It's been a hot second since I wrote turtlefic, but I've been working on this for a little while and since 2k3's 20th anniversary is today, I figured now was as good a time as any to post the story. :)

Chapter 1

Leo made a sharp turn around the coffee table on his hands and knees, checking his pace just a little as Shadow's arms tightened around his neck. She squealed in glee even as she started slipping off the side of his shell. "Whooaaa, horsie!"

He laughed and came to a halt, reaching back with one arm to boost her back up before she could fall. "I think it might be time for the horsie to go back to the barn."

"Awww." Shadow clung to his back a little tighter. "But we've still got dogies to round up!"

Leo glanced over at the small pile of stuffed animals that Shadow had been lassoing with a jump rope. "I think we can manage that. But then it'll be time for bed."

Shadow bounced on his back. "Yeehaw!"

Grinning and giving thanks for his ever-present knee pads, Leo made the way around the living room again, giving the five-year-old another chance to scoop up the stuffed animals and drag them over to the corral she'd made out of sofa cushions.

"What do you think, cowgirl?" he asked when the last tie-dyed llama had joined the rest of the stuffed animal pile. "Ready to head back to the ranch?"

"I guesssss…" She flopped onto her stomach on his shell. "Can we read?"

He smiled at her over his shoulder. "I think we've got time for that. Hang on." He waited until she'd wrapped her arms around his neck again, then rose to his feet, hooking his arms under her knees to give her a turtle-back ride to her room. He stopped in front of her bookshelf and glanced back at her. "What books do you want tonight?"

She peeked up over the rim of his shell. "Annie and the Wild Animals! And Owl Moon," she added.

Leo smiled. He'd already picked up Owl Moon, anticipating the request, and after a short search he found the book about Annie. He crossed over to Shadow's bed and turned around so she could flop onto the blankets, but she didn't let go right away. Instead she patted the area over his left shoulder and asked, "Hey, Uncle Leo, how come your shell looks funny here?"

Leo paused, brow ridges lifting a little at the unexpected question. The deep wound from the Shredder's gauntlet had gradually healed over the course of a few years, but it still stood out against the rest of his shell - it was a slightly lighter shade, and the scutes were a little uneven and had a rippled texture that made them distinct.

"My shell was damaged there," he told her, sitting on the edge of the bed after she had let go and flopped to the mattress.

Shadow burrowed under the blankets and scooted over to make room for him. "What happened?"

He thought for a moment before answering. He knew that Casey and April wouldn't object to him answering her questions, but he didn't want to say too much either. "Well, you know how Grandpa Splinter taught me and the rest of your uncles how to be ninjas?"

"Uh-huh."

He lifted his arm so she could snuggle against his side. "Well, a long time ago, we had to fight some bad ninjas."

"Did you kick their butts?" she asked excitedly.

He huffed a laugh. "Eventually, but it wasn't easy. We didn't win every time." He reached over his shoulder to tap his shell. "This happened during one of the fights."

Shadow's blue eyes were wide and concerned. "Did it hurt?"

Leo smiled gently. "Yeah, it did. It's better now, though. It grew back over time and it doesn't hurt anymore, but my shell was damaged enough that it changed the way it grew back. So it still looks a little funny."

Her brows drew together as she gave him a keen look. "But it really doesn't hurt anymore?"

"It really doesn't." He gave her a little squeeze. "Are you ready to read now?"

"Yes!" She snuggled closer, reaching out to take one half of the book when he held it out to her. She knew both stories by heart, but she still listened intently while Leo read, sighing happily and snuggling down when the books were finished.

"Think you can sleep now?" Leo asked, tucking her in.

She nodded, pulling the blanket up to her chin. "Yeah. But can you stay?"

Leo smiled fondly. "Sure." He stood briefly to switch on the nightlight - Mikey had painted a little green turtle on the plain white plastic shell - then turned off the lamp and returned to sit on the edge of the bed. Shadow reached for his hand and squeezed it tightly as she shut her eyes.

It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, but even when her fingers slackened around his, Leo didn't let go. Instead he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, enjoying the peace and silence as his niece slept.

He eventually drifted into a light doze - resting, but with part of his mind still alert. He opened his eyes a while later at the subtle sound of a doorknob turning. A thin stream of light entered the darkened room from the hallway, and he saw April smiling at him through the narrow gap. Leo smiled back and carefully slipped his hand out from Shadow's hold, moving silently to join April and Casey in the hall.

"How was the movie?" he asked, keeping his voice low as he followed them out to the living room.

"Not bad," April said, hip-checking Casey with a teasing grin. "Had enough mystery and adventure to be interesting, didn't it?"

He smirked and rolled his eyes. "I'll admit it, you were right. It was better than I was expecting."

"Well, thanks for being a good sport."

"Hey, you came with me to the hockey game last month."

April stretched up on her toes to give him a peck on the cheek before turning back to Leo. "How'd it go with the munchkin tonight?"

"Fine, as usual. She asked about my shell tonight, though." He gestured toward his left shoulder. "I told her it was damaged in a fight with some bad ninjas. She seemed fine with that explanation once I told her it didn't hurt anymore - " April smiled. " - but I figured I'd mention it. She might ask you about it."

"Thanks for the heads-up." April sighed. "I know we've got a lot of family history to share with her; I guess I don't think about it much since we've been lucky enough to have a few years of peace. But she's old enough to start hearing it."

"We'll all help," Leo promised. He retrieved his katana from where they'd hung near the door and shrugged them onto his back. "Need anything before I go?"

"No, we're all set. Be safe."

Leo smiled at the familiar farewell. "Good night, April. 'Night, Casey."

Casey put his arm around April's shoulders. "G'night."

Leo slipped out the window onto the fire escape. He glanced down at the greasy manhole cover in the alley below, then up at the strip of moonless sky visible between the buildings and took a deep breath of cool night air before deciding to stay topside and climbing up to the rooftop to start his journey home. It was a windy night, but the breeze was behind him as he set off at a swift, smooth run.

It wasn't that late - just after eleven o'clock - and there were still a decent number of cars on the roads. Even without the light of the moon to give him away, Leo kept to the shadows, flitting over the gaps between buildings when there was a lull in traffic. Even with the short stops and starts to keep out of sight, Leo moved quickly. He was a handful of blocks from April and Casey's apartment when he caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. He ducked between the supports of a water tower, into the shadow beneath, keeping utterly still as he peered cautiously around.

The only sound was the traffic noise below, and the sky was clear. Leo saw no one on the roof, but the itch on the back of his neck told him something wasn't right. He hesitated a moment longer, considering his phone, but he wasn't that far from the lair, and there was a convenient sewer entrance on the far side of the next building. A final glance around showed no danger, so he made his decision and took off running again.

But no sooner had Leo leapt over the alley between buildings than he sensed movement again. He whirled and drew his katana in one smooth motion - then staggered back a step as he felt a stinging impact in the muscle of his right shoulder.

Leo hadn't dropped his swords since he'd been a child, but the katana in his left hand slipped from his fingers and clanged to the ground as he seized the five-inch-long dart embedded in his skin and tore it free. A terrifying chill coursed through him as he saw the empty syringe in his hand. Run. He had to run. Leo snatched up his dropped sword and sheathed them both, dashing for the edge of the roof and the refuge of the sewer entrance in the alley below. But he didn't get far.

After half a dozen steps, the world tilted sideways and he stumbled, barely keeping his feet. This time when he glanced over his shoulder, he saw it: a smooth dark shape hovering twenty feet above the rooftops and closing in fast - some sort of drone, the size of a small car.

He was ten feet from the edge of the roof but he couldn't make it - even as he turned to run, his legs gave out, and he tumbled to the rough rooftop. There was a cold, chemical taste in his mouth and the noise of the traffic below became hazy and distorted. Leo fumbled his shell cell from his belt with unsteady hands but instead of trying to call, he pressed the phone against the inside of his forearm and thumbed the emergency button, feeling the sharp jab as the stylet hidden in the base of the phone punched the GPS chip through his tough skin.

The drone was closing in. The wave of drug-induced sluggishness washing over him couldn't quench the ice cold panic, and Leo surged to his feet once more. He staggered to the edge of the roof and threw himself over the waist-high wall, struggling to shield his head as he fell. He bounced off the lid of a dumpster and landed hard enough to knock the breath from his chest and send a burst of pain lancing through his right shoulder and arm. The ringing in his ears drowned out the sound of his shell cell spinning away to clatter against the far wall. He rolled to his back, clenching his teeth on the cry of pain as the edges of broken bone grated together in his injured arm.

The manhole cover was three feet away. But he couldn't make it. His limbs were cold and heavy - except his right arm, which was on fire. Black spots swirled in front of his eyes as the drone appeared in the sky above him. The darkness grew as it began descending into the alley with a sinister hum, filling his vision and blotting out the stars.