing his elbow to the turtle's unshelled side. It was only a small pain and Raph took a breath to keep himself from retaliating. "We should probably look around for that monster," Casey said.
"Just try to keep up," Raph said. Spinning on his heel, Raph broke off at a run. The rooftop flew from under his feet. He kept his eyes up, but his ears perked. Footsteps followed behind him. Blue and red lights flew by as a siren breezed alongside it. A police cruiser. Raph turned away from the noise, letting the authorities handle those streets.
Reaching the edge of the roof, Raph prepared to jump. He was weightless for a moment as his feet left the rooftop. Landing softly on the next roof, Raph turned around to face the previous rooftop. Casey was at the edge. He squared his stance. His blue eyes looked and measured the distance. Raph smirked and waved his three-fingered hand. "Hurry up, Case," Raph groused.
The loud noise of trash cans rolling around caught both of their attention. Raph looked down at the alley below. The turtle leaned over the edge of the roof, careful not to fall over. From the left side of the alley, three large men stomped toward a shadowed figure. "Why are ya runnin'?" one of the pursuing figures taunted. The retreating shadow spun around to the other end of the alley. Raph turned to face the same direction. Four more men cornered the figure. Similar taunts echoed from the others. The figure backed toward the wall, raising their fists.
Raph looked up at Casey who was still across the alleyway. The human pulled out his baseball bat and tapped it against his hand. Raph gave the man a smirk before closing his third eyelid. With a whoop, the two vigilantes launched downward.
Raph landed in a crouch, facing the group of four. They were young, barely adults if that. Their Dragon tattoos still looked fresh, the flesh around them pink and inflamed. Their eyes were wide as they took a step back, trash crunching under their feet. They readied their weapons; bats and chains. Raph grinned even wider; his reputation precedes him.
The first man with a dragon on his bicep struck first, throwing his chain. Rolling his eyes, Raph lifted up his sai letting the chain wrap around the blade. Metal clicked against metal as the links caught on the blade. The young man gasped in shock as the red-masked turtle pulled the chain toward himself. As the Purple Dragon stumbled forward, Raph reached past the man, punching the next approaching gang member. Emerald green knuckles met peach flesh right next to the purple dragon tattooed on the young man's face. The sound of bone crunching was followed by the limp thud of a body landing. Without looking behind himself, Raph kicked backwards. His heel met what felt like a spine. Another thud followed. Raph looked down briefly to see the chain-wielding gang member sprawled on the ground.
Straightening up, Raph taunted the last two Purple Dragons. The two teens looked at each other then to the bats in their hands. "Come on, make my day," Raph taunted, pulling out his sais and spinning them. The two dropped their bats with a clatter. They ran away from the turtle and toward the street. Raph shoved his sais into his belt. "Pft, coulda least try," he grumbled. He kicked at the bodies at his feet to double check that they were unconscious. They barely groaned at each hit.
"Honestly, would it kill you to be respectful?" a familiar shrill voice asked. Raph looked up and turned to the familiar voice. A mint green turtle stood with her arms crossed over her clothed plastron. Brushing off her dress, she leaned her weight to one hip as she tapped her foot.
"Hey, Princess. Ya looking good," Raph greeted, leaning against the other graffitied wall. Venus's beak dropped open in an unsightly gap. Her foot stopped midair. Her green eyes blinked rapidly. "Yer goin' to catch flies like that. I just meant that yer not hurt," Raph continued. The female turtle closed her beak with a click. She cleared her throat. "What did ya think I mean?"
"N-nothing," Venus said, her voice an even higher pitch. "You appear to be uninjured as well which is also…good," she added, her green eyes looking him over.
"Yup, those bozos ain't got nothing on me," Raph answered, "What are ya doing out here anyway?"
Venus de Milo jumped at the question. "Are you aware of the 'strange creature' that has been assaulting humans in this region?" She looked just over Raph's shoulder at a spray-painted dragon. The smell of fresh paint burned at Raph's nostrils. She narrowed her eyes at the symbol.
"I heard from my pal, Casey. There were four men. Was it you?" Raph asked nonchalantly.
Venus sniffed, "No. I am not a barbarian. Their wounds were quite extensive…and gruesome." She wrapped her arms around her waist. The motion drew Raph's attention to her waist. The rapier that she carried last time was nowhere to be found.
"Ya weren't swinging yer toothpick around?" Raph asked with a teasing tone, pointing to her waist.
The turtle slumped her shoulders a little. Her face turned downward at the body of the Purple Dragon between them. "No. I have retired the blade. I understand the need to protect oneself and their comrades, but… I have no desire to spill blood. Your brother recovered, correct?"
"Donny? Yea, he's fine. He's running around here somewhere," Raph answered, "We're actually searching for the creature too."
Venus nodded, "Then it appears that we are working for a common goal. This creature has attacked two of the Savate and we will not take such insult."
Raph pushed off of the wall and held out his hand to the other turtle, "Truce?" Venus smiled as well, reaching to shake the turtle's hand. Her grip was loose and limp. Raph released his hold. "Now, what do you know about this monster?"
"The initial attacks were my fellow Savate. We had separated mere moments before," Venus answered, "The following attacks were a pair of Purple Dragons I ran into hours before they were also attacked." Raph frowned at the new information. The turtle trailed off as her green eyes darted to the side toward a set of footsteps. The shuffling sound was at the far side of the alley accompanied by a scraping sound. Raph recognized the heavy shuffling, but the other turtle didn't. She raised her fists,turning to face the noise. Turning to face the sound as well, Raph watched a dark shape shuffle from the street. The lights above barely illuminated the hulking figure, his white mask was the only prominent image.
Raph laughed and called out to the approaching shadow, "Hey Case, chill out. Yer scaring her." The masked man stopped his shuffling walk. Picking up his bat so it no longer dragged along the ground, Casey lifted up his mask. His sheepish smile was visible in the light he stopped under.
"I imagine that he is one of your ruffian friends," Venus said, lowering her fist and relaxing slightly. The man continued his easy pace to the pair of turtles.
"More like his only friend," Casey answered with a smirk, "Name's Casey Jones, ma'am. Didn't mean to scare ya or anything." He reached out his gloved hand toward Venus.
"Ah, you have manners as well," Venus replied. She took the man's hand and gave it a shake. "My name is Venus de Milo. It has been a pleasure. Now that we have come to an understanding, let us search for this elusive creature." Venus walked away from the two males. She walked past the dumpsters and overfilled trash cans with a look of disgust.
Blue eyes looked at Raph's direction. An elbow met the turtle's side. Raph looked at the human who waggled his eyebrows. Casey gave Raph a wide grin. "Don't ya dare," Raph growled.
The man shrugged, "I didn't say anything Raph." He wiggled his eyebrows again. Raph scoffed. The red-masked turtle followed the female turtle after shoving the now laughing man. Raph stomped hurriedly to catch up with Venus. He walked as close as he could to the warehouses,staying out of the street light. His amber eyes glanced at the street nervously, his skin prickling at the exposed nature of their stroll. Narrowing his gaze at the female turtle, the red-masked turtle reached her side.
"What are you doing?" Raph said, pulling Venus into the nearest alley. The turtle stumbled as she barely missed tripping on her feet. The shadows swallowed their forms quickly, the light in the alley was flickering. Raph released her before she could complain. Venus tapped her foot impatiently. "Yer goin' to be seen and then what would happen?" Raph asked as Casey followed close behind. Casey stood guard at the streetside, his back to the turtles. Venus looked embarrassed.
"You may be correct. I have forgotten that the Savate does not control these docks," Venus started. She scratched at her arm, just above where her specimen tag was.
Raph firmly grabbed her wrist and pulled it away from her arm. "Don't do that. You'll just hurt yerself," he grumbled. Venus paused her scratching, giving him a confused look. "Lita would do that till she bleeds," he explained, letting her go. Venus hummed, looking away from him. Silence grew between them. The light continued to flicker above their heads. "Where do you think this monster is? " Raph asked.
This seemed to bring the female turtle back to the present. Her green eyes focused on the red-masked turtle. "Why are you offering to aide me? Quentin and Valetin will attack when they find you in our territory. This creature is not your concern."
"Pft. Maybe I am itching for a fight," Raph lied. Venus smiled slightly.
"Ah, of course. How foolish of me to assume that it was chivalry that guided your actions," Venus said, her smile too wide.
"Hey, guys. Not to interrupt yer flirting, but what's that?" Casey asked, his tone nervous. The human pulled out a metal bat from his bag. Raph turned to look across the street as Venus followed suit.
Across the street was a large shadow. It stood taller than the shorter mutants even when it was on all fours. Raph's stomach did a flip as his blood ran cold. Something about this shadow sent his instincts buzzing. Raph pulled at Casey's shirt, pulling the human closer to the alley. The trio kept their eyes on this shadowed creature. Its face or what Raph decided was its face was close to the ground. "Whatcha thinkin', Raph?" Casey asked.
"That appears to be the creature that is responsible for the attacks," Venus answered instead. Raph could feel cool fingers wrap around his bicep.
"It's hunting for something," Raph added as they watched the creature crawl away following a scent trail. "We should call my bros for backup," the hot-head whispered.
"You don't think we can take 'em?" Casey said, "There's three of us and one of it." Raph didn't feel the need to rise to the challenge. His mind was screaming to get away from the large rounded shadow. Mint green fingers dug more into his arm. The shadow lifted its nose into the air. Pushing itself onto two feet, it turned to the trio. "Goongala," Casey called out his war cry, charging the large shadow. With a sigh, Raph pressed the emergency beacon on his shell cell.
"Does your friend suffer from any sort of brain damage?" Venus asked.
"I ask myself that too," Raph said, "Stay here." As quickly as possible, the red-masked turtle ran after the human. He watched as Casey's metal bat crashed into the shadow's back. The clouds above drifted away and moonlight shone down on the shape. It was a turtle; the largest mutant turtle he had ever seen. Raph had to tilt his head back to see the razor sharp beak of the giant in front of him. It opened to release the most unearthly noise. The sound rattled Raph's teeth.
The spiny turtle raised one of its hands high. Raph could see its sharp claws, far more threatening than his own short nails. Instinct had Raph hold up his sais just in time to intercept the claws. Massive force pushed down on the metal. His sais shook under the pressure. Arm muscles started to burn. Casey grunted beside him; bat holding back the other hand of claws. "Now what, Bonehead?" Raph huffed breathlessly.
"Yer the ninja here," Casey replied just as much out of breath. "Uh-oh." Raph's eyes left the mutant turtle just to watch his friend get lifted by his bat. Effortlessly, the large mutant threw the muscled man aside.
Raph was helpless and could only watch his friend tumble away. "Casey," he called out to the human. A large hand grabbed Raph's wrist. Bones creaked under the tight grip. The cement left his feet as he was lifted off the ground. Desperate, Raph kicked at the rock solid plastron of the other turtle.
"Unhand him, you fiend," Venus's voice called out before a blur of mint green ran toward the large turtle. Her heel collided with the large mutated turtle's knee. It was a well placed kick, Raph noted. At that speed, any normal enemy would have buckled. The snapping turtle did no such thing, turning to look down at the smaller female.
"Ya better run, Venus," Raph warned. The world spun and his stomach did flips. Air whistled past his shell. It took a moment for Raph to realize he had been tossed aside. His shell collided with something soft. It groaned as something snapped. " Casey," Raph said, rolling off his friend.
"I think ya broke somethin'," Casey's voice wheezed. The man stayed laying on the ground, each breath harsh. A scream was the only warning Raph got before a heavy weight crashed into his side. His shell hit pavement as the weight rolled off with a feminine groan. Something warm and wet coated his shell. Pushing himself to his knees, Raph reached backwards to touch his shell. He brought it into view. Red warm blood coated his fingers.
"Venus?" Raph called, looking at the shape beside him. The female turtle clutched her side tightly. Red blood bubbled through her fingers. Not shooting; no arteries were hit.
Her green eyes met his, wide and frightened. "I am feeling a little woozy," she said looking at the blood running down her side. A loud roar set Raph's teeth on edge. Raph looked away from her and focused on the large mutant turtle.
It stood on two feet. Blood dripped from its claws. Heavy footsteps closed the distance between Raph and the snapping turtle. Pulling out his sais, Raph readied for an attack. He pushed himself to his feet. Diving to the side, a clawed hand passed harmlessly over. Sai flashed as Raph pushed himself off the pavement. They were angled upwards toward the mutant's unprotected side. The monstrous mutant leaned forward. A large spiny tail swung toward the red-masked turtle's side. "Ah, shell," Raph barely wheezed as the muscled appendage crashed into his side. A burning pain followed as the spines tore through the sensitive skin between his plastron and shell.
Raph flew through the air to crash against the pavement. He stopped between Venus and Casey. "Raphael," Venus called out. Casey wheezed out a concerned call as well. The ninja rolled to his knees. A pair of scaly hands landed on his shoulders. "Is your injury severe?" Venus asked.
"Nah, this is nothing," Raph answered, pushing himself to his feet. Venus scoffed, but chuckled. She stood at his side. Raph looked down at Casey who also staggered to his feet, metal bat in hand. The trio stood close as the large snapping turtle focused on Venus.
"J… go…Home," the monster breathed out, taking a step toward Venus. His voice was deep. The female turtle took a step back.
"I refuse to return to the lab," Venus shakingly said. Hands reached out to Raph once again. The red-masked turtle allowed the contact.
"Ya heard the gal. Buzz off," Raph added. He pointed his weapons at the test subject.
The large turtle barely gave Raph a glance. "No..," he rumbled. Sparks filled the air as Raph blocked the larger turtle's claws. The red-masked turtle grunted at the heavy weight. A burning sensation sparked in his biceps.
"Fore," Casey's voice echoed as he swung his metal bat toward the large mutant's head. J50 leaned heavier toward Raph. The metal bat rang dully as it struck the turtle's shell. Casey grit his teeth against the vibrations against his hands. In the corner of Raph's vision, Venus rushed to kick high, just under J50's arm. Her blow hit just hard enough to dislodge the two male turtles' stalemate. Raph's sais just barely scratched J50's plastron. A claw foot collided with Raph's side, meeting the shallow scratches. Gasping, Raph held his side and threw his sai as he staggered away. It bounced off J50's muscular thigh, barely breaking through tough scales and skin. The steel clattered to the ground.
The snapping turtle didn't flinch, his tail swung wildly. Casey staggered, blocking the appendage with his bat. The human grunted as he was forced to his knees. Claws slashed at Venus. His large hands grasped her wrist. Venus leaned back, digging in her heels. Her scream rattled Raph as he could hear bones snapping. She kicked as the large turtle lifted her over his shoulders. "Release me," her voice screamed, pitching higher.
Her feet kicked before the large mutant restrained her ankles. Green eyes looked frantically at Raph. The red-masked turtle growled as he straightened his stance. Curling his hands into fists, he charged the snapping turtle as he turned away. The muscular tail swung his way. Raph jumped over which sent a twinge of pain down his side. Thrusting his sai toward the larger turtle's leg, Raph grit his teeth as its point met scales. He leaned all his weight into the blow. He could feel skin give way. A roar was the ninja's reward as blood seeped from the wound. Raph cursed under his breath, he had missed any major arteries. Venus squirmed in the snapping turtle's grasp. With a wrinkled beak, she opened her mouth wide and bit down into the mutant's upper arm.
Raph grinned at the brutal attack before the large mutant spun around. The speed knocked Venus off her perch and she flew toward Raph. He had milliseconds to prepare himself as she crashed into him again. Her weight nearly tipped him over. Raph moved his hands to hold the female turtle more secure. Warm tacky blood coated his fingers. "And ya called me a brute," he teased, his voice tense.
"Clearly your bad manners are contagious," Venus answered in a breathy whisper. Her green eyes were unfocused.
Raph chuckled, "It was almost impressive. Almost." She hummed as her head drooped to rest on his shoulder. "Don't take a bite out of me now." A puff of an exhale blew across his throat. Raph tightened his hold on Venus as he watched J50 finally pulled out the sai in his leg. The large beast turned back to Raph. With his arms full of mutant turtle, Raph took a step back.
"Cowabunga, dude," a familiar voice crowed. A blur of orange dropped from above. Mikey landed on the snapping turtle's shoulder. He swung his weight down causing J50 to stumble. He dropped from his perch, landing on his hands. He backflipped to stand in front of Raph. "Hey, aniki. Things aren't looking so hot here."
"Where have ya been?" Raph asked. "I pressed that emergency button forever ago." Mikey looked at Venus in his arms and then to Casey who was leaning heavily on his bat.
"I ran into Vee's friends. Had to introduce 'em to the pavement," Mikey answered. He pulled his nunchucks and spun them. J50 watched the weapons' motion. "Hey dude, we don't want to fight. You're a mutant turtle, we're mutant turtles."
J50 looked at Mikey. "You..come..too," the snapping turtle spoke slowly. "Lab…man..wants…us." The large turtle stomped toward the brothers. Mikey took a protective step in front of Raph. It rackled Raph's pride, but he said nothing as he was still holding Venus.
"Yeah, we don't want to do that," Mikey said. J50 roared. His large hand reached out to Mikey. The orange-masked turtle danced away from Raph. "If you're going to take all of us, you got to do better than that," Mikey boasted. The sea green turtle spun away once again from another swipe.
Two bright headlights turned toward the two fighting turtles. All combatants squinted at the bright light. Raph could barely see the outline of a large vehicle. "What took you so long, bros?" Mikey asked as his nunchucks bounced harmlessly off the snapping turtle's arm. The orange-masked turtle didn't look toward the car that screeched to a halt. Raph squinted to see two new shadows appear in front of the lights. One intercepted a strike from J50 just as the claws nearly caught Mikey. From the glint of steel, Raph knew it was Leo. The second shadow approached Raph quickly. "How's it going, Raphy?" Don's soft voice asked.
"Just peachy," Raph answered, "Ya need to look at Vee she's out like a light." The red-masked turtle lifted Venus. She lifted her head, lazily looking at Don. In the light, Raph could finally see the red coating her side.
"Greetings, I apologize for my .. my… our last meeting," Venus slurred. She leaned her head back on Raph's shoulder.
Don smiled, "You're forgiven. Let me see your wound really quick." The olive green turtle stepped closer. His brown eyes quickly scanned over the two turtles. "Venus, Raph, we are going to retreat. The EPF are snooping around."
"Them,too? Turtle Luck true to form. Here, you take her. The big guy deserves some payback," Raph pushed the female turtle onto Don who quickly adjusted to take the weight. Whatever the two turtles said was lost as the hot head pushed his way past Don.
Jumping into the air, Raph landed heavily on J50 as the large turtle shoved Leo to the ground. Raph wrapped his arm around the snapping turtle's neck. Leo jumped to his feet, reaching down to pick up Mikey. The orange-masked turtle leaned heavily to the right, keeping his left foot off the ground. "Off me," J50 roared. Raph grinned as he flexed his muscles, tightening the hold.
With a roar, J50 threw himself backward on his shell. Raph's shell crashed into the pavement. His shell vibrated all the way to his skull. Laying dazed on the ground, Raph could only watch J50 crawl back to his feet.
Raph watched Leo slice at the larger turtle's legs. The steel katanas barely scratched thick scales. "Mikey, get Casey and Raph out of here."
"Sure thing, bro," Mikey answered, running past the locked turtles. Raph accepted the sea green hand that appeared in his face. The world spun as he was righted. "Let's get Casey." Mikey pulled at Raph's elbow. The man was sitting on the floor with his bat across his knees.
"Up and at 'em, Case," Raph called just before pulling the man off the floor. Casey hissed in pain at the sudden movement. Using his bat as a walking stick, the human hobbled toward the Battle Shell. Leo's shout drew Raph's attention to his older brother.
The blue-masked turtle was holding his upper arm with a snarl. The leader back flipped away from J50's claws. Leo stopped next to his brother. "We are going now," Leo ordered. Mikey nodded as he took the lead running to the Battle Shell. Throwing open the back, Casey was the first to hop in. Raph followed, pulling Leo in. Mikey slammed the back closed just as J50 reached it. Roars and scratching noises sounded behind the metal doors.
"Get us out of here, Don," Raph shouted to Donatello in the driver seat. Don didn't reply, but the group of turtles and human tumbled to the floor as the purple-masked turtle floored it. Nothing but heavy breathing was heard in the back of the Battle Shell.
"So what was that thing?" Mikey was the first to break the tension.
Raph lifted his head to look at his younger brother, "Venus called him J50." The group turned to look at the female turtle. She was slumped forward bouncing at each bump of the Battle Shell. "He wanted to take her back to the labs."
Leo hummed to himself, "I don't believe that the EPF's appearance is a coincidence." His dark eyes narrowed looking at his brothers. "The mutants from the lab are being hunted."
"That's a bit of a jump don'tcha think?" Casey asked, lifting his head to breath out the question.
"I agree with Leo. Remember Dr. Abigail Finn and that crazed hunter?" Don answered from the driver seat. "They were looking for Mona Lisa and Mondo."
"Yeah, I think one of those whack-jobs mentioned some guy in a suit… could be Bishop," Mikey added. Raph snarled under his breath.
"Either way we have to deal with Bishop before one of us gets hurt." The leader didn't quite look at anyone, reaching for the large first aid kit. Raph looked over his brothers. He watched as Leo pulled out a roll of bandages. Twisting his arm, Leo looked over the claw marks. Raph snatched the roll from his older brother's hand.
"Yer going to waste 'em," Raph said. Without a word, the red-masked turtle wrapped the older turtle's arm. He tied off the bandages with a knot before turning to the others. Casey had his arm wrapped around his ribs. Mikey was rubbing his swelling ankle. Raph couldn't see much of Don from where he sat, but in the rearview mirror, he could see the younger turtle's purple mask furrow. Raph clenched the bandages in his hand. The car grew quiet, each turtle nursing their own wounds.