New York

[mnt_raph]

*Behind them is Milliways with all its hustle and bustle. In front of them, what could be any of a million nameless alley ways in the greater New York area. The air is not so much stale, as stagnant, which is a good thing considering that dumpsters and trashcans litter the street.

Raph sighs, for what has to be the umpteenth time today alone.*

After you.

*After a second or two of silence, he adds*

I'm gonna need some stuff from...well...up topside. Gimme a sec, okay?

*And with that he's gone*

Comments

[mnt_raph]

*He looks down at the floor, as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. He takes a deep breath and finally finding his resolve, he looks up*

No. I made this mess.

*He walks with purpose into the sectioned off room.
As to what Tim sees, when he enters...

The room is set up as a training Dojo. Inside the following scene sits frozen.
Curled up against the far wall is Splinter. It's clear from his position that he's just landed after being thrown against the wall.

Leo is in the center of the floor. The mats underneath him are spattered with blood. His face is beaten rather badly, and there are two very distinct bruises on his shoulders. As if someone had kneeled on them, pinning him to the floor.

Mike is over by the left wall. There is a large gash bordered by bruises on the side of his head. Don is kneeling over Mike, cradeling his head on his lap.

Aside from being spattered with Mike's blood, Don appears to be unharmed.

Raph can't look at Tim.*

[timsbooks.livejournal.com]

*Tim doesn't look at Raph. He slides into the room, letting something else take over. He kneels beside Leo, frowning, and reaching out a hand, stroking the shell. His glasses glow pink as he watches the turtle, looking at his vitals. None right now...wait, no...there... so slow..... Tim seems to almost stop moving himself, his body growing still. His aura flares slowly into life around him, surrounding him, shading him from view. It crackles a greenish blue, letting it flow over the recumbant form of leo. The turtle lifts froms the ground, the aura illuminating him. The wounds begins to ease closed, healing over, the edges softening and moving together. Tim stays still, watching as the inside wounds knit, blood vessels repairing themselves....*

[mnt_raph]

*Raph can't watch. Instead he quietly shuffles over to the crumpled form of Splinter. As he stands over the body of his fallen master, a scene plays out in his head:

Leo asks, "Master, when will our training be completed? When will we no longer be students of Ninjitsu?" Splinter replies, "When you have bested me my son. Now stand up, all of you, and try again."


It is then that Raph's knees buckle. He falls to the ground, and begins to cry.*

[timsbooks.livejournal.com]

*Tim turns his attention to Mike. He doesn't move, he just shifts his magical attention, letting the glow flow to the other turtle. patching him as well.... Only then does Tim stand up, unfolding slowly, a movement that puts one in mind more of mountains forming then of human life. Magic flows off of him, puddlign upon the floor, an almost solid thing as he moves across the room, stepping beside Raph, hesitantly placing a hand on his older friends shoulder.*

Raph.

[mnt_raph]

*Raph turns his head away from Tim. He wipes his eyes with the back of his wrist. Sure, now's a bad time to try and save face, but it's reflex. Afterall, you can count the number of times Raph has cried on one hand.

He clears his throat*

Yeah Tim.

[timsbooks.livejournal.com]

*Tim just lets his hand rest on raphs shoulder, just being there.*

What now?

[mnt_raph]

You think...uh...you think you could help Splinter too?

[timsbooks.livejournal.com]

*Tim nods, one hand stilll on raph, reaching out his other hand. Light flares in his palm, gutters, then flares again as Tim still attempts to adjust to this worlds magic. The light lashes out, latching onto splinter, sinking into his skin. The light fades, but the skin beneath splinters fur glows slightly as the magic works its piece, up from below, the sound of ribs snapping back into place echoing the layer, the magic bonding bone to bone once more. It moves upwards again, until Splinters head glows like a jack o lantern, fixing what damage is there...and then the light dies, fading with the magic,*

[mnt_raph]

*Raph reaches out and brushes the fur on Splinter's face. He leans forward slightly, one arm going underneath his Master's neck, the other supporting his legs, and stands. Still avoiding Tim's eyes, he mutters*

I'm gonna put him in his room.

*Raph exits the room*

[timsbooks.livejournal.com]

*Tim watches raph go, letting his gaze slide around the room... until something catches his eye. "The Books of Magic." Wha-huh? He appraoches it as one would a wounded animal. Yup, thats him on the cover. With a scar. Oh, wow. Tim picks it up reluctantly, flipping through the pages. Yup. The converstion with Molly. Ypu, bringing her into his world. Wow. And... hey, theres that chick, the angels woman. io...the future? With...him as a dragon? Tim stares.*

[mnt_raph]

*Raph emerges through a beaded curtain to find Tim hovering around one of the livingroom bookcases. He doesn't mean to sneak up on Tim, it just happens.*

What'd ya find?

[timsbooks.livejournal.com]

*Tim jumps about a foot, slamming the book closed.*

Ah... it seems to be my story...uhm...before i came to milliways.

[mnt_raph]

*Amazingly Raph manages a smile at Tim's surprise.*

Huh, no kiddin'.

*he looks over Tim's shoulder and scans the titles listed there. Among the American Splendor and the Nexus there are many random and sundry issues of Batman as well as more Books of Magic.*

This is Mike's bookshelf.
I'm gonna put the guys to bed an' then clean up in there.
Stay outta trouble?

[timsbooks.livejournal.com]

*Tim nods, staring at the books.*

oh...woow.... yeh, no problem.

*Tim waits until raph is gone, then conviently slips some of the relevant books inside a dimensional pocket. Gonna need those later.*

[mnt_raph]

*As Raph passes by, he clap Tim on the shoulder*

Take a load off. The couch won't bite.

*Tim might want to ignore the high water marks on the sofa. It's for the best...really.

Raph returns to the task at hand. One by one he moves his brothers from the Dojo to their respective rooms. When that is all said and done, he sets about cleaning up the aftermath.

Raph has now been busy for a good half hour. The room is clean. His family is healed...and yet, nothing is moving. Fear begins to set in...*

[timsbooks.livejournal.com]

*Tim moves around the room, looking here and there, checking on things. He closes his eyes, feeling the magic...and checking for where the hang up is.*

[mnt_raph]

*From fear comes anger, overwhelming anger.

Things aren't going to change. They're going to stay like this forever.

Yes, he knows he fucked up, but he's here now. He's fixing it. Isn't that enough? WHEN WILL THAT BE ENOUGH?!?

From the Dojo, there is a large crashing noise as Raph, in a fit of frustration, flips over a weapons storage rack*

[timsbooks.livejournal.com]

*Tim stops his movement. Theres something...something out there. Right on the edge of finding so close....and then a crash, and he rushing that way.*

Raph? you all right?

[mnt_raph]

*Raph is near hysterical*

NO. NO I'M NOT FUCKING ALL RIGHT!
We did it Tim. It's fixed. They're all okay, right?

And nothing.....nothing....

[timsbooks.livejournal.com]

Raph.

*very quietly*

Theres somethign else here. I felt it. I feel it every time i reach out.

[mnt_raph]

*Raph leans up against the wall, and slides down until he's sitting. He puts his face in his hands.*

I don't get it. I just. Don't. Get it. What else do I gotta do?

*He looks up at Time, utterly hopeless*

I'll never get to tell them I'm sorry.

[cosmicquartz.livejournal.com]

*There is a small snapping noise, like that of an electrical spark. Suddently where there was nothing, there is now a pinprick of green light hovering in the center of the room. It grows exponentially until it's roughly five feet across. Within the ball of light, a plasma begins to form what appears to be a human face*

Well well well, Raphael. You have returned to the scene of your crimes.
Oh how the mighty have fallen, eh?

[timsbooks.livejournal.com]

*Tim stares at the head.*

Great shades of Oz. We shoulda waited for andrew....

*Tim lets one hand dropping, mentally pulling his magic missle spell to the forfront.*

[cosmicquartz.livejournal.com]

*The head turns to face Tim.*

Really? You think so? That's the look I was going for, actually. Nice call.

*it turns back to Raph*
I like this one.

*Then back to Tim*
OH, and don't even think about doing what ever it is you think you're doing. You were right, there was something here. Me. If trauma-boy over there wasn't so hung up on his own personal angst, you both might be a bit more prepared.

Thinking never was his strong point.

[mnt_raph]

*Raph's voice drops to a growl*
I should have known it was you.