The Travelers Wish (The Wattys 2016)

Chapter 13

"Lunchtime!"
Michelangelo exclaimed excitedly.

"You brought the stuff?"
He asked April like he was performing a drug deal.

"I made the drop, it's on the table, and no anchovies."
She answered, mimicking his gangster theme.

I laughed.
"Mikey you kill me!"


I'd better change back now.

I willed my self to change back.

This time a warm feeling passed through me.

A flash of green and I was me again.

My skin glowed slightly.

April's face was a mix of awe and shock.

"Wow"

"That's what I said!"
Mikey piped up.

We walked to the table.

Donnie pulled out another chair for April.

I reached for the piece with the thickest crust, but Raphael grabbed it first.

"Gotta be faster then that."

"Touché"
I surrendered, putting my hands up.

I scooped up another slice and shoved a bite ever so lady like into my mouth.

My mind buzzed again with that miraculous taste!

"So you know everything about them?"
April asked, obviously meaning the turtles.

"Yes, and you as well April. Now tell me have you ever thought of becoming a Tv reporter?"

"Ugh, no."
She replied looking confused.

"If you ever did, I have It on good authority you'd be amazing at it."

I told her laughing to myself, thinking of classic April, that amazing reporter in the yellow jumpsuit, who would bravely risk her own life to get the story.

"Thanks I guess."

She went back to eating her food.

"Why do you like us so much?"
Leonardo asked

"Like is an understatement Leonardo.
I love you guys, you are my heroes!"

"And besides how could anyone not love you guys? the 4 of you together make the ultimate team.
Individually you are great but together you are unstoppable!
Each of you brings something to the table, put those pieces together and you have the ultimate lean green ninja team!"

"Man and I thought Leonardo was a cheeseball!"

Raphael's voice dripping with its usual sarcasm.

"Shut up man!"
Leonardo shouted at Raph.

He, as well as Mikey and Donatello were hanging on to my every word.

"Please continue Roxanne."

"Leonardo you are the most dedicated, and have very even temperament, A true fierce dedicated ninja and a perfect leader.
Raphael is the strongest of you all.
Though your anger sometimes clouds your judgement, you are very dedicated to your brothers and would die before anyone hurt Any of them. You always throw the first and the last punch
Donnie, well your basically Einstein in a shell, you build battle quality equipment out of well, garbage.
And Mikey,"

I smiled at my personal hero.

"You are just plain epic man."

I looked around, the boys were smiling hugely, even Raphael grinned a bit.

"You really think that, of us?!"
Donnie asked unbelieving.

"Every single word."
I smiled back at him.

"Did I hear you right earlier when you said you were in the circus?"

April questioned.

"Yeah, it is."
I nodded.

"I keep hearing that word, what does it even mean?"
Michelangelo spoke while temporarily removing the the pizza from his mouth.

"You guys don't know what a circus is?"

Asked April, raising her eyebrows.

Mikey shrugged, even genius Donatello was shaking his head.

Well I guess they wouldn't really need to know about it, so Master Splinter must never have told them.

"It's a show, a traveling show, that moves from city to city, with humans and animals that perform really awesome acrobatics, stunts and stuff, a little like broadway, only more death defying...."

I trailed off, circus isn't something you can explain.
It's an experience, you can't describe it you just have to see it to believe it."

I shook my head.

"Donnie give me your laptop."

He slid out of his chair and walked to the coffee table, grabbed the laptop and set it in front of me.

I was seated between Mikey and Raph, they scooted there chairs closer to me as Donnie and Leonardo, stood up and walked behind me to see what I had just searched on the web.

I hit play and a commercial for a Large European Circus began to play.

I smiled as I watched the wonder in my teenage heroes eyes light up.
Even Raphael looked slightly awed, though he hid it well.

Then I looked at Michelangelo and my heart just melted.

His blue eyes wide in wonder, just like the faces of many of the people who've came to watch a circus show.
That face right there, is why circus people do what we do.

That's it, somehow Iv just gotta take these boys to a circus.
I promised myself.

Watching it on video, is nothing compared to experiencing the sights, smells and magic of it.

"And you do something like this?!?"
Disbelief dripped from Leonardo's voice.

"I am a trapeze performer."

"And what, prey tell might that be?"
Said Raphael obviously annoyed at his brothers awe.

"Hold on to your... Never mind you don't wear any socks."

I joked as I clicked on another video.

They crowded around me again.

"Can you see, April?"
Donatello asked her a little awkwardly as she was pressed between him and Leonardo.

A lovely lady in a dazzling white costume walked into the ring.
Her flowing white silk cape cascaded around her.

"See guys, not only superheroes wear capes."

I laughed, thinking back to my own red and gold cape, which I had modeled after the 40s flyer capes, a tribute to grander circus times.

She removed the cape and began climbing the rope.

"Oh you climb a rope, I am mind blown."

I rolled my eyes at Raphael's comment.

She reached for the bar, and swung up.
Positioning it under her stomach, she let go and styled to the audience perfectly balanced.

Raphael got another bored look.

She fell forward, the audience gasped.
She caught the ropes connected with the bar with the back of her knees.

After that not another smart ass remark was made by Raph for the entire duration of the video.

I closed the laptop.
And yet again I had them all speechless.

It's surprising how many times Iv done that so far.

"You can do that?!"
Michelangelo looked a mixture of awe and shock.

And yet another reaction I seem to receive frequently around here.

I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair.

If this is a dream I never wanna wake up.

"That was a simple routine, I do all that and more, plus I do it without a net."

I'm feeling quite pleased with myself right now, I believe the expression is "Like a boss"

"But that's dangerous!"
Donatello said disapprovingly.

"And being a teenage ninja who fights giant monsters, and foot soldiers on a regular basis isn't?"

I quipped

"But what we do saves lives, what you do is just for cheap entertainment!"
Raphael chuckled .

"Cheap entertainment?!"

That went to far hothead.

"And you think entertainment doesn't save lives?! On my world you 4 are just entertainment and you saved my life twice!!"

"You keep saying that, what do you mean by it..."
Donatello asked gently.

I got up, walked to the coach and buried my face in my hands.

Great now I have to have a heart to heart, well this was gonna happen sooner or later.

"Have a seat."

They followed me to the living room area and each took a seat.
April, Donnie and Leonardo sat beside me on the couch.

Mikey sat at my feet with his back against the coffee table.

Raphael plopped down on the lazy boy.

"My older brother was your biggest fan, every Saturday morning for as long as I can remember, he woke me up wrapped us both in a big blanket, sit me in his lap and we watched the classic version of the your universe together."

I ran my hand over my face and collected myself.
I don't think Iv ever told anyone about this.

"We were so close, It was our thing, since i don't know infancy, I loved him so much...."

I sighed.

"When I was 6 my family and I were driving to the next lot in our moterhome, I was sitting on my brothers lap, we were watching an episode, and a Semi tractor trailer driver who fell asleep behind the wheel, he side wiped us, I was thrown out the window.
My parents and my brother, killed instantly. If I hadn't been in that exact spot, sitting in that exact angle..."

Just sat there shaking my head, all these old familiar emotions running through me.