UPDATE: I'm really sorry to anyone who tried to read this chapter and it didn't display properly, I have no idea why but it seems to be working now
Missing in Action: Leonardo
What a mess.
We'd followed the shell cell signals to the location Donnie found, and arrived in an alley that had obviously recently seen a fight. A quick search of the area had led to Donnie finding a large pool of blood and a blood stained metal cylinder next to it. Mikey and I continued to search the area while Donnie examined the mess we had just found.
I couldn't help the anxiety that settled in my stomach as we searched the area. The desire to find Raph and Splinter had become even more urgent to me. I was examining some cracked bricks and marks on the alley floor when Mikey found the shell cells. Both of them were crushed and dumped in the trash, and when I saw them my barely controlled anxiety kicked up a notch.
"This is bad" I muttered "we need to find them. Now."
"Yeah, this whole situation is making my shell jitter" agreed Mikey with a barely concealed shudder as we approached Donatello who was still examining the metal cylinder.
"What are you thinking Donnie?" I enquired, hoping for good news
"This is a bullet" deduced my genius brother, his sharp eyes taking in every detail of the gruesome scene
"Isn't it kind of big for a bullet?" Asked Michelangelo, who was clearly thinking the same as me.
If that big metal cylinder with a serrated edge hit anyone it would cause huge damage. Judging by the pool of blood it was next to, it had already done the damage. My every instinct was screaming at me that it was one of my family members who had been hurt, no matter how much I wanted to deny it. The evidence only pointed one way.
"This was definitely fired from some kind of gun, and judging by the size and shape it was an alien gun. This is actually an intricate piece of technology" explained Donatello, finally turning his attention to me and Mikey.
I don't know how Donnie can find a weapon like that fascinating, it was clearly made to deal maximum damage.
"Don't touch it bro, its covered in blood" called Mikey, cringing away as Donatello wiped some of the blood from the end of the bullet.
"This bullet has electronics built into it. If I had to guess I'd say you could control it from a distance, and make it do...unpleasant things" explained Donatello, as both me and Mikey turned a shade greener.
"You don't think Raph or Master Splinter got hit by that thing do you?" Asked Michelangelo quietly, though I suspect he knows the answer
"We don't know, but we can't afford to waste time. We need to find them" I reply, doing my best to conceal my know own fears. My brother's need leadership not panic right now. I was about to propose we search the wider area when Donnie interrupted me.
"Wait Leo! The end of this bullet has tiny electric conductors; like small discs on the end. A couple of them are missing, see" he explains showing me the bullet.
An idea forms of where his train of thought is going and I struggle to hold back the vomit clawing up my throat.
"You think these conductors might still be stuck to the person who got hit" I say, as Donatello nods grimly
"What are the conductors for anyway?" Asks Michelangelo and I desperately wish he hadn't.
"More than likely to electrocute whoever they stuck to. In this case, and judging by the blood we found they're probably stuck within the wound" explains Donatello sadly, looking somewhat sick himself
Now I really feel sick.
"I might be able to track the missing plates, though" adds my genius brother, instantly igniting some hope
"How? They're so tiny" adds Mikey, looking closer at the small discs
"This is alien tech by the look of it, and the shock pads will only have come out when activated, so they might still have a frequency in them. I just need to take this bullet and build a small tracker" explained Donatello
I'm pleased we have a hope of tracking them, but the bullet may not have hit either of them and if it did we've no time to waste.
"How long?" I order, taking charge of the situation
"It should be pretty simple, I have some circuits at April's apartment that might do"
"You build the tracker, Mikey and I will search the area by foot until its ready. Shell cells on at all times, and do not engage anyone without backup. Understood?"
They both nod at me, grim determination set on their features.
"We've no time to waste, let's move"