Ch 9 A Waking Nightmare.

"April? April?!" Donnie's frantic voice sounded so far away as April slowly began to regain conscious. She fluttered her eyes open and blinked several times before Donnie's relieved face came into view.

"Oh Thank goodness." Donnie exclaimed as he grabbed her and cradled her body tightly. "I was so worried when I got your signal and then I saw you lying there on the rooftop and when you didn't wake up right away..."

"Easy there Donnie." Raph's voice interrupted him from somewhere close by. "She's okay."

"Yeah, and how bout you let her breath." Mikey could now be heard and seen as he gently pried Donnie's arms from around April's body and assisted her in laying back down.

April moaned and attempted to sit up on her own. "Just lay there April, you'll be okay, you just need to rest and..."April put a finger to Donnie's lips.

"You're rambling and it's giving me a headache." She told him. She rubbed her head and blinked. She looked around and saw she was laying on their sofa in the lair. Master Splinter walked over to her with a cup of steaming hot tea and ice pack.

"Here you are April." He said as he place the ice pack on her head and set the cup on the step behind her.

"April." She looked around and saw Raph sitting to the side of her. "What happened?" He looked worried.

April reached for her tea and creased her forehead as she thought back to what had occurred. "I got Don's call." She began slowly. "And went in search for Leo and...OH MY GOSH LEO!" She cried out in a panic and would have dropped her tea if Donnie had not quickly taken it from her. She stared at the turtles and Splinter as the memories of what happened came back to her.

"What about Leo?" Mikey asked, a look of fear coming over his face. He still felt the force of Leo's katana being brought down on him and his arms still ached. He had told his brothers that to him, it had felt as though something or someone was adding to Leo's strength.

"Tiger Claw." She told them. "He attacked me...and...and told Leo...if he didn't come with him, he...he would throw me over the side of the building." She narrowed her eyes, the memories were hazy but slowly they were coming back to her. "He agreed and I...I remember seeing Tiger Claw... he...he hit Leo and knocked him unconscious and...and he...he took him away!" April was in tears as she recounted her story. "Oh poor Leo, I couldn't help him." She looked at Splinter with a frantic look. "I tried but I could barely move." She said sobbing into her hands.

"It is alright April." Splinter told her. He laid a gentle paw on her shoulder and smiled gently at her. "The boys will go find him. Everything will be alright." He turned toward his sons. "Go, bring back your brother, there is no telling what Tiger Claw has in store for him."

"I'll track him on my t-phone." Donnie said. He switched the device on and waited. His brothers, Splinter and April watched as a look of growing concern began to show on Donnie's face.

"What is it D?" Mikey asked.

"According to his phone, it looks like he's somewhere by the New York harbor." Donnie told him.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Raph said standing up. "Let's go check it out."

"Ah yeah!" Mikey yelled out as he did his 'victory dance'. "It's rescue time." He followed his brothers out the lair. "Let's go."

Splinter stroked his long beard as he and April watched them go. "What is it Sensei?" April asked.'

"I am not sure." Splinter responded. He turned toward her. "Something does not feel right. April, would you please do me a favor?"

April nodded, eager to help in some way to rescue Leo.

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Leo's head throbbed and a stabbing pain ran down the back of his head to the base of his neck. He groaned and attempted to sit up but that only made the pain intensify and his head swim. He laid himself back down and realized he was laying on a concrete floor. He placed a hand on his head and attempted to remember what had happened.

He remembered the lair, he attacked Mikey without realizing it. He remembered running from his family after seeing the horrifying images of that blasted ongoing nightmare that persisted on haunting him in both his sleep and now when he was awake. He remembered April on the rooftop and...Tiger Claw. Now it all came back to him.

Tiger Claw had struck him hard and he lost consciousness. He looked around wondering where he was. It did not look like Shredder's dungeon but, for all he knew, maybe it was a different part of the lair.

The throbbing in his head finally faded away and Leo was able to sit up. As he did, though, a deep familiar voice cut through the darkened room. "Leonardo." It was the Shredder. "About time you awoke."

Leo slowly got to his feet and went to reach for his katanas. It was then he realized that he had been stripped of all his gear as well as his elbow and knee pads and wrappings but relieved to find his mask was still on him. "Shredder!" He yelled, wincing slightly as his own voice caused his head to hurt. "What do want?" He demanded "Why have you brought me here?"

Shredder walked further into the room and it was then Leo saw he held a tall silver sword with a gold hilt. Leo recognized it immediately as the one he fought Shredder with at their last battle. The Sword of Tengu. He watched Shredder toss it over to him.

"Pick it up and fight me." He demanded as his own blade slid out from his gantlet.

Leo looked down at the sword at his feet. He could almost feel the energy running through it as it laid so close to him. The sword itself seem to beckon to him, to pick it up and hold it in his hands.

"PICK IT UP!" Shredder yelled at him again. "Fight me!" He demanded. "Fight me or tell me now where your rodent master is and maybe I will let you live."

Leo would never tell Shredder where his family was, so he knew Shredder was not going to give him a choice. Fight or give him Splinter's whereabouts. Even then Leo knew Shredder would still not let him leave alive. Leo took a deep breath and bent down, his hand hovered over the sword for a few short moments. If he did fight Shredder, he at least would stand a chance of getting out of here alive.

He grabbed the sword and immediately he felt a surge of energy flow from the sword through him. The sword felt like it belonged in his hands, it felt comfortable like an old friend. He felt his heart leap when his hand grab the hilt, he felt almost mesmerized by its look and he could feel his breath quicken as he held it up. "Strange though," Leo thought. "The sword felt like it had been made just for me."

Shredder's eyes narrowed angrily as he watched Leonardo hold the sword with ease. Even he required his gauntlet in order to just hold the sword, but here was this pathetic loathsome creature, able to just pick it up and hold it like it was just another sword. Now, he was more determined then ever to use the turtle and the Tengu power that flowed through him to his advantage. He just needed Leonardo to accept the darkness within him and join him in destroying his enemies.

"Tell me where your master is and I will let you live." Shredder walked around him and sneered down at him. "Or fight me and see if you can leave here alive." Now he stopped walking and held his blade under Leo's throat.

Leo knew there had to be something more going on. Something didn't seem right with the whole situation. Why was he brought here? Why did Shredder want to fight him? No matter the reason, Leo was more then happy to comply with Shredder's demands.

"You want to fight me Shredder?" He said holding the sword toward Shredder and getting into his fighting stance. "Then let's fight."