A/N: Wow, quick update! Here is chapter 10, where we FINALLY see the three other turtles!

I OWN NOTHING!

Enjoy!

Chapter 10

"To travel is to take a journey into yourself."

–Danny Kaye

He knew something was amiss before he even saw the panicked turtle.

First of all, it was only minutes passed midnight; he had assumed that they would have returned sometime in the early hours of the morning, not be right on time. When he heard Leonardo's running footsteps approaching, he made his way to the front door only to find his son carrying an unconscious Karai in his arms. The boy didn't give him time to ask what had happened, and instead set her down on the floor in the main room, cushioning her head on a pillow and then running into the kitchen to retrieve some water. In the meantime Tiger Claw stayed by her side, quickly checking her for any injuries, and was slightly confused when he found none. Had she been poisoned? She showed no symptoms of any sort, and her breathing was regular. The only thing that seemed odd was how pale her face had become.

Leo quickly returned with a glass of water, and before Tiger Claw could stop him, Leo splashed Karai's face with the water. Instantly, she sat up with a cry of alarm, coughing and spluttering as she wiped her face. Tiger Claw sent his son a pointed look, and Leo shrugged back in response before he turned his attention back to Karai, who looked around her in confusion before she saw the familiar faces of her turtle friend and the old tiger, and she visibly relaxed, her shoulders slumping as she let out a sigh of relief. Leo put a hand on her shoulder, his eyes full of concern. "Karai, are you okay?" he asked.

Karai looked down at her lap with unseeing amber eyes, water dripping from her dampened face and hair and smudging her makeup slightly. She lifted a quivering hand to her face. "…no. I'm not," she finally whispered after several moments of silence. Leo let out a small sigh, nodding and squeezing her shoulder reassuringly, though he knew it did little to really help her.

Tiger Claw looked at the two teenagers in confusion. Karai was never like this. If they had witnessed something like a robbery or a murder, it was nothing new for the two of them, who killed for both a living and as a service to their master. What happened whilst they were out? He decided that simply assuming was going to get him nowhere, and after placing a hand on Leonardo's shoulder to gain his attention, he finally asked, "Leonardo? Would you care to explain what is going on?"

After sparing a glance at Karai, who after a moment nodded to him, Leo spilled out the whole story to him. How they had been called by The Shredder, how they were expected to report to Shredder as soon as possible, the news about Hamato Yoshi, and then how Karai simply fainted right after hearing it.

Tiger Claw remained silent throughout the entire explanation, simply nodding his head in the right places, and after Leo was finished, he stood up, folding his hands behind his back as he regarded the two young ninjas. "I see. Very well, I will prepare myself, and then we will leave for Shredder's headquarters," he said, and after sparing the human girl one last look, he left the two of them alone in the main room as he went into his room to gather his gear and weapons. From inside, though he didn't mean to pry, he could hear the two of them talking…

"Karai…you know that no matter what…I'll always have your back, right?" Leonardo's voice was confident, but it was also encouraging.

"…yeah. I know you will." Karai's voice was wavering slightly, as if she was trying to suppress tears. "And, Leo….I…"

"I know. You're not very good about saying 'thank you'."

From inside his room, Tiger Claw smiled.

Half an hour later, Tiger Claw and Leonardo were kneeling before The Shredder, who stood only meters away from them as he glared down at their bowed forms, his hands clasped behind his back. Karai was standing at his right side, and though she didn't show it in front of her father, she was still shaking inside.

Shredder stepped closer to the two mutants. "Tiger Claw, Leonardo. Rise." he ordered. The turtle and the tiger did as they were asked and stood, though Tiger Claw noticed that Leonardo's hand was clenched in a tight fist, and he kept his glaring blue eyes on the floor. If Shredder noticed, he didn't seem to care as he began to explain, "I am sure Karai has informed you fleetingly of the circumstances, so I will be brief. There have been sightings of ninjas in New York City, and they bare the symbol of the Hamato clan. Hamato Yoshi, my old nemesis, is the one training his own army of ninjas in that country, and so I am finally going to finish what I started, and have them all wiped out. In order to do so…I want you and your son to leave Japan, and journey to America along with my Foot Soldiers by boat tomorrow night."

It was then that Leo finally looked up at him with eyes widened. Tiger Claw and Karai were also surprised at the announcement; they had expected for Karai only to go to New York, but this? "What?!" Leonardo barked.

All eyes were on him now, especially Shredder's as the boy glared up at him. Shredder narrowed his eyes at Leo in return. "Your skills will prove useful against Hamato's disciples," he said, "you should think of it as a great honour that I would even consider you to join me in my army against Hamato."

He then bent forward so that he was face to face with Leonardo, his dark eyes glaring into his very being. "Unless you would prefer that I simply dispatch of you now myself," he growled testingly.

Letting out his own low growl from his throat, without averting his gaze from Shredder, Leo discreetly slipped out a small blade from his wrist wrap on his left hand, holding it in a way so that Shredder wouldn't notice he had it.

He'd had enough of this lowlife tin head.

But before Leo could make another move, Tiger Claw placed a paw on his left shoulder, stopping him from making any sudden movements and not averting his eyes away from Shredder as he tightened his hold on his son's shoulder. "We will accept your generous offer, Master Shredder," he said as he bowed to him, sliding his eyes over to Leo as a silent message for him to do the same and keep his mouth shut, "We will depart for New York by tomorrow night as requested."

Taking a step back from Leonardo, Shredder glanced over at Tiger Claw and nodded. "Good. Once you arrive, you will be given your orders. Do not disappoint me," he said lowly, sending a look to Leonardo in particular. "The consequences would be…unfortunate."

Despite his anger and outrage at Tiger Claw's declaration of agreement, Leo bowed as well, biting his lip hard to stifle the animalistic growl that threatened to surface. "Yes, Master Shredder," he forced out.

He quickly stole a glance at Karai, who still stood at Shredder's side, and he was surprised to find that though her face was a solid mask of indifference, her eyes were almost apologetic. In response, he sent her the smallest of smiles as a 'thank you.' For now, he was done with Shredder; he would deal with him himself another time.

But he wasn't done with Tiger Claw just yet.

"How could you say yes to that?!" Leonardo yelled up at Tiger Claw. After Shredder had given them directions on where his base was located in Manhattan after they arrived at New York by boat, the two of them were dismissed and told to prepare themselves for the journey. And it was as soon as the two of them got home that Leonardo decided he wouldn't keep his mouth shut any longer. "I mean, how could you just decide it's great idea to leave Japan to go kill off a few armature ninjas all the way in America?!" he cried, "This is pointless! Can't he just send some of his Foot soldiers to take care of it?! The Shredder is a fool, and his plan for vengeance is downright bull –"

"Silence, Leonardo," Tiger Claw growled, narrowing his eyes down at his angered son. The air between them had been very thick with tension ever since they departed from Shredder's headquarters, and although he had been expecting this kind of reaction from the very start, it didn't irk him any less. And on top of that, he had his own inner frustrations to deal with, which made his temper fuse burn short. "You will watch your tongue. Hamato Yoshi is a Grand Master of Ninjitsu, Leonardo. It will take more than a few Foot soldiers to dispose of him, and so it is our duty as his warriors and servants to –"

"I am no servant of that shell of a man!" shouted Leo, interrupting Tiger Claw and balling his fists in rage, "Does he really expect us to leave everything behind just to go kill a bunch of wannabe ninjas and an old ninja master?! We're not just some animals that he can kick around and tame! Who says we have to do whatever he says, Sensei?! I know you're stronger than him, so what the hell is stopping you from just saying no and –"

"Damare!" Tiger Claw suddenly bellowed, startling Leonardo into silence as his father glared and snarled down and bared his claws and fangs at him. "You have no right to speak of matters such as these. And I do not have to explain myself to a child! We are warriors and servants of The Shredder, and our only purpose is to fight. As for you, I am your master as well, and you will do as I say. Understand?"

Leo stared up at his father with fear in his eyes. Tiger Claw had never, no matter how many times they had argued in the past, drawn his claws out on him this way. During training, of course he would, so as not to make it too easy for him, but now…he was admittedly frightened of him. He reminded him of those creatures…the ones that had tried to kill him all those years ago. "…S-Sensei?" he stammered.

Tiger Claw blinked once. And then he was hit with the realization that he had his claws out. He looked back to Leonardo , who had shrunken backwards slightly and away from him. Had…had Tiger Claw actually threatened to strike him? Whether it was his anger or his animal instincts taking over, it didn't matter. He had almost marked his cub. And not only that, he had completely degraded him, telling him that he was lesser than him, which was far, far from the truth. Especially after everything the boy had been through. Retracing his claws and lowering his hand, Tiger Claw closed his eyes and sighed, shaking his head. He then placed a paw on his shoulder, and felt a pang of regret when he felt Leo flinch slightly under his touch. "Leonardo," he said calmly, and was glad when he saw Leo begin to relax again, "I am sorry. What I said was not true. But you must listen to me when I tell you, that we must do this. I know you don't want to leave the forest, and neither do I. It has been our home for years now, and I too have become rather attached to it myself. But this is a mission that we, as warriors, must undertake. And who said that we will be gone forever, hm? When this is all over, we will return."

After a moment of silent contemplation, Leonardo looked down at the floor sullenly with a heavy sigh of his own. "I…I understand, Sensei, but…then why does it feel like we'll never come back?" he said quietly, "What if something happens to us when we get there, and…and we're separated? I-I know I shouldn't be saying this but…I can't – I mean…I don't want to be left behind again…"

Tiger Claw started slightly. He saw that look in his eyes again as the boy looked away from him, pressing his fingers together nervously as he bit his bottom lip. Oh, of course. The last time he had attempted to go to New York, he was almost killed by the Kraang, and was separated from the rat and his brothers. Of course there was still going to be some anxiety there. Shaking his head and sighing again, Tiger Claw brought Leo in close for a tight hug, which the boy returned immediately with just as much force, burying his face into his chest as the tiger stroked the back of his head. "Do not fear, young cub. We will never be separated. I promise you that."

Leo nodded against him, taking in a shaking breath through his nose as he tightened his hold on his father. Travelling to other countries was a very foreign concept to Leonardo, but Tiger Claw knew he would be strong enough to adjust. After all, if the tiger could do it, so could the turtle. Or at least he hoped so. But if not, Tiger Claw knew he would be there by his side to help him every step of the way.

"Ouch! I think I stepped on a rock again! Stupid rocks!"

"Actually, rocks don't have brains, Raphie."

"Hahaha! You got smarted by Donnie again!

"Shut up!"

"OW! Leo, Raphie hit me!"

"Raph, don't hit Mikey. You'll hurt his little head. Here, lemme rub it better. Does that help?"

"Mmhm! Thanks, Leo! You're the greatest!"

Shaking his head with a tolerant smile, Splinter watched as his four excited turtle sons walked by his side, holding hands just as they were told to do as the five of them trekked through the forest. Gathering personal belongings and supplies for the trip was quicker and easier than Splinter had thought it was going to be, but then again, they didn't have much to begin with. Splinter had carried his weapons bag along with a few personal items, Michelangelo had an old teddy bear, Donatello had a single science book that Splinter had managed to salvage from an old dump, Raphael had an old race car, and Leonardo…well, Leonardo originally had the teddy bear, but had kindly given it to Michelangelo a while ago in order to chase away the 'Nightmare Man', as they had put it anyways. Splinter was proud of him for displaying such kindness to his youngest brother, but then again, that was natural for them. They were all so close to one another, closer than any family he had ever seen, or so Splinter often supposed.

Each other was all they ever really had.

It was already very dark in the forest by the time the family of mutants reached the halfway point of their walk to the docks, where a cargo ship headed to America was bound to be. The little ones were already tiring out, and Splinter couldn't help but chuckle as they yawned and stretched drowsily. "…Sensei, are we there yet?" Raphael mumbled, rubbing his left eye.

Splinter shook his head with a smile, taking Donatello's hand when the little turtle reached up. "No, not yet, Raphael. But we are getting close. Just stay by me and do not wander off."

The four boys nodded, and after Leonardo took Michelangelo and Raphael's hands, they continued forwards. Splinter mused that this trip was a lot easier than he had expected, but of course he remained vigilant. There was no telling what could be out there in the darkness…

"Sensei," Michelangelo piped up, pointing his free hand to something in the bushes, "What's that light?"

Quirking a furry brow in confusion, Splinter followed Michelangelo's finger, squinting his eyes in the darkness. Then they widened in horrid realization.

He had only seconds to gather his sons in his arms and leap out of the way before the area became filled with purple laser fire. The boys screamed in terror as three strange men in business suits emerged from the bushes, aiming their guns at the mutants.

Splinter's eyes widened. It…it couldn't be…it was them again. The ones responsible for turning them all into what they were today.

This was just what he had feared would happen all along…

"Kraang, it is the mutant that is known as the rat mutant who had mutated three years ago by Kraang," one of them said.

"Observe, Kraang," said another, "Capture first, experimentation later."

Before they could move to attack, Splinter had already grabbed the children and ran from the scene, but the men who called themselves Kraang were hot on their tails. "Keep running, my sons!" he called over the sounds of lasers firing at them from behind, "Don't stop and don't look back!"

He could see the fear written clearly on their young faces as they ran as fast as their little legs could carry them. They had never experienced fear like this before, and it killed him inside to know that he had not been careful enough to avoid this. If only he had noticed before it was too late.

As they ran, Michelangelo suddenly tripped and fell to the ground. Leonardo was the first to notice as he skidded to a stop. "Mikey!" he cried, sprinting back to where his little brother lay sprawled out on the forest floor, and he quickly brought him back onto his feet, giving him back the stuffed bear and pushing him forwards. "Go, hurry Mikey, GO!" he yelled.

Upon realizing that only Raphael and Donatello were running by his side, Splinter quickly spun around in search for his other two sons, and he was just in time to see one of the men closing in on them both as they tried to catch up to them. His heart in his throat, Splinter made a mad dash towards them, but Leonardo pushed Michelangelo out of the way, just as the man fired his gun.

Splinter's eyes flew wide and his mouth agape, skidding and freezing in his tracks as he witnessed as his eldest son was shot in the head, his body going limp as he fell to the ground.

"LEONARDO!"

Splinter let out a startled cry as he sat upright on his futon, putting a shaking hand over his rapidly beating heart as he panted. Sweat trickled down his forehead as he stared down at his lap with unseeing eyes. Slowly, after talking a deep breath, he managed to calm himself down, wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. It was a nightmare. It was just another nightmare…

…another nightmare about him.

Splinter sighed heavily as he got out of bed, opened the sliding doors of his room and entered the dojo. After gazing at the beautiful flourishing tree that stood in the centre of the room after years of tender care, he turned to the old shrine that he had built a long time ago, where the black and white photo of his wife and baby daughter was sat. On the shelf underneath it, there was an old teddy bear that had not been touched or played with for years. His ears drooping slightly, Splinter gently picked up the bear, running his hand over its fuzzy features. The moment that he witnessed the death of his oldest son, his oldest baby, Splinter had never forgiven himself, even to this very day. It tore him apart knowing that he had lost another child. How could he not have noticed that he and Michelangelo were missing? How could he have not been fast enough to save him before it was too late? Was it because he had simply failed in training them to the best of his abilities? Or was it simply because…he had failed to protect him as a father should have done?

The three turtles he had left were just as distraught as he was, for they had just lost their older brother. They cried for hours over his loss, and poor Michelangelo had blamed himself over and over again, feeling as though it was his fault that Leonardo died. But Splinter had been there to reassure them all and wipe away their tears, telling them that Leonardo would live on in their hearts for as long as they remembered him, and that he would be watching over them from above, always.

From that day onwards, as they sailed to New York City and rebuilt their lives under the cover of the sewers, Splinter vowed that he would never make that mistake again. He would train his three remaining sons to the very best of his ability, and ensure that they would be able to protect themselves if he were to one day not be there by their side.

And in memory of those they had lost, he and the boys had made a shrine for Tang Shen, little Miwa, and his little Leonardo. Since the bear had originally belonged to him, Michelangelo put the bear up there in memory of how he had been able to chase the monsters away and saved his life. Splinter looked down once again at the bear in his hands, and he hugged the toy to his chest, as if it were Leonardo himself.

Leonardo may be gone, but he was never, ever, forgotten.

Laughter and shouts coming from the entrance of the old subway station they had come to call home brought Splinter out of his thoughts. He smiled and rolled his eyes. It seemed that the boys were finally back. Setting the bear carefully back in place, he made his way out of the dojo to greet his sons. It was only a few weeks ago that Splinter had (reluctantly) allowed the three of them to go to the surface for the first time in years. And it was on that same night that they had gotten involved with an alien race called the Kraang, (which Splinter soon remembered as the same people who had killed Leonardo that night in Japan, much to his horror) and a young human girl named April O'Neil.

Now it was their responsibility to find and rescue the girl's father, and put a stop to whatever these creatures have in store for them.

As if their lives couldn't get any more complicated.

At first, when they had first tried to rescue April O'Neil from the Kraang the first time, there proved to have been an issue concerning how they could not fight together as a unit. So Splinter eventually decided it was time that they had a leader. And although Raphael was now the oldest of the three, it was Donatello who had asked first, so the position was left to him, much to Raphael's annoyance, but he and Michelangelo complied nonetheless. The only issues Splinter had with Donatello being the leader, was that the boy was so intelligent for his age. But that was far from the problem; his brain was what helped them survive in the sewers for so long, believe it or not, but there were times that Donatello would over-think things, such as their plan to retrieve Miss O'Neil. Splinter had given him guidance in that moment, telling him to keep things simple, and that no matter how hard he planned, it was how he reacted to the unexpected that would determine their success.

There had been a great struggle, but together they had managed to successfully rescue the girl from the clutches of the Kraang.

And Splinter couldn't be more proud.

As he walked down the stairs that led to the dojo, he was just in time to find his three sons vaulting the turnstiles, laughing and boasting over their victory it seemed, as was becoming usual nowadays. "My sons," he announced, and the three of them turned to face their sensei, with Raphael rubbing the back of his head with slight awkwardness, "I see your mission was successful, yes?"

Donnie nodded eagerly. "Hai, Sensei," he said, "W-well, sort of anyways. We managed to find the guy and break his phone, but –"

"He kinda got mutated into this freaky giant spider!" Mikey piped up enthusiastically, interrupting Donnie who rolled his eyes, "Now we call him Spider-Bytez! But don't worry, Raph came just in time and beat the snot outta him! It was awesome, Sensei!"

Splinter raised a brow at Mikey's colourful use of language, but a smiled and nodded either way. "I am sure it was, Michelangelo," he said, to which Mikey nodded and beamed up at him. Splinter then turned his attention to Raph, who looked down at his feet casually, but was deliberately avoiding Splinter's gaze. Splinter placed a hand on his shoulder, causing the red clad turtle to finally look up at him. "Well done, my son," he said simply, smiling down at him.

After a moment, he earned a wry smirk from the oldest turtle and a green thumbs up. "Hey, it's no big deal, Sensei," he said confidently, folding his arms over his chest proudly, "After all, it's like you said, 'A River over Stone', right?"

Splinter chuckled. "Yes indeed, Raphael, that is correct. And for that, I am proud of. So I trust that you will not be too upset once you find out what Michelangelo has stuck onto your shell?"

Raph's smile instantly vanished as he spun around to see Mikey snickering, with Donnie not far behind as Raph reached behind him, his three fingers brushing against a piece of paper stuck to his shell, and he tore it off. His eyes narrowed and he let out a nasty growl when he saw the words "Bloated Buffalo" scribbled on the paper, and after crushing the paper in his hands, he swerved over to Mikey, who was already halfway across the lair as the red clad turtle gave chase to the younger turtle, both of them screaming all the while, though for Mikey, it was more out of terror.

Master Splinter and Donnie shared a look, shaking their heads and smiling. Despite how much had changed in their lives over the course of a few weeks, some things would always stay the same.

Or at least, Splinter hoped they would…

A/N: Sorry Splinter, but somethings are just BOUND to change...