Ch.11: Bonds of A Rival

With a giant push, Slash leaped over the stunned looks of both Shredder and Karai, and swung out with his mace towards Raphael's brothers. April and Casey barely managed to dodge to the side in time, as the brothers got hit full force with the mace's blow.

Hanging onto their weapons, Leo and his brothers managed to charge Slash, while Raphael was busy with his own fight with Shredder and Karai.

Stabbing with his sais, Raphael faced off against his two dangerous opponents without barely a flicker of emotion in his eyes. All he could see was a target that had to be destroyed. It was like everything else wasn't there.

However, facing off against two masters wasn't easy, and received more blows than he gave. It was clear his simple skills with the sai weren't going to be enough to win this battle. Luckily though, he didn't just walk out of that weapons room with his sais.

Dodging a bladed punch from Shredder, Raphael shifted to the left, pulled something from his belt, and then slapped it to the back of the Shredder's armor. The reaction was instantaneous as an electric arc suddenly surged around Shredder, making the villain fall to his knees in pain.

"What have you done?" cried Karai angrily at Raphael, swinging her sword dangerously at the turtle's face.

However, before she could get any ideas like slashing off Raph's head, Slash had turned around from his fight, saw the danger, and threw his mace at Karai.

Soaring fast, the heavy, spiked missile landed hard against Karai's chest, knocking the female ninja away a good distance, and causing her to painfully black out on the floor.

Grateful for the help, Raphael shot a thumbs up towards Slash, which the turtle returned before focusing back on his own fight. Now that the danger had passed, Raph focused his hateful green eyes back on Shredder.

Sais glinting dangerously in the dim light, Raphael stalked slowly towards Shredder, weak and ready to kill.

Along the sidelines of the two battles, Casey and April had gathered around the fallen Master Splinter, still weary after his fierce struggle with both Shredder and Karai. Their eyes now locked on the turtles, praying that good would win the fight.

Casey's eyes were narrowed in rage. He couldn't believe that Raph and Slash were now on the same side, actually working together to take both them and the bad guys out.

"You did something to him," thought Casey, glaring at Slash's battle. Leo, Don, and Mikey were in serious trouble. " Well I'm going to undo it!"

Bringing down his mask, and sliding out a hockey stick from his golf bag, Casey ran straight at Slash's shell spouting out his famous battle cry.

"Goongala!" shouted Casey, slamming his stick down hard.

It was bad move, as his weapon splintered to pieces as soon as it hit. Slash's shell was ten times harder, and spiker than the other turtles. Simple attacks like Casey's weren't going to be enough to break through.

After batting off another one of Leonardo's attacks, Slash turned and focused his evil, green towards Casey, extending his claws with malice.

Pulling out a steel golf club from his bag, Casey armed himself for defense, facing a monster he knew it would be easy to lose.

Meanwhile, evil eyes glared darkly out of the shades of a metal mask, as a weakened Shredder stood painfully on his knees, trying quickly to recover from the shock that had recently plagued him.

Raphael stood barely a foot away from him now, twirling his sais, and ready to strike the final blow. Both enemies eyes locked as Raph stopped twirling and suddenly lunged out with one his sais, aiming for the Shredder's throat.

A hard, metallic kick suddenly put an end to this near disaster, knocking Raphael away, and saving Shredder's life.

Frustrated that he had been interrupted, Raphael looked up to see who had stopped him, eyes narrowing all the more. Fishface now stood beside the Shredder, coming to the rescue just in time.

"Sorry amigo" said Fishface, glaring at Raph " but this will not be allowed!"

With that said, Fishface tackled Raph, careful to avoid his sais, and dragged the turtle away to an opposite corner of the room, with their bodies close to a wall.

Punches and kicks were quickly exchanged, as well as words. Words that Fishface had kept silent in his mind, afraid for the other villains to hear, but now came out full force.

"Your fighting is sloppier than before Raphael" said Fishface " I see no fire in your soul. It has been swallowed. You have let that Slash take over your mind. Wake up, and be the warrior I know you are,"

Inside Raphael's mind, the red-masked turtle sat solemnly down in a room plagued with darkness. Horrible whispers echoed through the dark, reminding him just how badly he had treated his brothers in the past, because his temper, his anger.

How could he ever had treated them like that? Stinging them with hidden words as well as bruises.

Dark shadows took form right in front of Raphael, transforming into the evil creature known as Slash. Eyes gleering green, the turtle spoke.

"It was justified" said Slash " after all, your brothers weren't very nice to you,"

The voices of Raphael's brothers now shouted through the darkness, reflecting every negative complaint Leo and the others ever had towards him. Raphael tried hard not to listen, but the hateful words still penetrated his ears.

Tears threatened to flow from his eyes a few seconds after the voices stopped, and Slash spoke again.

" They never understood ya Raphael" said Slash " that's why you always came to me. Your brothers would always laugh off the pain you were holding inside, because they most likely caused it. But all that pain can disappear, if you just give in and join me,"

"Embrace your hatred Raphael" continued Slash, extending his hand " anger is power,"

Raph slowly lifted up his eyes, staring at Slash's hand, wondering what to do. It was so tempting to take. Leaving all of this pain behind, just to be free from the darkness.

Carefully, Raphael's hand reached out towards Slash, while the black-masked turtle grinned wickedly in triumph.

"Raphael is mine,"

However, just inches before the two hands could touch, a fierce voice broke out through the darkness, stopping the turtles in their tracks.

"Give in, and I'll never forgive you!" said Fishface, glaring at Raphael and Slash. Raph was surprised.

"Xever" Raph asked " What are you doing here?"

"Your brothers are in trouble amigo" said Fishface, and portal opened up in the darkness showing Raphael's brothers and Casey fighting against " they need your help against your former pet,"

"Why should he?" growled Slash " What have his brothers ever done for him? I was the one who was always there. They never cared for Raphael,"

One his giant hands embraced Raph's shoulders as he said this, and Raph nearly cringed from the touch. It was true, his brothers didn't care, no one seemed to.

"You shut up!" said Fishface to Slash " I care because I know what it's like to lose a family, and you won't take his from him. That's my job, deal with it. Wake up Raph! Remember the good times with your brothers. Fight like the warrior I know!"

Shock registered in Raph's eyes as the full effect of Fishface's words seemed to sink in. Light suddenly started slicing through the darkness, bringing with it numerous good times he had shared with friends and family; the celebration party after the fight with the Kraang, TV times watching those old videos Mikey had found, and relief after his brothers were alive after being severely beaten by Slash.

Fire lit up in Raphael's eyes with new rage, but this time it was pointed towards Slash. The dark turtle had almost succeeded into taking all his good memories away, but that wasn't going to happen anymore.

Calling up a pair of sais to his hands, Raphael charged straight towards the dream Slash, slicing the turtle deep in the chest.

A howl of pain escaped from Slash's mouth, as the black-masked reptile collapsed to his knees, disappearing into dust.

"You won't get rid of me Raphael" said Slash, before disappearing completely " I'll always be here, haunting you,"

"And I'll be ready," said Raph.

Back in reality, Raphael's cold, dead eyes woke up to see himself held up in arm lock with Fishface, battling for superiority in a fight he didn't even know had started. Surprise reflecting in his gaze, Raphael looked towards Fishface.

"Wha…what happened?"

"Glad your back," grinned Fishface.

Before Raph could even question what he meant, a sudden yell of pain drew both of their attention to where Slash was battling against his brothers and Case.

Leo, Don, and Mikey all lay severely injured and beaten against the floor. Donatello's bo staff lay broken in two, inches from his master leaning painfully against a wall. Michelangelo was on his stomach, groaning in pain, while Leonardo stood on his knees, hands clinging tight to one of his swords.

Casey's weapons were either bent or broken, but luckily he barely had a scratch. Leo and the others had obviously protected him from being foolish enough to take down Slash.

Claws out and ready to kill, Slash was about to put an end to all of their miserable lives. Fishface looked towards Raphael.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Bring it!" said Raph.

And with yell the two rivals charged towards Slash.