At last, I can finally present the renewed version of my TMNT fanfiction! Hope you guys all enjoy it!
Heroes in a Hard-Shell, Part 1/2:
"A Grand Day Out"
written by Malique Richardson & Joe Rougarou
VOICE TALENT:
Ben Diskin as Leonardo
Charlie Schlatter as Donatello
Curtis Armstrong as Raphael
Erica Lindbeck as Venus
Jason Marsden as Michelangelo
Greg Baldwin as Splinter
Ming-Na Wen as Whiskers
Logan Browning as April O'Neil
Malique Richardson as Zach O'Neil, Cowabunga Carl
Mae Margaret Whitman as Caitlyn
Justin Felbinger as Timothy "Tim"
S. Scott Bullock as Two-Ton
Scott Menville as Johnny
Breanna Yde as Angeline "Angel" Bridgeman
Courtenay Taylor as Irma Langenstein
Kat Graham as Veronica O'Neil
Jessie Flower as Girl on TV
John DiMaggio as Owen Rocksteed
Kevin Michael Richardson as Anton Ziktor
Isaac Hayes III as Hunter "Hun" Rocksteed
This is the city...namely speaking, Manhattan. It's said that there's about a million stories in each city...but this time, we're gonna focus on one story in particular. It's a story about five siblings—four brothers and their sister—and the incredible adventures that they're going to have.
Far below the streets of Manhattan, nestled in an abandoned train station, there lived five adolescent mutated turtles, trained in the ways of martial arts by not ONE mentor, but two: a humanoid rat, and a humanoid cat. For the past 15 years, they had lived and trained down there.
This morning, they were learning another lesson as they trained together in an all-out spar.
"Hoo-yeah! Michelangelo is on the move!" called the nunchuk-wielding turtle as he sprang into action like a coiled slinky.
Opposite him, his eldest brother, Leonardo, swung his ninjato (he misidentified them as katanas), but Mike successfully dodged the attack.
"Swing and a miss for Leonardo Hamato! Once the most promising student of the Splinter training school, now he is practically overwhelmed by this carrot-colored assault!" Mike said in his best Chick Hearn impression. "Meanwhile, the rookie, Mike the Mangler, is climbin' his way to the top! He bobs, he weaves, he dips, he dodges!"
Leon attacked again, but Mike tucked and rolled to the side, avoiding another swing of the ninjato.
"He's a blur, he's the wind—aw, heck, let's just say he's like greased lightning in physical form!" Mike continued his little commentary as he kept leaping and dodging. "Which leaves the question: how can the champ stop that which he can barely see?"
Suddenly he got hit in the face by Leon's hand, and fell to the floor. THWACK!
"By letting you talk your way into a surprise attack." Leon explained.
Mike clutched his face in mild pain. "...touché..." he groaned in his best Howard Cosell impression.
"Taunting is a double-edged sword, it can distract the enemy as well as one's self." The rat sensei explained as he walked over to the two turtles. "Remember this and be more careful."
Leon nodded. "Hai, jonin Splinter," he replied.
"Read ya loud and clear, sensei," groaned Mike.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the dojo, Raph and Don were squaring off. The purple-banded turtle spun his bo-staff, before taking a defensive position.
Raph cracked his neck. "OK, Don, put down the staff, and nobody gets hurt," he insisted.
"You said that last time, Raph," retorted Don. "And then you went and hurt me."
"Yeah, but less than I would have," Raph shrugged.
Don scoffed. "...right."
"Begin." Splinter ordered.
With that, Don lunged at Raph, who rolled out of the way. Spinning his staff again, Don thrusted towards Raph, who dodged every jab taken at him.
Don spun his staff a few times, while Raph dodged and kept eyeing Don...as though he were looking for the most opportune moment.
As Don raised his staff again and swung it at Raph, he suddenly found himself without his bo.
Glancing over, he saw it was now in Raph's clutches...
KRAK-SNAP!
...and now it was broken in half.
"Should've let go of the staff?" asked Don.
Raph spun the two halves like drumsticks. "Should've let go of the staff," he confirmed, before he spun the pieces and began whacking Don on the shell.
"Okay, okay! Ow! I'm down!" Don yelped. "Uncle! Uncle! No mas! No mas!"
"Enough!" Splinter ordered, sternly.
"Okay, okay," Raph said as he finished his impromptu drum session, letting Don join Mike on the sidelines. "Alright, Leon; you and me. Hey, Vee! You get to rumble with the winner next time!"
"Assuming that you don't cause sensei to stop it before you can finish again." Venus complained.
Raph shrugged. "We'll see, won't we?" he replied as he turned to face Leon.
"O negai shimasu," said Leon, which is Japanese for "do your best, okay?".
Raph smirked. "I always do," he retorted, before the fight began. Leon's techniques were measured and strategic, while Raph fought like a wild man.
Splinter observed them both extra-carefully. Spinning and swinging, Raph broke through Leon's defenses and knocked the ninjato from his hands, then grabbed him and slammed his butt to the mat.
Leon landed hard, but he was more embarrassed than hurt.
"Nice try," Raph smiled.
"Ya me!" Splinter called, signifying the end of the spar.
As Leon took his seat, Venus stepped up to the proverbial plate.
"Alright, let's see what you've got, little sis," said Raph as Venus grabbed some tonfa.
"You're about to get schooled." Venus replied as she got ready.
Raph smirked. "Not likely," he remarked before charging into action. He lunged forward with his sai, aiming for a quick strike. Venus deftly sidestepped, twirling her tonfa to parry his attack. The two exchanged rapid blows, the clang of metal filling the air. Raph pushed with all his strength, but Venus matched him move for move, her agility and precision evident in every strike.
Leon, who had been watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but be impressed by Venus's skills. Raph's usual cocky grin began to fade as he realized that his little sister wasn't an opponent to be underestimated.
Venus seized an opportunity, sweeping Raph's legs out from under him with a swift kick. The red-banded turtle hit the mat with a thud, momentarily stunned. Before he could react, Venus was on him, her tonfa poised at his throat.
"Yield," she said calmly, her eyes locking with his.
Raph's eyes burned with frustration, but he knew when he was beaten. "...fine," he relented. "I...give up."
"Surrendering a fight when you are unable to continue is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of intellect, as you will be able to fight another day." Splinter explained to make Raph feel better.
"I guess," relented the red-banded turtle as he headed off to the side.
"And with that...sparring is done." Splinter declared.
"Time to eat." Whiskers said as they were dismissed.
"You have come far in your training since we first began, my students," said Splinter as the Turtles exited the dojo. "Your path in life will not be an easy one, which is why Whiskers and I have spent the last thirteen years training you in the way of the ninja."
"We want you all to be ready for anything so you can be safe." Whiskers added.
"Indeed," Splinter continued. "There are those who may shun or despise you for the sole fact you are different...but you must not let that deter you."
"The way of the ninja helps us accept ourselves, our surroundings, and how we fit in with them," explained Whiskers. "No matter how different we may seem, we are all part of life."
"We understand." The turtles said together as they understood what their senseis were saying...although, they weren't too sure.
"Now, with that settled...it's time for breakfast," said Splinter. "Let us nourish our bodies for the day ahead."
Mike perked up; cooking always made him feel better.
"Ten-four, sensei!" he declared as he cracked his knuckles.
"Do make pancakes today." Whiskers advised.
"...I was gonna make eggs, but alright," Mike responded.
"I'd like to cut back on my eggshell intake, Mikey," commented Raph.
"First off, I've gotten better since last time," Mike stated. "And second, don't call me that; it's so...immature, so little-kid!"
"In other words, it fits like a glove," Raph replied. "So why disrupt the natural order?"
"Either stop arguing, or eat only a peach." Whiskers warned.
Raph put his hands up. "Fine, fine," he shrugged. "I'm just saying, don't mess with something if it's already good."
Mike rolled his eyes and went to get the supplies out. Good for you, maybe, he thought to himself. ...but not for me.
Everyone gathered for breakfast as pancakes were being made. Despite living underground, they were able to get the supplies they needed thanks to some connections that Splinter and Whiskers had ever since before they were as they are now and were still accepted as friends, but remained a secret.
[AUTHOR'S NOTE: Plus, this way they don't have to eat worms and algae!]
Splinter gave a weary smirk. "...kids..." he said to himself as he sat down.
"So, sensei...we've been thinking," said Leon while they waited for breakfast. "Now that we're 15-16...I think we're finally ready to venture up to the surface. Don't you?"
"Hmm." Splinter replied in thought. "Yes."
The Turtles each raised a brow; even Mike stopped his prepping to look over.
"...and 'no', right?" asked Don, bracing himself.
"I said yes." Splinter assured him.
"R-really?" Leon asked, bewildered.
"Yes." Splinter said as he was getting slightly annoyed. "It has come to my attention that I cannot keep you underground forever and you have all excelled in your training to where you can manage your skills, so you may go up today." He explained.
"...thank you, sensei," said Leon.
"You're welcome." Splinter replied.
"Alright! Pancakes are a-comin' up!" Mike exclaimed. "And they will be FRESH!"
Meanwhile, up on the surface at that time, a young man of 14 years was doing some drawing while waiting for his sister.
His name was Zachary, but he preferred going by "Zach". He had blonde hair & green eyes.
"Do you have your homework finished?" his sister, April, asked while finishing up her routine.
"Yes," Zach responded, miffed. If only homework were the worst of my problems...
Zach had a sort of dramatic flair to himself, a vibe that was very clearly inspired by Silver-Age comic books and the like. But he did know how to be casual.
"Good." April said as she came out. "Almost ready to go?"
She was a bespectacled teenage black girl with short auburn hair, which she wore in locs, brown eyes and freckles on her face. She also wore a yellow beanie, a jacket, a black CHANNEL 6 NEWS T-shirt, dark jeans, and white sneakers.
Yeah, Zach was adopted. But he didn't really think much about it.
"...academically, sure," he responded. "...but not in the way that matters."
"I know, but we need to." April replied with a frown.
"Right," replied Zach as he got his backpack and put his shoes on.
"It's not the greatest thing to look forward to, but let's go to school." April said as she finished getting ready.
Eventually, they both headed out and were on their way to school.
"I hope I can find a way to settle things today," Zach said. "This has been bothering me for a long while."
"I just hope things go smoothly." April mentioned.
"...you and me both," Zach replied, his eyes narrowed.
Eventually they made it to school. They headed in, and the siblings parted ways as Zach headed to his locker.
So far, so good, he thought. Maybe today will be okay...
As he opened his locker he was met with a foul smell. "Glaugh!" Zach gagged as he withdrew. "What IS that odor?!"
A moment later he found a card that was making that smell and as he looked at it it had "STINK" written in something absolutely obnoxious.
...okay, today is ruined, Zach thought to himself. No time like the present to settle things.
Taking a Ziploc bag, he bagged the card and put it away for evidence.
"Whoever's after me, they picked the WRONG day," he glowered as he strode off to handle business.
"ANGEL!" Zach boomed as he stepped forth.
Angeline "Angel" Bridgeman was a dark-skinned girl with purple-dyed hair who enjoyed wearing purple. She was also known for living in a rough neighborhood and for being a prankster. Apparently, for a long time, Zach was her biggest target.
"Hmm?" she asked.
"I know what you just did, and I gotta say, I'm sick of these pranks!" Zach declared. "I've been sick of them, and today was the last straw!"
"What are you saying?" Angel asked as she was curious about what Zach was going to do.
"Someone put some seriously rancid stuff in my locker!" Zach said, presenting the ziploc bag of evidence.
"So it needs a bit of freshening, is that all?" Angel asked.
"...not the point," Zach replied. "The point is, I have reason to believe you're responsible!"
"Oh yeah?" Angel asked.
"Well...yeah," Zach said. "You've been pranking me for years, and like I said—I! HAVE! HAD IT!"
Angel was a little surprised by this as others started to stare.
"Before we settle this, I want to know," said Zach. "What the hell did I ever do to you? What did I do to make you hate me, huh?"
"I never said I hated you." Angel replied.
"THEN WHY WERE YOU ALWAYS PRANKING ME?!" Zach snapped.
"I was trying to get your attention." She admitted as more people were watching and talking quietly.
"Well, you certainly got it," replied Zach. "And my ire to go with it!"
"All I wanted was for you to notice me." Angel declared.
"Well, I've certainly noticed!" Zach fumed, his face red as he stomped off.
Others that were watching were taking pictures and even recorded the incident as Zach went his separate way, leaving Angel by herself.
...that is, until she was summoned to the principal's office.
She DID at least learn that her long-time efforts had resulted in the opposite effect of what she had desired.
BACK IN THE SEWERS...
Meanwhile the turtles were preparing for their trip up top by setting up disguises, packing snacks, and Don made everyone a way to stay in contact.
"Okay...I give up, Don," said Raph as he glanced at the cellphone-esque device on Don's workbench. "What the heck IS this?"
"I'm caught between Shell Cell or T-Cell." Don admitted. "They're untraceable, unhackable, and they work on their own network."
"...we'll alternate and see what name works best," shrugged Raph.
"After all, if we're gonna be out by dark, we should make sure the devices work," added Leon.
"Agreed." Don replied. "So let's test them out in the lair."
"Sure thing." Leon agreed. "Let's each go to a different area as far and as close as we can from each other and try out calls and texts."
And so the Turtles each took a shell cell and split up as far around the lair as they could.
A moment later they set up a group chat in their texts.
"Checking in, this is Don."
"Coming in clear." Leon replied.
"Same." Venus added.
"Good on my end." Raph and Mike sent together.
"Great, connection is confirmed!" Don smiled.
"That's good to know." Leon declared. "Now everyone to the kitchen to grab some snacks."
Nobody disagreed there, and they went on their way back to regroup in the kitchen. Once they were in the kitchen, they each gathered cookies, fruit, and some drinks, which ate up most of the time.
Afterwards, Mike went off to watch cartoons like he usually did while the others also did their own things to kill time.
"You know, I guess I owe you," said a girl on-screen. "If it wasn't for you, Death Dude would've won."
"Hey, I couldn't let you end up being a sacrifice, y'know?" asked Carlos.
Mike sighed, impressed. "As usual, Cowabunga Carl, you are an inspiration to millions," he beamed proudly.
"You know, for trying to seem grown-up, you're still into this kiddy crud," scoffed a voice.
Mike looked right and saw Raph, hovering nearby.
"Hey; Cowabunga Carl is sheer brilliance," he insisted.
"Yeah, yeah," Raph rolled his eyes. "Leon says the same thing about that Space Heroes show."
"And I say the same about anime." Splinter mentioned.
Raph just threw his hands up, and stormed out of the living room.
Splinter nodded at avoiding another argument over beliefs of what people enjoyed, bUt then he fought for the remote so he could watch an anime that was about to come on.
"Okay, jonin Splinter," said Mike as he got up. "I'm going, I'm going."
"Good boy." Splinter said as he put on his favorite anime about samurai girls in swimsuits. Then he had to deal with Whiskers.
She just sat next to him with a smirk. "Might as well get in on what you're watching," she replied casually.
Back at school, Zach was heading to lunch, and still processing the information he'd learned that morning.
If Angel wasn't responsible...who could it be?
As he got his food, he saw his friends over at a table. One was a somewhat pudgy boy named Timothy, and the other was a blonde, punkish-looking girl with pigtails named Caitlyn.
Sure, Tim was a bit geeky and Caitlyn was a bit of a tough punk-ish sorta girl, the three of them were brought together through their shared love of animation, comic books, and sci-fi type stories.
"Hey, Zach!" Caitlyn called out.
"Come on over!" Tim suggested.
"Oh-kay!" Zach replied as he went over to join them and sat down.
"We heard about this morning." Tim mentioned.
"Guess that's not exactly surprising," responded Zach. "Let's just say this morning's little prank pushed me over the edge, and I officially had enough."
"Well, it's about time something was done," Caitlyn agreed.
"But there was something weird about it," Zach continued. "...when I grilled her about this morning's prank, she didn't seem like she knew what I meant."
"I kinda heard something from others talking." Caitlyn mentioned. "Apparently because of how she grew up in a rough neighborhood and because of how her parents would almost always be working she didn't properly learn how to express her feelings."
"...oh," Zach winced. He might not have known what that was like, but he DID feel bad for her.
As lunch went by, nobody saw Angel. She made her way into the lunchroom and sat by herself, watching Zach talk with his friends.
Then she lowered her head as she didn't feel like eating; she wasn't hungry in a physical sense, but more of an emotional sense.
Eventually, lunch came to an end.
BACK IN THE LAIR...
"OK, so when exactly do we head out?" asked Raph. "Have we worked that out yet?"
"Since we want to be out when it's a bit darker we're going for at least four maybe five in the afternoon." Leon explained. "Don punched in the numbers to help pick a good time to see the surface with some sun before we take to the shadows."
"There's an idea," commented Vee.
"Sounds good to me." Raph agreed.
"Hmmm...well...okay," shrugged Mike.
"Then it's settled." Leon declared as he checked the time. "We have roughly three hours."
"...so, whaddo we do until then?" Mike asked.
"One last bit of practice and then a quick rest to reenergize." Leon advised. "We don't want to get mugged."
There were a few light groans, but apart from that, not much dissertion.
"Ah, fine," shrugged Raph. "But I dunno anybody who'd be stupid enough to mug us."
"Trust us, Raphael, muggers are stupid enough to go after anyone." Whiskers advised, since she had tangled with a few before her mutation.
"...I'll take your word for it," said Raph as he cracked his knuckles.
The turtles all went to practice for a bit as they tried to eat up some time.
In a few hours...we'll be making our first journey to the surface, thought Leon. This has to go well, or else...if this flops, we might not get to go up again until NEXT year!
So he made sure they trained hard to ensure that this would be a good time.
"Alright, guys; let's take five and do it again after!" Leon called after a while.
Everyone collapsed, too tired to bother griping. After all, they were pretty pumped for this big trip as well.
Mike, however, was in a state of deep contemplation. He seemed rather distracted—lost in his thoughts over something. When he was like this, he seemed almost...pensive.
"...where are we going to be, ten years from now?" he asked, out loud.
"Only time will tell." Leon said as he walked by.
Mike rolled his eyes at that. Always Mister Fortune-Cookie, he thought as he considered the idea of meeting somebody.
But it seemed less than possible. After all, he was a mutant turtle, and the chances of that were below zero.
Raph noticed the odd look on his face. "...what's with you?" he asked.
"Eh, not important," replied Mike, shrouding any trace of contemplation he might've worn.
Raph shrugged. "...whatever," he remarked as he went his own way.
Meanwhile, back at school, Zach and April were finishing up for the day as they met at April's locker.
"So how was your day?" April asked her brother.
"...confusing," was Zach's reply. "I came in search of answers...but all I got was more questions."
"Oh?" April asked. "Why's that?"
"Apparently someone stankified my locker," Zach explained. "But when I went to confront Angel, she didn't seem to know what I was talking about. Not to mention she was pranking me to get my attention, all this time."
"Well, maybe she didn't understand why you were so mad. After all, she's liked you since kindergarten, but never understood how to properly get your attention—not like she had anyone to consult on that sorta thing," April explained.
"So if you knew about it the whole time, why didn't you say something?" asked Zach. "...don't tell me you were 'waiting for things to take their course' or for me to 'figure it out myself'. You know I suck at that."
"Sorry, but I did mention this to mom a while back and she told me to stay out of it as it wasn't my problem to solve, unless things got out of hand." April explained while feeling guilty. "She asked me to watch and make sure things never went too far, but I once asked Angel about why she liked you and what she told me made me understand why she did."
"...huh," commented Zach, his tone quieter. On one hand, he was pretty mad that she'd known about this the whole time, and on the other end, he felt conflicted.
"Angel liked how you managed to pull through a hard time with being an orphan and finding a new family and she thought you were cute." April revealed. "But there were others that liked her and were willing to beat up anyone she befriended, so she's been pranking you to protect you." She explained. "Haven't you noticed all the bullies that are known in the school, but never picked on you?"
Zach rubbed his chin. "Well, apart from Buffy Shellhammer, fair enough," he had to admit.
"All this time she was protecting you and both her and mom asked me to keep quiet, even made me promise—and you know I don't break promises." April mentioned.
"Yeah, I know," replied Zach.
"So please don't be upset about me knowing and not telling you." April requested. "I've wanted to tell you for so long."
"Well, I'll try," said Zach. "But it'll be tough. What's worse is, now I feel terrible for getting all mad like that," Zach groaned. "...I mean, she wouldn't let up! WHY DO I FEEL SO BAD ABOUT THIS?!"
"Because you didn't understand what was really going on either until now." April advised. "Ignorance is not bliss."
"Well...whaddo I do?" Zach asked his older sister. "I feel like I should do SOMETHING."
"First, I think you should take some time to cool off and then once Angel gets back you should talk to her calmly." April suggested.
"I guess so," Zach replied. "...but that leaves the question of who stankified my locker?"
"Ask Angel to help after she gets off from suspension." April suggested. "Maybe her knowledge of pranks can help solve the mystery."
"A tenuous alliance...it's risky, but perhaps I truly do have no other choice," Zach mused, tenting his hands together.
"Exactly." April agreed.
"Let's go home for a bit, then we'll head out and see Mom," said Zach.
"Sure." April agreed. "I've gotta get the mail anyway."
And home they went...
...while down below, the Turtles were almost ready to get going.
They still had another hour before they left, so they spent it resting and/or meditating in quiet.
Eventually, a timer went off, signifying that the hour was up.
Leon's eyes opened. "...it is time," he said, his tone firm.
"Finally!" Raph said as he got up and was ready to go.
"Yee-ha!" Mike exclaimed as he leapt to his feet. "This is it—the big moment!"
"This is going to be amazing." Venus declared.
"One can hope, but it will be quite interesting!" Don commented.
With that, the Turtles grabbed their gear and readied to head up to the surface.
Splinter and Whiskers met with them at the lair's entrance to send them off.
"You are going up to a strange and hostile world," Splinter said with a tinge of sadness in his voice, but he stifled it. "You must maintain awareness at all times."
"Be careful up there and do try to avoid using public bathrooms, they're never clean." Whiskers advised.
"Right, jonin," the Turtles told their parents.
"With that settled, you may go." Splinter said as they moved out of the way.
"Okay, guys...it's go time," said Leon.
And the turtles left the lair...but not before giving their parents a big hug.
They headed down the tunnel until they reached a manhole.
Taking point, Leon headed up the ladder, and pushed the manhole cover up and away.
As the Turtles climbed out, they saw that the sun was now quite low in the sky.
"Wow, an alleyway." Raph said as he got out and saw a dumpster. "Well...gotta have a secret entrance somewhere."
"Let's get to the rooftops." Don advised.
And so they used their parkour skills to get up to a nearby rooftop.
Soon they were all up high and they got a good look at the entire city.
"Okay, then..." commented Raph after some silence. "...whaddo we do first?"
"Well, we have phones and some pocket money, thanks to plenty of spare change, plus we have a whole new environment to explore." Leon said as he looked around. "Buddy up or solo out, and let's do a bit of exploring for an hour before meeting up a few blocks away."
"Alright... I'm out!" Mike said as he took off to go exploring.
Shaking his head, Raph left, then Don, while Leon and Venus left together.
Each turtle went on their own way, eager to check out the city.
Meanwhile, Zach and April were on their way to their mom's workplace to see her. Namely, Channel 6 News.
"Let's hope mom isn't working late this evening," April said as they went in and showed their visitor's passes.
"Ditto," nodded Zach. "...I could use some advice."
"Maybe you can get some while here." April suggested as they went up.
"Here's hoping," replied Zach, while Mike managed to successfully sneak into the building himself out of curiosity.
He even put on a disguise so he could look around in peace. It consisted of sunglasses and a letterman jacket, put on in the hope that anyone who saw him might assume he was in a costume.
"Long as I'm here, I may as well work up an appetite," he decided as he strolled around the place, taking in the scenery.
He looked around for a while as he was very interested in how the shows he loved to watch were put on the air.
Meanwhile, Veronica O'Neil was getting ready to go on the air and give her news report.
She was getting a makeup touch-up when she spotted her kids.
"Hey, kiddos!" she greeted, giving a wave to them.
"Hi/Hey, Mom," the two of them greeted with waves.
"How was school?" Veronica asked.
Panthro the Deadly — 11/15/2023 2:33 AM
"...enlightening," Zach replied. "I need some advice."
shadowriter — 11/15/2023 2:35 AM
"About what?" Veronica asked her son.
Panthro the Deadly — 11/15/2023 2:36 AM
And so Zach proceeded to explain the entire situation in great detail, too.
"Huh, my suspicions are definitely being proven right." Veronica said with deep thought. "I always found it suspicious on why she would target you, so I did what little research I could and couldn't quite prove it." She explained. "Either way, what is it that you want to do about it?"
"...I mean, I feel bad, so I want to at least do something to help," Zach explained. "But a little of me is still mad about all those pranks."
"Well, you do have a good reason to be mad, but the most of you that feels guilty shows that you might have feelings for her too." Veronica explained while thinking about something. "April mentioned that Angel was suspended, so how about you see what it'll be like without her around and then think about how you feel by the time she gets back."
Zach rubbed his chin. "...alright," he replied.
"Good." Veronica replied while someone let her know that she had to go. "I have to go on now, but I do hope that what we spoke about can be helpful."
Zach nodded as his and April's mom left.
"Well we'd better be going." April suggested.
"Right," replied Zach.
With that they got ready to leave as their mom went live.
As Zach and April went on their way, they passed by Mike, who got a pretty good look at April.
The world seemed to slow down...everything got all sorta-blurry, you know, like when someone smudged vaseline on the camera during those dreamy-effect scenes on episodes of Star Trek.
His heart started pounding in his chest, as he stood there for a minute, utterly dumbstruck.
Zach glanced over and took notice. "Hey, April, guess you caught somebody's attention," he commented.
She took a look at what he meant. "Sure seems like it." she agreed.
Mike realized she was looking at him, and immediately snapped to attention. "Oh! Uh, hi!" he managed to say. "How's...how's it goin'?"
"About average for us." April replied. "Gotta bring my little brother home."
"Cool, cool...I get that," Mike nodded. "I'm Mike, by the way. Pleased to meet you...wouldja happen to know any good places to eat around here?"
"I'm April and there's a few places just around the corner." April replied.
"Nice to meetcha, and thanks, April!" Mike said. "...I'm kinda new here, is all. That's why I asked!"
"It's okay." April replied. "Have a nice day."
"Thanks!" Mike replied. "You too!"
Then they went their separate ways.
Mike sighed happily as he went off. "Wow...she was pretty cool," he smiled. "Plus, I didn't make myself look like a dingbat! Most excellent!"
He was feeling pretty good about this and it made him happy and hungry, as his stomach growled a bit.
"Well, at least I know food is around..." Mike shrugged as he strolled off to find the exit.
After he left, he followed the directions he'd been given, and found a diner.
"Nice, a diner!" Mike remarked. "...that girl WAS pretty helpful!"
Meanwhile, Zach and April were on their way back home.
"So, Angel really was suspended?" Zach asked as he felt a little guilty.
"For two weeks, yes." April confirmed. "Your talk with her got the attention of everyone there and it made it to the principal and unfortunately with how she did break the rules she got her punishment."
"...maybe I shouldn't have said anything..." Zach mused.
"No, it was necessary, but at least you both will have time to think about things." April replied. "Besides, I know where she hangs out, if you want to talk to her before she gets back in school."
"Okay," nodded Zach.
As they went on their way, it soon became clear that they were being followed.
"Great, they think we're easy pickings." April whispered.
"So...any ideas?" asked Zach, also in a whisper. "Seems like we're outnumbered."
"We've gotta try to get to a more public area." April mentioned. "I think the area to our left has security cameras."
Zach nodded, but he saw that they were also receiving company approaching them.
"That...might be a problem," he observed.
"No doubt." April agreed.
"Well, well..." sneered a blue-haired man as he stepped forth, wielding a crowbar. "This is Purple Dragon territory you've come into."
"No, this is main street." April corrected.
"...if there's one thing I hate, it's a schmuck..." The leader, Johnny, muttered.
"Want me to teach 'er some respect, Johnny?" asked another member with a dragon tattoo on his face.
"You don't look like a teacher." April mentioned.
"We'll make it a group effort," shrugged Johnny. "You and Two-Ton go for it."
A bigger, meaner-looking PD member joined in the discussion.
"Just leave us alone, huh?" Zach asked. "I mean, we're teenagers! We don't have any money!"
shadowriter — 11/15/2023 11:16 PM
"I don't think they want money." April whispered to her brother
Panthro the Deadly — 11/15/2023 11:24 PM
"So they just wanna hurt us, then?" Zach responded.
"Try something centered around me." April advised as some of the guys were eyeing her up
"...oh," Zach muttered before he did his best to stand protectively before his sister.
"Get outta the way." One of them said.
"Nope," replied Zach.
"Good thing we've got some girls coming." Another mentioned. "They'll love you."
Zach swallowed heavily. "Gee, don't I feel lucky..." he muttered sarcastically.
Suddenly someone took notice of what was happening.
"Hey, buds," said Mike. "This whole thing you're doing here is MOST heinous."
"Go mind your business while we mind ours." The leader ordered.
"Well, when you mess with good people, I MAKE it my business!" Mike retorted. "So back off, or do I hafta get tough?"
"That goes double for me." Leon said as he made an appearance as well.
"What's with the dweeby costumes?" asked one of the thugs, a punk with a mohawk.
"Hah! Whaddo they think this is, Halloween?" replied another thug, this one wearing an army helmet and camo pants.
"It would explain why you came outta the house lookin' like that!" Mike joked.
"Seriously, I don't even know what I'm looking at." Leon taunted. "A supposed punk and soldier dropout?"
"Oh, you are DEAD!" the helmeted one snapped. "I'm gonna shove that stupid mask down yer throat! NOBODY talks crap 'ta me...especially not some idiots wearin' stupid kung-fu turtle costumes!"
"Oh, yeah?" asked Mike. "Well, let's see what you're gonna do about it!"
"Rush 'em!" shouted the punks, as the three of them attacked the two turtles.
The turtles nodded to each other and simply waited for an opportunity.
Readying their weapons, they darted and dodged their foes, who were furiously assaulting them.
The turtles managed to hold their own as they dodged and countered their attackers.
"I think these guys need to learn some manners," remarked Leon.
The first gang member lunged forward, swinging a crude weapon. Leon expertly parried the attack with his katana, countering with a precise strike that disarmed his opponent.
"And maybe how to take a bath too!" Mike suggested as he kicked a guy that stank really bad in the gut.
"Oooh, you little web-footed creep!" snorted the sunglasses-clad punk as he got to his feet. "I'm gonna flatten ya!"
"I dares ya to try it!" Mike remarked, making a beckoning gesture.
The punk charged forward and tried to jump onto Mike. Mike dropped to the ground and donkey-kicked him right over his head and into a pile of garbage.
"Whoa, ese! Looks like you've been TRASHED!" he laughed.
"Incoming reject!" Leon called as he tossed the soldier boy in too.
"Attaboy, big guys!" Zach whooped. "Give 'em the ol' one-two! Ha-ha-haa!"
A while later all the Purple Dragons were defeated.
"And that's how ya deal with garbage!" Leon said before facing the two humans. "...are you two okay?"
"We're fine." April replied.
"That's good to hear," said Mike.
"Thanks for the help," said Zach.
"No problem, dude," Mike replied with a smile. "I know ya could've taken 'em, but I figured I should help."
Zach chuckled. "Good on ya!"
"Good thing I got here too." Leon mentioned. "I stopped a guy that was carrying a gun."
"Well, thanks," replied Zach. "...who are you guys?"
"And, I'm very grateful, make no mistake," said April. "...but what's with the costumes?"
"Let's just say that we have our hobbies." Leon advised.
"Yeah!" nodded Mike. "...anyways, maybe we'll meet again sometime...if that's okay."
"Maybe." Leon replied.
"Hey, here's hoping!" Zach said to them. "You guys were awesome!"
"Thanks." Both turtles replied.
And so, they watched as April and Zach headed home.
"That was close, but necessary." Leon declared.
"Yeah...plus it was nice helping them," Mike added, a warm feeling inside him.
"True." Leon agreed.
"I guess we'd better go, huh?" Mike asked.
"Yeah." Leon assured him. "It's time for us to meet up."
Mike gave a small sigh, before he and Leon went on their way.
The turtles eventually met up on the rooftop over a place called Antonio's Pizza.
"So!" said Leon. "What did you guys experience today?"
"Found a couple of tech shops." Don revealed. "There was so much to see; their selections were...expansive."
"I spotted a few shut-down sports stores that still had a few things left behind." Raph revealed as he was carrying a couple of bags.
"And you, Vee?" asked Leon.
"I've been looking around and found some fun things, but they're for girls and I can only share it with Whiskers." She admitted.
"...oookay," Leon shrugged.
Mike smiled to himself while he swayed on the balls of his feet.
"What's up with hollow-head?" Raph asked in genuine curiosity.
"...beats me," replied Leon.
Mike smiled. "...well, I dunno if I should tell..." he responded with a grin.
"Probably not, to avoid another Mike vs Raph situation." Don advised.
"...okay, ya twisted my arm, I'll spill," Mike relented, eager. "...I met this girl."
"Oh yeah?" Raph asked.
"Really?" Venus said.
Mike nodded in affirmation.
"Must've been blind." Raph said with a grin.
"And there we go." Don groaned.
"...you just can't let me have anything nice, can you?" Mike asked, rolling his eyes. "You're like an eternal rain cloud."
"Excuse me if I'm a realist." Raph retorted.
"If that's what you wanna call it, then sure," Mike shrugged, rolling his eyes.
"Besides, I'd bet she'd be scared of you once she found out what you are." Raph mentioned. "Everyone would be."
"So what then, we just stay underground and die alone?" Mike asked, a bit of venom in his tone.
"No, we just don't try reaching too far." Raph advised.
Mike glowered. "...forget it, let's just go," he remarked. "I lost my appetite."
"Oh sure, get emotional like the big baby you really are." Raph taunted.
Mike inhaled through his nostrils. "...I'm not gonna do this, Raph," he said, trying to avoid the confrontation brewing.
"Sure, backing up like a wimp so you can go crawl into a hole," Raph sneered.
Mike's hand quivered, and stiffened into a fist.
"I am so sick of you always tryin' to get my goat," he remarked. "It's like you can't stand me bein' happy about something that happened to me. So what is it then, huh? Do you just hate me that much?"
"Try you always having your head in the clouds and me always bringing you back to reality." Raph stated.
"You call it 'realism', when it's just being pessimistic!" Mike replied. "I know you just think I'm your dumb little brother who's always dreaming too big!"
"Can't argue with the truth." Raph declared angrily.
"Fine! You wanna fight so bad, then?!" Mike snapped as he reached for his nunchaku. "Then OKAY!"
"Bring it," Raph retorted. "I'm gonna enjoy this."
Before things could escalate, Leon got between the both of them. "THAT! IS! ENOUGH!" he shouted.
Both Raph and Mike stopped after hearing their brother yell at them.
"Seriously, for one day can either of you not act like you're still fighting five year olds?" Leon asked as he was getting annoyed. "I don't know what drove you to this rivalry, but before we ever come back up here, you two are going to settle it, understand?"
Raph and Mike put their weapons back in their holsters. They were still pissed at each other, but both of them knew it was best not to try arguing the point any further when Leon was this furious.
"...fine," Mike and Raph relented.
Stupid busybody Leo, Raph thought. Thinks he knows better than everyone, just cuz he's leader.
I got nothin' but respect for Leon, Mike thought. But this isn't his business. He oughta just butt out.
"Good." Leon declared. "Now it's getting late, so let's grab something nice to eat and bring it home."
"I miiiight know of a few places," Mike piped up after some silence.
"That I won't complain or make fun of." Raph replied.
"I'll hold you to that," Leon warned the both of them. "...lead on."
So Mike led them to a diner. Curious, they went inside. The interior was done up in a 1950s-style; checkerboard patterns and stools.
"I've seen plenty of these on the Culinary Channel, but being in one's a different story!" Mike commented.
"And the smell." Don said as he took a sniff and seemed mesmerized. "So heavenly."
"...damn, that's actually pretty good!" Raph exclaimed.
"Let's get some." Venus advised.
So they sat down, grabbed some menus and looked over them, while Mike thought about April...though he made an effort to look less "daydream"-ish while doing so.
"A lot of options." Leon declared. "This American cheeseburger one looks promising."
"Then we'll get 5 of them!" Venus declared. "One for each of us!"
"Sure thing." Raph agreed.
Once the waiter came by and took their orders, they had their menus taken up.
They were given water to drink while waiting.
By then, Mike had finished daydreaming. "...even if it was for a few seconds, I'm glad I met her," he said with a sigh.
"Nice." Leon said before the food arrived. "But this is currently nicer."
"Whoa-ho!" Mike exclaimed. "What IS this?"
"...it's called a cheeseburger with fries," said Raph without a hint of sarcasm.
"No trouble at a restaurant." Leon ordered. "But the flavor is cheeseburger and fries as they used chunks of burgers, American cheese, and french fries as a topping and a special burger sauce as the topping." He explained to Mike.
Raph put his hands up. "I was just saying," he insisted.
"...well, alright," said Mike as he picked up the burger and took a bite.
Mike looked up, dumbstruck...and then proceeded to eat the rest of the burger.
Soon, everyone was done, and they got extra for Splinter and Whiskers.
"Mike?" Raph spoke up.
"Hm?" Mike murmured.
"...about earlier..." Raph started, his tone quieter.
"It's fine, man, I forgive you," Mike said. "The fact that you're actually trying to apologize shows me how sincere it is."
"I'd NEVER tell anyone else, but... I know we're not exactly normal," said Raph. "...I just didn't want you getting your hopes up and having them dashed."
"I'll be fine." Mike assured him. "We can at least dream."
"Yeah," replied Raph. "...maybe you WILL see her again. I mean...we gotta come up here again sometime."
"Indeed we will." Leon assured them.
Mike and Raph nodded, then got into a huddle.
"But one of these days, we ARE gonna settle this, right?" asked Mike.
"Yup," responded Raph. "And with no interference from mister 'leader-boy'."
And so, they went on their way.
Meanwhile, the Purple Dragon thugs had been apprehended by the police, although a few had managed to escape.
"That was too close." The soldier guy said.
"No kidding," remarked the mohawked guy. "But I think your big bro's gonna be real mad, since almost all of us got arrested."
"You think?" The soldier asked.
"Well...no sense puttin' it off any longer," sighed the mohawk punk.
"Fine," The soldier agreed as they went to Purple Dragons HQ.
It used to be an old factory warehouse, but it had been modified somewhat to be suitable for gang meetings.
A few other Purple Dragons were hanging around when the duo came back in.
"You're gonna get it." One said as the duo passed by. Word had spread pretty quickly and they seemed to already know a few things.
And so, the both of them entered their boss's office.
"I heard it on the news, but I want the full story." The boss demanded. "They don't say how you were all taken down."
"Well...there were these weirdos in costumes," explained the blonde in the helmet. "They were dressed up like turtles for some reason."
"And how did they bring you down?" The boss asked.
"They had these ninja weapons on 'em!" the mohawk man exclaimed. "One of 'em had swords, and the other had nunchuks!"
"Ninjas, huh?" The boss asked while deep in thought. "I need to look into this, but don't think that you won't be punished later for failing to uphold our name." He explained. "Maybe I'll have you do some cleaning or something."
The two punks looked at each other nervously. It could be worse-they could be in jail, after all.
"Now GET OUTTA HERE!" The boss ordered.
They immediately got up and left as quickly as they could.
Then the boss pulled out a secret phone and made a call.
"It's Hun. I might have a unique problem to our partnership and it might require extra assistance later." He said to the one listening on the other end as things were starting to get more intense for the Purple Dragons.
Back in the lair, the Turtles were excitedly talking about their little adventures they'd had that evening with their senseis. The two of them were pleased to hear that they had fun, and that they had done some good.
"I am happy to hear that you have used your skills to help others." Splinter declared. "But, you must now be more careful as your presence is known, even though they don't fully understand what you are yet."
"Yes, sensei," responded the Turtles.
"Now, until then, I believe I smell something good in that box." Splinter pointed out.
"Sure thing." Mike said as he gave them what they brought back for their sensei/parents.
"Arigato!" Whiskers beamed.
"This smells like something we haven't had in a while." Splinter said as they went to eat.
"Oooh, milkshake!" Whiskers grinned.
Leon watched. "I'd say today went pretty well, yeah?" he asked.
The others agreed.
And so, the turtles each split up to do whatever they wanted for the rest of the day.
For Mike, there was only one thing he wanted to do. He started drawing the girl he saw.
He sharpened a fresh new pencil, blew it off, and began sketching her, deluged with inspiration.
He only saw her for a moment or two, but he remembered her face perfectly.
By the time he finished, he gave a confident smile and pinned the picture onto his bulletin board near his bed. "A vision of unfathomable beauty," he smiled proudly.
He had hope that he would see her again as he felt a lot of things for her, but for now he was tired from such an exciting day and needed some rest.
"Who knows?" Mike smiled as he went to brush his teeth. "...maybe I'll dream about her."
Soon he went to bed full of hope and excitement as he couldn't wait for the next day to come.
[End of Part One, dudes!]