Darkness. The only light was that of the dim moonlight which lit up the ghost town streets, as all of the lights had been crushed, smashed into small pieces, or bent beyond repair. Tall crystallized trees with long sharp spires on the corner of every street. Crumbling buildings reduced to piles of rubble and covered in a thin layer of white snow. And not the the slightest sign of life. Anywhere. Even so, the blue-masked turtle stayed clear of the light and kept to the shadows, his prized weapon of choice ready in his hands.

At the sound of footsteps, he darted into the dark again as six droids armed with large black guns marched past him, the clanking of their metal feet enough to make his blood boil. However he wished to slice their metal bodies to pieces, he resisted the urge as the sudden surge of pain that coursed through his sore muscles reminded him of the real reason he was topside. To find his brothers.

Without a second thought, after making sure the coast was clear, he snatched the first rung of the ladder. But when he attempted to pull himself up, he immediately regretted his decision as the fire in his chest had flared up again, making him hiss in pain. Rubbing his bruised ribs and gritting his teeth, he slowly climbed to the rooftops.

Even though his ribs were just bruised and not completely broken, he had to mind his posture when both jumping and fighting, not to mention scissor kicks were completely out of the question. But as the tiny snowflakes silently swirled around him, his heart stopped at the three large familiar bodies lying lifelessly on the reddened gravel covered in fresh white, each of them with their hands over each other's shells.

"Guys!"

Running to the nearest one, Leo bent over the smallest and brushed away the snow that had settled over him. Pressing two fingers to his neck, but he felt nothing! Grabbing his brother's hand he squeezed it, pleading for any kind of response.

"Mikey! Mikey, wake up!"

Putting his ear to his little brother's plastron, his heart leapt at the sound of a faint heartbeat and the soft touch of a cold hand on his shoulder. He stared at his little brother's cold blueish face as he half-opened his eyes and managed a small smile at the eldest.

"Bout' time...you got here bro," he mumbled, his words slurring together.

"Don't try to talk Mikey. I'm going to help you. You're going to be okay."

"Don't worry….about me bro. R-rr-r-Raph," the orange-clad turtle said softly as Leo looked him over. He had a large wound across his left arm, two parallel lines that started at his tricep, which trailed down across his plastron and ran off down his right leg. He hoped that Mikey didn't see that he was afraid. "R-Raph….he needs…your help..more than I...do."

A laughter fit erupted from a deep voice behind him, making his skin crawl. "Leonardo, you have finally come to join us." Wielding both katanas, he turned to face the intruder and stood over his brothers like a feral cat defending its young. "I have been waiting for you."

"Shredder!" His eyes went white with fury. "You monster! You did this!"

"Yes! And I enjoyed breaking each one of them down. Slowly. Painfully. Although it would have been more amusing for you to see me do it, right in front of you and your pathetic master!"

Within a split second, Leo and Shredder were locked together in a writhing knot of metal, skin, and blades.

"You will pay for what you've done! I swear you'll pay!"

Sweeping his legs out from underneath him, Leo fell to the ground. The gauntlet hissed as it slashed through the air. Leo shrieked in pain, as felt the razor blade sink into his skin!

"No!"

"No!" Leo screamed as arms grabbed him, sending his attacker to the ground with a strong kick.

"Leo! Leo, stop!" The voice pleaded.

"Leo wake up! It's okay." Opening his eyes, he saw Raph holding his arms down and staring at him with a worry plastered all over his face. April bent down beside a very petrified Mikey, who was lying sitting up on the floor, holding his arm against his chest with his other hand.

"Raph! What happened?" Leo gasped as he stopped struggling in younger brother's grip.

Raph hushed him. "Calm down man. I'm here." He turned away to April. "I'll stay with him. You take care of Mikey's arm." April nodded in understanding, helping Mikey onto this feet and ushered him out if Leo's room.

Leo was aghast."Raph, what happened?! Where are we?! Why was Mikey-"

"He's fine. We're still at April's farmhouse. It was just a nightmare," Raph replied softly, placing a hand on his older brother's and gently squeezing it. Leo cringed a little at Raph's touch and looked up at him with a surprised look. He wasn't used to this kind of affection, especially coming from him.

"What?"

"Nothing...it's just..," he drifted off, hiding his embarrassment from Raph by turning away and lying back down on the bed. Reaching in the blankets, he took his fingers and traced the scar on the lower part of his plastron. Two perfectly aligned parallel lines trailing down his torso. As soon as he applied pressure to it, he winced as the painful shock spread through him.

He hoped that Raph didn't notice. How his "Fearless" Leonardo had fallen so low and become so afraid. He was supposed to be the strongest for his brothers. He couldn't let them know that he was scared and was determined to remain calm and noncommittal. "Nothing."

"You know we've safe from him here, right?"

Leo looked up from the covers. "I don't know what you mean."

"Him." From the look in his eyes, Leo could tell who he meant and that he wasn't persuaded. "He's far away from us. He can't get us here."

Leo didn't answer. He just nodded, laid his head against his pillow and closed his eyes.

"But he will find us. I just know it."