Chapter 2: Beating Up is Hard to Do
Raphael stared up at the imposing figure of Slash, and immediately visions of his brothers' battered bodies danced before his eyes. Instinctively he took a step backward toward Michelangelo who was still on the ground behind him. He had promised himself that he would never allow his former pet to harm his family again. But deep down he also knew that the four of them were stronger as a team. Despite his reluctance to drag his absent brothers into this, their best chance at victory was to work together.
"Call Leo and Donnie," yelled Raph over his shoulder. Not even waiting for a response, he ran up to engage the menacing turtle in battle. Ready for the attack, Slash swung his mace at his opponent. Catching it between the guards of his sai, Raph grunted as he struggled against his attacker's massive strength.
His brother's words and actions snapped Mikey back to attention. "On it!" he said as he scrambled to his feet. He shoved the mutagen canister under his right arm, pulling his T-phone out with the other.
"What's the matter, Raph? Don't think you and the twerp can handle me alone?" taunted Slash. Using brute force, he swung his trapped weapon to the side, effectively dislodging Raph's sai and tossing him to the ground.
"Hey, I'm not a - AH!" Mikey's protest was interrupted as he found the large turtle suddenly bearing down on him, swinging at him wildly with his large mace. Mikey nimbly flipped out of the way, but Slash was relentless. As one blow came particularly close to his head, the young turtle cried out, accidentally dropping his phone in the process. Using his now free hand to grab a low tree branch, he nimbly pulled himself up and climbed higher into the tree, momentarily out of his attacker's reach.
Seeing his opportunity, Slash grinned as he slammed his mace down on the phone, smashing it to pieces.
"Aw, man!" moaned Mikey from his perch. He did not look forward to explaining how he'd managed to break another T-phone to Donnie. Slash, however, had already seemed to lose interest in him as he had turned toward Raph who was back on his feet. Mikey quickly whipped out one of his nunchucks and began whirling it furiously.
"Booyakasha!" he cried as he jumped from the tree branch. While he was successful in drawing the massive turtle's attention back onto himself, the attack failed miserably, and Mikey found himself swiftly knocked away with a powerful backhanded smack.
Raphael's eyes widened as he witnessed Slash treating his baby brother's body like a rag doll for the second time. He could still remember Mikey's unconscious body dangling from the side of a building as clearly as if it had happened mere moments ago. His heart pounded in his chest as he watched his sibling land a few feet away with a soft groan, hurrying to his feet once more.
As the fear of past events repeating themselves gripped him like a vice, Raph made a change in plans. He didn't care if it was reckless, if four on one would be better odds. All he cared about was keeping his brothers safe, and in order to protect his family, he would take on Slash alone. All he needed was to figure out how to get Mikey as far out of harm's way as possible.
Charging Slash with an angry cry, Raph swung and stabbed until he was again able to use his sai to keep the giant turtle's arms occupied. Without even bothering to glance back at Mikey, he shouted, "Hurry up and get out of here! You're just going to have to search for them."
He knew that in reality it was a terrible idea. Mikey's T-phone may have been broken, but his was still in one piece, not to mention they only had a vague idea of where the others might be. It would make far more sense to either try calling them from his phone or to use the tracking device Donnie had installed to locate them. But he needed to send his brother away now, and he didn't want him coming back any time soon.
Mikey eyed Raph wearily, appearing rather dubious of his brother's plan. "What? But Raph - "
Before the young turtle could protest further, Slash broke free of Raph's hold and hurled a clawed hand at his opponent. Raph quickly dodged but immediately engaged him once again, not allowing the violent turtle the opportunity to pursue Mikey.
"Just go!" he yelled forcefully.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mikey hesitate. But just as he was beginning to think that his brother was going to ignore his order, Raph was relieved to finally see a determined look flash across Mikey's face as he grasped the mutagen under his arm and ran toward the street they'd crossed earlier. His relief, however, was short-lived as Slash put all of his strength into a single blow.
Raph felt the fullness of Slash's weight as the large turtle slammed into him. He tumbled along the ground until his shell smacked hard into a nearby tree. Raph grit his teeth against the sudden pain, doing his best to bite back a pitiful moan. Recalling Mikey's retreating figure, however, urged him to his feet. Using the tree as leverage, he stood once more, gripping his sai, angling them toward his attacker.
"So now you wanna fight me one on one, huh?" said Slash with a smirk. "Not too smart, Raphael. But then you never were one for using your head."
"Oh yeah? Well how's this for using my head?" Without warning, Raph barreled into Slash head first, sending the two of them rolling along the ground. Slash dropped his mace at the sudden blow, using his arms to stop their momentum. Before the large turtle could retaliate, however, Raph jumped away and assumed a defensive stance.
"I won't let you hurt my brothers ever again," he threatened, baring his teeth, his eyes narrow.
To Raph's surprise, Slash began to laugh. "I didn't come here for your brothers," he said as he stood upright. Lifting his weapon off the ground with his right hand, he brought the rod down hard in his left. "I came here for you."
Without giving him a chance to react, the large turtle lurched forward and began attacking furiously. Raph jumped and ducked out of the way, trying his best to evade the enemy onslaught. But he soon found himself with his back up against the outer fence of the playground. He readied himself to jump it when Slash suddenly rammed his forearm into his chest. Raph was pinned against the fence, the impact stealing the breath from his lungs and causing him to drop his weapons. As he clawed at the arm holding him in place, Slash leaned in close.
"We were supposed to be partners," he spat, his face mere inches from his captive's, "Patrolling the city together, crushing the lowlifes that got in our way - but you betrayed me."
"I betrayed you?" said Raph, his lips curling in disgust as he fought to break free, "You attacked my brothers! You were gonna kill them!" He briefly stopped struggling as he stared viciously into Slash's eyes. "I wanted us to be partners, but not if it was going to cost me my family. Never if it was going to cost me my family!"
A low growl rumbled from between the massive turtle's clenched jaws. "You were always going on about how you wanted to be free of them, how you wanted to do things your own way," sneered Slash as his eyes narrowed, "And yet all I see is you clinging to that leash they've got you on.
"I was going to give you everything you said you wanted. You didn't need weaklings like them. I was the only family you'd ever need." The longing in the large turtle's eyes for what could have been was unmistakable, but it was quickly replaced with a cold, hard stare. "But you made it very clear that you'd rather stoop to their level than rise to mine." Dropping his mace, Slash pulled back his now free arm and extracted his jagged claws. "And if you won't be my partner, I guess that makes you my enemy."
Raph only had a split second to react. Quickly ducking his head into his shell, Slash's strike missed it's target, his claws clanging against the metal bars behind him instead. While his attacker was momentarily surprised, Raph popped his head back out. Raising his right elbow, he brought it down hard on the arm Slash was using to hold him in place. He then slammed his left palm up into his opponent's jaw, not allowing him time to retaliate. The force of the blow sent Slash stumbling backwards, causing him to finally drop the smaller turtle.
Raphael snatched up his sai and went in for another attack, refusing to lose the upper hand. Leaving him no time to counter, Slash could only attempt to block the sudden onslaught. Realizing he was being driven back, the larger turtle's eyes sought out his discarded weapon, finding it on the ground a few feet away. Snarling, he lunged toward the mace, leaving himself wide open. With a fierce cry, Raph launched a swift kick to his opponent's gut just as his fingers curled around the spiked weapon. Slash skid across the ground, his spiked shell digging into the earth and slowing him to a stop. Rising to his feet, Slash gripped his mace and backed away defensively.
"We don't have to be enemies," said Raph, more cautious now that the larger turtle was once again armed, "But I beat you once, and if I have to, I'll do it again."
Slash laughed darkly. "You didn't 'beat' me," he scoffed, "I fell off a roof. Face it, Raph, you stand no chance against me here on the ground without your cheap tricks."
"'Cheap tricks'?" said Raph, his tone rising in disbelief, "Who was it that ambushed Donnie from behind? Not only that, who imitated Leo, leading Mikey into a trap?"
"That's called cunning," he retorted, his eyes narrow as a cruel smirk spread across his face. "I'm not just some pet anymore; I'm smarter, stronger, and I plan to use my advantages to their fullest." Without warning, Slash suddenly charged at Raph, catching him off guard. He was barely able to put up a defense in time, allowing his attacker to land a harsh blow to his left arm with his mace.
Raph cried out in pain as he quickly jumped out of the way of the next attack, ignoring the blood now trickling down his arm. Forced to drop the sai from that hand, he held the other out in front of him like a shield as he darted behind a nearby tree, his eyes fixed to his attacker.
Slash laughed as he casually twirled his mace before pointing it at his former owner. "So, you think you can protect your brothers, huh? And how exactly do you plan to do that when you can't even protect yourself?"
Backing up slowly, Raph suddenly found himself wishing that Leo were here to come up with a plan to get him out of this. But as soon as the thought struck him, he brushed it aside. He was going to finish this on his own. Slash was his responsibility, and there was no way he was getting his brothers involved.
"You know," said Slash as he continued to advance slowly, flexing his free hand, "With the way things are going, I may finish up here sooner than expected. I've barely been able to work up a sweat, and you did send that brother of yours running off with the mutagen."
Raph's eyes narrowed, at first unsure of what Slash was hinting at. His eyes widened suddenly, however, as he recalled something his former pet had said the night he'd been mutated; Slash could track mutagen by it's scent. No matter where Mikey ran, Slash could find him. Raph snarled, cursing himself for forgetting such an important detail.
Raising his index finger, Slash smugly tapped his nose. "Maybe after I finish you, I'll go after him." His grin darkened. "Just for fun."
Raph could feel the rage swelling inside of him. He growled as he gripped his remaining sai fiercely, his arms shaking with fury. Allowing his emotions to control his actions, the enraged turtle charged at Slash with an angry cry, wanting nothing more than to smack the overconfident smirk off of his face.
"You stay away from him!" he yelled, brandishing his sai out in front of him.
But Slash had been expecting such an attack. With uncanny agility for a creature his size, he dodged the frontal assault by shifting to his attacker's left, punching his injured arm as he came up behind the smaller turtle. Raph grit his teeth at the pain shooting down his arm and swung behind him wildly, but he felt only air as again Slash had anticipated his move and responded with a powerful uppercut. Raph briefly found himself in midair before the ground at last came up to meet him, forcing the air from his lungs.
The turtle lay on his back, gasping for breath and cringing in pain. It felt as if every one of his muscles had been battered and bruised. But his mind could only think of his brothers, and running on pure adrenaline, he forced himself back to his feet, his sai quivering in his grasp as he pointed it at Slash.
The larger turtle smirked, his stance relaxed as if he were merely toying with him. "I always admired that about you, Raphael. You could be beaten within an inch of your life and still find a way to keep on going." He began tapping his mace in his hand. "Makes it more fun for me."
Raph could feel his entire body protesting as Slash began his slow approach once more, dragging the fight out as long as possible. In desperation, he glanced around him, looking for an escape. The thin trees offered little protection and few places to hide, and in his weakened condition, shadows were his closest allies. Finding himself with no other options, Raph sheathed his sai, and, grabbing the top of the fence, he swung his body over it clumsily and ran toward the playground. Reaching the nearest slide, he ran up it and landed on the wooden platform at the top.
"You think I'm just going to let you run away?" said Slash as he too leapt over the fence, continuing his approach. "I've got you right where I want you. You can't escape. You do, and I'll go after your precious baby brother instead."
But the injured turtle had no intention of running away. As Slash followed him into the heart of the playground, Raph made sure to stay just close enough to keep his pursuer's attention. Once he had lured the large turtle into a blind spot, he immediately slid silently over the wall of the tall tower he had reached and grasped at the slats. Clinging to the outer edge like a spider, he crawled around the structure as swiftly as he could manage with his weakened arm until he saw Slash jump onto the tower he'd been on only moments ago.
With the jagged shell now facing him, he dropped down to the soft sand and darted beneath a low, suspended bridge. Clutching his bleeding arm, he fought to stifle his gasps for breath. Through the cracks between the wooden planks, he could see Slash turning his head, searching for any sign of where his prey had escaped to.
"Is that all you've got, Raph?" Slash yelled, trying the lure the smaller turtle out of hiding.
But his opponent stuck to the shadows, ignoring the taunt. As Slash jumped down to the sand, Raph crept out from his hiding place, making sure the larger turtle's dark shell was always to him. Pulling a shuriken out of his belt, he threw it at the metal rung of a ladder to Slash's right. The black masked head whipped around toward the noise, but didn't pursue. Raph repeated the action, this time aiming for one of the metal slides to his left as he ducked low behind a sturdy support beam. From his hiding place, he watched as Slash began to whirl around angrily, clearly growing tired of his little game of hide and seek.
"Come out and fight me, Raphael!" he shouted as he single-handedly swung his mace, smashing one of the supports for a row of monkey bars. Splinters flew as the structure began to sag, groaning under the loss of one of it's beams.
Raph continued to glide silently through the shadows, making it as difficult as possible for Slash to pin down his exact location while keeping him distracted with his shuriken. The large turtle stomped through the sand with a fierce growl, his head darting back and forth as he desperately searched for the source of all the noise. Frustrated, Slash brought down his mace again with an infuriated roar, this time on one of the corners of the bridge Raph had hidden under earlier.
Watching the raging turtle, Raph grasped another shuriken, this time glaring at the back of his opponent's head which stood between two spikes on his massive shell like a target. He knew this could be his only chance at taking down the monster he'd unintentionally created, at making sure his family was safe for good. And yet he also knew he'd never be able to bring himself to actually do it. As he watched the ferocious animal roar in anger, the look on his face softened. Slash was right; he wasn't just some pet anymore. But when he looked at him, he still couldn't help but think of Spike.
With a deep breath, he adjusted his aim. Just as Slash turned to his right, his mace carrying arm exposed, Raph brought back his arm and threw. With skilled precision, he watched as the sharp object embedded itself into the other turtle's shoulder.
With a roar of pain, Slash whirled around, his eyes fixed on the shadows in the general direction the blade must have come from. With a snarl, he ran forward, his weapon raised, and smashed the closest beam. But Raphael had already moved on, circling him again as he readied another shuriken. He once more targeted the arm holding the large weapon, this time hitting his forearm.
Slash was now in a blind rage, swinging his mace wildly as he again dashed toward Raph's supposed hiding place. The smaller turtle continued to dance around his opponent, but he was beginning to notice a flaw in his plan. Thanks to the angry turtle's rampage, he was quickly running out of places to hide. The playground groaned and creaked as more and more support beams were ruthlessly destroyed. If he wasn't careful, the entire thing would collapse on top of him.
Raph glanced down at his arm which was still bleeding steadily. He frowned, realizing he shouldn't keep this up for much longer, but knowing he couldn't simply try to escape without bringing his pursuer's rage upon his brothers. He would just have to stay on the offensive in hopes of wearing Slash down before the blood loss began effecting his reflexes.
He nearly jumped, however, when his T-phone began to vibrate. He knew it must have been Leo and Donnie checking in on how the search for the mutagen was going, but answering it would surely attract Slash's attention. But if they had already found their canister and were on their way to find him, he had to hurry. He didn't want them mixed up in this, and he currently had no way of warning them without endangering himself.
Gritting his teeth, Raph grabbed more shuriken and continued to aim for the arm wielding the giant mace. To his dismay, however, he only managed to lodge two more in the already injured arm before his opponent successfully dodged the fifth at the last second. Slash was calming down ever so slightly, beginning to catch on to his movements, and he was able to avoid the next two attempts completely. A sense of panic began to settle in the pit of Raph's stomach as the large turtle turned and looked directly at the shadows he was using for cover, a victorious smirk on his face.
Not allowing him time to escape, Raph found the large turtle quickly bearing down on him, switching his mace from his bleeding right arm to his uninjured left. He did his best to use what still stood of the wooden playground as a shield. But even without the strength of his dominant arm, Slash was tearing through it as if it were made of paper, and Raph found himself forced into the open sand to avoid being crushed. This was exactly the opportunity his attacker had been waiting for, and with a clumsy swing, he hit the smaller turtle square in the chest, sending him flying backwards.
After the hit to his plastron and harsh landing in the shallow sand, Raph tried desperately to control his breathing. Dizzy, he cursed, trying to force his body back into action, but it had stopped listening. All he could manage was to weakly prop himself up with his uninjured arm. His head spinning from the movement, the turtle let out a hiss of pain, squeezing his eyes shut tightly.
With a triumphant grin, Slash towered over the fallen turtle. "Did you really think a few paper cuts would slow me down?" he taunted, casually glancing at his injured arm. Gripping the mace with his other hand, he slowly raised it above his head, eyes fixed on the small turtle before him.
"It's over, Raphael," he said, "No more fooling around."
Opening his eyes, Raph tried to stay defiant in the face of his attacker, but his heart couldn't help but be filled with fear and sadness. He thought of Mikey running around the city with the mutagen thoughtlessly tucked under his arm. The young turtle would be unaware of the dangers waiting to hunt him down, and he knew he had failed in his mission to protect his brothers from the monster he'd created. Even when given the chance, he just couldn't deal the finishing blow to his former friend and confidant.
"Spike," he murmured, barely above a whisper as he locked eyes with the large turtle. For a split second, Raph could have sworn that he saw that same sadness reflected in his old pet's eyes, but they hardened again quickly as he let out a low growl.
"I'm not gonna say it again," he said, "The name is Slash."
As the weapon began it's descent, Raph, scared as he was, refused to turn his gaze away despite knowing that there was nothing he could do to avoid the oncoming strike. But before the mace could reach him, a long chain suddenly wrapped itself around Slash's wrist, yanking him backwards. The large turtle stumbled and dropped his weapon, unprepared for the attack, as he was pulled toward the tire swings behind him. It all happened so quickly that Raph was at first unsure of what was going on, but as he watched Slash snarl in fury, he heard another voice.
"Get away from him, you over-sized pin cushion!"
Raphael stared wide-eyed at Michelangelo who stood on top of the tire swings' support beams, wrapping the other end of his kusarigama to the sturdy structure. Slash struggled to get free, swinging a clawed hand at his captor, but the young turtle flipped out of his reach effortlessly.
"Didn't see that coming, did ya?" crowed Mikey as he landed. Running over to his injured brother, he said, "Sorry I'm late! I had to find a good spot to hide the mutagen." Stopping in front of him, he reached down to take hold of Raph's uninjured arm. "Dude, you look terrible!"
"What are you doing here?" Raph asked, a hint of anger in his voice. As Mikey helped him to his feet, he ground his teeth and winced, trying to ignore the pain shooting through his battered body.
"What are you talking about?" asked Mikey as he swung Raph's arm around his neck so that his older brother could use him as a crutch. "That was the plan, wasn't it? Ditch the mutagen so Slash couldn't smell where I was and then hit him with a sneak attack? I mean, there's no way something as dumb as sending me out to search, like, a hundred city blocks for Leo and Donnie was the real plan."
Raph looked at his brother, dumbfounded, as they slowly began navigating through all of the fallen wooden beams. He wasn't sure whether he should be upset that Mikey hadn't done what he'd been told, happy he'd made it back in time to save him, or surprised his baby brother had remembered the important detail he himself had forgotten.
"...that wasn't the real plan, was it?" Mikey repeated cautiously.
In typical Raph fashion, the gruff turtle finally settled on angry. With a frustrated growl, he yelled, "Yes!"
Before his brother had a chance to respond, a loud roar caused both of them to jump. They quickly turned to where Slash had been chained to the tire swings, but he had already managed to break free of his bonds and was now running after them angrily, grabbing his mace as he passed where it had fallen. Mikey cried out in surprise as he tried to force Raph into a faster pace, but the injured turtle simply couldn't keep up.
"Just hurry up and get out of here!" cried Raph, panting heavily, "He's not after you, he's after me!"
His brother's eyes widened in surprise. "What? No way! I'm not leaving y- AH!"
Mikey pushed Raph roughly out of the way as Slash's mace hit the ground where they had just been standing, throwing sand into the air. Shielding his eyes, the young turtle drew out his remaining nunchuck. Whirling it furiously at Slash, he attempted to separate the massive turtle from his injured brother. Reaching into his belt with his free hand, he pulled out a smoke bomb and threw it directly into their attacker's face. With a ferocious cry, the large turtle began swinging his mace around wildly, no longer able to see the targets in front of him.
"Come on!" said Mikey as he grabbed Raph's arm again, attempting to drag him to his feet. But before Raph could leave the ground, he was suddenly pushed back down. "Duck!"
The older turtle found his head being pushed into the sand, a burst of air above his head as Slash's mace flew harmlessly by. He could feel his baby brother's arms covering his head protectively as the furious turtle's roars were accompanied by loud crashes and groans. Suddenly, Raph cried out in agony as he felt a sharp pain in his right foot. He found himself beginning to lose consciousness, and as darkness overtook him, he swore he could ever so faintly hear Mikey calling his name.
A/N: I seriously underestimated the amount of description involved in fight scenes, haha. I'm very interested in hearing how I did with them and if there's anything I can work on. As always, critics and grammar police appreciated!