"What are you going to do now, Mel?" Leonardo asked as he swirled the teaspoon around in his coffee. "Since you now know the truth about your parents."
Master Splinter and the four turtles were seated around the kitchen table, eating quietly while Amelia spoke. For the past hour they had asked question after question, and she answered them all as honestly as she could. In the beginning, Mel was apprehensive about revealing so much about her past, but not because of the shame and guilt she felt about the things she's done and the people she's hurt. It was the pain of bringing back childhood memories. It made her sick to her stomach just thinking about it. The beatings she had received from both Hun and her mother; the sight of her drunken mother stumbling through the door at two in the morning; the men that would come in and out of the house on a daily basis, lustful glints in all their eyes; Lizzy huddled in the crawl space beneath the stairs, praying for her big sister to come home and protect her; and Lizzy's death. That was the most painful part.
Mel was ashamed as she spoke of such memories. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, the rage rushing throughout her body, but the gentle grasping of her hand from Donatello had given her comfort. She felt a calmness wash over her as the purple clad turtle smiled reassuringly, gentle brown eyes silently telling her that everything was okay. She had to be grateful, not only for Donatello's comfort, but for the acceptance of the other mutants. Not once had they looked upon her with repugnance or disdain. No shameful words were uttered beneath their breaths. They simply sat and listened to every pain-filled word she spoke, every shaky breath she took, and every self-loathing comment she cast towards herself.
Thankfully, the subject had shifted from her painful past to more recent events. Both Mel and Master Splinter informed the turtles of her true identity and relation to Hamato Yoshi.
"Well, Master S is gonna teach me ninjutsu so I can kick some serious ass," Mel replied as she punched the air. "Then, once I get good enough, I'm gonna confront the Shredder."
"Confront the Shredder?" Michelangelo's hands flew to his head. "Are you crazy!? That dude is a crazy, psycho, evil alien type thing! You can't confront him!"
"I have to, Mikey. I have questions, and he's the only one with the answers."
"Hun was already working for the Shredder when Yoshi was killed. Perhaps he knows why Shredder kept you alive," Leonardo mused, pulling his cup away from his beak.
Mel shook her head, glaring slightly at the bowl of cereal in front of her. "He doesn't."
"How do you know?"
"Cause I already asked him 'bout it last night."
"Wait, so that's why you were at the Dragons' warehouse last night?"
Mel rolled her eyes, "That's what I was trying to tell ya. I told ya before, I ain't a Dragon anymore."
Amelia noticed Raphael stiffen in the seat across from her and his spoon slowly droop back into his cereal. A hint of embarrassment flashed across his usually controlled expression as his assumption was proven wrong. He looked over to Mel only to find her green eyes dancing with amusement, and he felt like a complete idiot.
"I knew there had to be another reason for your being there," Donnie smiled, his grip tightening on her hand that was so small compared to his. "I knew you wouldn't betray me - us! I, uh, I meant us."
Mel couldn't help but smile as a blush appeared on the turtles' olive skin. "I'd never betray you guys," she said as she placed her free hand over the top of his, sandwiching his hand between hers.
Raphael watched the two smile at one another as Mel ran her thumb along the top of his brothers' hand. He imagined Donnie leaning over to whisper sweet nothings into her ear, followed by a kiss on the lips. Mel's eyes would flutter shut and she'd return the kiss with passion. His heart turned sour and a feeling of jealousy surged through him.
Raph growled low in his throat, earning a confused glance from Michelangelo sitting beside him. Mikey followed his brothers' gaze, his mouth spreading into a goofy grin as realisation dawned on him. Mikey nudged his hot-headed brother with his elbow, gaining his irritated attention.
"What?"
Michelangelo smiled deviously and whispered, "I see you're feeling a little jealous, huh, Raphie-boy?"
His eyes narrowed into slits, "What the shell are ya talkin' about?"
"Jealous of…them," Mikey grinned, gesturing at the pair sitting across from him and his brother.
Raphael scowled at his brothers' accusations, even though he knew he was right. "I ain't jealous of them."
"Don't worry bro. I won't tell anyone about your feelings for Mel," Mikey teased.
"What are ya, deaf? I just said I ain't jealous!"
"Ok, so you're not jealous…but, you do have feelings for her."
"No, I don't," he snapped. "Now if ya don't shut up about this I'll bap ya one."
Mikey slung his arm around his brothers' shoulders and poked his cheek. "Aww it's ok to like her, Raphie. I mean, she is pretty hot."
That was the breaking point for Raphael.
"I told ya ta shut up!" He shouted, startling Mikey which caused him to tumble backwards out of his chair.
The others stared at the fuming turtle in silence, completely oblivious as to what had just happened. Master Splinter stood from his seat and made his way over to his son, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"What is the meaning of this, Raphael?"
Raphael shrugged his fathers' hand from his shoulder, "Stay outta this! It ain't none of ya business!"
His three brothers gasped at his words. Amelia sat silently, her eyes flicking between the father and son. Raphael's eyes grew wide. He hadn't meant to snap at his father like that. He turned to him, his head low, guilt written all over his face.
"Master Splinter, I…I-I'm sorry. I don't-I don't know…"
Master Splinter shook his head side-to-side slowly. "Ah, my son. So angry. Rage is a monster that will destroy you from within."
Raphael avoided his gaze and brushed past him, stopping in the entrance to the kitchen when Splinter spoke once more. "Raphael, a true warrior finds balance in all things."
Raphael said nothing and stormed out of the room and out of the lair. Splinter sighed soundlessly as he heard his son leave. The room was silent until Leonardo spoke up.
"I'm going to go talk to him."
"Do you think that's a good idea, Leo? You know what Raph is like," Donatello said, leaning back in his chair.
Leonardo placed his hands on his hips, "Which is exactly why I have to talk to him. He can't keep losing his temper like this."
"Leave him alone, Leo," Mel said, earning the attention of everyone in the room.
"What?"
"Leave him alone," she repeated. "Right now he's totally pissed and if ya follow him and start giving him lectures, it's only gonna make him worse."
"Look, Mel, with all due respect, I think I know what's best for my brother."
Mel shrugged casually, "Fine, go ahead, but I know what I'm talking 'bout, kay? I'm hot-headed myself and whenever I'm pissed off, I just want everyone to leave me the hell alone."
Leonardo rubbed his forehead in frustration, "And what happens if he gets into trouble, huh? Then what do we do?"
"Then we help him," she said, rising from her seat. "But for right now, leave him be. He needs time to cool down himself, and when he does he'll come back."
"Miss Fletcher is indeed right, Leonardo. Raphael needs to learn to handle such problems on his own." Splinter turned to Mel with a small smile. "Shall we continue your training, Miss Fletcher?"
"Totally," Mel grinned, following the old rat back into the training room.
Mel and Michelangelo lay side-by-side on the queen sized bed in Amelia's newly decorated bedroom. After finishing her training for the day, Mikey offered to help decorate her room. Mel had jumped at the offer and the two began decorating, but now that it was finished, the pair were exhausted.
"Thanks for helping decorate my room, Mikey," Mel said as she admired their handiwork.
The brick walls were now painted black, same as the ceiling. The cold, cement ground was now covered in bath mats, fluffy ones, which Mikey had stolen from the bathroom after Mel had stated earlier that she hated walking across a cold floor barefooted. Fairy lights were taped to the ceiling like a string of pearls. The bed was a simple mattress placed on the floor in the far corner of the room and consisted of dark pink sheets, a purple and black striped comforter, and two gigantic square pillows that would devour your head if you weren't careful.
There's a photo collage of her, Lizzy, Krillin, and the Ballantine brothers above her bed with the words 'Family gathers here' painted above it. The other walls were completely covered with posters. There were posters of Three Days Grace, Halestorm, Queen, Warrant, Breaking Benjamin, The Rasmus, Icon for Hire, Flyleaf, Skillet, The Pretty Reckless, and numerous other bands Mikey hadn't even heard about. And a couple of posters of James Dean, who, according to Mel, was 'the most heavenly creature to have ever walked the Earth'. Mel was quite pleased with the way the walls were decorated, though Mikey not so much, as he had commented that the vertical corners of the walls were missing something, so Mel had taped the remaining fairy lights down the seam of all four corners.
On her black wooden desk sits her sticker infested laptop, a pile of CD's, a Polaroid camera, and the journal April had given her. Two beanbags are placed in front of the flat screen TV that's mounted on the wall; one pink, the other purple. Connected to the TV is a game console, generously donated by Mikey himself, with a pile of games already beginning to form beside it. The bookshelf consists of a couple of books, photography magazines, a photo of Japan, some old vinyls, a CD player, the shoebox containing her parents memories, some comic books and action figures which Mikey had added for some colour, and a few other little items that Mel has collected over the years.
Finally, at the foot of her bed sat a beautiful dark green velvet cushion with a gold trim which Krillin now occupied, happily snuggled up against Michelangelo's cat, Klunk.
"No problemo, Mel," Mikey grinned as he, too, admired the room. "We make a good team."
Mel nodded in agreement, a smile on her face, before standing and grabbing her camera from the desk. She held it in front of her face, "Smile."
"Wait a sec, let me pose," Mikey got to his feet and posed for the camera, grinning largely as the light flashed.
"Sexy," Mel complimented, staring at the photograph in her hand. She grabbed some pieces of tape and added it to the collage above her bed. "There. Now my room is complete!"
"You're putting me on your wall?" Mikey asked.
Mel looked over at him, "Uh, yeah. I hope that's cool."
"Cool?" Mikey looked at her and grinned. "It's more than cool, babe. I mean, I totally understand why you'd want me up there. I am the pretty one."
Just then, his stomach growled loudly.
Mel stared at his stomach for a few seconds before bursting out laughing. "Oh man, that was like a sound I heard in the woods once."
Mikey blushed before laughing as well. "Dude, I'm starving! All this hard work has made me weak with hunger."
"Hey! I'm the one that did all the heavy-lifting!" Mel said, pointing to herself.
"Yeah but I told you where the furniture had to go," Mikey defended. "Helping people really gives you an appetite."
"Sure, sure," Mel rolled her eyes, though a smile was on her face. "Hey, ya in the mood for pizza?"
Mikey's face brightened, "Babe, I'm always in the mood for pizza."
"Let's go see if the others want anything," Mel smiled as she and Mikey left her bedroom.
The pair headed downstairs to find everyone seated in the living room, April and Casey included. "I told ya he'd come back," Mel said once she reached the bottom of the stairs, her eyes locking on to the hot-headed turtle emerging from the kitchen with a glass of water.
Everyone turned their attention to the young girl walking towards them. Donatello grinned and waved as he saw her approach and Mel gave a small nod in greeting.
"Yeah, he and Casey just got here a few minutes ago," Leonardo said, closing his book. "Looks like you were right, Mel."
"Right about what?" Raphael asked with narrowed eyes, not happy that he was being spoken about behind his back.
"That ya would eventually come back," Mel shrugged and smiled. "You're like a puppy that way."
Raphael choked slightly on his water, "What?!"
"You're like a puppy," Mel repeated, making Mikey try and stifle a laugh. "No matter what happens, you'll always find your way home. Raph the Puppy. That's what I should start calling ya."
"Call me that again and you'll soon be findin' out that my bite is a lot worse than my bark," Raphael threatened as he took a seat beside Casey. Mel smirked and put her hands up in surrender.
"Wow, Mel. You look really beautiful," April complimented, this being the first time seeing the young girl since her make-over.
Mel gave a dismissive wave of her hand, the shy grin on her face indicating she wasn't used to getting compliments. "Ya don't gotta be so nice, O'Neil."
April shook her head, "I'm not saying it to be nice. I'm saying it because it's true."
Mel glanced down at her attire: a plain white t-shirt and a pair of denim jeans that had more holes than actual fabric. In her opinion, she looked like a slob. Though she never was one to think much of herself. She had always found herself to be un-appealing, so receiving such a compliment from both April and Donnie came as quite a shock.
"Well, thanks, I guess," she shrugged. "Listen, I'm goin' topside to get Mikey and I some pizza. Anyone want anything?"
"I wouldn't mind some pizza," Donnie said.
"Me too."
"Same here."
"Kay. Be back soon," Mel said, leaving the lair.
"Here's your pizza, ma'am."
I took the pile of pizzas from the cashiers' hands muttering a quick thanks and left the pizzeria. As I made my way down the sidewalk, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being followed, and this wasn't the first time I'd been followed. Not wanting to let my stalker know that I knew they were following me, I continued on down the street, fighting the urge to glance over my shoulder, and carefully scanned the buildings ahead of me, though I could see nothing.
Balancing the pizza boxes with one hand, I reached into my pocket to grab my phone only to find that I didn't have it on me. Crap. I musta left it back at the lair. I mentally cursed myself for being so stupid. Now I ain't sure where to go. I got no phone, no weapon, and I definitely can't go back to the lair. The only options I have is to take this scumbag down, or run like hell.
I rounded the corner and entered a silent street. No people, no cars, no sign of life whatsoever. Geez, it's like the friggin' apocalypse right now. I stepped off the curb and onto the road. I dropped the pizzas I'd been carrying and stood my ground, glaring up at the rooftops.
"I know you're following me!" I yelled up at the buildings. "Show yourself!"
My eyes flicked from rooftop to rooftop, finally settling on one building where a person seemed to appear outta thin air! Like, literally, they just materialised or some crap. Said person jumped from the rooftops, landing gracefully in front of me. I could see then that they were a ninja. My eyes lingered on the emblem on the left side of his chest and my eyes widened. I remember Master S showing me that symbol when we spoke 'bout my parents.
The Foot.
Crap. Now I knew I was in deep crap. The ninja tilted his head to one side, like he was examining me or something, before snapping his fingers. Seconds later, other ninjas began appearing outta thin air all 'round me.
I was surrounded.
By invisible ninjas.
With no weapon.
Fan-bloody-tastic.
