𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚜 𝙸𝙸 ♡ (ᵗᵐⁿᵗ '16) 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝟸 ❪✘❫

02 || 𝐖𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐀 𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐆𝐔𝐘 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓...

Just the next day, the six mutants-- the brothers, Splinter, and Osa had gone to visit April at her apartment. She has been waiting to see them since they got started in rebuilding their new home in the sewers. Now that she is visiting with them, she's trying to make a great conversation before they went home for the evening.

The reporter cleaned up her kitchen, finding a few of Leo's magazines and Raph's dumbells. They must have left them here when they first came to her apartment the day after Sacks and Shredder were placed in prison. "You guys finding your new home okay?" April asked, picking up Mikey's skateboard and leaning up against the wall by the front door.

"I think it's great." Leo said, eating a bag of potato chips at the kitchen table with Donnie. "Still got a lot to do..."

"Yeah," Raph replied from the couch. "We may have taken out the Shredder, but it doesn't mean the Foot will come and find us. They know where we live-- there's like hundreds of them."

"He's right." Don said, shoving some crispy chips into his mouth, looking at his love interest who is stuffing her face with donuts.

Leo sighed at his brothers and Osa. "Guys, we already made the arrangement with Vern. It's settled."

Don chewed a mouthful of chips. "Right." He pushed his glasses up higher to his eyes.

"I don't get it!" The muscular turtle stands from the couch where he and Osa sat, sharing a bag of white powdered donuts. "Why? We saved this city! Why can't we go out there?" Raph asked.

Splinter speaks from the recliner in April's living room. "For almost sixteen years, you four have been confined below. The people above ground will never understand and their ground will never become ours."

"What about Osa?" Mikey says, pointing her out with a mouth full of donuts and her rubber chicken at her side. She froze when she heard her name.

"She's different, Michelangelo." Splinter says. "She has more human features that will get her by above ground. It is too dangerous for you all."

The red-masked turtle rolled his eyes, believing that what had been said and settled is completely unfair. He wants to be above ground and seen by the people he saved with his family. He didn't like the idea of being hidden. "That's so unfair!" Raph exclaimed.

"Raphael!" Splinter firmly said his name. "It's just how it is and you need to accept it." He moves to the kitchen table. He groaned and sat at the table with Leo and Donnie. Inside, it hurt Splinter because he knows how much his sons want to be recognized for their doings, but it's just too dangerous to put themselves out there. If they did, then they would surely be captured.

Mikey came to join them at the table and practically hogged the entire bag of Lay's potato chips. "So, we save the city and Vernon gets all the credit." Mikey said under his breath. "That old guy really must be enjoying the fame..."

Of course, that ex-cameraman is enjoying the fame. All he did before was simp over April, work, watch football, and went to drink coffee by himself. Now that he is getting attention for something he didn't do, he is busier than ever. Vern is living a crazy, wonderful life with his new girlfriend, too.

April knows the guys and Osa helped save New York from Sacks and Shredder. She knows it isn't a good idea to plaster their identities as well. "Guys, I'm sorry." April leaned on the edge of her kitchen counter. "If it was safe, I would tell Channel 6 about you, but Splinter is right. It's way too dangerous."

The boys sighed and Osa comes into the kitchen, crumpling up the empty donut bag. "Don't worry." She chewed and swallowed her final donut before tossing the bag in the garbage. "Be optimistic."