The next morning Leo and Raph still weren't talking. Practice was tense and Mikey wasn't there to lighten the rather heavy mood. As a result the morning katas and sparring sessions were carried out in relative silence.
Leo sat at the kitchen table glowering at his soggy cereal. Every few minutes he would take his spoon and poke at the floating morsels. It took him even longer to actually take a bite. A scowl was seemingly etched upon his face. His brow was furrowed in silent concentration of something unseen and his fingers kept flexing around the spoon he held.
Raph stalked into the kitchen after having just gotten his shower. An advantage to Mikey being away was that everyone got into the shower quicker. Raph also sported an angry face, although it looked more natural on his hard features. His jaw was set and his eyes still held some of their angry fire. He went to the cupboard and ran his fingers along the edge of the top shelf.
Braille strips were located there stating what was located in that spot. Don had introduced Raph to the idea long ago when he first went blind.
Raph still couldn't read much Braille and he all but gave up on reading for recreation. The Call of the Wild book that Don had gotten him had been abandoned. He knew enough to get by and that was it. The sugar, the salt, and almost everything in the kitchen were labeled with the series of raised dots.
He found the off brand frosted flakes and brought them down. He ran his fingers along the jars on the counter and found the sugar. Fixing himself a bowl of cereal, he sat at the table opposite Leo. Leo glanced up and glared at Raph. It wasn't a hateful kind of glare. It was more of a thoughtful glare. Raph tilted his head down and spooned the sugary flakes into his mouth, not even bothering to acknowledge Leo's presence.
Leo took another glance at Raph. He pushed his chair purposefully away from the table with both hands.
Raph pretended like he didn't even hear the scarping of the wood against the floor. Leo got up and put his bowl in the sink. He stalked towards the shower. Raph pretended like no one had ever been in the kitchen.
The elevator doors could be heard grating up then closed again.
Casey could be heard letting out a loud yawn from the main room. Raph imagined he was probably stretching too. Ten in the morning was too early for the vigilante to be up and about. Raph put his bowl in the sink and went out to meet his friend.
Leo stalked across his path and caused Raph to stop short. Raph growled but said nothing.
Casey cocked an eyebrow. "What's up with you guys?" He asked as Raph headed back toward the elevator.
"It's just Leo being his stupid self." A loud snort could be heard from the direction Leo had gone.
"Oookay." Casey wasn't getting into this one. "I guess it's one of those brother things."
"Yeah." Raph snorted.
Leo looked up from his reading when he heard someone enter the room. It was Raph again. He watched as Raph went over and grabbed his bo from the doorway.
Leo sighed silently to himself. He opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. His eyes followed Raph from the doorway to the elevator. Leo wondered how Raph could possibly stay out so long. He had been out all day with Casey.
He watched as Raph stepped into the lift and left. Shaking his head, Leo went back to his reading.
Raph folded his arms over his chest as he waited for the elevator to reach the warehouse. It surprised him that Leo hadn't said anything when he went by, but that was alright with him.
The doors hissed open and Raph stepped out. He stalked over to where his bike was.
One two three four five… Raph counted silently to himself. It became a habit of his to count his steps. His whole life became numbers after he went blind. So many steps here, another so many to get there. Now he counted silently in his head weather he needed to or not.
Raph placed his hand on the bar of his shell cycle.
Wait a second.
Raph waved his hand around in empty air. Where the shell was his Shell Cycle!"
Raph yanked his bo out of its holder and quickly searched the area it should have been. Then realization struck.
"Mikey." He growled with a menace. He searched the rest of the garage and found the other four shell cycles as well as the battle shell. Mikey took his shell cycle! "Oh he is so dead!" Raph spat as he marched out of the warehouse. "He is so very dead." Raph clenched his fists and headed directly for the rooftops. He would have to settle for a little patrolling tonight.
He hit the rooftops running, still silently counting.
One two three four five…
He stepped easily into the rhythm he had created,
Seven eight step jumpThe numbers ran through the back of his head as he took a flying leap to the next roof. He happily listened to the change of wind resistance as he flew over open space. It provided him a small sense of satisfaction when he could sense such things. It made him feel secure.
He briefly tuned into the cars whizzing by on the streets below.
Seven eight nine ten jump
He launched himself off the next roof.
A semi was just turning the corner of sixth and seventh. A car slammed on its breaks on the street below him.
Five six jumpRaph's feet hit the next roof lightly.
On the roof in front of him someone was moving about. The scrapping of gravel alerted him to the human. He was loafing around, not doing much of anything on the forlorn rooftop.
Raph quickly altered the course of his nighttime run with an expert twist on the ball of his foot. He made a full ninety-degree turn and leapt off the side of the roof. He spread his arms wide and landed on the next roof with bent legs. His feet and shins tingled uncomfortably from the impact, but it was a sensation he had long gotten use to.
Nine ten one two jumpHis feet landed on the flat surface with a soft slap.
The sound of his landing echoed back to him, but wait. There was nothing on this rooftop for a sound to echo like that, and the pitch was all wrong. It hadn't been made by his own feet. Within a split second he flipped over backwards off the roof, pulled out his shuko spikes, and clung to the wall. The sound rang out again. This time Raph identified it as a pair of heavy boots. A rather loud clomping sound was produced as the figure moved about on the roof. The pitch of the noise was familiar to him. Raph smiled a knowing grin and snorted at his own stupidity. He climbed back up the wall and removed his shuko spikes. Raph folded his arms over his plastron.
"We have got to stop meeting like this," Raph joked.
Matt's head whipped to the right where Raph was standing.
"How'd you do that?"
Raph adopted an air of smugness. "I'm sneaky."
"But I didn't even hear you."
"That's the point. You up for some head bashing tonight?"
"I don't head bash." Daredevil retaliated. "I protect the innocent from the guilty."
Raph waved his hand. "Yeah, same thing. Just outside of Central is always a good place to go on Friday nights. Drunks and maniac depressives wander outside the safer city limits and get themselves mugged."
"Aren't drunks and maniac depressives responsible for a lot of crimes?"
Raph shrugged. "Sometimes, sometimes they're just lonely business men who were walked out on and need to drown their sorrows in a few pints. Some people get angry and like to wander around by themselves."
"Like you?" Daredevil inquired.
Raph cocked an eyebrow. "What makes you think I'm angry?"
"Well you have been out alone for the last few nights until the wee hours of the morning, and I know you have a family because you said as much. Nobody goes out alone like that that much if they aren't angry. Well at least not in this city."
"I'm just a loner alright? So are we gonna go beat some muggers up or what?" Raph growled.
"Yeah," Daredevil sighed. "Let's go. Lead the way."
Raph dropped down into the alley. His feet hit the trash laden floor with a slap. This time the sound echoed off the closed in alley walls. Raph straightened up and folded his arms across his plastron. A smug grin played its way across his face. He listened carefully to the sounds around him. Some grit shifted under the weight of a boot. A smoker was trying his best effort at breathing quietly. A short chain was just taken out. It had a length of maybe two feet with large links.
"Dragonface." Raph's voice was laidback with a hint of sarcasm. "Long time no see!"
Dragonface snorted in contempt proving to Raph that is was in fact the Purple Dragon leader in front of him. Dragonface sniffed loudly and spat on the ground. "Daredevil meet Dragonface. Dragonface, Daredevil."
Daredevil took one step out of the deep enveloping shadows. Half his head appeared, the horns and the red leather coupled with a confident smirk caused for a terrifying sight. The dark night clouds blew slowly across the moon, once again shadowing his grim set features.
"What? You brought another freak?" Dragonface spat on the ground again. "Stinkin' circus side show we have going here boys."
He rattled the chain at his side partially for intimidation but mostly for his own comfort. The other gang members muttered in agreement.
"Why don't you put that stuff back and we'll call it even?" Daredevil said from somewhere in the shadows in front of him.
"Yeah, we'll just let out off with a spanking." Raph's voice had moved to the front of the alley. A few of the gang members whipped their heads around in fear. They had heard of the legendary turtles but had never fought them. They fingered their weapons protectively as their eyes shifted from right to left.
"Go mind your own business freaks." Dragonface growled.
"This is my business." Daredevil growled back in equally menacing tones. He moved out of the shadows with slow confident steps as he spun his extended jo staff. His boots clomped like heavy horse hooves as he moved closer to the gangs' impending doom.
Dragonface sneered and whirled his chain around in circles.
"Alright freak. Come and learn your first lesson 'bout messin wit the Purple Dragons!" His voice rose to a roar. The gang members behind him, their attitudes bolstered, shouted and shook their weapons violently. With a shout or rage Dragonface swung his weapon full force at Daredevil's face.
Daredevil's jo staff shot up. The chain snaked around the staff tip. Daredevil smiled and shook his head. He gave his staff a yank, pulling a surprised Dragonface forward. At the same time he pushed the opposite tip out, slamming it into Dargonface's stomach harshly. The gang leader's breath was ripped away from him with a whoosh. He quickly recovered though and as he straightened up he moved for a quick upper cut to Daredevil's stomach. His fist connected solidly but the tough red leather softened the blow, only causing him to let out an 'uh!' with surprise.
On the other side of the alley, Raph grabbed two of the newbies by their shirt collars and yanked them into the shadows with him. Smacks and thwacks followed. He emerged from the shadows. Stepping over the bodies as he brushed off his hands. hHe held his arms wide.
"Who's next!" He roared as he dared them to come forward. Raph felt the whoosh of an object.
Head height. Thick. Bat.
Lighting fast he crouched down and brought his sais up in an 'x' around the bat handle. With a flick of his wrists, he sent the bat flying. He rocked back onto his shell and gave the thug a solid kick to the chest. The thug flew across the alley and slammed into a dumpster.
Two guys coming up behind him.
Raph continued with his roll and popped up into a hand stand. Shooting his feet out he caught both men, bowling them over. They sprung back up and Raph was ready. From his handstand he twisted, coming down facing them.
Daredevil finally dispatched Dragonface. No one else really seemed interested in fighting him. They were all going after Raph. Raph seemed to be handling them alright though. A few of the gang stood back, seeming a little hesitant about getting into a scuffle with a Turtle.
A click.
A bullet settling into the barrel of a gun.
Click Click.
The hammer pulling back the firing pin lined up directly behind the primer.
"Raph move!" Daredevil shouted even as he made a mad rush for the man with the gun. Raph's head also snapped to the left when he detected the awful clicking sound of the gun. Daredevil's warning rang out almost simultaneously. Raph's blood pumped faster in his veins. He had only a split second to wait, but it seemed like an eternity. The loud crack was made ten times louder by the close proximity of the walls. Daredevil gritted his teeth and threw his hands over his ears, the cacophony assaulting his hyper senses with a vengeance. Raph was already moving. He ducked and rolled to the side a fraction of a second before the bullet exploded out of its steel prison. The sharp impact forced him out of his roll and bowled him backward.
Daredevil just made it to the gunner and struck him a tremendous blow across the head with his nunchaku. The thug crumpled in a heap on the dirty alley floor.
Raph's anger levels went off the charts. He had just been shot! Gone was any pain he might have felt. It was replaced by the blinding wrath that was Raph's bad mood. He whipped his sai from his belt and stabbed the nearest hoodlum. He fought madly, whirling from right to left. The gangsters got in quite a few hits but Raph hit right back. By the time they were all on the ground Raph's body was covered in cuts and bruises, all of them minor. Raph stood, breathing heavily, sai still gripped tightly in his hands, arms tensed at his sides. Daredevil shifted unevenly from foot to foot.
Raph growled and whipped around, his sai coming at warp speed straight for Daredevil.
"Woah! Raph it's me!" Daredevil shouted as he ducked and hopped back at the same time.
Raph pulled back immediately, his eyes wide with the prospect of nearly cutting his new friend in half. He quickly stashed his blades.
"Oh man D. Geeze, I'm real sorry man." Daredevil stood again when he realized Raph wasn't going to maul him to pieces. Raph rubbed a hand over his domed head in stress. "Geeze, I could have just killed you." He shook his head and gritted his teeth. "Damn it!" He turned and kicked out at the side of a near by dumpster in frustration.
"I told you you were angry."
"Yeah," Raph snorted. "Now I am! That happens way too much." He paced back and forth, growling loudly in frustration.
"Hey, just let it go. That kind of thing happens."
Raph growled again as he picked at the bullet hole. He was really lucky it just hit his carapace. A large half moon now peaked its way over his right shoulder.
"Damn." He muttered again as he ran his finger over the new scar. "Nicked my shell."
"Are you hurt anywhere else?"
"Cuts and bruises."
"Come on. I'm staying at my friend's place. You need to get cleaned up."
Raph spit cleaned an abrasion on his elbow.
"Nah, I've dealt with worse."
"Alright." Daredevil said as he started walking away. "I could help you with that whole attacking your own people thing."
If Raph had ears they would have perked up.
"What? What? Hey, what'd you just say?" Raph followed after Daredevil as he climbed to the roof.
"I've just had that problem before is all, you know attacking the people you don't want to attack. I worked on it and figured out a method that works pretty good."
"Well in that case, lead the way." Raph took his bo staff out. Daredevil took out his own cane, bumping his elbow against Raph's side. Raph took the signal and took hold of Daredevil's shoulder, allowing Daredevil to guide him.
Daredevil emerged from the bathroom with a bottle of peroxide and other first aid objects.
He handed the brown bottle to Raph.
"Peroxide." He said as he also handed him a wash cloth. "Anything else you need?"
Raph shook his head, then after a second verbally said no. He smiled to himself, knowing how angry he got when his brother shook or nodded their heads and didn't say anything. He was doing the same thing to someone else.
Raph opened the bottle of peroxide and wet the rag with a bit of the solution. He dabbed at a few of the bigger cuts. The fiery liquid stung his flesh. He continued to dab, knowing it would get rid of the germs and prevent infection.
"You said you knew how to avoid attacking innocents." Raph started, trying to get Daredevil to talk.
"First you got to answer something for me."
Raph immediately went on guard, but on the outside he continued to dab casually at his wounds. He didn't like giving out information to anyone.
"Like what?"
"Like why do you do it?"
"Do what?" Raph asked again.
"Every night you go out and protect the helpless. You all put your lives on the line for people you don't even know."
"You said you all. I never told you my brothers come with me." Raph's guarded tone made it clear he was becoming suspicious.
Daredevil winced and sighed. He hadn't expected to give up the game quite so early.
"Last night I came home and did some research about you."
"Research how?" Raph interrupted, his voice remaining guarded.
"What?" By now Daredevil was thoroughly confused. He didn't understand Raphael's sudden suspicion.
"Research, it's not like you can look in the newspapers or tabloids."
"Yes I can." Daredevil got up and brought his laptop over to the coffee table.
"IntaneExpor." A monotone voice spoke at seemingly warp speed. It was so fast Raph wasn't sure he had even heard anything.
He heard Daredevil click something and another spew of warp speed words followed in the same monotone voice.
"What the heck was that?" Raph asked after he was sure he had heard it.
"My computer." He answered. "It's how I read newspapers and tabloids and anything else I may want to look up.."
The speed talker's voice made itself known again. This time Raph concentrated harder and could make out the lightening fast words being spewed from the speakers.
"FavoritesAddFavoritesEditFavoritesLawTheConstitutionMutantTurtles."
"The computer reads anything my cursor runs over. When I type it repeats what I type so I can make sure I didn't make any mistakes."
"Cool." Raph leaned forward in fascination. The more he listened to the voice the more he understood.
Daredevil clicked on the Mutant Turtle link. The voice stopped it's word onslaught in mid phrase. After the page loaded it started up again just as quickly.
Daredevil clicked on the Mutant Turtle link. Raph listened as the computer recited an article, he assumed from a tabloid.
"You actually believe that?" Raph asked once the computer was done.
"Well I was reading other articles and you can guess by a lot of the similarities what is real and what's not."
"Like…"
"Like there are at least four of you who fight a lot of people at once really well then disappear without a trace. You do the whole help the helpless thing too."
Raph nodded his head.
"Well you forgot the fact that the other three are my brothers and we were trained by our father in the art of Ninjitsu."
"Making you ninjas?"
"No, it makes us fairies." Raph answered sarcastically. " We practice the art of staying hidden so lots of times we see things go down and we just do out part to stop it."
"Well that makes sense."
"So what about that thing about not attacking innocents?"
"Okay it's like this. Let's say that you're the victim and you're standing over here…"
The man smiled a sickly smile as the clip clicked into the chamber. Brownish yellow teeth set between cracked white lips. The lips pressed together at the man spit a glob of spittle on the already shining steel barrel. A greasy rag buffed the metal to a healthy shine. The buffer let a sound faintly resembling laughter rumble out from deep within his stomach. It bubbled out through his fat encased throat into his tarter filled mouth. A gurgle was a more accurate word for the sound produced.
The man had already cleaned all his guns twice yet he started cleaning them over again. You could never be too prepared.
He wasn't prepared enough last time and he had been defeated. It wasn't going to happen again.
His eyes glittered with death as he thought back to that fateful night. He had been brought down. He had been defeated, beaten, bruised, just like any other man. He had gotten cut, and he had bleed just like any other man out there that night. As he lay injured and bleeding he thought. Those turtles, those turtles had tired to treat him like any other man. Those turtles made him fail a mission, his only failed mission ever.
He had healed from his injuries, and while he healed he had plenty of time to think and to plan. Oh yes, he had a plan, and no one was going to stop him.
His eyes glistened with hope. Yes, they would be tortured. He would do it himself, slowly ever so slowly. Then they would die, but that red turtle. That red one would suffer even more. If he had just stayed still and died all the fight would have been taken out of the other ones. That rat, that rat needed to suffer too. He needed someone to care about and take care of. The man would take that way from him. He had it all planned out. He heaved his heavy frame up and shouldered his gear. With a grim nod to himself he headed out the door.
Cobart was going back to New York to kill the turtles.