A/N: Hello again! Sorry I made you all mad about that cliffhanger, but I love to torment! hahaha! Just kidding. Anyways, here's the long awaited chapter.

BTW, a lot of you guys had put things in your comments that I hadn't actually thought of before, which made me think...I'm horrible at writing stories -_-;

I OWN NOTHING! But keep the comments coming! They're so encouraging!

Enjoy!

Chapter 13

"It'd been a long time since they'd been together, but as close as they were physically, they'd never been so far apart in every other way."

― Jennifer Faye, Snowbound with the Soldier

The night-time air was thick with tension as silence descended upon Central Park. Not even a whisper of wind was heard in the stillness of the night. In the centre of the empty park, the four mutant turtles were frozen where they stood, all eyes staring only at the blue clad turtle in the centre. No one moved, and no one dared to speak, lest they shatter what they were sure was all just a dream. It had to be a dream. There was no way…he just couldn't be here…

In turn, Leonardo himself found that his body wouldn't respond to his commands, nor would his voice work as the words became caught in his throat, nearly suffocating him as his wide blue eyes stared at the three turtles surrounding him. Three turtles that looked almost exactly like him. Three turtles he had known since birth.

No. No, this wasn't happening. This was all some kind of illusion, a nightmare, a trick or something –

But they all looked almost exactly the same as the day he had last seen them. The colours of their masks were the same, so were their striking differences in height, the tones of their green skin…everything was the same. This was no dream. They were here. They were really here, right before his eyes, standing there unmoving, unblinking…

…just here.

Still in a daze, Michelangelo dared to take a single, shaking step forwards. His entire body ached from the previous battle, and his body was covered in dark bruises that discoloured his skin from the many blows he'd taken, but he didn't care. All that mattered in that single, silent moment that could be shattered by a single breath was that he had to prove to both himself and his brothers that this turtle before them was no illusion. Ever so slowly, as he took another step, he brought up his three fingered hand and reached out.

All he needed to do was touch him. Just a single touch to prove that he was real…that he wasn't just some ghost here to haunt them…

He stepped closer.

Leo still couldn't move, no matter how loud his mind screamed at him to run away, pick up his Katanas and run away and not turn back, leave this place, this city, everything, but he remained frozen. His eyes were fixated only on the turtle in front of him with his hand outstretched and moving closer to him, as if to simply touch him. Not to hurt him.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Mikey's hand brushed against Leo's plastron. It was a hesitant touch at first, as if he were afraid that he would break or disappear if he touched him. But after several seconds, his three fingered palm pressed firmly against his chest, directly above his rapidly beating heart. His breath hitched as he stepped closer, letting the blue scarf slip from his hand and fall soundlessly to the grass as he brought it up to gently grasp Leo's left arm. His baby blue eyes, filled with traces of tears, met startled ocean blue as he looked up at the face of…

Of…

"…Leo?" he dared to whisper again, his voice cracking.

Leo blinked, startled out of his trance at the sound of his name. He continued to gaze down at the smaller orange clad turtle, who seemed to be on the brink of breaking down into tears as he stared up at him, almost pleadingly, waiting for him to respond. His hands shaking at his sides, he turned to meet the brown and green eyed gazes of the other two, who had yet to even move from where their bodies stood frozen, their feet glued to the grass by whatever force was holding them back. He looked back down at the smaller one, and after wracking his brain, running his mental fingers through countless memories, both blissful and traumatizing, he finally forced his voice to work, uttering a single name…

"…Mikey?"

Mikey let out a little gasp, almost like a whisper. He remembered him…he actually said his name…

And then without warning, he rammed himself into Leonardo, locking his arms around him as he buried his face into his chest, biting down hard on his lip as he fought to restrain uncontrolled sobs, for his life-long wish had finally come true.

Leonardo, his big brother, was alive. And he was here.

Staring at the sight of his baby brother embracing what he now knew was Leonardo, their lost big brother, Donatello covered his mouth with a pair of shaking green hands as he blinked rapidly, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to spill, but failed as they began to drip down his cheeks. It wasn't possible. It just couldn't be. He couldn't be alive, after all these years. He just couldn't. But as his brown eyes scanned the blue clad turtle, he found that for once, he had been proven wrong.

Leonardo really was alive.

"L-Leonardo," Raphael stammered beside him, tears dripping down his own cheeks as he took a step toward the two turtles, the searing pain in his left shoulder long forgotten. "…h-how…how did…you…I…" Raph just couldn't find the words to describe how shocked he was, how happy he was, and…how confused he was. He reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, and when Leo darted those familiar blue eyes to him, he nearly broke down. It had only been last night that they had been talking to what they had always thought had been what was left of their big brother, and now suddenly, as if their prayers had been answered, he was standing right there.

"How is this possible?" Donnie finally managed to choke out as he and Raph drew closer to Leonardo, who Mikey had yet to release. "How are you…how are you still alive? We saw you…it was a perfect…I don't…"

"We thought you were gone forever, Leo!" Mikey wailed in his chest, his grip tightening around him. He would never let him go again.

Mikey swore upon his life that no force on this earth would tear their big brother away from them again.

Leo looked up to the faces of Donatello – god, he was tall – and Raphael, who had both yet to even touch him. His three little brothers…after so long…He had only been half listening to whatever they tried to say to him, and for some reason he hadn't even heard what Michelangelo had blurted out, but something Donnie had said snapped him out of his daze.

"How are you still alive?...It was a perfect…"

Wait. Perfect? What did he mean by perfect? A perfect what? What was he talking about? A perfect plan perhaps –

Then it hit him. His eyes flew open as he snapped his head towards his younger brothers, his heart skipping a beat as the horrible realization came to him. Master Splinter had…he had planned it?

All those years ago, back when they were only infants, barely able to fend for themselves without the protection of their father, he had actually…he planned to leave him behind that night? For years, Leo had always held a deep hatred for them for never coming back for so long, thinking that they had abandoned him because he wasn't good enough to be a ninja, not good enough to be their brother. Though he remembered very little due to whatever had put him to sleep before he was attacked by those creatures, the fear and the sense of abandonment was still there, fresh in his plagued mind and heart. However, upon seeing the three of them again for the first time in years, the feeling of anguish had vanished for a moment, replaced with something close to...happiness.

But that was only for a moment.

Now, he felt his blood boil, his fists clenching tightly at his sides as his eyes narrowed dangerously.

Tiger Claw had been wrong all those years ago. They never loved him. They never cared. It was never their intention to come back for him. That's why they were so surprised, because their plan to leave him for dead and forget about him had failed. And now they were faking their relief and joy to see him again, masking their true intentions with even more lies.

Leonardo had been right all along. They didn't want him.

They only wanted him to die.

His fists clenching so hard that they shook, Leo dipped his head down, his blue eyes now rekindled with hatred once more. "…let…go…of me," he whispered harshly, his voice trembling.

The cold tone in his voice caused Mikey to look up at his brother in confusion, but then he felt his blood run very cold when he saw the almost murderous look in his eyes. "…what?" he asked timidly. Even Raph felt a chill run down his spine when he heard that, and out of instinct, he slowly reached for his Sai. What was wrong with him? Wasn't he just as happy to see them as they were to see him? And…

…was that a tanto blade he'd just slipped out from his wrist wrap?

Leo ground his teeth together, an animalistic growl rumbling from his throat. "I said…let…GO!"

Leo tugged himself violently out of Mikey's grip, and it was only due to Raph's quick thinking that Mikey was saved from being impaled in the face as he dragged his little brother backwards, away from Leo's knife as he slashed at them. The three turtles jumped back and stared with fear and confusion at their enraged brother, who stood guarded with his knife in his hand, snarling at them viciously. What was going on? Why was he acting this way? He could see them clearly now in the light, they weren't enemies! So why was he attacking them?

"L-Leo," Donnie stuttered, "What's going on?! Why are you doing this!?"

"Y-yeah!" Mikey squeaked, holding out his hand in a calming gesture, "We're not your enemies, Leo. We're your brothers –"

"Never speak of us as brothers again!" Leo bellowed, his narrowed blue eyes filled with rage. "After all these years, after what you all did, you think you can just pretend you missed me?! Make me believe you actually cared about me?! DAMNYOU!" And then he lunged at them with a loud cry.

Mikey withdrew his hand as if he'd been burned, his eyes wide with utter confusion as he gazed at his brother, who in the next instant was running towards them with his knife in hand, but Mikey couldn't find the strength to move his body. Next to him, Raph grabbed his shoulder and dragged him and Donnie back so that they were behind him as Raph faced the angered blue turtle, drawing out his Sai with his good arm (the other one had gone worryingly numb) and blocking Leo's attack. "What are you talking about, Leo?!" he cried, straining to keep the surprisingly stronger turtle back with only one arm, "Of course we cared about you! Why would you think –?"

"LIAR!" Leo shouted, the hand holding the knife trembling with anger as he pushed against Raph, "If you ever cared about me, then why did you leave?! Why didn't you ever come back?!"

Raph's eyes widened as he let out a small gasp, staring into his enraged brothers' eyes. What…? They thought he was dead. They saw him get shot in the head to save Mikey. Didn't he remember any of that? His thoughts distracted him from the fist that came flying towards his face and then connected with his jaw, sending him tumbling into Donnie and Mikey and they landed on the grass in a tangle of green limbs. As they struggled to get up again, that gave Leo enough time to grab his Katanas from off the ground and loom towards them, ready to finish them off once and for all.

This was what they deserved. This was what he had wanted for so long, and now he was finally going to –

His vision suddenly began to swim before him, his head reeling and throbbing painfully as he dropped his Katanas again, putting a hand to his head as he sank to his knees. What was going on? What was that pain? It burned…and it sickened him. It was enough to bring him to his knees. He'd never felt like this before… He couldn't fight like this. He had to get up, before they could get to him first and finish him off.

Donnie was the first to untangle himself, and he saw that Leo was on his knees, holding his head in his hands as he bent forward, looking as if he were in a lot of pain. He let out a sharp gasp in realization; this must be why he was acting so violently. Something or someone must have messed with his brain before he got here…and he had a hunch that a certain alien race was behind this as well. Carefully, he stood up and slowly stepped over to him, reaching out a quivering hand. "…Leo…please. Listen to us," he pleaded quietly, his voice shaking. "Let us help you…big brother…?"

Leo slapped his hand away with a growl, jumping to his feet again as he sheathed his Katanas, for now. "Don't! Don't touch me!" he snarled, his teeth bared. His eyes brimmed with tears, but he refused to let them fall, not in front of them. He refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing him weak again. "You keep the hell away from me, or I'll kill you all, you understand?!" he hollered, "I never want to see your goddamned faces, ever again!" And then he turned away, grabbing his blue scarf off the ground in one swift movement as he leapt up and disappeared into the trees, ignoring their shouts and pleas as he ran. Thick tears streaked down his cheeks as he powered across the branches, not stopping once even as he ran out of Central Park and took to the rooftops of the city.

He wanted to retch. He had to get away. He had to run away, far away, pretend that what he saw in the park never happened, that he was only having a nightmare, and that he would wake up back in their home in Japan, in his own bed, with his father and teacher, Tiger Claw, sleeping soundly beside him…

But he knew that he wouldn't. And as he finally slowed down and came to a stop on a rooftop a long way away from Central Park, dropping to his hands and knees as he panted heavily and watching as his thick tears that blurred his vision dripped down onto the concrete, he knew he couldn't deny it. They were real. They were really there, and he now knew the truth behind all of their lies. Unable to hold back any longer, Leo covered his face with his hands as he let himself cry.

In the space of a few minutes, Leonardo's world had fallen and crumbled around him…

"That sneaky little bugger," Karai hissed testily to herself as she ran across the rooftops, looking like some kind of lost ninja tourist as she searched for the blue clad turtle.

How on earth did she, a high ranking Foot Clan kunoichi, manage to lose him, a green, five-foot something talking turtle, in the middle of New York City? Did Leonardo know she was following him, and then evaded her purposefully? Or was he really that good of a ninja that she just lost him? She hoped not; there was only room for one awesome ninja in their relationship, and that was her. But apart from that, she was still concerned over the thought that Shredder could be leading him into some sort of trap, and no matter how much she tried to deny it, the fear of that being true wouldn't go away. Leo was the closest thing to a little brother that Karai would ever have, and no matter what, she couldn't lose him.

She wouldn't lose him. Not now, not ever.

But dear god was she going to kick his ass herself when she found him. This was the first time she had really been out of the lair and into the city itself, since Shredder had kept her locked up for so long, meaning that she had no idea where Central Park was from where she was now. In fact, any minute now, Shredder would try to call her and demand to know where she was. She shivered at the thought of the punishment she would receive when he found out she left without permission –

Her eyes widened when she spotted something blue and green on a rooftop two blocks away, and she skidded to a stop. She let out a sigh of relief. Leo was there, and he seemed to be alright…apart from the fact that he was on his knees, his shoulders shaking and…

Wait…was he crying?

Karai's eyes widened, and without further hesitation, she leapt from building to building until she was only meters away from him. Taking off her metal mask, she ran the rest of the distance between them and knelt by his side, her eyes filled with unmasked worry. "Leo?! Leo, what's wrong? Talk to me!" she said, laying a hand on his shell and her other hand on his shoulder as she turned him as much as he could to look at him.

Leo lifted his face to his human sister, the tear streaks that stained his blue mask as evident as his shell on his back. He struggled to say anything at first, but then he finally stuttered, "…K-Karai…H-Hamato's disciples…they're…they're my…my brothers."

Karai's breath was caught in her throat as she stared wide-eyed at Leonardo. What? Hamato's disciples were mutant turtles? They were Leonardo's brothers? But how was that possible? How were they still alive? Better yet, why hadn't either of them been told beforehand about this?

Was this what Shredder meant earlier? Did he know that they were his family from the very start? Why the hell didn't he say anything?! Had he expected him to just kill them all and be done with it?! Karai shook those thoughts off for now as she focused back on Leo, who was still in tears. "You…you didn't kill them, did you?" she asked. She knew very well about the hatred the turtle held for his past family, but he really wouldn't kill them just like that…would he?

Biting his lip and squeezing his eyes shut, Leo shook his head. "N-no. I-I couldn't do it…but it wasn't because I forgave them…I'll never forgive them…but…" he couldn't continue as he once again buried his face into his green hands.

Karai shook her head, and instead of pressing further she threw her arms around his shoulders, bringing him close to her chest and simply holding him close. As soon as his arms came around her waist in return, she tightened her embrace as much as she dared. She'd never seen Leonardo like this before. Sure, she had seen tears of laughter before, but this was…this was something else entirely. Leo was strong for someone his age that had gone through so much, and she had always admired him for that strength, as did Tiger Claw. He was good under pressure, and held all the fine qualities of a great future leader that Karai would be proud to follow one day. But seeing him like this, so fragile, so lost…it actually broke her heart. And though Karai never admitted being scared of anything, watching the one she called a brother break down like this…

It scared her more than she would ever admit. And even worse…it angered her. No, it infuriated her that someone would do this to him.

She brought up a hand to stroke the back of his head softly, simply letting him hug her and cry into her shoulder, even though it hurt her to know that this was all she could do for him. She said nothing, for there was nothing that she could say that would make all of this go away. But in the end, she supposed that in a sense, she was helping him. He needed someone right now, someone that wouldn't leave him behind and abandon him like they had.

And for now, she was all he really needed.

The moment the heavy scent of blood hit his nose, Master Splinter was on high alert.

From where he was sat beneath the tree meditating, his eyes snapped open and his head whirled around towards the dojo doors, in the direction of the main entrance. One of his sons was hurt. And from the amount of blood he could smell with his highly sensitive nose, he assumed that said wound could be fatal, and was in dire need of immediate treatment. Quickly, he stood up and made his way out of the dojo, and his eyes widened when he spotted the state of his eldest son, Raphael, as Donatello and Michelangelo gently but quickly hauled him through the turnstiles. His left shoulder was drenched in blood, some of it dripping down the front of his plastron. Some of the blood looked as if it had dried off, and the wound had simply reopened, but there was still so much of it…

Snapping himself out of his daze, Splinter hurried over to his three sons, helping them set Raphael on the bench carefully, pillowing his head on a green cushion. He was unconscious, probably due to the amount of blood he'd lost or to overexerting himself. He prayed it was the latter, but upon seeing his face so pale, he feared the worst. He hastily ordered for Michelangelo to bring him cold water and a cloth and for Donatello to bring him the first-aid kit from his lab to stitch up the wound in his shoulder. He worked quickly but calmly, even though his two sons that sat around him were anything but.

Eventually, the wound had been cleaned and sealed, and with Michelangelo's help (though his hands were shaking) he had managed to bind the wound with bandages. Splinter noticed that Raphael now had a jagged crack in his plastron which was mirrored on his carapace. That could only mean that this was inflicted by a sword. He turned to where Michelangelo and Donatello were crouching beside their unconscious brother…and he was confused and slightly miffed by the haunted look in their eyes as they stared down at him.

Mikey was holding Raph's limp left hand as tight as he dared, his own hand trembling, but if he noticed he didn't show it as he continued to stare at Raph's injured shoulder as if the wound had been inflicted by a curse or something of the sort. Donatello only stared down at his hands in dismay, picking at the wraps of his wrist. Splinter raised a worried brow. What had happened out there? What had his sons experienced or witnessed that had shaken them so? They had fought against the Foot and the Kraang a few times now, and never had they looked like this, nor had any of them returned with injuries like Raphael had. Splinter brows furrowed. Something was wrong, and he needed to find out now. Slowly, Splinter placed a clawed hand on Donnie's shoulder, which startled him out of his trance as he looked up into his father's questioning gaze. "Donatello," he began softly, "Raphael will be fine. He simply needs his rest. Now please…tell me what happened, my sons."

Donnie suddenly looked nervous, swallowing thickly as he shared a look with Mikey, whose eyes were wide with uncertainty, fear, and tears that threatened to fall. Biting down hard on his lip, Mikey shook his head and buried his face into Raph's chest, hiding his face with his arms as he sniffled and cried silently. Donnie looked down again, his hands shaking in his lap. He couldn't do this. How could he be the one to tell Splinter that…he was…

Splinter laid his hand reassuringly over Donnie's shaking ones, and the young turtle looked up at his father with tear-filled brown eyes. Splinter tightened his grip ever so slightly, his eyes softening. "…Donatello…" he said simply.

Donnie sniffed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand as he drew in a deep breath through his nose, and let it out with a shaking sigh. Finally, he turned to his master. "…Sensei…w-when we were out fighting the Kraang in Central Park, we…we were ambushed by a ninja whilst the power box was out, and Raph was slashed in the shoulder whilst protecting Mikey. W-when I managed to turn the lights back on again, w-we found out that it was…it was…" Donnie couldn't continue. He just couldn't. It was too much. But he knew he had to do; Splinter had the right to know more than anyone. After taking another breath, he turned to Splinter's concerned and confused eyes again.

"…it was Leonardo."

The old ninja master's heart missed a beat as he stared down at his second eldest, his eyes wide and full of uncertainty. The hand covering Donnie's twitched, and it took him a moment to gather his thoughts and words together again. "…what was that?" he asked, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice. "That…that cannot be true, Donatello. Your older brother is…"

Donnie shook his head, gritting his teeth as he fought back a sob. "N-no, Sensei," he stammered. "Leonardo's alive. He's here in New York, a-and I don't know how, but…he tried to kill us, Sensei. He tried to…" He couldn't hold it back any longer as he buried his face in his hands and cried.

Splinter stared at the ground, his wide eyes unseeing and his heart barely beating.

This…can't be. Leonardo, his eldest baby lost so long ago, was…alive? And in America? How had he survived? He had seen him shot before their very eyes. It just couldn't be…

And if the shot hadn't killed him, then how had he survived all these years, and then learn how to fight? Had someone rescued him that night? Had he travelled by himself for years in order to find them? Was he…?

A thought hit him in that moment, making his heart sink even further into the pit of his chest as his face grew pale, or as pale as his furred face could get. There was only one way that Leonardo could have possibly survived for this long without him. The only way that he could have been able to fight in the ways of the ninja and defeat the three of them at once…the only way he could have possibly grown to loathe them, and then seek vengeance upon them. He was raised with hatred, trained by bloodshed, and then brought here by darkness itself...

Splinter brought a hand to his head, grasping it tight as he lowered his head and squeezed his eyes shut, tears beginning to seep through his eyelids. Leonardo, his poor lost child whom he had loved so dearly as he watched him grow side by side with his younger brothers, had been taken in by The Foot Clan.

Leonardo, his innocent little boy, had been raised by The Shredder.

Opening his eyes again, he then turned back to his crying son, and he wrapped his arms tightly around him, holding him close to his chest as he stroked the back of his head soothingly. "…be still, my sons, be still," he said, his voice wavering as Michelangelo came forward, and he extended his arms to him as well as both his children sobbed into him. "We…we will find a way to resolve this. No matter what, we shall find a way to bring your brother back to us…"

"…I swear it."

Tiger Claw had gotten the call from Karai only fifteen minutes ago, and already he was rushing through the halls of Shredder's lair, heading quickly in the direction of their sleeping quarters. His heart was pounding furiously against his chest as he walked briskly through the rooms. This was impossible. There was just no way they could've survived that night, not against the Kraang. Despite how weak they appeared to be with only laser guns as weapons, in their vast numbers, there was next to nothing that could save you against them. Not only that, but at the time he had three other little ones to protect…

He knew that the rat was teaching them ninjitsu, but he hadn't known for him to be a ninja master. He hadn't known he was the ninja master.

Everything now made so much sense. The three turtles…the amateur ninjas…the ninja master that was Shredder's greatest enemy being in New York…they were all connected. And it was the worst possible truth he could have ever discovered.

Hamato Yoshi was the rat master he had seen twelve years ago back in Japan. The three ninjas were Leonardo's brothers.

Leonardo was Hamato Yoshi's son. And now Leonardo knew.

After what felt like an eternity, Tiger Claw finally opened the door to their room, and found his young cub sitting on his futon, his blue eyes downcast as he stared at his hands. His scarf and katana blades were resting at the other side of the room near the cabinet where they kept their belongings, but they were not put away in a neat manner, which only told the old tiger just how much the boy was that he didn't even bother to put away his weapons with care. Karai, ever the loyal one, was sat beside him, her hand grasping Leo's larger one comfortingly. When Tiger Claw stepped in, Karai looked up at him, her shoulders sagging in relief. Leonardo barely moved an inch. Tiger Claw frowned as he gazed down at the young blue clad turtle. He could see from here that his son's eyes were red around the edges, and he could smell a hint of salt in the air.

Of course…Leonardo had been crying earlier. But then again, he shouldn't have been surprised. He would have been just as distraught if he were in a similar position.

Walking over and kneeling down beside where the two teenagers sat, Tiger Claw gave a Karai a knowing nod, to which Karai returned with a nod of her own. They needed to be alone right now, and Karai understood that more than anyone. This was bigger than just a simple feud between ninja masters now. She turned and gave Leo one last hug, before standing up and silently making her way out of the room, sparing one last look at the desolate turtle as she closed the door behind her.

As the young woman disappeared, Tiger Claw looked back to Leonardo, who hadn't moved at all during the ordeal. He sighed as he rested a paw on his shoulder. "…Leonardo," he began, "…look at me, my son."

Leo let out a very faint breath, and then turned his head to meet Tiger Claws' amber eyes. "…did you know?" he asked quietly, his voice cracking ever so slightly. "…did you know they were here, too?"

His eyes softening again, Tiger Claw shook his head. "No, Leonardo. I didn't. In truth…I thought they were dead on the night I had rescued you. I didn't tell you simply because…I couldn't bring myself to. You were only young, and the news would have broken your heart…" He sighed heavily as he looked away. "But now…I have seen the error of my choice. Your thinking that they would return for you eventually led you to believe that they had disowned you. And I foolishly allowed your anger to build into rage…and now, here we are."

Leo's brows creased in thought as he looked back down at his lap, reflecting on his father's words. Tiger Claw remained silent as he watched the boy ponder, before he placed both paws on Leo's shoulders and turned him to face him. "Leonardo. You must know that I had never intended for you to find out this way. I should have told you at least what I had assumed on that day, but I did not. And for that, I am truly sorry, my son," he said honestly, hoping that he would forgive him for his errors.

Leonardo said nothing for a moment as he looked into his sensei's eyes. Then to Tiger Claw's surprise, Leo shook his head a let out a breath that sounded like a chuckle as he gave him the faintest of smiles. "…Sensei…of course I forgive you. Because in the end…it doesn't really matter," he said, his smile turning into a frown. "It doesn't matter…because either way, Shredder would have brought us here to find them and kill the anyways. I still would have discovered the truth…and in the end, it'll still come down to one simple fact…they lied to me," he continued with a growl, "They left me there to die alone. And now they lie again, saying they never forgot me or how much they missed me…well, damn them!" he cried, pounding his fist into the ground angrily. "Damn them and their lies!"

"Leonardo, calm yourself!" Tiger Claw barked, though inside, he was very, very worried. He had never seen his cub so angry before, not even when he practiced his katas in the forest alone. Was…was this what he had been bottling up for so long?

No…this wasn't even the half of it.

"Hamato Yoshi…he was my father, my teacher…he was supposed to be kind, loving…but he lied to us about that, too. He's a killer. He took Karai's mother away from her…and he left me to die…" Leo faltered. Hot tears began to drip down his cheeks again. Tiger Claw shook his head, bringing Leonardo close to his chest and holding fast. He said nothing as Leo held him back with all the force he could muster in him, and instead he licked the top of the boys head once in an affectionate manner. The child was hurting, more than he could say, and all Tiger Claw could give him was his own strength and stay with him, reassure him just as Karai had done so before him that he wasn't going anywhere. He would never leave his young cub behind for as long as he lived.

How had things spiralled out of control in the space of only a few days?

Unbeknownst to Tiger Claw, as Leo buried his face into his father's chest, his blue eyes were ablaze with rage. He didn't care about Shredder's stupid vendetta, just like Karai. But for the first time since he had known that heartless man, he was willing follow any order he gave him from now on. Just as long as they involved killing them.

Leo would make them pay for what they did to him, and to Karai. He would wipe them out himself.

Every last one of them.

A/N: Oh no...it looks like Leo's slipping. Let's hope he doesn't slip too far before Tiger Claw or his real family have a chance to save him.

And what plans does Shredder have in store for them now?