Disclaimer: I don't own them… can't have any pets I can't eat.
A/N: (does a dance) Hey! It's my last chapter! Geez sorry it took so long. The end was the hardest and I just couldn't seem to get it right so in the end I just deleted the whole last scene. Lol I was reading and just decided I didn't need it, other wise it might have been another half a week until I got this up! Well I hope you all enjoy!
Lunar-ninja: We have a chipper named the Shredder… in fact that and was the whole reason behind the scene. My dad had me helping him the one day and we kept having to take the chipper shoot off to get stuck sticks out. I could just see the guys doing that and it all went from there. As for the guys and Cobart… well… you'll see! Thanks for reviewing!
Pacphys: Hehe safety glasses? Work boots? Jeans? For weed whacking? Whoops! Lol I always thought I was a little like Mike. I wear the glasses and ear protection but I always tend to wear shorts while whacking the weeds. But think of it this way. If I hadn't worn shorts and got my legs all cut up then that scene never would have been born. Ha there's a reason for everything! Oh the Mike's mouth moving in an 'of' I meant 'o' but added another letter instead. Sorry! Yup… Don sure does move through Bo's fast. They age quickly, they get chopped in half, they get cracked over soemone's head. Poor Don! Oh yes Leo saying that a rod is a rod would have some angle's after him. (Including me) Thanks for reviewing!
Chibi Rose Angel: Cobart is bad yes… but you didn't feel sympathy for him and his up bringing? (Runs and hides from Chibi Rose) I swear whatever Cobart does is his own doing not mine! And I grantee you I have some great stuff for the sequel. Thanks a bunch for reviewing!
LenniluvsBrian: Lol wow! A lot of people hate Coabrt with a passion! I'm sure I would too but I seem to have a twisted sense of protection for my first really bad evil villain, Ah well you will see what happens in the end! Thanks for reviewing!
Leonardo Mystic: Why thank you! It's quite a compliment to hear that I have the guys in character! Thanks for the heads up on the spelling errors. I beta my own stuff and grammar isn't my strong suit so the commas tend to get away from me. As for the spelling errors there is simply no explanation. It's just stupidity on my part. Sorry about that. Thanks a bunch for reviewing and I'll check out your story!
Tbreader: (Waves while standing on her tippie toes) By TB! We'll miss ya! I tried to hurry with the chapter but it just didn't work! Sorry! I hope you have fun on your mission and this will be here for you when you get back. (along with about a hundred other stories) Thanks for reviewing!
Sugar Shell: Blindness is something that I wish I excelled in. Although it's not a skill I'd like to know everything about it that I can because I wish to be a seeing eye dog trainer. Knowing what blindness is like might help me to relate to the student better. I'm learning Braille and to be honest I'm having a tougher time than Raph is! Lol at least he knows SOME of the letter by touch! Thanks for the compliment! The Braille watch actually does exist. They have talking ones and ones with Braille numbers and all sorts of things. Thank you once again for reviewing!
"Michelangelo this has got to be the single most stupid thing you have ever done." Leo paced in front of Mike.
"And that's pretty bad considering how dumb you are." Raph butted in.
"Guys it's not like we haven't rented movies before."
"But this isn't New York City. It's a small hick town and people are going to notice a guy walking around with green skin."
"What movie did you get anyway?" Raph asked.
"Daredevil." Mikey grinned and smirked.
"You're such a moron."
Mike grinned again as he watched Leo throw his hands up in distress.
"You guys were the ones that said you never saw it before. if you don't read the comics you should at least see the movies when they come out." He moved over to the TV and knelt down to put in the DVD. "Now sit down and watch."
"Mike we're not going to ware our time watching some…" Leo started.
"The gain maybe we should watch it later. I heard Master Splinter wanted us to help him plant a garden." Mikey cocked an eyebrow.
Leo and Raph both jumped for the couch and Don could be heard scrambling towards them from another room.
Alright boys, sit back and be prepared to be shocked."
"Don't look so shocked Saki. My soldiers found them and your's wouldn't have had a hope.
"Where?" Saki growled.
"North Hampton." Cobart's smug smile grew a bit if that was at all possible. "We're leaving tonight."
"My Foot soldiers aren't here yet."
"Well get them here because my men are leaving in five." Cobart turned and sauntered out of the room. He was in a good mood tonight. Death was in the air, and he was doing the killing.
"What's happenin'? What's happenin'?" Raph sat forward on his seat and fidgeted. All he heard was an explosion and someone yelling then Bullseye saying his own name with a laugh.
"Bullseye just killed Natchios with Daredevil's weapon. Stole it from right under his nose!"Leo gasped.
"Right through the hear! Ow!" Mike threw his hands to his own plastron dramatically as if he himself had been hit.
"Geeze!" Raph gasped as he heard a handgun. "Who's shooting? Who's shooting?"
"Electra." Don turned his head slightly in Raph's direction, totally zoned in to the movie and not wishing to be bothered.
Raph continued to sit forward in his seat.
"What's he doing?"
"Shhh!" Don hushed irritably.
Cobart sat in the passenger's seat of the black suburban cleaning his guns. Behind the car with him and his men were six other large vehicles carrying Foot soldiers. Saki had wanted to take more but they would have looked even more conspicuous than there already were. The only reason Saki hadn't fought more for it was that only a few dozen Foot soldiers had shown up. Most of them were out on the streets acting like the childish punkers they were and asking for police records. Cobart didn't have a police record. He made sure of that.
"Hey Cobart."
Cobart whipped around and slammed his gun into the throat of the speaker.
"What'd you call me?"
The man snorted air out hard through his nostrils in surprise. He blinked hard but other that that stayed relatively calm.
"I said Hey."
He puffed out some more air and tried to cough as Cobart pressed harder on the gun.
"You ten to forget." Cobart growled. "I am commanding officer in this operation. You just stripped me of my rank." Cobart almost whined the last part mockingly.
"Hey, Sir." The assassin ground out after he started to run short of air and his eyes started to water.
Cobart released his hold on the gun and smiled disarmingly as he patted the man he had just choked on the back.
"Now what did you want?"
"Do and of the targets happen to be girls?" The man licked his lips. Cobart could see a hunger in his eyes This assassin was lustful and hungry for women. He never should have hired him.
"Get out. You're off the job."
"What?" The man's face turned into the very picture of fury.
"I don't need a man on my team who is going to leave his DNA behind on a job because he can't keep it in his pants." Cobart opened the door nearest the man and ordered the driver to slow down. "Get out." He aided the man with a blow from the butt of his gun and a shove. He tumbled out of the car and the odd parade sped off once again.
Nothing was going to stand in Cobart's way. He was close to finishing this job, so close he could taste it. He imagined the machine gun in his hand kicking to be free as it wrecked havoc on whomever he pointed it at. He heard the screams of the fallen and saw the fear in the eyes of those still standing. Cobart licked his own lips. He loved this job.
Raph sat back on the couch with a sigh, coke in hand. The movie had been good despite what Mike went through to get it. It was even better once Don turned on what Raph called the 'blind person captions.' During the musical intervals in the movie a voice would play over the instruments and describe the actiony bits.
His brothers had long since gone to bed and Raph was left to his own devices. Raph opted to stay up and think awhile. Could it really happen? Could he be like that guy in the movie and patrol the streets, cutting down on crimes and doing his part to keep New York safe? Could he still do it? Raph sighed, too much heavy thinking for tonight. He moved to make his way up the stairs, but stopped when he heard someone.
"You still up?" Raph had learned a lot of nondescript opening lines to get the other person to talk so he could identify them over the last week.
"Cokey wondered off and I'm getting some Cheerios to lure her back."
"Good luck with that."
"Oh come on Raph! You know you want to help!"
"I want to hit the hay." Raph grinned as he climbed the stairs. He liked being asked to help though he had to admit. "If she's not back by morning then I'll help look for her.
Raph continued to climb the stairs up to his room. He found his and Leo's room and entered without disturbing his brother. Within minutes of listening to his brother's breathing patterns he was asleep. Peace reined in the house.
Cobart climbed out of the SUV, M-16 in hand. The timing couldn't have been better. At two in the morning the targets would be sleeping so deep they wouldn't know what hit them. His six, now five, men filed out behind him and stood next to him in front of the car. A cruel grin passed over Cobart's features as he slid the action back on his rifle.
"Let's go knock on their door."
The sound of the door being kicked in was muffled by the carpet it fell on. Upstairs three turtles awoke to a loud 'thump'. The two humans slept on unaware, used to the commotion of a city. Downstairs Splinter was up and out of his bed almost before the door hit the ground. With his walking stick in hand he was out of the room in a flash.
"My sons! Awake!" He yelled as he dashed to face the intruders.
Gunshots ran out and Splinter hit the deck just as the boys were making it down the stairs.
Raphael didn't hesitate to jump out of bed and grab his sais when he heard the noise downstairs. The call from his Sensei followed by the gunshots only added speed to his feet. For a few split seconds he was his old self. When he made it down the stairs, sais ready, and still didn't see the intruders, he realized exactly how dangerous the situation was for him.
"How many?" He yelled as he heard Don and Leo leap at the offenders.
'Six goon and a bunch of Foot Soldiers." Leo called over his shoulder. He ran to attack the men with the guns first but they quickly seemed to realize that the small space the house offered wasn't a great area for a shoot out with a bunch of turtles wielding close range weapons. They melted in behind the Foot soldiers who poured into the house.
Don, Leo, and Splinter engaged themselves in battle. Raphael shifted from foot to foot, unsure of how he could help. He had only gotten to train a little bit at the farm and was totally unprepared for the battle. How had the Shredder found them anyway?
Raph was snapped out of his thoughts by someone rushing past him towards the stairs. April and Casey were up there! Without a second though Raph bounded up the stairs after the guy. He had to stay focused. Losing his concentration could cost him. Raph heard a creak of an old floor board at the top of the stairs and doubled his efforts to catch the goon. Raph leapt off the very same last stair and caught the foot soldier in the back as he was entering Casey's room. They tumbled to the ground together and Raph was the first to land a hit. The man under him went limp and Raph grinned. He loooved to fight! He had no real time to focused on anything else because by now more Foot soldiers had made it past his two brothers and Sensei and were up the stairs. Casey was jolted awake by the gun shots but still seemed a bit disoriented. He only really seemed to get his head on straight when a Foot soldier entered his room with Raph on his back. Casey jumped out of bed and grabbed his bag of weapons. He was sure if Raph could see he would make fun of him for fighting off goons in his boxer shorts but at the moments Raph was kicking three black clad ninjas off himself. Casey pulled out his hockey stick and immediately started pummeling anything black that ran through his door.
"I ask for a wake up call and this is what I get? I hate this hotel!"
Raph finally managed to get to his feet. "File your complaint with the customer services department." This lack in focus earned Raph a knock in the head and he thanks the heavens he hadn't come across any enemies with swords yet.
A scream rang out and April came racing into Casey's room as if the hounds of Hell were at her heels. She must had slept through everything because her hair was still ruffled and she had dragged a small lap afagan behind her. April swung the small blanket back and forth before her at the enemies. It made a whipping sound as it snapped to and fro, not doing much of anything but creating a diversion.
"Sure Raphael go protect Casey. I'm alright." April mocked as she made little grunting sounds, straining to keep the intruders at bay.
"Hey the guy went into Casey's room, must have thought he was an easier target." Raph grinned and was hit again, kicked in the plastron hard enough to send him flying back into Casey's stereo. As it fell to the floor buttons must have been pressed because music filled the room. Loud blasting rap stuff. Raph was helped to his feet by Casey and almost immediately Raph found his beat. With the music playing he didn't have to worry so much about his moves. They came in time with the music so Raph could concentrate on other things. More people were in the room, a lot more and they were being herded, though Raph couldn't tell where.
"Find you're center my son!" Raph could hear Splinter yelling from somewhere below.
It should have come naturally to Raph but with these new odds Raph hadn't even thought about it. His balance combined with the music created all Raph needed to help against the over whelming odds. It was no longer purely self defense. Now Raph could strike back. A few guys were going down under his sais. Raph was helping in battle.
Before he knew it his shell was against the wall and April and Casey were either side of him. 'Kee ya'! Was all he head before they were kicked in their chest and through the glass window. They fell screaming into the backyard.
"Where are we at?" Raph asked as he got to his feet once again.
"The backyard."
"That doesn't help me nay Case. Where at in the backyard?"
"About three feet away from the picnic table." April answered. "Facing the house."
"Thank you."
"So nice of you to join us." Leo said from somewhere else in the yard.
The sound of clashing metal was evidence that the battle had moved outside.
"What the…" Oh no!" Mike could be heard near the tree line of the woods. "Don't worry guys! I'm coming."
Then it all happened so fast.
"Raph watch out!"
A soft chuckle and someone turning the safety off on a gun, a barrel pressed into his head and the words "Don't move freak." whispered in his ear.
Everybody stopped fighting, the opposing side wishing to see the first execution of the hated turtles. The man behind Raph pulled out a knife. Raph gritted his teeth in frustration. He shouldn't have let this happen.
"Just pull the damn trigger!" Cobart screamed as he approached. "Stop fooling around and get the job done!"
"But I want to hear him scream."
The man put his knife at the base of Raph's skull. Raph growled in response.
"Damned mercenaries." Cobart drew his own gun on his hired man. "I said pull the trigger!"
The man drew back for a split second in surprise and Raph took his chance. He spun around with his sais in an 'x' formation to catch the gun and push it upwards, at the same time sweeping at the man's feet.
Cobart made a sound half between a growl and an enraged scream. He opened fire just as Mikey reached the fray.
"No!" Screamed two brothers and a father as the spray of bullets came closer and closer to the oblivious Raphael. Leo and Splinter both leapt forward to help but their way was blocked by soldiers. Mikey flew through the air, his nunchaku already out of his belt. He pounced on Cobart's back and wrapped his chuck around the tip of the gun pulling it up as they both fell to the ground.
Raph continued his battle against the hit man that had attacked him. The military rifle was disabled but Raph was still floundering. The man still had his knife and Raph couldn't seem to disarm him. The man knocked him to the ground and all Raph could seem to think was 'oh shell. This is it." But as he waited for the blade to come down into his chest he heard an all too familiar sound of metal against wood.
"Thanks Mike, I owe you ."
Mike winked at Raph and sent a good flying over head.
"That'll be twenty for the life saving and ten for the help up. Don't worry I'll just add it to your bill." He said as he gave one of his obnoxious laughs that grated on Raph's nerves.
"Little brothers," Raph shook his head in disgust. "Would you shut up? I'm trying to work here."
"Yeah and by the looks of it you're about to get fired. Man bro! I mean they're the Foot. They aren't that hard to beat!"
Mike took a look at his battered, bruise covered brother.
"Yeah well speak for…"
Raph was cut off by a familiar scream, Donny's scream.
"Donny!" They all rushed over to his side, apparently he had still been in the house.
"What happened?" Raph asked close to panic.
"He got pushed out the second story window and fell on his stomach, onto the concrete." Leo explained slowly.
Mikey helped Don up while the rest of them formed a circle around them and fought off the intruders, mike winced when he saw the crack in Don's shell. Don groaned and winced as well even as he pushed Mike away.
"'m fine"
"Well you won't be for long." Came a grating voice from somewhere unseen.
Five men emerged from the ranks of the remaining Foot. With only about fifteen of them left the guys truly felt the battle was leaning their way, until now. The five men, if you could even call them that, stood with their automatics pointed at the group of friends. One squeeze of one trigger and a spray of bullets would be admitted that would kill them all.
A man stepped even farther forward than the rest. A man with grimy camo pants and an old blood stained, wrinkled camo military jacket.
"Look guys! It's Rambo!" That comment was only to be expected from Mike.
"Alright boys." The obvious leader spoke up. "Let's get this over with so I can get my money. Just leave he human so we can do him clean. We don't want no evidence."
Wait, human? Where was April?
"Ready." Cobart closed one eye and set Raph's red bandanna in his crosshairs. "Aim."
Clong!
A man towards the outside of the ring fell to the ground with a twist. IN his place stood April wielding a frying pan.
The boys didn't waste the chance April gave them. Leo made quick work of a few of the automatics.
"What the mater April?" The whole matador thing not cutting it?"
"No," She answered with another Clong of her pan. "I just like this sound more."
Don clutched his plastron and winced as he stretched a little too far. "Hey guys, can we get this over with already?"
"Yeah sure Don." Leo did one of his famous split kicks, bringing down two guys at once.
Two minutes later every bad guy was down on the ground either unconscious or moaning in pain.
Raph wiped some blood off his arm from a particularly deep cut. "Is that it?"
"Yeah Raph. That's it. Now let's go inside and get you and Don fixed up."
"Then what?" Mike asked.
"Then we go home. Splinter started towards the house with Don's arm slung over his neck.
Raph lounged on the couch while trying to give his Braille another shot. He could only identify some of the letters and ninety percent of the time he still got them wrong because he through they were something else. One month, a whole month, and he still couldn't read Braille worth crap.
Raph heard a quiet muffled groan from somewhere in front of him. He grinned widely.
"I thought you said three weeks bed rest. It's only been two."
"You're a hypocrite you know that Raph?" Don made it down the stairs clutching his bandaged plastron.
"Yes but I don't have the chance of my chest falling apart on me if I get up and walk around."
"Well in that case Mr. Knows-It-All, I'll just go back up to my room for my much needed rest and I won't tell you what Kevin said."
Raph closed his book and sat up straight.
"What did Kevin say?"
Don eased himself onto the couch with another groan.
"He says there is a chance of you getting you're sight back."
If Raph has ears they would have perked up. He felt a could chill down the back of his shell in then his body go numb.
"What?"
"He says he wants to see you tomorrow, that is if you want the procedure. I would say that there is a chance of worsening you're sight but since you have none to speak of that won't be a problem."
"What and you didn't tell me before?"
"Well we kind of skipped off to the farm before Kevin had a chance to examine your eyes thoroughly. He said that from the check up he did a week ago that there is a chance. It's a long shot but a chance is still and chance. He thinks he can restore at least some of your sight." Don paused for a moment to take in Raph's reaction. "So, five AM tomorrow morning. You up to it?"
"Five AM?" Raph repeated, completely avoiding the real question. "Why so early?"
"Well the office opens at eight and Kevin doesn't want to be pressed for time."
"My sight," Raph half whispered to himself. It had taken so much for him to accept he no longer had it. Now that he did there's a chance of restoring it. All of what he had just gone through in the last month and a half wouldn't have happened if he had just went to Kevin's sooner.
Raph felt a bit of anger running through him.
"Raph?"
"Don, what kind of idiot would refuse something like that?"
"So we're going?"
Raph snorted.
"Yeah!"
Raph almost felt bipolar. One second he was ready to turn someone inside out, the next he wanted to hug someone.
"But you will not go without me."
"We wouldn't dream of it Master Splinter."
Raph felt that cold sweat coming on again. Why did Master Splinter have to come?
"But wouldn't it just be easier with just me and Donny?" Raph tried to reason. He really didn't want his whole family there while Kevin taped open his eyes and poked around.
"And how do you propose Raphael, that you and Donatello will make it up to the surface unseen. There is no manhole near Dr. Broody's office."
Raph definitely felt bipolar. Now he was angry again. He wasn't going to be led by the hand. How the hell was he going to get beyond this? It wasn't like he could go roof hopping.
"Alright, just so long as mike and Leo don't come." Raph grumped.
"Oh, and I thought it was going to be a nice family outing." Mike's voice could be heard from somewhere above.
"Raph threw his hands in the air. "Is there such a thing as a private conversation in this joint?"
Raph felt a cold sweat on his face. He wiped at his forehead just in case Donny noticed. He was nervous. Five was a good time though, he had to admit. Most of the party people and night owls were in bed and the early birds weren't up yet. It was a good thing too. Raph had a hell of a time getting to Kevin's place. The buildings set farther apart caused him a lot of problems. One thing was for sure though. He now had the steps for the fire escapes down by heart. It had been a frustrating trip at best.
Outside on the roof Mikey hung by his knees from a flag pole.
"What's happening?"
"Well you would be bale to see if you hadn't forgotten you're shoko spikes." Leo chided.
"Oh come on Leo. I left them in my other belt. Pleese tell me what's going on."
"Relax Mike. They're just sitting there waiting for Kevin."
"Well I want to see." Mike paused. "Give me your shoko spikes."
"No. Go get your own."
"Hey guys, sorry it took me… woah! What happened?"
Don glanced down at his bandaged chest.
"Oh what? This?" He pointed at the white cloth wrapped around his torso. "We were attacked."
Kevin opened his mouth to say something but closed it again and shook his head.
"So," He turned to Raph. "Did Don tell you what I was going to do?"
Raph shook his head no and a lot of medical babble spewed forth from Kevin's mouth that he wasn't sure if even Don would understand about how his retinas had been bad to begin with and he was going to try to splice this and transplant that. Apparently it was more complicated than just detached retinas.
"Now you understand that this isn't a grantee that you'll get you're sight back. In fact getting any sight back is a long shot and you definitely won't get it all back."
"I know that." By now Raph had gained some small amount of control and his tone was even.
"And you know that I'm not an eye surgeon so there are even more risks there. I only finished half of my education in that field before changing to this one."
"Kevin, I can't really sue you if you screw up because I don't exist. Let's just get this over with."
Raph wasn't sure how much longer he could maintain control. Kevin nodded in understanding as he started taking things out of the cupboards.
"Okay then. I guess we'll get started."
"Mikey knock it off!"
"Michaelangelo, your brother is resting."
"Sensei Raph could sleep through a world war."
"Michaelangelo, if you do not quiet yourself you will be meditating until dinner time."
Raph awoke to the sounds of Mikey acting like an idiot. He was back in the Lair and for a moment he wondered who had carried him.
In his own room. In his own hammock. At least they had the simple courtesy of doing that.
For a few minutes he just laid there, his eyes closed. Did it work? Could he see? He was never going to know if he didn't open his eyes.
Raph took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes but almost as soon as he did he closed them again and let out his breath.
Nothing. Darkness. It didn't work. He was still blind.
He put his hands atop his head and sighed. After all that hoping he didn't get anything.
With another sigh he heaved himself out of his hammock and felt around his room for his bo staff. He found it leaning against his nightstand and headed out of his room.
He still had a bit of a limp from his gun shot wound but it was diminishing with each day.
As he tapped out of his room he wondered what his family would say. It was a big disappointment. There was no doubt about that.
"Hey, Raph's up!
"How's the sight bro?'
Raph prepared to respond to Leo when he stepped into the full light of the main room. He was about to tell them about the failed procedure when he saw something.
Raph took a step back in surprise and gasped. He saw something!
"Raph?"
Dark shapes. Dark turtle like shapes that were his brothers and a spiky one that was his father, all on a grayish background. He could make out the pillar where the punching bag stood! A dark shape was all it was but it was something. He could make out… Raph spun in a slow circle with a slack jaw. Nothing else. As he walked slowly from spot to spot though things slowly came into view. He could only make out a large objects about three or four feet away but it was something. They appeared dark and black, without detail or form but it wasn't darkness.
"Earth to Raphael." Leo broke into his thoughts. "Can you see anything?
Raph swallowed as he continued his walk. He paused and spun around slowly once more so he could face his family. When he spoke his voice was husky.
"Yeah, yeah I can see somethin."
EPILOGUE!
30 Year Later…
"Come on toots. I'll show you a real good time."
"J-j-just stay away!"
"you know you don't mean that."
A young lady in her early twenties stood cornered in an alley. A scrawny man swayed back in forth in front of her. His hungry eyes looked her over as he licked his lips.
"Oh it'll be fun… for me."
"Stay away!" She screamed again reaching hysterics. She held a white cane in her slender hands. Her black hair was plastered to her face with tears.
"It's not like you'll see any of it."
Her eyes darted about wildly in their sockets, petrified of her attacker yet unable to see that he stood directly before her. She gripped the white cane tighter. Her breath came in gasps, almost reaching a whine.
"it won't take long."
The scrawny man bared down on the lady. He stretched his hands out to grab her but was stopped by a deep bass voice from the shadows.
"Git away from her." It growled.
The man cleared the distance between the girl and himself and pulled a knife from his pockets. He spun the girl around and pressed her to his body. She screamed but quieted when she felt the honed steel against her flesh.
"She's mine! If you don't beat it and go find yourself another whore then I'll slit her throat and we'll both be without company tonight."
"I'm n-not a" the lady stuttered but the lunatic grabbed her tighter around her waist and added pressure behind the tip of the knife.
"Shut up little one and maybe after I'm done with you I'll let you live."
"You're not going to go anything with her."
The knife was out of the scrawny man's hand in a flash and he was flat on his back staring up into the face of a green monster before he knew it.
"You breath too loud you know that? Now," Raph growled as he moved in closer to the frightened criminal. "I know you're a good for nothing sleeze bag but I also know you're not dumb enough to fight me when I let you up. So I am going to give you two seconds to get out of this alley. If you're still here by then I can assure you that you will not be seeing the light of morning. Got it?"
The scrawny man nodded fearfully.
Raph let him up and gave him a good swift kick in the butt as he passed to help him on his way. He went skittering out of the alley, stumbling over his own feet, doing quite a good impression of a drunken man.
Raph turned at the sounds of snuffling coming from the girl he had just saved. She was close to the ground searching for something. He pulled out his Bo and did a quick search of the ground, finding what she was looking for before her.
"I think you might need this." He said as he gently placed the white cane in her trembling hands.
She took the cane and clutched it close to her body, wrapping herself around it and rocking back and forth. Raph knelt before her and kept his voice low so as not to scare her.
"You know this isn't going to be last time someone in the Big Apple takes advantage of your disability."
"I couldn't stop him. How could I?" She continued to cry. Her hiccups mixed with her tears causing her breath to come in more short ragged gasps. "He… he was going too…"
She broke down completely as Raph gently rubbed her back.
"I know, but he didn't."
He sat on the ground with her until her cried slowed to an occasional sniffle and a gasp.
"Your skin feels different." Raph pulled his hand back and rubbed his knuckles with his other,
"By all rights it should be." But that was all he said. It seemed to be good enough for her. She nodded and fell silent once again. "Where do you live?" Raph asked.
"The corner of Second and Eastman."
"I go by there on my way home." He lied. "You want me to walk you?"
"I would feel safer."
"Ok well I don't really care to go by street though so what do you say we go by roof?"
"Isn't that kinda dangerous since I'm blind."
"I've never been one to listen to those sayings."
Raph got to his feet before she could question his cryptic message. He pulled out his Bo and let her take his elbow. Tapping his way over to the fire escape slowly for the benefit of the girl.
"You can stop imitating me you know I take great offense to it."
Raph chuckled. "Well I could stop if you want but chances would be great that I would run you straight into something."
It took the girl awhile to understand but finally she placed her free hand over Raph's hand as he moved his Bo from side to side.
"You're blind too?"
"For twenty some odd years now."
Again there was a puzzled pause before she spoke.
"But… how could you do all you did just then?"
"Practice. Years and years of hard practice."
They reached the fire escape and he lifted her up onto the first rung.
"There's ten rungs to each flight and four flights. Three paces until you get to the other side of the flat. I'll follow you up."
"Practice. You weren't kidding."
"Years of it."
She followed Raph's instructions carefully and made it to the roof with no mishaps.
"What's your name?" She asked as she felt Raph offer his elbow again.
"Raphael, but most call me Raph. What's yours?"
"Mandy."
"A pretty name for a pretty face."
"How would you know I was pretty if you can't see my face?" Her voice was guarded once again seriously doubting the legitimacy of the man next to her.
Sensing her inner conflict Raph chuckled. "I can tell by the way you talk. You obviously don't mind the way you look. If you think your look good then that is the way you are going to look."
She contemplated this for a moment before relaxing again.
"The end of the roof is coming up. I am going to need to jump over. I can either carry you or once I get over I can lay out a board for you to walk across."
"Walking over open space? On a makeshift board? I don't think so."
"Thought so."
Raph swept Mandy off her feet as he slung his Bo back into it's holder. She squealed as he took two gigantic steps and launched himself into the air. He winced as she let out an ear piercing scream. He landed in a crouch on the other side as he gently put Mandy on her own feet.
"Raphael, that, was amazing." Her voice was breathy and full of respect."
"Years of…"
"Wait!" She cut in. "Don't say it, hard practice right?"
"Right."
Mandy sat down, wanting to converse with Raph more.
"I think that this practice is more than the average Jo can do."
"I donno. Is the average Jo a ninja?"
"You're a ninja?"
Raph gave a wry grin.
"Have been for forty some off years now."
Mandy laughed sensing the repetitiveness in the conversation. She fell silent. Her face dropping.
"How did it happen? Your blindness I mean."
"I got hit by a flash bomb when I was fifteen. Before that I had bad retinas but it only sped up the process. A month and a half later I was blind."
"But you were a ninja before that?"
"Ever since I was a kid. I was raised in the art of Ninjitsu."
"How did you ever learn to get your life back to normal again?"
"At first it wasn't normal. I was laid up for two weeks after I was attacked and during that time everyone around me paid. It took a good hard talking to from my dad and getting lost in the woods three times for me to get my head back on straight. After that I had to relearn everything. Braille had to be the hardest. I learned to listen constantly to the things around me because every time I mess up me or someone around me got hurt." Raph's thoughts flashed briefly back to the farmhouse, and how he had barely made it out alive. He rubbed a hand over the scare on his arm, his proof that he wasn't invincible. He had almost been killed that night and because of his down fall his brother almost went with him. "By the time I was out of my teens I could feel the tiniest shifts in air. I was almost a better ninja without my sight than I was with it."
There was a pregnant pause as Raph let her soak in the new information. "What about you? How did you go blind?"
"It was a birth defect. I never had the chance to know what sight was like. I never had to learn to function without it. It came naturally to me."
Raph thought about this. He nodded slowly as he helped her up and they continued along her way.
"If you had the chance. Would you have wanted sight when you were younger?"
"When I was younger I did but now that I'm older I think I would have had more problems if I had to relearn everything. It's hard enough to be a kid without having to learn to adjust to something big like that. Would you want to be born blind?"
Again Raph smiled as memories of his family's faces came flooding back.
"No. I treasure the memories I have too much to give them up."
They reached the edge of the roof. Raph helped her over the edge and onto the fire escape.
"Same as before ten rungs, four flights, three paces."
"I remember."
She climbed down the fire escape and into the alley below.
"My apartment is just around the corner."
"Good you'll be alright by yourself from here?"
"Yeah. Thanks for everything tonight."
"You're welcome."
They shook hands. Mandy ran her thumb over Raph's knuckles.
"You only have three fingers."
Raph grinned as he pulled his Bo from his holder and walked back towards the roof.
"It's a side affect of being a turtle."
He jumped up and onto the fire escape running off into the night leaving Mandy slack jawed and slightly puzzled as to his words.
A/N: (screams madly) Oh I'm done! Boy! I was doing pretty good until this last chapter.. sorry about the late update guys. Anyways… seeing as this is the end do you think you can all review even if you haven't before? It'd make my day! Thanks all for reading my story! I love you all!