The time was 02:13 am when Hopkins finally heard news from Layton.
Once again, the detective's incessant desire to find solace in his line of work, had led him and his colleague straight to an old facility remaining mostly abandoned at the edge of town. The light from an open diner on the other side of the street shone brightly through the windshield, as the sound of classical played soothingly over the public radio. Hopkins had waited for more than three hours now, legs swung up over the dashboard and hands behind his tired head waiting for any activity, but would instead come to find himself to be mostly wasting his time. While Layton had patrolled the other side of the facility, his partner had no longer than ten minutes ago insisted to search the entrance, seemingly convinced that the noise he'd heard from somewhere inside could've simply been from a rat. At least that's what Hopkins had tried to tell him, but quickly found his efforts to be in vain when Officer Layton decided to rush inside regardless. Not a new habit of his truth be told, though his intuition were usually proven more right than they were wrong. Maybe that's why Hopkins had decided to trust his friend and hang back, continuing their objective from the sidelines while he finished his purchased latte expectantly.
Now the problem here wasn't so much that the Purple Dragons possibly wasn't even home, moreover their initial plan to spot any tattooed freaks exiting the building was now no longer an option. With Layton inside, they now had to be extra careful not to draw too much attention to themselves, despite the initial briefing. Now, their report simply stated witnesses had spotted a similar white van to that of Greenwich' a few days earlier, indicating this very well could be their present location. Not their best lead granted, but their only one so far, and if that really was the case, their best option to catch these guys would most likely be to lay low. Even if most cases weren't solved by always following orders, the young officer had difficulty stepping out of line knowing the last time he'd done so he nearly got fired for good. Hopkins was admittedly puzzled however, seeing as the gang's discretion only seemed to grow more and more… well, competent than they ever had before. While in the past taking on the PD had been a walk in the park, all of a sudden it was like searching for a needle in a haystack. This wasn't like them at all. They were usually never this organized and yet, even the NYCPD stumbled on this one. So, question was, what changed? Or more precisely,
Who were they working for?
As Hopkins checked his watch restlessly, he felt his nerves beginning to pave way for concern. What's taking him so damn long? Tapping his fingers anxiously on the wheel, he tried not to make it too obvious for passerby's that he was on look-out, despite the mostly deserted area. Then, after approximately twenty minutes, he nearly doubled over spilling his coffee, when the sound of his walkie-talkie suddenly buzzed in his back pocket.
"Hopkins."
The coffee barely missed his pants, stains splattering over his leg in thankfully room-temperature drops, though Hopkins wasn't really in the glass half-full kind of mood right now and resorted to let out his frustrations through his communication device. "Jeez Marv, you gave me a flippin' heart attack!"
A gleeful cackle was heard on the other end, making the poor detective wish to God his partner's spontaneous detour wouldn't take too long if he had to endure this for another minute.
"I told you to dial down on the caffeine, Hopkins. Your poor heart can't take it"
"Yeah, yeah, just get to the damn point will ya? So, what do ya got?"
"Phew…Not much. Checked first floor and its completely deserted as far as I can tell. No traces of Purple Dragon activity, however I did notice a recoil in the left wing"
"Left wing? Hang on a sec, let me see that"
Hopkins quickly swung his feet off the board and entered his 'work-mode' as his colleagues liked to call it, still eyeing the building while he folded out the blueprint from underneath the compartment. As he ran his fingers over the different floors laid out over his partner's messy scribblings, he soon found what he was looking for- circling the left wing with a pencil as Layton's voice resumed over the walkie.
"Its some kind of… vibration. Like a machine, somewhere inside the walls. I'm following the source towards basement level."
This made Hopkins backtrack, flipping the pages enough times that he resorted to stare directly at the building again, perplexed. "Blueprints doesn't mention anything about a basement"
"Nah, see that's what they want you to think. Check the folder" he smugly suggested, briefly interrupting the call as Hopkins let his eyes wander over the first floor again (just in case) but finding nothing. Okay, where did he put it, where did he put it… aha.
The folder had been tossed to the backseat, Hopkins foolishly thinking they wouldn't need it tonight, but complied, nonetheless. As a matter of fact, they'd only been issued one this time, which wasn't particularly unusual for a stake-out of this size, if it wasn't for the fact that only Layton had received it on both's behalf. It only contained one single page, listing the different leads as well as a small info dump about the area itself neither was particularly interested in, but alas he found it. Written in small barely noticeable letters on backside, issuing a second blueprint containing the abandoned construction sight of a hidden basement, dating all the way back to the fifties. Of course, while the information was useful overall, that didn't erase his frustrations about being kept in the dark about it either.
"Chief could've mentioned this three hours ago"
"Well, not to be rude, but I don't think he likes you very much. This entire building used to be headquarters for the old popsy-gum company, remember? It was pretty popular in the sixties. He must've figured you knew 'bout it"
"Not much of an architect"
"Well, that makes two of-
The walkie cut out, static sounding over the line and leaving Hopkins with a bad taste in his mouth.
"Layton?"
No answer. Hopkin's tired heart started beating explicitly faster and faster while his grip tensed around the communicator ready to crush it if he wasn't careful.
"Layton!" he yelled again, a short pause before eventually and very much to the detective's relief, the static finally turned into a voice once again.
"Shhh. I found the entrance… The vibrations louder down here. Sounds like… some sort of power engine. Hold on, I'm gonna take a look"
"Don't. Trust me, you've done enough. Just get back to the car and we'll call it a night. If Purps were hanging around here we would've seen 'em by now, so lets just scram and get back to it. Now."
"What do you think the basement is for dummy?"
Then something hit him, studying the information in his lap. "Wait a minute- how did you get inside? Blueprints says its completely blocked; you'd have to use a- a freaking drill to get there-"
"Didn't have to. It's completely open"
Hopkins sighed, rubbing his temples around in circles.
"That don't spell danger to you?"
"Well, we came looking for the purple dragons right? Something tells me we're on the right track here. And even if we're not, they might've left some of their stuff behind, and you and I both know we're really out on our asses unless we get some evidence"
"Layton, this is a bad idea" he muttered, despite his partners eager and very frustratingly stubborn need to prove himself, despite years upon years of service. And though he knew fully well what his friend was capable of in the field, and that it was exactly therefore he under normal circumstances would have no gripes about infiltrating a crime scene unsupervised, something still rubbed him the wrong way about this one for some reason. What was also important to remember, was Hopkins' own intuition usually proving him right at least nine out of ten times on the daily. And right now, all it could say was that they'd reached the bottom of the barrel and it was time to pack it up.
"Layton"
"I'm close… I can hear something"
"Is it the engine? Probably just an old boiler or something', come on! Get out of there. You'll just break your old wrinkly back on the way out"
"You'd like that wouldn't you?" the cop chuckled, "It's dark in here but there's a light… what the heck- its purple! Well, what do you know, I knew we were on the right track. Looks like… canisters of some sort. No one else here, as far as I can tell"
Now even Hopkins had to admit that they might be on to something. Unless whoever had used the place beforehand was into lava lamps. Though going by the upon basement, they already had plenty to confirm someone had been using the place, or maybe even waited for them to come.
"Okay, fine. Whatever that thing is if its light enough to grab, take it and we'll have the analysis team have a look at it, waddya say?"
"I'm nearly do-
"Layton?"
Once again, the voice turned into static, this time growing louder and crackling to the point of sounding like a broken record. Like he was trying to say something, but the signal was too distorted to get it through properly somehow. "Layton what's the matter?"
"-Hopk-INssssss—sseND FO-
"Layton what's going on?!" Hopkins nearly sprang up in his seat, Layton's panicked gulped echoing through the box.
"garRGhHH!—"
"Layton? LAYTON!"
That's when the signal died completely, leaving Hopkins back in the car alone, only his own breathing to fill the void.
"Damnit!"
There was no time to waste. Hopkins grabbed his gun and ran towards the building. In less than a minute he was able to successfully make his way inside, using the trail as shown in the blueprints, locating the entree. His mind locked him onto each empty hallway, turned twice and then straight ahead for bit, until finally he found the open hole in the wall leading down a staircase. He used his phone to illuminate his path, the air getting chilly as he tiptoed his way down to a door rushed open. Layton must've kicked it in judging by the cracks near the handle, but from there on out, there were no signs of him. Hopkins sprinted down an opening and into what looked like a storage, searching for the purple light his partner had stumbled upon earlier while calling his name in the dark gun pointed straight ahead. When no answer came, the sound of a crush underneath his feet regrettably let him know exactly why that was.
The last thing remaining in the room was the light from outside, entering through the cracked ceiling. It shone brightly over what Hopkins quickly recognized to be his partner's walkie talkie- now smashed to pieces by an unknown force.
The snow fell over the stony pathways, painting the city in a white hue ingulfing the buildings in the winter weather. His panting remained heavy as he jogged through the streets running as fast as he could. He was angry… maybe angrier than he'd been in a while. Masking the fear running through his veins when he sprinted across the field, swords in each hand. Shadows came from all angles around him, luring, growling, clawing away at him while he felt his body tumble down into the deep cold water. Once again, the voices called out to him. They all sounded concerned, yet so far away it took him a while to even process them in his head.
He got up on his knees, fists held out, ready to fight. Ready to do whatever to took to protect them. He grit his teeth, felt the sting on his neck alerting when a shadow attacked him from behind, but he just barely managed to dodge. With an unbelievable precision he managed to then swing the enemy over his shoulder and out of the way. Then he kicked another, piercing a third and nearly tackling a fourth, almost thinking it'd soon be over, but they just kept coming. He was tired, nerves shaking and his body breaking apart by each blow. It took everything in Leo to keep going. But he did, somehow, by a power not even he could understand. As a peaceful moment passed, he observed how the snow that fell over the empty field melted on the scattered enemies, bodies limb on the ground while he struggled not to fall to his knees.
Then, another voice appeared behind him, a deeper voice, quick enough he could've moved by the speed of lightning, 'course it was too fast for Leo to do anything about it before it was too late. He didn't get to see the man's face before he raised his blades, almost slashing him across his chest when-
He stopped. Time stopped, the snow stopped, everything just stopped. He opened his eyes, resisting a scream as a man appeared in front of him, shielding him. He wore a red rope of some kind… a kimoto, he inexplicably recognized it was called, face hidden away by the hood. He knew this man, the stranger in front of him… And he in turn, knew his name.
"Leonardo… my son…"
"What…?"
The voice was gentle, deep and comforting… the sound of someone who'd do anything to protect the people around him. He'd seen him before, that much he knew. From his dreams, or more accurately his nightmares, but this time was different. He wanted to see the man's face just as much as he wanted to run away, but reality had different plans.
It dissolved beneath his feet, sending him falling into a deep dive of black, the man reaching out to him through the fall. Leo stretched out his hand, his entire body sizzling and his eyes were forced shut before he barely managed to hold on.
"Remember who you are"
But he didn't get to respond, before he found himself slamming his head against the bed-side floor… again. Wide awake and with a headache so extreme Leo was convinced he'd cracked his skull under impact.
"I feel so… exposed"
"You said it" Raph agreed, hands in his pockets as he and Donnie starred eyes wide at the sea of people in front of them.
It hadn't been long before the brothers found themselves at the entrance to Roosevelt High school, the same school they not only a few years ago infiltrated to save their friend April from a rocket launching robot. Donnie still remembered the feeling of awe when walking along the school posters and empty classrooms in the hallway, for the first time in his life having a sense of what it felt like to be a normal kid. It was jarring to think that in any other life, this would've probably been where he'd spend every single day learning, following protocol, owning his very own locker, maybe joining a club or five. He'd focus much more on Physics, Math, biology, instead of how to perfectly dislocate an enemy's shoulder with a solid kick.
Difference between then and now of course being, that the place was swarming with humans- giving Donnie the ever-present tingling urge that they were standing out too much. That at any moment people would start to notice them, point their fingers and scream, but of course that wasn't an issue anymore. Instead, they just stood there, starring, taking in the scale of the premise for how big it really was. People their age were playing in the courtyard, studying on outside benches, noses in their math books, or running hastily passed anyone who stood in their way, most likely to return a thesis on time before the bell rang. The entire school was so… chaotic. Everything moving all the time, noises brimming everywhere they went and the disturbance only half-contained when an angry teacher yelled at a bully playing hide and seek with a first year being shoved headfirst into a water fountain. In many ways this felt exactly like an ordinary battlefield, just excluding the battle part and replacing it with a bunch of sleep deprived teenagers.
And Donnie loved every second of it. Though it became very apparent when they carefully made their way inside, his older brother didn't feel the same way. Raph was the first one to suggest they get inside through the vents instead of through the front door where they easily blended in, using any excuse available to have them infiltrate the building like they were on a secret mission. Like they used to, like they probably would've if the situation was different. And honestly, Donnie couldn't say he blamed him.
Raph sighed, eyeing the crowd impatiently but with no luck whatsoever. "Where do we even begin in this place? It's huge!"
"Shouldn't be too hard, I mean… it is Mikey we're talking about"
"Yeah but, Mikey who's a human hyperactive teenager"
"Well, technically so are we" Donnie reminded him, rounding the corner.
"Not helping"
They kept walking for a while, Donnie more than anything scanning (with his eyes this time) the hall for any potential red heads coming their way. One of the few vantage points of being the tallest amongst his brothers. Though after a while of simply starring and walking it quickly became apparent that the boys had no idea where to even start and they eventually came to a standstill not really knowing what to do next. They didn't have a plan, they didn't go into this laying out a strategy like Leo would've, they just winged it hoping for the best. I mean, it was just a school. A playground for their little brother and nothing more. How hard could it be to locate the guy they'd spend their entire lives sleeping under the same sewage pipe with?
Well, as time went on… apparently very hard. Not even Donnie's technological scanner would be able to locate someone with rewritten DNA, and that's not even mentioning the fact that the signatures present in this hallway alone would be more than enough to override the system. It was simply not possible and they both new it. Took a while Donnie to actually come up with something and even then, he'd regret suggesting it the second the words left his mouth. "…I guess we could ask around?"
"These fools? They're high schooler's they're not gonna give a damn about where he is! Let alone talk to us and honestly, by the looks of this place, I think I prefer it that way"
Donnie sighed, "I think you've watched too many teen dramas, Raph"
And for a second, he was unable to decipher if the reason why his brother instantly became red in the face was because he was angry about his comment or just panicked that he knew about it, both cases further emphasizing his point. With nothing but an old TV and a few magazines, how else were you supposed to learn human etiquette?
And with that Donnie shouldered past his brother and over to the nearest teenager fiddling with his locker, ready to exercise the basic method of socializing with people. A skill of which he most definitely hadn't practiced in the mirror beforehand when no one was looking. "Excuse me, but you wouldn't happen to know where we could find-
"Get lost tall-ass"
The guy slammed the locker in his face, nearly sending Donnie tripping over his shoelaces- Raph cackling with laughter.
"Wow; that was spectacular. Honestly Don' I don't think I've seen someone get rejected so fast in real time. Bravo"
"But I don't understand. I didn't even do anything-!"
"Humans are weird sometimes. Better not to think too much 'bout it. Come on, maybe he signed on one of these" Raph grabbed Donnie by the shoulder, edging them both over to a board showcasing various different pamphlets and clubs, most of which scribbled over with slurs and unpleasant doodles to say the least. Hm, it certainly seems like something Mikey would do… though no sign of him on the 'skateboarding-club's pamphlet. They studied the names closer, when Donnie had a realization sending his heart into panic-mode.
"You think he used a fake name? I mean knowing him, he probably wouldn't hesitate to give himself a new one with the whole… you know, turning human ordeal." Donnie had to make sure no one overheard before he whispered out the last sentence, Raph doing that thing he usually did with his face whenever his sarcasm levels reached its peak and started talking like a kindergarten-teacher.
"That's right Donnie. Keep whispering like that and just maybe the big bad teens won't figure out our big bad secret in the hallway"
Donnie, not very amused, rolled his eyes and kept searching for anything they'd recognize. People probably already thought he was weird, no point trying to deny it. He knew he shouldn't care and yet he just couldn't help it. Like everyone was starring at him all the time and it made him so anxious- he was way out of his depth he could push the thought away that anyone in this school thought negatively of him even in his new form, Donnie forced himself to focus on their real objective: finding Mikey.
"Seriously though… sounds a little too smart for him, don't you think?"
"Hasn't stopped him before. Keep a look out for a mr. 'turflytel' while you're at it" Donnie added, Raph internally cringing.
They kept going like that for what became hours of searching, the school day nearly over and they were running out of time. They searched the gym, the laboratory, the library, the cafeteria and just about every classroom in the building. Trying to ask students upon students who didn't have the slightest idea who they were talking about, to stopping Raph from picking up the first years by the scruff of their neck and demanding answers. It didn't make any sense. Had the goon lied to them? But why? And about something so specific? Not even April showed anywhere around the school, making it feel more and more like they were either in the wrong school or their lead had been wrong, making them waste precious time. It had gotten so bad yelling his name out in the open, only resulted in their now scratchy voices being of no use.
When the time was 15:37 they both retreated outside on the steps of the school-entrance, Raph tapping his foot louder and louder on the pavement until eventually, and unusually:
"I don't get it! Mikey where the heck are you?!"
it exploded out of him.
"Aw, the Jackie Chan-wannabe's got a fanclub"
Donnie was just about to calm him down, when unexpectedly, a group of boys walked by glaring in their direction. If it wasn't for their obvious attempt at mocking anything that wasn't themselves, it probably wouldn't have been so clear whether they were referring to their brother or not. However, it didn't take more than a shared glance between him and Raph to realize they just shared the same epiphany. Now all of a sudden, those boys' horribly orange sporting attire became the only thing standing out in the schoolyard as they made their way passed them and inside.
"You don't think-?"
"Yep"
"And you're gonna-
"Definitely"
"Raph-"
But of course, he was already rushing after them.
"Why do I even bother anymore?" Donnie muttered, before following Raph who thankfully choose to raise his voice only when the hall was mostly empty, and they didn't draw too much attention to themselves.
"You know something?" he yelled. The boys turned around like a pompous prick realizing a stain on his favorite jacket. The boy was tall, at least taller than Raph but of course that didn't matter. Donnie prayed to God or whoever it was that his brother wouldn't do anything reckless, already half-convinced they were screwed regardless of if they knew where Mikey was or not. Either way, calling him a 'jackie-chan-wannabe' had already granted the big one in the middle a one-way ticket to hell.
They stepped closer, pacing their steps like a prey playing with its food, though it was pretty clear from the get-go they were overestimating their ego.
"And what're you supposed to be? MCR groupie?"
Oh, no. A smile formed over Raph's face, everything after that was nearly a blur, really. Donnie would've at least expected some form of comeback before the hit, but it seemed his brother was out of patience. He swept the leg of the guy to his left, throwing him flat on his face before avoiding a punch from the one on his right. Using the momentum to send him summersaulting onto his friend who let out a heavy groan, all of which taking place in the span of just fifteen seconds. Donnie saw the disappointment in Raph's eyes, most likely coming from the fact that his last record was eleven seconds, not fifteen, though he quickly brushed it off in favor of grabbing the third (and final) bully by his lapels and throwing him against the locker in full force.
"Oh, what's that? I didn't quite catch that over the sound of locker smacking you in your face"
"What are you crazy?! Get off of me!" the bully yelled, red in the face as he kicked away like a deranged toddler. Looking at it from Donnie's perspective was pathetic in all honesty.
"Gladly, as soon as you tell me where Mikey is"
"That freak?! What- he owe you lunch money or something?!"
"He's our brother" Donnie corrected him, seemingly forgotten by the bully hung up to dry. Seemed his 'friends' was just as surprised as him upon hearing this.
"That twig? Like hell he issssaaargHHH! I dunno where he is! I SWEAR IT! "
"Why should we?! Little jerk broke my finger" another stated, taking a solid step back when Raph turned towards them.
"Are we sure we're talking about the same Michelangelo?"
There was a pause, the sound of the wheels in their now concussioned heads turning.
"The Italian dude?"
Well, at least they're intelligent enough to know their famous renaissance painters… what a relief. Raph sighed, letting go of the bully who fell flat on his butt, and he was just about to reach for his sais, when yet another kid approached them in the hallway.
"Mikey Robertson?"
All five turned around, well, two of them still struggling to find feeling in their jaw after Raph gave 'em a solid kick for good measure. The kid looked about sixteen, maybe younger. He sported a blue sweater and glasses, his hair a dark shade hiding the mess that was his face clearly bruised over his pale skin. He'd swung his backpack over his left shoulder, hands in his pockets and shoulders tense. Donnie wasn't sure whether or not he'd heard correct, the entire day so far having taught him not to get his hopes up.
"Mikey who-now?" Raph remarked, probably it was some sort of joke but even the bully's seemed to recognize the kid.
"He's sick. Said he wasn't feeling well and skipped school. No one's seen him all day" he explained, making it an effort not to get too close, though it was clear his curiosity made him stay. It was the same thing that made Donnie take a step toward the kid, swallowing his logical thinking for once telling him this wasn't their Mikey. "Who are you?"
Starring back and forth from the defeated bullies as well as Raph, admittedly smaller in stature towering over them and back to Donnie, he gulped before answering. Just as much impressed as he was skeptical of the boys.
"Simon. Simon Landry" he said, accepting Donnie's hand and it dawned on him this was his first handshake with a human. Not even Gilgamesh had been that professional with him.
"Simon, you wouldn't happen to know if there's anyone else called Mikey on this school, would you?"
"Not that I know of… why? What do you want with him?"
"Doesn't concern you- Raph interjected, pushing the bully away who immediately ran away as fast as he could and eagerly walked towards Simon.
"Yes, it does. He's my friend"
"Yeah, well we're his brothers"
Simon let out a laugh, clearly not convinced. "Brothers? Mikey doesn't have more brothers."
Donnie would lie if he said this didn't concern him. After all, why would he lie about that? Wasn't like him… Mikey couldn't keep a secret if he tried, he simply wasn't that perceptive, let alone go around beating up bullies nilly-willy. So how could they really be sure?
"Well life's full of surprised ain't it?" Raph sighed, the sai still in his hand as he twirled it like a yoyo. Once again, Donnie was the one who had to be civil one.
"We just need to talk to him. It's important"
"Is he in trouble?" Simon asked, somehow growing even more paler than he already was. Both brothers looked at each other, each wishing they could give an honest answer when in truth they hadn't the faintest clue, just a deep, deep suspicion that maybe he wasn't too far off.
"Not if we can help it"
Hopkins was on high alert, gun in his hand and his back towards the wall. He'd spend the night at his office, going through the clues over and over again as his fellow co-workers encouraged him to take a break. As if it was that easy. The loss of Layton put a detriment to the investigation Hopkins wouldn't think he'd experience so soon, chief of police threatening to fire him from the case if he wasn't found within the next 24 hours. But of course, it wasn't just desperation that drove Hopkins actions. When analysis came back with empty results from the walkie-talkie he'd left behind, it became clear to him that whoever their enemy was they weren't just targeting civilians anymore. No, they knew they were onto them, and if it wasn't for him, they'd never get so close in the first place. Hopkins described the purple canister Layton had found to the team, setting out a search for every possible warehouse in New York.
And while it had been the officer's plan to keep his mission close to the chest, things quickly became more difficult as an assault of two men was reported downtown, right smack in the same area most gang sightings had occurred, and Hopkins didn't believe for one second that this was a coincidence. He raced down there, heart in his chest and remembered the good old days where a single bank robbery was the only thing exciting happing on a Monday. Now he'd tracked the location to yet another alley near the docks, but where instead left with nothing but a deep sting in his chest. New York was loud enough to make him take notice of the silence emanating around him as he stood there, circling the premise from every corner until all senses nearly made him turn his heel around and get back to the car. Could it have been a prank call? Another trick to lure the second detective sticking his nose too close to their scheme into a trap? Wouldn't be surprising they'd be that petty… though it didn't explain why they didn't just take him too the first time if that was the case.
Hopkins started to think so, reminding himself that his partner was still out there somewhere, needing his help. And then he remembered something, something he wished he'd cared to notice earlier had it not been for the first clue getting him to reevaluate the entirety of who he was up against. The sewers. He remembered Leo wandering near them, clearly hiding something. Of course, they'd cozy up with the rats. Where else could niggling scumbags hide from the NCPD? With this, Hopkins ran towards the first cover he found, gritting his teeth as he forced it open with a small pocketknife gifted to a long time ago. The smell hit him like a wave of awfulness, but he continued down determined. Using the light of his phone he went straight ahead, each step leaving an echo behind he hoped wouldn't announce his arrival too soon.
After a good while, his earpiece tried to get through to him but was instead drowned out by static the deeper he went underground. However, his suspicions were soon confirmed as a loud scream echoed somewhere down the tunnel. He started running, readying his gun when the sound suddenly stopped, and he found himself reaching a dead end. Or so he thought- light catching his gaze from above and he had to blink to realize it came, not from a cover, but from a crack in the ceiling. He used the scattered debris crumbling of old construction in the darkness to navigate his way towards the top, slipping two times before he found his grip. It wasn't until he managed to cling onto a rebar in the wall and force his way to the top that he noticed the gaping wound in his hand, probably from one of the sharper edges he'd clung onto.
Tired, exhausted and most of all concluded, Hopkins forced himself to his feet, panting. The place was another warehouse, this time slightly illuminated by the moonlight shining through the windows stationed close to the ceiling. He tried to listen for anyone, but once again he was alone, stumbling upon a gathering of crates stacked high on the shelves of the used-to-be abandoned facility. He remembered the warehouse from the good ol' days, and it was clear to him that no one had used it in a long time… so what was in the crates? Well… only one way to find out. Hopkins whipped out his pocketknife and jagged it into the edges. Took him a few painful ounces of strength left in him before he managed to loosen the screws and kick it open, the sound of wooden planks splintering ringing throughout the warehouse. He didn't waste a minute, peeking inside like it was Christmas eve, waiting for the moment he'd have enough evidence to call for reinforcements. Instead, as on most Christmas eve's the found the crates… empty. No canisters of any kind, no weapons, just a stack of hay and broken expectations. "DAMN IT!" he yelled, cursing the moment he decided to let his idiot of a friend wander into that building.
Once again, Hopkins was way out of his depth. No clues, no witnesses, no pattern, no nothing. He was led in circles, him and the entire squad of idiots called the police force he was slave to and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it-
"H-hel…pp.."
Until a gurgling voice sounded in the other end of the hall. Hopkins rose to his feet, carefully making his way towards the sound of someone coughing their lungs out, following everything around him at once. Where was the trap? Where was the tripwire? The mass of criminals ready to jump him at any second? But finally, when he rounded the corner, hidden behind the stack of crates and out of sight, he realized two things at once. One: there really were no Purple Dragons in the building there with him. And Two: there was a dying man in a pool of blood before him, matching the description of one of the civilians being jumped in the alley not far away from the exact location.
"Carver James?"
The man didn't answer, shivering and heaving for breath like crazy. There was blood everywhere, though Hopkins for the life of him couldn't figure out where he was wounded. He kneeled down beside the man, sending out a distress signal to HQ whilst the man's eyes went inside his skull. "Can you tell me who did this to you? Sir?"
The man's lips twisted and tightened around his jaw so it looked like he tried to bite his own tongue of, but alas, he opened his mouth the pain making him difficult to understand,
"Th-they're go-going th..rough with the… t-the transport…" a pause filled the space, tears running down the poor man's face as he struggled to speak. "Detective p-please… th-they did this"
"I promise you I will bring these men to justice. We'll do whatever it takes-
"No! do-on't undest-stand…now that t-the boy is… theirs…. The mutagen… it'll be transpo-transported.. I d-don't know… where… please… p-please-"
The sound of sirens came from outside to Hopkins relief, though the victim continued to spasm painfully. His brain was working overload, and he was the processor. Recalling his argument with Leo and something inside of him broke. 'Now that the boy is theirs'. Hopkins swallowed a lump, his heart beating unhealthily faster and faster for him to keep up. He knew that logically he should be writing down the information as it came to him, now before he forgot any valuable details, but instead, it was like the world froze for a moment. Panic taking hold as Hopkins reached for his phone, all the while despite his prideful intuition, begging to God that he was wrong this time.
"Come on Leo, come on. Pick it up, pick it up…!"
It took him a while to really get a grasp of his surroundings. On that note, getting a good look at the place you woke up in just moments after being drugged and tied up usually wasn't the easiest of tasks. Mikey's vision was already blurry, the lighting fading around him and the cold hard floor his face had somehow collapsed onto, making the right side of his face go numb. He blinked a couple of times, dizziness swirling around him, and he decided that the best course of action would probably be to turn his weak body over. First time wasn't the most successful. In fact, the only thing he really seemed to accomplish was banging his nose into the ground, making him fear he'd broken poor 'sniffles' as he'd unapologetically dubbed his human nose. However, the pain did somewhat make whatever it was he was drugged with loosen up, sending a wave of energy through his body and finally making his vision clear.
Turning over a second time, this time successfully he managed to get into a sitting position viewing the cage he was put into with unease. It looked to be just about the size of an average New York apartment, too low for Mikey to stand up. But even if he could, he quickly realized that it wouldn't even be possible, the restraints around his angles being a testament to that. He tried to move his arms but found that they also were restrained behind his back, however this one was enough to make him let out a yelp of panic. It was mostly the dim lighting that gave it away, making the greenish glow reflected in the metal bars quickly letting him know what exactly he was up against.
"Okay, okay. Don't panic, don't panic you're gonna be fine. Just think Mikey, think! What do you do when you're tied up in a cage? What did Donnie used to say?"
He thought about this for approximately five seconds before it dawned on him that he never actually listened when Donnie rambled during one of his various lectures of dealing with a kidnapping situation on your own. Actually, he rarely listened about most any of Donnie's lectures, his mind wandering away before it even attempted to focus. This, he realized, put him in quite a pickle, given he had no idea where he was, his phone was gone, his hands where tied to a set of custom-made mutagen handcuffs ready to turn him into a monster any time soon and he had absolutely no one but himself to turn to-
"Holy chalupa!"
Scratch that, turns out he did as a matter of fact, have someone to turn to. Not five feet away from him came the heavy breathing of another prisoner echoing in his very own cell just across from him. In this cell, however, lay a man out cold, and in the position he lay from Mikey's perspective at least, made it look very much like he was trying to kiss the floor. He wore the same cuffs as Mikey, glowing in a bright green deadly hue, but it seemed as if the old man was too unconscious to notice. Probably a good idea to let him know, just in case he tries anything funny. Not exactly a professional in this kinda thing like Michael-lactica over here.
"Pssst… Mister? Mister… grey-suit-floor-guy? Hallooooo?"
Nothing. Hmm… Maybe I need to be louder.
"HALLOOOO! I AM MICHAELANGELOOOOO! WHAT IS YOUR NAME?! HALLOOOOO!" Mikey yelled, banging at the bars with his feet repeatedly so the ruckus could be heard from miles away. Well, depending on where they were, because honestly the only thing besides cages and the impending darkness seemed to be the only thing present as well as the footsteps that could be heard from somewhere close- wait, footsteps?!
And sure enough, whoever it was approaching them from down the hallway, Mikey had a bad feeling it wasn't the Robertson's coming to rescue him. Or Simon, or Leo or Donnie or Raph… or Sensei. No one but himself to get him out of this one and honestly Mikey wanted to slap himself for letting his homesickness make him do something so reckless. Unless this was all just a bad dream… Trying and failing Mikey bit his lip as a substitute for pinching, though in hindsight if this really was a dream which it most likely wasn't, he shouldn't really be all too concerned about being tight up with mutagen. He didn't, as usual get so far in his thought process before a new obstacle presented itself, this time in the form of a black clothed figure. A foot soldier. He was there before Mikey even heard him move.
"I see you're awake. Good. I wanted to thank you in person" the man said, a deep raspy voice clawing its way into Mikey's very distressed subconscious. Though it was slightly muted from the metal plate protecting his mouth, it didn't take a genius to realize his accent was most likely Japanese. And it only made Mikey even more uncomfortable to think that it had the same calmness as Sensei's used to, granted it was a lot colder, not a trace of compassion from the enemy before him. The man bended down, tilting his head slightly when analyzing his prisoner. If Mikey hadn't been certain he was from the anti-foot clan before, noticing a bloody cross painted over the banner on his uniform was more than enough to prove it.
He spoke again, taking his time with each word, "I mean, after all it is not everyday you get such eager test subjects such as yourself. And with such striking results, truly it touched me that you would go to such lengths to protect your clan. Even more so for what you have given us as a result of your actions. Don't you agree?"
Despite the fact that Mikey right now was a little more than terrified, he tried everything he could to not let it show, knowing that if any of his big brothers were here, they wouldn't be so easily intimidated.
"Oh yeah?! Well, you have… a stupid cloth for a face! Yeah! How do you like that! Ouch…" he exclaimed, trying to kick the bar but hurting his toe instead, which sent the soldier chuckling on the other side.
"Don't worry young one. We won't hurt you, that is not why you are here"
Glaring from the man in the other cage and back to his mutagen infested handcuffs, Mikey wasn't sure he quite understood. And before he could even ask, that's when the foot soldier abruptly reached through the bars and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck at such a speed, he nearly knocked a tooth loose when hitting the bars.
"You are just the invitation"
It wasn't exactly a miracle thought Raph, that Simon decided to lead the boys to the Robertson's home on Maiden Lane. If anything, he was still debating whether or not to throw the guy into a dumpster, before he'd either call the cops or turn around and run the other direction. Least to say, he didn't trust him very much. Thinking that the only reason this guy would be stupid enough to lead two strangers to his supposed 'friend's home had to be with his own agenda in mind. Truthfully, had it not been for Donnie reminding him that the guy probably wanted to know just as much about their relationship with Mikey, as they did with the 'Robertson's', he'd probably have no other reason to help them. Even so, if this guy was telling the truth and this really was their Mikey, it was still hard to believe he'd come from such… well, luxurious headquarters felt like an understatement. Standing from the pavement looking up, it already felt like they were being led straight into some trap or there'd been a misunderstanding of some kind. Women walking their dogs up the entrance, followed by men wearing golden watches holding the door, it all became less and less believable. But Raph supposed that when you'd spend your entire life living in garbage, you could just about appreciate anything.
"He hasn't called me all day, you know. I'm not sure if Mrs. R. will even let you talk to him if he's like this" Simon said, leading them all up the stairs and into the elevator. The elevator. This place was so fancy it made the sorry excuse for a tent Raph had slept in down the docks look like a garbage disposal.
"So, if you're his brothers, why haven't I heard of you before?"
DING
The elevator stopped, the boys stepping out at the fourth floor as Donnie struggled to come up with something that made them sound somewhat plausible and not like mutated mutants on the run from an evil ninja clan. "Oh, we've just been… travelling. A lot, yeah. But eh, a family emergency just came up- Really important family stuff, so we really gotta talk to him"
"Must be important then, for you to suddenly drop by after three months"
Something Raph could have sworn he heard as a scoff came from the kid making him clench his fists. "Listen here squirt, if you got something to stay-
"What he means to say is, thank you for all your help. We'll take it from here" Donnie quickly added, as they made their way to the front door, Simon studying them warily from behind. There was no name on it, except for doormat that read 'welcome' and the number 7b printed on the white paint.
"You sure this is a good idea?" Raph asked, feeling the tension making him sweat. This was their last lead, all of which so far having led them nowhere and that was still assuming their baby brother was okay. Donnie starred into the void for a moment, twiddling his thumbs- a habit he'd get whenever he was nervous and didn't have anymore fact to spout.
"We've come so far"
And they knocked. Now, the boys weren't prepared at all when it came to meeting new people, so really, they were already at a loss for what awaited them. Even more so, when in the spam of just five seconds they heard steps rushing behind the door and a feminine voice, before the door was swung open so fast it was a luck the door opened inward. Otherwise Raph was fairly certain it could've knocked Donnie straight in the face, a sight he had to admit, he was slightly disappointed he didn't get to see.
"Yes?" the woman asked, revealing the heavy bags under her eyes as she ushered to brush away the strands of hair covering her face. Raph didn't have any other way to describe it, other than whoever this woman was, she certainly wasn't what he was expecting. Her entire clothes was in shambles, her hair uncombed and uncontrollably standing to all sides, not to mention the red tint in her otherwise welcoming eyes. She's been crying.
"Mrs. Robertson?" Donnie finally summoned the courage to ask. Her face dropped when she saw the boys, clearly expecting somebody else but forcing up a friendly demeanor despite her appearance. "Who are you, what do you want? Simon?"
Simon waved, Raph not bothering to move out of the way when the boy tried to shimmy passed them. "Hi Mrs. R."
"Look, we don't wanna intrude or anything, but well, it's about Mikey and we-"
"You know my son?"
Almost immediately the woman's face lit up, it was like watching a rocket getting launched into space. Took Raph a moment to really grasp the underlying meaning of what she was saying, somehow making the word 'son' feel all wrong in his mouth. Eyeing the boys curiously for a moment she surprisingly stepped to the side, eagerly waving them inside- Raph shouldered passed Simon who angrily came in last.
"Well, come in! Come in, make yourselves at home"
Didn't know there existed 'friendly' New Yorkers, but there ya go, I guess… When Raph was the only one who kept his coat on he got a good look at where 'Mikey Robertson' had been spending these last three months, the smell of flowers reaching his nose when he entered. The entire place was big, of course not bigger than the lair had been, but it wasn't as clean either. Their entire living room looked like something out of a catalogue, various soda cans and pizza boxes lying around unattended, showing clear signs that a family lived there. You could even see city from up there, making every window in the building feel more like a painting on their walls. Everything they'd dreamed of when they were little. It was weird to think that instead of running on rooftops fighting bad guys, people had been sitting in here watching TV, enjoying each other's company. While they'd bled, suffered and saved the city, ordinary people woke up the next day knowing absolutely nothing of what happened right under their noses. It was laughable really, to think that the change had given their little brother all of this. It was ridiculous that for whatever reason, while Donnie had paved a way for his job in the laboratory, Mikey had slept in a neat comfy bed with a real family and where had he been? Sleeping underneath a bench nearly freezing to death. Scavenging for food, nearly starving some nights because the homeless shelter couldn't provide with enough cans of beans.
He wanted to be happy for him if this was the case, he really did. He wanted to push all of that away and remind himself that no matter what they were still targeted by their enemies, and all of this wouldn't matter in the end course this wasn't even their life. And it would never be their life, no matter how comforting the thought was, Raph knew deep into his core that this wasn't who they were. And even if he couldn't ask him directly, he didn't have to, because he knew that if Father was still alive, he'd agree. So, at the end of the day, the sooner they got Mikey out of here, the better. No more pretending, because lord knows he was tired of it. Tired of walking around in the skin of someone who society didn't want and not being able to still recognize the person he was deep down. He refused to. But though he kept telling himself that everything would soon go back to normal, there was still that small irritable little part of his brain that feared maybe, things would never go back to normal.
"Raph, are you okay?"
Flinching by the sudden motion of Donnie's hand on his shoulder, startled Raph jumped back to reality only then noticing the red marks stemming from his nails drilling into his hands like needles.
"I'm super" he muttered, joining the rather neurotic Mrs. Robertson in the living room.
"Just sit wherever you want, I-I'll make some tea" she said, running back to the kitchen where a kettle was starting to shake already. "I take it you're friends from school?"
"Well, actually we're-
A 'hmf' sound escaped Donnie, as Raph instinctively hit him in the stomach before he could say something that would get into trouble.
"Yeah. Yeah, Mikey's actually more like a brother to us. Right, Donnie?"
Still trying to swallow the pain of having his human ribcage puncturing his lungs, Donnie nodded along slightly confused.
"Riiiight…"
As Mrs. Robertson came over with tea, Simon's glare lingered on Raph for a good while and the tension between them seemed just about as strong as gasoline tempted to be lit on fire. And telling the clearly upset Mrs. Robertson that her adoptive son's brothers had miraculously returned after months of nonexistence, at least in Raph's book didn't exactly seem like the best idea at the moment. Especially not since they weren't even sure if it was really their Mikey and given their circumstances, it probably wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume Mrs. Robertson would call the cops on them even if that was the case. Two imposters claiming to be Mikey's family when they had basically no record of parents anywhere? Even Raph who'd basically mastered the act of running away from cops at this point, recognized that to be a certified recipe for disaster. No, they needed to play this safe… at least for now.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that" she said, sinking into the opposite chair, "God knows it's not been easy for him… making friends and all, but once he does well, he doesn't let go that's for sure. I'm sure you know that already"
"So… can we talk to him?"
"Talk?" she clarified, all the color from her cheeks fading away in just a millisecond.
"Please, Mrs. Robertson it's really important"
The woman started blinking rapidly, as if she first now realized something and quickly got up from her chair, hand over her mouth. "But you… oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear…"
"Mrs. Robertson?"
"You don't know, do you?" she whispered, eyes dilated, and it started to feel like they were witnessing a first-degree panic attack.
"Know what?" Raph asked, him too, getting out of his chair ready to reach for his sais if need be. There was a moment of nothing but panic swirling around the room, everyone wanting to say at least something but being unable to. That's when the door in the entre smacked open, followed by a man in a long trench coat entering the living room, panting.
"Honey! I talked to the police, they said they already searched the area. We'll have to wait at least an hour before they'll get back to us" he paused when he saw the three strange boys in his home, taking of his fedora and reaching a hand to greet them.
"And who might you boys be?"
"Oh, yes, I didn't get your names" Mrs. Robertson remembered, gathering herself as what Raph assumed to be her husband shook hands. Donnie was the first to speak up:
"I'm Donnie this is my brother Raph. We're just here visiting Mikey, we heard he was sick?"
Understanding pained over Mr. Robertson's face, looking back at his wife briefly. "Oh, no. No, he's not sick. As a matter of fact… he's been missing since yesterday"
This sent a chill down Raph's spine, every single worry he had build up in his chest since they got here starting to swarm around him like insects biting and buzzing in his ears.
"Missing?"
Mrs. Robertson let out a sigh, Simon rushing up the stairs as fast as if he was simply hiding somewhere in his room, "I thought you knew. If you're friends of his, maybe you would know… well, apparently not"
Neither really knew what to say. Missing. Yesterday. They missed him by óne single day… The new in itself wouldn't have hit so hard as it did, if it weren't for the tint of orange laid out on the kitchen desk. And as Raph stepped closer sure enough, it all came together exactly like he feared. "Don. Look"
And he saw it too, carefully scooping his mask into his hands and down his pocket while Mr. R was too busy comforting his wife. Raph on the other hand was one second away from tearing the apartment down brick by brick.
"It was my fault. I pushed him too hard…" Mrs. R sobbed, heaving after her breath before once again dumping down into her chair, tears leaving her face like she actually cared about him. Like she actually knew Mikey like family, like the way they did. These people, and all this time they were the ones looking after him only for him to get caught under their watch. Letting him go without the slightest idea of what would happen to him when they did. Without the slightest idea of how big of a danger he's in. Now maybe dead or worse, because of their recklessness. Because you couldn't keep one single promise to him.
"How could you let this happen!?"
"Raph!"
The couple spared him a quick glare of uncertainty, as if they'd heard incorrect. Raph however, couldn't be bothered to care, raising his voice even more to make sure they heard every word.
"Well, he's your responsibility, isn't he?! How could you just let him out of your sight like that? What if he's in danger?!"
"Young man, you watch your mouth around my wife!" Mr. R yelled red in the face but his wife just shook her head.
"No, he's right. If I hadn't raised my voice… I just…" she muttered, burying her face in her hands. As she started to sob uncontrollably once again, the apartment seemed to only grow increasingly smaller, making it nearly claustrophobic.
"I think it's time you boys leave" Mr. R said.
Donnie answered softly, probably busy cluing together any other alternative in his mind,
"What about Mikey?"
"The police are doing everything they can. Don't worry, we'll find him in no time. Meanwhile, you better get home to your families, better be safe for their sake"
A growl escaped Raph's throat, clawing and burning inside him like a cannonball not even the heaviest rock in the world could manage to keep down.
"Oh, we're not leaving until you tell us exactly what happened to our-
"Actually, I think that would be a good idea, right Raph?"
Donnie's eyes were begging, grabbing his brother by the shoulders before he could ram them into the nearest wall. And even if he could, he decided that staying any longer than necessary wouldn't do them any good. They'd failed. They were too late and now they'd probably never find Mikey alive. Meaning this entire mission was a complete and utter waste of time. The only thing Raph wanted to do more than anything was throw someone's head through a window, the most likely candidate right now being Simon, who followed them outside in silence. He promised to do everything he could to help find Mikey, and hurried outside, twenty steps behind the boys who were still processing the information they just found with a heavy heart.
"You lied" he yelled, Raph stopping in the middle of the street, his grip tightening around the hidden blades in his pocket, tempted to use them if necessary.
"So?"
"So, why wouldn't you tell them the truth? Might go a long way in finding him. I mean, you're really his brothers, right?"
Now Donnie stopped too, raising his eyebrow comprehending, "You really believe us?"
The kid paused, a shadow over his face. He started to fiddle with the braces of glasses shakily, looking like he just completely forgot who he was talking to for a second before he finally answered, "He did mention you. Once or twice. Guess I always thought he was kidding, based on all the crazy stuff he keeps rambling about when talking about it."
"Yeah, that's Mikey alright" Donnie sighed, sounding a little too nonchalant for Raph's taste.
"Yes, yes very fascinating now that we cleared that up why don't we go celebrate while we're at it! Hallelujah! We were too late!"
"We don't know that"
"No? Then where do you propose he is? An ice cream store?! Let's face it, Donnie. They got him already."
"Who?" Simon asked to Raph's dismay.
"None of your business, that's who. Now scram. You've done enough"
"Hey, if Mikey's in danger, then it is my business. I can help you"
"The only thing helpful right now, is for you to stay out of this before we make you. This is a family matter, and it's got nothing to do with you!" he yelled, and not wasting another second rammed his way passed both boys and down the street waiting for his brother to pursue. He just didn't understand why… this wasn't the first time this happened. He'd spend every damn day on the street beating Purple Dragon scumbags for clues, or hints, or even just reassurance of any kind about his brothers safety and whereabouts. And every single day he'd come home with absolute nothing.
So, why… why did he feel so hopeless all of a sudden? And why was Donnie so cool about this whole thing?! Mikey wasn't just missing! He was taken! Dead or worse… Who else could it be? What did it take for his brother to realize that they were going into this blind, and now, coming out of it just as emptyhanded as before?
"You comin' or what?!"
The last nightmare was a lot more vivid than the last one. Leo remembered it fondly, this time with a sense of familiarity that, he only seemed to trace back to when he first met Karai. It was unnerving really, how his senses somehow seemed to draw him closer and closer to the truth, despite the fact that he had no idea what that truth was.
Hopkins was still at his office that night, having remained there for little over two days working in day and night as more and more chaos seemed to erupt on the streets. Leo had come to the conclusion that if he wanted to solve his own case, he'd have to do it by himself.
A piece of advice, Leo. If you wanna get your memories back, try to meditate. Usually helps to empty your mind in order to regain your senses. Trust me on that…
Remembering Karai's advice, he decided to abandon sleep altogether in favor of attempting a more nuanced approach to recovering his memory. He'd think himself completely crazy of course for even thinking about heeding the advice of the girl putting a sword to his throat, but somehow dreaming up monsters attacking him, and waking up with the strange feeling that he didn't know where he was for a brief moment, made it seem all the more sensible and he chose not to think too much about it. He hurried down the street, his head stinging a bit in the side but ultimately during okay, and towards where he last caught a glimpse of something. And despite the horrible smell and every single bone in his body urging him to go back to his room before Hopkins came back, there was still something inside him that made him keep going. He couldn't quite explain it, other than for every step he took, it felt almost as if he'd done it before. Like he was walking in the footsteps of his past, if the previous him liked to hang out in sewer as a regular thing, however improbable that was. "Okay, so far so good" he muttered to himself, when reaching the bottom.
Normally he resented open spaces like this, darkness spilling all over, but for some reason he almost felt more at ease down here than on the surface. He turned on his flashlight and started walking, hoping that the act itself was somehow enough to make him remember how he ended up there in the first place. As he walked, the bandages around his head only seemed to tighten more and more, and he had to force himself not to fiddle with it too much. The doctors had already given him too much hazzle for continuing to pull them down over his eyes in his sleep.
After a while, he finally found a spot free of sound. The feeling that he'd somehow been in the exact same tunnel before tickling his brain slightly as he put the flashlight down. He sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing like it came naturally to him. Suprisingly natural as a matter of fact. In and out. "Okay, here we go, Leo. Totally not crazy at all, just... sitting in the sewer, in the middle of the night, thinking about nothing. Yep, just completely normal stuff" Letting the darkness that surrounded him be all that remained he decided that all things considered, this probably wasn't the craziest thing to happen to him, trying his best to stop thinking and start listening instead. Silence, nothing but silence... Well, that and the sound of the drainpipes echoing whenever a drop spilled down from the cracks, but that was besides the point. Leo continued like that for a few more minutes, not really sure whether or not he felt like nothing more than an idiot in the sewer or just desperate enough that he felt it could actually work.
Leonardo…
But as time passed and as his heartbeat slowed down, his surroundings emptying out in his mind, something became very clear. Something that he couldn't believe was even happening for real, until it started to reach out to him by its own, the same voice he'd dreamed about in his nightmares. This time feeling more and more like there was someone else there with him, reaching out like he'd done this before. Like right now he wasn't on the cold hard ground, but somewhere warm and familiar. Not alone, everything started by some strange miracle to look like a memory. And this time, he wasn't scared. In actuality, he felt almost comforted. It was strange… he was almost certain he'd been here before. Done this before…
You are close, my son…
"What do you mean?" he tried to ask, feeling as if wherever the voice came from, whoever it was, he could recognize that someone to be sitting cross-legged just in front of him. He knew this person… he had to because… talking to him then and there, it made something inside of him just break. He couldn't explain it, tried not hard not to let his pile of questions snap him out of it before it was too late.
You will find yourself in due time. You must be patient, for the past comes to those who are at peace with their present. You must live in the moment, before you can become who you are meant to be.
A hand touched his shoulder. The same touch that usually came before the slaughter, but this time it was simply an act of reassurance. Though Leo was certain he was either dreaming or hallucinating, once again, his mind told him otherwise everyhting in him slowing down. Somehow making it just as believable that he was sitting there, talking to someone who wasn't even there. I am really losing my mind here... I don't even know who I'm talking to...
Someone who cares for you deeply
"Then help me remember. Please… I'll do anything"
The void started to flicker a bit, Leo's headache growing worse by the second. The hard part soon proved to be maintaining his headspace without loosing his focus at the same time.
Leonardo, I will always be with you, but it is not I you should be seeking. Your team needs you. They need their leader back just as much as you need your family.
Wait-my family…? What family? Leo wasn't sure he understood. Well, he wasn't sure he understood much of anything, but right now more than anything he was desperate for answers. Desperate for anything that might clue him into the mess that was his mind, fumbling and failing to collect the pieces he needed to learn his past. But this voice… he felt like he should be terrified, but all he ever felt was relief for some weird reason, guiding him to not freak out but listen.
"What do I have to do?"
He waited patiently, silence once again meeting him on the other end. He could just about glimpse the man behind the voice in his mind, all before the darkness swept him away leaving Leo alone once again his mind reeling.
Or at least, that's what he thought.
"Well, well, what do we have here?"
Little did Leo know, before he had time to open his eyes a pair of hands grabbed him and shoved him against the brick wall so hard his headache was nearly tripled in size. Everything was blurry, six dudes slowly melting into three before him laughing maniacally and blowing smoke rings in his face as he was choked.
"Think you can just waltz on in here on our turf as if you own the place, kiddo? I don't think so"
And that's when he saw it. Hopkins had warned him the Purple Dragon's ego was so big they wore giant tattoos to let the world know how proud they were. Everything started to blur, Leo desperately trying to catch his breath, his left-hand fiddling after the flashlight.
"You looking for this?" one of them snickered, before promptly throwing it into the water. Now everything was moving at seventy miles an hour, Leo heaving after his breath, eyes wandering everywhere around him desperate. He tried to kick, scratch or punch, but they were too many and he was too weak.
Funny thing was, in any other situation he'd probably see his life flash before his eyes right about now, but he didn't exactly have a life to remember. All I had left to go on was this: muscle memory. And he used that same technique that not a few days ago had helped him out of a tight spot when confronting Karai, not knowing how he did it at all. This time was no different, but he didn't think about it before his instincts took over and before he knew it, he was able to breathe again. Sending one of the PF's a solid kick to the chin, he did what always worked in horror movies.
He ran like hell.
"Maybe I could use the remnants from the mask to track his-
"When are you gonna give it up already?!" Raph pumped his knuckles together, Donnie still pacing back and forth on the roof like a lost sheep. He'd been going on and on like that for little over an hour now, studying Mikey's mask closely for every single fiber and tomato stain he could find, as if that would somehow tell them exactly where he was.
"Do you have a better idea?!"
"Yeah. It's called ripping the anti-foot clan a new one"
"And how do you plan to do that, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Really slowly" he remarked, gritting his teeth at the thought of smashing every single one of them to pieces. He was getting really tired of Donnie continuing to insist there was another way of tracing him they hadn't already tried. Seemed the saying 'two heads are better than one' didn't apply to them.
"Raph, we have to think about this rationally, I mean we weren't there! We don't know what happened!"
"Exactly my point! We weren't there and now what?! You really think the police are going to find him if the foot's already got their hand on him? Sure, didn't stop them last time they tried to kill us"
"Would you just shut up for two seconds?!" Donnie yelled, so loudly in fact it made Raph nearly wish he'd tipped him off a little earlier. The gleam in his eye told him that his little brother was on to something, and he bet he was just about to find out what whether he liked it or not. But even so, he couldn't deny the gleam in his eye. It was the same look Donnie had right before he came up with something brilliant to save the day and it was more than enough to make Raph listen up.
"Mrs. Robertson said they had a fight. What if that's why he left in the first place?"
"So, what if it was?"
Donnie rolled his eyes, as if it was that obvious. "So? Where does Mikey always go when he's upset?"
And then it clicked, Raph reminiscing about all the times their little brother had temporarily left the team to go sulk somewhere far away. What'd happen every single time he did? Heck, what'd happen every time Raph had temporarily left the team?
"Trouble"
A moment of clarity made both Raph and Donnie do a double take before they both knew with certainty, simultaneously spurting out the first thing that came to mind:
"The lair"
Suddenly all Raph's anger started to be dampened into what he could only describe to be an opportunity. It was all so clear, how the heck didn't he notice it sooner!? Donnie you're a genius! Though of course he didn't tell him that.
"Of course, that idiot would go the one place I told him not to!" he bit, grabbing his bo staff and tightening his purple mask over his face, Raph doing the same with his. His brother was the first to crawl down, carefully balancing himself on the bars before swinging down gracefully, "Had to happen sooner or later. I'm surprised he lasted this long without-
His brother paused, the color leaving his face. "Eh, Raph?"
Running 'round the corner of the building hastily he turned towards his brother, starring ahead down the alley, completely paralyzed. "What? Come on, don't tell me it's blocked or something. This is New York! We'll find another cover"
"Eh… I think will have to put saving Mikey on hold for now and maybe focus a little more, you know, saving ourselves first!" he yelled first then seeing the band of gangsters waiting for them on the other side. Purple dragons. Maybe 10-15 minimum, all of which looked frighteningly more capable than the usual punks Raph was so used to beat up. And right now, all of them focused primarily on him and if he were to guess, very eager to make him suffer in the worst way possible. Though to be fair, this felt more like a reward for a hard day's work than anything else. He pulled out his sai, the feeling alone enough to provide him with months' worth of serotonin.
"Now this is what I'm talking about! You ready Don?!"
"Am I?!" Donnie yelped excitedly, swinging out his bo and readying his fighting stance when- "Wha- Are you kidding me?! A mop?! Oh, Come. On!"
Or maybe not.
Leo was still panting when he rounded the corner, still struggling to grasp what the heck had just happened down there, but to little succes. Climbing back to the surface however, the sound of footsteps trailing him behind was still very much apparent and he had to force himself to keep going despite his dizziness. One of those katanas would've been really useful right about now, he thought to himself, cursing the fact that he'd forgotten his phone. He looked around, searching, scanning the area anxiously for a phone he could borrow, until he realized he was in an area of the city he didn't realize. The sewers had somehow led him straight into a criminal infested purple dragon nest, and from the looks of the goons behind him right now looking very eager to break his bones, he'd taken a gander that maybe he wasn't working with them at all. He'd of course enjoy the fact that he was right so that he could shove it into Hopkins face a whole lot more, if it weren't for the fact that he was being chased by a gang twice his size and with baseball bats and crowbars.
When he rounded another corner, finally sure he'd lost them somehow, another inconvinence made him realize that sneaking out in the middle of the night by himself maybe wasn't the best idea. His leg started to hurt, and he had to momentarily sit down trying to contain his frustrations. But of course, he didn't have much time to cope however, as the sound of a scream somewhere close made him nearly jump back to his feet and set into a run. A course of action that quickly proved to be very unlucky, given that the first thing Leo got out of trying to run away from his problems, was straight into the gang member blocking the alley. No people around to help him, no cellphone and not even his younger more agile body to help him out, because apaprently his knee had decided to stop working at the most inoppotune time. Leader he said, as if.
"Look, I don't want any trouble-
But neither was listening, before promptly, and very harshly swinging a bat towards his head. Leo barely doged it, stumbling backwards until he found himself trapped. The gang walked towards him, menacingly weighing their weapons in their hands like they were rehearsing for a play or something and getting ready to grab him before Leo could escape. With nowhere to go, and no one among them seemingly able to hear him out, he decided to do the only thing he could.
He closed his eyes, waited for the first hit and prayed.
But, just as he was anticipating the impact, and sending his entire body into a momentary shock, he was instead send nearly flying to the side as a result of instintcly throwing himself away from whatever it was the crashed beside him. He opened his eyes, panicked murmers from the pf's when they realized it came from the upper building. And right there next to him, lay one of their buddy's, as evident from the tatto on his neck ladning face down in the concrete, probably thrown from somewhere above and Leo was ready to call out for help when-
"Guys! Guys he's here! Davy was right! He's not alone this time!" a guy came running, clearly another 'friend' clutching a bruised eye and a bloody cut on his cheek.
"What? NOW?!"
There was no mistaking it. They were all terrefied. Leo was hoping this would distract them long enough for him to make his escape of course, preferably out of the ally and to the other side of the street where he could call for help, but he didn't get very far.
"And where do you think you're going, squirt? Don't think for one second we're done with you just yet!" one of them snarled, grabbing him by the loose ends of his headbandages, powerless to stop it. He tried to scream, but hands quickly grasping around his throat made it almost impossible. Top that off with the insane pain of having your entire head hanging loose, feet dangling over ground, Leo was sure that this was it. He was finally done for, no more playing detective. Whatever it was that the man from his dreams had tried to tell him, it wouldn't matter. This is what I get, taking the doctor's advice seriously about tying those bandages properly...
"But what about the red bandit and the other kid?! Aren't we gonna-
Another crash send the goons from behind tumbling to the ground. Leo's vision was getting blurry so he could barely see them getting thrown away by something small and shiny hitting the ground below. Many of them turned tail and ran away screaming, others yelled out angrily swinging their weapons blindly in every direction like a blind man swatting a fly. Feeling his throat tighten and the color draining from his cheeks, suddenly he was dropped to the ground, heeving for breath and the reason why he was spared still very unclear.
But just as he was about to escape whatever it was apparently interrupting his attack and coming to his rescue, a figure dropped down in front of him, facing the Purple Dragons head on with two needle like objects in each hand. So, either Leo was still hallucinating from taking too much of his medicine, or this was the guy Hopkins was so jealous of.
"Couldn't leave us alone, could ya Davey? You know Don' was only kidding about the vial, right?"