Chapter Twenty-Two
An Annoyance
Throughout the meal, Callum sat on his own and ate his meal in silence, he had put on a façade to show he was grateful that he had somewhere to stay due to his mutation, but he didn't want to speak to anyone let alone join in on the conversations his older brother and sister were involved in.
Everyone had been warned that Callum was still sore, and that they should be sensitive, though the Turtles, Mona, and Jake knew he was more than just angry.
Jake chewed on a piece of chicken as he looked across to the brooding Raven.
Donatello looked at Jake and nudged him.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Sure." Jake replied after he swallowed his mouthful "I'm just so fed up with Callum's attitude now, he's getting on my wick, his silent treatment behaviour, still refusing to acknowledge he's alive even though he'd now a mutant."
"It's going to take some getting used to." Donatello said "Have you put yourself in his shoes?"
"Of course I have." Jake growled "I just...I just, he's been acting like a jerk for days now, and I just wish he would just suck it up, he's got another chance now, as have I and I'm going to make the most of it."
Donatello picked up a couple of carrot sticks and chewed on them as he listened to Jake.
"I'm going to settle here," Jake said "I've made my choice, and I'm going to start afresh! There are too many bad memories in Wisconsin and I can't face going back, and even if the Shredder hadn't almost killed Callum, I would rather not return home even then, apart from dad, the rest of the family gave up on him, and we lost all of our old friends because they didn't want to be around Callum, and I kept letting them down because of how much time I spent watching over my stupid little brother!"
Donatello sighed sadly.
"I'm sorry." Jake said "I'm rambling on, but I've had enough, I want to wipe the slate clean! I don't want to go back to my old life! I got a new one, and at least now I'm not alone for the Mutopians will help me deal with Callum, I don't have to try and hide anything and risk getting into trouble because of my little brother."
Donatello gave a soft smile and placed his paw on Jake's shoulder.
"Everything will be alright." he said "You'll be happy here, and we'll come to visit from New York regularly, and you can come to New York to see us, we'll make new memories, happy ones! And one day, you and Mona will build a new relationship with Callum."
He looked over to the Raven and chewed his lip.
"I hope." he added softly "Time is a healer."
He looked across to Mona who was deep in conversation with Raphael, Michelangelo and Kate as well as encouraging a reluctant Pandora to eat her greens.
Jake was about to speak again when they heard a loud beep from the Spider Hacker who almost dropped his bowl of soup in fright.
At the same time, Tyroth looked over to him and raised an eyebrow ridge.
"Hacker? I thought we talked about this? Having that device on at mealtimes?"
"Sorry Boss, you know I normally have it on silent!" the Spider replied, he reached into his jacket pocket with one of his arms to pull out a video phone.
As he checked it, what he saw made his many eyes widen.
"Proximity sensor." he said.
"Huh?" everyone looked at the Spider.
"Intruders?" asked George in worry.
"No, it's Hugh!" Hacker replied "He's up top!"
"Hugh!?" the Knights chorused all abandoning their supper to look at Hacker.
"Sweet!" Jack said looking at Percy and Sharky "Looks like we're gonna get some action!"
"Cool!" Percy and Sharky agreed.
Tyroth frowned a little.
"I'll go meet him." he said standing up "Must be a serious issue."
"Maybe, or maybe not hun!" said Sephie "You know he comes down here sometimes when he's off-duty."
"Where you going dad?" asked Loki.
"Just to meet someone whose visiting Mutopia Loki." Tyroth explained "Stay with mum and Freya and eat your dinner okay?"
Loki frowned a little, disappointed.
"Alright!" he sighed as he looked at his plate, wrinkling his snout in disgust at the mixed vegetables in one corner.
"No making faces young man." Sephie said "Eat your veggies!"
Leonardo got up as well to join Tyroth.
"I'll go too." he said.
"Thanks Leo." Tyroth said gratefully as the Blue masked turtle followed him.
"I wonder what it is?" Jake asked curiously as he watched the turtle and Dragon leave the mess hall.
Tyroth and Leonardo soon made it to the entrance of Mutopia where they greeted a ginger haired man in his late thirties wearing a grey trench coat and a policeman's cap.
"Ah evening gentleman." he said dipping his hat "Or should I say morning, seeing the time?"
"Hey Hugh." Tyroth replied.
"Hi!" Leonardo added.
"Sorry to intrude on you like this." Hugh said "I just come off duty and thought I would drop in on you."
"Always a pleasure Chief." Tyroth said with a nod "We're having dinner in the mess hall? Wish to join us?"
"For why not?" said Hugh "I could do with a little something before I head home for the day."
The Dragon and blue masked turtle lead Hugh back to the mess hall.
"Glad you're here." Tyroth added "We've got two new additions to Mutopia."
"Really?" Hugh asked intrigued.
"Follow us, and you'll get to meet them." Leonardo said.
Before long they were back in the mess hall.
Most of the Mutopians had finished their meals and were eating desserts.
Loki was tucking into some ice cream and was enjoying every second of it since he managed to eat his vegetables, even if it had been like pulling teeth.
No sooner did the Knights see Hugh that they all stood up straight, the other turtles not far behind as they were keen to hear if Hugh had any tip offs on criminal activity up top.
"Hugh!" Raphael said "Good to see you again."
"Hello Mr Hugh!" the children chorused when they saw him.
"Hello!" Hugh smiled looking upon Pandora, Kemeko, Sonia and the Geckolings "Man, you kids are getting taller every time I see you!"
"They grow up so fast!" Splinter smiled as he bowed to Hugh "Good to see you again Chief Beauregard." the old rat said.
"Likewise." Hugh said then looked at Tyroth "So, who are these new additions?" he asked.
Jake looked up from the table and adjusted his glasses.
"Good evening sir." he said.
"Ah, you have a human with you? Like like your sister, before became a Chicago Knight like yourself hmm?" Hugh asked Tyroth as he looked upon Jake "And what brought you here to Mutopia?"
"It's a long story..." Jake said "You'd better sit down."
About an hour later, Hugh was sitting in shock as he listened to Jake's story. He had been amazed to hear that Monalisa had been reunited with her two brothers, yet he was sickened to hear of all the other details, from Callum going off the rails, the Purple Dragon's drugging him with meth to when the two boys were caught by the Foot and Callum was almost murdered by the Shredder resulting in his mutation.
"Holy cow!" the Police Chief exclaimed, he had been holding an iced doughnut in his hand as well as a mug of coffee provided by Louie when he arrived.
Jake nodded then turned his eyes to Callum who had looked up from the table he was sitting at and walked over to see Hugh.
"That's Callum." Jake said "And the result of the well's latest mutation."
Hugh looked upon the Raven and blinked.
"Wow." he said.
"You come to gawk sir?" asked Callum with a frown.
"Cal!" Mona hissed angrily but Hugh looked down.
"Sorry dear boy." he said "I meant no offence, it's always interesting to see what mutations the well gives those who drink from it."
Jake also glared at Callum yet the Raven glared back.
"Who are you?" he asked Hugh.
"I'm one of the few humans in Chicago how know about Mutopia." Hugh explained "I've known about them since Tyroth and his Gecko Girl saved my life."
"He's a valuable asset to us Cal." Tryoth explained "Often giving us tip offs on criminal activity up there! Since being a police officer he's the first to know."
"He also destroys any evidence of us after we've dealt with anyone he and the force aren't able to deal with." Sephie added "And he's made sure we're kept secret from the humans."
"I do what I can." Hugh said "And will keep doing so until my last breath."
"And for that we're forever grateful." Tyroth smiled to which the nearest Mutopians who were listening in agreed in unison.
"So, you got any news on activity up top?" asked Sharky eagerly.
"Yeah!" Jack agreed "Any butts to kick?"
"Sadly no." Hugh said "Don't know whether your latest skirmish scared anyone or what, but things have been quiet, apart from the odd burglary which we've been able to take care of."
The Knights looked a little disappointed when they heard that.
"Damn." Percy said "I was kinda hoping we'd get some action at some point."
Tyroth frowned at the Grasshopper to which Percy bit his lip and looked at his plate causing Kate to snicker.
"But..." Hugh said "I can tell you there has been an annoyance in the city."
"Annoyance?" everyone asked.
"Like how annoying?" asked Heather.
"I'll show you." said Hugh as he took out his Iphone and made a video come up.
Everyone leaned forward to watch, Callum included and they saw the city of Chicago in the middle of the day and people were walking the street going about their business until they saw an individual man holding up some signs.
"A protester?" asked Michelangelo until he saw the man turn around and what was written on the signs made him go pale and the others looked angry as the signs said that Homosexuals were damned and Muslims were Terrorists.
As he was shouting and protesting, some people ignored him, yet some confronted him on his hateful views but he continued to shout and scream out his disrespectful protests.
"A Hate Preacher." Hugh confirmed with a sigh "I've had a few run ins with this guy!"
"I've seen him before too." Amber said "I remember he stood outside the store I used to work at in the city, and the security kept telling him to go away, in fact he kept saying racist slurs at one of them because he's black."
"What a douchebag!" Raphael growled.
Hugh sighed.
"No matter how many times I've warned him, arrested him, you name it, he keeps coming back for more." he said "Makes me almost ashamed to be an American."
"Can't that thick-head take a hint?" asked Sarah.
"Nope." said Sharky "He's delusional that's what! So wrapped up in his own views he doesn't see, or at least refuses to see that people don't agree with him and he's just beating a dead horse!"
Raphael gritted his teeth and took out his sai.
"I'd like to give him a piece of my mind!" he said.
"I'm with you!" Jack agreed.
"No!" Tyroth growled.
"What?" the wolf and red masked turtle said together in shock.
"We shouldn't go up there and hurt him." Tyroth said "Maybe we could scare him but what risk would we be putting ourselves in?"
"He's no different from the criminals we've dealt with." Jack said.
"I'll need to think about this." said Tyroth "He's a Hate Preacher, he hurts people with words, but he hasn't caused a danger to the public."
"Whose to say he won't?" asked Raphael.
"I doubt he will." Hugh said "He's only gone so far as to spread cruelty and upset people, but he's never tried to kill anyone or hurt someone physically."
"But still." Jack said "He deserves a little scare, with the boss, maybe he could scare him into thinking the devil has paid him a visit?"
Tyroth frowned.
"I'm a man of justice." he said "Or rather a Dragon of Justice, a Vigilante, not a guy who scares the living daylights out of people."
"But Big T." Michelangelo said "Remember that day not long after we met that you scared off those thieving teenagers in New York with your flames and magic?"
"I haven't forgotten that." Tyroth said "And that was one of those 'It-seemed-like-a-good-idea' moment, but still, I seriously need to think about this."
As Tyroth spoke with Jack, Callum meanwhile watched the video on Hugh's Iphone and he studied the Hate Preacher carefully.
He had always hated it when people spoke of disgusting views, as what this man was doing in the video.
He remembered how the school bullies used to say cruel things at school which made his blood boil, and he recalled the many fights he got into with them and idiots who gave him trouble on the street.
He thought back on what he had pondered on in his room, and he looked at his black feathers on his arms.
Observing the video again, Callum felt the same niggling in his head, that they might be a positive part of his mutation.
He thought of what Jack said about giving the man a scare.
"The Devil has paid him a visit." those words circled in his head and a smirk curled on his beak "I think I have found a reason to take advantage of my new form." Callum thought "This might be my purpose..."
He looked at Tyroth who was still looking sceptical about Jack's suggestion.
"Well if the Dragon is reluctant...and he refuses to do it...then maybe someone else will..."
So Mutopia's Human ally, Police Chief Hugh has come to Mutopia and has met Jake and Callum as well as shared news of a Hate Preacher in the city.
And it seems Callum's getting some ideas...will this spell trouble? Well, keep checking back to find out.
Note: The part where Michelangelo mentions Tyroth scaring the Teenage Thieves comes from Tyroth Darkstorms earliest fic 'Mutant Vigilantes'