He walks the night.

Alone. Restless. Ready.

Clad in black, masked, he was a shadow among shadows, a whisper among the murmurs and mumbles of the dark. Night after night, clothed in black, mask covered face, he stalks the wild, dark streets. Because the only thing that seems to keep the demons inside him at bay are taking out the real-life demons that came out at night.

They call him Phantom and he is everywhere.

"I still can't believe that you actually wrote this crap. I mean 'Unknown, unseen, unwanted, he stalks the hunters in the steaming jungle that is the city.' where the hell did you come up with that? Talk about over dramatic Pennington."

"You're just sore you didn't think of it first." came a muffled reply from the kitchen.

"Pfft, whatever kid." Casey Jones shot back. A small smile showing on his face as he leafed through the book. Still amazed at what the scrawny punk had done and the man he had turned into.

"You seen him lately?" he asked, as he tossed the book onto the coffee table and accepted the bottle held out to him.

Casey studied the younger man next to him. Danny Pennington. He met the kid through unbelievable circumstances. At one time they stood on opposite sides of a growing problem, but connected and changed through the strange family that brought them together in the first place. He had watched the little punk grow into a bigger punk, then a man who stood against his father to enlist and become a marine. The adopted little brother who learned about engines from him, who Dan grieved with when he lost childhood friends and brothers in arm; who had grieved with him when he lost Karen and helped him climb out of the black he found himself in after; helped him raise his children and celebrate every special occasion since.

"No, but then it is that time of year." Dan answered as settled into the recliner. Both let the silence stretch out, lost in own thoughts, but both were thinking about the same thing.

Casey knew that things were gonna change when April and Don came back with out the other guys. He just hadn't realized how much. Donnie wasn't the techno-goofball anymore and he and Splinter were hardly ever in contact with anyone topside. Then on the one year mark, Don had called and said Splinter had past and if he would let April, Keno, Danny, and Professor Perry know.

A week after the funeral, Casey had gone to visit Don, only to find the lair boxed up and a letter asking Casey to store everything until Don came back.

Almost two years would pass before they would see him again.

"He'll probably stop by later next week, if not this weekend. Promised he would see the tape Ry made on his class trip to the museum."

Dan nodded, rising to grab another beer and bring another back with him for Case.

"Gonna enjoy the quiet with them at your mom's for the weekend?"

"Probably not. I'll end up turning on something in every room." Casey admitted with a grin just as his cell rang. He headed to front of the house as Dan cleared the take-out containers and empty bottles from the coffee table. With clean up out of the way, he took a moment to study the man that had become a strong presence in his life.

Casey Jones was part friend, part big brother, and even part father to him. He kicked his butt when it needed kicking and some times when it hadn't. He took him in and stood beside him when his own father had thrown him out when he told him he was joining the Marines after graduation. They had stood together when Dan buried old friends and fellow Marines. He stood by Casey when April left and when he buried Karen, his wife, three years ago. He moved in to help with the kids and then moved across the street when Casey got his life back together.

A short series of taps on the kitchen window caught his attention. A glance over his shoulder didn't reveal anyone or anything there, but as soon as he turned away he heard them again. Thinking it was some neighbor kid fooling around, he eased off to the side so no one looking in could see him. When the taps came again he opened the window trying to grab whoever was out there, only to have his arm twisted behind his back as he was pulled half out the window. His free hand tried to grab the window frame, but he soon found himself face first against the side of the building half in, half out the window.

"Thought you were a Marine Pennington." a soft gruff voice rumbled out of the darkness.

Dan quit struggling the second he heard the voice,

"Hey Don, long(grunt) time no see…"

His arm was freed and he felt himself being pulled up and pushed back inside. He staggered a little to regain his balance as a figure jumped in behind him and closed the window,

"Took you long enough to let me in. Waiting for the neighbors to catch a glimpse of me."

Before Dan could shoot back a comment a pungent odor caught his attention,

"What the hell Don, you reek!"

"Yeah, well you wouldn't smell like sunshine and daisies after swimmin' in the Hudson either." Don shot out as he pulled off his bandana. He rung it out before draping it over the faucet.

"Why were you in the Hudson?" Dan asked from behind the hand he had clamped over his nose and mouth as he watched Don pull out all of his little gadgets.

"Interrupted a CD robbery and found out they had a meeting with the Foot. Apparently De la Vario been meeting up with the Foot, with Itachi running it, Dragons crashed and then the cops showed. It was either get through them and make the 10 o'clock news or go for a swim. Figured I wasn't dressed to be on the news."

He caught the towels Dan threw at him and left his gadgets drying on the counter and his phantom gear in the sink,

"I'll get that stuff later, gonna use the shower."

He headed down the hall before Dan could say anything. The bathroom closed just as Dan left out a small laugh.

"Hey Dan who ya talking to back here?" Casey asked.

"Give you one guess" he replied, gesturing to all the gadgets and gear.

Cranking the hot water on, he let the shower run as he unlocked and removed the metal limb that served as his right hand. Tapping it against the sink a couple times as his mind was lost in thought before setting it to the side on the hand towel. He braced himself against the sink on his left hand and stared at himself in the mirror, not seeing his reflection but reliving the meeting he had crashed.

The fact that the Cobra Diablos were meeting with the Foot was trouble, but the fact that Itachi was representing the Foot and that Karai apparently not knowing anything about the meetings were what was bothering him the most. Although The CDs' had only been around for the last five or six years, they had grown quickly and had become a bigger problem than the PDs' ever were.

With a sigh he turned and entered the shower, braced against the wall, he simply let the water beat down against his head and shoulders for a few minutes. He was exhausted, sore and sick of how his life was going. Between the small time muggers, wanna be thieves, and regular crooks his nights were packed, but then you add in the PDs, CDs, and Foot and it made for one exhausted crime fighter.

With a tired sigh he turned the water down from scalding to hot and set to work on not smelling like week old garbage left to rot in the sun.

In the end he used up the bottle of Casey's body wash as well as a bar and a half of soap. He mentally thanked Casey or Danny for the sweats that were sitting on the counter waiting for him. They both knew how he felt about his scars and although he grew up not wearing clothes, now he felt uncomfortable because he figured all anyone saw were those scars.

This time when he looked in the mirror he saw himself. His left hand automatically going to his right shoulder; the discolored massive burn scar that ran half way to toward the locking mechanism implanted in his arm and half along his collar bone.

It was one scar that he could never regret and never forget how it came to be. As his finger ran over it…

He could smell the smoke that choked the air in the building as he raced up the stairs. He heard their terrified screams as he used his shoulder to open the door. Burning splinters imbedding themselves in his flesh. He can taste the blood in his mouth as he bites his tongue and uses his shoulder to move the burning beam out of the way. He could see…

"Don you ok?"

Shaking his head, he didn't answer as he pulled the black hoodie on and opened the door,

"'m fine." he brushed past Dan, heading back to the kitchen.

"Donnie, long time no see." Casey said as he caught sight of his long time friend. When Don just grunted at him, he held out a bottle,

"You look like you need a drink."

He held his breath for a few seconds before letting it out and relaxing. He gave Case a small smirk as he took the offered bottle,

"Thanks Case-man. Its good to see you." before the three of them headed back into the living room.


Meanwhile…

Deep under the city something was happening. Dust and dirt began swirling round and round; streaks of lights were appearing again and again; the area seemed to hum with energy and with flash of light three figures seemingly fell from no where to land atop each other.

As suddenly as it had all began, it was over.

The dust settled, the wind stopped and the area was plunged back into darkness for a moment before a few stray beams of moonlight shone in through a grate further down the tunnel.

A groan echoed through the station. Soft scraps and scuffles could be heard as though someone was moving about.

"Ooowww my head" a voice whined.

"Shud up Mike" a gruff voice order.

"Both of you quiet" a third voice order, "We don't know where we are or if there is anyone else nearby that could hear us."

Both the other voices grumbled and mumbled as they freed themselves from the pile they had fallen into. Their eyes adjusting to the semi-darkness after a couple of minutes past.

"Wait here, I'm going to go check out that light." a voice order.

"Whatev' Leo, I ain't waiting around, let just go." a gruff voice answered.

A lifetime of training had them melting into the shadows even as they moved towards the light. Problem was, you couldn't stay in the shadows and look up into the light.

A siren broke the silence of the night, followed by the screech of a cat and the clattering of trash cans.

"We're back."

Mike stepped out into the moonlight as he gazed up at the world above. They were back in New York.

"But how…?" he asked without looking away.

"It must have been that puzzle box." Leo answered as he moved next to his younger brother, still remaining half in the shadows.

Raph remained in the shadows, not wanting to believe what had happened. He had been happy in Japan and now they were back living like moles and hiding from the world. So lost in his mind, he didn't notice right away when Leo spoke to him,

"Raph, come on. We need to find Splinter and Donnie." Leo said once he finally got brother's attention back. Without waiting for a response, he turned and headed further down the tunnel, looking for a manhole cover. In order to find the lair, they had to know where they were.

After a quick trip topside, Leo found they were two miles South of the lair. But the quick recon trip up had Leo also realizing something wasn't right and rather than take a chance running across the roofs, they stayed in the sewers.

But after only a half mile, the Raph and Mike also found that something wasn't right as they kept running into dead ends, closed off tunnels and new tunnels that had been there before they left to retrieve April.

But the biggest shock came when they finally arrived at the lair or at least what used to be the lair.

Because they knew instant they climbed down the ladder that they would not find their father and brother here.

Leo found the power box and quickly turned the power on. Only three of the lights above turned on, but it was enough to see that this place had been abandoned long ago.

The train cars had collapsed in on themselves, only one remained partially standing. Dust covered everything. There were no obvious signs that anyone was there or that anyone had even ever been there.

Mike was the one to realize that all of their stuff was gone,

"Dudes, there's nothing here." Mike's voice was soft as looked to his oldest brother for answers.

"We'll have to head topside. There are no answers here." Leo said as he turned and headed back up the stairs. Raph followed behind after a moment. Mike was froze as he looked around what had been their home,

"Mikey, let's go." Leo called out.

As he walked past, he turned the power back off and the station was plunged back into darkness. He stopped at the top of the stairs and looked back over the darkness, just barely able to make out the outline of the last train car. With a sigh, he quickly climbed the ladder and raced to catch up to his brothers.

They remained in the sewers only long enough to find a manhole Leo deemed safe to exit out of. Then they were but shadows as they scaled the nearby fire escape and hit the rooftops.

"So what's the plan Leo?"

"We need information." Raph shot his older brother his 'are you seriously gonna just state the obvious'.

"We already know tha' Leo."

"Uh, guys…"

"Look Raph I don't know what you"

"Guys"

"What we need at do is"

"GUYS!"

"What Mikey?" Leo snapped, finally noticing that Mike had his 'chucks out and had backed closer to him and Raph,

"We got company." was all that was said as Leo and Raph both drew their own weapons as they realized they were surrounded by who they soon recognized as Foot Ninja.


Don had stayed only long enough to drink his beer. Casey had already tossed his nasty smelling clothes into the wash and found an older set of phantom clothes. With the promise to come back later in the week, he suited back up and headed back out into the night.

For some reason as he ran across rooftops, his mind drifted and he soon found himself near the old lair.

He paused when he could hear the faint sounds of a nearby fight. It took him a few moments to locate the alleyway the fight was coming from. As he looked down trying to determine if he needed to step in, he noticed three shapes that looked like..

'No it couldn't be. They were gone. They weren't real. It's just a trick to draw…'

"MIKEY!"

"God Damn it!" he swore as he leapt over the edge into the fight below.


I'm sorry about the long wait on continuing my stories. I have most of the next chapter in 'Waiting' typed up and something started on the next chapter for 'Changed'. Not saying when they will be up though. I'll do my best to get them up soon, I hope.