Donatello entered the dojo and took Splinter aside.
"I need to speak with Leonardo," he said in a low tone.
Leo's head tilted slightly at the sound of his name, but he didn't remove his focus, or his gaze, from the young woman practicing balancing katas in front of him. Obviously, Don hoped to keep Morgan out of whatever bothered him, but with her acute hearing, there wasn't much chance of that.
Still, if she was listening, she gave no sign. Eyes closed, she concentrated on holding a particularly difficult pose. His hands rested lightly on her hips- just in case she overbalanced- but she really didn't need him. She held the position with grace.
She made it look easy though he knew it was anything but. Under his palms, he could feel her muscles straining, burning with the effort of holding so still. But her strength and agility were amazing, her training coming along at a rapid pace.
Weeks had passed and he found he enjoyed every moment of her company, both inside the dojo and out. Their time together drew them closer and, in a way he never anticipated, Leonardo had become extremely fond of the pretty little brunette for her own sake. She possessed a sly wit which often took him by surprise, a talent for coaxing laughter when she felt he was too serious, and a unique vantage point on the world.
He watched with pride as Morgan blossomed under the family's continuing affection, more protective of her now than ever before. He didn't want her upset needlessly, so when Donatello continued speaking despite Splinter's warning look, he frowned.
"I'm afraid there's a problem," Donnie's said, shooting them a nervous glance. "I've gathered the others, but it's urgent and I'd rather go over it only once."
Leo suppressed a sigh. It seemed their respite was over. He just hoped whatever it was didn't turn out to be too dire.
"And... relax," he said to Morgan, withdrawing his hands as she stepped down off the half sphere she'd been practicing on.
"Good job. That was the last one for today. You're really making progress."
"Thanks." She flashed him a grin. "I'm going to hit the shower then we can work on your stuff. You're getting pretty good at masking your aura, but it's still visible around the edges and I learned a new technique from Bren I think might help."
He returned the smile, touched by her eagerness to give back to the family. Little did she know she'd already given them the most precious gift.
"I'll have to take a raincheck," he said, trying to let her down gently. "Donnie has something to discuss and I need to run some plans by the guys. Its been a few weeks since we went on patrol and it's time we get back out there."
He phrased it as delicately as he could, but Morgan was no fool. Certainly, they would be seeking further information on those who threatened her, the Foot... and Charlie. It would be dangerous and she knew it. He read it in the tense expression on her face, the guarded look in her eye.
She decided to let it pass, perhaps realizing they would go anyway, despite her objections. Instead of a protest, she raised up on tiptoe, squeezed his bicep gently with both hands and placed a small kiss on his cheek.
"Just be careful," she whispered as she slipped out of the dojo.
"Ok, what's so urgent Donnie?" Leo asked as they strode briskly through the door of his brother's lab. The others were already gathered at the back and solemn expressions marked every face.
"It's the number," Michelangelo said as they joined the group. "The caller ID we brought back from April's phone. Don traced it."
"Actually, it came from one of the disposable cells Morgan used as part of her government protection," the genius said. "Karai found some way to bounce her signal off it, but the device isn't the issue."
"Enlighten me," Leonardo said, mouth tightening into a grim line. He didn't like the tense feeling surrounding the situation. His intuition said this was going to be bad. Very bad.
"I hacked the voicemail," Donnie said. "There's a message on it for Morgan from Martin. He left it a few days after the hospital incident, so it's several weeks old, but he must have thought she might still have access to it."
"What did he say?" Leo asked.
From Don's expression, it wasn't a typical law enforcement type enticement to reveal herself with promises of safety. A sinking feeling began deep in his stomach.
"Her best friend, Samantha, is being held hostage," Donatello said.
Leonardo blinked and relaxed a little, that wasn't as bad as he thought.
"Well, I guess it's better than the alternative," he said. "Morgan feared she was dead."
Donnie shook his head, his face pale.
"It's not, better I mean. The bastards are sending pieces of her back to the FBI every few days until Morgan agrees to submit."
"Pieces?" Mikey asked in a sick voice.
"Body parts," Raphael said with his usual bluntness.
Leonardo closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, trying to calm the intense fury flaring up inside. Morgan's arrival had sparked more anger than he'd ever had to deal with before. So much, he'd begun to sympathize with Raph.
In the beginning, he'd been upset for his brother's sake, now it was solely for hers.
The kind-hearted, loving girl had opened his eyes and carved a special place in his heart during her stay. She fit into their family perfectly, the missing puzzle piece which made the whole unit stronger. She offered a future beyond the end of their vendetta against the Shredder. They needed her.
She is our light leading out of the endless darkness.
Moreover, Morgan needed them in return. With their support, she was finally making strides toward mental recovery, perhaps even happiness. She no longer suffered such crushing nightmares and her attacks of post-traumatic stress had decreased.
But this sick, evil man intended to destroy her fragile peace, for there was no way this would not draw her into the open. Leo knew her now. No matter how much they insisted she stay under cover, she would do everything in her power to save her friend.
Though it went against his personal code, Leonardo found himself seriously considering assassination as a solution. Charlie was a demon and he didn't think he would regret infiltrating the man's home and slitting his throat while he slept.
I might even enjoy doing it.
"Do we have to tell her?" Mikey asked. "This'll tear her up."
"Keeping it from her is going to be next to impossible," Donnie said. "Even if we instigate a successful rescue in secret, she'll find out about it eventually and still feel guilty. If we tell her, she'll be upset but helping with the plan might alleviate some stress."
"Raph?" Leo asked, seeking his opinion.
Pain dashed across his brother's face before it hardened.
"She should know," he decided. "But I ain't got the heart to tell her."
"I'll do it," Don said with quiet resignation.
"I am not staying here!"
Morgan raised her voice because no one was listening, but it didn't help.
The brothers conferred over a number of possible rescue plans while Splinter and April debated the pros and cons of involving the FBI more directly, perhaps through the use of one of April's pseudonyms. Morgan listened to them argue and felt her life once again spinning out of control.
I've been basking in a feeling of safety, starting a new chapter with the love of my life while Sam suffered through weeks of torture.
She knew only too well what that felt like.
The moment Donnie had, oh so gently, broken the news, guilt slammed into her. Charlie was a sick son-of-a-bitch and there was no telling the horrors he subjected Samantha too, simply to amuse himself while he waited.
She suffered a short attack, several flashbacks she'd rather not have relived, but she recovered quickly with Raphael's help. The iron-will through which she'd survived her own captivity reared up inside of her, fortifying her to do what needed to be done, only to find a group consensus had effectively placed her on the sidelines.
While they welcomed her ideas, no one included her presence in their plans.
Frustration built as she listened to their schemes, each one more outlandish than the last. They were avoiding the simplest solution of all. The only one guaranteed to get Samantha out without further injury.
I must surrender.
Was it dangerous? Yes. Did it scare her practically senseless? Undoubtedly. But she knew Charlie. Secure in his feeling of dominance, he wouldn't expect her to have changed so much. She knew new defensive tricks, ones he hadn't taught her, and was stronger physically than before. She could disappear at will, hiding in shadow, and she had a family of superbly trained ninjas to back her up. As soon as Sam was safe with the FBI, Morgan could slip away.
It would be surrender in name only.
When she proposed her simple plan, however, Raphael shot it down.
"No," he said and turned away. He wasn't angry. Didn't give her any room to argue, just flat out said no.
She stood stunned into silence, cheeks flushed with embarrassment as the others looked anywhere but her and she realized they all agreed. She clenched her fists.
"I see," she said in an icy voice. "Well if anyone wants my help or advice, I'll be...here."
She waved a hand vaguely, taking in the whole of the lair and stomped off.
Dashing tears from her cheeks, she ran upstairs and down the hall towards the bedroom, but she stopped somewhere in the middle. This was the only problem with not having her own space. She didn't want to be surrounded by Raphael's scent at this moment.
I- I need to be alone...
As she stood considering her options, an unfamiliar breeze touched her cheek and she turned to the closed door on her immediate right. The store room. She'd never been in, but from the draft creeping around the edges, it wasn't simply some dead end tunnel packed full of junk.
Opening the door, she brushed past various crates, boxes, and barrels of things, making her way to the far side where more open space prevailed. She sank to a crouch in its center and vented, sobbing quietly in a mixture of relief and rage.
She didn't want to face Charlie, but she couldn't stand by while someone dear to her suffered.
Why couldn't Raphael understand?
She didn't realize she'd stuffed both hands into her pockets and was clenching the speaking stone tight until her brother's mental voice startled her.
:Maur? Is that you? MAUR! Why are you crying?:
She couldn't find words to explain. Drawing out the rock, she grabbed her knees and sobbed harder as her mind ran in rapid little circles.
:Maur. Mauriagonna, slow down. Breathe. I can't understand. Are you hurt?:
She shook her head and collapsed to her side on the concrete floor, weeping uncontrollably into her crossed arms.
:Yes. No. Gods yes. Brenna, I'm so afraid!:
Instantly his communication changed and she felt him deep inside her head, wrapping her in soothing layers of love and concern. She sensed a warm embrace as his mental projections closed around her shoulders and she shuddered as he probed at her surface thoughts. His rage ignited as he glimpsed her flashbacks, but he suppressed it, seeking further until he understood the whole story.
:Oh, my sweet, little one. This is not thy fault.:
Phantom hands caressed her back and stroked her hair where she lay.
:And thy Match does not think thee incompetent. Raphael is afraid. He can't even contemplate thy plan without imagining terrible consequences. And he is not far wrong. Many are the risks in such an endeavor.:
:But Brenna, I have to do something. Sam was all I had to turn to for almost six years. Having one friend, even one who had no idea what I was going through, kept me sane.:
He thought for a while before drawing her to her feet.
:Take the stone to thy father. I will hear their plans and if thine is the more strategically sound, I will propose it anew. Perhaps some compromise can be reached.:
:Thank you, Brenna.:
:Do not thank me yet, little one. I do not condone putting thee in danger. But I can advise.:
Morgan fretted and tried not to listen to the discussion in the front room. While initially happy to have input from her immortal sibling, she got the impression the feeling wouldn't last when Brenellean started promoting her plan. So she left them to it, retreating to Raphael's room and huddling in their bed, losing herself in her thoughts.
Charlie haunted her.
Everywhere I turn, every thought in my head, every decision I make is colored by his influence.
Up until this point, all her energy had been focused on getting away from him physically, but she was rapidly realizing that wasn't enough. If she didn't confront him, exorcise the demon from her life, he would always rule her whether she willed it or no.
Eventually, she concluded no matter what the family decided, she had to go. Afraid or not, she must face Charlie, for they had a connection she could not live with, a glamour of a darker kind.
I have to break free.
The conclusion terrified her and she shuddered violently, pulling her blankets with the comforting scent of Raphael around her shoulders.
Calm down. Nothing can be done tonight.
Even if they agreed her strategy was best, further plans would have to be hashed out. They would need to find some way to contact the kidnappers and determine a safe method for releasing Samantha into FBI custody.
Shouting broke out downstairs and Morgan winced. Raphael was certainly unhappy with the current topic. There was even, she supposed, a small possibility Brenellean would fail to convince them of the necessity of her involvement.
What will I do then? Sneak out?
She didn't think she could. That felt too much like betrayal.
Hours later when Raphael entered the room, she was still debating. It was late and all she wanted to do was snuggle down with him and rest, but she had to know the verdict. She tilted her head at him, silent questions written all over her face.
Her heart jolted into high gear when he didn't speak, but simply walked to the bed and pulled her roughly to her knees before crushing her to his chest.
She closed her eyes and fought back tears. They decided her presence was required.
Raphael shifted his arms around her waist and buried his face in her neck. She brushed feather-light fingers over his shell, trying to give him comfort she did not feel.
"Stay," he pled in a shaky voice. "Tell them ya changed your mind. Stay with me. Don't do this."
The tears she fought escaped and slid down her cheeks. She began to tremble and his hold tightened further.
"I have to go, love," she whispered. "If I keep hiding, nothing will change. I need to face him. Not just to save Sam, but to be free. Otherwise, he'll own me forever."
"You're not his!" Raphael growled, drawing back to stare into her face. "You never were."
She shuddered, wishing he was right, but knowing in her heart he was wrong. Charlie was in her blood, poisoning her veins.
"He did more than just torture me," Morgan said. "He- he stole my freedom and corroded my will." She turned her face from Raphael in shame as she said, "I did things for him, to him. Things that weren't in the file. Things my soul may never forgive."
She dropped her arms, but he caught her hands in his.
"You have nothing to be ashamed of," he insisted. "You did what ya had to do to stay alive. I'll never fault ya for that, an' anyone who does will answer ta me."
She shook her head.
"It formed a bond," she said. "like the one I had with Donnie, but Charlie has no honor. He will never leave me be. I have to sever the connection."
"How?" he asked.
"I don't know. But I do know it can't happen if I slink away and hide for the rest of my life."
He stared into her eyes and didn't like the resolve he found there.
"Angel, please," he said, agony in his voice. "This is too dangerous. I can't lose ya."
He leaned in to kiss her forehead.
"Let me do this some other way. My brothers an' I, we can take him, hold him somewhere secure. Maybe Brenellean can undo whatever this is. If not, I'll make him bleed for what he's done, an' then eliminate him."
Sadly, she shook her head, her heart set.
"That won't save Samantha."
Unable to sway her, he seized her lips with his own.
"Please," he murmured between kisses. "Morgan, no."
She returned his passion, kissing him deeply, running her fingers over his face. His eyes were closed and liquid coated his cheeks. His tears almost broke her, but it was time to face her fate. Reluctantly, she disengaged and gave him her final decision.
"I'm sorry, my love. I have to do this, but I can't do it alone. Will you stay by my side?"
"Always."
Michelangelo did not like this plan. Not in the slightest. But then, neither did anyone else.
Still, it seemed the best way to release the unfortunate girl Charlie was holding against them. Because Morgan would never be free until Samantha was.
So, there would be an exchange.
Donatello managed to pry the ransom information out of the FBI computers. He forged a message informing Charlie that Morgan was ready to relent and a handoff was arranged. The meet would take place at an old warehouse on the edge of the docks.
They would wait on one side, her 'FBI' escort of Casey and April staying close. The abductors would be on the other with Sam and the two girls would pace past each other. Their human friends would retreat with Samantha, trigger the real FBI with an anonymous tip, and get the girl to a hospital.
Morgan would never leave the brothers' sight.
The moment she was almost in reach and the bad guys were most distracted, they would fall on the group and take them out.
Raphael, though, had not been content with the plan. When he emerged from his room this morning, his face was dark as a thundercloud and he hadn't slept a wink. Mikey bet he'd spent the entire night watching Morgan sleep, dreading the dawn.
Raph had gone straight to the dojo and trained lightly all day in preparation. The tension in his shoulders shouting not even a prank would help. He avoided Morgan until it was time to leave, then held her so long Mikey was sure his brother was going to call a halt to the whole proceeding.
But eventually, night fell and they left the lair.
Michelangelo threw a sharp look at his little sister as she prowled along at his side. She was dressed all in black and layered up against the cold until only her tiny, pixie-like nose was exposed, but she moved as gracefully as ever, despite the encumbrance of so many clothes.
His job tonight was to be Morgan's personal bodyguard. He was not to engage anyone who was not a direct physical threat. The moment the struggle began, he would retrieve her and whisk her back to safety.
It went against all his instincts to leave his brothers during a battle, but a second glance at Morgan firmed his resolve. Despite her brave front, she was trembling, and he didn't think it was from the temperature.
That bastard won't touch you. I promise.
It wasn't long until they were approaching the meeting place, stealthily moving over the rooftops.
Donnie raced ahead of them, setting perimeter lasers and establishing camera uplinks. The others, including Master Splinter, were dispersed in the shadows. Seeking out any hidden treachery in front of them.
The ruins came into sight and Mikey's eyes narrowed as he gave it a once over. Little was left of the place except a few walls of the foundation jutting up into the night. When he was sure the coast was clear, he helped Morgan down the fire escape to meet Casey and April at ground level.
"Everybody set?" Leonardo asked through their headsets as each brother moved to their assigned vantage points.
"Roger," Donatello said.
Raphael gave a small growl.
"In position," Mikey said. "Morgan is with Casey and April, headed for their side."
"Be cautious, my sons," Splinter said.
"Any sign of the bad guys?" Michelangelo asked as he scaled the building again for a higher perspective. He immediately took out his grappling hook in case he needed to swing down to the field in a hurry.
"All's quiet," Leo said.
"Nothing on the cameras," Donnie said, "The perimeter is still closed."
"Time's up," Leonardo warned. "It'll be any minute now."
Morgan waited squarely between Casey and April, trying to control the shudders racking her small frame.
This was my idea. I insisted on helping free Sam and facing down... him.
She could not flee now just because she was afraid. But there was more to it than that. An unsettling feeling of dread, deep in her bones, told her she might not walk away from this.
Unsteadily, she reached out for comfort and April took her hand.
"The boys are out there," she said. "They won't let anything happen to you."
"I know," Morgan replied through numb lips.
But who's going to keep something from happening to them?
She could sense their auras surrounding the area. Mikey was at her back, his warm presence giving her a tiny bit of security. Donatello was somewhere to her right, several hundred feet away, but she knew how fast he could move. He wouldn't let anyone approach from there.
Raphael was on her left, hidden in an abandoned parking garage, aura practically scorching her skin. He was angry she was here. Furious Charlie might even have a chance to lay eyes on her. But underneath the rage, his fear pulsed in time with her own.
Be still. You're only making him worse.
Leonardo and Master Splinter were ghosts somewhere in the ruins. Neither sound nor aura, proclaiming their presence. She swallowed convulsively and April's grip tightened on her hand.
"Head's up. They're here," Casey said.
Morgan's blood ran cold, the chill racing from her scalp through her neck and down her spine. Ice pushed it's way into her limbs, making them heavy. Her thoughts dulled.
Beside her, Casey cursed.
"Geez, they brought a small army! There are at least forty Purple Dragons over there," Casey said, giving them a play by play. "They're forming up. Three people coming forward. A guy in a grey business suit, a PD, and a woman. That Samantha?" he asked.
Finding one human's signature among so many at this distance was difficult, even one as familiar as Sam's. Human auras weren't as bold as those of her new family, and the ice in her brain wasn't helping her focus. Also, she was trying hard not to touch the businessman. If it was Charlie, she wasn't sure what would happen, and she couldn't risk an attack in these surroundings.
"It's her," Morgan said, "but I can't tell how badly she's hurt."
"Well, she's upright and walking," Casey said. "We'll have to evaluate the rest later."
Morgan nodded. Taking a deep breath, she released April's hand and stepped forward. The girl at the other end did the same.
She almost broke and ran when Raphael's aura flared to her left, his fear increasing as she moved away from the perceived safety of their friends toward the evil waiting for her. With each step, his pulse increased in intensity, an irresistible draw for her senses. She fought not to turn her head.
I will not give his location away.
She faced forward, mechanically placing one foot in front of the next. As her mind numbed further, she wished she could hold him, tell him once more how much she loved him.
She stumbled and almost fell when her own aura began to pulse in time with his, stretching across the distance. It crossed the field in a flash, latching tight to him.
Alarm and rage crashed into her, followed by shock as Raphael recognized her presence.
This might be my last chance.
She beat back her fear, closed her eyes, and sent him her heart.
In one gigantic push, she gave him her memories. She returned the comfort he'd brought during those endless nights filled with nightmares; her joy at having a guardian; relief on New Year's Eve.
The release of the first time he held her. Amusement at his careful behavior when his father revealed them. Her racing pulse as he allowed her to touch him. Her dread as she realized she was falling for him and didn't know if he felt the same.
The dream and it's passionate resulting kiss. Her devastation when he walked away. Her agony when she believed he could not see past her scars.
And her overwhelming joy and passion the night he came to her bed and proved her wrong.
She filled him to overflowing with the memories before returning to herself, releasing him with a forlorn mental kiss.
She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she was almost startled when the presence of her friend registered right in front of her. Calling her current mission to mind, she reached out and brushed her hand against Samantha's arm, a quick reassurance, and a goodbye.
A stifled sniff made her pause and lean her head toward Sam in consolation. She inhaled, just to make sure the girl would live, and braced for the reflection of her pain.
Horror rose up and claimed her.
Samantha was fine.
There wasn't a scratch on her.
Raphael watched as his angel marched steadfastly onto the field below. Fear flared inside him and he forcefully held himself back, gripping the ruined concrete barrier in front of him until it crumbled under his massive fist.
His heart raced, demanding he leap down and stop her. If they hadn't been practicing for this sort of situation, he would have. Instead, he listened to his head and stayed put, but it was one of the hardest things he'd ever done.
She looked absolutely alone out there, helpless. The perfect bait. His heart swelled with pride at her bravery, but when she stumbled and bent to catch her footing, it lurched in terror.
What happened? Has she been hit?
For a split second, he thought she might have been shot. His mind clouded and he prepared to abandon the plan, to rush to her aid. And just as suddenly, she was with him, a cooling balm against the burn of his fear.
Succor, joy, amazement, relief, and passion.
The emotions rolled over him in time with the memories she shared. For a moment, he lost the world as it was and experienced only life as she remembered it. Warmth welled up within him at the gift. If she was with him, everything would be all right. He began to calm until she pulled away.
Her farewell kiss felt suspiciously like goodbye.
When his vision cleared, the girls stood side by side. Morgan brushed her friend's arm and Samantha leaned in, saying something low in her ear. His love went rigid in shock as a cruel smile spread across the other girl's face.
In slow motion, Raphael watched Morgan tense and turn in his direction.
Later he would remember this moment in intimate detail. Realize his eyes had captured her beautiful face in a single second of profound emptiness. He would recall the exact angle of her profile, the pale color of her cheeks, and how her eyelashes swept dramatically up above wide eyes gone utterly blank.
In that breath- she knew. She must have known.
Morgan screamed as an electric prod collided with his side, sending 9,000 volts through the bridge uniting his plastron and shell. He roared as pain shot through each nerve ending, vibrated every muscle, and left him temporarily blind.
Then the blows began. A hail of fists and feet. An unrelenting attack which should have dropped him bleeding and helpless to the ground. But Morgan still screamed, and nothing short of death itself was going to stop him from getting onto the field.
Arms out, sai clutched in each hand, he spun, opening room to fight. He shook his head and blinked rapidly as black shadows moved, dancing around him.
Foot soldiers.
He cursed and spat blood from a split lip, making the squeamish jump away as he counted those circling around him. They swung at him and he dropped back, moving further from his angel.
There were far too many to take out in his partially fried state. He hated to admit it, but he needed a hand. Across and down from his position, he heard the almost musical ring of weaponry bouncing off his brother's swords.
"Leo," Raph snarled into the headset, only to discover it was dead from the shock.
"LEO!" He roared into the night. "Little help here?"
In a blaze of flashing steel, his brother arrived, vaulting up between the levels of the parking structure. Bodies began to fall as Leonardo reached his side and they went shell to shell. He couldn't hear Morgan any longer.
"Any word on the others?" Raphael yelled. "I lost my headset. Did Mikey get her out?"
"Everyone's besieged," Leo snarled. "I don't know how they got so many Foot concealed here! They had to be here before we arrived, but-"
"Morgan!" Raph interrupted. "Is. Mikey. with. her?"
He punctuated every word with a blow and with each strike a man fell. But an unending supply of the black-clad forms waited to take their place. Raphael limped left and barely managed to twist clear of the guy with the prod. He couldn't take another hit from it and keep standing.
Luckily, Leonardo saw it. He concentrated his next series of attacks in that direction until he was almost on top of the man. The weapon shattered under his katana, along with the soldier's arm.
"No," Leo said while swinging his blade left, then right. He turned, dropped and cleared the space behind him with a swift sweeping kick. "Mikey's down, they swarmed him first. Splinter's getting him to where we parked the Battle Shell."
"Donnie?" Raphael asked in growing desperation as he fought off another four assailants on his side.
"He's falling back to our start position."
"NO ONE'S GOT HER?"
With a roar at this realization, he beat back the men blocking him in and surged toward the opening in the concrete. Perching in the hole, he ignored the beating of weapons against his shell as he scanned the area three stories below for any sign of Morgan.
People shouted, running everywhere.
Purple Dragons had taken the field and fanatically attacked anything that moved. Sometimes even their fellow gang members. Foot soldiers engaged them on all sides.
In the center of this vast swell of struggling bodies, his eyes locked on Morgan's form. Back pressed to a piece of jutting concrete and steel, she held an open space in front of her. A Purple Dragon stopped too close. She swung a length of rebar at his head and damn near brained the man. He dropped like a stone, but more trouble was coming.
A group of Foot gathered in a blade formation carved their way towards her. April and Casey were fighting in on the other side, but they wouldn't reach her in time. Raphael leapt into the crowd and rolled, crashing through the wall of humanity. He aimed himself for the soldiers, trying to cut them off, slicing, stabbing, and bashing his way through.
The sound of swords behind him said Leo followed, keeping a path open for their escape. He glanced up, measuring his distance to Morgan, only to see the blond girl snake an arm around her throat and pull her bodily over the slab of concrete.
"NO!" Raphael shouted.
Morgan's head and shoulder's reappeared a moment later as she broke free and stood, shaking her head, confused. She found her balance and was about to dart away when Leo shrieked.
"Raph, get down!"
He ducked as a grenade flew over him.
It has to be one of the PD's. They're the only ones stupid enough to bring explosives to a mob fight.
Whoever threw it had poor aim, because they missed him by a mile. At least, he thought they did. His eyes widened in horror as he traced the explosive's remaining flight path.
It bounced once, hitting the top of the concrete right in front of where Samantha rose up and tackled Morgan. It lifted into the air as if pulled by a string and...
Detonated.