Hey guys! Thank you all so much for the awesome comments! It makes me so happy to know that you're enjoying this! And I know you all are really wanting to know what's going on with Leo, but if I told you right away, where'd be the fun in that? ;)

So just hang with me! And please hit me with the comments! I love learning from people's advice, so if you have anything that could help this story come more to life, please comment and let me know! Even grammar corrections! :)

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Chapter 10

"Mikey? Mi-key," a quiet voice cut through the blissful darkness, and the orange banded turtle stirred slightly from his peaceful slumber.

"Urmgh.. Leave me alone," Mikey mumbled.

"Come on Mikey, wake up," the voice said gently and Mikey recognized it as Donatello's.

He felt his purple masked brother put a hand on his shoulder and gently shake it in an attempt to rouse him.

Unfortunately for Mikey, it was working.

"Urgh," he groaned tiredly, turning over out of Donnie's reach and burying his face in his arms, "Whyeeee? Leave me alooone," his muffled voice mumbled.

"It's dusk," Donnie said patiently, "We can go up to the surface now."

"I don't want to go. Let me sleeep."

"Mikey. We need to go help Casey and April."

"Help them with what?" he paused before adding, "You go help your girlfriend."

Donnie hesitated, and Mikey sighed at the peace and quiet. Hoping that his little tease had convinced his brother to give up on him entirely.

"Mikey," Donnie said again, then more quietly, "We need to help them find Leo."

Mikey's eyes instantly shot open as he jolted awake, jumping up off of the living room ledge with instant, renewed energy. Donnie yelped in surprise at his little brother's sudden change in behavior and quickly stumbled backwards before Mikey ran him over.

"Leo!" Mikey cried, "We need to find Leo! Don't worry D! You get the weapons and I'll get Raph! RAPH!" he shouted, bolting for the bedrooms, leaving a stunned and surprised Donatello in his wake.

Not even bothering to knock, he threw the door open to Raphael's room, all concerns for personal safety thrown to the wind.

"Raph! Hurry! We need to go look for Leo!" he shouted into the dark room.

Raph didn't respond, just laid like a depressed lump underneath his covers.

"Come on Raph!" Mikey cried anxiously, "You can be angry later! But Leo needs our help right now!"

Raph still didn't respond and Mikey's patience had reached the breaking point. Desperate now, Mikey didn't care if his brother was going to pound him into pulp, all that mattered at that moment was finding their bro. And Raph was not only being a total jerk, but he was keeping the rest of them from going out and helping Leo. Who, in case Raphael forgot, was probably hurt, and lost, and who knows what else.

As far as Mikey was concerned Raph could suck it up for once.

Storming into the room he grabbed the blankets, "Get up!" he shouted, angrily ripping them off of Raph's bed.

But his anger was instantly replaced with shock when he saw, not the expected green shell of Raphael, but two, expertly laid pillows.

Mikey stared with wide eyes at the empty bed, too stunned to move or even speak. His mouth hung open dumbly as his brain tried to process the information his eyes were sending.

His heart skipped a beat as panic struck him in the chest. Dropping the bed covers he darted back into the living room.

First Leo disappears, and now Raph?! He thought with a pang of terror.

Donatello was standing at the lair exit, his bo staff strapped to his shell and Mikey's nunchucks in one hand. He seemed majorly preoccupied in looking through a leather satchel that was slung across his shoulder, but that didn't faze the young turtle at all.

"Donnie!" Mikey cried, his panic spilling out into his voice.

Donnie's head snapped up to look at Mikey, his expression filled with alarm and confusion.

"What?" Donatello asked alertly, "what's wrong?"

"It's Raph!" Mikey answered fearfully, "He's gone!"

~~~~~~

Raphael had doubled back to the charred remains of the warehouse for what felt like the one hundredth time, and he still hadn't found the single most teeniest of clues that could lead him to Leo's whereabouts. Which was both really infuriating and a little terrifying.

It forced him to think, what if Leo didn't make it out of the fire in time? Were his brother's bones buried somewhere in the ashes and rubble of the warehouse? Smooth white beneath piles of powdered black?

Raph shuddered and shoved the thought away.

No. He thought stubbornly, clenching his fists, Leo's alive.. He has to be. He had to have made it out okay.

Raphael refused to believe anything otherwise. To him it was an impossibility. He just had to figure out where the fearless leader really went.

And that was the tricky part.

Raph looked down at the black remains of the warehouse from his vantage point on a nearby rooftop, sighing in frustration. It would be easier if he could actually go down there and search for clues in the rubble itself. But there was still way too much activity to explore safely, let alone comfortably.

Sure most of the news crews had moved out a while ago, but there were still the people who absolutely had to take their picture with the demolished building in the background. And then there were the safety personnel making sure that those selfie lovers didn't do something stupid.

He eyed the burnt ruins searchingly.

Buildings burned down to the ground look much worse in person than they do on TV. Raph noted to himself with a chilling shiver.

He felt his t-phone buzz to life with a cheerful little ditty, and he pulled it out to see Donatello's name scrawled across the screen.

Looks like they found my decoy. Raphael concluded, hitting the decline button and slipping the t-phone back into his belt without a second glance.

What would be the point to answering?

He was going to be yelled at in a little while anyway. It was already dusk and he knew he'd end up running into the others soon enough in their search. Then he would deal with Donnie's lecturing for sneaking out.

Though, honestly, they should've seen that one coming. Did they seriously think that he would just sit at home peacefully? Doing nothing, just waiting until Master Splinter let him go? To just abandon Leo, who was most definitely in danger?

Apparently.

What kind of spineless, gutless, careless kind of person do they think I am? Raph thought with an annoyed growl, more than mildly offended.

He would do just about anything to get one of his brothers back home, and for anyone to truly believe otherwise was absolutely insulting.

Raphael surveyed the surrounding rooftops, sucking in a strenuous breath of air. The city seemed so infinite. Glowing lights, tall buildings, and an impossible maze of backroads and alleys stretched out in every direction. His brother was out there somewhere, alone and most likely injured. And there was no telling how much time they had left to search, or if it was already too late. It seemed like an impossible feat.

"Don't worry Leo," he whispered, "I promise, if it's the last thing I do, I'll find you. And bring you home."