A/N: Dun Dun Dun! PF is back again! (comes running into view) Hi all! Long time no see! Well it's here! The long awaited sequel to Blind Leap of Faith! Just a warning, Daredevil is in this one and it is a cross over, but if you have never seen the movie all you need to do is go to the store and look at the DVD cover. I promise you I'll take care of everything else you need to know. I'm not doing A/N notes between chapters (yes I'm going to be a good girl and follow the rules.) If you have a question you can review and I'll reply. Thanks for reading and please review! It makes me feel special. Oh and I know I really need a Beta reader so if anyone would like the job please tell me... I could really use the help. Thanks
Disclaimer: I don't own it! Please don't shoot! (Slowly puts down the right to TMNT) I didn't mean to! I swear!
Darkness reigned in the house. The refrigerator hummed softly creating a quite harmony with the buzzing light above the kitchen sink. Klunk slept in a tight ball on one of the kitchen chairs, waiting for a tired turtle to come and wake him rudely by attempting to sit on him.
Don laid in his bed in a peaceful slumber. One hand above his head while the other rested on his stomach. His eyes fluttered open. He laid with a puzzled expression on his face for a few moments before he rolled over and felt around for a pencil and paper. He wrote something down, let the pencil drop to the floor, and promptly entered back into the land of sleep.
Mike slept with his blanket tucked up over his shoulder. Partially on his side, partially on his stomach, he tucked his knees up to his chest. An old ragged teddy bear was encircled by his muscular arms. A quiet half snore escaped from his mouth at each in take of air. In his sleep he readjusted his hold on his bear, hugging it closer to him.
Raph laid on his back in his hammock. One leg and both arms spilled over the edge. His pillow had escaped from under his head and had found its way to his stomach. His face was set in a silent grimace. His snout was crinkled a little and his mouth twisted in a frown. His fingers and calves twitched involuntarily as he dreamed of something his mind had conjured up. The twitching in his fingers became more violent and his breathing became more rapid as his dream intensified. His snout scrunched up even more and his frown turned into barred teeth.
Things surrounded him, preventing him from moving, from fighting. They just stood there, blocking the way, doing nothing but standing there, preventing him from helping his brothers. They were fighting and they needed his help. The screamed as they gave in to the forces they were fighting so hard against. They were being defeated. The needed his help!
Raph snapped awake with a start. He shot up in his hammock and gasped for breath. Darkness enveloped him. He rubbed at his sweat dampened face as he tried to regulate his racing heart. Taking a long breath, he rocked his head back towards the ceiling.
He tuned in to his music playing softly from his stereo. The deep bass tones of the night DJ were barely audible but it was still there.
Raph moved his head, looking to the opposite side of the room, a dark grey glow was all that penetrated the darkness. It was just a grey spot, the color of steel in the middle. It grew darker as it stretched outward, attempting to penetrate the darkness that was Raph's world.
That grey spot meant a lot to Raphael. He continued to stare at it as he heard the DJ put another song on. That grey spot was all that kept Raph sane sometimes. It was all that was left of his sight. When the lights in the Lair were on it was bigger, turning his dark abyss into a scene of varying shades of grey, but at night it shrank to the size of the small spot on the other side of the wall.
Ever since Raph had gotten some of his sight back he had slept with that nightlight. The darkness was too over whelming with out it. All he needed to make his world bearable was one spot of grey. Just one spot could make it better. When on the off chance that more spots presented themselves it was almost like he was normal again.
Don didn't think so, Don had though that the surgery that Kevin had preformed was a failure. Raph was still legally blind and to Don, that wasn't a successful surgery. To Raph the shades of gray were the difference between night and day. He still couldn't see worth crap but to see a pewter colored blob where a person should be was a miracle for the turtle who thought he would never see again. It was his only connection to the outside world, the world that is, that was sighted.
Raph heaved himself out of his hammock. He tied on his bandanna, put on his belt, and felt his way to the door. One arm passed back and forth in front of his face, protecting his head. The other moved opposite, protecting his torso and warning him of any obstacles. He hardly ever used this method of walking anymore. He found it embarrassing to grope around with his hands out in front of him. In the morning though, when he was tired and he wasn't thinking clearly, he would run into things, so he kept his hands out before him until he got out of his room and into more open space. Then he would use the walls to help keep himself straight as he made his way towards his destination and keep himself from tripping over his own feet in his weariness.
Raph made his way down the stairs. He was wide awake after that nightmare. There was no way he'd be able to get himself back to sleep. After he went blind the nightmares started up. They bothered him a great deal, the feelings of uselessness. They were only thoughts that dwelled in his dreams anymore, but sometimes they'd escape into his conscious mind and it frustrated him to no end.
Raph entered the living room and found his bo staff. He entered the elevator to go topside for a bit. He needed some time to get out and think.
Leonardo paced back and forth in the living room of their humble abode. The tv blared somewhere in the background of his mind. Mikey was killing brain cells in front of the tube.
Leo was too angry to sit down and watch hours of mindless TV with him. He could kill Raphael right now. Through all these years, all they had been through, Leo thought Raph would have learned by now. Raph was Raph though and he would always be Raph. Leo forced himself to calm down as the elevator doors opened and Raph stepped out.
"You're going to end up killing someone Raph."
Raph took off his gloves and leather biking jacket and headed towards his room.
"Relax Leo. It's not like I'm ridin' in Times Square."
"What happens whenever a kid steps out in front of you? What happens when you make a wrong turn and ride yourself into a wall?"
"Leo, those streets are deserted. They have always been deserted. The only thing that goes on there is drug deals, and I count alleyways just like when I'm hopping roofs."
Leo threw up his hands.
"Raph, riding the shell cycle blind is just plain stupid."
Raph snorted and took a step towards Leo, his voice raising slightly.
"It's not like I can turn it off and on Leo!"
Mikey poked his head up from the couch, Hey guys come check this!"
"Not now Mike." Raph growled.
Mike turned up the volume on the TV so Leo and Raph could hear it from where they stood.
"On Brown Road, a Cheerio truck was ambushed."
"You're interrupting us for a Cheerio truck Mike?" Leo moved around the wall preventing him from seeing the TV. "Oh. That's bad."
Raph put his stuff down and follow Leo over to the TV.
"What?"
"Now we go live to the scene where our very own Tiffany Wells is interviewing the driver of the truck." The TV news reporter continued to ramble.
"It was big." The driver's voice was shaky. Raph could tell he was startled. "Almost as big as the truck probably,. all green and furry. It stood up and rammed right into the truck! I tried to stop but didn't have enough time."
Mikey stood up. "That's Cokey! I know it was!"
"What?" It had been years since the boys had last seen the green man that Mikey had helped to raise. After they left the farmhouse Mikey had let her free. Every time they returned Mike would look for her but no sign of her was ever found.
"Cokey, she attacked a Cheerio truck. The driver saw her. They're going to be looking for her. I have to go up and help her."
"Relax Mike. I'm sure she'll be fine. She stayed hidden all these years. She's a smart animal. She'll be alright."
Mike turned back to the TV, a not so convinced worried expression on his face.
"Could this be the legendary Bigfoot? Do we now have a sasquatch in New York? Whose to say? Back to you Debby."
Mikey let out a whimper. "Old angry farmers in dirty overalls with pitchforks are going to go rampaging through the woods in mad riots in the dead of night with torches looking for Cokey."
Raph rolled his eyes, a rather odd sight to behold since his pupils were always unfocussed and the act always looked clumsy. "Honestly Mike, it's not that big a deal, now if you'll excuse me. I have to go clean up."
Leo put a hand out to stop Raph, a moot movement since Raph couldn't see it.
"Don't go anywhere. I still need to talk to you."
Raph sighed and turned around throwing his hands up in the air.
"Leo, there's nothing to talk about. I'm riding and that's that. It ain't your choice!"
"You're going to get someone killed, probably yourself!"
"I'm fine Leo! Shell you're so stupid."
Leo caught movement in the corner of his eye. It was Mikey. He was headed for the elevator.
"Mike you can't just go by yourself."
"Relax Leo. Cokey's like a sister or something. I'm just going to go up and make sure she's alright. I'll be gone a few days, tops."
Leo turned back to Raph but he was already gone. He gave a loud exasperated sigh. "Raph."
The elevator doors clicked closed and Leo whipped back around. Mike was gone too. Leo threw his hands up in the air. "It's just not my day." He muttered as he ran off to Raph's room.
Leo stepped in the doorway and found Raph putting away his leather jacket and helmet.
His room was a far cry from what it had been years ago. It wasn't exactly clean but there was a method to the mess. There were more drawers that Don and Raph had built together that lined the walls. Less piles of random things laid around the room although there were still some. Raph had learned the hard way that if he threw things around his room he would never find them again and would have to call one of his brothers to help him find the lost item. After awhile Raph started a system so he could find his stuff without help. His weights and punching bag were over in the corner of the room.
His Braille book was on top of his dresser and his topside cloths, riding gear, and winter outfit all had a different drawer in his dresser.
Raph threw his helmet in the bottom drawer next to his jacket and slammed the drawer shut.
"Leo! Would you just leave me the shell alone!"
Raph's hearing became overly sensitive since he went blind. Even the TV being turned on and the sound turned off bugged the heck out of him. He said there was a high pitched whine he could hear when it was on, but Splinter was the only other one who could ever hear it. When he wanted to, Raph could identify any member of his family simply from their breathing patterns. Leo's was the first for him to recognize. He breathed through his mouth normally. Long, deep, controlled breaths that sounded like a breeze blowing past the mouth of a cave. Splinter's was next. It was about as deep as Leo's but with a bit of a rasp. Don and Mike were the hardest to tell apart. They both breathed in a continuous cycle with no pause in between each breath, a slow in and out through the nose. Mikey breathed slightly faster than Don normally, purely because he was always up, about, and alert to what was going on. Donny's breathing was slower because he zoned out more often.
"I'm not leaving you alone until you stop riding your motorcycle through the city!"
Leo started too get angry.
"Fine then!" Raph moved toward the door which Leo blocked.
"Where are you going?" Leo's voice blocking the doorway caused Raph to stop.
"Out." Raph pushed his shoulder against Leo's causing Leo to step out of the way.
"You just were out." Leo reasoned as he followed Raph out to the sewer access door.
"Well I'm going out again." He pulled on the lever to open the access door. In one smooth motion he grabbed his Bo from near the door and slipped it into it's holder on his back.
The bo served a duel purpose. Not only was it a bo, it was all so Raph's own personal white cane. He had made it himself when they were at the farm. It was a black cherry wood, the wood being dark red in color, stained black with red leather stained wrappings both on the end and in the middle. In his free time Raph had carved Japanese symbols into the wood, letting the dark red cherry colored wood show through, contrasting starkly with the black finish. Raph hardly ever used the bo in battle. It was more of a white cane than anything else although he refused to admit it.
He had stopped using it in the Lair long ago. Once he knew his way around and pummeled Mike a few times for leaving his things lay about where Raph could trip on them.
Leo sighed and turned back inside the Lair. There was no use in keeping Raph from going out. At least he wasn't taking his shell cycle this time. Leo slumped on the couch and resigned to turning on the TV. Two brothers gone, one to North Hampton to search for his pet, the other to who knows where to blow off steam.
Raph had changed a lot since he went blind. He was more careful and deliberate but one thing was for sure, Raph still had that temper he was famous for.
Raphael closed his eyes and breathed in the heavy scent of rain. It wasn't here yet, but it would be coming. He could taste it. He'd better get back inside before the downpour. Reptilian blood and clammy skin never mixed and normally resulted in colds.
Raph pushed the idea out of his head though. He was still angry at Leo and if he went back to the Lair when he was angry Leo and him would only fight more.
Raph crouched in the shadows of the corner of a building. He had to be more careful when he went topside now. If someone saw him he would never even know. He was lucky he was allowed to go topside by himself at all.
A child like scream from a few alleys away snapped Raph out of his thoughts. Raph jumped up and ran in that direction staying low and holding his bo in the middle, horizontal to the ground like an Indian carrying a spear.
These rooftops were his home. He knew exactly where to step and how to move to avoid everything on the rooftops. He pole vaulted, jumped, and hopped across rooftops straight to the alley the scream had originated from. He crouched down and listened carefully to the commotion below.
The good thing about most thugs was that they taunted their victims and allowed Raph to pinpoint them with deadly precision. He counted three voices laughing at a girl, a young girl. They always went after the girls. Raph clenched his fists in anger, but continued to listen. Three was too small a group. It was always one, two, or a whole gang of six or seven. The other ones probably weren't talking. Raph moved quickly from the roof to the fire escape leading down into the alley. He landed softly on the top landing and listened again.
The girl wasn't crying. She was probably too young to understand. Raph listened carefully as the thugs drew closer to her. He blocked out the voices though, listening for something deeper, footsteps. Most of the gang members wore heavy boots and stomped when they walked. The sounds bounced off the alley walls, not only telling Raph how many there were, but how far into the alley they were.
Don had helped him master this particular technique not too long ago. They would take trips at night to different places in the city. The docks, the warehouse where the Battle Shell was, a deserted playground, but most often they'd go to the alleys. Don would make a sound and Raph would tell him how far away he was. Sometimes he'd kick a can. Sometimes he'd just hit a pipe. Footsteps were the easiest though. When they kept moving around, the pitches they created helped Raph to get a lock on a person better than something being dropped. Boots weren't as easy to hear as penny loafers or dress shoes, but they worked just the same.
"It's alright kid. We just wanna play a game." The lead thug's voice caused Raph's head to snap up. The girl wasn't moving. She was probably paralyzed in fear.
"Yeah, a game." Another one mimicked.
One of the others chuckled.
Raph growled as he drew his sai and leapt from the fire escape. He had had enough.
Matt wondered about on the rooftops of New York. It was unfamiliar territory for him and he felt a little insecure. His friend had shown him around, but Matt still held his white cane close. It was more of a weapon than a white cane but a blind man walking down the street alone unaided would raise questions, so Matt used the cane all the time.
It was an interesting tool to say the least. The cane collapsed inside its own handle to create a baton. The shiny, dark, mahogany colored wood was topped with a silver claw like top. When the top was turned, two hooks shot out and it turned into a grappling hook. When the baton was pulled and twisted it broke into a nunchaku.
Matt had the actual white cane extended now as he picked his way across the roof, which was unusual for him when he was out at night. He was only in town for awhile. He had a job to do though and even though the territory wasn't familiar, that wasn't going to stop him. Matt Murdock was Daredevil. Dressed in his shining red leather, he made his way across the rooftops. He was told that crime in this part of the city was particularly bad. A scream rang out, bouncing off the surrounding buildings and allowing Daredevil to pinpoint exactly where it had come from. Two blocks away, on the street or maybe an alley. He didn't waste any time. Folding up his cane into a baton, he shoved the weapon into a strap on his thigh and took off. It was only a second before he was over top the alley, taking stock of the situation. He perched on the roof edge, his head ducked as he listened to the scene before him. Five people on one side of the alley, men. A child on the other end of the alley, a scared little girl. He could almost feel her heart racing as he heard it pound in his overly sensitive ears. There was something on the fire escape across from him. The heartbeat was odd though, it sounded hallow, like an echo going through a tunnel. The breathing was slow, controlled. He was hiding. Daredevil would take care of him later.
"Yeah a game." Daredevil clenched his jaw and slowly reached for his baton, gripping it in his leather encased fingers.
"We won't tell if you don't." Another thug chuckled.
Daredevil picked up a low growl from the fire escape across from him and the hiss of metal being unsheathed, a sword maybe? The figure jumped from the fire escape into the alley below. Daredevil pulled out his baton and broke it into a nunchaku. He gave it a test swing before jumping down to the alley floor as well.
Raph landed in the alley in a crouch right in front of the little girl. He probably had scared her, but that was alright as long as she stayed still. The hardest thing about fighting blind was making sure that the victim didn't get hurt. The second hardest thing was not letting your opponent know you were blind. Raph squinted his eyes in a glare. If he moved fast enough the thugs wouldn't even know what to think. Listening carefully to where the little girl was, he dove into two of the thugs. A punch to the face dispatched one while a kick in the gut caused another to drop to his knees. Raph heard two run from the alley. He stopped and spun his sai, grinning a Raph like grin. The man was sputtering, he was scared out of his mind. Raph was about to knock him out when he heard a 'woosh' of air from behind him. The child screamed and Raph spun around. Her voice had moved. Someone had her.
Daredevil jumped off the roof and right next to the kid. She was the most important. He had to save her first. He grabbed her and went to dash out of the alley, but the shadow who had jumped from the fire escape turned on him. Something came at his head and he ducked. In one quick movement he moved the child to the corner of the alley and blocked a strike from the shadow attacker.
Raph sheathed his sai. He couldn't afford to hit the kid. He moved a quick side step to his right and tried for a roundhouse kick to the thug's back. The thug blocked it with a bo, nunchaku, or maybe a jo staff. Raph tried for an elbow to the face and was rewarded with a grunt. He didn't hit his face though. He had hit his upper back. The man was probably six foot or so, and what the shell was he wearing?
"Cindy? Cindy!" An obviously distraught mother called out on the street side of the alley. Footsteps could be heard as she rushed towards her daughter. Daredevil moved to get himself between the mother and the shadow attacker. It was fine for the mother to take her kid but he didn't want her hurt in the process.
Raph had also heard the footsteps. He felt the wind move and knew that the last attacker was moving for the kid again. Raph briefly allowed himself to wonder where this last attacker had come from. There had been five thugs. This one was number six. He swept his feet out from under him and grabbed a hold of one of his ankles. He swung him around to the other side of the alley, slamming him into a dumpster.
"Mommy!" At the sight of her mom the kid seemed to come out of her trance and began to cry. The mother swept her up and carried her out of the alley, both sobbing.
"So you like to torment kids huh?" The last attacker had moved out of his weapons range and Raph tried to provoke him to talk so he could get a lock on him. The rain Raph knew would be coming started to threaten. Thunderclouds rumbled above, making it hard for Raph to hear. This fight had to be finished quickly.
"What are you? A lackey? They didn't think you were good enough to get some so they made you stand watch?" Daredevil taunted back.
Raph straightened up some out of his fighting stance in confusion.
"What?"
His lack in focus cost him as it always did. A strike to the chest sent him across the alley way and into a wall. He winced as he felt the wall crumble a bit on impact. It only took another second for Raph to put two and two together.
"Wait!" He barely dodged a blow meant to screw up his face. "I don't think we should be fighting each other!" Daredevil landed another hit to the side of Raph's head. Raph lost track of him completely when a lighting bolt ripped through the sky followed by the loud crack of thunder. The ruckus covered any noise the last attacker could possibly make. Raph went from offense to completely defense once he realized this last attacker wasn't an attacker at all but possibly another vigilante. "Will you just wait a minute?" Raph yelled as he blocked a mad series of punches aimed for his head and upper torso.
The thunder rolled again as large fat rain drops started to fall from the sky.
Daredevil didn't even hear Raph's growls of protest. He was so overcome by fury. Thugs made him mad, especially, child raping thugs.
The rain drops falling didn't even register until they became heavier. The sounds of rain drops falling on the ground and other objects bounced off objects. All the miniscule water droplets and the sounds they created enabled Daredevil to almost see things with his super sensitive hearing. As the rain grew heavier the image before him grew clearer. A round head appeared first. Then arms crossed in an 'x' covering the face appeared. Three thick fingers were on each hand. A hard disk like shape rested behind the neck and six square plates protected the chest and stomach. The figure was seated where he had fallen when Daredevil had started really laying it on. He raised his head slightly when the onslaught stopped suddenly. A round face without a nose and bearing a wide mouth greeted him. Soft cloth covered his eyes in the form of a bandanna. Daredevil backed away from him a step.
"What the hell are you?" The odd heartbeat of the shadow attacker echoed in his ears.
Raph heaved himself up off the alley floor slowly. "Not a pedophile." He muttered as he brushed crude off himself. "I think we need to talk."
"That would be an understatement." Daredevil continued to stare at the thing before him. "Are you some sort of alien or something?"
Raph stopped trying to clean himself off and looked up. "We've been fighting for how long and you just noticed? I'm a turtle." Raph corrected. "Come on. Let's get outta here. The cops are gonna be here any minute." Raph sprang for the fire escape and Daredevil followed. They reached the roof and Raph pulled out his bo staff. This particular rooftop housed a good number of the neighborhood pigeons. Raph needed his bo to avoid stepping on any of the birds.
Daredevil converted his jo staff back into a white cane. Raph started out across the roof, tapping his cane from right to left. Daredevil followed but he only made it two paces before Raph turned on him.
"Who the hell are you?" Raph growled. All he had heard was the 'shing' of Daredevil's white cane as it unfolded. He had thought it was a sword but when he went to swipe the weapon from his hand Daredevil gave his white cane a twirl, moving with Raph's swipe and back around so the weapon was in front of him again, protecting his torso. Raph tried for a careless over head strike and Daredevil caught it with his cane. Raph's confusion only grew when his bo struck another bo.
Daredevil tried to sort things out as he stood with his bo above his head. This shadow attacker mutant turtle hadn't actually looked directly at him since the rain had started to fall, and when they got on the roof he had used his stick to sweep in front of him, tapping right and left to confirm that the path was clear.
"You're blind?" Daredevil's voice was something between a question and a statement.
Raph pushed the bottom of his bo forward slamming the end into Daredevil's ribs.
Daredevil doubled over, the air forced from his lungs. Before he could react, Raph swept Daredevil's feet from under him. He jumped on Daredevil's chest and went for a choke with his bo. Daredevil got his hands on Raph's bo, pushing up only slightly released the pressure on his throat.
"Yeah, what's it to ya?" Raph growled.
Daredevil still couldn't seem to get adequate air into his lungs and he coughed and choked as he answered.
"Me too."
"Blind?" Raph lightened up the pressure he had on his bo slightly.
Daredevil nodded.
"My name's Daredevil."
Raph laughed and shook his head.
"You've got to be shitting me." Raph released his hold on his bo and offered Daredevil a hand up. "That is seriously the lamest excuse I have ever heard."
Daredevil took the offered hand up.
"Now if I pick up my cane are you going to attack me again?"
"Depends on whether you come at me with it or not."
"Well I didn't in the first place so you don't have to worry about that."
"Daredevil" Raph muttered to himself with a snort and a bit of a laugh as he shook his head. "So why were you in that alley?"
Daredevil shrugged. "Probably the same reason you were."
Raph stayed quiet for awhile before he snorted again. "So you're in the whole get up? The red costume, the horns, everything?"
"Last time I checked it wasn't a get up, and who walks around in a big turtle costume anyway?"
Daredevil had decided the mutant like creature was probably just a human in disguise.
"You'd be surprised." Raph muttered.
They fell silent as they crossed the rooftops. Raph considered getting in out of the rain but this new vigilante intrigued him too much. He'd probably be sick by tomorrow.
"So how did it happen?"
"Huh?" Raph shook his head and tried to pay more attention.
"You're blindness, how'd it happen?"
"Oh, flash bomb to the face three years ago plus bad retinas and a lot of hits to the head."
Daredevil grunted.
Raph listened to the rhythmic tapping of Daredevil's cane moving back and forth. He had stopped using his bo after he got back into familiar territory. He tapped the handle of Daredevil's cane with a free hand.
"I thought you didn't need that when it rains."
"This isn't exactly my territory and I'm still trying to get my bearings." Daredevil explained.
"Well come on." Raph jumped on to an AC unit.
"Wait! Where are you going?"
"You want to get to know the city right?"
"Yeah," Daredevil responded slowly, a bit of skepticism in his voice. Raph grinned.
"Well there ain't nobody that knows the city better than me."
Raph took two steps and launched himself off the air vent, with an artful somersault in the air, he twisted and landed on the next roof sprinting.
Daredevil shrugged before hopping on the same unit and following after Raph.
