Author's note: I was upset when I wrote this up so I guess that can explain the tragedy that this entails. It helped me feel better. XD . DX
Disclaimer: I don't own the turtles & company. I just own the plot.
You can pick your brother up at Tweed and Fifth. Come alone or he dies. You have twenty minutes.
These words repeat themselves in Leonardo's head repeatedly as he paces restlessly.
Come alone or he dies.
It was a trap and Leo knew it. He knew it as well as he knew Shredder may kill his brother anyway. Leo's decision now could determine the outcome…the fatal outcome.
You have twenty minutes.
He didn't have time to think this through. He had to go now! His brother's life counted on him! But he had to go alone…
…or he dies.
That was the hardest decision to make. Telling his other two brothers, his sensei, his friends…that could mean the death of the brother in Shredder's hands. He couldn't do that. He had to go alone.
You can pick your brother up at Tweed and Fifth.
The location of an old boarded up restaurant that had gone out of business years ago. Getting in was easy and Leonardo found himself in the kitchen area of the old building. There was an old refrigerated room to his left and Leo cut the lock with a quick slice of his katana. He opened the door slowly and looked inside.
Near the back of the room was his brother. His olive green skin was covered in purple-ish bruises that varied in shades. The darkest of them just matching the color of his bloodied violet mask. The deep cuts on his arms and legs oozed blood sluggishly and his carapace had a few cracks.
"Donny?" Leo whispered, brokenly, as he slowly walked deeper into the chilly room. He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself before kneeling down beside his brother. He touched the floor where he knelt and looked at the blood covering his fingers before turning Donatello's battered body onto his carapace so he could see the full extent of his brother's numerous injuries.
Leonardo used his bloodied fingers to trace the two-lined diagonal cut that stretched from his brother's left shoulder to his right hip. "What did he do to you?" Leo muttered. He grabbed Donatello's limp right wrist and felt for a pulse. At first Leo felt nothing and his own heart skipped a beat before continuing at a faster pace.
Then he felt it. That pulse was weak and almost indiscernible, but it was there. Leonardo let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding. His brother was alive; though barely. Leonardo shifted so Donatello's head rested in his lap. There was a small cut above Donatello's left eye and Leo used a finger to wipe away a small drop of blood leaking from it. "Donny," He said, "Keep fighting, bro. You can live through this. I know it."
The sound of the door slamming shut caused Leonardo to look up. The door to the refrigerated room and their only escape was now closed. With a heavy heart, Leo looked down at his brother. A popping noise and sheer hissing sounded next and, with a glance at the air vents, Leonardo guessed that a poisonous gas had been released though it. He squeezed his eyes shut as he absentmindedly rubbed his brother's forehead. When he regained some control of his emotions, he returned his gaze upon his brother.
"We're going to be alright," He said, trying hard to keep the fear out of his voice, "I'll find a way out of this." He slid out from under his brother as he untied his mask. Using his left hand to hold the mask over his beak, he stood and examined the vent. With a sigh, he realized it would be impossible to fit through. Next he turned his attention to the door. It had no handle on this side and, when he slammed against it, he found that the door was completely secure.
Now he was real worried. He walked back to his brother, gently dragged him to the wall, and sat him up against it. He sat down next to his brother and wrapped an arm around Donatello's shoulders as he set his mask down and pulled out his shell cell. He pressed the speed dial for Raphael and waited.
"Where ya at, Leo?" Raph answered after one ring.
"Raph, I don't know how much time we have left," Leo said, "We're at Tweed and Fifth. There's an old restaurant building there. I found Donny in the freezer. I…I think we're gonna die here."
"Not on my watch," Raph growled over the phone.
"It's some kinda poisonous gas," He continued. For some reason, he felt real tired all of a sudden. He coughed hard for a good minute and pulled Donatello's limp form closer to him. "Raph…" He muttered weakly before coughing again.
"Hang in there, bro," Raph said, quietly. His voice betrayed his worry for his elder brother. "We're on our way."
He was so tired. Leonardo struggled to stay awake. What was he doing again? His vision blurred and he couldn't recognize what he was looking at anymore…
"Leo?!" Raph yelled through the phone, "Talk ta me, bro!" Leonardo started at the sound of his brother's voice and found himself leaning forward. His shook his head roughly and squeezed his eyes shut before responding.
"M'here," He muttered, "M'all tired."
The shocked silence that followed was brief. "Try ta stay awake fer me, 'kay?" Raphael asked. Leonardo nodded uselessly before realizing it.
"Yeah…'kay…" He said. He coughed again and leaned back against the cold wall. It was so cold. He could really feel it now. The numbing pain was beginning to mess with his muscles and thoughts.
"Leo?" Raph asked. He sounded annoyed that he had to ask.
"Hurry," Was all Leo said. He knew it was getting bad. That was all he knew now. He looked down at his unconscious brother. It took him a minute before Leonardo slowly forced his almost unresponsive hand to reach down and grab Donatello's wrist again. His brother's pulse was even weaker now. His brother was dying and he wasn't far behind.
"Raph," Leo gasped, "Donny…he's dying!"
"Shit!" Raph cursed, "Can ya do anything 'bout it?"
"No," Leo admitted. His voice filled with sorrow. At least this kept him awake. He coughed hard a few times before continuing. "'Is pulse was al'eady too weak ta begin wi'h. 'e ca't han'le da poison."
"We're almost there." Raphael said, quickly.
"Wha' if ya do't make it?" Leonardo asked.
"We will." Raph said, firmly.
"If ya do't…" Leo began. He closed his eyes tight as he hugged Donatello's limp form closer than ever. "Raph…I love ya, bro. I trus' ya ta take care a' Mikey and Mas'a Splin'er."
"Don't talk like dat!" Raph growled. "We'll save you and Donny! We'll get there in time!"
"Goo'bye, Raph…" Leonardo said as his blurry eyes refused to stay open any longer. He let them stay closed. "M'sorry…" The cell was dropped from Leonardo's numb fingers as he fell forward over his brother. From the shell cell, Raphael's tiny voice shouted Leo's name a few times before the connection went dead…
Author's end note: Please review. I wanna know your thoughts!