Hey everyone. Thanks to those of you who are reading, I really appreciate your reviews. This next chapter should explain a little more. I'm slowly putting the pieces together. Enjoy! And before I forget two things, first and most importantly, this fic is for LunarNinja. Thanks for all the encouragement with my first fic and for checking my writing. Much appreciated. Secondly, I don't own the turtles, darn it! Another dream shattered. Oh well. Read and Enjoy.
M was silent all the way back to the station. He kept thinking about the other mutant he saw tonight and why couldn't he remember anything before the age of five or six? Sure he had some memories, but they were brief, choppy bits and pieces. He wanted to ask Jake or Caitlin about where he came from but that would have to wait. It was hard to have a conversation about these things when you know your every word is being monitored.
Michelangelo and Casey were busy telling everyone about their encounter that night. Leonardo stood off to the side, taking in every word, and thinking. When they finally finished, Leo questioned them.
"Michelangelo and the youngest turned to look at the oldest turtle. "Did you get a good look at his face?"
"No Leo, it's like we told ya'" Casey interrupted. "He was in black from head to toe."
Leonardo turned his attention to Donnatello. "Don, do you think you could go online and find out who owns that particular warehouse? It might give a clue as to what that guy was after."
"Sure Leo. I'll go by April's tomorrow. She just got a new computer so it's a little more powerful than mine."
Leo nodded in agreement and turned his attention toward their human friend. "Casey, you said this guy took off in a beat up old van. I want you to head back to that block tomorrow and start asking questions about it. How long had it been sitting there? Does anyone have a detailed description of the van? And I know this is a stretch, but a tag number and a description of the driver would help." Leo paused for a moment trying to see if he missed anything. Tapping his chin thoughtfully, he turned to the youngest, "Mike, I want you to go back about 3 months into the police reports. See if there are any similar reports of breaking and entering." Leonardo turned to his father as he finished. "Sensei?"
Splinter nodded in agreement with his oldest. "You have the situation well in hand Leonardo. I cannot think of anything you did not. But I am curious as to why you would place so much effort on what Casey earlier called a simple cat burglar."
"Well Sensei," Leo sat down across from his father. "I think it's more than that. I mean, sure, either Donnie or I could take down Mike and Casey in a fight……"
"Hey!" both Michelangelo and Casey answered in unison.
"Sorry guys. I don't mean to offend you but you both have a tendency to play around too much."
Casey looked at Michelangelo," He's got a point Mike. We do goof off a bit here and there."
Michelangelo was doing his best to adopt Leo's pose, tapping his chin like his brother, "True, true. But in our defense, I must say it is an art form we have spent a gracious amount of time perfecting."
Now it was Casey's turn. He sat up straight and crossed his arms tapping on his chin as well, "You have a point Michelangelo, we have worked long and hard to achieve the level we have reached and it is shameful that our efforts have gone unnoticed."
WHAM! Both were hit in the face with pillows. After doing so, Leonardo turned back to his Sensei to continue his conversation. "Like I said, he has to have some martial arts training if he got past Casey and Mike. Plus he fits the description of this figure that showing up in yours and Mike's dreams. I want to find out who this guy is."
"You do not believe it could be your brother, Leonardo?"
"It's been a long time Sensei, over ten years. I have a hard time believing that it's him." Leonardo stared at the floor, hoping he didn't hurt his Sensei's feelings.
"I have to agree with Leo, Sensei," Donnatello spoke up. "It just seems illogical that Raphael would have survived so long, especially after the fall that you said he took. He was only five when it happened; I doubt he would have been strong enough to make it."
Splinter just stared at his two sons. He wasn't sure what to say to them.
Leonardo saw the look on his father's face, "we're sorry Sensei." He was now kneeling on the floor in front of Splinter, looking him in the eye. Donnatello was standing beside Leonardo. He spoke next.
"We don't mean to upset you Master Splinter. It just seems so hard to believe."
Splinter smiled at his two sons. He knew that they didn't mean to hurt his feelings. He patted Leonardo's hand and eyed Donnatello. "It is alright my sons. You have the right to form your own opinions. But it is late and there is much to do tomorrow. I suggest we all get some sleep." Splinter got up and made his way to his room.
"Way to be harsh Leo!" Michelangelo whispered as loud as he could. "Just crush an old rat's dream why don't ya'" Michelangelo stormed off to his room and slammed his door.
Leonardo sighed and looked at Casey who was gathering his stuff together. "Casey, it's late, why don't you just crash here."
"No thanks Leo. I don't think so." Casey turned and left the lair, leaving Donnatello and Leonardo staring at each other in silence. Donnatello was the first to speak, "Leo, you know he couldn't have made it. There's no way he could still be alive."
"Don," Leo answered his brother. Sighing, he looked down the hall towards the rooms of his father and brother, "This is one of those times in my life that I wish we were both wrong."
Back at the station, Jake and M pulled into the back garage, the wall to the building slid down behind them, hiding any sign of an entrance. M climbed out and quickly pushed his way past Caitlin down the hall and to his room.
Caitlin eyed Jake curiously, "What happened out there?" Jake shrugged his shoulders and began unloading their gear. Caitlin walked over to help put the equipment away.
Jake put M's back pack on the table, turned around and spoke softly. "I don't know what happened. A couple of guys saw the kid coming out of the building. The kid led 'em into the park to lose 'em and comes back completely silent. He won't tell me why."
"You know why he won't tell you," Caitlin eyed Jake as she sat a box on the table next to him. Jake nodded in agreement. Overseer had bugs all over the building. He knew he couldn't talk openly to M here.
"Jake?" He looked up. "Not to change the subject or anything but everyone here calls him M. Why do you just call him kid?"
"I don't know." He absentmindedly started putting equipment away. He stopped and looked at Caitlin. "I guess I can't stand to call him M."
"Why not?" Caitlin asked as she folded her arms. "It's his name."
"NO it's not" Jake shot back. He realized he had snapped at her. "Sorry." He apologized. "The only reason Overseer calls him M is because it's short for mutant. If he's not calling him M he's referring to him as 'the creature' or 'the mutant.' That's all that M means, so I don't use it."
"Oh." Caitlin suddenly felt very guilty for calling her young friend M all this time. "So, why do you say kid?"
"When I was younger I had a kid brother. I lost him to a boating accident. Any way, the kid reminds me of him so, I call him kid." Jake had finished putting everything away.
Caitlin sighed. "I hadn't thought of it like that. Look, you need to go report in, so go ahead. I'm going to go check on your 'little brother."
Jake smiled at Caitlin. She smiled back and brushed her black hair away from her face. "Thanks Caitlin. I really appreciate it." Jake grabbed the small flash drive and went to Overseers office. Caitlin turned right down the hallway towards M's room.
As she got closer to the end of the hallway, she could hear a noise getting louder as she got closer. She slowly opened the door and peered in. M was off to the side of his room. He was pounding furiously on the punching bag, hitting and kicking it in a fast paced rhythm. Caitlin needed to talk to him but it wasn't going to happen with all that noise blaring out of the CD player, so she turned it off.
M quickly turned around, "Hey! What the……!" He paused seeing Caitlin standing there. "What do you want?" he growled. He started to remove the boxing gloves from his hands.
Caitlin walked over to him. "For starters, a little less attitude would be nice."
"Yeah, sure," he said softly.
"Secondly," she was standing with her hands on her hips. "In the bathroom now," and she pointed to the left.
"Why?"
"Because I need to check your back, the lights better in there. And since you stormed off when you got back, I didn't have a chance to get you into the lab. So move!" M did as she was told. Years of experience taught M there was no arguing with Caitlin when she got like this. She could be just as stubborn as M if she wanted to.
"Fine," M muttered. He threw down the boxing gloves, swung open the door to the bathroom and slammed the lightswitch to the on position. He removed his shirt and leaned over the sink.
Caitlin slowly closed the door and began to inspect the individual shell pieces on M's back. "Lean a little to the right. I need more light on this side," and she tapped his left side.
"Look," he started to stand up. "I'm sorry I snapped, okay? So let's just walk over to the lab where you can see better."
"No, that's okay," and she pushed on his back so he continued leaning over the sink. "This is fine."
M began to protest, "But the light is better in there."
"Yes," Caitlin agreed and continued looking. "But there are no bugs in here so you can tell me what happened tonight."
Realizing what she meant, M told Caitlin of what he saw and asked her how he came to be at the station.
"Well," she said as she finished her inspection. "Jake is the one that found you so I'll let him tell you later, but I'll find a way to let Jake know what happened without Overseer knowing." She was leaning against the wall
with her arms folded, smiling.
"Thanks," M smiled, looking at the ground. He was embarrassed by his earlier actions. As the two of them walked out, Caitlin spoke up again.
"I want you to come see me when you get up. You've hit another growth spurt and I want to give you another treatment so your shell pieces keep up with the rest of you."
"Great," came a sarcastic reply. "I'll really be looking forward to that one."
"Oh, and don't forget," M looked directly at her, "You have your language test on Russian in two days."
Yeah, yeah, я делая перевод в писменном виде или переговор это время?
(Yeah, yeah, am I doing a written translation or conversation this time?) Was M's reply.
франтовской ишак
(smart alec) was all Caitlin said.
"Geeze, save the world, study for chemistry, save the world, learn to hack into computers, blow up a Columbian drug lab, learn to build a bomb, break into a ware house, learn to speak fluent Russian. As if speaking French, German, Chinese, Japanese and Spanish weren't enough.
Caitlin had to laugh at M's retort.
"I wonder what other 17 year old's do?"
"Get grounded for being smart alec's" Caitlin said without missing a beat. "Good night kid."
M smiled. He liked being called kid a lot better than he like being called M. He decided to grab a shower before crawling into bed. "Good night Caitlin."
Michelangelo was tossing and turning in his bed. He was dreaming again. It was the same dream as last time, Splinter was in the section of the sewers where Raphael was. He was looking frantically, calling for Raphael. Michelangelo lowered his eyes and shook his head, upset by the obvious desperation in his father's voice, "Oh sensei."
Splinter heard the voice and turned. "Michelangelo," he smiled.
Surprise his sensei could see him, Michelangelo hopped down from his perch on the brick wall and walked over to his father. Splinter clasped his hands around Michelangelo's. "It is good to know I am not alone here."
"Master Splinter, I'm sorry that Leo and Connie don't believe you. I just wish they could understand."
"It is alright my son. Let us focus out thoughts and concentrate. Perhaps we can call them here."
Both Michelangelo and splinter sat down and went into a meditative state. Within a few minutes Leonardo and Donnatello appeared, looking quite confused. Michelangelo and splinter opened their eyes and looked at the other two turtles. "Glad you could make it," Michelangelo said cheerfully.
"Why are we here, Sensei?" Donnatello asked.
"We are waiting for someone," Splinter answered. Michelangelo and Leonardo both offered their arms to Splinter to help him up. "Ahh, thank-you my sons. My bones are getting old, I'm afraid."
"Sensei," Leonardo asked. "Who are waiting on?"
Michelangelo got a big grin on his face and pointed to the other side of the tunnel, "Him."
Donnatello, Leonardo, and Splinter all followed to where Michelangelo was pointing. Again, there stood the figure in black. His face was still covered so they couldn't see him. "That's him Leo. That's the guy Casey and I chased."
M looked across the tunnel at the large rat who was now accompanied by three turtles. He recognized one as the figure he recently fought. They were pointing at him and talking but he couldn't hear them. He couldn't hear anything. It was oddly silent. They were waving their arms trying to call to him but he had no idea what they were saying. "I can't hear you!" he yelled to them.
"Master Splinter, what did he say! I can't hear him." Michelangelo asked frantically.
"I do not know my son, but I suspect he cannot hear us." Splinter replied.
"I don't like this Sensei. I can't move my feet. It's like they're stuck to the floor." Donnatello was getting nervous.
"This could be a trap," Leo answered.
"No Leonardo. All of you calm yourselves. If this is your brother, and I believe it is, he will have to come to us. Now all of you be still. I will try once more to call to him." Splinter turned and locked eyes with M.
"Who is this guy? Why do I feel like I know him?" M thought to himself. He watched as the rat motioned him to come closer, he kept repeating one word but M couldn't hear it. All he could make out was the pounding of his heart. It quickened with each step. Slowly, carefully, he moved closer. As he did, the silence became a whisper. He stopped a few feet infront of the rat, still not sure about getting to close. He knelt down and looked eye level to the rat, ignoring the others. The rat smiled again and spoke. This time M heard it, "Raphael."
M awoke with a start, sitting up in bed. He was soaked with seat and breathing hard. He stumbled out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. He splashed some cold water on his face and looked at himself in the mirror. "Is that who I am?" he asked himself. "Raphael?"
