Years gone by

Harley briefly considered inviting Joker and Punchline, but then she remembered...Flag hated Joker. Everyone did...except for her. Digger was right, it wouldn't go over well.


"Probably not a good idea since he shot me in the leg with an arrow...ruuude! But, I really don't care about him. " She lied, shrugging.

"I just wanna see what this Punchline broad looks like..."

Ally shook her head. "I don't think it's worth the trouble it could cause. I mean, you have it made. Your man is a protector. You have beautiful kids and one on the way..if you go to Sanctuary, something is probably going to happen. "

Raph was heading off towards the quarantine houses when his daughter's voice came through the com. He frowned at the news as he led Dieair towards one of the houses that he knew was vacant.

He worried about his daughter being where a known threat was, but it would worry him even more if she were to leave. The outside perimeter could be swarming with those things.

After telling Jade to be safe, he looked at Dieair. "I'm sure the other council members heard her message, but maybe we need to make sure..."

Flag was quiet for a moment. He had never agreed with Sanctuary's lifestyle. Taking lives to put human meat on the market was wrong. But, now here he was. A blood sucker. Now, Laz was craving meat due to the infection. Or, maybe he was becoming something else?

Bottom line, it was only a matter of time before someone was accidentally killed due to the cravings. It was his job to protect his people...

Sanctuary was already doing the dirty work...

Finally, he nodded. "I'll see if we can work out a deal with them." The fact that Kai was Laz' stepson would hopefully work in their favor.

Laz was growing restless. He needed food. something alive. It was almost painful how much he was craving human flesh.

When Flag was in front of him Laz lunged against the bars, arm reaching out to grab his friend and pull him to the cell. A growl escaped his throat, eyes red and foam forming at the side of his mouth.

You still looooove him. Or you wouldn't care about his hot new girlfriend.

Wade sat down at the table. How do you know she's hot?

I don't I was just teasing. Frost had finished her food and was now bouncing the little boy on her knee.

Digger was sipping on a beer as he listened on. But then a thought hit him.

We might have to go to Sanctuary. He told the group. With two infected people in the prison and Flag being what he is now, We may need to get meat from them. Mikko isn't going to stay here and give up all her blood to Flag. But! With that said. Flag and I can go there and try to strike up a deal. Harley you stay home with the kids.You are full of baby and we don't want anything happening that could put you are the kid at risk.

Dieair nodded in agreement and took Raph's hand.

Should we also go get Jade? I feel she is going to want to come back and make sure her family is alright. With a new threat it's not safe for the kids to be going out on their own. Not that I don't think she is capable of handling herself.

Don got Jade's message and sighed deeply. He had finished dressing wounds and giving out blood. Now he needed to handle this new threat. It would be helpful to have one of these new creatures to study.

He would discus it with the others.

Don left the hospital and told the guards to take those who had gotten Mikko's blood to the cells. He then went up to Raph and Dieair.

I heard Jade. Sounds like Bishop is playing mad scientist again. I can't think of any other way that a new creature suddenly came into existence. We might need to cut the head off the snake so to speak before any other threat shows up in the world.

" We heard." sending a message to Jade; ~ 'We got your warning, Shell City is okay for now, stay safe out there, come home when ready. We love you.'~


Of course, this was a Raphling he was messaging so taking no risks thing he fully expected her to snort at, but he hoped it was with a bit of at least humor. He is heading to the front gate tower, Erica following both intending to isolate but also, help keep guard, and be on the watch.


Switching on his phone back to the option of talking to all of ShellCity he speaks as he and Erica climb the narrow quick acess ladder up to the floor of the tower, the other towers now had extra guards and at his urging many were prepping all of the vehicles to head out and safeguard the perimeter of ShellCity as far around to each side to where the tail end of the city ran into the Atlantic. "I want to speak with all of ShellCity very soon, as many as are willing, we all just had a scary attack, and I want to bounce ideas to halt any other. And make plans about what to do about newer creatures popping up all the time." Concerning and yes that is an agreement with Donatello about putting a stop to any more creations, if they can. Quite aside fromt he fact he had to also remind people it seems of the rules to keep safe.


And then switching back to communicating with his brothers only after that announcement, " Yoshi and Shen have reached out, they just reached the outer limits of our reestablished mobile towers so a few hours away from being home." does he bother to hide his excitement that his son and daughter were coming home?


Of course not! And the moment up the ladder, rolling it up into the tower and locking the tower floor, he is soon tugging Erica closer to nuzzle her, churr and relish being close. Just... she is here and safe and his big hands drop to her still flat belly.

" Heard - I'll be there!" Reassuringly that yes he had heard and also that he is all for all of ShellCity getting to talk and put ideas forward.


It's not like they got to where they were now without input of the citizens that have chosen them to lead and protect them more effectively and with some considerations to the beliefs and trauma that most come to them with.


A bit of a hop of joy, he adored his nieces and nephew so was pleased to hear two were coming home and perhaps Jade too!

She's made sure to load up of arrows, all the mix she had. She and Leo were both willing to quarantine but also be where they are in the front line of defense of ShellCity.


Always!


And for the third more selfish need to be right here when Yoshi and Shen returned home!


She smiles feeling Leo pull her in close, resting back against that massive plastron. Like him the feelings of joy in him being here and safe and with her just rendering her momentarily speechless - but that's fine at this moment no talking was required of either of them.


Just a moment to be together. Kissing underneath and along the side of his jaw, one hand dropping to land on his, she has a feeling she will actually show this time around, but that won't be for some weeks yet, and of course, maybe she and Leo could just play it off that she was a bit fat? they had surprised the family as a whole up until the Hatchings of Yoshi and then Shen after that, why not this time too?


Her other hand reached up to stroke his cheek. Of course either both of their phones his family could still chat with them, and soon they would turn on the refurbished, many many many refurbished televisions scattered throughout all of ShellCity. So Citizens can talk to each other, to them too.

Blaze was loving every minute of the attention that Frost was giving him. He smiled sweetly at her, deciding that he liked this woman very much! He didn't really understand what the adults were taking about, but that didn't matter because he was enjoying the bounces! The twins were still enjoying their food, but River was extremely interested in the chatter that her father and other dad may be going on a trip!

"I'll go too!" She piped up, smiling at her dad.

Harley just shook her head at her daughter, but was not at all happy that her friend was ordering her to stay home! "Um, hello! I've only been tryin' to get to Sanctuary for like, I dunno..the last twenty four hours! Ally and Frost can watch the littles. I need to go to make sure you and Flag don't go at each other!" She tried to justify, even though the two men had, for the most part, built a mutual respect for each other. There was still the occasional head butting, but nothing like it used to be.

"And Wade can come, too. Just in case we need backup."

Alright, fine. You can go. I just know this is going to be a bad idea though. I want that on the record. Digger was not looking forward to this trip. He quickly started to get things cleaned up then he would talk to Flag.

Wade gave a thumbs up. I'll tag along. And since we're headed to sanctuary I'll see if Mikko wants to join us I'm sure she could use a snack. Should probably bring my little monster too. Speaking of Anton...Has anyone seen him? He kinda vanished.

Anton was gone, walking through the woods aimlessly. He had no fear of being attacked or eaten, Or even hurt. When you were an immortal zombie, vampire, mutant, nothing could hurt you.

One of the splicers was stalking the woods. It picked up Anton's smell and rushed to him.

Luckily for little Anton he heard something coming and quickly scaled up a tree. He looked down and spotted the creature looking up at him. The thing was honestly scary. He started to call for help.

He hoped other screamers would come and save him.

He did hear a scream answer his cries for help but they seemed far away.

Anton had not been alone in the woods, even before the Splicers had homed in on him. One of Bishop's experiments had managed to escape the madman's lab and was on the run. The cruel experiments had stripped his memory of the man he once was. He had been altered with the ability to withstand the bites of the undead, and take them down. But zombies were not the only things he was programmed and capable of destroying. He also had the ability to kill the unkillable, thanks to the venom in his saliva. Bishop had altered the sample he had taken from Flag, making it more potent than the original carriers.


His blood had been spliced with that of the wolves, enhancing his ability to see at night. Bishop's hopes were to create a werewolf, but the subject had yet to fully transform. Instead, his nails would grow during a hunt and his eyes took on a glowing yellow coloration. His canines turned into fangs, but returned to normal when not hunting or defending himself.


His bright yellow eyes followed the kid, but his sense of smell picked up on the fact that there was more to this little one than what met his eyes. Maybe that's why he felt triggered and the desire to attack was so strong. He could take him out in one bite, but....something that Bishop could not strip from the experiment...his kind heart. Maybe it would have been easier if it was an adult bloodsucker, but that wasn't the case....

Then, the splicers made their appearance. This was a bigger trigger than the child had been. He was on them in a matter of seconds, sinking his teeth into one of the creatures throats and ripping it open, his nails stabbed into its temple, directly into the brain...

Anton was started throwing twigs at the monster, but then help came! He watched on as the new comer easily took out the weird monster.

That was cool! Yer like the other vampires and my mom!

Not sensing any danger from the stranger Anton jumped out the tree.

I'm Anton. You should meet the others at the farm. Mom might even give you sex for saving me. She's married but that never stopped her. anyway! Come with me.

With the threat dead, the kid came down from the tree and started jabbering about his mother and following him back. The kid's scent caused his stomach to growl, but he wasn't about to kill a kid. Maybe he just needed food, maybe that would keep him from wanting to eat someone...maybe...


Anton thought he was a vampire? Honestly X had no idea what he was or who he was, but a blood sucker wasn't it, though it seemed the boy's family was. He snorted at the kid's comment about his mother possibly having sex with him for saving him, probably the first smile he had smiled in ages. Not because he thought he would get lucky, he wasn't looking for that. But, this kid was okay.


"I don't need that for saving you...but...food would be cool. It's been awhile." He replied, wiping the Splicer's coagulated blood from his mouth with the back of a tattooed hand.

Anton motioned for the man to follow him and started to lead him back to the farm.

The farm just has potatoes and other gross stuff. If you want real food you got to go to Sanctuary. They have meat there. And some times mom lets people feed off her. He said with a shrug.

Soon they were at the fence that would lead to inside the farm. Anton jumped up and climbed over the fence. He hoped his new friend could do the same, or they would have to break the fence again.

A small smile tugged across X's lips. Anton was very much a child with how he explained 'potatoes and stuff' as gross, but the way he spoke hinted at the fact that he was older than his appearance. Not surprising since he had detected he was an immortal..


"Potatoes sound like a delicacy..." Considering where he had come from and only being fed every few days, he was looking forward to it. Tbough, he took mental note of this 'Sanctuary'. He had a feeling that it was only a matter of time before he would need meat. His DNA had been spliced with a carnivore, after all.


He scaled the fence with ease and continued following the kid to their destination. "Your mom sounds interesting."

I guess she is. So is dad. Immortal, vampires. Dad isn't a vampire...yet. But mom is. SHe created the others. Maybe I'm telling you too much.

He followed Mikko's scent to Chris' house and found his mom outside.

Moooom! I made a new friend. He saved me from the face huggers.


Mikko looked over at her son and the stranger and smiled sweetly at them.

Well thank you for saving my kid. I'm in your debt. I'm Mikko. And you are?

Flag frowned at how quickly Laz changed from communicating with him, to trying to kill him. It concerned him since Laz had been infected before...could he bounce back from this again? Had he built up an immunity to Mikko's blood? Sparing a glance at Jesse, it seemed that he may have the same concerns too. It would be a wait and see situation.


"Hang in there, buddy. Maybe some meat will help you out."


He then looked at Jesse. "If anyone comes here, warn them away. We don't want a repeat of what happened to Zoe. Mikko can't keep givin'."


Jesse nodded and Flag left the holding cells and headed back home to gather a few people for their trip to Sanctuary.

Laz threw himself at the cell's door trying his best to break it open. His body and mind wasn't handling Mikko's blood this time around and it remined to be seen if he would return to normal. But meat would help.

When Flag left Laz turned his attention on Jesse. Again Laz tried to get out of his cell and if he continued he would succeed. The cell door was starting to bend, Laz had dislocated his shoulder trying to get out but it was quickly healing.

Then a different scent hit him. The stranger that came into the farm was dangerous. It fueled Laz's need to get out even more.

Frost was pretty sure Harley going to sanctuary wasn't about Punchline. Harley would never get over Joker. Even after he shot her with an arrow. But she was more than happy to watch the kids.

Ally and I can watch the kids. we can build snowmen. Make snow princesses and princes. I'd make you crowns but it might be a little cold for your heads. Don't want to get you kids sick.

I want an ice crown! Wade said waving his hand in the air.

Frost rolled her eyes but made him a shinny crown and placed it on Wade;s head.

Wade batted his eyes and puckered his lips. I'm beautiful!