The shock on Mikey's face turned to agony, and a strangled gasp escaped his throat as he sank to his knees. His arms fell limp at his sides, the broken chucks clattering to the ground.

Shredder's hideous laugh tore into Leo's horrified, frozen mind. With a sharp yank, he pulled the red, dripping blades free and turned to face the newcomers as Mikey slumped to the ground.

"So, the fool was a distraction after all. I must admit, I am impressed you had the wisdom to send the disposable one."

With no more regard than someone would show a piece of trash, he planted a foot on his fallen opponent, then kicked him away. Mikey hit the ground like a limp rag doll, crimson streaks smearing the floor under him as he slid to a stop.

I am impressed you had the wisdom to send the disposable one.

As the heartless words echoed through his head, Leo felt an all-consuming fury burn through his shock. His fists clenched around the hilt of his katanas until they shook, and he drew in a breath. But any words he might have said were cut off as Raph lunged forward, releasing a roar of pure animalistic rage.

Shredder barely blocked the sais in time, and Leo could swear he saw a flicker of unease on the scarred face before it hardened again. The next shout came from Karai as she followed close beside Raph.

Leo would have charged in with them, but Donnie was already rushing toward their motionless youngest brother. Leo raced across the room, taking down Tigerclaw and Fishface with single-minded, machinelike precision and clearing the way for Donnie to reach Mikey. Leo watched with a white knuckled grip on the hilts of his katana, waiting to hear whether he needed to sheath them and retreat or use them to slice the Shredder's twisted head from his neck.

Seconds seemed to drag by, then Donnie's head snapped up.

"He's alive!"

Leo's swords slammed into their scabbards and he knelt, one hand snatching a smoke pellet from his belt while the other pressed against Mikey's shoulder. He looked at Raph and Karai, who by now had driven Shredder across the room. For the first time, Leo was sure that if they kept fighting they would kill him. He almost wished he could let them.

"Everyone, fall back! Retreat NOW!"

Raph's head snapped toward him, his eyes still burning with fury. Once they locked with Leo's, the white eyelid disappeared as they widened and he shouted to Karai. In almost perfect synchronization, they struck from opposite sides, forcing the Shredder to block, and then Raph whirled and swung a kick at the man's open center, connecting with a distinctive crack! and sending him flying into a nearby wall.

As Raph and Karai sprinted toward them, Leo turned his attention to Mikey. Despite the pressure he and Donnie were applying to his wounds, the red pool under him was growing fast.

"Can we get him back home?"

Donnie's jaw clenched, making Leo feel sick.

"The blades went straight through. If we can…"

"Karai!"

Leo's eyes snapped to Shredder, who had used the wall to pull himself up. His strained voice confirmed that Raph's blow had done its damage.

"My daughter…"

Leo saw Karai's eyes narrow into slits, and his heart lurched as she whirled to face the Shredder. They couldn't waste any more time…

But Karai made no move to attack.

"I am not yours in any way," she said coldly. "And whatever you want to believe, the only weak one is you."

Without another word, she turned and raced to the turtles. To their collective astonishment, she morphed into her serpentine form with as much ease as the strides she was taking. Seeing their stunned looks, Karai let out an impatient hiss and her extra heads writhed.

"Do it! Now!"

Quickly recovering from his shock, Leo threw the smoke bomb. That same moment, Karai snatched him and his brothers up in her coils and leaped back into the vent.

Shredder's enraged yell echoed behind them as she whipped through the tunnel with unbelievable speed. It seemed that barely a second had passed before they burst through a vent, but Leo recognized that they had reached the rendezvous point in an alley several blocks from Foot headquarters. Karai had barely set them down then Donnie pressed the alarm on his T-phone and rushed to Mikey's side.

Leo stumbled over with Raph close behind. The red-banded turtle lifted Mikey's head into his lap as Donnie yanked strips of gauze from his belt pouch.

"He's losing blood fast, we have to keep pressure on both sides till the others get here!" He thrust some of the gauze into Leo's hands. "Press down here, as hard as you can, and don't let up unless I say!"

Leo tried not to hear the note of desperation in Donnie's voice as he obeyed, but he couldn't keep his hands from shaking as the white material quickly grew soaked with red. He suddenly sensed a presence beside him and turned his head to see Karai, now back to her human form, kneeling beside him. Her eyes were wide and her voice soft as she looked at him.

"Is there anything I can do?"

Raph's head snapped up, and Leo was startled by the coldness in his voice as he glared at Karai.

"I think your help's the last thing we need."

Leo gritted his teeth and opened his mouth, but any words were quickly forgotten at the sound of a weak groan, then a faint, hoarse whisper.

"R-… Raph…?"

The hostile look evaporated from Raph's face, replaced with a tremulous smile as he ran a gentle hand over Mikey's head.

"H-hey… I'm right here, little brother, right here. Don't you worry, you're gonna be fine. Donnie'll get you fixed up good, and you're gonna be just fine."

Hard as he was trying, he couldn't hide the tremor in his voice or blink away the glassiness in his eyes. Leo swallowed hard as he pressed down harder, his stomach turning when he felt warm liquid seeping through his fingers. He had to force his voice not to tremble.

"Don, it's…"

"I know, I know! Just let me focus here!" The fierce tone made Leo flinch, even though he knew the anger wasn't directed at him. Mikey's eyelids flickered.

"Don… nie…"

Donatello's voice became gentle as he shushed their injured brother, though the strain couldn't quite be hidden.

"Easy, buddy, don't try to talk. Stay with me, it'll be okay…"

Suddenly the sound of screeching tires came from the street and the Shell-Razr came roaring into the alley, the brakes screaming as it came to a stop. The doors flew open and Master Splinter leaped out, April close behind. Piercing brown eyes scanned over them. There was a flash of relief when they passed Karai, but then they came to rest on the youngest turtle.

Until then, Leo hadn't known it was possible for a fur-covered face to visibly drain of color. April's horrified gasp, along with Don's shouted orders, came through a fog as Splinter raced over and knelt, his ears flattening as he took in the sight. The gauze held by Donnie and Leo obstructed full view of Mikey's wounds, but there was no mistaking the severity. The large rat's tail lashed, but his voice was low and controlled as he spoke.

"Shredder did this."

It wasn't a question, and Leo knew he didn't need to answer. Mikey stirred and turned his head, drawing in a ragged breath.

"S… Sen-… sei…?"

Master Splinter's tone remained calm, but Leo saw his hand tremble as it cupped Mikey's cheek.

"Michelangelo. Yes, I am here. Stay still, it will be all right."

Mikey drew in a shaking breath, then his eyes cracked open. As the hazy baby blues moved from one face to another, Leo could see the fear growing in them. He glanced at Karai and jerked his head before looking back at Mikey.

"It's okay, Mikey. Everyone's out, don't worry."

Karai moved up beside him, and Mikey's eyes moved to her. After a few moments, a glossy sheen filled them and a weak smile tugged at his face.

"You… d-did t'…"

His breath hitched as he shuddered, the familiar laugh lines in his face furrowing even deeper with pain.

"Of course we did!" Raph growled, his eyes wet. "Then you had to go and… what the shell were you thinking?!"

With what seemed like great effort, Mikey opened his eyes. Despite the fear and pain, there was no regret in them.

"Shredder… H-had t'… stop him…"

Leo's stomach clenched in horror when wet, rattling coughs jerked his little brother's body, a thin stream of blood trickling from his mouth. Master Splinter gently wiped it away, and Leo's heart started to pound at the fear in his eyes.

"Hush, my son… save your strength."

Mikey's eyes opened again, another weak, heartbreaking smile flickering across his pain-filled face.

"I-it's okay… Father. S' better… l-like this. I-I… I…" He shuddered, breaths growing shallow and rapid as his eyes closed.

"A vein's nicked!" Any control in Donnie's voice was gone, and it cracked with fear. "There's too much blood, I can't get to it!"

"What do you mean, can't get to it?! He's bleeding out, you've got to!"

Raph's desperate, furious shouts came through a fog. Leo felt numb, paralyzed by shock and terror.

S' better… like this…

Mikey's voice came to him unbidden, racing through the leader's mind with merciless clarity. Alongside the terrible realization that his baby brother was bleeding to death right in front of him, there was the equally horrifying one that he believed his life was a smaller price than any of theirs.

"Leonardo!"

Master Splinter's fierce voice broke through the fog, and Leo blinked away the haze to see his father chanting the healing mantras with a grave intensity that he had only seen a few times. Pausing, he looked up at Leo. His eyes were blazing, and his voice tight with a control he was clearly struggling to hold.

"You must help me. This may be our only chance."

With that, he went back to chanting the mantra. All of a sudden the fog lifted from Leo's mind, replaced with the words of the healing chant. He glanced over at Karai; understanding instantly, she moved to take his place applying the pressure bandage and he began the chant himself. As soon as Splinter removed his hands, Leo applied his own. As they continued to alternate, all Leo could do was stare at his little brother's still face and pray to whatever god might be listening that this would somehow be enough.

Come on, Mikey… don't do this now. Not now!

"Stop!"

Don's voice broke through the fog, and Leo immediately halted. Sensei stopped as well, and all eyes turned to the genius as he bent over Mikey. Seconds dragged by while they watched his hands move, the movements rushed but decisive.

In the end, it seemed so simple: three quick, tight stitches, then Donnie wrapped the shoulder and straightened.

"That's it?!" Raph demanded, his frantic tone now bordering on outright panic. Don's reply was more controlled, but Leo could hear his alarm.

"It'll hold for now. We have to get him home before I do any more."

That was all the others needed to hear. As quickly as they dared, they rushed the youngest turtle to the ShellRazr. Once Mikey was settled in the back, they took off for the entry to the sewers. Leo sat rigid as a statue, his hands clenched so hard that his knuckles cracked, staring at the scene in front of him with fogged, unblinking eyes.

Don was all professionalism, monitoring their youngest brother's vitals and spouting medical terms too fast for anyone to follow. Raph clutched Mikey's hand as if it were glass, murmuring soft words of encouragement that were undermined by the tears streaming down his face. Master Splinter appeared to be the calmest as he knelt by Mikey, hands resting gently on his head, but Leo knew that the ninja master was focusing all his mental strength on maintaining connection with Mikey's spirit. The noticeable tension in his back revealed the effort it was taking. Leo wanted to help, but he knew adding his mind would only be a distraction.

He was useless… just like before. Just like he always was when it mattered most.

Everything that followed was a blur, and looking back Leo wouldn't be able to remember much of it. The one thing that stood out clear was when Donnie finally stumbled from the lab, half dead from exhaustion. There was an outburst of joy when he told them that Mikey was still alive, but it quickly faded at what came next.

"He's lost so much blood… I d-did the best I could, but… he slipped into a coma. If he makes it through the night… he has a chance, but…"

The silence that followed hung in the air like a thick, noxious fog. Leo felt like he could hardly breathe.

How could this happen… why now…

Dimly, as if from a distance, he heard Karai speaking.

"I… I'm so sorry…"

The loud crash that came next snapped Leo out of his trance. The coffee table was overturned and Raph was on his feet, his whole body trembling and his eyes blazing with white-hot fury.

"You're sorry?! You're SORRY?! Well, I'M sorry we ever found out you existed!"

Leo could only stare, his mind spinning with a mix of shock and anger.

"Raph!"

His brother showed no sign of hearing him. To everyone's horror, he lunged forward and snatched Karai's shoulders, shoving her against the wall.

"We risked our necks once already for you, remember?! But you threw it right back in our faces 'cause all you cared about was getting revenge! You might not really be the Shredder's daughter, but you're just like him!"

"ENOUGH!"

Master Splinter was across the room in seconds, pulling them apart. His eyes were blazing, and his voice raw with too many emotions to identify.

"Michelangelo is not yet lost to us, and he needs all of our strength now. We cannot help him win this battle if we are fighting among ourselves!"

Leo saw some of the furious tension leave Raph's body. He stood still for a moment, then turned and stalked toward the lab. As he passed, Leo reached out a hand.

"Raph, wait…"

His brother pulled away and glared at him, his eyes moist.

"Just keep her away from him," he growled. "Or I will."

He shoved the lab door open and disappeared inside. No one made a move to go after him. Now that the uproar had passed, the atmosphere seemed to be growing heavier by the minute, and Leo felt like every breath he took was weighing him down more… along with the weight of his failure.

Because whatever happened now, he had failed. As a leader, as a son… and most of all, as a brother.