Now this is a chapter that I've been planning for two years. Please don't kill me after this.

Also, I support the police and the corrupt commissioner and officers in this chapter do not represent the ones in real life.

NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.

"Sensei!"

Splinter's ears perked up at the sound of his eldest son's sobbing voice and he whipped his head toward the doors of the dojo.

Eight-year-old Leo stood there with tears running down his cheeks and he was holding a poster of Captain Ryan that had nearly been torn in half. He held it out for his Dad to see and sniffled. "Somebody tore my favorite poster."

Splinter's brown eyes widened then he narrowed them in disapproval as he stood up. "Well, we can't be having this." He folded his hands behind his back and called for his other sons. "Raphael! Donatello! Michelangelo!"

Within less than a minute, all three brothers came running into the dojo and knelt down before their father. "Hai, Sensei!" they said in unison.

The rat pointed to the torn poster in Leo's hands. "Care to explain this?"

Mikey gasped loudly and clamped his hands over his mouth.

Donnie blinked a few times and then shrugged.

Raph raised an eye ridge and scoffed. "Is that it?"

Splinter gave his second eldest son a stern look and cleared his throat. "At least one of you is responsible for this, and so one of you must come forward and confess. If you don't, then all three of you will be punished."

Both Mikey and Donnie gasped.

"What?!" Raph exclaimed. "Over a stupid poster?! That's not fair!"

Splinter raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you have something to confess, Raphael?"

Raph looked nervous for a moment then shook his head. "N-No! I didn't do it! It was probably Mikey!"

"What?!" Mikey yelled in disbelief.

"Yeah, he's always breaking other people's stuff!"

"I would never tear up Leo's favorite poster, dude!" Mikey then looked to his oldest brother with pleading eyes. "Leo, you believe me, don't you?"

Leo hestitated before he nodded with a small smile. "I believe you, Mikey."

Mikey smiled and pumped his fists in the air. "Yes! See you!" He started to get up when Splinter slapped his tail down on the floor loudly and he quickly sat back down.

"No one is excused until one of you confesses," Splinter sternly told them.

"Well, I didn't ruin Leo's poster, Sensei," Donnie said. "I swear I didn't. And if Mikey didn't do it, then that means Raph is the culprit."

Raph shot his nerdy brother a dirty look.

"Is that true, Raphael?" Splinter asked. He suspected that Raph was indeed guilty but he wanted his son to admit it, himself, and take responsibility for his actions.

But to his great disappointment, Raph stubbornly crossed his arms and shook his head again. "I didn't do anything," he mumbled as he looked away.

Splinter closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "I see. Then you leave me no choice."


Donnie spat out a bit of blood after another guy punched him in the face. For nearly an hour, they had him tied to a metal chair and interrogated him, demanding to know where the Serpent was located, and if he didn't answer, they'd punish him with a kick or punch.

He glared at the commissioner, who sat at a table and watched the whole thing impassively as he smoked a cigarette. "This is illegal," the Turtle rasped, blood trickling down his chin. "You can't treat a citizen like this. I have my rights."

The commissioner put out his cigarette in the ashtray. "You're not a citizen; you're a mutant. You don't have any rights."

"I'm a respected member of my community!" Donnie snapped. "In case you've forgotten, I saved countless lives with my inventions during my employment at Morph Enterprises!"

The man shook his head. "We haven't forgotten, Mr. Hamato. The only reason you're not sitting in a jail cell right now is because this city owes you for your years of service. We're in debt to you for building those MetalCops."

"Yet you're beating the crap out of me for answers?"

The commissioner stood up from his chair and walked over to him. "We're desperate, Mr. Hamato. The Serpent is a dangerous fugitive that needs to be either put down or put in jail, although we've already tried the latter."

He pulled his pack out of his pocket and offered Donnie a cigarette, but the Turtle declined by shaking his head. "Look, I get it," he said softly. "He's your brother, and you want to protect him. But we've got to do whatever it takes to protect the people of this city, and if you still care about them, you'll turn him in."

Donnie glared at him defiantly. "You might as well throw me in jail because I am not going to betray my brother, no matter what you say or do to me."

The man grabbed the back of his chair and leaned in close to his face. "We won't put you in jail," he hissed, "but we'll make it a living hell for both you and your wife."

Donnie's auburn eyes went big at this threat, but they slowly narrowed into angry slits. "Whatever you have planned for me and my wife, we can handle it. You can't scare us."

He never felt so satisfied when the commissioner walked away in a huff and kicked the table in anger.


"I said NO, Leo!" Raph roared as he shoved his older brother back onto the couch.

Leo was about to get up again but Raph quickly pinned him down with his own body and pressed his arm against Leo's chest. "Raph...!" he groaned as he stuggled to push Raph off. "Let me...go...!"

"No way," Raph growled. "I'm not letting you go. I can't, 'cause I know what'll happen if I do."

Shadow stood nearby and watched as Raph fought Leo with everything he had. Chompy lay on the floor next to her and whimpered worriedly. Mona Lisa peeked into the main room and clutched Sandy close to her chest, while the baby Turtle looked on curiously and sucked his thumb.

"Raph, be reasonable," Leo pleaded weakly. "They'll never let Donnie go unless I turn myself in."

"They don't want to put you in jail this time, Leo!" Raph snapped. "They want to kill you!"

"You don't think I know that?" Leo calmly asked him.

Raph firmly shook his head. "We'll figure something out. We'll find a way to rescue Donnie and-"

"Even if we rescue him, they'll never stop looking for me, Raph."

The one-eyed Turtle froze and loosened his grip a little bit. It was enough for Leo to finally push him off, but he remained on couch and sighed as he lowered his gaze to the floor.

"They'll never stop until the Serpent is dead," he said somberly. "You know that. No one is safe as long as I live."

"You're asking me to let you go out there and commit suicide," Raph softly said as he sat down next to Leo and touched his shoulder. "I can't do that. I'm not losing another brother."

Leo looked at him with strong eyes. "And if we don't do something soon, we'll lose Donnie. It's either him or me."

"But-"

"I'm ready to accept my fate, Raph. Donnie shouldn't pay for my mistakes and neither should you. You both have families to look after. I've got nothing to lose anyway."

"I am not losing you or Donnie! It's out of the question!"

"Raph, quit being so stubborn."

"I SAID IT'S OUT OF THE QUESTION!" Raph boomed.

Sandy suddenly began to cry, catching his father's attention. Mona gently shushed and rocked him, but it didn't help and he continued to wail.

Raph immediately ran to them and took the baby in his arms. "Hey, little guy," he whispered soothingly. "Shhhh. It's okay. Daddy's got you. I'm sorry I scared you." Sandy began to calm down and looked up at his daddy with his little black eyes. Raph smiled at him lovingly and kissed him on the nose, making him giggle.

Mona watched them fondly and took Sandy back in her arms. "I've got this," she told Raph.

Raph nodded and nuzzled her nose, and he watched her walk back to the babies' room.

"What about your kids?" he heard Leo say quietly. "And Mona? Would you be able to live with yourself if something happened to them? You need to think about their safety."

Leo then nodded to Shadow, who was now sitting in the TV area and scratching Chompy's shell. "And what about Shadow? She's got her whole life ahead of her. If they find out about her connection to me..."

"I can take care of myself, Leo," Shadow assured him with a grin. "You don't need to worry about me."

"That's right," Raph walked back to the couch and sat down. "We're strong together. Even if the whole world is against us, we'll fight back and win, as long as we fight as a family. Donnie and I refuse to give up, so don't you give up either."

Leo stared at him with sad eyes, but he slowly nodded, seemingly relenting. "Okay, Raph," he said.

"You swear?" Raph questioned, wanting to believe his brother's words.

"Yeah," Leo said with a nod and small smile. "I swear."

The one-eyed Turtle still had his doubts but nodded back. "Okay." He then turned to Shadow. "Kid, you'd better go to Gaia's and tell her what happened to Donnie. But keep her calm and tell her that we'll get him back."

"Got it," Shadow gave Chompy one more scratch under the chin and then walked out of the lair.

It got awkwardly silent for a moment as the two brothers just sat on the couch, neither one of them saying anything to the other, until Raph got up and said, "I need to meditate in the dojo for a while."

Leo chuckled softly. "You sounded like Splinter just now. It's funny, growing up, you always called me 'Splinter Junior'. But you were the one who grew up to be just like him."

Raph chuckled as well. "Nah, I'm nothing like him." He walked to the dojo and slid the door shut behind him.

The smile on Leo's face dropped and he stood up from the couch, but then he froze when he heard a guttural growl. Chompy slowly stomped up to him and gave him another warning growl.

Leo immediately understood and raised his hands with a tense smile. "It's okay, Chompy. I'm just going into the kitchen. You want me to get you some water?"

Chompy smiled and panted as he excitedly wagged his tail.

...

In the dojo, Raph knelt before Mikey and Splinter's shrine and took a deep breath as he closed his eye and silently prayed for the spirits of his loved ones to appear before him. Within moments, he heard his father's strong yet comforting voice.

"Raphael."

Said Turtle opened his eye and stood back up. He turned to face Splinter, who looked at him with sad brown eyes. "Hello, Sensei," Raph greeted him somberly.

"I know what troubles you, my son," Splinter told him softly. "And I wish I had the solution to your problem, but I do not. Leonardo is determined to save your brother and protect this family."

Raph sighed and nodded. "I know. And he's right: the NYPD will never stop looking for him, and even if we leave the state, he'll still be on the Most Wanted list. We're not safe anywhere."

Splinter grunted with a nod. "And you have your wife and children to think about."

"We can't hide and be on the run forever. I want my kids to live freely and happily, but with the police always chasing after us, they won't be able to. I want to do what's best for my family, but at the same time, I want to protect Leo." He massaged his now throbbing head. "I'm so conflicted about this. I don't know what to do."

The rat released a heavy sigh and walked toward the dojo tree. "This is indeed a difficult situation. When I was faced with the impossible decision of sacrificing one child so that the rest would be saved, I couldn't bring myself to make that decision. Ultimately, it was Michelangelo who made the decision for me. You boys and Karai had been spared by the Shredder thanks to his selfless sacrifice, but in a sense, our family still died."

He looked up at the tree and touched the bark of its trunk. "We withered like a tree, dried up and broken. Without Michelangelo's love to sustain us like how water sustains a tree, we could not survive." He turned back to Raph with a warm smile. "But while everyone else closed their hearts, you opened up yours, Raphael, and in doing so, you let in Michelangelo's love and shared it with the others. Because of you, our family has been restored, and it has become bigger and stronger than it ever was."

He walked back to Raph and placed a gentle hand on his son's shoulder. "Listen to your heart, Raphael. Do what you feel is right."

Raph bit his lower his lip as he glanced around the room in deep thought. He really didn't expect to find the solution in the dojo, but then something caught his interest: Leo's old Serpent mask that hung on the wall next to the weapons rack. Leo insisted on keeping it so that it would serve as a reminder of his dark past and to warn all future generations of the consequences of giving in to your hate.

Raph suddenly got an idea. However...

"I think I know what to do," he said to Splinter. "But I'm...scared to go through with it."

Splinter followed his gaze and his eyes became wide with shock. "Raphael..." he gasped. "My son, I..."

"I know what you're planning to do, bro." Raph turned to his left and Mikey was standing next to him. His light blue eyes brimmed with tears. "Don't," he begged in a whisper.

Raph smiled sadly at his youngest brother. "I really don't have much of a choice, Mikey. I'm sorry."

The tears now flowed freely down Mikey's freckled cheeks and he began to cry. Raph wrapped his arms around him in a hug, and Splinter couldn't control his tears as he embraced both his sons.

...

Chompy snored loudly next to his water bowl on the kitchen floor. Sitting on the table was a bottle of cold medicine and a spoon. Leo was nowhere in sight.

...

Mona woke up at the sound of the bedroom door opening and saw a blurry figure standing at her side of the bed. She immediately recognized the scent and frame and smiled tiredly. "Did you convince your brother to stay?" she asked after a yawn.

"Yeah," he lover responded, though she couldn't help but notice that he sounded a little...sad.

She frowned and rubbed her eyes. "Is everything all right?" she asked as she started to get up

"Shhh," he gently pushed her back down. "Go back to sleep. Everything's fine, I promise. I'll see you in the morning."

The half-awake Mona nodded and closed her eyes, believing her mate's words. She then felt him press his beak against her nose.

"I love you," he whispered to her. "With all my heart."

"I love you," she mumbled as she drifted off to sleep, not even hearing him close the door with a choked back sob.

...

The babies continued to sleep soundly in their baskets, even as the door creaked open and a large figure slowly walked toward them. A strong yet gentle green hand reached down and briefly caressed each of their cheeks. Then he placed a red ninja mask over Sandy like a blanket.

The baby Turtle stirred a little in his sleep and reached out to the cloth, pulling it close to his tiny nostrils. He smiled at the familiar scent of his father and hugged it like a teddy bear.

Then the figure left, slowly closing the door behind him.


The police officer texted her husband as she sat at her desk, waiting for her shift to end. When the telephone rang, she groaned and slammed her cellphone down. "NYPD," she answered in an annoyed tone.

This is the Serpent, a male voice answered on the other line. The one you're looking for.

She blinked before her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Is this some kind of joke?"

No. You have my brother Donatello, and I'm willing to surrender myself in exchange for his freedom.

She jumped up from her seat and yelled to the other officers, "Get me the commissioner!"

...

In the interrogation room, Donnie sat at the table and made a pryamid out of six disposable cups to pass the time. He had just finished the seventh cup of coffee and was about to place it on the very top when the door suddenly opened.

The commissioner walked in and gave him a smirk that sent a chill down his spine. "Good news, Mr. Hamato. The Serpent just called us."

Donnie's eyes went large and his face became pale. "W-What...?" he gasped.

"He told us he would be in this empty warehouse, waiting for us. As soon as he's in our custody, we'll let you go." He turned to leave but Donnie stopped him.

"Wait! Don't...don't kill him. Please don't kill my brother. If-If he's surrendering, then there's no point in shooting him, right?"

The commissioner paused before he answered, "As long as he doesn't try anything funny."

As soon as the door closed and he was left alone once again, Donnie knocked the pyramid down in anger. "Dammit, Leo!" he yelled. He pounded his fist on the table and buried his face in his hands. "Why?" he moaned.

...

Inside the empty warehouse, the very place where Mikey died thirty years ago, Leo stood in front of the mirror, staring at his reflection. In his hand was the photo of Mikey and Ice Cream Kitty that he always carried with him. He looked down at the picture and smiled somberly.

"We'll be together again soon, Mikey," he said to his brother's spirit, wherever he was.

He suddenly felt a cold, bony hand on his shoulder and frowned as he instantly knew who it was. So you're finally ready?

He looked up at the mirror again and the woman in the black cloak was standing behind him, but this time her face had no skin and a terrifying skull stared back at him.

Instead of bringing him comfort, she disgusted him.

"Yes," he hissed. "But this time it's not for selfish reasons. I do want to live, actually." He pulled away from her touch. "I just want to get this over with and save my family. Until then, I don't even want to look at you."

She suddenly began to cackle in a way that made his blood chill. You think I came for you?

He furrowed his brow in confusion. "What?"

Someday I will come for you. But not today. Before he could ask her for an explanation, she disintegrated into dust and drifted away the moment the front doors opened.

He swiftly turned around and expected bullets to hit him, but he was shocked to see his younger brother in a trench coat and fedora hat. "Raph?'

Raph greeted him with a nod and shut the doors behind him. The hat had been pulled down over his eyes so all Leo could see was his lower face. "I had a feeling you would be here, the place where everything changed for our family forever."

Leo sighed and rubbed his temples. "Raph, look-"

"You broke your promise. You said you wouldn't pull a stunt like this. But I can't say I'm shocked."

"Raph, this has to be done," Leo sternly told him.

"I agree."

Leo blinked. "W-What?"

"You're right," Raph continued as he walked toward his brother. "This is the only way to ensure our family's safety. As long as the Serpent lives, we'll never be free."

The eldest Turtle looked at his brother skeptically. Was this some kind of trick? Because Raph would never let him to do this without a fight. "Why are you here, Raph?"

"To say goodbye," Raph responded, surprising Leo even more, then he pulled him into a hug.

Leo hesitantly lifted his arms to return the embrace, but then he grunted when he felt Raph touch a pressure point on his neck. "R-Ra...!" He clutched his brother's coat right before he passed out and fell to the floor.


"Stupid Leo and his stupid Space Heroes," Raph muttered as he lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling with angry tears.

He, Donnie, and Mikey were all grounded for a week without television. He knew that if he confessed to tearing Leo's poster, Donnie and Mikey would be let off the hook. But his pride wouldn't let him. He absolutely refused to apologize to Leo. He didn't feel the least bit bad about what he had done.

He heard the door open and turned away toward the wall. He didn't like talking to anyone.

"Raph, I need to talk to you." It was Leo.

"Go away," Raph grumbled, pulling the bed sheet over himself.

But Leo didn't leave and instead walked toward the bed. "Raph, I know it was you."

Raph just scoffed. "So what, you want an apology? 'Cause you're not gonna get one from me."

Leo sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "I just want to know why you did it."

"No reason."

"Come on, Raph, stop lying. Are you mad at me or something?"

Raph paused, then said, "You wouldn't understand."

"If you want to talk about it, I'm listening. I don't want you to stay mad at me forever. And I'm not mad at you. Not anymore."

Under the covers, Raph tried to fight back the tears, but they spilled down his cheeks anyway and hit his pillow. His body began to tremble and he felt Leo rub his shell in comfort. He hated Leo for being so forgiving. But he hated himself even more.

"Why do you have to be so perfect?" he said in a quiet, choked up voice.

Leo blinked in confusion. "Perfect? I'm not perfect."

"Sensei thinks you are. He doesn't smile at you the same way he smiles at me, Donnie, or Mikey. He loves you the most. I'll bet that if all three of us disappeared, he'd still be happy as long as he had you."

Leo couldn't believe what he was hearing. "That's not true, Raph. Father loves all of us equally. He doesn't have a favorite."

Raph snorted sarcastically. "You're so stupid. You're totally his favorite. Everyone else can see it."

For a moment, it was silent. Then something happened that caught Raph totally off guard: Leo began to cry. He curiously pulled the covers back and saw that his brother was indeed shedding tears as they rolled down his cheeks.

"I don't want to be the favorite," he whimpered as he dried his face with the back of his hand. "Not if it means you guys hate me."

Raph started to feel guilty about saying those things and he sat up and grabbed Leo in a hug. His older brother continued to sob on his shoulder, and then he started to cry, himself.

"I'm sorry, Raph," Leo sniffled.

Raph shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, Leo. I'm sorry I got jealous and tore your poster. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. I'm sorry I'm a rotten brother."

They sat on the bed and cried together for what felt like forever before they finally pulled away and looked at each other. Their faces were covered in tears and snot and their eyes were red and puffy. They started to giggle which turned into uncontrollable laughter.

"Oh, man," Raph laughed as he wiped his face. "We're a mess."

"Yeah," Leo chuckled with a nod.

The smile on Raph's face dropped. "So...you gonna tell Splinter? About the poster, I mean?"

Leo shook his head. "No."

Raph looked at him surprised. "Why not?"

"I'm already a teacher's pet. I don't want to be a snitch, too." Leo crawled out of the bed and headed toward the door. "Well, goodnight."

"Wait!" Raph stopped him and jumped off the bed. He then awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "I'm, uh...I'm ready to admit the truth to Sensei. Mikey and Donnie are grounded because of me. That's just not right, you know?"

Leo smiled proudly at his brother. "Yeah."


The first thing Leo saw as he fluttered his eyes open was the back of Raph's shell. He tried to rub his eyes but he could not move his arms. He looked down and realized that he had been chained to a support beam. He pulled with all his strength but he could not break free.

"Raph, what's going on?!" he demanded.

Raph slowly turned around and Leo's eyes widened. His brother was dressed in his old Serpent attire, the black mask, sleeves, leg wrappings, even the snake on his plastron.

"Raph...?"

The one-eyed Turtle grinned as he gestured to himself. "What do think? I know the snake's not perfect but it's pretty darn close. And I had less than an hour to paint it."

"Raph, what are you doing?"

Just then they heard sirens and vehicles pulling up to the front of the building. The windows lit up with the blue and red flashes of patrol cars.

"Serpent!" a man spoke through a megaphone outside. "NYPD! Come out with your hands up!"

"Well, they're here," Raph sighed as he finished adjusting the sleeves. "Right on time, too."

Dread filled Leo as he began to realize what his brother was intending to do. "Raph...don't do this."

Raph didn't seem to hear him and he put on the katana strap.

"Raph," Leo spoke louder. "Don't. Do this."

His brother ignored him again and headed toward a window.

"RAPH!" Leo yelled and tugged at the chains. "LISTEN TO ME, DAMMIT!"

Raph peeked out the window and saw patrol cars and police officers surrounding the building with their guns out. "The whole NYPD's probably here," he muttered. "Kinda drastic for one fugitive."

"Raph!" Leo called out to him again. "Raph, this is stupid! Think about your family!"

"I am thinking about my family, Leo," Raph calmly told him as he turned to look directly at him. "You were right before. They'll always be chasing after us. They'll never stop until the Serpent is dead. Well, if the Serpent they want," he pointed to himself, "then it's the Serpent they're gonna get."

Leo shook his head with tears in his eyes. "This isn't your burden, Raph," he whispered. "It's my burden. My sin! My punishment! I deserve this, but you don't. You've got too much to live for. Your kids need a father."

Raph walked over to the beam and knelt down so that he was eye level with him. "What they need is a father to be proud of," he said softly. "If I don't do this, if I let those cops kill you, years from now they'll ask me why I failed to save you. I don't know how to answer that. I don't want my kids to grow up thinking their old man is a failure and live with that shame."

He pulled out the photo of Mikey and rubbed his thumb over his youngest brother's face. "I lost Mikey, but I won't lose you, too. This time I'm going to save my brother."

"And so I have to sit here and watch you die?" Leo snapped. "Like how I watched Mikey die years ago? You want me to go through that again?" He bowed his head and said barely below a whisper, "You can't expect me to go on after this." He grunted in pain as Raph suddenly grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him against the beam.

"You can and you will," Raph said in a strong voice. "You hear me? You will live on. You want to do penance for your sins? Here's what you're gonna do. You're gonna take care of our family. You'll tell the kids stories about their father. You'll continue protecting this city as Hamato Leonardo." His only eye brimmed with tears as he gave Leo's shoulders a heartfelt squeeze. "Don't let my death be for nothing, okay? Make us proud."

Leo could no longer control his tears and his shoulders shook. "Raph..."

Raph embraced him one last time, a single tear rolling down his right cheek. "I love you, Brother," he whispered.

It took everything within him to let go of Leo and walk away from him.

Leo now started to scream and pull at the chains again. "RAPH! NO! DON'T DO THIS! RAPH! DON'T DO THIS! NO! NO!"

Raph wiped his tear away with his thumb as he got closer to the exit, doing his best to tone out Leo's heartbreaking screams. He stopped for a moment to take a deep breath, bracing himself. He then stepped forward to push the doors open, and the second the headlights of the cars met his eye, his entire life began to replay within his mind.

The moment he mutated along with his brothers.

Him falling and cracking his plastron, forever marked with the lightning bolt.

Splinter giving him his sai.

Finding Spike and feeding him his first lettuce.

Meeting April and fighting the Kraang for the first time.

His first encounter with the Shredder.

Making friends with Casey.

Training in the woods of North Hampton.

His first kiss with Mona Lisa.

Finding Chompy on Magdomar.

Saving the world from the Triceratons.

Watching Mikey die.

Living in the woods as a hermit.

Meeting Shadow for the first time.

Embracing his dead father.

Reconciling with Donnie.

Defeating Ch'rell and the Foot.

The day his children hatched.

Celebrating Donnie's marriage to Gaia.

Giving Shadow the Hamato katanas.

And suddenly he was facing the police, who were aiming their guns at him.

...

"We'll save him, Gaia." Shadow sat next to her on the couch and took a hold of her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I promise we will." She had spent the last hour hour trying to calm Gaia down after breaking the news of her husband's arrest to her.

Gaia's eyes had circles under them from lack of sleep, and Shadow was scared that she might have another seizure from all the stress and worry. But the older woman sensed her friend's concern and tried to give her a smile, though it was small and tired. "I know you will, baby," she croaked.

Breaking news, the anchor women on the television announced, catching their attention. Police have surrounded an abandoned warehouse in Lower Manhattan, and reports are coming in that the infamous vigilante the Serpent is inside. And as you can see, a person is now stepping outside, possibly the Serpent, himself.

Both Gaia and Shadow gasped in horror as they watched a mutant Turtle push the doors of the warehouse open and step toward the police. He wore a black ninja mask and a black snake tattoo on his plastron.

"Oh, god," Gaia moaned in despair as she covered her face with her hands. "It's happening. They're going to kill him."

Shadow moved closer toward the screen. "Wait a minute," she muttered. She noticed something odd about "Leo". His left eye seemed closed and there appeared to be a lighting-shaped crack on his...

Oh.

Oh, no.

No!

NO!

She tore off the couch and ran out of the apartment. She had never run so fast in her life.

...

The commissioner took a daring step forward and spoke into the megaphone, "Serpent, put your hands behind your head and get down on your knees!"

Without saying a word, the Serpent slowly reached for the swords behind his shell. The message was clear: he wasn't going to be taken alive.

"Stop!" the commissioner shouted. "Stop or we'll shoot!"

He unsheathed his weapons, the flashing red and blue lights of the patrol cars reflecting off the blades. He bent one knee as he prepared to attack.

For the very last time.

Goodbye, everyone.

The Serpent let out a roar of defiance as he charged straight at them.

They all immediately fired.

When Leo heard the gunfire outside, he threw his head back and screamed at the top of his lungs.

"RAPH!"

...

It all happened in a matter of seconds. Next thing he knew, he was staring up at the night sky. His ears were ringing. His whole body was numb and he felt no pain. But he struggled to breathe as his lungs quickly filled with blood.

Several officers stood over him and congratulated one another. One guy even took a selfie, holding up a victory V. Only one person wasn't celebrating in that group.

Mikey.

With tears rolling down his face, his youngest brother knelt over him and gently took his hand. He felt so warm. "I'm sorry, bro," he said in a soft voice. "I can't stop her this time."

The woman in the black cloak suddenly appeared, her beautiful yet somber face looking down at him. Raphael, she whispered to him, it is time.

He was too weak to speak, so all he could do was barely lift the corners of his bleeding mouth into a small grin and say to her in his mind, I'm ready.

She smiled back and slowly got down on her knees. He felt no fear as she leaned in to kiss him, and Mikey squeezed his hand, crying even harder.

Their lips touched and she breathed in his very last breath.

The city of New York unknowingly celebrated the death of a hero.