Hey-o. To try to make up for the unforgivable HUGE gap between chapters 8 & 9, I've knuckled down and written another chapter today. I'm not sure how I feel about some elements of this chapter, but I hope that you all like and enjoy it. As always, please feel free to review, whether positive or constructive criticism, I take it all on board. Happy reading,

Everdream 24

Disclaimer: Don't own em, never have, never will.

Chapter 10: The Hunter and the Hunted

New York Rooftops

The sun was in the later stages of setting, casting long shadows across the rooftops and streets far below. There was a chill in the air, and the clouds were heavy with the promise of rain. Standing on the edge of the roof of one of the tallest buildings, the silhouettes of two mutant ninja turtles could be seen, their bandannas waving lazily in the breeze. They made no efforts to conceal their presence, instead making sure that they would be seen by the hidden foes they knew would be watching. It was a symbol of defiance and courage. After a few minutes of standing stock still, observing the city that still bustled below them, one of the silhouettes turned to the other.

"This is ridiculous, I look ridiculous, I feel ridiculous!"

"Aww don't be silly Casey, I think you make a very cute ninja turtle." April said, blushing slightly underneath the green face paint that had been slathered onto her, grateful that Casey Jones probably couldn't see it. "Besides, I thought you'd like pretending to be one of the guys?" she jested, joviality in her voice. She knew they were in danger, but there was something about the anticipation of said danger that she enjoyed. Perhaps it was just the adrenaline that was pumping through her as she waited, or perhaps it was the fact that she actually got to join in on one of their missions, and put her training into practice.

"Hey, Casey Jones is just fine with being Casey Jones, I don't wanna be no-one else." He replied, then after a beat added "but why did I have to be Mikey? Why couldn't I have been Donnie or Raph? They didn't even trust me with real Nunchucks, I've got these stupid foam training ones. Exactly how am I supposed to fight with these?" He moaned, pulling the black nunchucks out of their holder in his belt.

"You're not. You know very well what the plan is" April said, her hand going to her shell cell to check for messages, feeling a mixture of fear and disappointment when there were no new notifications.

"This get-up is stupid. I have to keep heaving my 'shell' up and these padded pant things down, cuz they are riding up something awful. I'm telling you Red, no one with even an ounce of brain is gunna fall for this disguise." Casey moaned, whilst pulling up his make-shift 'shell' that was attached by string around his waist. His hair was hidden under a green beanie hat, as was April's, with two of the turtles' spare bandannas tied round their eyes. The morph suits they'd managed to get hold of last minute had had to be padded out, to make them both look more…turtle-esque. All in all, the whole ensemble was uncomfortable, rushed and rather unconvincing in Casey's opinion, which he had voiced ever since they first concocted their plan.

Movement in the shadows caught April's attention, and she tuned out Casey's moaning as she stared into the shadows, concentrating hard. Another flicker of movement; it was time.

"You sure about that Casey?" she said, turning back to face her male companion "because they seem pretty convinced" she added with a nod of her head in the direction of the shadows on the adjacent building.

Casey turned and stared at the spot where she'd indicated, and could just make out the outlines of Foot ninja's trying to stay hidden in order to keep the advantage of surprise.

"Time to run, Casey Jones. Let's see if they can keep up." She stated, before swiftly turning and jumping across the gap between the buildings, running from rooftop to rooftop away from the Foot.

"Ah shi-...shell" Casey exclaimed, before turning and following April in her sprint across New York's skyline, the Foot ninja now in hot pursuit.

April could already feel her lungs burning and her muscles aching, but she knew she had to push herself to the very limit. The guys were depending on them, and April could only hope that they had played their part well enough.

Saki Tower (AKA The Shredder's Lair)

Shredder watched with delight as his enemy was subjected to yet another test under Bishops instructions. The turtle would break soon, he could sense it, and when he was done with this one, he'd simply capture another. Maybe the young orange banded one this time, they all seemed very protective over him. He would break brother after brother until he had that freak mutant rat Splinter on his knees, begging him for death. He would take everything away from his old nemesis, until there was nothing left for him to fight for, nothing to live for. A twisted smile graced Shredders face as he imagined the future that was surely soon to pass.

'Perhaps I'll even return their brother to them, his body battered and broken, and when they look into his lifeless eyes, they'll know that Oroko Saki does not make empty threats.'

His black heart soared whenever he heard the unmistakable sound of weapon hitting flesh, evil glee rising up when he heard the pained cries of the oldest turtle. It would soon be over for Leonardo, and Shredder needed a new toy, a new subject for Bishop. His reverie was interrupted as the door to the observation room slid open, and a black-clad foot soldier crept in, bowing deeply and respectfully before his master.

"What?" Shredder demanded succinctly.

"Master Shredder, I have been informed that one of our Foot ninja patrols has spotted two of the turtles alone on the rooftops. They are currently in pursuit, and are gaining on them." The foot ninja blurted out, eager to deliver the news.

"Which two freaks are they?" Shredder spat

"The patrol reported that one was believed to be carrying nunchucks, and the other a Bo staff, which would mean it is the purple and orange turtles, Donatello and Michelangelo." The lowly foot ninja answered.

"Where those two are, the third will not be far behind" Shredder muttered to himself.

"Master, they have requested reinforcements. Shall I order another team to join them?"

Silence reigned for a few moments before Shredder answered.

"Yes, but inform them also that I will be joining in on this particular mission. There can be no more mistakes, I will have that young freak within my grasp tonight" Shredder turned to glare at the foot ninja "or there will be hell to pay" the menace in his voice was unmistakable, and the thinly veiled threat immediately distinguishable.

It didn't seem possible, but the ninja bowed even lower, before turning and scurrying out of the room to give out the orders.

Shredder turned back to regard his prisoner, who was now barely standing and bleeding profusely from many wounds. Annoyance at missing their infliction was outweighed by his anticipation of the hunt this night would bring.

New York Rooftops

The rain was lashing down now, the skies thunderous and grey. It soaked into their disguises, weighing them down and making it ever more exhausting to run. April risked a glance behind them, to evaluate their enemies. There were so many of them, more than she had anticipated, and they thundered along behind them. If they continued to gain on the two humans at this pace, they'd soon be nipping at their heels, and the game would be up. After all, Casey was right; these disguises really weren't all that convincing, especially up close. The darkness and rain were no doubt helping them to keep up the ruse, impeding the sight and progress of their hunters.

She could see their destination in the distance, they were getting close. Just a few more minutes… A deafening clap of thunder sounded directly above her like an explosion, wrapping around her head and disorientating her senses. She stumbled, but fought to regain her footing. A single moment lost could spell disaster for them all. Casey appeared by her side, supporting her and encouraging her on, towards the warehouse that was their destination.

With a sudden change of direction, they leapt over the edge of the roof and clambered down the fire escape as quickly as they could. Without pausing to think about what might happen next, they barraged through the doors of the warehouse, slamming them shut behind them.

When the army of Foot ninjas rushed into the warehouse mere seconds later, it appeared to be completely empty, with no turtles in sight. With a heavy 'thump' the Shredder landed outside the warehouse and shouldered his way through the gang of foot ninjas, until he was stood in the centre of the warehouse, the foot ninja guarding his flank. All that could be heard was the heavy breathing of the foot, their shuddering breaths forming clouds of vapour as it escaped through their masks.

Shredder slowly examined the entire scene before him, his sharp eyes scanning every shadow, every corner. He lifted his head, appearing to sniff the air. It was almost animalistic, the way he seemed to be trying to find their scent, to pinpoint their location using the stink of their sweat and fear. When he spoke, his voice reverberated off the walls and carried to every space within the warehouse.

"I know you're in here. Come out and face me, or I shall command my elite to dispose of my prisoner, your precious Leonardo." There was no immediate response, and Shredders patience grew thin, his anger and blood lust rising "come out and face me, cowards!" he raged.

The sheer volume and hatred in his voice made April flinch as she watched Shredder from her hiding place behind a stack of crates. Casey was crouched next to her, his battle mask concealing his face, making it impossible to tell what he was feeling. They had discarded their disguises, as there was no longer a need to keep up the ruse. They'd succeeded in drawing out a good number of Foot ninja that were holed up within Saki tower, as Raphael had wanted, but they hadn't counted on Shredder himself turning up to join the chase. Now that he had, April was terrified, her heart was racing, thumping so loudly that she was sure Shredder could hear it. Although she was trying to stifle it, her breathing was becoming ragged and shallow, panic and terror settling deep within her.

'I'm not experienced in fighting, I've only been training with Splinter for a little while. I'm not ready for full on combat, especially not with Shredder' she thought, her head beginning to spin. When she felt warm skin brush against her hand, she jumped a little in fright, but managed to contain the scream that had built in her throat. Her panicking eyes locked onto Casey's confident and collected blue ones. His eyes bored into hers, imploring her to be strong, as he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

'For the guys' she thought 'I have to do this, for my friends and for Leo'. She nodded her agreement and readiness to Casey, and turned her attention back to the metal clad villain as he strode back and forth, spouting curses and promises of death.

"Very well, if you refuse to fight me, then you have sealed Leonardo's fate with your silence!" He turned to give the order, opening his mouth to speak, but stopped when a small, regular, beeping noise attracted his attention. At that moment, it increased in rapidity, and as the Shredder turned to flee, all hell broke loose within the warehouse. Blinding white light filled the area, and anyone who hadn't covered their eyes were left stunned and unable to defend themselves as the immovable mountain of reptilian muscle that was Leatherhead charged into them, knocking his enemies down like pins in a bowling alley. Master Splinter leapt over the railing, revealing where he had been hiding on the upper floor walkway, and landing deftly on the ground. He had his stick held in one hand, and his black eyes immediately fixed upon the Shredder, who was roaring in anger, his long metal claw sweeping back and forth in an effort to defend himself until his sight returned.

Casey gave April's hand one last squeeze, and she knew it was her turn to join the fight. With a battle cry, they both entered the brawl, and April prayed that they'd be able hold them off for long enough.

Saki Tower Basement

Donatello

"Dudes, this is disgusting" Mikey moaned as they trudged through the slime and muck of the sewers underneath Shredders' tower.

"Mike, you live in a sewer, how come you find this one disgusting?" Donnie questioned, heaving his bag of medical supplies higher up his shell. He'd packed everything he could think of that he might need, both for Leo and for them, and probably more than he should've. The strap was pressing against his injured shoulder, but he had no choice. He needed to keep his right hand free and unimpeded if it became necessary to arm himself with his Bo staff. Splinter had always trained them to be proficient in fighting with weapons in either hand, but Donnie always preferred his right hand when he had a choice.

"It just stinks of…evil" Mikey retorted

"That's not the word I would have chosen" Donnie replied, sniffing the air and wrinkling his beak in disgust.

"Guys, stealth mission remember? Which means you have to be quiet" Raph interjected, noticing just how much he sounded exactly like their fearless leader used to sound. "We have to get in, get Leo and get out again, clear?"

"Yes, Raphie, you've told us a hundred gazillion times!" Mikey whined, using Raph's old nickname.

Raph stopped short, causing Mikey to bump into his shell and Donnie into Mikey's. In the dim light of Raph's belt torch, Donnie could make out Raph squinting at the blueprints, before shoving them back into his belt and gesturing upwards.

"This is it guys" he whispered "there's a manhole cover above us, which should lead out into the basement. I'll go first, then, if it's all clear, you follow me up, got it?" Without waiting for a response, he turned and put his foot on the first rung of the ladder that lead up to the manhole cover.

"Raphie, wait" Mikey said, walking up to Raphael "I want you to know, if this all goes to pot, that I'm sorry I yelled at you before. I was angry at you, but I'm not now, and do you know why?" He waited for Raph to shake his head "because you've been a great leader, and a great brother and I think Leo will be proud" Mikey finished, unshed tears shining in his eyes.

Donnie joined his brothers, and enveloped them in a warm embrace. If this was going to be their last fight, he wanted his brothers to know how he felt, but without needing the strength to say the words. After a moment, Raph broke free, renewed determination, courage and fire burning in his eyes, and began his ascent of the ladder to gain entry into Saki's tower.

Saki Tower Basement

Raphael

Raph slowly lifted the manhole cover up, until he could see into the basement but wouldn't be obvious to anyone who was around. He'd switched his torch off on the climb up, and had ascended in darkness, so now his eyes were overwhelmed by the sudden light that attacked his vision. The other thing he noticed was just how cold it was, a wave of cool air washing over him, raising goosebumps all over his body. Raphael could only detect two foot ninja standing guard, which must mean that Shredder was overly confident that the turtles could not get in…or that Leo could not escape. What that meant for Leonardo's condition, Raphael dreaded to think. It did mean, however, that getting in was going to be so much easier than he had expected, which relieved him to no end.

It appeared as if the two guards were having a conversation, though Raph could only hear one voice.

"You know, I could really use a cigarette, so how about you stay here and keep the prisoner guarded whilst I go out for a smoke?" he could hear the foot ninja stating, and Raph quickly and silently lowered the cover back into place as the ninja walked over it and exited the basement. Raph remained where he was for a while, incredibly aware of every sound in the eerily quiet environment. That was, until he heard a huge clatter, and the sound of a very familiar, yet heartbreakingly defeated voice shouting.

"You're master is a sadistic pathological liar. He's evil, he's a scourge on this city, on this world. Just look what he's done to me!" the voice exclaimed. Raph couldn't wait in hiding any longer, not while he knew his brother was still suffering. He lifted the lid off of the manhole, and hoisted himself out of the sewers, hiding swiftly behind a pillar when he saw a the sole remaining foot ninja guard backing slowly out of, what Raphael presumed to be, Leo's cell.

With a furtive glace around him to make sure they were truly alone, Raphael seized his opportunity and snuck up behind the oblivious guard, whose attention seemed to be rooted on the door to the cell. Withdrawing his Sai from his belt, he flipped it round and struck the black clad ninja across the back of the head, rendering him immediately unconscious.

Using his shell cell, he sent the all-clear signal to Don and Mikey waiting below, and gingerly picked up the unconscious ninja by his un-gloved wrist. He sensed his brothers' approaching behind him, and was comforted by their presence. They were like two warm braziers on a freezing cold night (not literally of course, the turtles being cold blooded), they calmed and supported him, and they warmed his spirit and his soul. He looked at each of them in turn, knowing full well that time was short, but making sure they were prepared.

"Ready?" He asked quietly

"Ready." They responded in unison.

Raphael placed the ninja's finger against the scanner, and the door clunked unlocked. He passed over the ninja to Mikey, and pushed back the door. The unmistakable smell of sickness reached them, and they all recoiled slightly before pushing ahead into the dingy cell. As the door slid shut behind them, the sudden darkness made it difficult to see, but the outline of their brother was just about discernible.

"Leo? Bro?" Raph probed, aware that Mikey had thought to bring the ninja into the cell with them, to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to their presence, and was now laying him down against the wall.

"Dudes, there's a switch here" He muttered

"Mikey don't touch that, you don't know what it might-" Donnie began to protest, but didn't get to finish as the light flickered on and their eyes were tested yet again.

Blinking away the dots in his vision, Raph gasped at what he saw hanging in front of him. The sleek, muscly, strong leader that he'd known and grown up with was nowhere to be seen. In his place, an emaciated, broken, beaten and defeated turtle swayed in his restraints. Fresh blood ran in rivers all the way down his small frame, dripping off his toes onto the floor in a steady rhythm. Numerous cuts and bruises littered his body, his plastron cracked in several places, and several bone fractures obvious from the angry red swelling that surrounded them. Where his restraints had rubbed against his skin, deep red lesions could be seen. There were visible and recent scars, where he'd obviously had some medical treatment in the past. It was obvious though that this particular luxury had been rescinded after recent tests, as many of his wounds were infected and oozing. If Leo was aware of their presence, he made no indication of it, his head hanging, his body sagged.

'He must have passed out after his outburst at our friend here' Raph thought, thinking about the prone black clad ninja lying on the floor.

The three brothers stood rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable to comprehend the mess that was in front of them. Raph was the first to break their trance.

"Donnie" he commanded, shortly and succinctly, his voice tight with emotions. There was no need for further instruction, and Donnie reacted immediately, rummaging in his bag before producing lock-picks and approaching the hanging figure.

"Leo?" Donnie asked, a quiver in his voice, but still there was no reaction. "Mike, I need a bunk up" he added.

Raph watched with trepidation as Mikey hoisted Donnie up, and Don set to work on unlocking the metal cuffs. He was all too aware that the other guard or a foot elite or, god forbid, the Shredder himself could come strolling through the door at any time. Hopefully, most of the Shredder's forces were out chasing April and Casey, or fighting them with Splinter and Leatherhead. Donnie had gifted them with some of his experimental 'flash-bangs', and Raph could only hope that they had proved useful. Even with Shredders forces depleted, the danger was still immeasurably great, and if they were caught in here, they'd be trapped with nowhere to go. Raph's head snapped up sharply, as a worrying thought occurred to him. He scanned the corners of the room carefully, and was relieved when he didn't spot any security cameras, silently berating himself for not even thinking about that until now. They couldn't afford any mistakes. He supposed perhaps that Leo's captors weren't interested in him unless he was involved in one of their tests, and that thought made his blood boil. His brother was not a toy.

With a clank, Donatello succeeded in unlocking the second cuff around Leo's wrists, and he caught the free falling turtle with a grunt as he landed on Don's injured shoulder. He lay his older brother on the ground, and pressed two thick green fingers into his neck.

Raph approached warily, knowing he had to ask the dreaded question, but fearing the answer. To know that they'd come so far, that their friends and family had put their lives in danger, if it was all in vain… he couldn't stomach the thought.

"Donnie? How…? Is he…?" he stumbled over the question, not being able to bring himself to finish it. His brother seemed so still, so…lifeless.

"He's alive Raph, but he's in a bad way. In fact, bad is an understatement. He's running a huge fever, he's unresponsive, he's malnourished and dangerously dehydrated, he's lost far too much blood. The list goes on and on. I can't treat him here, we need to get him back to the lair NOW." Donnie's voice was rising in volume as the anger shone through in his eyes.

Raph knew he was right, and the sooner they got out of here, the better. He noticed that Mikey hadn't said anything since he turned on the light, and could see tear tracks snaking their way down his skin.

"Can we risk moving him Don?" Raph queried

"I don't see that we have much of a choice. I've wrapped up what injuries I can to try to staunch the blood flow, and put some ointment on the swollen joints, but I can't even begin to truly help him until we get him home, and even then I'm not sure if-" Don trailed off, his natural tendency for self-doubt creeping through in the undertones of his voice. "Besides which, I don't think we can do anything that Shredder hasn't already." He growled.

Raph nodded his understanding "Mike, Don, you carry Leo. I'll take point. As soon as we get back to the lair, we'll send the signal to the others and then Mikey and I will go and help em if they need it, agreed? Good" He lifted up the unconscious Foot ninja and dragged him towards the door whilst Mikey and Don hoisted Leo's limp form between them. As Raph lifted the ninja's bare hand towards the fingerprint scanner, the door unlocked and slid back before he even got close.

"Well Leonardo, my father informs me you may be seeing your family much sooner than-" Karai stopped short as she entered the cell and took in the scene before her, the door slamming closed behind her once more. Her eyes grew wide as she regarded the eldest turtles' frame slung between two of his younger brothers, and her lips drew back into a snarl.

"YOU!" she spat.