Song: Freak on a Leash - Korn
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Chapter 4 – Orders
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Flying high into the sky, the dark mass increased it's speed, never stopping, never changing directions. It just broke through all the gates of air, it's color brightening as the clouds moved away from it, as if they were scared. Whooshing to a stop, the robed mass halted all movements as Heaven's doors opened in front of him, a peaceful feeling calming all that it touched but the archangel that stood in front of them. The warm gust of wind that came from the realm of God washed over him, but nothing changed, the sour expression on his face giving away the dark parts of his soul. Nothing seem to make his mood change, even when a couple of dark robed creatures approached him, hands united, small smiles brightening and darkening their features.
"Welcome back, dear brother! Boss said that there was something wrong, so we had to call you back!" one of the archangels spoke, his voice deep and melodious.
Puffing, bowing his head to his superiors, but keeping everything to himself, the scorn that tugged at his lips barely masked. Leo turned his head to the side, his eyes void of anything that could give the angels that fought with the demons any sort of clue on what he was thinking. He sure was a weird creature, even to them. They had known all sorts of beings since they had been made archangels so many thousand years ago, but never had they encountered a soul such as this: obvious black from some unknown emotion, wanting something that he could never have, he still had some sort of purity and a calm sense to him that had made God chose him as an archangel under them. They couldn't understand him, but he didn't even want to be understood.
"If that is all, can I go back to my post?" his voice suddenly broke their train of thoughts, this head crooked to one side, his eyes half closed, shinning with something that seemed like hate.
Green skin shone in the heavenly light, black robe fluttering in the breeze, as he turned with his back facing his two superiors. Opening his majestic wings feathers vibrating from an unknown source, Leonardo almost leaped from the star paved pedestal that the two older and much more powerful archangels had previously created.
"Wait right there, Leonardo Hamato, son of Splinter Hamato, creation of the utroms!" a thundering voice made his skin crawl, his eyes widening in disbelieve.
How could God come out of His hiding right now. He had important business in the human world, and this was something that delayed his plans. But the old Leo in him didn't let him disobey God's command. His father had thought him well, too well in fact. There were things that he could do, and things that he couldn't do, and right now, jumping and flying away from here was one of those things that he couldn't do.
"I understand your feelings, my son, but you can not do something like that. That is a sin that will for surely kill you, no matter how you try to hide from it. You shall stop this none sense while you can! Unless the one you so desperately want, the one that you are ready to trade Me for, will accept your wishes, then you shall not approach that person!" His commanding tone made Leo close his eyes, frustration and hurt tugging at his heart.
This is what he feared the most, to be stopped by a power greater than his own to take something that he knew he couldn't continue living without. Holding back his remarks and acid words, his anger reaching the roof but immediately subsiding do to his own will, Leo turned his head to the side to look at the archangels that had knelled in front of the huge door. A different kind of light illuminated the surroundings, brighter. It calmed his nerves, making his restless spirit gain some light, but nothing more. What he needed and what he had to do never changed. It was something that he couldn't give up on, even if God Himself requested that from him. Sure, he will obey what the old geezer had said, but he will find some way to get to Raph without breaking the rules that he had to keep to.
Nodding, a small smile tugging at his lips, even if it didn't really reached his heart, the sea green skinned terrapin moved his wings closer to his body and then jumped, turning in the air to watch the gates close. The warm light, white at first, turned rapidly into orange and then into red, the blood colored clouds that covered up any traces of its existence reminding him of the one that had always made him restless, the one that was tossing and turning right now in his dream, pain written all over his face. The golden gates, with it's twin dragons always moving around in their frame completely evaporated before his eyes, only the Evening Star showing it's true position. But his eyes remained fixed on that spot a little longer, the details of the door being much more clear now that it was no more. Majestic dragons, scales lighted with their own light, something that the real world, the material world could never imagine, changing colors, fluctuating in their golden cages, circling the trees that decorated the doors, living in a space different from anything he had ever seen, always stared at him, searching in him for something that he had long abandoned. Feathers from small birds, pure, untouchable, fluttered as he approached the earth from the same gates he despised for being something that he could never be.
Sighting, Leo closed his eyes, jerking his head back, opening them so he could see the blackness of the ground, the smells and sights of a decaying city, a city that hunted his loved one for who he was. He despised that city, but he loved it at the same time. Grinning, the sea green turtle, fluffed his wings, his body stopping in mid fall way to abruptly, his head bobbing in its place. He was a terrapin on a mission, even if this mission wasn't his own but one coming from above.
Twisting his body to the right, Leo hurried his flight to where a mob of gangsters had fun by beating a couple to near death. Flapping his wings a couple of times so he could land without hurting his members, Leo walked the last distance to where the group of idiots laughed hysterically while the small please and cries of pain barely reached his ears. His black eyes fixed themselves on the group, inspecting their fragile spirits, deciding what to do next. This was something he would had done if he would still be alive, but right now, he had no other choice, seeing that his higher ups were watching him.
Reaching behind him, to his shell, Leonardo pulled out his sword, swinging it to the right, and then pointing with it's sharp tip to the small fries of a demons that clapped happily on top of the mob. Creatures like this made his life really hard when he was alive, so now he could pay them back by beating the crap out of them. His nature indicated him to kill those frog like imps in one blow, spearing them from a harsh death, but his darkened heart told him otherwise. They had to pay for everything, until he will feel satisfied with their screams. He had to get his share of their blood until he will get his hands on their ultimate boss. He will pay last!
Clicking his tongue to draw the imps attention to his person, Leo tilted his head to one side, lifting his chin to them, his prolonged canines shining in the moonlight. He watched as the creatures stiffened and then started to tremble when they realized who he was. He was known everywhere by the demon community as a Pain Bringer, a Revengeful Archangel, someone that enjoyed to make them hurt in the worst possible ways. Wide, frightful eyes watched him closely, as long, thin legs twitched in expectancy. He loved to run after them and then cut them down as they thought that they were safe. He loved to chase them until they would surrender, crying for mercy at his feet. It didn't take long for the adrenaline to reach unbelievable cotes, and, as he flung his sword to the left and then back to the right again, slicing through the air, the frog demons, the lowest kind of spirits, made a wild dash to where their panicked minds could take them. And so the chase began, Leo's blood rising with want as he ran after them, their stench polluting the air, the smell of terror heavy in the air. Jumping from tree branch to tree branch, Leo caught up with the first small brown creature in mere seconds, and, as the imp begged for it's life, Leo cut through him with an ease that would have made his brothers question his sanity.
The next few minutes he just ran in different directions cutting demons of divers forms and shapes, black blood darkening his skin. When he finally found all of the creatures that turned humans into despicable beings, Leo returned to the clearing in the dark park to see if the mob was still killing the couple that had the bad luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. His eyes, when he had gotten there, were unusable, but right now, he could see in the darkest spot without forcing himself.
The bloodied masses of the two humans, a girl and a boy, not much older than himself and his brothers, were barely breathing. Shaking on the grass, all alone in the whole park, they continued to cough up blood as they tried to get up, moaning in pain. Leo watched them struggle, his hand shaking as he gripped the sword harder. He wished he could end their misery, but he couldn't do that. He had to alert someone, somehow, that they were here, so that person could help them. Not that he cared too much about their safety, but... this was what he had to do, weather he liked it or not. Jumping up in the air, his wings opening as wide as they could so he could gain some speed and rush through the air to the nearest human that could help, Leo felt the pain in his shoulders. He had overused his body that night.
Tsking, liking his lips and then spilling the awful blood that stained his face from the creatures he had slayed that night, Leo looked from left to right for someone, and, when he finally spotted one, he rushed there with all the speed his wings could muster. Landing in front of that person, Leo huffed, taking a deep breath, closed his eyes, letting his head drop as he murmured an incantation. The human immediately responded, his eyes going gray, as Leo told him where he should find the two injured teenagers and how to help them, making this new, unsuspecting hero hurry to save their lives. When he fished to give all the details, Leo snapped his fingers and the man just staggered on his feet, shaking his head as he rushed, all of a sudden, in the direction of the part. Leo watched after him with half lidded eyes, his face just a mask, nothing written on it.
Huffing, his stomach doing a flip, as if telling him that this wasn't so normal for him, he lifted again in the air and just flew to his old lair, his heart tugging at his chest cavity, asking for something that he couldn't get nor understand about. This was something that he needed to do, to watch over his loved one, even if he will have to destroy the other ones.
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-Meanwhile-
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Tossing and turning in his sleep, Raph barely breathed, tears running down is face, wetting his pillow, as he struggled to get away from the dream. He had went to April's place, but what he had found there had made his resolve weaken further. That was what hunted him down even in his sleep. He words had burned him, slashed through him, killed his fragile heart and conscience. She had hurt him harder than he had been hurt in years.
Puffing hot air out of his lungs, fighting the spirit that tried to suffocate him, even if he couldn't identify it, Raphael jerked in his body up, mouth agape. His hands were moving everywhere, punching and clutching at the air around him, grabbing nothing. It didn't take long in his current state for him to fall over from his hammock and hitting the ground hard. Waking up from his agitated slumber on the cold floor, the forest green turtle covered his eyes with one hand as the last remains of his dream drifted away. He had went to April's place two days ago, but, instead of finding what he needed the most there, he was welcomed with harsh words and accusations. April was blaming him for Leo's death, saying that, if he weren't such a hothead the leader of their gang would still be alive. She yelled at him like she had never done before. She even wished that he would be the one dead!
"God... If I wouldn' have let Leo jump in front of me, then everyone would be happy... They'r right... I should have been the one dead..." his voice cracked, his soul crushed under all the guilt he felt.
He wished he could cry, but that didn't do him any good. Everything went apart after his elder brother parted with the world.
"Ye'r so lucky, Leo... At least ye'r somewhere ya can... do everything ye wanted... I can't even leave my room... " whispered Raph, falling on his back, his shell hitting the solid ground with a hard noise as if something cracked that instant.
Huffing, knowing that he couldn't stay in his room forever, the dark terrapin got up and walked to the door, scratching the back of his head, his reddened eyes fixing the floor with a hard stare. Mickey would probably be around the kitchen and he didn't want to see the ugly glares from his younger brother, but he had to face that challenge even if it hurt him like hell.
'What in the shell happened when I was out? I know that I wanted to attack the bastard from the inside, but then... I can't remember... And it seems that the others know somethin'... What does that mean... What did happen?' he busied his head with something that he couldn't remember.
He wished he knew why they were blaming him for everything. He wished everything would turn to the best soon. He didn't like the feeling of emptiness that had began to consume his body. Was he that forsaken?
Opening the door to his room, Raph was greeted with a punch, though he didn't know from where it came. Falling to the ground, Raph shook his head, closing his eyes for one second only to open them when a new pain shook his body. Groaning in pain, the terrapin got up with a back flip, his right hand immediately touching his left ribcage, where the pain originated from. Gasping for air, Raphael avoided more hits, and as he jumped from the first floor to the living room, he could see the orange bandanna of his youngest brother undulating in the air, as the leafy green turtle turned his murderous gaze back to his target. But he didn't have time to analyze all the details because another blow, this time from the back, knocked him on his plastron. Coughing up blood, the forest green humanoid turtle pushed to his right so he could avoid another blow from his other brother. Barely breathing, Raphael got up on one knee as his other two brothers regrouped, watching him from above, their eyes swimming in booze. They were smashed, but the heated hate in their eyes made his intestines crawl. This wasn't good. He didn't want to fight them.
"It's all your fault, you stupid jerk! Because of your selfishness Leo's now dead and father doesn't want to speak to us, not to mention April and Casey!" Michelangelo's words barely made it to his ears, the growls that erupted from his belly making Raph feel like he was attacked, threatened, something that he didn't like at all.
"I don't know what ya mean, ye dumbass!" he managed to growl back between coughs as he got up, his eyes, squinted.
"You were the reason why Leo was so weakened! You were the one that got into trouble and he was forced to get you out! None of us knows why he was so desperate to get you back, but I bet you weren't in any real trouble! When he came back you were both bloody, but after that he was forced to defend your sorry ass! You are the reason he is now dead!" Don's calm voice, harboring the deepest hatred Raph ever felt, broke the silence.
Tilting his head, his eyes sad, the oldest out of the three just watched them, trying to understand what they were saying. He didn't remember anything from the time they were describing. And why were they so ready to blame him for Leo's death? This wasn't the first time one of them was on the verge of death, but why now? What had he done that they were so against?
"You killed him! You have to pay!" the olive green terrapin muttered before attacking at full speed, using his full force to hit his hurt brother.
Dodging all the punches and kicks, Raph was thrown off balance by Mickey's kick in the shell from behind, and was knocked over by Don's knee in the gut. Coughing a lot of blood, Raph tried to run away from his rampaging brothers, but he didn't manage to do much when the olive turtle caught up with him and jumped him from behind. Forced to act, though he didn't want to fight them right now, contrary to his fiery nature, Raphael threw his brother into the wall and impaled the leafy green terrapin under him, punching him a couple of times till he was sure the turtle won't move any soon. This was messed up!
"I wish I could remember..." he pleaded to the now quiet room.
Unknown to him, someone was ready, after two weeks to talk to him and hear him out and tell him the part that he didn't remember.
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A/N: I hope you enjoyed this new chapter. Sorry for the late update! :D
