Searching for April O'Neal

Chapter 9: What Became of Ellie

What Became of Ellie

Ellie crashed down on the hotel room's bed and wrapped herself up in its big, fluffy, white blanket, closing her eyes.

She'd found a hotel that was willing to give her a free room if she worked in the kitchens to cook for the guests eating in the dining room. Happily, she'd agreed. She could eat the leftovers the guests left, as well as get a free bed. At the moment, that was all she needed.

Plus, she was earning cash. Just minimum wage, but it was the most cash Ellie had ever earned before.

She worked all day, since she had nothing better to do, and then usually crashed right when she got up to her room. Today especially. She'd worked 12 hours straight today.

Doing the math in her head, she knew she'd earned $105. Not bad.

With that on her mind, she fell asleep.

**DREAM**

"Ellie." She spun around to see her father, in his double mutated form, looking at her with a frown on his face. She licked her lips. "You're coming with me, today."

Ellie didn't need to ask where. She knew where. To Shredder's Lair.

"I..I have school today, father," she tried telling him, even though she knew he wouldn't listen. Not that she cared about school. She had no friends, and she was the butt of everyone's jokes, there. But she would much rather go to school than go with her father to Shredder's Lair.

"You can make up the work tomorrow," was all her father said before leaving the house, expecting Ellie to follow.

Ellie left the rest of her breakfast on her plate and stood from her dining room table. Then, she took a deep breath and followed her father through the door.

Well, not exactly followed. Ever since her father was mutated, he tended to stay in the shadows, which meant he jumped from roof to roof or travelled through back alleyways. Ellie couldn't really do all that, so she always made her own path to Shredder's.

When she got there, her father was waiting for her at the giant front doors. Without saying anything, the footbots opened the doors and allowed the two to enter.

The giant doors lead straight into the throne room, where Shredder sat on his throne. It was a little dramatic, Ellie thought. Who used a throne anyway??

She stayed towards the entrance as her father walked up closer to the throne and bowed to his master. Xever was already there, standing.

"Bradford," Shredder said. His voice always scared Ellie, and she gulped. "I've decided that we should move Michelangelo."

A beat pause before her father asked, "Why?"

"Because his brothers already know that he's here in this building, as does Karai. If we move him elsewhere, they won't be able to find him, giving me more time to try and get the information I need out of him," Shredder explained.

"So, you'll be moving with him?" her father clarified.

"Yes," Shredder said. "You and Xever will accompany me with 100 footbots. Everyone else is to stay here."

Ellie's father nodded. "I'll get Michelangelo into a transportation container."

Xever, who had probably already been briefed about what was going to happen, said in his Brazilian accent, "I will get the footbots ready."