Two More Turtles (TMNT Book 1)

Kraang and Shadows

Next night, Naomi came up to me stretching. Raph had been avoiding her ever since she returned from the pool last night, and I’ve been dying to know what happened. Did Naomi beat Raph up so bad he never wanted to talk with her again?

“We going up?” she asked.

“Duh.” Leo said, coming from behind me. “But let’s ask the one that hasn’t said a word since last night coming back.” Naomi tilted her head, thinking Leo meant her. “I meant Raph.”

“That’s what I thought.” Naomi sighed.

“Wow,” Mikey said, coming up to Naomi. “You didn’t read someone’s mind!”

With a solid thump, Naomi whacked Mikey and he flinched away by me. I looked strangely at my partner. Both of them changed yesterday… Raph not saying a word and Naomi acting less creepy.

She must’ve sensed this because she turned around and started heading up without us. I didn’t chase after her either this time.

Raph peeked out from his room. “She gone?”

“What is up?” Leo asked. “You’re never this hidden.”

The warrior fully came into view and rocked on his heels. “I’m thinking, okay? Can I not think?”

“You think?” Mikey comes up behind Leo. “Does it hurt?”

Raph glared at Mikey, took a step toward him, then thought otherwise. “Yes I think, Mikey, more than you at least. And it doesn’t hurt because at least I have a brain.”

“Hey!” Mikey exclaimed.

Donnie chuckled as he walked into view, putting his staff in the pocket holder on the back of his shell. He looked around like he was looking for something, “Naomi leave already?”

“Yeah.” I sighed. “She’s not herself.”

“How?”

“Less creepy.”

Donnie just blinked and then looked at all of us, “I’m ready, Leo.”

“Couldn’t tell.” Leo said. He looked at Raph. Raph seemed about to jump out of his shell. “You ready?”

Raph spun on him. “Yes.”

“Even if Naomi suddenly appeared?” Mikey pressed.

“Mikey, I will slap the green off you if you don’t stop.” Raph growled.

Mikey laughed and followed the long-gone Naomi out up into the surface. We all followed after him. Going to the roofs, Naomi wasn’t there. Running around doing some patrol, Naomi still didn’t show up.

Donnie nudged us all, “Look. A Kraang droid.” he pointed at a street and, sure enough, there was a Kraang droid. I haven’t really fought them, but I knew the were robots with alien brains.

“Let’s see where he goes.” Leo ordered.

We all nodded. As they jumped down, I saw a turtle-like shadow crouching on the opposite building. It was looking right at me. I thought it was Naomi so I waved before I stopped, closing my hand and looking carefully at the details I could see.

Silver eyes instead of blue, a lighter shade of black from my angle, and no staff jutting out from the back of its shell like there usually is. With a blink, the shadow stood up, looked left and then disappeared.

“Mikito!” Mikey called from on the street.

With a careful look back at the roof, the shadow was gone, but another one was coming. This one was the normal Naomi I know. She looked at me and blinked before looking in the direction the first shadow went.