A Warrior's Pain IV: Blind Hatred
Chapter 1: Price to Pay
A/N: Well, here's the fourth installment in my A Warrior's Pain series. It will take place after the third story, roughly a few months later. In this story April and Casey are married and have Shadow, though Shadow's origin is different than what it is in the comics. Here, she's an orphan girl Casey found while on one of his runs, and he decided to bring her home after saving her from some thugs. I hope nobody minds this little change as I felt it would be interesting since this is technically my own universe. I do write from the 2K3 perspective and will be continuing in that vein. I really hope you enjoy this fourth installment just as much as you've enjoyed my other installments. Happy reading!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with the TMNT universe. They are now officially owned by Nickelodeon Studios.
Summary: The Foot has grown stronger and are now under new leadership. They set their sights on Leonardo to punish him for Karai's betrayal and change the course of his life forever. Fourth in the AWP series.
The new leader of the Foot clan, Masuko Kenshin, paced the room of his new office. He was still reeling from everything that had happened in the last few months. Karai hadn't been seen yet, but the Foot were still on the lookout for her. He still couldn't believe that she'd betrayed her own Clan and had allied herself with the ones who used to be her sworn enemies. This wasn't going to stand, and the Foot vowed that when she returned, they would be ready for her.
And then there were the Turtles themselves. Those freaks had been a thorn in the Foot's side for far too long. But though Kenshin hated all of them, he really had his sights set on only one of the freaks: the one called Leonardo. He was the one who had caused Karai's betrayal, and for that, he would have to pay. But how to do so? Yes, killing him would be the easiest, but Kenshin didn't think it would do any good. He wanted the Turtle to suffer, just as he had suffered when he'd been a prisoner here. Torturing him again would be a great satisfaction, but he knew his brothers could get him out of that scrape as they had done before. He wanted something done that would make sure Leonardo suffered and that he couldn't escape it. Then a plan formed in his head that made him smile. He would make sure the Turtle suffered and paid dearly for his crime.
A Foot Ninja came into the room and bowed to Kenshin. "My Lord, I came when you summoned me," he said.
"Any sign of the traitor known as Karai?" Kenshin asked.
"None, My Lord," the Foot Ninja replied. "She has not returned just yet."
"Keep looking," Kenshin ordered. "She will have to return sometime, and when she does, we'll be ready for her. But right now, I have an assignment for you." He then outlined his plan to the Foot Ninja of what he wanted done to Leonardo. "Can you do that for me?" he asked.
The Foot Ninja bowed. "Yes, My Lord, I will make sure it is done," he answered.
"Good," Kenshin said. "Make sure that you do. And if you fail, you know what the penalty is." His voice was menacing as he said this, and he hoped that he'd made his threat very clear.
The Foot Ninja paled slightly at the sound of Kenshin's voice. "Yes, My Lord, I understand," he responded. He then bowed and left to do as Kenshin said.
Kenshin smiled at the thought of his plan. He really hoped it would succeed. He stared out of his window at the city below him. "In time, Leonardo, you will pay for what you have done to our Clan," he stated. "And once you do, you will know not to mess with the Foot ever again."
22222
April Jones sighed as she put dishes away. She recalled the days when she was just a single woman trying to make ends meet with her father's antique store. Now, so many things had changed. She was married and the mother of a seven-year-old daughter, who often liked to get into mischief. Sometimes, April would lament for what used to be, but then she would look at her daughter, and the feeling would vanish. How could she wish for something like that? She was so lucky in so many ways.
"Uncle Leo! Uncle Raph!" Shadow cried as she saw the two Turtles in the window. She hurried over and opened it so her uncles could climb in.
"Hey, Shadow, did you enjoy school today?" Leo asked her.
"It was okay," Shadow replied. "I didn't do so good on my math test though. Maybe Uncle Donnie could help me. Why isn't he here?"
"He was workin' on some invention of his," Raph replied. "But I'll tell him you need help, kiddo." Raph normally wasn't a fan of kids, but Shadow had won him over from the first time he saw her. Casey had found her being beaten up by some thugs and had taken her in after she told him she was an orphan on the streets. Now, she was an official member of the Jones-Hamato family.
"So, what brings you guys here?" April asked as she made her way out of the kitchen.
"Fearless here wanted to go on a trainin' run, so I decided to go with him," Raph responded. "Then we decided to stop here for a bit since we were so close."
"Well, I'm glad you guys came," April said warmly. "We haven't seen you in a little while. Make yourselves at home." She gestured to the couch, and both Turtles took a seat.
"So, how's Casey's new job?" Raph asked. Casey had recently started working at a mechanic shop fixing cars and motorcycles. It really suited him well since he was so good at that type of work.
"He loves it," April replied. "If I didn't constantly remind him that he had a daughter he had to spend time with, I don't think he'd leave that shop. But at least it's a good job and it helps us out with bills and the like. The shop's still doing well, and I also work part-time at the local library at the front desk, so that helps, too."
"Well, it sounds like you guys are doing well," Leo commented. "I'm happy for both of you."
"Thanks," said April. "So, have you heard from Karai recently?"
"I got a letter from her a few days ago," replied Leo. "She said she's coming home in two weeks and wants to visit with us. She said she's doing really well in her lessons with the Ancient One. I'm just anxious to see how much she's changed."
Shadow smiled at her uncle. "Do you like Karai, Uncle Leo?" she asked.
"Yeah, she's a good friend now," Leo told her.
"Are you going to marry her someday?" Shadow asked innocently.
Raph started laughing at that, and his brother shot him a glare. Then Leo turned to Shadow and smiled gently at her. He wasn't angry that she'd asked the question because she was so young. She didn't understand that Leo could never marry anyone he wanted to, no matter what. It just wasn't possible.
"No, Shadow, I don't like her in that way," he said gently. "She's just a really good friend."
"Oh," Shadow said. "Will I get to meet her?"
"I hope so," Leo answered. "I'm sure she'll like you just as much as we do."
"Shadow, don't you have some homework to do?" April asked her daughter.
Shadow sighed. "Yeah, I guess I'd better do it," she said. She pulled out her backpack and took out a book she had to read for thirty minutes each night. She really wanted to visit with her uncles, but she knew they'd want her to do her homework first. She went up to her room so she'd have some privacy to finish her work.
"I can't believe you and Casey are parents," Raph marveled. "I mean, I always thought you'd be the mother type, but I never pegged Casey for the father type."
April laughed. "Yeah, he's great with Shadow," she replied. "I think it was her plight that really got to him. We never really discussed having children that much, but when he saw what had happened to Shadow, he didn't hesitate to take her into our home."
As if on cue, Casey Jones stepped through the door still dressed in his mechanic uniform. "Hey, babe, I'm home," he announced.
"Casey, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me babe?" April chastised.
"You don't mind when you're in the mood," Casey retorted.
"Okay, that's too much information for my ears," Raph groaned as he covered his ears with his hands.
"Oh, I didn't notice you guys were here," said Casey as he spotted Leo and Raph. "How's it goin', guys?"
"Pretty good," replied Leo. "How's it going with you, Casey?"
Casey shrugged. "Can't complain," he said. "I've got a good job, a good wife, and a cute daughter. Hey, where is the little rugrat anyway?"
"She's doing her homework, but I'm sure she'll be down now that she's heard you," April answered.
And sure enough, Shadow came barreling down the stairs. "Daddy!" she cried and leaped into her father's arms.
"Hey, Pumpkin," Casey said, ruffling her hair. "How was school today?"
"It was okay," Shadow answered. "I didn't do so good on my math quiz though. I thought maybe Uncle Donnie could help me."
"Well, maybe I could help you," Casey offered. "I am your dad after all."
"Yeah, but you're not as smart as Uncle Donnie," Shadow responded. "And you get mad whenever you have to help with schoolwork."
"And I believe you still have some reading to do, young lady," April reminded her. "Get to it."
"Yeah, we'd better head home, too," Leo noted as he looked at the clock.
"But you just got here!" Shadow protested. "Why do you have to go so soon?"
"Because we don't want to worry Master Splinter," Leo told her. "Besides, you have homework to do, and you won't get it done with the both of us here. We'll come back for a longer visit this weekend, and we'll bring Don and Mikey, too."
"Promise?" Shadow asked him.
"I promise, sweetie," Leo replied. "Now, go do your homework."
Shadow kissed him on the cheek. "Okay, Uncle Leo," she said. "I'll see you later. Goodbye, Uncle Raph. Say hi to Uncle Donnie, Uncle Mikey, and Grandpa Splinter."
"We will, kiddo," Raph replied. "See you later."
"'Bye, guys," April said. "Have a safe trip home."
"We will, April," Leo reassured her. "Don't worry."
April laughed. "I can't help it," she said. "It's a habit I have."
"We'll be fine, April," Raph told her. Then he followed Leo out of April's apartment and jumped the rooftops.
April watched her friends until they were out of sight. Then she went back to the kitchen and continued cleaning up. Casey went up and took a shower and changed his clothes. Shadow finished her homework and watched TV until it was time for bed.
22222
Leo and Raph continued jumping the rooftops, enjoying the cool night air. Both were happy to be out in the fresh air. After everything that had happened over the past few months, it was good to go out and have some fun. Raph was happy that Leo was okay and that he was back to his old self again. After the Foot had brutally tortured him, Leo had sunk into a state that none of them wanted to see again. But now things had changed for him, and he was better than ever.
"Geez, Leo, do you have to be so fast?" Raph complained. "I can barely keep up with ya."
"It's not my fault you've been slacking," Leo teased. "Maybe if you worked out even more, you'd be as fast as me."
"Yeah, whatever," Raph retorted.
Just as Leo was jumping another rooftop, he stopped suddenly. He had a funny feeling that something wasn't right. He held out a hand to signal to Raph to stop and scanned the area. There was definitely something that shouldn't be here, though he couldn't put his finger on it.
"Leo, what's wrong?" Raph whispered.
"Something's not right," Leo whispered back. "Be ready for anything."
As they scanned the area, they didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Then Leo felt something hit his shell hard, and he was pitched forward. He leapt up and unsheathed his katanas, trying to see what had hit him. Raph also was hit and tried to find the attacker.
"What the shell is goin' on?" he demanded.
"Foot Tech Ninjas," Leo replied. "I'm almost sure of it." He didn't have time to elaborate as more blows were dealt. Leo swiped with his katanas but couldn't touch them. He could tell Raph was having trouble, too. Then Leo managed to get a hit in and activated the cloaking device. The Ninja appeared, and Leo kicked him hard, knocking him down.
"Dammit, where are Don's goggles when you need 'em?" Raph grumbled as he dealt with another Ninja. He managed to finally activate the device and take the Ninja down.
Leo couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu when it came to this attack. It was almost like before except that this time there were only two Turtles instead of four. One of the Ninjas suddenly appeared before Leo, but before he could initiate an attack, the Ninja threw a substance right into Leo's eyes. He yelled as it burned him and sank to the ground.
"Leo!" Raph cried. He tried to go for the Ninja who had thrown the substance, but the Ninja just bowed and disappeared. Raph groped blindly for them. "Come back here, ya cowards!" he yelled. But there was nothing except for Leo's pained cries. Raph hurried to his brother's side. "Leo, tell me where it hurts," he demanded.
"My eyes," Leo cried. "They're burning, Raph. I can't see!"
"Calm down, bro, I'll get you home," Raph soothed. He had nothing to douse Leo's eyes with, and they were too far from April's to go there and get help. He picked his brother up and ran as fast as his legs could carry him, whispering soothing words to Leo the whole way there. Why was this happening to them? Everything had been fine, and now the Foot were back and gunning for Leo yet again. It just wasn't fair.
The pain was unbearable, and Leo just wanted it to stop. When they got to the Lair, Raph hurried to the infirmary, yelling Don's name. Donatello hurried to their side and immediately examined Leo. He then got a bottle of water and began to pour it into Leo's eyes hoping it would flush whatever had been thrown in his eyes out. Leo brought his hands up to rub his eyes, but Don pulled them back.
"Don't do that, Leo," he said. "If you do, it'll just make it worse. Let the water do its job."
"What happened, Raphie?" Michelangelo asked.
"Damn Foot Tech Ninjas ambushed us," Raph growled. "One of them threw soemthin' in Leo's eyes then disappeared. I didn't know where they went to, so I couldn't go after 'em."
"You did what you could, Raphael," Splinter soothed. "The main thing is that you were able to get your brother home."
"Is Leo gonna be okay, Donnie?" Raph asked him.
"I'm not sure," Don replied. "I don't know how much of the substance went in his eyes or what the effects will be. We'll just have to take it day by day. For now, I'm going to let the water flush out as much as it can and patch his eyes to protect them from excess light. Then, tomorrow, I'll take the patches off and see if there's any lasting damage. Hopefully he'll be okay though. How do you feel now, Leo?"
"A little better," Leo replied. "How long will I have to wear the patches?"
"Just for tonight," Don replied. "I'll take them off in the morning and perform a vision test to see if there's any damage." He wiped Leo's eyes gently and put the patches on, securing them with medical tape. "That should do it, Leo. Do you need anything to eat?"
Leo shook his head. "No, I'm good," he said. "I just want to sleep."
"Good idea," Don replied. "I'll check on you in the morning, okay?"
Leo nodded. "Okay, Donnie," he said.
"Hey, Leo, you want me to bunk in here?" Raph asked his older brother. Usually whenever one of them was injured or sick, one of their brothers would stay with them as a sign of moral support.
"No, Raph, I'll be fine," Leo reassured him. "Just go to sleep."
"Are you sure?" Raph prompted.
"Positive," Leo told him.
"Okay, but you know where to find me if ya need me," Raph replied. He gave his brother's hand a squeeze and went to his room.
"See you tomorrow, Leo," Mikey said cheerfully. He patted his brother's shoulder and went up to his room, humming a tune as he went.
"I will see you in the morning, Leonardo," Splinter said gently. "Have a good night." He kissed his son's forehead and went to his chambers, hoping that tomorrow would be a good day for them. Leonardo had already been through so much over the past few months. He didn't need any more turmoil.
Leo closed his eyes and settled down to sleep. The burning had faded, and he just hoped that in the morning things would be looking better for him. He just couldn't believe the Foot were showing their faces now. After the Turtles got back from Japan, the Foot had lain low and hadn't even sought revenge on them yet. That had seemed odd to Raph, but Leo surmised that they were probably picking up the pieces after Karai's defection as their leader. But now they were back and had targeted Leo again. This time Leo knew it was because of what he'd done to Karai by having her leave the Foot Clan as their leader. But if they thought that throwing a mere substance in his face was a way of revenge, they were wrong. Don would fix this, and Leo would be up and about in no time once the patches were removed. The Foot weren't even trying hard enough, and Leo would remind them of that the next time he saw them.
22222
The next morning, Leo woke up and remembered that today was the day Don was going to remove the patches from his eyes. He'd be able to see again and work harder at training than ever. He waited until he heard Don's footsteps coming into the infirmary. They were followed by Raph, Mikey, and Splinter, who had come to check on their brother and son.
"Good morning, Leo, did you sleep well?" Don asked.
"Yeah, I slept fine, Donnie," Leo replied.
"Great," Don said. "Well, today's the day you get your patches off. Let's get to it." He gently removed the medical tape from Leo's face and took the patches off of his eyes. Leo's eyes watered a bit, and he blinked to clear them, but he only saw darkness.
"Don, the patches are off, right?" he asked.
"Yep, I just took them off," Don answered. "Is something wrong, Leo?"
"Yeah, I can't see," Leo replied. "It's still dark."
Alarmed, Don immediately retrieved a small penlight and began shining it into Leo's eyes. "Can you see this light?" he asked.
Leo was just as scared as Don. "No," he replied. "I can't see anything."
"Don, what's wrong with him?" Raph demanded. "Why can't he see?"
"I don't know," Don whispered. "I thought I had flushed out the substance." He hurried to his cupboard and procured some drops to dilate Leo's eyes. April had gotten them from an eye doctor who was closing up his office and was giving away some of his supplies. April had told him it was for a friend of hers who was also an eye doctor. "Okay, Leo, I'm going to dilate your eyes to see what the problem is," he said. "Maybe if I get a closer look, I can diagnose the problem and see if I can fix it."
Leo nodded. "Do whatever you have to, Don," he said.
Don administered the eye drops and instructed Leo to close his eyes for twenty minutes. After the time was up, Don put on a light that went on his head and got out a circular magnifying glass with no handle so he could look in Leo's eyes. He directed the light to Leo's right eye and looked through the magnifying glass then he repeated the process with Leo's left eye.
"So, what's wrong with him?" Raph demanded.
Don shut off the light and sighed. "Well, both of his retinas are detached," he said. "The substance must've gotten in there and detached them. Usually something like that would be a process, but I guess the Foot must've had something that worked fast enough to where it would be visible within twenty-four hours."
"Can you fix him, Donnie?" Mikey asked anxiously. "Can't you od surgery or something?" He remembered that one of April's friends had had a detached retina but had gotten surgery to correct it.
Don shook his head. "No, Mikey, I can't," he said dejectedly. "Once the retina detaches, there's nothing that can be done to fix it."
"But April's friend got help!" Mikey protested.
"Yeah, but they caught the problem early," Don reminded him. "The retina hadn't completely detached yet. It was just a tear that could be repaired. Leo's retinas have completely detached, and there's nothing that will fix it. Leo's going to be permanently blind."
With a snarl, Raph turned around and punched the wall. "Dammit, why does this have to happen to us?" he snarled. "First they torture Leo and now they blind him. I swear, I'm not gonna rest until every member of the Foot is dead."
"Raph, I know you're upset about this, but you can't be rash," Leo chastised.
"Can't be rash?" Raph repeated. "Are you kidding me, Leo? You're blind, bro! You won't be able to see ever again, and it's all their fault!"
"I know that, Raph, but rushing into a fight is just what they want," Leo reminded him. "It means they have control over us. We can't stoop to their level no matter what. We have to be cautious about this. Karai's coming home in two weeks according to her last letter. I was supposed to meet her at the docks, but that's obviously not going to happen. So, Raph, I'm going to ask you to meet her and let her know what's happened to me. Bring her down here so we can come up with a strategy to take the Foot down. We'll need all the help we can get. Can you do that for me, Raph?"
Raph nodded but remembered that his brother couldn't see it. "Yeah, I can do that," he answered.
"Good," Leo said. "It'll help to have her here since she knows so much about the Foot."
"Leo, I'm going to do research and see what I can do to accommodate you now that you can't see," Don declared. "I want to make sure you can still do normal stuff, though it'll have to be differently than what you did before."
"Okay, Donnie," Leo said. "You do that. And, Raph, I think it would be a good idea if you took the position of leader from now on. I obviously can't lead now that I'm blind."
"Leo, that's not true," Raph insisted. "You told me that you wanted me to take the leader position if you weren't able to, but you can still be a leader. You ain't dead, bro."
"I might as well be," Leo said bitterly. "Without my sight, I can't lead you in battle like I used to."
"Leonardo, we have worked on blind fighting before," Splinter reminded him. "You are very skilled at it and can hold your own very well."
"Yes, I can fight enemies blind by relying on my other senses, but I can't leap rooftops anymore, Master Splinter," Leo insisted. "There's just no way I can go on patrol anymore with you guys."
"Sure you can, Leo," Mikey insisted. "We'll be there with you and can guide you over them. Instead of having a guide dog to help you, you'll have us. We'll be your guide brothers."
"That's very kind of you, Mikey, but what if we're attacked, and you guys aren't there to help me?" Leo asked him. "You know how the Foot are. They'll be likely to take advantage of my handicap and then target you."
"And that's why I'm going to do some deep research, Leo," Don told him. "I'm going to make it so that you can function and still be our leader. Don't give up on this, Leo. You can still be our leader and a ninja despite this."
Leo could tell his brothers were making an effort to encourage him, and he was grateful for it. But he still couldn't help but feel that his life as he knew it was never going to be the same. "Okay, guys, I'll try," he said. "Thanks."
"You're welcome, Leo," Don said. "We're here for you no matter what. We're going to get through this together."
"Yeah, and when we're ready, we're gonna show the Foot that they've messed with the wrong family again," Raph growled.
Leo smiled at his brother's tone. He could tell Raph was itching to go out and kick some Foot Ninja ass, but they had to be cautious. Besides, it would take Leo some time to really adjust to being blind and having to operate because of it. But once he did, he'd make sure to pay the Foot a visit and let them know that he wasn't going to be taken down by them any longer. They would pay with their lives, and he would make sure to deal at least a few fatal blows. He only hoped that he'd be able to do it without having to worry about his brothers.
22222
Kenshin was sitting in his office finishing up some paperwork. As leader of the Foot Clan, he'd also had to take over Saki's business dealings since he'd always put up the façade of being a good businessman and doing good for the city. Luckily, Kenshin had a degree in business and was doing well in some of the dealings, which was much better than Karai had ever done.
One of the Foot Ninjas knocked on the door and came into the room. "My Lord, the task you have set has been done," he said. "We were able to encounter Leonardo and blind him as you requested."
"Good," Kenshin said. "Keep me informed on the results once you see him. Did you get an accurate aim?"
The Foot Ninja nodded. "Yes, My Lord, it was thrown directly in his eyes," he replied. "He was not able to deflect it."
"Very good," Kenshin said. "For once, there has been success here. You and those who accompanied you will be rewarded for this. Now, leave. I have important things to attend to."
"Yes, My Lord," the Foot Ninja said. Then he departed.
Kenshin smiled gleefully at the news. Finally, Leonardo had gotten his comeuppance at last. Now, he would never be able to lead his brothers, and they would be helpless and vulnerable without their precious leader. Now, Kenshin had to set his sights on the traitor Karai and seek revenge on her. He knew she was hiding like a coward, but she wouldn't be able to evade him forever no matter what. She would be found and punished for her treachery if it was the last thing Kenshin ever did.
A/N: Wow. I didn't think this would be seventeen pages long. I really hope you enjoy this chapter. Things are starting to take shape, but it's not over for the Turtles or Karai yet. As for the tools Don uses to look into Leo's eyes, those are real things eye doctors use to help see if there are problems in the eyes. The facts are also correct that if a retinal tear is detected it can be treated with surgery but must be treated right away before it can tear more. That's what happened to me. However, once the retina detaches completely, there is no hope of saving the vision. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.