A/N: Hello! Thank you all for your support so far. It must be a record for so many alerts but so few reviews! Please feel free to leave any small comment. This is my first tmnt fic and I'm very paranoid that I will get the turtles out of character. Well… out of character to the realms of this fic, anyhow. Thanks again mah bros.

Raphael collapsed in the tunnels grasping his arm in pain.

He muttered a string of salty words as he leaned against a cold concrete wall, the sound of his haggard breaths, and a dripping noise in the distance, echoed around him in the early morning sewer air.

This is gonna hurt like an angry old viper bitch, he thought to himself. He then took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and rammed his upper shoulder against the wall.

There was an alarming popping noise as he snapped his humerus bone back into his shoulder socket.

He threw his head back, howling a tortured cry that made his throat burn like hot black smoke had filled his lungs.

He clenched his eyes closed as involuntary tears streamed down his sweaty face. His hand shook as he reached into a pocket on his waistband producing a lighter and a beat up small white and tan box.

Jerking out a cigarette, he lit up and ashes flickered through the thick humid air.

Well, he mused inwardly, we all have our morning routines.

"A rash? How did you get a rash... There?"

"Yeah bro, that's herpes."

"Uh yeah bro, cos he's obviously getting any."

"Well he does disappear into the tunnels for hours. Who knows what he's humpin' down there."

It was a conversation had over breakfast as Donatello mentioned Raphael's suspicious red splotch on his upper arm, Michelangelo threw out irrational suspicions, and Leonardo answered with logic.

Raphael (regretting his awkward excuse for the mark) practically threw himself at Michelangelo after his last comment.

"Shut up, shit for brains," he mumbled taking a seat across from his brothers.

"And where were you at practice this morning?" Inquired the eldest turtle giving Raphael a quizzical look over a steaming cup of tea.

"Are you really interrogating me? Am I sixteen again?"

"I didn't see you."

"Sensei's rule was twenty-one, you're free to have the Sunday morning practice anywhere you please. Not anywhere Leo can see you."

"Well you must have gotten a pretty early start. Would explain why I didn't see you last night either. You obviously went to bed early to get up around five today."

Raphael didn't like the patronizing tone of his brother's voice.

"Or," began Michelangelo, "he was too busy making sweet love to one of those giant rats—"

He was hardly able to get out his full sentence before Raphael reached over the table and grabbed the youngest turtle's neck.

Donatello was stuck between the two with an indifferent expression. He was always slightly surprised at the fact that the twenty-five year old still let the twenty-year old turtle-man-child get to him. A fact about himself he also found slightly surprising.

"Can I please have my tea in peace, guys?!" cried Leonardo as Michelangelo loudly gagged and fell backward. Raphael jumped over the table to continue with their mostly lighthearted wrestling match.

Donatello decided to ignore them and glanced back down to his reverse engineered, and badly cracked, iPad.

"More reports on those crazy Kill Bill heists."

Leonardo looked to him concerned as his four-eyed brother read an article aloud.

"A squad of Foot Clan Soldiers were spotted off the loading docks for Chemical Pioneer. They managed to make off with some delaminating agents, but that was all the information I was able to swindle out of the stubborn Pioneer manager. The men came wielding guns and threatened the use of bombs. They would have made off with more stolen chemicals if not for a suspicious... looming… woah."

"What?"

"Vigilante."

Leonardo placed his mug on the table, "shit."

"Yup."

Raphael had Michelangelo in a headlock as the younger of the two cried for mercy.

"I give, I give!"

"Watchet, before I put a crack in your shell."

"You watch it before I etch some more Japanese in yours! Like 'wide-load.'"

Raphael pushed him away before getting up.

Michelangelo grimaced as he saw his brother's agitated wound, "Ewww gross, man! You totally rubbed your rat herpes all over me!"

"Would it be on the news?" Asked Leonardo before yelling at Raphael to change it to channel 6.

"I don't think so. There are only a few news outlets reporting on it. They aren't even mainstream."

"That's bull. People need to know the threat. Something needs to be done."

Leonardo thought quietly for a moment, "Does it say anything else about the vigilante?"

"The gargantuan mysterious man seemed to have been carrying a large load on his back. Though, he did manage to move quickly and quietly for his bulky size. Who's to say this isn't another Clan member? Perhaps warning his members of the arrival of the NYPD? Or, possibly an agent sent out by the NYPD Itself? Maybe ties even the return of the fabled moth-man."

"Or, a mutant," he muttered.

Donatello decided not to comment. He wasn't one to place himself between a spat of Raph and Leo drama.

"But I don't understand. Why wouldn't it be on the news?"

"Well, for one, the police have no leads, five witnesses - who are too scared to come forward- and eighty-million people to answer to once the questions start."

Leonardo took a sip of his green tea, he shook his head deeply disturbed.

"Batman would have figured it out by now."

"Well get on it then, our one and only Mutant Prince of Gotham," Said Donatello before taking his iPad and cereal and retreating into his work den.

Michelangelo did a front flip onto the couch and watched mindlessly as Taylor Swift was being interviewed on a talk show.

Raphael ventured back into the kitchen as Leonardo watched him carefully.

"I don't care if you did some all nighter. The way things have been on those streets, I don't blame you. I can't sleep either. Just… Just let me know next time—"

"Don't worry. Okay? I got this."

"But I do worry. There's - god - who knows how many of them— "

"And there's three of me if I move fast enough."

"That's not the point, Raph. Your ego is gonna get you in a spot none of us can get you outta. "

"Don't you got some Gotham episodes to catch up on or sumthin'?"

Leonardo got up, "We meet at sun down -west tunnel. Don't sleep all day. "

Raphael saluted his eldest brother as he grabbed a poptart and sulked back to his room.

"Yo! Who cares if she isn't the best live singer?! Errgh, her dress size?! Don't answer his sexist questions, girl! No! Ugh!"

Michelangelo sprang up from the couch and dashed past his brother.

"What about you helping me with my shower leak—?"

"Sorry bro, someone made me upset about my wifey. You know the drill. Ten laps 'round the tunnels! See you in a few!"

Leonardo sighed sitting back down in silence.

"Wasn't making me a mutant enough of a punishment?"

April practically had to pry her eyes open as Vernon went on about his new summer home in Connecticut. It also wasn't helping matters that they were sitting at a table for two inside a swanky restaurant.

"I mean, I don't wanna brag but… Three sun rooms. Enough said, right?"

"Mmm hmmm," was her listless response.

"And, this obviously goes without saying, you're free to stop by whenever. I mean, I might as well get a key made for you!" He erupted in a fit of loud laughter. She did too though couldn't seem bothered to fake a smile.

"Vern, I'm sorry but I've just been thinking so much about the Foot Clan."

"Oh, of course. Everyone has," he said reaching for the bottle of champagne between them.

"Really? No one seems to be talking about it around the office."

He then took the liberty to top off her glass she had hardly touched.

"Yeah, well, it's a bit of a controversy at the moment- Hey! What are you doing after this, anyway?"

She blinked, "I – I don't… I thought you said this was for Richard? Where is he?"

"Who?"

"This. Richard's anniversary. Where the heck is he?" She asked looking around to see a room full of familiar news people faces.

"Oh, him! Oh yeah, he's here… Somewhere. He bought this whole room out for us so..." he said lifting his glass. "This one's for you, bud! Happy twenty-fifth."

"Forty-fifth," She quickly corrected him. He didn't hear her.

"So, princess intern, tell me more about yourself. "

"I was raised by circus clowns in 1918. "

"That's so interesting," he answered far too quickly. "Listen, I have to run to the little boys room. When I come back I suggest we take this little shindig back to the old Vern den."

She frowned, "your place?"

"I knew you'd be all in!" He winked to her before rushing off to the bathroom.

April quickly pulled out her phone and was able to rattle off about four quippy tweets before texting her roommate.

April 7:24pm
He's spent an hour talking about his second home and asked if push up bras should be considered false advertising or not. And, he might have made a 9-11 joke. I think I've found the one.

Followed by:

Save me.

Just then, the check came, followed by Vernon.

"That bathroom was the second best place I have ever stood with my dick out is that the check?"

She gazed up to him in disbelieve.

"… Yeah."

"I - shit - I forgot. I have to make this call—"

"I'll pay for my food."

He stared to her, "Are you sure?"

She nodded.

"I mean… why don't we just split it? On me!"

"You mean pay for what we ate... separately?"

He snapped his fingers and pointed at her, "Bingo was his name-o!"

She smiled up to him blinking.

Just then, her phone rang, "Oh darn, I'll be right back I need to take this."

"Uh-oh! Plotting to get out of the bill! I know you women and your sly games!"

She got up forcing a smile his way, "Caught me!"

She retreated to an empty, dimly-lit section of the room in front what must have been a custodial closet. She then answered her call.

"Oh my friggin' god, Taylor. I can't believe him, he's acting crazy!"

"Uh... What?"

"Thank you so much for saving me. My text must have seemed pretty desp—"

"Your text? Oh sorry, I was just calling wondering where you are. You're missing Once Upon a Time."

April inwardly groaned hitting her head against the closet door.

"Okay well, incase you were wondering, my night is literally torturous hell."

"Wait, is this your date with that Victor guy?"

"Vernon. And not a date. I hate him."

"Just come home! Oh, and did you have a party last night of something? It's a mess and I found an empty box of wine… And all my frozen meals are gone."

"Kay bye see you soon!"

"There were like seven Healthy Ch—"

April ended the call and turned around to be face to face with Vernon.

"Shit!" she exclaimed placing a hand to her chest.

He casually leaned against the closet door, towering over her.

"Thought I'd find you here."

"Welp, you did watch me walk here."

"Haha, fair point."

She smiled, obviously uncomfortable. She tired to walk past him but he shifted so he was in her way. His face lowered an inch closer to hers.

"So I'll just call for cab and we'll be at my place in no time."

"Uh, on second thought, I've had such a long day. That jog really took it out of me…"

"But April, honey, it'll be relaxing," he said with his gravely voice somehow growing deeper, "you, me, some candles… Boyz 2 Men in the distance."

"Uh, I don't— "

"Or, I don't know," he said frustratingly spitting out words, "what do you youngsters get it on to these days? Molly Cyrus!"

"Get it on?!" She shrieked. "Now I'm just going to be very direct with you, Vernon. I only see us as work friends."

He stared to her lips as she tired to be stern.

"I had a good dinner and an enjoyable time… Eating food. But I want to go home now, I'll take the subway."

He reached out caressing her chin.

"You're so pretty when I make you nervous."

She swatted his hand away, "You're making me uncomfortable!"

He frowned and she tried to back away but he grabbed her arm strongly.

"I think you should come back with me and I will be persuaded to think about letting you on the team. In front of the camera."

She felt sick.

"Are you... serious?"

"Pretty sweet little deal isn't it?" He smirked glancing down between them. "I bet it's not the only sweet little thing between us."

He closed the last inch of space dividing them and pulled her to his chest.

She pushed away from him with all her might before giving him a venomous glare and slapping him hard across the face.

"Prick!" She cried before running past him, grabbing her coat, and making her leave.

It was then that she noticed all eyes of the room were on her. She froze for a moment before smiling to the crowd.

"Aha... Happy twenty-fifth, Richard. Wherever you are, congrats!" She turned and walked past a judgmental matradee before quickly turning back around. "Forty-fifth! I meant... That. Bye-bye now."