Race. [TMNT 2012]

1. Race; Raphael

Song: Get Out Alive - Three Days Grace

I wake up to a soft thud outside the abandoned pizza shop. The darkness surrounds me as I sit up on the sofa. I hear the gentle snoring of my brothers around me as they dream away. Michelangelo is spread across the top of the couch. Donatello is snuggled up at the other arm of the sofa from me, and Leonardo sleeps on the floor below us.

   None of them wake up, so I begin to wonder if I only imagined the sound. Still, I'm already wide awake, so it won't hurt to check.

   I roll off of the sofa, careful to step over Leonardo, and tiptoe to the door. It's the first time since we found this hideout that I wish we hadn't boarded up the windows; I can't see who is outside without opening the door.

   Instead, I press my head to the door and listen for another noise. Silence meets my eardrum for a long time. Just as I am about to give up, I hear it. A faint, eerie whisper.

   A chill creeps up my spine. I silently kick myself for being so jumpy; I'm acting like a hatchling. I scowl and snatch my sais from their sheathes. Whatever's causing me to panic is about to get pounded into another dimension. I quietly hope that the enemy isn't from another dimension.

   Before I make a move, something peculiar happens. A small flame lights up at the bottom of the door. I look at it curiously, wondering what could have provoked it.

   Suddenly, the whole door bursts into flames. I scream and stumble backwards in shock, landing on something squishy. I jump back up to my feet, realizing I had sat on Casey, who is snoozing on the floor.

   "What's going on?" he mumbles, rubbing his eyes. As soon as Casey removes his hands from his face and spots the blazing fire, however, he doesn't need an answer. He scrambles to his feet, alarmed.

   "Whoa!" Casey starts violently shaking April to get her up. "Wake up, Red! There's a fire!"

   I don't have to wake the others. Michelangelo wakes up to the smell of smoke and rolls off of the couch. His loud thud brings Donatello and Leonardo back to earth. Elizabetta, who had been snoozing on an armchair, also sits bolt upright in horror.   All three of them are up in an instant with their weapons out, glaring at the fire. 

   "What's happening?" Elizabetta demands, her green eyes glowing with preparedness.

   "Did you try cooking again, Leo?" Donatello asks with an accusing glance at our leader.

   "No," Leonardo replies, hiding his annoyance. "Mikey, did you mess with Donnie's chemicals?" he questions the younger turtle as he appears at the blue-clad turtle's side.

   "No way, bro!" Michelangelo answers with a shake of his head. He has his nun chucks at the ready. "Raph must have done something while he was working-out!"

   I glare at the orange-clad turtle. "I didn't do anything, shell-brain! I was just standing here and the door caught fire," I retort hotly.

   Leonardo gives me a puzzled look, but before he can say anything, Casey interrupts.

   "I know you guys wanna find out what's going on and all, but can it wait until the fire is out?" The teenager is ushering April to the back of the restaurant as he speaks.

   April shoos the hockey player away. She dives behind one of the counters and comes up a second later with a fire extinguisher. She tosses it to Donatello. "Catch, Donnie!"

   Donatello does just what she says. He turns toward the flames and removes a pin from the extinguisher. He aims the hose piece at the fire and squeezes the handle. Nothing happens.