Hi guys, so sorry for the late update! If you were wondering where on earth I slipped off to, then I shall tell you that I will try to be on an orderly schedule. But this past month has been really hard on me as I have had to deal with something that I really thought I wouldn't have to deal with. But it's over now, which has been an amazing blessing. So because of that I have finally been able to put up the latest chapter. I did publish my absence on my profile, so if something does come up again and I haven't updated on the scheduled date, that's where to look.

Anyway, thank you so much for your reviews, favourites and follows; please keep it up- thanks!

I do not own the TMNT

Pain overwhelmed Raph's senses, filled his lungs with white heat and banged in his head like war drums. The cold bit into his skin and nipped at his extremities. Pebbles dug into his flesh, ripping up the scabbed skin every time he moved.

So for a while he didn't move. Not until the pain drizzled down to a bearable pulse and his stomach stopped tossing.

His eyelids broke apart slowly, blinking twice to clear away the mist that harboured in his eyes. He blinked again, groaning as the sun's rays pierced his eyes, making them water slightly.

The sound of tires grinding into the pavement echoed down below, followed by the occasional sound of a horn of some angry driver.

"Man... I didn't think Leo could hit that hard..." Raph eased onto his knees, slowly rubbing his temples when they had begun to flare do to his movement.

He half expected to see his brothers checking over him to make sure he was ok, but logic and his keen memory (despite his brain's flare) reminded him otherwise. Leo had clearly stated that he'd be taking Mike and Don...

Raph went to stand, almost making it to his feet when his body dictated otherwise. He fell to his knees when the world slowly spun, the blue sky swimming around him like water.

He fished around in his pockets carefully while managing to somehow keep the contents of his stomach down, searching for his T-phone. First his fingers fished around in his left pocket, dread settling in his gut and adding to the nausea. It wasn't there. But his shoulders relaxed when his fingers brushed against a metal object in his right pocket.

The best thing he could do right now was call for help- that is if his remaining brother's still had their phones.

But when he called Donnie it quickly went to voicemail and Mikey's wasn't any different...

Maybe it was just a coincidence?

After finding his sais and shoving his phone back into his right pocket, Raph carefully, with more consideration this time, stood to his feet. The world swayed around him and he would've fallen again if he hadn't leaned his hand against the concrete ledge, small chills running up the length of his arm.

First things first- before he could save his brothers (and knock some sense into his older brother's head) he had to rest. He rested his hand on his belt to see if he had any weapons besides his Sais, but his pockets were empty. He needed to gear up as well then. Then he could head back out and save his family.

Ya, that sounded about right.

Donnie stared at the computer screen as it glared back at him in it's nasty light.

Small equations in smooth black ink were bruised into a small paper square, taped to the computer's side.

How could things go so horribly wrong? He felt sleep creep along his eyes so he reached for the mug of coffee sitting before him on the table. Don chugged back the last little bit of it's contents, making a mental note to get more. Right now, that was his only comfort... that and imagining that this entire nightmare was all some dream.

He slowly eased himself out of the chair, balancing his tired hands on the armrest to lift himself out and then headed for the coffee pot. He briefly snagged a glance to his left, steeling his watery eyes at the fly, watching him with the intent to kill.

But Baxter ignored him, weather it was from the fly's brewing wrath or because he too was pouring over the computer's data, Don didn't know.

Or care.

That thought lurched him back, nearly spilling the liquid's contents jostling around in his cup. The saying that went 'either the challenges will make you or break you' was true to its very core... but what about when it hardened you?

Donnie could handle his life hanging on the line; if he was being really honest with himself that is. What he couldn't handle though was when his family's life was hanging by a thread. It made his heart boil when Shredder broke his promise to Don not to hold his little brother hostage. Or mind control Leo... or then use him to raid the lair...

Donnie didn't know he was growling until Baxter finally looked up at the turtle.

"Whaaat aarrree youuu mmmad abbbout?"

Donnie scoffed, rolling his eyes as he set down his coffee mug on the table and sat back down. "Why do you think? Take a guess." Donnie snapped, pulling hard at the hanging paper to stare at the numbers again.

How many times did he have to stare at the mocking numbers in a poor attempt to figure them out, only to have to go back to the computer to start over?

The numbers were simple. Just a small string of genetic code. The Kraang's genetic code; as Donnie later on found out. Somehow when programming the code into it's liquid form and pushing it into his brother's blood stream changed everything. The liquid wove it's way around his body before traveling up into his cerebral cortex to rewrite everything... no wonder there was a defect in it...

Once again fire licked the insides of Donnie's heart causing his clenched fists to shake.

If he didn't do anything his brother would die. But working for the Shredder...

Not now.

He straightened his spine, fixing his eyes again on the black numbers. There had to be a way to save Leo before death found it's claim on him. But there also had to be a way to bring him back. To get him to see the truth... get him to see what kind of monster he was turning into.

Donnie took another swig of the bitter contents, humming in delight as it soothed the back of his tense throat. He glanced at the clock when keeping his eyes shut any longer would surely cause him to give into the sleep tugging at his body.

Donnie held back the quiet groan at the time, instead rubbing his forehead in a soothing motion.

Seven hours had gone by and still he had no solution to the growing problem.

He had to save his brother from the brink of death all the while saving him from the trap his brain was put in...

Donnie stretched his fingers, working them at the keyboard. If he wanted to save Leo, he needed to get at the liquid it's self... which was sadly locked tight behind doors. He did have one thing going for him- the liquid was in the lab. But what was good was massively outweighed by the bad. The doors themselves were made out of thick metal and to top it all off it was guarded by a passcode and retinal scan.

Good thing he was a well trained ninja...

Raph swallowed down the saliva that had begun to pool at the back of his tightening throat. He was in desperate need of water... and food, but that just might make his stomach angry, so scratch that idea.

White stars danced before his vision, brought on by the grinding headache forming behind his skull. But still he focused his vision to look forward toward the man hole cover, barely making out its hazy form.

Almost there...

He grimaced as he slowly fell to his knees to lift the metal lid before running his finger along his temple again. His stomach had subsided for a while to Raph's relief, retching was not something the red banded warrior was fond of. But now it was tossing and turning again, protesting at Raph's deliberate movements.

But he had to get back to the lair- back home. And then, after he got his body back under control he'd head back out.

Because the truth was that he wouldn't rest until his brothers were home safe. All of them.

He let himself into the tunnel leading down to the sewers and continued his trek...

Raph was about half way home when he heard it. It ricocheted off the walls and bounced onto of the sewer water: gunfire. Or more accurately, blast fire. That could only mean...

"The Kraang!"

All pain forgotten, Raph bolted around the corner, slamming himself into a Kraang droid. It went sailing though the air, slamming into the brick wall and falling onto the ground with a deafening bang.

He pulled out his sais but an aged voice made his muscles spasm and he froze.

"You are alive my son!" Splinter swung the worn katana, burying it into the chest of a Kraang droid. Pulling it out in one swift motion Splinter swiped his tail, sending another droid springing head first into another of it's comrades beside it.

Raph snapped himself out of his stupor, wondering weakly if they had somehow reached the lair and had drawn Splinter out. He finished off the last few with a new rush of adrenaline that pounded madly in his ears, before taking in a sharp breath and stepping back.

The tunnel was full of fallen Kraang droids, their corpses sizzling with cut wires and crumpled plating, lighting the tunnel in a purple and blue hue. A few Kraang blobs squealed as they ran with wide eyes.

"Did any reach the lair?" Raph whispered out loud, amazed that Splinter was able to handle all those droids on his own.

Splinter shook his head as he walked around the carnage and towards his son. "No Raphael... but Leonardo was among the assault." Splinter's voice slowly fell. "Do you know what has happened to him?"

Raph couldn't meet his father's confused face, but he could still make out the fear for his eldest child.

He opened his mouth but closed it again. What could he say that would make this any easier...?

"Leo is being controlled by the Shredder, Master Splinter. I don't know how but somehow he turned on us late last night. It was like he, just, snapped..." Raph finally met his father's gaze, regretting it almost instantly.

Splinter's hold on his weapon grew tighter, and his fingers trembled slightly as he ran them down the thin strands of his beard. "Hmmm... I see... And Michelangelo and Donatello?"

"Th-they're gone too... Who knows what kind of horrors Shredder is doing to them right now." Raph's muscles quivered in anger and his skin rippled as the tinny hairs stood. He wasn't able to protect his younger brothers... what kind of protector was he then?! He knew what Shredder was capable of doing. And with each passing second he was letting Shredder get away with diabolical things that even he was incapable of doing...

"You need rest, my son."

As Raph met his father's warm eyes, he thought he saw the corners sparkle with water, but it was gone in seconds.

Splinter placed a soft hand on his son's shoulder, noting how the muscle shook with each passing breath Raphael took. "Come."

"But-!"

Splinter held up a finger to silence his child. "Tomorrow we will save who we have lost, but today you need to rest so you can achieve your goal as a older brother." He gently placed his bony hand on the back of his son's carapace, gently pushing him forward. And for once, Raph complied, shakily stepping forward realizing now how badly damaged he really was. Sleep pulled heavily at his brain like a thick drapery curtain and it took all his willpower not to fall over on the way back to the lair.

I will get you guys back. I'll bring you home... and save Leo. Help mend the torn edges this family has had to deal with. I have to. I will.

If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and let me know what you think! Thanks guys for your patience and have a great day!