Echo and Narcissus
Part 9
Decisions of a Leader
Summary: We all know it's tough to be a good leader, but what Leonardo is about to discover will leave him to make a life or death situation.
A/N: A day has passed, so try to imagine that, sorry for any confusion. This chapter is Raph and Leo centric, there is a little violence and mild swearing, knowing Raph as well as we do.
After hearing Don's dream nearly a day ago, Raph had the instinct to go topside and stretch his legs. The city of New York was silently bustling with people. The dull hum of cars and talk filled his ears as he crept in the shadows. By now, he knew all the backstreets of the busy city, and it often came in handy.
The clouds lifted revealing the glorious last moments of a fiery sunset. Stunning hues of reds, oranges and even purples were tossed into the sky. Raph stood watching it go down, and turned to face the coming darkness, navy blues and silvery white skimmed the surface of the heavens.
A slight breeze connected with him, as though reminding him why he came out here, like a tiny voice carried on the wind. Raph turned down a pitch black alley and froze when he heard a few threatening voices,
'Just give us the purse lady,' a strong male voice came echoing through the darkness
'Stay away from me you fiends!' A shrill voice replied, a definite note of panic sounding over Raph's ears. He drew his sai's and let his eyes adjust to the darkness, before going any further
'I swear on my mother's grave, if you don't give us that purse, I will kill you' another man yelled at the petrified woman, it was when she screamed that Raph took action. He bolted after the three humans as the woman took off down the alley; she came to a dead end, she stopped and turned to her attackers. Her eyes were wide in shock, but as though they defied gravity, they grew even more as Raph took a mighty leap, and landed in between her and the two men
'Didn't you know? It's not chivalrous to attack a woman,' Raph called out as he though in his head, 'Oh great, Don Talk is wearing on me,'
'Hey, look at the freak! Did Halloween come early this year?' One of the men replied mockingly, Raph turned to look at the woman, as if to tell her to run, but she had already fainted. Raph turned back to the men, twirling his sais rapidly between his three fingers,
'No but with that ugly face, anyone would think so,' Raph snorted in reply, the two men visibly heightened their awareness to their current situation. Their faces contorted in anger, they drew what meagre weapons they had. Raph stood his ground as the two men charged him with a bat and a swinging chain, while the other pulled out a lead pipe. Making quick and sudden movements, Raph easily disarmed the men; he looked up just in time to see the both of them fleeing in the opposite direction. Sighing disappointedly to himself, he knelt by the prone woman and checked her pulse. After assuring himself that she was alright, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her carefully out back into the streets. Close by he saw an apartment building.
Carefully he placed her on the steps and rung the bell. He waited until he heard heavy footsteps approaching the door, than he took off. He waited high in the shadows as he watched a tenant bring the woman inside.
He turned sharply and came to a sudden halt. Hun and Karai were standing on the other side of the building that Raph was standing on. Clapping quietly Hun commented,
'What a noble thing, turtle, didn't think you had it in you,'
'Well that's more than I can say for you,' Raph spat back at him, Raph smiled at the reaction he received from his foe,
'Hun, stop playing games. We are here for a reason, lest you forget,' Karai interrupted, Hun nodded to her and the two just remained motionless, glaring at Raphael. Karai was the first to move; she drew her twin katana's and lunged at Raph.
Her sudden increase of skill at fighting with her swords took Raph be surprise, in a flurry of swings; Karai had Raph on the run. She forced him backwards, no matter what he tried, Karai countered. Raph was so preoccupied he didn't see Hun sneak up behind him, until it was too late. He placed a small chip on the back of Raph's neck. Suddenly, he had lost all control of his body, he couldn't move on his own accord.
A/N: This chapter will be continued, there are two parts.
Preview of next part-
Leo looked at him in shock, how can this burden fall to him? He was his brother; this decision had to be made as a leader, not a brother.
'Why does it have to be this way? Why me? I can't condemn you to death, but I have no choice……'