Chapter 5

Raphael flew up the fire escape as soon as he emerged from the sewers, the darkness of night's shadows hiding his green skin from foreign eyes. Pent up energy raged through his muscles, urging him on. The day had dragged on much too slowly, worry for his brother consuming his every thought and action as he fought to keep his worry to himself rather than unload it upon his other brothers and show his own weakness. He was determined to keep his strength for both his and Leo's sake as well as the rest of the family.

Reaching the rooftop, he barely stopped to overlook the city from his high vantage point, sixty feet off the ground. Don and Mikey reached the rooftop a mere minute after he did, though no words were exchanged as the three of them regrouped upon the rooftop across from where the fight with the Foot had taken place. No words were necessary. They had already decided upon their course of action. With a nod from Raph, the three split up. Don took to the North, Mikey to the East, with Raph himself going West.

Raph's feet carried him swiftly across the rooftops, a scowl crossing his face as he thought on their first plan that was quickly thrown to the side.

Crashes rang throughout the silent lair, the loud sounds of lamps falling, weights scattering, and a lone TV crashing to the unforgiving concrete floor did nothing to curb Raphael's mounting frustration and worry. He should have done something more. He should've fought harder rather than falling to the Foot's hands.

The commotion brought a form from the kitchen, the tired eyes of a wizened rat landing upon the turtle. "My son…"

Eyes narrowing, Raph forced himself to stay still long enough to avoid knocking more things over. It wasn't going to find Leo or bring the darkness and safety of night any sooner.

"What has happened?" Splinter ventured forth, breaking the silence. Three pair of eyes locked with his fleetingly before breaking connection.

"Leo's missing," Mikey confessed, slowly dropping down onto the old, tattered couch. He rubbed a hand across the back of his head, nervous eyes connecting with Splinter's once more.

Don pulled his staff off his back, leaning it against the wall by the lab on his way to the couch. Sitting next to his brother, he wrung his hands. "There's no trace of him Sensei. A few blood spots from a fight, but nothing conclusive showing it to be his. It… could be anyone's."

Splinter's worried frown deepened, though there was little surprise in his eyes, merely worry for a lost son. "Raphael?"

Raph blew out a breath and crossed his arms, leaning against one of the support pillars of their home. "Leo and I were out running like ya already knew when we spotted some Purple Dragons. We took care of 'em easy until one ran inta one of da shops. The Foot showed up inside, everythin' went downhill after that." His scowl deepened, eyes narrowing on the ground as he recounted what had happened that night. When he was finished, the lair remained silent as three pairs of eyes watched their Master once more.

"We must wait for the cover of darkness and restart the search for your brother anew." Splinter fell silent as he stroked his chin. "Donatello, you can… track your brother, correct?"

"Yes…" Don began hesitantly. "If he still has his shell cell on him, it would lead us straight to him."

"Can't you try Donny?" Mikey spoke up, locking eyes with his brother. "It can't hurt… even if it doesn't work." The last part was admitted softly, gaze falling to the ground.

"Of course," Don replied quickly, shooting off the couch and entering his lab, dropping down at his computers, fingers flying across the keyboard.

Raph silently followed the rest of the family inside the lab, bracing himself for a letdown. He doubted this would work. Even if Leo still had his shell cell, what was to say the Foot hadn't blocked the signal or perhaps was using it to mislead them? He waited in grim silence as the minutes ticked by, avoiding the urge to crowd around Don any more than he, Mikey, and Splinter already were.

A soft sigh broke the silence as the clattering sound of striking keys stopped. "There's no signal," Don admitted with defeat.

"Nothing at all?" Mikey asked.

Don shook his head and pushed his chair back, spinning it around to look at the others. "Nothing."

Turning on his heel, Raph headed for the dojo and straight for his punching bag to let out the remains of his burning frustration. He knew they would have to manually search the city and wait for the cover of darkness to do so, but he didn't like it one bit.

Running from rooftop to rooftop now, Raphael's eyes searched every alleyway he crossed for any type of clue. Even a scrap of cloth from his brother's bandana would've been a sorely wanted hint that they were at least going in the right direction. As it was, his aim was to find a straggling Foot soldier. If he could find one, he could find his brother by weaseling out the information as he pleased. One lowly Foot flunky wasn't going to keep him from his brother any longer than it had already been.

Hours passed as he continued to work his way westward, searching each alley and rooftop with painstaking closeness. Nothing caught his eye as he searched, turning his mood more sour as each minute ticked by. Check-ins to both Mike and Don heralded the same result, only spurring him on to search harder before the sun once again would rise in the sky.

As dawn quickly approached, Raphael found himself perched on a high rooftop overlooking a hospital across the street. He blew out a breath as he watched the doors of the establishment that was built to help the very people that despised him and his brothers should they see them, let alone know they exist. It pained him to think that if his brother was hurt badly, a place like his could never help him. If Leo was too badly injured before they found him, they may not be able to save him.

Jumping to his feet with a growl, he pushed the thoughts from his mind. He refused to rely on optimism, but even he refused to follow those pessimistic thoughts any further. About to turn away from the hospital, the doors opened with three figures emerging from its depths, a Foot emblem barely visible on two of them. However, he couldn't mistake the short, black raven hair of the woman between the two men.

"Karai…" he hissed. Eyes narrowing further, he watched as they quickly walked down the street. He followed the trio on silent footsteps, leaping from rooftop to rooftop until they were three blocks from the hospital. He knew he couldn't afford a confrontation so close to where people would soon be constantly going in and out, even as his muscles quivered for a confrontation right that moment. His patience snapped halfway past the third block, as he found himself deftly making his way to the ground, blocking their path at the near mouth of an alleyway. His sai quickly found their way into his fingers.

The trio halted at the sight of his shadowed form, a restraining arm from Karai stopping the two ninja by her side.

"What have you done with him," Raph hissed, tightening his grip on his blades, barely repressing the urge to outright attack them on the spot.

"We have no one," one of the ninja returned harshly.

The turtle spun one of his sai through his fingers. "I hardly have time for this," he growled impatiently.

The other ninja again made an attempt to break forward before being stopped by Karai.

"Stand down," she spoke with soft authority to the two ninja who reluctantly obeyed.

Raph's eyes narrowed further, focusing on Karai as he barely registered the bruises on her face and the bandages that covered parts of her arms. "Where is Leonardo?"

"We do not have your brother Raphael," Karai answered patiently.

"I know you took him. Your ninja attacked us in one of the shops. They were waiting for us. Of course you have him!" He took a step closer to accentuate his accusation further. He wouldn't let them off the hook so easily, especially when he knew what was at stake. He raised his right arm, poised to throw one of his sai should they give the wrong answer.

"I tell you the truth, we do not have your brother," Karai insisted, her voice carrying across the light wind in an almost pleading fashion. "But I know who does," she said quickly, watching the turtle's muscles quiver in anger.

"Who," Raphael ground out past clenched teeth. He should be running them through right now, not wasting time talking. "And you better not be lying."

"Bishop."

Raph scoffed. "You expect me to believe that?" he asked incredulously. "Last I checked Bishop didn't have any Foot flunkies working for him."

"We do not work for Bishop," one of the ninja spoke coldly. "We captured your brother, yes. Though we did not harm him, much to our displeasure."

"The aim was to get Mistress Karai back," the second ninja spoke once more. "No matter the cost."

"And the cost was my brother," Raph spat in annoyance.

"I never asked for this Raphael. I didn't mean to be captured by that man in the first place," Karai made an attempt to reason with him.

"Sure ya didn't. Just like you didn't mean for him to take my brother from yer flunkies either." With that said, Raph rushed forward, a right hook flying from his right hand, knocking the ninja to the right of Karai to the ground. A spinning round house kick had the other ninja jumping into the air before being forced to jump backwards out of the way of his sai. Another slash of his sai was blocked by the ninja's katana blade. Attacking with the other sai, the strike was blocked once again forcing Raph to pull away. Narrowing his eyes in frustration, he rushed forward, his right sai arching in a downward strike while the left sai moved forward for a low jab to the abdomen.

The ninja's blade blocked the turtle's first attack, using the motion to propel himself away from the second. He aimed for a cutting strike of his own that forced the turtle to jump upward, coming down in a round house kick that sent him crashing down the alleyway behind them.

Raph eyed the other ninja that had dared managed to stand back to his feet. This ninja drew a blade of his own, identical to the one the second ninja had. The turtle smirked, tightening his grip on his sai and shot forward, a right hook strike with his sai quickly blocked by the ninja's blade. His other sai feinted a jab to the side while he spun to the left, kicking the ninja in the other side with enough force to send him smacking into one of the alley walls.

Getting to his feet after looking at his unconscious buddy, he charged the turtle once more, slipping under the horizontal strike of the sai to knee the turtle in the gut. A quick slash to the left had blood dripping down the turtle's green skinned shoulder.

A growl pierced the near silent alley, Raph's eyes narrowing further as he dove for the man's middle, using both sai to feint an attack to the stomach. Crouching at the last second, he sprang up into a leaping kick that sent the ninja skidding across the pavement, stopping with a harsh thud next to the other ninja.

Harsh breaths left his mouth as he stood, fully turning towards Karai and leaping without a second thought. His lunge was side stepped, but not without a hit to her arm with the tip of his sai. Spinning to the left, he slashed again, barreling towards Karai who side stepped out his path again. He couldn't help but notice her slower movements. Smirking with intention to use that to his advantage, he upped the speed of his attacks and slashes, pushed by his fury of a missing brother and the Foot's involvement in it. An upper cut with his left sai had a wound reopening on her left arm, red blood staining the crisp white bandage from the hospital. Managing to duck his next two slashes, he leapt into a spinning kick that brought her feet out from under her.

Raph landed on top of Karai, the sharp tip of his left sai at her throat. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you right now," he hissed harshly through clenched teeth. His muscles shook from the fight, his mind raging with anger, urging to follow through with his deadly train of thought even as his mind registered another set of footsteps racing towards them.

"Because with time I might be able to remember where Bishop took me," Karai hissed, eyes hard with determination. "That is where your brother is being kept. You will not find Bishop on your own. I'm sure you know that."

"We'll find a way." The tip of the sai bit deeper into pale flesh as the steel quivered in its owner's grip.

"Raph!" Don's voice rang out from the other end of the alley, his shadowed form quickly approaching.

His eyes never left Karai's gaze as he listened to his brother's footsteps coming closer, his muscles taut as he held the sai still.

"She has a point," Don breathed out through panting breaths. "Bishop is hard enough to find as it is. We can use all the help we can get."

"Even if it's the Foot?" Raph asked incredulously, chancing a look up at his brother.

"Only if it's necessary," Don admitted. "I can try on my own, but it'll take time."

With a growl, Raph got to his feet, roughly shoving Karai away and stalking a few feet away from the woman. "After we find Leo, she and I are having words. And there's nothing you can say that will stop me Donatello."

"I know. I don't intend to."

Karai slipped to her feet, holding her bandaged and now bleeding right arm. She nodded her head in understanding of the threat.

"If you think of anything, I'm sure you'll find a way to contact us," Don spoke pointedly to Karai.

She gave a nod. "I promise."

"We don't need your promises Karai," Raph spat as he stalked away, Don following right behind him. Once out of earshot, he narrowed his eyes on his brother. "I coulda finshed her off."

"Yes, you could've, but then there would be another lead to Leo out the window," Don answered, a devious glint showing through his eyes.

"Ya just gonna trust her like that?"

"Not exactly. If she's telling the truth for once, we might be able to use it. However, if she's not, we'll know every place she goes." He held up his shell cell, an active blinking light showing on the screen, and one of his spare trackers. "I plan to hack into the system for a better look as well, but if she has Leo, she'll most likely be around him a lot doing who knows what."

A smirk slowly grew across Raph's face. "I like the way you think."

Don returned the smirk and gestured towards the east. "Let's find Mikey and do some digging."

A better plan in mind so far, Raph headed after Mikey with Don, cracking his knuckles as he walked. Whatever way this turned out, he meant what he said. He and Karai were having words about this soon down the road. Even if Bishop did have Leo, Raph didn't take the Foot's involvement lightly. They would pay their part of the problem.