His cerulean eyes lingered on the retreating figure until it was engulfed by the rain and shadows, he removed the phone from his face as one of his roomates spoke to him.
"Who were you talking to?" the fern colored turtle placed a soft hand on his black clothed shoulder.
"Hirohito," with a tremulous voice he spoke, "an old friend of mine, he-"
"Well bring him in!" amused Mikey from the kitchen, grabbing another dim sum of recently baked har gow dumplings.
"I can't," Issac sighed and sat down in one of the chairs that encircled a table with various papers sprawled out, "Hiro isn't like me," he glanced at his two roommates, "He's not used to mutants."
Issac painful watched as Donnie clenched his teeth and Mikey look at the floor with a red face, they knew that being mutants they would get backlash, but for once they took it to heart. One of Issac's friends wouldn't even pretend to hide their bias.
"Mutants killed his little brother," Issac shook his head, "But it's not a good excuse for not even trying to meet you guys."
"It's fine," Although he tried to hide his distaste, his dispassionate tone betrayed his words. "Not everyone likes mutants," Donnie sat down himself, "It's not like we have feelings, rights, or even just attempting to be normal. We're just freaks." He spoke through a farcical growl.
"You're not a freak, Donatello." Even though he was once trying to defend his old friend, he now had to defend his family, "You're different, and people have to accept that, whether they would like too or not. Hiro may not be able to see the difference, but I do, and so many others do. The mutants who killed his brother, they are nothing like the amazing turtles you two are."
"I've heard that some of the mutants turned to gang members," Casey added in, "People treating them wrong and all, they turned to gangs, to a family that would always have their backs." He shrugged, "Maybe those are the mutants that killed Hiro's little bro?"
"They probably did," Mikey flopped onto the couch, "Not all of them are as cool as us." Mikey picked up one of the papers on the table, "Not all of them are willing to do paperwork." Mikey frowned and turned the paper various directions. The boys chuckled lightly at Mikey holding the paper wrong, once they quieted down, Issac spoke
"I have to go talk to him, maybe I can make him understand." Issac stood up and began to put on his shoes.
"Issac, it might not be any use. People don't just change their minds." Donnie tried to reason with the determined human.
"Well, trying is better than doing nothing at all." He snatched an umbrella from the stand and walked hopeful out of the apartment.
Meanwhile, an anger filled man was destroying his apartment.
"He knows!" Hirohito shouted and swept the glassware off of the table. Adelise frowned and looked at the place where the cup she was intending on filling with whiskey was not shattered on the floor. "He knows that Hinata is dead, he knows that he was killed by mutants!"
"You shielded him, Hiro. What did you expect?" She sat on the rickety stool and placed the bottle on the now cleared off bar. "You told him it was mutants, you never told him it was explicitly the turtles. And when you had the chance, which you just did, you decided not to tell him." She retorted shaking her head, "It's not them ruining your life, it's you."
"No, the turtles took Hinata away. They're going to take Issac away too!" He challenged. "Issac knows that they were mutants, and he still decided to befriend them! It must be some sort of twisted joke for those turtles," He slammed his fist on the bar, Adelise's bottle rattling by the quake. "They know exactly what they're doing to me."
"How daft are you? Blaming everyone else for your misfortune."
"What?" He snapped.
"Well, you blame the turtles for killing Hinata, but we all know that you brought him there. You never told Issac about the turtles, and now you're mad." She countered. She stared hard at her drink, her voice became accusatory and agile, "But at who? The turtles? Issac? Hinata? Yourself?"
"I-" Hirohito was about to object, but he realized he didn't have an argument. "I don't know." He looked at the bar, his eyes focused on nothing. "Maybe I'm mad at all of them, mad at everything that's happened."
"That's what I thought," she chided. "So stop pretending that your boyfriend is the problem here."
"He's not my boyfriend." Hiro shook his head mumbling.
"Oh please," Adelise scoffed, "If you think that you don't love Issac then you are lying to yourself."
"I," He paused to gulp, "I don't," he laughed awkwardly, "I'm not in love with him."
"Really?" She grunted, "Then tell him that the turtles killed Hinata, tell him everything, tell him about who really killed his family. Because if you don't love him, then you shouldn't be afraid of losing him. Stop treating him like your boyfriend."
Issac continued to stare at the wooden bar, "I can't believe you're right," He spoke after a long pause. "I'm in love with the guy whose family I killed."
"No kidding." Adelise quipped, rolling her eyes.
"I have to tell him, you're right, I have to tell him everything."
"No."
"But-you were just telling me how I should tell the truth!" He fretted.
"Right now, he doesn't need to know anything. You need him in your life, because you are falling and we all know that Issac is the one that is going to catch you, no matter what."
"What if he doesn't?" Hirohito locked eyes with Adelise, "What if he doesn't, Adelise?" He croaked, pondering the thought that one day Issac may not ever want him.
"He will, he always will. Issac will always catch you."
With an umbrella perched on his shoulder, Issac walked down the dimly illuminated streets avoiding both late night drug addicts and the homeless bunching together to find shelter. The occasional car would light up the merely empty streets.
Not paying attention, Issac's eyes were glued onto his phone and his multiple unanswered calls and texts. Attempting to call again, he was sent to voicemail,
"Hiro, I'm coming over. Please answer me, my phone's almost dead and I-" He felt as his phone died in his hands.
"Of course." he huffed, his breath forming a cloud in the cold rain. He pocketed his phone and continued down the streets, glancing at the unfamiliar street names hoping to find one that would be familiar, but to no avail.
He continued, far too determined to see Hirohito than return to his own apartment. He finally stopped to stare at a street sign, he could barely read the sign through the rain that suddenly began to come down much more.
"Issac," Sending shivers down his spine, not of the cold rain making its way through his clothes, a voice spoke.
"Adrien?" Issac lifted his head up to meet the familiar cognac eyes staring back at him, "What are you doing out here?"
"Looking for you, actually." Adrien motioned to an 24/7 Joe's Diner across the street, noticing that they both were shivering, Issac agreed.
Entering the run down diner, they glanced around finding the tired waiter wiping down counters, an older man drinking some form of liquor with dark raccoon circles under his eyes, and a group of teenagers who were most likely high as they were amazed by the soggy curly fries.
"I remember going to crappy diners like this," Adrien gushed, "I dragged you to a place like this on our what, second date?"
"Yeah," Issac smiled fondly at the memory, it was a long time since he felt young, "Our second date was at-'
"Sally's" They both spoke in unison, laughing almost immediately after.
"Way too many burgers that night." Adrien rejoiced.
"I had to drive you home-"
"After I got into a fist-fight with Jackson, I honestly don't regret puking on his car."
"I couldn't never forget how red his face was." Issac lilted, it was a second date he definitely wouldn't forget.
Adrien smiled and finally picked a booth seat, Issac sitting across from him.
"I wanted to talk about earlier-" Adrien began, but was cut off by Issac,
"I'm not dating Casey if that is it." he confirmed.
"It's not actually," Adrien uttered in response, "I heard about your family. I'm sorry, I know they mean a lot to you."
"Thank you."
Adrien nodded before speaking again, "I think we both know you weren't looking to join the Prowlers, so you want to tell me why you were poking around were you shouldn't?"
"I..." He trailed off, breathing in deeply before babbling, "I think your leader is the one that ordered the hit on my family." He stared into Adrien's eyes, which showed no shock.
"I came to find you because I overheard something, something about your family." Issac eagerly lean towards him, "Your mother was working with the Prowlers." Before Issac could protest, Adrien lifted his large hand to stop such interruption,
"Before you run your mouth," Adrien pulled out a crunched up folder from his coat, "read this." He softly grabbed Issac's hand that was resting on the table, "I want you to be happy, Issac. I know I was far from being a good boyfriend, but I want to make it up to you."
"You," He scoffed lightly, "You want to help me?"
"It's the least I could do," Smiling at the glowing man, "I would still do anything for you, Chuckles. Even if you don't want me too.'
He stood up, towering high, "Even if you don't want me to be, I'm still the guy who would fight anyone for you." He slid out of the booth and stopped before completely leaving Issac, he placed his finger under Issac's chin forcing him to look up at him.
"Just don't kill yourself trying to avenge your family." He smiled a final time at the man he still cared about and left from the rundown diner.
Issac's eyes trailed after Adrien until he finally disappeared into the night. He turned back to the folder in front of him,
"I don't know if I'm ready for this." He wearied before opening the folder.
Chapter End~
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Chapter by K