Bishop entered the room to find Raph sitting on the bed with a carapace in his lap. Raph ran his hands over the dome before he looked up at Bishop, “I have a favor to ask.”
Bishop made his way over to sit next to Raph, his eyes staying fixed on the carapace. “I will do anything for you.”
Raph handed Bishop the carapace, “Will you run a DNA test on this?”
“I will,” Bishop nodded as he took the carapace.
“Be careful with it,” Raph pleaded, unable to take his eyes from the small shell. “It means a lot to me.”
“Where did you get it?” Bishop ventured to ask.
Raph’s tear filled eyes looked up into Bishop’s, “There were originally five of us.”
Bishop nodded his head and looked down at the carapace for a while before asking, “You’re not going to ask me to clone him later, are you?”
“No,” Raph shook his head. “His soul is gone. It wouldn’t be him.”
“I’m glad that you understand that,” Bishop said with a halfhearted smile. “I would have done it for you if you had asked.”
“I know,” Raph managed to smile back.
Placing his hands on the dome of the shell, Bishop took a deep breath. “I will run the test while you are out.”
“It’s the middle of the day,” Raph looked at Bishop, confusion written all over his face. “Where am I goin’?”
“Have you heard of the Make a Wish Foundation?” Bishop answered with a question.
Raph shrugged, “Yeah, they grant sick kids their dyin’ wish.” Raph sat looking at Bishop who simply looked back at Raph. “Wait,” Raph stood and took a few steps back. “Don’t tell me that some kid wants to see me.”
“Jason Hudson,” Bishop nodded, placing the carapace on the bed. “He has a rare blood disorder and has a few months, at best, to live.”
“No,” Raph grunted them turned away. “I ain’t doin’ it.”
“You would deny a dying child his last wish?” Bishop asked as he stood and walked up behind Raph.
“Just send someone else in the suit. The kid won’t know.” Raph hunched his shoulders. “I don’t like kids.”
“This kid asked for you,” Bishop said slowly, emphasizing the ‘you’. “Do you really want to lie to him?”
Raph looked up at the ceiling as he tried to fight back the tears, “It’s not gonna be hard to look at him, is it?”
“He doesn’t look sickly and he has all of his hair,” Bishop answered. He wrapped his arms around Raph and kissed the back of his neck, “Just don’t think about the fact that he’s dying. Have fun with it. It’s all set up, all you have to do is go to the hospital and pick him up. His parents have given their consent for you to take him on your bike. There are actors in the city, ready to play out a robbery where he can be the hero.”
Raph’s throat started to close up and he had to blink a few times to clear his vision. Swallowing hard, he managed to choke out. “I don’t like kids.”
“That’s bull shit and you know it.” Bishop walked around so that he was facing Raph. “You care too much and you don’t want everyone to see how much of a big softy you are.”
“Fuck you,” Raph sniffed as he wiped the tears from his cheek. He looked up into Bishop’s eyes to see that they were almost pleading. “Why does this mean so much to you?”
“He’s my daughter’s grandson,” Bishop answered.
“What?” Raph’s eyes stayed locked with Bishop’s.
“There is something else you need to know,” Bishop said as he turned to grab the photo album from the shelf. “We never finished going through this.” He pointed back to the bed, “Sit. This is going to be kind of hard to take in.”
Raph stared at Bishop in disbelief for a moment before walking over and sitting on the bed. Bishop looked nervous as he made his way to the bed, clutching the album close. Sitting on the bed, he opened the album then started to leaf through the pages.
“Ruby grew up here in New York and met Octavius, a man who had an affinity for antiques. They fell in love, married, and had two daughters.” As he spoke he turned the pages, revealing the next picture cluttered page. “Her husband died but his brother helped to raise the girls whenever possible, whenever he wasn’t off exploring. He would bring them artifacts from his travels to add to their father’s collection.”
Bishop turned the page again and Raph placed his hand down on the page to keep Bishop from continuing. He looked down into the face of Ruby’s daughter and saw a young April. His heart skipped and his mouth moved but he couldn’t seem to form any words.
“There are reasons people come together,” Bishop said. “And there was a reason you were so protective of her, even though you really didn’t know why.”
“April’s your granddaughter?” Raph was still trying to process the information.
“Yes.” Bishop nodded. He moved Raph’s hand so he could continue. “April’s older sister, Robin, moved out to California with Ruby. Robin entered into a… relationship that ended badly. She was in need of work and ended up back here in New York.”
“I remember that,” Raph nodded. “We were at April’s when Robin showed up.”
“She didn’t know it at the time, but she was pregnant. She was a single mother for a while but married a few years ago and her husband adopted Jason.” Bishop turned the pages to show Raph. Raph even saw pictures of April and Casey’s wedding among the ones of Robin and her family.
“Can’t you save the kid?” Raph asked, looking down at the pictures. “You can clone people and keep Stockman alive as nothin’ more than a brain, why not save him?”
“I can do a lot,” Bishop closed the album and stood. “But I don’t have a cure all. There are some things that even I can’t fix. Besides, would you really want him living like Stockman?”
“No.” Raph sat staring at nothing with his hands cupped over his mouth while he processed the information. “April’s your granddaughter. Why haven’t you told her? She’s seen a lot of shit, I’m sure she will believe you.”
Bishop shook his head, “She loved her grandparents and Ruby never knew that she was adopted. I don’t want to shatter their reality.”
“Bull shit,” Raph stood. “You’re afraid.”
Bishop nodded, “I don’t think April would like the idea of me being her grandfather. I don’t need her to know. I’m content watching from the sidelines.”
“So, April’s gonna be there, when I go see this kid.”
Bishop nodded, “Most likely.”
Raph nodded his head and took a deep breath. “Alright, I’ll do it.”
“Thank you,” Bishop smiled then kissed Raph.
Raph looked up at Bishop and lifted an eye ridge. “Is this the real reason you wanted to bring me back as the Nightwatcher?”
Bishop let out a hearty laugh, “No. It was only recently that I learned that he wanted to meet you.” He turned and spoke into a communicator. “Agent Raphael has agreed to do it. Let the family know that the boy’s wish has been granted and get everything into place.” He turned back to Raph. “Get dressed. You have a show to put on.”
In the time it took for Raph to put on his Nightwatcher gear, the family was informed. As Raph made his way to the garage his cellphone started to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and checked to see who it was and smiled when he saw that it was April.
He pressed the button to answer, “Yeah?”
“Thank you so much, Raph,” April’s overjoyed voice answered. “I was going to call you myself but I was told that someone was already working on it. I can’t believe how quickly all of this was put together. He doesn’t even know yet so I can’t wait to see the look on his face when you walk through the door. I can’t begin to tell you how much this means to me and my sister.”
“Yeah,” Raph managed to choke out. His mind was swirling with mixed emotions and it made him a little light headed. “I’m on my way now.”
“Thank you, Raph,” April said, her voice full of both sorrow and joy.
As he made his way to the hospital, Bishop gave him a run through of what was planned. Hundreds of people were involved with the set up and execution of the child’s wish. Police cars blocked off certain city streets and a few cops waved at him as he passed.
It was a rare sight to see the Nightwatcher out during the day so people lined the streets to see what was going on.
He pulled up to the hospital entrance and there was a team of people waiting for him. He was followed by news cameras as he was led into the building and up to the children’s ward. The healthier kids were up and out of their beds, standing in their doorways to watch as he passed. They giggled and bounced in excitement while being held back by their attending nurses.
Robin’s husband was standing outside the door to Jason’s room and greeted Raph with a firm handshake. “Thank you, for this.”
Raph could only nod in response before he followed the man into the room. As soon as Raph stepped in, the little boy’s face lit up. Joyful tears streamed down his chubby cheeks and he started to bounce in excitement. “I can’t believe it!” he repeated over and over again as his emotions overwhelmed him.
One of the volunteers followed Raph into the room carrying a mini version of the Nightwatcher suit. Jason looked to be no more than five but Raph knew that kids with illnesses tended to grow up faster than healthy kids. The thing that struck Raph the most though was how much he looked like Bishop.
Jason was helped into the suit and the helmet was fitted over his head. Raph glanced over at April to see her watching her nephew with her hand over her mouth as tears filled her eyes.
Once Jason was in his suit Raph walked up to him. “You ready to go?”
Jason looked up at him, “There’s more?”
“We’re going on patrol,” Raph held out his hand. “Let’s go.”
“Really?” Jason’s voice squeaked and he did a quick dance of joy. Reaching up he placed his hand in Raph’s and they headed out the door.
Before they exited the hospital, Jason took his hand out of Raph’s and puffed out his chest. Raph smiled at the kids attempt to look tough as they walked through the door. News cameras were everywhere to get the story but the reporters were respectful enough to keep their distance.
Raph lifted Jason and got on his bike in one fluid movement then set Jason in front of him. He kicked the petal down and the engine roared to life. With Jason cradled in his lap, Raph took off down the street to the next part of the event.
He made his way down the city streets towards the bank where they were going to stop a robbery. They were stopped at a red light when something caught Raph’s eye. He looked over to see Hun leaning against a wall, watching them.
The man’s face was stoic as he waved at him and as the light turned green, Hun turned and walked into the building. Raph was just grateful that he didn’t decide, at that moment, to start anything.
As they neared the bank, the actors were running from it in a fit of panic. “Duty calls,” Raph said over the roar of the engine and Jason nodded.
They pulled up to the building and Raph jumped from the bike, lifting Jason as he did. When the kid’s feet hit the ground he took off running into the building and Raph followed after. The fake robbers were easily defeated in an over dramatized fashion.
Jason tied them up, with Raph’s help and left them for the cops to take them away. When Raph and Jason exited the building they were met by a crowd of applause and Jason threw his arms up and pumped them victoriously.
There was a quick interview with some of the reporters and, like Raph Jason kept the helmet on throughout the whole process.
When they returned to the hospital, all available staff was there to greet them with applause and cheers. As the crowd of hospital staff parted Robin rushed forward to scoop Jason up into her arms.
“Mom,” Jason complained, “you’re embarrassing me. Not in front of Nightwatcher.”
“Oh,” Robin placed him back on the floor and smiled down at him. “I’m sorry.”
The media stayed back as the family headed back to Jason’s room. Raph followed them back up then helped Jason out of his suit. Kneeling down on the floor so that he would be level with Jason, Raph said, “They told me that you can keep it. That way you can wear it for Halloween.”
“Halloween’s five months away,” Jason pointed out as he stepped out of the suit.
“Yeah, so?” Raph responded without thinking.
Without missing a beat the boy looked at him and said, “I’ll be dead.”
Raph’s heart sank and Robin bolted from the room so Jason wouldn’t see her crying and her husband followed after. They were alone together with April and Raph didn’t know what to say.
“It’s okay,” Jason placed his hand on Raph’s shoulder. “I’m not scared.”
“You’re a brave kid,” Raph managed to choke out.
Jason tried to look through the visor on Raph’s helmet and squinted his eyes. “Can I see your face?”
Raph glanced up at April and she pulled the privacy curtain around then said, “I’ll watch the door.”
Just to be safe, Raph pressed a button on a device that would scramble any video equipment in the room. He looked at Jason, “You have to keep it a secret, you can’t tell anyone even if you live for another hundred years.”
Jason nodded, “I promise,” then Raph lifted the helmet off and Jason gasped. “Are you an alien?” His hands came up to touch Raph’s face and Raph didn’t flinch.
“A mutant,” Raph chuckled. “I was a normal turtle for the first year or so of my life. Though, aliens were the cause of my mutation.”
“You’ve met aliens?” Jason’s eyes went round in wonder.
Raph nodded, “I have, along with demons and monsters of all kinds.”
“That is so cool,” Jason smiled then hugged Raph. “Thank you for the best day of my life.”
“Yeah, sure,” Raph managed as he returned the hug.
