Together As Mutants (Book Six)

CXLX. Sneaking Out

"I want to go above ground," Copeland pouts.

"We can't go alone. We have to wait until we're trained," Asher says.

"We've trained enough! Come on, where's your sense of adventure?" she asks, her tone holding a challenge within it.

"We've gone about ground before," Dakota points out.

"But in disguise," Copeland says. "Uncle Casey always tells me that the city is way more interesting at night."

"It's dangerous. Dad always told me-" Dean starts.

"You guys are all wimps. I'm going."

Copeland turns, racing out of the lair when the parents aren't looking. Dakota and Mitch follow her with a shrug, unable to deny the curiosity they're feeling. Asher looks to Dean, waiting for his opinion on the matter.

"We have gone up before, but I can't remember a whole lot about it since we were so young the last time we went," the turtle says. "And it'd be nice to see things without my glasses blocking my view."

Dean purses his lips. Asher, much like Donatello, has to wear glasses when he's wearing a human patch. Sarina said it had something to do with the differences between turtle and human eyesight, but Dean can honestly say that only Asher and Dakota even bothered to pay attention to that.

"Fine. But only a peek," the wolf-raven warns.

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The manhole cover sits above the five kids, the only thing blocking them from experiencing the outside world for real. Before Copeland can race up, Dean snatches the back of her shell, tugging her back.

"I'll look first," he says.

"Why you?" Dakota asks, arching a pale eyebrow as her red eye flashes.

"I'm the oldest."

"Pfft, by two months," Asher points out.

"My dad is also the leader of his group. That means I'm the leader."

"No, it doesn't!" Dakota snaps. "The leader should be the person most qualified!"

"Yeah! I should be leader!" Mitch calls.

They all look to him, eyebrows and ridges arched. The boy stretches, resting his strange hands behind his head as his freckles seem to dance on his cheerful face.

"I don't have a reason. I just think it'd be neat." He grins.

"Uh...no," Asher says.

"Mmhmm." Dakota nods.

"Either way, I'm going up first. I went up at night with my mom already when I was learning to fly, so I have experience," Dean finishes. "We can ask Sensei who he thinks should be leader."

Before they can argue, he flies upwards and pushes the manhole cover away. He takes a long sweep of the area before he looks back at his cousins.

"It's all good," he reports.

"Then hurry up!" Copeland shoves him out of the way and pops out into the cool night air.

"Wait for me!" Dakota yells, following her cousin.

Everyone else gets up, settling on the surface. They all stare in awe at the New York streets and buildings, listening to the whistling sirens and the emptied streets of the evening world.

"It's beautiful..." Asher says.

"I'm gonna explore!" Copeland announces.

Dean grabs her shell again. "What are you doing? We said we'd look!"

"And now we're exploring." She pushes his hand off her shell. "Come on, Dean. Don't be such a goody two wings."

Dean crosses his arms. "I don't want to disobey our parents...or grandpa."

"They aren't here. They're asleep," Mitch chimes in.

Copeland steps forwards, getting up in Dean's face. "My dad said Uncle Leo was always the boring one when they were younger. You don't want to be like him, do you?"

Dean snarls. "My dad isn't lame! I'll show you a thing or two."

He spreads his wings and takes off, soaring out into the open as they all head out onto the street.

"Kota! Look! Computers!" Asher squeals. "Oh my shell...is that the next generation cadmium processor-"

"With dual quantum encryption?!" they both yell, gripping each other's hands and squealing. "DUAL."

"Dude! There's an arcade!" Mitch grins.

"Guys! We've got to-" Dean starts.

Everyone dashes off in separate directions, leaving the wolf-raven boy in the middle.

"-stay together..." he finishes.

He lets out a long sigh, then looks to the sky. The moon is gleaming far above them, making him smile a tiny bit.

Might as well go for a flight, he thinks.

With that, he takes off into the sky.