Radical Transformation
Raph returned to his temporary home at April's in darkness. It was now quiet late, and he cursed himself and Reily, as he knew his brothers would already have gone out on patrol.
As he climbed the stairs to April's level, an old woman opened the door to her apartment and looked at him as she made her way past him. He stared away, frowning when she had gone past. He could still feel her eyes on him when he climbed the next set of stairs and she disappeared.
"Man, some people . . ." he frowned.
The door to April's apartment was unlocked, and he opened it silently, and walked in, closing it softly behind him and leaning against it. He looked at the room, which was lit very dimly by candlelight. The flickering light danced over his Master.
Splinter looked up from his armchair to his late son - human son. He kept his expression unreadable to Raph, who stared at him, waiting for some lectures about getting school detention.
Instead, Splinter then adopted a kind face and smiled.
"Tea?" He asked, holding up his own mug, which was steaming.
"Er, yeah, I'll get some," Raph said, eyeing his Master, and realising he was really thirsty.
"Your brothers have gone out patrolling for the night," Splinter explained, even though Raph knew.
"Yeah, I'm just gunna go join 'em," Raph said, turning to the door and reaching for the handle.
"Ah, not yet, my son."
Raph dropped his hand with a sigh. He knew this was coming.
"Sit down, Raphael, I need to talk to you about your problem to keep you anger under control . . . Leonardo has told me of some of the things you have been up to today in school."
Raph's eyes narrowed slightly. Leo, told Splinter? Man was he gunna get it when he comes home!
()()()()
"Man, is Raph gunna wished he hadn't missed this night!" Mikey yelled to his brothers as he downed the last stupid punk kid who were really too big for their baseball caps. Him and his group of nine had put up quite a good fight.
Donnie dusted his hands and grinned and his brothers. It felt good to fight in the human forms. He felt he could move around slightly better, but if felt like he was vulnerable without his shell. These kids hadn't screamed or insulted them, as they would have, which felt pretty good, too.
They had all got their weapons, belt tied around their waist, a different size now. It was still a little weird to grasp, that their weapons weren't in the exact places they should have been. Leo found his had moved on his back the most.
"D'ya think these go to Vinilla High?" Mikey asked, bending down and looking at one of the faces.
"Most likely," Donnie shrugged. "Or, they probably don't go to school at all."
"I think we should head back," Leo said, glancing at the dark sky. "We'll take the long route, but there just doesn't seem to be any Foot out tonight . . . or that man, and we checked the shop."
They turned out of the unfamiliar alleyway and headed towards April's neighbourhood, which wasn't too far away. Apart from the punk kids, no other activity had been seen by their sharp eyes in the darkness and shadows. They had been out for ages now, and Raph should have been home a few hours ago. April hadn't been home when they had left to patrol, but they had got a call from her just as they were leaving, to say she would be in late. The guys had first decided that one of them should stay home with Splinter; but their Master said he would be fine and that Raphael would be joining him in just under an hour. Before leaving, though, they had asked their Master if he had spotted anything on TV. The answer was negative.
Now, they walked quickly through the streets, feeling odd to be out walking the sidewalk instead of skipping shadow to shadow. Only one or two people were still out this late, but they didn't stop to stare. The guys didn't take much notice, only to the shadows and anyone looking too shifty.
April's building loomed out of the dark night as they rounded the corner, and they made their way through the door to the staircases that lead to April's. It as warmer inside, and the hallways were lit with a dim light, except April's level. They opened the door and walked in, glad of the room's heat that welcomed them.
"Oh, hi April," Donnie said, as he saw her turn to their arrival and the slam of the door.
"Hey guys."
Leo, Donnie and Mikey moved into the room, and Mikey fell onto the couch, with Donnie next to him. Leo remained standing.
"Where's Raph?" He asked to Splinter and April.
"He had gone to find you, my son," Splinter said. "I see he did not."
Leo frowned. He should have known Raph wouldn't have let the fact that they left him stop him from going out at all. He should have been keeping a watch for Splinter, but Leo guessed that he had thought that when April came, he didn't have to no more and split.
A sudden and loud clap of thunder outside made them all jump. They could now hear the sounds of the rain beating against the roof, and the windows.
"What a nice night," Mikey smiled. "And Raph's out in it."
"So, did you see anything on your patrol?" Splinter asked, as his Leo sank to the floor.
"Just a few punk kids, that was all," Leo answered. "It seemed too quiet out."
Mikey got up from the couch to make a drink, asking if anyone else wanted one; and just as he had entered the kitchen, the front door opened and in came a drenched Raph. He was bleeding above his eye.
"Okay, where were you when gangsters tried to kill me?" He accused his nearest brother, Leo.
"Probably walking back," Leo shrugged. "Should have stayed with Splinter."
Raph growled, and stormed further in, making his way to the stairs, but April stopped him.
"Those shoes are filthy and wet, you're gunna have to take them off." She grinned at him.
He pulled his shoes off and put them near the door, then ran upstairs.
Everyone turned back, and sipped on their drinks that Mikey had just come through with and given to them.
"So," April said, setting her mug down. "What did you do in school today?"
"I hate it how you say that," Donnie screwed up his face. "It makes us sound so normal."
They laughed, and Leo gave the most interesting details of the day. Then Mikey said something.
"Well, you know that Tooks guy, the one that hates Raph?" Mikey asked his brothers.
"Why's he hate Raph?" April asked.
Mikey grinned. "Tooks likes Prida, and he thinks Raph taking her away . . . So, yeah, the guy; he came up to me in cooking class and thought I was Raph. And then, can you believe the guy came up to me when school had finished and started to say bad things about my family."
"Like what?" Donnie asked.
"Well, we don't have a mom, but he was saying things like our parents killed themselves just so they didn't have to put up with us four." Mikey shrugged. "I'm just glad Raph gave him what he deserved."
Donnie grinned, but Leo only showed a small smile.
"He shouldn't have done it anyway," he said. "He's drawing way too much attention to himself."
"He caaan heeaar yooou," Mikey whispered, grinning and pointing upwards.
Leo shrugged and sat back on his hunches.
"So that was the reason Raph attacked him," Donnie said. He and Leo had not properly heard what Jo Tooks had said, and therefore were shocked to see their brother walk up to someone and lift them off the ground.
As they fell into silence, Mikey thought he would bring his picture problem back up again.
"April, why do they need my picture?" Mikey asked. "It's not as if it's gunna say who drew it."
April sighed. "I don't know, Mikey. They just said I couldn't have it, and were a bit suspicious when I asked for a third time."
Mikey's shoulder dropped, and his stuck his lip out. April grinned at him.
"I think we should all retire for the night," Splinter spoke out. "It is late, and I'm sure you are tired from a day's work and a night's patrolling."
"Actually, the work wasn't that tiring," Donnie said, lifting a finger.
Leo and Mikey groaned, stood up, they rolled their eyes at each other.
"Oh course not for you," Mikey said. "You don't even KNOW you're 'working'. You just see it as pen goes to paper, answers come out from nowhere."
Donnie looked slightly red faced, but he frowned, trying to keep his smile from a grin. He was proud of himself, and his brothers were too.
"Okay, bed you guys," April shooed them to the stairs, and Splinter smiled at his sons, and made his way to the guest room.
"But April," Leo said, back to her but looking over his shoulder. "We sleep down here."
April smiled. "Okay then, Mikey get up those stairs!"
Mikey grinned. "Oh, yes Sir - er, Miss!" He army-marched up the stairs, with April laughing behind him. She said goodnight to Leo and Donnie, then turned the lights off from upstairs. The room fell into darkness, and soon Leo and Donnie were asleep.
()()()()
"Ut oh, guys! We're late!" Leo shouted up the staircase to Mikey and Raph, who were still getting changed.
Leo and Donnie were ready, bags on backs, trainers on. They had Mikey's bad ready for him.
It was the morning, and they were late. The weather wasn't the best, and didn't help them wake up early enough. With no sunlight to shine in and wake them, and the dark, raining day outside, it made April's apartment look as though it was three in the morning, instead of half eight.
"C'mon Raph! Mikey!" April yelled, ready to go to work. "You're late!"
There was a banging from upstairs, as though one of them had fallen over, then the bang of running feet and Mikey appeared, just pulling his orange T-shirt over his chest.
"Thanks Leo!" He gasped as he took his bag from his brother, then bet down to do his shoelaces.
"Raph!" Leo yelled.
He came down a second later, not in as much a hurry as Mikey, but not taking his time.
"C'mon," Leo said, and they headed to the door and Raph hopped over to them, trying to stuff his laces in his shoes.
"Bye Master Splinter," Leo said, a small wave at his Master in the chair.
"Goodbye, my sons," the rat said, smiling. "Have a good day." His smiled widened a bit.
They groaned, knowing school could never be good, as they have experienced in the three days they've been there.
April said bye then shut and locked the door. She and the guys ran down the stairs.
"D'you guys get late marks?" April asked as they walked down to the main entrance to the building.
"Nope, only Leo." Mikey grinned, looking at him.
"Leo?" April asked, pushing the door open, and waiting for someone to walk through first.
"I was in the gym, and I had to get changed." Leo explained. "Especially when you go into the changing rooms when the bell has just gone."
They were walking out into the street just near April's car, talking about the teachers, when Raph stumbled and froze. They turned and stared.
"What's wrong?" April asked.
"Owch," Raph muttered, and put a hand on his shin.
"What?" Leo frowned.
"His leg," Donnie said, helping his brother stand up straight. "He's been putting too much stress on it."
"Thanks, doc," Raph said sarcastically.
"Well let's get in the car, then you can sit down." April unlocked and opened her car door, waiting for them to get in.
Raph limped over and sat in the front. His brother hopped in the back and April in the driver's seat. Then they were off.
"Is it okay?" Mikey asked, leaning forward to his brother in the front seat.
"It's fine, just caught me by surprise a bit," Raph shrugged. No big deal to him.
The car pulled up outside school, and they climbed out.
"See you guys later," April said, then drove off as she was late for work today.
Leo, Donnie, Raph and Mikey made their way into school, Raph limping still.
The kids had all gone inside, and the bell had obviously gone. They were the only kids walking in, except for the secretary, Mrs Sanbury, who smiled to them as they rushed up to their form rooms.
"You're late," their tutor said in a stern tone. "Hurry up and sit down."
They rushed to their usual seats at the back, and Donnie pulled out his timetable straight away.
"Hey, we have Games together," he said.
"Games?" Mikey's eyebrows frowned.
"PE, Mike, just they call it games for some reason," Leo said.
"Great, just what I need," Raph mumbled to himself, but his brothers heard, and shrugged.
"If it gets bad, just tell the teacher," Donnie said, leaning forward to see past Mikey to his brother in red.
Raph just grumbled and looked away. His brothers shrugged at each other again.
After registration, which only lasted for twenty minutes, the bell rang and the classroom emptied. The guys, along with a few others from their form, made their way to the Sports Centre at the end of the field.
"Geeze man, maybe you should skip Games," Mikey suggested to Raph, as he watched him wince once when they stepped up the small step into the building.
"I can survive, Mikey," Raph snapped.
They rounded the corner, Leo and Donnie talking about something, when they faced a back that wasn't very welcome to join in their upcoming class: Jo Tooks was ahead of them, annoying someone his bigheaded body was blocking. The annoyed voice that was floating from in front of his was recognisable as Prida's.
"Look, take a hike, bozo, I don't fancy you, I will not go out with you so just stop bugging me!" Prida sounded ticked off bad.
Before Tooks could annoy her further, she disappeared into the girl's changing rooms, slamming the door on Tooks' face.
He turned around and raised his eyes slightly at the four bros. He glared at Raph, then for some reason Mikey, and stalked away towards the changing rooms.
"Please tell me he's not in our group," Raph said, glaring.
After looking at the changing room door number on his timetable, and the number on the door Tooks had just taken, Donnie decided not to tell his brother that the answer was 'yes he is'.
Sorry this has taken a while, really sorry, and thanks for the reviews. ( More coming, don't worry, this is all planned, lol. (evil laughter) Okay, thanks!
Raph returned to his temporary home at April's in darkness. It was now quiet late, and he cursed himself and Reily, as he knew his brothers would already have gone out on patrol.
As he climbed the stairs to April's level, an old woman opened the door to her apartment and looked at him as she made her way past him. He stared away, frowning when she had gone past. He could still feel her eyes on him when he climbed the next set of stairs and she disappeared.
"Man, some people . . ." he frowned.
The door to April's apartment was unlocked, and he opened it silently, and walked in, closing it softly behind him and leaning against it. He looked at the room, which was lit very dimly by candlelight. The flickering light danced over his Master.
Splinter looked up from his armchair to his late son - human son. He kept his expression unreadable to Raph, who stared at him, waiting for some lectures about getting school detention.
Instead, Splinter then adopted a kind face and smiled.
"Tea?" He asked, holding up his own mug, which was steaming.
"Er, yeah, I'll get some," Raph said, eyeing his Master, and realising he was really thirsty.
"Your brothers have gone out patrolling for the night," Splinter explained, even though Raph knew.
"Yeah, I'm just gunna go join 'em," Raph said, turning to the door and reaching for the handle.
"Ah, not yet, my son."
Raph dropped his hand with a sigh. He knew this was coming.
"Sit down, Raphael, I need to talk to you about your problem to keep you anger under control . . . Leonardo has told me of some of the things you have been up to today in school."
Raph's eyes narrowed slightly. Leo, told Splinter? Man was he gunna get it when he comes home!
()()()()
"Man, is Raph gunna wished he hadn't missed this night!" Mikey yelled to his brothers as he downed the last stupid punk kid who were really too big for their baseball caps. Him and his group of nine had put up quite a good fight.
Donnie dusted his hands and grinned and his brothers. It felt good to fight in the human forms. He felt he could move around slightly better, but if felt like he was vulnerable without his shell. These kids hadn't screamed or insulted them, as they would have, which felt pretty good, too.
They had all got their weapons, belt tied around their waist, a different size now. It was still a little weird to grasp, that their weapons weren't in the exact places they should have been. Leo found his had moved on his back the most.
"D'ya think these go to Vinilla High?" Mikey asked, bending down and looking at one of the faces.
"Most likely," Donnie shrugged. "Or, they probably don't go to school at all."
"I think we should head back," Leo said, glancing at the dark sky. "We'll take the long route, but there just doesn't seem to be any Foot out tonight . . . or that man, and we checked the shop."
They turned out of the unfamiliar alleyway and headed towards April's neighbourhood, which wasn't too far away. Apart from the punk kids, no other activity had been seen by their sharp eyes in the darkness and shadows. They had been out for ages now, and Raph should have been home a few hours ago. April hadn't been home when they had left to patrol, but they had got a call from her just as they were leaving, to say she would be in late. The guys had first decided that one of them should stay home with Splinter; but their Master said he would be fine and that Raphael would be joining him in just under an hour. Before leaving, though, they had asked their Master if he had spotted anything on TV. The answer was negative.
Now, they walked quickly through the streets, feeling odd to be out walking the sidewalk instead of skipping shadow to shadow. Only one or two people were still out this late, but they didn't stop to stare. The guys didn't take much notice, only to the shadows and anyone looking too shifty.
April's building loomed out of the dark night as they rounded the corner, and they made their way through the door to the staircases that lead to April's. It as warmer inside, and the hallways were lit with a dim light, except April's level. They opened the door and walked in, glad of the room's heat that welcomed them.
"Oh, hi April," Donnie said, as he saw her turn to their arrival and the slam of the door.
"Hey guys."
Leo, Donnie and Mikey moved into the room, and Mikey fell onto the couch, with Donnie next to him. Leo remained standing.
"Where's Raph?" He asked to Splinter and April.
"He had gone to find you, my son," Splinter said. "I see he did not."
Leo frowned. He should have known Raph wouldn't have let the fact that they left him stop him from going out at all. He should have been keeping a watch for Splinter, but Leo guessed that he had thought that when April came, he didn't have to no more and split.
A sudden and loud clap of thunder outside made them all jump. They could now hear the sounds of the rain beating against the roof, and the windows.
"What a nice night," Mikey smiled. "And Raph's out in it."
"So, did you see anything on your patrol?" Splinter asked, as his Leo sank to the floor.
"Just a few punk kids, that was all," Leo answered. "It seemed too quiet out."
Mikey got up from the couch to make a drink, asking if anyone else wanted one; and just as he had entered the kitchen, the front door opened and in came a drenched Raph. He was bleeding above his eye.
"Okay, where were you when gangsters tried to kill me?" He accused his nearest brother, Leo.
"Probably walking back," Leo shrugged. "Should have stayed with Splinter."
Raph growled, and stormed further in, making his way to the stairs, but April stopped him.
"Those shoes are filthy and wet, you're gunna have to take them off." She grinned at him.
He pulled his shoes off and put them near the door, then ran upstairs.
Everyone turned back, and sipped on their drinks that Mikey had just come through with and given to them.
"So," April said, setting her mug down. "What did you do in school today?"
"I hate it how you say that," Donnie screwed up his face. "It makes us sound so normal."
They laughed, and Leo gave the most interesting details of the day. Then Mikey said something.
"Well, you know that Tooks guy, the one that hates Raph?" Mikey asked his brothers.
"Why's he hate Raph?" April asked.
Mikey grinned. "Tooks likes Prida, and he thinks Raph taking her away . . . So, yeah, the guy; he came up to me in cooking class and thought I was Raph. And then, can you believe the guy came up to me when school had finished and started to say bad things about my family."
"Like what?" Donnie asked.
"Well, we don't have a mom, but he was saying things like our parents killed themselves just so they didn't have to put up with us four." Mikey shrugged. "I'm just glad Raph gave him what he deserved."
Donnie grinned, but Leo only showed a small smile.
"He shouldn't have done it anyway," he said. "He's drawing way too much attention to himself."
"He caaan heeaar yooou," Mikey whispered, grinning and pointing upwards.
Leo shrugged and sat back on his hunches.
"So that was the reason Raph attacked him," Donnie said. He and Leo had not properly heard what Jo Tooks had said, and therefore were shocked to see their brother walk up to someone and lift them off the ground.
As they fell into silence, Mikey thought he would bring his picture problem back up again.
"April, why do they need my picture?" Mikey asked. "It's not as if it's gunna say who drew it."
April sighed. "I don't know, Mikey. They just said I couldn't have it, and were a bit suspicious when I asked for a third time."
Mikey's shoulder dropped, and his stuck his lip out. April grinned at him.
"I think we should all retire for the night," Splinter spoke out. "It is late, and I'm sure you are tired from a day's work and a night's patrolling."
"Actually, the work wasn't that tiring," Donnie said, lifting a finger.
Leo and Mikey groaned, stood up, they rolled their eyes at each other.
"Oh course not for you," Mikey said. "You don't even KNOW you're 'working'. You just see it as pen goes to paper, answers come out from nowhere."
Donnie looked slightly red faced, but he frowned, trying to keep his smile from a grin. He was proud of himself, and his brothers were too.
"Okay, bed you guys," April shooed them to the stairs, and Splinter smiled at his sons, and made his way to the guest room.
"But April," Leo said, back to her but looking over his shoulder. "We sleep down here."
April smiled. "Okay then, Mikey get up those stairs!"
Mikey grinned. "Oh, yes Sir - er, Miss!" He army-marched up the stairs, with April laughing behind him. She said goodnight to Leo and Donnie, then turned the lights off from upstairs. The room fell into darkness, and soon Leo and Donnie were asleep.
()()()()
"Ut oh, guys! We're late!" Leo shouted up the staircase to Mikey and Raph, who were still getting changed.
Leo and Donnie were ready, bags on backs, trainers on. They had Mikey's bad ready for him.
It was the morning, and they were late. The weather wasn't the best, and didn't help them wake up early enough. With no sunlight to shine in and wake them, and the dark, raining day outside, it made April's apartment look as though it was three in the morning, instead of half eight.
"C'mon Raph! Mikey!" April yelled, ready to go to work. "You're late!"
There was a banging from upstairs, as though one of them had fallen over, then the bang of running feet and Mikey appeared, just pulling his orange T-shirt over his chest.
"Thanks Leo!" He gasped as he took his bag from his brother, then bet down to do his shoelaces.
"Raph!" Leo yelled.
He came down a second later, not in as much a hurry as Mikey, but not taking his time.
"C'mon," Leo said, and they headed to the door and Raph hopped over to them, trying to stuff his laces in his shoes.
"Bye Master Splinter," Leo said, a small wave at his Master in the chair.
"Goodbye, my sons," the rat said, smiling. "Have a good day." His smiled widened a bit.
They groaned, knowing school could never be good, as they have experienced in the three days they've been there.
April said bye then shut and locked the door. She and the guys ran down the stairs.
"D'you guys get late marks?" April asked as they walked down to the main entrance to the building.
"Nope, only Leo." Mikey grinned, looking at him.
"Leo?" April asked, pushing the door open, and waiting for someone to walk through first.
"I was in the gym, and I had to get changed." Leo explained. "Especially when you go into the changing rooms when the bell has just gone."
They were walking out into the street just near April's car, talking about the teachers, when Raph stumbled and froze. They turned and stared.
"What's wrong?" April asked.
"Owch," Raph muttered, and put a hand on his shin.
"What?" Leo frowned.
"His leg," Donnie said, helping his brother stand up straight. "He's been putting too much stress on it."
"Thanks, doc," Raph said sarcastically.
"Well let's get in the car, then you can sit down." April unlocked and opened her car door, waiting for them to get in.
Raph limped over and sat in the front. His brother hopped in the back and April in the driver's seat. Then they were off.
"Is it okay?" Mikey asked, leaning forward to his brother in the front seat.
"It's fine, just caught me by surprise a bit," Raph shrugged. No big deal to him.
The car pulled up outside school, and they climbed out.
"See you guys later," April said, then drove off as she was late for work today.
Leo, Donnie, Raph and Mikey made their way into school, Raph limping still.
The kids had all gone inside, and the bell had obviously gone. They were the only kids walking in, except for the secretary, Mrs Sanbury, who smiled to them as they rushed up to their form rooms.
"You're late," their tutor said in a stern tone. "Hurry up and sit down."
They rushed to their usual seats at the back, and Donnie pulled out his timetable straight away.
"Hey, we have Games together," he said.
"Games?" Mikey's eyebrows frowned.
"PE, Mike, just they call it games for some reason," Leo said.
"Great, just what I need," Raph mumbled to himself, but his brothers heard, and shrugged.
"If it gets bad, just tell the teacher," Donnie said, leaning forward to see past Mikey to his brother in red.
Raph just grumbled and looked away. His brothers shrugged at each other again.
After registration, which only lasted for twenty minutes, the bell rang and the classroom emptied. The guys, along with a few others from their form, made their way to the Sports Centre at the end of the field.
"Geeze man, maybe you should skip Games," Mikey suggested to Raph, as he watched him wince once when they stepped up the small step into the building.
"I can survive, Mikey," Raph snapped.
They rounded the corner, Leo and Donnie talking about something, when they faced a back that wasn't very welcome to join in their upcoming class: Jo Tooks was ahead of them, annoying someone his bigheaded body was blocking. The annoyed voice that was floating from in front of his was recognisable as Prida's.
"Look, take a hike, bozo, I don't fancy you, I will not go out with you so just stop bugging me!" Prida sounded ticked off bad.
Before Tooks could annoy her further, she disappeared into the girl's changing rooms, slamming the door on Tooks' face.
He turned around and raised his eyes slightly at the four bros. He glared at Raph, then for some reason Mikey, and stalked away towards the changing rooms.
"Please tell me he's not in our group," Raph said, glaring.
After looking at the changing room door number on his timetable, and the number on the door Tooks had just taken, Donnie decided not to tell his brother that the answer was 'yes he is'.
Sorry this has taken a while, really sorry, and thanks for the reviews. ( More coming, don't worry, this is all planned, lol. (evil laughter) Okay, thanks!