Chapter Text
Fish Out of Water: Act 1: The Shark and the Turtle
Chapter 1: Truck Heist
It was a foggy night. It was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
The clouds hid the moon while the fog set the stage across New York City.
The Battle Shell's headlights cut through it as it speeded down the road.
Donnie hated driving in this weather, especially this late at night but they had an important matter to tend to.
April had invited the turtles over for a movie and food in exchange for helping with some chores at the 2nd Time Around.
"I figure you four don't need Casey for this... again."
"Oof," Raph winced. "What'd he do this time?"
April rolled her eyes.
"You don't wanna know."
"So, what're we thinking...Casey able to redeem himself or are we gonna have to decide between friend and foe?" Mikey asked, breaking Donnie out of his train of thought.
So much had changed. New lair... New friends but danger at every turn.
Yet, they had hope. They had defeated the Shredder!
They took down the Mousers...
He couldn't shake the feeling something else was missing.
"I mean, we didn't think the superhero thing was gonna happen either," Raph glanced behind him. He was sitting up front with Donnie while Leo and Mikey were in the back. "Yet..."
"I proved you guys wrong!" Mikey grinned.
The other three groaned.
"Mikey we said we were sorry like ten times. Let. It. Go." Leo pleaded.
"Nah, I'm not bored yet."
Donnie hummed, his mind going over various consoles Mikey had left on his work bench. His grip on the steering wheel tightened.
Ugh, this weather....
"Hey, Mikey, how much do you value your GameCube?"
Mikey's baby blue eyes vanished as his inner eyelid shifted.
"You. Wouldn't. Dare."
"Maybe I would put it on the top shelf."
The turtles often referred to the top shelf of Donnie's work area as "The Death Row of Appliances", because once they went up, they might never come back down.
"No!"
"Appliance Hell. Brutal. I like it." Raph nudged him.
Donnie chuckled.
"Heh..."
Finally, the fog was starting to fade... as a truck pulled out in front of them, cutting the Battle Shell off.
Donnie cussed as he slammed on the breaks, causing the Battle Shell to come to a screeching halt, rattling all the passengers aboard. Leo and Mikey let out a yelp as Raph let out a grunt, a growl soon coming out of his throat.
"Oh that..."
He quickly rolled down his window, slipping out his hand, beyond tempted to make a lewd gesture but decided to settle for shaking a fist.
"HEY A-HOLE! IT'S CALLED A STOP SIGN!" He roared out at the truck.
"Raph, don't." Donnie sighed, adjusting himself. "He's just an a-"
The truck had double doors on the back with a window on each door.
The headlights illuminated the back of the truck, when...
THUNK!
A hand hit the window, slamming into it.
"What the?"
Raph's eyes widened, glancing over.
"I wasn't the only one who saw that, right?"
The truck was picking up speed.
THUNK!
A face appeared in the window, the person inside throwing themselves against the doors.
Trouble.
Donnie narrowed his eyes.
"Guys, we need to make a stop."
I don't like this.
A muffled scream made it through.
"SOMEBODY, PLEASE!"
Leo and Mikey narrowed their eyes as they turned their attention towards the truck.
"Donnie?"
"I'm already on it."
Donnie narrowed his eyes.
The Battle Shell sped after the truck as the turtles prepared for a new mission ahead.
"What's the plan, Leo?" Mikey asked, getting to his feet.
"Mikey, Raph, you're with me. Donnie, get the Battle Shell as close as you can!"
He opened the hatch on the roof, climbing out, the wind blowing his mask tails around.
The cold night air was crisp as he climbed up onto the rooftop.
His vivid green irises vanished behind his inner eyelid.
It was time to get to work.
oooooo
She woke up in the back of some sort of refrigerated truck, covered up by a sheet, on the floor. The last thing she had remembered was blinding pain...
"Now, now, don't make such a fuss!" Dr. Stockman chided as he approached her, a syringe in hand.
A glowing green liquid was held up to her face.
"I hate to say this... but this will hurt."
That man...
She had been held captive by him and the other scientists for weeks with several other people... she wasn't sure what happened to the woman she had shared a cell with.
Sidney...
She had been kind to her.
"What're they gonna do to us?"
"Shh..."
Sidney wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
Neither really wanted to speculate on that. The constant tests... The medical exams.
Their minds conjured up the worst. Sidney tried to put on a brave smile, brushing Lorelei's hair out of her face.
Lorelei hugged her tighter, whimpering.
"It'll be okay, we'll be fine... they'll... someone will find us. It'll be okay, Lorelei."
They knew she was lying... but was it lying if it kept them sane?
Nothing had been fine!
One minute, she was on that monster's table, struggling to catch her breath, pain coursing through her body...
Her body hurt so bad.
"AAAAAAGH!"
Her heart was racing, thundering in her chest, she couldn't breathe.
Dots danced in front of her vision.
A heart monitor nearby screamed.
Dr. Stockman called out some sort of order before looking down at her.
She wasn't sure when... her eyes had closed and oblivion welcomed her into its loving embrace.
She coughed, sputtering as she pulled herself to her feet.
Her body ached.
What... happened? Where am I?
Her mind raced but she did her best to try to get it to slow down, thinking through everything.
She felt something around her wrist. Some sort of rubber band with a paper tag on it.
Subject #25
Age: 15
Cause of Death:
During the procedure, a complication occurred resulting in full respiratory and cardiac arrest. Resuscitation efforts failed.
Time of Death: 9:30 PM, 11/02/2003
Death?
Her heart skipped a beat.
If they thought she was dead... then...
She looked around her as the realization set in. She was being taken somewhere to be disposed of.
If they realized she was still alive, they would take her either right to the lab or...
They'll just kill me. I've seen their faces.
Her body was heavy as she stood up. She looked down as she tripped over something, as her foot collided with...
OW!
She stumbled forward, slamming into the doors of the truck. Part of her hoped maybe they'd swing open and she'd fall out.
The other part was preoccupied with what she had tripped on.
A long... fish-like tail, that lead from the base of her spine to the floor. It was brown and tan, ending in a large fin.
What... happened to me?
Panic bubbled up in her as her mind raced again, her heart rushing to catch up.
Bile threatened to escape her before she shook her head, hitting it against the door.
"Calm down!" She yelled, inhaling deeply. "Think through this. Come on."
She lifted her head... as her eyes widened.
There was a large green truck, a real muscle car, following close behind.
Maybe...
Just maybe.
She narrowed her eyes and forced herself to her feet.
She winced as she stumbled, nearly stepping over her... tail. Oh gosh that was really hers? She shook her head.
She took a few steps back before throwing herself HARD against the window.
She slammed her fist, hard, repeatedly, against the window, screaming at the top of her lungs.
The truck swerved as the drivers too were alerted to her living presence.
Lorelei threw her head back and screamed at the top of her lungs.
"SOMEBODY, PLEASE! HELP MEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"
She stumbled back as the truck picked up speed. She was thrown against the floor again.
"AGH!"
SCREEECH!
Something metal collided with her side as she gasped before grabbing it.
A tire iron..
She grinned.
At least, this was better than nothing.
She got to her feet, gripping it in both hands.
Lorelei took a deep breath.
I'm not dying for real tonight.
She swung it against the window as the glass shattered from the force.
CRACK!
She covered her face as shards flew into the trailer with her. She used the tire iron to clear out more glass before shoving her arm through, waving frantically for help.
Headlights flashed in her eyes, blinding her momentarily.
Please...
She bit back a sob.
"Please!!!" She screamed. "CALL 911!! HELP ME!!!"
Her scream echoed clear through the night now, hoping it reached...
As she peered through the window, she spotted two figures atop the truck.
Please... Please...
Her eyes burned as she sobbed, lowering her head.
"Please..."
oooooo
The truck accelerated as the drivers became aware of their passenger. The vehicle swerved, a loud shriek echoing from inside.
CRAA-AAAACK!!!
The window broke out, as the person inside, forced their arm through.
"Please!!! CALL 911!! HELP ME!!!"
Her scream echoed clear through the night now, sending a chill down the turtles' spines.
Mikey growled.
"Leo! What's the plan!?"
"Crap." Leo hissed under his breath. "RAPH, DONNIE, BOX 'EM IN!"
The doors opened up as the Shell Cycle roared to life.
Donnie glanced in the rear view mirror at Raph.
"Make it hurt." He smirked.
"You know me."
Like a bat out of Hell, the Shell Cycle sailed out of the car, landing as Raph pulled up around the right side of the truck.
Leo and Mikey, crouched down, holding onto the roof of the Battle Shell, as Donnie swerved to corner it.
The wind blew their masks' tails behind them.
Leo exhaled slowly before pushing off in one smooth motion as he lunged onto the roof of the truck.
"Hey, Mikey?"
"Yeah?"
"Get ready to play catch."
Mikey winced.
"Back in the car?"
Leo smirked.
"Back in the car."
"Aye, aye Captain!" He joked before dropping back down through the hatch in the roof.
The truck swerved as Leo crouched down, his stomach rolling for a moment.
He inhaled deeply...
Be careful... be swift...
The truck swerved and the turtle stumbled briefly before catching himself, his heart leaping up into his throat.
Leo held his breath as gravity threatened to take him down to the street below.
He righted himself.
"RAPH, WATCH IT!" He screamed.
Raph coasted back behind the truck, moving to catch up with the Battle Shell.
He made a motion with his hand.
Mikey rolled down the passenger window, leaning out.
"What!?" he yelled at Raph.
"That spike strip Donnie borrowed last week!? Is it installed!?" Raph asked.
Mikey's eyes lit up, as a wicked grin crossed his face.
"Ohh, THAT THING! Yep!"
Mikey leaned back into the cabin, turning to Donnie.
Donnie's face was narrowed in focus.
"What do we need?" He asked, his voice clipped and even.
"Spike strip."
"I see what he's thinking. You got it."
Mikey stuck his arm out the window, giving Raph a thumbs up.
"Which button?"
Donnie exhaled, unclenching his jaw, his hazel eyes returning for a moment.
He gave Mikey a playful grin.
"The red one."
Mikey's eyes lit up.
"DIBS!"
Mikey scanned the console before spotting it under a dome.
Donnie sped up, pulling up ahead of the truck, cutting it off.
SCREEECH!
Raph smirked as he let himself fall back until he was right behind it.
He saw a flash of a scared face in the window, meeting Leo's eyes as his brother clung on for dear life.
Leo reached down, grabbing the girl's arm. In a brief moment, he noted something was... off. Her skin was cold, the hands having sharp nails.
The girl inside screamed in fear momentarily.
"Shh! Hey, easy! We're gonna get you out!" Leo's powerful voice carried over the engines and the wind. "You need to pull your arm back in!"
He took a glance behind him. Donnie and Mikey were in position.
This was going to be rough.
"W-What if-"
"You're gonna be fine," Leo promised, his hand gripping hers tightly. "But you need to trust me!"
The girl swallowed hard and pulled her arm back in.
oooooo
The first thing Lorelei thought when the motorcycle cruised into view behind the truck was...
Who were these guys?
The window was blurry but she thought the motorcyclist had some sort of thick green... shield? On his back.
The next thing she knew, she heard a thud! Above her. Her arm hung out the side as outside the muffled voices of... was this some sort of special ops? Judging from the armored car, maybe... military?
No... Not the Army.
Whoever they were...
Her heart skipped a beat as the cold night air whistled in her face.
Please...
She closed her eyes, trying to steady herself.
A hand shot down and grabbed hers.
Her eyes popped open, seeing a... muscled green hand with three fingers gripping her hand tight.
She screamed, startled.
The roar of the engines, all three vehicles were louder than ever.
"Shh! Hey, easy! We're gonna get you out!"
The voice was still powerful. It reminded her in a weird way of her brother.
That voice, while commanding, was tinged with a gentleness.
The grip on her hand tightened in reassurance... a promise.
"You need to pull your arm back in!"
She trembled. What if this was a trick? What if he didn't come back?
"What if-"
Her voice came out shaky.
"You're gonna be fine!" They squeezed her hand tightly one last time. "But you need to trust me!"
Lorelei swallowed hard.
She squeezed back before letting go and pulling her arm inside.
At that moment, there was a large jolt as everything in the trailer started sliding.
She went flying, with a large crash as boxes, the sheet she had been wrapped in, the FREAKING TIRE IRON-
She yelped, covering her head as it clattered over her head. She tried to get up, only to go stumbling into the wall.
OH GO-
"AAAAAAAAH!"
She screamed, the drivers screamed... She was pretty sure, the three fingered alien, mutant guy on top of the truck, screamed.
SCREEEEEEEEEEECH!
She was weightless for a moment before falling, getting entangled in the sheet and tools-trash, if she was being honest, around her.
She struggled to get loose before the truck finally was forced to stop with a lurch...
Sending her slamming into the wall.
Among the broken glass, the knocked over boxes and the Goddess only knew what...
Lorelei's head swam, exhaustion creeping up again...
Agh... ow...
The truck moved, she could feel the vibrations...
THWACK!
THUD!
"AAAHH! WHAT THE HECK-"
"AGH!"
"Raph, remember, Master Splinter's rule!"
"Yeah, yeah. None shall die."
"Move!"
As the truck doors finally opened, the cool night air blew in.
As everything spun together, she saw a glimpse of... purple?
Her blurry vision made out a set of white eyes looking down at her.