Super Crush (BxB)

Fatherly Advice (S2)

Now is my chance to catch my mom in the act. I descend a set of spiral stairs and sprint down her secret passage. It seems to be the same as mine, give or take a few extra shadowy doors along the way. I don't even have the time to hypothesize about the secret passage infrastructure of Sorrento and whether I should be thinking about the safety involved with using these tunnels.

But why would I just now start thinking about safety?

Like the passageway I have taken a half-dozen times, Mom's secret hall ends with a metal ladder. When I look up, I find a different type of exit. This path's portal offers a soft glowing circle above me. I jump up the rungs and press against the metal lid of my underground trail. The shimmer of a streetlight blinds me for a moment as I climb out of the ground. Replacing the manhole cover of the sewer access I climb out of, I wonder when my life became that of a Ninja Turtle.

Am I Raph? Grumpy and cynical. Or Donny? Nerdy and realistic. Leo? Cool and collected leader. This one makes me laugh.

Mikey's orange bandana and nunchucks leave my mind when I realize that the exit for this corridor is across the street from the passage that leads to my room. Interestingly enough, directly ahead of me is the statue of Saint Antoninus. I scan the rest of the square looking for the possible egress of passageways, but quickly note it on my "Things to Do Another Day" list.

I have other business to take care of.

I speed walk down the road to the harbor. Part of me is surprised to find Vito's normal spot at the dock empty. But as I ride over to Capri on a water taxi, I am too preoccupied to wonder what he is up to at this part of the day. When my new captain starts whistling a jolly tune, I can't help but be retroactively thankful for Vito's quiet demeanor. A silent ride over to HQ would let me be better consumed by my thoughts of Mom and what to do if she is actually there. Instead, the bubbly tune that squeaks between the driver's teeth prevents me from thinking about anything past how epic Mom's face will be when I show up at the island hideout when she thinks I am at the hotel sleeping–unaware of any of her and Dad's dubious business.

In no time, I am jogging up the street to the stadium and ducking under the far goal's crossbar. As the elevator sinks into headquarters, my stomach sinks into my feet. With all of my thoughts on catching my mom fraternizing with my dad, I forgot that Abe and Clay could be at the bunker and I would have to chat with them. I'm unsure what I want to say to them or how I feel about the whole mess.

When the lift cranks to a stop, I see the back garage door open and beeline for it. Thankfully I don't see Abe eating in the kitchen or Clay working out in the training area. When I pass through the entryway of the hangar and workshop, I find Dad alone. He is hunched over a work table, humming to himself and tinkering away on what seems to be an android of some sort. I am mostly relieved to find Mom not here keeping company with him.

Is catching someone in a lie by doing some shady shit any better moral choice than the liar's original omissions? I hate when I ask myself hard questions.

Either way, she wasn't meeting Dad today. And for now, I can think that they haven't been talking. But this makes me even more perplexed as to what Mom is up to and who she is really communicating with.

"Hey, you decided to come back." Dad has turned to face me, arms crossed and a mouth looking relieved with hints of smirkiness.

"Umm. Yeah. I, ahh." I can't seem to find what I want to say. "Sorry, Dad."

His brow sinks. "For what, bud?"

"I got in my head about something stupid, and it prevented me from coming here the last couple nights. But I think I am over it now."