A/N (still dont own the turtles...) ok, so, this has been the HARDEST chapter to write, so far, which is why it's so short. I've been updating every few hours, but, I get the horrible sense of impending doom. yep, thats right. writers block. i's getting harder nd harder for me to write. BUT, one reason might be that I have finaly- (victory dance) decided what happened to Leo before his brothers rescued him! woot! now... all I have to do is write it down... anti-woot... word of warning, there will be TWO versions of what happened to Leo, the real, and the illusion. I am not telling you which is which, but it's gonna be pretty obvious. I have lso worked out WHO Satoshi is, why he wants to hurt Leo- and how I think I'm gonna end it.

There won't be any character death, I think... I'll have to have an alternate ending where there is tho, cos I sure do hate happy endings.

with that, I have one final thing to say

poof

Chapter Five - Omens in the Dark

Leo had recovered quickly, and made his way home on foot with his brothers. Donnatello was quick to put the Lair on complete lockdown. Though they all knew Satoshi had not followed them, and that if Satoshi wanted to get in, Donny's hi-tech defences would not stop him.

"After all, he could just poof himself in." Michaelangelo muttered, mildly hysterical.

"Don't worry, Mike." Leo said gently. "It'll be OK."

"No! It won't, bro! How can you say that?! Satoshi just- he totally destroyed you a few months ago, and got into your head again tonight! Dude- you're wide open! He can get to you as easy as he can poof." Michaelangelo shouted. "poof." He repeated, miming what might have been a poofing with his hands, or what might have been a minor explosion. "poof." He repeated.

Leo bit his lip and stared at Donnatello, who shrugged. "Mike, Mikey, Michaelangelo!" Leo shouted.

"Leonardo?" Michaelangelo repeated, fixing terrified, wild eyes on his oldest brother. Leo took a deep, sighing breath, then hugged Mikey.

"It's OK, Mikey. He didn't hurt me, not this time." Leo smiled, Michaelangelo quickly dissolved into helpless sobs.

Raphael folded his arms and looked away.

"Shh, Mikey. I'm OK this time. See? Look, look at me, I'm fine." Leo smiled, pushing Michaelangelo to arms-lenght.

"How do I know? You've lied 'bout stuff before." Michaelangelo whispered.

"Would it help if I told you why he didn't hurt me this time? He tried to, but he didn't manage it." Leo soothed, pulling Mikey into a hug again. Michaelangelo nodded mutely, hiding his face between Leo's neck and shoulder. Leo smiled. "You guys. I could... sense you, near me. Fighting around me... And... Donny, took my hand- and I knew I'd be OK, because Satoshi couldn't hurt me anymore. I wouldn't let him."

"Why?" Michaelangelo asked.

"Because I wasn't gonna let him take me from you guys again." Leo answered honestly. "For a second, I panicked. But, once I concentrated, even though I couldn't get out of the nightmare, I knew it was just an illusion."

Raphael scoffed in the background, Leo cut him a dangerous look. Michaelangelo sniffed, then pulled away.

"You won't... won't let him take you away again, will you?"

"Not a chance." Leo said faithfully. "Now, we're all going to bed. Satoshi isn't going to give up on this, and tomorrow night, I want to find out what the shell he wants with me and my family."

Raphael hid a smile. "Oh yeah, Fearless. You're back. Orderin' us arou-"

"Raph." Leo warned. Michaelangelo grinned and hugged Leo again. "We're up early tomorrow, for training. We need to be prepared for the next time we face Satoshi."

Donnatello grinned, he watched Raphael shake his head, but his eyes betrayed him. His eyes danced. He's just as happy to have Leo back as me and Mikey.

"Can you... tell us what happened to you?" Michaelangelo asked softly, breaching the subject as gently as possible.

Leo frowned at the ground for a long moment. "I'm ready to, I think. And I know you all have a right to know. But, not tonight, Mikey, OK? I've still... got to work it out, myself. Before I even try and explain it."

Michaelangelo nodded grimly. Wondering if his excuse of understand was true- or if he just didn't want to give them nightmares. "Can I bunk with you?"

Leo laughed. "Only if you don't breathe on me."

Michaelangelo cried out in indignation and shoved his oldest brother playfully. "Second thought, I don't wanna -your feet smell."

"Fine with me, Mikey. Sleep tight." Leo laughed, walking away. "Don't let the bed bugs bi-"

"Wait!" Michaelangelo ran after him quickly.

Donnatello stared at Raphael, they stood in silence for a while. "You alright, Raph?" Donnatello asked softly, walking over. Raphael sighed.

"I was thinking, tonight." Raphael paused. "I'm not sure I wanna know what happened to him. I'm not sure Mikey should know either."

Donnatello thought on it for a few minutes. "Maybe. But, Raph, we have a right to know. I want to know, because I want to help, I want to try and make him better. And I want to know just how much we should hurt Satoshi before we kill him."

Raphael stared at his younger brother, surprised by his anger. "Now that, Don, I can agree with."

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Satoshi paced restlessly. He knew Leonardo was planning something- could sense it, could feel it in his bones. It made him sick.

Don't worry, Leonardo. I'm coming for you.

Satoshi stopped pacing, and looked out over the darkening city. "Not tonight." He said softly, fingers trailing on the window pane. "You search for me tonight."

You won't find me, Leonardo.

"But, I think, you do need to be reminded, whom is hunting whom." Satoshi laughed.

Silent, dark figures leapt across the buildings, vanishing into the night, all of them, in search of Four.

"The game hasn't even started yet, Leonardo. This is just the beginning for me." A cruel, twisted smile that was more a snarl surfaced on Satoshi's features. "But for you, it is the end of all hope."

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"Damnit. Where the shell are all the Foot Ninja's?! We shouldda at least seen one 'o them by now!" Raphael cursed angrily.

Leo stopped running. After a second, his brothers topped and looked at him, frowning.

"Where are they?" Leo asked, repeating Raphael's question. "You're right Raph. Surely, Satoshi... would have sent them out, looking for us." Michaelangelo shuffled from foot to foot nervously, while his older brothers stood in collective silence. "I don't like it." Leo muttered.

"So, what? We just gonna give up and go home?" Raphael demanded.

"They must be planning some kind of trap, or something." Leo sighed. "But- they could be waiting for us in the sewers." Leo looked around the dark buildings, as if they would offer an answer of some sort.

"It hasn't felt right, all night. It's quiet." Donnatello muttered.

"Too quiet." Michaelangelo replied eerily. "Dudes, I think we should high-tale it outta here. You're right, it doesn't feel right. I feel kind of sick, like maybe... maybe we won't make it home."

Leo stared hard at Michaelangelo. He hadn't mentioned it, because he hadn't wanted to worry them, but he had felt the same. The horrible sense that someone wasn't coming home with them tonight had been nagging at him all day.

"Whatever." Raphael sighed, knowing when he'd lost.

They turned to go, Leo leading the way, listening out for any sign of an oncoming attack, watching for any sign of a trap.

Someone... isn't gonna make it home.

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just a friendly word of warning, its probably gonna get kinda corny from here on out... in my defence, it's late, I've slept about 2 hours over the past 36 hours, so, I am weak. It shall be corny!

So there...

I also hope this chapter wasn't too painful to read. sorry if it was, and I sure hope you're still enjoying it, because your reviews and interest and stuff has totally made all the effort totally worth it!

Oh, another warning; I feel writers block coming on.

so, just because I might be a little bit sadistic, I've left you on a cliff hanger. duh duh duh!

Hell, I think we all know the next chapter will be up within the next 10 hours or so...

or maybe not.

I've just got a txt message from one of me old friends... a bit of a twat he is, I must say, he's been hassling me for weeks! so I may have to go and kill this friend.

but once I've hidden the body, I'll be sure to update!

poof