Chapter Two
"Bro, a movie?"
Raph gritted his teeth. "Yeah, Mikey, a movie! You know, a little entertainment? That okay widchu"
"Dude, you shouldn't go out there," Michelangelo said, standing at the doorway. "You know what Leo said, bro. It's too dangerous."
"Outta my way, Mikey," Raph said as he put on his trench coat. He took a hat from a rack and placed it on his head.
"Sorry, Raph. Leo left me in charge and whatever I say, goes. This is how we do things, now. We do it my way."
"Mikey, you can either get outta my way, or you will see how I do things my way." He cracked his large knuckles.
"Alright, alright," Mikey said, stepping aside. "But Master Splinter wouldn't approve."
"Well, Master Splinter ain't here, is he, Mikey?" Raphael moved closer.
Michelangelo didn't respond at first and then Raphael stepped in, his face within inches of Michelangelo's face.
"Is he, Mikey?"
Leaning back, Michelangelo squeaked, "No?"
"Then get outta my way, Mikey!"
Michelangelo moved out of the doorway and allowed Raphael to pass, who then slammed the door shut as he went out.
Moments later Donatello came from his lab wearing a mechanism with goggles on his head and holding an arm of one of the Foot Soldiers. "What was that about?"
"Just Raph being Raph," Michelangelo said, and found the broken-down couch. He picked up a remote and turned on the television.
"Perfect!" Donatello shouted and took the remote.
"Not cool, bro!" Michelangelo said. "I need that."
"So do I, Mikey," Donatello said, heading towards his lab.
"What could you possibly need a remote for, Donnie?"
Donatello raised a finger. "Ah, a remote to you, brother. However, it is exactly what I need to better understand our enemies."
"It's just a remote, bro."
"Really, Mikey?" Donatello began pressing random buttons until the microwave came on and the timer was set to two minutes.
"Whoa, dude! That was awesome!"
"It's just a remote, Mikey," Donatello said with a wink.
"That will come in real handy when we want to warm cold pizza from the couch!"
Leonardo peered out between a stack of crates, watching two Purple Dragon members discuss business. One of them had a purple mohawk with purple shades while the other was fat and wore camouflaged pants. Leonardo heard one of them mention, 'the rat,' which was followed up with something about 'Stockman.'
Who is this, Stockman?
The two men made their way down an alley and Leonardo followed. He wore a tattered cloak to avoid detection, and he fit right in with the homeless crowd gathered around a burn barrel. Plus, he was able to warm his hands from the frigid New York air.
"You got any change?" One of the homeless men asked. He had bandages across his face.
"Sorry," Leonardo replied.
A small boy came out from beneath the homeless man's coat and warmed his hands. "It's cold, Papa."
Leonardo watched as the homeless man placed both of his hands over the child's hands to warm them. Leonardo had not lied; he had no spare change. However, he did have something else. He pulled half-eaten piece of pizza from the cloak and handed it to the man. "Here. I am sure you guys are hungry."
"Wow, pizza!" the boy exclaimed, biting into it while his dad watched with a smile.
"Got anymore of that, mister?" a woman asked with a hand out, which then was seconded by a few others.
"No, sorry," Leonardo replied. "I-I have to go." He walked away feeling saddened about the whole thing.
He found the Purple Dragons at a building by the harbor and got as close as he could and listened in from the corner of the building.
"That's just it, Bebop. Tetsuo and Hun ain't said nuthin' 'bout no Shredder to me. Alls I know is the guy wears a metal mask and has some metal claws comin' outta his hand."
"That's funny," Bebop snorted. "I think the Shredder is nuthin' more than a can-opener."
They both laughed harder than the joke called for and then walked into the building. Leonardo found a small warehouse opposite the building and climbed up as high as he could and waited. So the Shredder's hideout is at the harbor?
Raphael kept to the shadows when possible as he walked through the park. Master Splinter's rules. He understood the rule, and respected it, but he didn't like it. He felt like there were enough weirdos walking around that he would blend right in. But Master Splinter was stern in his rules, and even more stern in his punishments.
Where was Leo? Did he really think he could just take off and look for Master Splinter on his own? Maybe he was feeling guilty? It was his fault after all. If he hadn't have waited around… No. I can't blame Leo. He blames himself enough. Plenty of blame to be handed out on everyone.
"Hey, friend," a man with a cane said. He was standing by the fountain holding out a coin.
"I'm good," Raph said and passed him by.
"No, friend. I mean toss the coin into the fountain. You know, for luck?"
"Like I said, I'm good."
"You ain't got nobody, do you, friend?"
Raph stopped.
The man smiled. "You are troubled. You need more than luck. You need love."
Raph scoffed.
"There was once a young man who passed by here every day, and every day a kind stranger would ask him to toss a coin into the fountain. He would reject the stranger's kindness every day. Do you wanna know what happened to that young man?"
"He got hit by a taxi?"
The man laughed. "Worse. A truck carrying toxic materials crashed and those materials splashed into that young man's eyes. You see, friend, I am that man. I was blinded by that material." He raised his dark glasses and Raphael could see eyes that were empty of any color.
"Sad story," Raphael said. "I gotta be goin' if you don't mind."
"I was like you," the man said. "I had convinced myself I didn't need anyone's help. I was wrong, and so are you. I might be blind, but anyone can see that much."
Raphael stood silently for a moment before answering, "Yeah, well I ain't you, mister. Like I said, I got places to be."
With that, Raphael continued on through the park.