Disclaimer - Although my initial plans were to leave Seduction as a single-chaptered story, Midnight Heir's 'Red, White, and Blue' challenged me to write more on this tragic tale. This will be a multi-fic story, now, although not a marathon.
Once again, I keep trying to remind myself that I do not own the TMNT's, I'm only borrowing, but - it sure feels like I own them. Nevertheless, I make no money or special appearances. I am a boring housewife, with nothing better to do with my time than to write happy little stories about ninja turtles. Well, usually happy little stories. Bwahahaha
My appreciation to all who have encouraged me through the now-working (yeah) review window, too. Thanks!
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Chapter 2 - Avenger's Cry
He leapt between buildings, his effort great since the distance was great, and for a fleeting moment midway through the arc, he hoped he wouldn't make it. What he had to do this evening might prove his father wrong and his theory correct and, despite the fact that he had been so adamant about it, there was a spark of hope wanting his suspicions unfounded. To return with such news that said he was right would destroy not only his father, but also his dead brother's reputation as ninja - for no ninja should have been as clueless as Leo had been.
In any event, he did make the opposite ledge, and as he sprinted across the rooftop, his quest continued.
Keeping to the normal code of silence, Raphael kept his inner rage to a simmering boil. His anger mute against the cacophony of noise from the city far below, this was not the time or place to let loose his wrath. No, he would wait until such a moment where it would count. Then, even the demons from hell would tremble in his wake, because all that would matter to him then would be to get justice for his murdered brother.
Currently, he was on a simple information-gathering mission, sent by his father, and one that would confirm his or Splinter's worst fears. If it should be the former, Raph would go against his sensei's wishes, unleashing his rage to full measure. Then, whatever accord he and his family had shared with the Foot, would be invalid. Considering the reason for his foray, anyway, it was already a moot point, no matter who within the organization had done the deed. In the end, Raph would have his revenge.
In reality, though, his quest had begun two weeks earlier when his family's peace shattered into a million shards. Before that event, however, they had enjoyed a kind of freedom of which they had only dreamed. Once they had accepted the truce, for many months and through Leonardo's insistence, they took advantage of it, racing across rooftops unmolested, exploring the city; and conducting training runs without the threat of attack from the Foot. Months of accord with their long-suffering enemy had afforded them this kind of luxury. In spite of their concerns that it had only been a ruse to dull their senses, the longer the amnesty was between the Foot and the turtles, the more complacent they had all become. There had only been one altercation marring the relative cooperation between the two clans. That soldier had paid with his life, too - by Karai's sword, in fact. She was swift with her judgment yet never hesitated informing the turtle clan of her employee's fate for disobeying her orders. It was a cruel way to enact justice, maybe, but it was one deemed necessary, if real peace was to reign between the two clans.
Raph growled inwardly, a sudden rage rising up within him, as he leapt over an air-conditioning unit blocking his path. He thought about how foolish they had all been.
How stupid, to believe she really meant it, he hissed.
Raphael was certain he was right about Karai, too, certain that she was still alive. And, if she wasn't, it really didn't matter, because Leo was dead, and Raph would make sure that someone would pay for his brother's mistake in trust.
As he ran across the gravely rooftop, Raph realized he couldn't fault anyone in his clan for dropping their guard. Leonardo's safe return from each of his many visits to her apartment, where Karai waited for him, had mollified them, blinding them to the dangers. Over time, their lifestyle became one of mundane expectations, days filled with boring repetitive habits, and just living the way normal people would.
If Raphael were honest with himself, though, he would have to admit that it was a pleasant change from their constant battle with the Foot. Consequently, after several months passed in relative peace, he - and his family - chose to look the other way, that is, until that fateful night.
As Raph thought back to that moment, they had already been looking for Leonardo. He had been AWOL for two days and it was unlike him to be gone for so long, even with his romantic meetings with Karai. Although they had left messages on her phone's answering machine, asking where Leonardo was, Karai never called them back.
Finally, they chanced a visit to her more public residence, the one she had rented for the soul purpose of receiving Leonardo. She did so to guarantee his safety, where the chances of someone 'interrupting' them would be minimal. Taking an apartment north of Manhattan, her residence was the only one on the twentieth story. It faced the Hudson River, too, and the only rental in the complex that did so, giving them a privacy that even her penthouse could ill afford.
In any event, when Raph and his brothers arrived, they found the apartment vacant, not a piece of furniture left. After breaking in, they scoured the rooms, checking into closets, kitchen cabinets, and even venturing down into the basement to see if she had tossed something through the trash flue, anything that might explain Leo's disappearance.
When they had finally finished their investigation, though, other than trace amounts of bleach and a few strands of Karai's hair, they found nothing of her or their brother.
It occurred to Don, then, especially with the bit of bleach he had found - which would have been the correct cleaner to remove blood, that there might have been a mutiny of sorts within the Foot. It was a foregone conclusion that as large an organization that the clan was, there could be a few disgruntled members, a few Foot soldier unhappy about the amnesty.
And, given the fact that Karai was quite attractive, too, it wasn't hard to imagine she might have had a secret admirer, as well. This admirer would probably find Leonardo courting Karai and subsequent participation in her bed quite repulsive and a challenge to his affections.
Consequently, when the three brothers returned to their lair and Don shared his theory with Splinter, both decided that must have been what happened. It wouldn't have been too surprising if the Foot had turned in on itself and took matters into their own hands about the truce. Mike had tentatively sided with his father and brother, but as for Raphael - he still believed Karai was alive and the reason for Leonardo's disappearance.
Then, a few days later and after scouring the city again in another fruitless search, they tried to take in a little diversion, to rest up, to recharge. That was when they made the horrific discovery.
As Raph thought about it, as he scaled up the side of another building, he was not that surprised with the news, when the special report interrupted the program they were watching. As he hefted himself onto another rooftop and took in a breath of smog-rich air, he would never forget that moment, either, not with how everyone had reacted…
As the Special Report came on, everyone on the couch groaned.
"Great, just great, right when it's gettin' interesting," Raph grumped, tipping his beer back and taking a generous gulp. He leaned into the corner of the couch where he sat, wiping his mouth dry with his forearm, glaring at the scene on the television as it changed to that of a newsroom.
The news commentator looked into the camera, sitting behind his desk, paper in hand. Behind him and to his left, was a picture of a turtle, a red-eared slider in fact, and one of the X-Men characters slightly overlapping it. Raph squinted at the television, recognizing Wolverine, and wondered why they would do that…unless…
Mike then lobbed a fistful of popcorn at the television, breaking into Raphael's thoughts, complaining, "What can be so import…"
"HUSH!" Raph and Don both ordered him, just as the reporter began speaking. Mike stopped his chewing and gulped, curiously looking at both his brothers before returning to watch the news.
"Good evening, I'm Chet Reynolds. We apologize for interrupting your programming. A few hours ago, local police were called to investigate a body found alongside the shoreline of the Henry Hudson Parkway in northwest Manhattan. Police haven't yet identified the remains; but it is not the identity that has the authorities puzzled. In fact, this case would be better suited for… the X-Files."
The X-File's familiar theme song then began playing, as the station switched to a scene filmed earlier, when it was still daylight out. It showed the Hudson River flowing generously on its way to the ocean, with the shores of New Jersey in the distance. As the camera panned to the right and the music faded, another man's face came into view - another reporter, his microphone in hand, his eyes firm on the camera.
"This is Ramon Garcia, reporting for channel six and we learned just a while ago from the authorities that at around three this afternoon, two teenage boys, biking along the parkway, discovered something that will rival the alligator in the sewer myth."
The scene then moved to the reporter's right to settle on an area already busy with CSI personnel. As the camera zoomed in and the investigative scene took up the entire view, the turtles recognized the familiar yellow police tape roping off the area. Within the confines of the segregated square, forensic personnel, with their CSI labeled vests signifying their authority, worked around a plastic sheet, yellow in color, and lying across what appeared to be the deceased. Yet, there was an eerily familiar rounded mound clearly definable under the bright hued cover. One of the men peeled back a corner of the sheet to look at what lay underneath, and then he shook his head, he said something to his partner. Then, he shrugged, apparently confused by what he saw..
"Guys, I…I have a very bad feeling about…" Mike began, but Raph cut him off.
"Shut the shell up, Mike, and just listen for once!"
In response, Mike hunkered deeper into the cushions and took a deep breath. He drew his legs up and then wrapped his arms around them. He shivered once and swallowed, then felt Donnie pat his shoulder as they stared at the television. Mikey was both transfixed and nauseous, his worst fears niggling at him, as he continued to listen to the report.
"As we were told earlier," the reporter began again, "what the police found this afternoon was astonishing. It seems the body that washed ashore is that of a turtle. Yet, this is not your average backyard variety, folks. From what we were told when we first arrived, it seems to be an abnormality, a mutated version of the lowly humble terrapin."
"No, please no, please, if there is a god, no…" Mike moaned, as he and his two brothers continued to stare at the scene. All were transfixed with the story, each one holding their breath, their stomachs knotting in anxiety, each silently praying the same prayer that Mikey had.
The news reporter continued, "Just a moment ago, an expert in the field of herpetology talked with this reporter."
As the scene switched to the interview, filmed earlier in the taping, the brothers simultaneously leaned forward, each of them focused on the television, hoping against hope that what they feared most was a misunderstanding of the reporter's facts.
"I am here with Dr. Algrove of the Bronx Zoo, director of the reptile department and a professor of herpetology at Columbia University. What exactly do we have here, Dr. Algrove?" the reporter asked, shoving a microphone towards the other man's face.
As the Doctor's name and job title appeared along the bottom of the screen, "Well, we're not exactly sure, but by all accounts, it seems to be a very large trachemys scripta."
Taking his microphone back, the reporter remarked, "I see," and then asked, "What kind of turtle is that, Dr. Algrove?" and then positioned the mic in front of his interviewee once more.
"Oh," he chuckled, "Sorry, I forget not everyone uses the scientific term. A red-eared slider, and the largest one that I've ever seen." It was easy to discern the excitement in the man's eyes as he glanced over at the yellow-covered mound, "Not your average garden variety, that's for sure."
"And why would that be, sir?"
"Well, it has legs, for one…" The doctor glanced at the reporter again and seemed satisfied with his reply. As he noticed a growing impatience from the man standing next to him, Dr. Algrove added, leaning into the microphone a bit, "...and arms. He seems to be - bipedal, that is if the calluses on his feet are an indication."
"A turtle…that can walk on two legs? Isn't that - impossible?"
A small chuckle distracted two of the brothers on the couch for a moment. When Raph glared at Donnie in warning, his purple-banded brother nodded solemnly and went back to watching the television again.
"Usually, but - evidently - not with this one. He's had some extensive injuries and some scaring. He seems to be wearing arm and knee bands, along with a belt…."
And that was all it took, then, for all hell to break loose in the lair.
Screaming for Splinter, Michelangelo jumped from the couch and raced to his father's room, not wasting time to knock, but barging in with a cry in his voice. "Oh my god, my god, she killed him, Karai killed Leo!"
"What?" the rat was to his feet in an instant, his mediation forgotten. "Why do you say this, my son?"
At first, Mike could only point repeatedly towards the living area, his mouth trying to form words, but failing. When he finally found his voice again, "He…he's on television, they - they," and then he collapsed to his knees, hyperventilating, and holding onto himself, "We - we were right, Oh god, oh god, Sensei, we were right…Raph was right, how come we couldn't be wrong," Mikey wailed, "I think I'm gonna be sick," and he did, right there on Splinter's bedroom floor.
Ignoring his son's plight, Splinter was out of his bedroom in a flash. He headed for the main living area, where he found Donatello in a struggle with Raphael. The red-masked turtle was yelling expletives, while Donnie, who was crying, held onto him, trying to keep him from leaving the lair or trashing it. Splinter couldn't tell, since there were a few household items broken and strewn around the lair.
In either case, as Splinter stood there, Michelangelo had recovered himself to join his father in the living room. He was still crying, too, numb with shock, with spittle from his vomit on his plastron. He stood there, weaving a little in disorientation, while his other two brothers fought. Mikey held himself as if he would quite literally blow away.
"I'll kill that bitch, so help me I'll rip her head right off, I'll destroy the entire Foot headquarters, I'll…!" Raphael raged on.
"RAPHAEL!" Splinter's strong voice resounded, the sharp crack of his walking stick resonating against the stone floor. Everyone ducked in reaction, where they were all too familiar with their father's cane. It effectively halted the altercation between his two sons, though, a deafening silence filling the lair.
Splinter then calmly announced, "You will do nothing, my son. Not until we have all of our facts," and then the rat turned towards the television, where the screen showed the camera panning over the area where all the activity was taking place along the Hudson. "Is this the source of your information? How many times must I tell you not to believe…" and then Splinter went quiet as he stared at the televsion. His eyes widened in horror. as in that moment, the camera zoomed in on the yellow plastic blanket, the hump under the sheet unmistakable and obvious.
"Oh, no, Leonardo…my son…"and with a hand covering his mouth, with tears brimming in his eyes, the old rat walked slowly over to the sofa to sit down.
His remaining sons joined him, as Mike, who wept softly, sat next to his father. Splinter wrapped an arm around his youngest son's shoulders to comfort him, as Donnie sat down on the opposite side of the rat, crying as well.
Finally, Raphael seated himself on the armrest next to his genius brother. His eyes were wide and angry, fearful, too, yet he glared at the television, as if the device was responsible for this terrible event.
The four continued to listen to the news, recognizing their brother's description from the herpetologist's analysis. Despite the tragedy, while Mike and Don cried, Raphael and Splinter remained stoic and silent. Internally, one raged like an angry volcano, while the other sat in shocked grief.
"So, what're we gonna do? Just let those stinkin' scientist keep Leo's body? Ya know what they're gonna do to 'em, don'cha?" Raph hollered, standing up and facing his family.
As Mike and Don listened, the phone rang and they knew it would be April, or Casey. They ignored it, however, too traumatized to react. In any event, Splinter replied, his voice thick with emotion, "There is nothing that we can do, Raphael." He swallowed then and sighed, "Leonardo, your brother, is most likely dead, it make sense where he has been gone for so long," he waved a hand towards the television, "His body is in the hands of the authorities. We cannot intervene because of who and what we are, and anyone that we might send on our behalf, such as Miss Oneal or Mr. Jones, would be suspect, not only to explain your brother's existence, but his death as well."
"This just plain sucks!" Raph growled, upending the coffee table and grabbing up a nearby lamp to lob it against the far wall. The fixture broke into several parts and settled along the floor, its remnants scattered about.
"Yes, I cannot disagree with you," his father said, "but we must remain in control and vigilant for any further information that the news has to share. I am certain they will determine how your brother died."
"It's not the how, Sensei," Don remarked, sniffing, "But who did it."
Mikey nodded in agreement, wiping a hand across his snout, "Yeah, I mean, I might not be the sharpest tack here, but - Karai comes to mind."
As Raphael tried to add his own opinion, Splinter raised a paw to silence him, "We will make no assumptions until all details are exhausted. We will wait." His upturned chin and his penetrating gaze told Raphael he would not brook any challenges on the matter, and so he uttered a guttural scream and stormed off to his room, slamming the door behind him.
As days passed, newspapers and Internet sites, as well as the televised news, provided more information regarding New York's giant 'turtle-man'. There were the side reports about people publicly admitting seeing something matching its description, before it washed ashore. To them, though, he was a hero. They spoke of how he and others like him had intervened during robberies or muggings, or maybe just helping them out in general, when a need arose. Many of those who shared these insights, though, were the homeless and those of questionable character, such as prostitutes.
There was the occasional 'Joe Citizen', the innocent victim who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, only to have a savior in green rescue him. Yet, the authorities didn't seem too interested, despite the obvious proof of the dead giant turtle.
Just the same, the fact that these witnesses admitted to seeing more than one mutant turtle caused a great deal of concern for the clan. The last thing they needed now was to have an all-out search by hunters and thrill-seekers for giant turtles in the sewers. Their only hope to remain unmolested by the public would be for them to cease and desists all outings to the surface. In the end, Splinter implemented a temporary curfew about going topside, with the possibility of making it permanent.
And it didn't sit well with Raphael either. That first week had been torturous for him - and for his brothers, but then, things became more interesting when the news reported how Leonardo had died.
"I knew it, I KNEW IT!" Raphael growled as he furiously paced around the lair, "She set him up, she betrayed him, it had to be Karai!"
"They only know he had his throat cut and his chest stabbed. It could have been anyone, Raph; maybe even a jealous soldier within the Foot clan, like Splinter and I theorized." Donatello reasoned.
"Okay, brainiac, tell me this then…" Raph charged his brother, who sat on the couch, forcing Donnie to shrink back slightly, his arms up in defensive. As Raph went beak to beak with him, "If someone 'offed' the two of them, why hasn't Karai's body been found, as well? I think she's still alive and if she IS innocent, why hasn't she called us?" He snorted and straightened up again, throwing his hands in the air in frustration, "It's been freakin' a week, Donnie; Karai has called Leo at least twice every week since…since they've been together." He straightened and stormed around the room before slumping into the far wall, his shell ringing loudly against the brick construction. Folding his arms in front of him in a huff, "If Karai IS alive, she would'a seen the news, and if she's innocent, if she loved Leo like she said she did, she would have called us…to give us her condolences. But she hasn't, so that means she's either dead or she's guilty!"
Donnie shook his head and shrugged, "I know and maybe I'm in denial. I was hoping that Leo had changed her, that she had fallen in love with him. I was hoping he had just decided to spend a few extra days with her, doing…whatever it was they did together. I dunno, Raph…"
"He would'a called, idiot! Leo wouldn't do that without calling." With that, Raph headed for the exit, "Karai killed him and then dumped his body inta the Hudson!" Then, with a warning glance from Splinter to stay inside, Raphael snapped, "I won't go topside," and then he rushed out the door and into the sewers.
The rat slumped back against his chair in defeat and let out a breath. After repeated attempts had failed to get them to stop their bickering, Splinter had resigned himself to letting his sons debate the issue uninterrupted. He only had enough energy to sit there in his rocker, watching the news; hoping and praying that something different about Leonardo's demise would make the airwaves.
He needed answers. More importantly, though, he wanted his family whole again.
Eight days after Leo's discovery, a report of someone finding a peculiar knife showed up on the evening news as an addendum to the story. It had everyone in the lair gathering around the television set. April and Casey were there, too, although subdued in their grief. The mourning time over Leo's murder seemed to hang like a pall over the tight-knit group of friends, the joyless atmosphere thick and suffocating. Yet, the news report seemed to ignite a spark of interest and so they listened intently to the report.
It appeared that an angler had been fishing along the shores of the Hudson and had snagged a knife, his line catching on the ornate hilt of the weapon. He told the reporter at the time that he remembered the news account days earlier regarding the 'giant turtle'. When he saw the knife, he knew it had to have something to do with the strange creature.
Just days earlier, the brothers had learned from an Internet site, one dedicated primarily to Leonardo - or Turtle-Man, as he was labeled - that forensics had performed a necropsy on Leo's body. The report said that, with the way his chest had been cut and the contours of the wound that it was made by a curved blade. His throat had been sliced open, as well, so it was a given Leo had bled out, but - more to the point, it said to his brothers that he had been executed.
Nevertheless, the fisherman knew when he saw the knife, that it had to be the one in question and, so, he called it in.
By the next day, the news reported that lab testing proved the blade matched the wound in Leonardo's plastron. There were fingerprints, too, bloody ones, but none matched those the authorities had on file.
Of course, it only confirmed to Raphael and his family that the Foot were responsible for Leonardo's murder. Then, when the newscast showed a picture of the knife, it matched the one that Leo had given to Karai. It only further cemented the idea that, if Karai wasn't responsible, then someone from the Foot had done the need.
And, with that said, another round of arguments ensued between Raphael and Donatello.
Originally, Leo had forged the knife, carving the handle himself, spending every spare moment creating his gift for her. Raphael had contested the gift, too, telling Leo he was only giving Karai something that could bite him back, and in the worst possible way.
"Hey," Leo had chuckled, waving away his brother's concerns, "Karai's had plenty of opportunities over the past four months to betray me, and she hasn't, Raphael. And Karai has enough weapons at her disposal to do the job. Trust me, she won't betray me, she loves me." and then he left the lair, heading for his lover's apartment, his gift beautifully wrapped, and tucked securely under one arm.
Now he was dead and the entire world knew about the knife, save for its history.
As Raphael reached the top of the building, he stood there, staring out across the expanse of other structures. Beyond them, six blocks away, towered the Saki building, its distinctive penthouse crowning the imposing edifice. It was there he would find his answers and, if he was correct, it would be there where he would find justice for his brother.
Raphael looked back and saw a fleeting glimpse of a figure darting into shadows. He stared hard, waiting, patient…knowing. He chuckled then, knowing what followed him and he would certainly engage them, but only after he had completed his assignment.
Then, with sai in hand, he would gladly welcome back the war.
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A/N - Next chapter is done, I just have to fine-tune it. It's a little more disturbing than this one, too, so - yeah - hold on tight. :0)