I wanted to have this up sooner, but college stuff is just so overwhelming. But on the other hand, I think this is the longest chapter in this fic yet! The first half woulda been too short and I couldn't just chop off part of the second part so whala a longer chapter. :D Enjoy!

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Chapter 25

Don waited until Rai, Leo, Splinter, and April were out of the room before he looked over at Mikey. He knew they would have to do this quick. Any slower and something might go seriously wrong. "Go tell Casey. I'll handle Raph."

Mikey was watching the battle that Don refused to look at yet. His face was grim. "And the Shredder?"

Don hesitated then looked over at the battle himself. Raph was sliding right under the Shredder, running both of his sai along Shredder's lower legs. He jumped back up and turned to face Shredder who was now stumbling forward in a rage due to the sai's damage at his ankles.

A hockey masked man flew through the air and landed on Shredder, one arm around the tin man's neck, the other bringing his hockey stick down straight on Shredder. The hockey stick splintered and broke as soon as it made contact with Shredder. Casey looked at it and froze. He forced a chuckle. "Was worth a shot..."

"Was it?" Shredder growled coldly. He gripped Casey with both hands and hurled him to the ground at his feet with a hard thud. He pulled his fist back and then threw it forward, the blades on his fist having every intention of landing right in the middle of Casey's forehead.

Casey stared at in shock for a moment.

"Move bonehead!" Raph shouted.

Casey rolled left, Shredder's blades striking the floor just seconds after Casey moved. He got to his feet and stared at the Shredder, backing a few steps a way. "Man that was close..."

"Not as close as this." Shredder lifted his leg up and swung it at Casey's stomach, pushing his weight into his kick against the hockey masked vigilante.

Casey flew backwards from the impact, hitting the wall with a painful thud. He rubbed his head and staggered to his feet. A green hand steadied him, then whispered in his ear.

Don double blinked. He hadn't realized Mikey had already left his side and gotten to Casey. He shook his head. Now was not the time to be thinking about how silent Mikey had been in getting to Casey. Right now he had to silently get to Raph. Without getting his head chopped off by the Shredder. How reassuring... Don ducked behind some objects and slowly made his way to Raph who now stood on top of a shelf near one end of the room.

"What's the matter bucket head?" Raph growled, half panting. "Can't jump up here to get your enemy? Too bad old slug!" He snorted and let out a small chuckle.

Shredder growled in frustration from his side of the room. He pushed some boxes off of him like they were mere paper and stood. He didn't like being kicked into objects. It had a tendency to push his rage up a few notches. And right now he was really outraged. He stomped forward, growling as he walked.

Don jumped up onto the shelf with Raph. He kept a nervous eye on Shredder. "Raph, we've got to get out of here," he said lowly and urgently.

"Don't you think I know that?" Raph shot back.

"I mean right now. We've got a plan," Don returned keeping it down so the Shredder, who was getting closer by the second, wouldn't hear.

"What kind of plan?"

"One where we get out of here right this minute."

Raph scowled. "Running? You think we can all just run from the Shredder right now? He's nearly within striking distance!"

"Then you run Raph. I'll keep his attention."

Raph stared at Don, eyes wide. "No way! Not in your life time!"

Don returned his glare. "You're worn out. I can keep him going, then run out behind you guys."

Raph looked at him skeptical. "And Casey knows about this?"

Don looked out over the area of the room. Mikey was stealthily leading Casey to the exiting hall. "Him and Mikey are almost out."

"Then just what else is this plan of yours?" Raph growled.

"Pain," Shredder interrupted beneath them, easily within grabbing reach. "Lots and lots of pain." He chuckled darkly.

"Just trust me Raph," Don whispered. "Go," he said rather forcefully. He glared at Shredder and jumped off the book shelf, right over Shredder's head and landed silently behind him. He pulled his bo staff off of his back and held it in both hands, ignoring the dull ache in his cut shoulder that the Foot had nicely bandaged up.

Shredder turned around and faced Donatello. He seemed to smirk under that mask of his. "You don't really think this can work do you?" he asked mockingly.

Don shrugged. "I'd still try it."

Shredder chucked some more and shook his head. He stopped laughing and stepped to the right, letting a green and red blur fly past him and barrel into Donny with a hard thud.

Don groaned, getting knocked to the ground, hitting hard. He half moaned and pushed Raph off of him. "Just go!"

"Don..." Raph tried again.

"Go!" Don interrupted.

Raph growled and got to his feet. "See ya later bucket head." He started running for the exit hall then stopped and turned back. "On second thought... I hope I don't," he sneered with a threatening glare. He growled and turned disappearing down the hall.

Don was relieved to have Raph gone. And Mikey and Casey too. He slowly got to his feet and picked up his staff. He twirled it in his right hand waiting for his moment to follow Raph running down that hall. He glared at the room, looking for Shredder. He looked left and right, then left again, feeling uneasy. He hadn't taken his eyes off Shredder for long, but that was all that his enemy needed. Don swirled around to find nothing. A pain exploded in his side. His eyes widened as he stumbled to the left, clutching his side. He looked down, pulling his hand away bloody, then quickly pressing his hand against it again. He slowly looked up meeting Shredder's gloating gaze. He was too slow to duck Shredder's swinging arm, knocking Don down against the book shelf. His vision started to fade. He pulled a little black object out of his belt and pushed the button.

***

Raph was half way down the third hall when he knew he heard an echoing thud, bouncing off the walls of the building. He hadn't seen Mikey or Casey when he entered the hall, so he had concluded that they were far ahead of him. Maybe out of the building by now. So it was only him to find out what that thud was. But the thing was... he knew. He knew what it was as he knew his favorite color was red. It was Don! He spun and ran back down the hall at a dead sprint. He slid into the room he had left just minutes before and halted in his tracks, eyes wide at the scene before him. Don was on the ground, one hand clutching his side. Raph didn't have to get any closer to know that what he saw was a deep red liquid dripping between Don's fingers.

Shredder leaned down, laughing coldly. "I told you your plan would involve pain." He leaned closer. "Lots of pain."

Don's free hand reached into his belt, pulling out a black object and pressing the red button.

Raph bolted forward as he watched his purple banded brother's head hit the ground. Don wasn't dead. He just wasn't! Raph tried to tell himself that, but had a hard time believing it. He jumped up and thrust his leg out, kicking Shredder in the side with as much force as he could muster, sending the Shredder crashing into the wall. The wall had a book shelf and some wall shelves. At the force of impact everything came tumbling down on the tin man. Raph watched for a second, then bent down to Don as he heard an explosion. He quickly swept Don up and ran from the room. He knew what that device that Don had was. He hadn't seen it in a long time, but he remembered it well. Mikey had nearly pushed the button and blown the whole lair up not too long ago! Raph chewed his brother out good for that one.

Another explosion went off to Raph's right, nearly knocking him off his feet. He righted himself and his grip on Don, running faster. He looked around for another explosive. This must have been what Don was talking about. Rai had set a path of explosives when he came in. So to get out all he had to do was follow that trail backwards. That is if he could pass them before they went off. Raph frantically searched for the next one and nearly slowed down when he found it. He gritted his teeth and surged forward, passing it within seconds off it going off. He pushed himself to run even faster, feeling the heat of the fire behind him. He turned right and left and right again, each time just barely missing the explosion. But now the next one was no where in sight!

Despite it not being a good idea to slow down, he did. He didn't know which hall to take. He looked left then right. Which way? His mind raced as he looked between the two again. His heart raced. Where was it?! He quickly got his answer. The next one exploded to his right, sending the wall and ceiling tumbling down on him faster than he could move. Raph gasped feeling hot pieces of material push him into the ground. He wiggled trying to get out from under it, but it wouldn't budge. And Don was stuck too! There was no way out. No way he could pull all this stuff off of him.

A pair of hands started pulling the debris off of him until Raph could pull him and Donny out. He looked up relieved to see Raison.

"Come on," Rai murmured faintly, tugging one of Don's arms over his shoulder and started running for the door.

Raph ran with him, each step very painful. The falling debris must have burned at least a little bit every where on his body. Pain screeched at him with every step. He scowled and ran out of the door with Rai and Don. They quickly joined the others just as the rest of the building came down. They all turned and ran, not stopping until they all were far enough away from the burning building. Raph was panting. Hard. But worry creeping into his mind, he checked Don's pulse. A little below normal from what he could tell.

"Donny!" April squeaked. She tore the bottoms of her pants and pressed it against the cut on Don's side.

"Is he?" Mikey asked hesitantly.

Raph shook his head. "Just out. But we have to get his side fixed up. Will that hold til we get somewhere safe?" he asked April.

April nodded tying it around Don's waist. "It will. But it'll need stitches."

Raph nodded, then looked to Leo, out cold in Casey and Mikey's arms. He leaned mostly on Casey because of Mikey's broken arm. "How's Leo?"

"Exhausted," Mikey said.

Raph nodded, more relieved than he'd like to admit.

"Come my sons, we must go," Splinter urged. Though his eyes could easily show that he was glad they were all out and alive.

"Where though?" Casey asked.

"The lair," April said.

"What? Why?" Raph asked. "That should be the last place we go."

"They won't think to look there. And I doubt Shredder would be crawling out of that any time soon if he could," April said. "Plus all the medical supplies are still at the lair."

Raph snorted, but grudgingly nodded. She was right. "Let's go," he murmured, the eight of them trudging to the nearest man hole. He looked back at the building on last time. It was blazing, shooting fire and smoke into the sky. Raph turned his attention back ahead. Towards home. Or what used to be their home.