(A/N: Hope everyone has been enjoying the more frequent updates! I can't promise it will keep up for long but I've been doing my best to take advantage of the free time I've had lately! Here's to hoping for more! :) )
"Mikey, what are you doing?" Donatello asked, having came up to the rooftop when he'd spotted the youngest's mask ribbons fluttering from the manhole. Michelangelo had been peeking over the edge of Evangeline's building which, of course, wasn't suspicious at all.
"Shhhh! Eva's going out with some dude!" Mikey shushed while waving his hand back and forth. Curiosity got the better of the purple-masked terrapin, drawing him over to crouch next to his sibling. Right his little brother was. Standing in front of the building, yelling through the door, was a male around Eva's age with short, mousy brown hair. Don estimated he was possibly around 6'1-6'2 and despite the winter coat, it was apparent how slender his frame was. Unfortunately, it was a bit dark to make out any other identifying features.
"Isn't it rude to eavesdrop?" Donnie questioned, watching Eva step out on the street, the two of them seeming to joke around very briefly, something about her wardrobe or whatnot.
"We're not eavesdropping, we're making sure this dude checks out for Eva's safety" Mikey argued, trying to justify his actions. Don rolled his eyes.
"C'mon, they're leaving!" the younger brother stated, jumping up when their friend climbed into a cab with the stranger. Deciding to humor his own curiosity, the purple favoring ninja let Mikey take the lead across the rooftops. They tailed them for a short time until the car pulled over along a stretch of stores.
"They're shopping?" Michelangelo thought aloud.
"It is the day after Black Friday Mikey" Don stated, leaning against the edge of the building. Eva seemed to be having a fairly good time with this human male, whoever he was. He would have had doubts on her proclaimed feelings for Leonardo, had it not been obvious where this particular gentleman's interests veered. Admittedly it was a bit relieving to see her socializing with at least one normal, at least he appeared to be, human being.
"What the hell are you two doin'?" a familiar, gruff voice, nearly startled the both of them.
"Nothin! Just making sure Eva is safe and junk" Mikey proclaimed, grinning his usual guilty smile. Raphael crossed his arms, not entirely convinced.
"Eva has decided to have a night out with a male friend of her's, nothing major" Donatello nonchalantly.
"Like, a date?" Raph asked, an eye ridge raising. Something in the turtle started to swell at the thought of Eva possibly being romantically involved with someone. His brother would be destroyed.
"What? No way! She has-" Mikey absently began to spew before, thanks to expertly honed reflexes, Don slapped a hand over the youngster's mouth.
"She has too many trust issues. We all know that, right Mikey?"
The gears in Michelangelo's head were nearly visible as they clicked and turned for several seconds before it finally registered.
"OH! Yea, totally!"
Raphael's eyes rolled. He would leave it alone for now, especially since a certain presence had appeared on the building with them.
"Are we having a pow-wow up here or something?" asked Leonardo as he strolled to stand beside Raph.
"These two were spyin' on Eva and a friend a her's" Raphael blurted, much to his brothers' dismay.
"Its probably just Brandon" Leo shrugged, surprisingly lax about it for a change.
All three looked to one another inquisitively. Since when was their older brother ok with something like that? Had they missed something?
"Brandon?" asked Don
"Yea. Short, brown hair? Taller?"
"Are you sure its ok? You don't think he'll try something?" Mikey fretted, glancing momentarily back over the ledge.
"Relax little brother. He's more interested in other men" Leonardo reassured with a shake of his head, "Come on, we still need to go on patrol"
Donatello and Mikey both exchanged bewildered glances before following after their older brothers.
"So what's the status on that triangulation device you've been working on Donnie?" Leonardo asked a few buildings into their patrol, never slowing their pace.
"I've nearly completed the encryption. The only thing left is blocking the reverberation so they can't retrace it back to us" the next to youngest replied, matching Leo's speed.
"Good. The sooner we take care of this the better"
After that, for a while, patrol was quiet. It wasn't until the atmosphere changed that the brothers came to a stop.
"You feel that?" Raphael asked, whipping his sai.
"Yea. We aren't alone" Leonardo agreed, his two katana shining in the moonlight. The four of them stood in a circle, on guard and weapons drawn the air thick with danger.
"Donnie, move!" Mikey suddenly yelled, ramming his brother out of the way in time for something to wiz by, ripping through his forearm like paper. Their attention jerked to where it had originated, now noticing several figures climbing over the ledge.
"Mikey, you ok?" Raphael asked, not taking his eyes off the shadowed strangers which continued to gather in number.
"Yea, just a scratch" Michelangelo hissed, the cut doing just enough to hinder his ability to spin his nunchaku.
"We're outnumbered. Normally I would say fight, but a retreat might-" Leonardo started, however noticed that their only escape route had also been filled in by the familiar enemies, "Nevermind"
"Looks like we ain't got a choice" Raph mumbled, as his eyes narrowed at the now apparent weapons the andoid creatures were armed with. After that, everything seemed to happen in a blur. The specters, as if on cue, swarmed the brothers like insects. One and two at a time, they sliced, stabbed and beat their was through, but unfortunately, it was like there was no end to them. Even with their years of mastering martial arts and honing their stamina, they began to get tired.
"Donnie! We need a way out!" Leonardo exclaimed over the noise, his heavy breath clouding the freezing air. His katana sparked against more metal as they cut through another robot. Were his swings becoming shallower?
"I'm trying Leo, but I'm a little preoccupied here!" Donatello snapped, attempting to fend off his own assailants.
"Mikey!" Raphael's voice caught their attention in time to see their little brother being overwhelmed, his injuries getting the better of him.
"No!" Leo cried, nearly throwing any discipline to the wind, cutting and hacking his way through in desperation to reach his little brother. Raphael was right behind him, using his size to plow through the metal bodies.
Then, there was pain. The robots opened fire, armor piercing rounds hitting their mark. Even the two of them weren't entirely bulletproof. Raphael became overwhelmed first, going to his knees as the machines pinned him down.
"Raph!" Leo's cries echoed, adrenaline pumping the ability to fight his wounds. The blue-masked turtle's eyes darted about until his eyes found Donatello still barely holding on.
"Don!" he screamed, light headed and weak, "Donnie, run! Get help!"
For a split moment, the younger ninja hesitated. He didn't want to leave his brothers, however, logical thinking kicked in. Taking the chance, Donatello made a break for the building's edge. Leo watch, and for a brief second, felt the slightest bit of relief. One of them would get away. That was, until one of the androids pulled up an arm, and fired. It didn't miss.
"DONNIE!"