Chapter Eight:

A Deal Is Made



Jonas looked up the warehouse that stood in front of him. His nerves were on edge. He felt as if it was his first time at this place, even though he had spent many years of his life there. He flicked his cigarette to the ground and stomped it out with his shoe. A lone Foot solider appeared out of the darkness and approached him.

"This way. The master is expecting you."

Jonas spat on the dirt. "Yeah, I know."

Shredder lifted his right arm as a solider replaced the black wrappings. It was the only thing that kept his skin from falling off. The Madira had done all they could, using pieces of alien metal to place his body back together. It had been a slow and painful process, the affects of which he still felt. He had come back from the dead, and was more stronger than he had ever been, even if he was now a grotesques form of his original self. But his hatred still ran deep. He would make the Turtles pay. He would have his revenge.

"Master." Another solider entered the room and bowed before Saki. "He has arrived."

Shredder replaced his mask. "Let him in."

Jonas stumbled into the room, feeling bewildered. He stared in disbelief at Saki. "They were right. You are alive, Master!" Jonas dropped to his knees and bowed to Shredder. "It is good to have you back, Master."

Shredder rose to his feet and walked towards Jonas, his left foot dragging behind him. Jonas looked up and gasped in horror.

"Master!" He leaned back and fell to the ground. Using his hands, he crawled backwards across the floor. "What happened to you?"

"I am afraid that what is left of your master is nothing more than rotting flesh and broken, decayed bones." Shredder looked at his hands. " If you can still look at me as you did then, I can be your master once more."

Jonas could not help himself. He stared at the face behind Shredder's mask. He could see the greenish flesh that shone in the light. It was peeling off of Saki's face around his eye. The smell of death was also in the air. Jonas took a deep breath and held back whatever was trying to come up.

"I only wish to serve my master," Jonas gulped. "If he is still there under this, then he can be my master again."

Shredder laughed, a gurgling sound erupting from his throat. "That is good. Stand on your feet, Jonas."

Jonas rose as he was told. "Why did you ask for me?"

Shredder returned to his seat. " I have heard of the destruction you helped bring upon the city. I wish to help you. Only if you help me in return."

Jonas lit another cigarette. "Help you with what?"

"I need to find my enemies and destroy them once and for all." He squeezed his fist tightly. "They are the ones who made me the way I am. They had been a thorn in my side for too long. They must pay."

Jonas took a long drag. "Well, who are they? I'll hunt them down."

"It is not that simple, Jonas. These freaks are trained ninjas, as we are. Their trail is not an easy one to locate."

"That's not a problem." Jonas spat on the floor. "With this war starting, they'll be flushed out of their hiding spot. No one is gonna survive this."

Shredder narrowed his eyes at Jonas, making the man step back in fear. "You had better be right."





Don yawned loudly as he drove the van on the deserted highway, the sun just barely peeking through the windows. He had not seen another car since they had left the city. Raph sat in the passenger seat, his arms crossed over his chest. He stared out the window and watched the fields and trees go by.

"How much longer?" He asked without turning his head.

"Not much." Don hit a button on the dashboard. The screen flashed the remaining mileage. " Another hour and we should be there."

In the back, Mike sat behind Don, headphones on his ears. He moved his head to the rap music that blared out. Leo sat next to him, his eyes also concentrating on the passing world beyond the window. But his thoughts were on Linda. He didn't want her to feel any more pain, or see her suffer in her state of confusion. He now realized his feelings for her had grown deeper than he ever thought they would. He closed his eyes and suddenly wished he had stayed at home with her.

"Hey Leo!" Raph snapped his fingers. "Wake up. We're here."



"Gentlemen! You made it!" General Lee stepped up to the van and saluted the Turtles. "I am General Lee, of course. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise." Leo shook the general's hand. "I'm Leonardo. And these are my brothers, Donatello, Michalangelo and Raphael."

"General, I have a question?" Don stepped forward. " How did you know about us?"

"Oh, yes well, you boys may not realize it, but you are very famous in mutant circles. Many may not know you, but they do know OF you, and what you have done."

"Dude!" Mike exclaimed. "We're famous!"

Raph smacked Mike in the head. " That was my ear, shell for brains!"

Lee eyed Mike and Raph. " Right. This way, gentlemen."

The Turtles followed the general, looking and staring in amazement at the base. Mutants of every size and species were all around them.

"It's like a sanctuary for mutants." Don said, half joking.

"You could say that." Lee answered. " The base houses six hundred mutants from all over the world. Many came here for some peace away from human kind. We are our own world, so to speak." He stopped and turned around. " And, if you feel the need, you boys are welcome to stay."

A uniformed female white cat walked by them at that moment and smiled at Mike and Raph. They turned around and watched her walk away, her tail swinging as she moved her hips.

"I could go for that." Mike looked at Raph.

Raph smiled and nodded. "Oh, yeah."



They arrived at a large building and entered through the double doors. Mutants scrambled to and fro in the hallways, talking and shouting echoed everywhere.

"What's up with everyone?" Mike looked around.

"Dark times are upon mutant kind." Lee lead them down a hallway. " We are trying to get things ready but with the short amount of time we have, it is hard."

"I still don't see what this has to do with us." Raph said, obviously annoyed with the General.

Lee stopped at the end of the hallway at a glass door. His name was etched in black across it. He turned the knob and let the Turtles enter. They found seats across from the general's desk and sat down. The General took his seat behind his desk and studied the paperwork that sat there. Raph remained standing, gazing out of the window, still waiting for an answer.

"Raph! Sit down!" Leo demanded.

"What do I look like? A dog?" Raph snapped back. The general lifted his head and raised an eyebrow at Raph. Mike chuckled at his brother.

Raph then realized what he had said and turned to the general. "Uh, eh, sorry about that."

"That's quite alright." Lee responded, but then glared at Raph. " Now if you don't mind." He pointed at the empty chair next to Mike. "Sit down, please!"

Raph grabbed the chair and slowly sat down, his eyes focused on the general's sharp incisors. Leo rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.

"Now, to business." Lee popped his knuckles. " The reason I have asked you here to today is because-"

A sudden knock at the door startled the Turtles. Lee leaned back into his chair. " Come in."

The door opened and a mutant grey fox entered the room, dressed in the MM camouflage uniform. Her blond hair was braided and pulled back into a bun. She had badges as the general did, showing she had a high rank. She glanced at the Turtles, giving them a strange but surprised look She turned back to the General and saluted him. Raph let out a low whistle, his eyes following her every move.

"Sir, I hate to bother you, but the attorney general is on the phone again and he needs to speak to you."

"Goddamn! That man can't leave me alone for a second!" Lee stood up. " Lieutenant, would you please fill these boys in on our state of operations."

"Yes, sir."

" Boys, this is Lieutenant General Leslie Silver." Lee headed for the door. " I'll be back whenever I can convince that asshole everything is under control." Then, the door slammed behind him.

Leo stood up first and extended his hand. "Hi, I'm Leonardo." Leslie grasped his hand and shook it firmly. " And, these are my brothers. Donatello,"

Don extended his hand. " Nice to meet you." Leslie nodded in response.

"Michalangelo,"

"Hi!" He grabbed her hand and shook it hard, making Leslie almost fall over.

"And, Raphael."

As Leslie turned to Raph, he leaned back in his chair. "How you doin'?" He pointed his finger at her and winked. Leslie stared at him as he continued to act cool.

"Yeah," Leslie then turned her back to him and walked back to the desk. Leo turned sharply to Raph and smacked him in the back of the head. Mike snorted once again.

"Ow!" Raph yelled, rubbing the sting away. " What was that for?"

"Gentlemen, as you know, our country is in great peril." Leslie sat down in the general's chair and leaned forward, pressing her hands together. " Our army consists of over six hundred soldiers, plus we have other bases scattered around the world, which in turn brings the total to roughly one million."

Mike was shocked. " I didn't know that many mutants existed!"

Don nodded his head. " That's just in the bases, Mikey. The mutant population on earth is close to one billion, and there are more that are still in hiding."

"Like us?" Raph asked as he glared at Leo."

"Raph, now is not the time for this." Leo turned his head away from Raph. Leslie's eyes darted between the Turtles.

" Gentlemen, if you would please push your personal problems aside for a few minutes,"

Leo shifted in his seat. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant. Please, go on."

"Well, as I was saying, our army size is very small compared to that of the armed forces of the humans. Even though we have received word that many humans are joining us, we still need help."

"What does this have to do with us?" Raph stood up and blurted out, startling Leslie. " I'm tired of getting this run-around shit! Get on with it!"

Leslie just glared in Raph's direction. "April was right when she said you had a bad temper. And just so you know, I don't tolerate it!" Raph's jaw dropped and he sank back down in his chair.

"Wait, you said April? How do you April?" Don asked.

"She was the one who suggested you four." Leslie leaned back into the chair. " She said you would be perfect for this operation."

"What operation?" Leo raised an eyebrow.

Leslie opened a manilla folder that sat on the general's desk and pulled out a stack of papers. " You no doubt know this man." She held up a mug shot of a man who the Turtles recognized instantly.

"Jonas Riley!" They exclaimed in unison.

" Yes, Jonas Riley." Leslie placed the picture back. " He is our number suspect in the shooting of the Madira King and is has also been a fugitive of the law for many years. But, there is one small problem."

"And that is?" Raph crossed his arms.

"We can't find him." Leslie said blankly. "This is where you guys come in." Leslie opened another folder and pulled out a sheet of paper. She walked around the desk and handed to Leo. He studied the typing while his brothers leaned over his shoulders.

" We have orders to assemble a group of soldiers to find Mr. Riley. Of course, this will not be easy, since Mr. Riley moves around a lot and he is specialized in combat maneuvers."

"I don't know about this." Leo handed the paper back. " We're not really trained in this kind of thing."

Leslie pushed the paper back. " Did I forget to mention the part about the Foot?"

The Turtles all looked up at her. Leo spoke first.

"How did you know about-"

"We know more than you think we do, Leonardo." Leslie leaned back against the desk. " Mr. Riley has been in contact with the Foot. Now, we know that the Foot haven't been involved from the beginning, but they are slowly becoming part of the problem. That's why we need your help."

Leo looked at his brothers, waiting for some kind of answer. No one said a word. They just sat in silence, staring at him, waiting for Leo to answer for them.

"I don't know," Leo finally said. " I really don't think we're the ones for this."

Just then, General Lee entered the room. Leslie stood straight and saluted him.

"So, boys!" He walked back to his chair. " Can we count on you to help us?"

"Can you give us a second?" Leo stood up and pushed his brothers out into the hallway. Once outside, Leo placed his hands on his forehead.

" Guys, I don't think we should get involved in this. This is way over our heads."

" God, Leo!" Raph shouted, his voice echoing down the hallway. " Why are you such a chicken?"

"Raph's got a point, Leo." Don said quietly. " Don't you think we should help them? I mean, our own race is under attack and if they get wiped out, we could too."

Leo looked at the floor. " Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think?" Leo raised his head and stared at his brothers.

"Uh," Mike's eyes darted between Don and Raph. "You know, we could just like hide in that place we found under the sewers a few years ago."

"Mikey! This isn't a joke!" Leo snapped. " Do you want to or not?"

Mike sighed heavily and looked at his feet. " No."

"Two against two ain't gonna work for me." Raph turned towards the door.

"Raph, wait!" Leo grabbed his shoulder. " I know I'm afraid. I admit that."

"About time." Raph smiled.

" And, you're right Don, they do need our help. And we are the only ones who know the Foot well enough. It's just a big risk."

"Which makes it more fun." Raph grabbed Leo's arm. " Come on. Let's go tell them we agreed on it!"




Hours later, the Turtles returned to their home under the streets. Splinter greeted them at the door.

"My sons! Where have you been?" Splinter crossed his arms over his chest.

" We left you a note, sensi." Leo looked at Mike. " Didn't you leave him a note?"

Mike looked around the room. " Oops!"

Splinter sighed heavily. " No matter. Now, why have you been gone for so long?"

Leo pulled out the sheet of paper that was given to them by the general. "We've been asked to aid the Mutant Militia in the capture of Jonas Riley."

"Yeah, we got these killer camo outfits!" Mike held up the blue, red and gray camouflage uniforms. Raph grabbed a beret out of the duffle bag and tried it on.

"How do I look?" He turned to Don and Mike.

Don laughed. " If you were in France, you would fit in perfectly."

Splinter handed the paper back to Leo. " This is a very serious thing to agree upon, my son." He returned to his armchair where a cup of tea was waiting for him. A worried look crept over Leo's face and he walked over to Splinter. He knelt down at the base of the chair.

"Master, were we wrong to accept this mission?"

Splinter took a long sip and sorted out his thoughts. " Leonardo, do you remember years ago, when you very young, you asked me what your purpose in life was? What did I tell you?"

"That it would come to me one day when I least expected it to."

Splinter patted Leo's shoulder. " Do you not think that day has come now?"

Leo became confused. " Fighting in a war is my purpose? That can't be a purpose for any one!"

"No, not the fighting. The saving of an entire race, my son." Splinter leaned back into the chair. "This will be the greatest challenge you will ever have to face. You will see death and destruction all around you. It takes a brave soul to weather such things." He looked at Leo and smiled. " I know this frightens you, Leonardo. It frightens your brothers." They looked over at the others. "They may not show it, but I can feel it." He turned back to Leo. " You must be brave, my son. You have a heavy burden to carry now. You must be brave for your brothers, and for all of the lives that might be lost."

Leo was on the verge of tears. " I don't know if I can handle it, master. What if one of us doesn't make it? What if none of us do?"

Splinter grabbed Leo's hand. " Do not think of such things, Leonardo! To focus on death is not what you have been taught to do." He placed his other hand under Leo's chin and lifted his head up. He looked into Leo's eyes and saw the fear inside. " That is your fear, my son, and you need to let it go."

Leo stared back into Splinter's eyes and then felt a tear run down his cheek. " I'm sorry, Master. I'm trying. I really am. It's just all too much at once." He wiped the water from his eyes.

Splinter smiled again. " It will be alright, my son. Just remember, don't let your fear control you or it will be your undoing." He glance over at the other turtles. Mike had put on one of the MM uniforms and was acting like a fashion model for Don and Raph. He made different poses in front of them as they clapped and whistled. Splinter raised an eyebrow in their direction then turned back to Leo.

Leo laughed. " I know. Watch out for my brothers. They'll need it." Leo rose to his feet and looked around. " Master, where is Linda?"

Splinter sipped his tea again. " I do not know. I haven't seen her all day. Maybe she is still in your room."

Leo turned and walked down the hallway. He knocked on his bedroom door before he opened it.

"Linda?" He peered into the room and saw no one was in it. He did notice a piece of notebook paper that sat on top of the pillows on his bed. He walked over and picked it up.

Dearest Leonardo,

Please do not be alarmed to find me missing. I have to know the truth about my father and I don't want to involve you and your family any more than I already have. I know my father would never betray his family. Please do not follow me, and please do not worry. I will return soon. And, Leonardo, I just want to thank you for being there for me. I don't know what I would have done without you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me.

With love,

Linda


Leo sighed heavily as he sat down on his bed, then laid back the pillows. He re-read the letter over and over again. His turned his eyes to the ceiling and felt a sudden ache in his heart. It wasn't painful; it was more of an overwhelming feeling, which caused him to smile. Linda's scent was all around him and it made him feel at peace. He closed his eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep.