The Shadow's Secret│TMNT

20 || Rooftop Talks

Smoke.

Gunfire.

Blood.

Screams.

Metal.

And then I was back.

The moment I saw the man's face flicker past my vision I almost tapped out, but I knew that Raphael was right, and there was no way I was going to back out in front of him. So I numbed it all out; the feeling, the taste, the smell, the sound. I only saw. And despite the entire memory flickering in and out of focus continuously, it was as shockingly clear as water after a rainstorm.

I saw him stride toward me achingly slow. I saw myself try to shuffle away with my wounded legs. I saw him draw a katana from a sheath at his side, and drag it across the tips of the bloody, matted grass. He pressed the blade against my cheek, drawing blood there first. It was only when I threw an arm up to defend myself did he hack off my hand. He grinned maliciously, relishing in my pain. His blade proceeded to cut across my entire body, causing my blood to run like a scarlet flood through the grass.

Then it all became hazy, and it disappeared. But it wasn't over.

I watched it replay over and over again until it was easy; until I had no emotional reaction. Then, my hold on the memory slipped. I lost control and and spiralled into another memory. I tried to shake myself from its grip, but I was already in too deep.

I was sparring weaponless.

It was all so fast and silent that I almost didn't know what I was doing. Dodging and parrying; striking and kicking; ducking and sidestepping. It was a deadly dance of grace and silence.

My opponent appeared suddenly at my side and spoke to me.

"Raiya? Are you–"

I gasped and reacted without a thought, slamming my elbow toward him. He yelled and held his face, shooting me an annoyed glare.

And I was back on the roof. Instead of an angry Japanese man, there was a turtle mutant glaring a death wish upon me.

"The hell was that for?" Raph demanded, holding his jaw. I put a hand over my mouth in an attempt to stop myself from laughing.

"Oh my god I'm sorry," I managed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he mumbled, eyes narrowed. I let my laughter escape me in a sudden rush, unable to hold it back.

"...I really didn't mean to," I said, once my laughter had subsided, "I got dragged into a different memory where I was sparring and he appeared beside me so I elbowed his face but it was you, I'm sorry," I snickered again, "but I did it. I relived the memory and now I'm not afraid."

My mood must have infected Raph because the glare was lifted from his face and he quirked a non-existent eyebrow at me, waiting.

I smiled, knowing what he wanted. "You were right. Thank you." I picked up the wooden figure resting at his side. "Now are you gonna tell me what this is?"

Raphael grinned and plucked it from my hand. "No, I'm gonna show you."

He slipped his butterfly knife from his shoulder strap and flipped the blade out. He fiddled with the wooden statue, turning it over and around in his hands before settling on a position. Raph pulled one leg up and rested an arm on it to keep his carving hand steady, then started chipping small pieces off, swiftly creating a more defined shape to it.

I yawned and watched in interest, hugging my hoodie close to me. "Is it like carving a pumpkin?" I asked. His knife stopped moving in surprise and he looked over at me, confused.