Lost In Shadows.

Raphael
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Mar 16 15 7:14 AM

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A/N: A little plot bunny that started nibbling at my ear and wouldn't stop.
Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with TMNT, only the OCs.

Summary: 2012 'verse. She had no past, no future. She only had the present. But, when Tang Shen discovers a private investigator with a reputation for finding long forgotten people, she sees her chance to find out who she was. Only when the dust of the past is disturbed, there's no telling what kinds of monsters can come crawling out.

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The heat was intense; the pain excruciating. Fire surrounded her; preventing her from escaping. Somewhere in the distance she could hear voices...men's voices. If she could get to them, maybe they could help her. Coughing violently and with blurry vision, she slowly began making her way towards the source of the voices. She couldn't breathe; her lungs screamed for oxygen. Instinctively, she took a breath, but the air was filled with too much smoke. She was sent into another violent coughing fit. The voices were drifting away.

"Help," she tried to call. "Help...please."

The voices had all but disappeared. She was alone. She was going to die here, alone and afraid. She stopped when she heard a creaking sound. A scream tore from her torched throat as the ceiling caved in on her.

Tang Shen's eyes shot open, wide with fright. She looked around, finding herself in her small apartment. She glanced over at the clock on her nightstand. The green numbers read: 3:05 a.m. Shen sighed and allowed her body to relax back into the soft mattress. She didn't have to get up for another hour. However, even though she tried to get back to sleep, it eluded her. Shen opened her eyes and looked at the clock again. 3:10 a.m. Giving up on sleep, she pushed back the blankets; shivering in the cold early morning air. Shen stepped into her slippers and pulled her housecoat around her body, tying the belt snuggly around her waist. Shen yawned as she made her way out into the kitchen, scratching lightly at a tickle on the back of her head.

Shen walked into the kitchen and headed over to the coffee machine. She went through the process of making herself a pot of coffee. As she waited for the coffee to perk, Shen went back into her room and got dressed in her uniform. She was a house cleaner, and though it wasn't by any means a glamorous job, she enjoyed it. When she was finished dressing, Shen went back out into the kitchen to find the coffee pot filled. She opened a cupboard and took down a mug. Lifting up the coffee pot, she poured the steaming brew into the mug. After replacing the pot, Shen held the mug in her hands, lifting it up to her face and taking in a deep breath, savoring the rich, bold scent. She was mostly a tea person, but every now and then there was nothing like the taste of coffee to wake up the senses.

As she drank her coffee, Shen thought back on the dream. It wasn't the first time she had had the dream, but it hadn't occurred in a while, so she didn't give it a second thought. Shen lifted a hand to her neck where the skin was scarred from a severe burn. A lot of her body was covered in burn scars. She knew she must have been in a fire, but she had no memory of ever being caught in a fire. She wouldn't have known her own name if she hadn't found that half burned birth certificate. Shen finished her coffee and placed the empty mug in the sink to clean later. She went into the bathroom to freshen up before grabbing her coat and keys. It was time to face another day of back breaking work.

*************************************


Being a house cleaner, Shen heard things about her clients that she really didn't care to hear. She hardly knew them, and yet she knew everything about them at the same time. Once she even had to play councillor to a distraught teenaged girl who had just broken up with her boyfriend; as if Shen had any experience with matters of the heart. But, it turned out the girl just needed someone to listen as she talked herself out of her depression until she was feeling better.

This one day, though, as Shen was dusting the main living room, she couldn't help but overhear the man and woman of the house talking. They were talking about cases of missing people that had gone cold for years until a private detective was given the cases. As she worked, Shen listened intently.

"They say it's like this guy can get inside people's heads," the husband said. "Like he knows exactly what you're thinking just by looking at you."

"I find that a little hard to believe," the wife commented. "Unless he's some kind of psychic, then maybe it might be possible."

"You'd love that, wouldn't you?" the husband asked.

"What do you mean?" his wife asked back.

"You're always looking for the hottest new psychic."

Shen could picture the wife rolling her eyes. If this private investigator was as good as they were saying, then maybe he would be able to help Shen recover her memories. She just needed the name of the office and where it was located.

"So, where is this psychic P.I.?" the wife asked.

"Downtown Manhattan. The NYPI office," her husband replied.

Shen smiled. She finished up her cleaning and packed up the supplies. She grabbed her coat, bid her clients farewell for another day and headed downstairs. She hailed a cab, climbed in and told the driver where she wanted to go. Shen settled back in the seat, gazing out the window and watched the buildings and other cars go by. Her stomach felt like she had swallowed a large group of fluttering butterflies. Shen hoped and prayed that this P.I. would be able to help her. She couldn't continue living not knowing who she was.

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Reviews are welcome, flames are not

Last Edited By: Raphael Mar 17 15 4:14 AM. Edited 4 times

Master Splinter
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Mar 16 15 7:25 AM

I am sure sometime in the the games it will come about - very nicely done.


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Tang Shen
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Mar 16 15 9:55 PM

oooooooo not bad at all - will probably indeed using a version of this in roleplay some where

Raphael
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Mar 17 15 10:34 AM

Chapter Two

Pretending to be interested in a case was a lot harder than the actual work. It was borderline painful listening to the parents of a supposedly missing eighteen-year-old as they explained that their daughter would never just run off on her own without telling them where she was going. What Private Investigator Alucard found amusing was that not even eight hours previously, the same girl that was "missing" had called him at his office and warned him that her parents would be paying him a visit that same day. So, here he sat; across from two over-bearing and over-protective parents, pretending to listen to their case when he knew all along that their daughter was safe and sound at her best friend's apartment. Granted, the apartment was in Brooklyn, but they didn't need to know that.

As the mother talked, Alucard listened with both his ears and mind. In his mind's eye he could see the mother's true nature; forcing her daughter to do things she didn't want to do, such as modeling. The girl was pretty, there was no doubt about that; but just talking to her on the phone, Alucard knew she wasn't the model type. And then there was the father. Alucard had thought that arranged marriages were a thing of the past...he had thought wrong. From what Alucard gathered from the father's thoughts, he had made a deal with a wealthy, powerful CEO of some high-powered company that dealt with the oil market, that his daughter would marry the CEO's son as an act of goodwill between their two companies.

Of course, the girl had already told Alucard all of this when she had called him earlier that day. She told him that she was already in a happy relationship with a boy from school, but her parents were too money driven to care about her happiness...so she left. And Alucard didn't blame her one bit. Finally, after a two hour long consultation that should have only taken an hour and a half, it was at last over. Alucard nodded in understanding; of what, he didn't know.

"I'll do everything I can to find your daughter," Alucard told the parents. "I'll keep you informed throughout the investigation."

"Thank you, Detective," the mother said.

As the parents stood, Alucard got to his feet as well. He shook hands with the mother and father and walked them to the outer office door. He opened the door for them and once again assured them that their case was in good hands. When they were gone, Alucard closed the door, leaned up against it and let out a heavy, annoyed sigh. He closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"If I had parents like that, I'd run away from home, too," Alucard muttered as he made his way back to his desk.

He grunted as he fell into his chair. He lifted up his right arm and pulled up his shirt sleeve. Strapped to his forearm was a concealed gauge. It was flat enough that it didn't show under the sleeve and it was held in place by three straps. Alucard swallowed nervously when he saw a fair amount of green on the gauge. He had used his telepathy more than he had thought. Pulling down the sleeve, Alucard ran a hand over his mouth. He had to be more careful. Alucard got to his feet and walked over to a large bookcase that stood against the far left wall of the office. He reached up and pulled on a copy of Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet and stepped back as the bookcase split in two, sliding to the side, revealing a hidden chamber beyond.

Alucard walked into the room and studied the shelves. They were packed with files, most of them cases he had already solved. Coming to the center column of shelves, Alucard pulled out a file and looked at the name written across the front in bold, red letters: Project Element. He was about to open the file when he heard a knock on the outer office door. Replacing the file, Alucard exited the file room. He triggered the hidden switch and the bookcase slid back into place. Alucard made his way to the door and opened it.

Outside stood a beautiful young Asian woman. She had soulful dark eyes and her jet black hair was pulled back in a bun. She looked out of sorts, as if she wasn't supposed to be here.

"Is this the NYPI office?" the woman asked.

Alucard smiled and stepped to the side. "Yes, it is, ma'am," he replied. "Come in. Can I get you something to drink?"

The woman walked into the office, her eyes looking around almost nervously. "Do you have tea?" she asked.

Alucard nodded. "Herbal? Orange Pekoe? Mint? Green?"

"Herbal. Please," the woman replied.

Alucard guided her into the inner office. "Make yourself comfortable," he said as he made his way over to the table he had set up for tea and coffee.

As he prepared the tea, Alucard had to glance over his shoulder a couple of times to make sure the woman was still in the room. He frowned in confusion. Why couldn't he hear her thoughts? There had been only one person whose mind had been closed off to him; and it had been designed that way. Alucard finished making the tea and brought the cup and saucer over to the woman. She gave him a small smile as she took the cup.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"You're welcome," Alucard replied with a smile of his own. He walked around the desk and sat down in his chair. "So, what can I do for you?" he asked.

The woman took a small sip of her tea, looking even more nervous than when she walked in. "I've heard...that you can find people who have been missing for a prolonged amount of time," she started. "That you're the man the police go to when they've hit a dead end in a missing person's case."

"I do consultation work for the NYPD, at times, yes," Alucard replied.

The woman glanced over at the bookcase, her eyes catching the Sherlock Holmes title. "Like a modern day Sherlock Holmes," she commented.

Alucard thought about it for a moment. "In some ways, I guess I am," he said. "Though, no one has ever called me that before."

The woman looked down into the tea cup. "I was wondering...if maybe..." She trailed off and swallowed. "You probably don't."

Alucard leaned forward in the chair. "I probably don't what?" he asked.

"Do consultation work for someone...who isn't missing, per se...but..."

"Someone who has no memory?" Alucard guessed.

The woman nodded slowly. It all made sense, now. The reason why he couldn't hear this woman's thoughts was because she was suffering from amnesia.

"Can you help me?" the woman asked, finally meeting Alucard's gaze. "I know it's not the type of work that you normally do, but..."

"I would be happy to help," Alucard told her.

The look of relief that washed over the woman's face made Alucard smile. The woman placed the saucer on the desk and opened her purse.

"This is the only thing that's kept me afloat since coming to New York," the woman said, pulling out a half burned piece of paper.

She held it out and Alucard took it. Through the charred parts, he could make out a name and date of birth, but that was it. The woman's name was Tang Shen. Alucard looked up from the piece of paper to Tang Shen's face. His eyes fell on the scars on her neck. Alucard looked back down at what he now knew to be a birth certificate.

"Well, Ms. Tang, your case is in good hands," Alucard said, looking back up at Tang Shen.

"Thank you, Detective," Tang Shen said.

Alucard smiled and got to his feet. Tang Shen stood up as well. They walked to the outer office door.

"I hope you don't mind if I hold on to your birth certificate," Alucard said.

Tang Shen shook her head. "If it will help in your investigation, I don't mind, at all," she replied.

Alucard smiled again and held out his hand. Tang Shen took it and the two shook hands.

"I will keep you informed of any developments," Alucard promised.

"Again...thank you," Tang Shen said.

She opened the door and walked out of the office. Alucard watched as she disappeared around the corner towards the elevators. He closed the door and headed back to his desk. He picked up the birth certificate and looked over it once more. Sitting down in the chair, Alucard placed the piece of paper on the desk and turned towards his computer. He opened up a search engine and, going by the location of birth on the certificate, Alucard looked up the name of the hospital where Tang Shen had been born. And, with any luck, he would also find the hospital that had treated her for those burns.


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Reviews are welcome, flames are not

Last Edited By: Raphael Mar 17 15 11:29 AM. Edited 2 times.

NecroFusion
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Mar 25 15 3:23 AM

:d nice - keep up the good work

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Apr 16 15 9:46 AM

Disclaimer: see chapter one

************************************************
Chapter Three

Shen sat back on her stool and studied the painting in front of her. The scene in the painting was a depiction of her meeting with Alucard. He was sitting behind his desk, leaned back in his chair with his hands clasped on his chest. She studied the painted man closely. He was medium build, but seemed to be a lot stronger. He didn't dress in formal clothing, but instead wore a casual black, long sleeved t-shirt and dark blue jeans that fell over the top of white and tan hiking sneakers. His snow white hair was slicked back out of his face. The only things that were missing from the face were the eyes. Shen wasn't sure if she was able to recreate the deep, dark, almost cold amber of the Private Investigator's eyes.

As she sat there, Shen thought back on her brief meeting with the P.I. He handled himself with confident professionalism; however, there had been a haunted look in his eyes. Shen glanced down at the array of paints and began mixing some together. When she was satisfied, Shen dipped her paint brush into the paint and with careful precision, added the dark amber to the canvas to complete the painting. She smiled in satisfaction, got up from the stool and started the process of cleaning up.

Shen picked up the paint tray and brushes and brought them into the kitchen. She turned on the tap in the kitchen sink and began washing away the paint. Every now and then, she would glance up at the painting. She knew she shouldn't get her hopes up, but what if Alucard could somehow find out who she was? Shen felt herself being swept into a wonderful daydream where she was happily married with a child. She hoped and prayed that the investigation didn't take long, but then she reminded herself that over the years records could get misplaced or lost. Alucard would have to track down missing person's reports, missing files, family members...

Shen sighed. It could take months for Alucard to find any leads.

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Alucard was jolted awake when his office phone rang. He rubbed his eyes and yawned as he reached for the receiver. He picked it up and placed it to his ear.

"NYPI Office. Detective Alucard speaking," Alucard answered.

"Hello, Detective," came a male voice with a slight Asian accent. "This is doctor Saito Akio. You called concerning one of our patients here at the Tokyo hospital?"

Alucard sat up in his chair. "Yes, doctor, I did," he replied.

"Which patient were you inquiring about?" the doctor asked.

"A woman by the name of Tang Shen," Alucard answered. "Does that name sound familiar?"

There was silence for a moment, then the voice sounded again. "I have not heard that name for many years. It was a true miracle that she was still alive." The voice trailed off for a brief second. "Such a terrible fire. Everyone thought she was dead. She should have been."

Yahtzee, Alucard thought. "Do you know what had caused the fire?" he asked.

"I can't say for certain," the doctor replied. "All I know is that she was at home when a fire started and she was caught inside when the roof collapsed. As I've said, she should have been dead."

Alucard looked down at his right arm where the gauge was hidden underneath his shirt sleeve. "She's very lucky," he commented.

"Someone was looking out for her that day," the doctor agreed. "Is that all? Do you have more questions?"

"Just one: Do you know where Tang Shen went after she recovered?" Alucard asked.

Another pause. "I'm not sure," the doctor told him.

"Alright. Thank you for your time, doctor Saito," Alucard said.

The men hung up. Alucard sat back in his chair and let out a breath. He inhaled deeply and rubbed his hands over his face as he exhaled. He looked up at the clock hanging on the wall. Time to go home. He yawned and stretched. He would do some more research when he got home. Alucard stood up, grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and pulled it on. He grabbed Tang Shen's file and his keys and headed for the door. When the office was locked up, Alucard started the long journey to the subway.Some times Alucard wished he could turn off his telepathy. Entering the subway was one of those times. His mind was instantly bombarded with other people's thoughts; mental notes, catchy songs, and some he could live without knowing about. Alucard joined a group of people waiting for the next train. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the woman next to him glance over at the file tucked under his arm. He moved his eyes towards her; she had a contemplative look on her face.

I wonder if that's...no, it couldn't be...he said she was dead.

It took a moment for Alucard to realize that he was hearing the thoughts of the woman next to him.

Gosh, I haven't seen Yoshi in...how long has it been? The woman looked down at her phone, her eyes widening slightly. Has it been eighteen years, already? I hope he's happy...wherever he is.

The train pulled up and the doors slid open. The people on one platform moved to get on while the ones inside the train filed off. Alucard hurried to get on before the doors closed. That was a new name: Yoshi. A video game character popped into Alucard's mind for a split second, but he doubted that was who the woman was thinking about. Alucard turned the name over in his mind. Yoshi...Yoshi...

Yoshi who? the detective wondered.

********************************

Reviews are welcome, flames are not


Last Edited By: Raphael Apr 29 15 9:38 AM. Edited 1 time.

NecroFusion
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Apr 20 15 11:47 PM

another excellent chapter

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Apr 27 15 10:51 AM

Chapter Four

The loft apartment was dark save for the lights coming in from the city through the panoramic windows. Brooklyn was quiet, sleeping. Unlike the detective sitting at the kitchen island at two o'clock in the morning, staring at his laptop computer screen. Alucard had been researching the name Yoshi ever since he got home from work; but all he found were references to that video game character. Alucard typed "Yoshi disappearance" into the search bar. There were a few news articles from Japan, but none that fit what Alucard was looking for. Then, at the very bottom of the page, was a link to an article that looked promising.

Clicking on the link, Alucard was brought to a news page with an even more promising name: Hamato Yoshi. Alucard smiled. They were even nice enough to provide a picture of the missing man. The detective scrolled down, speed reading the article. According to the report, Hamato had gone missing eighteen years ago. There had been no body, no evidence that a crime had been committed. The case went cold in a matter of weeks. Alucard continued to skim the article. The last place Hamato had been seen was near a pet shop in Manhattan. Alucard clicked on the picture of the missing man and printed it off. The printer sprang to life in the den and in a couple of seconds spat out the black and white picture. Alucard turned off his laptop and closed the lid. He went into the den and picked up the picture.

Time to kill two birds with one stone, Alucard thought.

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The next day the sun was blistering hot with not a cloud in the sky. Alucard stood across the street from the pet shop that had been mentioned in the article. He looked down at the picture in his hand. He had a job to do. He promised Shen he would find out who she was. So, why was he suddenly so nervous to find this Hamato Yoshi guy?

"Get a grip, Al. It's not like you'll be digging up a dead body," Alucard whispered to himself.

Steeling himself, Alucard walked across the street and entered the pet shop. A tiny bell rang when he opened the door, announcing his arrival. A young man in his late teens was working behind the front desk. Alucard walked over to the desk, making the young man look up.

"Can I help you?" the boy asked.

"I hope so," Alucard answered truthfully. He held up the picture. "I'm looking into this man's disappearance. Do you know anyone who might have seen him? He was last seen leaving this store."

The boy studied the picture for a moment. "I think I know someone," he said. He went to a back door and opened it. "Dad! A cop is here to see you," he called.

Alucard cringed at the term "cop". He hated it when people thought he was a police officer when he was just a lowly private investigator. In any case, an elderly man appeared out of the back.

"Can I help you, officer?" the man asked.

"I'm just a private investigator, sir," Alucard politely corrected him.

The man squinted his eyes a bit. "You're that psychic P.I. fellow, aren't ya?"

Alucard grew quiet. "Psychic?" he repeated, hoping he had heard wrong.

"Yeah. They say you can read people's minds," the man said.

Alucard shook his head. "Telepathy is impossible, sir."

"What can I help you with, detective?" the man asked, not sounding at all convinced.

Alucard placed the picture on the desk. "Does this man look familiar?" he wanted to know.

The man studied the picture for a quick second. "Ah, yes. Mr. Hamato. Yeah, he came in here about eighteen years ago. Bought four of our baby turtles." He looked up and saw Alucard's astonished look. "I never forget a face, detective," the man told him. "Especially when..."

He trailed off, lost in thought. But thoughts were Alucard's domain. In a split second, the detective had all the information he needed to proceed with his investigation. The man looked up at him.

"Was there anything else?" he asked.

Alucard shook his head and smiled. "No, you've been a great help. Thank you."

He picked up the picture, folded it up and placed it in the inside pocket of his jacket. Alucard made his way out of the pet store and rounded the corner into the alleyway. He leaned up against the wall and took a deep, shaky breath. When he had delved into the man's memories he had not been expecting the man to have seen Yoshi get turned into a giant rat. Alucard looked up at the cloudless sky.

What's going on in this city? he wondered.

************************************************

Reviews are welcome, flames are not


Last Edited By: Raphael Apr 29 15 9:36 AM. Edited 1 time.

Raphael
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Apr 28 15 4:40 AM

Disclaimer: see chapter one

***********************************

Chapter Five

Alucard sat in a booth near the back of the small coffee shop. His amber eyes scanned the other patrons. He wasn't intruding on their thoughts, just people watching as he waited for his client to show up. Before he proceeded with the investigation there was something he needed to know from Tang Shen. Yoshi's picture was safely tucked in the inside pocket of his jacket. His attention was brought to the front entrance when the small bell rang, announcing someone's arrival. Shen walked in, looked around for a brief moment then headed towards the booth where Alucard was waiting for her.

She sat down across from him, a hopeful look in her dark eyes. "Did you find something?" Shen asked.

"I did," Alucard replied.

Shen let out a small breath. "What did you find out?"

"I found the hospital where you were treated for burns," Alucard started. "According to the doctor I was speaking with, you had been in a house fire and got caught inside."

Shen nodded. "I keep having a dream where I'm trapped inside a house while it burned," she admitted. "The roof always collapses on me."

"I think I know someone who might shed some more light on this," Alucard said, reaching into his jacket.

"Who?" Shen asked.

Alucard pulled out the picture, unfolded it and placed it on the table in front of Shen. "Does this man look familiar?" he questioned.

Shen studied the picture. A part of her felt like she knew the man, but she couldn't place his name or where she had seen him. After a while, Shen shook her head.

"No. Sorry," she apologized, distraught.

Alucard picked the picture up and folded it again. "It's okay. You suffered a severe head injury during the fire. The doctor said it was a miracle that you survived."

"So, it's normal that I don't have any memories from my past?" Shen asked.

"Amnesia can be common with head injuries," Alucard replied. He smiled. "But, that's why I'm here; to help you recover your lost memories."

Shen smiled back. "And I'm very thankful for all that you're doing," she said. Her smile faltered a bit. "Do you think this man knows anything?" Shen asked.

"I think I've tracked him down," Alucard said. "And with any luck, he'll know everything there is to know about you."

***********************************************************

Metal scrapped against concrete as Alucard struggled to remove the manhole cover. He grunted in effort, cringing as the heavy lid hit against the ground. Alucard pulled out a flashlight and shone it down the open manhole. He was regretting this next course of action, but it had to be made. He started down the ladder, pulling back the cover and cast the tunnel into darkness. Alucard dropped down into the sewers, shining the small light around the tunnel.

"I've heard of alligators in the sewers, but giant rats?" he said as he began the trek through the tunnels. "Where would you even start looking for a giant mutated rat?"

His voice echoed unnaturally through the empty tunnels, making it sound like ghostly wails. Alucard was then grateful that he made the right decision of wearing his old boots. As he navigated the sewers, Alucard reached out with his mind to see if he could detect any thought patterns. Nothing but silence. Alucard climbed up a ladder, pushed back the cover and found himself in an abandoned portion of the subway. He climbed out of the sewer and replaced the lid. He shone the flashlight around the subway tunnel.

"Well, at least it's better than the sewers," Alucard commented.

He started down the subway tunnel, staying alert in case there was any sign of recent activity. However, what were the chances that anyone was even down here? Then again, where would a newly mutated rat and four mutating turtles go but underground? It wasn't like they could hop on a plane and leave town. As the minutes ticked by into hours and nothing came up, Alucard was beginning to question what he had seen in the pet shop owner's memories. What kind of substance had the power to transform a human being and four normal turtles into something completely different?

Alucard sighed and turned off the flashlight. "This is becoming pointless. It's been eighteen years. He could be dead, for all I know."

He ran a hand over his face and sighed again. Then, he heard them; not with his ears, but with his mind. Four sets of thoughts. One was running through complicated fighting moves, another contemplating complex formulas, a third was thinking how much of a pain someone called Leonardo was, and the fourth was planning different pranks. The thoughts were coming from somewhere nearby. Alucard followed the thought trails through the tunnels. He rounded a corner and was faced with a brightly lit subway station. Alucard assumed it was supposed to be abandoned, but it was clearly someone's home.

Alucard reached inside his jacket and slipped out the .9mm Glock that was housed in a holster under his left arm. He kept the safety on and pointed the barrel towards the ground as he rounded the corner, heading towards the station. Alucard kept to the shadows and poked his head around the corner. The station looked like a cozy underground apartment. There was movement and voices at the far end of the home. Alucard ducked back into hiding, blending in with the shadows. His heart hammered against his ribs.

Did I just see...It's not possible.

Four turtles. Four two-legged, talking turtles. This had to be a dream. There was no other explanation. Then, Alucard was reminded of his own origin and people would have considered him a dream if they knew the truth about him.

"Is it just me, or was sensei a bit more brutal with training this morning than usual?" one of the turtles asked.

"It's not just you, D. I won't be able to sit right for a week," another replied.

"Sensei did seem to have something on his mind," a third voice said.

"Maybe it's because it would have been his anniversary to Tang Shen is she was still..." A fourth voice trailed off.

Alucard inhaled deeply at the mention of Tang Shen. There was no doubt in his mind. He had found Hamato Yoshi's new home.

****************************************

Reviews are welcome, flames are not


Last Edited By: Raphael Apr 29 15 9:39 AM. Edited 1 time.

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Apr 29 15 9:34 AM

Chapter Six

Alucard stood frozen in place, his mind completely shut down. How was he supposed to tell Tang Shen about this? He couldn't even bring himself to tell her that he thought Yoshi was now a giant, mutated rat. Now, there were four talking turtles in the mix? Alucard closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath. He didn't know why he was freaking out. For a split second, a genetics lab flashed through Alucard's memories. The face of a man with tinted sunglasses in a black suit and trench coat quickly followed. Alucard held his head in his hands and squeezed his eyes tight against the memories.

"Hey!" came a harsh yell.

Alucard's head snapped up. The four turtles were standing a few feet away. Crimson red outlined angry green eyes. Alucard's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. He must have made a sound to tip them off. On instinct, Alucard switched off the safety of the Glock and had it aimed at the red masked turtle. When they saw the gun, all four whipped out their own weapons. Alucard's hands shook, making his aim unsteady. Images flashed back and forth. A lab...no, he was in the subway. A crazed scientist...wrong again; they're only teenagers. One of the turtles, one in an orange mask, broke away from the others; concern shining in his baby blue eyes.

"Hey, dude? You okay?" the turtle asked.

"Mikey," the blue masked turtle hissed.

The orange masked turtle slipped his weapons, nunchucks, into the sides of his belt, all the while taking cautious steps towards the human with the very real gun. The lab and status tank melted away to be replaced by the subway when Alucard felt a gentle hand wrap around his hand, lowering the firearm so that it pointed at the ground.

"Mikey," the blue masked turtle said again in warning.

Alucard blinked back to reality. What had caused those flashbacks? He was unstable; he had to be. His head started to spin and darkness snaked across the edges of his vision. The gun slipped from Alucard's hands, tumbling to the ground. He pulled the right sleeve of his shirt up. Red. Nothing but red. He had been using his telepathy too much without even realizing.

Damn...

*************************

When Alucard woke up, he found himself lying on the couch in the subway dwelling; a pillow tucked under his head and a blanket pulled up to his chest. He let out a strained sigh.

Burned out, he thought.

He must have been going through the turtle's thoughts more than he had realized. Alucard rubbed his eyes, trying to relieve some of the pressure behind them. His head throbbed with a migraine. At least he had only fainted. Footsteps padded towards him. Alucard opened his eyes to see the orange masked turtle standing beside him, a bright smile on his face.

"Hey," the turtle greeted.

"Hey," Alucard whispered, not being able to speak any louder.

"You're that psychic P.I. guy, right?" the turtle asked. When Alucard frowned, he added, "D spends hours in his lab trying to figure out how you can solve year old cold cases in a matter of weeks. You've given him quite a headache."

"Who?" Alucard asked in confusion.

The turtle smiled sheepishly. "Right. Sorry. Intros are in order. The name's Michelangelo. But, you can call me Mikey. D's my bro, Donatello."

"Alucard," Alucard said through clenched teeth. "Urgh...my head."

"Yeah, you hit your head pretty hard," Michelangelo said. "You went out cold before we could grab you."

Alucard rubbed his head and winced in pain. Michelangelo looked like he wanted to say something.

"Something wrong?" Alucard enquired.

"It's just...well...you've got us...sorta...in a sticky spot," Michelangelo said.

Alucard nodded in understanding. "With humans not knowing that you're down here, you're wondering how I happened across this place," he guessed.

"Indeed," came a deep, wise sounding voice.

Michelangelo turned around, revealing a tall, dark brown rat standing behind him with the other three turtles with him.

"Sensei," Michelangelo greeted.

Alucard frowned slightly. "Sensei? That's Japanese for 'teacher', isn't it?" he asked.

"Yes," the rat replied, walking down to where Alucard was lying. "I am Splinter. I am the guardian of these four. I am also their teacher in the ancient art of ninjitsu."

"You're ninjas?" Alucard breathed in disbelief.

"And you have some explaining to do," the red masked turtle said.

Splinter turned to face his son. "Raphael," he said in warning, making his student fall silent. Splinter turned back to Alucard. "But, he is not incorrect. It is curious how you came across our lair."

"It's because he's psychic, sensei," Michelangelo told him.

"He's not psychic, Mikey," the purple masked turtle, which Alucard assumed was Donatello, said bitterly, crossing his arms.

Michelangelo faced his brother. "Then, how did he know about this place, huh?" he asked.

Alucard swallowed nervously. He knew the family was going to ask him exactly how he found them. He couldn't tell them he had telepathic powers; that he wasn't entirely human. The man with the sunglasses flashed through his memory again. Alucard squeezed his eyes tight, trying to banish the image. Splinter noticed the look on Alucard's face.

"Rest now, detective," Splinter said. "You do not have to answer any questions, right now."

"But, sensei," the blue masked turtle started.

"No, Leonardo," Splinter interrupted. "Our guest needs rest. He will answer our questions when he is ready."

He shooed his sons away, herding them towards a room at the back of the dwelling. Alucard allowed his body to relax against the couch cushions. But, sleep was only delaying the inevitable. When he awoke, he was going to have to answer their questions. And Alucard got the feeling that trying to lie to this family was going to be as hard as trying to teach a rock how to speak.

******************************

Reviews are welcome, flames are not

Raphael
Interact

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#10 [url]

May 5 15 8:47 AM

Chapter Seven

"I don't trust him," Donatello muttered quietly as he and his brothers spied on the white haired human sleeping on the couch.

"Neither do I," Raphael and Leonardo said in unison.

They glared at each other for a brief second before turning their attention back to the human. Splinter had forbidden them from waking the man up. So, the brothers cooped themselves up in the dojo. Michelangelo seemed to be the only one who trusted the guy. The others didn't know why. After all, he had had them at gunpoint. At least with April and Casey there hadn't been any firearms present when they first met. Michelangelo had immediately seen the perks to having a detective as a friend.

"All the donuts we can eat," he had said with enthusiasm.

Although it had earned him an eye roll from his brothers, Michelangelo hadn't missed the sounds of grumbling stomachs after the comment. He didn't know if it was the thought of having donuts to eat or the fact that they hadn't had lunch yet that made his brother's stomachs growl in hunger.

"Come on, guys. I'm sure if we just give him a chance we'll be best buds in no time," Michelangelo said.

"Honestly, Mikey, I don't want to be 'best buds' with a guy that carries a gun all the time," Leonardo told him.

"The dude was totally trippin' out," Raphael put in. "You're lucky he didn't pull the trigger."

Michelangelo held up his hands in defense. "Okay, so maybe that was a bonehead move. But, at least I got him to drop the gun," he pointed out.

"The only reason he dropped the gun was because he blacked out," Donatello said.

Michelangelo walked over to his purple masked brother, a sly smirk on his face. "Don't ya wanna know why he blacked out?" he asked, playing off of his brother's curiosity.

Donatello slowly turned to glare at his baby brother. Michelangelo smiled innocently, but he knew he had Donatello's interest piqued. The P.I. was the bane of his scientific brother's existence ever since the man came on the scene a couple of years ago. The guy was clearly psychic; how else would he be able to find witnesses to crimes that even the police couldn't find?

"One question, one answer," Michelangelo said. "It'll solve everything."

"He's awake," Raphael said in a hushed whisper.

"Then, let's go," Michelangelo said.

The brothers began to move, but it was the familiar presence of their father behind them that halted the boys in their tracks. They turned as one to look up at their father.

"I will ask the questions that need to be answered," Splinter said. "You four are to go to your rooms and stay there until instructed to come out."

The brothers began to protest, however, a sharp look from Splinter sent them racing off to their rooms. Alucard moaned as he sat up on the couch and looked up to see the turtles disappear into bedrooms he hadn't noticed before. His attention was brought to his left when he felt a presence beside him. Splinter smiled down at him.

"How was your rest?" the ninja master asked.

"Okay, I guess," Alucard answered.

Splinter smiled. "That is good to hear. Would you mind coming with me? There are some things we need to discuss."

As Splinter walked away, Alucard pushed back the blanket and stood up from the couch, following the rat to a large room with a massive tree in the middle. Splinter knelt in front of the tree and motioned for Alucard to kneel across from him. Alucard did as he was silently told, his heart racing and stomach lurching; knowing what was about to happen, even though he didn't have use of his telepathy after burn outs, he didn't need it to know what was on Splinter's mind.

"It is extremely rare for a human to wonder across this place," Splinter began. "Not even my son's friend, Casey Jones did not find this place by himself." He fixed the detective with a studying look. "So, how is it that my sons found you on our doorstep?"

Alucard clenched his hands into fists nervously. How can I tell him? he asked himself. He'll think I'm crazy.

"Detective?" Splinter asked.

Alucard looked up into the rat's kind, soulful brown eyes. They were the eyes of someone who had seen great and bizarre things. Maybe he would understand someone telling him that they had telepathic powers. But, how could he prove it without access to said powers? Alucard tried to think fast. What had he learned through the minds of the family that hadn't been revealed to him, yet?

"I'm...I have..." Alucard sighed. "There's no easy way to say this without it sounding crazy."

"I have seen many things, Detective," Splinter told him. "I have a very open mind."

Alucard swallowed before speaking. "I have...telepathic powers," he answered truthfully.

How could he lie? Splinter had four teenage sons; he could detect a lie, it was second nature to him. Splinter studied Alucard for a moment. The man looked like he wanted nothing more than to crawl into a corner and disappear. The look on his face told Splinter that he feared the ninja master would consider him mentally unstable.

"I am inclined to ask for proof of such a claim," Splinter said, his curiosity piqued.

Alucard swallowed nervously. "Your son, Donatello, has a crush on a girl named April O'Neil. Your son, Leonardo has a crush on a girl named Karai who is the daughter of your sworn enemy, Oroku Saki, also known as the Shredder. It also happens that Karai is actually your blood daughter, Miwa," he said.

Splinter stared at him, dumbfounded. "How...?"

"Your real name is Hamato Yoshi. But, eighteen years ago, you and the four pet turtles you purchased from a local pet store were in an accident where you were exposed to some strange substance that transformed the five of you into what you are now," Alucard continued. "Your wife's name was Tang Shen, but she perished in a house fire that was caused by Shredder when he attacked your home back in Japan." He paused for a moment. "I can go on, if you'd like."

Splinter shook his head. "No. That is enough. I believe you." He cleared his throat, his mind spinning. "And you gathered all of this..."

"From your son's thoughts," Alucard replied. "That's how I found you...found this place. I heard their thoughts."

"Whoa," came a dumbfounded voice.

Alucard and Splinter turned to see the four brothers poking their heads around the corner of the room. Splinter gave his sons a hard look and they shrank back. Alucard's mind suddenly sparked back to life and a thought that wasn't his own passed through his mind.

"I'm something like April, Donatello," the detective said.

Donatello looked shocked. "I didn't say anything."

Alucard tapped his temple. "You just thought that maybe I was like your friend, April O'Neil in the way that she, too, has psychic abilities," he explained.

Michelangelo grinned up at his brother. "See? I told you he was psychic," he said. He became thoughtful. "I wonder if April can read minds."

Donatello grew horrified and Alucard had to fight to keep from grinning. The turtle's fear of his crush finding out just how detailed his thoughts about her were was painfully obvious to see. No one had to be telepathic to know what Donatello's thoughts were.

"Well, if I could meet her, maybe I could teach her," Alucard offered. "If she can't already read minds, that is."

"No, no! That's...quite alright," Donatello said nervously. "Thank you."

"Besides," Michelangelo said, walking into the room. "Now we have you as our friend. One human friend who can read minds is enough. Don't want anyone stealing your thunder."

"Right," Alucard said slowly.

Splinter looked back at the detective. "There is one more question that needs to be answered," he spoke, gaining back Alucard's attention. "Why were you down here in the first place?"

Alucard's nervousness resurfaced. It was too early to tell him that Tang Shen was alive. And even if he did tell Splinter, it would break the ninja master's heart to know that his beloved wife didn't remember him.

"Your disappearance was the strangest in police history," Alucard replied. "No body, no signs of a crime. So, I was asked to look into it." He looked around at the family of mutants. "I just never thought this was what I was going to uncover."

*******************************************Reviews are welcome, flames are not

Raphael
Interact

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#11 [url]

May 7 15 6:04 PM

Chapter Eight

Keys rattled in the lock and a second later the apartment door opened. Alucard walked into his loft apartment, exhausted from the day's events. He had spent the entire day with the mutant family, hearing their stories and going up against the brothers in sparring matches. He didn't know that ninjas still existed in the world. Putting a hand over his mouth to hide a yawn, Alucard walked by the kitchen on his way to the living room. A shadowy figure caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Alucard stopped dead in his tracks; heart hammering against his ribs.

How did he get in here? Alucard asked himself in horror.

He slowly turned to face the figure. The man was cloaked in a long black trench coat and black business suit. His dark hair was slicked back neatly away from his face. Tinted sunglasses adorned his face; hiding cold, dark eyes. The man was looking through two files that had been left on the kitchen island. Alucard immediately knew what files they were.

"Does she know?" the man suddenly asked, making Alucard's blood turn to ice in his veins. "I'm flattered that you've been keeping tabs on me. I didn't think you cared anymore."

"Bishop," Alucard breathed.

The man walked around the island and stepped into the moonlight shining in from the windows. He smiled coldly. "Hello, Alucard. Long time no see."

"What are you doing here? How did you find me?" Alucard asked.

"You're my work. I know how to find you," Bishop said. "Psychic P.I.? Not very subtle." Alucard reached for the gun under his jacket. "Stop," Bishop commanded.

Alucard's body froze with that simple command. Bishop smiled as he walked over to the detective.

"Nice to see the obedience program still works," he said. "Or did you forget that you can't raise a hand against me?" He noticed the gauge on Alucard's arm. "You've burned out recently," Bishop noted. "Strange you didn't take the entire city with you."

"Go to hell," Alucard grunted.

Bishop shook his head in mock disapproval. "Is that any way to talk to your father?"

"You're not my father," Alucard denied.

"I gave you life," Bishop pointed out.

"What do you want? A thank you?" Alucard snarled.

"If your existence has been bothering you, why didn't you just let me terminate you the first time?" Bishop asked.

Alucard finally forced movement back into his body. He panted for breath and stumbled away from the man. "I may be a strike against creation, but you know very well what happens to those you...terminate." He shook his head. "I'll take my chances as a freak of nature instead of a pin cushion."

Bishop shrugged. "Whatever you decide. But, my offer still stands." He patted Alucard on the shoulder and headed for the door. "You may want to tell someone about that burn out problem. You wouldn't want anyone finding out what you are without a heads up from you, first."

Alucard watched Bishop open the door and disappear outside. The apartment echoed with the sound of the door closing. Alucard took a shaky breath. If Bishop was back there was no telling what kinds of horrors awaited the city.

********************************************
Sirens rang out through the night. Cries and screams echoed like ghostly wails. He grunted as he struggled to open his eyes. The night was painted in fiery orange and red. Heat danced across his flesh like a summer breeze. He pushed himself up and looked around. Buildings were in ruins, most were on fire. Bodies littered the ground. He looked down at his arm. The gauge was shattered.

Burned out? But, that wasn't possible. He blacked out when he burned out. However, he knew that this devastation was his fault. This had happened once before, back in Bishop's lab while the agent was trying to terminate him. He had burned out and had gone super nova; destroying the lab and the base in the process. He got to his feet and started looking for survivors; if there were any. He searched one building a few blocks away from where he had woken up. His heart sank when he saw who was inside.

"Paige," he breathed in horror.

He stumbled over to his friend's body. Her crystal blue eyes were still open, staring up at him. Then, her mouth moved; voice coming out in a raspy breath.

"Why?"

Alucard jerked awake. He winced as his neck cracked. He looked around, finding himself in his office.

"Must've fallen asleep," he muttered, rubbing his eyes.

Alucard yawned and stretched, glancing down at the files on his desk. After Bishop's late night visit the night before, Alucard hadn't gotten much sleep. He had fallen asleep on the subway coming to work and had almost missed his stop. He tried to get some work done, but he was just so tired. Alucard only meant to rest his eyes, he never meant to doze off.

"Curse you, Bishop," Alucard grumbled.

He jumped when there was a knock on the office door. Alucard pushed himself out of the chair and headed out into the outer office. He opened the door and was greeted by the smiling face of Tang Shen.

"Ms. Tang, welcome," Alucard greeted with a tired smile. "Was I expecting you?"

"We were supposed to meet for coffee and discuss your findings some more," Shen replied. "But, you didn't show up."

Alucard slapped a hand over his eyes. "I'm so sorry," he apologized.

"It's alright, Detective," Shen assured him. "Is it okay if we have our meeting here?"

"Yes. Yes, of course. Come in," Alucard said, closing the door and bringing her into the inner office. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, thanks. I had a cup of tea earlier," Shen replied.

Alucard made himself a cup of coffee, hoping the caffeine would help keep him awake.

"Have you found anything new?" Shen asked.

Alucard walked over to the desk and sat down, taking a sip of coffee. "Yes, I have," he answered. "Although, it's rather hard to explain."

Shen frowned slightly. "What's hard to explain?"

"I found the man in the picture I showed you the other day," Alucard said.

Shen's eyes lit up. "Who is he?" she asked.

"His name is Hamato Yoshi, and he was your husband," Alucard began.

Shen took a deep, sharp breath. "I had a husband?" she whispered.

Alucard nodded. "However, you were both caught in the same house fire, but he escaped with only minor injuries. Though, he didn't leave that house completely unscathed."

"What do you mean?" Shen asked.

"He believed you had perished in the blaze," Alucard told her.

He had done his research; going back through family records in Japan and talking to other doctors who treated Yoshi for minor lacerations and burns. All of this had been done before Alucard had gone looking for Yoshi, but still, nothing could have prepared him for meeting the mutant family of five.

"Where is he, now?" Shen asked.

Now comes the hard part, Alucard thought. "That's where it gets difficult," he said. "Yoshi is here, in New York. But...he...how can I say this without it sounding ridiculous?"

"I'm willing to have an open mind, Detective," Shen told him. "Please. Where is the man whom you say is my husband?"

Alucard swallowed nervously. He had to tell her. He owed her so much. She had suffered for so long, she deserved to know. Alucard looked her in the eye and never blinked.

"His name now is Splinter. And he lives in the sewers," he answered.

Shen frowned in confusion. "What? The sewers?"

"There's no easy way to say this, Ms. Tang. But, eighteen years ago, Yoshi was involved in an accident and was exposed to a strange substance that transformed him into something else," Alucard explained.

She thought he was crazy; he could see it in her eyes. "What something?" Shen asked slowly.

Alucard took a deep breath. "A rat. A giant, two legged, talking rat," he answered.

"I think you need sleep, Detective," Shen commented.

"I can prove it," Alucard said. "If you want, I can arrange a meeting."

Shen studied the man in front of her. He looked sleep deprived, but he had never gone wrong on a case; why would he start losing his touch, now? Not knowing what else to do, and desperate to know her past, Shen nodded.

"Alright," she said. "I believe you. I want to meet this...Splinter, and see what he has to say."

Alucard smiled and nodded. "I'll call you when everything is arranged."

Shen bid Alucard farewell and left the office. Alucard sat back in his chair, his next task weighing heavily on him.

"Splinter's going to think I'm crazy," he said.

************************************************

Reviews are welcome, flames are not

Raphael
Interact

47.55.131.123

#12 [url]

May 11 15 4:12 AM

Chapter Nine

Standing outside of the lair, Alucard wondered if he was doing the right thing. Hadn't Splinter suffered enough? Thinking his wife and daughter were dead, only to find out that his daughter had been raised by his sworn enemy. And now, Alucard was about to drop another bombshell on him. How would this conversation go? He didn't even know what he was supposed to say. Well, the worst thing that could happen was Splinter could forbid Alucard from ever setting foot in the lair again. The best thing that could happen was that Splinter would agree to meet Tang Shen and help her remember who she was. Then, she could meet the turtles, her half-sons...kind of...and they would all be one big happy family.

"Yeah. Let's go with that," Alucard muttered under his breath. "One big happy family." He sighed. "This is going to painful."

He walked through the turnstiles and entered the lair. Shouts and battle cries drifted from the dojo. They were training by the sounds of it. Alucard made his way to the dojo and stepped inside. The turtles looked like they were in a free-for-all sparring match. Splinter knelt in front of the tree, watching his sons. Alucard began to back out, then he felt Splinter's eyes on him.

"Detective Alucard. A pleasure to see you again," the ninja master said.

Alucard smiled. "Yeah. Sorry to barge in on you without calling ahead," he apologized.

"Come. Sit. You may fight the winner, if you wish," Splinter offered.

Alucard shook his head. "No, that's fine. I'm not here to spar," he said.

Splinter gave him a quizzing look. "Then, why are you here?" he asked.

Alucard rubbed the back of his neck. "I was hoping to speak with you."

Splinter turned to his sons. "Yame," he commanded and the fight instantly halted. "My sons, you are dismissed. We will continue this match another time."

The brothers bowed and hurried off to do their own thing. Raphael gave Alucard a warning look before disappearing around the corner with his brothers. The detective sighed. He wasn't going to be forgiven for the holding-them-at-gun-point thing anytime soon. Which was a shame, since Alucard had hoped to make friends with the brothers. But, depending on how this conversation went, Alucard might not be around much longer to make friends.

"What did you wish to talk about?" Splinter asked, getting to his feet and facing the detective.

Alucard stepped further into the dojo, his heart racing. "First of all, I want to apologize," he said.

"For what?" Splinter wanted to know.

"I wasn't completely honest with you when we first met," Alucard began. "I was looking into your disappearance, but it had nothing to do with a police search."

Splinter's brow furrowed slightly. Alucard swallowed nervously.

"I'm working on this case. It's not a missing person's case, per se, but my client is missing something. Their memories. I was looking into your disappearance because I found a connection between you and my client," the detective explained hurriedly.

"What connection?" Splinter asked carefully.

Alucard swallowed hard. "Your...wife."

*************************************************
Shredder walked into his throne room, anger flaring and hands clenched into fists. His attention had been brought to a breech in security when Karai told him a man was waiting for him in the throne room. Shredder entered the room to find a man in a black business suit, long black coat and wearing tinted sunglasses sitting in the throne.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Oroku," the man greeted.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" Shredder demanded.

The man stood up and walked down to meet the clan leader. "My name is John Bishop. And believe it or not, we're on the same side."

Shredder's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I have never heard of you. And I know everyone in this city's criminal underbelly."

Bishop grinned. "The reason why you've never heard of me is because I'm not part of organized crime," he replied. "I actually work for the government. The Earth Protection Force, to be exact." He studied Shredder's eyes. "But, you're not interested in that. So, let me cut to the chase. My work specializes in genetic manipulation to create super soldiers. So far I've managed to create one successful super soldier, however, he's flawed. I believe you know him. His name is Alucard."

Shredder's fists tightened. "He has put many of my men behind bars," he snarled. A blade shot out of his gauntlet. "And you say he's one of yours?"

"I also said he was flawed," Bishop pointed out. "He broke free of my command and went rogue. He's been hiding out, pretending to be a normal human, but that doesn't always work out for him."

"What does this have to do with the Foot?" Shredder asked.

Bishop smiled. "I'm so very glad you asked," he said. "As it turns out, Alucard has made contact with someone from your past. A woman by the name of Tang Shen, I believe."

"That's impossible. Tang Shen perished in a fire back in Japan," Shredder denied.

Bishop held up a picture. "Then, who is this? Her twin sister?" he asked.

Shredder took the picture and studied it. His eyes widened. It couldn't be...It wasn't possible. Shen was alive? Bishop saw the look in Shredder's eyes and smirked.

"Of course, he was very vague as to where Ms. Tang was living. So, I can't help you with that. But, I'm sure if you were to capture Alucard, I would have no trouble in helping you to...persuade him to give you that information," Bishop offered.

*******************************************
"My wife died in Japan," Splinter stated, anger lacing his words.

Alucard held his hands up. "Please, just hear me out," he said. "She just wants to meet you. That's all. Please, this woman has suffered. She had a house collapse on her and her memories were taken. One look at her and you'll know whether she's your wife or not." Splinter growled low in his throat. "Sensei, please. I wouldn't be asking if I didn't think there was a chance that she could very well be Tang Shen."

Splinter grew thoughtful, albeit a bit angry. Alucard knew he was digging up old skeletons that should very well stay buried. But, he was too deep into this case already; he had to see it through.

"Ten minutes," Splinter said. "I will see her for ten minutes. But, she is to be blindfolded when you bring her here."

Alucard let out a relieved breath and bowed. "Yes, Master Splinter. Of course. Thank you."

"You may go and get her," Splinter instructed.

"Thank you again, Master Splinter," Alucard said.

He practically ran out of the dojo and hurried out of the lair. Alucard made his way up to street level, being careful not to get spotted by passersby. He climbed out of the manhole and replaced the lid. He started down the alleyway, taking out his cell phone and dialling a number. After the third ring someone picked up.

"Good news. I have a meeting set up for you to meet Splinter," Alucard said. "I'm on my way to bring you to him...Okay, see you soon. Bye."

He hung up and put the phone back in his pocket. Then, a thought that wasn't his own passed through his mind. Alucard turned around and was met by a kick in the chest from a metallic foot. He grunted as he hit the ground. Alucard looked up to see a giant fish in a crazy oxygen tank get-up and a dog that looked like something out of a zombie apocalypse movie standing over him.

"You weren't hard to track," the dog commented smugly.

Alucard pushed himself back, away from the fish and dog. However, the fish placed one of his robotic feet on his chest, pinning Alucard to the ground. The sun gleamed menacingly off of the fish's razor sharp fangs.

"Shredder sent you, didn't he?" Alucard asked.

"Aw, now you've gone and spoiled the surprise," the dog mocked.

"Rahzar, isn't it?" Alucard guessed. "What rock did you crawl out from under?"

The fish chuckled and Rahzar growled. The fish pressed harder on Alucard's chest.

"No matter. Master Shredder will get the information about Tang Shen out of you, either way."

"I've got a message for Shredder I'd like you to take to him," Alucard said.

"And what is that?" the fish asked.

Alucard motioned for the fish to lean in closer. "Come closer," he said. The fish leaned in. "Closer." The fish leaned closer until Alucard could whisper into his ear. "Eat asphalt, Fishface," Alucard growled.

Fishface grunted as he was suddenly slammed in the face by a pillar of earth. Alucard rolled to his feet and slipped into a defensive position. Fishface shook his head and rubbed his sore jaw. He growled in annoyance. Rahzar flicked his wrists and his claws extended. Alucard hoped that the gauge was in the green as he brought his hands to his mouth, cupping them as if they were cold. He breathed into his hands and they instantly burst into flames. Fishface and Rahzar took a step back in surprise. Alucard lowered his hands, the flames growing and engulfing his arms.

"Who's first?" he asked.

*******************************

Reviews are welcome, flames are not

Raphael
Interact

47.55.131.123

#13 [url]

May 18 15 2:56 PM

Chapter Ten

"What the devil?" Fishface stammered.

"Cute trick," Rahzar commented. "But, I've seen it before. Those aren't real flames."

Alucard narrowed his eyes. "Come closer and find out," he dared.

Rahzar growled and charged. He raised a hand above his head and brought it down to strike. Alucard swung a fist upward. Rahzar shrieked in pain as the flames scorched his fur and skin. He fell back, holding his arm to his chest. Alucard cringed at the smell of burnt hair. Fishface took his comrade's place. He jumped and kicked out. Alucard grabbed the metallic foot that came at his head. Under the intense heat of the flames, the metal began to melt. Alucard yelled and threw Fishface into a nearby wall. The fish-man did a face plant in the wall before collapsing.

Alucard panted for breath. He pulled up his sleeve and saw the gauge slowly grow more towards yellow. Alucard fell to his knees, the fire around his arms going out. He couldn't burn out...not again. And he couldn't allow himself to get captured, either. If Shredder had sent these two after him then he knew about Tang Shen. And if Shredder knew about Shen, then that could only mean that Bishop had gotten to Shredder.

"Don't put up much of a fight without those flames, do you?" Rahzar asked, walking up and grabbing Alucard by the front of his shirt.

The dog swung his free hand. Alucard cried out in pain as the claws tore across his chest. Rahzar threw him to the ground. Fishface walked up, rubbing his nose. Alucard tried to get to his knees, but his arms wouldn't support his weight. He collapsed again, gasping for breath.

"Stop playing with your food, Bradford," Fishface said. "Grab him and let's go."

Rahzar picked Alucard up again. The detective winced in pain. He had to escape; he couldn't get caught. With the last bit of his strength, Alucard jerked his knee upward. Rahzar howled in pain as a block of concrete slammed in between his legs. Alucard grunted as he was dropped again. He forced himself to his feet and took off down the alley. He didn't stop running until he couldn't hear the thoughts of Shredder's mutant thugs anymore. When he knew he was safe, Alucard fell up against a wall and collapsed to the ground.

"Don't burn out, Al," he panted. "Don't burn out."

The gauge was almost in the red. Alucard jumped when he heard someone land in the alleyway. He looked up and saw four familiar figures.

"Sheesh, Detective. I thought you only took on low ranked Foot soldiers and low life murderers," Donatello said as he moved in to assess the damage.

Alucard didn't fight the young mutant as he pulled back the shreds of the shirt. Donatello hissed in displeasure.

"You should see the other guy," Alucard tried to joke, but it was ruined by a cringe of pain.

"Fishface and Rahzar?" Michelangelo asked.

"You couldn't take those two by yourself?" Raphael added.

Alucard looked up at the brothers. "You were following me," he stated.

"We heard you mention Tang Shen," Leonardo replied. "Is it true? Is she alive?"

Alucard sighed and closed his eyes. Donatello was doing what he could to clean the wounds.

"That's what I've gathered, so far," Alucard answered. "But, this meeting with Splinter will decide if what she says is true or not."

Michelangelo's eyes lit up. "So, we get to meet mom?" he asked.

"Half-mom," Donatello corrected his brother.

"Whatever. She's sensei's wife, and sensei is our dad, therefore, she's our mom," Michelangelo said.

Donatello looked over his shoulder. "Did you just say 'therefore'?" he asked.

Alucard smiled at the brother's banter. His smile faded as the pain continued to radiate through his chest. The one thing Bishop had skipped out on during the experiment was self-healing. Though, Alucard always suspected that Bishop hadn't gotten that particular program perfect. Of course, Alucard himself wasn't perfect and he was still around; not by Bishop's choice, though.

Donatello went back to cleaning and dressing the wound, sitting back when he was finished. "Don't push yourself too hard, Detective. And you should go to the hospital to get that checked out. You may need stitches."

Alucard grunted as he got to his feet. "I'll be fine," he said. "Thank you, Donatello."

Donatello stood up as Alucard started down the alleyway. "I don't know who's more stubborn: him or Raph," he commented.

"Am I the only one who saw Al's hands catch fire?" Michelangelo asked. "I swear, they were on fire and his hands aren't even burned."

"It's just an illusion, Mikey," Donatello told him. "A parlor trick. He's probably dabbled in a couple of magic tricks."

"And, yet that illusion almost set Rahzar on fire," Raphael pointed out.

"He was probably holding a lighter," Donatello theorized.

"We should get going," Leonardo said, ending the conversation. "We need to get back to the lair before Tang Shen shows up."

Raphael looked at his brother. "I thought we were following the guy so we'd know where she lived," he said.

"That was before Alucard was attacked by Rahzar and Fishface," Leonardo told him. "I think it's safer if we leave the detective stuff to the Detective."

The brothers found a manhole and disappeared down into the sewers with high hopes that Tang Shen really was alive and that their father would have a loved one from the past back very soon.

*****************************************************
Shen opened the door when she heard a knock. She gasped when she saw Alucard leaning on the doorframe. He smiled apologetically; pain clearly shining in his amber eyes.

"Sorry I'm late," he apologized. "Ran into a stray dog."

"Are you all right?" Shen asked. "Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Alucard waved her off. "I've been through worse," he told her. "Ready to go?"

Shen nodded, although she looked a bit nervous. She grabbed her keys and jacket and locked the door behind her as she stepped out into the hallway. They started on their way and Shen knew that there was no going back, now. When they got down to street level, Alucard brought her to a manhole in a nearby alley and removed the lid. They climbed down the ladder with Alucard replacing the lid behind them.

"I'm sorry I have to do this," Alucard said, taking out a blindfold. "But, it was one of the requests for the meeting."

Shen nodded in understanding and turned so that Alucard could place the blindfold on her. He tied it around her eyes then took her hand and guided her through the sewers.

"How are you feeling?" Alucard asked.

"Nervous," Shen admitted.

"Understandable," Alucard said. "But, you have nothing to worry about. Splinter's kind-hearted and gentle. I don't think he could hurt a fly."

Shen chuckled lightly. They entered the subway after a long trek through the sewers. Alucard continued to lead the way to the lair, every now and then giving Shen a heads-up on where to put her feet so she wouldn't trip. After a couple of hours of walking, the lair was in sight. Alucard brought Shen inside and called out to someone. His hand left hers and she slowly came to a stop, not knowing where to go.

"Detective, can I take this off, now?" Shen asked.

"You may," came a voice that didn't belong to Alucard.

Shen pulled down the blindfold and slowly opened her eyes. Before her stood a tall, dark brown rat with kind, wise brown eyes and a warm smile. His smile was also sad and his eyes seemed to grow wet with tears.

"Splinter?" Shen guessed.

"Shen," the rat said.

Shen's breath hitched when he said her name. "You know me?" she breathed.

"Yes," Splinter replied. "And you are just as beautiful now and you were the day I met you, all those years ago in Japan."

"You're Hamato Yoshi," Shen said. "The one Alucard said was my husband."

Splinter nodded. "Yes. But, as you can see, I am Yoshi no more." He motioned for her to follow him. "Come. There is something I wish to show you."

Shen followed Splinter into a large room with a massive tree planted in the middle. He led her over to a small shrine with one lone picture. Shen's eyes widened and she let out a small gasp when she saw the picture. It was herself holding a small infant girl standing next to a tall, handsome man.

"He was right," Shen breathed. "Alucard was right."

"There are others who wish to meet you," Splinter said.

Shen looked up at him. "Others?" she repeated.

"My adopted sons. They were changed on the same day as I was, by the same substance that transformed me into this form," Splinter explained.

Shen nodded. "I would like to meet them," she said.

Splinter walked over to the door and called out. He returned to Shen's side. "I warn you, their appearance can be shocking," he said.

"This coming from a giant talking rat," Shen pointed out.

Feet shuffled into the room. Shen turned to see four turtles standing in the doorway. Her eyes widened slightly. They each wore a different colored mask.

"Shen, these are my sons," Splinter said. He motioned to the blue masked turtle. "This is Leonardo." He pointed to the purple masked turtle. "Donatello." His hand moved towards the one in red. "Raphael." And lastly, the orange masked teen. "And Michelangelo."

The four boys bowed respectively. "It's an honor to meet you," Leonardo said, speaking for all four.

"The honor is mine," Shen replied. Her eyes began to tear up.

"Is something wrong?" Donatello asked worriedly.

Shen shook her head. "No, it's just that...when I woke up this morning I had no one in this world. Now, I look around and I have a husband and four wonderful sons."

The boy's faces lit up in wide smiles. Michelangelo rushed over, threw his arms around Shen's waist and gave her a hug.

"Welcome home, Mom," he said.

Shen returned the hug. "Thank you, Michelangelo."

The others ran over and embraced Shen. Splinter joined them, tears of joy running down his face.

Raphael
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May 22 15 3:45 AM

Chapter Eleven

Alucard smiled from his place in the dojo doorway, watching the reunion. He was happy to see that everything went smoothly. Now, the family could begin to heal and Splinter could help Shen remember who she was. It would take some time for her to remember, if she ever would. If not, she now had a chance to make new memories with her new family. A woman's face flashed through Alucard's memories. A woman with short, blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. She was smiling and laughing. A small smile touched Alucard's lips at the memory.

Maybe he could finally put his own ghosts to rest; bury the skeletons still left in his closet. He would never be able to have what Splinter and Shen now had: A family. Loved ones to care about. But, he was okay with that. Reuniting families lost to each other through time and to see the looks of gratitude and happiness on their faces was his reward. Putting people's lives back together was what made Alucard sleep soundly each night.

With one last look at the new family of six, Alucard walked away without saying a word; not wanting to disturb them. He left the lair and the sewers. Night had fallen over the city. Alucard put his hands in his jacket pockets and started the walk to the subway. However, a noise from behind made him stop. Alucard turned around to see a handful of black clad figures appear out of the shadows. He turned around to keep walking, but his path was blocked off by more black clad figures. Foot soldiers. Alucard hurried across the street, but the soldiers gave chase.

The detective ran through the streets as fast as he could; which wasn't a problem since speed was a natural gift. He ducked into an alleyway and took the back roads. However, no matter how fast he ran, Alucard couldn't shake the soldiers. He rounded a corner and was brought up short when he slammed into a broad chest. Alucard collapsed to the ground. He looked up to see a large mutant tiger standing over him.

"Master Shredder would like to have a word with you," the tiger said.

Alucard was forced to his feet and was shoved into the back of a waiting truck. After a short drive, the truck stopped and the tiger opened the back doors, grabbing Alucard and pulling him out. The tiger forced Alucard's arms behind his back and tied his wrists together. Alucard was led inside what looked like an abandoned church. But, inside had been converted into a headquarters. Alucard was forced to kneel in front of a throne. He looked up and saw two of the most powerful and dangerous men known to mankind.

"Made a new friend, Bishop?" Alucard asked.

Shredder walked down from his throne and stood in front of the detective. "Your owner tells me you know where Tang Shen is," he said.

Alucard stared defiantly up at the Foot clan leader; his amber eyes blazing with hatred. Shredder gave him a harsh look.

"You will tell me where Tang Shen is," he said. A blade shot out of his gauntlet. "Or I will make you suffer for the rest of your miserable life."

*******************************************
To be continued into 24

Reviews are welcome, flames are not

Erica Martins
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Sep 3 15 7:04 AM

This read well, looking forward to 24.


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AprilONeil
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Sep 3 15 7:00 PM

I'm enjoying this. I am finally getting a feel for Alucard.