Together As Mutants (Book Six)

CXLXIV. Rescuing Them - Raphael

Raphael and Taylor run through the streets, searching for their lost daughter.

"Copeland? Copeland!" Taylor calls.

Raph growls and throws his sais to the ground. His little girl, his princess, is in danger. First he'll bash the skulls of anyone who gets in his way, then he'll have a long talk with her about not being stupid. She's seven, she's too young to be going through the rebellious stage already.

"Raph, we need to split up," Taylor says, coming to a stop as she looks to her husband. "We'll cover more ground that way."

"You expect me to leave you alone when there's some freak out there snatching our kids up?" he asks. He picks up his sais, spinning them a bit. "Not a chance."

She scoffs. "Raphie, I'm a big tough girl. I can handle it." She smirks and punches his arm a little.

He doesn't smile, but he does lean over and give her a quick kiss. "Just be careful, okay?" he whispers.

"You got it." She smacks her baseball bat against her palm forcibly as she says it.

They split off, her heading one way and him going the other. Raph keeps his eyes peeled for anyone suspicious, his rage getting harder and harder to contain with every passing second.

"That punk is gonna get the beat down of his life when I find him," he snarls under his breath.

A piercing scream sounds from back the way he came and he spins towards it. His heart rate speeds up as his pupils dilate in fear.

He knows that scream.

"Taylor! TAY!" he yells, taking off in the new direction.

His breaths come out heavy as he keeps running, his feet pounding rhythmically against the pavement. He rounds a corner, scanning the dark streets in the hopes of seeing his wife. He notices a battered fire escape, coming to the conclusion that he can find her better from the rooftops. He shimmies up, trying to keep a level head.

When he reaches the top of the building, he freezes. Bebop and Rocksteady stand near the opposite edge, each enemy holding one of Raph's girls. Taylor struggles in Rocksteady's grip around her throat as he holds her out over the drop of the building, her baseball bat splintered at her feet. Copeland thrashes and flails in Bebop's hold, her eyes narrowed, and she catches sight of her dad.

"DAD!" she yells, a soft whimper leaving her.

Raph takes a cautious step forwards, but Rocksteady's grip on Taylor loosens when he does. He freezes again.

"Turtle! Long time no see! Betcha didn't see this comin', boy! You're lookin' older, son!" Bebop comments, shaking Copeland around a little.

Raph scowls. "I can see you're still as talkative as ever."

"We just need little somethings to keep us busy. Da?" Rocksteady adds, still choking Taylor.

"So you hurt innocent girls? Let them go," Raph demands, trying to keep the trembling from his voice.

Bebop squeals a laugh. "Ooooooo! We can't do that, turtle! Ms E needs all the help she can get!"

"Ms E?" Raph asks, confused.

"Comrade! You says too much!" Rocksteady scolds. His tiny eyes focus on Raph again. "You fight us, I drop pretty girlfriend off building and watch her become like the pancakes. Then we do same for little daughter."

Taylor squeaks in terror, trying to land a weak kick on her captor as she struggles to breathe. Copeland tries to keep a strong face, but her eyes still grow watery with fear.

"Please don't hurt them...my girls..." Raph pleads, disgusted by the weakness in his tone. "You don't have to do this."

"Of course we don't! Doesn't mean we don't want to! SQUEEEEEE!" Bebop laughs obnoxiously.

"Daddy...I don't wanna die," Copeland whimpers. "I'm sorry for sneaking out...just don't let them hurt me, p-please...."

Raph takes another step forwards, placing his sais in his belt slowly. Bebop lifts Copeland up, dangling her over the edge too. She shrieks and starts to cry. Raph's heart breaks even more and he shuts his eyes tightly.

"One more step, and I drop her like an ex-girlfriend!" Bebop threatens.

Raph clenches his fists, taking a deep breath as he shuts his eyes. He prepares for what he's about to do, which is stupid and reckless and would probably make Leonardo scold him endlessly, but it's his only chance. He has to save his family.

His eyes snap open, the green blazing like dragon fire. He lunges forwards, letting out a battle cry. Instantly, the two villains drop Taylor and Copeland, the two females letting out screams of terror as they start to fall.

Raph blows past the assailants' attempts to attack him and launches himself off the edge of the building, giving extra speed to his descent.

"Stupid turtle! You do not have the wings for flying!" Rocksteady mocks as the red-masked turtle hurtles downwards.

Raph keeps his eyes focused ahead as he manages to catch up to his girls, grabbing both Taylor and Copeland in his arms. Before they hit the ground, he unleashes his grappling hook and snags a balcony ledge, jerking them to a sudden stop as he feels spiderwebs of pain lurch up his arm. He grits his teeth, his muscles straining with the weight of the three bodies on the one hook. Both girls cling to him with wide eyes, staring at the road far below them that could've become their final resting place.

Raph retracts the hook, the weight causing the string to tug them up ever so slowly. He gives one last grunt as he pulls the three of them back onto the old stone balcony with a pull at his hook. He collapses onto his shell, panting heavily. Above them, he hears Bebop and Rocksteady laughing about the turtle pancakes that were supposedly created.

"D-d-daddy," Copeland cries, hugging him tightly and burying her face in his chest. "I'm sorry...it was all my fault."

Raph shuts his eyes, placing his hand on his little girl's shell as he sits up. "It's okay, Copey. It's okay. They aren't gonna hurt you anymore."

She doesn't break away from the hug, and he looks up at Taylor. He holds out his free arm to her and she throws herself into his arms, tears starting to run down her face.

"I thought we were all gonna die," whispers shakily, kissing his jaw. "I love you."

Raphael smiles. "I love you too, babe."

But even as they lay there, he can't help but think of what his old enemies said. He has a bad feeling about who Ms E might be.