I really don't know what the hell Don did to me….but I wasn't feeling all that well. Every muscle in my body felt like it didn't want to move at all. I sometimes drink with Casey and I never got THIS bad. I always thought Donnie was weird….but now he was REALLY creepin' me out. Definitely a mad scientist. I tried my best to keep up with my brother as we jumped from rooftop to rooftop, but my legs were just not workin'! "Donnie…I ain't some old lady. I don't need you to carry me." I tried to shrug him away as he helped me. There was no way in hell that my puny brother was gonna save me from the Foot. "I can take care of myself."

"Sure you can, Raph," Don said back sarcastically as he continued to hold onto me. Did he really think he was going to save both our shells from the Foot? And who the heck was that lady?

Finally Don stopped at the edge of a 3-story apartment building. Heh, must be one of the short buildings in New York. I managed to turn around to see the Foot a few buildings back. I don't know how Donnie was able to get that far ahead of them, but they were gettin' closer. These guys definitely were not messin' around. Damn Don, druggin' me. If he wasn't such a mad scientist, we would never have to run away! I HATE runnin' away. I heard my brother curse under his breath. I knew he was runnin' out of ideas. I scanned the road below. No cars. Pretty quiet. Luckily we were in the one of the bad part of towns. Not many pedestrians. "Look, Don, there's a manhole. Let's just go home." I pointed down to the manhole in the middle of the road. "There ain't anyone comin'."

"Oh, sure," Don replied as he looked at me sternly. "Didn't you learn your lesson the last time you led the Foot to our lair?"

I scowled some by his response. Why did he HAVE to bring that up? I remember when I saved April years ago from the Foot in the subway. I took her back to our lair to have safety. I didn't know that the Foot was trailin' me. They did and they kidnapped Master Splinter… we almost didn't get him back. "Well, just leave me here then. You ain't goin' to get far with me taggin' along with you." I looked back and saw the Foot getting closer. We had to do somethin' now or we were gonna have to fight. "Donnie, just ditch me will ya?" I tried to shove my brother away. He was just gonna stand here like an idiot!

"Fine, Raph. I will ditch you," he replied. My eyes went wide. I didn't expect him to actually agree with me! I saw him reach into his belt and place a small blinking device on my arm. Before I could ask a question, I felt him shoving me forward towards the edge of the roof. As I fell over the edge, I saw that I was heading straight towards a garbage dump truck.

When I finally pulled myself to the surface of the garbage, I realized that the truck was moving and Don was NOWHERE to be seen! And it sure did smell in there! Geez! Of all places to throw me into… it HAD to be a garbage truck! I looked around to see if Don joined me, but he didn't. Where did he go to? "Don?!" I called out. Did he… did he… no way… NOT Don. He was smarter than that. Or was he? Damnit… no WAY he tried to take the Foot on his own! Damn him! He had been lecturin' me like Leo for days about stayin' out of trouble and look what he did! I scanned the rooftops with my eyes and didn't see any Foot ninjas trailin' the truck. Finally I managed to pull myself free. Ugh… it was so disgustin' in this place. There were tons of squishy things touchin' me; I didn't even WANT to know what they were. It smelled worse than Mikey's mornin' breath. Geez. When the truck came to a stop at a light, I peered over and saw that no one was around. I jumped down and took refuge in an alley.

Once I was in the alley, I looked around, tryin' to figure out where I was. I rubbed my arm and felt the tracker that Don put on me was still there. I peeled it off and looked at it. What the hell was he pullin' anyway? Scowlin' down at it, I threw it on the ground. No way was he gonna act like he was savin' me. I CAN take care of myself.

As I walked a little forward, I quickly put my hand to my head. The drugs were still not wearin' off. Just how long were these things for? I didn't want to chance gettin' worse and by the looks of where I was, I was pretty close to where Casey and April lived. I decided I would crash there till I got better or till everyone became very worried about me. That would show them. Maybe then, Don would feel bad for druggin' me.

When I reached the fire escape to their apartment, I looked in through the window to see April practicin' her daily routine with her bokken. Casey was loungin' around on the couch, readin' a newspaper. Some vigilante… a pretty lazy one. I did my normal tap on the glass to get their attention. April stopped her exercises and smiled at me. "Raph!" She smiled happily as she opened the window to let me in.

As I climbed in, I felt lightheaded and stumbled a little forward. I caught myself before I could fall over and shook my head. Don was SO goin' to hear it when I got back home. "Raph, are you okay? You look like crud," Casey commented. He winced as he added, "And you smell like it, too."

I glared over at him. He sure had a way with words. Don't know why April was stayin' with him if that's the best he could do. "Thanks. You can thank Don for it too."

"You two are still fighting, huh?" April asked as she closed the window. There was a sad, sincere expression on her face.

I blinked over at her. "How did you know?"

"You kiddin'?" Casey remarked. "Don tells April everythin', Raph. You don't know that by now?"

I decided to keep my response to myself. I just wanted to sit down and not think about any of this mess. I plopped down on the couch and asked, "You got anythin' to eat?"

"Sure… let me go get you something." April replied back sadly. I knew she was lookin' for an answer back.

Casey watched her, then looked back at me. He just stared at me. It was kind of creepy. "What?" I asked. "Geez, you're spookin' me out."

"Well," Casey edged on, "what happened?"

I sighed and was about to finally give in and reply, but April came back over with a bag of chips and a soda can. I glanced up at her as she took her seat next to Casey. Now BOTH of them were looking right at me. I opened my soda, then glanced up again. They were STILL lookin' at me. "Will you two quit that already? Sheesh."

"We only want to help you, Raph. You are family to us. All of you guys are." April soothingly replied back.

I sighed and put my soda can down. As much as I didn't want to, all I could think of was Don out there alone with the Foot. Here I was sittin' on my shell, with a soda and a bag of chips. Man, I hated him sometimes. "Look… no offense, April. This is kind of like, you know… man talk. Can I speak to Casey alone?"

April silently nodded her head, then turned to Casey. "I'm going upstairs to take a shower. Let me know if you need me." She then went upstairs to the second level of their apartment.

"Well?" Casey continued. "You're killin' me with this silent business, Raph. Just tell me already."

I sighed again as I rimmed my finger along the edge of the soda can. "Just this whole city…I'm gettin' REALLY tired of hearin' about all the crime. No one is doin' anythin' and my bros are just sittin' around sayin' that they're workin'. If you ask me, they're turnin' their backs on New York. I FINALLY do somethin' about it and I get blamed for it. Ever since Leo's been gone, Don thinks HE'S the leader now. Well, he ain't bossin' me around."

"I know what you mean, Raph," Casey sighed. "Lately, it's gettin' harder to go out like I used to. April worries about me too much. There's just not enough justice in this city."

I nodded my head in agreement. At least I wasn't alone in thinkin' this. Why couldn't my bros see it though? "Don keeps goin' on about how I'm puttin' them in danger…. I mean maybe I took things too far with Mikey comin' along… but it wasn't MY fault that he got hurt…. I would never WANT to put them in any kind of danger…."

"That's why I wear a mask, Raph. I mean, that way no one knows who I am. I'm just some 'crazy hockey-masked vigilante.'" Casey smiled.

"No… you ARE a bonehead, Case," I corrected with a grin on my face.

Casey chuckled. "Sure… well at least I am a good-lookin' bonehead."

I rolled my eyes at his response. I then sat there pondering about what all was said. Casey didn't have a bad idea… maybe I HAD to get a costume. "Maybe this city needs someone like that, Casey…." I spoke out loud.

"Like what?" Casey asked.

I kind of tuned him out and continued my thoughts. "This city just needs someone who's gonna show those punks out there that there's more punishment than just a slap on the wrists by the cops." This was soundin' really… good.

Casey sighed in agreement. "New York sure needs somethin', Raph."