Truth Revealed

Chapter 2

Coughing and spluttering, I felt the water leaving my system and a big hand clapping me on the back. Holding myself up with my own small hands, I took a deep breath and swallowed, a burning feeling in my throat.
"Thanks," I breathed out as best I could.
"No problem," a gruff voice said and I looked back, doubling backwards in shock. "I know my appearance isn't a normal one, but I can assure you, I mean you no harm."
The creature that stood before me was a mutated alligator, with strapping around his wrists and ankles, as well as a purple belt, I guess you could call it. His wide brown eyes stared at me, as I took this all in.
"What- I mean, who are you?" I breathed and the alligator sat down, his tail curling around his form.
"My name is Leatherhead and I am a mutated, anthropomorphic alligator."
"Anthro-what now?"
"Anthropomorphic. It means human traits, emotions and intentions to non-human entities."
"Oh okay," I nodded and agreed.
Leatherhead gave me a strange look, before turning away. I tapped my knees, the silence becoming thick with awkwardness.
"You know, you seem very familiar," Leatherhead spoke and I looked at him out the corner of my eye.
"How?"
"You remind me of a friend," he explained, "a friend I haven't seen in a long, long time."
"Your name is familiar, Leatherhead but I just can't put where I know it from," I informed the giant alligator and he stared at me.
"You wouldn't happen to be related to Grace Hamato, would you?"
My eyes widened and I looked at him, nodding slowly. Leatherhead clicked his fingers and waded into the water.
"Climb onto my back and hold your breath."
"Uh, okay."
Leatherhead knelt down, the water almost up to his shoulders and I climbed on, my hands gripping hold on to his shoulders.
"Hold on."
I took a deep breath and Leatherhead ducked down into the water, allowing my red hair to flow behind me. He swam fast and hard, my grip faltering every now and then. Leatherhead turned left and started to swim upwards, gaining speed. He broke the surface of the water, jumping out and landing on cement flooring, with me still gripping tightly onto his back.
"You can let go now."
That was kinda scary," I stumbled out, slowly crawling down his back and my feet touched the ground.
"I am sorry, my friend."
A screech filled the area and I turned to see Felicia flying through the air towards us, her Nun-chucks whirling behind her.
"Licia, stop!" I yelled and Felicia landed behind me, pulling me away from Leatherhead.
"Stay back, you, you, um, just stay back," she stammered and I face-palmed.
"Felicia, this is Leatherhead."
The brunette dropped her Nun-chucks and looked from me to Leatherhead, back to and then back to Leatherhead.
"So this is the infamous Leatherhead? Nice to meet you," she grinned and Leatherhead smiled back, his pearl whites teeth showing.
"You are so much like Mich-"
"Woah."
June and Danny ambled out of the elevator and stood frozen, standing under the ladder to the upper level. Both girls had their eyes open wide, with June having her mouth hanging open.
"Leatherhead, it is good to see you again," Master Splinter spoke from where he was sitting watching his show.
"And to you my old friend," Leatherhead bowed, a smile forming.
"What happened to you Alex?" June spoke and I shrugged.
"I don't know but what I do know is I can hold my breath for a really long time," I answered as best I could, "quite possibly longer than any normal person can."
"And what was with Mountain Man calling you Grace?" June continued and Leatherhead tensed.
"Mountain Man?" he asked.
"Yeah, really muscly, blonde, really ugly scar," I answered and Leatherhead's eye narrowed, a glassy look filling them. "Leath-"
Leatherhead swung his arm out, catching me in my stomach and I ended up being flung into the green doors of Master Splinters' room.
"Alex!"
Splinter jumped from the lounge and landed on Leatherhead's back, his claws digging into the alligators' scales.
"Leatherhead, please."
"Hun just has to be involved, doesn't he," Leatherhead roared and I frowned from where I lay on the ground, a thin line of blood forming on my left bicep.
"Who does he work for?"
Leatherhead glanced at Splinter, who sighed and lowered his head.
"He works for someone who still haunts my nightmares, even though he hasn't been seen in years," Splinter shuddered before looking at us.
Felicia and Danny helped me up with June looking at the cut on my bicep.
"He works for someone called the Shredder."

"I just don't understand how we are able to defeat someone who has a whole army and there is only four of us," Danny growled, glowering down at the streets from the rooftop edge with her hands in fists.
"We could try and find people to help us," Felicia mumbled from her spot, where she was sitting with her legs hanging over the edge of the roof.
"I'm not sure that is possible," June said. "I mean, who would want to help us, teenagers, to fight the Shredder, who is quite possibly old and frail."
"From what Splinter said, the Shredder has a habit of not aging at all," I interjected, to which the girls turned to me. "Remember Splinter said that the Shredder isn't human but something else completely. He did specify what the Shredder actually is."
"That is because you are too young to understand."
The girls and I froze where we were. I glanced at June, who in turned looked back at me. Danny and Felicia turned to each other before we all looked at each other.
"Who is that?" Danny broke the silence, standing up and pulling Felicia to her feet.
Danny grasped her Sai, Felicia grabbed into her Nun-chucks, June gripped her Staff and I held on to my Katana. We stood back to back to back to back, looking around for whom the voice belonged to. A thud sounded to my right and I felt June jumped backwards slightly. Another two thuds sounded to my left and behind me. Danny and Felicia both stepped back, with Felicia shaking violently. A fourth thud, in front of me, moved the dust on the rooftop. I held my ground, my grip tightening.
"Be ready girls," I spoke and heard Danny grunt. "Be ready for anything."
"Huh, sounds like you, Fearless."
"Shut it."
"Come on guys, not now."
I raised an eyebrow and shifted my reddish-brown eyes around the shadows. June shifted beside me, almost as though she was leaning towards me.
"What do we do?" she mumbled and I took a deep breath.
"Give me a sec."
A thump sounded right by me and I looked down to see Felicia passed out. Danny face-palmed and groaned.
"Great," she said, making her stance a little bigger so to cover Felicia. "Just what we needed."
"Huh, seems like we have another bonehead in our midst," the first voice, a gruff voice that sounded oddly familiar, spoke up.
"I said shut it," said the second voice, a voice dripping with authority.
"Chill guys," said a third. "They can't see us."
"Why do these voices sound familiar?" Danny growled and June rubbed her chin.
"Hey remember when our house exploded?" she asked.
"I remember that all too well," I shuddered.
"These voices were the ones we heard when we came to," continued the orange-streaked brunette and I nodded in agreement.
"Oh yeah," Danny agreed before glaring. "Why won't you show yourselves?"
Silence filled the rooftop and I shifted, not liking this one bit.
"Did they leave?" June whispered, her body trembling slightly.
"I don't think so," I whispered and felt my stomach drop. "Something isn't right. Danny?"
"Yeah?"
"Grab Felicia and head back to the safe point."
"Got it."
Danny shoved her Sai into the holders strapped around her waist and did the same with Felicia's Nun-chucks. She picked up the light girl and dived for the shadows.
"June, with me."
She nodded and we jumped onto the next rooftop over, peeking over the edge. Sheathing my swords, I pulled June to her feet and we moved, making our way to the shadows, when a man wearing a metal suit melted from the shadows.
"Where are they?" he roared and four more people showed up, all wearing the Foot Clan uniform.
"We don't know sir," one of them said and her voice sounded almost like Aunt Haidley.
"Well, find them and bring them to me," the metal man ordered and the four ninjas bowed their heads. "Dead or alive."
"Yes Master."
"Mum?" I breathed and June looked me.
"Come on," she urged and tugged on my hand.
"This doesn't make any sense. Why do they sound like-"
"Alex!"