Summary: With the existence of mutants revealed, the world was suddenly swallowed in flames. No place was left untouched by the blaze and the lives of both humans and mutants alike spiralled into chaos. This was the life that tore the turtles apart when they were just tots, and it's the life they have to learn to survive in. But together, it will be the life they arise above to become...heroes.
Disclaimer: I do not own the turtles, nor do I have any rights with owning them. All rights belong to their respective owners.
Author's Notes: Thank you for the feedback so far; it's always nice to know that other people are enjoying the story as much as we enjoy writing it.
This chapter has been written by ThisCataylst'sPen.
-Watch Me Burn-
-Chapter One-
Inferno
"Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean."
-Maya Angelou
-Raphael-
He could hear them behind him, their loud footsteps crashing noisily through the thick brush that swamped the land. They were getting closer, their shouts echoing loudly in the air around him.
He was running out of breath, and the muscles in his legs were beginning to burn with the effort. A frustrated growl escaped through his clenched teeth as he propelled his arms harder, forcefully ignoring the aching pain that was developing rapidly in his sides. Those three weeks of being held prisoner on a ship sailing towards Russia on harsh seas had really taken a toll on his overall fitness. Three weeks of being locked in chains, barely able to move his limbs, and trying to survive on a diet of nothing but old fish.
Raphael dodged around a low-hanging branch, and jumped over an uprooted root, stumbling on the uneven ground. His body swayed as he tried to righten himself, finding it hard to move his large bulk agilely through the Dead Woods.
The Dead Woods was a sprawling twelve hectares of lifeless undergrowth and long-dead trees, their naked branches reaching out to claw at the grey sky above them. But despite the inert state of the woods, there was a lot of old undergrowth, fallen limbs, tangled vines, and gnarled stumps that were hardly a few miles from the border of New York City, there really wasn't any other direction to go but forward.
Raphael bit back a curse as an olive vine coiled around his arm and tangled him up. Growling in annoyance, Raphael ripped his arm free, swatting the offending vine away before continuing on once more at the harsh pace he had set.
The fire that was burning in his sides was quickly turning into an inferno. Gasping for breath and clutching his sides, Raphael dared a quick look behind him. He couldn't see any of the MEs', but he could still hear their shouts and approaching footsteps, though they sounded like they were getting further and further behind.
Guess they're having a hard time runnin' through here too, Raphael thought grimly to himself, looking around the mangled trees and scattered under-brush for a place to hide.
The MEs, or rather, 'Mutant Exterminators,' were a group of people, who Raphael believed had nothing better to do than hunt mutants for fun, capturing them and killing them like they were animals. Sometimes, if they caught a mutant, they would sell them on the Black Market for some cold hard cash. But most of the time they stuffed them and mounted them on their walls as trophies for the rest of the sick world to see.
A low embankment caught Raphael's eyes, a few metres off to his right. The embankment was surrounded on all four sides by long, scraggly grass, providing the perfect cover. Quickly, Raphael jumped over the embankment and landed in a pond of putrid mud and fetid water.
"Fuck," he swore, hacking up the foul water that he had accidentally swallowed. The water was cold, and slimy, and filled with unknown substances that Raphael didn't want to think about.
"I think he went this way! Come on!"
Raphael froze, his muscles tensing as he quickly held his breath, being careful not to make the slightest of movements or sounds.
"Let's look over here," a voice startlingly close to Raphael's hiding place called. The words were soon followed by footsteps, and the unmistakable sound of a rifle being loaded.
Knowing he was going to regret it, Raphael took a deep breath before immersing himself completely under the rancid water.
And he couldn't have done it a moment sooner. Three figures stepped over the embankment, looking down into the putrid water and scanning the surrounding scrub for any sign of Raphael. The three figures were blurry at best under the dirty water, but Raphael could just make out the various guns and hunting knives they had strapped to their person, glittering wickedly in the early morning light.
"I don't see im' Butch, maybe he done gone the other way," one of the figures said, shifting his gun back over his shoulder, scratching his head in confusion.
"Jack's right, there ain't nothin' over here. Alive anyway," the second figure said, spitting next to his foot.
"Well he can't of just vanished inta' thin air!" The third man cried, tossing his hands up in obvious exasperation.
"He must have backtracked off the trail," the one known as Jack said, absently scratching his unshaven beard.
"Alright, let's go look then."
Raphael waited a few seconds after they had disappeared from view, before breaking the surface, coughing up mouthfuls of dirty water as his aching lungs burned for oxygen. Taking deep breaths of the precious element, Raphael waited for his racing heartbeat to slow down before straining his ears for the slightest of sounds.
All was quiet except for the occasional chirp of a bird off in the distance, and the buzzing of a cicada. Sighing in relief, Raphael slowly pulled himself out of the rancid water, grimacing in disgust as mud and slime clung to his body.
"That's jus' gross," he muttered, the rank smell filling his nostrils.
Making sure he was truly alone, and no MEs were hiding in the nearby shrub, Raphael climbed back up the embankment, wiping off as much of the filth as he could on the long grass.
Straightening up, Raphael surveyed his surroundings with a frown. He was coming to the edge of the Dead Woods, which brought him close to New York City's border. Knowing there was nothing but more dead trees and smelly embankments behind him, Raphael realized that the only direction to go now was forward…even if it did bring him right to the middle of the mutant population…
Casting a glance up at the early morning sky, which was rapidly becoming brighter, Raphael knew that if he wanted to stay hidden, he would have to move now, whilst shadows were still being cast.
Running over to the tree line, Raphael concealed himself as best he could within the shadows, moving quickly and as silently as he could. He knew the MEs were still out there somewhere, and he didn't want to chance running into them again, especially now that someone could probably pick up his scent from a mile away.
Mumbling about stupid muddy pools and dirty water, Raphael continued along until he could see the first few buildings on the horizon. Letting out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, Raphael slowed his pace to a cautious walk, scanning his new surroundings carefully.
A few metres ahead of him, The Dead Woods ended completely, trailing off into nothing but vast, empty desert. He would have to travel at least three kilometres out in the open, where anyone could see him, with no cover whatsoever. Gritting his teeth in stubborn determination, Raphael decided it was a risk worth taking.
Taking one more cautious look around, Raphael stepped out of the tree cover, and out into the open. He was exhausted, his lungs burning for air and his muscles still screaming from his earlier sprint. But he knew he would have to keep running, hell he would have to sprint these three kilometres if he didn't want to get spotted. Steeling himself for his run, Raphael took off like a bullet, pumping his arms and legs furiously, and gnashing his teeth together against the fire that burned through his body.
He hadn't gone more than two hundred metres when Raphael realized it was a trap. Hidden under a layer of dirt was a thin loop of metal, which instantly tightened around Raphael's ankle as soon as he stepped in it.
Crying out in surprise and pain, Raphael stumbled, his right leg jarred from the sudden force around his ankle. Stumbling roughly into the dirt, Raphael twisted around and saw the glittering length of metal coiled around his foot. Snarling, he tried to tug his foot free, which only caused him to gasp in pain as the metal tightened.
"Well, well, well, lookie what we have here boys."
Raphael froze, eyes going wide as he slowly turned around to look up into the stern faces of four MPOs.
Shit, I'm done for, Raphael mentally swore, a snarl of frustration and defiance curling his lips.
The MPOs were a lot different to the MEs, and Raphael couldn't decide which of them were worse. The MPOs, 'Mutant Police Officials,' were like police men, only for mutants. Employed by the government, MPOs caught any unlicensed and unregistered mutants and brought them in to the Mutant Registration Office, which was a place where every single official document about every single mutant was kept. It was also a place where mutants were brought and sold like property to the highest bidder, used as slaves, or sometimes, even 'entertainment.'
"Looks like we caught ourselves a runaway," a tall man with a standard buzz cut sneered, looking down at Raphael with cold grey eyes, which were alight with mirth.
"Let's load him in the truck," the second man said, idly chewing on a piece of Tabaco.
"Touch me and you'll be sorry," Raphael growled, eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Who said anything about touching you?" Buzz-cut grinned. "Eddie?"
The one known as Eddie stepped forward with a smile, pulling a small black device from his pocket.
"What tha hell is that thing?" Raphael asked, eyeing the black device nervously. If it came from the pocket of an MPO it couldn't be good.
"What, this?" Eddie asked with a grin, holding up the small device for Raphael to see. "Just a new toy I've been playing with."
Before Raphael could say anything, Eddie pressed a small red button on the device with a soft click. Seconds later, agonizing pain swept over Raphael, engulfing his entire body within seconds.
"Arrgghhh!"Raphael screamed as the fiery hot pain danced across his skin. His muscles began to spasm and cramp, his vision turned blurry, and it felt like thousands of tiny needles were being dug into every inch of his skin.
"Get him into the truck," Buzz-cut said, jerking his thumb in the direction of the large black truck parked a few metres away.
"Will do, Boss," Eddie said, crouching down beside Raphael and producing a length of rope from his pockets. Grabbing Raphael's still spasming hands, he tied them together tightly, the rope biting harshly into his skin. Undoing the noose around his ankle, Eddie and one of the other MPOs grabbed him by the shell, none too lightly, and started dragging him towards the open compartment in the back of the truck, which Raphael could make out from this distance as being a large animal cage.
Raphael struggled in their hands, but the shock from the tazer had drained all his energy, and turned his limbs to jelly.
The MPOs grunted as they lifted him and tossed him without a second thought into the cage and slammed the door shut, leaving Raphael in darkness. The cage was too small; there was no room for him to move around in, let alone stand up. The cold metals bars dug painfully into his skin, and his wrists were already red and raw from the rope binding them together. Raphael knew it was pointless to try and break free of the cage. Resigning himself to the ride, Raphael sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the bars.
In the silence and shadows, Raphael's mind began to wonder, and before he knew it, he was lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of the truck.
Raphael snarled angrily at the thick band of metal that was clasped around his neck like a collar, labelling him as someone's 'pet.' He tried to fight back as he was dragged through the polished and sweeping hallways of his new home, three large guards dragging him by thick-coiled chains. The new house he was in was like one he had never seen before. The sprawling three story mansion sat on a comfortable twenty hectares of mowed green lawns and watered flowerbeds. The inside of the old-brickwork house was just as lavish as the gardens, if not more so. The walls were gilded with beautiful gold fixtures, and the polished white marbled floors gleamed from hours of cleaning. Family portraits and rich tapestries hung from the walls, and beautiful crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Large hand-made pots stood tall upon pedestals, overflowing with beautiful flowers of every colour and every sweet scent.
For a moment, Raphael felt bad about walking through the pristine house, being as dirty as he was, but then he realized that he didn't care. Whoever owned this house was going to be his new 'owner.'
With this thought Raphael tried to shake as much dirt and grime off himself as possible and onto the white-washed walls.
The sound of voices and high-heels clicking on the marble floor drifted down the hall, making Raphael stiffen.
A young woman, no older than thirty, came around the corner, dressed in an elegant black pant-suit, her long blonde hair straightened to perfection and cascading down her slim shoulders.
Raphael instantly disliked her.
"Oh, I suppose they have sent me a new one?" she asked, her voice holding a light Russian accent.
A smile twisted on her features – the kind that could cajole the strongest men into trusting her.
Then her sharp eyes turned to Raphael. "Yes," she purred, gracefully pulling strands of her hair back behind her ear. "Yes they have."
Raphael jerked awake, his chest heaving and sweat lightly clinging to his aching body. Shaking his head, Raphael rubbed his eyes fiercely to try and get rid of the images that still played there. The car had stopped, and the sound of the city filled Raphael's ears, making him shudder in repulsion.
He hated the city; hated everything about it and everyone in it.
The doors opened, and the ugly faces of the MPOs smirked down at him.
Raphael really hated them.
"Come on mutant, time to go to the Registration Office," Eddie said with a wink, grabbing Raphael roughly by the shell and pulling him out of the car.
"Hey, watch the shell," Raphael growled lowly, instinctively pulling away from the hands holding him.
Eddie scoffed as Buzz-cut came around his other side, grabbing Raphael's other side. Making sure that his hands were firmly restrained, they pushed Raphael forward, leading him towards a large building across the street.
People were quick to move out of the way once they saw Raphael, while others just stopped in the middle of the street and stared with open-mouthed amazement and horror. Raphael thought that it was just plain rude to stare, and angrily told anyone who got too close.
Raphael looked up at the building they were leading him to and felt a wave of terror seize him. If they took him in there, they could sell him to anyone for any purpose. And Raphael could not go through that again.
Making the decision, Raphael used all his strength to tear free from Eddie and Buzz-cut, dropping to the ground quickly and sweeping their feet out from beneath them. Hands still tightly bound, Raphael leapt over their fallen bodies and made a run for it. He knew he only had a matter of minutes before he would be pursued. No pedestrian would even think about trying to stop him, so repelled were they from his appearance.
Getting as far away from that awful building as possible, Raphael pushed through heavy crowds of people and ran across busy roads, jumping over any cars that came into his path. He thought he was doing a rather good job, and was just starting to believe that he had managed to lose the MPOs when a woman's terrified shriek stopped him in his tracks.
Turning around, Raphael saw what had caused the sudden cry. A small stroller with a child in it had rolled onto the road, right in front of an oncoming truck.
Something inside of Raphael stopped him from turning away. Granted, he hated humans with a passion but... he couldn't let this innocent child be killed... could he?
Pushing away all thoughts of escape, Raphael raced across the street towards the stroller, ignoring the cries of onlookers and car horns. The truck beeped its horn in warning, the driver inside knowing that there was no way he could stop in time or go around the stroller. At some stage during the rescue, the rope that had been binding his hands had snapped.
Years of running paid off as Raphael leapt at the stroller, picking up the small child inside and leaping out of the way, just as the truck swept by. Raphael felt the side of the truck clip his right arm, sending him hurtling painfully to the ground. His arm throbbed with pain, and Raphael was sure that he had broken it. Trying to ignore it, he got slowly to his feet, the child held safely in his arms.
Cautiously walking over to the stunned mother and bewildered onlookers, Raphael handed the child to its mother.
"Here," he muttered, stepping back quickly once the child was removed from his hold.
"Oh, my baby! What have you done to my baby!" the mother cried hysterically, holding the child protectively to her chest, trying to shield it from Raphael.
"The baby's fine," Raphael growled, hurt and confused by the woman's actions.
A large group of people had crowded around, and Raphael noticed that they didn't look happy.
"Dirty mutant!"
"Filth!"
"You're just a freak"
The angry cries made Raphael flinch. Clenching his fists together, he looked around desperately for an escape, the shouted words hurting him more than he cared to admit.
Through the crowd and swell of raised voices, Raphael's eyes briefly caught those of a woman, who, unlike everyone else, wasn't shouting. She stood at the back of the crowd, an unusual expression on her face, almost like she felt sorry for him. Her vibrant red hair stood out from the rest of the crowd, and when the sun shone on it, it almost seemed like it was on fire.
As the crowd moved in closer around Raphael, the woman pushed her way to the front of the crowd and suddenly stepped in front of him, like she was trying to shield him.
"Can't you see, he was just trying to help!" the woman shouted angrily and in disgust. "You, he was just trying to help you!"
"You're just a filthy freak!"
Raphael growled and stepped forward at the insult, but a sharp, stinging pain in his cheek made him stop. Raphael looked down at the shattered bottle at his feet, holding a hand up against his bleeding face. He could taste blood on his lips, and droplets fell into his eye, blinding him momentarily.
Rough hands grabbed him once more, and pulled his hands roughly behind his shell. The angry faces of Eddie and Buzz-cut sneered at him as a group of MPOs surrounded him, guns aimed straight at his head.
Raphael sagged into their arms, allowing them to drag him away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the woman watching him, and for a moment, thought that she was going to step in and stop them.
Author's Notes: I hope this chapter proved to be a little more interesting, and I hope that you gained a little insight on our red-wearing turtle.
Thank you for reading. Reviews and feedback would be greatly appreciated; I'd love to hear what you think about this thus far :)
Until the next time,
~Cat, Rebel, Aetas
