From The Shadows || TMNT 2012 FanFiction (BOOK 1)

Chapter 15. Evil

     The brothers were confused. Carrie certainly appeared hostile. None of them were prepared to fight against her–except Raphael.

     "I can't help this," Carrie whispers.

     "Just tell us what's wrong," Leo says.

     "I shouldn't fight it. I can't help it."

     Raphael stood from his seated position, fists clenched. He was prepared to fight her. Carrie knew of the hothead's intentions. She turned her head towards him and narrowed her eyes. Suddenly, Raph couldn't move, no matter how hard he tried.

     "What did you do to me?!" Raph shouts.

     Carrie ignores him and returns her attention to the three other turtles. "I'm trying, I am."

     Donnie and Mikey could feel a sense of panic race through their chests, arms, and legs. Leo remained calm. She wasn't attacking them. There was no reason to fear her. Leo felt that she too was just as confused as they were.

     "Do you feel... evil?" Leo asks.

     Carrie thinks for a second. "I don't know. I just feel this... urge..." her face turns angry, "to kill you."

     "Do you want to kill us?"

     "No," Carrie whispers. She holds her head and bends over. "What did April do to me?!"

     Before the leader could get another question in, April burst into the lab. All eyes turn to her, even Carrie's.

     "What did you do to me?!" Carrie screams. "I can't get it out of my head!"

     April races over to Carrie. She places her hands on the sides of her friend's head. It was much more difficult to focus with Carrie flipping out. April hadn't any the slightest idea what she was doing. She wasn't even sure what she did to cause Carrie to go insane in the first place.

     April retraced the memories she had seen and focused all of her energy on subduing them. Strangely enough, she had trouble finding Carrie's other, happier memories. They weren't completely lost, just hidden. Luckily, they weren't terribly difficult to find. April brought those memories to the forefront of Carrie's mind.

     Carrie was able to snap out of her trance completely. She calmed down quickly but had a major headache. Most importantly, the whites of her eyes returned and her iris' returned to their normal color.

     Raphael could now freely move. He sighed with relief. That relaxation lasted only a short while before he marched up to Carrie, angry with her. "What was that?!"

     "I... I'm not sure..." Carrie murmurs. Her head throbbed and the turtle's yelling didn't help.

     "Stop lying and just tell us what you are," Raph growls.

     Leonardo stepped between Raph and Carrie. He narrowed his eyes at his brother. "Back off."

     "Why should I?!" Raph throws his hands in the air. "You saw her eyes. You heard her. She wants to kill us!"

     "She doesn't want to. She said she didn't, just that she had an.. urge." Donnie taps his chin. "Like she has to."

     "Don't start defending her! She's dangerous, whatever she is!"

     "I told you," Leo lowers his voice. His face shifts angrily, "to back off. April can explain what just happened."

     April helps Carrie to stand back up from her hunched position. "That I can. Well, I think."

     "What do you mean you 'think?'" Raph crosses his arms.

     "I don't know what happened. I tried to see what Carrie saw, to feel what she felt. With the nightmares and everything. I thought I might be able to find something that would help explain what's going on."

     Raph rolls his eyes. "And then she went crazy. Which just proves that whatever she is, is evil."

     April shakes her head. "It's not her fault. Whatever I did, whatever I found, it blocked any other thoughts and rationality she had."

     "It was like... all I knew were those nightmares."

     "But you only have had one reoccurring one, right?" Donnie questions. Only Leo knew of the second one she had had. And Raph's reaction to this is the exact reason why they decided to keep it between them. "Why would that have made you want to kill us when it was Shredder who did in your nightmare?"

     Carrie sighs. She thought for a moment, wondering whether or not she should reveal the actual contents of her second nightmare. She decided she might as well. "That hasn't been my only nightmare. The second time I freaked out... it was completely different. I was the one who did it. I don't know where the rest of you were. All I saw was me... killing Leo..."

     "Oh great," Raph scoffs. "See! Deep down, whatever is causing this, is making her evil!"

     "Stop it, Raphael," Leo growls. "It's not her fault."

     "I'm guessing you knew about that vision?" Raph snarls.

     The leader turns to him. "Yes, I did."

     "And you thought it would be a good idea to hide it?!"

     "Yes! Look at how you're reacting now!"

     The two begin arguing over the situation. Donnie, Mikey, and April all sigh in unison. They all knew it was a good run. The three bet some pizza slices on how soon Leo and Raph would start arguing since Carrie arrived. Donnie won the bet. Mikey and April were too confident and overestimated how long it would take.

     An erupting sound comes from the entrance to the lab. The sound is the result of Master Splinter slamming his cane on the ground repeatedly.

     "That is enough, my sons," Master Splinter says sternly.

     The turtles and April immediately turn to their Sensei, arms set on the sides of their bodies, and bow their heads. Carrie, watching the others do this, follows their lead, out of respect.

     "All of you in the dojo, now."

      The turtles filed out of the lab, shamefully lowering their heads as they walked past their Sensei and father. April and Carrie followed, but slower than the brothers. Carrie still had a piercing headache.

     The girls entered the dojo, followed by Master Splinter. They kneeled next to the boys and bowed their heads. Splinter paced in front of them, stroking his beard. It was silent for a while. It was uncomfortable for everyone.

     "Master Splinter," Raph begins. "Carrie... she-"

     "Enough, Raphael." Master Splinter sighs. He closes his eyes and thinks about his words carefully. "I have sensed a darkness since Carrie arrived."

     "That's what I was-"

     Splinter cuts Raphael off once again. "That does not make Carrie evil," he says, glaring at Raph. "I believe it is something that can be controlled and contained."

     "She was able to restrain herself from attacking," Donnie says, "even though she said she felt the need to... kill us."

     "How come Donnie gets to talk but I don't?" Raph asks, crossing his arms.

     "Because you are the only one here so quick to judge, my son," Splinter says.

     "He called you out, dude!" Mikey laughs.

     Raph rolls his eyes, frowns, and looks away from his family.

     "It is important for all of us to understand that this incident does not make Carrie evil. We must not fear her. Her power can be tamed." Master Splinter turns to Carrie. "We will resume your training tomorrow."

     Carrie smiles at him.

     "As for the rest of you," Master Splinter begins, "your training begins now."