A/N: - Here you go – sorry it took so long but I've been in France for this past week and my laptop had a virus the week before! Anyway, enjoy!

They could hear several 'whooshes' as the ninjas landed around them, still invisible. Donnie's eyes darted around nervously scared of when the first attack might come. He started to panic but realised that he had brought his turtle-vision goggles with him. They were strapped to his belt, as he had suspected that they would be attacked by the Foot Tech Ninjas at some point. He put on his goggles and saw instantly all the Foot Tech Ninjas.

"Guys! Turn and swipe!" he yelled. A foot tech ninja was behind each of his brothers, sword ready for the kill. His three brothers followed his orders and attacked their enemies, making them visible in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, caught up in warning his brothers, Donnie had forgotten that there would be an enemy behind him as well. He twisted a little too late and was thrown to the side and into a dustbin.

"Donnie! You ok, dude?" Mikey asked, while swiping his Nunchuks at an invisible ninja.

"Yeah, I think so," Donnie groaned. Raph and Leo were fighting shell to shell to keep off the enemies and prevent themselves from being caught off guard from behind…although it still didn't solve the problem of them not being able to see most of their attackers.

"Leo, we need to figure out a way to see them!" Raph said over his shoulder to his brother and leader.

"I know, Raph, I'm thinking as fast as I can."

"Well, think faster!"

"I've got it!"

"What?"

"We're near a sewage tank, right? And there isn't much waste disposal around here is there?"

"No…but I don't see where -------- oh, you're planning to throw sewage on these freaks?"

"It's the best idea we've got,"

"You got it. Let's send Mikey – he's an expert with things that smell bad, seeing as he is one!"

"I heard that, dude," Mikey called over to Raph but he knew what he had to do and ran off in the direction of the sewage tanks. They were barrels that contained all people's waste products and they were emptied once every six months. They would be perfect for tipping over the Foot Tech ninjas – and it would tell Shredder exactly what they thought of him! He sniggered quietly to himself as he grabbed one of the barrels, tipped it on its side and rolled it along back to the fight his brothers were completely absorbed in. This was going to be one of the best things he'd ever done. He was finally going to pour poo on someone! He'd sometimes wished he could pour it all over Raph but the Foot ninjas would do him just fine. Now all he had to do was figure out a way to creep up on the enemies and get them with the foul smelling waste that he was carrying in the barrel. He pulled the top off of the barrel and held his breath, wrinkling his nose at the stench given off by the brown sludge inside. He picked up the barrel and headed over to where Leo and Raph were being rapidly overpowered by their invisible opponents. He lifted the barrel and threw it……but, although it hit the ninjas and they were all visible, it also hit his brothers – and they, understandably, weren't happy.

"MIKEY! I SWEAR I'M GONNA KILL YA!" Raph bellowed at his younger brother who was cringing and looking decidedly sheepish…but not because he'd hit Raph. He felt bad about getting Leo but couldn't be happier about getting Raph. Leo was looking angry but amused at the same time – he wasn't quite as hot-headed as Raph – but this just meant he would save yelling at his little brother until they got home! Meanwhile, Donnie was having a few problems dealing with the many members of the Foot clan that had decided to surround and attack him.

"Uh, Guys? I could do with some help over here," he complained between the strikes he made at his attackers with his Bo staff.

"No problemo, Donatello," Mikey saluted his brother and went to his aid, glad to escape the wrath of a Raph covered in a load of sewage.

"Leo! What the hell are ya doin'?" Raph yelled at his brother.

"What does it look like, Raph?"

"It looks like you're trying to find a way to get into that abandoned building because you think Shredder or Hun might be in there."

"Then that's what I'm doing."

"But you'll never get inside…they'll smell ya five miles away!"

"And you think you smell better?"

"No," Raph scowled, "but if you're going to be a stupid prat and go in there then I'm coming with…I'm not losing my reputation for doing stupid things in battle to my oh so perfect brother!"

"This isn't stupidity, Raph," Leo pointed out, voice sharp.

"Oh yeah, then what the hell is it? Bravery – it ain't brave to go and get your ass kicked without your brothers, Leo."

"I know – but I wasn't going to fight. I was going to see if I could find out what Shredder's next move was going to be by listening in…"

"And you seriously think that they would be discussing their final plan here? Ha! You sure you haven't received some sort of knock on the head in this battle?"

"Raph, are you coming with me or what?"

"What about Mike and Donnie?"

"They'll be fine; half the Foot is gonna try and follow us anyway," Leo gestured to where the Foot ninjas were slowly advancing on them.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Raph's snarl was menacing and his eyes glittered wildly. Leo nodded at his brother, sheathing his right hand Katana and turning to use the other to hack the door down (it was bolted on the inside). After doing so, he sheathed his other Katana and ran into the building. Raph backed in after him and then the two brothers exchanged a brief nod before hiding in the small cupboard under the stairs to allow the Foot to tell Shredder of their presence. The Foot ninjas were stupider than they looked, and that was stupid enough! They either didn't know there was a cupboard under the stairs or had completely forgotten about it…they ran straight past the two squashed turtles that were huddled in the small space. This, if nothing else, gave Leo and Raph a little hope that their quickly thrown together plan might just work. If Shredder was about to hear of their presence and also of how badly his ninjas seemed to be doing, probably due to the lack of the Foot Tech, the Purple Dragons and the Elite, then maybe he and Hun would have to discuss a final defence strategy. They were going to need it if they wanted to defeat the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Well, that was the turtles' opinions anyway!

"Master Shredder," a Foot ninja bowed low to his master as he entered the dimly lit room where Shredder and Hun were seated, "we are suffering a defeat out there – we need more men. And I think there are two turtles hiding somewhere in the building."

"Which two? Could you tell?"

"One was clad in red with Sais as his weapon. The other was blue and wielded double Katana. But about more men…"

"We have no more men to give until the final confrontation. We must save the best of our forces until then or we will suffer an even more embarrassing, and final, defeat."

"Yes, master, I understand, but-------"

"No buts – pull our ninjas back." Shredder dismissed the ninja with a flick of his hand but called out at the last minute, "and check the cupboard under the stairs before you leave,"

"May I ask why?" the ninja looked back. Although his face couldn't be seen under the mask, Shredder imagined that only confusion would be showing on the man's face, and perhaps a slight bitterness for being ordered to retreat.

"You want to capture the turtles who got in, don't you?" Shredder's voice was as smooth as silk.

"Yes, Master," the ninja bowed, sniggering slightly at the thought of the turtles' faces when he and some of his men opened the cupboard and beat them to a pulp…

"Leo, get your arm out of my face or I'll bite it!"

"For the last time, Raph, I can't. It's too squashed in here but we have to wait until we know the Foot have left."

"Oh, come on Leo. They must've gone by now!"

"I wouldn't be so sure Raph…they're not completely stupid," Leo said, adding under his breath, "unlike someone I know…"

"What was that, Leo?" Raph hissed, stressing each syllable of his brother's name, making him sound mocking.

"Nothing, Raph, you must be hearing things."

"I'm hearing nothing and that's the point – that means that those stupid ninjas must be gone!"

"For the last time, Raph, they are-----------"

"Hello, I believe you are trespassing…" a ninja stood over the brothers as they tumbled out of the cupboard.

"Thanks," Raph said, "I was beginning to get cramp!" he brought out his Sais, leaping to his feet and knocking out three of the ninjas nearest to him.

"Yeah, and he really isn't very good company!" Leo added, swinging his Katana and sending several more ninjas flying.

"Foot ninja, get them!" the leader yelled at his men, but they were hesitating slightly after seeing what had happened to the others, all wanting to stay fit for fighting in the final battle. They didn't move, "Fine! I'll do it myself!" the leader let out a piercing war cry and ran forward. All it took was one kick from Raph and he, too, was sent for a brief, and very painful, flying lesson. The rest of the Foot ninjas fled to join the fight against Donnie and Mike…

"Mikey! Heads up!" Donnie yelled to his brother, joking around as he threw a ninja in Mikey's direction.

"No problem, Donnie," Mikey replied, promptly whacking the unfortunate ninja for an extended trip with his Nunchuks. The two brothers met each other in the midst of the fight and managed a high five before they were once more completely swept up in the heart of the furious battle. They fought as if their lives depended on it – which was exactly their current situation.

"Mike, how do you think Raph and Leo are doing?"

"I wouldn't worry about them – I'd worry more about us! We've got the entire Foot out here…or at least, that's what it looks like to me!"

"Look, Mikey, I know they can take care of themselves but I'm just worried…I hope they're ok…" Donnie expertly swung his Bo staff round to knock another three enemies off their feet at once.

"I hope so too, but we gotta get outta here, or get in to them or something, before we get cornered." Mikey leapt over several of the Foot but landed on several more. It was a sea of black bodies, some writhing on the ground in agony and some out cold; but over half of the original amount was still fighting and the two brothers were beginning to tire. They were shaken back to their senses by a loud crash and the sound of splintering wood and falling stone. The entire structure of Shredder's hideout was crumbling and twisting. Mikey, Don and the Foot momentarily stopped fighting each other, shock running through them and sending shivers down their spines.

"RAPH! GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE!" Leo screeched, waiting by the door of the collapsing building for his brother.

"WHAT ABOUT HUN?! WE HAVE TO GET HIM!"

"NOT NOW…COME ON – BEFORE WE END UP SQUASHED!" Leo was struggling to make himself heard above the noise of the destruction Hun had caused by leaping down the stairs and throwing his two weary opponents about like rag dolls until they found their strength and threw him into the staircase between them. He had then grabbed the beams of the roof in his fury, forgetting that it would bring the entire structure down if he pulled down the supporting beams. Raph decided to co-operate and he joined his brother and the two of them dived out of the falling house only a second before it collapsed completely, leaving a massive pile of rubble where it had stood. Through the thick clouds of dust, Leo could just about make out the silhouettes of Shredder and Hun leaping away across the rooftops, the Foot following them swiftly and without a sound before the turtles could recover from the shock and stop them. The four brothers exchanged brief hugs and words of relief and then decided it would probably be best if they made their way back to their house via the long route so they could check that they weren't being followed. They had suffered yet another battle without winning or losing. It was painful to know that the fate of New York was resting with them, not a responsibility they relished very much. It was all up to them; if they didn't rid the world of Shredder then who would?

   They walked in a dejected silence, full of the tears of defeat but the tears were to remain unshed – they were so used to defeat now that it was just another day. As of yet, they had not succeeded in defeating Shredder - Bushido knows they tried – but they had not yet managed it. Surely the day had to come soon when they would finally win their long fought battle. It couldn't stay this way forever; always running but never facing and overcoming the evil that was overpowering them. Eventually one of the sides would have to win, and the longer they left it without fighting Shredder the longer their foe had to recover and get his forces back up together and come up with a new plan. Finally, Mikey broke the silence,

"So, uh, do you think you could walk a little further away from me, Raph?" he asked timidly, an unusual thing for Mikey, "it's just that you smell a bit – well, a lot actually – and it's making me feel physically sick."

"You throw someone's crap all over me then you suffer the consequences," Raph retorted shortly, hurling an evil glare in Mikey's direction. Normally, Mikey would've taken up a joke at this point while Leo lectured Raph on keeping his temper with Raph, pointing out that he was also covered in the sewage but he hadn't flipped. But Leo was too busy in his own little world to take any notice of what was happening in reality.

   The four of them were about ten minutes from Marcie's house when Donnie became the next to break the silence.

"What do we do now? Give up? Or follow Shredder until we've defeated him?"

"I dunno," Mikey's abnormally quiet voice answered.

"Why don't you ask Leo? He's the fearless leader around here…" Raph's voice was sarcastic and showed a hint of bitterness.

"Leo?" Donnie asked his older brother. Leo didn't respond; he was still dreaming, a far off look in his eyes. Only then did Donnie notice that Leo was limping – only slightly but it was still an obvious limp. He led a light hand on his brother's shoulder to try and get his attention. Leo flinched and wheeled round to face Donnie, eyes suddenly bright, alert and wary.

"We track Shredder down. If we leave it any longer then he'll just get twice as many Foot soldiers and we can't afford for that to happen." Leo's voice was quiet and a hush fell over the four brothers. They had no choice now. Leo was right – if they left it any longer than daybreak then Shredder would have the chance to appeal for new recruits to join the Foot.

  They reached Marcie's house and knocked wearily on the door but there was no answer. Confused, the brothers tried to see in through one of the grimy windows. There were no lights on anywhere inside. Now panicking, Mikey became restless.

"What if Shredder took them?"

"He couldn't have done – he went in completely the opposite direction," Donnie pointed out, "and if he had then there would be signs of a struggle and the door wouldn't be locked. Maybe Marcie and the others are asleep because we are later than we said we'd be."

"Great, so now we got nowhere to stay," Raph kicked at the dirt huffily, "bluddy great."

"Calm down, Raph. We can stay at the house we were originally staying in. That way, if Shredder does try to get at us, we won't be putting anyone else in danger. We all need to sort things out and set things straight in our heads." Leo laid out his plan for the night to them, "then at daybreak we can try and find out where the Shredder is."

"Then we're gonna need to get some sleep, aren't we?" Mikey walked off in the direction of their house and disappeared through its door. Moments later they heard a muffled yell and several crashes. The other three turtles shot quick worried glances at each other and raced into the house calling for their little brother frantically.