Title Series: Total Shell Shock
Rating: PG-13/R
Chapter Title: A Rodent Cometh
Author: White Werewolf
Category: Slight B/X if any
Timeframe: Prequel to Slayer in a Half Shell
Spoilers: Graduation Part II
Summery: Xander leaves Sunnydale and meets the Turtles in New York. Together, they form a team and have to stop Rat King
Disclaimer: Buffy: the Vampire Slayer is owned by Whedon, UPN, FOX, and Mutant Enemy. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are owned by Eastman, Laird, and Mirage Studios.
Author Notes: (............) indicates thought. Prequel to Slayer in a Half Shell
Special Thanks: Ozmandayus, Vampyr64, Mims, Michael Wilson, Rob Clark
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
********
The Turtle's Sewer Lair
The Next Day--2:00 PM
********
"So, that's the famous April O'Neil, huh? She's alright." Xander said to the Turtles as they sat down watching the news.
Xander sat in the middle of the couch with Leonardo on his right, and Donatello sat on his left. Michaelangelo sat on the floor with his left arm resting on the left arm of the couch. Raphael was lying on his chest.
"That's April, dude. She let's us know when something's up in Manhattan." Michaelangelo said with pride. "And I think she likes me!"
"No way, it's me she likes. So anyway what's on next?" Raphael questioned.
Mikey grinned, and said with joy, "Pinky and the Brain. I love those two mice, dude."
Xander was about to say something when he felt someone touch his shoulder. He looked around and saw Donatello. The purple banded turtle leaned in and whispered, "I can't stand this show. Want to take a walk?"
The boy nodded, "Sure, Donny. Let's get out of here."
With that said, the two left the lair and headed for their walk. They walked a half a mile in silence. No one knew what to say.
Donatello sighed and broke the ice, or tried to, "Don't you hate awkward silences."
"You know I do."
"So........" The turtle drawled out, "how's the training?"
"Good," he said honestly, "Splinter's a great sensei, and Leo and I train a lot together."
"Good to hear. Splinter trained all of us since we were young. Leo takes the training very seriously."
"That he does. We get along very well too."
Then there was more silence.
Ten seconds passed, and Xander decided to say something, "What do you like to do, Donny?"
Donatello replied with interest, "I love to see how things work. I'm an inventor. I invented the turtle coms we use."
"Cool. It sounds like you and my friend, Willow, would get along. She's a wiz in school and a computer genius. If it weren't for her I probably would have never made it out of high school. Heck if she didn't let me sleep over when we were younger, I may have never even made it to high school, if you know what I mean"
"I guess we've been lucky, considering we're mutant turtles living in a sewer, we haven't had a bad life, at least Splinter was there for us" Pausing a moment, "so this girl's name is Willow, like the tree? Weird."
Xander laughed. "She got that a lot in middle school. Kid's used to make fun of her name."
"Kid's can be so cruel."
He nodded, "They sure can. Before we were going out, Cordelia and her friends used to give her a pretty hard time."
Donatello came to a halt. "Wait."
Xander turned around. "Yeah?"
"You went out with a girl that made fun of your best friend?"
The teenager replied sheepishly, "Yeah, I did. It was weird. After Buffy came to town, Cordy was always getting in trouble, she was like victim girl you know? Anyway, I rescued her a few times, and we got into these fights when the bad guys had us trapped and well... One thing led to another."
The turtle's eyes widened, "You went out with a girl who spent a lot of time arguing with you? Is that right?"
The brunette replied honestly, "Yep. A lot of hormones involved, but I really did like her. But I managed to screw it up and hurt a lot of people."
"Sorry to hear that. What happened?"
The boy didn't have any reason not to tell the truth with him. He continued, "I ended up kissing Willow behind her back, and Cordy and Willow's boyfriend, Oz, they found out, and broke it off with us. Willow and Oz, who by the way is a werewolf, got back together. Cordelia and I ended it. Now, she headed to Los Angeles to become an actress. That was a bad time for the group, after our little 'fluke' was found out, the only person that would talk to me was Buffy. I don't know what I would have done without her then."
"I thought Buffy was Willow's best friend?"
"She is, Buffy, Willow, and I were all best friends. I guess it was hard for her, balancing both of us, but she was there for us when we needed her."
"Sounds like a good friend."
"The best, at least until later. Things started getting tough then she and Willow started pushing me out of the group. I know they did it to protect me, but it still hurt. It was like the were saying I wasn't good enough any more."
"Bummer man."
"Yeah it is. But I learned to deal. That's why I asked Splinter to train me. Then, I figure, I'll get reconnected to the group."
Donatello smiled. "Sounds like a plan."
The two teenagers continued talking about themselves until they reached the lair again. Leonardo, Raphael, and Michaelangelo seemed to be talking to someone. The leader of the group looked at Xander and Donatello who were just coming in. "Oh, Xander. There's someone I want you to meet. Come over here."
Xander nodded slowly and walked over to the three turtles. Leonardo said, "Xander Harris, meet April O'Neil."
April stood up and said, "So, you're Xander? These guys haven't stopped talking about you."
"That's me. All good things I hope." He said with a lopsided grin.
"We wouldn't embarrass you." Leonardo said.
"I would."
Michaelangelo shook his head, "Of course you would, Raph."
"They tell me you're in the hero business like the Turtles."
Xander nodded, "You could say that. I've been pretty much fighting the good fight for three and a half years by now. Thanks to meeting Buffy and finding out vampires exist."
The reporter asked, "How do you like Manhattan?"
"It's cool. The Turtles have showed me around. I wouldn't mind coming back here once in a while. How's the reporter life?"
The redhead replied, "I enjoy it even if my boss is a jerk sometimes."
The teenager smiled, "I know that feeling. Except, take away the word, 'boss' and fill it with the word, 'dad.'"
April showed a confused look, and said with a hint of sincerity, "Why would your dad be a jerk?"
Xander replied with, "Forget I mentioned it."
The redhead responded, "I understand." Then she looked at her watch, "I better go. Work and all. Nice meeting you, Xander."
The last thing Xander wanted to let her leave with a bad first impression. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"
She shook her head, "No. I just got to head back to work before my break ends."
That made sense, he thought. "Good. Have a good rest of the day."
April smiled, "I will." Then she left.
Leonardo looked at his human friend, and asked, "Why didn't you tell her about your parents."
Xander sighed, "It's just because with you guys, Splinter, and Casey, I know and trust you. I don't know April or trust her enough to tell her about anything yet. And that stuff is hard to talk about."
They all understood. Xander had trained with them all week long, and hung with them too. They basically became brothers, and with April. He didn't know her well enough. So, it made sense. "We understand, Xander." Splinter said as he entered the main room. "I completely understand, my son. Talking about the past is difficult."
Xander said in a whisper, "You have no idea."
"But, it's best to learn from the past, so you don't repeat it in the future." Splinter looked at the clock, and noticed that it was already four o'clock. "Now my sons, you have free time until six. At six, we'll eat dinner, and then do our nightly patrol."
Michaelangelo grinned knowing what to do. "Hey Xander, want to play some Nintendo 64. I got Mortal Kombat 4. Among other games."
Xander nodded, "Sounds cool. But after that, I should head back to the hotel."
"Good." Then Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Splinter left the room leaving the two to their upcoming gamefest. Mikey hooked up the two controllers, and gave one to Xander. Then he turned it on, and placed the right channel on.
Soon the game came onto display, and the two were playing. Michaelangelo chose Lui Kang as his character while Xander picked Sub Zero. And they played a good five rounds when Mikey paused the game. He turned to Xander and asked, "Can I ask you a question?"
The brunette dropped the controller on the ground and looked at his mutant friend, "What's up."
"I want you to be honest, dude. I mean completely honest."
"I promise. Scout's honor."
Michaelangelo's eyes widened, "You were a boy scout?"
"Among other things. What's your question."
There was always something that bothered the turtle. In all the years that he has lived with his brothers, he has learned things by observing them. He took a deep breath, and asked, "Do you think I'm stupid?"
Xander immediately shook his head and replied, "Of course not. Don't ever think that way about yourself. Why on Earth would you think that?"
The turtle shrugged, "It just seems that way. Leo, Donny, and Raph are always taking about things that seem above me. Like I didn't matter. Basically, they treat me like I'm a goofball."
"Listen to me, Michaelangelo. You are no goofball, and you aren't stupid. And believe me. I know what's it liked to feel stupid, and if it wasn't for Willow or Jesse earlier on, I'd continue to feel that way."
"What happened?"
"When growing up, my parents basically kept telling me that I was stupid. That I wouldn't amount to anything. They basically told me that I was a waste of human skin. I only you guys that sometimes they hit me. But it went beyond that."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. And when you're young, you start to believe it. So, throughout my first few years I felt stupid. But Willow and Jesse talked to me. And I soon found out that I wasn't stupid. I may not be do well in academics, but I make up for it in other ways. I learned to become a survivor. When my parents told me I couldn't become anything, I had to tell myself that I wasn't dumb. So don't feel stupid, Mikey. You're smart. You're very smart."
The turtle smiled, "Thanks, dude. It's good to know that I can come to you when ever I have a problem."
"No sweat, Mikey. Now, how 'bout we play more Mortal Kombat."
"I'm so going to kill you."
He shook his head, "Not going to happen. I know all the fatalities."
"Damn."
********
Streets of Manhattan
11:00 PM
********
A rat with a clear vile holding a clear purple liquid in his mouth scurried along the sidewalk carefully not to get stepped on by a person. He turned to the left and saw the sewer drain that bordered the street. The rat climbed down the sewer drain and down the pipes.
Soon, it ran in the same direction as the sewer water, headed due north. He came to an intersection, and went east. The small animal scurried down the tunnel feeling the moon shine above from the sky.
Finally, it came upon the sewer lair of his king. The only person that any rat could call their friend. The man spent time to know the ways of the rat, and was never disgraceful as his species.
Together, the rats and him created a strong, mutual relationship, and that's perfect for the two of them.
The rat walked over to the throne where his leader and sat, and crawled up his leg, to his chest, and finally to his shoulder. Then spoke into his ear.
Rat King smiled at his loyal subject, and replied, "Good. Preparation for stage one in our plan is complete."
Rating: PG-13/R
Chapter Title: A Rodent Cometh
Author: White Werewolf
Category: Slight B/X if any
Timeframe: Prequel to Slayer in a Half Shell
Spoilers: Graduation Part II
Summery: Xander leaves Sunnydale and meets the Turtles in New York. Together, they form a team and have to stop Rat King
Disclaimer: Buffy: the Vampire Slayer is owned by Whedon, UPN, FOX, and Mutant Enemy. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are owned by Eastman, Laird, and Mirage Studios.
Author Notes: (............) indicates thought. Prequel to Slayer in a Half Shell
Special Thanks: Ozmandayus, Vampyr64, Mims, Michael Wilson, Rob Clark
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
********
The Turtle's Sewer Lair
The Next Day--2:00 PM
********
"So, that's the famous April O'Neil, huh? She's alright." Xander said to the Turtles as they sat down watching the news.
Xander sat in the middle of the couch with Leonardo on his right, and Donatello sat on his left. Michaelangelo sat on the floor with his left arm resting on the left arm of the couch. Raphael was lying on his chest.
"That's April, dude. She let's us know when something's up in Manhattan." Michaelangelo said with pride. "And I think she likes me!"
"No way, it's me she likes. So anyway what's on next?" Raphael questioned.
Mikey grinned, and said with joy, "Pinky and the Brain. I love those two mice, dude."
Xander was about to say something when he felt someone touch his shoulder. He looked around and saw Donatello. The purple banded turtle leaned in and whispered, "I can't stand this show. Want to take a walk?"
The boy nodded, "Sure, Donny. Let's get out of here."
With that said, the two left the lair and headed for their walk. They walked a half a mile in silence. No one knew what to say.
Donatello sighed and broke the ice, or tried to, "Don't you hate awkward silences."
"You know I do."
"So........" The turtle drawled out, "how's the training?"
"Good," he said honestly, "Splinter's a great sensei, and Leo and I train a lot together."
"Good to hear. Splinter trained all of us since we were young. Leo takes the training very seriously."
"That he does. We get along very well too."
Then there was more silence.
Ten seconds passed, and Xander decided to say something, "What do you like to do, Donny?"
Donatello replied with interest, "I love to see how things work. I'm an inventor. I invented the turtle coms we use."
"Cool. It sounds like you and my friend, Willow, would get along. She's a wiz in school and a computer genius. If it weren't for her I probably would have never made it out of high school. Heck if she didn't let me sleep over when we were younger, I may have never even made it to high school, if you know what I mean"
"I guess we've been lucky, considering we're mutant turtles living in a sewer, we haven't had a bad life, at least Splinter was there for us" Pausing a moment, "so this girl's name is Willow, like the tree? Weird."
Xander laughed. "She got that a lot in middle school. Kid's used to make fun of her name."
"Kid's can be so cruel."
He nodded, "They sure can. Before we were going out, Cordelia and her friends used to give her a pretty hard time."
Donatello came to a halt. "Wait."
Xander turned around. "Yeah?"
"You went out with a girl that made fun of your best friend?"
The teenager replied sheepishly, "Yeah, I did. It was weird. After Buffy came to town, Cordy was always getting in trouble, she was like victim girl you know? Anyway, I rescued her a few times, and we got into these fights when the bad guys had us trapped and well... One thing led to another."
The turtle's eyes widened, "You went out with a girl who spent a lot of time arguing with you? Is that right?"
The brunette replied honestly, "Yep. A lot of hormones involved, but I really did like her. But I managed to screw it up and hurt a lot of people."
"Sorry to hear that. What happened?"
The boy didn't have any reason not to tell the truth with him. He continued, "I ended up kissing Willow behind her back, and Cordy and Willow's boyfriend, Oz, they found out, and broke it off with us. Willow and Oz, who by the way is a werewolf, got back together. Cordelia and I ended it. Now, she headed to Los Angeles to become an actress. That was a bad time for the group, after our little 'fluke' was found out, the only person that would talk to me was Buffy. I don't know what I would have done without her then."
"I thought Buffy was Willow's best friend?"
"She is, Buffy, Willow, and I were all best friends. I guess it was hard for her, balancing both of us, but she was there for us when we needed her."
"Sounds like a good friend."
"The best, at least until later. Things started getting tough then she and Willow started pushing me out of the group. I know they did it to protect me, but it still hurt. It was like the were saying I wasn't good enough any more."
"Bummer man."
"Yeah it is. But I learned to deal. That's why I asked Splinter to train me. Then, I figure, I'll get reconnected to the group."
Donatello smiled. "Sounds like a plan."
The two teenagers continued talking about themselves until they reached the lair again. Leonardo, Raphael, and Michaelangelo seemed to be talking to someone. The leader of the group looked at Xander and Donatello who were just coming in. "Oh, Xander. There's someone I want you to meet. Come over here."
Xander nodded slowly and walked over to the three turtles. Leonardo said, "Xander Harris, meet April O'Neil."
April stood up and said, "So, you're Xander? These guys haven't stopped talking about you."
"That's me. All good things I hope." He said with a lopsided grin.
"We wouldn't embarrass you." Leonardo said.
"I would."
Michaelangelo shook his head, "Of course you would, Raph."
"They tell me you're in the hero business like the Turtles."
Xander nodded, "You could say that. I've been pretty much fighting the good fight for three and a half years by now. Thanks to meeting Buffy and finding out vampires exist."
The reporter asked, "How do you like Manhattan?"
"It's cool. The Turtles have showed me around. I wouldn't mind coming back here once in a while. How's the reporter life?"
The redhead replied, "I enjoy it even if my boss is a jerk sometimes."
The teenager smiled, "I know that feeling. Except, take away the word, 'boss' and fill it with the word, 'dad.'"
April showed a confused look, and said with a hint of sincerity, "Why would your dad be a jerk?"
Xander replied with, "Forget I mentioned it."
The redhead responded, "I understand." Then she looked at her watch, "I better go. Work and all. Nice meeting you, Xander."
The last thing Xander wanted to let her leave with a bad first impression. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"
She shook her head, "No. I just got to head back to work before my break ends."
That made sense, he thought. "Good. Have a good rest of the day."
April smiled, "I will." Then she left.
Leonardo looked at his human friend, and asked, "Why didn't you tell her about your parents."
Xander sighed, "It's just because with you guys, Splinter, and Casey, I know and trust you. I don't know April or trust her enough to tell her about anything yet. And that stuff is hard to talk about."
They all understood. Xander had trained with them all week long, and hung with them too. They basically became brothers, and with April. He didn't know her well enough. So, it made sense. "We understand, Xander." Splinter said as he entered the main room. "I completely understand, my son. Talking about the past is difficult."
Xander said in a whisper, "You have no idea."
"But, it's best to learn from the past, so you don't repeat it in the future." Splinter looked at the clock, and noticed that it was already four o'clock. "Now my sons, you have free time until six. At six, we'll eat dinner, and then do our nightly patrol."
Michaelangelo grinned knowing what to do. "Hey Xander, want to play some Nintendo 64. I got Mortal Kombat 4. Among other games."
Xander nodded, "Sounds cool. But after that, I should head back to the hotel."
"Good." Then Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Splinter left the room leaving the two to their upcoming gamefest. Mikey hooked up the two controllers, and gave one to Xander. Then he turned it on, and placed the right channel on.
Soon the game came onto display, and the two were playing. Michaelangelo chose Lui Kang as his character while Xander picked Sub Zero. And they played a good five rounds when Mikey paused the game. He turned to Xander and asked, "Can I ask you a question?"
The brunette dropped the controller on the ground and looked at his mutant friend, "What's up."
"I want you to be honest, dude. I mean completely honest."
"I promise. Scout's honor."
Michaelangelo's eyes widened, "You were a boy scout?"
"Among other things. What's your question."
There was always something that bothered the turtle. In all the years that he has lived with his brothers, he has learned things by observing them. He took a deep breath, and asked, "Do you think I'm stupid?"
Xander immediately shook his head and replied, "Of course not. Don't ever think that way about yourself. Why on Earth would you think that?"
The turtle shrugged, "It just seems that way. Leo, Donny, and Raph are always taking about things that seem above me. Like I didn't matter. Basically, they treat me like I'm a goofball."
"Listen to me, Michaelangelo. You are no goofball, and you aren't stupid. And believe me. I know what's it liked to feel stupid, and if it wasn't for Willow or Jesse earlier on, I'd continue to feel that way."
"What happened?"
"When growing up, my parents basically kept telling me that I was stupid. That I wouldn't amount to anything. They basically told me that I was a waste of human skin. I only you guys that sometimes they hit me. But it went beyond that."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. And when you're young, you start to believe it. So, throughout my first few years I felt stupid. But Willow and Jesse talked to me. And I soon found out that I wasn't stupid. I may not be do well in academics, but I make up for it in other ways. I learned to become a survivor. When my parents told me I couldn't become anything, I had to tell myself that I wasn't dumb. So don't feel stupid, Mikey. You're smart. You're very smart."
The turtle smiled, "Thanks, dude. It's good to know that I can come to you when ever I have a problem."
"No sweat, Mikey. Now, how 'bout we play more Mortal Kombat."
"I'm so going to kill you."
He shook his head, "Not going to happen. I know all the fatalities."
"Damn."
********
Streets of Manhattan
11:00 PM
********
A rat with a clear vile holding a clear purple liquid in his mouth scurried along the sidewalk carefully not to get stepped on by a person. He turned to the left and saw the sewer drain that bordered the street. The rat climbed down the sewer drain and down the pipes.
Soon, it ran in the same direction as the sewer water, headed due north. He came to an intersection, and went east. The small animal scurried down the tunnel feeling the moon shine above from the sky.
Finally, it came upon the sewer lair of his king. The only person that any rat could call their friend. The man spent time to know the ways of the rat, and was never disgraceful as his species.
Together, the rats and him created a strong, mutual relationship, and that's perfect for the two of them.
The rat walked over to the throne where his leader and sat, and crawled up his leg, to his chest, and finally to his shoulder. Then spoke into his ear.
Rat King smiled at his loyal subject, and replied, "Good. Preparation for stage one in our plan is complete."