That Which Prowls in the Dark of Night

Disclaimer: The TMNT belong to Mirage and other people. Not me.

Chapter 4 Discovery

"Hey Leo, do you know when Raph is coming back?"

Leonardo stopped in the middle of his sword dance, and looked back at Michelangelo who was in front of the video monolith. "He said he'd be back around midnight, why?" Before Michelangelo could turn around to face him, he went back to his exercise. Both he and Donatello were being very careful to be casual, but he had a feeling they weren't fooling Michelangelo at all.

"I dunno, I thought he said he'd be back for supper," Michelangelo said. Leonardo wondered at his tone. It sounded as if he was confused about something. Michelangelo still didn't know that Raphael had waited until dawn to leave.

Out of the corner of his eye, Leonardo saw Donatello put away the notebooks. That Donatello was working in his lab, was so common Michelangelo didn't even bother looking at what he was doing. "What, do you miss him or something?" Donatello teased.

"I'm just bored. It's too quiet with him away."

Leonardo and Donatello looked at each other. Mikey and Raph did clown around together a lot, but still usually when Raph was out of the lair they all could relax. When Raphael was in one of his moods, he could make the whole lair tense.

"It's just getting dark now," Donatello said with a mischievous gleam to his eyes. "We could go over to Casey's place and surprise them."

Leonardo wondered about that. It could get Raphael annoyed, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Donatello was doing this for a reason.

Michelangelo seized upon the idea. "You really think we should, Don?"

"Why not," Donatello definitely sounded mischievous all of a sudden. "It'll keep both of them on their toes for a while."

"Cool! Lets go!" Michelangelo was halfway to the door before Leonardo could sheath his katana.

Leonardo moved over to walk with Donatello. "What are you up to, Donny?" he whispered.

"Just playing a hunch, I'll explain later," Donatello whispered back.

Leonardo sighed pensively. He didn't like not being in the know, but he knew that Donatello was not going to come out and say what he was thinking, if it had something to do with Michelangelo.

The trip to Casey's was unnerving at least. It seemed that for every three blocks they traveled, they had to stop a purse snatching, a mugging, or just some idiot who was trying to beat up his girlfriend.

"Is it a full moon or something tonight?" Michelangelo finally asked after they stopped to take a breather. "It's like everybody is crazy or something. I've never seen it like this."

"I know," Leonardo said uneasily. "It's got me worried now. Let's find Raph and get back below as soon as we can."

Donatello nodded. "I agree."

"Casey's place is just ahead." Michelangelo said. "Lets go!"

They got to the apartment, and used the skylight to enter. The first thing they all noticed was that the apartment was empty.

"They're not here," Michelangelo said as he moved instantly to the refrigerator. He opened it and looked inside.

"Now I'm really worried," Donatello whispered to Leonardo.

"Me too," Leonardo whispered back. "But clue me in, Don, why did you suggest this?"

"You told me Mikey predicted your ambush, right?" Donatello said, keeping his eye on Michelangelo to make sure he didn't hear.

Leonardo nodded, "Yeah."

"So the day of the ambush, Mikey kept asking when you'd get back. At first it was pretty tame, but he wasn't satisfied until we decided to go after you. When he started asking about Raph I wondered if maybe Raph was in trouble. Somehow, like with you, he knows."

Leonardo blinked in "You mean this might be connected to his . . . you know?"

" I don't think he's aware he's doing it, but I wouldn't be surprised." Donatello answered.

Suddenly a noise put Leonardo on alert. "Guys, someone's coming."

Donatello and Michelangelo didn't need to be told what to do. Instantly they found hiding places within the apartment. From under Casey's couch Leonardo peered out only to find Raphael half carrying half dragging Casey into the apartment through the back window. Raphael hefted Casey into his recliner. Casey groaned and winced as he settled into the chair.

"Easy Case," Raphael said evenly. "You okay pal?"

"I ...Annie . . . " Casey muttered half conscious.

Leonardo rolled out from under the couch, and came forward startling Raphael. He drew his sai defensively. He lowered them once he saw that it was his brother. "Leo? What are you doing here?"

Donatello and Michelangelo came out of hiding as well. Leonardo ignored his brother's question. He wanted to explain it to Raphael, but not in front of Michelangelo. "What happened to you two?" He asked instead.

"Ran into some Purple Dragons coming down on this girl," Raphael answered. "We got rid of them, but she ran off too. I guess Casey got nailed pretty good."

"Don, check Casey out," Leonardo ordered. Donatello moved forward and checked Casey from head to toe.

"He's just a little banged up," Donatello announced. "He doesn't seem to have a head injury, but for some reason he can't wake up."

"It . . . it's those chords," Michelangelo said backing away from Casey. Leonardo turned to look at Michelangelo. He was shaking and there was something funny about the way he was staring down at their human friend. "The chords are holding him back. They wont' let him wake up!"

Raphael, Donatello and Leonardo looked back down at Casey. They didn't see any chords at all. "Mikey, what are you talking about?" Donatello asked. "There aren't any chords."

"They're made of energy!" Michelangelo continued. "They're glowing and humming and stuff." Suddenly Michelangelo collapsed to his knees on the floor, and grabbed at both sides of his head. "My head! It feels like it's gonna explode!"

"Mikey!" Raphael and Donatello ran to Michelangelo's side but they were powerless to help him. He was in obvious pain, but there was no reason for it.

"Oh, no." Leonardo muttered. He moved to join his brothers. He grabbed onto Michelangelo's shoulders and called to him. "Mikey! Mikey! Listen to me. Stop fighting it!"

Raphael and Donatello looked at Leonardo then glanced at each other. Both were confused. What did Leonardo mean? Whatever it was Michelangelo seemed to understand, because he shook his head and shouted, "No! I...I can't!"

"Mikey you have to!" Leonardo insisted. "You're hurting because your holding back on what your seeing. Let the vision go!"

"No," Michelangelo was still trying to fight whatever force held him tight. "This shouldn't be happening! I'm . . . I'm awake!"

"Mikey listen to what I'm telling you," Leonardo argued back, "We'll figure out what's wrong with you later, but you have to help us now. Tell us what happened to Casey. You have to tell us what your seeing!"

Raphael and Donatello watched helpless as Michelangelo grew still in Leonardo's arms. "Casey's not the problem," Michelangelo said in a very quiet voice. "Casey's safe from it, her servant is safe, it's the rest of us who aren't. It's out there looking for any it can devour. Nothing's safe, no one's safe, not until I send it back to where it belongs." He closed his eyes leaned against Leonardo and passed out.

Raphael kneeled next to Leonardo. "Leo, what was that all about? What happened to Mikey?"

"I'm not sure Raph," Leonardo said trying to keep his own voice from trembling. "I...I think he just had a nightmare while he was wide awake, but he was trying not to have it."

Donatello knelt down and felt Michelangelo's head. "That never worked when we were kids either, Neither did not sleeping. He just made himself sick."

"I think that's what happened now." Leonardo said. "We have to get him back below."

"What about Casey?" Raphael asked.

Leonardo thought about it. "Call April up and have her come down to keep an eye on him. When we get home, we'll talk to Master Splinter. Mikey said he saw some kind of energy band around Casey and that was keeping him asleep. Maybe he was talking about magic."

Donatello sighed and rolled his eyes. "Magic isn't real," he insisted.

Raphael growled at that. "And neither are ghosts and mermaids, right Braniac?" He countered.

That shut Donatello up quickly enough. It was true he'd been proven wrong before.

Leonardo stopped the argument before it could begin. "If it is some kind of magic, Master Splinter may be able to deal with it better than we can."

At that moment a groan caught their attention. It was Michelangelo waking up from his faint. "Ohhh what hit me?"

"Mikey?" Instantly his three brothers surrounded him. "Mikey you okay?" Raphael asked.

"I...I think so," With their help he managed to sit up, but he kept his eyes closed, and held onto his head. "It's just that I've got this splitting headache."

"I'll go raid Casey's medicine cabinet," Donatello offered. He got up and moved off to the back of the apartment.

"Do you remember what made you pass out?" Leonardo asked gently.

Michelangelo scrunched his face up in concentration. "I could hear myself talking, but I can't remember what I said. And I was seeing things that weren't there! It was like having a nightmare but not being asleep for it. I think I'd rather be asleep for the next one. At least then they don't' hurt as much."

"Here," Donatello said, dropping a pair of aspirin in Michelangelo's hand. "That will make you feel better."

"It might make my headache go away, Don," Michelangelo said as he swallowed the pills and accepted the glass of water from him. "But I doubt it will make me feel better." He looked at Leonardo pensively. "I was doing it again wasn't I, Leo. I'm predicting the future again." Michelangelo shivered slightly and hung his head sadly.

Leonardo sighed and put his hand on Michelangelo's shell. "We're starting to think so."

"I called April," Donatello said softly. "By the time Mikey's aspirin kick in we'll be able to go."

Sure enough within twenty minutes April was at Casey's front door. "What's up guys?"

"Leonardo sighed. "It's a long story, April. Look we're going to come back later to help Casey, but we need to see Master Splinter now, and I'd rather have everyone with me. Can you stay here until we get back?"

April looked at Leonardo oddly. Leonardo knew she wanted to ask questions, but he knew that the way he was talking to her would let her know he didn't have time to explain everything.

"You got it, Leo," April said, but with a hint of warning in her voice she continued, "But you will tell me what's going on later."

Leonardo nodded, but he privately hoped it would be much later when he knew what was going on. He looked over at Raphael who was hovering worriedly over Casey, and Donatello who was trying to distract Michelangelo. "Guys, it's time to get Sensei."

One by one the four turtles filed out of the apartment. Raphael was the last. "Take care of Case, April," he asked then followed his brothers out.

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Coming soon Chapter 5 The enemy appears

Suddenly a scream and a sound make all four turtles start and lay a hand on their weapons. "Gunshots," Donatello said.

"We'd better check it out," Leonardo said. He didn't want to be distracted, but he couldn't stand by while innocent people were hurt. He led the way over the rooftops to where two groups were in the middle of a melee.

"What in the world?" Donatello asked.

Leonardo sighed heavily. "It looks like the City is back at war."

"I don't think that's it Leo," Raphael said sounding slightly confused. "What's that down there?"

"What's what?" Donatello asked.

"That orange blob thingie next to that guy with the mohawk," Raphael said pointing.

"I don't see anything," Leonardo answered.

At that same time Michelangelo shot back excited. "You mean you can see it too?"

"Wait," Donatello said. "You mean there really is something down there?"

"What does it look like?" Leonardo asked.

Michelangelo looked down into the alley way. "Like Raph said, it's like some kind of jello thing. It's all orange and green, and real icky looking." Suddenly Michelangelo backed up a pace, and started shaking. "And . . . and I remember! That's the thing that was gonna eat Raph!"