Chapter 4

"What monster Don, is it a wolf or a witch?" Leo asked patiently while rubbing soothing circles on the smaller child. "Big monster teeth Leo. They bit me here." He pointed at his right side.

He looked up to Leo a tear sliding down his cheek the fright starting to settle down more. Leo hugged his little brother tightly and retrieved to the mattress cradling Don so he could sleep peacefully once again.

The next morning Raph woke up first; his brown hair all messed up from his pillow, blinking rapidly to get rid of the doziness of the morning. Mikey was right next to him and behind his little brother were his twin and older brother.

Looking around he realized that they weren't at their house but a new more spacious room. Then he remembered that they spend the night at their teacher's house. He got up and went to the bathroom to wash himself up. Coming back out he saw Mikey holding Klunk in his tiny hands; the little bugger probably sneaked in after they fell asleep and Mikey must've grabbed him.

Raph left the room and bumped into Splinter who was also on his way down to the living room. "Hello little one, did you sleep well?" he asked Raphael as they descended the staircases together. Raph nodded and sat on the table. They ate together as Splinter asked about their houses' chores Raph had worked on.

Raph told him about how Leo and he made two small walls on both sides of the river so they can guide it safely out to the plants and not risk flooding last week. Don helped to make the three wooden stairs before their veranda and got lots of splinters in the process.

Splinter told him about his visit to his daughter; how it was very dull and unexciting as always making the little guy giggle uncontrollably. Suddenly there was a sound of footfalls coming towards them. Mikey appeared to the stairs with Klunk in his arms and a giant grin on his face. "Good mornin' Splinter, good mornin' Raphie."

"Good morning Michelangelo did you sleep well?" Splinter asked.

"Yes Splinter." He replied while getting up to a chair, leaving Klunk down to stretch his legs. The little kitten stretched his front and back legs and after that he lied down, next to a table's leg calmly waiting to eat breakfast with the rest of them.

Not long afterwards Leo came downstairs while carrying a half asleep Don in his arms. Settling him in a chair he took a seat right across his teacher and served both Don and himself some toast with cheese and milk.

Then they headed to the library for their morning lessons. During that time Mikey was coloring in a small notepad Splinter had just for him but something caught his attention.

Across to where he was there was a glass window and as Mikey stared he noticed it again. A shadowy figure right on the corner of the window was watching him with cold cat-like green eyes, not even blinking. A familiar chill ran down his spine but he ignored it.

Feeling brave he approached the window's frame touching it lightly; the figure had gone but Mikey could still feel its dark aura around him. He raised the window slightly open but no one was there.

Splinter spotted the young one out of his usual corner and looking out of the window with a confusing look to his face. Mikey tried to go through the door but Splinter stopped him with a firm expression. "You can't go outside without someone else Michelangelo.

Please go sit until we are done." "Okay Mr. Hamato." But he wasn't done yet. He would show that monster what would she get for even looking at his family wrong. He was scared but determinant at his decision.

So when his brothers and teacher concentrated on their work again he carefully slipped through the barely opened door and run towards to the back of the library. No one was there; just a few trees and the white fence Splinter used to separate his home from the others. Sudden pale cold hands grabbed him from behind muffling his mouth and throwing and him in a worn, straw brown bag and tying it tightly. Not wasting any more time the captor jumped the fence and ran like crazy causing Mikey to tumble and bounce inside the bag.

Meanwhile Raph raised his head from where he was reading to rest his eyes for a moment. But then he noticed a certain brother missing. "Mr. Hamato, where's Mikey?"

"OH NO" the librarian yelled, his eye immediately capturing the opened door. "Raphael you and Donatello will stay here where it's safe, Leonardo please join me to find Michelangelo, quickly."

"No Splinter I want to search for Mikey too." Raphael said in a worry tone. "Raphael you will stay here and that's final" Leo replied to him. "I DON'T WANT TO STAY HERE, Mikey is my brother too, and I WANT to help." Raph snapped back at his older sibling while narrowing his eyes at him.

Donnie was really frightened and surprised from the loud voice his twin transmitted but nonetheless he stood up and went getting between his brothers to separate them. "Raph I don't want to lose you also, so for the love of god stay here." He neared him pushing Don forward as well.

"But Leo what if something bad happened to him?" he whispered, "what if he dies like mum and dad, I wouldn't stand to lose him too."

Raph had a tear slip down his cheek predicting a storm of them in a few moments. Leo kneeled in front of them both and said "Raphie look, that won't happen again, okay? We are family and we will stay one forever but that won't happen if you come with us. It's very dangerous.

Promise me you won't come." He put a hand on his brother's shoulder like every time he wanted to pass an important point.

"But if you don't come back I will." Raphael said with determination and Leo nodded affirmatively. Not another word more, teacher and student left, leaving the twins alone together. Donnie took Raph's hand and made him sit to one of Splinter's comfy chairs to calm down. "Okay Raphie, try to calm down." He said pushing him back to lie down on the chair and sitting next to him. "Don't worry Raph they'll come back soon."

"I hope so Donnie, I really hope so."

Leo was getting worried; they had walked only twenty minutes but he was already nursing a pang of worry for his younger siblings.

They had found a series of footprints behind the library pointing towards the mountains but that was their only clue and they have been into abandoned wooden cabin after abandoned wooden cabin searching for little Mikey.

Splinter held Leonardo tightly so he wouldn't spring and disappear but also helped to keep his young friend's panic in check.

Together they roamed yet another street when a high-pitched scream filled the air from somewhere in front of them.

Leo escaped Splinter's hold but the elder man grabbed his wrist in an even firmer grip silencing Leo and moved more carefully.

They made their way through a deserted dirt path only to find yet another complex of cabins. The captor probably silenced the little guy because it was completely silent now. Worry never escaped Leo's heart and he moved as fast as Splinter allowed him, searching every inch of the complex.

That worry increased dramatically every time they came across an empty room and spider webs. Finally there was only one cabin that was left unchecked. Leo moved fast as well as Splinter towards the door. Leo leaned his ear to the wooden door to hear any recognition of a human presence.

He heard a few thumps; probably Mikey wrestling with the kidnapper and though barely hearable, some really soft footfalls coming towards him. He opened the door slightly to reveal the top right corner of the wooden cabin, and a slightly beaten up chair with Mikey sitting on it kicking his legs and looking around. Leo couldn't handle sitting there while his baby brother was so near muffled with a red worn rag and constantly moving. "Leonardo, we don't know what the kidnapper is capable of, I don't want any rash actions. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mr. Hamato. I just want my brother to be fine."

"Okay my son, the first thing we will need to do is to find out who took our Michelangelo." The teacher said. Slowly they moved to the window and looked in.

What they witnessed shocked them both…

End of Chapter 4