Authors Note:

Hope everyone had a wonderful New Years! Here's a new chapter to kick off the new year!

~Enjoy

Has-Been Heroes

~20 years later~

"Serve the Shredder or parish" Rang through the silent air as citizens trudged on in their morning lines, ready for another hard day at work. 18 hours of slave labor with no breaks didn't seem like a fair choice but it was better than an unmerciful death. The once clear blue skies were clouded with the black smoke that came from the factories that replaced the proud skyscrapers of New York City. The citizens swiped their working cards on the scanners by the doors, both heavily guarded by soldiers dressed in all black with only a red symbol on the band around their upper arm.

The symbol of the Foot.

Not everyone in the city was willing to give in to these new terms of living. Rumors have spread throughout the area of a resistance group that was among them inside the walls of Lord Shredder's empire. Rumors a not-so-young turtle above all hoped were true. Although time had been a bit kinder to him for once, the years still showed. His bright green skin had grown darker over the years, but his muscles were still strong. In his squatting position on top of one of the factories, he watched the humans below carry on, still glad that his wish to become human never came true. Readjusting the leather band around the end of his upper arm, he grabbed his nunchaku and leaped from the roof.

Running across the roof tops never felt the same as it did all those years ago. Back when things were simpler. Back when things were happier.

Jumping into the ally to avoid a helicopter spotlight, he climbed into the nearest sewer hole. He landed down in a puddle of cold sewer water before marching on. He brushed his fingertips along the cold, damp, bricked walls. It had been years since he'd been down this tunnel but it was almost an instinct to go this way.

It wasn't really home anymore. He didn't have a home. When night came and the night patrollers were out, he'd find somewhere to hide and maybe sleep if he was able to talk himself down to it. There was hardly any more fighting for him. He'd do it only if it was necessary, but other than that it would only bring back old unwanted memories. Heck, if it wasn't for his nunchaku serving as his left arm he would've gotten rid of it as well, along with his childish personality.

He could tell he was getting closer when the cement walls began to show larger cracks; rubble remains scattered all over the ground. It had been forever since the turtle had returned to the old lair, but he was running low on supplies. The old lair had been abandoned for years ever since the first bombs were dropped:

The silver marble dropped between the two paddles with a cling. Mikey's bright blue eyes shot up to the final score: 100, his high score: 376380.

Pinball was a lot harder with only one hand to use.

With disappointed sigh he turned to lean his back against the machine. Raph was slouched into the beanbag chair, flipping through channels with the same bored expression plastered across his face. Mikey's eyes trailed over to the silver padlock over the door handles to the set of sliding doors to the right. They've been locked ever since its owner was unable to use it. His eyes fell to the floor as he walked over to sit on the ledge next to his brother.

"Here, try to find something good to watch." Raph said, handing him back the remote.
Taking the controller, Mikey began flipping through channels until he came across a rerun of a familiar show. Super Robo Mega Force Five. Mikey looked down at Raph. "I don't want to watch this." He replied, eyes trailing away from the screen.

A crash from the dojo made them both immediately turn their heads in that direction.

"That's not good."

After a few seconds of muffled yelling, Leo stormed out of the dojo towards the bedrooms.
"Rough training, fearless?" Raph mocked. Leo continued stomping away, ignoring Raph's comment. "I'll go see the damage." Mikey sighed, tossing the remote next to Raph's chair.
"Good luck."

When Mikey walked in he wasn't surprised to see things thrown around on the ground. Splinter sat on his knees in the center of the room, starring down at a shuriken in his hands. Kneeling in front of his sensei, Mikey put his hand on top of the symbol. Splinter looked up at him, his brown eyes heavy with grief and lack of sleep. Mikey flashed an up lifting smile, his fingers clasping around the throwing star as he slowly pulled it out of his father's hands.

"I guess Leo is having another bad day, huh, sensei?" Mikey spoke, picking up the rest of the things scattered around them. "Yes, but I do fear there are not many good days left in him." splinter spoke still starring at the ground. "I bet there is. I'm sure eventually he'll move on and be the same Leo we know and love."

"But, these things do take time, to lose something is one thing, but to lose someone," Splinter's eyes trailed over to the worn out, wooden bo staff that hung horizontally on the wall with a torn faded piece of purple cloth wrapped around it under the picture of his previous family. "That is another."

Mikey sighed taking his sight away from the staff. "It'll all turn out fine in the end." Mikey stood, extending his hand to his father. "You'll see." Taking his hand, Mikey helped Splinter up. His eyes glanced over to the white bandages wrapped around what was left of his son's left arm.

"Hey, I'm fine now. It doesn't hurt anymore." Mikey assured him. With those words something on the surface made the leaves on the tree in the center of the room rustle.

"What was that?" Mikey glanced at the ceiling
"Something is not right."

The ground began to shake beneath them making hard for them to stay balanced on their feet.
"Father, what's happening?" Mikey asked as Raph ran in. "We need to get out of here, now!"
"What about Leo?" Mikey asked as they darted into the pit. Looking around the lair they noticed the hallway to the bedrooms was blocked off. "We got to help him!" Mikey exclaimed running towards the rooms before anyone could stop him.

Inside, Leo slammed his body against the door, trying to push it open but something was blocking the way. Mikey and Raph pulled on the large metal pipe to try to move it out of the way. With the three of theirs strength, the pipe moved enough for Leo to escape. "What's going on?" Leo asked as the room shook again.

"Head towards the gates!" Raph and Mikey did as they're told and sprinted to the exit of the lair. Leo ran into the dojo to find Splinter.

"Sensei, we have to go, now!" Splinter grabbed the purple cloth around the wooden staff on the wall and darted towards his son. As they headed for the gates the large spiral staircase attached to the ceiling began to creak, hinting its metal bars holding it up we're giving out.

"Leonardo!" Splinter pushed his son out of the way as it collapsed between them, showing no escape for Splinter. "Master Splinter!" Leo cried trying to lift it out of the way, but it was too heavy for him.

"Leave, Leonardo. Go with your brothers!"
"No, I'm not leaving you, father."
"Leonardo I order you!"

"No, I'm not going anywhere!" Splinter slipped the cloth from his hand to Leo's. "Keep you and your brothers safe." Then with a shove Leo fell back past the gate. With a final glance, his eyes met with Splinter's as the lair came crashing in.

"SENSEI!"

Raindrops slid down the cold glass windows as the heavy rain began to slow down. Each drop of water that ran down the surface Mikey's blue eyes followed. Inside, the Shellraiser was quiet. Enough that you could almost feel the silence. Raph sat with his feet up running his fingers along the edges of his sai while Leo sat stiff behind the wheel with the same serious expression on his face and the purple cloth tied around his upper arm. Mikey lifted his head with a sigh that rang through everyone's ears.
"So, where are we going?" He asked.

No one responded.

His eyes fell back to his arm rested on the table then he laid his head back down.
Where were they supposed to go? Their home was destroyed. Shredder had made his first attack by sending soldiers to bomb Manhattan.

Several escaped. The rest were killed.

Each of them knew there would be more, but what were they to do about it? They had lost the brains of their group and now they were fatherless.

Orphans

When Leo pulled into the sewers he immediately put it in park and walked outside. Sitting up, Raph followed him out.

"So, now what, fearless." he asked Leo. "What do you mean 'now what'? What is there to do?" he spit back. "I just figured you must have some idea of a plan-"

"Why would I have a plan? I never see you two coming up with any ideas-why does everyone think I have the outcome to everything!"

"Maybe because you're our leader? Our older brother? It's your job!" Raph shouted back.

"I am no one's leader. Leaders don't fail."
"Leo-"
"I'm going for a walk."

"No, you're not!" Raph grabbed Leo's shoulder and spun him back around. "Do not touch me!" Leo shoved Raph away from him.

"No! We can't keep living like this, Leo. You can't keep leaving us behind! Do you think this is what anyone wants? For you to abandon us when we need each other the most! Would Splinter want this? Do you think this is what Donnie would've wanted?"

"Enough!" Leo shouted, his hands shooting for the top of his head as he turned his back to him. "No! Not this time. Ever since Donnie died you've been nothing but a jerk to all of us! All you do is yell and shut us out!"

"Do not put this on Donatello! You know we don't speak of him."

"Why not? Don't you think it'd be better for us! We can't go on with our lives just pretending he never existed!"
"Stop it!"
"You're not the only one who misses him, Leo. We all miss him. We all want him back! But we can't change that and because you can't accept that Master Splinter is dead!" With no warning Leo turned around and punched Raph square in the face. The force sent him against the Shellraiser.

"Raph!" Mikey ran from the doorway of the shellraiser where he was standing to help his brother up. Raph glared up at Leo with dark fury in his eyes as he wiped the blood from his mouth. Glancing down at his clenched fist, Leo's eyes went wide before narrowing back down.

"If you don't like the way I'm running things... then why don't you just leave."
"Fine. I will!" Raph turned and started to walk away, Leo going in the opposite direction.
"W-wait, guys! Don't go. We can work this out like always-please stay!" Mikey pleaded.
Both of his brothers ignored him.

The 35 year old turtle stood in the middle of the tunnel, glancing at both ends. Closing his eyes with a deep sigh, he trudged towards the entrance. He leaned against the archway, resting his head against the damp cement. The lair looked exactly the same as it did when he left it.

Broken and abandoned. It almost reminded him of himself.

Piles of old bricks stacked up to the ceiling and with the fallen cement pillars blocking the pathway it was almost nearly impossible to get through. A thick layer of dust covered the top of everything. Small amounts of light shined in through the cracks of the ceiling, giving the room a dark, abandoned atmosphere. Everything was as he left it. The only thing that really stuck out in the room was the door to Donnie's lab. The lock was gone and the doors were wide open.

And so the story begins!