A/N first off, sadly, I don't own the turtles... sadly...
Secondly- thanks so much for the reviews! You guys a freakin' awesome! I love it! thanks so much, you guys have like totally boosted my confidence.
I owe a great deal of thanks to Kyaserin Marii, for their suggestion of the mind manipulation- thanks so much! You've been a great help, and I decided to go with your idea.
lastly... I'd like to apologise for this next chapter... I'm already running low on ideas and juice. I think the first few chapters where pretty good, and this one... well, this chapter kind of reminds me why I stopped writing!
I hope you stick through it though, because it will get better from this chapter! (I hope...)
I tried to write a fighting scene, but it's not very clear... and I don't really know how to write fighting scenes- so any suggestions would be great too!! I hope you enjoy...
(Warning: the start is a bit... mushy, I suppose. I was listening to a nice song when I wrote it, so it's not my fault! Blame the music! lol)
Chapter Four - One Step forward, One Step back
Two weeks later
It hadn't been easy for them- for any of them. But they had their brother back. Their leader. Leo. Donnatello smiled, staring at his computer screen. It had been hours since he'd done any real work, he was too happy.
I think... This is the closest we've ever come to loosing him. I know he's nearly died countless times because of physical injuries... But... we nearly...
Slowly, bit by bit, they had put all their pieces back together, fitting in again. A few days ago, they had almost gotten completely back into their normal schedule.
Of course, that didn't mean things were all great and fine and good again. Leo still had a long way to go before... before he was really normal again. But then, so did Raphael.
Donnatello grinned wider at the change in his hot-headed older brother. He rarely challenged Leo anymore, sure, he still got angry, still fought, still shouted at them, he wouldn't be Raphael if he didn't. But... he appreciated them all more. Not by going around dishing out hugs and being mushy, but... he smiled a little more. Got angry a little less.
Donnatello moved stiffly. Wondering how his brothers were doing. It was the first night in two weeks that Leo hadn't been down to check on him. Donnatello understood that he'd been spending some nights with Michaelangelo, and training, or working out with Raphael in the early hours of the morning when neither could sleep.
Donnatello stretched. Thinking about Michaelangelo- if you saw Leo, you were almost garunteed to see Mikey close behind. It had taken Mikey three days to leave Leo alone. Infact, it had been when Leo went to take a shower, and Michaelangelo whined, that Leo finally drew the line.
Mikey, it's not that I don't... appreciate you, but it's kind of hard to shower with your lil' bro hanging onto your leg.
Donnatello laughed aloud. Yeah. Mikey still can't bare to be apart from him for too long. Sitting next to Leo on the sofa, at the table, standing close to him, running next to him, when he would usually be off leaping and bounding, showing off, even fighting right next to him.
Donnatello stood, thinking about Leo... He moved to the stairs, finding his way to Leo's room.
I'm just... just gonna check he's there. I know he will be... but... still. Donnatello told himself silently.
But he stopped, the door half open under his arm. Michaelangelo had appeared, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Donnatello looked at him, then smiled.
They both turned, seeing Raphael walk over. Raphael frowned at them. Donnatello frowned back.
"What're ya doin'?" Raphael whispered.
"Uh... nightmare." Michaelangelo said quietly. Yeah, right Mikey. Donnatello thought mildly, but smiled. "You?"
"Checking on him... y'know..." Donnatello said weakly. It was Mikey's turn to smile. "Raph?"
"Uh... well... ya see..." Raphael trailed off.
For a long moment, they stared at eachother.
So, this is what happens when there isn't enough Leo to go around. Donnatello smiled and opened the door.
Leo cried out- in the fits of a nightmare.
Michaelangelo vanished, then appeared once more with a pillow, dragging his blanket on the ground behind him. He cut Donnatello a sheepish look, then curled up beside Leo.
Donnatello turned to Raphael who shrugged. Donnatello went in, and got in beside Michaelangelo, sharing his pillow and blanket.
For a long time, Raphael stared down at them.
I came so close to loosing all of them... Raphael sighed, looking at Leo. You're the glue, bro. The glue that holds our pieces together.
Leo muttered something, and shifted back on his futon, lifting the blanket for Raphael. Raphael scowled for a moment, then looked at his other brothers.
They were all alseep.
I'll... I'll just wake up before 'em. They don't needa know. Raphael thought mildly, then slipped in beside Leo.
Leo opened his eyes a little, surrounded by his brothers. He smiled.
I need a bigger bed...
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The trouble always seemed to start just before they went home. And the problem always seemed to be with the patrols that went without a hitch until the last stretch 'til home.
"Foot." Leo warned- before they were surrounded by dozens of Foot Ninja's. Weapons were drawn- metal shone in the street-lights, and eyes glinted like daggers in an alley.
The Foot didn't attack.
That worried Leo as much as anything could have. They were waiting for someone- or something. Leo's eyes scanned the building, a sense of impending doom growing up from the pit of his stomach.
"Leo?" Michaelangelo asked weakly- feeling it too.
"Don't worry Mikey. The odds are in our favor." Raphael grinned.
Leo frowned. "First chance you get- run." He said very quietly.
"You what?" Raphael gaped. Then spotted the... man- from two weeks ago.
He appeared, standing right infront of Leo. No weapon in sight- no sign of a Katana. But that don't mean he's unarmed. Raphael reminded himself flatly, remembering the last time they'd met, and he'd just- seemed to draw the Katana out of thin air.
"Who are you?" Leo demanded flatly. The man smiled, then bowed slowly.
"I am Nakamura Satoshi." The man answered softly.
Leo looked back at his younger brothers- fear cut through him at the man's appearance, but a knowing surged through him at his name. Leo's breath caught in his throat. He struggled to calm his breathing- to work out why he was so... scared wasn't the word- but terrified didn't cut it, either...
"I see some part of you does remember me." Satoshi said, in a tone that implied he had paid Leo a compliment.
"What do you want?" Raphael snarled, stepping infront of Leo, between him and Satoshi.
"What do I want?" Satoshi mimicked. "Leonardo."
"You want... Leo?" Michaelangelo interupted. "That's... creepy." He mocked.
"Don't, Mike." Leo whispered, tone verging on desperate.
"Yes, Leo. You are correct to fear me. What do I want, you ask?" Satoshi repeated, he paused a moment, eyes finding Leonardo's.
Leo tried to look away- but couldn't. He was caught, like a rabbit trapped in the headlights of an oncoming car. He knew he would die unless he ran- but was frozen in place by fear.
"Well, Leonardo, I want to break you, in the worst possible way."
Leo had time to register the words that came from Satoshi- but then, the world fell away.
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"What did you do to him?!" Raphael snarled. Donnatello had caught his oldest brother as he took an ungraceful dive for the roof.
Satoshi merely laughed, and drew his katana-
from- where? Where the hell did he draw it from?! Raphael demanded himself angrily.
"Now, with Leonardo out of the way for the moment, I'll finish you off." Satoshi said, as if killing the three brothers was a tiresome job he didn't wish to dirty his hands with.
What are we going to do? There's too many of them to fight, with Satoshi here too. And without Leo... Damnit. Raphael backed up a little, twirling his sais absently, Donnatello raised his bo staff, and Michaelangelo spun his nun-chuks. "Don't break this position unless you absolutely cannot help it. We have got to keep Satoshi away from Leo." Raphael ordered.
Donnatello cut him a worried look, then looked down at their fallen brother. "I don't think Satoshi is going to hurt him physically. I think... what we really have to worry about, is what Satoshi will do to his mind."
"What the shell does that mean?!" Michaelangelo cried, knocking out a ninja- while Raphael stabbed one sai into a ninja's chest, and gutted another ninja with his other sai. Donnatello felt one ninja's ribs break under the blow from his bo staff.
But, worryingly enough, Satoshi had yet to attack. Donnatello took a chance to look down at Leo.
"It means- Satoshi somehow got into Leo's head- you saw the way he just collapsed!" Donnatello gasped out, knocking a ninja back with a hard kick- sweeping another ninja's legs from under them, then slamming the bo staff down on their throat.
No time for mercy. We just gotta kill and get Leo out. Donnatello thought weakly. Knowing the choking, gasping noises coming from the ninja as they died would haunt his nightmares for a long, long time.
The grand total of ninja's had dropped by a half in a matter of seconds, Raphael was fighting like... as if he was possessed. Michaelangelo supposed that Raph was possessed. Possessed by a dire, horrible, aching need to protect Leonardo. Michaelangelo understood, he felt the same growing ache in his chest.
The ache that told him they weren't going to walk away from this OK. But we just got Leo back! This is so unfair! Why Leo?! Why do they always have to hurt Leo?!
Raphael turned and looked at him. Really, he wanted Donnatello checking on Leo. But Michaelangelo looked so devastated. I'm sorry, Mikey. But Donny might have some idea what to do... Raphael sent a silent apology to his youngest brother, wishing that he could be the one to drop to his knees beside Leo. But knowing he couldn't.
"Don, we got it from here. Check on Leo." Raphael grunted out- taking a kick to his plastron. He would have staggered back- or leapt for the quickly retreating Ninja, but was unwilling to step on Leo, or leave him unguarded.
I'll take revenge later. Raphael thought- and was thoroughly surprised at himself. Revenge, Later? What's happened to me? He realised then that he wasn't angry. At least, he wasn't consumed by his usual rage. The anger and power he felt coursing through his veins now was merely from the need to make sure Leo made it out OK. To make sure they all got out alive.
Donnatello replaced his bo staff behind his back instantly and dropped beside his brother. Donnatello checked his brother over quickly. His body was fine. Infact, for all impressions, Leo was merely sleeping... Having a nightmare... by the looks of things.
Donnatello looked up at Satoshi. Who hadn't really moved or spoken since Leo had collapsed.
You need to concentrate. Or your hold on his mind breaks. Donnatello grabbed Leo hand tightly.
"Leo? Leo, can you hear me?" Donnatello whispered softly. Leo shook his head- as if he was trying to escape his brothers voice. "Leo, just hold on. Please- we're... we're right here. We're gonna help you. You just need to stick with us."
"How is he, Don?" Raphael demanded, kicking a ninja hard enough to break the man's neck instantly. Donnatello flinched, watching the body of the ninja drop lifelessly.
"Alive." Donnatello replied honestly. He turned his attention back to Leo.
Raphael leapt for the last few ninja's- striking them down quickly, easily. Michaelangelo dropped beside Leo and Donnatello. Raphael returned.
"Well, Don? Satoshi... ain't attacked yet." Raphael frowned.
"I know. Listen, Raph, you gotta be ready to carry Leo. We all have to be ready to run for the Lair, OK?" Donnatello ordered. Raphael and Michaelangelo nodded.
Donnatello sheathed his brothers dropped ninjakens. Raphael knelt and picked Leo up bridal style.
"Ready?" Donnatello asked.
"Ready as I'll ever be." Michaelangelo muttered. "What are you doing?"
"Distracting Satoshi. So he'll loose his hold on Leo. Then, we run." Donnatello explained softly, then turned to Satoshi.
"Oh, great plan, Donny." Michaelangelo said weakly, but he was almost smiling. "And me without my prodding stick." Michaelangelo made one of his worst attempts at a joke.
Raphael shook his head. "Ready when you are, Don." He said confidently.
Donnatello forced a brave smile. Then turned to Satoshi.
So... how do I break his attention? Donnatello thought mildly, looking around. He picked up one of the Foot ninja's disguarded katana. He tested it in his grip, throwing it and catching it again.
Leo's the best at throwing swords... He doesn't like too, but he can do it. Raph really has the best throwing aim... Donnatello thought flatly.
You can do it, Donny. A voice that sounded strangely like Leo's said in Donnatello's mind. Donnatello took a second to frown at his oldest brothers body.
"I hope this works..." Donnatello said weakly, barely a whisper. Michaelangelo jerked, catching his words anyway.
Donnatello threw the katana-
Satoshi's eyes snapped up, knocking the katana off course with his own katana. His violent, smoldering eyes found Donnatello's.
"Donny!" Leo screamed, jerking in Raphaels arms.
It worked. He's OK. Donnatello allowed himself a sigh of relief before he turned with his brothers and they ran.
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Satoshi smiled. He was happy to let them run away. He had time. Leo still had fight left in him, and Satoshi would rather draw the process out, to cause them all as much pain as possible before striking the killing blow.
"You are going to loose it all, Leonardo. That, I promise you."
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I hope this chapter didnt completely kill you or force you to claw your own eyes out- and I'm sorry for the typos and spelling mistakes, I didn't proof read it... ahhh!
I also hope it didn't put you off the story, cos you guys have really boosted my confidence already!!