Title: You'll Have to Go Through Me
Day: Whumptober 2023, Day 28
Prompt: "We might not make it to the morning, so go on and tell me now" Bloody knife/Sacrifice/ "You'll have to go through me"
Fandom: TMNT 2003 AU
Word Count: 1613
Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl
Rating: T
Characters: Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, Bishop
Warning: NA
Summary: Bishop has ambushed Leo and eight-year-old Donnie while they were out. Leo isn't about to let Bishop get his hands on Donnie, but will he be able to hold Bishop off until help arrives?
Notes: This is part of an AU I've had forming in my head where, during a crisis with the Time Scepter, Don sacrificed himself to save everything. Instead of it killing him, though, it turned him into a baby, and his family has needed to raise him all over again.

You'll Have to Go Through Me

Leo's face twisted in a snarl as he held his katana, his expression focused on the cruel madman that stood before him. His other katana was on the ground behind him, having flown there after Bishop had dislodged it from his hand. Leo knew it was there, but he didn't dare take his eyes off of Bishop for a second to get it. Not with Donnie behind him, too. There was no way he was going to let Bishop get his hands on his little brother.

His literal little brother.

The eight-year-old had done remarkably well in the ambush. He'd only been training with his jo—he was too short right now for a bo—for a few months, and he'd only been allowed to rooftop hop without help for a few weeks. Yet he'd had to make use of both new sets of skills in the ambush, and he'd done very well, even if he was scared to death. Leo was beyond proud of him for it.

Yet it hadn't been enough. Somehow, Bishop had managed to funnel them to this abandoned alley where he'd backed them into a corner. It didn't matter, though. All Leo had to do was keep Bishop away from Donnie long enough for Raph and Mikey to arrive. In the meantime, though, Bishop had the upper hand—and they all knew it.

"Trying to protect your brother, Leonardo?" Bishop asked as he kept sharp eyes on them. "Don't worry, I'm not going to harm him."

"Now why don't I believe that for a second, Bishop?" Leo shot back. His awareness shot up, making sure he kept track of Donnie. He could hear his brother scramble back to hide behind some trash that was there.

Bishop snorted. "Please. Do you know the value a younger subject has? There's far more potential there. No, I'm not going to harm Donatello. I have plans for him."

Leo could hear Donnie whimper behind him. He couldn't blame his brother. It was terrifying to hear that as an adult, much less as a child.

Leo growled. "You won't touch him," he said. He could hear Donnie backing up even more, giving Leo plenty of room.

"Come, Leonardo. Do you really think that you're going to beat me? More than that, it's almost morning. What do you think will happened when the good people that live in these apartments wake up to find a giant turtle creature attacking a human government agent?" Bishop smirked. "But if it makes you feel better, I can't tell you my plans for young Donatello."

Leo's focus sharpened even more, and he settled into a highly dangerous state. He was positive that there was nothing good in what Bishop had planned for Donnie. "We might not make it to the morning," Leo threatened, "so you had better go on and tell me what you have planned for my brother now."

"You mean you won't make it until the morning," Bishop said. "I will, I'll have my prize, and your sacrifice will fuel more research."

Donnie let out a small, scared gasp, and Leo wasted no time with anymore talking. He charged Bishop with a yell. Steel clanged against armor as Bishop blocked the hit. Leo didn't let that stop him, though, and quickly delivered a strike to the man. Bishop couldn't dodge it, but he did use its momentum to lead into another attack. The alley rang with the sounds of the fight as the two battled it out. Bishop was, as always, fast and swift, inhumanly so. However, Leo was fueled by the rage that came with protecting his brother, and he didn't let up or give an inch.

And yet it wasn't enough. Bishop managed to gain the upper hand, sending Leo crashing to the ground with a strike to his head. His katana flew from his hand, and Bishop picked it up, twirling it around. "Good-bye, Leonardo. I'll make sure your body is put to good use."

Bishop raised the sword, ready to plunge it down. Suddenly, he reeled back in pain as something stabbed him in the kidney from behind. He stumbled back and tripped over something that was ankle height that hadn't been there before, dropping the katana. Rolling with the fall, despite the pain in his back, Bishop looked up to see what had happened.

To his surprise, young Donatello was standing between Bishop and Leonardo, a bloody knife in one hand, and his staff in the other.

"Y-you'll have to go through me!" he declared loudly, clearly set on defending his brother, even if his voice was shaking. "So—stay away!"

"You brat," Bishop said as he rose to his feet. "I'll take pleasure in using your DNA to make a new army out of—and in charting every second of how you grow."

The young turtle paled, clearly scared, and he backed up a step. But he quickly set his jaw, holding his staff with confidence as Bishop advanced. Behind him, Leonardo blinked himself awake and shook his head. His eyes widened as he took in the scene in front of him.

"Donnie, no!" He cried out, grabbing the young turtle by the belt and pulling him away at the last second, rolling a few feet away with Donnie in his arms. A sizzle from Bishop's wrist stun-gun crackled, the shot having landed right where Don had been.

Leo grit his teeth and pulled himself to his feet, shifting Donnie to his shell and picking up his fallen katanas. Bishop was already on his feet. Leo scanned the area. There had to be a way out of here!

"Just hang on to me, Donnie," Leo said, and he felt his brother's grip on him tighten.

Bishop launched towards them, but before he could get far, two shapes descended on him.

"Stay away from our brothers!" Raph yelled.

"Yeah, you're not on the approved human list for Donnie," Mikey shot back.

Bishop jumped back, having to focus on Mikey and Raph at the moment.

"Leo, go!" Raph yelled. "Get Donnie out of here!"

"What about you?" Donnie cried out.

"We'll be right behind you!" Raph said.

"Right," Leo said, waiting for his opportunity.

It took a moment, but Raph and Mikey gave him and opening, and Leo took it, moving as fast as he could. But Bishop had anticipated it, or perhaps had given them the opening, because he lunged right at them.

"I'll have the brat, and you three will just be a bonus!" Bishop said, his wrist gun powering up, aimed right at Leo and Donnie

And then Leo felt Donnie's arm tighten on his neck and felt more than saw Donnie's other arm lash out. His bloody knife lodged itself in Bishop's wrist gun, clearly having hit something vital as the thing started sparking.

Leo continued his path forward, not even looking back as he heard Bishop's yell and an explosion. He didn't acknowledge Donnie's yell of "Ha! I knew it!" He felt more than saw Raph and Mikey coming up behind him. And he didn't slow down until they were far away and well hidden from Bishop, taking a breather in a small hidden tunnel.

"Alright, Leo, hand over Donnie to Mikey and let me look at ya." Raph said.

Leo nodded, and Donnie went to Mikey, holding onto his hand as Raph helped Leo sit down and looked him over. "Looks like you've probably got a concussion," Raph said. "Although I don't think anyone's surprised. You hurt anywhere else?"

"Just minor things," Leo said. "Donnie?"

"I'm fine, Leo!" Donnie piped up. He left Mikey's side and hurried to Leo's. "Leo, are you sure you're alright?"

Leo pulled Donnie in. "I am, thanks to you," he said, giving his little brother a hug. "You were very brave, standing up to Bishop like that."

Donnie buried his face in Leo's shoulder, letting his brother pull him into his lap. "I thought he was going to kill you!" Donnie said. "I was scared!"

Leo pressed his beak to Donnie's head. "I know. But I'm proud of you, little brother. You did so well."

Donnie tilted his head up to look at Leo and smiled, even if Leo could still see the fear and the stress behind his eyes. They'd have to talk about that later with Master Splinter. But for now, it was good enough, and Leo smiled back at his brother.

"Hey—I gotcha something," Mikey said with a smile, bending down to grin at Don. He held out what looked like Bishop's half-exploded wrist gun with Donnie's knife still in it.

Leo made a face. "Mike, are you even sure that's safe?"

"I dunno. Maybe," Mike said, as Donnie gleefully took it, already looking over it.

"Mike," Raph said, warning in his voice.

"Don't worry, it's safe!" Donnie said. "I don't see any tracking devices on it, and it's disconnected from the powerpack, it doesn't look like its got any way to hold a charge."

Leo sighed, and Raph reached out to rub Donnie on his head. "You did good, Donnie. Now get your toy and let's get you and Leo back home before Master Splinter starts looking for us."

Donnie nodded and got off of Leo's lap as Raph offered Leo a hand up. The group started down the tunnels, but it escaped no one's noticed that on the journey home and for the next few days, as Leo's concussion healed, Donnie stuck close to Leo.

This event had left a mark on him, and had revealed that Bishop was after Donnie, but no matter what came, the family knew that they would face it together.