Tribulation: Chapter Four
"We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment."
-Jim Rohn
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
***Italics = Flashback***
Let us take a moment to recap shall we!
Why am I starting to get a feeling that something bad is going to happen?"
Staring out the window, I started to think of Raphael, my brother who was out there alone…
'Raphael wherever you are, please be safe…'
"…Please," I mouthed in silence.
As we traveled, we were all silent, each lost deeply within our own thoughts. I couldn't help but stare aimlessly out of the cold murky window of The Battle Shell. I needed something, anything to do. Donatello was driving, so he was preoccupied with the terrible conditions of the road, and Mikey was sitting in the back seat staring at his hands. Rain lashed down heavily against their vehicle, and the windshield wipers were having a challenge keeping up. The wind howled, filling the air with an ear shattering shriek that made the trees and banners throughout the city dance violently, threatening to break at any beeping of the tracker was slow and steady as it was navigating the three brothers to their missing member.
The closer they got to the focal point of the storm, the road grew more and more deserted. Vehicles were abandoned, and the citizens of New York City had long ago retreated back inside, seeking refuge from Mother Nature's wrath. Sand bags filled the gutters of the street, and lined the entrances of doorways, given the city and eerie trench warfare atmosphere.
The only thought that was in my mind was Raph, and the scenes from our argument played in my thoughts over and over again.
'First off we have practice, second you might get spotted, and third the weather is a nightmare tonight, and you could get hurt.'
'Raphael, did you even hear what I just said?'
'Raphael!'
'Bite me'
"Guys," Mikey whispered as his eyes grew wide. The terror in his voice forcefully ripped me away from my thoughts. He silently lifted a shaking green hand from the back and pointed out the front window of our van. Following the direction of his index finger with my eyes, my hearts dropped to the deepest pit of my stomach. The street looked like a warzone. The level of the water was much higher in this area, which made sense because this was the lowest point in the city. Trash, broken branches, and various other debris floated freely. The dark gray billowing black clouds that gathered up in the horizon dumped gallons of water down upon the already drenched city.
Looking to my left, I noticed the frustrated scowl on Donatello's face as he silently cursed.
"He's in this direction," he muttered, slowing the speed of the Battle Shell to a painful crawl. Reaching up, he flipped a series of switches while putting the van in neutral.
"What are you doing, Don?"
"Remember those upgrades that Mikey and I mentioned back at the lair?" He said while nonchalantly flipping the last switch, "well get comfortable, you are about to see one of them."
The sound of rushing air and machines whirring cut through the commotion outside. The van jolted suddenly to the right, causing my face to collide with the cold window. Peering down, I gasped as a yellow flotation device was inflating under the right tire. The van slowly rocked back and forth while the other flotation devices inflated. When they were done, I was astonished at how comfortable and firm the vehicle felt atop the rushing water.
Staring at Don with wide eyes and an even wider mouth, he chuckled and motioned towards the back seat. Turning my head around, Mikey beamed back at me while flashing a thumbs up.
"It was his idea," Don stated, driving the Battle Shell forward with increased speed, "he made a good argument."
Jet black water splashed loudly around us, tickling the underbelly of the van. Reaching to my left, I carefully picked up the monitor to gage just how far away Rap was from us. Staring at the tracker, I sighed in relief. He was just on the other end of this street; about a half mile away. Placing the device back on its mount, I leaned back into my seat, resting my hand on either side of my temple.
'Just stay put Raph, we are on our way,' I chanted internally.
"Guys, look!"
Snapping my eyes opened I turned myself uncomfortably around to face the back seat.
"What is it Michelangelo, did you see something?"
"Yeah, the comic book shop is still okay," he shouted with his face was pressed firmly against his window.
Rolling my eyes, I couldn't help but smile in the face of this grim situation. He always knew how to make the best out of everything. As we sped down the street, the monitor began beeping violently as drew closer and closer to our brother.
"He should be around here somewhere, keep your eyes open," Don quipped while turning sharply to avoid hitting an abandoned car.
"Well, how do you suppose we find him Don," chirped Mikey from the back seat, "I mean he is wearing all red for Pete's sake, the most subtlest of all colors."
I silently chuckled as Donatello gripped the steering wheel tighter.
Mikey had a point. Raph's ability to be subtle is not what he is known for.
As we inched our way out of the downtown area, the level of water slowly lowered as we came closer to raised earth. Once it was safe to use the tires without the fear of hydroplaning, Don once more put the car in neutral. Flipping the switches backwards, the car lowered with a jolt. All of the flotation devices emptied with a mesmerizing hiss, and disappeared back into their compartments.
The wind howled, licking everything in its patch viciously. Trees stood bare, all of their leaves falling victim to the continuous gusting cruelty. The van creaked against the assault from both wind and rain. Scattered papers and debris painted the gloomy landscape in uneven cluttered blotches.
Suddenly, the monitor whirred loudly and Donny skidded the Battle Shell to a halting stop. Picking up the monitor, his finger flew across the screen with rapid speed.
"Is it him Donny?" I questioned in an hopeful tone.
"Yes, the weather is messing with the coordinates a bit, but by my calculations, he should be around he-"
"Dudes, there he is," Mikey shouted from the backseat. Whipping my head around, I noticed a bright red motorcycle parked off to the side of a building. The older building had a drooping overhang that provided some shelter from the brutal onslaught of rain and wind. As I scanned the building, I spotted Raph sitting behind the portion of the wall that jutted out, blocking him ever so slightly from street view. As I stared at his, I didn't know which was gloomier, the storm that was raging all around us, or him. His arms were crossed roughly against his chest, and his legs were resting upon his helmet. He hadn't noticed us yet, his mind seemed to be in another world, oblivious to the hell that surrounded him.
'This shouldn't have happened,' I thought to myself, 'he could have been hurt because of me.'
Turning to my brothers, I nodded, and they got ready to leave the van. Unbuckling my seatbelt, I turned and opened my door. It groaned and banged against the sides of the van as the wind viciously ripped it against its hinges. Cringing, I stepped out into a puddle of cool slimy water that gently caressed my heels. Motioning for the others to follow, I began slowly making my way towards Raph.
"Raph," I shouted into the hellish storm, the wind eating my words before they could make it completely out of my mouth, "Raph, what are you doing!"
His eyes snapped open with a primal ferocity. Slowly, he turned his head in our direction, a seething anger slowly boiling under his skin. He slowly stood up, his eyes locking onto mine with such intensity that I felt myself tense up. Behind me I heard Mikey gulp, and Don shift uncomfortably.
He was still mad.
"Can't you take a clue, Fearless," he snapped, his voice cutting through the storm like a bladed weapon through flesh, "I wanted to be left alone and you go an invited the whole posse to bother me!"
"In case you haven't noticed," I shouted back, "Its a freaking nightmare out here. You need to come home before you get yourself killed!"
"There you go, trying to tell me what to do like I can't take care of myself. In case you haven't noticed, I don't need your help! I am going to see the world and get out of this stupid state Leo!"
"I am not telling you what to do, Raph, I am trying to keep your shell alive!"
Suddenly, he bent down and picked his helmet off off the soggy earth.
"Raph, what are you doing?" Mikey questioned while cautiously stepping forward, "look, I don't know what is going on here, but please come home with us."
Raph didn't give so much as a glance in the direction of his pleading younger brother. Staring at me, he forcefully shoved his helmet onto his head with great force. Walking over to his bike, he definitely swung one leg over the powerful machine and sat down.
"Raph, don't do this!"
"Raph, please just come back with us, you're going to get hurt, the storm is picking up!"
The sound of the engine filled the air with a beastly roar. He revved the engine once, as if to taunt us at the power that rested beneath him.
"Raph, stop it," Mikey shouted while moving quickly towards Raph, clearly understanding what his brother intended to do next.
"Raph, c'mon, stop playing games and come home," I barked following my youngest brother.
"Stop being stupid and dismount from the bike," Donny cried bringing up the rear.
"Who's playing games now, Leo," Raph sneered revving up his engine one last time and taking off. He bolted away from us like lightning, and as soon as I saw him rounding the corner, I broke out into a dead run. I knew that the chances of me catching him while he rode his motorcycle were slim.
I was going to try anyway.
I shouted, and pleaded for him to see reason and get back into the Battle Shell with us. He could hate me forever if he would just return home with us safely. As the distance between us grew larger, I came to a steady and futile stop. Tears of fear and frustration trickled down my face and a gut wrenching scream filled with anguish and premonition tore through my throat as I saw my brother heading towards the bridge, right into the devils mouth of the storm.
"Raphael!"
(Authors Note): Wow, it has been so long since I have touched this story. I was in a bit of a writers funk for a while, but now I feel revitalized and ready to write. It is a good feeling, and I honestly missed this creative side of me. Anyways, I hope you all liked this chapter. Please Read/Review. Constructive comments are always welcomed too! I hope you all enjoy the upcoming holidays!
-Peace