Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Book Covers
By Jeremy McLaughlin

Chapter One:
Everybody's Kung Fu Fighting

	A cold wind blew through the deserted streets. With the exception of a car passing by periodically, it was completely dead. It wasn't surprising by how brisk it was tonight. It's was colder than usual for this time of year. September in New York was often the best time to visit, or so the newspapers, magazines, and television would say. For residents that lived there, it was just another cold day in the Big Apple. So cold that it felt as if snow was threatening to fall at any moment. It was dark too, as if the moon and the stars were just big light bulbs that all burned out all at once, casting the world into an abyss of darkness. The street lights did little to combat the dark. 
	A lone figure stood huddled against the cold under the street light, like a stranger trying to find shelter in a strange land. The figures features were well masked by a brown Fedora and a long tan trench coat. A wisp of breath escaped from the shadowy gap made from the brim of the hat and the turned up collar of the coat. Keen green eyes traced along the streets as if the figure were waiting for something.
	“Welp, three more minutes and the pizza guys gonna get it.” The man's Brooklyn accent was harsh and a little nasally.
	How hard is to find the corner of Elm and 352nd street? The figure's thoughts were pulled away by the sounds of shouting coming from a near by alley. His first thought was to not get involved. The pizza would be here soon and he could go back to his family and eat in peace. It wasn't until he heard one of the voices call for help. A young man, or an older woman. It was hard to tell even in the quiet evening, but the figure knew he had to do something.
	When the figure rounded the corner there were five gang members, shifting into fighting stances around a lone unarmed boy. Couldn't be older than fifteen, the figure noted. The Gang members were flying the purple dragon colors. A second rate martial art group that made a name for themselves harassing the citizen of New York.
	One of the thugs managed a good hit on the young man, causing him to clutch his face and cower under the only street light in the whole alley. He looked like he was waiting for an opportune moment to to make a break for it. There was no more time to spare, the gang members started circling their prey. The trench coat and Fedora went flying as the figure disappeared in the ample shadows of the alley.
	The young man spat a red line from his blood smeared lip. “You punks don't know what you are getting yourself into, it would be best for you to get the hell out of here before my father gets here.”
	“Oh no! What's daddy gonna do, put us in a corner?” A weaselly looking thug chortled as he combed his pompadour.
	“You have been warned!” The youth said, standing tall, or as tall as he could, an estimated five feet.
	The five thugs burst into a clatter of laughter, before they moved in for the attack. A large gang member shifted first doing a round house kick. Instead of the satisfying slap of his foot hitting the young man's face, there was a solid stop that jarred his whole body. It was clear from the look on the thug's face, that he wasn't expecting to see a giant turtle gripping his ankle. Green eyes tucked under a red mask, stared back at him.
	“Ya know, it's dicks like you that give New York a bad name.” The turtle pushed hard, sending the thug spinning backwards, fighting to remain on his feet.
	Around him the other gang members gawked and whispered amongst themselves. Even the young man seemed shaken by this sudden and strange intrusion of a mutant turtle. The giant turtle didn't seem to mind, he kept his threatening posture as he shifted from one leg to the other.
	Weaselly stepped forward. “Who...what the hell are you?” His voice revealing his cowardice nature.
	“Oh man, I'm always forgetting my manners. The name's Raph, I'm what you would call a turtle, of the mutant variety. I graduated from the school of Hard Knocks, with a degree in Ninjitsu. But you can call me the turtle that's goin' kick your ass.” Raph spun on the ball of his foot, impossibly fast and precise.
	Raph's foot hammered Weaselly in the chest, sending him sprawling away. The thug hit the ground and rolled before coming to a stop in a fetal position gasping and retching. The other gang members stared in disbelief and then at each other. It wasn't hard for Raph to see that they were mentally psyching themselves up. Like clock work the other gang members had made their decision, gathering around he and the young man, posing for the attack. The turtle pushed his shell to the young man's back and looked at him from over his shoulder.
	“Alright kid, what's yer name?” Raph was sizing up the two thugs that were putting on a ridiculous dance of kicks and punches, showing off their martial prowess.
	“Li Jing.” The young man said, his voice was cool and calm.
	“Cool, Li all I need you to do is watch my back. Let me know if anyone's gettin' close.” Raph took a defensive fighting stance as one of the gang members started dancing closer.
	“They will not get close to you,” Li Jing said, his composed accent was pretty, in a feminine way.
	“Well I appreciate it, but don't go being a hero or anything. I don't want your death on my conscience.” Raph smirked at the boy's moxie.
	“They will not touch you.” Was the last thing he said.
	The turtle looked over his shoulder, to see Li Jing shifting around one of the thugs. He moved like water, rolling in a loose motion around a few jabs from another thug. Then just like the ocean at high tide, Li Jing revealed his strength. The youth caught a clumsy punch thrown by one of the thugs. He used the thugs momentum to roll, planting his back firmly into the side of the thug. His speed, incredible, adding to the force of a heavy elbow into the thug's ribs. Raph could almost hear them shattering under the power. Despite how fast Li Jing moved, Raph followed his every motion as if he were watching an action movie.
	Even with the black eye and the bloody lip, the young man was handsome. Almost beautiful in a feminine way, no doubt brought on by his youth. His gelled black hair, lay around his young face messily. Li Jing's almond shaped eyes were dark brown, keen, and carried as much mystery as his fists carried power. Raph gauged the boy weighing maybe a hundred pounds soaking wet. It was hard to tell though, because he was dressed in a dapper looking school uniform style suit.
	Li Jing dropped low, bringing a well timed punch through the another thug's defenses, hammering hard into the side of his knee. Raph watched the thug's knee bend sideways. A way it shouldn't be able to bend. If the punch hadn't dislocate the knee, then at least it tore the tendons, making it impossible for the thug recover quickly.
	Li Jing didn't stop, he was already on his feet delivering a final jumping uppercut to the tall thug with the broken ribs. The punch was so solid that the thug was launched a few inches off the ground and down onto his back. The whole display had only taken a few seconds, but that was long enough for Raph to take it all in.
	This kid has it all. Power, style, and was very easy on the eyes. Li Jing's badass display caused a stir deep down inside. It wasn't a feeling he'd ever experienced. While Raph was trying to work through this new mental glitch, his thoughts were shattered by a heavy punch to the side of his face. In his desperation to watch the young man fight, he'd forgotten that he had his own pair of thugs waiting for a pummeling.
	This shouldn't be too difficult, Raph thought, giving a wicked grin to the thug who had managed to land a punch. The thug was smiling, cocky and self assured. Just as Raph liked them to feel, before he wrecked their whole world. Raph's squat figure didn't look like he would be able to move as fast as it was capable of. The thug didn't even see the one two punch coming. A strong left to the side of the face, setting up the finale in the form of a right hand punch. There it was, solid enough to break the thug's nose, sending a shower of blood down onto the dirty cement.
	The last thug standing threw up his hands. “Screw this!” He screamed as he scurried off down the alley at break neck speed.
	The adrenaline was pumping in Raph's ears, making it almost impossible to hear Li Jing's question. “Are you alright?”
	“Huh?” Raph turned to the young man, who was checking the pulses of the two thugs, he had subdued. Raph smiled at this. Not only was Li Jing a stone cold badass, but a compassionate one at that. A very handsome, compassionate, badass. The words lingered in Raph's mind.
	“I asked if you were alright, you took a solid punch back there.” Li Jing put a finger to the side of his head as if Raph needed the clarification.
	Raph touched his cheek, it was warm and swollen, but he'd had much worse in his life. “Nah I'm good. I should ask you the same question.” Raph motioned one large finger to his eye.
	Li Jing stood up touching his eyes, wincing at the surprising pain. “Oh this, it's a beauty mark, nothing more.”
	“Yeah, like you need the help with that.”  Raph's face contorted at his own shocking statement. Why would you say that?
	“Uhm, yeah. If you say so.” Li Jing chuckled and wiped his hands on his gray dress pants.
	Idiot! Raph had to stop himself from facepalming. “I must have been hit harder than I thought.”
	Li Jing opened his mouth to speak, when he was interrupted by a sleek black car pulling up behind him. The sounds of the tires grinding dirt, filled the alleyway. The head lights shone brightly in Raph's face. He reached up an arm, trying to shield the light away from his eyes. Trying to get a look at who had pulled up. If it was another attacker, Raph wanted to be ready for it. Instead he felt something being forced into his midsection by someone. His gaze finding Li Jing smiling up at him from under his arm. He was trying to give Raph his coat, so he could cover up.
	“I will deal with my father. Just put your trench coat and hat back on and disappear.” The young man's voice was warmer than it had been previously. The tone was sweet and welcoming to Raph's ears.
	“But wait, will I see you again?” Raph asked, before he could stop himself.
	One of the doors on the car opened and a stern voice called out. “Li Jing, what is happening? What is that thing?”
	“Not likely. Now go Raph.” Li Jing turned away. “I'm fine father, some thugs attacked me, but my new friend came to my aid.”
	“Get away from it. It looks sick. It might be contagious.” The harsh words stung, to the point that Raph winced.
	Raph pull his hat and trench coat on faster than he'd lost them earlier. Then he disappeared into the shadows, wanting to get away from anything else that man had to say. He pressed his back against the wall in the dark corner.
	Raph could hear Li Jing say. “No father, he saved my life.”
	“You tell him, kid.” Raph darted away from his hiding spot.
	When Raph stepped out of the alleyway, the pizza delivery guy was waiting by the stop light. Nervously he craned his neck around, checking his watch a total of three times in the span of time it took Raph to round the corner and approach him. The pizza man was a sitcom stereotype to say the least. Pimple ridden, orange curly hair, thick black glasses. Not that Raph really gave a crap what he looked like, as long as the schmo had the pizza, that's all that mattered.
	“Are you Raph Turtle?” The man asked, his voice squelched and cracked.
	“Yeah, how much do I owe you?” Raph asked, reaching into his coat pocket, feeling a wad of dollar bills.
	“Fifteen dollars.” The pizza guy's voice was irritatingly nervous.
	“Here, keep the change.” Raph took the pizza and forked over a wad of money.
	The pizza guy didn't even count the money. He just shoved it into his fanny pack, and sped away on his scooter. Raph smirked, glad that the kid hadn't decided to count the money, because he had been two dollars short.