Undiscovered Power
~
Some hours later, April joined them from her late lunch break to hear of what happened today, and what will happen very soon. In the few hours, though, Casey had been reintroduced to Prida again, and Leo told everyone that he figured the Shredder now knew for definite that they had destroyed the artifact. Leo seemed very intent on defeating the Shredder once and for all very soon, and explained that it wouldn't just be good for every living soul in New York, it also meant that Prida would be able to live in her house again.
"So Prida can stay at your place, Ape?" Leo said, with his chin in his hand.
April nodded. "Sure, I'm sure she'd rather stay at mine than with you guys."
"Geez, we're not that bad," Mikey defended them.
There was a big BANG from the top of the stairs behind the ladder and the lights died, throwing them into semi darkness.
"Sorry everyone," Donny's voice came from the ladder, who was determined to find out why the lights kept flickering.
April smirked at Mikey and sat back in the armchair. "I rest my case." Prida, who was leaning on the back of the couch, laughed.
"Wha's wrong with the lights?" A voice came from behind everyone.
"Raph!" April jumped out of her chair and ran up to the turtle in the dark. She locked him in a hug as everyone else turned around.
When April pulled away grinning, Raph frowned at her and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
She frowned too. "I haven't seen you for days – you were seriously ill."
There was a pause, and then he said, "Was I?"
"Yeah – you almost died." April replied as everyone raised an eyebrow or eye ridge.
"Did I?"
April glanced back at everyone before she said, "Don't you remember? Prida ran you over –"
"Ohh, yeah," Raph shook his head. "Er, yeah, so, where are we?" He scratched his head, frowning at the darkness.
April stared. "Raph why don't you go back to bed?" You're clearly confused.
Raph blinked. "Er, okay," and he turned back and walked into his room, where he dropped onto Mikey's bed. A second later he fell asleep, and April closed the door and turned around at everyone else, who were still staring.
"So, it's sorted, Prida's going to stay at April's," Leo said as everyone returned to normal as though there had been no interruption, "and we'll see if the police actually caught any of the Foot from the description and location Prida gave them –"
"Er, excuse me," April cut in, walking back to Leo, who was sat on the couch. "I dunno about you but your brother was acting absentminded."
"It's his fever, April," Donny spoke up. "He'll be fine in a few days." The lights switched back on.
"Days?" April repeated, but they had gone back to their plans, and she rolled her eyes and glanced at Prida, who shrugged. Splinter, who was sat in his armchair, shook his head slightly with a small smile.
"Okay, good, that's settled – then what – are we doing – about Shredder?" Donny asked, drawing out his question, while staring at Leo.
His brother in blue glanced at him before lowering his eyes casually to the floor. "I really don't know yet. We haven't got the strength to defeat him – and I know, before you jump in Case, that you could replace Raph's loss in numbers, but this is about a fight for our honor, and Shredder's vengeance is solely on us four." He brought up a hand and had just started to run it through imaginary hair when realized he hadn't got any, and frowned at his hand before he leant it across his lap and laced his fingers together. He sighed, and without another word he stood up, and walked towards the dojo, lost in thought. Everyone watched him disappear, and then turned and exchanged glances.
"I think Leo's feeling real pressured because he feels we can destroy the Shredder," Donny said softly, "yet he can't propose anything like that because there's only three of us – and it's really frustrating him that we can't so it sooner." Donny seemed concerned for his brother, maybe more because only he and Splinter could understand what Leo wanted to do but couldn't.
Prida, who was glancing open-mouthed between the two remaining turtles and the rat, suddenly felt too involved with the Shredder business than what she should be; but she felt lost. Whereas everyone else had been fighting against Shredder for almost a year, she only had a small idea. Her friends were suddenly more important than she had ever thought possible at school when they were human.
Splinter leant forward in his chair slightly. "You cannot do anything, now. Leonardo must be patient, as must you all. The right time will come."
Mikey and Donny looked up at their father, and bowed their heads, nodding. Their Sensei was correct, of course. Both turtles sighed and their eyes wandered to the floor.
Donny stood up and announced he was going back to his faithful computer, and he disappeared into the room. A few seconds of silence followed his departure, and then Splinter told them he was going to walk around the tunnel network and think, and the Ninjitsu Master stood and slowly left the lair.
"Will he be alright -?" Prida asked, half pointing in the direction Splinter had left. " – I mean what if Shredder's sent his people down to look for us?"
Mikey glanced at the ladder, behind which was the exit Splinter had taken. "There's miles and miles of the sewer system. It's pretty unlikely that he'd manage to chose our area to search." The turtle smiled and looked back at Prida. "Besides, Master Splinter taught us; I'd be more worried for the Foot Clan getting hurt."
Casey and April sniggered, and she sat down on the couch. "So, Prida, hasn't your school phoned to ask why you've been away for a week?"
Prida's heart jolted slightly. "No, but they're not gonna get an answer now." She changed the subject. "What am I gonna do then? I mean, you guys don't know when you'll get to face the Shredder and destroy his clan, and I can't go back home until they're outta the way . . . well this is just annoying."
Everyone chuckled, and Mikey said, "yeah, that's Shred Head, 'annoying' – but Prida, we might not face Shredder for weeks, or months . . . so if it comes to that, you're gonna have to tell your sister."
Prida made a face and gripped the side of her head with both hands. "This is so confusing," she moaned.
Mikey's smile disappeared and he frowned at the floor. "Sorry," he said quietly.
Prida took her hands away and looked at him. "Mikey don't be," she said seriously. She knew he felt this was his and his brother's fault. But actually, she thanked them for bringing a bit of . . . unusual-ness into her life, even if it did make her brain ache.
So, Prida accepted the fact that she was now either down there or at April's until she knew it was safe to go home. It was hard to accept, yet easy, because she knew she would be seeing her best friends everyday. April almost let a grin slip, because she realized she was would have to put up with another teenager for god knows how long. Thankfully this one was female, and didn't have to practice ninjitsu, and best of all, she was only one! No identical siblings. For Casey, well, he imaginarily rolled his eyes. Another teen to take up April's time . . . no time between him and April.
April stirred in her seat and smiled. "So, Mikey, shouldn't you be worrying about other important matters, like a certain event in – how long is it – twelve days?" Casey frowned, and April turned and frowned in disbelief at his confusion.
Mikey frowned at her also, and then his face lit up with a grin. "Yeah – man I forgot, again," he glanced at the dojo and looked at Prida, "it's Leo's birthday in twelve days. Me and Donny are throwing a surprise party, it's gonna be so cool!" It was amazing how he could sound very sorry, and then not even a minute later sound very excited. His grin was contagious, as Prida felt her own smile grow. How cool – she hadn't celebrated anyone's birthday apart from hers, Mai's and Korey's in a long time. She herself didn't like too much fuss on her birthdays.
"Cool," she said, grinning.
Casey picked up April's hand and pulled her to her feet. "Why don't we leave you guys to figure whatever out," he said, "and we'll just make the most of the time we have of teenagers-free."
They smiled as they left the lair, and Mikey got up and went to the kitchen.
After he had brought back a bowl of popcorn (Prida noticed the bowl had the words Don-Don painted on the side), he had popped a movie into the VCR of their TV and while they watched and ate, Mikey brought out a notepad and pencil and they played Hangman. While their movie played, noHow cool one entered the lair, and Splinter did not return until after the movie, by which time Mikey had won fifteen games, and Prida had won only three. She wasn't too good at playing guessing games.
Splinter walked calmly back into the lair, and observed the two teens, who he noticed had not moved from the room, nor were accompanied by anyone else. He seated himself in his old chair and watched his son and friend play games on paper for a few minutes, before he decided he wanted to set his mind in meditation, and disappeared into his room.
"Man for the first time I actually wanna go out and fight the Shredder," Mikey said suddenly, gazing at his drawing. "He's made our lives a living hell, and now he's brought you into it . . . I wish we could finish him once and for all," he added, rather un-Mikey like.
Prida glanced up at him from her own stick figure of a dog she was doodling. They had forgotten their hangman game now that Mikey had beaten her passed ten anyway, and since Mikey started drawing while they talked, her hand automatically copied. Her drawing was a pathetic little attempt of a dog, while Mikey's was the beginning of some monster from a game, and he didn't seem to realize it was looking awesome. She glanced at his, then hers, and dropped the pencil on the paper.
A car door was opened from the train behind them, and they turned to see Raph emerging from his room, droopy-eyed.
"Hey," he said in a somewhat bored tone, making his way to the couch as though he was slightly blind. He used the couch arm to guide himself onto the cushions where he flopped down, slanting onto the arm. "Whoa, that was tough work," he said, referring to his walk from his room to the couch.
Mikey picked up the blanket that was on the floor at the other end of the couch. "Hey, sweat your fever off," he said, throwing it on his brother.
Raph groaned. "I don't need any more heat." He opened the blanket out over him anyway, rested his arm on the chair's and lent his head on it. "What're we doin' then? Where's Leo and Don? Wasn't April here earlier?"
"April and Casey went home," Mikey explained to him, turning back to his sketch and shading it lightly. "We're not doing anything at the minute, Master Splinter said the time will come when we face the Shredder again. Anyway, we can't do anything about it. Leo was right when he said Shredder wants to face all four of us, and with you like this Leo's not planning on making it anytime soon."
Raph only blinked at his brother and moved his eyes to Prida. "Are you staying here?"
Prida shook her head. "No, April's." She started screwing up her piece of paper and then started fiddling with the pencil.
Raph nodded and turned onto his head so he was looking up. "That might be safer," he mumbled.
Mikey smiled and stood up. "I'm gonna order some pizza, I'm starved, want some Raph?"
His brother groaned and closed his eyes, making a face, and Mikey grinned.
"Okay, the rest of us'll have it then," he said, and walked over to the phone on the wall at the base of the steps. He picked up the received, dialed a number, and began ordering his pizza. When he finished he put the phone down and jogged into his and Raph's room. He came a out a few seconds later. "Okay, got the money, see you guys in a few –"
"Mike, you don't have any money," Raph pointed out as Mikey reached the base of the ladder.
"No, but you do," the brother replied, and with a grin he dashed up the ladder and disappeared.
While Mikey was gone, the two remaining in the lair struck up a conversation. It had soon turned to life at Vinilla High School, and what had changed. Prida explained that it was only two weeks ago that Mr. Reily was almost fired for striking a student. Everyone was pretty shocked that day, but there was one group of kids that found it ever so slightly amusing that the kid Reily struck happened to have sandy colored hair and was wearing a plain blue shirt. Raph seemed disappointed that he hadn't been fired, and hearing about the rest of the 'gang' seemed to silence him for a few seconds. Mikey returned not long later, holding a pizza box with a greasy corner edge.
"Hey, dig in, I'm gonna see if Leo and Don want any," Mikey said as he opened the box and dropped it on the armchair next to Prida. He walked over to the dojo and disappeared inside.
The smell of the pizza had invaded the room, and Prida's stomach gave a growl. However, Raph's stomach did not growl.
"Damn you Mikey– " he groaned, leapt off the couch, and ran with a hand covering his mouth to the bathroom behind the ladder.
Prida stared for a second, shrugged, and then picked up a slice of pizza and scoffed it down just as Mikey came back out of the dojo and went into Donny's room. Mikey came back from the lab just as someone stumbled down the ladder entrance. It was a ruffled looking Casey.
"The Foot – Shredder – " he gasped, taking the steps two at a time. Donny and Leo emerged from their rooms. "They took April, said they would be in Central park waiting for you guys – and they expect you to bring Prida."
All five starred at Casey.
"Oh man," Mikey sighed with a roll his eyes.
~
I'm major sorry for the lateness, and even more so for the crappy chapter I did. I'm sorry but I think my story's going down hill from here. I wanna finish it quickly and start on something else. I'm gonna get some RT bloopers up! On my site, can't on here, but if anyone thinks that's a gud idea you can always send me some things that you thought might be a blooper from RT – in kinda a movie sense, the bloopers are gonna be kinda like outtakes, and have I got some funny ones =D. Plus, I'm also going back and editing RT, so I'll get rid of those French classes and replace em with Spanish etc, and I might add some extra little scenes … maybe … well, thanks for, er, being patient for this update heh, I'll try and finish this story as quick as I can. Thank you for the reviews.