…..

Shredder was slowly walking from one side to the other, looking 'thoughtful' when, in fact, he enjoyed every moment of the turtle's suffering. He laid his eyes on his green prisoner, delighted to see the ninja's whole being reflecting his plea.

"Okay, Leonardo, I will overlook your disobedience once again. Go get fed, I need you strong for the test mission I will give you."

"But ... could I see my brothers?" A brutal slap broke the skin of his cheek and made him fall.

"Do you dare to speak when you have not been granted permission to do so? That's it! You have exhausted my patience! Take him away and you know what to do!" Struggling with all his energy against the soldiers who began to drag him, Leonardo feared again for the children's safety.

"Master! Master! I beg you!" Shredder raised his hand to stop the soldiers.

"Do it on your knees," he ordered, Leonardo didn't hesitate to get down on his knees, touching the floor with his forehead, begging his master to forgive his boldness.

"Master ... please ... punish me, not my brothers."

"That's better." With another gesture from the evil master the soldiers took Leonardo away, they gave him a simple ninja gear with the symbol of the Foot Clan on it and fed him again.

"Our master will send you on a mission, if you don't want your brothers to end up as his toys to torture, you better obey." Leonardo just nodded, he suffered the uncertainty of not knowing if his little bros were okay or not. He hadn't seen them in all that time and that was distressing him a lot.

Again he was taken to Shredder's presence and was given an envelope. Inside it was a map, a structural plan of the building indicating the places that had security cameras installed and photographs of a large residence and a photo of a small girl. He hoped the mission he had to accomplish didn't involve hurting someone.

"Before four hours you must bring me that girl, alive or dead, I don't care. Her father is my rival in congress and I don't want hindrances, as you well know."

The girl would be about five years old, but something else inside the envelope left Leonardo speechless. A bloody, small piece of Mikey's bandana. Leonardo tried real hard to not lose his temper at seeing that. That kind of actions or words could further aggravate the situation of his children. He only looked at Shredder without saying anything.

"There's your punishment for your daring, you should know that I am serious. Bring me the girl and your brother's injuries caused by your boldness will be treated immediately, if I was in your position I would hurry ... or better not, let him die, he will be a hindrance you won't have to worry about anymore."

Leonardo repressed his impulses again after hearing that, so he only bowed and left the place and headed where his mission was waiting for him.

The next four hours were a real ordeal for Leonardo, during the outward journey to the residential area where Saki's rival lived, he thought a lot about the little innocent girl who might find death at the Shredder's hands, but he was also thinking about his little Mikey. Maybe he would be so scared wondering why his big brother wasn't there to defend him and save him. Maybe Raph and Donnie had seen how Saki's soldiers had hurt the youngest among them and they would be suffering a lot too.

Would the enemy be feeding them? Would they be sleeping at least a little? Those doubts only helped to increase the weight in his mind and now not only he couldn't get his brothers out of that horrendous situation, but he was also going to increase the number of children who would face the true face of evil without protection.

"My little brothers are my whole world, but… should I sacrifice innocents for their safety? How can I pay for this terrible action I perform on their behalf? I hope the blame never falls on my brothers ... "

With those thoughts in mind, he arrived at the little girl's home and as if fate were suddenly on the side of the bad guys, the little girl was in the backyard of the property, having fun on a swing. Leonardo's heart sank when the little girl looked at him without screaming, and she didn't resist when he put his hand over her mouth to prevent her from speaking. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, Leonardo put the little girl on the floor to rest a little before continuing.

"Who are you?" The little girl asked with eyes showing not only her innocence but also curiosity. The young ninja refused to answer, he just smiled at her and lifted her in his arms, starting to run again in the direction of Saki's skyscraper.

When the little girl snuggled up to Leonardo's neck, the oldest brother began to cry silently and he almost took the girl back to her home, but the memory of his brothers forced him to commit that bad action until the end. Upon reaching the top of the place, a soldier took the girl from Leonardo's arms, but the man did it without any care and the girl immediately complained about the pain that action caused her, she was treated so roughly. She wants to go back to the turtle's arms and Leonardo truly wanted to prevent that abuse with all his soul, but for the sake of his brothers, he just stayed there, feeling the overwhelming weight of guilt as he had never felt it before.

"Well done my disciple, now eat and rest because in a couple of hours you will go on a new mission."

"No, I want to see my brothers." Shredder got up and looked at him furiously.

"You are being disrespectful! How do you dare to ask for something again? It seems you haven't learned anything, I was going to command one of my soldiers to take your brothers to your cell before sending you to your new mission, but now ... now you won't see them, get him out of my sight!"

"No, please wait!"

"Don't talk anymore, you insolent!" Leonardo clenched his fists and begged him again: "Please ... just tell me how they are. I haven't seen them since I woke up."

"You have no right to know about them, get out from my sight, if you fulfill your next mission, I could reconsider it. Guards, take him away." And so they returned Leonardo to his cell. The eldest turtle was desperate, he wanted to escape, but that would imply death for his children if the enemy came to discover him before he could find the place where they were locked up.

Only a couple of hours had passed when Leonardo was called again, but now it wasn't Shredder who spoke to him, it was Hun who in front of his master addressed the turtle.

"Take it," the huge man gave him an envelope, "you will go to that address with the girl and keep her there until an order is given to you, if her father doesn't accept our master's demands the girl will have to 'disappear'" He handed the turtle a duffel bag, the ninja supposed the girl was inside. Leonardo could hardly believe how heartless those wicked men could become, just because of that Leonardo obeyed again, he feared his little brothers were being treated like that too.

Without letting the concern for the good condition of the little girl filled his features, Leonardo took the duffel bag and immediately headed to the address. When he was at a distance he considered safe from the skyscraper of Saki, he opened the duffel bag and effectively the little girl was inside, tied hand and foot, many tears still falling from her eyes. At seeing Leonardo the little girl opened her little eyes a lot, the eldest of the ninjas immediately recognized that look, he had often seen it in the eyes of his little brothers, a look full not only of emotion but also of relief. Carefully, the ninja untied her and as soon as the little girl felt freed from her bonds, she threw herself into Leonardo's arms. She wasn't one of his little brothers, but both of them desperately needed that hug.

"Are you okay?" The turtle asked, the little girl nodded and she basked once again in the warmth of the one she knew wasn't dangerous. Leonardo ran again, he had to get to the place written on the piece of paper. Throughout the entire journey, he begged that the girl's father accepted Shredder's demands because he didn't want to do anything to the girl. Although he valued the lives of his little bros, he didn't have the right or the intention of depriving the innocent child of her life, and he expected his new master would do the same with his little brothers. Once inside the building, Leonardo observed how the little girl had fallen asleep, without nothing more to do but wait, he carried her with both arms. He missed so much rocking Mikey to sleep, that he started doing it with the little girl, letting out several sighs while doing it. He was pretty sure he wouldn't 'make her disappear', no matter what happened...

After what Leonardo thought felt like a lifetime dedicated only to wait, a transmitter inside the duffel bag began to sound, carefully he sat on the floor lying his precious load on his lap and then he answered: "I'm already here."

"Listen mutant, the father of the brat hasn't yielded to Shredder's demands, it seems that he cares more about the security and the future of the city than the life of his daughter." Hun's voice was heard, "get rid of her right away!" After those words, the communication ended.

Leonardo thought it was incredible that the father of the little girl thought that his duties to the city were more important than the life of his daughter. He wasn't sure what to think. Was that man doing it for a greater good, even though his sadness and guilt would chase him forever? Or maybe the little girl was deprived of love from the beginning of her existence?

Anyway, a certain part of Leonardo's mind admired the person's decision and if the father didn't love her, the little girl would surely have someone else waiting for her return. Making a decision that perhaps would cost the lives of his brothers, Leonardo decided that he wouldn't be the Shredder's servant anymore.

Going to a building near a busy avenue, Leonardo woke her up and took her to the first floor near the exit door which chains hadn't a padlock. Peeping through the half-open door, Leonardo could see a police officer nearby.

"Little one, it's time for you to go back home. Do you see that man dressed in blue?" The kid nodded. "Go and tell him you're lost, he will help you." Obediently, the little girl left the building to approach the officer, but not before hugging Leonardo again to give him a little kiss on his cheek. Making sure that the policeman realized the girl's problem, the blue ninja undertook the journey back to Saki's headquarters.

"SHREDDER!" Leonardo arrived and he was ready to face anything. "YOU HAVE TURNED ME INTO A KILLER! I HAVE COMPLIED WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE REQUESTED FROM ME! GIVE MY BROTHERS BACK! NOW!"

The metallic ninja burst into a cruel laughter.

"I thought you were smarter, Leonardo, you let your feelings cloud your judgment and now look at you. You have lost your honor and your family, but I am not that bad," he continued mocking, throwing a tantō at his feet, "I will let you put an end to your useless life."

"Give back my brothers, now!" Again Leonardo's seriousness showed he wouldn't change his decision.

"If you hadn't been so weak, you would have realized that they have been with you all the time."

"Speak clearly…"

"You moron, I killed your brothers and used their bodies to feed you. Did you think I would feed you just because you became my servant?

"What?" Leonardo didn't want to understand what he was hearing.

"That night, when we captured you, your useless brothers couldn't stand the physical abuse, the first to die was the whiniest one. Well, I had planned to kill him in front of you, but you fainted before you could see it. It was a great delight to see how he suffered at my hands, besides, the other two were terrified of what they were seeing. Those idiots didn't know what was happening and they were screaming your name. I had that great idea when we arrived, the chef dismembered the child and used small pieces of his meat to feed you and the other two. The others had the same fate, we killed them one by one and with their flesh we fed you. Here I have a nice souvenir for you."

Shredder threw the bloody tiny shell of one of the little turtles at the feet of the eldest brother. Leonardo froze for a few seconds and then dropped to his knees.

To be continued…