Chapter Text
Raphael
Pop! Chomp. Chomp. Chomp. Pop!
"Grrr."
Chomp. Chomp.
If I have to listen to that sound for one more second.
Chomp.
"Grrr."
Pop!
Clenching my teeth, I look my little brother in the eye and jab his beak. "If you pop that gum one more time I'm gonna smack it right out of your mouth!"
Mikey flashes me an innocent smile.
I raise an eye ridge as I back away.
Chomp. Chomp. Chomp.
"We should be able to get in through that skylight." Donnie whispers as he and Leo examine the greenhouse shaped window.
Pop!
I whirl around, smacking my orange clad brother so hard the gum flies out of his mouth, soars through the air, attaching to Donatello's cheek with a squish.
"Told ya!" I grin.
"Ow! Hey! I forgot!" Mikey protests as he rubs the back of his head.
"Gross! Get it off! Get it off!" Donnie grabs the pink glop, pulling it from the side of his face in long gooey strands. It sticks to his fingers and he whips his hand around flinging the blob over his shoulder were it attaches to his bo. Pulling forth his weapon he swings it wildly trying to get the goo off.
"Hey watch where you're swinging that thing, Donnie!" I yell, ducking as the six foot wood stick flies over my head, only to miss me and make contact with the back of my little brother's legs.
"Whoa!" He flails, grabbing for the closest thing to him.
Mikey grabs the side of my shell as Donnie's staff whirls past my head yet again. I grab it and yank. Donnie flies forward, slamming into Mikey who falls back crashing into me with a grunt.
"Quiet down. Everyone. Be quiet! We're ninjas we're supposed to be-" My older brother, Leo, waves his hands at us making cut throat gestures.
"Quiet!" We yell, each of us from within our spot in a heap of turtle.
His shoulders slump as he palms his face.
"Get offa me!" I push Donnie's face with my hand, while shoving my foot against Mikey's cheek.
"Shhh!" Leo hisses his gaze shifting toward a nearby rooftop.
As we finish untangling ourselves, there's a shift of energy in the air.
We fall silent, slipping into the shadows of the rooftop. A human dressed from head to toe in solid gray lands gracefully just feet from the skylight. Mikey is craning to see around me, a fresh wad of gum rolling around in his mouth. He glances at me, a small pink bubble slowly emerging from between his lips. My teeth grind together. I snatch the blob, slap it to his forehead and shove him back.
Now, I can focus on the newcomer. From the shape of the body and the garb, I'm pretty sure it's a kunoichi.
Karai's supposed to meet up with us. But there's no armor on the uniform and she wears black.
The stranger pivots before the skylight, scanning her surroundings. I can't see her face or hair. Both are covered with a mask that matches her clothes. She's carrying a silver compound bow and black quiver across her back. She pulls something out of her quiver, using it to cut a hole in the glass, then slips in a gloved hand to unlock the window.
She disappears through the skylight, pulling it shut after her. We gather around.
"I'm going to go out on a limb and say that wasn't Karai." I say to Leo.
"Not Karai. She texted and cancelled. Master Splinter asked her to stay with him instead." Leo glances at Donatello and I wait to be filled in.
Donnie rubs his cheek, picking off some residual chewing gum. "All of the new test subjects are female. Sensei didn't want to risk them getting their hands on Karai. I think her mutation is still too fresh for her to argue with him right now."
"But you cured her." Mikey says, rubbing the back of his head.
"Yes, but this is The Shredder's project. Stockman's just the scientist. Shredder would use Karai just to hurt Sensei." Leo kneels down, reaching through the hole in the glass to lift the skylight door. "Let's get April before it's too late."
We slip inside, creeping along the top floor of the ten story building. The hallway is empty, long, starch white, and lined with closed doors. Mikey runs up to each one, peeking inside the rectangular windows.
"Nope, not April." He says each time.
"Mikey, cut that out, you're going to-" Leo's interrupted by the arrow whizzing above Mikey's head, past mine, Donnie's, and his own, before landing into the chest of a Kraangdroid. In the next second the lights in the hall flicker and go out.
Well this just went south.
I shrug.
Eh, could be worse.
The door Mikey is peeking in, yanks open and a robot hand reaches out grabbing him by his throat. Kraangdroids flood the hall on all sides of us.
It just got worse.
I reach for my sai and spring into action.