A/N: Whew! After listening to five straight hours of Coldplay (for some reason, Coldplay really fed my muse...) and forcing myself to stop writing oneshots until this chapter was done, I think I've done it. I believe I have successfully gotten past my writer's block! (Especially considering the fact that the first four hours was mainly trying to get the first few paragraphs of this done...) Thanks to all of you for your reviews and your support! I have now reached my goal of having more reviews for "Aftershock" than for "Chosen"! You guys rock! I would, again, love to see over a hundred reviews for this, but... I won't pressure you! All of you are great, and I really appreciate your support. So, to show y'all how much I appreciate my reviewers, here's some shoutouts!
AngryLobster500 - Thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoy my writing! Hope you like this one!
katielgk - Thanks, girl! You're right, Mikey's not a liability! But you do know how much I like my Mikey torture... ;)
memyselfandi89 - Yes, he did get a makeover. And yes, Mikey is having a pretty bad... day? Week? Life? ... meh. Thanks for going hunting for that plot bunny! I think you chased it right to my door!
Eridani23 -Thanks for the encouragement and the advice! I listened to you, and wrote a couple of oneshots before coming back to this, and I do believe it worked! Thanks for the patience, and I sure hope it was worth the wait!
KleeZeeNex - How can you not have seen "Hunted" girl? I'm pretty sure I don't know you! ;) Haha, just kidding! It is one of my faves, you should really check it out, and I'm glad you like my action scenes - it makes me happy, as you well know!
Gohanzgirl - You make me blush! I'm glad I could make you so happy - hope this next chappie makes your day, too!
Kirby-Chan263 - I do agree, it would be kinda nice for the Rat King to show up... however, I think that Mikey's got enough trouble on his plate. ;) As much as I am known by my friends for my Mikey torture... I think maybe we should give him a break. But only a little one! Thanks for the review!
phoebechan - Hey, better late than never! Glad you found the sequel, and don't worry... Mikey's gonna wake up really soon!
narutosfangurl - You always know just what to say to make me feel good! Yes, my family's fine - just as loud as ever! And I do appreciate the fake rights... they may be fake, but I'll take 'em! .
hyourin.tenshi - I totally agree, "Hunted" was an awesome ep! I also love the Raph/Mikey scenes!
And that's it for now! You guys are so awesome, so... at long last... here it is - the next chapter::fanfare:: Yeahh!!
Disclaimer: Well, according to narutosfangurl, I do have the rights to TMNT... but they're fake... so... I'll just go back to saying that I don't own the turtles. Or the hunter. Or the sewers of New York City. Just the story. And only the story.
"We're coming up on them," Don announced a few minutes later. "They've stopped moving," he added as he put the Slider into stealth mode.
"Be ready, guys," Leo warned. "Don't forget, this guy's tried to use lethal force on us before."
Raph socked his fist into his other hand and growled, "If he's done anything to Mikey…" He trailed off as they rounded the corner. Don brought the vehicle to a sudden stop, but Raph and Leo didn't even notice. Their eyes were transfixed on the sight in front of them.
In the junction up ahead, they could see a limp figure dangling upside down. "Mikey!" they all shouted, leaping out of the vehicle and rushing forward.
They stopped at the edge of a drop off. Pipes and walkways crisscrossed below them. The ground lay far, far below them, nearly hidden in shadow. "That first step's a doozie," Raph murmured, whistling softly.
"Why doesn't he have Mikey tied up?" Don whispered, staring at his unconscious brother. Leo and Raph looked up. Mikey's arms were hanging limply below his head, unbound. The only rope on him was the rope that connected his feet to a thick pipe. Leo felt fear grip him when he saw how still his brother was. He looked almost…
"We've gotta get him down from there," he hissed, making his way towards the walkway that ran directly under Mikey.
"You lot will do no such thing," a voice suddenly growled. Their eyes shot towards the opposite side of the walkway.
"Whoa," Raph breathed, taking in the sight of the disfigured hunter as he walked towards them. "Look what the cat dragged in."
The hunter narrowed his gaze and pointed his gun at Raph's head. "You four are going to pay for what you've done to me. You destroyed my girls and left me barely alive," he declared angrily.
Don had to stifle a snort. The hunter's "girls" were a gun and some kind of robot that faintly reminded him of R2-D2 from Star Wars. This guy is as whacked up as ever, he thought.
"I must admit, you lot create quite an amazing hunt," the man continued, stopping directly underneath Mikey. He reached up and gripped Mikey's wrist. "This one's quite fast, he is."
"Get your hands off him," Raph growled.
"Made me chase him for quite a bit," the hunter added, ignoring Raph. "Even though I did hit him with enough tranquilizer to kill a horse three times over."
The blood drained from Don's face. "N-no," he whispered.
The hunter chuckled, yanking on Mikey's arm and causing him to twist around. "Yep, this one won't be waking up," he laughed, turning back to face the remaining turtles. He aimed the gun at Raph again. "And once I'm through here, none of you will be waking up ever again."
A chill ran down Leo's spine. "No," he whispered, staring at Mikey's limp body. Mikey was… he couldn't be… It can't be true! he thought furiously. It can't! He glanced at his brothers. Raph looked like someone had just punched him in the stomach, and Don's face was filled with rage and horror. Leo turned back to the man."You are gonna pay!" he shouted, pulling out his katanas and leaping at him.
The hunter started to aim his gun at the blue-clad turtle, but he was too slow. Leo sliced it in half. He landed in a crouch, spun, and caught the man's real leg. The man stumbled, giving Don an opening. He leapt in and swung his bo at the man's metal leg. The man went down in a heap.
Raph, meanwhile, made his way so that he was standing directly under Mikey. He reached up with a sai and sliced through the rope around his brother's ankles. Mikey fell limply, but Raph managed to catch him awkwardly. "I got ya, bro," he whispered.
"Raph, get Mikey outta here, now!" Leo ordered as the hunter leapt back at Don. Leo managed to grab him and yank him away from his brother before he could shove Don over the railing.
Raph slung Mikey over his shoulder fire-man's style and started running back towards the Sewer Slider. He stopped and turned when he heard Don scream Leo's name and the sound of Leo's weapons falling to the walkway. "Leo!" he shouted, seeing his brother topple back over the railing.
Leo gritted his teeth, bracing for the impact of the upcoming pipe slamming into his plastron. A second later, he crashed into the rusty pipe. Ignoring the pain, he wrapped his arms and legs around the pipe to prevent himself from sliding off. The pipe creaked and groaned ominously, but it held. "Ouch," he moaned finally.
"Don, move!" Raph cried suddenly, looking back at his other brother. Don ducked without hesitation. The hunter's metal leg went sailing over his head harmlessly.
"Get outta there, bro!" Leo shouted, positioning himself so he could start leaping back up towards his brothers.
Don grabbed Leo's katanas, sent a kick into the hunter's stomach, then started running toward Raph. "Move, move!" he urged Raph as he caught up with him.
"You aren't getting away that easily!" the hunter proclaimed, taking off after them.
Leo growled as he made his way back up on the walkway. He saw the man pull a gun out of a hip holster and aim it at Don's retreating back. "No you don't!" he shouted, leaping at him. He collided with the hunter's legs just as the hunter squeezed the trigger. The bullet landed in the brick just above Don's head. Don and Raph whirled around at the sound of the gunshot. They saw Leo struggling to keep a grip on the hunter, who had fallen to the ground and was writhing around, trying to get his legs free.
"Hang on, bro!" Raph exclaimed, turning back to help his older brother.
"No, Raph! Get out-" Leo's shout was cut off as the man's metal leg connected with the side of his head with a very sickening thunk. His eyes rolled up into his head, and he collapsed to his knees, then slumped to the ground.
"Leo!" Don screamed as the hunter got to his feet, panting heavily.
"Revenge really is sweet," he gasped, aiming his gun at the motionless turtle's head.
"No!" Don cried, hurling his bo at the hunter's outstretched arm. The hunter turned, dodging the weapon, but stumbled forward when Don's fist collided with his face. Don winced, shaking his stinging hand. He had hardly hit any flesh - only cold, hard metal. His eyes widened as the hunter loomed over him. He tried to avoid the metal fist of the man's left hand, but it caught him in a glancing blow. He collapsed limply, landing half on top of Leo.
"That's it!" Raph shouted, setting Mikey down against the wall of the sewer. He turned, fire blazing in his eyes as he whipped out his sais and stalked towards the man. "You are gonna pay!"
The hunter smirked, eyeing the three lifeless figures on the ground. "Looks like it's just you and me now," he growled, his smirk turning into an evil grin. Light glinted off a row of stainless steel teeth.
Raph settled into an attack stance. "Looks like it."
Mikey was struggling to wake up. His head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and he couldn't move a muscle. Ugh, what the shell hit me? He tried to clear his mind and focus. Sounds of metal clashing against metal echoed dully through his skull, and he could hear faint sounds that resembled shouts. What's goin' on? What happened?
Exactly what I told you would happen.
If Mikey could have physically groaned at that moment, he would have. Can't you just leave me alone? Just this once? I feel bad enough as it is.
And let you miss out on what's happening to your brothers? I think not.
Now the sounds of battle became sharper, as if someone had removed a set of headphones from his ears. Although he still couldn't make out clear words, it sounded as if Raph was fighting with someone. Then everything that happened came back to him in a rush. The hunter! Oh, shell, the guys must've come!
And now they're trouble. And guess what? It's your fault.
Shut up! Mikey hated that smug tone that his "voice" seemed to have. Just shut up! He tried to focus on his brothers. Gotta help them, gotta help them… The fog in his mind gradually began to disappear, and he found enough strength to open his eyes. His heart plummeted.
Leo and Don were lying in a heap on a metal walkway nearby. He could see blood trickling down onto the walkway from each of their heads, but at this distance, he couldn't tell if they were breathing or not. Oh no. Oh no, no, no…
"I must admit, I'm quite impressed," a voice sneered. Mikey shifted his gaze over to where Raph was fighting the hunter, near the opposite end of the walkway. Raph looked angry and rather winded. "You've put up an impressive fight," the hunter continued. "But, as you can see, I'm part machine - I'll last longer."
"Like shell you will," Raph snarled, launching another attack at the man. "I'll kill you if it's the last thing I do!"
The hunter chuckled. "Oh, this will be the last thing you do - I just won't be dead. You will," he said coldly before landing a metal fist in Raph's plastron. Mikey growled, feeling anger flare deep inside as Raph went stumbling backwards. He hit the railing and toppled over, but managed to grab a railing with one hand. He tossed his sai onto the walkway, then reached up to grab the railing with his other hand.
The hunter laughed again, strolling over toward Raph. He bent down and picked up one of the discarded sai and twirled it. "This is the end for you, my prey." He raised the sai high in the air, preparing to plunge it into Raph's hands, thereby sending him plummeting to his probable death.
Suddenly something whistled through the air and collided with the man's metal cheek. Raph stared up in shock as the hunter slowly reached up and pulled a metal shuriken from his cheek. Sparks flew from the crack in his face. "Who the devil-?" he sputtered, whirling around. His jaw dropped. Raph followed his gaze and gasped.
Mikey was standing at the other end of the walkway, leaning on the rail for support. Fury was blazed across his face. He stood up straight, holding Don's bo in his hand. His voice was cold and hard as he pointed the bo at the man and spat, "Get away from my brother."
A/N: There ya have it! Mikey boy is mad... and I think my work is done here for the moment... so back to writing the next chapter! Thanks for waiting and reading, and please review! Reviews feed the hungry author... See y'all later!
moogsthewriter