Remember [Book 1]

13 - Raphael

Through the entire trip of finding the Power Cell, I was in a mind of my own. I let Leo do most of the driving. Donnie screaming didn't really help my thinking much. Now I think I know how he feels whenever the rest of us are doing something obnoxious and he was in the lab working on something. I'd try to remember that next time but that wasn't a possibility. I was trying to think, at least... Thinking about what happened back with Fishface and the antidote and Naomi.

Were the girls really all that bad? They went with Donnie and Pulverizer to come help me. Me. The one mutant in the whole lair that was the most rude to them. Why would they do that? Then again... Donnie could have told them to go. Then why was Naomi holding the syringe? Why was Naomi the one that helped me up? And why did they look so scared to see Fishface and the Kraang? Did they really not remember anything?

Basically, I was thinking about taking it easy on them. Mikito, yeah. She could be like a little sister from how much she reminded me of Mikey. Naomi, a little... She still confused me and, honestly, she could learn to speak up a little. That and the whole "Salamandrian" thing that the Kraang said really got me concerned too. I'm pretty sure the entire Shell Raiser heard it. Was Leo planning on asking her about it? I looked at the Katana wielding Turtle driving. He was too focused on listening to Donnie.

Eventually we did stop but it was a false alarm to a microwave. Mikey's sense of smell determined it was a burrito. I swear he could smell a piece of pepperoni from a mile away. He was a bloodhound for food. We didn't stop there. No. Donnie insisted to continue going. Leo continued to drive around the streets of New York, avoiding many obstacles. I continued to think.

Splinter has been teaching them Ninjitsu recently... He trusted them enough to help them. But what if they turned on us? They're too far behind us to do that. We'd kick their shell and tail to high heaven. They could also make a decent addition to our team. So far Shredder doesn't know about them, I wouldn't think. Fishface got knocked out when the cannon ball of trash hit him so he probably couldn't see Naomi or Mikito.

"There!" Donnie screamed as he pointed up. I looked up. Sure enough there was a helicopter. Thinking would have to wait. Leo started turning every direction Donnie directed him to. A left, left, right, left, go in a circle, right, left, right, right. Another turn and Leo had turned us straight into a truck. "Left, right, left, right!"

I felt the Go Carts fall apart. Grabbing my steering wheel, I did a simple serpentine to avoid the van, some people, and my brothers. When the avoiding was over, I drove my Cart right back to its original position.

"This is more fun than a Shriner's Parade!" Mikey whooped. His arms were in the air.

I looked at him quizzically. "What are you saying?"

"Right!" Donnie screeched again. Leo took a sharp turn and we all screamed as we saw a dead ended alleyway. Leo's reaction was to step on the brake while turning the steering wheel hard. It sent us in a dizzying whirlwind.

As we slowed down, I hopped out and groaned, putting my hand on a nearby wall. The helicopter flew over us and out of sight. I looked at Donnie who held a broken T-Phone. It probably flew out of his hand during the spin. Surprised it wasn't anything else from how harsh of a whirlwind that was.

"So what now?" Mikey asked.

"We don't have time to go back to the lair, get another Donnie-fied T-Phone and go back to the chase," I huffed. "Besides, the signal would probably be lost by then."

"We could go see Leatherhead," Mikey offered.

Donnie's body turned rigid. "Leatherhead? Why?"

"He is the one who originally gave us the Power Cell," Leo pointed out. "He could tell us where the Kraang could be hiding it."

"We can figure something out," Donnie grumbled. "Just..." He sighed and tried poking at his T-Phone. The only thing he resulted in is a cut finger from the broken glass. The staff wielder was actually out of ideas. Huh.

Leo got up and went to the Go Carts. "That's it, then. We're going to Leatherhead."

Again, Donnie tensed up and let out a whine but didn't object this time. Instead, he stood up and looked at us. Mikey grinned and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, bro. He'll be fine!"

"Zip it," Donnie grumbled. "You know I don't like him! He likes to grab my face and shake me like a rag doll."

I rolled my eyes and made my way to the Go Carts, waiting for the other two. I came up to Leo and asked, "Are we going to bring the girls? Maybe Leatherhead would recognize them?"

He looked at me with concern but shrugged. Behind me, Mikey was shuffling this way. Donnie was following after with a glare. "All right, guys," Leo started as we all got in our Go Carts. "We're gonna head back to the lair, pick up the girls and go see Leatherhead."

"Why the girls?" Donnie asked. Leo shot a look at him. Raising his hands up, Donnie quickly defended himself, "N-Not that they weren't a great help not thirty minutes ago, but... Why?"

"Leatherhead may know them," Leo answered simply. "And if not, then any information he can give us might." He paused there. "After all, they still don't remember anything."

Getting in his Go Cart, Leo started them up and drove off back down to the lair. On the way, I leaned against my seat with my arms crossed. First, Leo actually agreed on something I said. Secondly, we may learn more about the girls, if anything. We needed to know them as much as they needed to know us. Besides, this wasn't an official mission yet. It was just a question.

I wondered what the girls would think of it? Leatherhead? A possibility to remember their past? Kraang? Or Naomi's Salamandrian name?