Finally, a new chapter! It took a while since I've been dealing with some RW issues, but I finally got back into the swing of things! The Wyvern and Hamato clans finally meet face to face, and it's not a friendly heart-to-heart!
Chapter Four: Rooftop Rumble
"Good evening, Elisa, lass! Who are your friends here?" The winged oldster said, eyeing us both closely. The large-dog-beast moved over to sit beside him, calmly scratching behind its left ear with a hind foot. If not for its strange appearance, it could have been an ordinary family pet. We gazed back at the creature's master cautiously; I wondered what he must have made of us- especially Mikey.
"I'm not sure, to be honest, Hudson. He says his name is Michelangelo, and that he has three brothers, but I haven't seen them yet. The girl STILL hasn't given me a name. I found them out on the balcony. Heaven only knows how they got there- they didn't come up past me." Detective Maza replied, giving us both a narrow gaze.
"That rope and hook on the lad's belt would be my guess. They must have climbed or swung up here." The old gargoyle-man said, pointing to Mikey's grapple. "And what be ye', if ye' don't mind me askin'?" The white-bearded stranger asked bluntly. "Never seen the likes o' yer' kind before. Where do ye' come from?"
"Uh, originally? A pet shop over in Clinton, I think. I guess that makes us native New Yorkers, but I'm not sure if it counts. But mostly, we're from the sewers. Been there most of our lives. It's not much, but it's home." Mikey shrugged, as if living in a sewer was nothing unusual. He half-turned to point over his shoulder to his carapace. "And I'm a turtle. Mutant turtle, that is. See? Got a shell and everything! Oh, um…. Sorry we walked in on ya' like that- didn't know anyone lived up here. I was just curious about this place so I wanted to get a better look around; we didn't mean any harm." Great, Mikey was rambling again, a clear sign that he was nervous. I didn't blame him, though.
The gargoyle looked at me as if confused, and shook his head. "Is he always like this? A right talkative one, he is."
I chuckled and nodded in agreement. "You have NO idea." I replied, getting a dirty look from my companion. "He's pretty easy to talk to. Usually, it's getting him to SHUT UP that's the problem."
"Hey! I'm RIGHT HERE, ya' know," Mikey protested, scowling. I laughed, and gave him a playful punch to the shoulder. "So, uh- who are YOU?" He asked the winged stranger, curiosity winning out over anxiety.
As often as they call Leo "Fearless", sometimes I think Mikey is the one who truly is. Even in th midst of life-and-death situations, he always seems to have a ready joke, and often dives head-first into situations where even Raphael might hesitate, usually with a grin and a snarky quip. The big goofball sometimes seems to have little fear of anything. Even on those rare occasions when I've witnessed him scream like a girl and beat a hasty retreat, as often as not, he bounces back into the danger the moment he finds an advantage- almost as if his retreats are merely strategic gambits intended to lure enemies into a more favorable battlefield. Leo may be the master tactician when it comes to forming plans, but for sheer manipulative cunning, Mikey has him beat. There's a reason he usually ends up being the bait in their traps- he's just so darn good at playing the part of defenseless mark. He'd have made a terrific actor.
"The name's Hudson, like the river," answered the old gargoyle. "And I see you've already met Bronx. Apology accepted, lad, though I'm curious how ye' found this place. Not many folks ever bother to look up, and fewer still have ever been curious enough to come up here."
Mikey seemed to relax, and gave him a lop-sided grin. "Oh! Well, my bros and I do a rooftop patrol run through this neighborhood about once or twice a week; I like to draw, and I thought the statues out on the balcony might make some cool subjects. Then I kept noticin' how they would be gone sometimes. I've seen enough weird stuff in this town that it made me real curious how that could happen, so…." He cocked his head to the side, and made a nonchalant shrug. "Here I am! And our sis here decided to tag along with me for the heck of it. We were mostly just bored."
The gargoyle and the detective traded glances, and he turned back to me with a raised brow. "I see what ye' mean about gettin' him to shut up. This lad's chattier than our boy Lex!"
"ANYWAY," Mike continued, "I just wanted to see if I was right about 'em bein' alive. It's all good. So, uh- where are the rest of 'em? There's like, seven of you guys, right?" I was starting to wonder about that myself. Mainly because if they could put gouges in stone, I didn't want to be around if any of them decided we were a threat.
As if his words had summoned them, a pair of gargoyles entered the tower, folding their wings down around them like cloaks. I recognized one as the lone female of the group; she was obviously young, with long raven hair, soft, delicate features, and a pair of tiny horn-spikes upon her brow. She was actually quite pretty, in a dark, strange way, with dark, heather-gray skin and a slender yet curvy figure. She stood about average height, and wore only a short tunic-dress that almost revealed more than it hid. In spite of the claws that tipped her hands, she hardly seemed threatening.
The massive male beside her, on the other hand, was possibly the most intimidating individual I'd ever seen. He stood well over seven feet tall, with wings to match; a pair of small horns sprouted from above his brows, and a mane of thick ebon hair fell to halfway down his back. His physique was like an ideal of masculine perfection- only bigger- with powerful muscles and nearly flawless skin the same dark shade as the female's. Even his face had an almost noble, handsome quality, with chiseled, saturnine features that managed to be both devilishly attractive, yet calm and contemplative. He wore nothing but a loincloth belted at the waist, and unlike the older male, carried no weapon. I suspected he needed none.
"Wow, talk about tall, dark, and handsome!" I muttered, half to myself. Mikey glanced from the newcomers to me and back, with a puzzled scowl.
"What's HE got that I DON'T? Besides wings, I mean." He asked, looking mildly annoyed.
I elbowed him playfully, with a mischievous smirk. "Mmm, rock-hard abs?" I teased. He just tossed a mock glare my way.
"Funny, REAL funny. Sorry, I'm just not seein' it." Mikey grumbled.
"Elisa, Hudson- who are our guests?" The huge male inquired, in a deep, commanding voice. Something told me that he was in charge here. His tone was polite, yet hinted at a suspicious nature and a protective streak that would brook no threats to those close to him. He reminded me a little bit of Leo.
The one named Hudson answered him. "They climbed up here to snoop around a bit, or so the green one says. It seems he had figured out that we're more than mere statues. They seem harmless, though I've never seen anything like him before. He claims to be a mutant, and said he lives in the sewers with three others. Not quite sure what to make of him, to tell the truth. And he called the lass his sister, if ye' can believe it."
"I see." The enormous newcomer moved closer, and I felt his dark gaze on us as he studied us both intently. "How were you created? Do you know a man named Dr. Anton Sevarius? Were you one of his experiments?" He asked Mikey curiously. The questions were spoken calmly, but I got the impression he was seeking something from us.
Mikey was about to answer him, when both of our shell-cells chose that moment to sound off. We exchanged a disgusted glance, and both spoke at once on hearing the familiar tune. "Great- Leo." We both groaned, knowing damn well what our leader wanted. No doubt we were about to get a royal ass-chewing for running off on our own.
"Uh, we'd better take this call- it's my big bro, and he's probably wondering where we are." Mikey apologized, as he opened up his communicator. I flipped mine open with a sigh, since Leo had obviously wanted to talk to both of us if he had opened both links at once. What a pain.
"WHERE ARE YOU TWO?!" The angry shout that greeted us as soon as the cells were open made me wince. Yup, Leo was pissed.
"Woah! Take it easy, dude! We're fine, we just, um- kinda got sidetracked, that's all. I spotted somethin' suspicious and we stopped to check it out. No big deal."
"We could have used your help, Michelangelo. Those jerks almost took out the power lines for the entire neighborhood when we put out the tetsubishi. Not to mention they threatened to take out the hostage to get away. Raph settled it with a sai in the neck of the one holding the gun on her. I don't think he's getting up again." Shit. No wonder Leo sounded ticked. It was bad enough that we had run off without telling anyone, but now he had to deal with Raph having possibly killed someone in his attempt to defuse the situation. It wasn't the first time the hothead had acted too rashly, either. Now there would be no living with either of them for a while. Raph would mope and turn sullen and withdrawn until he got over the guilt, and Leo would be an insufferable tyrant for days.
"Crap. Emo-Raph strikes again. Sorry, dude, but I thought it might be something important, so I made a choice. I figured you guys could handle that one without us. Anyway, now's NOT a good time, Leo. We're, uh, in the middle of some delicate negotiations here, and things could go south in a hurry."
Leo's eyes narrowed on the small screen. "What KIND of negotiations? What did you two get into NOW?" If there's anything worse than Leo angry, it's Leo when he's angry and suspicious.
"Excuse me- did he say something about someone holding a gun on a hostage? And what's this about a sai in someone's neck? Who ARE you guys?!" That was the detective speaking, and I groaned again, realizing she'd heard every word of Leo's tirade. Double shit. How were we going to explain this?
I tried to stall her while Mikey kept Leo busy. "We're what you might call an unofficial neighborhood watch. Citizens' patrol, more or less. Mostly we help people who need it, clean up the local trash, and occasionally retrieve things that have wandered off from their owners." It was a polite way of putting what we did, to be sure, but I wasn't about to use the ugly "v" word.
"In other words, you're vigilantes." Okay, so she obviously had no problem using the word herself.
Personally, I hated the term. I prefer "emergency troubleshooters". But it is what it is, I suppose. I sighed. "You know, that's such a dirty word. Can we just call it garbage take-out and leave it at that? Anyway, we do the same thing you do- just without the badge to pretty it up. And we're much more discrete. Usually." I grimaced, wondering if she was going to try to take us in now.
Leo must have heard the detective, because he suddenly broke in. "Who are you talking to, sis? Did you just say something about badges? Just WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Great. Leo didn't miss a thing. He was getting really steamed, no doubt about it.
"We encountered some new players on the field, that's all. We'll tell you all about it when we get back, unless someone has to bail us out of jail now. Your voice really carries on this thing, did you know that?" I told him acidly. It seemed to shut him up- for a moment, anyway.
Finally, he said something to the others, muttering something to Donnie about tracking us on the T-com. Then he lowered his voice, apparently realizing that someone else was listening in. "Don't go anywhere- we'll come to you. Mikey, you'd better have a good explanation for this." Then he hung up, and I traded glances with my green-skinned companion, both of us knowing that this was far from over.
"Uh, sorry about that. He's kind of a control-freak." Mikey apologized to Detective Maza and the three winged strangers. I nodded an affirmative.
"Perhaps introductions are in order. I am called Goliath, and this is my daughter Angela. I am leader of our clan. And forgive me for being persistent, but you did not answer my question earlier. Are you one of Sevarius' creations?" The big gargoyle gave a sweeping bow, and I found his courtly manner at odds with his daunting appearance. Indeed, he surely fit his powerful name.
"Nice to meet ya'! I'm Michelangelo. Sorry, but we never heard of anyone by that name. And we weren't anyone's experiment. We fell down in the sewer 'cause some kid almost got run over and dropped our bowl, and we were mutated later when this alien dude named Krang lost a canister of some green ooze stuff and it broke and got on us. That was almost eighteen years ago. It was all just a freak accident. We've been down there ever since."
"That's terrible! How did you survive? You must have been so very young," The female finally spoke, a look of sympathy on her lovely features. She had a soft, almost musical voice; I could see where she had gotten her name.
"We were taken in and raised by our Sensei. His name is Splinter. He's sort of like our dad- and he's also a mutant rat. He got splashed by the same stuff that changed us, but before that, he was a pet of a ninja Master named Hamato Yoshi. He used to watch his owner practicing his skills, and he taught it to us after we all mutated, so we'd be able to stay hidden and safe, and defend ourselves if we ever had to." Mikey replied eagerly; he was only too happy to make new friends, though I had misgivings about revealing so much of his history to these strangers.
"And this alien? What became of him? Or your teacher's owner?" Goliath asked. He seemed more accepting of our presence now, though clearly he still had doubts. I supposed it was only natural.
"Well, it all goes back to Hamato Yoshi, believe it or not. See, he was the Sensei of a ninja clan in Japan a long time ago, until a rival framed him for tryin' to assassinate the Grandmaster, and he got kicked out. He came here to New York, and brought Splinter with him- but the guy who plotted to take over his place was exposed by Yoshi, and HE got booted out too. He came after Yoshi and killed him out of revenge, for uh, rattin' him out. Then he wiped out the rest of the clan except for the ones who had followed him. He calls himself Shredder. Anyways, the creep met that alien dude, and they became partners. Krang wants to conquer the world, and Shredder- his real name's Oruku Saki- is helpin' him. They've got this huge fortress-tank under the harbor. And ninjas. And some mutants they created to work for them. It's complicated."
"An interestin' tale, lad, but a bit hard to swallow, if I do say so." The one who called himself Hudson said dubiously. "Aliens? Ninja clans? It all sounds like some bad science-fiction movie."
"Is it any less believable than battling Norse gods, or waking up King Arthur? Or fighting claw against sword with the real Macbeth? Or magic spells that turn everyone in the city to stone?" Detective Maza asked her friend.
The old gargoyle sighed. "Aye. Point taken, lass." He shook his head.
I was about to ask about the city getting turned to stone- you'd think someone would have remembered that happening- but our shell-cells went off again. This time it was Donnie's ring-tone. I looked at Mikey, wondering what his brainy brother would want. He just shrugged, and waved for me to answer it. I opened it with a sigh, hoping it wasn't more bad news. "Yeah, Don? What's up?"
"We're almost to your position, so Leo says stay put. And we WERE sort of wondering- is there any particular reason you're on top of a police station? What if someone sees you up there?!" Donnie must have tracked our location by now, and had probably told Leonardo exactly WHERE we were. This was getting worse by the minute.
"I don't think that's really an issue, Don," I said, glancing up at the detective. "Besides, we've found something- interesting- here, but we're in a delicate situation and it might not be a good idea for you guys to come barging in. Our hosts might take offense." I put the warning as plainly as I could without saying exactly what we were doing, or what we'd found.
"Hosts?! Are you guys being held captive? Don't worry, we'll be right there!" He asked, suddenly frantic. Terrific. I had tried to give him a hint to stay away to avoid unnecessary complications, and instead he'd jumped to conclusions and decided we were being held against our will. Then he hung up, and I face-palmed as I realized we were about to have three very upset and angry teammates bursting in for an unnecessary rescue. You know that saying about how when it rains, it pours? Well, right now we were caught in a monsoon of cats and dogs- metaphorically speaking.
The three gargoyles and Detective Maza all looked at me curiously, and Mikey glanced nervously from the winged trio to me and back. "Does that mean what I think it means?" He asked, groaning when I nodded with a grimace of annoyance.
"'Fraid so, Mikey. Well, uh, Goliath, it looks like you might be meeting our family sooner than you thought. They're on their way here under the mistaken belief that we're being held prisoner or something. I'm sure they'll be climbing up here any minute to try to 'rescue' us." I gave the hulking creature an apologetic half-smile, and sighed. "For what it's worth, we DO apologize for the intrusion. Mikey tends to get a little over-enthusiastic when it comes to anything new or unusual. He's sort of our resident thrill-seeker. Weird sometimes, but mostly harmless."
"Hey, YOU agreed to come with me! Didn't hear any complaints, either." His protest reminded me that I had indeed gone along with his idea, to my chagrin.
"True enough. But you DID say life would never be boring with you around! Besides, weren't you the one complaining earlier about it being a slow night for patrols? Guess this is karmic payback." I retorted, teasing him mercilessly.
"Ahem, are ye' sure you two are siblings? Ye' bicker more like a married couple," Hudson observed, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "How did ye' come to be their sister, anyway? Or is there somethin' I'm missin' here?" He turned to me with a questioning look.
"Their Sensei adopted me into the clan as kunoichi- that's a specially trained female ninja. And yes, since you're obviously wondering, we ARE a couple- just not married. It's- complicated." I shrugged, knowing they would probably never truly understand all the intricacies of our relationship- both as family and as lovers. Then again, I thought, noticing the way the big guy who called himself Goliath had taken an almost protective position next to the detective, with one clawed hand resting lightly on her shoulder, maybe at least ONE of them could….
"Exactly how did ye' get mixed in with such an odd bunch? Ye' certainly SEEM like a normal lass," the old one asked, still curious. I got the impression that he didn't get much excitement.
"That's sort of a long story. You know that Shredder guy Mikey mentioned? He killed my parents a couple of years ago, and I was a witness to it. The police never really believed what I told them, though, so they stopped looking for him a long time ago. Then I ran into these four one night by coincidence, and asked Splinter to teach me once I found out they were enemies of my family's killer. I just want to make sure he never hurts anyone else again. I want to protect innocent people from monsters like him." I said, staring determinedly back at him.
"Protection- I understand that objective all too well," Goliath said, nodding. "Our clan lives to protect our home and all who live there. This city IS our home. And its people are under our protection. That is our way."
"Aye, lad. As we live and breathe. Which reminds me- shouldn't the others be back by now?" Hudson added, glancing at his leader. "Ye' don't suppose they ran into trouble, do ye'?" He asked, looking a little worried. I could only assume he meant the remaining three members of their small family, whom I now realized were conspicuously absent.
"Indeed. I sent Brooklyn to bring back Broadway and Lexington some time ago. I was concerned about those suspicious figures we've seen lately. They were lurking about the area again earlier tonight." Goliath replied apprehensively; then he eyed Mikey and me with one raised brow, and chuckled. "But perhaps I need not have worried, after all. I suspect we may have found our elusive shadows."
Mikey was about to say something to him, but his shell-cell went off again at that moment. It was Leo again. He rolled his eyes and tossed it to me. "Tell him I died of embarrassment 'cause he keeps checkin' up on us. Man, he's a pain in the butt!"
"Oh, sure- stick ME with having to deal with 'Splinter Jr.' You're all heart, Mikey!" I replied with distaste. I reluctantly opened it up, and was greeted by Leo's confused face.
"Orlene? What are YOU doing with Mikey's T-com? Where is he?!" He yelled frantically.
"He said to tell you your mother-hen routine embarrassed him to death. He doesn't want to talk right now." I answered, relaying the message with a huff. I had to agree that he was being more nosey than usual.
"Well, get your butts over here! We're on the roof across from that tower, and we're under attack!" Leonardo shouted, his image jerking as he apparently ducked low to avoid a hit. He sounded distinctly worried, so it must have been serious.
"Attack? Who is it- the Purple Dragons? Shredder's Foot soldiers? Is it Big Louie's Mob?" I asked, while I heard a clang of steel that told me he had just blocked an attack with one of his katana.
"No, they're some kind of flying monsters!" He answered desperately; I saw something shove him from behind, knocking the shell-cell from his hand. I groaned, realizing what was happening.
"Goliath, I think your family and our family just met- and it DOESN'T sound like a friendly get-together!" I said, turning to the huge, winged leader. "We'd better get over there before they kill each other!"
"Agreed. Coming, Hudson?" He asked his clan-mate, as he turned to stride swiftly back out to the balcony.
"Aye, lad. I wouldn't MISS this," the oldster chuckled, following the other two out. Detective Maza seemed torn for a moment, then sighed, and ran after.
"Might as well join the fun," she muttered resignedly.
Mikey and I traded glances, and raced up the steps and outside, in time to see what was clearly a battle going on the rooftop across the street. Three winged figures were swooping down on the short, stock shapes on the roof, and we could hear the sounds of shouting even from our distance.
"Angela, you bring the girl. Hudson- you can carry our green friend. I've got Elisa. Let us end this nonsense before someone gets hurt." And without any further warning, I found myself grabbed from behind by the waist by the young female gargoyle, as she leapt up off the casement and unfurled her wings. There was a moment of panic as I felt us plunge briefly off the tower; then the wind currents caught us, and carried us upward. Fortunately, I managed not to scream. Mikey wasn't so collected- I heard his distinctive shriek of surprise as the old one made his jump, and sniggered.
"Hey! Warn a guy when you're gonna' do that!" He protested anxiously, prompting a laugh from his "ride".
"You're not afraid of heights, are ye', lad?" Hudson asked, amused by his reaction.
"No, but if turtles were meant to fly, we'd have our OWN wings!" Mikey complained.
"Exactly what is it you see in him?" The female who carried me asked, looking puzzled. "He seems- odd…."
"He grows on you," I replied with a grin. "Kind of like a cheesy movie where you can't figure out WHY you love it- you just DO."
"Ah! I think I understand- Broadway is like that, too." I wondered what a famous street had to do with anything, but by then we were coming in to land. She back-winged to a stop, and dropped me lightly onto the roof. I looked around, and saw Leo using his blades to fend off a large blue-gray gargoyle who was nearly as tall as Goliath, and quite a bit bulkier. They were nose-to-beak, with the big gargoyle shoving against Leo's swords, pushing him back inch by inch.
"Why are you creeps snooping around our home?!" The big one growled, as Leo stepped back and let his opponent's own weight carry him off-balance. But in spite of his size, the big one was hardly slow. He whirled around, his tail whipping out to last at Leo's feet. The ninja nimbly leapt over it, though, and pressed the attack with his blades- only to have them caught in the hands of his larger antagonist.
"What are you TALKING about?" Leo answered, confused. "We were looking for our brother!"
"So, there IS another one of you guys! I THOUGHT we saw four of you…. Nice blades, by the way. Never seen anyone use TWO swords before- you're pretty good with those!" The big one replied, glancing appreciatively at Leo's katanas, ignoring the fact that they were cutting into his hands. He must have been very tough, because he continued to grip the blades in spite of the blood that trickled from his palms.
Raph was several feet away from them, wrestling heatedly with a lean, red-skinned one with a shock of long white hair and a pair of prominent horns. They were snarling like a couple of wildcats fighting over territory, and I wondered which was the more ferocious-sounding. Both looked ready to kill. "I don't know who you weirdos ARE, pal, but you're REALLY startin' ta' piss me off!" Raph snarled at the red gargoyle.
Meanwhile, Donnie was holding off a relatively small opponent, with olive-green skin and a short, wiry build. He was quick, though, easily dodging Donatello's bo, only to retaliate with a swipe of his long tail. He knocked Donnie off his feet, and tackled him, growling angrily. "Get off of me!" Don yelled, fending off the smaller- yet apparently very strong- gargoyle. "What did we ever do to YOU?!"
"Leo, STAND DOWN!" I shouted, as he slammed the pommels of his katanas into the back of the big gargoyle's head. He ignored me, instead delivering a side-kick to his back. "Damn it, Leo, I said STOP!" I yanked out my kusari-gama and whipped the chain out to entangle his blades. Metal screeched against metal, and he turned to glare at me darkly.
"What the-! Are you out of your MIND?!" He yelled, while the heavy-set gargoyle shook his head to clear it from the blow he'd taken, turning to eye Leonardo warily. He looked more surprised than angry, but that didn't mean he wasn't still dangerous. I could see that I was going to get one of Leo's famous lectures when this was over, though for once, I really didn't care. At last, seeing his team outnumbered, and with two of us urging against a fight, he slowly lowered his blades, a wary attitude in his narrowed eyes.
"Dudes, listen to her! There's no need to fight!" Mikey asserted, stepping between Raph and the gargoyle he'd just been wrestling with. Raphael sent a warning growl to his brother, his blazing amber eyes promising severe consequences if Mikey continued to interfere.
"ENOUGH! Stop this- ALL of you!" Goliath roared out over the battle. His booming voice cut through the snarls and sounds of weapons meeting claws like a siren in the night. As one, all three of the attacking gargoyles paused in surprise, turning to gape at their leader. Donnie used the distraction to toss off his opponent, flinging him away with his bo. Raph punched his in the beak, and rolled away to flip back up to his feet, sais at the ready. Even Leo stared at the hulking figure who had landed beside Mikey and me. The other two stood just behind us, while Detective Maza sidled up to lean against the gargoyles' leader. I couldn't help noticing how his wing curled around her, drawing her closer to his side.
"Goliath- why'd you stop us? We finally found those sneaks that have been snooping around!" The red-skinned one said sullenly, rubbing his long beak with a dark glance at Raph. The others seemed inclined to agree.
"They are not our enemies, Brooklyn. We have enemies enough already without creating new ones. On the contrary, it seems we have a common purpose with these- strangers. We have no quarrel with them." Goliath answered calmly. I was starting to see why he was the leader. He reminded me of Leo in some ways.
"Alright, guys- you heard him. Fight's over." Leonardo said, straightening as he sheathed his swords. He shot Mikey and me a look that said we were going to be in a shit-storm of trouble later. "You two had BETTER have a really GOOD explanation for all of this." He made a sign to the other two, and Donnie slowly rose to his feet, and stood leaning on his bo with a curious look our way. Raph shot a glare at the white-maned gargoyle, before finally slipping his sais back into his belt.
"Dude, chill! This was all just a really BIG misunderstanding…." Mikey said, stepping in to placate the eldest turtle. "Besides- aren't you guys just a LITTLE curious to know where they came from?" He glanced over at the brainy member of our team, smiling slyly. Oh, but he was good. He knew exactly how to entice Don over to his side in a conflict.
"All's I want to know is- WHAT'S GOIN' ON?!" Raph finally yelled, unable to restrain his temper any longer. Naturally, he was itching to continue the fight. Typical Raph….
"Bro, it's pretty simple- these dudes are real live gargoyles! And they've been livin' here right under our noses!" Well, maybe over our heads, but you get the idea." He smirked, clapping his brother on the carapace. "If you play nice, Raph, maybe you'll even have a new partner to patrol with!" He glanced sideways at the gargoyle Raphael had been fighting, and I could almost see the wheels turning in his head. I realized that he was already figuring out ways to turn the obvious newfound rivalry between the pair to his own purpose. Sometimes, I think that boy LIVES to create drama and chaos…..