Hey guys you might notice this chapter has two (er, three) titles and that's because it was meant to be two (three) separate chapters but I threw it all into one. So enjoy! And please review this chapter gets very intense as we approach a pivotal moment in the story, so tell me what you think! Thanks!

Ch. 21-Raph's New Kata/Show Off/Traumatized

A Foot minion's head slammed into the side of a concrete building with a thunk, a large, black clad figure with a silver helmet towering over him. "Who are you working for? What's the name of Shredder's new assistant?!" He yelled viciously. For this Foot Soldier was not a robot, but a real human being.

Nightwatcher hoisted the soldier up by the neck and pressed him hard against the building. "Tell me his name." He ground out ruthlessly.

"D-Dragon. His name is Dragon." And just like that, the terrified and injured soldier completely passed out.

With a growl Raphael accepted that was the best he was going to do for the night, and Nightwatcher took the roof tops before the cop cars arrived.

Midori had offered to allow Nightwatcher to share her hideout, seeing as he and Jade were libel to be working together quite often in the future.

The turtle went straight in, his eyes falling on Midori almost immediately. Beautiful as ever. No, bad Raphie, don't go there! She was off in a corner of the huge space practicing a kata, it looked like. After removing the suit and tying his mask back on, Raph walked over and watched, his green eyes deftly following her every move and converting it to memory.

"Nice Kata."

She gave him a sideways glance, but without breaking her form. "Thanks."

"Never seen one like that before."

"My mother taught it to me. She said that all the children in their village learned it, but they weren't supposed to implement it in battle because it's considered a move only for the most advanced." Midori kept going, but she had turned her focus to the turtle, and was now relying solely on muscle memory, "You see, part of it involves sheathing your weapons and leaving yourself wide open."

The turtle raised an eye-ridge skeptically. "That doesn't sound like it would be very successful."

"If you time it right, the move is devastatingly effective." She replied with a shrug.

Raph moved towards her with a serious look on his face, thinking, before he finally voiced his thoughts. "We should spend some time training together." When Midori sent him a questioning glance, he elaborated, "See, if I taught you all the katas I know that you don't, and you did the same for me, we'd both know twice as much as we did before and we'll both be able to better-defend ourselves."

Midori raised an eye-ridge and considered that for a moment before nodding slowly. "That's a good idea. You want me to teach it to you now?"

Raphael pulled out his t-phone, still an hour before curfew. It takes about fifteen minutes to get from here to the lair…I still got time. "Yeah, if yur up to it."

The human female smirked. "Of course I'm up to the challenge." She replied snarkily, making Raph smile.

Raph came home at exactly twelve o'clock. The red-clad turtle immediately spotted his blue-banded brother sitting on the couch reading a comic with his back to the door. Leo looked up from his comic, straining his neck towards the door. "I was afraid you weren't going to make it back in time." He muttered, returning to his comic right after.

The hothead threw his arms up in a surrendering gesture, "Eh, I said I'd be back and I'm back. What more do you want from me, bro?"

"Nothing, just glad you're obeying orders for once." Came the short, seemingly disinterested reply.

Michelangelo emerged from the kitchen and glanced from Leo to Raph, then sat down on the couch with a bounce and a smile. It looked like there wouldn't be any fighting between these two tonight, seeing as Raph was in a decent mood. Leonardo was completely engrossed in his comic and likely to remain so for the next hour or so, so nobody would be prompting any disagreements tonight. Whew.

Raph smirked at his older brother, his telltale mischievous smirk. Mikey looked up and sent him a questioning look, to which Raphael gave a fake innocent look and said to Leo in a tone quite serious, "You never know, big brother, maybe I've turned over a new leaf. Maybe I'll be obeying all your orders from now on."

That got the eldest turtle's attention and his gaze flew up from his comic. He glared at his immediate younger brother, "Who are you? And what have you done with my brother, Raphael?"

Raph snickered and gave the blue-banded turtle a rough but affectionate rub on the head from where he stood behind the couch. Mikey and Leo both smiled at seeing their normally cynical brother in such a good mood.

Then Leo stood and looked Raphael in the eyes. "Learn anything new out there tonight?"

"Yeah, as a matter-of-fact I was just about to go report to Master Splinter."

"No need my son I am right here." The old rat said coming up from behind them, making all three turtles jump.

"Sensei." They whined, and the old rat just smiled.

"What is it you found out Raphael?"

"Well, I think I finally got a lead on the Nightwatcher, Jade is still at large and kicking Foot butt, and I got the name of Shredder's mystery crony." Donnie entered the room from his lab as Raph was making his report and immediately joined his brothers.

Raphael suddenly found four pairs of eyes looking at him expectantly. "…What?"

"You said you got the guy's name." Leo prompted.

Raph shifted his weight and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, "Well not exactly his name, just what they call him."

Master Splinter's eyes narrowed. "And what is that, my son?"

"Well they call him…Dragon. Unfortunately that was the best I could do tonight. I'll get more info on him tomorrow." With his hand still on his neck, the turtle shrugged.

Leonardo nodded, before turning back to one of the other issues, "What about your lead on Nightwatcher?"

"I think I know where his hideout is, but I'm gonna have to check it out another night, it's in an old and abandoned warehouse near the riverfront, but I won't go in till I've thoroughly checked the place out."

Master Splinter regarded his second son thoughtfully, "I'm amazed by how well you're handling this Raphael."

Raph smiled lightly, "Thank you, Sensei."

The next day, Raphael was practicing in the dojo, which…was not at all unusual. Michelangelo passed the dojo, humming happily to himself, and screeched to a stop. He took a few steps back and peered through the dojo doors to confirm what he thought he had seen. Was that a new Kata?

When did Raph learn it? Man, it looked really awesome! Leo and Donnie have got to see this!

The youngest of the turtles ran off hurriedly to find his brothers.

Leo was in his room reading Space Hero comics, when a big orange blur (namely Michelangelo) jumped on the end of his bed.

Before the older turtle could even utter a single syllable, Mikey cut him off, "Come on, bro! You have got to see this!" And with that the blue-masked turtle found himself being dragged down the hall by his younger brother. Mikey sure could be pushy sometimes.

They went straight to the lab and abducted Donatello, of course, before the youngest finally released them in front of the dojo. He pulled the door back a little and gestured his older brothers to look inside, where Raphael was still practicing.

The two older turtles watched quietly for a moment before turning back to their little brother. "Raph learned a new kata?"

Mikey nodded, "Yeah isn't it awesome? I wanna learn it, too!"

Leo looked back at Raphael, his keen blue eyes watching his brother's movements carefully.

A frustrated growl from inside made all three turtles peek into the dojo, to make sure their brother was alright, which, of course he was. Why he was growling they were not quite certain.

Raphael took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and plunged headlong into the kata with full focus. Every movement was beautifully precise, every potential blow perfectly executed. His body was performing flawlessly as his mind formed a picture of Midori carrying out each step as she had taught it to him earlier that day.

"Do you see that?" Leo asked, his voice slightly awed.

"That it's awesome?" Mikey asked, and Leo face-palmed.

"No, he has his eyes closed!"

The two younger turtles stared. How could Raph, the master of bad form, master a kata so perfectly, and do it with his eyes closed?

When Raph finished the kata and opened his eyes, his senses immediately alerted him to his brothers' presence and he whirled around to glare at them. "What are you guys doin?"

"Watching." Leo answered plainly.

"Didn't you bother to consider that might have made me a little uncomfortable?"

"No, seems to me you've got that kata mastered."

"I do not remember teaching you that kata, Raphael." Raph jumped slightly as his Sensei emerged from behind them.

"Um, well ya see Sensei, Its really simple just a combination of seoi nage and-"

Master Splinter sighed, "I know exactly what it is, my son, I have seen it used in battle many times. However, sheathing one's weapons in the middle of active combat is both risky and foolish. Which is why I never taught it to you or your brothers. I forbid you from using this kata on the battlefield, Raphael."

Raph frowned, "But Sensei, if timed correctly this kind of combo can mislead the enemy and win the battle!"

"Raphael!"

The turtle straightened to attention, fearfully. He hadn't meant to contradict his father...Bowing his head he accepted his Father's wishes, albeit begrudgingly.

"While I will allow you to use this move in training against your brothers, using it out in the field is another matter entirely. It requires a certain level of patience and skill that I am reluctant to burden you with. Show me you can do it, Raphael, then perhaps I will allow you to apply it in battle."

"Hai Sensei." Raph nodded and that was the end of that.

The four teenage mutant turtles were on their usual evening patrol, only this time they'd split up in pairs to cover more ground. Of course Leo had made certain Raphael was with him so that he could keep an eye on the hothead. The leader was scouting some fifty yards ahead of his younger brother, all the while constantly glancing back to be sure Raphael didn't run off. Just as they were heading by the docks, Raph grew suddenly on edge, his senses telling him something was up. At that moment, a strange sound caught his ear.

It sounded like robotic movement. Question was: Krang or Foot? The second oldest turtle raced forward and tapped his elder brother's shoulder. Leonardo turned towards him and Raph gestured him to listen. The leader took a moment and listened very closely. He could just make out very quiet noises. He raised an eye-ridge at Raphael, and the hot head bounded off towards the docks before the eldest could get a word in edgewise. With a roll of his dark blue eyes, the ninja leader took off after his brother. The two younger turtles followed their elder brothers, exchanging confused glances. When they reached the docks all them stopped and stared.

Raph's eyes narrowed. This had to be the biggest Foot operation he had ever seen. There had to be at least a hundred of them, if not more. Though he would rather be able to handle this as Nightwatcher, considering the number of Foot present he decided it was probably better that his brother was here, though he wasn't about to let Fearless put himself in danger anyway.

The hothead glanced over at Leo with a 'shall we?' look that made the eldest turtle frown.

'Don't you dare.' Leonardo mouthed silently with a glare.

Raphael smirked and decided it was time to have a little fun with his older brother. The emerald green turtle jumped off the roof of the building they were currently on, over the heads of several Foot bots in the alley below, and onto a huge stack of containers. Leonardo looked so freaked out! Raph had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing. The poor leader, his heart still pounding, put his hands on his hips, and started tapping his foot impatiently. Yep, he was now royally pissed.

'Get back here now.' The elder gestured sternly with hand signals.

Raph just stood defiantly and answered, also in hand signals, 'Make me.'

Leo had to painfully resist the urge to sigh in frustration. It only took him a moment to calm his nerves before he decided that enough was enough. And he'd had it with Raph's risky games. He glanced down for a moment before jumping over beside his brother. The forest-green turtle stared at his younger brother disapprovingly, about to drag him out of the danger zone when a loud, booming voice made them both turn their heads.

The two elder turtles exchanged nervous glances. That wasn't Shredder's voice. Or Fishface, Dogpound, Tigerclaw. This was something new, at least it was to one of them. Raphael's eyes narrowed with recognition.

They both rushed over to the other side of the crate stack they were currently standing on and peered down to get a better look. There in the middle of the operation, was someone Leo had never seen before. He was wearing what looked like a cross between a ninja uniform and militarized body armor. Bullet proof, it looked like. The most curious aspect about him however was that he was wearing a chochin kabuto helmet, shaped much like Shredder's kuro kabuto, only more plain, just the helmet without the added blade decoration. The final touch was a golden samurai mask, the face behind it completely a mystery.

Whoever this guy was, he had some serious rank. All the Foot bots were obeying his orders without question and then, just as Raph was about to get closer, Leonardo grabbed his arm and yanked the hothead towards him so he could whisper in his brother's ear, "We shouldn't get too close."

"I know that voice, Leo. He's that Dragon guy." Raph's eyes narrowed and he pulled his arm away. He gestured Leo to go back to the other side of the crates. The eldest stared back at him, confused.

'Trust Me.' Raph gestured, 'I have a plan.'

With much hesitation, Leo backed down, jumping back across to the other side. Once he was there Raph made one more gesture, again in hand signals. 'Follow me, but stay on the upper levels. Wait for my signal.'

Raphael jumped down into the alley and drew his sai. He knocked over several trash cans, banging on them with his sai and creating a great commotion.

Deep Blue Eyes (Leonardo's POV)

When I figured out what my brother was doing, I felt a little better. So far Raphael seemed to be taking extreme caution, which is extremely unusual for him. He's drawing the Footbots in a few at a time. Not a bad plan, I thought to myself. Then I realized something else.

Raphael learns from experience. So the only way he would feel confident knowing a plan like this would work, is if he's tried similar schemes. Just how many times has Raph done this all by himself?

I was pulled from my thoughts by the realization that Footbots were closing in on the alley. I tensed, but stayed put, hoping my brother wouldn't be too pig-headed to realize he'd need backup.

(Third Person POV)

Dragon looked up when he heard the commotion coming from a nearby alley. He knew who it was. Nightwatcher always used some kind of surprise tactic when he was ridiculously outnumbered. But Dragon vanished in the shadows, making his way through the stacks of crates and cartons. As he approached the alley, his eyes caught some shadows on the roof.

So more than one of them are here. I have not studied the others thoroughly enough to confront them all. So I will have to separate them. Corner my quarry in an alley and…no, there is always the chance that the other turtles will come to the rescue. Then an evil smile spread across his face. No, no, I will not kill him tonight. But I'll make sure he knows exactly what he's up against. I will show him the impossibility of escaping this situation. He will see that it is unsafe for him to remain with his family, for I shall find him wherever he tries to hide. Tonight Hamato Raphael will realize that there is no where he can run to escape the finest hunter in Shredder's arsenal. Tonight he will know how it feels to be a dead man-er, turtle-walking.

As soon as Raph gave the signal, Leo jumped down into the alley with his katanas drawn. Unfortunately for him, Raph had already finished most of them off. Just as Leonardo was about to slice up a couple bots standing behind him, Raphael got in his way and took them down.

"Raph, what are you doing? I had them!" The eldest said, annoyed.

"Save your strength, Fearless. There's more on the way." Leo could have sworn he saw the hothead look up and he inadvertently followed his gaze just in time to catch a glimpse of a female figure pulling away from the ledge. Jade, he thought with a frown. Then a thought struck him. Was Raph showing off? The same way he had with Karai? He raised an eye-ridge and scrutinized his brother's facial expression. It was possible…

Before he could think any further on that notion, the two brothers were bombarded with Foot bots. A small battalion jumped down in the alley between them, splitting them slightly apart. Leo met Raph's eyes. There was only one good option left now. Split up and regroup after the bots had been finished off. Raph nodded and ran down an adjacent alley, not knowing that was exactly what his adversaries wanted.

Raph reached a dead end and cursed his turtle luck, turning to face the Foot bots, only to find them gone. He had a bad feeling about this…The next thing he knew he'd been flung backwards into a wall with tremendous force. He was still near the docks, but he had lost his orientation. He stood, shakily, knowing that whoever he was fighting was not about to give up easily.

Raphael reached for his sai, but something slammed into him from behind, pinning him against the wall. A dark, deep voice whispered eerily into his ear. "You have no idea the trouble you have cause Hamato Raphael."

"What do you want from me?" Raph growled.

"The same thing all of the Foot want from you. I want you to die!"

Raph's muscles flexed and he tried to pull away, but he could not.

"You don't seem to realize just who I am."

"Why, should I?"

"I am the one you have been searching for. The Dragon."

Raph smirked, "So let me guess, you want me to tell you where my father is and then Shredder will use me as bate, right?"

"Wrong!" Raph tried to look back at his adversary over his shoulder, but Dragon pressed him even further into the wall, punching him in the gut for good measure.

Raph groaned, but Dragon went on with a maniacal grin. "I suppose you haven't heard. I'm Shredder's Huntsman. I find and kill anyone and everyone he commands dead. And you see, Raphael, you are my next quarry."

All of a sudden the pressure vanished and Raph stood upright and glanced around. A fog had rolled in, and it was hard to see, but he sensed the Huntsman was still there. "Why me? Why not any of my brothers?"

"Well, he didn't ask for you. Not at first. He wanted someone quite different." Raphael decided he didn't like that evil cackle in the Dragon's voice.

"My quarry is the Warrior of Darkness himself. The great Night Crusader, though, I think we both know that the Nighttime vigilante and yourself are one in the same."

Raph growled and decided enough was enough. He sensed a movement in the fog and he struck, but the shadow dodged.

The red-masked ninja turned, trying to pinpoint his enemy's location, when a voice whispered over his shoulder, "You'll never find me. Your senses are not fine-tuned enough, and my skills are superior to yours in every manner."

"That's what you think!" Raph growled and threw a punch. Dragon dodged. Before he could react, Dragon emerged from the fog behind him and Raph turned around to meet an onslaught of blows. The Huntsman struck him repeatedly, over and over in the same places and Raphael knew he wouldn't be able to take much more…

"No one can escape me! No one can avoid me! I am the finest tracker in known existence, rest assured you and your family will not be safe for long!" Those words put fear in Raph's heart, but he still pushed himself weakly to his feet.

"Give me your best shot."

Meanwhile, Leonardo found himself backed into an alley, with little luck at escaping. He was outnumbered at least two-to-one, but that wasn't anything he couldn't handle, unless they brought reinforcements…

Just as that thought crossed his mind, at least two dozen more Footbots appeared on either side of the alley. Great I just jinxed myself! He thought as he readied a katana. With his other hand, he activated the emergency beacon on his T-phone, hoping Mikey and Don were able to respond.

Jade had been watching as Raph and his brother started to engage the Footbots, and when they'd split up she thought about going after her friend, but then she decided Raph would rather she help his brother, and a good thing too. It looked like the blue-banded turtle was now completely outnumbered, no matter how good he was. No one could take that many Foot bots all at once. She leaped down into the alley without a second thought, taking down three Foot at once.

Leo was startled by a loud battle cry and when he looked up he saw that vigilante, Jade, leaping down into the alley beside him. She skewered three Foot bots right off the bat with one of the old jitte, and Leonardo couldn't help but notice she had both of them. When did Raph…? But his thoughts were interrupted as a jitte cut in front of his face, wiping out a Foot bot. He glanced over at her.

"Yo Blue, keep yer guard up will ya? I can't take 'em all down by myself!"

Leo frowned, not entirely sure he trusted her, but nodded nevertheless.

For ten minutes they fought seemingly endless waves of Foot, before the tides finally seemed to turn in their favor. Leonardo realized that her fighting style was very reminiscent of Raphael's and by using that line of thought he was able to decently predict her movements, and avoid getting in her way. As she finished off the last couple of Foot Leo started to glance around for any sign of Raph.

As though reading his thoughts, Jade addressed him, "I counted forty-two of them when you and your brother were confronted by them. There are forty-two here. So you can therefore assume that whoever he's fighting, it isn't Foot Bots."

Though he was still reluctant to trust her, he couldn't help the dread that filled his stomach at her words. He was so distracted by his worry he didn't even catch that she knew Raphael was his brother. Suddenly, the sound of an engine made both of them look up.

The Shell Raiser rolled up, barely squeezing through the tight alley. It screeched to a halt and the door flew open as Michelangelo and Donatello jumped out.

"Leo!" Exclaimed the youngest, "You okay?"

"I'm fine, thanks to…" his voice faded away as he looked up and realized she was gone. He frowned.

Mikey took a look around and whistled, "Dude this is a lot of Foot bots." Then another thought came to him, "Where's Raph, he didn't leave you alone did he?"

"No, of course not Mikey." Leo said, trying to calm his youngest sibling. "Raph and I purposely split up hoping to reduce their numbers and make them more manageable. But then…it seems that all the ones Raph led away from here, came back to fight me."

"So who's fighting Raphael?" Donatello asked.

Always the quick one. Leo thought. "That's what we have to find out. Come on guys, let's find Raph and make sure he's alright." Leo stated, unable to hide his worry. The other two brother's nodded, their expressions just as grave.

Raphael could barely breathe. He felt like his stomach was on fire. Despite the protective barrier his plastron provided, each blow hurt even more the first. No longer able to stand he fell to the ground. The emerald green turtle tried to push himself up, but before he could do so he was struck by a brutal kick to the stomach. He let out a pained cry and Dragon laughed.

"I will not kill you tonight turtle, but remember what I said. As long as I am after you, no one you know is safe. There is nowhere you can hide from me." He finished with a cackle, but it was cut off, as they heard voices approaching.

"Raph? You there?"

"Remember my words, turtle." Dragon hissed as he vanished into the fog.

Raph groaned in pain as he struggled to get up, but his body had given out on him.

"Guys I think I heard something!" He vaguely registered it as being Mikey's voice. No! Mikey couldn't be here! This is where the Dragon was! It isn't safe!

"No, M-Mikey…" he groaned weakly.

"Raph?" Came a quiet reply. "Where are you, buddy?"

"Mikey, over 'ere." He called, his voice sounding weak, even to his own ears.

He felt a pair of feet drawing nearer and he whispered warily, "Mikey?"

"Raph!" Michelangelo exclaimed as he set eyes on his brother. The youngest slid down onto his knees and rested his hands on the pavement by his brother. "Guys I found him!" He yelled, and Raph could hear more pairs of feet running towards them. "You okay, buddy? Can ya get up?"

"I might with a little help," the red-masked turtle gasped out.

Michelangelo put his brother's arm over his shoulder and hoisted him up, Raphael helping as much as he could, which in his current state, wasn't much. Mikey could now get a better look at his brother's physical state.

"What happened?"

"No time," Raph said, rather breathlessly, "Gotta get to Master Splinter."

"Easy Cowboy, Master Splinter's not going anywhere." Mikey replied soothingly, though he could feel that there was something dreadfully wrong. Raphael was shaking. Whether it was from his injuries, or form sheer terror Michelangelo wasn't certain, but neither boded well. Raph didn't scare easily, unless bugs were concerned.

Leo and Don rushed over to them and gasped at the sight of Raphael. "What happened?" Leonardo asked without hesitation.

Raph looked up at his older brother, weakly, "Really Fearless? I get the crap beaten out of me, I'm half dead and all you can ask is what happened? I thought you cared." It was meant to be sarcastic, but right at the end of the phrase, a wave fresh pain went through him and the red-masked turtle hissed, and almost doubled-over.

Donnie frowned and took a look at his brother's injuries. His brown eyes filled with worry as he turned back to his other brothers, "This is bad. We have to get him home ASAP."

Leo aided Mikey and the two of them carried Raph to the Shell Raiser, despite his protests that he could walk.

Once they got back to the lair and Raph had been placed safely in the medical facility (aka. Donnie's Lab), Leo approached the brainiac and put a hand on his shoulder. "You said it was bad. I don't suppose you want to tell me why."

Donatello sighed. "Leo, you saw the state of his plastron. His breathing sounds awful, which could be a sign of extensive internal damage. If there is internal damage, and if it is severe, I won't be able to do anything about it. We're not like humans, Leo, we can't just open each other up and fix whatever is wrong inside, there's too much shell in the way. Trying to cut through the shell would be an even higher risk of death."

"So what you're saying is that if he's suffered extensive internal damage or bleeding, that could kill him if left untreated, we can't do anything to save him."

Donnie stared at a miniscule dot on the carpet, unable to meet his brother's gaze. "That's exactly what I'm saying Leo."

Leo just stood there, traumatized beyond coherency.

Thankfully, while Raph had suffered some internal damage none of it was as severe as Donatello had predicted and Leonardo was relieved. The past three days, waiting for Raphael to recover had been the longest and tensest time Leo could remember spending. At every opening of the door, every update from Donatello, Leo would leap off the couch with his fists clenched. He was more worried than he had ever been in his entire life. And when Raph finally emerged from the med-bay, it was the happiest he'd ever been to see his hot-headed little brother alive and well.

Leonardo pulled Raphael into a tight hug, which his brother reciprocated softly, before pulling away. "Leo I have to talk to Sensei." The red-masked turtle said, his voice both pleading and insistent.

"Alright."

Donatello followed as Leo led Raph to the dojo, where Mikey and Sensei looked up. When their eyes fell on Raphael they both smiled.

"Raph!" Mikey exclaimed bounding over and hugging his brother joyously. Master Splinter smiled and began to approach when Raphael sent him a very serious stare.

"Sensei. I have to talk to you. About the guy I fought with. It was Dragon. He calls himself the Shredder's personal Huntsman. He says that Shredder tells him exactly who he wants dead and then he goes and sees it done."

"Indeed," Splinter stroked his beard. "I am surprised he told all of this to you."

"He had a good reason to, Sensei."

"Oh?" Splinter prompted, an eyebrow raised.

"I'm his current prey." Raphael confessed, refusing to meet his Father's or siblings' gazes.

"What?! Are they planning on using you to get to me?"

Raph shook his head, "I told you my latest activities would get me in even deeper with the Shredder." He shrugged nonchalantly, "Guess he finally had enough of my tampering. He's ordered Dragon to kill me, and only me. I suppose he still wants the glory of killing you guys for himself. Sensei, I can't stay here. As long as I'm here you guys are in danger."

Silence spread until Splinter changed the direction of the conversation.

"This Dragon, what was his fighting style like?" Splinter asked, directing the question at his second son.

"He was so fast…it was like he was everywhere at once. I-I didn't even get any good hits in. His strikes were hard and precise, but he used sweeping motions, making any kind of offence or defensive maneuvers practically impossible. It was like he knew every single move I did, like he could read my mind."

Master Splinter closed his eyes and stroked his beard with a look of distress on his face.

Raphael knew that look…"You know who he is don't you?" The rat did not respond, which only confirmed the hothead's suspicions. His green gaze fell to the floor, "Then you know that I cannot evade him. I have to go. If I stay here he'll find me…and you guys too."

"No. He will not come near you." Master Splinter said, his voice filled with anger, directed at the Shredder for putting his family through this, and his son for being hard-headed enough to fall into such a situation.

Raph straightened to his full height and looked his father straight in the eyes. "You can't protect me, Father. Not this time. I got myself into this mess. I'm gonna get myself out. I can defeat him." It was then that Splinter realized the little temperamental turtle he had once known was gone. Yes, that side of Raphael was still there, but it had been subdued to a mere rebellious streak in his eyes. This was a turtle he had never seen before, yet somehow had always known would surface. But he had never expected it to come so soon. Raphael had grown fully independent. He no longer needed his father's support to keep him from falling over. Even Splinter's eldest, Leonardo, still depended on him for guidance. Somehow Raphael had managed to find his own way. How? The old rat was not quite certain. With a flash he realized that this was not only a shock, but a granting of his highest hopes and wishes. This was Raphael at his finest, as he was meant to be.

Long ago a tiny turtle tot, who had struggled learning his first kata, now an emerald green warrior, as sharp and powerful in mind as he was in body and soul. Splinter raised an eyebrow and took note that the brothers, too, had sensed the change, as all of them had taken a few steps away from their brother's side.

Finally, the old rat looked down to meet his second child's gaze, and could not stop his eyes from widening. The neon green irises had always intrigued him with their amazing expressiveness and depth of emotions, but at this moment there was only one.

Determination. Utter, raw determination, the intense drive to succeed. Raphael had always been determined, but this was different. This time he was not driven by anger, but instead by a calm and rational need to protect his family. Splinter frowned. As much as he loved his son, it was perfectly clear that Raphael would do what he saw fit, regardless of orders. The old rat cast a sideways glance at his other three sons who looked horror stricken at the thought that their brother could be leaving them. With a sigh, he lowered his gaze, his facial expression one of pure and utter concentration.

"You will stay here."

Defiance flashed in the red-masked turtle's eyes and Splinter knew what was coming next. "But Sensei-"

"I SAID NO!" He yelled, thumping his tail against the floor in warning.

Leonardo, Michelangelo and Donatello flinched. Master Splinter only did that when he was really, really mad. All three of them stared in awe as Raphael bristled with anger, then let it out with a deep sigh before whispering bitterly, "I'm sorry I was such a disappointment to you father."

Splinter straightened, then turned to stare at Raphael. He looked at the other turtles. "Leave us."

"But Master Splinter-" Leo began to object, but he was soon cut off.

"Leave us. All of you." Came the return command.

An eerie silence filled the room as the other turtles left the room. For a moment, Splinter and Raphael just stared at each other.

"Kneel, Raphael."

He obeyed the order, kneeling out respect for his father, just as he had many times before in the past. Only this time he was not seeking Splinter's comfort or advice. His bright green gaze fell to the tatami floor, where it would remain glued. There was no need to look his father in the eyes, for the old rat already knew what was in his heart.

"I have given you orders to remain here in the lair."

"Hai, Sensei."

Splinter turned his back to his son and asked he knew it was time to ask a question he feared he already knew the answer to. "And you still intend to defy them, am I correct?"

There was a moment of silence before sensitive rat-ears detected the barely audible answer: "Hai, Sensei."

Hamato Yoshi sighed. "There is nothing I can do to stop you, my son. I have seen very clearly in your eyes that you no longer need me anymore. You have become a true ninja warrior."

Raphael sprung to his feet faster than he ever had in his life. He put a hand on Splinter's shoulder, gently forcing the rat to turn around so that they were face-to-face. The red-masked turtle's face softened and he smiled gently. It had been a long time since Splinter had seen his second son smile so freely, and he could not prevent a grin from crossing his face.

The determination faded for a moment, and emotions filled neon green eyes once more. "I'll always need you, Father."

Splinter tensed as he suddenly found himself being pulled into a tight embrace, but he immediately relaxed, pulling his second son close to him. He rubbed a hand against Raphael's bald head, like he always had when the turtles were but little children. Tears reached his eyes before he could stop them, and one rolled off his face and landed on Raph's head.

Raph looked up at the rat with an unreadable expression on his face. "I'll be okay, Daddy." He whispered softly as he pulled gently out of the hug.

And then the determination was back, as quickly as it had vanished. If Hamato Yoshi was truthful with himself, it had never truly gone.

"I can defeat him, Father."

Splinter put a hand on Raphael's shoulder, staring deep into his handsome green eyes. "I know you can, my son."

And then the emerald green turtle was gone.