"Run, or I'll kick your butt!"
I remember what went through me when he told me that in the junkyard a few years ago.
I still have no desire to go up against Raph when he's not playing.
I look over at Pennington, and I know he's feeling like I am, but not quite, because he's not actually a friend. He's just tagging along for the ride, really.
Guess I should tell you how we got here, in the back of a restaurant bathroom.
If you've ever met him, you know Raph's got a short fuse, and waiting for me to finish figuring out Arena lit it bad. We decided, (actually, Raph did), that it'd be a good idea to put our stories together and try to figure out where the guys were, and provide a rescue if necessary.
We hit jackpot.
We wound up at a warehouse, and everything was going smoothly until Casey stepped on that cat and got the guards out there. No problem, really, just a bad omen.
The place used to be a lab until someone got through with it. Pennington saw some blood, we found part of Leo's mask, and Raph went bye bye.
He took off running like a hellion, and Casey followed. Penn and I went too, in case C.J. needed help catching Raph.
Casey stopped momentarily to look at someone on the ground, but left when he heard Raph again. Pennington and I stopped to check on the guy.
"Good God! Did Raphael do that?"
"Yeah, I guess he did," I said softly. First Leo's dead, now Raph's killed somebody. And killed 'em brutal.
The guy, a Foot, was laying in his own blood, which oozed out from under his mangled kisser onto the sidewalk.
I found myself hoping he didn't know what hit him.
"If Raph's this bad, Casey's gonna need our help."
It didn't feel right leaving the guy, but we couldn't afford the cops being out here. We ran in the direction Casey went and followed the clues Raph had left into the restaurant. They were in the bathroom, Casey taking care of a fallen Raph.
"Well, don't just stand there lookin'' stupid, you two. We gotta get Raph on his feet and back to my place. Can't go back to Splinter lookin' like this...."
No, we sure can't, I thought as I supported one half of Raph's bulk. Casey and I walked Raph to one of the tables that was still standing and sat him down. Pennington, I guess I'll start calling him Dan since we're working together on this, went to the kitchen to see if there's anything quick he could make to get Raph back to his loud, rude self.
"All I could find was some juice," he said apologetically when he came back. A large pitcher carried the orange variety, and we poured some for the non human in the group. He was starting to come around and drank it without protest. In his condition, he probably would've drank lighter fluid if someone told him to.
Once Raph had downed the entire pitcher, which took quite some time, he had enough energy back to walk almost on his own. Casey's wasn't too terribly far from here, so we took as much time as we could afford and walked there, following the shadows.
We got to the Jones' Residence, and the guy has no room to talk about the mess in the Lair. The apartment was relatively clean, judging by what Raph told me one time. Relatively, because he'd picked up, but there's enough dust on his tv alone to spawn an army of bunnies.
Anyway, Case raids the fridge and makes some burgers for us all. Doing all that running had wiped us out more than we'd realized.
All in all, nothing much got accomplished, except that a few more Foot got the crap kicked out of them. We ate in silence.
When I was done, I spoke, "Casey, you and Dan said you saw Donatello earlier, right?"
"Yeah, so?" He sounded tired.
"So, do you think that maybe one of the others is with him?"
"We would've seen if they were."
Touche.
"Okay, so maybe they're not. But I've got an idea how we can get him to help us without whacking out on us."
"Do tell, please."
Raph must have been feeling a little better because he looked ready to laugh at the smirk on Casey's face. Maybe he was going to laugh at me. I let it slide. "I was just thinking "
"You don't say," Casey muttered.
I didn't figure it to be worth a retort, so I continued. " about Dan's encounter in the alley with him."
"What about it?" Dan asked.
"You said that he mentioned the Elder Scrolls, right?"
"Yeah, something like that. I'm not really sure. Why?"
"It's mentioned in his game. I don't know why, but I think Donatello thinks he's inside his computer."
"So Splinter figures in too, then? Who's the Evil Lord?"
"Probably Shredder, best as I can guess. In the game, he's called Jaggar Tharn."
"Explains the thing about 'Dani the Betrayer'. Doesn't explain why he beat the hell outta me, though."
Ah ha. Casey's smirk explained.
"I'm good, but I'm not that good. Anyway, I think I can get him to chill out a little, or at least clue us in as to what's happening in that green melon of his."
"Keep going."
First thing Raph said all night since we've been here. I turned in his direction. "I'm going to need you to help me on it. I'm betting that he's only remembering certain things from the real world. Apparently who his friends are isn't one of them. What we need to do is play on his own turf, by his rules."
"No. I am not goin' ta " Raph started, as I knew he would.
"You wanna get him back?"
That killed the protest right there. He paused, then:
"How do we do it?"
Late that night, or early the next morning, depending on your point of view, we decided to call the Lair real quick to let everyone know Raph was staying the night. No one answered. So we tried April's; same thing. Seems to me like everyone is involved in this or something, and I'm real worried about where they all are. Everyone is, I suppose, but there's nothing we can do about any of it if we're too tired to even catch the subway.
We decided to turn in. Casey took his bed and I claimed dibs on the recliner. That left Raph and Dan with the floor. Just as I started to fall asleep, I heard Raph doing a not so good job of keeping his voice down. I looked over toward the door, where Raph's' blanket lay in a crumpled heap.
"... way in Hell am I trustin' you."
Dan was the one being addressed, and he said something back. Just what, I couldn't make out. Raph half smiled at him, grimly, and shook his head.
"Sorry, kid. Only way you're gettin' outta here is ta move my shell away from th' door."
"Raph "
"I gotta hockey stick an' I know how to use it," Casey called out from his corner of the apartment. Dan's open mouth shut quickly. Raph crossed his arms and smiled, fully now.
C.J. was threatening Dan, Don didn't like him, and Raph didn't either. Mental note: Ask Raph just what is with Pennington.
It's the next morning. We're on the same block where Dan and Casey saw Donatello before. Raph and I are busy asking around for any weird guys. A couple of grins and some hoots of laughter are all we've gotten so far.
Wait, what's that Bullseye!
"Donato," I said.
He turned to me. "Who might you be?"
Oh hell, he's pulling out his bo!
"Easy friend. I am Keno, and this Raphael."
Donato, (I'm going to call him that because this is not Donatello), eyed us suspiciously. "Your friend is an Angorian?"
"Uh yeah," Raph began uneasily.
"You don't speak as one." Don was getting more antsy with the stick.
"Yeah, well, I was raised by a traveling clan."
I released a mental sigh when Donato seemed to accept the statement.
"How do you know me? I recall no one named Keno nor one called Raphael."
I moved in quickly. "The mage Splinter sent us at the request of Our Lady, Ria Silmane."
"For what purpose?"
I didn't like the way he was talking, all British and hissy. "Splinter has seen your troubles, and we are to accompany you on your quest."
"And just what is my quest? I doubt you would be sent to me without such knowledge."
One of the puppies at his feet growled as though he smelled a ruse. Raph ignored it and answered, exasperated: "What else? To overthrow Jaggar Tharn and restore the King to the throne!"
I'm still surprised that I managed to keep my face straight. Don turned to me for affirmation. "Do you also share this quest?"
That same puppy was still growling, only a little louder now. "Of course. I serve our King loyally, as you do." I gestured toward his new pets, "They're cute."
"What arts are you skilled in? Are you Nightblades?"
"We possess no magical abilities. We are Monks."
"Then you are of no use to me. Be gone before I send you thus." He gestured dismissively with his staff.
"Sorry, no. Our Lady commands, we obey."
Raphael stood in the direct path of the alley way, a look of determination on his face.
Donato raised the bo in warning, "Be gone now, or you shall indeed be sorry."
Door Number One said that we should just give it up before we got whipped royally, and Door Number Two said to wait this out. I, like an idiot, took Door Number Two.
Raph chose it also, and was standing his ground.
"Very well, then. It shall be your misfortune this day."
Donato struck out with the weapon in hand, apparently to land a sweet one upside Raph's head. Raph whipped out his sai from beneath the trench coat and blocked it easily. The other dagger caught the staff as it came down across his front shell.
One of the puppies, seeing his master in trouble, jumped up and chomped on Raph's hand. Raph looked rightfully shocked and let go of the sai, giving Donato a big opening. Don recognized it immediately and took advantage: he jabbed at Raph's stomach, doubling him over, then brought the end of the bo up to his chin, just clipping him.
The staff was about to do a home run to the right side of Raph's head when Raph decided enough was enough. Raph brought his right arm up to deflect the blow, wrapping his arm around the bo and pulling out of Donato's grasp.
With lightning speed, Raph swept Don off his feet and onto his shell. Donato glowered with annoyance at the fact his bo was resting on his throat, capable of crushing his windpipe with a good push.
"C'mon, get up. I really don't wanna fight ya." Raph lowered the staff and extended his hand to help his brother up.
The same puppy that had bit Raph earlier was yipping at him in a shrill little voice. The other dogs in the group were doing the same, ready to attack en masse.
"Shush!" Donato commanded, and the barking ceased.
"You are good, Sir Raphael." Donato allowed Raph to help him up. "I welcome your company. Come," he extended a hand toward me, which I took. "Let us begin our journey. You shall tell me more about yourselves, I trust?"
"Of course, Sir Donato," I answered. "But perhaps the first matter we should attend to would be to share what we have learned with what you have learned since our separate journeys began. Do you not agree?"
"Aye. And you may start."
I had to smile. We had gained his respect, and that was a step in gaining his trust.
I basically recounted everything I had gleaned from a couple of hours of playing his video game and reading the narrative screens. Raph stayed silent for the most part, but when asked a question, he remembered enough from last night to make up an answer that made sense to Donato's medieval mind.
We walked about for some time, and I was starting to wonder if we really were in the game. Not a one of the street people or anyone else, for that matter was looking sideways at me and my "Angorian" friends. I sensed Raph's' growing concern over it, but he said nothing.
'Sir Raphael' (ha!), and Donato had gone to discussing battle techniques when I saw Her. I thought I recognized the face from the opening narrative to Arena, but I couldn't be sure.
She saw me gaping at her in disbelief and smiled slightly.
Close your mouth, Sir Keno came the thought. I obeyed, but my eyes decided to copy cat my mouth.
The smile widened and she inclined her head toward my companions, who were oblivious to this... well, babe!
"Good morrow, Sir Donato."
The voice was as beautiful as the face, and bubbled like water in a slowly moving stream. Just the same as the voice in my head had been.
Donato looked stricken and actually turned red! Was he just embarrassed for not noticing her, or was there a sub plot betwixt the Fair Lady and her Gallant Knight that I hadn't clued in on? He quickly kneeled and bowed his head. Raph and I glanced at each other and did as our instincts said, kneeling as well. When in Rome, right?
"Lady Silmane! I had not expected to see you again so soon!" Donato exclaimed.
I glanced at Raph out of the corner of my eye, and he did likewise.
We were on the same wavelength.
Lady Silmane?!?
Go back to Part Two, Chapter Five