: Chapter 7: (Splinter's POV)
"My sons please sit down." I watched as my three, terribly confused students sat in a circle in front of me. I dimed the lights and brought out a small tray of candles, along with the blue bandana I had kept away in a secret place for all these years. Michelangelo looked the most afraid and sadly I would not be able to comfort him. After I would tell them this story, I would expect them to ignore me for the days to come. I placed the candles in a small circle and put the bandana in the middle of them. When I looked to Raphael, he looked as though he had an idea what was going on.
"In the last day, you two have encountered a specific Foot ninja of interest." I pointed to Donatello and Raphael. "I want to confirm your suspicion's by saying this warrior is indeed one to talk about. I do not know his current tag, but to me, he will always be known as Leonardo." I felt my son's body's shift awkwardly as I began to speak.
"Who is he…?" Raphael looked to me with anger and hatred in his heart.
"15 years ago, I told you I found three baby turtles crawling through mounds of glowing, green ooze. My sons, I am sorry to say this was not true. There were not three, but four turtles." I began.
"I knew it." Raphael clenched his head with his hands and stood up from the circle. "I frickin knew it!"
"Raphael please! Sit down and let me explain!" I pleaded with him.
"How could you keep something like that from us?!" He cried out.
"Raph just let him explain!" Donatello stood up and grabbed ahold of his brother. He quickly shoved him away and sat back down. His brother shook his head and then rejoined us. My youngest son had his knees tucked to his chest and his hand close to his mouth. Raphael, after seeing his brother in a great deal of stress, put an arm around his back and pulled him close.
"I, without hesitation, brought you all back to my den and cared for you like you were my own. Once we all began to walk and talk, I found us a new home, here. I gave you all names too, Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello and Leonardo." I sighed and starred at the blue bandana. "One night, about 2 years later, I took the family out for a walk through the sewers. To my horror, the Shredder had somehow found our location and intercepted us. I battled as many of his Foot ninja as I could but I was no match to their sheer size in numbers. I failed and while I was being held helplessly against my will, the Shredder took Leonardo and fled." I paused for a moment to let my words sink into their memories and digest in their hearts. I checked each of their faces to try and figure out what they were thinking. Michelangelo had his head buried in the crook of Raphael's arm and his body appeared to be shaking slightly in the dim light. Donatello's eyes were completely fixed on the glowing embers of the candles and his expression was bare. Raphael too, he was also pulled into the fires trance but something else was burning inside him.
"Once Casey Jones told me of a mutant turtle under the Foot's control, I immediately believed that this character must be my lost son." I frowned and awaited all the questions that were sure to follow.
"Why didn't yah tell us?! We could have saved him before the influence of the Shredder had an impact on him!" Raphael tightened his grip on his little brother. "Any sisters that yah wanna tell us about?!"
"Raph…" Donatello silenced him.
"After searching for almost 2 months I finally gave up. I believed he was still alive because I could feel his soul burning inside me, just like I could feel all yours. I gave up because I was not going to worry my three infant sons and abandon them in order to find the fourth. I gave up because your training was more important to me than trying to chase a lost shadow that never seemed to show itself."
Donatello lifted his head up and looked me in the eyes. "We have a brother…we have another brother and he's in control of the Foot! We have to get him out of there!"
"Donatello, I admire you perseverance but you must remember something. Leonardo was raised and trained in the name of the Shredder for 15 years. He does not know he is related to any of you and see's you as a common enemy. Convincing him that he is your brother is like convincing you that you are not mutants"
"But we are mutants." Michelangelo finally spoke.
"Exactly my son." I responded. "He believes he is truly the son of the Shredder, adopted by his hand just like he did with his sister Karai."
"Karai aint his sister…" Raphael grumbled under his breath.
"He does not know that." I tried to explain.
"I understand Sensei. I understand what he must be thinking." Donatello nodded. "We have to figure out a way to bring him back to use completely."
"But even if we do, we won't ever be the same again." Michelangelo sniffled and rubbed his hand over his eyes that were wet with tears.
"It won't be easy, but I think he knows what he's doing is wrong. Trust me, I can see it in him." Raphael stated.
"What? Did you have a heart to heart chat with him or something?" Donatello asked.
"No, but I did run into him a second time. He was trying to get aboard a foreign trade ship but Casey and I stopped him before he could." He sighed at the memory. "We made small talk but he got away before we could catch him. He may have tried to crush us with crate boxes in the process but at least we made progress."
"I believe that since I had raised him for a few years in the act of good, he may find it in his heart to turn away from evil. Getting him to believe that you are his long lost brothers however, is a whole different story." I stood up from the circle and blew out the candles. I made my way to the wall and turned the lights back on. "If you will excuse me, I must meditate and allow my thoughts to collect in my mind. I insist that you all do the same."
:: (Don's POV)
"This bites…" Mikey kicked a large stone off the roof of the building we were perching on. "I've never even met the guy and all of a sudden I feel…different." He shivered. "What's he like? You guys met him right? Or at least got beat up by him…"
"No Mikey, I got beat up by him." I said and continued to look through my binoculars at the building across the street. "When I first saw him I had no idea he was even a mutant. His whole body was covered by a suit and his eyes were glowing a creepy red color."
"Well…that's pleasant. I'll be able to sleep better at night knowing that." He shivered again. "Is he nice?"
"Didn't I just get done telling you he beat me up?!" I lowered the binoculars and shot him a look.
"Maybe it was out of love? OW!" Someone had slapped him in the back of the head.
"Yeah, and so was that." Raph grinned.
"Guys, be quiet." I ordered them.
"I don't even get it why we're sitting here anyway. If Leo works for the Foot then he's probably out and about, not lounging at home in the Foot building." Raph sighed and took the binoculars form my hands. "Besides, the longer we sit here the better chance we have of gettin spotted."
"Well if you two would shut the hell up we wouldn't get spotted!"
"Uh guys…" Mikey said in the background.
"Whose bein loud now fearless?!" Raph poked the middle of my plastron and leaned in close to my face. "How about we do what I want for once and go out searchin instead of sittin here lookin pretty?!"
"Fine, you two can go home then and I'll find him myself!" I tried my best to keep my voice low but that obviously wasn't happening.
"Guys…" He said again.
"You know what…I think I will! Who needs yah anyway!"
"GUYS!"
"WHAT!" We both yelled at the same time. Mikey gulped hard and pointed behind us. We looked at each other and then slowly turned our heads around. "Oh…" I said.
"…Crud" Raph finished. "For the record, this is yah fault Donnie." Raph pulled out his Sais while I pulled out my staff.
"Well well well, looks like we have ourselves some intruders." A big, tall man with his blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail had his huge arms crossed over his chest. A purple dragon tattoo was crawling down the side of his face and finally ended at the bottom of his neck.
"Hun." I growled and pointed the tip off my weapon in his direction.
"I must say, usually we are the ones hunting you out, not the other way around." Hun chuckled and jumped down onto our roof, making the gravel shake violently. "You have no reason to be here but since I haven't killed anyone in a few days, I'll allow it." Hun reached behind him and pulled out a long, metal chain with a large, stone ball at the end of it.
"So is this what the Shredder has yah doin now, perimeter patrol?" Raph grinned.
"How dare you even say his name out of your despicable mutant mouths! The Shredder is all powerful and under his name I will destroy you!" Hun lifted the chain into the air and began to spin it around above his head.
"God, why can't we ever just get a break?" Mikey said and pulled his Nun-Chucks from out of his belt. "Why don't we just ditch him?"
"Because Mikey, Hun works for the Shredder, and so does Leo."
"Yah think Hun knows where to find him?" Raph whispered to me.
"Yes, I do. But getting him to talk won't be easy."
"Give me five minutes and I'll make him sing." Raph growled with a smile and then leaped into the air. He landed on the ball and then leaped off of it, sending it crashing to the ground. It got stuck in the pavement of the roof, trapping Hun along with it who refused to let go. He pulled as hard as he could but it wouldn't budge which gave Mikey and I enough time to race towards him and attacked him from behind.
"Eat my turtle dust!" Mike shot his leg out and landed a kick right in the back of Hun's neck. His huge body flipped over the ball and then landed on its back. I leapt into the air and went to kick him in the chest to finish him off but he managed to grab ahold of my leg and swing me as hard as he could onto the hard ground. My body shook as I tried to get up and I could hear my brothers calling my name to see if I was alright. I collapsed back onto the ground but held a hand in the air to tell them I was fine.
"Alright, no more messin around!" When I was able to roll over onto my shell, I could see Raphael had sheathed his Sai's and gone into hand to hand combat. Hun was off the ground and surprisingly, defending Raph's punches rather than dishing his own.
"Mikey now!" He called out. Suddenly, our little brother grabbed ahold of the chain that was stuck in the ground, and ran across the roof. Raph was able to back Hun up just enough so that he tripped over it and once again, was on the ground. Mikey then jumped over top of Hun's body and used the chain to tie him tightly to the roof and secure his arms down at his sides.
"Piece of cake." He dusted off his hands and smiled down at the defeated dragon.
"Fools! I can never be defeated!" Hun cried out while struggling to break free.
"Funny, then why are you lying on the ground helplessly as we stand over you and smile with delight?" Mike crossed his arms over his chest and grinned.
"Alright Hun, we want some answers and we want em now." Raph pulled out a Sai and knelt down next to Hun. He held it to his neck, making the giant swallow hard and emit beams of sweat from his forehead.
"What information could I possibly have that you want?!" He yelled while keeping a close eye on the weapon near his throat.
"We're looking for somebody. He goes by the name Leonardo." I said.
"I know no one under that name!"
"Then maybe you know him under a different name." Raph pulled the blades closer to his neck and started to dig the tip of it through his skin. "He's a mutant turtle, like us."
"Ha! You speak of Shredder's prized warrior and my most hated enemy, Erasmus. He's the reason I'm stuck here battling fools like you who try to infiltrate the Shredders lair!" Hun growled and tried again to break free but had no such luck.
"Alright, where is this "Erasmus"" I asked.
"You think I'm going to tell you that?!" He chuckled but then winced once Raph kept pressing forward with his Sai.
"I thought you hated him? Don't you want us to destroy him for you?" Mikey grinned malevolently and rubbed his hands together.
"Wait, you're here to kill Erasmus?" Hun suddenly looked interested in our proposal and grinned.
"Yup, and we're bringing his head back to our Sensei to mount above our evil fireplace of doom!" I shook my head at Mikey's remark.
"Erasmus and Karai are running an errand for the Shredder. I would be most please if you mutant freaks took them both out in the process."
"Maybe we can strike a deal if yah tell us where they are." Raph slowly removed his weapon out of Hun's skin, making a small river of blood rush out onto the ground.
"They're at the Chrysler building retrieving weapons from a street gang known as the "Highflyers." You can find them there along with a dozen or so Foot ninja."
Raph looked at me for consultation but I was hesitant to give him an answer. I knew my brothers and I could easily take out the Foot ninja, but with Karai and Erasmus in the picture, it could spell disaster in the end on our part. I looked at Mikey and he gave me a small nod and was ready to go after them. I sighed and looked back at Raphael and nodded. There was a good chance Hun could be lying and sending us into a trap but, I always had a plan for that sort of thing.
"Alright Hun, we'll go and deal with Erasmus and Karai. But to make sure you're telling the truth, we'll free you when we get back." I shot him a wink and then ran to the edge of the roof and jumped off.
"WHAT! I am telling you the truth! Let me go you insignificant slime!" I heard Hun yell.
"Smell yah later!" Michelangelo made a clicking sound with his tongue and then followed my lead along with Raphael who looked more than pleased with my decision to peruse the Foot ninja.
"You can't do this! I will destroy you and use your shells for…for…!" Hun screamed as loud as he could but then lowered his voice to a soft whine. "God, I hate my job."
Since you guys are so awesome, no cliffhanger this time lol. I'm really bad at fight scenes but hopefully I'll get better at them. Also, I'm glad you guys are happy with the rate of updates and thank you for letting me know so. I'll try and make the chapters a few hundred words longer but 2,500 is just the right amount for me so I can keep it interesting and leave off at a good spot for the next one. See you at Chapter 8!
