Casey Jones followed the loud stream of cuss words that lead to an apartment he was all too familiar with, sighing he fished through his pockets until he found his copy of the apartment key. Once inside the large suite he kicked his shoes off and threw his backpack off to the side hearing it land with a thump. Running a hand through his shoulder length black hair Casey made his way to where he knew all the commotion was coming from, the small gym that was inside the suite. And sure enough that was where he found the man he was looking for beating a practice dummy beyond repair.
The man had red hair that was usually worn in a spiky style but know stuck to his face with sweat. He paused a brief moment to quickly wipe sweat away from his anger filled hazel eyes than began beating the practice dummy again. This was none other than Raphael Wyatt, a top agent who works for the Agency and the man Casey owed his life too.
"Geez Raph! Take it easy! The equipment wasn't built to handle this kind of abuse" Casey teased from where he was leaning against the door frame.
"Then how bout ya come spar with me?!" Raph spat at Casey irritably. He just wanted to be alone!
"Nah I'll pass. I like living" Casey answered with a chuckle and walked into the room towards the mini fridge that sat in the corner and pulled out a water bottle.
"Why are ya here Casey?" Raph asked as he easily caught the water bottle that was thrown at him.
"The Agency called. Said they couldn't get a hold of ya and asked me ta come find ya" he said as he pulled out another water bottle for himself.
"What the hell do they want?" Raph finally said after several long moments.
"Something about you joining a new team they're puttin together. Said either you go to The Agency ta talk with 'em or they'll come here" Casey informed Raph, who had joined him leaning against the wall.
"I'm on suspension. So why are they askin me ta join?" Raph asked half to himself and half to his best friend.
Casey shrugged, "Redemption? You ain't a bad agent Raph, ya just got a bad temper" Raph simply nodded.
"Anyways. That's all I came ta say. I gotta get downtown. Some kind of deal is happening with the Purple Dragons and if ya wanna know what's happening than I need ta go get the info." Casey said and pushed himself off the wall, heading for the door.
"Yeah. Be careful out there Casey and try not ta do anything too stupid." Raph said following him to the door.
"Sure. Catch ya later" With that Raph was once again left alone in his large apartment.
Raph debated heading back into his personal gym and destroying a few more practice dummies but eventually deciding against it. Instead he headed off to the bathroom to take a shower. He pulled off his sweat drenched muscle shirt, revealing his hard earned 6-pack, and tossing it in the clothes hamper, his sweatpants and boxers following. Raph stood in the shower letting the warm water relax his muscles.
The Agency had requeted him to join a new team. It was something he was having a hard time processing, he was on a two month suspension after all. He already knew his answer, no. Raph did not want a new team. He already had one, and even if they didn't take him back after his last screw up he would still turn down the offer of a new team.
Raph turned the water off and stepped out, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist. He was headed to his bedroom when the doorbell rang, mumbling under his breath he changed course and headed to the door.
"Yeah?" He asked as he opened the door and came face to face with none other than Yoshi Hamato himself, as well as Agent Lovett, "Agent Lovett, Sensei. I was just getting ready ta head down ta the Agency and talk with ya but since yer already here come on in"
"Thank you Raphael" Yoshi accepted the invitation and entred the apartment, his right hand man, Agent Lovett, close behind him.
"'Scuse me a sec while I go change" Raph excused himself and hurried to his room. He quickly pulled on a pair of stylishly ripped jeans and a dark red muscle shirt before heading back to the living room where his guest waited.
"I assume you know why we are here" Yoshi got right to the point from where he was seated on the couch.
Raph nodded, "Yeah. Casey was here a little over a half hour ago"
"Good. The team you will be joining, if you agree, will consist of 3 other members. As of right now we have one confirmed member. And not counting yourself one potential member" Yoshi infoRmed the young adult, ignoring the look Lovett sent him at the mention of another potential member.
"I decline" Raph told the head agent, "I already got a team"
"And they will get along just fine without you. This new team will need someone who knows and understands what it's like to work as a unit" Lovett argued from where he stood near the window.
"You're telling me that this team ya plan on puttin me on will consist of agents who have never worked on a team before? Even more reason for me ta decline" Raph fixed Lovett with a glare before focusing his attention back to his Sensei.
"Just because they have never worked on a team does not mean they are inexperienced, Raphael" Yoshi lectured him.
"Yeah yeah sure" Raph mumbled quietly
"Not to mention that by the time you are allowed back on the field, you're previous team will have received a new member and you would no longer have a place on the team." Lovett stated a bit harshly and Raph clenched his fist tightly fighting the urge to punch the ranking agent in the throat.
"This is the best option for you if you wish to continue in the same field of work you are currently in" Yoshi told him, standing and walking over to where Raph stood.
Raph sighed and ran a hand through his still damp hair. He was about to say something when his phone began ringing, pulling it out of his back pocket he checked who was calling. It wasn't a number he had saved into his phone but it did look familiar.
"Do ya mind if I take this real quick?" Raph asked his Sensei not wanting to be rude.
"Not at all" Yoshi said and reclaimed his spot on the couch.
"Hello?" Raph answered the phone.
"Yes, is this Raphael Wyatt?" A very professional sounding voice said from the other line.
"Depends who's asking." Raph told the man with slight suspicion in his voice.
"This is Doctor Mathew Carter from the New York City Hospital. I have a man by the name Arnold Bernid "Casey" Jones in my care and you are the only number listed under emergency contacts on his documents." The man informed Raph, who had stiffened at learning his friend was in the hospital.
"What happened!?" Raph demanded cutting off whatever the doctor was saying and drawing the attention of his two guest.
"He was shot in the right shoulder. It is nothing life threatening and he will make a full recovery" Dr. Carter tried assure Raph who had heard nothin past 'shot in the right shoulder.'
Letting out an angry growl he hung up the phone and turned to his Sensei, "If I join this team when is the soonest I will be allowed back on the field?"
"If things go as planned, two weeks" Yoshi answered without hesitation but concern was obvious in his warm brown eyes.
Raph clenched his fist, two weeks was better than two months, "Fine I'm in" he said as he grabbed the keys to his motorcycle and helmet.
Without even excusing himself Raph was out the door and running down the apartment stairs towards his motorcycle. He quickly started his bike and was soon speeding towards the hospital where his best friend lay bloodied and broken.
It took Raph only 10 minutes to reach the hospital despite it usually being a 20 minute ride. He raced inside and straight towards the nurse at the front desk, "Raphael Wyatt here ta see Casey Jones" he said as calmly as he could manage.
"It will be a bit of a wait" the nurse said with a sympathetic smile after a few moments of typing on the computer, "He is currently in surgery. You are more than welcome to wait in the waiting room and we will let you know when you can see him" Raph nodded stiffly and did as the nurse suggested.
He had no idea how long he sat there but it felt like eternity to the hot-headed agent before a middle aged doctor approached him.
"Are you Raphael Wyatt?" the doctor asked and Raph recognized the voice as the same man from the phone. He simply nodded, not trusting himself to speak without going on a rampage, "I am Doctor Carter, we spoke on the phone earlier today. Your friend is out of surgery and in recovery if you wish to see him. Usually we don't allow visitors so late in the day, but for something like this we can make an exception" again Raph only nodded and followed the doctor to the room Casey occupied.
Raphael never once thought Casey weak in anyway, but seeing him laying in the hospital bed with monitors surrounding him and an IV in his arm Raph couldn't help but think if how vulnerable his best friend looked.
Doctor Carter excused himself and Raph was left alone, sighing he pulled a chair from the wall and spaced it at the edge of Casey's bed, "I told ya not ta do anything stupid ya numbskull" He said quietly, he was surprised to hear a soft chuckle come from the supposed to be unconscious man.
"Not like I went and got shot on purpose" Casey told him, his voice laced heavily with sleep.
Relief rushed through Raph at the sound of his friends voice, though he would never admit to Casey how scared he had been for him.
"You know, I had to leave my meetin with Sensei and Lovett to come check on your ass" he said filling the silence that had settled between the two.
"Yeah? Did ya accept the offer?" Casey asked turning his sleepy gaze towards the red head.
"I almost didn't but than-" Raph cut himself off. He couldn't tell Casey the reason he had accepted the offer was to find the guys responsible for putting him here. Casey would give him hell if he ever found out that was the reason Raph had agreed to the idea of a new team.
"But than-?" Casey asked, fighting to stay awake.
"But than, uh. I figured it would be fastest way back out inta the field again. It'll be a couple weeks till they finish puttin the team together, than we got training, but after that it's back to the real missions" Raph told Casey hoping he didn't realize the answer he had given was only a small part of the truth.
Thankfully Casey was still too effected by the drugs to question Raph on his decisions, "Get some rest Casey. I'll come check on ya tomorrow" He stood and moved the chair back to its original position against the wall.
"Yeah, sure. Sleep sounds good" Casey was snoring before Raph had left the room.
"Damn numbskull" Raph mumbled softly to himself as he shut the door to his injured friends room.
After leaving the hospital that night Raph didn't go home as he originally intended, instead he drove around on his motorcycle and beat up any member of the Purple Dragons that he came across.