Disclaimer: I don't own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but I obsess like you wouldn't believe!

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Retrieval

Leo got up earlier than the others the next day. He snuck out of the lair and did his best to stay hidden in the alleys of New York, even though it was broad daylight. Once he was on the roof tops he was safe for the most part.

He sprinted towards the hospital. He had talked to April again before going to bed. He told her everything. All the way since Donnie's sudden inability to digest pizza, which he figured had to do with the spirit as well. She had made him promise to come to her room the next day before they went to find Donnie.

Finally arriving and rapping at her window, she pulled the window up and Leo swung inside. After he was in she immediately sat down, looking almost winded. She was wearing her usual clothing. If Leo didn't know better, she'd look perfectly fine.

"April, are you okay?"

She waved dismissively.

"I'm fine…I'm not the one to worry about right now."

"I don't want you to push yourself too much."

"I told you, I'm fine…Do you have any idea where Donnie may have gone? You said he took the Shellraizer."

"I have an idea. I figured he would want to be as far from anyone as possible so-"

"The farmhouse!" April realized. "That's perfect. So you're going to look there first?"

"Yeah. The problem is, that's the extent of my ideas, if he's not there…"

"He'll be there. If he's the Donnie I know he'll be there."

Leo nodded, a sense of certainty washing over him. April stood again and slowly limped towards Leo. She lost her balance and Leo caught her.

"What are you doing?"

"Take me to the lair."

"What? No!"

"I want to be there for Donnie when you bring him back."

"April, you're in no shape to-"

April scratched at the bandages on Leo's hands. Leo winced. April smirked.

"Take me to the lair please."

Leo opened his mouth to protest again, but he let out the air in an exasperated sigh before letting April climb on his shell and climbing back out the window with a halfhearted "Hold on tight."

Once back at the lair, Leo sat April down on the couch.

"Anything hurt?"

"No."

Leo rolled his eyes.

"Sure."

Raph, Mikey, and Splinter entered the room. Splinter gave Leo a disapproving look and Leo chuckled nervously.

"Where'd you go off to?" Raph questioned. Leo didn't get the chance to answer before Mikey ran over to April.

"April! You're okay! I thought you were in the hospital!"

"I was. I figured this was more important."

Mikey smiled and nodded.

"Alright guys." Leo said, going into leader mode. "We should get going. Every second counts."

"Where are we going?" Mikey asked.

"Yeah fearless, Donnie could be anywhere."

"We're going to look at the farmhouse."

"And if he's not there."

"He's there." April said again. Raph looked at her incredulously for a moment, but shrugged a little as if giving in.

"Be safe my sons." Splinter said, stepping forward and resting a hand on Leo's shoulder. Leo nodded, his face painted with determination.

"Hai Sensei."

With that, Leo, Raph, and Mikey were in the Party Wagon and speeding off to rescue Donnie.

"Now, let's see if I can do something to subdue your pain." Splinter said, turning to April. April straightened up and forced a smile.

"Pain? Who's in pain? I'm not in pain."

"April, ignoring it will only get you so far."

April sighed and slumped again. Splinter sat next to her and quietly began chanting.

The silence in the car was heavy. No one had said a word since they left the lair.

After what seemed an eternity, they neared the familiar dirt of the farmhouse.

"Now, won't this be a waste of time if Donnie's not here." Raph muttered to no one in particular.

"Smoke means fire right?" Mikey asked.

"Usually." Leo replied. "Why?"

"Fire means people right?"

"Well, yeah I guess so."

"Okay. I think Donnie's here…but I don't know why he'd make that much of a fire."

Leo peered up at the sky. He gasped when he spotted the ink black smoke that stained the blue sky in the distance.

"Let's go." Raph whispered.

Leo pressed down the accelerator.

When they turned the last bend and were finally at the house it took them less than a second to be out and sprinting around the house. The three of them gasped.

The Shellraizer was flipped over, the front of it smashed against a particularly large tree. It looked like flames had just died out, a thick plume of smoke still spouting from it. By some miracle, the tree didn't look as though it had burned.

"Oh no."

Leo dashed to the vehicle. He squinted through the smoke as he tried to look inside. He got just enough time to see it empty before Raph grabbed him by the shell and jerked him out and away from the smoke.

"Leo, what the heck is wrong with you!?"

"He's not in there." Leo gasped. Raph took a deep breath and knelt to Leo.

"Look, we're going to find Donnie and we're going to bring him back home. Please don't do anything stupid and put your life in danger before we find him. Just don't ever. Kay?"

Leo nodded.

The both of them stood and turned back to the farmhouse.

"Why do I doubt he's in the house?" Leo asked,

"I'll go check the house."

Mikey ran off into the house. A moment he returned.

"He's not in the house."

"Then that leaves the forest…"

"…How are we gonna find him in that" Raph asked.

"Yeah Leo, that's a lot of trees." Mikey added.

Suddenly, an ear-piercing scream echoed through the trees.

"I think we found-"

"Leo…"

"LEO!"

For a moment, Leo didn't even know what was going on. All he knew was immense pain in his head. He opened his eyes, though he didn't remember closing them, and realized he was right by a tree, facing the farmhouse. He slowly sat up and leaned against it. Raph and Mikey were standing in front of him, weapons drawn. Donnie stood a few yards in front of them wielding a stick, sharpened to a frightening point on one end. His eyes were red, but he had tears fast streaming down his cheeks.

"WHY DID YOU FOLLOW ME!?" He screamed. It was definitely Donnie, but it was clear he wasn't completely in control.

"Donnie…?"

"YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE COME HERE! NOW YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Raph growled. He charged at Donnie.

"Raph no!" Leo yelled. Raph didn't listen. He attacked; Donnie blocked and pushed him back.

"RAPH DON'T DO THIS! GO HOME!" Donnie cried as he swung his makeshift bo staff at Raph furiously. Raph was barely dodging the hits.

"We're only going home if you come with us!"

"I'M NOT- I CAN'T GO BACK."

Raph tried to duck and come at Donnie with a low hit. Donnie jumped up and whacked Raph on the head, though the way he cried out one would think he was the one who got hit. Raph fell and skidded to a stop, taking a moment before he pushed himself off the ground.

"I'm dangerous..." Donnie whispered. "…too dangerous…"

Mikey jumped on Donnie's back. Donnie immediately tried to shake him off.

"C'mon bro, you're not dangerous! I mean, to bad guys yeah, but not to us! You're our brother!"

Donnie flipped backwards, successfully getting Mikey off of him. Mikey held his head, squirming in pain as he lay on the ground. Donnie's fingers were suddenly around his throat.

"I know Mikey. You're my brother and I love you very much."

Donnie squeezed tighter and tighter. Mikey fought to breathe. He tried to kick Donnie away, but it did nothing.

"That's why you have to leave…I don't want to kill you."

Mikey pounded on Donnie's arms, desperately trying to get him to let go.

"Don…nie…"

Donnie choked back a sob.

Leo rammed into Donnie so hard, Mikey cringed at the gust of air that followed behind his older brother. Raph was immediately by his side, helping him sit up.

"You okay Mikey? Deep breaths."

Mikey nodded as he breathed deep, the color returning to his face in response to the replenishment of oxygen.

"Leo…"

Donnie swiped at Leo's legs, but Leo jumped at the last second, avoiding a reunion with the ground.

"Take Raph and Mikey and get out of here."

Donnie tried to stab him, but Leo managed to block with the flat side of his katana.

"No Donnie. We're not leaving without you. You have to take control! You can do it!"

Leo sliced Donnie's makeshift bo staff in half. Donnie spun them around in his hands, wielding them like Leo would his katana.

"I can't."

Donnie charged Leo. Leo sidestepped him and used his katana to trip him, being careful not to cut his ankles. Donnie fell forward; the remnants of his weapon flew out of his hands. Leo pounced on him, trying to hold him down. Donnie rolled over so he was on top of Leo.

He punched him in the face.

Hard.

Leo jolted on impact. Most of it was out of surprise. He didn't even know Donnie was capable of hitting that hard. It put Raph to shame.

Donnie punched him again. Leo coughed and spit out blood onto the grass.

!POW!

That was three…

"Leo,"

Four…

"You've been here for me the entire time."

Five six….

"I tried to push you away but you wouldn't go."

Seven eight nine…

"…You're the best older bro ever."

Leo cringed as he waited for the next blow, his hands shaking as he held them in front of his face. He felt sick to his stomach as the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. He squeezed his eyes shut.

There was a really loud "THUNK!"

But no impact…on Leo at least.

Leo opened his eyes and removed his arms from in front of his face to see Donnie laying limp in front of him.

He was breathing, but he was out cold.

Mikey stood beside the two of them, breathing hard. He had the unsharpened end of Donnie's weapon in his hand.

"Mikey."

"It was the only way." Raph said, walking up behind them.

He helped Leo off the ground and dusted him off.

"You alright? Got any teeth left?"

Leo rolled his eyes.

"I'm fine. I've got a headache, but I'm fine."

The three looked down at their unconscious brother. He still looked stressed, even though he was out cold.

"We have to hurry. There's no time to lose." Leo urged.

Leo and Raph carried Donnie to the Party Wagon. Raph drove. Leo called April, informing her that they'd found Donnie and were on their way back. Mikey's eyes never left Donnie's face on the entire ride. Mikey bit his lip as the earlier battle played through his mind.

'YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE COME HERE…DON'T DO THIS…I'm dangerous…I don't want to kill you…I can't…'

"But you can Donnie…" Mikey said to himself. He leaned over and wrapped his arms around Donnie's shoulders.

"I believe in you…"