It was the fourth time in a single month that he found the little turtle with the orange bandana curled up in a corner of her den, sleeping peacefully in the middle of a pile of rags that she had collected around the sewers, washed as best she could and grouped make a little bed out of it.
Shitsu let out a small sigh, putting down the basket she was holding in her hands in which she usually carried food, and approaching little Michelangelo, wrapping his tail maternally around him; she gently caressed his freckled cheek, slowly tracing that smooth, bright green skin with her tapered fingers, watching the mutant's mouth slowly curve into a small smile. The snake woman smiled back at him, tapping his nose softly to wake him. - Michelangelo... wake up little one... -.
The turtle let out a small yawn, slowly opening his shiny blue eyes and fixing them on the woman. - Hi Shitsu...-, he murmured in a still sleepy voice, stretching slowly and sitting up; as he did so, Shitsu didn't fail to notice how he moved very slowly and tried not to carry too much weight on his left leg. Upon closer inspection, the snake woman noticed various bruises and some cuts along his arms; she frowned, approaching the young ninja worriedly.
- Michelangelo... isss everything okay? - she asked, running a finger over a bruise that seemed very recent. The turtle let out a hiss of pain, moving away from her reflexively. - No! Don't touch please... It still hurts... -.
- Oh poor little one... -, Shitsu approached slowly, delicately wrapping the young man in the coils of her tail, slowly drawing him towards her, - Pleassse, let me help you heal... -. While Michelangelo snuggled into her scales, Shitsu reached into a corner of her lair, pulling out a strangely intact, almost new, first aid box, too perfect for a place like the sewers; the ninja seemed to notice it because he looked at the object with curiosity: - Don't tell me that someone had the idea of throwing an entire first aid kit in the garbage? -.
Shitsu let out a laugh as she began to take care of the ninja's wounds: - Oh no, this wasss a little gift from a friend of the sssurface -.
- Of the surface? You mean... a human? -, the turtle's blue eyes lit up with surprise,
- Do you have a human friend? -.
The woman giggled again, nodding: - Doesss that sssurprissse you? Not all human beingsss are sssusssceptible to a friendssship... let'sss sssay unconventional. I wasss lucky enough to find sssomeone who didn't tremble at the sssight of me -.
- Yeah... you were lucky... -, Michelangelo's enthusiasm faded; his eyes began to wander over his wounds, inflicted by his latest confrontation with what they now knew would become their worst nightmare.
Shredder.
Just thinking about it sent a shiver down his spine...especially because he partly felt guilty: if he hadn't insisted on meeting Chris Bradford, their Sensei's enemy would most likely never have found out about their existence... Of course none of his brothers nor Splinter held him responsible for what had happened, but a part of him couldn't help but think so.
- Michelangelo... honey, isss everything okay? -, Shitsu caressed his face maternally, drawing his attention; reflexively the young ninja rubbed his face against her palm, letting out a tired sigh. - It's alright... I just had a stressfull week...-, he murmured, snuggling more against the snake-woman's body, relaxing even more and feeling his eyelids get even heavier than before.
- Oh dear... -, Shitsu wrapped herself around him slowly, drawing him towards her in a maternal embrace, caressing his little head delicately, cradling him instinctively,
- You can ressst easssy, little one. We'll talk more calmly when you wake up -.
She watched the young turtle's eyes close once again with a smile, when she unexpectedly heard a sound coming from behind her: slow, calculated footsteps, as silent as those of a predator. Quickly, but carefully, she placed the young turtle on her bed, then turned towards the entrance to her den. The woman's serpentine eyes narrowed dangerously, as she bared her fangs with a menacing hiss: whoever the intruder who dared to enter her territory would have met their match.
The footsteps came closer and closer and her tail twitched with impatience, the venom from her fangs already dripping down to wet her tongue and lips; it would have taken a moment, just one bite and she would have her prey fallen to the ground, paralyzed and at her mercy...
With a final, threatening hiss, the woman launched an attack!