Evacuating

Story started by Loaturtle00 ~1998

About this story: This is an AU story, where the TMNT (which I still don't own, BTW) are orphaned human kids living in an unstable Russia. It may have been based on a dream I had…but I'm not sure.

Chapter 1: Paper Run

Raphael was worn out. He had been following his brother, Leonardo, on his morning run around the block. The two of them usually didn't get along. It could have had something to do with the fact that the two of them weren't really brothers—they were just two orphaned boys who were adopted by a poor man in Russia, whom they called "Splinter", even though he was more like a father to them. Splinter also adopted their other two brothers, Michelangelo and Donatello.

Well, there were hard feelings between Leonardo and Raphael because Leo was almost ten while Raph and Donnie were still nine, and Mikey was eight. This made Leo feel "in charge" of them, which meant that he could sometimes be a bit bossy—like this particular time. He was ready to jog down to the newsstand down the block to get the morning paper at six that morning. Splinter suggested it as a task they could do together to give them more responsibility as the older brothers. Hopefully it would also be their time to talk, so they could get along as "teammates". He also knew there was a strength in numbers.

Leo was ready for his grown-up chore that morning. Raph wasn't. So Leo just told Raph to come anyway—dressed just as he was when he woke up. Unfortunately for Raph, he was still in his pajamas—old boxers and his undershirt. Oh well, in their neighborhood, not many people were out at six in the morning. But now, he lost Leo and he was too far from home.

He started to get scared now, because he heard an approaching car slow down behind him. Instinctively, he moved further away from the street.

"There you are, Raphael," a familiar voice said, "I was beginning to worry when Leonardo returned home without you."

"Leo made me come get the paper like this, Splinter," Raphael said to his father. "I really can't stand him."

"I know, my son." Splinter nodded, "Why don't you just get in with me? We'll talk about that later."

As he finished speaking, Raph ran around and claimed shotgun of the old jeep.

"Listen, Raphael," Splinter began, "I was going to visit a friend of mine who is very sick, and take breakfast to him. You may curl up in the blanket in the back and stay in the car, if you like; I shouldn't be long."

He soon pulled into a driveway and he and Raph got out of the car. Splinter took a basket of food out of the back while Raph crawled into the backseat and wrapped the blanket around him. Before he left, Splinter turned and kissed Raph on the forehead and said to him, "I love you very, very much, my son."

Once Splinter left, Raph fell asleep nestled in the backseat. He could have slept for over half an hour; for when he started waking up, Splinter was carrying him back into their apartment house. He could also sense that someone else was with them.