Disclaimer: see chapter one

It had taken the better part of a week, but I was finally ready to put my plan into action. When everything had been set up, I called Casey asking for one last favor. He had shown up to the lair both curious and nervous. I told him he had nothing to worry about. All he had to do was lure the Purple Dragons into a designated warehouse away from the city.

While Casey worked on luring in the Purple Dragons, I double checked everything at the warehouse to make sure the plan was solid. And then I waited for confirmation that Casey was on his way. It was a good forty-five minutes and just when I started to think that Casey might have ditched me, my shell cell started to ring. I took it out and answered.

"ETA two minutes," Casey said.

"Back door will be open for ya," I told him.

I got into position and in two minutes exactly, Casey drove through the back door of the warehouse. I pressed a button on the side of the building and both the back and front doors closed and locked. Immediately those inside began banging on the doors as they tried to get out. Casey looked unnerved and, quite frankly, I couldn't blame him. He turned from the warehouse to me.

"What's going on, Raph?" Casey asked.

I led him away from the site until we were a safe distance away. Casey gave me an expectant look.

"You can go," I said. "You don't need to stay."

"Not until you tell me what this is about," Casey told me.

I reached into my belt and took out a small device. Casey gave it a wary glance.

"What's that?" he pressed.

I turned the device over in my hands. Finally I answered. "You can learn a lot in ten years," I said cryptically.

Casey seemed to clue in because his eyes grew wide. "A bomb?" he asked in horror. "You rigged that place with a bomb?!"

I shrugged. "Desperate times, Case," I replied simply. "You really should go before everything goes to hell."

I held the detonator up and was about to press the button when Casey grabbed my arm.

"I'm not going to let my best friend throw his life away."

I pulled my arm free of his grasp. "I don't have a life to throw away," I snapped angrily.

Casey frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

I gazed out at the warehouse, my eyes growing distant and cold. "My life ended the day Leo was killed," I answered grimly.

Casey was about to say something but I cut him off before he got the chance.

"Go home, Casey. Go back to April and Shadow. They need you," I told him.

"They need you, too," Casey tried to argue.

I scoffed. "I'm no good to anyone." I looked up at my best friend. "Go home. Please."

Casey sighed in resignation and nodded. "Okay," he said reluctantly. He held out his hand and I took it. We shook hands. "Take care, Raph," Casey said.

"Tell April I said thanks for everything," I said. "Give her my best."

"Take care, pal," Casey told me.

I watched as Casey drove away. I placed my thumb on the detonator button. I took a deep breath and pushed down on the button.

Everything had descended into chaos after the bomb went off; at least for me. The warehouse had been away from the main city, so it would be a while before the authorities arrived. But, that wasn't what got me.

I had just committed murder.

I stared at the smoldering husk of the building and waited. As predicted, the tall hooded figure of Death appeared out of a dark portal. From my hiding spot I could hear Death tsk.

"What a mess," he sighed as he looked around. "Someone was trying to be a pain in my side."

He held up his scythe and there was a flash of blue light. I took that moment to walk up.

"Did you do this?" Death asked, lowering his weapon and turning to face me. "I have to admit, you would make a fairly decent Grim Reaper."

"Is that a compliment?" I asked bitterly.

Death's solid red eyes narrowed. "What do you want, Raphael? Still after me to lift the curse?"

"Something like that," I replied stiffly.

"My mind is made up," Death said.

Come on. Do it.

"I'm not lifting the curse," Death declared. "So, this..." He indicated the wreckage around us. "Was a waste of time and lives."

Death held up a hand and a portal opened behind him.

Yes!

"Good-bye, Raphael. We won't be meeting again."

As soon as Death's back was turned, I charged. With a yell I slammed my body against the Reaper's and we both tumbled through the portal. Voices echoed all around as I fell through the darkness. Death had disappeared as soon as we entered the portal. My body burned as the chains around it began to grow more visible. It felt like I was falling forever. I just wanted the voices to stop. I had never heard any of the voices before, but I somehow knew who they belonged to.

They were the voices of the dead.

My fall was abruptly halted when I hit something hard. I grunted as I pushed myself up and looked around. I was back in the lair...but it was backwards and dark. Strange thing was, it was so dark it seemed light. Looking around I realized it was a mirror image of the real lair.

"What is this place?" I asked, not really expecting an answer.

"Welcome to my realm," Death greeted, appearing in front of me. He motioned to the area around us. "Welcome to the world of the dead."

I glanced around. "But, it looks like the lair," I pointed out confusedly.

Death seemed to grin slightly at the comment, but with the shadow of the hood covering his face, I couldn't tell.

"Well, I wanted to make them feel more at home," he said, pointing behind me.

I turned around to find Leo, Mike and Donnie standing a few feet away. For dead people they looked pretty good; but I guess that was because we were in the world of the dead. I also noticed that they didn't have their weapons and wondered if the weapons could appear. I glanced back at Death. Only one way to find out. I pulled out my sais and sprang towards Death. He didn't move; maybe because Leo was suddenly in front of him, swords drawn.

Score one for me, I thought with a smirk.

"Are you really that desperate?" Death asked.

I shrugged. "Maybe," I answered.

I lunged forward and I was instantly surrounded. Even in the world of the dead my brothers were tough fighters. Also, the chains weren't helping things, either. They were heavy and clumsy and I soon found myself on the ground panting for breath. For my plan to work I had to get close to Death. I looked up at the others and smirked.

"Come on, guys, you're better than this," I said. "Death's made you soft."

My brother's eyes all turned solid white. I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. However, when their attacks got more aggressive I knew it was a bad thing. I had one last chance. I made a move towards Death. The last thing I remembered was the hard crack of wood against the back of my head and the world erupted in pain and darkness.

Reviews are welcome, flames are not