Chapter Text
New York City has always been a mystery to Raphael. Why is this city dubbed 'the city that never sleeps' yet the streets look barren. Not a single human outside unless one were to count Casey as human.
"Man this is boring!" Said human whined.
"Tell me about it." Michaelangelo groaned as he slumped against the teen. "We've been out here for hours and not a single footbot or mutant villain has come out to start a fight!"
Raphael grunted as he pulled away from the water tower he was leaning on. If there was one thing the red banded turtle knew was the moment he joined the conversation with a complain of his own something was bound to happen.
"Yeah well they better hurry it up! I'm missing out on a very intense match up!" Raphael shouted as he joined his younger brother over the ledge of the rooftop.
"Well maybe now that you said something, we'll have a fight on our hands." Donatello rolled his eyes as he and Leonardo kept watch behind them.
"Enough you guys." April replied as she crossed her arms. "Shouldn't we be relieved over the fact that we haven't had to stop any villains, or stop a world ending catastrophe from aliens?" She asked.
"Not if we know who's still out there." Leonardo spoke. His tone was enough to get everyone to focus back at the task at hand.
Two more hours past and the heavy silence was starting to weigh on everyone. Michelangelo was becoming more jumpy at every moving object, Casey was becoming more and more agitated as the patrol dragged on. Donatello found it harder to focus as the minutes ticked by, April was finding it harder to keep her eyes open from how exhausted she was, and Leonardo was having a difficult time coming to terms with the outcome of the patrol.
"This is stupid." Raphael broke the silence to save everyone's sanity. The sighs heard could have been mistaken for annoyance if it wasn't for the way everyone relaxed.
"Fine let's call it here for tonight." Leonardo stated as he gathered his family up.
"Finally! I thought we'd never be done." Michaelangelo said as he stretched his arms over his head.
"Yeah no kidding! I have exams tomorrow." Casey exclaimed as he swung his hockey stick around.
"Since when do you study?" Raphael questioned.
"Uh since like ever! I have Bs and As in my classes!" The teen argued.
"That's because we have Donnie tutoring us. He's smarter than us." April commented. At this the tall purple banded turtle smirked. He raised an eye ridge at him in a teasing manner getting a growl in return from the boy.
"April, you're smart." Donatello added.
"I'm smarter too!" Casey shouted.
"Not as smart at Donnie." Leonardo decided to join in.
"I can be smart!" Casey exclaimed.
"Yeah but even Mikey is smarter than you and that's saying a lot." Raphael teased. Michelangelo nodded in agreement as he fist bumped his brother.
"Why you-" Casey lunged forward towards Raphael. Said turtle stepped to the side and stuck a foot out to trip the teen. Casey fell face first, brusing his chin and scraping the palm of his hands.
"I'm pretty sure Mikey would have been able to dodge that." Raphael teased.
"Oh it's on turtle brain!" Casey shouted as he started chasing after Raphael.
"Too slow CJ!" Raphael laughed as he ran circles around the teen.
The rest of the group laughed. This was way better than the silence from before. The heaviness had lifted and now they were all smiles.
"Really?" Raphael laughed as he watched Casey crawl on the floor. He was perched on the ledge with his shell facing the alley.
"Shut it." Casey mumbled as he turned around and sat against the wall.
"Okay you two enough. Let's head home." Leonardo said as he walked over to help Casey up.
"Man I can't wait to get home and feed Ice-cream Kitty." Michaelangelo said as he bounce behind Donatello.
"I just want to get home before my dad starts worrying." April said as she texted her dad she was heading home with Casey. "What about you Donnie?"
"I have a few notes to go over before calling it quits." Donatello replied as he helped Leonardo with Casey.
"Just don't stay up too long okay Donnie?" Leonardo said as he poked Donatello’s cheek.
As the group talked Raphael stayed perched on the ledge looking at the buildings in the distance. While his family talked her couldn't help but keep watch. He knew the protocol by now when it came to patrols. Nothing happens for the first fews hours and then when they finally let their guard down...
A flash of light on the top of a building caught Raphael's attention. It was quick, almost as though someone had taken a picture with the flash on. As he scanned the building another flash went off, this time a few buildings closer from the pervious.
"Yeah right!" Casey laughed as he joked with Michaelangelo.
"Guys wait!" Raphael called out as he kept his emerald eyes out on the rooftops. Everyone turned to look at him with confused faces.
"What is it?" Leonardo asked as he took notice of his brother's tensed posture. When his brother didn't answer he turned to look in the direction his brother was staring.
"Come on. Do it again. I dare ya." Raphael mumbled as he scanned the roof tops with vigilance. Then it happened. Another flash just ten rooftops away. "There!"
"What is that?" Casey asked he pulled his mask down.
"Don't know but let's get ready to face whatever that is." Leonardo responded as he let go of Casey. The group spread out a bit to prepare for a fight.
Raphael took notice of the pattern of the flashes. It would jump one to the left, two to the right then two to the left and one to the right as it went along.
"Here it comes!" Casey exclaimed. The group tensed up as the ready their weapons. The flash happened two buildings to their left and then-
No one moved. Their eyes scanned their surroundings waiting and waiting and... nothing. Ten minutes passed and still nothing. No flash.
"Is it go-" Donatello quickly covered Michaelangelo's snout.
There is one thing Raphael hates more than anything in the world...
"Donnie let him go." Leonardo ordered as he slowly approached his brothers. His eyes focused out on the rooftops.
"Leo you know how these things are when-"
Raphael had tuned out his brothers when suddenly the bright light he had been tracking appeared in front of him. It had a golden glow to it as it swirled in front of him before blinking away. He was so caught off guard he lost his footing and suddenly was free falling. "Woah woah woah!"
It...
"Guys!" Raphael screamed as he fell.
There was a loud whooshing sound behind him and glancing back he saw the light once more but instead of blinking close it widened. The warmth his felt was comforting? Almost like a laying on a blanket freshly out of the dryer.
It terrified him.
Was...
"RAPH!" Raphael gasped as he saw his family run to the ledge and reach out to him only to have the light engulf him and have his head hit the ground hard.
Dumb turtle luck.