Bayverse!Raph as a Boyfriend Headcanons <3 (but I psychoanalyzed him way too much)
Parenting: Raph x Female Reader
Warnings: Low self-esteem, body dysphoria, this is more serious, sorry, yeah nsfw
This man is the definition of โIโm a mess, but if someone even looks at you, theyโre dead.โ
In the Bayverse movies, Raph carries a deep-seated resentment toward himself. Itโs not just his aggressive attitude or his constant need to fightโdeep down, heโs convinced that he doesnโt deserve anything good. And when it comes to loveโฆ God, itโs even worse.
In his mind, itโs impossible for someone to see him as anything other than a monster. Not a mutant, not a warrior, not a manโa monster. And even though heโd never say it out loud (because, to him, admitting it would give it power), every time he sees youโevery time you smile at him, every time you talk to him like heโs not some freak of natureโhis brain just short-circuits.
Because what could he possibly offer you?
Donnie has intelligence and could talk to you about a million fascinating things. Mikey would make you laugh and shower you with love without hesitation. Leoโฆ well, Leo has always been the strong one, the one who makes the right decisions, the one who is everything he isnโt.
But him? Heโs just Raph. Impulsive, hot-headed, stubborn, and with a track record of messing up at the worst possible moment.
And the worst part is that even though he loves you in silence, even though he wants you more than heโd ever admit, he would never dare to do anything about it. Becauseโฆ what if you realize heโs not worth it? What if you snap out of it and realize you could have someone better? What if one day you look at him and see what he sees in the mirror?
Thatโs why Raph would never make the first move. Heโd never stare for too long, never dare to cross that line. But his possessiveness would betray him. The way his brow furrows when you talk to someone else. How his jaw clenches when someone gets too close. How his knuckles go white when he feels like someone else has what heโll never be able to have.
And if you do return his feelingsโฆ God, Raph wonโt process it. He wonโt believe it. Heโll convince himself itโs a mistake. That heโs going to ruin it. That he doesnโt deserve thisโthat you deserve better.
But if you prove him wrongโif you stay, if you choose him every single dayโheโll be the most fiercely loyal and protective person you could ever have by your side.
Because even if he never says it out loud, even if he never fully admits it, even if he still doesnโt quite believe it himselfโฆ knowing that someone sees him as more than a monster is the only thing that could ever heal the wounds heโs carried his entire life.
Raph doesnโt know how to love halfway. He doesnโt know how to be lukewarm, how to be indifferent. His love is a wildfireโone that consumes and leaves scars if left unchecked. And thatโs exactly why he hides it. Because heโs afraid that if he lets it out completely, heโll end up burning the thing he loves the most.
Heโs a passionate lover. But not the kind who sweetens his words or whispers promises in hushed tones. No. Raph loves through actions. He loves by protecting, by holding on, by remembering every little detail, by always being there even when you donโt ask. His love is something you feel in the tension of his muscles when someone gets too close, in the way his gaze darkens when someone makes you laugh a little too much, in the way his handโhis massive handsโgrip your waist as if you might disappear at any moment.
But as fiery as his love is, his insecurity is just as cold as a bucket of ice water. Heโs not the type to throw tantrums or make a scene just because someone else talked to you. No. His jealousy is quiet, internal, corrosive. Not because he doesnโt trust you, but because he doesnโt trust himself.
Every time he looks at you, every time his eyes land on you, his mind is flooded with the same whirlwind of thoughts:
โGod, sheโs so beautiful.โ
โI love her.โ
โMine.โ
โIncredible.โ
โI donโt know how she chose me.โ
โShe could have anyone else.โ
โฆ
โI donโt know how she chose me.โ
โThere are better men than me.โ
That last thought is the one that hurts the most. Because no matter how many times you prove him wrong, no matter how many times you stay, no matter how many times you choose him over and over againโdeep down, the idea that you could leave never fully leaves him.
Thatโs why he holds on, even if you donโt notice. Not in a desperate way, not in an obvious way. But itโs there. In how he always walks in a way that keeps his body between you and any other man. In how his fingers sometimes grip the fabric of your clothes just a little too tightly when youโre around others. In how his gaze turns sharp and lethal, even without saying a word.
Because Raph is a warrior. A soldier. A fighter.
But when it comes to love, he doesnโt fight with the same confidence.
Not because he doesnโt want toโ
But because he doesnโt believe he has the right to.
Raph isnโt afraid of many things. Not of pain, not of fighting, not of facing an enemy who could kill him at any moment.
But heโs afraid of heights.
And heโs afraid of himself.
Sometimes, on the darkest nights, when the world is silent and there are no distractions to keep him occupied, that fear eats him alive. It burns through his chest like acid. Because he knows what he is. He knows heโs not like Leo, who can think before he acts. He knows heโs not like Donnie, who can analyze things without letting emotions cloud his judgment. Heโs not like Mikey, who can let things go with a smile.
He is rage.
He is fire.
He is violence contained within a body too big and a mind too tormented.
And if that rage were ever directed at youโฆ
That thought alone is enough to make his stomach twist. It sickens him, makes him want to throw up, to punch something just to distract himself from the possibility. Because Raph knows what itโs like to lose control. He knows what itโs like to feel his vision go red, to not realize what heโs doing until itโs too late.
But never, never could he allow that to happen to you.
And yetโฆ heโs human. (Well, as close as he can be.) And he makes mistakes.
If you ever fightโif his emotions ignite like an uncontrollable wildfire, if the heat of the argument blinds him, if his voice rises until it becomes a roarโGod, he doesnโt even realize what heโs saying. The words spill out like daggers, sharp and unfiltered, filled with frustration and things he doesnโt mean. And deep down, as every syllable poisons the air between you, his throat tightens, his tongue tastes foul, like heโs chewing on something rotten.
But thatโs not the worst part.
The worst part is when, in an impulsive actโbecause heโs always impulsiveโhis fist slams into the wall right beside you.
The sound echoes. A sharp, heavy thud.
Loud. Too loud.
And when the dust settles, when the echo of his own fury stops ringing in his ears, thatโs when he sees it.
Your eyes.
Wide open. Shocked. Scared.
Shit.
Shit, shit, shit.
That fear in your gaze hits him harder than any enemy heโs ever faced. Itโs like a punch to the chest, a bullet straight to the heart. His breath catches. His entire body freezes, and the fire inside himโthe one that fuels him, the one thatโs always ragingโsuddenly dies out.
There are no words to describe what he feels in that moment.
Shame. Guilt. Self-loathing.
Heโs not afraid that youโll hate him. Heโs afraid that youโd be right to.
That youโll finally see what heโs always known: that heโs not good for you. That heโs dangerous. That no matter how much he loves you, his own nature will always be his worst enemy.
And if he ever loses you because of thatโฆ
He doesnโt even know if heโd be able to keep breathing.
Your footsteps fade into the distance, echoing against the damp concrete of the sewers, and Raph stays right where he is.
Still.
Not moving.
Not doing what every fiber of his being is screaming at him to doโrun after you, stop you, grab you, tell you heโs sorry, that he didnโt mean to scare you, that he didnโt mean to make you cry.
But he doesnโt.
Because he can still see it in his mind. Your expression, that look in your eyes that wasnโt anger, wasnโt sadnessโ
It was fear.
God.
He clenches his fists and lowers his gaze. He wants to convince himself that heโs not following you because heโs too proud to apologize, because he hates admitting when heโs wrong (and he was wrongโhe always is when it comes to these arguments). He wants to tell himself that itโs because he was already in a shitty mood from arguing with Leo earlier, that itโs not his fault his temper is a ticking time bomb.
But deep down, he knows the truth.
He doesnโt follow you because heโs scared.
Because what the hell is he supposed to say? What words could erase what just happened? How could he possibly fix this without making it worse?
So he does the only thing he knows how to doโ
He hits.
His fist collides with the wall again, pain shooting through his knuckles like a reminder of what he is.
Of what he canโt change.
And yet, hours later, there he is.
Standing outside your window.
From out here, he can hear you. Not loud sobs, not heart-wrenching cries, but enough. Shaky breaths, the faint sound of your sniffles. And heโhe almost turns around right then, almost runs because he doesnโt know if he can take it.
But he doesnโt.
Because he fucked up. And if anyone deserves to carry the weight of this, itโs him.
Slowly, he opens your window (locked, but you gave him a key). He makes no sound as he climbs inside, though the floor creaks slightly beneath his weight. He finds you sitting on your bed, gaze lowered. And when you finally lift your head and your eyes meet hisโ
Itโs like the air is knocked right out of his lungs.
He doesnโt know what to say.
Heโs never been good with words. Never known how to express what he feels without his tongue getting tied, without his voice betraying what he really means to say.
So when he finally speaks, his words are clumsy, shortโ
A failed attempt at explaining the unexplainable.
But you see it.
You see the way his shoulders slump, the way his eyes avoid yours like heโs not worthy of looking at you. You see the tension in his jaw, the war between his pride and his regret.
And thenโhe does it.
A step forward. Then another. And another.
Until heโs right in front of you.
His massive hands take hold of you with an impossible gentleness, and in one swift motion, he pulls you against his chest.
Itโs firm. Warm. Encompassing.
There are no words that could say what this says.
His breathing is heavy, his heartbeat pounds against your ear. One arm wraps around you completely, the other cradles your head against his neckโlike heโs making sure you canโt leave, like he canโt lose you again.
And then you feel it.
A faint touch against your hair.
A kiss.
He doesnโt say โIโm sorryโ out loud. He doesnโt need to.
His actions say it all.
And you know it.
So yeah. Reconciliation.
But as he holds you, his forehead pressed against yours, his hand still gripping onto you like heโs terrified to let goโ
Raph can only think one thing:
โI just hope I donโt fuck this up again. And if I doโฆ God, please let her forgive me.โ
Loving Raph is complicated.
Not because he isnโt worth it, but because he makes it difficult. Because every day is a battle against his own fears, against the thought that maybeโjust maybeโheโs not enough for you.
But if youโre wondering about theโฆ intimate side of things.
Well.
We all know Raph isnโt exactly innocent.
In his mind, heโs already had you in every way possible. Heโs already imagined you gasping his name, cheeks flushed, breath ragged, looking at him like heโs the only thing that exists. Heโs lost count of how many times heโs had to slip away, lock himself in the bathroom, and let his hand do the work while his mind recreates you in vivid detailโevery little thing heโs memorized about you.
And when he really canโt take it, when the need is unbearable and his body begs for any kind of release, he just tells Mikey to sleep on the couch.
Itโs selfish. He knows that. But he doesnโt care.
Because that night, he needs his space.
He needs your scent still lingering on his pillow, needs to bury his face in it and close his eyes while his hand moves at a frantic paceโimagining itโs your skin heโs touching, your mouth around him instead.
But outside of his mind, outside of his most desperate fantasiesโ
Things areโฆ different.
So far, the farthest youโve gone is mutual masturbation. And God.
He thought he was going to die when he felt your lips around his length, when your tongue slid along his shaft and your eyes met his. His back hit the wall, and he let out a groan so deep he swore someone in the lair must have heard him.
And when he had you riding his fingers, gripping onto his arm as you unraveled in his hand, he swore his self-control was hanging by a thread.
But he always stops there.
Because Raph is big.
Not just in size, but in strength, in intensity, in everything. And no matter how much you want him, no matter how many times you assure him that he would never hurt you on purpose, that fear is still there.
That damn fear of hurting you.
Because if he were human, he already wouldโve had you. He wouldโve taken you the way heโs supposed to, given you everything you wantโeverything he craves with every fiber of his being.
But heโs not human.
And even though his hands were made to protect you, he canโt stop thinking about what would happen if he ever slipped up. If he ever lost control.
Loving him is complicated, huh?
But if thereโs one thing for sureโitโs that you could never get bored of him.
Because thereโs something incredible about the way he holds you when he jumps across rooftops, the cold air hitting your face and the night sky reflecting in his golden eyes. Thereโs something addictive about the feeling of being in his arms, adrenaline rushing through your veins as he moves with lethal precision, like the city belongs to him.
And if you train with himโฆ well, thatโs a whole different story.
Because Raph loves seeing you strong, seeing you challenge him, seeing you throw punches at him with all the determination in the world. And even though heโd never admit it out loud, he enjoys it way too much when you sit on his shell while he does push-ups.
Not just because he likes the weight of you on him, but because every time he pushes up and down, he can feel your laughter against his neck, your presence wrapping around him like a second skin.
And God knowsโthereโs nothing in the world that makes him feel more complete than that.
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"June flips the mini tape in her hand, presenting a name written on the cover with a red marker. โLeonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, andโฆโ Her face drains completely of color."
โBreathing steady,โ the purple-masked turtle relays aloud. June nods at his report with a relieved sigh. The turtle leans down to Aprilโs face, flicking on a flash beside his goggles. It causes her eyelids to flutter some. June shifts, hovering in anticipation.ย
โSheโs waking up,โ she whispers. โThatโs good.โ
โVery,โ the turtle exclaims as he swings his head to June. The lens of his tech goggles almost hits her in the face.ย
โWhoa,โ she lets out a short laughโher lips break out into a smile.
โOh, sorry,โ the turtle apologizes, showcasing his teeth. He turns back to April. โBlood pressure stabilizing too.โ
The blue-masked turtle kneels on the other side of June, scanning Aprilโs stirring state. She groans softly, and her eyes start to blink awake.ย
โApril?โ June calls for her attention, even though sheโs perched between two abnormally large turtles. โAre you alright?โ She places a hand on Aprilโs arm and gives her a small squeeze.ย
โWhy are we still here playing doctor?โ a grumbling voice mutters behind themโuninterested. June already knows the owner of it as she gives the red-masked turtle a hard glare over her shoulder. His eyes meet June, but they're softer than previously that it contradicts his tone. She resists a reaction from his unexpected gaze.
The blue-masked turtle interjects before June can speak. โShe may have a head injury,โ he clarifies, motioning to April. The red-masked brute paces boredlyโhis response is a lazy grunt.ย
โUh, correction,โ the orange-masked turtle says with a raised finger, โsheโs a hot chick who may have a head injury, which makes it our civic dutyโฆโ
โShut it,โ June cuts him off with a scowl. The blue-masked turtle chuckles beside her, and June faintly hears the same noise from another turtle. But she doubts heโd admit to it.ย
โMaโam? Maโam! Can you hear me?โ the purple-masked turtle begins to snap his finger in Aprilโs face. The focus is back on them. โDo you know what city youโre in? Do you know where you are?โ he asks as April blinks her eyes open.ย
The orange-masked turtle stands over June. โHave you seen the video where the cat plays Chopsticks with the chopsticks?โ June unintentionally snorts at his question.
โCan we focus here?โ The blue-masked turtle barks as shoves his partner away by the face. He turns back to April and holds her shoulder.
She squints at the harsh light. June notices, and elbows the purple-masked turtle. โTurn off the flashlight!โ she rushes him.
โOh right,โ he says and scrambles with the switch. The light flicks off, and Aprilโs vision starts to clear.
โHey, sis,โ June waves. โGlad youโre awake,โ she smiles at her, comfortingly. But it doesnโt hide the four stalking turtles situated around her.
Aprilโs eyes roam the appalling sight in front of her. She hesitates to move, staring up in disbelief. Her voice is hoarse as she asks, โAre you okay, Juno?โ She searches for Juneโs hand.
โMe?โ June exclaims, linking their fingers together. โYouโre the one that passed out. Are you okay?โ
April sniffles a pained laugh. โYeah, Iโm good.โ
The rooftop is quiet for a moment. April finds her eyes skimming the turtles again. Her expression turns skeptical, and the purple-masked turtle realizes it first. He starts to back away, dragging his blue partner with him.ย
โGuys, please. Give her some air,โ he tells them. June looks at him, thankful.
April tentatively sits up, switching her eyes between Juneโs unbothered state and the curious turtles watching her back.ย
โWhat are you?โ April blurts without thought. June moves to crouch beside her, holding her arm.
The blue-masked turtle looks back at his partners, then at April. โWell, miss, uhโฆ weโre ninjas.โ He holds his fist with his other hand as he bows his head.ย
โWeโre mutants,โ the red-masked turtle spits over the two sisters. He watches for their reaction to his statement but June doesnโt give him one to analyze.
The purple-masked turtle, still wearing his tech goggles, adds, โWell, technically, weโre turtles.โย
โOh, and weโre teenages,โ the orange-masked turtle beams. He grows a sly smirk, โbut we can still have adult conversations.โ
June and April share a look, trying to wrap their heads around the information given. June has had a little more time to do so, but April still needs to blink her eyes closed for a moment to process.
โWait, wait,โ she mumbles, using Juneโs help to stand up properly. The turtles take another step back to give them room. โSo, youโre ninjaโฆ mutantโฆ turtleโฆ teenagers?โ she drags out each word, looking at the turtle who spoke it.
โReally?โ June quips with a lift of her eyebrow. โNinja mutant turtle teenagers?โ
โWell, when you put it like that it sounds ridiculous,โ the purple-masked turtle comments, offended, throwing a hand up.ย
The long second stretches on the rooftop while everyone simply stares. April flicks her eyes to each turtle, giving them her own scan while June can only find her gaze seeking a certain red-masked turtle crouching on a HVAC unit in the back.ย
He narrows his eyes at June, snarling under his breath. Her lingering stare was uncomfortably drawn-out, filled with thoughts he couldnโt read. And it crawled under his skin. โSee, sheโs looking at us like weโre freaks!โ he accuses, pointing solely at June.ย
She flinches at the distaste in his tone. โMe?โ She gasps, before arguing back, โNo, Iโm not.โ
โYou clearly are,โ he bites.
โIโmโyouโve been looking at me the same way!โ June takes a step forward, beside April. โYou havenโt stopped glaring at me this whole time. If you got something to say to me, then say it!โ
The red-masked turtle is at a halt for words. The tension on the rooftop is palpable as the others watch the interaction, bewildered.ย
June crosses her arms, flustered under all the eyes on her. โWhatever,โ she mutters.
April places a hand on her sisterโs shoulder. โWe didnโt mean to cause trouble.โ
โOh, really? Like we believe that.โ the red-masked turtle scoffsโriled up again. June only watches him as he speaks to April. โI bet thatโs why you took our picture, wasnโt it? To show your friends?โ
April shakes her head as the large turtle jumps down from the unit to showcase his true height.ย
โBro, thatโs a good thing!โ The orange-masked turtle gushes with his arms out as the red turtle strolls closer to the sistersโhis footsteps are intimidatingly heavy. โMaybe they have hot friends!โ
The red-masked turtle pulls out Aprilโs phone and waves it tauntingly in their faces. โLooking for this?โ He grows a wicked smile. June frowns at him, lifting her chin as he towers over them.
โDonโt break it,โ April begs, bracing her hands out. The red-masked turtle continues to wave the small object in his oversized hand. He raises it higher in the air. โNo, no, no.โ Aprilโs breath starts to panic again.
The phone is swiftly snatched out of the red-masked turtleโs hand by the blue. He rolls his eyes as he scolds his partner, โHow many times do I have to tell you? We donโt break things, we fix them.โ April lets out an exhale in relief.
The red-masked turtle avoids eye contact as the blue gets in his face. He parents him like a child. โDonnie already wiped the phone, genius,โ his voice drops to a gentle whisper. โProblem solved. Moving on.โ The phone is handed back to April with an apologetic bow.ย
June cracks a smile at the red-masked turtleโs flushed expression as he casts his eyes down. She could see the green scales on his cheek tint a lighter color. She bites her bottom lip to restrain a giggle.
The red-masked turtle notices Juneโs amused look in the corner of his eye. His jaw ticks, once embarrassed now agitated.
His broad shoulders visibly tense. He whips his head away from June to the blue-masked turtle, pressing into his space. He shoves harshly at his shoulder to challenge, โAnd who put you in charge?โ
โYou know who did,โ the blue-masked turtle retorts just as fast, whispering in his partnerโs face.
The orange-masked turtle jumps on top of the HVAC unit to become the tallest. โOooh, tension,โ he interrupts to taunt them. โItโs been like thirty whole minutes since you guys had this argument.โ
The purple-masked turtle walks between the red and the blue, closing his hologram watch on his wrist. His tech goggles have left his eyes to sit on his forehead. He wears a pair of glasses instead. โLeonardo, if we want to make it home before Master, we gotta hustle,โ he warns the blue-masked turtle with an uneasy tone to his voice.
Aprilโs face scrunches in confusion. โLeonardo?โ she mumbles under her panting breath. June looks over at her, questioning if she spoke.ย
There is a silent exchange between the red and blue-masked turtles. They come to a temporary agreement before turning to the sisters with hard frowns on their faces. It startles April to take a cautious step back, dragging June with her, as the large figures stalk menacingly closer.
The blue-masked turtle uses the handle side of his sword to point at them as he leans down to their level. โDo not say a word about this to anyone. If you do, we will find you,โ he declares, his voice dropping an octave. โApril and June OโNeil.โย
โIs that a threat?โ June blurts. Her hand falls to her hip, insulted. April darts her eyes to her sister, shocked she spoke back. The blue-masked turtle tilts his head slightly. โI let you delete the picture from her phone. Obviously, we donโt want any more trouble.โ
โYou didnโt let us do anything,โ the red-masked turtle butts in. โAnd all you are is trouble. You probably walked right into the subway station knowing the Foot Clan were there, didnโt you?โย
โNo! Weโโ June is stuck juggling for a remark, but one never comes. She lets her mouth fall shut. The red-masked turtle humphs, proudly, with a loose smile. He cocks his eyebrow muscle up.ย
โThat has nothing to do with taking your photo,โ April interjects. โBut we wonโt say anything, alright?โ She directs to the blue-masked turtle. He nods, deeming the situation as solved.ย
The large brute covertly strains a glare at June. She returns one just as strong, unable to figure out why heโs so bothered by her. He saved her onceโno, twice. And yes, she's surprised he's not human, but June doesn't see him as a freak.
The blue-masked turtle pivots around to order the red, โWeโre on the move, Raphael.โ His rounded shell blocks their view from one anotherโJune can finally force her eyes away. She hears a scoff before the red-masked turtle turns away to climb onto the ledge of the building.
โRaphael?โ April mumbles, slightly louder for June to catch. She looks over at her sister to question her absent expression. But the sound of a weapon slicing through the air brings her attention to the red-masked turtle again.ย
His short swords flip in his hands before he slots them back into his belt. He growls with his toothpick switching to the other side of his mouth. And he doesnโt take his gaze off of June as he does so. With a final look, the red-masked turtle narrows his eyes at the younger sister before leaving.
โYeah!โ The orange-masked turtle drags out, โweโll find you, OโNeils,โ as he backs awayโhis wink has no receptor. Aprilโs eyebrows knit together in confusion. โIโm sorry, that came across super creepy, okay? Itโsโwhaโฆ we will find you, though!โ He apologizes with a playful smile. He stumbles away to join the rest of his partners.
The four turtles leave the sisters alone on the rooftop as they flip over the metal bars and swing to the next building. April digs into her jacket pocket as she rushes to the ledge of the rooftop. June joins her, watching the turtles depart as the night sky turns them into silhouettes.ย
But one is vaguely familiar. It makes her huff that his attitude got to her.
โI was on fire, bra!โ June hears the distinct voice of the orange-masked turtle cheering. โDid you see me back there? Guys, I totally talked to a girl!โ
In unison, the other three shout, โShut up, Mikey!โ
April pulls out her phone and lifts it up to snap a photo of the turtles leaping in the air. The pixelated image is still clear enough to prove the vigilantes are more than mere humans.
Theyโre something incredible, June sighs in thought.
April turns to her sister, her mouth ajar. She canโt find the right words to use but June nods in understanding. โI donโt even know. That was crazy.โ
But itโs not what April was trying to convey. She shakes her head with her hand reaching up to caress her temple. June watches her with concern.
โWhat, April?โ
โIโฆโ she breathes out, then tries again, โI think I know them.โ June blinks at her sister.ย
โIโm sorry, what?โ
April doesnโt answer, muttering incoherently. June just stares, utterly confused as to why she would claim something as bizarre as that.
โYou mean, personally?โ She asks another question. โHow? We just met them.โ
โNo, Juno,โ April says and grasps Juneโs shoulders. Her voice drops to a whisper. โNo, we didnโt.โ
June is panting loudly as they travel up the stairs to their apartment. April hasnโt spoken since her declaration on the rooftopโinstead she repeated the same names under her breath.ย
Leonardo.
Raphael.
Her eagerness to get back home ignored the cars honking as they cut through the streets and pushed past the strolling pedestrians.
April rams the front door open and darts into her room. June follows close behind, finally speaking up to ask, โWhatโs going on, April? What did you mean back there?โ
She stands at the doorframe, watching April slide the door open to her closet. She reaches for the items piled on the top shelf and throws them behind her. June hesitantly walks further inside the room.ย
โLeonardo. I know those names,โ April rambles as more boxes and loose clothing find themselves on the floor. June steps around them to stand at Aprilโs side. She looks at her sister, worried. โI know those names.โ
โApril, I donโt understand. What do you mean we know them?โ June speaks softly, hoping to get her attention.ย
She doesnโt receive an answer as April drops to her knees to dig at the bottom of her closet. More clothes, more boxes, more confusion for June. โRaphaelโฆ Leonardo. I knowโโ
April continues to dig further until she suddenly freezes mid-motion. Her back straightens and her expression widens. June drops down to her side. โWhat?โ
Her query is responded to when a brown striped box is pulled out from the closet. June stays quiet while her eyes flicker between her sister and the box.
April takes off the black top and flips the box over so all the content falls out. The first thing to catch their attention is a black folder. On the bottom, there is a small, fine print that reads: Project Renaissance.ย
Her hand steadily opens the folder and finds a single piece of newspaper. Aprilโs breath stills. Her finger slides over the palpable header.
Lab Fire Kills Scientist.
Hidden in the corner of the page: Arson Suspected.
Itโs not a shockโApril knew her mother kept everything related to the fire. It was her obsession for a while. But this box has been buried and unopened, stashed away to be passed down generations until it was eventually forgotten. Now itโs risen to the surface and slapped in her face. The original newspaper copy of the laboratory fire. And the few files that survived.ย
A notebook with the same Project Renaissance imprinted on the cover hides underneath the folder. June picks it up and skims through the pages. Black ink messily fills the lines with red highlights correcting their work. She doesnโt have the mental capacity to digest the amount of information scribbled down, but June admires the handwriting of her late father. She drags her finger along his words.
April continues to search through the pile, pushing folders aside until she finds a blue shoe box. She flips it over to dump out an old camcorder and mini video tapes. They scatter on the floor, and April grabs the first one in sight to stick it inside the camcorder.
Her hands are trembling with her uneasy breath. โJune,โ April calls for her sister to join her watchparty. She presses down on the play button while June situates herself closer. It takes a while for the film to cough to life after being stowed away for years.ย
The small screen changes from a black void to a small, doe eyed April OโNeil from fifteen years ago. โGood evening, this is April OโNeil reporting live from my dadโs lab,โ she introduces herself to the camera. โI know it sounds pretty boring, but actually, he does some pretty cool stuff.โ
June leans against Aprilโs shoulder to get a better look. โNo way,โ she gasps, growing a smile at the proof of their fatherโs laboratory. All the sound in the bedroom is snatched when little April turns the camera around toโฆ their father.
โTime to put the camera away, April,โ he tells her from his deskโhis voice has a stern but adoring tone for his daughter.
โAw, dad!โ Little April groans. The video abruptly ends after their fatherโs demand. April glances at June as the features on her face go wide. All the emotions are filled in her eyes as they rim with tears.ย
April grabs another video tape to put inside the camera. She clicks the play button again. It skips to a couple of months ahead where little April explores the bustling laboratory at her short height.
โAnd now, I will show you something amazing,โ she explains as she unsteadily moves the camera to a glowing canister, protected inside a glass box. It lets out an alienated hum under Aprilโs voice. โItโs supposed to be from a different planet in outer space!โ
April fast forwards the video because her younger self canโt stable the camera during her tour. She lands on Eric Sacks, in his lab coat, holding up a turtle as he gently injects it with a needle. โHere we go,โ he whispers while little April zooms in. โAhโฆโ
The video eventually turns into an interview of little April cornering Eric Sacks and their father. โMr. Sacks, what sort of experiments are you doing here?โ Little April asks, making the scientist break out into a dubious chuckle. Their father joins in with a simple laugh behind him.
June stares intently on the man leaning against the wall, amused at his daughterโs question. She hones in on his featuresโthe crinkle of his eyes, the shrivel of his nose, the expansion of his cheeks from the curve of his smile.ย
Sheโs used to the stilled pictures of her father, so the liveness in his eyes forces her lips to mash together as she withholds a cry. He looks into the camera as Eric speaks, and June feels him as he stares at her. His every small movements are being watched by her.
โLook at the camera!โ Little April scolds Ericโthe older version smiles at herself on the screen.ย
The bedroom is sounded by the film camera, but also the quiet sniffling of the two sisters sitting on the floor. June wipes her nose as the video continues.ย
She glances down at the rest of the thrown video tapes on the floor. โHello, Splinter,โ she hears little April speak in the video. June remembers the name of the rat theyโve spoken about briefly.
She distracts herself by gathering up the other video tapesโthereโre only four of them after she hands April a different tape to watch. June notices a scribbled word on each of them. The handwriting doesnโt look like their fatherโs, but more like a ten year old Aprilโs doing.
โAre these also lab videos?โ June asks, casually, as she loosely plays with one of the tapes. April only shrugs, unsure of the answer herself. She clicks play on the camera to start the new video.
โAnd these are my little turtles!โ Little April speaks again. Juneโs eyes glance at the screen while her fingers fiddle with the video tape in her hand. Little April slides the camera to each lined up tank of the red-eared sliders she begins to name.
June flips the mini tape in her hand, presenting a name written on the cover with a red marker. โLeonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, andโฆโ Her face drains completely of color. She audibly chokes on the word as little April names the last turtle in the background.
โ... Raphael.โ
April is frozen in utter shockโthe sole noise being the mini tape dropping from Juneโs grasp. The video continues in the background. โThe fans want to see you.โ Little April lowers the camera to her side, where thirteen month old June stands against her sisterโs leg. โAnd the โfansโ being baby Juno,โ Little April laughs.
June slowly forces her eyes to watch herself on the film camera. Little April lifts her sister to sit on her hip so she can see the tank of turtles. The screen becomes shaky as April tries to hold baby June with one hand and record with the other.
The turtles inside the tank notice the two sisters on the other side of the glass. One of them, marked with a red sticker on its shell, swims to the staring humans. June babbles at the turtleโlittle April laughs behind the camera.
โWatch this, guys,โ she says, bringing June closer to the glass. โThis one likes baby Juno.โ To experiment, June squeaks out a sound as she plants a hand on the side of the tank. The red-stickered turtle, familiar with a certain voice, climbs on top of a rock and stares at the baby babbling at him.ย
April giggles as she holds the camera back to display the interaction. The turtle suddenly rises to stand on two legs. One of the sisters lets out a stunned gasp as the other spits.
โSee, he likes her,โ Little April proves her hypothesis. โNow, watch this.โ The camera loses a focus as June is placed on the ground. The screen is upside down for a while until little April steadies it again.ย
The red-stickered turtle continues to stand against the glass, intrigued by little April's movements. โReady?โ She prepares the audience. The camera is brought closer to the tank as April holds up her own hand to the glassโa replica of Juneโs gesture.
It takes a second for the red-stickered turtle to react, but it slowly retracts its head back before it suddenly pounds against the glassโright where Aprilโs finger hovered. The tank cracks from the impact, almost shattering the glass.
The video ends, and the camcorder is lowered as April turns her head to look at June. The younger sister doesnโt know what to say as her mouth has fallen agape.ย
They have met those turtles before.
โI knew it,โ April exclaims, placing a hand on Juneโs shoulders. โThe vigilanteโฆ I saw him!โ
โYou saw them,โ June corrects her with a disbelieving shake of her head.
โYes, I saw them! And Iโve known them since I was a little girl,โ April splutters as she looks down at the other video tapes with the turtlesโ names on them. She picks one of them up, disregarding the rest of the mess on the floor. โThey were my pets. They were my childhood pets, and they were named after Italian Renaissance painters!โ
June covers her forehead with her hand with an anticipation for a pounding headache. April is high on adrenaline as she searches through more of the files scattered around them. She opens other notebooks and shakes loose papers out of their folders.
But June grows dizzy. That vigilante that saved her, now bothered by herโhas been the turtle that was once intrigued by her.
And they probably wonโt ever meet again.
June stays up that night to help April gather all the pieces needed for an evidence board. They use the printer that was stocked away in Juneโs closet to issue larger images of their fatherโs lab and the experimental animals that have grown into incredible creatures.
April clicks away on her computer while June skims through the pages of their fatherโs notes. They connect previous Foot Clan crime scenes to the kanji symbol that appeared at each of them. The camcorder sits propped up to play in the backgroundโlittle April loved to show the chemicals bubbling in the laboratory and the green substance that sat protected inside its box.
The sisters finally call it a night when April stashes their evidence into a slim, briefcase bag. June is on her fifth yawn that pains her jaw sore. She gently places all the files and materials that were dumped onto the floor back into its brown box.
Her exhaustion of the night had finally caught up to herโbeing attacked by the Foot Clan to then be saved by four mysterious vigilantes to then meet the mutated turtles that actually were her fatherโs test subjects. It strained her head tiredly as she passed out on Aprilโs bed with the glow of green eyes narrowing down on her in her dreams.
June follows April through the streets of New York on her bikes, thanks to Vern returning it back to its rack. She brisks in the early morning air as she accompanies her sister to the Channel Six building.
The briefcase bag flaps behind April, filled with make-or-break evidence. June lets out a nervous exhale and unsticks her wet palms from her bike handles. She knows the people at Channel Six arenโt the friendliest, especially with Aprilโs Foot Clan nonsense. But she still wants to stand by her side this morning because the discoveries of last night were very important to April.
There are vigilantes that are fighting back against the Foot Clan. And those things are Aprilโs childhood pets.
Her bossโs office is small but still holds enough room to slide two whiteboards inside. April and June get straight to work as they tape up their printed pictures that were stuffed in the briefcase bag. They place post-its next to their photos and write down notes with a variety of whiteboard markers.
April boxes important details with a lighter color and draws numerous arrows to show the connections of the photos. June stands back to watch the final pieces come together.
โHow does it look?โ April asks over her shoulder. She circles the Kanji symbol that shows up in each photo with a red pen.ย
โGood. A lot of documents on here. Should be enough,โ she answers, walking over to the turtle section of the whiteboard. A zoomed in picture of one of the turtles sits beside the pixelated photo April took on the rooftop.ย
June is still stunned, more so in disbelief, of the events of last night. During the bike ride to Channel Six, she had to remind herself that it wasnโt a dream. She couldnโt tell April that she was crazy for making crazy accusations. Because June was there and saw it allโฆ It's true.ย
And as she stares at the photo of the four large figures leaping in the air, she canโt deny it any longer that she is just as eager as April to learn more. To delve deeper into the experiments her father and Eric Sacks worked on. And hopefully, Aprilโs boss will too.
June stares at the names bulleted down a line. Leonardo. Donatello. Michelangelo. Raphael.
Her heart thumps against her chest again. She plays with the charm sitting on her neckline to covertly hold herself steady. Her emotions are unable to understand how they want to feel.ย
She was robbed of her breath when she saw him standing in front of her. She examined the parts of him in awe, attempting to make sense of what she saw. But she hates how he thought it was in disgust; in fear of his looks. He was more than what her brain could handle.ย
And now she wishes she could see him again to start over.
June is pulled out of her thoughts when Aprilโs boss bursts inside her office. โOโNeil!โ The sisters jump to attentionโJune moves to stand beside the whiteboard. She reminds herself that April wanted to do all the talking. Sheโs simply there as support.
ย โAlright, what was so important I had to get here?โ Bernadette asks, searching for an explanation.
โOkay, are you ready?โ April exclaims, bouncing on her toes. Sheโs fueled with a buzzing new driveโa newfound determination. Her hands run through her hair as her boss finds June and the whiteboard standing behind her.
โYeah,โ Bernadette nods.
โOkay,โ April starts as she clears her throat, โyou know how I saw the vigilante?โ
โYeah?โ
โBut I had no photos of evidence to show you, so I just sounded crazy!โ April continues as she frantically waves her hands around.ย
โYes!โ Bernadetteโs nods turn rapid, eager to hear where thisโll lead.
โBut I saw him again. Well, I didnโt see him again, I saw them, because thereโs four,โ April corrects herself, holding up four fingers. โThereโs not just one thereโs four. And I was standing as close to them as you are to me right now.โ
Bernadetteโs eyes widen. โWhatโd they look like?โ She pleasingly presses for evidence.
April smirks at her boss, โIโll show you,โ before turning to June near the whiteboard. Her pants are loud as she moves across the office.
June prepares to show Bernadette the photo of the four figures jumping to another building. But April throws her a curveball when she decides to use two fingers to point to the image of the red-eared slider instead. The thin, yellow lines stretch across its face to its shell.ย
โWhatโฆ?โ Bernadette is stuck for words. Juneโs mouth parts to speak but she ultimately sucks her comment back in. She just watches her sister instead.ย
April taps the whiteboard. โLike this,โ she motions to the red-eared slider again. June winces under her breath.ย
Bernadette squints her eyes at the image. โLike turtles?โ She asks for clarification.
โWell, they donโt look like turtles because they are turtles,โ April explains. June turns her head away to cringe. She didnโt think April would lay down the news that way. It makes no senseโnot that mutated turtles make sense in the first place. But there was a better way to explain it, and April is not doing that. Still, June doesnโt interject as it isnโt her place to. She stands back straight, nodding in support.
Bernadette lifts an eyebrow at April then stares back at the picture she points to. โTheyโre over six feet tall and they speak English,โ April tells her.ย
The room goes silent. Bernadette even looks at June, shocked, wondering if sheโs on the same boat as April. The younger sister simply nods.
โOh, my God,โ she gasps in disbelief.
April pulls at the roots of her hair, realizing how she may sound. Bernadette shakes her head and turns away. โI was awake all night, please!โ April begs to stop her. โLook, I was awake all night googling all of the thwarted crimes over the past three months.โ She directs the roomโs attention to a different section of the whiteboard.
The scattered photos of numerous crime scenes cover the board. They all surround the kanji symbol bolded in the middle. โAnd this symbol appeared at every single one.โ June glances at Bernadette, who watches April wide-eyed and jaw dropped.
April ignores Bernadetteโs appalled expression as she roams her hands around the board. โLook! Every single one of them. This oneโlook. Here, here, here, here, here,โ April says, pointing to each photo of the crime scene with the same symbol. โAnd itโs an ancient Japanese symbol that means family.โ
Bernadetteโs head drops into her hand. She sighs, incredulously.ย
April runs to the table that sat the rest of the files they brought. โWait, itโs on my laptop,โ she mutters. โItโs here. Itโs here.โ
โI canโt believe you brought me in to do this,โ Bernadette laughs, almost amazed. April ignores her as she types on her laptop to open up a video.
June takes the quiet opportunity to speak. She steps forward to stand beside April who frantically stutters her finger along the touchpad.
โItโs a video from our fatherโs lab,โ June says, politely. Bernadette chews on her lip as she listens to the tamed sister. โItโs the same lab where these things were bornโฆ or createdโฆ uh, mutated?โ
โWe donโt know the terminology, but will you please just look at what Iโm showing you and listen to me?โ April flips the laptop around to face Bernadette. The screen showcases the four turtles swimming in the makeshift pond in their tank. โItโs all connected. The turtles are the vigilantes and the vigilantes are these turtles,โ she explains, desperately.
June watches with Bernadette as little April feeds the orange-stickered turtle a piece of her pizza. The turtle lifts up for a bite. โPizza has cheese, tomato sauceโall your favorite stuff. Eat it! You guys need nutrition.โ
Bernadette sighs loudly, now very unimpressed. She pushes up her glasses as she looks away from the video of little April muttering at the turtle, โOr not.โ
June chews on the inside of her cheek, anxiously. She would have shown a different video, maybe the one of the red-stickered turtle breaking the glass, but the damage is already done. Her boss is pissed.
Bernadette closes Aprilโs laptop in their face as she huffs, โI just want to be clear. You are now telling me that there are four six-foot talking turtles walking around New York City, and no one has seen them but you two?โย
June knows sheโs making the question sound like itโs a crazy, illogical idea. Because it is. June would think the same exact thingโฆ if she hadnโt been face-to-face with his glowing eyes.
Bernadette gives April an out. A chance to reveal that this is one big joke and show the real vigilantes she saw. But April keeps her chin high. โThatโs what Iโm telling you,โ she answers with a firm nod.
โI donโt mean to laughโฆโ Bernadette chuckles, and decides to play along. She shrugs her shoulders, casually. โBut is there anything else we should know about them?โ She asks with a humored smile. Her head tilts at Aprilโitโs obviously condescending.ย
April looks away for a brief second. โTheyโre ninjas,โ she mumbles.
Bernadetteโs face drops. โIโm sorry, what?โ she blinks at April as if sheโs lost it.
โAnd they do karate,โ April adds to make matters worse for herself. June rolls her lips inward, wanting to correct the term for ninjutsu. But she braces for impact instead.
Bernadette lets out a hard exhale. โOkay, get out.โ
June helps April carry her boxes out of the Channel Six buildingโbeing put on leave for an unforeseeable time until, and quote, โget a hold of yourself or youโll be let go for good.โย
The sisters leave through the front door with April walking at a faster, embarrassed pace than June. The travel downstairs was quiet, though the obvious gloat the turtles had over them could be heard. Of course this was the reaction others would have.
โOโNeil's." June rolls her eyes at the redundant call of Vernโs voice. They both turn their heads to find him leaning against the Channel Six van.ย
โVernon,โ June mutters.
He pushes off the van to approach the sisters, immediately noticing the state April is in and connects the dots. He lets out a puff of air. โCould have been worse,โ he tries to downplay.
June shakes her head, adjusting the box in her hands. โYeah, real smooth,โ she chuckles.ย
There is a clear red rim in Aprilโs eyes and her flushed cheeks are coated with dry tears. โI just got put on leave, Vern, for however long. How can it be worse?โ
โMaybe itโs good. Maybe you should take a little time. Take care of yourself,โ Vern shrugs, sympathetically. June forces down a snarky comment with a clear of her throat. โCome on, let me give you two a ride,โ he offers. "I already put your bikes in the back."
April shakes her head as she starts to back away in the other direction. โNot unless youโre going to the Eric Sacks estate,โ she challenges, then motions for June to follow her. โCome on, Juno.โย
Vern is quick to step in front of her path. โHey, hey!โ He whispers to not draw attention.
โIโm not giving up on this story,โ April says, firmly.
Vern holds his hand out to slow her down. โYou gotta put that to bed,โ He tells her. His eyes look up at June still nearby the van. โBoth of you.โ
โWould all of those other great reporters that you worked with, would they have โput it to bedโ?โ April argues back.
โNo, thatโs different.โ
โHow is it different?โ April steps in his face. โThey all started exactly where I am, right?โ
There is a long pause as the two simply stare at each other. Vern lets out a hard exhale, ticking his jawโannoyed but not surprised of Aprilโs stubbornness.ย
He finally takes the box from her hands. โIโm not driving the Channel Six News van onto the Sacks estate,โ He says, brushing past April back to the van.ย
โWho asked you to do that?โ she turns to follow him, a smile starting to grow on her face. June feels lighter about the situation now.
โUh, you did,โ Vern replies, playfully. โAnd a thanks would have been nice.โ
โMaybe one day youโre gonna be thanking me,โ April shouts as she climbs into the passenger seat.
Vern approaches June. โPut the boxes in the back,โ he says, opening the door. The younger sister, quiet up until now, helps Vern stack Aprilโs stuff into the van.ย
โThanks, Vernon,โ she whispers, inaudible to Aprilโs ear. She slips him a gratefully smirk as they slide the boxes against the wall. Their bikes already sit on the opposite side, picked up by Vern. He winks at June in response, before she climbs into the back of the van. He shuts the doors behind her.
Vern hops into the driverโs seat and clicks in his seatbelt. โSo, what do you want with Eric Sacks?โ He looks over at April as he starts up the van.
โOur dad used to work for him,โ April replies, resting her head back against the headrest. โHeโs the only person thatโs gonna be able to tell me whether or not Iโm crazy.โ
โCrazy about what?โ He asks, obliviously.
April looks back at June with a hesitant frown. Itโs almost a question of whether it was a good idea to bring Vern into their absurdity. June leans up in her seat to answer for her. โShe doesnโt want you to laugh at her also,โ June tells Vern.
โOh, come on, OโNeil. This is the Fenwick Expressโitโs a judgement-free zone,โ he says with a wide smile. โA cocoon of safety.โ
Aprilโs voice goes soft. โPromise?โ
โIโm insulted that you would suggest otherwise.โ Vern looks forward to begin the drive.
"June lands her eyes on him, and the red-masked turtle meets her gaze. His eyebrow muscle lifts, challenging June silently. She inhales, quickly darting her attention back to the other turtle."
April is at work while June warms up the apartment with a five hundred piece puzzle scattered on the floor. The Little Mermaid plays in the background and a frozen pizza bakes in the oven.
Her spring break came at a perfect time. The strain of school started to swell her head. Math equations and historical figures and periodic tables and paragraph revisions, and thoughts of a certain looming vigilante, has done quite the damage.
June glances up at the TV after placing another successful piece into her rainforest puzzle. She hums the tune of Kiss the Girlโthe same kind of bow Ariel wears holds the front strands of Juneโs hair back.
The timer on the oven goes off as June mouths the backup vocals, sha-la-la-la-la-la-my-oh-my. She skips into the kitchen and pulls the baked pizza out of the hot oven before setting it on the stove. The conjunction of sauce and cheese emits a sigh from June. She cuts the pizza into slices, taking her first and traveling back to the living room to enjoy her lunch.
Juneโs phone on the ottoman begins to ring. As she settles down on the couch, she reaches for it and answers the call from April.
โWhatโs up, April OโNeil from Channel Six News?โ June exclaims into the phone as The Little Mermaid is put on pause.
โHello, June OโNeil from the couch,โ April giggles back on speaker. June whips her head around.ย
โWhaโHowโd you know?โ
โLucky guess? Just the likely place youโd be,โ April teases. June clicks her tongue. โHave you eaten lunch yet?โ
โYup. I bet you're wondering what it is.โ
April puffs out a breath, feigning a thought. โI donโt know. Pizza?โ
โExactly!โ June cheers. โAnd no, there will be none left for you when you get home.โ
โDarn,โ April sighs. โI was hoping to have frozen pizza for dinner tonight.โ
June shrugs, unfortunate. She takes another bite and exaggerates a tasty moan.ย
โBut speaking of dinner, Vern wonโt shut up about a new burger joint he wants to take me to.โ
โAnd this involves meโฆ how?โ June drags out.
โWeโre a package deal.โ
โCute,โ June snorts with a roll of her eyes. โFine, send me the address. Iโll bike there when you get off work.โ
โThank you,โ April says. โWell, enjoy your pizza. Iโll see you later tonight.โ
โTa-ta,โ June sings, before ending the call. She uses the remote to continue the movie.
The breeze filtering from the open balcony shivers Juneโs shoulders. She runs her hand down her arm, glancing at the ajar sliding door.
June places her plate on the ottoman, before strolling into Aprilโs roomโa casual idea to raid her closet for a certain hoodie. Itโs being shared between the two sisters, though it vacants in Aprilโs closet when itโs not being worn.
June enters the bright, beige walls of Aprilโs room and is met with a pile of papers scattered along the bedsheets. June isnโt one for being nosey, but a picture of a shipping container catches her eye and pulls her over to the bed to take a glimpse.
The image of a kanji symbol graffitied on a wet shipping container sits in the middle of the stacked papers. June picks it up to examine it. She immediately recognizes the setting of the picture and knows April took it when she snuck to the docks. Itโs the symbol that the vigilante left behind, the one April told June about.ย
The next paper June picks up is a printed explanation of the Japanese symbol. Itโs an ancient symbol that means family, and has been photographed at numerous crime scenes, presumably to mark the vigilante's presence. June lifts a curious eyebrow, wondering what the vigilante's real purpose was for leaving it behind to be found.
Why an ancient Japanese symbol? Why family?ย
June puts the papers back where she found them and continues her search for a favorite hoodie in the closet. The questions will have to wait to be answered. And not over burgers with Vern.
The sky is dark but the city lights brighten the streets of Manhattan. The Channel Six van sits in another block of traffic. Car horns play on the radio, or outsideโthe difference is a fine line.
June is tired from the large burger that she ate in one go, challenging herself to not have any leftovers on her plate. She leans back into her seat and listens to the soft music on her phone.
Vern has gone hushed, frustrated by the red lights flashing in his face as April watches the smoke rise from the manhole covers out her window. She interrupts the silence with a mumbling confession, โEric Sacks was so inspiring last night.โ June and Vern look over at her. They realize sheโs caught up on the Foot Clan again. โI know this is a story that actually matters.โ
June sighs, not exactly pitiful. She reaches up to place a hand on Aprilโs arm. โI know. I think it is too,โ She agrees. April looks back at her sister with a thankful smile.
Vern cuts in to joke, โThe superhero one?โ The sisters give him a bored glance. โThatโs a good idea. I should chase that down.โ
โShut up, Vernon,โ June says, trying not to laugh as she flicks the back of Vernโs head. โLike you can take the Foot Clan head on,โ she quipsโApril snorts, dryly. Because they both know he canโt, but also know who could.
June hasnโt been forthcoming about meeting the vigilante. She doesnโt know what good itโll do to tell April as sheโs only seen him once. If thereโs another sighting of him, maybe the timing will be better.
Another car honk breaks June from her thoughts. She leans forward against the back of Vernโs chair. She places a chin on the shoulder with a huff.
โI assume weโre not getting home anytime soon,โ June blurts.
โProbably not. But no worries. The Channel Six van is a perfect camperโโ Vernโs words are overridden by the loud commotion of people appearing around a buildingโs corner, wailing as they sprint away. They maneuver through the street, around the blocked in cars. The look of horror casts undeniably on their faces.
June recoils in her seat, startled by the noise.ย
โWhereโs everybody going?โ Vern lifts his hands from the steering wheel.ย
April sits up, poking her head out her window. โI donโt know,โ she whispers, barely audible. โStay here, Juno.โ
The sound of the door unlocking turns June and Vernโs head in Aprilโs direction. She jumps out the van, slamming the door behind her. โOโNeil! Where are you going?โ Vern yells.
โApril!โ June hollers, releasing herself from her seatbelt and climbing into the passenger seat to shout her name again. April grabs the shoulders of the first person she bumps into.
โHey! What are you running from?โ She asks, swiftly. The personโs face is smite with fear as they slap Aprilโs hands away to run past her. โWait, wait!โ
April continues to dash in the direction the crowd disperses from. Her head spins with absurd curiosity.ย
โUgh, what is her problem!โ June fumbles with the door and stumbles out of the van. April disappears out of sight, igniting Juneโs feet to run faster.
โJune! Hey! Stay hereโโ Vernโs voice is tuned out as June chases after her sister.
Again.
June turns down a new block, bumping into numerous people. She pushes them away to keep her eyes on the beacon of Aprilโs neon yellow jacket. Her hair jumps wildly behind her.
The overstimulating sound of honking cars playing in the background of people screaming begins to blur as Juneโs heavy pants ring in her ears. She dips around the rear end of parked cars, brushing past the food trucks, and maneuvers through the few blocks of escaping new yorkers to the danger.
The stairs to the subway are in viewโso is the faint sight of April. Her speed slows at the entrance as she allows the people to run past her. April travels down the stairs, grabbing onto the railing for leverage. June quickly follows suit.
When she reaches the bottom of the steps, April stops in her tracks to peek around the corner. It gives June the opportunity to catch her.
Her anger is eminent as she growls a loud, โWhat is actually wrong with you, April!โ She grips her sisterโs forearm to jerk her back against the wall. April does a double take, blinking widely at June.
โJune! What are you doing here?โ She barks, holding onto her shoulders. โI told you toโโ
โAre you an idiot, moron, or just plain stupid?โ June quiets her yelling to a stern whisper as the voices fade from the last few people running up the stairs. โDo you have a concussion?โ
โJune,โ April sighs, briefly closing her eyes to contain her annoyance. โYou never listen.โ
โNeither do you!โ Aprilโs hand slaps over Juneโs mouth when her voice echoes through the empty subway entrance. The sounds of footsteps peek the sistersโ head around the corner again.
Two Foot Clan soldiers, dressed in their signature black uniforms, descend down another stack of stairs. They hold their guns tightly in front of them. When they disappear, April faces June with a glare filled with fury.
โGo back to Vern, June,โ April commands. Her jade eyes narrow. โIโm serious.โ
June pushes Aprilโs hand away from her mouth. โDid we not just see the same thing? Those were Foot Clan soldiers! With guns!โ
โI know! So you need to go,โ April says sharply, grabbing Juneโs arm and urging her back up the stairs to the surface. โIโll meet you back at home.โ
โNo, no freaking way! Iโm coming.โ June fights back. She opens her mouth to speak again, but the vibration of gunshots rumble in their ears. The sisters go still.
April has to look up at June, but doesnโt falter her sober scowl. She takes a step forward, pointing to the stairs. โGo, June.โ
โNo. You either leave with me or Iโm coming too,โ June argues. โI understand you donโt want to give up on the Foot Clan story, and Iโm not here to stop you.โ
Aprilโs eyes soften for a moment. โWhat?โ
โI said, Iโm not here to stop you. But I wonโt let you do this alone anymore. If you want to deal with the Foot Clan, we do it together.โ
June brushes past April, not waiting for an answer. She heads for the closest column to hide behind. April darts across the room to join her. She places a hand on Juneโs side, breathing quietly against her back.
โIf weโre doing this, you follow my lead,โ She tells June with a scolding pinch. June hisses and smacks her hand away. โDonโt leave my side. Understand?โย
โOkay. I know,โ June says, glancing over her shoulder.
Another round of gunshots stop their footstepsโJune squeals into the silence. Sheโs never heard the sound of real gunshots before and never knew they could shake someoneโs body to the core. She hugs the pillar to ground herself.
April squeezes Juneโs side for her attention. โYou donโt have toโโ
โIโm coming with you,โ June waves off Aprilโs attempt to push her away. โLetโs go. Lead the way.โ
April huffs, jogging to the turnstiles first. She lifts herself over it and rushes to hide behind another closeby column. June does the same, finding herself crouched by a column beside April.ย
They share a glance, checking on one another. June lifts the corner of her mouth to assure her sister sheโs ready. April hesitates to proceed, clenching her teeth together as she examines the empty room. June watches her sister, waiting for a signal.
The flash of black is so fast that June doesnโt get the chance to warn April before two Foot Clan soldiers grab them from behind. โJune!โ April chokes on her voice as the Foot grabs at the back of her neck and yanks her from the column. Sheโs lifted slightly off the ground as the soldier gets a better holding on her.
June is forced into a headlock as she screams for her sister. โApril! Help!โ She cries in fear, latching onto the Footโs arm that pushes her forward painfully.ย
โJune!โ April yells again, her eyes darting to June being dragged away. She watches helplessly as the soldier that holds her follows behind the pair. โIโm here, Juno! Iโm here,โ April calls out to her.
The sisters are walked down the stairs to the subway tracks. They are accompanied by almost a hundred other hostages. The pained groans and worried whines fill the room. June gasps at the number of people lined up against the walls. Guns point sternly in their faces and direct orders.
June forces her head back, catching a glimpse of April behind her. Her racing heart bumps down a beat in relief. โI see you, Juno!โ April tells her with aย tremble.
The Foot soldier shoves June forward again, seething, โKeep moving,โ in her ear. She wants to kick her leg back to knock him down, but it would only make matters worse as sheโs outnumbered.ย
In front of her, June is met with a familiar woman. Her features donโt come to mind but the red highlights in her short ponytail flashes June back to a rainy night.
A Foot Clan member drops his gun as heโs slammed to the ground, his yelp cut short as he passes out.
Just after the first container dents into the floor, another one rises to fly at more Foot Clan members.
The authoritative voice of the woman from earlier yells out, โRetreat. Retreat!โ She and the rest of the Foot Clan make a run to their vehicles.ย
She must be the leader of the Foot Clanโand June realizes sheโs caught in the crossfire of another one of their plans. Her eyes meet the womanโs briefly and sheโs given an uninterested glance before the Foot soldier leads her further into the station.ย
The woman scans the roomโshe seems attentive, secretly troubled as she ignores the hostages crying at her feet. She keeps a close grip on her gun sitting in her holster as she listens for movements beyond the station.
June is thrown to the ground against a column. When she plants her hands down to catch herself, they grab the edge of the platform. June sucks in a sharp breath and jumps back before falling into the train tracks.
A grunt is heard beside her. April lands just as harsh, shutting her eyes to brace the impact. The immediate sight of her bright jacket relieves June.
โApril!โ she sobs as she latches onto her sister. April, fallen on her side, holds June against her. She presses Juneโs head into her chest.ย
โItโs okay. Weโre okay,โ April whispers in her ear to overpower the frightening barks of the Foot Clan soldiers.
Juneโs ear perks up at the sudden noise of loud ticking, followed by the screaming of, โTheyโre bombs!โ She lifts her head from April to observe the small, black boxes being set up along the walls by the Foot Clan. The red flickering light against the box widens Aprilโs eyes.ย
A newfound set of panic whimpers from Juneโs mouth.ย
April turns her back to June, attempting to shield her from the commotion. She grabs Juneโs arm to place around her. June hugs April from behind and shuts her eyes.
โIโll get us out of this,โ April says as the regret settles in. June holds onto her sister tighter, nodding into her back.
The room grows quiet as the dominating voice of the Foot Clanโs leader booms out, โWe know youโre out there!โ Everyoneโs attention points to her, questioning who she speaks to. The dark makeup around her eyes sharpen her wrathful expression. โIf you donโt surrender, we start executing hostages.โ
The Foot continue to force their guns in peopleโs faces as they cry. They growl at them to stay quiet and keep down on the ground.
โWho is she talking to?โ June asks April in a quiet whisper, her voice shivering.ย
โIโฆ donโt know,โ April answers back. โThe vigilante?โ
June gapes, โYou think?โ
โJust keep your head down, Juno,โ April tells her over her shoulder. โItโll be alright.โ June does as she's told, hiding her head into Aprilโs back again.
April moves slowly, watching the Foot soldiers as they surveil the hostages. โDon't make me tell you again! Not a word!โ one of them yells at their group against the wall.ย
April slyly pulls her phone out from her jacket, holding it close as she tilts the camera to put the leader and her soldiers into view.
June is oblivious to Aprilโs plan as an older woman on the other side of April notices. โDonโt,โ she begs under her breath. โDonโt do it!โ June furrows her eyebrows in confusion as she glances over Aprilโs body. Her eyes laser on her phone, and she instinctively reaches out to grab it.
โWhat are you doing, April? Stop!โ June protests.
The sound of Aprilโs phone capturing the scene turns the short ponytail leader around. She finds April and June fighting for the phone pointing at her.ย
โYou two!โ she shouts at the sisters. Her gun clocks loudly, startling the both of them. June hugs Aprilโscared. โStand up,โ the woman orders. Her heels clank against the concrete as she draws closer.
โNo,โ June cries into April.
Before the girls can move, a voice strikes through the stillness. It comes from the empty train tracks.ย
All aboard!
The high-pitched turn of train wheels hiss in the air, barreling into the station. The echo of deranged laughter cuts the short ponytail woman off. June can see her face pale as she darts her head to the cursed tracks.
She shouts to her soldiers in Japanese as the lights of the subway fail into a black out. April reaches back to hold June, assuring that she's still there. The trainโs headlights blind the hostages to cover their eyes as it rumbles through the dark station.ย
June is hit with an unsettling sense of deja vu when a bulky shadow leaps from the top of the train and lands onto the platform. A distinctive size figure bolts across the concrete to the leader that shoots undirected bullets.ย
A harsh grunt is heard as she is slammed barbarously into the tiled wallโpieces falling on top of her, as she flops unconscious to the ground.
June slowly sits up. Her jaw drops on its own as she's met with the vigilante from the docks. The one she was sure she may never see again. She feels a smile start to form on her face at its return. It came back to save her.
But another gust of wind flies over her, the same kind as before. June is forced into a halt as a different shadow slices through the air onto the platform too. Almost identical to the vigilante.
โAnother one?โ She speaks out loud.ย
This figure rushes into a group of Foot soldiers, throwing each one into the wall. It makes playful exhalation sounds, almost like itโs having fun. The impact of each soldier ricocheting to the floor is accompanied by a pained groan. The figure runs back into the darkness. A streak of orange.
April begins to stand to her feet. June watches as her sister holds her phone out to record the intense sequence. June rises from the ground herself and grabs onto April.
โWhat are you doing?โ She yells over the noise, exasperated. April ignores June and turns her camera to another Foot soldier being hit.
June plants her feet steadily to fight the harsh wind of the train whipping by her. She pushes her hair out of her face in time to see a Foot soldier being grabbed and thrown into the moving train. She gets a look at the figure for a short moment before it darts away. A streak of blue.
On the other side of the platform, through the windows of the train, the same shadow repeatedly punches another soldier into the wall. June notices the figure has a bulky back as well, like the one that saved her. But it's noticeably smaller with two sword scabbards.ย
Juneโs eyes are forced in a different direction when a Foot soldier flies in the air and crashes into the ceiling lights. He falls back to the ground with sparks landing on the hostages. They turn their heads away, giving the figure time to disperse from its spot. This one is taller and holds a long stick by its side. June doesnโt have time to dwell on the features but still notices something before it disappeared. A streak of purple.
A loud laugh is heard with a lively cheer, โlike a shadow, bra.โ A pair of swinging chains shine against the wavering light. Its punches are brisk, knocking out each Foot soldier one by one. โHow you like that?โ
Juneโs vision turns hazy from all the flickering. She feels dizzy as her eyes blink the sight into sense. Her head feels like itโs pounding. She canโt comprehend what she sees and doesnโt know if she can believe it.
Not one. Not two. Three vigilantes invade the Foot Clanโs plan and are here to save all the hostages.
A grunt lands behind June. She flinches from the noise, turning around to a large body hovering over her. A Foot soldier groans as it hits the groundโthe figure kicks it away.ย
June chokes on her gasp as she gawks up at a tall, familiar silhouette. The flash of light gives June a short second to examine it. The glow of its eyes peers down at her, a growl rumbling in its chest.ย
The second is over and the darkness engulfs the figure. When the flash returns, June is met withโฆ nothing. She stands alone, staring out to the bustling brawl in the station. But she still caught it. A streak of red.
There are four of them. And the last one was him. Her vigilante.ย
โLetโs go! Letโs move!โ June looks around, finding the shadows rushing to a large, yellow tarp against the wall, blocked by barricades. The tarp bulges and shakes as the vigilantes climb out of the station. June takes a step forward, standing beside April, who notices the same tarp.
The hostile yelling and clocking of guns go quiet. The people trapped in the station begin to rise from their spots, deeming themselves as safe. A crowd rushes over to the tarp and surrounds it. โDid you see that?โ someone says. โHere, here!โ They question who are the shadows that saved them.
โThey climbed up here!โ The tarp stays unmovingโthe vigilantes already escaping the scene. April grabs Juneโs arm to run her over. June catches her footing to join the rest of the crowd.
โSome kind of freak!โ A man points up to the top of the tarp where it leads to the ceiling. โYeah, there were a couple of them.โ
โWhoo! Right past me.โ
โThey saved us.โ
April looks up, examining the tarp. June glances over to the Foot Clan soldiers as they line against the wall, tied up together. They lay unconscious and beat.ย
โLets get out of here. Follow me,โ April turns to June, backing to the direction of the stairs. Her hand shoots out. โCome on.โ
โAre we following the tarp?โ June asks behind April as theyโre forced into a line. The relieved but panicked chattering in the small stairwell powers over Aprilโs response. So, she nods instead.ย
The subway is loud as the once hostages escape to the surface. They push one another up the stairs and into the safety of the streets. SWAT teams meet them at the entrance, directing the people out as the rest descend down to the station.
June continues to hold onto April as they are released from the subway to the New York streets. โWhich way?โ June asks as April moves them around abandoned cars.
โOther side,โ April answers, following the scaffolding around the building. They stay in the road because most of the sidewalk is blocked off for construction.
But they eventually turn the block to the back of the building, where the yellow tarp emerges from the subway underground. The sisters stand nearby, wondering which way the vigilantes ran off to. Itโs then when June hears the faint voices coming from the roof.
โYou see that? I smoked that dude! Sโup?โย
โUp there!โ June points, releasing Aprilโs hand to walk toward the building. But her sister hesitates to move. June glances behind her when she doesnโt hear April follow. โWhat? Whatโs wrong?โ
She canโt meet Juneโs gaze as she casts her eyes away. โIโฆ Iโm sorry. I put you in danger back there. I shouldnโt have...โ
June walks back to April and plants her hands on her shoulders. โItโs fine, alright? I put myself in that situation.โ
โNo, I put us in that situation. I wasnโt thinking.โ
June shrugs, โYeah, you werenโt.โ A chuckle leaves her lipsโApril smiles at the sound. โBut I was. And I made the decision to go down there. And we made it out, so let's finish what we started.โ
April nods once. โOkay, but if you really donโt wantโโ
June groans in Aprilโs face. โGoodness, April OโNeil, you donโt listen. I said I want to, so let's go find your vigilante.โ
โI donโt know if it's the same one from the docks,โ April says as they walk toward the building wall. โThere were multiple of them. You saw that, right?โ
June reaches up for the fire escape ladder and yanks it down to the ground. She stands to the side to let April lead the way. โI did. But maybe there were always more. And now we can catch them all together,โ June says, motioning the ladder.
April smiles shortly, walking up to June. She pinches her chin, before grabbing the bars to start her ascend. โStay close,โ she tells June.
โYeah, yeah,โ she mutters, following April up the side of the building.
โYeah, boys, bring it in.โ
โThat was amazing.โ
โYou were incredible.โ
The voices on the roof become clearer as the distance from the ground grows further. June pants loudly as she uses the railing for leverage. April sprints up the stairs with the same set of irrational determination as the docks.
June can hear her breathing directly in her ears. The bustling streets turn quiet as her hands grab each metal rail. The celebration on the rooftop is coherent and echoes in the air.
โGreat elbow, Donnie.โ
โOh, yeah!โ
The final set of ladders pump adrenaline into June. She can feel him againโon the pads of her fingers. His scaly arm has faint ridges on his damp skin as he swings them across the shipping containers.
It has to be him.
April makes it to the top of the stairs, looking for June. She joins her on the platform slightly after. Her hands set on her hips as they both look up at the final ladder that leads to the rooftop.
โThat's what I'm talking about! This is our city! These are our streets!โ
โYou mess with us, you steppin' to the whoo-TANG!โ Another voice cheers, ecstatically.
April turns to June as she puffs out a breath. โIโm just going to peek.โย
June nods. โTake a picture?โ
โYeah, of course.โ
June leans against the railing, still catching her breath as April starts to climb the final ladder.
โDid you see that guyโs jaw connect with the concrete?โ
โHeโll be drinking out of a sippy cup for months!โ
April reaches the top of the ladder, looping her arms around the poles to hold herself up. She pulls out her phone from her jacket. June stares up, watching April from below. The voices are so clear as they celebrate. She discreetly listens for the voice that claims a certain silhouette.
โThatโs what Iโm talking about, brothers. Like shadows in the night, completely unseenโฆโย
April uses her flash to snap a picture. The sound of her phone and the shine coming from her camera turns the celebratory shouts utterly silent. The only noise is Aprilโs heavy breath. June leans to the side to question what happened.
โApril?โ She whispers as her sister stares out, frozen in her spot.
โWhat was that?โ
โIt's a camera flashโฆโ
โWe know it's a camera flash.โ
โWho's behind the camera flash?โ
โBy my calculations, it's a girl.โ
โNow we gotta kill her.โ
โWhat?โ
โWith kindness!โ
June hears the exchange on the rooftop, stiffening slightly as her eyebrows shoot up. She pats Aprilโs ankle for her attention.
โCome on, April. Quickly!โ She yells for her sister. April gulps, beginning to back down the ladder. June urges her to go faster.
โWait thereโs another voice. Another girl.โ
โTwo?โ
โDo we kill both of them?โ
โWe are not killing anyone!โ
โI got this.โ
โRaph, no, no, no! Come on!โ
June holds onto her sisterโs leg as she lowers down. But April pausesโboth sisters notice a long chain looped around her waist.ย
โWhaโโ April is suddenly flying in the air, pulled back onto the rooftop.
โApril!โ June yells, swiftly climbing up the ladder. She plants her hands on the concrete edge. April lands harshly on the ground, groaning as she grabs her wrist. June calls her name again as she rushes to her side.
The rooftop is quiet now. June crouches down to assist her sister. April rolls onto her side. โYou okay?โ June asks, examining April's state.
โYeah. Yeah, I think,โ she sighs out.ย
Before June can speak again, a loud thump hits the ground in front of them. All sounds coming from the sisters are immediately silenced. The figure lands so close that the air is consumed by him. He lets out a hard, rumbling grunt as he stands up tall.
His voice startles June to her stomach, she visibly shivers. โGive me the camera,โ he demands in a scarcely low tone. April blinks rapidly, trying to make sense of the sight in front of her.
โOoh, look, he's doing his Batman voice.โ
All June can do is stare, unable to speak. Her mouth is dry as she shuts her lips together. Her eyes slowly graze the length of the figure. However, it takes a while for her brain to register what stands in the dim light in front of her.
In her crouched position, June is leveled at his feet, planting heavy with weight. He shifts in his spot on two singular toes. Theyโre thick, splayed apart, each one bandaged and wrapped up to his ankles.
The glow of his skin is undeniably green with a faint, thin yellow stripe that bends with the shape of his foot. Solid muscle builds him up. He's lightly textured with small scales that catch the light enough to show its depth. The ridges of his leathery skin patch his entire body.
June lifts higher to his inhumane thighs, also wrapped in worn bandages. They continue the pattern of scales before it is hidden from his armored chest; his plastron. It makes sense now.
Itโs a muted yellow, cracked on some edges but shape his chest and stomach into hard abs. A strap crosses over his body to the back of his shell to holster his gear.ย
June gazes at his hands. Theyโre large, doubtlessly strong as his three fingers flex. Thereโs tension in them as he grips his short swords in his hands, prepared to strike. June leans back as he brings his weapons closer.ย
Her eyes run up his arms, thick bumps of scaly muscles protrude as he bends them. The feeling in Juneโs fingers tingle as she stares at his bicep. Most of his forearm is wrapped in more bandages to the tips of his fingers.
His growl brings her eyes to his shoulders that stretches him wideโa dark, heavy shell hovers over his frame. The curve of the shell is the same as when she looked up at him nights ago.
He stands massive and imposing, forcing shadows over June. Sheโs submersed in the darkness he keeps her in.
โOoh, theyโre so hot, I can feel my shell tightening.โ
โWe can hear you!โ His voice rumbles with annoyance as he looks back. Itโs only for a moment before he turns back to June and April. Still, it gives them time to stumble up to their feet. April keeps June slightly behind her, grabbing her hand.
The tall figureโs jaw ticksโhis head tilts forward into the light.
The red mask across his face, stark against his green skin, is prominent to Juneโs focus. A pair of sunglasses casually sit on his forehead. The worn fabric of his red mask place over his eyes and his rounded head. The tails of the mask trail behind himโone of them resting on his collarbone.
Juneโs gaze draws to his eyes. But she doesnโt look at them for long. His stare is too intense, guarded as he scans her, unblinking. They narrow neither soft nor friendly. It doesnโt feel safe, like the look she received at the docks.
But his eyes have the same glow. Theyโre a conjunction of yellow and green, fighting for dominance. They stare down on her, beautifully firm with anger.
April sucks in a breath, bringing June back to reality. She shakes her head awake but finds her attention still on the figure in front of her. And it finally dawns on June who sheโs looking at. What sheโs looking at:
A six foot something walking, talking turtle.
โIf you donโt give me the camera,โ he starts to speak again, slower. His upper lip has a deep scar cutting through it. โIโm gonnaโโ
โEnough!โ Another stern voice cuts him off. April and Juneโs head shoot away to a figure flipping off a water tower. He appears from the shadows and lands onto the ledge, on the other side of the sisters. They spin around to face him, now surrounded and trapped on the rooftop.
A shorter turtle but just as large holds two sharpened swords as he shatters the concrete under his feet. He stands tall, peering over the sisters to the other turtle behind them.
โBack off, Raph,โ he scolds the red-masked turtle. June glances over her shoulder, cautiously, as the broad turtle raises his hands defensively and backs away.
โI only saw Batman once,โ he mutters.
June lands her eyes on him, and the red-masked turtle meets her gaze. His eyebrow muscle lifts, challenging June silently. She inhales, quickly darting her eyes back to the other turtle.
This one wears a blue mask and covers his plastron with wooden armor to resemble chest plates. He has leather shoulder pads to widen his frame, and a samurai type kilt wraps around his waist.
He speaks up, startling June out of her head. โMaโam, and uh, other maโam, hello. I apologize,โ he says formally, with a slight bow to his head. He jumps down from the ledge to the rooftop, leveling with June and April. But his height still towers over them.ย
He takes slow steps toward the girls, stalking closer. โMy colleague here forgot to say please. So, would you please hand over the camera?โ He asks politely, which contradicts the threatening frown on his face.
June can feel April panicking against her. She heaves with her whole body, tightening her hand in Juneโs hold. She takes cautious steps back and brings June with her.ย
โWhat do we do?โ June whispers with her teeth clenched. The sisters continue to stare at the blue-masked turtle in astonished fear.ย
With another step back, April bumps into a solid chest. She yelps, scaring June as well, as they both spin around to a third turtle. He grabs onto Aprilโs arms before she falls. But it only frightens her more and she canโt catch her breath. Her lungs start to work overdrive as she hyperventilates.
The orange-masked turtle stands shorter than the others. His height doesnโt feel as looming, and his genuine apologetic expression for startling them is calming.
โNo, no, no! Whoa. Whoa. Chill. It's just a mask,โ he reassures April with a friendly smile. June grabs April, snatching her from the turtle's hold. โSee? Donโt freak out,โ the turtle says, as he reaches back to undo the knot of his mask.ย
He holds the orange bandana up and reveals his light green scales underneath. The features of his face replicate the sort of mutation between a human and a turtle. His teal, oceanic eyes crinkling at the sisters as he looks at them, โRight?โ
June notices April begins to wobble. She stiffens, holding her sister up before she topples over. "April?" June checks on her, concernedly. When she turns her to the side, she watches April's eyes start to roll back. Her breathing comes out at a rapid speed, before it suddenly stills and she collapses to the ground, slipping from June's grasp.
โApril!โ June yells as her sister falls unconscious. However, her breath has thankfully gone back down to its normal rate.ย
โOh, I think that went well.โ A different, higher pitched voice appears at Juneโs side. โShe totally didnโt freak out.โ June glances over at a fourth and final turtle, a purple mask hidden behind a thick pair of glasses. He is notably skinner than the other three with a slender and longer limbed body.
His shell is mounted with numerous pieces of tech, devices toppling on top of one another.ย
June stares at him, wide-eyed, as he crouches down and places a hand on Aprilโs shoulder. He looks over at June, noticing her gawking at him, flabbergasted.ย
He waves shyly, โSorry about that. Nice to meet you.โ June continues to stare at him in shock. The purple turtle clears his throat, using his free hand to drag his tech goggles that sat on his forehead over his eyes. โIโm just going to make sure your friend is okay,โ he tells June.
โMyโฆ my sister,โ June finally speaks.
The other turtles walk over to surround June with their larger bodies engulfing her in their shadows.
The purple-masked turtle smiles sweetly at June.ย โOh, well that makes more sense. I should have known. You two look just alike,โ he mentions. The corners of Juneโs lips begin to raise.
There are quiet conversations behind June. She looks over her shoulder at the three other turtles watching their fourth check on April.
The red-masked turtle, arms crossed, plays with a toothpick in his mouth. He was watching June, gazing at her with muted curiosity. She catches his stare and holds it for a moment longer than she should've. He grunts a noise.
The blue-masked turtle approaches with Aprilโs phone in his hand. He finds June eyeing him as he walks over. He bends down to her side. This time, his expression is soft, apologetic and concerned.
โWeโre sorry for frightening your sister,โ he says. June blinks at him, stunned by his flipped tone. She nods once.
โIโm not,โ a harsh scoff is heard behind him. The blue-masked turtle growls under his breath, whipping his head back. โShut up, Raph. Yes, you are.โ
The red-masked turtle rolls his eyes, turning his body away.ย
โItโs fine. We were just surprised, is all,โ June says, quietly. She tries to keep eye contact so she doesn't creep him out with her thirst to explore his frame. She has a lot of questions that need to answer how.
โI bet,โ the turtle chuckles. โNot everyday you seeโฆ us.โ
June giggles softly. โYeah. Not really.โ
They both look down at the phone in the turtleโs hand. โWe really canโt have your sister walking around with our picture on her phone. Think you can understand why?โ
โI can delete it,โ June offers with her hand out. But the blue-masked turtle doesnโt return it, staring at her open palm.
โActually, Iโm going to have my friend here do it. Just to be sure.โ He motions his head to the purple-masked turtle waving again.
June snorts a laugh, and the turtles widen their eyes at her. โWhat? You donโt trust me?โ she underscores a tease.
โHell no,โ the red-masked turtle speaks up again. June fights a snarl in his direction. She simply looks over at him. โYour nosey sister shouldnโt have been taking pictures of us in the first place.โ
Before the blue-masked turtle could scold him, June comments first.ย
โNo need to be rude about it. We were just threatened at gunpoint and forced to the ground when a group of shadows swoop in and single-handedly take down all of those Foot Clan soldiers before suddenly disappearing. We were curious andโโ
โWell, curiosity kills the cat, doesnโt it?โ He seethes.
โOh, so youโre gonna kill me? Over a simple picture? Or are you just mad she didnโt get your good side, huh? You big baby,โ June stands up her full height, even though it doesnโt make her any taller. The red-masked turtle still dominates over her. And he smirks at Juneโs effort to intimidate him.
He moves forward, invading Juneโs space. His large crossed arms bump into her chest. She reflexively steps back to catch herself.
โChill, Raph. Sheโs just messing with you,โ the orange-masked turtle puts a hand out. โThis little dudetteโs got some spunk. I like her!โ
โMikey, shut it,โ the blue-masked turtle, June deems as their leader, snips at him. โAnd Raph, cut it out. Weโll erase the picture and everything will go back to normal, okay?โ
The red-masked turtle chews on his toothpick, ignoring the blue's attempt to assure him. June doesn't look away from his hard glare. She has gained some confidence and canโt let it waver now.ย
โYeah, Raph,โ she taunts in his face, playing with his name. โListen to your buddy.โ
โYou picking up a fight, little girl?โ The red-masked turtle starts to growl, his plastron growing in size as he sucks in a breath. June hesitates for a moment, unable to read his language.
โYo, yo, Raph!โ The orange-masked turtle comes to Juneโs side, placing a three fingered hand on his partner's plastron. โSheโs not trying to pick a fight, dude. You are.โ
June backs away, letting the orange-masked turtle calm the other down. She didnโt mean to rile him up into a defensive stance. And she obviously canโt win in a physical fight against a six something foot turtle with a weapon.ย
She finds the purple-masked turtle with Aprilโs phone in his hand. He presses at the screen, his tongue poking out of his mouth. The blue-masked turtle stands beside him. He monitors June to make sure she doesnโt argue with them.
โWeโre just erasing the picture, thatโs all. Then weโll be out of you and your sistersโ hair,โ he explains.ย
Speaking of April, she lets out a groan, moving slightly on the floor. June crouches down to her side. โApril?โ she calls her name with a shake to her shoulder. โWake up.โ
The purple-masked turtle returns to Juneโs side. โSheโs going to be fine. Sheโll wake up in a minute,โ he tells June, reassuringly.
She looks over at the purple-masked turtle, bowing her head. โThank you.โ
โNo problem, June,โ he smiles back. The girl freezes in her spot, suspicious of how her name is known.
โWait, howโd youโโ
โOh, sorry,โ the purple-masked turtle scratches the back of his neck, โmy goggles gave me a little information when I hacked into Aprilโs phone. Just your names, I swear.โ
The blue-masked turtle stands behind June, taking louder steps to avoid scaring her in the process. โWake her sister up, Donnie, so we can leave.โ
The purple-masked turtle nods, leaning over April, holding her collarbone to shake.
June takes the chance to look at the other two turtles. The orange-masked turtle sits casually on the ground, wrapping the chain hanging on his neck around his finger. When he catches Juneโs eye, he winks at her.
She smiles back before moving her attention over. It slides to the last turtle, leaning against the water tower further back.
Heโs already watching June, eyeing her with an indecipherable expression. He bares his teeth as he fiddles with his toothpick. The frame of him with the light dawning on his back to force a dark silhouette brings Juneโs mind to another night.
A loud breath leaves its nose, content, before releasing June from its hold. It climbs to the top of the containers to tower over June. It doesnโt leave. Even as June looks up at it with widened eyesโblinking the rain away as best as she can.
โQuestion for you,โ she directs to the red-masked turtle. He cocks his eyebrow muscle up. He glances over his shoulder, wondering who she speaks to. June starts to chuckle. โYes, you. The short tempered one.โ
His eye twitches. โNo, thanks,โ the turtle growls, โIโd rather not.โ
June frowns slightly.ย
The blue-masked turtle stands beside June to defend her. โDonโt be rude, Raph.โ
He throws his arms in the air. โWhy is everyone suddenly taking her side? These two show up out of nowhere, take a picture of us like weโre freaks to showโโ
โThatโs not true,โ the orange-masked turtle cuts in. โShe told us they were just curious of who saved them.โ
โYeah, and youโd be the one to believe that garbage, Mikey,โ the red-masked turtle shoots back. โYou donโt even know her,โ he barks, pointing at June.
โIt was just a question,โ June says, shaking her head. โI didnโt mean to rile you up. But it seems like Iโm being a bother.โ
โGlad you noticed.โ
June tilts her head to the side, the corner of her mouth lifting. โGood thing I like being a bother.โ The orange-masked turtle cackles, pointing teasingly at his short tempered partner. โDo you enjoy throwing shipping containers at Foot Clan soldiers, by any chance?โ June asks, hands clasping behind her back.
The red-masked turtle pauses in his spot. The rest of them turn to him.ย
โWhyโd you ask?โ the purple-masked turtle questions June. โThatโs oddly specific.โ
She shrugs, staring down the brute figure. โI donโt know. He just looks like the type to ambush a Foot Clan attack by using a shipping container to smack them into the river.โ His eyes narrow at her.
โStop talking to me, will ya?โ He demands, turning away. โIโm about to leave. Letโs hurry this up, Donnie.โ
With the command, both the purple and blue masked turtles lean over April to attempt to stir her awake.
The orange-masked turtle slides to Juneโs side with an amused smile. He bumps his shoulder with hers, getting close enough to share a secret. โI think I know what youโre talking about, dudette. And yes, is the answer,โ he whispers.ย
Her eyes widened at him. โReally?โ
โSo youโre her, huh?โ
โHer?โ June hums. โI donโt follow.โ
โYouโre theโโ
The dominating shadow of the red-masked turtle hovers over his partner, snarling at him. โDo me a favor and stop being a big mouth idiot.โ He grabs the orange-masked turtle by the edge of his shell and drags him away. His eyes glare at June for a quick second.
โRude,โ June mutters, turning back to April.ย
But thanks to the orange-masked turtle, itโs all she needs to know.ย
"Her palms turn sweaty as she stares at the turtle. She wants to push down the illogical notion taking over her mind. But it makes senseโtotal, unbelievable sense."
Itโs the next morning, and Juneโs last day of school before her spring break. She was able to finish her chemistry homework, even after the incidents of last night. However, the task grew difficult as the words of the professor turned into the yells of the Foot Clan soldiers' slamming into the shipping containers. The draw of the dry erase marker against the whiteboard sounded as the same heavy footsteps that stalked over June.
Her mind primarily found itself recreating the mysterious figureโthe vigilante as April deems. Her brain still canโt comprehend that it might be human. The sheer size of it, the strength it had to throw literal shipping containersโฆ and the texture of its arm holding June tightly. The pads of her fingers can still feel the smooth, ridged surface of its damp skin.
June still hasnโt told April that she secretly accompanied her to the docks. And has also met the vigilante she is now set on revealing. If June told April about her interaction, maybe they could uncover the enigma together. However, June doesnโt want to partake in another one of Aprilโs obsessions and spiral down a hole with her. Because then who would keep them above water?
Besides, this vigilante doesnโt want to be discovered as it hides in the shadows and only appears when necessary. So hopefully with this tactic, April wonโt find any more evidence of its identity. And June can forget the look it gave her.
The quiet apartment echoes Juneโs footsteps throughout the open space. The door to Aprilโs room is ajar, and as she peeks inside, she finds it empty. Her search continues with a blanket around her shoulders to contain the warmth inside.
A ray of sunlight strikes into the living room, where June explores next. โApril?โ She calls aloud without receiving an answer backโnot to any surprise.
When she walks into the kitchen, a note sits on the counter. The handwriting with small stars surrounding the text is undeniably Aprilโs doing.
Running to the Channel Six building early
to report the Foot attack last night.
Call you later!
We love you, Juno <3
April x
June instinctively scoffs at the first part of Aprilโs note. She holds back from rolling her eyes as well. June could cringe at the thought of April bursting through the Channel Six doors and blurting her irrational run in with the Foot. She knows her coworkers arenโt the nicest, and may see April as annoying. And this Foot Clan story wonโt be helping her case.
But June still smiles at the rest of the note. She doesnโt get them often because she and April usually leave in the morning together. The Channel Six building is only a few blocks away, and so is Juneโs school in the same direction.
While April was away at school, she would send text messages to June, encouraging her to do her very best. They were short, motivational quotes that could be found on the walls of a classroom.ย
It took June a while to break the news to April that her quotes were kinda embarrassing. But then, they turned into simple, loving messages with a reminder of how much April and her parents love Juneโno matter the distance.
They would always end with: We love you, Juno.ย
June wishes she had sent April those same kinds of messages back.ย Because between the two of them, April deals with the hefty death of their parents harder. She was present for both of their passings while June was too young to register the reality of the situation.
April doesnโt like to go into detail about their fatherโs death, but June knows the laboratory was set on fire by the Foot Clan with their father trapped inside. Stuck in a corner, millions of dollars worth of equipment and files burning around him. June can only imagine the panic on her fatherโs face as he yells for April to escape the building.
The only thing that survived the fire was their fatherโs experimental animals. April almost ran past them but swiftly grabbed them from their tanks and ushered them to a storm drain by a sidewalk. She didnโt know what the animals were being tested for but their father still cared for those animals. So, April gave them the best chance of survival and set them free.
June leaves the note on the counter as she heads back into her room to get ready for the day. She puts on a new documentary she found recently on orca whales, her favorite oceanic creature, to play in the background.
Her phone buzzes in the midst of her applying mascara to her eyes. She pauses the documentary to read a text from April.
March ;P - Hey, are you getting ready?
Juno <3 - i am
Juno <3 - how did your report go?
March ;P - Probably how you expected it to goโฆ
Juno <3 - wonderfully?
March ;P - Har har
March ;P - Iโll tell you about it later, lmk when you make it to school
Juno <3 - will do
June likes to watch Aprilโs portion of the daily news. Sheโs usually on live during her homeroom class. So, as June sits on the bean bag chair her teacher allows them to use before the period starts, she giggles at April in Times Square reporting the chaos of tourists visiting New York City for spring break.
June immediately notices the slight frown on Aprilโs face that she attempts to push down while she speaks to the camera. She knows Aprilโs boss at Channel Six didnโt take the report on the Foot Clan well. But who would? A vigilante stops a terrorist group attack by throwing shipping containers at them but having no evidence on who the vigilante could be or what they may look like.
However, June does. She could tell April about the interaction she had with the vigilante. She could tell Channel Six that itโs trueโit did pick up a shipping container and threw Foot Clan soldiers into the river. She came into contact with it and stared into its glowing eyes. After it saved her from the Foot Clan.
The problem is, this vigilante wouldnโt be the easiest to describe, and neither pragmatic, because June still isnโt completely convinced itโs even human. But then what else could it be?
June watches the rest of Aprilโs segment until homeroom ends and her teacher asks the students to return to their seats. She pulls out her notebook, a hand drawn turtle shell covered in pastel flowers and veins on the front. Her world history teacher starts to review their homework, and June pokes her knuckles into her cheek as she strolls her mind again to the events of last night.
And the ridges of the arm that held her against its armored chest.
When lunch comes around, June casually sits alone at one of the benches outside the school building to eat. She continues to watch Channel Six as she waits for Aprilโs call during her own lunch break.ย
โฆafter reviewing the city's soaring crime rates with the police commissioner, Councilman Dan Gregor took to the steps of City Hall, reaffirming the city's commitment to fight against the rising crime organization calling themselves the Foot Clan. He did so on the heels of a renewed contract with Eric Sacks and Sacks Industries.ย
โUsing the Sacks research and securities technology, this city greatly improves its chances of bringing the Foot Clan to justice!โ The councilman announces into the microphone with Eric Sacks standing proudly aside him. The press conference erupts into cheersโanother step forward into taking down the group that has been terrorizing their city.
June narrows her eyes on Eric Sacks as he claps along with the crowd. His smile is poised with natural confidence.ย
The last time June allegedly encountered Eric was when she was a baby at her fatherโs funeral. She doesnโt know him but has heard his name throughout the years and knows how passionate he was about the research he worked on with her father. She respects him.
April has seen Eric many times when sheโs visited the lab. He was overseeing all of the scientistsโ studies, so she liked to interview him a lot. He grew fond of April.
Juneโs phone screen is overtaken by an incoming call. She plugs in her other EarPod and answers on the third ring. โHello?โ She speaks out loud, before grabbing a chip from the bag.ย ย
โHey, Juno, howโs your last day of classes going?โ April exclaims on the other end.
โFine, I guess. Havenโt really done anything besides review old homework and watch movies.โ Juneโs eyes roam the bustling sight of daily lunch time. The soccer ball strikes through the mowed grass and passes between the players. Stories and laughter are shared around the circle the group of friends sit in. And the students engulfed in their music, eyes rested shut, ignore the football being thrown across the field.ย
June stares out to watch everyoneโshe plays a part in the stereotypical high school scene. Another chip is popped in her mouth as April responds with a playful mutter, โSeems like you got a better day going than me.โ
โAnd why would you say that? I thought your report on the Foot Clan and the mysterious, unidentifiable vigilante went fantastic?โย
June can hear the roll of Aprilโs eyes. She suppresses making fun of her further. But sheโs glad her point was made.ย
โNo one believed me or even tried to. I went all the way to the docks to give them something new about the Foot Clan, and they all just stared at me like I wasโ"
โInsane? Stupid? Irrational for running into a Foot Clan attack?โ June cuts in, disregarding how contradicting she was because she chased after April and put herself in the same situation. At least, she wasnโt running around telling everyone about how she learned and gained nothing from doing it.
April sighs under her breath. โI tried to tell them about the vigilante and how he actually stopped the Foot. Heโs real andโฆ I saw him.โ
โBut you didnโt see him. You have no idea what he looks like,โ June argues. โSo, you went up there and gave them nothing to work with, April. Thatโs why they didnโt and couldnโt believe you.โ
April doesnโt quip anything backโitโs quiet on the other end of the phone. It makes June cringes at her tone. She doesnโt mean to beat down on April like her coworkers probably did.
โIโm just saying, if he doesnโt want to be discovered, then let him be a vigilante, okay?โ June says, softly.
โThen why did he leave behind a symbol on one of the shipping containers?โ
โAnd what was this symbol?โ
โI donโt know, I havenโt had the time to do research on it yet. But I think it might be one of his calling cards. He wouldnโt have put it there if heโ"
โOr maybe it was just a warning to the Foot Clan. You donโt know, April.โ
โAnd neither do you, June.โ The absence of her nickname grows tension over the phone. The sisters go quiet with hard exhales. June ticks her jawโApril presses her lips together. They stare at their contact photo for one another, the same childhood picture of themselves, and remind each other that theyโre on the same side. They have to be. They need to work together.
April speaks up first, deciding to change the topic to something more lighthearted, โAnyway, do you remember Eric Sacks? Iโve spoken about him before.โ
โUh yeah, of course, I do. He was just on the news before you called.โ
โPerfect, about thatโSacks Industries is hosting a charity event tomorrow night, and Channel Six will be broadcasting it.โ
โOh, does that mean youโre going to the event?โ June asks, switching to taking bites of her school pizza. She glances at the time and monitors the twenty minutes she has left before she has to return to her classes.
April hums at her question, then adds, โI want you to come with.โ
โMe? Why?โ
โBecause I donโt want to be stuck alone with Vern,โ she jokes.
โWhat makes you think I want to be stuck with him either?โ June laughs with her, though, itโs a mere joke. June has known Vern, Aprilโs cameraman and supposed friend, since sheโs been working for Channel Six. He has become her personal chauffeur when traveling by bike wasnโt an option. And he gives incredibly bad advice for staying at the top of her class.
โSo, we can not want to be stuck with him together,โ April exclaims.
Vern has a habit of rambling quite a lot, especially to April. June is very sure about his evident crush on her sister. Itโs why he tries to hang around so much outside of work. But hopefully during the charity event, heโll be busy working so he wonโt have time to speak to them.
โI donโt even have a nice dress for this kind of thing,โ June argues while she chews.
โNo worries, we can buy one after I get off of work tomorrow.โ
June groans, realizing she wonโt be getting out of this. โWell, then you have to make me dinner too. I want chili.โ
โDeal.โ June can hear the sound of Aprilโs relieved smile.ย
Before their phone call comes to an end, April asks, โAre you gonna stop by the Zoo on your way back home today?โ
June nods briefly but then remembers she canโt see her. โYeah, for a little while. Iโm just going to the aquarium. Marsh was getting surgery last time I went there so I wanted to give him a quick visit,โ she explains.
โAlright, tell him I said hi.โย
June smirks down at her phone. โYou do know Marsh, in fact, does not like you?โ
โYeah, he told you that?โ April scoffs, playfully.
โDidnโt have to,โ June shrugs, โhe never comes up to the glass when youโre around. He can sense your judgmental aura.โ
โWhatever, I never liked turtles anyway,โ April taunts.
โYeah, right. I know you loved those turtles at Dadโs lab,โ June says, her voice softening at the mention of their father and his experimental animals. They were the last memories of him. June would wonder sometimes where they might be after April saved them and if their fatherโs tests worked on them. Whatever those tests were.
The girls donโt know exactly what their father and Eric Sacksโ team needed the turtles and the rat for, but they did mention that they wanted to change the world. And those animals were apart of that.ย
โThey were the exception, though. Dad loved them too,โ April says. June stays quiet, letting the moment settle. Their father loved animals just as much as he loved science. Itโs why June was born with the same infatuation and curiosity for them both.
June hums as she asks, โWhat were their names again? You named them after painters, right?โ
โYeah, Italian Renaissance painters.โ
โAnd what did ten year old April know about the Italian Renaissance?โ June teases her.
โI guess, the paintersโ names,โ April answers as they laugh together. โBut listen, I named the rat Splinter, so it balances out.โ
โI wonder what happened to them. If they made it out of the sewers or stayed, you know?โ June ponders.
โSplinter? We might have passed him on the sidewalks,โ April jokes. June covers her mouth as she laughs. โThe turtles? Probably in a pond somewhere. Are turtles solitary?โ
โDepends on the turtle, but they most likely separated,โ June says, finishing the rest of her lunch and wiping the excess off her fingers with a napkin.ย
โAnd who knows, one of them might be Marsh. Could be why he likes you so much,โ April shrugs.
โMarsh likes me because Iโm awesome,โ June snorts. โBut no, they werenโt green sea turtles like Marsh is. They could be one of the other species, though.โ
April hums. โMaybe.โ
โSo, the turtles at Dadโs lab liked me?โ June asks, placing her elbow on the table so she could hold her chin in her palm.ย
โAs much as a turtle in a tank could,โ April answers. โI remember this one time when we were at the lab and I didnโt finish my pizza, so I decided to give pieces of it to the turtles. I held you up while you dropped the pieces into the tank. Michelangelo climbed on top of the other three to get to them first.โ
June listens to Aprilโs story with a smile. She obviously doesnโt have memory of that time, but itโs still nice to hear about it.
โHowโd you remember which turtle was which? Did they have distinct features?โ June asks.
โMaybe. But Dad color coded them with stickers,โ April says, then chuckles under her breath. โYou liked Raphael a lot because he was red.ย
โI doubt babies have favorite colors.โ
โIsnโt it your favorite color now?โ
June juts her lip out. โYeah, youโre right.โ
โRaphael also tended to bang his hard head against the glass whenever someone came near. But when I held you to the glass, he just stared at you. I think he was intrigued. And you liked to babble at him back.โ
โMarsh does the same when I talk to him. Heโs a good listener.โ
The groups of students that vacant the schoolโs yard begin to pack up and finish their games for the day. The other lunch benches around June wrap up their conversations as they grab their trays and head inside the cafeteria.
โAlright, I have to go back to class. But Iโll see you at home,โ June tells April.
โOkay, have a good rest of your day. Love you, Juno,โ she responds.
โLove you too.โ
June smiles shortly, staring at her childhood picture with April before it disappears back to the news channel she was watching previously. She heads inside to throw away her tray and walk to her next class.
The school day comes to an end, and with no one to wish a nice spring break to, June pushes through the crowd out the front door to find her bike on the rack. Her thick hair is messily brushed back into a loose ponytail so it doesnโt get caught up in the wind. June settles on her bike and begins her journey to the zoo.ย
With her annual pass as a loyal visitor, June shows her membership card with a sea lion on the front to the toll employee as she bikes through the underpass.ย
The shelves of park maps stacked at the entrance are ignored as June skips down the concrete path to the aquarium. The zookeepers and staff members wave at June when they hear the familiar sounds of her keychains clanking against her book bag. Most of them are from the gift shops around the park.
June pushes open the doors to the dim lit aquarium. She gives the aquatic animals in the smaller tanks, disguised as building pillars, a short glance. The blue marquee for the open ocean exhibit encourages guests inside.ย
The sheer size of the aquarium always stuns June when she enters and is engulfed by the tank surrounding her. Her fingers graze the glass as she searches for a certain sea turtle.
โOh, hey, June,โ a familiar voice calls her name. She doesnโt look back as her favorite staff member of the zoo approaches her. โLooking for Marsh?โ Connor, one of the aquarium educators, stands beside June, staring out into the large tank. A school of fish swim by them.
โHow was his recovery?โ June asks Connor, looking over at him.
โHe did great. He still has a bandage on his flipper but is swimming normally.โ June nods as he speaks, relieved.ย
The turtle in question appears as a pair of stingrays coast along the glass. Marsh is alone as he raises his head over the surface of the water for a breath of air before plummeting down into the tank again. He wears a bandage, as Connor mentioned, but his flipper glides smoothly through the water.
โHe looks good,โ June observes, taking a step closer. In the corner of his eye, Marsh spots Connor and June watching him. He takes the scenic route, traveling under a bridge of fish and cautiously around a shark before swimming up to the humans on the other side of the glass.
Juneโs smile starts to widen as Marsh approaches. โHey, buddy,โ she chirps with a short wave. Marshโs bandage is small, still showcasing the patterns of his flipper. His small head turns to the side so his eye can face June and Connor.ย
โHe missed you,โ Connor says. โEvery time he sees me, he looks around for you then leaves when you donโt appear. Youโre like a turtle whisperer.โ To his surprise, Marsh continues to float nearby as he watches Juneโs hand splay against the glass.
June laughs quietly. โI am the turtle whisperer.โ
โI believe you.โ
Connor updates June on how Marsh has been doing as if heโs being released from daycare. But June is the only person who genuinely cares about the wellbeing of the turtle, and the others that swim on their own.ย
She listens attentively, though her mind drifts to another kind of turtle. The species that lived in her fatherโs lab years ago. She glances over her shoulder to the archway of the open ocean exhibit where the other aquatic animals live on the other side.
โHey, Connor. Do you guys have any red-eared sliders?โ
โHere?โ His eyebrows jump up. โYeah, we have a couple; Dion and Faith are our two newest turtles. They had broken shells when they came in.โ
โReally? Where are they?โ June watches Marsh give her one last blink before swimming away.
โThey live in our reptile exhibit in the next building over. Do you want to see them?โ June nods. โAlright, follow me this way.โ
Connor leads June out of the aquarium and to the reptile exhibit. He walks beside her as he asks, โWhy do you ask about the red-eared sliders?โ
โMy sister had four turtles when she was youngerโI donโt remember them because I was a baby. But when she described them, they sounded like red-eared sliders. I just havenโt done much research on them myself,โ June explains.
Connor listens, humming as she speaks. โWell, Iโll show ya. I love red-eared sliders. Donโt tell Marsh that.โ
June giggles, โNo promises.โ
The two enter the smaller buildingโnot needing to hold an open ocean exhibit. Itโs noticeably warmer and just as dimmed with an orange hue.ย
Reaching one of the indoor ponds, Connor finds a spot along the railing, away from the other guests, to lean on. He dips his head to find one of the camouflage turtles crawling on a log. June narrows her eyes at the small creatures.
โThese are our red-eared sliders. They look way different from Marsh, huh?โ Connor smirks at June. โSmaller, for sure.โ
โAnd their colors and their legs.โ
โExactly, they have webbed feet and claws, unlike Marshโs flippers,โ Connor says. June hones in on that feature. She watches as one of the turtles walks along the pond at its deliberately casual pace.ย
Its light green skin is covered in thin, yellow stripes that run like painted lines along the neck, past the eyes to the snout. On each side of its head, just behind the eye, is an unmistakable red patch, claiming the red-eared name. Itโs a decorative detail.
June zooms in on the small, overlapping scales that embed the turtleโs skin. They're subtle under the colored lines. The pads of Juneโs fingers twitch from the sleek look of the turtle's limbs.ย
โIโm surprised April had four of them. Whatever happened to them?โ Connor asks about the experimental animals from the lab.
โIโฆ donโt know,โ June drags out. Her palms turn sweaty as she stares at the turtle. She wants to push down the illogical notion taking over her mind. But it makes senseโtotal, unbelievable sense. The smooth, ridged scales of that turtle. It reminds her of the sleek, almost leathery skin of the arm that held her.
Juneโs eyes widen. Her gasp chokes in her mouth.
It canโt be.
Right?
โJune, you okay?โ Connor holds one of her shoulders as he glances down at her.ย
She takes a wobbly step back from the railing, her vision turning hazy. Her head shakes, forcing herself to think straight. Think smart. Think realistically.
Connor is left behind as June abruptly darts out the building. She bolts to the entrance of the zoo, as far away from the exhibits as she can. The staff at the front call out her name, questionably concerned. June ignores them, curtly yelling goodbye before searching for her bike.
Her head is swelling as her feet petal themselves home. She tries to distract her mind with anything else but it's all that sheโs torturedly consumed with.
Is this what April feels like with the Foot Clan?
Itโs awful.
Seeing Aprilโs bike on the rack at their apartment building indicates sheโs already home. June sucks in a breath, shaking the flustered expression off her face as she heads upstairs and hopes April doesnโt suspect anything.ย
June keeps her mouth shut.
The next evening, June stands in front of the mirror as she adjusts the thin straps of her dress on her shoulders. April is still finishing up her makeup so June waits in her room for the announcement that sheโs ready.
The dark navy, floral pattern dress she bought earlier today stretches from the sweetheart neckline to her knees, showcasing the white heels she wears. Her upper back is covered by her auburn hair with the corset tying a bow on her lower back.
June smiles as she turns to the side, admiring the rare site of herself in a dress. Her stomach is full from the chili April made for her but it doesnโt show in the front. It makes her tempted to eat another plate.
โJuno, you ready?โ April yells from the kitchen.
โAm I? Iโve been waiting for you,โ June shouts back as she grabs her purse and phone, before joining her sister.
April wears a short, black dressโsimpler than the one June has on. Her hair is curled and bounces as she walks around the island. โVern is outside, letโs go.โ
On the street of their apartment building parks the Channel Six News van. June crawls inside first, briefly exchanging hello to Vern and thanking him for the compliment of her appearance, before settling in the single, gray seat behind him. April sits beside Vern, closing the van door shut.
As to no oneโs surprise, Vern rambles about something the whole drive. Luckily, the banquet hall the event is being hosted at is only a mere twenty minute drive away. But with New York weekend night traffic, it bumps it up to almost thirty.ย
June rests her head back and faintly shuts her eyes, letting her mind race about another night. April checks on June a couple of times, but June waves her off.ย
She needs to figure this outโhow, was the question. She canโt contradict herself again. If she wants April to let the vigilante be a vigilante, she has to abide by that too.
If only she could see him one last time.
They arrive at the banquet hall and join the rest of the news channels to the back of the building where they park their vans and unload their equipment. June stands aside to let them work.
โHey, muscles. Come be useful and hold this case for me,โ Vern whistles June over. April snorts as she walks back to them, holding up three lanyards clipped with passes.
โIโm in a new dress and wearing cute heels, Vernon. I cannot do anything besides look pretty and drink complimentary champagne,โ June speaks poshly, holding her hands together.
Vern rolls his eyes at the nickname. April slings the lanyard around Juneโs neck and pinches her jaw. โItโs a miracle I even convinced her to come to this,โ She tells Vern as she grabs the case he holds out.
โWith a food offering, I presume?โ He chuckles. June scoffs, crossing her arms.
โI came here because of the kindness of my heart,โ She argues, her tone blatantly bored.ย
โI believe you, kid,โ Vern says, shutting the van doors closed. โAlright, let's hurry up. I need a good spot or Bernadette will kill me.โ Vern shivers at the thought of his boss scolding him for his poor angles. The sisters follow him inside the building.
The banquet hall canโt simply be described as grandeโbut that will have to do. Stones stack on the walls to rise to the high ceilings and the crystalized chandeliers that hang over the elegant guests. The beige curtains cover the large windows to contain the ambiance inside. Purple beams of light bounce off the illuminated pillars surrounding the wide stage.
There are too many tables to count, occupied by even more guests. June stands at the entryway for a moment to take in the sight. April places a hand on her lower back to guide her.
โOver here,โ she whispers to June over the loud chattering. The back wall of the banquet hall is roped off for the line of news camerasโtheir channel stations imprinted on the side. Vern hurries to an open spot, claiming it with a tripod. He visibly relaxes as he begins setting up the rest of his equipment.
April drags a chair over for June to sit on. โHow long will this even be for?โ June asks before April walks away to help Vern.
โWe actually arrived near the end. These people have been here for hours,โ April says. โThereโs maybe forty minutes left? Weโre all really just here for Eric Sacksโ speech.โ June nods, taking out her phone from her purse.
โCan I use my headphones?โ
โOf course, Iโll be standing with Vern if you need me.โ From Juneโs sitting height, April is able to press a short kiss to the top of her head. She smiles sweetly at her younger sister before brushing past the other news channels.
June sticks an Earbud in her ear, keeping one out to listen for her name if it were to be called. A waiter skims through the roped section to offer glasses of water, which June gladly accepts.
She plays numerous games on her phone then scrolls through the few social media apps she has to pass the time.ย
It helps quite a bit because the conversations and laughter shared between the guests grow quiet inside the banquet hall when an announcement blasts through the speakers. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming the NYPD's top benefactor, Eric Sacks.
June flinches when all the guests jump out of their seats and roar with cheers. The lights laser to the podium on the stageโone of them follows a silhouette that appears from the side.
She hasnโt physically seen him since she was a baby and doesnโt even remember the interaction. But June still sits up, mouth parting, when Eric Sacks steps to the podium with his infectiously calm smile. His hair is grayer than the ones in the few photos sheโs seen. The wrinkles on his face prove that fifteen years have gone by. And Juneโs father is stuck back there.
Eric Sacks stands behind the microphone and points out to the crowd, curtly laughing at familiar faces heโs found. June watches him, wondering if April is just as shocked as she is to see him. Even though they knew heโd be thereโitโs his charity event.
โPlease, please, pleaseโฆโ Eric attempts to quiet the clapping crowd, โsit down, sit down.โ The guests follow his command and return to their seats, prepared for his speech. June takes her earbud out to listen. She sits higher in her seat.
โI have to say, it's wonderful to see so many people out here tonight, especially in a neighborhood so hard hit by the Foot's crime wave,โ Eric says, his voice turning serious as it echoes throughout the room.
โYears ago, my life was touched by tragedy. I was a young scientist working with a world-class team on cutting-edge researchโฆโ Eric goes quiet. He stares out into the crowd with a quick clear of his throat. โAnd our laboratory was attacked, set fire to, robbed, by the cowards that call themselves the Foot Clan.โ
Juneโs heart thumps loudly in her chest. She has to grip the back of her chair to steady herself. No one besides herself and April speak about the fire. It startles June to be reminded of that day by someone else. And to have a whole crowd pity the situation.ย
A hand gently grabs Juneโs shoulder, making her squeal. She shoots her head to the side to find April. โHey,โ her sister whispersโher eyes turning glassy. June rolls her lips inward, standing from her seat and slipping her hand into Aprilโs.
They give each other a supporting glance before turning back to Eric Sacks as he continues his speech. They lean on one another, in both ways.
โSeveral of my employeesโโ Eric takes a great pause, looking almost uncomfortable with his words, โlost their lives that day.โ June looks down at her heels, squeezing Aprilโs hand. The gesture is returned back. โAnd it is in their honor, in their memory, that Sacks Industries, whether through Sacks Biomed, Sacks Robotics or Sacks Construction, will remain committed to keeping the city of New York, our city, safe.โ The crowd begins to politely clap, thanking Eric for his declaration.
June lets out a soft exhale, releasing a breath that starts to strangle her lungs. April nudges her with her shoulder, forcing June to look her way. She nods at her sister with a smile. โItโs okay,โ April reassures her.
โSo whenever someone takes flame to this city, I will be there to put the fire out. And that's a promise,โ Eric says, softly. His body sighs before he stands straight up again. โThank you. Thank you.โ The cheering returns, louder than before with the guests rising from their chairs.ย
Eric sways at the podium and accepts the praise and flashes of cameras. He bows, thankful, before escaping the stage.
Thatโs when June feels Aprilโs hand slip from hers. She walks around the red ropes and into the actual banquet. Her eyes are zoomed in on Eric as he circles the room to personally thank the guest.
โApril? Where are you going?โ June rushes to follow behind her as she cuts through the crowd.ย
April slips into Ericโs path, and as soon as he finishes another handshake, she jumps in front of him to grasp his hand. June catches up, almost bumping into Aprilโs back.
โMr. Sacks! April OโNeil. You worked with my father,โ April blurts with a poised smile. Eric looks startled by the sudden interaction but pauses when he hears her name.
June moves to stand beside April, embarrassed but also intrigued to meet the man that worked closely to her late father. Like she could be reconnected with him somehow from just a look at Eric.
โOh,โ he sighs, placing his free hand on top of Aprilโs. โI canโt believe it. I havenโt seen you sinceโฆโย
โSince his funeral,โ April finishes for him with a slight shrug. โIt was a long time ago,โ her voice falters.ย
Eric nods, looking down for a moment of silence. When his eyes slide back up, they fall on June. She simply stares back, not knowing what to say. But when Eric glances at April then back at June and connects the dots, his mouth parts.
โAre youโฆ little Juno?โ Eric asks in disbelief.
June smiles, flustered. โYeah. Well, not so little Juno anymore.โ
โI know. It's, wow... you look just like your father. It's beautifully uncanny,โ Eric continues to stare at June, completely stunned. He grabs Juneโs hand to also hold. She takes it, gracefully.
โSheโs just like him as well,โ April adds. โSheโs hoping to get into zoology and conduct research and conservation projects for wildlife.โ
June blushes, bumping Aprilโs shoulder. โItโs a working progress. Iโm only a freshman in high school.โ
โBut you should still be very proud of yourself, June. Your father would be so happy to hear that. He loved animals.โ
โI know,โ June sniffles, quietly. โMe too.โ
April gains Ericโs attention again. โUh, I just wanted to tell you that your words really resonated with me, and I hope to one day contribute to the city in the way that you do,โ she tells him.
Eric smiles at her. โWell, it looks like youโre doing a pretty good job. Channel Six. Very impressive, April.โ
April laughs, hollowly. โUm... Thank you. It's, uh... It isn't exactly everything I anticipated it would be.โ
โAs long as you are true to yourself, your father will always be proud of you,โ Eric tells her, then turns to June. โThe both of you. I know I am.โ As someone their father worked so closely with and could be categorized as an old friend, his validation warms June more than she thought.ย
A guard appears behind Eric, leaning in his ear to say, โMr. Sacks, we have to be uptown at seven.โ
He doesnโt look back as he shakes the girlsโ hands. โApril, Iโll see you on TV. And not so little June, keep up the good work, future Zoologist.โ They both wave their goodbyes as Eric is escorted away, leaving them alone in the middle of the bustling banquet hall.
June turns to April, examining the fierce gaze on her face. She takes a moment to meet Juneโs eyes, and when she does, the resolute stare is unyielding. โI canโt give up on this, Juno.โ
But June doesnโt fight her this time. She simply shrugs. โI know.โ
Because June might just be as determined to figure something out too.
"The two stare at one another for a long second. June can feel the beating of her heartโshe can hear it over the rain."
She has an oversized Save The Turtles poster plastered on her wallโit's beside the trinket turtles sleeping on her levitated shelves. They're from when she visited a rescue center for marine life a few summers back. So, she can't complain about the paper straw that starts to lose its spine with every sip. She does it for the animals at the rescue center, and for the oceanic creatures that begged for cleaner, healthier water in that one commercial.
Her tongue swirls around the wet straw, remembering not to chew, as she attentively watches the video for her honors chemistry class. The cold junction of acidic fruits that color her smoothie a pastel yellow tone keeps her brain consciousโjust long enough to finish her last assignment before spring break starts. June has learned the consequences of procrastination, and she promised for her freshman year of high school that she'd finally let that troubling habit go. Especially for her science classes.
If she wants to pursue her dream of becoming a zoologist and get accepted into a good university program, she can't afford to drop from the honors course.
Her pencil meticulously copies the formulas the science teacher on Youtube draws on the screen. She takes a long sip of her smoothie and hums at the finality of the long equation rather than the heavenly tastes of mixed fruit. But the chilling drink draws a groan from June as she digs her wrist into her left eye. That's usually where her brain freezes land.
June hears the front door of her older sister's New York apartment from her room. She used to live with her aunt while her sister, April, was away at college. But after April graduated and started her job at Channel Six News, she found a nice apartment in the city, and June has been living with her ever since.
April is grateful every day that June is with herโnot only is she her sister, but she's also her best friend. And besides their aunt, April and June are all they have left.
"Juno, where are you?" April calls out as quick footsteps search throughout the apartment.
"In my room," June yells back with her eyes casted down on her notebook, "where else?" she adds with a quiet snort. The video is almost at an end, and so is June's chemistry brain capacity. Her strong suit has always been biology.
April appears at June's doorframe with her hand gripping the wall to stay upright. Her heavy breathing ticks June's ear, and the thump that hits the ground stops the video she's watching.
April has been following new spottings of this terrorist group, the Foot Clan, and traveling to every location they were reported to be at last. June tried to call her before she knew she'd be filming on Channel Six, but she was brushed off with a rushed text: itnerviewng at the docs. will call lager.
"So, who were you interviewing today?" June asks as April pushes her cascading hair away from her fallen face. "Finally got the Foot Clan to sit down for some coffee?"
April lifts her eyes to give her sister a glare. June simply shrugs it off.
"No, Juno. The Foot Clan doesn't just sit for coffee. I have to go to the scene and scout for information to hopefully make ends meet. It's a lot of work."
June spins in her chair to face her sisterโher body shifts to one side of the armrest. A playful smirk spreads across her lips. "I know it is. But nothing is harder than portraying the true image of migration," June says as April makes her way back to her feet. She rolls her eyes at the reminder of the fitness trainer that joined her on the news earlier. "You were a very sexy seagull. I was just waiting for you to flock away." June flaps her arms like wings to mimic the workout she had seen April do on TV.
April reaches her sister's desk and plants a hand on the surface. "Oh, shut up. That's not the work I meant." Her frustration turns into a sigh. "It was so embarrassing. Four years of journalism school so I can become a sexy seagull."
"Hey, you pulled it off," June laughs. "Your boobs looked great too." That earns a slap to the back of her head, which she already expected.
Though it wasn't what April truly wanted to do, becoming a news anchor for Channel Six News was an opportunity she couldn't let down. It gave her a lot of intel and access to information she wouldn't be able to grasp as fast as a freelancer. And the job was stable, for now.
With her fifteen year old sister living with her, April wanted June to have all the things her age group would eventually ask for. So, even though Channel Six isn't her endgame, it provided the money June could use to buy a new pair of sneakers she saw all the kids at school wearing.
Ever since April lost both of her parents, she knew she couldn't lose her sister either. She kept in touch with June throughout the years away at college and took the train to her auntโs apartment every time she had the chance to see her. To June, it had seem like her older sister just wanted to nose her business in her middle school life, but to April, those sister dates to the local ice cream shop and the competitive hours at the arcade were everything. And those moments stilled in frames by her bedside.
Now, June is only a living room away.
So, Channel Six wasn't all too bad.
โAnyway, sorry I missed your call. How was school?" April asks to shift topics. She's oblivious to the flinch June plays off from the question.
"It's alright, I was just checking in," June only acknowledges the first part.
The room goes silentโApril watches her sister scratch at her eyebrow in hopes that a more important thought will interrupt this conversation. Still, she pushes for an answer. โDid you walk home with that girl you hung out with last week? Kaylee?"
"Kamie," June corrects her. โAnd no. We don't talk much. Sheโs just a class friend."
"Oh, what happened? I thought you two hung out at lunch too?"
June chuckles to herself. โNothing happened. But the dead parents jokes over a grilled cheese lunch just weren't landing."
April turns her head away to cringe. "June..." she drags out in disappointment.
"What? She asked!" June throws a hand up. โBut I, uhโฆ I kinda did it on purpose." That perks April's eyebrow up in question.
"Why?"
"Because she only wanted to get closer so she could keep asking for my answers without it being awkward anymore." April takes a second to think about her responseโthen she nods, understanding where she's coming from. As much as she wants June to have friends because that's something she lacks in plenty, she also doesnโt want her sister surrounded by those who use her.
April brushes a hand over June's hair. "That's fair. Good for you, then." June released a relieved breath. She smiles, thankful, and gifts April with the chance to tell her about her day, besides what happened on TV.
The jade shade of her eyes start to lighten at June's sudden interest. She doesn't know if it's true interest but still runs with it and finds her spot on the side of June's bed.
"So, like I told you, there was another sighting of the Foot Clan," she begins, and June intuitively shakes her head at the mention of the group that has continuously attacked the city. Many can say they have never been directly affected by the Foot Clan... but the sisters in this room can.
April catches June's reaction and holds up a defensive hand. "I know, I know, but listenโโ
"It's hard to, April," June sighs. "I hate seeing you chase after them."
"But you understand why I need to." Her voice faintly cracks in the end. June does know, because deep down, she wants the Foot Clan to suffer for the crime they've bestowed upon her family. She runs a hand down her face, before cupping her chin. The lift of her eyebrows signal April to continue.
Those on the Channel Six floor find the Foot Clan to be the biggest report they can release for views. Though, none of them really care about their motives or who they'll strike nextโas long as they are around to broadcast the damage. But April has been the only one who wants to delve deeper into the Foot Clan, find out who their leader is, why they attack and what are they planning on doing next.
Someone's family could be caught in the crossfire like hers was.
Her breakthrough to becoming a successful journalist could really sprout from figuring out the truth behind the Foot Clan and giving the police a chance to stop them for good.
But the need to stop the Foot Clan roots so much further down than that.
"Okay, so another sighting..." June resumes April's story. Her smile tweaks up to thank her sister for listening. She shifts back in her spot on the bed and runs her hands along the fabric of her jeans.
June swivels closer to her bed, giving April her undivided attention.
"I couldn't call because I went to talk to Mr. Rivetti at the docks. He said that a bunch of Foot Clan soldiers stormed in and forced his team to the ground at gunpoint," April explains.
"Oh wow, are they okay?" June sits up in her chair with concern. April nods to reassure her, which leads June to ask. "Why were they even there?"
"They were after restricted chemicals: Benzyl Cyanide and some deaminating agentsโ"
"Wait, deaminating agents?" June repeats out loud in thought. She's learned about those in her chemistry class. "Aren't those used in genetic research? They cause mutations." April stares longly at her sister, before a grin widens on her face. She chuckles softly, making June blink questionably. "What?"
"You really are an O'Neil," April speaks, her voice brimming with pride.
June looks down at her hands, then pats at different parts of face. "Oh, was I not a moment ago?" She gasps with blatant sarcasm.
April rolls her eyes. "I'm just saying. You were never interested in chemical, genetic talk. I tried to tell you about some of Dad's old work from the labโwell, whatever I would understand. He sometimes forgot I was only ten.โ
June smiles softly to underscore the envy that skims her every once in a while. She had only been to her Dad's lab a handful of times as a baby. There wasn't any recollection of that place. But April has a better memory of her times at her Dad's lab and the work he was so passionate about. She still remembers the small turtles that she sneakily fed snacks to. And the beady-eyed rat that held its paw against the glass when April was near.
And she'd always remember that day, right after her dad agreed to visit her school for Career Day, when the lab was destroyed. Her father unfortunately went down with it. June isnโt haunted with that day like her sister is.
April was glad that June had grown a curiosity for science, especially biology. She knows her father and June will never have the relationship they did, but she resembles all the great parts of him. She has his drive to learn more, his passion when she finds something to love, his empathy to help those in need, and his ambitious to make the world better.
Her dad wasn't gone because he lives through her little sister.
"Anyway, I asked Mr. Rivetti if there was anybody else trafficking those sorts of chemicals because that might be where the Foot Clan is heading next. And he said there was one other facility along the waterfront, but they're high-security. So, the Foot Clan isn't likely to strike there," April continues.
"And that's all?"
โWell, Vern interrupted my interview because we had to leave. But I called Mr. Rivetti again before I made it home. He said he has a guy name Stan, at the docks, that may have more information."
June acknowledges Aprilโs answer with her lips pushing to the side. April gives her a knowing lookโwanting her to connect what that all means. June pauses for a moment to consider that maybe April is thinking of something stupid, but she shakes the thought away. Because she can't actually be thinking that.
"So, Stan probably knows more about the attack and the specific chemicals the Foot were trying to take," June states the obvious. April nods, watching her sister's steady expression. โAlright, well, I want to ask what that means, but I'm not going to."
April groans, sliding closer to the edge of the bed to reach for June's knee. "This could be progress for me, Juno."
June shoots up from her chair, startling April. With arms crossed, she glares down at her sister, disappointment etched across her face.
"April, think about it. If the other facility is high-security, what makes you think the Foot Clan would go there? Why won't they just go back to Mr. Rivetti's dock? Maybe even tonight. Especially if they want more chemicals. You are possibly running into the middle of another attack. It's a crazy idea."
"Butโ"
"But what? You don't think running straight into a Foot Clan ambush is a crazy idea?โ When April doesn't answer, June exhales sharply and shakes her head. "Unbelievable." She beelines out of the room.
"Juneโ" April calls after her, trailing close behind. "I'm sure they won't be there. I just need to talk to Stan and get more information on the Foot Clan's attack.โ April's voice is assuringโto whom? She doesn't know.
June turns slowly, lowering her eyebrows. "April, you've got to stop chasing danger. One of these days, you're going to get hurt."
April's head is high as she meets her sister's eyes. "That's my job, Juno.โ She walks around the kitchen island to stand in front of June. She grips her shoulders, with her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm a journalistโโ
"Not a detective," June quips back.
โโand I'm a bereaved daughter," April speaks over her. Juneโs mouth snaps shut, her eyes staring widely at her sister. April mashes her lips together, withholding a suddenly urge to cry. June blinks back. She wasn't expecting that. April clears her throat to speak again. โMaybe this is my chance to finally take them down."
June holds April's gaze for a moment, processing the gut punch to the heart. She'll never feel the same amount of grief of losing their father, but she can if she loses her sister.
Tension draws a line across her face. "I don't want you in the middle of a crossfire." June says, standing firm with her decision. "You can ask to see the camera footage or something. There are other ways to go about this." She doesn't wait for an answer. June brushes past April and through the living room to the balcony. The evening breeze filters between the holes of Juneโs cardigan. She finds the railing to rest her elbows on top of.
June's words land heavy on April's shoulders. She hesitates to follow June, but eventually joins her on the balcony. While June stares out at the busy city, April scans each wrinkle of frustration on June's face. She notices the stress in her eyesโworry invades the colors of them. April leans against the railing and murmurs, "All right. Fine."
Relief surges through June like a wave, though she conceals a reaction. The bustling cars and incoherent conversations below fill the noise between them. June slides her arm around the back of April's neck to pull her closer to her side.
"Thank you," she whispers to April. Without receiving a verbal reply, she feels April's arm slick around her back. There's still a waver of guilt inside June, but it's overpowered by the protective nature she has for her sister.
April speaks firstโit surprises June. "We should go out to eat. Pizza?โ
June pulls back to look at the side of April's face. Her tone is soft, "Yeah, sure! We haven't gone to Catalinaโs in a while. I've been so buried in schoolwork, and you've beenโโ
"Chasing for a stupid headline about the Foot Clan," April cuts in, her voice dry. She leans forward over the railing to escape in the breeze. June looks out at the viewโthat alone can be enough to soothe most worries. Not all the time.
"It's not stupid, April," June corrects her. "The Foot Clan is actually a very serious headline. And I don't want you putting yourself in danger and being on it too." April makes a short noise to acknowledge June's point, and it's enough to know the conversation is settled.
The two girls stand in silence for a while, side by side. June quietly places her hand on top of Aprilโs on the railing and sighs. April does as well.
Despite the nine year difference between them, June and April have many similarities. With Juneโs looming height for a fifteen year old, she stands taller than April but still often falls under the mistake of her twin. They both have dark auburn hair that curls naturally at the ends. June had added a few sun-kissed highlights to hers from a young experiment turned lifestyle.
April has a clear blue tint to her jade eyesโa trait passed down from their mother. June used to envy her sister's eyes, especially when she stared at the family photos that decorated their entryway wall.
But then thereโs one photo with a small April holding up a smaller June. And the color of their motherโs eyes smiling with the color of their father's eyes is a beautiful reminder that their parents aren't so far away. So, June wears her father's green shade of jade, carrying light and warmth, with pride.
Not having the chance to grow up with her dad made Juneโs heart heavy at times. But then the feeling of him close by through her mannerism, her personality, his features mimicked on her face soothes that pain June endures.
April, who still hasn't looked away from the sky rocketing buildings surrounding them, finds June's shoulder to sleep on. Busy in her own thoughts, she sighs under her breath to clue that their dad is on her mind too.
"Let's get out of here," June announcesโApril nods and stands up straight. "We can stop inside that weird trinket shop on the way. How does that sound, April O'Neil with Channel Six News?โ June playfully tilts her head and flashes a smirk.
April laughs, a genuine one, and turns to walk inside. For those few seconds, June stands on the balcony alone. She exhales quietly and turns back to the view. Her smiles fades to sink her teeth into her bottom lip.
There are fleeting moments like this where June feels as if she shouldnโt be so harsh. April is consumed by the Foot Clan becauseโฆ well, she lost her dad too. And if June wasn't so worried about April's safety, maybe she would've been in her position instead.
June doesn't want to stop April from uncovering the truth. She's just as curious as to what the Foot Clan is up to and what they were doing on that September day fifteen years back. But finding out the truth isn't worth the risk of April getting hurt. The thought of June losing April, and not stopping her, is enough to twist her stomach into knots.
With a shake of her head, the notion is pushed down for now. June lets herself focus on the pepperoni pizza sheโll share with April instead. Tonight can be a chance to reconnectโno lack of friends questions, no Foot Clan stories, no tension. Just June and April.
And to June's relief, April keeps the conversations throughout their dinner away from anything that could segue into the Foot Clan. But that didn't mean she wasn't thinking about them. June can read her sister like a book. Even though April was present in her body, she was distant in her head. Her responses turned dry with her eyes often drifting away to escape into her thoughts.
June knew she wasn't doing it on purpose, so she didnโt want to shatter the nice night by mentioning it.
While on the walk back to their apartment, June nudges her hip against April's. She breaks the lull, "You can tell me what's on your mind. I'm here to listen. I don't want you shutting me out."
April gives her a brief smile and waves her off. "I'm fine. I actually wanted to ask you aboutโโ
June obliges to her dodge, letting the conversation shift to spotlight her. It allows April to walk in silence and occasionally quip a comment.
When they arrive home, April tosses out a casual suggestion to watch a movie. June is quick to agree because she's still convinced she can make April forget about the temptation to return to the docks tonight.
The girls curl up together on the couch, flipping through multiple streaming services to eventually settle on a Fast and Furious movie. They don't know which one but Vin Diesel is in it so they don't care.
Still, the tension is lingering in the room, unable to find the door out.
For most of the movie, June tries to ignore the way April stiffens, the unreadable furrow of her eyebrows, the rhythmic taps to her thigh. But eventually, it starts to get under her skin.
June groans, grabbing the remote to pause the movie. Before April can protest, June turns to face her. "Just say what you want to say, April. Jeez," she whines. "If you want to talk about the Foot Clan, then let's just do it."
April wears a look of faux confusion. "What do you mean?" she asks, gesturing toward the TV. "I'm watching the movie."
June's eyebrows raise, unimpressed. She lets out a puff to regain her faltering composure. She blinks at April. "I assume Stan works the night shift."
April takes a second to understand, then nods. "Yeah."
"So, he's still there. At the docks?"
โI donโt know.โ June shifts her eyes away to think. April uses the silence to say, "Why are you asking?"
"Because you're still distracted about this docks thing. I can see it all over your face. I could tell during dinner too," June says with a short, exasperated laugh. "You're twenty-four years old, April. I can't stop you from leaving if you really want to go. I was just hoping youโd realize on your own that it isn't the smartest move."
April sighs, leaning back against the couch. "I know it isn't," she replies simply, her eyes fixed on the paused screen.
June scoffs at her response: That's it? She feels her irritation scratching beneath her skin. She triedโall the warnings, all the concerns, all the pleading. And in the end, April's hatred for the Foot Clan will always matter more.
"Fine," June mutters, standing abruptly from the couch. "If you know it's not a good idea and still want to go, then I'm done arguing about it. I have homework to finish."
Before June makes it out the room, April grabs her arm to stop her. "I'm not trying to argue with you. I'm sorry, Juno," April says quietly.
June turns slowly to face her. April stands with a deep frown tugging at her features. She repeats again, "I'm sorry, okay?"
"You don't need to apologize," June says, trying to hold the frustration in her voice at bay. "If going to the docks and checking out the scene is what you really want to do, then go. I understandโprobably the most."
They stare at each other for a long beat. Juneโs head tilts down slightly from their height difference. Her eyes narrow, so does Aprilโs. They read one another, a soft challenge.
"I'm not going," April speaks with finality.
June lifts an unconvinced eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yeah," April shrugs. "I'll stay."
June holds her gaze for another second, before eventually waving April off with a skeptical scoff. She releases her arm from April's grasp and turns away to walk to her room. โFine. Iโll be doing homework.โ
This time, April lets June go. She exhales a humph as June marches to her room and closes the door behind her. April stands alone in the living room, arms crossing as her mind fights an itching urge.ย
June, on the other hand, leans her ear against the door to listen to the movement on the other side. She doesnโt believe April for a second. The flicker of curiosity; the silent brewing of a planโit was written all over Aprilโs face. And June knows her sister a little too well.
June listens to the pacing of Aprilโs footsteps, attentively. Thereโs annoyed, incoherent muttering. Then itโs a short sigh. Followed by the sneakily shut of the front door. Aprilโs decision is quiet but obvious. Juneโs teeth grind as she slams her hand against the door.
Of course.
June waits in her bedroom for a few beats to create some distance before sheโs traveling downstairs behind her sister. She pushes the main doors of the apartment building open, immediately noticing Aprilโs bike gone from the rack. June instinctively pinches the bridge of her nose, irritated. โWhat an idiot,โ she huffs out loud, before walking over to her own bike.
Aprilโs heedless action leads June into a downpour of rain. Her hair instantly soaks up the storm and patches to the sides of her face. June slicks the sticky strands back as she unlocks her bike and settles on the wet seat.
The sky is dark, dominating the night with a lack of stars to light a path. It creates the ambiance for the situation June has now put herself in. She swiftly blinks the rain away from her eyes as she begins petaling her way in the direction of the waterfrontโin hopes to catch up to April and make sure her sister doesnโt do anything stupid.ย
The night hums quietly as most have already found themselves in bed. For the city that never sleeps, the rain has run them off to the warm, dryness of their homes. Still, June continues to ride in the eye of the storm.
She shockingly finds April after only a few blocks and decides to craftily follow close behind her to the docks.
Her older sister, a distracted frown etched on her face, bikes through the puddles and pebbles of raindrops. June moves her legs faster to keep up. She cautiously releases a hand from the bike handle to hover over her eyes.
The rain picks up, warning the girls to turn back. April swiftly swipes the water from her face and takes a final sharp turn to the waterfront. June sucks in a breath when the fluorescent lights from the docks appear. They shine on mountains of shipping containers and vacant cranes.
April trails along the chain-link fence, quietly peering through the slots for any movements. June lays her bike against an unknown wall and decides to stalk her sister on foot. She watches as April abruptly stops and leans against the fence to stare out onto the dock. Her hand blindly digs into her pocket for her phone and enters a number.
โWhat are you doing?โ June questions April to herself as she steps closer but still out of sight. She keeps her hand over her eyes to block the new angle of the rain hitting her face and blurring her vision. June internally hits herself for not grabbing a jacket but then remembers why she even obtusely ran outside in the first place.
Chasing after her irrational older sister.
April brings her phone to her ear and impatiently waits for the person on the other end to answer. She glances to her sides in both directions, but June is quick to hide in the shadows of the bearing wall and submerse herself in the darkness.
โChris! Chris, itโs April,โ she whispers a yell into the phone. โIโm at the docksโno, no! I need a camera crewโโ The call is abruptly put to an end. April pulls her phone back and growls at it.
There is a crowd of low voices exchanging words to one another on the other side of the fence. It catches both June and Aprilโs attention. The rain crashes harder, turning those voices incoherent. But it doesnโt hide the fact that itโs undeniably the Foot Clan. Juneโs jaw drops in astonishment.
She's never seen them in action before. Solely on the news.ย
April lifts her phone up again and points it to the silhouettes that pass under the stadium lights before disappearing into the night. They are dressed entirely in black, hiding behind the frowning masks they wear. Aprilโs phone attempts to make out the scene through the crashing pour of rain but itโs barely perceptible. She groans and decides to stow her phone away in her pocket.
June monitors carefully, her eyes sliding between the Foot Clan behind the fence and her sister who ponders her next move. April looks around once more. June stills in her spot as Aprilโs eyes brief in her direction. Her teeth play with the skin of her lip as she thinks aloud. June watches her and only relaxes when April turns back to the fence.
There is a moment of contemplation as April observes the Foot Clan carrying out their previous mission. There is loud movement and shuffling on their end. They pass boxes between each other under the light. The others stand guard, holding their guns lowered but alert.ย
That's when it dawns on Juneโthe weight of the situation. She needs to get April home, even if it means she has to hear a lecture about following her to the docks. June decides to give up her hiding spot and reveal herself. But that decision comes too late as April starts to climb the chained fence. Her bike falls on its side, left unattended.
The loud downpour of rain cancels out Juneโs voice as she calls out for her sister to stop. She attempts to yell her name again while running across the street to reach the fence.ย
Aprilโs body is pumping with reckless determination as she fiercely climbs to the top. She doesnโt even notice June chasing after her as she swings her legs over to the other side and stealthily lands back down to the ground.
โWhat is wrong with you?โ June whines with no receptor to her question. Her fingers and shoes poke through the chains as leverage to climb up. When her arms reach the top to rest for a moment, she takes the opportunity to glance down. But April is already gone out of sight.ย
June drops back to the ground, groaning at the impact. She grabs onto the fence and crouches while regaining her breath. April has disappeared somewhereโthe dock being surrounded by hundreds of containers with pockets of darkness hidden from the lights.
โNo, no, no. Where are you?โ June starts to panic, frantically whipping her head around for a clue of where April might have went. But when the sounds of voices creep closer, June has no choice but to bolt across the open area to the maze of shipping containers.ย
Her body braces against one of the containersโthe wet and flat surface hard to hold onto. June cautiously peeks her head out to the Foot Clan continuing to pass boxes and stock them into the back of their trucks. The guards point their flashlights like lasers across the dock, cocking their guns up to any sudden noise.
June flinches back down, holding her chest as she tries to think of how sheโll find April now. But her thoughts are interrupted by quick, pounding footsteps above her. They jump from one container to the other, and as June gapes up to the noise, a large silhouette flies over her head in a single blink. The rain forces Juneโs eyes away, unable to make out the person.
โApril?โ She asks out, questionably.ย
June hears the abrupt authoritative voice of a woman ordering the Foot Clan around. She decides to peek out again. The sight of a short, red-highlighted ponytail makes June shrink smaller in her spot. The womanโs shadow bounces off the containers and her commands strike through the heavy patter of the rain.ย
Another loud thump over Juneโs head catches her attention. She uses her arm to shield her eyes from the rain as she looks up again. The sound is closer but so brisk that June is unable to figure out where itโs coming from.
She becomes distressed, worried someone mightโve seen her and is watching her from above. But a beam of light shines over June as confused Foot Clan members question the sound too. She slaps a hand over her mouth to contain the loud heaving of her breathing.
โWhat was that?โ A voice asks. June juts her head, realizing the Foot Clan donโt know who claims the loud thumps over her. They laser their flashlights across the tops of the container. The dock grows quiet over the rain as everyone listens out for those same heavy footsteps. ย
Nothing follows. Itโs gone. Juneโs shoulders sigh in relief.
But a deafening crash points the attention to a body smacking against one of the metal shipping containers. A Foot Clan member drops his gun as heโs slammed to the ground, his yelp cut short as he passes out. No one has time to react before the member beside him meets the same fate. He hits the container across from him with the same amount of inhuman force. June gasps as the condition heโs left in, unmoving.
Another member points his gun to a figure sprinting in his direction before itโs snatched from his hands. Heโs lifted and thrown out of sight, but his yell lingers in the open area.ย
Juneโs ear perks up at the hefty footsteps running across the containers. She catches sight of the figure jumping over her againโa sharp slice of a weapon follows before the light can make something out of it.
โWhat theโโ Juneโs head swivels to a new sound. The loud, grinding of a shipping container being pushed against the ground. It starts to turn slowly with no evidence of a crane moving it. The Foot Clan members point their guns at the conscious container, taking cautious steps back.
Juneโs mouth is left agape as her feet start to back her away as well. She scans around the docks for a new place to hide as the scene unfolds a little too close to her. She grazes her hand along each shipping container she shields behind.ย
The light is limited as June maneuvers to a slim fit between two new containers. April is still nowhere to be found, probably hiding from the Foot Clan herself.
The attention is back on the moving shipping container as its suddenly being lifted off the ground. It lets out a harsh, masculine, grunt before itโs being thrown across the dock and smacking into numerous Foot members. They flail in the air before dropping into the dark depths of the river.
Just after the first container dents into the floor, another one rises to fly at more Foot Clan members. The end of the container lands on top of one of their vehicles, setting it off.ย
The authoritative voice of the woman from earlier yells out, โRetreat. Retreat!โ She and the rest of the Foot Clan make a run to their vehicles. They scatter like ants with alarmed glances over their shoulders. They duck and dodge another potential attack from someone they canโt even see.
June holds herself up against a container, trying to blend in with its solid wall when she notices some Foot Clan members rushing her way. Her head whips in the other direction of the skinny pathway she hides inโwhere the rest of their vehicles are parked.ย
Her heart spikes at the sudden realization, and her feet instinctively run the other way, to the end of the pathway before any members find her. When June escapes from between the two shipping container to the open area of the docks, where the lights start to beam down on her, sheโs suddenly grabbed at the waist.
โWhaโโ Her voice is snatched away from the quickness sheโs swept into the air. An arm snakes around her waist to clutch her securely against an armored chest. Juneโs hands reflexively grasps onto the arm holding her. She immediately notices the scaly surface of the armโitโs damp from the rain and almost rubbery as it flexes against June.ย
She hears a frustrated growl from the armored chest as it sprints across the shipping containers hidden from the light. The speed at which it moves them frightens June to squeal. Thereโs a brief and unbelievable moment where she can see the city line between the high leaps to the next piled containers.
The strange, scaly figure that holds June sneaks them between another pair of shipping containers to a new hiding spot. A loud breath leaves its nose, content, before releasing June from its hold. It climbs to the top of the containers to tower over June. It doesnโt leave. Even as June looks up at it with widened eyesโblinking the rain away as best as she can.
A stadium light casts behind the figure, turning it into a dark silhouette. The wide shape of the figure doesnโt feel human to June. It carries something bulky on its rounded backโbut itโs too big to be a backpack. It looks apart of the figure.ย
A face canโt be made from the stadium light pointing at June, but she can still see the bright glow of its eyes. The two stare at one another for a long second. June can feel the beating of her heartโshe can hear it over the rain.
June doesnโt realize she yells out a, โthank you!โ until the figure flinches. Her mouth snaps shut, worried she scared it. But the figure recovers just as quick with a roll back of its shoulders and a slight tilt of its head. Two sharp weapons swing along the figureโs side, tucked into a sort of belt.
A quiet mutter is heard before the figure decides to leave June, prompting her as safe, and finds its way back to deal with the Foot Clan on the other side of the docks.
June turns her head to acclimate to the new location sheโs in. She walks to the end of the containers and is met with the chain-link fence that surrounds the docks. She grasps onto the chains and presses her head against it.
โYou better be safe, April,โ she whispers, cursing at the situation theyโre in. And then she begins to climb to escape the scene. She glances over her shoulder from the top of the fence and does a quick sweep of the area.
The Foot Clan have made it to their vehicles and fled in different directions. The figure that saved June doesnโt reveal itself again, probably leaving the docks itself since the Foot have scattered away.
And still no sight of April. June huffs under her breath, hoping April has made the smart move to leave too.ย
June uses the trail beside the fence to find her way back to her original hiding spot. She picks up her abandoned bike and cycles her way home, panting loudly and spitting out the rain caught in her open mouth. Her legs grow heavy and tired but she continues to petal as fast as she could.
When she makes it back to her building, she quickly locks up her bike and rushes up the stairs to her apartment. She pushes the door open, immediately calling out, โApril? Are you here?โ But silence, and the dripping of her wet clothes, answers her back.
June walks further into the apartment, searching each room for a sign of her sister. While doing so, she digs out her phone and dials Aprilโs number.ย
Her phone continues to ring as she impatiently paces the length of the living room. April doesnโt pick up after numerous tries and a threatening voicemail. June pushes down the urge to go back to the docks, deciding to stay home and wait for April here.
In the meantime, June strips out of her soaked clothes and changes into a dry pair. She keeps her door open to be the first to catch the sound of Aprilโs return. She decides to give her another ten minutes before she can start to panic.ย
But the time passes and Juneโs anticipation grows more frantic. She moves to wait in the living room, eyes peering down the front door.ย
As June goes for her phone to attempt to call her sister again, the door suddenly unlocks and panting footsteps run inside.ย
โJuno? June?โ Her body physically sighs at the sound of her sisterโs voice. June leaps up from the couch to meet her halfway.
April darts into the living room, drenched in rain. Her hair is slicked back and showcases the light makeup slowly streaming down her face.
โApril, what the hell happened? Where did you go?โ June asks, but her question is directed to where April ran off to inside the docks and why she couldnโt find her.
โJuno, you have no idea what I just went through. I am freaking out!โ April exclaims, grabbing Juneโs arm and shaking it. June places her hand on top of Aprilโs with raised eyebrows.ย
โYeah, I didnโt realize you left.โ June feigns a frown. โWhat did you see?โ She prompts April to continue as if she didnโt witness the same thing.
April steps back to peel her leather jacket off as the rain made it heavy on her shoulders. Her eyes turn thrilled as she stares at June. โOkay, donโt get mad about what Iโmโโ
โToo late for that,โ June grumbles.
โFine, whatever, but listen,โ April waves her anger off, before taking a deep breath. โI just saw a Foot Clan attack.โ June blinks back a true, shocked look. She was undeniably there as well, but the reality of it all startles her.
โAre you okay?โ June asks April. Her sister nods as she bends down to untie her boots. โOkay. So, what happened?โ
"I was riding my bike by the docks. It's night, it's dark, and there are Foot Clan soldiers everywhere," April explains, already out of breath. She shakes her boots off her feet, then her wet socks. Her bare feet dry into the living room rug.
โAndโฆโ June propels her to continue.
"Then out of nowhere, there was this... this guy fighting back against them.โ
June pauses, a realization dawning on herโApril must have seen the same figure that saved her. Still, she keeps that to herself for now.
So, she simply asks, "A guy? Who?โ with a lift of her eyebrow.
"I don't know, but he... he left behind this symbol. And I know that I've seen it before. I can't remember where," April answers, fanning her hand around to motion the symbol she saw. "But there is someone fighting back against the Foot Clan, June.โ She sucks in a sharp breath when she finishes.
โOkayโฆโ June drags out. She thinks back to the huge footsteps and the bulky back and the scaly arm with the glowing eyes. Was this the same thing April saw? โArenโt you a little skeptical on how a regular guy just magically took down an entire group of trained Foot Clan soldiers. Are you sure that's what you saw?" June asks her.
April huffs, placing her hands on her hips. She closes her eyes to sigh before setting them back on June again. โI know what I saw, Juno. I was there, it happened right in front of me. There is a vigilante in this city and no one knows. But I do. I know. And now I have my story. There is no more froth and foam for me," she points to herself with a proud smile.
The room goes silent. June blinks at her sister. โFroth and foam?โ
April lips part before simply shutting. She shakes her head, muttering a short, โNever mind.โ She excuses herself to her room to get changed.ย
June stands alone in the living room, giving a small shrug. โOkay then.โ She keeps her voice casual to hide the truth that she believes April, because she saw him too. That manโฆ that thing that saved her. And yet, none of it makes sense. Why should June believe that something not human fought the Foot Clan.
But then, what kind of person could single-handedly take down Foot Clan soldiers?
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So if you accept requests can i ask for a softie BAYVERSE Raph that has a size kink and really love how the reader is so cute and small but still perfect for him
Can you make it sweet 'fluff' and NSFW
BEFORE READING: I didnโt add the NSFW stuff because I feel like Iโm lately just posting NSFW stuff with Bayverse, so I wanted (needed) to make a fluff one, since I missed fluffy Raph ๐คง
P.D: Iโm sorry if reader sounds so โpick meโ.
โMy little girlfriendโ โft. Bayverse Raphael
Raph is big, that much is obvious. And it makes him look bigger when you stand beside him, since youโre no higher than 1โ65m. So the first time Raph really noticed how tiny you were compared to him, something inside of him melted.
It happened during a patrol, you took his hand to pull him (or try to, because that manโs a tower) towards an alley when a police car was passing by, and he noticed how your entire hand was barely wrapped around one of his fingers.
He couldnโt help but stare at it longer than necessary.
โWhat? โyou whispered.
โNothinโ โhe muttered, although there was this kind of weird softness in his voice that ABSOLUTELY didnโt match the giant mutant turtle towering over you.
โYouโre staring tho โyou narrowed your eyes.
โHell yeah, Iโm staring. But because youโre likeโฆridiculously small.
That made you scoff immediately.
โExcuse me what? Iโm average height.
โFor humans? Maybe โhe said smirking โ. But you come up to, what, my ribs?
โOh come on, shut the fuck up โyou said only to see the grin of his face widening.
The thing about Raph was that he acted tough about it, but secretly he was obsessed with your size difference in the most embarrassingly affectionate way possible. For example: heโd rest his head against your back and it would nearly cover all of it; or heโd pick you up without thinking, like if it was the easiest thing in the world (although for him it really was). Sometimes heโd literally move you out of danger with just one hand while he kept fighting with the other hand like you weighed nothing (for him you didnโt tho). And every, EVERY, single time, trust me he looked unfairly pleased with himself afterwards.
One night, in the lair, you were trying to reach a mug that Mikey had left on a high shelf; your fingertips barely brushed it. Raph walked inside just in time to see you struggling to reach the mug.
โโฆyou serious right now?
โI can reach it โyou answered without looking at him; you were busy trying to reach the damn mug.
โTrust me, youโre actively not reachinโ.
โDonโt you dare start โyou glared over your shoulder at him.
He snorted and walked over behind you. The second he stood there, his shadow practically swallowed you whole. Then, without effort, he reached over your head and grabbed the mug between two finger and handed it to you.
โThere โhe said smugly.
โThank you โyou said rolling your eyes and taking the mug.
Instead of moving away, he stayed behind you for a moment, looking down at the top of your head with this stupidly fond expression. And then, suddenly, he wrapped both of his arms around you from behind. You squeaked when he effortlessly lifted you a few centimetres off the ground.
โRaph!
โWhat? โhis voice rumbled right near your earโ Youโre cute.
โPut me down โyou crossed your arms dramatically while you dangled in his hold.
โNah, donโt think so.
โRaph.
He buried his face against the side of your head for just a second and you felt the deep vibration of his quiet chuckle against you.
โCโmon โhe muttered โ. Lemme enjoy my little girlfriend.
The nickname shouldโve annoyed you, in fact, in another situation, it would have. But right now, with the way he was carrying you to the couch like you belonged right there in his arms, you could feel the heat creeping into your cheeks. And, in that moment, the only thing you could think about was that, with the way he held you soooooo carefully despite being enormous enough to crush concrete with his bare hands, you maybe really belonged into his arms.
A car sped way too fast through the blinding metropolis that was New York city, accidentally splashing water from a puddle onto some drunk. A stream of insults followed, but it was soon drowned out. Ah, the city that never slept.
Through the grids of the radio, some pop song was being blasted by the blond girl in the passenger seat. Along her hair, crazy orange and pink highlights ran down her golden locks. She wore a tight strapless yellow dress that ended right at her thighs. She had that smile that seemed permanently etched into her face. Ella
Right behind you sat another girl. She squinted against the wind blowing in her face as it rustled her short black hair. She wore a dress of similar length to Ella's. but it had a halter collar and spread into short ruffles at the bottom, its color a dark, midnight blue. Sora.
And right next to her, with her legs crossed, sat another girl. Her thick brown hair blew behind, styled in a half-up, half-down style. She wore a soft purple off the shoulder flare dress, her eyes glued to her phone. Aurelia.
And right at the drivers seat, you were the reason for the wind smacking each girl in the face.
"Can't you close the roof of this thing?" Sora leaned forward so she didn't have to yell.
"Where's the fun in that?!" Ella answered as she cranked up the radio.
You were getting closer and closer to the edge of the city. Sora was the only one invited to a party on its outskirts, but if one was invited, all of you came.
"Come on, this is literally going to ruin my hair! My tinsel is going to blow off." Sora screamed back, leaning back in her seat. Aurelia rustled her hair ironically.
"I have all your hair brushes in the trunk. Scream any more and we're crashing straight into Antonio's." You pressed the gas harder and Ella just laughed. "We should of never let you drive!"
"Yea, we're going to be late by 13 minutes." Aurelia commented, her fingers flying across the screen on her phone.
"Fashionably late, Gold" Ella corrected as she turned back. "Where's the water, I'm thirsty."
Sora opened the duffel bag sat in between her and Aurelia and pulled one of the freezing plastic bottles from it.
The city lights were blinding you so much you had to squint, but it was exactly what you dreamed of.
Despite wearing dresses, makeup and even tinsel in your hair, you weren't always popular.
Once you were the nerd trying to fit in. Muting your wardrobe and personality to make even one friend.
In high school, that all changed. You had thrown a water bottle at someones head because they just couldn't shut up. It stopped barely a few inches from their head by a hand with a sunset for manicure.
"So sorry! Please excuse my friend!"
The girl had wild orange and yellow highlights in her hair and a personality matching her nails. She had slung her arm around your shoulders as she dragged you away.
"Who are you? We aren't even friends?"
"Now we are. I think we're more alike than you think." She raised her phone towards you and your eyes widened. The actual reason you were here. You were meeting someone who miraculously played the same game as you in this massive school. Despite her hair and nails, her wardrobe was as dark as yours.
From then on, you had met Sora, the ever serious, but loyal head, who never missed a chance to hype one of you up or help with whatever. But always taking the blame for any of you because she was a model student.
Then Aurelia, the one who found studying the structure of atoms and particle accelerators more interesting than life itself. The brain of the group who never turned down a study session.
When you had all met one after the other, you saw how scared you 4 all were. 4 kids alone who were never accepted, now finding a place to belong? Impossible. You saw all the shackles they put on themselves.
Sora banned her constant need to help and support for friends, afraid of being seen as 'too much'
Ella forced herself to hide her constant smile, afraid of being seen as 'extra'.
Aurelia constantly forced herself to go out of her comfort zone, afraid of being seen as a 'shut-in'
And you? You constantly had to grind your teeth or pierce the skin on your palms to stop yourself from throwing a table at someone, afraid of being seen as 'crazy'
Together, you four managed to somehow climb the social ladder, with your own personalities having their distinct color pallet.
Sora and Aurelia favored cooler, relaxing tones with their favorite colors being Blue and Purple respectively.
You and Ella like warmed tones. She was like the sun, always wearing bright yellow or orange.
You liked the color red. It seemed like it was the only color on the color wheel that understood your anger issues.
And now driving to that weird out of town party, you wore your signature colors with colored tinsel in your hair.
"Isn't this place a bit sketchy?" Sora asked while checking her makeup with a handheld mirror.
"It can't be anything too bad, right? Angela has invited us so many times already, shouldn't be a problem." Ella turned around and put the water back in the duffel.
"I swear to god if it's something weird and im smashing the girls head out the window." Being the one most prone to violence, it was practically inscribed that you would be the strongest. Bad thing was that drove away guys. It was nothing, their little ego was nothing compared to you.
"I honestly never liked her. Always such a pick me." Aurelia commented as she leaned her head on her fist.
Ella nodded. "She literally embarrassed me just to get close to Jeremy, and he's gay!" Sora giggled. "It was so funny when she saw him kiss a guy at Emily's party last month."
Idle conversation flowed, until you made it out of New York and it drifted to the vulnerable weird kids under all that popularity.
"Ugh I won't be able to get Hyacines light cone and be able to pull for both Silver Wolf lvl999 and Evanescia" Sora sighed.
"Sora you literally have a gambling addiction." You laughed and she scoffed. "No I don't, I just like the characters!"
Ella had now pulled out her phone, her fingers flying over notes rapidly coming towards her. "Yea she doesn't! I won't be able to get enough pulls for Akitos rerun banner."
Aurelia was scrolling through build guides. "My factory in Arknights is so bad, im gonna have to rebuild it again."
Ella rolled her eyes. "It literally isn't. You've even posted it and soo many people commented how good it was."
The two started arguing and even Sora gave her two cents. The one thing that calmed all debates popped into your mind and you couldn't stop yourself from saying it.
"Leon Kennedy is so hot."
The car went silent before nods and sounds of agreement echoed.
"Him in requiem is so hot." Sora commented.
"I like him better in re2. He's so cute!" Ella giggled.
"You kidding? Every Leon is hot as fuck. But him in re4โฆ" The whole car laughed out loud before the gps beeped.
"you have arrived at your destination"
You hit it "This shit is broken. We're literally on an empty road."
Ella suddenly looked a bit uncomfy. "Im getting bad vibesโฆ"
You stopped your car on the side of the road before going out and almost falling. Oh yea, heels.
You walked to the back and opened the trunk. Your friends crowded around you as you handed them random items. You gave Ella two long wrenches, Aurelia a crowbar, Sora two massive screwdrivers and yourselfโฆ
"You get a fucking sledge hammer? No fair!" Ella whined and you slammed the trunk closed. "You want it?" You handed it to her and it hit the ground. "Okay okay okay fine! You can use it."
"Get your jackets, I don't think we're going to a party." Sora commanded, her voice serious.
Ella leaned over and grabbed the duffel, giving everyone the thing they packed. Sora a long coat and reached her knees, Aurelia a normal soft purple zip up top, you a black leather jacket with red details and herselfโฆa raincoat?
"Hey! Before you judge look at the back. It was limited edition!" She turned around and moved her hair to reveal an orange rubber ducky.
"Wow." Aurelia started but shook her head.
"Im not missing the chance of a party. If something really happens, then we are ready. If it doesn'tโฆ" Sora raised her shoulders. "Then this is really dumb."
A house on the side of the road was what made you stop. Partially because there were some lights and partially because all of you were curious.
"Someone hold me im scaredddd" You hit Ella's arm lightly. "Shut up."
As you slowly made your way to the house, the sound of voices got higher. "That doesn't sound like a partyโฆ"
"I thought we already established that?" Aurelia questioned Sora, but she just shook her head as she slowly pushed the door open with her manicured nails.
She slowly stepped inside, already mastered walking in heels soundlessly. She walked towards and open doorway and peeked inside. You followed behind and also peeked. Aurelia was halfway to you while Ella hadn't even stepped in. What you saw shocked you.
There were people in dark clothing standing at the walls while a woman sat at the back of the room on what looked like a throne. The worst part was that weird symbol on the ground made out ofโฆblood.
"What the fuck am I looking at Leo." Raph asked as he looked down.
"Seems like some sort of summoning ritual." He answered, his own instincts going on edge.
"Woah, that's like hella creepy dude." Mikey said in awe.
"Its connected to the Kraang." Donnie clicked rapidly on his watch before looking towards the symbol again. "We need a distraction to mess it up."
"Sora, what am I even looking at. We should definitely not be here." You poked her head.
"I fucking hate Angela." Aurelia whispered from above. You were stacked like some cartoon with Sora on the bottom, you in the middle and Aurelia on the top.
"Where's Ella?" Sora asked "I think shes back at the door."
"Where we should be too, let's get outta here."
Aurelia moved but her heel hit the floor too loud.
.
..
โฆ
"Gold if I die here im coming back to life and killing you." You whispered angrily upwards.
"Who's there!" The woman screamed and the person closest to you moved and you barely manages to go back before he grabbed Sora.
"Oh fuck no." You rounded the corner and without even thinking, swung the sledge hammer to the guys face. His hold on Sora's head released and she ran towards you.
"Are thoseโฆ"
"Really pretty girls fighting the Foot?" Mikey cut Leo off, his excitement uncontainable.
"I mean, its a distraction alright. We currently have a window of 30 seconds to mess up the symbol. On your call Leo."
Blood splattered on your face and the guy dropped unmoving.
"Oh my god." You whispered, looking at your bloodied body.
"I JUST KILLED SOMEONE." You shouted, making Aurelia run to the door, but it closed. She slammed her body on the handle and wrestled with it. Good thing she had pulled Ella in moments before.
Another guy went for your back, but Sora stabbed her screwdrivers into his neck. She looked slowly at her trembling hands and bloody screwdrivers.
"NOW" You heard someone yell and 4 massive figures jumped down from a hole in the second roof.
You turned slightly and the moonlight illuminated a bloody line going from the right side of your forehead to your left cheek. Your eyes met something you would only see in comic books.
The green eyes of a humanoid turtle.
But for Raph, he was stuck in awe. The blood, mixed with your sparkly red eyeshadow, brang out your wide and wild eyes. Your hair shimmered with red and blood, his eyes focused on a soldier coming right your way.
"Watch out!" Ella finally found the courage and protected you with her wrenches, but a trained soldier always won against a party girl.
He forced her to step back right into you. You grabbed her and pushed her to the wall, making the soldier loose his balance and giving you the opportunity to slam your hammer into him.
"Gold! What's going on with the door?!" Sora asked from the floor near the corner, her Screwdrivers raised high.
"Dudes, I don't think we can ignore this." Mikey pointed to the pathetic fight you, Sora and Ella were putting up.
"Alright. Donnie, do what you do. When you're ready and we aren't done, join us. Raph, Mikey with me." They all nodded and the three started taking out soldiers left and right. But before one of them died, he pressed a button on his sleeves and the air vents started emitting a weird smoke.
You quickly pulled Ella behind you and Sora quickly pushed herself towards you before standing up. You three watched the three massive figures take out the soldiers one by one.
"Wowโฆ" You voiced your thoughts.
"It'sโฆ" Sora continued.
"Leon Kennedy." You three said in unison.
"WHERE?!" Aurelia appeared behind you from nowhere. She look over your shoulder and her own jaw dropped. "Wowโฆ"
"Hey, what are you doing here?! Did the door fail?" Sora asked quickly as she moved infront of you all.
"Oh no, sorry. It didn't really budge." You groaned before turning around to her. "Are you reall-" You started coughing.
Soon you all did. Your became unfocused as the world spun. You didn't even notice the one soldier left charging at you, just for him to get rammed into a wall.
Now it was only you and the humanoid turtles left. They each wore different colored masks, but the colors were way to familiar. Blue, red, purple, orange.
And the blue one was looking at you 4 suspiciously while the orange one looked happy as ever.
"Donnie, how much longer."
"Just a bit more. This circus smoke is clouding my vision."
Behind you, you heard Ella cough bad before falling. You quickly threw yourself down to catch her. She sat on the floor and you pulled the hood of her raincoat on before covering her mouth with it. You held her close to your chest as you tried eyeing the creatures, but your eyes watered.
"Breakโฆ the window." Sora said before she fell, but caught herself on the wall. Aurelia started walking to a window, but her ankle twisted and she fell on debris.
"Leo, mind telling me whats going on behind me?!" Donnie asked annoyed and Leo opened his mouth. "4 humans have seen us and are currentlyโฆgetting poisoned I think."
Donnie finally finished and when he looked back, his eyes widened. "Quick, we gotta get em out of here, now!!!"
"Say less." And Raph rammed himself through a window.
Donnie sighed and facepalmed himself "When he gets a concussion, im not helping him."
Leo ran over to the one alone near the wall and hesitantly offered his three fingered hand. Before she could even decide if she wanted help or not, she collapsed, but he caught her before easily picking her up and running through the open wall.
Donnie quickly walked over to the one on the ground and crouched down, not close enough to oppose, but close enough to help. He extended his arm. "Hey, how are you feeling?"
She raised herself on her elbow and Donnie breathed a sigh of relief that maybe she wasn't so bad off after all.
She raised her arm and pointed to you and Ella. "Helpโฆthem." And she fell unconscious. Donnie caught her head before it hit the ground, locked his other arm under her knees and ran towards the open hole.
Raph walked in right after Donnie ran off to see Mikey crouching down near that girl he saw and one in aโฆrain coat?"
"Hey hey hey, I get we might be a bit scary, but we wont hurt you, promise?" You held Ella close, her body already unconscious. Raph honestly just wanted to go back home, workout a bit, eat, sleep, not save some random dumb party girls just because they had seen them, but something in your eyes got his attention. Something was different, and maybe that interested him.
"Hey, nice jacket." You turned ever so slowly to the new voice and just like, Ella vanished from your hold. The lack of support made you tumble over, but a strong green hand caught your arm and with his other, lifted you like you weighed nothing and just like that, you also fell asleep.
~
"โฆthink they like turtles?"
"How am I supposed to know, dumbass?"
"Hey hey." Someone snapped their fingers in your face and you grimaced before opening your eyes.
"Hey, she's awake!"
"Hello? Hi hello, how many fingers am I holding?"
"You aren't giving her many options, Don."
You blinked. "Two?"
"Yes, its two. Great!" You focused your eyes to see 4 turtles looking over you. You sat up and rubbed your eyes as you looked around.
"Am I dead?" The purple turtle shook his head. "No no no, you aren't dead. See, this might be a bit weird."
"Lets wake the other before we explain, Donnie." He nodded and moved to the 'others'. Others? What others?
It clicked in your brain. Your best friends. "How are they?" You asked a bit too quickly and the purple turtle, Donnie, shook his head.
"Their vitals are stable, but aren't waking up. Its like they are choosing to stay unconscious."
You looked around and you were laying in the backseat of your car. Next to you was Ella. Sora and Aurelia were in the front two seats, laying on the car doors.
"Choosing not to wake up, huh?" You tested your voice and the purple turtle nodded.
You sat up and cleared your throat before cupping your hands to your mouth and mimicking a voice.
"IS THAT LEON KENNEDY?!"
"WHERE?" Aurelias eyes flew open and her forehead hit Sora's.
Ella sat up immediately, her eyes scanning her surroundings.
"So fucking predictable." But you hid your trembling hand. Being surrounded by these massive creatures was terrifying. The way you felt blood crusted under your nails and on your face wasn't helping you either.
"Owhh" Sora and Aurelia rubbed their foreheads at the same time and Raph shook his head. Who was this Leon that could pull girls out of a coma?
"Soraโฆim scared." Ella voiced as her eyes scanned the faces of the turtles surrounding the car.
Sora's eyes met yours as she looked back. "That looks really cool." She commented on the blood on your face.
"Sora I killed 2 fucking people."
"With a sledge hammer!" The orange turtle commented excitedly.
"This is so cool." Aurelia whispered under her breath as she looked around, but then she blinked a few times.
"I think my contacts got lost somewhere."
"They're probably at the back of your eyeballs drinking your blood." Ella tried humor to ease her nerves, but it didn't really work.
"Your extra glasses are in the glove box." You rubbed your head. This migraine was disgusting.
"Am I hallucinating again?" Sora asked more to herself than anyone.
"Uhh no. We are very much real." the blue one answered her question and she nodded slowly.
"What are you guys?" Aurelia asked after putting her glasses on.
"A problem. Told you it was a bad idea to go overground. Now Splinter's gonna kill us when we get back." the red one crossed his arms.
"If we're such a problem, why did you save us? You even said you liked my jacket, but it is pretty cool so I don't blame ya." His face started slowly matching his mask.
"Oooo Raph giving a compliment? Is it Christmas or what?? Okay so about what we are." The orange turtle stood on the trunk.
"I made a lil jingle. We areโฆ"
"Mikey please" The purple turtle pleaded, but it was no use. He looked anywhere but at the embarrassment that his youngest brother was going to give them and saw the girl with glasses playing something on her phone. He quietly moved over and peeked at what she was doing. It was like she was building something. Something mechanical. He couldn't stop himself as he asked. "What are you doing?" Playing a game right after almost dying is definitely an option.
Aurelia jumped from his sudden voice before her eyes lit up. She moved her phone closer to him and he went down on his knees and leaned on the car to get a closer look.
"So basically you build your own factory to get materials. You have to make the most of space and which machines to put it, since there are a lot of different factories you can buildโฆ" Without even hearing herself, she started explaining the whole factory system to a mutant turtle she just met.
And Mikey..
"TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
HEROES IN A HALF SHELL
TURTLE POWER!" He posed on your fucking car.
Ella started clapping, her anxiety chipping away. "Hey that was actually really good! Has a nice ring to it!"
The orange turtle's eyes lit up and he fell to his knees. You moved to the left car seat as Ella moved closer to the turtle. You hugged your knees and looked at your hands. The blood was turning brown. You killed someone. Actually fucking killed someone
"Heyโฆuh.. you good?" You jumped slightly. When did a turtle come behind you? "Uhm.. yea I mean as good as someone can get after killing someone." You pushed yourself up and sat on the trunk of the car to get a better look at him.
Suddenly, the orange turtle slid next to you and threw an arm around your shoulders. You tensed but either he ignored that or didn't notice.
"Chill brochacha. Killing is so not cool, but you did it to protect your homegirl and honestly?" He leaned close enough to whisper. "He wasn't a good guy anyway."
His head got pushed away by a massive hand. "Mikey, you're scaring the girl." Your eyes landed on his other hand supporting himself on the car door. By where his voice came from and his position, you could definitely guess where he was.
Just don't look at him, don't do it. Don't fucking do it.
Why are you doing it?
You turned around your calculations were disgustingly inaccurate. He was way closer than what you thought.
His eyes locked with yours and he quickly looked away and moved back. "Iโฆuh..sorry." He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Probably scared ya."
"Why would you scare me?" He froze. Did he not terrify you? Especially being that close to his scarred face.
Aurelia was still blabbering about two different machines when she stopped. and put her phone down. "Sorry, must of talked your ear off and you don't even know my name." She extended her hand, nails manicured a deep purple with little golden designs, and introduced herself. "Aurelia, but my friends call me gold, and you are?"
Donnies eyes stuck to her nails before offering his own hand. Their eyes met. Since when were they so close? "Donatello, and you weren't talking my ear off, don't worry." He looked away. "It was actuallyโฆreally interesting." Aurelia also looked away. No one had heard her yap without looking uninterested or being uncomfortable.
"Goldโฆ" He tested it out and her head snapped back. "Because-"
"Because the start of your name 'Au' is the sign for gold on the periodic table." She nodded and smiled slightly.
"Yea, you're right."
His hand reached for her phone. "You didn't finish explaining what the Electric Pylon does. Could youโฆum.. continue?"
Sora's eyes were glued on you three. Sitting in the drivers seat, despite leaning on the door, she could still drive off if any of these turtles did anything.
"We won't hurt you guys, you know?"
"Sneaking up on someone while saying that isn't really the wisest decision, you know?" Blue mask laughed and crouched down slightly as he offered his hand.
"Leonardo, and you are?"
Sora eyed his three fingered hand suspiciously, but not disgusted.
"Sora." His eyes widened and he froze.
"Skyโฆ"
Sora nodded slowly, her own eyes narrowing slightly. "Yea."
Leo shook his head and with his free hand started pointing out his brothers. "The smart guy is Donatello."
"Donnie is fine." He waved lightly before going back to staring at Aurelia's phone.
"The dumbass in orange is Michelangelo."
"Hey!" he protested and Ella giggled lightly "You can call me Mikey the pizza lord." he said before his focus was brought back to their conversation.
"And the brute is Raphael."
"You gotta insult us? Call me Raph." He was now leaning on the back of the car, grunting like he always did.
"And I, the leader, am Leonardo. But Leo's just fine." He addressed you three.
"Well then, that's Aurelia, but Gold, Goldy or Goldylock works just fine." Sora stated and Aurelia's eyes blazed before leaning over and hitting her. "Call me that one more time and im stealing that blue dress for a month."
Sora raised her hands. "Fine fine, I'll stop. Just please don't take it, I need it." Aurelia huffed and leaned back.
"The sunshine incarnate is Ella." She waved enthusiastically, her fear practically gone from talking about anything and everything with Mikey.
"And finally, our loose canon, is that one over there." Her eyes softened and she released Leo's hand to lean over to you. He noticed the lack of warmth immediately and frowned slightly.
Sora extended her hand towards you. "Hey, you good? I know you keep on saying you wanna kill people, but how are you feeling?"
You subconsciously interlocked your hands, but looked away. "Im fine, no need to get emotional." but your hand trembled.
"You also killed someone, how are you feeling?" Her face dropped. "Not the best, but I'll manage."
"Awh this is-" Mikey started but Ella quickly clamped her hand on his mouth before whispering in his ear. "Shhhh, they're never emotional like this." He nodded slowly and she let her hand go. Mikey looked at her and she looked away. "Sorry, I shouldn't of-"
"Nah, don't worry. I get it. You're good, sunshine." She looked back and now a slight pink dusted her cheeks. "Thanks."
"Okay this is really nice and all, but we have to ask you four a question." The turtles all straightened at Leo's commanding voice.
"Two questions, actually." Donnie stood up.
"Three!" Added Mikey.
"Make it four." grunted Raph.
"Are you going to keep our secret?" The mood turned serious fast.
"What secret?" Ella asked confused.
"Oh we aren't really topside kind of turtles. We live in the shadows and are the secret heroes of the city, bro." Ella nodded in realization. "Oh yea definitely. Why wouldn't we?"
Leo looked a bit unsure, but nodded his head towards Donnie. "Oh yea! How are you feeling? That gas was extremely dangerous to humans and if left unchecked for 48 hours could result in death."
"I feel normal?" Sora said more as a question and you all nodded. "Don't feel anything too different, just a bit dizzy." You noted and Donnie nodded "A bit of dizziness is normal, as long as it doesn't cause fainting or any kind of collapse, you should be good."
"Oh my turn!" Mikey exclaimed before taking Ella's hand and bringing it to his lips. "Are we going to see you beautiful ladies again?" His eyes never left hers and she giggled.
"I hope so." And his eyes lit up.
You all waited for Raph's question. "Howโฆare you not scared of us." The car went quiet.
"When you first saw us in these dresses, heels and makeup, you assumed we were some dumb college girls sticking their noses where we don't belong, right?" His eyes widened and he tried to deny it, but it was written all over his face.
"Well maybe we are bit of that." The girls hummed as you looked at them. "But the thing that banded us together was our love for a specific type of video games and being alone most of our lives. Judging someone by their appearance has never been our style."
Raph went a bit quiet. He did assume that. He really did. "That-" But his brothers were already standing up.
"We also have a question." They were about to leave but stopped in their tracks at your voice. "It's a long way to the city and you did save our lives, soโฆ"
"What she's trying to do is ask if you would like a ride back." Aurelia rolled her eyes.
Leo's eyes widened and he looked to the small car. "Thank you for the generosity, but.."
"We won't fit." Raph finished, his previous embarrassment gone.
Sora smirked. "We've fit twenty two people on this car. We will manage."
Twenty two people?
The brothers looked at the small car.
"I meanโฆ" Donnie started, but his mind was stuck. Just how...
"If you can make it fit, we'd love that." Sora grinned. "Everyone out!"
You swung your legs over the car door and almost sprained your ankle. Luckily, that brute caught your arm, but he couldn't meet your eyes. "Thanks."
"Ella this is the last time I let you convince me to wear heels to a party." She just shrugged.
When everyone left the car, Sora took it all in with a hand to her chin.
"Im driving." You commented and she waved her hand dismissively. "Yea, yea I know."
"Wait but you shouldn't drive right after-" Donnie started, but Ella stopped him. "No getting her to change her mind.
Sora snapped her fingers. "Raph in the passenger seat. Leo in the backseat in the middle. Mikey on the right and Donnie on the left."
They looked at Leo and he shrugged. Might as well. As they squished together in the back, they could only look at Raph with envy. "How come you get the best seat?"
"Because im bigger than all of you knuckleheads." Raph answered proudly.
You sat in the drivers seat and pressed a button. The roof of the top started slowly covering the car, but why were they panicking?
"Have you guys never seen a removable hood before?" You asked and looked back. They shook their heads and you sighed.
When the top finally finished, the door to Donnies side opened and he sighed at the freedom before he saw what was happening.
"You ready?" Sora asked and Aurelia nodded. Her arms were being held by her and Ella.
"Okay, 1 2 3!" Aurelia jumped on the car door and it groaned slightly. She started falling back, but Ella supported her.
"Sorry, this might be a bit uncomfortable." She said before the car door shut. Gold moved her legs to find any free space without accidentally hitting Donnie. Her hands gripped the protruding car rails.
Ella and Sora moved to the other side and did the same thing for the former.
"Wait, but this isn't safe at all! You could fall of at a moments notice." Donnie protested but Aurelia lowered herself enough to go into the car. "Don't worry, we've driven like this countless times, nothing special." Ella did the same. "Yea, it's super safe. She even drives more carefully when there are people like this, so its even safer!" She explained.
Donnie looked away and nodded. Being this close to a girl made half of his brain turn off.
Finally, you helped Sora onto the drivers door and turned the car on. The loud music Ella was blasting on the way screamed in your ear and you immediately turned it down. "Sorry."
And the car came alive again. You quickly backed again into the highway and turned the other way.
You pressed the gas and the car quickly went into the 80s.
"I thought you said she drove carefully when there are people like this?!" Donnie poked his head out at Aurelia and she looked at him confused. "She is driving carefully?"
"Ugh this is so boring." Ella leaned her head on the roof of the car before poking Raph. "Can you tell her to put on some music? Make it loud too."
Raph was hesitant but he asked. You thought for a moment before playing with the touchscreen a bit and turning on a song.
Ella's eyes widened. "Is that?"
"Its Proi Proi!" Sora exclaimed and you all started singing, but no one dared to do the high notes. The chorus wasn't sung, it was screamed.
"Donnie, are we in trouble?" Leo asked quietly and Donnie shook his head. Mikey was actually dancing. "Hey I love this song!! Donnie, you know it?"
He put his wrist near the audio system and it quickly recognized the song. "Its an original soundtrack from the game 'Honkai:Star Rail.'" Mikey nodded. "We are so playing that when we get back dudes.
Raph wasn't a really big fan of the song, but when he looked at you singing your heart out, his heart skipped a beat. It was like back at the house when the moonlight hit your face. It ensnared him and he couldn't move. What was this feeling and why was it so unfamiliar?
~
You played a few more songs of the game and even took some suggestions until you finally turned into an alley.
You helped Sora get out and she helped the others. When everyone got out, Leo bowed. "Thank you for driving us home." Sora shook her head. "No problem."
"And we're keeping your secret, don't worry." Aurelia leaned on the passenger door, the wind blowing her face.
"We just hope we can see you guys again." Ella winked at Mikey and his whole face went red.
"It was nice meeting you." You got in the drivers seat, but your eyes stuck to a certain red bandana.
"Real niceโฆ" Ella stood like a statue as she smiled at Mikey.
"Ella get in the car or I'm going without you." The engine roared to life and she ran and jumped into the back before you sped off.
"We're getting married." Mikey was stuck waving at nothing.