Renaissance

VII

Heph's P.O.V

           "Alright, Patroclus, let's see what ya got," Raph cracks his knuckles and proceeds to pop other parts of his body in a show of grotesque horror. I make a face I can only describe as absolutely fucking disturbed. How dare he assault me like this.

      I blink rapidly, limply holding a yumi at my side as we all give Raphael withering looks. He wilts briefly, but a fire resumes in his eyes that has my palms sweating like a leaky kitchen faucet.

      I wouldn't have marked him as the one to make history jokes. Donnie? Definitely. Leo? Perhaps. Mikey, as we all know, is out of the question. He's too sweet.

      In the span of a few days, I can confidently say I've learned a lot. Enough to beat Raphael in a sparring match? No, definitely not. But Master Splinter wants me to try. Which means, in short, I'm basically doomed.

      Lots of thoughts run through my head as I knock an arrow to my bow. Mostly thoughts like, 'How can I get Raph to hurt me the least amount,' and 'What do I do if I accidentally win and he wants my soul as revenge?' I'm not going to last five seconds.

      "Hajime." Splinter's signal to begin triggers every single ounce of adrenaline to suddenly pour into my bloodstream. My legs tingle like they want to run yet my feet are glued to the floor. Meanwhile, Raph is a red and green blur plowing right towards me.

      By some force of nature, I move right as his fist glides through the air. He pauses, and I swear his head swivels around like an owl and steam billows out of his nose like a particularly incensed bull. I back up, way up, gulping as a growl rises from deep in his throat.

      "Let me hit you!" He's charging me again, this time with paper white eyes. They make me freeze up, fingers stiffly wrapped around an arrow as he gets closer and closer. I feel like I'm moving in slow motion, and everyone else is stuck like that too.

      The Harbinger takes his place, running at me on all fours, those eyes burning holes into my head. Moose antlers sprouting high above their head, the skulls of foxes adorning their shoulders like armour. Runes the same white as their eyes burn into my sight. I don't know what they say. One is bigger than the rest and looks like an eye. It blinks at me in navy blue, grey, and maroon.

      "NO!" I drop the yumi, scrabbling for the tanto I'd been given as a backup and stab it forwards, waiting for impact. Squeezing my eyes shut, as if that would protect me, is probably not the greatest choice.

      Nothing happens.

I crack open my eyes to find Raph glaring at me from the floor, my outstretched weapon, and a group of seriously confused turtles and one thoughtful rat.

"Yame." Splinter speaks as he strokes his beard, eyes shut as he thinks. We all wait with bated breath, with me slowly putting my weapon away.

Leo glances at me with worry, the slightest of smiles gracing his lips as he nods to ask if I'm okay. I nod back, feeling awkward as my gaze snaps away.

Seriously, what the hell is his problem?

"You're dismissed!" The smile in Master Splinter's voice confuses us all. Disheartened, we begin to leave the dojo, until Splinter calls me, specifically, back. Immediately, I want to throw up the breakfast pizza Mikey made this morning.

The others leave, and I'm left facing the ever sagacious commentary of Master Splinter. Whom I still can't believe is Hamato Yoshi. Not that I'm complaining. I just think it's cool.