Turtlefreak121: I am some serious trouble here, guys! I think it's so big I just might die... My stupid mouse is squeaking! Yes - my computer mouse is squeaking up a storm every time I touch it! And every time I move it its like it's screaming bloody murder and I'm here sitting, thinkin' 'what the bloody--' and then I have to stop in fear that it will use my voice to locate me and then devour me... And I think my headphones are meowing - oh, wait - I'm listening to Kitty, never mind...

Thanks to: Lunar-ninja, kinguofdoragons, moonie016, jaunt, coldsunshin, Longing for Leo, Pi90katana, and Tewi

The Dark Half

Chapter Three

By Turtlefreak121

Disclaimer: TMNT aren't mine.

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Writings

In his rush, Raph had forced Mikey to come with him and leave Leo and Don in the lair as they ran to April's shop. Half way there, Mike called Don to tell him where they were.

"Okay, we'll meet you there, Mikey," Don stated before folding the shell cell into its small, shell-shaped origin and then looking at Leo who was running beside him. "Raph and Mikey are almost there."

Leonardo shook his head. They're not going to find anyone there - they're going to find Casey and April with their heads blown off and up to their slit throats in blood. Leonardo was a little disturbed at his own thoughts, but it was what his brothers were going to be discovering - wouldn't it? Or was Leo over reacting to his dream? Heck, he didn't even know why they were going to the antique store - but it couldn't possibly be because of Leo's dream, or could it? There was more confusion as Leo thought about it more.

"What's the matter with him?" Leo growled under his breath. "If he doesn't even know what he's getting himself into he could at least yait on wus..."

Donatello shot his older brother the most perplexed look he had yet. It was a cross of 'what did you say' and 'what the shell is the matter with you'. "What?" Don asked - hoping that he had just misheard his brother.

"I said he lould at cast yait on wus," Leo said unaware of the mistakes he was making in speech.

Rubbing his eyes, Don tried to 'wake up'. "Leo, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Leo stated with an arched eye ridge. "Why?"

"You keep on...saying weird stuff..." Don stated as they jumped to the next building.

"Like what?" Leo said with a sudden race of his heart beat. TOGETHER...Leonardo...TOGETHER WE SHALL RULE THE WORLD... The chilling voice shook every nerve ending Leonardo had in his body - it was fogging up every other thought he kept in his mind and rearranging things.

"Asking why Raph...'louldn't at cast yait on wus'..." Don said with a shift of his eyes from his brother to what was ahead, jumping to the next building's ledge, and then looking back at his brother. "Are you sure you're okay?"

No, Leo thought, no one's going to be okay any more... "I'm fine," he fibbed. "Just tired..." The Dark is Rising - DO NOT RESIST!

Don continued to look at his brother, but it was obvious he was getting no more out of the turtle. He sighed and continued. "Alright, Leo - but you've been acting weird ever since that whole incident with Big Tony and Weasel..."

"Everyone has," Leo lied again - but then again, it was partially true. "I'm tust jired."

Looking at Leo as if he was drunk, Don shook his head. "No, Leo - sorry to say, but you are acting very weird! I mean you didn't want to stop Big Tony and Weasel's fight, you didn't tell Master Splinter just about anything about it, you wouldn't wake up, you cut your arm on who knows what, and now you can't even speak!"

Not having paid close attention to his behavior, Leo was a little shocked when all this was pointed out to him. It's those stupid voices' faults, Leo thought. I can't even think straight any more! "You're over-reacting, Don," Leo stated slowly so that he could make sure he pronounced everything correctly.

All this did was cause Don to look at him stranger. Donny opened his mouth to say something else, but Leo looked forward and saw Second Time Around - a chill ran through him.

"We're there," he blurted out before Don could say anything.

Don looked and sighed. "I hope everything's alright..."

Leo didn't say anything though at that instant his mind came up with a thousand and one scenarios of what could have happened - none good, but the one that frightened him the most was the one he knew to be the truth...

They dropped into the alley and Leo froze as he looked at Don go up to the door and examine the dent from where someone kicked it open.

"Would've taken someone to know what he was doing to do this..." Don stated as he looked at it. "He even cut through the lock..." Don stated as he jiggled the knob.

Look what you've done, Leonardo...

"Wh-what do you think could've cut through a lock like that?" Leo asked as he felt a little queasy.

"One of your swords," Don joked - but the reality hit Leo...hard...

"Donny, that you?" April's voice quivered from inside.

"Yeah, it's us, April," Don stated before opening the door. "I think we found your point of-- What the SHELL?"

Leo zipped into the room after his brother and looked around.

The shop was a wreck - it's nice collectables, heirlooms, and other mentionable antiques broken and shattered into thousands of pieces that layered the very floor. All was softly glowing from the pinkish and light blue neon sign hanging from the window. And the blood! It was everywhere - on the coats, the glass, the floor, the sliced in half counter, the chucked register - it was the scene you'd expect Freddie or Jason to come out and attack from - maybe even LeatherFace would join in with his handy chainsaw.

It was grotesque and the entire shop smelt something awful - like the aura of evil was so much that it had transpired past a ninja's sixth sense and had accumulated into the world of the original five senses. As horrible as it was, as shocking as it was to see it in real life - Leo was not surprised by anything he saw...he was terrified by it because it was only a matter of time until they found...

"Don, Mikey found this hand print - it's like one of ours," Raph stated as he pointed a thumb to the bloody counter.

Laying down his tote bag and grumbling under his breath, Don got on one knee and began rummaging through it.

"I don't see you guys doing this..." April said with a shake of her head. "Is there another turtle?"

"That's not likely," Don answered as he lifted up a file-like kit, "but under the circumstances I have to go with the great Sherlock Holmes - when the impossible is removed, what's left is the answer."

"Is that how it goes?" Mikey asked as he scratched his head. "I thought it rhymed or something..."

"I don't feel like brushing up my early twentieth century English, Mikey," Don replied as he opened up the kit.

"Isn't this the early twentieth century?" Casey asked with a scratch of his head.

"Casey, the nineteen hundreds were the twentieth century - this is the twenty-first," April answered with Mikey and Raph chuckling merrily in the background.

Casey scratched his head again. "Hey! We've lived in two centuries! Imagine that!"

"Yar probably happy you got through yar first decade, Case," Raph snickered.

Leonardo had completely zoned out from everything that was happening - he was slowly walking around the store. He examined each broken item, each mangled antique that had lived a full, hardy life To be destroyed by ME

He knew where he was headed, but each time he'd get close he'd avoid it by finding another pool of blood, another broken heirloom that needed his attention to be brought to it.

Look at what you've done, Leonardo... The Dark is Rising - DO NOT RESIST!

But Leo was doing everything in his power to resist - resist anything that got him any closer to the rising darkness.

Suddenly, Leo felt the wrath of the screeching voice in the back of his head. FINE, LEONARDO! WE ARE GOING TO RULE THE WORLD TOGETHER WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT! it growled so ferociously that Leo thought his head was going to split open and implode on him. IF YOU WON'T FOLLOW ALONG, I'LL FORCE YOU TO!

"The reason I freaked out was because whoever it was that did this left a message in...in blood on the side of the counter," April explained. "I-I think it's for you...Leo..."

Leo didn't even bother to look at April - he wanted to curse her under his breath for leading this upon him.

Don stretched his neck around the corner of the counter and raised an eye ridge at the message. "Anyone make head or tails of this?" he asked.

Raph and Mikey turned the corner and Raph whistled at the message. "Okay..." he looked over to Leo and arched an eye ridge. "Aren't ya going to at least look at it?"

Slowly and reluctantly, Leo took each of the timeless steps around the back of the counter and finally around the corner - only pausing a few times before reaching the side that all three of his brothers were looking at. He froze, and for that instant his heart stopped.

"What do you make of that?" Mikey asked as he leaned over and scratched his head. "Is it meaning' our Leo or what?"

Now the voice in the back of Leonardo's head would have something else to screech in the back of his mind. It was a reminder why he would stop himself, his brothers, and even their friends from coming any closer to this culprit.

THEY WILL DIE - BY YOUR HAND! DO NOT STOP ME, LEONARDO!

"Alright, who's the whack job who knows us besides Case?" Raph asked as he spun his Sai.

"Hey, Donny - isn't that the detective kit I got when we were little?" Mikey asked as Don took some pictures of the writing and then of the hand print.

"Is this a game to you three?" Leo finally exploded. Silence followed his sudden outburst - even April and Casey were looking at him strangely. "Whoever's doing this just threatened to KILL you three if I - any of us - try to get any closer to him!"

"Whoa, Leo - calm down!" Mikey stated as he looked at his older brother.

"C'mon, Leo - it's probably some coward that's scared of us findin' 'im and making 'im pay for trashin' April's shop."

"I think we all know it's more than that..." Leo snapped.

It was at this time that Raph first noticed the bandages over his brother's left forearm. "What'd ya do to yarself?"

"I didn't do anything!" Leo growled. "We need to go home before Master Splinter finds out we're gone and we get in trouble."

The other three looked at each other.

"Um...could you guys at least check out that sword in my family picture?" April asked. "After Casey called you guys I noticed it and..."

Quickly leaving their older brother standing alone, the other three flocked over to the sword in the picture frame.

Don rubbed his chin. "It's just like yours, Leo..." Don stated as he pulled the katana out of the wall.

I already knew that! Leo nearly growled at himself. All the same he walked over to his brothers and unsheathed his right katana and held it up to the one Don held.

Every inch of the katana was a replica of Leo's. If it wasn't for the darker metal, silver base, and the grayish-black cloth on its handle in, Leo himself wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between his precious blade and this 'imposter'.

"We should take it back to Master Splinter," Mikey stated as he and Raph looked at their brothers hold the blades.

Yes, Leo thought immediately, Master Splinter will know what to make of this! "Alright, get's lo..." Leo shook his head. "Let's go..." he stated and then ran to the door - ignoring the bizarre looks from his brothers.

"What da shell was that?" Raph asked Don.

"I don't know..." Don stated simply. "Do you remember Leo ever having nightmares before?"

"No," Raph stated.

"Definitely not!" Mike responded.

"Well let's keep an eye on him all the same - I think that writing got to him," Don stated as he pointed to the door and they started off. "We'll call ya tomorrow...err...today, April, and tell ya what we know," Don explained before they left.

"Um...okay, guys..." April stated as they disappeared into the alley's darkness.

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Max easily walked down the flight of stairs and into the the hidden floor. Usually the pudgy man would have broken into sweat or an asthma attack by this, but not now - Max was more powerful than ever now. He could feel the power coursing through his veins.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WHEN YOU HAVE RUN OUT OF THOSE WHO HAVE WRONGED YOU?

"I won't - my life has been awful, and they - their children, their wives, mothers, and fathers - will all pay," he answered the no longer screeching voice in his head - he was the boss now, right?

AND WHAT OF THE OTHER ONE THAT CAN HEAR ME? I HAVE NOT THE--

"I'll deal with all in good time," Max said before pulling out a cigar and a lighter and properly using them both. "Until then, allow me to deal with things, Aku..."

IF YOU INSIST ON DOING THINGS THE HARD WAY...

"Hard...but delightful..."

Max opened up the door and watched as his plans unfolded before him.

SOON ENOUGH...

"We shall rule the world..."

TOGETHER...

"Just as long as we..."

GET RID OF...

"The other..."

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Turtlefreak121: YEAH! New episodes of Scrubs on NBS! Every Tuesday at nine! (winks) Don't really expect me to be the comedy type, huh? So typical chapter...typical cliffhanger (though not a good one)...and typical author's notes pertaining only partially to the story that you are reading.

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