Idiona had blanched when the brothers had told their story of last nights events. They had run into trouble and lots of it. They told Splinter and herself about the run in they had with the gang Purple Dragons and then with the strange ninjas, The Foot Clan. All four of them had come out of the altercation in one piece and just a mild case of bruising to their egos. She remembered how The Foot fought, out numbering their foe was easy and guaranteed them their victory. The tactic had always worked for them but it was so cowardly and dishonorable. Idiona had always been sent out on solo missions while she was still under the command of the clan. She didn't need anyone else to help her win a victory.
That was they had caught her off guard. None of those cowards ever wanted to spar with her. None of them had been kind or understanding. She was a puppet there and her strings were thrashed about. Some days it felt like they were pulling those strings in opposite directions trying their hardest to tear her apart. The Shredder wanted pliable pawns he could break and reshape into what he wanted whenever he wanted. She had never broken for him, never given him the gratification. He was like a young child who abused and pulled apart their toys just because they could. Just because they were left to do so.
Idiona gasped as the wooden broom within her hand snapped and cracked under the pressure of her hands. She released her grip and saw two imprints of her hands squeezed into the wood. She needed better things to think about to pass the time while cleaning. Sweeping up the dust and dirt she had gathered in her selected room she made her way back out into the common area. Raph and Leo had gone back to the old lair to gather supplies and personal items that weren't destroyed during the attack. She hoped the plants and herbs she had gathered the past year were not harmed. She had made so many helpful balms for everyone. Plus the plants had also helped bring some life down into the dreary sewer tunnels.
At that same moment a loud shrieking sound came from below. Mikey was probably messing with the gigantic way over the top TV set up, again. Idiona dropped gracefully onto the floor her eyes darting to Michelangelo seated in front of the monstrosity he had created. He had placed at least a dozen different sized TV's on top and around the others. Donatello had probably been the one who had neatly stuck them and wired them all together. Michelangelo was just the mad genius who had come up with the plan. Splinter was seated on the couch calmly sewing together a dummy punching bag.
"Awe," Mikey whined under his breath. Obviously his creation wasn't working as he quite imagined.
"Turtle cave? That is so lame!" Donnie scoffed, approaching from the side. He had been working rigorously on upgrading and modernizing their new home. So far he had accomplished tapping into the electric grid of the city, which was why Mikey was so adamant at getting his TV monstrosity up and running. Idiona was quite sure the full extent of the work Donnie did during the night. Considering Don was the type of turtle to run off of pots and pots and pots of coffee.
"What? Perhaps the shellter rings better for you?" Mikey quipped back at his sibling.
"Uh," Don sat in thought for a brief moment, "I prefer the Sewer of Solitude!"
"How about the Hall of Ninjustice?" Idiona added in.
"The School for Gifted Reptiles, and Cats!" Mikey jested back. At that moment Splinter set down his craft project and cleared his throat.
"We shall cal this place home." Splinter announced. He had accepted this new place almost in an instant. It was also because this new lair was also way more spacious than previous one. There was plenty of space for Splinter to relax and meditate and for the boys, and at times Idiona, to rough house and act like hooligans.
"Hmm, catchy!" Mikey answered.
"Now then, what is taking Leonardo and Raphael so long. Shouldn't they be back by now?" Their Sensei asked.
"They're just grabbing the last of our stuff at the old place Sensei."
"Yeah," Don added in. "And with the way the new Sewer Slider is performing they should be back any minute now!"
Leo and Raph worked diligently packing up the new and improved Sewer Slider with anything wasn't entirely ruined from the impact of the rubble. Of course, Mikey had whined consistently about his comics and his DVD collection. Both turtles hoped all of his items had remained safe since neither one of them wanted to hear his complaining if they hadn't. Leo rounded up the very last box of salvaged items left in the old lair and shuffled over to load it up. Sadly, some items were way beyond salvaging and would have to be left behind. The good thing the two of them tried to focus on was there was another home waiting for them.
"Well, this is whats left of the lair. After fifteen years of calling this place home, only for it to be reduced to rubble." Leo let out a pained sigh. The box carefully slid into place under the loose ratchet straps wrapped around the impressive machine Don had built. Everything they had used to make the old lair feel like a home was just wrapped up and shoved together. Leo dusted the grime off his hands, everything he had touched was covered in a layer of dust and pieces of concrete.
"When I get my hands on whatever loser made those home wrecking robo-creeps-" Raph slammed his fist into the support column closest to him. In response the column groaned and fissures ran along where the red clad turtles fist had been.
"Whoa Raph, lets not break this place anymore than it already is. Let's head back, I'm sure the others are wondering whats taking us so long." Leo bounded towards the Sewer Slider taking his spot on top of a surfboard just jutting out from the pile of stuff they had collected. Raph joined him taking his spot in the drivers seat. The Sewer Slider hummed and groaned as it began to accelerate. "Don said he hadn't quite calibrated anything so take it nice and-" Raph didn't give his older brother the privileged of finishing his sentence as he cranked on the accelerator. Leo was sure his gut was in his mouth as Raph moved the Sewer Slider in loops around the sewer tunnels.
"Well Leo, I would say this was an acceptable field test. Wouldn't you?" Both brothers howled out in joy as the Sewer Slider glided effortlessly towards their new home. Don would be content with the information they gathered for him today.
Idiona sat on the couch with Mikey, both of them scrolling through the channels Don had hooked up. The flashing images on the screens were amazing and captivating. She had never really had a TV of her own, and on the island she didn't even know they had existed. It was strange the first time she had seen on sitting in an electronics shop. Honestly, it had scared her so badly she was surprised it hadn't caused a bigger scene. The people who had pulled her back away from the shop once she had begun punching holes into the devices. In that moment she had truly believed a man had been magically stuck in the TV. Some twisted type of magic casted on him to keep his soul captive. Now she knew better.
"What's this one called Mikey?" Idiona asked pointing at the show that was playing through the screen.
"This one is called Survivor. People go out to this island thing and try to survive off the land. It's really popular, dudette. Didn't you watch it ever?" Mikey was lounged back into the couch, his arm draped lazily across the back of the couch. Idiona shook her head.
"No, we didn't have TV's on the island. Even if we did I'm sure they wouldn't have let me watch anything like this."
"Bummer, that place sounds like a total waste if it doesn't even have TV! I can see why you left!" Mikey's attention went back to scrolling through the seemingly countless channels. Just as they were about to flip to the next channel a familiar humming sound started to fill the lair.
"Looks like they're back!" Idiona jumped over the back of the couch making her way towards the Sewer Slider. She hoped most of her plants made it. Leo jumped from his seat, a slim long box in hand.
"Well Mikey looks like your DVD collection made it!" Leo tossed the box towards his brother as Idiona began digging through the mass accumulation of things shoved under the straps. Raph gently hopped down from the driver side.
"What'cha looking for, kitty?" Raph asked as Idiona rolled her eyes heavily. She hated that nickname.
"My plants, duh. And stop calling me that, you all know I hate it!" Idiona's taupe tail flicked back and forth and giving Raph a nice smack on the thigh. It didn't pack as much as a punch as Splinter's did, but she was working on it. Although sometimes it was inconvenient to have the extra appendage, since living down in the lair with the guys her tail had become less of a burden. Raph chuckled and pulled some of the straps loose.
"Here, I'll show ya." Right as Raph handed off the box of plants the TV began blaring a live news report.
"Ah, lame!" Mikey shouted out.
"Wait!" Donnie answered in protest. "I want to watch this, its about Baxter Stockman." Why did that name sound familiar? Raph and Idiona joined the others standing in front of the mass of TV's. Mikey groaned in boredom, but kept the stream playing for his brother.
"Today in a press conference at Stocktronics Incorporated, New Yorks new leader in technology firm!" The reporter said in such a gleeful tone Idiona almost believed the reporter was interested in what she was talking about. "Doctor Stockman was even on-site to give an example of his latest creation!" The camera cut to the man in question and Idiona clenched the box in her hands tighter. That's why that name sounded so familiar. Idiona's eyes locked onto the doctor, he was working with The Shredder, and doing horrible things more than likely.
"A wise man once said," Doctor Stockman prattled on while cleaning his glasses off, "build a better mousetrap and the world will seek a path to your door. Well I say let the path seeking begin! For I, Doctor Baxter Stockman, have designed a solution to the cities ever growing rat problem. Ladies and gentleman I present to you the latest innovation at Stocktronics, the mouser!" Stockman ripped the white sheet laying on the ground to reveal the little metal robots that had torn apart the old lair. All of them gasped in shock at what had just been revealed to them. He had been responsible for destroying the lair.
Everyone sat in silence as the Doctor continued taking about the monstrosity he had created. It was Donnie who broke the silence first.
"I can't believe the Baxter Stockman is trying to play these killer robots off as just a solution to the rat problem." Don examined the jaw of the mouser he had cupped in his hand. Before it was wrenched away by Mikey.
"Yeah, and look at those glasses!" Mikey fed his hand through the head of the mouser moving it like a puppet. "Total dork city!" Raph unsheathed a sai and plunged it into one of the smaller TV's.
"I say we pay Doc a visit and give him our thanks for ruining our home!" Splinter stood in Raph's way and smacked his staff down onto the hot headed turtles head. "Ow!"
"Absolutely not! You're last venture to the surface was a complete disaster! You need not be seen by any more humans." All the boys groaned in protest.
"But like, Idiona's a human and she sees us everyday, Sensei!" Mikey argued back. Idiona waved her tail up into the air and smiled at the four of them showing off her razor sharp teeth.
"Not exactly a normal human, Mike."
"Well, that's what we like about ya." Raph added in.
"Ah, that reminds me. Idiona, I would like to see the things you so desperately needed to bring here with you. Let us spend the rest of the afternoon training and putting our things away." Splinter ordered.
"Yes, Sensei." They all responded. Idiona climbed up to her room, a little thankful to finally have her own space rather than just using Don's old room. Her eyes locked onto the giant pack she had brought back the night before. She really thought these things would have never been of use to her ever again. Really thought the life she had lived previously could be left in an abandoned building, to no longer haunt her. She opened the pack and began pulling out her supplies and gear. At least here these things would be used to help people, not harm them.