A/N: Hi, everyone! I'm back and yes, I did have a ton of fun on vacation. Thanks, everyone who reviewed! I really love reading your responses. HUGE thanks to Moogs for betaing this for me!
Disclaimer: If I owned them, there would be new episodes right now and not just re-runs
With a small, smug smile, Karai watched on her monitor as Leonardo and Raphael debated over what to do. Giving Chaplain a look to silence him, she pulled out a communicator from her belt. "It's time. Prepare yourselves and gather around the entrance to Chaplain's laboratory."
"Yes, mistress," a voice on the other end replied.
Quite happy with herself, Karai replaced the device in her belt and turned her smile onto the scientist. "As I said, we are already prepared for the turtles, no matter what trickery they may attempt."
"But what if they take the air ducts?" Chaplain interjected.
"Then they shall find that the ducts will collapse around them. Might I remind you that no longer do we have the easily penetrable metal shafts. The only other way out of that room is by coming through the door and," Karai pointed at the video feed from the hallway right outside of the laboratory, "this is what they shall face. Their defeat is certain."
The image on her computer screen showed scores of Foot ninja, many of whom were carrying white, leaf blower-like machines on their backs, filling up the hall.
Leonardo hopped down off of his brother's shoulders. "Air vent's out. If we tried it, it'd be like that time when you tricked Mikey into thinking that he could walk on top of that sheet you draped between two chairs."
Raphael groaned and rubbed one of his shoulders. "Now what?"
"We have to use the door, I guess. But now that Karai's expecting us…" he sighed. "We're going to have one shell of a fight if we even want to just get out of here."
"We can't and ain't gonna just get outa here," Raphael insisted. "Mike's dyin' an' if we don't get that thing from Karai, he ain't gonna make it."
"I know, Raph. It's just that we aren't going to be much good for Mike if we're dead."
Raphael started to pace around the room, knocking equipment off of the shelves. "Sure as shell we can't jus' stay here and do nothin'!"
"I know, Raph. Just be quiet a sec and I'll check to see if the hall's clear."
Leonardo hurried to the laboratory's door and carefully eased it open. He peeked through the crack and then yanked his head back sharply. "Unko! The entire hall's filled with Foot. We're completely surrounded!"
"Then we're jus' gonna have to fight 'em all the way up 'til we get ta Karai." The red-clad turtle whipped out his sai and twirled them around.
"Just give me a moment to think—"
"Every moment we waste in this hell-hole is a moment that Mike don't have!"
"Do you think I don't know that?"
"Right now you're sure actin' like it. Know what? Screw you, I'm going out there an' I'm gonna get that thing from Karai even if it kills me!" The hot-headed turtle stomped towards the door.
"Raph, wait!"
"I'm through waitin', Leo!"
"Raphael!" Leonardo stepped directly in front of his bother and placed his hands on Raphael's shoulders. "I'm going with you but if something happens to me, I need you to promise you'll get away from here as fast as—"
"I'm not gonna just run away, Leo! Mikey needs that device and I'm not gonna let anythin' happen to you either!"
"But if it does," Leonardo insisted, "I need you to promise that you'll get away and protect Don and Splinter and get them far away from here. Karai will go after them and do not intend to let my family die."
"What're you talkin' about? We'll get that thing an' scram, then get back to Don and Mike before they know we're gone. An' if Karai tries anything…" Raphael pulled away from his brother and made a graphic gesture with his sai.
"There's an entire squad outside of the door along with all of the Elite and Karai is going to be well prepared and well defended. I need you to promise, Raph!"
"An' what are you gonna do, O Fearless, that makes you so sure that we can't win?" the red-clad turtle growled and headed towards the door once again.
"I'm praying that we win, Raph, but I'm going to make sure that you get away."
"No way am I leavin' you here!" Raphael spun around, just missing the look of intense sorrow that flickered momentarily in his brother's hazel eyes. "You are gonna get out an' be just fine, like it or not, even if I've gotta carry you."
"If I fall, you'll be the only one who can take care of the others." Leonardo's face was etched with tired resolve. "You will have to be their strength when they have none."
Raphael suddenly felt a sinking in his stomach as he heard the strange, almost despairing, tone that his only older brother was discussing his death in. It was almost as if Leo was certain that he wasn't going to make it out. Raphael promised himself that he was going to make sure that wouldn't happen. "That'll be only if there ain't no other choice 'cause I don't intend to lose any of my bros tonight."
The blue-clad turtle gave him a small grin. "Let's hope you don't have to." Drawing one of his katana, the turtle placed his hand on the doorknob. "You ready?"
Raphael twirled his sai and then gripped them tightly in answer. Turning the handle sharply, Leonardo flung the door open, revealing the legion of Foot waiting for them.
Donatello glanced around the small side-tunnel where they had found Michelangelo's Shell Cell. His mind was racing as he tried to figure out a way to track his missing brother.
"He didn't pass us going back out and we didn't hear him nearby either. Is there another tunnel connected to this one?"
"No," the turtle shook his head, "this is just an access point for maintenance." He sighed in frustration. Suddenly, an idea hit him and he slapped his forehead. "Duh! He went up the service ladder."
April squinted her eyes as she peered around in the dimness. Scarcely any light managed to trickle in from above, making the shadows even deeper in this part of the sewers. "I don't even see a ladder or anything. Are you sure?"
She jumped when Master Splinter, who up to that point had been standing perfectly still and silent off to the side of the tunnel, answered her. "I am certain. At first, I was unable to sense anything of Michelangelo here, but now I have caught his scent. There," he pointed. "Michelangelo's path is there."
Donatello hurried to where his father had pointed, easily finding the service ladder. He set a hand on one of the rungs. It was still warm. "Come on!"
April and Splinter quickly followed the turtle up and through a manhole into an alley. Donatello looked around, hoping to find some trace of – or better, actually find – his brother, but Michelangelo had left no trace of his passage. Donatello turned back around and helped Splinter up the last few rungs. "Can you still smell him, Sensei?"
The old rat closed his eyes and sniffed the air for a few moments before his shoulders slouched forwards. "I smell the rubber of tires, the exhaust of vehicles, and the dust of the ground, but Michelangelo's scent has dissipated. Even his spirit is becoming fainter. It is becoming difficult to sense."
Pulling out his phone, Donatello snapped it open and held it up to his ear. "Raph and Leo have got to help. Even if we get Casey to help, we need them. There's no way that we could find Mikey by ourselves. We need them, now more than ever."
As Leonardo parried a swipe from a katana and ducked under the swing of another, he felt a series of vibrations coming from his belt. He growled as he recognized the emergency signal. I really don't have time for this! Even so, his heart filled with dread as he imagined why the cell was coming through as 'emergency'. Rolling out of the way of a blow from the axe of one of the Elite, he grabbed the headset off of the top of the phone and slapped in on. "What is it?"
"Mikey's gone!" came Donatello's panicky reply.
"What?!" The blue-clad turtle almost didn't move out of the way as the axe again tried to remove his head from his shoulders.
"Are you talkin' on the friggin' phone?" Raphael exclaimed from the other side of the room. Like his brother, he was completely surrounded by Foot, literally fighting for his life.
"Mike just leapt up and ran and we can't find him!" It sounded as though Donatello's voice was about to break.
"Raph, Mike!" Leonardo called across the room as he finally knocked the axe out of the Elite's hand and then sent the weapon's former wielder flying backwards into several other Foot.
"Aw, crud! He's doing it!" Raphael blocked a punch with one hand, pulling the puncher forwards and off balance, sending the Foot crashing into the wall.
"Leo what's going on?" Donatello worriedly looked up at his father and friend as he heard the sound of fighting in the background.
"Not the best time for chatting right now." Leonardo's voice was tense. The scientific turtle heard his brother inhale sharply.
"What? What is it? Are you okay?"
A loud whoosh caused the turtle to jerk the phone away from his ear. Static began to pour from the earpiece.
"Leo? Leo!?" Donatello screamed into the phone, ignoring the looks of confused worry on Splinter and April's faces.
"Don…Mike…here…stop…" Leonardo's voice suddenly came through in terrifying clarity. "Raph! Run! Go!"
There was the sound of the headset being flung across a floor followed by silence.
Glossary
Unko - Japanese for 'shit'
So, there you have it! Another cliffie! (insert evil laugh track here) Please review and flames will be used to roast marshmallows!