Raphael ducked down low in the backseat, so that a random passerby wouldn't be able to see him in the early morning light. What the shell could be taking him so long? This was s'posed to be a simple trip. If we don't get back before Leo wakes up, we're gonna have some serious explaining to do.

Raphael was beginning to go stir-crazy inside the Den. The girls had been gone for a week and the rest of them had remained in hiding. They weren't even running their normal rounds because of the Akiudo. Leonardo had requested for everyone to stay out of sight as often as possible, but Raphael couldn't bring himself to obey the letter of the law.

I know those assault rifles have Leo all worried, but we're gonna have to come above ground eventually. I'd rather just face 'em down and be done with it. This sitting around on my shell makes me feel like I'm going out of my mind. Then again, what I'm doing right this second isn't any different, he thought bitterly.

I shoulda woke Mikey up. He could have entertained me in here, but he would never have kept his big mouth shut. The whole Den could have been awake before we got out the front door. The red-masked turtle raised his head a short way to peek out the side passenger window. Oh, c'mon, Man, where are you? Don't tell me I'm gonna have to come in there after you.

A sound from the driver's side started Raphael, and he had a sai drawn before the door was completely open.

"You're even crankier before breakfast, aren't you?" Marcus quipped.

"What took you so long?" Raphael hissed, sliding his weapon back into the holder. He wasn't about to admit that the man had succeeded in startling him.

"There was a line, Raph," he replied, dropping two white boxes on the passenger seat. "It may be early, but these are still the best doughnuts on the East side. Word gets around."

Raphael slouched down further on the backseat. "They'd better not have scarfed all the good kinds before you got there."

Marcus grinned back at him. "They know how to keep up with supply and demand. I'm sorry it took longer than I thought, but half the night-shift from the 15th Precinct is in there."

Raphael snickered. "Let's try to get home before everybody wakes up."

"Fat chance of that, Raph," Marcus said. "Leo knows when something's off. I'm surprised he hasn't called looking for you already."

"Fearless don't see everything, Marc."

"We'll see," he retorted. "I picked out three of his favorite crullers though, so that might help shorten the lecture."

"It won't hurt our chances." Raphael smirked. Despite the fact that he hadn't done anything but ride in Marc's Avalanche, it had felt good to breathe some free air. He'd been surprised that the soft-spoken doctor had agreed to go to the surface so easily.

Shell, he was probably ready to get out too. Nobody likes being shut up underground indefinitely, especially when we're missing our family. Liv's probably awake already, eating her own breakfast or playing with her older cousin. It doesn't get much better for the two of them. I'm glad Olivia's got Reina, even if they're more trouble that way.

He pictured the baby turtle's smile, and it made him ache a little. I'll see her again soon, he assured himself. Her Mama too. This isn't going to last long. I don't care if I have to blow up every last one of those stupid Akiudo. The faster they get outta our lives and our city, the sooner things can get back to normal. Raphael sighed heavily.

"What's going on back there?" Marcus asked. "You got quiet on me."

"Nothing. I just wish this was already over."

"You miss your girls?" his friend returned sympathetically.

"As much as everyone else misses theirs'," Raphael answered. "Sorry you're stuck underground with the rest of us."

Marcus shook his head. "Spending time with you guys doesn't resemble being 'stuck', Raph. It's better for all of us to be together, in any case."

The turtle rested an arm behind his head. "What do you make of Bran lately?" he asked suddenly. "I can't figure out where his head is at."

"He probably doesn't know either," Marc said. "Emotions can be very confusing things, particularly in his case. We just have to accept him wherever he is on a given day."

"Accepting him ain't the problem, Marc; it's knowing what to do with him. Sometimes I swear he sounds so much like himself, but then I get the feeling like he's hiding from me when I reach back."

"It takes time, Raph," Marcus said patiently. "That comminuted fracture in your leg didn't heal overnight. It was over six months before you could walk, and another couple of months before you were completely back up to speed in your activity level.

"Brandon's seriously injured too, in a different way. With the proper support and his continued determination, I'm confident he'll make it, Raph. In the meantime we have to continue to let nature take its course, and to try not to apply things personally. He's not angry with you, or withdrawing from being your friend."

Raphael took a deep breath. "I guess I do keep trying to make it out about me, and it's really not. I just hate seeing him like this."

Marcus took the opportunity of the red light to glance in his rearview mirror at Raphael. "He's probably going to experience several up and down cycles, Raph. I think the trick is to remain constant yourself, and be there for Brandon whether he's embracing you with open arms, or pushing you away with a ten foot pole.

"Let's look on the bright side. Brandon's been spending time outside the bedroom during the day again, and he's even talking to Jazz. I think that's a good sign, don't you?"

Raphael chuckled at the thought of the interesting girl who'd recently taken up residence with them. "She's pretty funny, in her own way. Jazz ain't bad for being an ex-con."

"You realize she's done nothing worse than your genius brother has through the years," Marcus offered. "Don just doesn't get caught."

"Well, yeah, and it ain't for fun," Raphael added. "Donny's always got a good reason for hacking somebody." As he was finishing, the turtle felt a vibration from his belt. He withdrew his phone and groaned as his worst fear was realized. "We're busted, Marc."

"You better answer that thing before Leo sends out a search party."

"Hey, Leo, what's up?" Raphael answered casually.

"Where are you?" he demanded coolly.

"Nowhere. Me and Marc just went out for a drive."

"At 6am? I know you better than that. What are you doing?"

"Let's just say that you're in for a treat when we get back."

"And when will that be exactly?"

If Leo sounds that testy already, he probably didn't sleep well last night, Raphael realized. Better not to give him a hard time. "We're on our way back now, Fearless. We'll be home soon."

Raphael pushed his swagger a little defiantly in anticipation of the coming lecture as he walked in the door. Leonardo was waiting in the living area with Greg.

"Would it have killed you two to leave a note or something?" Greg complained.

Raphael shrugged, and saw Marc's sheepish smile out of the corner of his eye.

"Sorry," the dark-haired doctor replied. "You were supposed to be asleep. We come bearing gifts."

Leonardo gave Raphael a stern look. "Fearless, we're fine. Let it go."

"Just communicate, Raph. I never said you couldn't go anywhere. But just disappearing without a word…"

"Why are you only looking at your brother?" Marcus asked at once. "Two of us left without telling anyone. Maybe it was my idea and I talked Raph into coming with me. Did you ever consider that possibility?"

Leonardo's baffled look made Raphael laugh out loud. "Do you wanna stop crying long enough to eat your crullers, Leo?"

The blue-masked turtle shook his head. "Where are the goods?"

Marcus smiled as he patted one of the boxes. "I'm going to get some coffee on. Anyone else want a cup?"

"I'll take one," Greg spoke up.

"Make that two, but don't make it a 'Donny' brew, okay? We can handle regular strength." Raphael plunked down on the couch beside his older brother. "How'd you sleep?"

"Okay," Leo said vaguely, in a way that suggested anything but.

The red-masked turtle studied his older brother, easily reading the burden weighing down his shoulders. He never really gets a break, and I sure don't make it easier on him.

Raphael offered him an apologetic smile. "Sorry I didn't give you a heads up, Leo."

Leonardo looked a little surprised, but gave him a half grin. "I understand if you want to get out, Raph. Just give me a clue before you fly the coop."

"Hey, if the lecture portion is over, can we turn on the TV?" Greg suggested. "The News should be on."

"Great," the red-masked turtle muttered. "Maybe we can hear about all the junk that happened overnight while we were hiding." Leonardo shot him a pained glance, but Raphael motioned for him to grab the remote. "Let's find out how much the city missed us," he said more lightly.

Greg folded his arms across his chest. "You take too much upon yourselves."

"Moving on…" Raphael suggested.

Leonardo flipped the TV on and turned to a local channel while they waited for Marcus to return with coffee to accompany their doughnuts. The station was on a commercial, and Leo took advantage of the lapse by fixing Raphael with a grim smile.

"You up for a workout with me this morning?"

Raphael nodded eagerly. "Shell yeah, Leo. I could use some excitement."

The blue-masked turtle chuckled. "I knew the rush from using the missiles was going to wear off on you."

Raphael laughed, but his eyes automatically flicked back to the TV as the programming returned to a live broadcast.

"…At this hour we're waiting for a statement to be delivered by an official from the NRC regarding the possibility of the extended suspension of operations at Indian Point Energy Center. Conflicting reports have been coming in overnight, and authorities are hoping to stem the tide of concern that's rising before any action has been taken…"

Greg exhaled loudly. "They want to shut down the Indian Point? Where on earth are they going to tap that much supplemental power from?"

"Hold on, Heff, let's listen to what they're saying," Leonardo replied.

"…Viewers may recall when a small leak was first discovered due to spent fuel rods back in 2005. Workers were said to have contained the rods from leaking into the Hudson, despite the crack in the pool building. However a year later, an independent tester reported finding radioactive nickel-63 and strontium within groundwater on the site.

"According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, there is no containment dome in place for the used fuel rods, despite the fact that the rods possess more nuclear material than the reactors. The rods are housed within 40 foot deep pools, submerged under 27 feet of water. The walls are four feet of concrete, and include a stainless steel liner.

"Despite precautions that have been taken, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission reported that Indian Point began implementing a new method for safer storage of the used fuel rods called 'dry casking.' Yet even with this particular method in place, the spent fuel still has to cool for five years in the pool before it can be transferred out.

"With the emerging evidence of contamination in both the groundwater and the Hudson which first broke overnight, the question of the renewal of Indian Point's license is coming under fire once more. Various politicians have called for the closing of the plant over the last few years, and those voices are taking full advantage of these recent findings. It's been cited that their equipment is too outdated to continue serving the population safely…"

"Are they really gonna do this?" Raphael asked. "What are they going to do for power for everyone? They supply a lot of the city, don't they?"

"About 30%," Greg said bleakly. "The contamination must have been pretty bad."

"They must have some secondary solution," Leo said hopefully. "Surely there has to be a plan for emergencies."

Greg shook his head. "I don't know. As much as some people have campaigned for it to be closed, I'm not aware of any stable long-term solutions to meet the demand."

"Well…we've got the generator," Raphael said. "Even if there are blackouts, we should be okay."

"Yes," Greg replied. "Hopefully all of this really is temporary, and they can correct the issues."

The red-masked turtle stifled a yawn. "The city went through enough with the earthquake last year. They don't need no more disasters."