Since I visited Dre and spoke with Oroku Saki, my mind was unsettled. I kept going to the school week until Saturday hits and I let my mind run wild as I stared at my bedroom ceiling. Reincarnation, bond, resonance? What the fuck did I get myself into? And the icing on the cake was Leo – mutant turtle Leonardo – was my past life's lover; we were soulmates. The word soulmate spun in my brain. Leo's my soulmate. Leo's my soulmate.
My soulmate. Soulmate. Soulmate. Soul. Mate.
I grabbed a pillow and let out a cry. Shut up, brain! I don't like it. Hell, I don't even hate it! I like the sound of that. Damn it!
I pinched my cheek hoping the pain could bring me back to reality. I was jumping into a deep hole, and I don't know where it leads.
Wait a second. I jumped up. Why am I getting worked up? I said I'd help Roku reconnect with Misa who happens to be Leo's reincarnation. It doesn't mean he and I are soulmates in this generation. We're friends. Really good friends.
My mind decided to show me the moment I was about to kiss Leo and after kissed his cheek before leaving. I love the way how flustered he gets whenever I do such a thing. He's too cute.
I slapped my cheeks! Come on, Merrill! Stop thinking about it! You don't need to tease your friend every time. In a matter of time, I would disappear and live as a shadow puppet; an obedient shadow puppet who does whatever his parents ordered.
I jumped hearing my phone ringing. God, I was being pathetic. I checked the caller ID, but it was a number I didn't recognize. I was going to decline the call, yet I was curious who it was, so I answered it. I was shocked to hear Donatello. He called to invite me to catch some oozequitoes. I should've rejected the offer. I found myself agreeing and I went off to the destination Donnie wanted me to meet.
I was contemplating how I was going to compose myself. I need to keep the information from Leo until a better opportunity. How will he react of the whole past life thing? Or of us being soulmates?
...maybe I should leave out the soulmates part...
So, I stocked up and hitched my motorcycle. I was getting close to the destination when I saw a whole bunch of people exiting a tall building. I recognized it. It was the Grand Nexus Hotel, the crowning jewel of NYC. It was also one of the ritziest hotels in the city; they have a three-year waiting list just for an opening unless you have connections. Seeing the chaos erupting I knew the oozequitoes were involved, but I had to wait until the turtles got here for I don't have the equipment to stop or obtain the insects. So, I waited.
I was smoking my cigs while leaning against the building when I saw a large vehicle driving this way. It looked like an oversized tank. At a distance, it reminded me of a speeding turtle... oh, my God it's them...
My eyes stared at my bike. My ride drove on autopilot and relocated to an alleyway before the vehicle collided it. The door opened; a ramp spewed. The turtles walked out wearing the tackiest suits I've ever seen. It reminded me of futuristic hazmat suits.
"Please tell me you guys just got out of a sci-fi convention", I said after inhaling a deep drag. If I'm going to survive whatever shit they got in store, I'm gonna need all the mentality I can take.
Raph looked at me, surprised. "What? Goth Boy? What are you doing here? Leo, did you invite him again?"
"For once, I didn't, hermano", Leo replied who was just as surprised as he was.
"Actually, I did", Donnie said. His brothers stared between us.
"Yeah, Don here called and asked to tag along", I said, scratching my cheek, "how did you get my number?"
"I hacked into Leo's phone. By the way, you should consider getting a journal instead of using the notepad app to write cute nicknames for Merrill."
I blinked. "Wait, what?"
Leo jumped in front of his soft-shell brother. "Nothing! Nothing! Dee's just being a dumb-dumb."
'I'm so gonna kill him!'
"Merrill, hi! Remember me!" Mikey went between Leo and me.
"How can I forget an adorable turtle like you?" I said, sweetly.
Raph pulled his younger brother away. "Don't start! We're here to stop the oozequitoes from terrorizing the citizens!"
I snuffed my cigarette. "Lead the way, Capitan", I saluted, mockingly. Raph huffed as he entered the hotel. We followed his lead. After entering, I was amazed at the elegant décor infested with hundreds of oozequitoes. I looked at the turtles' choice of exterminating these insects. Don still had his tech-bo. Mikey had a honey wand. Leo got a gas tank. Raph... had an electric racket. They added more ingredients to a chaos smoothie with extra nuts. I kinda felt left out since I wasn't fully equipped like them. Instead, my scanners picked up a bystander hiding behind the registration deck. I quickly jumped over it which scared the man. He was a lanky bellhop. "You good, man?", I asked.
"No, I'm not good, man!" he yelled. Well, then, fuck you too. "This hotel is a mess! Mosquitos are everywhere! My boss will have my hide on a silver platter!" he started to panic.
I sighed. "Sir, listen. Follow me outside so the... professionals can deal with the problem." I wanted to vomit. Not because I told the bellhop the turtles were professionals; it's because I had to use a sweet voice to console him. I thought I did a job. Apparently, I didn't since he saw the "exterminators" discussing their plan.
Raph's plan... involved smashing. How did I know? Because he said it three times. We get it. You love to hit stuff. Raph went to one side which caused the table to shake and drop a small vase. The bellhop saved it in a flash.
"Maybe we should save the guy from being mutated", Leo suggested.
"I'm on it!" I yelled trying to get caught up with a paranoid man.
When I looked over to the other side, all Hell broke loose. Raph gave Mikey a signal. Mikey pressed a button on his pack. Honey sprayed out of the wand. He was covered in honey. I get what he's trying to do... but honestly, it's a dumb idea. Mikey pranced around the lobby like a grasshopper. Everywhere Michelangelo went, furniture and decorations were falling off which made my job harder since the bellhop tried to salvage the objects before they get damaged. Mikey almost knocked me.
"Mikey! Enough with the frigging honey! You almost drenched my clothes!" I yelled at the box turtle.
"Sorry!" I rolled my eyes as I continued to chase after the bellhop.
Who would've thought catching a thin man would be difficult? The bellhop chased and caught anything that almost hit the floor which was caused by the sheer chaos brewing in the lobby. Raph and Leo were too busy arguing about something; probably disagreeing on the other's idea. Donnie decided to throw a small, clear sphere at one of the insects. It easily dodged it; however, his little trinket ricocheted every surface it touched. The sphere caught Donnie and his turtles. Basically, the sphere was supposed to collect the oozequitoes instead it collected the turtles. It nearly got me if I didn't dodge it.
The bellhop was frantically organizing the lobby to the way things were. I was getting too frustrated that the shadows sprang to life and encased him. Ever since I gained this ability, the shadows and darkness do whatever I command. I was like the darkness whisperer. It was dope. The man struggled. I knew it wasn't my best idea but it was better than him running around like a headless chicken.
Suddenly, an oozequito landed on his neck and injected the mutagen. Fuck. The mutagen turned him into a bull. His newfound strength broke through my dark clutches and ran away. He collided with everything in his path. He really was a raging bull in a China shop. He escaped along with all the little devils flying out.
Right... that's on me.
Donnie's sphere rolled beside me with the turtles still locked inside.
"Nice going, Merrill! You let a human get mutated", Raph blamed me.
I rolled my eyes. "I'll admit I'll take that responsibility, but I'm not the one destroying a filthy rich hotel lobby. And Mikey, honey, seriously?"
"But I was delicious!" Mikey pouted.
"And I bet anyone would love to eat you up."
"Don't fill my baby brother's head with dirty jokes!" Raph yelled. "How are you going to fix this?"
"Oh, gee. Maybe if someone would listen to my plan we wouldn't be in this situation", Leo said.
"Oh, the classic Leo-Raph banter. Can we reschedule and we get out of here before we're spotted?" Donnie deactivated his invention. He and his brothers fell on top of each other after release.
"Alright, Mad Dogs –"
"Tortuga Locas!"
Raph frowned. "Let's make like a Merrill and bounce this place."
"Since when did I become a phrase?" I asked. Before we were about to leave. The elevator opened. A giant group of hotel staff rushed into the lobby and fixed the area with robotic synchronicity. I noticed all the staff members were wearing similar pins. I recalled the bellhop didn't have any pins on his uniform. Coincidence? Maybe... It took minutes until the lobby looked as prim and proper as it was supposed to be.
Then, two staff rolled out a red carpet. It rolled out and passed us all the way to the hotel entrance. After, two buff security guards were carrying a curvy woman down the steps like she was their queen. She jumped off and landed with grace.
"You turned my hotel in a tizzy winkle", she said with a smile. Her violet skin threw me off. Obviously, she ain't human.
"You sure that was us?" Raph asked, innocently, "we HUMAN exterminators would humbly pay for the damages."
"You better not be suggesting I be your personal piggy bank", I stated, "Otherwise, I'm bouncing."
"Not to worry", the woman said with a giggle, "you're one with your kind." She clapped her hands. Her entire staff touched their brouches and they were consumed in mini mystic twisters like those two warriors we faced before. Later, their true colors were shown. Each staff was copies of a devil with small horns.
The turtles yanked their disguises off. "Whoa, a hotel of mutants!"
"Mutants", the woman chuckled at the accusation, "no, no, sweetums. We are yokai."
"Yokai? As in Japanese folklore yokai?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"The very same, my dear dark boy." Well, it was a step up from Goth Boy.
"How did you know that?" Leo asked me.
"Would you believe me if I said I'm one-fourth Japanese? Also, I enjoyed reading about these kinds of things."
"Of course, you would", Raph grumbled.
"Basically, these people are demons, ghouls, monsters in general."
"I prefer if you refer to us as yokai, dear. It sounds rather a specist", she sternly insisted, "And you may refer to me as Big Mama, owner of the Grand Nexus Hotel." Her voice held more authority than a hotel owner's. And Big Mama? That's the kind of name you hear as a mob boss.
The elevator dinged. From there climbed a taller man who looked more human than Big Mama. "A pleasure to meet you. My name is Xander", a guy my age walked beside Big Mama. He had a tailored suit exactly like the woman. His long, sea foam was tied to a low ponytail. His eyes were sharp. His skin was peach-colored.
"Xannie, sweetie. Good of you to join us", Big Mama greeted, "boys, this is my right-hand man and son, Xander. Without him, well, I could manage, but he knows the layout of my hotel inside and out."
"Mother please, you flatter me so. I merely want to do my best in case there you were absent. I want to ensure your hotel remains in tiptop form. And who might you be?" Mr. Smooth guy asked us.
"These guys are my brothers", Raph happily introduced, "Leo, Mikey, Donnie, and our human tag-along, Merrill." Excuse you, bitch! "I'm Raph."
"Charmed." Xander offered Leo his hand. What shocked me wasn't how Leo shook his hand – Leo was reluctant – but the fact that he had the nerve to kiss the slider's hand on the back of his palm. Leo softly gasped at the gesture. His brothers were just as shocked.
My shock immediately turned to anger.
"Back the fuck off, Mama's Boy," I said, taking his hand away from Leo. Both looked at me in shock. "Ever heard of look but don't touch."
Xander smirked while swiftly releasing his hand from my grip. "My goodness. How possessive of you. It's understandable, though, humans are greedy creatures; always taking things that aren't theirs."
"Last time I check, every living creature is greedy. Just 'cuz you ain't human doesn't mean you're above me", I stated with a heated glare.
"Uh, guys? Yeah, the turtle you're fighting for can speak for himself", I heard the slider say annoyed, but with our eyes lock in a death stare it was ignored.
"As a matter of fact, our little squabble would be child's play. Our match would end in merely half a minute", Xander mocked, "hardly worth the time and effort."
"Wanna test that theory?" I challenged, stepping close to the silver-haired prick.
My blood boiled seeing the guy's turned to a grin. He leaned to my level. "By all means."
"Merrill, knock it off", Leo ordered. His hand was on my chest and pushed me away.
"Yeah, we're trying to make friends not enemies", Raph lectured.
I glared up at the huge snapping turtle. "Are you fucking serious?! This guy is literally hitting on your brother and you're standing there like it's not a big deal!" I turned to the other two turtles. "And you two! Why aren't you getting involved?!"
Donnie nonchalantly shrugged. "I just want to see who would win. My money is on Xander." My eyebrow twitched. Donatello, you traitorous son of a bitch! I looked at Mikey.
"I like you, Merrill, I really do", Mikey consoled me by patting my back, "but I'm not getting involved in your love triangle. Don't worry! You have my full support!" okay... not the answer I wanted, but sure.
"Boys please", Big Mama announced, "let's continue our fidgety conversation elsewhere. I wouldn't want the staff to reconstruct my lobby after the mishap."
"Of course, Mother", Xander agreed, "Leonardo, why don't we chat in my quarters? I have sparkling cider I have imported from France. We can discuss our livelihood without interruptions." He smiled a Prince-Charming smile. I ground my teeth. Fucking showoff.
"Slow your roll, Casanova, we just met", Leo rejected. Ha, in your face, puta. 'You're not off the hook, either.' I stared at the blue-bandana-wearing turtle; he didn't look at my way. 'Why are you getting jealous all of a sudden?'
I ain't jealous. This guy is pissing me off! I went back to glaring at Mama's Boy.
'Right... it really shouldn't bother you since I don't want anything to do with him.'
Of course, it doesn't bother me!
'Says the jealous goth.'
I'm NOT jealous!
'Alright... so, if I get angry, you called it jealousy. But when you get angry, you don't call it jealousy. That's not fair!'
Puta, I don't you I'm not fucking jealous!
'Then why are you getting frustrated over a guy flirting with me?'
"Because we're soulmates!" the lobby was silent. My eyes widened, watching Xander examine me. My body stiffed. My fingers twitched here and there. I could feel everyone's eyes on me. Sweat was piling up on my forehead. I was brave enough to glance at Leo.
The slider's face was a deep muddy red.
Shit.