The Turtles and Copycat

The Turtles are walking along the rooftops.  They are headed back home, suddenly Leo stops and looks behind them.  Nothing is there, at least not that he could see.

 

“What is it?” asks Donnie.

 

“I don’t know.  It felt like someone was behind us.” –Leo 

 

“You’re losing it Leo no one is there,”—Raph 

 

“Obviously,” Leo turns back and they start out again.  

 

Later as Leo holds the grate for his brothers to slip through he takes another look around.  He still can’t shake the feeling of being watched. He searches the shadows of the alley way. Nothing is there; he sighs.

 

“Come on slowpoke,” Mikey yells from below.

 

“Coming,” and then Leo follows his brothers.  Once in the sewers the uneasy feeling all but goes away.  As they enter the layer Leo has all but forgotten about it. 

 

After getting some pizza, Leo, Raph, and Mikey sit down to watch some TV, while Donnie goes into his lab.  As the other Turtles are watching TV Leo thinks he sees a shadow move out of the corner of his eye. He turns to face the threat, swords drawn, only to be staring at an empty room.

 

“Whoa! Leo!  What are you doin’ bro?” –Mikey 

 

“Practicing,” Leo says laughing nervously; he swings his katana blades, trying to hide how foolish he feels.  

 

“Ookkaayy,” –Raph   

 

He does a few more moves and then he puts his weapons away.  Leo turns uneasily back to the TV. He begins to wonder if he really is losing it. 

 

Later that night Splinter enters the dojo on his way to his own room.  Splinter stops dead in his tracks; he has the feeling of being watched.  He could see no one, but his years of experience tell him someone is there nonetheless.  He turned towards the tree. “Show yourself,” he says in a commanding voice, seemingly to the tree itself.  He braces himself for an attack. “I know you are there.”  

 

At the base of the tree two yellow eyes appear.  A form separates itself from the shadows of the tree.  It is not at all what Splinter had expected and he cries out alarmed and unbalanced by the sight.

 

The Turtles, unused to hearing their master cry out, run into the room weapons drawn.  The Turtles see Splinter standing there, wide eyed staring at the tree.  

 

“What is it,” Leo asks.

 

“A…. a…. Cat!” Splinter feels a shiver go down his spine.  Splinters one fear is cats.

 

Michelangelo runs to the tree.  “A kitty! I love kitties! Here kitty, kitty,” He says as he circles the base of the tree looking on the ground.  “Where did it go,” he asks after circling the tree twice.

 

“Where did it go,” says a voice that sounds a lot like Mikey’s. 

 

“Hay I just said that!” Mikey looks up into the tree branches and searches for the source of the voice.

 

“I just said that!” the voice repeats, and then a pair of yellow eyes appear above one of the branches of the tree.  

 

“Whoa that is one big cat!” Mikey says backing away toward where his brothers are standing.  The eyes follow Mikey’s movement. Mikey draws out his chucks and starts them twirling, the eyes disappear.  Confused Mikey lets them slowly come to a stop. The other turtles still have their weapons drawn and everyone is searching for the eyes among the branches of the tree. 

“Why is it here?” asks Mikey after a few minutes have passed without any sightings. 

 

“Our Sensei is a big Rat and it is a big Cat!  Why do you think it’s here?!” Raph exclaims hitting Mikey upside the head. 

 

“Big cat!” repeats Raph’s voice.

 

“Obviously with a sense of humor,” –Leo.

 

“Humor,” repeats Leo’s voice.

 

“OK, that is just a little freaky,” says Donnie.  There is silence in the dojo.

 

Mikey laughs and says “Guess it doesn’t like your voice.”  Mikey’s laugh repeats. 

 

The eyes suddenly reappear just above a branch.  Raph quickly throws his sais at the creature. They sink into the branch on the other side of where the eyes had been.  The cat had moved lightning fast to avoid the weapons. Then the eyes disappear again.  

“Wait,” Mikey says, “If it is just hungry maybe some pizza will help.”  He runs from the room. The others keep watch at the tree for any sign of the cat.

 

“Who wants Pizza?!” Mikey enters the room carrying a box.  He opens the lid and sits it down at the base of the tree. “Come and get it.”

 

The eyes reappear and look down at the box, blink once, and then disappear once more.  Mikey unable to resist goes back to the pizza. “It’s delicious,” he says picking up a piece and starting to munch on it.  He backs up to where his brothers are standing as he finishes his slice. “Maybe Copy Cat isn’t hungry after all.”

 

“Copy Cat,” Raph asks dismayed.  “You named it.”

 

“Well yea.  It’s what I do.” Mikey says proudly. 

 

Raph slaps his hand over his face and shakes his head.  The brothers wait a few more minutes. “This is stupid,” Raph says and storms over to the tree.  He starts to climb up into it. The others take the hint and go over to the tree. They also start climbing.  The eyes reappear and the turtles close in on them.

 

As they get closer the outline of the cat begins to appear among the branches and leaves of the tree. It ‘must be a black cat,’ Leo thinks, ‘because it blends in perfectly with the shadows’.  The cat’s ears perk forward and it looks towards Leo like it could hear his thoughts.  Leo pauses, ‘no...no way.’  He sees the tip of its tail twitch.  Then the cat is looking at Raph, and Leo moves closer.  

Just when The Turtles are within reaching distance the cat drops.  Once on the ground the cat looks up into the tree; Leo could swear it was smiling.  The Turtles head back down the tree. The cat watches The Turtles intently, the tip of its tail twitching gently.  As Raph’s foot touches the ground the cat launches itself back into the tree.

 

“Great!” Raph growls.  Frustrated he hits the tree.  The tree branches shake. 

 

Leo watches the branches sway.  “Great idea Raph, let's shake the tree.”  All four brothers stand on the same side of the tree and push on the trunk.  The branches of the tree shake horribly; leaves fall, but no cat.

 

“No good,”—Donnie 

 

“No good,” echoes Donnie’s voice.

 

They stop pushing on the trunk.  “Any more ideas,” Leo asks. Donnie rubs his chin.  Then Donnie turns and heads out of the room. His brothers start to follow.  “Mikey stay here and watch for the cat to come down,” Leo says as he and Raph follow Donnie out of the room.

 

“Ahh!” Mikey says shoulders sagging.

 

“Ahh” repeats his voice.  Mikey turns towards the tree, but sees nothing. 

 

Soon bored Mikey sits down, and takes out his T-phone.  He starts playing one of the games on it. Mikey is so involved in his game that he doesn’t notice the cat drop to the ground.  The cat creeps slowly forward, when it gets about arm’s length from the turtle the cat sits quietly down. 

 

Meanwhile, in Donnie’s lab, everyone is huddle around Donnie’s laptop.  He is looking up ways to capture cats. “Hhhmmmm…. They all talk about luring the cat into a cage or using a tranquilizer.  Neither of which we have handy.” Donnie pauses and looks around his workshop thinking. He gets up and picks up a piece of metal.  “If I took this and attached this,” he says picking up something else, “and maybe that over there… I might have enough stuff here that I could make a cage out of it.  Only temporary. Until we can relocate the cat.”

 

“Alright let’s get to work.” –Leo 

 

Back in the dojo.  

 

“Eeerrrrree,” the cat makes a noise.  It almost sounds like a question. 

 

“Aaahhh!”  Mikey startled drops the T-phone and starts reaching for his chucks.  Before he can pull them out the cat is gone, up the tree once more. Mikey is puzzled.  He forgets about his nunchucks and looks at the T-phone, then the tree, then back to the T-phone.  “hmm…”he shrugs, and picks up the T-phone. In short order the cat is back on the ground. Mikey catches the landing, but pretends to be distracted.  The cat did not come as close as before, and then sits down.

 

“Eerree,” It made that funny noise again.  This time Mikey slowly lowers the T-phone. The cat is indeed black, and the dark fur makes its yellow eyes stand out all the more.  It is about the same size as Raph. The cat sits there in front of Mikey with its tail wrapped around its legs, all four of them. Its eyes are wide and its ears are forward.  The cat then tilts its head to one side.  

“Aaaahhhh.  You’re so cute,” Mikey reaches out a hand to pet it, but the cat pulls away.  “It’s OK I won’t hurt you.” Mikey reaches out further, rocking forward as he does so.

 

“No. Bad,” the cat says pushing Mikey’s hand aside.  Mikey looks down and tapping his first two fingers together says, “I just wanted to pet you.”

 

“Pet, Bad” –Copy Cat 

 

“Why?” –Mikey 

 

The cat’s ears flick back and then forward, and its tail twitches.  Then one ear flicks to the side and the cat turns its head towards the door.  In walks Leo. “We have a…” Leo’s voice trails off, he pauses for a moment. Then he reaches for his katanas.  By the time he has pulled his weapons out the cat has disappeared.

 

“Where did it go?”  --Leo

 

Mikey pointed up the tree. 

 

“Alright what is going on Mikey?” –Leo

 

“I got bored so I sat down and started playing my T-phone.  Then I saw the cat, so I dropped the phone. Then the cat disappeared.  So I thought Whoa what if it’s as scared of us as we are of it. So I picked up my T-phone and started playing it again and it reappeared…. But it won’t let me pet it.”  Mikey whines a little on the last part.

 

“I’ll go get the others.  Stay there.” Leo turns and leaves.

 

As soon as Leo left, the cat drops down in front of Mikey.  It sits there looking at the doorway for a few minutes then turns towards Mikey.  “Pet…. Bad..” It says, but then holds up its paw or hand, palm facing Mikey. Mikey holds up his hand in a similar fashion.  The cat gently touches his hand with its paw, “Good.”

 

Meanwhile, Leo interrupts his brothers in Donnie’s shop.  “You guys have got to come see this. Mikey got the cat to come down from the tree.”  They all head back to the dojo. On the way Leo explains how Mikey thinks it is afraid of their weapons.

 

When they enter the dojo, the cat is on the ground looking over the top of Mikey’s T-phone.  It looks like it is watching the game he is playing. The cat looks at the others and cocks its head to one side.  “Eeerrree”

Raph reaches for his sais.

 

“No wait…”  But the cat had already disappeared. 

 

“Nice going Raph,” –Leo 

 

“What?  At least I was going to do something.” –Raph 

 

“I told you it was afraid of our weapons.” –Leo

 

“Guys!  Guys you’re not helping,” Donnie says stepping between his brothers.

 

“Not helping.” –Copy Cat

 

“Yea, you are scaring Copy Cat more,” added Mikey.

 

“Sssccaarring Copy Cat.” –Copy Cat

 

“How did you get it down?” –Donnie 

 

“Well…” –Mikey 

 

Soon all the turtles are sitting around the base of the tree playing their T-phones.  The cat looks over the edge of one of the tree branches. It pulls its head back and waits.  After a while, it looks over again. The cat decides it is time to move, and starts climbing down the tree slowly branch by branch, like only a cat on the prowl can.  The cat’s goal is to get to the ground in such a way that the tree moves little if at all. When the cat comes to the trunk where there are no more branches it pauses.  It studies the trunk for a moment, and then heads out. The trunk has a curve in it which the cat follows most of the way down, and then it jumps, landing silently, and low to the ground.  

 

It looks quickly at each turtle then staying low, the cat, heads towards Mikey.  When it is an arm’s length away from Mikey it turns, keeping low it slips between Mikey and the blue turtle.  When it is clear it heads for the door. Once at the door the cat pauses and looks back at the turtles. It knows that it can’t look for too long; the blue turtle has good instincts and will notice.  Satisfied that it is still unseen the cat slips out the door.

 

The cat is on its way out of the layer when it catches a new sent.  It stops, its tail twitches, its stomach growls, and a decision is made.  It heads toward the kitchen. There on the table sits a pizza box. The cat opens the lid; it finds a pizza with little fish on it.  The cat picks off one and puts it in its mouth. The cat decides it likes them. It goes on to eat all the fish off the top of the pizza.  When it finishes the cat proceeds to look for more food, and starts rummaging through the cabinets. 

Meanwhile, the turtles are still sitting around the tree.  “Alright, I’m bored,” Raph says, “call me when there’s something to hit.”  The others look up, and Leo shakes his head, but no one tries to stop him. Coming down the stairs from the dojo Raph stops; he hears something in the kitchen.  

 

He goes to the door of the kitchen and looks in.  He sees the cat looking in one of the upper cupboards, standing on its hind legs.  Raph, quick as a wink, throws his sais at it. The cat flips and lands on the nearby table.  To Raphs surprise the cat lands with both his sais. The cat has them point down on the table top, hands resting securely on the handles.  The cat looks him straight in the eyes, it doesn’t seem shy at all to him. Raph braces himself for an attack.  

 

“It’s all fun and games till someone gets hurt,” the cat said slowly in a voice Raphael did not recognize.

“And let me guess, that someone is me.  Well I still have a few surprises of my own.”  Raph sets himself and then makes a come on motion with his hand nearest the cat.

 

The cat shakes its head, and surprises Raph once more.  It gently lays the sais on the table handles pointed at Raph.  Raph looks at the sais then up at the cat. The cat nods its head touches one of the points of the sai and says, “Yes.”  Then it places its hands on the table, and pushes itself backward. Raphael can’t resist and leaps for the weapons. His leap carries him to the other side of the table, and he rolls so that his feet hit the ground first.  The cat takes the opportunity to flip over the top of him. It lands on the other side of the table, near the doorway. As Raph is turning around the cat leaps into the air again. This time it does a twist in midair and lands in the doorway, with Raph to its back.  It is through the door and into the next room before Raph has a chance to collect himself.

 

Raphael reaches the doorway in time to see the cat cross the room toward the turn stiles.  He watches as it leaps on the top of the middle one, then to the top of the shell raiser. The cat stops and looks back.  Rapheal gives a low growl and starts forward, but the cat turns and disappears. 

 

Raph stands still for a few minutes, waiting to see if the cat will come back.  When it doesn’t, Raph heads for the dojo. “You all can stop wasting your time.”  He says to his brothers. “The cat’s gone.”

 

“What?  What did you do?” –Mikey 

 

“That was the point of all this Mikey.  To get the cat to leave.” Leo reminds him.

 

“I know, but I thought maybe..”  Mikey says hanging his head.

 

“No, Mikey you couldn’t have kept it.” Leo says putting a hand on Mikey’s slumped shoulder.  “So how did you get it to leave?” Leo asks looking at Raph.

 

“Well… I saw it down stairs and frightened it off with my sais,” Raphael thought it best to leave the whole kitchen scene out.

 

“And it just left?”  -- Leo

 

“Yep.” –Raph

 

“Well you are kind of scary.” –Leo

 

“The question is: how do we make sure it doesn’t come back,” asks Donnie.  The Turtles all look at each other thoughtfully. 

 

“If it comes back can I keep it?” – Mikey

 

“NO!”  Say the three brothers in unison.