.

Chapter 07

.

.

Leo sat down on the roof cross-legged, facing Raphael. Sitting here at the scene of that fateful battle itself, he'd hoped this last ditch attempt to gather clues would yield something, anything.

He'd insisted that they combine their efforts mentally; revisiting the scene in a paired meditative state might just reveal something unnoticed before. It wasn't much, but at this point they were out of options.

Raph looked worn out, older. I'm probably not too pretty-looking myself, he thought. So many days of searching, looking for anything… so many questions. Why were they taken? They had received no word, no threats. And why stop with Mike and Don? There had been no attempt on the part of the Foot to take down either of the eldest turtles in the recent weeks. He and Raph had been topside nearly every hour since that night, giving the Foot plenty of opportunity for another ambush.

They'd searched the city for any possible clues but there was nothing. Master Splinter had been meditating for days, also without much luck. Their sensei had said that he did think they were both still alive, so some small relief there. Leo had touched Michelangelo the day before so there was good chance he was still alive, despite the state his mind was in. Leo shivered at the memory.

Leonardo looked out over the scene. He remembered how Raphael looked, picking up their cast-off weapons, clutching Mike's nunchakus and Don's bo, chest heaving, teeth clenched, shaking with rage. They're gonna pay fer this, Leo, he'd said, I swear I'm gonna destroy every last one 'a them cowards. If ever Leo was capable of feeling the intense rage he often saw in his volatile brother, it was now. For once, he agreed completely with him – when they did get a hold of the ones responsible for this, there would be hell to pay.

The remaining two brothers sat motionless on the rooftop. Raphael was already deep in a trance.

Leonardo closed his eyes and thought again of Michelangelo's screams. Oh Mike… Don… we'll find you guys. We're coming, I promise. He shuddered and lowered his head.

Leonardo cleared his mind and entered meditation alongside his brother.

~.~

~.~

Leo could see now, of course, how obvious their strategy was. He should've been able to realize right away that the four of them were being separated on purpose. So stupid. So much for all of his training, and now his failure resulted in the worst possible outcome. If he had just trusted his instincts, he knew something wasn't right from the very beginning. They didn't usually encounter so many Foot at once, but by the time he realized that they were in trouble, it was too late.

She was standing on the next roof over, observing, an elite guard standing on either side of her. Donatello's pained cry had sent his mind reeling, yet in that moment he noticed her there. Karai! How long has she been here? Her presence here showed that the Foot meant business. Suddenly he realized what a fool he'd been. How quickly an ordinary fight with a few Foot soldiers had erupted into complete chaos.

They were everywhere now. Foot soldiers filled the rooftop, and Leonardo and Raphael did everything they could to hold them back. Leo looked over at Raphael and saw that he was gone. Instead, a crazed maniac had taken his place. Raw, berserker rage literally flowed from Raphael. He was splattered with the blood of his enemies, his green skin slick from head to toe.

"YEEEAAARRGHH!" He yelled, "GIT OUTTA MY WAY, DAMMIT!" Son'sa bitches… if they've hurt Donnie…! Raphael fought with everything he had. He was a powerhouse, ripping through flesh with fervor, determined to get to Donatello no matter what.

Michelangelo turned what attention he could afford towards Donatello when he heard the yell. Don was on the ground, clutching his shoulder and struggling to get up. Blood was pouring from the wound. Shocked at the sight, Mike let his guard down only slightly. It was just enough for the naginata warrior to break in, thrusting the blade towards him with finesse. Mike barely realized in time, as the blade nicked the side of his neck. Instinctively, he put a hand up and felt a small trickle of blood. "Nice try, but that's only a… scratch? Hey, get back here!" Before he could finish, the naginata warrior had turned and fled in the direction of Donatello. Shit! He's going after Donnie! Knocking back a few more grunts, Mike took off in hot pursuit.

Donatello stood up, breathing heavily. He looked into his attacker's eyes. "Bastard," he breathed. His arm was all but useless now. This was bad. Nevertheless, he raised his bo in readiness for the next attack.

He could see Michelangelo coming up to his left. Unfortunately, so was another of those elite warriors. Donatello steeled himself and cleared his mind. Remember your training, he thought. Ignore your wounds until the battle is won, there will be time for pain later. As he looked on, the approaching naginata warrior signaled to his cohort and they both turned in unison on Michelangelo. Surprised, Donatello barely had time to react to the wave of Foot grunts that now hurled themselves at him from all sides.

Don tried in vain to keep using his aching left arm, the bo staff becoming harder and harder to wield with each passing minute. He was starting to feel unnaturally tired. Didn't think I'd lost that much blood, he thought. Getting harder… to think straight. He felt lightheaded. I'm not gonna last much longer.

Michelangelo entered a mid-level stance and looked at the two naginata warriors. "Oh, so I guess the other dudes weren't enough for ya, you guys came looking for a real challenge." Smiling, he twirled both nunchakus menacingly. They attacked, but he was ready. They're good, Mike thought, can't land a hit on 'em. Wonder why we've never seen guys like them before? As he blocked another swipe of the Foot warrior's ferocious blade-tipped staff, he managed to get a look at Donatello. Don was fumbling badly. Shit! Don's in real trouble! Suddenly, all of Michelangelo's confidence left him. He felt an intense fear sweep over him. He attacked his two enemies with new seriousness.

"Leo! Raph! GUYS, I THINK DON REALLY NEEDS HELP!" His tone of voice conveyed everything they needed to know. Donatello was going to be killed if they didn't get to him immediately.

Leo and Raph's eyes met again. "Don!? Mike!? Hold on, we're coming!" Leo's heart sank. Mike sounded terrified. They had to get over there now.

"RAAAARGGHHH!" A bestial scream erupted from Raphael. They were making progress, but there were still plenty of Foot to get through. He and Leo had made it closer to where Michelangelo was standing, but he still couldn't get a clear view of Donatello. It looked like Mike was trying to fend off both of those weirdos with the long sticks all by himself. Raph slid his sai into a ribcage, using his foot to remove the dying Foot soldier. His arm swung outwards, catching another in the throat.

Mike was slowing down. Jeez, a little early to be feeling this tired, he thought. The battle was pretty intense and all, but he should've had more stamina than this. Prob'ly overdid it in training. He swung out of the way of another attack and got a nunchaku around his enemy's pole arm, disarming him. As the naginata warrior moved to retrieve the weapon, Mike went in for the kill. A moment later the so-called 'elite' warrior was crumpled on the ground with a caved in skull. "'Bout time," he said, grinning madly at the remaining enemy. "Your turn." The bladed staff came at him again, and Michelangelo twirled out of the way. Whoa. What the hell's going on? He suddenly felt dizzy, and fell to one knee. Something wasn't right.

"Guys? I don't feel so good…" Raphael was pretty close to Mike now and heard him clearly. He could see that Mike was down on one knee and he looked pale. A second later Michelangelo bent over and vomited.

"MIKEY!" He looked pleadingly at Leonardo, but only saw the same desperation mirrored back. Leo too, was now doused in blood, still fighting off swarms of Foot soldiers. Can't see Don… what the fuck is happening to Mike? He was just fine a minute ago! Furious,Raphael decided he was not going to watch two of his brothers die today.

"GODDAMN IT, LEO!" He flicked his wrist, snapping his sai clean of the warm guts wrapped around the blade. Blood gushed from a newly opened hole in the Foot soldier that lay dying at Raph's feet.

"Stay FOCUSED, Raph," A steel claw nearly opened up Raphael's arm as Leo said this. Leonardo shifted his gaze towards the two younger brothers. Mike had one arm up in defense, the other was being used to prop himself up. He was on both knees now, a pool of vomit next to him. He was swaying and he looked exhausted. That's when Leo saw Donatello.

Don had fought strong and hard. Even wounded with the very limited use of one arm, he'd still managed to wield his bo with a precision only a true master could achieve. Foot soldiers still fell to him, but his progress slowed. Eventually, with life slowly draining from him, he could no longer hold himself up.

Donatello, exhausted, wounded, sick and standing in a pool of his own blood, fell to his knees. He tilted his chin up, wanting to face his death without fear. I'm sorry, my brothers, I have failed you. He could feel tears wanting to well up, but would not allow them. I will die like a warrior. A Foot ninja carrying a katana blade advanced on him.

Leonardo saw him kneel. "DONATELLO!" He'd never make it to him in time. Suddenly a whistle sounded from above them, and the Foot changed formation, with most of the attackers now heading towards Mike and Don. "Raph! Move in! Follow me!"

Raphael fell in behind Leonardo perfectly, the two brothers slicing their way towards the younger turtles. They had thinned out the mob enough to make it to Mike's position at least. Raphael engaged the naginata warrior, taking his attention off of Mike. "MIKEY! You all right?"

"Sure… feel… great," Michelangelo, now hunched over on both hands and knees, was breathing hard. The world was swimming.

"Leo!?" Raphael was frantic. "What the hell's the matter with 'im!?"

"I don't know Raph, but I'd be careful not to let that blade nick you." Leo swung up, slicing an arm off at the shoulder joint, creating a fantastic shower of blood. He sided up to Raphael, shifting his main focus to the naginata warrior alongside his brother.

Fucking cowards, Raphael thought, as he lunged at the elite, trapping the staff with his sais. Without missing the opportunity, Leo drove both katanas home, nearly slicing the foe in two.

"…uuuuuhhhhnnnn… guys… get Don…" Gasping for breath between words, Michelangelo hit the ground hard, his nunchakus clattering onto the rooftop.

"MIKEY!"

Karai let loose another whistle. The Foot changed formation again, now focusing nearly every soldier left standing on Raph and Leo. Mike's body was being dragged off by a couple of Foot soldiers, and they now noticed that Donatello was nowhere to be seen.

"Dammit!" Leo knew they had to cut them off before it was too late. "Raph! Time to go!"

Leo turned and retreated over the side of the roof onto the nearby fire escape. Raphael followed a second later, both leaping towards the street as fast as possible. At last they reached the bottom and bolted around the side of the building. They were just in time to see a graffiti-covered van with Foot soldiers swarming around the back, shutting the doors. The van peeled out down the alley.

"C'mon!" Leonardo took off in pursuit, Raphael close on his heels. They followed for a few blocks, but the vehicle was gaining on them. Leo pulled out his cell and flipped on the GPS to track the two missing brothers' phones.

"This way!" He said, turning right. At least it looked like they weren't wasting their time, both signals were coming from inside the van, but they were moving fast.

They had all but forgotten the remaining Foot soldiers left behind. Though their numbers had been drastically diminished in the battle, there was still a small army left. As they turned down the next street, the remaining soldiers were waiting for them. Flanked us, thought Leonardo, should've seen that coming. He stored the cell and unsheathed his katanas. There was no hope of catching up to the van now. He could only pray that the tracking signal would hold out a little longer. But by the time they'd finished off the last enemy, the signal was dead, along with the hope of finding where their missing brothers had been taken.

~.~

~.~

Leonardo's eyes snapped open. They'd started that night by knocking around a few Foot soldiers and it had turned into all-out war. He and Raphael, their meditation now broken, both sat still and stared at each other. So much more was clear now. It had been an elaborate trap from the start. They used Raphael to draw out the rest of the turtles, no doubt intending to bring all four of them down. The Foot had been prepared, perhaps even counting on the fact that Raph would call for backup, and the turtles played right into their hands. An' if I hadn't called, thought Raphael, they woulda' jus' captured me alone. Stupid.

In his meditation, Leo had noticed the small cut on Mike's neck; it was obvious now that his assumption had been correct; they'd used poison-tipped blades to turn the tables on them. But that wasn't the only thing he noticed.

"The graffiti on the van, I saw it. It's a symbol used by the Eastside Killers. Their turf is in East Harlem, near the waterfront." A bit of hope filled Leo as he said it. It wasn't much, but finally they had something to go on.

"That's enough f'me," Raph stood up, hand on the butt of his sai. "What're we waitin' for."

.

.

.