Disclaimer….Bloody hell! FOR THE LAST TIME, NO!!!
Chapter Nine
Owen walked the dark streets, he was all alone. The bass resonated from the near by club. His foot steps made no sound in the cool night.
His head began to spin. Clutching his forehead, he leaned against the near by wall. The headache was coming back, stronger than ever. He should have known that one pack wouldn't have sustained him. He sighed, eyeing his surroundings. Headquarters wasn't too far away, maybe just another block from this corner. He could probably make it to Headquarters if the tried hard enough.
Slowly, he turned the corner.
The hunt would just have to wait.
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Don ran to his room, shutting the door, clicking the light off. He was disgusted.
'What the hell was I thinking?!' He couldn't have just tried to kiss Leo…did he? His rationality told him yes, he did. But another voice, another feeling, told him no. That was not what he was after.
His stomach rumbled. He clutched it, suddenly feeling weak. The world spun. It was all just too much to handle.
He vomited.
A Clear, thick bile soon found itself on the floor. He opened his eyes, wiping his mouth. Just then, the door opened. Don didn't get a chance to turn around before the sound of retreating footsteps. They soon came back, though, a bucket appearing before him. Don used it appropriately, hurling all of his gut's contents into the metal bucket. His 'rescuer' patted his shell reassuring.
When he thought he was finally finished, he looked up. Mikey stared back down at him, the deepest look of sympathy on his face.
He should have known it was Mikey. He noticed that ever since he came home that day, Mike was always by his side. It was kind of…comforting.
"I…don't feel so hot." Well, that was the understatement of the year. He felt horrible! His stomach, his head, his eyes, they all protested. It even hurt to blink. It was like his entire body was rebelling against him. He just hurt all over.
Mike brought Don up and over to his bed. Placing him between the sheets, he finally looked him over. Don truly did look sick. His eyes had sunken in, just little bit. His was skin a little…paler?
'How come I didn't see it before?' Earlier Don truly didn't look so sick, truly he didn't. So, how could have he gotten so sick, so quickly? It was then that Don's stomach chose to protest, rumbling loudly. Don winced. Mike blinked.
'That's been happening a lot lately.' Aloud, he sighed.
"I thought you said you weren't hungry?" Don looked up. Mike's eyes chided him for lying but the smile on Mike's beak told him that all was forgiven. With out another word Mike left the room. Once again, Don heard the foot step retreating and coming back, but he couldn't be so sure. His head was pounding just as loudly. Mike came back, this time with a bowl and a spoon.
'This might help.' Mike approached the bed ridden turtle, but at the mere smell of it, Don curled away, his stomach protesting. 'Ok, maybe not' Mike took a step back. He knew that Don wouldn't be able to handle much more.
Don screwed his eyes shut; it hurt less when they were closed.
"Maybe, I should leave." Don did look tired. He could tell that just by looking at him. A guttered voice whispered from the darkness.
"Could you?" Don didn't want to sound rude, but he wanted to sleep so badly. The foot steps retreated again, but this time they didn't come back. Don sighed once before letting go.
A fitful sleep awaited him.
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Owen stumbled through the doorway. Others came to help him, but he managed to hold up a hand, stopping them.
He would do this himself.
One step at a time, he walked past the information desk. Although there were few people there (most of the vampires were out hunting) all eyes were on him. He vaguely heard Katrina's voice scolding him about letting this go too far. But he barely heard her. All he could concentrate on was his steps, one foot a time. After what seemed like a life time, he finally made it to his destination. The room was cold; he shivered from his spot against the wall.
The Blood room.
He sighed, his breath frosty.
He made it.
He reached out, viciously grapping one of the packs from its respective shelf. Ripping into it with his teeth, he sucked, and almost gagged in the process.
It tasted horrible.
Despite its taste, he forced the liquid down his throat.
It would keep him alive.
He finished that pack, and reached for another, and another. After his fourth pack, he couldn't take anymore. He was rejuvenated, but not completely. Besides, that was all he could handle. He felt like he would vomit.
Despite the rejuvenation, he still needed a live feed. That was still an issue. But, now, at least, he had the energy for the hunt.
Looking over the frosty shelves, he pocked a few of the packs for later. Actually, he pocketed a number of them. At least ten, the pockets inside of his jacket coming in handy. Satisfied, he strode out of the room, only to be bombarded by an angry girl.
"Owen! I can't believe you! You almost died!" She could have flagged him. How could he left himself go so long with out a living blood?
He shrugged. "Well, I didn't" He brushed past her. She didn't bother turning around, she knew that he was leaving. He angered her so much some times.
'He can be soo stubborn!'
Uncaringly, Owen walked off, striding as wordlessly out of the building as he had in. He had already waster enough time.
Now he must join his brethren in the hunt.
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Mike strode into the kitchen, ignoring the broken cabinets like he had done earlier. That was not his battle; his battle had to do with the full bowl and the empty spoon in his hand. The usual skip in his step was forgotten, his eyes were distant and worried. Leo looked up, reading Mike's body language. He was worried.
"What happened?"
Mike sighed before placing the bowl on the counter, his back to both of his brothers.
"Donny's sick."
Before he could even open his mouth to explain, another voice rung out.
"What's that?" Raph pointed to the bowl on the counter with his spoon. Mike followed his gaze before responding.
"Donny's soup. Why?"
Raph blinked. "Did he touch it?"
"No." Mike shook his head sadly.
"Good." Raph reached from his seat, grabbing the bowl from out of Mike's grasp. By the time Mike had realized what had happened, most of the soup was already down Raph's throat. Mike was appalled.
"Don't you even care that your brother is sick?!" Mike was an inch from hysterics. Raph looked up at him.
"That depends. How sick is he?"
Mike closed his eyes "Very."
"Like, how?" Leo joined their conversation. He had to admit, he was curious. Don had left his room so suddenly. It couldn't help but stir suspicions and doubts as to what was wrong. Mike's eyes met Leo's.
"Like, a lot." Both turtles still seemed clueless, so he continued the explanation. "He just vomited, and his eyes are dilated. Also, he seems a lot paler than he was this morning." While he spoke, he took it upon himself to clear the table, anything to distance himself from the situation he was talking of. Inside, he was weeping. But, on the outside, there would be no more tears. He had done that enough. Besides, nobody likes a crybaby.
Raph spoke up, throwing the orange turtle a confused look. "But, he wasn't so sick this morning."
"Yes. I'm very much aware of that." Mike turned from the sink. He had started washing the dishes. He realized how harsh and sarcastic he had sounded, and relaxed. He stopped looked over his shoulder at his two brothers. There sat Leo; his lip still busted. Across from his sat Raph; his skin full of lacerations and scratches.
He had forgotten how stubborn his brothers were.
He knew that they both didn't want to admit that they were injured, and that if no one forced them to, they would not seek any medical attention. Usually, it was Donny who would round them up and fix them up, but now…
'I guess it's up to me…' Mike turned of the water. The dishes would not get done tonight. Taking one look at Raphael and he knew that his night was completely booked. He turned to his brothers, scolding them.
"You know that you guys are going to get infections, walking around with those cuts." His statement was more directed to Raph than Leo, but Leo was still included. They both should have known better. Mike couldn't help but smile. They were so much alike that they were different. That is how it always was, and always be will. He turned to Raph. Since Leo's cut had already healed over, he wasn't an issue. A bandage and peroxide would be his cure. But Raph…
"You. Get to the Med Room." Mike pointed to the turtle in red. Raph looked up. A smile on his lips, he obeyed, leaving the table.
Mike watched him go. If Leo had given the same order, Raph would have protested, probably starting another fight. But he knew that Raph had a soft spot in his hard will for Mikey, something about him being the youngest. Well, he took advantage of that now. Raph had obeyed, leaving the room. That just left Leonardo.
"You. Clean up this mess." With that, Mike left Leo alone in the trashed kitchen. Leo watched him go, waiting until Mike was completely out of the room before standing. It was very unlike Mike to be taking the initiative, but Leo wasn't complaining. That was until Leo actually saw the complete mess Mike was talking about. The kitchen was in ruins, the broken cabinet's contents still on the floor. The stove was filthy from Mike cooking, along with the dishes.
Some "mess!"
'Disaster would be more like it.' It had truly looked like a tornado had ripped through their little kitchen, leaving chaos in its wake. 'Well, I guess it's as much my fault as it is Raph's.' He frowned. He knew that the both of them should have been cleaning up, since the both of them made the mess. But he knew that Raph was down and out, his cuts looked bad. He really did feel sorry about those (Although he would never admit it to Raph).
'So, I guess…this can be a way to make up for it.'
Kneeling to the floor, he got started, picking up the pieces of neglected glass one by one.
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Owen left Headquarters whistling a tuneless melody. The night was still young.
One o'clock was his guess.
Morally, he was against watches. He never bothered with them. A real vampire could read the night sky, having that be their watch.
The summer night grew crisp. With his hands in his pockets, he whistled. That was until the sounds of the club resonated in the air around him. The heavy music pulsated through the ground, the beat powerful. He smirked. He was finally here. Taking to the shadows, he waited for the right opportunity, and as usual, it revealed itself in less time than he thought.
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Raph entered the Med Car, a grin on his face. Well kind of. It was more of a pained grimace. His body really hurt. He limped over to the table, taking a seat. He knew that now he could give in to the pain since it would be just him and Mikey (There was no way he would ever show any kind of weakness in Leo's company!). His left leg especially was giving him hell. He had twisted it during the fight, although now it was finally making itself known. Before, he didn't feel it. On the walk out and back it had only protested a little but. But now that the adrenaline had finally fled his system, the knee throbbed unmercifully. Raph closed his eyes.
He was tired.
It wad then that the orange clad turtle finally entered the room. Raph looked up.
"What time is it?" His voice sounded harsh and throaty against the former silence of the car. Mike shut the door. Finally turning to Raph, he frowned. He ignored the question, getting a good look at the turtle. Now that everything was in the bright light, it made it look that much worse. His skin leaked blood. Well not really, more like it had leaked blood. Now it all lay immobile, having dried in place.
"Aw Raph, what the hell!" Mike moaned and made his way over to his brother. The lacerations were dried over. They would be a bitch to clean. Raph tried to give the most innocent look possible, but it was hard when you were covered in blood. Signing, Mike got to work. Retrieving a rag and a bowl of water from the near by sink, he sat down, washing off Raph's skin from behind, starting with his left arm. Raph watched the wall, feeling the cool water run down his hot skin. His mind began to wander.
He just couldn't stop thinking about earlier.
That kid. That weird kid.
He remembered that weird sword. He couldn't imagine how it could be used. It was too curved. There was no way. But he did know one thing. It was definitely original, unique. Just like that kid. Raph had never seen or talked to anyone like him before. How did he get up there? Where did he go when he fell? All these questions were left unanswered. He also remember how uneasy the kid made him feel. Oh, and there was his eyes.
His eyes. The purest black, but only from far away. It was not until he got close did Raph realize that it was untrue. There was a gold in his eyes that could not be seen from a distance. It made his eyes shimmer with a light that should not be there.
Just weird. But his hair was even weirder, whiter than white. A silver in its purest form. The whole aura of the kid was just over all unsettling. He would not front, the kid made him nervous.
He remembered reading a book of 'Myth, Legends and Folklore' when he was little. Splinter had found it in the dumpster outside of the library, he remembered it distinctly. It was in pretty good condition considering that the library had thrown it out. Raph took to it immediately. The myths and such had excited him (he was always a sucker for fantasy). He remembered reading that book over and over again in the wee hours of the night when the rest of the lair was asleep. Even now, fourteen years later, he still had that book completely memorized (although it was something that he would never admit aloud, not even with Mikey). There was one particular section of the book that he had always been especially interested in, but now it only made him uneasy.
The similarities were just too close.
"Mikey?" Raph turned his head, looking over his shoulder. Mike looked up from Raph's arm, the rag now stained red.
"What is it?" Mike looked Raph in the eyes. He noticed how tired he looked, but there was a confusion there…and something else…Questioning maybe?
Raph cleared his throat.
"Do you believe in vampires?"
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Yay! This chapter turned out better than I thought.
A small note: I wanted to be clear about what time of the day that these events are occurring. I hinted it throughout this chapter and the last. Raph's and Leo's fight occurred at approximately 10 o'clock at night, which is about the same time that Don woke up. It was about 11:30 when Raph found Owen, and about 12-12:30 when he got home. Everything else I think I say the time, or strongly hint it. :D
Oh, there is going to be a LOT of action in the next chapter………A LOT! So buckle in your seats belts kiddies, we're going for a ride! R and R!
