A/N: Chapter edited and revised July 31, 2022. Minor changes in dialogue have been changed since the original version posted on . Please let me know if you see any errors.
Chapter TextChapter Two: What Was Lost…Now Found? Part 1
"Master Splinter?" The young turtle called. Pounding pain emerging from his head. A small hand moved up to his aching head and was surprised to feel something wet on his now dry head. Somehow, he had the feeling he had seen this type of liquid often (when you lived with three brothers, you were often bound to see it) and would always see it. He often saw it when Michelangelo and himself would stay up late past their designated bedtimes to watch "medical shows."
Unfortunately, the color here seemed realistic and not unlike his imagination and old textbooks he found when they were looking for supplies in dumpsters.
Donatello moved his small hand in front of his face and saw the rust color on his fingers. He would know that liquid anywhere even in those pictures and movies. It was blood.
At least that would explain why his head was hurting. He vaguely remembered a giant rock falling from the ceiling and hitting him in the head…then the water gushing over him. Struggling to breathe…
The young turtle shivered, "Master Splinter?"
There was no answer again. Surely the young turtle's father would find him soon, right? Right? He would be back home unharmed with his brothers within a few hours max, right?
Leonardo came to a quick halt in the run when he turned around to stare at his brothers. The youngest turtle was currently "running" from an angry Raphael when Mikey had "accidentally" knocked a large amount of snow from a rooftop onto the second oldest turtle.
Leo decided to come to stop their run when he had heard a massive 'bomp' and he glanced over his shoulder to see Raphael covered in snow and Mikey just laughing and struggling to stay upright from his laughter. Raph seemed angry (or if he would say it, pissed off) …there was no other way to describe it. His angry brother had already been hating the weather they were currently running through and Mikey pulling that prank…
Well, the oldest turtle knew it could be quite possible for Raph to melt the snow that currently covered his entire body by the time his temper simmered high enough.
It would take about ten seconds for the mental image Raphael's blood pressure and anger rising high enough actually melt snow to leave his mind. Leonardo shook his head. Sometimes his mind was a little to overactive when trying to be a leader.
Of course, after messing with Raphael enough, Michelangelo would come to Leonardo for protection and then a fight would start between in Raphael and himself.
It made him really think none of them were taking this training session seriously. Then again, he was having a tough time taking his own training session seriously this run. His thoughts drifted elsewhere on their own habits for him to stay completely focused on the training run.
Often, the brothers were too busy trying to kill each other, run for their lives, or simply hope no one killed each other. The fights, the drama, and the energy from each individual turtle
Yes, he loved his brothers.
Unfortunately, Leonardo's thoughts drifted to his dead brother. Donnie should have been out here with them. He should be the one helping keep Mikey entertained or trying to help Leo to stop Raph from killing Mikey. He turned away from his brothers and stared down at the people walking on the streets, trying to get into warm buildings to avoid the freezing weather. A frown appeared on his face.
The oldest turtle often thought of their dead brother. In a weird way, he felt guilty for his brother not being here in the first place. Maybe if he had been the last turtle up instead of following Splinter when the water began to raise…Donatello may have been still here.
"Uhh…Leo, you, okay?" Leo turned towards Raphael.
"Yeah, just thinking about some unpleasant memories…" Leo looked at Raph and noticed the concern look on his face.
Raph frowned slightly and put a hand on his shoulder, "Are they about Don?"
The brothers very mentioned their late brother unless certain milestones or events happened that reminded them. They seldom mentioned their late brother around their father this time of year.
Mikey, who had been in the middle of trying to untangle himself from the clothes Raph had just started to wrap him up in and proceed to leave the youngest turtle there, peeped over to look at his brothers when he heard Don's name mentioned. He felt a pang in his heart and could not find his voice.
Michelangelo and Raphael both knew the anniversary of them loosing Donatello was approaching. It had been had the first two years for the family, but Leo and Master Splinter were the worst ones to fall back onto the past and feel regret.
Leo gave a simple silence not in response to the question.
Fortunately, unlike Mikey for a change, Raph had found his voice, "Do ya think that has been what's been bothering Master Splinter?"
Leo nodded, "That has some things to do with it. Master Splinter rarely talks about what happens even with me during mediation. However, I cannot but help but feel guilty at times when we are out here without our other brother. Maybe Master Splinter feels the same way."
"Look Leo, don't go and get on a guilt trip when we are in the process of having fun." Both older turtles looked at their baby brother who had surprisingly managed to get out of the clothes Raphael had managed to trap him in.
Raphael made a mental note to try harder to find a way to get Mikey back. His younger brother may not seem like a good ninja but even Raphael secretly had to admit that Mikey could put his skills to use when he wanted to.
"Yeah yeah…"
A scream alerted the turtles and they stared at each for a split second before taking off in the direction of the scream.
"Finally, something fun to do on this run!"
Over the past five years, Donatello knew he was nowhere near the level he needed to be when he was surrounded by a group of human ninjas ready to attack him. Part of the main reason as because the purple banded turtle never really got to get further training from Master Splinter in the art of using the bo staff (or any other weapon for that matter).
Secondly, while Akira had taught him some knowledge of martial arts and had tried his best to teach Donatello katas with the bo, he realized he was not entirely on the level as these ninjas were.
He had two clues to help him come to his theory. One was that most of these ninjas were easily tiring him out after taking out part of the group that had surrounded him. The second was he never realized he would be in an actual battle against any real ninjas and his fear kept on rising when the ninjas never seemed to vanish.
The turtle threw his bo towards a group of ninjas as he rushed his way past the ninjas that had surrounded him. The bo swirled in the air and knocked into three ninjas. Donatello leaped into the air and grabbed the bo as he charged forward in the massive number of ninjas surrounding the Akira family.
'Note to self. Next time you get into a fight, make sure you are not wearing any more clothes…' Donatello thought as he struggled to move faster while wearing the clothes.
The turtle stopped running when he was once surround again by the large man and even more ninjas. He panted for a slight second before he yanked the clothes off his body. Donatello had a feeling he would fight better if the clothes were off. Normally he would hate revealing what he was to an enemy but desperate time called for desperate measures. Luckily, he still had his bag with him which held "nice" surprises he could use if needed.
The large man took small steps toward Donatello, who gripped his bo staff tightly. The turtle's quick mind quickly recognized the tattoo on the man's arm. He had seen the tattoo on other gang members who would often attempt to "mug" Donnie when he was out on the surface. It was often a considered a "right of passage" to new and young members who had officially joined the street gang.
The tattoo itself was a purple dragon and belonged to a gang called the Purple Dragons. Donnie only had few experiences with small members of the gang when they tried to attack him or something else. The first time he had seen the tattoo, the genius turtle had nothing better to do and researched the tattoo.
The information he found out about the Purple Dragons had disturbed him. At times, they were a well-organized street gang doing white collar and blue level crimes. Other times according to news outlets and police reports, they were disorganized. However, the large man in front him was wearing black like the rest of these ninjas. The man was large and had blonde hair. He also had scratch/claw marks on his face well.
Seconds passed as neither the ninjas nor the large man made a move. Donatello kept a defensive stance. He knew time was wasting and he was really concerned about Akira and his wife. That had been Akira's scream and he had seen man in body armor which was metal.
"Interesting…" the large man's voice finally broke through the silence, "This turtle fights like the old style like the others use."
Don raised an eye ridge in confusion. Others? Then again, having seen other kinds of ninjas in New York City besides himself was unheard of.
"Which makes me wonder why we have not come across this turtle before," the man continued. Don frowned.
"I prefer to stay out of people's business. At least until they attack people I care about."
Another blood curdling scream reached Donatello's ears and he realized by now he was too late. Grief and pain rushed into his heart. That scream had been Sorano's. The kind elderly woman was gone.
How could this be happening to him again? He had already lost his family but now he was losing another family. The turtle gripped his bo staff and charged forward. No, he would not give the large man a chance to respond. He would take care of these ninjas and then he would go after the man in the metal armor.
Oroku Saki was glad indeed. One debt paid off…well, in a sick twisted way. Akira should have known better than not to pay him back the money that he owed. Though Akira had once been a respected martial arts master and a man who had specialized in several types of weapons and fighting styles, he needed to be eliminated. The last fifteen years or so had proved that the old man and his useless wife had no useful knowledge of his enemies.
In all reality, Saki did not really see the need to simply murder an elderly couple for money they owed. However, Akira was very well respected in the terms of martial arts. Saki did not need an elderly man trying to talk teenagers out of joining for the Foot Ninja or the Purple Dragons all with a food business and truck. Any person that could help get him one step closer to his enemies was his main goal in the end.
No, Saki was glad to have been rid of one minor annoyance. The fire from the building danced wildly in front of him and he watched through his armor.
Turning around and walking back to where Hun was supposed to have kept the police distracted long enough, the Shredder was surprised when he noticed a turtle surrounded by Foot Ninja.
How was this possible? How could the turtles have followed him here? He watched for surprised for a few seconds as the young turtle swung a bo staff at Hun, who dodged it and swung a fist towards the turtle.
"It does not seem possible but this…turtle cannot be one of the same turtles' who always infer with my plans. He fights with a bo staff and his movements are much weaker than the other turtles."
How odd and ironic that he had managed to learn there was a fourth turtle. Yet, he was curious as to why this turtle here. Shredder recalled the other turtles each wore red, blue, and orange. They also never carried a brown bag with them nor did the turtles use a wooden staff as a weapon.
He slowly approached towards the fight. This was interesting indeed…
Donnie felt his jaw aching in pain. The large man had managed to land a fist towards his mouth. Not only that but his body was exhausted, and he was cold. Despite fighting and trying to take on a man who knew every dirty trick in the book, the young turtle was running on his last reserves.
"Give it up turtle. There is no way you can beat me," Hun stated. Don panted slightly and looked at his surroundings. The ninjas had closed closer into the fight. Though they had not joined in trying to take Donatello out, he knew they were reducing his chances of escaping this.
However, anger and grief had flooded the smart turtle's mind. He was not fighting very well.
"Why did you attack Akira and his wife?" Donnie breathed out; his breathes coming in short pants. His jaw ached with the movement of talking and he knew needed to stall for him to escape. If only he could reach the smoke pellets!
"I believe the better question is why you fight similar to Hamato Yoshi," Hun replied. Hun would recognize those familiar katas and moves anywhere. He wondered if his master had noticed it as well. This turtle was different than the other three. It was as if this turtle had no clue that they were the Foot Clan.
Donatello blinked. He heard that name before. When he was younger, he would often recall Master Splinter talked about his Master Yoshi. His quick mind instantly connected the dots. This man knew of Splinter's master.