- Chapter 7 -

Cat and Turtle

Raph felt hot. Very hot.

He opened his eyes and gasped in horror as he found himself tied up and being roasted on a spit.

"No..." he whimpered.

He twisted and turned in his bindings, trying to see what was turning him on the spit. His eyes then fell on a slobbering, rabid-looking, demonic cat. He frantically struggled against the ropes, sweating like mad as he tried to free himself.

"Stop squirming, turtle," the cat hissed. "I'm starving, and I get agitated when I'm stalled from my dinner."

"No!" Raph begged. "Please, I'll find you a nice mouse! Anything!"

The cat shrugged. "Nothing personal. A cat's gotta eat after all."

Raph squeezed his eyes shut and screamed.

-X-

Raph sat up with a start, panting heavily as sweat poured down his face. He looked around frantically, grateful to find himself in his own bed. He looked around his room before sighing in relief.

"That dream again..." he let out before flopping onto his sheets. "Damn it..."

He glanced over at a small tank sitting on a table, where a small tortoise poked its head out of its shell. Raph smiled at the sight of Spike, his pet tortoise, which he had rescued after he had been flushed down into the sewer three years prior. He picked up the tortoise and hugged him close.

"Wow..." he whispered, stroking Spike's shell lovingly.

The door slowly opened, revealing Leo, his face one of concern.

"Raph, are you okay?" he asked, entering the room and closing the door behind him.

Raph sighed, sitting up on the bed and scooting over so Leo would have a place to sit. "I had that dream again. About that psycho cat."

Leo sat down next to Raph on the bed, looking more than a bit worried. This was not the first time Raph had been plagued by this particular nightmare. He had confided in Leo in desperation, swearing the blue turtle to secrecy.

"I thought you got over that dream years ago," Leo commented, placing a comforting hand on his brother's shell.

"I dunno..." Raph remarked. "It's stupid, really."

"Maybe you should tell Master Splinter about it."

Raph shook his head. "No way. He'll probably tell me it's all in my head, or say I'm crazy."

"I still think you should, if it's bugging you this much. Besides, I highly doubt that he'll call you crazy."

Raph gave in, throwing his arms up. "Ugh, fine. I'll tell him in the morning."

The next morning...

After breakfast, Splinter sat in the dojo in the midst of his morning meditation. Raph cautiously entered. He hesitated in the doorway, rubbing his arm awkwardly.

"Hey dad?"

Splinter opened one eye, glancing over at his son before closing it again. "What is the matter, Raphael?"

"Can I..." Raph began, coughing slightly to cover his awkwardness. "Can I talk to you in private?"

"Of course," Splinter replied, gesturing to a cushion in front of him. "Please, sit down."

Raph closed the doors to the dojo and took a seat. Sighing, he began his tale.

"For a while now, I've had this... dream." He grimaced, turning away. "Well, more of a nightmare really. It's happened on and off since I was little."

"Nightmare?" Splinter repeated.

"This big, psycho cat…" Raph clarified. "He attacks me, tries to eat me. And it's always the same cat every time. A big, ugly tabby cat with a weird right eye."

Splinter's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the cat.

"I'm sure you're going to tell me that it's all in my head," Raph continued. "That it's just a dream, and that I shouldn't think anything of it."

Splinter sighed. "Raphael... that was not just a dream."

That took Raph by surprise. "What?" he let out, his voice barely audible.

"There are many things I have not told you, most of which I kept from you for your own safety. But this... I thought you were too young to remember. I should have known such an experience would leave a scar..."

"Dad... What happened?"

Splinter let out a shuddering breath as the memories from so long ago returned to him. "The cat in your dreams calls himself Old Hob. He was exposed to the mutagen around the same time the six of us were..."

Flashback

The young Turtles and Kagome happily played in the tunnels near the lair while Splinter and Kasumi tidied the place up, unaware of a large, humanoid cat slowly approaching them.

"Unlike us, he maintained a more... feral disposition," Splinter explained. "More than that, he was hungry."

The cat slowly approached the Turtles from the shadows, salivating in anticipation.

"He found you not long after we moved here. You were all playing in the tunnels while Kasumi and I cleaned up the lair."

Moving at lightning speed, the cat lunged forward and snatched up a young Raph. Raph looked into the cat's eyes, seeing his scary teeth and screamed in fear. From the lair, Kasumi and Splinter heard the screams and dashed out, gasping in shock and anger to see the cat holding Raph, his intent clear.

"He tried to capture you and eat you," Splinter went on. "Kasumi and I heard your screams and came out just in time."

Splinter narrowed his eyes at the cat, who turned to see him.

"Get away from my son!" he shouted before charging the cat.

He kicked it in the stomach, and caught Raph as he fell. Kasumi quickly gathered up the Turtles and Kagome and took them to safety. Splinter and the cat furiously clashed, and eventually, Splinter furiously swiped at the cat with his claw, slashing him across his right eye. The cat screamed, one hand going to his bloodied, ruined eye.

"Leave this place," Splinter ordered, calm but cold. "Now."

The cat hissed, and wisely decided to go.

"You'll pay for this, rat," he said as he went. "No one crosses Old Hob."

And with that, he was gone. Splinter ran back to the lair, seeing a shaken but unharmed Raph clutching Kasumi's leg. He knelt down and hugged him in relief.

Flashback Over

"You were unharmed, and Hob showed no signs of returning," Splinter continued. "I brushed off the incident, foolishly thinking there'd be no repercussions of it. If I had known..."

"Dad, it's cool," Raph insisted. "I'm still here, aren't I?"

Splinter nodded solemnly. "Raphael... why didn't you tell me about these dreams sooner?"

Raph sighed. "I didn't know what to make of it. I thought they were just dreams, and that they'd go away eventually."

"In the future, please tell me these things," Splinter requested, placing a hand on Raph's shoulder. "You are my son. There is nothing in this world you cannot tell me."

Raph nodded, placing a hand on top of Splinter's. "Thanks, Dad. I needed this."

Splinter smiled back. "You're welcome."

"Besides, I'm sure that cat's probably long gone," Raph declared, letting that notion bolster his confidence. "Hell, he probably doesn't even remember what happened."

Splinter stroked his beard in thought. "Perhaps. I have not heard from him in fifteen years."

"Like I said," Raph repeated, "Tabby probably bit the big one a long time ago."

Raph couldn't have been more wrong. Old Hob was very much alive, and lurking in an old abandoned apartment building in the Bronx. He sat on an old mattress, dressed in a sleeveless white T-shirt and torn blue jeans, and a black eyepatch covering his missing right eye, slowly smoking a cigarette. A human thug slowly entered the room, and Hob looked up at his entry.

"Have you found them?" he asked.

"N-no," the thug replied. "We've searched all over the city. There's no sign of that rat or the turtles you keep mentioning.

Hob scowled and stood up. "How hard can it be to find a group of six freaks in this damn city?! It ain't that hard!"

The thug winced and recoiled and Hob turned to the window, glaring out at the city streets.

"I know those dicks are still in the city, and I ain't givin' up until I find them and make 'em pay for what they did to me."

-X-

Back at the Turtles' lair, Raph was exiting the dojo, feeling a little bit better after his talk with his sensei. That's when he noticed Mikey leaning off to the side, a smirk on his face.

"So," the orange turtle asked with a knowing lilt to his voice, "Seen any scary pussycats lately?"

Raph froze up, stopping in his tracks before turning to him. "What are you talking about, Mikey?"

"I heard everything last night," Mikey replied teasingly. "Big bad Raph is scared of cats! It's hilarious!"

Raph scowled, crossing his arms. "I am not!"

Suddenly, a cat's yowl went off behind him. Raph jumped with a start, instinctively withdrawing into his shell.

"CAT!" he screamed. "Get it away from me!"

From behind him, Donnie approached the two turtles, having been watching a cat video on his T-Phone, a special cell phone he had invented for the group. He paused the video, looking down at his terrified brother in confusion.

"Uh... Did I miss something?"

"Only perhaps the most cowardly display in the history of cowardice!" Mikey bellowed, laughing crazily while slapping his knee. "So much for not being afraid!"

Raph popped out of his shell, glaring at Mikey before cracking his knuckles audibly.

"That's it!" he shouted.

Before Mikey could react, Raph grabbed him by the arm and threw him across the room. He collided with the wall hard as Leo, Vee, and Hisako entered the room. Upon seeing their orange clad brother hit the wall, everyone rushed to his aid.

"Raph, what the hell?!" Leo demanded as they helped Mikey up.

"He heard everything last night, Leo," Raph replied. "And he shot his damn mouth off."

Vee raised an eyebrow curiously. "Heard what?"

"About Raph's irrational fear of cats," Hisako answered, hearing Raph's thoughts.

"You're... scared of cats?" Donnie said in surprise.

"Terrified of them, apparently," Mikey said, still grinning. "I mean, did you see how fast he retreated into his shell?"

Raph's fists clenched as he stomped towards Mikey. "You'd be scared of them too if one tried to eat you when you were a baby!"

That wiped the grin off Mikey's face instantly, and the others gasped in surprise.

"...Say what?" Leo asked.

Raph sighed, some of his anger leaving him. When he spoke again, he was a bit calmer than before. "Dad told me everything. The cat in my dreams is real. Or was, anyway. His name was Old Hob, and he tried to eat me as a kid."

"You were almost eaten?" Hisako asked, reaching for her brother sympathetically.

"Damn..." said Vee, crossing her arms as a disgusted expression crossed her face. "Who'd want to eat you?"

"Yeah," Mikey interjected. "They'd probably get indigestion."

Raph's anger returned in force as he turned towards his teasing siblings. He raised his hand to retort, but changed his mind before he said anything. With a furious snort, he stomped off angrily. Hisako gave Mikey a dirty look as Raph left the lair.

"Not cool, Mikey," she admonished him reproachfully.

"Yeah, way to go, shell-for-brains," Vee added.

"You're not getting out of this either, Vee," Leo said sternly, pointing to the kitchen. "Both of you, kitchen duty. Now."

Mikey and Vee groaned, then went off to do kitchen duty. Vee got to work on a large pile of dishes as Mikey took up a broom and began to sweep.

"Some people can't take a joke," the orange turtle grumbled in between strokes of the broom.

"There's a difference between joking and just being a dick, Mikey," Hisako shot back.

"Rule number one in this household," Donnie proclaimed, "Never mock someone's fears."

"Would you mock Hisako for being afraid of those brain things?" Leo asked.

Mikey winced, the very idea making him feel horrible. "I see your point."

"What may not seem scary to you may be terrifying to others, and almost getting eaten is a very good reason to be afraid," Hisako said sternly. "Think about that next time before you make fun of somebody."

Vee and Mikey exchanged guilty looks before returning to work.

-X-

Elsewhere, Raph had made it out of the sewers and was stomping around on the rooftops, making an effort to try to calm down.

"Damn Mikey," he muttered. "Who the hell does he think he is? When he almost gets eaten, then he can go ahead and try to crack stupid jokes."

He kicked an old pop can aside as he continued. "And Vee, with her whole 'who would eat you?' thing." He snorted. "I see how it is. Bitch..."

He let out an angry growl, and turned skyward. "Well, screw you both! I don't need you two asses! I can take care of myself!"

Unbeknownst to Raph, a foreboding figure in the shadows heard the yell and gave a toothy smile.

"Looks like I finally found one of 'em," the figure said, slowly approaching.

Raph heard the footsteps, and whirled around. "Hey, who's there?! I'm warning you! You mess with me, you're gonna get your head busted!"

"Man, you've certainly gotten some spunk in the last fifteen years," said a deep voice, just as its owner emerged from the shadows.

Raph's jaw nearly hit the floor at the sight of the figure. It was a tall, brown-furred cat with a black eye patch over his left eye, dressed in a sleeveless white T-shirt and old blue jeans under an old khaki trench coat. It was him, the figure that had haunted his nightmares on and off for the past fifteen years: Old Hob.

"N-no. It can't be..." he said nervously, backing up. "It... it's you!"

Hob smirked, rather pleased he'd left such an impression. "Hello there, little turtle."

Raph nervously looked around, putting a hand on the hilt of his sai.

"Please, don't eat me..." he begged. "I have so much to live for!"

Hob scoffed. "You can relax, kid. I ain't here to eat you." He stalked closer as he went on. "I'm here for a little payback."

The cat pointed to his eyepatch, tapping it with a single claw of his. "Since your rat dad took something of mine... I'm gonna take something of his."

The cat mutant began to salivate, and Raph finally snapped from the sheer terror.

"No!" he screamed. "STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!"

He turned tail and took off running. Hob gave a big, toothy smirk.

"I love it when they run," he said before chasing after Raph with a yowl.

-X-

Back at the lair, the other Turtles and Hisako were just hanging out in the living room watching TV. Mikey and Vee had finished up kitchen duty to Leo's satisfaction, and were waiting for Raph to return so they could apologize. As the sibling's waited, Leo's T-Phone went off and he answered it.

"Hey, Raph," he said, sighing. "Look, about Mikey and Vee-"

"That's not important right now!" Raph's voice came, sounding terrified. "I need help! Old Hob is back, and he's after me!"

Leo gasped, jumping to his feet. "What?! Where are you?!"

"The back alleys near Antonio's Pizza-Rama! Hurry up!"

With that, the line went silent. Leo tucked the phone onto his belt, turning to his siblings.

"Guys!" he shouted, getting everyone's attention. "Gear up! Raph's in trouble!"

"Raph actually called for help?" Donnie said, surprised. "What's going on?"

Leo looked at them solemnly. "Old Hob, that's what's going on."

That was all it took. The group immediately dove for the weapons cabinet.

-X-

Elsewhere, Hob had managed to corner Raph in an alleyway. Raph put his back against the wall, shivering in fear as the cat approached.

"I'll try to make this painless, kid," he said, smirking. "No promises, though."

Looking around and weighing his options, Raph made a decision. "No... not again! You're not gonna get me without a fight!"

He charged at Hob in a blind panic, swinging. Hob casually dodged, smirking. "Spunky. I like that. Ain't gonna save you though."

"Just stay the hell away from me!" Raph screamed, hiking his foot directly into Hob's groin.

On impact, Hob's eye widened and his pupil dilated from the pain. He collapsed with a pained meow, cupping his groin.

"You're not gonna get me!" Raph shouted. "You're not gonna get me!"

He nailed Hob in the face with a right hook, knocking him flat before jumping over him. The second his feet touched the ground, he was running out the alley, where he was met with Leo and the others.

"Raph!" Leo called out. "Are you okay?! What happened?!"

"Where's the cat?" Hisako asked.

"He's in the alley," Raph replied. "I kicked him in the nuts and took off."

Mikey approached him, looking remorseful. "Raph, I am so sorry I made fun of your fear."

"Same here," Vee added. "We were just playing around. We didn't mean to-"

Before she could go on, an angry hiss sounded from the alleyway. After a minute, Hob emerged, cupping his groin and limping.

"So," he said as his eye fell on the group, "the whole family is here."

Feeling braver, Raph took a step forward, glaring at his hated foe. "That's right! Now you've got all of us to deal with, pussycat!"

The Turtles and Hisako all drew their weapons, glaring at Hob.

"So," Leo said, "you're Old Hob."

Hob scowled. "Yeah, so what?"

"You tried to eat our brother," Donnie told him, calm but cold.

"And we got a thing about people trying to hurt our family," Hisako added.

"So," Vee concluded, "it's time for kitty cat to get spayed and neutered."

Hob snarled at them as the sextet charged at him, and they clashed. While the Turtles and Hisako all fought with disciplined martial arts, Hob fought back with a wild street style.

"Not bad, Hob," Leo said, dodging a claw swipe. "You're good, but you lack discipline."

"And you lack integrity, teaming up with a human," Hob shot back, looking at Hisako. "Humans are all bastards! All they do is put us mutants down and treat us like shit!"

"Wow..." Hisako said flatly. "I am seriously insulted." She flung him into a wall with telekinesis, approaching him with a cold look on her face as the cat looked at her in shock. "Two of my friends are human!"

"And we grew up with two humans!" Mikey commented. "One is like a mom to us, and the other is like a sister!"

"So you found a few good ones," Hob said dismissively. "Big whoop."

"No, you're wrong about humans!" Donnie exclaimed. "Sure, they can be hateful and selfish. And they fear what they don't understand. But they're good on the inside. They're just flawed. They can do better!"

Hob scoffed at that. "Better? Ha!" He spat on the ground. "If you really think that, then just go on and step out onto those streets. The minute a human sees you, they'll freak out and kill you on the spot without batting a goddamn eye!"

"Doesn't change a thing, tabby," Raph retorted. "Besides, I'd take them over you any day!"

He quickly dashed forward, punching Hob in the gut. As he reeled, Raph kicked him back.

"Seriously? You're the big, scary cat that tried to eat me when I was a kid?" he sneered mockingly. "You're a freakin' joke! I can't believe I was ever afraid of you!"

"You should be, turtle boy," Hob retorted, backhanding Raph across the face before spreading his fingers wide, unsheathing his claws. "I'm gonna make mincemeat out of you!"

He swiped at Raph, only for one of Vee's kama to intercept the blow.

"No. You're not," she said, forcing him back. "You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us! And when you mess with the Ninja Turtles, you get your ass kicked. Hard."

With that, they all ganged up on Hob, who was unable to counter the six-on-one assault and was beaten senseless. Finally, Raph stepped forward, punching a barely conscious Hob in the face and knocking him out before looking at a nearby dumpster.

"Time to take out the trash," he said, dragging the mutant cat over and tossing him in.

Mikey slammed the lid closed and Vee slid one of her kamas into the lock, trapping him. Raph turned to Mikey and Vee.

"As for you two..." he said, "apology accepted."

The three hugged for a solid minute before releasing one another.

"Raph, I can see why you were afraid of that thing," Vee said. "He was something else."

Raph shrugged. "Eh, he was a lot scarier when we were babies. And if he ever shows up again, we can take him."

"Let's go home," Hisako requested, sniffing slightly before groaning. "I think I got cat hair in my shirt."

"Sounds like a plan," Raph declared.

With that, the group walked away, leaving Hob to rot in the trash.

Some time later...

Hob was snapped back to consciousness when he heard the dumpster open. He sat up, and was faced with two identical-looking men in suits.

"What the hell?" he questioned aloud, looking between them.

"A new mutation," one man commented. "How interesting."

"Back off, you pricks!" Hob hissed, sprouting his claws.

Before he could do anything, the second man drew a taser and jolted him with it. Hob screamed in agony before passing out, the second man catching him and hoisting him over his shoulder.

"Let's see what the General thinks of this one," he suggested.

The first man smirked. "I think he'll be real happy."

Author's Note:

Another one bites the dust.

For those who don't know, Old Hob is from the IDW Publishing comics.

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Old Hob - Patrick Seitz (Scorpion from Mortal Kombat, Franky from One Piece, Keith from Attack on Titan, Laxus Dreyar from Fairy Tail, Ragna the Bloodedge from BlazBlue, Jiren from Dragon Ball Super)

Please R&R. Until next time!