"What de shell?!" Raphael hissed when he smelled a trace of gas and smoke in the air within the sewers. It was strange, it couldn't have come from the surface. He hadn't smelled the harsh scent the entire walk since entering from the surface. At first, the red-masked ninja put it off as whatever Mikey's weird concoction he was cooking had gone wrong. After all, this part of the sewer was connected to the back entrance to their lair. And lately, Michelangelo's been burning more and more food as of late that Raphael has forced himself to eat. Even pizza, one of the easiest foods to heat up in the toaster oven! With that in mind, he walked in the elongated room, a garage for his and his brother's vehicles. His eyes stared in shock at the scene before him as his previous theories were thrown out the window.
His pride and joy, the Shell Cycle was wrecked. And not the exaggerated 'wrecked' that Raph would say when he overreacted over the smallest scratch on the motorcycle's scarlet paint job. It was much worse than that. His motorcycle that Raphael always parked adjacent to the Shell Raiser was diagonally across the opposite side of the room. Raphael's eyes followed his Shell Cycle's skid marks that began from his parking spot and ended where it lay on its side. A crater was left in the concrete sewer wall as Raph figured out someone had smashed the Shell Cycle into the wall.
He ran over to his baby and knelt down to look at it closer, his hand's twitching as his fingers grazed the soot covered metal which was staining his emerald fingertips. "Aughh! No!" The front wheel of the motorcycle looked like it bursted, the rubber pierced by the metal rim which had crumpled inward in a position that the wheel normally was pre-deflation. Raph carefully pushed it to rest against the floor on it's left side to see what he was dealing with. The right handlebar was snapped off from the impact and was logged into the gut's of the vehicle presumably from the shell cycle skidding against it. Without the right handlebar he wouldn't be able to do essential things like brake, use the twist throttle to drive, let alone most importantly turn the motorcycle on or off!
Raph felt his skin prickle and burn, his stomach turning in turmoil and anger, and he clenched his hands into a fist pulling it off his bike to his sides. He felt his face contort in anger as his mind raced angrily, his eyes darting around to survey deeper what happened. Could it have been da thugs that Casey n' I clocked earlier? He glanced at the Shell Raiser trying to find any clue that it was the purple dragons doing. Yet the vehicle was in pristine condition.
Dere's no way dat de Purple Dragons coulda done dis. Dey would 'ave wrecked de Shellraisa' too. His mind kept searching for a clue, for an answer, for ANYTHING! He slowly went through the facts. Well, Dey're not strong enough tuh chuck it at de wall! And it clearly wasn't hotwired. Tuh do dis, dey would've had my only pair of keys! He inhaled sharply in realization, his beak frowning. Mikey! Earlier that day, he distinctly remembered the orange clad terrapin bothering him before Raph stormed off. Something about wanting to hang out with him, and asking about his bike.
"I'm gonna kill my little brudder!" Raph declared, rage coursing through his veins as he stomped back home. The hothead was going to strangle his baby brother at best, murder Mikey at worst.
When he entered the quiet lair, he bellowed out enraged, "MIKEY!" He looked at the living room first. For once his little brother wasn't on the couch passed out with pizza boxes around him from playing video games, or watching his stupid cartoons during late hours. Raphael's surroundings were dark, only dim fluorescent light coming from Donnatello's lab room and a warm-toned light coming from the kitchen. "COME OUT! I'M GONNA KILL YA FOR WRECKIN' MY SHELL CYCLE!"
Mikey never came out. It irritated Raphael even more. He was about to storm into Michaelangelo's room and rampage; however two silhouettes, his brothers, ran out of their respective rooms towards Raph. His eyes adjusted to see Donnatello who looked startled from the commotion and Leonard who appeared confused. Donnie held his bo staff tightly, expecting trouble whilst Leonardo was strapped with his sheathed katanas but hadn't armed himself.
"Where is Mikey!?" He snarled.
"Woah woah woah, Calm down Raph! Why're you looking for Mikey?" Donatello asked while furrowing his brows. "What did he do? Is he alright? Is anyone after him?" he added quickly.
"Yea! I am!" Raph replied angrily pointing at himself. "He wrecked the Shell Cycle!"
'Lame-o-nardo' stepped forward. "And what are you going to do Raph?" he asked sternly.
"Knock him into next Tuesday!"
The olive skinned turtle looked at Raph, his doe colored eyes staring at him confused. "Raph, I'm sure it's not that bad. You know me, I can fix almost anything Mikey breaks. Why don't you explain what happened?" Donnie's lips curled upward ever so slightly forming a small smile.
Raph hissed in annoyance, turning away. Raph could feel his brother's eyes stare at him as he paced. "Well Donnie, I came back after I let loose-"
"As in you went against Master Splinter's orders? Again." Leo cut him off, his words a sharp edge formed by his tongue.
"I did! Tuh take down a heist de Purple Dragons were plannin'. Would yuh have radder dem succeed and be even more dangerous?!" His accent thickened as Leo pushed his buttons.
"Raph, what were you thinking? You know Master Splinter doesn't allow us to go on any missions alone!" Leo raised his voice, his hand gestures expressing his annoyance.
"I wasn't alone!" Raph retorted, "I went wit' Casey!" His older brother frowned at his response. The leader's steel colored eyes showed disappointment, as usual.
"Casey is not a ninja! He's not trained to go against the Purple Dragons! They're no foot bots or kraang, but that doesn't mean they aren't dangerous!" Leo stepped forward, and Raph took it as a challenge moving into Leo's face.
"Well maybe instead of tawhkin' down tuh me like a tot, yuh could've been a real leaduh and worked wit' me tuh stop dem! Okay? Aren'tcha supposed tuh LEAD your 'team'?" Raph snarled.
"Oh, of course this again!" Leo shook his head slightly, his face contorted making a frustrated smile about fighting about the same thing like early that tday before frowning again. "Maybe Raph, just maybe your childish attitude forces me to talk to you like a child!" Leo spat. For insult to injury, Leo adds, "You need to calm down Raph." Raphael clenched his fists to the point of getting white knuckles. It was always the same fight with Leonardo. I'm gettin' tired of Leo's self-righteous attitude!
Raph no longer noticed his younger lanky olive-skinned brother. His eyes were honed in on his older brother as everything else around them faded into a blur. He stepped closer to Leonardo, a challenging growl emitting from his throat. His older brother's gray eyes burned back with annoyance, peeved at Raphael for their relentless disagreements. Leonardo, their fearless leader was riled up. Raph knew that neither of them would back down.
It only took a moment for both of their attention to snap to a bo' staff which jabbed between their barely pressing plastrons. The owner of said staff squeezed himself between the aggressive turtles and pushed them away from each other. Raph could feel tension from the olive green fingers on his plastron from holding him back. "Guys-"
"Raphael! Leonardo!" Their Sensei's stern voice pierced the air. Immediately Raph and Leo stiffened, any aggression they were about to have towards each other dissipated. They all looked to see the rodent standing before them, the glow of his disapproving gaze piercing through them in the dark living room. "What is the problem?" They were silent for a brief moment. "Donatello?"
Donnie cleared his throat. "I-I was in my lab studying the effects of mutagen to see if there was a way to make a healing agent for future disea-"
"Get to the point Donnatello."
"Y-Yes Splinter! I-I was doing that when I was startled by Raph yelling. I thought footbots found their way in the sewer, or that April was in danger so I ran out to check what was wrong." He moved his bo staff to his side. "Then Raphael explained his theory that Mikey crashed his Shell Cycle."
"And where is Michaelangelo now?" Splinter asked in response.
"Uhh… I'm not sure. He could be hiding in his room, scared of Raph and the repercussions of his actions if, hypothetically, he did crash Raph's Shell Cycle."
"I'm sure he did!" Splinter's gaze focused solely at Raph, making him gulp quietly as a reaction and straighten slightly.
"Raphael, How did you come across such an accusation?"
"Well, Mastah Splintah, I... I was comin' back tuh de lair and made a shawht-cut through de garage. And I found my shell cycle wrecked. Earliuh, befawh I left, Mikey was tawhkin' about my ride. He already had an interest onnit and he's been prankin' me all month!" Raph explained, his voice struggling to maintain a calm tone.
"So why Leonardo, did you and Raphael start arguing outside our rooms as I was meditating?" Splinter asked sternly, looking at the two brothers.
Leo sighed. "Sensei, Raphael disobeyed your orders by going to the surface and challenged my ability to be a leader when he came back." Dat little rat- I mean. Snitch! Always going tuh Mastah Splintah tuh tattle. And I'm childish. Raphael clenched his teeth.
"So why, Leonardo, did you feel fighting your brother would suffice as an answer?" Leonardo was stunned, Raph could feel it. He glanced over to see Leo's eyes were wide thinking over his actions before he bowed his head in remorse and shame.
"I'm sorry sensei. It won't happen again." Raph looked back at their father.
"Raphael. Time and time again, I tell you how anger can corrupt the mind and cause misery for the ones you love. Fighting your brothers won't change how intensely you feel." Raph nodded, looking at the ground. The same criticism as always.
"Yes Mastah Splintah."
Splinter sighed. "Donatello?" Donatello flinched from his name being called. "Find Michaelangelo and bring him to me. I will talk to him." Donnie nodded. "As for you two. For threatening to hurt one another I cannot trust you two to work as a team. You are to not leave the lair for any reason, and you are to train together on your own down time until you work together harmoniously. Maybe then, your feud will cease."
What?!
"Yes, Master Splinter." Raphael and Leo said in unison.
Splinter sighed, "Then I will be in my room." The rat turned around and returned to his room where he would wait for Michaelangelo. After Splinter slid his shoji doors closed, Leonardo and Raphael exchanged heated glances. After a moment their silent bickering between gazes, Leo was the first to leave, heading to the kitchen.
Donnie had been stuck between their moment of unbearable silence. He looked at Raph. "After I find Mikey I'll start fixing your shell raiser." He gave his best calming smile, hopeful it would ease the hot-head's temper.
Raphael grunted in response, and Donnie went to Mikey's room. He stayed to watch Donnie open the door, hoping to see their younger sea green brother. Don moved his head into his room to look around where he stood, then moved backwards. He left Mikey's room to look for Michaelangelo leaving the door wide open. He must not be in his room. Damn it! Dis is all Mikey's fault. He paused as Donnie walked past him. Raph frowned. He's gotta pay.
Determined, he went to Mikey's room. He peeked his head inside to see the disheveled and unkempt room. He glanced around him, making sure no one would see him enter before entering the room and closing the door behind him. He's gonna feel how I feel. What should I do? I can't hurt him, I'd be in even mawh trouble from Mastuh Splintah. He walked around quietly, looking through all of Mikey's belongings. Maybe, I'll rip up his comic books. Nah, I need somethin' dat cuts deepuh. His figurines? No. The hotheaded terrapin continued this inner dialogue until he flipped Mikey's pillow over not expecting a diary. Whut the?
Typical Mikey for keeping a personal diary under his pillow. Raph didn't expect his younger brother to be so dumb, but Mikey's idiocy never ceased to surprised him. The Diary had stickers of his favorite super heroes, favorite video games, and favorite foods (obviously, mostly pizza). Mikey's nickname was scribbled messily on the front. He scoffed at Mikey's horrific handwriting before opening it.
- Property of The Holy Chalupa: The one and only Mikey, Michaelangelo. -
Raph rolled his eyes and flipped through the pages. Some pages had scribbles of what Raph would've guessed as terrible drawings. Where's de secrets? Aha! His finger had stopped on a page in the middle of the diary. He began to read the paragraph that was somewhat cohesive writing with terrible spelling errors.
Dear Diary,
It's crazy to say 'dear diary'. Next time, I'll say YO WASSUP BRO! Promise bruh.
Today, Raphael was working out, and I mean working out! His muscles were all bulging, his tight bod' was all sweaty. It obviously was cus he was fighting with Leo. I could thank Leo. I can only dream of seeing Raph sweating up close! His musty scent, hearing his growls, I could SCREAM! Maybe I'll make some good pizza rolls on top of my specialty slices of pizza for Leo.
Raph felt grossed out and confused, but he continued reading anyway putting off what he read as Mikey having a weird moment. Looking for something, ANYTHING to give him leverage over his younger brother. Rapidly flipping through the pages, he backtracked to the beginning of the diary and a page caught his eye. He spread the diary out and started reading.
Dear Diary,
I can't deny it anymore. I have a crush on Raph. I can't stop thinking about him. We're brothers, so it would never work out. I know that.
I asked Donnie for advice about my feelings. He told me that writing helps him. Okay, I lied, he said it in some boring way. But I thought I'd give it a shot since I can't talk to it about anyone really. I'm always in the lair, and being a mutant turtle I can't really talk about to a stranger. It sucks. But I have you now! That's worth something, right?
Right?
Raph was stunned, the wind was taken out of him. He has… a crush on me? His mind went completely blank from shock. Then the memory of his destroyed shell cycle, and how Mikey did it. Anger filled his body and a devious grin crept on his face.
I know how tuh get back at him now.