Hey guys! Sorry it has been so long. APUSH is killing me; quite literally. Note to teachers: Do NOT, under ANY circumstances, suddenly decide to take away the established curve on your tests. Especially all you AP teachers out there. Yeah, I'm talkin' to you!

The story continues-Never fear, my friends.

Summary:Raph is sure he can't take Leo's almighty attitude any longer. He channels his rage through the Nightwatcher, a mask he puts on to beat down criminals of all kinds. However, when Raph (as the Nightwatcher) is captured by desperate criminals, he begins to realize how much he really needs a leader. He also might have found love in the process. RaphxOC, M/M SLASH! Don't like, don't read.

Disclaimer: I own nada.

A solitary candle provided a lonely, hollow light by which to see in a cramped room. It flickered dimly, shifting slightly every time the room's sole occupant breathed in or out. The faint glow, instead of providing feelings of warmth and home, only served to highlight how truly vacant the room was.

The great Leonardo's brow furrowed in concentration. Try as he might, he simply could not concentrate on his meditation. The emptiness around him haunted his mind, like the spirit of a worm wriggling near the back of his brain.

Raph still hadn't come back.

Leo took a deep breath that turned into a sigh somewhere in the middle. Nagging thoughts of less-than-optimistic possibilities plagued him. He couldn't stop thinking... What if Raph had been taken captive? What if he was dead?

He had never stayed away from home for this long before.

Leo's thoughts jumped swiftly from bad to worse, and he found he could no longer bring himself to sit still. The blue-banded turtle rose on weak knees, resolving himself to pacing within the confining quarters of the meditation room. Flashbacks of his last conversation with Raph before his hot-headed brother had stormed off leaped out at him.

"You can't leave home and come back expectin' us to fall in line again, like your little soldiers."

"Raph-" The door slammed in his face-

The dull thud of a fist slamming into a concrete wall echoed throughout Leo's barren little corner of the world. Without even realizing it, he had begun to perspire. The air around him smelled thick with sweat, fusing with the odor of the burning candle.

Had he done something wrong..?

Yes, Leo decided. He had done something wrong. He should have been more careful with Raph; he knew he had hurt his brother's feelings deeply during his journey to become a better leader, even though Raph had never admitted to the fact. Which brought Leo around to why, exactly, he hadn't come back for so long.

He had failed. He wasn't a better leader. In fact, one could argue that he was now much worse in that respect.

Leo's head spun. He couldn't shake the notion of Raphael, his little brother, out there. Hurt somewhere, probably. Calling to Leo for help. Help never coming. The look of defeat in Raph's eyes as he succumbed to the sweet allure of death...

"No," Leo whispered to himself, burying his form in the shadows of the corners of his former sanctuary. An unsteady hand subconsciously lifted to cover his face in shame. If it came to that, he would forever blame himself. He could never lead again.

Still, Leo felt certain that if his brother were about to die, he would have felt a change in the spiritual energy permeating the lair. If he hadn't noticed, Splinter surely would have.

Leo's hands clenched into fists. He had always wanted to be just like Splinter when he was growing up; he had practiced with his katana blades for hours on end, trying to master the technique of it. He had meditated, sought wisdom.

None of it had come to him. Leo had grown adept, but he was far from mastery. This, of course, made his quest to be the best leader for his brothers that much more difficult.

Leo craved perfection in his abilities. He had strived for it all his life, yet he was still miserably imperfect. This latest development, Raph's disappearance, did not help his self-esteem in the slightest.

He couldn't break now. Not when Raph needed him the most.

Leo righted himself even as a single tear slipped silently down his cheek, which he furiously wiped away. The cold chills that wracked his core were beaten into submission. He molded himself into the fearless leader again.

Fearless. That was what Raph had called him. Leo hoped for all it was worth that his brother was right, even if it had only been used in mockery.

Leo set his shoulders, brought himself up to his full height. He marched towards the door, determined to only return to this room when his life didn't feel quite so empty and drained. Determined to get to Raph.

If there was anyplace on the planet Leo could find his brother, he would do it. He would hunt for Raphael to the ends of the world, even if that meant braving the harsh jungle again. He would bring his brother home.

Briefly, Leo envisioned the shining look Mike and Don's eyes would hold as he would declare this to them. He would lead. He was capable.

Leonardo would not lose his brothers again. Not a single one of them.

Alright, so here's the skinny:

I don't expect to have all that much time for continuing this story in the immediate future, however, it should pick up during customary school break periods and possibly on the weekends when I have some spare time. If you have any ideas that you might want to put in the back of my mind regarding this story, let me know! The more creative geniuses assisting my own, the better. Please R&R! :)

-DauntlessAdrenaline