Chapter Four

We're Done!

A couple of hours had past since Mona and Raphael had left the medical room and Callum still lay there in the medical bed.

For a moment, he lay still, then his eyes twitched and his beak moved, strange smells filled his nostrils and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Where am I?" he whispered, he tried to pull his hands up to his face but found he couldn't move them, nor could he move his feet due to the restraints.

"The fuck?" he pulled at his hands and tried to sit up, as he did he saw his body and how black feathers adorned it, and he saw his black scaly hands with the sharp talons on his fingers.

"My hands!" he cried "What happened?"

He lay back on the bed as he tried to remember everything.

Callum closed his eyes and he remembered the boathouse where he and Jake had been held hostage by the Venomous Five then the Shredder, Arashi and Dr Arden had entered.

They were about to kill Master Splinter, but then Mona and the turtles arrived, then after a brief battle, the Shredder had turned on Callum and impaled him through the stomach.

Callum could only just remember the dark soulless look in Shredder's eyes as he was stabbed, before being flung out of the boathouse and onto the pier.

He remembered the agony he had felt as well as the life start to leave him as he lay there on the pier dying then the last thing that he saw before he felt darkness consume him was Mona pleading with him to stay with her.

He couldn't remember anything else after that, yet he tried to remember how he woke up with a body covered with black feathers as well as clawed hands.

It soon came to him as he remembered waking up again to see Mona leaning over him with a vial filled with water then pouring it down his throat! It was then he remembered the agonising pain that filled his body! It had felt like red hot pokers were burning every cell in his body then he had felt what were like tiny knives trying to escape from his body until it got too much and he almost passed out.

It was then when he had felt his strength return and he found himself to be a mutant raven! And looking into the eyes of his sister, the one who made him like that!

As it all came back to Callum, flooding his mind like the sea flowing into a holed ship, he felt his spirit break and he opened his beak and let out an agonised cry as well as tried to pull on his restraints yet he couldn't break free!

His cries alerted James who had been sitting in his room next to his medical area and the Chimpanzee ran in and pulled the curtain back where he saw Callum struggling as he lay on the bed.

"Callum!" he said in concern then picked up a syringe and got close to the bed "You've awakened!"

Hearing James's voice, Callum's cries ceased slowly and he looked up at the primate doctor.

"An ape?" Callum choked and tried to sit up again yet James pushed him back still with the syringe in his hand.

"Calm down son!" the chimpanzee said "Calm down! I promise you, you're safe! No-one's going to harm you!"

Callum thrust his chest upwards and tried to pull himself up, as he did, his sharp beak almost caught James but he quickly moved to the side before it could catch him and he quickly inserted the syringe into Callum's arm causing the raven to fall back onto the bed and take a few deep breaths.

"Settle down man." James said withdrawing the needle "Settle down."

"Who...who are you?" Callum demanded as he looked at James "What did you do?"

"I'm James." the doctor introduced himself "I'm Mutopia's doctor, I gave you a little sedative to calm you."

"What?" Callum raised an eyebrow as he turned to James.

"Mutopia." James explained "This is Mutopia, an ancient city deep under the city of Chicago in Illinois, this is a safe haven for outcasts and mutants."

"Mutants?" Callum asked.

James nodded "I'm a mutant too as you can see, a mutant chimpanzee."

Callum glared and looked at the ceiling.

"Why am I here?" he asked "Why have you got me strapped down here? I am no animal!"

"I'm sorry Callum." James said "It's for your protection...do you remember anything at all?"

"Mona." Callum said "Monalisa."

"Your sister." said James.

"Yes." Callum growled "She made me into this."

"She did it to save you." James said.

"She made me into a monster." Callum growled as he pulled at the straps again "Where is she? Where is my sister? And Jake? Where are they?"

James stepped back.

"Do...do you wish to see them?" he asked, he remembered promising both Monalisa and Jake that he would let them know that Callum was awake.

Callum looked at James, he didn't say anything, except he nodded giving him a yes answer.

James nodded back and quickly left to look for Mona and Jake.

Meanwhile Callum glared at the ceiling and clenched his fists, part of him didn't want to look at his sister and brother, but the other part of him wanted to see them then he could ask them why they let him become a mutant, as well as let them see what it made him feel, and he felt so angry.

After about ten minutes, James returned with Mona and Jake.

"He's awake?" He heard Mona ask "How is he?"

"He's healthy, yet still very angry." he heard James reply.

"I can understand." Jake said "This is all new to him."

Callum looked away as James pulled the curtain back allowing Jake and Mona to walk over to Callum's bed.

"Little brother?" Callum heard his sister's voice "Little brother? Can you hear me?"

Callum glared then turned his head towards Mona's voice and he saw his mutant lizard sister and his human brother standing above him.

Mona took a slight step back as she saw Callum's eyes, if looks could kill, she was sure that she wouldn't be standing before him.

Jake placed his hand on Mona's in an act of comfort as well as look at his little brother.

"I had to save your life." Mona said "I had to do it, I didn't want to loose you."

"What have you done?" Callum growled.

"Callum, I..." Mona stepped forward trying to reason with her youngest brother "I had to!"

"You made me into a monster!" Callum snarled as he pulled again at his restraints "You turned me into a freak!"

"I had to!" Mona protested "I had to save you!"

Callum glared again and he sat up so he could look Mona in the eyes.

He could see sadness and regret as well as fear in her blue eyes, yet he didn't care how sorry she was, nor the reason she made him drink the water from Mutopia's well.

"I wish you had let Shredder kill me!" Callum spat "I wish you left me to the Purple Dragons! I would have preferred death than this monstrosity!"

"We didn't want to you to die brother!" Jake said shocked at what Callum had said "It was this or death!"

"I would have chosen death!" Callum hissed "I would have preferred to die!"

"And leave us?" Jake asked "Leave those who love you?"

"Love?" Callum hissed "You think turning me into this would make anyone love...me?"

Mona swallowed hard and tried to take Callum's harsh words, yet they cut deep, deeper than any stab or slash she had received in her lifetime, and it stung and burned worse than Cobra's venom.

"Do you think things would have been better turning me into this?" Callum asked.

"Callum." Mona looked into her raven brother's eyes, it was hard, seeing how once they were full of love and innocence were now filled with anger and hatred "I promised you a long time ago that I would never let anything happen to you? Remember when you and Jake were being picked on at school, and I was there to protect you?"

"Yes." Callum growled "When you were still with us, but where were you when Jake and I had problems after you were gone? Maybe things would have been different if you hadn't become what you are! You stayed in New York as a mutant to protect others, but not your own brother!"

"Callum, we've been through this!" Jake cried yet Mona stopped him from yelling at Callum and turned to her youngest brother.

"I know." she said "I took a path I shouldn't have gone down, but I was just like you, I hated my mutation, and I saw no way out, I couldn't come home and it broke my heart every day."

"And you've give me the same plight!" Callum growled "You made me a mutant like you! And now I cannot go back to the life I once had!"

"A life of anger and abuse?" Mona asked "You were destroying yourself with drugs and violence."

Jake nodded, remembering everything Callum had put him and his family through since Mona disappeared and before and after their mum died.

"You were killing yourself already with the drugs, and Shredder's blades was the final nail in the coffin," Mona said "This is the chance for another life, little brother."

Callum said nothing but still glared at Mona and Jake.

"You can start over." Mona said "The citizens of Mutopia will look after you, and they'll teach you how to live again, I had a second chance with the turtles, and I know you'll get a second chance here with the Mutopians."

Jake studied Callum's face. The raven was still glaring and his beak was curled into a sneer, Jake wondered if Mona's words were sinking in, but it didn't look likely.

As long as Jake had known since the day his little brother had gone off the rails, Callum refused to listen or acknowledge his behaviour and the effect it was having on his family, he wasn't seeing it now, and it didn't look like it was going to be any different this time.

"I promised I'd be there for you when you were being bullied." Mona said "And I'm sorry I wasn't there during the pain you and Jake went through when mum died, all I can do now is help in making sure you get a better life here, and I'll stay for as long as I need to."

"As will I." said Jake placing his hand on Mona's shoulder.

"I love you Callum." Mona said in a sincere voice "No matter what, I love you, never forget it."

Callum glared at Mona, tears filled his eyes, yet they weren't at Mona's words, but rather for the anger he felt towards her and what she had done to him, since the day he mutated, he felt the ties that bound him to her, the sibling love he had for her, were severed and beyond repair.

He had once looked at Mona with love and admiration, but now, all he felt was anger, fury and hatred.

"We're done!" he hissed, laying himself back on the bed.

Mona's eyes widened and she stared at Callum in silence as he looked back at the ceiling.

"We're done!" he repeated "You turned me into this! I'll never be able to return to what I knew, you took my humanity away, and for that, I'll never forgive you."

"Callum..." Mona felt a sob erupt her throat and Jake stared at his little brother in bewilderment as well as shock.

"Cal...?" he said.

"Leave!" Callum spat turning away from his brother and sister "Just leave me alone! Both of you! Just looking at you makes me feel sick to the stomach!"

Mona felt her heart shatter to pieces as she heard her little brother speak to her like that and she turned away.

Jake followed her, also feeling upset but anger at Callum's words as well as his ungrateful attitude towards Mona.

James was standing still in silence, he was listened to every word from behind the curtain and he felt sorry for Mona and Jake.

Mona glanced at James and said nothing but left the room.

Upon reaching the entrance to the medical room she saw the turtles, Splinter, George, Tyroth and Sephie.

They too had followed Mona and Jake when the siblings had been told about Callum waking up, but James had told them to wait outside to the siblings could talk alone.

Mona lowered her head and kept on walking.

"Mona...?" Raphael asked, yet Mona ignored him.

"What happened?" asked Sephie but Mona said nothing and kept on walking.

"Babe wait.." Raphael said trying to follow his mate yet Leonardo and Splinter stopped him.

"I think she needs time alone Raph." Leonardo said.

Raphael glowered yet he reluctantly agreed.

"What happened in there?" Donatello asked looking at Jake who just shook his head.

"He hates us." he said "He said such cruel things, he says he wished he had died rather than be mutated."

"Ouch..." Michelangelo said quietly.

"By the Gods." Tyroth gasped "How could he say that?"

"Despite the fact his life was saved?" asked Sephie.

Splinter sighed sadly and looked to where Mona was walking off, he could see even though her back was turned just how heartbroken she was.

George looked at Mona then at Jake.

"Many people say things in anger." he said "And Callum filled with anger as well as reeling from shock at what has happened to him."

Jake sighed.

"I shall talk to Callum for a while." George said "I requested that I speak to him once he was awake."

"You think you can get through to him?" asked Jake.

"I do not know." George said as he stepped though the door "I can only try."

Jake reluctantly agreed to the old turtle's request and let George walk over to the curtained area with James.

"That was so draining." Jake said rubbing his head as he walked out of the medical room as well as rub his eyes under his glasses.

"Try and relax for a while Jake." Splinter comforted "You and your sister need time to recover from this."

"Thank you sir." Jake said patting Splinter's shoulder and walking towards the residential area.

After Jake had left, Leonardo looked at Splinter.

"What do you do now Master?" he asked.

Splinter sighed.

"Not much we can do now my son." he said "All we can do is be there for Jake and Mona when they need us."

The turtles, Tyroth and Sephie nodded.

"It is best we let them have some time alone to gather themselves, then we shall talk to them about what happened."

Raphael was still reluctant to leave his mate alone, but we wasn't sure if he would be able to make things better, he couldn't think of what to do or say to make things better, so he decided to go and find Pandora who he had left with Sonia when he went to find out about Callum.

"I hope George can talk some sense into Callum." Tyroth said in a hopeful tone "He still needs to learn about Mutopia, and about how he can live his life as a mutant, whether he has a choice in this matter, or not."

"I hope so too hun." said Sephie, she also looked towards where Mona had left and felt worried for her best friend.

So Callum has awoken and has felt the same shock and anger at the fact he is a mutant Raven.

He has met his sister and brother again, and has said such harsh and cruel words breaking Mona and Jake's hearts, especially Mona's.

I wonder how George will handle the situation now? That is if Callum will listen to the old turtle.

Credit goes to Tyroth Darkstorm for showing me a scene from 'Starcraft, Heart of the Swarm' for inspiration in this chapter.