Ninjas & Princesses (TMNT Book 2)

They're Not Monsters!

Third Person's POV

Down in the lair, Leo is practicing his katas. While he is doing that, Mikey is talking to Raph who is lifting weights. Mikey is telling Raph about what he saw with the purple ooze, when he watched Donnie pour it on his hand and gave him five fingers.

"I didn't believe it, but then Donnie showed him it could really work. It was the coolest thing I've ever seen. It gave me hope. Maybe we don't have to be stuck down here forever, you know. We could be out during the daytime with our girls." When Mikey saw the purple ooze work, it gave him hope. To see that the ooze can make him human, and he can be with Addie out in the open.

"So, Leo told Donnie to keep it a secret. Not only from us, but from the girls too?" Raph asked as his anger starts to rise. Mikey was starting to say 'no' being nervous about what Raph might do. 

"Who does he think he is?" Raph says as he got up from the bench and stormed angrily over to Leo. Mikey followed him trying to stop him. "No, wait. Hey, look, if you tell Leo that I told you that Donnie told him..." Mikey tried to calm Raph down, but he just pushed him aside. Mikey fell to the floor, but got up on his knees. "We'll never finish our hip-hop Christmas album!" Mikey yells, but whispers to Raph.

Raph goes over to Leo and says, "Pop quiz. What are the three most important traits of the ninja?" Raph asks Leo who stopped for a brief second. Leo grinned and answers back while continuing his katas. "Speed. Stealth. And..." "Honor." Raph finishes interrupting his brother. "Where's the honor in keeping secrets from your brothers? And the person you love?" Raph asked Leo, giving him a stern look.

Leo shrugged that question away and said, "I don't know what you're talking about." He continued his katas as Raph kept arguing with him. "So now you're adding lying to the list?" Raph asked as they walked in circles. "If you're referring to what Donnie told me about the purple ooze, it's called "compartmentalization of information."" Leo says as he puts his katanas back in their holders, and continues his katas with just his hands. 

"If there's even a chance that ooze can make us human..." Raph says, but then Leo says, "We're turtles, whether you like it or not." Reminded him what they are. "It's not about what I like, it's about what people up there are willing to accept." Raph argues. "True acceptance only comes from within." Leo argues back. "Don't give me that fortune cookie muck! You should consult with us before you decide to do something like that!" 

"I consulted Donnie. And we decided..." Leo starts to say, but then is interrupted by Raph, who shoves him. "And what about Mikey and the girls? They don't get a vote?" Raph was very upset that Leo wanted to keep this a secret from their girlfriends. "There's only one vote that counts in this family! Mine!" Leo growls at him, as he glares. Raph glares back at his older brother. 

Donnie interrupts their fight. "Leo, an alarm just tripped at the Hayden Planetarium. We have to get uptown." Donnie informs him. "Gear up Donnie. You two stay here." Leo orders towards Mikey and Raph, as he shoves Mikey out of his way. "You're benching me?!" Raph yells. "Call it what you want." Leo fires back. "What'd I do?" Mikey asks. "Sorry guys." Donnie apologizes to them as he follows Leo.

"Well, that went well." Mikey says. Raph was just boiling with anger. "The nerve this guy has. Big timing us! He may be fine with the status quo, but that don't mean we can't make our own decisions." He says as he storms around. 

Mikey agrees. But is confused about what he's talking about. "Yeah! Wait, what are you saying?" Mikey asks. "It means there's more where that purple ooze came from. And we're gonna get our hands on it." Raph tells him, as he thinks of a plan to get the ooze, so that he can become human, and be with Ember during the day. "Yeah. I still don't know what you're saying." Mikey says, still being confused. Raph sighs, being frustrated, and goes to text the girls and to text April to bring Casey. "Are we... Are we doing something?" Mikey asks following Raph.

A few moments later

Raph called Ember and told her to bring the girls and April and Casey to the lair to talk about a plan to get the purple ooze from the police.