Author's Notes:

Hello everyone! Thanks for reading thus far! Yay, I finally updated! I'm aiming to release one chapter per week, because it's warm outside and I don't want to miss out on Spring because I'm too busy editing my story. Sorry! hehe. I hope everyone is enjoying the lush warm weather and sunlight.

Once again, notes to the reviews are at the end of the chapter! Feel free to leave more reviews! It makes my writing much better! I left pizza for the reviewers... but I warn you, Mikey ordered it, and I don't recognize half the stuff on it... well, it's your problem now! Enjoy!

Okay, onto the boring stuff.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, and this story is not for profit. You could sue me, but this story is basically free advertisement, not to mention you would gain nothing from suing me. Hey, if I'm in debt, and you sue me for all I am worth... and that's negative dollars... does that mean you end up giving -me- money?

The Greatest Gifts

Chapter 4: Last Stand

Raphael dug his feet firmly into the moistened dirt, trying to anchor himself into the slippery ground. His sai were raised dauntingly in front of his chest, and he camouflaged his pain and weakness with a crooked sneer. The pouring rain fervently cascaded from the sky, gnawing at Raphael's flesh, stinging his wounds, and soaking his bandana and leather pads. It suited his dismal mood perfectly.

The Foot formed a semicircle in front of the turtle, their movements delayed with deliberate prudence. There they stood, posed and balanced like ravenous wolves hungrily on the verge of pouncing their prey. Raphael stood boldly as he waited for the eruption of their attack. If he had been anyone else, he would have been thoroughly frightened by the Foot's formidable display. But he was not anybody else. He was Raphael, and he was overly prepared to meet his fate. He welcomed their assault with muted breaths and restless anticipation.

The Foot charged. They were a swelling surge of black shroud, glinting steel edges, and blunt wooden weapons, all destined for Raphael.

The first ninja that met the turtle in battle wielded steel kamas, bladed weapons that looked like stunted scythes. Miniature reaper weapons. It seemed fate was mocking him.

The ninja propelled his kamas hazardously, stepping close enough to Raphael that he would have felt his breath, if it weren't for the rain. The two of them locked gazes, their warrior instincts dictating their bodies' motions, as they intimately duelled with their short-ranged weapons. They combated in a scurry of movement that progressed too fast to be discerned by the naked eye. Their various maneuvers blended and flowed together like a viperous tango. Raph flinched to the right as he evaded one of the sweeping kamas, letting his opponent's blade fall shy of slitting his throat. Raphael feinted with his left sai, then tried to covertly thrust his other sai into the ninja's chest. A kama easily trapped Raph's weapon, interrupting the turtle's clever assault. Raph leaned into his locked weapon, trying to push his enemy backward. The enemy ninja merely freed his weapon from the turtle's grasp with a fling of his arm, plainly avoiding the defensive attack, and nearly slicing into the Raph's shoulders in the process.

In the turtle's weakened state, the two were equally matched. Raph's body swerved from side to side as he evaded the razor-sharp blades. Pain from Raphael's wounds strove to strangle the turtle's movements, but he was managing to conquer his agony, for the time being. He was biting so hard on his tongue that a metallic taste blanketed his taste buds. Although he wasn't as flexible or as fast as usual, he was doing extremely well with his severe afflictions. His vision swam and his muscles fatigued, but he fought valiantly. This was his blaze of glory. This was his last stand.

Raph saw a second ninja approach with a Bo just in time to crouch and avoid the attack. Another ninja with nunchucks crept into his peripheral vision. He was already surrounded, and he was still struggling with the kamas! This fight could quickly gain the title as the shortest ninjitsu battle in history.

Raph's sai were particularly effective against blades, as long as his timing was precise. He scrupulously watched the kamas swish through the air, close to grazing his head and shoulders. Following the rhythm of his enemy, he stuck out his left sai and caught one of the blades in mid-stroke. Ignoring his quivering muscles, his other sai locked onto the second kama just in time to block a fatal blow to his chest. With a flick of his arms, the turtle was able to snatch the weapons out of his enemy's grasp. The kamas flung through the air recklessly, then plunged safely into the lake behind Raphael, hopefully never to be seen again.

Raphael could have laughed at the disarmed ninja, if he wasn't too occupied in quelling his body's inflamed pain. The weaponless enemy ninja stumbled backward humourously, trying to recover his nerve while placing some distance between himself and Raph's sai. The turtle showed no mercy. He thrust his left sai into the man's stomach, and was rewarded with a grotesque gurgling. Raph roughly extracted his weapon, and shoved the dying ninja into the hands of a surprised Foot soldier.

Raphael abandoned the perishing ninja, and quickly turned around to combat the ninja with an undulating Bo. He jumped over the wooden staff as it swung low to the ground, and kicked the ninja's face in mid-air. Before settling back on the ground, the same leg flung backward to strike a nunchucking ninja square in the chest. Raphael landed triumphantly amid his fallen enemies. He was back in business! Intoxicated with adrenaline, he urged more ninjas to advance with a quick gesture of his thick green fingers.

A katana was next to collide with Raphael's dancing sai. It was a scrawny ninja, and he was handling his sword poorly, in a very humiliating manner. Gawkish hands clasped the katana far too low on it's hilt, and his ham-handed movements divulged his ineptness. Raphael smiled maliciously, and caught the poorly-employed blade between the prongs of his left sai. He twisted his wrist briskly, and the katana snapped in two like brittle wood. "Don't quit your day job, kid," Raphael mocked as he kicked the shocked ninja aside. He was intrigued by the mixture of skill level displayed by the Foot Clan. Some appeared to have studied martial arts their entire lives, like the albino swordsman and the kama-wielding ninja. The rest were best described as rookies, barely deserving of the title ninja. The infamous Foot Clan seemed to have adopted the philosophy that quantity was more fundamental than quality. Raph supposed that their colossal numbers made up for the group's roller-coasting skill level.

A nunchucking ninja appeared before Raphael, manipulating his weapons with courageous fervour. He tactifully caught Raph's right sai, and tore it away from the turtle's hand with a quick throw of his nunchuck. Raphael gasped in a mixture of pain from his jostled bleeding shoulder, and rage at his disarmament. The tossed sai landed far outside of Raph's reach, no doubt to be trampled on by his enemy. With a mighty growl, he pitched forward with his remaining sai held confidently. His opponents nunchucks brutishly smacked Raphael's sides in a vain attempt at resistance, but the vehement turtle was too aggravated to even notice. He slashed and ripped into his attacker's flesh cruelly, and was satisfied to see the man crumble with an agonising scream. His sai didn't cut cleanly like a blade. It's spiked tips were best suited for piercing, yet an enraged Raphael wanted a gory revenge.

He stepped back from the slain attacker and twirled his deadly sai, spraying blood and gore that was quickly absorbed by the downpour. Raphael ignored his wavering vision and weakness. He jumped powerfully into the air, kicking ninjas as he twirled. Although his legs were lithe and swift, his eyes were loosing their focus, and his muscles were faltering. It was by pure chance alone that he didn't run into any bladed weapons. Raphael landed heavily onto the muddy ground with a loud splash. He quickly surveyed the blurry shapes of the toppled enemies surrounding his feet. On the outside, Raphael displayed a spectacular fanfare of endless energy and brute force, but in reality the battle was taking it's toll on his battered body. His vision was tainted red, and not only because he was angry. His tried to hide the slight wobble in his legs by stepping forward.

A swordsman suddenly jumped over his fellow Foot ninjas, and landed gracefully in front of Raphael. He wasn't wearing a mask. Raphael instantly recognised him as the albino warrior who had sliced his shoulder. The man's exquisite katana was tucked decorously into his belt, and his posture boasted his unyielding audacity. His empty hands waved back his fellow ninjas, indicating that they step aside and allow him to fight the turtle alone. The other ninjas submissively obliged, and dragged their fallen comrades away. They formed a thick wall around Raphael and the albino swordsman, and watched the pair anxiously like a bloodthirsty crowd urging on a street fight.

Raphael attentively observed his opponent. He inwardly remarked that the swordsman still held himself with cocky arrogance, but he bet his opponent had learned his lesson from their last inauspicious encounter. The albino silently studied the overtaxed turtle who stood bleeding and panting. They were both indifferent to the rain that drenched them both, and stood oblivious to the whispers and chants of the surrounding audience. Nothing else existed. There was only two of them, and their treasured weapons.

Raphael had no idea where his lost sai had disappeared to. While his opponent watched with a contemplative expression, Raph flaunted his remaining sai as he stood aching for the human's attack.

The albino calculatedly drew his katana, and allowed his eyes to narrow. He calmly held his blade with both hands, positioning it upright in front of his blanched face. He seemed almost meditative, until he snarled in his dark and heartless voice, "We have unfinished business, freak."

Raphael ate up his adversary's bait with a growl. He launched himself forward and slashed through the air with his whirling sai, shouting, "I'll show you who's a freak!"

Raph tried to grab ahold of his opponent's blade with his sai, but the man simply jumped out of the way, and let the turtle rush past him. Raph skidded on the mud, and pivoted around to charge his opponent again. He aimed to drive his sai into the man's torso, but the ninja spun around with feline reflexes, letting the sai strike nothing but air. As the albino twirled on his feet, his katana slammed into the back of Raphael's carapace. The turtle fell forward and slid into the mud face-first. Raphael knew that he now had a new scar on his shell, but he did not care. This swordsman was making a fool out of him. He was toying with Raphael.

Dripping with mud, the fuming turtle stood up and glowered at his opponent. The rainfall quickly washed the filth away, and he wished it could also cleanse his shame. With huffing breaths, Raph stepped forward slowly, but his steps were emphasised with animosity. His body trembled with nearly unbridled rage, his muscles rippled as they contracted and flexed involuntarily, and his left hand clenched his weapon tightly with white knuckles. Muddied water dripped off the points of the sai like blood.

Raph halted on the outskirts of the katana's range. The opposing pair glared at each other, then started circling slowly, their feet sidestepping on an invisible path, while they waited for the other to make a move. Neither waited very long. The human quickly lunged with his katana, his face cloaked in fixed determination. Raphael saw the change in the man's expression, and managed to jerk away from the sword's path. Barely. The turtle responded with a thrust of his sai, and the other man promptly hopped away. Easily. The swordsman briskly brought down his katana in a fierce chopping motion. Raphael's sai reflexively lurched upward and trapped the blade, freezing the sword in mid-strike inches away from his face. The human grimaced while he tried to push his weapon toward Raphael, but the turtle firmly held his own, his flaming brown eyes meeting the human fearlessly.

They stood with locked weapons, leaning into each other as they both tried to push their adversary away. It was a battle of brawn that both refused to back away from, a ninja's arm wrestle for domination. Their weapons vibrated as their muscles shuddered with strain. The arduous effort slowly constricted Raphael's wounded shoulder, and though he did his best to suppress it, his pain eventually leaked onto his face. It signalled his wilting strength, and his body's betrayal gave Raph's opponent the extra motivation he needed. The albino took a risk, though it was a well-educated one. He exposed his right side as he moved to kick Raph's plastron. The turtle was too slow. He tried to block the attack, but failed. He would have succeeded if he had his other sai. He would have even managed to deal his opponent a lethal strike.

Raphael did not have his other sai. Instead, he received the brutal kick to his chest. Winded, he fell to the ground and his shell slid on the mud. There he lay, sprawled on his back, not even realising that his hand had relinquished his remaining sai.

This time, the swordsman was quick to deal the killing blow. His katana raced down to meet Raphael's heart. The turtle's vision was obscured as he struggled against the darkness sweeping over him. Far too late, he saw the gleaming metal glide toward him, like lighting darting through the blustering sky. Raphael bravely waited for the blade to pierce his body.

That moment never came.

Raphael instead heard the clanging of colliding steel. He raised his weary head off the frigid wet ground, and his drowsy eyes witnessed a blurry green figure prancing in front of him. Raphael didn't comprehend. He squinted his eyes and tried to focus, but the darting green figure moved too quickly for his disarranged vision. Raph looked down at his chest, as if expecting to see a hole seeping blood. His eyes managed to focus on his plastron, and he saw that it was indeed intact. What was going on? Why wasn't he dead?

The sound of yelling voices amplified in Raphael's ears. One of the voices was incredibly familiar. Wait, did he hear someone calling his name? Raphael fought defiantly to stay awake, but his body was rebelling against him. It rapidly became too much effort to hold his head upright, and he languidly let it fall back onto the mud with a thump. Panting heavily, he ordered his mind to function, and demanded that his eyes repress the ever-creeping shadows.

As he lay inert, drained and unable to move, he saw the vague green silhouette loom over him. At first he was alarmed and tried to move away, but his debilitated body wouldn't budge. He heard that familiar voice soothingly say his name, a voice who's soft depths commanded reverence. A voice who's careful and deliberate articulation reflected deep discipline and spiritual harmony. At the moment, the voice intoned high-pitched dynamics that revealed a stressful disturbance in it's bearer's strongly-maintained composure. He knew this voice... if only his mind could focus, or his sight... Raphael squinched his eyes into tiny slits, determined to focus on the mysterious shape. His vision shifted until the indistinct shapes morphed into clarity. "Leo..." he whispered in a cracked voice.

"Raph?" Leonardo pressingly repeated his name, and Raphael realised that his brother had been calling out to him. Leonardo's face didn't linger in his vision. It quickly turned away, and his senses detected once more the clashing of metal. Raphael struggled to sit up, his mind stubbornly screaming at his body to co-operate. He managed to prop himself up a little on his left elbow. He watched in awe as his brother fluidly sailed through the air, hovering over Raphael's fallen body as he valourously met ninja after ninja in battle. His katana was a whirlwind of ringing metal as he battled two to three enemies at once. It made Raphael dizzy just watching his brother. He had hardly taken the time to appreciate how impressive a warrior he truly was. He usually took it for granted, knowing that Leo could pull himself through any situation, that he could conquer every obstacle he faced, like an invincible superhero.

Now, as Leonardo danced around Raphael's beaten body, he not only kept the enemy from advancing or striking, he was actually forcing them back. One turtle against... dozens... and it seemed like Leo could beat them all. Of course, Raphael knew from experience how that wasn't the case, but at the present moment, as Leo freshly threw himself into the battle, it seemed like he could accomplish anything.

Without warning Leonardo was suddenly back at Raph's side, so quickly that he was startled and his elbow slipped on the frictionless rain-soaked ground. The impact tore at his injured shoulder, and his vision once again faded from his grasp. Raphael cried out reflexively from the pain, but he wasn't going to surrender to the darkness. He had come this far, he wasn't going to back off now. Raph's vision stabilised once again, and he saw that Leonardo was gingerly dragging him backward with one hand, while the other held a katana that barely kept the enemies at bay.

Leonardo strategically deposited Raphael against the trunk of a large tree, leaning his wounded brother against it so that Raph could sit upright effortlessly. He felt Leo quickly squeeze his left arm reassuringly, before he let go of him completely. Placing himself protectively between Raphael and the attacking Foot Clan, Leonardo continued to fight with the same grace that Raphael had envied so much in practice. That annoying dexterity that had allowed him to win every sparring session with Raphael since the day Master Splinter had allowed them to use weapons. As Raphael watched on, he grew ashamed of his selfish emotions. How they now seemed so trivial.

Raphael would follow Leonardo into battle any day. Assuming they made it out of this skirmish alive. Suddenly, Raphael was reminded of the vow he had made earlier... How in the world had Leo found him? He wasn't supposed to... His brother had to escape while he still could! They couldn't both die tonight, nor could he allow Leo to be captured. Raph had spent far too much time in the sadistic hands of the Foot Clan, and he would chivalrously do everything within his power to save his brothers from that fate. Leo could still escape, and he could easily loose anyone tracking him. For his brother, there was still hope, but not for long.

Raphael tried to find his voice. It was a lot of work to slow his breaths long enough to let anything else escape from his grated throat. Why was he breathing so quickly? Raph finally succeeded. "Leo," he released in a hoarse voice, "Get out of here!"

His brother managed to shoot Raphael a shocked glance over his shoulder. He turned his head briskly back to the battle, but eventually answered, "You're delirious Raph, you don't know what you're saying."

Leo's voice was so calm, always so collected... until he got into arguments with Raphael. Leo's near-unfathomable tranquillity... Raphael relished how his hotheaded-self was one of the only forces on the planet that could phase it. He glumly wondered if Leonardo would ever miss that when he was gone. "Leo, you can still make it," he spoke more gruffly than he had intended.

"Stop it, Raph," Leonardo was already loosing his patience, and Raph didn't appreciate his tone of voice. Even to the bitter end, the two of them were still treading on each other's nerves.

Raphael struggled to raise himself to his feet, and his left arm wobbled violently from the strenuous effort. He felt his hand brush up against the unmistakable cool smoothness of metal. Raph's eyes widened when he realised that both his sai were laying next to him. Before he could further muse upon his miraculous discovery, Leonardo hurriedly arrived at his brother's side. He slowly pressed down on Raph's left shoulder, gently lowering him back to the ground with a tenderness that contradicted the frustration he exhibited only seconds ago. "Just rest," he said softly.

Raphael could only respond with a grunt as he slumped back onto the ground and tried to regain his breath. With that, Leo jumped back into the battle, moving so quickly that Raphael could barely get a grasp on what was happening around him. He concentrated his vision and anxiously watched his brother fight. He felt helpless as he watched from the sidelines. Leo's twin blades deflected different weapons, barely blocking the enemy's attacks. Occasionally he managed to wound a Foot soldier, but the wounded enemy was just quickly replaced with another. Leonardo couldn't keep up this pace indefinitely, could he? An enemy ninja answered Raphael's voiceless question, as a katana glanced off his brother's sword and grazed his arm, drawing blood that was quickly swept away by the falling rain. Raphael's heart leapt into his throat. He had to convince Leo to get away, before it was too late.

"Leo..." he started breathlessly, but his brother couldn't hear his weak and waning tone. He took a deep breath and willed strength into his voice, "Leo, you gotta get out of here..."

His brother didn't even let him finish his sentence. "Cut it out, Raph!" he snapped, which ignited Raphael's short-tempered anger.

"No, listen to me!" Raph demanded, finding it easier to speak with every passing moment. "You can still get outta here! You can loose these creeps, and make it back to the lair in one piece! And you gotta do it before it's too late!" Raphael's thick brooklyn accent punctuated his words, helping to drive his message home.

"Shut-up Raph, you're coming with me..." Leo yelled back, his voice raising louder and turning shriller with every word. He was strained from the battle, and his facial expression was absorbed in the fight, but the irritation in Leo's voice was indisputable. Raph wasn't sure who Leonardo was trying to reassure with his words, but the red-clad turtle was fed-up with his brother's stubbornness.

"I'll cover ya, just get out of here!" Raph shouted angrily.

From his vantage point on the ground, Raph could have sworn that he saw his brother tremble. Was it from anger? Exertion? Raph was about to continue his grouched protestations, when Leo suddenly leapt vigourously into the air. His blades pulsated with a life of their own, and they resembled soaring silver wings that carried Leonardo as he twirled through the air. The katanas sliced through the rain and wind, as though the elements were unable to touch the mystical steel. The blades slashed through wooden weapons and enemy flesh in curvaceous sweeps that made ballerinas look like blundering clowns. Leonardo's pirouetting body drifted back to the ground, but his feet had barely nudged the muddy earth when he again sprung into the air. He spin-kicked ninjas with a robust leg, hurling them away as if they were repelled by magical forces. Leonardo landed again, and this time he remained standing. All the closest enemy soldiers had succumbed to Leonardo's onslaught, and were scattered on the ground while the remaining Foot soldiers took a quick moment to regroup.

For a fleeting instant, Raphael thought his brother was going to escape. Abandon the mess of enemy ninjas and disappear into the night. Without Raphael to slow him down, Leonardo could easily retreat. It was a perfect opportunity, and he inwardly begged his brother to grasp it. Instead, Leonardo turned to face him. Raphael's breath caught when he saw that his brother's eyes were brimming with encumbered tears. Raphael had thought Leo was trembling and yelling due to his brother's headstrong petulance. He had thought wrong.

Leonardo spared a moment to kneel next to his speechless brother. He grasped Raphael's arm and looked searchingly into his eyes. "Raph," he spoke in a voice laced in sadness, "I could never bring myself to leave you here. Never."

Raphael understood. He nodded, and swallowed away his harsh complaints. He grabbed his two sai with his left hand, and whispered, "Give me a hand, will ya?"

This time, his brother didn't object. Leo helped Raphael stand, and even steadied his brother on his feet. Together they faced the new wave of approaching ninjas. It seemed like there was an endless supply of them tonight...

Raph brandished his two sai, aspiring to look intimidating, although he looked horribly pale, and his crimson-soaked shoulder announced his frailty. Still, he thought he saw a few Foot soldiers hesitate briefly.

Briefly.

"Leo," he gravely addressed his brother in a husky and dangerous voice, "if that's the way it's gotta be..." He twirled his sai and let them skip between his fingers. "... then we'll both go down fightin'."

His brother was silent for a moment, obviously disagreeing with Raphael's brash statement, almost as if he knew something his brother didn't. That was probably the case, though it was hard to tell. Leonardo often gave that impression. Eventually, he flourished his katanas majestically, and indulged Raphael by adding to his brother's declaration, "...Together."

To Be Continued...

Dierdre: Hi! You started reading, yay! thank you kindly! Hehe, I like adjectives... obviously. Wow, you are jealous of Leo's fight scene? (even -I- am in awe of that scene, I don't know where it came from...) It's funny that you are jealous, because I'm extremely envious and jealous of your writing! Your insanely masterful grasp of the English language makes me feel like a sputtering fool, lol! It helps me strive to better myself though... a sort of inspiration! That makes it such an honour that you even considered listing this story as one of your favourites!
-(jumps up and down excitedly)-
-(runs around in a frenzy)-
-(falls over)-
I'm trying to get inside all the TMNT's heads in this fic, and introduce myself to writing them. They will all be experiencing self-reflection of various sorts, hopefully you can continue to coach my interpretation. Let me know the minute I stray from their characters... (trying to base them off the movies, as I mentioned). I'm so happy I've done such a good job with Leo in that first chapter! There will be two more Leo-centric chapters before the fic is through, so stay tuned! Enjoy!

Lunar-ninja: yay, you think I'm awesome! thank you! I'm glad my little fic has captured more readers! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'd be honoured if you continued to read the next instalments! Dragons, you say? Wow, Raph should feel very loved with so many ppl that are threatening me -just- to keep him alive in this fic! Well, keep a tight reign on those dragons of yours, Raph is still alive and kickin'! yay!

kaya lizzie: in a way, I'm glad you were worried about Raph, I mean that was sort of the point, wasn't it? I'm sorry you were so concerned, but I'm glad curiosity got the best of you. I'll try my best to keep you from becoming disappointed. And yes, I like suspense... I try my best. Thank you!

Buslady Of SoCal: well, the next chapter is right here... and more chapters will soon follow, one per week, until the last chapter is posted (chapter nine). The sequel will come later, but the ending of this fic will offer a satisfactory amount of closure. I hope.

Sassyblondexoxo: WOW look at all the wonderful compliments!
-(smiles)-
-(pats self on the back)-
thank you very much! well, this fic definitely doesn't lack action! hehe. Of course, not all the chapters are going to be filled with fight scenes... it will have to settle down at some point. Hopefully I can keep up the suspense though! I'm glad this fiction is fulfilling your high-action cravings, that's great to hear! thanks, Sass!

Chibi Rose Angel: Hmm, something tells me that you want Raphy to live... if Raph and Donnie are tied for second place, then who's your #1 favourite(s)? I love Raphy so much, even I would be sad if I killed him. Thanks for the words of encouragement, hope you liked this chapter.

The REAL Cheese Monkey: reinforcements? pfffft, Batman doesn't need reinforcements! He's got his utility belt! From Shark Repellent Spray to sulphuric acid, he can ... wait a sec... this isn't Batman! HAH you tricked me! Ah, Raph and his famous last stands... or should I say infamous. -evil grin-

jigsaws231: uncanny description of Raph? wicked! yay! Well, this last chapter was harder to write. Raph's almost passed out... I don't know how obnoxious he can get when he's barely clinging onto consciousness -shrug- but I still tried to make him Raph-like! And now I hope I still did Leo justice, in the movies he gets really emotional with Raphael, from anger to concern and sadness... that's what I'm basing this on, so... here's hoping I did a good job! Let me know! Yeah, I know it wasn't a big deal spelling sai wrong, but I thought it I should announce it anyway in case other people wonder what was hapenning, hehe. Help spread the word! I'm glad you pointed it out, I really need constructive criticism. I have -no- beta reader.

Pi90katana: thank you, I'm glad you liked this depiction of our beloved Raphael. Yes, he has a temper, yes he's gruff and rough and likes to play 'bad boy'... but he's still a ninja! an honourable NINJA! he's a good guy! He's passionate and troubled, and his short fuse is easily lit, but it's not as bad as some fic writers make him out to be, hehe. I really try to do him justice, he deserves it! Btw. I get the "family channel" which is channel 43 for me, but is probably something different for you. Well, for a while now, the Family Channel has been playing the first TMNT movie every weekend. So, keep your eyes open for it on TV! It's bound to be broadcasted at some point! And, you are still young enough to get away with renting it at the video store, I'm sure. Hold onto those young days for as long as possible! hehe. It's worth watching. Good luck with that!

Mikaela's Spade: You demand and you shall receive! I send onto thee MORE! thank you, I try to do a good job with Raph. I agree, his character can be mutilated... which is sad, he's really a good guy, as I mentioned to Pi90katana in my rant, lol. A tough hide doesn't mean there's no heart underneath, in fact his heart is partly responsible for his tough hide... I can relate a lot with Raph, maybe a lot of people just don't understand him. Yes, I know, he's a fictional character... but he feels real.
Thank you for your encouragement, and I wish you good luck with your writing as well! I'll go ahead and review your work, see if it helps you any! I'm trying to catch up with everyone's stories, because I'm so new... I've been doing a -lot- of reading, there's sooo much out there! I'm glad you can relate with the spelling, that makes me feel better... I don't know how many americans are in the fandom, but I'm assuming there are lots.

Ted: Hope you liked the chapter! Yes, the Shell Cell technology... gotta love those Shell Cells, and gotta love Donnie's intelligence.

misterfooch: Marklar thanks you for your Marklar! I'm glad a fellow South Park fan appreciates the beauty of Marklar and the underpants gnomes! I'm glad you loved chapter 3, and thanks for the compliments! Those were the desired effects I was aiming for! So you are in the infantry... wow. Such experiences will probably give you so much more to write about, and in that way I envy you. It's scary that you are going to Afghanistan. good luck and stay safe. Let us know when you get deployed somewhere! Oh yeah, and Monty Python (movies included), Princess Bride and School of Rock are GREAT!
yes, I read user descriptions! be afraid! mua ha ha! Hey, it was my pleasure to review the Beer Bad story. I -had- to read it after seeing "Beer Bad" and "Casey Jones" together! I literally did laugh as soon as I read that...

captkablooey: phew! the last reviewer! wow, I almost feel out of breath. Okay, you have a "weird" definition of "playing favourites" and "special attention". I beat Raph within an inch of his life... twice... yes, you could call that special attention. haha.
okay, okay, I admit it. This is -my- way of giving Raphael special attention... but this is the last chapter that shows things from Raph's point of view. And don't worry, Donnie will get to describe one of the chapters! That will be in Chapter 6, so stay tuned!
Yes, it's GPS... yes, it's clicking and beeping. Otherwise, how would the readers know anything was happening at all? it's called suspended belief! now SUSPEND YOUR BELIEF! hehe. So, you probably know exactly how I'm interpreting the science behind the Shell Cells. Unlike Leo, I do know why the Shell Cell can call 911 but can't contact normal numbers. But w/e, any explanations would be boring, lol. I see how Donnie feels...