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Stuff is yet to be put here, so go to the next chapter to start!
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She could hear the sounds of the city above her now, cars honking, ads on big LED signs playing, people talking—some arguing, but she only focused on the sounds of water dripping and rats squeaking about as they traveled alongside her. Well, not intentionally, it's not like she could control them, but she liked to see them as friends in a way. Unwitting companions on her journey, even if it wasn't much of one. She liked to imagine this was grander than it was.The night was dark—well, as dark as it could get with all the light pollution. People sat in their apartments, reading or watching television, going about their evening routines and rituals. Noisy children bounced on the floors, refusing their bedtime, and some people drunkenly stumbled around the street.The bright, lively night offered strangely effective cover from judging eyes. Many people were too busy talking on their phones or looking around the small antique stores or larger shopping districts to notice the odd little hooded figure clambering out of a sewer. New York was just like that—it was shockingly easy to go completely ignored when everyone else was so engrossed in their own lives. The figure gently slid the manhole cover back in place before slinking away to peak at the passerby’s from behind a dumpster. Splinter had rarely let them on the surface, but it was getting more common, as they hadn’t gotten on his nerves as of late. That, and they were steadily improving in their training.The sights and sounds were a shock to Leo the first time she had gone up. Normally she and her siblings went together, but this time she just wanted to go alone. It was less stressful not having to drag Mikey around to make sure he didn’t get hit by a car or fall off a building while running.Despite the constant honking of cars, it was peaceful. Leo wandered rooftops, jumping from building to building and watching the world below. It was interesting, people were interesting. They simply went about their lives, going to work and parties or just being with family. Normally she spent her days in the lair, training to make Sensei proud, or skateboarding, or joking around with the others. At least she had the family thing down. Did other families also train for the same reason she did?Leo's thoughts were cut short as she heard clattering from the alleyway, making her jump out of her shell. Out of curiosity, she walked over to the edge, peaking down into the alleyway. A cluster of stray cats were fighting over a chicken wing, hissing and batting at each other. They looked like they'd fight to the death. Leo sighed, turning around to go back to where she sat on the parapet. All she hoped was that their noise didn't disturb her peace. That’s when she noticed strange dark silhouettes stalking along the rooftops of the buildings across the street. Had Mikey or Raph followed her...? The figures were too thin and lanky for that to be the case, but before she could get a good look they were gone.Her brow line furrows, and she stares a bit harder, until her eyes begin to hurt a little, just on the off chance that her eyes weren't as adjusted to the night as she thought they were. But, to her dismay, they were gone.“What the...?” She blinks and screws her eyes shut for a moment, rubbing them, then shakes her head. Maybe it’s time to go back to the lair, since it seemed she really was seeing things. It would be daylight soon anyway, as the horizon was gradually growing bluer.
Leo approached the familiar manhole cover, glancing around to make sure no one was watching before lifting it with ease and clambering down onto the ladder. She lowered the cover over her head and leaped down to the damp concrete below, her feet splashing in a puddle. She cringes, her lips pulling into a grimace. She hated living in the sewers sometimes. Rats scattered at the sound, squeaking and hopping along, and one particularly large rat caught her eyes. The rats flank bulged out in a funny way that made her huff with amusement, and she watched as it disappeared down one of the many pathways of the sewers.She continued to walk along to the familiar pathway to the lair, thinking back to the strange figures she saw on the roof, who were they and what were they doing? Maybe she shouldn’t think too hard about it, though it seemed strange to her. Leo didn't usually see people up on the rooftops, and if she did, they were usually just sitting there, smoking. Did those people need a break too?When she entered the lair, Leo couldn’t help but notice the silence“Mikey? Donnie?” she called, cupping her hand to her mouth.Silence.
Leo frowned. “Sensei?”A familiar spotted shape jumped from behind a few boxes, Mikey. “Boo!” She began to laugh, grabbing Leo’s arm and dragging her close“Where have you been? I was waiting there for hours!” they said with an exaggerated tone, leaning against her more “I was going to grow old and die before you came back!”Leo chuckled, wrapping her arm around his shoulders in a small apology. “Sorry Mikey, just got a bit distracted.”“Did you see anything cool? Did you see April?” Mikey chittered excitedly, ever the ray of sunshine. It rocked on it's feet as it tailed Leo, hopping a little.Leo sauntered through the lair until she flopped over onto the couch, letting out a soft sigh. The cushions were a comfort to her shell, sore from training. “Nah, I don’t even think she would be up at this time... Let alone wandering around New York,” she said, "At least, I hope not."Mikey jumped onto the couch, tumbling over themself for a moment before sitting upright, picking up a few of their comics and idly looking through the pages they had flipped through hundreds of times before “She was supposed to bring me the new volume of squirrel boy!” he chirped, smiling brightly at the thought of new reading material."... Squirrel boy???” She hadn't heard of that one before.Her brother only smiled brighter as Leo asked about the comic, brining it close to her face and pointing at the cover. “Yeah!! He’s half squirrel half boy! It’s so awesome!” they gushed.Leo raised an eyebrow, rolling her eyes affectionately. “Whatever you say.” She glanced around, it was oddly quiet. Raph was normally wandering about, doing his own things like brooding, or watching tv, or drawing yet he was nowhere to be found... Probably locked up in his room or something again, but she figured she should still ask. “Hm—where’s Raph? Is he with Donnie in the lab?” She knew he probably wasn’t. Raph wasn't usually interested in whatever Donnie was getting up to—deeming it boring—unless it involved explosives, which were strictly banned in the lair.
Mikey's eyes widened for a moment before she looked away meekly, picking at her fingers. “Oh. He got in trouble today... Um, Sensei said he needed to control his anger and took him to the dojo," they said, vague, "He’s been in his room for a few hours...”Leo’s heart sunk a bit, but she couldn't reasonably say she was surprised. She knew what Sensei's punishments usually entailed, and while she was sympathetic, it needed to happen. Raph's anger issues were definitely a problem that needed to be dealt with, especially if they ever wanted to make Sensei proud. The siblings continued to sit in silence for a moment before Leo began to sift through the cushions, pulling out a remote that was usually wedged between them. She flicks the TV on, wanting to fill the silence, and finds that the news is on. A woman with neatly done hair and a blue blazer sits at a desk, looking into the camera as she spoke.“In recent news, crime rates have been skyrocketing. Millions of dollars' worth of resources have been stolen off of cargo ships that are docking at the Brooklyn waterfront, and the perpetrators are leaving the ships heavily vandalized.” A picture popped up on the side of the screen, showing photographs of the crime scene, large symbols spray painted in red, depicting a circle with a footprint in the middle. “Detectives are still hard at work attempting to identify the culprits and have them arrested as fast as possible. Forensics experts are being brought onto the scene to look for any traces of DNA.”She swallows. "Please, if you have any information on or have seen this symbol—" The emblem of the foot flashes on the screen, "—Call in and send a tip. The authorities want your help."
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When April had finally arrived it was late in the afternoon, apparently “high school” had started, so she would be busy most days of the week. Leo couldn't help but be curious about what it was like, learning so many different topics in a day. Sensei often just kept to their specialized training, and then providing Donnie with whatever he pleaded for from the service. Donnie was always dubbed the 'smartest', in a technical sense, making it worthwhile for him to get those study materials... And, of course, they hoarded them. They were most likely tucked away in their lab somewhere, yet Raph had finally emerged from his room, a little battered and bruised, but otherwise he was his old grumpy self.Mikey had been making dinner, as usual, since she was really the only one who could really do it. They could make the most mouthwatering Mac and cheese or the creamiest tomato soup, and Leo feels a pang of jealousy and their skill, mixed with a slight twinge of guilt. She should really practice more, shouldn't she? Mikey could surely use the help, no matter how brightly he grinned.When April waltzed into the lair, Mikey's comics, with the words “squirrel boy” plastered on the cover, tucked under her arm. Her bright, ginger hair bounced a bit as she confidently trotted over. “Mikey! I got your comics!” she called out, not too loud as to not cause too much of a disturbance. Thankfully, April knew well to keep her voice soft in the lair. That's how Sensei liked it.“You do?!” April walked into the kitchen, where Leo was sitting at the table and Mikey had his hands deep in a bowl, hand mixing some meat for meatballs. Mikey groaned, “Ughh… Of course, you bring them right when I’m in the middle of cooking…” They looked sadly at the comics, eyes following April across the room as they were disappointed that they would have to finish dinner before they could read them.Leo laughed softly and shook her head. Then, she turned to April and grinned. “So, how was school?” she asks curiously, tilting her head slightly as she spoke.April sighed melodramatically, plopping herself down on a chair and kicking her feet up. “Boring, just like last year," she claimed with an irritated roll of her eyes, like she was gearing up for a rant. "The same old jerks teaching the same lame stuff. My algebra teacher is such a..!” Her face goes a little red, contrasting her freckles, and she lets out a hiss after her words trailed off. "I know I'm meant to respect my elders, but god damn, does he make it difficult."Raph stepped into the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe to simply watch the scene.“At least I've got one friend in that class," April continued, "I've got him in history, too, so I'll probably be fine. Well—probably not fine. I swear, he's going to get me in trouble with the amount of school shooting jokes he makes." She didn't often mention her school friends, mostly because it didn't matter. It wasn't like the two groups would ever overlap. After a moment, she seems to realize that what she's said makes said friend sound quite questionable. "He's not a bad guy, he's just constantly trying to get me to vandalize shit with him."Raph lets out a sort of half laugh half huff. “Sounds like the kind of thing I would do,” he commented with thinly veiled approval under his breath. It was an infrequent tone from him.The group clusters around the kitchen island, talking softly amongst themselves as Mikey prepares dinner. Leo allowed a fond smile to cross her face, participating but mostly just watching; apart from Donnie's absence, as well as Sensei's, this was her family, and it brought a certain warmth to her heart. It contrasted the dreary grays of their environment. Eventually, Mikey finishes with dinner, plating it and serving it up to everyone.“Wow, Mikey—this looks absolutely delicious!” she chirped joyfully, her tail gently tapping against the seat as it wriggled back and forth.“Yeah, this looks so much better than what my dad makes,” April adds with a soft snort, her nose wrinkling a little as she takes a bite.Mikey seems pleased at the praise, wringing her hands bashfully. "Oh, well, it's only so good because we're Italian!" he hummed with a smile. That gets an eyeroll from Raph. "You know we're not actually Italian, right?" he mutters. They don't respond, and instead run off to fetch Donnie. When it returns, tailed by their brother, Leo turns her nose up at the scent of bleach; he must have been cleaning his lab. He was silent as he fixed himself a plate and sat down. However, he hurried a bit to his seat when he spotted Sensei approaching.Sensei smiles softly, his long rat face tilting upwards, though he looked down at them past the bridge of his nose. He was a tall, thin, man-like rat, his fur a dark brown marked with dull grays. He wore soft, thick robes to keep himself warm, and they draped over his crossed arms. “Hello boys, and April,” he greeted as he stepped forward, “Thought I would join you for dinner tonight.” They were all a bit silent they tentatively began to talk again, softer than before. Once Mikey got a plate ready, he handed it to their Sensei and sat him down at the head of the table.“—Yeah, Mrs. Walker is nice, but her homework is really hard—I don’t even know what particle psychics is!” April exclaimed.Donnie only rolled his eyes at that, scoffing as if it were utterly absurd. "Really?" he asked, thoroughly unimpressed.The redhead's gaze snapped over to look at him and she pouted. "Shut your beak, Bill Nye," she said, though her voice still carried a lighthearted tone. She continued to talk about her experiences with the new school year so far, and even though she was complaining about it more than praising it, they watched with interest. Though, conversation was cut short as Sensei spoke again, “How have you boys been enjoying the surface?”Leo beamed at the question. “Oh, it’s wonderful! There are so many lights and sounds and people and—and—and things to learn!”Mikey nodded, mentioning how delicious and exotic the food seemed compared to what they had down in the lair. Though, anything that wasn't pizza or random dishes Mikey cooked was considered exotic. Donnie shrugged his shoulders, pushing his food around on the plate with his fork. Their other brother had nothing to contribute, leaning against the wall and letting out a soft huff as he had already finished his food. Soon, dinner was over, and Sensei left from the table. Donnie had wandered off to his lab again, while Raph had headed God knows where, and Mikey headed back to her room with her comic books under her arm.Soon Leo climbed into bed, sighing softly, perhaps she would head out tomorrow with the others. As her mind drifted into dreams, she couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps there were others like her? It was a frivolous thought, really.