-Redemption-

Summary: Takes place during the 2007 CGI movie. Leo finds out who the Night Watcher is in a completely different way...

Disclaimer: I do not own the turtles. *Imagines what it would be like if I did and grins evilly*

A/n: Okay, this chapter has now been read-through and edited. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as the other chapters. Well, I think you will, seeing as how…*Clamps mouth shut before ruining the chapter*

Warnings for swearing and blood.

Raphael squinted his eyes against the harsh light of the torch that was directed upon him. He tried to shift, to move, to get away from the probing light, Master Splinter's voice ringing clearly through his head. "A ninja's best weapon is the shadows. Stick to the shadows. Do not let anyone see who and what you are."

"I think I see something over there!" A voice cried. The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder as did the voice.

"No," Raphael groaned, fighting back the wave of unconsciousness that was threatening to drag him under.

Digging his nails into the hard ground, Raphael tried to drag himself forward towards the patch of cover of the underbrush. The movement caused a sharp sliver of pain to rack over his body. Raphael couldn't help it, he screamed. The pain in his body was like nothing he had ever felt before. It felt like his bones were nothing more than shards of glass that dug into him painfully whenever he moved.

His throat was sore from screaming and his chest heaved as he fought for breath, his ribs sending him a painful reminder that breathing caused them to move, which in turn sent Hell's own fire coursing through him.

"Over here!" The voices shouted. The footsteps were only metres away from him now. At any moment the search patrol was going to see him, see what he was.

Raphael tried to move again but the wave was faster, dragging him under until he all he knew was the icy darkness.

April stopped abruptly, eyes widening and body freezing.

"What is it babe?" Casey asked, stopping beside her.

"Shh!" April hissed, grabbing Casey by the arm and dragging him over to a thick bush, crouching down behind it, out of sight.

Parting the bush with her hands, April and Casey peered through the foliage ahead of them. A group of five men were making their way through the forest, their flashlights trained on something ahead of them.

"I think we've found him!" One of the men cried, his flashlight trained on something just out of April and Casey's range of vision.

Before April or Casey could move, a gut-wrenching scream broke through the air and the silence of the night.

"Raphael!" Casey hissed, his whole body stiff and ready to leap into action.

"Over here!" The men called and started moving towards the sound.

"Casey, we can't let them find him!" April hissed, her blood cold from the sound of Raphael's pained scream.

"We won't," Casey said with renewed determination. Sliding his hockey mask onto his face and grabbing his trade-mark hockey stick, Casey charged out from the undergrowth, hockey stick swinging in a wide arc.

April grabbed her own practise sword from her backpack and leapt after Casey, charging towards the men that had found Raphael.

The men stoped and turned to face the two, eyes wide with alarm and disbelief. They didn't have time to call for back up, or even have enough time to cry out, as Casey's hockey stick took out three of the guys in one sweep, knocking them all out. Their prone bodies slumped to the forest floor and didn't move. April flipped through the air and sent a powerful kick straight at the fourth man's head, knocking him out cold. The last man turned to run, but April quickly caught him with her practise sword, knocking him out deftly with the others.

They stood panting for a minute, looking down at the unconscious men. Quickly they stooped forward and took all of the walkie-talkie and weapons away from the unconscious guards. A soft whimper snapped their attention towards the trunk of a large oak tree, one of the fallen guard's torches still shining brightly at the area.

"Raph," Casey whispered his eyes wide and face pale as he ran towards his friend. April followed him quickly and dropped to Raphael's side.

"Raphael?" She asked softly, gently, though her voice was laced with fear and worry. He groaned at the sound of his name but didn't open his eyes.

"He's alive," Casey whispered breathlessly, looking down at his friend with obvious relief.

April felt her own heart lighten in her chest. Raphael was alive. "Casey, shine your torch on him," April instructed, snapping herself out of her thoughts of swelling relief. They weren't out of the woods yet. Literally.

Casey did as he was instructed, fumbling around in his bag until he pulled out the big flashlight. He gasped as soon as he directed it on Raphael. April couldn't hold back her own gasp of horror.

Raphael was alive, but he hadn't escaped without injury. Far from it. What was left of his Night Watcher suit was torn and ragged, and crusted with dried blood. His right leg was bent at an unnatural angle as was his right arm. The whole right side of his face was covered in dried blood from a deep cut on the side of his head. His lip was split and his face was swollen and discoloured with bruises. He was panting heavily, his chest struggling to get in enough oxygen for his lungs. A sheen of sweat covered his pale skin, which shone in the light from the torch.

"Oh Raph," April whispered hoarsely, gently stroking his sweaty cheek. "We have to get you out of here."

"Quickly whipping out her phone, April fumbled across the numbers to type in Donnie's phone number. She held the phone up to her ear and grumbled impatiently whilst it rang. "Come on Donnie, pick up," she murmured, never taking her eyes away from Raphael.

"April?" Donnie's voice sounded in her ear.

"Donnie!" April gasped with relief, her hand moving down to hold Raphael's limp hand.

"April, what's wrong?" Donnie asked in concern, his voice worried.

"We found him," April said and was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath from Donatello. "We found him Donnie. He's alive."

"He's alive."

Donatello's hand shook as he fought the urge to sink to the ground. Those two words he thought he would never hear, sounded like the sweet cries of angels to his ears.

"He's…he's alive?" He croaked, finding it hard to work his voice.

"Yes," April said from the other end of the phone. It sounded like she was crying in relief.

"He's alive," Donnie repeated to himself, his whole body numb whilst at the same time feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Donnie, he's hurt," April sniffed, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "It's bad."

Donnie closed his eyes for a moment as he made himself adapt a calm voice he always used when he turned into 'Doctor Donnie.' "Okay April, you have to get him to your car. Is he bleeding?"

"I…I think so…"

"Is it bad?" Don cut in. "Is there a lot of blood?"

"I don't think so…"

"Good. Then get him to your car April. Once there I want you to evaluate his injuries further."

"What about you guys?"

"Don't worry about us," Don assured her. "I'll call Leo and we'll meet you down the road somewhere."

"Okay," April took a deep breath. "What then?"

"After you've checked him for any serious injuries, I want you to drive as fast as you can to the end of the highway, that's where we've parked the Battle-Shell. We should meet you there halfway. It'll take us maybe an hour to re-group and get there."

"Okay Donnie," April said, taking a deep breath from the other end of the line.

"Listen to me April; after I've called Leo I'll call you back. I want you to tell me everything that is happening until we get there. Can you do that for me April?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'm going to call Leo know. Get Raph back to the car April. I'll call you again in a few minutes."

"Okay Donnie," April said before hanging up.

Don closed his own phone and took a deep breath. Raphael was alive. His brother was alive.

"Mikey!" Don called out to his younger brother who was still searching through the forest ahead of him.

"What?" Mikey asked, appearing a few moments later, looking worn out and ragged from their search.

"April and Casey found him," Don said, a smile of relief parting his lips. "He's alive."

Mikey blinked slowly before a huge smile broke out on his face. "Raphie's alive!" He cried before launching himself at Donnie and knocking him to the ground, wrapping his arms around him and sobbing in relief.

Donnie closed his own eyes and let a few tears slide free before pulling away from Mikey. "Come on," he said smiling, "let's call Leo."