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No!

The words echoed in Leo's mind as he watched the blaze dance, seemingly out of control. The licked up everything it could reach: wood, barrels, clothes, and debris. Anything it could grab, it did and it was gone within a second.

Leo stumbled forward blindly, half of his brain yelling at him to run and save Raph! The other half is telling him that it was too late – he was gone.

No! Leo banished the thought from his head. The building was still standing; he could be alive in there. He could be pinned and watching the flames move towards him…

Leo's shell cell buzzed in his belt, causing the turtle to jump. Whipping it out, he spotted the concerned face of Don.

"What happened?" Donnie demanded.

Leo cut of his brother. "Get those air masks and get down to Fifth! Hurry – it's Raph." He added.

He saw his brother's eyes widen over the phone. "Give me a minute to -"

"We don't have a minute Don!" Leo snapped. His saw his brother wince at his harsh voice and felt a stab of guilt. He could apologize later - when Raph wasn't about to be barbecued. "I'm going in Don, hurry up."

"Wait! Leo don't - !" Leo snapped it shut and tucked it firmly in his belt. It would take his family about five to ten minutes to get here. That should give him enough time to find Raph.

Ripping off his mask, he soaked it in a small water barrel by the side of another warehouse. Tying it around his mouth like a bandana, he plunged inside.

He found himself relying more on his ninja training than ever before. Thick, dense smoke was everywhere, blocking all chances of hopes of vision. He heard people crying to his left and he stumbled in that direction, trying hard to avoid the flames.

He soon found he had to rip off all his pads or they'd catch fire too, that's how close he had to get to the blaze. As he headed towards the voices he could make out a small child crying. Reaching out his hands, he soon hit another person. Whoever it was grabbed hold of his hand and refused to let go.

Leo coughed harshly as smoke got through the now dry mask. He stumbled forward, grateful for the hands behind him. He found they helped support them as he led them back outside. As he turned, he saw seven people stumble out, all clutching a piece of clothing or a limb of a person in front of them.

He had saved two women, three men, and two small children.

Without a second thought, he rushed back in. "Raph!" he tried to call through his mask. It was getting harder to focus as he inhaled more smoke. Black spots started to threaten him as he made trips in and out of the building with people in tow.

After his third entrance, he felt he was going to faint. He was gasping for breath, but finding none. His chest heaved as he struggled to calm his racing heart. He took one step and found the world tilting at a funny angle.

He was falling. He knew that the second he landed on a fallen support beam. Or what was left of it anyway. He tried to stand, but found himself once more on the floor. He felt his eyes involuntarily start to close and brief thoughts of his family floated through his mind before he lost consciousness all together.


"Mikey, you see him yet?" Don asked into the mic on his mask. He had just led two more people out of the building, carrying a third. Mikey was inside, searching for their two missing brothers. He was extremely appreciative for the masks they wore; without them there would have been no way to go in and out more than a few times.

"Nada." Mike's voice drifted through and Don felt fear grip his heart and start to squeeze.

"Keep looking, bro." Don urged his brother. "Just be careful."

"I'm not leaving until we find both of them." Mikey insisted. "And I'll be careful, you just focus on getting as many people out as possible."

Don wished that were true. Already the explosion had claimed eleven people, and they were only on the first floor. What would the other two bring? He had no idea how many people he had found and brought out had died from smoke inhalation outside. He prayed no more would be claimed that night; enough blood had been shed.

"Don!" Mikey suddenly screamed and Don winced. "I found Leo and he's out cold."

"Shell." Donny muttered, but he felt unusual panic and relief at the same time. "Where are you, Mikey?"

"Um, second floor, second door in."

"Two, two." Don muttered as he rushed towards the nearest staircase. The stairs were aflame, causing the purple-banded turtle to have to run though some to get to the top. It hurt like shell, but burns could be dealt with later. After Leo was safely outside. And Raph.

Shell, he had no idea if the hot-headed turtle was still alive. Could anybody still live through this much smoke? If they were incredibly stubborn, yeah. And Raph was undoubtedly the most stubborn person/turtle he'd ever met.

One door, he counted as he ran the hallway. Two. He shoved the door open, ignoring the burning doorknob. Just another burn.

Thanks to his mask, he was easily able to detect Leo and Mikey. Bounding over to them, he quickly lifted Leo bridal-style. The eldest turtle slumped in his arms as Don rushed him downstairs and outside.

Casey was already there with the battle shell, treating some people with the oxygen masks in the back. The second he saw Leo, he opened the back and Don shuffled him inside. Casey already had the special mask that fit their beaks out and had it over Leo's mouth before Don could shut the door.

"Where's Mikey?" Casey asked when Don was fully inside.

"Still looking for Raph." Don answered quietly as he grabbed another oxygen tank and mask. He would not leave the building until he found his brother and he doubted Mikey would either. The mask was for when they found Raph; he would need it the second they found him; if he was even still alive, Don thought fearfully.

Within minutes, the turtle found himself back in the blazing warehouse. The smoke was getting thicker as if the fire had found a new source of fuel to keep it burning a little longer.

"Mikey! Mikey, can you hear me, bro?" Don yelled into his mask mic.

There was a moment of static before Mikey's voice reached Don. "Yeah, I still haven't found him yet." His voice got quiet as Don realized the truth.

Raph was dead. There was no way he could've survived this long without fresh air. He was gone. Don's heart screamed no, but his brain said yes. They had been too late.

Mikey heard his brother's pause and knew instantly what he was thinking. "NO!" he screamed into the mic. "I'm not leaving him here!"

"Mikey," Don's voice was unusually quiet and pained. "We need to go – the warehouse could collapse here soon and I'm not losing a second brother."

"But he could still be alive!"

Mikey's voice broke Don's heart. With Raph dead and Leo out cold, he was in charge. "Mikey, that's an order. We need to get out now."

"But Raph - "

"Is gone Mikey." Don felt his own tears run down his cheeks, knowing for sure they were pouring out of his brothers. This was the hardest choice he'd ever make in his life. Leo often told him he could never understand the choices he's had to make sometimes – now he did.

There was a pause over the line before Mikey's spoke again. "Give me ten minutes." He pleaded.

Don sighed. He was going to do one more quick check for people that could still be alive. "Five, then you have to get out. This building is tough but it will collapse soon and I won't have you still in here when it happens. Understand?"

"Yes." The connection between the two brothers was broken instantly. Don sighed and went on with his search.

Mikey abruptly hung up the phone and ran down the hallway. This wasn't on fire – yet, but it soon would be. However smoke filled the path from top to bottom, leaving Mikey stumbling constantly in it. He was almost done with this floor, but there was still one more to go. There was no way in shell he could search both floors in five minutes.

He had to choose and he had to do it soon. Should he go on with his search or head to the next floor?

There, the staircase. It seemed to beckon him closer and Mikey found himself panicking. This choice could cost him his brother's life. If he made the wrong one…

Which one? His mind raced as he struggled to choose. One minute had already passed. He could delay no longer. With a second's doubt, he surged forward and up the stairs.

Please be up here Raph, Mikey prayed as his legs pounded up the wooden stairs. Please be up here.


Don't you just love cliffhangers?

(Dogdges mad mob)

Okay...still a no!

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