Okay, so the wonderful, talented Athese wrote an alternate ending to my story, "Expendable"...AND IT IS AWESOME! AHH! Go read it! Review it! It is called "Indispensable"!
(Ahem) Anyway, back to the story...
"On the floor! Right now!"
The terrified civilians did as they were told, dropping to the floor and covering their heads with their hands. Some Foot soldiers kept watch over the cowering people while the others focused on the bank vault. One of them placed a small detonater onto the steel door and pushed a button before quickly stepping away. Seconds later the device exploded along with the door, creating a large crater in the wall. The criminals wasted no time in breaking into the vault and grabbing as many bags of money as they could find. A van was parked outside the bank and waiting for them, three Foot soldiers standing next to it and keeping watch.
Raph and Leo stood on top of a nearby building and watched them. The Serpent vigilante had a scowl on his face as the thieves started to load the van with the bags. "Disgusting," he hissed. "They're like rats, aren't they?"
Raph was angered by Leo's remark. "Watch it, Leo," he snapped. "Keep in mind that our dad is a rat."
"Yeah, I know he is," Leo muttered while keeping his eyes on the Foot below. "Anyway, let's get to work." He reached for his swords but was interrupted by Raph.
"Leo!" the one-eyed Turtle whispered urgently. "Remember our deal!"
Leo said nothing and unsheathed his katanas before jumping off the rooftop. He landed on the street in front of the guards who jumped at his sudden appearance. They immediately recognized by the tattoo on his plastron. "It's him!" one of them gasped. "The Serpent!" But instead of running away like most criminals, they drew out their swords and prepared themselves for a fight.
Leo snorted in disbelief and charged at them at an incredible speed. The one closest to him didn't even have time to defend himself and received a kick in the face. He was sent flying into another Foot, the both of them crashing to the ground. The remaining one came at him and let out a battle cry. Leo quickly blocked his opponent's blade with his own, and with his other katana, he sliced the weaker blade right in half. The Foot soldier stumbled backwards and gasped softy as he stared at what was left of weapon. The second he looked back up, his face collided with Leo's fist and fell to the ground unconscious.
"What the..?!" The Foot soldiers that were inside the bank were now outside with bags of money in their hands. They immediately dropped the loot and unsheathed their swords.
Raph stood next to Leo and drew his twin sai out, smirking mischievously at the Foot. "You kids need a lesson in banking, 'cause this is not how you make a withdr..."
Leo dashed toward them before Raph could even finish. Everything felt so backwards. Thirty years ago, Leo was the one who came up with corny heroic quotes while Raph would charge headfirst into battle. The Ninja Turtle merely shrugged and joined in on the fight.
Keeping his word, Leo refrained himself from slaughtering any of the Foot soldiers, but Raph still kept an eye on his brother during the entire battle. The criminals were hardly a challenge for the Turtles, and soon only one Foot soldier was left standing.
Leo glared at the young man with cruel white eyes. "Surrender," he said in a low threatening voice.
The ninja breathed heavily underneath his mask but refused to stand down. "The Foot never surrenders!" he spat before charging at the Serpent, who only shook his head and ran toward him. In a flash, the vigilante cut the boy's right arm off, much to the shock and horror of Raph. The Foof ninja screamed in pain and agony as he fell to the ground, a puddle of blood quickly forming around him. Leo remained indifferent to his suffering and roughly grabbed him by the front of his shirt, lifting him up closer to his face.
"Leo!" Raph shouted angrily. "You promised!"
"He still lives," Leo calmly said. "For now anyway." He got nose to nose with the sobbing ninja. "Now listen, scumbag. You're going to tell me everything I need to know, and for every time you don't answer my questions, I will cut off a limb. You've already lost an arm." He placed his katana over the ninja's left arm, the cold steel threatening to slice through his flesh. "First question: where is your headquarters located?"
"I-I-I can't..." the ninja stuttered.
Leo snarled and raised his sword over his head, preparing to strike.
"W-wait!" the ninja screamed in desperation. "Please! Please! Okay, okay...y-you know that-that old abandoned factory Hecto Company? That's...that's where we're all get together and-and train."
"Who's your leader?" Leo asked.
"The-the Shredder."
Leo's eyes widened and he turned to look at Raph, who was just as surprised as he. He turned back at the ninja with a scowl on his face. "That's impossible. Shredder is dead."
"I-I don't mean Oroku Saki," the ninja explained. "This is a-a new Shredder."
"Who is he?"
"I-I don't know."
Leo raised his sword once again.
"I-SWEAR-I-DON'T-KNOW!" the young man screamed.
"LEO!" Raph quickly grabbed Leo's hand, preventing him from bringing the sword down. "Stop! He doesn't know!"
Leo glared up at him. "He could be lying."
"Something tells me he isn't," Raph glared back.
The van suddenly sped away, and the Turtles realized that a Foot ninja was inside the vehicle the entire time, hiding and listening to the interrogation. Leo immediately let go of the injured ninja and ran after the van, but it was too far away for him to caught up to. He let out a frustrated grunt and gestured for Raph to follow him. "Come on, Raph! Let's go!"
Raph remained frozen where he stood.
"Please," the Foot soldier moaned in pain. "I-I need...losing a lot of blood..."
"Raph!"
Said Turtle looked at the bleeding ninja on the ground then back at Leo. "First we take him to a hospital, then we go look for the Shredder."
"Leave him," Leo said in a cold voice. "We've got more important things to do."
"But he'll die of blood loss!"
"If he dies, then he dies. He condemned himself to this fate the moment he joined the Foot. And that driver is going to warn the Shredder that we know his whereabouts. We need to strike now before he has the chance to be prepared!"
"I'm not going to let this kid die, Leo," Raph glared at his brother before kneeling down to sling the boy's only arm over his shoulder and lifting him up.
"And I'm going to go face the Shredder," Leo glared back. "With or without you, Raph."
Raph stared at Leo for a moment. He wanted to help this kid, but at the same time, he wanted to help his brother take down the Shredder. He could feel the boy's body tremble and hear his breathing grow heavier. He was running out of time. He made up his mind. "No, I'm going to the hospital." He then took off, leaving Leo alone on the street.
Leo felt betrayed and hurt that Raph was willing to abandon him in order to save some Foot scumbag. But those feelings were quickly replaced with anger and resentment. "Fine," he muttered before running in the direction where the van went.
I don't need your help, anyway.
Splinter opened his eyes as he finished his daily meditation in the dojo. He smiled fondly at the picture of Michelangelo and tenderly touched the glass with his wrinkled fingertips. "Goodnight, my son," he whispered to his youngest son's spirit. "I will see you again in the morning."
He started to get up but then suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.
Oh, no...I know this pain...It's another heart attack...!
He gasped loudly as he clutched his robe, dropping to the floor and knocking the porcelain bowl aside in the process. He tried to call out for Karai, but all that came out of his mouth were gasps of pain. He couldn't even breathe.
His time had finally come.
He could feel his strength slowly leaving him and rested his head on the carpet. Lying in front of him were the bloodied remains of Michelangelo's orange mask. Using whatever strength he had left, Splinter reached for the fabric and clutched it in his grasp.
Even though he knew he was dying, he was not afraid. In fact, he felt at peace.
For after thirty years of living in darkness and despair, the light that was Michelangelo's legacy had returned to brighten their souls once again. He prayed that his sons Donatello and Leonardo would one day find that light and return home. But he had confidence in Raphael and was grateful to him for bringing hope back to the family.
Splinter felt his eyelids growing heavy. The only sound he could hear was his heartbeat, which was beginning to slow down.
Forgive me, Miwa, but I must leave you now...I will tell your mother that you send your love...
Raphael, thank you for everything...It will not be easy bringing our family back together again, but I have all the confidence in you...
Donatello...Leonardo...do not let your hate consume and destroy your souls...free yourselves of it and come back home...
Please come back home...my sons...
He slowly closed his brown eyes, entering into a world of darkness and silence...
He felt someone gently touch his shoulder. Opening his eyes, he was met with two familiar faces that he had missed so dearly.
"Hello, my love."
"Hey, Master Splinter! Welcome home!"
He laughed tearfully as he lifted himself up and embraced his beloved wife and son.
Leo was now standing at the entrance of the Hecto Company factory. He half-expected guards to be waiting for him, but there were none. With great caution, he walked down the halls and eventually reached the main room, which was dark and completely empty, not a single soul in sight.
Could they have evacuated the building and moved to a different location? Darn it, Raph! This is all your fault! If you weren't so persistent on sparing their lives, they wouldn't have-
The ceiling lights suddenly switched on. Leo's heart jumped and he drew his swords outs, preparing himself for an ambush. He instead heard heavy metallic footsteps getting closer and closer...
"Welcome, Serpent."
Leo turned his head to find a figure in a suit of armor stepping into the room. His glowing red eyes stared into the Turtle's midnight blue ones. "We've been expecting you," he said in a deep, mechanical voice.
As soon as he said those words, the doors behind Leo slammed shut. Several Foot soldiers locked the vigilante in, and even more slithered out of the shadows around him. But they didn't draw their weapons out. They merely stared at him him with their big bug eyes.
Leo was getting more and more uncomfortable by the minute, but he put on a straight face and faced his main adversary. "So you're the new Shredder?"
"I am," the mysterious man responded. "I am the Foot Clan's new leader and master, the successor to Oroku Saki."
The Turtle smirked and rested a katana on his shoulder in an effort to make himself appear calm and unperturbed. "I slaughtered Oroku Saki, you know." He slowly circled the room, with the Shredder following suit. "He didn't stand a chance against my wrath. So what make you think that you have a chance against me?"
"I am neither man nor mutant," the Shredder said. "I am a demon."
Leo couldn't help but laugh at this person's ridiculous boast. "A demon, huh? Well, if you're a demon, then I'm the Devil, himself." He pointed his sword at the Shredder. "No one can defeat me, not even you. And your lackeys are about to see why all of New York trembles at the very mention of my name."
The Shredder extended his long, glistening blades, laughing cruelly. "Come, Serpent. Entertain me."
Leo let out a battle roar and charged at the Shredder, who remained where he stood. The Turtle attacked with great speed and force, but the Shredder blocked and avoided every swipe, kick, and blow with ease.
He's good, but I'm better, Leo told himself as he continued to fight. But as the minutes passed, he became more tired and discouraged. Even with everything he had, he couldn't even touch this guy. Was he truly a demon?
The Foot soldiers in the room chanted and cheered for their master, which aggravated Leo even more. This is all just a game to them! All right. They want entertainment? I'll give them entertainment.
Leo suddenly took a giant leap over the Shredder's head and landed on the floor behind him. Just as the Shredder turned to face him, Leo sliced his head clean off his shoulders. The loud clanging noise that the metallic helmet made as it bounced off the ground echoed in the room. There were a few audible gasps of horror, and some of the Foot ninja even puked. Leo smiled triumphantly but then frowned when he noticed that the body was still standing in a frozen position.
Confused, Leo slowly walked toward the headless body...
...then without warning, an arm swiped at the Turtle, the blades slashing him across the face.
Leo screamed in pain and covered his bleeding face, dropping to his knees. He was too distracted by the pain to notice the body walking to where the head lay, picking it up and placing it back onto its shoulders. There was a loud click as the head latched itself back on, and the red eyes returned.
"I told you," the Shredder said with a dark chuckle. "I am a demon. No one can kill me."
He walked over to where Leo knelt, stood behind him, and harshly kicked him to the floor. "On your belly, snake," he growled. He then placed his metallic foot on Leo's carapace and started to apply more pressure. Leo grunted and hissed in pain, then started to scream as he felt his shell starting to crack. His cries were drowned out by the cheers of the Foot ninjas. He felt like he was going to pass out from the pain...
Something smashed through the skylights above Leo and the Shredder, shards of glass raining down upon them. The Ninja Turtle roared as he dived toward the Shredder, drawing his twin sai out.
The leader of the Foot jumped out of the way before Raph could land right on top of him. The one-eyed warrior growled threateningly at him and stood protectively in front of Leo. "Stay away from my brother," Raph hissed.
"Well, now," the Shredder chuckled. "Look who else decided to drop in. We finally meet, Ninja Turtle."
"Who are you?" Raph demanded.
"Who am I? I am the Shredder."
"I know that! But what's your real name?"
"I have many names...Torrinon...Kako Naso...Duke Acureds...the Shredder."
Raph was even more confused now, but before he could ask any more questions, he heard Leo groan on the floor. He had to get his brother treated as soon as possible. "We'll settle this some other time," he gruffly told the Shredder as he helped Leo onto his feet.
"Oh, no, please," Shredder said. "Stay a little longer. Entertain me."
"Sorry, show's over," Raph pulled out a ninja smoke bomb and threw it to the ground. The two Turtles disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.
The Foot soldiers gasped in awe, whispering to each other. "Dude, did you see that?" "That was pretty cool!" "So the Ninja Turtle and the Serpent are brothers?"
"Now do you see, my students?" Shredder called for their attention, which he immediately received. "How weak the Serpent is compared to me? Had the Ninja Turtle not interfered, I would've crushed him, because I am stronger and better than he is! Well, he won't be so lucky next time. And his brother will suffer the same fate should he try to interfere once again."
Tatsu appeared in the room and stood next to the Shredder, raising his fist high in the air. "HAIL, MASTER SHREDDER! LONG LIVE THE FOOT!"
The Foot soldiers raised their fists, as well. "HAIL, MASTER SHREDDER! LONG LIVE THE FOOT!"
"Hey! I need help over here!"
Raph ran into the living room of the lair while supporting his injured brother. When he arrived, April was sitting on the couch and being held by Casey. They lifted their heads at the sound of his voice and looked in his direction. Both of their eyes were red and puffy.
The Ninja Turtle suddenly got a very bad feeling. "What...what's going on?"
Casey and April jumped off the couch and ran over to them. April looked over Leo in concern. "What happened to him, Raph?" she frantically asked.
"His shell's been cracked," Raph told her. "He tried to take on the Foot by himself. He needs medical attention right away."
April turned to her husband. "Casey, call Harold. Tell him it's urgent." Casey nodded and pulled out his phone, dialing a number.
"Come on, Raph, let's get him on the couch," April slung Leo's other arm over her shoulder and helped Raph carry him over to the couch. They gently laid him down and put a pillow under his head. Leo flinched as soon as his shell touched the soft cushion and let out a moan.
Raph knelt down to caresses his brother's cheek. "You'll be okay, bro," he softly said. He looked up at April and frowned as he once again took notice of her weary appearance. "April, you look awful. What's the matter?"
April opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her blue eyes welled up with tears, which quickly spilled down her cheeks as she looked down at the carpet and hugged herself.
Raph stood up and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "April, tell me what's wrong."
She finally looked up at him and choked out, "It's Master Splinter...!"
He ran into the dojo, and the first he saw was Karai laying her head on Splinter's chest, weeping for her father.
Raphael forgot how to breathe. The whole room was spinning.
He took wobbly steps toward his father and sister and fell to his knees. Splinter looked so peaceful as though he were only sleeping.
But Raph knew that his father wasn't asleep.
With trembling hands, he carefully lifted Splinter's head and laid it on his lap. His eye burned with tears as he looked down upon his father's worn but serene face.
"Go to sleep, my son," Splinter softly told four year old Raphael, who had his head in his father's lap.
"I don't wanna!" he whined, struggling to get up but couldn't due to his father's hand on his head which was gently pushing him back down.
"Shh," Splinter hushed. "You must get some rest."
"No!" Raph started to cry, pounding his fists on Splinter's knees, which, of course, didn't hurt.
With his other hand, Splinter stroked Raph's head and began to sing a Japanese lullaby which he had heard from his own mother. At first, Raph refused to listen and continued to fight, but he eventually got tired and gave in. He slowly closed his emerald green eyes as the words of the lullaby guided him into the world of dreams.
Splinter smiled lovingly at his sleeping baby. "Goodnight, Raphael."
Raph hugged his father close and buried his face in his furry neck, letting out muffled sobs.
Goodnight, Master Splinter.
Splinter's death in this fic is based on his death in the Mirage comics (he died of a heart attack).
And an important note, next chapter will be the last chapter of "Mourning". But don't panic! There's a sequel on the way, which will be further explained next time!