Author's Note: Hello again, everyone! Looks like it's time for another new chapter! First off, I wanted to apologize for coming off as cross in response to that anonymous review. Around the time I wrote the previous chapters, I lost a beloved pet I had for almost all my life and I was still reeling from the loss, so I wasn't in the best of moods. I also realized that if I try to please everyone in writing, I'll just end up pleasing no one in the end. I'm still improving on writing, and that's all I can do. Does that mean I'll stop writing? Of course not! I'll just keep at it! Anyway, this chapter will have some Donnie/Casey bonding and April/Cheyloe bonding, and Donnie will learn a secret from Chey's past that has something to do with the child he saw in his vision quest. Read away!
EDIT: I changed a little bit in here about the compressions. Had a guest point out an error I made and I fixed it!
Chapter 29: Bonding
"Yo, D! Pass me a soda, will ya?"
"Already ahead of you, Casey." Donatello didn't even have to look up to toss a can of soda from the cooler to the intended target. "Thanks again for helping clean the lair…the Kraang did a number on it AND my lab."
The hockey player shrugged and leaned against his push broom. "Eh, just think of it as a way ta make up fer takin' on Shredder without ya guys. It's actually weird; I thought you'd hit it up with Chey after bein' without 'er fer months."
The purple-masked turtle sighed, shaking his head and putting his mop aside. "Can't, at least not for a few days. With everyone back from Dimension X, they're going to the hospital to be checked out…which means she has to take on more and more shifts. I bet she's exhausted…"
"Don't sweat, she's a tough lady. Once it's over, you'll get ta hang with 'er all ya want!" That suddenly made Casey's cocky grin fade. "But I know how ya feel…April and 'er dad are busy handin' out soup ta people; helpin' 'em get back on their feet. We haven't been able ta hang out much. But I still got you guys, right? And we can work together ta stop that…what was it those chemicals made?"
"I already told you Casey, those chemicals the Purple Dragons stole for Shredder create a mind-control serum!" The genius turtle explained in a huff. "It can either be put directly in the bloodstream or put into something like a parasite or microchip! If Shredder got his hands on enough of it, he could control all of New York! But by my hunch, his top priority'll be to use it on Karai or us."
"Why you guys? What could Shredder want ta use it on ya guys for?"
"Well, he already had Karai turned against Master Splinter for seventeen years, and it'd hurt him even more for us to be under Shredder's grasp. Just imagine it…all of Sensei's children under the control of the man who destroyed his life…"
The hockey player's jaw slowly slacked open at how deep that really was, and it was something he never took into any consideration; the need for a thrill took top priority over how vile Shredder was towards the Hamatos. He saw the scenario happen to some of the kids on his hockey team: most of them came from homes rocked by divorce, and one parent would often brainwash the kids so they would turn on the other parent and help them get everything. Sure, mind-control juice wasn't involved, but it was really the same scenario. Even worse if the one doing the brainwashing was the same guy that killed your wife and kidnapped your daughter.
"Hey, Donnie…ya just gave me an idea."
Donnie visibly gulped at the word 'idea'. "I don't like where this is going."
"Don't be like that, D! Just hear me out on this: a guy's night out! Cuz, ya know, we never really did an official celebration of gettin' New York back, right? So how about we get the guys together and have some dude time?"
"Do you really have to call it 'dude time'?" The genius turtle questioned in a snarky tone. "I don't know…the lair still needs cleaning, and I still need to find a way to counteract that serum…"
"No backin' out, Donnie!" Casey shouted, putting the broom aside and crossing his sleeved arms. "Time ta actually celebrate bein' back home! And time ta get ya outta the lair before ya become a hermit!" He suddenly turned towards the dojo and announced, "Yo Raph, Leo, Mikey! Guy's night out TONIGHT!"
Donnie visibly cringed, staring at the dojo from Casey's shoulder, and muttered, "What am I getting myself into?"
"All right, April…this is going to be a VERY important task. We've slacked off both in your medical training and honing your psychic abilities, so we must work overtime to perfect both! See it as if your very life depends on it!"
"Anna, you don't have to…be so dramatic." April cringed, finding the theatrics odd coming from the ponytailed brunette. "And shouldn't we wait for Cheyloe to come in?"
Anna simply crossed her arms at being referred to as 'dramatic'. The redhead had a valid point as well; Cheyloe was needed to train April on more first-aid and CPR, and she remained absent due to an overhaul of nurses needed at the hospital. Of course, physical therapists weren't needed right now, so the drama stemmed from being miffed over this and having been absent for almost five months. Kaitlyn sat in an easy chair, watching a wrestling match and drinking what was clearly beer, not paying any attention to this lesson in psychokinesis.
"Cheyloe will be here soon…but just understand that she's been exhausted lately." Anna explained, her tone now bordering on pleading. "They've been evaluating everyone who was in that horrid dimension, and news crews have been harassing people nonstop about aliens. So lessons with her might be short for a while."
April wanted to protest, but really had no argument for that. She could understand being tired; for several hours, she and her father served soup to the rescued citizens on their own. Standing for that long hurt her feet, and the constant begging from people getting greedy gave her a migraine. Chey had to deal with people needing their blood pressure checked, people begging for medicine, and even some lunatics ranting and raving that the 'aliens experimented on them' and 'possibly gave them a virus'. "All right, all right…so what will this lesson be?"
The ponytailed brunette's somber expression readily melted into a beaming smile, making her pose like a game show hostess. "Ah, for this lesson…let us begin with a little summary! Tonight, Kaitlyn made some very scrumptious cherries jubilee! All you have to do is find it!"
At that moment, the apartment door opened to reveal Cheyloe, who clearly looked like death warmed over. The brunette trudged her way to the sofa and collapsed with a loud thud, startling the others. Anna stopped in her assignment explanation to ask, "Another rough night?"
"…Can't they just give everyone a clean bill of health already?" Chey groaned through the cushions. "They've given me so many hours, I haven't even stopped by the lair to help clean…I'm too tired to even THINK."
"Chill, Chey." Kaitlyn snorted, not glancing away from the television. "Once April's done with this psychic stuff, you can dig inta that cherries jubilee I whipped up; you'll be perked up in no time."
"Now as I was saying…" Anna interrupted, fighting to keep her composure and going on with the lesson, "The cherries jubilee is hidden somewhere in the kitchen, and you have to find it, April. And no Cheyloe, you can't sniff it out for her."
The brunette groaned and lifted her head. "No fair, I really want some now. All right April, you can do it…get a win for the team!"
April got up from her seat on the floor and stated, "Well, I guess I'll just look around for it-"
"Actually, there's a catch." The ponytailed brunette smiled and gave another dramatic pose. "You have to use your psychic senses to find it, and without reading our minds for the answer. You may have been able to sense people with your powers, but you also have to learn to sense objects as well. You can't do one and not the other."
"You make it sound easy!" The redhead whined. "How long did it take you to perfect it?"
"Oh, it took her about a year to fully get it down." Chey cut in, finally sitting up and laying out a few medical supplies for the next lesson. "I should tell you about the time she tried to lift a glass of Sprite…let's say she wore the Sprite for the rest of the day, and that's only the beginning."
"Cheyloe…zip it. Zip it or I will throw out those precious energy drinks you keep hoarded in the fridge." Her darkened expression shifted back into a smile once she faced April again. "All right, April…let us begin, shall we?"
With a deep sigh, April closed her eyes and placed her fingertips to her temples. This would be easier if she had to find a cat, not a plate of flambéed cherries and ice cream. But this wasn't supposed to be easy…just like with ninjitsu, she would have to face very difficult tests to prove her worth. She certainly got better with her skills as a kunoichi, though Splinter would always be the best teacher compared to Leo and Raph. Now she had to improve on her Kraang-based abilities, despite loathing that side of her genetic material, so she could help her friends and family even more…especially in stopping the Foot Clan now.
Her mind's eye searched the kitchen area, finding nothing but dishes and bottles of a variety of drinks, along with frozen dinners and a few bottles of over-the-counter medicine for convenience. Weird…the dessert wasn't in the fridge or freezer, but that would be too obvious. Then, a nagging voice told her to look for something unexpected; something that would be easily missed. Her mind zoomed in on a place in the lower cabinets…and amongst the pots and pans sat a small cooler, and she could actually smell it now…cherries, brandy, vanilla…and she could even taste the cold emanating from it.
"It's right there! In the lower cabinet next to a soup pot!" April shouted, pointing to the cabinet in question.
The ponytailed brunette clapped, going over to the cabinet and opening it up to pull out the cooler. And what was inside the cooler? None-other than cherries jubilee. "Well done, April! You're a fast learner!"
"In that case, allow me to cut in and teach April for a bit." Chey spoke, hoisting herself from the sofa and shedding her thin jacket. "But first, I think I'll give myself a little sugar rush with this delicious dish…and April's going to help me eat it, of course, since SHE found it." She turned to the redhead and smiled wearily. "What do you say, April?"
April couldn't help but grin at the idea. "If it's sweet, I'm in!"
"I'm up for trying something new, but 'Turtles on ice' wasn't what I had in mind."
"Don't be such a bummer, D! Turtles on ice is an awesome idea! Beats mopping up the lair all night, huh?"
Donatello watched Michelangelo execute a pirouette on the ice rink with near perfection, while he himself struggled not to fall on it. Further proof that if anyone were to be a champion figure skater, it would be his baby brother; he was never that great of a dancer, or built for the ice for that matter. Leonardo seemed to use the ice rink as a means of improving some of his ninjitsu techniques, as he glided on the frozen floor and swung his swords through the air at invisible enemies. Raphael decided to have a one-on-one hockey match with Casey, which meant he had to borrow one of the vigilante's hockey sticks and promise not to break it in a rage. Though considering the reputation of ice hockey, that was a promise he shouldn't have made.
"No offense Mikey, but I'm not the most…graceful person on icy terrain." Donnie admitted, hanging on to the edge of the rink when his foot gave out underneath him. "Snow, I can manage, but not pure ice! Remember that incident with the frozen pond up in Northampton? I really don't want a repeat of that!"
"Oh yeah, I remember that! It was good you didn't catch pneumonia, and my homemade chicken noodle soup cleared those sinuses right up!" Mikey reminisced, recalling how his brother fell into the frozen pond and came out a wet, shivering heap. Even as mutants, they still retained some of their cold-blooded nature. "Of course, you were stuck in bed for about a week, and you slept with a hot water bottle all the time."
"You were even more miserable than when you were beatin' yourself up over the invasion." Raph piped in, skating up to the rink wall and leaning on his hockey stick. "I got so sick of hearin' ya gripe I was about ta throw ya into the snow ta shut you up."
"Give D a break about that, guys!" Casey of all people reprimanded. "At least down here we don't hafta worry about frozen ponds or nature! It's good ta have noisy traffic and smoggy air back, right?"
That didn't make Donnie feel any better about having fallen into an ice-cold pond thanks to being a klutz on the ice. As a ninja and a master of the Bo staff, he found himself fluid and smooth in that department; he had to be to actually master the staff. As a dancer and ice skater? Not so much. "All right, we've skated and ate pizza, and now we're here. How much more do we need to do for a guy's night out, huh?"
Casey sighed, gliding towards the wall opening that led to the bleachers and setting aside his stick and spare pucks. "I guess we could take a break an' figure it out, huh? All right, let's chill, dudes."
Finally. Donnie managed to scoot himself from the ice to an actual floor and onto the much-desired bleachers to sit and warm his feet. His brothers didn't seem to mind the cold so much, but it was because they had a little more meat on their shells compared to his lanky frame. Maybe that was why Casey always wore long sleeves, even in the summer. Speaking of Casey…Donnie knew the teen acted like his cocky and trouble-seeking self like usual, but this time it seemed a little, well, forced. It could've just been from trying to take on Shredder and that Hun guy by himself, but that couldn't be the only thing…could it? Casey could normally shake that stuff off, too…
"Hey, how 'bout we go bust up some Purple Dragons next? I wanna rematch with Hun!"
"Casey?" Donnie piped up without warning. "…Is something bothering you?"
"Botherin' ME?" The hockey player asked, his eyes darting around in uneasiness. "What could possibly be botherin' me? I should be askin' you that, D! Ya always act like somethin's on yer mind!"
Leo, Raph, and Mikey fell quiet, previously discussing what they could possibly do for the rest of the evening, when they heard Donnie actually ask the smug vigilante if something bothered him. This was weird…but it was best for them to not but in and just listen; that meant even Mikey. The whole rink grew quiet with uncomfortable silence until Donnie spoke up again. "Casey, you've been acting funny since we came back to New York, and especially after going after Shredder alone, which was and always will be the stupidest thing you've ever done, by the way!"
"Donnie, we've been over that like a thousand times already! I said I was doin' this ta make up for it, right!?" Casey retaliated, now becoming defensive. "Why would I be actin' funny about it!?"
"Casey, if you keep being defensive, I'll have no choice but to use the truth serum I have stored in my lab. I was going to save it for an emergency only, but-"
"Okay, okay! Fine, I'll talk!" The hockey player scratched the back of his head in irritation. It was a habit he developed as a kid, as it happened for some reason after he contracted a bad case of head lice, therefore associating irritation with that crawling-on-his-skin feeling. Looks like it was time to fess up and actually do something he normally dreaded…letting out his bottled-up emotions and expose his vulnerabilities. "Don…I gotta confession ta make. I…remember all that junk with Bigfoot up in Northampton? I, uh…I overheard ya talkin' with April."
The genius turtle blinked. "Come again?"
"I said I overheard ya tellin' April you were givin' up on 'er! And…this isn't easy fer me, man." The vigilante once again scratched the back of his head, ignoring the stares of disbelief from the other turtles. "I admit…the moment I heard it, I wanted ta jump up an' down and say I won…but ya kept on talkin' and tellin' April stuff I didn't think about."
"Casey Jones? Thinking?" The red-masked turtle teased, leaning his shell against the bleachers. "That's a first! Especially when April's concerned!"
"Uh, guys…why don't we head back on the ice and try out some moves?" Leo suggested, even though he grabbed Raph and Mikey by the arms and began to drag them away against their will. "I think Donnie and Casey need a break for a few minutes."
Once the other turtles disappeared back onto the ice rink, Casey felt a little more comfortable. He wouldn't admit it out-loud, but he and Donatello were alike in more ways than one; not just in the teeth and height departments. They could build extraordinary gadgets out of random crap from the junk drawer, both prone to losing their tempers when pushed too far, and both snarky and sarcastic, not to mention being able to kick butt with sticks. But most of all…they both got stupid over the same girl. Casey recalled all the times he tried to push the purple-masked turtle, just to get a rise out of him so he would look bad in front of April and score himself points with her. One of his most infamous stunts was wrapping April in a hug without warning, just to push Donnie's buttons. If he'd actually paid attention at the moment, he would've seen the horrified look on the redhead's face and stopped immediately.
"Ya said that ya didn't take 'er feelings into consideration, right? Well, neither did I." Casey confessed, his tone softer than normal. "I always had the idea that if I acted macho enough, saved 'er plenty 'a times, flirted with 'er all th' time, made ya look like a loser, that she'd see me as 'er knight in shining armor. I thought she'd go after me 'cause I was…well…what she thought of as 'normal'. But there's nothin' normal 'bout April or any of this junk…everything's a mess, and I've been treatin' it like a hockey game."
"Casey, I get it that you've not been treating the whole Foot Clan situation seriously…but I don't understand where you're going exactly concerning April." The purple-masked turtle spoke, twiddling his thumbs. "I decided on my own that I would let April go because I care about how she feels. Are you saying…I shouldn't have?"
"T-That's not what I'm sayin', D! I respect that ya let 'er go…I'm just saying I should've done what ya did! I should've thought about how SHE felt! We were both makin' 'er miserable 'cause of this love triangle crap! So…if yer not right for 'er, then maybe I'm not right for 'er, either. Ya looked at her an' saw a great friend…I just saw a trophy ta win until after that Bigfoot junk."
Donnie stared at the floor, unsure of how to react to Casey admitting he wanted to give up pursuing April as well. Really, he wasn't used to seeing this side of the hockey player; this certainly wasn't the Casey he knew. The Casey he knew was confident, cocky, an inventor, and even a little annoying, not this guy devoid of any of that right now. Was he that down about his past behavior concerning April? Or was it more about having tried to deal with a murderous ninja crime lord by himself? Either way, he wasn't going to let Casey become a shell of himself.
"Casey…you're acting like a total sap. The Casey Jones I know wouldn't be this ate up over those issues. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm glad that you've acknowledged you need to be a little more serious about Shredder and all the drama surrounding him, but don't be so beat up over not winning the girl!"
"Sap? I'm not being sappy, Donnie! I'm just…" Casey sighed and stared at the other turtles tackling each other on the ice rink, seemingly not having a care in the world despite all the crap going on. "I just wanna be a better guy…I wanna be a better fighter, and I know I say I'm not a member of this team, but I don't mean that…I wanna be a member of this team and stop that psycho Shredder before he hurts th' people I care about. My dad, my little sister, April, and you guys…I already lost my mom, I don't wanna lose you, too."
Now that was something Donnie hadn't prepared himself for. He remembered how the hockey player boasted of not being a team player that night he went after the Foot alone; it didn't help that he and his brothers teased him about losing to the Purple Dragons. If they'd known how formidable of a foe that Hun was, they wouldn't be laughing. But they always looked at Casey as a member of the team-the family even when they didn't always see eye-to-eye, and they knew they could count on him when things hit rock bottom.
"Casey, we're going to stop Shredder once and for all, and I know we can count on you to be on the front lines with us." Donnie assured, clasping his friend's shoulder with his large hand. "You, April, Cheyloe and her friends, the Mutanimals…we're all going to pound him into the ground for all the terrible things he did. You may act like a lone wolf, but you can always open up to us…we won't laugh. Still…" The genius turtle suddenly pointed towards Raph, who had Mikey in a headlock for tossing a puck at his shell. "I think there's someone you need to give that reassurance to. I noticed you two drifted apart while we were at the farmhouse."
The vigilante's face dropped and he cast his brown eyes to the side in shame. "Yeah…Raph was always busy watchin' over Leo that he forgot about me. I kinda forgot about 'im too 'cause I was busy tryin' ta get April's attention…and hangin' out with you." He slowly got up from the bleachers and began making his way towards the ice. "Guess I better start makin' it up to 'im right now."
Casey slowly skated towards the temperamental turtle, going past Leo and Mikey while they watched intently, until he stopped in front of his partner in busting heads. Raph seemed to know he was approaching and didn't look up from glancing at the puck that hit him. "Somethin' up, Casey?"
"Hey, Raph…" The hockey player started, faking a cough into his hand. "Listen, uh…I know we didn't hang out much up at the farmhouse, an' I spent a lot 'a time with Donnie while you were keepin' an eye on Leo. So…I didn't mean ta leave ya out, man."
Raph only blinked at Casey suddenly being…soft. "Who are ya and what have ya done with Casey?"
"I'm serious, Raph! We haven't been actin' like friends 'cause you were caught up in treatin' Leo like he was fragile, an' me tryin' ta hook up with April and bug Donnie! And what happened the other night when I took on th' Foot Goons…we were just at each other's throats, okay? I don't want us ta fight over stupid stuff, an' I wanna make it up to ya!"
"Calm down, Case! I'm not that mad over all that!" The red-masked turtle halted him, raising up his hands. "I was really mad at how stupid you were actin'! The other stuff is water under the bridge, but I don't want ya actin' like a bonehead when goin' up against Shredder, of all people! He doesn't care who he kills…he'll do anything ta get back at Master Splinter and get what he wants…so don't go in half-cocked and expect ta win. I don't want ya ta be his next victim!" It was then Raph went forward and knocked his knuckles against the hockey player's scalp. "Start usin' yer noggin a little more, okay? Or I'll knock some sense into ya."
To his surprise, Casey actually grinned and knocked his hand away. "Ya don't have ta tell me twice, Raph. So…how 'bout another round 'a hockey? You an' me play Leo an' Mikey."
The red-masked turtle glanced at his now-staring brothers and smirked, cracking his knuckles. "I like that idea, Jones."
Neither of them noticed Donnie smiling greatly from his spot on the bleachers.
"John Doe has gone into cardiac arrest! What code do you call to the team?"
"I call…a code blue!"
"Correct! Now, what do you have to do now?"
"His chest isn't rising up and down…I have to try and resuscitate John Doe until it proves ineffective!"
"Good, now start chest compressions like I taught you!"
Immediately slapping her palms against the chest of the dummy, April began pressing down in rhythm to simulate the proper CPR procedure. Cheyloe stayed silent, counting the compressions in her head, until after about thirty rib-breaking compressions, she snapped her fingers. That signaled the redhead to start giving the practice dummy mouth-to-mouth. Finally, with another snap of the fingers, the brunette called, "Okay, good! Be a little more swift and precise with the compressions, but other than that, you're getting the hang of it. Go on and call it a night before your dad worries, April."
April broke away from the practice dummy and scoffed as she wiped her mouth from 'kissing' it for the tenth time tonight. "When isn't he worried? Ever since he got mutated AGAIN, he's been even more paranoid than before. I mean, the whole 'passing soup out to people' thing was just his way of keeping me from seeing the Turtles."
Chey's expression softened. "April, I didn't think it was THAT bad…but maybe he'll come around soon."
"I doubt it." The redhead sighed. "He's been so paranoid ever since we lost Mom. If he saw that Kraang creature that pretended to be my mom up in Northampton, it would've destroyed him. It almost destroyed me, but…the guys know how to make things all right. What about you?" April turned her head to face Chey. "What are your parents like?"
"My parents? Well…" The brunette went to put away the practice dummy and began to explain, "My dad looks like a mountain man to most people; scares them with the look, too, but he's actually a teddy bear. He gets protective of me, but he knows I can take care of myself just fine. My mom…well, we're not exactly on the best terms, but she always calls to see how I'm doing. I can't begin to tell you how many calls I got from her after the invasion wanting to see if I'm still alive. She's also not very great with money, but her heart's in the right place…most of the time."
April chuckled, taking a seat on the sofa and staring at her hands on her knees. "You seem like you have good parents overall…makes me a little jealous. Don't get me wrong, I love my dad, but I don't like what he's becoming…an overly-paranoid, mutant-wary shell. I'm sure your parents would be more accepting of the guys, wouldn't they?"
"Well, my dad probably wouldn't mind them. His philosophy, like mine, is that character is more important than appearance. My mom is a different story, but I'll tell that another day. Right now, it's time for you to get home and get prepared for tomorrow…we still have a lot of catching up to do."
Huffing in defeat, April grabbed her backpack and got up to leave. She stopped, however, and turned back to Cheyloe. "Now I know another reason Donnie isn't crushing on me anymore…Dad wouldn't approve. It would just give him more reason to keep me away from them."
"April, listen, your dad's…issues are something he has to overcome himself. It's not your fault he's this way, and you shouldn't have to feel responsible for how he feels. You're right about at the age where you're allowed to make your own decisions from now on, and he has to realize you're not a little kid anymore. So if you want to see the guys every night, you have the freedom to do that…" Cheyloe walked to the door and went to open it, careful not to awaken Kaitlyn in her room. "And April? If trouble ever starts at home…you're more than welcome to stay with us until things get sorted out."
Eyes widening, the redhead glanced to the side in a moment of uncertainty before looking back up at the older girl. She found herself smiling and replying back in a quieter voice, "Thank you, Cheyloe…"
Once April left the apartment, the smile on the brunette's lips instantly vanished, and now she revealed herself to be fully exhausted physically…and mentally. Since Anna was in her room prepping for bed and Kaitlyn was already asleep, she figured it was time for her to retire…only her body ended up planting itself on the sofa, not caring how her back would feel in the morning. What tired her out more was having to plaster on a smile and fool everyone into thinking she was all right.
She was anything but.
"Whew, I'm tired! It's time for the numero uno ninja Mikey to crash! All that pizza and those doughnuts made me sleepy…"
"Mikey wanting to crash? I never thought I'd hear 'Mikey' and 'crash' in the same sentence…I'm honestly getting' a little scared, Fearless."
"Just be thankful we got Casey back home before curfew. No need in getting chewed out by Master Splinter. But…at least we have doughnuts for in the morning."
Donatello stifled a yawn, listening to his brothers chatting amongst themselves after a long guy's night out. Besides pizza and soda, Casey went and picked up doughnuts right after they left the ice rink, and they spent the rest of the night gorging on the glazed delicacies until Casey threw up from an overloaded stomach. With Casey dropped off, they now had another box left of doughnuts, enough for breakfast tomorrow. But the genius turtle figured they didn't need that much sugar or they would risk a crash; he started sounding like Leo. That gave him an idea on how to get rid of some.
"Hold up guys." Donnie halted, getting a few napkins and taking out three doughnuts. "I'm gonna drop these off at Cheyloe's."
"Aw, miss yer girlfriend already, Donnie?" Raph teased, though lightheartedly. "What a way ta say 'I miss you' like a bunch 'a sugar-laden doughnuts."
"I'm serious, Raph, and she's not my girlfriend!" Donnie pouted. "I just figure she'd need a pick-me-up for in the morning, and what better way than pastries? I won't be long, okay?"
Leo crossed his arms; typical mother hen. However, he smile at his brother and replied, "All right, Donnie. Just come straight home once you're done, okay? I'll tell Master Splinter so he doesn't worry."
After the other turtles left for the sewers, the purple-masked turtle jumped across the rooftops, travelling a total of three blocks to get to the Lunar Palace apartment building. He heard how the place got its name; the founder had a thing for lunar calendars or something. Hopefully she wouldn't be asleep, but he knew where the key to the balcony door was in case of an emergency, so he would be in and out if she was. Of course, with her shifts right now, why wouldn't she be tired? But it didn't take long for Donnie to reach the familiar balcony, grab the key from under the fern pot, and open the glass door.
Most of the lights were out, so that meant everyone was in bed…well, except for one person, indicated by snoring that sounded like a baby chainsaw. Laying the doughnuts on the kitchen table, Donnie quietly crept to the living room and found the culprit…Cheyloe. Poor thing…so exhausted she chose the couch. He felt it was best he went on home, but Donnie thought she looked cute when she slept. Maybe he could carry her to her room or grab a blanket; he ended up going for the second option. So he traveled to her room to find one, though he had to be careful not to awaken her friends.
Once he entered the room, he found everything messy; she was probably just too tired to clean up. He couldn't blame her, though, and he would help her out if it was needed. Once he found a blanket on the edge of the bed, the genius turtle grabbed it and went to exit the room…and then something stopped him. Once again, he saw the picture he discovered months back on her dresser, and he found himself picking it up again. Cheyloe smiling like there was no tomorrow, and that boy…wait a minute. That couldn't be…
It was the same boy he saw during his vision quest.
"I'm guessing you're wondering about the boy in that picture?"
Donnie turned around, clutching his hand to his plastron, and found Anna standing in her nightwear. She didn't look mad that he came in; she actually looked pretty sad. So she knew about the boy, too? Or at least knew who he was? He wanted to ask her, but she probably already knew he would consider the question.
"His name was Embry Karnes. He came under Cheyloe's care about two years ago…and he was the youngest-known superhuman to exist." Anna began, her voice somber. "He was such a sweet boy, and so full of life. He was like the brother she never had. Actually, all of us loved him…"
"Anna…you keep using the past-tense to refer to him." Donnie noted. "Are you telling me he's…?"
"…Yes, Donatello…he's dead. You see, Donatello, superhumans are thought to be stuck with their abilities for the rest of their life, right? But what if something, or someone, came along and had the means in which a cure for such abilities could be synthesized? That's where Embry came in…because his abilities allowed him to nullify other superhuman powers just by being into contact with him."
Donnie's eyes widened. "So he's a superhuman, too?"
The ponytailed brunette nodded. "Yes…the youngest ever known. But since a possible cure could be developed from his blood…there were those who didn't want that. Those desperate to keep their abilities and use them for wrong-doing. Embry didn't just die, Donatello…he was murdered."
The genius turtle swallowed a lump in his throat, staring back down at the picture of the grinning Cheyloe and Embry; he now had a name to go with the face. But this child died, and in the worst way…so then why did HE see him? "Anna, I know this'll sound crazy, but when my brothers and I went on vision quests, I…I saw Embry. It had to be him; the kid I saw looked just like him, even with all that fog. Do you…do you believe in spirits?"
Anna pursed her lips in deep thought. "Truthfully Donatello, since you came back, I've felt something different about you, and not just in your way of thinking. I don't know for sure what it is, but it feels like something's attached itself to you. It's not bad, but it's still something. It's probably best you talk with your father on spiritual matters; I'm not that much of an expert on it. I'm sorry I couldn't give you more."
"No, it's okay." Putting the picture back, Donnie sighed and added, "I should get going…have a good evening, Anna, and tell Chey I said hi."
Donnie began walking away, blanket in hand, before Anna stopped him, "Cheyloe was there when it happened…she watched him be killed." Once the turtle turned around in shock, she went on, "Because she couldn't save him, she feels tremendous guilt and feels she's no different from the man that killed Embry…"
"Then…if she feels guilt from it even now, why does she act like she's so happy-go-lucky?"
"Let's just say…Cheyloe has a talent for putting on a façade."
It took a moment for the genius turtle to process that information, and his steps to the couch seemed slower than usual. He looked back down at the slumbering Cheyloe, now seeing her in a different light; the happiness she displayed was just a cover to hide the guilt and keep others from worrying. She didn't have to do that…she should've told him in the first place. He took the blanket and draped it over her, watching her mouth twitch in her sleep at the sudden warmth. Before making himself head out, he gently brushed her longer bangs out of her face and revealed thin, jagged scars on the right side running from her jawline to her scalp. He would ask where they came from later…right now she needed to sleep.
"…Goodnight, Cheyloe."
And with that, Donatello headed back home, not hearing the brunette mumble his name in her sleep.
And that's the end of that chapter! Now we have a name to go with the mysterious boy, and pretty soon Donnie's going to learn a lot more about him than he thought he would! The next chapter will touch upon The Deadly Venom, and a certain timestress is going to make her debut. So...stay tuned!
