8654/After the Rescue

After the Rescue
Date of Scene:	30 July 2019
Location:	Winterfall Dojo
Synopsis:	Pippi comes to after encountering The Shredder and more importantly, Nemean's first steps of recovery. Alopex finds Pippi more canny than she lets on, and Pippi worries about the recovery of Cody, his mutation and place in the world... and the additional stresses on Leonardo.
Cast of Characters:	Pippi, Alopex, Leonardo

---

Pippi has posed:
    It smelled like a memory. Cleaning products and herb-y ointment. New paint and old wood and the slight scent of charring. Foxes and turtles and rats and humans and lions. Leather and freshly washed cotton and wool and tea and beneath it all the smell of her own injury.

    Sprung from what might have been a terrible dream, Pippi's ears went back, her hands reaching down and gripping at a blanket, covering her for warmth and modesty. Her chest was wrapped in tape (since the fur on her mid-section, even though it was very fine, short fur made things difficult for medical tape). Her amber eyes were open wide. She has a bandage over the older gash across her muzzle, and the sterile, medical smell that had brough tto mind older, unpleasant dreams, she figured, was that.

    Pippi's breath settles slightly, and she leans her head forward, pressing her palms to her temples.

    They were holed up in Winterfall Dojo, the restored dojo of the venerable Master Winter, back in the Bronx.

Alopex has posed:
    The 2nd floor was sparse. After moving out, Master Winter had decided to keep the upper room clear just in case. It was a good thing since a fox, pup, and lion needed it temporarily. Alopex had explained it wouldn't be long, but the master insisted they could stay as long as they needed. He'd make sure they'd be safe. She wasn't sure how, but the man seemed quite insistant about it.

    Moving on, as Pippi stirs, she may hear someone drawing water from a sink before moving toward her. "Hey, how are you feeling..?" water offered.

Leonardo has posed:
There is at least one other here, not entirely with one group nor another. Leonardo has been a quiet presence since the group all went to Winterfall, and while other circumstances might lead to more of an appreciation of the place, the turtle leader wears as serious an expression as anyone who knows him has seen.

In the first hour or so of getting there, he's gone about checking all possible locations for an attack or ambush, looking for choke points, ways to funnel potential enemies into positions that would put them at a disadvantage. He's been solely focused on their protection, taking nothing for granted, assuming no safety or room to safely breathe. Splinter has work to do with Nemean, but it remains to be seen if it will even work.

At some point, his path brings him by the two canine-based mutants, his head showing up in the doorway. Without a word, he nods once to himself and turns as if he's going to move on again, seemingly satisfied with their location.

Pippi has posed:
    Pippi's ears shift forward as Alopex moves, and she breathes out, rolling to one hip and wincing.

    "Like I got hit by a subway train." Pippi admits quietly, her left ear flicking as she sits back, her hand going to her side. She pauses, one ear giving a flick as Leo pokes his head through the doorway, and she gives an embarrassed smile, giving a wave to the 'eldest brother'.

    "I'm sorry... to both of you." Pippi states, loud enough that Leo could hear. She sits up a little more, and accepts the water. "Donnie used a smoke bomb and I got disorientated, but when I was about t' go down a couple Foot showed up, an' I tried to lose 'em but I... I couldn't." her ears go down, and she reaches up and puts her fingertips to the muzzle injury.

    "I didn't dodge fast enough. Either time."

    "Did... did anyone else get hurt?"

Alopex has posed:
    After the glass of water is taken, the fox takes a seat beside Pippi. "First of all, forgiven. Second, unless I'm mistaken, the only other person that got hurt was The Shredder when you introduced a can forcefully to his face. So much, in fact, you knocked his helmet off." The fox is trying not to -beam- about the fact that Pippi did this. She's failing somewhat.

    "We were able to get through to Nemean, though, because of everything that happened. He's in the buliding, and hopefully Splinter will be able to take care of him." The fox glances up at Leonardo, seeing if he has anything to add.

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo lingers long enough to overhear the apology, the question, the comments made so far about the things that took place. He comes so close to letting Alopex handle the response, because his body language speaks to someone who simply wants to be alone right now, but the time for solitude is not now.

"What's done is done," he says, even if it comes out more curtly than usual. "Now we figure out what's next."

He comes to stand in the doorway, committed neither to entering fully nor leaving, adding, "Splinter will undo what the Foot did to Nemean, to Cody."

Pippi has posed:
    Pippi looks embarrassed, her shoulders rising up slightly as she looks to Leonardo, her ears drawing back a moment as she breathes out slowly, her expression mixed as her ears limp, and she crosses her arm over her chest.

    "I hope so." she whispers, and rubs the back of her head as she takes an unsteady breath. "He was watching me to see if I could hear you coming. He tried to use me against you. All of you." she holds the water, but the cup creaks in protest as her hand squeezes. "I was scared. I... I can't imagine what Cody went through to be like he is now. The change hurt, but you said they messed with his head. It's like... everyone is afraid of Him. He has a sense of..." Pippi struggles a moment, looking to Leonardo first, then to Alopex, "... command? Power?"

Alopex has posed:
    The energy that was there fades with the reactions of both Leo and Pip. Mmm. Guess that could come later. "I trust that Splinter knows what he is doing and will be able to help Cody out. All we can do in regards to that right now is wait," she notes, eyeing the glass, reaching out for it juuust in case. "You might have been scared, Pippi, but you still were able to hold yourself together, freed yourself, even fought back once you found the opportunity to do so. I think y9ou did the best you could in the situation you found yourself in."

    Shredder, however, is a different story. "The man has a very intense aura about him. It's how he's able to command the foot, bring people under his control, keep them there even if they don't want to be. The fact that Cody had to be -forced- to obey just proves he didn't want to be there, and ultimately resulted in him making the decision to come with us despite what was done to him. He -will- be alright. He'll break the control they placed on him. His mutation.. well.. that is something he will have to come to grips with on his own."

Leonardo has posed:
"He's ruthless and hungry for as much power as he can hold, and he doesn't care who gets in the way," Leonardo claims, voice flat and even. "He'll use people until he no longer finds them useful, then do away with them. You've heard of the Family? Trying to keep Mutant Town safe? They're in with the Foot because Shredder is feeding them whatever he has to for their loyalty and trust. Asking around about the Family is what got April kidnapped in the first place."

He sounds as if he doesn't know what to make of that group, underscored by him adding, "I don't know if we can get through to them about Shredder, but I'm not going to stop trying. I don't think they're bad people, just people who fell for a lie. We have to show them the truth, and maybe that will help push Shredder out of that area."

Eyes seek out the injuries Pippi has sustained, but from what he can tell she's not in bad shape overall. "They did things to Cody beyond changing him. Splinter will break the mental hold they have. He's already been fighting it."

Pippi has posed:
    "I haven't heard anything about The Family, or keeping Mutant Town safe. I know why people are afraid of us 'cause we don't look human. April said people thought /I/ was a *werewolf* and ate babies, but I don't..." Pippi begins, and she gives a soft 'nng' sound.

    "I know they did things. Cody didn't remember us. He didn't remember the fight at the docks or giving me a backpack. He was one of the first people to find me after I almost drowned in the river." Pippi points out as she sits up, her ears coming forward as she loops the arm on her good side over her knees, her eyeridges rising up.

    "Is there anything I can do to help? ... I mean, other than just 'sit, stay outta the way'."

Alopex has posed:
    "I'm sure just talking to him will be helpful, but at the moment you need to recover, okay? If you need anything you can ask me, I'll try to take care of it for you," Alopex explains. "I .. just want to remind you that -you- did really well given the situation."

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo shakes his head, still sounding more on the stern side than anything else. Good chance he's feeling the effects of stress. "Right now, you need to rest. You won't be a help to anyone if you're not getting better." That could cover the injuries, but it could also mean something more besides.

"Shredder's been beaten before. It's just going to be harder this time because he's building up more strength around himself and getting innocent people caught in the middle of things, so we all have to be careful who we go after." A troubled expression passes over his face, clouding his features as he glances toward the area below where Splinter is with Nemean. "And make sure we're as whole as we can be."

Pippi has posed:
    Pippi touches her bandaged side again, and gives a huff.

    "Well. He tries that again, Imma sling something heavier than a can of red stuff at him." Pippi comments dryly, and she rubs the back of her head a moment, then glances down.

    "Has Donnie had the chance to tell you what he and Ghost Spider were talking about?"

Alopex has posed:
    The fox shakes her head, "We came here pretty quick, I'm not sure Donatello had the chance to tell anyone about it, Pippi," Alopex points out before rising to fill another glass of water, or the same one, depending on if she was able to get a hold of the one she offered Pippi earlier.

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo shakes his head. "This is the first I've heard of it," he answers. "We moved as soon as we found out you were missing, and they left an obvious trail for us. Maybe I should go find him." Eyes shift away from Alopex and Pippi, back toward the other side of the doorway.

Pippi has posed:
    "... he and Ghost Spider were talkin' about..." she halts a moment, and stiffens, her ears going backwards. "Ah... sciencey stuff. Really sciencey stuff. Super sciency stuff. An' I mean, I'm just a dumb dog, what would I know about it all? But he could probably explain it. Something about air-oh-soles."

Alopex has posed:
    The way Pippi stammers, then stops and finishes her statement gets a tilt of Alopex's head as she wanders back to offer the pup more water. "You are not dumb, Pippi," she objects, though she's uncertain how receptive the canine is tonight. She's given praise but maybe the injuries are causing second thoughts? She can't be entirely sure. "There are things everyone knows, and then there are things people don't know. It's impossible to understand the entire world."

Leonardo has posed:
Silence on the part of the turtle mutant, lasting for a few longer moments after Pippi and Alopex have had their say. A brief nod follows the talk of science and all that, but When Leonardo speaks again it's to reply, "I'm going to look in on the others. I'm glad you're safe." He steps out of view, a jumble of thoughts probably racing through his head.

Pippi has posed:
    "... t-take care, Leo..." Pippi stammers a bit, and she just lets out a nervous breath, rubbing the back of her head again as her ears flick forwards, then back. She seems to deflate a little.

    "I feel for him, Pex." Pippi finally states, very quietly. "It can't be easy taking care of his brothers and minding Splinter and you and me an' now Cody an' everything else. He must be tired all the time." the Pitboodle states with concern.

Alopex has posed:
    There's a sort of acknowledging noise from Alopex at first, then silence as she collects her thoughts. "It's why I was so surprised that Splinter just.. brought us in. It just seems like a lot for them. I wouldn't have minded staying here, or after everything with Cody, finding another spot to stay. It's still rather strange for me. I'm .. a bit used to having some authority and I don't feel like I have that as much right now.." she admits before heaving a breath.

    "He .. is certain to have a lot on his mind with everything going on, plus everything the Shredder is doing. I hope he can realize that taking Nemean away from him will be another blow in a series of them that we have managed to deal. I'm .. fairly sure the Punisher is acting against the Foot Clan becaus eof information I've fed him. With Cody back on our side, we should be able to -- " she breaks, shakes her head, and then turns toward Pippi. "Honestly, all of that can wait. You need to recover first. And the first step in recovery is staying hydrated and sated. Are you hungry? I'll get anything you want. . . . As long as it isn't from a dumpster."

Pippi has posed:
    "I think everyone was surprised." Pippi replies dryly, and she draws her knees up, setting her arm accross them again and shaking her head.

    "I know I should eat something, but like... my stomach's empty, an' my mind's full." she states, and she breathes out. "I know I'm not the smartest, Pex, but there's stuff going on that I don't understand... and some of it sounds important. How can I help if I don't know what's going on?" she asks quietly.

    And her ears flatten.

    "There's nothin' wrong with dumpster diving! It's free and plenty of people do it!"

Alopex has posed:
    "Ah, well, that's true," Pex admits, realizing just how obvious that surprise was to everyone. "And.. well, yes, that's all of us right now. A lot has happened in just a short while. We all are dealing with it in our own ways. I'm just glad you are going to be alright, and I'm going to come out and say this." ... "Seeing you peg the Shredder in the face with a tomato sauce can may have been the best thing I have ever seen."

...

"You don't need to dumpster dive because we can get food that isn't from dumpsters!"

Pippi has posed:
    "I dunno, getting the robot with the kennel was super cool! Except the part where it electrocuted me. That wasn't so cool." Pippi states, though her tail gives a wag, pleased with the compliment. "Even if you were mad at me for getting captured at first, heh... I mean if you knew that Shredder was having Nemean watch me for signs that I'd caught your scent, which was weird in itself but I think Cody realized that after having fought me in the alleyway that I mighta been unwilling to hurt him much..." Pippi trails off, and then she blinks, and her ears pin back.

    "Maybe you can, but I can't! You have to use phones and computers and menus and I just use my nose and it's /free/ and people throw all sorts of food away!"

Alopex has posed:
    "We're your friends, Pippi, You can ask us to go get it and we will go get it and be happy to do it!" She protests though its with a smile. It was the way Pip lived before she met everyone, the fox figures there probably won't be any breaking of that habit very soon. "I wasn't mad, I was more concerned than anything else. When we showed up and you were able to free yourself while we dealt with Cody and the Family? Well, that was a moment that I'll remember with pride, not anger."

Pippi has posed:
    "... I could have freed myself at any time, but they would have followed me back." Pippi points out "... or... y'know, been just murderlated by a bunch of evil ninjas like in one of Michelangelo's video games..." Pippi points out, and then she draws her ears back.

    "You were mad. You had your special sword, an' you shouted when you came in, but I didn't go out alone, Donnie smokebombed to impress Ghost Spider who he said was a fox but I think maybe he was really tired or confused because she's obviously a humany-type mutant." Pippi's lips purse a moment.

    "An' it's not an issue of being my friends, Pex... you guys get busy, and you're all like super ninja-y types and I'm not. I just... y'know. Throw things really, really hard."

Alopex has posed:
    "Mad?" The fox has to think for a moment, then it dawns on her. ".. Pip. I wasn't mad at you. I was yelling at Nemean. I was furious with him after the time I talked with him, after the time Leonardo fought with him in the zoo. I had thought we got through to him and then he ended up setting a trap for us instead. I wasn't at all mad with you, I was mad at Cody..."

        Did.. she just say Donnie called Gwen a fox?

    Heh.. of course Pip wouldn't quite understand that. "That aside, you will get better. We all had a -lot- of training and you -just- started not too long ago. These things take time, Pippi. I don't expect you to be able to fight off an entire gang all by yourself. I just want to see you be able to defend yourself. Tonight, you actually hurt -Shredder-. Not everyone can say that. You not only wounded his face, you probably wounded his pride. And that? That is -very- hard to do."

Pippi has posed:
    "He wounded more than my pride in return." Pippi replies blandly to Alopex, her ears drawn back.

    "... I didn't want to fight before. I thought that I could go home, that I could find Nathan an' go home and go back to being what I was... and I thought that's what I wanted. More than anything, to go Home. Back to Nathan, and his mom and dad, and my old bed and the couch." Pippi's ears draw down. Her shoulders slack, and she sets her head on her arm.

    "I'm not smart, Pex, not like you, or Ghost or Donnie, but I heard stuff while patrolling. I mean, I get people don't like us 'cause we look weird, but there are people who wanna hurt Ghost Spider or the kid who could see my dee-en-ay because they're mutants too. An' that makes people on both sides afraid. An' I saw one night on the news in the Lair about giant metal people and how they hurt mutants." she purses her lips a moment.

    "Leo asked, way back on the docks that if my mutation could be reversed, if I'd do it."

    She turns her amber gaze to Alopex, and there's wheels turning there.

    "I... don't think I can go home if that means risking Nathan being hurt, but if I'm leaving people I could help out there, knowing I *can* help... that... goes against the whole honor thing, doesn't it?"

Alopex has posed:
    If only Pippi knew just how smart this sounded, despite her protests to the contrary. It's a good argument and one that Alopex isn't going to easily respond to. "I wish the world was more simple than it is, Pip. Unfortunately, it isn't. If everything was just good and bad, black and white, it'd make our jobs a lot easier. There are just people in the world that make judgements based on very little evidence. People that don't like mutants don't understand we have as much capacity to help as to harm. The people that built those machines? They don't understand either. And the problem with most people is they fear what they don't understand. If they're afraid of it? One of two things happen. They run, or they fight back."

    There's a pause, a breath, a sigh, "We help as many as we can, but sadly, we can't help everyone. I'm.. probably not the best person to talk about honor to, Pippi. Much as I try to abide by a personal code? I am, and cannot deny, being a traitor. I may have had good reasons to turn on the Foot Clan and the Shredder, but they are still the reason I can walk, talk, and be with you at this very moment. Without them, I'd just be a fox in Alaska. As smart as you see me, Pippi? I honestly can't answer everything, I can only offer up my view point, my advice, and my assistance. I will give all of that happily any time you want it. I'll help you with anything you want to do. In the end? Really? The best person to talk about honor here is probably Splinter. ... And maybe Leonardo too. But not me. "

Pippi has posed:
    "... but Leo or Splinter didn't find me. You did." Pippi points out quietly. Her tail wags. "And you left the bad guys to be a good guy, and you fight against them. You put yourself into danger to make sure me an' Cody got out of there. I'm not at the Lab right now, even though they changed me. They took me away from my home, an' I don't *think* I owe them for it." Pippi states quietly, and she gives a look up to Alopex, and she cracks a bright smile, a toothy smile. In spite of the pain she must be feeling from the wounds from The Shredder, the dog mutant still had hope, and absolute faith in the fox. No pressure, Alopex!

    "Besides, Leo and Splinter are taking care of Cody, who probably has tons of questions and a lot of stuff going on in his brain as they get him set up. An' he's going to need a lot of help." she breathes out, rubbing the back of her head again.

    "... still kinda wanna dye my hair pink though."

Alopex has posed:
    Well, that was unexpected! All this time she was trying to cheer Pippi up, and instead the tables are turned resulting in both of them feeling a little better? What kind of mental chess was this?! She isn't sure how to respond to any of it, other than truly beliving Pip was smarter than she realized. "Ah... that's rather kind of you too say, Pippi, thank you." She waasn't WRONG, after all.

    "Cody is going to have a lot to get used to, I think he'll need all of us for support. He helped us, we help him, it will be simple as that."

    "I think pink hair dye can be arranged."

Pippi has posed:
    "I can teach him best about his nose, but I think you have better hearing. But the guys are bulkier, so maybe they're best at movement stuff? And Mikey can teach him all the best videogames in the Lair! ... if... we're still welcome there."

    Pippi blinks.

    "I'll have to get Gutters the Bear from there."

Alopex has posed:
    Eh? "I brought Nemean here because I wanted to make sure whatever Shredder did to him is clear before even considering taking him to the Lair. I .. honestly think that will be Leonardo and Splinter's choice in the end. I can't imagine we'd be kicked out, Pip."

Pippi has posed:
    "I imagine that I'm going to get kicked out everyt ime I miss a chore. Or break the slurpee machine." Pippi comments, and then she gives a soft laugh, and leans back.

    "Ooog... dizzy." she mumbles, rubbing at her head.

Alopex has posed:
    "I assure you, that isn't something to get kicked out over." Blink. "Ah, alright, more rest then. I'll wander out and find us some food and it'll be waiting when you wake up again, okay? I know you don't have much of an appetite but is there anything you'd prefer?"

Pippi has posed:
    "Nnngg.. food." Pippi's tongue sticks out. "Tacos? Peirogies? Meatballs in barbeque sauce?"