"Raph!"

He didn't recognize his voice screaming his brother's name. In fact, it sounded as though it had come from far away, a whisper of someone else's dread reaching his ears too late to register. But the force of the scream tightened his stomach and snatched the oxygen from his lungs. He didn't know how he managed to cut his way through the Footbots surrounding him. It was all muscle memory, all unconscious defense, and then before his brain could acknowledge moving from point A to point B, he was sliding to his brother on his knees and raising him up in his arms.

"Raph."

He shook Raph's shoulders. His eyes examined the non-responsive expression on his brother's face, his half open mouth, the charred patches of skin lining his temple and cheek, shimmering underneath with a coating of blood, and the singed mask that eventually broke away from his eyes and rested itself on the floor when Leo shook him again.

"Raphael, don't you dare."

"Leo!"

The turtle in blue flinched when Karai's juji-ken clashed with Tigerclaw's sword as it came down toward his face. He instinctively wrapped his arms around Raphael and hunched over him to shield him from harm. Karai pushed Tigerclaw back and blocked his attack when he tried to get past her. But her eyes were wide and uncertain when she glanced back at the leader.

"Leo …"

"Just hold him off. Please, just hold him off," Leo said, turning his eyes away from her and lowering Raph back to the floor.

He did his best to slow his breathing as he leaned forward and pressed his ear close to Raph's face. He couldn't feel Raph's breath, but he wasn't sure if that was just because he was beginning to panic or not. He checked the side of his neck, but couldn't get a pulse either. He wrinkled his beak and slapped Raph's plastron.

"Hey! You don't die, understand? You don't die, Raph."

He tried performing a few chest compressions before he realized it was useless. He couldn't get past Raph's plastron. So he tried punching, unsure what else to do. Sometimes if they were hit hard enough in the right spot it would give their insides a jolt, but Raph was showing no response.

Leo's breath huffed in and out of his nose as he gritted his teeth and ignored the heat that spread across his face. For a moment he forgot there was still a fight going on. He forgot that Karai was struggling to defend him. He even forgot that he'd seen Donnie across the room a minute ago. Instead, everything was muffled by a rage that overwhelmed him. How dare Raph sacrifice himself like that? How dare he think he was being some kind of heroic by taking on a bomb? Did he think Leo would appreciate it? Did he think he'd get brownie points for giving up his hatred and saving Karai's life?

"It doesn't work like that," Leo said aloud. "You understand?"

He leaned in close to his brother's face as though this might get through to him. "Do you understand me, Raphael? You can't do that, you fucking bastard!" His voice broke as he said this and he pounded both fists against Raph's plastron, as though he was trying to punish his brother rather than wake him up.

"You can't leave me, Raph!"

He slapped a palm with full force across his brother's face and tears immediately began to gush out of his eyes. He hiccuped a moan and surrendered to the panic, uselessly wiping an arm over his face before he lay across Raph's plastron. He folded his arms around him and buried his nose in his neck.

Raph still faintly smelled the way he always did—except with a stomach-lurching scent of burnt skin mixed in with sweat and blood this time. It twisted a knot in Leo's stomach that brought forth a wave of fear he wasn't ready for. He'd always been afraid of meeting moments like this, not just for Raph, but for all three of his brothers. It haunted him, more frequently than he ever wanted to admit, the very real possibility that he could lose any one, if not all, of his brothers' lives before having the chance to prevent it. Like letting water slip through his fingers when he'd most surely perish without it. This couldn't happen.

It took a weightless moment that Leo did not have to pull himself together before he sat up, wiped his cheeks, tilted Raph's head back, pinched his nose and pressed their lips together. He pulled every once of breath he had in him out of his gut and gave it up willingly, praying that Raph's body would take it, that it would accept it and come back to life. He pulled away only to fill his own lungs and try again. The longer it took, the harder he blew, the more his chest began to hurt, though he wasn't sure that was just because of his breathing.

He pulled away again, sniffed, and checked for a pulse. When nothing changed, he could only shake his head and try again.

He would not accept that Raph might be beyond saving. That wasn't an option. He knew his brother was stubborn, but this was going too far. Raph had to know this wasn't okay, and Leo wasn't going to let him die before he could get his brother to understand that.

Again he punched his plastron, shook his shoulders, slapped him, then took his face in both hands, raised him up until his shoulders had lifted off the floor, and blew air past his lips one more time.

Raph's body jolted and the moment he yanked back with a gasp, Leo's fist instinctively coiled and punched him in the jaw.

"Ouch! What the—"

Leo's arms threw themselves over Raph's shoulders and tucked him close to his plastron. There was so much relief trying to escape him that his body didn't seem to know what to do with it and so it shook. He panted against Raph's skin and shook his head.

"Jackass," he said, hardly able to keep his tears at bay let alone speak. "I hate you so much."

Raph was stiff, but when it was clear Leo was not going to let him go, his muscles relaxed and he folded the blue-banded leader in his embrace. Leo was comforted by the strength in his arms, by the way his chest moved as he breathed, by the now very obvious pulse in his neck.

"Did I win?" Raph said after a while.

Leo pulled away from him and grimaced as a fresh blur crossed his eyes. He rested a palm against the unblemished side of Raph's face and smiled.

"Okay!"

They both snapped their gazes to Karai who was still warding off Tigerclaw.

"I think we get it," she said, ducking out of the way as Tigerclaw threw a punch. "Fight's not over, guys."

Leo wiped his face again and pressed a hand against Raph's shoulder when he tried to get up. He stood and pointed a stern finger at him. "You stay," he demanded, picking up his swords.

He heard Raph scoff as he turned away to help Karai. "Like hell."

Across the room, Donatello found himself blocked by Footbots, only able to catch glimpses of the battle between his father and the Shredder. And even still, they were blurs of brown and silver quickly darting toward and away from one another, slicing, stabbing, ducking, and performing katas Donnie was sure would be impossible for anyone else to attempt.

As much as he was rooting for his father to prevail, he desperately hoped that Splinter wouldn't get carried away and put the Shredder out for good. Donatello, as opposed as he was to the idea of snuffing out a life, wanted that privilege so badly that it ached and turned his stomach in every possible knot. He could lie and tell himself that he only wanted it because getting rid of the Shredder would mean a certain level of safety and security for his family, that they would no longer have to check over their shoulders for a threat too overwhelming to continue protecting themselves from, but he couldn't do that. He knew if he got the chance to kill the Shredder it would be out of pure retribution for what he'd done to him and Mikey. Call it stooping to the villain's level, he didn't care. He wanted Oroku Saki gone, for good. And by now, he was aware his father did too.

The first words Splinter had hissed upon confronting his old enemy had sent a chill down Donnie's spine that he wasn't sure he'd wanted to feel.

"How dare you take my sons away from me," he'd said. And maybe it wasn't so much the words as it was the rage behind his voice and the tone that made it clear he'd had enough of this game. Splinter would kill Shredder if he got the chance this time. And they weren't going to be leaving until that happened.

Donnie hooked the hockey stick Casey had lent him around the neck of a Footbot and yanked it to the floor where he crushed its head beneath his heel as he swung the stick like a bat and smashed in the temple of another. He continued different variations of this until only a few Footbots remained in the lobby. As much trash as he'd given Casey's choice in weaponry before, he was grateful Jones had a few sticks to spare. Nevertheless, let it not be said that he didn't miss his bō staff. That was another thing he owed the Shredder for.

He had noticed Raph go down a moment ago, but hadn't gotten the chance to contribute any aid, and by the time he punted a hole through the gut of the last Footbot, Raph was back on his feet and charging Tigerclaw alongside Leo and Karai. He took a certain amount of pride in knowing his brothers were resilient, but the thought also made his stomach clench for Mikey, and this only rejuvenated his determination to end this fight.

He turned and was rooted to his spot as Splinter blurred around Shredder's side on all fours and snapped him the back with his heel. Shredder was forced to take a knee, but he whipped around the moment Splinter got close enough and took a slice at his ribcage. The tips of his blades skimmed across Splinter's side and tore through his robe, but while the motion was followed by a spray of blood that speckled the floor, the rat hardly changed the pace of his breathing. He swiftly dodged another swipe and kicked out Shredder's knee when he tried to stand. Within the same second, he had his sword redrawn and was diving in with the point aimed straight for the Shredder's skull.

Shredder rolled out of the way just in time, used one palm to support his weight, and twisted his hips so fast that Splinter misjudged the attack and was kicked in the same spot that he'd been cut. Shredder hopped to his feet as Splinter stumbled sideways, and before the old rat could gather his senses, Shredder was bombarding him with more jabs to his ribs. Donnie hardly had time to blink within the moment that Shredder kneed his sensei in the gut and then hammered him in the temple with his fist.

With his heart in his throat, Donnie finally found it in him to move and released a bellow as he sprinted forward and rammed Shredder in the side before he could slice open Splinter's neck. The blow took the Shredder off guard, but it hardly deterred him, and he was sending a fist across Donnie's face before the turtle even registered him turning back around.

"Stupid child," Shredder said, advancing slowly as Donnie blinked the stars out of his eyes. "You're just as foolish as your supposed father. Your entire family is nothing more than a stain on this wretched planet."

Donatello was still too dizzy to defend himself against the kick that the Shredder landed on his plastron. His lungs choked as the fall to the floor snatched the air out of his chest. The room spun and refused to steady itself as he tried to get back on his feet.

"Pathetic," Saki grumbled, picking Donnie up by his plastron. "You can't have possibly gotten past Xever like this. What did you do with the retro-mutagen?"

Though his head throbbed and a bead of sweat dripped down his temple, Donnie sucked in a breath and wrinkled his beak. "Go to hell."

Shredder growled. As he raised his gauntlet to strike, Donnie slipped the vial out of his wrist guard and smashed it through the opening in his helmet. The moment the glass shattered and the substance inside splashed over Oroku Saki's face, he howled and shoved Donatello away. His hands shot up toward his face and streams of steam curled out through his fingers.

His screaming worsened as he ripped the helmet off of his head and stumbled back, trying to keep his balance, and Donatello could only watch with wide eyes, disgusted, despite how many times he'd pictured this moment since he'd tucked the tube away. He knew the compound was dangerous but he hadn't been prepared for the sizzling hiss of Shredder's skin burning off of his face, nor was he prepared for the stench of acid eating away at his flesh and the metallic waft of blood that joined it. Drops of red peppered the floor like rain, and Donnie couldn't help but grimace. He was so sickened, in fact, that he hardly noticed Shredder's screams of pain turn into growls of rage.

He took his hands away from his face, revealing black and red bubbling skin and white bits of bone where the acid had already peeled his skin and muscles away. If his face had been horribly mutilated before, there was hardly anything recognizably human to warrant even calling it a face now. But he somehow managed to bare his teeth and glare at Donatello through what was left of his eyes. He snarled incoherently and charged with his blades raised.

Donatello was too stunned to get out of the way. His only reaction was to stumble back a step and recoil, throwing his arms up over his head, as the Shredder came within a foot's distance and then was stopped by a blade that stabbed him through the back of the neck and punctured his throat. His body froze and he gave a choked gurgling sound as a bubble of blood erupted from his mouth and speckled Donnie's face.

The turtle's knees gave out the same moment that the blade was yanked out of the Shredder's neck, and they both slumped to the ground. Donnie, eyes wide, stared at the dead, unrecognizable man before him still with his arms over his head. His body shook and he almost didn't recognize Tigerclaw's voice.

"Master Shredder!"

Donatello looked to the side just in time to see Karai hurl her juji-ken with all her might. It whistled through the air with impressive speed and lodged itself through Tigerclaw's back, just under his left shoulder blade. His cat eyes widened and he took a few more steps before he crumpled to the floor, landing with his giant paw just out of reach of his master.

The entire lobby was then blanketed by silence.

No one moved. They all just stared at the bodies—human, mutant, and robot—littering the floor as though not a single one of them could fully process what had just happened.

Shredder's blood began to pool out from beneath him and reach across the tiles toward Donnie who scooted away until his shell touched the wall. He'd wanted the Shredder dead, but he hadn't expected the level of violence it took to get him there.

The weight of shock wasn't broken until Raph spoke up. "Casey?"

They all tensed and snapped their gazes toward the center of the room as Rahzar's body shifted. A moment passed of them all collectively holding their breath, muscles tightening around their weapons, and then Casey's hand poked up and he wiggled his way out from beneath Rahzar's prone form, pushing the mutant away with his foot to yank out his hockey stick and finally wobble to his feet. He leaned forward, propped a hand on his knee, and let out a long breath.

"Whew … I think I need to puke." He looked up, glancing around at the rest of them. "Is it over?"

"Yeah," Leo said, his voice cracking a little, eyes unblinking with half disbelief. "I think so." He glanced toward Karai who was staring across the lobby at the man lying face down in a crimson puddle. Something glinted across her golden gaze that Donnie wasn't sure he understood. But Leo seemed to get it, because he reached toward her with a cautious arm and pulled her close to his side, urging her to look away.

Donatello glanced up in front of him to see his father callously cleaning the blood off of his sword before he tucked it away and then looked toward his son with warm amber eyes. He reached out a hand and Donatello took it, allowing his father to pull him to his feet. What he wasn't prepared for was the way Splinter immediately encased him in arms that were suffocating. Donnie exhaled until his lungs were completely empty and buried his nose in his father's chest.

"Koko ni kite," Splinter said over Donnie's head, in a voice that sounded dangerously close to breaking. "All of you."

He lifted a hand and everyone obeyed—with the exception of Casey, at first, who only seemed to get it after Raph gestured for him to follow them across the lobby. Donatello felt his two older brothers close in on his shell while Splinter tucked Karai under his left arm and Casey under his right. Leo's arm slid its way around Donnie's waist and pulled him as close as possible. Donnie didn't move, but he allowed his oldest brother to rest a kiss on the side of his face, though the warmth of the gesture burned his eyes.

"My children," Splinter said, pausing for a moment to hold them all as tightly as possible and swallow. "I am sorry."

Karai burst into tears, and it shocked Donnie more than it did when a drop of something cold and wet splashed onto the crown of his head. It unsettled him, and he wanted to stay in the comfort of their huddle, encased by the arms of his brothers and his father, but Splinter released all of them except for his daughter who he held even closer. He passed a hand over the damp fur beneath his eyes and tenderly guided Karai's face into the cushion of his robe when she tried to look back at the body of Oroku Saki.

"Let us go home," Splinter said, leading Karai toward the gaping hole that she and Leo had made in the entrance of the building.

The boys followed, Casey slumping after Splinter and Karai with his hockey stick dragging across the floor behind him. Leo still had an arm around Donnie's waist and Donatello didn't mind, neither did he say anything when he glanced to the side and saw Leo's free hand reaching for Raph. They laced their fingers together without so much as a glance at one another. Donnie swallowed the knot that floated up to his throat and draped an arm around Leo's shoulders.