It was a beautiful morning. The sun sat low on the horizon, just peeking up over the distant buildings, as it flooded the sky with orange and red light. He sat alone on the roof top, cradling the cat in his arms, his long bandanna tails flapping in the breeze. He welcomed the warmth as the sun penetrated his beak, casting yellow highlights on the green skin. The air was crisp and clear, and he could see his breath as he exhaled, lingering on the wind like a puff of smoke before slowly disolving into nothing.
He sat silently as he stroked the feline and gazed in awe at the colorful sunrise. He studied the colors carefully as they swirled together, illuminating the clouds with bright light. He leaned back against the smoke stack, taking it all in, inplanting it into his memory. The times were rare when he got the chance to enjoy sights such as this.
As the sun rose higher into the sky, the colors shifted from orange and red to purple and blue. Soon, the light would take over and the day would begin. He had to get home.
Rising carefully, he gazed down at the cat and smiled softly. "C'mon, Klunk, let's go check in with the guys."
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The mist rose in hues all around her. The fumes swayed in a hypnotic dance, swirling through the air to encircle her as she stepped carefully inside. The room was dark. She could feel the gaseous tendons reaching out, brushing past her cheek. Stretching her hands forward, she felt for something to hold on to, to steady her step. Something was odd about her surroundings. She extended a leg down, feeling for a floor that wasn't there. She was floating! The black air continued to swirl around her as she reached out in terror. A blow. Someone had punched her! She struggled to stand, as the weight fell on top of her, crushing into her lungs, cutting off her breath as she sank slowly downward into the void. She laid there in fright as her body drifted toward the light, the night closing in, as her life slipped away...
She opened her eyes slowly, her vision blurred as she struggled to focus on her surroundings. It had only been a dream, but where was she? What had happened last night? The disorientation made her head spin. As she blinked in the dim light, her vision slowly came into focus. She found herself in a small room made of brick and stone. There was no carpet, only concrete beneath the mattress on which she found herself. It was a simple abode, decorated with only a small white refrigerator, a shelf lined with video tapes, a lone poster of a supermodel in a string bikini, and on one wall, a pair of very large metal forks. Whoever lives here must have an awfully big mouth! The sight of the burnt out candles that surrounded her reminded her of a seance or some type of ancient ceremony. The thought of being part of a sacrifice made her stomach turn.
A soft snoring filled the room and her head continued to throb. How had she gotten here? Who was here with her? As she struggled to sit up, she realized for the first time what state her body was in. Pain shot up her chest and arms as she gawked at the bandages that covered them. Her arms had been taped up in patches from the wrist to the shoulder. Her chest was wrapped tightly, a small spot of blood soiling the gauze. She stared down at herself with silent wonder. Her clothes were gone, leaving only her underware and a lone blanket for cover. The mattress beneath her was stained with blood, and she gasped in amazement, realizing it was her own. She tugged at the blanket, pulling it up under her chin as the pain trailed down her arms once again.
She stared down at her feet as they peeked out from the other side of the covers. They were the only part of her that appeared to be unwounded. She carefully lifted them off the pillows. Her legs felt like lead as she lowered them slowly to the bed. It hurt to breath. Each time her lungs filled with air, a dull pain spread up from under her ribcage to just below her neck. God, what happened to me?, she wondered in fright.
The snoring grew quiet, and she struggled with her body, twisting it in an uncomfortable direction as she looked around for the source of the sound. Her muscles were stiff and they cried out with anguish as she forced them to stretch. Gotta get out of here. Suddenly, she heard a noise from behind her. It sounded as if whomever had been sleeping had just woken up. She sat perfectly still, holding her breath as she waited in terror.
Raphael had woken up with a start, feeling as if some unknown source had jarred him from his dreams. He rose quickly, rubbing his sore shell as he realized he had fallen asleep on the floor last night. He tossed his head to the side, rubbing at the crick in his neck. "Man!", he whispered, attempting to stretch the stiffness from the sore muscle.
Megan sat in silent wait, listening to Raphael's movement. She was nervous, but she reminded herself that someone here had obviously taken care of her. Maybe they were friendly.
Raphael slowly approached the bedside as he caught site of the girl. She was moving! He strained to hold back the emotions that flooded through him. He had no idea how she would react to seeing him again, or if she would even remember ever meeting him at all. As he came into view, Megan let out a gasp.
"Hey", he spoke softly, a slight smile playing at his lips, "You're awake!" He tried to contain the joy he felt at seeing her alive and well, but it forced its way through into a grin.
Megan frowned at the turtle as memories of the previous night began to surface. "There was a fight..." Pictures of a battle in a dark room flashed through her mind. "They came after me...", she gasped in terror as she remembered the weapons striking, tearing into her flesh, cracking against her bones. "I was going to die!" Tears began to well up in her eyes as she fought to push back the memories.
"It's okay." Raph so wanted to take her hand, to hold her in his arms and comfort her.
"You..." She gazed up at his longing face. "I remember you..." A wave of happiness and relief washed over him as she spoke. "You...rescued me..." Her eyes grew larger as she studied the turtle's face. "...Raphael."
She remembers my name! He knelt down next to her, his eyes running over her delicate features; the paleness of her skin which now reflected a slight rosy glow, her big brown eyes, the long lashes, the small dainty mouth he so wanted to kiss...Stop it! He shook his head pushing the thoughts away as she watched him in silent awe.
"So...I wasn't dreaming..." Megan squinted in confusion as the reality of his existence came into being. Raphael studied her in silence, searching for something to say. She grasped the sides of her head as the pain began to throb through her skull.
"So you feel pretty lousy, huh?", he asked her sympathetically. She gazed up at him, a cute frown crinking her brow.
"Like I was just run over by a train.", she moaned.
Raphael raised his hand and slowly brought it to her forehead. Megan sat calmly, allowing him to do so without even as much as a flinch. He was amazed at her placid reaction as he held his hand against her skin.
"Looks like your temperature's back to normal.", he announced, lowering his hand.
"I don't remember much after you picked me up." She studied his expression carefully. Why was he looking at her that way?
Raph noticed her curious look and realized he had been staring. "Well...", he cleared his throat and glanced away. "I carried you to Mike's apartment..."
"Mike?", Megan interrupted.
"Yeah...um...he's my brother." The hard-headed Raphael was nervous, although he wasn't sure why. He hated feeling helpless like this. What gives? Why do I feel so strange?
"He lives in April's apartment building."
Megan nodded and waited for him to continue.
"I went there to look for Shadow, but I couldn't find her anywhere, so..."
"Wait a minute!", Megan gasped. "Shadow? She's missing? What happened to her? Where is she?" The terror gripped her, sending her heart into overload as it pounded in her chest. Gripping the sides of the bed, she began to force her body upwards, supporting herself with her wounded arms. The excruciating pain shot through her body and she let out a cry as she flopped back down on the mattress.
We have a lot in common, Raph realized as he thought about the anxious urgency that drove her. "Hey!", he laid a hand on her stomach, trying to calm her down, "Watch it. You gotta rest." Maybe he had told her too much. "Master Splinter says you gotta couple a' cracked ribs and a slight concussion. You need ta take it easy." It was Megan's turn to stare at him, breathing heavily as the pain began to subside.
"M...master Splinter?", she was confused.
"Uh...he's our...uhh..." He searched for the appropriate title. "Father", he decided.
She frowned at him as her confusion grew. "Then why do you call him 'Master'?"
Raphael fought for the words as he tried to explain all of this to her. He knew he had to approach the subject carefully, as he didn't want to traumatize her with all of the secrets he was about to reveal. "It's a long story.", he said finally.
"But, what about Shadow?" Megan's concern showed clearly on her face. Raphael knew all too well the pain of worrying about a loved one. He thought back to a Christmas past, when his brother Leonardo was severely injured by Shredder and the Foot. The grief he had hidden so well had been unbearable as he sat in the farmhouse watching over the broken body. Now, he worried about the little "angel" he had let get away from him. Guilt raced through his veins as their last words filled his head. Go down the hall to uncle Mike's house and hurry back! You remember how to get there right? Yes, unca, I member! He wished he could tell Megan that she would be okay, that she was safe, but he couldn't.
"Leo and Don should be out right now, searching the sewers for her."
Megan's eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she rolled that thought around in her mind. "The sewers?", she frowned. "Why would she be in the sewers?"
Raphael studied her for a moment as a slight smirk began to grow on his face. "We need to have a talk."
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"Shadow!" Donatello and Leonardo crept throught the damp tunnels, gripping their weapons tightly. Leo had insisted they bring them in case any danger came their way. Donatello doubted there would be any trouble, but he obeyed his brother's wishes quietly, without contradiction. He gets that enough from Raph!
"Do you think she coulda been kidnapped?", he asked.
Leo thought about that for a moment. He looked at Don, a serious expression held on his face. "I'm not sure, Don, but I've been wondering the same thing."
"Do you think it could've been the Foot?" A look of sorrow filled Don's eyes as he studied his brother. The thought of Shadow in danger, kidnapped by their blood enemies was something almost unbearable. Casey's daughter had become part of the family, and even though the two of them weren't as close as Mike and she were, the loss of the little girl had left a void in his heart.
"It's a good possibility." Leo stared straight ahead, trying not to reveal his emotions. He too felt the pain of her absence burning into him like fire. But why had the Foot attacked? He thought about Karai and the promise she had made to them when they had helped her seek vengeance on the Shredder's Elite. Swear to me that you will kill them all! It had been with a heavy heart that he had accepted her treaty of peace for the murder of her daughter's killers, but he knew that if she kept her word, the Foot would be out of their lives for good. But now, something had gone wrong. The Foot were up to their old tricks again and he was determined to find out why.
"She went to Mike's apartment before the Foot even showed up at Casey and April's." He tapped his chin with his index finger for a moment as he tried to piece everything together. His brain hurt and he was exhausted from last night's events.
"Yeah." Don agreed, a feeling of hope spreading through him. "And it didn't look like there was any forced entry or signs of battle at Mike's."
"True.", Leo gazed at his brother. "And Raph also said that all of that blood belonged to Megan." Poor Megan. So many innocent people are getting hurt because of us. It's got to come to an end!
Donatello nodded in agreement. "Maybe she really is hiding down here somewhere. She's a smart kid, ya know." A short silence passed between them as each stood alone with his thoughts.
"Come on.", Leo said atlast. "Let's keep looking."
They continued their trek through the musty sewer tunnels. "Shadow!" Leo's voice echoed through the empty underground passage.
Donatello slowly ran his eyes over the dark brick, scanning for movement. An eery feeling crept over him as he investigated the ground for signs of footprints and blood.
Leo turned to his brother. "Did you hear something?", he whispered. Don stood silent allowing his ears to take in the sounds around him. The familiar trickle of running water came from a distant gutter, but nothing more.
"Naw." Don shook his head. "It was just your imagination." He returned to his investigating, examining the concrete and muck for signs of passage. Suddenly, a soft crinkle filled the room.
"Wait!", Leo whispered, clutching the katana as he thrusted a hand in front of Don. "There it is again!" Donatello had heard it this time, and he stood there frozen for a moment before raising his bo.
He glanced around nervously. "What do you think it is, Leo?"
"I'm not sure."
Don took a few careful steps forward, being sure not to make a sound. He glanced quickly throughout the cavern, but could see nothing out of the ordinary. Leo held his swords at the ready, tip-toeing softly through the garbage at his feet. "Shadow?", he asked quietly.
A rat scurried past Don's ankles, startling him from his task.
"Well I guess it was just a rat after all.", Leo breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yeesh!" Don cringed in disgust. "I hate rats!"
Leo flashed him a cold look, "Don, how can you talk about Master Splinter like that?"
Donatello smiled and shrugged, "Well, I didn't mean that rat!"
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Michaelangelo opened the door and trotted into the living room. "Hey, where is everybody?", he called. He glanced around at the empty furniture and the silent television as his stomach began to grumble. Man, I'm starved! He set Klunk down in the chair and went to the kitchen. Staying up half the night can sure make a guy hungry!
Splinter was waiting for him, resting on a stool. "How did your watch go? Did you see anything useful?"
Michaelangelo grinned at his sensei. "No, there were no Foot in sight. But I did get to see a gnarly sunrise!"
Splinter smiled. The times were rare when his sons had the opportunity to witness the beauty in the world around them. He was happy that such simple things could please his son so much. Deciding he could use a breather from all of the stress they had been under lately, he pushed his current responsibilities to the back of his mind for a moment. "It must have been a beautiful sight."
"Oh yes, master." Mike's eyes lit up, "The sky was red and orange, and the clouds...oh man, the clouds!" A big grin spread across his face as he invisioned the billowy puffs of orange and purple light. "And the birds were singing, and it was warm. I could feel the sunlight on my face!" Splinter listened silently while Mike jabbered on, excitedly relaying the details of the morning.
Suddenly, a strange vision flashed through his mind, and he twitched uncomfortably. Sensing Splinter's reaction, Mike stopped talking and gazed at him with concern.
"Master?" He came up close and put his arm around his shoulders. "Are you okay?"
Splinter concentrated on the vision. Leo and Don were walking through a tunnel quite a ways from their home. They were calling for Shadow, when suddenly something scurried toward them. A rat? There was something disturbing about that place, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Splinter shook his head to clear it of the images and stared into his son's eyes.
"It was nothing, Michaelangelo.", he said more for his own benefit than for his son's. "I am fine." He placed his hand on Mike's. "Come, let us check on Megan and Raphael."
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"So that's pretty much it." Raph shrugged as he finished his story.
The girl gawked at him in amazement. She hadn't said much during his explanation, because she didn't want to be rude, but her mind was flooded with questions. She stared at Raphael's biceps, amazed at the strength in his arms. She studied the plastron, remembering the hard feel of it from last night. She had thought he was wearing some kind of protection - a bullet proof vest, perhaps, but now she realized she had been wrong.
"So", she gulped. "This mutagenic ooze really transformed you into this?"
"Yeah. Pretty eery, ain't it?" He turned around and began to pace the floor. She studied the intricate pattern of his shell in wonder. The designs and great detail of each individual square left her awe stuck. Her head began to spin again as she thought about the ludicrousy of sitting here in the sewer of all places while she talked with a giant turtle. She was beginning to think she had gone crazy. Maybe that bump on her head was causing her to see things...
"Raphael?"
He turned and looked her in the eye. "Yeah?"
"Y...your brothers..." She struggled with the words. "...so, they all look...like you..."
Raph lowered his head and stared at the ground, the sorrow and anger building up inside of him. "Yeah.", he sighed. "We all look like this." In disgust, he threw his arms down his sides, gesturing toward his body.
"Wow!", Megan gasped in curiousity.
Raphael glanced up at her and noticed her penetrating eyes as she stared at the reptilian hands and feet. "That's right.", he said in fury. "Go ahead and gawk at me like I'm some circus freak!" He lowered his eyes again and clenched his fists. "What am I saying? I am a freak!" His shoulders raised and lowered with the rage he was trying so hard to contain.
Megan was shocked. His reaction had frightened her a little. She hadn't meant to pry into his personal business, and she certainly hadn't meant to hurt him by her surprised reaction.
"Raphael." She attempted to get up from the bed again, but the pain kept her in place.
He kept his eyes pinned to the floor. "You're just like everybody else."
"Raphael, look at me." She studied the scowl that embedded itself deep into his face. "Please." He slowly lifted his head and met her gaze, a frown of anger twisting his features.
"Raphael...I..." She fought for the words as she studied his somber expression. So human-like. "I don't think you're a...freak.", she said finally. Raphael's frown disolved into a look of surprise and disbelief.
"Y...you don't?", his tone was apprehensive.
"No.", she reached out a hand beckoning him to come close. He could see in her eyes that she was telling the truth. She showed no fear or apprehension as he sat down next to her on the bed.
"I think you're awesome.", she whispered, lifting a hand toward his face to feel the reptilian skin. She stopped short, searching his eyes for disapproval, but saw none. As she ran her hand gently down his cheek in silent awe, his skin tingled with excitement. He closed his eyes and let the sensation take over.
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"C'mon, Casey, we're gonna be late!" April tugged his hand as she glanced at her watch. The airport was crowded with hustling strangers rushing to catch planes, buying things in the gift shops and eating in the restaurants. They had to shove their way between large crowds as they hurried through the halls. As she glanced out the windows, the sight of bums sleeping against the wall outside made her nervous. Clutching her purse tightly, she began to jog, pulling Casey along with her.
He was out of it. The lack of sleep combined with worry for his daughter and cousin had drained him of his energy, causing him to move sluggishly. April was concerned for his health. He looked like hell. But right now, she was also worried about finding her sister. She had a nagging suspicion that they were being watched, or worse, stalked. She dug in her purse, producing a small piece of notebook paper. "Flight 313, gate 12E", she read aloud as she glanced up at the gate numbers. 10C They were getting close.
God, what am I going to say to her? She ran the speech over in her mind again. 'Um, Robyn, do you remember those Italian guys I told you so much about?' She shook her head. No. That was no good. How about 'Ah...we didn't actually get married, something came up.' or'Something bad has happened. We don't know where Shadow is...' Not a good way to start either. She didn't want to throw this at her all at once. Sighing, she came to a stop at gate 12 and peered over at Casey who looked like he was dead on his feet.
"Casey!", she whispered, annoyed. He opened his eyes, shaking off the sleep.
"Huh?"
"Come on. We're here."
April rushed to the lobby, dragging Casey behind her. Damn, I gotta get him to bed. She glanced around, searching for her sister. Her eyes fell on a newly reunited couple embracing eachother happily. She glanced at Casey, as thoughts of their ruined wedding day flashed in her head. It's not fair! She forced the tears to remain in her eyes as she searched the room. She spotted Robyn standing in the corner, staring out the large windows at the plane she had just unboarded.
"Robyn!" April waved to her as she turned around.
"April!" A large smile spread across Robyn's face as she ran to her sister. "Oh April, it's so good to see you!" She flung her arms around her sister and embraced her in a tight hug, then glanced at Casey. "What's wrong with him?", she whispered. April smirked and pushed Casey forward.
"Casey, I want you to meet Robyn."
"Nice to meet ya!" Robyn thrust out a hand for Casey to shake. "I've heard so much about you!"
Casey took her hand as he fought to stay awake. "Same here.", he forced a smile. He picked up her bags and they headed toward the car.
"Boy, he sure is a looker!" Robyn giggled once he was out of ear shot. "You're so lucky, April!"
April wished she could agree, but right now she felt like the most unlucky person on the planet. She forced a smile and said nothing. Robyn noticed the false joy in her grin and frowned at her curiously.
"What's wrong?", she asked concerned.
April tried hard to control her emotions. "There are a couple of things I have to tell you.", she sighed.
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"Hey Raph!" Mike burst into the room, a lap tray and a steaming bowl in his hands. Raphael glanced up at him with a frown. "Hey, she's awake!" Mike smiled excitedly at Splinter and then returned his attention back to the two on the bed. Megan stared at Mike and Splinter in disbelief. So there really is a rat!
"Here." Mike set the tray on Megan's lap. "I made you some soup." Megan stared at the broth for a moment before cautiously picking up the spoon.
"Thanks.", she said slowly as she gawked into the bowl. "What's in it?" She definately wasn't into flies and worms.
"Mike's a good cook.", Raph reassured her.
"It's home made chicken noodle, what else?", Mike grinned. "The only thing to eat when you're sick. That is unless...you like pizza!", he chuckled softly to himself. Megan gazed in wonder at the turtle.
"You eat pizza?" She stared back into the bowl, stirring up the contents with her spoon. "And chicken?"
"Yeah, what did you think we ate? Bugs and dirt?" Raph shot her a sarcastic glance.
"It is good to see you are well.", Splinter interrupted. Megan was startled by the rat's voice. The thought of a talking turtle was bad enough, but a talking rat? This was ludicrous! Megan stared at the two of them for a moment.
"This is Michaelangelo the annoying one." Raph pointed at his scowling brother. "And the rat is Splinter. And as you already know..." He turned toward Mike and Splinter. "This is Megan."
"Nice to meet you." Megan cautiously reached her hand out to shake theirs. Mike stepped in and grabbed it instantly, shaking it hard, sending pain through her arm.
"It's wonderful to meet you!", he grinned from ear to ear. Rage built up in Raphael as he watched his brother flirt with his woman. Wait a minute, my woman? What am I thinking?
"Mike! You moron, let go already!", he yelled at his brother. Mike noticed the pain on her face and quickly dropped her hand.
"Uhhh...sorry!"
"You must forgive Michaelangelo.", Splinter said softly. "We don't get many visitors down here, so he tends to get carried away at times."
Mike pouted at Splinter. "Aw, come on.", he moaned. "I was just bein' friendly."
Megan smiled. "It's okay Michaelangelo." He's hillarious!
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"Leo?" Don cringed in the darkness as the Foot began to scurry through the tunnel. "Umm...I think we have a problem here."
Leo took a step back, raising his katana into the air as he gawked at the ninjas. Where had they come from?
"They've tracked us down!", Don gulped.
"Yeah, but how is that possible?" Leo was anxious. They hadn't entered through the apartment building, and there had been no sign of them last night when they had found Raph and Megan. Gotta stay focused, don't let the fear show.
The room continued to fill with black clad ninja, their weapons drawn, their purpose clear.
Donatello was nervous. They had fought and defeated these guys many times before, but this time seemed different somehow. The sewer was filled with what he estimated to be about a hundred Foot members, and since there were only two of them, they were more than slightly outnumbered.
The Foot crept up, encircling them from all sides. The concentration in their step announced that they were ready for serious business. Donatello looked to his "fearless leader" for a plan of action.
"Hold your ground." Leo's gaze was that of cold hard stone.
Don gripped the bo with both hands, and held it up in front of his face. Whatever the Foot threw at them, he was going to be ready.