punkish furball – What up, dudes? ^.^
Words to Ponder:
Thank you Silversun XD, TheNotSoNiceLibrarian, Foxluna, YunaNeko, HalfBlackWolfDemon, Sin of the Fallen, fallingyuki, inuluvskags1, GiggleboxGirlie, Sillvog, GirloftheArts, CroOkedTwisSted, ZzSheilahzZ, ChikaneUchiha666, Spastic Freak, SHINeeFan23, Tenshi Kagome1312, redangel2463, RozenMaiden7, Aryenne, ZeAwsumOtaku, Speedykitten1643, ButterflyEffect0.4, Purplediamon, silverfoxkurama, callmeBaby'08, and Aloever for reviewing! X3
For those of you who follow Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as of now, the story takes place between episodes 16 and 20 of season 1. For those of you that don't, all the references I've made will be explained at some point or another in the story line. If you don't know yet, I don't wanna spoil it for you! XD
Also, pardon the shameless plug, but I recently updated my Harry Potter/InuYasha crossover, Demonic Teachings. Check it out if you have the chance! XD Next to be updated is A Girl in Uniform, an InuYasha/Princess Princess crossover, which was pushed back a bit. (I sense a theme here... :P)
Chapter 9
Raphael grunted as he halfheartedly punched the practice dummy, trying to remedy his boredom. Even though Splinter let him off the hook staying out until morning the day before, he didn't want to risk going out too soon or he'd likely get caught. His sensei didn't address the topic again, but Raphael was certain Splinter suspected more than he let on. Raphael planned to do everything he could to deter his suspicions. He even hid the red sash Kagome used on his arm and replaced it with gauze he nicked from Donatello's medical supplies. Surprisingly, the cuts and all of Raphael's other injuries were nearly healed. Raphael had to give Kagome credit; she certainly knew what she was doing when she patched him up.
In addition to worrying about Splinter, Raphael noticed Leonardo's been all over his shell since that day, incessantly checking up on him during their down time just like he thought he would. It was just another reason for him to stick close to home until Leonardo's suspicions died down. Until then, Raphael planned to avoid him whenever he could to stop himself losing his temper and revealing something he shouldn't.
His plan would work, but it meant he would be unable to see Kagome for a while, not even for a quick visit. While Raphael was certain Kagome understood his situation at home and the need for secrecy, he still didn't like leaving her out of the loop for long, undetermined stretch of time. It was painfully obvious Kagome cared for him a great deal, and his absence would hurt her especially since the two of them have grown much closer after their first meeting. The notion was further affirmed by her treatment from the night before—punch!—the loving way she tended to his injuries—punch!—the way she made sure each and every one of his bruises and scrapes received her the fullest of her attention—punch!—the way she gently caressed him with her fingers—punch!
Raphael heaved heavily as he knocked the dummy from its hook, trying to squash his fervent thoughts.
'Don't think about it! Don't think about it! Do not think about it!'
Once he had those under control, Raphael picked up the dummy and put it in its proper place then considered a solution to his Kagome problem without letting his head wander. He had to let Kagome know he couldn't see her for a while.
Raphael considered leaving a note on Kagome's window but quickly dismissed that idea. He wouldn't know the exact moment she found it—if she did at all—and he'd have to return to the restaurant see any replies she might leave. This would create the perfect opportunity for the others, particularly Leo, to follow him.
'There has got to be some way I can speak to her without drawing any attention,' he thought, walking toward the couch.
When he reached it, Raphael spotted the crumpled Subarashii Tabemono takeout bag he brought home the other day marked with the shop's logo, business hours, and contact information.
Raphael thoughtfully hummed. 'That'll work.'
Snatching the paper bag, Raphael left the lair's living room and continued deeper into the sewers. Once he was sure he was far enough from any prying eyes and ears, he pulled out his T-phone and began to dial. It wasn't long before his call was answered by the very person he wanted to speak to.
"Subarashii Tabemono Noodle Shop! How may I help you today?" Kagome kindly greeted and paused, waiting for him to reply. Raphael froze. His plan may have worked, but he had no idea what to say.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" Kagome asked, her confusion evident.
"Yeah!" he exclaimed, "Hey…um hi…Kagome."
"Raphael? Is that you?" she replied.
"Yeah, it's me. I wanted to talk to you," he answered, his voice rushed. He paused before he added, "If this is a bad time, I can call you back."
Raphael cringed when he heard Kagome giggle on the other end of the line. Normally, he liked the sound of it, but hearing it now made it seem like she had the upper hand.
"Thanks for thinking of me, Raph, but I am pretty busy helping Ji-chan. The restaurant's pretty packed today," Kagome told him.
"I got it. So I'll call you later?"
"Of course! Take down this number and call me around 11:30 PM if you can," she instructed.
"Okay," Raphael replied after typing the number Kagome recited in his phone, "I'll talk you later."
"Looking forward to it. Bye, Raph."
"Bye, K."
When Raphael hung up, he immediately saved Kagome's number along with his five other contacts. Since he always kept his phone close, he decided to save it under her name.
'Contact photo…let's see…' he thought as he scrolled through his photo album.
Raphael grinned when he found the perfect picture, the only one of Kagome he had. She was wearing a T-shirt and a pair of shorts as she sat on a rooftop her knees bent toward her chest. Her face was partially hidden by her raised arms and balled fists. The only distinguishable features were her sloppy, black ponytail lying against her shoulder and the frenzied red blush rushing from her cheeks down her neck.
Raphael snapped this picture during one of visits when he had enough time to continue Kagome's training. After working on her strength and stamina, they eventually moved to combative moves. To his surprise, Kagome was good when it came to defense, but her offensive moves were extremely lacking. He supposed her progress during their first session was a fluke.
Before this photo was taken, Kagome cleared a particularly challenging jump and collapsed, falling on her back to catch her breath. When she adamantly refused to get up, Raphael held out his phone and threatened to take a picture of her disheveled appearance. She instantaneously sat up and covered her face, shouting at him to stop. Grinning, Raphael took several snapshots until Kagome finally stood, snatched his phone, and began racing back to Murakami's with an unfair lead. Of course, Raphael caught up to her once he regained his composure and retrieved his mobile before he ended up carrying her back to the noodle shop like he always did. After that incident, Raphael went through his phone and deleted all of the unclear photos until he found the only decent one and decided to keep it.
Raphael returned to the lair and went back to his training with renewed vigor, unknowingly smiling as he waited for 11:30 to roll around.
-O0o0O-
Kagome grinned as she hung up her cellphone, an extremely outdated model in the era of smartphones and tablets, but its age didn't really matter to her. The device stayed tucked away in her desk until her family or, more recently, April called her. However, it seemed she would have to start taking it with her regularly.
Her conversation with Raphael was brief but enjoyable. He called her promptly at 11:30 and explained he wouldn't be able to see her for a while, something she anticipated after his unexpected overnight visit. When she gently probed for more details, he finally confessed the existence of his three brothers and his father who was also his martial arts teacher and that they weren't particularly happy he stayed out all night. He didn't say much beyond that, but Kagome was too ecstatic to care. The two teens exchanged a few words about their day before parting with the promise to send each other text messages and call whenever possible.
'It's not much,' Kagome mused, 'but it'll do for now.'
In the meantime, Kagome decided to use their time apart to continue training and prepared to go up to the roof. Raphael would definitely criticize and tease during the next time they met if she got lazy.
Just as she retrieved her tanto and the practice shuriken from her desk, Kagome heard a loud noise from the restaurant downstairs.
"Ji-chan, are you alright?" she called out, pocketing both weapons. Cautiously, she left her room and walked down the stairs, listening for anything suspicious.
When she peeked inside the restaurant, she saw the same gang members she met during her first night in New York harassing her uncle. Murakami was putting up a decent fight but would quickly be overpowered by the trio of thugs.
"Hey!" Kagome shouted, emerging from her surveillance point, "Get out of here this instant!"
Soon after she spoke, the gang stopped and gave her their full attention. It seemed they didn't forget their first meeting.
"This broad again?" the leader asked.
Kagome angrily stiffened and balled her fists at her side. "I told you not to call me that!"
"What you gonna do about it?" he asked, taunting, "Your turtle boyfriend isn't here to save you this time!"
Kagome barely dodged when Sid came barreling toward her, intending to use his size to subdue her quickly. She ducked as he threw several sloppy blows and countered with a quick jab right in the abdomen using as much force as she could, knocking the wind from his body. She grinned as he doubled over, clutching his stomach.
'That's how you take down the big ones! Thank you, Raph!' she thought.
Kagome jumped again when the other two gang members advanced, brandishing weapons. She drew and held out her tanto to block just as the leader brought down a large butcher's knife to slice her. With her free hand, she tossed a shuriken at the mustached man, clipping the hand that held a sledge hammer and causing him to drop it.
'This is going better than I thought. These guys really are as easy to beat as Raph made it look.'
With a well-placed push, Kagome disarmed the leader and held her blade at his throat before he could react.
"Get out of here and don't come back," she told him and sheathed her blade. This sorry group was not worth any spilt blood.
Beaten, the leader stood and gathered his two followers, rushing out of the restaurant.
"You haven't seen the last of us!" he shouted before they left.
Once they were gone, Kagome rushed to Murakami's side, checking him for any injuries.
"Oji-chan, are you okay?" she asked, worried, "What were those guys doing here?"
"I'm fine, Kagome-chan," he answered, "Those were the Purple Dragons. They hassle local businesses in the area for protection money, but I refuse to pay them. This was not the first time they came here to persuade me to change my mind."
"Are you serious? Those jerks!" Kagome exclaimed, clenching her fists. Sensing her rising anger, Murakami placed a calming hand over Kagome's shoulders.
"It is alright, Kagome-chan. There's no need to go picking fights no matter what your reasons are," he said, "If you must fight, choose your battles wisely."
"I understand," Kagome acquiesced, though reluctant, "I promise I will, Oji-chan."
She helped Murakami stand and surveyed the state of the shop. The Purple Dragons made quite a mess.
"Now let's get this place cleaned up again."
-O0o0O-
Fong winced when the mutated Foot Clan ninja, Chris Bradford, punched him in the gut and sent him crashing into the wall.
"What do you mean you haven't seen the Turtles?" the large humanoid canine demanded to know, "Why can't you catch up to them?"
"What do you want us to do?" Fong bravely countered, irritated, "You can't even find them!"
He cringed, immediately regretting his words when Bradford slowly advanced, baring his large fangs. When he reached the Purple Dragons leader, he raised his fist, holding it a hair's breadth away from his face.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't end this pitiful alliance and gut you where you stand?"
Across the room, Tsoi spoke up, holding a shuriken he took from the encounter at Subarashii Tabemono earlier tonight. He shouted, "Look here! We know how to get to the Turtles!"
Bradford lowered his fist and moved toward the other member of the Purple Dragons. When he reached Tsoi, he took the weapon from him and examined it carefully. The shuriken bore the signature symbol of the Hamato Clan, the same one that brought his master to New York.
"I'm listening," he said, keeping his focus on the shuriken.
"We went to Murakami's place to rough him up for protection, but this girl stopped us," Tsoi explained.
"You were defeated by a mere girl?" Bradford questioned, his opinion of the Purple Dragons plunging even lower.
"This girl could fight!" Sid protested, "She took us all on by herself."
Bradford thoughtfully twisted the shuriken around his fingers. "So she was the one to wield this weapon?"
"That's right. We saw her with one of the Turtles weeks, maybe even months ago!" Fong answered, vigorously nodding, "That means she's connected to them, right? She might even fight with them too!"
"So you're suggesting the girl you fought is the Turtles' fellow disciple and student of Hamato Yoshi; therefore, she will know where to find their lair?" Bradford surmised.
"She has to be!" Tsoi exclaimed, "That's the only way she could learn to fight so fast."
"She must know where the Turtles are hiding," Fong added, "You have to believe us."
Bradford growled, effectively silencing the three gang members. "For your sake, you better be right. If your information proves false, Master Shredder will be far less merciful than I."
-O0o0O-
punkish furball – Hmm…is that plot I smell? I think it is! Until next time, TCB! ^.^
(revised 04.14.2014)
