Disappearing Act: Raphael
Almost as soon as Hun rounded on Splinter, the rat struck out with his walking stick landing a heavy blow to Hun's chest, causing the giant to shout in fury. The purple dragons around me stood as motionless as I did at my father's surprise entrance. For them, the odds had just got a whole lot worse and I kind of sympathised. My odds had dropped too. Leading on from his first attack, Splinter shifted to Hun's side as a huge fist whistled past him. Once again using his stick Splinter slammed it into the back of Hun's knees, sending the large man crashing to the pavement. Smashing his fists on the ground in anger, Hun rounded on the purple dragons stood around the alley watching the fight.
"What are you waiting for? Get the freaks! Don't let them get away!" roared Hun, as his small eyes darted around trying to locate the rat who had humiliated him.
Shocked back to reality, the dragons hastily raise their weapons to attack us. Twirling my Sai in my hands, I drop my stance ready to fight again. My anger at being saved my Splinter fuelled the adrenaline that ignited my fighting spirit. I had no intention of dealing with Splinter tonight and being rescued by him made it even worse. This whole thing was just going to give him more to be disappointed in me about, more fuel for the inevitable lecture. Just before I can get into the fight the whole alleyway suddenly fills with smoke and familiar, furry hands grab at my arm pulling me to one side. Too stunned at the intrusion to resist I allow myself to be hurried along to the other end of the alley, where Splinter clearly expected us to go up and disappear.
"Raphael, we are going!" orders Splinter in a whisper. Hun and the purple dragons are still stumbling around in the rapidly dispersing smoke and the opportunity to escape is slimming by the second, but I can't go yet.
It was then I pulled away from my father's grip.
"You go. These losers have weapons and I ain't letting them get away with them!"
As the smoke disperses further, I can see we are the other end of the alley from Hun and the dragons, giving them even more chance to make off with the crates. Master Splinter recovered fairly quickly from my refusal to follow him, and I could see his annoyance rising as he tried again.
"You don't understand Raphael. We must leave, while we still can" growled the grey rat as his dark eyes scanned the alley, as if he expected the shadows to come alive. I'm so fed up of taking orders. From Leo. From Splinter. I can't help the dark anger from earlier in the night burning through me once again.
"I didn't ask for your help. I don't need you!" I retorted with anger lacing my tone.
Wait.
That came out wrong. I meant to say I didn't need his help, not that I didn't need him. Or did I? I'm not sure anymore. I'm so frustrated. Wasn't I thinking earlier tonight about how much I resented him? No. That's not true, it's just the anger talking. It's too late now. The damage is done. Splinter as an expert at masking his emotions, always calm and strong. But the hurt in his eyes is unmistakable.
The sad look on his face, made me pause. Splinter also seemed to have frozen in place. Before either of us could regain our composure, a tell-tale click echoed in the silence of the alley for the second time tonight. Turning towards the click, I came face to face with yet another alien looking machine, and Hun had his finger on the trigger.
Time seemed to slow down around me as Hun pulled the trigger. I could do nothing as the bullet exploded out of the gun. At the last possible second a strong push on my shell knocked me to the side, and the bullet intended for me hit Splinter instead.
Even after what I'd just said, he saved me. I could feel my horror building as the bullet struck him in his left shoulder with a sickening crack. I've seen guns fired plenty of times but this was different. Lying flat on my shell, I feel helpless to do anything but watch. Multiple cracks broke the silence of the night, the unmistakeable sound of bones breaking as the bullet thudded into his shoulder, sending Splinter crashing to the ground. Unlike a regular bullet, this was a thick cylinder of metal about the length of a pencil, and it was stuck out of his left shoulder. Waking out of my shock, I scramble to my feet and rush towards Splinter who was lying on his back groaning as blood slithered out from the sides of the bullet stuck out of him by about three inches.
Familiar brown eyes filled with pain flicker towards me as I lean down to him. Hun and the purple dragons have surrounded us now, laughing cruelly and the damage they had caused.
"Raphael, run" Splinter urges me, as he weakly attempts to push himself up. He's way too badly injured to move though, and he once again ends up on the ground.
"Stand aside turtle" booms the voice of Hun
Anger, bright and hot fuels the animalistic growl that builds in my throat as I turn towards Hun.
"Now, now turtle. Surrender and I'll let the rat live" said Hun in a condescending tone, still pointing the gun towards us.
"No!" groans Splinter behind me, once again attempting to stand.
"What do you say boys? Should I see what this button does?" questions Hun, glancing at the range of dials and buttons on the dangerous machine, as the purple dragons around him roar in approval.
Flicking a switch at one end of the gun, I turn towards Splinter just as the electric shock hits him. Despite his best efforts, Splinter grunts and groans in pain as he twists on the ground. The shock causing him to further impact on is already damaged shoulder.
Torn between helping Splinter and attacking Hun, I stand frozen in-between the two. I wish my brothers were here. I wish I'd followed Splinter out of danger.
"Surrender turtle. There's a lot of buttons on here, I wonder how many it will take to kill him?" ordered Hun.
Outnumbered and outgunned. I glance back at my Father on the ground, the shock has stopped and he's panting on the ground shuddering in pain. I drop my Sai to the ground. I don't resist as the purple dragons nearest me bind my hands behind my shell while the others wrap a length of chain around me, trapping my arms tightly to my body.
Satisfied that I'm secured, Hun moves towards Splinter. Surprisingly still conscious, he tries to move but he is clearly in no shape to fight.
"Leave him alone Hun! I surrendered" I bargain, barely recognising the weak, broken sounding voice as my own.
"A deal is a deal" Hun agreed.
In the next instance, he dropped the gun to one side and knelt on top of splinter. Pinning the rat to the ground with a knee on his chest, the mountain of a man easily secured Splinters functioning right arm to the ground under a meaty hand. His left hand was of no concern, given the state of his left shoulder. Grabbing hold of the metal cylinder, Hun slowly dragged it out of the rats shoulder as Splinter squirmed desperately beneath him. The sound of my Father's cries of pain will probably haunt me for months to come, as well as the sight of the blood, muscle and who knows what else on the end of the bullet when it is finally removed. The end of the bullet had a curved end with small serrations o the metal surrounding it. The perfect weapon to cause maximum damage. So transfixed with what Hun was doing to Splinter, I barely registered the van that had arrived in the alley. I remain numb as I'm thrown into the back with chains securing me to the wall, and when Splinter is thrown in the van alongside me. A chain connecting his good arm to the opposite wall.
The only thought running through my mind; this is all my fault.
A/N - Sorry it's been a long time coming, been so busy with uni and stuff! I hope it was worth the wait, let me know what you think!