Back again! Sorry I haven't written in so long. I've been working on this scene list that I've been trying to organize for forever concerning this fic, and all the little pieces are finally coming into place. I'm supah-excited. Anyway, by my figuring, there will be approximately ten more chapters after this one, give or take. Hope you guys like pretty long stories, even though my chapters are relatively short! Alas, it feels like just yesterday I was writing the first chapter, having no clue where it would lead...

But now we've got this! Enjoy, and please review!

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 don't own anything. I don't make money.

Raphael and Leo were disturbed in the kitchen by a sudden crash and the sound of glass shattering. Instantly, Leo sprang to his feet.

"It sounds like that came from Don's lab," his older brother said with a worried look. Raph nodded, then rushed ahead of Leo to see what was going on, his chest clenching uncomfortably. Had Flame hurt himself again already?

Raph flung open the lab door, ignoring how it slammed against the wall and left a small crack in the concrete. He had to pause a beat to make sense of what he saw, even as Leo skittered to a halt behind him.

In the middle of a pile of broken machinery Raph had no doubt Donatello would be very upset about later, the object of his and Leo's discussion lay in an undignified heap, though Flame was clearly working to push himself up. What remained of the sick-bed's cotton sheets lay torn and tangled around Flame's waist, exposing his bare upper body. Raph sucked in a breath, moving his eyes away from that area quickly. As far as he could tell, Flame hadn't suffered too much from his fall-he would have only minor scratches and bruises later for his efforts.

When the red-head glanced up and saw the turtles standing in the doorway, he immediately leaned back on his elbows. He shot Raph a cheeky smirk, the picture of relaxed.

"It would seem as if my leg isn't working properly yet," was all Flame offered before he began struggling toward an upright position once more. Raph started forward to help him up, but Leo held him back with a rough hand on his shoulder.

"Let him do this," Leo whispered at Raph's glare. Together, they turned back to the form on the floor.

"It's..no matter..." Flame was panting, as if he hadn't noticed their exchange. Raph hoped he hadn't. Flame had pushed his back up against the far wall, and his fingers fumbled along the edge of the sick-bed's nightstand, scrabbling for purchase on the wood. "I'll be up..in a jiffy."

Raph raised one eyeridge, as much for Flame's use of the word 'jiffy' as for the preposterous action he was attempting. He itched to erase the distance between them, to offer some kind of help. Leo's fingers digging into his skin reminded him that such help would undoubtedly be unwanted and met with hostility.

Flame's grin widened as he started to pull himself up. His eyes would squeeze closed every once in a while from the sheer strain, but the smirk never left his face. After what seemed like hours but must have been only minutes, Flame hauled himself to a standing position, and leaned against the wall heavily. One hand still clasped the edge of the nightstand, while the other clutched the sheets firmly around his waist. Once again, Raph found his eyes wandering over places that they shouldn't have been. As soon as he noticed himself doing it, he very pointedly examined the floor. Yeah, Donny would have to fix the toaster again..

"So, now that that's done," Flame announced, dragging Raph's attention from his task. "I suppose I should thank you both. What's more, I apologize."

Leo stepped further into the room, shaking his head. "Don't worry, these machines can be fixed-"

"No, not that," Flame cut him off, and Leo looked offended for a moment before curiosity took over. Flame turned to Raph. "I wish to apologize for holding you somewhere you didn't want to be."

"It's alright," Raph managed, though his voice came out softer than he'd intended. Leo's curiosity had now turned fully on him, and Raph felt his cheeks burning, even though he knew turtles couldn't blush.

"It's not okay, Raph," Flame was arguing with him. At first Raph wanted to snap something right back, but the dejected look in Flame's eyes made him stay his tongue. Instead, he waited patiently (NOT one of his strong suits) to see if Flame would say anything else. He wasn't disappointed.

"I've done things, but that was definitely the most absurd," Flame laughed at himself, the sound coming out as a harsh burst, nothing like the mischevious laughter Raph had come to know. Then, Flame seemed to catch himself. He straightened, molding into the confident leader once more. "And Nathan...?"

"Got away," Leo all but growled, and Raph was shocked by his brother's tone. No one made Leo this angry, not even the Shredder. He turned back to Flame just in time to see murder flash behind his eyes, but that was quickly controlled.

"I see," Flame answered, his voice devoid of all emotion, logical. "I'm not sure how many have sided with him. Probably not Preach and Adam, nor the healers... I'll have to go back and see."

"You aren't going anywhere, with all due respect," Donny's voice cut through Flame's musings, and everyone in the room jumped. Donny chuckled to himself as he boldly made his way toward his patient. "Neither should you be standing. What do you want to do, tear your leg again?"

"No, thanks." Flame's voice, thankfully, contained more amusement than it did irritation. He didn't protest as Donatello maneuvered him back onto the bed, and the sheets were rearranged about him so that Raph didn't have to be so careful where his gaze fell anymore. "So, I probably should have asked this question earlier, but, er... Where are my clothes?"

Donny shrugged. "They got to much blood on them, had to be burned."

Raph laughed out loud at Flame's look of horror, earning himself a steely glare from just about everyone in the room. Donny clucked his tongue at his brother's immaturity.

"April has already gone to pick him up something to wear. It's not a big deal." Donny took a step back, then seemed to finally take notice of the state of his lab. "Okay, what the hell happened?"

Donny immediately glared in the direction of his two brothers, and seemed thoroughly surprised when Flame reached out to tug on his arm. "Sorry. I fell."

Donny's expression softened just a little bit. "As long as it wasn't these two horsing around... Just, don't try to get up again until I say you can, alright?"

At Flame's nod, Donny turned on his heel and stomped off, picking up the broken toaster and a screw driver on his way out. Flame raised an eyebrow.

"That could have gone better. It seems every time I'm introduced to one of you guys, it is under horrible circumstances. How many more siblings do you have?"

"Just one more brother," Raph reassured Flame with a smirk. He moved back to the chair he had occupied when Flame was unconscious. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Can't really feel anything," Flame chuckled, but offered up no more information. Raph looked at Leo, questioning, but his brother was busy staring at the wall, his brow furrowed.

"I think I'd better check up on Donny. I'll send Mike down later to meet you, if you're feeling up to it?"

Leo directed this last question to Flame, who nodded. Raph watched this odd exchange with more than a little apprehension. The two behaved as if they were generals of opposing armies meeting for the first time to negotiate a treaty. Raph watched with an emotion akin to awe as the tension in Flame's shoulders visibly lessened once Leo left the room.

"Wow, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one Leo has that effect on," Raph joked, and Flame smiled up at him from his position on the bed.

"He seems a little..."

"Uptight? Preachy? Overprotective?"

"Jumpy."

"That, too," Raph affirmed. The word described Leo perfectly.

"He has Demetri," Flame said out of the blue, stopping Raph from further Leo-bashing in his head.

"What?"

"If he has Demetri, he has everyone," Flame stated, as if this were a universally-acknowledged fact. "They're loyal to him, even if he isn't of the royal line."

Raph started to ask why that mattered so much, but Flame continued on before he could open his mouth. It seemed Flame was only interested in talking to himself at the moment. His eyes were glassy, his mind far away.

"They'll have gone... But maybe Preach and Adam... No. I can't count on them. I can't count on anyone. Well, this is a dilemma. Freaking ghost.."

Flame grumbled about something else, the subject matter going completely over Raph's head. In an experiment, he reached out to grasp Flame's hand. The former leader's muscles tightened at Raph's touch, and Flame slowly seemed to become aware of himself again. He turned his head to look up at Raph, his tangled hair fanned a little across his pillow, his eyes forlorn. Flame drew in a ragged breath to speak.

"So I have no one, then."

Raph's hand squeezed Flame's in an attempt to be comforting. He really, really wasn't good at this. Seeing Flame this weak did something to Raph's heart, made it clench painfully in his chest, and he couldn't have it. Nathan would pay.

"You've got us," Raph countered. "You've got me."

Flame nodded, his eyes coming more into focus. At some point, a spark clicked, and Flame was hasty to make apologies. "Oh, geez, Raph, I'm sorry. I completely spaced out. Ah, my head hurts, must've been the blood loss. It's makin' me act all funny-"

"Not a problem. I've been loopy before, too."

"Hey, I know some good loopy-Raph stories!" a voice practically chirped from near the doorway. Raph turned just in time to see Mike bounding into the room.

He glowered at his youngest brother. "Don't you dare."

Ignoring the obvious warning, Mike started his tale. "You see, once when Raph was about five years old.."

"Mike!"

"Oh, sorry, dude. Allow me to introduce myself to our guest: I'm Michelangelo, but you can call me Mike, 'cuz that's just shorter. Anyway, as I was saying, Raph was five-"

"Mike, cut it out!"

At this second interruption, Mike spared Raph a look. "Really, Raph? You're going to make a big deal out of this? It was SO long ago. Now who's being childish?"

Raph growled, and Mike inched back on instinct. Raph's face burned even more once he felt the weight of Flame's amused gaze. He was not going to let Mike make him look like he couldn't get a grip in front of Flame, though. Raph took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice calm.

"Fine. Tell the damn story."

Okay, so that wasn't so calm, but Raph could hardly be blamed for that with Mike for a brother. He did his best to sit back and listen to the story, but so much of what Flame had said just minutes earlier tugged at his brain.

So I have no one, then.

XXX

He sat in an itchy old office chair, situated in front of a giant desk that Nathan had not bothered to dust in a great while. He would have to have his maids get on that. A dull lamp glowed, illuminating a small circle of the otherwise pitch black study where Nathan now reclined. The coronation would be tomorrow, and Demetri should have been preparing elsewhere, but his master had requested him. He could not refuse.

"What troubles you, sir? Flame has been run off, and the allegiance of our kind has been given to you."

"Not all of our kind," Nathan was quick to snarl. "Adam and Preach have still not come in from the field. This is far from the way I would become king; would that I had defeated him outright, instead of hiding here like a dog."

"How noble!" Demetri exaggerated. "Though, it wouldn't have done for that beast to have struck you down. You were outnumbered, my lord. Cheated. You would have beaten Flame in a fair fight."

"True.." Nathan drifted off into his own musings, and Demetri fidgeted uncomfortably. He had no doubt that Nathan would make a strong king, but he was beginning to think his lord would ask for his guidance too much.

"Still, my coronation will not be complete until Flame and his creatures are dead," Nathan seemed to decide, his tone causing Demetri to shiver.

"What would you have me do, master?"

"Ready the soldiers. Send out scouts. Find them!" Nathan barked the order without the slightest remorse. He leaned forward in his chair, closer, closer, his hard eyes gleaming.

He wasn't the royal gold, that much was true. However, Demetri felt that the line of the First King had long been exhausted. It was time for a new era for their species.

"And when you do," Nathan was saying, and Demetri snapped once more to attention. "Bring the turtles to me. I know Flame; he will not be found if he doesn't wish to be. They will lure him here, and I'll kill him myself."

Demetri gulped. "Yes, my lord. The scouts shall be taken care of at once."

He scurried from the office to do just that, stepping a little faster as the sound of Nathan's cruel laughter chased him down his path.

Okay, so I tend to write tons of action into my fics, but I'm hoping to give you guys a welcome break from it soon. I want to use Raph's POV more than I have been, and probably show some exclusive RaphxFlame time ;). Not what you're thinking-these characters are gonna be developed before that happens OR ELSE (which may be a chore to some of you, but oh, well).

Enough of the free info! I have a great deal of surprises stored up for you guys. Hope you're still inclined to read on! R&R!

-DauntlessAdrenaline