Thank you to all who reviewed! Thanks especially to autumnight, for the constructive critizism. I did stop using dashes on "okay" but putting it in central text was an experiment and I'm still going to carry it out, plus, I rather like it in center. Thank you for your advice! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter Three

Raphael was not in a good mood. He was, of course, aware that he was rarely in a good mood, unless Mikey had just gotten his tail kicked in some way, or when he was kicking Purple Dragon butt with Casey, or riding his Shell Cycle. But Casey was off somewhere with April, Mikey was trapped under a pile of trash that threatened to collapse and crush him at any moment, and his Shell Cycle was sitting in pieces at home. Thus, he was not in a good mood.

The fact that a bunch of Purple Dragons had decided to mess with his brothers just made it worse. He'd make them pay, after he got Mikey out from under a pile of bricks and gave him a good pop on the head for having the talent of getting in trouble. Musta inherited it from Leo. He thought, exasperated. It only figured that his oldest brother and his youngest brother had the unfortunate ability to attract trouble. Don had always been the smartest one and pretty much kept out of trouble, though he wasn't that great at watching his back. The red masked turtle glared at the road that was fast disappearing under his wheels and then glanced at his older brother, Leonardo.

Leo looked cool and quiet as always, to the regular observer, who was used to observing giant turtles. But Raph had more insight to his brothers than he got credit for and he could tell from the way Leo's lips were pressed together tightly and how he kept most of his weight forward, like he'd have to leap up and away at any moment. He didn't want to show it, but he was worried about Mikey. Raphael glanced back at the road and quickly swerved to avoid an eight-wheeler.

"Watch the road, Raph." Leo's voice was quiet, but when Raph glanced at him, he was grimacing at his hands.

"Yeah, yeah, I could drive this road in my sleep." He snapped back. But nevertheless, he kept his eyes on the road. Finally,

"Are you worried about Donnie and Mikey?" Leo laughed dryly.

"Of course I am. I always worry. That's my job." Raphael glared at him, frustrated but

understanding. Leonardo took the world on his shoulders and probably spent most of his time worrying about his siblings. If he had hair, it'd all be gray.

"What, me too? I can take care of myself, you know!" He growled, as he watched for the turning signal that would let him onto the street where the junkyard was. Leonardo made an exasperated sound, watching the road as viligantly as Raphael was.

"I know that, but your temper gets you in trouble." Raph glared out the window, but Leonardo wasn't finished.

"Of course, like Master Splinter said, you're loyal and that makes up for it. Sometimes.. Plus, we all have our faults. You'd be plain irritating if you didn't have a flaw." He was smiling when Raph rolled his eyes.

"This is where Mikey would pop in with some insult about how you're irritating anyway." Leo joked.

"Oh, and you agree, huh?" Raph demanded, but it was with the wry and sarcastic humor that he had his older sibling joked around in. Leo chuckled.

"And if I do? Think you can do something about it?" Raphael nodded, his lips curling up in his fierce expression of eagerness for a fight.

"Hah, I know I can do something about it, O Fearless One!" He waited for a reply about not studying Bushido enough to be better than him, but there was only,

"Here." Leo's eyes were trained on the road and he was leaning forward more than before. Raph swerved so hard that he was sure the screeching tires could have been heard in New Jersey, like Mikey complained that his snoring was. Leo gripped the sides of his chair to steady himself but never looked away from the Purple Dragon infested junkyard. Both of the turtles stared into the chaos, both thinking in the same emotion,

My brothers are in there somewhere. Instead of bothering to slow down and park, Raph hit the gas pedal and rammed into the fence. The weak metal links were ripped apart and the truck busted through without a scratch. Leo couldn't help but grin as Raph turned the wheel hard and they swerved, tires screeching, to parallel a trash pile. Junk flew everywhere as the truck fell back unto all four wheels.

"Nice parallel parking." Leo complimented as he leapt out of the vehicle, Raph right behind him. They got out just in time for Leo to realize with alarm that Don's bo staff was on the ground and a gangster was pulling the trigger to his gun. Crack. Raphael snarled in rage, barreling past Leo and hitting the unfortunate Dragon with the force of a bulldozer. Leonardo followed him, focused totally on his fallen brother. Donatello was laying on his side, facing away from him, and the blue banded turtle couldn't tell if he was breathing or not.

A Purple Dragon was suddenly in front of him and Leo cut him down without a thought, throwing a swift kick to knock him out of the way. He'd get to Don if there was a thousand Purple Dragons between them. And that gunshot. He gritted his teeth, swinging his katana one after another, sweeping a path of falling men around him. If Don was dead, he'd...

Finally, he got to his brother and knelt, snapping with dismay and fear that was barely contained in his voice,

"Don? Don, answer me!" He grabbed the limp shoulders, about to shake him, but stopped and, remembering his lessons in first aid, put two fingers on Don's neck instead, glancing at the bullet wound and frowning. It didn't look like it had gone very deep into the plastron, which was pretty tough, but it had pierced the skin. Leo bit his lip and then breathed out with a whoosh in relief when he felt the steady pump of blood under his fingers. He was no doctor or scientist, but, as far as he could tell, the bullet hadn't gone far enough to do much damage to anything vital. But, he frowned as he noted that blood was seeping as steadily as Don's heartbeat from the wound and that was a big warning sign.

His brow furrowed when he saw the big bruise forming on Don's shoulder. Shell, he must've gotten hit with something huge. He started to look around, hoping for a place to put Don and then try to find Mikey when a very concerned and loud voice demanded from right next to him,

"DONNIE! ARE YOU OKAY?" Leo nearly jumped five feet in the air when Mikey yelled that. His katana swung out and he jerked them to a halt, remembering Don's warning about the pile of bricks and the truck.

"Mikey? Are you all right?" He demanded, concern for his youngest brother rushing out as he picked Don up, as carefully as possible and trying not to let the effort it took show on his face, and laid him out of sight from the battling Purple Dragons. Raph was holding his own without a problem; the dark rage on his face alone gave him the advantage.

"To take Raph's line, 'Peachy.' How's Don?" Leo knew Mikey had paid no attention to his question and probably wouldn't until he knew how his brother was.

"Don's fine for now. He won't be fighting though. How are you? What's your position, exactly? Don said was that you were buried under rubble and a truck. Sounds like fun." He grinned at the indignant expression he knew was growing on Mikey's face.

"Yeah, just great, if you're claustriphobic and have a love for lying under giant heavy trucks. Sound like fun to you?" He demanded, sounding not in the least happy about his position.

"Well, uh, I'm laying on my stomach and I'm facing you.." Leo frowned, staring at the junk.

"You can see me? How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Twelve." Mikey said sarcastically. "No, I can't see you, but I'm facing your voice."

"Are you hurt?" Leo asked. Raphael joined him, jabbing a thumb back at the motionless Purple Dragons.

"They ain't stirrin' for awhile. Mikey, you 'kay?" Mikey rolled his eyes and wished his brothers could see him. At least Raph couldn't slap him on the head.

"Hey, Raph. Yes, I'm fine. Oh, my leg's bleeding I think, 'cuz something warm and wet is trickling toward my head, which isn't creepy at all, and I've got this huge bruise on my head and every time I move it, even just a little, I get all dizzy and woozy which is great because most of my vision is blocked by my arm which is bleeding too, and my back's having a hay day, cuz, you know, it's not every day you have a truck fall on you, right? Yep, doing good." He knew he was ranting and he needed to stop, but Mikey couldn't help it.

He'd never admit it, but the orange-clad turtle was scared. Terrified, actually. He'd never admit it, but he was hating being stuck under a truck, if anyone found that weird and he doubted it. There was a pause and then,

"We'll get you out of there, Mikey." Raph told him. "I promise." His voice was so deep, so sure, that Mikey knew that if Leo didn't find a way to save him then Raph would. He smiled.

"I know."

"Just wait and don't move." Leo stepped back and looked the pile over. Raph strode over to where Leo had deposited Don and clenched his fists.

"He'll be a'right?" His question directed at Leo, who sheathed his katana, ignoring the Purple Dragons who were fleeing now that the odds were somewhat evened out. The blue banded turtle nodded, saying,

"I think so. The bullet didn't get too far, but it's bleeding pretty bad, so can you find something to wrap it with?" Raph's nostrils flared, as he turned and went through the trash, asking with a curled lip,

"Is any of this okay to use on 'im? It's trash in a junkyard." He pointed out.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious! Tell us something we don't know." Mikey was happy, however, with the opportunity to insult and tease his brother out of slapping rage. Raph looked up at the sky and growled.

"Mikey, if-"

"Yeah, yeah, empty threats, Raph." His fingers curled into fists as he glared in his brother's direction.

"Man, I would-"

"You would what? Chase me around?"

"Hah! As if you would have any chance of escaping me!" Raphael laughed at the possibility.

"Hey, the Turtle Titan doesn't take insults from lowly-"

"Guys! I'm trying to think here!" Leo glared at the both of them, or rather, at a sulking Raph and a pile of bricks. "I need Don's brain right now. How do I get you out without making it all fall?"

"Don was knocking the bricks off the top. Don't take any out from the middle or bottom. It might collapse." Mikey said helpfully. The two brothers gave each other exasperated glances, as Raph said with a grin,

"Thank you, Captain Obvious!" Mikey grumbled and Leonardo wanted to headslap them both.

"Raph, keep looking for bandages and do it quickly." He unsheathed his katana and began carefully lifting and moving bricks from on top of the pile. The pile was about two feet taller than he was, which made it difficult, but he was glad it wasn't as tall as the other piles, which were even higher. That would have been bad.

No, focus on the task at hand. Concentrate. One brick at a time. He narrowed his eyes and after a small pile of bricks that nearly reached his knees had collected beside him, he asked,

"Is that any better Mikey?"

"Yeah..." His voice was quiet and a little dreamy. Leo stared at the junk pile, concerned.

"Mikey? You okay, bro?" There was a pause, making his stomach tighten, before,

"Uh-huh.." He frowned.

"Doesn't sound like it. Let me know if anything goes wrong in there." Mikey nodded woozily and then glared at a piece of wood.

"I'm nodding, Leo." He said, examining that plank of wood. It had several strange-looking knots in it and names scratched in it. Probably two star-crossed highschool lovers or something. Not that he was interested, but he didn't have anything better to do, right? Leo was busy, Raph was off somewhere, and Don was unconscious. He frowned, still staring at the plank of wood.

Leo couldn't take the silence anymore. It wasn't that he didn't mind it, but Mikey never shut up. He was never this quiet. Never.

"What's on your mind, Mikey?" He asked, just wanting to make Mikey talk. The orange banded turtle blinked, trying to concentrate on the question.

"Um.... Wood." Leo tried not to laugh as he lifted another brick and transferred it slowly to the pile.

"Wood, huh?"

"Yeah... Some highschooler sweethearts signed it.. They're probably at each other's throats now." He tilted his head slightly and flinched. Yep, no moving the head.

"Oh, so now you're the romance expert, huh? Been watching Master Splinter's soap operas?" Mikey snorted, picturing the corny soaps his sensei and father loved.

"Yeah, right! Those melodramatic little shows? Hah! My comics are much better than them. The Justice Leagure rules." He said it with conviction and smiled at the planks. That was something he could think about. Being a superhero had been fun and the Turtle Titan had been an awesome alias. Leo couldn't help but laugh at that.

"I dunno, Mikey, I like my books and they're probably better than your comics." Mikey shifted slightly, now glaring at the piece of wood.

"What-"

"Guys, we've got problems." Raph's voice was sharp. Leo spun around, sliding the brick he had been holding onto the pile. Joined by the muscular red-banded turtle, he stared at the newcomer.

"Whoa.." He said, startled. "Didn't see that coming." In front of them stood a six foot man with strange missile-launchers attached to his left arm, and his right arm had been replaced by a sword that attached at his elbow. He was done up in leather armor that looked tough. It was done in scales that allowed him to move easily, sliding over his shoulders and upper arms, as well as across his chest and down the sides of his legs, protecting the tendons there.

Leo could tell just by looking at this guy that he would be tough to beat.