A/N: Just an epilogue left! This is so exciting!
Bishop's Endgame
Stepping into the safety of a familiar vehicle was a welcome relief after his long incarceration. Splinter sank into a bench seat like it was a lot softer than it was. He barely gave the other occupants more than a mindful ear, catching only snippets of conversation. It was enough to hear the tension between Casey and April. He wished they would hide it better. The beast inside him grew antsy just listening to it.
He could feel the drug teasing at his carefully constructed walls. Only his sheer force of will kept it from escaping once again. It reeked of shame and weakness. He knew it wanted to kill everyone around him. That's what scared him the most.
Splinter looked over at his son, frowning at the injuries he was now sure that girl caused. How could a child be so despicable? How did it take so long for him to see it? He was usually good at reading people, but Cleopatra had slipped past his notice. Was it only because he didn't see her until the end?
"Did you even get my text?" Kimberly's voice caught his attention.
"What text?"
"Text." She held up her shell cell.
Donatello took it from her, frowning at the display. "No…" He fiddled with the buttons. "Mine doesn't work right now or I'd check it. That…would have helped to know beforehand." He handed the phone back. His expression one Splinter knew well; he never did take failing technology well.
"Where is everyone else?" Splinter finally spoke up.
"Mikey's at home," Donatello began. "He wanted to come, but I urged him not to. He's…recovering still. Nothing major, but he shouldn't be on his feet yet."
"Raphael and Leonardo?"
"Um…" He turned away. "How about we get home first so I can properly check you over…"
"Donatello."
The turtle cringed under his father's firm gaze. "Leo's fine, last I heard. I don't… You see… Bishop. Leo's working on getting Raph back. I'm sure they'll be fine. Just earlier today, Leo called for help on opening Raph's cell. They'll be home soon…"
The hesitant tone wasn't the least bit comforting. Splinter felt the beast inside fueled by his own protective nature. This time, he didn't fight it.
"Master Splinter, wait!" Donatello exclaimed, evidently recognizing the look. "You need rest! We just got you back!"
"April, proceed to the hospital for Kimberly-san. I will take my leave here."
"Sensei…!" Donatello groaned.
April slowed down, glancing at Splinter with the aid of the rearview mirror. "Don's right, you know. It would be for…" She stopped at the look he flashed her.
"I'll go on my own. That was the plan, anyway." Donatello tried. "As soon as you were safe… If you go, you'll be walking into Bishop's hands!" Switching to Japanese, he continued. "Please listen to me, Sensei!"
"Do not fight me on this, my student." Splinter's face darkened, allowing for no more argument on the subject. He stared his son down until all the defiance left him.
"Fine," Donatello huffed. "Then don't go too far from me. At least give me that."
Splinter hesitated, looking over his son's bandaged arms. It was a risk. He feared what the beast would do, but he also knew Donatello. "Do as you must."
"Be careful," Kimberly mumbled.
The journey to Bishop's was stifling. It wasn't normal for Splinter to be this standoffish. The rat master's body language was stiff and reclusive. It gave Donatello a lot of questions he wasn't willing to ask. Especially while inside the enemy's base. Splinter kept ahead of him at such a brisk pace, he had trouble keeping up. This wasn't a stealth mission. It was an all-out massacre. It scared him. Now he really understood Kimberly's insistence his strike against Cartwright wasn't normal. This was all the proof he needed.
"Sensei!" He whispered. "Slow down! I'm still searching security footage for Raph's whereabouts.
Splinter didn't respond, but he did slow his pace. It wasn't much, but Donatello wasn't going to ask again.
He tried Leatherhead's cell, hoping someone would finally respond. This time, he got what he wanted. "Finally. Where are you?"
"I am inside the base. The mission did not go as planned. Leonardo…he is not with me."
"I was scared of that." He sighed. "Master Splinter's with me. We've come to help."
"That would be most beneficial. I am near Leonardo's position. I will free him. You need to get to Raphael quickly. He will die if you do not hurry." He spoke in a rush. "I would have gone in myself, but I cannot bypass the lock. He's in B-58."
"I'm on it, don't worry. Just get Leo out of here." Donatello pulled up the feed, searching for the room number as he picked up his pace. "Master Splinter, follow me! I got a lock on Raph's position."
"Hai."
The route he took had fewer guards only because he had the cameras on his side. It didn't take long before he rounded the last bend. Donatello stopped at the correct door and yanked the panel off with the aid of a kunai. Wiring his tablet to the circuit board, he made quick work of the lock. "Viola!" He whispered as the door clicked open.
Splinter breezed past him without a word. Following close behind, Donatello crossed the threshold and immediately locked eyes on his brother. "Raph?" Without bothering to watch the fight between Bishop and Splinter, he dashed forward. He quickly pulled at the restraints until they snapped off.
It was a horrific sight. Raphael slumped in his arms, sticky blood forming a layer between them as his weight brought them both sliding to the ground. A groggy sound muffled by their closeness was the only sign he was alive. Shifting his brother, Donatello balked at the split down the middle of Raphael's plastron. Bishop had gone too far. If they had come any later, he would be dead. The thought froze him momentarily. He couldn't think about it.
Donatello jumped into action, shrugging off his duffel to collect his emergency kit. It didn't matter where he was, he had to get his brother to stop bleeding so much or he'd never make it. Quickly, he wrapped the cut as tight as he was able, hoping it would be enough just to get him outside. "Stay with me, Raph."
He quickly turned to the chaos behind him, ready to tell Splinter they had to go, but the words died in his throat. On the opposite wall, he caught sight of a hidden door as it slid close. An animalistic sound erupted from Splinter as he savagely clawed at it. Blood on his hands smeared the false wall with more of it splattered on the ground. There was a solitary handprint beside the hidden door, possibly an access panel of some kind.
He stared in disbelief before coming to his senses. "Sensei?"
Splinter froze; his tail twitching as his head tipped towards his voice.
"We need to get going," Donatello's voice quickened at his odd behavior. "Raph desperately needs the kind of treatment I can't give him here."
Finally, he turned, but the look in his eyes wasn't the wise, understanding one he was used to. They were the eyes of an enemy.
"Father?"
Splinter suddenly bent forward; his hand reaching up to grasp his forehead. "Go on ahead." He took a steadying breath. "I will catch up."
Donatello hesitated. "Are you okay?"
"Just go!" His tail thrashed as a hint of that darkness creeped into his eyes once again. "I…I will explain later."
This time, he obeyed the order. Donatello bent to carefully pull his brother over his shoulder and took off running. All the while, his mind incessantly went over what had just transpired. There was something that Splinter wasn't telling him. Something that changed him. He hoped it wasn't permanent.
"I have Leonardo." Leatherhead's voice drawled out of his headset. "Did you make it in time?"
"Barely," He sighed. "He's in bad shape. How's Leo?"
"Drugged, but no serious injuries. I will wait outside for you, unless you need help carrying Raphael?"
Donatello hesitated. "I'll make it. I need you to prepare a few things so I can get started on sealing his wound. It's bad. I need all the time I can get."
"Just tell me what you'll need and it'll be ready."
Donatello stepped out of his sensei's quarters and sighed. Almost a whole twenty four hours later and Splinter's drug-induced rage finally dissipated. He frowned just remembering that beastly look in his father's eyes. At least he didn't have to worry about that again.
His phone rang and he groaned, yanking it out of his belt. His narrowed gaze confirmed the caller. "Mikey!" He yelled as he stomped through the lair.
The desired turtle poked his head outside the door to the infirmary. "What's up, bro?"
"It's her again!" He griped. "Either tell her to stop calling my number or I'm taking back the spare!"
"Or – better idea – just let me give her my number. Imagine! Then she doesn't have to go through you at all! It's perfect!"
"Mikey-"
"What are you guys yelling about now?"
"Leo!" Mikey exclaimed, popping back into the room closely followed by Donatello. The excitable turtle's limp barely slowed him down as he practically fell on his brother.
"Mikey! You shouldn't be running around like that!" Donatello scolded him.
Leonardo groaned at his brother's weight as he shoved him back a bit. "You weigh a ton! How many times have I told you to cut back on all that junk food?"
"You saying I'm fat?" Michelangelo shook his head. "'Cuz this is all muscle, bro."
"How are you feeling?" Donatello asked.
"Like I could sleep for another few hours. At least." He frowned. "Where's Raph? You got him out, right?"
Michelangelo's cheerful demeanor faded as he cast a look behind Leonardo. "He hasn't woken up yet."
Donatello moved around them and stopped at Raphael's bedside. Seeing him covered in bandages… The sight still disturbed him. "He's stable, but he lost a lot of blood."
"I tried to buy more time, but…" Leonardo sighed.
"It's cool, bro." Michelangelo pipped up. "He's still alive. That's a plus."
"What about Master Splinter?"
"I am right here, my son." At the rat sensei's arrival, all three turtles turned to him. "It is good to see you are awake."
Leonardo pushed himself up as if expecting to leave his bed, but Donatello's firm grip stopped him. "Sensei, I…"
"I understand, Leonardo." Splinter held out his palm. "You need not blame yourself for anything that transpired these last few months. You are free of guilt."
"But if we never got involved with Bishop in the first place, Raph wouldn't…"
"He did give us Cartwright's name." Donatello voiced.
"But, I didn't need her name. It was Kimi – not Cartwright – that got us going in the right direction." Michelangelo amended. "But you still shouldn't blame yourself."
"Hai. Kimberly-san…" Splinter's expression grew melancholy. "How is she fairing?"
"She keeps calling for Mikey, if that answers your question." Donatello grumbled.
"She's doing great!" Michelangelo grinned. "The doctor's keeping her another night, but she's more worried about you."
Splinter's gaze brightened at that. "She has a strong spirit."
"She wants to see all of us. She keeps asking about it." Mikey's expression brightened. "Hey! Maybe we can have a late Christmas party! You left before you could open your gifts."
Splinter smirked. "I suppose I did. I had hoped to pick up a few things in Japan. That feels so long ago."
"And we can invite Kimi! She'll love it!" He ran off before anyone could object only to pop his head back in as an afterthought. "We need a date once Raphie wakes up. When do you think that'll be? Wait, never mind; we'll give her one later. Oh, this'll be awesome!" Then he was gone again.
"I don't think I know enough about this girl to trust her like this." Leonardo said, staring after his brother.
"I trust her." Splinter spoke up without elaborating.
"Are you saying you're okay with this?"
"As long as April-san is willing to open up her home."
A/N: Same thing as before! Feed that review box for a faster final chapter!
