Chapter 2

I watched Donatello as he pulled out the long silver needle from Raphael's neck. "You know he is not going to be happy when he wakes up Donnie."

After Raph had passed out, it had been easy for Don to get his sample, but I was apprehensive for the moment when my temperamental brother awoke. Raph was more than a handful on the best of days, but now that he had a serious increase in size I was a little more nervous about setting off his temper. He had been amazingly calm throughout all of this and surprisingly, I had been the more emotional of the two of us. I still felt my cheeks burn when I thought about my loss of control in the sub sewers. What was even crazier was that it had been Raph who had pulled me back. It had been so long since he and I had connected like that. Raphael, despite his volatile nature, actually possessed a profound amount of empathy. I felt my insides squeeze in shame. How could I have forgotten the existence of such kindness in Raphael? He understood far more than I had been giving him credit for lately. Don pulled me out of my thoughts, "Hey I'm not claiming it was entirely ethical, but Leo you know how Raph can be when it comes to needles. He acts all macho but he really does hate the things."

"I know he'd never admit he's scared of them, but just knocking him out like that… I mean we probably could have gotten him to agree eventually."

"Maybe. But what if he didn't? Before we would have just pinned him down and that'd be that, but unless you haven't noticed he can now easily hand us our shells."

"Come on Don, I know Raph has temper issues, but he has been pretty low key since this change. I mean look at Mikey. He's been asking for a pummeling all day and Raph hasn't even laid a finger on him."

"True. But I don't really want to take any chances Leo. You saw that warehouse. If something sets Raph off… Well I don't want to even think about it."

Don had finished packing up his vials and seemed content to head to off to his lab, but I couldn't let him leave with this hidden distrust for our brother. I was surprised, Don had seemed perfectly calm around Raph, but I knew that my logical brother always did keep his emotions under tight control. I did understand where Don was coming from and before this morning I would probably still feel the same way. Raph had changed that. Don wasn't there to see what Raphael save me. At the time it felt like I was starting to tear at the seams yet somehow Raph knew exactly what to do to stop it. Looking back I realize how nervous he must had been. He was terrified of hurting me, acting as if I was made of glass, but despite his fear he still helped me. He saved me from myself and out of all of us, Raph had the most experience with that. "Don wait."

He turned around with the metal tray in his hands, "Look, I know this will take some getting used to and don't get me wrong I want to fix this more than anyone. Trust me, Raphael gets or at least strongly suspects what he's capable of now. With that added knowledge, I'm pretty sure he's going to double his efforts to keep his temper under control. You know he would never do anything on purpose to hurt us."

Don turned and walked away, "I know Leo, but it's the accidents that I'm afraid of."

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

Mikey was watching cartoons, Don was working in his lab, and I sat near Raph attempting to meditate. My brother let out another snore. According to Don's calculations, Raphael was due to wake up at any time now that three hours had passed. Don had given him a slightly larger dose of anesthesia since he hadn't been positive on how resistant Raph's altered body would react to the drug. Don had come by to check on Raph's progress regularly. Ten minutes ago he came by to confirm that Raph was finally starting to come out of it (one of the indications was audible increase in snoring). Don then returned to his lab claiming the absolute necessity of his presence in continuing the analysis of Raph's bloodwork and kindly left me to handle our cantankerous brother when he awoke. Thanks so much Donatello.

I opened my eyes when Raph snorted and I saw him stirring. I could see his eyes moving under his eyelids and his mouth draw into a frown. He was awake. I released an audible sigh as an indication to him that I was present hoping it would steady his deteriorating mood. Suddenly his eyes were open and were glaring directly at me. Geez if looks could kill…

I decided to play it cool. "Hey Raph, how was the nap?"

His eyes swiftly darted around, found me once again, and narrowed. Oh great. Here we go again…

He growled as he rose into a seating position, "Don't act stupid Leonardo. You guys knocked me out."

I could practically feel the anger emanating off him and couldn't help but sigh in defeat. I had suspected what Don was going to do before he did it and could have stopped him. So although I hadn't liked the idea I shouldered part of the blame. As I sighed, I saw Raph raise an eye ridge. The tension in me eased ever so slightly, maybe he's not actually that pissed?

"You're right Raph. Don drugged you, and we should have asked you –"

"Darn right you shoulda!"

Despite the interruption I continued, "But look at it this way. You didn't have to be awake for Don to jab that saber of a needle in you and you got a free deep sleep out of it." He was still glowering down at me, "So maybe keep that it mind before you go Raphzilla on our rooms ok?"

Silence. I held my breath and then was greeted by Raph snorting, "Hmph looks like I'm going to be busy. I have what three rooms to trash?"

I tried to keep a semblance of a poker face as I counted off on my fingers, "Mikey, Donnie, and me. Yep three bro."

Raph's mouth was now twitching at the corner, "Do I gotta go in any particular order? Alphabetical? Shell-for-brains rating? Maybe a bribe system?"

"I'm pretty sure Mikey could be first by at least two of those categories. Last time I checked he was already in deep water, and you and I both know he has no money. Hell I'd pay you a bribe just for you to doubly trash his room over mine."

"Dunno if that works with my ethical guidelines bro. Gotta equally distribute the whoop-ass."

I crossed my arms across my plastron in mock frustration, "What? So taking bribes is ethical but not trashing one's room in favour of another isn't?"

He shrugged, "I don't make the rules I just follow 'em Leo."

"Uhhh…"

Then he laughed, "I'm just messin' with you bro. Don't worry I'm always game to wreck Mike's junk over yours."

As I joined his laughter Mikey shouted over the couch, "Hey before anyone goes messing up my stuff I'd just like to say it was I who ordered the pizza that should be arriving with Casey and April in the next fifteen minutes."

Raph looked over at Mikey, "Newsflash Mikey: making a phone call to a pizza joint don' count as a bribe."

Mikey jumped over the couch and came over to us, "It does when I paid for it."

Raph and I looked at Mikey in disbelief and Don now strode across the lair towards us, "It's true. Mikey's been making some extra cash on the side. After he ordered a fifty dollar comic with the family funds I put my foot down and told him that if he insisted on continuing his superfluous spending he had to do it with his own money."

Mikey pitched in, "Yeah so Donnie set me up on Amazon and I've been selling some of my art. It made sense to sell it instead of piling it up in my room."

I glared at Don and Mikey and opened my mouth only to have Don jump in, "Don't worry Leo. We use a fake return address and I check over all of Mikey's pieces before he sends them. None of the pieces give any indication as to who he is or where we are. I even insisted he use a pen name."

I expelled a sigh in defeat, "Fine as long as we can't be tracked Donnie."

"Trust me Leo, I've got it covered."

Raph snorted, "I wouldn't worry Leo no one would want to buy Mikey's art anyway. Pretty scenes with flowers, clouds, rainbows, puke. No one wants that kind of junk!"

Mikey quickly countered his brother's jab, "The key is to know your market Raphie. See I know pictures of your ugly mug would turn off anyone so I've been sure not to include you…"

And they were off. I shook my head to see Don subtly motioning me to follow him to his lab. I nodded and left Wingus and Dingus to their own devices.