Chapter 10:
"Hell if I know. But he better be glad he is," Raph grumbled. He pulled Zoe upright. "Hey, Z, you okay?"
Raph looked her over but didn't see any marks. Zoe moaned, raised a hand to her face. "Fuck." She rubbed her eyes and blinked. "Fuck!"
Raph's eye ridges rose and fell. "So he didn't drug you? That's good for him, too. But if he didn't drug you, how the hell'd he get you down?"
Zoe's face darkened a shade of red that near matched her hair. "Your brother trains him!"
Raph's eyes widened. "Come again?"
Zoe pushed Raph back and staggered to her feet. "He's a student at the dojo. He's been training with Leo for as long as I can remember. Thing is, he made some remark about mutants. Like he's a closet hater or something." Zoe marched over to the guy, rolling him over with her shoe. "I don't know his name, but Leo will for sure."
"If it's his real name," Raph growled. "He got a wallet, ID, on him?"
"What kind of bouncer steals a down guy's wallet?" Butt Girl asked.
Zoe and Raph stared at her, long and hard, Butt Girl held up her hands. "Forget it. I didn't see nothin."
Zoe took a threatening step towards the woman, but Raph held up a hand and shook his head. Zoe spoke through clenched teeth, her hands balled into fists. "He's not taking the asshole's wallet. He's looking to find out who he is. Or didn't you hear him say that?"
"Z, she's got nothin ta do wit this." Raph beckoned Zoe to him then looked at Butt Girl and motioned with his eyes towards the door.
Butt Girl took the hint.
Raph pulled the man's wallet out, leafed through it and revealed three ID's. "They're all different."
Zoe eyed the man. "Take them. We'll give'm to Donnie and talk to Leo about him."
"Don't tell me what to do." Raph barked. "I know what do." He stuck the ID's in the pocket of his jeans.
Zoe poked at the guy, and frowned. "What the hell happened to him while I was out?" She looked closer. "His arms broke, and I sure as hell didn't get the privilege." She let out a low cattish growl. "I should break his other."
Raph reached out and took her hand. "We're going ta have ta settle up with him another night. I can't call the cops on him, not when he's worse off than you."
Zoe's teeth ground together so hard Raph could hear it. "Z, you should get back inside. We'll leave his ass for the Wanderers. He'll be lucky if they don't show him a mutant good time."
Raph tugged on her arm but she didn't move. "Z, I know you want to finish this but," Raph motioned to the guy, "someone beat you to it."
It was then that Raph thought Zoe's teeth would break. She hissed, then stomped to the back door of the club, put her hand on the handle and stopped. She closed her eyes, slowed her breathing, and Raph was proud of her. In the five years they'd been together she'd really learned to reel herself back in. He only hoped no one else was dumb enough to try anything on her. Even with all the progress, she probably couldn't pull it off twice in one night. Maybe it was time to try and get her to go home. He glanced at his phone, when he looked up again she was gone.
TSOTCTSOTC
Denim was dancing with Karai, but the floor wasn't as much fun as the bar. Why'd she have to get down anyway?
She kind of wanted another drink or two. A glance toward the bar showed Medusa having a drink with the dreadlock guy that insisted she get down. Denim's lips curled into a smile. Glad she's having a good time too. But I'm starting to miss my Mikey.
"What're you pouting for?" Karai yelled over the music.
Denims cheeks rushed hot, even with the burn of alcohol still coursing through her.
Karai smirked. "Miss him already, huh?"
Denim looked toward the bar again and spotted Zoe stomping towards it. The hybrid reached in her bra and slapped cash on the counter. The tender responded by pouring her four shots. Zoe looked around, spied Denim and beckoned to her.
Denim motioned to Karai. "Zoe wants us."
The two women approached the red-faced hybrid, and Karai reached out for her instantly. "What's wrong?"
Zoe took a shot, motioned for Karai to take one, and thrust another in Denim's hands.
Karai swallowed her drink and cocked an eyebrow. "I thought we agreed Sparkles was done."
Zoe's eyes darted from Medusa on the other end of the bar, to Denim, back to Karai. "Where's April?"
TSOTCTSOTC
Sappho started towards the restroom when she had to flatten herself against the wall to avoid being run over by the turtle bouncer. Right he'd been the one making out with the rogue when she'd first arrived. It looked like he'd gotten the memo. Maybe the ram bouncer had contacted him.
She slipped into the restroom, which was somehow mercifully empty except for her target. That never happened in places like this. Her luck must finally be balancing out.
Her best bet was to hit hard and fast when her quarry exited the stall. But she didn't want to tip her hand. She'd wait by the sinks and blindside April into the far wall when she exited the stall.
Then the door opened behind her and her hands clenched in frustration. She forced them open and turned to the mirror, pretending to primp.
It was the ram founder's alley side piece. Again. What was it with this woman and screwing up her work. And it looked like she'd be here a while considering how much putting back together she had to do after her romp out back. Fan-fucking-tastic.
She was only one witness and hadn't paid Sappho much mind since she'd entered, being somewhat self-focused. Sappho could have her out cold and stashed in a stall before April finished her business.
Then the door opened again and she wanted to groan audibly. Opportunity gone. Especially since it was the Asian woman that her target had entered with and she was impatiently waiting outside April's stall.
"Take your time why don't you?"
April blinked at the greeting before laughing. "What's wrong now?"
Asian girl crossed her arms. "Zoe's in a mood. You're the touchy-feely emotional guru. Fix it. She's killing my night."
April rolled her eyes and went to wash her hands.
The door burst open and the rogue burst in with bar-dancer, barely getting her to a stall before she tossed her cookies.
As the other two closed ranks, Sappho sighed and stalked out to seek another stake out position. But she was already pretty sure this night was down the tubes.
TSOTCTSOTC
Medusa sighed as she waited outside of the bathroom, and rolled her eyes. No one could tell she was rolling her eyes, as she didn't have any whites to show when she did it. While La Vida Loca was mutant friendly, it's restroom was not Medusa friendly. The large snake couldn't fit in any of the stalls, and was long enough to take up most of the bathroom. She'd been asked, not in this establishment, but several others, to please refrain from using the restroom. She wasn't entirely sure how other large mutants managed. She managed by having a bladder of steel. Her bladder of steel didn't help with her self appointed task of watching Denim. She reminded herself, It wasn't my job to watch her. I am just here for a girl's night out. Still, she felt slightly guilty as she heard hard retching coming from the restroom. A woman in skin-tight pants stormed out.
"Bad break up?" Dreadlocks asked, handing Medusa her drink.
The snake shrugged. "Don't know," she replied. "Don't really care." The sound of retching hit her ears again. She opened the door, "You OK in there?"
"Dancing's done for the night," April called.
"No, I"m OK." Denim's voice argued weakly.
"She doesn't sound OK," Dreadlocks said.
Medusa stuck her tongue out, but then immediately drew it back in her mouth. "You smell like puke," she muttered, closing the door again.
"I do?" he asked.
Medusa turned to look at him, her tongue darting out again. "Not you, her."
The restroom door opened again, Karai leading the way as Zoe and April held Denim up. "I'm not going home yet," the kunoichi said. "Not until you're way sobered up."
"We can't just let her hurl all night," April said.
"I won't hurl again," Denim squeaked. "I don't think."
"You're looking a little green," Dreadlocks noted.
"No one asked you," Karai huffed, heading for the backdoor.
"We're too good for the front door?" Medusa asked, craning over the women like an umbrella.
"Raph's out back," Zoe's voice was tight. "We can tell him we're leaving."
"Aww, you're leaving?" Dreadlocks asked, his long legs keeping time with Karai's quick steps.
"Sparkles is coming home with me, remember?"
He looked back at Denim, his long hair whipping with the turn of his head. "You know, Cafe Siene is open until 1 in the morning. You can go there and get some coffee. It's mutant friendly."
"One in the morning?" Zoe asked. "Who drinks coffee at one in the morning?"
"I do," Dreadlocks answered. "I do poetry readings there."
Medusa stopped slithering. "You write poetry?"
Karai rolled her eyes.
April, Zoe, and Denim almost collided with Dreadlocks.
"Yeah," he answered. "All the time."
TSOTC
Denim's throat hurt from retching. The room was still spinning, and she was pretty sure Medusa was right. She smelled like puke. "I don' wan' coffee. Water, but nooo coffee."
She let out a groan, and leaned on April a little more than she liked. Zoe was letting off an electric current that was jolting Denim, even through her drunkenness. But April was calm and therefore the preferred shoulder of the two.
Denim lifted her head, tried to focus, but found that made her stomach turn again and closed her eyes. "Don' wan' coffee, but can no pick up Alli like this."
"Well that's fine, cas' you're not gonna," Raph said, appearing beside Zoe.
The girls, and Dreadlocks, all looked at him.
Raphael crossed his arms in a very Leo like way. "I talked to Leo and he said Alli's sleepin.' Phoenix agreed that she and Anton can stay the night." He looked at Zoe and waved a hand toward the backdoor. "He's on his way to see his student out back there."
"You called Leo?" Karai yelled. "Why the hell did you call Leo? We can handle one drunk girl, Raph." She scowled, her hands balling into fists. "What the actual hell!"
Zoe opened her mouth then snapped it shut and shook her head. April remained silent, and Medusa looked curiously in Zoe's direction.
Raph leaned forward, looked Denim over with a smirk on his face. "Then I talked to Mikey, and he's on his way to pick you up." He cringed. "But you might want to see someone about a breath mint before he gets here."
"Really, Raph?" Karai stepped forward, pointed a finger at him. "When, and why did you make all of these calls? We have everything under control." She glared at him and he squared his shoulders.
Karai huffed, looked away then back, speaking through clenched teeth. "You realize I'm going to get an earful that will go on for days, right? Why would you do this?"
Raph met Karai with an even gaze. "Oh, so you don't know yet. One of Leo's students got into it with Zoe. I still don't get what happened, but somehow he got her down and Aries found her in the alley out back. So yeah, parties over."
Everyone looked at Zoe who all but had flames in her eyes. Denim thought they looked like storm clouds, she half expected lightning bolts to shoot from them, right at Raphael.
Karai wheeled on Raph. "She looks fine to me. Might be pissed at you right now though."
Raph quirked an eye ridge. "I'm sorry, did you not hear me the first two times? He's a student from the dojo. Leo's pissed. Plus, someone took the asshat down and it wasn't Z. So there's that shit too."
He pointed at Denim but didn't take his eyes off Karai, "And you mean to tell me that you, April, Medusa, and Zoe could not keep her from getting so trashed she's in the bathroom hurling?"
Denim gave a weak protest. "I don' need a babysitter. I can take care of myyyyselfff. Been doin' it all ma life. Just wanna have sommme funn."
Raph snorted, gave each one of them a disapproving look. "Yeah, well fun ends when one of you gets attacked. You girls gotta look out for each other better."
"We're fine." All five women said in unison.
"Well that's good," Raph pointed behind them, "The we're fine club can explain to Leo and Mikey what happened here tonight. I'm going out back to wait for them."
The girls all looked away, letting out a synchronized groan.
TSOTCTSOTC
Sappho had almost made it back to the bar when she looked back and saw the crowd containing both her targets exit out the back door. While they still maintained safety in numbers, at least she'd be able to get out of the building for a bit.
Working her way towards the front door, a lanky, reptilian mutant with green scales and a large, yellow head frill stepped into her path. "Looks like your date stood you up, eh? I promise that I'm good company."
Shoot. She needed to leave. What would a normal person say? "Uh...no thanks."
She started to move past him when his hand shot out to grip her arm. "Got some kind of problem with me? Just trolling out on the wild side for some kind of thrill?"
She stared up at him blankly, trying to grasp what he was getting at. Why did making sense of people have to be so hard?
She tugged her arm free, surprising him with her strength. Crap. Too noticeable. "I really have to go."
The mutant scowled. "Now look her, miss too good for the likes of us..."
"Maybe it's just you she doesn't like?" An enormous, she wanted to say yak mutant approached from behind her.
The lizard turned his attention to the yak. "Keep your snout out of my business."
The yak crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Make me."
Several more lizard mutants emerged from the crowd to join their friend.
What was going on? Whatever. She didn't have time for this. She needed to get out to her targets. Silently slipping into the crowd, she darted out the front door as the lizards surrounded the yak.
Once outside, she took a long deep breath of fresh air, sparing a moment to appreciate the relative silence as all that remained of the din was the sensation of muted bass through the door.
Casually stepping into the alley opposite the one, she expected the club to exit into, she looked for a way onto the roof and found nothing but sheer brick walls. Not even a dumpster. Well crud. At least it was late and dark. With luck no one would see.
She started peeling off her blue acrylic nails and cursed internally when she found one already missing. She must have lost it in the fight with the hybrid's assailant. Useless junk. Hopefully it would go unnoticed or, if it were found, at least no one would be able to connect it to her. There had to be countless women in the city with cheap, fake nails. Stuffing the remaining hindrances into her almost uselessly small pocket, she dug her nails into the wall and began to climb. It didn't take her long to reach the top.
Silently, she crept the edge, crouching behind the ledge and listened, not daring to risk getting caught by peering over the side. This was a perceptive lot. She heard the door open.
"Raph, get your shell back in here!" It sounded like the ram mutant having an assignation in the alley.
"I'm kind of in the middle of something here." The turtle bouncer who'd kissed the hybrid.
"You mean standing and waiting? The waiting will continue without you. There's a huge fight tearing up the club and I could use your help." The ram sounded angry.
"But..."
"Raph, I need this job and I'm pretty sure you do to, so get your shell in gear and help me before they take the property damage out of our pay!"
The turtle answered with a growl and she heard the door close again.
The silence stretched out below her and Sappho settled in to wait.
TSOTCTSOTC
April stood in the alley, supporting Denim's head on her shoulder as Mikey's girlfriend fought valiantly to keep her eyes open. She glanced over at Medusa, coiled up at the entry to the alley, looking less than pleased as she avoided flicking her tongue out. April could empathize. They were both stone-cold sober and had barely gotten any dancing in before things had spiraled out of control. So much for a night out. She was definitely going to talk to Leo about volunteering Zoe and Karai to 'help' her out with the training of her psychic powers.
Zoe leaned against the dumpster glaring daggers into the unconscious man on the ground as Karai had strategically positioned herself between the two. Preventing Zoe from doing something...unfortunate, before Leo could get a crack at the assailant was probably her last chance at damage control. April would have to resign herself for the next few weeks at the dojo being strained and awkward until Leo and Karai got their rhythm back. As their relationship was something of a tumultuous nature, it happened fairly periodically.
Raph would probably still be out here bossing it up, if there hadn't been an altercation inside that had been big enough for Aries to call him in for back up. She was curious, but there were too many people with conflicting thoughts and emotions, all on overdrive to zero in on anything in particular with her powers.
Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that they were calling the night early. Her 'spidey sense', as Mikey called it, had been going off all night, although she couldn't pin point the trigger. She didn't think it was the loser on the ground as it had alerted her to take her time in the bathroom, after the alley-napper had gotten his mystery beat down. Probably better to just get out of here once the entire clan was done convening in the alley. They would only be short Arcos and their parents.
The back door opened and Dreadlocks cheerfully burst through, turning to April.
"Uh...?"
"Someone ask for water and breath mints?" He held up a clear plastic bottle and a roll of Menthos. She reached out to accept them, no warnings triggered, as Medusa slithered over, eyeing him questioningly. "What? They're your crew right?"
Medusa released a hissing laugh as she surveyed the lot of them. "Yes. You could say that."
He edged towards her as April worked the cap of the bottle off and jostled Denim up enough to manage a sip.
"I'm doing a reading, tomorrow at seven at the café, if you're interested in stopping by." Dreadlock's offered hopefully.
Medusa's broad mouth turned up in a smile. "Sounds like a good time."
Dreadlocks grinned and April couldn't help but smile as she popped a mint into Denim's mouth. At least the night hadn't been a total wash. It looked like Medusa was making good.
Medusa's head cocked towards the alley entrance and April could sense the others approaching. Medusa turned back to Dreadlocks. "It's about to get crowded here, so..."
He got the hint, casting her a wink before slipping back through the door. "Tomorrow. Seven."
Leo stalked into the alley, followed closely by Mikey and Don.
"Aww, Blue Jeans..."
"I'mmm fine. Alley's not. Spinning."
April gently transferred Denim over to Mikey who braced her against his side as he glared at Zoe and Karai. "Seriously?"
Karai looked away.
Zoe gave him a shrug. "Why are you looking at us?"
Mikey sighed and rolled his eyes. "Same reason everyone looks at me whenever the water balloons start to fly."
April caught Donnie's questioning glance. "Don't look at me. She was three she was three sheets to the wind when Medusa and I got there."
Leo frowned down at his student, then turned to Zoe. "What happened?"