Thanks to TheIncredibleDancingBetty my sole reviewer. Come on guys, there were 74 of you who read this yesterday!
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Location: New York City sewer systems
Raph gave out a heavy sigh as he collapsed on the couch. Leo had had them up since four o'clock training, and now it was eight o'clock. That was four agonizing hours of blows, strikes, kicks, flips etc; and each one had a criticism or a complaint.
Ever since that video footage with the ootroms, Leo had been on edge, and that had only been six hours ago! Raph could imagine what living with him for the next coupe of months would mean. Even so, Leo was really angry, and Raph couldn't even get back to sleep last night because all he could hear from Leo's room next door was banging and profanities.
Raph rubbed his forehead tiredly as he thought about collapsing on the couch right now and going to sleep for a few hours. As the idea began to grow more and more tempting, he soon realized that he had company. Mikey was sitting in the armchair next to him with his arms crossed and looking visibly upset, not to mention he was shaking violently.
Raph frowned, and despite himself, he grew concerned. It wasn't like Mike to act like that. He couldn't tell if it was because of the amount of exercise, or if it was because of what was going on with Leo. Either way, he was going to find out.
"Mike? You okay?
"Peachy." Mikey replied darkly, refusing to make eye contact with him.
"What's the matter?" Raph asked hesitantly, and immediately regretted mentioning it.
Mikey's head snapped around and he looked close to tears which really surprised Raph a great deal, after all, Mikey wasn't known for having meltdowns.
"What's wrong? You really want to know what's wrong Raph? Okay, my brother is basically labeled mentally unstable and could go ahead and kill himself at any second, and I can't help him at all because I'm just the big stupid baby, and I'm just sick of all this fighting, and revenge, and ninjitsu crap, okay Raph?" Mikey snapped before he stood up and left the room in a huff.
Raph blinked and stood up slowly and decided to leave the living room in case Mikey came back for any reason. He decided instead to go into the kitchen to get a bottle of water. As soon as he entered the kitchen though, he was ready to shoot himself in the foot, and he had to do everything in his power to not give out a groan, but to keep it inward.
Leo was sitting at the kitchen table with an untouched teacup sitting in front of him. He was also staring intently at the wall as if the entire answer to the universe was written on there. Raph even looked over to see if the answer really was there. Raph shrugged to himself and went over to get his water bottle. By this point he was used to Leo doing this, although right now he was starting to get a little creeped out, and the silence was beginning to grow unbearable like a thick, itchy wool blanket that was too hot and too uncomfortable. So, after retrieving his water, he decided to sit across from Leo just to see if there were any signs of life in him.
Once Raph sat down he thought of conversing with him, but decided against it seeing the look on Leo's face of deep thought.
The silence seemed to grow heavier and heavier until Raph felt like he was about to suffocate from it. Finally, without looking at him, Leo spoke, his eyes seeing something else as he stared off into space.
"…I think…We should leave on patrol as late as tomorrow night." Leo said hollowly, glancing down at his teacup as if not knowing what he was supposed to do with it.
Raph took a sip of his water and watched Leo cautiously before replying. The problem with Leo was that you could never tell what his mood was, he was that good at hiding his own emotions.
"…Or maybe we could just track down the Shredder and take him down." Leo finished absently.
Raph choked on his water and spilled some of the contents onto the table. "What? Don't you think that's a little too early? I mean, we are a bit rusty, and we're definitely not ready to face the Shredder yet—"
Raph cut himself off as Leo glowered at him from across the table, finally seeing him. And Raph realized that that was a wrong thing to say. "The Shredder could be killing more innocent people as we speak, and you expect me to do nothing? You're lucky that I'm not sending us on patrol tonight."
"But Leo, we are doing something! We're training to perfection here to defeat the Shredder! I mean, which would you rather have? Us being prepared for battle, or dying because we weren't ready for battle?"
"Donnie is thinking of a strategy as we speak, I'm sure that'll help us out greatly." Leo said icily.
"What good is a strategy going to do if we're not trained properly? You'd rather have us die?"
"We would be dying with honor!" Leo snapped.
"Pfft! Honor! Listen to yourself Leo. You're becoming obsessed. You're so focused on destroying the Shredder that you're forgetting about the safety of your own fami—"
"DON'T LECTURE ME ABOUT FAMILY! I KNOW MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW ABOUT WHAT THIS FAMILY NEEDS AND DOESN'T NEED! I GUESS IT'S TIME YOU LARNED THAT TOO!" Leo thundered before stalking out of the room.
For the second time that day, Raph sat in stunned silence. "Oh, I'm off on a great role today!" Raph said sarcastically.
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'Stupid, stupid, stupid!' Mikey thought to himself as he kicked a pile of video games in frustration. He was supposed to be looking out for Leo, and sure, he couldn't control Leo's feelings, but damn it if he wasn't going to at least try to make him feel better! Now instead, Leo was pushing himself and them harder than ever before and he wasn't even seeing his brothers as his family anymore.
Mikey slammed his fist in frustration. They were close, they were this close to him reaching full recovery, and just like that, everything went down the tubes by one simple video that was less than five minutes long. He hated himself for feeling so weak like this. He hated Leo for pushing himself too hard. He hated Master Splinter for making him like that. He hated Raph for only seeming to care about himself, and even if he did reveal concern, it was always in a gruff way. And he also hated Donnie for being so involved in his work. He hated everyone because nobody could understand him. All anyone ever saw him, as was the funny, stupid baby who knew nothing about anything except the latest jokes and pranks. And God forbid he think of a worthwhile idea, or being serious; everyone would jump to conclusions and think he was delirious or something.
Mikey ground his teeth. Why couldn't he be serious? Why couldn't he think of a good idea? Why couldn't he be the hero for once? Why couldn't he smack someone else in the head for once? Why couldn't he be sensitive, why did he always have to be tough? He didn't want to be tough, he didn't want to make people fear him, and he most definitely did not want to fight. Not anymore at least, his fun was over, he wanted to move on. Heck, he didn't want to be a stupid ninja for crying out loud!
Mikey turned to face a photograph that was sitting on his bedside table. It was a photograph of his family that April had taken. With cold eyes, he stared into the eyes of the happy smiling faces of his family. But from their eyes you could tell that it was all fake, their smiles masking their true feelings, and just proving that all that happiness was a lie.
Mikey gazed at himself in the picture. He had a cheesy grin plastered on his face while Raph had slung and arm around his neck with a lopsided grin, while Donnie was smiling and not looking directly at the camera. If you looked close enough, you could see that Donnie was looking downward with a faraway gaze, and Raph's eyes were cold. But, as Mikey looked harder into the cold, emotionless eyes as his own, he realized that he was the biggest truest fake, and that made him ashamed. What happened to the times where he had always had a sparkle in his eyes? With this realization, Mikey's eyes flashed in anger as he stared at himself.
"I hate you, I HATE YOU!"
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Leo sat on his bed thinking back on the years of past events. There were often moments where Leo would think about past battles with the Shredder, or the Foot, or even Agent Bishop; and each battle appeared fresh in his mind as if it had just occurred yesterday. And every time he replayed a scene he always saw himself failing? When had he let things get this bad? He was always failing to make a harder strike, or he would miss the enemy by mere inches, or he would fail to let the enemies receive a finishing blow. He had failed and let his family down countless times, and he hated it. Yet they showed him kindness in return. Offering him advice, or sacrificing their free time to be his sparring partner, or they were listening to him, supporting him no matter what, showing their concern for him…He didn't deserve any of that.
Leo sighed. Often times he would wish he were someone else, whether they were dead or alive, it didn't matter to him, just as long as he could be anybody else. He was no leader, and he hated the added pressure to be perfect. Perfect brother, perfect skills, perfect leader, perfect ninja, perfect son…He hated all of it. He wished he could just disappear, or have someone else take his place. He'd give anything to be Donnie, Raph, or Mikey, if only for a day, if only to escape his inner demons that was constantly tormenting him.
If he wasn't thinking about this, he was thinking of life before the Shredder, how carefree and happy everyone was. He wished he could be there again and freeze the timeframe forever without every having to move forward. He wished for a lot of things nowadays. And here he was wishing for the impossible while the Shredder was killing more lives.
Leo shook his head in agitation. Time to focus on being the 'perfect' leader and thinking up the 'perfect' strategy again.
(AN: Notice that Mikey and Leo are sharing similar feelings here.)
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Donnie sat at his computer and shifted through the countless files he had on the Foot, plus a blueprint of Foot headquarters that April had scanned for him when they had first entered that place.
Donnie sighed. April…
Donnie turned to a framed picture framed on his desk that April had taken for fun last summer. It wasn't anything special. It was just a picture of Donnie…With April over his shoulder laughing…With her arms wrapped around his neck…With her engagement ring shining brightly…While Casey took the picture.
Donnie sighed again at their happy faces, an emotion he rarely had anymore. April's ring really seemed to be popping out of the picture lately, and it was almost as if it was taunting him. Donnie was happy for April, he knew that she would be happy and that Casey would be the best person for her…But would he really? After all, Casey was pretty dumb, and Donnie was a certified genius. Plus, April and him had way more in common than her and Casey. So what made him so special?
He's human…Donnie shook his head. Even if he had told April that he had feelings for her, she never would have gone with him, it never would have worked out. Besides, he couldn't jeopardize her privileges and freedom of living above ground for her to be with him. April wanted to live a normal life, and she wouldn't be happy if she had to live the rest of her life down in the sewers, constantly in danger. And in Donnie's heart, he always knew that Casey came first in her mind. When he was there, she didn't notice anyone else; she just looked through you…
Donnie turned back to the frustrating task before him to get his mind off his thoughts and scrolled down the screen, not really seeing anything. After all, he knew all of this. The Shredder was an ootrom; he had advanced technology, which made this a disadvantage to everyone else…Blah, blah, blah. How was any of this going to help him find his weakness?
Donnie's eyes wandered to the file labeled 'Karai' and he hesitantly clicked on it. He really didn't know much about Karai, just that she was an abandoned orphan raised by the Shredder to work in the Foot Cl—Wait…Raised by the Shredder? Don snapped his fingers. That was it! Splinter's weakness was his sons, so maybe Shredder's weakness was losing his daughter, the only heir to the Foot clan. Donnie scrambled out of his seat in excitement and went to go tell Leo his plan.
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"No." Leo said flatly.
"What do you mean 'no'? It was dynamite!" Donnie said desperately.
"The Shredder knows we don't hold people hostage or kill anyone. Besides, the Shredder is willing to have anyone die as long as he gets what he wants." Leo said, frustration growing in his voice.
"But what else do we have? His lover is dead, Yoshi's dead and he wasn't a weakness anyway, Splinter's no good, what else have we got? Crash his computer system?" Donnie asked angrily.
Leo's eyes lit up hopefully. "That might just work. All of Shredder's plans and contacts are on there."
"I doubt he'd be stupid enough to not have back up files." Donnie said sarcastically.
Leo's face fell and he grew angry again. "There is no way we're stooping down to his level by holding a hostage!" Leo snapped, slamming a fist on the table.
'Yeah, only because you have a huge crush on Karai.' Donnie thought angrily.
Out loud he replied, "Well what do you want me to do? I don't have much to work with here!"
"You're a genius, I'm sure you can figure something out." Leo said bitterly.
Donnie sucked in a breath and his temper flared. "Just because you have to be perfect doesn't mean I have to be dragged right along with you!" Donnie shouted before spinning on his heel and wheeling out of the room.
Leo stared after him in shock. Donnie had never gotten that angry before, he had never even lost his temper like that before.
Leo buried his face in his hands.
'I'm such an ass.'
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Location: Apartment above "The Second Time Around" antique shop
"Hey Casey, pass me that plate will you?" April asked from the sink.
"No." Casey said jokingly as he leaned over her shoulder.
"Don't be an ass and just pass me the damn plate." April said with a grin.
"Fine, but it'll cost you." Casey said slyly as he spun her around to face him.
She smirked. "You're such a prude." She said, grabbing the plate from his hands.
"All right, all right, we'll save that for the honeymoon, but what would you rather do on such a boring night?"
"Watch an old western." April replied immediately.
Casey blinked. "OK, that was a little too quick…But I'll get the movie started…Babe."
April kicked him playfully and they both grinned as they passed each other. That was now their official joke.
April finished the dishes quickly and walked into the living room. It was still odd to have Casey living in her apartment, even though he had been living with her for over two months now. It was still difficult for April to sleep in the same bed as him, or to get used to his annoying habits. Such as hogging the couch and the bed, throwing his stuff anywhere there was space, dealing with his constant temper, and him blasting his music and singing at an unnecessary loud level, that was torture enough, but Casey's singing was far worse. Somehow she was managing to deal with it bit by bit.
Now she had flopped down beside him and he instinctively wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she snuggled into him.
An hour later, April was half-asleep when she heard the sound of footsteps creeping up the stairs…Multiple footsteps.
April nudged Casey who really had fallen asleep. "Casey, did you hear that?" April whispered, her voice tight with fear.
"No." Casey said groggily.
April heard another group of footsteps that now seemed to be coming from the other side of the stairs. April hit Casey in the arm. "Listen."
Casey leaned forward and heard more footsteps. April must have heard it too, because she gripped his arm tightly. "Did you hear that?"
Casey stood up, and April followed him, still attached to his arm.
"Go into the bedroom." Casey said.
"But—" April began.
"Go." Casey said.
April bit her lip and complied.
Casey grabbed his baseball bat that sat beside the couch and cautiously approached the door where the footsteps seemed to be gathering. Casey took a deep breath and braced himself as he wrapped his fingers around the doorknob and slowly opened it…
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April paced the floor impatiently. She could hear the sounds of struggling and banging from the other side of the door coming from the living room.
"Come on Casey…" April asked edgily.
All of a sudden she heard a loud crash and instantly ran to the door and opened the door ajar to gaze through. About fifty foot ninjas had come crashing through the window and were forming a tight circle around Casey where he was trying to fight back the other fifty or more. April saw a glint of something metallic come from one of the foot ninjas that was remaining to the back of Casey, but she couldn't decipher what it was. Suddenly, there was a gunshot, and April covered her mouth as Casey fell to the floor, eyes glazed and unmoving, with no signs of breathing, and blood pooling around him.
April's eyes welled up with tears, and she slammed the door not caring if they heard or not. She ran to her drawer and fumbled around trying to find her cell phone, she knew there was no use in being discreet, they'd probably find her sooner or later and kill her anyway. She shakily dialed the phone number she had learned by heart and pressed herself against the door, using herself as a barrier. She knew she ought to call the police, but the police couldn't get involved in this sort of thing. She stared down at her engagement rind that glinted and she began to slowly break down.
'He's not here…He's not…Anywhere…Anymore…""Hello?" A breathless voice asked on the other line after what seemed like an eternity.
April began to shake and she started to sob uncontrollably. "Donnie…Donnie…" She blubbered.
"April? What's the matter?" Donnie asked, his voice growing concerned.
April let out a shaky breath. "Casey…He's…He's not breathing…He's not…Waking up…He's not…Alive anymore." April said, beginning to grow hysterical.
"April…Where are you?" Donnie asked, his voice growing dead serious.
April's head shot behind her as she felt them all banging on the door and trying to get in…They had found her…This was it…
"I…I have to go." April said, holding back a fresh round of tears.
"April! Wait! I'll come get you! Where are you? Apri—"
April hung up the phone and backed away from the door as more tears began to fall.
In seconds, the door was busted open and a group of foot ninjas fell in.
"Come and take me." April whispered as a wave of grief consumed her.
She heard the gunshot before she saw it, and all she felt was a sharp pain, and she began to gasp as the pain began to burn and become unbearable. She could taste the warm, metallic taste in her mouth, and feel a large rivulet of something dark and sticky running down from her chest. As the pain became unbearable, she collapsed onto the ground and writhed and convulsed in pain as she gazed up at the people clad in black, before her world went black forever.
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Whew! That took longer that the first one! Sorry if some parts are a little OOC. Please review so I can hear your comebacks, and if writing this chapter for about two and a half hours was really worthwhile!