Chapter 38: Monkey Brains Part 2
Alora's POV
It has been twenty minutes to a half an hour since Donnie and April left the Lair to investigate the Rockwell case. I was in the Living area, sitting on the concrete couch sketching away on my drawing pad in silent content while the others were each doing a different activity; Leo sitting on the beanbag chair, Mikey sitting on the floor watching TV, and Raph over playing at the 'Space Heroes' pinball machine. I felt at ease while concentrating on something I enjoy, I still felt worried and fearful for both the two, mostly for Donnie since he's going to be beaten up by Mutated Rockwell after they leave the banged-up Laboratory, find another canister of mutagen, and had a talk with that backstabbing traitor, Dr. Falco. Although, when Rockwell goes up towards April, grabs her by the shoulders and roars at her, she didn't seem too frightened by it at first and looks up to him in wonder, having the monkey mutant taken off guard by her expression. April would get this 'feeling' experience about when she knows something is right or wrong, even though she doesn't realize that it's her powers trying to awake inside her like mine were trying to back then. When she tells them that, 'It's okay. Everything's going to be alright', Mutated Rockwell begins staggering, whimpering, trying to find a way to explain something to April, who can tell that he wants to say something. Then, Rockwell, being hesitant and concern, decides against it, roars at her, and then climbs one of the building's fire escape and disappears. Even April couldn't really tell what the monkey scientist was trying to say, I had a feeling that he was trying to tell her that he was Dr. Tyler Rockwell and that he needed help. I had felt sympathy and sorrow for Rockwell for the way he turned out to be, which had my blood boil enrage for Falco, who started this whole mess in the first place.
While still sketching from my drawing pad, I felt a familiar, aural presence coming right up to me that had me seized my pencil from tracing anymore on the paper.
"Mind if I join you?" I heard Leo's voice ask, having me look up to my left and see Leo standing there with a kind smile that made me smile back.
"Of course not," I replied nicely, gesturing to the spot on the couch right next to me.
Leo's smile brightened as he then took his seat right beside me. I grinned bigger before I turned back to my drawing and continued some more on it, though from the corner of my eye I could see Leo peering over to look at it.
"Wow. That's really good," Leo said in astonishment.
"Thanks. Took me a while to come up with this idea," I stated out, showing fully of my sketch to him that was of April with a newly, refurbish dress that probably would look nice on her, "I'm thinking about actually making that dress sometime during the next few weeks."
"Well I'm sure April's gonna love it. You always create the coolest outfits," Leo commented, motioning to the one I was wearing that April and I previously made.
"Aww, thanks, Leo," I said sweetly from the compliment.
I then went back with my sketching, the moment going into an awkward silence that made me a bit uncomfortable. I glanced back to Leo, seeing him looking around the area quietly and, for somewhat odd reason, anxiously. Weird, Leo was always the one to bring up a reasonable conversation between us, always able to talk about something that he would find appropriate, fun, learnable, or just random to discuss about. Now, he was acting all petite and timid, like a little kid afraid to say something to his/her parents that might make them upset and angry at them. Can't standing to see him like this any longer, I then closed up my sketching pad, placed it to my side on the couch with my pencil atop of it, and turned my body toward Leo with a concern expression.
"Leo? Is something wrong?" I asked, having Leo suddenly perk up and turning to me with a raised eyebrow gaze.
"What do ya mean?" He questioned quizzically.
"You've been acting weird all of a sudden; being all quiet and glancing around in a nervous manner. You don't normally do that whenever we spend time together like this cause I know you, Leo. Also, I think I might know what's bothering you."
"You do?" Leo asked surprisingly.
I nodded as I then placed my hand on his shoulder for comfort. "I've seen those looks you keep sending me that say you want to ask me something. I can tell it's been bothering you for quite some time now."
Leo looked away with a deep thought-out look, wondering if he should ask or not. Looking as if his mind was already made up, he deeply inhaled then exhaled out softly before turning his head towards me with a determined yet concern gaze.
"Well, you see, the thing is… it's about something you've mentioned a couple of months ago when we first encountered the Kraang," Leo started out, seeing a serious look in his eye, as in, dead serious, "Something about the word called - 'Alon'."
My eyes widen and I froze when I heard that name form from his lips. I slowly lifted my hand off his shoulder with slight shakiness as I felt both my heart and my breathing stop for one, mid-second upon hearing it.
"W-w-where did you hear that?" I asked, staggering.
"It was right after you've broken out from you're strange unconscious state. You muttered it pretty clearly to Mikey, Raph, and I but yet you pushed it off," Leo stated with a hint of seriousness in his tone, "I've been thinking about it ever since that day you've mentioned it and it's been bugging me. You seem to know what it is and, I don't mean to pry or anything, but… I was hoping if you could tell me what it means."
I suddenly felt a lump in my throat that made me harder to swallow as I lowered my gaze to the concrete couch. I didn't know what to say or do at the moment while my head was racing with patronizing thoughts about the subject. I had no idea that Leo had intent on Alon's name this whole time! That would mostly explain why he was behaving oddly and what he wanted to ask in the Kitchen that night. I wanted to tell Leo about Alon, but I still had this feeling now wasn't the right time to mention it, which was weird in a way. Fighting about the tundra in my head, I shut my eyes tightly while inhaling deeply as I carefully spoke my choice of words to the blue-clad Turtle.
"I'm sorry Leo, but… I can't tell you that," I stated clearly, still keeping my gaze down from him.
"What? But… why not?" Leo asked, sounding shocked and a bit baffled by my reply.
"Because…" I began to say as I then lifted my head up to meet his concern eyes, "I feel like now's not the right time to tell you about it."
"Then when is the right time?" Leo questioned, sounding a little impatient.
"I don't know," I replied unsurely.
"You don't know or you don't want to," Leo emphasized a bit sternly, having me wide-eyed at his response that made me feel both upset and a little angry.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked in a heated tone, narrowing my eyes at him, "Are you saying that you don't trust me?"
"No, of course I trust you," Leo said quickly, looking as if he regretted saying his last words in that tone, "I'm just concern about you, that's all. You've been hiding something for a long time now, and all I'm saying is that, you should probably tell someone about it."
"Namely you, right?" I questioned skeptically, having my arms crossed with a skeptical look.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Leo asked in a wearily voice, narrowing his gaze at me.
While having an argument-like conversation with the Leader, I sense that Raph was now in the Living area, standing right next to Mikey and, from what I can tell, that they both were probably staring at us with blank yet troublesome looks, unsure on what to do at the matter.
"It means that you have to stick your nose into someone else's business and want to know every secret they're keeping under the sun!" I retorted, feeling the heat of fury rising inside me as well as my powers building up through my veins.
"Well maybe I do! But I also want to help that someone from letting that secret being kept bottled up inside them because I care!" Leo retorted back, looking just as filled with fury as I was.
No One's POV
While Alora and Leo were both bickering at each other, Raph and Mikey were sitting and standing on the sidelines, watching with worriedness and unsureness, except for Raph, who was finding this both interesting and entertaining.
"Yo, Raph. Shouldn't we do something?" Mikey quietly asked his hotheaded brother.
Raph simply shrugged with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk resting on his lips, replying, "Eh, I don't thinks so; best not to get involved. Besides, I'm actually enjoying this show."
Alora's POV
I was up to my boiling point on wanting to either get up and walk out or hit something right out of the Lair. When I was about to retort back at Leo, I felt two aural presences coming right to the entrance and one of them felt very faint, like as in a weaken state kinda faint. I felt my expression soften and my eyes widened, realizing who both of them were as I looked behind the blue-clad Turtle to see April supporting a banged up Donnie through the passageway and carefully down the stairs, grunting and groaning in pain. I suddenly jerked off my seat with a horrid gasp as I rushed on over to them.
"Oh my gosh! Donnie!" I cried out.
I stood next to April, who looked just as worried as I was, examining Donnie to see many bruises on his arms, legs, and head and scratch marks on his plastron. While doing so, I heard several footsteps coming up from behind me.
"Whoa, what happened?" I heard Raph asked in bewilderment.
"Donnie got beat up by a lab monkey," April replied as Donnie gently grazed the top of his head with his left hand fingers, wincing by the touch of it.
I turned around to see Leo, Raph, and Mikey looked to one another with blanked expressions, although I knew otherwise on what they were really thinking. Without hesitation, Leo walked on over to Donnie, who was still groaning, took his other arm and lifted over around his shoulders to help support him as he looked towards April.
"April, can you get an ice pack?" He asked the ginger-haired teen while Donnie was still groaning and wincing in absolute pain.
As April turned and headed towards the Kitchen, I then took turn into helping Donnie by gently placing my left hand behind his shell and my other holding his right arm. Leo and I both gently and slowly brought the injured Ninja Turtle to the Living area and laid him on the concrete couch. Mikey followed around the Living area while Raph followed from behind us as we tended to Donnie carefully as possible. Donnie moaned in agony as I sat beside him a few feet away near his head as I gave a sympathetic look.
"Donnie, you gonna be okay?" Leo asked on being sure.
"[Grunts] yeah. Yeah, I'll be fine," Donnie winced out, still feeling the bone-crushing pressure from the attack.
"In that case…" Leo began to say when all of a sudden…
Leo, Raph, and Mikey went out into a major fit of laughter!
While too busy laughing at their beated-up scientific brother, who was blushing in embarrassment with a timid look, I glared madly at the three Ninja Turtles who were making fun of their sibling who had taken a big thrashing by a dangerous mutant.
"[Laughs] y-yo-you got beaten up by a monkey? In front of your girlfriend?" Raph asked in disbelief, with still a teasing smile gracing his lips.
"She's not my girlfriend! And that monkey was a vicious mutant!" Donnie stated out in defense, even though the others were still laughing at him, much to my anger at them for it.
"Yeah, I'm sure he went bananas!" Leo punned out, having all three of them laugh aloud harder this time.
With every laughter I heard from the three teasing Turtles, the more angrier and infuriating I get, feeling the blood boiling to a peak and my powers feeling like they're ready to burst.
"No, no, no, no, no. He went ape!" Leo punned out again, having Mikey rolling on his shell with his legs kicking in the air and laughed out, "Monkey!", having both blue and red-clad Turtles laugh out even more.
While Leo, Raph, and Mikey were going wildly with laughter, I felt April's presence come in from the Kitchen as I turned to see her walking over to us with an icepack in hand, along with a narrowed look from hearing the others laughter toward Donnie. As April came into the Living area, Raph glanced and noticed her and made a gesturing towards his neck that meant 'zip-it-up' that seized all three Turtle's laughing spree.
"No more monkey puns," Raph said bluntly as he and Leo had behaving faces on while April was humming and giving them each a look before carefully sitting next to Donnie.
While I stood up from my spot so that she could be next to him, Donnie lifted and laid his head on her lap, much to his delight as he laughed, and placing the icepack atop of his forehead.
"Are you laughing at him because he's hurt?" April questioned with a narrowed expression towards the others.
"No, we were laughing at him because he was hurt by a… monkey!" Mikey exclaimed at the last part that had him fall back on his shell with his legs kicking in the air again, having himself, Leo, and Raph going into another fit of laughter once again.
Hearing the teasing sound of laughing ringing through my ears, I shut my eyelids tightly with gritted teeth and my hands squeezing into balled-up fists with aural magic enveloping them, feeling my fury burning more and more, until…
I snapped!
"SHUT IT!"
With my loud outburst ranging through the Lair, all laughter seized suddenly, and all eyes, including April's, and Donnie's, turned directly at me with shocked and frightened gazes as I gave off a deadly glare with aura-filled fists at my sides, burning brightly with strong magic.
"What is the matter with you?! Do you seriously think that getting beaten up by a monkey is funny?! Well it's not! In case you didn't realize, that monkey was nearly the size of a gorilla; possibly an ape! If April hadn't been there, Donnie would've broken a bone, or worse, gotten killed! Would any of you be laughing then if you found that out?!" I exclaimed infuriatingly, still giving the death glare to the three Turtle brothers, "Well, would you?!"
Leo, Raph, and Mikey, who stood there bewildered by my reaction, looked to one another before bending their heads down in shame, possibly feeling guilty for their inconvenient behavior.
"No. We wouldn't," Leo admitted in a low tone, sounding like he regretted laughing at his brother in the first place.
Still with a glare, I shook my head at each of them with my hands still in tight fists, keeping my magic under control from bursting into the scenery as they began to dissipate.
"You boys should be ashamed of yourselves," I stated firmly before I turned to April and Donnie as I let my gazed soften for them, "You want me to get you a glass of water, Donnie?"
"Y-yes. That would be nice, thank you," Donnie replied in a wincing tone, who still looked a bit surprised by my act of tone towards his brothers by thankful that I did so.
I looked up to April who gave a small smile of appreciation and nodded saying 'Thank-you-for-stopping-and-putting-those-guys-in-their-place' as I nodded back with a smile saying 'Not-at-all'. I then turned around to head towards the Kitchen before giving another glare to the others whose heads were still bowed down in shame. They each slightly glance up at me, hoping for me to accept their apologetic looks, but my stare said otherwise as I furrowed my brows hard at them. But when I looked towards Leo, I glared harder at him than the other two, having the Turtle's eyes widen in worry that I was the most angry with him out of all upon what had happened before this. After a second of hardcore glaring, I began my way towards the Kitchen as I reached into one of the cupboards, grabbed a medium-sized glass, went over to the sink, placed the glass under the facet, and turned it on. As I watched the water fill up the glass to the right amount, I felt an aural presence walking into the Kitchen as I turned off the facet and removed the filled up glass from the sink but still kept my back turned from the person standing on the other side of the room.
"I don't regret for losing my temper back there, so don't expect me to apologize for it," I stated aloud firmly, still with my back turned to whoever was behind me, but I had a feeling on who it was.
"I wasn't expecting you to," I heard Leo's voice reply, hearing the guilt-trip hint in his voice before starting out critically, "What I don't understand is why you won't tell me what's going on."
I then finally turned around to face him from the other side of the island counter, giving him a hard, narrowed stare while still holding onto Donnie's glass of water in my right hand.
"I already told you, Leo. I can't tell you about Alon cause I feel that it's not the right time to explain it yet," I repeated my statement calmly but still firm, "When the right time comes, I'll tell you, along with the others about it."
"You're saying as if that word was a name; like a person," Leo picked up, having me realized what I just initialed that made all blood drain from my face and had me look away from his gaze, feeling utterly stupid and cursing myself for not catching it.
"Was it from him? That boy from the other night? The one we saw back at the warehouse?" Leo questioned with curiosity.
"What makes you think that?" I asked quietly but loud enough to hear, still keeping my face averted from his.
"Cause you reacted like you knew him. That you seemed fazed from the rest of us and chased after him before he disappeared," Leo theorized.
I sighed softly as I grudgingly looked at him again but with a determined and forward faced demeanor.
"Maybe, but I still won't tell you when I'm ready and you should be patient," I stated simply.
Leo crossed his arms with a stern look in a suspicious manner. "[Sighs] Fine, but I won't be forever, you know. I'll let it go for now, but I'll be waiting in case the 'right time' comes."
"Good," I said bluntly, as I began walking around the island and heading right to the curtains before I stood right beside Leo and gave him a narrowed look while stating angrily:
"I'm also very disappointed in you for teasing Donnie in such a way!"
Leo, taken aback from my sudden attitude retorted, "Oh, come on! I was just kidding around! Just a few monkey puns!"
"Monkey puns or not, you shouldn't have encouraged yourself, Raph, and Mikey on laughing at Donnie like that!" I shot back, "Donnie's been hurt badly by an endangered Mutant and not only was his pride bruised, but his feelings, too!"
Leo's expression softens to a look of sorrow and guilt as he tore his gaze from me and averted his eyes down to the floor.
"You're the Leader of this team and the Leader is supposed to mend and care for his fellow teammates, not teased them and laugh in their faces. You're supposed to be the responsible one of the group and I expected more from you on that. You and the others think getting beaten up by something as silly as an endangered animal such as a monkey is funny, but April and I and surely, Master Splinter, don't. When someone is badly injured, attacked by a wild chimpanzee or anything else, needs all the care, support, and medical attention that we can possibly give instead of making a big laughable ruckus over it."
I then walk a few paces to the curtain and began to pull it back with my left hand to pass through it until I glanced over my shoulder to see Leo still standing there with his head still down.
"I expect you, Mikey, and Raph to apologized to Donnie sooner than later," I stated with a firm tone once more, "Cause the least you can do is to let him know that no matter how painful things can get, at least he has a family to comfort beside him… let alone his own brothers."
With that final saying, I finally passed the curtains and walked through the walkways back to the Living area. As I walked on over to the others, I saw Mikey and Raph sitting alongside April and Donnie, who was still laying on April's lap, looking happily content, talking to one another and caring for their bother's needs. Even though they still looked shameful and guilty for their laughing behavior a few minutes ago, they still had the decently to look after Donnie's painful state. I gave a little smile at things were going as I went up and handed Donnie the glass of water I got him, having him give a nod in gratitude and a grateful smile. I then went to sit at the opposite side of the concrete couch right next to the group, only instead to listen to the conversation they were having, I was lost in my own thoughts about everything that happened between Leo and I.
I still was having trouble adjusting the fact that Leo had known about Alon, only his name, but wanting to know what it is I knew about it and starts judging me on thinking that I wouldn't tell him the truth. Leo would normally let it go the minute I tell him that I can't speak of it and that's that, but, he just keeps pushing me to actually do it. That wasn't like him at all, not persuasive or impatiently to be precise in any kind of manner. Even though I threw a heated argument about it and that I told him I was still gonna stay mad at him, I felt absolutely horrible and infuriated inside about myself. I cared a lot about him and I didn't want anything to come in between us since he's my best friend. I didn't want this angered interference getting in the way of things, not after everything we've been through together. I felt my heart tighten painfully against my chest like it was being squeezed, tears peeking at the corners of my eyes welling up, but I had to blink them away while choking back a sob bubbling up in my throat. I hated being mad and for being mad at someone, especially when it's someone you care and cherish for so much. Though I hope one thing's for sure…
that this angered interference doesn't stay out too long.
Uh-oh! Looks like things aren't going well between Alora and Leo. Thanks to a certain 'mysterious warrior', both friends are up to their necks about whether or not our heroine should tell the others about Alon. And with the teasing, yet laughable reaction toward Donnie, who had just taken a major 'beat down' by mutated Dr. Rockwell, it just made it worse for both of them. Will Alora find a way to explain her way out of this heated argument? Will Leo and Alora put aside the subject and forgive each other? Find out next time!
Sorry this chapter took so long in coming. It's been a very busy past week and I've been feeling stomach pains most of the time, which was not fun at all. I swear I'll upload the next chapter very soon.
P.S. I also have a question from one of our readers that is sent to all of us:
"If you had a way to look like humans, where would you go and what would you do?"
Mikey: "Hmm. If I were a human, I would… ooh! Go to a skateboarding rank! Ooh, ooh! Or maybe a dance club that plays DJ jigs! Wait! Maybe to a Pizza restaurant to make as many pizzas as I want! Or maybe - !"
Donnie: "Mikey, calm down! They only wanted one question, not hundreds. [Clears throat] Well, if I were to be human, my guess is I would probably go to either a University or a Research Laboratory to learn more qualities upon the world and to further up my skills in robotics more advance technology."
Raph: "Well, if it were me, I would probably go to where the best beating up places are held, basically a boxing match or a wrestling challenge was. And it would be nice to be human so that way no one would give you the disturbing looks or run away screaming."
Leo: "If I were a human, I would possibly go to Japan, the birthplace where Sensei grew up. It would be nice to see it in person; to its cultures, its histories, its famous landmarks, everything about it. I like to learn some skills and techniques that I haven't been taught yet, which could be something new and fun for me."
Me: "Well, since we know that I'm already human, about where I want to go and what I want to do? Hmm, I would mostly like to sing and play my instrument, the flute, to performances and concerts along with my little sister. We're mostly not up there yet, but we're working on it into becoming famously professional musicians."
I hope we answered your question. Thank you for your care and support of this story.
Stay tuned and thanks for reading!