Race. [TMNT 2012]

045. Infection; Raphael

Rain bounces off the roof above us, noisily making its presence known.  The sound of water hitting metal rings throughout my mind, making my headache worse.  I cringe and try to think about something to get my mind off of it, but it doesn't work.  The noise is practically drilled into my brain.

I'm quite content sitting in the corner with my arms crossed. I don't dare make eye contact with anyone, especially Casey. Just being in the same room as him is making my insides twist. Being inside the skyscraper again is forcing memories back into my mind. I keep thinking of how we've become worse and worse friends over the past year. We were a good team, and even better best friends. But all that is gone now.

However, it's not like we have much of a choice. I mean, he blamed me for his sister's murder. He drilled it into my skull that Charlotte would still be alive if I hadn't gotten involved with her. If I didn't fallen for her, she wouldn't have hugged me, and she wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to jump out in front of me...

"Oh, Char," I whisper softly, my body quivering with despair. The grief is still raw in my mind after all this time. "Where are you?"

Suddenly, Elizabetta's voice shakes me out of my thoughts. "Guys! The rain is hurting people!" she exclaims, her emerald eyes wide with horror.

Dragging myself over to a window, I peer out to see what he means. The citizens, who had idiotically crowded out into the streets, have broken into a frenzy. Most of them run for cover and reach it without getting touched by the drops of liquid. The rest aren't so lucky, however; they get poured down on. I can just make out the cries of agony escaping their lips as the rain touches them. One after another, the victims of the dangerous liquid fall over and pass out right in the middle of the streets.

Michelangelo, whose face is shadowed by terror, shakes violently. And it isn't because the air conditioning is on high.

"We've gotta help the people, dudes!" the orange-clad turtle says, his face an abnormal pale green color. "They're in pain!"

"I agree," Leonardo adds with a sophisticated nod, though I don't miss the equal fear in his eyes. As the leader he is supposed to care for every form of life, whether he knows them personally or not. He fulfills that role well.

I wish I could be just as selfless. And maybe I am, but not in the right ways.

"I'm not letting you all go out in that freakshow," I snap, leaving no room for debate. My brothers are not about to commit suicide for stupid humans.

Leonardo fixes me with a stern look. "We have to! We must do something," he replies stubbornly.

Donatello steps forward, his usual contradictory response ready. "I want to help them too, but we can't. If we go out there right now, we'll end up with the same fate as them. And then how will we be of any use?" When the room falls silent, he adds, "We need to wait for the rain to stop. Then we can go investigate the damage."

We stand in silence as we watch the humans scramble around below.  They try to escape the rain as if their lives depend on it.  And with as little knowledge as we have of the substance, they could have been right.  Who knows what the rain will do to them?

I shake my head slowly.  I don't care much about them anymore, but that doesn't make it any less painful to watch.  It's like watching a wounded baby duck trying to keep up with its family; it's just hopeless.

April appears at my side, her eyes sparkling with sadness.  "It seems so wrong, doesn't it?" she murmurs, blinking with disappointment.

I just nod.  As long as my brothers are alright, I don't really care what happens to the citizens.  The sooner we solve the mystery of the rain, the better I will feel about going off on my own again.