{New Beginnings}
𝔸𝕜𝕒𝕣𝕚'𝕤 ℙ𝕆𝕍~
I feel like I'm in an endless loop—Like I'm constantly falling. Everything feels so strange. I feel so...small...yet so powerful at the same time. I don't know what this feeling is, but I like it.
My senses slowly return, one by one. Starting with touch. Pain. That's what I feel—And overwhelming sense of cold. I feel thick hands squeeze at my sore throat, sending a sharp pain throughout my entire body. The next ones to come back are taste and smell. I taste something thick, metallic like. It's blood. My nose is being overpowered by that same metallic I'm tasting. I'm bleeding a lot it seems. Next is my hearing. I hear the pleads of April. The sound of the turtles yelling incoherent words to try and stop Raphael, along with Master Splinter's angry demands. Lastly, my vision. My vision is still a bit blurry, but I can make out shapes. I can see the turtles, Splinter, and April. Leo goes to grab Raph, but he ends up getting an elbow to the face. That's when it happens—I snap back to reality. I'm finally in control again.
I gasp and grip at Raph's thick hands before lifting my legs and kicking him off of me. I cough up some blood and grasp my poor, probably already bruised, throat. My body feels as though it's on fire and my skin is crawling. My veins glow a forest green as my powers begin to flow through my entire being.
❤️ "What?! How did you-?!" Before he can finish, I grab his wrist and pull him into me. We both tumble to the ground but I twist our bodies so he's pinned beneath me instead. I grip his wrists and pin them on both sides of his head while my thighs squish his waist between them. "Are you gonna calm down?" I mumble breathlessly as oxygen fully flows through my burning lungs. ❤️ "Get off me!" He growls while trying his best to break free of my grasp. "Will you please let me explain everything?" He scoffs but doesn't attempt to shake me off anymore, so I take that as his approval. "Alright. One day in the lab, April was busy feeding and playing with you turtles and Master Splinter, so I decided to explore. That's when I found a little vile with green fluid in it. I was a very curious child sooo~...I ate it." The turtles stare at me with shocked expressions. April already found out, and by the lack of reaction from Splinter, I'm guessing he already knew. "Yes, Shredder is my Grandfather. That's not my choice though. I can't help that I'm related to a killer. But I'm nothing like him. If I wanted you dead, I would've killed you already."
💙 "So...you're related to Shredder, you have powers... Anything else we should know?" Leo looks at me almost expectantly. "I- I... 'Sigh.' I was trained to kill you all," I sniffle while looking away, feeling mildly ashamed of myself. Raphael growls and starts pulling against my grip. "But I don't want to! My Grandfather told me a different story. He made me hate you—Made me want revenge," I glare at Raphael as I say the last part—I can feel him tensing under my thighs. "What do you mean when you say a different story?" "I was told that there was one vigilante that started the fire—That they worked for an organization that wanted the mutagen to turn people into creatures and take over New York. I- I didn't remember the accident at the time...so I believed him," I mumble before staring at the nonexistent space where Raphael's hips and my hips meet. A blush coats my cheeks as I hyperfocus on the places where our skin is touching. My mind begins conjuring up different scenarios that fuel the small flame that's ignited in my lower abdomen.
I finally snap out of my trance and gaze into Raph's conflicted eyes. I clear my throat and finally let go of his wrists before sitting back. "I- I'm sorry," I mumble, barely above a whisper as the entire situation comes crashing down on my head. Tears begin to stream down my cheeks before dripping onto Raph's abdomen. "My dear...come here." Splinter opens his arms; I nod slowly and climb off of Raph. I hold my hand out for him to grab but he roughly slaps it away. 🧡 "Raph-" The bigger turtle gets up and bumps my shoulder before walking over to stand next to Mikey. I glance at Raph before trudging over to Splinter and wrapping my arms around his torso. I try my best to hold everything in, but it's nearly impossible. I don't want to show them I'm weak—I don't want them to know it's all a facade. But it's too hard.
All the bottled up emotions I've had over the years break free. Sobs wrack throughout my entire body as I grip onto Splinter's robe, silently praying he doesn't let go. He gently rubs my back, doing his best to help calm me down. "Akari..." Tears run down April's cheeks as her hand comes up to cup her mouth. "I- I'm so, so, so, sorry! Please forgive m-me!" I continue to sob into his chest—My own chest twists with guilt and pain. "You've done nothing wrong, my Dear. You've been blinded by lies. You are a pure soul...I can sense it." Splinter smiles warmly as he wipes away my tears. "Thank you," I mumble breathlessly. "I never wanted to cause any trouble. I hope you can forgive me." If I had known the truth, I never would have helped my Grand- Shredder. I don't want to call him "my" anything. He's no family of mine.
💜 "Of course! That's it!" 💙 "What do you mean, Donnie?" 💜 "Akari!" Donnie smiles as he strides over to me and grips my shoulders. "Yes, Donnie?" I tilt my head to the side, curious to what he's thinking. He clears his throat and smiles nervously. 💜 "You know your Grandfather well, don't you?" "Uh...well I thought I did. Why?" 💜 "I mean, you can tell us where we can find them! And maybe even how to stop them!" Realization hits me like a ton of bricks. "You're right!" I beam as I place my hands over his. "I can put an end to all of this." "No." "What? What do you mean "no", April?" "I mean you're not in this alone. We'll all stop Shredder... Together." She comes over and wraps her arms around my neck. "You're right. We all can." I smile as I hug April close—My attention turns towards the turtles and I smile at them as well. Everyone but Raph smiles back while he glares at me with his arms crossed.
"But wait..." Everyone looks at April with confused expressions. "What is it, April?"
𝟛𝕣𝕕 ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟 ℙ𝕆𝕍~
Foot soldier: "Stand by to make entry. Let's move! Go- go- go-!" The Clan members open a manhole and drop in, one after the other. Suddenly, loud alarms go off in the lair, signaling there's a breach. Everyone runs off into different directions as April and Akari stay behind. Akari grips April's hand—She knows who it is; They both do. Shredder and his men are coming, and it's gonna be one hell of a fight.
The Clan continue running through the sewers while the turtles gather around Donnie's computers to watch the security cameras. 💜 "Perimeter infringe. Breached! We have incoming! Oh, no! Oh, no! We got two breaches. Fan room, weapons wall!" 💙 "Mikey, flank right! Donnie, on me! We gotta go! Go, go!"
Foot soldier: "Stand by to set charge. Lock and load. We're going on 10. No live ammo. Tranqs only. Take 'em alive!"
"No! Get back!" Splinter yells out as one of the walls explodes, throwing everyone back. Splinter is the first to charge—He begins fighting multiple men at once. Foot soldier: "Get him! There they are! Neutralize them!" 💜 "They've got tranq darts!" 💙 "Well, don't let them hit your skin." Leo smirks as he and Donnie jump up and start dodging the tranqs while using their weapons to knock the guys out.
Foot Soldier: "Let's go! Let's move! Over there! Tango at 12!" Mikey uses his nunchucks to deflect the darts. 🧡 "Wassup, brah? Oh, you think you can handle this, huh? I'm a snapping turtle, fool. Snap, snap, snap!" Mikey kicks three guys before falling on his back. He stumbles back up while checking his surroundings. 🧡 "I meant to do that! I meant to do it!"
💜 "We got a breach in the fan room!" 💙 "Raph! Get to the fan room!" ❤️ "Why are you always telling me what to do?!" Raph glares at Leo as he punches a guy that comes up behind them. 💙 "Just go! Mikey, you gotta get the girls out of here, now!"
𝔸𝕜𝕒𝕣𝕚'𝕤 ℙ𝕆𝕍~
🧡 "I got this! Girls, come with me. I got a safe place for you to hide. And if you get thirsty, I got a secret stash of Orange Crush behind the fridge. Don't tell Raph." April nods fearfully as I shake my head furiously. "No! I need to help Master Splinter with Shredder!" I yell out as I start to run towards Splinter. "Akari, wait!!" 🧡 "But Leo said-! Akari!" I can't listen to their pleads. This is my fight. I must end Shredder's reign... Once and for all.
"Shredder." "All these years, I've been trying to recreate the mutagen. And you? You just handed it to me." "You will not lay a hand on my sons." Splinter grabs one of Leo's katanas and readies it. Shredder flicks his wrists, causing multiple blades to unsheathe. "Your sons? You think you're their father? Very good, rat! But what about Akari? What will you do if I kill her? Will you beg me to stop as you watch the life drain from her eyes?!" "You are a monster! You don't deserve her as a Granddaughter!" Time seems to stand still as Shredder and Splinter begin to fight. Splinter effortlessly deflects Shredder's attempts to cut him. My legs don't seem to move fast enough as I slip and slide across the concrete floors, trying to reach the two. If only these stupid Foot members would leave me alone, I'd get to them faster.
💙 "Sensei!" Leo yells out as he watches Splinter get hit by Shredder. The Clan quickly use some sort of taser stick to get Leo down. 💙 "Donnie!" 💜 "Hang on, Leo! Be right there!" He yells, trying to fend off multiple Foot Clan members at once.
Before Shredder can land another hit on Master Splinter, I wield a katana then jump onto his back and slice down his armor. "You stupid little girl! I should've killed you when I had the chance!" He snarls before slinging me across the room, making me hit my back on a cement post. "AHHH!!" I cry out as a sharp pain surges up my spine—White spots blur my vision as I gasp for air. "Akari! You will not lay another hand on her!" Splinter uses his tail to swipe Shredder's feet out from underneath him. Shredder lands on his back but quickly flips back into an upright position. He then grabs Splinter's robe and slams him into the ground repeatedly.
💙 "Sensei!" "NO!! STOP! Take me! Take me instead! Please! Please, I beg you... Don't hurt him," My voice cracks mid sentence as hot tears trail down my face. "You foolish brat. Don't worry—I will take you. The mutagen will be extracted from you and you will be left to die. As for him," he says while pointing to Master Splinter, "He dies now." "NO!!" I yell as I teleport to Shredder and focus all my power into my right hand. My fist begins to glow green as I hit Shredder as hard as I possibly can. He stumbles back, but not enough to make him fall. 'I really am weak.' "No, stay back!" "Why must you always make things difficult for me?! No wonder your parents didn't want you—You're a disgrace! And you will die!" "Wha-? What do you mean...they didn't want me?" More tears roll down my face as I'm hit by my Grandfather's harsh words. "Don't listen to him, Akari! It's not true! Your mother loved you!" My breathing becomes heavier as my vision becomes blurry. 'Not now! This is no time to cower!'
"You knew her mother, Rat?" "Yes. And she loved Akari. She's another reason I learned to love and take care of my sons." "You know nothing! Feeding the poor girl lies!" Shredder hisses. "I HATE YOU!!!" I shriek as my skin glows green and little pieces of rubble start to float around me. My Grandfather seems taken back by this and I see that as an opening. I focus my energy into both hands and start to run at Shredder, causing him to refocus. I begin teleporting to different spots around him extremely fast. I teleport behind him long enough for him to see me, then as he's turning around, I teleport in front of him and hit his mask with as much force as possible, causing him to fly back into a wall and part of his armor to break off. "It seems you've finally started using your powers again. Good for you." He chuckles as he stands up shakily. But by the way he's talking, it's like he expected this to happen. "I'm sorry to end your fun, but I think it's time to get going." Before I can register what's going on, Shredder jumps to my side and jams a sharp object into my neck. I can barely hear the chaos going on around me before the world goes completely dark.
𝟛𝕣𝕕 ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟 ℙ𝕆𝕍~
🧡 "Sensei! Akari!" 💙 "Sensei! Dad! Dad! What are you...what are you doing?" Leo stutters as Splinter closes the gates with his tail. "Hide! Save yourselves! I must save Akari!" Shredder grabs Splinter's collar and throws him across the room. The boys howl as they use all their strength to open the gate. Once it's open enough, Donnie uses his staff to open it the rest of the way. They run in, ready to fight when Shredder picks Splinter up and holds a blade to his throat. "Children, drop your weapons, or your father will die." They all slowly lower their weapons until they eventually drop down to the floor. Shredder slams Splinter into the ground multiple times, then throws him to the side. 🌈 "No!" He proceeds to pick up Akari's motionless body and walk towards the exit. The turtles watch as blood drips from her fingertips.
"Where's the fourth?" Foot ninja: "He's dead." "Destroy this place." After they leave, explosions go off in multiple rooms leaving no detail to what the lair looked like before.
Foot troop: "Keep moving!" 💙 "Stay strong. Remember, pain's only in the mind." Leo groans as all the turtles get shocked by electric rods. 🧡 "Ah! Ouch!" Foot troops: "Move along! Go! Move! Move!"
"Put her in the back with the turtles. I don't want her near me," Shredder demands as he drops Akari's body on the wet ground. Foot Soldier: "Yes, Shredder!" The soldier picks her up and slings her in the van after the turtles sit down. 💙 "Akari? Akari, wake up!" "Don't bother. She'll be out of it for a while," Shredder chuckles as he slams the van doors closed. 💜 "Akari?" Donnie whispers. 💜 "This is bad, guys, like really bad." 💙 "We know, Donnie." 🧡 "Poor, Angelcakes," Mikey mumbles as he looks down at Akari's motionless body. 💙 "Don't worry, Mikey; She'll be alright."
𝔸𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕝'𝕤 ℙ𝕆𝕍~
I hesitantly leave the spot Mikey hid me in, only to find everything in ruins. I walk around, looking for signs of anyone. "Hello? Anyone here?" I look over to see something under a piece of rubble. "Is that-?" I gasp and climb over some rubble before kneeling beside him. "Splinter." I try and push a big chunk of rock from atop Splinter but stop when I notice it's no use. It's too heavy, and I'm too weak. My breath hitches when I hear what sounds like rocks falling. I watch as Raphael stands up from underneath some concrete and looks at Splinter with wide eyes. ❤️ "Sensei. Master." Raph grips the big piece of concrete and pulls it off of Splinter before picking his up. ❤️ "Let's get him to the needle room."
𝟛𝕣𝕕 ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟 ℙ𝕆𝕍~
"Package is secured. En route. We're carrying three specimens... Make that four, and we'll be arriving at the estate in approximately 40 minutes," Karai informs Sacks as the Clan drive back to his estate. "Prepare the containment units. Inside those turtles is the most precious compound on Earth, mutagen. And we will drain every last ounce of their blood to get it, even if it kills them," Sacks says to his workers who hurry to ready the equipment.