Hey, I should totally be doing homework right now, but I had to get this out there. It wouldn't leave me alone. This chapter is in Leo's POV, originally I had intended to call this chapter Mind Games, but changed my mind. Review Please ! Bye Guys!

-Leah by Michelangelo

Ch. 9-Where is the fire?

I jumped out onto a rooftop, pausing to look up at the stars with a heavy heart. Raphael had been severely wounded by the Shredder, Donnie's done all he can. It's up to Raph now. I know he'll be okay. He has to be okay. I attempt to reassure myself, but the tears are sliding out of my eyes, wetting my mask. Truth be told, I'm not even sure Raph can pull through this time. The wound was just so horrible…

I had to help Sensei and Donnie tend to Raph's wound while Mikey stayed with Mona. I honestly don't think I'll ever forget the events of that night for as long as I live. My body was racked by silent sobs as I trembled with fear and sadness. All that blood…oh god.

We can't go on without him…we just can't! And if I'm honest with myself, his loss would break my heart.

"Hello, turtle." Someone with a smooth Brazilian accent said from behind me. My hands went straight to my katanas and I pointed them at him, with a glare. Fishface held up his hands in a surrendering gesture. My eyes narrowed, Xever's widened innocently. "I am unarmed, besides I have not come to fight." I lowered my swords slightly, but made no other movement. Fishface put his hands down slowly as he continued, "Just to talk."

I stared incredulously at him. "What could you have to talk about that would interest me?"

"The fire."

I raised an eye-ridge, "What kind of fire?" I asked, deciding to play along with Xever's game, whatever it was.

"Depends on where it is." The fish mutant stated, "Though not the fire that destroys buildings and makes smoke, I'm talking about fire of the worst kind." His yellow green eyes glinted as he grinned at me.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I snapped angrily.

"Oh, but you do. You know perfectly well what I'm speaking of." He replied and I glared at him. He stared into my eyes for a moment, grin completely gone before he continued a little more quietly, "It is the fire that burns souls, eats away at them from the inside out. I had long seen it in your brother's eyes…" He looked down for a moment, before the grin was back and Xever looked up. "It burns in your eyes now." There was a brief silence, and I never let my gaze off of him. "Tell me, will he live?"

My mouth clamped shut and Xever stared up for a moment, before returning his gaze to the ground. "Ah, uncertain. How frustrating." I stared at him, my eyes wide, how did he know… "I saw the flicker of doubt in your eyes. For ninjas you do not guard your expressions very well." He sneered and my grip on my katanas tightened. "You know, I wish I could have stabbed him myself. At least if it had been me, he would have died more quickly. Unfortunate. He was the only one strong enough to fight me. I wonder which of you will take on that responsibility now." His smirk was almost maniacal.

"I could take you anyday!" I stated cooly.

Fishface leaned up against the stairwell. "Perhaps, if you were angry enough. After all, you can only fight fire with fire. And that's what Raphael was, the fire, just like me."

That's it. I pinned Fishface to the building, my swords crossing in front of his throat as I stabbed them into the concrete. "My brother was nothing like you!" I snarled.

Xever looked up at me, his face calm as ever, that small grin on his face. "Ah but we both know that's not quite true."

I was seething my eyes turning white with fury. "Raphael is so much better than you, scum." I growled lowly before pulling both my swords out of the wall and turning to leave.

"I see I hit a nerve." I kept walking away until I heard, "But you have thought about it, haven't you? He was not like me in every sense, he had slightly different values, different characteristics, but you thought about it didn't you? How, given the right circumstances, he could have been exactly like me. Seeing how close in personalities we were made you realize for the first time how dangerous he was, like a caged animal ready to be set free. Delightfully unpredictable. Like playing with fire." Xever's green eyes met mine.

My lips pulled up in a look of disgust, my teeth bared, as I spit out, "You're wrong." I leapt off the rooftop and ran, Xever's word echoing in my head.

Like playing with fire.

Fire…hmm.

Even though most of what Xever had said was complete bull, I have to admit, fire was actually a good way to describe it. Raphael was like a flame in many ways. He was dangerous, angry, unpredictable and deadly.

But there was one way in which Xever and Raph's emotional fire differed enormously: Raphael wasn't just a fire, he was so much more. Raph's flame radiated not only with anger and rage, but also warmth and compassion. His determination and strength of will made him impossible to snuff out. More importantly Raphael was an eternal flame, fueling the fire within each of my brothers, never allowing us to give up.

Cold will be the day when my brother's flame is finally extinguished.

No. Raph will be fine. He's just got to be.

For us…

For Mona.

Please little brother, we need your flaming presence. Please Raphael, my brother, come back to us.