Race. [TMNT 2012]

048. Sometimes; Raphael

Song: Sometimes - Skillet

I remember a long time ago when I got trapped inside the bathroom at the lair. Cockroaches of different sizes crawled around on the floor, the sink, and even the toilet. I could feel them staring at me and skittering over my feet when I least expected it. I had vomited multiple times and nearly fainted twice as much. It was a nightmare come true.

Yet, I would do that again in a heartbeat if it got me away from the humans.

It's not like I don't have a reason. Having a shotgun held to my head wasn't exactly fun, and being treated like some evildoer does not ease the sting. If I had it my way, I would burst out the front door and head straight back home.

Unfortunately, the rain refuses to let up. And though I don't particularly trust the word of the man who tried to kill me, I still have a feeling he's right. Something bad could happen the moment a single raindrop touches my skin. And if he saw others transform because of the liquid, then I guess I'm going to have to believe him. Besides, after seeing what happened after the first time it rained, I have nothing to gain from venturing out into it. I may be stubborn, but I'm not stupid. That's Michelangelo's job.

When the rain doesn't stop in the first ten minutes, I quickly grow impatient. I repeatedly bang my head on the door, thinking it will get my frustration out. It doesn't.

I just want to go back home and get away from the accusative stares of the citizens. Is that so much to ask?

A hand touching my shoulder makes me jerk around with a fist raised.  However, a heartbeat later I realize that it's just Lucy.  Her gray eyes light up with surprise and she takes a step back.  Knowing I can't hurt her, however irritating she is, I lower my hand and turn back towards the door.

"What?" I ask sharply, talking through my gritted teeth.  I will her to go away, but she takes up a position beside me instead.

"Do you need to talk?" she asks, her voice gentle and caring.  I immediately cringe, knowing where the conversation is about to lead.

"I just want to go home," I respond stiffly.  I'm not about to give her a whole low-down on my life.  I despise that question. Besides, she's already witnessed half the horrors of it with her own eyes.

Her reply stubborn surprises me, though.  "You need to talk about what happened, Raph," she insists, clearing away some of the fog developing on the window.  "You're being really mean to everyone around you, and must of us just want to help."

I should be offended by her statement, but somehow I expected it.  She will never understand my life, nor how I handle it.  She clearly hasn't through the grief that I have. Charlotte was her friend, but it's obvious that she didn't mean as much to Lucy as she should have.

"I'm not mean," I rasp, keeping my gaze fixed on the outside world.

Lucy doesn't seem convinced.  "You didn't handle that earlier confrontation very well," she reminds me.  "You could've gotten yourself killed, saying ruthless things like that.  You do know that, right?"

Her words hit far too close to home, so I settle for saying nothing.  I let my gaze follow a single raindrop as it rolls down the glass door and drips on the sidewalk.

"Oh my gosh," Lucy gasps softly after a short pause.  "You don't care if you get killed, do you?"  She treats the subject as if it's a fragile cup, just waiting to shatter on the ground below.  But as far as I know, that cup was destroyed ages ago.

"Just leave me alone," I grumble with less malice than I intend.  Lucy's spirit is so pure that it's a shame to be snippy with her, so I do my best to be uninterested instead.