Chapter 8
The next morning with a splitting headache and nausea the three brothers picked themselves up and held their heads in their hands. Mac walked in like yesterday didn't happened slamming plates on the table. The boys held their heads tighter and grunted. Yelling would only hurt their heads more and they needed to save their energy for later.
"You know that kid is already working while you three are just sitting here." Mac said pulling out a cigarette from her pocket.
Raph jumped up quickly yelling, "What! What do you mean Leonardo's training?"
Raph quickly regretted it as he became dizzy and woozy falling back into his seat he cradled his head again in his hands.
"The boy has to fight too you guys. He is going with you and if you're busy fighting for your lives he's going to get killed. Now shut up, eat and get cleaned up cause today I'm going to rain Hell onto you three." Mac said lighting her cigarette.
Mac started walking away but yelled to the brothers,
"Oh yeah, someone's going to drop by later get the door for me."
"Fine!" Raph yelled.
Mikey and Donnie kicked Raph in the shin when he yelled.
After eating and taking turns showering the brothers were about to go outside when someone knocked on the door.
Mikey ran to the door and asked, "Who is it?"
"Mac? It's me Shadow and James. Remember you called last night."
Raph and Donnie joined Mikey as he opened the door. Each of the brothers gasped at the two standing in front of them.
Shadow a high school girl with short blonde hair that fell to her chin, blue eyes, was dressed in a red tang top, a black leather jacket with dark blue jeans and sneakers. A golf bag was on her back with the strap going across her chest. Next to her was a boy she called James with short red hair that was spiked on the top with green eyes, a white shirt, and a black leather jacket with a hockey mask on the back, dark grey pants and shoes.
Mac came running into the room just after the door was opened.
"Hey you two meet your trainees." Mac said slapping her hands on Donnie and Mikey's shoulders.
Shadow and James nodded their heads and entered the house.
"I haven't told him but I think you should Shadow." Mac said.
"Yeah I got it." Shadow said walking to the backyard.
"I'm going to call our parents so they know we're here and will gone for a few days." James said taking out his cell phone.
Mac patted James on the back then turned her attention to the three brothers who were still stunned.
"What's wrong with you three? It looks like you've seen a ghost." Mac said.
Donnie nodded his head.
"What's there last name?" Raph asked.
"Those two I believe its Jones. Yeah Shadow Jones and James Leonardo Jones. Parents are two friends of mine; Arnold Casey Jones and April O'Neil Jones." Mac stated.
"What's wrong with you three now?" Mac asked.
"Those two were friends of ours long ago." Raph explained.
"Yeah it's like looking at a mirror of those two." Donnie said.
"I miss them." Mikey whimpered.
It looked like Shadow and James didn't know anything about them so it meant April and Casey never told their kids about them. Crushing their hearts they left the room to join Leonardo and Shadow outside with heavy hearts.
Outside they could see Leonardo arguing with Shadow to the point they were getting physical.
Leonardo tried to go back to beating a sandbag hanging from a tree but Shadow grabbed Leonardo's arm and turned him back to her. Leonardo pulled his arm away from her and that's when Shadow jumped and pushed Leonardo to the ground and the two began to fight.
Raph and Donnie ran and pulled to the two teenagers apart. Both of them were huffing and puffing glaring at each other.
"What hell is going on here?" Raph yelled demanding answer.
But the two teenagers refused to talk to them or even knowledge them.
James and Mac ran outside to see what was all the fighting about.
"What up with you two?" James asked.
"You told him everything? Really Shadow?" Mac said smacked her head.
"I had to I was tired of hiding the truth from him." Shadow stated crossing her arms against her chest.
"I'm tired of everyone lying to me. You, Zac, even Lilith. You guys just played with me like a piece on a chess board and except me to be alright with that?" Leonardo yelled.
Leonardo pulled his shoulders away from Raph and stormed into the house.
Shadow sighed deeply.
"Tell me what happened now Shadow." Mac demanded.
Ten minutes earlier
Leonardo was on the phone with his father trying to talk to him but only got his voicemail again. Leonardo shut his phone and placed it back in his pocket he turned his attention to Shadow who was walking outside.
"What are you doing here?" Leonardo asked.
Shadow walked over to Leonardo and said, "I'm here to help you."
"What do you mean, "help me"? What's going on with on here first Lilith is a some sort of thing and Zac too. Is everyone I know a lie?" Leonardo asked.
Shadow looked away and Leonardo figured it out.
"You too." Leonardo said shocked.
Leonardo faked a chuckle, "Were you playing the part of being my friend too."
"No! You are my friend. I just needed to be around to protect you Leo things are getting bad now." Shadow said looking down.
Leonardo shook his head.
"No you were just looking out for yourselves, all of you. Is there no one I can trust?" Leonardo shouted.
"You can trust me Leo. I've only did this to help you." Shadow pleaded.
"Help me? You did this for yourself! I never asked for this to happen and I never asked for your help!" Leonardo shouted.
Shadow was starting to get angry at Leonardo even though she understood his confusion.
"Well too bad Leo you are wanted by two sides of great power who are willing to kill you and everyone you care about just to get you down there or up there. Now shut up and do as you're told. People are dying for you!" Shadow shouted back.
"Then let me die if it will save lives!" Leonardo shouted.
The two glared at each other until they started pushing each other when the turtles came and separated them.
Mac smacked her head and hung it low, "You really told him everything. You are so stupid." Mac whined.
"I'm sorry Mac it just came out and I couldn't stop until it was too late." Shadow pleaded.
"You're too much like your father sometimes." Shadow muttered.
"Um…Shadow mom and dad are coming." James interjected.
"Why?" Shadow and Mac asked in unison.
"Cause they're worried about Leo and stuff." James explained.
Shadow tried to walk back into the house when Mac stopped her.
"Give him time. It's been a long day." Mac said.
Shadow looked down at the ground then back at the house and nodded her head.
Leonardo was in the room he woke up in. All there was in the room was a small bed pushed against right wall with a window on the middle of the wall at the top of the bed. Leonardo fell on top of the bed with his head facing the windowing, only moving his eyes to look at the stream of light coming through it.
"Why me?" Leonardo muttered.
The days when he was just a normal teenage boy with only the worries of college or what was going to happen next game, now he had the weight of the world. His ex-girlfriend even his friends were all just using him. With no real explanations but he is the reincarnation of someone very important and that's why he is being targeted. His father is ignoring once again so all he had was the small chain around his neck from his mother for comfort in times like these.
Leonardo moved his hand around his neck and pulled the chain out to look at the one thing left of his mother.
"What am I going to do mom?" Leonardo whispered.
The small clinking of the object hanging around his neck shined a bit off the sunlight. Leonardo chuckled thinking it was a response from his mother. Moving the object back under his shirt Leonardo moved his body onto his back and placed his arm over his eyes.
Leonardo refused to leave the room for the rest of the day. While Raph, Donnie, and Mikey received training from Shadow and Mac. Their parents arrived and the meeting of the friends after 17 years of silence came forth.
James came running outside towards everyone with his parents behind him.
"Shadow, mom and dad are here." James declared.
"Great." Shadow said rolling her eyes.
"Shadow. James. What are you doing here?" April yell out.
April and Casey aged well over the years. April had cut her hair short and the sharp redness of her early days dulled. April had a white shirt and blue cardigan over it. Long blue jeans and blue, white sneakers. Casey still had his long blue hair and retained the muscle mass he had as a young adult now after 17 years and two kids. Still wearing his signature red tang top, blue jeans, and worn sneakers. The only change Casey had were the wrinkles from age and the gold wedding ring on his left hand.
"Just training mom." Shadow said.
"Where's Leonardo?" Casey asked.
"Upstairs." Shadow motioned to.
"Casey? April?"
Casey and April froze as memories poured out like a waterfall.
"Donatello?" April muttered.
April and Casey turned around slowly and stared inside of Mac's house. Standing in the door frame was Donatello.
"It's been awhile." Raph said from behind.
April nodded her head.
"It has." April said.
"Go and talk it out. I have work to do." Mac stated.
"You ready babe?" Casey asked his wife.
"This day needed to come Casey." April replied.
Casey and April walked inside Mac's house where they found all three brothers moving towards the living room area. Sitting opposite of each other with the turtles on one side and the Jones on the other.
"How have things been?" April asked trying to break the award silence.
"Fine." Raph replied.
"How are you two doing?" Mikey asked.
"Good. You've met our kids." April said.
"And Leo." Casey added.
The turtle's shoulders stiffened with just the mention of the name.
"How is Leonardo doing?" Casey asked.
"The kid is scared. Just yesterday he was just a normal teenager and now he is being hunted by the two sides of life and death." Raph stated.
Raph was harboring the most anger towards the Jones more than his brothers. Seventeen years have passed since they last talked and now they came together all because of Leonardo.
"Have you called his father?" Mikey asked.
"No one can reach him. He travels a lot for work." April said.
"Mom. Shadow and Leonardo are fighting again." James yelled from the backyard.
Apparently, Shadow went upstairs while everyone was talking to talk to Leonardo only to get into another fight with him. They were now arguing so bad that it sounded like they were fighting with furniture scraping on the ground above them.
"We better go." April said.
"Yeah." Casey added.
Casey and April started running upstairs with the turtles behind them. The closer they got upstairs the louder the yelling got. Shadow and Leo were arguing over how she was training him. One minute she was showing him how to defend himself the next he was on his back with her fist inches above his face.
"I hate this get the hell off me!" Leonardo shouted pushing Shadow off his chest.
Shadow rolled and stood up on to her feet quickly.
"Well if you listened to me you would be able to block my attack." Shadow scoffed.
Leonardo brushed the dirt off his shirt and face and glared back at Shadow.
Shadow rolled her eyes then turned to see her parents and the Hamato family running up with a concerned James trailing behind.
"What's going on?" April demanded.
"Nothing just teaching mister famous how to defend himself." Shadow stated crossing her arms against her chest.
"Teaching? More like using me as a punching bag." Leonardo yelled.
"For being one of the best football players at school you're really whining a lot about a little girl's punch." Shadow mocked.
While Shadow and Leonardo traded insults back and forth with April and Casey trying to calm the two of them down Raph, Mikey and Donnie looked up to see two ravens in the tree staring down at the kids. Staring closer each brother held their breath as they saw the raven's cat eyes.
"Leo." Mikey muttered.
"What is he doing?" Donnie asked.
"Whatever it is we can't let him do anything to the kid." Raph said.
As Raph finished his statement the air around them turned freezing and the sound of air rushing past them told them they were going to have some visitors. Honed training over the years put the turtles on high alert drawing their weapons The turtle took defensive pattern around the humans.
"What's going on Raph?" April asked.
"Trouble." Raph said.
"Trouble? Is that how you welcome old friends?"
Everyone turned to see the source of the voice. Towards the house with James being held with an arm around his throat and long nails placed against his neck the everyone was greeted with the teenage version of the children of Death; Kei and Kage.
"James!" April and Casey yelled.
Casey was about to leap to his son when Kage wagged his finger in their air shaking his head no. Kei applied pressure to James's throat and a small trail of blood rolled his neck.
"Now we have come to talk to the boy if you do not mind." Kei said.
Raph was about to open his mouth when James made another grunt and the train of blood grew larger as Kei's long fingernails slowly moved against James's neck.
"What do you want?" Leonardo asked.
"Nothing just wanted to see how the other half was doing. Father sent us to make sure it was doing well so we could come and collect on something inside of you." Kei said as he walked over and placed an arm around Leo's shoulders.
Leo tried to move away but his body wouldn't respond.
"Now, now your other half is watching and is waiting for you." Kei whispered into Leo's ear.
"Other half? What other half?" Leonardo asked.
"Shabriri." Kei said out loud for everyone to heard.
The moment the name was uttered multiple stacks of black smoke appeared around everyone in a circle patterned. Demon's taking the forms of humans, two males and three females. One man had short brown hair and green eyes wearing what appeared to be a gas station uniform with the name Carl on the tag. The other male had long long hair pulled back into a ponytail that fell the his waist, he wore shades over his eyes and rock star style clothing. The three girls looked like cheerleaders from Leo and Shadow's school each of them recognizing them especially Leo who was friends with each one.
"Now we mush go home and have you help with our little problem." Kage said.
As Kage turned Leonardo and as he raised his hand into the air the sound of a very familiar voice to Leo caught his attention as air rushed by him.
"Will you please leave my son alone."
Leonardo and Kei turned to see a middle-aged man with short spiked black hair and brown eyes wearing a black suit with a white dress shirt underneath and blue tie the man right in front of Kei. In one quick movement the man punched Kei in the face. Kei fell to the ground releasing Leonardo. As Leonardo laid on the ground the man yelled,
"Now."
Air rushed passed everyone as the people in front of them were pushed away as Zachriel appeared. Zachriel pulled out a scroll and placed it on the ground.
"Cover your heads." Zachriel commanded.
The man jumped and covered Leonardo with his body as Casey and April covered Shadow and the turtles covered themselves. Zachriel placed the scroll on the ground and stabbed it with his knife. The image of a circle with symbols inscribed on it glowed and covered the ground. The ground started to glow and swizzle. The demons and the children of Death screamed in agony as the light grew stronger and stronger. Everyone kept their heads covered until the light died down and the screaming was gone. Slowly pulling their heads up they looked around, the ground where the demons dressed as humans stood all that remained was ash but for the children of Death there was nothing but an unconscious James with burns on his skin from the light. April and Casey ran over to their son cradling him in their arms. Tears rolled off of April's face as she held James's head in her lap. Casey felt for a pulse as he stared down at his son's throat. Kei was not happy with Zachriel's stunt and made sure to finish moving her long fingernail across his throat. Blood was still pouring out but he was not coughing or responding to the pain or his parent's cries.
The man stood up brushing himself off and helping Leonardo onto his feet.
"Isn't there anything you can do?" Leonardo asked his father.
"Zachriel help them." The man said.
Zachriel nodded his head. Walking over he placed his hand on James's chest. His hand glowed a soft light contrasted from the blinding one everyone experienced. James's body glowed the same light, as his parent's closed their eyes from the light they opened them again to James taking deep breaths in and out as if he was holding his breath. There was no blood or burns on his body. Casey and April held their son as tightly as they could crying now tears of joy and happiness as James looked confused about the situation. Shadow ran over and joined her family as they celebrated James's second chance at life. Zachriel walked into the house to see the dead body of Mac on the stairs, her body was laying on an unnatural figure with her head turned at an odd angle. Zahcriel reported this back to his captain.
"Mackenzie is dead. Must have been jumped trying to get in contact with us." Zachriel said.
"I'll make a report about this them return to the others I'll be there soon." The man said.
"Yes Castiel." Zachriel said.
Zachriel disappeared as Castiel turned back to his son.
"What's going on dad?" Leonardo asked.
Castiel placed a hand on Leonardo's shoulder looking down with sad eyes he placed his other hand on Leonardo's temple as light appeared. Leonardo's eyes glowed as he was told in was felt like a second to everyone but hours of a story of how his father came to earth and fell in love with his mother a human. Castiel was about to give everything up as he found out she was pregnant with their child when he was told that Dumah was finally coming back to be reborn as a human. The angels told him it would be his son. From then on Castiel played the part as father, husband, angel to the father, and guardian protecting the soul of Dumah until he was ready to have his memories returned.
On Leonardo's fifth year of life as a human, demon appeared knowing Leonardo carried the soul of Dumah and had orders from Shabriri the newest king after taking over the place of Yoake to take the boy and return him to the underworld his mother was killed protecting him from the demons with Castiel's knife. Castiel held her body as she died smiling and looking lovingly at her husband's face and holding the sleeping hand of their son. His wife's last wish on this earth was to protect Leonardo no matter what. An oath that Castiel to this day still carries deeply. But his job as a captain and commander took him away from Leonardo in his early years and soon they had a very distant relationship. Though through his thoughts Leonardo could feel the love his father carries for him. Leonardo closed his eyes and collapsed in his father's arms. Castiel carried and placed him in the arms of Raph.
"Protect him." Castiel said in a deep voice.
"Always." Raph answered.
Castiel nodded his head and disappeared. Raph looked downed at Leonardo then up at the tree to see the ravens still looking down with his eyes still the same as they were before.
"You can't have him Leo." Raph stated.
The ravens flapped their wings and cawed as they flew away from everyone. Closing their eyes their visions returned back to regular birds but back in the underworld Shabriri blinked a few times then looked around. Shadow men were running back and forth reporting on the news about the seal. Everyone was still continuing with their jobs but Shabriri was tasked to finding away to reseal Yoake before he turned. Shabriri sent his minions to gather his other half not knowing he also carried the soul of Dumah to rejoin him so he could have the power to reseal the door. Shabriri looked over to his weapon gifted to him when he was brought into the family. Flying down from his column Shabriri walked into the court room and stared at Death as he finished with another soul.
"When are you leaving?" Death asked.
Shabriri brandished his weapon.
"Understood remember now get the boy quickly so we can end this." Death said.
Shabriri nodded his head. Uncurling his wings Shabriri flapped a few times and took off returning to the world he forsaken in his previous life.
