Author's Notes: Raphael this time around and starting the attack on the warehouse. The last few chapters were heavy on the angst and introspection so I think a little change is in order to get back on track.

Next Time: The fight really begins.


Chapter 24

Raphael

I twirl my sai idly and stand beside Leonardo as he and Master Splinter go over the layout…again. I'm ready. I'm on the edge of the red place, keeping it held back for when I really need it. We're going to bust some heads tonight and it's about damn time. I'm itching for a fight. I need a fight. I can feel it coiling in my muscles until I have to move, I have to do something or I'll explode. It's making it hard to listen to Leo drone on about the plan. I have my own plan: punch, kick, stab.

"Dude, you should see me with the sound cannon," Mikey whispers at my side and his voice sets my teeth on edge. "I'm like an expert. Hiss, pop. Those guys won't know what hit them."

"Just don't mess it up like you always do," I mutter, not feeling too bad when his face falls into a pout. "Cause then we'd be stuck underground with nothing to show for it."

He crinkles his nose in that way when he's thinking. "Is this about before?" he asks and tries to rest his hand on my shell. "Aw, come on, man. I was just teasing."

"Would you two pay attention," Leo snaps, tapping his finger on the blueprints with an impatient grimace.

"I got it, Leo. When we get there how about you just tell me who to hit," I push away from the table, knowing if I stand next to Mikey and his stupid face any longer I'm going to punch him.

I pace and when that doesn't help I punch the practice dummy. The stand squeals and sways and the familiar sound is a small comfort. I make the trip to Donnie's lab in a few, short strides and linger in the doorway to make sure I'm not interrupting. He's out of bed. I don't think it's a good idea, but apparently my opinion doesn't count for much around here. His arm hangs in a sling across his chest and he scoots around the floor on his computer chair using his staff like an oar through water.

"Now, they change the security codes every three hours," he's explaining to April as he points at one of the many screens set up on the desk. "Our best bet is to enter from the east at eleven. The codes switch and it's a shift change for the security guards. Leo thinks they can get in without being seen if they take this route here."

There are dark circles under his eyes and a slight tremble to his movements, but it doesn't seem to matter. There's a glint in his eyes and he's something I have seen in a while; happy. April rests her hand on his shoulder and leans forward to get a better look. A smile tugs at the corner of my brother's mouth and I'm suddenly uncomfortable. I shouldn't be standing there and staring like some kinda weirdo. He's made it clear he doesn't want any help and she seems to think she's got it covered without us. Whatever, I'll leave them to it.

"Everyone can relax, Casey Jones has arrived!"

I grin at the loud, obnoxious greeting and turn my back on my brother and April. I walk down the stairs towards the couches and punch Casey's shoulder in greeting. He laughs and punches back. I'm glad there's finally someone else here with some common sense.

"So, we got some bad guys to stomp?" he asks, taking another swing which I easily avoid.

"Here's hoping," I reply, tagging him in the small of his back.

"Could someone give me a hand with this?" April calls out.

Casey rushes over and hoists the cannon from her arms. Donnie pared it down enough so we can carry it into the warehouse. The contraption still looks clunky and heavy. I'm glad I'm not the one who will have to lug it around.

"Oh, she's beautiful," Mikey coos and I can feel my eyes rolling. He is getting on my last nerve today.

Mikey takes the cannon from Casey and heaves it up onto his shoulder with a grin. "I'm gonna call her Sheila," he says with a whirl, testing the weight of it.

"Sheila?" Donnie says, rolling through the lab doors on his idiotic chair canoe.

Mikey shrugs. "Yeah, she looks like a Sheila."

"You're sure this thing will work?" Leo asks, running a tentative hand along the canon.

Donnie gets that pinched look on his face, the one he wears when someone questions one of his toys. As if it is so farfetched that he might make something that doesn't work or something that blows up and kills us all.

"Of course it'll work," he says, scooting closer to the stairs.

"Dude it already did work," Mikey says with another whirl before striking a pose.

Leo doesn't look amused. "All right," he says with a stiff nod. "We're leaving in ten," he cranes his neck to look up at Donnie on the top of the stairs. "You're into the system?"

He nods and that glint is back. "Anything their cameras can see I can see," he replies. "I'll be able to keep you guys away from trouble."

"Trouble is the whole reason I agreed to come along," Casey snickers, punching the back of my arm.

Leo doesn't say anything else. He nods and goes off to do whatever it is Leo does before a big mission, meditate or talk to himself in a mirror, probably. I feel my shoulder drop when Casey leans against it, the sports equipment on his back rattling with his movement. He looks over at Donatello, his war paint only making his smile more leering.

"D, you look like shit," he says with a laugh that is cut short when he notices Master Splinter is still in earshot. "I mean crap."

"Thanks, Casey," he mutters, pushing his staff on the ground to turn the chair. "Come and get your earpiece. You too, Raph."

I feel my mouth turn down into a frown. I've been putting this off. Casey is already giving Donnie a hard time by the time I meander my way up the stairs into the lab. April is helping him fit the earpiece on Casey's head, rolling her eyes with every snickered argument.

"Do I really have to wear this?" he asks, thrashing his head around in an attempt to shake the earbud loose, like a dog throwing off water.

"Yes," Donnie replies evenly. "You all need to stay in contact."

"Why?" he says, leaning close to the computers to inspect the screens.

"Because I'll be able to see the security feed and you won't," Donnie says.

He's getting annoyed. The glint is gone and it's replaced with that twitch and curl of his lip that shows up right before he loses it and yells. I'm not in the mood for one of his freak outs and if Casey keeps threatening to touch those screens that's exactly where we're headed.

"Where's mine? We don't got all day," I grumble.

He motions for the table and I lift the small device to my ear, lacing the short, curved piece of plastic around my mask to keep it in place.

"You press it along the side when you want to talk," he explains. "They're on a different wave than the security, so…"

"All I need to know is press here to talk," I mutter, cutting him off before he goes into a twenty minute long explanation of every wire and piece of plastic. "You just let us know what's coming, brother," I say, clasping his good hand in a strong grip. "We're taking these creeps down."

He gives my hand a squeeze, but there's doubt in his eyes. "Be careful," he says quietly. His eyes dart to the side and he obviously doesn't want Casey overhearing. "Don't touch any of the stuff in the containers. Don't let any of the others touch it either. You get in, open the containers and set the explosives."

"That's the plan," I reply, letting his hand drop.

That's Leo's plan and Master Splinter's. I have my own. No one hurts my family and gets away with it. Blowing up their compound isn't retribution enough for what they did or what they're planning to do. Not anywhere near enough. I've got the boss lady's number. She hurt my family so it's only right that I hurt her's.

There are a few more hurried explanations and promises to be careful between those of us going and those staying behind. Master Splinter says something about honor and commitment, but I'm not really paying attention. I have my own way to get ready and it has nothing to do with speeches. Leonardo leads the way to the Shellraiser and even Mikey keeps the chatter to a minimum as we ride towards the surface.

"Testing," Donnie's voice crackles to life in my ear. "Count off."

"One," Leo says, lifting his hand from the steering wheel to tap the side of his ear piece.

The rest of us count off in turn before falling into uncomfortable silence once more. We park a few blocks away and climb up to the rooftop for a better vantage point. It must be cold because Casey pulls up his hood and Mikey's teeth are chattering. I don't feel it. I don't care. My muscles tense and I teeter on the edge. Rage is waiting for me if I lean too far, so I dig my heels in and try to keep a somewhat level head. I'll need that place later.

We drop down onto the roof and the earpieces crackle to life once more.

"Okay, you have eight minutes until eleven o'clock," Donnie says. "There are only two guards at the loading dock, no trucks."

"Do you have the pass code?" Leo asks.

"Just about…" Donnie mumbles and I can hear him punching the keyboard. "One more…got it," he says with a short clip to his words. "785329," he says, sounding rather pleased with himself. "You need to get moving if you're going to reach the first security door on time. Don't try until eleven. You'll set off the alarm if you punch in the new code too soon."

It must be killing him to have to sit back and count on us following directions.

Leo raises his hand and we move forward in silence. There isn't the commotion from the night before and part of me thinks we might be too late. Leo and I should have moved on this the first night we came here. Sure we didn't have the security codes, but that has never stopped us before. They're just humans. We could have done something. Leo motions with his right hand and Casey takes off across the roof with a grin, ready to plant the explosives around the outside of the building.

My brothers and I lurk above the loading dock, the two guards pacing a few feet below. We make quick and silent work of them, dragging their unconscious bodies away from the entrance before climbing up into the duct work where we make a sharp left and wait above the heavy security door for our signal. Mikey fidgets beside me, the sound cannon strapped to his back scraping the ceiling in the low space.

"Okay, eleven," Donnie says and we move.

Leo punches in the code and I hold my breath, half expecting an alarm to blare and a swat team to descend. Instead the lock opens with a click and a soft hiss of the seal breaking. It's as though we've walked into a different building. The musty smell and exposed beams of the warehouse are gone and it's all polished surfaces and bright lights. If Donnie's calculations are correct they're keeping the mutagen containers in the basement. That's where Leo is headed. I have other plans. He can waste his time popping cans with Mikey. If you want to kill a snake you cut off his head.

I make a sharp right and move down the hallway at a run. Leo hisses after me, but doesn't raise his voice as I knew he wouldn't. I have a decent head start and I'm sure to reach my destination before my brothers catch up. Although one brother is already watching my every move. There's a crackle in my ear followed by Donnie's shrill voice.

"Raph, what are you doing?! The basement is the other way!"

I press the side of the earpiece and mutter. "I'm not going to the basement."

"Whatever you think you have to do, you don't. Stop and think about this. We have a plan, Leo…"

"Leo isn't ready to do what needs to be done," I mutter, sliding to a halt in front of another security door and punching in the code. "Keep the cameras off me, Donnie. I got this. Help Leo and Mikey."

"Raphael, don't…"

I rip the earpiece out and tuck it into my belt. I don't need him to try and convince me to stop. I've got this. I'll do what has to be done. I'm sliding into the red place and when usually that clouds all of my thoughts tonight it has them laser focused. I slip through the door and close it behind me before my brothers can reach me. It locks into place and I slide a knife into the handle to keep them from opening it without making noise. Leo won't risk it or at least I hope he won't.

"Raph!" I can barely make out Mikey's scared whisper from the other side. "Dude, come on, what are you doing? Open the door!"

"We have to complete the mission!" Leonardo adds angrily. "Open the door!"

"I am completing the mission," I mutter and I don't care if he hears me.

He wasn't the only one who studied those blue prints. I know exactly where I am and exactly where I need to go. I thought he understood. That's fine. I don't need an audience for this. I lean forward, slip over the edge and see red.