Shell Shocked

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT. also, some of The Next Karate Kid

Chapter 5: Too much media

Galizia's POV

The turtles enjoyed the new weight room. Even Master Splinter approves of it, saying it shall keep the boys out of boredom and gain muscles. I wasn't one for lifting weights, but I occasionally joined them, lifting some dumbbells up to fifty pounds each. Donatello realized how quickly they were adapting in more ways than one. From what we see, the turtles are improving at an accelerated pace. Just one week of spending two hours on weight lifting got them muscles. Not as a bodybuilder, but you can see muscles growing.

Meanwhile, I spend extra time in the dojo to continue my training. Master Splinter said my advantage is speed and flexibility. Thus, he focused on those traits instead of total strength and force. Now I stand on one platform staring at a smaller platform across the dojo.

"What now?" I asked.

"First, you fake front kick at the opponent, roll your hips, and come around," Splinter instructed. "Make your round kick, then land on the smaller platform."

"That sounds hard," I said. Usually, I need to see a visual example before completing an assignment.

"Try," Splinter encouraged.

I sighed, finding a good stance before imagining an opponent on the small platform. Taking a deep breath, I jumped, kicking in the air. However, I stopped short a few feet away, landing on concrete. I growled, getting up, and went back to the larger platform doing it again, and again, and again. Once more, I landed on the damp concrete, bruising myself.

"That's impossible!" I growled, standing up.

"Any few more tries seem impossible," Splinter said. "But you must try again."

"Is there a trick to this, something I haven't figured out?" I asked.

"Pray," he answered.

"Pray?" I repeated. Who is this guy, Mr. Miyagi?

"Thanks for the advice." I sarcastically said, getting on the larger platform again.

I took a deep breath, calculating my position and bending my knees. Making a small prayer, I jumped once more, doing the kick. This time I got farther but a yard short of the smaller platform. Damn it.

"Very good, Galizia." Splinter complimented. "Again."

Getting up, muttering empty threats as I continue this process. In the meantime, Splinter sat there watching this with his opinions and comments. Stopping me now and then to correct my form. So far, I got the form in midair, but I can't get the landing right. I lay there panting, feeling my lower half and elbows hurting from the impact on the concrete. This is more difficult than doing a thousand drills. But I'm not going to give up so easily. I got up and returned to the platform, thinking this through.

"What am I doing wrong, Master Splinter?" I asked.

"You are overthinking, Galizia." He answered. "All forms are based on an animal. Pray Mantis always drops to one knee before he strikes."

Pray. Pray Mantis. . . oh, I thought, feeling a bit embarrassed for not catching on.

I knelt on one knee, hands together like a pray mantis. I imagined the opponent standing on the smaller platform, thinking about the moves in my head. Front kick at the opponent, roll hips, and come around. With one deep breath, I launched myself into the air. Leg straight on the kick, arms in defense, and continue to hold that form until bending my knees and landing on the small platform. Baffled, I jumped up ecstatically.

"Yes, I did it." I cheered.

"Congratulations," Splinter said in approval. "Again."

I nodded as I got on the larger platform repeating the same trick. Each time getting better than the previous one. As time passed, I understood that thinking so much in preparation would fail in the final goal. One must clear their mind and start on instinct. Worry about the launch, never the landing.

Once today's lessons were done, Splinter and I went to the main den to find the boys in the console room. They were gathering random stuff to make noises, rapping away to an unknown song, and recording it. Donatello sat in the chair, DJ-ing on the recorded music, making the instrumental. Never had seen the turtles so active, let alone into hip-hop rap music with a twist of Stomp.

Michelangelo took the lead as he started singing to the music while his brothers sang to the chorus.

"Yo, it's the green machine

Gonna rock the town without being seen

Have you ever seen a turtle get down?

Slammin' and jammin' to the new swing sound

Yeah, everybody let's move

Mikey is here with the new jack groove

Gonna rock, and roll the place

With the power of the Ninja Turtle bass

Iceman, ya know I'm not playin'

Devastate the show while the turtles are sayin'

!

Ninja, Ninja rap, Ninja, Ninja, rap, Ninja, Ninja rap

Go, go, go, go

Go Ninja, go Ninja go, go Ninja, go Ninja go

Go Ninja, go Ninja go, go Ninja, go Ninja go

Go, go, go, go

!

Lyrics, fill in the gap

Drop that bass and get the Ninja rap

Just feel it, if you know what I mean

Give it up for those heroes in green

Just flowin', smooth with the power

Kickin' it up, hour after hour

'Cause in this life there's only one winner

You better aim straight so you can hit the center

In it to win it, with a team of four

Ninja Turtles that you gotta adore it's the:

!

Ninja, Ninja rap, Ninja, Ninja rap, Ninja, Ninja rap

Go, go, go, go

Go Ninja, go Ninja go, go Ninja, go Ninja go

Go Ninja, go Ninja go, go Ninja, go Ninja go

Go, go, go, go

!

Villians, you better run and hide

Because one day you might not slide

So choose your weapon, don't slip

Mikey's in control with the flex of the mic grip

Rockin' the crowd, the way it should be rocked

With the Miami drop that you like a lot

Hittin' like a Ninja Turtle when the bass kicks in

You better check your level

The power of the Ninja is strong

Fightin' all the crooks until they're all o' gone

!

Ninja, Ninja rap, Ninja, Ninja rap, Ninja, Ninja rap

Go, go, go, go

Go Ninja, go Ninja go, go Ninja, go Ninja go

Go Ninja, go Ninja go, go Ninja, go Ninja go

Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go

Ninja, Ninja rap, Ninja, Ninja rap, Ninja, Ninja rap

Go, go, go, go

Go Ninja, go Ninja go, go Ninja, go Ninja go

Go Ninja, go Ninja go, go Ninja, go Ninja go

Go, go, go, go

Out with the Gladiator, baby"

I couldn't help but laugh as I watched the small performance of Michelangelo dancing to his groove. Leonardo and Raphael followed while Donatello worked on the music. I sat on the pizza couch, watching them perform to their own music. I didn't know the boys were into rap. Let alone the Vanilla Ice vibe. Either way, it was adorable.

"You guys are cute," I chuckled.

"Cute," Michelangelo exaggerated, placing a hand on his heart. "She called me cute."

Raphael smacked the back of his head, "Yeah, we heard… numb nut. "

"Ow," Michelangelo whined, rubbing his head.

I chuckled at them, for it's impossible when you have the three stooges with an extra. Master Splinter sighed, shaking his head as he sat on the mat. The way he sat crisscrossed meant it was time for meditation. Following his lead, I grabbed a mat, legs crossed with my hands on my knees. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes to empty my mind. Meditation has become an aid for maintaining the burning anger held within.

One time I got so angry at the turtles for barging into my room unannounced at a constant rate that I snapped. I kept snapping when things I desperately wanted, silence, privacy, or a simple second helping, went into one of the brother's stomachs. Splinter suggested meditation to regulate my anger without violence to resolve the issue.

There was a lot of anger, not because of the boys. I had anger from my past. Master Splinter believes there was trauma in my life, followed by the trauma from Eric Sack's mutating me. But I felt like there was more. A predator instinct deep inside that wanted to get out.

"I suggest we all meditate now," Master Splinter advised.

Master Splinter and I took a deep breath to begin when a sudden loud burst on the stereo as LMFAO song Party Rock Anthem played. Startled by the loud music, only to find Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Donatello dancing to the song. Seriously, we were about to meditate, and they decided to play loud music. All three of them shuffled to the coordinated dance.

"Shake that, Ninjutsu!" the boys sang.

Master Splinter shook his head.

"Well, this is like meditating," Donatello explained.

Again, Master Splinter shook his head, this time with a groan.

"Hey, Raph, where ya goin'," Leonardo asked, seeing his brother leaving the den.

"To lift weights," Raphael replied bitterly. "Is that okay with ya?"

Without another word, Raphael headed to the weight room. I sighed, watching this dispute between the two older brothers. It's practically every day that they bicker over leadership and roles. Master Splinter noticed this but didn't say anything as he gestured for me to follow him to the other side of the lair. Somewhere more private so we could mediate in peace without the distraction.

Taking a seat, Splinter and I took several deep breaths and meditated in solitude.

I let my mind go blank. Listening to the sounds of the sewers, hearing the water moving around. There was a flow. A current.

Until the darkness turned into a forest with streams. There was a vibrant color of the leaves changing. The air was warm, yet a soft breeze brought a slight chill. I stood over a massive boulder, hunching down and staring at the creatures in the water. My reflection was distorted by the constant ripples.

Suddenly there was a splash. "Come on!"

I looked up, seeing a woman far away. Difficult to see the features of her face. She appeared middle aged as she waved at me.

"It's getting late," she called out. "We need to make it back to town."

"Five more minutes!" I called out.

The woman laughed, "you said that five minutes ago. Come on, we got to hike back."

I pouted, "Fine."

I made my way over to her, only to slip on a rock that had wet moss.

My eyes shot open as I stared at Master Splinter who watched me with concern.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

I stared at my hand, seeing the scale compared to the fair skin one. "A … a memory."

"And what did you remember?" Splinter asked.

"I…I remember going on a hike towards a stream." I answered. "There was this woman…but she was too far away."

"Did she say anything?" he asked.

"That it was time to go back to town…." I mumbled. "Nothing else."

Master Splinter nodded, "At least there is someone there waiting for you."

I frowned, wondering if that was true, then would they be looking for me. Would this woman be excited to know I was alive but had been turned into a mutant. The thought scared me since my life had been altered.

.o0o.

After meditation, I went to the makeshift kitchen to find something for dinner. All there was pizza, pizza, and moldy pizza. Seriously, the only other food eaten here that isn't pizza is Master Splinter's sushi. Damn, we need to figure out this food menu because I don't know how long I will last eating just pizza.

But how to get the money? I thought.

Splinter and the Turtles get their cash from loose change falling down the drain, sneaking a box from the pizza delivery man, or finding abandoned dollars in the junkyard within wrecked cars. Leonardo mentioned they found a bundle in one car, guessing it was mafia or drug money. But the odds of getting that bundle is one out of a thousand vehicles based on Donatello's calculations. So how can I earn money? I can't get a job looking like this. Also, I'm fifteen, so it limits a lot of jobs.

Then I remember what Casey Jones said, thinking I'm a cosplayer.

Cosplayer? I thought, confused. Never heard of it.

I went to the computer asking Donatello if I could borrow one. He said sure, as I went through the internet looking up cosplayers. I was surprised to see people going to extreme measures to dress up as fictional characters on a day that isn't Halloween. Thinking about it, when spending a moment in Times Square, people approached me to take a picture and then handed me money. This gave me an idea. If I could dress up as a character similar to my appearance, I could get extra money to buy real food.

Then again, Master Splinter would disapprove. He forbids the turtles to go up to the surface, so I might be in the same category. However, I'm not his adopted child. It became a tug-a-war in deciding to make the decision to do this. Searching through the internet to find any fictional character that could fit my appearance. Soon I found a Doctor Who character, a race called a Silurian. The modern version almost looks like me, minus the hair and tail. One character, named Vastra, wore a Victorian gown that could help hide the tail, also the black veil.

Damn, the amount of detail is practically impossible to replicate.

"What are you looking for?" Donatello asked.

"A way to make extra cash," I answered.

"And how are you going to do that?" he asked again.

"Cosplaying," I murmured.

"Oh, okay," he said casually, then gawked. "What!"

"We need money to buy real food. I look more human, so I can go up there and earn extra cash too. It can't be the trench coat, hat, or under subways." I explained. "Let alone stealing from the storage unit."

"But how are you gonna pull it off?" he asked.

"By dressing up like her," I answered, showing him the Silurian.

"Convincing," Splinter said out of nowhere. Donatello and I jumped, scared by our sensei's sudden appearance. "But I worry it shall expose you."

"Come on, Sensei, we don't know unless we give it a try," I said.

Master Splinter stood there combing his fingers through his beard, thinking about it. I sat there, hoping he would give his blessing. If he decides not to, I shall respect his decision. I waited for what felt like forever until he gave a nod.

"You have my consent," he said. "But there are rules."

"Like what?" I asked.

"You can be above for a certain amount of time, and the brothers watching. It must be at Time Square. If they sense danger, you leave the area immediately. Understood?" he said.

"Yes, Sensei," I answered.

"Now, I need you to do me a favor involving your training." He added.

"Sure," I said.

Suddenly there was a bottle of turtle wax and a couple of rags. The Karate Kid comes to mind when Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel, "Wax on, wax off." I looked at Master Splinter to see if he was joking. Sadly, the rodent shook his head, calling his sons to come to the den for their seasonal shell cleaning. You gotta be kidding. And yet three of the four turtles arrived, sitting on the floor.

Guess if you want something, you gotta earn it. I thought, then said. "Okay, who's first?"

"Me," Michelangelo called out, arm in the air.

"Thought so," I chuckled as I went behind him. "Let me guess, wax on the right hand. Wax off on the left hand?"

"Yep," Michelangelo chirped. "And don't forget to breathe."

Taking a deep breath, I started applying the wax on the upper part of the shell and started waxing it. Keeping the waxing process in a circular motion to get the nook and cranny of the shell. The shell was large, with so many grooves, chips, carapace, cracks, and rough sealing over the cracks. As I went lower, Michelangelo started squirming, almost giggling.

I stopped, "Are you ticklish?"

"No," he protested.

I waxed that area, and he started laughing. A smirk lifted my lips as I continued polishing the youngest shell. Now I found one of his weaknesses. About thirty minutes later, with the struggle of Michelangelo's fits and squirming from the rags. Then it was Leonardo's turn. At least he remains still. Although he twitched now and then. Afterward, Donatello seemed to be meditating as I polished his shell. Yet he educated me on parts of the shell.

"Thanks, Zia," Donatello said after polishing his shell.

"No problem," I said. "Where's Raphael?"

"Probably in the gym," Leonardo guessed.

I nodded before getting up to check on Raphael to see if he was alright. When I got to the weight room, I found Raphael doing reps. He grunted, extending his arms, and held the bar above his head, struggling to keep the large quantity up. The six black plates going could have possibly been two hundred or so pounds. Still, he struggled, body not accustomed to such weight to the point dark green veins were showing. A moment before he locked his elbows, they snapped, causing the bar with the weights to fall backwards. Raphael fell back along the collision, yelping when the bar struck his shell.

Shocked, I ran over to him, concerned. "You alright, Raphael?"

"I'm fine," he muttered, shoving the bar off himself.

"Let me take a look," I said, about to check his neck underneath the carapace near the nuchal scute.

"I said I'm fine," he growled, pushing his arm away.

I rolled my eyes, shoving his head down to expose the green muscles to find swelling. That is going to bruise, that is for sure. "Come on, let's get ice on that."

Raphael muttered his protest but complied as we went to the kitchen. He sat down on the chair while I went to the freezer to pull out a tray of ice, plucking the cubes in a plastic bag and then applying it on his neck. He winced, then sighed, placing a hand on the bag to remain there.

"Thanks," he grumbled.

I nodded, taking a seat next to him. "You shouldn't overdo yourself."

"I know, I know," he muttered.

"Still," I told him. "Last thing we need is you hurt."

"Like anyone cares," he said.

I sighed and took his hand, giving him a gentle squeeze. "Your brothers do care about you. From what I could tell, you are the muscles of this family."

Raphael sat there, taking the words in. He is not the one to show vulnerability. But at this moment, I get a glimpse to see him sitting there deep in thought. After several minutes he shook his head, "So what did ya want?"

"Right, it's shell polishing day," I announced.

"Awe man," he whined. "Do I have to?"

"Yep, Master Splinter says so," I answered.

"So, who is in charge, Leo, Mikey, or Donnie?" he asked.

"Actually, it's me," I answered. "So, are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?"

His answer was different from what I expected, instead of a short nod with some sort of stupid comment. The second oldest brother stood up and started running. I growled, chasing after him. God, why am I the one doing the tedious stuff? This is so unfair.

So, what do you all think?

The song is from Vanilla Ice with a slight twist with Mikey!

I'm considering doing another time skip for a few months or a year? Let me know in the review.

Thanks for reading, and please leave a review!

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