After the shouting match, the Turtles split up. Raphael stood by the home gym, poised to spring. Donatello was working on the T-Phones alone. Michaelangelo was trying to meditate, but the fight was still fresh on his mind. Leonardo was in a dark corner for a while. He then stepped out after a while. \u201c\u2026Guys, we gotta talk,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhoever you are,\u201d snarled Raphael, \u201cthere ain\u2019t nothing left TO talk about!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to apologize,\u201d said Leonardo. \u201cYou\u2019re all free to not trust me. After everything that\u2019s happened, that\u2019s more than fair. Right now, I know that I AM who I say I am. And I have to trust that you\u2019re all who you say you are. This thing doesn\u2019t wanna show itself. It wants to hide and make us want to kill one another. If it IS hiding, that suggests that it\u2019s vulnerable out in the open. If we fight and kill each other, then it won\u2019t have any enemies left and would be celebrating its victory.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEven if you ARE Leonardo,\u201d growled Raphael, \u201cit doesn\u2019t change the fact that we\u2019re still stuck here and the dope with the oversized stick still hasn\u2019t figured out a way to get us outta here!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBite me, Raphael!\u201d snapped Donatello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd,\u201d continued Raphael, \u201cit don\u2019t change all the things YOU did by leaving us with Slash!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt WAS a mistake,\u201d said Leonardo. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I should have-.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, yeah, yeah, you should have! I\u2019m hearing a lotta that woulda-coulda-shoulda crap, but not a lotta what you DID!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDamn it, Raphael! I\u2019m trying to get us-!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, you\u2019re trying to-!\u201d At that point, Leonardo and Raphael got into another shouting match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStupid intellectual dwarves!\u201d grunted Donatello to himself. \u201cDon\u2019t know why I bother with them!\u201d Michaelangelo simply gave them a sour expression since his meditation was going nowhere\u2026then he saw a shadowy figure. Donatello then looked at Michaelangelo. \u201cLook at him!\u201d he continued to himself. \u201cAll the intellect of a-!\u201d He then saw the shadowy figure. He then noticed that Michaelangelo was trying to get his attention. Donatello then pointed at the shadowy figure while maintaining eye contact with Michaelangelo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUh, guys?!\u201d Michaelangelo called to the still shouting Leonardo and Raphael. No dice. The two were still wrapped up in their shouting match. Donatello then pointed at a small, black ball on his belt, then pointed at Michaelangelo. Michaelangelo nodded and reached for his own. The two quiet Turtles then moved their hands to their weapons. Michaelangelo counted down from three with his fingers, then threw the ball at the ground, creating a smoke screen. He then appeared at the figure\u2019s side and swung his nunchaku while Donatello swung his bo. The figure grabbed both weapons and threw the two Turtles into the wall at high speeds! Leonardo and Raphael stopped arguing when they heard what happened. Raphael then saw the figure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!\u201d he shouted as he charged at the figure, drawing his sai. Leonardo drew his katanas and the two Turtles attacked, but the figure threw them into each other, making them drop their weapons. A katana and a sai landed near Leonardo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMIKEY, CATCH!\u201d he shouted as he threw the weapons at Michaelangelo. Michaelangelo caught the weapons and stuck the sai into the figure\u2019s chest. The figure roared an electronic roar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYEAH, SCREW YOU TOO!\u201d replied Michaelangelo as he swung the katana through the figure\u2019s neck, decapitating it and dispelling the shadow. The Turtles could now see that it was a humanoid machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026The hell IS that thing?!\u201d spluttered Leonardo. Donatello picked up the head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt looks like an Utrom-droid,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen where\u2019s the brainy-toy surprise that\u2019s supposed to pop out?\u201d asked Raphael.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUm, Donnie, should the eyes be flashing now?\u201d asked Michaelangelo. The eyes of the machine were blinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo, are we done fighting?\u201d asked a voice through the machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSHREDDER!!\u201d snarled Leonardo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut, why?!\u201d asked Donatello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause your master didn\u2019t teach you a lesson he taught me all those years ago,\u201d replied the Shredder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat lesson?!\u201d growled Raphael.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat brotherhood is fragile in the heat of conflict. I had my technical staff alter this Utrom-droid to create an illusion that would stir up conflict in all of you and simply let you try and destroy each other. Since you\u2019re still alive, I can see that they failed in that regard. No matter. They still achieved my aims. Now you understand what I learned when your master killed Oroku Nagi all those years ago. Brotherhood is nothing. It is weak in the pursuit of power. \u2026I\u2019ll see you again when you\u2019ve mastered that lesson.\u201d The eyes switched off. It was then that they heard a banging on the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMY SONS!\u201d called Splinter\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSENSEI!\u201d called Leonardo. He ran to the door and pulled it open to let in Splinter and their human friends! The Turtles goggled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Dudes, we couldn\u2019t open that thing, right?\u201d asked Michaelangelo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a few explanations, Raphael was sitting alone in his room, feeling ashamed of himself. He heard a knock on the door. \u201cRaphael?\u201d asked Splinter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Come in,\u201d mumbled Raphael. Splinter entered the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou missed the meeting, my son,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026I didn\u2019t think it was a good idea for me to be there right now. \u2026Did Donnie and April figure out what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey couldn\u2019t find anything wrong. Donatello believes that everything was most likely working as it should be and the four of you couldn\u2019t hear anything over your own yelling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Great.\u201d Splinter sensed something else in Raphael\u2019s emotional state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Raphael, this is probably a stupid question, but are you all right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, Pops, I ain\u2019t,\u201d muttered Raphael. \u201cIs Leo near here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRight here, Raph,\u201d replied Leo as he stepped into the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Leo, it don\u2019t matter if it came from the Shredder\u2019s toy,\u201d muttered Raphael. \u201cAll those things I said, they were real. I WAS that angry about Slash. \u2026I was ready to put a sai in your eye.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut you didn\u2019t. That\u2019s the important thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, the fact that I was even thinking about that about my own brother is the point! I\u2026\u201d Raphael sighed. \u201cI-I need to get away from here. I need some time to think. The Mad Dogz are working a case and offered me a slot in their team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Will you be home in time for Mutation Day?\u201d asked Splinter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026I wouldn\u2019t hold my breath about it, Pops.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Very well, my son.\u201d Splinter put a reassuring hand on Raphael\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRaph,\u201d said Leonardo, \u201cfor what it\u2019s worth, I AM sorry about Slash. Last month, I said you guys were my greatest strength. That opinion hasn\u2019t changed.\u201d There wasn\u2019t much to say now. After a few seconds, Leonardo and Splinter left Raph so he could pack.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After the shouting match, the Turtles split up. Raphael stood by the home gym, poised to spring. Donatello was working on the T-Phones alone. Michaelangelo was trying to meditate, but the fight was still fresh on his mind. Leonardo was in a dark corner for a while. He then stepped out after a while. \u201c\u2026Guys, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[754,880],"tags":[482,9,146,337],"class_list":["post-6718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-journey-through-wonder","category-story-journey-through-wonder","tag-fantasy","tag-kamen-rider","tag-sonic","tag-transformers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6718"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6718\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6719,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6718\/revisions\/6719"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}