Chapter 4: Attitude of Steel
A couple days later there was no sign of anyone else getting their powers. Good for Mikey, bad for everyone else. Ever since he received his impeccable speed, the number of pranks he pulled had more than doubled recently. Everyone's nerves were about to erupt if something didn't change soon.
Mikey watched from around the corner at his next victim. He just sat there like a sitting duck. The red claded turtle was next in line for the fall. One of Mikey's sinister pranks, a special one he liked to call, "The Chicken". He dashed past behind Raph without a trace and hung all of his necessary materials from the ceiling. Raph wouldn't know what hit him. He hooked up everything to a long rope and pulled it back until he was ready to release and pull the best prank he'd ever pulled on Raph! He hadn't used this one in a while since last year, so it would surely be unexpected.
"Ahem!" A voice from behind him called just as his grip was about to open from the tight binder rope.
"H-Hey D." He said back nervously. Luckily they were far enough away that Raph couldn't hear or see them and Leo was meditating with Splinter, so Mikey was in the clear.
"Mikey, What do you think you're doing?" Donnie asked.
"I "think" I'm pranking Raph. Duh!" He replied.
"Mikey, your pranking has been at an all time high, so I suggest you take it down a notch before Raph loses his last nerve and all the self control he's used not to beat you senseless." Donnie told him with his own patience growing weary from Mikey's shenanigans.
"Alright Bro, I guess you have a point, so here." He said and handed Donnie the rope.
If only he'd been looking while he did it. The rope quickly slipped out of Mikey's hand into the air. Overtop of Raph, honey spilled all over him. Not a single spot on his green skin was uncovered with the stickey golden syrup. Next, multicolored feathers stuck to him like glue and were now attached to make him look like what the prank was called. A chicken. Raph's eyes narrowed and turned his head to see Donnie and Mikey at the end of the hall.
"Mikey! When I get my hands on you you're dead! You hear me!" Raph yelled infuriated.
"Don't say I didn't warn you." Donnie told Mikey.
"He's gonna have to catch me first." Mikey said turning to see Raph rushing toward him like a bull, his eyes as red as his mask.
Mikey darted out of the room in less than a second, right before an enraged Raph could express his blood boiling anger.
"Where is he!?" Raph breathed out in a low voice to Donnie.
"Well, since its night time he'll most likely go far away to get you off his trail, then go to the surface until you cool down, so the manhole is the best place to stakeout at." Donnie replied.
Raph stormed out of the room so steaming with anger Donnie was surprised he didn't leave scorch marks on the floor. Lucky for him because no one else, except maybe Leo, would've cleaned it up or attempted to fix it! The downfall of being the smartest and most responsible of the group, next to Leo, is everyone relies on you to think of something smart to do or say. They think you know everything. No one really does, but it's the price of being intelligent.
Donnie watched his tempered brother walk out of the lair, most likely to wash himself off then wait in the shadows to give Mikey a piece of his mind. Oh was Mikey in for a real treat from Raph tonight.
Mikey had been running for a couple minutes through the tunnels escaping from Raph's fury until something came out and knocked him down. Out of the dark shadows came a turtle, metal like figure, with emerald green eyes. It walked toward him, picked him up by the shell, and pinned him up against the wall. The figure punched right beside his head leaving cracks in the sewer wall, as big as Mikey's head.
"If you ever pull that many pranks or get me to the point where I wanna bust your skull open, that will be your head." He said as he pointed toward the dent in the wall.
"Raph, is that you? When did all this happen? I never know what's going on!" Mikey huffed.
No worries shell brain, no one else knows about it either. I found out about it yesterday while I was training by myself. I got angry at Leo, had to blow off some steam, you know the drill. That's why I was in my room for the rest of the day." Raph told Mikey as he set him down.
"Wait, so how are you back to normal?" Mikey asked.
"I can control when it comes on, but I have to keep my cool to turn it off."
"Awesome! You gotta tell the others!" Mikey shouted.
"No! Not just yet." Raph said.
"Fine, if you won't then I will!" Mikey said as he laughed running down the long tunnel just fast enough for Raph to catch up with him.
Raph immediately chased after Mikey just barely keeping up. It didn't help that he probably weighed more now, but it was something he'd just have to deal with. It was more rigid when he walked which would also take some time to get used to, but right now he only had one objective. Catch Mikey. Every time Raph would almost have Mikey in his grasp, he would slip away like a fish out of water. It was when a cat chases a toy mouse. Just a tease.
The more they both ran, the faster they approached the entrance of the lair. Little did Raph know Mikey had a few tricks up his sleeve. Sprinting through the front door a blast of air came through catching the attention of Leo and Donnie. Donnie who had been on his laptop while Leo was watching TV. Mikey and Raph both halted to a stop in the center of the room waiting for a reaction.
"Umm... Mikey, Who's your friend?" Leo asked curiously.
"I don't know Lame-a-nardo. Who do you think it is?!" Raph called out.
"Never mind Mikey, I know who it is now." Leo said.
"Raph what happened to you!" Donnie cried out.
As Donnie said that Raph thought," I can't believe it. Outsmarted by Mikey. The world is really getting messed up."
"I found out what my power is, that's what happened. What did ya think, I fell down in a pool of silver paint or something?" Raph asked irritated.
Donnie simply ignored the question and moved on. He took a step closer and examined his big mouthed brother's structure. It was amazing! Nothing was really keeping him together, but yet he was standing! He was just one hard solid object, but he guessed the metal was like the normal flesh holding everything in place.
"Hmm... Well Raph, can you change back?" He asked.
"Yeah, I just gotta get away from what makes my blood boil the most." Raph said.
Everyone's gaze was focused on Mikey, as he turned and left the room. It was pretty obvious he caused issues for Raph's temper, but to Mikey, it was totally worth it! The expression on Raph's face was priceless!
Raph calmed himself down, his heart rate slowing down back at a normal pace. The beats were relaxing for that's all he could hear after running so much. The metal began to sink in and become smooth skin once again. His green complexion started to break through the metal cover, as did his ordinary shell.
He took one last deep breath, looked down at himself and said," Thank God, I'm handsome again."
Mikey walked back in the room and immediately hugged Raph.
"Dude, thank God! I thought I was going to get on your nerves forever! Mikey said relieved.
Raph let out a chuckle and then pushed him just enough to remove himself from the hug.
"I may think you're annoying as heck, but it's gonna take more then all your pranks put together for you to be irritating 24/7, but don't get any ideas." Raph warned as he let out a small smile, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.
"Raph you know I couldn't get an idea if I tried!" Mikey said back to him.
"So who's going to tell April?" Leo asked.
"I'll do it!" Donnie yelled and quickly left the lair to go tell her, but really he was going to do more than just talk real quick and take off. She had left the lair early this morning, so shed most likely be at her apartment.
"He does know he can just text her right?" Mikey asked.
"Of course he knows that, but do you really think that lovesick puppy would give up a chance to be with April?" Raph asked although he already knew the answer.
With that all the brothers laughed and reveled in the night without any more of Mikey's pranks until morning at least. There weren't any more thoughts of powers or situations to deal with. Well, maybe the problem of Mikey eating most of the pizza they ordered, but other than that everything seemed alright for once in the past week and that's the way it would stay until they woke up tomorrow morning with the light shinning through the sewer grates bring light into the oddly comfortable place they called their home.
Authors Notes: This one was pretty short I know and I'm sorry for not putting April all the way in this chapter, but I kind of just wanted this chapter to stay in the family. Please review because it really just makes writing this seem like you're really doing it for a greater purpose and not just personal satisfaction. For me it's a little bit of both. :)
