A Turtles Last Secret (TMNT book 3)

Meditating Dreams

Without really thinking, we all headed to the lair with April following close behind. Donnie reached the cover first and opened it up for us. Each of us jumped down, April closing the top over us. 

Running through the sewers, we reached the lair within a half minute. 

"Sensei!" Leo called out. 

Mii-wa appeared from the dojo and put her finger to her lips, "Shh! He's resting." 

"Where?" Donnie asked. 

"If you looked, you might know." she sighed, going back into the dojo. 

Sophie looked around, "Guys, he's right over there." 

We looked and sure enough, he was resting near a corner. Out of the way, but visible, nonetheless. Beside him, Naomi was sitting on the ground, her back against the wall and in her usual meditating position. 

"Who should we wake first?" Donnie gulped. 

"Naomi should be the most reasonable," Leo nodded. He looked at me. "Mikito, wake her." 

"What?" I asked. "Why me?" 

"You're her partner." Raph pointed out. 

"So is Sophie." I gestured to her. Sophie flinched back. They all looked at me and I sighed, "Fine..." 

Coming closer to Naomi, I avoided touching Splinter. I crouched down and put a hand on her shoulder, I rocking her a little bit, "Naomi?" 

With a sudden movement that made me jump back a little, her eyes flew open. But they weren't her eyes. They seemed to be seeing something else. Dark red clouds clouded her usual eyes and a small shape was seen, sometimes two. 

The first shape, I saw, was Splinter and the other was a pale guy talking with him. Thankfully, the words weren't spoken through her eyes or I'd be going unconscious. Her eyes closed and she assumed her usual position for meditating. 

"What happened?" Raph asked. 

I shook my head, getting up and sighing deeply. "I'm not sure. She didn't seem to see me, but was stuck in Splinter's dream." 

"Do what?" Sophie asked. 

"Are you telling me she can dream jump as well?" Donnie asked. 

"She is a psychic." I replied. "She could be capable of doing anything currently." 

"So far," Sophie breathed. "She hasn't grasped the entire concept of controlling us." We all looked at her. "What?" 

"Make it even scarier." Leo shuddered. "Well, since Naomi won't wake up, Splinter needs to snap out of it." 

"So that Naomi can wake up." Donnie continued. "I still can't believe that." 

"Well, she could just be reading his mind, Donnie." Sophie explained. "Splinter does look like he's having a nightmare." 

"So, who'll wake Sensei up?" Leo asked. 

I backed up, "I already tried Naomi." 

"Fine." Raph shrugged. Then, everyone besides me voted, "Mikey." 

"What?" Mikey asked, just now entering the conversation. "I want a revote!" 

"Too late for that." Sophie smirked. 

"Here," Donnie sighed, grabbing his staff. "Just gently poke him." Mikey took it and slowly began to inch it toward Splinter's chest. Donnie continued, "Just don't squeeze the-- AH!" 

Everyone screamed as Donnie's own hidden blade came out of the sheath and nearly stab Splinter on the nose. In a quick reaction, Mikey tossed the staff away. 

"Try it again, only this time with the other end." Donnie sighed, grabbing his staff back and pushing Mikey who was shaking his head. 

This time, Mikey poked Splinter, but the rat didn't wake up. "Whoa. He's, like, totally out of it." he started poking his nose. "Look at those nose burgers." 

Most of us sighed or slapped our foreheads. I looked at Naomi who still wasn't out of her trance. Mikey continued to poke and bother Splinter for awhile. It was about three minutes in that Naomi came out of it. 

"And goodbye for Mikey." she muttered, making everyone but Mikey look at her. 

With the staff, Mikey was making Splinter's mouth move, mimicking him, "Michelangelo is the bravest, strongest and handsomest of all my--GYAH!" Splinter had got up, grabbed the staff and threw Mikey away. He used the staff to help himself up. All of us but Naomi and Mikey hurried over. 

I did hear Mikey groan, "--Sons..." 

"Sensei," Leo said, coming up to him. "Are you okay?" 

"No, Leonardo..." Splinter breathed heavily. "Dr. Falco is stopping at nothing to take control of me..." 

"Okay," Sophie said, leaning on one leg and putting her hands on her hips. "Who is this Dr. Flaco, honestly. I'm going out of my mind trying to figure out who he is." 

"Well," Leo began. "Last we saw him, he was using some mind power control stuff from this monkey who was a colleague of his." 

"The monkey was a colleague?" I asked. 

"Was, until he poured Mutagen on him." Donnie interrupted. "But when we fought him, he used the juice he put into him to read our minds." 

Instantly, we looked at Naomi. She was getting up and coming over as we did. She felt our gazes and looked up, "What?" 

"If he had mind reading juice..." Mikey trailed off, coming up as well. "And you read minds..." 

"Unless you don't remember," Naomi growled. "I was off with Sophie and Mikito, then training with them when you guys appeared." 

"But that would've been the best mind reading battle of the century." Sophie grinned. "Think about it." she jumped up on a little ledge and gestured to Naomi. "In one corner, we have the major mind reading champ, Naomi!" then gestured to a random empty corner. "And in the other one, we have the newer and least experienced mind reader Dr. Falco!" 

"Okay," Raph looked at her, pushing her off as well. "Really? You're about as bad as Leo and Mikey mixed." 

"She is a mixture of the two." Naomi sighed. "Unless you're too Mikey to realize that." 

"Huh?" Mikey asked, looking at her. 

"Turtles," Splinter said sternly, making us all look at him. "Go and stop the Rat King." 

"Rat King?" Sophie repeated. "Is that what he's calling himself. 

"No way!" Mikey said. "I can't let him do that. Go and naming himself. Let's go take this guy down!" 

"The problem is," Donnie chuckled. "Is that we don't know where he is." 

"In an abandoned utility place not far from here." Splinter put his hand up to his head. "Naomi will return, but she will point out where it is." 

"Why can't she come?" I asked. "Seriously, isn't she better?" 

"No." Splinter and Naomi said. Naomi continued, "I don't have a staff. And I don't want one of Donnie's. Sorry. Also, I feel faint if I move around too much." 

All of us nodded and headed out. Naomi kept up as best as she could, but stopped at the end of the subway tunnel. "It's down there to the left. Just follow the rat droppings." 

"Thanks Naomi!" I waved to her as the others headed off. "Be safe going back!" 

"Good luck with that," I heard her mutter with a smirk. I headed down the tunnel, following close behind everyone.