DISCLAIMER: do not own the turtles, only the story plot line.
WARNING: maybe a bit out-of-character for the turtles, but once again, this is how I imagine them to be. Also, there may be some blood, torture, angst, etc...but hey, it's my story!
Have fun reading it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Italics: flashback to when the turtles were 5.
Oh, and note: No story of mine is done unless I say so. For example: In Sickness and In Health. That one is still continuing.
Oh, and another warning:
WARNING #2: THIS WILL BE A VERY BLOODY/GORY/SAD CHAPTER. IF ANY OF THAT YOU DON'T LIKE, PLEASE DON'T READ. There. I warned you. Now if you do read it, don't write any flames, 'cause it was your choice to do so. Oh, and I love Leo, he's my favorite character. But I have a horrid habit of putting too much of my soul into the character and then boom! You have a bloody/gory/angsty story. Anyways, I think that's it. Yeah.
Oh, yeah. ITALICS ARE DREAM-SEQUENCES.
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There was a pause as everyone let the information sink in. Then,
"That goddamn fuckin' bitch of a bastard." Bruck muttered. "I thought 'e died a long time ago. Damn."
No one bothered to reprimand him. After all, they all agreed.
Donny looked at Leo worriedly. "Are you sure it was Jamie? I mean..."
Leo smiled sadly. "I know what I saw, Don."
Raph growled. "How the shell did ya get that?" He said, pointing to the trap.
Leo laughed nervously. "Well, it was an accident.—"
Splinter raised his hand. "Leonardo, you will tell us what happened, but only after we treat the wound."
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"Okay." Don said, looking a bit pale. He may be the intelligent one in the group, and the one who knew how to treat wounds the best, he still hated it.
Don nodded to Bruck. "Can you open the trap? I have no clue how to do it..."
Bruck nodded before examining the trap. He swore. "Damn. It's one of the newer models."
Mikey paled. "Does that mean that you can't open it?"
Bruck laughed sadly. "Nah. I can open it, except—"He looked at Leo apologetically, "Except it'll be painful as 'ell."
Leo nodded as a sign that he was ready.
Bruck looked down at the trap again before grabbing both ends. "Alright, this is gonna 'urt..." He muttered, before squeezing the ends and at the same time pushing a small button. There was a small 'click' and the trap sprang open.
Immediately, gobs of blood began to trickle down Leo's leg, but Donny quickly took a big roll of cloth and wrapped it around the wound pressing down hard.
Mikey had his head turned away during this, while April had buried her face into Casey's shirt. Casey was looking intently out the window.
Splinter was sitting beside Leo, watching intently, but was slightly pale. Raph just watched Leo's reaction.
When the trap was squeezed, Raph had expected Leo to wince or even to cry out in pain, but Leo just sat still, not even moving.
Don finished bandaging the wound, he looked up at Leo. "You okay, Leo?"
Leo nodded and let out a small breath he had been holding. "Thanks Don."
Don nodded. "No sweat. Just make sure not to stress your leg too much. Don't do much vigorous activity, and Leo—"Donny looked at him apologetically. "I know you won't like this but, don't do any training or katas, 'kay Leo?"
Leo sighed. "Fine. Thanks Don. Goodnight." He said, standing up, before swaying a bit, but managed to walk out the living room.
"Night!" Mikey called after him, looking a bit worried.
Raph stood and walked up to Bruck who was sitting at the table staring at the steel trap.
Bruck looked up before looking back at the trap again. Suddenly he spoke. "This trap is one of the newer models."
Casey nodded. "Yeah. Ya told us that already."
Bruck smirked before shaking his head. "It's a nasty little bugger." He growled before leaning back in his chair. Fang whined before lying down next to her master.
Don walked up to Bruck before looking at the trap. "Why's that? Looks like a normal trap to me!"
Bruck scoffed. "And that just proves the sheer vileness of it." He picked up the trap carefully. "See?" He said, pointing to the teeth of the trap. "The animal walks into it, completely unaware of the danger. But as soon as it steps onto it, the trap snaps shut."
Mikey shrugged. "So? That's what every trap does."
Bruck laughed. "Yep. But what this little devil does," Bruck slowly began shutting the trap, "is that this little devil has a sort of a 'ook inside each little tooth. Watch." Bruck slowly shut the trap, and to everyone's surprise, a small bloody hook extended at the end of the tooth and curved down, as the trap shut.
Casey winced. "Yuck."
Bruck nodded. "So when the animal tries to open the trap, these little 'ooks keep it in place. Now if the animal does manage to pry it open..." Bruck grunted with effort as he forced the trap open again. Everyone winced as they saw that the hooks on each tooth did not retract.
Bruck nodded. "See? If Leo would've pried it open, then this've took a good chunk of flesh out with it."
Mikey paled considerably. "Eww..." He whispered.
Raph nodded, suddenly feeling horribly sorry for Leo and glad that Leo couldn't pry it open.
Bruck shook his head, frowning. "Ya can only open this little devil by pushing the two ends together and pressing a small button on each end." Bruck sighed. "I personally 'ate modern traps. So cruel really. Have the animal suffer and writher in pain and agony for god knows 'ow long." He shook his head. "I liked 'em old traps better. They were just 'snap!' and boom! The animal was dead. No misery, no pain, no nothin'."
Bruck threw the trap onto the table before standing up. "It's dark now. We can't go back out now."
Mikey looked at him confused. "Why'd ya wanna go back out? Leo said that Jamie was out there!"
Bruck laughed bitterly. "Do ya think that just because 'e 'ad let your brother go, that 'e'd give up? Nah. 'e's toyin' with 'im, that's what 'e's doin'! Let me tell ya. Jamie isn't 'appy, 'ell. 'e ain't at all jovial that your elder bro took the chance for 'im earnin' a million dollars, maybe more, away. Nah. 'e's gettin' 'is revenge, that's what's goin' on."
Bruck shook his head.
"Jamie was always the one with the brains. Jake was always the idiot, but the best with weapons and such. I was the fool and rash idiot who would run into any challenge just to prove I could do it. That's 'ow it was. That's 'ow it always was and 'ow it is now." Bruck shrugged.
"If we don't stop Jamie before this get's any worse..." Bruck shuddered. "I say we'll be in a 'ell of a lot of trouble!"
Raph paled. "Whatdya mean?"
Don sighed. "Revenge, Raph. Duh! Leo took away his chance of earning a lot of cash by selling us."
Raph shook his head. "But Splinter was the one who stopped him!"
Splinter shook his head. "No, my son. Without Leonardo's help, I fear I would not have arrived on time to save you all."
Mikey bit his lip. "But...what would happen to Leo if we don't stop Jamie?"
Bruck looked troubled. "Pray ya don't find out."
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He was running. His heart was pounding and going almost a hundred miles per hour. He felt fear grip his heart as he heard footsteps near him.
He turned a corner, and another. He had to get away! He just had to!
But the footsteps kept getting closer.
He looked up at an elder boy who was holding his hand and was practically dragging him.
"Keep running!!!!"
Now he was running alone. The boy wasn't there anymore. A gunshot echoed in the distance.
"Keep running."
Bruck sat up in bed, breathing hard and distantly aware that he had just let out a blood-curling yell. "Noo..." He whispered, burying his head into his hands, trying to forget the dream.
"Keep running."
Bruck shook his head to try to get rid of that voice that kept echoing in his head.
Suddenly, his door burst open, and Raph rushed in, his sais raised. Following him were Don and Mikey.
Splinter looked in. "Are you alright Mr. Draven?"
Bruck nodded. "Sorry about that. Just a dream." He nodded apologetically at them. Splinter nodded hesitantly, while the others dropped their weapons.
They slowly went out, closing the door behind them. Mikey yawned. "I'm goin' back to bed."
Raph was about to say goodnight as well, when Donny spoke up. "Leo! You shouldn't be walking around on that leg!"
Everyone looked to see Leo limping towards them.
Leo just smiled at them before putting his hand on the door.
"Leonardo, Mr. Draven wishes to be alone..." Splinter began but Leo laughed gently.
"Trust me, Sensei. That's the last thing he needs." Leo said as he turned the door knob.
Raph spoke up. "Okay. What's with all this secretive stuff? What's going on?"
Leo didn't answer, only pushed open the door and stepped inside. Raph grabbed him. "Leo..." He growled warningly.
Leo's eyes flashed. "Raph. Stop it. There are some things that you don't need to know right now. Please. Leave us be."
Splinter sighed before bowing. "As you wish, Leonardo. Donatello, Michaelangelo, Raphael, come. Let us retire."
Splinter walked back to his room, Mikey hesitated a bit before following. Don said goodnight before going as well. But Raph stayed.
Leo turned to look at him. "Raph. You too please."
Raph gritted his teeth. "Ya know, ya may be my bro and all, but I hate being kept in the dark!"
Leo smiled. "I know you do." He said, before starting to close the door.
Raph grabbed it before it shut though. "Okay. I'll make this quick. Either ya tell me now, or I'll come in and find out for myself!"
Leo's eyes flashed. "Raph, I know you hate this, but sometimes you need to learn when secrets are best kept what they are: secrets. This isn't some sort of slumber party or something. It's real life. And sometimes life deals you a card that isn't what you want. And sometimes, one can't deal with it on his own. Sometimes, he needs just one more person to help him through. And Raph, you aren't that one person."
With that, Leo shut the door. Raph was left staring at the closed door in surprise.
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"Jake!!! Jake!!!! Where are you, you goddamn idiot??!!" A thin man yelled, stomping into a clearing.
A fat man came out from behind the truck. "What??!!" He snapped. "You're yellin' loud enough to wake the goddamn dead!!!"
The thin man rolled his eyes. "You are the dead." He snapped back before kicking a stone. "Guess who I caught in my trap today?"
Jake rolled his eyes. "What? A goddamn squirrel again, Jamie?"
Jamie shook his head. "Bigger."
"A chipmunk."
"I said bigger you big dolt!!!"
"Fine, fine. A badger."
"Badgers are hibernating."
"Whatever. A otter."
"You idiot!! It's goddamn winter!!!! Whatdya think the otters are doin'??? Dancing???"
Jake rolled his eyes. "That's it. I'm goin' back to bed."
"Remember those turtles we caught years ago?"
Jake froze. "Yeah..." He turned slowly. "What about them?"
"Remember their elder bro?"
Jake gritted his teeth. "Yeah. He cracked my goddamn oil-pipe!!! It took me a fortune to fix it!!!"
Jamie nodded.
Jake suddenly gasped. "You're joking."
Jamie shook his head. "Nope. Caught him in my trap, but the goddamn piece of shit just cut the chain and ran off."
Jake suddenly looked excited. "And knowing you, you memorized which way he ran."
Jamie nodded. "Animals are so damn predictable. Threaten them enough, and they'll return home."
Jake grinned. "Let the hunt begin."
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Well that's it. Hope you enjoyed it. Tune in for the next chappie!!!!
R&R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
