TMNT:

Fallen

CHAPTER ONE

Midnight, New York City. The urban jungle, the thieves den, the great pothole. As much a place for villains as for heroes. The lights from the tall skyscrapers always cast a dull glow on these mean streets. It was on these streets that Pauline walked.

Her cab had broke down. The cabby had offered to turn off the meter and let her wait, but she had insisted that her building was only a few blocks down. She had thought that it was. But the endless night opened up and took her in. She was lost.

She had thought that living here for two months was enough time to know her way around. But apparently it wasn't.

Now, walking down the street, her fourth cigarette jutting from her mouth, she wished she had just stayed in the cab. She reached in her purse to grab another cigarette and discovered she had none. She cursed silently under breath. Tonight she had no luck.

As she hurried down the sidewalk, she didn't notice the two men that took to following her. They tailed her for a block before making a move.

"How much money you got, pretty lady?"

She turned to face the barrel of a gun. "I have plenty! Just don't hurt me!"

"Don't worry, babe. We won't hurt you. Much." They moved in.

A long stick slammed into the thug's face from the dark alley. He flew into the street and stayed on the ground. The attacker leapt back into the shadows. Another shape dived for the remaining thug from an awning above. This one rapped a short dagger-like thing against the thug's head. Rapped hard. Yet another hidden attacker thrust out a foot and tripped the thug and laughed heartily at it. A final shape hit him with the flat of a slender blade. He crumpled.

Pauline lit her lighter and thrust it into the alley, but there was no sign of her rescuers. She was alone. She kept on walking home. As she looked up she realized that this street looked familiar.

On a rooftop nearby, the rescuers landed in unison. They sat at different places on the watertower in the center of the roof. "That was excellent, dudes. How often do we get 'em stupid enough to just stand there and just get ninjaed?" Michaelangelo laughed.

"Not often. And we never get them as stupid as you, Mikey," Raphael said.

"Hey!"

"I think I splintered my bo…" Donatello observed, noticing a long crack in his hardwood staff.

"You probably hit it on Mikey's head."

"Or maybe your face broke it. You're just creepy, man," Mikey retorted.

"Okay guys, cool it." Leonardo stood up. "We should—

"All hail King Leo! All hail! The leader wishes to speak. What live-changing wisdom does he—

"Mikey. Shut up."

Mikey complied. Leo continued. "We should keep looking for the thief that's been hitting jewelers lately."

"But my King. We have just finished a crusade of crime fighting. The serfs request a moment of rest." Mikey lay back on the gravel of the rooftop.

"Mikey…"

A long clank issued from the top of the tower, startling the turtles. They all looked up—and their jaws dropped. On the top of the watertower stood a turtle not unlike Raphael in appearance. Except this mystery turtle was even more muscular. Wrapped around his hands were iron gauntlets. Across his chest stretched a sash strung with a tanto. The mask on his face was black as the night around him.

"What the—

Leonardo never finished the sentence. The black turtle swooped down and rammed an iron fist into Leo's stomach. He screamed as his shell chipped and cracked. The black turtle slammed the other fist into Leo's face. Leo cried out as the turtle punched him again, sending him off the building and into the street below.

The other turtles were stunned. In less than three seconds their leader had been soundly defeated. Don leaped off the building and climbed down the fire escape to check on Leo. Mikey took one look at Raphael and knew. He stepped back.

"So. I have killed your greatest warrior. What will you do now?" the black turtle asked.

"He may be the leader. But he wasn't the greatest warrior. That's my job." Raphael drew his sai and rushed at the black turtle. The turtle in return flipped backwards to the next building over. He drew his tanto and laughed. Raphael made the jump.

The two ninjas stared, sizing each other up. Raphael charged first, running full speed. But the turtle was ready—he dodged and backhanded Raphael to the ground. Raph leapt back up, thrusting his sai at the turtle. The turtle blocked with his blade. Raphael twisted, ripping the tanto from the turtle's hand. Raphael took advantage of the pause and rammed both sai into the turtle's stomach. He grunted as they pierced his shell. The turtle shoved Raphael away.

"You're pretty good, Raphael."

"Who the hell are you?"

"You don't know, do you?"

"That's why I asked, you dumb son of a bitch!"

"Please. Cursing will get you nowhere."

"You…"

"So. Our father never told you about me… Splinter never told you."

"Our father!?"

"Indeed, brother. Our father."

"Shut up!"

Raphael rushed again. Even without his short sword, the turtle countered and knocked a sai from Raph's fist. He picked it up and leapt backwards. The turtles, each with one sai, charged once more. Raphael blocked the black turtle's swipe and landed a quick roundhouse to his earlier wounds. The turtle dropped the sai, and Raph claimed it again.

Raph began a lightning-fast flurry of sai swipes, but the turtle dodged them all. They broke and leapt back.

"I know every move you will make before you make it, Raphael. We had the same teacher, after all."

"You sound a little cocky. Let's not forget that you're the one bleeding."

"A point well made. You know, I haven't introduced myself. I am Masaccio."

"What kind of a name is Masaccio?"

"He was an early renaissance artist. Just like Leonardo or Donatello."

They clashed again. Masaccio gained the upper hand with a quick flurry of kicks. Masaccio landed a quick uppercut, sending Raphael into the air. The black turtle reclaimed his tanto and jumped. He brought the blade down—

Raphael's arm separated from his body. He screamed as he fell to the rooftop. He hit the gravel and moved no more. Masaccio leapt into the shadows, a sinister laugh echoing behind him.

Donatello hurried down to street level. He could see Leo lying on the sidewalk, bleeding under a streetlight. Don ran over to him and knelt at his side. Mikey came down behind him.

Leo coughed. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but no sound came.

"Oh, God," Mikey said.

Don began to sob.

Leo's hand moved to hold Don's.

He mouthed I love you guys.

"We love you too, Leo." Mikey buried his face in his hands.

Leo didn't move again.

Raphael's scream pierced the silence. "Stay here," Mikey commanded. Don stayed as Mikey climbed to top of the building once more. He leapt to the other rooftop. Raphael was bleeding rapidly onto the gravel. Mikey grabbed a waving wind sock, tore it, and tied the makeshift bandage to the stump. Mikey lifted Raph and carried him down.

Donatello already had a manhole cover open. When he saw Mikey he vanished into the hole with Leo's body. Mikey and Raph followed.

Down into the sewer the turtles descended, splashing through the sewer to get home. Finally they arrived at the entrance to their home. Don pushed open the door.

Master Splinter sat meditating in warmth of the fire. He turned to welcome his children home. His eyes grew wide as he took in the two limp turtles carried by their brothers.

"My sons…