A/N: I'm back. Sorry for the delay. To make it up to you here's the next chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters relating to the Turtles or any of the song lyrics that appear. They belong by their respectable owners.
The Audi and McLaren pulled up to a lively sports bar. Before getting out of the car, Leonardo pulled on a dark brown haired wig. Noticing his father's expression, he just shrugged and got out of the car.
"Welcome to Bishop's Bar," Slick said. "This is where all the agents come. Kinda like the Race Track."
He led the group inside. The place was packed. Not even the Race Track held this many people. At one end of the room stood a long stage. Mics and a drum kit were set up.
"Looks like it's band night," Slick noted. "Unlike the Race Track, they don't just let anyone get up and play. If you don't have talent, you don't set foot on that stage."
Leonardo looked around. Almost immediately, he saw Donatello and Michelangelo, however they weren't acting like themselves. They wouldn't even acknowledge each other. They just kept to their own small group and acted as if the other didn't even exist. He felt like going over to one of them and asking what was going on, but something told him that it would be a waste of time. He sighed sadly. Trek patted Leonardo on the shoulder.
"We'll find a way to snap them out of it," he assured his best friend.
"I hope you're right, Trek," Leonardo replied.
He eyed the stage. A band was already setting up, and so was an idea. A smirk crept across Leonardo's lips as the band began to play.
"I knew I brought my guitar for a reason," he said. He turned to the others. "You guys bring yours?"
"I never leave home without my drum sticks," Natalia said. "They're my lucky set."
"Trek?"
"My baby's back at the apartment."
"Lyle?"
"So is the bass."
Leonardo nodded in satisfaction. "One final thing. Slick, when're tryouts?"
Slick's eyes widened. "You're not actually thinking about trying out? These people are cannibals, they'll eat you alive."
"These kids are good," Brad spoke up. "At the last Battle of Bands they had at their school they came in first. And that school has some amazing musicians."
Slick sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Wednesday night's they pick the new band. But, you're crazy to even think about doing this."
"If it gets us one step closer to finding out what happened to Raph, Don and Mike I couldn't care less about what anyone else thinks," Leonardo declared.
"Well, you'd better get practicing, because tomorrow is tryout night," Slick said.
The Watch Tower was unusually quiet. Then again, all the agents were at the bar. Slackers. That's what they were. No decent agent would even think about lying down on the job. They thought that because the city was under the control of the police they were free to do whatever they wanted. It made him sick. And to make things worse, two of his own men were at the bar as well.
They'll be doin' katas for a week.
Bishop's second-in-command walked by one of the main windows and looked down at the street. A familiar Audi drove by, followed by a Cheetah painted McLaren. His cold, amber eyes narrowed. He knew both those cars. The Audi belonged to his disobedient younger brother, the other belonged to Bishop's old partner and rival, Bradley Summers.
He's supposed to be dead. What's he doin' here?
Without a second thought, he headed for Bishop's office.
Trek, Lyle and Natalia waited impatiently as Leonardo changed. Slick nervously paced back and forth in front of the window and Brad calmly napped on the couch. His soft snores were the only thing that broke the silence. Natalia twirled a drum stick around her finger and stared at the bedroom door. Trek looked at his watch. The three guitars sat by the door, waiting for their owners.
"Leo, we're gonna be late," Lyle announced.
Brad snorted, shifted into a more comfortable position and went back to sleep. Slick shook his head in disbelief. How was he able to sleep when his son was about to do something incredibly stupid?
"Leo," Trek whined.
"I am no longer Leo."
The bedroom door opened and four sets of jaws dropped. Leonardo had been replaced by Toxis. Messy, dark brown hair, fierce green eyes and clothes that looked like they had gone through a blender. His jeans were torn in random spots, and his shirt looked like it had been soaked in engine grease for a long period of time. The only reason anyone knew what Toxis looked like was because Leonardo had graceously described both him and Maddy. Trek rubbed his eyes and did a double take.
"Dude, that's creepy," Lyle proclaimed.
"Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?" Natalia asked.
Leonardo laughed. "That's what I've been hoping for," he said. "If you guys can't recognize me then what are the chances one of Bishop's flunkies will?"
He walked over to where the guitars waited and picked up his electric guitar. Trek and Lyle also picked up their guitars.
"Shall we?" Leonardo asked.
Bishop's Bar was once again packed. It was rather intimidating to be in the same room with so many agents. The good thing was, none of them even gave the group of four a second look, let alone a first one.
"Is it just me, or is this place a lot more intimidating than yesterday?" Trek asked.
"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Slick inquired.
Leonardo fixed the strap of the guitar case on his shoulder without answering. A sign near the back of the bar notified all hopefuls that tryouts were taking place in one of the back rooms.
"Are you coming in or waiting out here?" Leonardo asked.
"I'll wait out here, thanks," Slick answered before heading to the bar.
As Slick walked away, the friends made their way to the back room. While they headed inside another group came out. By the looks on their faces, the four friends determined that the other group had been turned down.
"Good luck," one of them told Lyle.
"Here we go," Natalia whispered.
They made their way over to where the instruments were set up and took out the guys took out their guitars. While they were plugging their guitars into the amps, Natalia sat down at the drums. Already the judges began to whisper. Leonardo turned to look at Natalia and nodded. She nodded as well, as if reading his mind. She opened the song with a drum fill then the guys joined in. Leonardo began to sing.
There high on the watch tower
Keeping the peace, whatever that means.
'Cause you see the world through,
Crosshairs and TVs, don't you?
Ten foot walls built around us,
White picket death, so quiet, so safe.
But if we fall there'll be nothing, no one to catch us
Sit back and watch as we
Spin out of control
Spin out of control
Try to recover but collide with each other
We spin out of control
Something I can't change
I was born in a place that lives by the sword.
And thus to its blade we're condemned
Don't you understand why we scream "no more"?
My dreams are of children
Orphaned by blood spilled at these hands.
And here are the graves of the innocent
We raise our flag.
Spin out of control
Spin out of control
Try to recover but collide with each other
We spin out of control
During the guitar solo someone quietly entered the room. He remained at the back of the room and watched the group on stage. They were the best that he had heard in a long time.
Somethings you don't forgive,
Somethings you don't forget.
Sometimes the fate you suffer is so much worse than death.
We're way off course now and we're drifting out to sea.
So cut the anchor on your heart to be set free, set free, set free.
Spin out of control
Spin out of control
Spin out of control
Spin out of control
Try to recover, we have to recover
We fight or crash, one after the other
Spin out of control
The judges clapped, which was a surprise. For the first time since starting Leonardo looked up. The first person he saw was the man standing in the back. His eyes locked with familiar cold, amber eyes and a shiver shot down his spine. The man also began to clap.
"Congratulations, kids. You're in," one of the judges announced. "You'll be playing Friday night, and if the crowd likes ya you'll play Saturday. Heck, we might just keep ya if everyone's happy."
"Thanks," Leonardo said.
"We'll arrange an apartment that's close to..."
"Don't bother. I'll take 'em," the man in the back spoke.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"Pyro? Did hear you come in."
Trek and Lyle looked at each other. Leonardo swallowed hard and Natalia nervously tapped her drum sticks against her knees. Pyro walked up to the stage and held out his hand towards Leonardo.
"The name's Raphael. But, ya can call me Raph or Pyro, whichever you prefer."
Leonardo took Raphael's hand and shook it, pretending to meet him for the first time.
"Pleased to meet you," he said.
Raphael stepped back. "Ya got a name?" he inquired.
Leonardo took a deep breath. "Toxis."
Raphael frowned, causing another shiver to run down Leonardo's back. If he recognized that name they were in trouble.
"That's your street name, I take it," Raphael said.
"Yeah. I used to race."
"Used to?"
"Cops busted me and took my license," Leonardo lied.
"Bummer," Raphael said. He took a quick, deep breath. "Unfortunately, there're cops here, too. They've been runnin' this city for a year now. I don't know why they're still around, the person they're lookin' for is dead."
If you only knew, Trek thought.
"Well, anyway. I guess I should get ya to your new place before I get yelled at," Raphael joked.
Has he changed? Leonardo asked himself. He doesn't seem any different.
Raphael led them out to his car. It was nice to see that the Vanquish hadn't changed. After the instruments were placed in the trunk, the group climbed into the car. Raphael and Leonardo got in front while Trek, Lyle and Natalia got in the back. Leonardo couldn't help but smile a little as he remembered his first ride in Raphael's car.
"What's so funny?" Raphael asked, turning on the engine.
"I've just always wanted to ride in a Vanquish," Leonardo replied. "This is my first time in one."
In the back, the others rolled their eyes at each other. Raphael shifted the car in drive and stepped on the gas. As predicted, the car shot forward. Leonardo's eyes drifted down to the gear shift. Raphael drummed his fingers against the lever that would ignite the nitro.
"What does that lever do?" Natalia asked.
"What lever?" Raphael asked back.
"The one you're tapping," Natalia answered.
"You mean...this one?"
It was like Raphael had pulled the trigger on a gun. The car shot forward like a speeding bullet, throwing everyone into their seats.
"Yeeha!" Trek and Lyle yelled.
"Woohoo!" Natalia cheered.
Raphael and Leonardo laughed. The nitro soon wore out and the car returned to its normal speed. Raphael pulled up to the side of a tall building and turned the car off.
"We're here," he announced.
Leonardo looked up at the building and immediately felt his heart skip a few beats. Before his eyes was the tall, flame painted Watch Tower. The lair of John Bishop.
Let me know what you think.