Devastating Decisions

Donatello continued his furious assault on the keyboard; narrowing the number of connections, again and again, until the terminal where Medes was hiding was completely isolated from the rest of the network. Satisfied that the soul was out of immediate danger, he bent to the task of eradicating the intruder. They were slippery, he'd give them that. Eliminating them from the system required his complete focus.

Moments later it was over as Don isolated the last of the intrusive code and neutralized it. He leaned back with a satisfied sigh and turned to Medes' terminal.

"You ok?" Don typed.

In answer, Medes small face appeared in the screen. Surprised, Don rolled his chair back, as it attempted to climb out. It seemed to be having some difficulty and it stretched one hand towards Don in entreaty.

Donatello hesitated. Would he be bonded if he touched the soul?

He looked up from the outstretched hand into the small soul's eyes. They were exactly like hers; pleading and completely irresistible. He found he could not stop himself from reaching out to help.

Their hands met.

Power surged from the small form and Don's body went rigid in shock. Pain flared from the top of his head to the soles of his feet and Don cried out. He tried to open his hand and release the soul but found he could not. The pain went on and on as his body convulsed and his vision began to blur.

He struggled to raise his head, but all he saw was a distorted smile on the once beautiful little face. It practically split the head in two and stretched from ear to ear. It's eyes had turned black and beady. Sharply pointed teeth gleamed as Don's eyelids slid shut.

Everything went black and he knew no more.

Hades…

Raphael was familiar with the name. Don had said Charon, the devilish ferryman, was his underling.

Charon had tried to kill her. There was no way he was lettin' Hades past him.

By the time Raph's thoughts caught up, his body had already reacted. Raph shoved the silver flame in Luna's direction, pressed the panic button on his phone, and drew his other sai. Flames shot up in front of him in a solid wall, as he turned and dove for Luna, sweeping her bodily off the table and twisting to shelter her from the brunt of the fall to the floor on the other side of the infirmary.

The silver light reacted instantly to his panicked adrenaline and shot across the space behind them, shattering the shield Luna had cast over the room before diving straight into to her unconscious form.

The door burst in as Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Donatello answered his call and joined the fray. Donnie flipped the table on it's side as Mikey grabbed Luna's limp form from Raph and shoved her down behind it. He and Don crouched protectively over her while Leo and Raph took point. Raph withdrew his wall of flame as Fina and Sol joined them, hovering overhead.

Hades had not moved. He clapped slowly and sardonically with a wry twist to his lips as the brothers arrayed themselves protectively around Luna.

"So, Luna has created quite the little family here hasn't she," Hades laughed. "Even as a mortal Zeus could not keep her instincts in check."

"Raph? Who is this, and what has he done to Luna?" Leo growled out between clenched teeth.

"Hades," Raph spat back, eyes never leaving the dark cloaked figure. "He's that devil Charon's overload an' supposed ruler of da underworld. I don't know what he did ta' Luna, she's been catatonic since I came in."

"Don?" Leo called to his genius brother to check her condition.

Hades eyes turned dark.

"As Luna's family, I've given you far more leeway than I would offer any other mortal or god. I've stood by while you've questioned my motives and identity. I did not destroy you for maligning my kingdom and my subjects," Hades roared, "But don't you ever, EVER accuse me of harming the goddess.

She is the sole reason my linage continues. She has hidden and safeguarded the only thing that means anything to me in this blasted overworld. She is the savior of my realm; the only truly compassionate Olympian I have ever encountered and I would end this world, and my own, before harming a single hair on her head."

During this speech, Hades eyes had gone completely yellow and he had brought his significant power to bear on them. The air felt thick with it but if he thought it would cow them than he was mistaken. The three stood firm, weapons at the ready, as Donatello quickly assessed Luna as best he could in the flickering light.

Don paled and slowly rose to his feet. Just as slowly he reached for his bo. He bared his teeth at Hades and lunged; leaping over the table and bounding across the room in a motion so fast his figure was a blur. He caught the front of Hades' cloak in his fist and raised him off the floor; pulling the god toward him until they were nose to nose.

Don's eyes were wild and held nothing but absolute fury as he ground out two words.

"She's dead."

Five thousand miles away, on a small island off the coast of Crete, a Master of ninjutsu crept silently along the corridor of an ancient Greek temple. At the end of the hall were two large wooden doors that opened into the Oracle's private reception chamber.

As he neared them he disappeared completely into the shadows. One of the doors was slightly ajar and, with great caution, the Master approached and listened to the conversation taking place on the other side.

"Charon, it's been weeks," a petulant female voice said loudly. "Yet you have not presented me with a single piece of Luna's soul. You claim she is dead, so how hard could it be to track down the little things?"

As he had begun to suspect, the Oracle was plotting against his daughter. Though, despite her foresight, she did not have all the information he did. Luna had spoken with him mere days ago, so unless something traumatic had happened, she was alive and well.

He had never expected a semi-mortal goddess as a daughter. In fact, he had despaired of his sons ever finding acceptance and love. He had foreseen a powerful young woman entering their lives as a teacher, but he never imagined that she would be more. Until he met her.

He had felt her power and emotions. Joined with her mind. Saw the joy and love she inspired in all his sons, not just her mates. And he knew.

She belonged with them. Now and always.

An old proverb said "Sons may be the heart of the home, but it's soul resides in the daughters."

The Master knew this to be true. He had already lost one daughter in his lifetime and it had stripped his soul bare. He was not about to lose another; no matter how unanticipated she had been.

His eyes narrowed and his whiskers slicked back as he listened intently and considered his next move.