Remember. [TMNT 2012]

Chapter 45; Elizabetta

Song: The Violence - Rise Against

Though April and I run in silence, I know we're fuming over the same thing. We're being treated like kids that have to be supervised all of the time. I expected it from Raphael and Donatello, but not Leonardo. He just agreed to continue training me, for Pete's sake! And yet, he's acting like I don't know the first thing about protecting myself.

   Despite my irritation, part of me is grateful for his efforts. It's nice of him to try and keep me out of harm's way as much as he possibly can. But he also needs to learn that I'd rather defend myself instead of watching him do it.

   I brush off all thoughts of Leonardo as we approach the TCRI site.

  "Careful," April warns, glancing at the sky as she slows to a walk. "We might be under surveillance."

   "I doubt that," I reply quietly. The building that once stood here is simply a pile of ashes and debris. It's marked off with police tape. I am certain that no one, not even the Kraang, would care about this place.

   As April and I approach the wreckage, we see that the guys are already here. The turtles glance up at us, while Casey carries on rummaging.

   Donatello approaches April hesitantly. By the expression on his face, I can tell he's afraid of getting a lecture.

   LI'm sorry," he begins. When the red-head simply sniffs and lifts her head, he continues.  "You've told me sixteen times to stop being overprotective, and I continue. I know I need to stop, I just don't want anything happening to you. I'm sorry," he repeats quietly.

   April's blue eyes soften a little. "Sixteen times?" she smirks.

   Donatello nods, and she lets out a laugh.

   "Fine, you're off the hook.  But only because you just proved that you actually listen to me," she says as she begins surveying the rubble, leaving Donatello looking relieved.

   A hand grips my shoulder and my heart nearly leaps out of my chest. The owner of it is Leonardo, with a very apologetic expression on his face.

   "I'm sorry, too," he says, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. He doesn't quite meet my gaze.

I bite my lip, my annoyance with him fading like dew in the sunlight. "It's alright." I walk away from him without another word, kicking around the debris in the hopes of uncovering something. I keep it up for a few minutes, until a nearby streetlight reflects  off of something a foot away.

Fascinated, I bend down to investigate. It's a small, steel rectangle with a short slot down the middle. I run my fingers over it to remove any ashes, but my hand comes up clean. It looks fairly new, like it was placed here recently.

I stink the tip of my fingernail down the slot to see how far it goes. It must go on quite a ways, because my nail only meets air.

Puzzled, I pull my hand away and study it some more. The shape of the opening is familiar. It has a striking resemblance to...

That's it! I practically feel a light bulb appear above my head. I unsheathe my dad's dagger and carefully insert it into the slot.

A jolt shakes me as my dagger connects with the strange object. I release the weapon and fell onto my rear end as the ground starts rumbling.

"What the-?!" Raphael yells from close by, his green eyes glowing with astonishment.

I watch in utter amazement as a large, door-shaped, steel structure emerges from the debris. The middle of it glows pink, with purple and blue colors swirling in the depths of it. It's mesmerizing, in a terrifying kind of way.