Hi! So in case you don't know, I posted the real version of the April Fool's chapter in Chapter Seven.

He looked through his photo album while Shadow was taking a shower after another vigorous training session. His heart clenched when he flipped to the photo of Spike before he mutated into Slash. He often wondered where the Mutanimals went after the final battle with the Kraang fifteen years ago. Was Slash even still alive?

Gently brushing his fingertips over the photo, Raph whispered, "Wherever you are, I hope you're happy."

"Talking to your Dad and brother again?"

Raph looked over the couch and saw Shadow walking into the living room, her blonde hair still wet.

He chuckled, "No, I was just...thinking of an old friend of mine."

She sat down next to him and saw the photo of Spike. "Your friend is a box turtle?"

"He used to be one," Raph explained, "but then one day he mutated into a giant turtle with super strength, which was actually my fault. It's a long story. He was really good friend and a trustworthy ally. I miss him...a lot," he sadly mumbled the last sentence.

"Is he still alive?" Shadow asked.

Raph shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I haven't seen or spoken to him in years. He might not even be in New York anymore."

The next morning...

A truck full of vegetables came to an abrupt halt when a large dark figure suddenly ran into the street and blocked its path. The driver slammed the brakes, and as the truck slowed down, the headlights revealed a teal-colored mutant turtle with massive spikes growing out of its shell. In its hand was a mace of some kind, and as the truck got closer, the turtle swung its weapon at the vehicle with such force that the entire front had been crushed in. The scared driver hopped out and ran to safety.

"Heh, good job, Slash."

Another huge mutant turtle stepped out of the shadows and gave Slash a congratulatory slap on the shoulder. This mutant's scales were grey-green, and his spikes were even more massive than Slash's. But what was most frightening about him were his pupilless red eyes.

Slash merely grumbled under his breath, "Let's just get this over with." He walked to the back of the truck and lifted the sliding door to reveal a wide variety of vegetables. His mouth immediately watered when he spotted the lettuce and began to gather up as much as he could.

Meanwhile, his mutant friend, who wasn't too fond of vegetables, spotted a nearby butcher shop and decided to steal some meat. With one punch, he shattered the storefront window and crawled through it.

Once he was finished gathering up the lettuce, Slash jumped out of the truck and groaned in annoyance when he noticed his friend looting the butcher shop. "Snapper, hurry up!" he called out to the turtle. "Before we get-"

"SLASH!"

Said turtle jumped and nearly dropped his lettuce in surprise. He spun around to see a familiar mutant gecko standing in the street. Mondo Gecko no longer wore his original skateboarder outfit, but was now wearing a black leather jacket, a red turtleneck shirt, and a pair of black pants.

"Slash, this has to stop!" Mondo pleaded as he walked over to him. "You're not a thief! You're a hero!"

Slash looked away in shame and shook his head sadly. "Not anymore, Mondo. The Mutanimals disbanded years ago, remember?"

"Yeah, I know 'cause I used to be on the team!" Mondo snapped. "But this is wrong and you know it!"

"I'm just trying to survive. I don't want to steal, but I don't want to starve, either."

"Slash, please! Just ditch that Snapper guy and come with-!"

Mondo squeaked as he was suddenly grabbed by a large clawed hand. He felt himself being lifted by the jacket and felt hot breath on the back of his head. Slowly, he turned his head and was met with a pair of angry red eyes.

Mondo gulped nervously as the turtle snarled at him. "Uh, hey, Snapper. How have you been?"

"I thought I told you to quit bugging us, pipsqueak!" Snapper hissed. "Slash is with me now! And this is the last time I'll let you off easy!" He stomped over to a mailbox and with much difficulty crammed Mondo into it. "Stay out of our way," he growled before picking up the stolen meat that he had left on the sidewalk. "Let's blow this joint, Slash."

Slash lifted the mailbox door and softly spoke to Mondo through it. "I'm sorry, Mondo." He then left to catch up with his friend, and Mondo sadly watched him leave through the opening.

Later in the afternoon...

"Welcome home, Sis!"

Raph ran to Karai and embraced her. The kunoichi was finally back from her trip to Japan, and she couldn't have been more glad to be back in the sewers, where her family waited for her.

"It's good to be home, Raph," she said. "Sure, Japan was nice, but this is where I belong. Say, where's-"

Chompy suddenly ran into the room, wagging his tail and barking happily. He charged at Karai and knocked her down, licking her like crazy. He wasn't aware that he was crushing her with his weight.

"Chompy..." Karai gasped as she tried to push him off. "Chompy, you're...crushing me."

Chuckling, Raph pried Chompy off of Karai and helped her to her feet, brushing the dust off her pants. "Someone's happy to see you. He's not the only one, you know. I'm really glad that you're back home, Karai."

"Yeah," Karai coughed. "Well, at least you guys are happy to see me."

Raph didn't like the sound of that. "What do you mean?"

Karai lowered her head sadly. "Shinigami wasn't too thrilled to see me. Can't say I blame her, though."

"She's still mad at you?"

"Yeah..."

"So, did she seem...suspicious?"

"You mean, in regards to the new Foot Clan?" Karai asked him. Raph nodded. "No, she seemed genuinely surprised about the return of the Foot. She said that she left that business years ago, and I believe her."

"I see," Raph mumbled, before breaking the awkward silence with a cough. "So! Now that you're home, how about we go to the Paraiso and have Ronny whip us up a celebration dinner?"

Karai smiled at her reptilian brother. "I'd like that, actually."

"Great! I'll text him and let him know we're coming!" Raph went into the kitchen to grab his phone. But as he reached for it on the table, he felt a presence...

His instincts told him to look up at the ceiling, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw a large mutant gecko sticking to it. He immediately reached for the sai in his belt, ready to strike down the intruder.

"W-WAIT!" the gecko yelled, frantically waving a hand. "Raph, it's me-Mondo Gecko!"

Raph paused and observed the gecko. "...What the-?! Mondo?! What the heck are you doing up there?! Spying on me?!"

The gecko detached himself from the ceiling and landed on the floor, looking up at Raph apologetically. "Sorry, man, but that dog of yours is scary. Didn't want to become his lunch, you know?"

Raph rolled his eyes. "Chompy doesn't eat people, Mondo."

"Yeah, maybe, but what about geckos?" Mondo gulped.

"What do you want, Mondo?" Raph huffed.

"Well, gee," Mondo pouted, "nice to meet you, too, Raph. It's only been, what, thirty years since I last saw you?"

"Sorry," Raph sighed before taking Mondo's hand. "How have you been, man?"

"Okay, I guess," Mondo said as they shook hands. "Though I really can't say the same for Slash."

Raph's eye immediately widened at the mention of his old friend's name. "Slash?! What about Slash?! Is he hurt?!"

"No, but," Mondo sadly looked down at the floor, "he's gotten himself involved with the wrong kind of mutants. That's why I came to see you, actually."

Raph, Karai, and Mondo all sat at the kitchen table, with Chompy resting at Raph's feet.

Mondo took a sip of his coffee before continuing on with his story. "So then Slash met this mutant turtle named Snapper. The guy's a psychopath and a real grouch. You do NOT want to cross somebody like him, believe me. And Slash isn't really too fond of him, either. The only reason he sticks with that creep is because he wants to survive, and he thinks that Snapper is the only one who can help him. So they steal stuff together, mostly food."

Raph couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Slash..." he whispered shakily, "...is stealing stuff?"

"He hates it," Mondo sighed. "Snapper, on the other hand, he doesn't care about Slash's feelings. He only cares about himself. I've tried numerous times to convince Slash to leave, but Snapper isn't willing to let him go. He's trapped, Raph, and he needs your help. He'll listen to you."

Raph buried his face in his hands. "I just...I can't believe that Slash would resort to this. I blame myself."

Karai comfortingly placed a hand on the Turtle's shoulder. "Raph, it wasn't your fault."

Raph shook his head. "No. I should've been there for my friend, but instead I ran off and allowed all of this to happen to him."

"Uh...?"

They all turned to see Shadow standing at the entrance to the kitchen. She stared wide-eyed at the mutant gecko who sat at the table with her Sensei and honorary aunt. "What'd I miss?" she asked.

"Shadow," Raph quickly got out of his chair and walked over to her. "I'm sorry, but there won't be any training today. Something's come up."

"Okay, but who's that?" Shadow pointed at Mondo.

"Another family friend," Raph explained while gently ushering her into the living room. "Just go home, and I'll explain everything tomorrow, okay?"

"Wait a sec..." Mondo narrowed his vertically-slit eyes before widening them in recognition. "Aren't you Shadow? April and Casey's kid?"

Shadow immediately stopped in her tracks and looked back at him. "You know me?"

Raph began to sweat. Mondo, don't you dare tell her. She can't know about-

"Sure!" Mondo smiled. "I was there the day you were-"

NO!

The table suddenly jolted, and Mondo cried out in pain. "OW! What'd you kick me for?!" he turned to Karai, who pretended to look innocent.

"Kick you?" she asked. "I didn't kick you. It must've been Chompy."

Chompy lifted his head and titled his head in confusion. "Grrr?"

Whew. Thanks, Karai.

Raph turned back to Shadow. "Shadow, please...go home."

"All right, all right," Shadow mumbled as she left the kitchen. "See you tomorrow, I guess."

Once he was certain that Shadow had left the lair, Raph returned to his seat. "Mondo, listen, Shadow doesn't know about...the story behind her birth."

"Seriously?" Mondo whispered. "She really doesn't know?"

"Yes," Karai joined in. "She's not yet ready to know the truth. For now, we have to keep quiet about it."

"Gotcha," Mondo did the zipper-mouth gesture. "So what are we going to do about Slash?"

"I'm going to confront him about this," Raph declared. "He can't hang around that Snapper guy, anymore."

"Well, you'd better do it while Snapper's not around," Mondo nervously said. "'Cause if he spots you with him, he will tear you apart."

Raph narrowed his eye and scowled. "Let him try."

Shadow strode along the sidewalk, pondering over why Raph rushed her out of the lair like that.

Is he hiding something from me? First he wouldn't talk to me about those Utrom guys, and now this. Mom hasn't exactly been honestly with me, either. Every time I'd bring up the Utom thing, she'd quickly change the subject or think of an excuse to leave the table. I hate being left in the dark.

She was about to pass by a grocery store when something suddently crashed through the storefront window, missing her by a few inches. She fell to the pavement in shock and realized that it was a shopping cart. She tried to calm her racing heart when she heard a gruff voice coming from inside the store.

"Come on, Slash! Let's get outta here!"

Slash?

Just thing, a humongous mutant turtle stepped through the opening in the glass, carrying a pile of food in his muscular arms. He stopped to look down at Shadow with his yellow green eyes.

Shadow felt her blood chill. There was something familiar about this mutant turtle...

She opened her eyes for the very first time, and big scary creatures were looming over her. The biggest and scariest of them all stared at her with yellow green eyes. When he opened his jaws, a raspy yet booming voice filled her eardrums, and it scared her even more. She couldn't understand a word he was saying, and then he reached for her with his hand, which had very ugly and sharp fingernails. She could only wail as the hand got closer...

Before she even realized it, she was screaming in terror and ran from the creatures who haunted her in her nightmares.

Raph jumped from one rooftop to the next when he heard a bloodcurdling scream.

They must be close by.

He immediately ran to the source of the scream.

Slash watched as the girl ran into an alley. When he briefly stared into those green eyes, he could've sworn that he had seen her before. But where?

"Slash!" Snapper ran out of the store and stood beside his friend, following his gaze toward the alley but seeing nothing. "What are you looking at?! Raccoons?! We gotta go!" He harshly tugged at Slash's arm and began to drag him off, but then a sai flew out of nowhere and embedded itself in the pavement before them.

The Ninja Turtle then jumped down from a building and landed in the street. "Slash!"

Shadow peeked from out the alley and saw her Sensei confronting the two larger turtles. "Raph?"

Slash never thought he'd see those emerald green eyes again. Wait, he only had one eye. What happened to him? "Raphael...?"

Raph looked at his friend with a sad eye. "Slash, why are you doing this? This isn't who you are! You know it's wrong to steal from others!"

Slash was about to say something, but then Snapper growled deep in his throat and stepped in between Raph and Slash, glaring at the Ninja Turtle with hateful red eyes. "Well, well, well. We finally meet, Raphael."

Raph glared back at the monstrous turtle. "And you must be Snapper. I don't know what kind of junk you've been filling my friend's head with, but it's gonna stop NOW! Slash is better off without you!"

"Are you kiddin'?!" Snapper snarled. "I was there for him when you weren't! Where were you when he was starving and fending for himself on the streets fifteen years ago?! Huh?! Tell me that!"

Raph felt guilt stab at his heart for a moment before letting it slide. "I was wrong to leave him, I'll admit that. But I'm trying to make up for my mistakes." His eye and expression softened as he looked at Slash. "I'm sorry for not being there for you, Slash. Please...let me help you."

He walked right past Snapper, completely ignoring him, and extended his hand to Slash. "Come on, Slash. Let's-"

Snapper suddently slammed him into the brick wall with his massive arm, the spikes on his skin digging painfully into Raph's plastron. The larger turtle leaned his face in close to Raph's and whispered venomously to him. "He ain't your pet anymore, Raphael. He ain't even your friend. He's mine now, and I ain't gonna let a sniveling coward like you destroy our partnership."

Raph looked over at Slash, expecting him to intervene and help him anytime soon. But his former pet and ally only stood by and looked at him with apologetic eyes.

"Hey, Slash, watch this!" Snapper grabbed a handful of lettuce from Slash's pile of food and shoved the green leaves into Raph's mouth, choking him. "Hey, Raphael! How do you like that lettuce?!" He laughed cruelly as Raph clawed at his arm, struggling to breathe. "Chew on your leaves, little guy! CHEW ON THEM!"

Slash had finally had enough. He couldn't stand watching his old friend being tortured and humiliated like this. He was about to step in when somebody screamed, "NO! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Shadow ran out of the alley with a pipe in her hands, facing them with a nervous yet determined expression. Her knees were shaking, but she bravely took a step forward. "L-Let him go! Now!"

Snapper merely snorted before dropping Raphael, who spat out the lettuce and went into a coughing fit. "Whatever. Let's go, Slash."

As Snapper stomped away, Slash bent down to help Raph, but then Shadow leapt herself onto the Ninja Turtle, shielding him. She tried to put on a brave face as she looked up at him, but Slash could tell that she was scared out of her mind. He smiled sadly at her and stepped back. "Look after him for me, kid," he softly told her before walking around her and Raph to follow Snapper.

Shadow watched him leave for a moment before turning her attention back to Raph, whose shoulders shook as he continued to cough. "Are you okay?" she asked him. When he didn't respond, she leaned in closer to his face, and she felt her heart clench as she realized that he wasn't coughing but sobbing.

"Spike..."

Oh, Raph... :,(

BTW, Snapper is a character from the Mirage comics.