Chapter 17- Distrust

I'm warm. I'm soaking in this rain, but the cold isn't chilling. No shivering. I could fall asleep right here. Something taps me on the shoulder. Brings me back. I catch Mikey caught between a bunch of his stupid faces at once. I think he says something.

"Whaddaya want, Mikey?"

"..."

I wring out my bandana. Something sharp moves inside my hands. The rain seeps into fresh cuts. Warm redness drips from my knuckles. Mikey finally chooses a face.

"What happened to your hands, Raph?"

'Ah, y'know. Somethin' ta do wit' a meetin' between my fists and some dumb punk's face didn't go so well.'

"Nothin'... What's up?"

Mikey's mouth moves faster than usual. I try listening, but he keeps hiding behind the backside of my eyelids. I can't keep up.

'Goofy knucklehead.'

"...Leo... back at the lair... Donnie... have some kinda 'talk'."

My neck keeps folding forward. Gravity feels like it's got some grudge against my legs. I whip my head sideways, and the tail of my mask slaps into my face.

'Bit better.'

"All right."

A wimpy hush of air puffs from my nose.

"Let's head to see Don."

Mikey's face gets confused again. I can't tell which of us is tilting.

"Um. Run that by me one more time, Mr. Orator?"

'Don't care what else ya do, jus' don't quit bein' you, shell head.'

"Just c'mon."

My feet complain the whole way down from the roof. Gravity's still holding something against me. It wants my face to break my fall. Pain in my hands again when I lift the manhole cover.

'Keep yer eyes open.'

The dampness hangs thicker in the sewers from the storm. I forget the pain for a second.

'Wait... Which way wuzzit?'

"Dammit."

My ridiculous brother sprinkles me with a spray of sweat and rain, shimmying like he's a damn dog.

"Try to keep up, Raphie boy!"

He flicks the back of my head and runs ahead. My feet splash in the puddles of crud on their own. I feel the heat in my face.

'Damned if this don't feel familiar.'

I chase after him. I'm just going through motions, though. Just chasing the streak of bright orange ahead. Even that's hard. The orange takes me back to window panes from a church I was in earlier. The poor saps sleeping on the pews and benches. The rafters where I set myself, with a perfect view of the Shredder's old headquarters. Still there, probably still full of Foot ninja. Like it didn't even matter if he was there or not.

'Now Sensei's gone too...'

"Eye for an eye."

"You say something, Raph?"

Mikey's dopey face breaks in. I'm not moving anymore.

"I said, you better-"

Shouting echoes from the turn in the tunnel just ahead.

'Ah, crap.'

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

I push my legs forward. My shell weighs heavy. The yelling doesn't stop. I can feel my face getting hotter while it gets louder.

"You've left home without telling anybody, and just so YOU COULD DO THIS?! Have you lost your mind? What are you even doing, Donnie?!"

Mikey hurls himself into the old train depot first.

"Excuse me, is this where the mutant geek brigade is housed?"

'Mikey, don't-'

But the yelling stops. For a minute. My chest is tight, and my face is broiling. I walk into Leatherhead's place, looking anywhere other than at my oldest brother.

"Hey, Leo, pipe down, will ya? Ain't exactly ninja practice ta keep people up in Jersey."