Behind the Hockey Mask part 7
Part 6
. @moonlover04
Casey strode down through the sewers, pizza boxes in hand. Some part of him wondered if this was really his life, the rest ignored it.
So he did.
Casey knew the way, now that he wasn't being chased by feet bots he could remember the path he'd taken.
The only thing was the path took a while, but Casey knew better than to take short cuts.
No matter how tempting they were.
He was already a bit late, on account of his dad but it was April so he tidied up best he could and left.
Luckily he didn't live to far from 24/7, grabbing the pizza from Mr Murakami. Who must be part ninja himself as he had furrowed his brows and asked Casey if he was okay.
Casey reassured him he was all good in the hood before leaving.
He hadn't missed the hopeful smile on Mr Murakami's face when he told him he was eating it with his friends.
Well he wouldn't consider the turtles friends, Raph was cool and April was his friend so maybe?
Speaking of April... Where was she?
April was supposed to meet him at the area they had dubbed "the drop point" But she wasn't here.
And maybe she had just forgotten but Casey knew April, how excited she had been he was coming.
Something was up.
Casey put the pizzas in his rucksack. Now armed with a spray can and a hockey stick, sprayed the pipe beside him in neon green.
Marking where he started.
Casey crouched down, assessing the entrances to the 3 tunnels with a critical eye.
The entrance to where he knew would soon lead to the turtles, was the most disturbed of the trio.
He bent down, taking a magnifying glass out of his pocket and messing with the dirt on the ground until he could see an imprint of her boots.
So April had come out to meet him. And there were no shoe tracks going back to the lair.
Casey frowned, taking a photo of her shoe print and followed it to the right tunnel.
He got up, tagging a rock and taking a torch off his belt.
Casey took a deep breathe before walking in.
Sewer tunnels had never been one of his top 10 locations but man this sucked.
It stunk something awful but something told Casey it wasn't just regular sewer stench.
Casey was on guard, and yet he still jumped when a sewer worker ran past him screaming "SQUIRREL!! GIANT MUTANT SQUIRREL!''
He frowned, but carried on. Keeping an eye out for any giant mutant squirrels.
Not that he would've missed any even if he wasn't. But the point still stands.
What he did find was April, except she was in just a bad a state as the sewer worker. Her back was to him but she was shaking.
Casey felt his heart drop to his stomach.
April was crying.
Part of him wanted to storm up to the turtles and rip them a new one.
If they were responsible, than they were going to face a hell on earth a lot worse than cold undelivered pizza.
But he shoved those thoughts away, April was what mattered.
Casey frowned, crouching down and putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Red?"
April flinched away so he spoke softer. Letting his hand gently drop from her shoulder.
"Hey, Red it's me. It's Casey." Said Casey, lifting his mask so she could see him. "It's me, hey. Hey its okay." He said, using the same voice he used when Angel was having a nightmare.
If he didn't know any better he'd say April was having one too.
She was curled up in a ball and the second she saw his face she screamed and scooched back
"Get back! Leave me alone dad!"
Casey paused, frowning. Dad? He didn't know much about Mr O'Neil but he knew tthe two of them didn't look similiar.
He looked at April, really looked at her. He took a deep breathe, keeping his voice soft.
"April, have you taken anything?" She didn't respond.
"I'm not gonna judge you. I just want to keep you safe, okay." His voice broke slightly on the 'okay' but he wouldn't cry.
He didn't think April would take drugs but why else would she be curled up in a ball crying in a sewer and not know who he was.
God... Had she been doing this for a while? Had he really not noticed that she had been going through it.
So much for being best friends.
Casey refused to let himself cry, he had to be strong.
For April.
April who was just looking at him horrified and without any recognition at all.
Casey hated that, that hurt the most.
"You know we can go wherever you want, there's that movie theater not far from here. I've got the pizza, we can just share it."
She didn't respond, well not to his questions. April just continued crying and screaming at "her dad" to go away.
"Please! Leave me alone!"
Casey than made a mistake, he got closer. In his defence it was heartbreaking watching his best friend cry and scream and not comfort her.
He realised his mistake too late.
But the damage was done and April freaked out.
Before she ran off, Casey grabbed a can "I'm sorry" he apologised before spraying her top bright blue.
She didn't even register it.
Casey looked down, tears in his eyes as April ran off.
As much as he loathed to admit it, he was in the dark here.
Maybe the turtles knew something?
They were her friends long before the two of them had met.
Maybe they knew what was up with April.
She had come from the lair.. right?
All Casey knew was April and that sewer guy were acting werid and he didn't know why.
Something was up, and as much as he didn't want to admit it he needed back up.
Casey didn't know the sewers like they did, the only thing he'd do is get him and April both lost.
God he was useless...
He sighed, tagged the wall, spraying a bright green A.
Before making one of the hardest decisions he'd ever made and going in the opposite direction.
_________________________
Leo sighed, maybe Splinter was right. But it was hard not to worry about his team, they were his brothers.
And April was like the sister he'd never had. He didn't want to mess up one day and lose them.
Leo knew he'd never forgive himself if he did.
"Er... Hey" Leo looked at the lair entrance, spotting the newest addition to their group.
"Hey, Casey, right?"
Casey nodded, he was wearing his skull mask but even with it Leo could see he was upset.
"Can I talk to you guys, for a sec?"
Leo, suprised and somewhat intrigued nodded. Gesturing to the sofa where the others were gathered.
Now watching Casey, curiously.
Casey looked down, unable to meet them in the eye.
"God how do put this... Did something happen with you guys and Red?"
Red?..
Oh, April.
Leo shrugged "I didn't see her, I was meditating with Master Splinter." He looked at his brothers.
"We were with her when she called you about the pizza, she went to go meet with you... Nothing happened." Said Donnie.
"Speaking off, where's the pizza?" Asked Mikey, eyeing Casey's rucksack.
Casey sighed heavily, "okay soo... I... She didn't meet up with me, exactly." He paused before explaining what had happened.
That he'd found April in an empty sewer tunnel screaming and crying.
That she hadn't recognised him at all, kept screaming about her father to leave her alone.
And that he had circled back here.
"You left her?!" Yelled Donnie, enraged.
Casey looked away, shame in his heart. "Me being their was making her more upset. If I chased her she would've been terrified... More than she already is. I don't know the tunnels like you guys.... So I retreated."
"You did the right thing, Casey Jones." Said Splinter though Donnie still looked mad.
"So she's just lost and we don't know where she is either? Yeah, great work Jones." He snapped.
Casey put a hand up, holding his phone with a blue dot. "Actually I do, before she ran I managed to spray her with my blue can, it's a tracker. It'll dissolve in 2 hours but for now we can track her." He explained.
Donnie blinked, mad but also curious at this new technology.
"Wait... That's why you sprayed that foot bot blue?" Asked Raph, remembering their first encounter. Casey nodded "even if he left this place, didn't want him getting too far."
Raph nodded, feeling a new respect for the other.
"Casey, what's that your on hand?" Asked Donnie, tearing his eyes from his phone.
Casey blinked, only now noticing the bright yellow powder on his glove.
"I put it on April's shoulder when I was trying to get her attention." He said, eyes wide in realisation.
He took off the glove, putting it in a zip lock bag. "Red said you had a lab...?" He asked Donnie who brightened "let's go. To the lab!"
He posed heroically and Raph sighed, closing his eyes. "We're really gonna follow him after he said to the lab?" He copied Donnie's pose mockingly.
Casey hid a snort and followed Donnie.
"Woah! Hey, don't touch it man! You dunno what it could be." He said, Donnie rolled his eyes but complied.
Taking some gloves and putting them on.
"Let's see what you are." He said, grabbing his microscope.
Whatever this was, it had done this to April. And Casey only hoped she was safe.
'I swear Red...I won't be long.'
He wouldn't too late... Not this time.
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