Just a side note, this universe deviates from the plot of the movies quite a bit. The Kraang never come to Earth, so none of that has occurred, Rocksteady and Bebop don't exist, etc. Essentially the end of the first movie is where things steer in another direction. In this divergent universe, The Foot still exists, they are still enemies, but many years have passed. So all of them are adults rather than teenagers. So... just MNT now... not as nice of a ring, but this does involve adult themes, so no children allowed.
"Everything looks to be in order," Donatello concluded, neatly sorting his tools.
"So does that mean I'm allowed to head home now?" she asked hopefully. It wasn't that she was ungrateful for everything they'd done, it had just been a long day, and Rae was ready to sit in the quiet of her apartment, where everything was familiar, so she could fully unpack the absolute shitshow of a day she'd just had.
"Should be good to go," he replied with a smile, rising to go put everything back in its respective places.
She reached up and felt the welt on her head. It had gone down a considerable amount, thanks to Mikey's insistence that he replace her icepack every thirty minutes... along with bring her water, snacks, and anything else he suspected she might need. She was currently wrapped up tight in a thick comforter because he happened to see her shiver. He had offered her a heat lamp too, which she had insisted was too much. She almost felt bad about it, recalling the way his face had fallen for the briefest moment. He was such a considerate guy.
Said male had been shooed away by an assertive Donatello when he'd come to check on her at last, and was currently pestering Raphael. Judging by the colourful epitaphs the red masked turtle was throwing at him currently, it would seem he held no such reservations about hurting his brother's feelings.
"Piss off, damnit! Donnie told me to get some rest, but yer makin' it impossible by sittin' there staring at me! It's creepy!" Raph growled, loud enough for her to hear.
"Aw, c'mon broseph! I'm only pestering cuz I looooove you!"
"Go fuck yourself."
At least she wasn't the only person he was so...charming toward.
Donatello, having put away his tools, returned. He plopped down into his 'doctor's chair' as he liked to call it (a repurposed office chair missing one arm), and swivelled toward her. "When we take you home we'll perform a sweep of the residence, if that's alright with you? Want to ensure no one has paid you a visit or planted anything."
She blinked at the comment, not having considered that. The people who had attacked her that morning... they were clearly dangerous, and while she was no one of import, her involvement had put a target of sorts on her back. At least he seemed to think so. "They're that bad, huh?"
Donnie leaned back in the aged leather of his seat, considering how to answer that question. Too much information could put her in greater peril, but she needed to know something. He deduced the bare minimum would be beneficial, to give her an idea of what to watch out for.
"They're called The Foot. A large crime syndicate we've been working to dismantle."
"The Foot?" she replied, incredulous.
"I know it's a silly name, but these people are no joke. They have their hands in just about every shady dealing you could think of. It's important you never speak about them to anyone, but I wanted to give you that much information at the very least so you know to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious who might be tailing you... at least for now. I'm not even sure if the members involved in this morning's attack are in any shape to tell their superiors about you... or to speak at all, considering Raph was involved. I'll have to ask him what kind of shape he left them in later."
She nodded, a frown pulling at her mouth. "Should I be looking for a new place to live?"
The purple banded turtle shook his head. "We won't know anything until we've had a chance to inspect things. Even if we did... moving wouldn't stop them from tracking you. They have eyes and ears in every corner of this city."
"That's comforting," she muttered, pulling the blanket a little more tightly around her shoulders.
Realizing his folly, Donnie put his hands up, assuring her, "Don't stress about it. We'll make sure nothing happens to you. Until we can be sure you're identity is secure, one of us will be keeping an eye on you at all times." After a moment of thought, he added, "From a distance, of course."
The knowledge did actually make her feel a lot better. Considering how badly Raphael had messed up that whole group of them on his own, she couldn't even imagine how effective four of them would be. Smiling at the now flustered turtle, she told him, "Thanks Don. You guys are pretty awesome, y'know that?"
That only seemed to make him more embarrassed. She could swear the pale skin just beneath his mask darkened a little. Smiling widely, she taunted, "Are you blushing?"
He coughed a little to clear his throat. "We don't get too many compliments."
Rae supposed that made sense. After all, most of the people who encountered them likely didn't get this much of an up close and personal experience. And the first few seconds of her encounter had been... pretty startling. The majority of the folks they saved probably didn't even have time to recover from the shock before they were gone again.
Standing slowly, she gave a satisfying stretch and began to fold the comforter she'd been given. "Well... I'm ready whenever."
Mikey, ever attentive, was next to her in an instant, offering, "I can take you!"
"I don't think so," Leo cut in, his pace far more leisurely as he made his way over from the kitchen. "You've talked the poor girl's ear off for hours. She needs a break. Don, I'd like you to keep an eye on sleeping beauty over there, just in case Mikey's pestering gives him an aneurysm."
Donatello chuckled, nodding in agreement.
The blue masked turtle turned to her. "I'll take you, if that's alright?"
Michelangelo deflated like a day old balloon. Laughing softly, Rae reached out and handed the comforter back to him, expressing, "I'm sure we'll see each other again soon, Mike. You were an amazing host."
That was all it took to put the wind back in his sails, and he piped up with a grin, "Anytime, Sunshine!"
"Sunshine?" she asked, hands on her hips.
"Yeah! It's your new nickname," he told her matter-o-factly.
"But I'm a brunette," she responded, gesturing to her hair. Usually a title like that was more suited to blondes.
"Yeah, but your company has brightened our day, like a Rae of sunshine! See what I did there?" The announcement was paired with a proud brow waggle.
Groaning, the young woman put a hand over her face, "Ohhh god, he does puns?!"
"You know you love it."
"GoodBYE, Mikey!" She paired the parting with a playful wave before turning to her impromptu caretaker. "Thanks for patching me up, Donnie."
Donatello gave her a thumbs up.
"Shall we," Leonardo suggested while gesturing to the exit.
She followed closely alongside him as they made their way through the 'lair', as she'd heard Michelangelo christen it. "Will you say goodbye to Splinter for me?" she asked as she glanced toward the room she knew he was still occupying. Her guide assured her that he would, and lead her into a water supply tunnel, the walkways on either side narrow but in good repair. Shadowing him as they made their way along, she asked with a laugh, "You don't have to blindfold me for this part? Y'know... just in case The Foot gets their hands on me and tortures me for information"
His reply was a quick, succinct, "I don't think you need to worry about that. We take our job of protecting people pretty seriously."
She blanched, backpedalling, "I'm sorry, Leo. I didn't mean to suggest you guys aren't capable of protecting me. It was just a bad joke."
"No offense taken."
She blew a loud raspberry, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. "Seems like I've been putting my foot in my mouth a lot lately..."
Rae thought back to her altercation with Raphael. While he had been a bit abrasive, he had every right to have boundaries, and what she did had not been inappropriate. If their roles had been reversed, after all, she wouldn't have appreciated the prodding. And then it had all gone downhill from there.
"Hey... Leo. Can you do me a solid?"
He glanced back over his shoulder at her, brow quirking.
"Can you tell Raphael I'm sorry for being such a hag? I got pretty defensive and I let my temper get the better of me."
He smiled. "You two have some common ground in that respect. Raphael is a hothead, but he'll always do what he feels is right int he end. I'll pass along your message."
They came to a stop, and when she peered around him to see why, she took note of the very solid looking wall that now blocked their path. Water continued to flow through an grate at the bottom... he didn't plan to swim through it, did he? Her stomach turned. Thankfully that wasn't the case, and he lifted a hand to press against an inconspicuous brick to his right. The wall gave a groan and parted down the middle like two cinder block puzzle pieces. She whistled low when it came to a stop.
"That's impressive."
He stepped through and allowed her to pass by him before closing the secret door again. "Donnie made a few adjustments to the security after a previous scare. Now, the next leg of the trip can take awhile at the pace we're going. Would you prefer to walk it, or would you like a lift?"
She considered her options, deciding the faster alternative seemed more appealing. As... scenic as it was down here, she really wanted to be home and have a good soak in her bathtub. "I'll take the lift. We doing this bridal style or do I piggyback?"
Leo laughed outright at that, moving close to her slowly, so as not to startle her and give her a chance to change her mind if need be. When she didn't protest, he swept her deftly into his arms and advised, "I move pretty quickly. If you get motion sick you might want to close your eyes."
She gave him a thumbs up, never having an issue with it previously. Without any further ado, he took off down the walkway, leaping across the watery divide when they reached a fork. He was absurdly fast, especially considering he was a turtle. She doubted she would be able to retrace his path even if she were to attempt it, everything was moving past her so quickly it all just looked like one big blur. He finally slowed, coming to a stop next to a narrow metal ladder that disappeared into an opening in the top of the tunnel.
Setting his passenger on now shaky legs, he told her, "Give me a moment. I'm going to make sure we're all clear."
With that he deftly scaled the ladder in what looked like a single bound, stopping to shift the manhole cover up minutely so he could scan their surroundings. When he confirmed the coast was clear, he pushed the cover aside and hopped up onto the street, glancing back down at her and gesturing her to follow. She did so with considerably less grace and speed as her chaperone, hauling herself onto the pavement with a deep gulp of air. She watched as he casually slid the plate back in place, marvelling at the ease in which he did it.
"So all of you are.. .super strong, huh?"
He nodded.
"And fast."
He chuckled. "Sorry if the ride was a little bumpy. Now, if you wouldn't mind giving me your address, we can carry on."
She rattled off the street and number of her apartment complex, taking a moment to assess her surroundings to try and figure out where they were. She didn't get far, giving a little yip of surprise when she found herself back in his arms again.
"The rooftops are the fastest way to travel. Should only be a few minutes from here."
Surprised that he'd already deduced the quickest route, she asked, "Are you pretty familiar with this part of the city?"
He grinned. "We've been keeping this city safe for years. I know New York like the back of my hand."
"The WHOLE city?!"
A confident nod was her only response.
"Again... impressive."
Leonardo looked up at a building to their left where a fire exit would make for a quick ascend. "You might want to close your eyes for this bit. It can be pretty disorienting if you're not used to it."
Rae frowned, wishing she had something to hold onto. Unsure of what to do with her hands, she just tucked them up against her chest and mashed her eyes shut. She hated heights. There was a sudden lurch that signalled they were airborne, and the feeling of falling had her very quickly untangling her limbs from her own torso to wrap them around Leo's neck. She didn't care if this was too intimate a position for his liking, she needed to hold onto something or she was going to pass out. Several minutes passed this way, each leap separated by a brief stint of him running or climbing. She had a vague notion of what he was doing based on inertia and gravity alone, but otherwise he made next to no sounds. It was no wonder no one knew about them.
When she was sure they were getting close, she made the mistake of opening her eyes to see if she recognized anything. Mistake. Big mistake. The city lights were bright, only illuminating the fact that the street was a staggering distance below them. A strangled sound left her throat and her she threw her face back into his chest, almost knocking herself unconscious in the process.
'Right... turtle,' she thought while rubbing her nose.
"You alright?"
She nodded, still keeping her eyes tightly shut.
"We're nearly there." He came to a complete stop at the alley attached to her building only a handful of seconds later. "Do you have a balcony?"
"Yeah, but it's locked."
He smiled. "I'm a ninja, remember?"
"Oh yeah. It's that one up there," she told him, pointing to the third floor where a little red patio set was arranged neatly to the side of the door.
He leapt to the balcony of the tenant right below her and then swung up onto hers with feline grace. As Leonardo set her back on her feet, she inquired cheekily, "You sure you're not part leopard too?"
Removing the lock pick set from a pouch on his belt, the blue masked brother made short work of her patio door, sliding it aside and motioning for her to wait there with a finger to his lips. He slid in soundlessly, and after a few minutes called to her that it was safe to enter. She did so with a relieved sigh, glad to know no one was there, waiting to kill her. She took her phone and keys out of her legging pockets, glad she hadn't lost anything during the day's... events.
"Does anything look out of place?" he asked.
She did her own quick sweep and noticed nothing seemed off, shaking her head in the negative.
Leo continued moving around her apartment, glancing at light sockets, outlets, and in any nooks and crannies he could find. She grabbed a water from the fridge and took a seat at the kitchen island, not wanting to interfere. Finally, he went to the front door and glanced through the keyhole, unlocking and opening it, and peering for a long time down the hall in both directions. Locking up again once he was satisfied, he turned and made his way into the kitchen.
"Looks like you're all clear for now."
"Thank god."
"Would you mind if I gave you our contact information? That way if you feel unsafe or suspect anyone of following you we can look into it?"
The exhausted brunette turned on her phone and slid it across the counter at him, opening contacts and pressing the little symbol in the corner. He deftly tapped the screen despite having only three, very large fingers, and pushed it back. She glanced at the name he'd saved his info under. "TB?"
"Turtle Boys," he elucidated with a half smile.
"Ah," she replied while typing a quick 'it's Rae' in the text box and hitting send.
She heard nothing, but assumed the device was likely on silent. Wouldn't be very ninja-like of him to have his phone ding in the middle of a super secret stakeout. What an embarrassing way to get caught.
"I'll be taking first watch, so you can get some sleep. Take it easy tomorrow," he told her as he moved to exit through the balcony door.
Huffing, she guessed, "Doctor Don's orders?"
He nodded once.
Rising with a faint groan, she shuffled across the living room to lock up behind him. "Thanks again."
"We'll be in touch."
Rae watched him step out into dark and then seemingly disappear. She peered through the glass, trying to ascertain where he had gone. Unable to find any trace of him, she drew the curtains and moved into the bathroom, snagging her half finished water bottle as she went. Snapping on the lights, the young woman pulled a towel from the closet and slung it over the towel bar, drawing herself a nice, hot bath.
As she sat, soaking in the steaming, sudsy water, she wondered to herself – not for the first time that day - if she was crazy.