The Perfect Son

Disclaimer: It's the same old song, I don't own them.

Chapter Nineteen- Planning

Donatello:

I left Mike to deal with Raph, and headed back towards my lab. I sat down at my computer and began to haul up the information I would need about the warehouse, where the Foot had taken up residence.

I was able to bring up the floor plans, and quickly figured out the one spot where Leo and Christine had to be contained. The building had a small underground area, for the furnace, hot water heater and probably storage. There was a small half bathroom down in that area as well. It was the perfect spot to house prisoners.

Anyone breaking in to free prisoners, or any prisoner escaping would have to go through the main part of the warehouse to get to freedom. Anyone busting in would have to get in and then back out. Where else would the Foot put them, other then the most difficult, out of the way place?

I also figured out where the other doors were in the warehouse. I printed off the plans, as I did so I realized that we would need something to help us even out the odds.

Bombs. I didn't care for rigging up explosives of any kind, there was always the risks that there would be some error in measurement and I could bring down a part of the sewers. It was tricky and delicate work, and I usually only made up just enough for any one mission. I didn't even care to have made bombs just laying around.

Still explosives could cause just the right sort of diversion that we needed and assist us, in getting in and out. I'd been making bombs long before there had been an internet to learn such things off of. Leo had been fairly good with bombs making as well, but Raph and Mike were careless with measuring.

I was all ready starting to plan possible modes of entrance. One of my silent bombs might work for a good diversion. They didn't make much noise but they could bring down a small area of debris. We could use smoke bombs to cover our trail and hide us if necessary too, though smoke bombs weren't quite the same as other bombs.

We could plant a silent bomb away from where we wanted to enter, draw an investigation towards that area, and allow us ninja to enter through another area.

Once we were in the warehouse, then there would be no chance to avoid the Foot's notice. I knew that we wouldn't stand much of a chance -three of us against an army. Not exactly good odds.

Then again there were many battles I had mentally calculated the odds against us and then we had somehow managed to win, and come out alive and more or less in one piece.

Then again we had never gone into battle without Leo before. I reminded myself rather grimly. I heaved a heavy sigh.

I had to take what I knew about the Foot, what I had figured Leo might do, and try to work up a satisfactory plan of my own using only the knowledge I had on hand.

I knew I often could let myself get bogged down by details, and in this instance I felt I couldn't afford it. I had to pay attention to the details, yes, but not become mired in them.

Once we entered the warehouse any plans might have to be tossed out the window, we'd have to act on what was presented to us by our enemies, and of course our reactions to them.

I shuddered and hoped like hell that Raph wouldn't go off on his own in this coming battle.

Still, I committed a few things to memory and considered a few possibilities to help us through. I knew if worse came to worse Raph and I could come up with something to improvise and Mike himself was very good at creative thinking.

Mike wasn't normally a planner, and whenever he did come up with something truly ingenious it often shocked the hell out of all of us, simply, because he loved to play the court jester. When Mike actually put thought into something, his natural creativity seemed to be more of an asset then a hindrance.

I quickly set to work on making the explosives I needed, and was finished all the preparations shortly after eleven in the morning. I went out to find my brothers.

I found them both in the dojo, "I've got things as much together as we can get," I informed them. "it is too close to noon when even day times shadows are at the shortest. Let's wait for a while then move out."

"We waited long enough." Raph growled, "If your ready let's go!"

"Raph, not close to mid day. Come on you know for a fact we will still be heading out there at least, seven hours earlier then what we should be," I pointed out simply. "Besides, Mike has been up for over twenty four hours, he could use a short rest break. Even a quick nap to reenergize himself. Tiredness can lead to sloppiness, and we need to be at our peak."

Raph gave a reluctant nod of his head, "yeah I guess Don."

"In fact we could probably all use a quick rest. It can't hurt and it might help." I suggested kindly, "Besides rest for an hour or two and then we head out."

Raph's eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his plastron. I was half expecting him to give me some sort of trouble over the situation. We often took a nap before we headed into an intense battle, after all adrenaline could only do so much.

In spite of Raph's less then amused look at my suggestion he grunted, "Yeah, your right Donny."

I breathed a silent sigh of relief. "You aren't about to go off on your own now are you Raph?" I wondered. A part of me felt that he had given in maybe a little too easily.

"What ya want to tie me up?" Raph asked, "trust me I'm not goin off half cocked. I might do that later though, just to make up for this."

I waited till Mike and Raph went to their rooms, and just to be on the safe side I crashed on the couch, that way if he did try to sneak out I'd hear him.

We had to do this together and even Raph had to realize that. We hadn't spent the last couple of months, or so, perfecting our skills as a team just for him to throw it away now.

I think though in his desire to pull us together as a family he could now see the reasoning of staying together as a team in certain situations. Still Raph, being Raphael no one could say for sure what he intended to do at any time. He was a real enigma.

TBC