Hello my fellow readers! It's Hannah back with another chapter!
So I may or may not have forgotten to mention that I own the turtles and their friends and Splinter and their comics and their movies and their weapons and Klunk and even their masks! ...
*tiny laugh* ... *small laugh*... *laugh*... *falling over laughing*. . *on the ground crying from laughing*. .. *curls into call and cries because I DONT OWN ANYTHING! *
I hope you like this... it's about to get interesting...Prepare yourself!
Chapter 2: The Death of Prey
1 year and 6 months ago...
They chased him and he ran. With all his might he ran and didn't look back.
The jungle vines flew past, tree roots nipped at his feet and the harsh sun licked at his dark green features as he sped through the hot jungle trying to escape.
Stupid stupid stupid he thought to himself as he staggered slightly tripping on an exposed root. Ishould've seen them coming, should've been more alert.
Gun shots rang through the air as the blue banded turtle wound around a thicket of trees. He sensed a bullet whistling for the back of his head a second before he dipped to the side. The sounds of splintering wood echoed through the heavy air.
Leonardo settled for only a moment to sag against the split tree trying to catch his breath in order to regain enough energy to continue running.
The young leader had seen the men chasing him before. They were hunters and thieves who thrived in the small villages around the place in the forest Leonardo had called home. Leo had seen these men take away many a villager claiming them as being 'wanted for criminal acts.' In actuality it was those men who were the criminals. Taking away sons from mothers and fathers from families in an attempt to gain money from local Militia for supplying them with soldiers.
No villager ever fought against these men, they were too frightened. Too many times they witnessed the gruesome ends the brave ones faced when they foolishly attempted to fight back; decapitation, set in front of a firing squad on the walls of the villages church, and just outright shot in front of God and their families. These were only some of the horrible punishments Leonardo had seen while watching from his perch in the trees.
It was men like these that made Leo happy he had recently become what the villagers downed the 'Ghost of the Jungle.' The young leader had made it his job to protect the innocent people in the small villages. He had foiled many a plot and killed many a murderer. He killed them before they could kill another innocent person…before they could killhim.
If a turtle kills a murderer does that make him a murderer?
From the relieved faces of the poor villagers he had saved he sure hoped not.
Wearing a long dirty hooded disguise covering his twin katanas and green calloused skin Leonardo single-handedly protected many villages.
Perhaps that was why he now was being chased like a dog through the jungle.
Leonardo cursed to himself as he fished out a letter from his belt and tore it up. He had planned on sending the letter to his brothers and Sensei. But right now he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. For whatever reason he did not feel as though he was going to escape this chase. Better destroy any evidence of his small family than have these men find his note. Hell, it even had April and Casey's specific address written in curved cursive on the outside.
The men had caught Leonardo unawares while he was heading to a local village in disguise to mail his letter. The group of men had spotted the turtle and attacked before he had even realized what was happening.
At the time the turtle had been day dreaming of the family he knew were waiting for him at home in New York City. It had been 6 long months and he was ready leave. His training period had ended a few days ago, he was just thinking of how wonderful it would be to step off that plane when he arrived home. Maybe Mikey would make him his favorite food. Maybe Donnie would help bring him up to date on all the new technology he had missed during his 6 month stay in the jungle. Maybe Raph would spar with him so Leo could show the hothead all the new moves he had learned. Maybe Master Splinter would meditate with him.
How happy he would be to see his family again.
Leonardo had planned to leave the harsh jungles of Central America in a week...
Forcing his sore and tired legs to move he ran on frantically hearing deep Spanish voices and the rumbleing of a car following after him.
Gotta make it back to my hide out, if I get there I'm safe.
Quickly the young leader rounded another tree to head west towards the makeshift home he had housed himself in for the past 6 months. He was close, he could tell by the familiar way the trees bent and the vines spread. Half a mile and he would be hidden in the deep underbrush of his home.
In his mad dash he chanced a glance behind him and saw four large Spanish men with semi automatics driving a battered jeep. One of the men whooped and screamed something Leo knew not before he fired his gun at the turtle. Swiftly the ninja inside Leonardo dodged the spray of bullets. Sweat ran down his brow, the pain of running through dense jungle seeped into his body but still he drew himself closer to safety.
By the time he laid eyes on his home he was gasping for breath and growing dizzy. Maybe if he had been a little faster or maybe even a little slower the bullet that flew into his shoulder might have missed.
The sudden jerk of his arm and the fire that engulfed his whole body made him stumble on yet another unseen root.
Then, the mighty leader fell, panting, face first onto the leafy jungle floor. He bit his tongue and closed his eyes as his body was racked with a spasm he would later find out to be the first of many agonizing seizures…
His limbs shot out uncontrollably, erratically. Horror seized his mind.
What the hell is happening?
As quick as they came the first seizer stopped. Leonardo laid there gasping for breath.
Fowl smelling men with unshaven dirty faces and guns adorning their hands surrounded the injured turtle. One man in particular came forward to lightly touch him with his muddy boot.
Leonardo's eyes snapped open, he growled before jumping to his feet to attack the man. He never even got the chance to unsheath his twin katanas. For as he jumped he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him threatening his vision. Before he could attack the man another bullet was fired from point blank range into his right thigh.
Leonardo's world exploded in pain, the bullet tore through the flesh in his leg. Crying out then falling heavenly to the ground Leonardo moaned. Not only was his vision darkening around the edges but the fire that had engulfed his body had now turned into an inferno.
Thus, Leonardo laid there. As God as his whiteness he laid and waited. Unable to move any part of his aching body as blood started to pool around him until is it soaked into the dirt. He could feel the crimson liquid seep out of his shoulder and leg. He could literally feel the life being drained out of him.
It's funny; they say when people die their life flashes before them in torrents of memories. They say you see a bright light and feel the sweet sensation of warmth and protection. They say you either follow that light or fall into a deep abyss of fire and brimstone. If your one of the chosen they say that you hear the whispers of the angles. You are supposed to feel cherished and peaceful.
Leonardo felt nothing of the sort. He felt cold. He felt alone. He felt beaten, torn, denied, weakened and injured.
For the first time in a long time he felt like the teenager he was and not the leader he was supposed to be.
He tried to remember who he was. He tried his damnedest to remember his honor.
He forced his mind to focus on the people he loved; Master Splinter, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, April, Casey and so many more his foggy brain couldn't recall their names.
The four men around the turtle came in and out of focus again and again. He struggled to keep his eyes open.
He was the oldest. He was supposed to be swift and bold and rock steady.
At the moment, though, he did not feel powerful nor brave, he felt like a child.
It wasn't supposed to end this way. He was supposed to die defending one of his brothers or friends. He was supposed to die in the arms of his father with… with his family, in his home. He was supposed to grow old with his brothers. He was supposed to defend his family to the bitter end.
For the first time the mighty Leonardo felt fear. He was about to die the death of prey.
Leonardo, my son, please stay focused Splinters voice whispered into his ear.
Bro come on you can notdie like this! Whose gonna protect me from my nightmares? Who's gonna listen to my stories? Who will I go to when Raphie-boy's tryin' to kill me? Michelangelos smile filled his head.
Come on Leo. Just keep your eye open, that's right, stay alert. Focus on us bro. Come on… concentrate Leo. Donatellos grin swam through his muddled thoughts.
Don' you dare die on me Fearless. Yer our damn leader for Christ sake! If you die I swear I'll fucking kill ya Leonardo. Raphael's playful smirk brushed against the leaders mind.
The men stared down at the dying turtle. None of them seemed fazed by the fact this creature was not human. They just wanted their money.
Suddenly the men parted to let a tall expensive looking man with red fiery hair and cold blue eyes through. He looked American and wore a pair of nice cargo pants with a black long sleeved jacket adorning his shoulders. The cold eyed man squatted down and smiled at the young turtle.
Leonardo focused hard on the strangely familiar man. Even through his concentration he couldn't fight his slowly closing eye lids. His mind grew too foggy to focus as blood loss and exhaustion slowly caused his body to shut down. Determined to not show him his fear the young leader met the ice blue eyes of the strange man.
A smile spread a crossed the man's face as he looked at the beaten turtle.
"Oh Leonardo," he grinned, "how the mighty have fallen." With that the young ninjas head lulled to the side as he lost his battle with consciousness and was plunged into darkness.
The man with red hair and blue eyes, Patrick Hansen, chuckled lowly before standing back up. He turned to his subordinates in fluent Spanish he said, "Pick him up carefully, and take him to the facility. See that his wounds are tended to and make sure he survives. If he doesn't, I promise you there will be hell to pay. After you are finished you will get your money" he growled out the last part before swiftly walking away from the men and getting into his car. Wickedly he grinned to himself. In truth he wasn't planning on paying the thieves and murderers he had recruited to capture the turtle. He had only needed expendables, men who wouldn't be missed. Those fools would all be dead before they even got the chance to be handed their blood money.
Quickly he turned the engine of his car on. As he drove off through the dense jungle he dialed his bosses' number.
Idiots, Hanson thought, I wanted the turtle injured not on the verge of death! To be quite honest Hanson was far from worried as he pulled out of the jungle and onto a dirt road that ran from one village to the next. He knew the scientists at the facility would not let the turtle die. Leonardo was too precious a creature to let die such a meaningless death.
"This better be good" a voice on the other line grunted, annoyed.
"We have him Sir" Hansen smiled to himself.
"Wonderful" the menacing voice on the other end purred before the line went dead and Hansen flipped the phone shut.
The fun was about to begin.
Another chapter up! Woohoo!
So, gimme your thoughts! What do you think? Do you know whats gonna happen next? (I do! - mwahahaha) I am planning on making this a chapter story, I already have the first 6 Chaps written so tell me what you think is going to happen.
Now I'm not saying I completly and utterly love reviews. I'm just saying if, you know, your not too busy and want to make mesuper super superhappy then go head girl (uhh and boys) you gon' head a write a review :) but please no flames, again I'm a new at this:)
Have a good day fellow readers :)