- Chapter 14 -

Keep Away

Whatever plans the Hamato Clan had for the day were put on hold, allowing Hisako and Leatherhead a chance to catch up. She told him all about her training as a kunoichi, even going as far as to show him a few moves. He watched her happily as the rest of the clan observed. All except for Mikey, who emerged from the kitchen carrying a big pot of a strange, yellow concoction.

"I got a new one!" he declared happily, waving around a wooden spoon to get everyone's attention. "Who wants to try my patented pizza noodle soup?"

Everyone gagged, looking sick at the thought of it.

"No thanks," Vee replied. "I'd rather eat liquid shit."

Leatherhead sniffed the air, his stomach growling.

"I would like to try some," he announced, rising to approach Mikey.

Hisako stared at him, gaping. "I... don't think that's a good idea."

"It has been ages since I've had a proper meal," Leatherhead informed her. "I'm starving."

"Okay... but we warned you," Kagome said simply. "And I suggest we hide."

Everyone but Mikey dove for cover as the orange turtle offered Leatherhead a spoonful of the soup. Leatherhead slurped it up, licking his chops happily. "This... is the best thing I have ever tasted."

Everyone poked their heads out of their hiding spots in shock.

"Finally!" Mikey declared, beaming happily. "Someone likes my cooking."

"Well, statistically, I suppose someone had to," Donnie said flatly.

Mikey plopped the pot down in front of Leatherhead. "Eat up, big guy. Don't be shy."

Leatherhead picked up the entire pot, sticking his snout in it before noisily slurping up the concoction. Watching the croc devour the soup, the rest of the siblings and Kagome emerged from their hiding spots, turning towards their orange-clad brother.

"Okay, seriously Mikey," Vee said, turning to him. "How many pizza experiments have you made?"

"Enough," Mikey replied.

"Enough would be zero, Mikey," Raph retorted.

"Hey, I got plenty of ideas!" Mikey declared, already picturing a few more ideas he was willing to try.

"Forgive me for not leaping for joy," Raph deadpanned. "Bad back, y'know."

Leatherhead pulled his head out of the pot, belching loudly before licking his chops clean. "Apologies for my manners."

Leo waved a hand in dismissal. "Think nothing of it."

"So, where have you been staying these past five years?" Hisako asked Leatherhead. "My siblings and I have explored most of the tunnels in these sewers, and I don't think we've ever seen any trace of you."

"There is a section of tunnels that has been caved in for years," Leatherhead explained. "However, there is an underwater passage leading to it. Since those creatures rely on mechanical bodies, I thought it would be the best place to lay low."

"Clever," Donnie said in admiration.

"It's also where I hid the power cell," Leatherhead continued.

"Can you take us to it?" Leo asked, taking care not to mention Krang's name. "We don't want you-know-who to get his hands on it any more than you do."

"I... do not think that is wise," Leatherhead replied. "I rigged the entire area with booby-traps to ensure the Utroms would not get their hands on it."

Hisako chuckled a bit, beaming with pride for her friend. "You always were smarter than they gave you credit for."

"I understand your trepidation, but you-know-who won't stop hunting you, and he may find a way past your underwater defenses," Leo rationalized. "We've been hiding from him all our lives, and he won't think that we have it. If anything, giving the power cell to us is the best way to keep it out of his hands."

Leatherhead looked down at Leo, seeing the wisdom in his suggestion. With a sigh, he relented.

"Very well. I will lead you to the cell."

He then grabbed Hisako by the back of her jacket, depositing her onto his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck as Mikey looked at the two of them.

"Why do you keep doing that?" he questioned.

Leatherhead looked down at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Why do you keep putting Hisako on your back?" Mikey clarified. "You know she can walk now, right?"

"This is how I always carried her when we traveled," Leatherhead explained, placing a claw on her arm. "Also, the feeling of her weight on my back is… oddly soothing."

Hisako smiled, nuzzling her head against his in an affectionate gesture. "Missed you too, Leatherhead."

"Aww..." Kagome gushed. "I wish I had my camera."

Leatherhead led them to a pool of water, not far from where they fought the Krangdroids. Kagome looked down into the turgid waters in disgust, sticking her tongue out in a grossed out face.

"Swimming in sewer water…" she remarked. "I'm gonna need a bath after this one."

Raph shrugged. "You get used to it after while."

"Okay..." Kagome sighed. "Just give me a second to prepare."

"One!" Raph then shoved her into the pool. Kagome hit the water with a scream and a splash. Donnie looked at Raph, a deadpan expression on his face.

"Was that really necessary?"

"Kinda, yeah," Raph said simply.

Kagome came up, sputtering and shaking with revulsion. "Eww! It's so freaking slimy!"

"Like I said," Raph reiterated, "you get used to it."

Kagome glared at him. "Once we get the cell, I'm gonna beat the green off of you for this, Raph."

With that, the rest of the group jumped in, swimming down through the tunnels. Hisako was still clinging to Leatherhead's back, riding him like an underwater horse. Eventually, they surfaced, both Kagome and Hisako gasping and breathing heavily.

"Thought my lungs were gonna pop," Kagome said as they pulled themselves out of the water.

Raph shook himself dry like a dog.

"Sometimes, it's good to be a turtle," he declared.

At that moment, a stop sign came flying in. Everyone dodged or ducked as it hit the wall with enough force to pierce it, but Raph wasn't so lucky. They turned back to him to see he had been seemingly decapitated, almost everyone screaming in horror.

"Oh, my God!" Kagome shrieked. "OH, MY GOD!"

Raph's head popped out of his shell; he'd retracted it at the last second. Everyone sighed in relief as he looked back at the stop sign. "And sometimes, it's good to be a short turtle."

"A stop sign razor blade," Hisako observed in admiration. "Reminds me of that time you flattened out that trash can lid and used it as a discus."

"Oh, yeah," Raph deadpanned. "Ignore the fact that the damn thing almost took my head off."

"I did warn you the area was rigged," Leatherhead said matter-of-factly.

"And I could still hear your thoughts," Hisako added. "You were fine."

At that moment, the pipes overhead began to shake. Leatherhead let out a curse, knowing what the sound curtailed.

"Follow me! Quickly!" Leatherhead shouted.

They all took off running, avoiding more sign blades, pipe spears that popped out of the wall, swinging pendulums, and weights smashing down from the ceiling.

"You have definitely been keeping busy, Leatherhead!" Hisako shouted.

As they went, a ramp fell down and multiple metal barrels loaded with spikes started rolling after them. They continued running, eventually seeing a wooden barrier with the words "GET OUT" sprayed on it in white paint.

"It's a dead end!" Vee screamed.

"No, it is not!" Leatherhead replied. "Keep going!"

He smashed through the wall and they all dove in. Fortunately, the opening was too small to accommodate the barrels and they simply crashed into the entryway. As the others waited to catch their breaths, Mikey sprang to his feet, grinning.

"That was fun!" he exclaimed. "Who's up for round two?"

Everyone just looked at him funny, Leatherhead most of all.

"Did one of my traps cause some brain damage?" the croc asked.

"Nope," Vee replied. "That's just Mikey."

Leatherhead nodded at that, getting to his feet and returning Hisako to his back.

"It is not that much farther ahead," he declared.

He led them to an area ahead, containing an old subway car and a blank wall. The others looked around at the rather meager space.

"Is this where you've been living?" Leo asked.

"You know, we could probably set you up with some basic necessities if you want," Kagome offered. "Like a bed."

"I have gotten by this long without them." Leatherhead's face softened. "But thank you."

He set Hisako down on the ground, then led the group over to the wall. He ran his hand along it for a moment before pressing down on a secret panel. A section of the wall opened up, revealing the power cell. Donnie approached it in awe.

"This thing's putting out some power..."

He pulled two cables from a duffle bag he'd brought with him, touching them to it. He was promptly electrocuted and sent flying back, slamming into the wall with a slightly blackened outline.

"Maybe you shouldn't touch the alien power cell so flippantly," Leo remarked.

"Stupid weird Krang stuff!" Donnie cursed, and then slapped a hand over his mouth when he realized what he had said. Sadly, it was too late. Leatherhead's eyes glazed over, and he let out an enraged roar.

"You idiot," Raph hissed, glaring at Donnie.

Leatherhead lunged forward, grabbing Donnie by the face and shaking him again. Donnie screamed as he tried to free himself. Hisako ran forward, hoping to try and help. Unfortunately, Leatherhead did not see her and ended up tail whipping her aside. She rebounded off a wall hard, crumbling to the ground.

"Fuck!" Vee cursed. "Someone calm that croc down before he rips Donnie's head off!"

"Leatherhead!" Mikey shouted, approaching him and holding his hands out like he'd seen Hisako do before. "Chill out! We're your friends!"

Leatherhead began breathing heavily, looking over at Mikey, then at the squirming turtle in his grip. With a great amount of effort on his part, he dropped Donnie, retreating into the subway car as fast as he could. After a moment, the sound of relaxing music began emanating from inside. Hisako got up as best she could, leaning against the wall as she rubbed her head.

"Nice work, Mikey," she complimented as the orange turtle came to her aid.

"Donnie, why did you say the K-word in front of Leatherhead?!" Vee snapped, slapping him upside the head. "Aren't you supposed to be the smart one?!"

Hisako and Mikey left the rest of their siblings to berate Donnie, turning their attention to the subway car. They poked their heads in, finding Leatherhead seated among multiple scented candles, listening to soothing music on a record player. He seemed much calmer now, his eyes bright once more, but full of sorrow. As the two ninjas entered the car, he turned to them.

"You... you should not be here..." he told them, turning away from them again.

Hisako just plopped down on his right, Mikey doing the same on his left.

"I'm not leaving you," she said softly. "Not again. I was lucky and had five siblings and a father to take care of me. You… You've been alone for the past five years."

"Yeah dude," Mikey agreed. "Nobody should be alone."

Leatherhead sighed remorsefully, looking over at Hisako.

'Oracle... there is a dangerous force inside of me that I cannot control." He reached out for her stomach, placing a hand against it. "You know that better than anyone."

He removed his hand and Hisako clutched her shirt. Mikey observed this, realization dawning

"Hisako..." he said quietly. "Did he..?"

She took a deep breath, steadying her nerves. "It was... not long before you guys found me. They managed to find our hiding place and Leatherhead fought them off like he usually did."

She curled up a bit as she remembered the fight, Leatherhead's roars and the sound of blaster fire still echoing in her ears. Leatherhead cringed too, hugging his legs and trying to make himself as small as possible.

"But there were so many…" Hisako continued. "He nearly lost himself to his rage and-"

She choked a bit, her hand drifting to her stomach. Leatherhead's eyes closed, looking down at his hands. They were shaking slightly as he clutched them into fists.

"I nearly disemboweled her..." he admitted in a somber tone.

Mikey winced, looking over at his sister. She was still gripping the front of her shirt, which he knew hid many deep scars. He now knew that not all of them were from Krang and Ch'rell. His gaze then drifted back to Leatherhead, who looked remorseful and disgusted with himself.

"When I realized what I had done, I knew she could no longer stay with me. Her fever and ever deteriorating state only made that ever more clear."

"That's harsh dude..." Mikey commented. "I can't believe you've been keeping this in for so long."

"It was for the best," Leatherhead argued. "If I was alone, I couldn't hurt anyone else."

"But you can't deal with something this big alone, Leatherhead," Mikey insisted. "People aren't strong alone. They're strong together."

"You're not alone anymore," Hisako declared. "And you don't have to be."

Leatherhead sighed, looking at Hisako while shaking his head slightly.

"What did I do to deserve a friend like you?" he asked rhetorically.

About that time, the rest of the turtles entered the subway car, having been listening in for most of the conversation. Donnie stepped forward first, clearing his throat. "I'm- I'm sorry. It just slipped out."

"It is not your fault," Leatherhead assured him. "Krang made me this way."

"If you don't mind me asking, what's your story?" Leo wondered. "How did you end up like this?"

Hisako snuggled against the croc, placing her head against his chest. He gently pulled her into his lap, holding her as one would a stuffed animal.

"I was raised by a kind human boy, until his parents discovered me and dumped me in the sewers," he began, his gaze drifting upward as he thought back. "Krang's men found me and took me to the Technodrome. They mutated me and subjected me to horrible experiments. But they could not break my spirit. I escaped, taking both the power cell and Oracle with me. After I left Oracle with your master, I swore to keep the cell from Krang and spare this world from his evil, even at the cost of my own life."

"Whoa…" Vee said in awe.

"That's heavy, dude," Mikey added.

Before anyone could say anything else, Hisako clutched her head, going pale.

"Shit…" she cursed.

She instinctively pressed up against Leatherhead, who immediately understood what was happening.

"They've found us..."

Right on cue, they heard a loud bang right as a wall exploded. Multiple Krangdroids spilled out, the leader glaring at the group.

"It's over, mutation!" he declared. "Hand over the power cell, and we might let you live."

"Not in this lifetime!" Leatherhead roared.

The Krangdroids began closing in on them.

"Quick, the doors!" Kagome shouted.

They ran to close them, but one Krangdroid made it past, grabbing the power cell and grappling with Leatherhead over it. Acting quickly, Leo chopped its arm out before kicking it out of the car, upon which Mikey and Vee promptly slammed the doors shut. This didn't deter the Krangdroids. A saw-like blade began to pierce through the door, cutting through the metal as if it was butter.

"Well this is fucking fantastic!" Raph shouted. "Not only are we surrounded, but now we're trapped in this tin can!"

"We gotta get outta here now!" Leo declared. "Donnie, can you get this subway car running?!"

"This track is dead!" Donnie answered. "There's no electricity!"

"What about the power cell?!" Vee demanded.

"It may be our only chance," Leatherhead remarked.

He handed it over to Donnie, who snatched it up quickly.

"I can hook it up to the motor," Donnie said, "but I'll need time."

"Leave that to me," Leatherhead replied, making for the door.

Before he left, he gently took Hisako's chin in his hand, lifting her face up to look her in the eye.

"Oracle, my friend, this is not the end," he assured. "I promise you that."

Hisako hugged him tightly.

"You better come back this time, or I'll never forgive you," she told him, barely fighting back tears.

They parted, and Hisako turned to the others.

"Let him out," she ordered. "Quickly!"

Mikey and Vee opened the doors just enough to let Leatherhead out. With a roar, he sprang out at the surrounding Krangdroids, tearing into them as Donnie forced the motor open. Tearing out a few wires, he began the progress of hooking the power cell in. Outside, Leatherhead's battle began to tip out of his favor, the croc becoming swamped with aliens.

"Any time now, Donnie!" Leo shouted, seeing the croc's distress.

"I'm working as fast as I can!" Donnie snapped.

He jammed the cell into the motor and everything began to glow purple. In the blink of an eye, the subway car took off with enough speed to produce a sonic boom, knocking Leatherhead and the Krangdroids off of their feet. Within the car, the Hamato septet screamed as they held onto whatever they could for dear life.

"WE'RE GONNA DIE!" Mikey screamed. "WE'RE GONNA DIE! I'M GONNA THROW UP, AND THEN I'M GONNA DIEEEEE!"

"DONNIE!" Raph shouted. "TURN THIS THING OFF!"

Struggling against the G-force, Donnie managed to grab the emergency brake and pull it down. The car screeched to a halt, sending the teens flying into the windshield before sliding down to the floor. They slowly pulled themselves up, panting heavily.

"Okay," Vee remarked. "That was… something."

"No wonder Krang wanted this thing back so bad." Kagome added.

They opened the door and looked out, all of them gaping to find themselves on the streets near the sewage treatment plant.

"We're… outside?" Hisako said in confusion.

"Damn…" Raph said. "This thing took us halfway across the city."

"And in twelve-point-seven seconds, no less," Donnie added.

Hisako sighed before looking back the way they came, clearly worried about Leatherhead. Kagome patted her back.

"Don't worry," she soothed. "He's fine. I'm sure of it. And when he gets back, you'll have a lot to catch up on."

"I hope you're right…" Hisako replied.

Back in the subway tunnel, only two Krangdroids remained. Their bodies were badly mangled but still active. One dragged itself over to the other.

"Blast it…" he swore. "Now the Turtles have the power cell. We need to report this to General Krang right away."

"No…" snarled a deep, monstrous voice. A shadow fell over them and they looked up to see a furious Leatherhead looming over them. The two Utroms trembled in fear as he advanced, saying one thing before he pounced: "You won't be telling anyone anything."

Author's Note:

Another one bites the dust.

Next up, we get some more time with Robyn O'Neil. And for once, not as a face on the TV screen.

Please R&R. Until next time!