Alrighty, sorry about the long wait! Again I apologize for the abhorrent way I have portrayed Raph's accent.
DISCLAIMER: Nope, still don't have them in my clutches (yet).
Chapter 4: Traipsing Terrors (A/N - I know, it's random. Blame my sleep-deprived mind)
6:00 PM – The Rooftops
RAPH:
I have ta say, I've seen some terrifyin' tings in ma day-to-day mutant life. I've befriended a giant mutant crocodile, gone toe ta toe wit' an alien blob named afta a cookin' utensil, battled wit' and against superhuman clones, stolen a spacecraft (twice) from an alien dinosaur dictator…ya name it, we've done it.
But this one sure as hell takes the cake.
Leo, ma big bro, was kneelin' on tha ground in front o' some Stockman wannabe, wit' no weapons or escape routes in sight. Da Foot were swarmin' round him like bees to honey, more in one place than I've eva seen. And trust me, I've seen ma fair share of Foot.
I thought they were supposed to have broken up afta Karai stepped down, I bitterly thought, Looks like their bosses back in Japan decided ta make a comeback.
However my main focus quickly shifted to the gleamin' tanto poised just o'er ma bro's exposed throat.
And that was what terrified meh the most.
Yeah, I said it. I was fucking scared out of my shell. I could already feel the panic creepin' inta tha back of ma mind, fillin' me wit' deep feelings of horror and dread that curled round ma heart and squeezed ma lungs til I could barely breath.
For once, anger was not tha overrulin' emotion in ma mind or heart.
It was fear. Pure paralyzin' fear.
But that didn't last long. The rage soon came, quickly sweepin' through my body from my head, to my toes, to my twirlin' sais tips.
If I felt angry with Leo before, the primal fury coursin' through my veins made earlier seem like a birthday party. I wouldn't be surprised if ma eyes had started glowing red or somethin'. It felt like I'd stepped outta ma body to watch the show, allowin' someone else to take over. Someone capable of anger beyond even ma usual temper.
And trust me, he definitely wouldn't have any mercy fer these bastards stupid enough ta threaten my brother. Ninja honour or no.
I hoped some of these Foot soldiers would have enough sanity to take cover cause there would be no force in tha high heavens strong enough to keep me from ma big bro.
For a few seconds we all kinda stared at each other. Me at da Foot, particularly on the geek holding the knife on Leo, and da Foot at me. Ya know, all 100 Foot soldiers with meh in their bug-eye sights. But that didn't last long.
I'm guessing the son of a bitch wearing the lab coat was the leader, since he started callin' out orders.
"Kame o kyapucha shimasu. Deddōāraibu." He calmly stated while pointin' at me. Now I'm a little rusty with my Japanese, not as good as Splinter Jr. over there, but I'm pretty sure he said somethin' bout capturing me dead or alive.
Oh, he'll capture me alright, I grimly thought, flexing my hands over the familiar leather sais handles, When he's pried these sais from ma cold, dead, green fingers. I've never been one to back down from fights, even wit' Fearless orderin' a retreat. And I sure as shell wasn't gonna start now.
Barin' ma teeth in a snarl, I charged in without a second thought, hackin' my way through the Foot crowdin' round me. Hit. Twist. Block. Turn. Slide. Split Kick. Stab. Repeat. A well-practiced rhythm for me that I now channeled wit' every fiber of ma bein' as I moved towards my brother…inch by agonizin' inch.
But of course these Foot soldiers were like cockroaches or somethin'. They just kept comin' and comin' know matta how many times you knocked 'em down. I already knew by the uniforms that these were our very favorite Foot tech ninja and snorted, How else would they be able ta sneak up on ma big bro. Some were already fiddlin' with the dials on their uniforms, tryin' ta go inta stealth mode. Like hell ya will, ya bastards, I thought and pressed my attack.
While I was dealin' with these bozos I quickly snuck a glance o'er at ma bro. I could see him desperately tryin' to turn his head without decapitating himself to see what was going on. I briefly locked eyes with 'im and could see all the emotions he was tryin' ta convey in one look: surprise, guilt, anger, guilt, grief, guilt, enough with guilt already Fearless! …and I thought I saw a flicker of love burnin' beneath it all, giving me the strength to keep pushing, keep fighting for my older brother.
I couldn't help but smirk a little, Geez, who knew I could get so mushy in tha middle of a fight. But this is my brother, my only big brother, who I was fightin' tooth and nail for. He was my leader and despite how much I deny it, I would follow him. And when I got us both outta here I would swallow ma ego and tell him that. Not to mention apologize o'er and o'er to him bout earlier til his ears bled.
I paused fer a brief second. The bodies were already pilin' up round me, some moaning, some unconscious, some…not lookin' like they won't be gettin' up again. I felt the guilt begin tricklin' into me and quickly shoved it back, Who'm I, Fearless? I'll worry bout the crappy remorse later. Right now ma priority's ta get Leo outa here still in one piece.
I glanced o'er over at ma bro again. That bastard with the lab-coat still had a tanto pressed against his throat and was watchin' the battle with beady eyes that reminded meh of a vulture or somethin'. I felt like I was under a spotlight tha way his gaze raked over me and couldn't help but shudder. Remind meh ta roll in some bleach and antiseptic when I get home.
Suddenly a kick caught me in the ribs, causin' me to stumble back close to the ledge. I could hear my bro call out in warnin' as my heels brushed o'er the edge, but I quickly caught ma balance and I snarled as I ran a count on their numbers. Great, I sarcastically thought, Now I'm turnin' into a combination of Leo and Don. What the shell is this world comin' ta.
I quickly ran ma eyes over the roof fer a ninja head count and inwardly cursed. There're still too many, I thought and scoffed, and I'll bet ma bike these boys in black have called fer backup by now. I paused, weighin' ma options. I love a good head bustin' as much as the next hothead, but even I can't take on all da Foot in New York at once.
I tensed as they closed in, preparin' for round two and tightened the grip on ma precious sais, Well, at least if I go down, I go down in a fight tryin' to protect ma family. I glanced o'er at Leo who was starin' at me with absolute horror on his face. He probably had come to a similar conclusion. I closed my eyes briefly and gathered myself and opened them to nod at ma bro, tryin' to channel all the feelings of love and regret I could toward him. I'm sorry bro, I desperately thought, I hope someday you'll be able to forgive me fer everythin' I've done ta ya. I dodged a shuriken aimed at ma heart and quickly refocused ma attention on the bozos slowly surrounding me. I growled and drew myself inta a defense position, ready to fight 'till ma blood painted all corners of this rooftop.
Suddenly a shout rang across the roofs. "Hōrudo. Watashi no shingō o machimasu." We (yeah, even da Foot were surprised) all turned to see the bastard holdin' Leo hostage slowly movin' toward us while repeating the order.
I personally couldn't make heads or tails of what he was blabberin' on about, but at least it made da Foot back off a few feet. I wasn't sure whether to whoop in celebration or dread that something worse may be coming.
The son of a bitch soon was standing only 10 feet away from me. He forced Fearless down on his knees and continued pressin' the tanto into his neck, then finally looked up at me and spoke, "Ah, you must be Raphael. I've read in the reports that you do have a rather violent way of fighting and you have not disappointed tonight."
The Doc stared at me like he was taking careful notes in his head to store away for later. It kinda reminded me of Don, 'cept his eyes were not the kind and gentle eyes my younger brother possessed. His eyes were black, cold and calculatin', like a shark. I repressed a shudder, Come on, ya can't let them see ya scared. Ya have ta remain strong and get Leo outta here. So I took my typical short-tempered approach.
Keepin' ma defense pose in case one of da Foot soliders got lil' 'shuriken-happy' I snarled, "Let go of my brother you sick son of a bitch or I'll stick my sais where the sun sure don't shine."
The man simply cocked his head, completely unfazed by my threat. I growled, What kinda sicko is this? He ain't even scared of me? Not that I gotta swelled head, but a snarlin' 5 foot bipedal ninja turtle should leave any sane person running fer their lives. I scoffed, Looks like we've got a new loony on tha' block.
"I'm afraid that proposition would be highly disagreeable for both of us, Raphael." He finally replied. His voice sounded funny, like he'd walked out of a James Bond movie or somethin'. I'm bettin' he's one of those classic mad scientists who just can't wait to cut us inta turtle soup. I growled inwardly, Well sorry ta rain on yer parade, but it ain't gonna happen.
I merely glared at him, "'Fraid ya lost me, Doc. I don't see how getting' ma bro outta yer clutches don't benefit me."
I swear the temperature dropped bout 10 degrees when he smiled, "Ah, but I'm afraid you missed the earlier conversation Leonardo and I were having." I narrowed my eyes as he continued, "You see, I simply ask to take Leonardo with me for some…tests. Oh don't worry," he added when I growled at his statement, "You would be free to leave and the rest of your family would remain quite safe in your home down in the sewers." I couldn't helpt but flinch at his words, He knows bout Donnie, Mikey and Sensei? I thought, and paused as his whole statment sunk in, Shell, he even knows where we live.
"In short," he concluded, "If you leave Leonardo with me without any attempts at rescue, I would guarantee you and your family's safety." He smirked at me, "What will you do, Raphael? Will you put your whole family in harm's way or keep them safe while sealing another's doom." He looked me in the eye, "The choice is yours."
Damn, I hate dilemmas I was torn. I wanted to protect my family, clear and simple, but I couldn't allow the bastard to take away Leo. He's our leader, our big brother, the glue that helps to hold our family together. I closed my eyes, I can risk Fearless' anger and put the whole family in danger, or make sure they're safe and live with the guilt fer the rest of ma life.
I opened my eyes and caught Leo's gaze. His eyes were widened in shock, signaling that Doc here had probably laid out some different terms while he and Fearless were chatting. Seems like the bastard has no problem breaking his promises, I grimly thought, So I don't even know if he would actually leave us alone even if he took Leo with him. I smiled, but it didn't reach ma eyes. Then I definitely have an answer for the Doc.
I turned my glare full force at the son of a bitch, "Never, you bastard. In this family it's no turtle left behind. So hand over ma bro afore I make you."
He raised an eyebrow and simply stared down at me. I tensed, Alright hothead, be ready for anythin'. I thought, There's no tellin' what the bastard may do.
He finally answered, "Ah, so touching to see such a close-knit family. But even between family members there are secrets. And even they can tear the closest family apart." He gave me another chillin' smile and looked down at Fearless, "Come now, Leonardo. I'm sure your brother would love to hear what you've been keeping from your whole family."
I narrowed my eyes, Secrets? No one in our family can keep a secret wit' three nosy bros and a Sensei that can smell a lie a mile away. And Leo's honest as the day is long. He would never keep a secret from us. We know everying' bout each other.
"Oh don't be shy, Leonardo." The Doc persisted, smirking at me. "When were you going to tell them about the stage 3 heart cancer?"
…'cept that…
Dun, dun, dun, DUUUUN. I know, I am so evil. The next chapter should be up an running soon!
Meanwhile, feel free to rant about the unfairness of my cliffhangers in the review text box...