A/N: Thanks, reviewers! I love each and every one of you! I couldn't respond to those not signed in, so:
starfire201: Backfire? oh BOY, is it ever going to backfire... =D
hannah-bear: heehee, don't worry, I've almost got the whole thing written on my computer, so I'll most certainly finish it. It'll be about 19-20 chappies long, unless I get carried away with the ending.
WebMistressGina: While I AM basing this loosely on the 2k3 series, I'm taking some pretty significant creative liberties with the relationships between the characters, so it really is AU, though I neglected to mention it. My apologies. For the purposes of this story, Shredder is still in town (or BACK in town), and he and Bishop haven't really had any contact before. Also, for this story, Bishop has no idea that Shredder's an alien… in fact, that's going to be an important point later on. Because you're right, if he knew he wouldn't be too keen on a partnership… ;-)
sait4soreyes: heh, glad I've got your attention! Yeah, you'll be learning things a little bit at a time... can't give everything away TOO early! LOL
Thanks again, everyone who's reading and reviewing. Remember, reviews make everything worthwhile.
3 days later
"Mikey, for crying out loud!" Leo hissed as loudly as he dared. At the admonition, Mikey stopped dancing around on the rooftops, freezing comically with one foot in the air and grinning guiltily. He nodded and mimed putting a finger to his mouth exaggeratedly, indicating that he was going to be quiet.
Raph shook his head at Mikey's knuckle-headed-ness but kept his eyes glued to the scene in the alley below them. He and Leo were prone on the edge of the rooftop, peeking over the side while Donny was behind them, digging hurriedly through his bag trying to find something.
"Hurry it up there, genius," Raph muttered. "I wanna know what's happenin' here before they're done."
"It's in here somewhere," Donny muttered back. "Hold on a second."
Leo ignored the exchange, narrowing his eyes and watching the group of ninja go about whatever business they were conducting. For the past few nights, the four turtles had seen more Foot ninja spread out in various parts of town.
It was unnatural – usually the Foot stuck fairly close to their own turf. Leo felt something big was amiss and wanted to do more recon before entering open combat with their enemies - of course, it had been hard to keep Raph from attacking in complete disregard to his orders. Tonight, they had taken the Battle Shell to the farther edge of the city to see just how far the Foot had decided to extend themselves, leaving their van a good distance away hidden in an alley.
"Donny," Raph snapped again impatiently.
"I know," Donatello replied, still sorting through the many gadgets in his bag frantically. "Here, I've got it!"
Setting a small device down on the rooftop next to them, Donny handed a set of earphones to Leo, who accepted them with a silent nod and put them to his ears. Mikey dropped down next to them and looked at the small gadget, which resembled a fancy bowl with a stick pointed at the group of ninja below.
"And this thingamajig does what, now?" he wondered, poking it in curiosity. Donny swatted his hand away and readjusted the angle.
"Don't touch. It's a parabolic microphone I rigged up," he answered, still making slight adjustments. "It picks up on the sound waves of whatever it's being pointed at. The waves are collected and reflected to the amplifier, which Leo's earphones are plugged in to for him to listen without the amplified sound being audible to our target." He glanced up at his brother, who was staring at him with a bewildered look. Donny grinned.
"Roughly translated from 'geek speak', it means we're making them easier to hear."
Mikey nodded sagely, turning back to watch the scene with satisfaction. "Ah. Now why didn't you just say that to begin with?"
Still ignoring them, Leo listened intently to the conversation that two of the ninja were having, standing off to the side.
"This is a waste of time. We've been waiting around doing nothing all night for the last three days without a sign of these… turtles. And what kind of ninja are we supposed to be, standing out here in plain view for the world to see?"
"We're standing out here in plain view because they're SUPPOSED to find us, remember? As for why, I don't know. Usually it's an ongoing battle, but one that only happens when we cross paths. We haven't been sent out to engage the turtles in a long time."
"But we're not even engaging them! Since when do we have orders to take our enemies alive?"
"Not THEM. Just the one. Apparently the Master has business to attend to with that one."
Leo stiffened at the words, frowning. The other three stopped to watch him as he leaned forward intensely, the frown growing darker on his face as the conversation continued.
"I take it this is the leader? If we get him, the others will surrender, right?"
"No, no! You're newer to the clan, aren't you? Have you not fought against these freaks before? The one in purple isn't the leader."
"Why does Master want HIM then?"
"Who knows? I don't question the Master."
Leo growled low in his throat, glaring daggers at the Foot ninja. So this was the reason for their unusual boldness so far out of their own territory… it was all a trap to get… Donny? In response to Raph's impatient nudges, Leo took one of the earbuds out and handed it to him, who put it to his own ear. Within seconds, his face had turned as dark as his older brother's.
"It's not even going to matter, if they don't show up. I'm not sitting around all night just to capture one turtle... and not even the more important one, at that!"
"If memory serves me correctly, the one in purple… Donatello… is supposed to be the smart one. I don't know, perhaps Master wants to make him work out some new technology or something."
"Master already has scientists at his command."
"True. Well, it's none of our concern why Master is so desperate to catch Donatello. They'll find us out here eventually… He's the weakest one by far. While the others are busy fighting US, the four Elite will easily be ablt to take him. I know I'D sure hate to be this turtle… if Master wants him, he's in for a world of pain."
Raph growled also as the ninja who had spoken laughed sinisterly. Listening to them talk so indifferently about kidnapping Donny… hurting Donny… made his blood boil. And the idea that the young turtle was in any way a weaker fighter was......... laughable. Ha. Ha.
Still… the Elite… The Foot already had an overwhelming advantage in numbers even without them. And to have all four Elite targeting a single turtle…they wouldn't have a chance. Especially not… well… Raph and Leo exchanged glances before both of them slowly turned to face Donatello.
"Um… what's going on?" Donny asked nervously, not happy with the looks they were giving him.
Neither answered, but exchanged another look between themselves. Abruptly, Raph tore the earpiece out of his ear, and snatched Don's bag out of his hands.
"Hey!" Donny protested as Raph grabbed the parabolic microphone off the roof and shoved it haphazardly into the bag. "Be careful with that! What're you doing?"
"Yeah, dudes," Mikey said with weak chuckle. "Need more info, here… what just happened?"
"We're leaving," Leo responded shortly. "Right now."
"Now?" Mikey groaned. "All that time spying on the Foot dudes and now we're just gonna leave? Raph, you're not even gonna argue that we're supposed to be fighting them?"
"Can it, Mikey," Raph growled, not in the mood for his younger brother's jokes. "Back to the Battle Shell. We're headin' home. No fighting tonight."
At that, both Mikey and Donny stopped short, staring incredulously at the hot-tempered turtle. Raph didn't… want to fight? Donny shook his head slowly, wondering if perhaps his brother was coming down with some mind-altering disease. He'd have to give him a check up when they got back to the Lair.
"Leo, seriously, bro," he said carefully, the lack of information only making his feelings of trepidation grow. "Are you going to clue us in here?"
"Just move," Leo growled, gesturing impatiently for them to hurry. They all started running quickly and silently back over the rooftops. "There's something else going on here that we aren't ready for. They want you, and the Elite are around here somewhere. We need a plan before we get into something we can't handle."
"Me?" Donatello asked, disbelieving. "Why?"
"I ain't waitin' around to find out with da Elite after you!" Raph snapped. "Go!"
Donny frowned, about to point out that they couldn't prepare for anything if they didn't stay to find out what was going on, but he was side-tracked by Leo's abrupt halt. He heard Raph's sharp intake of breath and then he felt himself being shoved suddenly to the side by one of his brothers. Something – a net? – whistled over his head and he jumped quickly back up.
Either by design or chance, they had been boxed in by another group of Foot ninja who had been slowly sneaking up on them, cutting off their escape route. The turtles all dropped into fighting stances as the Foot came rushing towards them, one yelling loudly for the others in the alley below to join them. Donatello watched them advancing, calculating in his head exactly when to swing.
Having the weapon with the best range of all the brothers, Donny's strike was the first to hit, and then the battle had begun.
"Donny, what the shell didja do," Raph yelled at his brother in between knocking Foot ninja over the head with the handle of his sai, "to get dese guys so (thwack) pissed (thwack) off?"
"I don't know!" Donny groaned, trying to fend off three ninja that were converging on him, backing him into a corner. "I don't think they feel like sharing, either!" He felt his shell hit the solid wall behind him, and sighed inwardly, knowing that this was hardly the ideal position to be in.
"Donny! Donny above you!"
The warning from Mikey came too late for the purple-banded turtle to avoid the humongous ninja that had literally dropped in on him from behind. Donny crashed to the rooftop with the ninja on top of him. Even protected by his shell, the ninja's considerable weight crushed all the breath out of the turtle. Dimly, he heard a roar as Raph finished off his own opponent and came charging to the rescue.
"I gotcha, Donny!" he heard Raph yell, and the weight on his back abruptly and thankfully disappeared. Gasping and wheezing in an attempt to regain his breath, Donny rolled weakly out of the way of the fighting. How the shell did a person that big end up being a ninja in the first place? Donatello jumped slightly as another body landed suddenly right next to him, but it was only Mikey, wearing a slightly frightened face.
"Don? Bro, speak to me!" Mikey said, grabbing Don's shoulder and shaking it a little rougher than he meant to in his concern, the scene bringing his previous dream back to his memory. "Are you hurt? Are you dying? Have you seen any abnormally moving snakes?"
Donny blinked, not even attempting to decipher that question. He shook his head to indicate that he was fine, shaking Mikey's hand off and climbing slowly to his feet. Mikey's eyes widened and instinctively, Donatello ducked as the younger turtle's nunchuck whirred past him to catch another ninja trying to jump on Donny's back.
Donny nodded his thanks and straightened back up, shifting into a defensive crouch beside his brother as Raph and Leo continued to fight back the remaining ninjas.
He and Mikey turned shell to shell as they swung their weapons out threateningly at incoming Foot. Don moved instinctively, leaving his brain free to work at the speed of light, trying to come up with some answers.
Why were their enemies so intent on capturing him? He could understand them wanting to take down Leo, being the obvious leader and by far the best fighter. He could understand them going after Raph, who just looked like a threat, and had probably ticked them off more than once. He could even understand Mikey being a target, simply for how annoying he was during a fight. But why him?
"Don!" Leo's voice cut through his musing over the sound of the fighting. "Elite! Look out! Don, ELITE!"
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