Author's notes:

Burakku's Shadow: Peril ;P Wolf of Thunder, huh? I like that. :D

………

Donatello groaned and sat up. He sat on the cold concrete surface of the rec center, just on the edge of the pool. The night was growing lighter, and it was silent.

Before him stood the wreckage of the fight. The cherry picker stood dangerously close to the pool, swiveled so that its back tire was even a bit off the edge. The tarp that had been shielding the building from snow and rain lay submerged in the pool with a few pockets of air bringing it to the surface here and there. Scaffold pipes littered the ground everywhere.

He looked over the edge into the pool. In the small light of the coming dawn he could make out the cragged shapes of the part of the scaffold below, plus the pallet of pipes nearly covering the pool bottom. A few of them had rolled into the deep end and lay there silently.

"That was close," he muttered. The last thing he had remembered was Mikey being pulled to the surface, and he was desperately trying to pull his legs from under the pallet. He was running out of time, and his lungs had screamed for air. He must've blacked out before they had gotten him out of there.

A small sound came from his left; he turned to see Mikey standing there, looking down at the pool as well. Although Donnie could only see his eyes from under the scarf and beanie, his expression seemed somber.

"Hey!"

They both turned at the sound of the voice. Raphael stood beyond the chain link fence that enclosed the rec area. He leaned against it, his fingers hooked in the links. Mikey sighed and looked away.

"You can't hang out here," Raph said. "It's almost dawn. Let's get goin'. You're gonna catch a cold, or somethin'."

Mikey turned away from the pool and met eyes with Donnie as he stood. Mikey blinked. "Uh…"

"C'mon! Let's go!" Raph rattled the fence for emphasis. He turned from the fence and began running away.

Mikey gave a worried whine and leapt the fence, then took off after Raph. Donnie followed suit, keeping watch for straggling Purple Dragons as they dashed into an open manhole and into the sewers.

His brothers seemed a bit relaxed, despite the ordeal they had just been through. There was no taking of odd twists and turns to get to the lair as they usually did after things went wrong, just to shake or confuse anyone who might be following.

Raph led them inside. It was dark, with a few candles lit here and there. The televisions were on, showing the news, but were muted, casting striking flashes of light here and there from time to time.

Mikey sighed. "I'm just gonna…you know…sleep. It's been a long night."

Raph watched his brother climb the stairs to the second level, his shoulders slouched and his demeanor forlorn. "Poor kid." He looked about, his eyes passing over Donnie, and scratched his head. "It's like a tomb in here."

"Your brother must work out his own feelings," Splinter said, coming from the training area. "This has been a…tragic defeat."

"Tragic?" Donnie frowned. He looked about and suddenly realized…Leonardo was gone. "Wait…guys, where's Leo?"

Master Splinter sighed. "The loss of your brother has taken a toll on all of us."

Donnie blinked. "No…" Had Leo somehow gotten hurt? Maybe he had jumped in after them…

"Mikey told me he…saw somethin' that night. Like he was there. He insists he saw him after, well, you know…" Raph looked up at the second level. All the rooms were dark save for Mikey's, but their younger brother had the habit of leaving the light on in his room, even when he wasn't in there. "Do you think…?"

Donnie looked down at his hands. Leo was gone! How come he didn't know? How come…he didn't remember?

"I do not think so. It is not…healthy for one to speak such things as this," Splinter said, looking up at Mikey's room. "Lost memory, yes, sometimes those effected by tragedy push things out of their mind to cope, but to continually insist someone is alive when they are not…"

"Guys," Donnie breathed, his voice catching in his throat. "What happened to Leo? Why isn't he here?!"

"We keep goin' over this," Raph said, turning away from them. "I don't know how much longer I can keep repeatin' myself!"

"I don't care, Raph! Where is Leo?!"

"Perhaps it would be best…if we all went and visited him tonight," Splinter sat at the kitchen table and folded his hands in front of him. "It would be a…reminder…to see his grave once more."

Donnie had enough. Tears sprung to his eyes as the mentioning of a grave. Leo's dead! How could he die and I just…not remember? How could I even begin to will that out of my memory

He turned from the others and ran upstairs, into Leo's room. No one stopped him, no one shouted for him.

The room was dark, but the same as Leo had left it. The bed was made neatly, as always. The book case full of books sat in the corner silently. Everything was untouched, but Leo was not there.

He backed out, suddenly aware that he was standing in the room of a dead person. "Mikey…" he went over to Mikey's room, but…Mikey wasn't in there. Klunk slept curled on his unmade bed. Mikey's street clothes were tossed here and there. The light he had seen before came from what he recognized as his own flashlight. "Mikey, where are you?"

A noise came from Donnie's room. Frowning, Donnie made his way over.

Inside, Mikey sat on his bed, staring down at his hands, his head drooped. He was crying. Teardrops dotted his thighs and hands, but he made no move to get rid of them. "Mikey, you gotta tell me what happened," Donnie said softly. "I know I should know but…I don't. What happened to Leo?"

Mikey shook his head. "I am so not going to do this, I am so not saying anything…"

Donnie sat down on his desk chair and frowned. "C'mon, Mikey, please?" He was met with another shake of the head. Sighing, he looked around, then frowned at the sight of his bo staff resting propped up in the corner. "What's that doing there?" He went over to grab it…and stepped back as his hand passed right through. "What the…?"

Mikey clasped his head in his hands, as if trying to block out some horrid noise. "Just stop!" he hissed. "I am not going crazy! It's not real, it's just a figment of my imagination!"

"Mikey…" Donnie's voice came out shakily. He stumbled back into the desk chair and sat in stupor. "Mikey…tell me what happened! What's going on?!" Mikey looked up with tear filled eyes, meeting Donnie's, which were drenched in fear. "Leo…didn't die that day…did he?"

Mikey shook his head, then turned away. "Dude, evil spirit or psycho brain thing, please stop! Raph already thinks I'm bonkers..."

Donnie turned and reached for something on the desk. His hand passed right through it. He frantically reached for something else with the same results. "No…" he turned to Mikey and reached for him…his hand passed right through.

"Stop!" Mikey shied away but refused to look at Donnie. He sobbed freely now. "What the heck did I do to deserve this? Why am I the one seeing the freaky stuff?"

Donnie sat back and looked at his hands. They balled into fists as he closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm…dead, aren't I?" He shook his head furiously. "No, that's not true! I refuse to believe it! It can't be true!"

"Yeah, I said the same thing," Mikey said, sucking in breath. He rubbed tears from his face. "But…you are. Or Donnie is. Or whatever…" he looked away. "I'm doing it, I'm actually talking to myself. Boy, am I cracked or what?"

"Mikey…you aren't crazy. I'm right here! I know you see me…and hear me…" he reached for Mikey again, but his little brother moved his hand away. "I don't…understand…"

"You're dead, bro!" Mikey frowned. "You…drowned!"

"I drowned?"

"I told Raph to let me go, I tried to get away, but…I couldn't reach you," Mikey looked at his hands. Tears came again but this time he tried to fight them. "You slipped…right through my fingers! Leo went in there, and then Raph went back down, and they got you out, but it was too late, you'd been under too long…

"I'm sorry Donnie! I'm sorry I couldn't get you out! I tried, I really did!"

Donnie could only watch pitifully as his younger brother broke into full blown sobs. "It's okay…" he heard himself whisper, but he knew it wasn't.

"I just wish you were here for reals, not…imaginary like how Raph said…"

"But I am here, I don't know why," Donnie looked at himself. "I don't feel dead…" He looked around as Mikey cried. "Why is the power out?"

"It's not," Mikey sniffled. "I mean it is, because Raph kinda…went ballistic and stabbed some stuff he shouldn't have…"

"The back up generators?"

"Well, we don't want to use them up or anything, so…"

Donnie sighed. "So Raph…is torn up too, huh?"

"No, well, yeah, but no," Mikey looked up. "I don't get it. For some reason, he's been really calm…I guess it's because Leo left."

"Leo…left?"

"Yeah, he kinda…disappeared after your, well…you know."

"Funeral?"

"Yeah."

"Why would he leave?" Donnie stood and looked out of Mikey's room into the darkened lair. "Did he go after the Purple Dragons?"

"No. He just…left. He didn't even tell anyone. Not even Master Splinter."

"April or Casey?"

"Nuh-uh," Mikey hesitated. "No offense, bro, but…this is really creeping me out."

"Huh?"

"You're…well…you're…"

"I get it, Mikey," Donnie sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I bet Raph was really happy when Leo just left."

"Yeah, that's when he snapped. But after, he was like, 'well, if Leo isn't here, I'm gonna be the big bro'," Mikey frowned. "But I think he's just freaking out as much as I am. Although…I think I'm the only one who can see you. If you aren't a post traumatic thingiemabobber."

"Schizophrenic tendencies related to or caused by a post traumatic stress disorder."

"Yeah, that! Although, if you were one of those thingies, I don't think I could remember what you just said."

"I'm not a disorder, Mikey. I'm really here. Like I said, I don't know why, and I don't know why no one else can see me." He looked away from the sad expression on his brother's face, unable to stomach it any longer. "I'm…sorry. I'm…so sorry. I can't…all this pain…"

Mikey looked up, but the shady visage of his brother, who had just been sitting at the chair before him, was gone. "Donnie?" He looked around, then looked down dejectedly.

He was alone.

…..

During the day, hardly anything moved in the lair. Master Splinter spent most of his time sitting alone, his face saddened and his ears drooped. Donnie could only imagine how he felt. One son dead, one run away.

He had found the circuitry that Raph had accidentally destroyed. It was just a burnt breaker, something rather simple, but even that he could not fix. He had stared at it for a while before accepting that he could no longer do anything for his family. No electricity, no alarm systems, no repairs.

Nothing.

When he sat next to Master Splinter, nothing happened. He never truly believed much into the mystical things Splinter tried to teach them, but if one person was supposed to be able to see him, Splinter was he.

Raph woke midday to seal himself in the training area. He did not come out until evening, and did so calmly, although covered in sweat and tired.

"You should not over exert yourself, my son," Splinter said as Raph went to get water from the kitchen.

"Someone's gotta," Raph frowned at the glass of water before drinking it. "Leo ain't here to be our fearless leader no more," he scowled at the empty glass, at his reflection. Someone stood past his shoulder in the reflection…he could make out the shape of their head…and shoulders…

He whirled around, but no one was there. Donnie sighed as Raph stared past him, looking for something but seeing nothing. Raph looked at the glass then set it aside. "I'm gonna find Dragon Face and stop them for good."

Splinter frowned. "Do not resort to vengeance! Revenge will not bring back either of your brothers!"

"Maybe not," Raph scowled, looking away at nothing in particular. "But it's about time these guys are put out of business. How many other people have they hurt?" He glared at Splinter. "How many other families have been broken up? Huh?"

Splinter said nothing.

"I'm not gonna let this happen to nobody else!"

"I do not want another tragedy to befall this family!" Splinter said firmly. "The last thing any of us can take…is…" he paused and sighed, looking away. "I do not think I can take it if another one of my sons suffers at the hands of street gangs."

Raph blinked, surprised, but the concern was short lived. "Yeah, well," he left it at that, however, and moved toward the stone elevator. "Get Mikey. I wanna get this over with." He disappeared into the elevator.

Master Splinter only sighed at the order coming from his son. He knew he should rebuke it, but at the moment, he just didn't have the heart to.

Donnie waited as Master Splinter retrieved Mikey from his room. The younger turtle seemed surprised to see Donnie standing there. "Uh…" Mikey started. "Hey, Master Splinter?"

"Yes?"

"Go on ahead…I'll catch up."

Splinter raised a brow, then looked where Mikey was looking. Nothing. He frowned, but went to the elevator, leaving Mikey alone.

"I thought you left, bro."

"I didn't. I was here all day."

"Why?"

"I don't know. This is…" he held up his fists, then let them fall to his sides. "Torture. I cant say anything to anyone. I can't do anything. I know how to fix the power, I just… can't "

Mikey looked over at the power box in the wall. "Well, maybe you could just tell me what to do."

Donnie thought, then nodded. He waited as Mikey went to the box and opened it. The lid was never truly shut, as Raph had punched a nice dent into it, along with a hole from his sai. Inside, there was a few disconnected wires, and the breakers that needed to be replaced. "I have extra ones on my desk. Just replace them, and put that wire to that one…no not that one, that one…yeah…" He waited as Mikey fixed the wires. "Okay, now, go get the breakers. It's in the red tool box."

"Right!" Mikey raced up the stairs, suddenly energetic. He returned with the whole tool box and opened it so Donnie could see. "What are they now?"

Donnie pointed. Mikey held up a breaker, then replaced the ones Donnie pointed to.

The lights in the layer flickered on.

"Awesome!" Mikey cheered and turned to give Donnie a high five, but stopped himself upon seeing Donnie's sad smile. "I'm…sorry, Donnie. I forgot."

"It's okay," he sighed. "We'd better get going."

"You're coming with?"

"Yeah."

"Isn't that a bit…"

"Morbid?" Donnie shrugged. "I'm a…ghost, Mikey. How much more morbid can things be?"

"Right," Mikey frowned. He turned to the elevator. "Are you gonna like, ride with us, or what?" He looked back at Donnie.

He wasn't there.

"Kay, you need to cut it out with that creepy disappearing stuff," he muttered. He went to the elevator cautiously, and when he was convinced that Donnie wasn't following him, he went up to the warehouse. Raph and Splinter stood waiting. "Sorry…"

"The back up generators shut up," Raph said. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah, I so totally got the power going!" Mikey grinned.

Raph looked at Splinter, who shrugged. "How'd you do that?"

"Donnie told me…" Mikey halted himself as disappointed looks washed over the other's faces. "What?"

"Look, Mikey," Raph went over to Mikey and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's nearly been a week, bro. Donnie is dead! He's…you gotta stop talking like he's right here!"

"Well, he isn't here right now …"

"So he just shows up when it's convenient?"

Mikey scowled and shoved Raphs hand off his shoulder. "Don't look at me like I'm crazy, Raph!"

"Well, you're sure actin' it, Mikey! We're…scared. It's like you refuse to accept this."

"And you accept it like it doesn't even matter! It's like you don't even care!"

Donnie shut his eyes from inside the Battle Shell. He couldn't see them, but he could hear them. He could feel the tense silence. Stop fighting over me…please…

Raph stepped back from Mikey and glowered. "Yeah, Mikey, that's right," he turned his back on his little brother. "I don't care. In fact, I'm just drivin' you there to shut you up, 'cuz if you were annoying before this all happened, you're ten times worse now!"

"Raph…"

"Get inside, Casey and April are meetin' us there."

Mikey looked down as his brother and father entered the vehicle.

He reluctantly followed.