A/N: Thanks once again, reviewers! For those I couldn't personally address:

banisha: heehee, don't worry, it'll get finished no matter what. I won't let you all down!

Pig: interesting name. Thanks for the "super wow", you're awesome!

Also, I think another "thanks!" is in order for my beta, Mikell, without whom you would not be reading this now. Now, on with the show!

"Donny!"

Donatello didn't dare stop moving, but if he'd had the luxury, he would've frozen at the sight of Shredder's four Elite guard suddenly appearing on the scene. He had almost forgotten Leo mentioning that they were around somewhere, but now they were practically right on top of him.

"I see them!" he called back. As if being able to see them gave him any sort of advantage… they were still going to kick his shell. Even Leo hadn't been able to fight them all off, that time he was ambushed. Donny shuddered… he didn't really fancy flying through any windows today.

Standing with his shell to Mikey, Don wielded his bo staff threateningly as the Elite moved closer, in no apparent hurry. Two green shapes parted through the sea of Foot ninja, and then Leo and Raph were standing in line with the two younger turtles.

"Don!" Leo yelled. "Do you have any smoke bombs? Concussion grenades? Anything to give us a diversion?"

Donatello nodded, dropping back a step to reach into his bag of goodies. Immediately, the other three turtles merged together in front of him, blocking off anyone trying to reach their purple-banded brother. Donatello dug out a large black square of something that looked delightfully incendiary. His fingers flew over it expertly, finding the button that would set it off, releasing a wall of smoke thicker than their traditional smoke pellets.

"I got it! Heads up!" Donny called. Hitting the button quickly, he lobbed it over his brothers' heads. When the bomb made contact with the rooftop, it exploded violently, filling the entire roof with pungent black smoke. Don barely had time to appreciate his handiwork when a strong hand caught his arm, dragging him backwards.

"Don, it's just me," Leo muttered when Donny tried to fight out of the grip. "Settle down. Guys, quick! Lose the masks!"

Leo, Raph, and Mikey swiftly removed their masks, Raphael jerking Donny's off his head as well before he could even reach for it. Donny caught on quickly… these Foot ninja only knew them by their bandana colors. Sure, they had different skin tones and completely distinct mannerisms, but the Foot would never be able to tell them apart. Although they had another means of doing so…

"Weapons?" Donny pointed out. He glanced towards the wall of smoke… it wouldn't hold much longer; the Elite were already fighting their way through it, waving their hands around blindly to find the other side of the smokescreen. Leo grabbed Don's bo himself, handing his precious katana and sheaths to Raph. Raph, in turn, gave his sai to Mikey, who grinned and held out his nunchucks for Don. Donny took them somewhat reluctantly, looking unhappily at Leo, who was holding the one weapon that the entire Foot clan would be focused on.

"Leo…"

"No time to argue, Don," Leo said steadily. "We can't fight them off. Our only hope is to confuse them. Everyone split up. Meet back at the van. Go!"

The four turtles broke formation, leaping in their separate directions. Donny hopped off the building, landing on another roof slightly lower down. When he had reached solid ground, he chanced a look over his shoulder, but his ninja brothers had already disappeared into the night.

oOo oOo oOo

Dude, this was kinda cool! Mikey ran across rooftops, changing direction as often as he could. Taking off the masks and trading weapons… it was so very, very sneaky of them. He LIKED it! The sai felt odd in his hands, not at all as comfortable as his favorite nunchucks, but they had all trained with other weapons than their own.

Huh. Guess Leo had been RIGHT when he'd said they'd appreciate that someday.

Mikey checked a quick look behind him. A dozen or so Foot soldiers were behind him, somewhat half-heartedly. Apparently it was obvious that he wasn't the smart one they were after. Mikey grinned… he sure as shell didn't know how Donny had made himself such a target that even the Elite had been called out after him, but Mikey found himself swelling with pride at the chaos and confusion that his quiet brother had caused.

If he wasn't worried about what they might do to his brother if they caught him, Mikey would've been having the time of his life. Laughing, he put on an extra burst of speed, easily leaving the slower ninjas behind in the darkness.

"Now, time to find the Battle Shell and get outta here!" he chuckled to himself.

A second later he stopped laughing as an explosion shook the ground, and he saw a plume of smoke going up in the distance.

oOo oOo oOo

Shell, he was getting tired of running! Raph growled and kept going, weaving his way through the warehouse district by the bay. The place was somewhat familiar to him, though he usually didn't come this far out. Everything in him wanted to turn around and simply knock out the lucky Foot ninja who had outdistanced the crowd following him.

Still, he kept running. If he turned around to fight now, they'd easily be able to tell which one he was; he doubted he could keep his mouth shut once he started fighting. Raph had to keep up the charade at least a little while longer.

Mikey had BETTER be careful with my sai, Raph found himself thinking. He was glad and even touched that Leo had handed off his swords to him. Part of him was pretty sure it was just because he was the only other turtle who handled blades regularly – Don would've been uncomfortable handling such lethal weapons, even while fighting for his life. Shell-head.

Regardless, Leo never parted with his katana lightly and Raph knew there was a certain level of trust, surrendering them to him. He appreciated it. Especially because it sounded like at least one of the Elite had decided to follow him, and he was going to need the edge that a blade gave him.

Hoping that Donny was far enough away, Raph spun suddenly, landing a solid fist to the ninja behind him with the force of a small truck. Almost at the exact same instant, a thundering boom rent through the night air, shaking the ground so Raph almost fell over. Everyone stopped, and even the lone Elite turned to watch as smoke came up over the horizon. Barking out an order, the Elite shot one last evil glare at Raph before they all turned and ran.

oOo oOo oOo

Had Donny made it back yet? Had he gotten away? What about Raph and Mikey? Leo hoped they were being careful. Concern for his brothers ran dangerously through his head, distracting him. Shaking his head slightly, as if that could dislodge his worry, Leo kept running, not needing to look behind him to know he was being closely pursued. If he could make it to the shore, he knew his pursuers could never hope to keep up with him in the water.

At least three, perhaps all of the Elite had decided to go after him. Without the colored masks, none of the Foot had any idea which one was Donatello. They could have guessed they might trade weapons, but it seemed as though the Elite at least had decided their best chance was to chase down the one with the bo. Leo had known they would, which was why he'd grabbed it himself before one of the others could. As if he would let anyone else take such a risk.

Leo snorted, still running for dear life. If they caught him, at least maybe he'd be able to find out why they were after his younger brother. It was interesting that even the Foot didn't understand the orders they had been given.

Abruptly, Leo ran out of rooftops. He teetered on the edge of the last one, having been about to jump before realizing there was nothing to jump to. He had made it to the water, but the drop from this height was… dizzying. Leo had overcome his fear of heights long ago, but that sure as shell didn't mean he liked them. He spun around, Don's bo already in his hands. The Foot ninja – it looked like at least half of them had followed him after all – and three of the Elite stopped their run and approached him slower. Leo growled threateningly and shifted his grip, wishing he had his katana but glad that the ruse had worked.

"Come with us peacefully, and you will not be harmed," one of the Elite hissed in his odd, sibilant voice. "Master has requested your presence."

"I don't think so," Leo laughed, imitating Donny's voice even though he was pretty sure the Foot wouldn't recognize the difference anyway. "What does he want?"

"Come with us," another Elite repeated. "and you will find out." The line of ninja advanced and Leo growled again.

"Very well," the third Elite said. His face was covered, but Leo could hear the smile of anticipation in his voice and knew that even if he had gone 'peacefully', they were never going to take him in unharmed. "Ninja, attack!"

Leo jumped through the air to meet them head-on. He knew the odds of him walking away from this battle were… not good… but he wasn't giving up without a fight. Nevertheless, he only had time to knock out a decent number of the Foot soldiers before the Elite were upon him.

He hadn't really stood a chance, but as an Elite guard grabbed him from behind, Leo wished it hadn't been quite so easy for them to stop him. He struggled against the hands that held him as Donny's bo was taken away, one of the other ninjas breaking it in two. The other Elite reached out and grabbed Leo's chin, tipping the turtle's face into the moonlight and studying him carefully. His red eyes widened, full of fury.

"You!" he finally spat out, drawing back his hand as if he'd been burned. "You are the turtle in blue! The leader, who we have beaten before!"

There was no point denying it now, so Leo didn't bother. He smiled tauntingly, channeling Mikey's tactics of simple obnoxiousness when victory was no longer an option.

"That's right," he said derisively, still trying to shrug out of his captor's grip. "And Donny's already gotten away… he's long gone by now."

The Foot ninja shifted nervously, knowing how their master reacted to failure. It was not going to be pretty… but before they had too much time to worry, a shock wave made the entire building rumble and the sounds of something very large being blown up filled the air. Instinctively, the entire company turned towards the source of the explosion and Leo seized his opportunity. While the Elite guard holding his arms was distracted, Leo yanked himself free and without pausing to think, dove head first off the rooftop into the water nine stories below.

oOo oOo oOo

Donny just kept going. The nunchucks tucked into his belt made him long achingly for his bo, and only served to remind him how much danger his brothers were in. Because of him. Somehow. Donatello had stopped trying to puzzle out why Shredder wanted him specifically, all concern for himself shoved to the back of his mind as his thoughts went out to his brothers.

He shouldn't have let Leo take his bo. Why had he let him do that?! Losing the Foot soldiers had been but the work of a moment, of course, and now he was headed for the Battle Shell. Donny knew that there had been no Elite in the party chasing him but instead of relief, he felt only fear. The four Elite guards must have gone after one or more of his brothers instead. Most likely, they were all after Leo.

He shouldn't have let Leo take his bo.

He just shouldn't have.

The van was in sight now. Donny could tell that he was the first one back, and he slowed to a walk, wondering whether it would be better to stay, or go out after his brothers himself.

Donatello was only a few yards away from the Battle Shell when it abruptly exploded.

Review... you know you want to...