FINALLY some fresh air… I almost forgot what it was like. You can't tell me that Leo doesn't miss this. Now that I was out of the lair, it was time to find these punks and teach them a lesson. This is MY city and I WAS gonna do somethin about it. Don can sit on his ass all he wants and collect all the money that he wants like the greedy bastard that he is. The money goes to the t.v. and our sofa… HA! It's for him to buy more of that high tech shit because he doesn't have a life. So what if the Shredder was dead? It didn't mean that the Foot was gonna go away so quickly.

I led Mikey through the alleys towards Lower Manhattan… Chinatown. If any there was gonna be trouble tonight, Chinatown was the place to be at. I decided against it tonight to grab Casey. All I needed was for April to rat on us. Ever since Casey and April started to live together, it was getting harder and harder for Casey to sneak out with me. He never wanted to leave her. Spring Street… ha, I was getting closer. I bet my shell that there was gonna be trouble tonight… I could feel it in the air.

"Uh, Raph, I thought we were gonna get Casey?" Mikey asked behind me.

"Not tonight, Mikey. Tonight is OUR night." I stopped and gave my younger brother a cocky grin.

"Our night for what?" Mikey asked in confusion, tilting his head to the side.

"You know those comics you read, Mikey?" I asked as I kept my eyes peeled. Come on, where were they?

"Yeah?"

"Well tonight we are going to get the bad guys." I smiled to him then looked around.

"Uh, but I thought Donnie said…."

"FORGET what Don said okay?" I snapped back. I was getting tired of being controlled. Don had no authority over me or any of us.

As I looked towards an alley about a block away from us, I saw a black-clothed figure. No, it couldn't be… was that a Foot ninja? I grabbed Mikey's arm and dragged him with me as I climbed up the building's side ladder to get to the roof. I had to get to that alley. I was not losing him! As I ran, I noticed that Mikey was getting further behind me. "Move your shell, Mikey!" I didn't slow my pace. I felt the adrenaline flowing in my veins… just like old times. These guys kicked my shell before at April's apartment and it was time for some payback… MY way.

Forgetting about Mikey, I jumped down from the next building, grabbing the fire escape ladder, flipping in the air, then landing inside the alley. Man, am I good. It was even better that I was right—it WAS a Foot Ninja… and not just one Foot Ninja. 5 of them. "Well look who it is."

"It's one of those freaks." One of the ninja spoke… were they shocked to see me? They should be. I noticed that Mikey landed beside me.

I motioned to my younger brother. "That's 2... and Daddy ain't here to save you now, is he?" I smirked as I took out my sais.

The ninjas faced my bro and I….man these guys really didn't want to live, now did they? "You will not get rid of the Foot so quickly," the lead ninja replied as he took out his katana. "We will avenge his death, starting with your father."

I glared at him. It was one thing to threaten me… and one thing to threaten my bros… but NEVER threaten my father. "Well I know which one you to hurt first." I growled as I gripped my sais tighter.

The lead ninja looked at the others, and motioned him with a hand sign. Now what the hell were they up to? "Look, I ain't got all night for your little sign language." I was losing my patience with these dipsticks… it was bad enough that Don already pissed me off today. Heh, bad luck for these losers.

"We shall see if you can beat me, freak," the lead ninja taunted as he motioned me to follow. He and another Foot Ninja quickly jumped up to the top of the fire escape to the roof of the building. The 3 other ninja stayed where they were with their weapons drawn.

Why the hell did they split up like that? If that stupid ninja thinks I can't take him on by myself, then he's about as stupid as Leo is for staying in the jungle. I was sure that Mikey could handle the 3 remaining ninja. I had no doubts about leaving him as I pursued the leader.

When I reached the roof, he was already waiting for me with his weapons drawn towards the other end of the building. His pal was standing beside him. So much for this guy fighting on his own….I knew it. "So you gonna fight or you gonna let your girlfriend help you?" I asked as I pointed to the other ninja with my right sai.

The ninja never responded as he ran towards me with his weapon poised. Heh…I must have hit a nerve. As he was approaching, I noticed that the other ninja had jumped from where he was towards the back of me. Man….these guys must have been novices…did they really think they could trap me like this? I ducked the main ninja's attack pretty easily….then kicked the other ninja as he tried to move up from behind.

The leader seemed almost shocked that I dodged his attack as he seemed to hesitate to strike again. I looked back to see the other ninja stayed where he was on the ground… heh… that punk was not moving. I focused all my attention on the main one. "It's just you and me now." I grinned as I waited for him to attack.

He ran towards me again and sloppily slashed at me with his sword. I was done toying around. I moved into position and struck him with an upper cut, sending him flying back onto the roof. So much for a good workout tonight. I placed my sais back in my belt and walked over to him. The guy groaned as I approached. I could tell he was hurting. I reached down and pulled him up, removing his mask. There in front of me was a kid… probably around his teens… but STILL a kid… a fuckin kid… a kid with a pretty good whelp on his chin. Becoming disgusted, I dropped him back on the roof. "Go home."

I think instead of making me feel better… it made things worse. The criminals in this city were no longer just some lowlife men…. they were teenagers… probably even younger than this. If something wasn't done soon about the crime in this city, 8 year olds were gonna be murderers. Walking back to the roof edge to grab my younger brother, I looked down and saw him lying on the ground, very bruised up. What the hell happened to him??? "MIKEY!" I yelled with concern as I jumped down quickly to the alley.

Mikey groaned as he sat up, holding his head. "Sure, Raph, you get the easy ones."

"What the hell, Mikey? Those punks were easy."

"Yeah… but I think the punks I fought brought their whole family along. As soon as you left, bro… 5 more showed up…. They totally kicked my shell…. Ugh, I hurt all over."

I helped him up. Man, he did look terrible. There was a horrible bruise on the side of his head along with several bruises on his arms. It was a frickin trick. I KNEW it! That Foot ninja most have had something planned. So much for feeling bad for that lousy punk.

"Raph, can I go home now?" Mikey asked as he rubbed his head.

"Yeah, let's go home." I sighed. Man, this really screwed things up… not only was I pissed off more about the Foot, but now Don's gonna see Mike's bruises and start his bitching again. I just hoped that he was already asleep or not in the same room when we get back. It better wait till the morning because if he dares start up with me tonight, I swear I will put him in his place.