Chapter 6: Close Call
A/N: I'm back with another chapter. I want to thank those who have read and reviewed thus far. You guys are the best for giving me the kind feedback I've needed to keep this story going. I hope you enjoy this next installment. Feel free to read and review once you've finished reading.
Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT, even though it would be awesome if I did. They are owned by Mirage Studios, Inc.
It was time.
They had waited long enough and had been as patient as they could be. Now was the time to carry out the first phase of their plan. They would do as Karai wanted for as long as they felt it was necessary and then turn on her when she least expected it. It would be easy as long as it was carried out correctly.
As if on cue, Karai walked into the room, her green eyes glaring at the Mystics. "What is your report?" she demanded.
"The Turtle known as Leonardo is healing nicely," Fire answered. "He is walking on his own without help. They are planning to visit a farmhouse. We will watch them from there and wait for the right time to strike."
"Good," Karai responded. "Just make sure no one senses you. We don't need anymore errors as we had last time you tried to fool them." Then she turned and left to go to her office. So far, Hun was doing well and hadn't left anything unfinished, but she was afraid his loyalty wouldn't last. This was why she felt the need to make sure he wasn't making any shady deals.
As soon as she was gone, Metal said, "I say we forget the Turtles and get rid of her first."
"I keep telling you to be patient," Fire insisted. "We need to lead her into a false sense of security. Once she thinks she has where she wants us, we make our move."
"I grow tired of being patient," Metal snarled. "We need to act now and rid ourselves of this burden."
"And what of the Turtles?" Wind asked. "If Karai is destroyed, they may still come for us. We cannot let them be."
"And we won't," Earth replied. "We will destroy them as well, for they could be our downfall."
"Yes, we must not let them win," Water agreed.
"Then it is settled," Fire declared. "We will continue serving Mistress Karai until our opportunity comes. Once the Turtles are destroyed, we will destroy the usurper who dares to tarnish our Master's name."
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As the weeks passed, Leonardo was getting stronger every day. He was even sitting in on practices to see what his brothers were learning. The blue-clad Turtle was happy to be anywhere other than the infirmary. His brothers were also happy that he was back with them, and it showed with each lesson.
In no time at all, Leo was participating in the lessons alongside his brothers. He was rusty at first but showed improvement with each passing day. Splinter was very pleased about this and made it a point to compliment his son when he did well. This praise would normally elicit biting remarks from Raphael, but this was not the case. Instead he was encouraging his brother and helping him whenever he could.
"Michelangelo, pay attention!" Splinter chastised. As usual, the youngest Turtle was goofing around, trying to make his brothers laugh. Splinter felt that this wasn't acceptable which was why he reprimanded his son. While Mikey had goofed off many times before, Splinter noticed that it was the first time in two months that Michelangelo had actually messed around during practice.
"Sorry, Sensei," apologized Mikey. "It won't happen again."
Splinter acknowledged his son's apology though he knew that his son would probably do it again at another practice. Then again, should he be angry at his son's exuberance? All of his sons had been affected by Leonardo's capture. Donatello had spent time in his lab, Raphael was either in his room or out "busting skulls" to relieve his anger, and Michelangelo was either in his room or in front of the television. His youngest son didn't pull pranks and rarely smiled or laughed during that troubled time.
Now that Leonardo had returned, all was well within the Lair, and that was why Michelangelo took it upon himself to entertain his brothers once again. Leonardo, who would normally lecture his younger brother, had a smile on his face. Apparently, he was enjoying the antics of the orange-clad Turtle. The old rat was relieved to see his son smile because that meant he wasn't dwelling on what had happened to him. He fervently hoped that his son wouldn't relapse into the broody state he'd been in after their final battle with the Shredder.
Later that afternoon, the family prepared to take the trip to the farmhouse. They had been anticipating this trip ever since Casey and April had proposed it, and they were going to make the most of it. While Casey and April were going to travel in the truck, the Turtles and Splinter were going to take the Battle Shell. Donatello concluded that since it resembled a moving van, it wouldn't stand out like its previous armored incarnation would have.
"This is gonna be so cool!" said Mikey. "Okay, let me make sure I've got everything." He pulled out a list of items he planned to take with him. "Comic books? Check. Bag of practical jokes? Check. Junk food? Check."
"Mikey, I wouldn't take all of that," said Don. "There's going to be a lot of things to do at the farm. You won't need all of this."
"What are you bringing to the farmhouse?" countered Mikey. "A whole pile of your inventions? Your trusty laptop?"
"I'm not bringing any of my inventions," replied Don. "I'm just bringing my laptop to work on research. Besides, I'll probably be busy fixing things around the farm."
"Whatever you say, Einstein," said Mikey. "Oh, I almost forgot to pack my Gamedude!" He started searching frantically for the gaming system until he found it behind his bookshelf. "Aha!" he cried. "Found it!" He put it in his bag along with a few games to play on it.
Don shook his head but said nothing more. He went downstairs to make sure the perimeter alarms were set properly and also checked on the cameras. "Better to be safe than sorry," he said.
After everything had been gathered, the family left the Lair and headed to the garage where the Battle Shell parked. Klunk followed them since he was going along on the journey. The last time the Hamato Clan had gone to the farmhouse, Klunk had been left behind and felt betrayed. This was shown after they had returned as Klunk had refused their advances of attention and lashed his tail in anger. Splinter concluded that it would be best to bring the cat along so he wouldn't feel abandoned.
The Turtles drew straws to see who would get to drive, and Donatello won. Raphael sat in front, leaving Leo, Mikey, Splinter, and Klunk in the back. At first the trip wasn't very eventful until Raph started arguing about what he wanted to listen to on the radio. This fight was stopped by Splinter's threat to make both Don and Raph walk to the farm.
When the Battle Shell stopped, Mikey was the first to get out. "I'm gonna take a dip in the lake," he announced.
"First you are going to unpack your things," corrected Splinter. "We are not your servants."
"Yes, Master Splinter," said Mikey meekly, and he went to gather his things. Klunk had exited the van and rushed up the steps to greet Casey and April.
The redhead smiled and bent down to pick up the cat. "It's so good to see you, Klunk," she cooed, nuzzling him under her chin.
"I hope you don't mind that we brought him along," said Don. "Master Splinter didn't want us to leave him alone in the Lair."
"Not at all," replied April. "The more the merrier. I guess we'll have to pick up some cat food and cat litter at the store."
"I'll handle that, babe," said Casey. "Just write down what you need, and I'll get it for you."
"I thought you hated shopping, Case," laughed Raph.
Casey shrugged his shoulders. "I'm used to it," he said. "Besides, April ain't as picky as Ma is."
"Why, thank you, Casey," said April. "It's nice to know I'm not picky."
"He said you weren't as picky as his mom," corrected Mikey. "You're still picky, just not as picky as her."
"Thanks a lot, Mikey," grumbled Casey.
April compiled the list of what she wanted, and Casey left to fetch the items. The Turtles put their things in their respective rooms, and Donatello asked April if there was anything to fix up.
"No, everything's working fine," she reassured him.
"Okay, all my stuff's put away," declared Mikey. "I'm going to take that dip now."
"Hey, you ain't takin' it without me!" protested Raph.
"I'd like to swim, too," added Don.
Leo smiled at his brothers. "Don't forget about me," he said.
Mikey's face split into a grin. "Last one in is a hatchling!" he shouted and shot off with his brothers coming after him. Mikey was fast, but Leo soon overtook him and got to the lake first. He took off his gear and made the first splash. It felt so good to be outdoors after being cooped up so long.
His brothers followed him in, Mikey immediately starting a water fight. Splinter had come out to watch his sons indulge in some much needed fun. He smiled, recalling when his sons were little and would splash during their baths (soaking Splinter in the process). Back then, he never imagined that his sons would have to through so many battles. He wished that he could turn back time and return to the days when the only thing he had to worry about was one of his sons getting a skinned knee.
When Casey returned and discovered they were in the lake, he called to them to help put away the groceries. They decided it would be best to help him out or risk his temper. Once the groceries were put away, the four brothers returned to the lake with Casey in tow. Splinter assured April that he would make sure no one was injured during their horseplay.
After lunch, everyone went to their own amusements. Mikey, Raph, and Casey watched TV, April and Don discussed various computer programs, Splinter read the paper, and Leo left to meditate by the lake.
It felt so good to be away from the city. Leo felt that maybe he could have some time to forget what had happened to him. He could just enjoy spending time with his family and being close to nature. He wouldn't have to worry about the Foot or Purple Dragons bothering them.
Closing his eyes, Leo set out to clear his mind and reach a state of tranquility. The key was to clear the mind of distractions and to banish all negative thoughts. He matched his breathing to the lapping of the lake and tried to rid himself of the horrid images that plagued him every time he tried to meditate. But as he tried to do this, the images became more pronounced, which made him try even harder though it still wouldn't work.
Frustrated, Leonardo gave up and decided to head to the barn. Even though Splinter was giving them time off from practice, Leo figured that a workout session in the barn would help him out. He unsheathed his katanas and began to do his katas, swiping at imaginary foes. He imagined that the Foot Ninjas who had tortured him were in the barn and lashed out at them.
"Want some company?" asked a voice. Raphael had come out to the barn because he didn't like the show Mikey and Casey were watching. As he watched Leo, he could tell that something was up. Maybe Leo would talk to him about it.
Leo spun around, but he didn't see his brother in the doorway. He saw Karai, the one who had tortured him for her own gain. Well, he wasn't going back ever again. He was going to defeat her once and for all.
"You!" he hissed, striking a stance. "How did you find us?"
Raph was confused. "Leo, I came out to get some air," he said. "Are you okay?"
Leo wasn't hearing Raph's words, but he was hearing Karai's mocking voice saying that he would never win. This only made Leo's anger even bigger. With a cry, he lunged at her, hoping to bring her down.
Instinctively, Raph took out his sais and parried Leo's attack. As he looked into his brother's eyes, he could see pure hatred there as if he wanted to kill. Raph's defense only made Leo angrier and made him attack faster.
"Leo, calm down," Raph pleaded. "I'm not here to hurt you."
Again, Leo heard only Karai's voice telling him to give up. "I won't!" he screamed and lunged again. He disarmed Raph and knocked him on his shell with a roundhouse kick. Before Raph could get up, Leo was on him with his katana pointed at Raph's throat.
This scared Raph, and he realized that Leo was seeing and hearing Karai, not him. At first he was at a loss of what to do, but then he remembered their training with the Ninja Tribunal. He recalled that they could harness their chi and were all connected because of this. They realized this after the battle with the Tengu Shredder when they were meditating and could hear each other's thoughts. Splinter had told them that even though they didn't have their medallions, they could still harness their chi and forge a connection. Raph decided that this was the time to use that connection. He closed his eyes and tapped into his chi, hoping to reach out to Leo.
As Leo was contemplating how to finish Karai, he heard a voice in his head telling him to calm down. Leo heard Raph's voice telling him that he was safe and that Karai wasn't there. Leo closed his eyes and opened them again seeing Raph on the floor with Leo's katana at his throat.
Leo gasped and got off of Raph, his swords clattering to the floor. "Oh, shell,'" he whispered. "What have I done?" Then he turned and ran out of the barn.
"Leo, wait!" cried Raph. He wanted to go after his brother, but he knew it wouldn't be a good idea just now. He got up and was about to leave the barn when Mikey came in.
"Hey, Raph," greeted the orange-clad Turtle. "I saw Leo run out of the barn. Did you guys have a fight?"
"You could say that," answered Raph and told Mikey what had happened.
"Whoa, that's freaky," commented Mikey. "Maybe we should talk to him."
"I think we should just give him some time," replied Raph. "He'll come around."
Mikey figured Raph was right, and the two Turtles went to the house and told everyone what had happened. Splinter echoed Raph's suggestion to give Leonardo some time to himself and then talk to him.
Meanwhile, Leonardo sat at the edge of the lake thinking about what he had done. He couldn't believe he'd almost hurt his brother. "What's wrong with me?" he whispered. He knew he couldn't stay with his family in this state. If he did, he'd probably hurt one of them even worse than what he'd almost done to Raph. The best thing to do was to go back to the Ancient One so he could help Leo out.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps drawing near. He jumped to his feet and scanned the area. He then spotted five Foot Ninjas coming toward him. He reached for his katanas and remembered that they weren't with him. What was he going to do? He didn't have time to call his brothers, but he decided to leave Raph a message via text asking for help. He only hoped that Raph had his phone on so he could get it. That was the last thought Leo had before he was engaged in battle.
Back at the farmhouse, Raph felt his phone vibrate and took it out. Seeing that he had a message, he opened it and saw that it was from Leo. "Guys, we gotta go," he said. "Leo's in trouble!"
"What sort of trouble?" Donatello asked.
"It doesn't say," Raph replied. "He just needs help."
Don took out his own Shell Cell and activated the tracking program. "According to the tracker, he's by the lake," he reported.
"Be careful, my sons," Splinter told them.
"We will," Raph promised, leaving the house with Don, Mikey, and Casey. They followed the signal, hoping they weren't too late.
While this was going on, Leonardo was fighting a losing battle. Where were his brothers? The Foot beat him mercilessly until he was lying on the grass. Just when he thought they were going to finish him, the leader looked up as though he sensed something and ordered his comrades to flee. Leo heard more footsteps and was worried someone else was coming to finish him off, but it was his brothers and Casey who appeared.
"Leo, what happened?" asked Raph.
"There were five Foot Ninjas," said Leo. "I tried to fight them off, but I couldn't. They fled just before you came here." He pointed in the direction that they had fled.
"That's weird," said Mikey. "They normally stay to fight us."
"We'd better spread out and search the area," suggested Don. "They obviously know we're here and could attack at any time."
"Not if I can help it," growled Casey, smacking a hockey stick in his hand.
"You guys go and search," said Raph. "I'll take Leo back to the house and join you after he's safe."
"You got it," said Mikey, and the three of them fanned out to make sure there weren't any Foot Ninjas lying in wait for them.
Raph helped Leo up and took him back to the house, telling him that everything was okay now. He could tell his brother was scared and needed reassurance that nothing would hurt him again.
"Raph, I'm sorry about before," Leo told him. "I just lost control."
"It's okay, bro," Raph replied. "You weren't seeing me at all. I understand how you feel, but I forgive you. Just take it easy."
Once they were at the house, Raph told April and Splinter what had happened and then went out to search with his brothers and Casey.
Splinter sat with his oldest son, who was trembling. "Are you all right, Leonardo?" he asked.
Leo shook his head. "I almost hurt Raph, Sensei," he whispered. "I could have seriously hurt him. I lost control again, just like I did when I hurt you." He closed his eyes to rid himself of the image of Splinter's wounded head caused by his sword.
Splinter hugged him tightly. "This was different," he soothed. "You thought you saw Karai and not your brother. You were able to snap out of this state, and no harm was done. I am not mad at you, my son. You have been through a terrible ordeal."
"Maybe I should go to Japan," whispered Leo. "Maybe I can seek the Ancient One again and get his help."
"That is a good idea, my son," replied Splinter. "However, I think we should accompany you on this journey. You need us to be with you, Leonardo." And Splinter realized that this was the danger the Ancient One had warned him about in his letter. They had to get away from the Foot. It was the only way to protect the family.
A few hours later, the Turtles and Casey came back and reported that no Foot Ninjas had been spotted. Raph guessed that the Foot had fled once they knew there was trouble coming. Splinter told them of Leonardo's desire to return to Japan and of his suggestion that they accompany the oldest Turtle. This was met with agreement from the other three Turtles as they didn't want to be parted from their brother. April and Casey declined, saying that they would be better off in New York. They were worried for April's safety the most, but she reassured them that Casey would protect her.
"Very well," said Splinter. "We will leave for New York tomorrow and go on a boat to Japan tomorrow night. This way, we will not be detected by humans."
With this plan settled, the day went on as normally as it could. Leonardo stayed in the living room, today's ordeal still fresh in his mind. Raph tried to make Leo forget about what happened, but it didn't work. Leo would never forgive himself for what he almost did to his brother. While his family was willing to stick by him, he wondered if it was worth it. He didn't want to hurt any of them again.
It won't happen, he vowed to himself. He would make sure his family was safe no matter what. There would be no turning back when it came to protecting them and defeating Karai for good.
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The Foot Mystics were frustrated. They had come so close to destroying Leonardo when they were disguised as Foot Ninjas, but they had failed thanks to his brothers. Mistress Karai wasn't going to be happy with their failure.
As if on cue, Karai entered the room. "What is your report?" she demanded. "Did you destroy Leonardo?"
"No, Mistress," Fire replied. "Leonardo's brothers arrived, and we had to flee. We knew it would be a disaster if they sensed our presence."
"The only one who would have sensed your presence is the rat," Karai told them. "You should have finished them all!"
"We are sorry, Mistress," Water told her. "We will not fail again."
"Make sure you don't," Karai ordered. "I want that whole family to be destroyed Have you learned anything else?"
"They are going to Japan," Metal answered. "They are going to visit someone called the Ancient One. I believe they feel that it will be safer there, but we have plans for them."
"Excellent," Karai said. "Keep an eye on them and strike when you see fit. If you fail again, you will pay. Understand?"
"Yes, Mistress," the Foot Mystics replied.
"Arrogant fools," Karai muttered after she left them. "If they fail again, I'll go to Japan myself and take out the Turtles. They must not survive." Her green eyes flashed on images of the Turtles' battered bodies at her hands. Yes, she would make sure they didn't survive. Her father would be proud of her once more.
A/N: And that's the end of that chapter. I'm not sure when the next one will be up, but I'll do my best to finish it when I can. Please feel free to read and review.